The Wieder Family

A little walk down memory lane..

2012-01-29T09:01:00.000-05:00

Well, now that we ARE leaving, I have decided that I am going to blog over the next few weeks some of what I love, will miss, has meant so much, and really has just been our lives here in Pawleys.

This one probably best represents all that I thought of when we FIRST had the notion of moving here! Life at the beach. My surfer dude husband... WITH hair even!

My grandmother lived in Delray, Florida for part of her year when I was growing up. She truly lived the best of both world's in Sewickley and in Florida. She'd head on down to her intercoastal front home in October, stay until about April/May, live the summer in Sewickley, and enjoy the most wonderful of climates.

We would often visit her in Florida and I would DAY DREAM about living a life at the beach. On my first wedding anniversary, Gary and I rented a beach house in Folly Island, SC. We would watch the family next door (not in a creepy way) as their kids would get off the bus, then about 30 minutes later they would dash out the door, boogie boards and surf boards in hand, and spend about an hour or two before dinner just enjoying their lives on the ocean. We spent a lot of our time talking about how COOL it would be if that was our life.

Fast forward a year, and we had that life. Amazing.

Mr. Wieder Goes to Washington

2012-01-29T08:40:00.000-05:00

Well, it's official, our reign of terror in Pawleys Island is coming to an end in 5 short weeks. We have started packing up our home and are excited for our new adventure in our Nation's Capitol. It's still sinking in that we will be leaving all the kids have ever known, a lazy beach life, to the big city. And not just any city either! One that is rich in history, culture, people, and restaurants! ha!

It's pretty amazing how it all came together, and I know it is totally of God, so any fear, worry, or hesitation about it was never really there. Now, the kids, yes. It would keep me up at night thinking that I was tearing them away from the wonderful life we had created here: school, friends, swimming, surfing, soccer, dance, sandcastles, our home...
They resisted for the first 48 hours, pretty adamantly, but now, it's again the work of God, they keep asking "why can't we move to Washington today?" (although Cecelia still gets a little teary thinking about the move, but she just looks to Brendan for the example and quickly sweeps it aside and gets excited too! especially when I remind her that we can take a quick train to NYC to go the American Girl Doll store!)

Gary's new job awaits us, along with a whole congregation of people that we are anxious to meet and dive into the lives of, but it is still very hard to digest that I won't be seeing the people who have been part of my life these past ELEVEN years. They weren't just any eleven either, they were probably the most significant in my life: the birth of ALL FOUR of my children.

Pawleys will always be "home" for my kids, I think. This is where life began for them, but I couldn't be more excited to show them the world, and vacation in Pawleys. Duh?

My daughter the model???????

2011-09-26T15:42:00.000-05:00

Ugh. So, Cecelia has started mentioning that she wants to break into modeling and acting. This is something that has sent a cold chill down my spine. On one hand I think, YES! College fund! On the other hand I think, CRAP! Creepy and scummy people littered industry!!!

I have gone down this road with Brendan and Cecelia one other time and was taken for a schmuck and a couple hundred bucks. Sucker and uneducated. Well, this time I am not going to let that happen. FIRST! Before I even think about it, I wanted her to have a taste of what a day would like look like. A friend of ours has the CUTEST women and little girl's boutique, The Joggling Board ( www.thejogglingboard.com )

So, I thought, Well, maybe she'll let Cecelia try on the clothes, I WILL take the pictures, and then I can post them on their store's facebook page for her customers. We can do it for free, Cecelia doesn't have to worry about the pressure of performing for anyone, but she can see what it's like to do this. AND I thought, if she hated it, the pictures turn out AWFUL, no harm, no foul. It's not like she was getting paid, right? And secretly I kind of hoped she would think it was boring and hate it.

Nope. She loved it and keeps asking when we can do it again.

So. Now I sit here, and wonder, do I really want this for my daughter. Again, part of me, the "I'm a poor minister's wife who works in a soup kitchen and has pennies for a savings account" says GO FOR IT! She could quite possibly put some good money away for her college years. (and maybe some for her brother's as well!!) But the other side, the reality side, says NO WAY.

This is a just for fun, for now thing. She did get to pick out a small stuffed animal for her time, which was worth more to her than the college fund! And I got some REALLY cute pictures of her in some AMAZING clothes. We'll see. We are exploring. I know better this time where to go, what to ask, and what to do. Who knows, right? If it works, it works, if it doesn't, no biggie! She has her brains to fall back on!

2011-09-26T15:26:00.000-05:00

As much fun as summer was, it came to an end and we are right back to where I was the last time I blogged!

Brendan is my big 4th grader and at the Intermediate School. It's an AWESOME school and he is doing so well. He has an excellent teacher and as of his interim report, he is on the honor roll! I am hoping he can continue this for the rest of the quarter and pull off being on the official honor roll! He has a great group of friends, is playing soccer, is still into Harry Potter, started selling his Pokeman cards (he made $26 at school!!), continues to grow like a weed (he's up to my nose!), and is an amazingly sweet and wonderful big brother. He has made Gary and I so proud so far this year. I can't say enough great things about him (as of this moment, give it some time and a fight with his sister and I may change! HA!).

Cecelia is now in 2nd grade, has an AWESOME teacher and is breezing through school. She really is such a good student. If only I could interest her in the Accelerated Reader program! She reads all the time, but has no interest in the school's little award program. Ah well. She is taking Hip Hop again this year and is LOVING it. I got to watch her at the end of her practice and she did really well! She loves taking dance! She has also voiced an interest in modeling. We are currently exploring things for her and taking some BABY steps in that direction. I am VERY leary towards that whole industry, but if it can pay for college... I'll post some pics here in a minute.

Teddy LOVE LOVE LOVES Kindergarten, and also has an AMAZING teacher. He left All Saints and is at the Big Elementary school this year. He misses his little girl friends like CRAZY, but appears to be making new friends with ease. He is VERY school minded. He literally wakes up every day asking when Wednesday is, this is homework day. On Wednesdays, he rips open his bookbag, grabs his homework, runs to his desk, and gets it done in lightening speed. He can't WAIT to have homework. I am going to RIDE THIS TRAIN as long as it lasts. Lord knows, in about 9 years, he will be singing a different tune. Hopefully not, but probably.

And our sweet Ryan is at a preschool and is loving his time with Miss Crissy and Miss Karen. He's considered "the big boy" in the class. We are having a blast getting to see his little personality come out more and more. It's so fun to see different likenesses between him and the others. He has Brendan's energy, Cecelia's homebody-ness, Teddy's love of cars and all of their silliness. He also loves his momma like Teddy!

I am knocking on wood, but so far we are off to an SUPER school year and I couldn't be more proud of each of my kids. They are doing GREAT!

Summer camps

2011-09-26T15:10:00.000-05:00

Brendan and Cecelia got to go to three camps this summer, one at our old church, and one at their friend's church. They had a blast. This was the last camp they did. It was the Nick at Night. Needless to say, it was MESSY. You would think that the kids would LOVE the idea of rolling around and being messy in food and other exciting foods. I was under the WRONG impression that they would get to eat some of the yummy foods they slung at one another. NOPE. They came home SO mad at me, saying "We didn't get to eat ANY of the food!!" The worst part was one of the foods they sloshed around in was instant potatoes. Good to eat, TERRIBLE to wear. Cecelia even said, "Mom, the smell of it made me throw up a little in my mouth!"

But after day one, they went back and had a BLAST!!! Good times had by all.

Just another day...

2011-09-26T15:04:00.000-05:00

Of course, it wouldn't be summer vacation without a little time spent at the beach doing what we do! This year was a taste of what will come as the kids get older and easier to manage at the water. Brendan, Cecelia, and Teddy all LOVE to boogy board and surf. Gary took Brendan out with his big board to do some "real" surfing, and it was Brendan's favorite date night with Gary. Brendan is such a great boogy boarder, that surfing was a natural progression for him, AND he took to it like a fish to water. Unfortunately, he didn't get to do it many times, but he savors and talks about the time he did get out. In a year or two, we'll be dragging the board with us every time we go and he'll be off and surfing!

Cecelia loves to boogy board as well, but loves to just swim and explore even more. She spent HOURS out there with her goggles swimming and body surfing the days away. She wants to go surfing, but didn't get to this year. Maybe next.

Teddy took matters into his own hands and made his boogy board his surf board. He made it happen and surfed a bunch of waves in LOVING it! Not a single wave deterred him, it didn't matter HOW tall those waves were or how hard they hit him. He always came back up (thank GOD!) sputtering, laughing, and eager to do it again. That boy is ALL boy!

