Just the Five of Us

Peace...Love....Happiness

2010-07-09T09:17:00.004-05:00

Red...White...Blue

Liberty Belles

I love the 4th of July. It is one of my most favorite holidays. I am thankful for people, like my grandfather, who dedicated their lives to fighting for our freedom, and I love getting to take a day to celebrate them. I love getting the girls dressed up in their red, white and blue...watching the parade, taking pictures, swimming, going to the carnival, watching the fireworks...it is just a fantastic day! :)

The whole gang BEFORE the parade
Kelsi, Annalise, Kami Aidan, Mia-Kate, Ella, Harrison, and Kylie

After snapping a few pictures, we walked down and got everyone situated to watch the parade. We put blankets down on the ground and set up chairs. The kids were so excited. We were all excited because it was nice outside...not hot at all, and we were thankful that we weren't all dying of heat...

THEN, the bottom of the sky dropped out, about 30 minutes into the parade...OH MY WORD. There was not a dry place on anyone. Buckets, and buckets of rain...and all of us, with the kids, at the parade, with chairs, blankets, strollers...needless to say, by the time we walked back to the house, we had to strip all the kids and put all their clothes in the dryer. So thankful we got pictures BEFORE they all looked like drowned rats!

The pouring rain!

We went back home and ate lunch, swam (after the rain stopped) and had a great day. We played and played until around 7 when we changed clothes, and went back over to get ready for the fireworks.

Fireworks sisters

We walked back over to the park (this time, without getting drenched!) and watched the fireworks. The girls loved it. This was the first year Ella really paid attention. She loved watching and kept pointing and saying "light". Such a great day!

Sea World...DAY 3!

2010-07-04T21:30:00.003-05:00

We went back to Sea World on Friday...this time, we decided to be smart and spend most of the day at the water park! Much cooler! The kids had a BLAST! There were several different pools that the smaller kids could play in with things to climb on, slides, and squirt toys. There were also bigger slides and rides that the older kids could do too! It was super fun!

Annalise and Miss Lori...BEFORE the Sea World trip...notice how clean and put together they look!

Mia going down one of the slides

Ella LOVED the water...she was sad to leave

Annalise going down one of the slides

All in all we had a GREAT time on vacation. The kids loved Sea World and liked getting to see the riverwalk. :) We'll see what's in store for next year's adventure!

San Antonio....DAY 2!

2010-07-04T21:00:00.004-05:00

On Thursday in San Antonio we decided to take a break from Sea World and spend some time downtown! We took the kids to eat at Fuddruckers and the toured the Alamo...complete with a guided history lesson tour from Ryan.

Family photo Downtown :)

Group pic in the gardens outside the Alamo

All the kiddos...Annalise, Mia-Kate, Ella, Harrison, and Aidan

Kari, me and Lori :)

Mommy and Mia-Kate looking at the huge fish!

After we were done at the Alamo, we took the kids to shop around the Riverwalk and the Riverwalk mall...we ended the day with a ride on the Riverboats. The kids thought it was neat so ride the boat and see all the buildings and ducks.

Sweet sisters...Ella was a trouper missing her naps and still going!

Fading fast...

Our sweet friend, Lori came with us to San Antonio to offer another set of hands, and to stay with the kiddos so we could go on date nights! We had a fun double date with Mike and Kari on the river Thursday night. We ate Mexican food at Rio Rio and then walked around for a while...and completed the evening with dessert at The Hardrock Cafe. It was great to be able to go out and have "grown up time" without needing to worry about naps and sippy cups! Thanks Lori!

San Antonio

2010-06-28T20:08:00.005-05:00

Wow...so I haven't posted since November, so I guess it is about time!

I can't believe it is almost July. This has been a crazy month. The "bigs" went to Texas at the beginning of June to spend some time with the grandparents...Ryan and I joined them the weekend of the 12-13th for my brothers wedding. We drove back late Sunday night the 13th and then had another wedding in Texas Saturday the 19th. Then...we thought, since we had such a relaxing summer so far, that we would leave for vacation on the 22nd! We had such a great time. After many talks and weighing options and finances, we decided to take the kids to San Antonio this year. We decided it would be fun to take the kids to Sea World. So...before picture....

I did not take an after picture for many reasons...

#1-The ground temperature in Sea World is 147 degrees...in the shade.

#2-We have decided that the engineers at Sea World are ingenious...they pave the streets with
blacktop...so you don't mind paying $400 for a bottle of Aquafina.

#3-I think my camera melted in my bag

#4-If I tried to take another picture at this point, my entire family would have trampled me on
on the steaming blacktop streets of Sea World.

The shows were awesome. We saw all that we could....mostly because there was shade there! The only one we couldn't see was the Beluga whale and dolphin show...we were very bummed, but found out the 2nd day that we were there why we couldn't...there was a little baby beluga whale born the first day we were there. We got to see him. He was so cute! :) There were 2 different Shamu shows. They were great. At one point, there were 5 killer whales in the pool at the same time. It was super cool, but I'm not gonna lie...I had nightmares that night about one of my kids falling into that pool. Geez.

