The Mitchell Family

Toodie Ta!

2010-05-01T01:53:00.002-04:00

This year in 4-K Emmy's class theme for the year was nursery rhymes. Today they had a program at the school to demonstrate some things they learned. I was so impressed with all their costumes, they were so cute! This post is mostly for family as you may not want to see all the videos that Emmy is in, however, if you get a chance, please watch the first video. It is truly hilarious!

In this video, Emmy is a monkey with bangs hanging in her eyes. I zero in on her for most of it. Sorry in advance about the shaking. Some parts I couldn't stop laughing!

Emmy is the one with the dish and spoon costume and blue skirt on.

Stay tuned for the rest of the program if I could just get it uploaded!!!!

The Great Easter Egg Hunt....

2010-04-07T00:10:00.011-04:00

Our church has a big Easter Egg Hunt each year. The girls, of course, know exactly what to do, but it's always fun to see what the littlest one will do. This year it was Rhett's turn to train to be a good Easter Egg hunter. And with that, he decided that he could care less. He actually had a very good system...let all the other kids find the candy, and then steal from them. Well, it was the most efficient way to get candy...

This is the one Egg Rhett picked up.

Lydia ducks into the bushes for some eggs.

Emmy in a break out run to get the eggs.

We made cupcakes in an ice cream cone and Rhett loved them (truthfully, he loves all food).

Okay, here is a cute picture of Emmy and Rhett, until you notice Rhett scoping out Emmy's candy.

Here, Rhett decides which piece of candy he's going for and Emmy suddenly realizes that Rhett is not just sitting beside her for her company.

About the only picture I got of the girls looking towards the camera. Too many eggs to look for instead. Notice Emmy's look of contentment!

This was taken shortly after the hunt, Cinderella is pooped!

Happy Easter....Not So Happy Easter Pictures!

2010-04-03T20:51:00.007-04:00

Oh the torture of taking Easter pictures! Rhett is at the stage where he wants to go where he wants to go and that is that. And the girls are so tired of smiling by the time we get him to look at the camera that it's hard to get a good picture of any of them. So, here are a few of the ridiculous amount of pictures that I took. Oh, and it was not just in one day, let me assure you.

Peer Pressure At Five!

2010-03-30T12:43:00.005-04:00

I noticed when Emmy started going to school that she would come home and tell me that so and so had this or that and could she have this or that. It was the first time Emmy took notice of other people and what they were wearing or doing. And....so it begins...peer pressure. Emmy wears lipstick to school everyday because every other girl in her class does and therefore, so does Lydia. The list goes on and on, but the latest is hair and earrings. There is a little girl who goes to our church who is also in Emmy's class at school. This particularly cute little girl has short hair that is stacked in the back and short in the front as well as earrings. Well, Emmy has been begging me for weeks now to get her hair cut like the little girl and get earrings. Emmy and Lydia have both got their hair cut, and after going to church on Wednesday, we came to church on Sunday to see yet another little girl in the church now has her hair like the rest of them. It has become such a joke in our church that when Jim used it in a sermon illustration on Sunday, the crowd went wild. Anyway, this is what the finished product looks like. Earrings are still on the "to do" list.

Mr. Mischievous!

2010-03-28T16:45:00.008-04:00

Jim's mom has always told us that Jim didn't deserve the kids we have (Emmy and Lydia), for he was well known for his antics as a child. Well, though I don't think Rhett is to the level of Jim yet, he is close enough for me! I feel like he is a Tasmanian devil on a cartoon. He blows into a room and disaster follows where ever he goes!

Oh how Rhett loves to climb...EVERYTHING!

Emmy can't even get her homework done for Rhett climbing on her.

Markers....I hate markers! My kids love to body paint themselves by way of markers. Well, of course the girls left some markers unattended for a certain little brother to find. I was so glad to find out that he was a little artist. Look at his work on the table, and don't worry, he didn't miss himself.

Here he is modeling a bathrobe.

But how can you get mad at a face like this?

The Rhettster is the big 01

2010-03-03T14:57:00.015-05:00

February 26th was Rhett's first birthday, which we enjoyed spending in Charlotte with friends and family. It's hard to believe it's been a year, but I am so looking foward to getting to know Rhett's personality better as he grows.

Rhett started out the day with climbing in his sisters' stroller. Climbing, what a fun stage that is...

Later that night we went to watch Calvin's basketball game. Rhett loved it and watched most of the game.

This is Rhett on his first piece of cake...

This is Rhett's second piece of cake...

This is Rhett's third piece of cake, yes I said third...

And this is the finished product. His belly hardly fit in the chair after all that!

Where would a 1 year old be without his super hero pjs?

"Mommy, Can We Play Out In The No (Snow)?" -Lydia

2010-02-13T10:04:00.007-05:00

Well, surprise, surprise.....it snowed, and snow it did! We got at least 6 inches last night of wonderful powdered snow. The kids (Jim included) are still out there as I write traipsing around Smyrna. Here's a few pictures from this morning.

