Birthday Party

Luke had a great time at his birthday party! He loved eating his blue cake, and he had fun playing with all of the paper and balloons! Claire had a great time too, however, it was hard to convince her that the party was not in fact for her... but for her brother! Here are some pictures.

Luke and his ocean cake.

Claire and Luke

"Ugh... I think I ate too much cake Mom."

PARTY!!!

Today...

Today is a big day at our house. Jeff and I have been married 5 years today. It is amazing to me that it has been that long. I am so thankful for Jeff. He is my best friend and the love of my life. He is the best father ever, and also a caring friend. I can not imagine my life without him. I love you Jeff!
Also, today little Lukey is 1!!! Yea Luke! Last year at this time I was having a c-section, and then watching Luke be swept away to the nicu. It was a scary day or two. But, as most of you know, Luke is a BIG boy and has had NO troubles getting that way! He is the sweetest little boy I know. He is gaining more and more personality each day... I love you Luke! Happy Birthday! We are having a very small party for Luke tomorrow, so I will post so fun and messy cake pictures next week!

Not much to blog about today. We had a great weekend at the Four Seasons. The only word that I can think of to describe it: posh. I love that word. We had a very fun time with my parents... it always stinks to have them go.

Luke will be one on Friday. Jeff and I will celebrate our fifth anniversary on Friday! It will be a big day at our house!

Luke takes five or six steps at a time now. He doesn't really fall, he just drops to his knees because he thinks it's easier. Jeff taught him how to give kisses this morning. It is priceless! I've been making him do it all morning!

As for Claire... did you know that the second year of a child's life is like eternity?! I am very ready for the two's to be over with. Don't get me wrong... she has her sweet moments, but they seem few and far between. On that note, here is a very sweet picture of munchkin number one. (The dress that Claire is wearing was made by me, and monogrammed by my Mom... I will be putting this picture on my business blog as well! I had so much fun making this for her!!!)

Mothers Day

I had a great Mothers Day weekend. My massage was heavenly. We worked in the yard on Saturday, and then went to church and dinner that night! Luke waved for the first time and even learned how to clap his hands on demand. Jeff took this picture of me and the kids. I am so excited to have a picture with them... I am always the one taking the pictures!

On a very sad note... we are down to one cat. On Saturday Tucker got outside. He is an indoor cat, so I always freak out when he gets outside, because he is declawed. I wasn't worried because he always comes back. Well, this time was WAY different. Jeff and I had finished working in the backyard and moved on to the front. Jeff climbed over the bushes to pull a few stray weeds... Tucker came running from another yard and started hissing and spitting and growling at Jeff. It was demonic. I have never seen him act like that. Jeff jumped out of the bushes and grabbed the broom. He hit the bushes a few time (not the cat) and Tucker ran off. We haven't seen him since. I have very mixed horrible emotions. First, I am SAD. I love Tucker. Jeff gave him to me as a gift in college. Second, I am relieved. Last week Tucker scratched Luke in the face. Third, I am scared to go outside. I am so afraid he is going to come back. Jeff said that he is not welcome to come back. I am not upset with Jeff, because I understand that Tucker is a safety issue for the kids... and the do come first. Anyway... if you know me, you know how much I love my kitties. Please pray that Tucker doesn't come back... I just don't think I can handle it if he does. Thanks for letting me get all of that out.

This and that...

Happy Mothers Day (a little bit early)!!! Jeff and the kids got me a massage at a spa... i can't wait! I love being a Mom. I love taking care of Claire and Luke. I don't even mind wiping noses and changing gross diapers. I will admit to looking forward to nap time and bed time though!

I won't get too sappy, but I also wanted to say Happy Mothers Day to my Mom. She is the best Mom in the whole world. Also, Happy Mothers day Janis (Jeff's Mom)... I am very thankful for you. The other Moms in my life: Grandma Elva, Marie and Aunt Ruth... Happy Mothers day! And lastly, all of my Mommy friends... Allison M, Allison L, Liz, Angie, Holly, Andrea, Becky B, Jessica M, Angela F, Stephie F... I am thankful for your friendship. You are all great examples for me ( i hope I didn't leave anyone out!). Oh, wait... I can't leave out my first time preggo friends! Jennie and Sarah, I am so excited for ya'll. You are both going to be great Moms. So, Happy FIRST Mothers Day!!!

Random things that I have been thinking about:

• Next weekend my parents are coming to watch the kids while Jeff and I go on a FREE!! company appreciation weekend at the Four Seasons in Las Colinas! I CAN"T WAIT!!!!


• My new favorite thing is Coke Zero... way better than diet coke.


• Luke has been on antibiotics for 10 days now... why does he still have a snotty nose? Anybody???


• Why is there not a clothing designer out there for the 25-35 age group? I just don't feel comfortable in the Juniors section anymore... anything you might suggest?


• Luke will be ONE on the 25th! How crazy is that?!


• If you have a chance go to www.ethanpowell.com. This little guy needs a lot of prayers.

Thanks for reading! Here are some new pictures...

Claire was pretending to rescue Baby Jaguar from the tree, this is a picture of her catching him!
The sweetest face I have ever seen.
Luke and KJL sharing a cup of tea.

