For The Virtual Scrapbook

Since this blog serves as my virtual scrapbook I try to post all of our pictures on here at some point or other. I always print off my blog at the end of each year to have a hard copy that we put on our coffee table to flip through. This little website has replaced photo albums, printed pictures and scrapbooks for me so I try to make it a priority.

 

I will always remember his teething days. Georgia's were few and far between and she was never symptomatic but this boy is a different story. He chews on EVERYTHING and you can tell they hurt him. He is cutting four right now!! But he takes it in stride. Ora-jel helps. And frozen teething rings. I'm hoping a reprieve is on the way. 

 

This was two Sundays ago. The boys were done with the snow but the girls still had some exploring to do. We walked down to see our neighbor's frozen pond. She has my love for being outside and exploring new things.

 

Monday morning (1/25/16)

 Monday afternoon (1/25/16). We occasionally get massive snows but they do not last long in Kentucky.
 

Most of the time we do our nightly reading after we put the babes to bed but Georgia got to join us one night as a little treat. She just sat and listened so intently. I hope and pray we show her Jesus everyday.

 

Dance class was canceled last week due to the snow but we were back at it the next week. Her doll that she has named "Sarah" that Santa brought her joined us for ballet. And I have decided three year old little girls in leotards and tutus are the cutest thing there ever was.

 

Sweet AKK preschool friends Analin and Chloe are also in her class! I am glad she has them and that she is making new friends with the other little ballerinas in her class.

 

Jack has made a new discovery. If he goes missing, I know where to find him. Look at those guilty eyes!

It was too pretty to be inside on Saturday so we moved lunch to the porch. He's the happiest!

 

And then we took our first stroller ride of 2016. This was our Craigslist steal stroller from last summer that we will get at least another year out of, hopefully two.

 

Sunday was Baptist Men's Sunday and some of the men in the church take part in a men's choir. Daddy and Jack joined in. It is always a special day hearing men testify their faith and salvation.

 

I'm currently in Lexington at a work conference for a night. This is my first night away from Jack and one of few nights away from Georgia. I'm thankful for facetime and a wonderful family that steps up in my absence. Come on Friday afternoon!

New Year Update

Inspired by blog friend Jennifer I decided the end of the first month of the new year was a good time to give a little update on what all is going on around here. Spoiler alert-not a whole lot. It's been a nice break from the normal crazy.

Reading: Marcus and I resolved to read the Bible through this year using the guide here. It has helped me appreciate the Bible as one big story. I'm also hoping to start the bible study Seamless in February to supplement, it also approaches the Bible as a "seamless" book of chapters arranged together. Georgia loves to be read to and her favorites right now are Soup Day and The Hat.

Watching: I love TV, don't get me wrong, but I often don't make time for it. This month I have watched more than normal though due to the big snow and just a slower pace of life.

I binged watched this in about five nights after the babes went to bed and oh my. My range of emotions were all over the place.

My guilty pleasure. Ben might be my favorite Bachelor of all time. #teamcaila

And I am really excited about this coming on in February! I was a Full House junkie. I'm bummed the Olsen twins are not joining the fun. C'mon girls, stay true to your roots!

Cooking: We have cooked more this month than usual. My mother-in-law gifted me a Le Creuset covered casserole for Christmas and it is the best. Marcus got a new fryer and was making me eat fried dill pickles at 9pm last night. He didn't have to twist my arm too much :) I love our meals at home around the island talking about our day in between meeting the demands of the babes.

Eating: Southern comfort food (because it's winter and it's cold) and fresh fruit for balance. I am a firm believer in all things in moderation. Chocolate chip cookies and milk before bed happened more times than I care to admit. How close is swimsuit season?

Texting: My texting with Rachel has been my favorite this month as we analyzed the wet/dry vote in our county. Total hysteria!

Pinning: I have spent very little time on social media this month (thank you wet/dry vote) but I did create a Disney board one night for our upcoming trip. I really need to start perusing for Jack's first birthday. It is totally going to sneak up on me, I can feel it.

Going: We had a ski trip tentatively planned this month that didn't work out but hopefully we will get to go Valentine's weekend. This month was a time to just stay in and celebrate home.

