What has Reece been up to??

Reece has done a lot of funny things lately and some NOT so funny things. I figured I better jot them down before I forget them so one day when she has kids I can remind her of the things she used to do. :)

* Reece has a birthday coming up and when people ask her how old she is going to be she proudly states "4!!!" She is actually only going to be 3. Boy will she be disappointed when she only sees 3 candles on her cake.

* Reece loves chapstick (she calls it her lipstick) and instead of applying it to her lips only she puts it all over her cheeks, lips and chin. And the other day she also put it all over the bathroom wall.

* Reece got hold of a ballpoint pin in the car this week and colored all over Mommy's leather seats. Mommy is very thankful for the Magic Eraser. I got almost all of it out.

* While we were gone out of town last week Reece showed her strong will to Grandma and Grandpa. When Grandma told Reece she needed to eat her dinner Reece told Grandma she needed to go to another house.

* Reece went into the guest room where Grandma was reading one night and Grandma said "Reece you are supposed to be in bed asleep!" And Reece replied, "Yes Grandma and you should be asleep too instead of reading."

* Reece LOVES to change clothes - many outfits a day. So, while we were gone she was going through about 4 outfits a day and most of them were shorts and t-shirts. Grandma finally hid the shorts and t-shirts in Reece's closet on the upper shelf. Reece emptied her entire dresser (5 drawers worth) looking for them. When Grandma asked her why she did this she replied, "I am looking for my shorts." Grandma told her she hid them. Reece found them in the closet and told Grandma, "You need to get these down Grandma!"

* One of Reece's favorite phrases now is "I don't love that." If you ask her to wear a certain outfit, eat a certain food, do a certain activity, etc. and she does not approve, she will say "I don't love that."

I am sure there are more things I am forgetting but these are just some of the things she has been doing. She definitely keeps us on our toes (and kept Grandma on her toes last week). :)
I am afraid of what teenage years could bring. ;)

Pizza Night...

Tonight we had a make your own pizza night. The girls had a lot of fun putting whatever they wanted on their pizzas. Of course all they wanted was sauce, cheese and pepperoni. It was fun and yummy. May become a weekend thing at our house.

Our California Trip...

Tony and I went to Long Beach, California last week for a Chick-fil-A seminar and then we stayed 3 extra days so we could relax and sightsee. We had a great trip. I have so many pictures to share and I don't know how to do a slideshow so this will be a long post.

I am going to journal our trip for my benefit so I remember all the details. You can skip to photos if you wish.

Day 1: Sunday, Feb. 15th

Today we arrived in Long Beach, CA. Our flights went well and on time. YAY! We got to Long Beach around 12:30 pm (3:30 pm Eastern Time). We stayed in the Hyatt and had a great view of the harbor, boats and shops from our window. We enjoyed seeing a lot of our Chick-fil-A friends and walking around the Chick-fil-A Expo. We got to meet Mike Berenstein (author of the Berenstein Bears books) and he autographed a poster for our girls. That was neat! We got a bunch of Chick-fil-A freebies at Expo and got to sample the new Peach Milkshake that will be coming out this summer. It is incredibly yummy!!! It will be featured in CFA stores May - August. We went to bed EARLY tonight b/c we were exhausted by 9:00 pm. It took us a couple of days to adjust to the 3 hr. time difference. (I don't know how my sister in Australia does it when she comes to the US).

Day 2: Monday, Feb. 16th

Today was a very cold, rainy day in Long Beach. In the morning, we enjoyed many neat speakers such as Jim Collins (the author from the book "Good to Great"), Truett Cathy's Pastor, Charles Carter, and an interview between Truett Cathy and his son and CEO, Dan Cathy. Truett is such an inspiration and we love hearing him speak. He is such a Godly man and has so much wisdom and love to share. We feel blessed to be part of the CFA family. Monday afternoon we were supposed to go to Catalina Island and do an underwater submarine tour but it got cancelled due to rain and wind. So, CFA gave us free movie passes and free passes to a local arcade (it was a lot like Dave and Busters in Atlanta). So, we went and saw "Mall Cop" and that was a complete flop. Don't recommend it! But, we were able to enjoy the day with our friends Amy and Lew Leckrone (Tony's college roommate and his wife - they have a CFA store in Indiana) so that was fun. We went to the arcade with them and had fun playing race car videogames. Ask Tony who won?? :) Then, Tony and I enjoyed a very romantic, steak dinner at 555 Steakhouse. It was very good. We did not get to go out for Valentine's Day so we made that our Valentine Dinner. It was also nice that CFA gave us lots of money to spend on meals. :)

