Heather's Happiness

Sick Baby Girl

2012-01-30T21:34:00.003-06:00

When my normally busy-body, wild-child, almost-two-year-old spends a couple of days looking like this or curled up in my lap, you know it's not good.

Poor Addison hasn't been feeling well for a couple of days. She woke up the other morning a bit fussy and her eyes looked weak. My mommy instinct told me something wasn't right, but she played on and acted fine...until about 4 hours later. Then she became more clingy. When she crawled into my lap she felt really warm. Once we took her temperature, it showed 101.7. So she got some ibuprofen and lots of snuggles and kisses.

With all the stuff going around right now, I figured it was a viral thing and would pass. But the next day she was still feeling awful and lethargic along with not wanting to eat or drink. So as soon as we got up this morning and I realized that the fever and lethargy was still there we made a dash to the pediatrician.

After a 3 hour wait (apparently everyone in our town was sick and at the same doctor ), the test came back positive for strep. The doctor was surprised because she said usually ones as young as Addison didn't get strep. Well, leave it to us to defy the odds :/. So, with meds in hand we trekked back home for more snuggles, kisses, and TV time.

Fortunately after a couple of doses of medicine she is beginning to perk up. I hope we are on the road to recovery and that no one else in our house catches those cooties!

Peanuts

2012-01-29T21:30:00.000-06:00

If you mention going out to eat, the first recommendation out of Audrey's mouth will be "Let's go to Logan's". Never fails!!

Why would she always want to go to Logan's, you ask? Steaks? Chicken? Salads? Rolls? Desserts? No, No, No and No again. It is for the peanuts. That's right. PEANUTS. I'm not sure why she is so excited over these peanuts. Maybe it is the fact she can throw them on the ground. Maybe it is that she can peel them herself. I'm not sure. We have a bag of peanuts just like them in our pantry, but she never touches them. Only at Logan's!

So, I had to take this photo of her enjoying her peanut stash the other night at Logan's. I just want to remember how eager she was over a little peanut. ( Oh, and she loves the little picks that come in our steaks, too- I can remember enjoying those as a kid. )

Many times in life the best things are the little things!

The Apples of My Eye

2012-01-27T21:29:00.000-06:00

I just love watching these three play together and do activities together. There is so much love between them. I am such a blessed lady.

After Audrey finished eating an apple the other day, Corey cut it open and showed her the seeds. They gathered the seeds and put them aside to plant.

Today these three got a little dirty and planted the apple seeds. Hopefully, one day, we will have some apple trees to enjoy.

The Silly Hat Princesses

2012-01-26T21:33:00.000-06:00

Today was "Silly Hat Day" at preschool. I let the girls decide what they wanted to create to wear. As you would've guessed, they had to have crowns. I cut out the pattern and the girls did the rest all by themselves. I think they did a fabulous job. They were so proud of their crowns.

Such lovely little princesses!

Wagon Ride for 3

2012-01-24T21:31:00.000-06:00

There is just something wonderful about a wagon ride on a beautiful, sunny day. I love pulling my girls around our cul-de-sac.

As you can see, Boots the dog doesn't want to be left out of the fun. Do you remember this post showing Addison's feelings about Boots? Big change, huh?

Enjoying Technology

2012-01-22T21:17:00.000-06:00

As I was looking back at my recent posts, I realized that many people must think we live in our PJs. I promise we don't! I guess it just happens that when we are relaxing at home is when I have the time to grab my camera for the fun stuff. Hey, at least we are comfy while we are having a good time, right?!

Onto the technology...

Addison got the Nickelodeon Dance Wii game for Christmas. I'm not sure which one of the 4 of us likes it better. And you can certainly get a workout from it. Whew! I've seen just how out of shape I am. Who knew that Dora and the Backyardigans could whoop you so much?!

For Christmas I got a Kindle Fire. I LOVE IT!!! And I can really enjoy it whenever I can pry it out of the hands of these two! But it really helps on those days when mommy doesn't feel well or has 5,243,678,692 things to do. Those learning apps keep them entertained. And they learn from them! Its a win-win situation :)

Plenty o' Pacies

2012-01-21T14:28:00.001-06:00

Because one paci just isn't enough!

Sweet Little Bit is going to be so sad when it is time to say goodbye to those pacies. I'm pretty sure it is going to be a rough time for us all!

Masterpieces

2012-01-19T14:21:00.000-06:00

One thing these two love to do is paint. Although messy, it keeps them happy and entertained for quite some time.

Addison wondering why in the world the paparazzi is harassing her when she is trying to create her masterpiece.

Audrey was so intent on her work, she didn't even notice the camera. She was very proud of her beautiful work. Her creation was intended for Grammy and Grandaddy, so it is in an envelope ready to be delivered to them :)

Twinkies

2012-01-17T14:29:00.000-06:00

I don't always dress them in matching clothes, but sometimes I just can't help myself...

Because they just look so darn cute when they are little twinkies.

Why not have a silly one, too? This is how they are most of the time anyway! :)

Week #2

2012-01-14T22:33:00.000-06:00

This week wasn't terribly busy. Of course, we had our usual days of preschool and dance, but we enjoyed a few days at home snuggling and keeping warm.

Don't you just love a day when you can stay in your PJs all day? And certainly you have to wear those princess cowgirl boots to make the outfit complete! Audrey is very confident in her selection of fashionable wardrobe.

Addison has a new favorite toy. She LOVES playing with this doll house. It makes it all better when Audrey comes to play, too.

By Friday, we were looking for something fun to do to get some of that energy out. So we thought we would drop in at the preschool play time at the gymnastics place where Audrey used to attend.

The girls had a great time.

Addison loved trying to hula hoop. It was pretty comical. She would shake the hoop all around and thought she was doing it right. She was so proud of herself.

And the trampoline was her favorite. I lost count of the number of times she jumped down this trampoline.

Addison posed for the camera while big sis was practicing on the beam.

Audrey showing off her grace and skill on the beam.

This was the only other picture I got of Audrey that day. She was so busy running from place to place that I couldn't keep up with her. This was her climbing the wall on the obstacle course.

Week #1

2012-01-07T21:41:00.001-06:00

For 2012 I am going to try to do my own sort of Project 52. In addition to all the "big" things that I blog about, I am going to try to take some photos each week of the "little" things we do so I can treasure those little moments that we often forget.

The first week of 2012 was pretty quiet around our house. We stayed home most of the week until the girls went back to school toward the end of the week.

The first day of the new year was gorgeous. It was hard to believe that it was January 1 since we had nearly 70 degree weather. The girls and I took advantage of the lovely weather and played outside most of the day digging in the sandbox and playing on the swing set.

The rest of the week was unseasonably warm. We spent time outside when we could. When the rain and wind came and kept us inside, the girls loved playing with their Aquadoodle which was a Christmas gift from Aunt Carolyn.

Whoever invented this thing was pure genius. Such a neat item.

Almost daily I have "school" time with the girls, especially Audrey. In order to keep Addison occupied during that time, I have to have some activities for her, too. Lately she has really enjoyed putting together puzzles. She is getting quite good at it.

Seen and Heard

2012-01-03T14:37:00.003-06:00

Addison: "NOOOOOOO"!!!!!! (in a screaming voice)

Me: "Addison, you need to speak nicely"

Addison: "NOOOOOO, MMAA'AAMM"!!! (screaming again)

(sigh) At least she had good manners, even if she was still screaming. Guess I should've clarified!

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Audrey singing Christmas Carols:

"No telling on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere..."

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Conversation with Audrey about Santa:

Audrey: "Mommy, How does Santa get in your house?"

Me: "Down the chimney"

Audrey: "Well, how does he get in without getting burned?"

Me: "Magic"

Audrey: "Well, how does he get in if you don't have a chimney?"

Me: "He can come in through the door. We can leave it unlocked for him".

Audrey: "Where does he put his sleigh?"

Me: "Well, he usually lands on the rooftop."

Audrey: "Do you think he will land in the yard if he has to come in the front door and not down the chimney?"

Me: "He might, I'm not sure".

Audrey: "Well, if he lands in our yard, I hope he doesn't step in the dog poop in our front yard, 'cause I stepped in some today".

Me: (laughing 'til I cried) "I'm sure he will be careful. Maybe he will just land on the driveway and walk on the sidewalk, then he won't have to worry about the poop".

Don't you just love how those little minds work?!

A Look Back at 2011

2011-12-31T23:07:00.000-06:00

This year brought us many ups and downs-

In January, Addison said her first word (mama).

February brought us smiles and tears. We had to say our earthly good-byes to Pawpaw. Heaven got another angel. We celebrated Addison's 1st birthday party and her first steps.

Throughout March, we suffered sickness- especially the evil stomach bug.

In April, Addison had her first haircut. We celebrated Audrey's 4th birthday. Also, our town was destroyed by vicious tornadoes. Audrey's birthday party had to be postponed due to all the damage.

May saw celebrations of Corey's birthday and finally Audrey's 4th birthday party at the gymnastics place. Audrey had gymnastics Olympics. It was also the end of preschool and gymnastics classes.

In June, we enjoyed some lazy days of Summer. Corey went deep sea fishing and Audrey attended vacation bible school. Also, Boots, an adorable little puppy, showed up at our house and we took him in.

Throughout July we enjoyed supper with a few friends. Grammy, Audrey, Addison and I took a memorable trip to the beach.

August brought on the beginning of preschool for Audrey and Addison (her first time). Corey spent a couple of weeks hunting in Colorado.

