I Dream of Kassidy

Thanks Bella!

2012-01-25T05:41:00.002-05:00

Recently Kassidy got a very special card in the mail from her friend Bella. Bella had heard that Kassidy was sick and so she made her a Disney Princess bracelet. Kassidy loved it and so we just wanted to tell Bella thank you! You was so sweet to think of Kassidy and send her a pick-me-up in the mail. Hope to see ya soon and have some fun.

Disney On Ice

2012-01-11T16:38:00.005-05:00

We had our annual Disney On Ice. Oh how I love this tradition. I think Billy and I enjoy as much as Kassidy does. It is so much fun. If you have not yet had the chance to see Disney On Ice I would highly recommend it if he comes your way. So totally entertaining the whole time.

Christmas Morning

2012-01-11T16:33:00.004-05:00

Santa was good to Kassidy. We had a very fun Christmas morning! We missed being with family this year but enjoyed not being on the roads and to wake up on Christmas morning in our own house for a change.

Christmas Gifts

2012-01-11T15:46:00.012-05:00

Thanks to everyone who sent gifts to Kassidy for Christmas and her birthday. I got bogged down with other things in life and have not been as good as previously about posting things as soon as we get them. We know it means a lot to you who are far away to be able to be in touch as much as possible and I know how many of you enjoy seeing the pics of her with your packages just as much as we appreciate you sending them our way. Because it took me so long to post this, I am in fear of leaving someone out of the loop who sent a present to Kassidy but I am going to give it a shot with just posting a bunch of pics on at one time and acknowledging those that my memory will allow so if you sent one and it does not show up here or you are missed in the mentioning, then I am apologizing ahead of time. The gifts above were sent by various friends and family (Amanda, Amy B. and crew, Angel and crew, Aunt Emily and Uncle Terry, Aunt Kim and crew, Reggie and crew(including a special beautiful wooden box made by cousin Emily), Great Aunt Kim and crew, Mamaw Beep Beep, and Mamaw Peg). We love you all and miss everyone and hope to see everyone shortly. Thanks again for helping make this Christmas very special for all of us!

JoJo and crew's Christmas Gift

2012-01-11T15:43:00.003-05:00

Thanks to JoJo and her crew, she now has another outfit to model and as you can see....she is already working it! hehe

Christmas Party

2012-01-11T15:34:00.003-05:00

Kassidy goes to Ms. Darlene's (in-home daycare) every now and then to play with some children and have fun. Here are some pics of us at Ms. D's Christmas party with all her friends.

American Doll

2012-01-11T14:58:00.003-05:00

Kassidy's Great, Great Aunt Jean gave Kassidy an American Doll a few years and felt that it must be awfully lonely so a week or two ago she sent her another one. Needless to say, Kassidy was thrilled as you can tell in the pics above. We just wanted to give a big THANK YOU to Aunt Jean for doing that. We love you and miss you bunches.

4th Birthday and Christmas Pictures

2012-01-10T20:15:00.004-05:00

Here are a few of my favorite shots of Kassidy's 4th birthday and Christmas pics this year.

Late B-day and early Christmas presents

2011-12-14T13:36:00.011-05:00

First pic is a pic of Air Force One. President Obama was here at Fort Bragg today and we happened to notice it flying over our house. Our house is in the fly zone and so we get it all the time. Some are so low sometimes we think that our back yard is the landing strip. Anyways....thought we could get a pic but by the time we ran in the house and pointed the camera in the right direction they were pretty much gone.

Onto the funner things in life...thanks to Uncle Jodi and her gang, Uncle Reggie and his gang, and Mimi and PopPop for their late gifts for K/early Christmas gifts. Here are some pics.

Birthday Time!!!

2011-11-24T10:49:00.010-05:00

First of all, we want to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving Day! We are reminded every Thanksgiving how blessed we are by having recently celebrated Kassidy's birthday. It is hard to believe that she is already 4 years old but then again she already acts like a little lady. She is so mature for her age and has a vocabulary that some adults would be happy to have. She keeps us on our toes in every way.

We would like to thank all of you for all the birthday wishes, cards, gifts, and phone calls. While visiting each other in person would be much, much better, I am going to do the next best thing and post a few pics of some of the gifts that some of you sent. She is one very blessed little girl to have so many people in her life that love her so very much and still plays an active part of her life even from afar.

Again, Happy Thanksgiving!

Presents from Florida

2011-09-10T22:56:00.005-04:00

As of late, she has especially been carrying some of her baby dolls around which only excited her more when her Mimi and PopPop sent her a highchair, stroller and bed for her baby(ies). She has already fed one baby so much that I'm waiting for her to pop. I personally think she needs to take a nap in her new bed but just like a new mommy, Kassidy just cannot put her down. Thanks for her presents today. As you can see in the pics, she is having a blast.

Sleepovers are the best!

2011-09-10T22:34:00.008-04:00

Kassidy has been blessed with many friends who love to sleepover. She is not quite up to do a sleepover from home but we don't care about that as long as we have some of her friends who are willing to sleepover here with her. She'll eventually get to that point I'm sure. But boy what fun she had with these most recent sleepovers. Thanks girls for coming and making our house come ALIVE with laughter and play. Here are some of the priceless moments that I caught on camera. Enjoy the genuine smiles coming from these beautiful faces of friendship.

MaMaw Beep Beep Gift

2011-09-10T22:30:00.003-04:00

Thanks Mamaw for her magnet doll dressup. She loves getting things in the mail and always talks about you constantly. We love you and miss you.

Just being a kid!!

2011-07-21T20:42:00.011-04:00

Who knew being a kid could be so exhausting and fun at the same time?????

Disney Fun!

2011-05-16T18:17:00.008-04:00

So much to do since being back from our Florida vacation but had to post a bunch of few priceless pics that were taken on our vacation. We got over 500 pictures and they were all so good and fun but here are just a few of my favorites. PRINCESS ALL THE WAY!!!!

Family Visit

2011-05-16T18:07:00.004-04:00

Before our Disney vacation, the crew from WV came and boy was it wild! hehe Here are some pics of the kids playing together, some picks of us also of picking very yummy strawberries and of a delayed Easter egg hunt.

