The Fantastic Four

Beach Vacation!

2009-09-17T22:26:00.016-04:00

Portraits

2009-09-06T14:48:00.002-04:00

A local artist offered free sketched portraits at the Children's Museum last Saturday. We were third in line and were thrilled to have something special like this of the kids. I don't know how he even did the drawing, considering how wiggly Jack was.

Meryl's First Soccer Game!

2009-09-06T00:45:00.002-04:00

Water Day - What a Fun Mess!

2009-09-06T00:27:00.004-04:00

Meryl's Plant

2009-09-06T00:25:00.000-04:00

The little plant Meryl planted from a seed is still growing!

She's a little crafty...

2009-09-06T00:23:00.000-04:00

Jack aka "Bob the Builder"

2009-09-06T00:17:00.000-04:00

Meryl Shares PBSKids.org

2009-09-06T00:15:00.000-04:00

Jack's First Big Boy Bike!

2009-09-06T00:13:00.000-04:00

Cash Comes to Play

2009-09-06T00:09:00.002-04:00

Meryl and Jack at the Children's Museum

2009-09-06T00:03:00.001-04:00

A Day at the Amusement Park

2009-09-06T00:01:00.001-04:00

Cow Appreciation Day

2009-09-05T23:58:00.002-04:00

I made my first dress!

After entering Chik-Fil-A, we quickly realized that Jack considered himself a mini-mascot. It was clearly his job to be in everyone's picture!

Flowers

2009-09-05T23:53:00.001-04:00

My sweet Jack always brings me flowers when we're outside :)

Bob the Builder Show

2009-09-05T23:51:00.001-04:00

Eddie and I loved getting to surpise Meryl and Jack with a trip to the Bob the Builder Show!

A Train Ride

2009-09-05T23:46:00.001-04:00

Will Comes Over to Play

2009-09-05T23:45:00.000-04:00

Building a Playground with Papa

2009-09-05T23:35:00.001-04:00

Proud Farmers

2009-09-05T23:34:00.000-04:00

Meryl and Jack planted seeds at school and they're so excited to see the fruits of their labor!

Out in the Yard

2009-09-05T23:13:00.000-04:00

Congratulations David!

2009-09-05T23:11:00.000-04:00

My brother, David, graduated from high school! We're proud of you, David!

Enjoying Spring

2009-09-05T23:08:00.001-04:00

Aunt Leila's 91st Birthday

2009-09-05T23:03:00.002-04:00

25 Cent Scoop Night!

2009-09-05T23:01:00.000-04:00

Easter Basket Time!

2009-09-05T22:54:00.000-04:00

Will's First Birthday!

2009-09-05T22:50:00.001-04:00

Two Artists

2009-09-05T22:46:00.001-04:00

Not sure what's up with the open mouth poses!

March Winds

2009-09-05T22:42:00.001-04:00

Meryl, Jack and I enjoyed a great day flying kites at the local soccer field.

Playing Dress Up

2009-09-05T22:40:00.000-04:00

Jack came up with this outfit all on his own!

Two Little Sprites

2009-09-05T22:39:00.000-04:00

Pa's Celebration of Life in North Carolina

2009-09-05T22:24:00.000-04:00

Meryl and Noni

Meryl and Aunt Charlene

Us and Noni

Uncle Jack and Jack (Eddie had an Uncle Jack too!)

Aunt Ada meets Jack for the first time

Papa and Noni

Pictures in the Park

2009-09-05T22:11:00.004-04:00

Jack looks like he's saying, "Now, Will, look at this. This is a stick. I know about these things because I am much older than you." : )

Playing Catch Up

2009-09-05T21:53:00.000-04:00

Ok, I'm going to attempt to catch up on pictures from January through today!

Here's Meryl and Jack's cousin Will wishing them a happy birthday. Thanks Will (and Uncle Chris and Aunt Julie!)

Sorry we've been gone so long...

