Our life in Raleigh......

Swinging is a good time....

2012-01-30T17:32:00.000-05:00

My parents have a huge swing set-as in it's pretty tall. I wonder how many hours us kids spent swinging during our childhood? Many, I know that for a fact. It was down for a couple years due to a building being put up and it had to be moved. It's up and we're back at it having fun. There is something about swinging that is so freeing to me. I can still swing for hours. Here's the fun we had on Christmas day. The quality of pics is not great, ahh the learning curve of a new camera.

Martin Christmas 2011

2012-01-30T16:36:00.000-05:00

After going to Weaverland Mennonite Church (where I grew up) Sunday morning we had Christmas at my parents.

My dad got a head lamp, there was a little boy who thought it was pretty cool.

Weaver Christmas 2011

2012-01-30T16:13:00.000-05:00

Christmas Eve was spent with the Weaver family. So much fun, food, laughter and time spent together.

Hannah-the youngest grandchild. Isn't she adorable??!!

Birthday cake for me, Dairy Queen ice cream cake, sooo good!

We had some little fire chief's running around!

Pics from our time in PA

2012-01-30T16:01:00.000-05:00

Ryan planned a little 30th birthday party for me while we were in PA. He invited 4 couples that mean so much to me. We had a great time catching up and encouraging one another.

I played with this Fisher Price drum and recorder set when I was little. It brought back so many good memories!

Hey Grandpa-You coming home soon?

Love this-they get such a kick out of each other

Having fun with Aunt Doreen

Visting my Grandma Martin

The Public Library is awesome!

2012-01-09T09:43:00.000-05:00

Have you checked out your local library and all the programs it has to offer? Wake County Public Libraries is awesome and HUGE. It's where we made our first friends here in this new town. Two moms and their children(who you will see in the pics) invited Hayden and I out to lunch after story time one day back in September. We look forward to going to the library for story time each week. Occasionally there's another fun activity as well. Over Christmas they had a day to make a gingerbread house. First time for Hayden- so fun, so messy, so sweet!

Christmas Cookies

2012-01-09T08:52:00.000-05:00

I LOVE Christmas cookies but have refrained from making them the past couple of years due to trying to still eat healthy over the holidays. I always get my fill at all the Holiday parties. But this year I decided to make our favorite kind with Hayden, Peanut Butter Blossoms. We had fun and they were yummy!

Hayden's photography skills

Thanksgiving 2011

2012-01-09T07:57:00.000-05:00

Our dear friends Cliff and Bobbie invited us to New Bern for Thanksgiving. We often refer to them as Hayden's North Carolina grandparents. They are so sweet and treat us as if we are one of their own, my heart was full as we left their house that day. We had a feast, so much food and so good!

Raleigh Christmas parade

2011-12-19T17:12:00.000-05:00

We ventured out early on a Saturday morning on a hunt for a good spot to watch the Raleigh Christmas parade. It was well worth the early rise and rush out the door. Here's a taste of what we enjoyed!

trains go with us many places these days...

love the marching bands!

Scotty McCreery from American Idol. A girl that sat next to us is a HUGE fan of his. She took off running down the street and followed his float the rest of the parade!

Hayden made a new friend!

the crowds across the street, kind of crazy!

Mr. Nutcracker had to go horizontal through the street we were on due to trees, made for a good laugh!

world's largest toilet??

the sirens are too loud for Hayden

Fall, love it!

2011-11-05T12:48:00.000-04:00

One day this week Hayden and I headed out into the woods behind our house to have a little photo shoot. Being in the woods at fall is so beautiful and rejuvenating. A chance to see my Creator's work at it's most magnificent time of the year. I felt so refreshed! I dream of the day I will own a much better camera but for now I do the best with what I have. Here's my 3 1/2 year old, when did he get so big!!??

What a great way to start a photo shoot

I had many of these, little stinker

had to have some fun!

what, did you want to see my face?

these crack me up, doing exercises that he learned from Krystal when she lived with us. thought of this on his own. i had nothing to do with it.

North Carolina State Fair

2011-10-26T17:59:00.000-04:00

We spent an afternoon and evening at the North Carolina State fair, it's huge! We met up with some friends from New Bern Chris and Dawn and their children, Matthew and Elizabeth. Hayden loves to be with these two so much and misses them. We saw pig and duck racing, milked a cow, fed the animals, rode rides, ate way too much fair food, and were completely worn out when we left. So much fun! The couple of days following the fair Hayden's conversations were mostly about milking the cow and the monster trucks that he "drove".

I just have to laugh everytime I look at this one, they are being so silly!

my whole world right here.....

good night fair, see you next year!

Making play dough

2011-10-26T17:32:00.000-04:00

I am by no means the most crafty, do things at home, type of mom. This is something I wish I had more of a desire to do, maybe someday I will. I remember making play dough when I was little with my mom, along with my brother and sister. So I googled a recipe to make homemade play dough and to my surprise it was an easy recipe and used all ingredients I had on hand! It's funny how smells take you back, as soon as we got it cooking I remembered the smell from my days of childhood.

