Watch Kelly

The Merriest Christmas

2012-01-14T21:46:00.013-05:00

Getting ready for Christmas was the BEST! I am so glad we spent every day in December celebrating the holiday because as predicted, the baby arrived a week early on Christmas morning.

Last preggo picture-3 days before delivery

Christmas Eve

He came!

We had just enough time to wake the kids and open stockings before heading to the hospital!

Merry Christmas to us!

The best Christmas gift of all!
Halle Noel
December 25, 2011
9:44 am
6 lbs, 7 oz and 19"

It's the most WONDERFUL time of the year!

2011-12-12T22:10:00.004-05:00

I wish we could have a tree in the living room year-round!

The kids playing "Polar Express"

We are in full fledged HOLIDAY mode at the Stephens house! With D-Day rapidly approaching, we have already decked the halls like possessed elves, baked our way into a few food comas and even found time to carve out a corner for baby. I can't really tell what the kids are more excited for: presents on Christmas or bringing home the "new" baby. I think they are mostly enjoying all the treats around the house (no smell reminds me more of Christmas than chex mix-so I have been whipping it up by the pounds)! We have been busy crafting our way through the advent calendar and can't believe how quickly the month is flying by! Early this month Adam received GREAT news when word came that he passed the second and final part of the National Dental Boards! Woo-hoo! He completed his FINAL final last week and now with just five months to go, he is preparing for the state licensure exams. I can hardly believe how far we've come and how close we are!

I'm Spiderman! Meow!

2011-10-31T22:55:00.005-04:00

Despite the soggy evening, Halloween 2011 was a success!
Things I will forever remember:
Jack holding Isla's hand while he explained the "Rules of Halloween" to her.
Isla's little legs and sparkly shoes dashing from door to door as she exclaimed, "I LOVE TRICK OR TREATING!"

Bye Bye Summer...Welcome Fall!

2011-09-25T15:10:00.004-04:00

After an EXTREMELY HOT summer-we eagerly welcome fall. Adam is FINALLY home from rotations and in his FINAL year of Dental School (woo-hoo)! Jack is having fun learning his letters at preschool, while Isla and I stay busy coming up with all kinds of yummy concoctions made from pumpkin puree... We've cheered on the Tar Heels during this, our final fall of Carolina football, chosen Halloween costumes, (I know-I've given them entirely too much time to change their minds AT LEAST a hundred times) and celebrated the first of many birthdays this fall (we love you Ellen)!

Beach Bums

2011-08-23T15:26:00.010-04:00

Another AMAZING trip to the beautiful Carolina Coast! After an extremely hectic summer (the hottest on record and Adam away on rotations) a nice, relaxing trip to the beach was just what the Dr, er-Dentist ordered! We LOVE Emerald Isle and hope that Hurricane Irene decides on a different route this weekend! Please keep your fingers crossed!

Number three...

2011-08-02T10:39:00.000-04:00

2011-07-21T10:02:00.007-04:00

We are a little over half way through summer and boy have we had FUN! Adam has been away on his rotations for all but a few weeks so the kids and I have stayed busy (and cool) by swimming, hiding out at the movie theater and eating TONS of ice cream! We've dressed up like "mom", cheered on the Durham Bulls, strolled in the Apex 4th of July parade (Adam and the kids were even on the local news) and wasted many an afternoon at the museum. I am running out of things to do!

2011-07-20T09:33:00.001-04:00

I can hardly believe how long it has been! My dad reminded me that keeping up with this website is important (at least to him) so here I am in an attempt to catch up. The last few months have flown by! To celebrate Easter we took the kids to the annual Horace House Egg hunt. The day took a major turn for the worse when terrible news from California made its way to me. My dear friend's three year old son passed away and so I found myself on a plane bound for CA that afternoon. Adam happened to be on a two break from school so the kids stayed with him in NC. Two weeks later I was back in NC heartbroken and exhausted. Returning to NC was no easy task. My parents and I made the CRAZY decision to "road trip" me back to NC. This trip would normally take 4 days-but with my parents it took FOREVER! I actually had to take a flight from Little Rock, AK so that I would be back in Chapel Hill in time for Adam to start clinic. A few days later my parents arrived. This whole experience made me realize just how far North Carolina is from California....

2011-07-19T09:54:00.000-04:00

Two weeks away from the kids is too long! I flew into NC on Mother's Day and it was wonderful to spend the day with my babies. And speaking of babies... 12/31/2011!

Even Stephens

2011-03-28T11:35:00.005-04:00

Four and two are going to be great! We celebrated the kid's birthday with good friends, a made-from-scratch cake (delicious btw) and brand new scooters! I was so excited to find a gift idea that could accommodate the age range I was working with this year (since one child always wants what the other has). The scooters were a HUGE hit! Now if only this rain would go away so we could actually enjoy them...

Spring Break in Charleston, SC

2011-03-27T11:46:00.000-04:00

Friends & Family in February

2011-03-26T11:25:00.000-04:00

Finally old enough to play together!

Jack, Isla & Ellen (I'm not so sure Isla likes sharing her big brother...)

First "Real" train ride-NC Museum of Transportation with the Gausemels

UNC Basketball vs Maryland (Carrie's Alma Mater)with the Geezs

Slacking...

2011-03-26T11:07:00.000-04:00

Boy have I been slacking! I really didn't think anybody cared-but I guess there are a few of you (family of course) who actually view this blog! My effort to catch up will be a series of photos from the past few months-beginning in January after we returned to NC from CA through the kids birthday this past weekend. It was a COLD winter here so we really didn't do much outside of the house worth mentioning. Most pictures are just from a typical day with the littles...

All the kids

Big brothers are the coolest!

Christmas Part 2-our boxes arrived from CA and it was like Christmas all over again!

Ready to take on the cold!

2011-02-07T21:55:00.004-05:00

WOW! It has been forever! Since my last visit I have gone on a once in a lifetime roadtrip with my best gal-spent over two months in California-returned to North Carolina-and watched my kids grow like crazy! It is hard to believe that next month they will both turn a year older...

