The Leviners

2012-01-31T19:30:00.000-05:00

Weekend before last we headed to the "Greatest Show on Earth"! This was Caroline's first Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey circus! I'm sad to say that this is the only picture we have of anything from that night! This picture capturing mommy didn't even take a picture of her girl at her first circus (errr).

We have waited almost three years to use this voucher that C's aunt Rhonda got for her when she was born! We didn't take her last year because I wanted to take her when I felt like she could remember something about it (something that set it apart from the zoo or the fair)!

We arrived just in time for the show! After finding our seats and hearing the ringmaster's intro I could tell C was a bit anxious. She wouldn't take her coat off and she sat in Sam's lap ( mind you the whole time too), poor baby. She said she wanted to go "bye bye mommy" when the tight rope walkers and the swing rope dancers appeared. I think she thought they'd fall and get hurt (I love that my girl already has compassion)! We told her they were real careful with their jumps and twirls! I was sad that she was anxious but I know how she felt at that moment! I have a lot of anxiety at times too. She became more settled during intermission and relaxed during the tiger show (funny)!
I am glad that we took her for the experience! We will take her back next year and hopefully she'll enjoy it more! I have always enjoyed the circus. We went every year that I was a child for as long as I can remember and my BFF recently reminded me that we even went with my parents when we were in college!

2012-01-30T20:04:00.001-05:00

Recently Miss C had a playdate with Reece and his big sister, Sarah Ann, along with twins, Anna Claire and Charlie! We love playdates! It's been a lot of fun seeing these little ones grow, play, and learn! I hope playdates never stop! I hope they never outgrow fun and happiness!

2012-01-24T15:02:00.001-05:00

For the last three weeks with the exception of the last couple of nights our little girl (or big girl baby as she calls herself) has taken us back to the infancy stage of sleepless nights. I have told you in the past that Caroline was an easy baby. I was one of those that set the alarm clock every three hours during the night so that I could nurse her before she became hungry or before the crying would begin to be fed (I was told by my lactation specialist that if a baby cries due to being hungry then they are past starvation and I never could fathom the thought of my precious sweet C being hungry). Then after feeding her she'd go back to sleep until it was feeding rounds 2, and 3! That seemed easy, right (well now it does..hindsight is 20-20, but in the moment I do remember those feeding periods being tiresome...Sam told me that he thought I raised my voice at her one morning..I probably did... in my delirium state).
Well, somewhere along the way she has learned that if she wakes in the night she'll get to sleep for the rest of the night with mommy and daddy in what she calls the "b bed"...big bed. I'm not sure if she got confused over Christmas break with our off schedule sleeping patterns. When we stayed up late and would sleep in and if she woke up too early in the morning say around 7, I'd put her in bed with me and she'd fall back to sleep for another hour or so. (Also, she sleeps exactly ten hours, to the exact minute). Whatever the reason, she would not go back to sleep in her bed and she would refuse to stay in her bed once awakened. She would scream and cry until we reluctantly placed her in our bed. I don't mind her sleeping in our bed occassionally...bad weather, a night terror, etc, but even though we have a king size bed it's almost impossible to go to sleep with a leg thrown over my chest, a hand punch in the eye, or a squirmy little body.
Well, last week I told Sam that if she woke up in the night she would be crying "this one out". For sure, she woke up and for what seemed like forever we let her "cry it out". I'm sure it was due to exhaustion that she fell back to sleep. Before this point we were going into her room more than several times during the night to soothe her, to no avail, and that's when we'd pick her up and she'd sleep the rest of the night with us. She first started waking up at 4:40 close to the time for us to get up for the day, okay some manageable. Then she backed it up to 3:30 then 3:00 then one night 11:00 (this makes for a long sleepless night). One night, Sam laid on her bedroom floor in hopes that she'd go back to sleep. But as soon as he'd step across the hall, back to our room, she'd start the shenanigans all over again (more sleep loss for this teacher mommy). This went on for weeks until the night we let her "cry it out". It was awful to listen to her cry and to hear her say "mommy, mommy, mommy" and "daddy, daddy, daddy" over and over and over was just absolutely heartbreaking. This was very hard. Extremely hard.
But, what do you know, the next night and the night after everyone slept and all was rested.
Update: Well, she's still waking up once in the night but after some "much a do" we can get her to stay in her crib and go back to sleep. We tell her that "it's too hot" for her in our bed (I sleep with two blankets besides the wool comforter) and she's quite a heater herself, and that "you're a big girl and you need to go night night in your big girl bed". After putting her thumb in her mouth and finding her "pajama pants tag"..she won't use a lovey much anymore, she becomes happy and will lay down (only if we stand over her crib and wait for her to fall back to dreamland)! Oh and you know how much I love that happiness...
Until I hear, that once she's in a real "big girl bed", a new battle arrises. The battle for her to stay in her bed without getting out a gizillion times.
Good times!

2012-01-23T10:07:00.000-05:00

On the day that I took C's Christmas card pictures we also grabbed this outfit and snapped some of her in her fall outfit! I love this fall outfit! It reminds me of the month of October, the fair, apple picking, apple doughnuts, and candied apples! I couldn't resist posting these and I know they are currently as her header but the header will change and when I look back at previous posts I want to see these of my girl!

2012-01-17T19:44:00.001-05:00

I absolutely love when Ms. Leah sends me pictures like this throughout the day of my girl! Here's Miss Caroline and Miss Bella helping Ms. Leah make muffins for their afternoon snack! Ms. Leah has the freshest lunches (mostly cooked and includes meat, fresh fruits, and veggies) and snacks that I have ever seen! The children eat more healthy than I do! Anyways, Miss C is quite a character. When she came home she told Sam that Ms. Leah let her lick the spanking spoon! She hadn't told me that when I picked her up so when she said it to Sam over supper I nearly fell out of my dinner chair. I am so thankful for all the fun memories and good times that Ms. Leah is creating for my sweet C while this teacher mommy is at work.

2012-01-16T13:53:00.000-05:00

I would say I cook at least 7 (minus or plus one) meals a week. This would be dinner each work night and once during the weekend. Our breakfast on the weekends are quick and one includes our Saturday morning McDonald's stop (and if we don't go there I make french toast at home)! Sam and I both eat breakfast at home during the work week (I can't start my day without some type of breakfast albeit cereal, oatmeal, waffles, pancakes, Jimmy Dean's sausage biscuit, yougurt, toaster strudel, grits, egg sandwich,..something). We generally eat out either Friday or Saturday night and always after church on Sundays. We take left overs from each night for the next day's lunch (unless the school's serving mozzarella cheese sticks for lunch, ha) Variety is good! As far as meals I do like to learn new quick recipes! I've included two recipes here. A breakfast casserole (I make this sometimes on weekends and usually for our SS class for the Sunday we're signed up to bring breakfast) and a cowboy quesadilla! Both are really good with the latter becoming my new favorite dinner meal!

Breakfast Casserole:
1 lb mild sausage, cooked (I use Jimmy Dean's roll sausage)
2 c. milk
1 tsp dry mustard (I do not use this ingredient)
5 slices white bread cubed
1 c. grated cheese
6 eggs
Beat eggs, mustard (if you use), and milk. Layer bread, sausage and cheese in 9X13 pan. Pour beaten egg mixture into pan. Refridgerate (not sure if this is spelled right but you get the idea), over night. Next morning, bake 45 minutes at 350!

I'm not sure if you like Quesadillas but I've never tried them until Christmas break and I've made them twice. You have to use the correct ozs and ingredients in order for it to be "right". The first time I made it I used what I had and it was too watery. It's not spicey either. Actually, it's very simple to make! C and Sam love them!

Cowboy Quesadillas- source is from a recent issue of Parents Magazine!
1/2 lb (8oz - this is a half block) Velvetta, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 can (10 0z) Rotel diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies, drained
4 cups shredded cooked chicken (I use no more than 5 chicken breasts...I'm sure a lb of beef would also work if you wanted beef).
4 green onions, thinly sliced (I do not use this ingredient)
6 flour tortillas (10 inch)
Combine Velveeta and Rotel in 1-1/2 qt microwaveable bowl. Microwave on high 3 minutes or until Velveeta is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after 2 minutes. Stir in chicken and onions.
Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat on medium-high heat. Spoon about 2/3 cup chicken mixture onto half of 1 tortilla; fold in half. Add to skillet and cook 1 minute on each side or until golden brown on both sides. Remove from skillet. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
Cut into wedges (one tortilla makes 4 wedges).

2012-01-13T17:02:00.002-05:00

In one of my recent posts I mentioned that I had a picture of mom holding my twin sister and I when we were babies! I absolutely love this picture of the three of us! My twin Melinda looks exactly the same! I'm on the left and she's on the right! I also love that we are all in white, my favorite color! I'm thinking this was the day that we were baptised (I grew up Presbyterian), but mom can certainly clarify if the picture is about that day!

Here's my mom holding Melinda's twins, Nataleigh and Nicholas. I love that she had twins and is a grandmother to twins! These babies are precious and I just love cuddling them, feeding them, holding them, and loving on them! They are in their very cute "just learning to laugh and giggle" stage and when you get them going it's pretty funny and sweet to hear their coos! They are defintely little blessings to my whole family! Love them!

While I'm adding pics, I'll add these as well! I love looking at our baby pics!

My dad holding Melinda and me! I'm on the left and Melinda is on the right! I still remember quite vividly that couch and shag carpet! I'm loving my daddy's shoes too and his jet black hair (I only remember him having salt and pepper hair)!

Here's Melinda and me with our Pawpaw (our mom's dad). He and my Mawmaw were precious precious people! I wrote many many college papers on the life lessons and wisdom they shared and gave to us girls, along with the fond memories of them that I share with my sisters, especially the summers that we spent at their house. My sisters and I miss them a whole bunch! I'm on the left and Melinda's on the right!

2012-01-12T22:15:00.001-05:00

One evening, over Christmas break, these two had quite a bit of fun playing with each other and with Sam as Raven and I talked about couponing! I loved hearing these two (or three if you're counting Sam) laugh and giggle and talk to one another! Caroline loved showing Nolan her dress up clothes from Santa. Nolan didn't much like the fort Sam made for him and Caroline but he sure liked playing with the toy cars and ballpopper! The Polar Express was playing but these two had other interests like playing with the Christmas tree ornaments, drinking milk, and playing and playing and playing some more (Sam was worn out by end of the evening, ha)! Nolan is just the cutest and has the most biggest brightest smile ever! I don't know who had more fun that night, Nolan and Caroline or Sam!

Just so precious!

Cutie-pa-tooties!

2012-01-09T19:58:00.008-05:00

I have to admit I'm a bit sad by the turn out of this collage. I for sure thought that it would be bigger, but I had to take many things into consideration while I was making this one like the size of my blog's center in pixels and cropping, etc. Yes, it's complicated and I made this one a different way than I did for C's birthday post (blah, blah, blah you're thinking, right?) and I even uploaded it differenlty a second time too. Oh well!

Anywho, this is 2011 in review!

So as I was thinking back to last year's resolutions I found myself laughing. For one, like I said in a previous year's resolution post, I don't remember all that I think I want to start "new" as the year progresses. Life goes on and things happen and sometimes my "things" get thrown out the window. So for 2012 my goals are pretty much the same as past years but with a few new ones of course!

In 2012 I would like to:

1. Continue growing in God's word. I have enjoyed our SS's book studies and Sam has ordered two new books for his personal studies and growth! So continuing to grow in God's word would be my daily lifelong aspiration not just a resolution that I want to start at the beginning of each new year. I state it here because this is the first thing that I think about as a new year begins.

2. I would like to put into practice, in my personal life, the 7 Habits! We are teaching our students these life skills at my school and they are fabulous lifelong skills that everyone should be implementing personally!

