Royle Family Fun

More pics at Park

2011-07-12T19:17:00.000-05:00

Fun at the Park in 105 heat index at 7:30 pm

2011-07-12T19:10:00.000-05:00

It is so incredibly hot, our kids haven't really been outside. First of all Katelyn hardly sweats and by hardly, I guess I should say not at all. So she has no way to cool down. Since jumping on the bed isn't working anymore, we decided to go to the park. I think we lasted 30 minutes. Here are some of the pics.

See not a bit of sweat. The rest of us were drenched in it by this time, Katelyn...dry as a bone.

These two cups were ice only before we left he house. This is how they looked 15 minutes after being in the heat and after two kids slurping them down.

Poor Nate, he sweats enough for the both of them. And his face turns beet red.

And for the record, his Daddy dressed him. LOL

Beach Fun

2011-06-27T19:06:00.002-05:00

Early Morning Duets

2011-05-25T00:39:00.000-05:00

musical terms provided as there is no video to indicate dynamics.

tangled hair, pajamas, and stuffed animal included as bonus ;)

pianissimo

forte

dolce

subito ff for a strong finish

photo op

Spring Fun with Katelyn

2011-03-20T15:13:00.001-05:00

Riding her bike!!

Adorable feet!!

Even if they don't look anything like mine. Definitely her Daddy's feet.

Walking around the block, being the leader, refusing to wear shoes. lol

I posted these links on facebook today

2011-03-15T16:31:00.000-05:00

and thought of the many people who read the blog and are not on facebook. I hope these words touch you as much as they touched me.

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2011/03/lamb-mothers-and-amazing-grace/

http://www.aholyexperience.com/2010/12/the-only-place-to-really-live-the-year-of-here/

puts everything into perspective. I need more perspective these days.

It's been a while...

2011-03-14T12:01:00.000-05:00

First of all, I don't have anymore space on my computer to add photos. The last photos I downloaded were from Jan 10th. I need to transfer my pics or need more memory, or a new computer (which is actually what I want). I'd love to have a MAC, but that's a story for another post.

Since I can't post any pictures, I'll share some things about the kids. Just after Christmas last year, Katelyn and I were going to a meeting in Hamilton. On the way, I let her snack on the leftover gingerbread house from her birthday party (she didn't eat any of it that day). We get to the restaurant and she starts acting funny. She says the "cahn"(aka pecan) is back - code for I'm going to throw up. This quickly moves to vomiting and me running her to the bathroom, using my top as a sickness bag. We get in the car and I decide she's ok enough to drive her to Winfield. On the way, she is getting worse and I take her to the ER. Traumatic for mama to say the least. Once we got to the ER she seemed OK, but I was concerned about the possibility of a delayed reaction. She was treated and we were to watch her closely for the next 24 hours. No more gingerbread houses for Katelyn even though the labels indicate they are safe.

Since our trip to the ER, Katelyn has adapted a new name for the ER. I love this about kids. She calls the ER, the BBRS. It is so cute, I haven't corrected her. I know that she won't be an adult calling it the BBRS. She frequently mentions it when she has a memory of the yucky medicine she had to take, or if one of our family members is sick or injured.

Nate is talking quite a bit. I can understand a lot of what he says. He has been using the word full when he's hungry. He puts his hand on his tummy, looks kind of sad and says, "I full." Adorable!

I am so grateful for the two little blessings God has given us. They are such a blessing to me and to others. I never knew I could love someone so much. These cute moments are quite often and I need to do a better job of documenting. Time moves so fast and they will be grown before we know it.

Go hug and kiss your kids everyone. They grow up so fast.

Enter to win $50 ebay gift certificate

2011-02-07T09:21:00.001-06:00

Go to http://www.jasonroyle.net/2011/02/superbowl-ad-giveaway.html and do two things....

1. Click the follow button and become a follower of Potter and the Clay. If you don't have a google acct, it's free to sign up.

2. Leave a comment about your favorite superbowl ad.

C'mon people we need you!!

Now when you've done that, forward the opportunity to a friend who you might think would like to enter, or post it on your blog/fb page. The winner will be announced Saturday morning. So you have until then to sign up.
Good luck!!!

789, 12 Days of Christmas, and Pollywog in a Bog

2011-01-15T19:58:00.010-06:00

All kids have favorite songs at diferent times in their lives. Here are ours. Katelyn's favorite is by the Barenaked Ladies. You might remember them from the late 90's early 2000 for songs like Pinch Me and One Week. It's such a funny song, here are the lyrics and the link...

And Nate's favorite song, his nighttime lullaby - the 12 days of Christmas. I started singing it to him in November, just singing Christmas songs and it stuck. It is a night time standard now. In fact it's the only lullaby I have sung for more than a month. We may be having Christmas in July.

Nate has a favorite Barenaked Ladies song too. Pollywog in a Bog. Here's the link to it...

Family Fun

2011-01-15T10:29:00.000-06:00

Here are just some cute pics of the kids playing with toys and in the snow.

This boy loves making truck sounds. Especially when the trucks have moving parts.

Notice her boots. Ella Rose gave those to her. She has worn them just about everyday since she got them.

Happy Boy!

A Snow Angel!

Just for Fun...Blog down Memory Lane

2011-01-14T00:34:00.002-06:00

Some baby pics of Katelyn. Well, maybe more than some. Indulge me, I figure I look at the blog more than anyone person does anyway.

Her Birthday comes so soon after Christmas that it's really hard to wrap my head around the fact that she is another year older. Now that Christmas, the birthday that almost immediately follows, and the New Year are gone, I was reflecting a little on how much she has grown up. So follow me down memory lane...

2 days old. She is in a stocking that someone gave us for her (hoping she would come before Christmas.)

Daddy receives his Doctorate

Grammy and Santa

Katelyn and her two dogs.

Katelyn and PawPaw. We miss you.

