Joey, Amanda, Ella Kate, & Anna Claire

Christmas 2011 In Pictures

2011-12-26T21:31:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas this year. It was surprisingly low-stress and we all enjoyed our time together. Joey's last day of work (for the year) was the 20th, so when he got home that evening, we headed to Winthrop. I managed to talk him into going down there before Christmas, rather than after, like we normally do. I knew that he was off the entire week after Christmas, and really just wanted to spend that week together - just the 4 of us, without any traveling.

The girls loved hanging out with their cousins for a few days - they are all at an age where they get along very well together - we will see how long that lasts. :)

Making cookies for Santa on Christmas Eve!

Possibly my favorite picture ever. Loved seeing my girls faces (Anna Claire wasn't in the picture since I was holding her and trying to keep her away from the flames) illuminated by candlelight while singing Silent Light. It brought tears to my eyes.

Looks guilty, doesn't she?

Trip and Ella taking a little nap

Loves her new baby - isn't she sweet to share her bottle?

Dress up!!! She was so excited!! Meredith and Mabrey graciously donated their old dance costumes to Ella for her to play dress up with.

Santa's cookies are all ready - and a few carrots for Rudolph too!

We do not believe in going 'all out' for Santa. He brings one or two things (usually the more expensive items), and the rest comes from Mom and Dad. This year Ella got the scooter she had been asking for and Anna Claire got a Y-Bike.

She was up bright and early!! (Which is unusual for her...especially since she was 'too excited to sleep' the night before and didn't fall asleep until after midnight...Ms. Clause had a long night)

Anna Claire was not too thrilled with Ella's early awakening

But Santa didn't eat all his cookies and she got to finish it off - that perked her up!

LOVED the tent!!

Such a good daddy to play dress up

YAY! I love it when Joey listens...I had mentioned that when we got new pots/pans that I wanted stainless. I was so surprised...and so happy! They were very needed and appreciated!

I had this picture of Grizzy custom-painted...LOVE how it turned out! (Check out Katie Goodwin Art on facebook!!)

My BIG present....a new car!!!!! Come March/April, we won't all fit (comfortably) in the Pilot, and we had slowly started talking about new cars, but I didn't think it would happen until March. I was so surprised! Let the car shopping begin!!

Anna Claire stole Deebo's phone and hid in her tunnel to play for a while.

Christmas night at Nonnie and Papa's

The girls loved the tree...I have to admit that it's my favorite part of the decor too. I love to sit in the living room at night with just the glow of the tree.

Ella's 2011 ornament - she wanted sprinkles - she picked out the sprinkles she wanted and helped pour them in.

Anna Claire's 2011 ornament

We had a great week. It was not rushed or too stressful. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas as well!!

We Wish You A Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T21:29:00.000-06:00

A visit with Santa and Ms Clause

2011-12-11T16:11:00.000-06:00

I took the girls to see Santa today. Ella was not a fan of his last year, and she's still not so sure about mascots/large stuffed walking animals, so I wasn't sure how she'd do. She said she was going to be brave and sit on his lap. She had her list ready to recite and even knew what Anna Claire wanted. When we walked in, she didn't act scared or anything...all was fine with both (Anna Claire was a little overwhelmed), until the Grinch walked in. Neither wanted a thing to do with him...especially Anna Claire. I'm not sure why he didn't get the hint to get away from her, but he would keep looking at her and she would just scream really loud at him. Funny and a little sad at the same time. Anna Claire did about as well as I expected with Santa. She didn't want on his lap, and definitely wasn't going to talk or smile at him, but she didn't cry. (YAY!!). The past two years I've taken them to the River Market since Mimi is Ms Clause and helps 'diffuse' any threat of tears (and it's also not crowded, free, and they have free cookies/pictures). Santa was very 'familiar' to them, but Ella had no idea who was behind that beard...and we didn't tell her!! She is so cute when it comes to Mimi. She knows that Mimi is Santa's helper and just assumes that she goes to the North Pole every so often to help out Santa. Anytime she sees Ms. C on TV, she just assumes it's Mimi...I mean, who else would it be?!? She asked me the other day if Mimi could take her to the North Pole with her sometime. :) Oh the innocence of children. Why would I destroy that? It won't last forever, so I am enjoying it while we can.

LOVE these dresses. Eric brought us the fabric from Thailand a few years ago (when they lived there), and we had not had the opportunity to use it. I saw a similar style dress last Christmas and instantly knew that I wanted these for this year with this fabric. Mom made the dresses and I had the sash's monogrammed. You may see these dresses again this spring for another special holiday! :)

Santa (aka Uncle Eric) and Ella Kate

Ms. Clause (aka Mimi) and Anna Claire (who doesn't want to let Santa out of her sight)

Telling Santa what they want

Cookie cookie cookie

'Get that Grinch away from me'

Ella Kate Turns 4!!!!!

2011-12-06T22:28:00.000-06:00

I can't believe that she's actually 4! Seems like these past 4 years have really flown by. Ella has grown into quite the little lady - full of sass, creativity, and lots of compassion. She is extremely affectionate and we never question if she loves us (since she tells us about 20 times a day). She's a wonderful big sister, and is actually quite patient with Anna Claire (most of the time). She cracks me up with her creativity and imagination. I think I ask her on a daily basis, "Where did you learn about that?" She loves electronics: TV, computers, video games, etc. She is definitely my little 'gamer'. She can beat her 6 year old (boy) cousin on her favorite "fighting" game - Super Mario Smash Brothers. I'm not sure where this game came from, but she is pretty obsessed with it. Of course, once we turn it off, she immediately starts playing with her babies or dress-up. :) She loves going to school and dance. She is doing very well in both. We are looking forward to her first recital in June! ;) She is super excited about becoming a big sister again. She is convinced that this baby is a boy (although we don't know since we aren't finding out the gender). She wants 'him' to sleep in her room (instead of Anna Claire, who will be moving in with her in March) and beside her in the car. Should be an interesting spring... :)

Ella's birthday party was at the bowling alley. They had SO much fun!! I was rather impressed that Ella beat everyone - guess Wii Bowling has been improving her skills! HA! She chose a Strawberry Shortcake theme for her cake and decorations. [Can I just add that the bowling alley was a great place for a party? Professor Bowl is a little run down, but overall, I was happy with the party and how low-stress it was!!]

She was very proud of her Strawberry Shortcake dress - she picked out the material all by herself.

Her unique technique! (But it works!)

The Hunt's

Bowling with Deebo

Sweet Sophia

Tyler has always bowled like this - it's hilarious

Max and Will

Holden!

Hudson

They love each other!!

Ada, Nora, and Melanie

Ella gets a little help from Sissy and Daddy

Go Ella!!

Pizza and Cake time!!

Never. Stops. Moving.

LOVE that smile!!

She was trying to pretend to be shy that everyone was singing to her.

Make a wish!!

Yummy cake!! There was not one slice left over!!

Ella and Will - our babies are growing up so fast

Max, Sophie, and Ella

Cousins!!! She absolutely adores her 'cousins' (which she enunciates that word very slowly).

Ella, Anna Clare, Ada, and Nora...Ada and AC are only 2 days apart

Ridge, Avery, AC, and EK

KP and EK

Ella's birthday fell on a Tuesday this year, so we celebrated as a family on Monday (since Joey has to work on Tuesday's). We went to dinner at one of her favorites, Genghis Grill then on to Yogurt Mountain. We ended the day at Pets Mart to get a fish for her new tank (she got a 33 gallon fish tank - which she begged for for 6 months before finally getting it). Mimi took her shopping on her actual birthday to Pets Mart for the structures and fish, but we wanted to make sure they wouldn't die overnight, so we got one to start with.

Dessert #1 at GG

Opening presents from Aunt Lisa, who joined us for dinner.

Ready for some YOGURT

And yes, she ate every bite!

Messy little yogurt face - although I think it was prob more toppings since she is not supposed to have yogurt - but she's perfectly happy with the toppings!

Time for celebration #3! I took cupcakes to her class at school. She was treated like quite the birthday princess between her party at school, a special lunch with Mimi at Purple Cow (her other favorite restaurant), fish shopping, and finally dance class! What a day and what a great end to a 5 day celebration!!!

Family Picture Out-Takes

2011-11-27T23:59:00.000-06:00

Trying to take family pictures with a 16 month old and (nearly) 4 year old is like pulling teeth. I knew it would be rough, but this really was the only possible time that we could do it. It was pretty cold, so I layered everyone up, and off we went. Luckily mom was there to help out a little. She at least was able to dance around and try to get the girls to look in the direction of the camera. I did end up getting one or two decent ones (that are Christmas-card worthy), but they were hard to come by. :) Here are a few 'out-takes' that will not make the Christmas card this year...

Anna Claire was not into this at all

The happiest she was all day - climbing in a tree

Bribery didn't really work...but we tried!

Hogs game with my favorite [almost] 4 yr old!

