I thought I left this behind when I moved to the CITY!

SNAPPING Green beans!! Justin cooked green beans the other night from a CAN and I don't know about everyone else but I DON'T eat green beans from the CAN, they have to be FRESH!! So this evening Justin brought home some fresh green beans from the store and asked me to SNAP them and the flashbacks to my childhood came racing back. I hated seeing my dad or mom walking in from the garden with a Walmart bag full of green beans because I most certainly knew how I would be spending my next few hours but what I hated more than snapping the green beans, picking the green beans! The rows were LONG, the rows were close together which made them itchy and you had to sit on a HARD milk crate-it was one of my least favorite things to do. With that being said, my mom made the best green beans which almost made doing all the prep work worth it. I guess I was hoping that KC would have fresh green beans already snapped and ready to go but I guess not!!

P.S. In the end, Justin's green beans were worth snapping too.

Thanks Aunt Pam and Uncle John!

Kaden loves his new sunglasses!! Oh and of course his new shoes and we can't forget about the outfit too!

Grandma Sara drove Grandma Earl up to KC on Friday afternoon to catch a flight to Ft. Lauderdale and Uncle John and Aunt Pam met us up near the airport and got to meet Kaden for the first time. The cameras came out and Kaden started posing and surprisingly he kept the sunglasses on.

In other South news, our house comes off the market on Sunday. Justin and I have decided to remove it from the market and make it what we want it to be. Uncle Adam came over to check out the kitchen and to give us some ideas and estimates and we picked out new carpet and a new couch (we still need to do a little measuring on the couch first). We are super excited to see what Adam can do to the kitchen, we have high hopes and we know Adam won't have any issues surpassing them!!

Swimming lessons are still going well, Kaden really loves the water and being with his buddies. Speaking of buddies, we have some really exciting news.... NO we are not pregnant, but Tiffany and Jason are and we couldn't  be more excited for them. My hopes, a little girl, then the odds that Kaden will marry a friend would be even greater. First Tugce and Justin, then Korie and Scott and maybe now Tiffany and Jason-Have your pick K-Man.

My new swimsuit for the lake.

BEWARE: Pictures Don't Tell the WHOLE Story

If one was just looking at the pictures from Kaden's first trip to Royals Stadium, one would think that he had such a great time and we made it through the entire game but one would be wrong! We knew we were pushing our luck when the weather wasn't all that great to begin with but we also knew we were under the awning for the game, what we didn't know-Kaden HATES loud crowds and when you spend some time at The K, there might just be a few LOUD cheers from time to time. We started off content and happy and then before we knew it, the Royals were on a hitting roll and the crowd was going crazy and poor Kaden was CRYING like a BABY! Grandma Sara decided to walk with him for a little while, I tried stolling around with him but he just wasn't enjoying himself. We could have made it through the game, it wasn't like he was screaming and throwing fits, he was just quietly crying and was scared so we figured it was time. We headed back out to the car by the top of the 3rd inning. Although our time was short at The K, we still managed to get our Greinke Bobblehead, Kaden's 1st game certificate and his Blue Crew packet, which happened to have a Butler practice jersey in it that would fit mommy! We did take advantage of arriving a little early to get a few pictures of Kaden with Papa Tom and Grandma Sara, Uncle Zack even got to hold him for the first time without making him cry. It may not have been the best first outing but it was a memorable one and we will certainly take him again but he might be old enough to drive by then!!

I love this picture!

Happy Earth Day and Beach Wedding Day!

The 22nd marks 2 years from the day that Justin and I said our vows in front of our family and friends in Orange Beach, Alabama. We spent the week laying on the beach, shopping, golfing and just enjoying our time with one another. The house we had was amazing, 12 bedrooms, 12 1/2 baths, 2 living rooms and the best part, it was beachfront! Justin and I plan on getting everyone back together in a few more years for another trip to Orange Beach, we hope to stay in the exact same house! This day is certainly at the top of the list of one of the best days of my life, even though we "technically" got married on St. Patrick's Day, I will always look at that day on the beach as being our wedding day and I wouldn't have changed a thing.

