The Mason's

Our Birthday Boy

2010-06-14T16:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday Sweet Salem!!!

We celebrated Salem's 1st birthday this past weekend. I still cannot believe he is 1 years old. This year has flown by. Time just seems to be going by so fast now that we have two little ones. We had a really fun weekend. My mom was here to celebrate and help with our little party so that made it a lot easier! The boys are having so much fun with Nanny! We decided to have a whale themed party for Salem complete with a sweet little whale cake and fun cookies! Here are some fun pics from his sweet little party we had last night. He was such a happy boy!! He loves the crowd!

Also added some pics of our morning, we went to potters marsh which is about 5 min from our place! Amazing place to watch birds and the scenery is quite breathtaking! The boys loved walking on the boardwalk!!

Texas Trip

2010-05-26T08:03:00.001-07:00

Me and the boys just got back from a 2 week stay in Texas. We had such a great time hanging out with friends and family. It was Salem's first time to go to Texas so it was a lot of fun for him to meet everyone! We got to go to Dallas and see Grandma and Grandpa, Uncle Sam, Aunt Shelby, and cousin Cade. Miles still talks about the "green" bath water that Grandma made for him. While in Dallas we made a pit stop at the new Whole Foods near North Park mall, can I say amazing! I miss that place so much!

We had a great time in The Woodlands with my parents and also my brother Wes and his wife Linda came in for a visit too while we were there. It was so much fun to hang out, cook, and eat at some of our favorite Texas restaurants! Some of the highlights of our trip were, playing in the fountains on the waterway, eating at Little Pappasitos, our many wagon rides, playing at Becky's pool, our fabulous playdate with all my lifelong friends, Wes and Linda's amazing meal that they made, Mothers Day picnic, our long excursion into Houston, getting to hear Zach and the band at crowded house, letting the boys play in their diapers (this doesn't happen to often in Alaska, hanging out with girlfriends, just being with family (there's nothing like it!!!

We had so much fun!!

mid week pics

2010-03-24T21:32:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend it was pretty warm outside which meant we actually got to get outside a little and walk around and explore. On Sunday we went to this really neat area in midtown called the lagoon which is a big frozen lake which backs up to the coastal trail. There were a ton of people out playing hockey and ice skating. Corey got some really fun pics of Miles. The camera bag app on the I phone is a must have!

The pic of the little girl, is Finley, Mile's new best friend. He loves her!

go buy this right now

2010-03-24T21:19:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful, yummy treat!

TGIF

2010-03-19T15:25:00.000-07:00

Well it's Friday, again, I feel like the weeks are just zooming by. Not much new to report. We don't have much planned for this weekend, except for possibly a movie night tonight with homemade popcorn! We had a fun week and were actually able to get outside and walk around a bit. Miles loves pushing Salem in the stroller. He also likes getting outside to push his lawn mower and wagon. I am so looking forward to warmer weather, and late night summer walks. The longer days have me itching for summer! Here are some fun pics from our week, and some random pics of my Easter/spring decor! Much love to everyone!

St. Patty's day

Sweet Salem

The start of our special painting in honor of cousin Daniel who has been in heaven with Jesus for 5 years on the 23rd. Miles loves to paint!

this and that

2010-03-13T21:29:00.000-08:00

This weekend has been a lot of fun! On Friday we had some friends over for homemade pizza! Miles loved helping me make the dough, what fun! As you can see we are having to get a little creative with activities in the house (playing in laundry baskets), but hey they loved it! It's the little things, right!

weekend pics

2010-03-13T21:13:00.000-08:00

We had a great day today! We decided it was time to get out of Anchorage so we went on a little daytrip to Whittier and Girdwood. In order to get to Whittier you have to ride through a tunnel that is 2 miles. Miles loved that part! It's a little creepy and claustrophobic. Here are some pics from our day.

Nothing new under the sun

2010-03-09T16:32:00.000-08:00

So this week is off to a pretty slow start. It's been pouring snow here all day. It's finally let up a bit. We've just been staying in the last couple of days having hot chocolate and making crafts. This morning Miles and I painted on this huge piece of paper, I really like painting, maybe I'll tackle that one of these days. Corey and I have started this new study in sunday school called becoming a good samaritan. It's right up my alley and I am really enjoying it. This past Sunday our lesson was about seeking social justice and reconciliation. There is a really neat part of the study in which you tackle on your own at home, this week I've really been fascinated by the following site: betterworldshopper.com. One of the challenges for this particular session was to shop responsibly. This website provides the latest information on more than 100 of the largest U.S. companies with the most popular brands across twenty-five industries. You can use the information on this website to help know which companies to avoid and which ones are moving toward economic, social, and environmental responsibility. This is becoming such a passion of mine, I really feel the need to be a good steward of what God has given me while here on this earth. Anyways, now on to what everyone really wants....pictures!

FurRondy Weekend

2010-03-01T15:05:00.000-08:00

This weekend we decided to venture out into town to experience some of the annual "Fur Rondy" festivities. Fur Rondy is a big event that happens every year to celebrate and get ready for the Alaskan Iditarod. Here is a little history just in case you are interested:

Seventy-Five Years of History!

The Fur Rondy Festival is a significant part of the history and tradition of Anchorage. In the mid 1930's, Anchorage was just a small town of about 3,000 people that stretched between Park Strip and Ship Creek. There were no televisions, malls or movie theaters, no video games, ipods or computers, not even an Iditarod! Winters were brutal and stoking fires, shoveling snow and surviving the elements was the basic daily pastime in those days.
Vern Johnson, the father of the Fur Rendezvous, was a likeable, outgoing Anchorage citizen with a keen understanding of social conditions. He and his friends decided to establish a 3-day Festival to coincide with the time that the miners and trappers came to town with their winter's yield. It began as a three-day sports tournament on February 15, 16 and 17, 1935 and featured skiing, hockey, basketball, boxing and a children's sled dog race down Fourth Avenue. Nearly the entire population of Anchorage turned out for the bonfire and torchlight parade.

Since then, the Fur Rendezvous has earned national and international notoriety, and visitors from throughout the world descend on Anchorage every February.

Despite the passage of time and a multitude of modern diversions, Fur Rendezvous remains a highly anticipated time of year. There are still many Fur Rendezvous events that have withstood the test of time and continue to maintain their unique character. The Official Rondy Fur Auction has been a staple of the Festival since the beginning and the Festival was named in large part to the economic importance of the Alaskan fur trade. Given that the fur trade was Alaska's third most valuable industry in those days, incorporating the industry into the celebration was a logical idea. The Blanket Toss, an ancient Native Alaskan tradition, joined the Festival in 1950. Native Alaskans were flown into Anchorage from Nome and the Little Diomede Islands to participate in the Blanket Toss and to showcase their captivating tribal dances.

The World Championship Sled Dog Race debuted in 1946 and has become the cornerstone event of the Festival bringing teams of sled dogs and mushers to Anchorage from across Alaska and all over the world. The World Championship Dog Weight Pull began in 1967 as a bet between two dog owners to see whose animal could pull the most weight. Four decades later, dog owners are still competing against each other for the cash, notoriety and the illustrious World Champion title for the event. Other traditional Fur Rondy events include the Rondy Carnival, the Grand Parade, the uniquely Alaskan Original Men's Snowshoe Softball and the Grand Prix Auto Race, one of the oldest street races in North America.