In September, Audrey had her first day of ballet class, which she loved. Also, our family of 4 took a wonderfully fun and relaxing trip to the beach.

October was full of Fall fun, visiting WES Fest and the Fall Festival at Mom's church. The girls trick-or-treated as Ariel and a bumblebee.

In November, I celebrated my birthday and we enjoyed Thanksgiving with Corey's dad and sisters and with my family.

December was full of wonderful Christmas memories. Audrey had a Christmas Tea Party, Parent/Visitor Day at ballet, and her Preschool Christmas Performance. Addison was only fond of Santa from a distance. Corey and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary.

When I began this post, I thought of the many downs we had during the year, but as I began typing I realized that I didn't really want to recall all those low times, I only wanted to remember all the great memories and blessings that we received this year. So, when I really look back I can see with a different perspective that 2011 was indeed a "good" year. I pray that 2012 will also be full of wonderful memories and blessings for my family and friends.

Christmas 2011

2011-12-31T15:31:00.000-06:00

I am like a kid at Christmas. I get just as excited as the girls about the Christmas lights, Christmas trees, toys, presents, wrapping paper, Christmas songs, etc! I just love that magical time of year.

This year was no different! I was even extra excited that Corey was off from the fire department and would be with us on Christmas morning.

Audrey, in typical form, was up really early to see what Santa brought her. We made her wait for a while until Addison woke up, but I ended up having to go in and wake up that sleepy-head because Audrey (and Mommy) just couldn't wait any longer. (I had to tell her that Santa came in order to get her out of bed :) )

Once Addison was up, both girls stormed into the room to find all their gifts under the tree. There were lots of smiles, laughter and shreds of wrapping paper.

Audrey got her guitar and Dora book she longed for along with a baby doll, doll accessories, a Bible, Leapster Explorer, gowns, clothes, and more.

Addison got an Elmo, Let's Rock and a Cookie Monster. Both of those got jumps and squeals from her. She was so excited. She also got a baby doll, stroller, a magnadoodle (so she would leave sister's alone), clothes, DVDs, and more.

After playing with the toys for a while and enjoying a good breakfast together, we packed the car and headed to Grammy and Grandaddy's house to celebrate Christmas with my side of the family.

I had been dreading this because I knew Christmas wouldn't be complete without my Pawpaw. Although I missed him terribly, I didn't break down (I think I'd done enough crying over him being gone the previous 2 weeks). The girls and their laughter kept our minds off of being sad. And it also helped that my Nana was doing well and was able to leave the nursing home for a while to celebrate with us.

Audrey and Addison got tons of great stuff- art supplies, bath toys, games, clothes, toys---you know how the grandparents love to spoil ;)

Corey and I got gift cards to some of our favorite places. (Totally what I wanted!!!) And I can't wait to spend them :)

Later Christmas evening, I took the girls over to Aunt Carolyn's to visit some of the family since we didn't get to see them Christmas Eve at their Christmas party. Once again, they spoiled the girls with lots of toys, books, clothes, and puzzles.

It was a wonderful Christmas this year! I'm sad that it came and went so quickly. But I am happy that I have these wonderful memories to cherish forever.

Christmas Eve 2011

2011-12-31T10:30:00.001-06:00

This year, for the first time in about 10 years, Corey was off on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. We decided to take advantage of the fact that he would be around to celebrate with us and stay in town.

I wanted to make sure I got some pictures of the girls in front of the Christmas tree in their cute dresses before all the excitement began, so I took a few photos of them first thing on Christmas Eve. I thought the pictures turned out pretty good. I love the looks on their faces. Can you tell how anxious and excited they were about Christmas being just around the corner? They couldn't wait to get into those gifts (we had to keep a fence up around the tree except for the photo shoot because a certain little almost-2-yr-old wouldn't stay out of the gifts!).

We decided to stay in town for Christmas Eve and Christmas morning so the girls could actually have Santa visit them at their home, especially since Corey was off on Christmas.

The evening of Christmas Eve we loaded up in the car and rode around looking at Christmas lights. Then we followed that up with a delicious dinner out. Once we got home Corey and I exchanged our gifts to each other (because we knew there wouldn't be time the following morning) and we let the girls open one gift each from us.

I got a new porch swing (Yipee!!), some warm, comfy house shoes, PJs and an Amazon gift card to use with my new Kindle (YES!!). Corey got some golf goodies and house shoes. Audrey was thrilled with her "real" necklace with ballet shoes charm. Addison had fun with her new phonics refrigerator magnets.

After reading the Christmas story, the girls left some cookies and milk out for Santa before they snuggled in bed. I thought they would have a tough time going to sleep because they were so excited, but I guess the day had worn them out because they fell asleep quickly. Good thing, because Santa was on his way!

Dozier Christmas Party

2011-12-23T09:13:00.001-06:00

This past weekend we celebrated at the Dozier Christmas Party.

I wasn't all that thrilled about attending. Not because I don't love my family or enjoy seeing them, but because this was going to be very emotional.

The last few weeks have been really tough on my emotions. Without my Pawpaw, Christmas just won't be the same. He and Nana always made Christmas complete.

This was the first Christmas celebration I had to endure without my Pawpaw, and to make matters worse my Nana was absent too because she hadn't been feeling well and had to stay at the nursing home.

So, while we had a wonderful time visiting with relatives, there was an emptiness. A piece of the puzzle missing. I shed a few tears, but overall it was a nice day.

Here's a family photo with my parents, my brother (Keith), me, Audrey and Addison. (Corey was on shift)

Addison was showing off her new pony to Susanne and Keeley and entertaining everyone.

Addison with Aunt Shirley. Audrey was assisting with opening gifts.

Uncle James and Audrey. They are big buddies.

Uncle Lynn and the girls.

Aunt Shirley playing with Audrey and Addison.

It was a fun beginning to a bittersweet Christmas season for our family.

Preschool Christmas Program

2011-12-22T09:12:00.000-06:00

Last week was a BUSY week. First we had Audrey's Visitor Day at ballet, the next day was her preschool Christmas program.

Audrey was assigned the part of Elizabeth. One of the preschool workers read the story of Jesus's birth while the 4-year-old class acted out the scenes and sang songs. It.was.adorable!!

Grammy was able to spend the night after Audrey's ballet class and also attend the preschool program.

Isn't this the cutest little "Elizabeth" ever?!? :)

Audrey ballet

2011-12-21T11:10:00.000-06:00

This past week Audrey had Parents/Visitor Day at her ballet class. We were looking forward to being able to watch her perform all she had been practicing each week. As soon as I found out when it would be I called Grammy to see if she could take off work and attend. I hadn't told Audrey that her Grammy was coming. She mentioned several times that she "really wished Grammy could come watch her". So needless to say, she was so excited when she answered the door and found Grammy there, ready to watch her at ballet.

I took many pictures (surprise!) so I picked a few of my favorites to include below-

This is Audrey with her dance teacher Ms. Molly Brooke. She is such a fun and wonderful teacher. Audrey adores her.

Audrey was just precious and did so well (I know...I'm a little biased. Haha!). We all enjoyed watching her show off. I'm so happy that she loves dancing.

Decorating for Christmas

2011-12-20T14:30:00.000-06:00

The girls LOVE helping to decorate for Christmas. Audrey has been Corey's helper for a couple of years. This year Addison loved helping put up the decorations, too.

Audrey already knows just what to do. She took charge of things :)

Addison was completely fascinated with the HUGE doggie.

Audrey- our quality control inspector.

Addison was trying her best to get Santa to talk back to her.

Daddy and his elves.

Corey and crazy dog, Boots, offering his assistance.

Audrey- Adorable Elf #1

Addison- Cutie Pie Elf #2

After freezing outside while putting up lights and decorations, we moved the party inside to get the tree up and decorated.

I was totally surprised how well Addison did decorating. She actually would hang the ornaments on the tree. I completely expected her to remove them faster than we could hang them. She was so proud of herself.

This year she is all into Elmo and Cookie Monster, so I bought her Elmo and Cookie Monster ornaments for the tree. She was thrilled about the Elmo one. She wanted to hang on to it an not place it on the tree.

Such good little elves!

Audrey took the decorating very seriously. She made sure each ornament was hung on the tree perfectly.

Addison got a little impatient and tried to dig out the ornaments herself. She got a bit "stuck". Haha. I had to be cruel for just a moment while she was crying "HELP" to grab my camera and catch a photo of her predicament.

Once she recovered from the terrifying experience, she continued on with her silliness.

The girls standing proudly in front of their beautifully decorated tree. :)

Bubbly

2011-12-19T21:56:00.000-06:00

Addison is such a silly girl. Here's the proof...

The "Real" Visit with Santa

2011-12-18T16:57:00.002-06:00

After our terrible experience with Addison visiting Santa a couple of weeks ago, I was very apprehensive about the "real" visit with Santa. You know, the one where I dress them up real cute and try to get a precious photo.

Well, I found out that I had every reason to worry!

The girls had donned their cute, Christmas attire and they were pumped to go see Santa (aka-Ho-Ho). Then we walked up to him.

Audrey jumped right up on his lap and Addison began screaming "No, Mama, No, Mama" while climbing all the way up my body to my head. Not exactly working like I wanted it to.

Then sweet Santa suggested that we just make it a family photo. PERFECT! Addison sat on my lap and waved at Santa. Corey scooted in on the other side. And Audrey shared with Santa her wish list along with Addison's wish list.

I do believe our picture turned out just PERFECT, for me anyway :)

Then the girls wanted to ride the North Pole Express. Audrey loved it; Addison wasn't so sure about it.

