The Masterson Family

phone dump & favorite things

2012-01-18T15:50:00.002-05:00

Josie is sitting next to me coloring. She reminded me that "if we make a mistake it is ok because God loves us anyway." Apparently, she started to color the apple blue. "Silly me, apples are red." She said.

I love camera phone dumps on other blogs, so I figured I would do one of my own.

I had a sweet friend ask me what my favorite things are right now. A small list of those are at the bottom.

Josie got the "headbanz" game for Christmas. It is super cute and we all get involved.

These girls are awe-some.

I was wanting a new shelf to go in my "conversational area." Scott's Antique show was in town last weekend and Russ I could not pass this one up. Trinkets to be moved around.

I mean seriously...is she the cutest thing or what?

She has changed so much but her personality is quite complex.

Josie LOVES to dress up. Her "ren-nastics" (aka gymnastics) outfit is too cute.

Long legs and arms like her daddy. (Thank you Lord.)

We were able to see my sweet Kiki over the holidays. I miss her so!

Ok Favorite things right now...

1. Zumba

2. The crockpot

3. All is Grace by Brennan Manning

4. The Meaning of Marriage by Tim Keller

5. V-neck T-shirts

house: long time coming...

2011-12-26T21:15:00.001-05:00

Here she is...our new house. Well the main floor anyway.
We love it here. It suits our family well.
I often feel as if I get my two favorite things in one; a house in the mountains/ridge in the middle of the city.

Our den/ main living area.

Multi-purpose room. Standing at the back door.

Multi-purpose room. Standing at the front window.

Looking from the den into the kitchen.

Galley kitchen.

Bookshelf wall in Josie's room.

Josie's bathroom.

So I seem to have forgotten Josie's room. I will add that to the upstairs pictures and the newly renovated master closet. We are missing some pictures on the wall, we keep debating on what goes where.

And this is Thomas' playroom. Because heaven forbid he actually sleep out there.

This flat backyard will be receiving a swing set from Christmas!

Our kind family members pitched in for this fun present.

More to come....let's be honest...who knows when.

unconditional love

2011-12-25T21:24:00.000-05:00

These two words have clutched my heart and mind for the past 10 months. Sometimes just saying them to myself with no reflection, and often times sitting to contemplate what they mean in my own life. And, this past week I was given the privilege to view unconditional love manifested before me.

I've been reading and embracing that Christ's love for me has nothing to do with me. For so long I thought this love had to do with my behavior -- acting correctly, saying or doing the right things, not saying or doing the wrong things. But I'm vividly seeing this is not the case, and I was mistaken for many years. Christ came to love those that are full of sin (Romans 5:8, or all of Romans, or the entire Bible) and whose behavior is as I've come to label it, a "hot mess." And, yes, that's me. I'm the hot mess. It's been freeing to receive love that is one-way -- from God to me. Love despite myself -- completely separate from my behavior. I'm speaking of grace.

Katie and Chris have always been dear to me. I have watched their relationship develop, grow, and mature from our high school years until today. But as I watched them LOVE Hallie these past 10 months I have, in a more deeper and more profound manner, understood God's love to us. Despite Hallie's condition, appearance, behavior and lack of reciprocation she has been DEEPLY loved by her family. She didn't have to DO anything. She didn't have to BE somebody. She was who she was and that was enough.

Katie and Chris, our friendship is a treasure.

Hallie Lynn Green

2011-12-16T11:51:00.000-05:00

Some of you may know the Green family. If not here is the link to their amazing story.

Katie has been my
childhood friend,
cheerleading buddy,
college roommate,
maid of honor,
neighbor,
mommyhood refuge
and the dearest best friend the Lord could have selected for me.

Here is the link to her meal calendar if you are interested in helping out in that arena.
Kelly Ford has set up another loving way to help.

tips for your child's one year birthday party

2011-11-22T17:08:00.001-05:00

1. do not light the candle and expect them to blow it out...
Izzie stuck her finger directly into the flame= 10 minutes of crying.

2. pick a theme that is broad and you can use all kinds of items at your house!
aka..polka dots...yes sir ree. i bought very little and it worked great.

3. host multiple parties (for different generes of peeps, of course)
we reused some yummy leftovers and saved money and looked very much put together. like we had the thing catered

my precious Izzie at ONE:
your favorite food is: goldfish
the coolest person on Earth: your big sister Josie (she can make you laugh like no other)
the thing you do the best: make a serious face (girl can win a staring contest)
three words that describe you: contemplative, dancer, patient

love you sweet izzabee.

mayberry halloween

2011-11-05T20:49:00.001-04:00

So our new neighborhood = mayberry. Kids everywhere. Playing in the woods, in the streets, in their yards without parents. What a change from GP. I mourn the loss of GP and being close to Katie. But this has been such a welcomed change. The neighborhood had a Halloween Party with a petting zoo and horseback riding. Yeah, it was awesome and we met a ton of neighbors with children the same ages as ours. Josie could not have loved it more.

Rapunzel and a fairy. Aka...whatever was in our dress up basket you could be.

In Mayberry the parents walk mostly in the middle of the street while the children run to each house and collect the "goods". I feel SO blessed to live in the city and have this homely luxury.

Izzie's birthday is Tuesday...what?? Her party was tonight. More to come.

family locations

2011-10-20T20:41:00.001-04:00

If your family is going to live out of town....it is really nice for them to live in great cities. Russ' sister and her family in Williamsburg, VA and his extended family in Seattle, WA. These are two great traveling and visiting options/opportunities.

We try to visit Sherry, Steve, Emma and Alyssa every fall because the weather in Virginia is beautiful. Their quaint small town feel is so pleasant and Mayberry-esque (children playing pick up games on the local soccer field without parents organizing it to death). We had a refreshing time of fellowship and play.

We visited Colonial Williamsburg with the beautiful horses (that you can feed...hello...not.in.atlanta.) and then off to dinner at a Colonial Pub. The girls danced their hearts out and entertained everyone else there. I smiled the whole time.

The girls drew maps to help us find the horses and sheep.

Thanks Dora. (I think.)

I LOVE this picture. Josie looks so big and wide-eyed and yet so small.

The fiddlers for the evening.

The girls laughed and danced and laughed and danced.

Izzie sat like this the whole time the music was played.

Hilarious!

Of course a pumpkin patch and hayride were in order.

Fall festival too. The "stations" were at different areas in the woods. I LOVED this park it was awesome. Fall festival amidst the woods and lake...yes, please!

Izzie rides like this most of the time these days. Sometimes it is just the easiest mode of transportation. I get tired of lugging the stroller around and saying "I'm sorry" as I fit into small spaces. But it does come with conversation. Not with Izzie but others. It is A-mazing how many people want to talk about it. Ask questions, comment, smile....I think she looks so happy in there it makes you happy. I of course love it too and will mourn the day that she can't ride in there anymore. I was sad for sometime after Josie couldn't ride in the sling.

Russ and his sweet sister Sherry. It makes me smile seeing how similar and different they are from one- another. She is petite and Russ is so tall. But both SO smart and loving.

Sherry and Steve have an outdoor kitchen...for tailgating etc. It is AWE- SOME! The weather was perfect and we had several meals out there while the kids played. Steve is a wonderful cook. My favorite was breakfast outside...but probably just because I love breakfast and Steve's cooking...and fall...ok there are many reasons.

a boy that is a friend...ummm boyfriend??

2011-10-18T13:09:00.000-04:00

Back when I was pregnant with Josie the Rich family was pregnant with Josiah. We discussed an arranged marriage at that point but aborted the plan for the sake of letting our children have their choice. If it were a choice today...Josie would surely pick Josiah. Second place would be Durham (her cousin) but we are not that kinda family. Close but not that close.

It just so happens that Russ and Jonathan Rich do ministry together (pastor/worship leader). Once a month Russ' ministry has a night of "Prayer & Praise" at our house. Josie and Josiah had their own kind of date in the playroom.

Just SMITTEN with one another.

I mean seriously, is she 13??

This looks like me on a date...laughing at everything "the boy" did...oh geez.

so apparently it is the rage these days...

