Just the Four of Us

Happy 6th Birthday, Taylor Bug!

2011-11-09T17:32:00.000-08:00

Oh my - it is so hard to prepare anyone for the realities of how quickly time will start to pass once you have children. It is so hard for me to fathom that Taylor is turning six. I can remember what it was like to hold her for the first time. Although I can't remember the exact feeling of giving birth, I can picture it in my mind as if it were yesterday. Seeing her for the first time and realizing that I was really a mom was a greater feeling than I can ever explain. She was so beautiful and perfect in my eyes. After only a very short time, I couldn't even imagine what life used to be like before her. As time passed, her personality really began to shine. For the most part, she was always loving and kind hearted. She was a sweet friend and made us laugh! We always talked about how funny she was. When Emma was born, Taylor changed in my eyes. She went from being my baby to being my little girl. Overnight it seemed as if she grew! She seemed so big once I had another little baby.
I am beyond proud to be Taylor's mom. She has brought me an abundance of joy. It's hard to believe that my little baby is reading by herself, writing by herself, and just becoming a little young lady. I'm proud that she loves Jesus and understands how much He loves her. I'm proud that she is still kind hearted and loves others. I'm proud of her for finally starting to try new things and to venture out a bit. I love it that she insists on brushing her teeth each night. I love it that she would still love for me to sleep with her if I would. I love it that she still loves to play with her Daddy. I love it that she tries to teach Emma new things. I love the way that she likes to sing and dance with me. I am proud that she behaves at school and tries her best always! I love her crafty side (I wonder where she gets that from - ha!). I love it that she loves things like Star Wars and Batman. I love the way that she loves her uncles and wants their attention. I love the way that she loves to travel and that hotels are her favorite. I love the way that she can stay on the beach all day long! I love the way that she loves to go camping.

Six years ago, I gave my heart away (for the second time - the first was when I married Jeremy)! I wouldn't trade these years for anything in my life. One of the best decisions that I ever made was to stop teaching and raise my baby. I am so thankful for that opportunity!

Happy 6th Birthday, to my oldest, sweet girl! I love you more than you'll ever know! You mean the world to me and always will. I promise you, Taylor, that even when you leave this house, I will NEVER leave you! (She has really gotten into writing notes to us. Several weeks ago, she wrote me a note about never wanting to leave my house. We had a discussion that she would probably want to leave one day. She just couldn't even stomach that point. SWEET girl!)

Two Years Already

2011-10-26T19:15:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that my precious little monkey is turning two years old already! I can still remember her grand entrance like it was yesterday! Emma has truly made our family complete. She makes us smile so many times each day. She is talking up a storm and some of the things that she says are so sweet. I love to hear her say "please" and "have a good day." I love the way that she wants for me to sing her Rock-A-Bye Baby a million times, substituting everyone's name for the word "baby." I love seeing her at school with a giant smile on her face just waving at me. I love watching her get excited about eating dinner. I love the way that she just goes with the flow...some days she has her regular nap, but if something else is planned, she just goes right along. She loves to ride her tricycle and wear her "hat" (helmet). She would play outside ALL day long if I would let her. She loves to play with baby dolls and stuffed animals. She lays them all out on the floor, pretends to feed them, sets them up at the table, puts them all to bed, etc. She is counting (in English and in Spanish).

She pretends to read books, pointing to each word as she reads. She loves playing with electronics. Believe it or not, she can work an Iphone or Smartphone like it's nobody's business. She likes to take pictures and record videos. She loves to play what Taylor is playing. On a good day, she'll play with Taylor for hours. She pretends to cheer like her big sister and loves to sit on the potty. (She has yet to do anything in the potty for me, but she likes to sit on it.) Emma doesn't like to be woken up in the morning. If she wakes up on her own, she's normally in a happy mood. She is the best medicine taker ever and loves music. She will sing and dance anytime! Emma kisses my boo boos and loves band-aids.

We are so thankful that God brought Emma into our lives. It is so amazing that He knows just what we need and he hand picks the people that He gives to us. Two years ago, God blessed us with a precious gift. We will forever be grateful! We love you, Emma, and wish you the happiest birthday ever!!!

Busy September

2011-09-11T07:07:00.001-07:00

We spent the first weekend of September in Destin, FL, for Jeremy's uncle's wedding. The weather was TERRIBLE because of the storm in the gulf. We did get a little bit of beach time one day, but that was about it. The girls enjoyed the wedding on the beach and we had a great time just being with family.

At the beginning of the month, the time finally came for Emma to head back to school with me. This year I went ahead and moved her to the two's class with Mrs. Lisa and Mrs. Shannon. I am so thankful for this decision for many reasons. I know that she will have so much more fun, learn so much, and the thought that she is with two of my favorite ladies is comforting! The very first day of school, she did great. She went right into her class and begin playing. I slipped away quickly and didn't even get to take a picture. No tears! I was so pleased. After school that day when I went to pick her up, she was so proud of the two stamps that she had received on her hands. I did manage to snap a picture after school! Day two - TEARS! Broke my heart. I'm sure that it only lasted a quick minute. You know that they like to pull at Mama's heart strings! Day three - NO tears! She is doing great. I've been told that even though she is the youngest one in both classes, that she is acting older than some of the others. She is drinking from a regular cup for snack and lunch with NO spills! I saw her walking down the hall one day, with Mrs. Lisa singing and Emma prancing right along! It was precious! I am looking forward to a wonderful year!

We also had dinner with my family. We were celebrating my brother's birthday as well as seeing him off for his second deployment. He will be headed to Kosovo for the next year (or more). We made sure to take a couple of pictures while we were there.

This month, Taylor started cheering for Upwards Sports at a local church. We practice once a week and have games every Saturday morning during the months of September and October. She is VERY shy at practice and at the games, but she is doing a great job learning her cheers and trying her best. I think that she's pretty precious out there myself. The past two Saturdays, my grandfather has spent the night at my grandmother's house so that they could come to Taylor's games on Saturday. They leave my grandmother's house pretty early to get here on time. They honestly spend more time driving than they even spend at her game, but they love it! She's tickled that they love her that month. My grandmother commented this past weekend that Taylor looks just like me out there!

Another wedding...

This past week, we celebrated Jeremy's 34th birthday. We enjoyed dinner with family at Joe's Crab Shack...delicious!

Today we took our annual North Georgia State Fair trip. We loved meeting up with our friends, Matt, Melanie, Haleigh, and Ryan. I'm not sure that the fair would have been complete without them. They have been joining us for several years now. Taylor loves riding the rides with them! Emma did not enjoy her first two rides very much. After she cried on the carousel, she fell asleep in the stroller. She actually slept about an hour. After she woke up, she enjoyed the fair much more! I love watching the girls on rides.

My personal tradition is to take a picture of the girls on the carousel each year. I love looking back at those pictures from each previous year!

Taylor Bug's Carousel Pictures

Emma's Carousel Pictures

First Week of School

2011-08-07T06:38:00.001-07:00

The Monday before the first day of school (which was Wednesday), we were able to go to Sneak a Peek at Taylor's school. Thankfully she was placed in the teacher's room whom I had in a round about way requested. And to our surprise, our neighbor, Kristal, was also in there. Taylor and Kristal have been friends since in the womb. They have been our neighbors since we moved it and the girls were also in the same preschool class for the past two years. And here we were, in a public school, still in the same class. Although I want for her to breakout and meet some new friends, I do have to say that it was comforting to know that she wouldn't be alone in there (or on the bus)!!!

Well, we have survived the first week of school. It was actually only a three day week, but that was probably good. Taylor did wonderful on the first day of school. Jeremy, Emma, and I walked her in and got everything settled in her classroom. She acted as if she'd been doing it forever. She put her things away, found her seat, and begin working. I had to go and find her to even kiss her goodbye. No tears were shed on her part; however, after turning to walk out of her classroom, the water welled up in my eyes. I wasn't sobbing, just very teary eyed. It wasn't that I was scared about her school experience or that I was nervous about how she would react. I knew that she would do wonderful. I was just a bit heart broken that we have entered this phase in her life. My baby just keeps growing up and although it's amazing watching her turn into such a precious girl, I know that another phase only means that she's that much closer to being grown. 2:15 couldn't have come fast enough that day. Emma and I managed to stay pretty busy that morning, but when time came to leave to go and pick her up, I was ready. After a car rider line at school that lasted almost 30 minutes, she finally made it to our car. Bless her heart. Her drink had spilled in her lunchbox, onto her uneaten brownies, inside of her book bag. Soggy brownie mess was EVERYWHERE!!!!! It was a disaster.

