Steven, Tracie and Benjamin (and Skipper, too!)

Ben at the Park

2011-06-15T09:27:00.001-04:00

Here is Ben at a friend's birthday party. He is too little to play with the "big kids" but he did enjoy the swings!

A Little Summer Reading

2011-06-12T15:13:00.001-04:00

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

More Pool Fun

2011-06-08T12:24:00.005-04:00

Ben's serious side.

Ben's happy face.

Helping Mom fill up the pool.

Ben's First Swim

2011-06-06T10:52:00.004-04:00

Steven and I gave Ben a swimming pool for his birthday. He really enjoys it! After his birthday party, Daddy and Uncle Joe set up the pool. Ben had lots of fun with Mommy and his cousin, Ashlee.

Ben's First Birthday Party

2011-06-06T10:19:00.010-04:00

Steven showing Ben the items for the Toljabee. The Toljabee is a Korean custom observed on a child's first birthday. He is presented various items and the items he picks determines his future. We placed on his table thread (for long life), money (for prosperity), water paints (for artist), thumb drive (for computers), recorder (for music) and a wisk (for culinary arts).

And it looks like we have a little artist! The second item he chose was the thumb drive (his daddy was very happy about that).

Presents

Cake

Papa and Uncle Brian

Driving already?!?

2011-06-01T16:15:00.000-04:00

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Skipper's Haircut

2011-06-01T16:14:00.000-04:00

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Shopping with Mommy

2011-02-11T16:38:00.001-05:00

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Time to lower the crib rails!

2011-02-11T16:36:00.001-05:00

-- Sent from my Palm Pre

Ben Pulling Up

2011-02-11T13:47:00.000-05:00

My big boy is pulling up on his feet. So cute. He looks so pleased with himself!

Curious George

2011-02-10T17:27:00.001-05:00

Here I am in a Curious George costume. It was very hot! I never saw so many kids happy to see me!

Happy Ben

2010-12-15T15:00:00.001-05:00

Knowing Ben is so happy at Nana's house really means alot to me. I am so grateful for loving grandparents!

It is "Beary" Cold!

2010-12-07T08:50:00.001-05:00

We've been having some frigid weather so this morning I bundled Benjamin up in his bear jumper. He looks happy about it. Hopefully, he stayed happy on his trip to Nana's house.

Ben

2010-12-06T16:59:00.001-05:00

Ben fell asleep while Nana was running errands today. Poor sleepy baby.

Vote for Benjamin

2010-12-06T11:01:00.001-05:00

I entered Benjamin in the Gerber Generation Photo Contest. Please vote for him!

http://www.gerber.com/photo/?entryid=207421&/#/detail/

The Family

2010-12-02T14:16:00.000-05:00

This picture was taken at the beginning of October. You can tell the weather was still warm back then.

Ben was a tiger for Halloween

2010-12-01T16:22:00.001-05:00

Here is Ben in his Halloween costume.

Ben eating cereal at Nana's house

2010-12-01T16:11:00.002-05:00

Everyday Steven visits Ben and sends me a picture or a video so I can see him during the day. It is the highlight of my day. I spend all morning looking forward to it and all afternoon looking at it! Here is a picture of Ben eating his cereal. He is such a happy boy! I miss him so much while I am at work.

Benjamin is almost 6 months old!

2010-11-30T12:49:00.002-05:00

I can't believe how much time has passed! It seems like only yesterday I was bringing him home for the first time. Here are some more recent pictures.

Benjamin at the Fair

2010-10-18T17:09:00.002-04:00

We went to the Georgia-Carolina Fair this weekend. The weather is so nice now I thought it would be nice to get out of the house. Benjamin was so good! He did not complain or cry. He seemed to enjoy looking around at people. Here he is all tuckered out!

Benjamin is six weeks old today!

2010-07-20T08:22:00.002-04:00

What a difference six weeks makes. Benjamin has already changed so much. He woke up this morning smiling and happy. He ate had a diaper change and went right back to sleep. What a life!

Some of the pictures were taken on Saturday... close enough to the six weeks mark to be included in the album.

Baby Benjamin has arrived!

2010-06-25T13:36:00.002-04:00

Benjamin Ashford Livingston was born on June 8th. He was 7 lbs and 11 oz and 20.5 inches long. He was delivered by C-section due to minor complications but we are all healthy and happy now.

