To Do List...

Well...
I looked at the date of my last post and then looked at the calendar and all I can offer is my sincere apology. We have had such a busy month and then it became a new month, just like that.

That wasn't fair.

I was just getting the hang of November and then BAM! December drop kicks me in the head.
I will give you an update in the form of my to do list since that is the only writing I have been doing lately.

1. Have a great Thanksgiving! {Check}
We had a lot of family join us for Thanksgiving this year since Kevin had a crazy work schedule. We got to feel just how many square feet our apartment has. We had good food, good conversations and swimming! Kevin's family rented a hotel here in town and got one with an indoor pool. I highly recommend it! The next day we did some sightseeing before everyone left to go home. My favorite part was watching Caroline and Katy play.


2. Spoil my new niece, Ava Grey {To be continued...}

3. Halloween...
When we explained the whole trick or treat process to Caroline you could see the gears turning in her head. "So I get to dress up in my new Cinderella dress, ring someone's doorbell, say "trick or treat" and I get candy? And why can't we do this everyday?"

4. Take Christmas pictures for others...
This has been a lot of fun. Head on over to my website to see the end results:
web.mac.com/toni.walker click on "view images"

5. We're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo. You can come too, too, too...
Caroline's preschool took a field trip to the Nature Center here in Greensboro. The girls have been learning about different animals and this let them see some up close. They had a blast. The weather was great. We packed a lunch and just let the girls run and play until they literally dropped.

6. Play new game with Grandpa {Check}

7. Test out new rain boots {Check}

8. Be better about updating my blog...

While she is sleeping...

I just found the greatest website. I won't describe it because you just need to go there and play.

picnik.com

Check out my masterpieces...

I love this one. It looks like a 1960s photo.

Fast Forward

{Sigh}



I knew that Caroline loved letters, and numbers, and books. I knew that she would love school but I wasn't prepared for this.

She loves her teacher, Mrs. Shelley. She loves learning about different subjects. She loves her classmates.
When she gets home I can tell what the lesson was about or what they did that day. When she told me I could be Leader #1, I assumed she was line leader for the day. Just today I found her reading a book to her toy puppies. She would "read" the page and then turn the book around for the puppies to see.

I took this picture on her first day of "school". She was so proud of her pink Dora backpack and her blue lunchbox. I have to admit I got a little teary-eyed. She is growing up so fast. She is so independent and so grown. I love her so much, but where did my baby go?

{Sigh}

Caroline says...

{I am totally stealing this idea from Andrea and Shelly. Thanks ladies!}

Caroline was taking her shoes and socks off so she could put her princess dress up shoes on. Kevin suggested she could just leave her socks on. She says, "Daddy, princesses don't wear socks."
Indeed they don't.

We had apples with dinner one night and Caroline asked me to cut the crust off.

(During a quarter moon) "Mommy, I think the moon is broken. I think we need some glue to fix it."

I was trying to make Caroline laugh using her stuffed animal. She had a great belly laugh and then says, "Mommy, you knock me down!"

I was driving to the library when my phone died.
C: Mommy did your phone break?
M: Yeah honey
C: That's ok mommy. You can get a new phone. Do you want an iphone?
M: (laughing hysterically!)
C: I know. How 'bout we go home, have lunch and then we can go to the phone store.
Caroline, if you are buying I am there!

All the proof you need...

When I was about 18 weeks along in my pregnancy I made a doctor's appointment to have an ultrasound done to determine the sex of the baby. Kevin couldn't make it because of work so I told the nurses not to tell me but to write it down on a piece of paper, fold it, and put it in an envelope so we could open it and find out together when he got home. I had a good feeling that we were having a girl and so when Kevin opened our business sized envelope and read the post-it note that said, "Girl! Congratulations!" I wasn't too surprised.

Fast forward 3 1/2 years later and that post-it note proved to be the understatement of the century! Not only do we have a cute little girl but we have a girly-girl. She loves all things pink and princess. She has more babies than the Octomom and her closet is second to Imelda Marcos only. We went to Wilson this weekend because my sister had a baby (pictures to come) and my mom brought her a treasure trove of dress-up items. She had a Snow White costume, ballet slippers, tutu, dress, tights, etc. She got all of these things at a thrift store and thought Caroline would enjoy playing with them.

She underestimated my daughter.

Caroline immediately put the Snow White dress on and didn't take it off for a long time. At one point during the weekend she had on a leotard, a tutu and stripped pajama pants under her Snow White dress with Spongebob crocs on.

Yeah.

The most embarassing part isn't necessarily what she was wearing but the fact that I let her outside in that get up,
in the front yard,
in daylight.

And of course I got pictures...

At so it began...

10 years ago today Kevin and I were married in the Washington DC temple.

It was the most beautiful day.

Even though there was a hurricane brewing off the coast.

Kevin is helping me with my dress because Brian would not let me put him down. He was 2.

