Technology!

I realize that there is A LOT of technology out there that I don't even have a clue about! ha! I feel like I am somewhat tech savy at least at my job and getting around the internet, etc... but Tex and I aren't the people that own iphones, ipads, mac computers (even though I would love some of those :) but last night I FINALLY got up my Skype account.

Skype is a free place where you can video call family and friends that are skype members and talk thru your laptops while looking at each other! I realize that Skype has been around for ages but it is new to the Templeton household! ha!

We got to Skype my mom and Scott last night and it was GREAT! Palmer didn't have much interest in it because he was too busy watching his movies but Ann Mason was in AWE, it was hilarious. Mom and Scott sat there and talked to her forever and she would high five them and give them kisses right on the computer screen.

At one point my mom took the laptop out to my 85 year old Papaw so that we could say hi and that had to be THE most hilarious thing! He was so funny and talking but he couldn't figure out how in the world we were doing this, he kept asking how we were on there and where we were?? I can't imagine being 85 and how confusing and amazing all of this new technology is, I am 30 and it is crazy for me!

For anyone that has family or friends that isn't close this is perfect! We've already set a date  to video call on Halloween so that mom can see the kids before trick or treating! I can't wait to skype everyone I know, BEWARE! haha

Thankful Thursday

I LOVE thankful Thursdays! Lately I have read or heard about so many heartbreaking stories, stories of loss, stories about scary health problems, stories of tragedy... it is REALLY easy for my anxiety-proned mind to start racing with worry and and fear, it is REALLY easy for me to try and "make my own" plans of how this can't possibly happen to me or my family.

And then I realize that I have NO power, NO plans, NO control over how life will go from today and if I can just turn my life, fears, anxiety, etc... over to God He is going to handle EVERYTHING! God can do for me what I can not do for myself and I truly believe that to my core. So today despite wanting to worry and wanting to hold my family close so they can never get hurt all I can do is be thankful!

There was a time in my life when I couldn't truly understand what all I had to be grateful for and today I am so blessed that I can see these blessings working in and around me daily! I am SO thankful just for today, that today I woke up and had my health and my family is happy. I am SO thankful that when I dropped the kids off at school today I peeked in and saw Ann Mason smiling from ear to ear and playing with her friends and Palmer doing the same. I am SO thankful for a husband that picks up where I leave off, that starts when I stop and has shown me unconditional love! I am SO thankful for my family and friends who would do anything for us and the bonds that have been formed that can't be broken! My heart is so full today and I am so glad that I can recognize that and appreciate it! We all have a lot to be thankful for even on the days when we are tired and don't feel like we can give any more.

Here is just a glimpse of the things I am thankful for! The reason I wake up and smile and keep going everyday!

 FAMILY

                                                             SCOTT, ME, MOM

 TEX AND I

 MY TWO FAVS IN THE WORLD

 NEW BABIES, ISABELLE MY NIECE!

                                                     OUR OWENSBORO FAMILY

 SIBLINGS

 NIECES! (Sorry Mia, I couldn't find a picture today but I love you!)

 NEPHEWS

FRIENDS THAT ARE MORE LIKE SISTERS

GIRLFRIENDS THAT HAVE STOOD THE TEST OF TIME!

Way Back Wednesday

I love to go on Shutterfly and take a stroll down memory lane, I always pick pictures that are exactly a year ago just to peek at what life was like at this exact time last year! It always amazes me how much my babies grow, how fast time passes and how even though I wish I could remember every detail of those moments I can't. These pictures bring a smile to my face (sorry Tex, you were there and we love you, I just couldn't find any of you! ha!) oh how I wish Annie was that little again just for a moment and I definitely wish I was at the beach right now instead of work! Palmer cracks me up cause he has definitely grown taller and has grown up but I still look at these pictures and Palmer is just always Palmer, serious, sweet and my best bud in the whole wide world! He is truly a "what you see is what you get" kind of guy, I hope he stays that way!

Ann Mason 9 months and Mommy

Ann Mason 9 months, Palmer 2 1/2 and Mommy

My SWEET bathing beauty!

My buddy, building his sand castle!

Ok, I definitely need a beach trip!!! I am going to start planning one now.... ha! Where were you a year ago? It is amazing what a difference a year makes!

Fun Filled Weekend

This weekend was BUSY but FUN!!! I swear I spent most of the time that I was home doing LAUNDRY and trying to pick up toys! ha! I bought Palmer two huge tubs from Target and we re-did his room to be a little more organized!

I also got to have a GREAT visit with my best and oldest friend Kelly! She came in from Nashville and got to spend the night with us and it was so good to see her and hang out although we missed seeing sweet Caroline it was nice for Kelly and I to hang out and have some mommy time!