Easter Pics

2011-05-16T18:01:00.004-04:00

Some pics of Kassidy in her dress with our beautiful flowers and pics of us with the girls on our way to Sunday morning service on Easter.

Sleepover Time

2011-04-20T12:35:00.002-04:00

Fun, Fun, Fun!

Thank You

2011-04-20T12:29:00.003-04:00

Kassidy got two packages in the mail from Mimi and PopPop and Clint, Cindy, Ayden and Jaxon.

Chef or Engineer

2011-04-20T12:25:00.002-04:00

She loves cooking and so I thought maybe a chef may be in her future but then comes the toilet paper tower! hehe

WV trip and dandelion smellin'

2011-04-20T12:15:00.007-04:00

Above are some pics of Kassidy coming to the conclusion that dandelions may be pretty and fun to pick but smelling it might not be a rewarding experience. Also, are some pics of Kassidy and her cousin, Jaxon. I took the two of them to the park and let them play and have a picnic.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-19T13:41:00.007-05:00

Thank you to all who sent Kassidy cards and gifts and most of all love her way. She had a great spread-out Valentine's Day with her surprises she was getting in the mail from over the last few weeks from a lot of you from afar. I have said it over and over again that she is blessed to have so many people in her life that keep her in their thoughts even though we aren't in each other's lives actively everyday. She should never question as to whether or not her family and friends who live in different states love her and remember her often and just to let you know....she loves you too! We show her pictures of everyone and trigger her memory as often as we can so that she knows who we are talking about when she talks to you on the phone or receives something in the mail from one of you.

Just want to specifically thank you guys:

Angel and crew for the bear, cute plates, gift card, candy, and fake rose (which I think was her favorite gift out of your whole box because it reminded her of the Sleeping Beauty rose). hehe! Also...we took her to the circus and it was soooo bad and boring that we left at intermission and the only thing good that night was a free meal on you from Applebees. Thank You!

Mimi and PopPop for the cute dress, candy and frog PJ's. I think those are my favorite PJ's she has. They are adorable!

Uncle Eddie and Aunt Debbie for the card, money and adorable swimsuit. When her daddy saw the swimsuit he just sighed and looked away. I think it was just getting to be too much thinking of her being prissy in something like that in a few years. I think he will take away all of our swimsuit privileges before too long. :P

Savannah for the homemade note and her valentine's card along with a pixie stick. I thought for sure that she would take the first bit of the pixie straw and give me a terrible look because it was sour but instead she couldn't get the rest down fast enough. She really liked it Savannah as you can see in the pic where she is licking her lips trying to get it off her lips not to waste any of it. That was so sweet of you to think of her. Love you and miss you.

Aunt JoJo and her crew for the book and card. And you were right, she liked the card better than the book. Her daddy took her to Chick-Fil-A shortly after she got it and she had to take her card along with her. She did not want to part from it. Funny. Tonight we will be reading her book when she goes to bed.

Mamaw Beep Beep for the card. She enjoys getting your cards that you send every now and then. (Kim or Jodi: tell mamaw thank you since I know she will not read this on the computer.)

Aunt Jean for the cards too. She certainly remembers you and we show her your picture often on the computer.

Some of you may think it is crazy to go to the lengths of thanking everyone personally for specific items but it is important for us to do that. We know how hard it can be to take the time out of your busy schedules to send things her way. Just going to the store and purchasing a gift or card takes enough time but to pack it and lug it to the post office is a lot for a lot of people to do. While the gifts are nice, it is the thought of you thinking and going to such trouble to do all that goes along with it. We just want you to know how much YOU are appreciated. We love you and miss you all.

These Sneakers are the Coolest!

2011-01-20T13:12:00.002-05:00

Kassidy thanks Aunt Jodi for her new favorite and coolest light-up Sketchers sneakers. They are really cute! Here are some pics of her stomping on them and walking with them as she glances down. She hates wearing shoes in the house but she had to put them on as soon as she opened them and is still wearing them. Thanks again.

Party Time

2011-01-20T12:59:00.002-05:00

Allie had a birthday party at a skating rink so I took Kassidy to see if she was brave enough for a new adventure. She had been all pumped up and excited about going skating until she actually got the skates on. She had to, of course, hold hands with others to get her skating at all and then she decided she would prefer to stand beside the wall from the carpeted area and have everybody going by slap her hand instead of taking many chances on the rink. It was still cute though and maybe in time she will learn to not be so afraid. Thank you Allie for inviting us to your party and creating memories.

Ice Storm

2011-01-14T20:02:00.003-05:00

Well....what can I say? While we had dramatic weather here in NC, I am also aware that many of you had the same. I couldn't resist going out and taking some shots of our back yard and my car covered in ice. By this time, Billy had went out and tried to chip away most of the ice but there was still a substantial amount left. The first time I drove my car I was terrified of the huge ice pieces that were coming off because I was afraid they were going to strike another vehicle. The most shocking thing to me is that these pictures were taken 4 or 5 days after the ice storm had come through. We still have ice on certain parts of our property. Crazy stuff.

Special Gift from a Special Cousin

2011-01-14T19:53:00.004-05:00

While Kassidy melts the hearts of just about all those she comes into contact with, little girls seem to ooohhh and ahhhh more than anybody else. Kassidy has a cousin in Texas, Alexis, who may not have yet met her in person, but is being the doting cousin. She went to the mall with her friends and, while most kids would think about buying for just themselves, she came back with this very cute outfit for Kassidy that she paid for with her own money. Thank you Alexis for the outfit and thank you more for being so thoughtful and kind. Hopefully one day you will be able to meet in person.

Miller Time! hehe...had to do it

2011-01-14T19:41:00.004-05:00

Kassidy got some gifts from her China travel buddy, Merrilee. Although these two girls only were around each other in China and once when they stopped on their way to GA, they both are always asking about the other and hopefully as they grow older they will remain friends and keep in touch. Kassidy received a US map puzzle, candy bag, and a book. She loved the puzzle and had to immediately have help putting it together. Thank you Miller family for the presents. We miss ya!

