Steve & Anita's Family Blog

Chloe Loves Daddy Loves Chloe

2010-04-21T21:01:00.000-05:00

Chloe and Steve spent a little time outside this afternoon. I thought I'd share this picture with all of you.

Me and My Besties

2010-04-15T10:24:00.000-05:00

Just thought I'd share a picture of me with my two best friends. This is a pic of us celebrating Trudy's (the middle kid here in this shot) birthday last night at Corks and Canvas.

A Fond Memory

2010-04-14T10:42:00.000-05:00

Looking at this picture took my breath away. I just wanted to share it with everyone else today.

Goose Feathers

2009-11-20T20:19:00.002-06:00

Chloe recently found a small feather on the rug in the living room. This was the following conversation between Chloe and Steve:

Chloe: Hey! I found a goose feather!

Steve: You did?!?! There must have been a goose in here!

Chloe: Yeah!

Steve: What did the goose say?

Chloe: I want my feathers back!

We all laughed and laughed. She was very proud of herself.

I love this comic strip.

2009-11-19T10:40:00.002-06:00

11.19.09: ""

I really like the "Pearls Before Swine" comic strip, not sure if it appears in any papers, but I get it on the internet for free everyday.
It never ceases to make me smile.

Besides, I haven't written anything on here in a long time.

I'll post an actual "state of the family" update soon.

G'Day all.

Cahaba Trip

2009-11-04T07:26:00.001-06:00

We took a trip to Cahaba a while back. Chloe loves to go out there so we can have a picnic. The boys like it because there is plenty of room to run around outside. Steve and I like it because it is so full of history. For those of you who do not know, Cahaba was the first capitol of Alabama. This picture was taken in front of an old slave house. The "big house", as it probably would have been called, is no longer standing but you can still see where the corners of the house were. There are lots of markers standing in this "ghost town" telling about stores, houses, churches, prisons, and citizens. There are even street signs up. If you ever get a chance to go out there jump on it! You won't regret it!

Everything has changed

2009-09-12T18:21:00.004-05:00

I just noticed that I haven't updated since July. So much has happened since then.

Mike is now 14 and has started going to a new private school this year. He is loving it! There is only one class per grade (except the 5th grade). The school has K3 through 12th and there are only 14 kids in Mike's 8th grade class. His teacher is wonderful and the rest of the staff at the school are very nice. I can tell that these people are very dedicated to educating these kids. So far Steve and I are very pleased with Mike's progress and with the school. Due to some trouble he got into over the summer he is no longer allowed the privilege of Taekwondo along with many other privileges that well behaved children have. He has made a complete 180 with his behavior and he is slowly but surely getting his privileges back one by one but this will be a long (very, very long) process. His class has been chosen to run the school paper and he is excited about this opportunity to learn a little about journalism.

Justin began the 7th grade this year and so far things are moving along pretty well. Justin is very excited about science class this year. His classroom is actually a science lab. They have been conducting experiments and he is loving it. It really makes me happy to hear the excitement in his voice when he talks about what he did in science class for the day. Also due to the trouble over the summer, Justin is not playing football this year. He is, however, enjoying watching his little step-brother play his first year of football. It is amazing the amount of growing this child did over the summer. I cannot believe he is going to be 13 years old in a month and a half. Where has the time gone?

Miss Chloe Beth started taking Kindermusik classes on Wednesday mornings. This class will run through the fall. It has been a pretty slow go getting her interested in the group activities. She has a mind of her own. She just likes to play with the instruments. She is a little over 3 feet tall now and weighs about 25 or 26 pounds. She hardly ever takes a nap anymore. She hardly ever eats anything except ice cream, dora soup and popsicles. She enjoys playing with her friends, Lyndee and Ferris. She also likes Lyndee's little baby brother but I think it mostly has to do with his toys.

Steve is still slaving away at work and home. Poor guy. He never gets a break. His most recent shop project was building a toy shelf for Chloe. He worked on it for 2 to 3 weeks before it was complete. Chloe was so excited when he brought it in and she was able to put her toys on it.

Harmony still continues to let us think we run the show around here but he knows the real truth. He even has Chloe trained to feed him every morning.

I got a job working at night and on the weekends. I had one job and worked there for a while but got a better offer so I went where the money was. I just finished my first week there and I am exhausted! I only worked 25 hours but I only had one day off. The job is in retail and I enjoy my work in the apparel department. I think I may have found a place to stay for a while. Everyone at work is very nice and the work isn't hard at all. Basically I spend my time folding and hanging clothes. That is something I've been doing for a long time. (No jokes about my procrastinating laundry habits, Steve) I also pick up Ferris from his school in the afternoons right before I get Mike. I enjoy the fact that I still get to see my friend, Jenn, every day even though she started working full time during the day.

Steve and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary and thanks to a dear friend, we were able to go out to a nice dinner together. That is something we hadn't done in a very long time. It was a great night. The kids spent the night with my parents and we had the whole house to ourselves! Fantastic!

All and all things are just dandy here at the White house. Hope you all are doing well too.

Silly Songs and the Toddlers That Sing Them

2009-07-13T08:30:00.002-05:00

Taking form from my friend Tracy, I am going to let you guys in on a little funny thing Chloe did last night:

(While watching a Baby Einstein video about life on the farm)

Chloe: (singing) "The cows give us milk. The cows give us milk. I know an Ariel. The cows give us milk."

Steve: "No, Chloe, you sing Hi Ho the derry-o. The cows give us milk."

Chloe: (While looking very sure of herself and like Daddy doesn't know anything) "No, Daddy, its Ariel."

Congratulations, Mike!

2009-05-05T17:53:00.001-05:00

He earned his Sr. Yellow Belt at his Tae Kwon Do testing this past weekend!!

A Long Year

2009-04-30T14:20:00.000-05:00

It has been a long year. We miss her just as much today as we did when we found out we were going to lose her. The pain and sorrow get easier as the months drag on but we still feel a void in our lives. We miss you, Grandmother.

