Living the Dream

Mary Poppins

2012-01-21T17:15:00.005-05:00

For Christmas, my parents gave me my very own DVD copy of "Mary Poppins". This happens to be my ALL-TIME favorite movie. I have never officially owned a copy of this movie in our home, so I was excited to introduce the boys to this fantastic film. Maybe it is the perfect voice of Julie Andrews, the wonderful songs that I sing constantly, or just the disposition of the movie all together, but I just can't watch it too many times. So, when the boys asked to watch it AGAIN, I was elated. I can't imagine this being one of their "go-to" movies, but I was pleased that we were able to share the experience together and that Gavin has been walking around singing, "Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down."

Voting Has Its Perks...Maybe!

2012-01-21T17:09:00.006-05:00

Saturday was the Republican Primary in South Carolina. This was our first time voting in any state other than Georgia. The experience was extremely easy and pleasant. I was in and out in 5 minutes. I am sure the election in November will be quite different, but I was pleased none the less. There was one item the state of South Carolina did less than perfect. Because all of us like rewards and recognition, I proudly asked one of the poll workers for a sticker signifying the event. The picture below depicts the sticker I was given.

Yes people, that is a dime the sticker is sitting next to. I hope that in the next election, they can spare a few more of these and provide me a bigger sticker!

June 29, 2012

2012-01-10T21:53:00.006-05:00

June 29, 2012 has new meaning for me this year. It is already a special day because it is my SIL, Abatha's birthday. This year, another Odom child is due on this very special day! What a blessing! To say we are excited is an understatement. As with other two, I have been a bit "under the weather" for the past 8 weeks, but I am slowly starting to feel more about myself. I love detecting our new little ones' flutters, and at this point, I am enjoying my growing gut!

I write this post on the brink of another sentimental day for me. This past summer, David and I miscarried our third child, who would be due this week. Oh my, I actually said it out loud. For different reasons, I haven't shared this with many people. I think mainly it is because I felt like I did something wrong. That somehow this was my fault. I should be able to fix this. Oh, how the Lord has taught me so much through this emotional roller coaster. Though its hard to put into words, God's comfort, peace and sovereignty has carried my through.

So, I celebrate this week with the simple reflections on our sweet baby #3 and look forward to meeting the next little Odom in June!

Happy New Year

2012-01-10T21:38:00.008-05:00

For the past 3 years, we have hosted a New Years party for our friends. Since kiddos are in the picture, there are no more big plans when the ball drops. We have a nice time eating junk, watching football and visiting. This year we even mixed in some fireworks!

Noah's "girlfriend" Kylie

My children don't LOVE fireworks, so these pictures explain the progression of the night. Gavin

hiding under the chair, Gavin clinging to David's neck, the boys inside watching from the window.

Happy New Year to all! We look forward to 2012!!!

Ode to Christmas

2012-01-10T21:20:00.008-05:00

This Christmas was one of my all-time favorites. The main reason for this is because we got to spend SO much great time with our family. It was extra special having Scott's crew in town, and then we also were able to spend some good quality time with the Odom group. Pictures are the best way to capture our Christmas...

Here comes Santa Claus...

Christmas morning at our house.

Gavin was especially excited about EVERY present he opened!

The BIG gifts!

After our Christmas morning, we headed to my parents house for a fun shindig!

Lila is just too sweet!

Our picture attempts.

Then onto the Odom gang.

I'm just now trying to figure out where to put the new toys, etc. I love Christmas. Happy Birthday Jesus!

Our Holiday Season

2012-01-10T21:05:00.006-05:00

As with most families, we had an especially busy month of December. With Noah in preschool, I felt like we had something special every week to celebrate the season. There is nothing quite like watching your little one up on "stage" performing sweet songs of thanksgiving and celebration.

Though this was back before Thanksgiving, I couldn't help include Noah dressed up like a pilgrim for his Thanksgiving performance.

Noah also had a couple of performances at school for Christmas. First, he performed at a nursing home, and then they had their performance at school. We only have one picture from this because we have about 2 hours of video footage!

Gavin participated in his first CBS Christmas performance and might I say, played his bells just perfect!!!

They both did great performing in front of crowds which is a trait they must have received from their dad. I vividly remember crying through my entire performance as Rudolph in preschool!

Hello Out There!

2011-12-11T19:43:00.005-05:00

Hey fellow blog friends! Long time no talk! Thankfully, the Odoms have just been a bit busy, like everyone else, and my blog has been low on the totem pole of to-dos! We had a terrific and low-key Thanksgiving with my parents and my in-laws. We participated in the crazy madness of Wal-Mart on Thanksgiving night...that was one thing I said I would NEVER do, but when what your kids ask for is half off, it's a must! And, because of the devotion of my father-in-law, hubby and dad, we got what we wanted and then some! It was great to start off the season on the right foot. I love to save some money!

The first weekend in December we always celebrate with David's mom's side of the family for Christmas. The Lankford Christmas is always a busy time, but it is great to visit with family and begin our celebration of Jesus. I am so thankful for Him.

Our sweet niece Reagan turned 6 on November 28th, so we were able to celebrate her birthday together. We love sweet Reagan.

These cousins LOVE to be together. There is nonstop playing, laughter, and a bit of trouble!

The "main event" is held on Saturday. We get together, play a few games, eat great food, open some gifts and of course, take pictures!

The Odom Crew

Here is David's Mamaw Loys with 3 of her 4 children and their spouses. They are the heart of this crew!

The Lankford Group

The aunts, uncles and Mamaw always make it super special for the kids. The boys got "real" light sabers! What a great suggestion I made...

Fun times were had by all, and the season is in full swing at our house. I find that this year David and I are having to be extremely intentional about focusing on Jesus...isn't Santa everywhere? We aren't anti-Santa, but don't want him to be the focus...at all! Tis the season to celebrate the Savior!!!

The Year of the Superhero

2011-11-06T19:55:00.005-05:00

Noah knew what he was going to be for Halloween last spring...Spiderman. As much as I fought the idea in my mind of the boys being obsessed with superheros, I knew the time was going to come sooner or later. Thankfully, Gavin is pretty flexible, so I picked a superhero costume that came in the right size and was a decent price. Grammy bought the boys their costumes which is such a blessing because my boys are in some sort of costume 99% of the time when we are at home. These superheroes costumes will be well loved.

Noah's preschool had a fall festival/trunk-or-treat the Wednesday before Halloween. We had a great time visiting with friends, eating cotton candy and of course, getting some candy of our own.

Many of our friends headed over to our house on Halloween night to eat supper together and then head to a great neighborhood in the area for trick-or-treating. Our house was busting at the seams, but a great time was had by all!

The boys did such a great job trick-or-treating. They knew the routine... "Say trick-or-treat, get your candy, remember to say thank you!"

The star of this shot is my boys' obsession...Kylie! She is a the same age as Noah, and I am confident in saying that she is his first crush. She also attends Noah's preschool, so each day when he gets in the car, he updates me with statements like, "I smiled at Kylie and she waved at me." Now, Gavin is on the hunt for her as well. Yesterday he informed me that he was putting on some chapstick, so he could give Kylie a kiss!!!

Some of the sweet mommas!

The boys have already decided that they will be the Hulk and Zurg next year, I mean Darth Vader and the Storm Trooper, I mean Scar and Simba... They talk about it all the time, so we'll have to wait and see!!!

My First Pinterest Project

2011-11-06T19:33:00.007-05:00

I am sure that many of you reading have taken an interest into Pinterest. For those of you who haven't, it's a website filled with various DIY projects, great recipes, decorating ideas, etc. It can be quite overwhelming and time consuming, but also provides some neat ideas for those of us on a budget.

I am a bit of a hoarder when it comes to the boys' art projects, coloring pages, schoolwork, etc. I just can't throw any of them away and my refrigerator can't hold all of the stuff they bring home. So, I found a few neat ideas on Pinterest to solve this problem and melded a few of them together to make my own display wall. Here's how I did it...

I started with nine 8x10 wooden frames from various thrift stores. I think the most expensive frame was $1.99, but most were around $.99.

I sanded each frame, and then I painted them with a paint I already had leftover from our bathroom. After the paint had dried for a day, I put a brown glaze over the frames to create an "antique" look.

Now that the frames were done, I needed to put the burlap backing together. My dad gave me an easy fix. I took the cardboard backing, covered it with burlap, and taped it with some black tape...fancy huh?

Then, I put the burlap in the frame. After that, I stuck a jumbo paper clip at the top of each frame to hold the "artwork". A few of the frames needed picture hangers, so I added those, and that was it! Hanging the frames wasn't extremely easy, but after it was done, I was completely pleased with my Pinterest inspired creation!

Oktoberfest 2011

2011-11-06T19:20:00.004-05:00

Our family headed to Walhalla's annual Oktoberfest last month. Just as last year, the weather was perfect, and we were able to enjoy the festival while everyone watched the Clemson game!

A church was offering free face painting at the festival. I don't think either of the boys has ever had this done. Gavin kept a straight face the.entire.time.

As we spent a small fortune on ride tickets, Gavin relaxed in the wagon.

The boys LOVED riding the rides, and as I said, for the cost, they better have been good! They road the helicopters and caterpillar train twice.

In tradition, dad and the boys danced to some familiar tunes. Gavin DID NOT like to dance on the stage, so a good picture of him was hard to come by.

