Blessed to the 5th degree

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2011

2011-12-25T23:50:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas from the Wade family! We spend today sharing lots of quality family time with each other and enjoyed the best day! With me being up first (5 AM), Eric next (6 AM), and then Blaire and Reagan (by 6:30)....we all had to actually go and wake up Abby, ha! She immediately remembered what day it was and ran down the stairs saying "Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!" She spotted the chalk scooter first and her day was already complete, ha! Blaire and Reagan had a ball opening up gifts - even stealing our gifts to open! The loved their doll strollers and spent almost an hour going around the house in circles over and over and over! Eric and Abby headed outside to play with some of her new toys (including her bike helmet and bell which she was over the moon to receive) and had a ball together. We enjoyed our traditional Christmas morning waffle breakfast and then an awesome day before a nice dinner of grilled steaks. We invited Eric's family over for dinner and enjoyed closing out the day with them for a couple of hours as we ate and watched the girls enjoy their gifts from Santa and family. When we all headed up to bed, we were exhausted. It was a wonderful day and we wish every one enjoyed a Christmas as merry as ours!

Twas the night before Christmas

2011-12-24T22:17:00.001-06:00

The girls have been so excited about all of the festivities surrounding the Christmas celebrations...whether it was school parties, home decorations, wrapping presents for siblings, church plays or even just talking about Jesus' birth, Santa Claus, the North Pole elves and all the other stories we share around this time of year. Today they were thrilled that it was Christmas Eve! And to us, that means a few things...first, we need to get our cookies ready for Santa. With our number one Top Chef in the kitchen, it wasn't long before the sugar cookies were made and baked to perfection. Abby, Blaire and Reagan all sat together deciding what cookie cutters we'd use. Finally the snowflake was chosen and Abby decided Santa would get two cookies - one for him, and one for the reindeer to share. It was such a fun morning around here!

The afternoons of Christmas Eve mean lunch and presents with Eric's side of the family. We headed over to Nana and Papa's house and enjoyed a great meal as well as some fun present opening. But probably the best time of the entire day will be remembered by all....including Jesus (a Mickey Mouse doll), Mary (Aunt Carol), Joseph (Uncle Aaron), the angel (Ra Ra), the shepards (Nana and Papa), the donkey (Reagan), the bull (Blaire), King Herod (Eric) and the wise man (Barbara). Abby decided she was going to write and direct the play of the birth of Jesus...and it was nothing but The Best Christmas Pageant Ever...the Herdmans had nothing on the Wades, ha ha! Abby would go around the room assigning parts, looking at her "Director's Paper" (which she had written all sorts of words on and in her mind, it was her script), and then she'd tell you what to say when it was your turn. It was hysterical...not sure if we've ever laughed that hard over there. People always use the phrase "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" and it was wonderful to see our four year old recognize that and make the celebration the most memorable!

Friends Forever

2011-12-23T15:10:00.001-06:00

When Abby started school at EFUMC several years ago, we met a little girl that has since become not only a good friend, but someone that will be in school with Abby and join her in the EHS Class of 2025....little Miss Claire Isabelle Oglesby. This year, CIO and Abby are attending different schools and don't get to see each other every day - so we were thrilled to have a play date with her, her mom and her cutie patootie younger brother, William. The older girls had a ball playing together for hours and poor little William suffered through play time with Blaire and Reagan, ha! Katherine and I had a great visit and enjoyed watching the girls play, sing, laugh...and even watching the twins and William hang out together and play. Thanks for a great day Oglesbys!

Terrific Thursday

2011-12-22T13:31:00.001-06:00

It was seventy degrees today...yes, you heard that right...December 22nd, 2011 - SEVENTY DEGREES. And what better way to enjoy it than to head outside. The girls and I took a tour around the neighborhood and checked out all of the outside Christmas decorations!

Fore...after 46 years of working!

2011-12-19T16:10:00.000-06:00

Well, the time has come for one in the family to hang up their work boots....yep, it's time for a retirement party, ha! This past Friday was Will's (a.k.a. Papa) last day of work. Eric's dad, has been at the same job for more than 46 years and he has more than earned this reward! This morning, he started his first week off work (not counting vacations) in what we're sure feels like a lifetime. Right before lunch, I happened to say something to Abby about Papa and she sat straight up and said "Papa's retired. He doesn't have to go to work today. He can take me golfing." And withing seconds she was begging to call him and tell him to come get her and take her out on the greens...and he did! What a way to start retirement! Congrats, Papa!

Sing in exultation!

2011-12-18T22:01:00.000-06:00

Today was one of the most beautiful days at Providence! The walls of our church could not contain all of the gorgeous singing that was going on! This morning, the adult choir put on their Christmas Cantata. And after a few kinks with our wonderful new sound board and system were worked out, we all sat back and enjoyed a beautiful performance. And just when you think it couldn't have been topped, the children came and took over the stage Sunday night. Back in September some of PBC's children began practice for the Christmas play called "Picture Perfect Plan." Tonight, after one final rehearsal, the play began! The children did a wonderful job and I can say without a doubt that every person in the sanctuary enjoyed themselves...including the two parents of the one-that-shall-not-be-named who decided it would be in her best interest this year to stand, smile and sing instead of repeating last year's "I'm gonna lie down and roll off the stage" performance!

Santa's workshop

2011-12-17T07:59:00.000-06:00

Santa's elves have arrived.....which was perfect timing because the elves whisked away the other little people in the house and Santa had time to check out all the stuff in the workshop and get a few things wrapped up and re-hidden!

Friday fun

2011-12-16T23:10:00.000-06:00

Today was a day full of fun events for the Wade girls...This morning was Abby's school Christmas party! Abby and I headed up to the school in the morning and enjoyed all the party activities and fun. There were crafts, games, and even a visit from Santa! And one of the most special parts was a play put on by the children telling the story of the nativity. Abby knew her part perfect and did a wonderful job! And you know the twins put in their two cents about getting to join the party. Since we knew there was too much going on for just one mom to handle, we called in backup - Courtney, ha! She brought the twins up to the school for a Santa pic, some fun and then headed on back home with them so they could get some snuggles and rest before our big day continued.

After coming home from the school party, we had a little pizza lunch party of our own, napped a bit, and packed up both our car and Court's car and headed to the church for the youth-hosted "Parents Night Out." It was an awesome night where 48 of us played, laughed, sang, and ate more pizza! By the time we closed the night down with a Christmas movie (complete with drinks and popcorn) we were all exhausted...well, most of us....two little one year olds were still going strong when they were put in their cribs at 9:30 PM! Whew! Here's hoping there's some sleeping in tomorrow morning! LOL!

Cast-away

2011-12-14T17:12:00.000-06:00

There are lots of phrases that have the word "cast" in them. For example, there's "cast the first stone" or a "cast iron skillet" or even a "cast call" for a movie or play. But to a 4 1/2 year old that has lived the last 6 weeks of her life in a heavy, burdensome, pain in the behind cast, the best "cast" phrase ever to hear is "THE CAST CAN COME OFF!" And that's exactly what Dr. Werner told Abby today at her 6-week follow up appointment! She was so unbelievably happy! The four of us Wade women hung out at Southern Bone and Joint for most of the afternoon getting additional X-Rays, check ups and then high fives from the staff. Dr. Werner said that although Abby's foot is "clinically healed" she still has to take it easy for a couple of weeks...no major running, jumping, etc. She isn't in any pain, but she does have a little limp when her foot gets tired. But, to hear the cast was coming off was music to her ears - an early Christmas present for sure!

Barbara's Birthday Bash

2011-12-11T21:32:00.001-06:00

It's that time again...another birthday has rolled around. One thing that I've learned over the years is that if you have a birthday in December, you learn to appreciate the difference between birthday celebrations and Christmas ones. Most people in December get the short end of the stick - meaning they get Christmas parties instead of birthday parties, one "big" present (combining both birthday and Christmas) or even Christmas themed presents for their birthday. But I am one lucky lady because Eric and the girls treated me to a great birthday weekend full of just birthday fun - even including lots of music, but not a Christmas carol to be heard! It was a great weekend to celebrate turning 25. (Yes, I said 25. LOL!) On Saturday, Abby and Eric headed off to the grocery store to get all the trimmings for my birthday dinner. They came home with handfuls of things and prepared the best meal - balloons, decorations, fresh flowers, grilled steak, baked potatoes, salad, rolls and the best birthday dessert too! Eric and the girls even gave me presents that night! It was exactly what I loved! And today, I woke up to more Happy Birthday wishes, calls, texts and Facebook comments. After church, we met several friends and family at one of our favorite little local restaurants. It was a great afternoon full of laughing and cracking up...and no one dared laugh when they said "Happy 25th Birthday". After lunch the party continued with an afternoon at church with the girls and great friends. Then later that night it was more presents and parties! Like I said, I am one very lucky girl and had one of the best, most enjoyable, birthdays ever. A big shout out and thank you to everyone that made it so very special! Hugs to all!

Twice as blessed

2011-12-07T08:59:00.000-06:00

So today's a big day in the "Wallace" households! Not only is it Papa Doc's birthday (here's our HAPPY BIRTHDAY shout out to him - who we know is having an awesome day!) it is the day that the big announcement is FINALLY being made. Now, most of you don't know what the big deal is - and that's because we've kept this secret for months now...almost four to be exact! (And that's a huge deal around here!) But...here goes....

