Larkin earned his Yellow Belt and talked Mom into taking TaekWondo

Larkin earned his yellow belt in TaekWondo at KUMC Thursday night. He is doing very well in TaekWondo. His favorite part is that when I started taking TaekWondo with him (I've been to 4 classes now and have 2 stripes ---that I earned in my 2nd class)....well, he outranks me and I have to call him SIR!
He also loves telling everyone my true age (since I tell everyone that I am 29 with 6 grandchildren).... He sings this song.....Momma's 44, and he sings it over and over and over again! Well, not anymore as Thursday was also my birthday. Brandon Luke said it couldn't be my birthday because I didn't have a cake! How true.....so I just decided to skip this one!
Larkin is getting better about going to school and received his first "grade card".....it was just as we expected.....it was excellent with a little comment about "him talking too much!" Imagine that!

Jonathan Duran Wade

Jonathan Duran Wade was born September 7, 2008 at 2:09 pm. He weighed 6 lbs, 13 oz and was 19 1/2 inches long at birth. He is doing great and he is so handsome! Dark hair and Dark blue eyes. I prayed for months that Brandy's eyes would turn brown and at 18 months, they finally turned brown (from blue to hazel to brown!) Brooklyn has blue eyes, Brandon has hazel eyes, Taylor has brown eyes, and Jonathan.....we'll see. How awesome to have children with all different colors of eyes! It is just way cool! Jonathan will have to be the tie breaker! I'm thinking brown like Mommy. Anyway he is just so darn cute! Mommy is on the road the recovery and thank goodness Christy is here...she has been a life saver!

Baby Jonathan sucking his fingers,.....here's your sign....."hurry up and take me to my Mommy!"

Brandon, Brooklyn, Taylor, and Larkin looking in to see Baby Jonathan.....

Taye Bug is just happy to see Mommy!

Does she look like a woman who just gave birth?

Daddy looks a little overwhelmed and ready to go home!!!!....

Baby boy looks happy and satisfied!

Sissy looks tickled to be holding another baby brother!

Brandon Luke looks like he will be a great big brother!

Our Family

The Karate Kid

Ok, so it is really TaeKwonDo, but to him it is Karate and that is fine with me. He said he really loves it and doesn't ever want me to sign him off (since we signed him up)! His instructor was surprised to find how disciplined and focused he was, so he moved him up the 1st day to the next class. On his second day, the instructor had him calling the shots and teaching three older children the stances! Lookout world! Here comes Larkin!

The 1st Day of School

Look at my baby boy opening the big old school door! This was hard, very hard. I am so grateful that he is so smart and able to go to school, but so sad that this time has already come. It happens all too fast, one day they are dependent on you for absolutely everything and the next off to school. He is so precious. I try sometimes to squeeze him and keep him small, but it never works. He says "Mom you have to squeeze from my head and my feet at the same time!" I try, but he is getting so tall, it is hard to reach his head and his feet at the same time....my baby boy is growing up....I might actually age a little with this one!

Larkin in the library. He loves reading books (I hope he always does!)
It seems that we are color-coordinated with our backpack and the Library!

PreSchool Graduation 2008

The Granduation Boy! He was so glad to graduate from pre-school and move on to Big School!

Here he is admiring his medal for most Creative Imagination! His teacher said that one day she expects him to write sequels to every Super Hero movie ever!

A wink for MOM! Thank you baby!

Saying a prayer at graduation before moving on to BIG School where this isn't allowed.
How sweet and precious my baby boy is!

The Last Shower Together

This is the last shower these guys got to take together! It has been so much fun watching these babies grow up...it's hard to believe that the time has come for separate showers. They had so much fun with Daddy/Papaw's shaving cream! I hope they always look this happy! Always!

For those of you who know Taye so well, just look at the "look" on his precious little face!

Thank you God for shower water to wash away the shaving cream! We have too much fun at Nana and Papaw's....no wonder they always want to stay!

