Wordless Wednesday - DOUBLE TROUBLE

Noah and my nephew, Jake, are just 8 months apart in their ages, Jake being older. I am so excited because they are going to grow up being close. They already are close. But let me tell you, they feed off of each other and sometimes (most of the time) they are a handful!! That's why I am gonna call them DOUBLE TROUBLE!!! But they have so much fun together and it is worth every minute of trouble --- though Jennifer and I may pay for it later on in life!! HEHE!! 

Here they are playing Jake's drums that his Aunt Melissa gave him.

I am not sure what Aunt Jennifer did to Aunt Melissa for her to give him drums. LOL!

Here they are being sweethearts watching Toy Story 3 on the portable DVD player.

This was not a posed picture!!!

I must add a picture of my oldest child to the post.

Here is Maggie trying to take a nap. She was not really happy with me waking her up.

Thanks to Flip Flops & Pearls and to Supermom for hosting Wordless Wednesday!!! :-) I'm enjoying joining in your blogging games. So much fun and meeting such great new blogging friends!!

~Randi

Home Tour Tuesday - Trim The Tree

  

So, I decided to try something new - and I am SO excited about it. My first blog hop is not that good because I am not prepared so I am going to do the best that I can!! So bear with me!!

 

This "Home Tour" is about trimming of the tree and my favorite Christmas ornament. I am not at home where I can take my pictures and put on the blog but I just so happened to have a couple of pictures on my phone. I'm sorry the quality is not the best and I definitely don't have a picture of my favorite ornament but I will do my best to make up for it later on!! :-)

 

 

Our Christmas Tree

(too bad you can't see the pretty Disney ornaments all over our tree)

 

Maggie's Ornament

I sadly realized that Maggie has been a part of our family since 2006

and she did not have her own ornament. What kind of Momma am I?

So here it is, Maggie's ornament - brand new this year. She is so proud of it!! 

Our new inflatable Mickey for the yard

Noah and Mommy had to test it out to see how it works

and how big it is. It's not as big as Noah and I would like but

it is still worth the $19.99 we paid for it. Maybe I'll invest in the

$60 inflatable Mickey for next year. Just couldn't bring myself to it this year!!

Here is our house all decorated!

We made the swap to LED colored lights this year and Keith

couldn't be any happier with the outcome. He and Papaw worked

hard on getting them up high! You can't see the inflatable Mickey

in the yard but you can see the Mickey outline in the wreath on

the door. We even changed his lights to colored LED and

he is much more defined now. I just heart him so much!!!

The family Christmas pictures in an earlier post showcase our mantel and Christmas stockings. If you can't tell, I am a DISNEY FANATIC!! I love Mickey Mouse and everything that goes along with Mickey. Keith and I went to Disney World on our honeymoon and bought Mickey and Minnie Christmas stockings. We went again in 2006, the first Christmas after getting Maggie and of course got her stocking while on our trip. We went again last year when Noah was 7 months old and it was only appropriate that we purchase his stocking while there. We couldn't find anything that just grabbed us so we got the traditional Mickey Mouse stocking. I love it even more because it looks like baby Mickey compared to Keith's Mickey stocking. 

I hope you enjoyed our impromptu Home Tour. I promise that I will prepare better for the next tour! LOL!!! Join in on the Home Tour with me by visiting Shannon at Webbisodes and Daphne from Flip Flops and Pearls.