New family members are on their way!!!!! A huge, gigantic, over-the-top congratulations are going out to Robyn and John who are expecting a set of twins due here in April 2012!!!!!! (Robyn is one of Barbara's baby sisters...she and John celebrated their one year anniversary this past October. They live right outside of Denver, CO.) Yep, they are a little over 4 months preggers and the baby bump has made it's appearance, LOL! We are so excited about this! As baby showers are being planned, trips to Colorado are booked and that baby bump keeps growing, we ask that you continue to keep those two precious bundles (FYI: a boy and a girl - yea!!!!!!) in your prayers. So far, Robyn's pregnancy hasn't been the best seeing as how she's learned morning sickness can really be "all day long, all pregnancy long" sickness!!! But we know full too well about a pregnancy of multiples and this is an issue very near and dear to our heart. Pray for the pregnancy, the delivery and the health of these miracles!!!! Love love love!

Do You Hear What I Hear?

2011-12-05T20:08:00.000-06:00

In our Sunday morning worship service at Providence (in Clayhatchee, Alabama) we have a time set aside for a music "special". Some days it is the choir as a whole, other days it is a soloist. We are so very fortunate to have such great singers in our church. This past Sunday, I sang the special music and thanks to the men that make digital recordings of all our church sermons and music, I was able to get a copy and post it for you to listen...because listening to me talk 24/7 just isn't enough, right? LOL! Enjoy...and Merry Christmas!

Santa Baby

2011-12-02T22:52:00.000-06:00

Every year we take the girls to the local mall (Wiregrass Commons in Dothan, Alabama) to visit Santa. True to exactly what happened with Abby, the girls first visit with him (last year in 2010), they were fine...then the reality of going to a strange bearded man hit them and this year, they followed their big sister's tradition of not liking this tradition at all. If they continue to be just like Abby, we will have a couple more events like this before they realize that "Santa's Helper" is a nice guy! (Our girls know that this guy isn't the real Santa - but he was chosen by the real Santa to be one of his helpers...he reports each night back to the North Pole to let the real Santa and his elves know what the children asked for!) So, without further ado....our Christmas picture!

P.S. A big shout out to Courtney Nowell for helping make this day possible. She and her husband, Derek, are more than friends to us...and more than honorary aunts and uncles to the girls. In fact, we jokingly call them the girls godparents. Today Courtney went with us to the mall and after the Santa visit, lunch, the merry-go-round, the children's choir performances and shopping, she was the only one that was sane at the end of the day! Thanks Court!

Counting the moments, not the minutes

2011-11-30T11:01:00.019-06:00

It's a miracle...well, not really. To be honest, what is happening right now is really just called a rarity. I'm talking about the fact that there is actually time in the day where I find myself sitting down (in peace and quiet no less) and updating our family blog. As I said the last time we talked, life happens. And oh the life happenings we've had around here! To begin with, thankfully, everyone is healthy and happy in our happy home of five. And although I'm not sure how, in the midst of over a month full of sickness, virus, disease and rashes - we managed to have a little fun.

This year for Halloween, we followed our tradition of dressing up as a family. Back in the summer, the idea started (thanks to Abby falling in love with a movie one of our neighbors gave her). We recruited two of our favorite peeps (practically family anyway - Courtney and Derek) into the mix and before we new it, the cast of THE WIZARD OF OZ was ready to enjoy some Halloween fun! We were the Lion, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Dorothy, Glinda the Good Witch and two little munchkins! (And a big shout out to the Slagles and Millers for trick-or-treating with us as well - fun fun fun!)

But I can't write about Halloween night without also talking about the rest of the fun we had during the Halloween season. There was the night that Eric sat with all three girls and watched "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown"...or when he and Abby carved their Jack-O-Lanterns...the Fall Festival at County Line Baptist Church....or when we went on an early Trick-or-Treating run visiting Nana & Papa, Aunt Carol & Ra Ra, Pops (Rickey) and the Bryant household. And there was also the Zoo Boo in Montgomery, Alabama with the Godwin girls. All in all, there was sooo much fun had during one of our most favorite times of the year! Hope everyone had as much fun this Halloween as we did!

And although we got lots of treats on Halloween, there was also one very big trick that ended up not being so funny the day after Halloween. On October 31st, Abby went with her school mates to a local park...where she fell off some monkey bars and ended up getting a cast on her foot the next day. Thanks to our bestie, Veda Godwin, and the staff at both the medical center in Enterprise and the Southern Bone & Joint in Dothan, the pain was gone and Abby was able to walk again - compliments of a bright pink cast! As I type, she's in the midst of week 4 of the Great Cast. In week 3, Dr. Werner (who we love) took the cast off, did some more X-Rays and said that although every thing's looking good, she needs the cast for another 3 weeks. Here's hoping that when the next appointment rolls around, the cast comes off for good!

We've also had a bunch of fun during November with our friends. Whether it was hanging out at the house, clowning around at church choir practice, or hanging around the park, it's been a nice time of year to remember those that we love and enjoy some time with them!

And what would the fall be without more talk of America's (real) favorite past time...FOOTBALL? Not only does this house bleed crimson, we also have a bit of green and gold in our bones! Which means that we are so excited that both of our teams are in the top 25! Congrats to the University of Alabama and Baylor University for such great seasons! Roll Tide and Sic 'em Bears!
Another one of our favorite fall time activities is heading out to the Peanut Festival when it comes into town. This year, we packed up our warm clothes, and grabbed the Nowell and Mills family, and went out to the first night of the fair! It was awesome! We had a ball...Abby got to ride all of her rides...the corn dogs and ribeye sandwiches were eaten...pictures were taken by the waving peanut himself! It was a great night that we were sad to see end, but we'll be back there in 2012!

Every month, Abby's preschool has a field trip. In November, her class went to the Enterprise Nursing Home to sing some Thanksgiving songs. We were thrilled to not only watch her perform, but to have some nurses remember us from a couple of years ago when we went to visit Meemaw while she lived there. And after enjoying some songs and popcorn, we headed out with Courtney for lunch and playing in the park...a great end to a great day!

The month of November also brought with it the Thanksgiving holiday. This year, we made plans to spend it in Florida with Gramercy, Papa Doc, Aunt Kimberly, Uncle Jeff, Logan, Carter, Aunt Kelly and Uncle Matt. Although we were only short Aunt Robyn and Uncle John (who couldn't travel from CO this year), we had a great family holiday. We ate, laughed, played, crafted, watched football and even opened up the traditional "kick start to the Christmas season" gifts together. A wonderful holiday with many many things to be thankful for this year!

As today rounds out the month, I can't help but think about a bunch of other events that made our month so wonderful...Blaire and Reagan turned 1 1/2 this month....Mommy and Abby's date night to see the Muppet's at the theater...the twins changing to their "big girl" forward facing car seats...Eric playing his best round of golf yet - with also now a great handicap...and many many more. But as we flip the calendar over to December, we so so knowing that there are also many more happenings that we'll enjoy! So, the recap of November is over, the promise of an even busier month is upon us and I'm out of here because I do believe it's time to go tis the season!

Life Happens

2011-11-25T12:05:00.004-06:00

I just realized it's been a month since the last post. I'd like to say I'm going to use today to catch up on our blog, but I'm not. What I can promise you is that I'm going to use today to spend time with my husband, love all over my girls, listen to my favorite Christmas piano music, unpack a little from Thanksgiving, and enjoy the fact that life happens. Sometimes it's slow, sometimes it's fast...sometime's it's good, sometime's it's bad...either way, life happens. And for that, I'm thankful.

A Mommy's Mission

2011-10-25T12:48:00.006-05:00

When I was growing up, all I wanted to be was a physician. I always thought I would follow my father's footsteps and take over his practice in north Alabama when he retired - although I also had grand plans to move it to Vermont...both plans fell through after (1) one year of pre med and (2) I realized the practice is made up of the people that live near the office. (Thankfully, I figured one out much faster than the other!) Life moved on, I went to law school, I married and we had children...the latter finally let me fulfill my dreams of practicing in the medical field! If you have children, you know that inevitably you will be the family doctor, midnight nurse, temperature taker, medicine giver, booger grabber, rocking chair and anything else that will make your child feel better. Ten days ago, we noticed that Reagan had a few red spots on her face. Within 48 hours, we were in front of two pediatricians hearing "Yep, it's going around Dothan hospitals, nurseries and day cares but this is the worst case we've ever seen." Reagan was diagnosed with Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease, an infection from the virus and a secondary virus on top of the original. Two days later, we were treating Blaire for the same (minus the infection thank goodness). And we use the term "treating" loosely since there is no treatment for the virus - other than sit back and wait it out...far away from anyone else since it is so highly contagious...to all children and adults but specifically to anyone under the age of 5. As of now, (ten days since this all began), Reagan and Blaire's bumps, spots and rashes are healing. No fevers. Sleeping, napping and eating normal. But the spots in their throats are healing and there's been a lot of coughing and congestion. We're hoping that will clear up in the next couple of days as well. Tons of you have emailed me, called me and ask how the girls are doing and if you could do anything for us....thank you! Just to know you were worried and concerned was enough. I appreciated all of the prayers for their health as well...keep them coming! And as for me, I'll continue to be all the girls need me to be, but the people in Vermont are on their own! Ha!

Happy Birthday, Gramercy!

2011-10-16T20:07:00.000-05:00

Today was extra special for two reasons...not only did Abby come home from her weekend away (full of fun, pedicures, meals out, arts-n-crafts, swimming, and lots and lots of shopping!), it was Gramercy's 64th birthday! Before leaving our house on Friday, we asked her what kind of cake she would like when we celebrate...she asked for Italian Cream Cake. Since apparently none of the bakeries around here know how to make that cake, I started one from scratch and it ended up being a success! (Betty Crocker, watch out, ha ha!) The cake, the presents, and lots of snuggles from her favorite granddaughters, lol....it was a nice celebration! Happy Birthday, Gramercy!

