2009 Blogger Buddy Get Together

Wow! I haven't had that many comments to a post since I got prego with Zachary!!! I'm glad you all like the idea, but since there are several people who can't make it on Saturday, we've had a suggestion to do it early next year, say MLK weekend. I'm not sure how many people travel during that weekend, but we'll try to set a date so that most people can attend.

I think that most of you were okay with the inflatable playground idea. A few of us have been to one in Buford that was great. How is that location for the group - I don't know where all of you live?

Also, if anyone who's interested will email me, I'll send out an E-Vite and we can suggest/vote on dates that way.

My email is bethanyg@delaneyinc.com (gosh I hope it's okay that I just put that out there....)

Yeah, Ladies. I'm so excited that we're doing this. There are so many of you that I'd love to meet.

Blogger Buddy Get Together

It's been a while, there's lots to update, but I have to get this out before time passes us by.

Do you ever visit blogs and develop friendships, only to realize that you've never met half the people you're "friends" with? We talk to each other, encourage each other, pray for each other, and laugh with each other - but some of us have never met.

Ever wonder how Royal Family knows Evan's Life? Ever wonder how Mel's Haven and the Bresnan Family Blog came to know each other? Well, the answer is - we all knew someone who knew someone and we started peeking in on each other's lives....now it's time to meet our virtual friends face to face!!!

A few of us have been talking about a Blogger Buddy Get together. A date that we've picked is November 1st. I know it's a week from this Saturday, but it's a few weeks before the holidays begin and we'll all be tied up with Turkey and Stockings....so, let's see how many of us can get together next Saturday for the First Ever Blogger Buddy reunion.

If you are interested, leave a comment on my blog. We've had one person volunteer their house, and one person suggest all of us pitching in to rent a party room at an Inflatables Playground. Both are great options, so share your thoughts and let us know if you're up for meeting on Saturday. Kids welcome! I'd bring both of mine!!! :)

Pass the blog on to everyone on your list....as I know my audience is dwindling because of the long absences.

Slashin' Good Time

We had a Splashin' Good Time at the new Aquatic Center in Gainesville. We packed the kids up Sunday night for a trip to the neighborhood pool. Sunscreen on, kids in the car, we're on our way....only to find our pool closed due to contamination. Well, what do you do with 3 kids screaming "Pool, pool, pool!!"???? You find an alternative.

Melanie remembered a new Aquatic Center that opened this past weekend. Only 18 minutes away, $4 admission for me and Josh, and we had ourselves a splashin' good time.

Daddy with the kiddos!!!

Zach actually liked the water falling on him until the very last time That time he got some water in his nose and was DONE, but up until then, he like it....surprisingly!

This was the main attraction for us. This part of the pool was waist deep for Olivia, so she could do whatever she wanted without her floaties. Here's Morgan tyring to get out of the way, and if you look closely, that's Olivia entering the water - Spread Eagle!!! I was shocked, but she LOVED it. Sometimes she would land on her feet, sometimes on her rear, but she never got scared and kept going back for more. I think we'll be doing swimming lessons here this spring!!!

There was another pool that had this river with a current. We popped the kids in life vests and let them go with the flow....pun intended.

And here's my Little Man. He loved it just as much as the girls. The fountain was the favorite for him. He literally attacked the water...the cutest thing I've ever seen. He and Daddy even went down the water slide!!! Such a big boy!

So, I highly recommend this place if any of you live in the area. It's called the Frances Meadows Aquatic Center and it's open year round (outside stuff only for 2 more weeks).

Hope everyone had a fantastic Labor Day. Tomorrow is Olivia's first day of school...so we'll be posting more tomorrow! Wish us luck!!!!

Happy Birthday, Mel Mel

Happy Birthday to my favorite cousin and my oldest friend!!!!

Yes, Ladies, today is Melanie's birthday. I won't say how young she is b/c my birthday is soon approaching and I wouldn't want her to return the favor, but today is her special day!!! Melanie is my absolute oldest friend....probably because she's my cousin and I've known her since....well since I was born.