On day 2, we decided that it was going to be faster for her to go ahead and start riding the bus home. She was dying to do this anyway and literally the bus made it by our house before we ever made it home on the first day. Emma and I walked her in. All was well again. She rode the bus home and did GREAT!
The night before day 3, Jeremy and I had been to a concert. We got home very late and there was no way that I was getting up early to take a shower. I decided that I would go ahead and drop her off instead of walking her in. She was thrilled with this decision. I dropped her off, entrusted her to an unknown teacher, and prayed that she would find her classroom! She found it and had a great day. At 2:30, I headed to the bus stop. Around 3:00, we begin to worry. The bus still hadn't come. It's estimated arrival time was supposed to be 2:45; however, on day 2, it showed up a little after 2:30. On this day, it was almost 30 minutes later than the previous day. After an attempt to call the transportation off with no answer, the bus finally arrived. Come to find out, the door of the bus had broken and they were stranded on the road before entering our neighborhood for God only knows how long. After sitting in the heat, waiting for a new bus, my baby's face was red and she was dying for something to drink. I felt terrible for those little ones. Ms. Sue, the driver, was very apologetic. Hopefully this coming week, there will be no disasters!

Thinking....

2011-07-25T08:08:00.001-07:00

It is hard to believe that exactly one week from today, we will be meeting Taylor's kindergarten teacher and touring her brand new school. I can still remember sitting in my kindergarten classroom and can still tell you the names of most of my elementary school teachers. I pray that the teachers who will enter into Taylor's lives over the next thirteen plus years will make a long, lasting POSITIVE impression on her. I pray that their hearts will be kind, caring, and loving, and that they will go above and beyond to meet the needs of every child in their classroom. Please think of us as we begin a brand new phase in our lives!

Happy 4th of July

2011-07-06T05:49:00.000-07:00

It was a rainy 4th of July out our direction this year. As usual, we headed over to the Marietta Square to celebrate. Once everyone arrived and the rain stopped, we left the parking deck and headed to the festivities. After a quick walk down the craft road, we ate dinner. During dinner, it was obvious that the bottom was about to let loose. We quickly took off to order our ice cream. After getting our ice cream, we met back up with Jeremy outside. It was VERY dark and police cars were driving in the square with their blue lights flashing, making announcements over their loud speakers about the approaching storm complete with dangerous lightening! It was a bit surreal. Jeremy, the girls, and I took off immediately to the parking deck. I knew how much drama would be involved if it started down pouring while we were still exposed! Taylor does NOT do well in situations such as these! We made it back safely and in plenty of time to avoid getting soaked. We enjoyed time with family and friends on the fourth floor of the parking deck and had a great, dry view for the fireworks that started right around 9:00 p.m. Taylor has always loved the fireworks. She sat in my lap during the show. Emma was a bit unsure at first. She like them but was a bit afraid of what was going on. She finally got into the groove. Uncle Nick held her and within a few minutes, she was thrilled with the display of colors! She was clapping and making comments of amazement! The girls and I were back home by 10:20 with both of them asleep in the car.

Back to the Beach...

2011-07-05T19:25:00.000-07:00

At the end of June, we headed back to Destin, FL, for a girls only trip! My mother-in-law (Becky), my mom, my friend, Teri, her daughter, Grace, and the girls and I took off to the beach for three short nights. As before, we had a great time...thankfully no disasters this time around! I'm so thankful that my girls love the beach!

While we were there, I had to force the girls to participate in a short photo shoot on the beach...not fun!!! At least we were able to get a few cute pictures from all of the drama!

We'll be headed back to the same place over Labor Day weekend for Jeremy's uncle's wedding! We're so thrilled! We LOVE the beach!

Sandy Days...

2011-06-02T16:52:00.001-07:00

We arrived home yesterday from our first beach vacation this year. We spent four nights in Destin, FL, with some of our best friends, the Harris Family! The trip did not begin as we had planned. On our way down, we stopped by Taco Bell for a super healthy lunch. While there, I opened the door to the restaurant across Taylor's toes on her right foot. To make a long, dramatic story short, we thought that we would be spending the beginning of our vacation in the ER for some toe repair! Thanks to my friend Teri and her friend who is a pediatrician, we decided that we could handle it ourselves. Many bandaids, neosporin, screaming and crying later, we survived the toe fiasco. The first few days in the sand were rough because of the open toe wounds, but we had a great time. Emma enjoyed the sand, water, pool, and Haleigh! Taylor enjoyed the sand, water, pool, and Ryan! We enjoyed days on the beach and dinners at night (a treat for Jeremy and I since we've been on Weight Watchers for about two months now). Our last night in town, we enjoyed a round of putt-putt! We always enjoy the time spent at the beach, especially with great company!

Pictures from our last trip to Destin are here. There are a couple of pictures that are so cute to compare!

One and a Half

2011-05-27T05:25:00.000-07:00

I am so behind on things. Emma turned 18 months old at the beginning of May! I didn't even realize it until a few days ago when I realized that it was about time for to have another check-up at the doctor. Today, she finally went for her 18 month old check-up (almost a month late)!

Emma is my spunky girl! She is very friendly when she wants to be. She's my child who will wave and say "hi" to complete strangers in the store or at a restaurant. She is my daredevil (at times). She will attempt to do things that are entirely impossible for her! She is the one who stands up for herself. She is not scared to tell other children "no" and if that doesn't work, she will physically let them know that she means business (not necessarily a good thing).

Emma loves to make people laugh. She will do things just to get your attention and get a laugh out of you. You has a very vivid imagination. She loves playing with stuffed animals and baby dolls. She takes very good care of them by wrapping them in her blanket, feeding them, etc. She loves to color....where ever she can...on the wall, couch, kitchen floor, etc. Balloons are one of her favorites...she can spot a balloon from a mile away...she calls them "balls." Emma loves to play outside and would prefer to go out as soon as we get up and never come back in. She loves to play with bubbles and has eaten quite a bit of soap trying to blow them herself. She is not super fond of the pool yet, but loves to play with water.

She is saying more words finally. She can say mama, dada, maw (for grandma), nana, eye, shoe, ball (for ball and balloon), up, yeah, no, uh oh, ta da, car, night night, and probably a few more that I have left out. She can also make a few animal sounds (elephant, puppy, cow, monkey, tiger). She can point to parts of her body (eye, head, hair, tummy, hands, feet, nose, mouth, ears, and tongue). The girl understands about 85% of what we say...she amazes me with that! She's a pointer and a mumbler. She likes to come and get me, take me where she wants me to go, show me something, and mumble unfamiliar words. She loves watching the Backyardigans, the Wiggles, and Curious George. She hates riding in grocery carts!

Right before my eyes, a year and a half have already passed! It amazes me how much faster time flies once you have children. On a daily basis, the hours can drag on, but looking back it all happens in the blink of an eye! Happy (late) 18 month Birthday, Sweet Monkey!

May 2011

2011-05-16T18:18:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that I have been so slack and not posted more these past few weeks. To put it mildly, things have been crazy busy around here as usual. I'm going to try to sum up the past month or so on this post, so...

During Spring Break, we headed up to Cleveland, Georgia, for a trip to Babyland General. They have opened a brand new facility and it was so nice. The house was beautiful and VERY spacious. The girls loved walking through and seeing all of the dolls, watching a baby be born, and enjoying endless time in the gift shop. It's so neat to be able to take your kids to places that you too went as a young child. This was Taylor's second trip there and Emma's first. Unfortunately, Taylor has never been a "baby doll" girl. Emma, on the other hand, LOVES baby dolls!!! She's such a good little mommy!

After leaving Babyland, we headed to a hotel in Dawsonville with an indoor pool for the girls to enjoy. We had a great time swimming and jumping between beds.

Before heading home the next day, we drove back to Dahlonega, Georgia, to go to an animal preserve there. To put it mildly, it was a waste of money. The most excitement we had there was watching a precious little baby tiger. Taylor wanted to pet him so bad, but the baby was too busy playing with his friends.

Easter came and went. We dyed eggs, made Easter shirts for school, enjoyed a morning at church, and spent the afternoon at Jeremy's Grandparent's house. Both girls LOVE hunting eggs!

At school this month, both girls had a BarnYard Friends Day. Animals were brought to our school and once again, the girls enjoyed feeding and petting them.

At the beginning of May, the four year old classes had Muffins for Mom. I enjoyed watching Taylor Bug sing and eating muffins in her classroom with her. She is so precious and I'm so proud to be her mom.

This past week was an eventful week at our house. On Wednesday, Taylor got her ears pierced. I'll spare you the details (it was ugly), but she wanted them done so bad...we finally made it through. She was VERY pleased with the results and loves her new pierced ears!

Taylor graduated preschool. She did a great job in her program and I was overjoyed when she proudly walked across the stage to receive her diploma. I can't believe that the time has already come for her to go to school without me!

Last week we visited Jeremy's family on the annual camping trip at the lake. The girls enjoyed being outside all day!

I think that this catches you all up. Saturday we're headed to the beach with the Harris family for some much need rest and relaxation (HA - we all know that the beach with young children is far from restful and relaxing)!!! More to come soon...

First Day of Spring Break

2011-04-05T05:56:00.001-07:00

This week we are finally on our Spring Break! I LOVE having a week at home with my babies! On Monday, we went to the zoo with some great friends! I decided to purchase a zoo pass this year and am so glad that I did. Taylor has always been an animal lover and at this point, I can assume that Emma will be too! We went last summer, but Emma was a bit too small to know what was going on. This year, she actually saw the animals, pointed, smiled, and made her grunting sound! I could tell that she enjoyed it too. I would have to say that both of my girls probably enjoy the petting zoo the best. Taylor has always loved petting and brushing the animals and Emma has followed right behind her. Emma acted as if she's been brushing those goats forever....she was a natural! We had a great day and can't wait to go back real soon!

