1st Day of Kindergarten

David has officially started Kindergarten! It was a wild beginning, with staggered days, but he is now going all day, everyday. He has been very excited about Kindergarten, but when the day came for us to drop him off and say bye, he FREAKED out. We lovingly call it, "an Uncle A.D. fit." It was AWFUL. He was sooo nervous and just refused to go to school. I don't even want to go into details, just believe me...it was BAD. Matt and I both wish we had a video camera at the time!! At any rate, I peeled him off of me and left him crying, which left me emotionally exhausted. HOWEVER, when we picked him up that afternoon...he was all smiles and had a great day! The next time we took him, he cried for just a minute. The 3rd time...he kissed me and told me "bye Mom." WOOHOO!!!

He still doesn't like that the day is so long. "7 HOURS?!?" He does seem to be getting in the groove though and has come home with "green tickets" everyday. He's working towards 20 green tickets so he can get into the treasure box. My favorite part of the day is going to pick him up. I tend to agree with him....7 hours is a LONG day. Daniel and I are sooo ready to see him at 3:15! Daniel Doodah is missing him like crazy by lunch time!

This is a HUGE adjustment period for all of us. I am so proud of David. I can't believe he is already in Kindergarten. Time has just flown by! My baby is growing up!!!

Happy 5th Birthday!!!

Also a little late, but I wanted to include my birthday letter to David. We celebrated his 5th birthday on July 13th!

Dear David,

Happy, Happy Birthday! YOU ARE 5!!! You have been waiting for this day for a long time and it's here! What, a big day for you! It's hard for me and Daddy to believe you are already 5! My how the time has flown by! Seems like just yesterday you were placed upon my chest, after a grueling 27 hours of labor and 2 hours of pushing. I said then and will say again now...Becoming a mom was the reason I was created. I didn't know what my purpose in life was until I held you for the 1st time. You are the sunshine of our lives and we are so proud to be your parents and blessed that God is letting us have you in our lives!

You are such an inquisitive little man. You are always asking us questions. Hard questions. You want to know how things work, why things don't work, what certain words mean, where cities, states, and countries are, any kind of question you can think of to ask, you do!! You also ask us a lot of faith questions. Why can't God hear us? Where is Heaven? Why does God create good and bad things? Always asking us questions, always keeping us on our toes. Many of your questions, we send you to Pops, because he is very good at explaining how things work, etc. Sometimes we don't have the answer to your questions and sometimes you answer them yourselves. Your faith questions always amaze us and gives us an opportunity to really teach you. We pray that we are leading you and guiding you in the right direction and also giving you the opportunity to find out the answers on your own. You are certainly a thinker. We love that about you, David, and we can't wait to see where that takes you in life.

This summer has been a wonderful summer to watch you grow and mature and become soo brave! You are now a roller-coaster ridin', tube-ridin', swimming, and no-fear little dude! We are so proud of you for wanting to try new things and watching you experience them for the 1st time has been so much fun! You've really surprised us this summer and at the same time, given us some relief! The new-brave-you will do GREAT at Kindergarten!!

David, you are such a great big brother! I love to listen to you talk to Daniel when you don't know I am listening. I love watching you two play together and pretend together. You are even gentle with him 95% of the time! You both fight like brothers on occasion, but that's to be expected. Now, if I could just convince both of you that wrestling isn't something we have to do all day long! :) You take the role of being a big brother very seriously and I love to witness you teach Daniel new things.

Yes, you are now 5 years old, 44 1/2 inches tall and getting ready to start Kindergarten. But, that doesn't mean you aren't my baby anymore. I know I can't pick you up and hold you the way I used to do, but I do love it when you snuggle me up in the mornings. You are and will always be Mama's baby...so don't forget that! :)

We are excited to see you continue to grow and mature this year! Just not too fast! :) Kindergarten is just around the corner and that is an exciting and scary change! We pray daily that you have the confidence you need to begin such an important part of your life. Soccer season is also around the corner and we are excited to see your new maturity at work there too! We love you, David, and we are super proud of you and who you are becoming. You are silly, sweet, smart, sassy, creative, inquisitive, and just an all around great kid. You push my buttons daily and then leave me smiling at the end of the day!