Great Friends

2011-10-26T17:15:00.001-04:00

The weekend following PA we had guests from PA! Kevin and Lesley Hurst and their 3 children came for a visit. We enjoyed every moment of their time spent here. I love having guests in our home, so just let us know when to expect you!:) Kevin and Les we cherish our friendship with you and thanks for taking the time to visit our hometown. Here's a few from Saturday night dinner-i don't have one of Elijah :(

Short but fun trip

2011-10-26T17:00:00.001-04:00

We made a flying trip to PA and back the first weekend in October for a friends wedding on Sunday. We squeezed in a lot in a couple of days. I was able to connect with a friend who I hadn't seen in 3 yrs! We had a great time reconnecting over lunch. Ryan and I had a little date into the city for First Friday and met up with my brother and his wife. Saturday we spent time with my parents at Lititz Springs park and ended the day with Ryan's family. I felt like I got to taste a little bit of PA fall, it was so rejuvenating! Sunday we were off to the wedding in Maryland and we headed home from there. Here are a few from the weekend (i didn't get a pic of the bride and groom, oops!)

The groomsmen came in on a boat, so cool!

this place is awesome so we returned....

2011-10-26T16:32:00.000-04:00

One Saturday while Ryan was working on homework Hayden and I visited the Marbles Kids Museum again. I don't think any kid under the age of 12 would get tired of this place. I had a great time with my little man, he brings me much joy as he seems to be growing out of the terrible 3's (thank goodness!).

Carolina Hurricanes

2011-10-24T15:57:00.001-04:00

Raleigh is home to a NHL hockey team, the Carolina Hurricanes. They had a Caniac festival to get the new season started. We had a blast jumping and sliding on the big inflatables. We also got to watch part of a game. We may return when they play the Philadelphia Flyers, our only predicament....who will we cheer for?

big kids can have fun too!

Go Wolfpack!!

2011-09-18T17:46:00.002-04:00

We braved the student section last night at the NC State football game, it wasn't near as bad as I imagined it to be. I was sure it wasn't a good idea to take a 3 yr old into that section and was prepared to walk around most of the evening. The band took me back to my high school years playing many of the same songs I played while in the marching band (yes I know I was a nerd). I love the atmosphere of a football game, the noise, the food, the chants, the cheers, etc. It was military appreciation night so there were lots of service members recognized throughout the game and a full flag at half time. We had a fun night and the Pack won!!

Taking in the tailgating scene and eating some good junk food!

i wish there wasn't someone behind us...

Labor Day weekend

2011-09-18T16:46:00.000-04:00

This year Labor Day weekend we went to Lake Anna in Mineral, VA with my family. My brother brought his boat and we spent many hours on it. We had so much fun! Ryan learned to ski and I still love to be thrashed around on the tube. My dad (54 yrs old) hadn't skied in several years and could still get up, I was impressed! Only thing that was disappointing.....I didn't get my camera out near enough. Here are just a few....

Ryan skiing

Pool time

2011-09-17T08:52:00.001-04:00

When we found out that our townhome included the use of the pool we were sold. Hayden love, love, loves the water.

His favorite thing to do is throw a dive stick then ride on Ryan's back under the water and grab it himself. The laughter and squeals make my heart full.

Watermelon Days

2011-09-17T08:22:00.000-04:00

Between Hayden and I (Denise) we could eat almost a whole watermelon in one sitting. It has to be really good and cold. One morning I took it outside to eat...reminded me of when I was little in the middle of hot summers and my family would sit on the front porch eating it almost every night before bed.

Goofy faces

Marble Kids Museum

2011-09-11T23:44:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago friends of ours, Chris and Dawn and their children Matthew and Elizabeth, came to Raleigh for the weekend. They spent Friday afternoon and evening with us, we checked out the Marbles Kids Museum. So. Much. Fun!! So many activities and hands on stations, we had to keep encouraging our little ones to move on to the next thing so we could see it all before it closed. At some points I'm pretty us adults were having just as much fun as the kiddos.

2011-09-11T23:16:00.000-04:00

We moved the end of July. It was not the easiest move by any means but we are here and settled. Here's a peak from the morning leaving New Bern and the following weekend when Ryan's parents came to visit. My mother in law is great with decorating and helping to make a house a home. She graciously agreed to help me and the house looks and feels like home!

Weaver family vacation

2011-09-01T15:00:00.000-04:00

This year, instead of going to our usual spot at Angola by the Bay, we went to a house along the Chesapeake river. So beautiful, peaceful and relaxing. We went kayaking, saw many boats and barges go by, swimming (the best was at dusk), ate, laughed, and enjoyed being around family. Hayden loves spending long periods of time with his cousins. Ryan caught a catfish and learned how to fillet and grill it. I passed on the opportunity to try it! These are memories until next year!

2011-08-29T16:39:00.000-04:00

Our close friends Eric and Regina and their two little guys made a trip down to visit us. So much fun! Our boys only get to hang out usually 2ish hours at a time every 6 months or so. It was good to be able to be together for an extended period of time. We enjoyed showing them around town, swimming, grilling, eating and laughing. Thanks so much guys, we loved every minute!

Love this, makes me laugh every time I look at it!