It's Official...

2011-03-30T16:32:00.000-07:00

It's official...my baby girl is registered for kindergarten and will be at a new school, without Mama, starting in August! Taylor and I went this morning to registration. It was quick and painless since I had everything filled out beforehand and add all of the documents required. Taylor went with a kindergarten teacher for a quick screening and said that she knew everything. I was just proud that Taylor talked to her. I was afraid that she'd do the shy thing and they would think that she didn't know anything. Fortunately, the teacher said that she was actually very "outgoing." HA! Who would have thought?!? Two other teachers had already tried to talk have small talk with her and she wouldn't respond at all. Needless to say, I'm praying that we end up with the teacher who tested her. She is the only teacher that I know anything about since our friend, Ryan, had her last year. The "crazy teacher mama" in me has already sent her an e-mail to explain everything to her and to nicely ask how much say so she has in the creation of actual classes. We shall see! It will either turn out grand or she'll think that I'm NUTS! I'm praying that she takes it as a compliment! So...come August, I'll walk my baby into a school that I am very unfamiliar with and leave her there without me in the building....with tears rolling down my face!

Catching Up...

2011-03-18T12:49:00.000-07:00

Wow - I can't believe that it's been over two months since my last post. That's not like me at all! Since January, I guess we've been a bit busy. Between playing teacher, playing house, being sick, having sick kids, taking a class online, and starting a small new business, I guess it's safe to say that I really haven't had a lot of time to even think!

Our house has been full of germs! This winter, Jeremy got the flu and stayed in the bedroom for several days! Emma had tubes put in her ears at the end of January. All four of us had the stomach bug in one weekend. Emma got the croup for a few days. And currently, both girls have some sort of virus that they so lovingly shared! Aren't they sweet?

In January I began a series of three classes online to get my gifted certification. I have one more week of the first class to go. Thanks to the help of my one of my best friends and an awesome teacher, I have survived and learned a lot along the way! I will be all finished in December, so one-third of the way done! This will give me the opportunity to teach gifted classes and a bit more marketable in the job arena.

Also at the end of January, I became an independent consultant for Thirty-One Gifts. My cousin, Samantha jumped on board and to make a long story short, I jumped on under her! So far, I have done two home parties and two catalog parties. I have earned a little money, spent fun times with great ladies, and been able to purchase some great items for myself. I love these items and thoroughly enjoy getting people a GREAT deal. If you or anyone you know is interested in hosting a party, I would love to talk to you. You can earn great items for free and largely discounted. My website is http://www.mythirtyone.com/mandislatton/. If you aren't comfortable or live too far away to do a home party, we can always do a catalog party! I am addicted! :)

School for the girls and I is going fine. Our last day is May 17th and I'm thrilled about summer coming! I love my class at school and enjoy some time away from my angels, but the thought of not having to get up each morning, wake the girls up, and leave sounds wonderful! I'm ready for sunshine and swimming, riding bikes and playing with friends! The only sad part about the school year ending is that my biggest girl will not be returning with Emma and I next year. Yes, she will be in kindergarten! We register on March the 30th and this mama is NOT excited! I had always thought that she would go to kindergarten at the school that I was teaching at. I'm not quite sure why it never dawned on me that I may have another baby. I am SO thankful to be able to only work part-time and spend more time at home with my little ones, but my heart will be breaking when I have to send Taylor off by herself on August 1st to a school that I know NO ONE at! I know that she will survive. I know that children do this every year, but I will be a wreck! More to come on that later!

Both girls are doing great. They both had a check-up mid-February. Both of them got shots which was a disaster in itself! Taylor is a sissy and a drama queen which don't pair well for shots. Emma hates the doctor all around since the whole ear situation. Other than the lovely shots, both girls are physically perfect! (Because Taylor is so short, she is border line overweight - HA!) Taylor never ceases to amaze me. Her vocabulary throws Jeremy and I for a loop quite often. She says the funniest things and things about things quite differently. She always has on a band aid and is the pickiest eater I've ever met. She is doing a great job learning how to read and we have begun to read chapter books together at night. Emma is still my little snuggler. Her sense of understanding is amazing. The girl understands pretty much everything I tell her...if only she could talk. She has been saying more since the tubes, but is still far behind what Taylor said by this age. Because she understands so much, this even makes her more frustrated that she can't always tell me what she wants/needs. She's precious though. She likes to walk on her tip-toes and LOVES music! She goes to music class with the two year olds once a week at school. Although I haven't seen her in action, I've been told that she participates like the big kids. She eats mostly anything and drinks like it's going out of style. She loves crowds and loves attention.

Here are a few recent pictures...

Taylor decided that she was going to play with some of her "make-up." We had no plans to go anywhere, so I let her have at it. This is the end result! WOW!

A day at the park...

Daddy/Daughter Date Night at Chick-Fil-A

Taylor and Emma have played in this box for literally two months or more.

Cookout at Uncle Tommy's House - Thought this picture was neat...all three of us are in it!

Our girls both LOVE popsicles!

Drawing together...

Blizzard of 2011

2011-01-10T11:01:00.001-08:00

After watching out the window since last night, we decided to venture out into the ice and snow this afternoon. We couldn't believe when we got out there at the amount of ice! Looking through the window just looked like a beautiful blanket of snow...not so much! Taylor, of course, spent the whole time outside eating ice and snow. The boys threw snowballs, and Emma wasn't sure what to make of any of it!

Welcome Home, Nick!

2011-01-10T10:59:00.000-08:00

This past Friday, my youngest brother-in-law came home. He had arrived in Mississippi on December 31st. We were not able to see him until January the 7th. It was super cold, be we were all super excited for his return. Welcome home, Nick!!!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-29T12:39:00.001-08:00

Christmas morning was no different than any other morning (even though we were up very late)...we still rose at 6:30 (even Taylor)! The girls were both very excited about their gifts from Santa! They looked everything over and wanted things put together and batteries placed in every compartment!

Shortly after seeing our Santa gifts, Jeremy's mom, brother, and sister-in-law came over. We spent more time opening gifts and eating breakfast. We were later visited by my grandparents (Mimi and Papa) and my brother and his girlfriend (who later on that day became his "fiance"). We continued to open gifts and eat more breakfast! God brought us a little surprise Christmas morning - SNOW!!! :)

After everyone was gone, we spent a little time relaxing and preparing to head over to Jeremy's mom house for a late lunch with his extended family.

Upon our return home from Jeremy's mom's house....our house was covered with a blanket of beautiful snow!

We have so much to be thankful for this Christmas! We have the best families and friends! We are so thankful for their constant love and support! God is AWESOME and sent us the best gift of all - JESUS! Merry Christmas!

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

2010-12-29T12:30:00.001-08:00

Our Christmas Eve was super busy as usual...Jeremy's grandmothers, church, McDonough to my cousins house, back to Marietta to Jeremy's other grandmothers, then finally home for Santa to come. The girls were completely exhausted and went to sleep REALLY quickly!

Lights of Life

2010-12-27T06:35:00.000-08:00

Each year we head to Marietta to visit the Lights of Life at Life College. This year was no different. We loaded up the car and made the drive. Emma is not a good car rider; however, as soon as we arrived, she loved looking at the lights! She just smiled and pointed! It was so cute. There is a place to stop and park. They have all sorts of different things to look at, Santa, pony rides, roasting marshmallows, etc. We stopped for a few minutes to look at the different displays. Taylor loved this part and Emma just enjoyed being out of the car seat.

Here Comes Santa Clause...

2010-12-14T11:33:00.000-08:00

Jeremy and I took the girls to ride the infamous Pink Pig and visit Santa at Lenox Mall. This was Taylor's third time to ride the pig. My intention was to take her each year, but we've failed a few years. Of course, this was Emma's first time. Waiting in line with a 13 month old and no stroller (since they won't let you bring it) is NO fun! All Emma wanted was down. As soon as we put her down...off she went. When it was our turn to ride, Emma didn't know what to think. Taylor chose for us to sit at the very front (with her "driving" the train). Emma just sat patiently trying to figure our what was going to happen. During part of the ride, you got through two walls (one on each side) of mirrors. This was probably the one part that Emma thought was entertaining. This was when she smiled! As a child, I can remember riding the Pink Pig on the top of the building in downtown Atlanta. I can remember waiting in line in the typical "department store." Although the experience at Lenox, outside in a tent, on a train, is nothing compared to my memories, I love that the girls get to experience in at least some way some of the things that I experienced as a little girl.

After our ride on the pig, we went to see Santa. There were two little boys in front of us in the line (that's all). Emma was all about waving at him when it wasn't our turn. She's been watching Santa dance across the stage of the Wiggles Christmas DVD for several weeks now. However, when it came time for Santa to pick her up out of my arms and place her on his lap, she was NOT all happy...screaming, mouth wide open, and arms reached out wide for Jeremy or I.