2009-07-09T23:31:00.001-04:00

Time has gotten away from me. Hopefully I'll be able to update everyone soon with pictures from the first part of our 2009. Right now, we're having a wonderful summer. We're swimming, playing outside and squeezing every bit of summer out that we can!

Meryl is Reading!

2009-01-28T20:46:00.001-05:00

Today Meryl sounded out and read the words, "Cat" and "Dog" on her own!

Overheard from another room...

2009-01-20T22:39:00.000-05:00

Sunday morning as Meryl and Jack were eating breakfast, I stepped out of the room to get something. From the other room I heard this very serious conversation:

Meryl: "Jack, do you know who the President is?"
Jack: "No."
Meryl: "It's Barak Obama."
Jack: "Barak Ama."

Meryl has been entralled with our new president's name for months. In fact, during the election Meryl named one of her My Little Ponies "Baraka."

Meryl and Jack's Birthday Party at the Children's Museum!

2009-01-19T15:35:00.000-05:00

Meryl and Jack had a great birthday party at the Children's Museum this past Saturday!

Meryl's Home Birthday Party!

2009-01-19T15:30:00.000-05:00

Just a random day at the Turner house...

2009-01-19T15:24:00.000-05:00

Jack's Home Birthday Party

2009-01-19T15:14:00.000-05:00

Jack had a wonderful birthday!

Lots to say...

2009-01-04T00:09:00.000-05:00

For those of you who haven't seen Jack lately, he has a lot to say to you! He's been putting multiple three and four word sentences together and expanding his vocabulary every day. The other day he said, "I got it. Here you go, Daddy." And he has really taken to using his manners...at least the please and thank you part of it all. For several days after Christmas he would go up to various toys and say, "Thank you, Mama."
Happy Birthday Jack! We love you!

My Jack

2009-01-03T23:59:00.000-05:00

I'm just enjoying my last few moments of having a one year old. My baby won't be a baby tomorrow!

Our Christmas

2008-12-28T23:04:00.001-05:00

Jack made a basket on his first try!

This little jig was in celebration of the M&M's Meryl got in her stocking!

Christmas this year was a little different, but it was still good. My family usually comes and stays with us on Christmas Eve, but Jack was sick and they decided to come on Christmas day for a few hours instead. Then instead of our family going to Eddie's parent's house on Christmas night, only Meryl and Eddie were able to go and Jack and I stayed at home. A few days later now, Jack still isn't feeling well, but we are praying that the antibotic will set in soon. I can't speak for Jack, but the silver lining in all of this for me was that Jack and I have gotten to spend a lot of time together one on one - and that's something I always enjoy.

New Year's Resolutions

2008-12-14T23:26:00.001-05:00

It's not exactly time for resolutions yet, but I caught a bit of Billy Graham's Christmas special this weekend and there was a clip from a former sermon that inspired me. I can't say it as eloquently as he did, but he spoke on how Jesus was born in a stable and the conditions within it. Then he asked where we were placing Jesus in our lives today. Is Jesus filling the smallest, unnoticed, unwanted portions of our lives (the stable), or is He filling the best and the most central part of our lives (our hearts, minds and souls)?

A Trip to the Choo Choo

2008-12-13T22:12:00.000-05:00

A little poetry

2008-12-10T21:07:00.001-05:00

Today Meryl told me that "flowers are plants that pose." I thought I'd better write that down before I forgot it!

A Beautiful Place

2008-12-09T22:55:00.000-05:00

Finally...after almost 5 years (and two children later) Eddie and I went out of town for a weekend away together. Here are some pictures from our trip. We had a wonderful time!

Meryl's First Trophy

2008-12-05T23:33:00.000-05:00

Meryl had her second gymnastics performance on Monday and she recieved her first trophy! Eddie and I are very proud of her!

Gingerbread House

2008-12-05T23:29:00.001-05:00

Meryl and I made our first gingerbread house this year. Jack helped too!

Enjoying fall

2008-12-05T23:16:00.000-05:00

A Visit from the Hayes!