Jim decided to get the ski's out this morning and test them out while taking the girls for a ride.

I pulled Rhett around on the sled while he giggled and he even went sledding for the first time. This is the most I could get him to look up, he was too interested in the white stuff.

My Internet Strike Is Over...

2010-02-09T22:43:00.019-05:00

Yes, I know, it's been a long time. I get so frustrated at our internet for being slow. There's just not many options in the country. Ugg! Okay, so, I'll give a brief update on what's been going on. Emmy started 4 year old kindergarten this year at the elementary school and loves it. She celebrated her 5th birthday in December. Yes, I have a 5 year old, still can't get over that! Emmy has remained her sure and steady self, always knows what she wants and who she is and is so sweet.

Lydia, wow, I don't even know how to describe Lydia, the one word that comes to mind is firecracker! She turned 3 in January, but holds her own with Emmy. They act more like twins than being two years apart.

Then there's Rhett, who will be 1 on the 26th. Wow, from what I hear of his childhood, I have determined he is his father's son. Some might say he's Mini Jimmy. Their baby pictures are remarkably similar. That boy is into everything, you can tell where he's been because of the trail of mess that follows him. He took his first steps the other day, and I am truly scared, I can hardly keep up with him on his knees let alone his feet. He spends most of his day torturing his sisters by taking the toys they're playing with. My favorite however, was yesterday when Lydia fell asleep on the couch and he woke her up by biting her toes. Yum..I know.

Well, since I've missed half the year, here are some of the best pictures. I'll try to get over my internet snootiness and continue to update the blog.

These were taken in the Mountains this summer.

Yes, I took a giant pot outside and sat my near naked son in it. And, yes, it is the cutest picture ever!

This is right before Thanksgiving, and also right before Emmy decided to cut herself some bangs...I do not wish to relive that day!

These next few pictures are from one of my closet friend's wedding. I was the matron of honor, the girls where the flower girls, and my dad officiated the wedding. All in all, it was such a special wedding, and thankfully, also before Emmy cut herself some bangs!

This is Rhett just before Christmas.

Well, this is the best picture I could get in their Christmas outfits. Boo Hiss!

"Chickens Don't Have Hands And Dingers (Fingers)!"

2009-07-26T09:26:00.009-04:00

I really haven't posted any funny stories recently because by the time I get to the computer, I've forgotten them all. So here's a few that I took pictures of.

Lydia: Mommy, there's been a (fingers held up symbolizing little and in a high pitched voice) little accident.
Crystal (thinking the worst possible scenario. Emmy has already broken the coffee table by shattering the glass inspiring us to get a new one) What happened Lydia?
Lydia: Follow me.
Okay, it could be a lost worse, it's just goldfish on the bathroom floor, what they were doing there, I don't know. And don't worry...all goldfish were thrown in the trash after this event.

Yesterday I told Emmy she needed to eat the rest of her sandwich if she wanted a piece of candy. She did, or so I thought. The whole time she was throwing it under the table. The little stink, she won that time, but never again!

This morning Lydia was looking at my rooster place mats...
Lydia: Look at the big chicken.
Crystal: I see, that's a daddy chicken, it's called a rooster.
Lydia: What's a baby chicken called?
Crystal: A chick, and a mommy chicken is called a hen.
Lydia: Mommy, chickens don't have hands and dingers (fingers)!
Yes, her accent is so country, that she equates hens with hands. I couldn't convince her otherwise.

Rhett's five months old today!

Our Little Gymnast

2009-07-21T22:09:00.005-04:00

Just Because...

2009-07-14T14:29:00.002-04:00

Happy Independence Day!

2009-07-04T11:00:00.002-04:00

Because I Took So Many Pictures...

2009-07-03T16:54:00.012-04:00

2009-07-01T09:45:00.013-04:00

You would think that after a full day at the beach, you would crash in your bed until the next day, but for some reason, we always have plenty of energy for extracorricular activities. There must be something in the air (the fish smelling air that is) that makes you high on vacation and sends some extra adrenaline pumping through the veins.

The girls on a pier near our hotel. The people that were fishing were catching baby sharks everywhere. Hmm....that will make you feel safe in the ocean!

Bowling

Rhett with Jim's grandmother.

Lydia was too tired to bowl.

Emmy did a great job!

We went to Broadway at the beach to ride some kiddie rides. The girls had so much fun.

Emmy has been talking about this ride since she did it last year. It's one of those things that makes you jump real high. This year, Lydia got to do it too!

I'm including this story, because I believe the girls learned the following language from a certain uncle and future aunt. They will remain nameless because I can't prove it at this time. This conversation took place in my kitchen a few days ago. Lydia and Emmy were fighting over a toy and finally Lydia came up with this:
Lydia: Emmy! I'm gonna mack you!
Crystal: (Mack, I've never heard that word before, I wonder what she means, wait, does she mean smack?!?)
Emmy: (holding hand up) Shut It Lydia! Just Shut It!!
Crystal: (dazed and confused, yet trying to keep a stern face while figuring out what to say to this new form of communication.) Girls, that's not nice to say to each other! (yep, that's all I could come up with before turning around and laughing.)

