Discovery Place

As I mentioned in my last post, we went to Discovery Place uptown on Tuesday with Caroline's friends, Ali and Samuel. The museum is full of exhibits and aquariums, but we spent most of our time in the kids area. It is a large room full of little centers with imaginary play. There is a water table, dress up center, drawing, a little kitchen with grocery carts and food, puppets, slides, play telescopes, and more!

I didn't take any pictures myself (remember, I still haven't replaced my camera battery!) So, these pictures are courtesy of Chrissie. Thanks, Chrissie, for taking the pics! Sometimes it is nice to just sit back (or in this case- chase a toddler around!) and enjoy the moment.

Should we do a puppet show?

Caroline needs a little practice!

Caroline and Ali- two little grocery shoppers!

Growing and Growing!

I must confess, my camera battery is dead and I haven't gotten around to replacing it. So I have very few pictures from the last few weeks and have missed out on taking pictures of several different things. Ben's camera is still a little intimidating to me, so I don't just pull it out during the day. However, I did pull it out to capture Caroline eating corn on the cob for the first time the other day. I don't know why I haven't given it to her before now, but in any case she thought it was fun to eat! When I gave it to her, she said, "Popcorn!" Little confusion there! As for the taste of it, she could take it or leave it. I happen to love sweet corn, and I don't know why it wasn't all that appealing to her. Maybe she couldn't get past the way you have to eat it, I don't know...

First bite...

The jury's still out...

Not sure I like this, but I will smile for your benefit!

Lately, Caroline is saying so many funny things that catch us off guard. One morning, she woke up really early and Ben went in to check on her. The first thing she said to him was, "Teeth hurt, need motrin!" We had no idea that she would know to ask us for medicine. Ben came and asked me if we should give it to her and my way of thinking was that she wouldn't just want medicine for no reason first thing in the morning. She has not asked for any since.

One night, I was getting her ready for bed, and Caroline must have overheard me telling Ben that Flanders, the diaper rash cream, is expensive. The next morning, Caroline looked at me when I was changing her diaper and said, "Flanders too expensive!" She is really listening to everything we say!

Caroline also gives us little reminders, and we can't be in the car without her telling us to "Be careful". Thanks for the reminders, Caroline! Some of you might not find these things as funny or endearing as we do, but I wanted to blog about them so we won't forget the things she says. You think you won't forget, but you do! It is just amazing to me that one day we were taking care of a baby, and the next thing we know, we're raising a little girl! The other night I was rocking her and she let me cradle her in my arms like an infant. I looked down at her and my heart was filled with such an overwhelming love. I was saddened to realize how quickly she has grown and how she is no longer a baby anymore. When I left her room that night, I was emotional. Grateful for her and enjoying the stage she is in now, but sad at the same time. It feels like I will just blink, and she will be in kindergarten (I will be one of those moms who cries on the first day of school!). I am reminded that I just need to savor these precious moments in Caroline's life, and each day is a blessing.

On a lighter note- lately Caroline has been standing with her hands on her hips a lot, as you can see. Since she tends to imitate us, I am wondering now if I do that a lot? :) Ben snapped a picture of her before church one morning doing just that.

Caroline lets us know who's boss!

Today we rode the train uptown to Discovery Place with Caroline's friends, Samuel and Ali. This was Caroline's second time to go and she loved it just as much as she did the last time. Of course, I didn't take any pictures because I still haven't replaced the camera battery (don't know how long that excuse will hold up with my mom! Promise to take more pictures soon!)

July Birthdays

You have probably figured out by now that birthdays are a big deal in my family. From the time I was a little girl, I have had a family birthday party every year and continue to have them even as an adult. Hats off to my mom for throwing me two parties every year- one family party and another kiddie party with friends. I can barely manage to throw one for Caroline!

In fact, we have a birthday party for every member of our family and have started having to combine several parties into one since our family has grown. Of course, since I live so far away I don't get to participate in many of them. It's always fun to get together.

I shared my birthday party with my cousin, Cynthia, and my cousin Jimmy's daughter, Maggie. My parents had it at their house the night we returned from our lake trip. It was chaotic with so many people, but also lots of fun. The theme was strawberry shortcake, as Maggie requested. Cynthia and I didn't mind, of course. :) I used to love strawberry shortcake as a little girl and find it funny that it too, like so many other things from my childhood, is popular again. Here are a few pics from the party.

Me and Caroline with Cynthia

Strawberry shortcake it is!

Maggie turned three!

Caroline and Maggie- instant friends! Where are Caroline's pants? Long story!