2011-08-29T15:51:00.001-04:00

Here's a small snapshot into Delbert's and Andee's wedding. It was a beautiful, sunny, perfect temperature day! I was a little stressed since Hayden was the ring bearer and had done horrible (and that's putting it mildly) at rehearsal the night before. We didn't make him do anything he didn't want to do before he walked down the aisle because he's at the stage where he'll be grumpy for a long while. Sooooo I felt like I was walking on egg shells around him all morning. In the end he walked walked down the aisle with lots of coaxing and bribes (I generally don't believe in bribing) holding his ducky pez (he wanted nothing to do with the pillow he was supposed to carry). After that Ryan and I both felt like we could enjoy the day. It's crazy that my little brother is married and my parents are empty nesters!

2011-08-29T08:20:00.008-04:00

We took a trip to PA the end of June for my brother's wedding. As always we had a great, awesome, fun, busy time connecting with everyone!

Hayden's favorite toy at Grandma Weaver's house My little niece Hannah Helping Grandma water the new pine trees that were just planted
Walking to get the mail Helping Grandpa finish off some wedding cake Grandpa's toys at the shop The Weaver grandkids and Grandpa and Grandma

Blueberry Picking

2011-08-29T08:09:00.003-04:00

Hayden and I went blueberry picking one morning in June. I enjoyed it and actually found it really refreshing. Hayden lasted about 10 min and then played with sticks in the dirt of course!

The Beach

2011-08-27T16:51:00.005-04:00

We didn't get to the beach near as much as we usually do this summer due to other obligations. But we managed to squeeze in one or two days.

2011-08-27T16:38:00.002-04:00

Give the boy a few empty containers and some water=an hour of fun in the sun.

2011-08-27T16:26:00.002-04:00

Anytime Hayden sees this set of screwdrivers and measuring tape laying around he heads right for this truck. He takes it apart and Daddy puts back together, sounds like a good plan right?

some little visitors...

2011-08-27T15:35:00.002-04:00

Take a look at what made Hayden come running inside one morning. He was trying to talk and explain so fast he couldn't get his words out that they made sense so he finally said "come, let me show you!!"

Easter

2011-08-27T15:02:00.003-04:00

We had a pretty laid back Easter this year. At church we got pinwheels symbolizing Christ death on the cross, then to the grave and how he rose from the grave(the circle of life). When my parents were down they left a Easter basket for Hayden, which he quickly ate the chocolate (guess he takes after me), and enjoyed opening his eggs with money in them.

To the circus we went!

2011-08-26T16:22:00.005-04:00

In April we went to the circus. It had been years since I was at one and Ryan and Hayden had never been to the circus. We thoroughly enjoyed the show. We went with friends Greg and Katie Coverdale and their two adorable girls. It was a fun evening!

Tornado

2011-08-26T15:47:00.005-04:00

Actually some of these post are from April!

Our friends Cliff and Bobbie (who we like to say are Hayden's North Carolina grandparents) had a tornado go through their neighborhood in April. They were hanging out with us when they got a phone call that they should check on their house. Crazy! Thankfully there were no deaths or serious injuries. We went to their neighborhood just 24hrs after it happened and I'm amazed there were no lives lost. Their house had minimal damage to it and they lost their fence. But the house connected to theirs had a tree fall right in the middle of it! The first few pictures are of the house with the tree in it. It was dusk so they are a little hard to see.

Their house with the missing fence panels

2011-08-26T15:13:00.002-04:00

I'm going to play catch up for a little bit.....these next few posts are from the months of May, June and July!

We went to Wilmington, NC for a 24 hr get away for our 7th anniversary. It went by so fast but we had fun and relaxed! We ate dinner at Front Street Brewery Saturday night. We enjoyed it that much we went back on Sunday for lunch before we headed back to New Bern! We, of course, took in the beach while we were there and enjoyed walking around town. Thanks so much to our friends Matt & Naomi Buckwalter for keeping Hayden. Not many pics....

We are still here!

2011-08-13T00:36:00.013-04:00

We are alive and well, we've just been busy! Since I last blogged (which has been a while) we have said goodbye to our friends, church, jobs, and neighbors. New Bern will always hold a special place in my heart. So many good things happened while we lived there. Hayden was born, Ryan started pursuing his degree, our marriage improved, and the list could go on. I really did enjoy the almost 4 years we called New Bern home. Raleigh is good so far! We are for the most part settled in and exploring everything we can before Ryan starts school this week. Here are pictures of our new home.