4 generations. Grandma Groff, Grandma Sue, Daddy, and Katelyn.

Grandpa Henry helping Katelyn roll over for the first time. We didn't think she'd walk because he never let her feet touch the ground.

KayKay and Katelyn. I love this pic.

4th of July Fun with Big Daddy

More 4th fun with MawMaw

Grammy and Katelyn spreading reindeer food.

She finally walks!! And my favorite pair of wool longies.

Our trip to New England. Katelyn playing in Sprout - a natural baby store in Brattleboro, VT.

On the shores of Maine

Maine hitching a ride with Daddy

Funny Girl

Cutie pie with curls.

Building sand castles with Daddy, Destin, FL

Helping Daddy rake and bag leaves. Ask him how many he usually bags. He loves to tell you about it.

Just before her second time on a plane. She loved watching the plane come in.

I'll stop there. I'm pretty sure I've already posted some of these. Hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane. Katelyn is 4 and each year is precious. They grow up so fast. It's so important to cherish each moment.

Visit to Evergreen Farm for Raw Milk and Kefir Grains

2011-01-13T23:25:00.000-06:00

So I bought a cow. Or a herd share to be exact. It's illegal to drink raw milk in the state of TN and many other states in the US. Yes you read it correctly, and what a shame it is that we are unable to easily purchase and consume whole foods just as God intended. Evergreen Farms has this info on their website...

"In the state of Tennessee it is illegal to drink fresh raw milk. You can smoke, drink alcohol, eat raw fish, buy a BIG MAC with fries and a coke but you cannot drink fresh unpasteurized, unhomogenized, milk as people have for thousands of years.

You may, legally, purchase our fresh milk as pet food. We have to buy a license to sell animal feed, put a label on the milk that says "Pet Quality - Not for human consumption". Most people who are not aware of the law in Tennessee will ask us if we drink the milk - YES WE DO!"

So you can buy a herd share for $5 then pay Evergreen to milk your cow for you. If you've never had their milk and can pick up in Memphis, you must try it. They have a milk route that runs once weekly and you can pick up at various locations. If you don't live near Memphis but want to find some in your area go to http://www.realmilk.com/ and then look around. You can find resources for fresh raw milk and cheeses from local farmers in your state.

So after drinking their raw kefir for a while, I wanted to start making my own. What better time to go to the dairy than when I had 4 kids on my own. I think Christine said I was crazy. I wanted some Kefir grains and they wanted to see cows (I convinced them they wanted to see cows) and off we went to Middleton, TN. Further than the kids or I expected, but it was fun just the same. The guy that took us on the farm tour had 12 kids. He was awesome guy and was great help with the kids. Although I think he was happy to see us leave just the same.

Oh raw milk, how I miss thee. Store bought is just not the same.

Meet Trouble, and sometimes Double Trouble

2011-01-12T00:46:00.004-06:00

Isn't this face adorable? Doesn't she look super sweet? I'm sure you answered yes to both questions. Is she tons of trouble, yes but we love her. She was left behind by her owner in the summer. A kind soul named Patty cared for her until we came along and fell in love with her. One night when it was so chilly out I couldn't stand the thought of her being outside in the cold. So I spent the better part of an hour coaxing her in. She was so good, layed on a rug near the door, didn't hear a peep out of her all night. One week later we understood why she had the name Trouble. Patty was the one who gave her the name Trouble. I kept thinking, it's so negative, but we can't stop calling her Trouble. It's especially cute when both kids call her. She is wonderful with the kids, Rudy tolerates her hyperactivity. Katelyn feels like she is a gift from God since we lost our dog Rebel a year ago this January.

Katelyn makes a tent for Trouble. Not sure where that pose came from.

A girl and her dog.

Chihuly Exhibit at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens in Nashville

2011-01-11T12:29:00.002-06:00

We were so fortunate to be able to visit the Chihuly Exhibit while in Nashville for a conference. Amazing, unbelievable, and beautiful are just some of the words I could use to describe the exhibit. The kids loved it just as much as we did. Jason especially loved it since he had a job as a glassblower after high school.

We told the kids to pose and this was how they responded.

if you want to know more about the his glass sculpting and artwork, visit http://www.chihuly.com/

Mary Mary So Very Cheery

2011-01-10T19:58:00.000-06:00

...how does your garden grow?
I'm sure this was an interesting conversation. Maybe I'll ask Mary about it. She was so nice to plant pansies in my front yard. They looked so nice.

What happens when no one is watching?

2011-01-10T19:53:00.000-06:00

The 1 1/2 year old climbs the 6 foot ladder. He was making repairs.

Is it too late to mention Halloween?

2011-01-10T19:51:00.000-06:00

Going by Aunt Judy's House. She and Katelyn matched.

Even Superman's gotta sleep sometime.

Zoo Boo at Memphis Zoo. Katelyn is so excited to have her picture made.

Boat rides. Always fun!!

Outakes from Photos at Memorial Park

2011-01-10T19:27:00.000-06:00

These photos exist because my mother called one day and said, do you have any pictures of the kids together for an ad? Umm, no. So we put on our Christmas outfits, luckily that prepared mommy had already purchased, and headed of to Memorial Park with fancy camera in hand that we don't know how to use. I have never attempted to shoot photos of 2 kids trying to get professional looking results. Let me tell you, it's a challenge. At the time, it was NOT so funny, but looking back at these, I can laugh now. As you look at these, I have about 250 other shots that look very similar.

I asked Katelyn to put her arm around Nate. It ended up being more of a choke hold. LOL

You can't see his face, but that's Nate's head beside Katelyn. He's screaming.

This was at the beginning of the shoot. How on earth do you get them to stand together and look at you?

Can you guess where he walked while I was trying to get a picture? Yep, right through the water. Thank goodness it wasn't too cold.

Katelyn's Gingerbread, Snowman, Puppy, Christmas Tree Party.

