All About Boys

Tucker-The Graduate

2010-06-03T12:16:00.001-07:00

At the beginning of last September Tucker started preschool. He went 5 days a week for 3 hours. He learned a lot of interesting things and had a wonderful time. This September he will be an official Kindergartner.

Christan Weekday Program Class of 2010.

Mrs. Smith, Tucker & Mrs. Quinn.

Check me out

2010-06-03T11:16:00.001-07:00

This little guy keeps us all on our toes. He has learned to pull up on these steps but then he falls back down. He is a handful!

I love love love this picture!

Green Dragons

2010-06-03T11:02:00.000-07:00

Tucker just finished up his first year of "real" soccer as he likes to call it. We had a very fun but short season. He did really good and really looked forward to playing each week.

He got a fabulous trophy and was awarded "BEST RUNNER"!

Go Green Dragons!

In action.

Oh Tristan

2010-05-03T08:08:00.000-07:00

This little guy has me wrapped around his little finger! He just turned 7 months and is doing some pretty exciting stuff. He is crawling, sitting up and eats anything I give him. Seriously. He weighs 20lbs. Oh, and if you haven't noticed he is really cute!

Let's Party!!

2010-04-30T04:58:00.000-07:00

We decided to have Tucker's party on a Saturday afternoon so that more people could come. That morning I had so much to do around the house and Tucker had a soccer game. He scored 2 goals and was sooo excited. He is really starting to enjoy practicing and going to games.

After the game was over we got home and had less than an hour before the party was to begin. The boys were so excited to see the moon bounce in the backyard.

This year they had a slide and a basketball goal inside to play with.

Two very excited boys!

Happy Birthday Tucker!

Jacob and his best friend Ashton. These two are always up to something.

Tucker's Birthday Boat Ride.

2010-04-28T06:45:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that Tucker is 5 years old! His birthday was on a weekday so we decided to do a family day with him then have his party on the weekend. While mom was here we saw an ad for a boat ride to see the cherry blossoms. We thought that would be so fun for the boys and I knew we would enjoy seeing the cherry blossoms and the monuments from the water. We picked up Tucker from school then headed down to Georgetown to board the ship.

As soon as we boarded they had drinks and snacks for sale. Most of the kids on the boat were getting drinks. Of course my kids wanted something and of course we had no cash. So for the rest of the 45 minute boat ride all Tucker was concerned with was that he was so thirsty and that why don't I have any money.

S0 the name of the boat ride was "See the cherry blossoms by water". This is the only tree we saw.

Lincoln Memorial

Fake Smile! He is still mad about not having a drink.

Watergate Hotel.

Kennedy Center.

Even if my kids nearly died of thirst and starvation we did have a fun day and enjoyed the boat ride.

I turn my back for one minute....

2010-04-21T10:42:00.000-07:00

Easter 2010

2010-04-21T10:33:00.000-07:00

Happy Belated Easter! We had a very nice Easter this year. We went to church then had brunch with some good friends from church. The kids hunted eggs with the neighbors and I took a nap. It was a good day.

National Harbour

2010-04-20T12:05:00.001-07:00

At the end of March my Mom came to visit for almost a week. I can't tell you how much I needed her visit. We had soo many fun things planned when she got here.

We went to the Natural History Museum, the zoo, and while Johnny took the boys to the circus we went shopping in Old Town. After the boys got done with the circus we met up with them at the National Harbour. We love this place and I knew Mom would too. We walked around and let the boys play down by the water. We had dinner at my favorite, Rosa Mexicana then went to Cake Love for cupcakes. It was a great week that went by tooo fast.

Happy Birthday Jacob!!!

2010-04-20T06:24:00.000-07:00

Jacob turned 3 on February 21. We had a very fun day with lots of friends from church and a few of our neighbors joined us. Jacob decided he wanted a Thomas the Train party and so that's what he got. He was very happy that he got a train on his cake.
Jacob is completely potty trained and doesn't even wear pull ups to bed. He was almost potty trained when we went to Florida but after we got back he just got it. He gets himself dressed almost all the time and can brush his own teeth. He is such a big boy!!!

Tristan is ready for cereal.

2010-04-20T06:13:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that Tristan is old enough to be sitting in a highchair eating baby food! I think the boys were more excited about it than anyone.

Not so sure.

OK, get me out of here!

I guess you heard we got a lot of snow?

2010-04-19T07:32:00.000-07:00

Great Falls

2010-04-19T07:26:00.000-07:00

We had nice day back in February and we decided to take the kids to Great Falls Park. We walked around and had a picnic.

Visit to Florida

2010-04-19T05:52:00.001-07:00

Right after Christmas we headed to sunny Florida to see Nana and Papa Hinely. We were so excited because we were going to see Brooks and Mary Raines!! We spent two fun days with Nana and Papa then we did some fun things around Orlando.

We went to the Orlando Zoo where the kids got to do a really cool zip line. They really had fun doing that.

Jacob had lots of fun on the carousel.

We got to feed the elephants!!

Brooks and Jacob were always up to no good!!

Let's try this again...

2010-04-19T05:48:00.001-07:00

Well, I am the worst blogger but I am a little busy these days! I am going to try and keep this updated at least once a month if I can. We have pretty busy since my post.

Tristan 2 Month

2009-11-28T07:44:00.001-08:00

WOW! 2 months have gone by and its really just a big blur. We are all doing really good. Tucker is going to preschool everyday for 3 hours and is really loving it. He just had his Thanksgiving Day feast and got to dress up like an Indian. His Native American name was " flapping bat". He is making lots of new friends and his teachers tell us he is one the best students. Really???

Jacob is well a 2 year old. He is really a challenge but we just take one day at a time with him. He is just your typical 2 year old. We have been potty training for a while now and we are about 95% there. He is doing really good with it and hopefully by the new year we will be in underwear. We finally moved Tristan out of our room and into the crib which means Jacob had to move into a big boy bed. I was soooo nervous about it but Jacob has done great. He did fall out one night but I guess that is normal.

Tristan just had his 2 month checkup and he is doing great. He weighs 14lbs and is 23 1/2 inches long. He is such a sweet baby. I can honestly say he is my best baby. He really only cries when he is hungry and the rest of time just hangs out. He is sleeping great and I think we are all really adjusting to having another baby in the house. You hardly even know he is around. He smiles and coos and watches every move his brothers make. They love him and he really loves watching them. Life is Good.

Happy Halloween

2009-11-07T12:02:00.000-08:00

This year for Halloween Tucker told me he wanted to be a Ninja. I was fine with that and we actually found the perfect costume at Costco. Tucker found some old pictures of himself from last year and decided he wanted to be Batman again. Of course Jacob wanted to be Robin again so they were the dynamic due again this year for Halloween. I was so glad because we didn't have to spend money on 2 new costumes. The boys had lots of fun and got way to much candy.

Batman and Robin (circa 2008)

The rain held off long enough that we were ALL able to go out trick or treating. It was actually a really nice night. The temp was about 65. Tristan enjoyed riding in the stroller.

Happy Halloween.

Pumpkin Carving

2009-10-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to the pumpkin patch and the kids picked out a few different pumpkins to carve. Tucker got one for himself and we also purchased a carving kit for him to be able to carve his own pumpkin. He was super excited. He did really good and actually did most of it himself.

Everyone is getting in on the action.

Tucker picked out a "Bat" pattern for his pumpkin.

Hard at work.

Tristan enjoyed being outside.

Happy Fall Y'all

2009-10-23T08:17:00.000-07:00

Cox Farm

2009-10-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

The weather here the past week has been wet and cold and finally yesterday we had a perfect day. It was sunny and about 75 degrees. We decided it was time to go to Cox Farms. It was actually nice enough that we could all go and I really needed the fresh air and sunshine.

The good old barn slide. Jacob was a little scared to go by himself.

Johnny loves the castle slide!

Tristan was with us but slept in the stroller the entire time!

WOW, I know how she feels!

Here they come!

Good Times.

Fire Station

2009-10-21T07:02:00.001-07:00

Last weekend our local fire station had there yearly open house. The boys love going so as soon as Johnny got off work he took them to the festivities.

Nothing but trouble!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-13T06:53:00.001-07:00

This past weekend we headed to our local pumpkin patch to pick out the perfect pumpkins for Halloween. The kids have been looking forward to this since the summer.

This little guy was getting into everything!

Tucker is getting too cool for pictures!

Time to go play.

That's a big pumpkin!

