Announcing...

It's official! Phoebe Ann Marie Mitchell made her debut on October 30th and 12:38 pm. She weighed 7 pounds and measured 20 1/2 inches at birth. She kept us on our toes in the last few weeks before her arrival and decided an emergency c section was the best way to make her grand entrance. It was a scary turn of events, but both Mom and baby are healthy.

Phoebe is absolutely adored by her older sister and brother! Mom and Dad are pretty smitten as well. We are all so grateful to have her here with us and look forward to a new life as a family of five.

Here are a few pictures of our sweet baby girl.

Dax loves his baby sister!


Phoebe the punk rock baby


The kids meeting their baby sister for the first time.


Me and my girls!


Phoebe and Daddy



Here are a few from her photo shoot with Daddy. We are all in love with her blonde hair.

Grandparents Breakfast

Piper's school has a special breakfast for students and grandparents. This was the third year in a row that Grandma and Grandad picked up Piper and had breakfast with her at school and then got to see her classroom and meet her teacher. She was so excited and looked forward to this day since the first day of school. Next year Grandma and Grandad will play double duty and have breakfast with both Piper and Dax!

Absence Makes the Heart Grow Fonder. Right?

I know, I know! I have been a bad blogger friend. I didn't intend for this to happen and I have missed all of you, but alas I have been a bad blogger friend. I have had many wonderful and exciting things to tell you about, sprinkled in with a few mundane things as well, just to keep it interesting. See the thing is my Macbook has suffered an injury. It is a fixable injury and purely cosmetic, but it is an injury nonetheless. It all started the night we transformed Piper's room from this...




to this...






We worked really hard to transform Piper's room into a room for Piper and Dax and we were quite pleased with the outcome. As the kids happily camped out in the family room we basked in the accomplishment of this new room. It was pretty late and we were pretty tired so what happens next has been forgiven. I set my Macbook on the step stool and left the room to get something. I hadn't been gone long when I heard a crash and Matt yell. I ran back to the room thinking he had fallen somehow and asked if he was okay. He answered that he was fine, but my computer might be broken. WHAT?! The proper response would have been relief and joy that my husband was okay, but I admit that it was fear for my beloved laptop that was the overwhelming thought in my head. See when Matt went to move the step stool he didn't see my computer sitting on the top step and it slid right off and hit the floor. Hard. What has resulted is a cracked screen that has gotten worse as time has gone by. It can be fixed and will be fixed, but right now we are using our money to pay for things like electricity and rent with not a whole lot left over.

So you see, it has been difficult to blog with a screen that is blocked by black fingers of pixel killing death. But so many fun things have happened and I want them to be here at chez mitchell blogspot. So I plan to blog like crazy and catch you all up on the stuff that has been going on here. As you can see we have done some remodeling and still have a bit more to do as well. So check back often in the next day or so for new posts of things that have already happened and maybe even a current event as well.

First Day of School

I can't believe that both of my babies are at school right now. We all woke up bright and early ready for the exciting day ahead. Piper had a hard night and came running in our room at 10:15 convinced that it was time to get ready for school. She was crying and complaining of an upset tummy. I figured it was night before school nerves and we put her back to bed with a throw up bucket just in case.

The alarm went off bright and early at 6:45 and Phoebe must have heard it because she woke up kicking and stretching. HA! Piper bounded into our room with the tummy nerves. I went to wake Dax up and do morning stretches with him. He was in a chipper mood and I was happy about that since he is NOT a morning person. Hmm...wonder who he gets that from?!

I made smoothies for breakfast and then we got into new school outfits and got all spiffed up for pictures in front of the tree. Here are a few favorites.




Here is Piper's first day of 1st grade as compared to today. She has grown up and changed so much!!

First Grade


Second Grade



She was excited to start school and barely let me take a picture with her teacher. Times are changing and my baby is growing up.


