Drew's 1st Birthday

Long time no blog

So you know it's been a long time since your last post when you can't even remember your password! Oh my! I have to admit that I was about to throw in the towel. I'm a person who likes to be all or nothing, so the fact that I have missed about 5months worth of blogging makes me want to quit all together. But alas I won't! If only so I can share my cute kids pictures with relatives afar.

So what has been going on in the page household since before Easter? My where to begin!

Well we had Easter and it was wonderful. Hannah was diagnosed with kidney reflux (an answer to prayer and her growth issues). Drew turned 1 and had an awesome party. We have gotten settled into the house FINALLY. Hannah finished preschool. We endured a VERY HOT summer in the Carolinas. Jeff and I went away for the first time by ourselves for my 30th birthday. Preschool started again and we went to Disney! So as you can see our life had nothing going on. But now you are caught up with the Page household and I promise to be better blogger in the future. The posts below will be picture intensive for the events mentioned above. Enjoy!

Up next: Babysitting adventures: What it must be like to have 2 sets of twins! Stay Tuned!

Easter Baskets and Blessing Baskets

So many people have been asking me what we are planning to do about "The Bunny" this year. I love how they put it... "The Bunny". It kinda makes me laugh. Up until this year I haven't really addressed it at all. It's easier than Santa in a lot of ways. While Easter is commercialized.... "The Bunny" isn't as prevalent as Santa is. Also, Hannah has been so young until now that it was hard to really explain the death and Resurrection to her anyway. (Quite honestly it still is...)

Anyway, we have decided not to do "The Bunny". It is difficult enough to make it clear what Easter is about with eggs, dresses, and baskets. Don't get me wrong... I am not opposed to the eggs and chocolates. I even embrace bunnies... just not "The Bunny." I want it to be clear to my kids what Easter is all about. "The Lamb" not "The Bunny".

So what are we planning to do instead you might ask? Well I'm so glad you did! We are going to start the tradition of sinning stones and blessing baskets. The days leading up to Easter we are going through the story of the passion using Resurrection eggs like these:

If you've never seen these before they are AWESOME! These eggs have a symbol for each day that coincides with the passion. (Hannah is loving them.) We are using them similar to an advent calendar to count down the days until Good Friday. They have a bible verse to go with each egg so that you can focus on what the true story of Easter is about.

Then on Good Friday we are going to collect rocks and paint them black. (You can cut out black circles as paper if you want but Hannah is really into collecting rocks these days ..... and paint is always fun!) We will then draw unhappy faces on them and put them in our baskets. We will explain that these are our sins. That Jesus died for us because of our sins. As the children get older we will work on naming our sins and using it as a form of confession before God.

Then on Easter Sunday the baskets will be empty (just like the tomb!) and instead will be filled with all the blessings (candy and treats) brought about by the blood of Christ.

I am really excited about starting this traditions with our family! Won't you join in our fun!

Birthday and Scooters

So how about some birthday cake and candles!




And her wish came true! Hannah got a 3 wheeled scooter for her birthday from Mommy and Daddy. She is in love with it! If you are looking for a present for a 3 year old I would highly suggest it!

Her's of course had to be princess!

She has a tricycle but isn't quite coordinated enough to make it work for her yet. (Not to mention she is still a bit too short to reach the pedals while turning.) The scooter is totally a self-sufficient mode of transportation. Anything that she can do with supervision but without help is AMAZING in my mind! The only draw back is that the area has to be fairly flat.... although I guess that isn't any different if it is bike, scooter, skates, or anything else with wheels. I love it though because she can only go as fast as her little legs can go. It took her about 5 minutes to get the hang of it...so the learning curve isn't that steep!




Now if we can teach her to keep looking straight ahead and not look back at me! Happy Spring!


Oh and Drew... well he took the whole cake thing very seriously... he's definitely ready for his own cake next month! (Note the scooter next to the table... she had to take it EVERYWHERE!)

(More birthday pics to come after this weekends Princess Party Palooza!)

Happy Birthday Hannah!

Three years ago today our lives were all changed forever. It was the day my beautiful baby was born. She was tiny then and still is. She is the light of our lives. Hannah we love you so much! It's amazing to think that you've only been with us for 3 years. Most days it is hard to remember what life was like before you. It seems like light years ago that I had a paying job and life outside of playing and spending time with you. I wouldn't go back to those days for anything.