We followed that with a delicious lunch and some Cookie Co. Cookies (YUM!). Of course we had to get in a little shopping.

Before heading home the girls concluded our trip with a few spins on the boats and planes.

It was a wonderful family day full of fun and many memories.

Christmas Parade

2011-12-17T20:55:00.000-06:00

After our fabulous Christmas tea party, Grammy, Audrey, Addison and I went to the Christmas parade. We all had a great time watching the beautiful floats and catching candy.

Christmas Tea Party

2011-12-16T19:52:00.000-06:00

Each year a dear friend of the family, Mrs. Debbie, kicks off the Christmas season with a beautiful Christmas tea party for the special little girls in her life. Audrey is one of the lucky ones who gets invited.

We both look forward to this day. Audrey gets to dress up fancy and I get to spend one-on-one time with my oldest daughter. Such a sweet time for both of us.

Here is Audrey all dressed up and ready to go. (Her doll has is wearing a matching dress:) )

Mommy and Daughter

Grammy got to spoil Addison a little while we were away.

The girls made adorable reindeer ornaments when we got there.

Then the little ladies enjoyed beautiful, fancy tea pots and tea cups along with some delicious treats while the adults mingled and enjoyed good food outside.

Santa even took time out of his busy schedule to stop by and visit all the girls. Audrey sang him a song.

This is Audrey and the host, Mrs. Debbie.

This has become one of my favorite activities/traditions to do at Christmas time.

1st Visit with Santa

2011-12-15T21:50:00.000-06:00

While visiting my parents one weekend, we went to Bass Pro Shop- which is Audrey's favorite place to go. haha. We didn't realize that Santa was there until we arrived so the girls weren't dressed to take "official" photos with Santa, but they wanted to visit with him anyway.

As you can tell by the photos...Audrey loved talking to Santa and telling him her wish list...Addison, not so much. She was NOT a happy girl.

Is There a Doctor in the House?

2011-12-14T21:51:00.001-06:00

Addison was still recuperating from Hand, Foot and Mouth disease. So Doctor Audrey decided to take good care of her. Addison is in the baby crib and Audrey made sure she had her babies, blankets and used her "doctor" tools to make her feel better.

Such a cute moment.

Thankful

2011-12-14T10:47:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving: Part 2-

After enjoying time with Corey's family, we drove back to my parents' house to spend the night. The next day we were going to celebrate Thanksgiving with my family.

When we arrived, it was getting late so we quickly tried to feed the girls and get them ready for bed. I gave them some of their favorites for supper so they would actually eat something.

By this point I noticed that Addison was still very warm, but acting fine...until...she started eating. She put a piece of orange in her mouth and began screaming uncontrollably. It was awful. We thought she had bitten her finger or tongue. I knew she was tired so I didn't push the eating issue. She drank her milk and I put her to bed. That night she was very restless.

The next morning was the same thing. Fever, wouldn't eat and then I noticed some spots on her feet.

At this point, I have a fussy kid and am frantically trying to prepare our Thanksgiving meal. Thank goodness Corey and Grammy were there to offer some TLC when I couldn't hold her. I was racking my brain the whole time trying to figure out what to do and what was wrong. I was 2 hours from her regular doctor and I certainly didn't want to take her and sit at a "doc-in-a-box" with all the flu and viruses if it wasn't necessary. So I decided just to watch her a little longer.

We enjoyed some family time and a delicious meal.

Addison and Audrey both love the cows and the farm. So since Addison was feeling up to it at the moment, we took them to let them feed the cows and ride the tractor. These girls are becoming great cowgirls :)

Audrey and Grandaddy

Miss Priss-Audrey

Audrey feeding the cows

Addison must taste really good!

I know it's down there somewhere!

Grandaddy and Addison

Sweet Addison not feeling so great.

Addison-Such a big helper!

After this little outing, Addison became even more irritable. I noticed more and more bumps around her mouth and on her hands coming up and it dawned on me that we were probably looking at Hand, Foot and Mouth disease. So, I put in a call to our doctor's office. After explaining the symptoms they confirmed what I suspected.

For the next 3 days that poor baby cried and cried. She lived off of yogurt, Popsicles and milk. I was happy that she would at least eat something. Then finally she began to feel better.

It was a great Thanksgiving. I just wish for once we could celebrate a holiday without one of us being sick :/

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-13T21:44:00.001-06:00

This year Corey was off on Thanksgiving day. I know! Gasp! I don't think that has happened in about 5 years.

Corey's family (his dad & girlfriend, and Corey's sister's and their families) was gathering for a family Thanksgiving. His side of the family hardly ever has the opportunity to get together, so I was thrilled that we were all going to have a chance to visit and celebrate Thanksgiving together.

We left home early that morning and drove about 3 1/2 hours to meet them. Long ride with 2 little ones...but we made it okay. When we got out of the car, I noticed that Addison felt really warm, but she had been in the carseat for quite some time and was cutting molars so I gave her a dose of Tylenol and she was off and running trying to keep up with the "big girls".

I was so busy stuffing my mouth, visiting and chasing my 2 kiddos, that I only took 2 photos. I know...terrible, right! But we all had a great time.

Here is Audrey with her cousin. They enjoyed each other's company.

Corey with his two sisters.

(Thanksgiving: Part 2- to follow)

Seen and Heard

2011-11-20T15:09:00.000-06:00

Audrey- (while getting up from the floor) "ooohhhh! Uh! (grunt, sigh). Whew!"

Me- "What's wrong?"

Audrey- "Goodness, I'm getting OLD! My back hurts."

Me- thinking- Yes, dear 4-year-old. I'm sure you know EXACTLY what "old" feels like!

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Addison escapes from EVERYTHING! (diaper, clothes, carseat, etc). And while Corey and I were talking about her latest trick....

Corey- "Addison is a little Houdini"

Audrey- "Yes, she is a little HO-DANNY"

Addison- 20 months

2011-11-18T20:18:00.001-06:00

I'm running a little behind with this post...but I just want to be able to remember...

Addison, you:

weigh 23 lbs

are 32 inches tall

wear size 4 diapers

wear size 4 shoe

have overcome your fear of animals and LOVE all animals now

will NOT leave your pants and diaper on

always escape out of your carseat straps. I constantly have to pull over to strap you back in

love to sing and dance

have an ever growing vocabulary, you say almost anything and are starting to speak in short sentences

can count from 1-10 in English AND Spanish

love to watch Barney, Blues Clues, and Elmo

like for me to sing the Barney song and "Rock-a-bye-Baby" to you

like for your belly to be rubbed when you are being rocked for bedtime

can throw a HUGE temper tantrum :(

still love your yellow taggie blankie and paci ("pa-pa")

enjoy eating all fruit- especially bananas and strawberries

have starting using the potty at times

climb on everything

can open all the doors and love to go into the bathroom and Audrey's room to find trouble

like to "hide" from us- usually behind a door or in the pantry

love playing with your friends at preschool

are full of energy and mischief

are loved and adored

Little Bit- you are such a blessing to us. Thank you for keeping us laughing and on our toes.

Audrey- 4 1/2 years old

2011-11-17T10:07:00.000-06:00

Time is passing so quickly and I don't want to forget these special things:

Audrey, you:

weigh 33 lbs

are 41 inches tall

don't like cheese (except Mexican cheese dip...which you LOVE)

say your favorite restaurant is one that serves mexican food

are growing out of your obesession with Dora and growing very fond of the Disney Princesses

wear a size 8 shoe

LOVE taking dance and love dancing all over the house

have learned to whistle and do it often

make up songs all the time

don't like taking naps

love dressing up with jewelry

are a big helper with Addison

are a lover of hot chocolate

enjoy helping me shop for groceries

love going to school

say pink is your favorite color

are still my tender hearted child

love playing outside

would swing on your swingset ALL DAY LONG, if we'd let you

have found your sweet tooth and love candy/cookies/etc.

can write your first name without help

can write all the letters of the alphabet by yourself

like to watch Bubble Guppies and Olivia

love to wear dresses all the time

pick out socks that hardly ever match your outfits, but I let you wear them anyway :)

I love you, sweet girl! You will always have my heart. I am proud to be your mommy.

Heather's 33rd Birthday

2011-11-10T15:24:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, I celebrated my 33rd birthday. I love celebrating birthdays, anyone's birthday, not just my own. The "getting older" aspect of it isn't all that appealing. My squeaky, aching joints remind me of that daily. But I love celebrating life...especially with the ones I love.

I woke up that morning and enjoyed at nice cup of coffee while snuggling with my 2 favorite little girls. Then Audrey reminded me that I needed birthday muffins (a family tradition) and asked me to help her make them. I offered minimal assistance and she did a wonderful job.

Typically, the birthday girl is the only one who gets a candle on the muffin, but Audrey and Addison decided that they needed one too. So all 3 of us enjoyed blowing out our candles and making birthday wishes together.

Corey had a super busy day scheduled, but he stopped by the house briefly after getting off from the fire station to bring me these beautiful roses and a birthday card. Also, my brand new Kindle Fire will be here soon!!!! Yipee!!!! (insert high-pitched squeal here). That is my other birthday gift.

Audrey and Addison created this beautiful Play-doh birthday cake, complete with "lit" candles. We decided not to eat it, we would just take a photo :)

Finally, after Audrey's dance class, Corey and the girls took me out to eat for supper.

It was a lovely birthday. Getting to spend it with my 3 favorite people made it the best!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-03T07:56:00.001-05:00

This Halloween I had an adorable Ariel (Audrey)....

