Go Soccer!!

They say this jersey is XS
So confident with the ball

First day of Soccer practice with the Gold team Columbia. I am not sure if it is the age, the fact that she is a girl or goes to preschool, but Delaney is unbelievably great at listening and following instructions from her coach. Some others on her team seem to have trouble with just staying on the field. I was really worried about her because she more times than not acts like a diva and today she acted like a team player. Maybe this team sport will help her become a better team player at home!

Another Beautiful Day

It is so hard to stay home on the weekend when the weather is so beautiful. We took a little drive to Blythe Landing Park and played, walked and just spent some time outside. It was really nice and the kids hopefully wore themselves out, sometimes we think that may never happen, Harrison has always been bursting with energy! Check out those two front teeth on Harrison and keep watching them over the next couple of weeks.

Tomorrow is Delaney's first big soccer practice so I will be sure to add lots of photos of her in her soccer clothes at soccer practice and her brother for the first time in his life on the sidelines.

HAPPY 7th BIRTHDAY HARRISON

What a day full of fun and surprises. We started the morning with a breakfast out and then went to Game Stop to spend some birthday money. Thank you Nana, Grandma and Grandpa, Noni, The Kessler's and The Jennings for the birthday money. He got a Wii game that he spent most of the afternoon playing it in the front room while I sneaked around cleaning and setting up for the big surprise party. At 1:00 everyone came over into the garage then we snuck into the house, I called Harrison into the kitchen and we all yelled surprise; he was so shocked. After the party we all got ready and went downtown Charlotte for dinner at Brixx and to the Bobcats vs. Pacers game. I must say this was the first time in my life I felt uncomfortable at a game since I was the only one cheering for the other guys (Pacers), and poor Harrison is trying so hard to be a Charlotte fan even when they lose to the team I am cheering for. He did have his moment with Rufus the Bobcat's mascot.

On the way home Harrison said tonight brings memories of us together at stadiums like the circus and the monster truck jam. That made me so happy to know that those times really do create great memories because sometimes you wonder if they are paying that much attention. What a perfect day. Happy Birthday Harrison, I LOVE YOU!!
The Shocked Suprise face

Finally polishing off those $$$ M&M's from Disney

Rufus the Bobcat's Mascot

Bodie wakes up

We have a fighter on our hands!! After 3 long days of nursing around the clock to keep our little bundle alive he is doing actually better than expected, he is doing fantastic. We actually suprised the vet when I called her Monday morning to give her the news. We have 5 more weeks of isolation from the rest of the world but that is just to keep this virus contained in our home and yard. He has puppy energy now, trying to chew on everything, chasing the kids and the whining; cute but sometimes annoying. We did it, YEAH for us, it really was pretty frightening at times but worth it!

Happy St. Patty's Day

This holiday really only counts when you are in Preschool, Kindergarten, Irish or young. So here is my Preschool aged part Irish young daughter loving the day. She had the cutest shirt on for the day but being a bit of a fashionista girl had to change the moment she got home from school.

Hope all had a fabulous day!

Sick Puppy

I have said to my children most of their lives that we will not have a dog for a number of reasons and me being a bit of a clean freak is the top of my list. I broke down because I wanted my children to have something I longed for my entire childhood, no not a pool; a dog.

Anyway as you know we got Hadley and she warmed our hearts, she was the ideal dog aside from her illness that we could NOT cure. After the loss of her we decided to give it another try and after me nearly begging Jason to let us have another dog he gave in. I found a perfect little puppy that was farther than I would have liked to travel but I fell in love and adopted him. We picked him up Tuesday night and by Thursday night he was incredibly ill and Friday he was totally out of it and not interested in anything except sleeping.

After a visit to the vet on Friday afternoon we found out that yet again we have a sick puppy on our hands this time it is Parvovirus. This illness may be treatable and puppies have an 80% chance of life as long as we treat it and his body accepts it. So here we go again I spent Friday afternoon at the vet for 2 hours and we decided to give it a try with the at home treatment. We are giving him a 3 oz. I.V. of fluid each afternoon, feeding him chicken broth to drink, I made him chicken and rice, feeding him his medication through a syringe and forcing Pepcid complete down his throat.

To top all that off in the beginning he was going out to pee every 5 minutes now every 40 minutes, so as you can imagine we are a bit sleep deprived. Jason stayed up until 4am and then I took the shift 4am to noon. Dehydration is the big killer in this disease so we have to keep him hydrated and feed him a bland diet. We hope he is able to kick this disease and live a long and happy life.

Give this another try

We had it in us to have a dog in our family and it was so unfortunate that Hadley had health issues beyond our control but we decided to try it again and this time with a puppy. This charming little guy is a 4 month old shar- pei mix that we rescued from a shelter in Gaffney, SC. He was found on the side of the road with his 2 other brothers and 3 sisters and brought to the shelter by a good Samaritan. We found him on the petfinder website Sunday and Delaney and I drove Monday for an hour and a half to see him and fell in love with him and two of his sisters but decided he was the keeper. He could not come home right away because he needed to have the dreaded surgery and needed shots and a microchip but he could come home the next day. So all four of us piled in the car last night and drove down to get him. Here is the funny thing I bought our house without Jason seeing it and he loved it and I picked this dog out without Jason or Harrison seeing him and they both fell in love with him instantly.

We named him Bodie (pronounced Bo-Dee) and it fits him perfectly. We are unsure of what he is mixed with but I bet as he grows we will figure it out. Welcome home little guy.

The final days of our vacation

We spent the last 2 days of our vacation with Mom and Dad in Bradenton and it was so nice to relax, swim and visit after 4 days of nonstop going. We had such a great time THANKS to Mom and Dad, Grandma and Grandpa for such a memorable vacation and THANKS to Grandpa Mendenhall for the tickets we used our Christmas money from him to buy our tickets and it was a perfect way to spend our last gift from him!

Day 6 Animal Kingdom February 26

This is day number 4 and our last at Disney and had a great time at Animal Kingdom and the kids cannot stop talking about it.

Lilo and Stitch


The tree of life

Roots of the tree of life

Kenai from Brother Bear

Goofy and Goofy

Donald Duck

Donald Duck

Daisy Duck

Pocahontas

Jiminy Cricket

Conga Beat

Jason in Africa playing the drums