Of course, we at some heart healthy foods.

Fun was had by all and we'll definitely plan on heading back next year!

Pomp turns the big 6-0

2011-10-26T21:15:00.005-04:00

My dad is the best...really, I mean, I have the best dad in the world! Though he says he doesn't feel a day over 18, his physical body celebrated its 60th birthday last month. We were able to celebrate together with a surprise party in New York with family and then had another great party with more family and friends back in GA. I love celebrating my dad. He is such a generous man, so I was happy to honor him with a few shindigs just for him.

My Aunt Karen came up with the brilliant idea to surprise my dad while we were up in New York to celebrate his birthday. We all gathered at the cottage and waited on Scott to bring him to us. He was surprised...

We made a special picture frame for him with birthday messages.

I know that is was so special for dad to celebrate his birthday with his mom!

Mom and I put together Party #2 for Pomp!

I enjoyed doing the decorating for the party. Fall was our theme!

We had lots of longtime friends come to celebrate and close family too. Dad got some cools gifts...lots of wine...I didn't even know he liked wine!

We love you dad and hope you had a great birthday! Here's to many, many more!

New York, New York

2011-10-26T21:03:00.007-04:00

Our annual trip to New York over Labor Day was wonderful, as expected. The 16 hour drive wasn't at all miserable like I used to describe it as a young lady. I really do love my family and wish I could see them more often. I am so thankful to be so close to all of them and truly love every second of our trip. Here are some highlights, in picture form.

Noah's First Day of Preschool

2011-10-26T20:51:00.003-04:00

My eldest little man started preschool right before Labor Day. He attends Trinity Baptist Preschool in Seneca three days a week from 8:30 to 11:30. It has worked out beautifully. He is making a lot of new friends and is doing well writing all of his letters. Noah is quite the artist and writing all sorts of words. He is on the cusp of recognizing sight words. I am so proud of him!

We started our day with the traditional celebratory pancakes. (Gavin's said "MOM" because he is stuck with me!)

I mean, is he handsome or what?

David and I escorted Noah to his new class. He immediately found his name tag and made himself at home. He is on red team!

Gavin had to try out the preschool table too!

We love you Noah! You are growing up so fast!

No Pictures!

2011-10-06T15:04:00.004-04:00

David (who always makes the best choices!) sold our camera a few weeks ago in order to buy the one he wants. So, my pictures are trapped on a memory card, and I don't know how to get them off. My blog is not up-to-date nor will it be until the lovely husband does something about our camera issue. Blog topics for you to look forward to...

-Noah's First Day of Preschool

-Our Annual Trip to New York

-Fun time in St. Louis

Until then, I am sorry for being a lousy blogger! Thanks for the two of you who still check this on occasion!

A Great Read

2011-08-20T20:29:00.004-04:00

A few post ago, I recommended the book, "40 Days Without Food" as a must read for all of my fellow reader friends. I finished the book, and I concur that this is a MUST READ. Russ has been a friend for many years, so this was such a privilege to be able to share in his amazing, life-changing experience. I felt like Russ was talking to me throughout the book, which made it a personal read. Russ combines wit, knowledge and beautiful descriptions to walk you through his 40 days without food. I found that each day was interwoven with a powerful message of God's grace, sovereignty and love. I want to go back and read it again with a highlighter! This is a must read people. I will leave you with one of my many favorite quotes from the book, one which particularly hit home for me.

Day 36 "I've cared with all my being, but nothing in my being has the power to control certain circumstances around me. I've been trying to be the god of my universe, but I'm not God. I must rise above circumstances or I'll always be a puppet to them. I remember the promise: "You're not alone in this. I have blue skies for you." Peace arrives, for I don't have to make everything happen. It's no easy thing to quit playing God and let him be that for you, to place your cares in his hands. It's doesn't mean we quit living or making decisions, but means we quit manipulating and worrying. Then we will be free to live for the things that can never be taken from us. I'm seeing this is all about freedom."

It is available on the Kindle, Nook, and iPad (via the free Kindle app for iPad). More info is on Russ' website: www.russmasterson.com.

The Surprise

2011-08-20T20:10:00.005-04:00

I was finally able to collect some pictures from David's Surprise 30th Birthday party at the Gwinnett Braves game. We had a great turn out (around 60 people), the weather was unseasonably cool, and most importantly, we actually surprised David. He said that he had no idea...0%. Everyone did such a good job helping me out! What a great memory!

Here's the group patiently awaiting David's arrival.

My mom came out to get us to give us our tickets. She then led us to the spot where everyone was waiting!

I LOVE the look on his face in this last picture. This moment brought such relief (keeping a secret is hard work for me) and such happiness. To have so many people we love able to be there to celebrate David was extra special. And David already knows, I will NEVER throw a surprise party for him again! (Maybe I should read my last blog!)

I Said I Would Never

2011-08-20T19:38:00.002-04:00

For those of you who know me a bit, you know I can be on the opinionated side. I have been known to stick my foot in my mouth a few (too many) times. We have made some changes recently in our family, and they are things I thought we would never do. So here are a few things in my life where I said I would never...

1. Drink Diet Coke. It all started in college. My freshman roommate drank Diet Coke, and I swore I would never drink that stuff. Well, for the past 10 years, I am one happy girl if I have a cold can of Diet Coke.
2. Marry someone with hair on their chest. Needless to say, the love of my life may be known to have a few hairs on his torso.
3. Let the kids sleep in our bed. Though this isn't a nightly or weekly occurrence in our home (the boys share a room), I do love when Noah wants to come in our bed early in the morning to cuddle or Gavin calls out for me to come lay by him those last few minutes before we start our day. I know this won't last too much longer, so I love every minute of it.
4. Shop at Aldi. I swore I wouldn't be one of those shoppers running from store to store getting the best grocery deal. Well, once I started shopping at Aldi, I am addicted. They have great (usually consistent) prices. Just remember to bring your own bags and a quarter for a buggy!
5. Cut off our cable. David and I have had cable for our entire marriage. Well, God has been tugging at my heart for over a year to cut our cable and last month we did it! It hasn't been easy (the kids don't know life without a DVR), but as with anything, we will grow accustom to it soon enough.
6. Drive a minivan. Did I just admit that? Do I really own a minivan? This has definitely been the hardest one to swallow. Our Navigator gets horrible gas mileage, so we knew we had to make a change. Lord willing, we hope to have more children, so a minivan was the best and most economical option. This car is not the love of my life, but I love its practicality and usefulness.

I am sure there are many other things I have changed my opinion on over the years. Though there are many absolutes in my life, such as I will always stand firm on God's word, Pepsi is disgusting, and I will never root for the SC Gamecocks, I have realized that sometimes my opinions are a bit unfounded and prideful. So, what things have you said you would never?

The BIG 3-0 (Part 1)

2011-07-26T14:33:00.004-04:00

My wonderful hubby leaped into his 30's last week! I will admit that I was a bit brutal with my constant teasing, but it was all in fun and mostly to ward off the reality that this, too, is in my near future. I have yet to collect pictures from the fun surprise gathering I threw for David last weekend, so I will share a few from our low key family night.

Most of the birthday festivities I planned played out a week or so before David's actual birthday. Thursday was his official birthday. He was able to take the day off to play golf with his dad and Papaw. We also went out to dinner with some good friends and followed it up with some cake and ice cream. I love celebrating (other people's) birthdays, so overall, we had a great time doting on David!

Stay tuned for the Surprise Party! It was great!

The Only Child (for a week)

2011-07-14T15:01:00.004-04:00

Noah has been at "Cousin's Camp" at his Grammy and Poppy's this last week. They are keeping Noah (4), Lauren(9) and Reagan (5). Every time that I get to talk to him (which isn't much), they are doing some cool activity! He is either going to be worn out when he gets home or expect me to go out more!!! Though I don't prefer Noah to be gone, I knew it would be good for me to surrender a bit of control as well as spend some good quality time with Gavin. I love both my boys so much, but since Gavin was the second born, he obviously hasn't gotten as much one-on-one attention as Noah. In some aspects, I don't feel like I know his as well as I do Noah. I have loved every bit of this week. Here are some things I have discovered or rediscovered about my "Gav-Man"!

1. Gavin enjoys helping me around the house. He has helped make breakfast a few times, put things in the trash and helped out with the laundry. I love a cheerful worker!

2. Gavin loves to read books. We always read before nap and bed, but I admit that sometimes if it is late, books go out the window. This boy could sit down and read 10 books and want to read more.

3. Gavin is very in tune with his senses. He can smell food from a mile away, is very particular on things he touches, and notices different sounds all around us. I love when he says, "What's that smell?" with his nose crinkled up or "What's that sound?" when my knees pop as I am doing sit-ups!

4. Gavin is my cuddler. I have known this all along, but we have had some special cuddle time this week together. I love that there is no place he would rather be than cuddling with me after his nap!

5. Gavin is a bit more shy in public without his big brother. We swam on Tuesday and it took my little fish a good hour to warm up to some of his friends. He was also very laid back at Story Time yesterday. It was almost like he didn't know what to do.

6. Gavin is a prayer warrior! Before we go to bed each night, we each say a prayer together. With 4 of us praying, it can be a bit lengthy. Well, this week, Gavin has taken full advantage of the extra air time, so he prays and prays and prays. If you need prayer, let me know and I will pass it on to Gavin!