Most of my fondest childhood memories involve Mel Mel. When I went to her house as a kid, we'd always pretend like we were long lost sisters that just stumbled upon one another and then became the best of friends. And she had the first huge slumber party that I ever attended, where we played "Girl Talk" all night long....yeah, you gals remember what I'm talking about, right!!!

Melanie was there for me on that dreaded "First Day of High School" where she sought me out at lunch time to make sure that I didn't have to eat alone. She drug me along with her older friends... and we both had our first and only experience with the "Athens night life" together...though she was of age, I was not and we both tasted beer for the first time and agreed - it SUCKS!!!!! We'll stick to Mountain Dew!!!!!

Melanie has been present for all of my major life events. My wedding day, the birth of my children, and she was right beside me day that I accepted Jesus Christ into my life! How can you go through so much with someone and really find the words to express how much they mean to you???? I dont' think you can, so I'll just have to say:

I love you, Melanie Kate Gravitt. God definitely must have "spent a little more time on you"! You're one of my best friends, and I love you so much. I hope that you have a wonderful birthday (even though it's almost over), and I can't wait for us to have a Mommy n' Me Birthday Celebration!!!!

Love you, Girl!!!!

We Interrupt This Regularly Scheduled Blog...

...to bring you a break from our long vacation post.....

Yeah, it took me so long to do the first few days...I just stopped. I will finish...for the sake of my online memory log, but I wanted to post some pics I've taken recently.

A few weeks ago I took the kiddos to the mall for a leisurely stroll. The kids did so great. The boys were in the stroller and the girls held hands and we window shopped at the hippest stores...Claire's, American Girl, Disney Store, and of course we played on the indoor play ground. Afterwards, we hit the food court for a quick snack...French Fries!!!! North Point Mall has these cool new tables for the kiddos. Aren't they so cute!!!!! (Who says 4 kids are too much to handle???)

After we returned from Vacation, we didn't really do anything exciting for the 4th of July. But we did go shopping to hit some sales with Daddy. And of course, the kids had to ride the carousel. (And no, we're not mall rats...it's just one of the only places I actually think to take out my camera.)

A couple of weeks ago, Jennica and I had dinner with one of our dearest friends. MANDY!!! We hadn't seen her in a year, (since Zachary was born, who was actually born on Mandy's birthday!!), so it was nice to see her and catch up. The three of us can always pick up right where we left off...even if it's been months since we talked. It's so amazing how true friendship can withstand time! I love you, Mandy, and we can't wait to see you soon. Good luck this week at your new school. We're thinking about you!!!!

Today we had a great day at church. Ms. April, our Children's Director, threw a Birthday Party for all of the children in the Children's Ministry. Complete with Ice cream, face painting, tattoos, a bounce house, and tons of fun music. I had my class (2 1/2 through 3) and they all loved it. Olivia was moving and grooving to the Camp Rock songs!!!

Here are Olivia and Zachary enjoying apples on the front porch. They are such sweethearts, and really have started playing so well...but we do have our share of fights. Today, Zachary kept hitting Olivia, and he had to have his first time out(s). Olivia must have been amused that her little brother was finally experiencing this Toddler Torture, so she kept tattle-tailing all afternoon. Finally, in my most loving (read: frustrated) mommy voice, I told her that I didn't want to hear any more tattle-tailing. She proceeded to march right over to her brother and say, "See Zachary, no more tattle-tailing or Mommy's going to put you back in time out!!!" I guess I'll have to sit her down and explain what tattle-tailing is.....

And my baby...who's not a baby any more. He's just growing up so fast. He's saying MaMa, DaDa, No, Night Night, That, More, and Bye-Bye. Night-Night is my absolute favorite thing to hear him say. He's just so precious when he's getting ready for bed!!!