First Bath

2009-10-09T15:24:00.001-07:00

Last night Tristan got his first bath! I guess being the 3rd child and all I didn't have to look for the baby bath tub so he went straight into the big bath tub. It started out pretty good but then it just went down hill. He liked it at first but then just screamed until I got him out.

Not so sure.

Ok, get me out of here.

All nice and clean.

We've survived the first two weeks!

2009-10-07T11:57:00.000-07:00

Well, its been two weeks since little Tristan came into our world. We are all doing great and I am finally feeling back to normal. Yesterday I vacuumed and cleaned our bathroom. I hate to clean but I actually enjoyed doing the work.

Tristan is the love of my life! He is the best baby of all my babies. He has the sweetest personality and is already sleeping like a pro. I feed him and he just hangs out. Last night I put him down around midnight and he didn't wake up until 8 this morning. That is crazy. It is amazing what sleep does for you. I got up, fed the baby and took Tucker to school. Tristan had his 2 week Dr. appointment and he looked perfect. Here are the results from his appointment:

Weight: 9 pounds 4 ounces 55%
Length: 22 1/2 inches 75%

What a crew!

Saturday with the boys.

2009-10-03T12:50:00.000-07:00

Today I woke up feeling like a new woman. Tristan slept 5 hours straight before waking me to eat. He did keep me up from 5-7 but then went back to sleep until almost 11. My boys do like to sleep.
We had a good morning hanging out. Tucker had soccer until 10 then him, daddy and Papa John went and got us Krispy Kreme donuts. The boys got settled in and watched a movie and just enjoyed being together. Here are a few pics I took of them with Tristan. Hope everyone has a good weekend. Roll Tide Roll!!

James Tristan Hinely

2009-10-01T08:14:00.000-07:00

Well, I am back with a new little addition to our family. James Tristan Hinely was born September 23, 2009. Everyone is adjusting and doing great.

He has a good set of lungs!

He was a big boy! 9 pounds 3 ounces 22 inches.

My sweet boys.

Sweet little Tristan!

Tucker wanted a baby sister but as soon as he saw Tristan he said "He is so cute". He loves him so much and wants to hold him all the time.

I was so worried about Jacob's reaction to a new baby but he has done great. He calls him my baby and wants to hold him all the time.
My life right now feels like a circus or maybe a funny farm but we are all adjusting and taking one day at a time. I wake up and just pray to get through the day. I am actually doing great and just try to laugh as much as possible. Laughing really is one of God's greatest gifts.

Good Good Times

2009-05-11T08:50:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Jason and his family arrived in Northern VA. The elders at our church had asked him a few months ago to hold a weekend meeting for us and of course he told them yes. At first he was just going to come up by himself but instead the whole crew came and I can't tell you how happy I was that we were all going to be able to spend this time together. They got in Wednesday night and we started our tour Thursday morning. The entire weekend we were suppose to get rain so we thought we should do all the outside things on Thursday since it was not raining. We thought the best place to start would be the White House. Of course the day we pick to go with my brother and his family there is a protest in front of the White House and people are getting arrested.

So, the protest consisted of people over the age 60 dressed in orange jumpsuits yelling "Justice Delayed is Justice Denied". They were protesting about Guantanamo Bay. Um, yeah all I can say is why and who cares.

These were the protesters on the other side of the street that were not getting arrested. Notice the nice black bags they have over there heads.

Nice family shot in front of the Guantanamo Bay protest.

After the protest we headed out for some lunch then we went to the Washington Monument.

The kiddos had so much fun being together.

We then headed down to the WWII Memorial. This is one of my favs and I think Jason and Amberly really liked this one.

The kids had fun playing in the water and running all over the place. After the WWII memorial we headed to the Lincoln memorial and then to the Vietnam memorial. We saw everything outside in DC that we could possibly see. I don't know how far we walked but we were all dead by the time we got home.

Friday morning we got up and went to Arlington Cemetery. Who knew that you could get yelled at by one of the guards at the changing of the guards ceremony. After Arlington we went to the Thomas Jefferson memorial then headed home. We were all so tired and Jason had to get ready for the meeting at church. Saturday we headed back downtown to the Holocaust museum. Note to self: must have timed ticket to do tour. We did not get to see the main exhibit at the museum because we did not get a ticket. Moving on, we headed to the Air and Space museum. The kids were sorta interested but were tired and so we headed home. All in all I think they got to see everything they wanted to see. I think Sarah was disappointed in not seeing the ruby slippers or the hope diamond but they all seemed to have a great time.

We tried to get Jacob in the picture but he had other plans. The kids had so much fun being together. They all played so good together and really had a good time. It was so great for us all to be together. I think we all made great memories that I know I will cherish forever.

Jason did such a great job with his lessons at church. You can listen to them on our website. Check them out: www.annandalechurch.org.

More Easter Fun

2009-04-16T06:41:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday Mary Raines, Tucker, and his friend Allison came over to dye eggs for Easter. Tucker was so excited! Jacob would have been in this picture but he was on the floor having a tantrum. You think I'm joking but I'm not.

Let's get started.

All of the kids did very good with their eggs.

Sunday after we had lunch we got ready for our Easter egg hunt. Everybody looks ready to go.

Um yeah he would rather go for a ride in the wagon.

Brooks would rather play in the play set.

They all had more fun on the swing set. Oh well, we had a great day with the kids

Happy Easter

2009-04-14T06:42:00.001-07:00

Hope everyone had a fun Easter. We started our morning off with seeing what the Easter bunny had left for the kids. They both got some pretty neat stuff. We went to church and then Beau and Kasey and the kids came over for lunch.

Tucker was more excited about Easter than his brother.

How cute are these little Hinelys?

Ok, they all are really cute!

Fam Jam!

The Dad's with the hooligans.

My little man!

Cherry Blossoms

2009-04-07T07:45:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Tucker's actually birthday so we went and had pancakes for breakfast then headed downtown to see the cherry blossoms. Here are some of my favorite pics from the day.

Happy Birthday Tucker

2009-04-06T15:41:00.000-07:00

Today is Tucker's 4th birthday! It is so hard to believe that he was born 4 years ago. We had Tucker's birthday party on Friday and have been celebrating all weekend. We had lots of friends from church and from our neighborhood come over for the day.

We started the party off with hot dogs and chips.

Look who showed up just for Tucker! All I can say is if you ask them, they will come.

Johnny got to start the engine and turn on the lights!

The fireman said that a lot of woman drive the trucks. I have a had time driving my SUV!

Tucker was really excited that a firetruck full of fireman came to his party but he was more interested in the moon bounce.

The kids were more into the moon bounce than the firetruck. I think the adults had more fun hanging out in the fire truck

Tucker had to get into costume before eating his Spider man cake.

Pinata time!!

Sea World

2009-03-13T14:41:00.000-07:00

This is the park that I have been looking forward to since we started planning this trip. I love Sea World more than any other place we have ever been. I went when I was a kid but had never back until now. It was a perfect day and it wasn't extremely crowded. We got to the park around 11 or so and the Shamu show was about to start. We had to practically run to the stadium to get a seat.

This was the end of the show. Tucker was amazed by the whales.

After we did the Shamu show we got to go to a dolphin show. It was really neat. They had a dolphin and bird show which was a lot of fun.

This was probably the best part of the day for me. We got to go to a dolphin lagoon and feed and pet the dolphins. I love dolphins so this was so much fun for me.

Johnny was showing Tucker how to throw the fish into the dolphins mouth. Tucker was a little afraid at first but ended up really enjoying it.

After we fed the dolphins we got to underneath the lagoon and see the dolphins underwater. This was really neat to watch.

This was the best part of the day for Johnny. He loves penguins and could have stayed here all day. We actually stayed in this exhibit the longest.

This was the best part of the day for Tucker. He was actually tall enough to ride the Shamu roller coaster. This little guy has no fear.

Animal Kingdom

2009-03-04T07:55:00.001-08:00

The next day we went to Animal Kingdom. Papa John had never been to Animal Kingdom so he came up and spent the day with us. It was really nice to have an extra hand to help with the kiddos. My kids love going to the zoo so this was so exciting for them.

Papa John was very excited to be with the kiddos!

The best part of Animal Kingdom is that we got to on a safari. It was so neat. It really felt like we were in the Africa looking at all the different kinds of animals. We got to see all kinds of wild animals.

The kids favorite animal was the giraffe. We don't have giraffes at our zoo so this was a real treat for all us.

Here the kids are digging for dinosaur bones. They loved this.

Jacob wasn't so sure but he did have fun playing in the rocks.

Here we are standing in front of Mt. Everest. Jacob was taking his afternoon nap.