3. I would like to know how to use other modes on my DSLR camera besides "auto".

4. I want to know how to use Photoshop better!

5. I need an exercise regimen! In the fall I started inquiring about running to several coworkers and friends at church. I would like to do a mini marathon before this year's out...looks like I need to get started to make this happen, huh?

6. I would like to not procrastinate. I do not procrastinate professionally but boy do I bottom out personally.
7. I would like to read the last four published Nicholas Sparks books! I purchased them when they were published but have yet to read them! The last time I tried reading one it was the morning of the night that I went into labor!
8. To study more of the things where I have interests!
9. To understand more the many different financial savings plans like 401K's, IRA's, savings bonds, and stocks, etc!
10. Begin working on my master's plus 30! The paperwork is being submitted!

Here's 11 wonderful things, in random order, the year 2-0-1-1 for The Leviners!
1. Our family increased by two with the birth of my twin sister's twins, Nicholas and Nataleigh.
2. USC won the National Baseball Championship for the 2nd year in a row!
3. Caroline earned her first reading medal by "reading" for our library's summer reading program.
4. My mother celebrated her first year after cancer!!!
5. My oldest niece, Courtney, graduated from high school and is now a freshman at Clemson!
6. Sam and I celebrated five years of marriage!
7. I learned how to successfully coupon!
8. We were snowed in for a week this exact time last year.
9. We went apple picking for the very first time in a real orchard!
10. We tailgated and attended our very first Clemson football games (even though I am a Carolina fan)!
11. All the memories of 2011!

Also, with the fun memories, 2011 brought "heavy heart" times to me personally. My sweet hubby lost his childhood best friend, Wayne, on my birthday last March. We still think about Wayne daily. When Sam has something funny he wants to share or just wants to say hi he still finds himself picking up the phone to dial his number. This has deeply saddened me. I just cannot imagine. Wayne will always be the brother that God let Sam choose. Everytime I look at sweet Caroline I'll always be grateful for Gerald Wayne Martin! He introduced Sam to me.

2011 was also hard for several other reasons. Sam lost two uncles within a couple of months, we lost two siblings at my school due to a horrific incident that also lead to the death of a person I knew growing up. I also witnessed a loved one deal with the worst kind of emotional pain in a marriage that the devil could impress and then thank God for "that" trial when it passed (how most amazing)! God answers prayers! Isiah 53:5

I am, too, thankful for 2011! It has made me think about life and how I want to live it and how I want others to see me live it!

2012-01-08T15:44:00.001-05:00

This post is just about Miss C! This little girl loves books of all kinds and dolls! Santa brought her a cabbage patch doll but she still prefers mine, the one that I had as a child with the adoption papers saying the name "Melissa". How funny! Mom tried her best to find one with my same "Melissa" name and that would look just like me with dark brown hair and freckles! She was successful!

2012-01-07T13:04:00.002-05:00

I am posting our New Year's Eve fun a little late but that's quite alright! It's tradition to spend NY'sE with the Hardisons/Callahans! Sam and I have been doing this since I was in college! It's so much fun to relax and have the best of times with close friends and family! Here's all the fun we had NY'sE and here's to a great 2012 to you!

The Yonemuras!

The Leviners

C and daddy enjoying the firework "show"!

Nolan and his gorgeous mommy!

The gang!

Happy New Year!

Sam reading to C and MK! These little ones love storytime!

Nolan playing with Lola!

These two were a hoot in MK's jeep! They ripped and roared

all the rest of the evening! A lot of fun was had!

2012-01-05T10:02:00.000-05:00

Even though Christmas has passed I'm still thinking about all the fun we had while baking and eating dinner at Raven's so I'm posting more of our fun!

C getting her reindeer ears on and soon her apron!

She has no idea all the fun that will be had!

Super cute Nolan and his gorgeous mommy!

Decorating our first cookie!

Daddy and C's turn!

Nolan, he just had to have an apron too!

Cute cookie, Sam!

The girls synergizing!

The children opening up their presents from one another!

Sam loved C's doll as much as C, ha!

Little Miss Betty Crocker ready for another batch...

of these!

MK is just so cute!

Stopping long enough for her portrait!

The bakers!

There's the cuteness from MK again! She never

stopped smiling!

Nolan's turn!

The girls winding their baking and decorating down for the night!

2012-01-04T22:15:00.000-05:00

When I look at this picture I think:

"All will share alike." 1 Samuel 30:24

"Pleasant words are a honeycomb,

sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Proverbs 16:24

"A generous man will himself be blessed..." Proverbs 22:9

"And do not forget to do good and to share with others..." Hebrews 13:16

"...be generous and willing to share" 1 Timothy 6:18

When I also look at this picture I'm reminded about the 6th chapter of Matthew verses 2-4 where it reads: "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."

Along with celebrating Jesus's birthday, the above picture filled my heart with so much joy this Christmas. I didn't post this picture to brag as it says to clearly not do in Matthew 6:2-4, but to merely express the ultimate joy that I had of giving and sharing this Christmas. Yes, I've given and shared before but it's something about this "gift" that is different and I can't quite put my fingers on the "what"!

Before Christmas break a friend shared with me her thoughts on helping a precious family in need. She wasn't asking me to go in with her she even stated "I'll do for this family before my own first". This struck a cord with me. My dad and oldest sister are givers. My niece Courtney is a giver like none I've seen before. These three defintely put others before self. Anyways, the dad in this family works full time and still doesn't make ends meet. She continued to share that he told his wife that they were going to share with their two children that Christmas for them this year just wasn't going to happen. Hearing my friend tell me this news nearly broke my heart. I listened as my friend shared information about this family and my heart was breaking. The mom and dad were doing all the right things for their children and their children were their top priorities. After our conversation I called another friend and we both decided to tell our other friend that no matter what we were going to make Christmas happen for this beautiful family. And we did!

We looked over the list that the mother compiled and saw that all this family wanted was basic items. We wanted to give them more than life's necessities. And we did! We divided the list and each kept reporting by email who got what for whom. It was amazing! This was more than a SS class adopting a family (which we partake in every year and feel deep joy for helping others). It just seemed so personal, so close to home for some reason. I felt like I knew this family from the information that my friend shared and yet I'd never seen them nor meet them in my whole life.

Besides buying clothes and toys for the children I also wanted to share many of the items that I'd gotten from Southern "Saving"! As I was packing the clothes basket with necessities I kept thinking about how anyone, including myself and family, could be in this very family's same situation. I kept filling the basket and hoping that the mother liked the items and brands that I packed. It was like I was giving the best of things away (gladly of course) and still hoping that they were suitable for "this" family. I wanted them to know from our gifts, love, and support that somehow they knew we cared about them, their situation, and their family. After all this is what the Father asks of His children. To love thy neighbor as thy self and to give with a grateful heart.

I lived for 31 Christmases and this was like none other. I still think about that family even after Christmas has passed and the comment the mom said to my friend about one of the items that I packed in the clothes basket. A simple Gillette razor that I thought to give brought the mother to tears because her husband had wanted this very one for so long. After hearing this I for once grasped the depth of gratefulness that one family felt from three others and this my friends is priceless. I want not another Christmas to pass that I don't help another family, where I don't share my talent of giving items from couponing with another. I want to feel the kind of joy that I can bestow on others in someway whereas they have no idea the joy returned. It's sad to me to be "this old" and to just now be feeling this type of joy. I just wish it were sooner in my little life because by now I could be doing so much more for others. I once heard a God fearing man say "if the church did their job welfare wouldn't exist". That was three years ago and I'm just understanding fully what this elder, man of wisdom's words really mean.

So doing, giving, and sharing are not only on my 2012 New Year's Resolution list (another post) they are on my life's goal list. I challenge you to add them to yours.

2012-01-03T07:28:00.001-05:00

Our Christmas Day was a busy one but oh so much fun! We started our day at home opening up Santa's surprises! Then we headed off to church and afterwards to Orangeburg to the Leviners. After having Christmas with Sam's family we went to see my grandmother that lives in an assisted living facility. We ended our day at my dad's house! My twin sister had to work Christmas day so he and my stepmom, Joyce, kept the twins. We didn't get home until midnight but it was a day of fun for our little family! And a day well spent with family is priceless in my book!

Santa's letter to C! C was more amazed at his

empty plate and mug than her presents!

The look of Christmas morning!

She loves her art easel!

Her surprised fun excitement look followed usually

by "mommy", "mommy", "mommy"!

She calls her guitar a piano and she'll tell you

that her favorite new toy is her piano!

Merry Christmas...

daddy...

and mommy (now I can continue couponing)!

C loves her new slippers and Barbie!

The Leviner grandchildren!

Samantha, Anna, C, Christian, Silas, and Franklin!

C and Mawmaw!

2012-01-02T11:32:00.003-05:00

Since C's been born I have started a new ornament tradition. I want to only have personal ornaments on our Christmas tree (now I do slip in the fun festive ones too, but mainly they are of our little family)!Here's this years latest tree decor:

I love picture ornaments! C made this at Ms. Leah's!

This years newest tree topper designed by

no other than Caroline herself!

I will always have one of these to mark the year!

Rudolph was hand crafted by Miss Caroline!

This is the handprint snowman craft that I've bragged

about before! This is C's handprint 2011!

Instead of getting a huge personalized family ornament,

I setteld for this very cute one (but from the same shop)!

This is a very simple Christmas tree edible craft!
You need a sugar cone, cake frosting (mixed with green
food coloring, and Trix cereal). Spread the green frosting
over the cone then place the Trix cereal all over cone
for the lights! Then eat and enjoy!

The finale is of course this year's Christmas cards! I love, love, love sending and receiving Christmas cards! I send out every year about 135 and I love thinking about each family as I label each envelope and seal it with one of our family cards! This is our new card holder and although it's lovely and pretty and adds so much decor to our house, this thing and I fought a lot! Every time I'd put a new card in the three layered bands of wire (sturdy and strong right) on the back all the other cards would fall out!

I'm quite sure that it was me not the thing but it was something else. There's about three layers of cards going around this card holder so if you don't see yours it's there and I've certainly enjoyed you sharing your family with me this Christmas! Next year's card holder will probably be an idea from pinterest (gotta get that account soon)!

2012-01-01T12:45:00.003-05:00

This picture was one of most favorite highlights of this Christmas! Melinda and Kaleb ( the twins' big brother) brought the twins to Lexington for a visit and we all went to see the Lights on the River at Saluda Shoals. The twins got to sit on Santa's lap for the very first time. They just looked around and at him. I'm sure they were in awe and wonder of the "Big Man". C on the other hand was a very different story, Santa didn't really impress her. She has repeatedly told Sam and me since Thanksgiving that she doesn't like ho ho. We have talked to her about how nice Santa is and how he likes children and that there isn't anything to be afraid of when it comes to Mr. C. We "talked" him up since Halloween, ever since she started seeing Christmas decor out and about in Lexington. She did get the courage to stand by his knee for a picture at Saluda Shoals and I have to say I'm proud of my big girl for that! She wasn't much fond of him last Christmas but at least she sat on his lap! During the photo session this year Santa tried to pick her up and she ran completely away! We reassured her that she only had to stand by Santa, that worked!

The Leviners at Saluda Shoals!

The Twins, Miss C, and Mr. C!

Nataleigh and Nicholas!

Miss Caroline!

Miss C with Mr. C- 2010!

2011-12-31T16:47:00.000-05:00

This Christmas has been super exciting for Miss C! First, I think this is the year that she'll start remembering some things about Christmas and what Christmas really means. Second, she received so many surprises from The North Pole! First she was real surprised when she saw a package and a book in her crib, which when she opened it she found an elf that she later named Cinderella! Second...

she later got in the mail a Magic Santa key,

which allowed her to put it on our front door

so Ho Ho could magically unlock our door

and leave presents!

The Magic Santa Key!

