Happy Halloween

Our two little trick-or-treaters are in bed for the night in spite of all the sugar they inhaled this evening.  

Gavin was a dragon and loved walking around shaking his dragon tail tonight.

 

Emma was a Princess, of course.  She actually bought this costume with her own money while we were at Disney this summer.  

 

 

These guys did not want me taking pictures of them this afternoon, they were just ready to get the party started.  They were eagerly waiting on two other families to join us for pizza, sweets and trick-or-treating.

Every Princess needs a Dragon and every Dragon needs a Princess to love.  These two love each other indeed and nothing makes me happier.

Pumpkin Patch 2012

Today we made our yearly visit to the Pumpkin patch to let the kiddos pick out the perfect little fella that would soon become our Jack O' Lantern.  The middle of the day is not the best time to go because my red headed children do not do well in full sunlight, they are quite the squinters.

 

 

Every year we visit a local church to support their Pumpkin Patch fundraising efforts, they had some great pumpkins this year.

 

Here they are, my little squinters that could barely stand to open their little eyes.  Of course Gavin is over my picture taking in about 10 seconds, so this is the best I could get.

 

 

I will never forget the first time we took this little girl to the Pumpkin Patch, she was only 3.5 months old, where has the time gone?

This boy ran in and out of the pumpkins like they were a maze.  He tried to sit on them, stand on them and pick them all up.

 

Finally got him to stop for a second to take a picture for his Momma, doesn't happen often.

 

 

Sweet Daddy carrying our Pumpkin to the car and excited that he gets to bring this guy to life.  My kids are so blessed by this man and do not even realize how lucky they are to have such a kind, considerate, good hearted and dedicated father. No doubt in my mind one day they will know the value of having a hands on Daddy that never missed a single event in their life, led by example, worked hard and loved them unconditionally. 

 

We have had a family fun filled day, that is not over yet.  We are still roasting pumpkin seeds and watching the Spooky Buddies Halloween Hound. Nothing better than the memories we are making today as the Frazier Four!  

Nanny Love

One day this week I came home to three smiling faces that were so proud of the pumpkins they created. Our Nanny came to work with a bag full of goodies for the kids and they spent their day crafting away.

 

Just realized I never introduced our new Nanny that came to work for us in July, so meet Miss Becca.  She has worked out wonderfully and loves our kids as much as they love her, can you tell?   I am so thankful for this sweet girl who helps keep our home running smoothly, our son in MDO and Emma in our school of choice.  She has blessed us in so many ways and has allowed us to keep our kids on a schedule we/they love.  Gavin is in school from 9-2 and Emma attends from 8:05-1:50.  We scored when we snatched her straight out of the water, she just happens to be one of Emma's summer league swim coaches too.

Becca is our 3rd Nanny (all have been beyond amazing) and we are praying she stays with us for at least 2 more years and then we are hoping to juggle it all on our own, once little man starts Kindergarten.  In the meantime we will continue to enjoy all the help we can get.

My Pirate Boy

"Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope." ~ Dr. Suess

 

 

This is probably my favorite picture from his 3 year old photo shoot and just sums up who is in a nutshell.

One of the things I love most about this amazing little boy is his ability to dream, imagine, tell a story, pretend and live life.  He is such a great story teller that he has his sister asking, "Mom, is Will really a person?" (when Will is his imaginary friend).  Sunday morning he woke up telling us that he rode a dragon to a fishing hole and spent time with his Grandfather.  He loves to tell us about his trips to outer space, his visits with his grandfather (that lives in heaven), sailing the seas with his pirate friends searching for gold and about the monsters that come to life at night when all the rest of the world is fast asleep.  I love to listen, I take in every word he says, I ask questions and MOST of all I encourage him to keep dreaming. 

I am blown away daily at his ability to role play and be so creative with his 3 year old mind, it is interesting, it is different, it is fun to observe and it is GAVIN THOMAS.   He is a dreamer, he is a leader, he is a creator, he is strong willed, he is smart, he is witty, he is hilarious, he is mischievous, he is active, he is wild and HE IS MY SON. 

 

This kid NEVER meets a stranger and is the first one to extend his hand and say, "Hi, my name is Gavin."  I love hearing him say it.   Last week when our Nanny picked him up from MDO he saw  a little boy with his Mom and shouted, "Wow, you have a really cool Mom."   His vocabulary increases daily and his new favorite words are, cool & actually.