*****************************************************************************

So on Friday I took the boys to the see the annual sled dog races. It was a lot of fun and Miles couldn't stop talking about the "doggies." On Friday we also visited this amazing bakery called Fire Island which is nestled in one of Anchorage's downtown neighborhoods. It is a family run bakery with amazing artisan breads and pastries! This will for sure be one of my most frequented spots... fireislandbread.com. On Sunday we went downtown again to take part in the running of the reindeers. It was fun, but a little stressful with the boys as you can imagine. Here are some pics from our "FurRondy" adventures!

Did I mention we live in Alaska! HA!

Our Life in Alaska

2010-02-25T16:25:00.000-08:00

Wow, it has been a while, and I finally feel like life is somewhat normal again, which means I feel the freedom to blog. Life has changed so much for the Masons over the past 3 months. Change is so hard, but this change is proving to be really good for our family. We moved to Anchorage on December, 29th. I will always remember this because it is our anniversary. We quickly found a really great place to live with an amazing few of the mountains and ocean. Our view will never get old. We are starting to get into a routine which consists mostly of getting creative "at home" with the boys. Having two kids is a lot harder than just one. We are starting to realize we would much rather spend the night at home then try to brave it out with 2 young boys. We are starting to learn our way around town and of course I am always on the look out for new "treat places".

Miles is growing up so fast and truly is such a joy. He is talking up a storm and is really starting to understand everything we say. We really have to be careful with our words because he will copy everything we say including....ohh shoot! It's too funny. Miles has gotten really into reading. I think he would be happy if I just read to him all day every day. He has his favorites but is constantly adding new books into the mix. He also loves helping me cook. Anytime he sees me starting to cook a meal whether it be breakfast or dinner he runs for his stool and says "I wanna help mommy". I love it. He is a really good helper. In other news he is starting to be quite feisty with his little brother. I can't leave the two alone because Miles is very possessive of all of "his" toys and will very quickly let Salem know when something is his! I feel like I am just refereeing all day. Miles loves to play with Salem but at this stage he is bit rough and aggressive. I hope this stage will pass sooner than later. Everyday I must choose my battles!

Salem is 8 months old and is still my little baby. He still feels so young to me even-though he is fastly approaching one! I can't believe he will be one in 4 months. Actually I can, seeing how fast the months go by now. Salem is getting around everywhere. He is an accomplished crawler and is pulling up on everything. He is still waking up at night, and that is another story, but as far as I'm concerned he is my last so I can handle it for a bit longer. He is a great napper which makes for a nice daytime routine!

Corey is really liking his new job and is loving "going" to work again. He is gearing up for the season and starting slowly to meet with clients and preparing bids. I am really loving being at home with Miles and Salem and am thankful that I get the opportunity to do this. Life goes by so fast and the boys will only be little for so long. I am thankful that I get to be by their side right here and now. It's the little things that make it so worth it! So, I will leave you with a few of our favorite Alaska spots and what we are into these days! Many many blessings from the Masons

some of my favorite spots:
aksugarspoon.com
beartooththeatre.net
shop-bella.com
arcticplaygroundz.com
fullcirclefarm.com
our favorite music right now: the xx.....miles loves the drums, you should see him dance when we put it on
http://blogs.asburyseminary.edu/asbury-reader

I realize that most of you have seen these pictures, I am really going to try to start taking pictures everyday so that I can post more! Stay tuned!

Finally something new!

2009-08-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

Hello friends and family,
I am so sorry that this blog has been so neglected lately... you can imagine why! I finally feel like life is a little back to normal and things are starting to slow down a little. We have had such a fun summer! Corey just returned from a 2 week trip to Alaska. He was working up there for his old boss in Anchorage. We missed him a lot but somehow managed without him. My mom and dad were here to help so that made the load a lot easier. Both Salem and Miles are growing like weeds, literally! Miles is talking up a storm which is a lot of fun even though his favorite word is NO! I think someday soon he will learn that he doesn't have to say NO to everything! Salem is almost 2 mo. old and is already weighing in at 11 pounds! He is a bruiser and quite a cute bruiser indeed! He is starting to coo and smile which makes motherhood so worth it! Well, Salem will officially be 2 mo. old this coming week so I will post his official stats once we have his checkup! For now I will leave you with pics! Cheers!

Not much time

2009-06-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hello All, I don't have much free time these days so I thought I would just post some pics! Hope you enjoy!

Can't believe Salem will be 3 weeks old on Friday! He's already grown so much!! I wish I could freeze time!

Baby boy Salem is here!

2009-06-25T08:18:00.001-07:00

Salem Lee Mason is here!

Friday, June 12 2009 @ 4:20 p.m.
Asheville, N.C.
6lbs 7oz 19 inches long

Salem's Birth Story,
Salem came with no warning at all!! I was not expecting him to come so soon, however I was excited when it all happened! I thought for sure I would be late again, since I was so late with Miles. So the story begins....I woke up Thursday night with light contractions coming every 5 minutes. They started at about 2 am and never really went away. They weren't too bad, but I knew it was different because they were so regular. I finally got out of bed at about 5:30 and put a load of Salem's clothes and bedding in. We hadn't even set up his crib yet, so I figured well if I"m in labor I better get on that! So I did a little organizing and took a shower. I got my bag packed and just started doing the normal duties for the day. My mom was at my house thank goodness. She was sleeping in MIles' room so when I awoke her with the news that "I think I'm in labor" she jumped out of bed with excitement! I kept thinking what bad timing, because this was the day she was supposed to be moving into her new rented bungalow. We were all going to help her unload her uhaul and get things set up. Oh well... plans had to change a little. So my contractions were still regular, not too painful yet, but I did have to stop and breathe through some of them. We quickly all got ready and headed to West End Bakery for a bite to eat. We then met Corey over at my mom's new house and helped unload her Uhaul. I couldn't do much because by now my contractions were a little more intense! We had to get her truck unloaded because it was due back that day. Anyway, we quickly unloaded the truck and then Corey and I decided to grab a quick bite to eat from Lenny's and then head to the hospital. I had checked in with my midwife earlier and she said I could come in whenever I was ready.

So we headed to the hospital, checked in, and I immediately got hooked up to the monitor so they could see how my contractions were progressing. My midwife joined us soon after and that's when I found out I was only dilated to 1 cm. I was pretty bummed because she said that it could just be false labor and they might subside. I couldn't imagine this because they were pretty strong. I decided to stay for 1 more hour so that she could check me again and we could make the call whether to stay or just go home and ride it out. I stayed hooked up to the monitor and I had already made up my mind that we would just go home and carry on about our day. My contractions were subsiding, so I thought for sure I would not be progressing. Jan, my midwife, came back in shortly after and checked me again and to her surprise and mine I was at 6 cm. So I had progressed 5 cm. in one hour, and my contractions had slowed down. Didn't make sense to me but I was so excited, we were going to be having a baby!!! So I quickly got checked into my labor and delivery room. My labor and delivery nurse was awesome! She was so much fun to talk to and a lot of help to me when things got intense.