Third, she got a letter from Santa in the mail!

I'm loving the happiness!

She "read" it and discovered that...

she could hold Cinderella until Christmas and that

Santa would give her extra magic to fly back

to The North Pole! How nice of him!

The Santa Letter!

This is where we found Cinderella when we got back from

our church's Family Christmas Eve service. Her note told

Miss C that she'd be going back to The North Pole

with Santa among other things!

2011-12-30T16:20:00.002-05:00

I love Christmas Eve. Going to our church's Christmas eve service and then afterwards coming home to a simple dinner, and drinking hot chocolate before bedtime just makes it part of our Christmas eve festivities as a family! It is also a reminder of how blessed I am to have my little family and most importantly the birth of the baby Jesus. I'm still amazed that God loved me so very much that He sent His only son to save me and all those that call on His name to be saved!

The Leviners 2011!

At the family Christmas eve service!
C loved this camel!

Before Santa ate his cookies and drank his milk!

After Santa used C's Magic Santa Key he wrote her a

note and he left all of these presents for sweet

Caroline but not beforeeating the cookies and drinking

the milk that she left out for him!

2011-12-29T10:22:00.000-05:00

Lights at the zoo was so much fun this year! Caroline took Cinderella and she posed in every pic right along with C. We were so glad that we were able to get in and see the lights (our car wait to get into the zoo was backed up to the I)! We were all patient and it was so worth it! The lights were fun! C was hoping that she'd get to see more of the animals and we did see a few, like the bears, but we told her that the animals go night night too, just like her!

Caroline and Cinderella

C making sure daddy's smiling!

Mommy, C, and Cinderella!

2011-12-28T09:52:00.003-05:00

The weekend before Christmas we spent Saturday celebrating Christmas with my dad and then Sunday with my mom! Since the twins are still little both day's events were held at Melinda's! Here's some fun pics from both days! It's always hard for me to post just a few pics so there are quite a bit in this post!

Daddy and Nicholas or should I say Pops and Nicholas!

Aunt Rhonda loving on queenie!

Giggle box girl!

The two C's! Need I say more!

Nataleigh!

Playing C's new animal pattern blocks!

C, Courtney, and Kaleb!

Courtney and Nataleigh!

Caroline and Nataleigh!

The crew playing cards!

Rhonda and Nataleigh!

Kelsey and C!

Nataleigh! Happy Girl!

Caroline has a Barbie!

Nataleigh and Kelsey!

Melinda with her precious twins!

Love this!

The grandkid crew!

Big C with her little twin cousins!

Nanny (my mom) with the twins. I have a pic

like this of my mom holding my twin sister and me.

I must post!

The Leviners!

The artillery!

D is one brave BIL! He must really trust Sam!

2011-12-27T17:24:00.001-05:00

Someone is getting ready for Christmas! Caroline has been telling me now for a while, well ever since October when she saw all the Christmas decor in a store, that Christmas is almost here! Well here she is getting herself ready for Santa!
(P.S. I wrote this before my new now old Dell was replaced. The kind gracious manager at Best Buy allowed us to get a new laptop after our new one was going to be returned to Dell for the 2nd time)! I am very behind with my blogging but I'm working on the eight Christmas posts now!

2011-12-22T22:17:00.005-05:00

These BFFs (small and big) gathered at The Yonemuras house for a Christmas supper club baking cookie/dinner party! These are just a few pics of our oh so much fun night! The three bakers: Nolan, Morgan Kate, and Caroline adorned in their aprons made and decoreated cookies and rice krispie treats! Icing, flour, and cookie toppings were all over Aunt Rae's kitchen but the kiddos had a blast and this will be an annual event for sure!

Caroline, Melissa, Raven, Nolan, Heather, and Morgan Kate

These precious ones stopped long enough to play!

Priceless!

Rolling the cookie dough for another batch!

Having a baking good ole time! Love them!

2011-12-15T11:49:00.001-05:00

I don't consider myself a crafty person! But, I absolutely love crafts! I love new craft ideas that brighten and make new things well new! I consider myself a cultural crafter! I am not crafty in the sense that I can come up with tons of new ideas in my sleep. I like other people's ideas and I'll turn them around and make my own versions. I'm so glad that people share their ideas on blogs, etsy, and now pinterest, which by the way I'm not a member. I've been holding out from joining this site like I did for FB! I know that I'll be hooked and reeled right away and become addicted to it for many good reasons (no I'm not hooked to FB..I'm just saying it took me until the last couple of years or so to want to join the social hooplaness). I'm quite sure that I will have a pinterest account before the end of January! I'm almost certain that I will! It's like you're almost pushed into it, just like you almost have to have a smartphone or you won't know what's going on in the world. However the reasons I do love crafts. My hesitation is that it seems to take me a lot longer to figure out what I want to make or do a lot longer than most. Maybe it's just my imagination but this is how I see it (here goes my two cents worth..ha). I have one friend that could whip up a craft in no time and yes she's a mother, a (fulltime) teacher mommy in fact!
Well here's my latest crafts! No biggies, but I wanted to share! We'll begin with the wreath! I love wreaths! I buy my wreaths and come to think of it I've only bought one Christmas wreath since we've been married and we've used it every year, however, it was used for a very short time this year, ha! I did buy the materials for the wreaths that were made for our wedding by my SIL but I've never attempted to make one myself until now!
A friend shared with me how to make a deco mesh Christmas wreath and I loved it! It was super easy! I finished it at home with Sam's help and it's now displayed on my front door. Is it perfect, no but from the street it looks very pretty!
The second craft that I recently made was with the help of my classroom children. We made snowmen on baubles using their handprints (I did not make this craft idea, a friend's son did this in preschool last year)! I used clear glass baubles, (I love this word instead of just saying ornaments) and I stuffed the baubles with dark blue paper shreds and I painted my kids hands white. Then I placed the bauble in their hand and told them to grab the ornament and then I pressed their fingers in place. When it dried I used sharpies to make the snowmen's top hats, buttons, carrot nose, and stick arms. The kids loved making this craft for their parent Christmas gift! What a memory! I even made one with C! Our tree is beginning to fill up with personal ornaments like this from her! Every year since she's been born I'll take a picture of her and place it in a picture ornament. We also have an ornament personalized with our names to commemorate the year. So we're adding about three new fun ornaments a year. I'm never buying store bought ones again!

Wreath

Handprint Snowmen with poem

2011-12-14T09:24:00.000-05:00

Nolan, Raven, Me, and Miss C!

A couple of weeks ago I held a coupon workshop at my house however, I was not the speaker! I love this picture of the four of us! The kiddos are all smiles! Raven is always photogenic! I love them!

2011-12-12T14:51:00.001-05:00

This little girl loves having outdoor play time! A few Saturdays ago she helped her daddy rake the leaves! She also helped to scatter them! I love the happiness!

Having a tea party with her friends!

2011-12-10T18:42:00.002-05:00

Sam woke up this am with fever of over 100. He went to the Dr and was put on prescription motrin for a virus. Between C having an ear infection and Sam having a virus I've been a busy lady today! I'm sure hoping my two loves feel 100% and soon!

The above pic is the sick taking care of the sick! This evening I asked C to ask her daddy what he wanted for dinner and it was taking her forever! I came upstairs to find Sam asleep and Caroline putting the friends that make her so happy by her daddy in hopes that they would make him feel better! She also brought to him her night night music box so that he could listen to some lullabies as he slept! She is absolutely the sweetest baby!

2011-12-09T10:44:00.001-05:00

When I walked into room 404 at WKES about four years ago I saw a new little friend on my projector screen (yes this was before smartboards)! Our new friend was named Elfie and he only visited us for a few days! I always wondered what happened to him because after those few short days we never saw him again.
Well last night while eating dinner we kept hearing strange noises coming from upstairs. Sam went upstairs to check it out and called "all clear" after only a few moments. We continued with our evening!
C later had her bath and was already ready for bed! We went into her room and turned on her light and we saw this in her crib...

A package from The North Pole and

it was to Caroline! We thought this was what

the noises upstairs were all about!

We couldn't wait to see what was inside!

C unwrapped it and was all smiles!

We soon discovered that it was a doll of some sort!

C loved on this doll...

C hugged on this doll...

C twirled her new doll around and around in her bed...

See the happiness...

and the love...

and all the kissess...

There was a book with the doll and we thought we'd better read it! WOW, it explained the reason for the package and the doll! We learned that Cinderella was Santa's helper and she flies to the North Pole every night to report to Santa about C's daily happenings whether naughty or nice! She flies back to our house every morning and perches in a special spot where she can see Caroline in action!

We learned that after last night C could no longer touch Cinderella or her magic would disappear and therefore she would be unable to fly back to the North Pole and make the day's reporting to Santa!

So this explains what happened to Elfie! Some friend must have touched him.

When we woke up this morning we saw Cinderella at the tippy top of our Christmas tree! She is in excellent view of C's playing area! I sure hope she tells Santa how happy and sweet she is or maybe even how funny she is all the time!

Cinderella also has me a little nervous! I have to keep my behavior in check too! Wouldn't want her to tell Santa to put me on his naught list!

Stay tuned...

2011-12-08T08:58:00.005-05:00

First I have to say that I am not a Clemson fan but a Gamecock fan! When it comes to my niece, Courtney, who is a Clemson freshman, I can separate almost anything including the love I have for my team to go and watch her team play! When she wanted us to celebrate her birthday weekend by going to a game in September we were delighted and headed to Death Valley! When we gathered again on November 12th to see the Tigers play we had the absolute best time. Not the "best time" because we were in the stands watching them play football but the "best time" because we had so much fun pre-game with family and friends! The Dukes had a crowd of 15 for this game! The food was delish and refreshing! The fun was delightful! The conversations and fellowship were unforgetable! I absolutely love having fun with my family and if it means me going to Death Valley to see my team's rival play then that's alright by me! Like I said, I can separate anything! Go Gamecocks!

Miss Sunshine! Our Kelsey!

C having too much fun!

The Leviners

C looking at the Toys R Us toy catalog of the season!

The Dukes

The two Clemson BFFs and roomates, Calley and Courtney!

They remind me so much of my college roommate and me!

They take care of each other!

They have unforgetable fun times!

They have late night stories and lunch dates between classes!

I am almost sure they even watch The Golden Girls at midnight!

They are mature beyond their years! They are precious!

Daddy with his Scoot!

The tailgating crowd!

My first cousin, Cody, and my mom!

This was a treat! I haven't seen Cody in almost

13 years! Cody grew up in a famliy of Clemson fans!

My mom converted when my sister headed to Carolina in

the late '80's!

Whee!

2011-12-07T08:45:00.000-05:00

Early in November we headed to Orangeburg for Kelsey's state band competition! We always have a lot of fun at band competitions! This year Sam's aunt Paulette and Uncle Danny joined us along with two of their grandchildren. Their oldest granddaughter was also in the competition. In fact she and Kelsey attend the same high school!

Aunt Paulette, Uncle Danny, their grandson, and Caroline!

Aunt Paulette and Miss C!

Our Kelsey just marched across the 30 yard line!

I am amazed at how all these kids can memorize hundreds

of steps and can therefore create a beautiful marching

display!

The two C's! I love them! They are a pair!

Aunt Rhonda and C!

Nanny, C, and Pawpaw PC!

2011-12-03T23:07:00.013-05:00

Bye Bye Pacis!

Today was the day when...