Josh was out of town this whole weekend, so my good friend, Amy, came to keep us company yesterday. She and I had a great time catching up and playing with the kids. Olivia just loved Amy. She woke up yesterday and said, "When is Amy coming to play at my house???" Then last night, she said God Bless Amy before she even blessed me!!! And....she wanted Amy to help her get her Smiley Faces last night....I told Amy, that somehow she had really won Olivia over, because NO ONE does Smiley Faces for Olivia other than Mommy!!! We love you, Amy, and had a GREAT time yesterday. Can't wait to get together again!!!!!

Lastly, my neice and nephey start Kindergarden tommorrow!! Oh, I can't believe they are already going to school. It seems like just yesterday that we welcomed them into the world. And, their little bro is starting Pre-K....so it'll be a busy morning in the Gravitt household tomorrow. Good Luck, Hailee and Dakota!!! We know you'll love "Big School" and can't wait to hear all about it!!!!

To everyone out there tuning in to our blog, we pray God's Blessings on each of you!!!! Have a great week!!!!!

Mommy N' Me: Day 3, Let the Sun Shine

Let the Sun Shine....and shine...and shine!!!

Day 3 and we're up early and ready for a boat ride. We decide to take a boat over to Shell Island. For those of you who don't know, Shell Island is just off shore of PC Beach, and it's nothing but beach. No restrooms, no trash cans, no anything other than beach! We were looking forward to a day of SUNSHINE!!!!

Ariel, oh, I mean Olivia, was ready for the beach in her mermaid best.

On the boat, I snapped this picture just before Olivia's hat was blown off by the wind. She and I dove at the same time -she over the edge of the boat to rescue her hat, me over the beach bag to rescue her! It was a close call, but we were able to save both her and her hat....whew! Zachary loved the boat ride too. We got to see several dolphins on our way too! And of course, we constantly kept our eye out for Nemo.

Shell Island did not disappoint. It was beautiful. If I hadn't had the kids, I could have stayed there all day. The boys headed straight for their sand toys. Zach loved the sand. It was one of his favorite things about the beach!

HMMMM, what do you suppose I could do with these two things!!!

Zach may have not known what to do with them, but Olivia and Aunti Lynn Lynn sure did. First we buried Olivia, but she flipped out,. and since she was actually enjoying the beach this time, I didn't press my luck on having her stay still long enough to get out the camera. But DJ was very cooperative and let us grab this shot before he turned into the HULK and broke free!!!


One pic of the three of us on the beach. Do you know how hard it is taking 4 kids to the beach and trying to get pictures!!! I don't think we ever got any where everyone was looking!! But it was all worth it. Sitting on the beach with both of my kids was the greatest feeling I've had in a while. It's what being a mom is all about!!! Creating memories!


BFF!!! These two are too cute! They were playing in the "Baby Water"....that's the water that doesn't cover their feet!!! One of the only ways we could convince Olivia that it would be okay to actually be in the ocean.


But she did come around and start enjoying herself, and my fear of being the only sun-lover in the family started to subside. But meanwhile back at camp.....


Zachary was all tuckered out!!! I rigged up two chairs and a towel to create some shade for him. He slept for about an hour while the other two kids played! Boy, it's hard being a boy!


And even harder to wake up on the BEACH!!! What the heck, Mommy. Where's my blanket? Where's my crib....where am I at??? Let's just say that Little Zachary didn't wake up in the best of moods, but he did eventually come around.

Still in the water!!! What a little model!!!!

What's going to work? Team Work!!!

We headed back on the next boat back to our resort and let four very tired gets get some rest. We were very fortunate that all of them stayed somewhat on schedule while we were away, and they all had naps every day!!! After nap time we decided to head out for an afternoon of fun, only to find......

Yes, Those are my kids in the car and a huge crack in my windshield. WHAT!!! We had been inside for a few hours and come out to find this. I was convinced that some kids had thrown something off the balcony or had smashed the window with something....I was livid!!! But one hour and one cocky cop later, it was determined that golf-ball-gone-wild had smashed my window.....I officially hate golfers....especially bad ones!!!!


But the night went on and after having dinner out, we went to a little amusement park. The kids were tired so we didn't do much - just enough to tire them out! Here's the Haskell family waiting to buy tickets.