2011-10-03T17:22:00.003-04:00

I didn't know it but it is the "rage" to give up your paci. Two of my favorite mom bloggers (Suzanne & Erika Powell) both discussed their children (way younger than Josie) giving up their pacis. Well we knew it was a long time coming but I kept justifing this "removal of security" with the best of them. For example: 1) we just moved 2) she only uses them to sleep 3) she has a new baby sister 4) she is sick etc. etc.....you get the picture. (ps...this is a secret crazy talent of mine). I can justify with the best of them.

Well we did it. (I feel like this is an accomplishment for me too.) The paci fairy came last Monday night and took away ALL (last minute decision) pacis at our house. In case you didn't know...the paci fairy takes pacis to new babies who need them. Poor Izzie got the short end of the stick, Izzie- 11 months Josie 3.5 years, but who is counting. I started to feel so bad about the whole thing because the truth is... I did this to her. I had made her the addict. I was not about to do this to another child.

So one week later. We are a paci-less house. I was so proud of my Josie. We had one. long. night. Another night of yelling for 5 minutes for "mom and dad" but then not a peep after that. She has been really good about it and much better than I ever imagined. In the midst of this we pretty much lost the nap, which was withering anyway. But every once in awhile she will fall asleep on the couch. Today was one of those sweet days. It makes me realize she is such a big girl. I love her!

wedding festivities

2011-09-24T09:26:00.000-04:00

this sweet and talented couple is getting married today!
josie will be the flower girl and russ will officiate.
they are cute and inspirational to this (not very inspired/talented mama).

al and meghan came over a couple months ago and took pictures of the girls.
you will see just how talented they are.

happy wedding day to an amazing couple!

2011-09-16T14:04:00.001-04:00

I'm back.... I think??
I have to blog backwards because I don't have present day pictures.
So here is our quick moving story.
We put our Grant Park (also known as: the house I had my children in) house up for sale in February.
We knew we needed another bedroom for another child one day and guest room for the present day.
Also, we of course (I'm married to Russ Masterson) analyzed our house usage and realized we love to entertain but turned down the opportunity many times due to our small house with a maze of little rooms.

Criteria for the new house:
at least 3 bedrooms
bigger entertaining space
closer to the church
flat backyard
good public schools

Well we sold our house 5 months later. Of course when we were on vacation. (That is the second time we have sold a house on vacation.) Rule to live by: go on vacation....check.

Got home from vacation and I had two and a half weeks to pack with a 3 year old and a daredevil crawling 10 month old. And so it began...my life, my sanity, my nerves all went down....down hill somewhere but largely just away from me. I packed and packed and lost control and control. It was good but it was hard. I don't do well losing control....does anyone? Thought I was flexible....not anymore. I learned a lot about myself.

Here I am in my new home. The Lord was so good to provide many of our desires. We LOVE the location and the setting. I feel like I am in the mountains but live in the city. The best of both worlds.
I see lots of trees when I look out the windows. It is a precious gift.

Of course after you move, you have zero money so we have some empty spaces and hodge-podge rooms. But I will take pictures soon and post.

cute words...

2011-08-30T15:23:00.005-04:00

i am not blogging about moving. sorry. it has consumed my world and will not consume my blog.

(but we like our new house and location very much!)

josie has some super cute pronunciations. they make me smile every time she says them.

water fountain=water mountain (makes sense)

lemonade= lemm-ade

swimsuit= swimsoup

chickfila= chick-a-lay

nilla wafers= nilla-way-ders

we are moving

2011-08-06T22:51:00.001-04:00

i feel crazy

first world problems

2011-07-31T21:23:00.005-04:00

so this has become the running joke in my family but largely in my own head. a great way to put things into perspective. "calling out" my first world problems has really helped my attitude diminish.

for example: we are moving! we sold our house and now are looking for a house. in the meantime we will live in Russ' Granny's lake house. i grumble about this at times. then I am reminded...this is a first world problem. "poor me...i have to move to the lake"....perspective... you get it?!

another example: i get cranky when i don't get to drink my entire cup of coffee in the morning. ummm....first world problem. "get a grip, Kristy." is what i tell myself.

i could list many more examples but you would see my depravity all to clear. most of the time it is quite funny.

try it, you might like it, or your spouse might like the attitude adjustment the most.

if you are a young mom...you need to read this....

2011-07-27T15:34:00.002-04:00

no it is not Russ' book....

"Loving the Little Years: Motherhood in the trenches"

My sweet friend Stephanie told me about it and it is wonderful.

So much so that this tired momma stayed up reading it.

Truth and humor for my tired soul.

Inquisitive

2011-07-22T07:25:00.004-04:00

My sweet Izzabee is 8 months +. Her funny personality is coming out more and more. She has been a lesson in "I can't control my children." that has been unsuspected. As most of you know, I am a people- pleaser, Josie is very similar to me in this regard. Izzie however, not so much. For example, in public places (grocery store, church etc.) when others try to get her to smile. She is not going to amuse you. Stone-face Magee. As Morgan noted recently after her observation of this...it is as if it insults a persons personal value that they cannot make her smile. Well, she is a tough crowd. She is going to look you up and down, watch, check you out with her furrowed eyebrows and still you may not get a smile. What a difference from Josie who was all about people the moment she was born. I am excited to see how Izzie's personality develops.

She is still my laid back baby. Just crawling and pulling up everywhere possible (she tried the wall this morning, using the trim work as leverage?). What a fun age!

a close second to birthing a child...

2011-07-05T23:15:00.002-04:00

is birthing a book.

Happy Book Day to Russ.

I could not be more proud.

You will laugh, cry and contemplate.

Quite a raw picture of the Masterson's.

Enjoy!

It is available on the Kindle, Nook, and iPad (via the free Kindle app for iPad). Below is a book summary or jump to his site for details and stuff: www.russmasterson.com.

clarification

2011-06-29T15:39:00.002-04:00

i am not preggo.

i was just referring to being pregnant in the summer with Josie thus her having a birthday in the summer.

sorry for the confusion.

swim par-tay

2011-06-28T20:50:00.000-04:00

Summer pregnancy and birthday are rough. The are HOT. We opted for a swim party this year... some sweet friend of ours from church graciously offered their beautiful pool to a bunch of youngsters. Josie is still talking about it!

Thwee Years Old

2011-06-26T21:03:00.003-04:00

Josephine Riley Masterson (Goose)

Things about you now I wish I will always remember...

a) Your prayers "with words" (the singing prayers got a bit out of hand)

"Thank you God for Jesus.

Thank you for our sins.

No more sins.

Thank you God for no more sins.

Thank you for this cheese pizza. Amen."

(Every time we pray. Without fail)

b) Your sweet desire to know everyone's name and where they are going.

(In the grocery store line, in the public restroom, at the public pool...)

Josie: Mom, who is that? (so close to the person of interest that they can hear)

Me: Josie, I don't know their name. Our friend. Our neighbor.

Josie: Mom, I'm gonna go ask them their name

(Fearlessly she's off.)

Josie: Hi! My name is Josie. What's your name?

(Quickly she returns to tell me the information.)

c) Your strong planning nature to hug/love/surprise someone.

(Each journey in the car to church Josie creates a new plan of who she is going to hug/kiss/surprise.

We talk about the details and particles of the interaction.

She executes beautifully each time with such joy.)

To our inquisitive, beautiful, outgoing, sensitive Josephine we will strive to love you for you and despite you, unconditionally for all your days.

You have my heart.

he is the best daddy a girl can ask for...part2

2011-06-19T06:58:00.003-04:00

my girls will grow up confident, active, witty, adventurous and intelligent because of their dad!

he is the best daddy a girl can ask for...

2011-06-19T06:52:00.002-04:00

ok...so there are two. my sweet daddy and russ.

i so enjoy watching my father be a wonderful Gramps.

oh hilton head...

2011-06-13T15:25:00.000-04:00

look what we've been doing...

2011-06-12T15:22:00.001-04:00

we live a blessed life.

belated mothers day

2011-05-28T09:28:00.002-04:00

We celebrated Mother's Day on time. I am just late posting pictures of my sweet family.

Stop being so cute and photogenic.

Stop...for real.
Nana and Grandaddy too... geez.
Bolton and Izzie
This is a good way to have young children pose in pictures....give them sucker-pops with silly teeth. We always have fun at Mimi's house!