...And a BUSY little bumble bee (Addison).

I do think they were the most adorable Ariel and bumblebee in this neck of the woods.

We don't usually take them door-to-door knocking on strange people's houses for candy. There is just all kind of crazies out there and I'm not all that fond of finding them. So we usually limit their trick-or-treating to a few family members.

This year we started our trick-or-treating adventure at Aunt Carol and Uncle Jim McGriff's house.

I was a HAPPY mommy because they had fruit for the girls instead of candy! :)

Then we visited Aunt Carolyn. Every year we have gone to her house. She always has something special and wonderful for the girls. Not just regular ol Halloween candy.

The girls love visiting with and loving on her.

Next, we made a stop by the nursing home so Nana could see the girls all dressed up. Audrey and Addison had balloons to give to Nana to brighten her room.

Here is Nana with her two special trick-or-treaters.

Last, we went to the church for their Fall Festival/Trunk-or-Treat. They both enjoyed playing the games and getting LOTS of candy.

I'm fairly certain that the pony ride was the favorite.

Carving Jack-O-Lanterns

2011-11-02T13:53:00.000-05:00

During our visit to the pumpkin patch, we picked two perfect pumpkins for us to carve.

The other night we decided it would be a great time to carve them. I took the pumpkins outside for the "cleaning of the guts" because it is just so messy.

Audrey got busy scraping and pulling out the guts. Addison started out with her spoon and dug in...then she felt those guts on her hand. She was NOT happy. She started fussing, threw her spoon down and said "no, no, no". Addison chose not to touch those pumpkins again.

Audrey instructed me on what the faces should look like and I drew the designs on each pumpkin. Corey did the carving since I'm not all that safe with knives. I tend to cut myself often. :/

The pumpkins turned out pretty cute and the kids loved them especially once we got the super-cool lights put inside.

Audrey was so proud of her work. Addison was grumpy because she didn't want any part of taking this photo.

Fall Festival at the Nursing Home

2011-11-01T14:47:00.005-05:00

This year we have attended several Fall Festivals. The girls have had a wonderful time.

We went to one at the school where I used to teach. I didn't really take any photos there :/. I was too busy keeping up with the kids and talking to my friends that I haven't seen in ages.

Grammy and I took Audrey and Addison to the Fall Festival that was hosted by the nursing home where Nana is right now. It was such a beautiful day and we were thrilled because Nana felt good enough to join us outside and watch the girls have fun.

We even persuaded Nana to participate in some of the games, too.

Nana and Audrey competed in the ring toss.

Addison tried to catch a few "fish".

Audrey and Nana had matching hats made.

Addison loved the "Pick-up Ducks" game. The only problem was she wanted to keep the ducks. She didn't care about the candy.

Audrey had a beautiful butterfly painted on her face.

Nana, Audrey, Me, and an irritable Addison

Uncle Keith even came and enjoyed some of the fun with us.

Jack-O-Lantern Craft

2011-11-01T14:46:00.003-05:00

Audrey and Addison love making crafts. I used to do this craft with my students when I taught 2nd grade and they always enjoyed it.

I thought I would give it a try with my girls. It was a big hit with them, too. Addison enjoyed tearing all the paper and Audrey glued it down and cut out the pieces for the face.

They did a wonderful job.

We made a couple extra Jack-O-Lanterns and gave them to Grammy and Nana.

Family Beach Trip

2011-10-27T10:50:00.010-05:00

A few weeks ago, Corey and I took the girls to the beach for a family vacation. I must say, this was THE BEST trip to the beach I think we have ever had. It was far from this disappointing trip.

We enjoyed the beautiful weather, each other's company, great food and lots of smiles and laughter. This trip will be hard to top!

(Beware!! Lots of photos below! ;)

What is a trip to the beach without walking out on the pier and doing a little "fishing"!?

Mommy and her girls being silly while Daddy fishes.

Addison was intrigued by all the posters of the fish along the pier. I had to read them to her over and over again.

Addison being such a silly girl. She was "talking" to the fish.

Audrey and Corey doing a little more "fishing". She just loves fishing with her daddy.

They caught a "big" one ;)

Audrey was sooo excited about going crabbing. She was all into it. There weren't many crabs out for some reason the nights we went, but she did manage to catch a few.

Addison wasn't so sure about those crabs at first.

Corey managed to catch a pretty big one. We were just in it for the fun of catching them, so we turned them all loose.

The jellyfish were unbelievable!! I had never seen such huge jellyfish. And there were a lot of them!!! A couple of days we didn't venture out in the water above our ankles because they were so bad. This photo is just an example of how large they were. The majority of them were the size of dinner plates or larger! YIKES!

We had a lovely pool to enjoy. The water was a bit chilly, but it wasn't too bad once you immersed yourself.

Audrey and Addison were like little fish in the pool. They swam everywhere. Audrey was so much more brave this time.

Addison loved chasing all the sea gulls. It was so funny to watch her run after them.

Audrey and Corey spent a lot of time playing in the waves.

Addison loved sitting in the surf and catching water in her little container. She was SO MUCH MORE brave this trip. She didn't want to be out in the big waves for a long time, but she would go out there and play with us for a little while. As long as there were no tears, I'll take it!

My silly Audrey-girl!

Daddy and his girls!

Surprise! I even got in some of the photos too! (Thanks, Corey!) I had such fun spending a wonderful time with my girls and hubby!

We collected many beautiful shells on our walks along the shore!

Addison took a little snooze on the beach each day.

Many, many sandcastles were built, then stepped on. I'll let you guess who did the building, and who did the destroying ;).

And finally...the attempt at family beach photos. (sigh!) Why is it so difficult to get everyone smiling and looking at the camera at the same time :/

Audrey- Age 4

Addison- 19 months old

And a beautiful sunset each evening!

I'm already looking forward to our next trip. I hope it will be as wonderful as this one!

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-19T16:06:00.000-05:00

I love this time of year. I.LOVE.FALL. The cooler weather, college football, colorful leaves, and tons of fun activities to do.

One activity that my family loves is going to the Pumpkin Patch. I'm not sure who loves it more, me or my girls.

Here's my little family: (Goodness I love these people!)

And my two pumpkins...It is so hard now to get two mobile, busy-body kids to sit still and look at the camera at the same time (sigh).

Sweet Audrey-girl.

Addison- our Little Bit with a big personality!

The girls loved these characters and had to have their photos taken with them. So cute!

They had lots of fun on the inflatables too. Audrey even got brave and went down the REALLY big slide several times.

Addison thought she was just as big as all the other kids in there.

The petting zoo was a favorite. Here is "little-Miss-used-to-be-scared-of-all-animals". She had to pet all of the animals. I think we can safely say she is no longer terrified of animals :)

Audrey had a great time hugging, petting and feeding the animals.

Horseback riding was up next.

I knew that Audrey wanted to ride because she asked about it before we even arrived. She enjoyed herself.

Addison, I figured, would be too scared to ride the horses so we only paid for Audrey. When Addison saw her big sister on that, ready to ride, she had a complete meltdown. She kept screaming "TOO, TOO!!". Which means "Me Too (I want to, also)" in Addison language. So I paid for her to ride as well.

As you can tell in this photograph, Addison had the time of her life!

Then we got ready for the hayride down to pick our pumpkins.

Decisions, decisions...

The girls went on a search for the perfect pumpkins.

Addison found hers!

And Audrey proudly posed by her perfect pumpkin.

We had a gorgeous, wonderful day together as a family. I'm already looking forward to next year! :)

Little Cowgirls

2011-10-18T21:49:00.003-05:00

One thing I miss most about having moved away from my family is the farm. That is all I have known my entire life and I've loved what all I learned on the farm and the many fond memories I have of time spent there.

So it thrills me to take my girls there and see them enjoy the same things I loved as a young girl.

Granddaddy has some good assistants.

You've got to train them early how to feed those cows! :)

I hope they will always love being a country cowgirl!

A Special Visit

2011-10-13T14:22:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago, our Nana was admitted to the hospital. She was in a lot of pain and having quite a few complications.

This situation would've been difficult no matter what the circumstances were, but this hospital stay was very emotional for me and the rest of my family members.

That is because 11 months ago, we walked this same road with my Pawpaw, and we never got to bring him back home.

So, this was full of raw emotions for us. It seemed like deja vu. We were listening to those same words, the same hospital sounds, the same worries all over again.

This year, 2011, has been pretty crappy for a number of reasons. Because of this year, it has made me extremely aware of how fragile life is. How we are never guaranteed another minute. How every ordinary moment should be etched in our heart and mind so they will be full of good things when the time comes that you only have those memories left.

So it was this moment that put tears in my eyes. And I etched this scene in my heart and mind, because one day I'm going to want to remember it.

That is my Nana with my girls.

Nana was released from the hospital and admitted to a local nursing home for some therapy and more recovery time. Fortunately, right now, she is showing some improvement and gaining strength. I am being optimistic that she will at least be able to come back home one day soon.

Back to this photo...These two cuties loved visiting with Nana. While we were down at my mom's we were able to visit with Nana quite a bit. Audrey and Addison were the best dose of medicine anyone could've prescribed for Nana. She has been very down and depressed and wouldn't eat much. With these two monkeys around, Nana was smiling and talking and even ate well while they were there. Of course, it probably helped that they were snacking off of her food tray too. Haha! I think that encouraged her to eat much more than her usual.

What special moments we shared! I'm praying that we will have many opportunities for moments such as this.