Ice Cream

Last night during dinner Jeff asked Claire if she would like to go get ice cream after dinner. She got SO excited and said "yeah, sure!!!!"... "Daddy, you wear that shirt to go get ice cream?" Apparently she was concerned about Jeff's fashion choices! We all had a good laugh over that one!
I have blogged a lot about Claire lately, so here is what Luke is up to...

• he is taking steps, about two or three at a time!
• he will be one year old in just a few weeks!
• he FINALLY will say 'Mama!'
• he really likes chasing balls around the house, and playing with his blocks.

Anyways, I don't have any new photos to post. Luke and I have been sick, so we haven't really been in the picture taking mood! I plan on doing that more this week!

New pictures...

Hi guys. Check out my other blog (... by emily) for new handbag pictures. I have had the opportunity to make a lot of new bags lately... more later!

More Claire stories...

So, last Thursday I had to run out and do an errand. I strapped the kids in to the double beast of a stroller and off we went. Oh, before I go on, I hope no one thinks that we are raising culturally insensitive children. In actuality, these stories are great examples of how innocent children are!

So... here are two conversations that occurred while in the store:



Claire: (in a VERY loud voice) Mommy, I have two Mommies???

Me: Umm, Umm, what are you talking about? NO, you have a Daddy and a Mommy.



What in the world? Where did that come from? The only thing I can think of is that at certain points in the day she can be very bossy towards Luke. To get her to stop I tell her that Luke doesn't need two Mommies... only one. I guess that must be too confusing for a two year old.

On to the next conversation...



Store Clerk: Oh, aren't you the cutest little girl... what is your babies name? (Claire had her baby under her arm.)

Claire: White baby.

Store Clerk: Oh. (looking at me like I am a horrible mother...)

Me: Ummm... it's because the cloth part of the body is white... she's two. (quickly walks away.)



Can I tell you how many times that has happened? Well, it happens all of the time. Claire refuses to name the baby anything else. And, she is right, the baby is made out of white cotton fabric, she calls it like she sees it. Any brilliant ideas on how I can get her to rename white baby?

So sad...

With the events of last week, I really wasn't expecting to run across more sadness. Did you see this story on the news? Can you imagine living in a place like that? I, too often, take advantage of America. I am so thankful that I can drive along any given street and see countless churches. This story makes me have a new appreciation for missionaries.

Happy Friday

Nana Janis bought Claire and Luke matching Diego shirts. Claire thinks that this is the coolest thing EVER! Claire LOVES Diego. Everyday she says to me, "Mommy, Benjamin has Diego shoes, I don't have Diego shoes, I have Diego shirts!" (Benjamin is one of her new friends at church.)

Funny girl.

Oh, to be two. Claire has been saying the funniest things lately. She is constantly making Jeff and I laugh. Here is a conversation we had yesterday morning...

C: Mommy, you making toffee? (coffee)
E: Yes.
C: Ummm, I wuv toffee!
E: oh, really... well, coffee isn't for kids.
C: I a kid? No... mommy, I Cware! (Claire)
E: Is Luke a kid?
C: No, Wuke is my brofer. (Brother)

Also, Claire has discovered the game "Simon says". She has been playing it for some time, but Jeff and I just couldn't figure out what she was talking about. We thought she was just making up songs! She will say "Diaper says... shake your body". A translation: Simon says, shake your bottom! It is hysterical.

I saved the best story for last... In the last few months I have had the privilege of being in a great Bible study. I have met great women, who have turned into great friends. In addition to this I also got to know Peggy Nelson, Byron Nelsons wife. She was our small group leader for this Bible study, she is amazing. Anyway, to end out the semester she invited our small group over to her house for lunch on Tuesday. Well, I don't know about you, but I had never been to a famous persons house before. I was SO excited... My friend Allison and I packed all three kiddos into the car and headed to "Fairway Ranch" for lunch. Lunch was great... a little nerve racking, but great. I have never stressed so much about Claire spilling as I did during that lunch. After lunch Peggy took us on a tour of the house and showed us all of the amazing woodworking pieces that Byron had made, and also many things that he had won being the most famous golfer in the world. During the tour Peggy mentioned that she didn't mind if we took pictures. So, I ran to my car to get my camera. I took Luke with me, and my friend Becky watched Claire while I was away. When I returned the tour was in the master bedroom. I walked in, and there was Claire, kicked back on Byron Nelsons bed. I almost died. I was more stressed about it than anyone else, Peggy didn't mind, so I took the opportunity to get a priceless picture of Claire. It will be one of those pictures to show her future boyfriends!
Well, that turned into a long story, but wasn't it worth it? Sometimes I wish I could be two again, and not have a care in the world!

Easter and updates...

I have not been on the computer in a week! Can you go through Internet withdrawal? Jeff's parents "Nana Janis and Papa Dale" were in town all week! They left yesterday after a yummy Easter lunch at Macaroni Grill. We spent the week playing outside, finishing the playhouse and going to the zoo. We all had lots of fun! I'm sure you all heard that it snowed here on Saturday... weird. So, as a consequence all of the cute Easter clothes had to be put aside for sweaters. Yuck. Anyway, here are some pictures of our week. Enjoy.