So, we went to sit down at the first Shamu show after our body temperature was somewhere around 115 degrees. We intentionally sat in the splash zone, because at this point, you would kiss the whale on the mouth if he would splash you just a little. Now setting up this story, you must know...that the frog is in a little bit of a dress stage right now. She can't wear pants (because apparently princesses don't wear pants), so yes, at Sea World, she wore a dress...and her new hot pink jellies complete with jewels on them. Watching the show...PRAYING for some sort of splash...when here it goes, we got soaked. See picture below...
(from 5 people away...VERY hacked) "MOM! THAT KILLER WHALE JUST GOT MY FANCY SHOES ALL WET!" IT was awesome! I think everyone in a 4 row radius of where we were standing was rolling. She soon got over it, and knew that whenever we went to see a show, it was very likely that her "fancy" shoes were going to get wet.

Overall, Ella did great...we didn't ever stop for nap time...obviously, since we were in Amusement parks and downtown...poor thing, she just decided to sleep when she could! She was a trouper!

More pictures to come....

Thankful

2009-11-29T18:29:00.003-06:00

Thanksgiving this year was pretty uneventful. We went to Texas to visit my parents for a few days. We had normal "thanksgiving stuff" and played games. My grandmother was there, and my brother and Holly. We sat around and just enjoyed being together. My brother, at one point, being flippant said "we need to go around the table and say what we are thankful for...mom, you start". It was pretty funny, although my mom did her best to act offended...so I decided to think about what I am thankful for this year.

I am thankful that I live in a free country. That there are men and women who have fought and given their lives for my freedom. I am thankful that because of that freedom I am able to worship Jesus openly and not be afraid of consequences.
I am thankful for a caring husband who loves me and my girls and works hard to provide for our family.
I am thankful for three beautiful girls that God blessed me with. I love watching them every day. I love to see their eyes when they learn something new or discover something for the very first time. I love that they laugh at everything, and that they don't yet know the meaning of the word "stress". I love how their faces light up at Christmas trees and lights.
I am thankful for great friends and family both here, in Texas, and in other countries. I am thankful that God blessed my life with wonderful people to spend it with.
I am thankful for a healthy family.
I am thankful for transportation that allows my family to drive to see their grandparents and their aunt and uncle.
I am thankful for "family" in Oklahoma that loves my girls like aunts and uncles and grandparents.

So...even though it started out funny..I guess I have a lot to be thankful for this year!

Happy 8th Birthday!

2009-11-17T16:25:00.003-06:00

My baby turned 8 yesterday! It is hard to believe that she is growing up so fast. This year she decided she wanted to have a swimming party, so we reserved the YMCA and everyone grabbed their suits and had a great time. We opened presents, had cake and ice cream, and swam and swam! :)

Make a wish....

Annalise and Marlee

Kacey, Piper, Chanee, and Annalise

Bestest Buddies, Kylie, Aidan and Annalise

Annalise and Samantha

Happy Birthday, baby! Mommy and Daddy are so proud of the sweet girl you are growing up to be. You have such a big heart and you are friends with everyone. We hope that year #8 is great!

Walkie Miss Walkerson

2009-09-24T12:47:00.002-05:00

SO...with much encouragement from her big sister...

SHE'S OFF!

The Monkey in the Tree

2009-09-02T22:12:00.001-05:00

Today was Mia's first day of school! She was so excited. She came in my room all morning and said "MOM! Are you ready yet?? I am going to be late for school!" To understand why this made me and Ryan so happy...you would have to know that last year was NOT a good year for her. She hated school. It was a fight every Wednesday and Friday. I felt guilty making her go, and eventually pulled her out to only one day a week.

I think, in part, her year last year got off to a rough start. I was still in the hospital recovering from my delivery with Ella when she started school, so I didn't get to take her. I didn't get to take or pick her up for at least the first month she was there. Then there was the adjustment to her new sister. There was also, I think, a problem with her relating to her teachers.

We started talking about school about a month ago...I told her, "you get to be in a big girl class with new teachers..." We have been praying for several weeks that this year would be different for her. We went last week to Meet the Teacher day and, boy, were we ever surprised. Her teacher was wonderful from the minute we walked into the door. She got down on her level, talked to her until she was comfortable, showed her around the room and Mia immediately bonded with her. So much so, that she was mad when it was time to go!

Mia was so excited about her "big backpack" that she picked out herself...it was bigger than her!

Such a big girl walking into school all by herself!

Smiling after she put her stuff up in her basket with her name on it!

She was very excited about the train table! She loved putting together the tracks and attaching the trains together!

Just before I left...one of the little boys said, "why is your mom going bye bye?" Mia looked at him and said..."because, this is MY big girl class...not hers. She has to go take care of my sister."

