Some Time in April

     Monday, April 11, 2011, Craig brought home some chicks for Charlotte! Charlotte absolutely loves her new pets and usually just sits next to them and says "hi!" to them, or "one!" meaning: "I want to hold this one!" We aren't going to eat these chicks when they get bigger, because these will become laying hens. Hopefully one of them will turn in to a rooster, so our hens will lay. For now they have to stay inside (in Craig's office), but when they get bigger we will turn them loose in the back yard so they can peck and play with Shiner, who is getting pretty lonely! It's exciting to know that soon enough we'll get fresh eggs!

Charlotte and Daddy hold Chicks

Could she look any happier?

     Sunday, April 10, 2011 Craig and I took Charlotte and our neighbor Ruth to the park! Charlotte loved having somebody to run around with and feel like a big girl. They ran up the stairs and down the slides and up the slides and into the sand box! They swang on the swing and then Charlotte tried to run away through the fields, but Daddy caught her! We had so much fun watching the girls run around having fun.  Craig took pictures while we were there and I didn't know it, but my husband is quite the photographer!

Charlotte throws sand

All Three of us on the Swings

Sweet Charlotte loved it when Daddy pushed her high!

Charlotte helped water the garden (and the sidewalk, and the car...)

33 Weeks!

     Monday, April 4, 2011, before our daily walk, Charlotte posed for me in front of our garden and in front of my growing sunflowers. She is wearing such a cute outfit her Oma got for her from Naartjie, and it is a little big on her, but it's too cute to wait to put on her! She is becoming such a little ham for the camera and never misses a moment to pose!

Charlotte in front of the garden

Charlotte and Shiner

Charlotte and the Sunflowers

Charlotte in the bath - what long hair!

     We are getting close to Olivia's D-Day and we're all so excited! Charlotte is going to be an amazing big sister and we're all looking forward to expanding our family and having our families visit us while we transition into a family of four!



At the Beach

     Saturday, March 19, 2011 Craig, Charlotte and I went to Anna Maria Island in Bradenton, FL for some R&R and had the best time! Charlotte got to play in the sand, collect sea shells and walk around in the ocean. Craig got to do some off shore fishing and actually caught a flounder! I got to rest for a little bit, play with Charlotte and hang out with my sweet husband which I haven't had the chance to do much of lately. I guess we're all trying to squeeze in as much family time as we can before Olivia gets here. I think Charlotte will be an awesome big sister, but before she sacrifices her "only child" status, I want to give her as much love and attention as we've even got to give. After we spent some time on the beach, we walked over to our favorite beach restaurant and enjoyed some delicious sea food! Charlotte had the "sea dog" which is a flaky cod sandwich. Daddy had a blackened Grouper sandwich and I had the SurfnTurf special, a 6 oz. New York Strip Steak and a filet of Mahi Mahi. Yes, it was ALL delicious, we all pigged out and then ordered a slice of orange cream cake for dessert and watched the sun set and the moon rise. We got home pretty late, but we had such a great day together!

Charlotte plays with her bucket and shovel.

Daddy and Charlotte walk toward the ocean.

Daddy and Charlotte in the ocean

Daddy caught a flounder!

Daddy proudly models his flounder with his sweet baby girl

Daddy, Charlotte and Mommy at our favorite beach restaurant

Beautiful Charlotte at the ocean 

St. Patricks Day!

     St. Patricks Day 2011 was so much fun! Unfortunately, Craig was away on business all day, so Charlotte and I made our own fun! We started off by cutting up some apples and bringing them out to Wilbur and his friends! Charlotte had a lot of fun feeding our piggies! They sure are getting big! They're also getting very aggressive over their food, but we had fun anyway!

Charlotte Throws an Apple to the Piggies

She Wouldn't Smile For Me

Charlotte gets another apple

and throws it in the trough

L: Wilbur; R: Sow

Wilbur

     After Charlotte and I had lunch, we drove up to Sebring to visit with our friends: Krystle and Emily Austin and Holly and Aubrey Ard. Charlotte had so much fun running around, sliding down the slides and swinging on the swings. My sweet girl thinks she's a little bit bigger than she is and kept trying to do what all the big kids were doing! Luckily I had my friends nearby to help me keep her safe! She got a little too much sun and her cheeks are still rosy, but I'm glad she had a lot of fun and it's something I think we'll do more often!