Blizzard 09

2009-03-03T07:39:00.000-08:00

Well, they finally got it right. They were predicting lots of snow and we got lots of snow. I think they said last night that downtown DC got 8 inches of snow. Yesterday morning Tucker woke up before 7 which is not normal in this house and came running into our room and said "we have millions of snow, get up, get up!" He was so excited and ready to get out and start sledding. We weren't as excited seeing that it was about 20 degrees, still snowing, and the wind was blowing like crazy. It wasn't a blizzard but at times with the wind it seemed like one. We talked Tucker into watching cartoons in our bed until 8 then he saw his friends already out and we didn't have a choice. He got himself ready and was out the door by 8:30. It was so cold but kids don't care. They were all just enjoying the snow. I was enjoying the warm house and the chocolate pancakes I made.

Tucker loves the snow!

Jacob is actually smiling!

I love the snow but prefer to stay indoors and drink hot chocolate and take naps. That's about all I did yesterday.

Johnny actually had to do some work yesterday so after he got home him and the boys built this beautiful snowman in the dark. I'm so glad we wasted 2 thin mint girl scout cookies for his eyes.

Magic Kingdom

2009-03-01T18:16:00.001-08:00

Two weeks ago we went to Tampa for a few days to visit with Papa John and Granny Lou and then we headed to Orlando to Walt Disney World. After we made our plans I found out that a family from our church was going to be at Disney at the same time as us. We were so excited! They have 3 kids that are so sweet and love Tucker. We met up with them our first day at Magic Kingdom. The kids had a blast!

Here are Tucker, Ramsey, Halle and Jackson getting ready to ride the go-carts. Tucker was big enough to drive by himself. He was so happy!

Daddy and Jacob went for a fun ride together. I rode with the girls.

The good ole tea cups. I set this ride out.

We had the best time at Magic Kingdom. The kids did great. We had a nice dinner and stayed for the fireworks. We didn't get back to our room until almost 9 that night. We got in bed and rested up for the next day at Animal Kingdom. Hopefully I will get that posted tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Jacob

2009-02-21T07:44:00.000-08:00

Today my baby turns 2! I can't believe how fast time goes by. Yesterday we had his party and boy did we have fun. The theme of course was Monster Trucks. We invited his friends from church and had lots of fun. He got lots of trucks, books, and cute clothes. Check out this cake!

This is Gravedigger! The tires are doughnuts and were held together by pretzel sticks. This was the coolest cake. My cake lady had only done one monster truck before. She is pretty good! I do go overboard with birthday cakes but whatever its fun and only once a year.

Here are some of the kiddos with the life of the party Uncle Beau!

The kiddos are ready for some cake.

Tucker was really excited.

Happy Birthday Jacob! Man I love this little guy.

Surprise, Surprise!

2009-02-17T10:29:00.001-08:00

Take a look at Baby Hinely # 3. We are due September 21. I had my first Dr. appointment today and he said everything looks great!!

Let It Snow

2009-02-05T08:18:00.000-08:00

We finally got our January snow! I guess it was two weeks ago we got about 2 inches of snow. It was the perfect snow for sledding and building snowmen. Tucker had so much fun playing with the kids in the neighborhood. Jacob on the other had didn't really like being out in the cold. I don't blame him it was really cold.

I don't think it helped Jacob when Johnny pushed him down the hill with Tucker.

Jacob was so mad he wouldn't even look at me to take his picture.

Tucker and his buddy Race heading down the hill.

I think we should just call it a day!

Monster Jam

2009-01-28T12:57:00.000-08:00

Last Friday night we took the boys to the Monster Jam truck show down in D.C. They were both so excited! We watch these shows on TV so they were excited to see the trucks in person. I have to admit that I was kinda excited.

Jacob did not move all night.

Meet Madusa, a female driver. I wonder if I could learn to drive one of these trucks?

Gravedigger and Superman.

Of course Gravedigger wins.

Trip to the dentist

2009-01-22T06:47:00.000-08:00

Tucker had his first dental appointment last week and did great. I noticed this dark spot on his front tooth and of course I thought the worst. I figured it was tooth decay or a cavity so we made him an appointment right away to get it checked out. The doc said it was caused by some kind of trauma. He must have hit it on something and it caused the dark spot. He got X-RAYS and his teeth cleaned. He did great and everything looked perfect.

Christmas in North Carolina

2009-01-19T06:19:00.000-08:00

After our trip to the aquarium we headed to Maggie Valley, NC to celebrate Christmas with Papa John and Granny Lou. Tucker was so excited because Katie (Jane Lou's daughter) and her kids were there and Tucker loves being with Blaine and Kameryn. When he went and stayed with Papa John in FL last year Blaine and Kameryn were there with him and they had so much fun together. As soon we got to the cabin Tucker was so excited and played with them non stop.

Jacob, Kameryn, Blaine and Tucker.

This is Victoria Grace. Isn't she beautiful!! This is first time we have got to see her and I fell in love with her instantly. She was the sweetest baby.

Jacob is always ready to play with daddy.

No trip to Maggie Valley is complete without going to Tube World. We had the best time and yes that is Tucker going down the mountain by himself. I was so afraid that he wouldn't do it but got in and down he went.

Jacob even joined in on the fun.

Georgia Aquarium

2009-01-16T06:20:00.001-08:00

After our wonderful trip to Alabama we headed to North Carolina to see Papa John and Granny Lou. On the way we decided to make a pit stop in Atlanta and take the boys to the Georgia Aquarium. We have been to a few different aquariums but this was the best one by far. We had a wonderful time and the boys just loved it.

Jacob was very excited to see the stingrays. We got to pet them and some baby sharks.

Tucker on the other hand was terrified of the stingrays. I can honestly say this is the first time he has ever been afraid of something. He had good reason, he misunderstood the announcer say if you pet them they will bite off your fingers. He really said when you pet them us your two fingers.

Good Times.

Inside the fish tunnel. I felt like I was in the scene from Jaws 3. If you have seen it you know what I mean.

The beluga whale exhibit. This was the boys favorite.

Christmas in Dixie (part 2)

2009-01-15T08:56:00.001-08:00

Christmas morning we woke up at Nana's and the boys went right down to help her make her yummy yeast rolls. Tucker remembered helping her last year and was very excited about doing it this year. Jacob actually got involved but Tucker really helped her. Tucker really loves spending time with Nana and pretty much became her shadow the entire time we were with her. After breakfast we headed over to Nana and Papa Thomas house for a fun filled day of eating and opening gifts and eating and more eating. Man do those Thomas woman know how to cook.

The boys really enjoyed their time with Nana.

The Hinelys.

Tucker and Jacob had so much playing with Uncle Dale. After lunch Dale took the boys to the playground. He was so sweet to them and they really had fun playing with him. Jacob really warmed up to him and pretty much hung with him the entire day.

Tucker and Jacob got lots of Veggie Tale stuff. We were very excited because we don't have anything Veggie tale.

Jacob and Heather had fun playing together. We love cousin Heather. She is coming to visit sometime in February. We can't wait!

This year instead of buying gifts for each other we did homemade gifts. We got lots of homemade goodies. I can't even tell you how good Kenny's caramel popcorn was. I think we ate in about 2 seconds. Everything we got was soo good. Since Heath isn't really into cooking goodies he made Nana this really neat tin man. I guess you call a tin man. He used all kinds of different aluminum cans and then painted them her favorite color pink. Very original and very cute.

The Thomas Family Christmas!

Christmas in Dixie (part 1)

2009-01-08T07:33:00.000-08:00

This year we headed to Bama for Christmas. We drove this year and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The kids did better than I did. We celebrated my Dad's birthday and had our Christmas with Jason and his family on the 22nd. The kids loved being together. They had so much fun playing and just being together.

I don't know how they did it but they all ended up in Jacobs' pack n play. Jacob actually looks comfortable.

Sarah and Tucker had fun opening gifts and playing together.

On Christmas Eve we went to Aunt Rebecca's house. We had yummy food and then played our dirty Santa game. Jason really had the holiday spirit.

My beautiful niece Sarah. I love this girl so much.

Jacob loves his Uncle Jason.

Cousins!

Me and the girls!

Christmas in Virginia

2009-01-06T13:42:00.000-08:00

This year we celebrated Christmas on December 19. Santa comes early around these parts. Good thing the boys have no clue. Tucker woke up to find that he had gotten everything that he had asked for. The boys were so excited and I must admit I was very excited. I love this time of year and it was so much fun this year to see the boys so happy and excited. After we opened gifts I made a huge pancake breakfast and then the boys got to play with their toys for a few hours before heading to Bama.