Panther Nation

2011-10-14T22:57:00.000-05:00

After this morning's trip to the pumpkin patch, Gramercy and Papa Doc headed back to Florida...but weren't alone! A certain 4 year old (excuse me, a certain four and a half year old, ha ha!) jumped into the back seat of the car and made the trip with them. Abby is going to spend the weekend in Sandestin with her grandparents while the twins get to rule the roost here at the house. After a great afternoon nap, we got all dressed up in our black and gold and headed to the Wicksburg football game. Since the game was in Dothan tonight, we met Eric for dinner at one of our favorite places - Zaxby's. After dinner we headed over to the stadium where the Mills family was waiting! We love going to football games and especially love sitting with this family. And once again, the twins loved cheering, dancing, and even checking out the other team's Homecoming princess and court.

P.S. Guess who's 17 months old today?!?!?! Yep, our two littlest princesses hit another major milestone. In the last month they've started talking, are running, Reagan figured out how to walk backward (on purpose, ha!), they are learning how to share, can dance to music, can do the motions to "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and much much more. They are growing like weeds - Blaire is a little over 23 pounds and Reagan is a little over 22 pounds. If their blue eyes don't melt your heart, wait until these little princesses blow you kisses. The sweetest sights you'll ever see.
Love love love girls....
happy 17 month birthday! XOXOXOXO

My punkins and their pumpkins

2011-10-14T13:10:00.001-05:00

Today was Abby's October school field trip to one of our favorite seasonal places - Aplin Farms! If you haven't ever been there, and live in the Dothan/Enterprise area, you need to put it on your list of things to do! It was a blast...there is the tractor trailer ride to the patch, pick your own pumpkin, sunflower fields to pick flowers from, corn maze, toddler maze, learning barns (picking apples, finding eggs, digging for potatoes, milking cows), petting zoo area and much much more. This is Abby's 5th year to visit the patch, and the twins second. Since Gramercy and Papa Doc were still in town, we invited them to go with us and they loved it.

It's all about art

2011-10-13T15:59:00.001-05:00

In June 2008, on a trip to Florida with our favorite Payne girls, I helped Abby paint her own cereal bowl - complete with her hand print in the center of the bowl. She had a blast doing it, as did I!

Fast forward to October 2011, and I desperately was wanting to do this again - this time with Reagan and Blaire. A couple of times our plans got changed and I was afraid it wasn't going to happen. Until Papa Doc and Gramercy came into town and offered to be the helping hands I needed to have to make this happen! We were off to All About Art here in Enterprise - one of our favorite places to go! An hour after entering, the girls had painted (complete with hand print inside) their own ceramic bowl. Stay tuned for a future post to see the finished products!

"Wordy" Wednesday

2011-10-12T13:41:00.000-05:00

I couldn't help it...there was no way today could be a "Wordless Wednesday" post when I saw this little tid bit on line. I love it the way this sums it all up.

And in case you missed it...."Let them bang on pots and pans"...and favorite past time in the afternoons at the Wade house!

What's in your shoebox?

2011-10-11T10:50:00.004-05:00

Every year, Eric's firm (Carr Allison) not only works throughout the southeast's legal courts and system, they work with different philanthropies and charities. This year, they teamed up with Samaritan's Purse - a non-denominational evangelical Christian humanitarian organization that provides missionary work worldwide. The organization was started by Franklin Graham, the son of Billy Graham, and is based on the parable of the Good Samaritan which teaches how to love your neighbor as yourself. Part of Samaritan's Purse is a project called Operation Christmas Child. It is a global Christmas gift exchange where people spend the month of November collecting shoe boxes and filling them with toys, school supplies, personal items, etc. and then distributing them as Christmas gifts in more than 130 countries. This year, Eric picked 2 boxes to fill...and with a family of three girls, we of course chose each box to go to little girls, ages 2-4. I took Abby and the twins shopping for the items to fill the boxes with and we had a blast! It was a great opportunity to teach all three girls about helping out the less fortunate, which includes little girls their ages. This project is helping us teach that no matter where we go or what we do, we offer more than help. We offer hope. To suffering people in a broken world, we share the news of the only One who can bring true peace—Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

Fulford Family Time

2011-10-08T17:17:00.000-05:00

Today was the annual Fulford family reunion. Every year, on the second Saturday in October, anyone that is part of the Fulford family is invited to Uncle Lomax and Aunt Julia's barn to enjoy some great lunch and fun with family. This year's reunion was a bit slim since a lot of relatives were traveling, already had plans or were sick and unable to come. But....for those of us that were there - we were invited to a special celebration at the reunion - Aunt Julia and Uncle Lomax's 50th Anniversary celebration! Although it isn't until the beginning of November, their son (Randy) brought a scrumpdidliumpcious cake and we all toasted them with cards, hugs and well wishes. Congrats you two! And thank you again for hosting this year's luncheon....love yall!

Friday Night Lights

2011-10-07T22:43:00.000-05:00

As you know, our girls LOVE football....whether they are watching in on television or in the stands, they love a good football game and it's too cute not to enjoy it with them! Abby and Eric have gone to a few Enterprise games this year, and the twins and I have gone to a few Wicksburg games as well..but tonight was the first time all five of us went to a game together - and we brought in back up as well, ha! We invited Nana and Papa (Eric's parents, Will and Angie) with us to the game. They have sat through many games watching Eric play when he was on the high school football team and were thrilled to go back with us. We all met at our house for a yummy pre-game meal and then packed up in Nana's van and headed over to the school. It was a new experience for most of us - the first time at the new stadium. Abby and Eric new the way and all the fun stuff the stadium had. We all found the perfect spot, took a quick pregame break for face painting, and then cheered on our Wildcats - and the Big Blue Band (yea Sean and Nick - yall are awesome!). It was a fun night, and even though EHS lost by a touchdown, we had a great time cheering, dancing and enjoying the fellowship!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T10:18:00.000-05:00

On the road again

2011-10-04T21:53:00.004-05:00

Today was the perfect day for a little bit of fun...which around here, sometimes means ROAD TRIP! We packed up and headed down to Florida for a visit with Gramercy and Papa Doc. We kept the trip hush hush so we could surprise the two of them and boy oh boy did we! It was a fun day with them, topped off by a great dinner out and then a nice trip home. A whirl wind day but completely worth the whirl!
   

Tricks or treats...we chose treats!

2011-10-02T19:15:00.001-05:00

Knock knock!
Who's there?
Phillip.
Phillip who?
Phillip my bag with candy - it's trick or treat time!

Yep, it's that time of year...October means HALLOWEEN time! And we love Halloween around our house. From the costumes to the candy, from the parties to the pumpkins, from the festivals to the fun...it's a blast for us and we look forward to it every year. This year, we started the month long celebration off tonight with lots of treats from Gramercy and Papa Doc. The girls each got a bag full of fun Halloween swag and are looking forward to having a great time with it all for the next few weeks! Thanks G and PD! Love you both!

Update on Reagan....

2011-10-01T22:02:00.000-05:00

...she is feeling MUCH better! For the past two days she's weened herself off breathing treatments and is sounding like her normal self! She's been all smiles today and we are so very thankful for all of the prayers and concerns of our family and friends! Thank you!

Gimmie a Break

2011-09-30T14:56:00.000-05:00

Our poor Reagan just can't catch a break! Just about a week ago, she was getting a fever from teething and wasn't a happy camper at all. Then last night she woke up about 11 PM and was hot, sick, wheezing and not feeling good. Early this morning we were up at at the doctor's office for a walk-in appointment. Once again, our favorite doc and nurse (Doc McAllister and Nurse Leigh) came thru for us right away! They tested Reagan and found out she has (1) RSV and (2) Bronchiolitis. We spent the first year of her life hoping that she wouldn't get RSV because it's bad in babies, much less preemies. Thankfully, she's 16 months now and can better fight the virus. We came home with some meds that are also breathing treatments every 4 hours or so. She's the smallest of the family and seems to be taking most of the hits around here this coming up cold season. Here's hoping she's feeling back to her normal snuggly self soon!

The Wade Family (Sept 2011)

2011-09-25T14:55:00.000-05:00

This year, Providence Baptist Church has decided that instead of just an address directory, we needed a pictorial directory...so that means it was family picture time! Since the times the photographers would be coming to the church didn't work for us, we invited our favorite photographer (who happens to be one of our favorite friends too - score!) to our house and in about 2 mins, she took our picture and we were done! It's very rare we get a good family picture and so far this year we are three for three (Easter, beach, fall) and it's unbelievable that we have all looking, all smiling (somewhat - ha) and no one blinking! So...without further ado - introducing the Wade family!

Angie's Angels

2011-09-24T22:19:00.002-05:00

Tonight we celebrated Angie's (Eric's mother) 64th birthday. Since one of her all time favorite restaurants is the Old Mill in Dothan, we headed there to celebrate with steak, shrimp, chicken and even pasta. The girls loved our waitress who got us some food ASAP and kept those bellies full! After dinner it was time for cake and presents and she got some great ones! Happy Birthday, Angie...and many more!

T.G.I. F. (Thank God It's Family time!)

2011-09-23T18:45:00.004-05:00

Another day, another play date! At least that's what our daughters' worlds seem to be all about these days...and we wouldn't have it any other way! They love their friends - especially those that are also their cousins. Today, the Bryant family came to visit and it was, as always, a wonderful time. Whitney and Khloe headed upstairs to play with Abby's toys while the twins napped and I got lots of great snuggle time in with the little man (Ethan)....who isn't exactly so little anymore but is all about the focus, the movement, everything! We love the Bryants!

(From left to right: Blaire, Khloe, Ethan, Abby, Whitney and Reagan...love love love!)

Old McDonald Had A Farm...