So what does 3 look like:

You are weighing in these days at a whooping 24lbs and are about 35 inches tall.

You love animals.

You would talk our ear off and can talk to anyone. (Although you claim to be shy.)

You love to play dress up.... and especially LOVE makeup.

You have some sweet friends that you love to play with.

You read Horton to Daddy before bed and have it memorized.

You love going to church.

You love chasing Puddles around the house.

You always want to watch one more "dv" shows before bed.

You are still taking naps (after a 2 month hiatus) and tend to sleep for about 1.5hrs.

You sleep soundly through the night and NEVER get up.

You play well by yourself and with your brother.

You are one tough cookie and boy are you stubborn.

You are one of the most caring indivuals I know.

You are SUPER excited for your birthday this year and I wish I could keep you this age forever.

We love you sweet angel....

Newborn

1st Birthday

2 years old

Today!

Grandparents and Goldfish

Grandparents are great fun. All the time.... but especially when they underestimate what their grandchildren are capable of.

Exhibit A: Granny takes the kids for donuts. Drew ends up covered in chocolate icing since he is quite a grabby little guy. Granny is amazed.... and slightly sheepish that she was caught giving Drew chocolate! HA! No wonder Drew loves her so much! (How I wish I had a picture of this!)

Exhibit B: Drew goes to Nana's house and pulls up on the coffee table.... where he finds a bag of goldfish. See the results below:

Obviously no one was watching him that closely.... or didn't realize he could open ziploc bags.....

Very proud of himself!

Deciding whether to put them back in the bag....

Or maybe just shove about 10 in his mouth at once....

"Hey Nana, can I hang out here more often.... this is good stuff!"

Hamburger Buddy

So if you like hamburger helper because it is quick... this isn't the recipe for you. But if you like it because your kids, like mine, are sure to gobble it up this is TOTALLY for you. My kids love hamburger helper but I hate that is full of junk.... I mean nothing that gets stuck to the pan that way can be good for you!
Anyway here is a much healthier alternative with lots of veggies that are "hidden" so your kids will never know!

8 oz macaroni (I use whole wheat)
1lb ground meat (I use ground turkey and it works fine)
14 oz reduce sodium beef broth
2 c water
1 large onion
2 medium carrots
3 cloves garlic
10 oz fresh mushrooms
(any other veggies of your choice... clean out the crisper)
2 T worcestershire
2T flour
1/2 c sour cream (I use Fat free)
1/2 c grated Parmesan (I use reduced fat)
2 tsp thyme

Start by browning the beef and drain. Use the food processor to puree all your veggies (start with the carrots and then everything else... just makes it smoother). Add the veggies and thyme to the ground beef and simmer about 3 minutes. Add water, 1.5 c broth, uncooked pasta, and Worcestershire sauce. Reduce heat and simmer until pasta is tender.

Meanwhile whisk flour and remaining broth in bowl. Stir into pasta once pasta is cooked. Add sour cream. Top with Parmesan right before serving.

+++NOTE- this is NOT freezer friendly. It does make a lot and does reheat well... but don't try to freeze it... it's gross!++++

Peace Amid Chaos

No pictures tonight..... just wanted to say how grateful I am tonight. Grateful that though I maybe surrounded by chaos and confusion, I am being held by the one who knows no confusion of chaos. We have been struggling greatly this week with the faith that our loan will come through this week. We have been assured that we qualify and that it will be no problem ... BUT... they are backlogged and are having trouble guarenteeing us that we will be through processing in time to close on Monday.

Any move is stressful but this seems super confusing. We no longer own this house, we have no place to live if we don't close Monday, we have a need for child care while we move, and have furniture located in no fewer than 4 cities that all needs to end up in our new house. Not to mention to utilities and delivery of a major appliance. Those of you who know me in real life can imagine that I am not dealing the best with this.

Yet, tonight I am at peace. At peace that I am not in control, and thankful that I know the one who is. Thankful that these things are minor details and that my eternal purpose is assured and my feet are planned on the firmest rock.

So will you join me in praying for not just my loan but for all those who don't have the assurance that they are being held in the palm of the Hand that controls it all?