We had such a whirlwind of activities going on while in Little Rock, and the time just flew by. Ben drove back to Charlotte on Sunday morning, but Caroline and I stayed  a few extra days. We flew back to Charlotte on Wednesday the 16th, and I am happy to report that the flight went well. You never know with a toddler how it will go! 

Little Water Bug

We arrived in Little Rock on Tuesday night (July 8th) and were exhausted after the long trip. On Wednesday, we had a low key day and just stayed around my parents house to rest up for our trip to the lake.

The next day, went to Lake Ouachita in Hot Springs, where my aunt and uncle have a place to stay and a boat. It is a beautiful lake about an hour and a half from Little Rock. We took Caroline last year and she loved it; but this year she loved it even more! It started raining just as we got on the boat. But, we just sat in the slip until the shower passed and Caroline entertained us with a few songs and counting.  Her favorites to sing are "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" (an improved version of it) , "Jesus Loves Me", and the Barney song (I love you).  So we got to hear all of those songs while waiting to go out on the lake. :) She was very patient as we waited. As you can see in this video clip, Caroline has been practicing counting to twenty (Ok, so she skips a few numbers in the teens and says "seventeen" really funny!). She also got a little distracted by the boat's horn, which took her by surprise.

Once we went out on the boat, Caroline wanted to help Daddy drive and absolutely had a blast in the water!  We docked the boat and got out to play in the water and Caroline loved jumping in from the shore with the noodle around her waist ( with her life jacket on at all times, of course!). We took her back for a nap, and the first thing she said when she woke up was "back to the boat!" We had originally planned to stay for only one night, but ended up staying for two since we were having such a good time. She definitely loves the water!

Our little co- captain helping out

I love this place!

The water feels nice!

Grandy and Caroline take a swim

I have the hang of this now...

I'm taking the plunge!

We're taking a rest

What a fun day!

Here's a little clip of Caroline in the water. She must have done this at least 20 times, and got more and more daring each time!

Road Trip!

The day we traveled to Little Rock from East Tennessee was a long one! Thank you to Grandy for entertaining Caroline in the backseat the whole way! I think she practically had to stand on her head the last hour once watching shows became an old hat! :)

Luckily, we got to break up the trip by stopping in Memphis to visit one of my best friends, Lisa, from college. Actually, Jay and Lisa are the ones who introduced Ben and I. Ben and Jay were fraternity brothers at UT, while Lisa and I were sorority sisters at ASU.

It was so great to see Lisa and her four kids: Claire (8), Alexander (4), Caroline (3), and Mary Grace (19 months). Talk about a full house! Lisa is the most laid back person I know. She manages to take care of her kids while keeping her house spotless and has definitely mastered the art of multi-tasking! To top it off, she is always so calm and optimistic! Someone once told me that when you are overwhelmed as a mother, then just think of a friend you can call who can encourage you, preferably someone who has even more of a challenge than you do. Lisa is definitely my go to girl for that! Her kids are all so precious and sweet and it was amazing to see how much they had grown since the last time I saw them. Caroline really enjoyed playing with the kids. Wish we could get together more often! It was so wonderful to see you, Lisa, even though the visit was short and sweet! Maybe we'll catch up with Jay the next time we visit.

(From left to right) Claire, Alexander, Christa & Caroline, Caroline, Lisa, and Mary Grace

Caroline and Mary Grace pet Tootsie

Chilhowee Lake

Be prepared to stay awhile, because this is going to be a long one! Scroll on down for the scoop on our trip to Tennessee.

We enjoyed one morning at Chilhowee Lake (hope I spelled that right!) in Polk County. It is a nice lake that is fed by a spring with a little beach. Caroline and Eva had a blast in the water. It was overcast and the water was a little cool for July, but it was very pleasant. 

Caroline and Grandma test the waters

Caroline is ready to play!

Caroline has a newfound love for goggles, which she borrowed from Eva. Once she put them on, she didn't want to take them off! She would barely put her face under the water while wearing them and found it quite fascinating!

Gotta love those goggles!

We had a fun filled, busy weekend in Tennessee. On Tuesday, July 8th, we took the long trip to Arkansas. More to come!

The Overlook

The overlook is a very special place. Not only is the view of the mountains breathtaking, but it is also where Ben and I got engaged on that cold day in December. He really surprised me with the proposal, as I honestly was not expecting it at all! We went to Polk County to visit his grandparents and parents a few days after Christmas. On December 27, 2001 to be exact, he drove me up to the beautiful overlook and we sat on this rock. Not too long after we sat, he got on one knee and popped the question! I was so happy that I didn't even notice how cold it was as we sat on that rock for two hours talking about our future together. Those of you who know me really well know that I am very cold natured and I'm a total wimp when it comes to the cold! But that day was anything but cold to me! I was so thankful that God blessed me with a godly man to be my husband.