2011-09-20T14:19:00.000-05:00

As you know, Abby attends Miss Eloise Preschool and Kindergarten in Enterprise, Alabama. She absolutely loves the school, the students and the teachers (Ms. Ramona and Ms. Meloni). However, now there is something else she loves...the field trips! Today was the September field trip for the class. It was to the New Brockton Farm Center where Auburn University hosted a bunch of information regarding farm animals, planting food, etc. Most of the fun was all around the animals of the event...horses, cows, calves, goats, bunnies, pigs, chicks, etc. I can't even begin to tell you how much fun it was for the children to run around checking everything out. Abby had a blast! And, Blaire and Reagan did too! They were able to join Abby and her classmates today and really had fun! We happened to call Nana (Eric's mom, Angie) earlier this morning to ask if she wanted to ride out there with us...and thank goodness she did because as much fun as the event was, it was a mad house! She kept watch over the twins while I went with Abby and her friends. All in all, it was a successful event and Abby's still talking about it...and I'm sure the Auburn volunteers are still talking about how some woman brought her babies into the event wearing "BAMA" shirts, ha ha!

Third "Thursday"

2011-09-19T21:37:00.002-05:00

Every month, on the third Thursday, we get together to have dinner with Eric's brother, Aaron, and his wife, Jenifer. With all of our busy schedules, it is sometimes hard to get together on exactly the third Thursday of the month...so this month's third Thursday, happened to actually fall on the third Monday of September! And it was also the month for Aaron and Jenifer to host the meal. When we got over to their home, we hung out waiting on the food and checked out the Halloween decorations - and you just thought it was Walmart that decorated early, ha! The girls loved the pumpkins! And we loved the meal as well...mexican lasagna, salad and cornbread. Topped off by the dessert we brought - cherry pie and vanilla ice cream - the meal was wonderful. Until the next third Thursday!

Painting the Town

2011-09-18T20:12:00.000-05:00

Over a year ago, construction started on our church's new Educational and Office Annex...which meant that the older section of the church was torn down to make room for this new facility. Sadly, the older section contained the Youth Room. In the last year, the youth have moved around to three different Sunday School rooms, used the Fellowship Hall for Wednesday Night Live Bible Study and didn't really have a place to call their own. Until now. We claimed a room - at least that's our story and we're sticking to it! Ha! After talking with the trustees and Sunday School director, we took over one of the rooms in the area over the Fellowship Hall and immediately knew it needed some TLC...as well as a little bit of color! Following through our Sunday School lesson of ministering with time, talent and our abilities, we had a Paint Party so to speak. From 4-6 PM we gathered and had a great time starting to shape the new Youth Room up a bit. There were 4 adults, 2 children and 22 youth coming and going during that time. It was awesome! To see the youth putting their heart into this project was wonderful! I can see God's work in this group and it was wonderful! Although this is only Part One of the "remodel" it's definitely a fun work in progress!

Bowling Buddies

2011-09-18T19:41:00.000-05:00

Today was the day...we celebrated Ryan's 8th birthday and it was a BALL....literally, ha ha! After a wonderful morning at Providence, we met up with the Godwin family at Boland Lanes and had a great time wishing Ryan a happy birthday. There was cosmic bowling (so much fun!), bright colored shoes (Abby's favorite - ha!), home made cake (yummy Veda) and lots and lots of fun with friends! Happy Birthday, Ryan...we love you!

Poor baby...

2011-09-18T08:26:00.001-05:00

Reagan woke up around 11:30 last night with a fever...she was screaming, crying and just not a happy camper. After changing some PJs, getting some medicine and lots of loving by both Mommy and Daddy, she fell back asleep but was up in the morning with another low grade fever. We'd been watching her for a couple of days now anyway because there were the signs that she may be getting some more teeth. Fortunately, our girls have all gotten teeth without any major teething troubles. But all of a sudden, Reagan was having constipation, lack of appetite, chewing on her fingers (or anything else she could shove in her mouth), constantly tired, etc. The signs were all there. When the fever came, we knew she wasn't going to church today so Eric stayed home with her. She's been very clingy today and we're hoping that this gets knocked out in the next few days.

Fun with friends

2011-09-17T18:45:00.000-05:00

After a morning of shopping and running errands, we came home for a relaxing afternoon and ended up getting the best surprise - a visit from the Weed women! Jennifer and Ali stopped by our house this afternoon and we had a wonderful visit! We've known these two lovely ladies ever since Abby's second year at FUMC (1st United Methodist Church) in Enterprise. At FUMC, Ali and Abby would get into almost every - but trouble - and loved playing with each other. Since Abby has changed schools this year, we hadn't seen Ali in a while and loved the idea of an impromptu play day! Thanks ladies for a wonderful afternoon!

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of
play than in a year of conversation.”
PLATO

Cute Cousins

2011-09-16T21:37:00.000-05:00

Our girls are very lucky to live in an area where several of their cousins not only live, but are close enough in age to give the girls some really fun family play dates! Today, Katie (Chris and Shannan's littlest one) came over and had an absolute ball playing with all three girls! Katie and Abby, both 4, are too cute for words when they play. Although I completely agree with the statement that a baby's laugh is one of the sweetest sounds you'll ever hear, I also love the sounds of little girls playing house, dressing up dolls and laughing with each other over silly secret "no-adults-can-know" secrets and games. We love love love Katie and can't wait for her to come back next week!

Sweet Sixteen

2011-09-14T09:42:00.001-05:00

Today the twins turned 16 months old! We are very fortunate that they are happy and healthy! Their doctor has even remarked on how wonderful their growth is for preemies born so early! Happy 16 month Birthday girls! XOXOXO

Look who's walking

2011-09-12T11:24:00.002-05:00

Reagan Nichole
(started walking in August, 2011 -
]this video was taken on 8/12/2011)

Blaire Elizabeth
(started walking in September 2011 -
this video was taken on 9/12/2011)

Never Forget

2011-09-11T06:01:00.001-05:00

"Though 10 years have passed, the wounds are still present, the emotions still raw. You have always carried the memory of that day with you, and in its aftermath you have shown a strength and a courage that embodies the character of America."

Leon Panetta, Defense Secretary

At the car wash...

2011-09-10T21:19:00.000-05:00

...talkin' about the car wash, girl! This morning was the youth group's annual car wash at Providence. And although I'm sure the youth were just thrilled to be up and at the church by 8:45 AM on a Saturday, the person that was honestly over the moon was Abby. She got to join the "youth group" for the day and that's been a dream of hers now for a while! It's hysterically funny to see her get excited about being a youth member, ha! A couple of hours, a few cars and motorcycles later, the car wash was over and everyone was exhausted...but it was definitely a fun fundraiser and time!

After the car wash, we headed home to get ready for a big afternoon at our house. Every year Eric's father, Will, has his birthday right in the middle of football season. And since he'd love nothing more than to just celebrate with some golf, a home cooked meal and Alabama on the television, that's what we all decided to give him this year. And it was a great family get together to celebrate the big 6-5! Happy Birthday, Will...and many more!

And you know the day's not going to pass by without a big ROLL TIDE from our favorite Bama Belles! Congrats on another win....27-11 over the Nittany Lions of Penn State. Roll Tide Roll!

Friday Night Lights

2011-09-09T23:01:00.000-05:00

Tonight was the night - the twins' first high school football game experience....and it was awesome! One of the perks of being youth director, is that you get invited to watch youth members play football, cheer, band concerts, school lunches, etc. This afternoon the girls were able to get a great nap (almost 4 hours - wow!) and we knew they were ready for some fun. After sending Abby off to a slumber party, the twins headed out to the Wicksburg High School football game. We teamed up with the Mills and Nowell families and spend the next couple of hours cheering, clapping and having a blast. Blaire and Reagan loved it all! It was a bit unusual that it took Reagan the longest time to warm up to the idea of cheering...she's usually the most social. But it was Blaire that took off tonight - getting super excited to the point she was about to jump out of the stands, ha! I am still not sure what she liked the best - the game, the cheerleaders, the band, the mascot or the company we were around. They really had a great time and are already counting down the days to our big family night out at the Enterprise High School game next month!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-07T16:12:00.000-05:00

Working Hard

2011-09-05T21:07:00.000-05:00

Although Labor Day is generally meant to be a day where we celebrate the economic and social contributions of workers in the work field, it seems to always be a day where we celebrate with a lot of playing and a scrumpdidliumpcious cook out! Since a tropical depression and storm decided to land here in south Alabama this weekend, our Labor Day plans were mostly filled with indoor playing, dancing, arts-and-crafts, and also recovering from some sniffles/coughs/sneezes. We ended the day with an early dinner - steaks on the grill! Here are our two grill masters, hard at "work!" Happy Labor Day to all!

Let the Games Begin!

2011-09-03T15:10:00.001-05:00

After nine straight season opener wins, the Tide made it an even ten today when second-ranked Alabama opened the 2011 season with a 48-7 victory over Kent State at Bryant Denny Stadium. The Wade house was all eyes on the television for the win and we enjoyed yelling "Touchdown" several , several times! ROLL TIDE ROLL!

Past, present and future

2011-09-02T22:05:00.001-05:00

Past: Eric Wade, Class of 1994
Present: Friday Night Lights
with Abby and her Daddy
Future: Abigail Wade, Class of 2025

Congrats to the EHS Wildcats on their 2nd win of the season...now 2-0 with a 14-0 win over Northview!

S isn't just for September

2011-09-02T16:02:00.000-05:00

Who says that you can't continue to have pool party play dates once September comes around? Not us, that's for sure! After picking up Abby from school today, we headed over to the pool and had some fun play time with the Miller family. From swimming to floating to eating watermelon - it was a nice little break from the long week we've all had!

Proud to be an American...or at least a preschooler!