Ryan LOVED the beach. He was timid at first, not really wanting to go into the water. Then an hour after our first time this year, he too had no fear. He loves the water, loves to run around, dig, and swim in the waves. A few times, he would look out in the water, see his siblings and dad, and just start running into the water, not realizing it does in fact, get deeper and he can't swim. It's the small things he tends to over look!

It was just nice to be able to have the whole family go and have ALL of us really enjoy living here. It was ALMOST relaxing when we went!

The WHOLE family vacation

2011-09-26T14:54:00.000-05:00

We were able to go up to my parents this year! I won't say it was our best Wieder vacation (mostly due to all four kids throwing up at some point during the trip, a three hour traffic jam in Virginia, Gary had a piece of BARK stuck in his eye and didn't get it removed until the LAST day we were there, the ridiculous parking situation at Heinz field for the day game of the Pirates, and coming and going speeding tickets that I got courtesy of the fine men and women in blue in Bennetsville), but we DID manage to have some great fun.

We were blessed to get to pet a penguin at the Pittsburgh Zoo. The kids were so excited and all reported this as their most exciting thing they did this summer. It was, of course, the hottest summer I can remember up there, so we spent LOTS of days at the Edgeworth club pool swimming away the heat. (we managed to shut down the baby pool because Ryan "leaked" through his diaper. Can you say Bio-hazard?) And most of all, we got to enjoy some great Nana and Pampaw time. The kids always love going up there and running around the yard, playing at the playground, and just having good old fashioned fun. I got to see some great friends I hadn't seen in a while, and am looking forward to seeing them again soon.

I hope we continue to do this trip each year, minus all the extra "fun" we had this past year. Ryan was a trooped being tied down for 15 hours. He wins the "best car rider" award.

Yes, It's been a while: 4th of July

2011-09-26T14:41:00.000-05:00

Ok, so I realize that I am not the best blogger in the world. It's been entirely too long again between posts, especially since the last one was our vacation at the end of last school year, and we have already started a new school year.

But, I feel like I have a minute to update our summer.

4th of July was awesome. We got to spend it at the beach as usual with some friends on the island (THANK YOU Giltmiers!) and spent the day swimming and enjoying the parade. All four kids got to enjoy the day and we had a wonderful time.

Summer FLEW by.

First Family Vacation of Summer

2011-06-20T15:59:00.000-05:00

Ah, summer vacation! It couldn't have come any quicker! Gary was able to take Brendan, Cecelia, and Teddy up to his parent's places in Buffalo the very last day of school for 6 days. It was an exciting trip, the plane ride, the wild life (mostly snakes!), mini-golf, fishing, swimming, canoeing, paddle boating, and lots and lots of quality time with the family. Ryan and I stayed back (making for a MUCH less stressful trip) while they played up north. I worked on the house while they worked on their camping skills!
Next year we may ALL make the trip, not sure where we will all sleep, especially since the four of them maxed out the lake house, but it's just too much fun to pass up.
I am fairly certain that everyone was very well entertained and enjoyed being around one another. It happens WAY too rarely, but when you live over 700 miles away, that happens.
I am so thankful that the kids were able to have this time with their grandparents. I am not sure if they have woken up from their naps that were needed after they left, but I am so greatful for the love they showered on my kids while they were there. To be able to wake up to family, run around all day in nature, break bread with family, and do it all over again the next day, well, it's priceless. I have wonderful in-laws! (which is an understatement!)
Hopefully we'll give them enough rest between visits to do it all over again! HA!

2 more months of THIS!

2011-06-20T14:32:00.000-05:00

Ah, summer is here. I can't believe that I looked at my calendar and saw that we already have less than two months until the kids go back to school. Not that as a mother of four young children I would be anxious for such a thing!

At any rate, I feel like we are running the house like a bootcamp: keep the kids as busy and physically active until dinner time, then they FALL into bed and wake up late the next morning. This is the FIRST summer (or any season really) on record that ANY of my children have slept in past 7:30 in the morning. I actually have two children who sleep in past 8:00!! For some, this may seem like an early wake up, for me? This is the beginning of something extraordinary!

The kids are loving their summer freedoms, we have a few camps between now and school, but they are for the most part enjoying it like kids should. Lots of OUTSIDE activities, swimming, beach, more swimming, and READING! Ha! You might be able to get the old English teacher out of the school, but you'll never get the schooling out of the teacher.

My set up this summer is for every minute they read a book, they get a minute on the Wii. I have introduced Brendan to some great books, and can't wait to reap these benefits. He is reading Hatchet this summer, and he LOVES it so far. Gotta shove some classic reading in any way I can!

Teddy has his library card for the first time, and you'd have thought he won the lottery! He danced around the library telling every and anyone who would listen "MY FIRST REAL CREDIT CARD!" Here's to hoping that he becomes a lover of reading as well.

Cecelia is already a better reader than me! Now I just need to get her to be a little more disciplined about her books. (and cleaning her room, but I digress). She is into the new Judy Moody's, but I may just have to introduce her to the original Judy, Judy Blume! The Ramona Quimby series immediately takes me back to my childhood! I think I read every book ever written by her (including the butt of most pre-teen and adult jokes, Are You There God? It's Me Margaret!HA!) However, she is a wonderful author that I can't wait to share with my girl!

Alrighty! On to summer!

Grandma's Great Lake!

2011-06-20T14:01:00.000-05:00

One of the best things about going to Grandma and Grandpa's lake house is that the kids completely immerse themselves in their surroundings, which DOES NOT INCLUDE TV! Wahoo! From sun-up to sun-down, the kids found wonderful ways to keep themselves occupied. Cecelia is our great fisherman, Brendan loved the paddle boat and taking in all that the lake had to offer, and Teddy, well, I am fairly certain being Grandma's shadow was a full time job!
I am not sure who got worn out first, the kids or the adults, but I do know that these will be memories that they will tell THEIR children about! Oh, and I do have the picture of a snake eating a fish, but I am chosing not to post it. EW!

A day at the Falls

2011-06-20T13:54:00.000-05:00

The family ended their trip to Buffalo at one of the wonders of the world, Niagra Falls! They took in the sights, and the mist, and enjoyed some of nature's best! It was definitely one the best ways to kick off summer vacation!

Hip-Hop-erific!

2011-06-20T13:42:00.000-05:00

All year Cecelia has been taking Hip Hop Dance lessons. I was excited that she had found something that she loved to do that involved a little aerobic work! (After her first soccer practice in the fall she asked if she could quit, she didn't like to sweat! UGH!)
To say that she loved this class is a bit of an understatement! She looked forward to every Wednesday, would finish her homework in seconds flat, have her dance clothes ready and on before I had to ask and was waiting at the door to go each class. They had a performance to show off all that they had learned. It was a LONG show (which is GREAT news for the dance studio owner: so many kids!) but the highlight (obviously!) was the hip hop routine. I will say, and this is not because I am a bragging mom, that their routine elicited the biggest response from the crowd! (other than the smallest kids who did their adorable ballet routine! You can't not be moved by itty-bitty's dancing!) The crowd loved the moves, and they actually did a really great job!
Cecelia is in the middle with the pink tu-tu! We have it on tape, this may just be her future wedding rehersal video...

1 Away from a whole decade!

2011-06-20T13:35:00.000-05:00

Brendan turned NINE May 23! It was such a crazy couple of weeks at the end of the school year, that we didn't really even get to celebrate it much. WHICH was brought to my attention last night at dinner when I was asked "How come I didn't have a birthday party?"
He DID get a cake and a small shopping spree at Walmart with his birthday money, but not what he had in mind I suppose. SO! He will get a delayed special day with a friend, movie, dinner, and sleep over. Hopefully that will suffice.
I still can't believe my first born is going to the intermediate school next year. As Gary so clearly put it: He's halfway done with us. Nine more years and he goes off to college!
GULP!

Posed pictures

2011-05-28T07:27:00.000-05:00

The older two had their pictures taken at school. I am fairly certain Cecelia's bow is the distant cousin of Emily's bow... Anywho! This was their official picture. Teddy's, well. We have seen this truck ALL year taking a little third grade girl to school every day. When we see it, Teddy yells "Curse you monster truck!!" And we all shake our fists at it. I have no idea how this started or even why we do it, but when we saw the truck at the school for one of Brendan's events at the school, we had to take our opportunity! Teddy saddled up next to the tires and struck his pose all on his own! He is meant to have this kind of vehicle some day.