Miss Caroline said good-bye to all her paci friends! It was bittersweet! My little girl no longer needs these friends to soothe her! She has had a paci since she was two weeks old. Initially I was one of those moms and said I'm not starting that paci thing! It was mainly because I was nursing and didn't want her to have nipple confusion, but I gave in and gave her a paci one night when it seemed like nothing would comfort her (it was the only night that I remember her crying for what seemed like forever (she has never been a crier...I hear that "I'm blessed" and "that I should wait unitl I have the next one")! I don't regret ever giving her a paci. It has comforted our girl so easily for so long! It was all she needed when she was tired or when she got boo boos! Also, I noticed early on that they made her more settled when she was wound up! I just knew that getting rid of her pacis was going to be hard and a task I wasn't ready yet to conquer (we are in the midst of potty training) but it was quite the opposite. Ms. Leah told me that she didn't offer it to her at nap one day and that she only cried for it twice and then was fine. The next day at nap she went down just fine. A week later we quit giving it to her at night. The first night she cried for half a sec then was fine! It has now been two weeks and we are paci free! Looking back I think C was ready before now to give up her pacis but in my mind I thought we'd wait at least until she was three! I'm glad this was easier that I first thought! Our pacis now have a new more permanent home!

She might be paci free but she has found a subsitute!

Here she is spending some quality "last time" minutes with the friends.

I'm ready to go momma! I'm ready

to take my friends to...

Build-A-Bear! She picked out a nice cozy home

for her pacis as well as a new soft and sweet teddy bear for herself!

I absolutely loved the lady that helped C build her

bear! She was compassionate and told C

how big of a girl she was for getting rid of all those pacis!

She even put her favorite paci inside the right paw!
That was very special for this momma!

Stuffing the bear with all those pacis!

Everyone went inside the bear, one by one!

C kissed the last paci! I did get a little teary...

it was a definite moment for this momma!

C washed her bear!

She dressed her bear in overalls!

I was thinking she'd pick girl clothes complete

with frills and bows! Nope, he's a boy!

She gave him the name of Paci Bear on his

birth certificate!

2011-12-02T18:12:00.000-05:00

We love our friends The Broadwells! They are precious! Here's their sweet daughter, Sarah Ann, celebrating by eating a cupcake at her third birthday party! I absolutely love birthday parties and Sarah Ann celebrated hers at one of my most favorite places, Chick-fil-A! It was such a cool breakfast birthday party! Caroline loves this picture of Sarah Ann! She keeps asking me every time she sees this picture of her about why she has cupcake all over her mouth! I tell her it was because the cupcake was just so good! I love Sarah Ann's party outfit which was made by her sweet momma Cortney!

Sarah Ann turns 3!

This was when Sarah Ann turned 2! Her party was at

My Little Gym!

Caroline at Sarah Ann's 2nd birthday!

This is Reese! Reese is Sarah Ann's little brother!

Reese turned one at the end of last March!

C playing at Reese's 1st birthday!

2011-12-01T16:01:00.001-05:00

A Leviner Thanksgiving

The Leviners sure do you know how to throw a Thanksgiving feast. One that is not only filled with a great spread but also one with lots of family time, love, and complete with many small children! I love, love, love Thanksgiving! I love reflecting about all of the many things that I have to be grateful for! I love getting together with family and catching up and seeing how much the little ones have grown. I also love that we have hayrides! I love going to Aunt Sue's and Uncle Jack's for this special day. Everybody finds their own niche (or rather their own vehicle in which to ride or drive on the open field)! I love how we mingle with one another and how you can see patches of dispersed groups here and there! I am thankful for this wonderful family that I married into! We sure do have some really good times!

I didn't blog last year's Thanksgiving! Instead I posted all the pics to FB! So for this year's Thanksgiving post I am including some pics from last year's gathering!

Caroline: 2010!

Caroline: 2011!

The rival cousins: Bear and Greyson! I'm

sticking with Greyson! His team beat his cousin's!

This pic isn't so great of me (we were facing the sun) but I sure do love my little girl's happiness!

Samantha and Evan just ridin'!

Greyson and Caroline: 2010!

Doodle!

The Leviners 2010!

Caroline and Samantha!

Daddy with his Scoot!

The two sidekicks!

C hanging with her boy first cousins: Christian, Silas, and Franklin!

Golf Cart time! Franklin, Samantha, Hatten, Anna,

Caroline, Greyson, and Marian!

The packed out hayride...round one!

WEE!

Miss C!

Jason and Angela kicking up the dust! You

should see how these two drive four wheelers!

Franklin car surfing!

Shooting skeet!

Paul and C!

Granny, Caroline, and Babydoll!

Caroline and Granny: 2010!

Aunt Sue taking more hayriders!

Leviner Girls 2011!

Leviner Girls 2010!

Caroline finding another ride...

and working on another!

Alana getting driving lessons!

Christian having a blast!

Uncle Sam and Samantha!

Hilarious! Look closely! Katie Beth is falling asleep driving

and her passenger isn't in much better shape!

Katie Beth has the prettiest smile! C loved riding with her

and swinging with her!

Taylor's turn for driving lessons!

Aunt Sherry and Beth: like mother like daughter

love these two!

Happy Thanksgiving to my sweet "turkey"!

Winding the day down with some coloring time:

Caroline, Samantha, Hailey, and Alana!

More Leviners and friends!

This is what it's all about! Love this crowd!

Miss C on Hello Kitty: 2010!

2011-11-30T20:18:00.000-05:00

I love this sweet little girl! Her smile in the first picture reminds me of when she was itty bitty! She loves when I tell her stories of when she was itty bitty! I am thankful that I get to spend this holiday season with her! This past Thanksgiving and this Christmas will probably be the first holidays that she'll actually start to remember and I can't wait to hear the stories that she'll tell! Love her!

2011-11-29T10:07:00.001-05:00

See these two love bugs, they are about the most precious things ever! They were dedicated Sunday a week ago and I couldn't be more proud of our Nicholas and Nataleigh! They are such blessings to my twin sister's little family and to ours and I absolutely love getting to hold and kiss'em when I'm visiting them. From them, I have learned that all babies, whether twins or not have different personalities! For instance, Ms. Nataleigh while looking like her momma is demanding (she wants her food when she wants her food by golly) which is so unlike her momma and she loves to be held and making her laugh is absolutely presh! While Nicholas on the other hand is laid back just like his momma but looks exactly like his daddy! He will eat when he wants to and he will be happy and content even with his sister crying right beside him. He too loves to laugh!

2011-11-27T22:44:00.000-05:00

This sweet little girl had a fabulous Thanksgiving! I can't wait to share our pics from Thursday! We've been having lots of family fun since then and I have lots of pics to share! We are truly a blessed family and we are thankful for each other and especially our little blessing, Caroline! My how we love her!

2011-11-23T00:00:00.002-05:00

Leviner Couponing 101

Last May I shared with you my thoughts about couponing! That was when I had not one clue about couponing. My thoughts then were I really want to coupon but it looks very complicated and cumbersome. I knew the "jist" of couponing like how to organize the mounds of flyers by dates and some couponing sense like never go off ad at drugstores but not the hows of couponing. How do you really save money with coupons and have more "stuff" than before you began this hobby while spending half of what you do? Now eight months later I can share many things about couponing including the above picture to anyone that asks. You and I see the above picture totally different. Before I can start anything new I have to have a plan and a purpose. It can't be because I want to or because it looks interesting. It has to be because its purposeful and to somebody what I'm doing can make a difference or be beneficial. I mean I do like a challenge and in June when I started full fledged couponing, I was challenged. To tell you the truth I didn't want to embark another hobby. I already had several and I just could not possibly fit one more thing into my hobby list. I told you in May that I didn't want to become "one of those couponers" where all my time would be spent searching, sifting, and printing coupons. I also told you that I was not going to be a hoarder, this is still true, like I said we see the above picture with two different sets of eyes. For starters, I had to read about couponing (with what little time I had). I attended a coupon workshop with a friend that was lead by Jenny the Southern Savers queen. My neighbor BFF, Amy, and I spent countless hours in our driveways this past summer till well after midnight (when our babies were sleeping of course) with our coupon boxes trying to match our coupons with the Publix yellow and green flyers coupons and other store and manufacture coupons (called stacking) for the absolute best deals (I did once spend $115 on over $315 worth, once..I think this was to see my limit and how far I could really go..it can/does become addictive). When I thought I was well versed on the matter I even shared my coupon knowledge with some friends at church camp this past summer and to my knowledge they are still couponing (not because of me but because the mone they are saving). My new hobby this summer was tiresome. There was a part that I kinda fibbed in May about but at the time I didn't know the extent to what this whole business was about so the part where I didn't want to spend every spare second finding, clipping, or cutting coupons happened. I found myself doing that. Everyday after C went down for a nap I was on the computer reading SS, printing coupons, and making my grocery store list for the week and cutting out and compiling all of the coupons for the trip, and on and on and PHEW! This took what seemed like eons and I knew that once school began I could not continue this overrated ridiculous thing called couponing. Really, I'm spending all of my time trying to save $1 and for what? But I was relentless and perservered and continued. I don't give up quite easily but (well unless it's college algebra but whose counting, ha) it got way better..trust me for I am still couponing).

Anyways, my plan to start couponing from the very beginning was to donate. I've always enjoyed sharing and giving away. I surely don't need 25 bottles of Resolve or 15 detergents or 35 razors in my garage. I have already met one of those donating goals. I've donated to three families from my stockpile! So as I began stockpiling my sweet hubby started to build a nice shelf in our garage to house the "extras" like toilet paper, paper towels and detergents. I told him that I only wanted one shelf because I didn't have the need for two. Then all of a sudden I had all of this stuff and the "big shelf" in the garage was filling up quite nicely and then things began to pile up on the garage floor. Soon after, we saw the need for another shelf and viola, I had my stockpile. One of our garage walls is filled with SS things bought from coupons. I can't tell you the face value of all that we have. I don't want to know but what I do know is that I paid either nothing for the items or just a few dollars..and oh the Resolve was all free, except tax of course! Sam did build other shelves in our garage from the same materials as my SS shelves so in the back of the pic those are his tools and extra paint not a continuation of my stockpile! My stash goes from the lights on the far right to before the drop cord!

Anyways, my heart is full of joy as I get to donate to a new family from my stockpile this Christmas! I have already made my list for the family for things like toothbrushes down to "her" and "his" razors and shaving cream. These household items are expensive in general and I'm just delighted in knowing that somehow I can make a difference for someone or some family that considers even a basic need like toothpaste too costly to buy or provide for their families.

The couponing has become easier. It is not at all cumbersome or tiresome as this past summer. I think it was this way for me this summer because I was just starting and got way too into it. It is true that once you have a stockpile you will only find yourself going into the grocery store weekly and getting less than 15 or so items! It's great! It has defintely changed my life in more ways than I first thought and my hope is that somewhere down the line it gives at least one person hope!

2011-11-18T22:51:00.002-05:00

The Happy/Sad Card

Let me start from the beginning. When it comes to discipline, I have to say, I struggle. It has been a learning process for me. When Caroline was eight months old and found herself able to get out of her crib, I knew that she was going to be a tough girl! For almost two years she hasn't proved my theory wrong! Two and a half years ago I couldn't imgaine my child ever doing anything wrong for me to have to discipline her. I have to admit I was naive. I remember looking at her when she was just home from the hospital thinking I would never spank you! I mean, I was disciplined as a child and I belive in disciplining children. I was spanked, there were times when I remember getting my own switch after church on Sundays. So when C was first born I couldn't imagine ever needing or wanting to "spank" her. Now two and a half years later, I have learned a lot about discipline. Sometimes I feel like I'm flying the plane as it is being built. I'm winging it so to speak. By this, I mean I'm choosing the consequence as the behavior happens while hoping that the consequence detters the behavior permanently. Miss C is a strong willed child. Not sure which parent she inherited this attribute from since Sam and I do not have strong personalities! As I said earlier, I learned that she was strong willed when she was an infant. I've struggled with the spanking issue. My three sisters and I were spanked and we all turned out just fine; hard working, selfless citizens trying to make a difference in other's lives. I know people who were never spanked as children and they are hard working, selfless citizens trying to make a difference in other's lives. I also know people who were spanked a lot as children and they are, even as adults, considered rebelious. I also know folks that were never spanked and are as adults considered rebelious. So my question is how do you find discipline balance? How do you know that you are getting it right? How do you know that your discipline policy is not so extreme where your child is ashamed? How do you know that your parenting style is effective enough that your child knows her boundaries? I've thought back and looked at my childhood and tried to find what my parents did to have this discipline balance. Their style of parenting was authoritative! I finally put a name to this parenting style while in college studying to be a teacher. I want our child (children) to grow up just as I did, in a loving and nurturing home while having boundaries and guidelines! My parents were great examples of this and got it right! Are they perfect, no but somewhere down the line they knew how to parent the correct way when it came to disciplining us girls. It's easier said than done, I'm afraid, because even after having great models I'm still trying to get it right or find my own discipline niche.

