the plan

Here are John and Ollie eating "salad" at Country Park the other day. Actually Ollie really is taking a bite, gross Olls! These two have become big buds lately. Just last week I told Ollie when I was picking him up from school that we were going to have pizza with John that night, he burst into tears when we pulled in our driveway and not Johns because he was ready to eat pizza then, with John. Ollie cried on Sunday when we had to leave John and the church playground. And everyday this week when we have gotten in the car, Ollie says, "go John's house." Even though these guys are 14 months apart they play pretty well, John teaches Ollie how to share and communicate and apparently make salad (something he doesn't know that much about.)

We met John's parents about 8 years ago, long before John or Ollie were ever a twinkle in either of our eyes. We became friends fast, we were going through the same life stages as we got married only a week apart. We went on a fall trip together every year, brought in many a new year, shared many young life trips and then they headed off to Florida for a while and we missed them. About two years later they came back to Greensboro with John in tow. It's honestly hard for old friends to jump back into friendships, but little did we know that about a year later we would have an Ollie and that would help change things. It's been amazing to me over the past year how our kid's friendship could strengthen our friendship, but it has. I guess that's just it...not just being a part of the plan for our lives but living in God's plan.


On a photography side note, if you use Picasa 3 you can go to effects and turn up the saturation of color in your photos, like I did with this one and it turn from dull to razzle dazzle.

I survived...

my very first Chuck E. Cheese birthday party. We celebrated the 1st and 3rd birthday's of our friends Evalyn and Lauren on Saturday morning. Whew, I seriously feel like need a t-shirt that states: I survived Chuck E. Cheese! It was pure chaotic fun, I'm pretty sure Ollie had a blast, he mostly just rode the Bob the Builder "tractor" the whole time, for real like 15 times, by the end he knew how to put the token in all by himself, while 300 (or so it seemed) of his closest friends from Greensboro ran around the room. I've had many experiences as a parent in my 1.11 months of experience, but this was by far the one experience I wished that I had one of those animal back pack leash type things, whoa, what an hour!

When we got home Olls said, "I play Chucky, fun!"

ready

We are smack dab in the middle of our poetry unit in 2nd grade writer's workshop. I'm not normally poetic and don't get excited the next few lines will never make in a poetry anthem, but they are nonetheless simple and somewhat inspired.

ready...
picnics
sunshine
lazy days
flip flops
playing outside
walks in the woods
needing a reason to get a pedicure
birthdays
daffodils
ready
for
spring

In the Hannam house we've been smack dab in the middle of a very different season, one which I am thankful we are working through. I love the season of winter, I am like a child everytime weather.com calls for the slightest bit of snow flurries, but this year something is different, I am ready for a change, for a new beginning, to embrace life and love for all that it has in it.

"But blessed is the man who trusts me, God, the woman who sticks with God. They're like trees replanted in Eden, putting down roots near the rivers-Never a worry through the hottest of summers, never dropping a leaf, serene and calm through droughts, bearing fresh fruit every season." Jeremiah 17:7-8 The Message

Hair ye, Hair ye!!!

Ollie here, my mom wants to tell you about what she does to me almost every Sunday afternoon around here.

Yes, you heard him right, almost every weekend I trim my boys lovely locks. It seems hard to believe because he has so much of it. I even pull it out between my fingers like they do at fancy salons and snip, snip, snip. I think he likes it...you might be wondering how do I get him to sit still for this...three things make this possible.

A Dora sucker, well any will do, but these are big and last a while, an episode of Backyardigans on the laptop and fast hands!

little guy...big heart

My little man will finally turn 2 in about a month, people all the time think he's three already, it's hard to explain that he's not even two yet, he's just so darn lengthy! Ollie talks all the time these days. Here are two conversations that occured in the past week that I've deemed "blogworthy."

I'm sitting on the floor the other day, Ollie runs over and hugs me.
"Mommy", he says.
"Yes, Ollie", I say.
"I lub you! "He says.
Melted my heart, we say we love each other all the time, but it is always prompted by, tell daddy you love him.

Two days later...
Matt walks in the door coming home from work.
Ollie says "Daddy's home"...runs to meet him.
Then he said, again without prompting, "Miss you Daddy!"

Oh, Ollister, the joy you bring to us, we love you!

Sn-O-w day!!!

Hi, it's Ollie, it's an O-day or something mommy keeps saying. I like this stuff I tell you! I'm gonna go on a snow walk.

Here are some of the highlights from our trip. Brr, it was cold and I didn't like it when my gloves fell off. Mommy tried to build a snowman, but I thought it was more fun to stomp on that thing.

Bye, see ya later!!!

Not Me...take 2!

One of the blogs I check daily, MckMama and all 4 of her charming kids hosts this fun game every Monday and since I'm off today I thought I had a minute to play along. So here goes...

I did not attempt to sort Ollie's books into two categories on Saturday while cleaning his room: fiction and non-fiction, nope I didn't do that.

I also did not on more than one occasion tell my friends in 2nd grade that something they did was "yucky, " nope my worlds don't collide at all do they???

I have not been doing a snow dance all day long, nope not me, that would mean I didn't want to work tomorrow after already having today off.

I absolutely did not buy a pregnancy test this weekend at Target, nope did not.

And, I did not find a chicken nugget in Ollie's bed this morning, nope sure didn't.

Hmmmm, people truth be told...one of these is not true, but it is up to you to wonder which one is! Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!!!