 

I loving walking in the door after work and hearing his little feet run across the kitchen screaming, "Mooooommmmmmmaaaaa!"  He usually jumps up in my arms and squeezes my neck super hard, lays his head on my shoulder, says I love you and then wiggles his way back down to the floor and is off to play again.

 

...there is nothing like the love a little boy!

USA swimming ~ First Meet

Woo, we are beyond exhausted but it was a great weekend supporting Emma Caroline in the pool.  Started yesterday at 7 in the morning and ended today at noon for us.   Long two days for sure, but it was packed with warm ups, swimming, playing with friends and cheering on the cutest little 5 year old that went off the dive block.

 

This girl was so excited to compete, navigated her way around like she had been doing it for years and determined to improve her times.

I love this picture!  Anyone who knows me in real life, knows that this is my personality to at "T" and always has been.  She might look like her Daddy, but this girl is ALL me!

 

Emma posed like this and declared it her, I can not be beat pose.  She cracked me up all weekend, seriously.  Far from her dress, ruffle pants, pointed toe and hands on her hips picture, huh?

 

 

She was so excited that Aunt Stacey, Hunter & Camryn came to cheer her on as she dove off block #2 ready to go.   We were so proud of this girl in so many ways.  There were 23 girls swimming against her in the 25 Free and she placed 8/23.  We were ecstatic, especially since she was swimming in the 8 and under category as a 5 year old.  When we picked up her baby blue 8th place ribbon, she was thrilled but she said, "oh Mom I wish it was PINK" (ha ha).

 

This is one of Emma's best friends Lauren that she has loved since she was three.  Lauren is in 1st grade and Emma looks up to her so much, she is an amazing swimmer also.  These two have danced together forever and now they have swam summer and select together too.

 

My sweet girl waiting for the signal to make her way up to the block.  The lady at the block fell in love with Emma instantly and found us today to see how she did.

 

 

Look at that face. She is concentrating so hard and is ready to go, she knows if she has a false start she is disqualified.

 

There she goes, check out that dive that she is still working hard to perfect.   Getting so much better, but she knows if she dives down she can take 10+ seconds off her time.  She will be attending a dive/starts clinic soon.

 

Her strokes were beautiful on her Freestyle, almost perfect and we were so proud of her.  She must have told me 5 times this weekend how much she loved swimming on this team.  Never did I dream that this girl would fall madly in love with swim and I would be inhaling Chlorine for 15 hours straight on the weekends.  I am so glad she has found something she truly enjoys and is surrounded by such great kids.

 

This smile says it all, she is having a great time and never complains about the early mornings, freezing pool or tight fitting suit (ha ha).  She was also super excited that Grandma came to support her today.  Sure wish I had gotten a good picture of Emma with my Mom today.

 

Sweet secret time shared between sweet friends.  There were about 400 kids that joined us for this meet, but these two stuck together.  It is so funny because Lauren swims in a different heat then us, but her and Emma both always sit in the bleachers when the other is swimming and cheer each other on.

 

When they are not in the bleachers they are asking me to take silly pictures of them and sometimes they have to be redirected.

 

These two make me smile, they share a special friendship.  Every time they are together they beg to go home with the other one and are heartbroken when they have to go to their own home.  

 

Emma is also just like me in the friendship category.  She loves her friends like crazy, all of them are her best friends and she is so affectionate with them (hugs, kisses and she really loves to pick them up).  Most of her friends are not touchy/feely, but they accept that Emma is a hands on friend. She instantly meets people no matter where she goes and acts as if they have known each other forever.

 

I was not able to get many pictures today because it was super crowded on the deck.  However Emma swam the 25 backstroke and got 6th out of 15 swimmers in the 8 and under category, not bad for a 5 year old.

 

Two more funny things Emma said this weekend that I never want to forget.  She came home from school on Friday and said, "Can you please quit your job and come work in the cafeteria at my school, I would love it."  She also told me she was going to tell her principal I wanted the job (crazy kid).  Then tonight before we put her to bed she said, "Mom I think it is really gross when you and Dad kiss.  I am never going to kiss my babies Daddy because you get bumps all in your mouth."  Who knows where she heard all of this stuff, HILARIOUS!  Emma, you are truly one of a kind girl.

 

End to a great weekend, but we are exhausted and have a very busy week ahead.  Oh wait, all our weeks seem to be very busy these days.  I would not have it any other way, now Curtis would love to slow down a little bit.