~Randi 

Close call for Santa

Jennifer text messaged me Friday afternoon saying they were taking Jake to Bass Pro Shop to see Santa and wanted to know if we would like to go. I figured out that Friday night was the best time to go so off we went. Keith and I were the last ones there because I had to work late because of a last minute order. Mom had Noah so they were there waiting on us when we got there. I brought him his new church shoes, khaki pants, white button up shirt and his adorable navy blue sweater. He looked so preppy!! I was so proud of him. We waited and waited and waited -- at least 45 minutes in line. Jennifer told me that the lady behind her had an extra pass for 7 pm -- meaning we had a ticket that gave us the opportunity to jump in line at 7 and see Santa without having to wait in the really long line. 7 rolled around and we waited. The "elf" told us that Santa had to "feed the reindeer" at 7 before he could see any other kids (ie: Santa needed a potty break.) So, we waited some more. Papaw entertained Noah best he could while Jennifer and I stood in line. They started moving us up in the line so Papaw brought Noah over to me. He did so good standing right there beside me. He wanted me to pick him up, which I did, and he put his head on my shoulder, tucked his arms and tried to put his butt in the air. This is the true sign that he is ready for bed/nap or is really tired. I knew that he must be tired because he and Nina had driven all over creation all day and he only took a 45 minute nap in the car. We are going to step forward in the line, Noah raises up, looks at me and throws up all over me and him. It was slow motion. I froze like I had no idea what to do. Off we headed to the bathroom --- my brain was not thinking. I had no idea at that moment what to do or what I was going to do. He kept throwing up on the way to the bathroom and I (like an idiot) tried to catch it in my hand. Like that was gonna help at this point!! Jennifer told Gena what had happened and fortunately she came to help me out. I have no idea where Mom and Dad had gone. Couldn't find them! (Called them on the cell phone as we were trying to leave and they had gone upstairs shopping. They did walk out with us as we left.) We changed his clothes - fortunately we had the original outfit in the bag. I was out of luck. It was all over me. Fortunately I also had a sweater on so I could take the sweater off and had my shirt underneath. We got him clean and then the thought of "How am I gonna get him home" ran through my head. Ah - a cup!! We begged the guys for a cup (aka: bucket) to help us on the ride home. I just knew we were fighting the stomach bug again. Twice in one year is not fair!! Poor thing was sick again before we walked out of Bass Pro, again in the car on the way home and then a couple more times at home. We were very thankful for our cup - though I am sure Noah will never drink out of a styrofoam cup again! He would see me hold the cup, push it away and say "NO". He was only sick about 2 hours and didn't throw up any more. I told GiGi that I was not sure if it was viral or not. He and I both did run a low grade fever Saturday morning but it was gone that afternoon. I never got sick but didn't have an appetite. We did head on to Tammy's house for the Dison family Christmas - and I am so glad that we did. Yes, I did ask permission from the family and everyone said it would be fine!

We did have to laugh though -- not really, but we did!! If Santa had not gone to "feed the reindeer" there is a strong chance that Noah would have been in his lap during his "incident". OR - if Noah had waited about 5 more minutes (not that he could help it) Santa would have been in trouble! We laughed at the part that Bass Pro Shop and Santa would not have forgotten Noah!! And oh, not to mention the Mommies that had been standing in line forEVER waiting to see Santa. That would not have been good!! LOL! Oops!! Poor baby would not have been able to help it, but poor baby would have never lived it down either!! See, it is kind of funny when you think about it! Gotta find some humor in it because I almost cried at Bass Pro. Good thing did come out of it --- I am no longer afraid of throw up! AND - you know that you are initiated as a mother when your child throws up all over you and you don't have extra clothes for the ride home! Yuck!!

Thanking the Lord Noah is better and praying Keith and I don't come down with it,

~Randi, Keith, Noah & Maggie

Flashback Friday - ENGAGEMENT TRIP

 I am SO excited to be starting "Flashback Friday" on my blog. I saw this on some one's blog and knew that I wanted to do it. Yes, I gave in to blog peer pressure. I wasn't really sure how to start it and then I came across our pictures from our trip to Gatlinburg when we got engaged. I knew this would be the perfect start. I really wanted to post wedding pictures but that is when my Grandma moved to Heaven and I never did. I planned on posting it on the month anniversary of our anniversary - again, never did. SO - I will just gradually work into the wedding pictures with my Flashback Friday. Don't know what I will "flashback" to once I complete this --- guess I will find something! :-) Hope you enjoy this......


Keith and I got engaged Thanksgiving weekend, 2004. His family planned a vacation to Gatlinburg for the week. Keith and I were not able to go for the week because of my work schedule, but we joined the family on Wednesday. I remember it being fun traveling to Gatlinburg with him. I also remember secretly hoping that I would be coming home engaged. We had already set our date for the wedding (though no one really knew except my parents.) When you are wedding photographers and want a specific date for a wedding, you must plan early!! I think we had set the date 2 months prior to getting engaged. Anyway.... I had no idea he had actually bought the ring but like I said, I secretly hoped that is when it would be. I kept looking for it when we would go places but it never happened.


