Myrtle Beach 2011

Warning: This is a super long post. It is all 4 days of myrtle beach in one post b/c i'm so far behind that i just need to get it done. I'll try to keep words to a minimum, but there are things i want to remember.

Jeff wanted to run a 1/2 marathon at the end of October in Myrtle Beach. So we used it as an excuse to take a long weekend beach vaca!

We started out thinking we would leave the kiddo's with anyone who would take them :-) And then decided that Rhyan would love the beach, even if it was a little cool, so we tacked her on. But i couldnt take Rhyan and not Mack! So we tacked him on. And then we remembered how great it was last year when we went to the beach with Jeff's mom and dad and so we just made a big family vaca out of it!

We even rode in our new van! As in, everyone. 4 adults and 2 kids. A little "Griswold-ish" of us, right?! But it was GREAT! The kids were really fantastic on the ride there and back, minus one small 5 min melt down by Rhyan. "Gran" and lorna doone cookies saved the day :-) The drive took about 6.5 hours to get there and 6 hours to get back (thanks to some improved directions from Aunt Gaye!)

We left from our house (well, Archer HS where jeff had left his wallet) around 11:15am on Friday and got there around 6pm. I didnt get any good pics of the condo we stayed in but it was HUGE. Like, bigger than our 1st house huge. 3 full bedrooms and 3 full baths. We realized pretty quickly that we could have gotten a 2 bed b/c each bathroom AND closet was HUGE and way big enough for a pack and play. Oh well. It was beautiful and we really enjoyed being able to spread out.

We ordered pizza and the boys picked it up while us girls got unpacked. (pics are coming soon, i promise). We ate and put the kiddo's to bed. Rhyan's room had 2 twin beds and we had not brought a pack and play for her (no room plus she's sleeping in a toddler bed already so we thought it would be fine). We pushed the beds together (one was a little higher than the other which made for a good "rail" for one side) and put a suitcase on the other side so she would feel it and realize it was the edge. We thought it was a decent plan. We were wrong.

I woke up around 3am to the sound of Rhyan crying. She had knocked over the suitcase and it had scared her. Make a long story short... I ended up "sleeping" on the other twin bed the rest of the night. I use the term "sleeping" loosely b/c every few minutes she would lean over to me and whisper "mommy... " and then whatever ridiculous thing she could come up with to say. For example: "mommy... onna go outside and go poopie". Yeah. So that was a great nights sleep :-)

Jeff, however, was relieved I'm sure... we were sharing a double bed. We didnt try that twice! And according to him, Mack woke around 4:30 crying but went back to sleep and then woke at 6am.

The upside to babies waking you super early? You get to see THIS!

We even saw DOLPHINS! Rhyan loved this!

We took advantage of the beautiful weather and headed out to walk on the beach! We got some great pics! (ps Grandad and Mack stayed inside...)

When we came back in, we found Mack reading his favorite novel to Grandad ;-)

The grounds at the Kingston Plantation were beautiful! There was a really cool splash park area that would be SO fun in the hot summer! Jeff helped out Aunt Gaye's company by participating in their volleyball tournament... he helped them pull a win!

That night, Aunt Gaye invited all of us to join her at her company's dinner provided by vendors. Our little crew is ready to go!

The food was great. Unfortunately, Mack was in his "i dont want to nap so i scream all day" mode :-( So jeff took him back to the room while the rest of us danced the night away. Grandad thought he'd get out of hitting the dance floor, but Rhyan made sure he joined in the fun!

Rhyan is quite the dancer and was showing us all how to get it done!

Our second night, Jeff and i decided it was best for our marriage if we slept in different beds. We shored up Rhyan's beds and she and Mack slept great! Jeff got up early to get ready for his 1/2er and I was hoping both kids might sleep in. Keep dreaming, right? I slept great until around 6:45am when Mack woke. Not bad, though, really! When i went to the kitchen i smelled something foul and assumed that Jeff had stunk up the bathroom before heading out for his run. I was wrong.

Rhyan had gotten an upset stomach and filled her diaper to the point of overload. She came out of her room and said "mommy, change iaper prease". So sad. She sounded pitiful.

And the whole condo stunk. Eww.

Poor mack had to wait to eat while i got rhyan cleaned up enough to get in a bath of clean water, hoping we could keep it from breaking her out. What a start to the day!

We decided to take advantage of the indoor heated pool that day!