This week has allowed me special quality time with him, but also has reminded me that I need to make a conscience effort to remember the things that he loves to do and incorporate them into our routine. I love my little man...and I am SO ready for his brother to be home!

A Must Read

2011-07-09T15:11:00.004-04:00

You may not know this about me, but I love to read. I tend to switch back and forth between fiction and non-fiction, mainly because when I read a fiction novel, I get so involved it consumes me until I finish it. Anyways, I definitely know what my next read will be..."40 Days Without Food: Divine Goodness to a Starving Soul" by Russ Masterson. Not only is the title intriguing, a great friend of mine is the author! I am thankful to have met Russ and Kristy during high school. We had a lot of great times together at UGA, and David and I also have had the privilege of being in ministry with them at Church of the Apostles. Basically, Russ and Kristy are awesome people, so I have no doubt this is going to be an incredible book!! Below is an excerpt of the book as well as info for how to purchase it. Check it out!!!

“I had a college degree, and soon a seminary degree to accompany it, yet I didn’t know where to go or what to do.” Russ Masterson had read and heard about purpose, but didn’t have a clue what his own purpose was. And there was emptiness where there should have been value. As he puts it, “I kept hoping a step would arrive when it was time to lift my foot.”

Disillusioned with his life, as well as with God, he heard this advice: fast from food for 40 days. Faithless and frazzled, Russ accepted the challenge, hoping for direction, reflecting on the past, and wrestling with issues like purpose, faith, and love.

In this book, readers will find a fresh literary voice — an insightful thinker who meets people in their humanity while helping them to see they can be rescued from it. The journey of these forty days without food will help you explore what really matters in life.

It is available on the Kindle, Nook, and iPad (via the free Kindle app for iPad). More info is on Russ' website: www.russmasterson.com.

The Drums!

2011-06-20T16:12:00.004-04:00

On Thanksgiving night of 2010, my dad, mom, and I headed out to Toys 'R Us for our first Black Friday shopping. To say that we had a great time is an understatement. Though we waited for an hour to get in and an hour to check out, we found some great deals. On top of it all, my brother had sent us a few texts during the night to let us know my sweet niece would probably be arriving shortly. I say all this to say, I was experiencing a little euphoria along with a bit of sleep deprivation, so I wasn't making the best judgement decisions that evening. A perfect example of this is the drum set I let my parents buy, so they could tuck it away for Noah's birthday! Oh, they were half off and Noah does love to play the drums, but what was I thinking???? I mean, before these "real" drums entered the picture, I had Noah using drum sticks to play on soft, quiet pillows!

Noah was ecstatic when he opened up the drum set. Of course, David set it up immediately and the drumming began. He does have a natural touch, so he isn't necessarily banging on them like I expected. (His little brother, on the other hand, has a thing or two to learn!) It is the constant noise that led me to come up with "drum money". Yes, both the boys get their drum money in the morning and once they have spent it on playing their session, the drum sticks are put up. It is working so far!

Anyways, I really am glad that Noah got this instrument because I do think he has natural musical ability woven into to his DNA. Hopefully the novelty will wear off just a bit, so that the constant noise doesn't drive us (or our neighbors) crazy!

Noah's 4th Birthday-Part 2

2011-06-20T15:25:00.006-04:00

As I said in my previous post, we had a great time celebrating with our family and friends at Noah's birthday party. After many attempts to persuade him to stick to a Toy Story themed party, Noah chose to have Spiderman as his guest for the night. Thankfully, there is a lot of cute stuff out there and we have some Spiderman toys already, so all in all, it turned out great! He tells me that when he turns 20, he is going to have a Green Goblin birthday party. I think I will keep this in my memory bank and show up to his college with a Green Goblin birthday cake!

It was a bit overcast that night, so the kids enjoyed being outside. We borrowed the bounce houses from church, which the kiddos always seems to love. Three of Noah's cousins were able to join us too (we missed you Nate and Lila)!

Noah got a lot of great presents! Much to his liking, we are on Spiderman overload! He did a fairly decent job at being thankful for his gifts. I find it a super hard concept to teach my little ones. I am so thankful that we are so blessed, but how do you teach kids to appreciate what they have and not need excess...

I tried to get each kid to sit with our giant Spiderman for a photo opt. I had much success..here is a small collage. Sorry if you can't make out any of the children's faces. I'll post it on FB later!!

The kids had played outside for over 3 hours, so we ended the night with a little movie watching. What a great evening! I love my Noah!

Noah is Four!

2011-06-20T15:08:00.004-04:00

My baby boy turned 4 last Wednesday! Time goes by so quickly! I mean, it is nuts that he is 4. I know I have said this before, but I really do love celebrating my children's birthday. We had a great time spoiling Noah on his special day!

As usual, we started off our day with birthday pancakes!

Then, we headed to Story Time and Chick-Fil-A with friends. I forgot to take pictures!

Noah requested chocolate gravy for his birthday dinner! Yes, this is gravy that tastes like pudding that you pour over biscuits. It's an Odom family tradition. Don't judge until you try it!

On Friday night, we had a great time celebrating with family and friends at his party! Spiderman was our theme!

Doesn't he look 4 here? I mean, he is chewing gum for crying out loud!!!

I will add more pics of the party in my next post. Until then, have a great day!

SUMMER FUN!

2011-06-06T14:56:00.002-04:00

Hello blog friends! Sorry for the hiatus, but you know how it goes! We have been having a blast so far this summer. To say that we are outside all of the time is an understatement. Between baseball, pool stuff, and popsicles, our family can't get enough of the outdoors...with one exception...mosquitos!

The boys were momentarily satisfied with the blow-up pool in our front yard!

Once they played in a "real" pool, they just can't get enough. We are so thankful that we have great friends that are so generous to invite us!

God has truly blessed us with great friends at our church. The Crooks family has a farm and invited a crew of us out there for Farm Day 2011. There was a lot of excitement and fun had by all!

They have A LOT of Power Wheels toys, so the boys get a good fix when they are there!

Noah informed me that he wants the motorcycle (in the above picture) and the helmet (in the below picture) for his birthday!

David manned the Zip Line!

The boys ended the night with a pony ride! Great times! Thanks Crooks family!

F-A-M-I-L-Y

2011-05-12T14:50:00.000-04:00

Mom, the boys and I made our trek to St. Louis last weekend to visit Scott, Ab, Nate and Lila. It was a great trip and here's why...

1. Abatha is a great cook, won't let me clean up, and does my laundry! Though I am not sure she wishes to do all of these things for me, I am happy to mooch when I am at her house!

2. The boys LOVE each other. They are (almost) inseparable and enjoy doing the same things.

3. I was able to have a ton of snuggle time with little Lila. She really is so precious and happy. I love her and her chunky legs. She gets them from me!

4. My mom is the perfect companion for me in the car. I drive and she deals with the kiddos! Perfect match!

5. Last but certainly not least, I get to spend so much time with my big brother. Not only is Scott a GREAT dad and uncle, I LOVE spending time with him. After this trip in particular, I have also decided that NO ONE can make me belly laugh like my brother. Scott is the best!!!

Jesus is Alive!

2011-04-26T15:09:00.004-04:00

Thank the Lord for a perfect Easter weekend! The weather decided to cooperate, so we were able to play outside and work in the yard. My parents came to our house, so dad and I did a lot of planting in the front of the house. I am so thankful for my dad! I love the fact that we both enjoy working in the yard, especially together. He is so knowledgeable about plants and flowers, and I am eager to learn, so we make a good team!

Our Easter service at church was incredible! I love worshipping at a place where God is at work and lives are being changed. I am a little biased, but the music was amazing! When you ask the boys what Easter means, they say it perfectly, "Jesus is alive!"

The boys looked super handsome for church on Easter morning, if I do say so myself!

Its crazy how much they change in a year. Here are the boys Easter 2010.

We had a decent photo session for once. I loved their little shirts. You may not be able to see it in the pictures, but Nikki monogrammed their initials on the pockets of their shirts. Love it!

We have been to a lot of Easter egg hunts this year, so the boys were pros by this point. Noah was the runner...

...while Gavin would find the eggs and have an immediate snack!

I think the Easter baskets may magically disappear tonight! No more jellybeans!

We Were Headed to the Braves Game

2011-04-19T22:26:00.006-04:00

Being with family, eating at Skips and going to the Braves game is a recipe for my perfect birthday. And just like last year, we planned this outing to celebrate me turning 29 (my new forever age!). Thankfully, my family was with me and the Skip's chicken cheese wrap was my dinner of choice, but unfortunately, mother nature did not cooperate. We headed to the stadium, and we waited around for about an hour until they called the game due to crazy rain. The boys had been talking about watching the Braves nonstop, so at least we were able to walk around the stadium and eat cotton candy and peanuts!

The boys were ready for the game!

I love my hubby!

My parents rock too!

It was a great birthday!!!!

Gavin's 2nd Birthday

2011-04-19T22:13:00.004-04:00

I finally got the pictures off of my parents' camera from Gavin's birthday party! It was such a beautiful day, I enjoyed going back through all of the memories from it!

My sweet baby is 2! This picture makes me miss his hair!

The theme for the party was sports. I spent a little too much time on the cakes, but in the end, they turned out great!

Gavin waiting patiently to open presents.