Day 3: Tuesday, Feb. 17th

Today we had several treats. Our morning session consisted of Bubba Cathy (Sr. Vice Pres. of CFA and son of Truett Cathy) and he gave us some updates about the Marriage Retreat Center in Rome, GA (at Berry College) and Chick-fil-A's involvement this year promoting the movie, "Fireproof." Then, we were surprised when they introduced a special guest to the stage...Kirk Cameron. I thought this was cool b/c I grew up watching his show "Growing Pains" and was a big fan of his. Bubba interviewed him about the movie. Kirk is a great guy and a strong Christian. He told us some neat facts about the movie. None of the actors/actresses got paid to be in the movie. They all volunteered their time. Also, the last scene where Caleb (Kirk Cameron) kisses his wife in the movie is not really them kissing but Kirk and his real wife. They had his wife come to the set and shoot the scene dressed up like the actress and they used computers to change the face and Kirk got to kiss his real wife. Which I thought was very neat. The producers and Kirk felt strongly that the ending needed to be romantic and intense but not w/ someone that was not Kirk's real wife. So, they came up with the plan to use Kirk's real wife, Chelsea. We also got to see the woman who performs the "Mommy Song" on Youtube. You have probably seen it via an email circulating. She is very funny and performed that song and a few others including one she made up about CFA. And Steve Robinson (Sr. Vice President, Marketing) did an interview with Tommy Tuberville (former football coach of Auburn Univ.) and Frank Beamer (football coach for Virginia Tech). They gave us a lot of great tips about being a coach, leader, teacher, trainer, and role model. I really enjoyed Tommy Tuberville he had some great insights. After the session, we were able to go to Expo and meet Kirk Cameron and get a free DVD of Fireproof which he autographed for us. We got a picture with him but it was with my friends camera so I can't post it yet. I am waiting for her to send it to us. Then, we spent the afternoon in an award ceremony and then had the evening free. We went out to dinner with some friends of ours, David and Shannon Daniels, to Bubba Gumps. That was a neat and yummy restaurant. Whew, a busy and fun day!

Day 4: Wednesday, Feb. 18th

Today we got to hear Dave Ramsey (author and Nat'l radio and TV host about money) speak and he is an incredible speaker on managing your money and staying out of debt. He is also incredibly funny. We thoroughly enjoyed his talk. We got to meet him after the session and he autographed his book for us. We also sat through some more awards and found out where seminar will be next year - Washington D.C. and we will be staying in the Gaylord Resort. Looks very nice. Then, it was off to the annual CFA 5K. Tony and I ran it together. Tony was sweet enough to pace me since he has been training and in shape and I have not run since last year's CFA seminar. I am proud to say I ran the whole way, was under 9 min. pace, and finished with a time just under 28 mins. This is a little embarrassing knowing I used to be a runner and could run a 5k in 20 mins. BUT I was young then and was in shape. I was pretty proud of a 28 min. 5K esp. since I am so out of shape. We had gorgeous weather today. Highs in the low 70's and a light breeze. We actually got a little sunburned on our faces today. Then, we went on a whale watching boat tour but did not see any whales. :( We saw a ton of dolphins though and they were very cute. They are quite the entertainers jumping out of the water and racing the boat. I would love to say I enjoyed the boat ride but I DID NOT! I was very queasy and am lucky I did not get sick. The water was very rough and you could not walk straight on the boat it was rocking so much. I don't do well with that esp. when the boat is pretty small. It was also freezing out on the water with the wind so we all froze. But, the dolphins were cute and we saw some cute Sea Lions too. I don't think I would do it again though. I think I will just stick to seeing them at Sea World. Wednesday night we enjoyed dinner with Tony's Brother, Joe and his wife Abby. And then we had a wonderful ending to our seminar. The Long Beach Symphony preformed for us. I was not looking forward to it b/c I thought it would be slow, classical music and boring but it was awesome. They did a Pops concert and all the music was well known musical and movie hits and other upbeat songs. It was so much fun. But, sadly after it was over we had to say goodbye to everyone and seminar 2009 was done. We had a great time and can't thank CFA enough for treating us so good and giving us such a neat experience. We are looking forward to D.C. next year.