Jeff dunked little Mack. About gave me a heart attack. But I guess Mack liked it cause he came up smiling! What a trooper!

That night, Aunt Gaye wanted us all to go to the Sea Captains House for dinner. Jeff and I were hoping it was good b/c we were wanting an all you can eat buffet (yes, we're redneck enough to love a good seafood buffet!). We were skeptical, but i left a changed woman... i have NEVER in my life had shrimp and grits or crabcakes quite as good! Mmmm.

Unfortunately, Rhyan was a little booger at dinner and Mack was sleepy from all of his "i'm not gonna sleep no matter what" so we looked like one of those crazy families trying to do anything to keep our kids under control that you feel bad for/wish they would have stayed home so they didnt ruin everyone else's dinner. :-) But the view was beautiful and food... scrumptious!

Jeff and Rhyan spent more time outside than they did in :-(

The next morning we got up and enjoyed a few more hours soaking in the view. Mack, of course, took the best nap he had taken in weeks so i eventually had to just wake him up so we could leave. Grr! :-) Its a super good thing he's cute..

We really did have a great time. It would have been so nice to have stayed one more day but then i'm pretty sure that no matter how long we stayed, i'd always feel that way!

Random Rhyan II

Me: "Jeff, what is that thumping noise? It sounds like Rhyan's falling"
Jeff: "Idk" as he sits at the computer, not looking up.
Me: "well could you check" as i cook dinner
Jeff: "looks like rhyan's taking off her shirt". he goes back to the computer
Me: "why"
Jeff: "Idk".

I leave dinner to check in on Rhyan. To find this.


A week or so later, Jeff goes to pick Rhyan and Mack up from Tracy's and while he's gathering their things, Rhyan somehow manages to open and pour about half a bottle of laundry detergent on her head. Tracy (obviously) had to clean it off her face to keep it out of her eyes, but this is what she looked like when we got her home.


And finally, i just think its cute that Rhyan will randomly hold toys in front of Mack for him to look at. For about 5 seconds. And then she's bored and moves on :-) But its sweet for a moment.

The most heart warming thing she's said lately was when we were praying one night. Mack had been sick with a really bad cold and when i got done praying w/ her she said " Mommy! Pray Mack". I asked what she wanted me to pray about for mack and she said "pray mack. he sick." (btw, i know she still talks very broken right now. she knows better but still leaves out words. but i like to remember how she phrases things so i write them as she says them).

How precious is that? That my little girl is learning to have a heart for others. And whats even better is that she knows who to pray to when someone she loves is in need! That particular time was the first time she had specifically asked to pray for someone in need but she has since asked to pray for "mayer" who has a hurt back, also.

Soaking up our not so little girl!

Corndawgs: Take II

For the 2nd year, we took in all the fun at Corn Dawgs in Loganville! It was a beautiful day and we really enjoyed ourselves. In attendance were: Myself, Jeff, Rhyan and Mack, Mommie, Mama, Jonathan, Tyler and his girlfriend Lindsay. Tracy and her family and Lindy and her family also came and so we got to meet up with and visit with them for a short while, also!

Rhyan had a great time playing in the toddler area!

And her Daddy had fun, too :-)

Mack enjoyed some "dinner" while the guys tried to hook the rings.



Just like last year, Rhyan loved the baby zip line!

Our little animal lover loooooved the pig. She even kissed it!

Rhyan and her Daddy having fun in the hay maze while "mayer" enjoyed the swings.

If you remember the pics from last years trip, Rhyan was NOT a fan of the corn pit. She didnt like that it got stuck in her toes. And while this year it still bothered her a little, she didnt let it keep her from enjoying it!



Mack was a sleepy boy. Sweet.

Family pics!



But by far Rhyan's favorite part was the bouncing pillow!




What a great, great time! I love fall and all the fun activities we can take advantage of!

BIG DAY!

Just fyi, today has been a BIG day for little Mack!

He rolled over from his back to his tummy!
He ate sweet potato's (made by me) AND applesauce (b/c he was grabbing for it at dinner... so Rhyan shared).

I know you're not supposed to offer 2 different foods in the same day. I know. I'm breaking all the rules. But our little fella is an EATER! And its so fun to offer new foods to him! So far he's had rice cereal, prunes, unsweetened applesauce in his rice, sweet potato's and tonight some regular (sweetened) applesauce. He's liked it ALL so far!