He did enjoy the attention from everyone singing to him.

On Gavin's actual birthday, David took the day off of work and we headed to the zoo. We had the place to ourselves, so it was another great day!

The traditional birthday pancakes...

Mimi and Grammy were able to make the trip with us!

Happy Birthday Gavin (a month later!) We love you!

Beautiful Weekend

2011-04-10T15:08:00.005-04:00

Hasn't the weather been perfect this weekend? We have had such a relaxing, enjoyable weekend...I don't want it to come to an end! Mimi and Paka came up for a visit, so we spent time outside, did a little shopping, and ate great food! My kind of fun.

We have some beautiful parks around the Upstate, so we headed to Chau Ram Park in Westminster. It is so neat that this beauty is so close to home!

We had a lovely picnic lunch...and then Gavin threw Noah's crocs into the river (pictured above)! After the men stood there for a minute thinking there was no hope in sight, both Paka and David raced down along the sides of the river. Once the adrenaline kicked in, Paka came up with a plan! They had to get in front of the "victim" to be able to save them from being lost forever. As Mimi, the boys, some bystanders and I waited for what seemed like an eternity, we heard the faint call, "We got them!" The day was saved!

After the dramatic shoe event passed, we were able to relax and enjoy being outside. I love my family!!

*The boys did great with their haircuts! Gavin's is obviously much shorter. Most of the pieces measured 3-4 inches! Noah's wasn't cut as short as I had planned, but it looks nice and shaped up just in time for Easter!

Today is the Day...

2011-04-08T07:52:00.003-04:00

...For the boys to get a major haircut! Both of the boys hair is long(er) for 2 reasons. First, they both have great hair! Noah's is thick, full of body and does this great "swoop" thing. Gavin's is perfectly straight and super silky. The second reason is that I am cheap!!! Between David and the boys, we spend at least $30 every 4-5 weeks for haircuts. So, I have been cutting the little boys' hair for awhile now (Gavin has never been to have his first "official" haircut!) .

But a las, all good things shall come to an end or at least a trim! Sweet Gavin's hair is driving him nuts, and Noah's is just a bit uneven. David was fiddling with our camera the other night, so we have some great before pictures.

The "Circus"

2011-03-30T15:19:00.004-04:00

We headed to the "circus" in Anderson with some of our good friends last weekend. I knew it would be nothing like the Ringling Brothers, but let's just say thank goodness for great company! Noah kept calling it a talent show, and I decided that was a good description!

Gavin did get to ride a pony!

David's uncle was in town, so it was nice to have him there too. Notice Noah's nice small Spiderman souvenir (yes, we are already into Spiderman!).

The main reason for this post was to show you what David and his uncle thought would be fun to secretively bring home from the "circus"!

That's right! This is a GIANT Spiderman! It is too big to sit in my glider. This is a perfect item for our small house! I will rent him out for $10 a hour!

Baseball Season, Here We Come!

2011-03-30T15:10:00.004-04:00

All I have to say is that the Atlanta Braves make me one happy girl. I am glad to be passing along the passion to Noah and Gavin. When they woke up this morning, they both dressed themselves in this...

GO BRAVES!

Gavin is Two!!!

2011-03-17T13:57:00.003-04:00

My little Gavin turned 2 on Monday, March 14th! As I find myself saying a lot, where does the time go? I feel like he's been around forever, yet shouldn't be a toddler yet. We had a wonderful time at his party celebrating with family and friends. The weather was P-E-R-F-E-C-T! On Monday, David was able to take the day off from work, and we headed to the Greenville Zoo. Again, we couldn't have asked for a better day!

I have come to the realization that, as a mom, I LOVE birthdays! It is the perfect opportunity to celebrate God's gift of life. I am overwhelmed that He entrusted Noah and Gavin to David and I to raise in His righteousness. On Gavin's 2nd birthday, I am reminded of my commitment to the Lord and to my children to raise them in Truth. Lord, thank you for Gav-Man (as he calls himself!)

*Our camera, that was supposed to have been charged up for the party, unfortunately died after the first picture was taken. I will get the pictures off of my parents' camera ASAP. Until then, enjoy these...

Two days old

One year old

Two years old

What have we been up to?

2011-03-01T15:59:00.007-05:00

For those of you that update your blog more than once a week, I commend you. I love to blog, but have come to the conclusion that if I put up a new post a couple times a month, I am doing good!

My boys keep my active, so here's what we've been up to...

1. We are playing outside as much as we can.

2. They love putting on costumes...this is their version of Zurg's costume. I am too cheap to buy the real thing and I'm encouraging their imagination!

3. These two drum on anything that can handle it. My fake tree is their victim here!

4. I have finally put some things up on our walls. My dad and David worked very hard one weekend to create my collage wall. It isn't perfect yet, but we have a start!

5. My boys took my on a sweet date for Valentine's Day!

6. I made a fancy dinner of beef dip sandwiches and tater tots for my honey on Valentines!

7. We are getting ready for Gavin's 2nd birthday.

8. And of course, we have been spending time with family.

Thank you Lord for such a full and busy life. I am so blessed!!!

I am way behind

2011-01-28T17:27:00.004-05:00

After posting the last picture of the boys sleeping, I realized I haven't posted about Christmas. I will try to capture our wonderful holiday with a few pictures!

Our first Christmas in the new house was perfect!

The boys and their stockings on Christmas morning.

When it was all said and done, the boys were ready to watch their favorite present of all...Toy Story 3. Gavin literally wore his helmet ALL afternoon! Merry "Belated" Christmas!

Another Great Visit

2011-01-28T17:17:00.007-05:00

I love my family, immediate and extended, so I tend to post about them a lot! Scott, Abatha, Nate and Lila made the trek to my parent's house last weekend for a visit. We had a wonderful time!!! As always, the boys played perfectly together. And of course, Baby Lila was an angel. I mean, I love that little girl and her chunky thighs!

David was so excited about meeting baby Lila in person this weekend!

Our "group shot"

We headed to Monkey Joes on Monday! We had the place to ourselves.

Paka even got in the slide action!

I told myself to take pictures of the adults during our visit, but it just never seems to happen. We all had a wonderful time and always look forward to our next visit together!

I Love My Life

2011-01-28T17:09:00.004-05:00

This afternoon I was able to have a little time to myself to run some errands and do some shopping. It was great! This is what I came home to...

...which is even better!

In the News...

2011-01-18T16:11:00.004-05:00

Hello all! We had a blast in the snow, but I am glad it has finally melted. I almost lost my footing a least a dozen times walking around in parking lots. The last thing I wanted was to re-injure the foot! We have come so far!

We have a sweet friend, Rachael Wadsworth, that works at the Seneca newspaper. She grabbed some pictures from our sledding adventures at the Zelmers, and they made it in the paper. Gavin is definitely going to love this article when he is older! This will be a keeper!

My Mess

2010-12-23T15:57:00.003-05:00

God completely surprised us with Gavin, but boy am I glad He did. Gavin is 21 months old now and is becoming his own little person. To say this child is busy, is an understatement. He will sit down and watch a Mickey Mouse every so often and he does enjoy a good book, but unless he is sleeping or eating, he is getting into something. I have found him a handful of times in the bathroom sink with the water running, on top of the kitchen counter "drawing", and most recently opening Christmas presents that have just been wrapped. Of course the mess he creates can be a bit unnerving and annoying, but I love his fearless, free spirit.

We are working on the smile.

I had to get a picture before discipline time came!

He enjoyed my nieces' presents a bit more than his own!

I love you Gavin! Your smile is infectious and I love that you still like to cuddle!

Christmas is Coming...

2010-12-14T14:07:00.005-05:00

...And I am worn out...already! Lord knows this is not the first time I have shared with you all about my busy schedule, but man, I feel like we have been living in our car. I love traveling, spending time with family and friends, shopping, eating out, etc. You know, the things that keep you in constant motion, but I definitely feel God tugging at my heart to tell me I need to slow down. I know most of you can relate to the busyness, especially this time of year. I don't necessarily think the "going" is the issue. My body is (somewhat) capable of carrying out my day-to-day tasks. My main concern is that I haven't been as consistent about being still before Him and continuing to lean into Jesus. As I look into the New Year, I know that God wants me to have a season of rest-time to rejuvenate my relationship with Him. Of course, I am sure my schedule will not lend us to stay at home much, but I have to decide to be persistent about my pursuit of Him. I am so thankful that God is consistent to stick around while I wander off.

We had a lot of fun decorating our home this year for Christmas. As the boys grow older, it is nice to see them want to get more involved!

Gavin is growing up so quickly! At least he still likes for me to rock him like a baby!

The day after Thanksgiving we headed to St. Louis to meet my precious baby niece, Lila and to spend time with the rest of the family. There were a couple of hiccups during the trip (my cast about ruined me and Gavin had a little tummy bug), but the trip was well worth it! Lila definitely delivered on the sweet, cuddly, perfect newborn factor, the boys and Nate did tons of fun stuff together, and the adults were able to enjoy the best hot wings in the world. I am bummed I won't be able to see Scott and his family over the Christmas holiday, but look forward to our next visit. Who knew I would cry while writing a blog post???

They are a mess and make a mess while together!

I love this baby girl so much! Don't you think she looks like her aunt?