2011-01-10T11:35:00.000-06:00

When I asked Katelyn months ago what kind of birthday party she wanted..."soldier, gingerbread on top, puppy on bottom" party was her reply. This morphed over the months that followed to exclude the soldier, and include kitty cats, snowmen, Santa, Christmas tree, and after seeing a poster for an osteoporosis medicine, skeleton riding a bike party. I had agreed to all the other characters, but drew the line at skeleton and said, no. So I narrowed it down to Gingerbread, Snowman, Puppy, Christmas tree Party. The only puppy present though was the one you see her holding.

The egg free, milk free, butter free, soy free snowman cake.

Gingerbread House Decorating tables.

Alyssa with her creation! Lovely!!

Ian voted most artistic Gingerbread House Decorator!!

Ella Rose's or Chanda's Gingerbread House.

Katelyn eating marshmellows rather than decorating.

Evan, voted most creative Gingerbread House Decorator!!

Enough With the Pictures Already

2011-01-05T12:19:00.000-06:00

Are we ever going to open presents????

Presents were delivered, but they didn't believe us.

I'm fine here. No presents needed.

All those presents...

2011-01-05T12:18:00.000-06:00

and this is what they loved the most.

Trains and tools... my favorites.

How do you take a pic of 4 kids under the age of 4?

2011-01-03T11:03:00.000-06:00

I'm convinced the answer is you can't. First of all, yes it's a horrible place to take a picture. They were all in one place so we jumped on the chance. Oh and my parents usually have trim on their windows, but they are renovating. In my camera I have 45 pictures that all look like the examples below. I'll give a brief idea of what we were saying.

Katelyn, can you put your hands by your side. Everyone look at the camera, say cheese.

Everyone smile. Katelyn is obviously not interested in smiling. Ella Rose, not looking at the camera because she hates having her picture made. Nate just happy to be there.

Oh somebody put Leida Kay back in the middle. She's getting away. Everybody look over here, say cheese.

Oh no, Leida Kay's not happy, she doesn't want her picture made either. Katelyn, look here, put your shirt down, say cheese. Ella Rose, not enjoying this at all. Where did Nate go? Nate come over here by Ella Rose.

Joel, can you help Nate to move forward?
Everybody look this way, say cheese!

OK, now we've lost Katelyn. Maybe we got one decent shot.

Ummm, upon later review, comedic shots only.

Outlaws

2011-01-02T12:05:00.000-06:00

Christmas at KayKay's and Big Daddy's house, it was wild! Later I'll post the pics of us trying to get a picture of all 4 kids. Not sure how that grandchildren picture is going to work out. I hope the photog has some serious tricks up his sleeve.

Anyway, back to the above photo. When searching for a present for Ella Rose(Who is a cowboy, not a cowgirl and a big fan of Woody from Toy Story3), it was either the guns or the 90 piece Toy Story army and jeep Lego set. Thinking that Chanda may want to find a real gun and shoot me if I purchased something with 90 pieces, I went for the guns with pockets. (aka holsters) We did not tell them how to pose, this was their natural stance and I just snapped the picture. Reminds me of a picture with real guns made in front of Mama Miles' house. Must be in the genes. LOL

Oh and what a good sister am I that I didn't buy the caps to go with these guns? Cowboy and Cowgirl hats are courtesy of KayKay and Big Daddy.

Nate's Birthday Cont'd

2010-09-12T03:09:00.000-05:00

Nate's birthday present. Still even months later, he wakes up every morning pointing in the direction of the sandbox. This kid loves being outside in the sand.

His second birthday party at church. Helen and Lorene celebrate each child's birthday with cake, candles and party. It's always special.

Ashley, Katelyn, Cameron, Lorene (holding Lydia) Me, Nate, Charlotte, Mack.

And what Sunday wouldn't be complete without a visit from Aunt Judy. She knows how to make Nate smile!!

Nate turns 1 (back on May 9th anyway)

2010-09-12T02:45:00.002-05:00

Kay Kay and Big Daddy came for Nate's birthday. We had a party of 6. Just us. Katelyn helped Kay Kay decorate the cupcakes. These are adorable. Nate really enjoyed his first cupcake.

Isn't he a cutie?

Jason and the Schaeffer Memorial Wedding Chapel Reunion

2010-09-12T02:39:00.000-05:00

We don't often post pics of us on the blog. I think these are nice of Jason from the Wedding Chapel Reunion. I wasn't able to attend, but I hear it was a wonderful event. There were lots of people who renewed their vows that day.

2010-09-06T14:46:00.003-05:00

So I haven't blogged in forever. Well just 9 months. We've been busy and I'm going to start blogging again. You've missed some of Nate's important moments, and I cannot catch up with everything all at once. So throughout blogging, I will occassionally post some fun things we've done over the last 9 months. You'll just have to wait and see.

Christmas at Church

2010-03-03T19:21:00.001-06:00

Kids ringing their bells during Hanging of the Greens.

Our little Angel in the Christmas Play

The beginning of Katelyn's photography addiction. She was wanting to take my pic. She did a pretty good job for an exhausted Mommy.

It's really blurry. Katelyn is the last angel to make an appearance on the stage.

Christmas Pics at the Farm

2010-03-03T19:07:00.001-06:00

Our Christmas Card Pic.

Katelyn's only pic with Santa. She wasn't into him either.

Daddy and Nate. He snagged that Candy Cane ( not real) from the photography. I think he was teething then.

Katelyn feeding the animals at the farm.

And before we left, Katelyn riding a pony.

Nate's first time meeting Santa

2010-03-03T19:00:00.000-06:00

He wasn't really sure about it. It only lasted a few seconds.

Christmas with Grandpa Frank and Grammy

2010-03-03T18:55:00.002-06:00

Playing "puzzle games" with Granpda Frank.

Nate and Grammy.

CANDYLAND!!! Katelyn loves it!! Grammy and Katelyn had a great time playing.