Amazingly, I still have more pictures to post.

A Bucket Of Ocean

2009-06-28T11:30:00.003-04:00

Oh the wonders of the beach, a provider of endless entertainment, I would say relaxation as well, but who are we kidding with three kids? Jim's grandparents provided a wonderful vacation for us and we are so thankful. We'd also like to thank all of the family for all the help with our crazy children!

I wanted to show a comparison of our two girls. This is Emmy and Lydia at age two at the beach. It's amazing how the gene pool works, they don't look too much alike do they?

Emmy 2007

Lydia 2009

Here's Rhett, being three months old, he seemed pretty unimpressed with the whole beach thing. However, he sure looked cool being unimpressed.

Lydia said so many funny things when we were down at the beach. I wish I could remember them all! Lydia was afraid of the water for the first half of the week, but loved playing in the sand under the umbrella.
Crystal: Let's go to the beach!
Lydia: I don't like the beach, let's go to the sand.
Crystal: Lydia when you say you're going to the beach, it means you're going to the sand.
Lydia: No Mommy, It's not the same, let's go to the sand!
Crystal: (too tired to argue with a two year old.)

Aunt Kate: Lydia, would you like some water in your bucket?
Lydia: No, I'd like a bucket of Ocean.

Emmy was a beach addict (as everyone should be), one of her favorite things to do was have her Aunt Emily catch fish for her bucket. Look how big my little girl has gotten!

More to come!

What Sleep At The Beach Looks Like

2009-06-23T10:52:00.005-04:00

Here's a small glimpse of our beach trip.

When sisters steal all the toys, what's a girl to do?

When Jim watches Rhett.

A Meeting Of The Minds

2009-06-22T14:07:00.014-04:00

Two weeks ago we got go to the mountains for the annual "meeting of the minds" where all the pastors in our denomination get together and make big decisions, and all the wives enjoy each others company will running like crazy people after their kids. This is one of my favorite times of the year where we get together with old friends and their families. While Jim was on a break, we went for a little hike on Glassy Mountain, home to Carl Sanburg, a famous poet. And yes, Rhett went with us as well, even though we don't have the pictures to prove it.

Just so you know we didn't leave him at home.

The girls eating yogurt on the porch of our hotel room.

Is love in the air? As parents you are always hoping that your children will marry someone wonderful. I would be happy with any of the children we hung out with. However, these children were the most photogenic, so for now, we will go with them.

This is Spencer Sims and Lydia, and this is how I found them when I decided to grab the camera.

Peter Sims and Emmy, they couldn't let their younger siblings get all the attention.

Let's just say that we will keep these photos for the rehearsal dinners, just in case!

Before And After

2009-06-07T17:28:00.006-04:00

Before Jim turned on the shop vac.

After Jim turned on the shop vac.

Before Rhett was sleepy.

After Rhett was sleepy.

"Let's Start Over"

2009-06-04T22:01:00.005-04:00

Emmy: (holding out an empty bowl which used to have strawberries in it) More.

Crystal: (giving the look of shock and awe as I have been over this so many times with her)
Emmy: (coming to the realization of her mistake) Mommy, let's start over...Mommy, can I have some more strawberries PLEASE!
Crystal: (trying to keep the shock and awe look, but loosing it into an uproar as I get the strawberries)

My dad's looks were always so much scarier than his words. I've learned from the best!

While feeding Rhett, Lydia came for her usual; distract Rhett while he's eating and take away as much Mommy time away from little brother as possible.
Lydia: I've got a big eww yuck (what Jim used to yell as he changed poopy diapers has now become their name).
Crystal: Go tell Daddy (oh how I love the excuse of feeding Rhett).
Lydia: No, you can change my eww yuck when you're done with Rhett. I'll wait.
Crystal: (completely bummed).

Here's one of Rhett just for fun.

Cats...!

Sigh

2009-05-27T19:02:00.003-04:00

It could have been a lot worst. At least they took off their clothes! They asked us for all the supplies except one. We thought we knew what they were doing. Surprise, Surprise...*sigh*

"I'd Like A Side Of Heart Attack With That!"

2009-05-21T15:11:00.010-04:00

My wonderful husband loves to cook. Unfortunately, it's rarely on any diet plan. Yesterday Jim made banana bread for the pure purpose of making french toast banana bread this morning (yeah, I know, pack on the calories). He decided a good side item would be bacon. While eating the deadly, but delicious meal, he asked if I would be interested in meat loaf wrapped in bacon tonight. Who wouldn't be interested in that?!? He also reported that one of the members of the church invited the girls to come over and pick collard greens (finally, something healthy from him), then he said he wanted to make them with bacon. Yes sir, may I have another blood clot please?

For those of you none country savy people, the girls are holding collard greens.