I am just not the aunt she looks like :-)

Noah had his Christmas program at CBS last week. I was so proud of him standing up there and doing what he had rehearsed. It made me feel a bit accomplished as a mom.

I am sure the mom of this king was very proud of her son, but I wish he hadn't stood right there the whole time! I mean, how I am supposed to get a good shot! :-)

My handsome boy!

Halloween and such

2010-11-11T17:02:00.005-05:00

Hello all! Though I have been sitting on the couch for the last few weeks with a big cast on my foot, I have yet to do all of my blog updating as planned. The boys are at David's parents house for the night, so I have thought I better post some Halloween pics before the next holiday is upon us!

Noah had fun "carving" his pumpkin.

Halloween was just a few days after my surgery, so church wasn't an option that morning. So, the boys dressed up in their costumes and watched Toy Story!

Like many families, we too are infected with the Toy Story bug. Noah wanted to be Buzz so bad, so his Grammy got him the extra nice Buzz costume that has light up wings. I had other (free) costumes for Gavin, but thought it only appropriate that he was Woody!

Our trick-or-treating crew

Noah did such a great job leading the little ones around the neighborhood. He walked so much that the poor thing got leg cramps that night!

I know this isn't a face shot of Gavin, but I had to capture Gavin's determination at keeping that silly hat on. He walked around with his hand on his head most of the night.

And last and definitely least, here is a picture of my cast and my LIFE-SAVING knee scooter. I have crutches for short distances, but this invention has saved me over the past three weeks. I can wheel around the house and do about anything. You should see people look at me at the store!!! Who knew a scooter could be so intriguing!

A Tour of our New Home

2010-10-19T16:06:00.008-04:00

David and I closed on the purchase of our second home on August 30th. The process was delightfully painless, but the moving experience was a whole different story. Though the friends and family that helped out were excellent, the move was sandwiched between two major trips not to mention we moved from a 4,000 square foot rental to about 1750 square feet in our new home. Believe me, I am NOT complaining about the size of our new home. It really is perfect for us. We just got used to the space-especially the closet space-of the rental. After we returned from our second trip, I felt like the boxes would be with us forever. Fortunately, we have settled in nicely, and the boxes that have been unopened have made their way to the basement, so I don't have to look at them!

I really LOVE our new home. After the initial stress of the move/unpacking, I have a peace and thankfulness about the home that the Lord provided for us. He really did orchestrate the whole plan perfectly as He always does. This home was meant to be our first home in Seneca.

Here it is:

Our home was built in 1964. A Furman professor and his family lived here until 2 years ago. The house was abandoned until our friends from church purchased it, gutted it, renovated it and sold it to us! Please note that since my last home, I have changed my decorating taste a bit. I don't plan on keeping the walls bare forever, but I didn't want to wait until I finished decorating to post the pics!

When you walk in the front door, you enter the living room. I am proud of the Karastan rug on the floor that retails for at least $2,000. My mother-in-law purchased it for us as a house warming gift for $65 at a yard sale!

You head out of the living room into the kitchen. Everything in the kitchen is new! They did a nice job with it.

We do not have a dining room, but are thankful for our large eat in kitchen.

The original owner added this den on to the back of the house. I LOVE it! We have no plans for this room. Right now, we use it for what we need it for...toys!

All of the bedrooms/bathrooms are down one hallway. We haven't painted yet, but I am thankful that the neutral colors work for now.

The guest bathroom

The guest bedroom

The boys room. There are no decorations because we will be removing the crib and double bed soon for a trundle bed. I figured I would wait to decorate until after I did some rearranging.

Though I haven't decorated our room yet, I am super proud of my new bedspread. I wanted simple and clean.

Here is the backyard. Though we are far from finishing this project, it has come a long way. There was NO grass three weeks ago. David has been tending to his "baby" diligently. I look forward to using this part of our home.

The basement is a basement right now, so no pics needed!

There it is! We pray that when people come into our home they feel loved and welcomed. Thank you Lord for your provision.

Hello Blog World! Have You Forgotten Me?

2010-10-05T16:46:00.004-04:00

So, I know in past posts I have commented on my lack of posting due to busyness. Well people, I haven't known busy until the last couple months of my life. So, I thought I would catch you up with our family's goings on in a collection of declarative/exclamatory sentences.

1. We have had magnificent vacations in the month of August and September, but we are SO glad to be home.

2. The last vacation was to the beach to celebrate my mom's birthday, and thanks to mom, Aunt Jane and Abatha, it was so relaxing.

3. On August 30th, David and I purchased a home in Seneca, SC! It is amazing how good it feels to feel completely settled in our present season.

4. My foot has been broken for about 3 and 1/2 months now, so on October 27th, I will have surgery on my foot. This surgery will hopefully fix the bunion (which caused the break).

5. I may be in a cast for 6 weeks. That means all baths and no driving!

6. My arthritis seems to be "spreading" to my right hand, so after the surgery, I will be starting a drug to help keep my symptoms at bay.

7. Church is awesome! I will be starting up the Mom 'n Tots group in the next month or so. I am excited about the possibilities of this ministry, but also a bit anxious about how to help it become successful.

8. Gavin is a mess. He loves to sing "Baby" by Justin Beiber. He is addicted to juice and could play the guitar all day.

9. The boys share a room in our new house. Every one out of two nights is a disaster. I hope to increase our success rate soon.

10. Noah can write his own name and loves to color. He definitely enjoys playing outside and going to his class at Community Bible Study. He doesn't like to take naps. I have a battle everyday.

Hopefully I will add some pictures again some day...when I find my camera.

On the road again to St. Louis

2010-08-24T16:32:00.006-04:00

Three days after we returned from Alaska the boys, mom and I packed up the car and headed to St. Louis. As always, we had a great trip. The boys get along so well and Scott and Abatha are the BEST hosts!

We spent time at the park,

played with Buzz Lightyear,

cooled off in the fountains,

went through about 50 sparklers, (Yes, that is my son holding something on fire! We thought the day would never come!)

and played dress-up!

WE LOVE FAMILY!

Alaska Part Two

2010-08-24T15:55:00.011-04:00

Juneau was our second stop on the trip. We spent our time exploring beautiful Glacier Gardens and the Mendenhall Glacier. Glacier Gardens is located inside a national rainforest.

The flowers that they grow in this place are amazing. Everything was so green and lush. These are actually trees flipped upside down and flowers planted in the roots.

I wonder how much these hanging baskets would cost at Lowe's?

I can see why many people get married here!

We then headed to the Mendenhall Glacier. This was my favorite stop of the entire trip. It was hard to comprehend that this "piece" of ice was formed back in the Ice Ages.

The turquoise color was magnificent!

Our next stop was Skagway. We were all pretty much exhausted, so we spent our time in Skagway enjoying the town and the fresh air.

David seemed to enjoy this picture taking point of view on our trip.

It was a quaint little town with breathtaking scenery.

And of course, we ate!

We spent the next two days at sea. It was so nice to rest, read and...eat! The boat provided great entertainment and lots of things to do. I was so relaxed I have very few photos documenting these days. Here are a couple of me and the hubby all dressed up.

I loved our pizza makers!

We ended our port stops in Victoria, British Columbia. It was a short visit (4 hours), so we toured what we could. It is another beautiful place! Here is Parliament.

It cost a mere $360 a night to stay at the Empress Hotel.

Because of the rain they get, their flowers are BEAUTIFUL. David kept making us sit down in the flowers for pictures.

Victoria at night

On our last night, David went out with a bang and won the Princess Pop Star Idol!

What a great trip! I will be forever thankful to Gary and Rhonda for this opportunity. It so amazing to see God's beauty and majesty outside your everyday surroundings. He is so great and so mighty!

How lovely is your dwelling place, oh Lord Almighty!

Alaska Part One

2010-08-24T14:53:00.007-04:00

Our trip to Alaska was absolutely amazing. It was so majestic and pure. I am going to attempt to trim down the trip to a few pictures. I will post as many as possible on FB in the next couple of weeks. Here it goes...

We began our journey in Seattle. What a great place!

On Sunday, we boarded our ship,

and the eating began!

We spent our first day at sea exploring the ship and...eating!

Our first formal night. Isn't my hubby handsome?!

Ketchikan was our first stop.

We saw totem poles, eagles and lots of salmon. This city also provided the best clam chowder I have ever had! Am I still talking about the food?

The next morning our boat did some scenic cruising through Tracy Arm. Here we saw beautiful mountains and a huge glacier. It was almost hard to believe you were looking at something real. This glacier was absolutely amazing! If you look in the middle of the picture, you can actually see a part of the glacier making its way into the water.

*Okay, that is only half of the trip, and I am running out of time, so I will post on the 2nd half by the end of the week! Hope you've enjoyed!

Alaska Post Coming Soon

2010-08-17T16:09:00.002-04:00

David and I returned from our wonderful Alaskan cruise on Sunday. We had a magnificent time and took thousands (literally) of pictures. The boys, mom and I are headed to St. Louis on Wednesday, so my turn-around time for uploading pictures is a bit too short. Be on the look out next week...

Disney World Blog...Finally!

2010-07-27T15:24:00.003-04:00

Our family spent a day at the Magic Kingdom back in June. I am just now getting around to posting pictures on my blog and on Facebook. I have no excuse for being so late...life gets in the way!