My California

2010-12-30T22:31:00.001-05:00

The farm-Halloween-from Santa

Beautiful North Carolina in the Fall

2010-10-20T22:22:00.000-04:00

Asheville
Blue Ridge Parkway
Biltmore Estate

On the road...again

2010-09-19T20:33:00.008-04:00

With packed carseats and buckled bags-we were off to see NC! First stop, Charlotte. What a beautiful city! Charlotte has the charm of a historic small town and the energy of a bustling modern day city-a great mix! We took the kids to a fun hands-on science museum, The Discovery Place, the Panthers stadium-the high-light of the trip for both kids (Jack still lists it as his "best part of today"), an Irish festival and the NASCAR hall of fame (not that we're NASCAR fans or anything-it just comes with the territory). A few weekends later we went to Asheville in the mountain region of the state and WOW! Breathtaking! My best gal is coming out for a visit at the end of next month when the colors are suppose to be at their peak. I can't even imagine a more beautiful place to see an eastern fall-I can't wait! It turns out I was so into our trip to Asheville I didn't take a single picture while there! The only photo I captured was the one of Jack and Adam next to the vintage police car. While traveling up to the mountains we stopped for lunch in a cute small town and drove around a bit. The town was oddly familiar and when we saw a guy getting ready to wash this cool, old cop car we decided to stop and have a chat. It turns out we were in the town that inspired Mayberry, as in the "Andy Griffith Show." In a few weeks the town will host Mayberry Days, an annual event with a parade and festival-I guess we will probably hit the road for that too!

PS: I really need to hand the camera to Adam once in awhile so that it is documented that I actually was there!

You are my sunshine

2010-09-14T23:10:00.002-04:00

I still have more summer pictures to share...I have been terrible at blogging lately. As we make our way into fall (even though it was a sweltering 93 today) I have been thinking about how much the kids have grown in the past few months. Jack is drawing pictures that actually look like what they are suppose to (the one above is a sunny day at the park), can completely dress himself from top to bottom and sets the table for dinner. Isla LOVES to sing (though you only know the song by the melody-not her words), fishes her shoes out and sits patiently to have them strapped on and is little miss independent with the "big" kids at the park. They are so much fun! Still to come: shots from our weekend get-aways-Charlotte and Asheville.

Back to the Beach

2010-08-06T11:15:00.012-04:00

We headed back to the beach for a little R&R! I spent the first hour child-proofing and since it was our second visit, I already knew what needed to be gathered and hauled off to the closet. What I didn't expect was Isla to land eye first into the nightstand... My tough little girl didn't shed a tear over the incident so I was SHOCKED when, within seconds her little eye turned black and blue. If this it what it is like to be a second child, I can't even imagine what our third will look like! Aside from a few second glances from strangers and the occasional, "Oh no! What happened sweetheart?" the eye didn't slow us down a bit. We spent most of our time down at the beach, or daydreaming about owning our own beach house someday while poking around the island. We walked around the picturesque coastal towns of Beaufort and Moorehead City and visited the NC Maritime Museum. This area is called the "Graveyard of the Atlantic," and is said to have more than 1000 shipwrecks along it's coastline-and to Jack's delight-many pirate ships. We took a tour of Fort Macon (a definite milestone of getting older-visiting a historic site of your own free will)and spent an evening at the Aquarium for Shark Night. We miniature golfed, played at local parks and ate yummy seafood. On our way home, we stopped for a few hours in New Bern-another charming coastal town. We had lunch at a great Amish restaurant, drank Pepsi at the pharmacy it was created in and watched boats return to the harbor.

Memories by TLC

2010-07-11T22:33:00.003-04:00

To view our slideshow visit Memories by TLC, go to proofing and enter Stephens.

2010-07-06T15:29:00.003-04:00

Costal Living had an article on the best places to watch fire works and as luck would have it-Wilmington made the list! We LOVE Wilmington and are always looking for reasons to visit-so this worked out PERFECT. Fireworks and pizza at the Cape Fear River on Sunday and sunshine and hot dogs at Wrightsville beach on Monday. The trip was short but oh-so-sweet.

Father's Day

2010-06-20T11:46:00.000-04:00

The kids' father's day project, (Jack even helped with cutting out the fish he painted)! We wish all the great dad's in our life a wonderful day. We love you!

Of course!

2010-06-09T14:03:00.003-04:00

I finally booked a photographer for pictures of the kids-scheduled for this Friday.

2010-05-02T11:09:00.001-04:00

Just a few of my favorites from the trip!

Coastal Living

2010-05-01T10:39:00.000-04:00

We LOVED the beach house at Emerald Isle! Jack calls it "our other house," and he "likes it the best." It has an outdoor shower that Jack still talks about on a daily. It was pretty awesome! Adam has another break in July and we are planning on going back for a week. The drive to the island wasn't bad-three hours door to door. Crossing the bridge that takes you to the island-I felt my body immediately relax. With the Sound to the west and the Atlantic to the east, just driving down the narrow island road was an experience of it's own. The beach was a three minute walk to the ocean-perfect for a vacation with kids. I think I would have worried a bit if we were right on the beach-Jack can be a bit on an escape artist... I am already counting down the days to return.

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T13:32:00.003-04:00

Easter

2010-04-05T21:30:00.005-04:00

Easter. Already. Didn't we JUST celebrate Christmas? Now on to those taxes...

Welcome Spring

2010-04-05T12:52:00.000-04:00

Nothing can lift my spirits quicker than the change from winter to spring. I just love everything (except the bugs) that comes with warmer weather-the flowers (Adam would beg to differ), visits to the park, ice cream, dining outside and the array of events that begin once the season turns-like farmer's markets, street music the Durham Bulls baseball games and BBQ-ing with friends. We were so excited by the arrival of spring, in fact, that we crammed everything I've listed above into this last weekend (not to mention one major holiday to celebrate). It's Monday and I am EXHAUSTED-Lord help me...

A year at a glance-part2

2010-03-28T13:03:00.008-04:00

1 Minute Old

1 Month

2 Months

3 Months

4 Months

5 Months

6 Months

7 Months

8 Months

9 Months

10 Months

11 Months

Diva 1 Year Old!