Growing up so fast!

2009-04-28T15:39:00.000-05:00

I took some pictures of the kids this past weekend. They are all growing up so fast! It seems like it was only yesterday when Mike and Justin were 2 and 3 years old. They were so cute in their cowboy boots and diapers. I thought I'd share a few pictures with all of you so you can see how big these beautiful kids are getting!

All 3 of my babies:

Mike-13:

Justin-12:

Chloe-2:

I'm a Big Girl Now!

2009-03-28T21:50:00.000-05:00

Y'all see that thing in Chloe's mouth? It has been her companion from about the age of 1 month. She has broken that habit! It only took 2 nights. She mentions it every once in a while when we put her to bed but she follows the word "paci" with the phrase "No paci. I'm a big girl." She is also completely potty trained!!! This was the one thing I was not looking forward to when having another child was concerned. I put her on the potty once and she understood that she was supposed to do that from now on. She has only had a few accidents and they were either when she was very busy playing outside or when she had her bladder infection. We are so very proud of our big girl! Alas, it is bittersweet. Our baby is no longer a baby.

Goodness Me!

2009-03-18T00:41:00.002-05:00

It's been a while! I guess I should update everyone! Here goes:

I'll go ahead and get Steve and me out of the way because everyone really just wants to hear about the kids. Steve is happy building birdhouses and working out in the shop these days. He got a little promotion at work. That is a very good thing in these hard times of layoffs and whatnot. I'm glad they finally realize what an asset he is to the company. He works so hard. I have been happily hanging with my "mommy" friends as usual. Home schooling is going well, I suppose. Hopefully I can get my oldest boy through the 7th grade without too much ado. My hair is now cut above my shoulders. I said I'd never do that again but I did. I love it, too!

Mike recently tested for and earned his yellow belt in Taekwondo! We are very happy that he has found a sport that he loves and is going to stick with! I think he is getting a little restless from being home with Chloe and me all the time. Summer will be here soon enough and he will be able to hang out with his brother, step-brother and cousins and have a little fun. He will have to work through the summer to catch up on his school work. That is not going to be much fun for anyone but it is a necessary evil. We've heard of home schooling parents say how their child went from C's and D's in public school to all A's with home schooling. We are beginning to think that they have to be exaggerating a bit. Mike was a C student in public school and is a C student with home schooling. Surprisingly enough, Math is his best subject! That's pretty strange because we both hate Math. We are looking forward to seeing what the 8th grade has in store for us!

Justin is looking forward to the beginning of baseball season. Opening day is April 4th. Unfortunately, this is going to keep me from attending my cousin's wedding in Georgia. I hardly ever get to spend time with Justin and I feel like I should be with him for his first day of baseball season. Justin has a new cell phone and is very proud of it. He never puts it down. Texting seems to be his life these days. I have a feeling he will be finding a summer job to help fund his upcoming football season in the fall. If anyone needs yard work done I know a boy that will be available to do it! Justin's grades seem to be alrighty! He is a smart boy. He just has to make sure he applies himself.

Miss Chloe Beth has grown about an inch, I think, since the last post. Steve built, painted and hung a beautiful measuring stick on her wall. It's painted pink and purple and looks like a huge ruler. He did a great job! Chloe has been practicing her painting skills lately. She loves to dip the paint brushes in all the different colors and paint on coloring pages. She has a very vivid imagination. She is using complete sentences all the time now. Her verbal skills are phenomenal! She was potty trained after day one. She still wears a diaper to bed because we have some left. Normally she wakes up dry. She had a UTI about a month ago and this caused her doctor to send her for an ultrasound of her kidneys as a precautionary measure. I will call tomorrow to hear the results of that but I'm sure everything is perfectly fine.

All and all everything in the White House is hunky-dory. Harmony, the cat from hell, is still keeping us in line. Picture taking has been pretty limited lately. Maybe summertime will provoke me to use the camera a little more. As always, leave us some comments so we know people are actually checking in on us!

2009-01-20T14:12:00.000-06:00

Our big girl went to the doctor today for her 2 year check up. No shots were involved, thank goodness! Doc says it's time to get rid of the "paci" and we need to start giving her regular milk instead of chocolate. I'd disagree with him if he didn't have 5 of his own kids. He says she's a big girl now and we need to begin treating her like one. Maybe we'll start next week (insert pouty face here). Doc says she's growing nicely. She weighs 24 pounds, dressed with no shoes, and she is 34 and 3/4 inches tall. So, once again she is in the 80th percentile for height and 15th percentile for weight. Tall, skinny, blonde haired and blue eyed. How many boys will Steve kill before it's over?

Chloe is turning 2!

2009-01-15T16:00:00.000-06:00

Yippie!

2009-01-14T23:16:00.000-06:00

I had a great birthday celebration 6 days early! Thanks!

What We Are Doing These Days

2009-01-13T02:37:00.003-06:00

It's been a while since I've gotten on here and updated everyone so here goes:

Chloe will be 2 in 6 days! I can't believe how quickly these past two years have flown by us. She is a very active little girl. She always has something to say. She has a wonderful imagination. Earlier tonight she was making Mickey Mouse and Goofy eat pretend ketchup soup. It was hilarious! She plays all day with her kitchen. She loves to help me do laundry by throwing the clothes in the washer and yelling at them to "Get in there". She goes to the doctor for her 2 year check-up on the 20th. I'm thinking she's 34 inches tall and 23 pounds but we'll see how right or wrong I am soon.

Harmony continues to lay on our laps, make "biscuits" on our bellies and legs, bite the boys, remind us when it's time for his canned food in the evenings, run and hide from anything that rolls along the floor (even the broom). He still hates visitors. He's tolerant of Chloe but he will slap her when she yells at him to "wake up! wake up!" when he feels it's needed.