Mother's Day Tea

2011-05-28T07:22:00.000-05:00

I thought I had posted this, but for some reason it didn't upload! Anyway! One of the special days at Teddy's school is the Mother's Day Tea. (which is interesting, because there really isn't any tea, but a delicious sherbert punch! YUM!) This is always so nice because they all make presents for the moms. This year Teddy decorated a plate, it had our house on it. Very sweet. Teddy's little class really is just such a wonderful group of kids. I am sad that he won't be with them all next year and they will most likely be split up in different schools and classes, but the foundations of friendships will always remain. Hopefully when they are all back in the same school they will continue the fun that was had these past few years. I think Teddy will miss his little girl friends the most!!

Donuts with Dads!

2011-05-16T14:00:00.000-05:00

Another cute tradition at Teddy's school: Donuts for Dads! They, more or less, do the same thing for the dads that they do for the moms. The dads even got a song this year! The thing that makes these times great is how excited the kids are to perform and do their best. It sounds silly, but their best reward is our smile and hug along with the words "You were awesome!"
A day like this wouldn't be complete without Teddy and his buddy...

Mother's Day Dinner!

2011-05-16T13:56:00.000-05:00

We had a WONDERFUL Mother's day. We went to a local restaurant here, Blue Crab. The great place about this restaurant is the playground that is fenced in! The kids can go and play right outside, while we watch from the comfort of our table. The kids have fun, we eat in peace, they eat (eventually) and all are happy. The BEST part about this dinner: I won a beautiful painting! They had a drawing for the mothers that went to dinner that night, I put my name and number in, and got the call the very next morning I had won the painting! It displays beautifully above our fireplace! (Picture to follow some other time!)

Girl's Weekend 2011! TSAR Reigns eternal!

2011-05-16T13:25:00.001-05:00

Ah. If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere....
I didn't think I would EVER make it to New York! This sentence is true on so many levels! First, I must inform that my parents have been going to New York for as long as I have memories. My grandfather lives there and they have visted this city COUNTLESS numbers of times, with each year a promise of "We'll take you next year!"
Fast forward thirty years and I FINALLY make it there with this crew!
As for the ACTUAL trip of getting to Robyn's house, well, it was looking questionable that I would even get there! With a 17 hour flight delay, an ($189!!!)hour cab ride, I finally pulled into her house. After two hours of sleep, I was up and (kind of) ready to begin my Girl's weekend.
We had a very giggle filled weekend, (thank you Billy Mays!) and got to the city on Saturday. To say I love New York is a bit of an understatement. I think I missed my calling for being filthy rich and living there. Looking up at the apartment buildings with the balconies next to Central Park, I am fairly certain that was where I was supposed to live. Hmmmm. Anyway, I loved walking around, taking it all in, seeing a fabulous show (The Book of Mormon, nominated for FOURTEEN Tony awards!), had amazing Italian food, watching street performers, buying outrageously priced knick-knacks for the kids, and dancing until 1 a.m., I can't wait to do it all again.
I have to admit I feel like I missed out on a HUGE part of the weekend having missed an ENTIRE day with the ladies, but life happens, and hydrolics on planes break. I was just happy they discovered this little mishap ON the ground, making my trip slightly less dangerous. My cab ride at 3 in the morning, on the other hand, well that made up for the danger. Gotta love the cabbie who is punching directions into the Garmen WHILE taking turns at 60 miles an hour, THEN stopping off at a gas station to get something for HIMSELF! (not bitter...)I DID get to Robyn's in time to see Victoria and David Beckham make it to the church for the Royal Wedding. It was the little things that made me happy!
I am so happy I got to spend this experience with this group of ladies. I love you all so much, and can't wait for San Francisco next year! I am all about getting ready for the "chug and run!" San Francisco 2012, Here We Come!

Ryan and Brendan

2011-04-27T14:21:00.000-05:00

I have always thought these two looked the most alike...

Beach Days Are Here Again!

2011-04-27T14:17:00.000-05:00

Ahh! It is so nice to be able to take these guys back to the beach. It's been a long cold winter (for us, anyways) and it is just so refreshing to walk over that ramp and let the kids go nuts at nature's playground. This year we will be taking Ryan, we didn't last summer because it was so hot. The great news is he LOVES the beach. He is happy as a clam, (or happy with the clams)to play in the sand and little tidal pools for hours.
We are on Spring Break right now, and we have already gone to the pool, the movies, and the beach. The weather is a little skitzo, one minute blazing sun, the next pouring rain, but at least we can go back to the beach. In about two weeks, we'll be putting up our pool in the back yard so the kids will have something to do in the HOT months while Ryan naps and I am in need of them blowing off steam. It's hard to think that school will be out in about 4 weeks. Summer is THIS close....

Punch in the gut....

2011-04-06T18:02:00.006-05:00

I got a message on my facebook page today from my brother's cousin letting me know that HER cousin had uploaded some old pictures of her from when she was little.... and that they were of she and Russ.
It's strange how I can lead a life so seperated from part of my past life, leaving me in a kind of ignorant bliss. I have this luxury, and I do consider it a luxury, especially when a quick message like this punches me in the gut, leaving me unable to think of anything else all day.
I hesitated to go and look at these pictures, knowing that I would immediately be drawn into a world of dealing with emotions that I work daily on trying to repress. (yes, I am big enough to admit this!) Obviously, I went and looked at the pictures... over and over and over again. I couldn't help but notice his smile, his cheeks that so resemble my boys when they smile, the "double" popsicle in his hand that my kids love... and tears flooded my eyes. My heart aches for all that should have been, could have been, never will be. Then my heart tears in two when I think of my mom.
Being a mom, looking at that picture, well, the word "pain" doesn't quite cover the emotion. He is gone, by HIS choice, a decision that, when I allow my mind to wander, I struggle with, get angry with, and feel completely helpless and guilt ridden with. How can that face, that smile, that hope and love decide that life isn't worth living? What makes THAT happen? I am positive I don't want to know. I am positive that I will NEVER know.
I allowed today to be a day where Russ lingered on my mind. I allowed the few memories that we had of a life together come back to me: Christmas when I was 3 or so, he pretended to be a magician and "magically" made the tinsel on the tree come to his hand (back in the day when tinsel was cool on trees), the night I was sent to my room for bad behavior (shock, I know!) and he entertained me with hand shadows on the wall, when I told my mom and Russ that I was going to marry Russ when I grew up because I loved him so much (then was immediately told that I couldn't because brothers and sisters couldn't marry, or at least it is HEAVILY frowned upon!), when Russ moved in with us during college and he brought a few of his friends home and begrudgingly introduced me to them and they immediately wanted to know if I was "legal" (a twisted compliment at the time!), when he and one of his girlfriends came to visit me in Atlanta (he was visibly happy and made out with her a LOT)... The memories were few, but I cling to them on these rare moments.
I look at that picture of him feeding me my bottle, me wonderingly looking up at him... Today, I look up again, this time to the heavens wondering....

FINALLY!

2011-03-28T16:41:00.004-05:00

So it's been a number of months since I have posted last. It came down to the fact that I had to change my password and email log in for this blog. Someone had hacked it earlier, and in a moment of brilliance, I changed all of my information...without writing it down. Taking the 20 minutes to sit and go through all the different questions and emails to change the password was just not something that I was able to do over the past few months. But I FINALLY did it. WHEW!

I will spend the next few days trying to gather pictures that we have taken of the kids and events since Halloween to update what we have been doing. In the meantime, I am also going to try and complete a dream I have had since high school...and that is write a book. I have always wanted to do it, and so gosh darnit! I am going to do it. I also think I may start another blog that is for just writing and see what comes of it. Enough sitting back and wishing and saying "what if?" and "I could do that!". In the words of the famous Nike commercial "just do it!" Hopefully the kids will cooperate and I will be able to sit about an hour a day and get it done.

So, to the two FINALLY's in my life: got my password, and write a book. I think one is easier than the other....

Hermoine, Harry and the Race car

2010-11-01T12:55:00.000-05:00

Halloween was much anticipated this year. Brendan has discovered the wonderful world of Harry Potter and has been begging to go as Harry since September. Literally, last minute, I purchased these robes. They got here and they have been wearing them every day. Cecelia made a very good Hermoine, and even got into character when dropping her off at school last Thursday, using her best English accent!
Teddy WAS going to make the threesome complete and be Ron, but decided AFTER the robes arrived that he wanted to be a racecar. As much fun as I had making this costume, I didn't really think it out all that well. Needless to say, he had a hard time navigating this monstrousity through the narrow walkways, pinning children to walls, knocking over bushes, and wreaking havoc where ever he went. Not to mention the fact that the thing weighed about ten pounds. But he was a huge success and loved it. Next year, I'll only use two boxes at most, not 4 like I did this year!

