Heck..lets just see what happened this Summer!

I really did not realize how behind I was with this blog. Family is getting on to me for being such a slacker. I talked about in the last post what all I needed to catch up on and now I still need to chat about all those things and our fun fall 2011!!
So lets start with missing Hamp at 18,19,20,21,22 and 23 months. That is "awfable" as SS would say!
18 months...

19 months...

20 months...

21 months...

22 months...

..my ever growing little handsome Hamp man!! Uggghhhh I could just eat him up. We will hold off on the 23 month pic and include that in some November fun (when we get to that point).
Hamp you are growing so fast. Your talking has really taken off but it is so funny to hear you communicate. You say " Hey momma" in a very deep voice, this is followed by blabber of some sort and ends with "momma." Most all conversations with you are this way. You love to point that little finger at me and bow your head some with only your eyes looking up at me and say "No no momma." You are not a biter like SS was but you definitely like to push and we are working on that. In most all 2T clothing, still taking one nap a day and sleeping through the night. A VERY picky eater like SS but we will get to those veggies soon enough.
You are a joy to us Hamp and this little momma hopes that you always love me like you do now...You are a HUGE mommas boy!!!
NEXT...so lets back up to May when we went to the Beach with my parents. Hilton Head 2011!
This was a wonderful trip. We got both beach family trips done really before the summer even started which was nice because it was not extremely hot or crowded. The trip included my parents..

my brother and his family...

and us....

The kids had a blast playing together and most of all my parents LOVED the time they were able to spend with the kiddos. They gave each of us a night out without our kids and that was very much appreciated.
Hamp was a little hesitant of the beach but loved the pool and SS was a little fish. They had a lazy river around the pool that she just loved.







Hilton Head 2011 was a success and already looking forward to next year.
NEXT..on to SS 3rd BDay Party..Arial theme!
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SS got to pick what theme she wanted and Arial was her choice.

We kept it simple and it turned out wonderful. Slip in slides..cupcakes and friends and family...PERFECT!




We had wonderful friends that came in town (Portman's and Hickman's) for the party and we are always to grateful for them to join us.
After enjoying playing in the water, eating cupcakes and opening gifts we did our tradition of letting the birthday girl/boy hold all the balloons and let them go! I love that little idea and hope that we can always do this!


I leave you, only for a short time, with some cute bath time pics of the kiddos!! Whitfield's fun fall to follow:)

This girl in my life...

..that refuses to smile and look in the camera at the same time is just precious.