So I spent the next hour on the bed just working and breathing through the contractions. I didn't progress much more that hour, so I decided to get in the tub. I was in the tub for about 2 hours. I love getting in the tub. It relaxes you and the water makes labor so much easier. Getting out of the tub was pretty intense. I was almost ready to push by the time I got out and I was having really intense pressure. So I made it to the bed with some help and got settled in there, it was almost pushing time. I spent about 30 minutes or so breathing through more contractions. They were getting really intense, I could tell he was almost here. So I continued to work through the contractions and all of a sudden I had a really big contraction and I knew it was pushing time. So I started to push and he was out in about 3 minutes. These were the longest 3 minutes of my life, it was really painful but once he was out it was amazing. They brought him right up to me, Corey got to catch him as he came out. It was a beautiful moment! The experience was so smooth! I am so thankful that everything went so smoothly and that Salem was healthy! My stay at the hospital was wonderful. I really enjoyed all my nurses and it was nice to just rest up and be served! I love being a patient. It was nice having the time to really bond with Salem. What sweet memories we made!

Today Salem is 2 weeks old. It's hard to believe that it's already been 2 weeks. Why does time go be so fast after you have babies!! He is doing great! He's growing though, I wish I could keep him from growing but I don't think that is going to happen! LIfe is good with 2! So cheers to you Salem and happy 2 week birthday! You are a joy!

Life

2009-06-04T05:24:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I'm going to have another one of these any day now!! I am so excited to meet you! You can come out whenever you would like, we are ready!!!

Cupcake Party

2009-05-31T16:56:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago some of my friends here in Asheville threw me a little cupcake and tea party! It was a lot of fun to have a bunch of Miles friends together! All the kids had a lot of fun playing out in the yard as you can see. My friend Anomaly who owns Take the Cake, made the beautiful cupcakes! They were delicious! Tomorrow, starts the beginning of June, my birth month. It's hard to believe it's already approaching. Tomorrow will be 2 weeks until me due date, that is if I'm not late, which people are already telling me I probably will be since I was with Miles. Oh well, I've come this far I can make it an extra week if I have too! Here are some pics from the cupcake party! What fun!

The Masons come to visit

2009-05-27T12:12:00.000-07:00

Corey's brother Paul and his wife Kristin have been in town with us over the long weekend! We had such a fun filled weekend, it was sad to see them leave this morning. They brought along their 5 mo. old Elyse, which we didn't even know she was here because she was so good! She is such a sweet baby girl! We got to do a lot of neat hikes and fun daytrips. We went to see triple falls, hooker falls, looking glass falls and crabtree meadow falls. It was so nice to get out and get in some hiking before this new baby arrives! On Sunday we got to go to the Biltmore house which was a lot of fun. Miles and Elyse were troopers the entire weekend! Here are some pics from our adventures!

Happy Mothers Day

2009-05-06T17:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Mothers Day to all you mommies out there!! I wanted to post this pic in honor of me and Miles! He is my first born and boy is he special! Corey got this pic last night while we were playing at the park. Hope everyone has a wonderful Mothers Day!

first snow cone

2009-05-06T16:51:00.000-07:00

A couple of weekends ago we went to a little fundraiser and they had snow cones and inflatables! So Miles got to have his first snow cone and of course he wanted a second one!

dinner at Doc Cheys

2009-05-06T16:47:00.002-07:00

The pictures say it all, I'm not sure how much of the dinner he actually ate, but he sure did enjoy the spoon!

Our day

2009-04-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

Miles and I had a fun day today! I finally got some batteries for the camera so I could upload some pics! I have to admit I'm getting a little tired of blogging. It's getting pretty boring, so who knows how much longer I will keep it up. Maybe the new little one will give me motivation here in about a month and a half....Anyways, back to our day, it was gorgeous here in Asheville. We ate breakfast and lunch out on our back deck. Thank goodness for that little back deck, Miles loves to play out there, and that's where he always goes while I'm cooking dinner. It's pretty convenient. After lunch we went over to our friends for a little playdate. We tried out the baby pool, but all Miles wanted to do was throw leaves and sand in the pool. He has quite a mind of his own. Here are some pics from our fun-filled day.

just hanging out!

2009-04-01T08:28:00.001-07:00

Miles has been sleeping now way over 2 hours...this is rare. I've already gotten to take a nap and excercise so I thought I'd better blog real quick before he wakes up. On Monday we went to the park with some our friends, Joy and Ansley. Joy got some great photos of Miles! I am so thankful for friends that love to take pics! I hope everyone is doing well. We are having a lot of fun with our little guy! Isn't he the cuttest!

Spaghetti Anyone?

2009-03-16T06:11:00.001-07:00

As you can see Miles loves him some spaghetti!

26 almost 27 weeks and counting

2009-03-14T04:38:00.001-07:00

So some of you have been requesting some belly pics, so I decided to take some yesterday. So here goes...

The Scooter

2009-03-11T12:25:00.000-07:00

Miles is in love with his daddy's scooter. Corey just got the scooter out of the basement because it's been so pretty so of course Miles has a new toy. He would stand up on it for hours. He makes noises like zoom zoom, it's too cute. Sorry Miles, you want be riding one of these for a long time buddy!

more pics

2009-03-11T12:18:00.000-07:00

Wanted to post some more pics of Miles playing with the animals at the Biltmore farm. He was so mesmerized!

from snow to spring

2009-03-10T11:07:00.000-07:00

Spring is in the air! We've had amazing weather in Asheville for the last week! It's been so nice to be able to get outside and go for walks and play in the yard. We had a fun-filled weekend, spending most of our time outside. On Saturday I took Miles to this really neat park where we met up with some friends. On Sunday we spent the whole day at the Biltmore Estate, thanks to a friend letting us use their free guest passes. It was such a treat! We walked around the gardens and to the bass pond, we toured the house, visited the petting zoo area, and had icecream! We were so tired by the end of the day. It's supposed to start raining tomorrow so I'm glad we've gotten so much time outside. We are looking forward to my parents arrival next week! It will be fun to spend time with the fam! Here are some recent pics....

Snow Day!

2009-03-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a cold snow day. I'm not sure exactly how much snow we got but there is about 5 inches on the mailbox post. Can you believe Spring is only 18 days away.

...watch it in HQ.

Rainy Friday

2009-02-27T11:13:00.000-08:00

So it's Friday, thank goodness. This week has been the longest week of my life! I've been sick all week and when I say sick I mean, Corey had to stay home from work to watch Miles sick. So it hasn't been a very fun week. I finally feel a little better today. My headache has subsided and I am able to function! The three of us went out for pizza for lunch. It's a real treat when we get to go out, because we don't do it that much. So that was fun. We then dropped Corey off at work and Miles and I headed to The Hop for ice cream. It's a fun little place in town and they even have a kids area with a neat play kitchen. Miles had fun playing with the kitchen and serving up some plastic ice cream while I enjoyed my yummy mint chocolate chip scoop! I did give him several bites of mine, don't worry. Now we are at home and Miles just went down for his nap. So I'm relaxing and finally able to post since Corey left the computer with me today! Here are some cute pics from earlier this morning. Miles loves the book Hungary Hungary Caterpillar by Eric Carle. He loves the pics! Happy Friday!

hello!

2009-02-19T13:43:00.001-08:00

Hello Everybody.
Sorry it's been so long since we've posted anything. I'm feeling the pressure to put some new pics up. Life has been good in Asheville except for that we have been getting sick a lot! I can't figure it out because I am never sick, but this has been a tough winter on all of us. Miles and I both have colds right now so that makes for not very much fun. Oh well it could be worse. Corey has been working a lot, they are working on getting the non profit up and going. It's quite exciting. He uses the computer though everyday, which makes it hard for me to post and at night I am good for nothing! Tonight we are having some friends over for dinner! I cooked lasagna, we are all excited to partake. I'm especially excited about dessert... some wonderful Mexican Chocolate cupcakes made by one of my friends here in Asheville! They are going to be delish! Anyways, life is good...we are getting more and more anxious about the little one on the way. I can't wait to meet him and see what he looks like. Only 16 more weeks to go! I am counting down! So I leave you with some random pics from the month. Cheers!

sweet baby boy

a stroll through the neighborhood

Bon Iver - Blood Bank

2009-01-30T16:02:00.000-08:00

Thanks Sam W. for making me completely obsessed...

