Future handyman

The van is broken-ed

Back at the beginning of October, I had a run-in with a concrete pole at the bank (the pole won). Our wonderful minivan has been at the shop for a week now--it is amazing how a fairly minor scrape can cost so much time and money to repair. Sigh. We have been driving the car, which the kids think is really cool. Georgia occasionally wants to know where the van is, and when we told her it was in the shop being fixed, she decided that the van was "broken-ed". Yes, dear, Mommy broke the van.

Value of the Day

Have you seen this? WalMart has a Value of the Day website, where they offer one item at rock bottom prices for one day. Today the site has a Lexmark all in one printer for less than sixty dollars. I think that's a fabulous deal. I will be checking back often during the holiday season! The catch is, it is while supplies last, so the printer is already sold out. I'll check early tomorrow!

Quote of the day

From Georgia, just a few minutes ago:

"The princess wants to use the computer to get us dinner"

Well, since I have been battling a flu-like bug all weekend, I would be more than happy for the princess to order takeout for us. Now, if only the princess had her own credit card...

Girls' birthday tea--October 21

Georgia and I had a wonderful time at the Tea Room downtown on our birthday, October 21. Forgive my delay in posting these pictures--enjoy!

Georgia got a little tired of waiting for her 'tea', which was actually pink lemonade. She enjoyed drinking it so much that she refused the cookies I ordered--a first!


There was a window behind us that opened into the next room. Georgia made faces at a group of ladies in the next room, who were waving and blowing kisses at her. It was very sweet.

Excitement over her pink lemonade! It was so much fun!




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My daughter, the tyrant

This morning, I took Georgia and Baxter out for a walk. Our walk varies--sometimes I push both of them in the double stroller, and sometimes Georgia pushes her baby doll stroller while I push Baxter. Today Georgia wanted to ride her little tricycle while I pushed Baxter. She is doing pretty well on it, but hasn't grasped steering and such. She would get going on the sidewalk, and run right into the grass, which of course stopped the tricycle. This kept happening every few feet, and she finally got frustrated. Georgia got off her tricycle, pointed her finger at the grass, and said:

"Stop it, grass! Don't get in the water[way]!"

She can be quite the bossy little three year old. The grass didn't obey.

Baxter's chili face (and one year stats)

Baxter's one year appointment was last week right before Georgia's third birthday. He is growing steadily, but is definitely not as big as he used to be! I think the walking is rapidly slimming him down. Baxter hated the shots, but he disliked the finger prick even more. It just made him mad! The sweet nurse had her hands full with him--she put a bandage on his finger, which he promptly ripped off and then bled everywhere. She cleaned him up and wrapped his finger with two bandages. Baxter kept those on until we got in the van, and then they were torn off as well. Fun!

Here are his stats:
Weight: 22 lbs., 15 oz. (50%)
Height/Length: 30 1/2 in. (50%)
Head Circumference: 47.2 cm (75%)

Right now, Baxter...
*walks, and even attempts a little bit of a run
*has his first pair of shoes, though he doesn't like wearing them
*waves and says "bye-bye", and just last night imitated blowing a kiss
*LOVES to hug anyone, especially men! He is absolutely adorable when he crawls up to the gentleman, grabs his legs and hugs them, then looks up to be picked up. When picked up, Baxter buries his head on the guy's shoulder. It will just melt your heart. He did this to about three or four different guys on Thursday when we were visiting campus! So sweet
*eats just about everything. He loves broccoli (strange!), bananas, and anything with a little crunch (crackers, dry cereal, chips). He also loves Georgia's crayons, and bites the tip off of them. Baxter discovered chili recently, and enjoyed both eating it and painting his face with it.

My little clothing models

Mimi and Papa's visit

Mimi and Papa visited this past weekend, and had a wonderful time with us! It seemed like they brought dozens of presents:-) Georgia especially loved her tiara from Grandmommy and Granddaddy and her new easel from Mimi and Papa. Baxter liked the variety of trucks from Mimi and Papa (I'm Chuck! The Dump Truck!). The weekend included time outside in the backyard (did I mention that Baxter is walking?), time driving around the area and eating at yummy restaurants, and time indoors. We love visits from Mimi and Papa and can't wait to see them again!

My apologies

I apologize for the lack of posts or pictures on the blog in the past ten days! Life has been a little busy for us. Here are a few things that have been going on:

--Baxter had his one year appointment last Monday. I will hopefully do a post about his statistics soon, but just know that he is healthy and strong. However, it did take a day or two to 'work' the shots out of his system!
--Nathan and I went out to dinner to celebrate my birthday Tuesday night. It was a nice time to get away, eat, and drink coffee without the kids around (thanks, Bekah, for watching the kiddos!).
--Georgia's third birthday was Wednesday (it was my birthday too, of course), and we spent the day shopping at Joann's Fabric and Craft store, and going to the tea room downtown. Georgia got new princess big girl panties and her newest favorite movie, Sleeping Beauty! We have already watched it three or four times.
--Nathan's parents came up for a visit on Thursday and left yesterday morning. They filled the back of their vehicle with gifts and goodies for us, and we feel so blessed. G and B had a blast with their Mimi and Papa, and we look forward to seeing them again over the holidays.
--Baxter's sleeping habits seem to be getting out of whack again, so I will be spending this week trying to get him back into the right rhythm BEFORE the time changes this weekend. Pray that goes well! Also know that if I do not post pictures, it is because I am trying to keep my kiddos on a schedule.