Zoo Adventures

2011-10-11T23:34:00.006-05:00

This past weekend the girls and I went to visit my parents and the rest of my family. Corey was working for 4 days straight, so instead of sitting home by ourselves, we figured we would go have some fun with my family.

While we were there, my mom, Audrey, Addison and I visited the zoo.

The weather was perfect and the company was wonderful. Lots of smiles and giggles.

This moment was one that had me laughing. Audrey and Addison were both standing right up next to the glass. When the cheetah decided to walk really close to the glass, Addison was NOT a happy camper and backed up very quickly while yelling "CAT, CAT".

What would a trip to the zoo be without a train ride? Riding with Grammy made it even better.

I did get in a couple of the photos because Grammy was so kind to grab the camera and snap a few.

Mommy and her sweet girls!!

Both girls enjoyed the "cats"- as Addison referred to all the feline family as just "cats".

Each time we go to the zoo, Audrey likes to stand here so we can measure her. Geez, not too long ago she stood in that same spot and barely got to the 3 ft mark. Now she is several inches taller than that.

During our visit to the zoo, the workers were setting up for the upcoming ZooBoo. They had all kinds of decorations and characters.

My girls spotted this "Dora" (not the exact Dora they are used to...but close enough) and they just had to have their photo with her. Such funny girls!

Then we couldn't leave the zoo without some time on the super awesome playground. Grammy snapped a few photos of me playing on the slide with the girls :)

We certainly had some fun times!

Walk a Mile in My Shoes

2011-10-09T15:35:00.000-05:00

Silly Addison doesn't really like to keep her shoes on...

...but she LOVES walking around in Mommy's shoes.

Puppy Lovin'

2011-10-08T15:31:00.003-05:00

As you may remember, from the day she was born Addison was terrified of animals...especially our dogs.

I'm so happy to report that she is now quite fond of both of our pups!

Addison telling Sadie her secrets.

Addison giving Boots some puppy lovin'.

15 Years From Now...

2011-09-21T09:20:00.000-05:00

...this is what I get to look forward to!

And what is so scary...is that time will be here before I know it.

Audrey's 1st Day of Dance

2011-09-19T21:08:00.003-05:00

The past couple of years Audrey has taken gymnastics. She enjoyed it, but recently became a little bored. So for several months she had been asking to take ballet. I made her choose which activity she wanted to participate in and she chose dance.

Once she was signed up for dance class and we purchased her dance shoes, leotard and tights, she was so excited she couldn't stop talking about it.

I was one excited mommy, also, because I spent MANY years dancing. So for my little girl to follow in my footsteps made me so excited. All those cute costumes, make-up, songs, and recitals, although expensive, are so thrilling!!

For weeks, Audrey would ask me to "teach" her some ballet. We would practice a few moves (mine were quite rusty :/) in the house.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, the time came for her to start ballet/tap class.

Can you tell how excited she is?!? I didn't even have to bribe her to stand there and smile. She did it voluntarily because she is thrilled to be a ballerina. :)

When we arrived at class, we discovered that our neighbor, also Audrey's dear friend, was in the same class with her. That just compounded the excitement!

Audrey had a wonderful time and has been dancing around our house all day, every day since class.

Our Life in Photos

2011-09-13T15:23:00.000-05:00

I had many photos that didn't really require a blog post all by themselves, so I thought I'd post them all here together.

A few weeks ago, my girls and I were invited to attend a "going-away" lunch for my mom. She had been employed at this job for 30-something years and due to budget cuts, she was cut. Nice, huh?? Anyway...this group of co-workers (show in this photo) have been together since I was around Audrey's age. They are like family to us. It was so wonderful to get to have lunch with them and reminisce and hear all of their hilarious adventures they have had together.

Here, Audrey and Addison are "riding" with their Uncle Keith. Before those of you that know him have a heart attack or report me for neglect, this was posed for a picture in my mom's driveway...NO! They weren't out on the roads traveling like this!! I am MUCH smarter that that! LOL

Addison- my Miss Hollywood! It doesn't get much cuter than this!!

Yep, Addison is soaking wet, dirty and standing in the dog's water bowl with one shoe on. She was having so much fun!

Addison was acting silly with Granddaddy's hat.

I promise Audrey is around too. She just isn't a fan of photos anymore :(

Good Times with Grammy

2011-09-12T15:00:00.004-05:00

Recently, Corey went on a 2-week hunting trip to Colorado. My girls LOVE their daddy. Although they are accustomed to him being gone a good bit working, I knew his absence for this long would be very hard on them (and me too!).

My mom had been going through some stressful times at her work and having issues with back pain. She really needed a break.

So...I thought, what could be more fun and relaxing than to have Grammy come up and spend a few days with us. Then I made the call to Grammy and asked her to pack her bags to stay with us for a while. It didn't take much arm-twisting to get her to agree.

Even though things looked like Grammy would never get to come (car in body shop, pain blocks for back, work obligations, etc), she finally made it 2 days after when she planned to come.

The girls were thrilled and it made them forget for a few days that their daddy had been gone so long. For Grammy, she got 4 days of hugs, snuggles, cartoons, sunshine and dress-up play. I loved watching the girls enjoy their Grammy and having my mom there with me all the time to talk to and laugh with. Another bonus is that while she kept the girls entertained, I was able to take care of many "projects".

We all certainly enjoyed our beautiful, relaxing time with Grammy.

Addison- 18 months old

2011-09-08T14:32:00.004-05:00

In the blink of an eye, this sweet girl has gone from a wiggly, precious newborn to a happy, energetic, entertaining toddler. Addison is so comical and quite strong willed most of the time, too. She is my sunshine. I love hearing her call for me or yell "MAMA!" when I walk into a room. That makes my heart smile.

There are so many things I want to remember about you, my Addison, but I will never be able to list them all. But here are a few things I never want to forget: You-

weigh 21 lbs. 7 oz.

are 31 1/4 inches tall

wear size 4 diapers

wear size 4 shoes

wear size 12-18 month clothes

have started saying all kinds of words. You love to tell Boots the dog to "sit-sit", You say "scat cat" when someone sneezes, shoes, clothes, Boots, Sadie, Mama, Dada, Sis, Ga (grammy), Nanny, Pawpaw, cat, dog, eat-eat, juice, cookie, and many more! I can't belive how much your language has developed in just a couple of weeks.

love playing in the sandbox and with the play kitchen

learned to climb the ladder on our swingset and go down the slide (assited)

get excited when you see "Elmo"

try to put on everyone's shoes

want to give everyone a hug

love to "read" books

will start to dance anytime you hear music

love to walk around with your microphone and "sing"

love to eat fruit- especially bananas

try to color like your big sister. You even ask to "colllllor"

inform us when you want to "pway"

are going throug terrible seperation anxiety. You are NOT happy about being left at preschool

find it facinating to take your pants and diaper off

are SO stubborn and strong-willed

are a little clown

Little Bit,

Thank you for the past 18 months! They have flown by and I'm not even sure that I can close my eyes and remember you as a "baby". But you are taking off full speed ahead into this toddler territory and are smiling and laughing your way through each day. I love you, dear one. I love that you remind me to laugh and play and pause long enough to hold and snuggle you. Because I know so well that those moments are fleeting. I love you, Little Bit! You are my sunshine!

First Day of School

2011-08-23T22:15:00.000-05:00

Somehow, this summer has zoomed by in a flash and today we found ourselves preparing for another year of preschool.

This year, Audrey is beginning a new class (at the same school she attended last year) where she will be loved on by new teachers and make new friends- and renew relationships with old friends.

Here is Audrey just before we left for school this morning. Doesn't she look so growny??

I was a bit concerned about this day because the first 2 months of preschool last year were TOUGH! Audrey cried every day.

Today, she did GREAT! No tears at all--at least from her, I shed my share of tears, but only after I left the girls (you know, I had to be strong for them).

Audrey entered her classroom and immediately found a few of her friends from last year. She began to play away with no worries that I was about to leave.

This is Audrey with her two teachers. There is certainly happiness on her face :)

Audrey was all smiles when I picked her up. She had a fabulous day. Already, she is reminding me what she has to do to get ready for the next day at school.

Also, today marked the beginning of preschool for Addison. She is attending the same school as Audrey. And I was just certain that she would have a meltdown this morning. She is having some serious separation anxiety issues, so I was worried.

Can you tell that she is such a little ham???

This photo is evidence that she really didn't care that I left her. Addison didn't even fuss. However, I'm not sure that she knew that I was leaving...she just knew that she was having fun.

I'm hoping that when I leave her Thursday, she will do just as well as she did today.

Addison's teacher said that she did fine and didn't fuss until it was almost time to go home. That seemed it was just because she was tired.

I can't believe my girls are old enough for preschool. I'm trying to enjoy every "first", cherish the "in betweens" and hold on tightly to every "last".

First Trip to the Dentist

2011-08-23T15:11:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, Audrey and Addison had their first visits to the dentist.

Audrey was a little nervous, but the dental hygienist was FANTASTIC. She took her time and explained everything to Audrey really well. It helped calm Audrey down.

Audrey sat there like such a big girl while the hygienist cleaned her teeth then let the dentist take a look. Bless her little heart, she got her Mommy's genes where teeth are concerned, too. The dentist said she had a lot of crowding...so I'm fairly sure we will be visiting the orthodontist in the not-too-distant-future.

Addison, on the other hand, was NOT a happy camper about those folks messing with her mouth. Therefore, I have no photo of her with the dentist or inside the office. Once I got her calmed down and entertained with her new toys, she let me take a photo outside. It was the best I could do.