Tucker got a "Diego" bike. He is still learning how to ride it but he is catching on very quick.

Jacob got what he loves most, Monster trucks!

This is his favorite. Its name is "Gravedigger".

Fighting over toys!

Batman and the joker.

A Hot wheels race track

We saved the best for last, Cadillac Escalade. They were so excited. This thing is so cool because they can both ride in it.

Jacob can almost reach the pedal.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-09T19:27:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving 08

2008-12-02T05:47:00.000-08:00

This year we went to Maggie Valley, NC for Thanksgiving. Papa John has a very cozy cabin for us to stay at and we really love it. We arrived late Tuesday night and got home really late Sunday night. The ladies had lots to do on Thurday morning so all the men got the kids out of the house so we could prepare the food.

Papa John took the kids to the lake to feed all the ducks. They loved it!

Time to eat! Jacob and Brooks were still napping.

Check out his muscle!

If one boy gets naked they all have to join in.

Cousins!

These two were always into something.

The kids had fun playing with Uncle Beau.

After the excitement of Thanksgiving died down we decided to drive over to Cherokee NC to see the Indians. The boys didn't know what to think.

Check out these bears. We went to a "petting zoo" in Cherokee and look how close we got to the bears. We didn't get to pet them but we got to feed them apples and bread.

We got really close to the tigers which Jacob loves!

Highlight of the trip: Saturday morning the boys woke up and went upstairs by themselves. I thought Papa John was awake so no worries I am going to snooze for a few minutes. I finally got up about 20 mins later and here comes Jacob with my bottle of Tums and about 6-7 pieces in his mouth. His pj's are covered in tum drool. I start to panic. I grab the bottle and pour out the remaining tums and count them to see how many they have had. I knew the exact amount since I just bought them and had only taken 3. Between both of my boys they had eaten 46 tums. I call poison control and the nice lady tells me that they could have eaten the entire bottle and would have been fine. WOW! She said they might have an upset stomach but that's it. Around 5 that night Jacob threw up but besides that they were fine. Needless to say John was not up yet and my boys enjoyed a breakfest of Tums. Tucker told me he only had 4 or 6 tums. Never a dull moment!

Tour of the Capital

2008-11-21T13:37:00.000-08:00

We have a friend at church that is in the army but works at the Capital building. He had some free time on Monday and asked us if we wanted our own private tour of the Capital. He is switching positions in a few weeks and wouldn't have the time to give us a tour so we took him up on the offer. I must admit that I felt like I had been hit by a train but I really wanted to go and knew this was a once in a lifetime thing so we went and it was really fun. This was all on Monday and Tuesday morning when I went to the Dr. I have strep.

Here we are with our tour guide Ryan and his wife Melanie and her parents.

This is outside of her office. We didn't get to meet her which was fine with me.

This is the main area of the Capital building. Ryan is explaining all the paintings to us. This is the place where President Reagan laid in state after he passed away.

This is the top of the Capital building. So beautiful!

This is where Obama will be sworn in as our next president. They were just getting started on the construction of his podium. Change is a-comin'!

This is for Papa John!

Melanie and Ashton.

One of the many hallways of the Capital.

We got to go to Senator Sessions office but of course he wasn't in there.

Can you tell my throat is on fire? This is outside of Senator Sessions office. We had a really good time and as bad as I felt I am glad we went. The neatest thing we did was go through an underground tunnel that the Senators take to get from their offices to other parts of the building. Once we entered that area were not allowed to take pictures. We took a small train that took us to the Senate Chamber. This is the room that you see on TV where all the Senators are seating at these wooden desks and discussing very important things. We got to go in and see the room but the Senators had just taken a break. They have been in session this week discussing something about a car bailout.

Batman and Robin, A Little Disco Fever and a Burglar

2008-11-01T07:34:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween! Hope everyone had fun last night. We sure did as Tucker would say. The kids were so excited and really did have a blast. We loaded the kids up in the wagon and went to as many houses as possible. It was pretty chilly but the boys didn't seem to notice.

Batman and Robin.

Robin is ready to go.

Hippie chic, tarot card reader, disco anyone? Check out that scary burglar!

Super Hero's to the rescue!

Scary!

It took Johnny 4 hours to carve these pumpkins!

I really love the lipstick!

Look at all that candy!

Open House

2008-10-31T06:07:00.001-07:00

About 3 weeks ago our local fire station was having an open house. My boys are obsessed with big trucks especially fire trucks so they were very excited to go to the fire station. Kasey was sick and Beau was working so we had Mary Raines for the day to make it even more fun for the boys. I was planning on taking the kids but I was getting ready to have about 25 people from church over to my house and just ran out of time. Who saves the day? DADDY!!! Johnny got home from work early and took all 3 kids to the open house. I was a little nervous that he might have some trouble with 3 little wild kids but of course they were great and had a blast!

It Was Fun

2008-10-30T05:28:00.000-07:00

It was fun and went by tooo fast. This morning when Tucker woke up he told me he missed Grammy and Pop. Well, so do I. We had a great time and look forward to more visits from Grammy and Pop. We had fun at the truck show and had lots of good food but most of all it was just nice to be together. I feel so blessed to have such good parents.

Tucker and Jacob loved getting horsey rides from Pop.

For some odd reason Jacob loved wearing Grammy's socks. He was obsessed with them. Every night when she would put them on he would pull them off and wear them. I don't know!

We took Grammy and Pop downtown to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing which is the place where they make money. It was really neat to see the process of how they print all the money. After that we went to the Air and Space Museum. Along the way there was a carousel and that was the only picture taken the entire day.

The boys were very excited to go to the train station and wait with Grammy and Pop. They were so excited to see all the trains coming and going.

Here comes Grammy and Pop's train.

All Aboard!

See ya later! It was fun!!

Monster Truck Show

2008-10-24T06:06:00.000-07:00

Whenever you mention something to Tucker he is not going to forgot it especially if it involves trucks. We have had this planned for about 3 months and how great the weekend of the truck show Mom and Dad are going to be here. I knew they would be thrilled to go, sorta and I couldn't tell Tucker we couldn't go so last Friday night we headed out to Old Dominion Speedway for a little Monster Truck Action. I'm sure you can sense some sarcasm but we actually had a good time and I think Mom and Dad did too!

Wow, look how big. This is Big Tamale.

This was Jacob's expression the entire night. I like the rebel flag in the background.

Just another night with the Grammy at the Monster Truck Show.

Tucker was trying to stand like the driver. The name of this truck was "Brutus". Very fitting.

Tucker sure did have fun with his Pop.

My Boys!

Time for the show!

Wow, look at the "Avenger"! Crazy stuff.

Mom is thinking, we came 19 hours on a train for this!

4 tickets to Monster Truck show: 80.00

Sweatshirt with hood for Dad's cold head: 20.00

Popcorn and Drinks: 8.00

The look on Tucker's face all night: PRICELESS

Good Times

2008-10-23T05:57:00.000-07:00

Well, they have come and gone. They arrived last Friday morning via Amtrak train and left Tuesday night. I can't believe how quick the weekend went by. We had so much fun and the boys had a blast. First thing on the agenda was birthday celebrations. I'm sure they were ready for showers but Tucker was so excited to give Mom her card and gift.

Grammy, May the Force be with you on your birthday!

Every girl needs a little "Tiffany's" in their life.

After birthday celebrations and showers we took the boys to a place called Pumpkin land. The website looked really cute but I must say a little deceiving. The kids loved it but the adults thought it was overpriced and sorta lame. Jacob enjoyed the monster truck. He had no idea what was in store for the evening. That post will be for tomorrow.

This little guy is always up to something.

Tucker enjoyed getting a ride from Pop and Daddy.

Tucker loved the tree swing.

Jacob had fun climbing up the pirate ship ladder.

They got to see a real Cherokee Indian and go inside a real ti pee. Don't be fooled, the Indian was a lady with dark hair and braids. I guess she was an Indian!

You can always count on some slides at a pumpkin patch.

And last a good ole hay ride. After pumpkin land we went to dinner and the best is yet to come....

