Oaksby Online - The Goodwins' Website

Christmas Preparations

2009-12-13T20:54:00.006-05:00

Howdy all:

December has been good so far - preparations are going well, and the big day can't get here quickly enough for Savannah. I think Grayson is just happy about getting to eat Christmas cookies.

Leigh, Brooks, and Hudson came out today, and we decorated the tree and celebrated Leigh's 30th with Mom and Dad. A few pics are below - Merry Christmas!

-Christian

Harvest Ball is ON!

2009-10-24T12:44:00.004-04:00

It's 72 degrees, partly sunny, and breezy here at Oaksby. We are planning on holding Harvest Ball as planned. Dinner is at 6 - see you there!

Grayson turns 1!

2009-10-22T14:30:00.005-04:00

Grayson turned one on September 2nd. Savannah was more into the unwrapping of gifts than he was. Grayson was just happy to have the tissue paper. It was a small party at home with cake and ice cream. Yum!

Beau joins the family

2009-10-22T10:23:00.005-04:00

We have a new member in our family this fall...Beauregard Goodwin!

1st Day of Kindergarten

2009-10-22T10:11:00.004-04:00

When we asked Savannah what her favorite part about Kindergarten was, she quickly replied "the bus!" That's not really the answer we thought we would get but we were thrilled that she was so happy. Savannah loves school and is reading lots on her own already. She has the world's sweetest teachers. This year Savannah chose dance class as the activity she wanted to participate in. Maybe we'll revisit soccer again in the spring. She also goes to Daisies (little Brownies) twice a month after school. Life is good through the eyes of our five-year-old.

Savannah turns 5!

2009-10-22T09:57:00.007-04:00

Savannah turned 5 in July. She had a Hello Kitty pool party with bubbles and balloons by Uncle Steve. This was the first year we had a pinata and she was soooooo excited. (Even if we did have to hold it and shake the candy out.)

Summertime Fun

2009-10-22T09:30:00.004-04:00

Here are some summer pics from our time in the OuterBanks. The kids and I got to stay for two weeks with Grandma and the rest of the gang joined us for the second week. We are growing out of our cozy cottage. Next year we will have two cousins! Martin and Suzanne are expecting in March and Leigh and Brooks are expecting in November! We can't wait to meet them.

Spring at Oaksby

2009-05-05T15:44:00.005-04:00

Happy Spring! All is well here at Oaksby; the mercurial weather had us testing out the A/C for a few days before pulling out the raincoats and extra blankets again. We're three calves (hopefully) away from being done with the 2008-09 calving season, and the first hay cutting is right around the corner. Dad and I spent the past weekend skinning knuckles and testing out our worst language getting equipment ready. In all seriousness, our reliable old 1948 Ferguson tractor spent the winter in the shop undergoing some major overhaul work which turned out very well...kudos to Dad, and I will try to post pictures soon.

Let's see...what's been going on. Easter was wonderful; big Easter dinner over at the Speers' and multiple Easter Egg Hunts. Savannah had too much candy, so I helped her by eating it when she wasn't looking. Just kidding (mostly). She is very excited for the pending arrival of her new cousin...Aunt Leigh and Uncle Brooks are expecting in November. Congratulations!

The kids followed up Easter by staying sick on and off for the next six weeks. We ran through everything from ear infections to strep throat. I think the only reason we seem to have dodged the Swine Flu so far is the fact that they both have superhuman immune systems now after all this. I've told them both that I expect no more plagues in the house until 2015. Grayson grudgingly agreed.

Grayson has a mouthful of teeth now, at least up top. The lad's getting quite the smile, if I do say so myself. He's not crawling yet, but he's getting frighteningly close; I should be childproofing the house again instead of blogging. Savannah is nearing the end of her first soccer season. I hope she has enjoyed it as much I have enjoyed helping coach. The other coach is gone this weekend, so I will be piloting the team alone. *shiver*

Best regards to all...hope you are well.

-Christian

Snow Day!

2009-03-02T22:01:00.005-05:00

Big snow at Oaksby last night and today...we got about 9 inches by most estimates! This was by far Savannah's biggest snow yet. It was a little powdery for true sleighriding, but we improvised with two flying saucers and some 4WD. Savannah wore herself out, and was falling asleep while Liz was drying her hair tonight.

On My Own

2009-02-27T21:37:00.006-05:00

Hey folks. Liz took off for a girls' weekend (college reunion) so I'm here by myself. Says I: "Self, your blog is looking pretty forlorn. Thousands of readers are chomping at the bit, just waiting for fresh new material to take them away from the boredom of their lives, if only for a few moments. The noisemakers are in bed, and someone famous once said not to put stuff off." So here I sit.

Grayson is growing like a weed. He will be 6 months old in a few days, and it really seems like just yesterday that we brought him home. "Time flies" doesn't describe how quickly kids grow. He's starting to eat real food, if you consider orange mush (sweet potatoes), green mush (supposedly peas), and clear mush (applesauce) to be real food. My favorite of his recent developmental accomplishments: his ability to (mostly) sleep through the night. I'm sure my boss thinks I finally managed to kick some terrible substance abuse habit which previously eliminated my ability to focus on anything for more than a few moments. I kid...sorta.