After a few seconds, I decided to bite the bullet and be in the picture myself. As Emma sat in my lap checking Santa out, the tears stopped. She was content beside him!

Celebrating Birthdays with our Families

2010-12-06T11:33:00.001-08:00

On Saturday, November 13th, we had some family (and friends) over to help celebrate the girls' birthdays. We enjoyed pizza, cake, and ice cream. The kids enjoyed hitting a pinata (one time each was all it took) and the girls enjoyed and appreciated all of their gifts.

My Baby Turned 5!

2010-12-06T11:21:00.001-08:00

On November 30th, Taylor reached a milestone....she turned 5 years old...a whole hand! On Saturday, November 27th, we celebrated with close friends at a nearby indoor swimming pool. The children enjoyed swimming and Emma enjoyed watching...she wasn't a fan of the water this time! On Taylor's actual birthday, we ate cupcakes at school and ate Mexican (her choice) for dinner. She is thrilled to finally be five! I'm not so sure how I feel about it! I love watching her grow, but I don't want her to be grown! She is still my baby. There are times when I look at her and see myself made over. Bless her heart and mine...she is so similar to me! We are so proud of her. She is bright, enjoys learning, is very inquisitive, loves Jesus, has a sweet heart, and impresses me everyday! She is and always will be my baby girl! Happy Birthday, my Taylor Bug!!!

Time for Christmas Cards...

2010-11-26T10:27:00.001-08:00

I have successfully made, ordered, received, and addressed all of my Christmas cards. I can't wait to mail them out! Here is one...

Confetti Flowers Christmas Card

Shop Shutterfly.com for elegant Christmas photo cards.

View the entire collection of cards.

Thanks Shutterfly!!!

The Birthday Girl...

2010-11-07T15:57:00.000-08:00

On the morning of Emma's first birthday, Grandma greeted her with a birthday muffin and a new baby doll. So sweet.

After Grandma left, the girls and I headed to Douglasville. The was Emma's first trip in the car facing forward. It was so weird being able to see her while I was driving. She and Taylor watched "Happy Feet" and Emma thought she was such a big girl. After purchasing a few decorations for their birthday party at Party City, Big Grandma and Aunt Tina met up with us for a little fun at the mall. The girls played on the playground in the mall for awhile and then we all ate lunch together. Emma enjoyed her kid's meal from Chick-fil-A!

After dinner, we put a candle in the banana pudding and sang "Happy Birthday" to the birthday girl. She enjoyed eating the vanilla wafers out of the pudding and we enjoyed watching her!

There will be more celebrating in the weeks to come! Our precious girl is now officially one (going on 15)! Happy Birthday, Emma! We love you!

Happy Halloween 2010

2010-11-04T18:18:00.001-07:00

On the Friday night before Halloween, my mother-in-law and I opened our trunk for trick-or-treaters at West Ridge Church. Taylor enjoyed handing out candy and Emma just wanted to walk. We enjoyed seeing so many children and families and were amazed at the turnout of people that God sent! AWESOME!

Sunday morning at church, the children were allowed to wear a costume. Instead of wearing her "real" costume, Taylor decided that she would be a cat. Needless to say...by the time church was over, she was pretty much out of costume.

This year, I was not on top of things. We didn't take care of our pumpkins until Sunday afternoon...cutting it close...I know! Taylor was once again not thrilled about digging in the pumpkins. She was a bit of a chicken. Emma, on the other hand, didn't hesitate! Taylor finally ended up helping a little and Emma continued to play with the carving utensils and tried to eat seeds.

Halloween night, we had Jeremy's mom and grandparents over for dinner and trick-or-treating. We all ate spaghetti and the girls got dressed. Emma wasn't very thrilled about wearing her costume, but she did get used to it. After a few quick pictures on the porch, we headed out. Taylor did such a good job going to the houses for candy. This is the first year that we have gone without friends and I was a bit afraid that she would be shy. She did great! She even helped by grabbing a piece of candy for Emma when the door was up a set of stairs. Emma rode in her stroller and enjoyed looking at all of the people walking around on the street. She even stood up at one door!

One Year Ago...

2010-11-04T17:59:00.001-07:00

One year ago today, I was anxiously awaiting the arrival of our second baby girl. I knew that the following morning, we would wake up, go to the hospital, and attempt to force Emma out. Thinking back on that, I'm not quite sure why I decided that it would be a good idea to be induced on my due date. There was absolutely no reason why we couldn't just wait for her to make her grand entrance on her own...aside from the fact that I was READY! Our bags were packed, arrangements had been made for the big sister, and everything Emma needed was ready. I'll never forget the day that Emma was born. It was quite an adventure, wrapped up with a million emotions and a ton of pain! I remember our personal nurse telling us that "it may not work today." HA! Although I was afraid that she might be right, I knew that it would all work out. After my water was broken, the pain began! Being induced is a much harder labor than letting God's way happen! I found this out VERY quickly. Much to Jeremy's liking (long story), I ended up doing it all natural AGAIN (besides the being induced part). Emma made her entrance, scaring us all, and had definitely already made her mark on the world.

Tomorrow, our baby girl will turn one year old! Although she has a very strong willed temper, she smiles most of the time! She loves to dance, sing, and is thrilled to be walking. She loves to eat and loves to make a necklace out of everything! (I'm really going to have to watch her or she's going to end up choking herself.) She has recently taking a strong liking to stuffed animals and baby dolls. She likes to carry as many of them as possible around at the same time! She pats them, rocks them, and pushes them (and everything else) around in the shopping cart. She loves crayons. You better make sure that there is a piece of paper nearby or she'll draw right on the floor or the furniture! She would rather be in Taylor's room than anywhere else in the house. She loves Taylor's toys and thinks that she has a right to play with all of them. (This does not make Taylor very happy.) She points at everything and thinks that you should understand all of her words! Normally she is NOT a good sleeper. Most nights she wakes up many times. She fights sleep and is very afraid that she's going to miss something exciting going on. She loves to be held. She enjoys all of our hugs and kisses, and prefers to have a playmate at all times. She will play in the laundry basket for an hour and would climb a mountain if I'd let her. She loves my camera, cell phones, IPods, cordless phones, and remote controls. She thinks that she has to do everything that we do!

When Emma was born, I fell in love for a third time! She has completed our family and we are so thankful. God has blessed us beyond what we have ever deserved. He has entrusted us with two girls who brighten our days and fill our hearts with joy. Who could ask for more?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, EMMA!!!! We love you more than you will ever know!!!

Sending Christmas Love...

2010-11-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

It has become tradition for us to send out holiday photo cards for Christmas each year. This year will be no different from the rest. Each holiday season I look forward to creating and sending the perfect Christmas card. A lot of effort and thought is put into this project. There are so many different websites that offer wonderful choices as well as deals on their cards. I know that it is not yet Thanksgiving, but I have already begun browsing the sites for the perfect card. I have come across Shutterfly (which I have been very satisfied with in the past), and they are offering over 700 different choices for Christmas cards. For some reason, brown seems to be my liking this year. There are even 91 brown designs to choose from. There are many different colors, sizes, designers, and even number of pictures that you can add to your card. WOW! I can't wait to get started!!! We will be taking our pictures next Friday and then off to card making for me! :) For all of your holiday card needs, please be sure to check out Shutterfly.

Pumpkin Patch 2010

2010-10-17T18:25:00.000-07:00

We took our annual trip to the pumpkin patch today. Each year we go to Carlton Farms in Rockmart, GA. This was Taylor's fourth year going and Emma's first. We had a great time as always and enjoyed making more memories with great friends!

Each year we take the same photo of Taylor and Grace. They have been friends since birth and it's been more than wonderful watching them grow together.

2007

2008

2009

2010

This year it was great to have Emma there to start the tradition. She loved the animals, the hay ride, and the scarecrows. While there, we found a baby kitten that apparently lives on the farm. Taylor said that the kitten was her favorite part!

What a great day! Happy Fall!!!

Toy Story on Ice

2010-10-17T18:06:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday, the 13th, we went to Disney on Ice - Toy Story 3. Becky and I took the girls, along with several of our friends, to the show. Of course we had to go in style, with matching shirts! Before the show we all ate together. Emma loved walking around after she finished eating. The girls played and posed for a few pictures!

When heading into the show, we stopped to get the big girls snow cones in a Jessie cup. They were thrilled and highly enjoyed eating their treats.

Of course Taylor loved the show. She was thrilled when all of the characters came out. Even Emma enjoyed the first half. She continuously pointed and clapped.

During intermission, the girls had a blast dancing, being silly, and getting their wiggles out.

Great show!!!

Mr. and Mrs. Shaun Slatton

2010-10-17T08:25:00.001-07:00

On Saturday, the 16th, Jeremy's brother got married. Jeremy was the best man and Taylor was the flower girl. The night before we had rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner. The girls were real troopers cooperating during both. They played together so well at the dinner...entertaining one another...

The wedding went off without a hitch as well. Emma was a bit talkative during the ceremony, but nothing too drastic. Taylor did a great job throwing her flowers as she walked down the aisle. She wasn't super thrilled about standing up there during the ceremony...making funny faces, swinging her basket around, etc. All went as planned though and everyone looked very beautiful and handsome!!!