A year ALREADY?! We did this with Jack so we decided to keep with the tradition. I love having record of how much the kids change during the first year (even though it makes me a bit sad by how fast they grow up). What I love the most is seeing how much Isla looked like her big brother in the early months-can I help it that I just think they are the cutest kids ever?!

Mr Man & Little Miss-A year older...

2010-03-28T11:28:00.006-04:00

The first annual dual birthday was a blast! We hosted a BBQ at our house and had a great time! It was a lot of fun putting together our "Mr Man and Little Miss" party. I found a mustache chocolate mold and thought it would be PERFECT for a party at our house (remember this post). Jack looked handsome in his new Mr Man tie and Isla was a perfect Little Miss in her new birthday dress!

Luck of the Irish

2010-03-17T11:13:00.004-04:00

We LOVE St. Patrick's Day in this house. Of course, it's because we are Irish Catholic-but also-two years ago today we received the call that would change our lives forever-UNC had a spot in their dental school for Adam! Flash forward to today and we are loving life in North Carolina with not one-but two March babies! Luckily, spring has FINALLY arrived and last weekend we planted our garden with a bit of time to establish before the kids' birthday party (and as luck would have it, a Saturday this year). I know I was a bit sad by the fact that they would be sharing a birthday-but in prepping for this year's celebration I am excited by all the possibilities for party ideas. I also secretly hope that the kids will want to spend their birthday together long into adulthood (and preferably during college so that Isla will have an older brother looking out for her on those "milestone" birthdays-she's a wild one-that girl). Jack has learned the words to "Happy Birthday to you" and even says, "Jack & Isla"-while Isla twirls around the room-
I hope you are all having as wonderful a day as we are and...

May your thoughts be as glad as the shamrocks.
May your heart be as light as a song.
May each day bring you bright happy hours,
That stay with you all year long

Get in where you fit in

2010-03-08T14:06:00.004-05:00

Before

After

2 Adults + 2 Kids + 1 wild and crazy dog = The need to take advantage of every square inch in our 1000 square foot townhouse. Most things have to serve a duel purpose and some things just have to be reinvented COMPLETELY. Our downstairs coat closet was a DISASTER-and why do two people from California have 10 coats a piece anyway?! We recently upgraded our flooring downstairs from carpet to laminate wood (pics to come)so the vacuum migrated upstairs and all those coats were sifted through (we each kept three)and donated. Since my old work space now houses a crib and I FINALLY got tired of working from the sofa/dining area/kitchen/etc -I decided to turn this "misused" space into something actually pretty nice. All my paperwork/supplies that have been stuffed randomly throughout the house fit nicely in boxes I already had, I found a mistint paint at Lowe's for $2.50 that I just LOVE and overstock carried a knock off Parsons Desk that fit perfectly in the tight space (though it had to be built IN the closet to fit). I borrow a chair from the dining table a foot away and have my very own cubicle! Most importantly-the door closes so I no longer find myself chasing a baby with a half chewed expense report :)

Young Entrepreneur

2010-02-21T20:35:00.002-05:00

TOPLESS Dentistry!

Sugar and Spice...Frogs and Snails...

2010-02-14T20:22:00.001-05:00

Hope you had a LOVEly Valentine's Day!

Snow Angels

2010-01-31T19:55:00.001-05:00

Our "little" snow day was a lot of fun! The white stuff hung around for a few days-melted-and came back a few days later. It has been a CRAZY winter!

Snow!

2010-01-30T07:51:00.003-05:00

So far this morning I have ventured as far as my front door. More pictures after we take the kids out to play! Like a nerd, I used a measuring stick to size things up: 5 inches at 7 am. Why do I feel so excited by this? I though I didn't like the snow...

Crazy Girl

2010-01-21T16:08:00.004-05:00

The weather here is so CRAZY. The year started off FREEZING. It literally did not get out of the thirty's for a few weeks. Yesterday it was 65 and beautiful. Warm weather makes me want to sew and having a daughter to make little dresses for makes me actually sew. Unfortunately I am new enough to the craft to not yet be familiar with sizing properly and Isla is such a sassy little thing-actually measuring her is NOT an option. I whipped up this dress in about an hour on Saturday and from the looks of it, it won't fit her much more than an hour. Too bad, because I just LOVE the fabric. I think I will just bite the bullet and buy some more and make the dress in a 2T (for a 9 month old-CRAZY).

PS
Crazy Girl has been walking for a few weeks now-before I knew what had hit me I found her on the fifth step of the stairs-I really should have my head examined for wanting two more...

2010-01-08T08:44:00.002-05:00

This week I sent both my boys off to school. After spending most of New Year's Day laying around watching football,(isn't Jack such a little dude already) we got ready for Adam's second semester of second year in Dental school and Jack's first experience of school (two mornings a week).

Baby, It's Cold Outside...

2010-01-05T13:24:00.005-05:00

With temperatures struggling to reach the upper 30's and a likely chance of snow later this week, we have been holed up indoors-lots of dancing and singing, painting, warm baths and BAKING! My version of mom's beer bread is not quite as pretty but boy, is it yummy! This was my first attempt at Whoopie Pies-easy to make with the help of a eager chef in training and easy to bribe someone potty training.

Fa la la la la la la la la!

2009-12-26T19:54:00.005-05:00

It's no wonder my dad has insisted all these years for us to ALWAYS come home for Christmas-and why he is ALWAYS so giddy about it. Having a now "big boy" Jack and little Isla has made Christmas the best ever. It was so exciting to decorate cookies for Santa and leave them out along with a love letter-and to read A Pirate's Night Before Christmas the night before Christmas. It was so fun to say things like, "did you hear that?!" and to watch his face light up with excitement! Christmas morning I listened for Jack to get out of bed and discover that Santa had checked on him during the night, leaving behind a candy cane hanging on the doorknob. "OH BOY" was his reaction as he quickly tore into it. He rushed to our room with it hanging from his mouth screaming, "Santa's here!" The only look of disappointment during the day was once we came down the stairs and there was no sign that Santa had stuck around to say "Hi." Instead of dwelling on it, we quickly gave Jack his stocking and the M&Ms, Slinky and Dora toothbrush made him forget all about it. The rest of the day was full of wrapping paper, yummy food (wooden and real), A Christmas Story and napping. What is wasn't full of was studying for the Boards-thanks Adam-It was a GREAT day.