2011-09-02T07:56:00.001-05:00

Every morning at school, Abby's class starts out with the class roll, the Pledge of Allegiance and the Star Spangled Banner. Although Abby's known her name and the pledge for some time now, she had never heard the SSB. Three weeks into school she's very proud to show off her singing. As I've told some people, it's not quite stage performance ready but every time I hear it, it brings a smile to my face and I wanted to share. Enjoy...and always remember that the flag was still there - even after the rockets went bling bling!

Thirsty Thursday

2011-09-01T20:50:00.000-05:00

Around the south, the season of Fall really just means one thing - football! It's the beginning of the weekend on Thursday night, the high school stands on a Friday night, the college games on a Sunday night, and just when you've watched about enough, there's the spot light Monday night game....and only three days to recoop before it begins again. It's one of the best times of the year! And we're doubly blessed because not only is it a great time, we have some great teams to cheer on: Enterprise High School, University of Alabama and Baylor University. We bleed lots of colors around this house! Tonight we started a new sort of tradition - Thursday Night Football with the Tartan Pines crew at the clubhouse. Although the chances of us actually staying for one of the games is actually slim to none (that's what happens when you have 7:30 and 8 PM bedtimes!), it was fun to get together with some fun people and have dinner.

Roll Tide Roll!

2011-08-30T14:54:00.001-05:00

3 days, 20 hours, and 23 minutes until kick off....are you ready for some football?

Six Weeks Report Card

2011-08-20T17:24:00.000-05:00

It's been six weeks since we've last updated you on what's happening in our lives...and we thought it was bad when we were only a couple of days behind - imagine how many pictures and stories we have of the last six weeks! But here are our top few favorite pictures, stories and thoughts from the past month and a half:

On July 10th, Barbara headed out with four members of the church youth group to a local week long missions camp (WIRED) in the Wiregrass area.

On July 12th, the 4Runner hit 100,000 miles. (In 1/05 Barbara got it with 17 miles - and has loved every part of the 99,983 she's driven!)

From July 17th through July 21st, we went to the beach to visit with Barbara's sister (Robyn) and brother-in-law (John). They came down from Colorado to vacation and visit with Gramercy and Papa Doc, and we got in on that action too!

On July 21st, we had our Third Thursday dinner with Eric's brother Aaron (his wife, Jen, was working that night) at our house...grilled steaks, potatoes, corn and salad - Yum!

On July 22nd, we had one of our Bojangles Reunions with the Browns!

On July 25th we had a cousin's pool party at Aunt Carol and Ra Ra's house!

At the end of July we revealed pictures from two of the photo sessions we had during the summer...(1) our family beach picture from June in Sandestin and (2) the twins one year photog shoot that Abby joined in on as well!

August 1st we had another cousin's pool party over at the Fulfords...fun fun fun!

August 2nd marked the day Abby turned 4 and a half (BIG news in a kiddo's world - ha!) and we celebrated at the pool with some friends and food!

August 5th the family headed to Adventure Land to enjoy the last weekend of play before school starts this fall!

On August 8th, Abby started back to school. This year she is attending the PreK program at Miss Eloise's in Enterprise, AL. She loves the school and her teachers: Ms. Ramona and Ms. Melanie.

August 12th: A pool party at Tartan Pines to celebrate the first week of school being over!

The twins turned fifteen months old on August 15th! Happy "Birthday" girls!

Look who got a haircut on 8/16! Lots of lock taken off and the verdict is in - we think she looks adorable!

August 14th through August 17th we celebrated Revival at our church (Providence Baptist Church in Clayhatchee, AL). A wonderful set of sermons and equally wonderful music and fellowship!

August 17th...would've been our "Wordless Wednesday" pic of the girls...love love love!

At their 15th month check up on 8/18, the girls got wonderful reports!
Reagan: 21 lbs, 9 ounces and 29 1/2 inches long
Blaire: 22 lbs, 10 ounces and 29 1/2 inches long

August 18th we had our Third Thursday dinner with Aaron and Jenifer. We enjoyed grilled burgers, fries, ice cream sandwiches and shenanigans by the pool on a hot summer night!

Another Friday pool party with Courtney and Derek on August 19th!

We celebrated cousin Whitney's 6th birthday (a day later) on 8/19 at a surprise bowling party which was super fun!

All in all the past six weeks have been anything but quiet. So rest assured that we haven't give up on our blog - just decided to have a bit of fun off the computer instead! (Although here's hoping the next update isn't another 6 weeks away!)

While the cat's away...

2011-07-09T06:50:00.001-05:00

Last night Eric and Abby were out on a dinner and movie date...which left the house really really quiet, ha! However, it got even quieter when the rest of us dolled up and headed out on our own date with the Godwin family...or at least some of them! A great night at the Mellow Mushroom with some great friends...and somehow, we ended up at the "rowdy table" again, ha!

8 Rules For Dating My Daughter(s)

2011-07-08T18:02:00.000-05:00

Rule Number 1: Remember I loved her first.

Rules Number 2-8: See Rule Number 1.

(Abby and Daddy getting ready for their big Date Night...dinner and a movie...Cars 2! She's been talking all week about it and today was about to explode waiting for tonight to happen! She loves her dates with Daddy!)

Summer lovin'

2011-07-08T14:53:00.000-05:00

If there's one thing that Abby loves in the summer time (besides pool, beaches, pedicures and golf) it's popsicles! And for the first time, she shared this love with her sisters. Blaire and Reagan were just too funny today with their orange popsicles. Blaire gobbled her's right up - at least after she realized which end to put in her mouth! Reagan loved the popsicle - but wanted nothing to do with holding it. She flat out refused to hold it; it was hysterical. But one thing was for sure with all three girls - the LOVE the fun of getting messy with popsicles!

Picture this...(coming soon!)

2011-07-07T17:44:00.000-05:00

Today we had one of our best friends come over to the house and take the twins "ONE YEAR" photos. It was not only a blast - we've gotten a sneak peak at the first few pics and they are AWESOME! Once we get all of them, we'll be sharing so don't worry....but honestly, some of the best pics I've ever had taken! Oh, and Abby got involved too! She picked out her own outfit for some of the pics (and you'll crack up laughing when you see what she chose!) and looked stunning in the second outfit! Such a great day! Thanks Alex for your rock star job! And if anyone reading this is looking for a local (Enterprise, AL) photographer - I've got just the gal for you...give me a call and I'll hook you up!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T18:17:00.002-05:00

Girls, girls, girls

2011-07-05T14:32:00.000-05:00

"Diamonds are pretty, and so are pearls...but there's nothing more gorgeous than me and my girls."

Today was a girls only kind of day at the Wade house. We invited some of our best girls over set up manicures and pedicures, hair styles, make up and dress up! It was so much fun! A big shout out and thanks to Andrea for coming over to do nails, and Courtney for coming over to watch the twins while the fun was going on. All together there were 10 kiddos here and 6 adults having a wonderful day full of girl time! (And Blaire and Reagan getting their 1st pedicures!!!! Woo Hoo!)

Happy Independence Day

2011-07-04T08:27:00.002-05:00

Happy Fourth of July from the Wades! Our day is going to include arts-n-crafts, golf, a pool party and a family dinner at Eric's parents...a great way to celebrate! Hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!

"This, then, is the state of the union: free and restless, growing and full of hope. So it was in the beginning. So it shall always be, while God is willing, and we are strong enough to keep the faith."
(Lyndon B. Johnson)

BAR BEE QUE!!!!!!!

2011-07-03T20:16:00.000-05:00

We're getting close...one more day until the fourth of July! And in true form and fashion, our family celebrates big days not once, but (at least) twice! A couple of weeks ago we got the invite (yep, this time we waited for the actual invite and didn't barge in...ok, well, maybe we did, LOL) and immediately said yes to the Harlin family BBQ. And if you've never gotten the invite to one of those meals, well, all I can say is that you are missing out! The food is awesome, the company is even better and without a doubt you will leave with your bellies full, smiles on your faces and a great story to share until the next meal! My top 5 things about today's BBQ include:

(1) What ever you do, when Glen says "hold this"...don't. Or wear an apron. LOL!
(2) Nothing ends a good party like a 4 year old in the back of a police cruiser.
(3) Every BBQ needs Cheese Puffs. Period.
(4) Extension cords could probably bring world peace.
(5) Don't forget your teeth when going to a BBQ.

THANKS HARLINS FOR AN AWESOME AFTERNOON!!!!!!!!
WE LOVE YOU ALL!

Little Miss Adelei

2011-07-02T15:07:00.001-05:00

About 8:50 PM on June 30th, little Adelei Jane Altgilbers came into the world...congrats to her proud parents - Jamie & Aaron Altgilbers. We've known Jamie for years, as both a church member at Providence & as a friend. Today I (Barbara) headed up to the hospital to hold sweet little Adelei & it was so wonderful! She is absolutely precious & adorable! She is a bit of a chunk (weighed 8 pounds 7 ounces at birth) but was just perfect! Congrats again to the new Mommy & Daddy - & all of the extended family...love yall!

Goodbye for now - not forever

2011-07-01T15:58:00.001-05:00

We've been dreading this day around our house...it's the day we went to KK's going away party at the office. Since one of the attorneys at Barbara's office recently retired, his secretary (Kay - also known as KK around here to the girls) has been closing out files and preparing to leave herself. We were sad that she had to go, but we weren't going to let her leave without a bang! A bunch of us got together and planned a big celebration. We had a shrimp boil (thanks Gary!), all the sides, chocolate fudge cake and presents! Thanks KK for being such a special part in our lives - and not just at the office! Your girls will miss you!

"This is the last time...."

