The Big Trip- Stop Two

After spending a week in Gainesville, we moved on to our old stompin' grounds of Augusta. For those of you who haven't heard this already, I HATED Augusta for about 3 years out of the 3.5 years that we lived there. I complained constantly. But then we got really involved in St. Mary's and met wonderful people, (3 families which we were able to see on our trip), and I no longer wanted to move. I loved my house and my church and my friends...and it was too late. I will say, though, that after this trip, if a job opened up in GA for Bryan- we'd be there!

~

We got into Augusta- feeling like we'd come home. I truly wanted to cry it felt so right driving down I-20 from Atlanta. Just like the old days when we'd spend a weekend up in Gainesville. We went on to Ruth's house, and Danielle and her 5 kids met up there. Unfortunately, with the late notice of our trip, both John and Steve had to work, so Bryan was stuck with 3 women and their 10 kids. Never fear, 8 of those kids were boys and there was a Wii, so I think he was only mildly miserable.

Jonah: Dude! You can't so that!

Nick (white shirt): Wanna bet?

(Also pictured, Alex on the couch and Johnny next to Nick.)

Nick: TOLD YA!! Who's the man?

(Poor Bryan is reading Southern Living and there's Sarah in the background, trying to find a peaceful corner away from all the boys! She was the only girl besides Selah. She has 2 older and 2 younger brothers, Can you imagine being a guy wanting to date her?)



Jonah to Johnny: If you cross this line, I'll be forced to chop off your head!

Jonah: Well....I warned you!

Selah (with her little baby pigs sticking out): Daddy, I don't think I have bit your hand yet today...C'mere!"

Most of the kids, behaving themselves.

Danielle and her "baby," David- who's already 2!!!!!

(He was playing with the croutons while we were talking...)

Hope you were done with your sweet tea there, Danielle!

(Those would be croutons floating in it.)

Danielle, Ruth and I- and Selah, of course!

(Poor Danielle was miserably sick, and she still loaded up 5 kids by herself and came to see me! Thanks, Danielle! I would have showed up on your doorstep if you hadn't!!!)

Selah Ruthie hanging out with Miss Ruthie.

I wish Selah could grow up with Miss Ruthie next door, but since she can't, we will just have to come visit often!

Jonah and Johnny, acting like boys, I suppose.

Noah and Joseph-TAKE ONE.

(Johnny popped out from under the coffee table for this one.)

Noah and Joseph- TAKE TWO.

(Jonah had to upstage Johnny and actually jump in front of the camera.)

Thought bubble over Noah's head: You have GOT to be kidding me. Do you know how painful it is to be standing here taking pictures repeatedly when there are TOYS I haven't seen in a YEAR to play with????

Noah and Joseph- TAKE THREE!

Well, it could have been worse...

~

After a wonderful dinner (Thanks Ruth!) and lots of fun, we said our goodbyes (it was a school night after all-sorry!) and we headed over to the Ozden's for dessert and....

A trip to the ER?

Nah, look how tough he is! A gash in the back of his head is nothing to worry about. He's a tough one, alright!

(According to Jonah, he was just laying on the bed watching TV, and the two 3-year-olds KNOCKED HIM OFF! (Hmmm...) He whacked the back of his head on a corner of the bed on his way down, and ended up pretty bloody, but, being Jonah, didn't even notice. By the time he realized he was bleeding, it had mostly stopped! It could have used a few stitches, but it's the back of his head, so...scars make boys tough- right?)

Here's Bella having a ball in the jumping house in the foyer! There's Noah, the firefighter, in the background. A bit worn out, I think!

Bryan, Jonah and Brian, playing soccer on the PS3.

(Sorry for my child's shoes on your coffee table!! He really does know better, he must have been showing off his new Construction Orange Crocs- that Bryan hates!)

Noah: You are such a beautiful princess, Bella!

Can I go to bed now?

Noah, in true Noah fashion, still does "the head crawl" when he's overtired! (It was about 11 PM.)

Brice (7 months), laughing at Selah (6 months). He said she had a big belly. I think she was a little offended.

Brice: "Sorry, Selah! I didn't mean it. Can't we still be friends?"

Selah: Mommy! Get me out of here!!

It's time to head on to DC! I better make sure my star blanket gets folded up right!

We sure do miss you guys in Augusta! Hope to see you again soon! Thanks for a great visit!

The big trip- Stop One

Our first stop on our trip was Gainesville, GA where Bryan's brother and sister live with their families. With the arrival of Selah and our new niece, there are now 7 boys (4 of them aged 7, a 5, 4 and 3 year old) and the two little girls. It was great meeting our niece and seeing all the boys again. My boys had a blast, and there are more pictures on facebook, send me an email if you want a link to them.

Selah's first experience with a cup of water per doctor's orders.

Apparently she wasn't too impressed.

Noah LOVED the all-but-life-sized Millennium Falcon!


Somebody else's swing is still a swing and I am not impressed.



Noah, watch this!
I can lift my skirt!

SELAH! I can't look up your skirt! That is not right!

Okay, Noah, you can give me a lesson in modesty...

(Particularly funny if you have ever stopped by our house unannounced. Noah is often in his underwear...and sometimes not even that.)

Aunt Keri ROCKS! She let us make play dough. Mine was green!

Mine was yellow!

This is what happens when the 3 year old is unsupervised for 25 seconds. He finds a way to make a horrendous mess...

Then Aunt Keri let us make slime!

And then...

we all left the mess to go play and Uncle Chris cleaned it up.