Visit with Aunt Debbie and Uncle Eddie

2010-12-31T17:40:00.004-05:00

We always try to meet up with Aunt Debbie and Uncle Eddie when we come to visit to WV. They were able to hand deliver this gift unlike others they send. We try to take the short time we have with people and make up for lost time. Thanks for taking time out of your schedule and meeting up with us and spoiling Kassidy even further. ;P

Christmas Night at Our House

2010-12-31T17:33:00.003-05:00

While we thoroughly enjoyed visiting in WV for Christmas, it was nice to finish off our Christmas day in our own house. Santa had obviously decided to leave some of the bigger gifts and stocking at our house in order for us to not have to haul it around from state to state. So......Kassidy was really shocked and excited to walk into our house to find that Santa had left such fun stuff. Here is the second go round from Santa.

Christmas Morning and a Surprise Visit from Santa

2010-12-31T17:22:00.005-05:00

On Christmas morning, we were at Aunt JoJo's. Uncle Clint and his gang and PopPop came up for our traditional Christmas breakfast and opening of gifts from Santa and the kids exchange their gifts of whomever's name they drew between the cousins. In addition to all that traditional stuff, we had a surprise. Santa came to have breakfast with us. You may ask how we lucked out to be picked for a visit from Santa after he had had such a long night???? Well....actually Rod, one of dad's friends, came up and Kassidy was immediately convinced that he was Santa. I guess I can see the resemblance also. hehe Anyways....she immediately reached for him to tell him thank you for all the presents he had just brought her and gave him a kiss. After that, Rod felt so guilty that he ended up digging in his pocket and pulling out a $20 dollar bill for her. That made our whole Christmas. We are still laughing about that.

Annual Christmas Eve Party at MaMaw Peg's

2010-12-31T17:14:00.006-05:00

Pics from our Annual Get Together on Christmas Eve at Mamaw Peg's house. There are so many people and soooo much fun! Highlight of Christmas for me.

Family Visits

2010-12-31T17:02:00.008-05:00

Here are many pics of us taking advantage of being around family that we do not get to see often enough. We really enjoyed seeing everyone and glad we got to spend what time we had with everyone. I feel we got to see more people on this visit than ever before. We enjoyed it thoroughly and are thankful for memories made.

NC Lights

2010-12-31T16:57:00.003-05:00

About a week before Christmas, Billy, Kassidy and I went to a field that was full of lights. We got to ride in a little train around the field to see the light displays up close along with shopping at an old general store type setting filled with barrel after barrel of different types of candy. Also, she got to see Santa Claus one more time for any last minute requests that she may have missed the first time around.

School Christmas Party

2010-12-31T16:55:00.001-05:00

Bobbi had a Christmas party at her school and, after talking nonstop about her cousin Kassidy, she begged me to make an appearance with Kassidy. Kassidy took over Bobbi's chair and took full advantage of all the goodies sitting on it.

Santa's BIG gift

2010-12-31T16:50:00.003-05:00

Kassidy got a battery-operated three wheeler. Unfortunately, due to a bad cough and several inches of snow, she had to wait a few days to get out and have a little fun on it. I think she is lovin' it and cannot wait to do it again. I see mommy and daddy losing a few pounds in the future chasing her up and down the road.

More Gifts from Family

2010-12-31T16:46:00.003-05:00

Aunt Kim and her family and Aunt Emily and Uncle Terry also sent Kassidy some money, puzzles, and other goodies. Thank you guys so much for being so thoughtful. She is one blessed little girl.

Christmas Box from MiMi and PopPop

2010-12-31T16:40:00.005-05:00

Before leaving for WV for Christmas, Kassidy got a big box in the mail filled with Christmas presents from MiMi and PopPop. She got several Disney Princess dolls (which she made line up and do push ups on the floor), several PJ's, outfits, dolls, and all kind of goodies. Billy is convinced that one day a barbie doll will come to life and attack him. Thank you MiMi and PopPop.

Faces and Poses/Snow Day in NC

2010-12-31T16:33:00.002-05:00

Her ever so famous poses and funny face making. Also, we got a late Christmas snow day. After getting home on Christmas night after going through snow traveling home from WV, we woke up to several inches of snow. It was beautiful! Here are shots out the front and back door of our house. Unfortunately, it delayed Kassidy being able to play with her big present that Santa had brought her.

More B-day Gifts

2010-12-31T15:55:00.002-05:00

The Henderson Family came over recently and spent some time with us and also brought Kassidy's birthday gift. It was princess related so, of course, she loved it. Thank you!

Recovering From Christmas

2010-12-27T22:11:00.002-05:00

Hope everyone had a great Christmas holiday. We went to WV and stayed a week before Christmas and traveled back on Christmas day. All of our family Christmas activites/gatherings are over with on Christmas afternoon so we have always made it a tradition to travel on that day because traffic is so light and we beat all the post Christmas travelers. This Christmas travel day was a little more challenging than normal. It had snowed some while we were in WV, however, not enough to keep us from traveling home on Christmas day. WV turnpike was not bad, VA was bad, and NC was terrible. I was wondering at times if we would have to pull off and find a motel because it was getting so bad but we made it, albeit a few hours later than normal. There was one time I looked at the speedometer to find that we were only creeping along in tire tracks on a major highway at only 20 mph. BUT.....it made me feel better once we woke up the next morning with at least 4 inches of snow. I'm not sure exactly how much we had but I know it was a lot....especially for here in Fayetteville, NC. It was so pretty but I was glad to be seeing it out my front door instead of out my car windshield. It was so nice to see everyone in WV but also nice to get back to home sweet home. I have become such a homebody. Thank you to everyone who sent things to Kassidy before we left and while we were gone. We are still recuperating from our trip and running a little slower than normal. But I will get on here hopefully in the next few days and try to update pics of Kassidy with her gifts and of our time in WV.