Still Nov 09

2010-03-03T18:48:00.000-06:00

Grandpa Henry and Katelyn at Leonard's BBQ.

I love this tree in front of our house.

Katelyn waiting for Thanksgiving Day Lunch.

Cooking with Katelyn

2010-03-03T18:38:00.001-06:00

More cooking pics. I realize there are quite a few of these on the blog, but she loves cooking/baking. Here she is helping make cookies. Her favorite part is rolling the cookie dough into balls. She is very serious about making sure the ball is as round as possible.

November 09

2010-03-03T18:30:00.001-06:00

Katy and Katelyn during Children's Moment on Sunday. Proof that Katelyn will play with anyone's hair, not just mine. ;)

Katelyn in Big Church

2009-11-16T15:10:00.000-06:00

Nikki often will go get Katelyn from Nursery and take her to big church so she can go to Children's Moment. Last Sunday Nikki gave her a hymnal and Wes snapped a pic. Thanks guys for an adorable moment.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-16T14:08:00.001-06:00

Little Bo Peep had lost her sheep, well not really he was just asleep.

The sheep is awake enough to see Aunt Judy!

The next day we got better pics. The kids wore their costumes to church Sunday. All the kids were supposed to, but our kids were the only ones. LOL

Katelyn playing with Sammy or Susie, not sure which one. She had a ball playing with them Halloween night.

Zoo Boo Night at the Memphis Zoo

2009-11-12T15:21:00.003-06:00

Zoo Boo was a lot of fun. Katelyn loved it of course. She kept asking when we were going to see the lions and the penguins. To which we replied many times, "They are sleeping we'll have to see them during the day time."

Katelyn as a kitty cat.

Mommy with the Kitty Cat ears Katelyn wanted me to wear and Nate as a teddy bear.

I think she rode this ride around 20 times. It was unlimited rides for free at Zoo Boo night. She rode it until it broke down literally. It got stuck in the air and all the Daddy's had to go pull the kids out while it was up in the air.

Daddy and Katelyn were looking at the oreo cows, then she got distracted with a sucker.

Here's the Oreo cow.

Bethany Hills Church Retreat

2009-11-12T09:26:00.009-06:00

OK you can tell I really behind on blogging. It's been busier than every. We went to Bethany Hills Oct 16-19th. It was a wonderful time of renewal. Bethany Hills is a small group retreat center located deep in the woods near Kingston Springs, Tennessee, about an hour west of Nashville. The quiet and beautiful scenery was so relaxing. Except that I have loud kids. LOL Jason had been before for executive meetings, but it was our first time as a family. Katelyn had a fantastic time. I hate I don't have pics of K and her buddies. The kids are so good with Katelyn, she is much younger than them, but they take her and play with her just like she's one of them. I'll have to find some pics Michelle gave me and post them later.

Daddy and Nate, sitting on the front porch of our cabin. Now I know you're wondering, why does Jason have on a short sleeved shirt and Nate have on a fleece sleeper with 2 layers underneath and a hat? I'm not sure why either. Other than he's a little nutso. Everyone was bundled up and he walked around like we were at the beach.

Katelyn in her new hat (she needed since it was freezing) that clearly doesn't match her jacket. But at least she had one on.

Nate keeping cozy in front of the fire.

Katelyn headed to the playground. She spent a lot of time there.

Katelyn and Helen. Thank God for Helen. I don't know what I'd do without her. And without all the other people who helped to wrangle my kids and hold them so I could knit a little on my prayer shawl. I've been working on it for a year. Maybe I'll finish it by the time Katelyn's 5.

Nate and Gail. He was everyone's buddy.

Katelyn finally roasting her marshmellow. We had been talking about this for weeks. She was so excited to get to roast her marshmellow.

MMMmmmmm. "That's good, I want another one." she said after she crammed that one in her mouth.

Warm snuggly baby!

Nate and Daddy playing while Mommy and Katelyn took a nap.

Making Bread

2009-11-05T07:36:00.002-06:00

There isn't a store bought bread that we can eat, so we make bread everyday. Katelyn always helps measure, pour and press the bread machine buttons. But the fun part comes when we start to make the rolls. I give Katelyn about 1/4 of the dough to play with wand work on her own. Sometimes Katelyn will make baby rolls, sometimes she'll make a big loaf out of her portion. Then sometimes she eats the raw dough. But each time we're covered in flour and sticky dough by the time we're ready to put it in the oven.

Happy Happy Baby!!

2009-11-05T07:30:00.000-06:00

Grandpa and Grandma Royle Visit

2009-11-05T06:36:00.002-06:00

Katelyn was all about Grandpa. She always is.

Singing twinkle twinkle with Grandpa.

Vacation in Hot Springs Arkansas

2009-09-19T22:25:00.004-05:00

For a year we've been wanting to visit Hot Springs. Jim and Mae have been telling us we could stay at their place and we finally decided to go. While in Hot Springs we were able to see a Naturopath in Fayetteville and hopefully the info we learned there will be a big help with Katelyn's allergies. We did find out she has an allergy to mustard. Who has an allergy to mustard? seriously. So we've marked that one off of our list. The swimming pool outside was so much fun, and a little cold, but we swam anyway. How could we not?

As soon as we walked in Katelyn made a beeline to the sliding glass door in the back of the house grabbed some reading glasses and sat on the porch.

Ponytail shot, Katelyn was dying to wear her hair in a ponytail while swimming. But it didn't last long.

Nate dipping his toes in the water.

At the Mid America Science Museum they had a demonstration of"caged lightning". We watched 1.5 million volts of electricity spark from the world's most powerful conical Tesla Coil. Katelyn and Nate were not exactly excited about that demonstration. Then after watching lightning, anyone from the audience could come forward and touch the Van de Graaff generator. All the kids in the audience went up. But you have to keep your hand on the thing or else you'll get shocked. Not something I was going to risk with an unpredictable 2 year old since it has the electric potentials of up to 100,000 volts. But after he turned off the generator, Katelyn got to try it and here is a picture of her shaking her hair as he had instructed all the other kids to do. She was so proud that she got to be a big girl!!