And Mommy with her Princess!!! Oh, isn't she the cutest thing I've ever seen!!!!


And let us not forget about Master Zachary!!! He was such a doll in his little outfit that night. I can't believe I didn't get a picture of him alone!!!


Amber was zooming around on the big race cars. Olivia and I had hoped to give her a run for her money, but my pip-squeak was about a half an inch too short to be a passenger! Too bad....but we'll get you next year, Amber!!!!

The airplanes were the first ride for the little ones. At the last minute, DJ got upset, so he decided to cheer Livi on while she zoomed around the park.


Can you tell that her Grandfather and Great-grandfather were pilots!!! She's a born natural!!!!

This ended up being a LATE night for us. When we got home, half of the resort was without power. We're still not sure what happened...some golfer with a bad swing probably busted a transfuser or something. Our unit wasn't affected - thank God, so we headed straight to bed awaiting what Day 4 would bring!!!

Mommy n' Me Beach Trip: Day 2

Day #2: From Gray Clouds to Sunny Skies!!!

Day #2 brought gray clouds early in the morning. Just as we reached the pool with all of our kids and gear in tow, the storm of the season ensued. We grabbed all of our stuff and our 4 very upset kids and ran for cover. We overheard another guest mention the Indoor Pool...so we were off!!! Soothing the kids and promising pool time, we walked to the next building where we found one VERY crowded indoor swimming pool. We didn't get any shots of the pool, partly because it was too crowded, but mainly because our kids hit the jacuzzi and didn't want to get out. Yes, Jenn and I checked the water first and it was like really warm bath water, so we let the kids have fun! The loved it.

Olivia - of course - was doing back flips on the handle bars. DJ is - of course - all smiles. Amber was being a great sport about helping with the kids, and Zach...well I think Jennica was holding him. They played in the jacuzzi for ever....until Mommy ready the Warning Sign:

Warning: No kids under 12 allowed. Use caution. Enjoy in 10 minute increments.

Yeah....should have ready that before we got in. Oh, well. They seemed fine...

Can't you tell from this darling face that no harm was done in the warm jacuzzi water!!! Within an hour, the sun was back out and the outdoor pools were calling our names....wait...it was more like our 4 kids were screaming, "Outside Pools, Outside Pools!!!!" DJ loved the swim ring. He was moving around like crazy in the water!!! He is all boy - completely fearless!!!!

Olivia, donned in her swimmies and her swim ring, was right in her element. No waves, no sand, and lots of water!!!! She is a pool girl!!! She kept saying, Don't touch me, Mommy." She wanted to swim with Amber like a "Big Girl"!!! Oh, they grow up so fast!!! And Little Man was off looking for sticks. Yes, my boy loves to play in the dirt. He collected rocks and bark and held on to them all afternoon. In fact, he had this one rock that was his treasure. He held it so tightly that I couldn't pry it from his hand! More on the Rock to come! After a ton of playing, the kiddos decide that it's time to take a break. How cute are they!!! Oh, I swear I could just eat them up!!! They really are "Best Friends" as Olivia would say! More like brother and sister!!!

After a brief rest, we decided to walk out on the pier and visit the bay. It was a great walk. The beach out there had lots of little Jelly Fish, so we didn't stay out there too long. On our way back, holding on to all of the kids for dear life because there was nothing preventing them from running right off the pier into the bay, we kept seeing the "blobs" in the water. Well, Jennica thought that they were jelly fish, I thought that they were craters.

"They're Jelly Fish" she insists.

"They're too big to be Jelly Fish" I say.

"Throw something down there and see." she says...she thinks she's so smart....

So, I did what anyone would do to prove that I'm right. I pried that little rock right out of my son's hand and threw it as hard as I could into that "blob". "

"See, I told you it was a crater!" (I love it when I'm right!)

"Wahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!", said Zach. Geeze son, it's just a rock!!!