I've decided that females must have an observation gene that males miss out on. Having never expressed my personal opinion, Emmy had this to say "Boys are stinky!" Amen Sister!

Here's the stinky boy.

This week we went hiking again. On the trail we picked, there are 385 stairs to climb. The girls love going up. However, Lydia prefers to fly down. She does this by holding your hand and suspending herself in the air as she glides down the stairs. So, of course, this forces the hand holder to go faster.
Crystal: Lydia, you have to slow down!
Lydia: I am going slow, faster.
Hmm... can't argue with that.

"Is Heaven Coming To My House?"

2009-05-06T09:33:00.003-04:00

Last night while tucking the girls into bed, Heaven was the topic of the night. Emmy has an amazing understanding of Heaven and Jesus dying for us. Lydia is usually in lala land, but last night while kissing her on the forehead she said "Is Heaven coming to my house?" Of course, I did my best to clear this up. I know right now my mother is thinking of a famous quote from when I was 5. After months of talking about moving to Mississippi, we finally were on our way. Hours and hours into the trip, I blurted out, "When are we going to get to Mrs. Sippi's house?!?"

Here is Lydia and Rhett in their Lady Bug Tent.

Jim's dad came to visit this weekend.

So, this is a picture of Emmy (Lydia demanded to be in it as well) on Sunday night after church. I'm sure it's hard to see in the picture, but she has mud and dirt everywhere. She was under the tree house at the church and one of the kids accidentally dumped their glass of tea all over her. I thought to myself, only in the country would a child get so dirty at church!

The quote of the week has to go to Emmy this week. You have to know Jim at the grocery store first. I would assume that most men just want to get out of there asap. But not my husband, he wants to look, no study, every item in the store. It can be so painful sometimes!!!! So, while pushing the cart and going super slow, trying to wait for Jim who had gotten behind, once again, we heard Jim's famous sneeze (obnoxiously loud!). He was just on the other side of the isle. Emmy, then blurts out: "Come on Dad, PICK UP THE PACE!" We all died laughing, everyone in both isles. And of course, I couldn't agree more!

This is Emmy after playing in the rain.

The Ultimate Tattle Teller!

2009-04-30T08:56:00.009-04:00

Poor Jim just couldn't catch a break and is the subject of the girls quotes this week. Rhett, however didn't have much to say about him, but if he could talk, maybe he'd say something like this....

"mmm....I love the smell of armpits!"

"Yeah, do you see what my tee shirt says?... "All Star", Rock Star works too".

While waiting in the car after church for Jim in a meeting, Emmy grew impatient...
Emmy:I'm hungry.
Crystal: I am too, we'll be eating soon.
Emmy: Daddy needs to stop preaching already!
Crystal: Umm Emmy, Daddy is in a meeting, he's already done preaching.

First let me set up the picture below. This would not be one of Jim's better judgement calls. After walking into the house, Jim absentmindedly put Rhett down at the first available place, the girls stroller. This would not be my idea of the place to put a baby down, but hey, what goes through a male's brain is beyond my comprehension. While I gave Jim a blank look of "what are you doing with our son?", Lydia seized the opportunity to take a live baby for a stroll and took off. At which point, Jim's brain began to work properly and ran after Lydia trying to stop her. When he succeeded, I took this picture and Rhett was promptly removed, without harm.

Lydia has become charismatic in her praying and loves to interject into our prayers as she sees fit. This was a recent interjection that took place at bedtime.
Crystal: (Praying for a list of things on one of the girls beds.)
Lydia (sitting at the edge of the bed, head bowed, thinks of something to pray for): And Daddy SPANKED ME!, and he did this (waving hands in the air) and then this (some other hand motion) (I later found out Jim tossed her in the air and it scared her) and hmmmp (an aggravated sigh) AMEN!
Hey, when you don't like management, you complain to upper management.

A Redneck's Beach

2009-04-26T11:59:00.005-04:00

You may be wondering what that beautiful rusted drum in the back ground is, that would be where our heating oil is stored. I call it "The Fusal Lodge." Need I say anymore?

Where Eagles Soar

2009-04-21T20:54:00.002-04:00

Yesterday we went for a Hike up a mountain nearby. The Hike we chose to do is 2 miles straight up and took us 4 hours with the girls. They each hiked it completely on their own with no help, except for the occasional large rock. When we got to the top, there were Eagles gliding on the wind all around us (they are known to have nests up there). You could even see the long line of Appalachian mountains in the distance. It was so beautiful, and we had so much fun. Looking down below us on God's creation is always amazing!

Rhett's idea of hiking.

Caterpillars, Rhett's New Trick, And Baseball!

2009-04-19T17:16:00.014-04:00

Caterpillars have another predator, kids, mine in particular! Emmy and Lydia have spent hours this week loving, collecting, and sometimes squishing caterpillars they have found in the yard. This new hobby has also resulted in a ridiculous amount of baths this week. But hey, its worth the hours of entertainment.

We told Lydia to run along and hop in the bathtub after playing outside all day (I know they look clean in the pictures above, but that was the start of the day, not the ending). When we got to the bathroom, this is what we found.