Daddy and Katelyn playing with the sand pendulum. Very neat

Mommy and a sleepy Nate outside the museum.

Katelyn's First Haircut!

2009-09-19T22:15:00.003-05:00

Susan and Katelyn before the haircut. She was lovin the mirror and we couldn't get her to look at the camera. LOL

Notice the hair clip Susan gave her to hold on to.

Final Spritz and Fluff

And a new Katelyn!

Look at the curls!!
Thanks Susan!!!

Smoothies Anyone?

2009-09-02T20:26:00.004-05:00

Made entirely by Katelyn. She put everything in the blender and turned it on herself (after I put the lid on though). She loves them. Excuse the hair, the smoothies were for breakfast. LOL

Katelyn and her Vitamin

2009-09-02T20:08:00.003-05:00

I love the way Katelyn says vitamin. It is so cute and I finally got it on video.

I'm a Little Green Frog Video

2009-09-02T19:38:00.003-05:00

Big Daddy, Kay Kay, and Maw Maw Visit

2009-09-02T19:29:00.003-05:00

They all came for a really short 4 hour visit a couple of weekends ago. And of course what did I beg them to do when they got here? Cook. Do you know how much I miss there cooking? Words cannot describe. There was still time for fun with the kids. Katelyn was asleep when they got there so they didn't miss any action with her while cooking for me.

Katelyn went straight to Big Daddy as soon as she got up.

Katelyn and KayKay playing cards.

Kay Kay playing with Nate

Maw Maw holding Nate. He was really loving her and smiling for her a ton.

Katelyn playing with MawMaw

Misc Fun Pics

2009-09-02T19:24:00.000-05:00

Katelyn and Nate. She wanted me to take a picture of them together. She was kissing his head in this photo. So sweet.

Here are my co-sleeping cuties. I put them down for a nap together on the bed and he reached out for her hand. They do this alot especially when I'm holding them together.

Here Nate is with his buddy Madden. Madden is about 9 weeks younger than him I think. Thanks Aunt Judy for holding him.;)

Grammy and Auntie Linda come visit

2009-08-25T19:14:00.002-05:00

It was a fun visit with Grammy and Auntie Linda.

Katelyn Helping Make Cake and Muffins

2009-08-10T23:08:00.000-05:00

VBS 2nd night

2009-08-10T22:33:00.003-05:00

Crocodile Dock!

Nate slept almost the whole night. Lucky me there was no shortage of people willing to take him. Michelle even took my Mayawrap. I think she missed the days when she had one.

Here's Jan helping Katelyn make her necklace. Katelyn loved this!

Katelyn's version of This Little Light

VBS videos (FB peeps you have to go to the blog)

2009-08-10T21:27:00.005-05:00

Get down Katelyn!

This Little Light of Mine

Dirt, she loves it!

2009-08-10T21:14:00.003-05:00

Katelyn's Little Buddy!

2009-07-26T00:21:00.002-05:00

Just fun pics!

2009-07-26T00:20:00.004-05:00

Katelyn listening to the ocean in a seashell.

I see you!

Sweet baby grins

Nate is 2 months old

2009-07-11T10:15:00.000-05:00

Maw Maw spending some time with Nate

2009-07-10T21:17:00.000-05:00

Maw Maw was able to see Nate earlier in June, but didn't get to hold him for long. Here she is with him from the 4th of July Weeks Family Reunion.

Katelyn and Nate with Big Daddy

2009-07-10T18:42:00.000-05:00

A kiss from big sister

makes everything better. And yes these are in the exact order they were taken in.

Sweet baby with a lot to say

2009-07-10T18:25:00.004-05:00

Nate's first Girls Night Out or In

2009-07-10T18:23:00.000-05:00

Michelle invited me over for a movie and I'm thinking it was just so they could hold the baby. We had yummy snacks and watched Confessions of a Shopaholic. He wasn't asleep the whole night, just when someone was holding him and swaying or bouncing. Thanks girls for giving my back a break!

This is what happens when you

2009-07-10T18:20:00.001-05:00

say to your 2 year old. Honey I have to go to the restroom, you keep coloring and I'll be right back.

Midtown Trip

2009-07-10T18:17:00.000-05:00

It was time for my 6 weeks checkup since Nate was born so we packed a lunch and headed to Midtown. Everything was fine and Nate weighed 11 pounds 15 ounces there too. Below you see Amy one of the Midwives who helped to deliver Nate and then Katelyn having a picnic lunch at Overton Park. There were picnic tables there, but she wanted to sit on the park bench to have her lunch. It was a fun day.

Cutie Pies!!

2009-07-10T18:09:00.001-05:00

Nate's Weight Check

2009-07-05T20:32:00.002-05:00

We went in last Monday for a weight check. I didn't feel like he had been nursing well and wanted to go in and make sure. He weighed a whopping 11 pounds and 15 ounces. So I guess he had been doing all right after all. He is smiling and cooing especially for Katelyn. He loves when she sings to him during diaper changes and just for fun. Katelyn definitely gets more smiles and laughs than Mommy and Daddy do. He is getting very strong and is starting to lift his head and shoulders for a short time while on his tummy. We go back next week for his 2 month check up and will update more after that.

Fingerpainting!!

2009-07-05T20:18:00.001-05:00

Homemade fingerpaints!

A blank canvas. White laminated shelving - Daddy's awesome idea!!

Katelyn's work of art!

The messy artist!

Grandpa and Grandma Royle Visit

2009-07-05T20:14:00.001-05:00

Katelyn's Apology to Little Rebel

2009-06-25T09:25:00.002-05:00

Katelyn loves to play with the dogs. Yesterday she was having fun waking the dogs up. She runs up to Little Rebel and screams "Wake up Rebel!" He jumps and finds another place to lay down.