the view from our front door

Graduation 2

2011-05-15T14:13:00.004-04:00

So for our friends and family that are not on facebook, Ryan graduated yesterday with his Associates in Science (with Honors) from Craven Community College. I can't convey to you how proud I am of him! Even though I get tired of the conversations with words that I don't know what they mean (centroids, vectors, moments of inertia, etc) and Ryan saying he can explain it to me in a way that makes sense (which usually doesn't happen, I just respond in a way that's appropriate, smile and make it seem that I understand) I love that he loves learning all of it! I know the work and stress behind this degree and trust me folks....there's a lot of it. We are only half way to the goal of getting his bachelor's but this was a reason to celebrate! It was a warm morning and you can see in a few pics we are sweaty (welcome to North Carolina in May). This officially releases us from New Bern and pushes us forward to Raleigh and NC State where he will get his bachelor's in 4 or 5 semester (if all goes according to plan). Many of you have been asking when we will be moving....that's not 100% nailed down yet. Ryan has a full time job here for the summer so we can stay here until the beginning of August BUT if doors open up for us earlier we will move and get settled in before the start of the fall semester. So you can pray for us.....there are lots of changes and I get a tad bit nervous when I think about the fact that in 2-3months our life will be COMPLETELY different!! I would not be being honest with you either if I didn't tell you I'm really excited for this adventure! Sometimes in the busyness and normal day to day stuff I forget that I do love an adventure with Ryan and Hayden. So just pray that we would know the path God has for us and open doors where they need to open. Wow, I'm not usually a writer but I guess today is different!

Ryan's shaking hands with someone Hayden's so sweaty......

Graduation

2011-05-14T21:47:00.003-04:00

Here is a link to a video from graduation. Just copy and paste to your web browser. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prDvLST0m9k

Spring Picnic

2011-04-23T16:26:00.005-04:00

Our church had a spring picnic this past Sunday. True southern style...a pig pickin, grilled ribs, bbq chicken and some amazing homemade chips. All of the good eating was followed by an egg hunt, egg toss and many other games. I realized on Sunday how much I love these people and that we really have made good friends in the 3 1/2 years we've lived in New Bern. I will miss them when we move 2 hrs away this summer. But that also gives me hope that we will make new friends in Raleigh, because if we've done it once....we can do it again! Hope you all have a great Easter!!

waiting for the egg hunt to start this area was for the 1-4 year olds there was a whistle in one of his eggs.....thankfully it was lost at the park!!!

2011-04-22T21:48:00.002-04:00

He makes me mad one second........and then has me busting out laughing the next!!

2011-04-17T17:31:00.003-04:00

My parents were down to help us celebrate Hayden's birthday. We love having them around for a few days and are always sad to see them go. But we had fun! We had a small party for Hayden Sunday afternoon, he was beyond excited! Although at one point I think the party became too much for him. I looked out the window just in time to see him swing his bat at one of his friends.....I let daddy handle that situation!! Happy Birthday Little Man! We love you and are blessed to be your daddy and mommy!!

Train Cake

2011-04-17T17:18:00.003-04:00

So Hayden's birthday was over a month ago...and I'm just now getting around to posting about it. Oh well, such is life! I enjoy making a cake each year for Hayden's birthday, Ryan likes to help me so it's a fun project to do after Hayden goes to bed. This year I was so thankful for Ryan's help or I would have been up to 1 or 2am, thanks honey! I always forget that, no matter how easy the cake is to make, it's always time consuming. I started out with a chocolate cake made from scratch in 2 bread pans and went from there. Here's the project in different stages:

Harker's Island

2011-03-14T19:19:00.003-04:00

One Sunday a couple of weeks back we took a family trip to Harker's Island. One of the many great things about living in New Bern is that there are so many places to visit along the water and trails to explore. It was a great day for pictures.....

Baby Rae

2011-03-14T17:51:00.004-04:00

We had this cutie pie at our house for a few days. Her name is Raeanne but Hayden affectionately calls her Baby Rae. She is a foster daughter of our good friends Matt and Naomi. They went on a vacation to Florida and we had fun times with her. Some day Hayden will make a great big brother.

Thomas

2011-02-28T17:59:00.002-05:00

Hayden throughly enjoys his Thomas trains. He really likes when Ryan or I get down on the floor and help him build the tracks. But some days are just too crazy. He enjoys playing with them this way as well:

Ha ha!!

2011-01-06T20:06:00.003-05:00

This one cracks me up each time I look at it! Ryan and I were trying to get a decent picture of us but the few taken before this one we had double chins, so being silly, we tried to eliminate them. Only after the picture was taken did we discover that Hayden was next to us upside down! I promise we are normal!!

Hayden and Hannah

2011-01-06T19:54:00.003-05:00

Hayden just had to hold his cousin Hannah who is getting a little big for his arms. She's at the stage where she grabs at everything. I could tell Hayden was trying not to be annoyed......

......... so he solved the problem!

Christmas

2011-01-06T19:19:00.004-05:00

Christmas was so good this year to be with our families....we cherish the moments we can be with them. We had lots of laughs, a few two year old tantrums, and made memories. here's a look into Ryan's family Christmas on Christmas eve. I don't have many pics from my family....hopefully my mom does.

so excited to be at grandma's house again! i might get in trouble for posting this!! Blake and his gift from Rosa

the little boys opening their gift from grandpa and grandma learning how to operate his remote control truck trying out his new hip waders :) playing with their remote control trucks

Grandpa and Grandma visit!!

2010-12-09T17:07:00.008-05:00

The weekend after Thanksgiving Ryan's parents made their annual trip south to visit us. On Saturday we went to Tryon Palace and History Education Center. We enjoyed the tour of the palace (i was sure Hayden wouldn't last, but he did great), learning so many things from that time period. It was decorated for Christmas the way they would have decorated years ago. The pictures are from Saturday at the palace and then on Sunday we went down by the water to feed the fish. Thanks so much for blessing us Dad and Mom while you were here, we enjoy your presence!! Hayden was waking up from his nap when they arrived and he went right into grandma's arms, which makes my heart feel so good. There's always a small fear that he's not going to remember/know his grandparents since he doesn't see them very often. But God's got is all under control (I really should know this by now).