Izzie is saying "what??"

joms

2011-05-20T08:04:00.002-04:00

That is what we call 'em at our house.

Josie has turned into a princess and request joms that can twirl...every night.

Izzie on the other hand is just happy to be sitting by her sister.

happy late easter

2011-05-04T08:16:00.005-04:00

here are some of our fun easter pictures from nana and grandaddy's garden.

we ate outside, visited with baby chicks and had an easter egg hunt.

josie loves her cousins.

Josie 2...almost 3.
Izzie 5 months.
Raleigh-cakes 7
Camerdoodle (Camden) 5 almost 6
D (Durham) 4...

Bolt-ie (Bolton) 2...

Thanks Mimi for bringing the chicks!

Pure joy!

raised in the city...

2011-04-24T21:25:00.004-04:00

raising my girls in the city creates a longing in me, for them to know farm life.

strawberry picking in loganville seemed perfect for us.

we enjoy open land and open views so much more since we don't see them very often.

immediately upon arriving josie had to take her shoes off.

i loved it!

i love hanging out with my two girls all day!

my new favorite things...

2011-04-04T15:28:00.004-04:00

Ok, so I'm not Oprah but I do have some new favorite things!

just wanted to share.

I was in New York City last week so I feel super trendy. Plus, I didn't have spit- up on my shoulder, which too makes one feel ultra with-it.

I went to an Amos Lee concert. (Do you remember that cheer?..."A-W-E-S-O-M-E...awesome, awesome..totally!)

Describing a concert with a cheer= not trendy.

These girls opened up. To say that I LOVED them is an understatement. They are from Alabama, raised in the church, sing old gospel music (along with others)...yes, please. Don't worry because I met them and got their autograph on my CD. Again, trendy.

On the girly front, this is my new favorite lipstick that my friend Cori told me to get.

Apparently Ulta has more options of lip coverage than CVS...who knew?

magic kingdom

2011-03-28T16:17:00.006-04:00

In my humble opinion...2.5 is a great age to go to the Magic Kingdom.

1) They are free.

2) They are free.

3) They know the characters.

It was great because we would walk through the park and Josie would spot a character and yell their name excited to go meet them. We visited the park last year at 18 months and I felt I was having to instruct her to identify everyone. "Josie this is the winnie the pooh ride...it is fun. And it cost a lot of money for mom to ride this, so you need to enjoy it....ok? ok!" (jk...i am not that cruel...but the thoughts in my head are)

This year I took a different tactic. We focused on being present for all the parades and visiting every character that she likes. SCORE.

squeeze-worthy

2011-03-16T08:00:00.002-04:00

no decluttering

2011-03-15T20:40:00.004-04:00

I haven't been decluttering...yet... (see previous blog entry)

largely because our family has been engaging in tons-o-fun last week in Orlando.

This week the assignment is paper. Ummm that takes way too much time. I feel super overwhelmed at organizing our paper areas. I don't need more stress in my life. If it happens it happens.

This is why parents take there kids to this ridiculously priced park.

PURE JOY on your kids face!

(more to come)

I'm all about this...

2011-02-23T09:42:00.002-05:00

I need accountability in just about every area of my life.

Accountability and ideas. I am weirdly very excited about this.

Five weeks

Five hot spots

Five new decluttered spots.

Yes, please.

what does one do with such pretty weather??

2011-02-17T07:50:00.002-05:00

go to the park with uncle kc and aunt brittany, of course!

what is your vote?

2011-02-15T09:06:00.003-05:00

do they look alike?

izabee bo baggins

2011-02-14T08:56:00.003-05:00

3 months...

this stage is so funny. they are still blobbish but have many faces.

surprised, happy, serious.

her nickname as evolved into izabee bo-baggins. not really sure how but josie loves to call her this. and we do too.

precious

2011-01-27T08:51:00.004-05:00

post Christmas Orlando

2011-01-20T09:39:00.003-05:00

Every year we go to Orlando with my family after Christmas, before New Years. My mom's birthday is in December and she requested a birthday dinner with characters in Disney World. (Such a wonderful Mimi.) Well "the clubhouse" as Josie calls it (Mickey Mouse Clubhouse) has given us a love for all things Disney. Josie was excited to spend dinner with Pluto and Goofy. Can you tell how excited she was?

Sharing desserts with mom. Doing what we do best.
She loves her daddy!! This was her face after she saw Goofy was coming to our table next.
Cousins...(aka Josie's imaginary friends in every possible playing scenario).

Raleigh 7, Camden 5, Durham 3.

some of the best parenting advice...

2011-01-14T08:54:00.004-05:00

some of the best parenting advice came from my mentor at church. she has five children (that are wonderful) so i am all ears when she shares.

"never do for your child what they can do for themselves."

she told me this nugget of goodness when josie was just a baby but i locked it away in the forefront of my mommy brain. the truth is it takes A LOT of patience to carry this out but the Lord has helped me realize that is what my days are about. training up my children for life and godliness. so to sit and watch my 2 1/2 year old put her own shoes and clothes on is my portion right now. even though it takes a good 15-20 minutes. i force myself to sit and truly let her do it all by herself. the joy is the confidence she gains.

the other reward (for me) of instituting this advice early on was that josie was very independent when izzie was born. it is now one less thing for me to do. and she loves to do it "all by my-self". (the potty independence is awe....some).

this blog today was so good and reminded me of the value of this principle.

do any of you have nuggets of goodness to share from over the years?

(my sweet izzie. she really is the sweetest thing you have every seen.)

blogs vs. tv

2011-01-06T20:48:00.004-05:00

Blogs are winning.

However my blog is losing.

I have found myself more involved in blogs than tv lately. I love being able to just get the information about the topics that I like without all the other fluff.

Since it has been 3 weeks since I blogged last...I thought I could at least post my 2 new favorite blogs.

Today's Letters is my most recent addition. Super cute and funny. Largely just life stuff.

Kendi Everyday has been a sister, consult and money saver. Kendi is a cute confident realistic fashionista. She shows how to create new outfits out of what you already have. Hence the saving money part. When I am feeling like I have "nothing to wear" I just pull up her cute blog and thumb through the pages and brainstorm on the new combos in my closet. Like I said very valuable.

Hopefully more posts are coming about the holidays, Kiki's wedding, Josie's broken collarbone and our trip to Orlando.

rockin' out

2010-12-14T08:30:00.005-05:00

if you have ever lived with me you know that i can rock out a cd. meaning, i listen and listen and listen until all the songs are learned and my favorites are established. russ likes it...not so much. but it is me...i remember starting this habit as a little girl with my james taylor tape. so i have no other fun news besides changing poopy diapers (a lot), nursing, playing babies and attending christmas parties...i thought i would share my latest cd repeaters (cd's worthy of this habit). it is rare but i have three on rotation right now.

1. Winter Songs...which is a range of artist, folk/bluegrass

2. Taylor Swift...Speak Now...ummm high school delicious...although "Never Grow Up" has had me in tears several times due to my stage of life

3. Brooke Fraser...Flags...so many good songs on this CD...my favorites are "Something in the Water" and "Orphans, Kingdoms"

accomplishments

2010-11-29T19:54:00.005-05:00

accomplishments look quite different these days...

i successfully went grocery shopping today with both girls.
no tragedies. got everything on my list. = success

i did however realize that i should be on "real housewives of atlanta"
you know you are a housewife when... many of the clerks, deli workers, bakers, shelvers at Kroger know your name and your children's names.
(maybe i should start a blog series called "you know you are a housewife when...")

i felt like a celebrity today at Kroger. everyone wanted to see "the baby".
oh, adult interaction. i will take it where i can.
like i said...accomplishments.

8.5 days

2010-11-17T15:24:00.002-05:00

Izzie is 8.5 days old. Today is my first day at home by myself. So far, so good. Josie has been super sweet and helpful. She has had a bit of a tough time transitioning. Just super sensitive in the confusion of what all is changing. The Lord was gracious to remind me of my own personal tendency to crave control amidst change. That is exactly what Josie has been doing. Trying to boss anyone and everyone around in order to gain control. I have said it before but I am afraid she has inherited her bossy-ness from me. The second element was a cold and cough. This added to the change made for a super sensitive two and a half year old. Literally, each day she has gotten better. Obviously, much better today that I have time to blog....