Thanks for reading!

It has wheels!!

Birthday celebration #2

With the kids' birthdays being 3 weeks apart and there being a family wedding in between, my sister and mom brought birthday presents for Georgia and Baxter to open. The hotel room was covered in wrapping paper and boxes! It was so much fun. The kids got a couple of different outfits, books, and one toy each (trucks for B, a puzzle for G). Thank you SO MUCH Grandma and Auntie Ruth!

A wagon built for two

The Radio Flyer wagon was a Christmas present for both kids last year, but we didn't feel Baxter was big enough to ride in the wagon until just recently. During a GORGEOUS day a couple weeks ago, we took the kiddos out for a stroll in the wagon. They loved it! Though fall seems to have rolled in, we hope to take 'wagon walks' more often.

When you run out of paper or canvas...

Start painting your hands:-)

All 'gussied' up

My brother got married this past weekend, and he and his lovely bride chose a black and white theme for their wedding. It was fun to pick out clothes for kids, but not as much fun to find something for me! At long last, I located the perfect dress and shoes (which were lipstick red, not b&w :-), and we had a fun weekend with the family. These pictures were taken in the hotel room while we were getting ready, so they are not terribly clear (and please forgive the dirty diaper in the background), but they are still cute. I did not take any pictures at the actual wedding, but I hope to steal some from someone soon!

Before and After

An apology to the grandparents

Something must be off on my camera settings, because many of my recent pictures appear to be grainy and a little blurred. I will try to play with the camera to see what I can do to improve the quality of the pictures. I know you like to print off the pictures, and I want you to be able to do that! Thanks for your understanding as I 'fiddle' with my camera over the next few days.

Movie star or artist?

Who doesn't love to wear sparkly sunglasses while playing with playdough?

My sick kiddos

As I mentioned earlier, Georgia ran a fever Monday and Tuesday, and Baxter has just been off for a couple of days. I don't know if he is sick, or teething, or growing...I realize I am a terrible mother for photographing my kids when they were not in perfect health, but it was sad and sweet at the same time. Thankfully they appear to be on the mend now!

No, seriously, how did he celebrate?

Georgia was sick with a fever on Monday, so we waited until Tuesday to "celebrate" Baxter's birthday. Note: we will be seeing my side of the family next week, and Nathan's parents two weeks after that, so there will be a small celebration and gift-unwrapping at least twice more!

We had spaghetti for dinner (see it on their faces?)

Baxter let Georgia open his gift for him

Yay for tools! Thanks Uncle Keith and Aunt Johnnie!


But most important of all, the cupcakes:

How Baxter celebrated his birthday...

Apparently, by unrolling an entire roll of toilet paper...




I am just thankful that it wasn't a double roll!!

Year One

Happy First Birthday to my sweet boy!

Wishlists

Baxter will be one year old tomorrow, and Georgia will turn three on October 21. It is a little late for me to post this for Baxter, but I thought I would put it up anyway.

Birthday/Christmas Wish lists for the Finn children

Baxter
Clothes (always needed), size 12 mos or 18 mos
Legos (duplo or quattro)
Balls
Things with wheels (trucks, tractors, etc--specifically things he can push around on the floor)
Chunky puzzles
Money (which will go toward clothes or other items, or in savings:-)

Georgia
Clothes (always needed), size 3T (separates) or 4T (dresses)
Watercolor paints (she LOVES them!!)
Coloring books and crayons/markers
Any other crafty 'kits' that are age appropriate
Puzzles
Books
ITunes gift cards (no, she doesn't have an IPod:-) She likes Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and SuperWhy!, and we can buy individual episodes through ITunes, as well as music and audiobooks just for her
Money

Seeing stars!

I hosted a baby shower today for my dear friend, Emily Gillum, who is expecting a little girl in October. We used purple, lavendar and stars as the theme for the morning brunch. It was a lot of fun, and we all enjoyed ourselves immensely (you can tell from some of the photos). Enjoy the pictures!

Emily is a graduate of Auburn. Her husband is a fan of UGA (smart man, go Dawgs!). I made a reversible jumper for their little girl--Emily is convinced she will wear the Auburn side more, but only time will tell...

Emily and Jenny are due just days apart, and we were getting a kick out of how their bellies were almost touching! Their babies will be good friends:-)

Take One--Obviously!!

Okay, this one will do!

A brief moment of calm...