I have blogged before about Caroline's biting issue. It seems, at times, to come and go. Just when we think she's forgotten about it she'll do it the very next day. Right now she has gone three weeks without biting her friends at Ms. Leah's! For the most part her biting has been my most behavior concern. People have told me that "she'll grow out of it" and "it's just a stage". For me, it is just the end of the world to have my child bite someone. It makes me sad. It leaves me crying and I feel like a failure. I question myself as a parent and often ask myself, how can this be, that MY child exhibits this type of behavior or what is wrong my child or even worse could this be all because of me. I'm so thankful that the children and parents at Ms. Leah's love us so much! Caroline is absolutely sweet, happy, and precious but she does bite. Our ped told us that it was because she was bit first at eight months, I don't buy that now that she is almost 32 months old! Because of my worry and concern we set up a behavior consultation last June with our ped to only discover, to my surprise, that this is "normal" and that we have "no cause or reason to worry". I seemed fine with our ped's answers to our questions until she bit again. I was a biter as a baby too! I guess my mom must've said to me when I was little "I hope you have a child just like yoursef so you can see just what I'm going through! Pay back kind of thing, ha! No seriously, I do want Caroline to be strong willed. This will pay off for when she's 21! Our ped also told us that Caroline is very smart and very advanced for age. At her 18 month check up she asked what the secret was and what were we doing with her for her to already be so verbal and have so much awareness. We simply said that we read to her every single day and that we find ourselves constantly talking to her about everything from "what noise did we just hear" to answering her questions like "who bought that for you mommy".
Sam and I are learning ways to channel her strong will instead of snuffing it for snuffing it would be detrimental to her character. She already is who she is already going to be.
Recenly our SS class did a video series by Chris Ingram called "Effective Parenting in a Defective World". I learned so many things from this series including that spanking is acceptable and it is a must since the Bible "spare the rod spoil the child" verse tells us so. So my beliefs and struggles with this were validated! We learned other things too like loving her so much even in the midst of a "behavior" crisis! We also learned that a child should be spanked with something instead of by hand. You don't spank with the same hand that loves. We use a spanking spoon (wooden spoon) and you better believe that C hates to see it pulled out. Needless to say we don't have to use it quite as much as we used our palms before!
Sam and I also bought the book "The Strong Willed Child" by Dr. James Dobson. At first, I thought, I love Dr. Dobson, always have, but how can an almost 30 year old book help me now. After cracking it open months have we bought it, I was glued from the very first page. From this book I learned the importance of what it means to be consistent with discipline. I also learned, and this has been, by far the most crucial, that for every defiant behavior there must be a consequence. Defiant meaning, you have explicitly taught your child what she shouldn't do (we do not throw rocks) and if she defiesyou, there absolutely must be a consequence for belligerently being defiant. On the same token I learned that I should not give my child a consequence for something she did wrong if I haven't taught or talked to her about it being wrong or inappropriate in the first place. For example, one night C wanted to color. She loves coloring at night! I said yes to her when she asked if she could color. So she went to the living room table to get her crayons and coloring book and papers and went into the kitchen. She likes to color on the kitchen floor for its hard surface. I was in the living room at the time and all of a sudden I heard four hard taps. I knew exactly what she was doing before I even walked into the kitchen. YEP! You guessed! She colored with a very purplish color crayon on our newly painted yellow kitchen wall! I shrieked merely because there was crayon, big streaks of purple crayon, on the wall. Apparently I was so loud that I scared her and she started crying. Before reading the Strong Willed Child book I probably would have popped her bottom. But since reading the book and knowing that I haven't talked to her up until that point about not coloring on the wall that there was no use in giving her a consequence for something that she wasn't aware was wrong in the first place.
I said all of this to say that we have tried many things (time out, popping, etc) and are continuing to try our newly learned parenting discipline skills. I know every parenting preference is different and I'm not presenting these things because I think it's the only absolute way to parent or discipline children and I'm certainly not saying that you should pop your child. I'm just sharing what has worked and is working for our family and our child! The happy/sad card (above pic) is one of those new skills that we are currently implementing that is working (a coworker shared it with me)! When we ask Caroline to do something and she does it right away we'll move the Caroline clip to the happy side of the card while praising her effort and attention to the task. If she doesn't do the request right away or she is being blatantly defiant we move the Caroline clip to the sad side while saying "you're making mommy have a real sad face". This card has made the biggest difference because she doesn't like to see the clip on the sad side. It is a visual so maybe that is helping! She'll say "don't show me that mommy" and her behavior turns around and she completes the request appropriately. I hope she'll want to be a pleaser too! Does that mesh, being strong willed and a people pleaser? We use the card or show it to her mostly for when making requests: "Can you help clean up?" "Can you put your blocks back?"etc. Some other things that we have been doing to try and enforce positive reinforcement is to tell Caroline the expectations prior to doing something. For instance, before going into Publix I'll tell her that we are going shopping and that she has to stay in the buggy and be the best shopper. We also wait until the trip is over before going and getting the shopping cookie in the bakery. Caroline has also just learned that she can scream and cry if she doesn't want to leave places like the library. For our last visit, I prepared her for the trip. I told her that we were going to return our old books and look for new ones. I told her that we would color, read new books, find new books to check out, and play with the puzzles. I also told her that I would set a five minute timer on my phone and that when it went off it would be time for us to leave the library. Preparing the expectations for going places beforehand like the grocery store and the library have helped make leaving our outings successful!
The kicker for me while reading The Strong Willed Child book was the part when Dr. Dobson says you should not have to spank your child past age six and defintely not past age ten. By six your child should already know home/school expectations and boundaries for their life should already be in place! WOW, by age 6! I can't wait to see how this follows through! Like I said, I'm not promoting popping or spanking. I recently talked to someone who use to keep a strong willed child many years ago in her home daycare and she said she believes spanking isn't always the answer. I also believe this. I don't want you to think that we constantly pop our child but we do when it is needed. I don't know that what I'm doing is right or effective 100% of the time, but one thing is for sure, I cannot have a child grow up and be a selfish, unproductive member of society who doesn't show generosity or compassion toward others or not have a care for the world or try to make it a better place for all who inhabit it. After all she is a reflection of Sam and me, and as her parents we do have high expectations for her and her life!

2011-11-14T12:00:00.000-05:00

Cooper's 1st Birthday!

Our friends and neighbors, Amy and Brandon, just celebrated their son Cooper's first birthday! C absolutely loves Cooper! She has always called him AmyCooper for some reason and thinks that his daddy's name is just B instead of Brandon! Cooper is precious and we love him so much!

Cooper had a wagon birthday theme and his mommy along with his aunts made the decor, down to the wagon pinata!

Happy 1st birthday cutie pie!

Cooper and his mommy!

I love party decorations! They complete any party!

Here's Cooper's birthday banner that his mommy made!

Smash cake!

This is just the cutest...a radio flyer birthday cake!

This is one side...

and here's the other!

The Leviners helping celebrate his big day!

C absolutely loved this circus tent...

and this marshmallow goody!

The wagon pinata!

C getting her turn at helping get the loot out!

Ah, getting her share!

Cute! The party favors!

Rice Krispie wagons! Loves!

Cooper taking C on her first date in his new wagon!

Happy 1st Birthday Cooper we love you!

2011-11-10T11:50:00.000-05:00

The Saturday before Halloween we attened a halloween party at the Callahans! It was a lot of fun! I think I told you earlier how I am not a big halloween fan partly because of the dressing up part. I don't like to draw attention to myself, I don't know what to dress as, etc. Do I dress my family in a theme, what would it be, and so and so on! Even though this is not my first halloween party (we just attended our neighbor's 8th annual party where we have been to every one), it was the first halloween party that I went to where I dressed up! It was fun and I'd do it again!

Like I said the party was fun! It was complete with halloweenish appetizers and finger foods, dips, mummy drinks, and smores! My favorite part was the hayride! I absolutely love hayrides! Every year at Thanksgiving and at Christmas we go on a hayride at my parent's! C also got to help break open the pumpkin pinata and she decorated a very cute mini pumpkin! I sure hope Heather, Travis, and Morgan Kate make this their new tradition!

Mommy as a fairey! C as a cupcake!

The Flintstones, AKA The Callahans, Heather, Travis, and MK!

MK as Peebles, Raven as a zookeeper, and Nolan, the lion!

Festive!

Mummy drinks!

The pumkin decorating table! So Halloweenish!

MK with her silly glasses!

The hayride, round one!

C liking her mummy juice drink!

Pumpkin Pinata!

Eating her loot!

The BFF's and their babies! Love them!

C grinning about stealing someone else's loot!

My absolute favs!

2011-11-09T12:08:00.002-05:00

Triplet Birthdays...

Not really but our niece, Samantha, and nephews, Silas and Christian celebrated their recent birthdays with one party! It was a lot of fun celebrating their birthdays this way! Samantha, the oldest cousin of Sam's siblings' children, has an August birthday. Silas and Christian are a year and a day apart with their birthdays being Oct. 20th and Oct. 21st! We have never celebrated their birthdays this way but I think their parents should make it a tradition. As C gets older and with each of their birthday parties, she has so much fun celebrating and seeing them!

Silas! He's so photogenic! He's a cool kid!

He's also very cute, too! He's loving and oh so sweet!

We can't leave his house without giving him a hug first!

Silas just turned 7!

Franklin is 4! Although we celebrated his birthday

in April, he still had a great time celebrating his big

brother's and cousins, Samantha and Christian's, birthdays!

He loves Caroline. He is like his big sister, Anna, in that he

sees after Caroline and he plays with her! Franklin likes to

play and he loves explaining things!

Anna! She is the big sister of Silas and Franklin!

Anna is 8! She is nurturing and always sees about

Caroline when she's around! She is absolutely presh!

C with Aunt Missi!

C with Uncle Jason! Jason is also a pastor!

Don't know if I've shared this part about him before!

Recently, he preached at his and Sam's home

church in Orangeburg, where their grandfather

started 53 years ago. His sermon

was phenomenal!

Caroline throwing darts to pop a balloon!

This little girl wants to be big just like her

first cousins!

Samantha wearing part of the pinata as a hat!

She is 9 and gorgeous! She loves to read and

she loves her cousins! She adores her

Uncle Sam, too!

Samantha and Caroline!

They are hilarious wearing

their funny hats and glasses!

Silas!

Christian! He's 8! He's sweet and very

sensitive! He loves to read like his big sister,

Samantha! He enjoys drawing! He's very smart, too!

C being sneaky! She thought no one saw

her climbing up the steps of the swingset

to sneak a piece of the pinata candy that she grabbed!

This might be what those "sneakcrets" are all about...HMMM!

C the littlest Leviner cousin! She is 2.5!

She is spunky, delightful, and smart!

She is busy, strong willed, and precious!

She is loved by all of her big Leviner cousins!

Samantha!

Silas!

Christian!

Anna and Samantha!

The Leviner First Cousins!

