Holidays Medlock/Waters Style

What a fabulous weekend full of family time and lots of eating!  Christmas Eve night everyone came over to our house to spend the night and wait for Santa!  Mom, Dad, Jess, Jered, Tasha and our family were all here.  The boys didn't go to bed til around 9:30 but slept very well even with all of us up making noise and getting things set up.  Camryn must've knew Santa was coming b/c she was so restless.   For 3 nights in a row she had slept all through the night very well, but since Christmas Eve she has not slept worth a flip!  What a stinker!

Well, anyway, we all got everything set up for  Christmas morning and this is what it looked like...

I think one of the boys favorite things was the panda and tiger pillow pets.  They love them!

But their big present was a trampoline!

Our house became very messy very quick.  Camryn got an alphabet

train that she can ride on.

The boys got cowboy sets from Nain and Papa so Camryn tried their stuff on.  So cute! 

Camryn wearing her pretty new coat from Nain and Papa. 

So our fantastic weekend came to a screeching halt when Jess had to fly back to Cali.  What a bummer!  I sang her a little tune about not going back but surprisingly it did not keep her here.  Ugh!

Sunday evening mom's family came over to our house....Rob spent ALL day Sunday cleaning.  What a great man! We ate tacos and cheese dip and then played Catch Phrase.  It was so much fun.  It was such a great Christmas in our house! 

Fabulous 5th Birthday!

Talk about a wonderful, awesome night!  Last night was Lucas Caden's 5th birthday party at the Monkey House Bounce.  We got there around 6 and my parents and Gene and Pat (the kids' honorary other grandparents aka our former neighbors) were already there.  So we started getting everything set up and then I looked out toward the bouncers and saw my dad hugging someone.  From the back of her head it sure looked like Jess, but she isn't supposed to be home til after the first of the year.  Well...

Mom getting to see her baby girl for the first time in a while.  Such a fantastic Christmas surprise :)

Jess and mom and dad

Me and Jess

 We were so excited and overwhelmed with joy!!  Jered and Jenn had known for quite some time but managed to keep it a secret, which is huge for Jenn. 

Around 6 the partiers started playing on the bouncers, and it was an absolute blast.  How do I know??  Well, because I got right in there with them and went on all of them.  Hey, why not?  Some of them were pretty big so Cash wanted me to help him go through them, and then I couldn't stop!  Camryn had a great time, too.  They have a play area there for little kids and she and Rob played there all night. 

Lucas Caden opening up one of his many great presents.  What great friends he has to come and be so kind and generous with their gifts. 

Yes, Cash got something too. 

Birthday King :)

This morning he decided to become Bumblebee and shoot me :)

The birthday party was so much fun!  I think all of the parents and children really enjoyed it, and I know my kids did....especially the birthday boy.  He made out like a bandit!  Thanks so much to everyone who came!



My big boy turns 5!

So 5 years ago today I had one big huge scare!  My stomach had been hurting for 2 days but I was not due to have my baby for about 5 more weeks so I thought I was having early contractions or something.  So about 1:00 a.m. I was in some serious pain, but I really thought I could manage til the next morning.  Well, we called the doctor anyway and went on in around 2:30 a.m. to make sure.  The nurse came in and said "well, I guess you're about ready."  To which I said, "ready for what?"  And she said, "ready to have this baby!!!"  Say what??? 

We were nowhere near ready to have that baby!  He was so little and early.  I had no clue what to expect.  I was dilated 9 when we got there so those little cramps I'd been having were me laboring at home all by myself.  Whew, it was painful! 

So we made all of the phone calls and everything and around 6:00 a.m. we had the little man.  He was so tiny, only weighing 5 lbs. 11 oz.  What a little bitty thing!  I couldn't stop looking at him and telling him how much I love him and how I was gonna be the best mommy I could possibly be.  There is no possible way to describe the way I felt when I held him for the first time.  I never dreamed I could love someone so much.  He was my perfect little angel.  He was so tiny and couldn't stay in the room very much with us, so I was pretty stingy with him when they brought him in.  I'd just sit and hold him and tell him all kinds of things everytime they brought him in.    This baby was special.  He was the first grandson born on both his mommy and daddy's sides of the family. 

This is a song my dad wrote about him when he was born...