When I picked her up, she was all smiles. "My monkey stayed on the tree all day long!" was the first thing she told me. This is for behavior...if they make good decisions, their monkey stays in the tree. If they don't, he falls out of the tree! Overall a great day for her! She can't wait until Friday!

2nd Grader

2009-08-20T12:39:00.002-05:00

It is so hard for me to believe that this little girl is in 2nd grade! Doesn't it seem like just yesterday when we were bringing her home from the hospital...or trying to get her to say "mama" when she was 22 months old and said EVERYTHING else, but refused to say that.

Annalise was so excited about today. We went to the mall because she really "needed" to wear a dress on the first day of school. She picked it out all by herself and it is really cute.

We walked into her class and she was so big sitting at her desk, getting everything out of her bag and ready to go without any help.

We were so blessed to get Mrs. McCoullock this year. Annalise talked about her all summer and was convinced that she would be her teacher. She was super excited when I swam out into the middle of the ocean where she was to tell her that she, in fact, did get Mrs. McCoullock!

Buddy Aidan was starting all day Kindergarten today!

Best buddies...Annalise 2nd Grade....AIdan Kindergarten...Kylie-loo 1st Grade

I can't wait until 3:00 so I can hear all about her day. It has been crazy around here without her today to help me!

Red, White, and Blue

2009-07-06T13:15:00.006-05:00

All the kids...Kelsi, Ella, Kami, Harrison, Annalise, Aidan, Mia, and Kylie

Sweet sisters

"Uncle" Ella

I love 4th of July! It is one of my very favorite holidays. I love to get the girls all dressed up in their red, white and blue and go to see the parade, swim, cookout, go to the carnival and watch the fireworks. This year Annalise and Ryan were in the parade, so Mia, Ella and I went to watch the parade from the sides. Mia loved it. She sat in her chair with her flag waving and caught as much candy as she could. Ella was busy watching the whole time and did really well until the police and fire departments were in front of us with their sirens...then she was very screamy!

We came back to our house and all the kiddos swam and we had a cookout. They all had fun eating snacks and swimming the day away. Around 6 we headed back over to the carnival when the bottom fell out of the sky. It poured...rained and rained...the sky was black and everyone was wet and VERY hyper. (We might have rethought the snacks if we had known we wouldn't be letting them run it off at the carnival!) The fireworks were canceled, so everyone actually got in bed at a decent hour. We were sad about the fireworks, but everyone was tired after a long day of parades and swimming!

Sweet Annalise

Mia-Kate watching the parade

Sweet baby Ella

The girls...Kylie, Mia, Aidan, and Annalise

Beautiful Baby!

2009-06-15T08:38:00.002-05:00

My big girls have been in Texas with my mom for the past week, so I decided to take Ella downtown for 10 month pictures. We didn't take 6 month pics because it was February and very cold outside, and at 9 months it was the end of school and craziness...so we decided to do 10 month pictures instead! I took her to the Myriad Gardens, which are beautiful by the way! It was 1000 degrees yesterday, so I took the pink tutu and just left her naked. I think they turned out very cute! I took a couple of other outfits too, but these are my favorite! :) Gotta love a chunky naked baby in a pink tutu!

Ella showing off her standing skills

such a cute girl!

Sweet face

My favorite, even though she is not smiling...her eyes are amazing!

The Flower Fairy

2009-06-08T12:56:00.003-05:00

This weekend was Annalise's very first ballet recital. She started taking ballet last summer as a trial to see if she would like it or not. She had begged for a couple of years to take ballet, and so Ryan and I decided a trial summer would be a good idea to see if she really liked it before we committed to pay for an entire year of ballet. She loved the summer session and did awesome for never taking dance before then, and her teacher bumped her up a class for the 2008-2009 year. She was the youngest in her class by at least 6-8 months, but it didn't bother her to be the youngest, or to not know anyone, she quickly made friends and loved her class.

She worked really hard for her ballet recital that was June 7th. The dance school did a production of Peter Pan and Tink. It was really great and nice that it was a show instead of 100 random classes getting up and doing random dances. She had a lot of fans...Mommy, Daddy, Memaw, Mamaw, Uncle Ryan, Holly, Grandaddy and Grandmommy all came to watch her big night.

She was a flower fairy in Pixie Hollow (where Tinkerbell lives). She was so cute! She thought she was big stuff because she got to wear makeup...

Here she is with her best buddy Aidan (the squirrel!) Soooo cute!

Annalise and her buddy Julia. Julia goes to school with Annalise but she is a grade above her. She really loved getting to know Julia this year.

Annalise and Uncle Ryan.

She had such a great year. She was also nominated by her teacher as the Victory School of the Arts Student of the Year. She made it to the semi-finals. We couldn't have been more proud of her! Here is a little bit of her dance...She is on the very end

Summer 2009 - Day 1

2009-05-23T11:17:00.004-05:00

I LOVE summer! Yesterday was the last day of school, so last night, Annalise and her bestest buds, Kylie and Aidan had a slumber party. They had a pizza picnic outside, played and played outside until dark, and then came in to take a bath and watch The Tale of Despereaux with a huge bucket of movie popcorn. As Annalise said, they got to stay up soooo LATE! (All the way until 9:30).