2009-12-20T12:06:00.006-05:00

So the Advent Tree has been a great success! We've cut, glued, glittered and baked our way to Christmas-and with less than a week to go all we have left are holiday stories, visits and A LOT of wrapping for mom & dad. I am still planning the Christmas menu and can't decided between ham or prime rib. I am tempted to go completely off tradition and make a special pasta since I have been working my way through Giada's Family Dinners. Jack's vote is for marshmallow snowmen. A tradition from my own childhood that I plan on reinstating, though tweeking a bit, is crab for Christmas Eve dinner. When I was little, we ALWAYS spent Christmas Eve at my Grandma Claire's with TONS of cracked crab. I remember those dinners fondly, and would not mind carrying it over exactly the same, BUT Adam thinks cracking crab is, "too much work for what you get," and since his hands are getting a workout in school-I guess I can cut him a break. We will have crab cakes instead.
I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and if I don't make it back-a wonderful New Year!

PS
Jack DID get a haircut. It was an ugly sight and I fear he will NEVER allow his head to be touched again. He misses his, "tall hair," and I have to say, I think it looked better than what we left the salon with. I am slowly and carefully working on cleaning it up while he sleeps.

Arrrrr! Merry Christmas Matey!

2009-12-18T11:14:00.007-05:00

Since we are long done with decorating the house, Jack decided to spread holiday cheer to his pirates. We think their tree house looks great and the, "Pirates are so happy waiting for Santa Claus." -Jack.

Santa's Lap

2009-12-16T10:39:00.004-05:00

We have NOT been able to get Jack to sit with Santa since he was a wee one. This is the ONLY time he did it and I'm hoping this is not the trend with my kids-though I know better. I think they look SO MUCH alike in these pictures! I am having a hard time believing that Jack's pic with Santa was taken two years ago and that Isla is already 8 months old (and that it's Christmas again)! We are busy decking the halls, singing carols and sipping hot cocoa. Jack is loving every minute of it (except the attempts at getting him to visit Santa) and I am loving watching my kids develop the same excitement I have for the Holidays. This season is a bit bitter sweet though-I am excited to be spending it in my own home with my own family, but miss the holiday traditions back home. This will be my FIRST Christmas completely on my own-no visits to the parent's house, no trips touring Woodland for the PERFECT tree for the big house and no getting conned into wrapping Christmas presents. I miss you guys and wish you the BEST OF LUCK!

DIY Advent

2009-12-05T07:54:00.004-05:00

My first Christmas project of the season-turning an old Hallmark advent calendar into something new and decorative. Years ago my grandma gave me a really neat advent calendar. For everyday it has a fun and festive holiday task to do; learn the names of Santa’s reindeer, make a yummy holiday treat to enjoy, make a snowman out of marshmallows, cut paper snowflakes to hang in windows, etc. It is one of the card style advents, meant to be thrown out at the end of the year. I however, have hung onto to that thing FOR YEARS. I always knew it would be a fun one to have once we had kids. Well, now that Jack is two he is REALLY into Christmas (and is starting to recognize numbers) so we are having fun searching and pulling the numbers from the “tree” and doing whatever fun thing it tells him to do to help get into the Holiday spirit.

I found a tag template online, bought card stock and ribbon from Michael's and "recycled" branches used in my Fall decorations. Easy peasy.

Halloween Characters

2009-11-30T14:49:00.002-05:00

The kids and I arrived in California at around two (five o'clock our time) on Halloween afternoon. After reminding EVERYONE of the time difference for us a MILLION times, we still didn’t hit the pavement until 7:00 PM (10:00-our time)-THANKS Dad! I know one Wild Thing that didn’t seem to mind. Olivia on the other hand, needed her beauty sleep!

Christmas Card?

2009-11-15T14:13:00.000-05:00

My pumpkin patch shot just ain't gonna work.

2009-11-10T14:05:00.000-05:00

I have the cutest video of Jack discovering he can DRAW ON THE WALL-but I am having a heck of a time uploading it to blogger-can anyone help????

btw-chalkboard paint-best invention EVER!

Fair Time

2009-11-01T18:51:00.000-05:00

We made it to the North Carolina state fair this year-and there is nothing I love more than fair food! The corn-dogs, funnel cake, candy apples! YUMMY! This fair was a bit different than what I am used to from California. Any fair causes people to come out of the wood work-but this is Carolina...and it was insanely cold-not the triple digits I am accustom to walking the grounds to. So, we arrive at the fair and after watching a women tie a "hand of tobacco" we bought Jack some corn. While enjoying this appetizer I smelled something funny and it wasn’t mullet man standing next to me. While packing the diaper bag before leaving the house, it had COMPLETELY slipped my mind that Isla had NOT pooped in a few days (we parents know that this means MAJOR business once it’s time comes). So of course 20 minutes into our fair trip Isla has a 4-Alarm blow-out and I have failed to pack the proper provisions. Her pants were beyond “spot cleaning” and yuck had even made its way to her socks and bottom layer shirt. We had no choice but to head back home (without a single taste of fair fat). Sadly we walked our poor (half naked) baby home in below 30 degree temps-and it dawned on me-we had become “out of the wood work” people to watch.

better late than never...

2009-10-28T16:55:00.002-04:00

We had a party last weekend. A “Celebrate Fall” party-with chili, home-made mac & cheese, corn bread, apple-pecan-gorganzola salad and cranberry-apple crisp (so YUMMY-thanks Elise)! It was so much fun! I LOVE hosting parties and can’t believe that it has taken over a year in our new house to throw one! The BIGGEST reason for the delay is simple logistics-where would everyone go?? Our townhouse is a bit over 1000 square feet and with two adults, two kids and one wild and crazy dog-pretty much every square inch is spoken for. As mentioned before (actually all the time) Adam has little to NO FREE TIME. But when he did have a nice break at the end of the summer, (the last for nearly a year) he set to work on what we consider THE BEST THING EVER! With a weekend of hard labor and high temperatures (and some contracted help) we extended our living space nearly 600 square feet! The kids love it! We love it! The dog is warming to the idea…and the mosquitoes love it so much they won’t leave!