Pictures of Benjamin

2010-06-25T12:25:00.003-04:00

3D Sono Pics

2010-05-11T17:41:00.002-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I had another ultrasound and got 3D pictures of Benjamin. I think he is cute. Steven thinks 3D pictures are creepy.

More Sono Pics

2010-02-13T13:03:00.007-05:00

We had our big sonogram appointment on January 25th. The lady was very rough and I was sore for a few days afterwards. She kept saying that the baby had to move a certain way to get the pictures they needed so she was pressing my tummy really hard. Anyway we got a few pictures.

Tiny fingers and toes.

I think it looks creepy because you can see the bones of his face. He has his arms over his head.

Here you can kinda see his face.

If there was any doubt before it is all gone. We are definately having a boy!

It's a boy!

2009-12-09T20:25:00.004-05:00

Steven and I are so excited we are having a boy! The ultrasound tech wasn't sure she would be able to tell this soon (I am only a little over 12 weeks) but she said it is pretty obvious we are having a boy! Here are some pics.

Of course you cannot tell from the picture but the baby was jumping and waving like crazy. I thought it was so funny because I can't feel a thing yet!

Here is the picture showing us that we are having a boy.

We're Having a Baby!

2009-11-10T18:52:00.003-05:00

Steven and I are super excited! I am now about 8 1/2 weeks pregnant. We were able to see our little baby and hear the little heartbeat at my first prenatal visit. It was so awesome. Here is a picture.

Finally! Finished kitchen pictures!

2009-09-12T10:21:00.009-04:00

Steven and I have FINALLY finished our kitchen! Actually, it's been 90.9% finished for awhile...we just put the finishing touches on. So, here are the long awaited pictures!

The dining area.

The island. I am so proud of how it turned out. I never stained anything before. It was super easy!

The sink work area.

The stove, microwave and dishwasher.

I love it!

The Fridge.

2009-04-21T15:22:00.003-04:00

The refrigerator came today!

More Kitchen Pics!

2009-04-21T11:40:00.007-04:00

Here are some new pictures Steven took this morning.

Here you can see the new dishwasher and microwave. The missing cabinet doors need to be re-sized so it will be awhile before we get those.

Here is a close-up of the island.

New Floor

2009-04-21T09:05:00.008-04:00

This Saturday we put the new flooring in. I love it soooooo much. Here are a few more updates.

The new sink and faucet. Look, the countertops are in!

The old bookcase is gone and we have a nice little half-wall.

The island is installed. The top was put in yesterday... I don't have a picture for it yet. Steven and I did all the painting. Since these pictures were taken at night you can't really see how cheery and light the colors are. I will post more pictures soon!

Kitchen Chaos

2009-04-06T17:57:00.005-04:00

The kitchen is coming along slowly but surely.

This is the new pantry. We kept the old doors because they are still perfectly functional. We are debating whether or not we should paint them.

Here is the pantry with the doors open. The shelves are much deeper. I love it!

The peninsula is completely gone now! I can really picture myself cooking up a storm in my new open kitchen!

More Improvements

2009-04-05T11:25:00.005-04:00

We've also decided to tackle the kitchen. It is still a work in progress but we are so pleased thus far. Brother Hills is doing the work and it is excellent. Here is the before shot of the kitchen. Note the new range...the original was avacado green.

This is what we have now. As you can see we are opening up the space by moving the pantry and lining the walls with the cabinets. It already looks much bigger and more open. I will post more progress pictures later.

Home Improvement

2009-04-05T11:06:00.006-04:00

We are finally getting around to some of those home improvement projects we've been thinking about. Our first priority was to get the exterior siding painted. It had been neglected for awhile so there was some wood that needed replacing.

It was raining a little when I took this photo so you can see the raindrops. Overall, I like the new color (dolphin gray). But I really like the door color.

In case you don't remember, here is the "before" shot.

Parade

2009-04-05T10:54:00.007-04:00

I have never been a big parade person. I don't even like watching the big Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. But, Dr. Harris got Bayvale involved in the MLK parade downtown so I volunteered to help out. And Steven, being the sweetest husband I could ever hope for, helped out, too. It was super duper cold. We had to line up two hours before the parade started. But it was surprisingly more fun than I thought it would be. Here are some pictures.

Here I am with two of the first grade teachers from school, Ms. Hill and Ms. Purvis. You can see Dr. Harris over Ms. Purvis' shoulder.