Justin made the "A B honor roll" at school for this past 9 weeks. That was quite a surprise for us, coming from the kid who wasn't doing his homework because "it's boring". He's not playing basketball this year because of some misbehavior but he is looking forward to baseball season in the Spring.

Mike is being homeschooled after getting himself into some trouble with people (who he found were not his friends) from the junior high he had been attending. We are very disappointed with the Montgomery school system. It's sad when hardly any of the public schools are meeting the minimum requirements. Homeschooling seems to be going well so far. Math hasn't gotten too hard as of yet. Mike has also started going to Tae Kwon Do classes twice a week. He is loving it! His instructors say he is learning very quickly. He will have testing at the end of February so he can get his next belt. We are very excited that he has found something he really enjoys.

I have been having fun spending time with my new "mommy" friends that I met through a local playgroup. I have met lots of wonderful women and have become friends with quite a few of them. The only drawback is that a lot of them are military and will be leaving eventually. We've already had to say goodbye once but the upside to that is that her mom lives right down the street. We still get to see her and her daughter when they come home for a visit. I've made some great friends and I feel really blessed to have these women there for support and friendship. Other than that all I can say about myself is that I have found a new love of learning while homeschooling. I wish I would have paid more attention when I was in school. History is so interesting to me now. Maybe I'm just a dork. Speaking of being a dork; I can't wait for the Sims 3 to come out in February. I never thought I could be so excited about a stupid computer game but it's so much fun!

Steve is finally better after a month of being sick with a very nasty, very stubborn sinus infection. I think today was the first day he has been able to breathe through his nose. He's working hard at work and at home (as usual). He's getting ready to build some more cabinets for the kitchen. I'm very excited about that! After such a hard year last year I am hoping 2009 brings him nothing but happiness. Chloe keeps him busy with back rides through the house and trips outside to "touch trees" (which is just an excuse to go outside and walk around for a bit). I'm hoping he can get back into his photography and work on his website. He does such a wonderful job with that stuff.

I'll end this with saying, "I hope this finds everyone healthy and happy." Leave us some comments on the blog so we know people are actually checking in on us!

Through a Little Boy's Eyes

2009-01-02T21:28:00.002-06:00

You were everything a boy wants in a father
larger than life
A Superman
You could outrun a go-cart bare footed
Break Craftsman sockets with the turn of your wrist
A Messiah
dispensing wisdom from a leather recliner
A Craftsman
Never a drawing, just a pile of wood and then, a table, a shed, a wooden toy
A Rebel
With the stories that always left out the good parts
Never backed down
You were up and gone before I awoke and I was fast asleep before you turned in
But you always had time for me
and my questions
Through a little boy's eyes you were the greatest man who ever lived.
and through a man's eyes, you still are
A father
A mentor
A friend

written by Steven Scott White on December 31, 2008

We miss you, Dad...

We Went Green

2008-12-24T11:41:00.000-06:00

We decided to save a tree or two and send out emails instead of cards. Hope this finds everyone happy and well! Merry Christmas from 19 Brantwood Drive!

Happy Birthday To Me!

2008-12-24T10:43:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving 2008

2008-12-01T16:47:00.002-06:00

Thanksgiving was so much fun this year! It is very rare that we are all able to get together at the same time. Here are some pics:

Pooh Bear Needs Sugar Cookies

2008-11-22T23:16:00.000-06:00

Chloe decided Pooh Bear needed to try his hand, ok paw, at eating sugar cookies. She had some so she decided to share. She must love Pooh Bear because Chloe very rarely shares her food.

Halloween Party at Our House!

2008-10-23T16:46:00.002-05:00

We had a Halloween party for our playgroup friends today! It was so much fun! All the little ones looked so adoreable in their costumes. I'm so glad Momma, Shauna, Angel and Dustin were here for the party!

Dustin's first Halloween Party

2008-10-23T16:19:00.000-05:00

As you see, in the picture below, Dustin is not yet impressed with the concept of Halloween parties. He'll come around next year, I'm sure!

Dustin is 2 weeks old!

2008-10-14T01:46:00.001-05:00

Our sweet little nephew turned 2 weeks old on Sunday. He is absolutely gorgeous!

Our Playdate Friends

2008-10-02T18:40:00.002-05:00

If anyone has been wondering what Chloe and I have been doing with our time this slideshow will answer that question. I am so glad I joined this playgroup (through Meetup.com). Chloe and I have both made some friends. Playdates make the day go by quicker and Chloe seems so happy to have some friends her age. Below are pictures of our playdate friends.

Zoo Trip

2008-09-27T16:36:00.001-05:00

Chloe and I went to the Montgomery Zoo with our playgroup. We have made some great friends through this playgroup. I'm so glad I joined up!

Justin's Football Game

2008-09-27T16:03:00.000-05:00

this was from a few weeks ago:

Always a Lady

2008-09-16T17:22:00.000-05:00

Below is a picture of our precious Chloe playing at Trudy and Lyndee's house. (Trudy and Lyndee are our new friends whom we met through our playgroup) I'm so proud that my daughter always behaves as a lady.

Chloe, Ducks and Geese

2008-09-11T15:44:00.002-05:00

I took Chloe to the Montgomery Museum of Fine Art again today. She actually fed a few of the geese this time. The geese got a little too close for Chloe's taste. These geese are not shy by any means. They will take bread right out of your hand! As you will see, I saw some little ducklings and got carried away but how cute they were...

Pretty girl

2008-09-07T20:05:00.000-05:00

Just thought I'd put this gorgeous picture of our pretty girl on here.

I'll have some pics of Justin's first football game of the season on here within the week.

Party at Granna's!

2008-09-05T15:41:00.002-05:00

There was a big 'ol bash up in Ball Ground! Here are some pictures:

Mikey turns 13!