Addison, unlike her big sister, has plenty of room in that mouth of hers. :)

Singing Sensation

2011-08-14T14:48:00.001-05:00

Addison is such a character. This link will take you to her "performance".

http://youtu.be/bQnyRTLuMss

She is singing the song from The Little Mermaid. You can hear her keep singing the word "sea" over and over again. I can't help but laugh each time I watch this.

Shoes are Exciting!

2011-08-13T14:42:00.003-05:00

Today, I took Audrey to the dance studio's open house. Today, she got fitted for her ballet and tap shoes. This is one VERY excited little girl. I certainly hope that she likes dance class as much as she thinks she will. I can't wait to see her perform. Now, that should be very interesting :)

Sand and Sun

2011-08-02T15:34:00.006-05:00

A couple of weeks ago Audrey, Addison and I had the opportunity to be beach bums with my mom, her best friend and her best friends grandchildren. I jumped at the opportunity thinking what could be more fun that some girl time at the beach.

Well, I'm not the biggest beach fan. Don't get me wrong, I do like to go, but not when it is 100 degrees outside and thousands of folks all around. I prefer to go in the "off" season. But I figured this would be fun.

Miss Audrey had the time of her life. She spent hours splashing in the water, jumping waves and building sand castles. She didn't have a care in the world. (Wasn't it fun back in those days?!)

Addison, on the other hand, was NOT a happy camper the ENTIRE time. She was scared of the water, wouldn't play in the sand (which is very uncharacteristic of her) and wouldn't let anyone hold her but me. Which means that this Mommy had VERY little play/relaxing time.

About the only time Addison was content was the few minutes she chowed down on cheese puffs.

As you can tell, Audrey had enough fun for all of us :)

I finally coaxed Addison to play a little in the sand for a few minutes.

...so I could take a few pictures of my little beach bums.

"Look at that shell....Hey, I've got sand on my hiney!!"

Audrey was getting some water so she could work on her sand castles.

Addison finally snoozed for a few mintues...since she didn't sleep hardly any each night :(

There's nothing like a sandy paci and blankie.

Most of these photos were taken in about a 5 minute time span. The rest of the time I was holding a cranky little girl. After a little time at the beach, I finally gave up and took Addison back to the condo while Grammy and Audrey stayed and played. Then I came back to get them a little later.

The fun didn't end there, on the way home Addison got sick with what seemed some sort of virus and that lasted for 3 days before so kindly sharing those cooties with Audrey.

A trip I won't forget.

I'm hoping that our next venture to the beach will be a little more pleasant, so that ALL of us may enjoy ourselves.

Best Buddies

2011-07-14T12:39:00.000-05:00

Well, they may not be "BEST" buddies, yet, but they are learning to love each other. Addison is finally warming up to Boots. I guess it helps when he allows them to do pretty much anything to him. Even cover him up with sand.

He was even quite the hero the other day, too. We have a steep hill behind our house. Addison got a little too far out in the backyard and began tumbling down the hill. I couldn't reach her fast enough but Boots ran down the hill quickly and grabbed her shirt with his mouth to stop her. Thank goodness!! Had she tumbled much farther, she probably would've suffered more serious injuries other than the few bumps and scrapes she got.

Now if we could just get Boots to stop jumping and chewing on everything!

Gettin' Down and Dirty

2011-07-13T14:27:00.001-05:00

The other day I was reading a blog post from one of my favorite blogs- Simple Mom. The post was about letting your kids get dirty. I've always been glad that my girls weren't afraid to get a little dirt on their hands. Growing up a "country girl", I wouldn't know what to do with "prissy" girls.

So it makes me happy that they enjoy doing this...

And after reading Simple Mom's post...I see that getting dirty has so many benefits. Looks like we will continue to spend our days in the dirt!

Pigtails for Little Bit

2011-07-12T22:22:00.000-05:00

This was my first attempt at pigtails in Addison's hair.

She wasn't all that pleased with them, but I thought she looked adorable.

Sleeping Beauty

2011-07-11T22:16:00.003-05:00

There are few pictures sweeter than those of a sleeping child...

...most of the time it is so difficult to capture a photo of my kids sleeping. But I managed to take one with Audrey snoozing the other night. So precious! And of course, Lambie and Doggy are right beside her.

Making Ants

2011-07-09T09:42:00.000-05:00

Since school has been out this summer, I've tried to continue some "school" here at home. We work on some letter recognition, phonics, and math, but I also try to include some science and art. We don't do "school" everyday, but on those days we spend at home we do some activities to keep them entertained.

This particular day we read a book from the library, Ants In Your Pants and learned some facts about ants. Then we repurposed some egg cartons, paint and pipe cleaners to create our "ants". Addison even got in on the activity and loved it. She had a blast painting the ants (and everything else in sight---thank goodness for washable paint!)

Audrey took her work very seriously.

They were so proud of their project.

Playdate with Zoe Kate

2011-07-07T19:44:00.000-05:00

The other day Zoe Kate and Mrs. D came over for a play date. Zoe Kate and Addison are only 10 days apart. They are so cute together. The girls had a wonderful time playing together while Diana and I enjoyed some adult conversation.

I can't wait for us to do it again!

I love the look on Addison's face in this photo. It looks like Zoe's driving is scaring her. Haha!

Audrey was a big helper. She loves being a "big sis" to both of them.

A Little Comparison

2011-07-06T22:23:00.004-05:00

I love doing a comparison of the girls when they are/were at the same stages in life. In many ways they are the same...and in many ways they are sooooo different.

I see some physical similarities, but they look very different at the same time.

Can you believe how much more hair Addison has than Audrey did??

Happy Independence Day!

2011-07-05T15:10:00.006-05:00

We don't typically do the "partying" thing on the 4th of July. Mostly we keep things low key and this year was no different. Typically, Corey is working so this was the first time since I can't remember when that Corey was off on a holiday. Our neighbors invited us over to eat a delicious meal with them and their family. We enjoyed visiting with them and the kids loved playing with their grandkids.

After our wonderful meal, the kids played outside and shot a few fireworks.

Audrey decorated these strawberries to take and share with everyone. I saw them in a magazine and thought they were so cute. She enjoyed making them.

The girls looked so cute, I couldn't resist taking their picture.

Much to my dismay, my girls do NOT like to have their picture taken. It is such a pain to try to photograph them. Their daddy isn't too happy to be photographed either. (sigh) That is not a good thing for a Mommy that LOVES taking photos. I've tried to "not want to" take photos of them lately...but it just doesn't work. It makes me so sad.

So with LOTS of bribes, begging and pleading...I got a few cute ones.

Addison- 16 months old

Audrey- 4 years old

As you can tell... 3 people despising this photo taking business...

And all I wanted was just 1 photo of me and the girls, since I am hardly ever in a photo. Is that too much to ask??? At least I got this much!

That evening, Corey lit a few sparklers and Roman candles for the girls see. Audrey enjoyed it...Addison HATED it. She cried even at the sparklers so I had to take her back inside. :(

Coupon Diva

2011-07-02T08:34:00.001-05:00

Couponing is something that I have done for a long time. By no means am I one of those extreme couponers, but I love saving money...especially since I am a stay at home mom. My sweet Nana even helps me out by cutting coupons EVERY Sunday out of the paper and sending them to me. She has been doing this for me for years.

I'm training up Audrey to be frugal as well. Well, she at least knows that we cut coupons so we can save money and most of the time you don't buy something unless you have a coupon. I figured that is a good lesson to teach her :)

Most of the time while I am cutting coupons, Audrey will sit with me and cut her "coupons". I give her the extra copies of sale papers and she cuts out the pictures. This week she took to cutting the Toys R Us sale paper. After she finished cutting she informed me...

...that she had coupons for all of these so we could go buy them now! Um...maybe I didn't explain that coupon thing well enough :) I had to tell her that we also had to have enough money to cover the difference. I loved it though! So precious!

And in case you can't tell what these are... 1- wagon, 2- gym set, 3- inflatable water slide, 4- swing set, 5- bike

At least she dreams big!

Doing Chores

2011-07-01T09:35:00.000-05:00

It's never too young to start them doing chores, right?

And the crazy thing is they think dusting is fun right now! :)

Swimming with Friends

2011-06-29T10:36:00.000-05:00

We are so fortunate to live on a road with wonderful neighbors. Audrey has a dear friend that lives just down the road and we try to get them together when we can to have some playtime. The girls are only 4 months apart and they get along so well.

Another of our neighbors, Mrs. Darlene, has a pool and she is so kind to welcome almost all of the neighbors over anytime for a swim...especially these 2 cutie pies. They love Mrs. Darlene and she loves them. Of course, she is a great friend to me as well.

There is a bad part to this swimming story...for some reason every time we have set foot in Mrs. Darlene's swimming pool this year, a thunderstorm blows up immediately and runs us out of the pool. It certainly seems bizarre since rain is so scarce this year. But it has happened to us 4 times in a row now.

I wonder if folks will start paying me to go for a swim? Wouldn't be a bad job, huh?

Natural History

2011-06-28T07:31:00.001-05:00

Since the show Dino Dan became popular in our household, Audrey has been asking to visit a museum where they had "dinosaur bones". So I began to search for a place for us to visit. How lucky are we to have the Alabama Museum of Natural History right in our backyard!

We decided this past weekend would be a wonderful time to visit since we could spend fun time as a family in the COOL air conditioned building (a must in this hot summer heat!) and to my surprise, it was very inexpensive to visit.