"One of 2008's landmark records."
MOJO (5 stars - album of the month)

"A classic debut album."
Uncut (5 stars - album of the month)

"A minimalist masterpiece."
Sunday Times (5 stars - album of the week)

"One of the year's best."
The Independent (5 stars)

so we are having...

2009-01-29T13:54:00.000-08:00

What a day we have had! We have been without a car all week. We found out on Monday that something was wrong with our car and we needed a part that of course the dealership didn't have. So we've been waiting for the part all week, which left us carless. They told us to not drive it so we didn't until this morning, Corey had to get out of the house so he took Miles to get some groceries. Well the car ended up not starting so Corey had it towed to the dealership so he wouldn't have to worry about it. That left him near Biltmore Village with just a stroller and Miles! We had the ultrasound today at 2 so Corey wanted to just stay around the area and just walk. So Corey and Miles had to walk quite a ways towards downtown, where I met up with them for a quick lunch and coffee. Then we walked to the doctor where we had the ultrasound. Miles was quite a trooper considering he'd been up since 5 a.m. with no nap! We're trying to get him back on schedule because he's still waking up at really crazy hours of the night! Well he's totally out right now! He feel asleep in the stroller with a blanket completely over his whole body on the way home. It was quite an adventure! So here are some pics from the day...

And finally...

Yeah, we are having another boy! We couldn't be happier and we know that Miles is going to be so happy to have a brother! They will be so close!!!!! What exciting news!!

In Bed with The Virus

2009-01-25T15:56:00.000-08:00

We've all been sick this weekend. not fun! But it's given me some time to lay in bed and play with the video camera that we got for Christmas. Here's something fun I put together.
P.S. if you want you can click on the video twice and it will take you to the Youtube video where you can click on 'watch in high quality' at the lower right... it will look a lot better.

Let's Catch Up

2009-01-21T11:46:00.000-08:00

So I know it's been a while since I've posted and I apologize for all you faithful readers (family), but our lives have been somewhat crazy for the last 2 weeks! It's a good crazy though. For those of you who don't know, we are back in Asheville! We decided to come back and move back into our house which hasn't sold or rented! I am very excited to be back in our house, I love it and it's better now than before, because we've redecorated a bit and it's much more cozy! Anyways, I (Shelley) have been back in N.C. for almost 3 weeks now. I flew into Atlanta on the 6th with Miles and then rented a car and headed to Greensboro to spend some time with my aunt and uncle. Corey stayed in Texas for another week and a half to finish up a couple of landscape jobs that he was doing. Corey got to Asheville this past Saturday night after a full day of driving! He left Dallas at 5 am so he could get to Asheville by 8, and of course he made it! It is wonderful to have everyone together again! Miles is so excited to have his daddy back and won't let him out of his sight! So now we are just trying to get back in a daily routine. Corey is looking for a job and has some possible leads, which is a blessing. For now we are just getting used to life back in Asheville which we love, it never slows down and there is always something to do, if we wish! It's been fun seeing all our friends here and catching up with everyone. I am thrilled to be back and pray that doors will continue to open so we can stay here long term. Also, the majority of people know this by now but just in case there is anyone left, we are expecting our 2nd baby in June! I will be 20 weeks pregnant this coming Monday and couldn't be more excited. We are a little nervous about what is around the corner for us, but all in all we are really excited. This pregnancy has been a little different, in that I don't really feel too pregnant yet. I feel just about the same, but don't have much time to think about it this time...ahhh life with a toddler! Miles is adjusting well to being back in his house. He loves his room and exploring in the house. His favorite new obsession is whining at the basement door, he is really curious as to what's down there. Anyways, life is good and we are just waiting on the next step. It's really good to be back in Asheville! Here are some random pics from the last couple of weeks!

p.s we don't know what we are having yet, we will probably know in about 2 weeks but will let everyone know!

Christmas 2008

2008-12-29T06:02:00.000-08:00

We had a very memorable Christmas this year! Miles was a lot of fun and it was so great to be with family. Miles had a lot of fun playing with his mini broom and popcorn popper that he got from Santa! Here are some pics from Christmas morning.

some belated photos

2008-12-29T05:53:00.000-08:00

Here are some fun pics of Miles during all of our Christmas festivities. We sure did have a fun holiday!

Reading with Daddy

2008-12-15T12:53:00.000-08:00

decorating the Christmas Tree!

2008-12-15T12:45:00.000-08:00

We had a lot of fun decorating the christmas tree last week. Miles got to stay up a little late and help us out. He was such a good sport. He loved playing in all the ornament boxes. Here are some pics...

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Life

2008-12-04T08:16:00.000-08:00

So life has been going by pretty fast lately. We are still in The Woodlands with my parents, which is great. Miles is having a lot of fun with his grandparents and it's nice to have help. We had a really nice Thanksgiving in Dallas with Corey's family. Miles had fun playing with his cousin Cade and getting to know all of Corey's family. We had some good family time and wonderful cooking! Now we are just getting geared up for Christmas. Miles is taking down the Advent calendar goodies each day, and counting down the days. It will be here before we know it. Here are some pics of Miles from Thanksgiving playing with his cousin Cade and some shots I took of him playing in the yard yesterday. Hope everyone is well and enjoying this glorious season.

The Owl Party!!

2008-11-20T06:06:00.000-08:00

Miles's birthday party was so much fun! We had access to so many fine things (dishes and such) because we are at my parents and my mom is the queen of dishes! We spent all day Friday baking and getting ready for the big day. We made owl cookies, and I made Mile's owl birthday cake. It was so much fun to decorate and get everything in order. I was so thankful for my mom, she helped out so much. She even took Friday off to help which was so much fun! Thanks to everyone who came to his sweet birthday and for all the neat presents. Miles is so lucky to have so many amazing people to love on him. Miles, I will always remember your first birthday! What a special day! You are such a precious boy. I love you!!!!!

Miles turns 1!!!!!

2008-11-20T05:51:00.000-08:00

Sorry I am so behind on things. Life has been pretty crazy lately and it's been really hard for me to find time to blog. We had a wonderful birthday week and weekend with Miles. His actual birthday was on Novemeber 13. We celebrated by waking up bright and early and going to The Egg and I for a pancake breakfast. Miles ate his very own pancake, which was a treat for him. We then headed down to Houston and took Miles to the Zoo. He loved it. He really liked the birds and the inside aquarium area. We had a lot of fun with him. Here are some pics from the day!

Happy Birthday sweet boy! We love you so much!!!!!

OBAMA

2008-11-05T07:03:00.000-08:00

The People have spoken and created a significant moment in history!

