Oreos with Daddy

Well, this is what we did with Daddy while Mama took a short nap. However, he was kind enough to take pictures so she wouldn't miss out on all the fun. The best part.....he cleaned them up too!!

Tough Crew

Well, aren't we a tough (yet good lookin') crew! Papa was holding Mandy when he and Gran brought Kyler back from his special night with them and Kyler just couldn't share...he had to be part of it too. Couldn't miss the picture op!

Silly Mama...

I am such a goober. You would think the second time around I would be more prepared but that just isn't the case. We had a huge landmark today....Mandy took her first steps! I was having so much fun with her doing it I completely didn't even think to get pictures until it was too late and she was tired of her new trick. O well, we all have our moments I guess. I atleast wanted to share the milestone with ya'll. Maybe someday soon I will have the camera even closer than it was (10 feet away) when she does it again.

Christmas with the Barnetts

We finished Christmas just like each year since we married, at my dad's house. We always have a good time with Aunt Emma, Paw Paw and Grandma Sarah (Uncle Todd was with us too). Kyler would only open presents if silly Paw paw was playing a silly song on the guitar for his accompaniment. It was hilarious. You would have had to see it for yourself. Aunt Emma got him a doctor bag and he rode his bike around the house with the bag hanging over his handle bars....guess he loved it! All was great until he opened his three hit batting toy from paw paw and Grandma Sarah, everything stopped for baseball. It was a real trick to convince him it was an outside toy. Mandy had fun playing with all the wrapping paper ... and then ... she got her PONY! Yes you heard me she got a white Radio Flyer Rock n' Bouce Pony and loves every bounce in it. She truly enjoyed all the attention from everyone and encouraged it. She has learned from her cousin Megan what they call a "cheesy smile". It is too cute. She looks a lot like her cousin when she does it, big grin and scrunched up face, how can you not love it! All in all Christmas was wonderful. We hope all of yours was too.

Santa Came and he ate my cookies!

This was the first year I have seen Kyler truly embrace the concept of Santa. It was FUN. He left cookies and milk out for the big man and noticed that they were mostly eaten. When he saw what Santa left for him he shyed back looking as if he wasn't sure he was allowed to play with it. But once he found out it was for him....Look out Mandy here came Bubba on his new bike! Man did he get fast quick. The next big thing was his doctor kit from Uncle Todd and he even got to perform surgery on Uncle Todd and Emmitt the cat doll he got from Granny and Graddy. That was a hit. Now he can be Doctor Goulding and check out his cousins with real doctor tools instead of screwdrivers and whatever else he can dig up at Aunt Kelly and Uncle Shawn's house.

Mandy's First Visit from Santa

Well, Mandy had her first Christmas this year. It felt like she got her first...second...third...and fourth all in one year. We had and got to enjoy so much family that she got tons of opportunities to learn how to open presents. Here is a picture from Christmas morning, more fascinated with her brother's toys than her own. OFCOURSE!

Steele Christmas Eve

I am trying to figure out how I want to let you see the fun we are having with as few pictures as I can...I am loving them all so forgive me. We had a wonderful Christmas Eve at Grammy and Poppy's house. We went to the candlelight service at church and Kyler and Sydney got to see a puppet show during the children's message. We opened presents after our two little Santa's (Kyler and Sydney) handed them all out for us. They sure did have fun and looked cute in their Santa hats doing it.

Sweet Home Alabama!

I got to take my friend Tina on a "working vacation" to help me with taking my two on our first road trip. Daddy had to work so she came to help. It was a huge success...destination Mobile, Alabama in only 14.5 hours :). I guess I knew it would take longer than ususal to get there but I didn't bet on and extra 4 hours! Kyler and Mandy did very well in the car and woke up wired and ready to play with Nana, Buddy, Uncle KC and Aunt Carol when we arrived at 10:15 pm. Nana and Buddy (as well as Aunt Carol and Uncle KC) enjoyed getting to see the kids and I enjoyed getting to spend time with my family. They watched Mandy while Tina and I took Kyler to see the USS Alabama Battleship and airplanes in the memorial park. Mandy got spoiled and Kyler got to pretend to aim cannons and get an upclose look in a very old plane. Then we took them both to Dauphin Island to play in the sand and chase the water's edge. They both had fun but Mandy did NOT like Aunt Tina letting her little feet get touched by that cold water. All in all a huge success and yes, it took just as long to get home as to get there! Kudos to Kyler .... NO potty accidents the whole trip!

Goulding Christmas

We celebrated a little early so that our entire family could attend this year and had a blast! Everyone was very happy and perky at the beginning of the day and looking a little frazzled by the afternoon. But everyone had fun. Watching the little ones open their presents was definitely a high point for the day. Thanks to Gran, Papa, Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Kelly, Uncle Shawn, Austin, Alex, Gage, Uncle Jeremy, Aunt Erica and Megan for making it a great Goulding Christmas.