The best thing about the start of summer is that Ryan and Uncle Mike work in the yard and get the pool ready. The girls get so excited. So, while they played outside last night, the pool assembly started. The guys got it put up, filled up, and shocked it so it would be all ready for this morning.

The girls slept in (all the way until 7:30), got up and ate donuts and milk, watched Hotel For Dogs while I braided their hair and were chomping at the bit to go outside and welcome the pool into the summer of 2009. So, here they are...the first pictures of summer...now off to get some Popsicles for the beach babes outside!

cute girls in the sun

The girls "getting some sun"

Annalise with the pool noodles

Mia's first year in the big pool!

Mia and Aidan

The whole gang, Kylie, Annalise, Aidan, and Mia

Appreciating Teachers...

2009-05-14T07:49:00.005-05:00

I agonize over Teacher Appreciation Week every year (or at least the last three years that I have had a child in school). I have issues with buying ready-made gifts...not that there is anything wrong with them, just because I want to make my own. I am one of two homeroom mom's in Annalise's class this year. The good thing about her school is that every year, there have always been more than one homeroom mom, which helps since we organize lots of parties, and it helps cut down the expense.

So, this year for Teacher Appreciation Week, I pretty much took it over. The other mom had done lots of other stuff throughout the year, especially during the first semester since I was so sick after having Ella. So, I made teacher appreciation week my project...what was I thinking? Seriously, it is not hard for me to find one or two creative things to do...but five days worth?? Mind you, we didn't have to do 5 days worth, but how do you not do every day when it is called Teacher Appreciation WEEK!? So, here is what we did...just in case you need any ideas...

I made all the tags for each day similar...I kindof did "The Five Days of Teacher Appreciation Week" (kindof like the 12 Days of Christmas)-which was an idea I found online...

Day 1:
Have you seen those edible arrangements? I think they are so cool...but SO expensive! Seriously, it is like $80 for a bouquet of fruit!, so I made my own. Granted, it doesn't look like theirs, but it was about 20% of their cost....It was really easy. I just got a cute flowerpot and styrofoam from Hobby Lobby (on sale-of course) and some bamboo skewers and fruit from Walmart. I cut the pineapple into slices and then used a cookie cutter, used a melon baller for the cantelope and then cut the ball in half and stuck it to the pineapple with a skewer. As for the strawberries, I just pulled (NOT CUT!) the green stem off and skewered them upside down. How easy is that?! And sooo cute!

Day 2:
I sent out a note home and collected money for her teacher throughout the weeks before Teacher appreciation week. Then Holly (the other mom) and I got different giftcards that we knew she liked. (I got this idea from someone at church) I got a pizza box and some pizza scrapbook paper that was laminated and put in the box to look like a pizza. Then, I attached the giftcards to the top of the pizza...cute way to give giftcards!

Day 3:
Who doesn't love a movie night? I went to Blockbuster and got a popcorn tub and $5 gift card. Then I went and got her favorite candy and a coke. Everything you need for a movie night at home!

Day 4:
This was my favorite day. I did this for Annalise's teacher when she was in Pre-K and she really liked it. I generally don't like doing things more than once, but I loved this idea, so I reused it! I took pictures of the kiddos and printed them on shrink plastic. I cut out the pictures and punched a hole in the top of them before baking them in the oven. Then I attached jump rings and made a charm bracelet of her 1st grade class. She loved it!

Day 5:
We made a "Why We Love Mrs. Zeaman" book. I took cardstock up to the school a couple of weeks in advance and took the kids a couple at a time out in the hallway. On one page it had a picture of them with their name. They wrote (in their little first grade handwriting and spelling!) the reason the loved Mrs. Zeaman. They also drew pictures and decorated it. It turned out so cute...then I took it up to Kinko's and had it bound. (it only costs about $5). I loved it and so did she...something she can keep forever of this years class!

So, that was it...Teacher Appreciation Week 2008-2009 is done! Now I better get crackin' on next year! Did I mention I don't like to do the same things twice?!

Little Girl on the Go

2009-04-21T15:35:00.004-05:00

My baby is 8 months old. The time has gone so fast. It seems like it has been no time at all since August. It is funny how different she is from her sisters. She is doing everything in her own time. Mia was much faster in everything that she did...trying to keep up with Annalise. Ella doesn't seem to care what anyone else is doing, she does it when she wants to.

She is doing lots of things on her own now. She sits up by herself, feeds herself snacks, and now...she has started crawling. It makes me a little sad...maybe it is because she is my last and I want things to slow down...I want time to enjoy every moment of her being little...

It started out that she would roll around all over the living room to get where she needed to go. We would laugh and say that she didn't need to learn to crawl or walk, because she was the fastest roller any of us had ever seen and she got exactly where she wanted to go! Then we went through a time of crawling backwards everywhere. That was pretty funny too. My other girls did that as well. Annalise just scooted backwards and played with whatever was where she ended up. Mia would get incredibly angry because she couldn't make herself go the way she wanted to go. Ella was funny about it. She would look behind her and see where things were before she started scooting, like she knew she was going to go backwards so she needed to aim for whatever toy she wanted.