The palace is beautiful, I forgot to get one of the whole front of the building

waiting patiently to go inside oh hayden-you and mommy will never have a good picture when you do this all the time!!

2010-12-09T17:01:00.002-05:00

Mom I'm ready for breakfast so I'm just going to help myself...ok? I don't think so....I put an end to this real quick!

John Deere

2010-11-08T17:19:00.003-05:00

For Grandpa Weaver and Grandpa Martin:)

Just passing through....

2010-11-08T16:54:00.003-05:00

I stepped out in our sun room one afternoon and saw this bird(i guess that's what it is) walking through our backyard. By the time I got the camera he was at the water looking for fish. Kind of startled/surprised me and then I just had to laugh, only in NC.

Small Group

2010-11-08T15:58:00.005-05:00

The faces of our small group.....I know these aren't the best pics but wanted to post them so those of you in PA can meet some of our NC friends. Ryan and I have been leading the college and 20's small group of TRC. It's been really good and stretching at times. Most of the guys in the group are Marines so one of them is either getting ready to deploy or coming home. I have so much respect for these men and their wives, it is quite a call of duty. In just 2 weeks or so we will have everyone back from deployment, a first for the group since we started meeting in Feb 2009. This was our fall kick off, we took a break from doing a book study over the summer, so we went all out and had a big breakfast night:)Ryan and TJ making some awesome omelets!

stuffing our faces

Krystal-the girl who lives with us

Package

2010-10-22T08:52:00.004-04:00

We got the mail late last night.....Hayden was still up, he was so excited to get a package from Grandpa and Grandma Martin! And this morning he saw the box and is asking for more:) Thanks for the candy and toys! Ryan and I enjoyed a few pieces as well.

300th celebration

2010-10-09T14:33:00.004-04:00

As we've mentioned before this year is New Bern's 300th Anniversary. September 17-19 was the big celebration. There was a parade downtown and so many fun and free activities that we enjoyed. This was the week we started potty training and to my amazement he stayed dry the whole time we were out and taking it all in.

waiting for the parade to start

NC Governor Beverly Perdue For the dads:) He wasn't sure about the mascot, but we got free chocolate milk and ice cream sandwiches!

Flooding

2010-10-02T13:24:00.006-04:00

Here are a couple of pictures of the rainy weather we had this week. I might post a video later...

This was the view from our front porch on Thursday

This is an intersection close to our house while it was raining on Thursday

This was also on Thursday, it is water running into the channel beside our house

This picture is from today. The water receded yesterday, but today it is on the rise again. The rain is gone, but the river will not crest for another day or two, so we will see how high the water gets. The official estimate is that New Bern had 15.5" of rain since Sunday, although I think we might have had a little more here in River Bend.

2010-09-27T19:02:00.002-04:00

This is so powerful........I know it's a little long but well worth the time to listen to it.

Camping

2010-09-27T16:36:00.005-04:00

Labor Day weekend was spent with my family camping in Virgina close to the Natural Bridge. It is a beautiful area to hike, explore and learn about. We visited an old grain mill which still produces flour the old way today, the Natural Bridge, and caverns. We also enjoyed spending time at the campground and all the activities that they had planned because of the holiday weekend. Time flew bye and we were soon saying our goodbyes until Christmas. I have always enjoyed camping growing up and considered it a vacation, but this weekend I decided that camping isn't really a vacation, just a break from life:) It takes a lot of work but we made memories!

If you look closely you can see water falling to the right of grandpa and hayden, they are headed in for a dunk in the water..... he loved it, i wish i had shot of his facial expression, kept saying "more, more" sharing an ice cream sandwich with grandpa

beach again:)

2010-09-27T15:29:00.004-04:00

Hayden, myself and some friends from work took a last minute trip to the beach. The water was awesome and we couldn't ask for better weather. It was a great time although we were both wishing that daddy would have been able to join us, but he had school.

Hayden loves spending time with his North Carolina grandma, Bobbie. She is such a blessing to us!

boo-boo

2010-08-15T15:09:00.004-04:00

Hayden's been telling me all about this boo-boo several (seems like hundreds) times a day. He bumped into the edge of a coffee table and gave himself a gouge/gash in the eyebrow. We decided not to visit the doctor and it seems to be healing up really nice. I'm just so glad it wasn't any closer to his eye. It's a nice little battle wound, I'm sure the first of many to come. Boys will be boys!

cars and trucks

2010-08-15T14:24:00.002-04:00

Hayden has turned over a new leaf......he plays with his toys again!! Seriously, I was about to give them away because he hasn't really played with them since we moved in April. I'm so happy I had to capture a few.....

watching the pouring rain and telling me all about it

A bath in the kitchen sink

2010-07-29T15:45:00.004-04:00

Once upon a time there was a little boy who's dad put a pen in his jeans pocket. The pen traveled through the washer and into the dryer leaving ink all over the clothes! So his mom had to soak all the clothes in the only bathtub in the house for almost a week and he couldn't take a bath. His mommy put him in the kitchen sink and had so much fun playing and taking pictures of him!! The End

2010-07-29T15:20:00.003-04:00

Hayden loves the water and I can't wait until next year when he can take swimming lessons...the boy has no fear.