2008-09-05T15:35:00.001-05:00

Short Pensacola Trip

2008-08-23T20:03:00.002-05:00

Steve and I took Chloe down to Pensacola for a visit. Steve had to work down there and the boys didn't get to go because it was during the week. The trip got cut short because of the impending storm. Aside from all of those things the trip was great. We stayed at Aunt Ro's house and got to eat yummy food and play with little boys all over the place! I had the best time watching Chloe play with her cousins, Zachary, Nick, and Jacob. Zachary is a very smart little boy who knows a lot about the world at his ripe old age of 4, what with him being in school and all now. He has a lot to say about things once he warms up to you. Nick enjoys the company of his NaaNee (that's the best way I know to spell it so it doesn't sound like "nanny") and wasn't sure what to think about me talking to him. He most especially didn't know what to think about NaaNee having a little girl sit in her lap on his time. He seemed to be easily convinced to eat something if he was told it had chips and cheese in it. Jacob was just a doll! He snuggled me like he has known me his entire 7 months. I loved getting drooled on and having my hair pulled. He has a tooth that just popped out and there seemed to be a few more that are going to be following quickly. I really want to kick myself because I didn't get a single picture of the kids playing together. I'll get some when I go back. Chloe loved Aunt Ro (especially when Nick got there). Chloe also fell in love with Uncle Tommy. She climbed up in his lap every time he sat down. Staying at Aunt Ro and Uncle Tommy's was like being at a home away from home. It's always nice to know you have wonderful family who will welcome you with open arms. Steve and Uncle Tommy talked woodshop, of course. They have a lot in common, it seems. Our visit with Granny and Aunt Donna was short, unfortunately. I was glad that I remembered to get the camera out then. Chloe loved running around Granny's house playing and saying "eat" every 2 minutes. It was fun to watch Granny beam like sunshine while she watched Chloe play. There was a first that happened while we were there. Chloe told Granny, "Bye bye. I love you." She had never before said "I love you" to someone before. I'm glad I got to see Aunt Donna and the girls but it didn't last long enough. We didn't get to see Uncle Michael at all and that was very upsetting. But, like I said, I'm going back soon. There were also lots of others that I didn't get to see. I saw Ricky very briefly but had to run. There is never enough time. Anyway, here's a slideshow of some pics:

Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts

2008-08-19T15:31:00.002-05:00

I took Chloe to the museum this morning and she behaved so well. Here are some pictures:

Kids at the park

2008-08-19T14:42:00.001-05:00

These pictures are about a month old but I love them.

The Corn Goblin

2008-08-15T00:33:00.000-05:00

Chloe loves to eat corn on the cob. See for yourself:

Janae: Gormet Chef in the Making

2008-08-15T00:14:00.001-05:00

Janae has been here with us for a few weeks! I've really enjoyed the time we've had while she's been here. For her momma and step-dad's anniversary Janae made them dinner! She made homemade lasagna and it was delicious! I took a picture of Janae with her masterpiece so everyone could see what a wonderful job she did! If only everyone could have tasted it!

Cleaning Granna's Window

2008-08-03T10:47:00.001-05:00

I found these pictures of Chloe and couldn't resist putting them on here. I think these were taken in November.

Chloe's 18 Month Check-up

2008-07-30T12:56:00.002-05:00

As ya'll can see in the picture up above, Chloe has done some serious growing since her first birthday. She went to the doctor this morning. She now measures 21 pounds 9 ounces(more than 15% of other girls her age), 33 inches tall(taller than 75% of girls her age), and her head circumference is 18 1/4 inches(bigger head than 45% of girls her age). In six months she has gained 2 pounds, grown 3 inches taller (WOW!!), and her melon has grown one inch. She does have a little cold but Doc says she's perfect. He was very impressed by her verbal abilities. She did have to get two shots and she was not happy. Janae went with us and had to leave the room when Chloe got her shots. We took Chloe to Chick-Fil-A afterwards to help her have a better day. I think playing around on the playground helped her forget her awful morning. She goes back in 6 months. I wonder how tall she'll be then!

Found this and thought of her

2008-07-29T08:11:00.004-05:00

I saw something today that instantly made me think of Grandmother. I know lots of others will agree: "Like an ever-blooming rose, the beauty she shared eternally glows, for each of us knows, she lives. "(no author was listed) Love to all.

Chloe is 18 months old!

2008-07-24T10:27:00.002-05:00

Chloe turned 18 months old on Saturday. We decided she deserved a cupcake and some ice cream. She found that she loves cake. She asks for it every day now.

The time has flown by so quickly. It seems like only yesterday when we brought her home weighing only 6 lbs and 15 oz. Now she's right around 22 lbs. Her hair was almost black and now it's very blonde. At five months old I remember her getting so mad because she couldn't get to where she wanted to be. She wanted to be able to get up and walk across the room to go get something that looked interesting. She had to rely on us to figure out what she wanted and go get it for her. Now we have to chase her around the house to stop her from getting everything she wants. She knows how to get water out of the refrigerator door (that's lots of fun, let me tell ya!). She knows where her clothes are and has an opinion about what she wants to wear. If we've been somewhere more than a couple of times she knows where we are as soon as we arrive. She amazes me every day with all the new things she has learned from the day before. She's the last baby in this house. All of her new accomplishments make me happy and sad at the same time. It will only progress further from here, I suppose. I can say, without a doubt, that I cherish every new day. She's amazing!

Summer Fun

2008-07-16T13:41:00.003-05:00

Downtown there is a Splashpad for kids to play on. I'm a member of a SAHM meet-up group and we met there today. Chloe had a blast and to top it all off, Janae was with us! Here are some pictures:

help find a missing tallassee man

2008-07-11T16:37:00.002-05:00

i'm not sure how many people will see this but if it helps one little bit it was worth it. go to www.helpfindjosh.blogspot.com he is missing from the tallassee/montgomery area. thanks.