2008-12-05T23:06:00.000-05:00

One of Meryl's first friends was Macy. Macy's mom, Jenny, and I met when both our girls were just a few months old. Both Meryl and Macy had colic and we were going through similar problems. It was (and still often is) so good to talk to someone who is experiencing similar joys and challenges. Jenny and her husband, Mark, had their second daughter, Ava, within weeks of Jack's birth. And we have lots of other wierd connections too...we both worked in radio, we're both Italian, etc.

A good weekend

2008-11-10T23:09:00.001-05:00

I'm very, very, very happy to announce that Eddie is out of school from now until the end of the year. Meryl, Jack, Eddie and I had a great weekend together because of it!

Silly Pictures at the Park

2008-11-10T22:55:00.000-05:00

Meryl, Jack and I went to the park today to take some pictures in the fall leaves. Here's what I ended up with...

Meryl's First Gymnastics Performance

2008-11-10T22:51:00.001-05:00

Meryl's Gymnastics Team Photos

2008-11-06T20:55:00.001-05:00

Jack's First Horse Ride

2008-11-02T00:18:00.001-04:00

Jack, Meryl and their friend, Connor, enjoyed a horse ride last Saturday. They all loved it!

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T22:30:00.000-04:00

Meryl and Jack had a great Halloween. The cat is Meryl's friend, Reagan. Yoda is our nephew, Cash.

Dollar Day

2008-10-22T21:54:00.000-04:00

Meryl, Jack, Eddie and I enjoyed dollar day at the zoo today. Meryl's favorite animal is Peanut Butter the dog. Strange that we go to a zoo to see a dog. Good thing it only costs a dollar!

Our New Pet

2008-10-22T21:43:00.001-04:00

It looks like we're going to call him Moses since that's what Meryl and Jack have said every five minutes since we brought him home. He's very sweet and has graduated from the garage to the downstairs den since he proved to us that he can use the litter box. I had Meryl going for a minute when I told her that he would get a sticker for going to the potty :)

Notice the color of his hair? Finally Jack won't be the only redhead in the family!

Moses?

2008-10-19T23:12:00.000-04:00

Well, it looks like we're getting a cat. A friend of ours found the most loving orange tabby and it needs a good home. It's a long story, but the cat does have an owner. And that owner has given us permission to adopt the cat. We just found out his name is Rusty. However, my friend had already renamed him Moses. Eddie doesn't really care for either of those names and Meryl is insisting on Milo. We'll let you know how it all turns out!

Fall

2008-10-19T23:07:00.000-04:00

Meryl, Jack, Eddie, my two brothers, William and David and I did everything "fallish" this weekend. A corn maze and dairy farm on Friday, the children's museum Halloween party on Saturday and the nature center's fall festival today. I've definitely had my fill of hayrides with two wiggly pepple on my lap, but I'll take another s'more any day. No pictures this time...I thought I lost my camera. I was thrilled to find it tonight.

Like father, like daughter

2008-10-11T20:55:00.000-04:00

Addiction

2008-10-06T15:14:00.000-04:00

Fast forward a few years...

2008-10-06T15:04:00.000-04:00

First Camping Trip

2008-10-06T14:57:00.000-04:00

Meryl and I went on our first camping trip together last Friday. We had a great time sleeping in a tent, roasting hot dogs and making smores - all firsts for Meryl. Here's a picture of Meryl sporting her new backpack/sleeping bag. Jack was packing to. He didn't realize he wasn't going, but he had fun playing with his cousin Cash instead.

What's wrong with this picture?

2008-10-06T14:54:00.000-04:00

Presidental Voter Guide

2008-09-29T13:01:00.001-04:00

Here's a link to a voter guide dealing with some social issues you might be interested in.

http://downloads.frcaction.org/EF/EF08H02.pdf

Better Late than Never

2008-09-21T22:58:00.000-04:00

Every year as part of Eddie's Father's Day gift I make him a photo show of our family from the last year. I just figured out how to get it on the blog with the music I had on the original one from 2008. This isn't the actual one I made for him. I had to recreate it in the new program, but here it is...