Maddax started PRE-K this morning and this is the first time he has ever left me. He was nervous and quiet this morning as we waited to take him into his school. We took a few more pictures and then walked him in. He walked right up to his teacher and said hello. I snapped my picture of him and his teacher, got him settled into his seat and took one more picture before walking out the door. The director was standing outside his room and commented on how well he was doing. I said that he was fine and I was a mess. HA! I had tears streaming down my face by the time we reached the van, but when we left he was tear free and that made me happy.

Here is my big boy!

Summer's End

Today is the last day of Summer vacation. It has been a long summer here at chez Mitchell. It was a fun summer, a stressful summer and a happy summer, but most of all it was a long summer.

Tomorrow we will send Piper off to second grade and the thought brings a few tears to my eyes. I am so proud of her and the strides she is making. I am excited to see her grow up and into the person she is to be, but I am also sad when I see all that she has become and how she seemingly needs less and less of me. Childhood is so bittersweet in so many ways. In a few short months my baby girl, my first born, will become my oldest of two daughters. She will be a little mother in so many ways to her baby sister and while I am excited to see that, I am also amazed that my 6 pound wonder could possibly be the squealing 7 year old with two missing teeth headed to 2nd grade. Bittersweet, I tell ya!

Tomorrow will also be the day we send our sweet little bug to his first day of school. He will be going to PRE-K five days a week for three hours a day. I am so excited for him and so sad to see him go. He has been my sweet little snuggle bug and it is hard to imagine that the time has already come to let him have adventures without me. I know that it is time and that he is ready. I am not so sure I am. He told me that I would be fine and that I would have a new baby to take care of while he is away. Doesn't he know that he will always be my baby? After 7+ years as a Mom I will finally have a portion of my days all to myself and that is a strange feeling. Granted my alone time will only last a couple short months before Phoebe joins our little family here. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

In celebration of the last day of Summer we decided to go to the movies and end the day with Daddy's famous homemade sour cream pizza. We saw Ponyo at the kids request and all really enjoyed it. The kids have repeated the line, "I want ham!" all day long. Lucky little kids will find ham sandwiches for lunch tomorrow. After the movie was over we headed over to the elementary school to meet Piper's new teacher. When I say new, I mean really new. She is brand new to our school and possibly to teaching. This makes me a little nervous, but also excited to see what lays ahead. Piper was excited to see a few names she knew on the classroom list and I was relieved to not see the name of her tormenter from last year. Second grade is going to be a good year.

As I type, the pizza is in the oven and the kids are running around outside with Matt and Roxy Sue. I hope when the kids look back on the summer they have happy memories and know how much we love them. It can be stressful to be with each other for weeks and months on end after getting used to the break that school allows. We have had to be more patient and tolerant, but I also hope we have grown closer this last summer as a family of four.

Picture Proof

Here is our picture with David Archuleta. Excuse Matt's expression...haha! Can you see the absolute joy on Piper's face?

Come with me, little brother...

We did a photo shoot on Saturday evening at the beach and took the kids along since it was for close friends. After pictures were done we released all the kids to play in the water. The water was super shallow but Maddax was still hesitant about going out by himself. Along came Piper who said, "Come with me, little brother." And with that she took his hand and kept him safe. These are the moments....

Lazy Summer Days

Some days are lazy and some days are so full I collapse at the end of the day from sheer exhaustion. We are having a good summer despite our current unemployment status. There are no new updates there...we are looking into options for Matt to go back to school and hoping that we can get Matt Mitchell Photography off the ground. We are eternally grateful for the amazing friends and family in our life who have gone above and beyond during this time. Just thinking about the generosity and love brings tears to my eyes. Thank you, thank you, thank you from all of us here at Chez Mitchell.

We have had another visit from the tooth fairy, although she was a night late. I guess she is super busy during the summer months. Piper is as adorable as ever with her gappy smile. I am still blown away that she is now losing the teeth that I sat up with her while she painstakingly cut them the first time. Such a bittersweet thing to see your children grow up.