PS
Carl was not invited to the party-thank goodness for Camp Bow Wow!

My Girl

2009-10-16T04:00:00.001-04:00

It has been a BIG month for Isla! Early in September she sat up alone and had her first taste of real food-pears. She has not been much of an eater though-a little here a little there-she definitely prefers nursing. Looks like I am destine for another baby who can "ask for it." Being a second baby-she has made things pretty easy for me-record keeping wise-since (because she is the second after all) the baby book has yet to be bought. She sat up and ate for the first time on the same day (09/05), a few weeks later (09/12) she crawled and stood up alone!!! We couldn't believe it either-at less than 6 months old! I'm not sure what to credit (or blame) the fact that she is a girl and well, we are a more advanced specimen, or that she is a second child. Either way, I have got my hands full-and lovin every minute of it!

PS
Adam wanted me to add that she has her lower central incisors (two bottom teeth):)

five

2009-10-09T17:22:00.001-04:00

I Love You.

Mini Me

2009-08-30T16:21:00.002-04:00

Having kids is sometimes like looking in the mirror and seeing yourself in a way you never have before. This is great when you think your kid is the cutest thing ever and someone comments on how "they look just LIKE you!" Not so great when your two year old wigglers their chubby finger at you explaining, "no, no, no" in a tone that reminds you of your mother. Learning the traits that the kids "got" from each of us is too fun. Jack has his mama's sweet tooth, eyes and cuddliness and dad's LOVE for sports, hair and "pleaser" mentality. It's a bit early to make calls on Isla-but she DEFINITELY is a chatterbox (I wonder where she gets it:)

Happy kids

2009-08-12T10:36:00.004-04:00

Adam has been off for nearly a month and it makes us all so HAPPY! We've been to Virginia for a family visit, Savannah for a family vacation and this weekend we are off to the beach for a quick get-away. The second year of dental school will be more demanding than the first (is it even possible?) because Adam will be taking the state board exams during Christmas break - so we won't have time like this until next Summer. I keep reminding myself that it will all be worth it and to savor this time while we've got it :)

This is how I roll...

2009-07-15T20:59:00.006-04:00

Little miss is getting so BIG! Just this week she started to really laugh, (hysterically in fact) and roll over. I really didn't think she had it in her this early. Unlike with Jack, Isla gets very little "tummy-time." The girl LOVES to be held, but she is happy (thus the crazy laughing). It's funny how you try to do everything by the books the first time around. Isla is 3 months old and I'm still looking for that darn book! Isla's tummy time consists of her tummy next to mine while I hold her and work at the same time. Realizing she was able to roll over was just a fluke. I needed both hands and set her down on the floor for a quick second. Before I knew it, she had herself propped up by the elbows with a big, proud smile. Who knows, she maybe has had this skill for weeks now!

What I've been up to

2009-07-06T16:51:00.005-04:00

Before

After

With the recent abuse of the online SUPER rummage sale that is craigslist - I thought I would remind us of its SUPER greatness. We bought this hutch for SUPER cheap from a young family (with a two year old and one on the way) leaving NC for our old stomping grounds of the East Bay. It seams we are living mirrored lives! Adam was a bit skeptical of the orangey-red ginormous hutch in our teeny-tinny living/dining room. I saw it’s potential the minute it posted!

mid-summer collage

2009-07-06T16:23:00.007-04:00

Naps

2009-06-16T15:11:00.005-04:00

As I write this, two Littles are fast asleep. I am among the lucky ones: two kids that nap at the same time. Jack is still going strong with his three hour a day rests, and Isla sleeps on and off throughout the day. It usually works out like this: Jack down at 1-ish and Isla down by 2. Jack up at 4-ish and Isla around 5. It's a great schedule. Each kidlet gets a little "mom" time of their own and mom gets a few hours to herself. Up until recently (I have started back to work) I used this time to do things I really enjoy. Most of the kitchen revamp was done during naps and I redid the downstairs powder room (pics to come) as well. I painted the banister one afternoon, potted plants the next and last week I baked a cherry pie from scratch. It is amazing what a difference this time makes. The mornings fly by with breakfast, baths, usually some sort of arts&crafts project or outside play, lunch and clean up. The evenings are crazy with dinner prep, Adam coming home (among the highlights of my day ;) baths, books and bed. A night or two a week we keep the kids up a bit later to Skype with grandparents (the three-hour difference is the pits)and of course there is always laundry and cleaning. Phew! With starting back to work I realize I am fortunate to work from home (I can throw the laundry in between emails) but find it difficult to set aside time for the things I enjoy. The cherry pie was so dee-lich I bought more cherries to bake another. I just had to throw them out because of mold. I just wasn't able to get around to baking this week. I have been using the naps to work-except today. Today I blog.

Family Planning

2009-05-28T15:14:00.005-04:00

After we had Jack I read a few articles on the subject of kid spacing. The "planner" that I am, I wanted to do this family thing the "right" way. There are of course, pros and cons for any way your family develops. But as my mom told me when we found out we were pregnant:"These things happen when they are suppose to". We planned our Jack and still freaked out when we saw two lines. Poor Isla crept up on us at one of the craziest times of our life. That first trimester of moving, settling in to a strange place and completely new routine and chasing after a toddler while feeling like I could hurl at any moment; it was hard to see any joy. Fast forward a few months, exactly two years after we had our little Jack, we were blessed with our Isla and we had joy coming out of our eyeballs! These things do happen when they are suppose to! Two years, 5 years, or like my aunt, 14 years later... For us, two years was perfect. Jack has had no problem adjusting to a new baby. It is like Isla has been with him all along.