Untitled from Mandi Slatton on Vimeo.

Taylor's Haircut...

2010-10-05T12:48:00.000-07:00

Taylor and I got our hair cut today. I just got a trim...Taylor decided that she wanted to go short...

A Koppe Family Reunion

2010-09-26T14:04:00.000-07:00

On September the 12th, the girls, my mom, and I were able to get together with my grandmother (on my dad's side), two of my great aunts, and all of my cousins and their children. This was the first time that we had all been together in several years. It was a great reunion!

This is a picture of all of the first cousins...

Here is my grandmother and all of her grandchildren...

This is my grandmother and all of her great grandchildren...

This is a picture of my grandmother, her grandchildren (and spouses who were able to attend), and great grandchildren...

This is a picture of my great aunts and uncle, my grandmother, and my cousins...

It was so great to see everyone!!! My prayer is that we do not let so much time pass until our next get together!

Another Year at the North GA State Fair

2010-09-25T09:45:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, our old neighbors/best friends came into town. We all took our annual trip to the North Georgia State Fair together. We go every year and enjoy the tradition. This was Emma's first trip to the fair with us! This was Taylor's fifth year. Each year we take a picture of Taylor on the carousel and we started the tradition with Emma this year.

If you're interested, you may look back at past years of Taylor at the fair. Here are Taylor's past years as the fair...first, second, and third, and fourth. I love to look back and see how she has grown and changed.

Taylor enjoyed riding the rides...it does take her a little time to warm up though. Jeremy talked her into getting on a ride that flies you like Superman. She was terrified, but he made her ride anyway...here is a before and after picture.

Needless to say, this ended up being her favorite ride...I think that she rode it two or three more times...

The men and kids rode many other rides and Taylor and Emma played a carnival game (thanks to Grandma...this is her tradition)! They each won a prize!

Yellow River Game Ranch

2010-09-21T18:33:00.001-07:00

Today the girls, my mom, and I met at the Yellow River Game Ranch. Mom, Taylor, and I went the fall that Taylor was two. We decided it was time for another trip. Taylor has always loved animals! This time we were much better prepared and took tons of food! The animals there eat right out of your hands...it's great! Taylor loved feeding all of them. Her favorites were the baby deer and the bunnies. Emma spent most of the time pointing and eating the snacks that we had brought for the animals herself. GREAT morning!

Happy Birthday, Zack...AGAIN!

2010-09-21T18:22:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, we joined my mom, Zack, and several of Zack's friends at Dave and Busters to celebrate Zack's 21st birthday again! The last time we had all been there together was when we celebrated his 16th birthday. My...the memories that have filled these past five years! Zack has graduated high school, joined the military, been deployed, and Jeremy and I have had two children! Our evening consisted of playing pool, eating dinner, and playing games until very late. Taylor loved playing all of the games. She used all of our tickets to buy a Hello Kitty backpack, a pen, and a shot glass for Uncle Zack. We had a great night!

September is Flying By...

2010-09-18T07:36:00.000-07:00

Wow - I can't believe that it's almost been a month since I last posted. September seems to be flying by. We keep pretty busy. We've celebrated my brother's 21st birthday with our family. We've visited Jump for Joey's with our neighbors. We've been to a bridal shower and hosted a bridal shower at our house. We've completed another round of Karate class. We've spent many hours playing at home. We've visited with family that we haven't seen in quite some time. We'll be celebrating my brother's birthday again tonight with his friends. The girls and I are out of school next week and plan on taking a trip to the Yellow River Game Ranch in Lilburn. We'll celebrate Jeremy's 33rd birthday this Wednesday and Taylor will go on her first field trip to the North GA State Fair on Thursday, September 30th. Here are plenty of pictures and a few videos of the past month in our world! :)

Emma is now 10 months old. She is still just as precious as ever. She's become very vocal, loves to point and have you acknowledge whatever she's pointing at, likes standing on her head (looking between her legs), has starting throwing tantrums, eats anything, and loves to be held. She hates laying down to have her diaper changed and she loves playing with anything that Taylor has. She is cruising around furniture and will be walking in no time. She loves to play in the bathtub and thinks that it's hilarious to soak me! She has just had her two front top teeth break through and still smiles all of the time. I can't believe that very soon she'll be turning one...this will mean whole milk, facing the front in the car, starting school with Taylor and I, and I'm sure all types of new milestones!

Video of Taylor Sliding All By Herself (which doesn't happen often) at Jump for Joey's

Taylor sliding at Jump for Joey from Mandi Slatton on Vimeo.

Video of Emma laughing and clapping at Uncle Zacky's birthday cookout

Emma Laughing and Clapping from Mandi Slatton on Vimeo.

Video of some of Taylor's last Karate class

Taylor at Karate from Mandi Slatton on Vimeo.

Emma's 9 Month Check Up

2010-08-27T05:16:00.000-07:00

Taylor and I took Emma for her nine month check up yesterday afternoon. The visit was pretty uneventful. She weighed 21 pounds exactly (at this age Taylor weighed 19 pounds 3 ounces). She measured 29 inches tall (at this age Taylor measured 27 3/4 inches). So...Emma is a big girl...not off the charts, but she's well fed! :) Everything was fine in every other department. No concerns from us or Dr. Dauphin. Only two more months and a few days of formula (can't wait to get rid of that expense). She'll be 10 months next week and before we blink again, she'll be turning one!

Dress-Up, Birthday, Bowling, and School

2010-08-23T17:53:00.000-07:00

We've been a bit busy around here lately. This is my third week back at work and it's been a bit crazy just getting into a new schedule. We have finally introduced Emma into the world of princesses and dress-up!

We have celebrated my grandfather's 76th birthday - complete with presents, dinner, and cake!

We have spent a lot of money at the bowling alley in order to bowl two games.

And Taylor has finally started back to school. She had a pretty good first day. Although she should be in my class, she isn't. She is in the other four year old class! We do get to have recess together though...kind of neat! It made me a bit sad to think that this was her last first day of preschool!

Emma heads to the doctor on Thursday and we'll celebrate my sweet mother-in-law's birthday that evening! More to come...until then...

Uncle Nick is Deployed

2010-08-21T07:15:00.001-07:00

We spent our last night with Uncle Nick (Jeremy's youngest brother) on Saturday the 14th. He is currently in Mississippi where he will spend approximately 20 days and will then head to Afghanistan. While there, his job will be to guard outside the walls of their base (not the safest place to be)! It was a very emotional night as we had to say goodbye. Many tears were shed before we laid our heads down for the night. Nick is currently scheduled to return home the beginning of January. If you would like to send him any mail/packages, his address will be as follows:

Slatton, Nicolas G.
190th MP CO
BAF
APO AE 09354

Please keep him in your prayers while he is away! We know that God will be there with him every step of the way, but our hearts are still burdened by his absence.

Where Have the Past Nine Months Gone?

2010-08-01T15:00:00.001-07:00

Well, here we are...already in August. Emma turned nine months old today. She is growing like a week and is so precious! A few weeks ago, she finally got her first tooth...followed by her second tooth the very next day. She has seriously been working on cutting those teeth for almost 3 months! She is pulling up, trying to take steps while holding on, crawling EVERYWHERE, getting into EVERYTHING, and just turning into her own little self! She still loves the water (pool and bathtub) and enjoys splashing everywhere. She will literally eat just about everything that we put in her mouth and I often wonder if she'd ever turn away from food. It won't be very much longer until she's eating all table food. I give her some of our food now and she loves it! She loves green beans, ice cream, pizza (ha), and bread! Yes, I know, not all healthy, but we only live once! :) She laughs out of nowhere and loves attention! She adores the remote controls and telephones. She thinks that Taylor is one of the best things that has ever happened to her. She watches her in amazement and wants all of her attention! When Taylor wakes up in the morning, she thinks that she has just received the best gift! It's precious! It's crazy to think that in three short months, we will be celebrating her first birthday! Happy 9 month birthday, Emma!!! We love you more than words can explain!

A Visit to McDonough...

2010-08-01T14:54:00.001-07:00

A few weekends ago, the girls and I headed to McDonough for a surprise birthday party for my second cousin. Although it was very hot, Taylor enjoyed being "grown-up" and not having to stay right with me. She enjoyed going on walks with Papa and Nana. She and Aunt Brenda also went on a ride on the golf cart! Just wanted to post a few sweet pictures from that evening...

