Hewittfamilyblog

2009-03-30T14:43:00.000-07:00

COFFEE QUEEN!

As many of you know, Chloe has a thing for coffee. This weekend, we took the three hour drive to Reno, NV for some monthly shopping. While there, I was treated to a Starbucks coffee (mind you I had been up all night working, so it was much needed. I had planned on sleeping during the drive, but was shocked into a wakeful state by the State Trooper...yes folks, you must maintain a 3 car distance, even when passing???) Anyway, nap time for Chloe comes and we're just getting ready to see Monsters VS. Aliens (Great show!!) when she steals my coffee, hides under a shirt and drinks nearly half of it! I finished it off during the movie, only to have her ask for it and say, "I need more coffee!" She's too much. Fast-forward to Sunday morning, and as I head to the shower, she runs to the kitchen, with straw in hand, and tells Anthony, "I'm gonna drink Momma's coffee all gone, and she's gonna be SOOO mad!" Crazy girl!!

2009-03-24T16:17:00.000-07:00

Naked Baby in Boots!

Today we ventured into the local feed store, and to Chloe's surprise they had pink cowgirl boots! She just had to try them on, but there was just one problem...she had been insistent on wearing feeted PJ's as her outfit for the day. This one's easy, we'll just unzip and try on the boots. However, an even bigger problem...no undies!! Did this bother her?? NOPE! So we ended up with a naked girl running around the store in beautiful, pink boots. It was a hoot! We ended up with the boots, an early B-Day gift for the nearly 3 year old:) Have a great day!!

2009-03-17T14:30:00.000-07:00

How much longer???

So, you've all seen that I'm behind on posting??? Well, turns out the packers got to my camera cable before I did:( Boo! We have tons of pictures to share of our cross-country adventure, but all will have to wait. Still trucking along and hoping to be in the new house mid April. I'll start posting again then:) Take care and have a super day!!

2009-02-05T09:37:00.000-08:00

Shopping day in Raleigh!

As many of you know, we do the bulk of our monthly shopping in Raleigh. This is what Chloe typically looks like in Whole Foods. She loves their fresh bread...always the first stop:) This giant lizard is one of the live pets at our favorite toy store, Science Safari. He nods his head up and down at you as you walk by him. Fun store with neat things, not just for kids:)

2009-02-05T09:20:00.000-08:00

A Bunch of Sardines!
The girls are totally exhausted after a fun visit to Ohio. You'll see the difference in riding style from the trip there, and our return trip. We completely spent our Christmas money at IKEA!! Yes, Avery is faking sleep in the picture of her and Chloe:)

2009-01-27T05:29:00.000-08:00

Stephanie and Josh help Violet and Frank pose for a picture with Avery. We had so much fun visiting with the Carpenters and their puppies! They're totally cute and crazy:)

2009-01-27T05:05:00.000-08:00

Dustin instructs the kids on the Wii:) By the way, thanks for the De Blob game...AJ LOVES it!!

2009-01-27T05:00:00.000-08:00

Great-Grandkids

Grandma Jeanie poses with all her Great-Grandchildren. Wild time getting everyone in:)

2009-01-25T07:14:00.000-08:00

Aunt Mickey and BJ hosted Thanksgiving this year. We had a wonderful time visiting with all the family. Chloe was thrilled to be able to see the kitty cats and pet them. Fun times!

2009-01-25T07:02:00.000-08:00

Chloe loves to feed the geese!

While AJ and Avery enjoy their art lesson, Chloe and I love to feed the geese. This is a crazy twist, because Chloe used to be VERY scared of geese. Just a year ago, she would run through the house screaming for us when she heard them fly over our house each morning. It's great to see her overcome her fear of the "bad goose".

2009-01-22T06:41:00.000-08:00

It's a Turkey Herbie!!

As we drove down glorious Bragg Blvd, the kids screamed out, "A Turkey Herbie!". I couldn't believe my eyes...it was true! We had to turn around for a picture. Note the Krispy Kreme in the background...it's one of the first...it all started here in NC! (Yep, we did have to stop for a doughnut that day!)