Speaking of growing up I will have two kiddos at school this year. Maddax will be going to PRE-K from 8:45-11:45 Monday-Friday and he is super excited!! Grandma and Grandad are taking him back to school shopping and it is all he can talk about these days. He carries his list with him and is so proud to tell people he will be at school this year. I, on the other hand, break out in a cold sweat when I think of my little bug not being with me. The best part of having a child with a Fall birthday is that you get to have them home with you an extra year and I have treasured my time with Dax. I am happy to see him excited, but again the bittersweetness comes in.

By the close of this year we will have a 2nd grader, a 5 year old preschooler (look Ma, a whole hand!) and a newborn! WOW!! We are so excited for all that we have been blessed with and at the top of that list is our children. They drive me crazy but they also drive me...to be a better mom, wife, daughter, friend and sister. They make me feel like anything is possible and that is a gift that I just could not grasp until I become a parent.

In other news...we went to a church event last night where we were told to expect a special musical guest. The speculation was that it would be David Archuleta (American Idol runner up and fabulous singer!). I was skeptical but thought it was a brilliant idea to put the rumor out there. There were tons of people at the stake center and none of us were disappointed when at 7:05 David walked onto the stand. He spoke about his journey to where he is now and how Heavenly Father played such a large role in helping him know what direction to take. He was a great speaker and I loved looking around at all the people there and seeing so many kids actually listen to every word he had to say. Of course he also sang a few hymns and they were amazing! After the meeting closed we had a chance to meet him and have our photo taken. Piper was totally star struck. Her eyes got huge, her mouth dropped open into an O and she was unable to speak. It was adorable and I so wish I would have been able to use my own camera to get pictures. With so many people they just shuffled us in and out and had a set up with a photographer there to take our pictures. It was quite the Thursday night treat and as soon as I get the picture I will be sure to post it.

Well there is a quick update. I will post more this weekend and add a few pictures of the kiddos and maybe even a growing belly shot of me and baby girl. Baby girl now has a new name, by the way. We have decided to name her Phoebe Ann. We all love the name and feel that it is the perfect fit to our family. The best part is that we are able to honor my Nana and Matt's grandma with her middle name. They are both amazing women and I am glad that my daughter will carry their legacies with her name.

Calling the Tooth Fairy

Piper lost her first tooth tonight. This tooth has been pretty wiggly for a while now and we have been long awaiting this day. We had some friends (Hi Ostrom Family!) over for dinner and the night started with Piper being super excited about the super wiggly of her tooth. She got her little treasure box with a mirror attached out and sat in front of it and wiggled and wiggled. Matt suggested she chew a piece of gum and see if that helped. We all sat down for dinner and not more than three bites into the meal out comes the tooth. Hysteria followed since a lost tooth comes with a bit of blood. I helped her rinse her mouth and help stop the bleeding. She was soooo excited, but also a little bit freaked out.

We bought a tooth fairy doll for her a few weeks ago in anticipation of the tooth fairy's impending visit to our house. So tonight before bed we tucked the tooth in the front of the doll's dress and sat her on top of the pillow next to Piper's sweet little head. I really can't believe that my baby girl has lost her first tooth! I remember when she cut that tooth and now it is gone and she has moved into a new stage.

On a sweet note...tonight when Matt was tucking Pi into bed she said, "Daddy I want to save my tooth fairy money for something special like helping out since you lost your job." Cue the tears! How awesome and also heartbreaking at the same time. She is a special girl and we are glad she is ours.

Recession Photo Session

The economy got you down? It has hit us here at chez Mitchell in a big way. Some of you already know but others may not, Matt was laid off unexpectedly last Friday. We were totally caught off guard! With a baby on the way the timing is pretty awful, but there is never really a good time to lose your job. Matt came up with a brilliant idea to offer discounted photo sessions and pictures while he has some off time.

Here is the deal; a photo session, one 8x10, two 5x7's and 12 wallets for $60! Seriously!! So if you have been wanting to have family pictures, baby pictures, maternity pictures, just random Wednesday night pictures, now is the time! The session will be about an hour in length and can be where ever you would like photos done- park, your backyard, etc. And if you want the quintessential Florida family beach shot that can be done for an additional $15.