SO over you....

2010-11-01T12:49:00.000-05:00

I was trying so hard to get a picture of him walking to me in his "costume/pajamas". The look on his face pretty much says it all.

Everyone at One

2010-11-01T12:45:00.000-05:00

I made it a tradition that we would celebrate the kids' first birthdays with just a cupcake and family. I knew that they would never remember the party, and I can tell them it was a HUGE blowout and people from around the world showed up, and they would not be able to dispute since they wouldn't have the memory, plus it would be a huge money saver! But it has become a sweet tradition, and I get so excited to take their shirtless picture just as much as if I had the whole world celebrating. Each one has been so different with their reactions, all priceless and memorable. My forth and final first.

Happy Birthday Ryan!!!

2010-11-01T12:27:00.000-05:00

Here is the gang celebrating little man's first birthday! Ryan had no clue, but the others were so excited to have him turn one. THEY certainly enjoyed the cupcakes!

2010-11-01T12:25:00.000-05:00

He was OVER the cupcake and pictures. At this point he was actually trying to hide and was tired.

SUMMER!

2010-10-12T12:42:00.000-05:00

I realize it has been MONTHS since I have posted anything worth looking at, but life with four kids is crazy busy, crazy fun, and just plain wonderful. We had a great summer, didn't really go anywhere or do any travel this year. I figured with a new baby, and three very active kids, traveling in a car for twelve hours would not be a blessing to this family, so we did some mini stay-cations. Mostly we swam, went to the beach, swam some more and just enjoyed our family of SIX! School has already started, the kids have been in for over two months, which is just crazy to me, Halloween is around the corner, then before I can blink Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here.
I am going to try and update this a little more regularly (she says to herself knowing that reality will make that statement untrue).
Ryan will be turning ONE in two days, and I promise to get those birthday pics up quickly.
Life has been less than boring as of late, but I am so thankful for the blessing of my kids, husband, family and friends. Every once in a while, I just remind myself of the MANY blessings I have to be thankful for, and I am immediately filled with joy. Even though this hasn't been the best year, there are many many wonderful things that have been the best. The following pictures encapsulate those: Brendan, Cecelia, Teddy, and Ryan. My heart and soul.

Fun with Uncle Jerry!

2010-10-12T12:35:00.000-05:00

It's always fun when Uncle Jerry comes to town. Something unexpected is always up his sleeve....

First day of classes...

2010-10-12T12:20:00.000-05:00

Teddy had a great first day of school, and is off to a great year. He LOVES to write and draw. Every day when the older kids come home to do their homework, Teddy insists on doing his as well. He sits at the desk and writes and draws and does his homework. He is going to be a great student.
Cecelia started dance this year and loves it. We started out in ballet, but since none of her friends were in that class, we switched to hip hop. HILARIOUS! I love it and so does she. She can't wait to go each week and spends an entire hour dancing and learning moves. I can't wait to see her perform. Of course, she is more interested in getting a trophy...little does she know that may take years and LOTS and LOTS of practice. But for now, who cares! She is doing great!

Brothers

2010-10-12T12:15:00.000-05:00

Fun at the BIG pool

2010-10-12T12:10:00.000-05:00

We have continued to be blessed by our friend DeeDee who gives us the extra passes to her in-law's pool. We take FULL advantage of this all summer long and have created kids who absolutely love to swim, and are getting REALLY good at swimming to boot! Never a bad day when we go here.

Backyard life saver!

2010-10-12T12:06:00.000-05:00

I decided that since I had a napping baby this summer, that I would purchase a pool from walmart to have on the long afternoons to entertain my kids. I spent a little more than I wanted, but Gary and I said time and time again it was WELL worth it. The kids had so much fun, improved their swimming skills, and more importantly, it saved my sanity of trying to find things for them to do while Ryan slept from 1 - 3 in the afternoons. We packed it up already for the summer, but we WILL be bringing out back out again next spring. It made our summer!

It's just how we found her....

2010-10-12T12:01:00.000-05:00

2010-07-16T18:51:00.000-05:00

My brood

2010-06-13T08:22:00.002-05:00

So here they are, all four of my kiddos. It's hard to believe there was a time that NONE of these little faces were in my life. I don't know what I would do without them now. Well, ok, I'd probably sleep a lot more, but then I'd be so bored the rest of my day! They each hold such a unique spot in our family, each with their own little quirks, habits, and places in my heart. (all of this being typed while I just yelled at them for wrestling each other before church!!!) I always wanted a big family, filled with noise, activity, laughter and love. I got that and so much more with this crew. I look forward to each day and what new discovery about them brings. I have been given a HUGE task of raising these guys, I pray every day that I am up to the challenge and that I do it well. So far, they are lucky because they have an incredible father who makes up for where I fail. (and I fail ALL THE TIME). But I love these guys more than my own life and consider myself so lucky. Thank you God for these children.

8 months old!

2010-06-13T08:11:00.002-05:00

Wow, this year is really flying by so quickly. You can't see it in this picture, but Ryan now has 4 teeth, two up top and two on bottom. He is crawling around grabbing and playing with stuff all around the house. I now have to go through and make sure that there isn't anything laying around that will kill him! He isn't really sitting up on his own, (he can) but as soon as you sit him up, he alligator rolls over and is off and crawling to what it is that he really wants. Like Brendan, he has no interest in sitting still and being patient. He is too busy and filled with energy for sitting. He's is WAY too interested in seeing what is going on around him. When you hold him, like Brendan, he doesn't face you, he puts his arm in front of your chest so he can push his self to the front, so he can see what is going on. He LOVES to laugh and it is Cecelia that illicts the most from him. He is a champ at sleeping, we put him down around 6:30 and he we don't normally have to get him until 6:30 the next morning! (it only took FOUR kids to get ONE that sleeps!) It's funny, a friend asked about all the normal milestones that kids his age should be achieving, and honestly, I have totally forgotten what they should be and because he is my forth, don't really care if he hasn't reached them yet, knowing that in a few months it all will even out. (I assume!) Had this been Brendan, I'd probably have him in therapy or something by now. And truly, the only thing he isn't really doing is sitting up...but it's because he just wants to crawl! Now that he has teeth, I can start feeding him cheerios! Which means he isn't going to be baby much longer! Boo! I am looking forward to finding out what his little personality is going to be. The journey is just starting for him and it's going to be a great one!

My little princess...

2010-06-13T08:04:00.002-05:00

So Cecelia finished kindergarten this year. So crazy! She is so smart and is reading above a first grade level. It was a great year for her, she broke out of her shell more than I thought she would. Although, being a strong willed girl, she had her issues with other girls and boys in her class. This will follow her where ever she goes, one, because she is a girl and girls are just crazy, and two, her stubborness will bite her back. Gary and I both agree though, that we would rather have a stubborn girl who knows what she wants and won't back down. It will serve her well in the future, like all super powers, she will just have to learn to use for them for good, not evil! She, more than the boys, is striking me about how old she is! Every time I look at her I can't believe what a big girl she is becoming. She's only 6, but I'd swear sometimes that she is 15. She is still the most shy of all our kids so far, but public school has been good for her. She's made some great new friends this year and I am really looking forward to next year to see how much more she grows. She is so special and I just want to hold on to her forever....well, when she's not being so stubborn with me!

Another year done...

2010-06-13T07:52:00.004-05:00

Teddy had a great year in school. He had two wonderful teachers, Miss Lynn and Miss Melissa and learned so much. Teddy is definitely our "character". He makes me and Gary laugh more than anyone I know. He is so silly, creative, and my little snuggle bug. I joke, but sometimes it seems like he could set the house on fire, and I feel like I would just shake my head and say, "oh Teddy" and that would be the end of it. He just has a way about him. He continues to love his best bud Spencer. He informed me the other day that they got married and can't wait to have her over for a picnic. He also informed us that he has a best friend named Jack (imaginary friend), who does not have a moustache, and is from Florida, wears all black and has blue hair. Ah well. He has taken off with swimming this summer and is getting REALLY good at boogie boarding. But he's still the best at snuggling!!

My first born is EIGHT!

2010-06-13T07:43:00.003-05:00

It's hard to believe that my little guy isn't so little anymore. I remember VIVIDLY bringing him home from MUSC, crying, and praying to God that I could just keep him alive for 6 months (can you say POST pregnancy hormones???). Needless to say, I successfully kept him alive, and now he is 8 years old. He had a great year in second grade. He is getting so tall, and we are so proud of how he is turning out. He is a great big brother, STILL has energy like I have never seen, but is such a gentle loving boy. I know that time doesn't stand still, but somehow it feels like it's in fast forward. Summer will be over before I know it and he will be entering the 3rd grade. *sigh* I just love that kid. He's the best.