2009-01-22T06:37:00.000-08:00

Party Favors!

Chloe is loving the press-on-nails:)
Daddy and I think it looks a little freaky!

2009-01-22T05:22:00.000-08:00

Happy 7th Birthday, Avery!

2009-01-22T05:17:00.000-08:00

Our friends join in the birthday fun:)

2009-01-21T07:46:00.000-08:00

Smokin!

Grandpa Harv has mastered the smoker! We all stood around tasting his turkey, salmon, and beef. It was amazing!! Thanks, Grandpa Harv!

2009-01-21T07:41:00.000-08:00

Kaitie's Car

Chloe and Avery enjoy a ride with Auntie Kaitie!

2009-01-20T07:12:00.000-08:00

A Day at Clayton Valley Pumpkin Farm!

2009-01-20T07:06:00.000-08:00

Family Picture

2009-01-20T07:02:00.000-08:00

Bus Ride????

This reminds me of a scene out of one of the Miss Pattycake movies!

2009-01-20T06:49:00.000-08:00

Lima Pits Aren't Just for Kids!

Yes, even Uncle Bean enjoys the Lima Pits:) The fun we had brought back wonderful memories of our fun with the Havenwood-Lander's family and their bean box!!

2009-01-20T06:35:00.000-08:00

AJ buried in the lima bean pit:)

2009-01-20T06:30:00.000-08:00

Quick shot before we head out:) Avery, AJ, and Chloe had a great time at the pumpkin patch. Thanks, Uncle Bean!

2009-01-08T04:44:00.000-08:00

Handmade by Grandma Gay

Sadly, our Grandma Gay went home to be with our Lord, late Oct. We all flew out to be with family during this sad time. As only Anthony and Ben can do, they sported some of Grandma Gay's handmade shirts to honor and remember her at the funeral. Afterwards, a large group of us headed up to the cabin for some good eats, fun games, and an awesome time together. Pray for our Grandpa Bud, as he's trying to live without his awesome wife.

2009-01-08T04:37:00.000-08:00

A Tour of Great Harvest Bread

We enjoyed a homeschool tour of Great Harvest Bread. They have all our favorite breads, and to make it even better, they make it fresh, even grinding their own wheat there in the store. Now that we've been grinding and baking some of our own breads, the kids really enjoyed seeing how they bake in bulk. Here the owner shows us the giant oven, baking a batch of dog bones!

2009-01-08T04:34:00.000-08:00

Avery and AJ pose in front of GHB's giant mixer.

2009-01-08T04:27:00.000-08:00

Girl's Night Out

Avery and I had a wonderful time with Deanna and her family at Disney On Ice. It was a cute show and a wonderful Girl's Night Out!

2009-01-07T08:53:00.000-08:00

Now That's a Wheel! AJ, Chloe, and Avery enjoyed a day on the farm.

2009-01-07T08:42:00.000-08:00

Hayride to pick a Pumpkin!

We totally enjoyed our hayride to pick pumpkins. Everyone looked carefully and made wonderful selections....the days of just picking the biggest are over! AJ selected his because it was a "butt pumpkin". Chloe fell in love with the "little bump nose" on hers. Avery found her pumpkin to be "the roundest, most perfect pumpkin".

2009-01-07T08:35:00.000-08:00

Corn Maze!

Avery, Shannon, AJ, and Chloe enjoy the Corn Maze at Gross Farms, NC. This was our first attempt at a corn maze, and I highly recommend taking 2 adults:) We found all the points in the easy maze, but struggled in the big one...could have had something to do with Chloe not being totally into it:) The big kids really LOVED it!

2008-12-04T03:51:00.000-08:00

The Big Hike

Avery, Chloe, and Anthony bringing up the rear of the big hike to the meadow. AJ and Avery amazed us this year making the big hike all by themselves. Chloe took the easy seat in the sling and loved every minute of it.