Happy Birthday Mom

2008-10-16T13:03:00.000-07:00

Today is my mom's 60th birthday! For the past few months I have been thinking of something special to do for my mom and when she told me that her and my Dad wanted to come up here sometime in the fall I suggested they come for her birthday. They took us up on the offer and they are on there way up here as we speak. They weren't up for the drive and my dad really doesn't like to fly so they are taking the train from Tuscaloosa AL to Alexandria VA. Johnny and I have taken a few train rides and really enjoyed it so hopefully they will enjoy it as much as we did.
The train is suppose to arrive tomorrow morning around 10. We plan on doing alot of fun things with them and eating some good food. I am so excited that I get to be with my mom on her birthday weekend. My mom is my best friend and I miss her so much. I am so happy that we are going to have this special time together. The boys can't wait to see her and my dad. Tucker has asked me every morning if this is the day to get Grammy and Pop. I will have plenty of pictures to post next week. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-14T06:28:00.000-07:00

Last week we took the boys and Tucker's best friend Race to our local pumpkin patch. They have a great selection of pumpkins and many fun activities for the kids to do. We got two big pumpkins to carve and about 6 or 7 baby pumpkins for the kids to play with.

The boys were so excited to go to the pumpkin patch.

Tucker with his long lost twin Race.

They loved climbing on the pumpins.

They loved picking out the baby pumpkins.

Ready to go.

Getting a fun ride from Daddy.

Boys will be boys!

2008-10-13T06:40:00.000-07:00

Last week Jacob was playing outside on the play set and was climbing up the ladder and fell off the ladder, I think. I was on the deck grilling out and wasn't exactly paying attention but I am pretty certain he fell off the ladder. He was crying pretty bad and when I went to get him I noticed he was limping. I investigated the situation and his leg/ankle was not broken but he was really upset and did not want to put any weight on his right leg. It took him about 30 minutes to calm down then he was fine but still limping. I was worried but not enough to rush him to the ER. I gave him some Tylenol and put him to bed. He slept all night and seemed fine the next morning. He was still limping but didn't act like he was in any pain. I let my neighbors look at him and they all thought it was probably sprained. I let it go all day and finally at 5:30 that night I rushed him to the DR. They did an exam and weren't concerned but did think an X-Ray was necessary to be safe. Great! This should be easy for a 19 month old to lay still for an X-Ray. He actually did great and everything looked great from the X-Ray. It was just a silly sprain and he was fine after a couple of days and a good ole Ace bandage. Boys will be Boys!

Welcome to Cox Farm

2008-10-04T06:09:00.001-07:00

It's that time of year again! We headed back to Cox Farms this weekend and once again we had a blast. The kids loved it and Jacob could actually enjoy everything. It wasn't that crowded so the kids got to really enjoy themselves.

Jacob is ready to go thru the straw tunnels.

Tucker was so protective of Jacob. He helped him thru the tunnels and watched after him all day. It was so sweet but Jacob was annoyed!

Getting ready to ride the slides. Johnny went up with them at first but then they were going up by themselves and going down together.

No Fear!

Johnny just pushed him down and he loved it. I was a little scared but he did great!

Photo Shoot!

Goat Village. Got a little out of control.

It actually took Jacob a few minutes to warm up to this guy.

Checking out the corn on the corn maze.

Fam Jam

This was the Fairyland Castle slide. They pretty much had this slide to themselves.

Watching his bro come down the slide.

Great Photo Skills.

We saved the best for last. And yes, Jacob went down on his own potato sack.

What a great day! We made some great memories and look forward to going back real soon. I love this time of year. It just makes me so happy.

Update on Jacob

2008-09-30T07:31:00.000-07:00

Jacob had his 18 month check-up last week but he is actually 19 months old but anyway he is doing great. He weighs 25lbs (45th percentile) and his height is 32 inches ( 45th percentile). The Doc said he was growing and doing great. He is in to everything and I mean everything. His favorite thing to do at the moment is pull a chair up to the silverware drawer and pull all the silverware out and then try to put it all back. You can imagine how well that goes. He is the sweetest little boy and I enjoy him and Tucker so much. I have so much to be thankful for.

I really should have wiped his nose for this photo!

Happy Birthday Daddy

2008-09-14T18:51:00.001-07:00

We love you!

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-02T07:11:00.001-07:00

We are home safe and sound from Bama. We had a great trip and got to see lots of friends and family. The first part of our trip was in Tuscaloosa with Mom and Dad. I haven't been home since Christmas so I was really excited about seeing Mom and Dad. The boys had so much fun playing outside and riding Dad's golf cart. We had so much fun just being home. I have been so homesick lately so I really needed this time with my parents. It was wonderful being with them . I just wish we could have stayed longer.

This is one of my best friends Heather. We have been BFF's since about 6th grade. I love her like a sister. I haven't seen her in almost 2 years so I was so excited that she was able to come down to see us for a few hours. We talk on the phone about once a week but being able to see her was so great. We have been thru so much together I can't imagine not having her in my life. We had a great day together and I can't wait to see her again in a few months.

The boys really enjoyed Grammy's and Pop's swing.

Tucker is always up for a photo.

Jacob had a blast playing outside.

We stayed in T-town for 2 nights then headed to Birmingham. We stopped by my grandparents house for a short visit. I love this picture so many reasons. First, I love that my kids get to spend time with there great-grandparents. I didn't know my great-grandparents so this really means a lot to me. 2nd, Jacob doesn't like many people but he went right to my grandfather. He sat in my Pawpaw's lap and let him read books to him almost the entire time we were there. When we got to there house we had a surprise visitor. My aunt Rebecca was there to see us. It was so nice to see family. Did I mention I have been really homesick?

After our visit with my grandparents we headed over to Jason and Amberly's house. The boys were so excited to play with all of Nate's toys. Jacob was really enjoying the light saber.

These little guys really had fun playing together.

Pop trying to get Tucker with the light saber.

Story time with Uncle Johnny.

These two were always up to no good. Um, I don't really think they were suppose to be playing on Jason's and Amberly's bed.

Mary Raines

2008-08-26T06:05:00.000-07:00

All summer me and Kasey have talked about letting the kids spend the night with other but we have both been busy and haven't really been able to plan anything. Well, last week Kasey needed me to watch Mary Raines for a few hours so we just decided to let her spend the night. We were all excited! When Tucker woke up the first thing he asked was when is Mary Raines coming over. I was super excited because I am so out-numbered in this house it would be nice to have another girl for the night. She is such a sweet little girl and we all had fun playing with her. She played really good with the boys and was very easy to take care of. She actually had me wrapped around her little finger and she knew it. If she asked for juice she got it. Chocolate milk for breakfast, absolutely. We had a great time and can't wait until she comes back for another sleep over.

She finally got her and made herself right at home. Sorry Kasey, the bow is already out!

She is showing Tucker how to draw.

Her and Jacob took turns riding the horse.

So, Tucker comes downstairs first and tells me they are playing in the snow. Mary Raines had found her favorite shoes. Tucker's snow boots. She always finds these and wears them when she comes over.

Mary Raines can you give Tucker a hug?

She didn't want me to push Tucker she wanted to do it.

This lasted about 2 seconds.

I know, they are going to hate me when they get older. This was probably the most interesting part of the evening. Tucker has never seen Mary Raines undressed so he had some very funny comments about her. Mary Raines has a little brother so she wasn't in as much shock as Tucker was. Good Times!

Demoliation Derby

2008-08-20T05:46:00.000-07:00

Please, someone put me out of my misery!

Prince William County Fair

2008-08-18T18:53:00.000-07:00

Guess what was across the street from the speedway? The good ole County Fair. So, guess what we did this past weekend? We took the boys to the Prince William County Fair. When I was a kid we didn't have the fair we had the carnival. I really loved going to the carnival and looked forward to it as a kid. I was really excited about going to the fair. I guess things are really better when you are younger. Once we got to the fair I just wasn't that into it. I tried to be a good sport but boy was it nasty. I think some of the same rides I rode as a kid in Winfield were at this fair. Does anybody remember the "Roundabout"? Um, yeah it was still running at this fair after all these years. The boys had a good time and Johnny thought it was the best thing besides Disney that we have ever done. Stay tuned, I am devoting another entry to the Demolition Derby that was part of the fair. Yuck!

We love petting zoo's!

Jacob loves tractors and was so excited about seeing all the different kinds.

This was Tucker's favorite.

Tucker is not afraid to try anything.

Is this really safe for a 3 year old????

The wiggleworm.

He loved this ride.

The Ferris wheel. He never got scared!

One of the only rides that Jacob would ride. Jacob and I just weren't really ready for the fair!

If a pony ride is available Tucker is all about it. This was fun since they let Johnny walk him around the fence.

Old Dominion Speedway

2008-08-12T06:13:00.000-07:00

Here is how the conversation started: I got something fun for us to do tonight. OK, what? Well, you are going to think it's pretty redneck but just hear me out.