The scooting days are over...she gets where she wants to go now. She is not incredibly speedy yet, but she doesn't seem to mind. She gets where she needs to be! She doesn't crawl on both knees, she has her right knee on the ground and her left foot on the ground...it is strange...but that is Ella! She kindof looks like a crab... :)

CLICK PLAY

Poor Jacob...

2009-04-19T17:01:00.006-05:00

So, it has been nice outside the last couple of days, so it has given us quality outside time! Yesterday, as the kids played outside, I noticed Mia clutching her chest tightly, she was not crying or looking upset, so I just watched her from inside for a while. Every once in a while she would talk to herself and clutch her chest again so I went outside to see what the story was.

"I am hugging Jacob." Mia said.

That is nice, I thought. Mia has a little imaginary friend named Jacob, apparently, and she is hugging the life out of him. That is when I saw it...a little webbed foot flailing anxiously beneath her death grip.

"What exactly is Jacob?" I asked.

"He is my best frog!" Said Mia.

Mia was so very proud of her frog. She carried him around proudly all afternoon, only putting him down so she could catch him again. She called daddy outside so he could see Jacob, and Ryan even picked him up-against his better judgment.

Occasionally, Mia would graciously let her sister hold Jacob, but under her very watchful eye, and not very long, just long enough for Annalise and Jacob to pose for a picture.

Poor Jacob, he was dropped a few times on the ground, but he seemed to recover, and she would pick him up gently and apologize...and....yes.....

...she gave him a big 'ole kiss to make it better!

Click the play button...

Happy Easter

2009-04-15T20:24:00.004-05:00

Okay...so a little late on blogging...but here is our Easter. It was a busy weekend. We started on Saturday at the big Easter Eggstravaganza. We went out to Welch Park in Yukon and had a blast with an egg hunt, inflatables, games, hot dogs, etc...the girls had a blast. We stayed there all morning until early afternoon and came home for just enough time to shower and get the girls in their Easter duds...

We went to the park and took pictures in their Easter dresses, because, of course, we were going to have a cold front Saturday night with storms and it would be too wet and cold to take pictures on Easter morning, so we had kindof a dress rehearsal...

On Sunday morning it was rainy and cold. It didn't matter to us...Satan couldn't rain on our parade! We got up and got dressed and ready for our Easter morning. We had a great crowd at church. Annalise and some of the other kiddos sang a song at the beginning of service (Thanks to Shari Z. for working on that with them! It was awesome!). We had several visitors and hopefully those who were there left with what the true meaning of Easter really is.

We came home, ate lunch, dyed Easter eggs, had an egg hunt (indoors of course!). All in all it was a pretty great day!

Happy Easter! He is risen!

March Snowstorm

2009-03-30T10:35:00.007-05:00

The crazieness of the weather is about to drive me over the edge! Last week I was so proud of myself. I cleared the girls closet off all winter clothes, and vacuum sealed everything and put them in storage in the garage. I felt so productive and was glad there was NO winter stuff left in the closets since the temperatures had been steadily in the 60s for a while.

Well, since we had a crazy cold front come through Friday night, I got to go out into my garage in my neatly organized winter boxes, un-seal them, dig down to the bottom of the bags, and dig out some winter clothes...so much for my productiveness!! I have to admit, I was a little skeptical of whether or not it would actually get cold...but we woke up on Saturday morning with snow on the ground. The kids were really excited. We started out the week with 60 degree temperatures and woke up Saturday morning with a "blizzard". The snowflakes were HUGE. It was snowing so hard, but the ground was so warm that a lot of the snow didn't stick. Some of it did and the kiddos got geared up in their snow clothes and went out to play in it.

It was really the first time that Mia got to play out in the snow. She had a blast. She was picking up snow and trying to chase her daddy and sister around the yard to pelt them with the snowballs. They made snow angels and stuck their tongues out to catch the snow.

The girls had a great time playing with their daddy in the snow...which, by the way, lasted only until the next morning because the temperature yesterday was near 70! Gotta love the crazy weather! Maybe this week I will re-vacuum seal the winter clothes!

Spring Break Finale

2009-03-23T00:09:00.005-05:00

On Saturday morning we loaded the kiddos up in the van and headed to Jenks to the Aquarium. We met a few friends there and made a day of it. The girls had a great time. Mia loves fish. She could look at them all day. She got especially excited about seeing "nemo" and "mr. Ray" because she watched Finding Nemo in the car on our drive up. Several of our friends went, including Ron and Kelli and Mia's best buddy "Khy" They had a great time running from tank to tank and seeing all the different fish. Ryan even took a picture of a "Prawn" because that is what Uncle Ryan calls Mia. It was pretty funny because it was HUGE so it was probably the size of Mia! She also loved the Sting Rays. At the Aquarium they have a petting tank so it is open and Mia liked kneeling on the bench and looking down at the Rays. They would come up to the the side out of the water and splash the kids. They thought it was hilarious!

