Quick Update

Thanks to everyone who gave us leads and possible help with our kids! One of my good friends from work has agreed to come to our house and love on Lydia and Levi every Monday! Pray that they are GREAT today and don't scare her off!! To all of you who keep other people's kids...THANK YOU! It means more to us than you could possibly know! It is hard to leave them with anyone who is not you, but it is soooo much easier to know they are being loved and well cared for!

2 Months

I know it is cliche, but I really can't believe Levi has been here for 2 months already!! It was definitely a difficult adjustment, but now we can't imagine not having him here! He is Lydia's pride and joy. When I first get her up in the morning she MUST have her breakfast immediately (hey...she is my child ya know!) then she stands at our bedroom door and cries "Brother, Brother" over and over until I go get him. Today she wanted to hold him...which she indicated by almost pulling him off the ottoman. I put them both up on the couch and she just sat there holding him in her lap, patting his legs and looking at his face. She even tickled his neck, while saying "tikatikatika" to get him to smile. Since smiling is his favorite thing to do, he politely obiliged. She looked up at me so proud and happy, I wish I had a camera in my lap to catch her face! Priceless!! We haven't made it to our 2 month appointment yet, but Levi is somewhere in the realm of 13 pounds and 23 inches long. He sleeps all night, and I have to wake him up to eat. He loves to play on his back, but is such the tummy sleeper. He will cry when he is ready for us to roll him over!! So funny! He is always flailing his arms around like he has no idea what he should do with them. We still have NO idea who he looks like, but I think he is going to have brown hair and big brown eyes!

Lydia really wanted me to put these pictures on here because she thought she was funny!!

This is Lydia's newest favorite face...her "sad face"

I am going to pretend for a second that people not only look at our blog for our kids but for us also, and tell you about our wonderful 4th Anniversary date. One of our most favorite artists (music not paint) came in town Sunday night: AMOS LEE!! We went to see him at the Village and it was AWESOME! We also got to hear Priscilla Ahn open for him who was absolutely incredible. We bought her CD ahead of time so we would be a little familiar and she was even better live. It was really nice to have a night out without the kiddos! Can't believe we are already to this point in our life, but we wouldn't trade it for ANYTHING!!

Help Wanted!!

We are looking for someone to keep our kids on Mondays (preferrably at our house) from 7am to 4:15pm starting asap. If anyone knows of someone looking for a little extra cash, we would appreciate recommendations!! I am not even sure where to start looking...

Homecoming

Last weekend we traveled again to Oklahoma City to visit family. It was Homecoming for Oklahoma Christian, and more importantly, the debut of my grandfather's book that chronicals the history of OC from the very beginning years until now. I am just 4 chapters in, but it is incredible to read the book and hear the story of men that believed so much in Christian education they were willing to take out huge personal loans to make it happen! Makes me want to get involved more in things just because they are great causes! Somehow we once again failed to get many pictures with my mom's side of the family. On a SUPER happy note...my cousin Ross and his wife (one of my very best friends) Jenny are FINALLY going to have a baby! They had a tough road, but their (hopefully) precious baby girl is on the way! The link to their new blog is on the left under Andersons.

Papa's new book

On the way down we were able to spend the night with Grandma and Granddad. All 4 great grandbabies were there, and Grandma made us her famous soup for dinner, her famous biscuits and gravy for breakfast and hamburgers with her famous potato salad for lunch!! We went back by for another short visit Monday and she made homemade ice cream! YUM!!

Lydia and McKenzie with the red rocking chair

Lydia checking to see if anyone was looking before she went up the stairs

Daddy was looking, but McKenzie encouraged her to go up anyway!!

At the beggar's table with Granddad for some soup

I'm kinda thinking he didn't share, but Lydia never gave up!



Grandma with all four greats: Katelynne, Levi, Lydia and McKenzie

This is Necon's favorite winter hat for her to wear...sooo cute!!



Oh...and Lydia found more boots!!

We stayed an extra night, so we got to eat at Chili's with Cooper

On the way home, we stopped at Taco Mayo (Necon's favorite). Lydia kept sneaking dips of Salsa Verde with her quesadilla. At first we thought she was handling it well, until we noticed the skin around her mouth was FLAMING red!! What terrible parents!

When we got home, Grandma Warrior made the long journey to Arkansas to visit with Levi for the first time. He was in a great mood, and smiled and cooed at her the whole time! I think she liked it!!

Halloween 2008

We look forward to Halloween every year as the kick off to our favorite time of year: HOLIDAYS!! We love the weather, the football, the food and the fun! Now that we have kids, Halloween is even better! Thursday night we had a dress rehearsal for Trick or Treating at the annual Duke-Greathouse Halloween party. Lydia had so much fun this year...I can't wait to see Levi running around next year! We will surely be looking forward to the party as a kick off for next year's holiday season!

Our sweet butterfly and cute pea-in-a-pod

She really does love her brother

When we first arrived at the party, one of the bouncey play things was unoccupied. We threw Lydia in to see if she liked it and she LOVED it of course. She stood at one in and ran as fast as she can until she fell flat on her face. So funny...

Sleepy pea pod...

Reminds me of a sleepy pumpkin I met once...

One happy family

About 3 seconds after this was taken, the balloon popped, Lydia screamed and I yelled at Necon for letting her chew on the balloon in the first place. Then I apologized.

We couldn't keep her out of the bouncey thing, even when the big kids were in there knocking her down. I walked over because I heard her squealing and I thought she was hurt. She was squealing with supreme joy! She was having so much fun...

This picture makes me laugh because she looks like a 12 year old dressed up like a baby dressed up like a butterfly and sitting in a really huge carseat!!



Lydia "helping" Levi out of the carseat

This pea pod is in hibernation...I think he thought it was a cocoon!

On Halloween night we took the kids around visiting our family in Maumelle. We started at Pop and OG's new house. It was Lydia's first experience with holding out her basket and getting candy. She learned to say "Trick or Treat" (really said "tik a tik" super fast) in record time!! Hope candy works that well when we are learning to potty train!

Levi was excited and ready to go

At Pop and OG's

This is probably my favorite picture of her in her costume! BIG thank yous to Caroline for letting us have such a sweet costume!

Next stop was the Monans where we caught Nathan actually holding Levi. He has yet to hold Lydia. The only reason we were able to con him into holding Levi is because they share a middle name...

Then a quick stop at Grandpa and Annie's before we headed to Robert, Lily and Caroline Scott's house for a pre-Trick or Treat party! The Scotts have been next door neighbors with our family since we built our house. Their kids are like Rebecca's brother and sisters, except that she wants to marry Robert some day and live on a farm. At least she did when she was 4.

Grandpa and his butterfly

Mommy and her pea pod

Shirley always has their house appropriately decorated for all the holidays!!

Grandpa learning how to bond with a boy...I think he likes it!

I think Levi does too!!

Ever since we were little, Dad took us Trick or Treating and mom stayed at home passing out candy. It was always a really fun time we had with Dad, and he only charged us ALL of our tootsie rolls for it!! He even took Lydia's tootsie rolls this year...

But we didn't leave Annie out...we trick or treated at her house too!!

And Lydia took her candy...lots of it!

What a great picture

Then we finally got home and took off our costumes

Oh, that's right! I forgot, Lydia wouldn't take hers off...

Good thing too because we got a visit from Dr. Grandma and Papa Chief G Funk