Day 5: Thursday, Feb. 19th

Tony and I are staying in Long Beach for 3 extra days. We are staying in the same hotel which is nice so we don't have to pack up and move to another hotel. We picked up a rental car today and headed for Hollywood. We got to see them setting up for the Oscars and were able to walk through it all. We walked the red carpet and were able to see the entrance to the Kodak Theatre. It was really neat. We were standing where all the movie stars would be 3 days later. We also walked the Hollywood Stars and saw the Hollywood sign on the hill. We ate at a famous hotdog place called "Pinks" which has been featured on the Food Network and many famous people have eaten there. It was pretty good but we still think the Varsity food is better. Then, we drove through Beverly Hills and saw many beautiful, HUGE homes and all kinds of expensive cars. The city was screaming MONEY or DEBT I don't know which one. :) Tony and I definitely looked like tourists with our camera, mouths hanging open, eyes big, and driving our rent-a-car through Beverly Hills and Rodeo Drive. We headed out to the coast next and went to the Santa Monica Pier, drove through Malibu and another beautiful beach that I can't remember the name of but it got us a parking ticket so it better have been worth it. :) We were at a state park and did not see any signs for parking. We spent a wonderful 20 mins. out on the beach and when we got back to our car there was a lovely gift from a state trooper. :( We finally saw the signs (VERY SMALL - I must add - and 3 other cars had tickets too). So, that beach was beautiful but I don't think it was $64.00 beautiful. :( We saw a beautiful sunset on the way to dinner. Then, we ate at a local hamburger joint called, "In and Out." Oh my is it good. BEST BURGERS EVER! Makes my mouth water just thinking about them. Thank goodness they are burgers and not chicken or CFA might be in trouble. ;) I am glad they don't have them out here on the East Coast or I would be huge! It was a wonderful day and the West Coast has very pretty beaches.

Day 6: Friday, Feb. 20th.

Today we headed south. The weather was absolutely beautiful today. We had low 70's and light winds. We were chilly at times but still got a little sun. We went to Laguna Beach. Laguna is absolutely beautiful and we spent the whole day there relaxing and eating. We walked the beach, fell asleep on some rocks, shopped, watched the sunset and ate. We had lunch at a cafe that was overlooking the ocean and we had dinner at a pizza place that was really good and served the most amazing dessert. It was a LARGE homemade cookie (fresh out of the oven, thick and gooey) topped with 3 scoops of ice cream. It was to die for. We met up with a couple that we used to be in church with for dinner, Victor and Debbie Vasquez, and had a great time catching up with them. Thanks Victor and Debbie for driving up to see us!! Today was definitely my favorite day of the trip.

Day 7: Saturday, Feb. 21st

Today we had breakfast at a diner called, Gaffey's Diner, featured on Food Network. It was AMAZING. It was the best breakfast we have ever had. Tony and I both got huge items and were full until 6 pm that night. So, we made it our breakfast and lunch. It was probably enough calories for the whole day! Fattening but OH SO GOOD!

Then, we headed into Los Angeles to tour all the districts (flower, toy, jewerly, fabric, you name it). We did not get out of the car b/c it was not a place we wanted to shop but it was funny to see all of the districts. Pretty crazy!! Then, we headed to Chinatown. That too was interesting! The first 30 mins. or so were very fun and we were having a blast but then it got old quick. We got lost in one of their little enclosed shopping markets and it was dirty, crowded, and we could not find an exit. Tony said "this might just be one of my worst nightmares!" It was pretty funny. We did get some cheap toys for the kids and enjoyed seeing all the exotic foods. We did not dare eat anything b/c most of the restaurants had B health ratings and we could see why.

