Living on the Edge!

So I have been negligent in posting about this, but Carter graduated from his crib back in January to a big boy bed! For the most part he has done pretty well - - with Anderson we never had issues with him getting out of the bed, but with Carter we've experienced a few more challenges, but overall he has adjusted well. This is how we found him a couple nights ago when we checked on him - yes, that's the footboard of the bed that he is hanging over!

Also what you probably can't tell from this pic is that he has a pair of pajama pants on one of his arms - - some of your kids probably have sweet stuffed animals or precious blankets for their loveys, but not Carter- he loves to cuddle up with a good ole pair of cotton pajama pants. Believe me, we have the stuffed animals and blankets, but Carter just prefers the pants! Oh well!

Caren is having a GIRL!

My of my long-time friends, Caren, is expecting a GIRL very shortly! I'm sooooo excited that I've been 'local' for her pregnancy - - it's been fun watching her 'grow' over the past several months! For her 1st pregnancy I was pregnant with Carter and living in VA so I only saw her thru pics - - this is soooo much better! I was so excited to be able to attend her baby shower today live and in person! she looks beautiful, as usual!


me, Caren & Julie
the 3 french friends!

Atlanta Zoo!

Some friends of ours invited us to the Atlanta Zoo with them for the day - - I hadn't been since I was a kid, and so I was excited to take my boys! We had a great time- the zoo is really nicely shaded so eventhough it was a hot Georgia spring day, we were very comfortable.


Anderson & Carter with their new lizard friend

Carter tackling the ropes course

rock wall champ!

Anderson and his friend Evan

One of our best buddies, Drew, turned 3 and so our friends invited us over to celebrate his special day - it was a Star Wars themed evening - - - so we were fighting off multiple Darth Vaders and light sabers off all evening! My boys were in heaven!


Darth Vader & Darth Vader, um Carter & Drew

Carter is double fisted!

Maggiores in the ATL!

One of my very best friends, Jen, from Va Beach came to visit for the week of Spring Break. It was their 1st visit to our home and we were sooooo excited to have them! We were pregnant at the same time for our 1st two pregnancies but I let Jen 'go it alone' for her third! Such a special bond when you go thru pregnancy and your 1st children together- - a friendship that I will always hold close to my heart! The kids picked up like old times - especially Anderson & Erin who are like an old married couple-- - getting along spendidly most of the time, but having many quarrels in between. On Tuesday of their visit, we just 'hung' out at the house and let the kids play - -we headed to the park for a bit packed with many snacks, and then came back to the house for the littles to nap and let the big kids just play and play and play. It was a wonderful time. The next day, Mr. Joe took Erin and Anderson to Fernbank museum, the Georgia Tech baseball fields (sigh......) and to the Varsity. Later in the evening we met up with them at Stone Mountain park for a ride to the top of the mountain and for the Laser Show. A wonderful time with dear friends - we can't wait for them to come back!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Mark and the boys at Stone Mtn

a rare picture of the usual picture takers!

the Maggiore fam
Anna, Jen, Erin, Megan & Joe

Easter 2010

What a wonderful Easter!! After Anderson got out of school on the Thursday before Easter, we headed out of town to spend Easter in Charlotte with Mark's older brother's family as well as with Nana & Papa. We had a wonderful long weekend - -my boys always have such a blast with their cousins, so it always makes for a good time! On Friday, the ladies head out to the Metrolina Flea Market - a HUGE flea market in Charlotte which hundreds and hundreds of vendors - we really enjoyed the day together and looking for great finds! On Saturday the kids participated in Brian & Monica's neighborhood's egg hunt and we decided to go to the Saturday nite Easter service at church. On Sunday we took it easy as it was also 'departure' day - - we enjoyed a wonderful breakfast, let the kids do an egg hunt, made 'resurrection' rolls which symbolize Jesus being buried and then, when baked representing the empty tomb -- a wonderful visual way to re-tell the Easter story for the children. Definitely a tradition we will continue here on out!



Our family - -Easter 2010
Mark, Heather, Anderson (5) and Carter (2 1/2)

making 'resurrection rolls' on Easter "Resurrection" Sunday

Monica showing the kids the empty tomb! He is risen!

on your mark, get set, GO! The egg hunt is ON!

Anderson the Diamondback

We're full swing into another tball season (which started in mid-February!) and Anderson is thoroughly enjoying it again! It's amazing the difference in the team from fall ball to spring - they are actually making plays and understanding many of the rules and 'strategies' of the game. Of course it doesn't help that 3 of Anderson's best buds are on the team too! Mark is now an assistant coach and I'm serving my first term as 'team mom', and it's been a wonderful experience, thus far, on both accounts- we've been blessed by a great cast of parents who are committed to the tball experience as well. Carter is everywhere, as usual, but he is bit more tame than in the fall where I seriously thought about hiring a babysitter to bring to the games with me. I always have to strategize what Carter will wear to the games, b/c if it's 'light' colored - it will be stained badly. But some battles just aren't worth fighting, so he's a filthy filthy little boy everytime we get home!

Mark & his siblings

Brian, Paul, Katie-Beth, Mark

While we were in the Tennessee mountains, during a photo shoot of all the cousins, Monica also took several pictures of the original Judd siblings. They are all very close and often talk every day - if not multiple times a day. It's really neat to witness their love for each other. I feel so blessed to have married a man where family was so important to him.

