Daddy Brought us Gifts!

I cannot believe all of the things Jerrod was able to fit in his luggage to bring home! He thought of everyone while he was in Africa. 90% of what was bought was for people other than himself. Of course he had to come with gifts for the wife and kids! It was all cool stuff.

Jerrod had made a shirt that in Africa they call a Booboo (may have misspelled). It reminds me of a scrub shirt, but in cool African fabric. In the same fabric he had a skirt made for me. We wore them to church on Sunday! He also brought me a gorgeous cross necklace and a jewelry box.

Maddox and Mason cleaned house! For now the gifts are more for Maddox, but he will have to share with little brother when he gets old enough to care. They got a really cool hand carved wooden chair, an African drum and a homemade sling shot!


Jerrod in his African shirt called a Booboo.


Me in my matching African skirt


The African Drum


The hand carved wooden chair with a giraffe on it.


Mason sitting in the chair.


Maddox sitting in the chair while playing the drum. After Jerrod showed him he now gets the drum and takes it to the chair himself and will hit it. So cute!

Daddy Came Home!

Jerrod is home! Friday was an exciting day. It was the day that Jerrod came home from being in Africa for 12 days. That morning I told Maddox that we were going to the airport to pick up daddy and he was ecstatic! We spent the morning hanging out at Nana and PeePaw's house and after lunch it was off to the airport. But, before we left, Maddox and Mason had to change into their special t-shirts. Maddox and Mason helped me make special t-shirts for daddy that they could wear to the airport. On the front of the shirts was their hand print and it said "Welcome Home" and on the back was their footprint and it said "Missed You Daddy." So cute!







So, we arrived at the airport at 2:45pm, his plane laded at 2pm, and still ended up having to wait an hour because the customs line was long. Mason slept and Maddox was very well behaved. He sat in his stroller and ate teddy grahams until I got a text that said Jerrod was headed up the escalator . . . we were waiting at the top. I let Maddox out and got Mason out (he had just woke up). Maddox spotted daddy and ran right to him. The next thing I heard was Maddox saying "I missed you Daddy!" Priceless! So sweet! He just hung onto Jerrod and kept hugging and kissing him and saying "I missed you." We are all very glad to have daddy back home!


Maddox patiently waiting.


Mason knew what to do to pass the time!


Loving on daddy!

Fun in the Sun!

Since Jerrod was away on Father's Day, after nap time me and the boys went to my parents to spend the afternoon with my dad. Kara and her kids were there as well. We all went to the pool to swim. Maddox has always liked water and loved the pool and ocean last year, but I was anxious to see how he would act. Also, Mason loves baths, but I was not sure about the pool. Wow, what fun we had. Mason loved the water and just relaxed and hung out. Maddox became a little fish. He was hanging out in the water, jumping off the side and begging me to throw him in the air. I am sad I did not get them in the water sooner this summer. It has just been a crazy summer. I look forward to many more afternoons in the pool in the hot Georgia heat.


Me and my boys!


Mason is taking it all in!


"Here I come PeePaw!" says Maddox


Maddox loves his PeePaw


Maddox, PeePaw (Grandpa), Emma, Aaron, Mason and me


He is SO grown up!


If you look close or click on the picture to enlarge, you will see I have just thrown Maddox in the air. He loved it!

Say Cheese!

I cannot believe that I am sitting here writing about Maddox being almost 2 years old and Mason already 3 months old. Where has the time gone? It seems like just yesterday Jerrod and I were bringing Maddox home from the hospital. I blinked and Mason was here . . . now it is 3 months later!

So, as many of you know I am crazy about pictures of my boys. I don't want to miss a single thing and during the 1st year am determined to take pictures at birth, 3 months, 6 months, 9 months and 1 year. So, Mason's 3 month pictures are upon us. I decided that now would be a great time to get Maddox's 2 year old pictures as well (he is almost there). So, yesterday me, the boys and my mom, Nana (and my crutch when trying to get 2 kids to smile and work with the photographer), headed to Portrait Innovations. What cute pictures they took. Of course they always take too many and I have a hard time narrowing it down and picking the ones I want. But, after much deliberation the task was complete.

Below are a few of my favorites. They took 70, so believe me when I say I have many more favorites! I hope you enjoy them as much as I did. I just love these little boys!!!


So sweet!


Little charmer!


Look at that smile!


Getting ready for our beach trip next month!

2 New Additions to Our Family!

So, I decided that today would be a special trip to Wal-mart for me and the boys. Wal-mart is a store we frequent WAY too often. Maddox loves it because he gets a free cookie, Mason could care less and it gives mommy a good excuse to get out of the house. A few of the ladies at the bakery even know Maddox and Mason by name. Sad, I know!

A few times when we have gone I have taken Maddox by to look at the fish and he loves them. So, today he got to pick a few out. I decided we would go with goldfish because they are easy and would still be fun. We went with the medium sized instead of the little bitty ones so they would be more fun to look at. One of them is gold and one of them is white, gold and black . . . very pretty goldfish! There names are Goldy and Spot (simple I know). Maddox helped me and we put them in a bowl with a plant, shark decoration and green, blue and clear colored glass beads. They are cute and something new for Maddox to feed and look at. Maybe one day we will work our way up to a dog, haha!


Maddox is pointing to the fish and telling them to eat. He had just fed them.


Eat fish, eat!


There they are with the shark decoration.


The shark looks like he is going to eat them.


I had to put them up high on a table or else I was afraid we would end up with an empty bowl, haha!

Daddy is Burkina Bound!

So as many of you know, Jerrod left yesterday for Burkina Faso, Africa on a mission trip with our church, West Ridge. I am so happy for him and going to miss him SO much! He will return in 12 days, Friday, June 26th. But, I know that while he is gone he will be doing God's work and having an amazing experience! So, in the meantime, I will be hanging out with my boys!

During this time I was hoping to get many things done, including catching up on the blog entries. After a wonderful trip to my sister Anslie's house last weekend, I have much to talk about. I figured while Jerrod was gone would be a perfect time to catch up! I guess I did not think that through good enough before he left. He is now in Africa with my computer . . . with all my pictures saved to it! What a mess! Oh well. Guess everyone will have to wait another 2 weeks to see the wild and crazy fun times we had in NJ with all the sisters and kids together.

In the meantime, I will try to keep everything else updated. Thanks for all of your love and support. Please pray for Jerrod over the next 2 weeks. I know that God placed this trip on his heart last year and I am ecstatic that it all came together and he is fulfilling this calling. I love him so much!!

The pictures below are not great quality. I forgot to take my camera in the airport, so I had to use my phone! Oh well.


At the airport before Jerrod left.


Maddox didn't want to look . . . he was saying bye to Daddy.


Maddox rode the escalator with Ma before we left. He calls them moving stairs. (You can click on the picture to make it big so you can see them). They are about halfway down at this point.