Johnny worked on Saturday and as he was leaving his customer's house the customer told him that they were about to head out to Manassas to go to the Old Dominion Speedway. Johnny was like what is that? His customer told him that it's a race track that races all kinds of cars and that kids get in free. I wasn't really into going but I knew the boys would like it and seeing that I am out-numbered here I said OK let's do it. Johnny was right, it was pretty red but the kids really enjoyed it and at least I got a funnel cake out of it.

Gentleman, Start your engines!

These are what they call "The Legend Cars"

Lovin the race!

This little guy liked running back and forth on the bleachers and eating funnel cake.

When we got in the car to leave Johnny asked Tucker if he had a good time. Tucker's response: I liked it, a little bit.

After the race was over they let the crowd come down into the pit. We got to look at all the cars and even sit in some of them.

Jacob got right in and started waving bye.

This was my favorite car and guess what a woman drove it. Wow, I could have a future at Old Dominion Speedway. Um, I think I will keep my day job.

Play Date

2008-08-11T07:11:00.000-07:00

Last week I had a play date at my house with a few of the kids and moms from church. We had brunch then the kids played and the moms tried to talk. It was total chaos but I love it. We had a great day and the kids played really well together.

This is Lydia and Caleb. They were born just a few hours apart.

Tucker is being attacked by Ainsley and Susan. He doesn't seem to mind.

Mary Raines is helping herself to some fresh watermelon.

This little girl is always into something.

Taking a break to watch some TV.

We actually found this wagon in one of my neighbors trash. The boys have had a ball pulling each around. Well, Johnny and Beau actually got this out of one of our neighbors trash. Hard to imagine those two going thru a stranger's trash. They got a lot of good stuff. Beau scored a doll house for Mary Raines.

Coming in after a hard day's work.

Burke Lake Park

2008-08-06T07:19:00.001-07:00

Last week we went to Burke Lake Park for a few hours. Johnny decided to go for a run around the lake while we rode the train and played on the play set. The trail around the lake is about 4 miles which is about what Johnny is use to running. Well, the trail got a little confusing and he got lost. He ended up having to go a strangers house to figure out where he was and how to get back to the park. He ended up running/walking over 7 miles. After all of the drama we had a picnic lunch and really enjoyed the day.

Ready to ride the train.

We had to wait on the train so the boys got restless and started playing on the tracks.

All Aboard!

The Washington Monument

2008-07-26T11:55:00.000-07:00

We finally got tickets to go up to the top of the Washington Monument. We called back in May and the next available time was July 25. The tickets are free but you have to have a ticket for a certain time of the day to be able to go up to the top. It was really neat and not as scary as I thought it might be. It only took 70 seconds to get to the top and the view was amazing.

The Monument.

Getting ready to go in.

The White House.

The WWII memorial, reflecting pool, Lincoln memorial. This is the pool where Jenny jumps in and runs after Forrest.

The Jefferson Memorial.

The Pentagon.

Inside the Monument.

Tucker and Jacob!

Last Day

2008-07-24T05:19:00.000-07:00

This is our last day at the beach. I was really anxious about going to the beach for 8 days but the kids did great and we all had a wonderful time. We had a few early mornings but overall the kids slept great and totally adjusted to all the craziness that comes with a Hinely vacation. We made many good memories and look forward to next July.

Jacob had sunscreen, sand, and salt water in his eyes. He was over it!

Aunt Catfish's

2008-07-23T06:30:00.001-07:00

This year it was really hard for all of us to go out to dinner together but the one place that we all wanted to go was Aunt Catfish's. This restaurant is over in Daytona Beach and in my opinion the best place to eat . There is always a really long wait but they have a play area for the kids which they all really enjoyed. We always look forward to going to Aunt Catfish's. We had great meal and the kids had fun.

The kids are patiently waiting their turn to go down the slide.

The idea of this picture was great but it didn't really go as planned.

What a crew!

Brooks & Mary Raines

Jacob and Mary Raines really love playing together. They are always picking on each other. He doesn't do this with anybody but her.

The famous Catfish.

This is Danny and his wife Colleen. Danny is Johnny and Beau's first cousin. They were at the beach the same time as us and joined us for dinner.

What cute little boys!

Short Money Jet Ski

2008-07-22T05:28:00.000-07:00

Every year Mr. Hinely brings his jet ski's to the beach for all of us to ride. Sounds fun but it never ever ever ever goes as planned. He has two that he usually brings and only one of them ever works once they get them out into the water. I have so many horror stories about the jet ski's but I won't get in to it. This year Mr. Hinely decided not to bring them so the guys decided to just rent some for the day. There weren't that many options to rent from but the one place that really grabbed our attention was called " Short Money Jet Ski Rentals". The guys called and reserved a jet ski and we were on our way. There motto is that if you are short on money you can always rent from us. Um, ok sounds good to us. I wasn't sure if I should take the boys but of course Johnny had other plans and said "of course Tucker can ride the jet ski". I thought he was a little young to ride but of course Tucker loved it and did just fine. We had a great day and I know Tucker is looking forward to riding again.

Suited up and ready to go.

If he is with his daddy he will do anything.

Yes that's me poking along with Tucker. I didn't go as fast as everyone else.

At least I got him to ride with me.

I wanna go to the pool.

2008-07-17T05:10:00.000-07:00

The kids enjoyed the beach but after just a few minutes all I heard was "I wanna go to the pool". We did the beach everyday but spent most of our time at the pool. Tucker has become quite the little swimmer. He can almost swim without floaties but not yet. He jumps in on his own and swims all over the pool. He is such a natural in the water and I am sooo glad. I don't know if I should be proud or scared but by the end of the week Johnny taught him how to do a front flip into the pool. He is pure Hinely. I really do love that he doesn't have any fear but it does scare me at times.

Tucker was so sick of taking pictures. He was ready for the pool.

Off he goes.

My little swimmer.

Jacob is ready for the pool....

but would rather play on the edge.

Mary Raines was quite the little swimmer. I think she liked the baby pool but she did really good in the big pool.

These two had so much fun playing together.

Fun in the sun (part 1)

2008-07-16T10:01:00.000-07:00

This is the first day we went out to the beach and the boys loved it. I knew Tucker would be super excited but I wasn't sure what Jacob would think about the ocean. He actually really liked it. He had fun just splashing around and especially playing in the sand.

4th of July Birthday Extravaganza

2008-07-15T05:24:00.000-07:00

After our visit with Nana & Papa Hinely we headed to the beach. Tucker was so excited to finally see the beach. He has been looking forward to this trip for a long time. We got to our room around 3:30 and got settled in before heading out to the beach. We went out for a couple of hours before heading in for the birthday extravaganza. July 4th is not only a day to celebrate our Independence but it's Papa John's birthday. Jane Lou had prepared a yummy dinner and a very special flag birthday cake for all of us to enjoy. After dinner we headed out to beach to watch the firework show. It was a great 4th but Jacob hated the fireworks. Maybe he will like them next year.

Happy Birthday Papa John!

This little guys loves his Papa!

What a good-looking bunch of Hinely's.

This little guy is starting to get really attached to his daddy!

"Hinely Fireworks Summer 2008"!

We were so proud! Not really more like embarrassed. This is the result of cheap fireworks from Publix!

Day 1 - Visiting with Nana & Papa Hinely

2008-07-14T06:08:00.000-07:00

We left for sunny Florida a day early so we could go to Orlando and visit with Nana and Papa Hinely. Nana had dinner ready for us when we arrived and it was soo yummy. The kids had so much fun playing and getting into everything at the house. We had a wonderful visit and look forward to seeing them again real soon.

The John's.

Hey look, someone besides me or Johnny is holding Jacob and he isn't crying!

The three musketeers! I'm sure Nana loved the fact that these three were banging on her piano ALL NIGHT!

I love the mischievous look that is always on Jacob's face.

We are home!

2008-07-12T05:46:00.000-07:00

Well, almost all of us are home. Tucker decided he would stay in sunny Florida for another week. Papa John asked us about a month ago if we would let Tucker stay with him in Tampa after our beach trip. I was really hesitant about letting him and never really made up my mind until yesterday when it was time to say our goodbye's. I started crying and he never cried or got sad even when he told his Daddy bye. He is such a big boy and is going to have a blast. I do really miss him.
I took over 200 pictures of our trip so I will try to post some of those later on today or Monday.