Savannah is doing great as well. She's starting soccer soon. I'm worried about peer pressure to get one of those soccer ball stickers for my Jeep, but am otherwise excited for her. She keeps Grayson smiling and is without question his favorite family member. She loves to sing to him, and generally does so at the top of her lungs from a range of about a foot (see pic). I'm getting a little worried about the lad's hearing, but he doesn't seem to mind.

Liz and I got to spend last weekend in Virginia Beach. Well, she actually got to stay until Tuesday since she was asked to present at the Virginia Society for Technology in Education's annual conference this year. I didn't get to watch, but I hear she did a great job, and it was very relaxing to get away and spend a while without the little angels. Let's see...what else. The 2009 Spring calving season is well underway. We have had 8 since last Wednesday, and it's made for some late nights. It would be easier if Grayson would start pitching in...kid's gotta start earning his keep. I've had a few discussions with him, but haven't really pushed the issue yet. Soon enough.

That's all for now. Hope you are well.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-04T00:00:00.006-05:00

It's been over a month since I've posted - can you tell I went back to work and we celebrated Christmas with 2 kiddos instead of 1? I was really looking forward to resting after Christmas and lived to regret those words since I did rest for a few days but only after the stomach bug hit our house! The baby escaped it thank goodness but unfortunately most of our extended family got it also. Ugh. Nothing like a losing a few days of your Christmas vacation to that!

Savannah and Grayson had a great time Christmas Eve with my family and Christmas morning at our home with the grandparents! Every year I say I'm going to cut back and somehow we still end up with too much! It's Christmas though right??? Our annual Christmas Day party was beautiful as ever. Christian got some nice shots of the kids in front of the tree in their Christmas outfits. We never got Christmas cards out this year. There was too much to do and I figured I could always send them out late. I'm hoping for Valentine cards at this point. :)

Grayson got his 1st tooth this week! He's 4 mo. old and LOVES his hands. He prefers both in his mouth at the same time. Savannah has totally taken a new interest in Grayson. I think now that he smiles, laughs, and responds so much to people she really enjoys entertaining him. Christian and I enjoy her entertaining Grayson as well! We laughed this morning while wondering if she is a bit over the top for Grayson at times but figured it was good practice for him in the future.

As Uncle Martin would say, "2008 is going to be great!" And it was! We're looking forward to a mighty fine 2009. Cheers~

12 weeks on 11/25/08

2008-11-19T14:43:00.007-05:00

I head back to work on 11/25 and am very anxious about it. Who isn't anxious about heading back to work after having a baby though? Grayson is 12 weeks and just starting to smile and coo and recognize me now. It seems so backwards that I have to head back to work when he starting to show a little personality. That's the deal though and I know he will be well taken care of. Savannah turned out ok so far and she went to a babysitters at 3 months as well. It's been wonderful to have the flexibility to stay home for a few months with Grayson and not worry about the stresses of work. Christian is a great juggler of all roles and has made the transition look very easy although I know he wishes for more time of his own. We are both very thankful for our families that live nearby and are always very helpful.

Our family is excited to join RaRa and the gang for Thanksgiving this year. We are also looking forward to a little shopping Thanksgiving weekend too. I know Christian is happy to have plans for some hunting time that weekend. Maybe one day I will grow a taste for wild game - until then Christian you are on your own. Happy Hunting!

Boo!

2008-11-05T10:29:00.008-05:00

There was one spooky ghost flying around here on Friday night. She started her Halloween early with a Harvest Party at school and continued into the night from there. We stopped by Mimi’s, Gram’s, and Grandma/Granddads’ for trick-or-treating. It was mostly treating except for the short nap our little ghost took on the 10 minute car ride from Gram’s to Grandma/Granddads’! Ha! We’ve got pics in smugmug of course.

Mimi and Annaleigh filled her bag so full we had to ask for another bag to take it all home in! Gram had her candelabra lit up like a haunted house as Savannah walked in. She also had fresh coffee made which made our stop at her house a little longer than planned. Thanks Gram – we can always count on a good cup of Joe at your place. Grandma made taco soup for everyone to enjoy at her house along with popcorn balls and cupcakes. Savannah was excited to see Uncle Martin and Aunt Suzanne there. Suzanne’s mom Ann joined us too. Grayson didn’t get to trick-or-treat this year but loved everyone’s cuddles since his Mom and Dad passed him around all night. Isn’t that what family is for?

Halloween 2008 was a wonderful night. It really reminds me how blessed we are to have family so close by.