Another highlight of the weekend was Grayson's baby shower! Jamie looked BEAUTIFUL and we all couldn't be more excited for her and Dwight! The shower turned out great and Qdoba was delicious! haha Since I was one of the hostesses I especially liked the convenience and deliciousness of Qdoba!

Here are Jamie and I!!! Can't wait to meet baby Grayson soon!

All of the girls minus Erin from College... We may not see each other as much as we once did but these girls have been AMAZING and I am SO grateful to have them in my life! It is hard to believe it has been 12 + years! I love you all!!!

 Oh these two, these two.... Kelly snapped this photo towards the end of the night. Ann Mason and Palmer gave mommy and daddy a run for our money this weekend. I don't know what has in their milk or in the air! ha! But they were W-I-L-D!!! Thanks to On Demand for updating and putting on all Disney movies the kids were super pumped when I found Monsters Inc and we managed to have about an hour last night where no one was wrestling, throwing things, crying, etc... It was heaven!

It is so hard to stay mad at them :)

It's A Jungle Out There....

And I am LIVING IN IT! haha Here is a SMALL glimpse of life with Ann Mason! I found her doing this when I came out of the bathroom!

 

ENOUGH SAID!!!

Busy Week

Aunt Blake and Isabelle 10/2010

This week has been BUSY!!! I know I say that every week! ha! I am blessed to have a job I love but man, working full time with two small kids is exhausting :) The laundry is beyond out of control, the dishes are piling up, the toys are spread across the floor but I have learned that none of it really matters! I decided to forgo my type A personality last night and I laid in bed with Palmer while the house was a mess and fell asleep at 8:45 and didn't wake up until this morning! It was much needed!

Luckily, we squeezed in some time with precious Belle!!! This girl has gained 1 pound since Saturday and has gotten over her birth weight, we were so excited! She is still a little pumpkin and I got to hold her for a LONG time last night and it was heaven! She is so awesome, I am definitely in LOVE!

We have a busy weekend as well but a fun weekend! Can't wait to see all of my friends!!

First Comes Love....

Ann Mason and Alex Cook
First Kiss
10/2010

This picture cracks me up! We told Alex to HUG Ann Mason and the little playboy that he is went in for the kiss! I love how Ann Mason already has her eyes closed just waiting on it! Either this picture will be SO fun to play at their rehersal dinner slideshow or they will be SO grossed out by it when they are teenagers, either way I think it is too cute! (As long as it doesn't happen again! ha!)

Spooooktacular Weekend!

We had a very festive Fall/Halloween Weekend! The kiddos had their first fall festival. Tex and I were "good" parents and went and helped Friday night to get ready for all of the fun! I have never hung so much black tarp in my life! They had a whole haunted house and bear hunt and it was so much fun! The kids really enjoyed it, it is so fun to watch them run around with their friends and have fun!

This is a random picture... but I had to post Ann Mason showing off her new boots, this girl is a shoe fanatic!

My sweet girl in the bouncy!

Palmer and his best bud Brooks playing pin the tail on the donkey!

A good shot of Ann Mason's "bob" haircut and cute outfit! Thanks Emerson and Ava!

This is why we are close to weighing 29 pounds these days!~ haha! This girl LOVES her sweets and food!

Palmer participated in his first cake walk and he WON!!! I NEVER won at cake walks, I think I was more excited than Palmer~



One of Ann Mason's "suitors" showed up to Woo her! haha Will Prather came to join in on the fun and I think they both had a blast! They are definitely two peas in a pod!



My sweet kiddos! Palmer is now WAY into his super hero shirts, it is all the rage among the three year old boys! I thought girls were bad but he is getting quite an opinion on what is cool to wear these days!

The start of the festive weekend, spider cupcakes! Remind me never to buy cupcakes with black icing! ha!

My pictures got a little out of order and I am too tired to fix them! haha Getting excited for Grayson's baby shower this weekend and Halloween is getting closer!!! I even bought a few Christmas presents today! Can't believe Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here before we know it!

Grateful!

There is a calmness to a life lived in Gratitude, a quiet joy.
-- Ralph H. Blum

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.-- Melody Beattie



If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.
-- Meister Eckhardt



It isn't what you have in your pocket that makes you thankful, but what you have in your heart.
-- Author Unknown



At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.
-- Albert Schweitzer









This is why!

This is why I will never stop wanting to expand my family even when I am 50! ha! 

This is why there is NO way I can officially or unofficially say that I am done with diapers and formula...

This is why I would consider waking up all hours of the night again...

This is why I would be willing to lug around that heavy car seat carrier again...