Ben and I revisited our special spot with David and Wendy to watch the sunset one night. It is always fun to go back there and remember the day we got engaged.

Water Fun!

In addition to exploring the farm, we also revisited Greasy Creek. We wised up this time, though, and put the girls in their bathing suits. There was lots of splishing and splashing! I'll let the pictures tell the story!

I love the water!

Eva shows her sweet smile

Just a swingin'!

Wendy, David and Eva

Let's take a walk, Daddy

Homeplace

We did plenty of exploring on The Rogers' homeplace during the few days we stayed. Caroline and Eva had plenty of outdoor time including swinging together, sitting on the tractor, blowing bubbles, and of course- picking blueberries with Papa and Grandma. It was funny to see that Caroline had very few blueberries in her cup once they finished picking, as she opted to enjoy them right away! Eva, on the other hand, had a whole cupful since she didn't really acquire a taste for them!

Caroline takes a turn on the swing



Where are all of Caroline's blueberries? In her tummy!

It's time for some serious girl talk!

Caroline and Eva loved splashing in the birdbath, and then they would shake off their hands. Here they are enjoying a laugh after doing just that!

Fourth of July in Tennessee!

We're back from our latest journey! After traveling for the last two weeks, I have lots of memories to share. We traveled to Polk County, Tennessee to stay with Ben's parents for the 4th of July weekend. Caroline did some very important business with Papa Sam shortly after we arrived: picking blueberries! She had so much fun doing it, though I think she ate more than she picked! The blueberries are delicious and we brought plenty back with us. Caroline is a big fan of them too!

While waiting for Uncle David, Aunt Wendy, and Eva to arrive, Caroline explored the farm with Papa Sam. We decided she needed a more festive outfit to celebrate the 4th in proper fashion. :)

Checking out the barn with Papa Sam

Taking time to blow some bubbles with Daddy

Eva's here! Let's get busy playing!

Taking a much needed rest!

Margaret made a wonderful dinner, and Caroline thought so too! As we were eating, she looked at Margaret, and said, " This tastes really good, Grandma!" I think that melted Margaret's heart and it was just so cute the way she said it. We had a delicious strawberry pie for dessert- thank you to Papa Sam and Grandma Rogers for helping celebrate my birthday with the strawberry pie! I am really stretching my birthday celebrations out this year! I had two little helpers assist me with blowing out the candle.

Yum! Strawberry pie!

Happy (Belated) Fourth of July! Hope you all had fun celebrating our nation's independence with family or friends!

Thirty Something

Who remembers that show Thirty Something? I vaguely remember it, but never watched it because of course I was too young to be interested in that kind of show. Those were the days when being "thirty something" sounded old. Well now it doesn't sound so old since I am thirty something. Yesterday I turned 32. Thirty... thirty two- it's all the same! Once you can't say you are in your twenties anymore, it doesn't seem to matter (if that makes any sense).

I had a wonderful day full of pampering. My day started off with Caroline wishing me a happy birthday from her crib when I went in to get her. She then handed me a card that she had hidden in her crib (her daddy put her up to it the night before when he put her to bed!). It was so sweet and I couldn't believe she remembered to give me the card - it was not even opened! Ben said he only told her once not to open it and to give it to me when I came in. I then went back to bed to sleep in a little while and Caroline said, "Sweet Dreams!" as she left the room.

My friend, Mindi brought Caroline's buddy Samuel over and watched Caroline so Mom and I could go to lunch. I think Caroline has a little crush on Samuel because she follows him wherever he goes! It was so nice to have a leisurely lunch complete with uninterrupted conversation! Thank you, Mindi, for helping us out! We tried to get a picture of us with Caroline and Samuel, but Caroline wasn't cooperating too well. After Caroline went down for a nap, I went to the pool to lay out and read a book. It was so nice!

When Ben got home, we celebrated with a cake that the Slacks brought me. Thanks, Lans and Chrissie- it was yummy! :) Caroline had a vegan cupcake I bought from Earth Fare and was thrilled to have a little treat. The cupcake actually tasted pretty good, considering it was milk and egg free.

Mindi and Samuel, with me and Caroline-she was a little wound up!

Caroline helped me blow out the candles

Thank you to everyone who helped make my birthday special! We leave tomorrow morning for our trip to Tennessee, where we will be until Tuesday. Then, we will travel to Arkansas for the rest of the week. I won't be blogging for a little while, but will have plenty to share once we return! Happy 4th of July!