While in the car last week, a conversation took place between Emmy and Lydia that went as follows:
Lydia: (Singing very loudly, an original song by Lydia)
Emmy:(Muttering something we can't really hear)
Lydia: (Continuing to sing, this time louder and with more passion)
Emmy: (in a very comanding voice) Lydia, Lid-de-a! You're singing too loud. I can't hear myself talk! You're frustrating me!!!
Jim and I looked at each other knowing that sums up our Emmy, she likes to hear herself talk.

I had just gotten Rhett to fall asleep for a nap (not always an easy task), when the girls came running into the room. Rhett started to grunt.
Crystal: Girls out, Out, OUT!
Lydia: (Annoyed) I'm outing, I'm outing!

Our little Rhett has started to smile (and not just at gas), and it is so rewarding.

This is a presmiling picture...

In this picture he's not smiling because his mommy forced him to sit in a purple bumbo and he feels like less of a man. (He told me so)

This weekend we had the pleasure (with the exception of the hot sun beating down on us) of going to one of Calvin's baseball games. It was a lot of fun and Calvin played very well.

Calvin's at bat.

Calvin running home.

And finally, this is Calvin pitching. Several kids struck out. Great job Cal!

"Give Unto The Lord, The Glory Due His Name."

2009-04-14T17:36:00.010-04:00

I feel I should preface this clip with the following: The kids at church on Easter morning were supposed to memorize a verse and then say (that being the key word) the verse in front of the congregation. Emmy had a little something different planned. Who new?

So, of course I ended the video a split second too soon when she leaned into the microphone once again (very proud of herself) and said "funny huh?!?"

Here are some Easter pictures from the past few years:

Easter 2005 (Emmy)

I couldn't leave this one out, that's our cat, Dutches (poor cat!).

Hmm... I seem to be missing a year. This is Easter 2007

Lydia

Easter 2008

Introducing......Easter 2009

Since I haven't been able to get good pictures of Emmy looking at the camera...

Rhett just wants to know when he can eat next!

We've renamed him Chunky Monkey Mitchell.

Happy Easter Everyone!

Look What The Stork Brought Home!

2009-04-11T10:08:00.004-04:00

Recently we've been going to a really neat restaurant in Shelby, that one day a week has wonderful kids specials, and (the most important thing of all) "The Balloon Lady!" "The Balloon Lady" can make anything, at least Jim and I haven't found anything she can't make yet. She even made Marilyn Monroe for a table next to us. Trust me, it was atomically accurate! Anyway, this is what she made for Rhett, we were pretty impressed....

This may be hard to see, but that's supposed to be a baby in the basket.

Balancing Life Can Be Hard.....

2009-04-09T20:54:00.003-04:00

Balancing a spoon on your nose, now that's a different story.

Rhett's 1 Month Old!

2009-03-27T11:06:00.018-04:00

Rhett's the big 1 month old. Not much has changed from when he was born. He still wants to eat every 2-3 hours. He's still not sleeping through the night, and I'm still a little neurotic because of it! He is, however, the biggest child I've ever had and he's about to grow out of 0-3 clothes. He's a boy I guess. Here's the latest pictures of him...

Last week we went for a small hike, the girls love to hike, as well as Jim. We had lots of fun!

Emmy's quote of the week this week is:
Emmy: "Mommy, can we go play outside, because Spring has finally Sprung!"

This is Lydia so proud of her flip flops that are way too big for her. She's been very thankful lately, especially for one particular thing...
Jim (praying): Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for our food
Lydia: And Monkey Joes! (the place we took her for her birthday)
Jim: And thank you for our family.
Lydia: And Monkey Joes!
Jim: Thank you for ........
Lydia And Monkey Joes!
Jim: And thank you for Monkey Joes
This happens every prayer now!

"Mommy, I'm Not A Guppy!"

2009-03-16T19:57:00.011-04:00

This week we went to the park during the beautiful weather we had. The girls are so stir crazy from all the cold weather and it was so good to get out. Of course, now it's cold and rainy, and we're back to cabin fever. The girls however, have been entertaining us with their personalities and Jim always tells me that I need to put their little quotes on my blog, so this is Lydia's quote of the day:

"Mommy, I'm not a guppy!" Little Mermaid?

Recently we went to a store in the mall, and since Emmy has never met a stranger, she told the sales associate the usual name and age stuff "Hi my name is Emmy, I'm four, and this is my little sister Lydia, she's 2" Then she went onto say this: "My dad is the Master of the Smyrna ARP church!" Hmmm...Master, Pastor.....

At another park, the girls were introducing themselves to other kids.
Emmy: "Hi, my name is Emmy and I'm 4."
Lydia: "Hi, my name is Me and I'm 2."

The day after we went to the park, Emmy woke up the next morning, of course it was cold and wet, and told Jim: "Daddy, I just checked the weather for today and it is going to be a perfect day for going to the park, a mixture of hot air and cold air." Wishful thinking on her part!