Our Baby is 8 Months Old

2010-07-04T11:26:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that we have already been holding Emma in our arms for eight whole months! At eight months old, Emma is crawling like an army man. She will occasionally take a few regular crawls, but them falls right back down to her belly. She can use those arms and legs to pull herself so quickly! She gets from the living room to the kitchen in just a few seconds! Bless her little heart...her knees stay red as fire! She doesn't like to be left alone. She wants to be in on whatever everyone else is doing. She absolutely loves Taylor and wants so bad to do all of the things that she does. She just watches her with the biggest grin! Emma is a cat napper. She prefers many short naps throughout the day. Thankfully she sleeps pretty well at night. She can get into a sitting position on her own now and does this quite frequently...even in her bed! I love to find her in the morning on her knees with her little face looking through the slabs on her crib...right where the door is. Her face lights up with the biggest grin when she knows she's going to be rescued. Emma is definitely our smiler! She doesn't like to go to strangers, but will smile at them all day long! She loves to play with keys and remote controls (already)! She loves being in the pool and will stay in until her fingers and toes are completely wrinkled! She hates to be confined and hates to have her diaper and clothes changed. Emma is our little eater. She doesn't necessarily eat a ton of baby food, but she'll try anything you give her. She loves to eat off of our plate at meals. She uses a foreign language to let us know that she wants more! She can say a few different sounds, but prefers to mainly say "da da" on demand. She is so funny. The other night I was trying so hard to get her to say ma ma while we were eating dinner. Everytime I told her to say ma ma, she immediately said "da da." After we finished eating, I was throwing away some trash and she said "ma." I turned around, clapped and made a big deal! She just looked right in my eyes and again said "da da." It was precious! Today, she pulled herself up to her feet for the first time! She was so proud!!!

As I reflect back on the past eight months, I am so thankful that God brought her to us. She has brought us so many smiles and made me feel continued pride for our daughters! I love watching her grow and change and above all else, it's great to watch her and Taylor interact. I am so prayerful that they will be best friends! I know that there will be time sin their lives when they aren't, but I pray that when they are grown, there will be nothing like their "sister!"

Happy 8 month birthday, our smiling girl!!! We love you more than words could ever explain!

Happy 3rd of July

2010-07-04T11:04:00.001-07:00

Since the 4th fell on a Sunday this year, the city of Marietta held their Fourth of July activities on the 3rd...a bit weird, but much less crowded! The girls and I headed over to the Marietta Square with Jeremy's family after lunch. Taylor enjoyed doing the quad jumping, riding the train (by herself this year), eating snow cones, and creating a spin art picture. Around 5 or so, Jeremy joined us for a little while. We ate dinner at a local restaurant (that Jeremy works a part time at on some Friday nights). After dinner and another trip around the square, Jeremy had to go to work. The rest of us headed back up to the top of the parking deck to get ready for the show. After a long afternoon, Emma finally decided to take a nap not long before the fireworks started. Needless to say, after a few "booms," she woke up. She enjoyed watching the bright lights of the fireworks and Taylor enjoyed them as always. The girls and I arrived home around 11:30. Thankfully Emma went right back to sleep when we got home and Taylor didn't put up a fuss about going to bed. Happy Independence Day!

Myrtle Beach 2010

2010-06-26T06:18:00.000-07:00

This past week we took the girls to Myrtle Beach, SC. Our vacation started out horrible. We had originally had a free condo that a lady that Jeremy works with was going to let us use. At the last minute, she was no where to be found in order to get the key and a few other things that we needed to do a few things for her in her condo. We were supposed to leave Saturday morning; however, we spent the whole day trying to find new accommodations. After finally finding an affordable place on the beach on Craigs List, we headed out on Sunday morning. Our "villa" ended up being very small, but pretty nice! We spent the mornings at the beach and the afternoons at the pool. At first, Emma wasn't very sure about the ocean. I think that she was a bit overwhelmed at the waves rushing at her. She warmed up very quickly though. She loved sitting in the sand, just where the water was coming in, and digging. Yes, she did get a good taste as well! :) Taylor, as always, loved playing in the sand and jumping over the waves. She's definitely my little beach girl! Taylor wore her goggles all week at the pool and spent more time under water than above. She is swimming like a little fish (as long as her eyes and nose are protected)! Emma loved the pool as always and enjoyed watching all of the other people. She was a hit attraction everywhere we went (especially in the elevators)! On Thursday, my stepmom, Joyce, and her oldest grandson, Devin, arrived in town. We spent a little time swimming with them and then met them for dinner. We had a pleasant evening and a delicious dinner. We met them again for breakfast on Friday before we headed home. The girls slept well at night, no one got sun burned, and we had a great trip!

Untitled from Mandi Slatton on Vimeo.

Emma started perfecting her crawling skills on this trip...

Untitled from Mandi Slatton on Vimeo.

Swimming Lessons

2010-06-17T17:43:00.000-07:00

Taylor finally finished up her week-long swimming lessons. In her class, they learned to kick, put their face underwater (which Taylor still doesn't enjoy without her goggles), swim with their arms, float on their backs, tread water, and go under to retrieve objects. Taylor treaded water on her own and floated on her back alone today! Put a mask on the girl and she's a fish! :) Here are some pictures and videos of her week!

Untitled from Mandi Slatton on Vimeo.

Six Flags over Georgia

2010-06-08T07:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we took Taylor to Six Flags for the first time with our friends, Teri, DJ, and Gracie. Gracie and Taylor have been friends since the womb! I think that today was the first day that we actually got some cute pictures of them together (both looking, smiling, etc.)!!! Jeremy and DJ were able to ride all of the roller coasters. Teri reluctantly rode the children's roller coaster with us and the sky buckets! She wasn't at all thrilled, but I was proud of her for surviving in the end! She did tell me that we were no longer friends, but hopefully she changed her mind after she made it through with no tears and no vomit! We had a good day and Taylor had fun. She was a bit more afraid that I thought that she would be. She normally doesn't hesitate about riding most rides, but she was a bit of a chicken! :) At one point, she and I and Teri and Grace were trying to get on the kid's coaster. As it was our turn to get on, she grabbed hold of the rail and I had to pry her off screaming and force her on the ride. I felt bad afterwards because it was a bit fast! We survived though and I was proud of her for trying it! Towards the end of the day, we went over to Skull Island (a small water park at Six Flags). The girls enjoyed playing in the water. Grace rode the water slides, but not my little reserved Taylor. She chose to dance (as you'll see in the video towards the end of this post)!

Untitled from Mandi Slatton on Vimeo.

Emma's First Swim

2010-06-01T13:54:00.000-07:00

We visited our pool for the first time this year today. Emma had her first swim. She was a little unsure at first, but once she got in the water, she loved splashing!!! Jeremy even too her under water for a short second (which she wasn't very thrilled about)! After returning home from the pool, she had a bottled and passed right out! Bless her heart!!!

Untitled from Mandi Slatton on Vimeo.

Memorial Day 2010

2010-06-01T13:52:00.000-07:00

We had a cookout at our house on Memorial Day - complete with some family and friends and grilled chicken. We ended our evening with a complete game of Mexican Train dominoes...even Taylor played (all by herself)!

TellUs Museum

2010-06-01T13:50:00.000-07:00

On Friday, May the 28th, we went with our neighbors (Angela, Kristal, Bob, and Sean) to a local science museum. The girls enjoyed themselves looking at all of the dinosaur bones, gems and minerals, and transportation memorabilia. Most of all, Taylor enjoyed learning about constellations in the planetarium and digging for gems and fossils.

Camping Trip 2010

2010-05-25T11:50:00.000-07:00

This past week, we went on our yearly camping trip with Jeremy's family at Lake Alatoona. This was Emma's first trip camping! On Wednesday we headed up to the lake. Taylor spent some time down by the water and that evening we celebrated Jeremy's grandmother's birthday! We ate Taylor's favorite, Mexican!

That night was the worst night that I've had in a long, long time. All four of us ended up sleeping in the same bed, because Taylor didn't cooperate sleeping with Grandma. I slept in between the girls and it was HORRIBLE. I was stuck all night! If the gates to the campground hadn't have been locked, I think that I would have packed up and came home. On Thursday, we enjoyed some time at the "beach" and hung out at the camper.

Emma was able to be apart of her first campfire. This night, Taylor agreed to sleep with Grandma. Had it not have been for the VERY loud storm that came through ALL night, I may have actually slept. The storm kept Emma from sleeping well though! On Friday afternoon, Jeremy, Emma, and I came home. Taylor had decided that she wanted to stay another night. On Saturday, I went back up to spend a little more time with everyone and pick Taylor bug up. Taylor went to the beach with Uncle Nick and Becky gave Emma a nap in the camper. I sat down by the "wavy" water and enjoyed my time (finally)! I pretended like I was at the beach. The lake was very busy and the waves were non-stop. Loved it!

Raising Caterpillars

2010-05-14T14:52:00.000-07:00

A few Christmases ago, Taylor received a butterfly house. It came complete with a coupon to order five baby caterpillars. Last spring I completely forgot to order them. This year I finally remembered. We received our caterpillars a few weeks ago. We watched them grow from babies into large caterpillars and then they cocooned. This past Tuesday morning we awoke to find five beautiful butterflies! It was so neat and Taylor loved it! This afternoon, I finally convinced her to set them free!

Starting our Summer at the Zoo

2010-05-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

We celebrated school ending by heading to Zoo Atlanta today. This was Taylor's second trip to the zoo and Emma's first. We started our adventure with a picnic lunch in Grant Park. The weather was good and the zoo wasn't very crowded. The day was perfect! While taking a quick break, we all enjoyed dipping dots...when I say all, I mean all. Emma joined in on the fun too. (I told Jeremy that it was obvious that Emma is not my first child. I would have never given Taylor ice cream at 6 months old!) We enjoyed watching the gorillas the most. We were able to catch a feeding as well as a training session...super cool! We also enjoyed the new parakeet exhibit. Birds were EVERYWHERE! Taylor loved the birds and Emma loved the bird bath (a small waterfall)! A great day to start our summer!