Here is Steven walking in the parade. Where am I? That's right, I am riding the float and Steven is walking. I told you he was the sweetest husband ever!

Let it snow!

2009-04-05T10:49:00.003-04:00

It snowed this year! Ok, so it was only a dusting and didn't even stick but it was snow! Here is the view from our front door. I am just leaving for work. You can see the snow on the car and on the rooftops in the background. And if you squint you can see a little in the yard.

Worst Blogger Ever!

2009-04-05T10:24:00.008-04:00

Yes, I do understand the point in blogging... However, my lazy side seems to have taken over and I have not posted an update for a loooong time. Anyhoo, here I am playing catch up. Starting with Christmas!

This is our front yard at Christmas time. My mom gave us her decorations because she has decided she is retiring from Christmas decorating. I thought the deer looked nice in our "wooded" front yard.

Here we (Steven, James and I) are at Hopeland Gardens in Aiken. I like to go there every year at Christmas time. The gardens are so beautiful with all the lights!

Hopeland Gardens with Jenn!

John, Amanda and Brinley at Hopeland Gardens.

Skipper Helping Kids to Read

2008-10-23T22:37:00.003-04:00

I love Skipper and I love books. So I thought the combination of the two would be perfect for encouraging my kids (school kids) to read. I made this little video for my school webpage (bayvale.rcboe.org). I also put it on our in-house morning news show. If everything works out the books will start flying off the shelves!

Mini Vaca Day 2

2008-09-01T22:22:00.014-04:00

Today we went to the beach at Isle of Palms. It was a little cloudy but it didn't rain. After the beach we went to Bubba Gumps and checked out Meeting Street. It was a nice laid-back day. The following video are some highlights. It was windy at the beach so the sound is not good on that part.

Cooper River Bridge

Shops at Market Street

Bubba Gumps. The patio area is dog-friendly so Skipper was able to join us. They were very nice and brought Skipper a bowl of water. Luckily, it was not a very hot day so it was pleasant to sit outside and eat. Skipper was going crazy because there were pigeons walking around the patio. Hopefully, we didn't disturb too many people.

All in all, we had a very nice time. Sometimes it feels good to get out of town and enjoy a change of scenery. Now we are all tired (especially Skipper), happy and a little sunburned (Skipper not so much).

Sleepy Skipper in the car on the way home.

Here Comes Sandy Paws

2008-08-31T21:44:00.010-04:00

Steven and I decided to go on a mini-vacation this weekend since we both have Monday off. So, here we are in Charleston with Skipper in tow. Here are our 'sandy paws' at Folly Beach.

Steven's Sandy Paws.

Tracie's Sandy Paws.

Skipper's Sandy Paws.

Here are some more pictures. If Skipper looks displeased or terrified it is because he is.

The waves.

Tracie and Skipper hanging out.

Steven and Skipper hanging out.

Tomorrow we are headed to the beach at Isle of Palms. They have a more dog friendly policy. Hopefully, Skipper will have more fun than he did today.

Our Wedding

2008-08-30T17:44:00.008-04:00

I didn't like the tiny slideshow of our wedding pics I had posted previously. So, I made a new slideshow. Enjoy.

Sweet William

2008-08-29T18:09:00.011-04:00

Here is my cute nephew who came to visit a couple of weeks ago. Of course his parents came too but for some reason I have no pictures of them. Go figure.

Here Comes the Bride

2008-08-09T21:28:00.012-04:00

I am pleased to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Duncan!!! Lisa (Steven's sister) and Joseph's wedding was today at 2 PM. As you can see, Lisa was a beautiful bride. Congratulations Lisa and Joseph!

Lisa

Bishop Welker performing the ceremony.

The cake.

Joseph and Lisa with Lisa's Mom and Dad.

Joseph and Lisa with Joseph's Mom and Dad.

Lisa with her sisters, Stephanie (L) and Mary (R).

Dog Days of Summer

2008-08-03T20:27:00.005-04:00

Steven and I joined his mom, sister and her two kids at a pool party yesterday. We had lots of fun but more importantly we got some relief from the heat. Seriously, sometimes I feel we live in a sauna here in South Carolina! Here are some pictures.

Issac (Steven's nephew) playing in the pool. He was so proud because he could swim without swim fins.

This is little Steven, Issac's little brother.

Steven and Issac.