Welcome to Amishville, USA

2008-06-23T06:25:00.001-07:00

Like I said we had no idea what we were getting into on our "Day Out With Thomas". We turned off the main road and we were in a town with the one of the largest Amish groups in the United States. I was super excited! When I was younger I went with my family to see the Amish in Tennessee and loved it. I was excited for Thomas but I wanted to hurry that up and get back to seeing the Amish. We had to go to the train station first but then I wanted to spend the rest of the day exploring the Amish village. Turns out we stayed at the train station until almost 5 and the kids were exhausted. We decided to let them sleep and we would just drive around and check out the town.

For those of you who don't know this is the town were the school shootings took place about 2 years ago. A non-Amish man who delivered milk to the Amish went in to an all girls school and killed these little girls and then took his own life. I didn't realize this was the town until we got home and I googled "Amish".

I didn't get the memo beforehand that the Amish do NOT like to have their picture taken. I kept telling Johnny that they were not that photogenic. Apparently they think it is a graven image and that it steals their soul or something like that. I felt like the paparazzi.

This was some kind of museum like thing that you could walk around and get info about the Amish. We didn't get to stop because 2 little guys were passed out. I was sad.

Here we go, first of many buggies.

We are on his trail. He turns around to check us out but does not smile or wave.

We caught up with him but he just ignores us.

He turns into his home and when he realizes I am taking pictures he never turned back around. These people had the most beautiful homes. It is obviously something they are very proud of and take really good care of.

As were are driving around I notice this little boy who is actually playing with a little wagon. We pull over because I just couldn't stand not getting a picture of him. He was just so innocent and intriguing. When we pulled over he stopped playing and actually waved at us. Johnny asked if we could take his picture and he started screaming "Please Not, Please Not". I felt really bad but I couldn't leave without a picture of him. Remember I didn't get the memo that they don't like having their picture taken. Here we have been at a Thomas the train event all day in this little boy's town and he has no idea who Thomas the Train is. This culture is so mind blowing to me. I can't wait to go back.

A Day Out With Thomas

2008-06-21T05:13:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we drove to Strasburg, PA so the boys could have "A Day Out With Thomas". We could have done this in Baltimore but the tickets sold out so quick that the next closest event was in Strasburg, PA. I didn't mind the drive because I knew it would be worth it and it was a part of PA that we have never been to.

When we decided to get the tickets all we did was look on the map to see if Strasburg was in driving distance with two kids. I knew nothing about the town or the people that live there. As we are approaching the town of Strasburg I start to get the feeling that we aren't in Kansas anymore. We knew we were in Amishville USA! New post coming Monday. Stay Tuned!!!

Here comes Thomas!

All Aboard!!

You can tell he loved this.

Here we are on board of Thomas.

This little guy never knows what is going on. He was a good sport and really had fun.

This is a view from the train. This event was set up like a county fair. They had tents set up with yummy food, funnel cakes, and homemade lemonade. Of course we ate a Philly cheese steak which was the greatest sandwich I have ever put in my mouth.

They had all kinds of activities for the kids and Tucker really loved this one.

I had to get a pick of Jacob with his hat on because he only had it on for about 30 seconds.

In one tent they had about 4 different train table set up for the kids to try out. It sounds like a good idea but the kids did not want to share the trains so we moved on to better things.

This was my favorite part, a Thomas Train made out of Lego's.

The best way to end a wonderful day.

M.O.P.S. Playdate

2008-06-19T04:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we went with Aunt Kasey to her last MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) play date. The main activities were held inside a gym that had a moon bounce and a large area for the kids to ride their bikes. Our kids played inside for about 30 minutes but got hungry and were ready to go outside for lunch and play on the play set. The kids had so much fun just being together and being outside. We have had extremely nice weather this week and the kids have been so happy to play outside.

This is the moon bounce. Tucker wasn't really into it. I guess he got enough of it since we had one in our backyard for a week.

This little guy never stopped smiling.

I am glad they are starting to bond.

Mary Raines had fun hanging with the boys!

Like I said, never stopped smiling.

Check out those skills!

Summertime Makes Me Feel Fine

2008-06-12T05:13:00.000-07:00

The Spirit of Mount Vernon

2008-06-11T06:34:00.000-07:00

Last week we went to Mount Vernon and did a boat tour. We have been waiting all year to do this and we were finally able to go. We boarded "The Spirit of Mount Vernon" and headed out on the Potomac for our adventure. We went about 10 miles up the Potomac and got to see the mansion and all the land that George Washington owned. We hung out on the top deck then on the way back we had lunch. It was a really fun day.

The Spirit of Mount Vernon.

The boys loved hanging out on the top deck.

Jacob has learned a new trick!

Mom, it's too bright for pictures!

Mount Vernon.

Good Times

2008-06-09T05:20:00.000-07:00

I love how we have way toooo many toys and they prefer to play in an empty box for hours. Good Times!

Fresh Strawberries

2008-06-06T05:04:00.001-07:00

One of our elders at church as a small garden with fresh strawberries. Every summer he invites us over to pick some and we have been going for 3 years now. Tucker really loved it last year so I knew this year would be even better. The boys had a great time and Jacob was really into it. When I went to check on him he was eating the entire strawberry stem and all.

Here let me help with you with the stem.

Tucker looks like he is posing for a strawberry ad. He is always up for a photo shoot.

Reston Petting Zoo

2008-06-03T06:44:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again. If you have been reading my blog from the beginning then you will remember this place from last summer. This past Friday we took the boys to the Reston Petting Zoo. Tucker remebered it from last year and was sooo excited. Jacob liked looking at the animals but wasn't really into feeding or touching them. It was a really fun day and after the zoo we went and picked fresh strawberries. I will save those pics for a later post. Happy Summer!

My little monkeys!

This was Tucker's favorite part of the day.

He loves horses! He tells me that he is a horsey boy.

Jacob wasn't really into feeding the goats.

He sorta likes it.

Here we are on the wagon ride. This bull came right up to us and we got to pet him and feed him some food.

Jacob was really in shock all day.

Happy Birthday Brooks

2008-05-30T05:01:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday we celebrated Brooks 1st Birthday. Kasey had his party at a park in there neighborhood. The kids had a ball playing together.

Everyone was looking forward to having cake.

This is the gift we got Brooks. Jacob loved pushing him around.

I think Brooks wants to just be left alone.

This little guy is waiting for cake.

This was the best part of the night. I have never seen a baby boy love cake as much as this guy. He put a death grip on his piece of cake.

Check-up

2008-05-29T05:44:00.000-07:00

The boys had there 3 yr and 15 month check-ups this week. Tucker weighed in at 32 lbs and 38 1/2 inches. Jacob weighed in at 22.9 lbs and was 31 inches. They are growing and healthy and sweet and I just love um so much.

Paradise Island, Bahamas

2008-05-28T08:02:00.001-07:00

Last year Johnny won a sales award at work and it was for a free vacation. The award was for a free vacation anywhere and we decided to go to the Bahamas. Johnny's boss let us choose everything and wanted us to have our dream vacation. I had always heard about the Atlantis resort from the likes of Oprah and I knew it was somewhere I wanted to go. It was amazing!!!! Hands down the nicest place I have ever been. This post is only about the trip. I am going to give a special shout out to the "MOMS" that kept my kids on a later date. So, back to the trip. The Atlantis resort is unbelievable. Everything is completely over the top. The highlight of the trip for me was eating at Bobby Flay's restaurant. It was hands down the best meal I have ever had. Johnny and I needed this trip and we really enjoyed the time together. Oh, how could I forget, on the way to dinner one night we ran into Julia Roberts in the lobby. She said to say Hello to you all.

The resort has 5 or 6 different hotels and this is the one Julia and us stayed in.

This was the view of the marina from our balcony.

This was the view we had when we woke up every morning.

This is at the entrance to the casino at the Royal Towers.

This was down at the Marina village. I look pregnant in this picture but let me assure you that I am not.

This is the most famous part of the resort called Royal Towers.

Here we are getting ready to swim with dolphins. This was really fun. We got to swim underwater with a dolphin then we got to get close up pictures with it and hug and all that good stuff.

Here is one of the dolphins playing around in the lagoon.

This was our last night. In the Royal Towers they have an underground aquarium that was really neat. We had a really great time but missed our boys more than anything. It was good to be back home.

The National Cathedral

2008-05-15T05:10:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago we went downtown to the National Cathedral to have the boys pictures made. In the back of the cathedral is a beautiful garden where we had the photo shoot. It was so pretty and I can't wait to see the pics. I am still waiting on my photographer to get back with me with the proofs. I will post the link so if anyone wants to see them they can preview them.