Make video montages at www.OneTrueMedia.com

www.pbskids.org

2008-09-06T22:10:00.000-04:00

Well, I guess it's official, Meryl is a product of the computer age. Tonight she told me that she was going to sing me a song so I said go ahead. Then she said, "Wait. It's loading."

My Meryl

2008-08-26T23:26:00.001-04:00

Yesterday Meryl, Jack and I took a drive down to some outlet stores. Meryl and Jack were so well behaved while we were there that I bought them each a small toy from the toy store. Meryl chose play food inside a clear "soup pot." Jack chose a wiffle ball bat and two wiffle balls. As we were leaving the store, Meryl looked at the warning label on the play food container and said, "Mama, this says, Do Not Share With Your Brother." She said it just like she was reading it, completely seriously and putting her finger on each word as she "read!"

Will's Dedication

2008-08-24T23:20:00.000-04:00

Today we celebrated God's amazing gift of Will to the Turner family. For those of you who don't know, Eddie's brother, Chris, and Chris's wife, Julie, adopted a baby boy recently. He was just 3 days old when he came home to them. Will was dedicated to the Lord today at our church. I was videoing, so I didn't get any still pictures, but here is one of Meryl and Aunt Leila at the lunch after church. Meryl didn't eat a bite because she was "reading" Dr. Seuss stories to Will and spending time with Aunt Leila, Nana and Pap Paw.

Our Friday Night

2008-08-23T23:31:00.000-04:00

Modern Art

2008-08-23T23:23:00.000-04:00

Jack is really starting to enjoy some of the things Meryl likes to do. Hamming it up for the camera and painting to name a few...

Meryl and Reagan

2008-08-23T23:20:00.000-04:00

Umm, Meryl, we said, "Hug her," not "Mug her!"

Happy First Birthday Cash!

2008-08-23T23:17:00.000-04:00

Our nephew, Cash, turned one earlier this month. Look at those blue eyes!

Unofficial Quest Graduation Celebration!

2008-08-23T22:52:00.000-04:00

After 18 months of HARD work, Eddie has completed the main portion of the Covenant Quest program! Soon we will both be Covenant grads! Here's a picture from the dinner Meryl, Jack and I treated Eddie to...at his favorite restaurant, Carrabba's. Please congratulate him on his achievement if you see him!

Thursday Group

2008-07-21T15:13:00.001-04:00

Our Thursday dinner group - Ginger, Connor, Shelly, Reagan, Meryl, Jack and myself, met at the park for dinner last week. The kids had a blast singing and dancing on the park's stage (those sticks are pretend microphones) and running through the sprinkler. What a mess!

Zoo

2008-07-07T00:09:00.000-04:00

We enjoyed a great day at the zoo last week with Aunt Leila, Meryl and Jack's Aunt Julie and Will. We can't wait until next time when Will can ride the carousel too!

This is the Life

2008-07-07T00:07:00.001-04:00

First Haircut

2008-07-06T23:51:00.000-04:00

It's taken me a while to post these pictures, but here are some of Jack's first haircut on June 18, 2008. Thanks to the lollipop, he did a great job staying still.

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

Express Yourself

2008-06-29T23:06:00.000-04:00

Jack is putting more and more words together. Here are some things he's been saying...

"Got it!"
"Cracker please"
"Jeff Night Night" (Jeff is his favorite stuffed giraffe)
"My daddy"
"Daddy drums"
"Rock-a-bye please"

And of course Meryl has plenty to say. Here are some things she has said recently that I thought were funny...

"Home makes me sad. Restaurants make me happy."
"Jack doesn't want to come in my room and play with my toys." (Yeah right!)

Blessings

2008-06-08T23:34:00.000-04:00

Last night I tip-toed into Meryl's room to make sure she was covered up with her comforter and found myself just staring at the beautiful blessing that God has given us. Then of course I had to go into Jack's room and sit on the floor next to his crib and soak in his little chubby cheeks and little sighs as he slept. Thank you Lord for our two wonderful gifts.

