Ice Cream Choo Choo

Carolina Cones. Enough said for those of you who are Huntersville/Davidson/Cornelius natives. For the rest of you unfortunate souls who have not experienced, Carolina Cones... let me explain. Is the ice cream out of this world? Nope. Is the facility nice? Not at all. So what's the big deal? CHARM. This is the cutest little ice cream place and to top it off.... there is a train that chugs along the ceiling. When I was young, they also rented VHS movies and balloons. It was/is the tackiest, cutest place that happens to also serve ice cream. We used to go there as kids when we got good grades. They have indoor seating but they also have an outdoor gazebo, play ground, carousel, and seasonal plant nursery.

Last week when I visited my parents, we had a little time to kill and Parker desperately needed to be entertained outside of the house. I should also add it was hot as heck.... so it was a perfect Carolina Cones day! Parker knows it as "ice cream choo choo." He insisted on taking cowboy duck with us. We shared a medium rainbow sherbert... me, Parker and cowboy duck that is...

Random photo of Avery mixed in.. but hey.. it's cute!

So good!

Getting a BIG bite!

Cowboy duck is a messy eater and has to eat on napkins

Look how pleased he is... that smirk is worth the trip to ice cream choo choo alone!

Parker teaching duck how to eat. He's trying to get him to open his bill. haha

then you close it. Apparently the duck says "num num num" when he eats. haha

This post makes me want some ice cream choo choo... NOW!

Memory Lane

Today I'm blogging from my parent's computer and I was bummed that I was going to have to do a post with no pictures since I didn't bring my computer here. BUT... duh... my parent's love me...and have pictures of me.. and my kids! SO... I started going through their albums and I could seriously do 50 post of old pictures I found! So, today's blog post is a massive hodge podge of random cute, funny, out of order, never before seen on my facebook (so exclusive!) pictures! ENJOY!

I lied... this is on facebook... but from 2006! wow! This was Daniel's idea of an engagement picture.

And this was mine :)

I found this in an album entitled "parker" haha

Cool dude

When I got to meet Casting Crowns

His father's child!

Spider!

I cropped this photo and used it for his 1st birthday party

so sweet!

Lake day!

My aunt Peggy came to visit. She recently passed away and I regret not telling her that I was 8 weeks pregnant here with Avery.

Parker helping feed the dogs

Calling me at Barney Live! I was in the hospital having Avie.

Pushing around his HT sub

Avie the day we brought her home!

Bahamas. Where did this bathing suit go? I like it!

My old bunny Piglet

Cancun!

Pumpkin carving sophmore year of college

The day we told my mom Parker was a boy!

Miss. Clemson... man were we young!

2004... my future hubby and I had just started dating!

So that was fun! ...for me at least. Sometimes its just fun to take a walk down memory lane!

My Sunshines

You are my Sunshines...

 My little sunshines...

You make me happy...

 When skies are gray...

 You'll never know, my dears...

 How much I love you...

Please don't take my sunshines away.

So that last line (Please don't take my sunshines away) makes it sound like someone is trying to take my kids away which is NOT the case... and if it is... watch out cause mama bear's comin' for you and I will win. haha. My parents used to sing this song to my sister and I and I found myself singing it to Avery tonight when she was fussing.... it made me happy.

Happy Father's Day to my Babies' Daddy!

Happy Father's Day, Daniel! Yesterday, I wrote about MY dad and today I have the privilege of writing about Parker and Avery's dad! :)

Daniel,
I remember when Parker was born early at just 3lbs 10oz and you were terrified of him. He was so tiny and you were sure you were going to break him or harm him. You had no idea how to care for a baby and his size and health problems compounded your fears. So instead of holding him, you nested. You steam cleaned, you laid sod, you pulled weeds... and at the time, I was so angry that our baby and I were in the hospital and you were doing yard work. It took me a while to realize that that was your way of loving and helping us. You were preparing our home to start our family since he came so early and we hadn't finished getting everything ready.

When Avery was born, it was a completely different story. We were ready and you were there both mentally and physically. You were the one who advocated for Avery and my health when I was physically unable to do so and you did a GREAT job! Who knows what would have happened if you weren't paying such good attention to our vital monitors!