Then, we went to LA Dodgers stadium and got to go inside and take pictures. It is a gorgeous field and has an awesome view of the mountains. We then had the sports in our blood so we drove to Pasadena to see the Rose Bowl Stadium. To our surprise the bike race of "Tour of California" was passing through so most of the roads were closed and crowded with spectators. We thought about staying and watching Lance Armstrong but decided to move on instead. Yes, Victor and Debbie, I know you are thinking we are crazy! ;)

We then decided to tour the mountains and go see the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley. It was BEAUTIFUL! The scenery was gorgeous (although it was cloudy - I can't imagine how beautiful it would have been on a clear day) and the museum was very neat. We got to tour the Airforce One Airplane that they retired and we saw part of the Berlin Wall that was given to Reagan as a gift. We also learned that Reagan loved JellyBelly Jelly Beans. He had them stashed everywhere! All I could think of was, "I wonder how many cavities he had?" We ended our evening at a burger place called, "Island Burgers" (a lot like Red Robin) and then walked around the harbor and shops and got a candy apple from the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. Mmm, it was good. Then, it was time to pack up. :(

Day 8: Sunday, Feb. 22

Today we headed back to NC. We were sad to leave the 70 degree weather and beautiful beaches/mountains. I was amazed that you could be on the beach and also viewing snow capped mountains at the same time. We had an amazing trip and one we will never forget. Especially now that I have blogged it. :) Thanks to my Mom and Dad for watching the girls for us all week. They had a hard week with the girls being sick, missing mommy and daddy, and Reece being her Curious George self. Mom and Dad, we greatly appreciate your time and hard work this week watching the girls. Thanks for caring for them, spoiling them and loving them!!!! We Love Y'all and can't thank you enough for giving Tony and I a week to getaway and recharge.

Our Hotel - Hyatt in Long Beach

Me, Tony, Abby, and Joe heading out for our Whale Boat Tour

The cute sea lions we saw on our boat tour

The playful dolphins we saw while on our boat tour. There were dolphins everywhere.

The beautiful coast from our boat tour Capital Records in Hollywood
Getting ready for the Oscars. Kodak Theatre where the Oscars are heldOn the stairway that leads to the entrance of Kodak Theatre. The red carpet is below me (covered in plastic). Unfortunately, this photo is blurry but I had to post it b/c it proves we were there! :)Another shot of them setting up for the Oscars.

Kaylyn posing with Charlie Chaplain - there were characters all over trying to get in your photos. Then, they wanted you to pay them $1.00. We did not know this until after I posed with Charlie.

Hollywood stars - Phil Collins and Billy Graham

Here is the famous "Pink's Hotdogs" we ate at.Here is the beautiful state park that earned us a ticket.

Some more photos of the expensive state park! It was beautiful!!I think this is part of Malibu. We saw so many beaches I am not sure which is which. But, they were all very pretty as you can see!Beautiful sunset in Malibu.

This is our view of snow capped mountains on the way to Laguna Beach.

This is beautiful Laguna Beach.

This is a view of Laguna Beach from Dana Point.

Watching the sunset in Laguna Beach.

Chinatown in Los AngelesThe LA Dodgers Stadium - check out the beautiful view of the mountains.Airforce One at Ronald Reagan's Presidential Library and MuseumThe view from the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. It was cloudy so the photo really does not show the true beauty. It was a gorgeous view.

No More Monkeys Jumping Off The Bed...

Last night Reece decided to jump off her sister's bunk bed ladder and hurt her foot. This morning she was still limping around and could not put pressure on it. We were thinking it was just bruised but took her to the Orthopedic doctor just to make sure since she seemed to be in a lot of pain. They did x-rays and said everything looked normal. They said she probably did just bruise it and it could take 2-3 weeks to fully heal. :( She would not walk all day so needless to say my back is hurting from carrying her. But, finally she is starting to limp around. I think she learned her lesson about jumping on or OFF beds. We are just so thankful it is not fractured or broken!

The Love of Reading and the Love of God

Regan and her Daddy share their love of reading. Regan makes her Daddy very proud of how much she reads and what she reads. Tonight at dinner we were sharing about our day. Regan was exhausted from her busy weekend so after church she spent her whole day in her room reading and sleeping. Yes, she actually took a nap. We really wore her out this weekend!!! Daddy asked her what she was reading. She replied, "the Bible, I was reading about Moses." Tony said, "What made you go to the story of Moses and how did you know what book of the Bible Moses was in." She informed Daddy that they are studying Moses in school but she also told him she was reading Moses because that is where she is in the Bible. Tony then asked are you reading the bible from beginning to end? She told us she was and that she started right after the New Year. We were very surprised. I knew she read her bible a lot but I did not know she had a plan to read beginning to end. This made me so excited to hear about her passion for the Lord and wanting to be in His Word and wanting to know Him better!! We started asking her questions to make sure she was really grasping what she was reading. She walked us through Genesis and told us almost everything in complete order. Then, she started talking about Exodus. Tony then asked, "What comes after Exodus do you know? She proceeded to tell him the names of most of the Old Testament books with a little help.

