How is it possible????

Porter has witnessed SNOW 3 times in his 4 short years...and every one has been in South Carolina!! It's crazy to think that it has snowed so many times "down south," but I really won't complain. I'm actually a fan of the white stuff...for a day, and then I'm ready for it all to melt away and clear off the roads. Maybe it's because it's never as pretty the second day. Or that it tends to create a lovely sheen of ice as it freezes to the roads. Or that the hospital never closes or has a 2-hour delay opening, so I have to go into work NO MATTER WHAT. But, I love the fact that my boys are able to witness this pretty amazing stuff. I just wonder if snowdays in South are going to become as normal as our 100-degree days. I think I will always choose the snowday!

February 2009

February 2010

December 26, 2010

A New Year

Wow. How is it possible that another year is almost behind us? This year has flown by, and has had many ups and downs. I've travelled to Nashville and New York City,watched 2 little boys continue to grow and thrive, had a best friend survive cancer, attempted to balance motherhood with a career, baked my first cheesecake (yes, I know, that's really not all that impressive), and been happier than I've ever been. What will the New Year bring? I have a few resolutions of my own, and I'm going to share them with all of you in hopes that it will keep me on the path to actually accomplishing all (some) of them:

1) attend church regularly
2) run the Cooper River Bridge Run in April
3) wear a bikini (with confidence!) at the beach this summer -- this is my truly shallow resolution...ya have to have at least ONE!
4) cook more exciting recipes...seriously, how many times can a family eat spaghetti, hamburgers, and tacos???
5) get my kids to eat new and exciting foods

Whoa! I think that about does it. I'll be keeping all of you abreast of these "changes." I know each and every one of you will be following me with bated breath, right??

Anyway, to each of you...

Happy New Year!

May 2011 bring much joy and happiness!!

The Non-Blogger

Yep. That's me.

I seem to be avoiding my computer like the plague lately...there's really no excuse...I just haven't been in the mood to tap out words, load pictures, etc. My moments on the computer have been quick...checking my emails and (of course) checking out everyone's goodies on facebook. And, there was that almost 2-week period where out internet was simply not functioning...I know many of you out there have been so distraught. I mean, WHAT HAVE THE RUMMELS BEEN UP TO??? Well, we are all fine and well. The boys are still simply wonderful and we've actually been very busy. To recap:

The boys had a wonderful Halloween. This year, we got them all dressed up as Batman and Robin. They were so cute! The masks only lasted for a few pictures, but the costumes are something they will probably wear for the next year.

"The Dynamic Duo"

We also made our annual trip to Riverbanks Zoo event, "Boo at the Zoo." We ended up meeting up with our friends Mark and Tori (and their son Bill.) The night was ridiculously humid for October, but the boys could have cared less. Much candy was collected and many spooky sights were seen. Bowman even got his picture in THE STATE paper http://www.thestate.com/2010/10/27/1532999/boo-at-the-zoo.html#http://media.thestate.com/smedia/2010/10/27/22/boo_GM009.standalone.prod_affiliate.74.JPG

The boys were sweaty and sleepy by the time we left. And we were happy to have another fun night at the zoo!

MORE TO COME!!

It's the SC State Fair!!!!!

It's that time of year again...one of the big symbols of Fall here in Columbia is the State Fair. The smell of corn dogs, Fiske Fries, funnel cakes, and deep-fried Oreos fills thge air. I love to take the kids and just walk around. Thankfully, the fair offers free entrance for lunch, so Craig met us Monday, and we took the kids to see the sites, pet the animals, and eat some fair food! Good times!

Porter checks out one of the tractors.

Bowman hitches a ride.

Taste-testing the FREE Coburg milk...our attempt to make the food consumption slightly healthier!

"ANIMALS!!!!!!"

There's A Party Going On!

It's time to celebrate!!!

We had the boys' birthday party today at Bouncerific...Porter & Bowman have proved many times that they are the best of friends, so it didn't take long for me to decide to let them celebrate together. Plus, it doesn't hurt that their birthdays are only a month apart! We had a few close friends for bounce time and cake...it was a great afternoon! In fact, many parents thanked me for wearing out their kids...most were sound asleep by 7:30 that night!!!!

Cousin Maylee tackles the BIG slide!!!!