There once was a girl and her name was Jill
Had a little baby, what a little pill
A little surprise...early you might say
took everyone's breath away

Couldn't think of a name for the little tyke
so Papa said how about Mack or Mike
They decided and it wasn't a fluke
said they would name him Lucas

Was a little small cause he was early
but that didn't keep him from being real squirrely
stretching and kicking that's his game
so they threw in Caden to finish his name

So at first he was real real sweet
moving his hands and kicking his feet
up all nite, sleepin all day
momma and dad got dues to pay

Now no one could hold him you see
cause he was small and kinda premie
now he's bigger and easier to grab
now you can hold him, just ask mom or dad

Now he's a little bundle we all love
A beautiful gift from up above
Can't put him down, not even to sleep
Probably spoiled rotten, to rotten to keep

Now we're all so proud as we can be
Loving and kissing on him constantly
Our little sweetheart, a perfect plan
Lucas Caden Farris...our Little Man


Now he is so big and thinks he's all grown up but he is such a sweet and loving child.  He is so handsome and smart.  At night, I lay in bed with the boys for 'snuggle time' and just tell them how important they are and how much they are loved.  There is no measure for my love for my children.  There is no possible way I could ever thank God enough for those 3 little angels that I've been given the privilege to raise.  It is such an amazing blessing to have them, and I am so thankful for them and for such a supportive, kind, loving and wonderful husband to go along this adventure with me :) 

Fabulous weekend!!

Well, we just got home from our awesome weekend getaway to Miami!  Let me just start by advising anyone who is going anywhere and wants to arrive on time...DO NOT fly Delta!  I don't think any of our flights left on time, or anywhere close to on time for that matter.  However, we did get to and from our destinations safely so I am very thankful for that as I do not care for flying.  Thursday might possibly have been the longest day of our lives!  We got up at 4:00 a.m. so pumped to leave FS at 6:20 and arrive at Miami at 12:45.  We planned it that way to have the whole day there Thursday to shop and have fun.  Well, little did we know that in Memphis our friggin flight would be CANCELED!!!  Not delayed or late...full on canceled.  And what's worse, they did not have any planes to bring in to fly the 150 of us standing there waiting to get to Miami.  So I jumped up to the counter to see what we could figure out and the best they had got us out of Memphis at 5:30 and into Ft. Lauderdale (not Miami) at 11:32 p.m.  Did I mention our original flight was to leave at 8:25 a.m. so it was only about 9:30 by the time this all happened?  And guess what??  By 5:30 our flight was pushed back to about 6.  Ok ok, I will stop.  We did finally get there around 2:00 a.m. and then drove to our hotel in Miami.

I have a bundh of pictures to post but for some reason they aren't coming up.  So Friday started off with us going shopping and ended up with us eating at the Hard Rock Cafe at Biscayne Bay and listening to a little live music.  FYI my mom and dad tagged along for the trip and Rob and I took Camryn.  It was way to much going on to have taken the boys.  I told Rob that we need to plan a beach trip to Miami and take them thought, b/c it is so nice there.  Saturday we shopped and went to the horse races and ate too much yet again!

Today it was time to come home...the weather there was so nice!  It was between 75 and 80 degrees everday and so tropical.  Yes it did rain Saturday a little but the temperature stayed warm and it was lovely.  It was a great little trip!  Camryn was as good as we could have ever imagined.  I mean, really, just an angel.  I sure missed my boys though and cannot believe my big boy will turn 5 tomorrow.  It seems like just the other day we had that little sweet heart.   Only 5 pounds 11 oz when he was born and now he is so big!  I am one proud mommy.  I will put up a blog of a bunch of pictures, hopefully tomorrow.

Oh and did I mention I have to Christmas shop this week for the kids?  We were kinda waiting til we got back for some stupid reason.  I have bought them clothes and stuff but not their big present.  Wish me luck :)

Boys Christmas Program/Miami

So here it is 10:25 p.m. and Rob and I are sitting here on the computers knowing good and well we have to wake up at 4:00 in the morning!  But he is doing some work and I'm blogging.  


Last night was the boys Christmas program at their pre-school and it was fantastic!  All of the students had memorized a scripture and recited that to start the program off.  It was 2 and 1/2 minutes long!  Is that amazing, that children that age already know that much scripture??  I was so impressed! 
After that they sang quite a few songs and even did some gestures to go along with them.  It was very cute and had a great message about baby Jesus.  I had some really great pictures of it to post but my camera card is not pulling them up.  A piece of it fell off, so I may not be able to ever pull those pictures up which really stinks b/c there were some good ones.  