Jeff and Claire inside the new playhouse


Claire, showing off her new house

Luke loves his big sister!

Mommy and Claire dyeing Easter eggs

Family picture in front of the spider exhibit (Luke is in the sling that I am carrying)

Bright

Well, if your day wasn't bright already, I have a few things that will make you smile. The first is the SWEETEST video I have EVER seen! It is a video of two sea otters holding hands... don't tune out too soon on the video, the sweetest part is at the end! And your second treat... my new favorite picture of Luke! I hope this brightens your day!

Honesty.

Two year olds are very honest. They let there true feelings show, and they will always tell you what they are thinking. Claire is one of these two year olds. Yesterday it was very humid out, so I left my hair wavy. I honestly thought it looked fine, I don't prefer to do my hair this way, but why fight with the weather? Well, last night I was sitting on the couch and Claire came running in the room with my brush... she handed it to me and said "here Mommy, brush your hair, it looks yucky." No lie, those words came out of her mouth. I was amazed... mostly because she had the reasoning capability to look at me and realize that I needed help! What a sweet little girl.

Playing outside...

ipod

I once again have not posted in a while. I really don't have any cute kid stories to blog about. It seems like the kids are my main topic of blogging. Let's change things up... lately I have really loved listening to my ipod. I think it is somewhat of an escape for me. Don't worry, I don't have my ear buds in unless the kids are asleep. I love to listen at night when I can't fall asleep. I love to listen when I am on the treadmill. I love to listen when I work on a sudoku puzzle. My favorite time to listen is when I am cleaning. Anyway... Do you have an ipod? If not, you should get one. What do you listen to? What do you do when you are listening?
Here is a list of my favorites from my current playlist:

• Sound of pulling heaven down by Blue October
• You make me smile by Blue October
• What if you by Joshua Radin
• Winter by Joshua Radin
• Saeglopur by Sigur Ros
• Hey there Delilah by The Plain White T's

Of course there is more, but if I went on and on you would stop reading. You should really check out Joshua Radin, his stuff is great. If you watch Scrubs, you have probably heard him before. Also, check out Sigur Ros (i linked it in my playlist). They are from Iceland... very cool stuff!Anyway, I really do want to know what is on your playlist... I'm always looking for new music! So in a way, I guess I am kind of "tagging" you...

...by emily

Some of you have asked to see a few of my bags. Please check out my blog for my business
...by emily.

a list

So, I haven't blogged in a week. I really haven't had much to write about. We had a great time with my parents, we were all sad to see them go. Here is a laundry list of things that have been going on with us:

• I think that Claire has officially come into the "terrible two's" stage. She is wearing me out... we have never had discipline issues with her, and now all of a sudden it is necessary. Please pray for my sanity.


• Luke is getting two new teeth!


• I sold 2 bags last week!!!

See, I told you... not much is going on. Here are a few recent pictures...

Claire LOVES to smell flowers, even if they are just dandelions!

Luke played so hard that he fell asleep in his swing!

Luke and Papa Gerry

Nine Months?

Can you believe that Luke is nine months old? I can't! He had his nine month check up yesterday. He weighed 23 pounds and was 31 inches long! WOW! Claire only has him beat buy 4 pounds. Today he learned how to clap his hands... the cutest thing I have ever seen! He is SO serious about it. He is also cruising all over the furniture and around the whole house with his little car. I really think he will be walking with in weeks!
This video is one that I took of Claire a few days ago. Her new favorite thing is to stand on the fireplace and pretend it is her stage! (ABL taught her that.) She is singing Rock a bye your bear by The Wiggles and Jesus Loves me (the short version).
My parents are coming to visit this weekend, and we are SO excited! I will post pictures next week!

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Check out Claire on these two blogs: Sarah and Rozie

Playing with Hudson...

Today we got to go play with Claire and Lukes BFF Hudson! They had so much fun running around outside. Sadly, all three of the Turner clan got sunburned! Yikes... we are a pasty pale bunch! Here are some cute pictures of our fun playdate!

A few things...

• I feel really bad for Brittney. I wish everyone would leave her alone. I am really not a fan, but I just ache for her... she just seems so desperate.
• Did you see Harry Conick Jr. on Ellen yesterday? HORRIBLE. The first thing out of his mouth was... "I want to announce that I am joining the custody case for Anna Nicole's baby, I'm her real father." OK, WHY is that funny??? Can anyone tell me what is funny about a little girl losing her mother and not knowing who her real father is?
• 'Lost' is on tonight! I Can't wait!!!
• I found a plastic set of golf clubs for Claire today. She is SOOO excited about playing golf with Daddy tonight!
• Claire has started calling me Memi... i have no clue what it means or where she got it??? I think it is a mix of Mommy and Emily.
• I gave away all of my summer clothes, it is so warm here... i guess that means I need to go shopping!!!
• My Mom is coming to visit in two weeks... YEAH!
• I don't have any pictures to post... they are both too busy for me to get a good picture of either one of them... I will keep trying though.