Halloween and such

2008-11-03T06:15:00.000-08:00

So we had a pretty fun weekend with Miles and the fam. Our Halloween was spent by first eating some really yummy Tortilla soup together as a family. Then we got Miles dressed so that we could go to all of two houses to trick or treat. It's not as fun as you think it's going to be trick or treating with an almost 1 year old. I think it's mainly because we had to hold him the whole time!! He was super cute though in his Charlie Brown costume. He looked just like him. On Saturday we made some really fun cookies and got to hang out with our friends later that night. Jen and Philip had a welcome party for us with lots of yummy food! It was fun to see everyone! On Sunday we went down to Rice Village to partake in the Swirl experience. For those of you who don't know what Swirl is...it's this amazing yogurt that is very similar to Pink Berry which is huge in LA and New York. It's a really fun experience because everything is self serve, so you get to help yourself to over 10 different flavors and then you get to top it with anything you want! It was a lot of fun! Here are some pics from our fun weekend! Hope everyone is doing great!!

Texas

2008-10-28T09:32:00.000-07:00

So we made it safe and sound to Texas last Tuesday morning, early morning (2:15 a.m.). It has taken us a while to get settled but we are finally in a grove and enjoying being with family. I must admit I am very homesick for Asheville. You couldn't pick a harder time to leave that place, right in the peak of fall! The leaves are going crazy and fall is in the air. Luckily we've had pretty good weather here in The Woodlands. I'm actually wearing a coat right now inside my parents house because I can't seem to get warm. Anyways, not much is new. Corey is still trying to figure out what he is going to do. Miles is almost walking so that has been fun. He will randomly take a few steps, usually when no one is looking. He is having fun with my mom's dog, Sam. Well, I will leave you with some random pics of Miles. Hopefully I will start posting again soon, as many fun things are approaching. Miles is turning 1 in 2 1/2 weeks! Can you believe it!!!!!

These pics were taken in our neighborhood before we left Asheville!

A little Mason update

2008-09-29T07:16:00.001-07:00

Sorry I have been neglecting the blog. We've had a crazy whirlwind of things happening around here. For those of you who don't know yet, Corey was laid off last week. We knew that it was coming but the reality of it stinks. We are doing fine considering the circumstances and just trusting that God knows what he is doing. Corey had an interview last Friday that went really well... we wil keep you posted on that. For now we are just trying to figure out what to do. Corey is looking for jobs and we've also put our house up for sell and rent on Craigslist. We just did that yesterday and we've already had calls and emails from people that are interested. It's such an amazing house, so I am confident that it will move. Corey finished the driveway and yard this past weekend. It looks amazing. What curb appeal. Well, I hope everyone else is doing well. Please pray that our house will sell/rent and that God will have his way in our lives.

I leave you with some random pics...

cool pic

2008-09-18T05:55:00.001-07:00

Some of friends, Missy and Eric, came into town from Wilmington this weekend. We had a really fun time hanging out with them and catching up. Eric got this neat pic of the 6 of us hiking (Missy has a bun in the oven!). Miles looks like a little cub! Thanks Missy and Eric for coming to see us, it's always a lot of fun!

Corey turns 29

2008-09-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

Well yesterday was Corey's 29th birthday. I still can't believe he is almost 30. Time is going by so fast, and it's only going to get worse now that we have Miles. We had a fun time celebrating with our small group last night. They all came over to our house to celebrate with us. I baked all morning and had quite the spread. We had cupcakes, chocolate cake and banana pudding. Miles took a great morning nap yesterday so I was able to get all my baking done! Here are some pics of Corey's little shindig!

This is a pic of Corey's birthday goodies. I got him a Sigg Aluminum box that he can pack his lunch in. It's really cool.

my boys

2008-09-05T06:18:00.000-07:00

Miles Audi

2008-09-05T06:13:00.000-07:00

Well Miles officially has his first Audi! Not really, it's on loan from a friend in Texas. My dad sent it to us a while ago, but we have just now gotten it out for him to play with. He's not too into it yet, but just give it a little time.

Looking Glass Falls

2008-09-02T06:57:00.000-07:00

continued...after we finished up at Black Balsam we decided to take the scenic route home and drive through Pisgah Forest to see the beautiful Looking Glass Falls. What an amazing waterfall! Here are some pics from the waterfall.

Our weekend recap

2008-09-02T06:11:00.000-07:00

We had a great 3 day weekend! It went by pretty fast, but it was a lot of fun. On Saturday we worked on the house for most of the day. Corey got the porch primed and we went and bought paint for our house. We finally decided on colors and are really happy with them. Corey also got a little baby proofing done.

We had a party to go to on Saturday night for one of Corey's co-workers who is moving to Phoenix. That was a lot of fun to get together and let Miles play with some other kids! Here are 2 pics from the party...

On Sunday we worked on the porch some more getting the fan hung and doing other little projects. The porch is really starting to take shape! Here's a pic, it's almost finished!

On Sunday night we went over to our friends house for dinner. We had a wonderful meal which consisted of hamburgers, made from local grass fed beef, some really good cole slaw that I made from local organic cabbage and local tomato, we also had baked beans and homeade chocolate ice cream. It was such a good meal... we even had homeade buns that one of Laura's friends made. The buns were amazing. Here is a picture of the coleslaw I made. It was true southern, vinegar slaw!

Miles was so worn out from the weekend! On Sunday night we put him to sleep in our friends pack and play so that we could stay and hang out a little later than usual. He feel asleep at their house around 8:30. We got him up to take him home around 10, and he didn't wake up. We got home and put him in his crib and he slept until around 8 AM!!!!! He's never slept that long! I think he was a little worn out. We were worn out too. We decided since we had spent most of our weekend doing projects around the house that on Monday we would get out and do something outside. So Monday we went berry picking at Black Balsam. It's a really neat spot right off the Blue Ridge Parkway about 30 miles from Asheville. It was really cloudy and foggy but it was amazing to get out and be in nature! Miles was a trooper! We were determined to get outside even if it meant being wet! Here are some pics from our day trip!

We rigged up the umbrealla so MIles would stay dry. It was too funny! Here I am drinking from a tap of natural spring water! The water was amazing.

We had to put Corey's vest on Miles because he was getting a little chilly. It was too cute! The hike to pick berries was so much fun. We didn't get to pick as many berries as we had hoped because it was a little rainy and Miles was exhausted! But we had such a good time making memories. I have more pictures to post from our adventures but I will do another post, because this one is getting way too long!! Cheers!

It's Friday!!!!!

2008-08-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

We love Fridays! We went to downtown tonight for dinner and I got some cute pics of Miles while in route! He's too cute in his Levi's!

Nap time

2008-08-29T17:44:00.001-07:00

Got this pic today during nap time. He loves his bears!!!!

crazy crazy 9 mo. olds!

2008-08-28T12:47:00.000-07:00

Here is a video that I captured earlier today during our playdate. It was too funny watching little Audrey jump up and down in the excersaucer. Miles was getting so excited watching her!

Play date with friends

2008-08-28T12:38:00.001-07:00

This afternoon two of Miles's friends came over to play! We had a lot of fun, Miles loves having friends over! Here are some pics from earlier....

check out my teeth!