(Well...Keri and I both had babies to hold! Thanks, Chris!)

It's like getting a rid on the Jolly Green Giant!

(Uncle Chris is 6' 4")

Thanks for a great visit you guys! Can't wait to come back this summer!

Selah's first half birthday

(Which means she is 6 months, in case you need a little help, there.)

She kind of got ripped off. But then, she is the 3rd kid, she may as well get used to it now!

Since we gave her cereal a few days early, there wasn't really anything exciting to do for her. And since we were trying to get ready to go out of town (as in her half birthday was March 2nd and I am way behind...) well, what you see is what you get!

Selah, showing off her new 6 month skills- chewing a toy and kicking off her slippers at the same time. (She has 6 of them now- teeth I mean. And still thinks the devil is hiding in her cereal. She now takes bites, and then proceeds to spit them all over me- EVERYTIME! I figure it's probably good for my skin and it smells a whole lot better than spit up!)

Here's Selah's half of a gift.

(It was a terrible idea to take a picture of it on top of the American quilt, I apologize for the ill feeling in your stomach as you look at these colors.)

I did make her PART of a quilt.

And I have actually finished putting the batting and the backing on. I just have to finish the open edge- I cheated- and "quilt" it. Haha. Maybe for her first birthday.

It's not exactly what I had in mind, but it only has a moderate number of mistakes, and it'll do. Hopefully she'll like it, too!

2906 miles...

59 hours and 48 minutes of actual drive time

$20.50 in tolls

13 days

11 states plus the District of Columbia

4 babies

1 parking ticket, towed car and broken windshield

and a ton of food, friends, and fun!

Thanks to all who fed and housed us!

We had a great trip and I will post pictures as soon as we get the house put back together!

Apparently I am WAY behind...

So here are a bunch of random pictures from the last couple of weeks. I know there are more somewhere, but I do have other things to do...

Playing with the boys' toys when they are in bed!

If you look closely, you can see Selah's foot- meaning she is in her jumpy thing ( I still don't know what to call it) WHILE her dear sweet brothers fight around her. (For some reason, Noah prefers the broom over lightsabers. Probably because it is more dangerous!)

Noah, after a nap. Overdue for a haircut, maybe?


Bryan and the boys shredding "sensitive" documents.
They had a blast- the boys anyway! They played a game in which they picked up a piece of paper and "read" it before they shredded it. It went something like this, "Free Star Wars Ty fighter...really works and flies in outerspace...OOOPPS! Shredded that one!" or "Check for $1 million. OOPS! Shredded that one, too." They had so much fun thinking of cool things.
And when Bryan took a break they would come into the dining room and "drive" the sewing machine for me as I worked on Selah's quilt. (They loved using the foot pedal to make the machine work. I need to learn to say no- there are quite a few mistakes thanks to their "driving"...and quite a few thanks to mine, too!)

7.
That is how many bags of shredded paper there were!
Poor Bryan! It would be nice if the Army didn't put social security numbers on everything!

More broken glass.
The story is...
I was on top of the van (who needs a ladder?) changing a few light bulbs in the garage. I called Jonah to open the garage door to make sure the bulbs worked before I got down.
Now, we all know that if you ask one child to do you a favor, then the other has to find out what he is missing out on. (Unless said favor is "pick up your toys," or " brush your teeth," or "LEAVE YOUR POOR SISTER ALONE!")
So, the extra light bulb for the other socket (3 of the 4 lights were burned out in the garage) was sitting on the steps. And in true 3 year old fashion....Noah HAD to play with it! I caught him and asked him to put it back in the protector-seeing as how this was the last light bulb I had. He did, and then heard the shredder start up again, and ran off to check on that. MIRACULOUSLY remembering to close the door.
But, of course, he had set the light bulb in the door way, so as he shut the door, there was a very ominous crunch sound.
Broken glass AND an unfinished project...Lovely.


If you leave your yogurt unattended while your 3 year old is at the table....expect to have to get a new one.

Oh, no!

I'm outta here!

I kind of panicked (yes that is spelled right, I looked it up) when I saw this.

When questioned he said, "Well, I didn't know how to spell skinny."

Noah is now addicted to Legos along with Jonah. And he can build some amazing stuff, especially since he is 3.

Here he is, showing off his space shuttle- from timeout. (No, he should not have his toy in timeout.)

Why is he in timeout?

Because this was what I had heard:

Jonah: MOM! Noah wrecked my plane!

Noah: But I needed a wing and that was the only one I could find!

Jonah's poor wrecked plane.

Selah, eating the buckle on her jumper. I eventually had to change her clothes, because she literally would not stop- 20 minutes straight!

We had learned liquid measurements and conversions in "school." So Jonah was practising and Noah was making me some coffee. (Selah was just wishing she could join in the fun!)

More Lego projects.

Selah, ready to go shopping!

This one is for you, Tammy! (Thanks to the Ozdens!)

Her shirt reads:

"If you think I'm cute you should see my Godmother."

Selah, warming her feet.

(She did this all by herself. She even had to scoot to get her feet to it. Guess she takes after Noah!)

Do you like my new bunny slippers?

After 4.5 months, Selah still cries every time she is put down for a nap. She takes stubborn to a new level! (I thought Noah was bad when it took him 6 weeks!)

Noah, building a race car.

The boys "racing" their cars. Poor Noah, he just can't move as fast!

Showing off his car.

Jonah, showing off his.

Look! The hood even opens!

And you can see the engine!