 

Once again, Emma Caroline we are so PROUD of you and think you did a great job rocking the pool this weekend.   8th (freestyle) and 6th (backstroke) are great places to be.  Keep up the great work and remember, all we ever ask is that you do your BEST baby girl.

 

There is so much potential inside each of us and it is our choice how we choose to use it, that is God's courtesy for us all.   I hate to think about all the potential buried in the ground because people were afraid to try. Thank you for being a "tryer" sweet girl.  I can not wait to see where God's courtesy takes you and lil' man in the years to come.

 

Disclaimer: Gavin refused to have his picture taken this weekend but he was so proud of you.

 

Swim~A~Thon Success

Today was Emma's BIG day in the pool for her swim~a~thon and she did not disappoint.  Last night when she told me her goal was 40 laps, I thought I would have to count by FIVES to help her reach it BUT much to my surprise she surpassed her goal.

 

 

41 laps

1025 yards

 10+ football fields

 over a 1/2 mile

she DID it!

 

I was shocked and so PROUD of this girl.  She fought hard, she kept kicking, she never gave up, she loved it, she was so proud of herself and she SMILED the entire time.

The kids swam with their age group and had 45 minutes to swim as many laps as they could.  Emma actually swam for 47 minutes because she was not getting out of that pool till she reached her goal, her choice, her determination and her will.

Taking a little break after lap 21 and waiting for her friend to catch up with her so they could take off again.

 

Emma did such a great job and was so determined.  The kids were allowed to use whatever stroke they chose, so Emma switched between freestyle, back, and some sidestroke.  She also used her kick board on about 10 of the laps when she would get tired and needed to slow down a bit.

 

So far Emma has raised $354 and is in 9th place out of 223 kids for fundraising, she still has some money to turn in on Saturday and then we will know her final ranking.  Notice that she is the last one in the pool for her age group because she was on lap 39 when time was up, but she asked Coach if she could swim more to meet her goal.  I was so EXTREMELY proud of Emma and she has proved to me once again that she can do anything she dreams of doing.

Swim Picture Day

Emma had pictures for swim team today, she was so excited to put on her new club suit and meet up with 222 of her swim buddies to say cheese.  Of course she had to have a bow in her hair and I am certain her Coaches were wishing it would fall out in the pool, but remember this is the girl that wore her pink tutu on the soccer field.

 

 

Emma is ready for Thursday's Swim-A-Thon and is determined to swim 40 laps (1000 yards or 10 football fields), I am exhausted just thinking about it.  Emma is currently in 8th place for donations and still has more money to turn in Thursday.  I was so proud of her at the football game Friday night when she approached people we knew, explained what she was doing and asked them to sponsor her. 

 

 

Emma Lou, we are so PROUD of you and will always LOVE and SUPPORT you in and out of the pool.

My Heart is Full

Somedays I am still amazed at the way God has blessed me.  These two kiddos are more than I have ever dreamed about in this life and my love, hopes and dreams for them is indescribable.  I can't help but wonder what life has in store for these two and how their little hearts are destined for BIG things.  God made them so perfect and he continues to mold and shape them daily.  I pray that they always know and love him as much as he loves them.  

 

 

These two love and protect each other in a way that makes my heart overflow with joy.  I am so thankful that they are so close and so willing to protect one another no matter what.  Gavin even comes at me if he thinks I am wronging his sister, not always a good thing but it still makes me happy because he loves her so much.  Just look at that smile and the twinkle in his eyes, he is smitten about his big sister.   

 

God has given me the HUGE job of being their Mommy and insuring that they are healthy, happy and so much more.  It is a tough job and one that I fail at often.  One thing is for sure, I will never give up and I will continue to get back up and give them the best I have to give day after day.

Emma Caroline & Gavin Thomas,  I will continue to pray and love both of you unconditionally and without ceasing.  I am so blessed to be Mommy to both of you.

Reese & Co.

Emma was invited to the cutest little birthday party today to help her sweet friend Reese celebrate turning the big FIVE!  The theme was a Tiffany party, except her Mommy used her name Reese & Co.  The colors, decorations and activities were all so perfect and our girls had so much fun.

 

 

We have known sweet Reese forever from dance and her Mommy always takes our kiddos pictures with Santa Claus every year. Reese and Emma are in Primary Jazz and Ballet together this year.

 

How cute is this little tablescape?  I love the colors, the jewels and the little blue boxes that were the perfect finishing touch.