Shrinking Potties ???

I know, it sounds strange but I truly have to believe that all the potties in the world are shrinking! At first I thought our new home just had smaller potties but now I know that it must be all potties that are suddenly smaller.....by now you are surely wondering why I am worried about potties, right? Well, my "little" boy no longer needs a stool to pee pee in the potty! It just can't be possible. He isn't even three yet. I guess the old saying is true...They just grow up too fast. I will still claim all potties are shrinking, atleast for a little longer.

Grammy's Birthday

We won't talk years....but Sunday we celebrated Grammy's birthday. We ate great food and played while watching the Polar Express. It was fun and when all was said and done we ate birthday cake....on the kitchen floor! I know sounds strange but it was very laid back and easy going. Besides, does it matter where you eat birthday cake as long as you get some?

All Aboard!

Well, here are the best. I had a hard time choosing pictures from our adventures at the North Pole Express. They were all so good. Anyways, as you can tell everyone had a blast....especially the little ones.

Choo Choo!!

Today Grammy took Mama, Kyler, Nana Geri, Aunt Kelly, Austin, Alex, Gran, Aunt Lisa and Sydney to the North Pole Express! What an adventure it was. We got to ride a train in our (the kids) jammies, make Christmas ornaments, jump in a bounce house and listen to Christmas music. Kyler sure did enjoy the LARGE model train in the "gift shop". Alex and Austin were partial to the bounce house (Kyler and Sydney enjoyed it too!) Sydney loved watching Santa walk all the way from the back of the train to the front, and she did watch him for as far as she could see. It made for a fun day for the kids and the grown ups were very tired by the time we left. But we definitely enjoyed watching the kids have so much fun. I will add a slide show when I collect all the pictures from our day.

Finale!

Yes, it is true....all the crazy jumping and noise making worked. We were able to get a picture without any funky faces or daydreamers in all directions. Maybe not all smiles but we did get everyone looking the same way. Quite an accomplishment with six under 3. Don't we have beautiful children?

Cookies!!!

What girl doesn't love chocolate chip cookies.....but what was mama thinking? This is Mandy with her first chocolate chip cookie. And without a doubt loving every bit of it. She sure made a mess but it was fun to watch.

Picture Party

Here is a bunch of picture of a crazy clan of Gouldings wanting a good picture of all six cousins....TOGETHER....you should have seen the grown ups jumping and making noises not usually uttered by grown people just to try to get six smiles all looking in the same direction. It did work and I will attach that picture when it arrives. It was a fun evening getting to see everyone play together. After all the fun we bundled up and went for a stroll to see the neighborhood Christmas lights. Boy were they pretty. Daddy took Austin and Kyler in the wagon and they "hunted" Christmas light deer so we had to be very quiet when they saw one.

Moving Days

Here we are on moving day. Boy did Kyler love playing in all the boxes. We were busy with my surgery the Friday before Thanksgiving and closing on both homes Monday. But we managed to pull it all off with the help of some wonderful family and friends and still have the keys to the new owner of our old home on Wednesday night at 7pm. Can you imagine? It was definitely chaotic but our new home is amazing. Mandy is here eating her Thanksgiving food, what a little piggy! She is an eater for sure, if we didn't cut her off I am not sure she would ever stop eating. Our last photo is the kiddos all jammied up and ready for their first night in their new home.

Taryn & Kyle

Mama and Daddy are doing well too, just taking a time out for each other. Hard to remember to do but we sure try! Grammy caught us and now we have proof that it does happen!

Kyler

Kyler is 2 and 1/2 now. Going non-stop, according to Paw paw he is in "rare form". Loving his little sister and baseball a definitely fun boy. He spends his days while mama is working with his Aunt Kelly and cousins.....Austin, Alex and Gage. Definitely keep her in your prayers, I don't know how she does it sometimes!

Mandy

Mandy is almost 8 months now and having fun trying to stand and wanting to walk so that she can chase her big brother and cousins. Crawling like a pro and loving balls and her drum, she chews on everything.

The Craziness of a working mom!

A mother just returning to the work place from staying home recently asked me, "How do you do it? How the hell do you do it?" The only response I had to give was that, "I just do." I wonder at times how I am doing it but I keep going because I love my children and want to be able to give them the best. This is just the way God has chosen for me. It is definitely difficult to get up and get myself ready and get Sweet'tater ready and then wake K-2 up and get him ready and out the door in time to drop them off at Aunt Kelly's and Meemaw's and still get to work before the students! However it gets done, it gets done. Our days are full and non-stop until we all crash at bed time. Then we get up and do it all again.

Surrender!

I surrender! I am creating a blog! Who knew....not me. I am going to give it a try and see how it works out. Mostly I am doing this for all the family we have to be able to keep up with the fast pacings of our lives. Especially for the out of towners to be able to participate in all of our "firsts" in any way possible.