Happy 1st Anniversary to Uncle Zack and Aunt Lindsey

Yesterday was Uncle Zack and Aunt Lindsey's FIRST of MANY wedding anniversaries and we thought it would be appropriate to take a trip down memory lane. Kaden was still in my tummy but that didn't stop us from shaking a leg at the reception. Blake really got down to Black Eyed Peas. Here are a few pictures from the blessed event! Happy Anniversary, we love you both!!

An Afternoon at the Park

It has been a great weekend, probably our favorite weekend since Kaden was born. We were able to get the stroller out and take multiple walks, we got to grill out both nights, got to go shopping, and we even played at the park for the first time. So since Daddy wanted to go golfing on Sunday morning, Mommy called Aunt Tiffany to go shopping and Kaden did such a great job maybe I have my shopper after all. He even helped me pick out a new top at Banana Republic, I put the shirt on and he just couldn't stop smiling so you know I just had to get it.
On our way home we got a call for a house showing so we met Daddy at the park for a little mid-afternoon fun. Kaden, of course, needed a little help with the slide, he couldn't quite figure out that he needed to pick up his feet to slide but none the less, he had a great time. I can't wait to introduce him to a swing, unfortunately our park doesn't have one but surely there is one close by some place.
Here are a few pictures from the weekend and make sure to check back next week for Kaden's first trip to The K. Papa Tom, Grandma Sara, Uncle Zack and Aunt Lindsey are all coming up for the game and it is Papa Tom's 55th birthday!!

Mommy, Brodi wants to go too!

If Kaden could talk that is exactly what he would have said. We pulled out the stoller, got Brodi all geared up and headed out for a nice evening walk to the park. We walked for so long that Brodi was so exhausted, he barely made it home and Kaden was so hungry, he tried eating the remote once we got home! We are keeping our fingers crossed for another good walking day tomorrow. And just to be fair, Daddy played frisbee with Stoli while we were gone since she wasn't able to go on the walk with us.

What SpRiNg is ALL about!

BBQs have always been something which Justin and I have looked forward to and love doing any chance we can. We love sitting out on the back deck with great friends, a few good drinks all while eating some of Justin's famous burgers from the grill. So why would we not continue that same tradition when Kaden became part of the family?! I went to Target, bought a cheap pack and play, sat it up on the deck and filled it full of toys and Kaden. As you can tell, Kaden loves a good BBQ too!

On a lighter note...

The South Family had a very busy weekend which was full of good friends and baby showers! The Garrets came back into town for their baby shower and we were able to meet them for dinner at their favorite sushi restuarant on Friday and then celebrated with them on Saturday. On Sunday we loaded up and ran home to Carthage to see Papa Tom and Grandma Sara before heading to Ashley's baby shower. We had to skip Brooke's baby shower because we had to get back on the road but I heard it was a great time. Here are a few pictures from our whirlwind weekend!

Oh and Kaden is the next Michael Phelps! At his swimming lessons on Saturday morning, he went underwater 5 times and didn't cry once! I can feel an Olympic record being BROKE!

P.S. Kaden is like a leaking faucet, you can't turn the drool off. (Thanks Angela for the analogy, it fits perfectly and I have used many times this weekend!!) We could use bibs, but bibs aren't that cute and no one would ever see his cute shirts so we have decided to go without for now! His top teeth are trying to cut through, I can see them just below the gums so hopefully we will have pictures without a big pool of drool soon!

JG had no idea what anything was, good luck Tugce!

Kaden doing his best JG impression-Pretty good if you ask me!

A great BIG kid...

So my Justin had to step in.

We can't wait to meet Baby Girl Garrett!

Look Ma, a Mohawk or maybe just a shadow.

Yes, my collar is popped. Can you say PIMP?

And I am out....

Not my typical post....

It is hard to believe that it has been 2 years, this Wednesday, since Grandma Dorothy passed away. She was undoubtedly one of the most amazing women I have ever met and will probably ever meet. Hopefully she knows just how much of an impact she has made on not only my life but every life she touched.

She never had a negative thing to say about anyone she met and always tried to find something positive about every situation which came her way. Her food was amazing and although we all have her recipes, it isn't the same and we all know it. She had the best greeting when she answered the phone and luckily I do have that voice imprinted in my mind forever. She had unconditional love and support for her family and was each one of ours biggest fan. She never forgot a birthday. She ensured that everyone had their favorite dish at holidays. She had the best, and I mean the best, aprons which she wore during holidays since she did ALL the cooking.