Loving: Our beautiful 10 inch snow we received last week. We hibernated for three days and it was good for the soul. January has a beautiful way of forcing you to slow down and rejuvenate. I am also loving my new title as a "dance mom". Georgia has been to two ballet classes and loves it. She looks forward to it all week.

Discovering: I have done quite a bit of research this month on television options besides cable. We have Dish and our one year promotion ended in November. Our bill now is more than I care to spend on TV so I have educated myself on Roku, Sling, Amazon Prime, Hulu, etc. Our love of sporting events is our main hesitation to pull the trigger on TV streaming right now but it could be in the future.

Celebrating: Jack is back to sleeping through the night again!!! I can hear the Hallelujah chorus in the background.

Purchasing: We have tried to follow a pretty strict budget this month, we have a lot of traveling coming up this year we want to save for and we always try to reign it back in after all the holiday spending.

Wearing: I bought this before Christmas and have wore it a lot this month. It has been COLD so also wearing my Bean boots and Patagonia pullover in regular rotation. And when I am home, flannel pajamas. 8am, 2pm, 6pm it doesn't matter, you'll find me in warm pjs :) 

Snow Slideshow

Winter Storm Jonas touched down at our house Thursday night into Friday morning unloading about 10 inches of snow (the first inch is actually ice!) and turning our world into a winter wonderland. We didn't leave the house until Sunday afternoon and I never had cabin fever, it was such a refreshing and exciting time to be at home.

The neatest thing about this snow is that most of it all happened during daylight hours so we were able to watch it snow all day long. So beautiful. When we were at half a foot and it was only 10am I was really thinking it might be February before we could get out!

We took the babes back out for a little playing and sledding. It was still snowing so it was a little harder for them to enjoy but it was still fun.

A snowy Harrison crew

Mommy took the babes on a little sleigh ride in the yard.

They loved it! We headed back inside afterward because I am always paranoid they will get sick but I had to let them enjoy it for a little while.

We may be snowed in but we're dreaming of spring. We're watching all the Disney movies and answering all the 4,538 questions she has about WDW.

I did a lot of this over the past week and it was bliss. Both of my babies love to be rocked to sleep so we do. We rocked Georgia until she outgrew it but she still requests it ever so often. I'm sure it will be the same way with Jack. Thank you babies for letting me rock you to sleep <3

Another snow day and another piece of snow attire. Isn't this little carhartt snowsuit the cutest thing ever?!? Thanks Ma and Pa!

My sister and brother-in-law came up for the snowy weekend and stayed with us Saturday night (thank you 4WDs!). Georgia could not wait for them to get here to play with her in the snow!

We took my Mom's 4WD over to my Dad's to do some sledding. He has beautiful views up on his hill that were highlighted with the beautiful snow.

The girls and Baby Bo :)

We introduced Georgia Grace to our childhood sledding hill. So many near broken bones and falls into the frozen pond. The more rides you take the faster you go! I love the beach and summer and warm weather, but I love my winters to be white.

We are still covered in snow and we will be off two more days from school. It may not snow another flake all winter but this one sure outdid itself! It will be hard to get back to our normal routine once it all melts. I'm really good at the no schedule, wearing pajamas all day and staying up past bedtime thing :)

Snow Much Fun

What a ca-razy week this has been. Monday was MLK day so a fun day at home, Tuesday was a normal day and then we woke up to a winter wonderland Wednesday morning and the rest of the week has been snow days! Tonight, winter storm Jonas is expected to hit starting with freezing rain turning to snow with a possible accumulation of 8 inches. We have our gas logs, "milk and bread" so we are prepared to bear down if we have to!

Since this was our first real snow of the season we couldn't wait to get outside and play in it. This was the first snow that Georgia really was so excited about and she would have stayed out all day if we had let her.

My snowbabies. We need to thank Santa for a lot of things in this picture-the sled, Georgia's coat and earmuffs. He must have known what this winter was going to be like for us.

Jack's first snow. He was a fan! He wanted more action but settled for watching sister through the window in mommy's arms. Don't you just want to squeeze him and kiss his cheeks?

Daddy was throwing snow up in the air so it would snow on her which she loved. She loved being pulled on the sled and shoveling snow with Daddy.

This boy wanted to eat it. And he did, just like he did the sand at the beach :)

I just love this action shot. Georgia is playing hard, evident with the tongue out, and Jack is all eyes on sister. He watches every move she makes.

