SURPRISE!

Well, most of you, dear family and friends, have already heard our big news...we are pregnant with Baby #3!!! Obviously, Todd and I do not follow the whole "don't tell anybody until after the first trimester" rule...heck...we are excited!! So, there ya have it. Will update more about the pregnancy as we progress! Maybe if I "think pink", the newest Harrell will be a GIRL!!!

Wow...talk about a happy surprise!!!OK...so lets back up a bit...Last week was just plain yucky. Both boys were sick with the crud. Brody was out of school Mon - Wed and Wade was out Mon - Thurs! It was strange, because although the seemed to feel pretty good, they would spike fevers and were having some stomach problems.

My sick boys:

But while they were feeling good, we danced and played and cuddled and stole Daddy's hat!This weekend, Uncle Dave came into town, and we had a good ole' time with him...went over to Nana and Gator's house to celebrate Gator's birthday on Saturday night and watched football on Sunday!

Look at sweet Wade, looking in awe at his Daddy and Uncle Dave, hang a pot holder:

My 3 boys enjoying the nice weather and doing some hammock swingin':

Controlled chaos?

Probably one of my most favorite pics...Doesn't B-man look so content?

Happy Monday!!!

over and over and over

I had the most horrifying dream that I could ever imagine this weekend. Yes, it is Monday, and I am still replaying the dream, over and over, and I just cannot shake it!!!

I dreamt that we lost Wade in the ocean. We took our eyes off of him for maybe 10 seconds, and I asked Todd, "Where is Wade"?

He replied, "I don't see him! I thought YOU were watching him!!??!!"

We looked and searched and hunted for him, for over an hour, and "they" told me that he was probably gone. I woke up in a cold sweat...

Most of us, who are parents, go about our daily lives, with our spouse and children and could never imagine anything horrible happening. Todd and I even joke that we are living "Groundhog Day"...the same darn routine, over and over and over again.

Something as simple as a horrible dream has thrown me back into reality, and once again relishing in the fact that children are truly a gift. One that keeps giving...over and over and over.

They have taught me that this is the end of my independence and self regard and the beginning of interdependence and a love that you never could have imagined.

I love watching them learn to do new tasks and actions and get that cute, little "I did it" look in their eyes...I love to watch them express all of their emotions-Toddlers act how they feel and do not hide a thing!!!...I love their kissable lips and sweet little cheeks....I love how they could be having the absolute worst moment in their little lives, and a simple hug will do the trick...I love how they still amaze me, over and over and over again...

Bring on 2010!

2010 has started off pretty uneventful, which, to me, is a good thing!! We have been laying pretty low, enjoying the daily grind and staying warm with our fireplace. FL has been experiencing colder temperatures than we have seen in 25+ years! Nighttime lows, as low as 12 degrees and daytime highs, as low as 31 degrees! We have all of this freezing cold without any snow. Just crazy neighbors that keep their sprinklers on, and their yards are covered in icicles and frozen grass!We celebrated 2010 at home, with our little munchkins! We did sparklers on the front porch and this tired Mama passed out at 10pm! This was the very first year that I did not watch the ball drop. Oh well...it turned 2010, and here we are in another decade. Grammie and Pop's watched the boys last weekend, so that we could get the house and office together, and the storage unit cleaned out and re-stuffed. It was a nice break from the kiddos...but I sure missed them! Our house is not a home without Brody and Wade! Thank you Grammie and Pop's...we love you guys!

Here are recent pics from our last week or so:

The B-man and crazy Wade "talking on the phone":

For some reason, (and maybe they do this at school?), Wade kisses all cats and kittens in his books. ???Check them out, heading up the stairs in their cutie new PJ's...Wade lounging in his ducky...

B-man, all ready for school!

Posing for Mommy. They got up the rocker by themselves, and were just rocking back and forth, side by side: We went over to the Hipsh's home last week for football, and Campbell decided it would be fun to push the boys around in her stroller!! It was hilarious...They had all of us cracking up!

Todd and I are are REALLY looking forward to our stay at a bed and breakfast at the end of the month. Nana and Gator arranged the whole thing and are coming over to watch the boys so we can have a romantic weekend away!! Merry Christmas to us and thank you Nana and Gator! Check it out: http://hendersonparkinn.com/

I am so excited, I can hardly stand it!!

Happy Birthday Jesus!

We had an amazing Christmas this year!!! Filled with tons of love, family and memories...Thank you "Santa's" for ALL of the gifts and for another amazing Christmas!!!!!

We started off on Christmas Eve by celebrating Christmas with my side of the family...

