Valentine's Visitors

The boys had their first tub together this week.  Much fun was had, and LOTS of splashing and laughing!

The library here in Wake Forest does a storytime for toddlers every week.  We took Carter up there this week for the first time and he loved it!  Look at my sweet boy, front and center, listening to the story...

There is a park right next to the library and we walked over there after storytime to let Carter play for a few minutes.  Here I am with the boys (Kate was in school that morning)

We had special visitors in town this week for Valentine's Day...Mimi and Auntie Daria!!  It's always such a joy to have family come visit!  We got to do lots of fun things around Wake Forest this time.  Quite a difference from the last time my sister was able to come visit (helping us move into W. Oak last August!)  Here they are with Carter on a rocket at the little park outside the library.

Hudson is getting so strong.  Look at him standing up like such a big boy!  He's barely holding on to Mimi!

Anna Kate had her 4th birthday this week and we all got to go to her birthday party over at Jumpin' Beans!  Here's everyone singing to the birthday girl...

Kate and AK having a great time in the jumpy thing

Josh had just as much fun jumping as the kids did :)

Maybe he had a little too much fun?!

There is a super cute little Tea Room in downtown and we went there for a ladies lunch later in the week.

They served Kate her pink lemonade in her very own pink teapot.  She LOVED that!!

My little lady

Kate is riding her bike so well now.  She rode with Josh all the way down to the seminary and back (that's one mile roundtrip!)

Carter wanted to get out and ride a little bit too.  He can't go nearly as far yet since he still won't put his feet on the pedals.  He prefers to Fred Flintstone around, which we don't mind because it makes us laugh :)

1, 2, 3, Auntie Daria!!!

We are waiting for Hudson to crawl!  I can't believe my baby is old enough for this.  It will be anyday...as soon as he can figure out how to get that left foot out from under him.

Kate loves playing in my shoes and also loves to change her clothes, several times a day!  Here she is in what she calls her 'ladybug' outfit with a pair of my boots on.  I should have videoed her walking down the hall in this get-up.  Hilarious!

Carter and Hudson playing ball

Me and the kiddos.  Love them!

February Fun

Our new friends Justin and Jackey Perry invited us to their house for dinner last week.  We made homemade pizzas and had a great time hanging out with them!  They are also planting a church this spring, in Tampa, FL and will be moving in a few months.  So we have to take advantage of the time they have left up here!  Here's Kate and Carter working together to get their pizza made just right.

This is Justin and Jackey's daughter Abigail.   The kids had so much fun playing with her!  Isn't she cute?  I loved her little painted toes :)

Fun times at Harris Teeter.  The little shopping cart that Kate was using had a sign up top that said "Customer in Training".  She thought she was something else pushing around her own cart, with real food in it!  She was in charge of produce and bread :)

The weather this week has been amazing...we are so ready for spring, but realistically expecting at least one more cold snap before it's all said and done.  But we'll take full advantage of the beautiful, warm days and be outside!

George turned 40 this weekend and Catherine had a big party for him at their house.  She had a cake made for him that said "Old Guys Rule" :)

Here I am with my baby girl at the party, getting some sweet love :)  This picture makes me laugh because Carter is peeking over the stairs in the background.  Think he was keeping tabs on his mama!

Here's Carter with Abby.  Aren't they sweet?  Josh said he was "steady mackin'".  Don't think I'm ready for that yet.  May never be.

The 20/20 conference was this weekend at the seminary and we had several friends come in town to attend.  When we have company, Kate gives up her room and bunks with us.  She gets so excited to be in Mommy and Daddy's room for the night!  Here she is all set up with her tent and sleeping bag!

From l. to r. Tyler and Leah Recker, Blake Grubbs, Josh and Hudson (who has again fallen asleep in a restaurant during lunch!)  Always great to see friends from home...

Not only did George bring us that super fun train table for the boys to have, he brought over a kid-sized 4-wheeler!  It's battery operated and the kids both like riding it.  Here is Carter checking it out.  He really wasn't too sure about it, but went around a time or two.

Josh opened both the gates to the backyard and Kate was riding the circuit around the outside of the house for a good 30 minutes...Round and round and round :)

We got Kate a new booster seat for Josh's truck.  They've been taking turns riding in Daddy's truck since September.  We have to keep up with whose turn it is to ride since there has only been one carseat in there.   Anyway, this is a BIG deal for the kids to be able to both ride with Daddy, at the SAME time!  This is the first outing...they were beyond excited!

More good times around the table...

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Baby Love

We have had the privilege of meeting so many wonderful new people up here in Wake Forest!  The Davis Family are some of our newest friends.  Rachael and Dan are in the small group we've been going to, and are also in seminary.  They have Lana (2) and a baby on the way!  They came over for dinner and here are Dan and Lana feeding Hudson.  A big sister in the making!

Stephanie and I have been carpooling for preschool and it is wonderful!  The girls love riding together and the mommies have fun too!  They had "Pajama Day" at school this week.  Here are Kate and Anna Kate out in our front yard after school that day.  Don't they look like they could be sisters?  Two blond-haired, blue-eyed little cutie pies!

Sweet big sis, playing with Hudson

Bailey loves the storm door, although she did walk right into it when we first moved in.  She loves the view...

My sweet friend Jordan Lewis came over to hang out with us one afternoon last week.  Her daughter Lily is about a month younger than Hudson.  They had such fun playing together...lots of staring :)

Jordan let Kate feed Lily her bottle.  That absolutely made Kate's day...she's been wanting to feed a baby a bottle since Carter was a baby!

And Carter got his day made too!  George and Catherine were so kind to give us this table they made for their boys when they were younger.  George built it, and Catherine painted it.  Isn't that cool that now our boys get to enjoy it?!

Within minutes, Kate and Carter figured out that they could fit under the table.  They played like this most of the rest of the day.  Love the sparkly pink princess shoes sticking out :)

We were so excited to have the Crafts, Lyons and Knights over for dinner.  The Knights and the Crafts are moving to DC in the spring to plant a church, so we have to make sure we see them as much as possible in the next three months!  Page and Joey's baby girl Sayde is due the beginning of March.  The kids loved snuggling with Page and rubbing her belly...

Page's baby shower was this weekend.  It was a fun afternoon to spend with the ladies and 'ooh' and 'aah' over lots of pink, frilly, fun baby girl gifts!  Here's me and Stephanie in a rare shot together.  We are both usually behind the camera, keeping the pictures coming for our blogs!