Playdough Fun

2010-07-29T15:03:00.003-04:00

He loves the playdough kit Grandpa and Grandma Martin gave him.

July 4th in New Bern

2010-07-05T16:36:00.006-04:00

New Bern is celebrating it's 300th anniversary this year, since it was founded in 1710. This past weekend featured various festivities downtown. Last night, July 4, there was a small airshow and fireworks at Union Point Park. The park is located where the Neuse River and Trent River merge. Denise, Hayden and I had a good time hanging out with some friends from church, and I thought I would post some video from the night. There were at least several thousand people there, as well as a few hundred boats in the water. As a side note, towards the end of the video, you can see the new drawbridge that opened a few months ago after being under construction for about three years. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqzyqjOcY8w

2010-06-24T17:01:00.005-04:00

Chris and Jeanine, good friends of Ryan and I, recently got baptized! It was a first time commitment for Jeanine and Chris found out that he was never baptized only dedicated as a baby so what better time to get baptized then when his wife does! It was an awesome day! The pics are a little dark, I apologize.

6 years in love

2010-06-24T16:36:00.003-04:00

May 22 was our 6th wedding anniversary! Ryan borrowed a 2004 black, convertible Corvette from guy that he does some odd jobs for. We had a blast! He gave beautiful flowers that smelled amazing, went to dinner in Jacksonville, then we cruised to the beach to drink coffee and walk in the moonlight. Yeah, it was awesome and I love that he continues to steal my heart 6 years later! We have a few pics from the night.

crazy hair

2010-06-24T15:48:00.007-04:00

A few pics from our time in PA in May...I'm a little on behind

Hanging out at Grandpa Martin's shop

Out to tea with the Weaver ladies...yum!

Ryan giving the little dudes a ride

If only Hayden wasn't looking up He loved jumping on the trampoline with his cousins

Del and Andee

The Beach!!

2010-05-27T07:49:00.004-04:00

Mother's day was our first of many trips to the beach this season. We went with our small group from church and a few other other friends. I couldn't have asked for a more relaxing, fun day. My little man loves the beach and is so content to hang out there for hours. Hayden- I want you to know I feel so privileged and blessed that God has given me you to raise into His likeness.

cracks me up his expressions

natalie and hayden-he loved helping to build sand castles

naomi and zion-beautiful mom & daughter

sand mountain

doing some hard core explaining

Our new house

2010-04-26T18:11:00.006-04:00

front of the house

hi there daddy goose

side of the house that faces the water

we have a goose nest and are anxiously waiting for them to hatch. hayden is very entertained by all the wildlife and water. we have many conversations about the ducks, turtles, squirrels, geese, birds, fish and boaters outside our windows.

our backyard that runs along the water

back of the house, love all the windows in our sunroom

ugly side of the house

flowers from around the house

view from our front porch, God is so awesome!

2010-04-20T12:24:00.009-04:00

So here's my attempt to catch up. The last month has been CRAZY, so the blog fell to the side. Since we have found a house, moved and mostly unpacked I am trying to get caught up on things. We are starting to feel settled in our new place. The next post(hopefully in a few days) will be pics of our new house. Enjoy this awesome spring time weather!

Celebrating Hayden's 2nd birthday with our PA friends. I don't have many pics from his birthday since I stole my mom's camera for the weekend and forgot to download them before she left. But he had a great birthday and tons of fun with Grandpa and Grandma Martin.

Hanging with the big kids-can't believe he's 2!

Posing for the camera....he thinks he's so funny

Getting a buzz from daddy

Giving rides on his Harley

Child/baby dedication Sunday at church

Easter egg hunt and picnic with our church, unfortunately we didn't get a good family picture:(

His latest thing, he loves to color

2010-02-14T18:16:00.006-05:00

We finally got some snow! Hayden could hardly eat breakfast Sat. morning because of all the action going on outside our windows from the neighborhood kids. Our 11 year old neighbor said this was the fourth time he's seen snow in his life, yeah he was pretty stoked! We had so much fun and Hayden loved it. He actually cried when it was time to come in even though his feet were soaked due to not having snow boots.

View from our porch Sat. morning Checking it all out

He needed some help getting up

Woods behind our house....beautiful!

To give you an idea how much we got

Love this pic when it's a bit bigger

He really misses the snow!

Bath time

2010-01-28T11:55:00.007-05:00

Ryan has school on Monday and Wednesday nights so it's my time to hang with Hayden. I try to look forward to these evenings, but I have to admit that after I'm at work all day I would like to have him around. Anyways, the past few times I have intentionally tried to have fun with Hayden. Monday night was time to get a bath and Hayden LOVES his bath. I usually have to get him out before he would like because of going somewhere or something going on, but on Monday night we had the whole night for a bath. We had so much fun together! It was close to an hour that we played, sang, and did funny little things. He was very cooperative and let me take some pics. There were lots of smiles, giggles, water everywhere (water is easy to clean up, got to let a kid be a kid once in a while) and even some fun screaming going on! Times like these make my heart melt for this little guy that came in to my life almost 2 years ago.