More B-Day Gifts

2010-12-09T18:00:00.004-05:00

Today Kassidy got another birthday gift in the mail from Uncle Reggie, Aunt Karla, Emily and Billy. It is the cutest set of pajamas that reads Princess in Waiting. Wow....that is soooo true as far as Kassidy is concerned. When you call her Kassidy she corrects you now and says "No...I am a Princess...not Kassidy." LOL Emily also made her the cutest handmade birthday card. Thanks guys. She loves it. She had to strip immediately and change into them and is wearing them now. Love you guys and miss you.

Late B-Day Gifts

2010-12-07T07:27:00.004-05:00

Angel, Bryan and Talon sent Kassidy and I some birthday presents.We laugh because Angel ALWAYS is late BUT that could be a good thing for a 3-year-old who had gifts coming in the mail one after another and then they stop and then suddenly another one comes. Here are some pics of her opening her gifts. When she opened the flower halo she said she wanted to put it on daddy's head and Angel made me promise to take a pic so here ya go.

Santa Visit

2010-12-02T17:04:00.002-05:00

A couple weeks ago Kassidy saw Santa at the mall and reminded me everyday since that she wanted nothing to do with sitting on his lap. So...I did not even plan on trying to take her for a pic with him. Then yesterday she said she wanted to go sit on Santa Claus' lap and wanted to take him a picture she drew. Today I ran out to do it before she changed her mind again. I still knew there was a chance we would not get a pic today once she got there and got personal and up close and that almost came true. While she was in line she was still excited about seeing him but once it was her turn she had reservations. She turned back to me with a look that said that this was not exactly turning out how she had thought initially. I walked up with her and sat her on his lap. She still was not overly enthused, however, no tears came yet so I proceeded to back a couple feet away while she was facing Santa and talking about what she wanted and gave him her picture she colored for him. After we got a picture then I got her off his lap and she backed up enough until she felt she was in a safe zone and then my child put her hands up to her ears, waved them back and forth and scrunched up her nose and mouth and made a horrific sound. Santa just burst out laughing and did the face right back at her. He had to try and gain his composure for the next child coming towards him but, as we walked away, he was still laughing and looking at her and making the face at his helpers showing them what she had done. At least Santa got a good laugh. That has to be a hard, tough job. BUT.....somebody has to do it!

B-day Party

2010-11-30T15:28:00.003-05:00

Can you believe it? She is 3!!!! I really had not put on a big birthday bash for her until this year. We had always celebrated her birthday at family gatherings which was great too. But...I decided this year to invite other little ones her age and people who were important in our lives to celebrate this day with us. Kassidy had a blast. There were so many people that came and we appreciated them taking the time out of their day to do so. We rented a party room at the Children's Museum so that after the party the kids could just go and run off energy throughout the museum playing make believe. Kids love the place and we thought it was the perfect place or a party. She looked at this birthday cake every couple weeks when we would go grocery shopping and she always said it was her birthday cake so we HAD to get it for the party. Hope everyone had fun because I know we did!

B-day Gifts

2010-11-30T15:20:00.004-05:00

Kassidy is so blessed to have so many people who love her. Unfortunately, many of those people live far away and are not able to see her personally and celebrate her birthday with us but that didn't stop them from mailing her gifts, which she loves getting. PopPop and MiMi sent Kassidy a really pretty ballerina jewelry box. We have to get it down everyday and open it up and listen to the music. Uncle Eddie and Aunt Debbie also sent her a Tinkerbell outfit, which went well with her birthday party theme so she got to wear that to herparty. Also, Uncle Terry and Aunt Emily sent Kassidy a card and $20. Thank you all for thinking of her. She loved every card and gift.

Fun with Mamaw Beep Beep

2010-11-30T15:11:00.003-05:00

Mamaw Beep Beep is always a fun time for her grandchildren and great grandchildren. I don't know many 83-year-old women who can keep up with a 3-year-old kid like she does. I never remember a time when mamaw was not full and energetic with kids. Usually when you see an 83-year-old woman rolling around in the floor it's usually because she has fallen and can't get up. Well.......she did this voluntarily. As you can see they both had a very fun visit with one another. Kassidy cannot wait to go to Mamaw Beep Beep's house and Aunt JoJo's house for Christmas.

Presents and Reunions

2010-11-30T14:42:00.003-05:00

We got a call from Mamaw Beep Beep and she wanted to come visit us. She was missing her Kassidy. So....Kassidy and I met Jodi halfway in VA to pickup mamaw to come home with us for awhile. Jodi surprised us by bring along Kassidy's little cousin Jaxon (or Jacksey) as Kassidy calls him. They also brought along some birthday gifts for Kassidy and I. Aunt JoJo and her crew along with Uncle Clint and his crew got together and bought Kassidy the most beautiful silver engraved trinket box with a beautiful silver and pearl bracelet. Also, they sent me several gifts which was fun to open. Cannot wait to see everyone when we come home for the holidays.

Disney Princesses on Ice

2010-11-08T05:45:00.007-05:00

Finally, after over three long months of having the tickets and waiting, Kassidy had her special night. I purchased tickets over three months ago to go see the Disney on Ice Princess show. I made the HUGE mistake of telling her and ever since she has asked me every single day at least 10 times a day if it was time to go see the "Princesses Skate." AHHHH I am so glad it is over. It was a great show as usual and we all thoroughly enjoyed it. Before the show we went to Samurai's for dinner. Here are some pics of our night out on the town.

Shirts Galore!

2010-11-06T22:58:00.002-04:00

Over the last year, Kassidy has received some very cute shirts from different people.

My Dollie and Me

2010-11-06T22:55:00.002-04:00

MiMi and PopPop sent her a Cabbage Patch doll awhile back and she really likes it so I found some matching clothes for her doll and her. This outfit is a Christmas pajama dress.

Cute Posed Pics

2010-11-06T22:51:00.003-04:00

I wanted to take some pics of her in this cute little dress which she obliged me with her infamous poses and faces.

Mail Time!

2010-11-06T22:49:00.002-04:00

Kassidy got a box of goodies from Aunt JoJo and a Halloween card with money in it from Aunt Debbie and Uncle Eddie.