Jeff's Birthday

For Jeff's Birthday, we had a low country boil. It was great! It was also Mimi's birthday. So Mimi and John were here as well as Brandy, Jason, Brooklyn, Brandon, and Taye Taye. Seth and Katie were here and Lora, Chris, Olivia and Jordan. We had a great time. Larkin insisted that Dad have a race car birthday cake (sorry MiMi). It was a fun night and I got so hot, I jumped in the pool with my clothes on...you should've seen the look on the kids faces! They really do have a very cool Nana!!! Anyway, Seth made a "Volunteer" Corn Hole game for Jeff for his birthday...it was cool....even though he told us he was making it for himself...now he wants one..we had fun with it all weekened. Brandy and family got Jeff shorts and a pirate shirt that Brandon picked out (too cool, Lucas!) and I had the quilt that his Grandmother had made him quilted. It was such a neat gift. It was the only thing left in the house when we moved in (May 1999)....thank goodness. He wants to hang it on the wall...it was his "whirly bird" quilt. It means a lot to him. All in all it was a very good weekend. We also went over to Uncle Kenneth's house for a cookout Saturday night and got to see Uncle Robert, Aunt Curly, Aunt Tinker, Aunt Marie, Aunt Ally-O, Uncle Sherman, and lots of other family and friends. Everyone commented on Larkin and how handsome he is and dark and what a great disposition he has! He is a wonderful child and so much fun.
Update: Lori waited until Jonathan was born (since it was only a few weeks away) and made Jeff a coffee cup with all of his grandchildren on it (trimmed in orange, of course!).....he drinks out of it everyday! Taye Bug said "hey Papaw, dats me papaw, dats me, on the tup, Papaw!"






In case you are wondering or haven't guessed yet, No he did not eat the watermelon, he just licked the salt off.....but he had fun doing it!

The Beach 2008 and a few memories

I want to tell you all about our summer, but we have just been so busy.
We had such a good time with Henry, Harrison, Deidra, and Brian. Holly and Walker, TIffany and Sydney, Sharon, Mike, Wyatt, and Lauren (so now we know even more fraternal twins!). We can't forget Seth and Katie who came down and played with us for awhile. I have tried so hard to get them into my slideshow, but for some reason some of the pictures keep kicking out. Give me a little time and I will fix it!

Cindy, Marty, Pat, and Lyndsey entertained us while we were in Destin. When we got home, we brought Olivia and Jordan with us and we watched Lora and Chris' wedding video. How much fun it was to see big hair! Also, Little Pat was on there dancing his heart out like Seth and Brandy! How fun that was, we laughed and then Katie realized that Seth was almost 9 in the video and that I was holding him.....Larkin is 5 and I can barely pick him up anymore.....Is Larkin that much bigger than Seth or is Mommy just a little older now!?! Don't answer that!

JOJO and EE

We had such a good time with the twins this past week...we wanted to go play tennis, but it was terribly hot....so we went bowling, to the movies, out to dinner, swimming, and some nights we were so tired....we just rested! You know you are all worn out when the kids say "let's just stay home and rest!" Brandy, Brooklyn, Brandon, and Taylor came and spent time with us as well as Katie! Thanks to Brandy and Katie the week went very well! I miss my "dollies" so much and can't believe how fast they are growing up!

Kung Fu Larkin

My baby boy is growing so fast and is now trying to order things for me from infomercials on my cell phone.....He is soo Good to his Mom!!!!

Larkin has decided that I need those pretty bulbs that you fill up with water and place in the pot with your plants (my poor plants!); and a pocket book that holds everything including 2 bottles of water and and umbrella; oh yeah, and don't forget the green bags that keep your food fresher longer!

Well, to make a long story short, the 1st couple of times he grabbed my cell phone to call...well, he didn't get the whole phone number punched in.....as it turns out, he has now located the pause button on the remote (boy they really do learn about the remote far too young these days!!!)! So, now he pauses the tv, locates my cell, backs the TV up a little, and starts punching numbers. He really wants me to have these things and he says that I need them! I tell him "all I need is you!"

JoJo and EE went with us to buy Larkin's 1st school supplies!

Can you say heartbreak!?! Thank the Lord that Jordan and Olivia were with us or I would have broken down in the store buying my baby boy's school supplies for Kindergarten. I am having such a hard time with this (thank God I work in a mental health facility.....I may need their services). You see, I KNOW just how fast it all goes from here. One day they are starting to Kindergarten, the next day they are driving, the next day it's off to college (and then I do melt down). I'm not a woman of many tears...no crybaby here....but there are some things that bring me to my knees....they are my children. I love them all so much and the grandchildren....whew.....You just have to experience it to comprehend the depth of it all....the love, the growing pains, the compassion, and the strength that is FAMILY. I love my BABIES.....every last one of them beyond measure!!!!!!!!!