2011-11-13T22:32:00.000-06:00

Joey rarely misses the opening weekend of modern gun season (deer hunting). That means that Ella and I have a date to the Razorback game since there is almost always a home game that same weekend. Ella and I went up to Fayetteville on Saturday morning. We stayed with the Francis gang, so Ryne and Ella got to play a little before we headed to the game. Those two had so much fun together! Ella had a great time at the game and we stayed until about half way through the 4th quarter. It was a pretty good game and I'm glad that we continued our yearly tradition.

She's ready to Call Those Hogs!

Since Jenn was home with Little Miss 10-day old, Abby, Riley got to come to the game with Jason. They walked with the ROTC color guard on the field before the game.

Riley and Ella - had a great time cheering together. Funny moment was when they wanted to give each other a quick kiss (I can't remember who started it), and then they wouldn't stop. Jason and I had to separate them so they'd stop kissing! It was hilarious - but a little worrisome too. :) I'm all for these two getting married, but they can hold off on the kissing part for another 15 years or so!!

Giddy-Up!

2011-11-07T22:16:00.000-06:00

While we were in Fayetteville for the game this weekend, we were able to go to Ryne's 4th birthday party. The girls were so excited about going, and when they got there, it only got better. Meagan-Marie (the ultimate hostess and party planner) planned a fabulous cowgirl party complete with pony rides! I'm so glad that we were able to go even if they don't live close by anymore!

Anna Claire is getting some practice before trying out the real thing

Oh how they missed each other! Ella is frequently asking to go play with Ryne!

Anna Claire hopped up on the pony and knew exactly what to do. She held on and sat up straight the entire time. Joey did really have to hold on to her (although he did!)...she fell in love instantly.

My little cowgirls

Such concentration

She had to wear her pink boots!

YUMMY cake by Rick's!

We had a great time!! Thanks 'F' family!!

Anna Claire's First Haircut!

2011-11-03T22:11:00.000-05:00

I took Anna Claire to see Miss Brandi (at Shear Envy in Conway) today for her first haircut. She did SO good!! She didn't feel wonderful, but she say so still (highly unusual). Her little mullet now looks a little more like a cute bob! :)

Trick or Treat!

2011-10-31T22:04:00.000-05:00

The Hunt's invited us to go Trick-or-Treating with them this year. Ella had never done any 'real' (door-to-door) TorTing before, so she was SO excited!! We had a great time and I'm so glad that we went!!

They are ready to go!!

Max and Ella - so sweet

Sophie didn't miss out on the action!

Anna Claire even made it up to a few doors as well

Her bag was getting really heavy, so she put it around her neck! :)

Fall Festival at PHUMC

2011-10-30T09:29:00.000-05:00

Today was the annual Fall Fest at church. They girls both wore their costumes proudly (AC even wore her hat the entire time!). They had a great time playing games, eating popcorn, and sliding down the jump house slides.

Izzy and the pink poodle dressed and ready to go!

Visiting with Gentry and Avery

Happy Poodle!

Making splatter art

Pretty butterfly tattoo

Anna Claire and Avery

Nonnie trying to get some chin kisses...

Nonnie always gets her kisses! :)

These two ate enough popcorn for a week!

We ran into Nora and Lilly!!

If you don't have a toddler, then you probably have no idea who Izzy is. Well she's the pirate princess from Jake and the Neverland Pirates on the Disney Channel. It's a really cute show!! But I think Ella resembeled Izzy pretty closely!!

Anna Claire's pink poodle outfit was actually Ella's for her first Halloween. Ella wore it when she was about 10 months old, and Anna Claire wore it at 15 months (I was a little surprised it fit - but it fit perfectly).

Everyone tells me they look alike, but I usually don't agree...well these two pictures prove me wrong.

Anna Claire is 15 Months!

2011-10-28T21:57:00.000-05:00

Some days I can't believe that Anna Claire is 15 months, and others I can't believe that she's only 15 months. She is definitely my wild, strong-willed child. But, she also is so so sweet when she wants to be. She absolutely cracks me up!! Her little quirks and mannerisms make me smile every single day. She absolutely adores her big sister and tries to do anything and everything that Ella does. She is a climber!!!! Anytime I leave her with a new person (at church), they always comment when I pick her up how much she loves to climb. All I can say is, "Yep!". Our house is pretty 'Anna Claire-proofed', so I don't really worry about her here. She has free reign off most of the rooms (those that she's not supposed to go in have closed doors), and it's all safe...but when we go somewhere else, I have to watch her closely. We walked into Mimi's sun room not too long ago and she was standing on top on the breakfast table out there. She just laughed and tried it again when we took her down.

She loves to talk! I think she's just trying to out-do her sister. :) I understand about 80% of what she says, and she is adding new words everyday. I'm sure I will miss MANY words, but here is the list (as far as I can remember): Mama, Dada, Sissy, Ella, Grizzy, Cat, Dog, Meow, Woof, Tweet, Bye, Hi, Bottle, Num Num (for snack), Cracker, Juice, Done, Thank you, Please, Yaya, Deebo, Mimi, Baby, Pa (for Paci), Blankie (although this is her own word - I just know what she's talking about), WoooPig, Nearly all the animal noises, Shoe, Diaper, Waffle ...I know there are a few more, but these are the words she uses most often. She nods her head yes and no, and when she nods yes, it's this very slow and concentrated nod - hilarious. She can point to all of her body parts, and names them as well. I feel like she's a lot faster on talking than Ella was - which isn't unusual for siblings - they've got great teachers and have to keep up with them!

She is a great eater and doesn't miss many meals. She loves to eat!! She's not overly picky, but still prefers meat and bread to veggies, and will still eat most fruit. She really likes yogurt and jello (which her sister still won't touch), and is using her fork very well. Again, I don't remember Ella doing so well with her fork at this age, but it wasn't something I kept a close watch on, so I really can't compare the two. We have started peanut butter (yes, we talked to her doc first) and she is a HUGE fan! She will also eat PB&J sandwiches! YAY! Dr. Ledbetter suggested that we try Almond Milk after discussing all her 'poop issues' with whole milk and still a lot of issues with the soy. Almond milk is fantastic!!! She has had SOLID poop since the day we started using it!!!! I really can't say when the last time she had consistent solid poop...maybe never. She loves it too - even without chocolate! She does fine with yogurt and cheese, so I don't think she has a milk allergy, but I think she's extremely intolerant of drinking milk - that is, until we tried almond milk. (Only a mom would get so excited about solid poop...it really is the little things). She is drinking between 10-15 ounces of milk a day. 5 at morning and night, and maybe another 5 during the day. It usually depends on if she is awake to eat lunch. If she's awake, then she doesn't usually drink that extra 5 ounces, if she's asleep, then she gets the extra 5, since she missed lunch. She eats a big snack once or twice a day, and drinks [watered-down] juice or water during the day and with meals. She does seem to enjoy OJ as much as Ella did/does, but since she will drink 'plain' (not chocolate) milk, then I'm still giving that to her in the mornings. She does still get her morning and night-time milk in a bottle. (Don't judge...Ella did too and she's just fine). Dr. L didn't seem to care as long as she is bottle-free by 18 months...and she will be. :)

I can't complain about her sleeping habits. I train my kids well! :) She goes to bed between 8 and 8:30 at night (occasionally 9 if she's taken a late nap, but 8 is average). If she is allowed to sleep as long as she wants, then she will sleep until 8:30ish (give or take 30 min). On occasion, she will wake up around 6:00. If she does, then she gets a bottle and goes back to sleep...and she sleeps until at least 9:00. On school days, she gets up at 7:00. She may nap mid-morning (not a long nap - at home is about an hour, at school, about 30 min), but goes down for her 'big' nap between 12 and 1:00. She's been sleeping for a good 3 hours - sometimes 4. I don't usually let her sleep more than 4 hours. She plays very hard when she's awake, so she sleeps well when it's time. She is a lighter sleeper, and is pretty dependant on her noise machine. I have figured out other 'alternatives' if we don't happen to be at home, but she doesn't like to sleep in silence.

She is a terrible car rider! Movies only work for a very limited time. I try to plan 'long-distance' trips (longer than 1 hour) around naps, but she doesn't nap well in the car, so it only works for about an hour. I am pretty sure it's being restrained in her seat that she hates so much, because she doesn't enjoy going around town any more/less than she does longer trips. I am hoping she grows out of this very soon. We try not to take her anywhere that she will have to be in her seat for very long...but it's not always possible.

She's still not all that interested in tv (which isn't a bad thing - other than it's nice to be able to offer a distraction every now and then). I have discovered one Barney movie that she will watch 75% of. They sing just about the entire time, which is why she likes it. She will also watch the Cedarmont Kids movies (Toddler Tunes, Bible Songs, Action Bible Songs). She really likes these. They aren't very interesting, it's just [real] kids singing their songs in their 1980's attire, but kids sure do love it! She will even do some of the motions to the songs! She's always loved music, and I don't think that is going to go away...maybe she will get a voice like her Auntie Lisa!