2011-11-08T08:54:00.002-05:00

The South Carolina State Fair was in town just a few weeks ago! My mom, stepdad, Sam, and I have made a tradition of going every year together! This year Caroline's Granny and Granddaddy joined us and we had so much fun! My favorite part about going to the fair is eating corndogs, seeing the animals (the little chicks going down the hill into the water is my absolute fav), milking cows, racing pigs, show horses, etc, the exhibits (especially the one where they give out the Coburg vanilla milk however this wasn't there this year), the student art exhibit, the science exhibit, the sand sculpture, the food exhibit where others get to show off their beautifully decorated cakes, then all the selling vendors who try to sell their latest fad from toys to food gadgets, and then getting elephant ears (still can't call them funnel cakes) before heading home! This year I can add kiddy rides to my fav list. I have always loved the carousel. I can ride it as an adult and still have pride! Besides the carousel C has a new love for other kiddy rides. Last year she was only able to ride the carousel. This year she rode a mini tilt-a-whirl, the carousel, and race cars. She even wanted to ride some twice! I think my girl is going to be like her mommy and enjoy the slow and low rides!

32 lbs!

Nanny, C, and Paw-Paw PC!

Country Girl!

Milking a cow!

Checking out Uncle Lee's geese

and rooster!

Granddaddy, Granny, and C!

So dramatic!

The race cars were her favorite rides!

Riding the tilt-a-whirl dinosaur with daddy!

Riding the carousel with mommy! Mommy's favorite!

Giddy up horsey!

Cheesing!

Then with daddy!

2011-11-02T11:57:00.000-04:00

Boo at the Zoo

We love Boo at the Zoo! This was our second year to go and it was just as much fun as last year! Our sweet baby girl was a strawberry fairey! Her favorite was toting her bucket around to get her share of the candy! She would not dare let Sam nor me hold the bucket for anything! It was such a fun evening! My favorite part, besides seeing her have fun, was dancing to the cha cha song with my girl!

All set!

Sweet girl!

The candy was all she wanted on this

ride into the zoo!

The Leviners!

Instead of sitting on this very cute fall display nicley, little

girl thought she would pick her nose for all to see!

Every time we told her to "say cheese" she would start to put

her fingers up her nose! Gross! Needless to say

I did not win this but the pic is cute!

Telling mommy and daddy which way to go!

Trick-or-Treat!

Being bossy again! HMMM, wonder which parent

she got that from? Ahem!

AW, she didn't want to stand by

this sign for fear of the animals

behind her! They were sleeping!

We wouldn't dare lose the directions to

more loot!

2011-11-01T11:51:00.000-04:00

Halloween 2011

This has been such a fun Halloween few weeks! We started this boo season by going to Boo at the Zoo! Caroline was a strawberry fairey for that event (having picture orientation issues but hopefully I can post those pics soon). We loved the zoo trip just about as much as she did! We skipped out on our church's Hallejuah Hoedown (mainly because it was very crowded last year, but I missed the trunk-or-treating part) and headed to a friend's halloween party on Saturday night, which was complete with delicious halloween treats and food, a hayride, a bonfire, and cute kiddos (and adults) in their costumes! Then we went to our neighbor's 8th annual halloween party last night and found out some exciting news from them and then after we ate a halloween dinner we all went trick-or-treating throughout the neighborhood. It was so much fun! I am not a big fan of Halloween partly because I'm not so comfortable dressing up but this year I did and it was lots of fun!

Here's C getting ready to help carve one of our pumpkins!

She loves getting down and dirty!

Since we went to a halloween party last night, our cupcake,

complete with sprinkles and a cherry, left candy and a

sweet note telling the trick-or-treaters to

take just one piece. It was gone within an hour!

Our neighbor's exciting news! The third pumpkin says

"Coming June 2012 #3" with a question mark, love it!

Making our rounds with Miss Cupcake!

Cupcake and Cocky!

2011-10-31T15:22:00.000-04:00

Miss C and her friend Lucas playing at Ms. Leah's!

2011-10-28T12:25:00.000-04:00

Caroline and Joel cleaning out a pumpkin at Ms. Leah's!

Happy Halloween and Happy 400th post!

2011-10-26T11:40:00.001-04:00

There are so many things that I need to blog (i.e. even some '10 birthdays)! I am usually behind in my blogging and when this happens I tend to forget the important parts of the event or memory! I blog to record our life's moments. I started blogging in 2005, when a teacher friend went to Japan as part of a project. We, my school, conferred with her through the comments as she posted about her trip. This was fun and I like journaling, and if you know me well enough you know my love for journals, books, and paper (mostly anything paper...my bonus room can fully tell you this story). Since 2005 there have been many changes to communicating live...FB is now the main one that everyone uses and is aware of! It's a very different IM! The paper crafts now have become anything made on Photoshop or Printshop! I still love to blog and I tell my stories on this blog! I want C to know how things were and what we did when she was a little girl! This would be like for me, how when I was little, my mom put all of our tons of pictures in albums, etc. for us girls to look at and laugh over for when we got older! There aren't that many captions and so the "story" of the picture isn't fully there although mom can remember the event and what was happening! I do appreciate all of the pictures but like I said I love to journal and so the story that goes with each picture captures the moment!

I have even met a new friend from my blog! She commented and questioned some of the things she found on C's first birthday blog and now we are friends on FB! I call her my CA friend!

I said all of this to say things like how I love the above picture and the story it tells! Yesterday I picked C up from Ms. Leah's earlier than usual! It was a pretty day for outside play and so C wanted to play outside in the sandbox! She talked and played with the sand and all of her sandbox toys the whole time! She even asked me "mommy who bought this for you" meaning the sandbox! I had to tell her that it was hers not mommy's but that mommy gets to play in the sandbox, too! I loved how when it was time to go in and make dinner that she didn't want to but we had to eat and I told her that we would come back outside later! After dinner we baked oatmeal chocolate chip cookies and ate them on the back porch patio step! It was dark outside and we heard lots of night noises like bugs and birds and cars and sirens! It was the best time for spending with my little girl! A nice weather day/evening with lots of playing outside and baking cookies together and sharing them on the back porch patio step while hearing the noises of the evening! I didn't want the night to come to an end but bath and bed times were calling so we wrapped it up with the promise that we would do it all over again today!

These are the kinds of stories that I like to blog about so that when I'm 100 I could read over the times in my life (whether good or bad; happy or sad) and remember what all has brought me to that point in my life in the first place!

2011-10-20T15:58:00.000-04:00

Here's Ms. Leah and some of her sweet babies, Caroline, James, and Lucas! Ms. Leah has been a blessing to our family since day one! I miraculously found her days before school started in August of '09. Our intentions were to put Caroline in a church daycare near my work. We had a spot at this daycare months prior to school starting. Soon after C was born and as it was getting closer to school starting I decided that a daycare situation was not going to be the best for our Caroline. She was just so precious and I could not imgaine her being one of ten in an infant room. I got a referral for Leah from one of her friends who also is a childcare provider, but was at the time filled at the time that I called! I was disappointed because I heard great things about this sitter and I didn't know Leah! But I knew the moment I called Ms. Leah and talked with her for the first time that she was going to be a good fit for C! Ms. Leah is patient, positive, loving, and she has a very special way of making you and your child feel special! She is what Caroline needs while her mommy and daddy are working! We absolutely love Ms. Leah! Caroline absolutely loves Ms. Leah! Caroline defintely gives Ms. Leah the run for her money (we are in the 2.5 to 3 behavior stage, ha)! I know that at the end of the day Ms. Leah's hard work and dedication is helping mold and shape our sweet Caroline!

2011-10-18T09:44:00.000-04:00

This little girl loves bags! She loves bags of all sorts from purses to grocery store bags. It's amazing to me how you can buy all these expensive toys for children and they choose the things that are inexpensive or free to play with. Caroline would be fine if she only had bags, detergent caps, and sand as her only toys.

Bag baby!

Go Gamecocks, I'm a singer,

appreciating fire safety, and an

accessory makes this onesie complete.

Now it's daddy's turn!

2011-10-17T13:05:00.000-04:00

Since I was off on Monday, Columbus Day, C and I headed down to see "my twins". I hadn't seen them since Labor Day and I just couldn't wait to kiss their little cheecks and squeeze them! They have grown so much and I'm so thankful that they are thriving, growing well, and gaining weight (Nataleigh weighs 14 lbs and some change and Nicholas weighs 12 lbs and some change).

The Little People

C giving Nicholas some kisses!

When the mommy went to get big brother from school, I couldn't help myself, I just had to get these precious babies dressed up in their Halloween onesies from Aunt Rhonda!

2011-10-14T12:23:00.000-04:00

If Saturday wasn't exciting enough, on Sunday C's Granny and Granddaddy came for a visit. Granny and C had an absolute blast playing in the sandbox, rolling in the grass, reading books, and playing C's favorite, Ring Around the Rosey (what is a rosey anyways?). I was very sneaky about taking these pictures because I didn't want to intrude on their fun. It was so much fun seeing all their fun, even if it was from far away. C can't wait for another Granny and Granddaddy visit!

This picture is my absolute favorite of these two!

2011-10-12T20:11:00.019-04:00

This weekend was fun for many reasons. For one, it was a nice long weekend for me. Parent Teacher conferences were over at noon on Friday and so my extended weekend lasted from noon Friday until 5:30 am Tuesday morning, ha! Needless to say I was pleased with my time off, it was time well spent. I began my weekend my having a lunch date at Grucho's (one of my most favorite dining places) with one of my BFFs, Raven and her sweet 16 month old, Nolan!

On Saturday, The Leviners headed to Rock Hill to see our Kelsey's band compete in the Olde English Festival of Bands. Her band, Boiling Springs High School, came in 1st place as they performed, Twisted! They always outshine in competitions such as these! I love band competitons. I love the fall weather and the music (especially the drumline), ha! I love that its time well spent with family, with my little family, and the fun we always have! This year Big C joined us in the stands and she got a chance to see what we have seen for all these years. That was a treat! Calley, Courtney's BFF and roommate was with us too, she's also a BSHS band alumni! Her boyfriend, Taylor was also performing in the BSHS band. I think I got a pic of him and Kelsey marching near each other..double treat!
I have more posts about this weekend in future posts! For now, I'm just enjoying this post and these pics!

Nolan and Caroline!

Raven and her precious Nolan! This little boy can

always put a smile on his sweet

mommy's face. I am so thankful for that.

The two C's! They are like two peas in a pod. They

bring so much joy to each other's lives. They have a bond

that outlasts most! I love them dearly. They are my heart!

Kelsey (in the middle) and Taylor on the far right!

I am so proud of our Kelsey! I took this pic

from very far away and it looks like Kelsey knew

I was taking it. She always has a smile on her face and is

so photogenic!

The Dukes with Caroline! Oh, how they love her!

Courtney, Caroline, and Calley!

They can be the 3 C's!