Two Weeks and Two Gallons of Paint

2009-05-18T10:10:00.020-04:00

Click for more Before & After

Adam and I hate to paint. I mean we really hate it. The only thing we hated more was our kitchen. With a lot of paint, way too much time and new granite countertops, we were able to transform out kitchen on the tightest of budgets. We are so happy with the results! The kitchen, dark and narrow before now looks bright and open. Because of the money it saved to do it ourselves I have no regrets, but I do swear to never again take on the task of painting cabinets (especially without a garage to work in). Our living room acted as our work space and with two kids this was not a good idea. The process took longer than we expected and our house was in shambles for way too long. My parents remodeled their kitchen when I was in high school and it took nearly a year to complete. I remember having to use the camping trailer as our kitchen during that time. Mom, you are amazing for making it through it without killing any of us or the contractors. It is rough not having a kitchen with kids (and mine was never completely out of commission). We plan on enjoying our "new" kitchen for the next few months. Adam will get another break from school in July during which we plan on pulling up the carpet in the living/dining room and vinyl in the kitchen and installing pergo in it's place. Stay tuned for more townhouse b&a....

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-11T15:39:00.004-04:00

Two kids into Motherhood = a few more wrinkles, many ponytails, moments wondering when I last washed my hair, finding peanut butter on my butt and puke on my shoulder (while grocery shopping), thanking the Lord for Noggin, being fluent in "Toddler", knowing all the Eric Carle books by heart, singing along with the Backyardigans, a million kisses given everyday and wondering if my heart is capable of loving more.

I LOVE being your Mama Isla and Jack! Thank you for a wonderful Mother's Day (and everyday)!

One month down...

2009-04-27T21:29:00.003-04:00

Life is busy. Diapers (sizes 1 and 5). Feedings (every two hours on the dot). Laundry (at least a load a day). Cooking (from Everyday Food...great cookbook). Cleaning (how many toys does one two year old really need?). Staring into this perfect little face (as often as possible). Life is good.

I only have eyes for you

2009-04-20T21:33:00.001-04:00

Isla has spotted her big brother and it's love at first sight.

2009-04-02T21:29:00.002-04:00

Having two children born on the same date is an amazing thing. Looking at my beautiful baby girl moments after she was born and then seeing my big two year old boy really put into perspective just how fast the time goes. Before Isla was born I thought about this "time-flying" phenomenon and made a pledge to myself to take more pictures (especially video). Unfortunately, timing was not on my side and our third (yes, third) camera in two years quit working. No second story drop, no toddler toss in the toilet, no negligence whatsoever. It just quit. We promptly took the camera to the camera ER in the mall and sadly signed away on a 6 week repair voyage for the Canon. Mind you, Jack's birthday was a week away and the baby was due a few days following. A few days before The Birthday, Adam was talking with a neighbor about our ill camera and the crappy timing and as luck would have it she had just purchased a new one. She offered us her "old" camera to use so that we had something to document this eventful time. I am so happy we had a camera, but I can see why she needed to buy a new one ;)

Kitchen: Before & After

2009-04-01T10:30:00.008-04:00

Granite: Kashmir White
Faucet: Moen Anabelle
Cabinet Paint: Valspar White
Wall Paint: Sherwin Williams Tradewind

Isla Evelyn

2009-03-31T15:28:00.003-04:00

March 27, 2009
8:41 am
7 lbs, 7 oz
20 1/4 inches

healthy. happy. beautiful.

New Threads

2009-03-15T10:29:00.005-04:00

Last week we celebrated the near completion (and survival) of the first year of dental school...aka "The White Coat Ceremony". We think Adam (er, Dr. Stephens) looks pretty handsome in his new coat!

Potty Time

2009-03-09T16:49:00.003-04:00

The idea of two in diapers (in just a few short weeks-YIKES) terrifies me! Will I have time for anything else?! Adam and I decided that though we hate the idea of double diaper duty, trying hard to get Jack trained in time for baby would be a mistake. We think that any progress made would be reverted once baby came home. We did however purchase the potties (one for each floor-yet another reason never to buy a 2-story home with kids)so that Jack could get used to the idea of them. To our delight and surprise, Jack started using them on his own. He by no means is consistent, but he has made progress. He especially likes "potty parties" (pottying with Daddy). Keep your fingers crossed that by Summer we will have added underoos to the laundry!

Cutie Patootie

2009-03-09T16:44:00.000-04:00

Just so cute I had to share!

Puppy Love

2009-01-29T20:55:00.000-05:00

Four years ago today I brought this guy home...and our lives have never been the same. I thought I was pretty slick when I "conned" Adam into getting him. I used the "we won't need to have a baby for a couple years" argument. It worked. But the con was on me. We had Jack a few years later, and I quickly realized that having a baby was a MILLION times easier than having a dog. At least our dog. Now that the movie Marley and Me is out, you can get a glimpse of what our day to day life is like with "Crazy Carl". He is exactly like that dog. But for all the times I've screamed, "I'm going to kill you DOG," I've whispered twice as many, "I love you dogger." And I really do. I could not imagine life without him. It has been a crazy four years for our family- career changes,a baby (and one on the way), a cross-country move, and Carl has been there through it all. A late night study partner for Adam, a comforting friend for a tired mom, a daily playdate for Jack and co-pilot on the road. That dog truly is man's/mom's/boy's best friend.

Snow Day

2009-01-20T10:56:00.000-05:00

We woke this morning to SNOW! Snow is not typical here (I'm not sure I would have agreed to the move if it was). But how is it, that the Winters I have spent on the East Coast have been unusually cold?! Back in 2003 when we lived in Virginia, the area saw the lowest temps and largest snow storms it had in a decade! Chapel Hill sees very little snow, but unlike Virginia-the town stops to enjoy the winter weather surprise. Schools close (not Adam's school-of course), and many business delay opening until later in the day. Luckily I am not expected to be anywhere (got to love working from home) and can enjoy the white stuff from the comforts of my living room window with a cup of hot cocoa. This was, of course Jack's first snowy experience so I bit the bullet, bundled up and took him out to play. This morning was more of a lesson in learning to walk in it - later today, snowballs and snowmen!

Big Boy Room

2009-01-13T10:03:00.000-05:00

FINALLY! We got the whole house painted! FINALLY! Pictures are going up on the walls! FINALLY! The place is starting to feel like home! The only completed room is Jack's, and boy is he proud of it! My favorite part is the white case that houses all the kid crap you obliviously accumulate the minute you have a child. Of all that you see on the shelf, the shelf itself is the only thing I can honestly say I bought (oh, and the lamp too). The lamp. What a god-send. Jack is fascinated with turning it on and off, and in the mornings that he wakes especially early, he takes it upon himself to hop out of bed, turn the light on and play for a bit. This simple accomplishment has allowed up to 45 minutes extra sleep time on more than one occasion. Bless the lamp!