I took her in for her 15 month check-up and shots today. I have to say, I was a little shocked by her weight, I just knew she weighed 4-5 pounds more...she seems so much heavier to me! Her weight was 22 pounds 13 ounces (50%), height was 31 inches (68%), and head circumference was 18 inches (45%). She was given a clean bill of health and is up to date on her shots (other than yearly flu - which she got today) until she's 4!

Anna Claire is my hilarious little ham and our family just wouldn't be 'right' without her in it! I can't wait to see what the future holds and to watch how she develops into a big sister!

Pumpkin Patch - Round 2

2011-10-21T09:13:00.000-05:00

Today we went back to Bo Brook Farms with friends for another visit. The kids had a wonderful time!! This time they played in the corn pit - a huge hit!!

Holden and Anna Claire - they are about a month apart

Holden and AC off to find the perfect pumpkin!

Ryne and Ella

Boys being boys - Hudson and Will

Our kiddos are getting so big!!

Too see our annual pumpkin patch visits from previous years, go here: 2010, 2009, 2008.

Family Picture!

2011-10-19T20:16:00.000-05:00

At the first of September, Ms Lynn from the church called me and asked if Joey and I would be willing to do an interview with the United Methodist Foundation of Arkansas for an upcoming publication regarding a seminar that we recently attended. We agreed and in doing so, they took our family picture...I was very happy with how it turned out! :)

Arkansas State Fair

2011-10-18T10:18:00.000-05:00

Joey and I took the girls to the state fair this afternoon. It was an unusually warm day, and didn't know if I would make it a few times. I know that I couldn't have made it without Joey to help. The girls had a great time riding the rides and seeing the animals. It may wear us out and cost a fortune (even though we saved quite a bit by going on Dollar Day), but they had a great time and there were lots of smiles, and that is what matters!

Love her face!!!!

Can I just say that being pregnant and going on a ride that goes around and around is NOT a good idea.

This was the only 'ride' that Anna Claire could ride, but she did have fun the two times she rode!

You can't have a post about the fair without mentioning the food! Isn't that 50% of the reason for going?!? Of course we enjoyed a fresh-squeezed lemonade, but I also had a corn dog (it's not the fair without one!), and a fresh, hot ear of buttered corn (holy cow it was good!). Joey had alligator on a stick (gross), and some kind of onions (double gross). Ella enjoyed her 'Pig Licker'. It's just bacon smothered in chocolate. Looked and smelled nasty, but she liked it! We all split fresh french fries, and were probably all equally nauseated after eating all of this grease!! I really wanted a caramel apple, but after eating all of this, it just wasn't possible. I settled for a Route 44 cherry limeade on the way home. :)

Getaway

2011-10-17T20:12:00.000-05:00

Joey and I had planned a weekend away for his birthday during early September. It was much needed, and would be our last opportunity until after the first of the year. So when Quinn passed, I wasn't sure what we should do. I stressed about it for a while, and after the insistance from my mom and Mimi, we decided to go ahead as planned.

We planned a weekend in Tunica. I was looking forward to the spa, sleeping un-interrupted, and shopping. Joey was looking forward to a little poker. We were both happy and satisfied when we left. :) I was ready to get home to my kids, but the weekend was very much appreciated.

Quinn

2011-10-15T20:06:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday, October 11, 2011 at around 8:45pm, the world lost a wonderful man, my grandfather, Quinn Spann. He was kind, generous, loving, and most importantly, God-loving. He always had a smile on his face, even the morning he passed. He had a blood disease for many years, but it had turned into leukemia about 6 weeks before. We were very grateful that his illness was quick, and he didn't suffer. In fact, I visited him on Thursday, and we were talking about him being released from the hospital. He played and held Anna Claire (who adored him) a lot during that visit. He didn't really start showing signs that he didn't have long until Sunday evening. I'm so glad that my Mimi didn't have to watch him suffer or make too many hard decisions. I was able to spend time with him on Tuesday morning and I really do think he knew I was there.
Quinn was 'technically' my step-grandfather (ALTHOUGH, in the family, we don't use the word 'step', we say 'bonus'). However, he and his first wife were close friends with Mimi and Grandaddy, and all of their children (6 between them), were raised together and were very close. I've known him most of my life, but he didn't become my grandfather until 2003. I have to admit that I was a little hesitant at first...more out of protection for my Mimi, whom I am extrememly close with, but also because I have very vivid and fond memories of my Grandaddy (who passed in 1988). But, being the oldest grandchild (after my brother, the next oldest is 17), I am the only one who really remembers my Grandaddy. Back to Quinn...he was the perfect husband to my Mimi for the past 8 years. He absolutely adored her. They did lots of traveling - in the states and overseas. Mimi loves to go. I know she loved having someone to 'go' with. We were a [very] large happy family: 6 brothers/sisters; 5 in-laws; 14 grandchildren; 2 great-grandchildren. It was always noisy and fun during our family gatherings. :) My girls loved him. He was so good with them. I know they will miss him dearly. (Update: on 11/7/11, Ella told Mimi, while they were playing together, "Mimi, you miss Quinn, don't you." She is so sweet...) Ella has taken the news very well....such a blessing. And the bond that Joey and Quinn shared was so wonderful to watch. They became very close and would sit and talk for hours. They became close at the perfect time and he made a huge impact on Joey - and therefore a huge impact on our marriage...something I will always be grateful for.
We will all miss Quinn very much...but I know that I will see him again one day - and I know that he and my Grandaddy are enjoying being together again. :)

A story about Ella that I don't want to forget: When I told Ella about Quinn, I talked in terms of germs. She loves to talk about germs. One of her favorite books is one of Joey's, Medical Microbiology, so that she can see pictures of germs. She has also already asked for a microscope so she can really see them for herself. :) So on Tuesday night, after I got the call that he had passed, I had to figure out how to explain this to my very sensitive 3 1/2 year old. She knew that Quinn was sick (she had been to see him a few times in the hospital), and she knew that he had bad germs in his body, which is why he was in the hospital. After reminding her about all of this, I told her that most of the time the doctors are able to get the bad germs out, but sometimes they can't, and when this happens, only Jesus can get the bad germs out. But, in order for Jesus to get the germs out, you have to go to live with Him in Heaven, and you can't come back home once you go to Heaven. She seemed to understand this ("Jesus took all the bad germs away and he went to live in Heaven with Him"), and asked a few questions such as: Did Mimi go with him? (Which panicked her a little at first) and Can we go visit? After discussing this, she got down and went back to playing.
The visitation at the funeral home was Thursday night. Knowing that all of my cousins would be there, I took the girls. I didn't really think about it, I just took them. I never even considered not taking them. After walking in the door to the funeral home, I regretted that decision. After 'sheilding' Ella from the 'viewing room', we went into the parlor. It never even crossed my mind that there would be a viewing during the visitation. I have no idea why, but it didn't. I don't do 'viewings', it kind of creeps me out, and I definitely didn't want to try and explain it to Ella. How do you even do that?!? Well she was happily playing with my cousins, and I was visiting with family. I told the younger ones that they could play in the room, but that Ella was not to leave that room for any reason. A little while later, Ella comes running up to me, "Momma, Momma!! Quinn is here!!" I had her repeat this a few times with a very blank look on my face. All I could say was, "Let's go find Yaya." She repeated this to my mom. I am freaking out by this point. We sit down and she says, "Quinn can't go to God because he's here!" After a few "Ummm"s, all I could think to say was, "Baby, are you hungry? Let's go find your chicken nuggets." It worked and she hasn't ever mentioned it again. I told this story to Brother Jim, who officiated the funeral, and he thought my response was perfect. :) I mean, how in the world do you explain to a 3 year old how your spirit goes to Heaven, but your body doesn't? You don't. You offer them food and change the subject. :)

Go Hogs Go!

2011-10-10T19:06:00.000-05:00

No matter how many games I go to, I still get chills every time the players run through the 'A'!!

Pumpkin Patch - Round 1

2011-10-03T17:45:00.000-05:00

This morning, I took the girls (along with the Brewer's) to Bo Brook Farms Pumpkin Patch. I had never been to this one, but our playgroup had mentioned going there for our yearly visit, so I thought we could try it out. I am SO glad that we did!! This is the 3rd PP in central AR that I've been to, and it is by far the best one. They had animals (pigs, donkey, goats, and bunnies), a hayride, mazes, and of course a pumpkin patch. I loved the way their patch was set up...each 'row' was probably 6 feet wide, and each row was divided by a 10 foot row of grass. It made walking through wonderful! As well as the rows being so nice, the pumpkins were divided by type, size, and shape, so if you knew what you were looking for, you could go to those rows to find it. It really was wonderful and the girls had a great time. If we go back to this patch at the end of the month, I will bring my wagon since it was a little difficult to carry my pumpkins and Anna Claire (and there is plenty of room to pull my own wagon through the patch). They did provide wagons and wheelbarrows to pull pumpkins, but they weren't really meant for kids. :) All in all, I was really impressed with Bo Brook Farms...and we might even think about going back next year to pick strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries!