Izzie is doing very well. Sleeping and eating well. Yes, she reminds me a lot of Josie just with olive skin and dark hair. This partially fits because my brothers and I all look alike but have very different coloring. (Kevin- tan skin, dark hair, brown eyes; Me- freckles, auburn hair, green eyes; KC- fair skin, blonde hair, blue eyes)

Thank you for all the well wishes and prayers. I truly have felt the blessings of a praying community.

Masterson Meal Calendar

2010-11-09T19:43:00.003-05:00

Hi friends of the Mastersons,

We all know meals make the adjustment to a new baby easier!

Here is a link to a meal calendar for the Masterson's.

If you are out of town, a great resource is Instead of Flowers. They bring a warm meal to the door whenever the recipient chooses. Someone did this for me, and it was awesome! :)

And here's another picture of miss Izzie today!
She's adorable!!

I was able to visit this morning, and Kristy is doing and looking GREAT!!

Another Picture of Izzie

2010-11-08T13:21:00.001-05:00

Born at 8:39 AM

Introducing...

2010-11-08T09:21:00.003-05:00

Isabelle Mary Masterson

"Izzie"

9lbs 2 oz

21.5 inches

Perfect. Healthy. Dark Hair!

Izzie is coming today!!

2010-11-08T08:25:00.000-05:00

Izzie should be arriving any moment! Stay tuned here!!

- Katie

jeggins

2010-11-04T20:45:00.002-04:00

Confession: I wish I could wear jeggins (jean- leggings). But I am afraid my God-given thighs will not permit it. Sooooo what is a mom to do? Buy them for her daughter. Elmo shirt and jeggins. Doesn't get much more exciting!

I made sure to keep my calendar pretty clear for the last few weeks so that she and I could make the most of our last few days just the two of us. God has been so good to give us some sweet moments together. (Jeggins are good for dancing!)

Happy Halloween

2010-11-02T16:34:00.005-04:00

Happy Halloween! From sweet Abby Cadabby. Josie was a fairy. Abby Cadabby the fairy. As I explained to most people... Abby is the girl Elmo on Sesame Street.

Gran Gran came to join the fun!

She was so funny figuring our how to say "trick or treat" and then "thank you." I enjoyed meeting some new neighbors.

Like mothers, like daughters

2010-10-23T03:19:00.001-04:00

Bella and Katie (and Farrah) moved away from our neighborhood. Josie has been a little confused by the lack of Bella playtime. So Bella comes in pretend spirit to our house on a daily basis. She can come in the form of a doll, pretend cat, and even a new dish Josie cooks up.

Me: Josie was is this?

Josie: It is Bella.

Me: Oh ok.

We were in desperate need of a playdate with the real Bella. This picture below cracks me up because I see Katie and I talking like this when we were younger. If only we knew what they were saying....

Crazy mommies got on the sesaw. The girls loved it. And I got crazy looks for my preggo self being on there. (Ok, I could have made those up but it felt like it.)
We miss the Green Family!

Pace Fall Festival

2010-10-21T03:07:00.003-04:00

At the beginning of October we attended the fall festival at Pace Academy. We went last year too. It is like being in a movie. The campus is huge and in the middle of the city. Not to mention a little like stepping back in time. They have lots of cute homemade games. Even a little jail to put your friends in. The Moon Family had a recent new addition so Elliott and the girls came with us.

Yes, this lady has on Prada boots. She also looked like a model. We are in the city people. (Where apparently, moms wear Prada boots to fall festivals.)

The girls get quite girly when they are together. The sun apparently was just too hot. So they found the closest shade to eat their lunch.
Playing a coin game with daddy. I love watching them together. Literally, the highlight of each day!

Haircuts and Hotdogs....apples too.

2010-09-26T16:05:00.003-04:00

Sometimes you just need an apple snack with Thomas. And sometimes I wish I was 2 and I could lay like this too. I am afraid Thomas would only tolerate this with Josie.

Every 6 weeks we have a mini-party. We call it "Haircuts and Hotdogs." Our hairdresser, Martha moved to Florida about a year ago. We loved her. We told our friends about her. Side note: When you have curly hair you can't have just anybody cut your hair. And she stops by our house every 6 weeks or so for a haircut party. It happens on our front porch and it is just fun! Then of course we have hotdogs.

Well this last visit Josie got to join in on the fun. She had her first haircut on our front porch with Martha. She did great and got a cute little trim.

We aren't scared...

2010-09-04T22:17:00.003-04:00

We aren't scared to announce the name of our second child.

Just freed up like that.

Or my husband and I are both extremely decisive/opinionated people that before we even knew the gender of our baby, our girl and boy names were chosen. We are too strategic like that.

I don't have any pictures to go with this blog because she is not here yet (2 months left). And yes, I am big enough to have the baby tomorrow....don't look at me like "how can you get any bigger?" when I tell you that I have 2 months left. (Note to self: I need to hang around other moms more often. They get it.)

Isabelle "Izzie" Mary Masterson is her name. We like the "old lady" name thing...shortened into a cute- fun- kinda sassy name. Josie and Izzie go well together. And Mary is after Russ' sweet and precious mother Mary.

We shall continue to get ready for Baby Izzie at our house! But right now we are enjoying ourselves at the beach....along with 35 other young adults from the church. My husband has a wonderful job!

quick trip

2010-08-23T10:11:00.002-04:00

we recently had a quick trip to orlando to mimi and gramp's house with friends.

it is tough laying out by the pool with palm trees.

we are so blessed!

this is what summer is about...

2010-08-05T14:43:00.002-04:00

Summer is about...cousins spending the night.

Raleigh and Camden spent the night with us last week. We went to church on Wednesday night (I love Wednesday night supper). Then woke up and went to the Grant Park pool. We watched a movie, ate popcorn while playing with toys and laughing a lot. To say that Josie loved it, is an understatement. She smiled and giggled the entire 24 hours they were here.

The girls' room

2010-08-02T14:19:00.003-04:00

So I like saying "the girls." The girls will share a room. Which has worked out pretty nicely so far. The family who we bought this house from had two kids. I remember telling Russ that I was so amazed (thought she was crazy) that she had two kids in this (2 bedroom) house. Ummmm now that is me. Seems natural, though.

Josie moved to a big girl bed this past weekend. It was thankfully uneventful. No big deal, yet.

I have a couple more things to do in their room before it is complete. Initials above their beds (thank you anthropologie) and a bed skirt for Josie's bed. We got the chair at the end of Josie's bed recovered recently. If any of you visited me in college this was the ugly green chair I always had....and loved. Now it is super cute! I really wanted Josie to have an iron twin bed. Russ and I waited and visited Scott's antique market and found exactly what we were looking for within 5 minutes of being there and for much less than I had budgeted....score!

I had forgotten... Hilton Head is my favorite.

2010-07-26T15:09:00.003-04:00

Hilton Head is my favorite for the following reasons.

1. You escape reality of city life. (this has many facets)

2. We rode our bike everywhere. (exercise and purpose all at the same time)

3. Low tourist volume.

4. Many mom and pop restaurants (sorry Destin, not true for you)

5. The beach smoothly goes into the ocean...no huge hump (i am sure there is a more technical term for this) of sand before the water. (do you know what I am referring to here?)

6. It is so well preserved that you see so many family traditions (Sea Pines).

Enough for now...here are some pictures.

not gonna see this in the suburbs (for parents eyes only)

2010-07-23T21:54:00.003-04:00

I love my vocal and opinionated neighborhood. Don't worry it has been painted in this manner for a month.

Butterbean at the beach

2010-07-17T19:23:00.004-04:00

Somewhere along the way we created a tradition. The butterbean pose. I love it!

6 weeks Isle of Palms, SC

1 year Destin, FL

2 years Hilton Head, SC

Josie's Mickey Mouse Clubhouse in Candler Park

2010-07-01T16:04:00.006-04:00

Let the pictures tell the story of her party!

She is two!!

2010-06-12T15:38:00.003-04:00

Josie is two. Such a big girl. She has really been showing her mature self lately.

Wearing low-rise pants....

Socks with sandals.
Driving her own horse and carriage.
We had a great time exploring the Gran Tetons and Yellowstone.

More to come.