Crock Pot - Chicken Catchitori

So I've linked up with Smockity Frocks and decided to link up one of my favorite crock pot recipes. I've tried the crockpot MANY times in the past. It is such a great idea but I was never able to find recipes that actually were tasty. They always seemed to turn out like mush and not have much flavor. Recently though I found a few that I love.... below is my FAVORITE. It is oober easy and the kids and Jeff love it.

Chicken Cachitori

1lb chicken breast (it can be frozen of thawed)
1 green pepper (sliced)
1 onion (sliced)
1 package of sliced mushrooms
2 tbs of garlic minced
2 tbs italian seasoning
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can healthy request tomato soup

Add everything together. About 30 minutes before serving add a can of tomato paste to thicken.
Serve over pasta, rice, or with some good crunchy bread!

PS- If you have a large crockpot a double portion will fit and it freezes great!
ENJOY!

Hannah's First Snowman

Well it was 60 today but just last weekend we had a measureable snow. It was the best kind. Wet and heavy and gone by that night! This was the first time that the snow was the right kind to make a large snowman. We had a great time making the snowman together. It was even more fun to find the things that would be eyes, nose, mouth, and arms. Especially since most of our house was in boxes and our cupboard was bare. I think she did a pretty good job though. Definately worth taking a picture of.... even if it was only with a cell phone since the real camera was packed!

Sibling Love

Drew is standing up these days. He's very mobile... especially with the use of his handy little push cart. Not quite walking but it won't be long. Hannah is still getting used to his movements. Sometimes she loves it... other times she wishes he was strapped in his swing again. Puddles is a little confused by the movement as well.




Her they are checking out the snow outside. Drew loves this window... I can't keep it clean. I'm sure our realtor loves the handprints, nose prints, and lip marks all over the bottom panes!
When Drew fell down Hannah wrapped him up and gave him a huge kiss. She told him not to cry.
The hug however quickly turned into a tackle.....
And then just for good measure... to emphasis that she was still in charge.... she sat on him! Oh Hannah, in just a few short months this picture will be reversed. Watch out girl.... he's not gonna take it much longer!

SNOW DAY!

We finally got some snow! Now this was nothing compared to the fun that they have been having in the Northeast. I mean Uncle Paul would laugh at our snow fall .... but here in Raleigh.... it was amazing to see this much. all 3 inches of it closed down the schools for 4 days! It never ceases to amaze me.... even after living in the south for 14 years... that such minimal snow can reak such havoc. Then again... this time I must confess that the inch of ice that was under the snow did make road conditions (and sidewalk) conditions less than optimal!


Here is Hannah trying to get her footing for the first time this season.
Please excuse the mismatched hat.... it actually is mine. We had been having such a mild winter that all of our snow gear was actually packed in storage. Luckily the little lady has a big head!
This was Drew's first snow fall. Well last year he had some snow... but he was still in utero. My snowpants fit much better this year! A little less snug in the tummy for sure! I'm pretty sure that he was happier about the snow last year! He hated it.....

This is as close to a smile as we got with him. I have some hysterical ones of him screaming because he was so bundled he couldn't move. I dare not post them due to fear of being accused of child abuse! HA!
Drew trying to get away from Daddy!


Puddles LOVED the snow. She did laps around the backyard and attacked snowballs that were thrown her way. She then slept for about 2 days!

Picture of Hannah captured by Daddy and her begging to stay out a little longer.. We sure are jealous of all the snow that DC and Baltimore got... however.... I'm pretty sure that NC would be shut down until May if we got it. So I guess we will be content with what we got!

Not Me Monday

I've decided this week to link up with MckMama and participate in a not me monday. This week has been a whirlwind. Full of lots of stuff I would rather pretend didn't happen.


I was not the mother who let her kids miss naps for almost an entire week because we were looking at houses. I did not keep them out of the house for the entire weekend while we had 10 showings at our own home or cringe in disbelief when our house sold in 2 days! (I mean really who does that!)
I was not the one who actually skipped out on the dessert part of our night out and instead opted to come home and go to bed.

I was not the one who pretended that I had just stained my shirt while I really knew all along that there was a stain on it but was just too lazy too lazy to change it.