2011-10-11T11:59:00.000-04:00

I love all things fallish! I enjoy so many of the things that happen in the season of fall. I love that the weather begins to turn chilly. That means it's burning barrel time for Sam and coffee drinking time for me. I love that we get to pull out our cozy lounge pants, toe socks, and blankets. I love that with every new season of fall comes bright and bold colors like oranges and pinks, yellows and browns, and purples and grays! I immensely enjoy fall gatherings like Sunday School socials, Thanksgiving at Sam's aunt Sue and Uncle Jack's and then with my family, Halloween festivities (although we haven't dressed up for Halloween in years we enjoy attending our neighbor's annual halloween party), and recently our newest trip to Sky Top for apple picking, this will also be a fall tradition, (thanks Heather for recommending this place). I also love fall because with it comes new fall styles and trends and many are very quaint especially for the little people! Yes, I love Caroline's fall clothes. C's Aunt Rhonda buys many of her fall and winter clothes (also her spring and summer) but sometimes I can't help myself when I see cute dresses, or shoes, or jackets and sweaters when we are out and about, and she has to have those new clothes in that hue or color scheme! When it was her first fall I remember dressing her up in several of her new outfits one afternoon! It was playing dress up but with a real baby! She could not even sit up (thank goodness for the bumbo). Ha!
So with fall comes fall pictures. My daddy has always said that there is nothing like a good picture. I don't pretend to be a photography. I don't want to be a photographer. I'll leave that memory taker to the experts, the photographers. We have a wonderful photographer, Patty Hallman! I do however enjoy taking lots of pictures of Caroline and fiddling with or dolling up her pictures on photoshop, a gift that I received from my sweet hubby two Christmases ago. Plus also we love making our Christmas cards and birthday invitations on that same program! I do/want to learn the program better but I don't always have the time to sit and play or read books about it or watch you tube videos on the subject! With all that being said, here's some pics that I took of Miss C after church one Sunday. She's getting quite accustomed to me taking her pictures but I have to take a gizillion of her to have at least some that don't have her eyes closed, etc. I do take some of her not posed (they are usually the best), but a lot of the time I post the ones of her looking and smiling and being cute Miss C! Here's our fun fall photo pics! Love her!

2011-10-07T11:51:00.000-04:00

Introducing...

Princess Caroline!

This girl is such a girly girl...

she can't stand for her toenails to not be polished and she loves this tiara! She's defintely a princess in The Leviner household!

2011-10-05T11:56:00.000-04:00

When Caroline has a great day at Ms. Leah's, she can choose an activity to do when we get home. They vary from painting, coloring with markers (she can color with crayons anytime), getting in the waterpool (when it was hot out), going to the library, going to mommy's classroom to color (yes I will do anything of her choosing, and this is within reason, ha), and eating at a restaurant of choice (she usually chooses "Old McDonald's" or Chick-fil-a). We are currently working on her biting issue (I think this biting phase that everyone keeps telling me that she's in is about over, PTL). Caroline is an oral person, she has what I call an oral fixation. Everything goes into her mouth and she will bite whatever that is: books, backs of chairs, my work name tag, her friends.. (she is not a hard biter, another PTL moment. She was bit pretty hard more than a few times early on and so our peditrician says that she's not forgotten it (by now I think this has turned into an excuse, ha). My child is not perfect and I am not the kind of mom that pretends she does no wrong, she does, but she's growing and hopefully we are moving on from this stage. I think now she has the terrible 3's at 2.5! She is S-A-S-S-Y! I'm sure when my mom reads this she will laugh because she'll be thinking its pay back for when I was little! I was defintely sassy!

Anyways, recently, Caroline chose to paint as her good day behavior reward and here's our little artist! I watched her as she painted and my belief about her already being OCD with organization is true. At one point she lined up the washable paints side by side with the writing side up. She loved painting and now she wants to do it daily.

She's going to be left handed!

This is mommy's fav!

Showing off her artwork!

It's beautiful, baby!

2011-10-04T13:29:00.002-04:00

Today these sweet babies turn 12 weeks old!

I haven't seen them since Labor Day weekend, but they are getting so big and seem to be more alert! I love how wide eyed they are in this picture! They look so cute in their pajama onesies! I'm so thankful that these little ones are apart of our family!

2011-10-03T13:33:00.001-04:00

Caroline has always loved to "help" clean and keep our house tidy! She gets that from her daddy! She is going to be well organized, structured, and a planner as an adult, I am quite sure. I am also these last three things but being organized, I have to say, I do the least of but I am trying to get better. I always tell Sam I am organized in my head. I do like to keep our home clean and I do. There is however stuff everywhere! As I was finishing up some cleaning task, I followed Caroline with her vacuum into the laundry room. I thought she was just going to "vacuum" but instead she was putting it away, in its home so to speak. This act was very cute and I could not help but to snicker out loud! She's so adorable! This immediately brought to mind the saying "children do what you do not what you say"! At least we now have a clean house and it's because Caroline was a big helper on cleaning day!

2011-09-29T06:29:00.005-04:00

Dear Sweet Caroline,
Today, my love, we are celebrating your half birthday! Happy half birthday sweet baby girl. This is the birthday between your second and third birthdays! It just seems so recent that I wrote out your second birthday blog post where I talked about how it seems so unreal that you just turned two and now you are 2.5!
A lot has changed since you turned two. In six months you are doing so many different things from when you were two! You are continuing to talk up a storm. You talk a lot and ask so many questions, your favorite being, "where are we going". We are always on the go and love taking you places! Your most favorite place to go is Lowe's, just like daddy. Every Saturday after our breakfast at McDonald's we find ourselves taking to you Lowe's because you wanted to go! I don't think daddy minds either, he's the reason why you love going! We took you there a lot last spring when daddy was getting our yard ready for the spring and summer! You also have a love for plants. Your favorite plants are roses and you most love when your Uncle Keith gives you a rose everytime you visit and see Aunt Melinda, Kaleb, and the twins. Wow you were two when you became a cousin to twins, Nicholas and Nataleigh! I can't wait to see you play with them when they are older. Right now you try to feed them and you want to help them stay warm and you think they can't be without their pacis just like you! Yes, you are 2.5 and still have a paci!
Wow, your love for books is immense! You love reading books about babies, especially the one by Karen Katz, No Biting! We bought that for you because we thought it would help you understand that biting is something we cannot do to our friends (I think it's safe to say that you are on the tail end of this phase..phew)! You love reading and can identify your name,
Lowe's, Chic-Fil-A, Old McDonald's, CVS, and Publix. You also love books about animals and you love any story about Noah and his Ark!
Speaking of Noah reminds me about church. You so love church and this warms your mommy and daddy's hearts! You always know when we drive by our church during the week and you quickly remind me by squealing "that's my church mommy" and I respond yes it is baby! You love saying your prayers, you love singing Jesus Loves Me (in fact I get teary eyed everytime you sing this song. You are so sincere and you get all the words right). We are so thankful and blessed for your Sunday School teachers and Ms. Andrea and Mr. Kevin who wanted to hold you and love on you as you went to church nursery for the very first time!
Your personality has always shined and it continues to blossom as you become a big girl! I love how you giggle and laugh when something gets you going like when I tickle your belly or when you see something hilarious in a book or on Nick, Jr. You also say some of the funniest things like "oh mommy look at all the birds, are they going to the airport" as we drive across Lake Murray dam. You also say some of the sweetest things too! For instance this weekend when Courtney was visiting and you began singing Jesus Loves Me and I asked you if Jesus loved you and you said, "yes He does" and then looked at Courtney and told her "He loves you too". My hope is that He has already made an impression on your heart and that you'll always look up to Him to get you through anything on this side of Heaven! You can't go through this life without Him baby! I'm so glad that you know He lives in your heart! We love singing Jesus Loves Me to you every night and saying your night night prayers with you!
What else are you up to? Oh, food! Let's see, you love eating at "Old McDonald's"! Cheeseburgers and chocolate milk are your favorites there! You also like Chic-Fil-A, but you always mostly ask to eat at Old McDonald's. Pizza is another favorite too! You are becoming a better eater, too. You've always loved eating fruits like grapes, apples, and strawberries. You are quickly disliking your veggies but when cheese is added in the mix you'll eat almost any veggie. You like eating Rush's vanilla icecream cones, and you'll drink anything from Sonic that your Aunt Rhonda buys for you! You love fruit snacks, especially the kinds that have the gushy middle!
Your stats: You weigh 30 lbs and are 3" tall! WOW! You are getting so big! I just found a blog draft that I never posted about your birth and so I'll share it after this one too.
Here's the biggie: Pottying! You have been trying to potty train since the end of last May. Ms. Leah thought that you would catch on very fast since you are super smart but you didn't quite catch on as soon as we liked. In fact, it's been four months and you are just now going to the potty without being told (mostly)! In the beginning we tried everything to get you to go potty! We took you to the potty every 20 minutes. We gave you a treat for everytime you did go. We have tried pull-ups and big girl panties, and oh training pants with plastic pants. I thought it was a little too soon for us to be working on potty training you but you are finally catching on! But it's always been funny that everytime we went out to eat or to a store you would always say that you need to go potty! Sometimes I think it was just to check the bathroom out because as soon as I pulled down your pants and covered the seat and put you on the potty you'd say, "I don't have to go". Talk about having patience. With this pottying they have been tested!
Ok, your toys! You flip flop from which are your favorites. Right now you love puzzles, your vaccuum cleaner, baby dolls (Curly Sue, Salley, and Emily). You like to write on your magna doodle, play with play-doh, and make music with your band in the box. You love singing and I just hope that you have a singing voice just like your daddy! Your absolute most favorite toy is your pink telephone that Grand gave you! You always call Nicholas and Nataleigh and love telling them about your day with your friends.
Friends! Yes, you have many friends. You love Morgan Kate, Nolan, Neeley, Cooper, Joel, Lucas, baby Lucas, Rebekah, Hannah, Nathanaiel, Cash, James, Sarah Ann, Charlie, and Anna Claire! We love playdates with your friends!
How you are like your mommy: You are sassy! You want everything your way! You are eager and ambitious, determined to do it, try it, or at least attempt. You have compassion! How you are like your daddy: You are laid back! You are very neat (you don't like being dirty, you put your toys away without being asked, and you love washing your hands and you keep your play kitchen toys clean with Clorox wipes (can some of this cleaning rub off on your mama, please). Everything makes you laugh and you'll try anything once. You want to be just like your mommy and daddy in many ways but your own little personality is shining through more and more as you grow and learn!
We love you baby girl and are so blessed beyond measure that you are ours! The joy you bring into our lives is immeasureable! We are better people and parents because of you! Thank you Sweet Caroline! You will always be mommy's Doodle and daddy's Scoot!
Love and Prayers,
Mommy and Daddy

Happy 2.5 Sweet Caroline!

Calling Nicholas and Nataleigh on your "tellyphone"!

2011-09-28T15:47:00.000-04:00

Last Saturday Big C came to visit little C! It was such a fun visit, one that I was so sad when it was over! C adores C! Little C still asks if Courtney is coming back to see her. Of course I tell her that she is! We had fun on Saturday, eating (minus the after affect), shopping, and playing! After church on Sunday, Big C left and it was bittersweet! Bittersweet because she's now able to come and visit and see us more but sad that she had to leave all too soon! We can't wait for Big C to come back! We already miss her!

The Two C's!

Love them!

2011-09-27T13:16:00.001-04:00

I just have to blog how excited I am for this sweet couple and friends, Blythe and Eric! They have just adopted their precious daughter, Emma Kate! I'm posting this because I know how excited they are for Emma Kate to be a part of their family as their daughter and for Hendrix to have a baby sister! My heart is just so happy and warm for this very sweet family!

2011-09-26T15:32:00.000-04:00

This picture warms my heart! It was taken last week and it's of my Maw-Maw holding the twins for the very first time! She looks so proud of the twins and I know she is! She hasn't seen them before now due to timing and illness (twins had strep when they were three weeks old). Tomorrow Nicholas and Nataliegh will be 11 weeks old! I miss them. I need to take a trip to see them. Caroline wants to see them and she pretends to call them on her "tellyphone"! I really think that they are mine!

2011-09-22T15:49:00.000-04:00

Sky Top 2011!

When my bestie, Heather said she had an absolute good time picking apples at Sky Top last year I knew I wanted to take C! We went the Sunday after our Clemson visit! Priss loved picking apples and she wasn't completely satisfied unless she was in a tree picking! My favorite apples are Pink Lady and they weren't in season yet but we got plenty of Fuji and Granny Smith apples! It was a lot of fun and we very much enjoyed watching C play with her two big cousins, C and K, run around in the orchard, and have the experience of picking her own fruit! Sam is super excited and wants to return to Sky Top in October but we are also looking at going to Steps apple orchard which is also in Hendersonville, NC!

