NICOLIO...

I have known this girl a long time and we have been through a lot together. Nicole is a major part of who I am... sometimes I feel like people can understand me better once they've met her. I love her!

Ode to Otis

Otis was my first car. Her life came to a tragic end in the early morning hours of a January morning in 2003...She was a good car... I miss her sometimes.

Fun Times at the Park

I love to swing... when I was in elementary school it was my favorite thing to do at recess... apparently, I haven't outgrown it... it was still just as much fun tonight as it was back then.

This is Cole and my beautiful niece Olivia... Haley(my sister-in-law) had the brilliant idea of putting them in the swing like this together and they loved it! They stayed like this... as happy as can be for at least 30 minutes!

There is just something peaceful about parks... I am so glad we got out tonight!

Sisters...Then and Now

I love being the youngest of three sisters... My sisters are two of my best friends and they have looked out for and watched over me my entire life. I don't know where I would be if it weren't for them.

Crazy Days

This little man refused to nap again yesterday. He only took 2 naps that were less than 30 minutes each... but it has been pretty fun. His personality is showing a lot lately and I am loving getting to know him. Those claw marks on his face are self inflicted... His nails are so sharp...even when I keep them cut short... he doesn't seem to mind the scratches though:)
This medicine is amazing! I discovered the Tylenol cough when I was a freshmen in college and I don't know how I ever survived a cold without it:)

Sick Days

I feel silly for ever complaining about being sick before I was a mom. What was so bad about having to stay in bed and watch movies all day? Even when I'm sick, Cole still comes first and yesterday he had one of the roughest days of his short life. His naps normally total about 3 hours a day... but yesterday he took three 20 minutes naps! It's not that he wasn't tired... because all he wanted to do when he woke up was sit with me... which I loved:) This little boy may only be 8 months old, but it seems like he outgrew the cuddling stage a long time ago...

One of the Many Reasons I love this Guy

Sean never stops. Even when he is sitting still, his mind is going a million miles an hour. He is one of the busiest people I know, but he always makes time for me and Cole.

How does he do that?

It seems every time I leave Cole alone for a few minutes he finds a way to surprise me when I return. What happened to the days when he was waiting for me right where I left him? I love watching him discover ways to get around... I have a feeling that before I know it I am not going to be able to keep up with him:)

The Reason I am Here

I love my Mom and Dad! This picture was taken a few years ago when they came to visit me when I was in college. Growing up I always knew that my parents loved me but I don't think I realized just how much they loved me until I became a parent myself:) Having Cole has given me a new appreciation for my parents. When he was a newborn and I thought I was going to go crazy from sleep deprivation I would always tell myself... "My parents did this for me and they survived, so I will too..." That is just one small way that I can now relate to my parents, but I've yet to go through all the ups and downs that come with raising toddlers and teenagers... There isn't anyone that I trust more than my parents and I am grateful for all the sacrifices that they have made over the years on my behalf.

My Jen...

I was cleaning out my office tonight and I stumbled across these pictures of me and my roommate from my freshmen year of college...Jen. I love her! It's funny how just a couple of old pictures can take you back. Leaving home for the first time terrified me. I was moving 10 hours away from my home to live with 5 other girls that I had never met. I could not have asked for a better roommate than Jen... She was so different than me, but we clicked instantly and she made all the homesickness I was feeling much easier to deal with. Jen taught me so many things... how to dance "ugly," how to cook, how to love Dave Matthews, how to laugh at myself and most importantly... how to eat a full pint of Ben and Jerry's. She was a friend to me when I needed it most... She was one-of-a-kind... I miss her!

Gardner Village

Yesterday Cole and I went to Gardner Village with my sister Brittany and my aunts... Patsy and Ruthie. It was so much fun! The village was decorated for Halloween and it got me all excited for fall! I love my aunts and I am so glad that I live close enough to them to do stuff like this. This picture is of Brittany and Cole. Brit is such a good aunt... she is always so helpful when we're out with Cole and he adores her!

Red Furniture

I had wanted a red kitchen table for a long time. My husband wasn't very hard to convince because he loves COLOR as much as I do! The only problem was finding one... The first one I found was in a Pottery Barn catalogue last December... only it was about $500 for the shipping alone and I just couldn't justify that. Eventually I wandered into Bassett one day and found out that they make customized furniture! Alas - - I got my red table and it makes me happy every time I look at it!

It has Begun...

This morning Cole was playing in my room so I was running around the house getting things cleaned up... I went back into my room to check on him and he wasn't there. I walked into my closet and there he was getting into my shoes, which he loves chewing on. It looks like I am going to have to baby proof everything now... I am glad it was just shoes that he found:)

New Camera

I got a new camera two days ago and I have been taking pictures like crazy! Sean and I took Cole and went out to eat last night. It had been a very long day for me, because Cole is teething and I was a little nervous to take him out...but I am glad I did. He loved getting out of the house as much as we did! He kept turning around to greet any people that entered the restaurant and after that he was happy for the rest of the night.

When Did He Get So Big?

The Man of My Dreams

I saw Sean for the first time when I was 14 years old. I was cheering at a football game when I looked up into the stands and saw him talking to one of my friends. After the game I found out who he was from my friend and then realized the following school week that I had a class with him. We didn't start dating until I was 17, but when we did he changed my life. I will always love him for that. We have been married for almost three years now and sometimes it is just fun to look back and reflect on how far we've come together.

The Little Man Who Changed Everything

Cole Kristoffer was born in the early morning hours of January 20, 2007. He has been shouting orders at me ever since and I cannot imagine my life without him.