Splashing

Cleaning-see his reflection aboveLove this one of him, a true Hayden smile

Showing me his head....

..eyes...

...ears..

...nose....

....and tongue!!

2010-01-28T11:05:00.006-05:00

We went to the Pine Knoll Shores aquarium last Monday. I knew Hayden would absolutely love it and he did. Those of you that have been to the Baltimore aquarium this one is much smaller, but it was better then I expected. There was one huge tank that we could have spent hours at, Hayden was mesmerized. It was soooo good to do a little family outing, we hadn't had one in a little while.

He loved putting his hand in the water of the touch tank of stingrays, but as soon as they got close he pulled his hand back fast!

Ugh, would have been a great picture, he purposely looks away for pics. so frustrating!!

Ha! I got a good one!! Hayden found this water faucet and started posing, he was totally hamming it up

Check out his new ride

2010-01-21T12:18:00.006-05:00

Our neighbor gave Hayden this because he has outgrown it. My thoughts were-oh this summer he'll learn how to drive it. Much to my surprise he jumped on and away he went. It's even a Harley....making daddy proud!!

checking out all the buttons

2009-12-20T13:37:00.002-05:00

The first one is him explaining something to me(if you can figure out what he's saying let me know:). The second is at the Christmas parade. He loved the marching bands and moving to the music.

Fun in a box

2009-12-20T13:21:00.003-05:00

Christmas Parade

2009-12-20T12:59:00.004-05:00

It seems to have become a tradition for us to go to the Trentwoods Christmas parade. It always helps me to get in the Christmas spirit. The parade was great entertainment for Hayden as well.

Waiting for the parade

Engineering project

2009-12-20T12:44:00.003-05:00

Ryan and his teammates were assigned to make a portable, wind powered device that charges 2 AA batteries. It took lots of time but he had fun building and perfecting it.

Ryan's very willing helper. He thought the windmill was so cool.

The finished product

2009-12-20T12:22:00.004-05:00

Ryan's parents came for a visit the weekend after Thanksgiving and as always we had lots of fun. Although Hayden gave me a run for my money that weekend, not sure what was up with him.

Tractor ride at the mall that he LOVES

Walking around the beautiful, little town of Beaufort

Giving kisses

Thanksgiving

2009-12-20T11:58:00.004-05:00

We had an old fashioned Thanksgiving, we ate outside and it was so warm. Mark and Heather and the family came down for the weekend, it was so fun having them around for a little bit. We had 10 adults and 17 kiddos, which created lots of activity!

Preparing for our feast

Hayden and his sometimes friend Elijah

2009-11-15T19:48:00.003-05:00

Telling daddy about his time outside. This is for Grandpa and Grandma!

2009-11-15T19:07:00.007-05:00

After a few rainy days in a row this past week we were finally able to be outside yesterday. I was organizing some things in the garage when I realized I didn't hear or see Hayden. I found him next door, he had taken the basketball over and was trying to shoot some hoops. So I joined him to shoot a few baskets and pictures. It's nice to play with him because I shoot the ball and he likes to get the ball for me, now that's easy basketball playing.

Isn't he sooo cute??!!

Here I am!!

A Harley boy to the core

2009-11-15T18:54:00.004-05:00

We got a Harley magazine in the mail and Hayden has enjoyed looking at it. He says "bike" and has a motorcycle noise now, which makes daddy happy:)

More from our life

2009-11-15T18:32:00.004-05:00

This train has been the only thing he plays with recently. Thank God it connects by a magnet so he can do it himself.

He loves to have a carry around a toothbrush with a tad bit of toothpaste on it.

2009-11-15T18:05:00.004-05:00

Delbert and Andee came for a short visit in October. He bought the bike in Virginia on the way down and was up early Saturday ready to go for a ride. We had so much fun hanging out and chilling with them. On Sunday morning we got a sitter and went on a ride to Beaufort. It's about an hour away, a cute little waterfront town that has a marina where these awesome boats dock. Thanks for a fun weekend guys!! Andee brought her gear from nursing school. Hayden was getting over croup so we were able to listen to his lungs. He had just got up from a nap and looks so sleepy.

2009-11-15T17:36:00.007-05:00

Some time spent at a nearby park and my little helper. He loves to put away the silverware.

I hear the airplane but I don't see it!! He was intrigued by a squirrel

My handsome little man!!

Here it is!!

2009-11-06T13:51:00.011-05:00

Sorry to my family who have been asking for a new post, it took me so long to do this! I kind of find it hard to find a time when I can do this because when Hayden's napping I like to do housework, etc. and in the evenings Ryan needs the computer to do school. Anyways.....these are of when we went to Tryon Palace(used to be the governor's house when New Bern was the capitol of NC). It is a beautiful old building and the grounds are gorgeous! Ryan and I enjoyed the beautiful fall day, but Hayden had other intentions. Like throwing fits about every little thing that didn't go his way, oh well, guess you have those days with a toddler!