Miles was getting a little excited!!!!!

bumps and bruises

2008-08-28T12:34:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago...Miles had a little accident in his stroller. As you can see he wasn't too affected! He is all smiles! I'm sure there will be many more bumps and bruises to come!

rainy day

2008-08-28T07:01:00.000-07:00

First let me apologize for not blogging in a while. I feel a little disconnected from the blog! The main reason is because the camera batteries are dead and need to be recharged. Because of that I haven't been taking any pictures of Miles lately. It's bad I know. Currently the batteries are being charged so stay tuned for lots of pics! I just need motivation. It's funny, Corey and I were looking at old pictures of Miles this past weekend. We have so many pictures of him up until about the time he started crawling. Now I feel like we don't have hardly any! I guess it's just because he's so quick and it's much easier to take pictures of a stationary baby! Know he won't even hold still for his diaper change! Anyways, I promise to post some pics very soon. All this to say life is good... Miles and I have been having a fun week hanging out with friends and staying indoors because it's been raining cats and dogs in Asheville. I love it. It just makes me want to curl up on the couch and watch movies, unfortunately I can't do this. I guess I could when Miles takes his nap, but I always feel like I have to be doing something. Last night we had small group and that was a lot of fun. It felt like baby-fest, there are so many babies in our small group. They are all around the same age so it's just craziness. It was a lot of fun to get together with friends and have fellowship. Sometimes I miss being able to hang out with people at the drop of a hat. It's just so different now ( in a good way). We always have to worry about..well can we bring Miles, and will we be home by 8? Oh how times have changed.

I am looking forward to the long weekend. We are hoping to hang out with some friends, maybe barbecue and do a little relaxing. We'll see, the porch project is still calling. It's hard to relax these days with so much work to do on the house. I hope everyone is doing well. I leave you with some throw back pics of Miles!

I need to catch up

2008-08-22T10:34:00.001-07:00

I am sure glad it's Friday. I love Fridays. I don't now why, because know that I"m at home with Miles, everyday is a Friday. But there is something different about Fridays. It's just good to know that Corey will be home to help for 2 days. This weekend we are going to be working on projects around the house. Imagine that, it seems like we do projects every weekend, or at least Corey does. Corey has been working on our porch for the last month and it's finally finished, so now we have to prime and paint it. We are still trying to figure out what color to paint it because eventually we are going to be painting our whole house. It's going to take us a while though because we are just going to be doing it in our free time.

It has been beautiful here in Asheville this week. Right now I have all the windows open and there is a great breeze sweeping through the whole house. It feels so great. Fall is in the air. I hope we have made a turn and we won't be getting anymore 90 degree weather but who knows. Last year it was pretty hot here in September too, but maybe it will be better this year.

So this week has been fun. My brother Wes got here last Friday and stayed until Wednesday. It was fun to hang out with him. He is an amazing cook, we had fun cooking dinner and dessert. We also took him to some of our favorite spots including, Well Bred bakery in Weaverville, West End Bakery and Nine Mile, a really fun Jamaican restaurant. It was nice to have someone to help with Miles. It's so great when family comes! Yesterday my aunt came up for the day to watch Miles so that I could run errands and have the day to myself. That was fun. I wish I had more exciting things to do besides go grocery shopping and to Lowes, but that's about all I needed to do so I got to scratch those off the list. I also got to get my hair done which is always a treat. Ahh the things we take for granted before we have kids. Running errands is just not as easy as it used to be.

So, that wraps up my week. This morning Miles had his 9 mo. checkup. I love taking him in to the doctor and finding out how much he's grown. He's now 28 inches long and 19 lbs. He's in the 50th percentile for height and 25 for weight. The doctor said he looked great so that was good to hear. And now I'm just sitting here, while Miles takes his afternoon nap. I could get so much done if I didn't have this dumb laptop! Oh well, it's fun. I leave you with a fun picture taken at Well Bred Bakery in Weaverville. What a fun night!

this is me, doing what I do best, eating treats!

9 months ALREADY?

2008-08-13T06:16:00.000-07:00

Today is Mile's 9 mo. birthday. I can't believe it. This means that he's been apart of our family for as long my pregnancy. That just doesn't seem possible. If only pregnancy went by as fast as infancy. Well, this morning we got up and went to West End bakery for cinnamon rolls in honor of Miles. It was fun to get up and get moving, especially since cinnamon rolls were involved, and they have the absolute best! I am happy to report that Miles is loving life and exploring everything under the sun! I look forward to each new day with him and only wish I could slow down time. We love you Miles and are so proud of you buddy! Happy 9 months!

Standing Up

2008-08-09T19:03:00.000-07:00

Shelley and I went to the park on Friday to have dinner. It felt so much like fall outside. It was cloudy, the air was cool and some leaves were blowing across the grass. Here's a couple of pictures from the evening which includes Miles standing up for the first time! They grow so fast!

Cowboy Miles

2008-08-05T07:08:00.000-07:00

These are too cute! Gymboree has this cowboy hat right now! We almost bought it for him so he could wear it for Halloween but we decided to wait! MIles you are too cute!

Outing pics

2008-08-05T06:59:00.001-07:00

Here are some of my favorite pics of Miles from last week!

beach pics

2008-08-05T06:43:00.001-07:00

Here are some of my favorite beach pics! Miles was a little young for the ocean. He didn't get to go to the beach that much because of the sun and all he wanted to do was eat sand. He was fascinated with the water but I think he will like it much more next year.

we are home

2008-08-05T06:23:00.001-07:00

Well, Miles and I have been traveling a lot this summer. It's funny because he does so much better away from home, so I don't mind the stress of traveling. We just got back from Myrtle Beach. It was a lot of fun. My parents along with my brother Wes were there so we had some good quality time together. Miles did awesome. Several times he slept through the night, and if you know Miles that is amazing. We are back at home now though, which means he isn't sleeping as well. Last night he woke up 3 times. It's so weird! Hopefully once he gets his bedroom back he will start sleeping more soundly. I have a lot of pictures to post from our travels but I wanted to start with this video. This video is priceless! I'm so glad I have it because this was probably the most entertaining part of our vacation-trying to entertain Miles in the car. This was taken on the way home from the beach. You can tell that he is so tired but he is just trying to hold on! He did so great in the car. He loved this one song by this artist called Duffy. Her cd is a lot of fun and will always remind me of Miles first trip to the ocean. As soon as we would put on this particular song called Mercy, Miles would go crazy clapping and shouting. It was a hoot. He had me crying tears of laughter! Anyways, here is a little glimpse of our many car rides this summer.

southern boy

2008-07-22T06:19:00.000-07:00

My mom got this adorable outfit for Miles while he was still in my tummy. I thought I better start letting him wear it since we only have about 2 more months of summer left! (I am so ready for North Carolina fall) The outfit came from the Lollypop shop in Greensboro N.C. It's very sentimental for me because my dad used to get a lot of my clothes there when I was a little girl! It's very expensive so it's a great shop for grandparents! Thanks mom for the outfit! Miles is a little southern boy!

goofy

2008-07-22T06:15:00.000-07:00

Miles is such a great help! Yesterday Lucy got a bath and Miles wanted to join in on the fun! It was fun but quite messy!

Lots of Posts

2008-07-17T13:17:00.000-07:00

Ok, so yes I haven't blogged in a while, but I've made up for it today! I have so many pics to show, so here goes, lots of posts! Enjoy!

blessings to everyone,
shelley and miles

Pool Party

2008-07-17T13:09:00.001-07:00

Today for babies day out we went to the local pool! It was a lot of fun, but very busy. There were a lot of kids there so we didn't get to stay too long, plus the sun was pretty bright. Miles did great in the pool. It was his first time to ever get in a big pool. He loved being in the floaty. Here are some cute pics...

Tofu Miles?