On the walk back I tried to be all artistic but fell short. All I can say is it's hard to capture a shot when you're holding a 12 month old, a beach bag, and trying to make sure that you're 2 year old doesn't dive in head first while she's screaming, "I see NEMO....and Dori!!!!" Finally, back to the condo for some lunch. While Jenn and I made sandwiches in record time, the kiddos dug into a bowl of grapes. Nothing more refreshing after a day in the sun!!!!

Mommy N' Me PC Beach Vacation - Day 1

Yeah Baby!!! First Annual Mommy n' Me Beach Vacation!!!!

Oh, I'm hating that I haven't posted this sooner, but I'm ready to let loose the details on our WILD Mommy n' Me Vacation that happened just a few short weeks ago. For those of you who don't know this about me, I'm a complete last minute planner. Most of our vacations are usually totally last minute. And the last minute ones are usually the funnest ones, too!! Our first trip to Walt Disney world, planned on Wednesday left on Saturday. Our St. Augustine Vacation, planned on Monday left on Saturday. Our Cancun vacation, planned a week and a half in advance....you get the picture. After just having a really rough week at work and at home, I called my dear hubby the last Wednesday of June and said, "Lets go to the beach." He promptly said no....not that he didn't want to, but he couldn't, so I asked if I could take the kids. He stalled for a moment, but then realizing that he'd have the whole house to himself for almost a week, he agreed that we could go if someone else went with us.

Luckily, I knew another Mommy who might need the same kind of get-away. So, on Wednesday, I booked a 5 day trip to Panama City Beach for Jennica, Myself, and our kids!!! The following Sunday morning, the car and kids were packed and we were off to sunny Florida!!! The kids did great in the car. DJ, Olivia, and Zachary sat in the middle row, and Amber had the whole back seat to herself. (Kristina was in Orlando competing in her Nationals Gymnastics Competition.) We only stopped once for about an hour and a half to let the kids play and to eat lunch, so we made great timing considering that we were traveling with little ones!

We arrived late afternoon at the Condo, and it was really overcast so we didn't even hit the pool or the beach the first night. We grabbed dinner and hit the grocery store to stock up on staples. Then back to the condo to unpack and get ready for the next day. Unfortunately, Monday was VERY overcast too! The wind was blowing and the sky was dark...but did that stop us???? NO WAY. Only lightening itself could keep us from those blue waters and white sandy beaches..... but we didn't realize how DARK it really was until we looked back at the pictures. And now I present, Day #1: Dreary Day at the Beach! This is Olivia and Amber and their first sight of the ocean. This is the VERY FIRST time Olivia has EVER seen the ocean. I'm not sure I captured the "Oh My Goodness, what is this??" face. She was actually smiling, but it was hard to get too excited when the wind is blowing so hard that you're hanging on for dear life! Poor DJ did let go, and he almost blew away! Thank goodness Jennica had a good grip and did have her arms bogged down with the "load" of beach gear that we left in the van!!! Hold On DJ!!! DJ was actually the first one to dive in head first! He was running into the water and up and down the beach...poor Jennica had her work cut our for her keeping up with him! I loved that he was just fearless! He had a great time splashing in the water and playing in the sand. He really didn't stop for one second the entire time we were there! Zachary was really cool about the whole thing - he's such a chilled out kid! He explored the beach, put his toes in the water, splashed around a bit, and just....chilled! It was hard because I couldn't really just let him do his thing because well.....Olivia completely flipped out once we got into the water.

Here is Olivia before we went down to the ocean.......

And here is Olivia after she went into the ocean. Yeah, she's hiding. I'm sitting right at the surf, Zach's beside us playing, and Olivia had a choke hold on me the entire time. Jennica did stay with Zach while I took Olivia out to "look for Nemo", and she was okay as long as we were talking about Nemo and she had the death grip on my neck. But if she wasn't holding on to me...she was crying!!! How is it that I LOVE the sun and the beach and my family does not. My husband is afraid of the sun and now Olivia is terrified of the ocean....come on Preston Family...we can only have so much Mickey Mouse before we have to explore other vacation possibilities!!! And while Olivia is cutting off the circulation to my brain....Amber and DJ are in the ocean have a darn good time!!! Aren't they cute!!! After a long walk down the beach looking for sea shells, we decided to head home for a late lunch and naps. That night we went to a place called Hammer Head Fred's, which was recommended to us by a friend from work. We loved it!!! We were looking forward to some SUN the following day!!!