I love you sweet boy. These past 5 years have been full of adventure, change, laughter, tears, and love. We pray for you daily and know that God is at work in your life. Happy Birthday baby boy!!

Love, Mommy

Mr. Daniel Doodah

A little late...but I wanted to include my birthday letter to Daniel. He turned 2 on May 27th!

My precious Daniel Doodah,

Happy Birthday to the sweetest 2 year old I know. I can't believe it has already been 2 years since I met you face to face, yet it seems like you've always been here. You are truly a gift to our family and we all love you and adore you beyond words. We are so thankful for you, your smile, your independent personality, your love, your compassion, your adoration, your giggle, your mean streak, your stubborn ways, your heart for animals of all kind, and your overall sweet personality. You are one of a kind and so precious in our eyes.

You melt my heart daily with your sweet kisses. I wake up to them and get them all day long from you. You LOVE to snuggle. You prefer Mommy, but snuggling with Bubby and Daddy is good enough for you! You give the best hugs...all your grandparents adore them, Garrett loves your hugs, and we crave them. Daniel, you are such a loving little man and I am so glad God made you that way. You always gave Granny Bryant so much extra TLC and love when you were with her and those are memories I will always treasure.

Doodah...you are one independent fellow. Although you are 2, you believe you are 4 1/2 just like David. You gave up all your baby ways without a look back. No booster seat for you. No baby bed for you. No potty seat for you. You want to sit at the table like a big boy. You want to sleep in the big bed (albeit with Bubby), and you want to stand up and potty. You skipped a step and went from baby to big boy...no toddler days for you! You love to buckle yourself in your seat belt and prefer (actually demand) NO help. You are very adventurous, with no fear of ANYTHING. No slide is too high, no water too deep. You cause Mommy to say MANY prayers daily for safety! :) You love to play alone...you are a wonderful independent player. You adore trains and can play with them forever. You love to wander around the backyard alone. You are our Mr. Independent and we love you for it. (Although, it's o.k. to get a little help from Daddy and Mommy at times.)

You are such a compassionate little man. You don't like when Bubby or others get a "boo boo." You want to kiss all boo boo's better and you are genuinely concerned about others when they are sad or upset. Daniel, you are an animal lover. Almost to a fault. I am fully expecting for you to bring inside a raccoon, snake, or other dangerous and totally mortifying (to Mommy) animal. You get so upset if you see Mommy killing a spider or bug in the house. All bugs are called "bees," and you love them all the same. You like watching ants outside. You love cats and dogs and have no fear of any of them. You love going to the zoo and seeing all the animals and your favorite movie ever is "Alvin and the Chipmunks." You are one compassionate little boy for animals and others. I am excited to see where that characteristic in life takes you. I know God can use that gift!! :)

We love you, precious boy. We are thankful for the past 2 years of sharing your life. I am thankful God is allowing me to be your Mommy. We are excited to watch you continue to grow and learn and we pray for you daily. You are special...our Daniel Doodah...and we love you! Happy Birthday Daniel Bryant!

Love, Mommy

We're BACK!!

I have been a major blog slacker this year and I am just now feeling the urge to get back into it. I've realized since I started this blog in 2007, that it has become a great way for me to keep a written record about my boys. I want to continue that gift to them and keep our friends and family updated at the same time!! 2010 has already been a busy and fast year! Where does the time go? I will re-start my blog with my sweet Granny Bryant. That's what my mind and heart has been occupied with these past 6 months.