Staycation

2008-06-03T22:14:00.000-04:00

Eddie, Meryl, Jack and I enjoyed a "trip" to the children's museum this past Saturday. It wasn't the beach, but we had fun!

Night at the Ballpark

2008-06-03T22:08:00.000-04:00

My office hosted a night at the ballpark Friday night. We had close to 200 guests...including Eddie, Meryl and Jack.

Swim Class

2008-06-03T22:04:00.001-04:00

Meryl finished her swim class at the Y! (She's the one with the pigtails in the front of the boat.)

Look Familiar?

2008-06-03T21:56:00.000-04:00

Meryl's First Joke

2008-06-02T00:01:00.000-04:00

The other day Meryl was showing me one of her stuffed dogs. It's just a simple cut out of a dog with just ears and a tail. She kept asking me, "Where are his eyes?," "Where is his nose?," etc. So I told her, "This dog doesn't have much detail." And she immediately pointed to the dog's tail and responded, "Here is de tail!"

Congratulations Brittany!

2008-05-23T22:35:00.000-04:00

My sister, Brittany, graduated from high school last Sunday! (My brother, William, is on the right.)

Downtown with our Thursday dinner group

2008-05-23T22:25:00.000-04:00

We had a great time downtown with our Thursday dinner group. Every Thursday we get together with Shelly and Reagan, Ginger and Connor and Desiree and Chase. Meryl, Jack and I look forward to seeing them all each week!

I remember when rock was young...

2008-05-23T13:15:00.000-04:00

Parade

2008-05-23T13:12:00.000-04:00

Our friends, Kerry Ann, Aidan and Karis joined us for the Veteran's Day Parade and a visit to Coolidge Park.

We have a new nephew!

2008-05-23T13:06:00.000-04:00

Congratulations Chris and Julie!

Dress Up

2008-04-10T21:31:00.000-04:00

Meryl came out of her room the other day and surprised us with quite a fashion show!

Eddie's Article

2008-04-07T21:30:00.000-04:00

Eddie started a blog of his own a few weeks ago. He posted a video game review he wrote on it. Soon after posting it, he was contacted by an acquaintance of his that is the senior editor of a technology review website. He asked if he would consider writing video game reviews for their site!

The site is www.AnandTech.com and Eddie's first review is on the front page! If you have time, please click through and take a look at Eddie's article. A big factor in whether Eddie's reviews are deemed successful is how many hits they get. After the three pilot reviews Eddie agreed to do are completed the owner of AnandTech.com will decide if he wants to hire him. Eddie is getting paid for the pilot articles, but his pay would go up as an official member of the staff.

Oh, don't worry, Eddie isn't quitting his day job!

Day at the Circus

2008-03-30T23:42:00.000-04:00

Eddie's parents treated me, Meryl, Jack, Eddie and our nephew Tristan us to the circus on Saturday. Thank you Charlie and Gail!

Easter Dinner

2008-03-23T23:10:00.001-04:00

Eddie's parents hosted Easter dinner at their house this evening. We had a great time visiting with our nephews, Cash (pictured above with Eddie) and Tristan and lots of other close friends and family.

Surprisingly, this picture of Meryl was taken BEFORE she found the chocolate-filled eggs downstairs.

Happy Easter!

2008-03-23T15:11:00.001-04:00

Meryl and Jack were so excited to find Easter baskets on the dining room table this morning.

Easter Egg Hunt

2008-03-23T00:11:00.001-04:00

Meryl and Jack had a great time at Eddie's work Easter egg hunt today. Jack loved every minute of his first pony ride and Easter egg hunt.

Skirt or Pants?

2008-03-18T00:02:00.000-04:00

I had to take a picture of Meryl today after she dressed herself. She was a little confused as to why her "skirt" had a tail.

A Good Day for Ducks

2008-03-14T22:11:00.000-04:00

It was a rainy day today, so we just stayed home. Jack had lots of fun listening to Meryl's mp3 player while she took her nap : ) Shh...don't tell!