It's funny to look at this picture and think that Mark & Paul are 'identical' twins - because in this picture they don't look very identical to me. What do you think?

Pete the Penguin

Assignment: Pete the Penguin to spend the weekend with Anderson and his family.

Anderson had to journal all of their activities - with pictures and paragraphs in a special journal. Anderson had an absolute blast with Pete - he took really good care of him and he literally went everywhere with us - from the gym to the grocery store, to Jason's Deli, to a special trip to the GA Aquarium - Pete was with us every step of the way! Pete especially loved the penguins at the aquarium and felt especially at home during our 'snowy' weekend. Pete fit right in to our routine - from sun-up to sundown, Pete had a full weekend! Hurry back Pete, we miss you!

The obligatory snow post!

the snow covered playset

our snowy home

The snow came fast and furious on Friday afternoon - quickly accumulating and covering everything. It was neat to watch and see how right or wrong our local meterologists were going to be. I'm so glad that Mark enjoys the 'snow activities' with my boys, because I prefer to watch them from the warmth of my home - providing assistance with getting bundled up, drying mittens and pants, making the hot chocolate and providing carrots for snowman building. Part of me feels a bit guilty when I stay inside, but I am just plain miserable when I am freezing - and since we live in GA I don't have proper 'snowgear', so I get wet and therefore cold..... Sigh, I won't win the 'Mother of Year' award in the Best SnowMommy Contest this year.

Happy Valentines Day 2010!

Monster Truck Jam

So I admit! I never would have expected that I would be someone to go to the annual Monster Truck Jam - to be honest I think I always kinda stuck my nose up at it, but our friends invited us to go with them and we thought 'sure, we'll go - the boys will love it!'. Well not only did our boys LOVE it, but Mark & I had a great time too!!!! We got to experience the 'Jam' in style. Our friend Jill's brother had a box, so we got to spend the evening there - room for the kids to move around and a bit of shelter from the crowd. Definitely the way to do it!!! I can't believe I'm gonna say this, but we can't wait til next year!!!

the men all ready to go - did I mention it was FAREEZING outside (thus the snow)

Dirty faced Anderson donning his earplugs - it was soooo loud in there!

where it all takes place!

Carter was entralled!

Dearest Modge Podge

So I have had a deepening relationship with my dear friend, Mr. Modge Podge. It's so wonderful - and the possibilities are endless with my friend and a little bit of scrapbook paper. Heavens know I don't do a good job actually scrapbooking, but I sure love to use it in every other imaginable application! We've been 'renovating' or updating our powder room and since we're on a bit of a budget round here, I've been trying to decorate it 'for less'. This was a cheap & easy project and I'm very happy with the results!!! I grabbed a few wooden unfinished craft 'plaques' from my beloved Hobby Lobby, got out my burnt umber craft paint, picked out a few sheets of coordinating scrapbook paper, and broke out my jug o' modge podge..... Here's the end result!

No more swiffer refills for me!

For any of you other frugal gals out there -I tried this, and it totally worked! No more $4+ bottles of Swiffer for me! And if you don't know what a vice grip looks like- I just grabbed some tool out of our garage that looked like you could get a really tight grip on the neck... (who knows if it was actually a vice grip!)


http://www.homebodyholly.com/2009/05/wfmwdiy-swiffer-wetjet-refill.html

Mountain Judds

We had an absolute wonderful time in the TN mountains with Mark's family after Christmas - the best part is the non-stop quality cousin time the 8 cousins enjoyed together. We attempted to get some pictures outside with all the cousins together - Monica brought her camera and will hopefully have some winners, but if my slow poke point n' click is any indicator, I think we'll be pleased! Oh, did I mention it was like 30degrees outside- brrrrr!


Anna (18m), Catherine (7.5), Avery (2), Mary-Scott (almost 4), Adam (6m), Benjamin (10), Anderson (5), Carter (2.5)

The Nativity

I absolutely love Nativities- I think they are beautiful on every level - it's one of my favorite things to do each Christmas is to pull out the Nativity set and set the characters in motion - and remember the birth of our Savior!

my original nativity- Mark & I got it our 1st Christmas

my mom gave me this one this year- I love the colors and the detail

my new favorite nativity - one that my boys will actually be able to play with in the years to come and maybe pass down one day to their children - I recently 'crafted' this nativity during our time in the TN mountains after Christmas. My sister-in-law Monica has a friend who had made one and she fell in love with it. We replicated the nativity that was posted on The Pioneer Woman's blog (which I love!). Monica made one for her family, Rebekah made one for her family using scrapbook paper (vs felt) and I made the above one for our family. Monica carefully traced the images so we could create templates and our father-in-law Scott cut and sanded the wood. Once the paper templates were created, we each cut our individual pieces using the colors we desired for each piece. This was a laborious 'craft' but was so much fun to do with Monica and Rebekah - we spent hours upon hours around the kitchen table cutting our little characters. I'm so glad that in the future years I'll have such a wonderful rememberance of this time together!

the wise men

the baby that changed it all!

a few furry friends, a couple shepherds and an angel....