2008-12-04T03:43:00.000-08:00

A view of the little stream as we hike up to The Meadow in Hermit Valley, CA. Uncle Chris and Uncle Doug did a little path clearing as a couple of big trees had fallen over the winter and made for a difficult crossing so close to the cliff's edge.

2008-12-04T03:39:00.000-08:00

The Meadow

AJ and Ben setting up for some good fishing in the Meadow.

2008-12-04T03:36:00.000-08:00

Avery and Mookie walk along the banks of the litte stream up in the Meadow of Hermit Valley looking for a perfect fishing nook.

2008-12-04T03:33:00.000-08:00

A Perfect Spot

Avery and Mookie settle into a perfect spot for fishing.

2008-12-04T03:28:00.000-08:00

A Big Catch

AJ catches his first brook trout of the year. Thanks for the help, Uncle Bean!!

2008-11-20T08:57:00.000-08:00

Group shot of The Hewitt's after camping...Back row..Auntie Lisa, Uncle Bean, Grandpa Larry, Grandma Jane, and Anthony. Front row...Grandpa Bud, Chloe, Avery, Grandma Gay, AJ, and Shannon.

2008-11-20T08:45:00.000-08:00

Chloe makes Grandpa Bud smile as she snuggles up to him:)

2008-11-20T08:39:00.000-08:00

Chloe spends some time loving on Great-Grandma Gay.

2008-11-20T08:32:00.000-08:00

No trip to California is complete without In-N-Out Burger!! Yes, our 2 yr old, Chloe ate the whole burger!!

2008-11-20T08:20:00.000-08:00

AJ showing his smashed penny for our collection.

2008-11-20T08:11:00.000-08:00

A visit to the Jelly Belly Factory...totally fun and amazing tour. The kids then filled bags with their favorite jelly bean flavors.

2008-11-11T17:02:00.000-08:00

Family shot on the beach on Roanoke Island. We took a brief side adventure to explore the land where the Lost Colony had settled. We were just minutes from the start of the outdoor drama when we just had to get one more picture:) Just a short venture through some thick brush and a sneak peak backstage, and we were there for the start:) Whew! By the way, Chloe is at the beach house with Meemaw and Pap:) Thanks for the fun night out:)

2008-11-11T16:53:00.000-08:00

Avery, AJ, Chloe, and Shannon ferrying to the Outter Banks. This August we rented a neat townhouse with Meemaw, Pap, Auntie A, Uncle Jerry, Auntie B, and John Boy. It was a great time hanging out with family as everyone enjoyed the kiddos. There is so much to do...beach, boat rides, outdoor dramas, museums, etc. We had a great time and wish we had stayed longer:) Thanks Auntie A, for putting it all together!!

2008-11-11T16:46:00.000-08:00

Avery enjoying her favorite place...The Beach at Outter Banks, NC.

2008-11-11T16:43:00.000-08:00

Chloe loves her tea...and takes a pause from all the fun and games in the Outter Banks, NC.

2008-11-11T16:38:00.000-08:00

AJ found his love for water this summer, riding the ocean waves over and over and zooming down the water slides. The swim lessons have indeed paid off:)

2008-11-09T12:54:00.000-08:00

Avery and AJ float down the Lazy River

2008-09-01T18:55:00.000-07:00

Blood, Sweat, and Tears

Meemaw and Pap came for a vist and spoiled the children with new bikes. Sounds fun, but the bad part is putting them together. After much sweat, no blood, and maybe just the verge of tears, the kids are ready to ride:) Thanks Meemaw and Pap!!

2008-09-01T18:50:00.000-07:00

Avery on her pretty new bike. She's enjoyed riding it for a few weeks, but has just went back to the little bike and we've taken the training wheels off! I suspect she'll be riding well in just a couple more days and can switch back in a few weeks:) Go Avery!

2008-09-01T18:46:00.000-07:00

AJ sporting the finished product. He's doing great riding his new big bike. We're trying to ride most every day, and it's been amazing to see his progress.