A Great Lady

2008-07-09T13:32:00.000-05:00

Sorry I haven't updated in such a long time. So much has happened since January. I've been putting this off for quite some time. It still seems so strange that the world can keep spinning and the sun can keep shining without Grandmother's being here. Those of you who knew her understand that statement. For those of you who didn't know her, I will explain... Dorothy Owen was the type of person who could walk into a room full of dull and boring and make it come to life. She had this aura that expanded and spread to everyone else in the room. You couldn't be in a bad mood around her. She always made things seem better. She looked and acted 20 years younger than she really was. She had such a presence. To me, it seemed that her presence was the very force that was making the world go round. We all miss her so much. It's painful to be typing all of this. I guess that's why I've put it off for so long. Everyone has to go, or so we're all told, but I wish she could still be here so Chloe could know, first hand, how much Grandmother loved her. Even though she is not physically here I take comfort in knowing that she is watching out for us every day. Her daughter knows this better than anyone else. Chloe has all the same wonderful qualities as her great-grandmother who, at 77 years old, danced in the hospital's maternity waiting room from excitement over Chloe's impending birth. So, when we miss our mother, wife, grandmother, sister, aunt we can look at Chloe because Dot lives on through her.

Grammy's In Heaven!

2008-01-29T18:43:00.000-06:00

Shauna and Angel are here for a visit. Momma brought them over to our house this afternoon. Momma was in heaven having both of her little girls to play with. The sweetest moment was when Angel reached out, grabbed my face and leaned in to give me a great, big smooch right on the mouth!! I just melted into the floor. She is almost 5 months old and is already getting up on her hands and knees trying to crawl. It was amazing watching her play with Chloe's toys. She concentrates so hard to make them do what she wants them to do. She is brilliant (of course, she is my niece)! We are all going to have our pictures made on Saturday. It's gonna be so much fun!!

Exciting news from North Carolina!

2008-01-27T16:57:00.000-06:00

My cousin Janae just called and told me that she and her cheerleading squad are going to Nationals in Myrtle Beach!! They will have a series of events that will be on February 9, March 7-9, and the final event will be March 14-16. Janae is so excited and we are so excited for her! I'm so proud of her and I wanted everyone to know about this exciting event in Janae's life!

Poppa's Message

2008-01-21T15:26:00.000-06:00

As most of you know, this family has suffered a terrible loss. Our beloved husband, dad, poppa, son-in-law, brother-in-law and all around great story teller passed on two days after his 65th birthday. Chloe's first birthday came, bittersweet, a few days ago. It snowed that day. I thought it was pretty cool to have snow on her first birthday. I saw Steve, with tears in his eyes and thought, "he must be thinking about something he and Dad did in the snow years ago". I was very wrong. Yesterday Steve handed me a piece of paper and said he wrote a poem about Chloe's first birthday. What he wrote reminds me that even though we can't see Poppa, he can see us. And he's watching us everyday.

On a chilly January Morning
thinking of my little girl
and the greatest man I've ever known
out the window I saw it coming down
white like his hair
Covering everthing
in the trees
on the ground
gently like a blanket
arms wrapping around
and I whispered into her ear
We made pictures on that day
with her surrounded
safe and secure
Years from now she'll look at the pictures
and say
Daddy, tell me again
and I'll say
Poppa made it pretty for your birthday

Lunch With An Old Friend

2007-12-19T16:16:00.000-06:00

Chloe and I had lunch at Red Robin with a friend of mine from high school. Chloe had a great time as usual. She blew Melissa away with her dazzling smile and wonderful "coloring" abilities. It was nice to get out of the house and catch up with a friend!

'Tis The Season

2007-12-16T17:50:00.000-06:00

We just had carolers. We'll, I did anyway. The boys aren't home, Steve was working out in the garage (getting all buff!) and Chloe was out shopping with my momma. It makes me wonder...are we supposed to give them something in return (like a donation) or is it just for fun?

Vacation '07

2007-12-09T16:44:00.000-06:00

I know that some of the slideshows stopped working a while back. Here are some pictures from our vacation to the mountains...

Oh My Goodness!!

2007-12-09T16:37:00.000-06:00

Ya'll, I just realized that I never put up a slideshow of Momma's 5oth birthday party. She may kill me for putting a couple of these pics on here but oh well...I'm sure it's not the worst thing I ever did! Ya'll enjoy...

Surgery

2007-12-02T12:32:00.000-06:00

Hi, all. I am feeling pretty fine, considering. I appreciate all of the phone calls of concern. Steve has been wonderful! He's been taking care of Chloe, the house, the cat, me and come tonight he'll be looking out for Mike as well. Mike is going to be a huge help in the afternoons after homework is done. I miss Justin. I'm looking forward to all of the visitors I will be having this week! Love to all!!

Oh, Lord!

2007-11-26T15:59:00.000-06:00

Ya'll, Steve fixed it so that I can change colors, fonts and templates on the blog. Things will never be the same again! :) Anyway, in the spirit of Christmas, I have edited the colors accordingly. I hope everyone likes it!

BTW:I'm gonna try to figure out what happened to all of our slideshows. Something with PictureTrail, I think...

ChloeCam

2007-11-18T08:31:00.000-06:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that ChloeCam is, once again, up and running. Steve fixed whatever problem it was having and moved it to her toy room. I've arranged her toys so that most of them are in view of the camera. This way anyone who is watching will be able to watch her in action. She now knows that the buttons on her toys make music so she will push them and "dance" along with the songs (most of the time). She is saying a few words: snack, Da Da, uh oh, no, and I believe she said cat the other day. Steve is going to show me how to turn the sound on and off so that maybe I can turn it on during the daytime while she plays. We'll see, though. Having my phone calls and things broadcast over the internet seem a little invasive at times. I hope everyone enjoys watching Chloe as she plays!

Justin's 3 Awards

2007-11-14T10:59:00.000-06:00

Justin earned 3 awards at his awards ceremony for the first 9 weeks of school. He reached his AR reading point goal (which means he read a lot of book and passed tests on them), he had perfect, perfect attendance and he had all A's and B's on his report card! Way to go Justin!!!

