Will's Laughter...

I absolutely love to lay on the floor with Will and watch him laugh...

A Boy and His Dog...

Bailey has made a big impact on our family. Everyday Zachary asks "Where's my dog?" He walks her, plays with her and even climbs in her house with her. Will even follows her with his eyes!

Solid Food!

We have tried Rice cereal with William several times and he just spits it back out. Yesterday, we tried bananas and had a whole different response. He loved them. And ate them well. I can not believe how fast he is growing!




I love these chubby cheeks!

Zachary's Big Wheel

Zachary received a Big Wheel (yes, just like the ones from twenty years ago) and he loves it. It is great for exercise on his legs...

"M is for Mammal"

Today we all went to the zoo (again) and Zachary had a class to attend called "M is for Mammal." First we took Dad all over the zoo and told him about the animals (you could really tell how much Zachary has learned from our trips).

Zachary hair always sticks straight up when he goes down this slide...



Then, Zachary and I attended a special class for three year olds. We played games, learned about bones, touched elephant tusks & teeth, read a book, made a craft and played with a mammal. The mammal was a chinchilla (looked like a rat) from South Africa. We were able to touch him and watch him take a bath in dirt (they can not get wet or their hair falls off). We had a lot of fun in class and can not wait to go to our next class in May!





Watching the chinchilla...



Today's craft was an elephant...


Finished craft...I love his facial expression.

After class, we had a picnic lunch with Dad and Will! Zachary and I enjoyed ice cream sandwiches! Then, Zachary and Dad headed off to Aunt Ginas house to pick-up a doghouse for Bailey while Will and I went home to take naps! We had such a great morning but boy was it hot outside!!

New Dog - Bailey!

Well, we took the stray dog to the vet today and everything looks good. She weighs 35lbs and is part Irish Setter. She has ear mites and is malnourished. No heartworms, worms or parasites. The vet thinks her eyes are red and her nose is occasionally dripping due to the pollen right now. Heart and lungs sounds are normal. Skin & coat are normal. She does have numerous abrasions to all her legs with different stages of healing. She was either nicked by a car, mistreated or attacked by something. Her paw pads are looking better...no infections to them thanks to our cleanings. She is not spayed and has probably had puppies recently. After her heartworm and parasite tests, she received two vaccines, a de-wormer, took a monthly heartworm pill and was checked out by the doctor.

Bottom line...we have adopted a dog...and named her Bailey!

We will take her back to the vet on May 5th to be spayed and on May 15th for a booster vaccine (since we do not know her history).

She has been an absolute doll today and is going to be Zachary's best friend. They followed each other around all day today! I will take more pictures of the two of them together!

Summertime Swim Video!

Brotherly Love...at the Zoo!

I love it when both boys look at me with their BRIGHT BABY BLUE eyes...



Notice, brotherly love includes putting dirt on Will's head right as mom takes the picture! It is true brotherly love!

Zoo Trip!

Since Zachary received a yearly membership to the Greenville Zoo for his birthday, we took another trip today and spent four hours playing with a friend from work (Jolene) and her son, Owen. We had a great time!

Everytime we go to the Zoo, Zachary has to have his picture taken at the entrance...



He loves the great big elephants. Today, we got to watch them as they were fed! Zachary said they we not sharing!



And he insists on having his picture made with the Lion...



He picked out one toy from the store...He selected a spongy, life-like frog...



Jolene, Owen and Zachary feeding the pot-bellied pig and billy goats. They were hungry today...



Zachary loved feeding the animals but I thought they were going to eat his fingers!





Thanks Jolene...for helping me entertain the boys and pass the time today! We are glad your family went in with the yearly membership too! I think we will definitely get our monies worth! The boys loved it!

Next week, I think we may have more friends joining us! We can not wait! I only wish it was closer to home but considering we are gone ALL day, it is worth it!

New Dog?!

Yesterday morning when we got up, a dog appeared on our doorstep. She looked tired, malnourished and neglected in care. The pads on her paws are raw and obviously painful (she limps around). I could not get her off of our front porch. She was so nice and great around the kids. I just had to feed her and now she has moved in!



Zachary could not be happier (as you can see from the picture above). The dog follows him everywhere and he wants to dog to go with him everywhere! She has not growled, snapped or barked at him once. I think, she is full grown and has had at least one litter of puppies. She let us bath her which made her coat look a lot better. I cleaned all her paws with Betadine and put an antibiotic cream on them. I know they hurt her because she spends most of the day lying down. She loved when we put in her the wagon and pulled her around. She is white with little brown spots...maybe Irish setter? I am going to take her to the vet Friday (I did not want to take her right away in case someone claimed her - neighbors have never seen her). I have always wanted a dog and I believe this dog was sent to our porch in need. She is one of God's creatures and I can not bear to think of what will happen if we take her to the Animal Shelter. Wish us luck!

TRIPLE Coupons at Bloom

Zachary and I went to Bloom this afternoon since they were tripling coupons!
We got
(2) V8 fusion drinks
Chex Cereal
Frosted Mini Wheats Cereal
New Graduates spoons
(4) Stage One Foods (bananas)
(5) Uncle Bens Steamable Rices
Fresh French Bread Loaf
Large Cascade
(4) McCormick Seasonings (cinnamon, garlic salt, pepper x2)
(2) Blueberry Eggos
Cheddar Filled Pretzels
(2) Hungry Jack Syrups
(2) Pasta Side Creations
Beanie Weenies

Price: $66.41
Paid: $12.95
Saved: $53.46 or 80%

If you don't go to Triple Weekends at Bloom, you ought to start. I have planned a manicure & pedicure next week to spend my savings!!

First Tooth?

For the past few days, Will has been cranky. He is drooling like a puppy dog and has been chewing on his toys. We noticed, about a week ago, little indentions that looked like teeth may be under neath. Today, we noticed a small white area. It feels like a tooth, it is white like a tooth, it is in the right place for a tooth...Is it a tooth? We will wait a few days to see!!






Today was an absolutely beautiful day so we played outside most of the day. I could not resist taking this picture of Zachary...



When I saw Zachary and David standing together, I immediately thought of this picture...



This is my dad, many years ago, with his younger brother David!! This picture was always one of my family favorites!

Trip to Botanical Gardens

This afternoon, David and I took Zachary and William to the SC Botanical Gardens to feed the ducks. A friend of mine told me to never throw away bread...instead, keep adding old bread to a bag in the freezer and save for the ducks. This morning we laid out our frozen bread and after naps we went to feed the ducks. We saw ducks, huge fish and many many turtles!!

HAPPY EASTER!

Zachary and William had a special visit from the Easter Bunny this morning and this is what he left at our house...

WILLIAM got an Easter Book, a Dora toy and Sesame Street Stuffed Animals!!



ZACHARY got a Dora Easter movie, Bob The Builder Truck, Matchbox cars, a bunny rabbit, an Etch a Sketch, a book, a bug vacuum and Marshmellow Peeps!!

Zachary's 3rd Birthday Party

We had a wonderful birthday celebration for Zachary with our family...it was such a beautiful day for us to be outside. We had ham sandwiches and Zachary made cupcakes with jellybeans on top. Thanks to all of our family for helping us to celebrate!

Zachary's Homemade Cupcakes...



Zachary and cousin McKenzie Councill...


















Zachary loved his new bicycle and big wheel...












Thanks for everyone for helping us celebrate and thanks for all the presents!