2008-09-01T18:43:00.000-07:00

Pranksters!

A nicely deocrated Pineapple Man. He was quickly devoured shortly after this photo thanks to Auntie Lisa's awesome pineapple peeler:)

2008-09-01T18:38:00.000-07:00

Naughty Jake

Jake tore holes in his bed, but the kids made the best of it by doing thier own William Wegman photo of "Jake in a Lady's Wig"!

2008-09-01T18:34:00.000-07:00

Battle of Averasboro

Grandpa Lonnie, Chloe, Grandma Jeanie, Avery, and AJ enjoy a visit to the Civil War battle site of Averasboro, NC.

2008-09-01T18:29:00.000-07:00

MOOO

Chloe in her cow costume:) It's getting a bit too small, but she still squeezes into it!

2008-09-01T18:23:00.000-07:00

Must Have Cookies...
Avery and Chloe enjoy dessert. Neither can miss dessert nor a few minutes of "family movie night". In an effort not to miss a minute of the show, they moved thier little table to the middle of the kitchen so they could watch and eat:)

2008-07-20T13:24:00.000-07:00

Swimming Fun!

Chloe and Avery enjoy some fun in the sun!

Creative Avery, transforms the shade canopy

into a floating aid to help keep her cast up out

of the water! At least we didn't get it wet!

Yes, now she's out of the cast and into her two

weeks of buddy taping and we should be good to

go. The x-rays revealed good healing, thanks for all

the prayers!

Hats off to all the working mom's!!!

I changed jobs two weeks ago, and while I'm used

to working, I'm not used to doing 40 hr weeks!

Thankfully orientation is almost over and I can get back

into my one shift a week:) It will make for a

happier mommy, and thus a happier family!

Thank-you, Britnay for filling in for me, you've done an excellent job and the kids have loved it!!

2008-07-20T13:18:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed some fun times with friends over the 4th. Here Conner and Aj enjoy a water fight with the Daddies. While the little ones ended up the wettest, I don't think they considered themselves defeated:)

2008-07-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

Avery's Morning Harvest....

Our favorite part of the day, the morning garden harvest. Today Avery picked our squash twins, lettuce, broccoli, and a small mix of fresh berries.

2008-07-20T13:09:00.000-07:00

Got Wall-E??

After seeing Wall-E, the kids went crazy trying to find anything Wall-E. Avery finally just created her own, including a pull string for Chloe to pull him around the house!

2008-07-20T13:05:00.000-07:00

Noah's Ark!

Lego hound, AJ created Noah's ark, complete with a bearded Noah and a pair of crocodiles! Nice job, AJ!!

2008-07-20T12:50:00.000-07:00

A Princess

Chloe dressed herself for Church...she wanted to be a princess. What a cutie she makes!

2008-07-20T12:46:00.000-07:00

Group shot:)

Yes, it takes being confined to Chloe's crib to get a nice picture of all three! They're crazy!

2008-07-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

Twins!!

While gardening is new to us, we were shocked to find these siamese twin squash! One shared stem, two separate flower buds at the bottom...one tasty dinner:)

2008-07-03T03:37:00.000-07:00

Poor little Averina!

Our little Avery has broken her little baby finger:( As she was reaching across the table for the strawberries, she reached too far and fell off the chair, landing on her pinkie! The break put the little finger making a V with the one next to it. So, this is a picture of her after the urgent care visit. We had to go the next day to see the pediatric orthopedic doctor. This was crazy! The popping, the grinding, the pain! Poor little girl. She did so well! She's now in a similar splint to her elbow for two weeks, then they'll do a new, slightly shorter one for two more weeks, and hopefully she'll be good as new. Even though the growth plate is involved, they don't think it shall cause any problems. Please pray for our little Avery:)

ps...what's with the broken bones this year??? This makes 4 of our friends just in the last month!

2008-07-03T03:32:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Chloe!

Chloe is finally growing hair. She loves to put lotions and gels in her hair so that the curls are more visable. It's too cute!