This is why I would take all of the chaos that comes with having lots of kids...

This is why I love being a mom....

 Palmer meeting Isabelle for the first time, he is commenting on her cute little face

 Giving her the sweetest kisses!

Ann Mason checking her out (notice my face is a little more tense in this shot) Ann Mason knows NO boundaries so I was trying to give Isabelle space! ha! I love the way that Ann Mason looks at her!

I realize this whole scenario is a lot easier when we are just visiting and then leave Isabelle with her momma :) haha! But oh, my heart expands with each baby that comes into this world whether they are mine or someone else's! Palmer and Ann Mason would be a great big brother/big sister :) but for now they are happy having LOTS of awesome cousins to play with and take care of!!!

Volunteer Firefighters...

Palmer and Ann Mason were on the call of duty yesterday. Palmer told me he had to rescue something! I am still not sure what the exact mission was but they got their hats on and took their job pretty serious! Here are my little firefighters!

 They are ready to go RESCUE!

 Palmer is excited about this mission!

 Off they go to save the world!

 Palmer checking that his partner is still in the back hanging on! ha!

Ann Mason bails on the rescue leaving Palmer to finish it all by himself! I think he was ok with fighting the fight alone :)

Tomorrow is Thursday which means it is almost FRIDAY! WOOHOO!

What We've Been Up To!

I feel like this week has just flown right past me! I have a feeling Isabelle's arrival into the world helped speed things along :) She is precious and doing wonderful! I am SO proud of Ashley and Joe they have taken to parenthood with ease and just seem like such naturals!

Here is the sweet girl herself! We can't get enough of her! Palmer is literally head over heels in love with her and wants to know about her every move! The way he looked at her with such awe and love made me want to have 5 more babies! haha Too bad he says he wants two bigger brothers (still haven't figured out how to swing that one yet! ha!)

We have of course have been getting our hands on this girl whenever we can! I just want to eat her up!

We had to frequent our favorite dining spot, Cracker Barrell. I  have no idea why my kids are so in love with Cracker Barrell but it seems like the only restaurant we can go to where they actually clean their plates and are completely occupied the whole time, so if we have to go to Cracker Barrell to eat in peace then that is what we will do!

Here is Ann Mason with her stick pony!

Palmer just happy to be at Cracker Barrell with a new toy!

Ann Mason got an unplanned hair cut by her Mommy! Yikes! I know I wasn't really thinking but it turned out super cute, I was going for the ever-popular "bob". This was the only picture I could get of the cut cause Ann Mason is never STILL! Her hair was getting SO long in the back and her front was still short so my goal was to cut it, to hopefully get it all one length soon! She seems to like her sassy new cut!

Neenie is here helping take care of Isabelle so she made a stop at Beef O Brady's to eat the other night and the kids can't get enough of her! Here is Ann Mason dragging her to the car :)

We went to Veggie Tales and it was pretty much a bust! Palmer doesn't love crowds or loud noises so I don't know why I thought a concert would be a good idea! oops! Ann Mason of course loves noise and chaos and she was right at home, she just wasn't too impressed with singing vegetables! Here she is sitting in her seat waiting for the concert to start!

Tex trying his hardest to look excited about dancing vegetables! I think my kids were the only two kids that didn't like the show, every other kid was bouncing around and dancing and singing! They had MUCH more fun when we took them to get ice cream afterwards, I think maybe I was the one that was the most excited!

The view of all of the kids and their parents. We saw a lot of dad's that had that look like "How did I end up at Veggie Tales on a Friday Night! heehee

Saturday we were supposed to go to the zoo but because Louisville has now hit record highs for October AGAIN it was 90 degrees and Nikki and I decided it would be much more fun to wear our comfortable clothes and come to their house and let the kids run wild in the basement!

Here is the only picture I got of Ann Mason's boyfriend Alex they are 6 weeks apart. I can't believe it but got her first KISS on Saturday! We told Alex to hug her and he went straight in for the mouth kiss! Ann Mason just closed her eyes and puckered, I think Tex wanted to die right there!

Palmer helping to destroy the "toy" section of the basement this was just a little patch of the chaos you can only imagine what it looked like when we left with 4 kids under the age of 3!

Ann Mason and Reid playing at the train table. Palmer has now declared Reid his cousin, which is fine with Nikki and I :) I think Palmer thinks if you are his friend you are his cousin! Too cute, Reid and Palmer are only 20 days apart, all four of them are SO fun together!

We're now back to the grind and just waiting for Friday again! It is sad when your 3 year old wakes up every morning and asks if it is the weekend! I didn't realize it started so early :) Hope everyone is having a GREAT week!

Love, The Templetons