Ba Humbug

2009-01-02T08:14:00.000-05:00

Jack is not a morning person-not even on Christmas. Even the great 49er football from Santa was slow to lift his spirits. It took a little while, but eventually Jack got on the Christmas train and had a good time. Not to our surprise, most everyone ignored our "no gift" request (don't you people watch TV, airlines charge an arm and a leg for extra baggage)and Jack was flooded with tractors, balls, clothes and a few great books. He is at such a fun age. He understands Santa (and loves to say "ho, ho, ho") and was even into 'twas the Night Before Christmas and leaving cookies and milk out. This Christmas was 10 times more exciting than last year- I can't wait to see what next year has in store with two little bugs running around!

I'll be home for Christmas

2008-12-30T09:58:00.000-05:00

We had such a great time in California for Christmas! We kicked off our holiday trip with the Williams Light Parade. Jack was so excited to see his cousin Lynda. The two held hands throughout the entire parade...it was the cutest thing ever!

What up, Crush?

2008-12-01T09:51:00.000-05:00

While visiting friends and family in Virginia over the Thanksgiving holiday we took Jack to the National Aquarium in Washington DC. He especially loved the turtles. Thanks Jaime and Brooks for the wonderful idea! It was so great to see you two!

Happy Holidays

2008-11-25T23:43:00.000-05:00

We are off to Virginia for Thanksgiving and in a few weeks California for Christmas!

Saturday's Game: Wolfpack or Tarheels?

2008-11-20T22:07:00.000-05:00

Though we've only been in NC a few months, we've been here long enough to know about the rivalry between State (NC State in Raleigh)and Carolina. Many of Adam's classmates are either State or UNC undergrad alums and group dinner gatherings often turn into "my team is better than your team" debates. The degree of the rivalry is best described by this local boy...

Bun in the oven

2008-11-05T12:39:00.000-05:00

Everything looks great and we are still on schedule for a 03/31/2009 debut! It looks like Jack isn't the only Tar Heel!

Halloween

2008-11-01T08:13:00.001-04:00

After much bribing (before we even hit the pavement for yet more candy) we got Jack into his costume. He was terrified of having it on his body! How do you explain to a one year old that you spent hours (not really) hand stitching and dying fabric to make him the sweetest little chicken? You can't; and therefore licorice will do the trick...or treat. I think terrifying a young boy was worth it. Doesn't he look adorable?

Helper

2008-10-29T15:05:00.000-04:00

That’s not what I meant by, “Help mommy with Halloween cookies”!

Tar Pit

2008-10-12T14:45:00.000-04:00

Jack is a HUGE football fan. He can sit and watch an entire game on TV with Adam, and he lives for running through the house with his stuffed football. I think his new favorite thing is watching the Tar Heels kick butt live. He takes it easy during the first half (i.e. naps), and cheers and high-fives the entire second, (but you better believe he didn’t touch the hands of those clowns behind him.) I think CH would be a fun place to grow up. Home-game Saturdays (especially when Notre Dame is involved) are so exciting! The town is abuzz with current students, alumni and rival fans tailgating and having a great time. I can’t even imagine what basketball season has in store!

Farm=Home

2008-10-09T14:15:00.000-04:00

It was less than a year ago that we came to Chapel Hill for Adam’s interview. It was during autumn, and I couldn't’t help but imagine what it would be like to live there during that time of year. So here we are, roughly 10 months later kicking off the fall season with a trip to Ganyard Hill Farm in North Carolina. Truth be told, not much different than our trips to Book’s (except for one important component – The Raftery’s). Having grown up on a farm, I take comfort in the customary institution of farm life. I felt closer to my own family that day than I have in a few months. Being 3000 miles away really isen't that far and as long as a farm is close by, I can be home.

baby, baby, baby

2008-10-05T14:06:00.000-04:00

Jack has really taken to this baby doll. On mornings when baby doesn’t spend the night with him, Jack searches for her. At first, he would immediately bring her to me (he knew that babies belong with mommies), but now, he likes to share his morning milk and banana with her. After breakfast, baby is usually forgotten and replaced with a hot wheel (much to daddy’s delight). I hope the love for babies will continue since Jack will be getting a real life version around 03/31/2009.

“Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains..”

2008-08-25T11:09:00.000-04:00

The most surprising thing about North Carolina so far is all the rain! When Adam and I visited in June we were told the state was in a drought. Well since arriving, we have seen so much rain - and not the drizzly stuff either - I'm talking tropical storms. I can't say that I really mind, it is very lush and beautiful here. Every one's yards are exactly what you would imagine in the South: Large, green, azaleas, ferns big front porches with wooden rocking chairs. I just love it.

Chapel Hill is a great town. Lots of restaurants, a cute downtown (similar to Chico - with less bars) and always something to do. Of course the college offers a ton of great sporting events and in neighboring Durham we can cheer on the Bulls.

North Carolina

2008-08-15T10:55:00.000-04:00

Well, we made it. We are official Tar Heels in the great state of North Carolina! We arrived on August 8th and thankfully all the planning really paid off. Thirty minutes before Jack and I landed, Adam and John (the best best friend in the world) rolled into town. The next morning we closed on our house without a hitch and within an hour of getting our keys, the moving truck was parked in front of the house. John and Adam worked like dogs (not like our dog, of course) and had everything in its place by dinner. By days end, Adam and I swore to have only one more big move in our lifetime.

Our Chico

2008-06-28T00:01:00.000-04:00

We have had a pretty busy Summer so far and it's only June! We have been taking in as much "Chico" as we possibly can as we will be heading back East this August. Yes folks, Adam is a member of the Class of 2012 UNC School of Dentistry!!! We could not be more excited for this new adventure. I am so proud of all the hard work it has taken Adam to get to this point. He is so honored that such a prestigious school with a proud history (March Madness, anyone?) asked him to join the long list of great alumni.