2011-06-30T20:01:00.001-05:00

Last night was Abby's second official slumber party at our house and it was a blast! After church, we took one of her best buds (Denesa) home with us and the two had the best time. When we got home it was already time for PJs and bed. They had a little sneak peak of a mermaid movie before their eyes were drooping and the first major mistake of the night was made - I suggested they go on and lay down in the bed. Almost two hours later (and after several "This is the last time I tell you girls to be quiet") the last giggle was giggled, the last laugh was laughed, the last story was told, the last toy was tossed, the last pillow was thrown and the last joke was told. The two of them crashed and crashed hard - until 5 AM when they were both up and ready to face the day! They had a great morning of playing, crafting and laughing with each other before Denesa's grandmother came to get her at noon. We had a great time with Denesa and Abby's already asking about the next slumber party!

Sydney - this side of the equator

2011-06-29T21:46:00.000-05:00

During dinner last night we got one of the best phone calls from one of our old next door neighbors - Sydney! She wanted to know if we were up for some company today and we immediately told her to come on over! After her mom dropped her off this morning, we played games, had a birthday lunch (Sydney just celebrated her 11th birthday!), played with the babies, sang, danced, painted, crafted and lots lots more! She hung out with us until church time tonight and it was a great day! Even though we don't live next door anymore, it's nice to still spend the day with our Syd! Love ya kiddo!

Family Fun

2011-06-26T21:58:00.000-05:00

Tonight was Family Night for VBS and it was soooo great! There was a church full of people supporting the children, teachers, workers and staff that put so much time and energy into making the last week possible. Every year Providence hosts this event where children get into the Bible with stories, music, crafts and fun and find out all about Jesus and his love for us. This year was no exception! Although all of the children that participated in VBS couldn't make it to Family Night, those that did treated the congregation to songs, scripture and lots of smiles! It was a great night and we were definitely part of the "Proud Parents" club!

I (heart) NYC...and VBS!

2011-06-24T22:17:00.001-05:00

This week was VBS at Providence and it was a BLAST! From Monday morning til Friday afternoon we learned about faith, trust, obedience, love, helping others and Jesus Christ. There were tons of our friends that were working, helping, teaching and making this week the success it was! A special shout out to a couple of groups: (1) Tina and Cindy...you two were wonderful teachers in Abby's class! You brought her "VBS Happiness" back and we are thankful for you both! God loves you and so do we! (2) Paula D, Bethenney F, Julia C, Betty C, and Scrappy - I couldn't have asked for a better week....what a hoot! Thanks for letting me (Rachael) join your adventure...I'd be willing to bet that more fun was had in Midtown Snacks than ever before, LOL! Here are a few pics and fun from this week...enjoy checking them out as much as we enjoyed experiencing them!

P.S. - Join us this Sunday (June 26th) for Family Night at PBC. It is at 5 PM and the children will be showing off their songs, moves, verses and lessons from the past week. You will also get to tour the new PBC educational building and enjoy dinner in Fellowship Hall!
Hope to see you there!

Gonna say Y-E-S to V-B-S

2011-06-20T20:33:00.003-05:00

Summer time hosts one of our favorite events around here - Vacation Bible School! And this year, it's doubly fun because not only is there one VBS that Abby gets to go to, there's two! Last week, our friends at County Line Baptist Church hosted their annual VBS. This year it was Group's "Hometown Nazareth" and Abby absolutely loved it! It was a family style VBS where all ages were welcome to join in on the classes and activities and it was so cool! Since we weren't able to go with Abby (because of the babies and Youth VBS at our church), we were fortunate enough to have some good family friends that were going and offered to let Abby go with them! A huge shout out to Patti, Woody and Lynnsie Wood for making it possible for Abby to have such a wonderful week! She love love loved it...going to the market place, going to Mary's house, learning about Jesus as a kid, and especially that songs!

After a week of VBS at County Line, we began our big week of VBS at our church, Providence Baptist in Clayhatchee. This year, our VBS is Lifeway's Big Apple Adventure. It's all about New York City and it truly is a big adventure where faith, trust, love and life connect! While Eric's at work, Abby's in the 4 year old class (with Miss Tina and Miss Cindy) and Barbara and the twins are working in the kitchen (a.k.a. Midtown Snacks). It already promises to be a great week and we can't wait! Stay tuned for more of our big adventure this week!

Daddy's Girls

2011-06-19T18:12:00.000-05:00

"The greatest gift I ever had,
came from God - I call him Dad."
(Author Unknown)

There are several fathers in our lives that we wish a wonderful Father's Day to, but one in particular holds the hearts of all of us in our home. Happy Father's Day, Eric! We love you!

Starting Summer in the Sun

2011-06-19T12:03:00.000-05:00

We wrote a couple of weeks ago about Barbara heading south to the beach with the girls for her CLE course and mentioned Eric's was coming up soon....this weekend was it! On Thursday we packed up (one suitcase - ha!) and headed to Sandestin. We were put up at the Luau - one of our favorite places down there - and enjoyed a weekend full of everything you can imagine! On Thursday we ended up on the beach at a family portrait session (the pic we got - yes, only one...but a good one of all of us on the dunes - will be here shortly and you'll love it!) then off to one of our fav restaurants. On Friday Eric headed off to morning classes and afternoon golf with Papa Doc while we girls grabbed Gramercy and went swimming and lunching! On Friday night Eric had a date with Abby (and created Maddie) and then joined us all for a family dinner at Poppys....lobster anyone? Or how about a deluxe seafood bucket - ha! On Saturday we were beach bound while Eric had to complete the last of his classes. Then we met up with Aunt Kimberly and Uncle Jeff who came into town with Logan and Carter for the next week...dinner, hanging out, zip lines, trampolines and more! On Sunday we ended our vacay with the most scrumpdidliumpcious b'fast at Another Broken Egg Cafe and headed home....we are a Florida family (how can you not be when 2 of you were born there, ha!) and can't wait until the next time the beach calls our name!!!!!! Beach or bust, baby!

Shave and a Hair Cut...2 bits!

2011-06-15T23:58:00.000-05:00

Today the twins got their first hair cut! We've been watching their hair grow for a while and the ends were already getting a bit scraggly looking so we thought an inch or so off the back of each girl would not only look better, but will feel cooler for the summer. Aunt Carol was nice enough to say that she'd give them their first hair cut and we couldn't have been happier! We went over to her house earlier this afternoon and she had her "salon" all set up in the sun room. We started with Reagan and she was a perfect customer while getting her new do. However, it was too good to be true that Blaire would be the same. She was too interested in how and what Aunt Carol was doing and we ended up putting her on my lap, face down, to get the cut done. But both girls now look great and are ready to take their new dos out on the town!

BLAIRE'S 1ST HAIR CUT

REAGAN'S 1ST HAIR CUT

It's That Time of Year

2011-06-15T22:38:00.000-05:00

It's that time of year....VBS! This year at Providence, instead of just offering VBS to the children (ages 3- 6th grade) we got the gumption to have a youth VBS the week before the children's VBS...and it was awesome! We've been a bit out of the blogging world for the past few days because we have been jam packing multiple days into single days and there hasn't hardly been any moments to rest much less blog! Each night this week from about 6-8, we've had the community youth come up to the church and we've not only had a Big Apple Adventure, but we made a few adventures of our own. Thanks to Veda Godwin (for nightly dinners), Aunt Julia/Uncle Lomax (for using the barn), Aunt Carol/Ra Ra (for using the pool), Courtney/Derek/Andrea/Shelby (for helping), we had an awesome week! Averaging 20 each night it was awesome! God showed up and showed us that when we put out faith in him, the treasures we receive are huge and wonderful!

Standing Tall

2011-06-11T20:11:00.001-05:00

"What you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing; it also depends on what kind of a person you are."
(C. S. Lewis)

It's happened....we finally have a stander in the family! Well, we've had three standers for a while now (some of us longer than others - ha!) but today Reagan officially showed off her skills of how she can stand without holding on to anything...next step - walking without holding onto anything! Watch out world!

Fairy Tale Ending

2011-06-11T16:30:00.000-05:00

Take one friend's fairy birthday party, add in an Abby Cadabby costume, a little bit of pixie dust, a ceramic frog, a memory full of all the princess quotes from Tiana and Snow White about how to catch your princess, one big wish and VOILA! This is what you get:

Friday fun days

2011-06-10T16:24:00.000-05:00

Well, it's Friday and you know where that means you can find us...by the pool! Our weekly date with Courtney and Derek snuck up on us and we weren't even out of our PJs when they came by ready to swim today, ha! But they are awesome with our girls and within minutes everyone was changed, lathered with sunscreen and heading out the door! All kidding aside, Derek and Courtney have been married almost a couple of years now and although they are waiting for children, they will be wonderfully loving parents. They are the kind of hands on people that are completely comfortable with children and just love all over them! It's awesome! And today was no exception - lunch, swimming, playing and lots of fun! (Especially for Abby who not only wore Derek down by being thrown around the pool but then found some cheerleaders that were willing to throw her in tons of basket tosses!)

Shining Stars

2011-06-09T23:51:00.000-05:00

We've heard that friends are a lot like stars....you don't have to actually see them all the time to know that they are always there! And that's about how we feel about our close friends....we love the stars in our lives! About lunch time, the Miller family came over and we all went swimming. That family has basically become like family to us and we are so thankful for their friendship. It was cracking me up to see the girls all playing together - especially when Abby decided to try out Kismet's flippers - no matter how much we told her she needed to be careful when she was walking, she had to try them out for herself, and promptly busted her bottom. With just a sniffle and funny frown shown, she was back up and having a ball at the pool.