Guatemala

2010-05-28T08:26:00.006-04:00

I spent the past week in Guatemala with 16 other young adults from our church and Russ' ministry. This was Russ' 5th year in Guatemala. I have never been able to go before due mostly to tutoring/teaching the week before finals. So I was excited to go this year. We had a wonderful group and praise the Lord no one got sick.

Our daily routine...

1. Breakfast at a church in San Pedro. Made by the sweetest ladies ever!

2. Work sites. We built two houses. One for a newly married couple and another for a widow. The money we raise for the trip pays for the supplies and the contractor. The ministry we work with in Guatemala selects the deserving families for us to help.

3. Lunch at the church.

4. VBS at a church nearby. Sometimes we would travel on the bus to the VBS and sometimes it would be close. It was wonderfully fun! Most of the group would go back to the work sites during this time.

5. Dinner at the church.

6. Service at a church. One night we conducted happy feet. Which is the reason we brought hundreds of shoes. After the service we methodically fitted everyone for shoes. It was PRECIOUS!!!

I will post a Guatemala part 2 soon with my favorite pictures and fun stories.

withholding information

2010-04-26T19:01:00.008-04:00

Confession: I have been withholding information from the blog world. I have many things to share. Here they are in list order...not order of importance.

1. I have a job. Everyday 4 hrs. Tutoring a teenage boy. For 9 weeks.

2. It is work.

3. We have been participating in swim lessons again and Josie loves it.

4. My little brother got married on Saturday.

5. He and Brittany are in Hawaii right now and I have only thought of them 40 times today.

6. The wedding was a great excuse to visit paper source and make all kinds of fun things.

7. I am going with Russ to a Zac Brown Band concert this week for his birthday.

8. We are camping out in North Carolina. I'm really excited.

9. I am preggo....11 weeks....

10. We are super excited!

Josie is at such a fun age. We laugh all the time at her made up songs. New words and pronunciations. Even her imagination and memory for our structure. She and Thomas have become even closer friends. She takes her frustration out on him, runs to tell him she has tee teed on the potty, tries to ride him, write on him...you name it he has sat through it. Every time she takes a nap or goes to bed she has to run and find him to tell him good night and give him a kiss. It is precious! This is a super fun picture I captured the other day when they were playing in the yard.

Josie with cousins Raleigh, Bolton and Camden on Easter at Nana and Grandaddy's.

We got a new hiking pack for Josie and she loves it. Here we are at Raven Cliffs.
Josie with the Moon girls before our trip to the Zoo.

The weather has been great and we have been spending a lot of time outside. Love the spring!

fried plantains

2010-03-25T16:29:00.004-04:00

buy one or two plantains.

they are close to the bananas.

bigger and hopefully darker.

you want them to be dark for a banana.

if they are not dark you want to keep them on your counter until they are.

good plantains are mastered through the super ripe plantains.

once they are ripe:

peel and cut into diagonal and thick slices.

pour some oil in the pan. (enough to cover those jokers)

getting warm and sizzly.

toss in your plantains.

it takes about 4-5 mins on one side and 3 on the other.

you want them to start to look golden-ess.

remove them and place on a paper towel.

sprinkle with lots of powdered sugar.

enjoy a new fruit for dessert!

this time last year

2010-03-22T13:15:00.005-04:00

This time last year....I was somewhere close to Costa Rica.

In honor of those memories I made some fried plantains. The sweet lady who cooked our breakfast every morning taught me the "real" way to fry plantains. Along with how to pick a ripe mango. I will gladly share this wealth of knowledge with you.

Pictures from my slammin camera first...

Katie lives super close and her sweet family came over for an impromptu dinner the other night. The girls had a blast...to say the least. They giggled and giggled. Fwends!

I love random outfits that occur and evolve throughout the day.

tea party on a toilet

2010-03-10T14:51:00.003-05:00

That's right! Do what you gonna do to stay on the potty. Josie was into sitting on the potty today. Works for me. Here I go, on my potty training adventure.

I love those little toes and chubby ankles so much, sometimes I want to kiss them off.

My dad would be so proud!

2010-03-01T17:11:00.002-05:00

If you have ever played any kind of sport with a member of the Queen family, you already know we stick out our tongue during moments of concentration. Truly this trait spans generations and all different branches of the family tree.

My sweet little Josephine has a trait taken after namesake...Riley (her middle name) is my dad's middle name.

Playgrounds require such concentration!

And because this picture is precious....I had to share! She loves those boots

your wishes will come true at 30...

2010-02-21T16:43:00.004-05:00

mine did.

Mom and Dad overwhelmingly surprised me with a nice camera for my 30th birthday.

I was having a tough time...really feeling like I aged on this birthday.

All cares were gone and artistic Kristy is now alive on her 30th birthday. It is amazing what a good camera can do!!

Here are just a few examples.

Disclosure: You cannot take my daughter home with you...or my dog...and yes they are really that precious.

I am so blessed!

orlando with friends

2010-02-11T13:49:00.003-05:00

I feel like this picture shows what we all already know... but I just can't believe...Josie is so big. She is really tall for her age, so everyone thinks she is a year older than she is, but she talks a ton. I love hearing the changes daily from jibberish sentences to actual words. It is great. She is quite silly. Whether it is head-banging with a straw in her mouth to veggie tales or talking to Thomas....she makes us laugh a lot. People comment now that she looks more like Russ...what do ya'll think?

Last week we stayed in my parent's house in Orlando with some fun friends from church. We had a great time getting away from Georgia's yucky weather and relaxing together. We shopped, visited the Magic Kingdom, ate frozen yogurt, napped, read, danced, ate frozen yogurt and never had to be anywhere at any one particular time. Which I LOVED!

Magic Kingdom show

The Moon Family

Josie loved to ride any ride possible. (We rode every ride she was capable of riding.) This is the train the takes you around the park. It was not quite adventurous enough for her. She got bored very quickly.

Classic family photo.

I will create a part II of the trip. The Knox family went with us as well. It was our first "friend" vacation. We usually just go with our families. We had a blast and were well rested upon our return. Except for the 8 hrs. in a car with a 20 month old thing...

my two loves in one

2010-02-04T21:31:00.001-05:00

russ...his writing...and josie...my heart overflows.

i am jealous...

2010-01-21T15:11:00.007-05:00

of people with nice cameras.

Like Darby. First off you have a cute name like Darby.

And and an awesome camera. And a super cute house and family.

So this is my lame reason for not posting a lot lately....jealousy.

My camera is dumb, and lame and takes 400 seconds to actually take a picture of Josie after I push the button. Therefore, I get NO actual cute pictures because the smile or funny moment has already occurred 400 seconds ago when I pressed the button for the first time.

A little shirt-less dancing. Sorry she is a wild woman at times and no silly dress was going to hold her back from break dancing.

I used to be jealous of people with closets. Especially, custom closets. Now, I am one of those people. I cannot tell you how exciting it is to see all of my clothes in one place. There were many faithful long lost friends that I have reconnected with....my clothing budget is thankful!

But of course my Josephine is precious and we have cute pictures despite my lame camera.

Josie enjoying the new closet...it is her favorite place to hide and play babies.

These seems very simple and ordinary to many of you. But to Russ and I it is like a Christmas miracle. We went from sharing a TINY closet to sharing this custom (Yes, my handy husband built it.) closet. It is amazing an area for my dresses, made of sweet smelling cedar and lots of room for both seasons clothes! A girl cannot ask for much more....

A couple cute pictures from our snow day. Josie in Grant Park.

cheeeeese...

it was the holiday season...

2010-01-03T17:01:00.007-05:00

I am the eternal optimist. I went into this holiday season thinking "We are taking things slow and easy. I am proud of us for slowing down." I was WRONG but it was fun!

Run down:

Christmas Eve: My parent's house with Nana and Grandaddy

Christmas Eve night: Russ' mom's house with Granny

Christmas morning: Open presents Russ' mom's house

Christmas evening: Nana and Grandaddy's

Day after Christmas: celebration at our house with Russ' sister and cousins

Day after the day after: head to Orlando with the Queen family

Hang in Orlando for 4 days. Fun times with family

New Years Eve: Drive home from Orlando

New Years Day: Clean up Christmas Decor/ Unpack

2nd of January: Attend Passion 2010

3rd of January: Attend Passion 2010

(Please don't be jealous....I heard Beth Moore twice today.)

