We can't get our external hard drive that we keep all our pictures on to work right now so I don't really have any pictures except this one of Parker from Sunday. This was Parker's first time wearing a tie. He's worn a bow tie a couple of times (he didn't like that either) but this was the first actual tie. It's a clip on tie. We thought he looked really cute. He was not happy! Chad did eventually get him to smile for a picture. I had to promise him lemon sorbet to get him to wear it to church. I know there are lots of people who don't believe bribing children is the best way to parent but sometimes it's effective! I don't think it was even the tie so much that was bothering him, I think it was his shirt being buttoned all the way. I could see how that would feel restrictive, especially if you're not used to it.

This is the newest addition to our family!

On a very, very rare (almost never) afternoon by ourselves (my mom and Bob had the kids for the afternoon) Chad and I were at the mall. We were about to leave when I saw that they were having a dog adoption event. This little guy was just too cute to resist so we adopted him! Though I'm not sure it was the best idea ever he, so far, has been a pretty good dog. If only he would stop biting everything!! The kids love him, but don't appreciate the frequent puppy bites.

I love how kids can sometimes be so easily entertained. They look so happy in these pictures and all they were doing was playing in our cul de sac.

They love to walk the puppy. He tires out much quicker than they do! He is only about 12 weeks old.

They are all excited about the baby coming. Kennedy asks me every day how many more sleeps until the baby comes. We're down to 102 I think but that is a big number for a 6 year old. I can't believe it's less than 15 weeks away. Time really flies when there are 3 other kids to look after! Everything's going well with this pregnancy so far. Parker likes to rub my stomach and talk to the baby. Emerson thinks everyone with a belly button has a baby in their tummy. Including her and Chad. Kennedy and Parker also come up with the most creative names. Since we don't know if it's a boy or girl we don't have a name picked yet. Tonight Kennedy decided if it's a girl we should call her Sweet Tweet and if it's a boy Honey Man. Hopefully we'll come up with a better options in the next few months.

My only complaint so far is restless leg syndrome and insomnia. Not fun when we have three early waking children and at least one of them in our bed almost every night!

So it's obviously been forever since I updated our blog. I was so very busy getting ready for my consignment sale here in Charlotte, The Posh Closet Sale, that I just didn't take the time to post anything. And just in case you're looking for children's clothes we are working on adding items to our online store www.theposhclosetsale.com so check it out!

First of all a huge thank you to:

my mother in law June for staying with us and taking care of my kids all week last week. They weren't feeling their best and I'm sure it was a very long week for her

my mom and Bob for helping distribute many, many post cards to promote the sale, watching the kids so I could deliver post cards, picking up and putting together the shoe racks and then dropping them back off to the person who graciously let me borrow them, helping out with security at the sale, and everything else you helped with in regards to my sale

my sisters Lara and Jana for all of their help at the sale

and last but not least to Chad and the kids for putting up with the mess and chaos that is our house for the weeks before and after the sale, the lack of interesting meals, and a very distracted not so fun to be with all day mommy, and also to Chad for helping promote the sale with facebook, at work and to everyone else he knows who may be interested in children's clothes! You're so much better at that than I am!!

I really, really, really appreciate everyone's help.

We were waiting to post this until we had told everyone in our family and then it's just been so long since I've updated it's a little late but for anyone that doesn't know yet, we are expecting baby #4 the beginning of July! I am 23 weeks pregnant and everything is going well. To answer a question we get asked a lot, yes this is our last.

These are about the only things we've taken pictures of in the past two months!

My mom and Bob came down for what we thought was a 10 day visit at the beginning of January but instead they are staying until April which was a wonderful surprise although we don't actually see them very often because they are busy volunteering (and staying) at Jaars in Waxhaw.

Chad and June took the kids to the circus in January.
these are from the day we went to have Christmas with Chad's family in Winston.

All last week the forecast said there would be snow in Charlotte on Monday. Since it doesn't always pan out like they say, I constantly check the forecast to see if anything's changed and I pray pray pray for snow! Monday morning I was thrilled to wake up and see snow. And it kept snowing until about 3pm (when it unfortunately turned to freezing rain) and it was so beautiful. We all love snow at our house and we have had so much fun playing in it.

We walked to the park behind our house and it was such a pretty (but long especially on the return walk after the kids had been sliding down and then walking back up a big hill) walk. We found a big hill and the kids enjoyed sliding. There are trees at the bottom though so Chad had to stay down there and stop them from a collision.

I know quite a few people down here in the south that think young children shouldn't be outside in the cold. I have to say, our kids would beg to differ. I love the smiles on their faces. They love the snow and they love sliding.

Eventually they decided rolling down the hill was the best idea. Emerson especially enjoyed rolling.

The rest of the pics are back at our house. We have a small slope in our back yard that works pretty well for the first few hours. Eventually they rub the snow off though.

My nana sent these costumes for the kids. Aren't they cute?

Christmas 2010

Below is a link to a slideshow on Chad's site of our Christmas pictures. There are a lot of them and because it was faster we didn't take the time to delete some duplicates so I apologize for those. The password for the slideshow is snow. http://photographybychadwick.com/viewing/?slideshowID=126255

For the most part we had a good time at my mom's. Unfortunately we were hit with what Chad calls the "Christmas curse". Which isn't really accurate because it hasn't happened every Christmas. It started with Emerson throwing up Monday night and went from there. As far as I know, Kennedy, Bob, Hannah and Charlie were safe but the rest of us suffered from varying degrees of sickness.

On a much more positive note, there was lots of snow and the weather was really mild (what would be considered cold to the Southerners reading this but mild for northern Ontario) so whoever was healthy got to spend lots of time outside enjoying the snow. In spite of our illness we had a good trip. Kennedy and Parker stayed with my mom and Bob and should be getting home tomorrow I think. We miss them so much!

Chad, Emerson and I came home the day after Christmas to snow! Of course the first time in 60 years it snows in Charlotte on Christmas and it's a Christmas we're out of town. Lara ended up in Charlotte as well because like the rest of the north east Boston was shut down due to snow. Due to her shear determination she made it in to Boston on the first flight to land Monday! And then she got the sickness :(

The snow actually sort of stayed in our yard for several days but Emerson got sick again and then I got sick again and then Chad got sick again and then Emerson got better and then she got sick again! So we never got around to making it out in to the snow here. That's okay though because we got to enjoy it at my mom's.

And a special congratulations to my Nana and Bill who got married (in secret!) on Christmas Eve and told us all on Christmas Day. We're happy for you!

Merry Christmas!

Here is our Christmas card from this year.

Here are just a few of the tons of outtakes!

This week we went to see the Gingerbread Village at Ballantyne Resort and then went home to decorate a gingerbread house. This was a gingerbread kit and not one the kids could eat. Kennedy and Parker understood that, but Emerson not so much! I spend the afternoon trying to prevent from eating all of it.

This week we went to see the Gingerbread Village at Ballantyne Resort and then went home to decorate a gingerbread house. This was a gingerbread kit and not one the kids could eat. Kennedy and Parker understood that, but Emerson not so much! I spend the afternoon trying to prevent from eating all of it.