However, our pool time was cut short today for good reason! One of our close family friends, Mary Frances, had called this morning to say she'd be driving through town and would love to visit! We haven't seen MFF since the fall of 2009 so needless to say, we were all excited about her visit! She is not only one of our Class of 2002 Cumberland alumni, she is also a proud member of the "I was in the Wade Wedding...finally!" party, ha ha! She was there from the get go of not only our relationship, but has also been a part of all of our family crisis, drama, life, family, kiddos, and homes....and we couldn't wait to spend the afternoon with her. And thankfully, she didn't get upset when we made her turn the afternoon into the entire day, ha! MFF, we love you and loved your visit! Hope to see you again soon!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-06-08T14:19:00.000-05:00

Havin' fun with Hayden

2011-06-06T20:11:00.000-05:00

Today some of our good friends came over to spend the day with us and we were loving their visit! Jennifer and Hayden (almost 4 months) came over and we had the best afternoon! We were laughing, talking, playing and even got the kiddos outside to the backyard (and back porch) pools. Hayden wasn't necessarily too thrilled with Blaire splashing him with water but he took it like a man, ha! Thanks Jennifer for a great day!

Black and Blue

2011-06-05T22:07:00.003-05:00

"Blue eyes say, Love me or I die; black eyes say, Love me or I kill thee." (Spanish Proverb)

Last Wednesday night (June 1st) Abby was at her Wednesday night church class, Mission Friends, and was playing a game with some of her friends. To make a long story short, Abby ran in one direction and a friend followed....when Abby stopped and turned around, her friend came crashing into her - into her eye to be specific. Within minutes, while the crying and screaming was still going on, a bruise started to appear...and by the next morning, Abby had her first black eye. Since then, it's turned from black, to brown, to purple, to blue and now yellow. Although she's shown it off, she wanted nothing to do with me taking a picture of it until now. She'd handling it like a pro, although whenever she accidentally touches it, she says that it still really hurts. My heart just goes out to her when she's in pain. But the sweetest thing is to hear her response to me saying "I'm sorry you have a black eye." She replies "Mommy, you don't have to be sorry. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. It was an accident - that means no one has to be sorry."

Sum-sum-summertime

2011-06-04T21:43:00.000-05:00

It's not technically summertime yet, but we are going to party like it is! After a long couple of days and nights this week, we knew we were in for a rough day today...all three girls had been missing naps, getting to bed late and just in general having long days. So today would have been the perfect day to rest up - but of course all three had different plans, ha! A normal early morning full of playing, eating and hanging out together finally led to a nap by the younger two! But when they woke up, we had a special surprise in store for them - we all packed up and headed over to Aunt Carol and Ra Ra's for a fun afternoon at the pool. It was a great afternoon and made even all the more better when we came home with no sunburns, ha!

Three Cheers for Friday

2011-06-03T23:44:00.000-05:00

Hip hip hooray for pool parties!
If you are reading this and are anywhere near southeast Alabama, you are hot. Very hot. With temps reaching into (and over) the 100 degree mark lately, and no rain in sight, it doesn't take long for you to decide that a pool party is a must! Today, some of our best buds, Derek and Courtney, came to join us for a dip in the pool. Our three girls are water fanatics and today both Reagan and Abby were cracking up when thrown all over the pool. Yea for pool parties!

Hip hip hooray for cousins!
Our newest family member, little Ethan, is a little over 2 weeks old and is simply adorable. This afternoon we headed over to the Bryant's house to get lots more snuggle time! And, it was the first time that Abby got to actually see Ethan in person! As soon as she saw him, she said "Oh he's just so cute!" and couldn't wait to get her hands on him! We are so happy that he's a member of our family! Yea for baby Ethan!

Hip hip hooray for birthdays!
We are on a birthday train lately and now that we've celebrated Blaire's, Reagan's and Eric's, it was time to move on to the next one. Eric's brother, Aaron, has a birthday this month as well and we celebrated it with him at dinner and then after with dessert and presents. Yea for A's birthday celebration!

Seminars and Sunshine

2011-06-02T21:58:00.000-05:00

If you are a lawyer, one thing you hate to be reminded off are the dreaded CLEs. Each year, an attorney in the state of Alabama has to go through 12 hours of Continuing Legal Education in order to keep their license current and in good standing with the Alabama State Bar. It's no fun sitting for hours in a classroom undergoing a boring seminar...but what is fun is finding a CLE that is not only interesting but at an interesting locale! And that's how Wade & Wade, Attorneys at Law, work it! Ha! Today I headed down to Sandestin for the 25th Annual "Divorce at the Beach" CLE hosted by the Family Law Section of the ASB. As always, it was a great seminar! But today was a bit more special because I was able to enjoy the seminar, knowing that my three love bugs weren't almost 2 hours away but rather 20 yards away - swimming and hanging out pool side where the seminar was held. Thanks to the help from Eric's mom, Angie, we were all able to head down to the beach, enjoy a scrumpdidliumpcious breakfast, hang out pool side, attend some seminars, head to the beach, grab a beach side dinner and make it home safe and sound just in time for goodnight kisses!

Pomp It Up!

2011-05-31T20:48:00.002-05:00

Today was the day...the graduation service for the Wicksburg High School Class of 2011! Although there were several graduates that we loved celebrating this special day with (a special shout out to Stetson, Taylor, Sam, Zack and Shelby!), we truly loved watching our "4th daughter" Jessica Renee Ganous walk across the stage and receive her diploma. Although we've known Jess for much longer, it was 4 years ago that she became part of our family...she's been there for babies, birthdays, vacations, slumber parties, play dates and much much more. We are very proud of her and wish her much success for her future while she attends ESCC/Troy and receives her degree in Early Education! Congratulations Jess - we love you!!!!

Making Memories

2011-05-30T22:29:00.001-05:00

"A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart." (Author Unknown)

If you take a glimpse into our home, every now and then you will find two children (one still at heart) sitting in the downstairs den prolonging bedtime by enjoying each other's company while watching a movie on television. About a year ago, the night included the movie Kung Fu Panda. And when the previews for Kung Fu Panda 2 came out last month, Abby started asking when she could go. Tonight, she enjoyed a dinner and movie date with her Daddy....going to see the "lawyers" (a.k.a. warriors), go get "in a piece" (a.k.a inner peace) with "Matter Seafood" (a.k.a Master Shifu).

P.S. On a side note, today was Memorial Day. Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service. We are thankful for the service these men and women gave to our country, and we lift up their families as we remember them today.

Arggg maties!

2011-05-28T23:25:00.000-05:00

The final celebration for Eric was another birthday dinner and party with his parents, brother and sister in law. We headed out to eat and ended up at what will soon be called the place where all of us go for our birthday dinners - Santa Fe. So far, three out of the five of us have celebrated out birthdays there...and tonight didn't disappoint. After dinner we headed back home for cake and presents. Another Pirates of the Caribbean kinda night around here....Happy Birthday!!!

My sunbathing beauties

2011-05-27T17:06:00.003-05:00

Abigail Lee
4 years, 3 months, 25 days

Reagan Nichole
12 months, 13 days

Blaire Elizabeth
12 months, 13 days

BFFs in the hizzle

2011-05-27T17:01:00.003-05:00

"A true friend is someone who thinks that you are a good egg even though she knows that you are slightly cracked." (Bernard Meltzer) Here's to our wonderful friends, the Godwins! We love you all and are very fortunate to have you in our lives...especially on days like today when we can spend the entire day together laughing, playing, talking and enjoying each other's families! Hugs and Love dear friends!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-25T16:15:00.001-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ERIC!!!!

2011-05-24T22:05:00.001-05:00

Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday to you,
Happy birthday dear Daddy,
Happy birthday to you!

That's what Eric heard from his four favorite girls first thing this morning! Yep, it's Eric's birthday!!! He's now 35 years old! And although he already had some birthday celebrating this past weekend, we had some more plans up our sleeves for the big day! As soon as Eric headed off to work, we all got bathed and dressed and followed right behind...to surprise him at lunch! Sondra (his secretary)
and Scott (the other lawyer at the office) were taking him out to eat and they were in on the secret plan! Eric didn't know we were going to be there until he opened the restaurant door and we yelled SURPRISE! We all enjoyed a yummy meal - and the birthday boy even got some singing and dessert! Then, while he headed back to the office for some more surprises and treats, we headed out for some party store shopping to get ready for tonight! Abby, Blaire and Reagan all helped me pick out some perfect pirate decorations for the Pirates of the Caribbean party theme we've had going! When Eric got home that night, there were balloons, plates, glasses, eye patches and the perfect present Abby picked out for him - 2 pirate swords for the two of them to play sword fights...just what every little 4 year old girl does with her Daddy, right? We ate another one of Eric's favorite meals - fried pork chops, salad, BBQ bread, corn and rice. And we snacked on key lime pie for dessert. Yum! The perfect day for our perfect man! Happy Birthday - we LOVE you!!!!!

Work hard, play harder

2011-05-23T16:59:00.001-05:00

Today everyone that lives in our house and is over the age of 5 had to go to court! And we needed someone to hold down the fort so we called in the heavy guns - Kasey and Lydia! LOL! All kidding aside, Kasey came over to help us out. She watched the girls until I came home from work and after a little lunch, we all headed to the pool. It was a great afternoon - we ran into a bunch of friends and neighbors at the pool...and we enjoyed ourselves a ton! Oh, and no sunburns - woo hoo!!!!

Fun in the Sun!

2011-05-21T21:40:00.001-05:00

Well, if you've kept up with us on Blogger or Facebook for the last week, you might have noticed that something's been missing - not only our Abbyisms, but our Abby! After we celebrated the twins first birthday, she took off with her Gramercy and Papa Doc for an entire week of fun in the sun in Sandestin, Florida - where they live. We missed her terribly so - in fact the twins would go bonkers when they saw her on Skype! They had a great week alone with Mommy and Daddy but sure did miss their Big Sister! And this afternoon she headed back home and we welcomed her with balloons, presents and a dinner of her choice! Welcome Home, Abby!