Well, can't say I have a quote for Rhett, unless you include crying. We've had a great second week with him. This week he:

Relaxed in the rocking chair.

Relaxed on a pillow.

Relaxed while he looked in the mirror.

Relaxed after a hard day!

There's One, And There's More Than One.

2009-03-08T18:09:00.009-04:00

Have you ever heard that saying before? It's about kids of course, and I have to say, I agree. The transition from Emmy, to Emmy and Lydia, was really heard learning how to juggle more than one. But I guess once you get used to the chaos, there's no problem with throwing one more into the mix. The first week has gone really well with Rhett, he's been a great baby. And of course, we can't imagine our lives without him now.

Here he is with Emmy relaxing on the couch. Notice his pretty hue, he's still jaundiced.

Speaking of Emmy, here is a picture she drew of me.

She then went on to draw a picture of our family. You may notice the circles in the middle of the two biggest people, that would be a picture of my big stomach. She then went onto draw a circle in for Jim's stomach too, he didn't take that too well.

Relaxing on Dad

Relaxing in the swing.

Relaxing in the bassinet. He does a lot of relaxing.

Well, I had a whole load of pictures to put on here, but those will have to wait since my country internet doesn't want to post anymore pictures! Ugggggg

"Baby Rhett Popped Out!"

2009-03-02T16:53:00.013-05:00

At least that what Emmy and Lydia are telling everyone. Everette James was born on February 26th at 6:31 pm. He weighed 8lbs 1oz and is 20 inches long. Here's a few pictures to tide you over for now.

Happy Belated Birthday to Lydia!

2009-03-02T16:40:00.003-05:00

On January 16th, Lydia turned two! Sadly, over a month later and I still haven't posted it. We had so much fun as we went to Monkey Joes to spend the day with family and friends.

My Little Fashionistas

2009-01-15T20:08:00.009-05:00

The girls have begun to express themselves very creatively recently. I will not be one of those moms who is very patient and lets their child out in whatever suits their child at the moment. However, I have no problem with them experimenting inside the confines of our house. This morning, Emmy decided she wanted to go to the church with Jim, so she went into her dresser (or what she thought was her's, it was actually Lydia's), and picked out an outfit.

This one is definitely my favorite so far!

If you can't notice, yes, those are even Lydia's pants, but hey, they match the fur on top of her boots!

Lydia prefers the less is more look, here she has taken off all her clothes and substituted gloves and Daddy's dirty socks instead.

Again, less is more, here she emphasizes foot wear.

The silver bullet (named by Ryan Greene) also sported a new fashion this week as a tree fell on in while high winds blew over our area.

The tree is off now and the car is fine. It just won't die!

Priceless!

2009-01-13T10:19:00.001-05:00

Last night as we were riding through one of the small towns around here, Jim, in his dorkiness was pointing out the landmarks of the town. Really, churches are the only thing around and Emmy likes to know what their names are. After naming the church we go to, we came upon another church. Jim said, "Look Emmy, there is the Hickory Grove Church of God." Emmy immediately piped up "GOD!...does he go there?" Priceless!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

2009-01-11T10:14:00.014-05:00

I don't know where to even start! This was the craziest Christmas ever! We had three places to be on Christmas day and two cities to be in. I don't mind a packed Christmas, but when you have a child that gets car sick, you realize you have a problem. Poor Emmy threw up every time we had to drive somewhere. By the end of the day, her stomach needed to recover and she ended up being sick at Oma's house the whole time we opened presents. Therefore, we don't have a lot of beautiful pictures, the day was a whirlwind. Here's what we do have.

Jim's brother Bill on Christmas Eve in the girls new princess tent.

Emmy and Jim's dad launching a rocket.

The house that will not fit in our van!

Emmy talking on the phone in their new house.

Lydia showing off her new skills.

For all of you wondering what Calvin is looking like these days.

The girls in their Christmas dresses.

And of course, the Christmas card picture.

Happy Birthday Emmy!

2008-12-23T23:50:00.003-05:00

Here's our 4 year old! Can you believe it?!? Emmy turned 4 on December 22nd. Poor girl, having her birthday so close to Christmas!

This is Emmy on her Birthday last year....3 years old.

She's done a lot of growing this year, and we can't wait to see what a new year brings.

Just Because.....

2008-11-06T16:18:00.004-05:00

Happy Reformation Day!

2008-11-01T10:07:00.007-04:00

To celebrate Reformation Day, we had a festival at our church. Emmy was a ballerina and Lydia was a bee. They had such a good time and now we have way too much candy in the house!

The Zoo

2008-10-29T19:48:00.007-04:00

Last week we went to the Columbia Zoo and enjoyed it very much. I think the girls were most enthralled with the fish. What's your impression?

A Short Story About Emmy

2008-10-04T09:56:00.004-04:00

Yesterday we were in the car (Emmy, Lydia, and myself), waiting for Jim to get out of Office Depot. Lydia was already sleeping and Emmy was complaining about the wait (can't say that I blame her). I told Emmy that if she wanted, she could take a nap. Emmy paused for a few seconds and said "Mom...I've thought about it, and I'm not going to take a nap." I'm glad she takes time to think the important things through.

