Showing posts with label Kiley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kiley. Show all posts

Friday, June 27, 2014

Splash Park

This summer has been all but "normal."  We finished school extremely late (with PD days tacked onto the end...) and I'm pregnant.  I guess to be honest those are the only two things that are really different about this summer but it seems like our worlds are about to be turned upside down and my stress level is maxed out.  With that being said, we have been making an effort to "do something" with the twins almost everyday (for our sanity as well as theirs).  This is the first summer they can really walk/run and play and are beginning to enjoy things outside so we wanted it to be memorable.  

So far we have visited Coney Island, walked around the Cincinnati Zoo more than once, swam at the Swim Club and the YMCA, enjoyed pizza at Tower Park, visited my parents in Lexington, and we ventured into Ohio for a day to go to the Splash Park at Woodland Mounds.

The Splash Park was so far our favorite activity of the summer.  It brought the most smiles, giggles, was completely free (since the twins are under two), and brought on the longest nap of the summer!  We went with my mom, sister, Kiley, and Grayson.  We arrived just before they opened around 10:30 and played on the playground next to the Splash Park.  Macy and Johnny both love slides which there were plenty of on this particular playground.  They loved it and almost didn't want to go into the Splash Park because they loved the playground so much.  However, when they heard water they followed us in and when they saw the fountains and slides inside their faces lit up!

Nothing I can really say will do justice to the memories engrained in my heart from our summer so far; so I made a quick video of our day at the Splash Park.  Here it goes!

  

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Easter

Easter was beautiful.

Our church service was perfect.

The weather was amazing.

The babies were fun.

Family was all smiles.









Saturday, April 19, 2014

Easter Egg Hunt Extravaganza

We are entering the age where the twins are beginning to understand things that are going on around them.  One of my favorite things about this time in our lives is the "newness" of everything they do and see.  Macy plays tug-o-war with Scout and laughs so hard when she tries to pull the rope out of his mouth, succeeds, and he comes back for more.  Johnny has the biggest grin on his face when he sees or hears a truck and tells us what it is and then follows that by saying, "Vroom!" in what I like to call "boy fashion."  (What girl knows how to make car sounds at 20 months of age?!) It is amazing to me the things they know and the things they learn so quickly!

So we decided what better way to spend a Saturday than to take the babies (I am not going to be able to say that much longer...) to Tower Park and participate in the big Easter Egg Hunt.  It was technically their first "egg hunt" (aside from practicing in the back yard) and it went over just as we expected.

Macy absolutely LOVED it.  She is the cleaner/organizer of the two and she loves putting things "away."  Once she realized there were eggs on the ground and she was allowed to put them in her bucket she did just that until she collected so many eggs that her basket was completely full!  You could see the pure joy on her face.  She may have even gotten a little over zealous and looked for eggs in other kid's baskets to take for her own.  We had a little talk and she quickly got over it relishing in the fact that she could pull her eggs out of her basket and open them up to find these mini surprises (that she couldn't even really eat).




Johnny, on the other hand, was very interested in the trucks in the parking lot making noises near us.  While we were waiting for the hunt to begin John took him over to the trucks so he could see them.  As the countdown for the hunt began John quickly ran back over to the Easter egg hunt so that Johnny wouldn't miss anything...and boy was he mad.  He started crying and parked his fanny right in the middle of the grass refusing to pick up ANY eggs while he moaned, "trucks..." over and over.  It was a sight.  Eventually he leaned himself over five eggs in his near vicinity and stashed them into his bucket, but not without a continued frown.  We laughed over that moment and then as all kids do he got over it and ran through the grass while Macy continued moving her eggs from the grass to her bucket.



I could not ask for better memories of this day.  Every single thing my two kids did made my heart smile.  To make it even more of a great day (if that is possible) we rounded out the afternoon in our hammock eating ice cream in the backyard!  I even read a few chapters of my latest book obsession (The Antelope in the Living Room) while the babies napped.  I guess as John would say, "We're living the dream..."


I am looking forward to tomorrow, Easter Sunday, even more because that is when we truly celebrate Jesus and his death and resurrection.  My kids get to learn that it isn't about the Easter Bunny or about the Easter Egg Hunts, but instead about Jesus' sacrifice for us.  It is the first time I can begin to teach my two kids what Jesus did for them on the cross while enjoying the company of my entire family.  What more can I ask for?!
    

Sunday, June 17, 2012

My Favorite Niece

It seems unreal to me how fast little ones grow.  Kiley, my niece, was born February 14th and already I have witnessed her growin' like a weed!  The past couple of weekends I have been able to spend some good quality time with her and I have seen first hand how God blesses us with miracles and gives us time on Earth that must reflect some of the goodness we will find in heaven.  Just look at her!  I have included a few of my favorite pictures of our time together this past weekend.    


Kiley playing with all of her toys on her play mat


Kiley smiling at me and my camera


My horrible swaddle job...I'm practicing!


Looks comfy?!


This girl can sleep anywhere if the time is right!!  


Our favorite part of the night...looking in the mirror!

Friday, February 24, 2012

Kiley Ann Carroll

Valentine's Day was a special day for our family. Kiley Ann Carroll was born at 9:30 in the morning. She weighed 7 lbs. 4 oz. and was 19.5 inches long. She was beautiful!










Sunday, February 12, 2012

Waiting Patiently...

I am trying to wait patiently for my sweet little niece, but it is so hard to be patient when you are waiting for a new baby! Baby Carroll's due date is February 16th, but I have a feeling she will make an appearance before then (Valentine's Day is my prediction)!

I went to Lexington this weekend for a quick trip to see my parents, Philip, Kari, and Baby Carroll. I was hoping that she would go ahead and come Saturday so I could be there for the momentous occasion, but she must be comfortable because there was no sign of labor. I kept telling her we are ready for her but she just isn't making a move! My next post will most certainly be pictures of her entrance into the world! I can't wait to share that!!


 
Images by Freepik