Halloween Activities

2010-11-06T22:41:00.003-04:00

Amy, Allie, Grace, Ryan and Amanda came over the night before Halloween and we made a bonfire and made smores and roasted hot dogs. It was a lot of fun and a perfect night outside for it. The next night Kassidy dressed up as Minnie Mouse in Allie's old trick or treat costume. She was pretty cute I must say. She enjoyed handing out candy more than going door to door to get some for herself.

Picture Time!

2010-11-05T08:49:00.004-04:00

Okay....I knew I could not hold out on these pics. Yesterday Kassidy got her pics made for her birthday and Christmas. I was hoping she would pose like she does at home for me when we got to the studio but I wasn't sure. Well......having the Disney store as a bribe totally empowered me! After the first three shots, the photographer told her to just do her thing because she had started just doing one pose after another like a professional grown model. It was halarious! The pics were viewed on the computer in the lobby where we drew a crowd from the other workers and customers who were all oooohhhhiing and ahhhhing. They asked if she watched the reality show called America's Next Top Model in which I adamantly said "No" and explained that she would do anything for attention and a trip to the Disney store. Anyways....I said I did not want anybody to see these pics until I first mailed them out but I can't wait. Here are a few of them.

NO MORE DIAPERS!

2010-10-23T08:01:00.003-04:00

Finally! I was beginning to worry. There was a time a long time ago that I felt she was almost potty trained and then we had a few steps back or rather she just got defiant. I had been told by many people not to worry about the pottytraining issue until she turned three, which is only about a month away. So....I was beginning to panic. But....all of a sudden about a 1-1/2 week ago, she just decided it was time. Of course she is still using pull ups during the night and on long road trips but other than that she is good to go. I am so proud of her. This is just one more sign that she is growing up.

Time for some Fun!

2010-10-23T07:58:00.003-04:00

After a week of pure torture due to a virus, Kassidy was finally feeling better so we decided to celebrate with having a weiner roast. We roasted weiners and made smores. It was really fun. We had never done that before and she loved it. It was fun to be outside enjoying the nice crisp Fall air. I think we will do this again real soon.

American Doll/Card

2010-10-23T07:54:00.002-04:00

Kassidy received a special gift from her Great, Great Aunt Jean shortly after coming home to join our family. Aunt Jean special ordered an American Doll for her. We have kept it on top of her dresser. It came with two outfits but until recently we had not changed it out. We decided it was time for a wardrobe change.

She also got a Halloween card from her friend, Merrilee. Thank You!

What to do on a Rainy Day?

2010-10-23T07:49:00.002-04:00

Kassidy was sick for a whole week and was in some pain with having had blisters in her mouth and not being able to drink anything but ice water for a few days. My job at times was just trying to keep her mind off her pain by focusing on something else. We had a warm day with some some showers so I let her go out for a few minutes and use her umbrella. She is always wanting to play with it in the house so I thought it might be fun to actually let her go outside and practice in some real rain. Also....I put a sneak peek pic of her Trick or Treating outfit.

Cabbage Patch Doll

2010-10-23T07:45:00.002-04:00

Years ago, when we were still waiting on our unknown bundle of joy, Mimi and Poppop came to visit one time with a Cabbage Patch Doll. We kept it even after we got her waiting for the right moment to give it to her. As we were watching her with a little baby doll last night, we thought it was time to give her the Cabbage Patch Doll. She has not shown much interest in dolls before the last couple months but now she is a little mommy. She was so excited to open it and hurry and get the bottle and feed it. So cute!

Mimi and Poppop Strike Again

2010-10-21T21:34:00.003-04:00

Mimi and Poppop sent Kassidy a package in the mail with a Trick-Or-Treat themed T-shirt that says "Daddy is Under My Spell." She has definitely got her wear out of it over the last few weeks. I looked at the first pic above and thought how she is growing up so fast. Please slowwww down! She has really changed over the last few months. She talks away now very clearly and can come up with the funniest things. She is also potty trained now! yipppeeee We are so proud of her. We say everyday to each other what a great girl we have. She is so easy to take care of and such a great kid. We could not have asked for a better match for us and cannot imagine life without her now. Hard to believe she is coming up on 3 years old very soon. She amazes us everyday of our life.

Cupcake Making is Tiring!

2010-10-21T21:31:00.000-04:00

After slaving over cupcakes, she is pooped out!

Poppy and Mamaw Debbie/Fall Festival

2010-10-21T21:14:00.007-04:00

Poppy and Mamaw Debbie have an annual outing to Myrtle Beach every year in the Fall so on their way down they will generally stop and spend a couple nights with us. Last year Kassidy and I along with Ms. Amy and the girls found out about a Fall Festival and so this year it was going on when Poppy and Mamaw came to town so we went there. She had been talking about the train ride that she loved so much. They also brought Kassidy a necklace that they had got in Branson, MO for her. It was made by a Chinese entertainer at one of the shows. It is a jade necklace with her name engraved on it in Chinese on one side and American on the other. She loved it. We all really enjoyed spending some time together. The only thing that upset Kassidy was knowing that they were heading to the beach and she was not going. Here are some pics of the visit.

Mail for Me!

2010-09-20T19:26:00.003-04:00

Uncle Clint and his gang and Aunt JoJo and her gang got together a package for Kassidy and mailed it out to her and she got some cute stuff. Uncle Clint's gang got Kassidy two really cute outfits and Aunt JoJo's gang got her some Disney princess winter PJ's, a bracelet with her initials, and some black shoes. Today she wore one of her outfits and then tonight changed into her princess PJ's. While the outfits are very cute, I think the model adds quite a bit to the cuteness effect also. How funny are the jumping on the bed pics???? Those ponytails flying around everywhere and the looks on her face are priceless!!! I just looked at her hair this evening and noticed how long it is getting. Pretty soon her hair weight is going to catch up with her body weight.

Pure Volunteer Torture Chamber

2010-09-20T19:21:00.002-04:00

When the girls come over on Sundays, they never know what torture will be endured for that particular day and who will take the brunt of the torture. On this day, Kassidy decided that she really missed gymnastic class and took out her frustration on all three of the girls. Why, may I ask, should I pay for a gymnastic class when we can get this for free??? hehe I know three people who would appreciate paying for the classes.