I call Katelyn over to talk with her about it and say, "Katelyn, Rebel is old and when you scare him and wake him up it hurts him." She says, "OK, I tell Rebel I sorry."

She goes over to Rebel and says, "Rebel, I sorry you old."

Swimming or Rain, We're Ready for Both!

2009-06-08T20:00:00.002-05:00

Listen closely and you can hear her say pretty and then kiss the flowers a couple of times. These are the flowers Grammy (Betty) and Katelyn planted for me while they were here visiting.

New Nate Pics

2009-06-08T19:54:00.000-05:00

I failed to add Nate's latest weight measurements at his 2 week visit, so I'll do double duty here.

On 5/26/09
Length 22 1/4 inches
Weight 9 pounds 3 ounces

Katelyn weighed 30 pounds

On 6/8/09
23 inches
10 pounds 2 ounces

He is growing well!!!

This picture was made at my follow up visit. He had his clothes on so he was a little heavier as you can see by the weight on the scale. Lots of diaper fluff for the drive to midtown.

Our Cloth Diapering Stash

2009-06-08T18:55:00.010-05:00

Some of you know and others probably don't...we cloth diaper our children. Now these are not the cloth diapers that most people think of. The diapers I use all have snaps on them and are very easy to put on. And if you had the chance to feel the diapers, I'm sure you'd find them as lovely as I do. So I'm showing off Nate's new diapers and I'll show some of Katelyn's last diapers. To prevent leaking on clothes and the person holding the children being wet we use a two types of covers, wool diaper covers and PUL covers (a plastic type of cover). Wool diapers covers are typically knitted by my friend Erin and California. Although I have a few that she hasn't knitted(Sorry Erin). She does a superb knitting job and is always super fast. I'll show some of the wool in another post.

Kissaluvs, the best newborn diaper in my opinion. Super soft and squishy. It's made out of unbleached cotton fleece on the inside. Newborn diapers have a snap down option to help keep the umbilical cord area dry until the stump heals. Katelyn had a stash of 36 newborn Kissaluv diapers. We used these so much that they are pretty worn and some needed to be replaced. So these kissaluvs are a start at replacing those worn out diapers. Below you see Lime Green, Natural, and Baby Blue.

Muttaqin Diapers are so cute and if Nate wasn't such a heavy wetter, I'd want a complete stash of them. I have several more than what is pictured below, but somehow I don't have pics of those. Muttaqin Diapers have various prints on the outside and cotton velour on the inside. Each of these diapers have a snap in pad for extra absorbancy. Like the Kissaluvs, the newborn diapers have a snap down feature for the umbilical cord. They are so soft and cute. But there is one drawback, it seems that when you put a really cute diaper on Nate's bum, he immediately poops.

Funny Dinosaurs with Red cotton velour on the inside.

Dogs and Fire Engines with Baby blue cotton velour on the inside.

Blue Tugboats with natural cotton velour on the inside.

Moose in Shoes with natural cotton velour on the inside.

Katelyn has been potty learning. And a few words on the subject, we don't force potty "training", dogs are trained, but we allow children to learn. According to several MD's I have spoken to regarding this subject, as well as some of the nation's leading psychologists who have written on this topic, it is best to allow the child to lead in the potty learning process. So the potty is there for her to use and we talk about it, but we never force her to use it and we certainly don't punish her if she has an accident. That is actually counter productive and can have a negative impact on a child's emotional well being. And since we have followed that advice, potty learning has been a delightful experience for us all. Now if you have issue with this, I can say that when I entered college, not one person asked me how early I potty "trained" and when Jason entered Sewanee to work on his doctorate, no one asked him either. So in the grand scheme of things, it's not a big deal if she is completely learns to use the potty next week or by her 3rd birthday or by her 4th birthday. What is a big deal to us is her emotional well being.

So with that said, she is peeing and pooping in the potty and has experienced not one single crying episode or tantrum related to the potty. Below, you can see what will probably be the last diapers that were bought for her. And these are in my opinion the best diapers to use following the newborn period. They are the trimmest fitting, most absorbant diapers available.

Kiwi Pie One Sized Diaper. This diaper can fit Nate or Katelyn. It has special snap down feature that makes the diaper smaller in rise and several snaps across the waist to accomodate the waist of a toddler as well as an infant. There are lots of cute prints and this was our first Kiwi. We will definitely be buying more of these.
Dream-Eze All in One. This diaper is what Katelyn has worn since she was about 5 months old. They are super super absorbant, have a sewn in double liner and the all in ones have the cover on the diaper all ready which makes diaper changes a breeze and really fast.

Katelyn and her Sunday

2009-06-02T01:09:00.001-05:00

Katelyn had a great Sunday. Not only was it Nate's first Sunday at church but there was a Birthday party for Cameron, she went to children's moment and had a blast and she got to play on the playground. It was a great day!

Nate's first Sunday at Church

2009-06-02T00:17:00.000-05:00

Nate attended church for the first time Sunday 5/31. Everyone was happy to see him and I was happy to be out of the house with a shower and make up. Someone said to me, "He was perfectly quiet until he heard Jason's voice!" And he made a little tiny peep so we left to go back to the nursery.

Katelyn coming down off of her sugar high. It was Cameron's birthday and she had several pieces of cake in the nursery.

Rock a Bye Baby

2009-05-18T14:39:00.004-05:00

Katelyn loves singing to Nate. She sings all of her favorite songs. The two she prefers to sing to him are ABC's and Rock a Bye Baby. Here are two videos of her singing to him and rocking him in the swing.

Her version of Rock a bye baby in case you can't understand it...

"Wock bye bebee in tree tocks

Wind blows cradle I know."