 

The girls spent their time getting their fingernails painted Tiffany blue, stringing pearl bracelets, getting their hair done, playing duck, duck, pearls, and getting a crown for the big celebration.  Emma, Melinda and Stephanie all worked on their little trinkets together.

 

 

Emma was so excited to see Macy and Ella today.  We danced with them last year and they are first graders at her school.  She gets super excited when she gets to see them in the cafeteria occasionally.  I enjoyed visiting with their sweet Mommy's today too.

 

Reese got lots of great gifts and was so cute opening them all.  Emma got her the McKenna movie and an American Girl party dress that just so happened to be Tiffany blue.

The birthday girl with her Mommy that did such a great job on the party.  Tracy must be exhausted because she had a party last night for her oldest daughter.

 

There were about 20 little girls total and they were all so cute and so sweet.   Many of these girls either dance, swim or go to school with Emma and she enjoys all of their friendships.

 

These cute little goody boxes were filled with blue jelly beans and a diamond ring for all the girls to take home.  Every girl big or small loves a little blue box, right?

 

I normally would not stalk a party like this, but Reese's Mommy emailed me last week and asked if I would take pictures for her because she would be too busy to get any.  I did not mind, but it is a little embarrassing taking pictures for a professional photographer (ha ha).    If she is like me, she will just be grateful to have party pics.

 

Reese, we hope you had a very Happy 5th Birthday. Thank you for inviting us to your sweet little party filled with jewels, cupcakes,  trinkets, nail polish, friends and all the things a little girl loves.

Best Lunch Date Ever

Me and my sweet girl had a fun little date today and she was surprised to say the least.  Once a month our school district has an early release and the kiddos get out half a day.

 

 

Mommy decided to take a half day off too, pick up her sweet girl and head to the Bistro for lunch.  I did not tell her where we were going until we arrived.  She requested Olive Garden but I knew she would be way more excited to visit the American Girl store and have lunch.

Emma has been so excited about her date with Mommy all week long.   Our Nanny picked little man up and spent the afternoon with him, so it was strictly girl time today.  Mia her Bitty Baby came along with us and Emma made sure she had plenty of pink lemonade with her lunch. 

 

When we got to the store and she realized where we would spend the afternoon, she screamed with excitement.  We looked around a little before our lunch reservation and then we made our way to the table where Emma started counting her money to see what she could afford.  She had $12.00 saved and decided she was going to buy something special with it.

 

Emma loves Mia so much and has slept with her every night for the last 4 years.  I hate to break the news to Mia, but Emma has her eyes on a new AG doll that she is asking Santa to bring.  I thought she would change her mind when we got to the store and saw all the dolls, however she still loved the same one with straight shoulder length red hair, olive skin, freckles and green eyes.  

No lunch date with Mommy is complete without dessert.  Emma picked the mini ice cream treat and loved it, she even shared a little with Mia.

 

This little store has everything, including a rack to hang your doll on when you go to the potty. Sure wish they sold these little gadgets because it would be a great way to organize dolls in Emma's dress up corner of her room.  Look at sweet little Mia, she is probably one of the prettiest dolls I have ever seen and Emma loves her so much.  She will be an heirloom for sure and I am so proud that Emma got her from her RaRa (my BFF) on her 1st Birthday.

 

This Volkswagon is the cutest thing ever and my girl would love to have it, but not for $349!  We are hoping Target comes out with a look a like. 

 

We spent hours in the store just looking around, shopping for a birthday gift for Reese Ivy's party Saturday and dreaming about all the things we would love to have.  I will admit that I love this store as much as Emma does and we can not wait to go back.  Emma chose to spend her money on a little rabbit in a basket that is super cute.

 

Emma was so appreciative of our afternoon date, thanked me at least 10 times, told me how much she loved me and also told me that she was so thankful we were rich.  She said, "rich with blessings Mom because we know God and we are all so special to him."  I love her heart and her mind so much, she is such a special little girl and such an old soul.  When the ladies in the store kept asking her if she was getting a doll today she said, "No ma'am we only get things for Christmas and our Birthday unless we buy it with our own money, so I am going to ask Santa for it."  She was smart enough to tear the tag off that matched the exact doll she wants (#37) , so Santa would not be confused. 

 

Today I am thankful that I slowed down, took time off, picked my girl up from school  and spent some quality time with an amazing little girl talking, laughing and dreaming.  Emma Caroline, I love you more than I ever imagined possible.