I also was not enormously happy that my son HATED the snow and therefore had to stay inside with him while my husband ventured out into the freezing cold with our daughter who didn't want to come in.

So where do we go from here?

Jeff and I have been praying for a few months about the possibility of moving. Right now we live in a 1400 sq ft house with 2 kids, a dog, a SAHM, and a WAHD. It's a fun filled day with everyone around here all day. We are a very close family to say the least. We only have 3 bedrooms so Jeff has been working in our walk in closet. It definately strikes up a conversation when I say my husband is in the closet! HA! Needless to say after a year in the closet Jeff was ready to move on out. I, however, have had my heels dug in and refused.
Last week I gave in. I decided that I was being selfish. We would put the house on the market. (After all the market it bad and secretly I figured our house wouldn't sell and then I would look like a hero. I mean... I tried right?) So we spent the better part of the week cleaning up and touching up paint. The house went on the market on Friday. We got a full priced offer on Sunday.

WHAT?!? How did that happen? Who's idea was this anyway? OH NO! We are moving! This doesn't happen in real life.... especially not to people like me. Are you kidding? 2 days!!

The best part.... we hadn't even started to look at houses. I mean we weren't going to be able to sell our house remember. So Jeff and I did the whirlwind tour of Holly Springs and saw about 30 houses in 3 days. I think our realtor was ready to kill us. I knew what I wanted but I couldn't find it. FINALLY... we found it. It's perfect. 4 bedrooms, a huge master, a huge family room, an office for Jeff, fenced in back yard and it's more than double the size of this one!

PRAISE GOD! After some negotiating they accepted our offer and we will be moving in March 31st! We are closign on our home Feb 23rd... so we will be in limbo for about a month and staying at my parents. We are psyched!

Pictures to follow.... can't link up to realtor.com without showing our address..... gotta take some manually

Happy New Year Present

Wow is it the end of January already! I can hardly believe it. We are still alive and I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while. Life seems to be in fast forward around here. In some ways it seems like it should be March.... so much has been happening. But this post is about my wonderful husband and his New Years present. It was supposed to be a Christmas present but since the kids were so sick it didn't happen in time. For Christmas I got a frying pan. I was happy with it since I really needed one but it wasn't exactly a magical present. (Note to all you husbands even after you've been married 7 years a frying pan just doesn't light that spark.) However.....




a rock will ignite the spark. And based on this rock... I'll forgive him! Holy Moly! He's been holding out on me. I can't believe he was able to keep it a secret for that long. It's huge! Hannah keeps asking if she can wear it.... ahhhh I think not!

Sorry the picture is so junkie... it's so sparkly that it's hard to get a good shot. Take my word for it though... he did good! Hear that Jeffy... you did good! MWAH!

New Year

I know, I know before you even tell me.... I skipped over Christmas. To be honest this year may have been the year to do just that. I have NO pictures, sans the ones that were set up after Christmas. Poor Drew! First Christmas and no real pictures. Tis the story of the second child I guess. But this time I actually had a good excuse. The kids were oober sick on Christmas. We had been to the doctor 3 times in one week and both kids were on antibiotics and running fevers of 104+ for 5 full days each. The night before Christmas Eve we were debating taking Hannah to the hospital. Thankfully it has all now passed. Just a small lingering cough to remind us of the fun.
Anyway, what now we are focusing on the New Year and what that will look like as a family of 4. The past year held so many changes for our family. It seems like WAY longer than a year. Jeff started a new job, Drew was born, Hannah started preschool, I stepped down as the organizer of our moms group, I made some GREAT friends, my grandmother passed, and Jeff's grandmother was moved to hospice, my brother FINAL got a job (love ya!), and we found a church home! What an amazing year!
This year I am hoping that we will continue to grow and change. I am praying for the valleys that will inevitably come and living in anticipation of the peaks that are sure to astound us. I can't wait to see how Hannah and Drew continue to suprise us as they turn 3 and 1! I can't believe it but I can't wait to usher in my birthday .... 30!!! It was also pointed out to me this week that on even number years I tend to get pregnant.... and while I can't promise that I can't help but think that the past 2 even number years have been amazing! So come 2010.... bring it on.... I can't wait to see what you hold!