More fall fun.........

I got to go with you to Gentry's Farm last week, Caitlyn, on your Kindergarten field trip. You were more excited about riding on the bus than anything. Whew! I have even more respect for Mrs. Adcox....how she stays patient with 19 kiddos every day is simply AMAZING!! It was wild, but it was fun and brought back lots of memories for me of my field trip days. You and Jordan--our buddy for the day. I love Jordan's enthusiasm for everything!!

Playing store...........Mercer, Caitlyn, John and Ryan

The pick of the patch

The class picture

We worked on our pumpkins with Daddy's help. He carved the big one, while the two of you painted your small ones.

Cleaning out the "guts"

The final product

Over the weekend, we kept Mariana so Aunt Amy and Uncle Leoncio could go on one last trip before little Josue' makes his entrance into the world. We got to take her with us to Trunk or Treat on Sunday night. You girls got so much candy.......we'll be set for the rest of the year!!!

Caroline, you wanted to be a ballerina (check......got the duds for that one!!). Caitlyn, you wanted to be Rapunzel. You got to pick out a new dress with Mimi and she made you a long braid that we managed to attach to your hair.

Group picture with some other fun characters!

Two tinkerbells, a ballerina, and Rapunzel

Some special people came out to see you all dressed up, too!!!

What precious memories we are making!!!

Caroline's garden

For your birthday, Aunt Bela and Lucas picked you out pansies, a wooden birdhouse, flowers, dragonfly and a ladybug for you to paint and put in a garden of your very own. We talked about a good spot for it and decided to do it out front next to the walkway. So, one warm day this week, while Caitlyn was at school we created your garden. I had so much fun watching you choose the colors for your wooden pieces and paint them.

The birdhouse

Separating the flowers

Helping me dig the holes and put the flowers in

The final product, complete with a "fence" of seashells that we had brought home from the beach. Perfect, Caroline, just perfect.

Fall Festivities

Whew! We have been BUSY lately...........I know in several years life will be this way most weeks.... with practices, school functions and games, church activities, etc., but doing extracurricular things twice a week right now is a challenge.
Fall has brought with it cooler weather, changing colors and lots of fun things to celebrate. Last weekend, we went to your first Fall Festival, Caitlyn. It was to celelebrate the beginning of the school year and to raise money for your school. From the minute we got there, you wanted to find your friends and weren't too concerned about dear old mom, dad and little sis ( a vision into the future, I believe). I know it is so healthy and good that you are well adjusted and social, but I will say I came home with a bit of a heavy heart that night. You are really growing up.
Caroline loved the inflatable slide!!

You girls got your face painted, did a sack race, ate lots of sweets and got to pretend to have a wound and get it wrapped by the boy scouts. This was one of the biggest hits of the night.

Here you are with one of your new buddies, Caden.

We also got to go to your first Fall party in your classroom. It was so fun to watch you interact with your friends. You all had pumpkin donuts, played Halloween Bingo, made Fall door hangers and finger puppets, and listened to two Fall stories read by one of the Room Mothers.

With your new friends, Ryan and Bailey

Caroline, you got to go on your first field trip this year to Walden Farm. I got to go with Caitlyn last year, so Daddy went with you this year. You two had the best time. Here is your class with Miss Anna in your cute pumpkin shirts you made just for this day.

You got to play in corn, see lots of neat farm animals, go on a hayride, eat a picnic lunch and pick out a pumpkin.

After the field trip, you got to hang out with Daddy the rest of the day. He took you to go see some houses he has been looking at to flip and to check on the two he is currently working on. Both of you LOVE "going to work" with Daddy whenever you get the chance.

You were pooped after your full day. That's how I feel most afternoons, too, girl!

An award without an award

OK......so I received an "I love this blog" award from my sweet friend, Amy Myers, and the rule was to post the award on your blog. Well, I am a bit technically challenged and I tried Amy (like four times) to make it work, but just couldn't. So.........thank you for the honor and I am sorry I couldn't actually share it with others. However, I was able to cut and paste the following questions. So........girls, here are some answers to these questions in the year 2008. If I answer them again at another stage in life, the answers would probably be very different.