Aidan was there too! Annalise was excited to go with her buddy. She spent the afternoon reading all the information she could about all the fish. She liked the big sharks when we went into the shark tunnel. She had a great time telling the younger kids what she read about the different fish. She also liked the touch tanks where she got to touch a Sea Star. She had a fantastic time looking at all of the different fish, and the beavers and sea otters too!
Ella was a champ as usual. She hung out on daddy's back in the backpack. She looked around at all of the fish and bright colors. She was a trooper and never was unhappy. We had a great day looking at all the neat exhibits and going to dinner with friends. We are almost sad to go back to school next week. I love it when all my girls are home. I can't wait for summer, when we can all be together all day!

H1, H2 and H3

2009-03-22T23:44:00.007-05:00

On Monday while we were in Texas we went to Aunt Jac's house to have a fun day with the boys. The girls had a blast. Annalise gets so excited when she gets to hang out with Harrison. She was chomping at the bit to get to his house. Jaclyn is right...the kids always just pick right back up from where they left off. They played all morning, inside and out. Mia is caught between Hudson and Hunter, and since Ella isn't running around playing with them yet, it works out perfectly! They ran their legs off, played games, ate yummy fish sticks and Cheetos and just had a great time. They were pretty sad to leave, especially Mia who cried for most of the way back. She wanted to see her "buddy Hunter". I love that they have each other. I love that even though they don't get to see each other all the time, they cherish the time they do have. We had a great day just being together and hanging out. Thanks for letting us crash your Monday, Jac!

Spring Break with Memaw and Poppa

2009-03-22T23:28:00.009-05:00

We left on Friday of spring break to go spend a few days in Texas with the grandparents. We went to Grapevine Mills Mall where the girls conned Poppa into riding on the carousel. We shopped and had a great time. Annalise got some Judy Moody books, which she is already done with--big shocker! Mia's big purchase was her pet hedgehog...yes, the got webkins and Annalise picked a dog, and Mia said, "I need this hedgehog". It fits her...it is pretty funny!
On Sunday Morning, Uncle Ryan and Holly came to visit. We played games and had "taco day". Uncle Ryan and Annalise played the Wii and did some nails and hair! Poor guy! The girls think he is the best ever (even though he thinks they prefer Holly!) We had a great time hanging out with Memaw and Poppa. The girls played games, went shopping, played with uncle Ryan and "Mammaw on the white hair". They had a great time. Mom had lots of fun with the girls. Ella started giving kisses with her wide open mouth! She had fun hangin' with memaw and Poppa too! She just went with the flow and had fun playing with Mammaw. She slept like a champ and didn't give me any trouble! We had a great week and the girls were sad to leave. The blow was a little softened because Memaw and Poppa got them the High School Musical 3 DVD to watch in the car on the way home!

Valentines, an Iguana, and Cuppies & Joe

2009-02-22T18:40:00.015-06:00

So, I am finally getting to post about Valentines Day...a week later. Ryan always makes a big deal about Valentines day. He has always brought me flowers (and in the past few years has finally learning that I do not prefer roses), and now he bring flowers for the girls too. On Valentines morning, which was also the morning of Mia's birthday party, Ryan got up early and left the house for a "secret mission". When he returned home, he had a beautiful bunch of spring flowers for me, a rose for each of the big girls, and a little stuffed Valentine puppy for Ella.

I could not ask for a better daddy or husband than Ryan. He is so thoughtful, and always makes a big deal about birthdays, anniverseries, and special holidays. He has commited to treat the girls special on special days so that they don't settle for anything less when they look for the man God has for them.

...back to Valentines Day...Ryan walks in with the flowers...now that Annalise is 7, and knows that it is Valentines day, she knows that daddy will be home with flowers for her. She was so excited, hugged her daddy and took her flower and proudly displayed it on her dresser. Mia was funny, she took her flower and walked around with it, ate breakfast with it, and carried it around until her party started. Ella chews on her little Valentine puppy, but I know she loves it too! I love that their daddy treats them like princesses and makes the day special for them too.

So...on Thursday Ryan arranged for us to go on a Valentine date. He got one of our good friends to come keep the girls so I wouldn't worry about them. He made a big deal about going someplace we hadn't gone before and a place that was not "kid filled". So, he printed out three different menus and had me look them over and pick the one I wanted to go to. We ended up at the Iguana Mexican Grill. I know it is a shocker that I picked the Mexican Place! It was really good. It was a small little hole-in-the-wall place. We had chips and two different kinds of salsa..and some yummy queso (of course!). We ate dinner...and I have to admit, not going to a large "chain" restaurant was actually relaxing! There was no one to feed, no drinks being spilled, and no one crying or throwing a fit. It was very peaceful!