Big girl!

Where are they?

Having fun, fun, fun!

Every time we turned around and saw C she was eating apples.

She would find one, take a bite, grab another, take a bite!

I think we counted seven apples that she nibbled!

Another apple!

Oh and another!

The Dukes! Love them!

C picking more apples with Uncle D...

and eating her finds, yum, yum!

Sam was MIA at the orchard and when he came back

this is how I found him!

If she wasn't eating apples

she was picking them!

Kelsey reaching for her produce!

The Leviners!

The Two C's!

The Mommy and the Daddy...

and Their Doodle!

AW! We had such a great day!

Another apple, another bite!

It was a hard's day work picking all those apples!

Oh my goodness, another one down!

Yep, to say we went!

My absolute two favs!

Exactly 3" and 30 lbs!

Scoot and her pumpkin!

The one she picked all by herself!

2011-09-20T12:01:00.000-04:00

Before the game we tailgated with some very yummy foods! I think I could eat mashed potatoes with gravy, fried chicken, and drink sweet tea daily! The food was great but the fellowship was more than fun! I love hanging out with my family!

Yes, Sam and I have a house divided. He

goes for Clemson!

C's Uncle D with his mother, (we all call her grandmother)!

Miss Kelsey!

Melissa and Grandmother!

After having trekked 2.5 miles we are still all smiles

but very very hot!

The Leviners!

Miss Caroline had the absolute

best time with her cousins!

2011-09-18T16:25:00.008-04:00

Our Big C!

On the 9th of this month we went to Death Valley to celebrate my niece, Courtney's, 18th birthday! Our first destination at Clemson was to visit Courtney's dorm room. It was just as I thought and brought back tons of college memories. She and her roommate, which is also her BFF from back home (another college memory), had everything set up very nice, pretty, and well quite homey. As I snooped around I saw so much more of what our Courtney's all about and how much her college reminded me of so many of my first college memories. The girls like things orderly, real orderly like bed made, desktop cleaned, clothes in closet, dresser sparkly with all their jewels, momentos and notes to and from each other wishing for a great day and a "I'll meet you for lunch" types of notes (notes like this from my roommate and bestie Heather, kept me going, I don't know if she really knew the depth of their importance to me, she was pretty special and made college a ton of fun..more about that later)! It was like I had stepped back into 1998- FOR REAL!

Courtney loves her family and her BFF's! This was defintely shown by all of her pics displayed on her side of the room. Of course I smiled big when I saw that she had C and the twins in her collection. That was PRESH!

As I moved around her room I noted the similarity of everything college: loft beds, dorm keys, school id, snacks, fridge, foutons, tv, alarm clocks, and the dorm room/hall atmosphere, and even the residence hall bathroom (glad that this memory for me wasn't all that horrible, really). After all of this and considering I was at Clemson (my university's rival) I felt proud. Proud of my sweet niece for choosing college, proud that she's chosen to go the "higher education" route, proud of what she stands for in herself, her faith, and most importantly her God! Never would I imagine that 18 years ago, this time would be here so quickly! I love you our "Big C" and I'm so proud of the young lady you have become. Clemson will defintely be a better place because of you!

Romans 8:28 is the verse you'll read before entering

Manning's, dorm room 4D!

The Two C's!

This is a picture of Courtney and Pops, (my dad)
when C was a baby! This picture made me teary
for many reasons but the main one is how

she treasures it!

Quotes for inspiration and BFF memories, love it!

The memory board is awesome! I like the money part!

Tons of college fun!

The "Don't Be a Jerk Jar" and "Swearing" jar seems

to be a money maker for these girls!

Gotta love all things college!

2011-09-17T16:47:00.000-04:00

After Levinerville, we headed to The Pages so that I could love on my "chillin" as I call them! Oh, this picture doesn't even put a dent into how sweet they really are. Remember how I told you a few posts back that I wasn't jealous that this twin didn't have the twins? I think I'm taking that back. I'm a smidgen more jealous! They are precious, thriving, and getting bigger by the day! I love these sweet babies!

2011-09-16T15:23:00.000-04:00

On Labor Day, The Leviners headed down to Levinerville for a day of fun! Sam set up the croquet set and the children loved it. I didn't know that there were so many different rules to playing this outdoor game but Sam read the instructions to see if we've been playing right all these years and apparently we haven't. I just thought that you had to hit the ball between the stakes until you've reached the end. Apparently I've been living in the "ignorance is bliss" mode when it comes to this game. I knew it could not be just this simple! Oh well, we'll continue to play as we always have, the way my granddaddy taught me when I was a kid!

This little girl had a blast learning to play croquet.

Just look at that big smile as her daddy helps her!

Then the big cousins attempted to show little girl

how to ride a big bike! This was fun!

Samantha playing croquet! She's so beautiful!

2011-09-13T15:45:00.000-04:00

A few Sundays ago our Sunday School class particiapted in our church's tailgate Sunday where we ate a delicious bar-b-que lunch on the grounds! It was a lot of fun, a lot of food, and most importantly a lot of fellowship!

Catherine, Elizabeth, Brooke, Claudia

& Emma

C and Olivia

Holly and Caroline

Daddy and his scoot!

Bella pushing Caroline!

2011-09-12T15:14:00.001-04:00

This past weekend was just a plain fun weekend with family! I loved every minute of celebrating our big C's birthday this weekend! Here's a sneak peak of our fun at the Clemson game on Saturday and our apple picking trip on Sunday at Sky Top. I have many many pictures to post! I'm still living in the moment of all of the fun that we had!

Priceless! C just loves her girls!

Caroline also loves big group hugs so she caught

C and K by surprise by pushing them together!

She was all about helping pick Aunt Rhonda's

Granny Smith's!

2011-09-07T16:19:00.000-04:00

I just love these two precious twin babies! Nicholas and Nataleigh are eight weeks old. The twins have both doubled their weight! Nataleigh weighs 12 lbs and Nicholas weighs 10 lbs. They are sweet babies! I can't wait to love on them again!

2011-09-06T15:54:00.000-04:00

This sweet miracle baby girl just turned three in mid August and we had a blast helping celebrate her 3rd birthday! The theme was based on the very popular Children's book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar". The theme, food, decorations, and the fellowship were all very fun. It was so much fun and I believe Morgan Kate had the most fun, rightfully so! I loved watching her twirl in her new tutu, blow out the candle on her cupcake, and laugh when anyone wished her a happy birthday! Morgan Kate is just a delight and we love her so so so very much (including her precious mommy and daddy). She's a pretty special baby girl and I'm so glad that she is apart of our lives, especially Caroline's!

The Birthday Girl!

MK's mama, Heather, and my C wearing the party gear!

This precious boy, Luke, was such a gentleman!

He is already a lady's man, look at his arm wrapped around my C!

Heather, Melissa, and Micki enjoying the birthday festivities!

Morgan Kate twirling in her new tutu! Dance might

just be her thing, she's already so graceful!

C having the best time celebrating!

The girls and their makeup! Fun stuff!

Melissa, Heather, Erin, and Micki!

2011-09-02T14:38:00.002-04:00

A girls gotta have her laptop and cell phone!

How else is she supposed to keep up with her social biz!

2011-09-01T12:08:00.000-04:00

This summer (yes I'm still in summer mode), Caroline participated in our library's reading summer program. For every two hours that she read she earned prizes. So we charted it in incriments of 15 minutes. So after she (I) colored in eight 15 minute picture book boxes on her reading log card we'd go get the next level's prize. She loved it! When she had her sheet completely filled and went to the library to get her last prize, she was hoot! She stood at the children's department desk and waited paitently for her reading medal, stickers, and coupons for treats. We had to wait awhile since the children's dir. was assisting other friends. When it was C's turn she pushed her book record card over the desk to the lady nicely and grinned from ear to ear. She giggled when the lady began talking to her about how many books she'd read and even noted the list of favorites that we added to the favorite side of her card. She was so proud of herself that she was beyond tickled. My only regret is that I wished that I had signed her up for last year's reading incentive program! We have added going to the library as a reward for when she has great days at Ms. Leah's! My hope is that Caroline will love books and become an avid reader like her mommy!

Here's big girl adding her last star sticker by her name!

Yay, baby! I'm so proud of you!

All grins while showing off her new medal!

2011-08-31T12:17:00.000-04:00

This summer we (well C) have spent a lot of our time in the "waterpool" as C calls it! She loves the big waterpool (the 1st pic). She loves that daddy can "jump in" like her. She loves that she can "swim" all around daddy and always says with a "watch mommy" for any new tricks that she can do! Since school has begun our waterpool time is also a reward or an incentive for having a great day at Ms. Leah's (along with going to the library, McDonald's, etc). It's hard to think of a two year old already having rewards and incentives when I teach first grade but yep we do! This little one is a hoot and keeps us on our toes fo' sho'!

C and daddy in C's waterpool!

In early August we celebrated our friend, Amy's, birthday at the big waterpool! C, and Amy's son, Cooper had a great time swimming with their daddy's!

Miss C had a blast with these swimmies...

her daddy...

and this float!

2011-08-30T15:36:00.000-04:00

I am way way behind on my blogging. With getting a new school year started and being a mommy and a wife, somethings take precedence (but you know how much I love to blog)! I thought that these two pics of our girl were cute and wanted to share. I am not quite sure what she is pointing at in the first picture but I am sure it was something that caught her eye and wanted me to see it too! She is showing you her big smile in the second picture! This is what she now does when we try to take a picture of her. Most of my pictures of her are when she's like this or she has her face turned etc. She's so busy that it's really hard to even good a good one of her standing still (and posed pictures are not always the best ones, so I love to take pictures of her playing too).

2011-08-19T23:10:00.006-04:00

Our big C moves into Clemson tomorrow! WOW! It's been 13 years (August 16, 1998) since that day for me (I'm old, ha)! I'm super excited for C and I know she'll enjoy this whole new college experience. Courtney is a pretty special girl and yes, I did get a little teary talking to her this afternoon about her day tomorrow. She's excited! She absolutely can't wait! In my mind she's still playing band in her high school's marching band, she's still volunteering hours at her local dog shelter, she's still participating in Special Olympics, she's still spending her school lunches helping in her school's special education department, not going away to college to learn her career. She's fabulous and Clemson will be a better place because of her! I love you Courtney and we wish you all the best in your new home away from home!
Mute the playlist at the bottom before hearing a very special message from the big C's little C!

2011-08-17T15:24:00.006-04:00

This little girl loves to sing just like her daddy! Even when the water drained she was still singing away (mute the playlist at the bottom before playing video)!

2011-08-13T14:02:00.002-04:00

As a new school year is soon approaching I am reminded of the type of job that I do, and quite frequently. A dear friend sent me this link and I wanted to share it with you! I know as a teacher mommy it put a smile on my face but it also made me a little teary. Many thoughts ran through my mind as I was watching the clip, thoughts about my own C and how much she seems to grow and develop daily (and how now when I try to look and think back about her being just a baby its a blur, how sad for me). It also heavily reminds me of my job as a teacher and what many roles I have to be for so many of my students. At the start of each school year, I become excited and very motivated all while the nervousness sets in about what the year will bring. I'm constantly thinking about what can I do this year to be an even better teacher. As teachers, we are constantly trying to prescribe what strategies and skills are needed to help our students learn and sometimes we have to try more than once before we get it right, even still it can be difficult, but I love to try new things and I have a love for learning professionally. I also have a great team at my school and we work very well together!
I am excited about the upcoming school year but thinking about all the fun that I've had with Miss C this summer and saying goodbye to some of our daily activities makes me very sad. I have to keep telling myself that she needs to be with her friends at Ms. Leah's, and I have to work!
Enjoy the clip!