Look what Santa brought to Nana and Gator's house for Brody and Wade...a new table! 10 minutes later, the chairs were all over-turned and Wade threw the table. We have decided that it will only be set out during mealtimes, until they learn that a table and chairs are for SITTING!! ha ha Santa left them suction plates and bowls, so hey, even if the table is upside down, at least the plates will still be attached!

Gator, Nana and the boys:Uncle Dave reading to Wade

Wade with a bow around his head!

The B-man NOT happy about sharing...

After Nana, Gator and Uncle Dave left, we gave the boys a bath and dressed them in their cutie pie Christmas PJ's from Nana...they even had reindeer footies! Daddy started a tradition this year and read the boys "The Night Before Christmas". Thank you Grammie for the book!

After the boys went down for "nite nite", we enjoyed steak and lobster and celebrated my 31st birthday! Am I really already 31 years old? Time sure does fly, especially when you have children! It was nice to be home and enjoy the holidays with our little family.

The boys had such a great time discovering all of the toys and games and books and stocking stuffers that Santa left for them! We had an even better time watching them enjoy it... I had to post these pics to show the boys "enjoying" one of their presents. Poor twins, they always have to share!!! Look closely at Wade's face in the first pic and Brody's in the 2nd:

After presents were opened and breakfast was served, we loaded up the dogs and kids and presents and luggage and the kitchen sink, and headed to PCB to celebrate with Todd's side of the family at Grammie and Pop's house! Mimi, Uncle Scott (Brody calls him "cot"), Aunt Allie and Cousin Caden were all there too!

Look what Santa left in PCB...baseball rocking horses for all of the boys!! They all had a great time playing on them...Thank you Caden for sharing yours with us!

A rare pic of Brody and Wade with their Mommy:

The whole Harrell clan! We took 4 shots and this was the best one:

Wade was totally in love with the fish tank. He would go down the hallway and sit on the floor or a box and watch the fish...all by himself. It was the sweetest thing! He would do it over and over throughout the day. It is kind of hard to see him, but he is sitting on a box, pointing up at the tank(inside the wall) in awe:

Check out B-man's firm grip:

Gotta love ridin' on Daddy's shoulders!

Burning off some of that endless energy. This was right before Brody did a face plant on the pavement, and scraped his cheek, nose and busted his lip. It broke my heart.

Caden racing to get them!

3 generations of Harrell's...

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!!

It's almost Christmas!!

I cannot believe that Christmas is less than 2 days away! We are getting incredibly excited to see the boys really enjoy Christmas this year...it is so fun to watch your children experience the simple joys in life. Nothing like seeing everything through the eyes of children!

Here are 2 of my most recent favorite pics of my boys...

Their school had a party for each class last Friday and all of the parents and grandparents were invited! They wore their jammies to school and ate tons of sugar...and opened lots of gifts! It was fun to see all of the kiddos, with their "friends" and teachers, all interacting, while their parents were in the classroom. Best way to put it was VERY organized chaos. I still do not know how their teachers, Ms. Maegan and Ms. Sara do it all day long. And, to top it off, Ms. Maegan is pregnant!!! Say a prayer for her because she is growing this baby all by herself, as her husband is serving our country overseas. He will be back in time for their little miracle...I cannot wait to find out what she is having!

Brody in his jammies for school!

Wade was super excited about going to school with his jammies on...

Here is a pic of their little class with Ms. Maegan and Ms. Sara!

Sweet McLaren...Doesn't she look just like Cindy Lou Who from the Grinch? I could just eat her up!

The Harrell boys enjoying the goodies:

Check out all of their artwork that they have created for us throughout the month of December at school!

They are really into dancing these days...they will just all of the sudden break out in a cute little dance move, then go about their business! Here are a few pics I was able to capture of the B:

The boys have REALLY started interacting with each other and playing together. They play "chase" and "come and get me" and their version of "peek-a-boo" all of the time. It fills our home with giggles. They have also started fighting over toys and have resorted to hitting and pulling and shoving and doing whatever they can to get back their toy. It fills our home with squeals and cries. At this age, everything to them is "MINE". Brody is struggling on the sharing aspect of toddlerhood, while Wade seems to enjoy the satisfaction of giving his brother everything, maybe before he takes it?? hahaha Wade even feeds B-man and holds his sippy cup for him. It melts my heart to watch Wade be so kind and giving.

Here they are playing peek-a-boo through the chair... And tipping over the coffee table and playing peek-a-boo:

And Wade giving Brody a kiss on the shoulder!

The Wade-man FINALLY needed a haircut...well, kind of! It was getting long and wispy in the back and on top, and we did not want anybody to mistake it for a mullet, so he got a trim! He sat perfectly still in my lap and it did not bother him a bit! Here are a few pics of the little man enjoying his lollipop and posing for Mommy: