The artist...

Yesterday, I was flying around the house like Superwoman, picking up random wrappers, pillows off the ground, empty cups, naked dolls, 7 dusty pacifiers, and then I saw a stack of paper stapled together. I recognized the top picture as some of Peyton's fabulous art work. As I flipped throught the "book" I could not stop smiling at how adorable the pictures were. I decided to take pictures of some of them so I could share.

First, a picture of the Artist, Peyton:



Here is a picture of "Our Family." I asked Peyton why there were 3 grown ups and she said one of them is Auntie Jen. (Kris' sister)

Jesus

How adorable and touching that a five year old would draw a crayon picture of our Lord on the cross. Right after Micah was born she drew a picture for Micah that looked very similar and then held it in front of Micah and told her, "This is Jesus. He died on the cross for me. And you TOO!"

This one is my favorite. I asked, "What's going on here?" Peyton said, "That's you and Daddy on your wedding day." Sheesh! Look at what a large lady I am!

I asked her about this picture and Peyton said, "This is Micah when she came out of Mommy's belly."

Too much booty in the pants

So yesterday, Micah had on cute little bloomers and her fat rolls oozed out like a shar pei. (See below)

See the resemblance?

I kept taking pictures of her as she crawled away from me. Of course if my mom was trying to take pictures of my booty I would probably high tail outta eyeshot too. But I still managed to get a couple more shots.

Then I had Peyton bear hug Micah so I could take a picture of my two ladies together. As you can see, Peyton has hot pink hair spray in her hair, not because we went to a punk rock concert, but because we went to a birthday party. And of course Micah is giving me the "stank eye" for making her slow down for another picture.

Parties, Feedings and Hair Pulling

June 2012- We had a fun and busy weekend. I helped throw a baby shower for a precious friend on Saturday. I was throwing the shower with my pals Laura and Holly so all I had to do was bring cupcakes and a floral arrangement. Upon researching the cupcake situation, I found out that Gigi's would charge about $80 for 2 dozen and a couple of other trendy cupcakery shops in town would be charging at least $50. I decided that no ones taste buds are too refined for Betty. (Betty Crocker)

I made these boxed cupcakes and used a fancy Wilton icing tip with my store bought frosting. Guess what! Everyone loved them!

I made this arrangement with store bought flowers and 4 lemons. If I can do this...anyone can.

The shower was gorgeous. Holly and Laura decorated their tails off and Angie (the mommy) received a lot of precious baby girl things. Since Angie already has two rough & tumble boys she was really excited to get some pink frilly stuff.

In other news, Micah refuses to stop growing. She has finally begun to feed herself the bottle. She is 10 months. Peyton never fed herself a bottle. She flat out resisted being independent as far as feeding goes. She's 5 years old now and I am pretty sure she would still let me feed her a meal if I was willing.

Here is Chunk feeding herself.

Aerial view of Chunk feeding herself.

Micah is also ready to walk at any second. She is standing pretty independently and was using this toy (see below) to walk around the house. I say "was" using this toy because I have taken it apart and put it in the closet. This toy is SKARY! The wheels roll super fast and after about the third time of watching my child's head bounce off the floor like a rubber ball, I decided to dismantle it. I am sure the toy manufacturer will be sued soon by someone who's kid gets super hurt. They can have the money, I'm smart enough to put the crap away.

And last but not least, Peyton continues to be the coolest big sister ever. I am pretty sure Micah will snatch her bald soon because she loves to pull hair (bully) but Peyton is so patient with her. I can hear her now, "No Micah. We do not rip people's hair out. That's not nice."

Summer Time!

One of the greatest joys of teaching is...summer break. Yep, I said it! The best part of the job is the part where you are NOT working! I do work summer school every year though and it is a great time! Summer school is only about 20 days long and it is a compilation of some of my favorite teacher friends. We actually truly enjoy our 9 hour days together.

Here is an example of Summer School fun.(During the summer the wonderful custodial staff buffs our school floors until they look new. This means that all of the classroom belongings end up in the hall.)

While I am working super hard at summer school, Kris is entertaining our sweet little ladies. He is truly so wonderful with them. The fact that the kids both are dressed, fed and happy is incredible but he actually manages playdates and trips to the pool too!

Sweet Micah ready for a swim!

Peyton and our neighbor Caden running through the sprinkler.

Our precious P swimming like a fish!

9 years old

Our marriage...is 9 years old. I made Kris look at our wedding album with me lastnight. We laughed at how skinny and young everyone was. After we finished looking at the album I said, "Just imagine if we would have known then, everything we know now." Kris sighed and opened his eyes really big. It's truly amazing how a marriage and so many years can bring so many blessings and struggles, but overall an incredible amount of love. I wouldn't change a thing about the last 9 years truthfully because I like who we are today.

June 7, 2003- 

Here is Kris...being a fool.

Here is me...I thought I was ALL grown up.

Kindergarten?

What in the hell is going on? I feel like this kid was just born and now she has to go to a giant school and ride a bus and eat lunch out of a sack and tie her own shoes and and and.....DEEP BREATHS. I am having a difficult time with the whole Kindergarten thing. I think anyone who knows me would describe me as overprotective, nuts, paranoid and other things when it comes to the safety of my kids. I am usually a really laid back person BUT not with my kids. I stay in mama bear mode. So of course Kindergarten sounds like a cuss word right now. Peyton is so excited about graduating Pre-K and moving on so I try to mirror her excitement even if it is a mask for, "Oh, crap! I am freaking out in here!"

This is Peyton at 2 years old. This is the kid I FEEL like I am sending to Kindergarten.

But THIS is the child that IS going to Kindergarten. A beautiful, kind, energetic, independent little lady. I am proud to be her mother.

The school that she attended for PRE-K worked so hard on a program for the PRE-K graduation.We are really going to miss her teacher, Ms. April, who was an absolute angel to our family.

The kids were precious and sang songs, danced a little and basically just acted cute.

Seeing Peyton in her little cap and gown made me have some weird future photo montage in my head where I imagined her in my arms after she was born, then her in her Pre-K cap and gown, then high school cap and gown, college, a wedding dress, her own kids running around her...It's crazy because this is it. This is your life and these little milestones make you wonder, Where did it go? That moment when you think If I could just hold on to this forever...But then the baby needs her bottle and Kris can't find his keys AGAIN and Peyton wants me to watch how high she can jump...

So, you keep moving.

Whoa baby!

Micah is growing way too fast for me! With this being the SECOND child I am a true believer that kids grow up too fast. enjoy it while you can, and all of those other obnoxious sayings people pelt you with when you have your first kid. I decided to enjoy every moment this time, not get overwhelmed or frustrated over teething and other things that last for such a small amount of time. So far it has worked well. I figure I will wait and be annoyed when they turn 12 and start rolling their eyes and stuff. So I have enjoyed everything and wanted to share a few precious moments I have captured with the phone:

This picture shows my favorite 'trick' that Micah does. When you ask, "How BIG is the Baby?" She raises her arms over her head and we say, "SOOOO BIG!!!" My mother-in-law taught both the kids this trick and it is freaking adorable!

Here's ol chunk smiling up at me from her stroller.

 Micah with her daddy. She looks just like him.

 Here is one of the pics made of Peyton & Micah for Mother's Day.

Warrior Dash 2012

About one month ago I participated in a Warrior Dash in Jackson, MS. It was one of the most physically difficult things I have ever done! My friend Debbie and I prepared as much as we could before that fateful day. The race was about 3.5 miles and was through EXTREMELY muddy trails and included over a dozen obstacles. My favorite obstacle was a super high wall that we had to climb over. I freaked out the entire way up and then Debbie freaked out the entire way down...TEAMWORK!!! We were super proud of ourselves for finishing. Then we went back to the campground and had a dinner of Chex mix and Goldfish crackers with wine. It was a blast and we also raised money for St. Jude. :)

Here is a picture of before the race. Look how clean and dry we are...

Now this is a picture of afterwards... Keep in mind we had already been rinsed off with a fire hose before this picture.

No rest for the weary!

This weekend was super dooper busy! It was filled with fun, friends and family.
My grandparents are in town from Alabama and it has been great to visit with them. They are such precious people and anytime I get to see them is truly so special. On Saturday morning we went to Peyton's rainy soccer game which was wet but still fun. She unfortunately had her face in the way of one of the balls. As you can see she is one tough cookie!

I also attended a baby shower for Kris' niece, Deidre. Peyton assisted her with her gift opening and cupcake eating. Then we went to a party/fundraiser for our dear friend Curt. Curt will be moving to Africa in August for Missionary work. Curt is truly a wonderful example of how God will pull his people from any circumstances and put them to work.

Mother's Day was beautiful. My three loves gave me a card and lots of affection. Then we headed to church followed by some family time. I also went and spent some time with my lovely mother!

I am so ready for the last 5 days of this school year to get out of my way! I am ready to spend some much needed time with my babies! :)

MAY: Mothers, Babies and Graduations

I love May! May has the best weather, the school year ends, I get to celebrate Mother's day with my incredible mom and equally wonderful mother-in-law, and I get fabulous hand made art from my oldest little lady to celebrate ME!
I am super excited about this particular school year ending because I get to spend time with the girls who are growing like weeds, on steroids!

Micah:

•  is now NINE months old
• crawling
• pulling up
• cruising
• waving
• saying mama, and dada
• clapping
• being super cute

Peyton:

• is still FIVE years old
• rides her bike like a maniac
• enjoys everything girly
• graduates from Pre-K on the 22nd
• is the BEST big sister ever

Kris is finishing up his track season at Houston High School. The team has a great chance of winning state this year. I am praying they come home with the state title this year. God knows they deserve it.

I am super proud of all the wonderful things going on with the Harman Heathens right now. They are all so precious to me and as Mother's Day approaches I really feel so fortunate to have them in my life. Time is so precious and needs to be spent with the MOST precious.

While the quality of this picture is wretched, you get the point...they're cute. :)

One more quick pic of Micah...

Look at that Mohawk and those yummy cheeks!

Micah and Peyton

The girls are wonderful! Of course by now we have become accustomed to having two little girls. The difference basically adds up to an extra person to bathe and feed which is completely counter balanced with the joy that Micah brings. Peyton is absolutely in love with her and frequently tells me and Kris, "I love Micah more than anyone." Which I take in stride, knowing that I have the fabulous job of making sure Peyton always loves Micah that much! Micah is now 4 months old and a beefy 15 lbs. She is such a pleasant baby and has blessed us by sleeping through the night. Peyton did not sleep through the night until she was 10 months old, so I am completely convinced this is God's little gift to us, a consolation prize for the previous sleepless nights. :) Micah is very strong and enjoys standing in her exersaucer while Peyton loudly attempts to teach her how to play with every toy attached to the thing. Peyton makes me smile when I hear her telling Micah the ways of the world. (How to talk, what to do when someone is mean to you, How Jesus died on the cross for us, "and you too Micah" she says) I cannot believe my heart can carry so much love for those two baby girls. It's the most incredible feeling yet so heart wrenching to have your soul out there in the world, out of your body, trusting others to take the best care of it.
On another note, I cannot believe that Christmas time is here again. Peyton loved helping me decorate so much that we ended up with two trees in the Living Room and one little tree in her room. It is so much fun to celebrate the season with children. Their little faces are just too precious. We have adopted an elf like many families I know. Peyton named him Elvis Snowflake Glitter. His job is to hang around the house all day getting juicy information on Peyton's behavior for Santa. Then at night Elvis jets off to the North Pole and gives Santa the skinny. Then he returns to the house and sits in a different spot. So far I have only forgotten to move the stinkn' thing once, which I quickly made up a cover story. I am looking forward to my 2 weeks off of work to enjoy Christmas movies, ice skating and pajama days with my little ladies.

Below is a picture of me with the girls at the Pink Palace Museum. I surprised Peyton by bringing her there to watch Santa Clause land in a helicopter! Afterwards we looked at the beautiful trees and decorations set up inside and had the girls' picture taken with Santa too.

Kris had track practice that morning but my Mom was kind enough to assist me with the outing. It's always easier with an extra pair of hands!

Peyton is such a gorgeous FIVE year old!!

Micah's birth announcement

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Reminiscing...

So, today while I was extremely bored at work, I began reminiscing. I was thinking about a much younger Peyton. She has grown up so much in the last several months and it makes me terribly sad. It is exciting to have another baby to relive all of the fun, chubby legged (hers, not mine) experiences I had with Peyton. I know Peyton is going to be such an incredible big sister. I cannot wait for the fun ahead!

This is a picture of Peyton at ONE year old. Look at those chubby arms...just want to squeeze her! 

Baby Shower

I was blessed to have two very special ladies throw me a baby shower to celebrate Micah Rose this past Saturday. Stacey and Angie hosted such a beautiful shower. I was very appreciative of our friends who were able to attend and the sweet gifts.

Peyton was very helpful and opened each of Micah's gifts. She is so excited about being a big sister. She reminds me often that she will be doing most of the work and she will let me know if she needs any help.

Only 5 more weeks until Micah's arrival!!!

Celebrate!

Yesterday was a day of celebration times 2. It was Kathy's (munner) birthday and it was our 8th wedding anniversary. I cannot believe that Kris and I have been married for EIGHT years. After a long day of working summer school I decided a night at home would be much better than going to dinner. But, we did get a cake for Munner's birthday. When it was time to put candles on the cake we realized we were completely out of the bulk pack of birthday candles that are probably older than me. Kris decided to get creative by shoving a hot pink marker into the top of the cake. Peyton led us in a birthday song and then helped Munner blow out her marker. All in all, a good day. While everyone was eating I asked Peyton why people get married. She said, "Because they like eachother. Because they love eachother. Because they think the other person is a good person." That sums it up for me.