So I am fully aware that I have been slack, lazy..well...any other word you would like to call it. It has been over 3 months since my last blog and my children are still growing month by month. I guess I think that if I stop blogging for a while they will freeze at their age and wait on me to get back on the band wagon...NOT!!!
I have missed Hamp growing, a visit to the beach with my parents, bdays (Scott, mine and SS), our anniversary and who knows what else. I will eventually catch back up to all that but I had to first give a shout out to my precious 3 year old that has really blown my mind lately. I swear we woke up overnight and she was like 15 or 16...but not 3!
SS turned 3 on July 30th and we had a wonderful bday party for her. She loves all things princess so we went to Walmart and she could decide between any princess that she wanted and Arial was her pick. We had a little get together at my parents with a slip n slide and just outdoor fun for the kids. SS loved seeing everyone and we had special friends that traveled from Atl and Greenville to visit.
So what kind if prompts me to want to blog about SS before catching you up on our lives is the fact that this child talks nonstop. She says some of the cutest things like recently telling me out of the blue that she got her belly button from the grocery store, or it randomly being my birthday as she greets me at the door with the Happy Birthday song or that sweet look right before she says "mommy you my best friend." SS started talking pretty early and I feel that she could really carry on a conversation with us before some kids her age....maybe its just because she is mine but other people have told us that too.
**Side note...she is proving that if you do things like walk and talk earlier than expected that being potty trained just comes whenever she feels like it...in other words LATE!!! But that's for another paragraph.
So back to the talking...well SS has really come up with some funny things lately and talking with her is just so much fun. Spending 5min with her you discover such an imagination and it makes me smile.
She loves to cook for us and takes it very serious that you try her "recipe" as she calls it. Lots of things are recipes...she pulled out a new memory game and looked at the directions and said "hmmm the recipe says tooooo." Every morning or after afternoon nap when you get her up she says "hey mommy I took a good nap"...you move her to the changing table to change that dern diaper she still wears, and she says "I love you mommy it sure is a beautiful day out there." heehee!!!
Today we were out on the front porch and a man ran by the house. Immediately Hamp and SS start yelling "hey, hey" well he runs by and about 20 min later comes back by the house. SS yells "hey you glad your back" and then yells hey about 10 times (he cant hear her listening to music). She then looks at me with such a confused face and says "mommy I'm tryin to tell that boy hey and he not listening."
SS is very big on time right now and she will ask all day long what time it is. She will look at a clock and either ask what time it is or guess...now guessing means putting several numbers together and then adding o'clock to it.....for instance "ummm I think its 895 o'clock. Or "mommy just give me 5 4 more minutes."
SS loves to be a mommy to Hamp and will put that finger right in his face and say "buddy I told you not to do that." Usually that will be followed by a nice pop on the hand which then causes SS to get "a pop" from ME...the real mommy...I have to remind SS of that. Tonight actually we were at Target and Hamp and her were in the cart and she spanked his hand for something and I spanked her back reminding her that I was Hamp's mommy not her. She was quick to tell me "no mommy I'm his mommy." I'm sure you know how that conversation ended!!!
SS has a bossy side to her...that is something I try to work on but it is so funny.
Several times in the line at the grocery store she will look at the person behind us and kindly say "you have to wait your turn." Yes SS that is true they do have to wait but WE DONT HAVE TO TELL THEM THAT!!! I get so embarassed when she says that but now I can catch it before she gets it out of her mouth....I know its coming!! She also loves to tell on kids...."mommy look at all those kids" she will say "those kids are not being nice." Yesterday at the park she put her hands on her hips and looked at a little boy and said "my daddy said spitting was NOT nice do.not.do.that!" Along with that bossiness she tells me how to drive...what color the lights are, if I can go or stop, if Im driving to fast and the funniest is "mommy, daddy says that you can go right on red!" She even recently corrected the Sunday school teachers hand washing skills with a nice "no my mommy says that we wash our hands like this" followed by SS's demonstration to Ms.Angie of how to correctly wash your hands!!!
BUT with that bossiness she has a heart of gold and a big tender spot in that heart of hers. One that always always tells her mommy and daddy how much she loves them and has many many kisses to give away. She loves to be held and "rubbed" as she calls it. She loves her "brother her big boy"...how precious is that!
I really could just go on and on about how precious she is. She is growing so much so fast and I want to cherish each moment that I have with her. She is so aware of the days that I go to work. I am home with the kids a good bit but several days a week I work and that makes SS ask me every night after we pray.. "mommy who am I going to see tomorrow"...that means do I have to go stay with Bebe and grandad. She loves being with them but she also knows that means mommy is working. If I tell her she is staying home with me I usually get a big hug followed by "ooooh mooooomy I love you." If I tell her that mommy has to work and she will be with Bebe and Grandad I usually get "ooooh moooomy I gonna miss you." :) Breaks my little heart every time!!
I love love love being a momma to this little girl. She is my heart and someone I pray that I mold into a precious women of God. She is so extremely outgoing, joyful and full of so much energy.
So with all this growing up this weekend our goal is to get her big girl bed up. SS has been in a crib (we skipped the toddler bed) and now its time I feel to move on to a big bed. We went tonight and let her pick out some princess sheets. She told Scott this morning "see daddy (pointing to her crib) I don't need a big girl bed I have a bed." I'm hoping princess sheets will be a motivation to get in the big bed!!!
So once this is done we cross our fingers to move on to NO MORE DIAPERS!!!!!
Why rush it right that means she really is growing up....something I'm not sure I want to happen. I want my sweet SS to always fit in my lap, let me rock her to sleep, beg for me to hold her, whisper she loves me in my ear and call her me best friend.
A momma can wish right??
I love you Sarah Scott!