So we leave tomorrow for Miami and the horse races!!  Wahoo!  It's sunny and about 80 degrees there.  We are very excited to go!  We have a horse running Friday and another one running Saturday so keep your fingers crossed for us!!  Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend.  I will do a post Sunday evening when we get back unless I'm too tired...which is likely :)

Christmas Time

We are loving Chrismtas time in the Waters house!  It has been so much fun since moving into this house to watch the excitement on the boys' faces with anticipation for Christmas morning.  The boys are at such a fun age this year where they get up every morning looking for our little Elf, Snowflake.  He is our Elf on the Shelf.  For anyone who isn't familiar, this is a magical little elf who flies up to see Santa every night and tells him what the boys want for Christmas.  Then the next morning he is hiding somewhere different around the house.  Every morning they wake up and cannot wait to go find where Snowflake has hidden this time.  It is the most fun thing in the morning to watch their little faces light up when they find him. 

I feel like there are some things we are missing out on this season b/c we haven't been to any parades or done much out in the community.  I know there are lots of Christmas activities to attend but it's been so cold and with Camryn only being a year old I kinda worry about her being out in that mess.  But hopefully this week is gonna warm up a little bit.  We've at least gotta go through the Creekmore lights on the train!  That's always fun. 

One thing we have done though is go out and look at lights.  Here's a picture of the boys heading out last night to look at lights...It was bitterly cold!!

Yes Lucas Caden is wearing a red sweater, blue/green striped hat and coveralls!  His outfit of choice.  Cash is sporting the same sweater but with jeans and a Santa hat.  Aren't they just so handsome.  By the time I took this picture, Camryn was so bundled up in her carseat that you could not even see her in there so I didn't get a picture of her.  We went up through Fianna and around a few different areas in FS.  The lights were fabulous. 

This morning we got up pretty darn early!  Camryn was up at 6:20, and Lucas Caden followed at about 7:00.  Then when Cash got up it was time to find Snowflake.  He is a pretty good hider but they boys always seem to find him :)

Headed to church where the message was just amazing...very very good service this morning.  Then off to lunch, then nap time which was very refreshing!  Tonight we went to the children's program at church and then down to visit my parents.  Fantastic weekend in our house.  I am just absolutely loving this Christmas season.  I am reminding myself to do the most with every day because it will be over in only a few weeks.  Hope all my many, many followers (4) had a great week!

Lazy Weekend

I tell you what, I do not like this weather at all.  We all love being outside so much and when it's cold like it has been we are stuck inside.  The boys don't mind being cold, but I don't want them to get sick.  They did get to play outside quite a bit Saturday early in the day.  Rob has worked so hard on the back yard trying to get it cleared out so that our view of the creek/river will be better.  He has done a fantastic job getting it cleared out.  He cut down a HUGE tree in the back yard and since it's been knocked over the boys have loved climbing on it.  Yesterday morning they climbed around on that thing for probably close to 2 hours.  Camryn and I stayed in and played and I cleaned house.

I've decided to turn over a new leaf and become more organized and try really hard to keep my house really clean at all times.  It is rather difficult for me to do so with 3 children and 2 adults...not to mention the fact that I'm just not all that 'neat.'  But I am going to really try to keep the house picked up at all times. 


Today was such a lazy day for me.  I didn't do much of anything at all.  Rob worked out in the yard early in the day, and Camryn and I napped.  Then we went and bought the boys buy a couple Christmas presents and ate at La Huerta for dinner.  Camryn is walking like such a big girl these days...and it's so much fun to watch her! 

Overall we had a fantastic weekend. 

Hit the Crown

So for those of you who don't know this, we own 2 race horses.  The one we have had since she was a baby is named Hit the Crown.  She is 2 now and up until today had run 2 races and won both.  So we put her in a race in Miami, Florida scheduled to run today.  The way these things work is that the top 10 times of the horses get to move on and run in a futurity. 

So she was scheduled to run today at 1:44 p.m.  We had mom, dad and Jered come over to watch it on the computer b/c they were simulcasting it.  She was in the 1 hole and there were 9 horses total in her race.  The opened the gates and she got a heck of a jump out in front.  Well, it was amazing watching her run!  She ended up winning her race, setting a track record, and setting the fastest time in the trials for the day!!!  It was incredible!

For those of you not interested in horse racing, this may not be too cool, but for us it was absolutely awesome!!  Anyway, I thought she deserved a few paragraphs b/c she was so impressive today!

Family Pictures

So we had the amazingly talented Jessica Meinardus out to the house Monday afternoon to take some family pictures, and they turned out so great!  I posted the family picture that was in our preview package as our new picture at the top of the blog.  She really is very talented and is always flexible and willing to squeeze us in!  So anyway, here are some pictures of the kids that she took...

I mean, really, that picture looks like an ad for Children's Place or something to me...of course, they are mine but I think that is the cutest picture!

And look at that beautiful princess and her proud, loving daddy!  I love it!!

So, like I said, I think the pictures turned out fantastic!  She came out to our new home and snapped these out in the yard.  I cannot wait to see more.  I'd also like to give a shout out to Katie Harrison for fixing my hair!  She is the bomb...Salon Fusion!! 