We had an incredible time at Disney. It was extremely hot in the am, but cooled off a bit in the afternoon. The kids did incredible. Thankfully, Gavin took a power nap in the middle of the day, so we were able to stay until the parade at night. It was such a treat to go with Noah. He was in awe of everything. We watch the recording of him meeting Minnie and Mickey every day. Here are a few of my favorite shots.

Gavin had acquired a black eye by this point of our trip.

Weren't their shirts great!! Thanks Nikki!

Noah and I riding Dumbo. Noah was a trooper with all of the rides.

A family shot about to ride Its A Small World.

The grand finale...Noah meeting Mickey Mouse!

Noah's 3rd Birthday

2010-07-05T14:58:00.006-04:00

My baby boy is 3!!!! We had a wonderful time celebrating his big day! Our original plan was to have two little parties. One for some of his friends at our house in Seneca and another for family while we were on vacation. After our air conditioning went out at the house (at one point I was making cupcakes while it was 90 degrees inside), the Jarvis's allowed us to have it at their neighborhood pool. It worked out perfectly!!!

Noah and the traditional b-day breakfast!

The cupcake tower! He had a Curious George theme.

Singing Happy Birthday!

We had another great party while we were on vacation! We were in Orlando, so the obvious was our theme!

There's no hope with his smile these days!

A guitar just like his daddy's! I am hoping this helps us take a little break from the drums.

I am so thankful for my little man. He has taught me so much about love, about Jesus and about myself over the past three years. Most of all, Noah has taught me about being patient! I have heard many people say to never pray for patience because God will definitely put in you circumstances where you will have to exercise it. Well, I for one am glad that Noah is teaching me to embody this fruit of the spirit and in turn, helping me to look more like Jesus. I love you little buddy!!!!

Braves Birthday Post...Finally!

2010-06-12T17:25:00.003-04:00

For my birthday (back in April), I had two requests. I wanted to go to the Braves game and eat at Skips restaurant in Avondale. Luckily, I have a great hubby and two awesome parents, so both of my wishes came true. It was a perfect night for baseball, the boys were angels and we won! A great way to celebrate 28!

Our family shot attempts!

The boys in front of the new Greg Maddux number.

I am so glad these two met and made this all possible!!!!!

Noah and his Mimi

*Hopefully it won't take me this long to blog about Noah's birthday coming up this week. He is going to be 3. Are you kidding me...a 3 year old!!!

Family Visits Part 2

2010-06-08T15:04:00.005-04:00

I feel like every blog I have written lately has been about family visits, but thankfully we love our family, and I can only imagine with what our upcoming months look like, more family blogs are to come.

I can honestly say, we always have fun with the Odom clan! Gavin absolutely loved the pool. His feet crack me up! He is seriously always crossing them at the ankles.

It took Noah a few minutes to want to get in the pool, but I think we will have a fish by the end of the summer.

Lauren loved helping out with Gavin. Ankles crossed again!

The fam

Noah and sweet Reagan. For some reason, Noah became obsessed with this green mask while we were down there. Who knows why?!!?

Family Visits

2010-06-02T16:44:00.004-04:00

Hello all! Like I said in my previous blog, we have been busy hanging out with family the last couple of months. God has definitely blessed us with a super family, so there's pretty much no other way to better spend our time.

The Boyle Clan
Scott, Ab and Nate came down for a long weekend at the beginning of May. Since we hadn't seen Nate since December, Noah was so excited for their visit. Those two played together perfectly. Gavin fit right in with the Legos and baseball playing too.

Gavin had a hard time standing up with helmet on. It was more for our entertainment.

So sweet!

Mimi and Paka and their boys on the way to the Gwinnett Braves game.

The kids (I use this term lightly) loved sledding down the hill at my parents house on cardboard. Its so nice to find cheap entertainment.

Like I said, the kids loved it...

Nate has never been to keen on holding Gavin all by himself. This trip, Nate was definitely even more "into" Gavin, walking around giving him kisses and even holding him. Maybe that's because...

...my sweet brother and sister-in-law are having another little one! Yeah!

Finally!

2010-05-26T15:32:00.005-04:00

I bet you were thinking that after my last blog entry, I would be updating this thing at least on a weekly basis...I guess we were both mistaken! I just can't seem to get it together with the blog. With that in mind, I thought I would overload you with pictures from the last two months! I know I'm always up for a good picture. I hope you enjoy!

A. Best Buds

I absolutely love having two boys! Of course, if the Lord blesses us with another child (one day very, very far from now) and it is a girl, I will be ecstatic, but I tell you, if I had a house full of boys, I would be PERFECTLY content. Noah and Gavin have become inseparable. Noah loves to hold Gavin's hand, teach him how to do say a new word, play in his crib-you name it, Noah does with Gavin. My little one thinks that he, too, is about to turn 3, so Gavin attempts to do whatever Noah is doing. The child is fearless (which I haven't decided if that is good or bad-I guess its both)! I mean, Gavin actually likes being dunked under water. I tried to capture a few of their most recent moments together.

B. CBS program

The boys and I were a part of Community Bible Study this year. It was awesome! The bible study was a bit intense (we studied the divided kingdom and the minor prophets), but I really enjoyed it. The children's program is also grounded in biblical teaching, and Noah loved it. I mean, my little guy has a half dozen verses memorized. Yeah for Noah! The kids did a little end of the year program for the ladies. It was precious-I was so proud!

Noah's face is priceless here. This is when he found me in the audience. I think he was a bit confused!

Noah playing the sticks. This kid is going to be a drummer, ladies and gentlemen. I mean, he is good!

C. Mother's Day

I love being a mom to this sweet boy...

and this little guy...

David planned a nice picnic and boat ride for my mom, the boys and I on Mother's Day. It was a bit chilly, but we had a great time. Thanks for making it special David!

*We have been able to spend a lot of time with family over the past month. I will save those pictures for my next post because there are too many that I have to include! Until then, thanks for visiting our blog!

I have figured it out...

2010-05-09T16:59:00.004-04:00

I obviously have a hard time keeping up with my blog these days. I have started three different blogs since my last entry, but have yet to publish a single one. I think I have figured out what my problem is!

First, I am OCD about blogging in chronological order. For instance, my birthday blog is next in line. Unfortunately, I have yet to get the pictures off of my dad's camera. In my brain, I can't blog about something else until the birthday blog is published. Silly, I know, but that's the way my mind thinks.

The other blogging problem I have discovered is that I feel it a necessity to have pictures with every entry. I have set up my blog as a diary of the things my family and I do together. Not that this is a bad focus, but I have somewhat boxed myself in to a certain format that I can't seem to break from. In my mind, I want for my blog to be a place where I can share about anything I am thinking as well as what is going on with us.

So, for those of you out there that still actually check this thing, I hope to change it up a bit. The next few entries will definitely include updates and pictures of our goings on around here, but hopefully I will "let loose" a little from my rules and get to updating this thing more often!

A Great Start to Spring

2010-04-06T16:07:00.010-04:00

*Sorry to those of you who have seen these on Facebook already. I had planned on posting at the same time, but it didn't turn out that way. Just enjoy the pictures a second time around!

I really do love the Spring! Now that both the boys are mobile, I absolutely appreciate the ability to take them outside to play, have picnics, water our (little) garden, etc.

Over the past month, we have been going non-stop, but thanks to this beautiful weather, we have enjoyed every second of it. My dad, his brother, sister and cousin ran the Atlanta marathon a few weekends back. Scott came down as a huge surprise for dad... it was great! We had so much fun hanging out with our family.

The boys were troopers waiting for the runners to arrive.

And here they are finishing the final stretch.

We headed to the Greenville Zoo for our last trip with our annual pass. This zoo is just the right size for our little guys and has an awesome playground right next to it. It was a fun family day.

Gavin sporting his scar from his run in with the stairs.

I was then able to celebrate Kristy, Katie and Kelly's birthday with a weekend getaway to the mountains and the spa. We had a blast. It was just what the doctor ordered.

We had a blessed Easter celebrating our Savior. Church was awesome. The service was God-ordained, and over 200 people gave their lives to Christ! Noah would walk around saying, "Jesus is alive!"

Noah enjoyed hunting Easter eggs a bit more than Gavin...

He enjoyed playing in the water.

So sweet!

Always have to take advantage of a family picture opportunity.

Gavin's First Birthday

2010-03-15T15:24:00.007-04:00

My baby boy is 1 year old! Part of me feels like he was born yesterday and another part of me feels as if he is has been with us all along. We have had a truly blessed, God-ordained weekend celebrating Gavin's first year of life. I know that may sound silly seeing that it is a birthday party for a one year old...who doesn't even know what is going on. But for David and I, this particular celebration was different in the fact that it was the first time we had our friends from back home and here in Seneca join us for a milestone in our family's life. We had people gather from all over to honor our little man. What a blessing it was! Thank you to everyone who came. It was truly a pleasure having you here with us.

We took so many pictures of the weekend festivities, so there is no way for me to document them in the blog. I do have a few to share at the end, but I uploaded a ton more on Facebook. Instead of overloading the blog with (too many) pictures, I thought I would share a little about the man of the hour.