As a recipient of this award, there are rules to follow. I have to answer the following questions with one word answers and one word only! Then I must pass it on to seven others! The questions are as follows:
1. Where is your cell phone? kitchen
2. Where is your significant other? home
3. Your hair color? brown
4. Your mother? giving
5. Your father? personable
6. Your favorite thing? quiet
7. Your dream last night? hurrying
8. Your dream/goal? contentment
9. The room you're in? guest
10. Your hobby? Reading
11. Your fear? rape
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Content
13. Where were you last night? home
14. What you're not? Risky
15. One of your wish-list items? mantel
16. Where you grew up? Madison
17. The last thing you did? e-mail
18. What are you wearing? clothes
19. Your TV? time-sapping
20. Your pet? spoiled
21. Your computer? old
22. Your mood? peaceful
23. Missing someone? always
24. Your car? dirty
25. Something you're not wearing? necklace
26. Favorite store? Target
27. Your summer? FULL
28. Love someone? forever
29. Your favorite color? Red
30. When is the last time you laughed? today
31. Last time you cried? Tuesday

I want to give an award to:
Christy Turk
Elizabeth Milom
Leslie Pigg
Jamie Chitty
Tara Layton
Christy McInturff
Deborah Bills

Bedtime conversation

We were all four laying down last night during our bedtime routine...Daddy lying with Caitlyn and Mommy with Caroline. Most nights there is much talking........part of last night's conversation was funny and I wanted to remember it.
Caroline: "Mommy, did you have us when you were being married?"
Caitlyn: "NO, Caroline! God was still working on making us."
Caroline: "How does God make us?"
I was lying there pensive, trying to think of a very spiritual answer that would explain things on your level....when Caitlyn said very confidently.. "Out of water."
Caroline (taking her word for it) "Oh."

My baby is FOUR!

"Mommy, I'm four!" I have heard this so many times over the last few days and you have said it with SUCH delight!! We have truly reached a milestone. There is just something about reaching four.....you are no longer a baby.

You just seem bigger and the baby things are in the past. It makes me nostalgic, and a little sad, but so amazed at who you are becoming. You have developed your own personality, your likes and dislikes, your own attitude, and energy level. You are very different than your sister, and I think that is a good thing.
Overall, you are a very happy, easy going little girl. However, when you get tired or angry, you have a TEMPER--Daddy says you get that from the Doziers!!! You are friendly and enjoy people, but are content to play by yourself, too. You have the best laugh, and have a nack for making Daddy and I laugh often. Your "low" voice and facial expressions are just hilarious. You like to eat sweets, play with babies, swing, draw, cook, and listen to music and sing! Your favorite color is blue and your favorite princess is Ariel. Right now, you say you want to be a Ballerina teacher when you grow up. You DON'T like most meats (ugh!), loud noises, animals that jump, cutting your nails, or the dark. You can throw a tantrum with the best of them, and we are STILL having trouble using our hands when we are angry! You are, as most four year olds, very independent and want to do things YOUR way! You still need a nap and most days, don't even resist. You are very sensitive towards others when they are hurting or are upset and you give the best hugs anytime!!! You and Caitlyn have a love/hate relationship, but at the end of the day, you would choose to be with her over anyone.

You were kid of the week last week at school. Here you are in front of the "All about me" board.

I brought donuts (your favorite snack) and we managed to get a candle in one and sing "Happy Birthday!"

The "girls" table

On Saturday we had your first "BIG" birthday party at the church playground and pavilion. You haven't really cared about having a party until this year. You chose Backyardigans as a theme and have talked about it non stop for over a month.

You greeted everyone with a hug as they got there!

Some friends played on the playground..........

Some played with balls and rode bikes on the parking lot.............

There were smiles all around................

And LOTS of tired kiddos when it was over!!!!!!!!

Your face was priceless when everyone sang.........you couldn't stop smiling!

Of course, the CAKE was your FAVORITE PART of the whole night!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After the party, the family came back to our house and we opened a few presents.

Check out your crossed legs...............so big!!!!!!!!

We all love you so much, sweet Caroline. You make life so interesting and FULL OF JOY!!!!!!!!

Thank you for continuing to teach me about love, forgiveness and that life IS really better when you LAUGH often. I am so thankful God chose YOU for us.............

Girls just want to have fun!

This past weekend we had SUCH a treat........we had a "girl's weekend" with "Miss" Christy and her little princess, Holland Smith. Mommy and "Miss" Christy were roomates in college at Harding 14 years ago and Holland is her precious four year old that fit in perfectly with the two of you. We have seen each other off and on over the years, but had not gotten you girls together for a weekend yet. Oh, what FUN we had!!! Mr. Keith and Griffin stayed in Memphis for a boys weekend, while our Daddy was busy with his VANDY festivites. The girls, however, stayed up late and ate popcorn and watched a movie, made pancakes, swam, played dress up, rode bikes at the park, and played "house". The three of you got along so well......which gave Mommy and "Miss" Christy time to visit, look at old pictures, do a lot of laughing and catching up. It was so good for all of us. All cuddled up watching a Strawberry Shortcake movie

Making pancakes........with lots of giggling!!!

Little monkeys

Proof, we got Holland in a "dress" for a few minutes............

The frosting is always the best part!

Sweet, sweet Miss Christy and Mommy

We hope this can be the beginning of many more "girls only" weekends in the years to come.