Here are a few samples of Matt's work.












Be sure to send me an email sarzoe81@yahoo.com, give me a call or track me down and let me know when you want to book your session. We sure appreciate all the love and support from our friends and family. Thanks!!

Happy Birthday, Annastyn and America!!

We are currently driving home from a wonderful 4th of July and birthday weekend. We headed up to Inverness on Friday afternoon to spend the night at B&B's. We arrived, dropped off all of our stuff, fed the goats (and Barrett) and piled back in the van to head to the Inverness 4th of July celebration in the town square.

Granddad and Barrett share a snack


Feeding time for the goats!



How cute is this little girl?!



Me and my girls



We met up with Brittan's family and set up our lawn chairs and blankets and waited for the firework show to start. The kids got their faces painted, stuffed themselves full of funnel cake and popcorn and had a great time with the glowsticks that were passed out.

Barret's Rocket


Fun with glow sticks




Soon the sky was dark enough for the show to start. We all ohhed and ahhed as the fireworks exploded in the sky above the lake in front of us as the PA system played classic patriotic songs. I admit that as I watched the fireworks above me and listened to songs about America, a tear or two welled up in my eyes. I love the 4th of July and I love this country. I hope that as our kids grow we can instill in them a love of country and a gratitude for the many brave men and women who have, and are currently, serving our country to allow us these continued freedoms. I thought of my Grampy who was a World War II vet and I thought of the many friends we have who send their spouses, children, siblings, etc. to serve right now. Thank you on behalf of the Mitchell family.

Explosions in the sky



When the show was over we packed up and braved the crowds back to our van. Luckily we were able to follow B&B down the back roads and avoid the majority of the traffic. Yea for small towns and BIG fireworks displays--the evening was perfect! When we got home it was pretty late and we were certain that the kids would fall fast asleep, yeah right! How can you sleep when there are cousins to play with and giggle with?! We piled the kids into the hallway upstairs with blankets, sleeping bags, pillows and loveys and only had to tell them 101 times to close their eyes and go to sleep. Eventually the girls were able to drift off, but a certain little boy found his way downstairs to watch Daddy and Uncle Brian skateboard on the wii. Dax at one point needed to give a tutorial on just how to nail the tricks and after we hit the "well past midnight" mark we all headed to bed.

We woke up early this morning to Dunkin Donuts, OJ and fresh fruit. YUM! We all got into our swimsuits, doused ourselves with sunscreen and piled back into the van. We were heading to the Rainbow River for a 2 hour float down the frigid river. And frigid it was! The river is 68 degrees year round and on a day when the temperature hit 100 it felt like 40! My poor toes were numb as soon as they hit the water. We rented inflatable boats for the kids to ride in and that was the way to go, no need to get wet at all. Soon though the sun was beating down on us and it felt nice to be floating down the cool, clear river. We saw a baby turtle and lots of seaweed, but all the other critters were in hiding on such a populated day. Piper, Campbell and Anna Mae got out of their rafts and swam for quite a while, but Dax wasn't having it. At one point he tried to go from one boat to another and fell in...he yelped and scrambled over to me to be lifted out of the cold water.

By the time we reached the end of our journey we were hot and hungry! We headed over to Mimi and Poppa's house for hamburgers, hotdogs and ice cream cake to celebrate Annastyn's birthday. Anna Mae is four years old and loves dresses, as anyone could plainly guess by looking at her gifts. After yummy ice cream brownie cake the kids hopped in the pool for more swimming, albeit at a much warmer temp, and Matt headed off to take pictures of Brittan's parents farm.

Make a wish


Lucy


Horses




We are now driving back home and keeping our eyes peeled for fireworks over the interstate. The weekend was wonderful and just what we needed. We love our time in Inverness and each time we are there we vow to not let it be a long time before we are back again. This evening before we left Annastyn asked if we would come back next week--we'll do our best to be back soon. Thanks Uncle Brian, Auntie Brittan, Campbell, Annastyn and Barrett!! We love you guys!!