Corn on the Cob

For the last few times Mommy has eaten corn, Carli has asked for some and eaten quite a bit of it.  Tonight, we fixed corn on the cob.  Unsure of how she would answer, we asked if she would like some.  "Yep," was the quick reply.  We put her an ear in a bowl and gave it to her. Not hesitating once it was cool, Carli picked up the ear and began to gnaw at it. She kept eating and turning that ear like she had been doing it for years.

 all done...not bad for her first time

The next night, she asked for more corn.  Too bad we didn't have any to give her.

Austin Graduates!!!!!

Finally the time has come that Austin graduates from East Forsyth High School!

Carli loves her big brother!!!

The class of 2012

Austin & his diploma

What Austin really wanted...his yellow helmet.  He can now fight inside fires!

May Days

May has been a busy month for our family!


We started off the month going strawberry picking.  We thought as much as Carli loves strawberries, she would really like to pick them.  When we got there, Carli helped for a bit.  She would only pick them when one of us pointed them out.  She liked carrying the bucket more than picking them off the bush. (May 2)

"I take it."

proud little girl

And she's outta there!

Next up was a quick trip to school to see the chicks that hatched in Ms. Mabe's classroom.  Carli really thought they were cute.  (May 3)

Carli tried to kiss the chick

We had to stop at the playground

 

She looks so big in this picture!

That weekend brought the Spring Folly to town.  Carli liked walking around and seeing all the people and events.  She thought the fire truck was cute.  She wanted to ride the train...

...until the train took off from the "station" without Mommy!  They had to stop the train to get her off.

But a quick stop at Cake and All Things Yummy made it all better!

We did a short trial at potty training.  After three times with Carli getting upset a bit each time, we decided to wait a bit and try again.


Funny what toddlers can learn if they want. When my brother was here just two weeks ago, every animal said "meow". Now she can tell you a dog, duck, chicken, cow, pig (sometimes), and yesterday learned that a rooster says "cock-a-doodle-doo."  She even knows that strange sound that a deer makes when it is running away.  Austin taught her that one.


The month ended with a family cookout to celebrate Austin's upcoming graduation.

PHEW...what a busy month!

"Ice Pease"

Tonight, Joe was in the mood for Mexican. This doesn't happen often, so I quickly agreed! Since we are having unseasonable weather today, (the high temperature was 83 today) we decided to eat on the patio.

Shortly after getting there, Carli was excited to be eating chips. She really loves them! She probably ate 10 of them.

After finishing her chips, Carli began to find things to amuse her. She played with chips and the straws. Then she saw my glass of iced tea. "Ice pease."

I gave her a piece of ice, thinking she wanted to eat it like she usually does. Nope. She figured out it was something fun to play with. Every few seconds, it would slip out of her hands and fall through the cracks in the table. Then it was "Ice pease" again. She would play with it for a few minutes, before losing it again into the cracks.

"Ice pease." This happened over and over. Carli entertained herself with ice for 20 minutes or so. It was fun to watch her as she discovered that if she held it long enough, it would begin to melt away.

Austin is 18!

March 1st was Austin's 18th birthday. On Saurday, the 3rd, we surprised him with a party at the Piney Grove Fire Station (where else?). The guys there were great, taking him on a wild goose hunt so we could all gather together and surprise him.

Here are just a few pictures to document the big event:

Joe Turns 50!

Yesterday, Joe turned a milestone in his life, he became 50. Many friends and family came to help him celebrate. Carli even learned the word "fifty" and would say "Daddy fifty" if you said it first. We worked on "Happy Birthday" but that was just too much.

Thank you to everyone who helped him celebrate! And Happy Birthday My Love! I hope we have a lot more to celebrate!

WBFJ

On Carli's birthday, Joe and I were day sponsors for our radio station, WBFJ. We were entitled to a quick blurb about Carli on her special day. Here is what was said:

Carli Elizabeth Laws

As we celebrate today your second birthday, we remember the events surrounding your birth.

December 2009 started out normal-getting ready for Christmas. Then on December 10^th, we got a call from our adoption agency wanting to give our profile to a birthmother. It didn’t take long for us to say yes. Then we waited and waited, didn’t sleep, and still waited. A week later, we found out she had chosen us. Then the real waiting began. And so did a lot of preparation!

Again, we waited and waited, and still didn’t get much sleep. Every night, we counted down the days until your due date. Then on January 8^th Misty called that her water had broken and you were on your way. We made our way to the airport for the long flight to Arizona. That night, we were able to meet you and hold you, our beautiful little girl.

Carli, you are the light of our lives. You bring so much joy to all of us. We pray you continue to laugh, grow, and explore everything around you. May God continue to bless you in everything you do. We love you.

Mommy, Daddy, and Austin