Love his expression

Told you he was in a bad mood!

Update

2009-10-04T14:43:00.010-04:00

This past month it seems like Hayden has become a little boy, he is always playing with his trucks and tractors.....especially with the little skid loader and grader Grandpa Martin gave him. We went camping with my family in September but I like my mom's camera better then mine so I have no pictures from the weekend. We met my family in Virgina for our short family vacation. The weather didn't look too promising, but thankfully it only rained Saturday night and on Sunday morning. One of our neighbors organized a neighborhood yard sale so we joined in and gathered up stuff to get rid of. Glad we did because we actually made some money! Ryan continues with school and I'm still managing at the cafe so we keep moving. We are here two years this month! It's hard to believe... I had doubts when we moved if we would be here this long, but it feels more and more like home. By the way for those of you who haven't been here yet (or even if you have) we love visitors!

Caught Ya!! Yard Sale!!

How many can this hold?

He's a smarty, figured this out all by himself! We are working on learning to ring it only twice.

Bay with the Weaver family

2009-10-02T11:59:00.016-04:00

It's something we look forward to every year....a weekend at the bay. This year was so much fun now that the two little ones are walking, interacting with each other and of course getting into trouble if we don't keep an eye on them. Ryan's parents gave us a night out by keeping the grandchildren and sending us adults out to eat! It was good to connect with Ryan's brother and wife without the children, but we were anxious to get back and see if grandpa and grandma survived! On the way home we stopped at the Chesapeake Bay bridge tunnel visitors center to explore and give Hayden a break from the car seat.

snuggling with Aaliyah...she was so happy because he doesn't do that for just anyone!

Love this little one a ton!!

The ship is about to go over the underwater tunnel, in the distance is the other end where you come out of the tunnel and back up on the bridge. The rocks are where the bridge ends and the tunnel begins. It was a beautiful day! Ryan and I both found this to be interesting...probably because of all the civil engineering that was used to plan and build it:)

Laundry Time!!

2009-09-06T13:29:00.005-04:00

I know I posted before that Hayden loves to help with the laundry, well that hasn't changed. I wish I got excited as he does about the chore!!

2009-09-06T12:45:00.007-04:00

Ryan's brother and his family made the trip to North Carolina the middle of August. This was the first time they were here and we had so much fun! The weather forecast was not looking good, but God heard my desperate plea for clear skies. It drizzled on Friday night and the rest of the weekend was awesome! We did many different things, took them downtown, out to eat, went to a science museum and park, the beach and hung out at home. With their 5 kiddos and Hayden there wasn't a dull moment! Thank so much for taking time to come and see where we live, work, and play! Hayden LOVED having his cousins around. Here's just a snapshot into our weekend.

Trouble!!!!

More of Summer

2009-09-01T16:59:00.006-04:00

Hayden's friend Elijah hung out for an evening at our place, sometimes Hayden likes him and then other times not so much!

Fence Project

2009-09-01T13:34:00.005-04:00

About a month ago Ryan put up a fence at a school nearby. Someone else had got most of the materials, then at last minute said he couldn't build the fence up. Ryan was a little nervous since this was something new for him and the school was on a tight time schedule. But with some advice from a guy that Ryan does some work for, the fence went up without a hitch! The school administrator loved it and asked him to do a few more projects for them. Ryan had a lot of fun tackling this project and I am so proud of him! It was a huge blessing to us at the end of summer before school started up again. Thank you Lord, you know our every need!

The fence was 250 feet long

The smaller fence above was an additional project the school had him build.

To the left of the tree is a dumpster enclosure that was one of the other projects the school had Ryan do as well.

My little ham

2009-08-14T13:36:00.009-04:00

Hayden has become quite the character recently. He loves to initiate little games, make faces, be naughty and into everything. He is so much fun at this stage and very curious. I love the world of communication that is opening up for him. I recently asked him to go get his sandals and to my surprise he went and got them. I was sure he would come back with something else! These are of the last few weeks. I have recently learned how to make bread that Ryan's grandma was known for making, it is so good. So I had to include a few pics of that as well.

2009-08-12T22:04:00.014-04:00

These were taken when Ryan's parents were here a little over a month ago...somehow I never got around to posting them until now. Dad and Mom Weaver thank you for all you do for us. You are a huge blessing in our life! We love that you take the time out of your busy schedule and make trips down here. Mom, I am so honored you spent a week down here just to hang out with Hayden and get a taste for what our world is like. We know it's not always easy being separated by almost 500 miles and your grandson but you make the best of it! We love you!!

A buzz

2009-07-21T16:51:00.013-04:00

Hayden can grow hair like crazy! It seems like I could trim it every other week, so this time he got a buzz (thanks to my neighbor for helping me). I think he looks so cute and he is certainly not a baby anymore :( He is talking so much and learning all kinds of new things. I really like this stage except for the temper tantrums that are starting to make a daily appearance.

2009-07-14T22:40:00.005-04:00

We love popsicles!!

Climbing....

So proud of himselfOut to eat on Ryan's birthday

Playing before bed, Ryan built the base, Hayden did the tower

Wearing a pair of overalls that Ryan wore when he was little!