We are just so thankful that Regan has such a love of Christ and came to know Him at an early age. We pray that she will continue to walk with Him and that her eagerness to know Him better will continue to grow and that her faith will be strong and solid. Tony, Regan and I have also been praying that her sisters will also come to know Christ and will have this same passion and love for Him.

Daddy Daughter Dance

Last night Daddy took Regan and Riley to a Daddy Daughter Dance. They have been doing this for several years and the girls really look forward to it every year. The girls had a great time dancing with their friends and yes they did get their daddy to dance too. They enjoyed doing the Hokey Pokey, YMCA and the Chicken Dance with Daddy. They also got daddy to slow dance with them but Daddy said Riley turned it into a fast dance. :) He said everything to Riley was FAST. Just wait until he has all three next year! :) I am so thankful for Tony and the wonderful Dad he is and the time he invests in our daughters. Eventhough he does not like to dance he still loves them enough to take them. What a special daddy!!!

The girls dancing with Riley's friend, Julianne. So cute!

The girls getting ready to Limbo

How low can you go??

Clowning Around....

Last night we went to the circus with Regan's Brownie Troop. This was their first time and they had a blast. Before the show we got to go down on the floor and meet the clowns, be a clown, and see some of the animals. We saw an elephant (a side view of him) and Reece said "He only has one eye!" We had to explain his other eye is on the other side. We also got to see some dogs perform which Riley really LOVED.

The show was great. There was a lot of amazing stunts and acrobatics. We asked each girl what their favorite part was and Regan said the funny clown named Tom, Riley said the Elephants, and Reece said the people swinging (AKA - people swinging from the Trapeze). They were incredible.

The show was long (2 hrs. w/ a 30 min. intermission) but the girls were troopers and did great. Even Reece made it through and did not even fall asleep on the way home. In fact she was acting very silly on the way home and we joked that we left Reece at the circus and brought home a clown instead.

I'm A Big Kid Now...

Reece is FINALLY potty trained. We tried to potty train her right after her 2 yr. old birthday but that did not last long because we took some summer trips and that threw her off. Then, I just started using pull-ups all the time and that was a mistake. So, finally after the New Year we went cold turkey and put her in big girl panties all the time except for bedtime. She mastered it quickly. We have made a BIG DEAL about her being a big girl now. That phrase is starting to haunt us now. Anytime we tell her she can't do something b/c she is not big enough yet or old enough she gets defensive and says, "I AM BIG, I am potty trained!" :) So, yesterday at the ice skating rink she really wanted to skate. I told her we needed to wait until she was a little older and she gave me the above response. We are very proud of Reece and she is growing up fast!

Another funny comment: Last night when we were watching the Super Bowl Reece came downstairs to go potty. She went all by herself and was very proud. After she was done she said very excitedly, "Daddy I went potty." And Tony jokingly said, "I go potty too." She replied, "Daddy you don't go potty, you are NOT potty training." I started laughing and then she said, "Mommy you don't go potty either, you are NOT potty training." The mind of a 2 yr. old. :) As I have said before, "NEVER A DULL MOMENT IN OUR HOUSE!"

Ice Skating Fun

Regan and Tony are in a group called Y Guides and Princesses (a program put on by the YMCA). It is a program you do with your dad. Regan and Tony's tribe had an outing today going Ice Skating. This was Regan's first time and daddy has not been since we were dating (about 12 yrs. ago). Daddy said Regan got right out on the ice with no hesitation and liked it a lot. She hung out by the wall for the first half but near the end he said she was going pretty good and he could not keep up with her. Regan learned early on that it was easier to hold on to the wall or go by herself and not to hold onto Daddy because Daddy was learning too. :) She really enjoyed it and wants to go back soon. Not so sure Daddy wants to go back soon. :) I will have to take her which is fine by me b/c I love skating!

Regan trying the skating by herself. Where is Daddy??

Daddy is saying, "Regan wait up!!!"