We had a fabulous time! Both of the girls enjoyed looking at all the fossils, bones, skeletons, and gems. I was surprised that it actually held their attention.

Addison checking out all the exhibits.

Audrey and Corey admiring the HUGE skeleton.

Audrey was so interested in what the archaeologists do and all their tools.

Why the Second One is Short-Changed

2011-06-27T09:41:00.001-05:00

I had always heard that the second child would have much less photos than the first-born. I just couldn't imagine that! I always had a camera on hand and couldn't dream of it being any different.

Well...then I had Addison and she became mobile! Now, I still have quite a few photos of my girls...but since the second child came along, there is much less time for photography because...

....I'm cleaning up where she TP'd my bathroom and bedroom...

...and cleaning out her mouth where she ate all that toilet paper...

...and locating shoes, clothing items, purses, etc that she swiped and hid in a "safe spot".

I can see clearly now why the photos come to a halt after the second is born. Because Mommy is just trying to keep up!!!

By the way...she is into something on a daily basis (along with her big sis) so the fun never ends!

Bumping Up and Down in My Little Red Wagon

2011-06-26T08:55:00.000-05:00

Since Addison is TERRIFIED of Boots (our new dog), the only way to get to go outside with her is to put her in the little red wagon and make sure Boots doesn't come ANYWHERE NEAR her.

Here she is keeping the ball away from Boots. (Now, he is about 15 yards away when this photo was taken)

Telling me it is a "ba"

I just can't get enough of that precious smile and beautiful blue eyes!

Puddle Jumpers

2011-06-25T08:51:00.000-05:00

Praise the Lord, it finally rained!

Audrey and Boots celebrated by splashing in the puddles!

Our Newest Addition to the Family

2011-06-24T07:44:00.001-05:00

Meet Boots! He is the newest addition to our family.

His presence wasn't exactly intentional...at least on our part. He just showed up in our yard one evening. For the next several days, I searched shelters, vets, and websites for the owners of this cutie. All the while, Audrey is falling in love with this dog.

The day after he showed up, we were leaving to run to town and he would not get out from under our tires. He just kept running in front of the car. We finally got out but he was following us out in the road. I was worried about him, but there wasn't much I could do.

When we returned, he had obviously been hit by a car and was laying at the end of our drive. I got the girls inside without seeing and rushed out to check on him. I called Corey at work so upset. I couldn't stand seeing him hurt, even if he wasn't our dog. After I checked him out, he actually stood and walked (very gingerly) on his own back into our garage. We put him up for the rest of the night and by the next day he was already getting around better. I suppose the car just bumped him enough to cause some bruising and flesh wounds.

After a few days, he was feeling much better and chasing Audrey all over the yard. His "owners" were no where to be found and many suspected he had been dumped off. So...we officially adopted Boots.

He is the sweetest puppy and has the best personality. I could do without all the chewing on everything and jumping up on people, but he has been great for Audrey. She loves having him as a playmate. He follows her everywhere. We are hoping he will eventually learn to stop running out in the road and become more fearful of cars (so far he isn't...even after being hit:( )

Now, Addison...that is a different story. This is how she feels about Boots:

She is TERRIFIED of him. Just the sight of him sends her into hysterics. I am hoping that she will grow to love him...someday :)

VBS- "That Kid"

2011-06-23T14:52:00.002-05:00

Last week Audrey attended Vacation Bible School at the church where she goes to preschool. She had a wonderful time everyday and was so enthusiastic about all the activities when she came home. Each day she would jump in the car and tell me about the bible stories she learned and crafts she made. Addison and I were even taught the songs she had learned so we could sing along :)

This all made my mommy heart so happy and proud.

Since she enjoyed it so much, we asked her if she wanted to perform on stage with the other VBS kids for family night that following Sunday evening. With a "yes", she became even more excited and practiced her songs daily.

Sunday evening Corey, Addison, Audrey and I loaded up for what was to be a fun time of watching Audrey demonstrate all she had learned and enjoyed.

When the music started, Audrey began like this:

And 5 seconds later she looked like this: (such a cutie, huh?)

And then....well, let's just say Corey and I were OH-SO horrified, embarrassed, and disappointed!!! We became the parents of "THAT KID". Yep, the one who everyone has seen and felt sorry for the parents. (At least I hope that is what people felt for us!) Because I didn't know whether to run out the door or dig a hole under our pew. Either way...I wanted to rewind that tape and forget that night happened.

Our sweet little Audrey who is usually obedient and who was so excited to perform on stage was replaced with some sort of split personality or something. She slithered across the stage, sat on her bottom and slid up and down the steps, played with the speaker and all the wires, turned around and around, picked her nose, pestered another kid, sat on the steps and stomped her feet. Over and over and over again! I even went up to the front to try to get her attention and give her "that look" but she was so engrossed in all her shenanigans, that she was completely oblivious to me.

I looked over at Corey and he had steam coming out of his ears because he was so angry.

I was trying to determine which would cause more interruption- me snatching her off the stage or letting her continue to act like an insane monkey. Fortunately, they didn't sing/perform too much longer and her moment in the lime-light was over. Thank heavens!

Once all was said and done we had a "come to Jesus meeting" and I'm pretty certain that in a time in the far, far future when she gets back up on stage, she will do what she is supposed to do. Or at the very least just sit down on the steps and do nothing. I think that would be less embarrassing.

So, I can now say...I've been the parent of "THAT kid". As much as I hate to think about it, this probably isn't the last time either :(

Addison- 15 months old

2011-06-14T23:45:00.002-05:00

I know I say this every time, but...where has the time gone?? It seems like I put Addison to bed one night and the next morning she woke up no longer a baby, but completely developed into a busy, very strong willed toddler.

Addison-

You:

* weigh 20 pounds

* wear size 3 diapers

* wear size 12 month and 18 month clothes

* wear a size 3 toddler shoe

* love your blankie and paci (and call them both a "ba")

* start dancing anytime you hear music or if someone starts singing or clapping

* love to hide in the hallway and giggle

* take off running when someone calls you

* enjoy looking at books and often want Mommy to read to you while you sit in my lap

* like blowing bubbles (regular bubbles as well as with the spit in your mouth)

* climb on anything you can. You are so proud of yourself when you climb onto the chair or couch.

* are mesmerized by the shows- Blues Clues, Backyardigans and Bubble Guppies. You even try to sing the Bubble Guppies theme song

* love to play outside

* enjoy splashing in your little pool, but aren't so fond of sprinklers- you don't like it splashing you in the face

* love seeing cows and call them a "moo". You even try to talk to them when we ride in the pastures.

* are still terrified of dogs

* know how to wrinkle your eye brows and give one "mean" look when you are told no and even when you just want to make someone laugh.

*make us laugh daily

We love you, Little bit!

Audrey's 4th Birthday Party

2011-06-12T09:45:00.000-05:00

We FINALLY got to have Audrey's birthday party. It was scheduled for April 30, but the tornadoes on April 27 completely interrupted those plans. The place where the party was to be held was right in the middle of the path of the tornado. While the building didn't suffer significant damage (surprisingly- everything around it was leveled), they were without power and water. On top of that, Corey was working overtime around the clock doing search and rescue for a few weeks.

So, we had to postpone the party until May 14, close to a month after her birthday. But all worked out well. Corey was able to attend and we all had a wonderful time.

Audrey had lots of family members and friends attend. Here are some photos of the fun...

And I had to share this photo... This is Addison and her little buddy Zoe Kate. They were born 10 days apart. Zoe's mommy and I are great friends and worked together our entire pregnancies. We always called these 2 partners in crime...even when they were in the womb. This picture proves it. Can't you tell they are scheming up something good??!! I just love it. They are so cute together. :)

And thanks to our friends D and Mrs. Don. They took a lot of photos so I could actually enjoy the day.

Audrey- 4 Years Old

2011-06-11T14:08:00.007-05:00

My sweet Audrey-girl,

You were the first to call me mommy, the first to steal my heart. In the blink of an eye you went from a sweet smelling ,beautiful newborn to a tender-hearted, smart preschooler. I love that you still want to snuggle with me and I love the feel of your small hand when you grab mine. I am so thankful that God blessed us with a healthy, beautiful and perfect daughter. I have always enjoyed the moments we get to spend together and I look forward to many more.

I love you sweet girl,

Mommy

Audrey, You:

* weigh 31 pounds (such a petite little girl)

* are 39 inches tall

* love to read

* enjoy gymnastics and are very good

* are not a fan of coloring, but love to paint

* love Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches, chips, and FunDip

* constantly want strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and tomatoes

* still love to watch Dora and you new favorite show is the Bubble Guppies

* spend your day loving on and playing with Addison (and annoying her too)

* are a big helper to mommy. You help gather, sort, fold and put up the laundry, wash dishes, and collect the trash.

* like playing with your play kitchen, baby dolls, and Barbies/Disney Princesses

* play dress-up frequently

* are a very sensitive and tender-hearted little girl. You always care about other people- when they are sad or hurt.

* just finished your first year of preschool and you loved it (after a couple months adjustment time)

* would swing on your swing set for hours and always ask for us to push you

* like to swim and are getting braver in the water, but you are not a fan of sprinklers

* are loved by so many people.

* are a very special girl.

Flashback Friday

2011-06-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

Isn't it amazing how much they change in 12 short months. These 2 photos were taken 12 months apart.

Happy Birthday, Pawpaw!