You're a sweet daddy to our kids. I love watching you rough house with Parker and practice his flash cards. He laughs harder for you than he does for me. I love the way he tells you "bye bye daddy" every morning when you go to work and the way you're already teaching him to swim. Avery is smitten by you. She loves to cuddle into your chest and I melt when you tell her she's beautiful. You made my day yesterday when you told me you like her big bows. I think it's hilarious that any time she cries, you assume she needs to eat. Such a man! I love that you already talk about low jacking their cars with GPS systems and speed governors and that Avery can't date until she's 16. I love that you expect our kids to try their best and work hard to give them the tools to succeed. While you aren't one for vocalizing how you feel very often, your actions speak louder than your words.

You are so loyal. Both to our family and your job. Sometimes you're conflicted because work needs you on weekends or after hours but you always make up for it by making the most of the time you do have with us. You work so hard to provide for us and allow me to be a stay at home mom. You have truly made my dreams come true and for that, I am eternally grateful! Thank you for giving me two beautiful children! Your super power DNA has trumped mine and we have 2 precious mini Daniel's and I couldn't be happier!

We love you! Happy Father's Day!
(Pictures totally out of order)

HHI 2010

Parker's 2nd b'day

More HHI

Bringing home Avery

3am snuggles with Avery in the hospital

Easter 2010

Swimming with Parker

Introducing Parker to Avery

PS- I currently love you for doing lots of yard work on Father's Day so that I don't have to do it! I know you'll sneeze for days after pulling those weeds and I'm really thankful for doing it. I shall make you hot wings as a thank you ;)

Happy Father's Day to MY dad

I'm sure there will be a lot of blog posts today and tomorrow about "the best dad ever." WELL... the rest of them are wrong. Because MY dad is the best dad ever... and now the best poppi EVER too! So everyone should go ahead and change their blog post and father's day cards to read #2 dad (2nd only to Chris Carr). hehe

Since I won't be seeing my dad tomorrow for Father's Day and because the mail lady has failed to pick up the cards sitting in my mailbox for the last 3 days, I figured I'd blog my card until I can get it to him!

I firmly believe that God gives us the parents we're supposed to have whether by birth or adoption. He definitely knew what he was doing when He gave me my dad! He's the most social man I know. He can talk to anyone, make that person feel like the most special person in the world in that moment and then somehow get a business or personal contact out of him of her. Who needs social media or Linked In when you know Chris Carr?

As a kid, my dad would invite ALL of my sister and my friends over for sleepovers even when my mom was at work. I'm talking an 8 girl sleepover here... he was Mr. Mom! He would take my sister and I clothes shopping and ALWAYS made us do the proverbial "turn around and let me check the waistline." No cracks hanging out at our house! When my mom would work, he tried so hard to dress us cute and do our hair. He knew that was important to my mom so he'd get us to church early and my mom's friend would do our hair in the parking lot. He cared.... and we never doubted that. We spent our summer weekends jet skiing and tubing and our winter ones watching Panther games and playing "troll."  Yes, that is a game... and it is awesome.

My dad was and still is invested in everything my sister and I do. He cuts my grass when Daniel is out of town. He changes our tires when they go flat. He went to parent/teacher conferences and all our sporting events. My parents worked opposite schedules so my sister and I didn't have to go to day care. He's worked 2nd jobs to put us in private school. He's always sacrificed for my sister and I and it's never gone unnoticed (although often under-appreciated). Even though my sister and I are now adults and out of the house, he continues to factor us into his major decisions and scheduling.

If you know my dad... you know I'm short changing him here because this post could go on for MANY paragraphs... but then you'd probably all stop reading because it would eventually get super mushy... because my dad is truly an AMAZING man, dad and grandfather. SO for the sake of your viewing pleasure and to save my sane self from my post pregnancy hormonal, teary self... we'll finish with pictures!

In going through pictures for this post, I realized that since Parker was born, I've spent a lot of time behind the camera and not much time in front of it! I need to do better about that!

My dad in the role of "rocket launcher"

Duck hunting (not to shoot... to feed and take pictures of!)

Proud poppi!

Holding Avery when she was 2 days old!

Our annual Hilton Head Trip

Listening to Greg Russell in HarborTown. We did this when I was little too!

He's affectionate... I love that!

Driving Parker on Christmas Eve in his new car!

This is the ONLY picture I could find of us on my computer! My wedding pictures aren't on my computer anymore or I could have used a bunch of those!

PS- Were you at my wedding? Best father of the bride wedding speech EVER? Yes... I think so.

Dad, I love you. This blog post fails miserably at capturing how I feel about you and all that you have done for me. I hope you know that I treasure you and the relationship that we have. I couldn't ask for a better grandfather for my children. They don't know how lucky they are yet! I love you "all the way to God's house and back!"  :)