Two Boys in a Box

2008-08-03T20:14:00.007-04:00

We have been living in a jungle lately. At least I feel like we have. Our lawn mower has been broken and the grass has been growing and growing and growing. Ahhhh, the joys of home ownership. Well, we broke down on Saturday and bought a new lawn mower. Now we won't be the jungle house anymore!

Here is the new mower fresh from the box and newly assembled!

The fringe benefits of buying a new mower.

My two boys playing in the mower box.

Baby Fever

2008-08-03T19:59:00.008-04:00

Our good friends, Amanda and John, just had their first little baby last Wednesday. She is sooooo cute. Her name is Brinley and she looks just like a baby doll. Steven and I went to visit them in the hospital and they all looked healthy and happy. And, of course, it made my case of baby fever flare up. If you want to see more pictures I am sure they will be posting more on their blog, http://www.jandapierson.blogspot.com/. Here are some we took while we were there.

Steven and Brinley. Although he tries to hide it, he has baby fever, too.

Tracie and Brinley

Jenn and Brinley

Brinley Marie!

Back to School

2008-08-03T19:31:00.010-04:00

I went to school last Thursday to get a head start on things in the library. I tried to keep a low profile so I could actually get the head start but of course that didn't work. Oh, well. I go back for preplanning on Tuesday (8/5) and the kids will be back the following week. Where did the summer go? Here are some pictures of my library. It is such a bright and cheerful place. I feel lucky to work there.

This is what you see when you walk through the front doors of the library.

This is the fiction section. Last year I made the red shelf markers. I was very proud of myself.

This is the circulation desk.

Story Time area.

Making Cards

2008-08-01T00:23:00.005-04:00

Shortly after moving into our new house I was called as the Young Women President in our ward. I felt very overwhelmed. I never had such a big calling in Church before. Plus, I didn't know very many people in the Ward. But, everyone has been so patient with me as I learn the ropes. Not to mention I have two great councelors. They are always so willing to do whatever it takes. Of course the young women are awesome.
This week we made homemade cards. I think they turned out great.

House

2008-07-24T13:08:00.003-04:00

Here is the house. It is a 3 bed/2 ba split level. We are working hard to make improvements. The first thing on our list was interior paint. We had dark wood paneling in the family room. It looked like a dungeon. We had a bright blue room, a bright pink room and a couple of sickly green rooms. The lady that lived here before loved green (as you can tell from the color scheme on the exterior). We pulled up some nasty carpet and recarpeted the family room. We were happy to discover the living room had nice hardwood underneath super green carpet.

We are now in the process of pulling up some of the overgrown bushes in the flower beds so that maybe someday we can actually have flowers. And we need to replace the siding eventually.

All in all we are happy with our new home, sweet home.

Skipper loves the backyard. He has made friends with the neighbor. I caught him giving Skipper dog treats. Man, Skipper has a good life!

We have a spare room so any friends out there who would like to drop by the Carolinas for a visit just let us know!

Skipper

2008-07-23T15:23:00.003-04:00

This is Skipper. We adopted him from the Humane Society in Morgan County, GA. Why travel halfway to Atlanta for a dog? Well, Steven had his heart set on a dachshund. Tracie wanted to rescue a dog. So, we searched on Petfinder.com until we found a dachshund that we liked (had to get along with children, etc). It was a crazy process. You would think that we were adopting a kid. There was a long application. Anyway, we went to meet him at his foster mom's house. He was a little rambunctious but once Tracie laid eyes on him she had to take him home. The rest is history. He is so lovable. He loves to cuddle, play with his toys, going for walks and eating. He hates the vet and baths.

Starting a Blog

2008-07-23T14:54:00.001-04:00

It seems like the older I get the harder it is to keep in contact with my friends. So I decided to start a blog to keep our friends and relatives up to date on our goings-on.
Soooo.... what is going on?
For those who do not know, Steven and I got married last March in the Columbia, SC LDS Temple. Shortly thereafter we adopted Skipper (he came with that name), a long-haired dachshund from the Humane Society. We recently bought a house in North Augusta, South Carolina.
I got my MLIS (Master of Library and Information Science) in 2006. Now, I am working at Bayvale Elementary School in Augusta, GA as a Media Specialist/Librarian. I love it. Steven works in IT for an insurance inspection company in Aiken, SC.

This is a picture of us on our Honeymoon at Universal Studios in Orlando, FL. We are a little wet from the Jurassic Park ride.