What's a party without a few costumes...here's Porter as IRONMAN!!!!!

Sweet Logan on the bike...Or "Lo-Lo" as Bowman calls him!

McLean Robinson!

It's Bill!!!

Bowman takes on Charles in Air Hockey!

Cake Time!!!!!!

The boys on their "thrones"...Kings for the day!!

YUM!!!

Happy Birthday to my favorite little men!!!!!

Gettin' Crafty!!

Didn't we make the spookiest spiders you've ever seen!?!?!

Pick a Pumpkin...

Have a ever mentioned how much I love Fall?? Not only does it mean cooler temperatures, but I love the decorations, football, turkey frys, Halloween, Boo at the Zoo, the SC State Fair, and more. Rust, garnet, and goldenrod are some of my favorite colors (which you see all throughout my house!) and I get so excited when it's time to pull out the fall decorations...which would not be complete without pumpkins. So, I took the boys to a local church's pumpkin patch, and we picked out a few pumpkins for the house. They each got to choose one for their bedrooms as well. Bear with all the pictures below; I always love how these turn out!!

A little pumpkin for my Lil' Punkin!!!

Porter found his favorite!

Bowman's favorite!

Happy Fall everyone!!!!!

EXTREME Backyard Makeover!!

Here's Phase 1...that's a lot of dirt!!!! We'll keep ya posted with the improvements...

Creating a FLAT area in our ridiculously hilly backyard!

2010: The Year of the Gamecock

For those of you who have been living in a hole for the past 10 months, the Gamecocks have been rockin' & rollin'!! For the 1st time in history, one school has knocked out the #1 team in 3 different sports:

January 2010: Gamecocks defeat #1 Kentucky in basketball

June 2010: Gamecocks defeat #1 Arizona State in baseball

(and go on to win the National Championship!!!!)

AND on October 9, 2010: Gamecocks knock off #1 Alabama, ending their 19-game winning streak and giving Alabama's quarterback his 1st loss since 8th grade!

GO COCKS!!!!

Happy 4th Birthday!!!

How, oh how, am I the mother of a 4-year-old!?!?! The time has truly flown by, and I find myself with a sweet, smart and very busy little man. I am amazed by how much he has learned in his 4 short years...Porter can write his name, recognize letters, cut with scissors, and count to 30....and a little farther when we count along. He is also extremely funny; the comments that come out of this little boy's mouth truly make me laugh, and I often find myself trying to stifle a laugh when I should be correcting him. Porter has some definite favorites:

Favorite movies: Toy Story & Cars

Favorite thing to eat: Grilled cheese sandwich

Favorite color: red

Porter is definitely on the taller/bigger end of the spectrum. At his 4-year-well visit, we learned he was 38 1/2 pounds (73%) and 42 1/2 inches tall (87%). He's definitely well-proportioned: 44%. The 5 shots he had to get were pretty horrible; I cannot imagine getting that many in one sitting, and I probably would have cried as much as he did! He passed the vision test with flying colors, and his blood pressure was great : 84/58. Porter will start kindergarten in 2 years since his birthday is after September 1st, and Dr. Cabiness agrees with our intentions to not attempt to place Porter early. I'm in no hurry to make my little boy grow up!! For now, he will stay in the program he's in...thankfully they have a 4-K class he will move to next year.

Porter loves MONSTER TRUCKS, and everything that goes along with them. Making ramps, crushing his cars with the big trucks, racing them around the house and yard...this little boy is ALL boy and loves pretty much anything with wheels. Speaking of wheels, his Big Wheel is another hit...he flies down our driveway and turns the bike quickly to the left, hoping to make skid marks...he also tells me he wants to be a racecar driver when he grows up. Uh...I'm not sure my stomach or heart would be able to handle that, but for now I'm fine with the backyard races. He definitely love speed; I just hope this doesn't continue in his teenage years when we're going for a driver's license!

Four years may have passed, but Porter continues to love to snuggle, cuddle, hug, etc. I'm so glad my little big man isn't too big to offer kisses or ask me to snuggle. I know these moments will become farther and farther apart, so I try to cherish each and every one. I love my sweet boy, and know the next year will be just as amazing as the last 4!!

Edisto Island, Part 2