Destin 2008

All the kids were here

Now, ask me if I even thought about getting my camera out?!?
Ok, Seth and Katie were here Sunday. Lori, Burt, John, and Clara were here Monday afternoon/evening as well as Brandy, Brooklyn, Brandon, and Taye Taye (they usually are here on Monday/Tuesday). After they had all left for the evening. I went to put my cell phone on the charger, noticed my camera on the charger and I said "Jeff Casteel, do you realize that all 5 grandchildren were here tonight and we could have taken a few pictures....and" and I guess I was a little excited about seeing everyone....I just forgot. Clara is growing and filling out and yes, she looks just like her Mommy. John weighs almost as much as Brookie and Brandon who are 2 1/2 years older than him. John has a very good appetite and eats well! He is solid as a rock and heavy to pick up. Brookie feels like a feather in my arms compared to John. He is not fat, just solid. Maybe he can teach Uncle Larkin to eat a few things. We had a good evening. Next time, someone please remind Nana or Naye Naye to get the camera out!!! Please!

Father's Day 2008

Since we were all together in Winston-Salem, we had a little Father's Day bash complete with breakfast (Carl paid-haha) and presents. I think Daddy was a bit overwhelmed. He had wanted all of us to go to the reunion for years...we finally "got it all together" and went.....PLUS it was Father's Day! I made a hardback book of my UT family complete in a BIG ORANGE cover. I had comments and pictures from the past few years and wrote a note to Daddy in his and a note to Jeff in his....see, I can be sweet!!!

Fulp Reunion in Stokesdale, NC

Jeff, Larkin, Seth, Katie, and I went to Winston-Salem for the weekend for the 26th Fulp Reunion held in Stokesdale, NC. Mama and Daddy were there along with Carl, Laura, Carley, Caley, and Cavan. Lora and Chris came up with EE and JoJo and they brought Aunt Betty with them. Aunt Barbara and Uncle John came up with Sherry and Everett. Brenda and Bobby King were there as they go every year. This year Jillian and Joanna came with them. I promised Daddy that I would put together a hard back book for us all to enjoy. I need to get busy.
Just hanging out in Old Salem (home to one of the original US Moravian communities)

Boys will be boys....one Fulp, one Casteel

Daddy and Aunt Betty with a couple of cousins from around Stokesdale, NC

Our family at the Fulp Moravian Church

Daddy and Carl in front of the house that was built by his great-grandfather, John Walker Fulp who married Ida James Fulp. In an era when power did not run and phones were scarce, it is said that he had the 1st phone in this area and he generated his own power from a generator in his shed out behind the house.

Lori's computer went KaPut

If you are all wondering what has happened on the Newman home front, it is definitely a computer issue. Thank goodness she was able to save some files, pictures, etc. Say lots of prayers for them, they have many things going on right now with the move, house, etc.
We have had an update though and John is wearing UT boxers and sleeping in the big bed. He even brushed his own teeth! We are tickled that he is becoming so independent but would love to keep them little for as long as possible. Clara is beautiful and we get a shot here and there on the phones. As soon as Lori gets a new computer, I'm sure we will get caught up. Hopefully, they will be in Tennessee soon! We can't wait to see them again!
Love, Laura

Laura and Stephen's Wedding May 31.2008

Larkin and Brandon were the ring-bearers and Brooklyn was the flower girl in Laura and Stephens' wedding (friends of the family). We all had such a great time and the children did an excellent job in the wedding.....not to mention how totally adorable they all were. People went on and on about how precious they were.....something that we enjoyed hearing over and over. The wedding was very, very nice and beautiful. See our doll and little men (dressed in their tuxes).

The three muskateers! AKA our "triplets"!

These guys are the best of friends!

Papaw with the Princess Brooklyn and our handsome Brandon Luke

Nana with the Princess. Is she beautiful or what!?!

I just love this look! I just love this child! Does every Nana feel this way!?!

Is he handsome or what!?! He is an angel, a true angel....

Mommy (aka Sissy Brandy) with Princess Brooklyn. Aren't they just beautiful!?!
I would just love to know what Brookie had come up with in this conversation.

Memorial Day with Henry and Harrison

We had such a good time at Henry and Harrison's on Memorial Day. The boys play so well together. I had forgotten what it was like..... We can't wait until our upcoming beach trip with them. We enjoyed all the great cooking Memorial Day - thanks Brian and Dee! The boys enjoyed playing on the Slip and Slide, stomping through the woods, riding the jeeps, and just being friends.

Hey guys, watch this!

Harrison "Cutie Pie"

Henry the Innovator