Easter/Hamp turning 17mths/Mothers Day

So I figured lets get it all in since I seem to be so inconsistent with this blog or just too lazy to sit my butt at this computer. So life since my last post has been wonderful. These kids keep Scott and I laughing and smiling. We will be riding in the car and look at each other and say...they are just so stinkin cute!!! They are both getting so big...I know I will say that forever!
So lets start with what came first...EASTER!
I was so happy to not be working on Easter this year. The Easter bunny made a special trip to our house in the afternoon. Being at church at 8:30Am would have really rushed Mr. Bunny.
We went to church and the kids sported their new outfits like all good baptist:)
Once we got home we attempted to take a family photo that did not work bc SS was in a HORRIBLE mood and Hamp just simply didnt feel like taking a picture...well and we did not have anyone to get a pic of all of us. This is what we came up with:

After spending lunch with both sets of parents we came home and the kids crashed...and the Easter bunny made a stop at our house...this is what he left!

Saturday Scott and SS dyed eggs and she had a wonderful time!

Then a couple of days later Hamp turned 17 mths old. I promise you I could eat this kid up. He has the most kissble chunky cheeks and I LOVE IT!

He is really getting big and becoming a little boy. He is trying so hard to talk to us and says the same thing over and over but who know what he is saying. He is like his sister and when we are in public he tells everyone he sees "Hey" while SS is telling the stranger next to us "this is my mommy, this is my buddy, this is my daddy and I Sarah Scott"...the cutest!
So hamp lets see:
*you are still in size 18,24 and 2T clothes
* pushing 5XXL shoe
*pushing size 6 diapers....I guess "pushing" means you really need what follows the push word but momma is trying to make what we have work..lol!
*talking more and more "bubble" is your newest word. You refer to your juice cup as "aww sheee" it really makes us laugh!
*POUTING...yes you have picked this up from your sister...you will either turn your head away from us or fold your arms across your chest and huff and puff...mommy has a hard time not laughing at this bc it is so cute!
*still napping and sleeping the same at night
*Food: so you are still picky like SS but you do have a new obsession for tomatoes. I guess thats the closest we will get to a veggie right now!
Hamp you are pure joy in our lives. I always look forward to our nightly ritual when it is " nie nie" time. We sit and read "ahhh booook" as you would say and then mommy sings to you while we rock. Lately while mommy is rocking you, you will sit up and look at me and say really loud "muuuummeee" over and over and laugh so hard. You think this is so cute. I will lay you in your crib and tell you I love you and night night...you pop your paci out of your mouth and look up at me and say "bye."
So next on the list is Mothers Day. I really love this day because I have a wonderful mother to celebrate. She is an amazing wife, mother and women of God. I had a wonderful experience with my mom this year and I feel it made the meaning of mothers day very special. Mom has a friend who has recently become ill and unable to care for herself. I knew that my mom had been giving her time when she could to help care for this person. I knew that she was ill but I guess selfishly never took the time to consider what mom was doing or how ill this person was. Sunday I get a call from my mom and she is crying...her heart was broken that her friend was experiencing this illness and mom felt a little helpless. Simple things like hygiene and helping her back and forth to the bathroom were needing to be done but mom could not do it alone. We had plans to be at my moms in the next hour to celebrate Mothers Day. I explained to momma that I would get what was needed and meet her at her friends. We spent the next several hours "serving" this friend and it was so rewarding. I left that evening on the way home thanking God for such a wonderful mother and one that provides such a godly example to me. I strive to be the mother to my kids that she is to me....to set forth the example...the Chirst like example that she has set for me. That evening ended up being the best gift I could have ever given to my mom...doing the work of Christ for another believer in need.
Mothers Day ended up wonderful. We enjoyed church and spent lunch with my inlaws. Another wonderful example of a mother. I am very thankful that she is in my life and loves me as her own. She has a son that loves her dearly and she is a wonderful blessing to our family.
After lunch we went home and napped and enjoyed our afternoon together. We ended the day with a visit to my moms.
A few pics from the day.