Even more serious though is how thankful I am Halloween came on a Friday night this year! :)

Three in a Jeep

2008-11-05T10:10:00.002-05:00

Jeni and Dawn came to visit with their kids last weekend. It was great to have playmates for Savannah especially so all the adults could visit. We made Halloween cookies and ate more sprinkles of course than went on the cookies. The kids enjoyed the nice weather outside and exploring through the boxwoods. They also learned that the Barbie Jeep can hold three although there are only two seats. What else is a hood made for?

Hailey and Grayson spent lots of quality time inside together. Check out the smugmug shots of the two hanging out in the bouncy seats. They were totally out of control! Jeni saved my sanity by staying the rest of the weekend with us while Christian was out of town. I am so completely thankful for her and still feel like I will forever be in debt to her! Thank you Jeni! We had a great time visiting and catching up even with a couple newborns around.

Fall is here!

2008-10-21T15:00:00.004-04:00

I can't believe it's been 7 weeks and I'm 1/2 way through my maternity leave. Our family has been busy with lots of fall activities. We visited the pumpkin patch with Savannah's preschool and visited Carter's Mountain Apple Orchard with some friends. Our jack-o-lanterns are both spooky and sweet. Savannah decided after making both she wanted the spooky one to be hers. She also is going to be a spooky ghost this year for Halloween and not a friendly ghost.

Grayson is still eating every 2 or 3 hours and struggles with gassiness and spitup during feeding. We are trying everything we can think of to make him more comfortable. Despite the spitups he is gaining weight and growing fast. He's up to 9 pounds now and is smiling more and more every day. Savannah has been a great help in trying to make Grayson happy in busy times. She sings lots of songs to Grayson and is getting very good at binky recovery.

We celebrated Savannah's great grandma RaRa's 80th birthday this past weekend with a surprise party at Old Ebbit Grille in DC. What a great dinner and time to visit with family we had. Savannah played with her cousin Erin and discovered Erin enjoys interpretive dancing as well! There's nothing better than a trip to RaRa's even if her swimming pool was closed for the season. Happy Birthday RaRa!

We're looking forward to Jeni and Dawn's visit this weekend while Daddy is out of town. Savannah is especially excited to have other children around that can actually 'play'. We have pumpkin seeds and sugar cookies to bake while our friends are visiting. Stay tuned for more pictures.

State Fair Trip

2008-10-12T17:10:00.006-04:00

Our family enjoyed spending a day at the VA State Fair last week. Savannah's first stop was the Kiddie Rides and if it were up to her we would have stayed in that area all day! We did convince her to visit the baby farm animals and other exhibits. Grayson traveled with us as well. He did great throughout the day wandering between a deep sleep and some serious stares at all the sights and sounds.

We had all agreed that the Ferris Wheel would be our last stop before leaving that day and somehow Savannah decided she wanted to attempt a climb on the rock wall. She did ok, considering she was a walking zombie by that point in the day. The Ferris Wheel made me question why I had volunteered to accompany Savannah, especially as we edged to the top while the other riders were loading. I think she enjoyed it although she didn't have much to say during the ride. It could have been the height but it could have been due to the fact that she was extremely tired. I knew she was exhausted when she fell asleep in her carseat before we could change Grayson's diaper and get on the road. WOW.

Mom's 1st Blog Entry :)

2008-09-20T15:02:00.005-04:00

I figured it was time I jump on here and make an entry about the new addition to our family. Grayson is 18 days old now and I am really enjoying having a baby in the house again. He's so tiny and sweet and totally dependent on Christian and I to take care of him. He's awake for just a few hours a day or just a few hours a night I could say. It's easy to forget, even since Savannah was born, how sleep-deprived you can actually get and still be expected to make good decisions.

Savannah is enjoying her days at preschool. She is attending a fulltime Pre-K class this year and absolutely LOVES everything about school. All visitors to our house are now automatically enrolled in Savannah's Day School. We'll save you a seat.

I worried Savannah might not be able to nap at preschool in a room with 17 other children. My indicator that she was not napping, other than her number of meltdowns at night, was the comment "I take a nap Mama, but I don't close my eyes." How can a parent argue with that? :)

I posted more pictures in our SmugMug gallery behind Christian's pictures for anyone that is interested. They are random shots we've taken since leaving the hospital. Enjoy ~ we'd love to read your comments.

More Pictures

2008-09-14T22:49:00.003-04:00

Howdy all...posted a couple of pictures of Grayson (12 days old today!) and Savannah. Click the SmugMug link at right, and enjoy.

Grayson has arrived!

2008-09-13T15:59:00.002-04:00

We're happy to welcome Grayson Chapman Goodwin to the family! He was born September 2nd, 2008 around 11:20am. He weighed 6 lbs. 14 oz. and was 20 inches long. Mom and baby are both doing well, and we're adjusting to having a little person around the house again! Check out pictures using the link to our SmugMug site on the right side of the page.

New Site

2008-09-13T15:56:00.001-04:00

Welcome to the Goodwins' new internet abode (We'll try to keep this one updated a little better than the last one). Keep checking back for updates, new pictures, and other information. Thanks for visiting, and see you soon.

-Christian, Liz, Savannah, and Grayson