BEACH

2010-03-26T19:44:00.000-05:00

Ryan's first beach day!

2010-03-26T19:41:00.000-05:00

He loved it.

Ahhh....back to the beach....

2010-03-26T19:40:00.000-05:00

This was our first day back to the beach. Ahhh..... it's been a long time coming. We miss the warm weather, and took full advantage of the first opportunity to hit the beach. It was LOVELY!

Happy Birthday Gary!

2010-03-26T19:36:00.000-05:00

Wow, it's been a while since I have blogged...Gary's FORTY FIFTH birthday was this February. We weren't able to do much in the way of celebrating this year, but we had a great family moment. Even though this isn't the best picture, I love it because everyone is smiling, except POOR RYAN! I think the yelling of "CHEESE!" startled him. That and the very LOUD version of Happy Birthday...

This one's for you Aunt Judy!

2010-03-26T19:33:00.000-05:00

Ryan is growing so quickly. He eats like a champ! After years of trying to feed Teddy, who is not an easy eater, Ryan is a joy! He's like a little bird when he sees that spoon coming towards him. Mouth WIDE open and eats every last bite! Not a single drop on his clothes. Ahhh....So fun. He smiles all the time and his little personality is sprouting more and more each day.

And they thought kids in the control tower was bad!

2010-03-26T19:28:00.000-05:00

We had a WONDERFUL flight up to Pittsburgh and had the best crew on Delta. Not something I say often, especially when it comes to air travel, but this crew was top notch. They were incredibly friendly and very gracious. When they saw my kids, they invited them up to the cockpit and let them see all the buttons and levers. When we landed and were getting of the plane, the captain asked if I wanted to get pictures of the kids sitting in his chair! He was so nice and made such a great memory for them. I wish that all pilots and airlines would remember that flying is a magical thing, especially for children, and to make that time special doesn't take much, just a little hospitality goes a LONG LONG way! So good for you Delta crew and your fabulous treatment of my kids! THANK YOU!

Cecelia's weekend at Nana's and Pampaw's!

2010-03-26T19:23:00.000-05:00

Cecelia LOVED her weekend. She had such a great time in the snow, at the sports center, and having that special time with her grandparents. I wish it wasn't such a rare occasion, but we take what we can get when we can. They have a special relationship that I hope to foster and encourage their whole lives. Thank you for loving them!

Brendan's weekend

2010-03-26T19:19:00.000-05:00

A weekend at Nana's and Pampaw's is always special, but in the middle of the year in winter is even more so. The kids have not had many experience with snow since the beach is our playground, but they have had the pleasure of playing in snow TWICE in one year! Quite the treat for them. It was, however, only two short weeks later until we were playing in the sand and ocean though. THANK YOU NANA AND PAMPAW!

Girl's weekend

2010-03-26T19:14:00.000-05:00

It's been over a year since I have seen these ladies. The other five women in this photo are probably the best friends a person could ask for. It has not mattered that we have aged, that we have children, live in completely different places, married all different kinds of men, and don't even speak on a regular basis. But we can come together for a weekend and laugh till we cry and not skip a beat in our closeness. I value these women as if we were blood. These are my sisters and I love them and can't wait to get the families together next year.

2010-02-13T20:41:00.000-05:00

I loved these two pictures. The first is at Teddy's school, our old church. There is a cross in their courtyard. It was just so pretty.
This one of Teddy pretty much captures his understanding of snow at the beach...long sleeves, SHORTS, NO socks, and crocs. He was a wee bit chilled, but he LOVED it.

Our winter wonder..land...

2010-02-13T20:39:00.000-05:00

It was such fun having the snow here. The kids were SOOO excited to run outside and play. They did learn that snow is wet AND cold. And if you aren't properly dressed, the cold hurts! Cecelia was the first to come back inside, no surprise there. Teddy only had one pair of gloves on, which made it hard on his little hands to stay out long, but he fought coming back in. Brendan, NO SURPRISE, stayed out the longest. He LOVED it. He was just a BALL of energy, running around enjoying it with every fiber of his being.
I was so glad that they had this experience. I know it will only come once in a lifetime down here, maybe twice, but it will be a LONG while before this happens again. It was beautiful and I loved it.

Brendan's first snow!

2010-02-13T20:23:00.000-05:00

Cecelia's first snow!

2010-02-13T20:18:00.000-05:00

Teddy's first snow!

2010-02-13T20:15:00.000-05:00

A semi-timeline...

2010-02-13T20:10:00.000-05:00

If you look behind the kids, you will see a purple bin laying on the grass. I used that as my measuring tool as to how much snow we were getting. The first ones with the kids, you can clearly see the bin. The last pic...not so much!

Good bye Rockie!

2010-02-13T20:02:00.000-05:00

Well, it is with great regret and sorrow that we said goodbye to our dear dog. She really is just the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. If we had had the time and discipline to spend with her, she could have been the absolute best addition to our house. Unfortunately, due to HORRIFIC neighbors, and poor timing, we had to give her up. She was bought by a HOPEFULLY great family that lives in Iowa on a 300 acre farm. I hope the enjoy her. She is already greatly missed. Perhaps in a few years we'll try again.

FOUR KIDS!

2010-02-13T19:58:00.000-05:00

The kiddos

2010-02-13T19:56:00.000-05:00

The kids seem to be getting older every time I blink! Ryan is such a cutie. He LOVES to smile, a lot like his brother Brendan did. He also enjoys his siblings. They are really great with him and are always trying to make him laugh or help me out when they can. Teddy likes to take pictures with him, and this is just one of MANY that we have taken of the two of them. I think they are really going to be good buddies when Ryan is old enough to follow Teddy around.
Gary and I keep looking at Cecelia and Brendan and project them to the teenage years, mainly because of how old they look sometimes. Of course, Cecelia still keeps us on our toes with her choices sometimes, not unlike how we find her in her bed at night. She recently went to the dentist, which is her LEAST favorite thing. She was just getting some simple filling, but worked her nerves up. NOT that we could tell. She sat PERFECTLY still, allowed the dentist to do her thing, and even when she THREW UP on the dentist, while lying down with a "raincoat" attached to her mouth and teeth, she never cried, complained or made the dentist stop. She was in a word, amazing.
Brendan is still our bundle of energy. But he is such a great big brother, to all three of his younger siblings. His heart and the way he treats them makes me melt.

Two front teeth!

2010-02-13T19:45:00.000-05:00

Cecelia lost her two front teeth, then one week later has lost another of her top teeth. She is truly "toof-less".

A pic from the past

2010-01-10T09:03:00.000-05:00

Gary and I have this new AMAZING scanner, printer, copier (THANKS DAD AND MOM!) that we are now about to download pictures we have from around the house. This is one of my favorites that Laura Hutto, an AWESOME photographer, who has taken some of the best pictures I have ever seen.
ANYWAY. She took some pictures about 4 years ago of our much smaller family. I was actually pregnant with Teddy in this picture, but had it hidden. I loved this one because of Cecelia's expression. It looks a little posed, until you see how she looks. I can't wait to have her take some new ones of the COMPLETED family this year.

Santa and his helper!

2010-01-10T08:56:00.000-05:00

I was lucky enough to borrow this awesome outfit from a friend (thanks Laura!!). I didn't have an real Christmas-y outfit for Ryan, since my other boys were born in the spring and anything I had was almost twice his size. So I got to borrow this and dress him up/humiliate his future viewings and have fun with him. Cecelia caught the spirit and wanted to be photographed with him. We did this before Christmas, one of the few things I got to do before the actual date. He looked so cute I couldn't help but take about 40 pictures of him. These were just a few and I am having a hard time trying to figure out which ones to print!!

How my family makes me feel....

2010-01-10T08:48:00.000-05:00

Winter Playland..

2009-12-22T14:57:00.000-05:00

So up north everyone has had a wonderful snowfall. We had rain. I wondered what our three inches of rain would equal if it was snow, and I saw that it came to about 24 inches in Philly. Well, we may not have that, but at least we have three miles of perfect beach to occupy our kids. They had a great time here playing and enjoying a nice cool day at the beach. Ryan and I stayed home and napped (a MUCH needed nap to say the least). I often wonder if we should move back north, be with family, give the kids the REAL winters. But then I see these pictures and think, Nah, we're ok, minus the whole family thing.