Anna Claire, (Brandi), Ava, and Ella

She loved this donkey!

Ella found the perfect sized pumpkin!!

Ella and Ava headed to the sunflower maze

Thinking about heading into the maze

Where did those girls go?

Ella had no fear (which I was surprised by) holding this little guy

Anna Claire found hers!!

The best part - PAINTING your pumpkin!

Pretty Girls

2011-10-03T17:25:00.000-05:00

We spent a little time playing in the driveway before going to the pumpkin patch!

Scott Party of 5!!

2011-09-20T21:46:00.001-05:00

Scott Party of 5 coming April 10, 2012!!

I guess there is no denying it now! :)

I'm an Aunt Again!

2011-09-05T21:42:00.000-05:00

Sweet Piper was born August 22nd, and she is just as perfect as her big sister, Layla!

First Day of School!!!

2011-08-16T20:53:00.001-05:00

The girls have started going to school (and momma gets a little break!). They are going to First Baptist. Ella is going two mornings a week and Anna Claire is going one morning a week. They had a great first day and I think they will love the interaction with other kids!

Picnic by the River

2011-08-14T20:50:00.002-05:00

Jameson Turns 7!

2011-08-08T21:26:00.023-05:00

The girls and I went to Fayetteville this weekend for Jameson's birthday...can't believe that he's already 7!!

Anna Claire and Harper playing with another friend

LOVE those legs!

'Float like a boat!'

HAHA!

She was so tired - but fought it until the bitter end

Love this kid!

Kyla D and Jameson - wish I had their very first picture together that I took...he was born in the pre-digital age. :)

Anna Claire giving Sam some love...Kyla got Sam about 6 months after I got Grizzy. We were one big happy family, the 4 of us living together.

Sam returning that love

The girls and I stayed with Dave and Ashley. Ella loved playing with Layla while we were there!!

Trip pushing Ella in the super-high tree swing

Anna Claire loved it too!

Bubblefest!!

2011-07-28T22:07:00.007-05:00

Yesterday was Bubblefest, sponsored by the Museum of Discovery. It was held at the Riverfest Amphitheater. For a really really hot day, it was not bad at all down there on the river and in the shade! Ella had a great time!

You blow the bubbles (that are mixed with food coloring) and then place a piece of paper on top to make bubble art!

"Momma, it's a snowman cooker!" (AKA Snowman Chef)

My cousins kids went with us - Avery did a great job drawing this!

Arkansas River

Surprise!! Nonnie turns 80!!

2011-07-27T21:43:00.021-05:00

Once we wrapped up Anna Claire's party, we had a surprise party for Nonnie! (Yes, in the same place.) Aunt June, Uncle Jim, and Papa kept Nonnie out of the pavilion and down closer to the river while her guests arrived and we switched up the food. She was SO surprised!!

Nonnie and Papa - married 60 years on December 30, 2011!!

Papa and I

Uncle James making sure Dad isn't burning the burgers...

Nonnie and Mom

Nonnie and Britt (our preacher)

Gentry

Ginni and Jason - Jason drove in from Nashville just for the party

Ms. Lynn and Nonnie - friends for nearly 60 years

Mimi and I - yes, she always looks this 'refreshed'...yes, I usually look this tired. :)

Uncle Dick on the left flew in (with Aunt Kay) from Atlanta for the party

Derek (in the blue) even came! :) Ha! We have a hard time getting him to come sometimes! :) Love ya, D!

Jason and Melissa (who flew in from Dallas)

Sisters - Fairy June and Floy Jean...Aunt June drove down from Kansas for the party

Nonnie felt very loved and special - just like she is!!

Happy 1st Birthday, Anna Claire!!!!

2011-07-26T23:14:00.065-05:00

I can't believe that baby girl is already a year old!! Where does the time go??!? We had a big party for her this past Saturday at Maumelle Park, right on the river. This is a perfect place for a party: huge pavilion (for an excellent price), right on the river (which means there is a great breeze), and it has electricity and water on sight! I knew when I booked her party (in March), that it was going to be hot. Well it was. Very hot. However, 10 minutes after the party started, it poured for about 5 minutes and really cooled things off. It was still very hot under the pavilion (despite the 5 large fans we brought to circulate air), but just one step out and it was 15 degrees cooler. Mom and I about died setting up, but the party itself wasn't too bad (except that mom and I couldn't cool off).

Here are the pretzel sticks that I made - note to self: they melt in 100 degree heat. It's a chocolate gooey, yummy mess. :)

I didn't have a 'theme' for her party, everything was red and white. So what better cake to serve than red velvet with cream cheese icing? YUMM!

Opening a present before the party! ELMO!

Sweet birthday girl! (Mom made her outfit, Make it Initial did the monogram and bow)

We bought and [mom] cut the table cloths ourselves. Hancocks had the material/cloth on sale, and we had a coupon...so much cheaper than trying to buy table cloths for all the tables!

Mom made the centerpieces...I will not take any credit - mine were terrible.

I think she did a great job!

Riley made it to the party all the way from NWA!! He is helping to fill up one of the two small pools we brought for the kids to cool off in.

Sweet Will

Taking a break with Yaya

Aunt June and Uncle Jim made it to the party too!! They actually came for Nonnie's surprise party that immediately followed (see next post), but I'm so glad they were able to come to AC's party as well! I had not seen them in years!

LOVE me some Harper!!!

Augie strolling around in his antique stroller! LOVED this thing and would have bought it from them on the spot if I was able to!

CAKE TIME!!!

She wasn't so sure about it at first - but luckily I had put blueberries (her favorite food) on the top to entice her into diving in...and dive in she did!

Since it was hot, the icing began to melt a little, which made it perfect for 'slinging'.

You had to stand back or she would have slimed you! :)

YUM!!! Think she got the hang of it?

I love this picture...she's laid back, relaxing, eating and playing in her cake.

She knows what is next...the hose down. She did not enjoy that part. By this time, she was exhausted. Once she was all cleaned up and re-dressed, Joey took her and Ella home. I stayed at the park for Nonnie's party for a while. I think she loved her party!! Thank you to everyone who came!

It's her 'official' birthday!!! What is the perfect birthday breakfast?! Chocolate Chip Muffins, of course!

Instead of gifts, we asked that her party guests bring donations (I included a 'Wish List' with the invites) for the NICU at ACH. We have some wonderful friends and were able to take a large bag of toys, clothes, and other goodies for the precious babies in the NICU. We made the donation in honor of AC's best friend, Harper (who spent the first 4 1/2 months of her life in this NICU) from Anna Claire. I'm so glad we were able to give back in some way - and I know that Anna Claire will appreciate it when she is older.

Lots of goodies!

After we left ACH, I took the girls to play at the park for a while! She loves to swing!!

What is the perfect post-park treat? A cupcake from Cupcakes on the Ridge, of course!

It had been a very long day, so I picked up Whole Hog BBQ and took it out to Mimi's for a quiet dinner. It was the perfect ending to a great day!

But the day isn't complete without a little more cake!! :)

What is she up to at 12 months? Well she is 22 pounds and about 26 inches tall. She is RUNNING. She doesn't crawl anywhere. She finally cut her first tooth during her birthday party. She is never quiet, and beginning to say words...although I may be the only one who understands them. :) She makes the noises for: duck, dog, cow, and lion. She mimics everything, but these are the ones she will do on command. She will say: Momma, Dadda, Ella, Sissy, Grizzy, and Thank you. Again, I may be the only one who understands some of these. She is quite the climber and can scale most anything...her crib is a task she will probably conquer soon. She plays really really well with Ella and doesn't like it when Ella wants to play alone. They will play together in Ella's room for 30-45 min at a time. IT IS WONDERFUL!! She loves food. Especially fruit/berries and bread/pasta. Still not a huge fan of veggies, but she is beginning to come around. I'd say her favorite meals are pizza and spaghetti. Even though she doesn't have teeth, she won't let it stop her from eating what she wants! She can still light up a room with her smile and I am thankful for her every single day...even though I'm frequently jumping for joy by the time bedtime rolls around. Oh, she's a great sleeper (most of the time) just like her sister. She loves to sleep in and I can frequently get her to sleep until 9 or 9:30. I worked hard to get my girls trained, and I wouldn't change a thing! :) Yes, you can be jealous of their sleeping habits. Anna Claire, you are such a joy to your Daddy and I. You are full of life and full of spunk! We love you so very very much!!

Moviestar Girls

2011-07-25T15:45:00.001-05:00

Swimming, Friends, and Fun!

2011-07-19T15:35:00.016-05:00

We spent the morning at Kimberly's house playing with her girls (Lilly and Layla) and Amy's (Catherine, Virginia, and Ruth) girls. LOTS of girls! :) But they are all pretty close in age and get along really well.

Lilly (who is 4, turning 5 in the fall), Virginia (who is 3 and turns 4 about a week before EK), and Ella

My little camel. Seriously, she is a camel when it comes to drinking.