Nathaniel Wayne Royle

2009-05-18T14:38:00.000-05:00

Born Saturday, May 9th at 12:34 am
8 pounds 5 ounces 20 1/2 inches long

As you can see big sister is happy to have her baby brother out of mommy's tummy. She keeps reminding me that he is out of my tummy. Yes I am happy he is out of my tummy too! ;)

Katelyn enjoying her picnic table

2009-05-18T14:29:00.001-05:00

On the back of the "playground" there is half a picnic table. Katelyn loves to eat her snacks on it. This was happening while I was in labor so I missed it. But love the pictures.

2 Days of Rain and a lot of Hard Work

2009-05-18T14:26:00.000-05:00

Katelyn's Playground as she calls it. Franks 3rd job in the 2 days that he was here. The first day was so much fun. I think it rained all 10 hours they were out there. Frank hates rain. Jason hates sun and heat so he was happier about the rain than Frank. There wasn't a dry stitch on either of them the first day. Frank fell back into a mud puddle and so he was wet and muddy. Thanks guys for all your hard work. Katelyn loves it.

Apple of my Eye

2009-05-18T13:56:00.004-05:00

Frank and Betty came to help before the baby was born. Poor Frank had tons of projects. The first was this table for Katelyn's train set. It had been sitting in the laundry room awaiting the birth of the baby, but we decided to get Frank to put it together since we thought the date was so close.

While Katelyn and Frank were in the living room, Betty and I were doing things around the house. Betty was in the laundry room and she hears Katelyn say, "Pa Pa, You're the Apple of my eye!" What we can't figure out is where she heard this from. We've never uttered this phrase to her and she kept saying it over and over to him again.

Katelyn watering flowers

2009-05-18T13:49:00.004-05:00

Katelyn got a new watering can and has enjoyed watering the flowers for Mommy. Good thing they like lots of water.

LeedleLee Bring Me Milk!

2009-04-13T17:18:00.005-05:00

Katelyn got a new phone at Baby Boy's shower from Pam and Jim. Daddy aka LeedleLee recorded a message so she could hear his voice throughout the day. It makes her light up each time she hears it. But this day she wanted him and to have some soy milk that he was bringing us. At the first she is saying LeedleLee bring me milk. I think you should be able to understand the rest.

Easter Sunday 2009

2009-04-13T16:53:00.007-05:00

Do you wonder why I put her in this chair to take pictures alot? Because she stands still in it!

Family photo! This was a difficult one as the 3 pieces of Easter Bunny Cake Katelyn had in nursery was making her squirmy. Thanks Helen for making the special dairy free, egg free cake for her. Oh and notice Dad's new glasses. He can finally see now!!

Singing Jesus Loves me after everyone's gone!

1st try at the chorus of Jesus Loves Me

2nd try with solid ending

And a special performance of Ring Around the Rosies with her new toy Mary gave her Sunday!

Easter Eggstravaganza at Kingsway

2009-04-13T16:16:00.006-05:00

Was such a success this year. We had 158 kids not counting adults. At the gathering for the songs and Easter Egg Hunt there was standing room only in the sanctuary. It was wonderful and we are so grateful to all the volunteers and people that worked so hard to make this a success!! The children certainly enjoyed it very much as well as the parents!

Katelyn meets the Easter Bunny. She really wanted to see him then when it got to her turn she became a little shy. This has caused her extreme sadness because now she talks about how she is sad she is that only gave him "5". Her reason "I scared." But it's OK he'll be back next year!

The train ride with Noni and her buddy J.

Here's the train. It was a big hit with all the kids.

There were lots of animal to pet. Here she is with a blue duck.

And a bunny.

Katelyn and petting the goats and sheep.

Instead of Easter Egg Hunt, we opted to eat Peeps in the sanctuary. Hopefully the person who sat in this seat Sunday wasn't permanently stuck to the chair from all the sugar. LOL

Katelyn with Noni and Helen in the sanctuary waiting for the kids to hunt eggs.

There was also pony rides, but the line was huge and we didn't think we could wait in that one. Maybe we'll do the pony rides next year. Thanks Kingsway for a memorable Easter Eggstravaganza!!!

Baby Boy's Shower Sunday April 5th

2009-04-13T15:56:00.003-05:00

Would you believe these are the only 2 pictures I have from my shower. Michelle has the rest and is holding them hostage on her camera. No really she's been busy so I'll have to get them and post later. It was such a great time of food, fellowship, fun and tons of gifts. We are completely set for this baby boy to arrive. The clothes, shoes, blankies, toys we have so much to be thankful for. Now praying he keeps cooking a little longer so I can get all this washed and organized. I'm about half way finished now.

My Dad, Mom, and Maw Maw came to the shower and got to stay and play with Katelyn for the afternoon. I think she had something like 7 mini cupcakes (without frosting) and 5-6 oreos at the shower along with some fruit. She was wired and put on a show for everyone :) She also had almost as many presents as baby boy did. She is of course everyone's baby here. Guess they are making sure she knows it. She's had tons of fun with her new presents and thought it was Christmas all over again!

Isn't this the cutest cake ever????

Maw Maw, Mother (KayKay), and Daddy (Big Daddy), and Katelyn before leaving for Alabama.

When the family left Katelyn kept asking Where'd Big Daddy go. I've never explained that they live in Alabama. So this is her first attempt at saying Alabama, she kept calling it Alabana. It's really cute!

More where'd Big Daddy Go?

Jason wins Chili Cookoff at Kingsway

2009-04-05T00:10:00.003-05:00

Now I know what you are thinking, they did that to make him feel good. Seriously, no one who was judging knew it was his or so that's the story I heard. When Jason told me he wanted to enter the chili contest, I thought well are you just going to take a bottle of Tobasco and put it in a pot, because he pours the stuff on everything? I used to be offended by this when he would pour it on before tasting the dishes I had slaved so hard over, but eh, not that big of a deal anymore. But I must say that Chili was better than any I have ever made.

