Our Sweet Love Story: November 2009

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Go Panthers!

Well, it is official! Evan has become the biggest football fan EVER! He loves anything and everything about it! And he is also a diehard fan of the CAROLINA PANTHERS! Everywhere we go, he is sure to see something with a Panther on it. And he has very good eyesight because he can spot a little Panther symbol a mile away. Daddy took Evan to the Panther's Fan Fest this year where the fans can watch the team practice, play games, and get autographs. Daddy and Evan rode the Light Rail (our new train system) into uptown Charlotte, and Evan was super excited about the train ride too! They were a little late for the games and autographs, but they had a great time anyway!

Here are some of the great pictures for this day out with Daddy:

Panther's Fan Fest at Bank of America Stadium

The cutest fan!

Our little fan arrives at Panther stadium all decked out in his Panther jersey and matching Nike hat!

The team is practicing and gearing up for a big year! (Yeah, right!)

"I see Panther, Daddy! Rerrr, Rerrr!"

Evan shows Daddy the big Panther outside the stadium!

I love his little pose here! Pictures like that definitely remind me how big he is getting!

Adorable!

He is seriously pondering this Panther cat! "Is it real? Will it eat me?"

Daddy got someone to take their picture together, thank goodness!

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Evan's New House

Well, over the last two years, Evan has done a lot of growing...and so has his stuff! Wow, toys take up a lot of space! We were definitely feeling a little oppressed in our tiny apartment and were ready for a house again. Since our lease was up at the end of July, we decided to try to find a nice house for our family. We knew we wanted to stay in our cozy little niche in South Charlotte close to all the things we enjoyed (two great malls within a couple of miles of each other, Evan's school, our church, our family, etc.). Charlotte is so large in land size that it feels like several "cities" in one. South Charlotte, Uptown, East Charlotte, West Charlotte, North Charlotte with the towns of Huntersville and Cornelius, the University area, and the Matthews area all feel like different communities, and we have become South Charlotte people. We began our search but didn't plan to find our "dream house" or anything. South Charlotte prices are on the high side even for Charlotte, but with the housing crisis, there are still a lot of good deals out there, especially for people who still need to rent for a while. Well, we looked online on realtor websites as well as Craigslist. Eddie found a perfect house on Craigslist with all the things we were looking for. We went over to look at it, and it definitely seemed like our "dream house." It was a cozy traditional two-story home in a beautiful, established, family-friendly neighborhood less than a mile from our current living situation. It was situated right between our two fabulous malls (South Park and Carolina Place). We were "sold" right away. Well, Eddie e-mailed the person from Craigslist about the ad, but sadly, it turned out to be a scam. We knew the house was actually for sale because there was a realty sign in the yard so Eddie contacted the realtor to warn him about the scam, and the realtor wanted to show us the house. He was a super nice realtor, and we feel like he really encouraged the homeowners to work with us. Apparently, our homeowners have been in the same "boat" as us for some time, meaning that they moved away for the husband's job and have not been able to sell their house. They accepted our offer to rent the house for the time being until we can be in a better position to buy a house. We hope this will be our last move for many years because we are in love with this beautiful house. Of course, it isn't perfect, but it is close. Even the paint colors coordinated well with our furniture and decor. Evan has been so excited ever since we moved into his "new house" and would tell everyone he met about his "new house" in "Cameron Wood."

Here are a few pictures of our new home:

I know, I can't believe I haven't taken my own picture of the outside of the house. This is the realtor's picture.

Our family room is so cozy.

The breakfast nook is so large, it is our main dining area right now.

The kitchen has beautiful granite countertops, tile floors, and a gorgeous tile backsplash.

The formal dining room is Evan's playroom! He loves it, and so do we! Finally, some room for all those toys!

The downstairs bathroom.

Looking down into the formal living room. No, we don't have furniture for it yet. It is just Evan's soccer and football room right now!

A huge master bedroom. This is the only room that needs a paint job. One accent wall was painted a "pepto bismol" pink color and had these old cornices on the windows. Eddie removed the cornices, but we haven't painted it yet. Just can't decide on a color. For the Spring/Summer, the wall actually matched our bedding so it didn't look too bad.

A nice sized master bathroom with separate shower and soaking tub.

The big tub is one of Evan's favorite features.

Upstairs office is connected to the master bedroom. It has been very useful for Sherry's studies.

The office is large enough to double as an exercise room.

The guest bedroom is ready for visitors.

Evan's bathroom ~ we have put a few "froggy" accessories in his bathroom, but it is not complete.

Evan's cute room. I love that his room has a pretty chair moulding.

Evan's favorite room is the screened porch where he spends a lot of his time.

Evan's little fish pond ~ no fish yet!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Summer Fun ~ 2009

EMMA'S DANCE RECITAL

We are so proud of cousin Emma. She really did well at her dance recital this year. She looked so beautiful and definitely belongs on a stage with bright lights shining on her! We love you, Emma!

Emma is preparing to dance.

She's a beauty!

And a heartbreaker!

Little brother is her biggest fan!

But cousin Evan is a close second!

BRINN CAME TO VISIT AGAIN!

It was a very short visit, but we were so happy! We got to see Ayden again and meet the newest addition, little Elias! He's so sweet!

Brinny and her new little man, Elias!

Ayden and Evan playing with the toy machine. They had no money to play!

Evan really wanted a toy, and Ayden convinced him to just climb inside and get one.

Trying to go in head first!

Evan and his ol' buddy, Ayden! They met on the day Evan was born!

Evan and his pal, Ayden, did Kung Fu Panda kicks in the parking lot!

FIRST BIRTHDAY PARTY WITH A SCHOOL FRIEND

Evan goes to his friend Sebastian's birthday pool party!

Playing in Sebastian's little pool!

Sebastian joins Evan in the pool.

Evan always enjoys playing with other kids' toys! "The grass is always greener in someone else's toy box" is his motto!

Sebastian and Evan enjoy their cupcakes!

Evan's little cake face!

And Sebastian's too!

Sebastian's really cute car cake!

This is how a really tired toddler who is overdue for a nap will look after a long day of swimming, playing, and eating cake!

More Pool Time

Evan had fun in this little pool where he could stand up and get around by himself!

Splashing with Daddy!

Swim lessons from Grandma!

Snack time by the pool!

Relaxing by the pool with Daddy!

Playing with Daddy in the pool!

Playing with his favorite toy!

The Beautiful Faces of Evan

Pretending to put his face under the water!

Relaxing by the Pool!

Pool Toes!

Happy 4th of July

Eddie and I wanted to make 4th of July special for Evan so we took him bowling for the first time. Evan has an "obsession" with any kind of ball so we expected that he would love a bowling ball. He was so good and played the whole game with Mommy and Daddy. In fact, he almost beat us! For the 4th of July, we went to see an all American game of baseball and cheered for the home team (The Charlotte Knights). After the game, we watched a fabulous fireworks show!