Last Thanksgiving, my dear Granny Bryant came to East TN for a visit. We quickly realized that she was unable to live alone anymore, so she officially moved in with my parents. That time with her was just priceless time and I am so thankful for it. Daniel and I would go and stay with her every Monday and Friday morning so that my mom could continue to teach her preschool class. She and Daniel fell in love with one another and created a very special bond. She called him "her baby." Daniel was so sweet and precious with her, always patting her, kissing her, and giving her cookies or a bite of whatever he had. In her last week, he even moistened her mouth for her. Granny Bryant went home to be with Jesus on April 27th in one of the most peaceful homecomings ever witnessed. David pointed out at her funeral that she looked much younger and he said it was because she was with Jesus. I love my Granny dearly and miss her more than words can express. However, I am forever grateful for the opportunity to know her..really know her. She taught me so many things, but the most important thing she passed on was her faith. I remember many times hearing her pray at night after we had all gone to bed and she thought no one could hear. Her prayers were simple and so evident that her relationship with God was an intimate one. I long and pray to have that type of relationship...a real, honest one. I am so thankful to have witnessed those moments.

I am forever thankful for the relationship she and I had and also for the relationship she had with my husband and my children. She loved us so! My brother, A.D., and I spent many moments in laughter with her. I spent MANY moments in the kitchen with her trying to learn to cook like she did. I watched her with her dogs, watched her sew and quilt, and watched her garden...and I have yet to find someone who can do ANY of those things better. She had the greenest thumb, knew more about plants than anyone I have ever known, and was simply the hardest worker I have ever seen. She was still working in her flower beds and garden at the age of 86. She loved being outside and hated being cold. She ALWAYS had popsicles at her house for us. She took us to the creek to swim, but made us work hard when we got home. She loved going to the flea market and finding a good deal. Granny Bryant loved pleasing people in the kitchen and made the best fried chicken, biscuits and gravy, and strawberry pie ever. She loved telling stories of the "good ol' days" and had the greatest laugh. She taught me that spending time with family and loved ones was what was improtant. She is truly my hero and I love her more for all the things she taught me.

I am so thankful to my parents for allowing us to spend so much time with her. I am also thankful to my parents for naming me after her. I am proud to be Tiny Amber and will forever love sharing the story of how small she was when she was born in 1923. I am also thankful to my parents for taking such wonderful care of her in her last months, weeks, and days. They truly spoiled her and she deserved it.

I miss her so, but I am so thankful she is home with Jesus and look forward to being with her again someday. As I told her in her final days, I am thankful she is now an angel to watch over my boys.

Now after saying all of this about my Granny Bryant...I am also reminded that I need to encourage and instill the importance of that kind of relationship with my children and their grandparents. I am forever thankful that we are back in TN with them and love watching my children with their grandparents. Only God knows how much time we have on earth and I pray that we are using our time wisely and sharing it with the ones we love and cherish.

And as usual, here are some pics of my Granny!
The first one is me and my brother with her! (love this pic)

Merry Christmas from the Keller's

More to come...but we pray that this Christmas season finds you well and focused on the coming of our Lord!!

Halloween 2009

Just a quick update...we had a great Halloween. It was a very busy week, but both the boys had a really good time. David dressed up as a Clone Trooper from Star Wars and Daniel was a monkey. They both were super cute! Just wanted to share some pictures of their costumes and also some extras!

Mr. Daniel Doodah

Yes, we still call him Doodah. It's a nickname that has stuck! Even David calls him that 99% of the time! And honestly, he answers to Doodah much better than Daniel! Eeek! :) He is one sweet child. I know I am a little prejudice, but here goes...he is just precious. He loves, loves, loves to give kisses and hugs. Daniel almost always has a smile on his face, even when he is mad, you can often get him to smile! He is a momma's boy through and through, but loves his daddy with all he has! He wants to be just like big brother and do whatever big brother is doing. Daniel also LOVES animals. Garrett is his favorite. He is with Garrett all the time and is always looking for him when they are apart. Garrett gets the 1st kiss goodnight. He loves ants, spiders, squirrels, the neighbors cats, Granna and Pops dog, and any animal he sees...even the butterflies at the library. He isn't talking much yet, but understands everything you say to him. He is funny and loves to make us laugh. David and Daniel both get that from their daddy! :) David is so good with him (most of the time) and really likes to teach him new things...like using the potty and dunking in the bathtub! I think potty training for this one will be super easy! :)
He is the best snuggler and I am just so in love with this boy. Daniel is such a precious gift and we just love him so!! Here are some pictures of our little Doodah!