Chloe's First Vacation

2007-11-14T10:53:00.000-06:00

Chloe had a great time on vacation. It was the first time she has ever had her daddy with her all day for several days in a row. She seemed very pleased!

Justin's 11th Birthday Party

2007-11-14T10:40:00.000-06:00

Justin had a very nice birthday party. A ton of his friends came. They spent most of the party playing football but managed to squeeze in a little cake time.

What Moms Say

2007-11-12T17:14:00.000-06:00

This is freakin' hilarious!!!

Oh, the games!!!

2007-10-08T14:15:00.000-05:00

The boys are doing really well with football and soccer!

Justin's game on Saturday night was won 19 to 0 in Wetumpka. His team has only lost one game all season. They will be playing the Seminoles here in Montgomery this coming Saturday around 6:30pm. They're gonna put a whoopin' on 'em!

Mike's team won their game Saturday morning 3 to 0. Since the first game they played was just a practice game they haven't lost a game yet! He only has two more games left to play. The Cosmos will be the last team played. I have a feelin' it's gonna get rough out there that day since we lost to them in the practice game. Our team has come such a long way since that very first week so I think it will be easy for the kids to take 'em over!

Chloe is doing just great. She's excited to be able to crawl all over the house and get into everything. She's eating anything and everything I put in front of her. She just won't hold her bottle or sippy cup. She's really coming into her own with an attitude that you wouldn't believe. She has a temper that won't quit when she's mad. She says "snack" all the time now. Everything is a snack.

Harmony had a little adventure last night. He was outside in the backyard for a little over an hour with no supervision after the trash was taken out. It was kinda scary for everyone, really. We were getting a little bit worried but Steve finally found him by the privacy fence. He's been a little clingy today.

Steve and I are looking forward to vacation in a couple of weeks. It will be nice to be able to see him get to kick back and relax. We're going to the Biltmore House this year. (Can't wait to taste all that wonderful wine since I won't be preggo this time!)

I hope this finds everyone well. Let us know how ya'll are doing!

Boys and their games

2007-09-24T16:08:00.001-05:00

Here is an update on soccer and football:
Justin played Prattville last Saturday (September 15). Unfortunately they lost that game. He had no game this weekend but will play Eclectic on Saturday night. I've got a good feeling about that game!

Mike played Hall, Holt, McDuffey on Saturday morning at 9. They won 3 to 2!!! Those kids were so exicted! It was a really great game played by all. Mike will have his next game on Thursday night at 7:15.

Give us a comment if you stop by the blog...

Getting older

2007-09-24T16:05:00.000-05:00

Chloe is getting older so quickly. She turned 8 months old last Wednesday. I posted a slideshow a couple of months ago of her month by month. Here it is again with two new pictures added on:

Classic Cadillac vs. Cosmos

2007-09-15T13:24:00.001-05:00

Mike had his first soccer game at 10am this morning. The score was 2 to 5. Unfortunately we were the 2. The other team has been a team for the past 5 years or so. They have won the championship for the last 5 years as well (so I'm told). I think our little team of 9 kids played really well! Mike kept the other team from scoring twice!

Steve's 36th Birthday

2007-09-15T13:05:00.000-05:00

I thought everyone might enjoy this picture of Steve on his birthday. The papers in is hands are tickets to see Colin Hay on September 20th. He was really excited about that. Thanks to Mom I was able to pull those off as a surprise! I've never been able to surprise him like that before. It was fun!

on the move

2007-09-14T13:37:00.000-05:00

i forgot to mention to everyone that chloe started crawling on september 12. can you believe it!?! i'm so proud of her. harmony is not.

football

2007-09-14T13:35:00.001-05:00

i've had some folks tell me they have problems seeing the smilebox slideshow. here's a picturetrail slideshow that everyone should be able to see...

Tallassee vs. Millbrook

2007-09-10T18:49:00.001-05:00

Click to play | Make your own Smilebox

Mike's 12th Birthday

2007-09-06T10:27:00.001-05:00

Here are some pictures of Mike's birthday party:

Angelina Rose McInnes

2007-09-05T08:57:00.000-05:00

Angelina Rose McInnes was born on September 2, 2007 at 3:18pm. She weighed 8lbs 12.5oz and was 20 1/2 inches long. She has long legs and thick, blonde hair. She shares her birthday with her Aunt Kim! It was awesome of Shauna and Danny to share this very private moment with Rose (Danny's mom), me and Momma. I felt very privileged to be present for such a precious event in Angel Baby's life. I took several pictures after she was born and put together a slideshow for all to see:

CHINA!!!!!!

2007-08-27T12:08:00.000-05:00

I have china!!!! Oops, I mean, we have china. Anyway, I just love it! I have the greatest in-laws in the whole universe!

Chloe's new toys

2007-08-13T13:08:00.001-05:00

As you all know, Chloe is growing up very quickly. We realized she needed some "big girl" toys. The following pictures show her enjoying these new developmental playthings.

Cool Slideshows!

So much stuff!!!!

2007-08-10T15:15:00.000-05:00

Well, the summer has come to an end. Justin started school yesterday and Mike will start Monday. Chloe is almost 7 months old. Harmony is almost 2 years old. Steve and I will be celebrating our 2nd wedding anniversary on the 27th. Mike will be 12 on the 29th. Justin has his first football game on September 8th. We will be traveling to Georgia on the 24th. Grandad is having a birthday on the 28th. My momma is turning 50 on Monday. My sister is due to have little Angelina Rose in a couple of weeks. There is so much going on it is making my head spin! I can't wait to get some pictures of Justin in his uniform and put them up for all to see! I'm so excited about his first game! I hate that we have to miss Alison's baby shower but I'm sure she's a kind enough friend to understand. Anyway, if I don't post anything for while ya'll know why. If I do post some stuff then just know that my house must be messy because I'm being a computer zombie. Love ya'll!!