Both kids, sitting still? Is that possible?



They were 'watching' a movie (Baxter doesn't sit still for long, but Georgia will)!

MLB, here we come!

Our pets (just kidding!)

A few weeks ago, on a beautiful Saturday morning, Nathan saw this gorgeous bird with a large wing span


It landed on the roof of a neighbor's house...we thought it was really cool...


Until I zoomed in with my camera and saw that fellow:

Shudder! Glad he decided to fly away.


Then, another critter decided to visit us...but we didn't keep him

Hopefully this is not foreshadowing...

...hopefully this is NOT what Baxter will look like in 50-60 years, i.e., lounging around in his underwear. He can get away with it right now...

Make believe naptime :-)

In the mornings, Georgia plays in her room by herself while I get a shower or do some chores around the house. One day, I found that she had relocated her pillow and covers to the floor, and was both pretending to take a nap, read a story to her baby dolls and make them dance together! I asked her to stay put so I could get pictures. Please accept my apologies for the naked dolls--she is at THAT stage (the one where the doll clothes come off, but don't go back on).

Snapshots of glee...

These pictures are not clear at all, but they capture the moment--three girls, laughing and squealing and bouncing away, while Baxter desperately tried to get in on the fun.

Got yogurt?

NC Museum of Natural Science

A couple of weeks ago, my friend Alyson and I took our kids (4 total) to the NC Museum of Natural Science downtown. The kids had a lot of fun looking at the different displays, and getting to pet some wild creatures at the "Meet the Animals" time!

I promise...

I will update this blog with pictures very soon! My mom is in town, and I have a couple of projects to finish up, but soon--very soon--pictures will return. One thing of note, though:

Baxter waved and said "Bye-Bye" to his daddy this morning! It was precious!!

Until later...

Snippets of the day

...Georgia and Baxter made their grand debut in Nathan's class today. The class thought they were cute, naturally, and Georgia played shy. That is, until the end, when I told her to say goodbye, and she waved to the class and said "Good-bye, peoples!" That got a laugh.

...Later, after we had run errands and were heading home, I told G that Daddy was waiting for us at the house. "No," she said "Daddy's not at the house. He's with the peoples!"

...I am attempting to drop one of Baxter's feedings today, and he has done great so far. He woke up from his nap happy, and played well for an hour. Then he started fussing, crawled over to me, and wanted to be held and snuggled. I am pretty sure he wanted to nurse, and I HATED not doing it! However, he is almost a year old, and he has been on the same schedule for months. It is time for a change. Pray for grace for both of us. I gave him some water and a banana (which he inhaled!) and he is fine now.

What I've been up to...

So this blog is mostly about my children, but since I posted about Nathan starting back to classes recently, I thought I would show you a little of what I have been doing, other than the usual chasing the kids around:-)

I am "Membership Chair" for the Seminary Women's Club (faculty wives) here at SEBTS. That means I am responsible for the directory for the club, so I have been busy updating that and trying to make it look cool! It is now updated, though I don't know how cool it is.

Nathan's parents brought us a beautiful antique secretary when they visited in July, and I have finally unpacked most of my wedding presents (8 years later) to display in the secretary.



Last week, I wrote a post for the Prayer of Hannah blog. This blog is run by a group of ladies who are dedicated to being godly moms and raising Christ-centered children, and it was an honor to write for them. You can see the post here.

On Thursday night, I am having a jewelry party here at my house. This is the first time I have hosted a home party, so I hope it goes well! My neighbor sells Silpada Jewelry, so I am having the party for her. If you are in the area, I would LOVE for you to stop by (7-8:30 pm)! It is just an excuse to have some girlfriends over to hang out. If you are not in the area, please check out the online catalogand see if there is anything you would like to order!

I apologize for the strange self-portrait, but I wanted to show you my earrings from Silpada. I love these earrings, and the best part about it is they have a life-time warranty! Baxter could break them and Silpada would replace them :-) Also, you can see my new glasses.


Anyway, that's what is happening in the life of Leah. Have a great day!

Happy 11 month birthday!

At eleven months old, Baxter is a man on the move! He is crawling everywhere, and pulling up on everything. He likes to push around things like laundry baskets, books, or the pictured drying rack. He can climb the stairs in seconds,and then sit there, bouncing up and down with glee. Baxter loves to eat anything he can get his hands on, and he does not like it when he has to be fed with a spoon. He speaks his own language, with mama and dada appearing often along with gaga and lots of grunts and hums. Enjoy some pictures of the little guy.

Mommy's makeup

Georgia often 'helps' me when I get ready in the morning, but one day last week she opened my mascara and tried to put it on herself (yes, I was standing right there when it happened!). It ended up all over her face and hair, in addition to the shimmery face color she had already tried out on her face. As you can see, she was upset in these pictures, but her tears looked really pretty on the glittery makeup:-)

Chug-a-lug

It's the little things

Little fingers, little toes, little dimples...lots of love!