After we finished dinner, we went to another little place for dessert and coffee. We drove around for a while and ended up at Cuppies and Joe. I had never been here. I am not a coffee drinker, so I don't visit coffee shops often. It was a fun little place that reminded me of the little coffee hang out we used to go to at OBU.

It was an old little house that they had redone. It had lots of different couches and chairs and some tables with chairs too. It was a fun little retro place that I loved. They have lots of different cupcakes and coffeshop drinks. We got cupcakes... Ryan got coconut and I got red velvet . We got drinks...Ryan got some sort of Espresso thing and I got frozen hot chocolate...OH MY WORD! I have never in my life had frozen hot chocolate...I am not sure if I had ever even heard of it. It is the consistancy of a chocolate shake, but it is not ice cream. It is very chocolatey and icy...It was yum...I think I will be trying to find that place often! Ryan took a drink of it and didn't like it...he said it was like drinking chocolate cake. What is wrong with drinking chocolate cake??? YUM! It was great...I had to take a picture of it, but it doesn't do it justice...It is what will be served in heaven.

Overall it was a great night. I have the best husband in the world who treats me and the girls like we are everything to him. He put so much thought into our night together and it was wonderful! :) Happy (late) Valentines Day!

Partying---Skinny Frog Style

2009-02-14T22:22:00.014-06:00

Mia has asked me every day for the past three months "is my birthday party today?" It is very hard when your big sisters birthday is in November to wait all the way until February for it to be your turn to open presents! Finally, the day arrived, and the first guest didn't arrive too soon!

We are VERY into Dora these days. We have the PJs, we watch the show, and when we are in a big hurry, we say "mommy, vamanos!" So, naturally, we had a big Dora party. I ordered supplies last month, made invitations, and geared up for the big Dora event. I couldn't find a Dora cake that I liked, so I fashioned 24 of these Dora cupcakes for my little birthday girl...which, by the way, I think gave me carpal tunnel! We also made muffins and dipped pretzel sticks because you can never have enough items with sprinkles and icing at a party!

She was so excited this morning. We woke up and got ready for our party...shook a couple of gifts and tried looking in between some tissue paper, but overall, the Skinny Frog was pretty patient.

When her friends arrived we opened presents, sang "happy birthday", ate cupcakes, and overall had a great time. She played with her friends, and got to hang with Memaw, Poppa, and Mammaw and had a great day.

It is so hard to believe that she is 3. It seems like just yesterday we left the hospital with her and made our way home in the middle of an ice storm. She was just this little tiny person and now she is not even resembling a baby anymore. She is so big now. She dresses herself, helps me clean, goes to the "big girl" potty by herself (huge milestone!), and is such a big helper with her baby sister. When did my baby become not a baby anymore? She is big, independent, smart, sassy, and amazing. I love that she wants to do everything "by herself", and in the next breath wants to get in my bed and "snuggle". I love that she has brown hair and eyes like me. I love that normal everyday things are amazing adventures in her little world.

I can't wait to see what this year brings for her! She is such an amazing little addition to our family. I can't imagine what our family would be like without her. She is an amazing little gift that God has so graciously blessed our family with. Her sisters are nuts about her. She is crazy and funny and in a world of her own most of the time. So, here are some "Mia-isms" from her first three years of life...I am sure there are many more, but these are the ones that come to mind tonight...

***She calls me into the bathroom to tell me that her "hiney screamed"
***Her favorite candies are M&Ms and "kiss-yous" (Hershey Kisses)
***Her favorite TV shows are Dora, Tom and Jerry, and Wonder Pets
***She LOVES High School Musical (all three of them) and can sing every song at the top of her lungs
***"yesterday" is "lasterday"
***She looked at Santa this year (while on his lap) then looked at me and said "I don't like this guy"
***When the sun goes down in the evening it is getting "darking outside"
***Her drink of choice is "chocky milk"
***When her daddy gave her flowers for Valentines Day today she said they were "lovely"
***If she likes dinner, she tells me it is "scrumptious"
***"Ice cream" is "ass cream"

Go Steelers!

2009-02-01T21:16:00.009-06:00

I love football. Not as much as my husband, but I grew to really like football in college. Ryan, is an avid Dallas Cowboy fan, always has been, and he is hard core. I love the Steelers. The Cowboys are okay...I will root for them if they are playing unless they are playing the Steelers, and then it is Bedlam at my house. Ryan is a good sport, he returns the favor. If the Steelers are on the field, he will root for them as long as the Cowboys aren't on the field too.

I am not really sure when I started to like the Steelers so much! I loved Bill Cower. I thought he was a classy guy. I liked watching him on the sidelines. I like the new coach...he has proved to know what he is doing, obviously! I like the idea of someone being called "the bus". I think that is a fun nickname and he was a cool guy. I like Troy Polamalu. I think he has cool hair, he is an awesome player, and he has a fun name. I LOVE Ben Roethlisberger. He is amazing, and he is the best Quarterback in the NFL...enough reasons??