Christmas Already?

2010-09-20T19:17:00.002-04:00

Okay...well...I know this is a Christmas looking dress BUT there are several clothes that still have tags on them that Kassidy is getting ready to grow out of so I am trying to get through all of them at least once. This cute Minnie Mouse dress still had tags and IT IS sleeveless but still officially a Christmas dress....I think. Anyways...this is what she went to church in this morning. Maybe I can get a long sleeve shirt and manage to wear it again near Christmas time. We will see.

Daddy Playing Dress Up

2010-09-20T19:08:00.001-04:00

The things you do when you truly love someone.

Boy Did We Have Fun

2010-09-09T13:57:00.005-04:00

We had fun watching them and they had fun playing together and just being two little silly girls. As many of you know, our trip to China took place with several other families. We all have a special bond with each other whom we never knew before the China trip and probably will never see again for the most part. However, on the road to adoption and on our trip to China, we got to know a certain couple rather well and have remained in contact. Unfortunately, they live in Baltimore and we live at Fort Bragg, NC so aside from emails, exchange of photos, and a couple of phone calls, we had yet to be able to visit one another in person until a couple days ago. Beth had to serve for six months recently in Iraq and has just been home for a couple months before she got a job in GA. Since we live at the halfway point between Baltimore and Georgia, Beth and Merrilee stopped in for a quick visit on their way to GA. We certainly missed catching up with Mark but, at the same time, enjoyed our visit with Beth and Merrilee immensely. Kassidy rarely takes up to any child quickly. Being an only child, we have to take any opportunity given to us when other children are around and use it as a teaching mode. Sometimes she does not share very well and she never wants any other child to get to close to her mommy and daddy. However, as soon as Merrilee walked through the door they just clicked. As the evening went on, so did the fun. It was so good to see them and, hopefully, we can get a visit from Mark on an occasion in which he drives down to GA. They also brought each one of us a gift as you can see in the picture from an Outer Banks vacation but the best gift ever was being able to see them. Thanks Beth for stopping and spending some time together. Will look forward to doing it again.

Gift from Angel and Talon

2010-09-09T13:51:00.004-04:00

Angel sent Billy, Kassidy and I some gifts. Kassidy loves getting things in the mail and, as you can see, she thoroughly enjoyed everything. Wish you were here. Miss you guys like crazy!

MiMi and PopPop Visit

2010-09-09T08:05:00.002-04:00

MiMi and PopPop went to TN to see Reggie when he came in on leave from Afghanistan. On their way back to FL they stopped in to spend a few nights with us. One day when daddy worked and mommy had doctor appointments, MiMi, PopPop, and Kassidy had an outing together that included lunch, shopping and getting their nails done. I do believe, however, that PopPop skipped on getting his nails done. hehe Kassidy, of course, came back with some gifts and one of her favorite ones was the umbrella you see above. I don't know if it will last until our next rain shower or not. She loves walking around in the house with it. I think I will put her outside during the next rain and let her use it for it's proper use. :) It just so happened that while they were here MiMi had a birthday. So some of the pics were her birthday dinner, cake and present. We were glad they were here and we got to celebrate it together.

Afraid?, Not Me!!!

2010-08-21T14:24:00.006-04:00

Although Kassidy had more flight time under her belt before the ripe old age of 1 than most have had in a lifetime, she still was terrified when we had planes fly over our house. Our house is right in the flight pattern of flights going in and out of Fort Bragg and they can be quite low and loud as they do so. On many occasions, we would be sitting inside the house and she would cower down as one would fly over. The kicker was when we would be outside on the deck and they would fly over. Oh boy was that a trip. We are talking total convulsions practically. However, now we have made a game out of it and she has adjusted well. She now waves to them as they fly by and runs to go outside when she hears one. Not too long ago I had somehow found my way onto a website about a little local family-owned BBQ pit restaurant ( http://www.pik-n-pig.com/ ) built right on an airport landing strip for personal planes. It is about 45 minutes away in a small country town called Carthage. We have talked, for a few months, about going to it and eating while watching the privates planes land and take off. We finally went today and it was GREAT! Kassidy wouldn't even eat because she was so amazed. The planes were less than 15 yards away as they taxied down the runway in front of us. We were sitting under the green roof and the first plane that came in after we were seated was the plane you see in the picture sitting right beside the green roof. You should have seen Kassidy's face as it kept getting within 10 feet of our table. Funny! We saw several people fly in, come over to the restaurant and eat lunch, then go get back in and fly off. They were definitely busy. As soon as one landed another one took off and so on and so forth. We pulled in the parking lot to one coming in and pulled out 1-1/2 hour later with one taking off. I would estimate we saw about 20-30 planes either taking off or landing while we sat and ate. I couldn't eat because Kassidy screamed for me to take a pic of every plane coming and going. She did not want to miss anything. I wish we would have discovered this place earlier. It was a perfect day and we hope to be able to take friends and family who come to visit to enjoy too as long as the weather is cooperating. While they have tables on the inside, it is much more entertaining to sit outside and be able to have a clear view of the planes. This is fun for all ages not to mention good food. That is always a plus and added benefit. For anyone who lives here in the area, I would highly recommend you visit this place and for anyone who doesn't live in the area, come visit and we will treat you to a BBQ plate with a unique experience.

Gotcha Day.......Two Years Ago!

2010-08-19T09:27:00.006-04:00

August 18, 2008!!!! That was two years ago and also the day that we were first handed Kassidy. It was a day we will never forget. We had a little celebration for our 2nd Gotcha Day! Every time Kassidy and I go shopping where they sell any type of Disney Princess cakes or spot any Disney Princess balloons (or any balloon for that matter), she always begs for them and I say that we have to wait for her birthday when we have her party. That is why she was a little confused yesterday when I got her a Disney Princess balloon along with a cake with Disney Fairies on it. She kept saying it was her birthday and I tried to explain that it wasn't her birthday yet but it was a special day. We gave her a little gift bag with a few goodies in it too. Turns out she is pretty good at building things as you see her tower of Dairy Queen flavored lip balms. Maybe she will be an archiect. LOL Although she doesn't quite get it now, she will get it soon and having pics of us celebrating the day we got her along with her birthday celebrations will be important and fun to see. Here are some pics of us celebrating with her favorite dinner (spaghetti) and finally being able to get her Princess balloon and Disney Fairies cake!