2008-07-03T03:28:00.000-07:00

Anthony built this trellis for the grape vines a few weeks back. Now that the vines have something to cling to, they've grown like wild! We even have a few grape clusters!!

2008-06-29T18:15:00.000-07:00

Aj gets a much needed haircut. Our friend Abigail told AJ back in November that he looks good with curls. He hasn't cut his hair since. With all the wild curls and the 100 degree weather, he has finally caved. This is a shot midway, in honor of Uncle Bean!

2008-06-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

Black Widow!!

We found this amazing beauty right in our own backyard! We were a bit overdue with the weed whacking, as I blew our old one up back in May. Anyway, here's proof that you don't want to let the weeds grow up around the fences here in the south! For all concerned about the saftey of the kids, our neighbors rushed over with their killer spray before we had a chance to decide what to do about it:)

2008-06-09T11:55:00.000-07:00

Nope, that Jack Daniels is not for drinking...we're making vanilla extract! We got some Madagascar vanilla beans from a friend, who explained the process, so we're hoping for the best:) If all goes well, after several months, I'll share:)

2008-06-09T11:51:00.000-07:00

Mystery Solved! Two days in a row, my coffee mysteriously disappeared...empty cup left only with a straw...

Turns out, Chloe loves coffee!

2008-05-26T12:17:00.000-07:00

Avery's lost her two front teeth!

She lost them both on the same day. I can't get over how cute she looks, I just keep asking her to show me her smile:)

2008-05-26T12:15:00.000-07:00

Avery holding her mini jam:) We ended up with three jars and a wee bit left over for Avery's baby jar:)

2008-05-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

With the one basket of strawberries, the other was eaten within 24hrs, we made some strawberry jam:) Avery takes a turn stirring the berries!

2008-05-19T12:15:00.000-07:00

AJ, Avery, and Chloe take a pause for a picture:) We enjoyed a fun adventure out picking strawberries. I was scared that they would eat as many as they could pick, so I was very happy when we ended up with two big baskets. Fun times!

2008-05-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

Avery holds a basket of our hand picked berries!

2008-05-15T05:37:00.000-07:00

A Day on the Farm

We had a wonderful afternoon visiting Keith and Kim's farm. We all enjoyed seeing the baby animals and playing with our friends. We even stocked up on manure for our garden. Thanks guys!!! We'll be sure to share some of our veggies as they grow:)

2008-05-15T05:33:00.000-07:00

Chloe, Abigail, Taylor, Avery, and AJ all take a quick pause for a picture:)

2008-05-15T05:25:00.000-07:00

Avery finds a frog:) This little fella sparked the creation of a frog habitat back by our compost bin. Anthony and the kids dug a big hole for a bucket, filled it with water, added a couple of rocks, then finished it off with a lilly pad. Let's hope the frog stays and it doesn't become a breeding ground for mosquitoes!

2008-05-15T05:21:00.000-07:00

None of the kids could get enough of riding with Kim in the dune buggy!

2008-05-15T05:19:00.000-07:00

Just what is Chloe looking for????

2008-05-15T05:16:00.000-07:00

Two little kittens!

2008-05-15T05:13:00.000-07:00

Abigail and Avery are on top of the world:)

2008-05-15T04:57:00.000-07:00

Baby Duke lets AJ pet his nose:)

2008-05-14T17:20:00.000-07:00

Our gardens are really taking off this year. Last year didn't go over so well, but we did have a severe drought. This shot was two weeks back and since then, the tomatoes have grown so much we've had to cage them. The big plants in the back are our red potatoes. We're so anxious to dig them up! The vine plant to the front right is our "mystery" plant of the year. Since a lot of the dirt in the plot is the organic material from our compost bin, one can only guess what it could be...squash, melons, cucumbers??? Can't wait to see:)

2008-05-14T17:16:00.000-07:00

Our berry patch...strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, and blueberries. We've already been picking our strawberries, but it looks like we'll have a nice little crop of the others in a few more weeks:)

2008-05-14T17:13:00.000-07:00

Spinach and lettuce. This picture was taken two weeks ago. Since then, they've really taken off. We've had so much that we've been able to share bags with 10 families!