Thanksgiving day, (I think), the family rode the ski lift to the top of Gatlinburg. I remember being scared to death because I am fearful of heights. I enjoyed the time at the top of the mountain but I did not enjoy the ski lift ride up. My palms are sweating right now just thinking/typing about it. Friday was a day at Cade's Cove. I had no idea that is where Keith actually planned to propose. God love him, he had the ring with him all day but never found the right spot. We got back to the cabin and made plans to go downtown Gatlinburg to have dinner at the Italian restaurant. Keith asked if I would ride back to the top of the mountain to get a picture of Gatlinburg at night. I didn't want to but he begged. Of course I gave in thinking that he might propose there. We got to dinner, put our name on the list and then found out that we had about a 40 minute wait. While shopping in the stores around the restaurant, Keith asked if we had time to go up and get the picture. So off we went. I knew that he would not propose because it was going to be rushed. Ha - should have known Keith and his making things difficult. LOL! We rode up, freezing by the way and I patiently waited while he tried to take the perfect picture. He kept playing with the shutter speed on the camera trying to get the picture. He finally asked me to try. I'm thinking, are you kidding?? You are obviously the better photographer, especially when it comes to a steady hand and you are asking me to take the picture. Boy, I was so naive. I took the picture and it didn't work. He told me to try again. I turned to show him that my picture was not good and he was down on one knee. I have no idea what he said but I know that I said YES!! I was SO excited. We rode back down the mountain - calling my parents on the way. I remember Meghan being at my parents house and getting to tell her my exciting news. On the way down the mountain, Keith had a brilliant idea of not telling his family what had happened. Apparently Jennifer and Momma Gena both knew his plans. We got down to the restaurant and the family had already sat down. I sat next to Jennifer and could tell that she was very anxious. We waited just a minute, long enough for them to get ancy and we finally told them the exciting news! We told them not to make plans for October 29, 2005 because that would be the exciting day!!!

Below are a few pictures from our trip - including my terrible picture from the mountain.

Keith and I at Ober Gatlinburg

I think this was on the Saturday after he proposed.

Playing in a tree at Cades Cove

My terrible picture when Keith proposed!!

We normally wouldn't show this kind of picture, but it has a lot of meaning to it! 

At the restaurant after we told everyone

Our family dinner at the Italian restaurant

Me, Jennifer, Paul, Aunt Barbara

Keith, GrandDanny, Momma Gena, Uncle Mike

Freckles

Can't forget sweet Freckles. This was the one family vacation that she went on.

She had a blast smelling the mountain air and going on long walks at the cabin!!

Freckles all snuggled up on her bed with her Pooh pillow

Only a sweet spoiled puppy sleeps on a pillow!!

Oh how I miss that big tub of love, as I called her!!

Family Picture at Ober Gatlinburg

Keith, Randi, Momma Gena, GrandDanny, Jennifer, Paul, Aunt Barbara & Uncle Mike

(this is long before Noah and Jake came into the picture)

~Randi & Keith

Christmas Pictures

Here are our 2010 Christmas pictures. We took these at our house a couple of weeks ago. The plan is to surprise my mom with Christmas cards with the babies on them. Yes, I know that I am posting them on here before she has seen them - or before she even knows that we snuck and took pictures - but I don't think she reads my blog AND she does not have facebook, so I think I am ok!! LOL! She'll see my Christmas card tonight and see her cards next week when they arrive, so it's all good!! Sorry that they are so small. Apparently this is what Keith uploaded to the ftp site so this is all that I have access to. It would be like pulling Maggie's teeth to get a larger version. I hope that you enjoy them either way!!

Merry Christmas from the Funderburg family!! We love each and every one of you!! :-)

~Keith, Randi, Noah and Maggie

Wordless Wednesday

Allow me to introduce....

This is Ahmed and he is from Egypt. There is a strong possibility that Ahmed will be moving in with us in January to stay until he goes home in June. Let me start off by saying Keith and I are SO excited and couldn't be more thrilled to have him. Ahmed arrived in Birmingham last Thursday. He has been in Nashville for the past several months and he has enjoyed it there. Things did not work out and God has moved him here. He will be starting Clay Chalkville High School (hopefully) this week.

It has totally been a God thing getting him to Birmingham. When we were first approached about Ellie or Konmek living with us, the issue was the principle at Clay would not accept any more exchange students. For some reason (God being the answer), he is allowing Ahmed to start Clay at the end of the first semester. How amazing is that!!

Ahmed loves ping-pong and soccer. Keith can not wait to challenge him to a game of ping-pong. Ahmed's dad plays with a group in Egypt so Ahmed may really damper Keith's winning streak! LOL!! Ahmed also plans to play soccer this Spring for Clay-Chalkville. You better believe that I will be a soccer mom there to cheer him on at each game. Noah will have a blast watching the soccer matches and anything to do with kicking a ball!! I have a feeling I may have some soccer matches in my own backyard between the 2 boys!! My heart will be so full!!

Keith, Noah and I will be very excited to have Ahmed join our family. Please keep us in your prayers in the next coming weeks and months. Please pray that this is an easy transition if this indeed does happen.

~Randi, Keith, Noah & Maggie