2008-07-17T13:05:00.001-07:00

Miles loves his new snack, Tofu! You can see him shoving his mouth full!

hiking

2008-07-17T12:35:00.001-07:00

Here are some pics of our first hike together as a family! We went after Corey got home from work the other day. It was so much fun to get out! The views were amazing and it felt sooooo good on top of the mountain. Miles loved it. He was talking the whole way up and down!

back again

2008-07-17T12:17:00.000-07:00

I know it's been a while since I've updated the blog. Sorry, I recently joined facebook and am way to occupied with that these days. The blog has taken the back seat! Miles and I have been having a lot of fun together these past few weeks. We've gone on lots of walks, we've gone hiking and even swimming. The days seem to go by so fast! Time is truly flying by. Here are some pics of Miles and I in our beautiful yard (thanks to Corey)!

look what we are growing in our yard!

2008-07-17T12:14:00.001-07:00

best buds

2008-07-17T12:10:00.001-07:00

fun in the sink

2008-06-30T17:28:00.000-07:00

Here's some pictures of Miles and his bath time tonight. I've been putting him in the kitchen sink because it's easy and not such a huge production. As you can see from the picture, I gave him his first mohawk. He is getting quite a bit of hair in the back so it's fun to spike it up!

Our first harvest

2008-06-30T17:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a pic of MIles and our first harvest, a huge zucchini that Corey grew in our flower beds! Hopefully this time next year we will have a huge vegetable garden!

Monday

2008-06-30T09:16:00.000-07:00

Hello All, can't believe another week has gone by and that it is already Monday. We had a really fun weekend hanging out with friends and getting to know people better! I had a ladies night on Friday night which was great and on Saturday we had a birthday shindig to go to. It was a lot of fun, Miles did great, just crawling around, and hanging out with the other kids. He loves anything social. Anyways, I am excited because this week I am going to Greensboro to spend some time with family. My mom is coming back from her road trip through New England. She is picking Miles and I up and we are going to hang out in Greensboro. I am looking forward to getting out of town. Haven't really gone anywhere in a while because of gas prices. So it will be good to get away from the normal routine for a bit. I still have to pack so I can't sit much longer. Just wanted to post some pics of Corey and Miles, Miles absolutely loves his daddy! Every time he comes home he starts crawling and snorting with excitement straight for his knees! It's so cute. They are going to be best buds! Hope everyone has a good week.

7 mo.

2008-06-20T08:10:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Miles is 7 mo. He is doing so much and has really come into his own! He is now crawling, pulling up on just about anything, saying da da and lots of other funny words/sounds and is really exploring this world. He loves to be outside most of all. If he is ever unhappy I just take a blanket outside in the yard and it entertains him for hours. The only problem is he loves to eat dirt and grass. He's starting early!!

This past weekend was a lot of fun. My mom and brother were here taking a pit stop before they ventured off on there road trip through New England. Also, Justin and Nicole our good friends from Durham were here and they brought some of their good friends, now our new friends Dave and Jena. We had a house full, but it was so much fun. We tried to pack as much in as possible. We took them to several of our favorite spots, went to the farmers market, made lunch and homemade icecream and got to go see Baby Mama. It was a lot of fun. Here are some of my favorite pics from our weekend with family and friends!

Thursday pool party

2008-06-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we got together with some of our friends for a summer pool party. It was a little cold, so Miles was a little apprehensive about getting in the water, oh well, it was an excuse for him to wear his stylin bathing suit combo!

A View From My Crib

2008-06-06T14:10:00.001-07:00

here's proof, I can stand in my CRIB!

blue eyes

2008-06-06T14:08:00.001-07:00

can't sleep

2008-06-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

So it's almost 11:30 and I just can't fall asleep. Corey and I were laying in bed both talking about how stinking hot we are, so Corey just ran out to try and find some ac window units. Pretty crazy. I told him to pick up some ice cream while he's out! Miles has been asleep since 9, and I've been trying to fall asleep, but I just can't. I don't know what it is, maybe the cookies I ate at small group. Oh well, this makes for an interesting night. So what's been on my mind lately.. hmm...mostly just thinking a lot about when Miles was born and what a special time that was. I replay it in my mind all the time. I wish so much I could go back and do it all over again. Now that I've had MIles it seems I have such a passion for birth, and all I can think about is what it will be like next time. I'm really excited to have more children (God willing)! As Miles gets older it's really amazing to see how he is growing and changing so much. Each month he gets a little more confident and a little more mobile. It's just amazing to think that this time 7 mo. ago he was still in my stomach moving around, just waiting to make his debut (7 days late of course)! I just can't get over all that he can do now, he is crawling around, pulling up on furniture and standing up in his crib. He's so mobile, it's a little scary. I guess I just wish they didn't grow so fast. Last night he was sitting outside in the yard in his stroller. I was just watching him, he was so content to watch his daddy water the lawn. He saw a butterfly up in the sky and he watched it as it got higher and higher up in the sky. That was such a special moment for me as his mom, to just watch him get excited and follow the butterfly through the sky. It's the simple things like that make me know that Jesus is real and that he brings such joy to our lives! Anyways, I know this is a random post, but just wanted to let you in on what's been going through my mind lately. Miles you are such a joy and I love being your Momma!! Leaving you with a picture of Miles when he was about 3 days old. Such a sweet baby boy...

some good pics

2008-06-02T07:43:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been a while since I've posted anything. I get into these bloging moods where I want to post so much and then I get burnt out and don't feel it for a while. Life is good. It's summer in Asheville and by summer I mean hot! It's not Texas hot but compared to Tahoe, it's pretty darn hot! We don't have ac either so that has been a little interesting. We are thinking about getting some window units for the bedrooms so that we can sleep comfortably. We had a fun weekend which started off with a long walk through downtown on Friday night, followed by lunch with the Collies on Saturday and then hanging out around the house Saturday night. On Sunday I went grocery shopping and stocked up on some ingredients for our weekly menu! I am excited about cooking this week. We are going to have some fun dishes. Well, here are some really cute pics from last weekend. This is Mile's newest friend Quinn. She is the sweetest little girl. This picture was taken at some of our friends yard sale last weekend. We've really gotten into yard selling. It's our Saturday morning fun!

Pictures of the day

2008-05-24T19:51:00.000-07:00

I love this little guy. I had to share some of the photos that Shelley took today. When I was looking through the photos from today I noticed that Miles had like 4 different outfits on throughout the course of the day. crazy.

yum yum eat um up!

2008-05-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

Prunes

2008-05-23T15:09:00.001-07:00

The picture says it all!

Maw Maw, you would be so proud, the boy loves him some prunes!

more pics

2008-05-23T10:40:00.000-07:00

Some more cute pics of Miles playing with his toys! He's getting so BIG!

It's Friday

2008-05-23T10:25:00.000-07:00

Oh how I love Fridays. Even though I don't have to work outside the home I still love Fridays. I guess it's because I know I get to be with Corey all week. Today I have been doing some cleaning and organizing. I'm in one of my moods where I want to redecorate, move things around and change things up a little. I haven't done much as far as decorating, mostly just trying to get somethings organized before the summer. I've been going through a lot of Miles clothes and random other things and it's made me really sad. I can' believe it's time to pack up his clothes and swaddling blankets and other little stuff I find here and there. He is getting so big and time has gone by so fast. Anyways, I'm trying to get his room organized and set up because there is going to be a guy living with us this summer and he's going to be in Mile's room. Just for 8 weeks. Anyways, all in all it's been a productive day so far. I still need to get up in the attic and take a shower, but I thought I would pause a minute and post some cute pics of Miles from yesterday. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

p.s. thanks Cade for the sweet overalls!

birthday duvet

2008-05-22T08:10:00.000-07:00

This picture is about a month old but I wanted to show everyone the duvet cover that Corey gave me for my birthday. I had no idea that Corey would surprise me with this duvet. This was about the only thing I told him that I wanted for my birthday but I knew I wasn't getting it because it was too hard for him to pick out on this own. Well, he did good and got me this one from this really neat store downtown called "Nest". They specialize in organic housewares and kids clothes. I usually have to stay out because I want to buy Miles everything! Anyways, I know this is a little late, but here is a picture of Miles laying on our new duvet!