I'm gonna post again later about how wonderfully our holiday season is going but wanted to put these pictures up first. 

Thanksgiving

I can't say that I ever thought my life would be so fulfilled.  I could possibly be the happiest and most joyous woman on the face of the earth.  Life is so wonderful in our home, with baby Camryn getting so big and starting to walk, and Lucas Caden all but spelling and reading...He is just so smart...to Cash telling the funniest jokes you've ever heard.  Rob and I just get to sit back and watch these 3 little angels grow and it brings so much joy into our lives. 

Sometimes I don't understand things of this world, like how someone like me could possibly be fortunate enough to have the most wonderful husband and 3 children in the world.  I am so very thankful and grateful to our Heavenly Father for blessing me with this family.  It is such a fantastic time in my life right now that I wanted to share that with all 3 of my readers..haha!!  I think there are more like 4 (thanks Cathy).  So anyway, enough of the sappy stuff and onto some fun Thanksgiving pictures. 

Jered hosted Turkey Day at his house this year because mom and dad's remodel is a complete mess.  We are hosting Christmas here so he agreed to let us to Thanksgiving there.

My handsome Cash

This is my big handsome boy and Papa.  Dad will be so thankful to me for posting this pic.

Love this picture of me, mom and the boys.  She is the best mom in the whole world!  I'm just hoping for a close second :)

Did I mention how incredible the food was this year?  I mean it was fabulous!  Mom is quite the cook as well...don't think I'll ever come close to her in that department.  Our children have the best grandparents in Nain and Papa that they could've ever asked for. 

Jenn Jenn Jenn and Jess Jess Jess

So here is to my sister Jess and her best friend (and sort of my friend) Jenn.  Those two girls are the 2 people I can act like a complete idiot around and they never seem to care.  Ok, maybe they care but they don't act like they do. 

I sure don't get to see either of them enough lately...what with Jenn all busy with Tony and Jess out in California.  But over the past 11 years some of the best times of my younger 20s were spent with those two wild girls!  I just wanted to thank the two of them for their friendship and loyalty and for all of the fun times we have had.  It is past time for us to all hang out and do something stupid and fun! 

Seriously, though, I'm only posting this crap so Jenn will get off my back!! :)

So here we are years ago at the Piano Bar...

And here is me and Jenn on Jess's birthday a few years ago...

So anyway, I sure miss spending time with these girls. 

Big One Year Old

So it's been one year since that evening where I decided I had to get this baby girl out of my belly.  I was so huge and ready to deliver.  I got on my treadmill for 2 or 3 days in a row and even did some light running, b/c I knew it was time.  So on that Friday evening, I told Rob I felt like I was having some contractions....I went by myself to the hospital b/c I figured they'd just send me home.  We were still 3 weeks from my due date at that point, but all my babies had come a little early.  So I got there and they hooked me up and sure enough I was contracting...Yay!!!!  So the nurse said that either I'd have her by tomorrow morning or else they'd hook me up on the drip and we'd have her by tomorrow evening for sure.  What an exciting feeling!!!!

Rob packed up some stuff and came on over.  I couldn't sleep at all that night, but early the next morning they came in and got the drip going.  Long story short, we had our baby girl around 3:45 p.m. Saturday Nov. 21.  She was a big girl, weighing in at 9 pounds, 6 ounces.  Wowza!!  Still can't hold a candle to Aunt Jess though, 10 lb., 13.5 oz!

So a year later we have seen so many changes.  That little princess has been pulling up since 7 months and standing since 9, but still won't walk.  What a stinker!!  She literally will stand up and squat down, pick something up, stand back up, but will not walk.  She has taken a few steps but won't take off.  I'm thinking it has to be any day now.  The boys didn't walk til about 13 months either. 

I got Camryn the most adorable onesie made to match a bow I found at a shop called Main Street, Ltd. in Charleston.  They do a fantastic job there! 

Obviously these are before the cake took place...

With daddy in front of the decorations and her presents

So I kinda went a little overboard on the fanciness of the cake.  It was, afterall, only a small family party at home.  But here it is...Confectionately Yours made it

 

I love first birthdays because it's so much fun to watch the babies with their little cakes.  Here is her first bite...

And here she is after diving in and getting a real taste of the cake

The boys were big helpers when it was time to open presents...

 This is her new stroller that Nain and Papa got for her. 

It was a fantastic day...it's hard to believe that my little baby girl is a year old now.  It makes the boys seem even bigger, too.  What a wonderful life!!

Now if only Aunt Jess had been here...