So, this year the Steelers were in the superbowl. I was excited. I dressed the girls all in their black shirts and had to make Steeler colored football bows for the occasion.

Ryan was a good sport...he even dressed in black too. We went to our church Superbowl party where we were severely outnumbered in rooting for our Pittsburgh men! We rooted anyway...loudly. We cheered and yelled, and Annalise was right their cheering along with us and telling all the Cardinals fans they needed to eat "bird food"! It was a really fun night.

So here is my question...can you look at this cute little Steeler baby and honestly root for anyone else??

The Bookworms

2009-01-26T20:08:00.002-06:00

This is how I find Annalise and Ryan several times a week. Ryan has always loved reading. He reads constantly, I can't even imagine how many books he reads a year. Our house has several libraries in it; books everywhere I look!

I hate to read...I would rather scrapbook, email, be crafty, talk on the phone, play cards...or even watch the hair on my legs grow. Did I mention that I hate reading?

Annalise has been reading since she was 4. She started AR (Accelerated Reading) in Pre-K and set a record for the amount of books that she read and points that she earned. She read a lot in Kindergarten last year and she has picked up the pace even more in 1st grade. She keeps a list booklist and turns it in at school of all the books she reads. Since September, she is currently on book #106...seriously...106 books in 4 1/2 months. I think that is more books than I have read in the past 15 years. 106 books that are not your ordinary "See Jane Run" 1st grade books. She reads WAY beyond her grade level, and since her birthday 2 months ago has started and finished a couple of book series.

The other day she noticed a scratch on her sisters face. She was very concerned...she said, "OH NO MOM!" I wasn't sure what the big deal was since it just looked like she scratched herself with her little fingernails. Annalise says, "we really need to watch this scratch. If the bacteria from this scratch gets in her eye, then her white blood cells will rush to her eye to try to fight the infection. If this happens and her eye gets pus in it she could get pink eye!" Since we have never had pink eye in our household for her to be so well versed in it, I said, "where did you hear that?" She looked at me matter of factly and said, "I read it in a book in the library at school." Then she just bee-bopped on with the rest of her afternoon!

I am glad she is a reader. It is a special thing that she shares with her daddy. I love to see them curled up in the recliner with their books, sitting together in their own worlds. I love to see her get excited and tell me about what she is reading about. She gets into it, and it is AWESOME. I can't wait to see what else she tells me about in th years to come, and how much more medical advice I will receive!

The skinny frog and the pooch

2009-01-25T18:25:00.006-06:00

Mia has always been my teeny little girl. Although she was my biggest baby when she was born, weighing in at 8lbs. 7 oz, she is a teeny 28 lb almost three year old now. So, we have affectionately given her the name "skinny frog". She likes it, it seems to suit her, and she will tell you that she is, in fact, a skinny frog if you ever ask.

On Tuesday my little skinny frog got (what I thought) was the tummy bug. She threw up all night long, which was pleasant, and finally went to sleep early Wednesday morning. She slowly recovered on Wednesday and Thursday and seemed to be back to her old self by Friday. Then, Friday afternoon it started again. She threw up only three times in about a 30 minute period, and then seemed to be better. Fine all day yesterday, and then last night...you guessed it! Needless to say, we are tired of the tummy bug, or whatever it is that Mia has right now. She is so pitiful laying on the couch and in her bed, which, if you know Mia, you know she isn't feeling well if she is choosing to lay down!

But, you know me, I had to grab my camera and take some pictures because of our dog, Abby's, response to Mia being sickly.

Abby is a funny dog...she seems to know when something is up. She sat right by me anytime I was on the couch or in a chair when I was pregnant with both Mia and Ella with her head on my belly...it was like she was protecting them before they were born. So today, as Mia snoozed on the couch, Abby was watching over her...soooo cute!

The jury is still out on little "skinny frog". We are hoping it was something that she ate and it is out of her system...I guess we will know soon!

Teeth

2009-01-22T13:25:00.005-06:00

My baby is getting her bottom two teeth! I didn't think it would happen this soon, her sisters were well over 8 months before they got any teeth...but I guess Ella is going to do everything earlier than the other two. She is rolling, squealing, and has a funny personality; and now, yes, much to mommy's surprise, she is getting her first two teeth! You can't see them in the pictures, but let me assure you from personal experience, they are there and they are sharp!

When did my tiny baby get so big? It seems like she should still be a couple of weeks old, not almost 6 months old. It is crazy, and it is going too fast!

#1

2009-01-19T22:23:00.000-06:00

So one of my new years resolutions was to start a family blog. Thanks to my friend Jaclyn, I have started reading lots of different blogs to keep up with different friends, and decided I should start my own. I have so many friends and family that live in other states, that I thought this would be a good way to keep in touch with everyone and a good way to keep track of my three girls and their daily shenanigans! Bear with me...this is new for me. I am not a writer, I am more of a picture taker, so there will probably be an abundance of pictures with a few limericks here and there! So, welcome to our little family corner! I hope you come by often!