The birthday boy!!!

2011-05-21T14:07:00.002-05:00

Around here, we don't just celebrate the day of your birth...we stretch birthdays into days, weeks, and sometimes even birthday months! And it was time to start the birthday celebration for Eric! On Tuesday, May 24th, he will turn 35 years old. A couple of weeks ago, we were watching TV and a commercial came on for:

Eric said "I'd like to go see that for my birthday." And a plan was set into motion! Since Abby has been gone for a week on a beach vacation (more to come in a future post), we were fortunate to have someone volunteer for the twins to go and have their very fist slumber party away from home - and without Mommy or Daddy! So last night, with the house quiet, and no kids around, we enjoyed a birthday dinner of grilled steaks, baked potatoes, corn on the cob, salad and BBQ bread dinner! Then we headed out on date night to the late movie - the opening night of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides! It's been a while since we've had a date night, much less one where we were out past midnight! It was fun celebrating Eric's birthday with him...and as Abby says - "Shhhh, don't tell him but we have more things for his birthday! It's a secret!" So stay tuned to see what the birthday boy will be surprised with!

PS - To make this night happen, we'd like to give a huge shout out to Aunt Carol and Ra Ra! The girls got their beds and bags packed up and headed over to their house late Friday afternoon. The girls had a ball exploring the house, playing with Aunt Carol and Ra Ra, and eating banana pudding for the first time - which they loved!!! It was nice to enjoy a night out knowing that our girls were safe, happy and having fun! But, first thing this morning I headed over to pick them up - and it was awesome to see their faces light up when I walked into the room...even if gone from us for only for a few hours, those two were missed!!!!!

Sunny days are here again

2011-05-20T20:47:00.000-05:00

This morning we had a very special visitor - Courtney Nowell! She can over to spend the day with us...pool side! We had a ball from about 10 AM to about 3 PM! And with the exception of one of us getting sun burnt beyond belief (Trying to figure out who? I'll give you a hint - she was more worried about putting sunscreen on her daughters so they didn't get burned and didn't put enough on herself. Grrrrrr.) it was a great day! Thanks Courtney - and see you here again soon!

Getting our party on

2011-05-19T22:10:00.000-05:00

When you spend your days juggling more than one job, more than one child, and more than one thing to do around the house, it's very hard to have a life. You can attempt to have a life, but sometimes the attempts end up big failures because you are stretched too far and can't give your 100%. At the beginning of the year, I sat down and had to decide how to make this all work so we could enjoy life again - without feeling worn out and tired at the end of every single day because of doing too much! Sadly, I had to let some things go...and one of the saddest was leaving the Cospala Red Hatters. Yes, yes, it is really a club for women over 50, BUT, you can still be a member if you are under that age...you are just called a PINK HATTER...and both Abby and I were pink hatters until we had to leave the club. But it was a very pleasant surprise when we got the invitation to join the May function which was at Aunt Carol's house...and introduce Blaire and Reagan to the group! This group of ladies are awesome and it was so wonderful to have them meet the twins...it was the funniest thing too to watch the twins meet these ladies, and all the crazy red hats! It took a while but within minutes they were crawling to these women and turning on the charm! We had a great time visiting - thanks ladies! After leaving the Cospala Red Hatters, we headed down the road less than a mile to Aaron and Jenifer's house for our monthly Third Thursday meal. Tonight's menu included chicken fingers, mac-n-cheese, rice, rolls and sweet potato patties. Whenever we get together with them, the deal is that whoever hosts the event, prepares the meal...and whoever the guest is, brings the dessert. So, dessert was on us - and thanks to the best hubs ever, I didn't even have to prepare or pick up anything - he did it himself! And was I surprised to see chocolate pie? Nope, not at all! Ha ha! The two that were though pleasantly surprised to see the pie were Blaire and Reagan - both whom licked the platter clean! LOL!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-05-18T11:43:00.000-05:00

Our lil man!!!

2011-05-17T15:37:00.000-05:00

He's here!!!!!! Our little man has arrived! OK, well, not so much "our" little man but close enough seeing as how we've already covered him with tons of love, hugs, smooches and promises of future fun! Heather Bryant (Eric's cousin and one of Barbara's BFFs) gave birth to her third child, Ethan Cole Bryant about 9:24 AM today. He is simply perfect! At birth he weighed 8 pounds and 1 ounce. Compared to his two big sisters (Khloe and Whitney) he is a chunk! But we love every single ounce of him! We are sooooo happy for the Bryant family! Congrats to Mommy, Daddy, Big Sister Whitney and Big Sister Khloe! We love you all!

What's up Doc?

2011-05-16T16:28:00.000-05:00

Reagan and Blaire met with Dr. McAllister today for their one year old check up - and they got terrific news! Both girls are still on the slightly smaller side for the 12 month age mark, but they are growing like weeks and Dr. Mac loved seeing them and their progress! Today's numbers were:

Reagan - 18 lbs, 9 ounces; 27 1/2 inches long
Blaire - 19 lbs 6 1/2 ounces; 27 1/2 inches long

The girls each got four vaccinations and a finger prick (to rule out anemia)...and it was awful. The two of them were not happy. Even with our all time favorite nurse, Leigh, handling it all like a pro, they screamed bloody murder. Although most of their appointments with shots and meds has a little bit of screaming, this was horrible. Enough so that we went back to our old blog archives to see if Abby had the same ordeal at her 1st year appointment and guess what? She did! We wrote that it was the worst appointment for her! So, clearly our girls stopped enjoying doctor's appointments when they turn one, ha! But for other news:

-The girls can try whole milk now! We will mix our last can of Similac Neosure with whole milk to start them off. If they tolerate it (with no tummy troubles) they can continue just whole milk! If not, they will have to wait until August to go on whole milk - which is their corrected age of 1 year.

-The girls can still not go into nurseries or daycares. Dr. Mac said that due to the potential for RSV, she said no nurseries until their corrected age. We are hoping that when we go back to her in August (at their 15 month check up) they may be released from this. But to be honest, the only time this is a pain, is on Sundays during worship services - however, if it means keeping our little ones healthy, we will do whatever we are told!

So...all in all, minus the screaming, it was a great appointment! We got the go ahead to have a fun summer with our girls and not come back until August! We love Dr. Mac and Leigh!!! Thanks ladies for helping us take such great care of Reagan and Blaire!

Pomp and Circumstance

2011-05-15T21:09:00.001-05:00

This morning, at our church, Providence Baptist in Clayhatchee, we had Graduates Day. As you know, Barbara is the Youth Director at PBC. It was a bit of a sentimental day today because when this year's graduates moved up to the Youth Group at PBC, it was the year Barbara became Youth Director. This morning we congratulated Jessica Ganous and Stetson Webb - two of the graduates of the Wicksburg High School Class of 2011! It was an awesome morning for the Providence family as we have watched these two not only grow into such wonderful young adults, but also to give their testimony to the church as Christians who have turned their lives and hearts over to their Lord and Savior. Our family will be at their graduation with bells on - well, not really wearing bells, but chances are with us walking in with three kids that might be screaming, we'll be heard without bells, LOL! Congrats Jess and Stets - we love you both!

After treating our graduates to the annual Graduates Day Lunch, we headed home only to pack up and Barbara headed out again for the younger group of PBC Youth. It was the Spring Band Concert at Daleville and one word sums it up: AWESOME! Congrats to Brooke, Haleigh, Dalton and Dylan on such wonderful performances! I was completely blown away by not only how many bands there were, but how great each and every one was! It was a great concert and I'm already looking forward to the next one in the fall!

Our birthday babies!

2011-05-14T23:37:00.001-05:00

Today is the big day we've all been loooking forward to....Reagan and Blaire's 1st birthday! This time last year was very emotional for us - it is something that we hope and pray none of our friends or family ever have to go through. There were many moments where we didn't know what the future held for our two littlest loves and we begged God to at least give them a future, no matter what it might be. God answered our prayers and blessed us with more than we ever dreamed...two precious, perfectly healthy bundles of joy that we were able to bring home from the NICU and love all over. We've watched them grow over the last 12 months and we are ecstatic to celebrate their 1st birthdays!

Blaire Elizabeth Wade
Then (5/14/10) and now (5/14/11)

Reagan Nichole Wade
Then (5/14/10) and now (5/14/11)

The beginning of the day started with lots of love and hugs - especially from their Big Sister who couldn't wait for their big party. During the morning hours, guests started arriving and by noon our house was full of family and friends that came over to celebrate with Reagan and Blaire. We had music, cupcakes, balloons, bouncey house, pool, swing set, see saw, toys, presents and topped it all off with a grilled hamburger and hot dog lunch. The girls each got a vanilla cake (with an ice cream center) and after about 3 or 4 minutes or checking the cakes out, finally got a little bit more into it! After lunch and dessert, the twins got a bit tired so they took a little cat nap but were soon up and sitting around everyone while they opened their presents - and got a bit of help from friends! They were completely into it and we loved it! By dinner time, almost everyone had left and the girls enjoyed a nice birthday dinner, bath time and snuggle-before-bed time. It was a completely surreal day to enjoy....knowing the struggles these girls faced to even come into the world, and now to see them laughing, playing and eating their birthday cakes! What a wonderful occasion!!!!!!!

Happy birthday to our littlest loves....we love you!

XOXOXOXO

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REAGAN AND BLAIRE...ONE IS FUN!!!

2011-05-14T05:00:00.002-05:00

Reagan Nichole Wade
Born 5/14/10 at 5:05 AM

Blaire Elizabeth Wade
Born 5/14/10 at 5:06 AM