Don't you just want to squeeze those thighs!

Ruth and Anna Claire - born one day apart

This backyard is fabulous. Absolutely beautiful.

Ruth, Layla (who is about 2 months older than the other two), and Anna Claire

Snack time! Catherine (who is 5) made it in this picture

We had a great time!!

Post-Nap Photo Session

2011-07-14T17:32:00.000-05:00

9 years

2011-07-10T15:11:00.000-05:00

On July 5th, Joey and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary! Since we celebrated big for my birthday, we didn't do much for our anniversary. Joey, being the research king he is, discovered that the 'traditional' 9th wedding anniversary gift was pottery. So as a family, we went to The Painted Pig and painted a cookie jar together!! I, of course, loved it, and the girls enjoyed it too!! Ella got to paint her own piece while I worked on ours. I could seriously spend all day in there painting. Very therapeutic. Here is our jar!!

Joey's thumbprints are the bumble bee's, and mine are the ladybugs.

Ella made handprint flowers

Anna Claire made butterfly feet

And the finished product!!

Fun Times at WRC

2011-07-08T15:29:00.001-05:00

We spent that morning at WRC with Kristen and the boys. Such fun!!

Happy 4th of July!!

2011-07-04T23:50:00.000-05:00

My little firecrackers!!

L~O~V~E this picture.

Bounce house fun at PVCC!

For the second year in a row, we went to Dickey Stephens Park to watch the river fireworks. It was a perfect night for being outside!! Cool and a little breezy. Not a bit of humidity around. Very unusual for July in Little Rock. Joey stayed home with Anna Claire and mom and I took Ella. Ella Kate absolutely loves fireworks. And that probably doesn't completely describe her love. She was so excited and smiled and jumped around the entire time. Love to watch them through her. Love. Love. Love.

Instead of buying a worthless glow-thing when we got there, I brought one from home! :) Smart Momma!!

Hate that this is blurry, but I didn't want to use a flash and ruin the fireworks for others.

July 4th Weekend

2011-07-04T14:38:00.001-05:00

David, Ashley, and Layla came to town for the holiday weekend. Miss Piper will be arriving in August, so this was their last 'adventure' before she arrives. Ella and Layla had so much fun together and Ella was so sad to see her leave this morning. We spent the weekend swimming, cooking out, and popping fireworks. It was laid back and perfect!!

Mom made Ella, Anna Claire, and Layla matching dresses. They looked precious!!

Cousins!!

Fun in the sun!

Layla isn't going to drown anytime soon!! (Life vest, swim ring, and sitting on a float!)

Mohawk baby

Pretty girl

This is the life!

FIREWORK time!! I think Ella's favorite part was the smoke bombs. :)

Anna Claire wasn't too sure about all the noise and smoke.

POPPERS!!

Think she's had enough for one holiday.

I thought for sure that the police were going to show up after these things went off. They were LOUD!

I hope everyone had a good weekend!!

You Only Turn 30 TWICE!!!

2011-06-27T22:31:00.001-05:00

I have a wonderful husband. Since I was HUGE pregnant with Anna Claire on my 30th birthday, he decided to take me on a trip for my 2nd 30th birthday! He told me about it in May and asked what I wanted to do. I told him that I really didn't care, as long as we were not at home and we didn't have the kids for at least a night. I really didn't care. We could have stayed in LR at a hotel, just as long as it felt like we were 'away'. Well, he went did lots of research and planning and planned a fantastic weekend for me!! We left on Thursday morning and went north. We ended up in Tulsa, OK at the Hard Rock Casino Resort. They have completely remodeled since we were last there and it was very nice. I was super impressed with his room choice! We had a lot of fun and broke even, so I'd say it was a good night!

On Friday morning, we checked out of the hotel and drove towards our next secret destination. (Yes, he had the entire weekend planned, down to the meals, and I didn't have a clue).

We came to Stone Bluff in 2008 and did a tour. It was our first wine tour and we really enjoyed it. We didn't tour this time (I doubt it has changed), but we did eat a fantastic lunch. If you are ever in Tulsa, and have 2-3 hours to burn, take the 30 minute drive to Stone Bluff to eat, sample wine, and enjoy the beautiful surroundings!!

After we left the winery, we checked into our next hotel and took a nice LONG nap. It was much needed. When we woke up, we grabbed a quick dinner and went downtown. Joey had purchased tickets to a local theater production of Evita!! I had never seen it, and loved the music, so I was very excited. I was also in complete and total shock that he would even think of checking to see what Broadway plays were going on. It's not like him and I am happy to report that he really enjoyed it. So much so that he checked to see what was playing at The Rep once we got home. I think the Broadway bug finally bit him!! :) (Took long enough).

Saturday morning (my actual birthday), we slept in and checked out of the hotel (yes, we did a lot of hotel hopping). I had no idea where we were going. We were driving through the beautiful Utica neighborhood in Tulsa when we came upon a magnificent house. I even commented (before he pulled in), "No way that someone lives there." Well, nobody lives there (anymore), and it's now the Philbrook Museum of Art. Again, I was shocked that he found this place. This has to be one of the prettiest places I have ever been. The grounds of the estate are breathtaking. I told Joey that if I ever got married again, I wanted to do it here. :) Yes, he laughed. He had made reservations for us to eat lunch at their little bistro-style restaurant. YUMM! I would definitely describe the food as 'froofy', but we like froof, so we ate every bite! After lunch, we paid our admission and toured the exhibits and grounds. Here are only a few of the many pictures I took. They really don't do it justice.

This is the back of the house/museum.

Looking from the 'house' towards the back of the property. Let me remind you that this is in the middle of a neighborhood...a very expensive neighborhood (we saw one lot for sale and the sign said $1M, just for the lot), but a neighborhood nonetheless.

I love this guy!

Inside the home/museum...I still couldn't believe that a family actually lived here...or that it was built in only 1 year. I loved the details of these columns.

This is a picture of a picture of a chair that Joey and I own. We have an original Eames chair in our living room.

After leaving the museum, we went east to Fayetteville. We weren't in town long (about 12 hours...wish I would have had time to call everyone to come hang out with us!), but we had fun while we were there!! We had dinner at Powerhouse, then went to Theo's and spent a long time just talking with friends on the patio. After we left the patio, Joey thought we should 'hit Dickson'. Dickson street is where all of the bars are in Fayetteville and where all the college kids hang out. I did when I was in college, but haven't very much since then. Now I remember why. I am way too old for late-night Dickson. At one point, I saw a girl (who looked like she was 19) come in wearing a piece of fabric that barely covered her rear and a bow in her hair. My 3 year old had the same bow. Once I saw that, I was done. Time to call it a night! BUT it was a great end to an amazing 3 days with my husband. He put so much thought and effort into every detail. I really felt like a special girl. We got up early on Sunday to head home. I missed my girls like crazy! :)

LOVE these girls who helped me celebrate!! (Alaina, Megan, Kyla D, Me, and Heather)

Love me some Kyla D!

Happy Father's Day!!!

2011-06-19T23:42:00.000-05:00

Yay for BFF's!!

2011-06-17T23:44:00.001-05:00

Joey has been gone to Winthrop for a week. A few days before he left, Kyla called to confirm her 'room' for later in the week when Harper had an appt at ACH. She asked what our weekend plans were and I told her Joey was going to be out of town until middle of the next week. Well that was perfect because she was thinking about staying for a week because Harper had 3 appointments the next week and she didn't want to go home and then come back 3 days later. I was so excited to have the company and so excited that I didn't have to talk to a 3 year old all day, every day for a week straight! :) We had a great time while they were here doing a lot of nothing! Isn't that the best when you can have so much fun doing nothing at all? Ella loves having 'Kyla D' around - she's always sad when she leaves, and Anna Claire enjoys her too...and her BFF, Harper! Anna Claire and Harper already love each other SO much and that makes my heart SO happy!!! While they were here, I did some pictures for Harper. I wish every single subject I photograph was as happy and easy to 'shoot' as she is! Seriously. That sweet baby is the happiest kid I've ever known! Despite all that she's been through, she smiles all the time! She is just thrilled with life and enjoying everything it has to offer - even at 8 months. Being around her for even 5 minutes can give you a whole new appreciation for life and remind you how lucky we all are.

Swings!!

Anna Claire loves to swing just as much as Ella does!

Ella is doing a little reflecting by the Reflection Pool

Let's Go!

First dip in a swimming pool!!