The crowd at the Chili Cookoff, it was a packed house. The procedes go to the Honduras Missions Trip.

Here are the twelve entries. Yes he did have competition. And some pretty stiff competition. I might add.

Here he is accepting his award. A chili pepper bandana!

And here is Katelyn modeling it!

Pictures by our resident photog Michelle "Missi" Alexander. ;)

Focus on Faith by Dr. Jason E. Royle

2009-04-05T00:01:00.001-05:00

Jason recently started writing a column in the local newspaper. This is his 4th article in the photo. Each week it's exciting to go to the sidewalk and pick up the paper and know he's written an article in it. It's about 1/3 of a page in the Health and Faith Section. He's an excellent writer and I'm really proud of him.

Ah the fun after a hard work and a nice rain!

2009-04-04T15:34:00.003-05:00

Katelyn and Daddy were outside picking up the sweet gum balls and after their hard work, had fun in a mud puddle in the neighbors driveway.

Katelyn Bakes Cookies

2009-04-04T15:26:00.004-05:00

Katelyn loves these safe chocolate chip cookies that I found. It's a cherrybrook farm mix that is sold at Schnucks here in Germantown. She helped pour the mix from the package, add the water and the smart balance light. Then she helped to mix up the batter. I rolled them and put them on the pan since I didn't think we'd get any baked if she helped with that. Then we watched them while they cooked. She loves loves loves these cookies.

Who are your friends? Katelyn knows!

2009-03-27T17:54:00.002-05:00

Today I had a cute conversation with Katelyn. To give you some background, we use Dora bandaids on all booboos, fake and real. Often you will find Boots on the bandaid with Dora. I was removing a bandaid from her foot upon request and here is the conversation that transpired.

Katelyn: Boots is Dora's friend.

Me: Yes he is. Who are your friends?

Katelyn: LeedleLee (aka Daddy), Mommy, and Baby Brudder

Me: Awww you are the sweetest girl in the world.

Katelyn's first chore

2009-03-27T17:44:00.003-05:00

Katelyn has been giving the dogs their treats for some time now. She calls them by name and then throws the treats toward them. Recently she kept begging to measure the dog food. Usually she counts 4 cups because that's what we usually put on the tray and gets it all on the tray not the floor. But we were talking to her while she was measuring.

When I asked what are you doing she said: "Feeding dog food right there!"

Katelyn sings the ABC's

2009-03-18T18:41:00.010-05:00

Yesterday Katelyn began singing the ABC's on her own without prompting. Of course I had to find the camera and by the time I started recording they weren't nearly as clear, but for a 2 year 2 1/2 month old, I would say not bad at all.

Here she is singing them over and over again while putting a puzzle together. Shelley is sitting beside her. She stops midsong stressing over missing puzzle pieces, quickly thanks Shelley after they are handed to her and resumes singing.

Katelyn stretching with Noni

2009-03-18T18:22:00.007-05:00

What is he going to look like?

2009-03-12T10:34:00.000-05:00

A whole lot like Katelyn!!

Here he is from the 4D ultrasound Tuesday

This is Katelyn 2 days after she was born

More fun at Kindersmusik this week

2009-03-12T09:40:00.004-05:00

This week I took Katelyn to Kindermusik. It was a lot of fun to watch her interact and follow the instructions from the teacher. She was a model student! I'm thinking I need to put tape where I want her to sit in the house.

Katelyn modeling her new "Barbie" Sunglasses

2009-03-12T09:33:00.000-05:00

Playing with Worms!

2009-03-07T14:50:00.005-06:00

Really a girl after my own heart! If you can play with worms, you must love gardening!! Wonder if she's skilled enought for planting annuals this year? Hmmm we'll see.

Anyway, it's finally nice enough for Katelyn and the worms to make an appearance outside. I walked outside to find Jason and Katelyn digging in the soil, and Katelyn comes running as fast as she can screaming Momma worms, worms! Before I got out there with the camera, she had a Daddy worm, Mommy worm, and a baby worm. She lost one somewhere along the way to come show them to me.

Katelyn with her baby worm and a mommy worm. She was calling them little worms.

Jason and I both had to tell her not to eat the worms. Ewwwww!!!

2nd week in Kindermusik

2009-03-07T14:30:00.004-06:00

Katelyn loved Kindermusik again this week. Here are some cute videos.

Katelyn gets into trouble for rolling her drum. I mean what else is a drumhead for, right? And if you are wondering why did we not do something with her hair that morning. We did. She gets an oil treatment (put oil in hand and then on scalp) about once a week. This particular morning she didn't want to have her hair washed out. And frankly, she won that fight. So that was the result....a terrible terrible hair day.

What happens to a Melting "Sick" Snowman?

2009-03-04T13:39:00.003-06:00

Katelyn was terribly upset about the "sick" snowman this morning. His hat had fallen off and he was leaning back almost ready to fall. So he left and went to Santa's house until next year so he wouldn't melt. Now Memphis, don't let me down. We need another snow like this next year. She will remember. After all, she asks about Santa at least once a week.

What a difference a few days can make

2009-03-02T02:31:00.000-06:00

Jason and Katelyn taking the dogs for a walk on 2/26. It was at least in the mid to upper 60's that day.

We were out in the storm that caused this Saturday evening for a church get together and woke up to this on Sunday 3/1

The weather channel reported 5.6" in Germantown. I would say that's about what we had here, just didn't measure it. The snow I was hoping for after that last "dusting" I was so disappointed in. Katelyn was thrilled when she woke up and saw all the snow.

Even the dogs enjoyed the snow

2009-03-02T02:19:00.002-06:00

Misc Snow Pics

2009-03-02T01:46:00.000-06:00

One of many wardrobe changes/corrections.

Daddy's snow angel

Katelyn's snow angel. She hopped right down to make when after he showed her how. She was really proud of it.

Making our Snowman

2009-03-02T01:42:00.003-06:00