Third Time's A Charm!

2008-09-27T19:48:00.010-04:00

Many have been skeptical as to whether Jim was capable, however, he has come through. An heir has been produced and his name is "Bubba"! No....we have no name for him yet and are officially accepting name donations! I am four and a half months pregnant and am due March 3rd. For those of you who care(I wouldn't admitt it if you did), that is square root day, 3/3/09. Emmy is particularly excited. When I was two months pregnant (Emmy did not know yet), she spent the weekend with Jim's mom. At church that Sunday, she told the pastor during the children's sermon that she was going to have a baby brother. This of course, then prompted Jim's mom to ask us if I was pregnant at which point I was busted. Emmy has continued to hope for a baby brother and was so glad to hear the news this week. Lydia doesn't understand yet, but she loves babies and I'm sure she'll be very excited when "Bubba" comes. Everything looks great so far with the baby, please pray that he will continue to develope and be heathly.

In other news, we've had a very busy summer and now fall. We went to the beach twice and the mountains twice and of course, in the midst of that, my camera broke, so we really don't have a lot of summer pictures. We also went out on Lake Wyle were we had so much fun with some friends who took us out on their boat. Michelle went on the tube with the girls becuase Jim had a broken wrist (another highlitht of the summer) and I was pregnant. Here are a few pictures from this summer.

Worms, Worms, and More Worms!

2008-04-19T21:09:00.008-04:00

Did I mention I was a city girl? I have found a new hobby outside. In our area there are beautiful large white rocks, most of which have gold of some amount in them. The ground is very unique and attracts lighting (another story all together.) Here is some Smyrna trivia: the largest nugget of gold ever found on the east coast was found here in Smyrna. So.....I decided to place these large rocks around my garden. It's like a treasure hunt finding these things, because you see one sticking out of the ground and you think, "That won't be big," then you dig up a 50 pound rock! Under these rocks of course, are worms. Emmy, who hates bugs, loves worms, who knew? She names them, cuddles them, baby talks them, and builds them houses. Could a worm have it any better? Here are some pictures of our recent days:

That's a worm hanging out of her right hand if you can't tell.

Some packing peanuts fell out into our shed, so we gave the girls the task of putting them into a trash bag. Emmy did a great job, Lydia however, liked breaking them into pieces. You win some, and you loose some.

After the "peanut pickup."

Yep, we're in the lawn big leagues...non of those sissy push lawn mowers!

Emmy on one of those bouncy ball things.

Thanks Aunt Joanne for these sweet dresses!

Rainy and Cold (Our Spring Break Happenings)

2008-04-06T17:57:00.013-04:00

Rainy and Cold, at least one of them (and usually both) describes our vacations to the beach and mountains. Although the weather was unfortunate, and quickly became beautiful after we left each place, the company was wonderful. First we went to the beach with Grandma and Papa (Jim's mom and stepdad.) Even though it was freezing cold, rainy, and windy, we still found a day to play on the beach. Emmy and Papa are cohorts in crime, and sandcastle experts. Lydia, however, takes after her father, who is not too fond of getting dirty or wet. Hmm.... I'm a little scared for our summer beach vacations!

The girls waiting anxiously the morning after we arrived to go to the beach.
High hopes for Lydia at this point.

Grandma and Lydia taking a stroll.

Papa and Emmy retrieving water for their sandcastle.

The start of the sandcastle.

Well, at least the shovel is touching the sand. Baby steps, right?!?

Not too many options on the seashell front.

And of course, beautiful weather the day we came home from the beach.

The day after we came home from the beach, we headed to the mountains to celebrate Granddaddy's (Jim's dad) 60th birthday. We were only there one night, and of course, it was rainy and cold. However, we found ways to entertain ourselves.

Hanging out with Jim's extended family.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDDADDY!

Maybe she'll be a ski bunny...

Thank you to Janet (Jim's cousin) for entertaining Emmy!

Happy Valentine's - Easter

2008-03-30T16:36:00.018-04:00

Sadly, since Valentine's day, we have had internet trouble and I have not had the patience to post anything on the blog. So, here is a run down of the past 6 weeks.

This is a picture taken Valentine's day weekend, the day before Jim, I, and Calvin went skiing.

For those of you curious what Calvin looks like, well, here is a masked Calvin.

Here is Calvin and his friends from our church who also went skiing.

Well, this one I couldn't resist, because it's Lydia's first picture with her tongue sticking out. Aren't you glad you could be a part of it?

Which brings us to our church Easter Egg Hunt!

Although, all the kids loved looking for eggs, I think their favorite thing was jumping into a pile of leaves left by the cemetery wall. Here are some of the kids jumping off the wall together. Emmy somehow found herself in the middle.

These are last years Easter Pictures.