I am JUST starting to get my act together for Christmas. I don't know that we will be doing Christmas cards this year. I JUST got the kids their Christmas PJ's, so now we are ready for our Christmas picture...assuming I have it together enough to get them together in front of the tree to do it. HA! We'll see.

Aside from a few SERIOUSLY last minute things I am all done with Christmas shopping. I have two more online items to purchase then D-O-N-E! I will be blogging the Christmas jammer pictures as soon as I get them taken. And I of course will be posting the Christmas day pictures as soon as I can download them. It should be a couple of very busy days around here with Christmas eve so close. Brendan goes to the Oral dentist tomorrow to get a tooth taken out. (merry christmas to him!) That will be my day tomorrow, taking care of him. Hopefully we will avoid the "illness" tradition in our home. Although even as I type that I can hear Teddy hacking in the next room. He's had this cough for a few days, so hopefully it is on the mend. Cecelia is hoping to LOSE her two front teeth for Christmas, keeping our fingers crossed. Ryan, well, he just continues to grow and grow. I think he will be our biggest kid yet.

Ok. More to come on Christmas....the "peace of the season" is currently being interrupted by screams of my children....

Angels we have heard on high!

2009-12-22T14:37:00.000-05:00

Posting soon..

2009-12-13T20:42:00.003-05:00

I apologize for not posting anything lately. I thought with all my extra time (ha!) I would be able to put some new pics up and update everyone on our lives. Well, the updates are a-plenty! Life has been less than boring. But because of all the "events" I have not had much time to take pictures. I have been so bad that when my parents were in town, I realized when they LEFT I hadn't taken any pictures. I am very upset about that one, but will have to let it go because it is what it is. Hopefully this week we will be getting some pictures downloaded and taken of the kids. I'd swear Ryan has doubled in size. He is growing much like Cecelia did, skipping the 0-3 month clothing and going to the 3-6 month right off the start. He looks like Brendan, smiles like Brendan, has dimples like Cecelia and appears to be easy going like Teddy. Although his sleeping habits are from MARS! I promise to get new pics up by the end of this week.
Christmas is about to kick into full swing, and we might actually get it done...I knew four kids would be a full life, but I didn't realize how much I would love it. My family REALLY does feel complete. Ryan is the exclamation point to my life. Yay.

The Great Pumpkin

2009-11-02T20:39:00.000-05:00

My Rock stars!

2009-11-02T20:38:00.000-05:00

Brendan made his own guitar. All of this was TOTALLY his making. I helped tape a few things together, but this was his brain child!

Happy Halloween!

2009-11-02T20:37:00.001-05:00

BOO!

I had to post this one, his face is so awesome!

Ryan and the pumkin!

Pooped out.

Grandma!!

2009-11-02T20:34:00.000-05:00

The Glowing Big sis!

2009-11-02T20:33:00.001-05:00

Home-made costume!

2009-11-02T20:32:00.000-05:00

Teddy was very specific about what he wanted to be this year for halloween. He is slighly obsessed with emergency vehicles. He LOVES police"ma'am's" and "Firemans". The "woo-woo" part is the obvious noise they make. We had this box, so I decided to make a firetruck that he could walk around in. He LOVED it, and so did everyone else. I have to admit, I was pretty proud of my vehicle. Spray paint, egg cartons, construction paper and a box! Viola! Firetruck.

Side view.

Front view.

Pre-Halloween Dinner!

2009-11-02T20:24:00.000-05:00

The boys' table. It was a miracle we were able to get a picture of them all at the same time. They vacated their seats pretty quickly after this.

The girls' table. Being girls, they were slightly more subdued than the boys, but only slightly...

The group picture! This was also a bit of a chore to get. They were VERY eager to get their candy!

I liked this one! Lana was VERY animated! Cecelia was "the devil", Teddy was a "fireman woo-woo", Brendan was "Jenga Fett".

2009-10-30T12:31:00.001-05:00

2009-10-30T12:31:00.000-05:00

They grow so quickly

2009-10-30T12:29:00.000-05:00

It's been a little over two weeks now that Ryan has been a part of our family, and he's already getting so much bigger. This pic is from his first week, I am working on getting more pics, it's amazing how my time has been monopolized with feedings, changings, and the other kids. I look forward to my mornings alone with Ryan, snuggling and just getting to know him. He already seems to be more serious than Teddy and Brendan. He has a dimple like Cecelia when he smiles (in his sleep). He's such an easy little guy. The only time he cries is when I have waited too long to feed him, which luckily doesn't happen too often. He sleeps, wakes up, wants some food, stares and moves his arms a bit, then crashes again. I was worried that 4 would be hard to manage, but so far, if I time everything correctly it's not been too bad. We have been VERY blessed by our friends who have provided wonderful meals for the family. It definitely makes Gary and I feel loved. I feel like I am going to blink and he's going to be crawling! I keep looking at my calendar and Christmas will be here, then the New Year, then it seems like Summer will be here again!
Brendan and Cecelia are doing well. Cecelia GLOWS when she holds Ryan. She LOVES feeding him, snuggling, and talking to him. I figure this will continue until he starts taking his toys. Although, I am trying to encourage this relationship to alleviate some of the pressure from Brendan...who is just the best big brother to the three of them. We've had some awkward moments of realization with Brendan, which just comes with age (I like to call them Adam and Eve moments). I got the whole "so how and where does the baby come out?". He's also blown away at the whole "nursing" thing. He said he is "shocked" that the human body makes milk. Needless to say I try to confine myself to the bedroom to pump, but issues in the family come up and they end up making their way to the bedroom eventually. Ah well. Teddy is more infatuated with the noise the pump makes, imitating it EXACTLY!
Gary is an amazing husband. He's kind of taken on the other three when I am hibernating in the bedroom. He's great about trying to allow for a few extra minutes of uninterrupted sleep here and there. I keep counting my blessings at how lucky I am to have a husband who absolutely LOVES spending time with his kids and looks forward to it every day. (Not that we don't have our...."Wouldn't it be great to drop the kids off at our parents house for the weekend and have a weekend alone" moments.)
Tomorrow is Halloween and I promise to get lots of pics of the kids in their costumes. Brendan is going as some Star Wars character. He is excited that he and his buddy Steele are going as the same thing. Cecelia has ironically chosen to be the Devil for the night. She has a tail, horns and a bow tie. I have promised her some red lipstick to boot and she is VERY excited about that. Teddy is going to be "fireman woo-woo". I am making a firetruck FROM SCRATCH out of a box, having him wear that, and he can wear a fire hat and some boots to be the fireman inside the truck. I am hoping the truck part isn't too homemade! So far so good. I don't have anything for Ryan, and since it is going to be about 80 degrees tomorrow, I think the mosquito netting over his stroller will be enough of a costume!
SO! Other than that, nothing really exciting. I will post the pics of halloween as soon as possible. It should be a great night with friends and CANDY! Yum. I already have my heart set on stealing some of the kids candy when they go to bed that night! I figure I am just doing my parental duty of saving their teeth! (especially since we have so many issues with cavaties as it is!)
Lots of love!

Snuggle Bug

2009-10-22T20:07:00.000-05:00

Pumpkin Patch!

2009-10-22T20:06:00.000-05:00

We went to the pumpkin patch today. Everyone, including Ryan, got a pumpkin. Gary's parents are here, so they went to their beach house for the night and are carving them. I will get to see the results tomorrow. Cecelia has been making sketches all week as to which face she should pick for her pumpkin. She takes this very seriously. I can't wait to see what she picks. This is a HORRIBLE picture of me, but I will take one for the team,...it is only ONE week since I gave birth....

My Baby....

2009-10-22T20:03:00.000-05:00

RYAN!!!

2009-10-22T20:00:00.000-05:00

Well, it only took ten hours for Ryan to make his way into the world once I got to the hospital. Granted, I only pushed for 23 minutes, but getting to that point sure was a while. I went in 4cm dialated, was at 6 cm t 5pm, then at 5:30 was completely dialated. However, because my babies are all INCREDIBLY active in utero, little man had the umbilical cord wrapped around his neck 2 times, so that every time I pushed, his little heart rate went down. SO! My nurse didn't have me push until my doctor got to the hospital, which was 6pm. So, 23 minutes later, out he came. Even though the getting there was miserable, VERY NAUSEATED the whole time, the actual "labor" was VERY easy. He is a complete joy and aside from the jaundice, no issues. As I sit here, he is kinda sqawking to be fed....

The VERY proud daddy of FOUR!! AH!

Cecelia is absolutely in LOVE with Ryan. She wants to hold
him and kiss him all the time.

His first picture!