Gulf Shores 2011

2011-06-10T14:49:00.002-05:00

We've spent the last week in fabulous Gulf Shores, Alabama!! I have to admit that I was more than nervous about this vacation. The last time Joey and I spent more than 3 nights together (just the two of us), was our honeymoon in 2002! We've taken quite a few trips, and even a few vacations, but we've always either gone with someone or met them once we were there. So on top of a LOT of togetherness, we also had our kids...all by ourselves...with no escape. Now, I would never leave them at home, and I take care of them all day, everyday, but I wasn't so sure how 'relaxing' the week would be with a 10 month old and a 3 1/2 year old. Well, I was pleasantly surprised at how wonderful and relaxing it was!!! I wasn't even ready to come back! We could have stayed for an extra week and I think we would have all been happy!! If you want to ready about our week in detail, keep reading...or you can just scan through some pretty cute pictures! :)

We left Little Rock on Saturday morning around 6:30am. Both girls did fall back to sleep fairly quickly and slept until we were almost out of Arkansas. We stopped for breakfast in Talullah, LA and made it to Gulfport, MS before eating lunch. No, we didn't drive that straight-through, we stopped for many potty breaks...even on the side of the road. I taught EK the art of 'squatting' as soon as she was potty trained, so when she was the only one who needed to go, we just pulled over. Getting Anna Claire in and out of her carseat was more than an small ordeal. We had decided that since it was Memorial Day weekend, we wanted to avoid Mobile, AL at all costs. I have sat on the interstate, dead stopped, multiple times due to traffic trying to get through the Mobile Bay tunnel. Since AC just LOVES being in the car so much, I did not want to deal with her being stuck in her seat with a car not going anywhere. So, after talking to a few people, we decided to go to Dauphin Island, AL, and ride the Mobile Bay Ferry across to Ft. Morgan, AL. We arrived at the ferry launch at 3:50pm. There was quite a long line, and told that we would be on the 5:00 ferry (which means arriving in Ft. Morgan (20 min from Gulf Shores) at 5:45. We parked the car and got out to stretch our legs for a while. I will say that the girls both really enjoyed the ferry, but I don't think it saved us all that much time...but who really knows because the traffic in Gulf Shores (once we finally got there) was insane. So, it could have taken much longer had we gone through Mobile. We didn't ride the ferry back, but we also left at 7:00am. It took us a total of 12 hours to get to Gulf Shores and checked into our condo. I was planning on it only taking 10...I was one tired Momma...and a little cranky too.

It's not our 'real' beach, but her toes are in the water! No, she isn't wearing pants. Ella and I went ahead while she finished a nap in the car, and Joey didn't think it was necessary for her to have pants on.

Two peas in a pod

On board the ferry

Once we got the car unpacked, we were all starving...and it was already nearly 8pm. Being that it was Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, you can imagine how PACKED everything was. So we ran and got a few essentials from the store (we saved the big shopping trip for Sunday), and went in search of somewhere that didn't have a 3 hour wait. We hit the JACKPOT! We found what looked like a little dive called Big O's Seafood Grill. The service was lacking (which we assumed it was because of the holiday weekend), but the food, specifically the fried shrimp, was incredible. Probably the best fried shrimp I've ever had. Joey was as equally pleased with his meal. Once dinner was finished, it was 10:30, and we were all cranky and ready for bed. The kids crashed the minute we walked in the condo, and Joey and I were not far behind.

Our condo - Sea Winds....fantastic kid-friendly complex!!

View from our condo

The bigger pool is a zero entry kids pool with fountains and spouts the spray up. It goes to 2 feet. The other pool is a indoor/outdoor swim-through with a hot tub on the side. Usually we spend a lot of time laying out by the pool, but there wasn't really much room for laying out in the pool area. Luckily, the kids liked to be on the beach too, so we spent a lot of time there. However, both loved the pools because they were able to swim and play freely. I was very happy with our condo!!

1st 'taste' of sand!

When we took Ella to the beach when she was 10 months, I took a small blow up pool for this exact purpose...and I'm glad I did it once again! :)

Another helpful 'beach baby' tip: Baby Powder! I read about it in a magazine, and it really works!! If you sprinkle it on 'dry' sand (doesn't work on wet sand, obviously), the sand comes right off!! It was perfect since Anna Claire loved rubbing it all over her face. But it also helped so we could eat sand-free snacks! (And it helped me when I was reading my Nook not to scratch the screen!)

She's a mermaid playing with mermaid's!

Pedialyte break! I was so nervous about dehydration with the girls, so I just fed them pedialyte when we were on the beach. They didn't complain! I also took Pringles (since they are in a can and won't get crushed), cheese/peanut butter crackers, grapes, and granola bars. Once I'm on the beach, I'm not leaving until it's time to go inside for the day - so we come prepared. A rolling ice chest helps! I would freeze their drink bottles with 3/4 pedialyte and then top it off with water before we headed out.

They did this a lot!

We spent the second day (Sunday) ON THE BEACH! We went to breakfast at Sea N Suds, which was litterally next door to our complex. After filling up, we headed to the beach! All of the 'rentable' chairs were full that day, so we set up shop on the sand. I'm glad we brought our own umbrella and blanket! The girls did really well. Both loved the water - espcially Anna Claire! She didn't care too much for the sand, but loved splashing in the waves! Ella loved the sand - which I was so grateful for! Beginning on Monday, we rented the double chairs and umbrella from Perdido Beach Service - worth the money! I think I paid $90 for 5 days. You can leave your toys, pool, etc under your rented chair and not have to worry about it as much. It really helped that we only had to bring down the bag, towels, and ice chest to the beach...and the kids. After 1/2 a day on the beach, we went inside to clean up and head out in search of dinner. We found Doc's Seafood Shack. Another YUMMO dinner! You also get to make your own coctail sause here - excellent! :) After dinner, we finally went to the grocery store and stocked the fridge with snacks for the week!

Sweet sisters

Family 'Beach' Picture Night!! This went better than I thought it did once I downloaded the images. :)

She's thrilled, can you tell?

LOVE this one!!

Pretty girl drawing Momma a pretty rainbow

Getting a hair wrap at Lulu's! This place is a MUST visit!! But be prepared to wait and to eat air-conditioning free...but they have lots of fans that create a good breeze. But the live music is wonderful and the food isn't bad either!

Dancing Queen

Lemon head

Calm night on the beach

She conqured the castle!

She loves drawing hearts!

Oyster House! A Gulf Shores staple for as long as I can remember! Great food!

In case you can't tell, we had fabulous food the entire time we were down there. In the past, Joey and I have had at least one 'nice' dinner without kids at a nice restaurant. I was little bummed about not getting to eat 'good' food before we left, but we managed to find fantastic casual, kid-friendly, restaurants the entire time!! Here are a few more that I haven't already listed:

Franco's Casual Italian in Orange Beach. I had the seafood alfredo and it was incredible!!

A trip to the gulf coast isn't complete without a trip to Lillian's!! We've gone to Lillian's at least once every time I've ever been to the gulf. BEST pizza ever!! We went for lunch on the day we had already planned to 'cook-in' for dinner. It was wonderful! So worth the 25 min drive down to Perdido Key!!!
On Friday, we didn't feel like going out since we had a lot of packing to do, so I went and got take-out from Bahama Bob's. Joey and I both got the burger - WOW! Fantastic burger!! It had pineapple on it and was wonderful - although it's enough for 4 people! :)

Love those chunky little feet! But be sure to bring sand-worthy shoes! (Flip flops are hard to walk in sand and just 'flip' sand everywhere.) But the sand got H O T by the time we went up in the afternoon. I really thought Joey and I had blistered our feet after one specific afternoon. So obviously, we were carrying kids on top of all our stuff. If we had Ella the proper shoes, she could have walked.

We spent every last second on the beach on Friday....such a great week...we were sad to see it end. I'm so glad that we did this with our girls. I have lots of fond memories of yearly beach vacations when I was young, and I want the same thing for my girls. Ella asked every day after we got home if it was time to go back...I think we were all ready to escape reality for a little longer!!!

Although, we were NOT sad to see the car ride end on the way home!!! Anna Claire screeched (a very shrill, loud pitched, horrible sound) every 20 seconds from Dumas to Little Rock (about an hour and a half). I was ready to leave her on the side of the road! OMGoodness! I didn't, of course, but my dad came to get both girls for a few hours as soon as we got home!! :)

Rivercity Gymnastics Spring Olympics 2011

2011-05-22T23:57:00.018-05:00

Yesterday, Ella had her gymnastics 'recital'. Instead of a formal recital, they do a Olympic-style program. Olympic-style basically means that they have multiple 'events' going on at once. Ella had so much fun and did so well! We were very proud - and she was very proud of her trophy!! :)

Ready to do her thing!

She's ready to hit the beam as well!

Awwww - AC is actually trying to kiss her

Start them young...

Their 'dance' was to "Who Let the Dogs Out?"...she's crawling out of the 'dog house'

She was so excited!

Can you tell? :)

We will miss you Miss Laura!!

Mother's Day 2011!

2011-05-18T23:03:00.000-05:00

There were ups and downs to Mother's Day this year...let's start with the UPS!! First and foremost, I am so incredibly blessed to be a MOM to my precious little girls! I love them more than anything...they are truly the lights of my life. We celebrated Mother's Day with a picnic at the park with my parents, grandparents, aunt, uncle, cousins, and her kiddos. It was so much fun!! We used to have family picnic's all the time when I was small, and I don't know why we ever stopped! The kids had a great time and I think the adults did too!