Here are our pics to prove our fun.

Pink pig with Gran Gran...

Christmas Eve at Mimi's...
New Elmo DVD Christmas morning...
Falling asleep eating lunch because she woke up at 5:30am on Christmas morning...
Playing with cousin Emma in Grant Park the day after Christmas...
Orlando with the cousins...
Gramp's famous waffle morning!!!!
Snow in Orlando?? Ok soap. Josie loves shoes and got some new chuck T's for Christmas. She did NOT like the soap being on her new shoes. We had to hold her after she realized this catastrophe.

And then because it is a new year. These are a few of my favorite pictures from last year.

i have to share...

2009-12-24T09:32:00.005-05:00

I have found two new sights that I love.

One is a designer's blog.

She went to Auburn.

Lives in Grayton Beach.

Just had a baby.

Is my age.

Ps....I love her.

Urban Grace

She has been my closest friend during the renovation.

Sad but true. She has helped me pick out colors, get inspiration, narrow down lighting choices etc. You get the point...I love her.

Second is Anthropologie on the cheap.

No lie. Ruche is super cute affordable "anthropologie style" clothes on the cheap.

It is awesome. And they are doing a giveaway right now.

Check the link on the side of my blog.

Merry Christmas everybody!

So grateful Jesus came to earth for our salvation.

He is truly our contentment and peace.

Much love,

Kristy

for uncle jack and aunt linda

2009-11-19T15:37:00.004-05:00

We are traveling to Seattle for Thanksgiving.

Josie is excited. We made a video for Uncle Jack and Aunt Linda.

Sorry it is sideways.

Aunt Linda and Uncle Jack,

We are excited to spend time together with everyone!

See you soon!

sick pumpkin

2009-11-08T20:15:00.007-05:00

Update, I have now been sleeping on the pull out couch (with Russ of course) for a good month. Here is a picture of a smidgen of our chaos. The Lord has surely taught me to relinquish control by now right??Here are some pictures of the sweetest strawberry you have ever seen while she trick-or treat's around our neighborhood.

I have one cute little sick pumpkin (just a bad cold) therefore we were at home the whole day. (Which I am not good at....) I lasted till about 4:00 and then I quickly made up an errand that needed to be done. i.e. get contractor trash bags from Lowe's...really?? I also, in my mom intuition, decided that Josie had a sore throat. Which called for a frosted orange from The Varsity. Yes, I am Frankie Queen's daughter...so not only does a Coc-a-cola fix a headache but a frosted orange from the Varsity fixes a sore throat.

Two funny children happenings occurred today amidst our house of renovation craziness and child with sickness. These two worlds colliding produce one freed up Mama. If not, I would cry the whole day.

So I am in Josie's room putting away her clothes when I realize... "it is way too quite in there." I walk in the den to see Josie painting Thomas with her red Tylenol. How could I not laugh and take a picture??.... Awesome.

Second happening, in our kitchen a wall was torn down. Well there is a place on the floor that is waiting to be patched up. Josie tripped on it this evening and landed her fanny directly in Thomas' water bowl. It was hilarious. I wanted to take a picture but Josie was in some distress so I thought that might be cruel. Water was everywhere.

Hope you got a laugh with us!

I hope to be a better blogger.

renovation time...again

2009-10-31T21:39:00.002-04:00

we are currently involved in the largest renovation of our home to date. (our reason for the lack of blogging.) for those of you that know our house these are some of the changes, so far.

* our room is now josie's room

* russ and i have been sleeping on the pull out couch for 2 weeks now.

(i kind of like watching tv while going to sleep, i feel like i am on vacation)

* our closet has thrown up and exist on our dinning room table

* there are strange men in our house a lot.

* no cleaning for me...the house is a wreck all the time and will only get worse

the goal is a master suite (bathroom and walk-in closet). things are coming along really well. when you live in an old small house little things seem really great. russ and i are so excited to not have share a sink or a closet.

hopefully, the saw dust will settle soon and i can upload some pictures.

"ewws"....shoes

2009-10-04T16:07:00.006-04:00

Josie is enthralled with shoes these days. I have to say, she gets that from her mother. Hello!!! What girls does not love shoes?! She found KC's old boots at my mom's house. We brought them home and they have won the "toddler entertainer award" for the month. She is so amused just slipping, stomping and sliding around the house with them on. It is quite funny and helpful. I can hear when she falls or has stopped to get into something else. A friend said, "It is like bell on a cow." Hmmmm.

The "toddler entertainer award" was held by my running shoes, last month. Girlfriend would sit for 20 to 30 minutes trying to untie, tie, tangle.... those laces. She has mad skills!

I will leave you with some recent pictures.

We visited Burt's farm again this year. We have been enjoying this weather, any chance we can get!

mom intentions...

2009-09-11T15:25:00.005-04:00

We have a new niece. Sherry, Russ' sister, had her sweet baby girl, Alyssa Clare last night (when the c-section was scheduled for Wednesday the 16th....hmmmm). Alyssa wanted to be the one to pick her birthday, apparently.

Alyssa's older sister, Emma, just had her 3rd birthday. My creative mom intentions took the pictures that are to follow. Did I mail them to Emma? No, I forgot. Did I get them developed? No, I forgot. Did I send them to Sherry in an email? No, I forgot.

Well, here is to remembering about 3 weeks late. (I did remember to mail the birthday present).

Her personality is really starting to come out. The "let me start to figure this out."

Next, "I am really cute."

Third, "I need to go somewhere other than here."

(I believe this last phrase is the most common statement in her smart little brain.)

And here is my sweet baby girl a year ago. Wow.

come on Fall...

2009-08-30T16:42:00.005-04:00

I love fall. Always have. Always will. Here is just a small list of the things I love in the fall.

1. festivals (Grant Parks was this weekend) such good food and crafts.

2. hiking (everyone in our family loves it and it wears everyone out...at no cost)

3. Georgia football (i heart college football a lot)

4. fall clothes (gotta love the jeans and a long sleeve t-shirt)

5. weather (love the cool weather and little humidity)

Well, our family started a little early on the hiking deal. We headed to North Georgia for a fun afternoon the other weekend. Thomas is being a little shy here. Josie loved riding on our backs. She had her own game of trying to touch/grab the leaves along the way.

We visited the Yellow River Game Ranch the other week. We had a blast with all the animals. Josie loved it. Getting as close as possible to each one. Remember fearlessness has no boundaries. Especially when you best friend is a 100 lion/dog. She was hilarious. Bella and Katie came too.

This picture cracks me up. I wanted to take a picture with the Billy Goat because he has a

goat-tee like dad/Russ. Upon getting close he let our a yell. It surprised both Josie and I, therefore giving us a great picture.

my news...

2009-08-21T08:18:00.003-04:00

I have to confess I have been withholding information to the blog world.

I am going back to work.

Part-time, Tuesdays and Thursday mornings while Josie is at Parents Morning Out.

I am working again at the Lovett School.

I am really excited. I know that sounds dorky. Who likes to go to work? I do. I guess it is in my blood. My dad loves to work, my older brother Kevin loves to work and, not so little, KC loves to work.

Thank goodness I am a combination of my mom too. In which I also love to spend some time with people.....not working. So this is the perfect combination for me.

I was born to teach. I love it. I crave it and it all makes me feel like I am walking out in the gifts God has given me.

This job really fell in my lap. Thanks to some caniving co-workers at Lovett. But I am really excited! Happy back to school for me!

some good thoughts/reminders on being a wife

2009-08-18T20:46:00.003-04:00

http://www.beckyturner.com/

check out my friends blog.

her friend wrote it.

just good reminders, even when you are in a good spot.

scroll down to the 3rd post.

josie + the beach= love

2009-08-14T15:10:00.006-04:00

My whole family went to Destin last week. It was great! My parents rented a huge house for all of us and our kiddos to fit. And remember this is Gramps and Mimi, therefore each grandchild shall have their own room (if desired) for the best sleeping accommodations. Can we say "rock star" in mom language!?! It was great! Oh wait, I already said that. I mean it!