Teddy could not be MORE cute with Ryan. When we brought
him home from the hospital, Teddy helped Gary with the car seat
he whispered to Ryan "I Love you, Ryan."

Her first tooth!

2009-10-22T19:49:00.000-05:00

Cecelia was VERY excited about losing her first tooth. The crazy thing was that her adult tooth came up behind her baby tooth. I am thinking that braces are in our future for this girl. Although, because she has so much space between her teeth, there is hope...

Cecelia Turns SIX!!

2009-10-22T19:47:00.000-05:00

Birthday morning, Cecelia opened up her gifts from her grandparents. She enjoyed EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM! She is very blessed to have such generous grands! THANK YOU!

Blowing out her candles. She had a soccer game on her birthday, so we had her favorites that night when we got home. Pizza and cake! The cake was a little dog. I actually got two so everyone could have a piece. They were very cute, and she LOVED them.

Teddy time!

2009-09-18T13:05:00.000-05:00

I realized that the other two had some interesting posts, and didn't feel it was fair to do an update without posting some pics of Teddy. I gave him a haircut at dinner the other night, which he liked and had fun looking at in the mirror after I did it. He said he looked "fancy". This is his smile before school, which he is really enjoying. He likes going in the morning and really looks forward to seeing all of his friends, earning star bursts for good behavior and collecting "notes" of encouragement from his teachers.

This picture was random. He was walking around with his top hat and felt that Santa was a part of his act, I guess, and demanded that we take a picture. He LOVES getting his picture taken then IMMEDIATELY looking at it after. What would he have done before the instant gratification of digital cameras!!?!?

Gone missing...

2009-09-18T12:59:00.000-05:00

Well after TWO months of wiggling, one of two front top teeth cam out! There is still one that is wiggling, but no where near ready to be taken out. He received his silver dollar from the tooth fairy and is looking forward to another dollar. He spends most of his down time wiggling that tooth...nothing like a dollar to motivate!

Dance Mom? Huh?

2009-09-18T12:57:00.000-05:00

Cecelia's BEST friend Lana invited her to "invite your friend to dance" day. Through an amazing blessing of hand-me-down clothing, we actually own a number of dance outfits. So we dressed her up and got her ready for her first taste of dance classes. The smile on her face and pose (all PRE class) gives you a clue as to how excited she was about this. She HAS been asking about taking classes, and due to my laziness, have not signed her up yet. (that and the cost is nothing to sneeze at!)

She went and got a taste of ballet, jazz and tap. According to the other moms that were there watching their girls, Cecelia was very good for her first time ever, and was GREAT at the leaps they did. Since I only took one season of tap and ballet when I was her age, and did NOT keep up with it, soccer being my passion, I am what they call CLUELESS to dance. I have always been a bit leary since dance seems to be a partner to eating disorders, and this studio can get VERY competitive and serious about what they do. I don't know. (Brendan was very proud of her and thought she "looked beautiful"....he is the BEST big brother!)

She says she likes dance better than soccer. This would be something that she could do that has nothing to do with her brothers, it would be something that is ALL hers. I guess I am taking it one day at a time. I am thinking this might just be a good birthday present for her once soccer season is over. (we have a ONE extra curricular at a time rule). Either way she is ONLY 5 soon to be 6. No major career choices need to be decided at this moment. We can have a taste of it all with no recourse. In the meantime, she can just enjoy and play like every 6 year old should, with no pressure.

Soccer Mom, FINALLY!

2009-09-18T12:46:00.000-05:00

Here is my guy, red faced and tuckered out after a long practice. We skipped last year's soccer season (because I was too late in signing him up, woops!). So we were very excited this year to get them on the rosters. This is Brendan's second year playing and he starts his games this coming week. He's only had practice so far and Gary says that he is doing very well. I haven't been able to make it yet, but am VERY excited about seeing him play in his games.

This will be Cecelia's FIRST year playing. Unlike her brother, she is not as active or in want of running around....which is exactly why I feel like she needs soccer. She's already complaining about the running, but has a remarkable natural talent. She is aggressive and does not run away from the ball or get discouraged when someone else has it. She likes to elbow (which internally I smile at, externally encourage her not to), and is very good at dribbling. I am thinking I might after this year to sign her up again. Because she is so young and is on an under 7 team that still has those kids that are counting the blades of grass or number of birds in the sky, as opposed to really wanting to play, she is not getting the REAL feel for soccer. Gosh, I sound awful! But she is really into the game when she's on the field, and complains about the ones that are literally sitting on the ground in front of her, keeping her from being able to run with the ball. We'll see, I won't push, I PROMISE. I can't wait to actually see her play in a game. THEN I will reevaluate and see about her future soccer career....

She sure does make a beautiful soccer player though...

Crazy Cat woman

2009-09-18T12:32:00.000-05:00

Every night either Gary or I go into our kids rooms, readjust covers, turn music down, remove toys from bed, you know, the usual stuff that I am sure most parents do before we turn in. Well, one night last week, about 2 hours after Cecelia went to bed, I went in to check on her. I found her SOUND asleep WITH her cat ears headband that she had for halloween last year. These stayed on all night. I always wonder what goes on in her brain...not sure what this clues me into....

TEDDY'S FIRST DAY!

2009-08-28T14:41:00.000-05:00

Ah, to have all three in school FIVE days a week! It started the week before, leaving Teddy a whole week to wait for his first day of the three year old class. This is his first year of going EVERY day of the week from 9 - noon. He will also have the opportunity to stay at school for lunch bunch until a little after 2 pm! This will come in handy once the new Wieder is here. Teddy was very excited to sport his new back pack.

Here's the infamous Lightening McQueen backpack. My child LOVES the movie Cars. He makes me watch it with him at least twice a week. Sadly, this week, Teddy was struck down with the stomach flu for a day, but kept him home an extra day. So he didn't get to enjoy his first FULL week of school. That will kick in next week. WOHOO!

Here are my guys, walking in together on the first day. TOO CUTE! The HILARIOUS part was there was the Chik-fil-A cow just beyond the pillars. Teddy REFUSED to make direct eye contact with it. Teddy had a look on his face like he wasn't quite sure if we were seeing what he saw. He wouldn't even really turn his head toward it, only his eyes. Once we got into the classroom, the cow came to the window once, TERRIFYING one poor little girl, but making the rest rise up, screaming at him through the window. Good thing for the cow there was a wall and window between him and the kids....

Hanging up the important backpack. He's very excited because his best girl friend, Spencer, hangs her stuff up next to his. He informed us he was going to marry her...(sorry Elliotts! I will say he DOES adore her though!)

FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! AH!

2009-08-28T14:29:00.000-05:00

We've waiting a long time for this day! Cecelia was so excited to finally be joining her big brother at the elementary school, she had a smile GLUED to her face for an entire 24 hours before she woke for school this morning. She had her clothes picked out, down to the hair bow. She is doing GREAT and LOVES LOVES LOVES her teacher, Mrs. Claudia Marshall. We were very blessed to get one of the teachers we really wanted for her. She is also REALLY looking forward to riding the bus home, unlike her brother who has an understanding that the bus takes almost a FULL hour longer to get to the house. UGH.

SMOKES he looks older. Anyway. Brendan is going into the 2nd grade and was a wee bit nervous about this. Apparently last year, there was a girl who got transfered into Brendan's First grade class FROM the 2nd grade because she just wasnt' ready to move up. So he is under the impression that 2nd grade is REALLY REALLY hard. We had a fantastic first week, and have allayed some of those fears. He seems to get that it's not as hard as he thought, and that this might just be a good year (minus the bus).

My big kids!

Here they are getting ready to go into school on their first day. The school brought out the BIG GUNS with the school mascot. They were so excited to get their picture taken with "it". Of course, later that morning Brendan saw the mascot take off it's head piece completely destroying the magic. (They should take a page from Disney World regarding their characters!) So now anytime he sees a costumed character he screams "you're a sham!" Great.

Happy Birthday to ME!

2009-08-28T14:18:00.000-05:00

Here is my wonderful little family singing me happy birthday. THIRTY FIVE YEARS OLD! UGH. They got me a Wii fit to play with. Brendan decided that I needed something on the wii since they had their games. It's actually a lot of fun and I am really looking forward to doing some of the yoga once this baby has decided to join us. Between that, the treadmill, and the weights, I am on a MISSION!
Anyway, if you look closely, Teddy is blowing out my candles, which was fine, because I have nothing more to wish for!