A Mother of Two

2010-05-12T14:00:00.001-07:00

Wow, how my job as a mom has changed since last Mother's Day! Going from one child to two is extremely different! Taylor had gotten to the point where she was able to entertain herself and do some simple tasks alone. When Emma was born, my life was once again rearranged! The things that had at one time seemed so simple now seemed like a chore that was dreaded! The things that would go through my mind made me feel guilty at times..."Oh my, I have to give baths tonight. That's not going to be fun." "Oh no, it's bedtime. I dread what may happen." "Time for dinner. How am I going to work out cooking and feeding them plus myself alone." "We need groceries and it can't wait until Jeremy has a day off. Can't wait to spend 3 hours at the grocery store." I could go on and on about the things that now seemed like a job bigger than I wanted to tackle. I don't think that you ever really "figure" out how to make those things easier, you just gets used to it! Six months later, my heart couldn't be any fuller! My girls are more special to me than words could ever express. I am so thankful that God blessed us with two healthy, beautiful children. Those tasks that seemed and still are difficult are made much easier when you see the smiles on your children's faces and when you hear them giggle. Seeing Emma get excited when she sees me and hearing Taylor tell me that she loves me out of the blue make it all worthwhile! As I celebrated my first Mother's Day with two children, I feel so blessed! Despite all of those labor pains (and yes, I felt them all), I would do it over again if it meant making sure that these precious girls were a part of my life!

My day/weekend was great. Jeremy and Matt cooked us all steaks, baked potatoes, corn, and broccoli for dinner Saturday night. After only a few hours of sleep, Jeremy got up early on Sunday morning to make sure that I received breakfast in bed. After both girls slept until 8:30, they served me in bed! Taylor and Jeremy had made me a plate, complete with Taylor's wonderful drawing! The girls and I went to Belk's and spent some time with Jeremy's mom and brothers. Sunday afternoon, we went out to eat with Jeremy's family at Longhorn. We ended the night with cupcakes, Apples to Apples, and baths for the girls!

I did not spend Mother's day with my mom. We did spend some time together last weekend though. For Mother's Day/her birthday I purchased us tickets to see Martina McBride in concert. We ate at Carraba's beforehand and the concert was GREAT! Not only did God bless me with the job of being a "mother," he also blessed me with a great mom myself! My mom has always been my biggest fan. She has always supported me and encouraged me. She has taught me what it means to forgive and be forgiven. She has taught me what it means to help others and how to stand up for what you believe in. She is a great "Nana" to my girls and loves us unconditionally. Thank you for everything, Mom!

Fun in the Sun

2010-04-24T11:49:00.000-07:00

With the weather being warm, we've been spending some time outside (Yes, even with the pollen.)! Taylor has been learning how to hit the baseball and Emma has been driving around in the old red car! Both girls love being outside!

Easter 2010

2010-04-11T17:42:00.000-07:00

This Easter was a bit bitter-sweet. With the passing away of my Uncle Steve, my family headed up to Tennessee Easter morning (without us). I decided that the girls and I would stay home. I didn't really want to Taylor to be apart of the funeral and I didn't have anyone to stay with them up there. (I'm pretty picky about leaving my little ones.) We decided that we would wait until they returned and we would spend some time loving on them in McDonough overnight. As we had just returned home late Saturday afternoon, we rushed to dye Easter eggs. Taylor enjoyed the process and really liked it when Daddy sat down to join us.

Easter morning, the girls and I met my mother-in-law, Becky, at church. Taylor and Emma had on matching dresses (that I failed to make a picture of). They looked precious. After church, Jeremy woke up (he had to work the night before and the night of Easter). At 3:00, we headed over to Tommy's (Jeremy's uncle) for some good food with a great family. Taylor was the only little one there to hunt eggs, but she enjoyed every minute of it.

Although we love the tradition of the Easter bunny and hunting eggs, we have really tried to make sure that Taylor knows the true meaning of Easter. Easter means that we can live forever. It means that we can spend an eternity in His presence. It means that the life is on the beginning of the beginning (which means a ton to my family during this time of loss). Thank you God for sending your son to die on the cross for us and most importantly for raising Him up again!!!

Family Dedication

2010-04-11T12:49:00.001-07:00

On March the 28th we had the girls dedicated at church. This was the first time at our church that they have stopped doing the dedications during the church service and now have a celebration separately. During the celebration, many families were dedicated, prayers were said, and cake and punch were served. We were limited to 10 guests per family, so we apologize to anyone who may not have been invited. It wasn't because we didn't want you there! :)

We are so thankful for God giving us the opportunity to raise two beautiful girls. We know that He has entrusted us with a very important job. For this, we are forever grateful!

Welcome Home, Zack!

2010-04-04T18:45:00.001-07:00

On Wednesday, March 31st, we took off to Richmond Hill, GA. Zack, my brother, was schedule to land back on US soil from Afghanistan around 10:00 p.m. While waiting on their flight to arrive, Jeremy, mom, the girls, and I headed to the base to enjoy some activities put on by the Yellow Ribbon Committee. Taylor skated for the first time and she, Jeremy, and I played laser tag.

Late that night, we all headed over to Ft. Stewart to eagerly await his arrival. What excitement we all felt! As three buses drove in front of us with a grand escort, carrying all of our soldiers, my eyes filled with tears. We had waited for this return for what seemed like forever. As I stood there with my heart racing, I just continuously thanked God for bringing my little brother home safely. Taylor, who hadn't yet been to sleep, was so sleepy! Emma slept on and off during the long wait. I felt so many emotions as we waited for them to send our soldiers over to us. I was so excited for Taylor. She had missed him so much and was thrilled about him being home. (You have to remember that he pretty much lived with us since as far back as she can probably remember. He was very much a part of our everyday lives.) I was thrilled that Emma would finally meet him. (He left for Afghanistan on the day that she was born.) I was so thankful that God had brought him home safely. I was heartbroken for those who were not there because their loved ones paid the ultimate sacrifice! After what felt like forever, our soldiers appeared through a row of trees, marching in formation.

After marching forward, someone spoke, we sang the army song, and we all immediately began trying to pick Zack out of the crowd.

After the song, we ran! Jeremy and Taylor made it to Zack first. She was the first one to hug him (this had been her goal)! He looked so good! We all gave him lots of love and were thrilled to hold him in our arms again!

On Thursday, we headed over to Savannah for the day. We ate lunch on River St. and walked through the shops there.

After River St., we headed over to Forsyth Park. It was BEAUTIFUL!

On Friday, mom, Jeremy, the girls, and I headed back over to the base. We ended up bowling while we were there and that was pretty fun.

On Saturday, we headed home....very thankful to have our soldier home again!

Easter Bunny Pictures

2010-03-27T06:17:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, we took the girls to see the Easter Bunny. No tears were shed and Taylor enjoyed seeing the bunny. The girls looked so cute in their matching shirts and hairbows! I loved it!!!

I just love holidays with my family!

First Born Love

2010-03-27T06:13:00.000-07:00

Oh, my Taylor Bug...there are so many things that this precious girl does that brings a smile to my face! She has always, always been a pretty funny little girl (even when she was little). I love the way that when she wakes up on her own, she's all talk. She wants to talk about what she dreamed about, etc. I love the way that she wants her chocolate milk every morning. I love listening to her play "school." She loves to teach her students about God and Jesus and it is just precious! Although frustrating at times, I love the way that she'd rather be barefoot than anything else! I love it that she likes to be outside and loves to play at the pool and beach! She's extraordinary with animals. She's always been very gentle with them and loves to pet them and take care of them. She even thinks that we can have all kinds of animals for pets...bless her! I love the way she likes to snuggle when she gets out of the bathtub. The way that she talks to Emma and loves on her always makes me feel warm inside! I love watching her and Jeremy play together. She loves playing hide-in-seek and video games with Daddy. She really gets into role playing. Whether she's playing Star Wars or house, she's normally not really "Taylor." I love the way that Taylor loves others. Although she doesn't always show them, she tells me all about it. Sometimes hidden, she has a very loving heart!

What a blessing God entrusted me with a little over four years ago! He could not have sent me anything greater! I love my Taylor Bug!!!

Four Month Birthday

2010-03-07T06:33:00.000-08:00

This past Friday, Emma officially turned four months old! WOW! As I sit here typing this, she is just a talking to Taylor in the living room! :) We aren't scheduled for a check-up until March 22nd, but due to a recent virus, we did visit the doctor last week. Emma weighed 15 pounds exactly (the exact same as Taylor weighed at her four month check-up)! On Friday (coincidentally), Emma had lots of firsts. She took a nap in her crib for the first time (that lasted longer than 3 minutes). She slept in her crib (instead of my bed) from bedtime until about 4:30 (when she had a coughing fit and she and I crashed on the couch). She also started rolling over from her stomach to her back! Yay - finally! We had been trying her and there to get her interested in eating rice cereal and/or oatmeal cereal. She was totally disgusted and really led us to believe that she just wasn't ready yet. Well...last night, I thought that I'd give it another shot with just a tad bit of applesauce in it. Miraculously she did it! She opened her mouth for it and the whole nine yards! What a little stinker!