As a side note, i made some sweet potato's yesterday but i made them a little too thick (didnt add enough water) and he actually gagged really badly, which led to a projectile vomit. eww. So today, i made sure they were thinner :-) And he liked them. A lot! :-)

So, i guess we can start counting down the days till little Mack is mobile (it all starts with rolling!) and in turn, i can count down my days of rest... i have a feeling this little fella might keep us on the move!

And i love EVERY second of it!

Helpful Hygiene Tips: Whitening

First off, i'm sorry for the hiatus! We've been on vacation and dealing with illness around the house. But I'll try hard (even with the holidays!) to do my best to give at least a quick tip each Sat!

Whitening... I get oh so many questions about this. Constantly.

Its interesting, the idea of whitening. 30 years ago, people were quite content with the color of their teeth, it seemed. The idea of preventative dentistry was not "new" to everyone, but in more remote areas (even like the one i grew up in) it was still something to work towards and the dental profession was making attempts to educate children in schools by offering fluoride treatments, exams, etc. Healthy mouths was the goal.

Fast forward 15 years to the mid 90's. Preventative dentistry was widely accepted and no longer was it true that people only went to the dentist when a tooth hurt. But at this point while most people were enjoying healthy smiles, their focus shifted to the appearance of their smile. Cosmetic dentistry was born. The days of whiter, brighter smiles had begun.

And to be quite honest with you, I think its gone too far. When i first started my career as a dental assistant in 1999, the average shade of peoples teeth was called "A2". On a shade guide, there were only 2 colors lighter so A2 was quite light.

Today, most people who have whitened no longer are able to be identified as a shade on a "normal" shade guide. We now have "Bleach" shade guides! So interesting.

So when people ask me "do you think my teeth are yellow", my response is always this: "unless you have whitened your teeth, i guarantee you that your teeth are yellow, as are mine, because thats the way God made them". Remember that diagram from a few weeks back? The second layer of the tooth is called "Dentin" and its yellow (or brownish or grayish). The color of the dentin shows through the enamel. How much of it shows through is dependent on the opacity of the enamel. And yes, people do have different color hue's as well. Some people have grayish teeth, or brownish, or yellowish. But we all have a color.

Ok, so onto the "how" of whitening and products to choose from. History lesson over :-)

First off, yellowish colored teeth lighten the easiest. Grayish take the longest and are the most stubborn. Often times, a grayish color is caused by taking an antibiotic called tetracycline as a child, when the teeth are forming. This was a common antibiotic offered in the 50's and 60's but is no longer given to children or pregnant women. Brownish coloration is not as common, but is more in the middle in terms of difficulty in lightening.

Products:
1. Over the Counter

• Advantages: price, ease of accessability
• Disadvantages: strength of whitening product is limited by FDA/ADA so efficiency is limited, comfort of product varies as it is not a custom product
• Example: Crest white strips
• Works best for: people who only want to lighten a little, people with very straight teeth (particularly people who have recently undergone orthodontia [braces]).

I've only tried a few otc products and Crest White Strips are by far my favorite. Having said that, i still dont like them much. Keep in mind that I'm a hygienist so i'm a bit of a "snob" when it comes to products. Anyone who has ever used custom trays are not going to like the otc products nearly as much. But that doesnt mean they arent good. You just have to have realistic expectations of the results you will get. Any otc product is going to be the same whitening ingredient as a professional whitening kit (carbomide peroxide) but at a lower concentration. Hence, it will take longer to see results, but you will see them. Eventually.

2. Professional Whitening Systems

• Advantages: very effective, comfortable
• Disadvantages: cost, ease of accessability
• Examples: Custom Trays, 1 hour systems such as "Zoom"
• Works best for: Adults (no teens), people with malalignments (crooked teeth), any color teeth

Professionally made custom trays are what I use. I prefer them, even over the "zoom" because of one thing: sensitivity. ALL whitening agents cause sensitivity, but the more intense the treatment, the more sensitivity you will experience. My teeth are already generally sensitive so there's no way i could ever do zoom. I would not make a good candidate. It is, however, very effective. Keep in mind, however, that even with the one hour whitening systems you will need to "touch up" from time to time, therefore you will still need custom trays (unless you plan to pay for and repeat the process every so often). With the custom trays, you will still experience sensitivity, but the advantage to them (as well as the otc strips) is that YOU control how sensitive they get because you can take a break. For example, in our office we recommend that you wear the custom trays nightly for 3-4 hours for approximately 2 weeks. (Of course, if your teeth are still darker than you prefer you can quit early or if they are as light as you'd like after a week, you can stop!). But if your teeth are sensitive you may want to choose to skip nights or not do tops and bottoms at the same time, etc. Its up to you. You can control how sensitive your teeth get. On the contrary, with the one hour whitening systems, your teeth will be as light as they will get when you leave the office. Unfortunately, they will probably be as sensitive as they can get, also.
I dont mean to say that zoom is bad. Not at all. Its just not for everyone. But if your teeth are not normally sensitive, or if they are pretty dark, then zoom (or another 1 hour system) may be the perfect product for you!