Chloe's growing up

2007-07-28T03:56:00.000-05:00

I can't sleep so I've been looking at pictures. Chloe is growing up so quickly. Too quickly. I thought I'd put this slideshow together of her from before she was born up until now. Ya'll have probably seen all of these pictures but I don't think you'll mind.

Cool Slideshows!

Chompers!

2007-07-27T18:31:00.000-05:00

Chloe has her first tooth!!!! I felt it today while we were standing in line getting school supplies. We're so excited!! I can't wait to see how quickly (or slowly) the other ones start coming in!

6 month check-up

2007-07-25T15:40:00.000-05:00

I forgot to let everyone know about Chloe's 6 month check-up. She had so much fun ripping up the paper on the exam table. She didn't really cry all that much when she got her shot. I'm so proud of my brave little girl! She weighs 16lbs 1oz and is 26 1/2 inches long! She's getting bigger by the second! Before you know it we'll be paying for a wedding. *sigh* Where does the time go?

A Princess Pool Party!

2007-07-25T15:19:00.000-05:00

Chloe went to her first pool party on Sunday! Our little cousin Lexi turned 2. She had her birthday party at Aunt Patty's house. For those of you who don't know, Aunt Patty is Lexi's Maw Maw. Everyone had a really great time. Chloe didn't really care for the pool all that much but she did have fun. We didn't ever think we'd get the pinata to bust. I think everyone at the party took a couple of swings at it. Make sure you take a good look at the picture of the cake. It was absolutely gorgeous!! Lexi got lots of little girly dress up things. By the time the party was winding down Lexi and Chloe both were completely worn out! Next party up: my momma's!!

Cool Slideshows!

Half a year celebration!

2007-07-19T16:40:00.000-05:00

Chloe is six months old today!! She learned to sit up on her own about 3 days ago. She looks so cute sitting up playing with her toys like she's all grown up. She and I decided it was a nice day to play in the back yard for a while. I took some pictures:

Cool Slideshows!

Shauna's shower for Angelina Rose

2007-07-12T00:01:00.000-05:00

I gave my sister a baby shower. We had such a great time! I took some pictures for all to see:

Cool Slideshows!

Sleep-over Party

2007-06-29T10:09:00.001-05:00

The boys had some friends over Tuesday night. They all had a good time. Harmony wasn't happy about it but he dealt with it. Chloe enjoyed having all the extra "brothers" around for her entertainment. I took some pictures:

Cool Slideshows!

Terrible Loss

2007-06-21T13:46:00.000-05:00

A very dear friend of mine passed away today. She was really more than a friend. She was my family for 8 years. She was a Great-Aunt to Mike and Justin. Her name was Angie Gates. She went to sleep last night and never woke. She was only 43 years old. I guess the autopsy will show what went wrong. The boys are handling this pretty well, I'm actually very surprised how well they are taking it. They were right next door to her house at their Great-Grandma's house and they saw the ambulance pull up. Her husband found her. She leaves behind two sons, ages 15 and 16. One was at camp and the other still asleep in his bed. I don't know what those boys will do without their momma. She loved her boys so much. She helped me a lot when my boys were little. I have lots of great memories of Angie. She held countless Tupperware parties for me when I sold that junk. One Christmas, just for kicks, she got me a pair of size 4X panties. It was hilarious! I didn't get to spend much time with her in the last few years. She didn't have any bad feelings for me after I divorced her nephew. She just told me I'd always be family to her. She was one of the most genuinely nice people I've ever met. I sure will miss her...

Chloe's 5 months old

2007-06-20T14:54:00.000-05:00

Chloe turned 5 months old yesterday. I can't believe how fast life is moving. It seems like yesterday when I was watching the boys meet their new baby sister for the first time. Now every day she is eating a jar and a half of baby food, two servings of baby cereal and usually 27 ounces of formula. It's unbelieveable the amount of food she puts away. She may look like her daddy but she eats like a Brock woman! We went and got the girl some size 9 months clothes today. Her torso is too long for 6 month one piece outfits. Shirts, shorts and dresses in a 6 month size still fit ok, though. (Thank God!) I weighed her yesterday and she's 15lbs. 6oz. She gained 2lbs. 6oz. in a month!! I took some pictures yesterday. Here they are:

Father's Day 2007

2007-06-18T12:01:00.000-05:00

Father's Day was fun. Daddy came over with Momma and my brother, David. I made lasagna for dinner. After dinner Daddy and David went to see Fantastic 4. We missed the boys like crazy! Steve enjoyed his first "real" Father's Day. He spent most of the day outside fixing up our back porch. He's done a really good job out there! He closed the rafters in and made it look like a ceiling and installed a ceiling fan. His grill is out there, too. All the porch needs now is a little touch up paint and it's finished! I'm so proud of him! I took some cute pictures so here they are:

Angelina (again)

2007-06-17T12:04:00.000-05:00

I just can't get my niece out of my head!! I thought I'd put this ticker up to help everyone who is interested see how she is developing!

Chloe loves Pooh Bear

2007-06-17T11:08:00.000-05:00

I had to share this picture with everyone! Chloe was playing in her bed with Pooh and fell asleep with her hand still on his foot. Too cute!

Diaper Change

2007-06-13T10:03:00.000-05:00

The boys changed Chloe's diaper for the first time. The pictures didn't turn out all that wonderful but it is still so funny! They didn't get the diaper on her in time and she got Mike's hand wet. He washed his hands so hard I thought he's rub the skin right off of them! Chloe got a pretty good kick out of it. She smiled and laughed the whole time. Justin thought it was pretty funny, too!

Carrots, carrots!

2007-06-13T09:58:00.000-05:00

My niece, Angelina Rose!

2007-06-13T09:42:00.000-05:00

I am so excited! My sister, Shauna, called and said that she had a second ultrasound and found out her baby is a GIRL!!! Her due date is August 31. I am so excited! Wait, I already said that! Oh well! I can't help it! The excitement is just too much!! I'm giving her a baby shower on June 23 at her apartment in Milton. Ok, well, I guess I don't have anything else to say. Thanks for reading my ramblings!