You didn't expect me to get two of them looking at the camera at the same time did you?
Here is Lydia.

And Emmy.

I hope you all had a very Happy Easter!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2008-02-16T17:07:00.007-05:00

Jim and I spent the most wonderful, romantic, lovely weekend together......NOT! We did however, have a great time with my mom and Calvin who came to visit. Here are a few pictures from the day.

Computer Woes

2008-02-13T12:55:00.010-05:00

Well, you may have noticed that I haven't posted in a while, that would be because our computer crashed. Finally, we are up and running again, and Jim even built this computer. Yeah, guess I married a dork after all. So, now that I'm back in modern times, here are some pictures to get you caught up.

Emmy on a cold day.

Lydia sitting at Emmy's table coloring. She's getting so big!

Emmy looking like she's going to run away from home.

Lydia right before church. You always take pictures before church because who knows what they'll look like after. For instance, the road rash on her nose is a product of after church happenings.

Emmy requested to take a picture of her tongue sticking out, it's her favorite pose these days.

Outfits courtesy of Oma. Thanks Oma!

Silly girl!

Well, she went from sitting at the table, to sitting on the table. She figured this little trick out today. I'm thrilled...

Happy Birthday To Me......I Get All New Makeup.

2008-01-16T21:47:00.000-05:00

And this is why:

While typing up Lydia's birthday post, my wonderful daughter Emmy was supposedly watching Little Bear in my bed. When I went to check on her, she was under the covers and wouldn't come out.

I knew something was up, so I grabbed the camera,
this is when I pulled back the covers. This is what I saw:

My bed was caught in the crossfire.

Umm, yeah.

Personally, I think she's going for the battered wife look.

Happy First Birthday Lydia!

2008-01-16T20:11:00.000-05:00

Today Lydia turned one! It has been a wonderful year with her and we are so excited to see what this next year holds. Here are a few pictures we took today:

Lydia and Emmy are sitting in Lydia's big present. Lots of balls
mean lots of fun (especially for mommy to pick up!).

Lydia loves Emmy's ABC frig toy, so we got her one with animals.

This was a video, but I decided not to torture everyone with our singing.

Lydia mischievously eating cake.

Emmy.

And this is something I have decided I'm going to patent. It tires out the child who has too much energy while simultaneously entertaining both children. I wish I had taken the video when Emmy was going really fast and whipping Lydia around the corners. Unfortunately, by the time I got back, she was tired.

"Satan Lives At The Preachers House!"

2008-01-12T20:16:00.000-05:00

Hahaha! I wish I could see the look on your faces! Believe it or not, this was something I was told this week. Thankfully, it was not pertaining to my children! Although, sometimes, I would beg to differ. This week we had to take the cats to the vet, and we are so happy to have one of the members be our vet. Although she is wonderful, one of our cats does not fancy seeing her. The cat actually screams the whole time. To make a long story short, it took many employees and our vet to give the cat shots which is when this comment was made by one of the employees. I would wager that this comment will follow me to church tomorrow.

On a more positive note, here are some pictures of my "angels".

One of Lydia's favorite things to do in the house is sit on pillows, don't ask me why.

Emmy of course, can't stand Lydia getting attention,
so wanted to take a picture of us afterward.

It was a race to the park....

Emmy won.

Pictures from the park.

A side note about Lydia... She loves to eat! She's almost like our dog
in that anything not eaten, Lydia will gladly eat it.
When Lydia is ready to eat, you better have something prepared,
or there will be screaming until she is fed. Anyway, here she is eating a cracker.

And finally, we made banana pudding for church tomorrow, and the girls enjoyed licking the bowl. You will see Lydia get frustrated with Emmy, for the above noted reason.

I Finally Gave In....

2008-01-09T23:04:00.001-05:00

I have resisted temptation and fought off peer pressure long enough. Yes, there are some (Meredith) who rooted for my demise. It was never my wish to become "a blogger", and I certainly never want to have to join bloggers anonymous due to addiction. With that said......here is my blog, where I can put up pictures of my children in hopes that you will ooo and ahh over them. And hopefully, let you in on my now country bumpkin life. So, keep your mouse inside the margins at all times and rest your hand for fear of carpel tunnel syndrome. Please enjoy the ride. (Just to be clear, my original post was much funnier, unfortunately, it became a casualty of my inexperience.)

Let me get you caught up on Christmas. We prefer to call it "Mitchell Hanukkah" due to the daily opening of presents. With all the family we have, it is nonstop fun. Needless to say, we were exhausted when it was all said and done. Here are a few highlights:

Do you know how hard it is to get two kids to smile at the same time?!?
This is our token Christmas card picture.

Lydia who is now walking and follows Emmy everywhere.

Did I mention she's three?

The things parents do to their children...

Jim is haunted by the fact that Emmy loves horses.
(this is one of his sister's horses)

These two miniature donkeys are owned by Jim's extended family.
They both followed Emmy around the pen and came around her as I took this picture.

There is more to come. I don't want to be over zealous for my first post....ha!