A few weeks ago we spent our first overnight (4 nights actually) without the little guy. It proved to be pretty difficult for both of us (however, long overdue). Adam and I spent a whirlwind 4 days visiting the campus in Chapel Hill and 22 (yes, 22!) homes worthy enough to call our first house. We decided on a townhouse (the first we viewed, of course) and put in an offer earlier this week. And to really ice the cake, I get to keep my fabulous job! You've got to love modern technology! I will remotely work for the same company 3000 miles away.

For now, we are working on arrangements for the big move and spending time with family and friends. We will miss our Chico and all here...friends, farmer's market, Bidwell Park, downtown, Broadway Heights...the list could go on forever.

Spring Fling

2008-06-02T00:42:00.000-04:00

Boy's best friend

2008-05-16T01:09:00.000-04:00

It took some courting, but Jack finally won Carl over, (or could it be that Jack = yummy bits of food from the highchair?)

birthday boy

2008-04-27T23:55:00.000-04:00

We did a little monkeying around for Jacks's 1st birthday!

Heirlooms

2008-04-19T14:32:00.000-04:00

I've mentioned before my love for tradition. Jack is such a lucky boy to have so much family to love and learn from. He will not only have wonderful stories and tales to hear and retell, he will also have special heirlooms. This rocking chair was his grandpa's birthday gift on his First Birthday years ago. It was loved by his daddy when he was a boy and is now a special place for Jack.

A year at a glance

2008-03-27T13:54:00.001-04:00

1 Year Old
11 Months

10 Months
9 Months
8 Months
7 Months
6 Months

5 Months
4 Months
3 Months
2 Months
1 Month/Day 1

Simple joys

2008-03-01T14:26:00.000-05:00

In the past year I must have said, "I Love being a mom!" a million times... but being a dad doesn't look half bad either.

Say Cheese!

2008-02-13T21:46:00.000-05:00

After delaying Jack's first "photoshoot" for 10 months, (sleeping all the time, baby acne, not sitting up alone, scratch, bruise and so forth) we finally did it...and not a day too soon. Jack woke this morning with a terrible cough and runny nose! We are so pleased with how the pictures turned out. Jack LOVES the camera (and the feeling is mutual if I don't say so myself).

Baby Steps

2008-01-20T15:03:00.000-05:00

A few months ago my brother (a veteran father of a beautiful 4 year old) told me that once Jack rolls over ( a task he accomplished during the summer) every other "milestone" will happen very quickly. While it seemed to take forever for him to go from back to belly; Les was sure right...here we are, already on the verge of walking! He did take three true steps before we could grab the camera in time to capture the video above.

Christmas

2007-12-29T12:37:00.000-05:00

As I said before, holidays are so much better with Jack. Christmas Eve was spent with Granny and Papa and they said it was the best holiday they had in years. It was pretty special for us too. Adam and I decided that it was important to have holiday time with just us, so Christmas morning is reserved for celebrating at home. Adam made breakfast while Jack posed with his favorite gift, Goodnight Gorilla. Later that morning, we headed to my parent's for more gifts(my Dad is a sucker for playing Santa) and a HUGE feast (my mom is sucker for holiday cooking). It was pure chaos, and pure joy.

Happy holidays...and birthday

2007-12-21T00:39:00.001-05:00

This is my favorite time of the year! I love the hustle and bustle of downtown, crowded stores, busy airports, family gatherings and annual events. While the old traditions warm my heart, the new ones add excitement for the future of my own family. For the first time ever, we spent Thanksgiving in Oregon with Adam's dad, stepmon and his stepsister and her family. It was a wonderful trip. Bend is a pleasant town and the trip was very relaxing. We celebrated both the Thanksgiving holiday and Christmas (due to weather we are not sure if Clem and Robin will make it to Chico) and found time to do a little shopping. Upon return to Chico, we celebrated my birthday (the last year of my 20's...yikes!) Adam gave me a beautiful nativity scene sculpted by a Mexican artist and thanks to Granny and Papa we had a long over-due date night. As our tradition gos, the weekend following my birthday we bought and decorated our tree.

We began yet another new tradition this year: a holiday play with my parents, sibs and all the kids followed by dinner and much too long at the Tree Lot to get the best looking tree for the big house. This year's play was A Christmas Story and no one gets me in the holiday spirit quite like Ralphie! Adam and I have attended both company parties and are now looking forward to the big day. All the shopping is done and just one last gift to wrap....I sure hope Jack likes big empty boxes!

Tis the season for travel

2007-11-20T02:49:00.000-05:00

Jack took his first plane trip this week. Our destination was North Carolina where Adam interviewed for dental school. We originally decided not to tag-along, then thought Adam might like the moral support. Plus, who can resist the opportunity to see the south-east during Autumn. This last minute decision caused Jack and I to have a separate flight than daddy, a task I was not looking forward to. Again, there was no need for worry. The photo above was taken after 13 hours of travel! We had a great trip. Chapel Hill reminded us of Chico and the UNC campus was so beautiful. We've been back for two days and tomorrow we're off to Oregon to spend Thanksgiving with Adam's dad. Happy Holidays (and travels)!

Happy Halloween

2007-11-01T00:28:00.001-04:00

Jack was unsure what to think of the monkey suit we put him in for Halloween, but boy did he look adorable! Carl dressed as a dog with CRAZY eyes! No Trick-or Treating for either of the boys this year...we all know where they candy would have ended up and I'm still working on the baby weight!

Tuckered out

2007-10-21T01:10:00.000-04:00

Ain't it great to be a baby!

Baby Carl

2007-10-10T19:01:00.000-04:00

While I was pregnant I had many people ask what was going to happen with Carl once the baby arrived. Adam and I didn't really think too much about it since we were both certain that Carl would be just fine with sharing our attention. As many of you know, we complain an awful lot about our beloved dog. We realize he is crazy and can understand the concerns of others. But as predicted by us, Carl has been ecstatic with being an older brother. He does have his moments where he would like to be the baby, but it is obviously something that you just have to laugh at.

Three years ago...

2007-10-09T18:26:00.000-04:00

October 09, 2004