Summer Visit

2010-08-19T08:58:00.006-04:00

Usually every summer we get at least one if not more visitors from some of the kids from WV trying to get a little getaway before heading back to school. This year Bobbi was the only one that got to make it. Reece couldn't come because of football practice. Jodi and I decided to meet halfway for me to pick up Bobbi. We also decided to meet at a hotel and get a room for the night so the girls could swim and we could rest up before getting back on the road again. Kassidy absolutely LOVES getting in a pool. Billy and I even went to Raleigh and stayed overnight in a hotel to give her a chance to get to swim and give us a chance to go to our favorite restaurant in Raleigh. Aunt JoJo and Bobbi immediately upon arrival found us in the pool and changed into their swimsuits and jumped in to play with Kassidy. I can tell you that Kassidy thoroughly enjoyed Bobbi's visit and it made Billy and I feel guilty for not having another sibling for Kassidy to play with and go through life with. But I am sure she will manage and she does have a lot of other cousins that I am sure will include her in everything in the future. During Bobbi's visit we did several things although the camera did not tag along for everything. We went walking downtown, to the children's museum (where Bobbi actually touched a live snake very quickly), Ms. Amy took them to the pool on the base, and we treated Bobbi to going to her favorite restaurant which is the Melting Pot. They did a lot of playing outside in the splash pool, banana slide, sprinkler also. They were a match made in heaven. They would be outside or back in Kassidy's room and all I heard was Bobbi's side splitting laughter as Kassidy enjoyed being a comedian and tried to keep Bobbi laughing at her and I think it worked. Thank you Bobbi for being such a great older cousin and loving Kassidy the way you do. She had a blast! Looking forward to next summer already.

Those Special Friends

2010-08-19T08:31:00.004-04:00

Thank goodness for friends who forgive and understand that just because you haven't seen them in person for years that you still love them. Some of us are blessed enough to have those friends whom will always have a special place in our hearts. Having said that, sometimes time just doesn't allow to see them as often as we would like. The great thing about that is it proves who is a die-hard true friend versus those people who come and go in your life. I believe there is nothing more touching than getting together with a friend whom you haven't seen in years and slipping right back into the same comfortable mind set that you can talk freely about important things in your life and their life without skipping a beat as if you have regularly scheduled chats on a daily basis and not just a thing of the past? The relationship of a true friend is just that and one that I feel blessed to have with Ms. Judy. Ms. Judy is someone whom I met when I started working with the state of WV at the capitol complex in Charleston. We have always kept in touch but, as stated, never get to actually see each other in person. I believe we could talk for days nonstop if given the chance. However, we were able to, at least, get a little bit of that in recently. Judy and some of her family and friends made it down to Myrtle Beach for a few days and so she let me know that I definitely was invited and that she would love to see me again and absolutely love to see Kassidy. While we have been in contact via blog, emails, phone calls, etc. like everyone else, she had yet to actually get to meet her in person. I could not allow the chance to go by where I did not take advantage of seeing her. So......Kassidy and I headed to the beach and spent the night with Ms. Judy and her gang. It was sooooo fun. It was great to hug and talk to Judy and get to know some of the important people in her life whom I had heard so much about. Thank you to all of you who made our visit so pleasant. Keith, Judy's brother, was determined to be pegged Kassidy's favorite so he used bribes such as cookies, crackers, cake, ice cream, soda, etc. And guess what? It worked! Imagine that. We definitely couldn't stay any longer than we did or I would have come home with a little girl who thought she was royalty and could get by with murder if she wanted! hehe But really, thank you for making us feel as if we were part of the family and for making room for us. Although I regret no time spent in talking, the camera and picture taking took a back burner. I did not even think until on my way home how little pics I took but I did get a few with Ms. Judy and here they are. To those of you who have those friends who you haven't seen forever.....just do it. It is way worth it and to those friends who wait and still love us.....Thank You for being always being there.

The Fourth of July and the NC Zoo

2010-07-07T03:22:00.007-04:00

While we love fireworks, fighting the traffic to get there and also taking a chance at whether or not Kassidy would be afraid of the loud noise, we decided to make our highlight of the Fourth of July holiday be a trip to the NC Zoo. It turned out to be great weather and a great day for taking the 5-mile journey through the zoo. We have been waiting, since we got Kassidy, to take her to the zoo because we wanted her to be old enough to enjoy the animals and that she did. It turned out to be an absolutely fun day with fun memories. She loves birds but the favorite of all of ours was the gorilla. They are just amazing to watch. They mimic so many of human being's actions. Hope everyone had a good Fourth of July holiday.

New Addition to the Family

2010-07-07T03:19:00.002-04:00

Every Spring/Summer we get a bird's nest in both corners of our front porch. We have had many births on that front porch but I seem to never get a pic of the baby birds before they fly off and the next bunch of eggs are laid. We did, however, get these babies pic. How cute are they?

2010-07-07T03:04:00.002-04:00

What to do on a hot summer day? Well.....we have went out and invested in a kiddie pool, a ladybug sprinkler, a slip-n-slide, bubbles, and sidewalk chalk. It is so hot outside that about the only thing you can do is an activity that involves cool water. Allie and Grace got to come and stay overnight since their mom was out of town for work one weekend and these are some pics of all of them playing outside and including some pics of them conked out or ready to conk out.

Visitors

2010-07-07T02:52:00.004-04:00

Karla came to pick up the girls for their visit to TN for the summer. Little Billy was not able to come but Emily did and she and Kassidy had a blast together. I wish they lived closer so they could play and see each other more often. Also, Kassidy is not good at all when it comes to sharing her mommy and daddy. If someone so much as rubs up against her mommy or daddy she can become very upset but, for some reason, she allowed Emily to hug and kiss on Billy without any temper tantrums which is a very big thing.