Appointments are canceled, schools are closed and schedules are clear for staying home and enjoying the winter weather headed our way. Days filled with snow cream, warm baths, games of Candyland, relaxing by the fireplace and more playing in the snow are here!

Thank you January for forcing us to slow down and enjoy these precious, fleeting moments. These are the best days I want to hold on to forever.

A Note From The Long Weekend

It's Monday night and I am pooped from a full day of grocery shopping and running errands early this am while the babies and Daddy slept, organizing our clothes closets and just the normal daily tasks so this post is short and sweet. The warm bed is calling my name! :)

Marcus and I are doing a little water competition to encourage each other to drink our eight glasses of water per day. The glasses hold two cups so I have been pouring four glasses for each of us in the morning and we drink on them through the day (if we drink water away from home, we just pour the amount out) (also, call me crazy but I like my water at room temperature). There's just something about seeing it sitting on the counter as a gentle reminder that motivates me to keep myself hydrated. So far it's fun and has been a success!

Jack boy loves his bath time. He was already looking in the direction of the tub like "Ok mom, let's get to splashing already!". And boy does he splash. Bath time is his favorite time of the day.

Is there anything sweeter than a fresh and clean baby? No, the answer is no. Even a teething one :)

Both of my babies inherited their Daddy's eyelashes and I am so thankful.

I try to grab a picture of the babes/family on Sunday mornings because it's the one time of the week we are all put together at the same time. Y'all pretend this is a super sweet sibling moment instead of a hair pulling incident. Gah the hair pulling and pinching are his favorite things! I know it's his way of showing affection but it hurts. He is learning the word no early.

Big sister is so patient and slow to anger. She loves Jack so big and I know I am raising a future amazing mom. Her heart is pure gold and she is passionate! I love her so much!

It's colder than all get out here. Snow is in the forecast so we may be in for some snow days by midweek! I would love to try out the new sled from Santa. And even though snow days complicate the school calendar and make up days, a few peppered in here and there are welcomed :) 

Unfortunately, our neighborhood has had several burglaries this weekend. There was a few back in the fall and they have continued which makes you uneasy and frustrated at the same time. Our neighborhood has the Nextdoor app and we communicate with each other when something looks suspicious and such. I'm thankful for sweet neighbors who look out for each other. I'm also thankful for our security system, I have peace of mind since we decided it was needed to protect us.

Off to bed I go, the alarm will be ringing way too soon.

January Things

We are already into the middle of January and we are getting settled in to the new year. I'm still feeling the joy of new beginnings from my new planner, new bible readings, new activities and newfound energy from Jack deciding that sleeping more at night was a good thing!

Thank you son.

While everything is still fresh and new I'm trying my best to make blogging a regular habit again so I can put words to my memories. Our story is so good and fun and alive right now. I want to preserve it and bottle it up.

Here our five big things to put in my memory bank-

1. Our Compassion Child Fitsum turned 7 on the 7th and we sent him a letter and pictures of our growing family. We sent this back in the fall because there is so much mail delivery lag time to Ethiopia. My prayer is that Fitsum will love Jesus. I want his needs to be met and for him to receive a good education but above all I want him to know the Lord.

2. I posted pictures of our playroom tour last week, but this is really how it looks the other 364 days. This was the result of our first snow day on Monday.

I watched this video this week and sobbed. Everything about it reminds me of Georgia. The nursery is so much the same as hers that for the first 15 seconds Marcus thought it was a video I had made! A beautiful reminder to live in the moment.

4. Georgia had her first dance class Wednesday afternoon. This was one of my favorite days to be her mom.

On the way to The Dance Academy she was singing "to dance class we go, to dance class we go"! She was so excited for it.

She loved it and did well listening and following directions. There was no anxiety, no nervousness, just excitement!

I just love our little ballerina. I hope she loves dance as much as I did.

While Georgia was dancing I found this flashback in time...

I danced for six years at the same academy with the same teacher. I think that is awesome!

Two generations of dancers with a strong gene pool.

5. Just a precious picture of brother bear. He has some object permanence going on and does not want anyone to leave his sight. He doesn't have to be held but you better not go anywhere. He could be our stage five clinger :)