Turtle T

2008-05-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

Last night Shelley went through the "Mother Load" of clothes that Miles got while in Texas. He has a lot cooler t-shirts than I do! Most of them had great graphics on them. One of them had this turtle on it and I told shelley that might be a neat sketch. So before bed last night I quickly brushed this one out.

back to life

2008-05-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

Well we are back to life as we know it in Asheville. Things are going well. It is good to be back home and back into our routine. MIles is still having a lot of problems sleeping at night. He wakes up every two hours so it's hard to actually feel rested! We are experimenting with some different things at night so hopefully he will turn the corner soon! On a side note he is taking awesome naps, so I can't complain! Since we have been home we have started solids so now he is eating them everyday. I made a bunch of baby food yesterday, which was a lot fun! So far he loves sweet potatoes, avocado and his homemade super porridge. Here are some pics of him eating his very first meal in his new high chair. Yeah for IKEA!

New Work

2008-05-16T06:54:00.000-07:00

Thought I would share this drawing that I finished last night. The quality of the image is really bad cause I took the photo using my laptop but it should give you a good idea...Shelley has our camera. There's a lot of things I would change but I'm pretty happy with it. The image is pencil and watercolor on india paper. It's 22" x 30" which is larger than anything I have ever attempted before. As I developed the pencil work it sort of turned into a self portrait.

Still Here...

2008-05-15T05:37:00.000-07:00

We're still here. Shelley decided to stay another week in Texas and I'm here in Asheville just enjoying my full nights sleep. I've never been the type of person that really loved to sleep or valued it that much. Man has that changed, like so many other things.

Lately I've been reflecting on life a lot. So much of my mental thought since Miles has been born has been devoted to some how planning a sustainable future for Miles and future family. Some how trying to find ways to invest in the future so that they can go to college, have great vacations and some things that would superficially make them happy. I think in some ways it's the desire of a man to provide. It's been a blessing lately because some of that thought has shifted. Praise God! That burden is pretty heavy. Prayer has been central to my life lately. Through pray I have shifted my thought to investing in Jesus and his Kingdom. When you think about it, it makes perfect sense but for some reason it's really hard for me to wrap my head around it. Truely that is the only gift I can give my family that means anything at all...a prayerful example of love for our Savior. We get so clouded by everything around us. Even writing this brings some sort of joy to know that there is freedom from the pressure to perform.

So friends I hope you are all doing well. Those that we saw at the wedding it was amazing and for those we didn't we miss you so.

TEXAS

2008-05-05T18:36:00.000-07:00

Hey friends and family,
The Mason family is in Texas for the week! We are here for Shelby's wedding and are having lots of fun. We started our trip on Friday and arrived yesterday. We broke up the drive by stopping in Memphis! It was fun to see old friends and eat at some of our favorited old spots. Miles did amazing in the car, he is quite the traveler. I think we will be going on some more road trips! Stay tuned for pics from our trip! Congrats Shelby and Charlie, we are so excited to be here for the big day!!!!!!

Miles is not a fan

2008-04-28T16:46:00.000-07:00

North Carolina has become a key state in the Democratic Primary so last week Hillary Clinton came to Asheville. It happened to be girls night out with some of the girls from work so I told Shelley 'why don't you go and I'll take Miles to see Hillary at the Thomas Wolfe Auditorium. A little guys night out, right? Right! We waited in the mob of people and luckily got through the TSA security still with a baby bottle full of milk. We settled in our perfect front row seats in the balcony and it was a lot of fun until things got going in the auditorium. Everybody is hootin' and hollerin' for Hillary...they are throwing t-shirts and adjectives like nobodies business and then... I think Miles became the loudest person in the room. Yup. He was screaming. So I thought he was hungry so I fed him his bottom. nope! definitely not hungry! So I sadly had to close the door on guys night out. The minute we walked out of the auditorium Miles falls fast asleep. crazy. It was pretty depressing to leave. I mean there were at least a thousand people just standing outside the auditorium because they had closed the doors to a full house. Oh well.
It felt good to do something for Miles that wasn't what I wanted to do.

Lucy and Miles

2008-04-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

I came in the den the other morning and these two were entertaining each other! Too cute!

Miles laughing

2008-04-23T06:43:00.000-07:00

Here is a video of Miles laughing, I love it! We were at the chocolate lounge downtown for my birthday and he was in such a good mood. We spent the whole day down town and he did so good! He LOVES to be out and about!

good morning

2008-04-17T06:19:00.001-07:00

Good morning from Miles and I. We are just hanging around the house today and wanted to say hey to everyone! Hope everyone is doing well!

many blessings.
shelley & miles

I love this picture

2008-04-15T07:49:00.001-07:00

I love this picture of my boys. I can't believe Miles is already 5 mo. old. Life is going by too fast!

good times

2008-04-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

We had a really fun weekend! This was the first weekend that I didn't have to work on Saturday so we took advantage of the time and went to Boone for the day. We took a more scenic route than usual and enjoyed seeing everything in bloom. Spring in western N.C. is amazing. Anyways, we started off our day trip in Blowing Rock where we ate at this neat little diner called Sonnys. We had amazing hamburgers and ham biscuits! Sometimes it's just fun to eat junk food! Here's a pic of Miles and Corey up at the diner bar where we ate...

After we ate we shopped around in Blowing Rock for a little bit and then we headed to the Tanger Outlets! I was able to get some new clothes at the J Crew outlet for my birthday and Corey found a new suit for his sister's upcoming wedding! Miles also got a new bathing suit for the summer! After visiting the outlets we headed up to Foscoe to spend a few hours at the mountain house. What fun to lay outside and bask in the sun with Miles. We had fun showing Miles the creek and the really soft moss. Here are some pics from our time at the mountain house..

When we got home later that night it was really cold! So Corey worked out in the yard a little bit and Miles and I cheered him on! Here's some last pics of MIles in his cute coat! Look at those blue eyes...

So, that's a little glimpse of our life. We are having so much fun!

April 9th

2008-04-09T08:14:00.000-07:00

Today is my baby brother, Brady's 20th birthday. Just wanted to wish you a Happy Birthday Brady and honor you this day! I can't believe you are twenty!! Crazy! Just wanted you to know you are very special to us and we love you so much! Thanks for being such a great brother, friend and uncle. Hope you have a wonderful day today. We love you Brady!!!!!
Love,
Shelley, Corey and Miles

family fun

2008-04-09T07:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday my grandmother, Mama Swan, and my cousin Patrick came up for the day. It was so much fun to catch up with Patrick and to spend time with my grandmother. Of course they loved getting to see Miles! We drove around the town, went out for coffee and finished our day with an amazing steak dinner! (Thanks Mama Swan) !! Here are some pics of Miles with his great grandmother Swan and his 2nd cousin, Patrick. Thanks for coming to see us!