Kevin and I have been through a lot in 10 years:
We have lived in 3 different cities in 2 different states
We have lived in 2 apartments and 2 townhouses
We have earned 3 degrees
We have driven cross country, went to Hawaii, drove to Philly, drove to Charleston, New York, Atlanta and DC, and flown to visit family in Utah.
We have owned 6 cars
We have 2 cats
We have had 7 jobs between the two of us
We have spent 20 birthdays , 10 Christmases and 10 anniversaries together
We have watched countless games together
We have too many inside jokes to count
We have one amazing daughter that we love endlessly and...

Through it all, no matter what, I would do it all over again.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

than this:

(Pablo Neruda)

Kevin, I love you.

Memory (Almost) Full...

There was one point in our family reunion when I tried to take a picture and my camera wouldn't let me. The screen kept flashing "Memory Full!"

My camera was almost right.

We had so much fun in Utah for the Brad and Becky Walker reunion and made so many great memories that our memory banks are close to running over.

Wednesday: We left Greensboro at 12:30 pm. Caroline was a pro on the airplane. She was so excited about flying and we used that to our advantage. We got into SLC at 7:30pm and that was the first time she showed any sign of slowing down. We stayed with Great-Grandma Walker that night. Kevin and I were almost too tired to sleep. I had some crazy dreams when I finally fell asleep.

Thursday: This was going to be the marathon day. We had a family portrait appointment in Provo at 10:30am. With 17 people we knew it would be hectic but I had no idea the photographer was going to try and take every combination she could think of. I knew I hated Portrait Innovations and this experience only added fuel to the fire. After 2 1/2 hours we grabbed lunch and headed to the cabin. The cabin was near Heber, UT. It was up on this mountain (The tall mountain like Dora as Caroline liked to point out.) There were only 3 cabins that were up higher than ours. As someone who is used to sea level the drive was a little strange to me. I am so glad I had my ginger for car sickness.

Check out our view from the cabin!

The Cabin itself. That's how we roll.

There was a sand box that the kids stuck to like glue.

Yep! Deer! Right out the front door!

To the delight of the boys there was a basketball hoop. Zach is trying to be Air Jordan.

Aunt Emily is getting Caroline addicted to Cap'n Crunch.

Mom bought glow sticks for everyone. We would turn off all the lights at night and play and tell stories. I decided to experiment with my camera. This is Brian jump-roping with his glow sticks. If you look closely you can see his form in the middle.

Friday: We had a great breakfast (Kevin and I cooked.) and headed out to Hogle Zoo. Caroline loved it. I think this was the 1st time Kevin had been there since he was 5.

Amy, Brook, Caroline, and Katy. Those girls are too cute.

My favorite picture from the trip. Caroline and Kevin on the merry-go-round

Rding the rails

Saturday: After breakfast we headed to Deer Creek Reservoir. It was a little chilly and I thought the water would be cold but it wasn't. Dad rented a boat and a jet ski for everyone to share and we had a blast. Kevin and I took Caroline on the jet ski for a little while and she fell asleep. I have a weird girl.

Tubing is so much fun. Amy was a brave soul.

Saturday afternoon we packed up and left the cabin. That night we met at Mark and Leslie's house for a Walker get together. I haven't been to Utah in 4 years so it was like meeting everyone all over again. It was great to see everyone. Caroline got to play with more cousins.

Sunday: We went to church with Grandma Puckett. Our whole family took up two rows. It was way fun. Caroline, Katy, and Brook went to nursery together. We went to Emily and Chris' for lunch, hung out there, and started talking about the reunion for 2011. Kevin and I are in charge. That is a scary thought. That afternoon we packed up, picked up Grandma Puckett and went to Pleasant Grove to visit with the Puckett side. There were so many cousins there for Caroline to play with. I love catching up with people I only get to see and talk to on-line. I was also trying to convince everyone to come to NC and play at the beach with us.

Kimmie, Caroline, and Ally

We left SLC at 2:00pm on Monday. Our trip was so fast but so worth it. I felt like I didn't see Caroline for 4 days because she played non-stop. She had the time of her life and slept like a bear in hibernation when we got home. We can't wait for 2011.

Flat Earth

These are four of my favorite people in the whole wide world.

These pics are coming your way Amy.

There is a line from one of my favorite Death Cab for Cutie song that says, "I wish the world was flat like the old days and we could travel just by folding a map."

When your nieces and nephews live on the other side of the country you tend to agree with that statement.

I love you guys!

Class dismissed...

Dear John Hughes,

Your movies shaped my childhood.

Sorry but I picture Duckie whenever I hear Otis Redding's "Try A Little Tenderness".




Because of your movies, high school became the great common denominator.




I hope that I can learn to not take myself so seriously like these guys.

Thank you Mr. Hughes. You will be missed

There are no words...

For how much...

I love...

My Squirrel!