Ella with Gentry pushing her on the swings

Papa!

Anna Claire and KK

Sucking down the Pedialyte! (see below for the story)

Doesn't look sick, does she?

Ridge, John, and Avery enjoying dinner!

Me and my girls!

Ginni, Avery, Ridge, and John playing a little ball

Now for the DOWN side of Mother's Day 2011...On Friday night (before Sunday), Anna Claire threw up in her bed. This is unusual, but she acted completely normal and went back to sleep after cleaning her and her room. When she woke up on Saturday, she was fine. Tolerated food/formula all day without any problems. That night Joey and I had a birthday party to go to, so the girls went to Mom and Dad's. Mom called around 9:30 and said she threw up again. I was beginning to get worried, but she still had no other symptoms and had been fine all day. I was claiming it was probably her teeth (or lack thereof) that were causing an upset tummy since the vomiting was hit and miss (and Ella always had tummy issues when she was cutting teeth). She did fine through the night and the next morning was acting normal and tolerated her bottle. After much discussion and thought, we decided to go to church...about 10 seconds into the sermon, the pager goes off. Guess who got sick? I felt HORRIBLE! I really didn't think it was a virus since there were not any other symptoms, but we headed home for naps and rest. When we got home, I got her cleaned up, changed, and down for a nap. Kyla, Harper, Jameson, and Megan were staying with us for a few days, so they were at the house when we got there (and I gave Kyla a quick run-through of the past 24 hours...still not convinced it was anything more than her teeth). Please note that AC and Harper had not come into contact with each other. AC woke up fine, and after talking to mom and we decided to go ahead with the picnic. Had we been doing something inside, we wouldn't have gone, but I knew I could keep her isolated (in case it WAS a virus) and away from people, and since we were outside, I wasn't as worried about germ transmission (which WORKED, nobody at the picnic caught the virus). We went and had a great time at the picnic. On the way home, I started feeling nauseated. I quickly put Anna Claire to bed and quarantined myself (to limit any contact with Kyla and the others). By 10pm I was running back and forth to the bathroom. I was awaken at 12:30am to Ella crying and she had just thrown up in her bed. Please note that Jameson and Megan were sleeping in her room at the time. UGH. I carried her to the shower, cleaned her up and stripped her bed. Sprayed her room down with Lysol, and put her in bed with me. Nothing that will make you feel better, faster, than your kid puking everywhere!! Ella and I were both completely better by morning. I got up around 8:30 and Kyla had already left with Harper and Megan for ACH. I texted to check on them, and Harper threw up around 4:30am and they went ahead and went to ACH early. She was admitted for observation for 2 days (since she is on a G-button and has a trach). Kyla, Jameson, and Megan all caught the virus (which, thankfully, was VERY fast moving and most of us were better in 12-24 hours from onset of symptoms). By the time it was all over "The Virus from Hell of 2011" (that Kyla and so lovingly named) effected: Anna Claire, Ella, Me, Joey, Mom, Erin (our babysitter on Friday who probably caught it first, but I didn't find out until it was too late for everyone else...she thought she had food poisoning), Kyla, Harper, Jameson, Megan, Billie (Kyla's mom - caught it from Harper in the hospital), Andrew (Kyla's husband - caught it from Jameson after he got home), Gerald (Kyla's Dad - who came to pick up Jameson and Megan and take them home and caught it during the car ride) and Cynthia (Andrew's mom - who caught it from Andrew). But, poor AC probably had the worst of it (minus Harper's hospital stay)...12 days of diarrhea. She was over the vomiting after Sunday morning at church (and who knows who caught it there...which is where I think she caught it initially), but the diarrhea seemed to never end. I did finally take her to the doctor for further testing (all normal), but I think the probiotics that I started her on around day 9 helped the most. It was a very loooong 12 days and a virus that I hope we never see ever again!! I will also not assume it's just 'nothing' even when there are not any symptoms!!

1st Time to Paint!

2011-05-07T22:47:00.002-05:00

An Unexpected Day Off for Daddy!

2011-04-28T22:50:00.006-05:00

Joey happened to be off work most of this week due to the horrible tornado that went near/through Beebe and the flooding that occured days later due to all the rain. So, we made the most of a warm and pretty day and went out to PLAY!

This is at Maumelle Park...The river is coming up about 10 feet higher than it normally does. A few days after this, the park was closed due to flooding.

Honeysuckle!!

9 Months Old - Can you believe it?!?

2011-04-27T17:01:00.009-05:00

I seriously can't believe that my sweet Anna Claire is 9 months old! The time is flying by!!! We went for her checkup today and here are her stats: She is 19.1 pounds (55%), 28 inches tall (66%), and her head is 17 3/4 inches (80%). She got a clean bill of health and of course Dr. Ledbetter said she looked 'perfect'! Yes, he says this to everyone, but I still like it! [To compare EK and AC...At EK's 9 month checkup, she was 18.14 pounds (50%) and 29 inches long (92%).] He did say that he thinks she is a lot more vocal (since she 'talked' very loudly the entire time we were there) than he remembers Ella being. He is correct! Anna Claire definitely likes to make her presence known! :P

I hate to always compare EK and AC, but I do. They are completely different kids! When I look back at their check-up stats, I can't believe that AC is bigger. I really think that she must be more solid because Ella was a little rolly polly and had rolls everywhere, whereas Anna Claire is much more stocky (just like her daddy). They are also developing at completely different rates...Ella was always a month or so behind and Anna Claire is a month or so ahead!

What is Anna Claire up to??

She is everywhere!!! She began crawling on February 24th (almost 7 months), she was pulling up to standing by March 9th, and cruising on March 11th. She stood by herself for a significant amount of time (10+ seconds) on April 7th. She will walk while holding your fingers, but when she attempts to take a step on her own, she falls. I am honestly ready for her to walk. When she's on the ground she eats anything she can get her little paws on. And I do mean anything. She prefers dog food, but she's not really that picky. However, once you put her in a high chair, she rapidly becomes very picky. She loves all fruit, and will eat just about anything if it's mixed with applesauce. However, AC does not really like veggies when they are by themselves. She's eating quite a bit of table food (despite her toothlessness). If she wants it, she finds a way to eat it. I can't really say what her 'favorite' food is, but her favorites include noodles, strawberries, banana, rice, chicken, and yogurt. I am still making a lot of her baby food, but she is also now able to eat a lot from our plates. As I said before, she likes to make her presence known. She's quite vocal and repeats most sounds. She does still say 'Mama' when she's mad, and I really think that's still the only word she knows she is saying. When prompted, she will also say Ella, Bye, Hi, and Dada. She is waving hi and bye, although not always on command...usually right after we walk away. :) Her sleeping patterns change pretty frequently. Currently, she gets up around 7:30 or 8:00, drinks her bottle in her bed and plays until I get out of the shower, then takes a nap around 10:30 for 45 min to an hour. Her afternoon nap is around 2:00 and lasts until 3:30 or 4:00, then she goes to bed around 8:00. Of course, this all changes if we aren't home, but she still sticks to her 8pm to 8am schedule. She has been relatively healthy (especially compared to her sister), although she had her first ear infection on February 28th. We discovered very quickly that she is allergic to Penicillin. Anna Claire LOVES her big sister!!!! Ella can always get her to laugh. I think I say at least once a day, "Ella, will you please go and make your sister happy." Ella complies about 50% of the time :) and has a 100% success rate. They are getting to the point where they play really well together. If AC wakes up from her nap, and I don't immediately go in there, EK will usually go and get in the bed with her (yes, in the crib) and they will play for [sometimes] an hour. Ella loves just piling the toys into the crib and playing...and Anna Claire thinks it is the greatest thing ever!! However, Ella Kate is beginning to need her 'space' without her 'Sissy' slobbering all over her Barbies/Ponies/etc. So I will let Ella play in her room with the door closed so that she can play with all her 'choking hazzard' toys. EK has quickly learned that if I find a 'choking hazzard' toy (Barbie shoes, Squinkies, etc) outside of her room that I will most likely throw it away...so she's getting much better about keeping it in her room. But I really love the way that they love each other...and I can only pray that continues as they get older. Anna Claire is overall an extremely happy baby. She doesn't 'belly laugh' like her sister did, but when she smiles, she smiles with her entire body. You can't help but smile back at her. She was so fussy as an infant, but she's growing into the happiest baby I know! We am so blessed and so lucky that God gave her to us...

And she still looks like her Daddy. :) She's referred to as Josephina Leona on a regular basis. :)

Easter Weekend 2011

2011-04-25T14:01:00.014-05:00

We had a wonderful weekend that began with an egg hunt at Allsop Park.

Anna Claire even got in a little hunting herself!

AC went to the EB without a problem...notice her sister is not in the picture. She is still afraid of large stuffed walking animals.

Going through their loot

The Easter Bunny made a stop at our house!

Family pictures after church

Sweet girls in their matching dresses and bows. :)

They were so sick of pictures by this point.