Dancin' Queen

So I just joined the times and finally got an iPod. (Total thanks to Jennica for opening my eyes to this great little contraption and to Melanie for hooking me up in the music department!!!) Well, let me just say, that I love it!!! But not nearly as much as this little Dancin' Queen! She loves the newest hit by Sugarland "All I Want to Do" This is my first video upload, so pardon me if it doesn't work. I have lots to write about, so stay tuned for our exciting last minute Mommy-N-Me trip to Panama City Beach!! Love you girls!!!!

Happy 1st Birthday, Zachary!!!!

We love you!!!

This blog is way overdue. We celebrated Zachary's first birthday on June 7th! It was a great day out - just HOT! I did learn one thing about having a summer birthday - plan early. I started calling parks in early May, and everything was booked, so we had the party at OUR HOUSE!!! Yeah, another thing I learned....my house is too small for a birthday party!!!

Playing in the Moonwalk with Pop & Hailee.

We bought a moonwalk and a water slide for the party...but decided that the water slide would have been too much. The kids had fun playing outside, despite the heat. Zachary jumped in the moonwalk for quite a while with his favorite person - POP!!! He's a Pop's boy! And here, Hailee's jumped in on the fun too!

Nothing spells FUN like Water Guns!!!

This was a highlight of the party - and brought so much relief from the sun that even the adults didn't complain when they were shot! The kids chased everyone around squirting - we couldn't fill these guns up fast enough!!

Bring on the Boy Toys!!!!

Everyone asked me what Zach needed for his birthday, and the resounding answer was BOY TOYS!!! After months of sharing Olivia's toys, Josh finally said - "We need to buy this boy some toys!!!" That comment came after Josh witnessed his son pushing the doll stroller across the living room - complete with handbag in tow. So, Zach loaded up at his birthday. I've never seen so many trucks, tractors, and tool sets in my whole life. He racked up!!!

Yummy Yummy Birthday Cake!!!

Zach enjoyed his first taste of cake (that I can remember) and it was a great cake. It was decorated to match his invitations and party theme. The lady who did it also made our
Wedding Cake, so it was delicious!!!

But Not Everyone Thought So!!!

Zachary did not like getting his fingers dirty, and didn't really enjoy eating the cake. He did feed quite a bit to his Mimi, but I think he got more in his hair than in his mouth or on his face!!!

Be He Loves PIZZA!!!

Zachary did take a break with Daddy to enjoy some pizza. You can tell, this is much more to his liking! Doesn't he look cute in his "I'm ONE" hat!!!

My New Ride!!!

Mommy and Daddy got Zachary his very first "bike" or as Olivia calls it...a motorcycle. It has a handle on the back for us to push and we can steer it too. He really liked his new ride!!!

In Sugar Heaven!!!

I found these great cups at WalMart that were spill proof and were only 50 cents. I filled them with candy and each kid got a bubble wand, a cup, and a water gun. The goodies were a huge it, and Zach went right for the sucker!!! I don't think that he knew what to do with himself having all of that sugar!!! He wouldn't let go of that lollipop for anything.

Up, Up, and Away!!

After having a bath in the sink to get all of the cake and sucker off of him, he found his favorite thing from the party - the balloons. He drug these balloons around until....well he's still dragging them around. (Yeah, they're still floating). All of those new toys, and he plays with the balloons!

Our Birthday Boy!!!

Zachary really did have a fabulous day. Thank you to everyone who celebrated with us. It wouldn't have been the same without each of you. And to my baby boy!!! Mommy loves you so much! You're growing up so fast, and I thank God for every moment! You've brought nothing but sunshine to our lives, and Daddy, Sissy, and I love you very much!!!

Happy Birthday, Baby Boy!!!!!!