The best thing to do if you have questions about your specific situation is to seek a professional's opinion.

Ok, folks... feel free to ask ?'s, as always!

Rhyan: 2.5 years old!

With every new stage I say the same thing: "this age is my FAVORITE!" :-) But truly, the older she gets, the more FUN she is. I love seeing her personality develop and learning more about who she is. And thought you might like to know, too!

Rhyan is still a GREAT sleeper. She gets up 7-7:30am, naps from 1-3:30/4pm and goes to bed at 8pm

She loves to eat... and is loving sweets more and more and more. We have to be really careful to not let her snack or she won't eat the "good stuff". She's become quite the smarty and will often say she's all done with her food and then say "i eat one more bite i get treat?!". Um, no. So we've had to just start saying "well, if you eat one more bite you might not be as hungry, but you're not getting a treat". That girl. She's a funny one :-)

Watching Rhyan be such a good big sister is such a sweet blessing! Just last night I told her that we need to be really sweet to Mack b/c he's sick and she said "ohhhhhhh. poor maaack! dibe him med-cine, mommy". I told her he's too little for medicine and she again responded with "ohhhh, poor sweet baby mack!". She really is quite compassionate for her age and i love seeing that!

She is certainly holding her own these days... Jeff and I used to really worry that she was too much of a push over and that she didnt stand up for herself nearly enough. However, these days, she's spending a good deal of time in "time out" for pushing her friends and taking toys. So clearly she's not so much of a push over, anymore. Now, time to dial it back girlie! We have talks almost daily about how its not nice to push your friends (to which she responds "i spank you!" or "make shelby cry! i be easy and not push. okay?"). I'm told its normal behavior but we just keep working on it.

Having said that, she can also be the sweetest most giving little girl around. With snack each day she will bring some to me or her daddy and share, even if its her last fruit snack or goldfish!

Every night she asks me to sing "You are My Sunshine" to her. I sang it with my Granny when I was little and started singing it to her when she was 1st born, hoping she would love the song and that it would be "ours". For a while i sang it every night to her until she got old enough to request her own song of choice at which time she started wanting me to sing a variety of songs. Until the last month or so when she stared asking every single night for "sunshine". It melts my heart.

She can "spread (her) toes" on her left foot but not the right. She thinks its funny. I do, too.

She loves playing w/ her babydolls, reading, carrying all kinds of stuff around in her grocery cart and watching barney. Good grief, the child is obsessed w/ barney!

She is learning that "Jesus helps people", "The bible is portant", and "God tects me". She loves church and asks at least once a week if she can "go see josh? be puggle night?".

Her Daddy and I adore her. And she loves her family. She randomly asks about her "Mayer" (grandmother), "Drammy" (my mom), "Dran" (jeff's mom) and "Daydad" (jeff's dad).

Rhyan is absolutely scrumptious. We think we'll keep her :-)

BBQ on Brooks

A sunday school class at hebron baptist holds a free bbq each year down the road from us. They send out flyers in the community and have a big banner reminding everyone and each year, we're happy to oblige!

Rhyan was too little last year to do many of the activities but that wasnt the case this year!

When did my little girl get big enough for a big girl swing?!

Rhyan (and Jeff!) loved the horses!

And she was soooo excited that her best friends, Taylor and Shelby, came! These girls are so stinkin sweet and i'm so grateful that they have one another!

Mack was tuckered out by all the excitement and buried his head and took a nap... till he woke up and then this was the view i had of him... scrumptious :-)

Rhyan loved the "jumpies" and was so excited about the whole evening. They serve free bbq, cold slaw, chips, brunswick stew, drinks, cookies and hotdogs for the kids. There is live music from a couple of hebron's groups (heartland quartet being one of them... they do a great job and sing some traditional music which is always fun) and just encourage fellowship. How fun!