I must say having a 3 year old and a 1 year old to pose for pictures was one of the most painful things to go thru. The boys did ok so hopefully she got some a few good shots of them and at least one good family photo.

After we finished the photo shoot we did our own tour of the cathedral. It was one of the most beautiful buildings I have ever been in. After we did our tour we went to Georgetown and had lunch and enjoyed just being outside and enjoying the nice weather.

This it the front of the National Cathedral.

This is a bishops cottage or something like that. I just loved the flowers on the tower. I know my Mom will know the name of these flowers. They look like grapes. So pretty!

Side view of the cathedral.

These inside pictures do not do it justice.

This is stone from Mt. Sinai.

This is what a photo shoot does to little boys!

Mother's Day weekend

2008-05-12T06:02:00.000-07:00

Friday officially kicked off Mother's Day. We started the day off by having breakfast at Panara then I went to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel for a spa day. I must say it was completely over the top but I feel like I deserved it so I totally enjoyed it. After the spa I met up the boys and one sweet little girl and had lunch at Potbelly. After a late lunch we went back home and Kasey and I went for a girls night out. We went to see our favorite babysitter sing in a school function then we went out for a late dinner. It was really fun. Saturday we got two girls to watch all our kids at Kasey's house so we could go to a wedding shower for a couple from church. The shower was really nice but then we decided to go to a movie. It was a chick flick so I didn't feel guilty going to the movies without Johnny. We had the best time and the kids had a blast playing together all day. They all took naps except Tucker of course but he was fine and got a nap on the way home. Yesterday I woke up with sweet cards from my boys and beautiful flowers from the hubby. We went to church and then to our favorite restaurant for lunch. After lunch we came home and I spent the afternoon playing with my sweet boys and taking a nap with my main man. It was a wonderful weekend and I feel so blessed to be a Mother.

The best job in the world is taking care of these little guys!

Jacob's first trip to the zoo

2008-05-01T05:19:00.000-07:00

He slept the entire time!

This little guy would go to the zoo everyday if we would let him.

This would be my husband's favorite exhibit.

For those of you who don't know Johnny that well, when we were dating he had an iguana make that two iguanas. We we got engaged I told him that when I move in the iguanas had to move out. It was hard for him but he took me instead.

The Pope is what???

2008-04-17T11:32:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we decided to go into the city and walk around, just enjoy the day. We get into town and the traffic is out of control. Johnny decides to let us out so he can go find a parking spot. I get out of the car in the middle of DC traffic with 2 boys and start heading towards the monuments. I start walking and I am puzzled as to why there are so many people in town. I continue to walk and all of a sudden I see thousands and thousands of people behind barricades. I turn down another street and I see the same thing. Oh know, what is going on?? I am trapped! Then I hear someone say the Pope is in town! The Pope is what?? I don't guess I got the memo that the Pope was in Washington DC yesterday. Here I am with these 2 boys walking around with all these Catholic people trying to get a glimpse of the Pontiff. I almost felt Catholic for a second and I mean just a second. If it couldn't get any more out of control I find myself in the middle of a mariachi band playing guitars and drums singing Hallelujah holding up a banner for the Iglesia Immaculda de Maria something something from Dallas TX. I just keep walking and finally find a rode that is not barricaded and I make it out sadly not getting to see the pope. We met up with Johnny near the WWII memorial and had a picnic then we played ball with the boys and taught them both how to fly a kite. It was a good day!!

The white house hours before the pope is going to be there. This is where I got stuck with the mariachi band. They were actually pretty good.

This little guy was glad to be in a more quite place.

Spring is finally here!!

Jacob loved playing with the flowers.

Jacob flying his first kite!

Tucker is a pro.

Can't beat a Spiderman kite!

7 Years Ago..... Yesterday

2008-04-15T11:52:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Tucker continued

2008-04-07T09:39:00.001-07:00

I guess you could say that this has been Tucker's birthday weekend. The party was still going strong on Sunday which was his actually birthday. We reserved the moonbounce for Friday from 11-5 but its now Monday and we still have a moonbounce in our backyard. I am not complaining but on Saturday I had soo many kids in my backyard that I finally just unplugged the moonbounce and went inside. I can honestly say that the moonbounce was well worth the money. Sunday I made lunch "Holy Roast" as we use to say as a kid, green beans, and the Paula Dean banana pudding. Beau, Kasey, Brooks, MayRay, and Papa John were all here to celebrate Tucker's actually birthday. We had lunch then let Tucker open gifts from all of us. When we had his party I decided to put NO GIFTS on the invitation so he only got gifts from family. It was a wise decision on my part because we have soooooo much stuff.

Jacob and Mary Raines were very eager to help Tucker open his gifts.

Tucker got a very cute book from Granny Lou and Papa John.

Granny Lou and Papa John got Mary Raines a cute doggie purse.

Jacob was enjoying the party!

Brooks partied alone.

Happy Birthday Tucker!!

2008-04-06T13:41:00.000-07:00

To be continued...

We like to Party

2008-04-04T18:25:00.000-07:00

Today we had Tucker's 3rd Birthday Party. We really love to party. Tucker wanted a Thomas the Train party and so that's what he got. I have to admit this has been a really stressful week trying to plan this party. About two weeks ago we reserved a moonbounce for him. The party pretty much revolved around the moonbounce. All week they have been predicting terrible weather for Friday. I could not believe the one day we plan a party and its going to rain all day long. We get up this morning and call the Moonbounce people and tell them to come on over and we will just make the most of it. It was super cloudy this morning and in the high 40s. Not the best day for a moonbounce. Well, they really got it wrong today. It never rained and by this afternoon the sun was trying to come out. It turned out to be a wonderful day. I think the last kid left the house at 5:30. Tucker had a wonderful birthday that I hope he will always remember.

Check out this cake!!!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Tucker, Happy Birthday to you.

I admit, a little over the top for a 3 year old party!

Everyone really loved playing with Uncle Beau.

I think Beau was a little worn out.

Mr. Brooks really loves PB&J. Honestly he loves all food!

Tucker's Pals.

What a crew!

First Haircut

2008-04-02T06:04:00.001-07:00

BEFORE

AFTER

First haircut, First Lollipop.

Clinique- Sassy Spice

2008-04-01T05:49:00.000-07:00

The Circus

2008-03-31T09:51:00.000-07:00

The Greatest Show on Earth has finally come to town. Last Friday we took the boys to the circus. We have been talking to Tucker about this day for over a month so he was very very excited.

We started our morning off at Panera Bread for a late breakfast. The weather was wonderful so we ate outside then took some pics of the boys playing around. I had to get a shot of them in there matching outfits!

We didn't know this before hand but when we got to the circus they were doing pre-show activities that the kids could enjoy. Tucker learned how to balance himself on a ball, sorta.

Tucker got his own clown nose.

Photo shoot with a very nice clown.

Tucker was ready to get changed into well I don't know what he was thinking.

Tucker's favorite part!! Instead of being a cowboy he tells me he wants to be a "horseyboy".

WOW!! Be careful up there!!

This little guy is nothing but T-R-O-U-B-L-E.

We all had a fun day and can't wait until next year.

Easter Photo Shoot

2008-03-26T05:18:00.000-07:00

First Day of School

2008-03-25T15:06:00.000-07:00

About a year ago my neighbor turned her basement into a preschool. She has about 10 kids from the ages of 1-5. She called me a few months ago and told me she had an opening for 2 days a week and wondered if I might be interested in letting Tucker come. How could I say no. She is right across the street from us and almost all the kids are Tucker's age. It is only from 9:30-12:30. She wanted him all day but I couldn't really justify paying for him to take a nap. We agreed on a fair neighbor price and he started today. It is actually going to be so helpful because Jacob still takes a morning nap so while he is sleeping and Tucker is gone I can really get some needed housework done. Like today, Jacob went to sleep around 10:30 and I feel asleep around 11 until 12:15. This preschool thing is really going to work out good for all us.

He has been looking forward to this day for a few weeks!

BFF (Best Friends Forever)

Tucker, look back and wave at Mommy.

Easter Egg Hunt

2008-03-24T15:16:00.001-07:00

On Saturday I took the boys to an Easter Egg Hunt at a friends neighborhood. They live in a pretty big community and I think someone said that there were about 80 kids there. In other words I was totally overwhelmed and wished I had stayed home. I don't really mean that but it was hard to manage both boys by myself with all these little kids running EVERYWHERE. Tucker had fun so it was worth it.

Tucker went right up to the bunny and gave him a hug. Jacob thought it would be best to sit this one out.

Tucker got lots of eggs full of different treats.