Peyton, pregnancy and Pre-K

Peyton is now old enough to move into the Pre-K classroom. She is super pumped about this change of scenery but momma is super anxious. I have always been a little nutty when it pertains to my little girl. But the thought of her moving upstairs at school, away from the baby classes and close to the big kids, makes me nervous. Peyton, on the other hand, spent several hours last night squeeling about Pre-K and how proud she is of herself. Kris and I cannot believe it is already time for our baby to go to Pre-K. It is really annoying when people tell you how fast time flies with your children, but it is SO TRUE. It feels like just yesterday that I was chasing her around the house to video tape her crawling.

As you can see, I am now 32 weeks pregnant. I am really beginning to slow down and the 100 degree Memphis temps have become my enemy. I am looking forward to late July and this sweet baby girl's arrival.

Big Wheels

Busy bees

Okay, as usual it has been months since I posted. Sorry to the few family members who check this thing regularly. Well, we have been extremely busy lately. We have a contract on a beautiful house that the three of us love. We are supposed to close on the house on June 23rd. We are very excited since this is something we have looked forward to for a long while. Also, baby Micah will be here in the next 8 weeks! Peyton has become quite annoyed with the long wait. She speaks to Micah daily and always wants to hug and kiss my belly. So basically in 8 weeks we have to move and have a baby. I of course am completely rational and not at all stressed by this...right.
Kris just wrapped up the track season and his kids were pretty successful. Of course in true Kris Harman fashion he is looking forward to next season already. At the track banquet, several of the Seniors had some pretty incredible things to say about Kris which made my pregnant and hormonal self tear up a little. Awkward. One of the kids referred to Kris as a "second father." It was an awesome time but I am happy the season is over so that Peyton and I can have Kris to ourselves for a bit. On that note, in the last 48 hours Kris has taken Peyton to a water park, two regular parks, swimming, played in the sprinklers, practiced baseball and had several restaurant trips. This is what happens while I work summer school folks.

Come soon...

Well, we are now 16, nearly 17 weeks pregnant! The three of us are so excited. Lastnight, Peyton put her face by my belly and used my bellybutton as a microphone and shouted, "I love you baby, please come soon!" We find out on March 9th if we are expecting a boy or a girl. I am just looking forward to seeing that sweet baby on the ultrasound screen!

Hello again

Okay, as usual I have taken a long break between posts. So, time to catch up...
First, as most of you should know, we are pregnant with baby #2 and due on August
3rd. Peyton is super excited and has made it clear that she wants a girl. Kris and I have no preference, just healthy and happy! We are preparing to buy a new home within the next six months. We are so excited because we have worked really hard to make it happen. Peyton refers to this as, "Moving Up." We also both graduated in December with our Masters degrees. So, all in all things are great! And of course ther's P. Peyton has become quite the comedian. She is constantly using her quick witt to keep her out of trouble, make others laugh, or steal attention from random passers by. For instance, Kris and Peyton went sledding when it snowed and of course I dressed her in multiple layers of mismatched clothing. She saw her Dad, looked in the mirror and said, with a huff, "Dad, we look like EDDiots!" After we finished laughing we told her that was not a nice word. It reminds me of when she was two and saw it had snowed a large amount during nap time. Her response, "HOLY CRAP! It snowed!"
She is great! I hope we have another hot mess just like her, eventhough she did use a large packing box to throw all of her toys in, closed it tight and claimed she had cleaned her room yesterday. These are things I am willing to deal with because I get the funny everyday.

Wonderful Weekend!

This past weekend was incredible. Peyton was a flower girl in my friend's wedding. We drove to Seagrove, Fl and had a great time. I will be posting more pictures when I have some time.

Peyton...

Peyton was at my parents' house early in the morning. My mom was getting ready for work and my father began making the bed. Peyton said, "Pa, you are the best Pa ever, because you do the stuff that Ma forgets to do."

At school, she had to go to timeout after refusing to share a toy and tossing it across the room. When she got home my mother-in-law asked her why she had to go to timeout. Peyton said, "I dunno. I guess I might have thrown something."

Peyton had her first hair cut! I took her to a place called Sweet and Sassy. They use a lot of glitter there so I figured she would sit still for them. Unfortunately, now that her hair is cut, it doesn't have many curls anymore. This saddens me.