Edisto Beach

So Masters week has come and gone and so has our family beach trip. You look forward to vacation for so long and in the blink of an eye it is over. We were so thankful to be able to spend Masters week with Scott's parents in Edisto. They got a cute house on the beach and Scott and I were able to enjoy some alone time each day on the beach catching some rays and playing paddle ball. The first night we got there SS played in the ocean with another little boy her age and all I could think was how much fun she would have in the water...not so much. The rest of the week SS nor Hamp would go near the ocean. It was "daddy come on lets go to the ocean" and with in a few steps down the beach she was turning around and running back. So needless to say both kids played in the sand and avoided the water all together. They loved spending each day with BeBe and Grandad!

Enjoy a few pics from our trip.

Hamp Man...16 months!

Time has really gone by so quick with our sweet man. It is so weird to think that this was the age of SS when he arrived. WOW what the heck were we thinking....but...oh how we love our little life and family and would not change it for the world. The kids are really starting to play well together and Hamp is starting to stick up for himself and not take all SS has to give him:) There have been so many times she will come to me and say "Mommy buddy hit me pop his hand." Im thinking well honey Im sure you deserve that little hit with as much as you have put him through in the last 16 months. I know that sounds horrible as a mother to say but trust me she has put him through the ringer...I keep telling her he WILL be bigger than you pretty soon!!

So back to our sweet Hamp. Like I have always said this boy is just so stinkin cute. He looooves his momma and I eat up every min of that. I love hearing "momma momma" out of that mouth. He is very clingy to me right now and it does drive me nuts at times but oh how I love to be loved by my little man!!

So what are you up to:

*I have not weighed you since your last MD appt but my guess would be 28lbs.

* still size 5 diapers, size 4.5 double wide shoe (yes Stride rite is about the only place we can go for shoes) and size 18mths,24 mths or 2T clothes...it really just depends on the clothing.

* Sleeping GREAT like always...down usually 8 or 8:30 and sleep until 8:30 or 9..sometimes 9:30.

* Im afraid you are my other little picky eater. Consistency is a big thing with you and if it doesnt feel right to you then it must not taste right.

*You had your first snack with your TV tray last week...you look all grown up!

* You started throwing little tantrums over the past several weeks..arching your back and just screaming for "momma." Im not a big fan of this my sweet boy!

*Words: momma, da-da, a buuk (a book), nye nye (night night), bye, nah nah (no no), aaee ooh (thank you), ball. Daddy always practices with you throwing your football or basketball but here you are today after finding a tennis ball...you loved it and your face shows that!

* You love to read like SS and that makes me so happy. We sit in your chair every night and read 2 books before we rock. Mommy has been reading one book to you for the last several eeks about where your eyes etc are and you are really picking up on that. You can show us where your belly button is, eyes, feet, hands and mouth. We dont have the nose yet!

Hamp we love you more than we can ever express in words. We love being your parents and love watching you grow each day. Always want to call me "momma" and lay that sweet head on my shoulder..always let me rock you to sleep and wisper in your ear how much I love you..like the book says "I'll love you forever, Ill like you for always, as long as I'm living my baby you'll be."

I cant close this post without a quick word about my other precious childmy sweet little girl...big girl by what comes out of that mouth:) She is all grown up I think...well I start to think that when she puts that hand on her hip and tells me what she thinks. Sometimes I look up the heavens and say "Lord Jesus help a sista out"!!!! Then in her next breath she tells me how much she loves me and thanks me for everything she can think of including "thank you mommy for my room" or "thank you mommy for waking buddy up for me" or getting dressed she will throw in a little "thank you for these pants mommy." I mean really baby you are just too precious thanking mommy for everything you can thank of! Mwuah I love that girl. So I leave you with a few cute pics of SS!