Gavin has totally changed my life! As many of you know, our family was quite shocked to find out that Gavin would be joining our family. I was so overwhelmed about having a second child that I had a hard time accepting this truth. How would it be possible to love another little boy as much as I love Noah? How was I going to handle two children now that I was living in a new place without my parents close by? Is this really your plan God? Really???? God is SO faithful and sovereign. God completely prepared David and I for this journey over the past year. Gavin fits perfect into the Odom clan. God knew exactly who we needed in our lives. Gavin is super laid-back, very adventurous, tender-hearted, and so easy to love. His smile definitely lights up a room. He is precious, and he is mine! Thank you Jesus!!!!!

Oh how my babies have changed in one year!

I had to share a picture of the cake!

He loved his cake!

Here we are opening presents. Noah liked this part!

The traditional birthday pancakes

He really is such a happy baby! What a sweet smile! Happy Birthday my baby!

Two Blogs in One

2010-02-24T15:25:00.006-05:00

I am proud to say that David and I have done a good job at taking pictures lately, so I have a lot to share! Read all the way to the end. The last section is my favorite!

A Day at the Odom House
The boys and I have a pretty regular routine throughout the week. We usually stay at home on Mondays, head to the grocery store on Tuesdays, attend Story Time at the Library on Wednesdays, CBS on Thursdays, and then spend Friday doing things with David. Lately, Noah has added some new "routines" during the day. Now when we sit down for any meal, he asks me, "What did you do at school today?" or "How was work today"... every meal, throughout the entire meal!!! He is also into dressing himself. He will change clothes a few times a day. He particularly likes pajamas!

Noah is also into playing games. We are on a basketball kick right now. Notice, the outfit that he picked out. These pajamas are his favorite.

Below is an example of how we play dress-up at our house... animal towels!

Snow Pics
Noah and David had a blast with the big snow a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully, our neighbors let us borrow their sled for a bit.

My Valentine's Day Surprise
Thanks to my dad, I love the Atlanta Braves. I mean LOVE them! We even had to budget in the more expensive cable package to ensure I could watch the games here in South Carolina. I have had many favorite players throughout the years, Dale Murphy, Dave Justice, and of course Chipper Jones, but these days, I am huge Brian McCann fan! He just seems to be an all-around good guy and he is an awesome player. So, he was in Greenville signing autographs one Thursday. I wanted to go, but with the two kids napping and David working, I knew it wasn't going to happen. Well, my honey surprised me and took a half-day, so I could go meet my baseball crush!
We waited in line about an hour. The boys did awesome!

We were near the end of the line, so they asked us not to stop and ask for pictures. I had someone snag one anyway!

As expected, Brian was a super nice guy (decided from my 30 second conversation!). He scored major points when he took an interest in Noah and gave him a high five. I haven't washed Noah's hand since...

I give all the props to my hubby! Besides taking off work, he allowed me to be giddy for an entire afternoon over another man. What a Valentine's Day present!!!!

The Winter Months

2010-02-05T14:52:00.003-05:00

Besides the yucky weather we have experienced over the past month, we have been having a blast at the Odom homestead. It has been nice to get back into our "routine" after the holidays. The boys are into everything, I feel like all I ever do is laundry, and David is super busy (in a good way) at church. Life is pretty normal... praise God!

The boys and I headed down to Gwinnett for a few days to spend time with friends and my mom while my dad was away on business. Thankfully, we were able to catch up with a lot of people, and I vowed to take pictures specifically for the blog. Well, out of the 5 different times we were visiting with friends, I took one picture. Oh well, better luck next time. Thanks to everyone for working us into your schedule.
Noah had a blast playing at Rylan's house. Thanks for the delicious meal Erin... once we finally got to sit down and eat it!

I had debated on actually "admitting" this next milestone in our family. I don't want to say it out loud in case it backfires. Here is goes anyway! Noah is potty trained! He has been doing awesome ever since the beginning of January. We haven't started working on naptime and bedtime yet, but for a 2 1/2 year old, I think we have come a long way! Yippee!

*On a side note, due to all this potty training, we talk about the man part way too much for my liking. Hopefully the novelty will wear off soon!
Gavin is definitely walking a lot more these days. He is still crawling a lot too, but is becoming more confident in choosing walking as his mode of transportation.

I just thought this was a super sweet shot of the boys. The church has started posting parts of our service on VIMEO online. The boys were fixed on the TV as they watched David lead worship. What a cool thing!!!

The Long Overdue Christmas Blog

2010-01-17T20:53:00.005-05:00

We had an awesome Christmas. Thankfully, we were able to spend a lot of time together as a family. FCC had an amazing, Christ-centered Christmas Eve service that my parents, David's parents, his Mamaw, and aunt and uncle were able to attend. We spent Christmas morning/afternoon at our house with my parents. Then, we headed to Greenwood were we celebrated with David's side of the fam. After a few days there, we headed back to Seneca and hosted a fun New Year's Eve celebration at our house with a bunch of friends. God truly blessed us with a great Christmas season. 2009 was great, but we are pumped about what God has in store for our family this year!!!!

Gavin was definitely more into the wrapping paper and bows than the presents. That is what we expected though!

Noah was so sweet opening gifts. He really seemed appreciative and content after receiving each gift. We will see how long that will last...

Our family photo AFTER the Christmas Eve service.

Aren't they precious? David and I make some handsome (I wanted to say pretty) little boys, if I do say so myself!

Mimi, Paka and the boys!

Noah and his sweet cousin Reagan. They had a blast playing together.

Grammy and the boys. I didn't do a very good job taking pictures at Grammy and Poppy's this year!!! I don't even think I got one picture of Poppy.

Noah using his new shaving kit!

When David and I got married 4 1/2 years ago, I registered for a Kitchen Aid mixer, knowing this gift was more of a dream than a reality. Well, as usual, the parents pulled off the best gift of the year...

And, ladies and gentlemen, my little man is 10 months old! I don't know why, but this "birthday" has been hard for me to accept. I can't believe he will be a year old here shortly. Where does the time go?!?

*Just as a side note, David got me a new computer, and this is the first blog from that. I feel like the pictures are a little bit too big, so bear with me as a figure this out!!!

Winter 2009 (Part 4 of 4)

2009-12-22T19:42:00.003-05:00

There are 4 new blog posts below. These are pictures to go with the events I talked about in my last blog. Sorry I overloaded you all, but I figured I should get them all up before Christmas pictures come along. I hope you enjoy all the pictures!

My sweet baby is 9 months old! I can 't believe it.

He is crawling everywhere and is standing up "hands free" a lot. We will see if walking comes soon. I am okay with just crawling though!

Noah is officially 2 and a half! He is going to kill me for this picture someday!

The boys and Santa. It actually turned out better than expected.

*Check out the three other posts below!

Winter 2009 (Part 3 of 4)

2009-12-22T19:34:00.004-05:00

NATE'S BIRTHDAY and CHRISTMAS

Noah loved the slide...

and he couldn't get enough of the rock wall! What a big boy!

Nate having fun.

Gavin even got in on the action.

The boys opening presents

Nate loved his watch! Success!

Winter 2009 (Part 2 of 4)

2009-12-22T19:29:00.003-05:00

LANKFORD CHRISTMAS

The boys in their Christmas pjs in front of Rhonda and Gary's tree.

The great-grans

The whole group...and we are all looking!

Grammy and Poppy with their 5 grandkids

Winter 2009 (Part 1 of 4)

2009-12-22T19:22:00.003-05:00

BOYLE/ODOM THANKSGIVING

Gavin's first Thanksgiving!

Mimi and Paka with the boys! What a great pic!

The whole group

Noah and Paka at the waterfall. It was beautiful!

I'm Getting There

2009-12-17T14:37:00.005-05:00

For those of you who still check our blog, which may be few and far between these days because I am doing such a poor job updating it, I will be posting some fun pics soon. We, like everyone else, have been super busy so far this holiday season. Our travels have been blessed and special to say the least...but I am one tired momma! Thankfully, the couple of weeks leading up to Christmas will be at home! Now I will keep busy here!

We headed to Smithville, TN for our Thanksgiving celebration with mom, dad, Scott, Ab and Nate. Abatha found us a beautiful cabin tucked away in the mountains (yet close enough for me to make 4 trips to Wal-Mart in 3 days!). We enjoyed playing games, eating tons and taking a beautiful hike. The three girls even headed to Wal-Mart the morning after Thanksgiving. We got a few deals...maybe I will venture out earlier next year for the good stuff!

The first weekend in December we headed to Greenwood for the Lankford Christmas. Most of David's mom's side of the family were able to make the trip. I am especially thankful for this bunch because they remind me so much of my New York extended family...loud and fun!

I spent the next week in Gwinnet catching up with some fun friends and doing some Christmas shopping. I definitely feel like Seneca is my home, but I am definitely not used to the lack of shopping that encompasses this place. I need a Target bad!

Then, all of the troops (mom, dad, David, Noah, Gavin and myself) piled in the Navigator and drove to St. Louis to celebrate Nate's birthday and celebrate our Christmas. The kids did great on both legs of the trip...I on the other didn't win the award for best attitude. The Lord is really convicting me of how I act when I am irritable!

Now we are home sweet home and spending time with friends here and gearing up for the big day! I love my life!

I will post some pics to go along with these reviting events as soon as I get them downloaded off the camera. Stay tuned!

2009-11-30T19:45:00.000-05:00

Nov 22 Worship, 11:15 service from Foothills Community Church on Vimeo.