2008-05-14T17:08:00.000-07:00

Baby Nectarines:) Chloe walks by the tree and says, "Eat 'em, eat 'em!" and puts her little hand to her mouth!

2008-05-14T17:02:00.000-07:00

Avery taking her riding lessons. She's just loving it, but wishing she was 8 so she could do the horsecamp with AJ.

2008-05-14T16:53:00.000-07:00

AJ taking his riding lessons. Now that we're homeschooling, he can do the Tuesday horse camp on Ft. Bragg. He just loves it because it's all day, his buddies are there, they get to do a picnic lunch, and they get to do two trail rides:)

2008-05-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

Beautiful Avery impressed us all last weekend with her first piano recital:) Most teachers do not accept students under 8, but Mrs. Julie made an exception for Avery and has been amazed with her dedication and ability, she's doing better than more than a few of her older students! She played in front of the 100 plus audience, with such ease and no fear! Way to go, Avery!

2008-05-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

Rudolph AJ. Gotta love that wax coating on the cheese!

2008-05-09T07:03:00.000-07:00

Chloe in her beautiful sweater made by Auntie Amy. She calls this her "Eastie Bunny":)

2008-05-09T06:55:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day!!

Anthony and the kids totally blessed me with this awesome Scooba Robot! It is truely amazing! This little fella not only cleans up crumbs, but mops the floors for me! I love it! He works great in the kitchen, baths, and even the hardwood living and dining rooms! We've had hours of entertainment watching him and have put careful thought into naming him...Scooba! I was amazed that he cleans up even the drop spots from our drooling Jake:) Thanks, guys!!

2008-05-09T06:51:00.000-07:00

AJ, Chloe, and Avery set up a viewing area. Yes, we watched our robot for over 30 minutes. It was so neat! The kids think of him as part of our family. Chloe asks about him, pets him, tells us he's hungry, even checks on him while he sleeps!

2008-05-04T17:22:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, while AJ was at horse camp, the girls and I joined some friends at the Cape Fear Botanical Gardens. We had a wonderful time, walking the trails, seeing the geese, turtles, fish, snails, talking and enjoyed a picnic lunch. Fun times:)

2008-05-04T17:11:00.000-07:00

The muddy highlight of the Botanical Gardens. Avery and her friend Anna both took a spill in the same muddy patch on a trail. Didn't seem to bother them, they had a great time running through the mud, the puddles, and looking for snails:)

2008-04-28T11:48:00.000-07:00

Chloe and "Pepper". Avery found this little catipiller at church while Daddy helped work on the new building. Chloe carried him around all day, then he quickly spun into a cocoon while she napped. We weren't sure that he was totally ready, but we think he was scared for his life after being handled so much. Hopefully he'll make his great change for us to see:)

2008-04-28T11:43:00.000-07:00

Blue Velvet. This beautiful damsel fish came with our tank. He is fast, spunky, and has the most beautiful colorings. However, he's a tank dominator! He tends to be a bit agressive, so we had to carefully choose his tankmates. Thankfully our aquarium man helped us make good choices of fish that will stand up to him. Now that they are all settled, the others have to stand their ground, but everything is going well and we're enjoying our little beauties.

2008-04-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

Avery's choice was a piar of these blennies. Fireball and Firecracker team up to run Blue Velvet away when he's bothering them. We love thier little fins that they raise up and down as they move about.

2008-04-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

This little fella was AJ's choice. He's a beautiful purple and yellow, the picture doesn't do him justice:) We had to pick fish that could really stand their ground because Blue Velvet is a bit of a dominator. This little guy will take a little pushing, but then opens his mouth almost as wide as his head is big and gives it right back to BV when he's bad. We're still waiting on a name, AJ remembers there being this type of a fish in the tank with Nemo. Anyone remember his name???