Typical beach activities took place. So let me give you the low down on Josie and the beach. Before leaving I took it upon myself to ask other moms their beach "tips." What do you do about a child and the waves? "Just let her get knocked down by one and she will then stay away from the water." Not my Miss Priss. We are FEARLESS!!! Josie got knocked down by a wave and while getting up proceeded to get knocked down by another wave. As I picked her steamrolling self up full of saltwater I was excited for her to now stay away from the water....she pushed herself out of my arms to do it all again! Needless to say... it did not work. She wanted to walk up and down the shore over and over and over. People ask Russ and I how we got so much sun. Our little Josephine, that is how!

A few action shots....

Let me make the disclaimer that I was hoping Josie would join me in not liking the beach. Yep. It is true. I am not a huge fan. I don't like sand, saltwater, hot-ness, stickiness, standing around in my under garments etc. You get the point. But Josie had me converted rather quickly. I had to enjoy it for her safety.

Here are a couple of picture from our fun trip. Thanks Mom and Dad!

mmmmm....awhhhhh

2009-07-31T14:58:00.005-04:00

we have kisses and more kisses flying around this place.

josie has learned how to kiss.

step one: lean forward

step two: say mmmm...awhhh

mission accomplished.

this is only to be used on baby dolls, family members and josie loves to make sure thomas gets his kisses too.

she has started sitting with him in the floor.

she will pick up whatever she wants to play with.

then find thomas and sit or lean on him, as close as possible.

he is a great dog! who knows what he does behind my back.

(i am pretty sure lots of his kisses are involved.)

summer travels leg #2

2009-07-24T13:15:00.008-04:00

so i got home from boston on a saturday morning. and packed up to travel to wake forest, nc on sunday morning. erin hale mattox and her two kids along with josie and i packed into erin's mini-van and set our sites along 85 North. 3 kids under three and 2 adults. we are two tough women. the kids did great! erin and i did great too. we actually got to have lots of conversation. of course we had the need to stop for some peanut m&m's, but they were well worth it.

stephanie was such a great host. she had good food ready at every turn. and the robinson's were amazing to let us stay at their house while they were away. stephanie also has her rendition of the week, so feel free to check it out.

the first day we went to jumpin beans. one would think josie would be too little, right? not so much! i have a little dare devil on my hands. no fear, independent, thrill seeking daughter. ok so she has my looks but russ' personality.

i carry her up the slide steps. set her down on all fours so that i can finish climbing myself. before i have gotten to the base at the top she has already rounded the corner and slide down on her own. she did this repeatedly. of course the time i tried to film the sliding, things got a little crazy. even though it appears i threw my daughter down. i did not. believe it or not...she liked it.

josie loved playing with emalyn her real live baby doll. she said "baaaby" a lot and tried to share paci's. can you find emalyn amist all the baby gear....geez la weez.

thursday we went to the cutest park ever. pullin park. they had kid rides all for $1. this was josie's first experience at all this. for the most part she loved it.

swings, sand and the carousel. with the carousel she was petrified. tearing my shirt off so that i would not put her up on the horse alone. i couldn't blame her i hate going around and around too. dang motion sickness....it spoils so much fun.

this is what we call "THE GRANDPA FACE". josie started making this "no teeth" face a couple months ago. it is not cute. let's be honest. but it is really funny.

the sign of a dare devil. we get on the train. the whistle blows. and her hands go up. ready to ride. she has never ridden a train before but she obviously loved it. her hands went up several times during the ride. i love her!

WARNING: IF YOU ARE A MOM WHO BUYS DIAPERS....YOU WILL BE JEALOUS!

a highlight of the trip for erin and i was being able to find and buy many BOXES of pampers for $4 and $5. this is the set up. rylan has to go potty 30 minutes into the drive home. erin pulls off to go to mcdonald's. i say "let's go to the rite aid. it will be cleaner." erin and rylan return from the potty. i notice shock on erin's face. "you will never believe this. their pampers are on sale form 75% off. making them $5." kristy..."shut up!" we are so packing the mini-van full of diapers. $32 dollars later we have 700 diapers packed in the van. it was very exciting. to say the least. here are some great pics from our diaper extravaganza.

and a sweet picture of rylan sleeping on the way home. a week with this many girls, is tough on any man!

leg #2

2009-07-24T12:59:00.006-04:00

from boston we took the midnight bus (literally) to cape cod. where we woke julie up at 2 am to pick us up from the bus stop. she was such a wonderful hostesses. i know we stretched her to the limit too. thanks jewels!

bad picture taker....x100. i got 'NO pics of me and julie. how is that possible? i am embarassed. hopeful the other girls got some. geez. i get out on my own and still can't take good pics. i guess i was totally freed up.

nantucket is an island off of masachussets. it literally looks like a magazine in every way possible. we rented a jeep wrangler...took the top off and drove the whole island in like 2 hours. it was beautiful. imagine low 70's with the sun shining and the wind from the ocean.

awesome.

and yes these are random people's homes we are taking pictures of.

please click to enlarge the pics below to really enjoy it.

summer travels leg #1

2009-07-21T14:43:00.005-04:00

call me crazy. call me flexible. whatever you call me.....i had a lot of fun.

on july 8th i left atlanta, josie-less with two sweet friends from church. we headed for Boston and Cape Cod. courtesy of my friend julie. she works in boston, lives in cape cod and it works out really well to have her as a friend. not to mention she is hilarious and fun surrounds her. it was a great laughing getaway. due to christi's camera being so great. i barely took any pictures. this is what i got. from Boston, Cape Cod and Nantucket.

on the T in Boston. christi being sweet. meredith being too cool to take a picture on the T.

this is my favorite pic of the whole trip. in the Harvard bookstore. i was so excited to go in there and browse. i love all things paper and pens. they had a HUGE pen section. it was wonderful. yes, i tested many pens. and i loved it. and it was allowed.

and because i am a nerd. or a wanna be nerd. i made christi and meredith go with me on a tour of harvard. it was great. so interesting. and led by a student at harvard. i loved every minute. ok maybe not the last 10 minutes.

picture of the last 10 minutes below. christi and mere bored in the left corner.

meredith had the great idea of going to a red sox game. fenway was so fun! our southern dialect stuck out just a little :)

snowcones, floats and a parade

2009-07-05T16:23:00.006-04:00

we were at the lake for the fourth of july and in decatur for the parade. it was a fun day. josie loved watching the kids riding their bikes in the parade. we were stationed at the bottom of a hill so it was quite funny watching the kids with some major speed collide with other kids.

ice cream. we love the free cone at bruster's! especially on Granny's birthday. granted this did mean Josie yelled in her crib for 15 minutes before falling asleep. those dang sugar highs.
we love the lake. josie is a water bug for sure. she loves to ride in the boat and float in the water. she is a masterson!

Josie had her first taste of a snowcone a few weeks ago. Tiger's blood of course! It made me reminisce about the tropical snow in front of Quality Foods growing up. my dad was all about some shaved ice. josie was all about some tiger's blood.

oh summer....how i love thee.

i will leave you with my most favorite sound in all the earth! (video below)

burfday celebrations!!!

2009-06-17T15:50:00.008-04:00

first day of being one....breakfast name treat (ganked from the Jenkins)

couldn't do pancakes yet...I started with croissants and eggs.

We had a leadership dinner for church at the Gray's house. Mrs. Linda got Josie a cupcake. She was excited....to say the least.

On Saturday we had family over to celebrate. Here are some pictures from our celebration beforehand. Needless to say, I had someone else take pictures during the party. (Don't have those yet.)

Cousin Emma gave Josie this baby stroller. Here we have her with her two favorite things. Books and a stroller. She did this all by herself. Obviously, I feel her face in this picture shows she is "busted."

We have an official walker. She is a girl on the move, loving every minute of this freedom. Literally, it took her one day to figure up how to stand up on her own. She is one determined little girl. Pretty sure she got that from Russ.

Apparently it is innate within girls to accessorize.

just like that...one year old

2009-06-14T21:15:00.006-04:00

I just want a small piece of you
a token to put in my pocket
and I will own that one thing
and it would make me happy
I just want a small piece of you
somethin to put in a locket
and i will look at it daily
and that will make me happy

Sara Groves... StationWagon CD

When you reach the proper age
I will teach you to read and you can turn the pages
How to dress and tie your shoes
Your one plus ones, and your two times two's
And you'll teach me
Of hearts and dreams
And all the most important things
And all that i have lost along the way
And I can't wait

Precious Josie...