I had the bows made...you can go HERE to get one too!

Friends and an Egg Hunt

2011-04-15T17:00:00.001-05:00

Not that we need an excuse for a playdate, but MM and Ryne were coming to town for the day, so we all met at Isabel's and played for the day!

This is the first time she's picked up a bat (ever)...pretty good form!

Watching the big kids from above

Picnic!!

Ryne and Ella hunting for eggs!

Max seeing what is inside!

Love that Sophie!

Adelyn showing off her goodie

Proud of her haul!

It was a great morning/afternoon! Joey picked up Ella from Isabel's and took her to Winthrop with him for the weekend. So it's just Anna Claire and I...wonder what kind of trouble we can get into??

Ava's 3rd Birthday

2011-04-14T13:59:00.017-05:00

Today was sweet Ava's 3rd birthday! The girls met Phillip and Ava for a little fun at the zoo!

First up, the penguins! :)

My sweet 3 year old...

So sweet...I wonder if they will be as close as their Daddy's...

Birthday's are not complete without cupcakes!!

Big eye-ed little thing

Look who was out...doesn't he look thrilled to be on exhibit?

He's the only one at the zoo that really gives "The Look".

The baby chimp is so stinkin cute!

Presents!! We had an unforseen cicumstance arise and couldn't make it to her party, so we had our own little party at the zoo! I brough donuts for breakfast, cupcakes with lunch, and presents when we finished! Happy Birthday, Ava!! We love you!!

PENGUINS!!!!

2011-04-08T13:58:00.008-05:00

Yesterday, we met Isabel, Max, and Sophie at the zoo. We had not seen the new penguin exhibit since it opened at the first of March. We were NOT disappointed!! It is a wonderful exhibit and those cute little birds are very interactive. I would have to say that it is better than the exhibit that we saw in Memphis a few weeks ago. It was a great day for the zoo...perfect weather and the animals were much more playful than usual! I think this was also the first time we've ever seen the Grizzly Bears!

They are just playing...promise!

All tuckered out...

Guess What?!?!?!?

2011-04-07T15:38:00.002-05:00

I'm all caught up!!!! (This is where you are impressed...very impressed). :)

My Kind of Camping!

2011-04-04T15:14:00.001-05:00

When a few of our friends mentioned camping in early April, I immediately said, NO! I'm not an overly outdoorsy kind of girl, and the thought of sleeping in a tent with my two kids frightens me...NO THANK YOU! But, they were going to camp anyway (which I thought was NUTS since two of them were pregnant...and not just a little bit pregnant. :) )...so we said that we would come down for the day to play and hang out. I knew Ella would have a good time, and I didn't have to sleep on the ground. Win Win in my book! After much discussion, it was decided that nobody was going to 'camp' and we would go to the 'Hundred Acre Woods' instead. Max's grandparents have a large spread of land in Malvern with all kinds of fun things to do...AND they have a big house with clean bathrooms!! WOO HOO! (I'm not the pregnant one but still won't pass up clean potty's!). My next issue was Anna Claire. She eats everything and by everything, I mean everything. I just knew that I would spend the entire time chasing her and cleaning out her mouth...so I asked if Mimi wanted to spend the day with one of her favorite great-grandchildren! She didn't turn down the opportunity and I was relieved to not have to keep up with her for the day.

We finally arrived at the 'campsite' around 1:15. Joey and I were not speaking due to the GPS sending us the wrong direction, but Ella was ready for lunch and to fish. We spent the day fishing, playing in the creek and catching ducks, eating (and eating), making smores, and relaxing with all our friends. It was a great day and I will definitely 'camp' there anytime they want us!!

Time to fish!!

Mad that she got dirty...if she only knew then...

Max is ready to go!

Jennifer and Will

Tired of waiting on Daddy to get her pole ready

Doin her thing

Dakota and Ryne

Will and Hudson discussing the proper strategy to catch the most fish!

Ready to catch some ducks!

Her Daddy thought it would be a good idea to let her go in after the ducks rather than use a net

Still pretty dry...

Not so dry...

Now completely wet! It was cold too!! Good thing we brought a change of clothes!

Relaxing with a cold treat!

Hot Dog time

The big fire was too hot to cook on, so the dads had to make a small one to cook the hot dogs

Chow time!

She loves dandelions!

Smores!!

YUMMO!

Sweet treat to end a great day!

These are the crazy girls who originally wanted to sleep on the ground...28 weeks, 32 weeks, and 35 weeks...our group is growing!! :)

Spring Break 2011!!!

2011-03-28T17:49:00.000-05:00

Since Joey works at a state college, he gets to 'celebrate' spring break! We wanted to take the girls somewhere for a few days, but wanted to keep it cheap since we are going to the beach in a few months. We looked at a bunch of different options, but ultimately decided on Memphis. We had 2 free nights in Tunica, at a hotel that is detatched from the casino (so you don't have to take your kids into a nasty casino), so we stayed there (since it's only 20 minutes from Memphis). We had a great time and survived all staying in one room together...a first for us. This is actually the first "vacation" that we've taken on our own since our honeymoon nearly 9 years ago...and the first with kids. (By on our own, I mean we weren't meeting anyone else, and weren't staying with anyone else). It was a good prep for the beach...a whole week with only the 4 of us...yes, I'm a little nervous, but at least we have a big condo and not staying together in one room!

We left Sunday after church and arrived in time to SHOP! I had coupons for the outlet mall that were expiring that day, so I was in a hurry! I had done quite a bit of shopping when Joey and I went back in January, but I can alway do more! :) After we [literall] closed down the mall, we checked into our hotel. They provided a roll-away crib for AC, and EK had her own bed. I have to say that bedtime went a lot better than I expected. I gave Ella a bath while AC fell asleep, and EK managed to stay decently quiet once her bath was done so that she didn't wake her sister up.

The next morning, we woke up and headed to the Memphis Zoo!! I was really excited about it...we enjoy the LR zoo, but it is really lacking when you comapre it to a 'big' city zoo. They girls had a great time! We were there for 5 hours and we didn't even see it all! I'd love to take them back sometime...maybe this summer...(warning...here are a LOT of pictures...and it's not even all of them!)

Ready to go!!

Red Koala

White Tiger

Komodo Dragon

Hippos!! (I knew they were big, but didn't realize they were this big.)

Sea Lion Show

Memphis is one of 4 zoo's in the country that has Panda bears

Trying to catch a quick nap

This little monkey (I don't remember the exact name), was very drawn to Ella as soon as he saw her. He watched her intently, and when she bent down next to the window, he ran over and put his hand on hers. It was so sweet! Of course, then the other kids (thus the not so stellar picture) came running and scared him away...but it was still really neat to see.

Very tired and ready to go!

Silly face!

Can't leave without getting a few goodies!!

On Wednesday, we had a playdate with a few friends!! Here is Max, Adelyn, and Ella having a snack.

Silly kid!

On Thursday night, Renae, Tyler, Kyla, and Olga came to town for a visit. Kyla's 9th birthday is on the 1st, so we celebrated a little early. She requested these colors...the cake itself was green and blue (her favorite colors).

An update family picture!!

We spent Sunday catching up on 3 weeks worth of laundry since our new washer and dryer were delivered on Friday (it took 12 loads to catch up!) and relaxing. Joey went back to work on Monday and is looking forward to his month off in June!! I really enjoyed him being home (and having a little help for a change!), and I'm also ready for our next vacation in a few months!!

Lip Smackin' Good!!!

2011-03-25T15:48:00.002-05:00

Wye Mountain 2011

2011-03-18T17:20:00.008-05:00

I LOVE love LOVE Wye Mountain! When you turn the final corner and get the first glimpse of the Dafodil field, it takes my breath away every time. This was my 3rd year to go and take pictures and I hope this is a tradition that I can continue every year. Kyla and Harper went with us, which helped me a BUNCH! It's so much easier to take the girls pictures when I have a helper!!

Jump Zone Fun!!

2011-03-04T17:17:00.002-06:00

First Dentist Appointment!!

2011-02-23T17:02:00.000-06:00

Ella had her first dentist appointment today!! I was a nervous wreck! I do NOT enjoy going to the dentist, so I was nervous for her. In the weeks leading up to her appointment, we talked all about the 'teeth doctor' and what would happen while we were there. She was so excited! I took her to Kitchens Pediatric Dentistry in Little Rock. When we met with Dr. Kitchens before they even looked in her mouth, he said that 3 was a tough age and not to expect a full exam and cleaning, but they would do as much as she would let them. Well my kid loves the doctor and she let them do anything they wanted. She sat up big and tall for the x-rays, opened up wide for her full cleaning, and smiled pretty for the complete exam. When she was done, she got a new Dora toothbrush and picked a prize out of the treasure chest...oh and got a free trip to Chick-fil-A! I'm glad the first visit is out of the way and hoping that the next one won't cause me too much anxiety!

Pretty Girls

2011-02-22T17:10:00.002-06:00