Science Center

2009-08-28T14:14:00.000-05:00

We loved our time in Pittsburgh. One of the highlights, that Brendan even highlighted as what his favorite part of summer was, is the Science Center. For anyone that has kids, this had a little more to offer than the Children's Museum. There are four floors, each one offering a little something for each kid. Cecelia LOVED the puppet show area. I think she was a lemer (sp?) Brendan enjoyed the water section and the robots. (I didn't get any pics of the robots because I was WAY too motion sick from the simulator at that point). Teddy enjoyed the "balls" section. We will definitely go back to this when we go home next summer. I am really looking forward to the sports museum they are building too! Yay for fun!

Big Daddy and his BIG fish...

2009-08-28T14:08:00.000-05:00

Gary enjoyed his time fishing....especially when he caught this wide mouth bass!

Gary's way of thanking the fish for his time. We do the whole catch and release thing. Noone in our "camp" likes to clean and gut fish, so we let them get fatter for someone else a little more rugged.

Summer with the Grands!

2009-08-28T14:05:00.000-05:00

Early morning on the lake, catching our fish.....Brendan caught his.

Cecelia caught hers....

And Teddy held his rod. He caught a fish once at Lake Lure...got so freaked out that he slammed the poor thing down on the dock so hard, it broke free from the line. We figured we'd spare the fish this time.

Northern Exposure

2009-07-28T15:37:00.006-05:00

While we were home in Buffalo, Gary's family celebrated their parents, George and Dorothy's FIFTIETH Wedding anniversary! Not a milestone you see too much nowadays. It was a lovely intimate family celebration and an honor to be able to be a part of. Because of these two amazing people and their love for each other and their children, I get to reap the benefits and am married to an amazing man. Happy Anniversary! You two are a GREAT example to follow. XOXO

This is a picture drawn in pencil of their wedding photo. It was an amazing drawing!! Doug, your son has a wee bit of talent I'd say!

Cutting the cake again! And to think, this was probably the first baked good I have had with this family that WAS NOT cooked by Dorothy! It was still ok though. I managed to choke down a few pieces...but not as good as the mint chocolate pie or buckeyes!

Brendan showing us his "gun" show....

Cecelia and her cousin Lauren....who was without her other half, Jimmy. Look at this, it's July, and my daughter has on a SWEATSHIRT!

Some of the cousins gathered on the couch. Lamarr was AMAZING with the kids....and with Jessica and Lauren. They really enjoy their family time with them.

This is Teddy's "cool" smile. He already looks like that frat boy/dumb jock that is too cool for everyone but the "ladies." I am sure he will master it by the time he is old enough to notice the ladies....

Family Vacation!

2009-07-23T07:49:00.010-05:00

The kids at the pool. Man, I swear, this baby pool is WAY nicer than we had it. Ah well, at least my kids have fun now....ok. SO I have fun with it too!! If you step on most of these geisers, the ones that aren't covered spray high and higher! I had, I mean, the kids had fun plugging them...

We had to take two seperate pictures of the family....my mother has a DEATHLY fear of heights, and well, being this high up didn't quite lend itself to her relaxing or being able to concentrate long enough to take a picture. Teddy was also twirling my hair in his fingers to the point of almost pulling it out...hence the lovely grimace on my face!

Holding up the "fish" outside the museum. They liked them because when the wind blows they spin...

Brendan and his "invention" at the water section of the museum. He spent about 15 minutes putting this together....he was very proud of the fact that he got four pipes connected. Pretty impressive!

Cecelia at the water exhibit. Although we left this one soon after this picture, watery floors with no covers equals LOTS of falling. Three kids fell and almost cracked their heads on the CEMENT stairs. The "wonderful" museum workers wouldn't let us put the non-slip mats in front of the stairs....can they say LAW SUIT???

Teddy at the Children's Museum at his favorite exhibit....CARS!

2009-07-06T09:51:00.003-05:00

Anyway. Life has been great. Gary is in the Dominican Republic this week with 25 other students and leaders. I know he was really looking forward to hanging out and being with this group of people. I will try to update more on his week when he lets me know more.

For now, this is Brendan being thrown in the ocean by his dad. It is an AWESOME close up...I WILL be getting this one printed and framed.

Please forgive!

2009-06-29T08:30:00.001-05:00

We are computer-less right now. BOTH of our computers are down, our personal and work one. HOPEFULLY after I make a phone call today we will be back up and running. I have some fun pictures to post and have been wanting to do that but CAN'T! Fingers crossed....

one LONG update...

2009-06-02T11:44:00.009-05:00

Rocky when we frist got her.....

Rocky now....MUCH bigger.

Ok, so I realize that I am getting worse and worse about uploading pictures to the blog. I have found that my time at the computer is getting less and less, and will be even more so come this fall once Baby #4 is here. Ah well, here are a few snap shots of what we have been up to the last couple of weeks.

Below is Mother's Day. We went to Cracker Barrel. Not the fanciest meal, but all I know is I didn't have to cook! It was actually a very nice morning and meal with the kids and Gary.

Here is Brendan before one of his T-Ball games. He LOVED playing and did really well. He has a great arm and can hit the ball pretty good too! I guess next year we'll move up to "coaches pitch." I am not really looking forward to it simply because the games are later, longer and further away. Who knows though, he could end up being a really good player. We'll see. You just can't beat a league that only charges $3 per kid!! We can afford to sign up and not go at that cost!

This is Teddy. When we tell him to make a happy face, this is what we get. Needless to say, it makes the rest of us laugh, there by making us happy. He looks more "pirate" than happy.

Here is Cecelia and Lana. They informed me that they are "real" princesses. The test was if a toy monkey moved on its own. Funny how it moved for both of them! Real princesses carry flowers, wear pretty dresses and don't have to get married. That is just what I was told by these two...I'll have to check the handbook...

This is Cecelia in the Edgeworth Club baby pool. Man that is such a cool pool. When I was little it was just a sorry square space that was strangely warmer than the other pool....now they have this amazing water fall, gizers, and a walk in entry. It's three times the size and as an adult, I like it almost better than the big pool!!

We were able to celebrate Brendan's 7th birthday at Nana's. Here is the cool ninja turtle carrot cake that he got. It was HUGE. Poor kid was so tired though from the ride up, he couldn't even finish his favorite kind of cake in the whole wider world. He appreciated it though, and still talks about it.

Here are my three. They were very happy to get a weekend in with Nana and Pampaw. Cecelia liked it so much she informed me that she wanted to move there. Although now that we are home, she is happy to be here and has discovered some of the issues of moving....like, what about her room? How will her room move? We'd be blessed anywhere God puts us.

Well, I know there are pictures I am leaving out, but I feel good that I at least got these on. I will also be adding videos of the kids jumping off the diving board at the Edgeworth Club. It is so funny to see them doing the same things I did DAY after DAY, summer after summer....I was so proud of them. They had to pass their deep water test and did it the minute they stepped into the water. They were cleared to jump freely in the deep in within 5 minutes of being at the pool!! Too fun. Alright, well, until next time!

Our mini vacation

2009-05-18T16:16:00.002-05:00

This past weekend, we were very blessed to have a friend offer their lake house to us for a few days. This is probably one of the most wonderful family vacations we have ever taken. We went there two years ago, and I swear, the kids remember EVERY minute of their time at this place. They swam in the lake from the minute they got up to when they were down in bed. This time we remembered to bring our fishing poles and were able to catch some fish as well. I have to upload those pictures off of my new phone!! (total side note: I LOVE MY NEW PHONE!)
ANYWAY! We went out on the lake a couple of times, letting the kids look around at the amazing scenery. The mountains were beautiful and they had those picture perfect clouds topping them. I am pretty sure they didn't really watch TV for more than an hour the entire time we were up there, and they didn't even ASK to watch it either. Even though Teddy wouldn't jump off the dock, he was able to play in the water a little bit. He EVEN caught a fish. I wasn't able to get a picture of that because while I was asking to take a picture, he was busy knocking the tar out of it to get it off his rod. He succeeded, and Gary said he even saw the fish with the hook and weight swimming under him later that day! Poor fish.
Needless to say, it was a great time, and well worth the sleepless travels. (we got there at 11:30pm Thursday, and got back to Pawleys at 11pm Saturday!!) Even though our time was short, we are incredibly grateful and feel very blessed to have spent that time making wonderful memories with our kids.

Doin' a little fishing off the boat....because we didn't catch anything, I think we
were legal. Really he was just "swishing" his bait in the water....

This picture does not do the scenery justice. It was BEAUTIFUL!!

Teddy got a real kick out of the boat and going VERY fast.

2009-05-18T16:13:00.000-05:00

Captain Gary and his First Mate, Brendan!

Letting Teddy have a shot at the wheel!

They had the best time, and LOVE the lake.