Father's Day

2010-07-07T02:41:00.003-04:00

On Father's Day, Kassidy and I took Billy to the Myrtle Beach. He had been talking for sometime about wanting to go to his favorite restaurant there so we made reservations for both the restaurant and a room for a one-night stay. For just one night and two days, we had a great time. The pool and ocean temperatures were both just perfect. While Kassidy immensely enjoyed the pool, she screamed bloody murder to get out of the ocean. It was the first time for many years that I was able to go into the ocean because usually the water is not warm enough for me so I just waded in it with Kassidy with the tide hitting around our calves but she wanted nothing to do with it. While I enjoyed walking about in the ocean for a few minutes, Billy took her back to the pool area which she could not get enough of. We are not ones to go out and sit in the heat and sun usually nor do we usually get in the ocean so we make our beach trips usually when it is cooler and less crowded but being able to wade in the warm ocean water and have the pool temperature be spot on, we are contemplating maybe going again soon for a night or two before summer is over and it starts to cool down again.

Just Hangin' Out

2010-07-07T02:28:00.004-04:00

Just some fun pics of having fun with daddy and playing with one of the many gizmos that she cons him into buying every time they go out. How about the fashion statement with the two different shoes and half of an outfit? Trendsetter? I hope not!

Mimi and Poppop Visit

2010-06-04T21:28:00.003-04:00

Mimi and Poppop stopped in for a visit on their way to WV and TN. They were here for a few days. Billy and his dad went to a Nascar Race and they were here long enough to spoil Kassidy even more. Here are a few pics of them together and some of the clothes and presents they got her along with bubble pics which you can see she thoroughly enjoyed throwing on MiMi.

Shower Time and Stunt Woman

2010-06-04T21:21:00.002-04:00

Kassidy absolutely hates getting into the bathtub anymore. She used to love it but now she fights me on it. She always is afraid that I will get water in her eyes when rinsing her hair, which I never do but here you can see the shower water does not even bother her in the least. Billy was taking a shower when she did a little sneaking in the room and so he got out and she took off her clothes and jumped into the running water in her diaper. First time she has actually got brave enough to get in the shower.

We hope that as she gets older she will choose the right profession for her although considering the things she does now, I would not be surprised if she ends up being a stunt woman! hehe Her favorite past time now is getting her stuffed animals and climbing up on the headboard and jumping onto the mattress. This is one of the calmer stunts she does. What's ahead? Not sure and really do not want to know how many ER trips we will make over her the next few years.

B-day Party and Strawberry Pickin'

2010-06-04T21:15:00.002-04:00

Kassidy was invited to her friend, Kate's, birthday party. It was very fun and after warming up to everyone she finally started to play and have fun. Her social skills are not the best because she is so used to just mommy and daddy being around. We try to get her out around other kids some but need to work better at going to more activities to get her interaction where it should be. Initially, as part of the birthday party, we were supposed to first go strawberry pickin' and then go back to their house for cake and lunch but it ended up that most strawberry patches were empty already so we did not get to go that day but I found another field that still had some on it so we went the next day and got some delicious strawberries. She did more eatin' than pickin' but that is part of the fun. Got some cute shots in the field. If you have never went strawberry pickin' then I highly suggest doing it if you have a field around you. It's much funner than going to the store and just buying them and the strawberries are so much sweeter. It's a good family thing to do together that most every member of the family can enjoy.

Thank You

2010-06-04T21:11:00.003-04:00

We want to thank Uncle Timmy, Aunt Kim, Samantha and Savannah for the package they sent to Kassidy. They had some very cute outfits along with beautiful hair accessories. Kassidy's favorite was the dog shirt. She puts it on and goes around barking at them all day long. Very funny. You did a great job Savannah picking out the t-shirt. She loves it.

Sesame Street Live

2010-06-04T20:49:00.002-04:00

We had such a fun time at Disney on Ice that when Sesame Street Live show came to town then we rushed out to get them. After the Disney On Ice, Sesame Street was a let down but still fun. Here are some pics of the show.

Mothers Day Weekend in Atlanta

2010-05-10T12:22:00.003-04:00

We had a wonderful weekend aside from the traveling time on the road. Billy has a close friend he met here at Fort Bragg while working with him. They share the same interests and he and Billy have remained close even after a move. Drew and his wife, Mila, invited us for a celebratory get together to not only spend time with one another but to also celebrate their little girl who a lot of us had yet to meet and anticipate the next new addition to their family in the near future. Drew left Fayetteville and moved to Atlanta a couple years ago and during that time he got married to a very sweet woman whom was living in Russia at the time. She moved here along with her mother and then shortly after that entered into the equation a very beautiful and precious little girl named Olivia. Over the weekend, we were able to meet a lot of people whom we have heard about for such a long time and it was great. Also, they had not yet seen Kassidy so we shared showing off our children to one another with pride. Both of these little girls already have their daddies wrapped around their little fingers. On the downside, we did not think very strategically about the time we would spend in the car within a two-day period. It was a hard drive up one day and back the next but well worth it. Another negative is that I forgot my camera and therefore have no pictures of our get together and the girls together. Even though there is only a year's difference between Olivia and Kassidy, you would have thought Kassidy was 15 years old because all she did was kiss Olivia's head and put out her arms and say "Come here." She wanted to hold Olivia all the time. It was a great time that I wish I had pictures of but it will have to wait until next time. Thank you Drew and Mila for all your hospitality and the trouble you went to in order to make us feel welcome and definitely for the wonderful Russian food that we enjoyed. Here is a belated happy Mother's Day. I hope all of you mothers were pampered and taken care of well on your special day.

New Season New Clothes

2010-05-10T12:09:00.003-04:00

MiMi and PopPop are really good about making sure that her wardrobe is loaded with season-appropriate clothes. I think the only other thing she likes better than clothes is opening the packages that she gets them in. Here she is modeling her latest clothes that she got from them. She immediately, like always, started stripping to begin changing from one outfit to the other. Thank You!