How it really went down

2007-06-09T17:15:00.000-05:00

Mike caught the bouquet the first time I threw it. I threw it again and I wasn't sure who would win the battle. Mrs. Rose looked like she wasn't going to give up but Janae meant business. I thought it was a nice memory and wanted to share it with everyone.

Feeling a little nostalgic

2007-06-09T17:07:00.000-05:00

I was looking at our wedding photos and decided to post some on here. I hope ya'll enjoy them...

Aunt Sherry's 50th July 2006

2007-06-05T15:56:00.000-05:00

These are some pictures from Aunt Sherry's 50th birthday party! We had so much fun! I can't wait until Momma's in August!

Mother's Day

2007-06-05T15:27:00.000-05:00

Now that I know that I can put PhotoFlicks on here I will be adding pictures like crazy! I always have such a hard time picking just one or two pictures. I always hated trying to type things when I added more than one picture. Yippie!!!

These are some pictures from Mother's Day! Oh, I am so excited! Now I can add pictures from my sister's baby shower and Momma's birthday that are coming up! Oh, I can add pictures from Aunt Sherry's birthday party last summer!

Pictures from Memorial Day cookout

2007-06-05T15:03:00.000-05:00

Generations

2007-06-04T10:49:00.000-05:00

I just had to put this very special picture on here for everyone to see. It's always great to have four generations together. This is a little bittersweet though. We all miss Big Mama. It would've been great to have five generations together. I only saw her 3 times but she really left quite an impression on me. She was a great lady who raised a great family. She is missed everyday. She left this world two days after Chloe's birth. I can just envision my granny's spirit encircling Chloe for two days and Big Mama joining in the moment she passed. I don't want to make anyone sad. I just find the impact she had on me amazing and I thought it would be wrong to not mention her when posting this picture.

Memorial Day Weekend

2007-06-04T10:15:00.000-05:00

Everyone had a blast Memorial Day weekend! We all got together for a cookout at "the big White house". Dad cooked up some delicious hamburgers and hot dogs. Mom had a huge spread inside of anything you would ever want to eat. Grandmother and Grandad enjoyed Chloe's company. Steve, Jarrod and Mitch had a good time playing with the boys outside (even though Jarrod broke and dislocated his left ring finger). Alison looked wonderful while being around 4 1/2 months along with little Ella (or Nolan). I myself enjoyed every second of every day we were there. It was a wonderful weekend! We can't wait to do it again for the 4th of July.

Go Braves!!

2007-06-01T13:42:00.000-05:00

On May 25 we all went to a Braves game! The boys were so excited because it was the first time they had ever been to see the Braves play. Jarrod, Alison and Conner met us there. We all didn't get to sit together but we had fun walking the kids around before the game started. The boys got to see how fast they could pitch. They also got to swing at a few balls at the batting cages. We ended up losing the game but we were still all just as excited to be there. There were fireworks afterwards and they were nice. Chloe spent the evening with Granna and Papa. I'm sure Trey and Kyra helped take care of her. Chloe behaved herself nicely and entertained the whole house with her gorgeous smile.

We have some family pictures from Memorial Day weekend but I don't know how to get them off of Steve's camera. I'll have to get him to show me how. These are pictures I've been wanting since January 19th so I don't want to mess around and lose them. I'll post them on here this weekend (hopefully).

We are looking forward to the 4th of July! Steve and I will be going to another Braves game. Unfortunately the boys won't be with us this time. There will be another cookout at "The Big White House". It's gonna be great!

We are also very excited about the upcoming birth of our first niece or nephew! My sister, Shauna, is due August 31st! I'm giving her a baby shower on June 22 at her apartment. She's pretty sure it's a girl but the ultrasound wasn't 100%. We'll see! I think it's a boy.

We are also gearing up for Momma's 50th birthday on August 13th! It's going to be a total blast!

Steve is looking forward to his first real Father's Day. He's celebrated two Father's Days already but this one will be really real for him. With Mike's adoption being final and Chloe being born I think it means a little bit more to him this time around.

Well, I suppose that's all for now. Chloe is in her swing and is starting to get bored.

Doctor Visits

2007-05-23T15:25:00.000-05:00

Mike and Chloe had a visit with Dr. Trumbull on Monday.

Chloe now weighs 13lbs 2oz and is 25 1/2 inches long.

Mike is 84 lbs and is 5' and 1/2 inch tall. I didn't know they would check a child's cholesterol. Mike's is 124 which is excellent.

Justin goes for his check-up in June. I'll keep ya'll posted!

Love, Justin

2007-05-13T00:01:00.000-05:00

Justin says hey, ya'll!

2007-05-12T23:56:00.000-05:00

Mike's class went on a trip to the Montgomery Zoo. These are a few of the things we got to see:

A momma duck and her 19 ducklings

A bear who wanted to show us his tongue

And a spider monkey who was just chillin'.

Of course, we were able to see many more animals such as elephants, chimps, and kangaroos but I really didn't want to load the blog down with tons of silly animal pictures.

The boys are looking forward to summer vacation. They only have one more week of school left and I think they are about to come out of their skin with anticipation!

Chloe is growing up so fast

2007-05-12T23:41:00.000-05:00

We went for a visit to see the folks Cinco de Mayo weekend. It was a blast! We went to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens with Jarrod and Alison that Saturday and visited with Grandmother, Grandad and Mitch at Mom and Dad's on Sunday. I've put a few pictures on here for all to see. Enjoy!

These two pictures show Chloe enjoying her yummy rice cereal.

This shows what we have to do after we eat our yummy rice cereal.
The next day was all fun and games with Grandmother (0r Granny O as the case may be).

It really was a great weekend. We are looking forward to coming back for a few days for a Memorial Day cookout. The boys will be able to join us this time around so it's going to be even better!

Checking it out...

2007-05-12T23:11:00.001-05:00

Just checking to see if I added myself in here right!