The last year of Grandma's life was tough for all but we were so lucky to know what was happening and cherish all those special moments with her. I can remember saying goodbye to her, she wouldn't let me stay the night because it was my bachelorette party and she wanted me to enjoy myself, I tried and thanks to a few great friends I was able to for a few hours that night but she was never far from my thoughts. I had left that day not knowing what the weeks ahead would bring, I would be getting married in 10 days on the beach, would my dad be there or would he be staying behind where he was needed, an impossible decision for him to make but we all knew where he was needed most. But Grandma had a plan, just like she always did. She passed in her sleep early Monday morning after all 3 of her boys were there with her. We spent the next 4 days celebrating her amazing life before loading up and heading down to the wedding. During her service, the pastor, said that she would always be with us like the waves in the ocean and during the ceremony we knew she was there, the waves were huge!

Kaden will unfortunately never be able to meet his Great-Grandma Hartley but that doesn't mean we can't tell him stories about her so on our way home to Carthage today we stopped by to have a chat with Grandma. Now, I know this picture might be weird to most people but it is as close to a picture as I will ever get of Kaden and his Great-Grandma Hartley. How she would have loved holding him and laughing at Papa Richard every time Kaden came to her over him! We love you and miss you every day!!

Happy, Hoppy Easter!

Kaden woke up Monday morning to a basket full of goodies from the Easter Bunny. He got his first set of golf clubs from Grandma Sara and Papa Tom, animal eggs, a laptop computer (he likes to play with mine way too much so it was time for his own), and then some basic staples, socks, a shirt, and some skidders. But one of his favorite things he got was his card, the little dude could play with cards all day long! We had to have a couple outfit changes since mommy bought too many cute things while shopping on Friday and once the photoshoot was over, it was nap time and then over to Grammy's house for some more Easter fun.

And again, it was a full house for Easter, Nannie came over, Leann and Dionte, Adam, Becky and Colton and then Charlie too. We are so excited for next year because the kiddos will be able to actually hide and then hunt the Easter Eggs. This year we had to settle for bunny years but as you can tell, it was a little difficult to get a picture of the boys with their ears on at the same time. Colton didn't like keeping the ears on, Kaden seemed to be too interested in what Colton was doing. But we got a few in before all HELL broke loose, Grammy Janet tore Kaden's bunny ears and he was not a happy camper, he actually cried himself to sleep. All in all, it was a great first Easter.

Ice Cream! When did we get Ice Cream?

7 months old, the age Kaden was when he had his first bite of ice cream. Now, I would normally not allow for my child at 7 months to have ice cream, but I also couldn't break Grandpa Richard's heart since he has been looking forward to this day for some time. And you know, to this day, Kaden hasn't disliked any of his baby food, so I wasn't surprised at all when he seemed to enjoy the ice cream to the fullest.

This trip to Carthage was going to be a quick one and the easiest way to see everyone is to have everyone come to you, I mean, it is all about KADEN now. So not only did Papa Richard come over to spend time with us but so did Jennifer, Brett, Leah and Blake, Aunt Lindsey, Great Grandpa and Grandma Earl and don't forget Molly (The Siebert Crew's dog) and Abby (Zack and Lindsey's dog) needless to say, it was a VERY full house! (Officer Hartley, aka Uncle Zack, was at home sleeping since he had to work tonight.) Once everyone arrived, the food was served, Easter baskets opened, and pictures taken. We decided to head out to the OLD iron bench to take pictures. This specific iron bench was my favorite place to sit and play when visiting Papa Richard and Grandma Dorothy's and I love that mom and dad now have it. And although the tree probably wasn't the best place to take pictures, we always feel like Grandma Dorothy is closer to us. Here are a few pictures from the afternoon and as you can tell, Kaden loves being outside and LOVES the camera, he is such a HAM!

The kiddos

Leah's rock star persona....Kaden wasn't sure what to think.

Family picture

Grandma Sara and Kaden 

 Great Papa Richard and K-man

What would a photoshoot with Kaden be without some drool...

 Great Grandpa and Grandma Earl with K-Man

 7 months old