There are so many things that I already love about Emma even at four months! I love the way that she is VERY happy when she first wakes up in the morning. She is all smiles and wants to talk! I love the way that she is in awe of Taylor. She wants to constantly touch her big sister's face and pull on her hair. Taylor is teaching her all about facial features in Spanish! I love it when she laughs! She is very ticklish and laughs quite a bit when she is tickled. I love it when she props her feet up on me at night...just to know that I'm still there. I love it that she has finally taken to a security blanket. It's so sweet! I love the way that she knows when her bottle is coming. I love the look that she gives me when I peak out of the shower door at her. She is all smiles (typically as long as I'm holding her). I love the way that she knows exactly who I am and feels safe in my arms! I love it when she discovers a new sound and makes it constantly!

As I know that they will, the next four months will pass just as quickly as the first four. I can't wait to watch her continue to grow and change and feel more than blessed for God to have entrusted us with her care! Happy Birthday to my little snuggle bug!

Untitled from Mandi Slatton on Vimeo.

4 Years and 3 Months Plus Another Big Snow

2010-02-11T17:59:00.000-08:00

Today we took Taylor to her four year check up at the doctor's office. Ironically, she's trying to get over strep throat, so we killed two birds with one stone at the doctor. The checkup went fine. She was 40 inches tall and weighed 36 1/2 pounds. Everything went fine. I even managed to forgo the shots and wait until next time! She's so dramatic right now, I just didn't think that any of us could handle it.

Emma turned three months a week ago today. She is still such a little sweetheart! She's trying hard to roll over, but not quite making it yet. She is starting to make so many noises and smiles all of the time! She is sweetest in the morning right after she wakes up (as long as she's not starving). She makes the loudest little noises and is all smiles! She does very well at night (although she is sleeping with Jeremy and I). She goes to sleep around 8:30 or so (while we're laying with Taylor) and she normally sleeps until around 3 or so before she starts stirring. She gets a bottle when I can't take it any longer and goes right back to sleep until I typically wake her up (on a school morning) around 7:30 or so.

The girls and I are still trying to settle into a new routine with Jeremy's new schedule. He's now back on patrol, working 3 p.m. until 11 p.m. He works four days on and two days off, so his days rotate each week. There are many days where the only time he and I see one another are just in passing as the other one sleeps. I'm handling it though. I was very worried at first, but I'm learning how to do it all myself...even though it isn't always fun or easy. It does get a bit lonely having no adult interaction between the time that I leave work and the time that I return to work the next morning. We are hoping that it won't be too long until he is able to go to the morning watch shift which is 11 p.m. until 7 a.m. That shift would allow him to be home each afternoon and evening! That'd be GREAT!

Today we had another big snow here in Georgia! In just a few short hours, we probably had three inches. Taylor and Daddy went out to play! They were even able to build a pretty big snowman!

Nothing else new to report at this time. Zack is still in Afghanistan. We are hoping for him to be arriving home around the beginning of April (although that date has already changed multiple times). We will be traveling down to Ft. Stewart (near Savannah) the day before his plane is expected to land. We will all be waiting for him as he lands and we're so excited! Poor little Emma has never even met Uncle Zacky and Taylor talks daily about wanting him home! I can't wait!!!

Recent Videos of Emma

2010-01-31T14:29:00.000-08:00

Emma's Smiles

Emma Smiling from Mandi Slatton on Vimeo.

Emma's Tummy Time

Emma's Tummy Time from Mandi Slatton on Vimeo.

Emma's Laughs (This one is a little dark because it really wasn't planned)

Emma Laughing from Mandi Slatton on Vimeo.

Great Smoky Mountains

2010-01-22T13:01:00.000-08:00

The weekend of Martin Luther King, Jr. day we (my mom, the girls, and I) visited my mom's friends in Maryville, TN. On that Saturday, we drove over to the Smoky Mountains in search of snow! We found it!!! Just beautiful! Taylor went sledding in a laundry basket, ate her first icicle, and loved the snow. The sledding went well the first time. The second trip down, she turned around backwards and was NOT happy about it! Needless to say, this activity didn't last very long!

On Sunday it was raining. We headed over to the local mall where Taylor played in a play area and jumped on the jumping thing (not sure what it's called). Emma watched patiently!

GREAT trip!

Emma's 2 Month Check-Up

2010-01-13T03:54:00.000-08:00

This past Monday, we took Emma for her two month check-up. She weighed 12 pounds and 2 ounces (in the 90th percentile). She measured 22 1/4 inches long (in the 75th percentile). Her head is still large (thanks to Jeremy's big head). It measures in the 95th percentile. She did have to get two shots and an oral vaccine, but she did fine and has fully recovered now! :) Dr. Dauphin said that everything looks great. We will go again in March!

Snow Day

2010-01-10T15:14:00.000-08:00

We had our "big" snow of the season this past Thursday night. When I got up at 4:30 a.m. to feed Emma, I noticed that there was a dusting of snow outside. When Taylor came in my room around 8:00 to wake me up, I told her to go and look out of her window. She did and came running back into our room to tell us that it had snowed. She was so excited! Jeremy, being the great dad that he is, got up after only a couple hours of sleep to take Taylor out to play in the snow. Since I had to stay in with Emma, I sent Jeremy off with the camera.

After about 30 minutes, Taylor was ready to come in for some hot chocolate! The girl loves anything that has to do with "chocolate." HA! We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon doing absolutely nothing! Jeremy and Taylor played a game of Monopoly in front of the cozy fire!

Happy Birthday, Jesus!

2009-12-30T11:05:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful Christmas we had this year - with one exception...Zack's absence. We spent Christmas visiting with family. After visiting Big Grandma's (Jeremy's paternal grandmother), we headed to church for a Christmas Eve service. After church, we hit the road for McDonough to celebrate with my mom's side of the family.

Christmas morning we woke up around 8:15. I heard Taylor getting out of bed to come into our room. I watched her stop in the hall and look downstairs (at all of the toys). After what seemed like a long time, she ran into our room and said, "It's Christmas!" As soon as she walked down the stairs, she went straight to the Zhu Zhu Pets. This was all that she had told Santa she wanted and boy was that a very difficult, expensive order! We delivered what we could and told her that we'd have to try and find the other things that she wants to go with it.

We all had a wonderful Christmas morning visiting and opening gifts with my mom, Mimi, Papa, Jeremy's mom, and his brothers! While my grandparents were here, my brother was able to call. As we passed the phone around, we were all a bit emotional (including Zack). Needless to say it was hard, but he is doing well and made sure to remind us to save room for him here next year!

(Zack in Afghanistan...another soldier's police department sent them all cigars - Zack told us Christmas morning that it had made his stomach hurt.)

Christmas afternoon, we headed over to Jeremy's mom's to eat with his extended family. We enjoyed a great meal and managed to squeeze in a minute for a new family portrait - complete wit Miss Emma.

We hope that everyone had a very Merry Christmas! Thank you to everyone who helped make our's wonderful!

Christmas Cookies and Such...

2009-12-21T09:01:00.000-08:00

This past Saturday night Taylor and I made Christmas cookies! We have done this for the past couple of years! Making memories and trying to continue traditions!

Emma is doing well and already growing so fast. She has started smiling periodically and it's so precious! The best thing is when Taylor makes her smile...I know that it just melts Taylor's heart!

The girls and I took a trip down to my grandmother's house on December 11th. We finally took an updated picture of four generations. We haven't taken one since Taylor was about a year old!

Emma is 1 Month Old

2009-12-05T17:11:00.001-08:00

This past Saturday, Emma turned one month old! Time has truly flown! It's hard to believe that it's already been a whole month. She went on Monday for her one month check-up. She weighed 10 pounds and 2 ounces and measured 22 1/2 inches long. She is doing great! I can't wait to see what the next month brings. Oh how happy I'll be on that day that she actually smiles because she's happy! What joy that will bring to my heart! I just know that Taylor will LOVE making her smile!

Things are going well. She is a bit fussy at times, but I guess that's normal. Jeremy has gone back to work. I'm trying to manage having two by myself. So far, us girls have visited Sam's Club alone, I've given them both baths (back-to-back), and I've managed to put Taylor to bed while holding and rocking Emma. Emma does do one longer sleep at the beginning of the night...she goes for about 4 1/2 hours right now. She is a very noisy sleeper, which stinks for me. I don't sleep very well! She constantly grunts and makes noises...some are cute, but I could seriously do without the grunting in the middle of the night! She loves to be walked around and hates the car seat. She loves to stare at the television and enjoys the lights on the Christmas tree. She deals with chaos by going to sleep and takes forever to drink a bottle.

Life is good, God is great, and we are learning how to live with two small children (a bit more challenging than I had expected)! Thank God for a great husband!