Charlotte and I at the Park

     After we left the park, Charlotte and I finished getting dinner prepared for our good friends: Christy, Kira, Ocean, Merv and Hunter to come for Corned Beef and Cabbage. The dinner was so delicious and I'm so proud of all the children for trying everything! Because everybody ate dinner so well, including Charlotte!, Mrs. Christy pulled out some yummy yummy green cup cakes and let the children decorate them with green sprinkles. I was really impressed how the children didn't try to eat a ton of cupcakes! I guess they got full of corned beef and cabbage! The night was so much fun, and I'm so looking forward to when we can all get together again, but next time we want daddy home for it!!

Charlotte chows down on her yummy cupcake!

St. Patricks Day Green Banana Milkshakes!

Mrs. Christy models both her cupcakes!

L-R: Hunter, Kira and ocean eat yummy cupcakes and drink green banana milkshakes!



Improvements and Acknowledgements

     Saturday, January 29, 2011, Craig and I planted our first garden in Florida! It includes lettuces, tomatoes, jalepeno peppers and strawberries. I also have some herbs and flowers that I'm prepping for planting, but they're still just seeds! I told Craig that he needs to stake out our lettuces in the mornings and if he sees any rabbits to kill them, and then we can start eating rabbits!

(Watering my garden at 23 weeks)

(Craig is showing me how to water the garden)

(Isn't he so handsome?)

(L: 6 Romaine Lettuces, 2 Tomatoes, Peppers, Strawberries)

(Trying to salvage our lawn... probably a lost cause)

     We sure had fun planting our garden and really look forward to making fresh salads and eating fresh strawberries from our very own organic garden! Hopefully it makes a lot! Also, Craig was awarded the Bronze Level Laureate Award with Bayer CropScience for his work on a program titled: Mindful Matters! The Award comes with a cash prize and recognition in the company! All his hard work definitely is paying off and I'm so proud of my sweet husband!

Christmas 2010

     December 25, 2010 began at Grandma's house! Grandma was at work, but we were anxious to open presents anyway! Uncle Brendan and Aunt Michelle were with us and we all had so much fun! It's really exciting to see Charlotte start to conceptualize that there are fun things in those wrappings. She took her time to open them, but she loved everything she got! From grandma she got a "My Pal Violet", a bike, an outfit and a really cool Tinkerbell Thermos which she loves. Santa brought her a cozy coup, some books, and a basket set of fruits and veggies.

(Charlotte and Uncle Brendan)

(Charlotte plays with daddy's tie)

(Charlotte plays with her fruit and veggie basket)

     After we left Grandma's house, we went to Oma and Papa's for a delicious Christmas breakfast. While we were there, we each got to speak with Uncle Ross who is on his mission in Mexico. That was a real treat. Charlotte and Hailey loved playing together and it was so nice to have everybody together.

(Hailey and Charlotte playing peek-a-boo over the sofa)

(Uncle Brad, Aunt Nina and Callie)

(Charlotte and Hailey love to play in the rocker)

(Callie got a pretty princess dress from Oma and Papa)

(Aunt Nina, Callie and Kayla check out their gifts)

(Kayla enjoys her new watch)

(Callie in her princess dress)

(Kayla models her new pens for her pen pal)

(Callie models her Jasmine dress)

(Charlotte and Hailey got matching bikes!)

     While we were home for Christmas, Daddy spent all his spare time in the deer woods. He killed 2 doe and an 8 point. He officially tagged out for the season and luckily so! Now we have 22 lbs. of deer meat in our brand new deep freezer!

(Daddy and Charlotte model the 8 point and a doe)

(Daddy and Shiner model another doe)

     While the weather was nice when we got back in Florida, daddy put together Charlotte's new cozy coup. It was a tough job, and luckily we have the right man for it. Charlotte loves her new car! And yes, she is wearing shorts and a t-shirt in January!