I never realized what all I had lost along the way of life until you came. You brought, joy, refinement, beauty, laughter and my child-like faith back. You have taught me what it feels like to love hard and deep without thought or care of pain. What an amazing gift of humility and joy you have given to me! I love being your mom! It is a gift and an honor only the Lord would bestow!

Mom

A list...of 5 things we have been doing lately.

2009-06-02T21:14:00.009-04:00

1. Swim lessons at the Y. Josie loved it and did great. Ok, maybe they weren't lessons. More like get comfortable with the water and a baby lessons for me. Regardless, she loved it.

2. Playing at the lake. Russ' Granny has a great lake cabin. We stayed the whole weekend, despite the crummy weather Memorial Day weekend. Josie loved riding on the boat. But not so much wearing the lifejacket.

(This is excited yelling by the way!)

(This face is.... not excited. Mad at this lifejacket face.)

And of course Thomas loves the lake. Especially, riding on the boat. He will run down to the dock even when the boat is docked and sit on the front of the boat. Ready to go.

Josie loved playing with Granny's walker. It was a large version of her own. Below is a video of her craziness with the walker. She can maneuver that thing like a champ.

3. Visiting the zoo with friends. Josie's birthday is the 11th of June. Yep, this time last year I was major preggo. I remember it like yesterday. For her birthday she received an annual pass to the zoo. I figured we smell the elephant poo when walking by, so frequently, that we might as well go see what is making all that smell. And it is great to just be able to walk in for a hour or so and walk back home. I purchased a friend pass so if you want to join me at the zoo you can come for free with me.

Here are some pictures of our fun times with Maci and her girls Allyn and Hollis.

4. Visiting the Grant Park Pool. Just a block away. Not to mention it is the best people watching in town.

5. Enjoying Russ being home from Guatemala.

He got a new grill for his birthday! Needless to say we grill out as much as possible.

More to come with the birthday celebration coming!

"tarnation"

2009-05-21T15:57:00.002-04:00

just a word my dad taught us when we were young.

pretty sure it only resides in the south.

wondering if "the frank" made it up.

use in a sentence please...

"we walked over all of tarnation to find you."

do you have a word like that in your family?

i would love to hear all the good southern words we have imbedded in our vocabulary on a daily basis.

big gurl

2009-05-20T23:12:00.003-04:00

straw + whole milk + standing alone = big girl

only in atlanta...

2009-05-18T14:08:00.003-04:00

a 51 year old man (he told me his birthday was yesterday) walked up to me today in the wal-mart parking lot and asked if I had change for a "co-coal-ah."

in my head...

"serious" did he just ask me for change.....to buy a coke? nice shoes, nice clothes. just wanted a coke the day after his birthday.

awesome.

graduation, babies and moms

2009-05-15T12:13:00.004-04:00

KC graduated from college on Saturday so we had a fun day in Auburn celebrating. We had a party afterward with KC's roomate Jake and his family. His grandmother, Nana, was there. She was, by far, my favorite to talk to. And the story begins.....Jake is from a big family 4 boys and 1 girl. (His mom is a rockstar.) Well we asked Nana what she was doing for mother's day. She replied "Hopefully, being by myself. My husband is going to fix me lunch and I just want to be by myself. I told Jake this was it. This graduation celebration counts as a mother's day celebration too."

I loved this. I really feel like this will be me, good or bad. I love to be by myself. I can see that will be a treat after you have all these people running around. They are a blessing, don't get me wrong. But there is just a good feeling deep down inside about the thought of some alone time. I love how when you get old you just become brutally honest. No need to sugar coat.

KC and his fiancee, Brittany. We had tons o' fun talking about wedding stuff!

My little brother. And just like that he is grown up!

Jake the roommate, on the far right.

My new nephew, sweet Bolton. Newborns are so snugly.

girls are back in town

2009-05-15T11:41:00.003-04:00

This past weekend we invited Raleigh and Camden to come spend the night with us and go to the zoo. Our agenda was fairly simple: Chick-fil-a, drive to ATL, playground, zoo, cookout, bath then bed. In adult terms: wear everyone out. Here are a couple fun quotes that occurred a long the way.

Situation/Quote #1 Raleigh drank too much lemonade at the chick so we stop at REI (I am married to Russ Masterson) to use the restroom. Camden comes a long too. Raleigh trips over the speed bump on the way in. Camden says with calm enthusiasm "that was awesome!" I laughed for days on that.

Situation/ Quote #2 I am brushing wet hair after the bath. Camden looks at me. "Are you having a baby"? "No", I say defensively. "It looks like you are." Awesome.

We had a blast overall. They were so sweet and fun to have around. And of course Josie and Thomas were more than up for the company. Josie just laughed and laughed at them.

I wish I had a picture of the car ride home. Russ rode to Lawrenceville with Raleigh, Camden, Josie, Thomas and Granny. That was a site to behold for sure! Makes me smile just thinkin about it.

spring cleaning... who does this??

2009-05-14T11:56:00.002-04:00

So yesterday I did my spring cleaning. Cleaning the stove, coffee pot, windows, baseboards etc. My mom kept Josie which allowed me the freedom to work as much as possible. I longed for the childless, productive day to be a day also of where my thoughts could "practice His presence." I kept coming back to the thought of "who does this?" Spring cleaning that is. I know my Nana does. And I have heard of some friends of friends who do. I know it is necessary. But it is really not fun. My motivation had to be completely external. It did feel really good to know that it is done. I felt incredible productive, after it was over.

Do you spring clean? What chores are at the top of that list?

Russ' Birthday Celebration

2009-05-05T20:24:00.004-04:00

Russ turned the big 3-0 on Saturday.

We celebrated Friday night at Two Urban Licks with our work/church friends.

Yes, the are one in the same. (To which, I don't have any good pictures.)

We started our day on Saturday with donuts/pastries from Sublime Donuts (10th street).

(Awesome by the way!)

We headed to Sweetwater State Park for a family hike.

Side note: This is a great park only 20 minutes from us.

Home for naps then to the Waterworths for some good pizza.

Josie update: She is a walkin' fool. Not on her own, with her walker.

She has gotten super fast and when she hits a road block she is great at maneuvering to get the baby walker to move where she wants it. (video coming soon) All about standing on her own. It is not long until we have an official walker.

Russ and I were discussing that the baby days are gone. Her little personality is coming out. She is super sweet but has some major independence deal breakers. My sweet fiery little red head!

cute josie pics...

2009-04-27T21:06:00.007-04:00

she is wanting to walk so bad. which is challenging and fun all at the same time. i love sleeping pictures. or just babies sleeping in general. there is just something about it. guys love it too. or at least russ does. our seinfield-ness cannot figure out why we love it so much. josie fell asleep last night while on a walk with thomas. this NEVER happens. did i mentions she NEVER falls asleep in the stroller. so i had to take a picture.

precious.

below is a video portion of our saturday morning.

cinnamon rolls. yummy!

several new post below.

this past weekend...

2009-04-27T20:53:00.006-04:00

we were quite busy.

friday was spent with jay, linda, ryder and granny.

russ' cousins who were in town with their little one (ryder) from seattle.

we had a blast talking and eating.

because i am a lame picture taker (see post below) i did not take any good pictures of their visit.

thank goodness linda is a professional photographer.

we celebrated russ' upcoming birthday on friday night at stella's.

saturday we had a family reunion at my nana and grandaddy's.

bbq and brunswick stew. it doesn't get much better.

saturday night kc (my BABY brother) got engaged to his sweetheart brittany.

i will post a picture but please remember i am a lame picture taker.

maybe my mom will post better pictures on fb.

but it was really great because we got to see him propose (i cried). we were in a restaurant in downtown lawrenceville while he proposed in front of the courthouse.

she did not know we were all in the restaurant so she was quite surprised to see her family there immediately after.

durham and kevin....like father like son.

overall it was a great night. we are so excited to have brittany join our family.

church is really fun...

2009-04-27T20:49:00.003-04:00

especially when you live in a small house and love to crawl. oh, and your second home is at church.

she will do this for extended amounts of time. head down crawling all the way down the hall.