Let the Traveling Begin

2009-11-23T21:43:00.003-05:00

We are just like everyone else this time of year...extremely busy! Every weekend is full of fun time with family. This past weekend we headed down to Warner Robins to spend time with David's brother and his family. The kids had a blast playing together...a birthday party, riding dirt bikes, playing outside...they had fun, and so did the big kids!

David and Gary Lee had a blast riding around on the dirt bikes. They fit right in with the kiddos!

We always attempt to get a group photo. It didn't turn out too awesome, but a least we captured the moment.

Noah and Reagan were like two peas in a pod.

Me and my boys! Aren't they getting so big?!?

We are headed to a cabin outside of Nashville to meet Scott, Ab and Nate for Thanksgiving. We hope you all have a wonderful and happy Thanksgiving. We have so much to be thankful for!!!

Halloween Fun

2009-11-02T22:27:00.004-05:00

We had a great time dressing up for Halloween-I love having kids. The four of us headed to David's parent's house for trick-or-treating. They have a great neighborhood for little ones, and since it was raining, their golf cart came in handy. Noah was a definite trooper-he would walk right up to someone's house, knock on the door, say "trick-or-treat" and follow it by the sweetest thank you ever. He knew what his sweet manners were getting him...candy!

Noah was a cute little monkey (Thanks Nate!). It took him a few minutes (and a few words...) to get him in the picture taking spirit.

Gavin was a little mouse. Isn't this a precious picture?

Always have to try to capture a family pic!

Grammy and Poppy were great hosts!

Noah got the routine down pretty quickly! Thanks Mimi for the Mickey Mouse pumpkin!

Here's just another sweet picture of my babies right after bath. I know I am a bit biased, but aren't they so handsome?!? Fall is fun around the Odom house!

Fun times with ELMO!

2009-10-15T15:21:00.005-04:00

David and I we able to take Noah to see Elmo LIVE in Clemson last night. Just the three of us went, so we were so excited to give him our undivided attention. I was highly impressed with the show that Sesame Street produced. The characters are excellent dancers and kept Noah's attention the entire show. The show was well worth the money...the "extras" were a different story. They were selling $10 Elmo balloons like they were going out of style. It was nuts!

Noah and David before the show. Noah looks excited, doesn't he???

The lights and colors were awesome!

Noah was pumped that Dorothy AND Mr. Noodle were there.

He pretty much sat with his mouth open the entire show!.

*Though the show was great, I will think again before taking him to something like this at night. I don't think he settled down to sleep much before 11:30. It was a fun way to spend the rest of the night to say the least!

Gavin turned 7 months old yesterday and is now using a combo of the army crawl and the real deal. I also found him standing up in his crib last night. I guess we will need to lower his mattress again, but we literally just lowered it 2 weeks ago because he started sitting up. What can I say, my boy is advanced! Here the two boys are playing together. I am so thankful for my 2 little guys ans it warms my heart to know they are already best buds!

LIfe Part 4: Trip to St. Louis

2009-10-08T23:34:00.004-04:00

*There are two new posts!

Mom, Noah, Gavin and I headed to St. Louis last week to visit Scott, Abatha and Nate. As usual, they are wonderful hosts and we had a great visit. Our time was filled with great food, trips to the zoo and Grant's Farm, picnics and football. Fun times were had by all!

It was a bit chilly on our train ride at Grant's Farm.

Such a sweet pic!

The two buds...they played so well together!

Aunt Ab and Nate on the train ride. What a great smile Nate!

The St. Louis Zoo is awesome. We loved seeing the two baby elephants.

Noah has a new dance. This is the face that he makes when he is breaking it down!

My attempt to get a pic of Mimi and her 3 grandbabies.

Life Part 3: Gavin is 6 months old!

2009-10-08T23:23:00.003-04:00

I can't believe my baby boy is 6 months old! Gavin is such a gift to our family. He amazes me day after day. He has his two bottom teeth, is sitting up on his own and has the army crawl down pat.

We are now working on solid foods. He loves sweet potatoes, peas and apple sauce. He didn't really love his first try at cereal!

Noah has a new found love with his old baby toys now that Gavin is using them!

My little stud started going to Bible School one day a week. He loves wearing his "packback" as he calls it.

The Last Couple Weeks Part 2: NY Trip (Part 2)

2009-09-15T11:48:00.005-04:00

I admit that I am a big fan of "posed" pictures. Though I have learned that children between the ages of 2 and 4 don't enjoy them, at least I know I will definitely have pics during this stage of our life. Here are some of the ones I captured at the lake.

There were 7 of the 9 kids at the lake. Unfortunately my Uncle David was in the hospital, but is home and doing better. My grandmother (in the red sweater) just celebrated her 90th birthday and her sister Ruth (next to her) just celebrated 95. What wonderful women!!!

My grandmother has 26 grandchildren and 18 of us made it to the lake this year. These are the ones that were around for the pic.

I actually think these group shots turned out pretty good.

I am so thankful for David. I am so thankful he loves family. Unfortunately, while we were in NY, David found out his Papa Ira had passed away. David did a tremendous job mourning his loss, but still enjoyed his time at the lake. We headed to Charleston, SC from NY where David did a beautiful job singing at his grandfather's funeral. To top it all off, Noah, Gavin and I were all sick last week, so David (along with my mom...she is great) had to mister mom! He is the best hubby ever!

The Last Couple Weeks Part 1: NY Trip (Part 1)

2009-09-15T10:51:00.007-04:00

We had a great time at the lake with my fam! As I have said in previous posts, I really do believe that Canandaigua Lake is one of the most beautiful places in the world. For many reasons, we were thankful for awesome weather. We were able to take many boats rides, naps in the sun, sleeping in tents (for the men) and endless hours of playing for Noah and Nate. I am so thankful for a family that though I live many miles away, I still feel close and included when I am there. God has truly blessed us with great extended family on both sides!

There is no possible way I can post all of the shots we got out at the lake. I guess this would be the time for me to learn how to make a slideshow...I don't think today is the day!

The infamous view toward the lake. It will never get old looking out the cottage windows and seeing this.

Canoes were a big entertainment in and out of the water.

Gavin loved being outside. He took a few naps on the lawn...so sweet.

The water was cold, but that didn't stop the guys from taking the plunge.

This is the 21st year that my grandma has rented the lake. In years past, the television was off limits. Being that it is always opening day for Georgia football, it puts us in a bit of a tough spot. Grandma has gradually loosened the rules, and we were allowed to watch the game. Here is Gavin watching his first game. Noah had just gotten up from a nap. He looks how we all felt after we realized we weren't going to win!!!

*Don't you just love my dad's new glasses. He is so hip!!!

The next post will compose some more "posed" pictures of our trip. Coming soon....

My Favorite Place on Earth

2009-09-03T22:35:00.002-04:00

We are headed to New York for our annual trip to the cottage with my family. This is my absolute favorite time of year! The scenery makes for great pictures, so stay tuned!

A Few New Things

2009-08-26T16:35:00.010-04:00

Thankfully, our lives have been pretty "normal" these days. We have managed to stay on some sort of schedule and have really enjoyed days spent at home, going to the library, swimming with friends, taking our weekly trips to Wal-Mart and having lunch at the Seneca Chick-Fil-A. I can honestly say that I feel more at home here than I thought would ever be possible. I am getting used to the slower pace and lack of shopping...our budget appreciates that.

My mom came up for a visit while my dad was in England on business. We always enjoy her visits! She's always up for a trip, so we ventured to the Greenville Zoo with our annual passes. For some reason, Noah was a bit scared of the bigger animals this visit.
We did manage to get him to pose near an animal that wasn't alive...

He didn't mind the giant turtle exhibit either.

Watching the boys interact together has definitely been a highlight for me lately. Gavin is enamored by his big brother. I tried to capture a great scene the other day. Noah was "throwing" Gavin the ball and then would ask Gavin to throw it back to him. I can't wait until this game can be a reality!

Here are a few more pics representing our summer. Noah loves lounging in the pool and Gavin thankfully enjoys the water as well!

I am headed to the Women of Faith Conference this weekend with some of the great ladies in David's family. I am really looking forward to some girl time, but am a little apprehensive about leaving Gavin for the first time overnight. I know he will do great...it's me that I am worried about!

An Update on the Odoms

2009-08-19T23:04:00.010-04:00

We have been having an awesome summer...I can't believe it is coming to an end. My boys continue to amaze me. Noah spends a good portion of his day creating music and playing any sport he can get his hands on. (I definitely think his golf swing is going to make him some money...check out my facebook page for a video!) Gavin loves rolling over, is sleeping great at night, and can't get enough of his big brother. I love my boys...I love my life.

Gavin has some pretty interesting hairdos these days! Isn't he getting so big???

Gavin is on the move. He is 5 months old and is rolling over!!!

Noah and I have been working on the color green lately, so we got out the green play-doh. It was his first time with this classic childhood "toy".

Noah has also been fascinated with butterflies. Here he is visiting with one that has stuck around our house this past week.

Isn't he beautiful?

Our New Blog

2009-08-18T22:36:00.002-04:00

The Odom family has officially moved to a new blog. I was having a bit of trouble changing the background and the pictures on Blogsome, so I decided that it would be easier to move our blog altogether than it would be to patiently figure out how to make the changes. I will study this new site over the next few days, and then, I will give you an update on the Odom clan!!