2011-06-03T06:27:00.000-05:00

Today would've been my Pawpaw's birthday. I know that he is having such a wonderful celebration with our Lord. But that doesn't make me miss him any less.

He was such a kind, gentle, and selfless man. He was loved, respected and a role model to many.

I think of him daily and wish he were still here so I could share the latest tricks and sayings that Audrey and Addison come up with. They were his world and he would just light up at the mention of them.

I keep several of my favorite photos of Pawpaw in a special folder on my computer and I look at them often. Especially on those really hard days when I miss him terribly. So I wanted to add them to this post. Most have been shared on here before, but I never tire of looking at them. They demonstrate how much love he had for his family, especially his great-grandbabies :)

Pawpaw and Audrey on her "birth"day.

Pawpaw introducing Audrey to the tractor

Pawpaw loving on Audrey on her baby dedication day.

Pawpaw and Audrey on one of her many tractor rides.

Pawpaw with his great grand girls

One of my all time favorites- Pawpaw and Addison getting some loving

Happy Birthday, Pawpaw! We love you and miss you!!

Mary, Mary....How Does Your Garden Grow?

2011-05-27T15:38:00.004-05:00

I don't have a green thumb. At ALL!! Mostly everything green in my care ends up dead in just a few weeks. But we do love planting some flowers every year, anyway.

Most of the time they don't have time to die because of my neglect, because they girls "pick" all of them first :)

Audrey and Corey- Our "master" gardeners

And Addison- our horticulturalist in training-

Yes, she still needs a little more training...dirt isn't meant for human consumption!

But she had a blast anyway! (It couldn't have tasted good- YUCK!)

(Disclaimer- I did stop her from eating any more dirt, but I just had to capture the moment with my camera. And I did clean out her mouth as well!)

Now, That's Much Better...

2011-05-23T14:31:00.007-05:00

No depressing post this time! To make up for the sadness on my last post, here is a post FULL of photos of the 2 cutest little girls ever! (Ok, so I may be biased ;) )

These were the girls' Easter dresses. For once, Audrey actually did well for pictures. As for Addison, that girl would NOT sit still...so there are a limited number of photos that include her :/

April 27, 2011

2011-05-19T15:00:00.000-05:00

This is not one of my "normal" post where I share photos of the 2 cutest little girls and the fun things they have been doing. This post, like a few more sitting in my queue awaiting to be completed, is more of therapy for me as I deal with some emotions I am experiencing. So I don't blame you if you hop on over to another blog and skip this...but it is something I have to do for myself.

Let's rewind a few weeks...3 to be exact. April 26, 2011- I had been listening to the news/weather all day long. I knew that the weather for the next day was to be historically dangerous. And for a girl who has been terrified of even a slight thunderstorm for as long as I can remember, anticipating this was putting me over the edge.

The night of Apri 26, I was up very late doing some computer work for my job (where I work on contract). The entire time I was tuned into the weather. Once I finally laid my head on my pillow I was anxious and exhausted. I slept with my iPhone by my bed so I could check the weather periodically and kept the television on the news/weather coverage all night. Nearly every hour I woke up checking on things. Finally around 4 a.m. on April 27, 2011, I fell into what seemed like a deep sleep. I never heard the sirens nor any warning on the television, but I woke startled to the most horrifying sound of wind.

I jumped out of bed, glanced out our bedroom window and I knew it was bad. I yelled for Corey to get Audrey while I snatched Addison from her bed. And within seconds we were buried under blankets and pillows in our storm room (which is also our master closet) attempting to comfort our crying children. They were terrifed since we woke them from a sound sleep :( .

I was able to look at the weather on my iPhone and saw that the storms were only beginning and the warnings were underway. Then our power went out. Fortunately, my brilliant husband had an emergency generator installed on our house when we built it, so as long as we have propane, we have power :) I thanked him MANY times over the next fews days for this!

After a while, Corey ventured out to see if things were over. All seemed calm so we looked around our yard to discover that many trees had been uprooted. Corey was scheduled to be on shift at the fire station, so he immediately got ready and headed to work. Minutes later he returned to the house and told me that he couldn't even leave the subdivision, there were TONS of trees down everywhere and just across the way an entire neighborhood was destroyed.

After learning this information, I was even more terrified because the meterologists were warning that the storms later in the day were going to be worse. Seriously?!? How little did I know!

I was upset to see Corey have to leave again, but I knew he had a duty to do. So he left us with chainsaw in his hand to try to "cut" his way to work. He did finally make it 3 hours later (he works about 15 minutes away).

The rest of the morning turned out to be gorgeous. But I took the warnings seriously and kept watch on the weather while I tried to act normal for the girls. I did make sure my laptop, portable dvd player and phone were all charged just in case. I prepared our storm room for the chance of us having to spend lots of time in there. The room was stocked with movies, snacks, drinks, toys, books, and pillows and blankets.

The day continued on as normal until around 2:3o they began with the warnings again. As I mentioned before, I am scared of bad weather so I didn't play around. If they said "warning" our tails were going to be locked in the room.

And so it began. The girls were good and we pretended it was a "sleepover party" as Audrey called it. That afternoon we spent most of our time locked in the closet. When they would expire a warning for us, I would let the girls out and run around our room and play...but we always kept close to the room just in case I needed to get them there quickly.

Then I watched the TV as they recorded a tornado storm across Cullman and was sickened by what I saw. I was in tears and couldn't believe I was witnessing it.

Soon after, the news coverage began showing a tornado speeding for Tuscaloosa. My phones were ringing off the hook and my text messaging was burning up. My family was calling every few minutes checking on us (they were aware of the morning storm and damage and knew I was home alone with the kids). During this time the girls and I are in "lock-down" and I have the television turned up as loud as possible so I can keep tabs on the weather by listening to James Spann.

My phone rings again and it is Corey in a voice full of panic that tells me to "Get in that closet and lock all 3 deadbolts, and don't come out!". He never panics so I knew that it was ugly.

At this point the girls have been confined for a couple of hours, give or take a few minutes here or there, and they are antsy, and Audrey is full of questions. I had to explain to her the importance of me being able to hear the TV and weather updates.

That is when I can remember some of the most terrifying things. James Spann and the weather crew are watching this tornado rape our town. They are describing what they see and I can hear the urgency and panic in their voices. I knew without even watching it with my eyes that it was going to be horrific. Slowly, yet quickly and painfully this act of nature demolished a huge part of our town, destroyed all things we considered normal.

Once they gave the all clear for the moment (for us) I came out to watch as that same storm destroyed other parts of the state. I was frantically texting Corey to see if he was okay. Of course by this time, the majority of our county was without power and cell signal was very poor, at best. My phones began ringing without stopping, all of our family and friends calling to check on us because they were watching as it was all blown away.

It's hard to imagine, but this was just the beginning. I was terrified for Corey and all the other rescue workers, because I knew what they were witnessing couldn't be good and other dangerous storms continued on their path. Not only were these guys out there neck deep in debris, dangerous materials, and dead bodies...but they weren't even in tune to the weather still surrounding us. Also, they were working with extremely limited resources since their EMA/Emergency Operations Center was among the buildings that were now rubble and one of the fire stations was destroyed.

Many hours later I heard from Corey that he was ok and not sure when he would get to contact us again. The remainder of the evening we spent in our storm room. The girls, playing and watching a movie, and for me, in shock, disbelief and prayer for what I could only imagine.

The next few days were a blur, almost like a bad dream that I just couldn't wake up from. Corey had been at work for over 48 hours straight when he finally got to come home for a little while to check on us, only to have to return back to that hell. I had never seen him so shook up and disturbed in all my years of knowing him. Later I would learn that all the firefighters I know working in this disaster have the same look in their eyes and emotion and pain in their hearts.

For several days following the storms, the girls and I didn't leave the house. Corey was working with the fire department for days without end and I knew that it wasn't safe to be out and about with all the destruction. Then we had to go in search of diapers for Addison. I couldn't find a pack of diapers anywhere in Tuscaloosa, as they had all been bought and donated. So in our attempt to find some diapers, I drove through town and saw first hand all the destroyed buildings and lives.

I had seen all the photos and videos that had been posted on the internet, but NONE of that prepared me for what I saw. It left me speechless and brought me to tears. And from the back seat, my now 4-year-old is asking me 100 questions about the "torn up homes" and where is her daddy and when is he coming back home. Those are answers and conversations that I didn't want to have with her, but I knew I must. There really should be a parenting manual that has all of those kinds of answers readily available for parents!

Not only was she confused and upset about all the terrifing scenes she was seeing, but she had also found out that we couldn't have her 4th birthday party as planned because the location we were to have it was in the middle of the destruction area. Although it wasn't damaged (amazingly), they had no power or water...and her daddy wouldn't be able to be there because he had to work every waking hour. Try breaking that to your 4 year old and getting her to understand!

So for weeks, everywhere you look there are huge piles of what used to be someone's livelyhood, for many, the only things they had. And there are tents and travel trailers as far as you can see- lots of them are disaster relief help, but it is still a constant reminder of all things lost and destroyed. While driving around, I wonder what will happen to these people- not only physically, but mentally and emotionally. Heck, many of them have no jobs to return to either, because all that has been stripped away. I can't imagine what those parents are experiencing knowing that they can't provide for their children right now.

With Corey gone for so many long hours and our schedule and so many other things distrubed, the girls became extremely needy, insecure, and easily upset. Even in spite of my attempts to keep things as "normal" as I possibly could. That was heartbreaking to me as well.

I took this tragedy as an opportunity to teach them the importance of helping those in need. The church where Audrey attends preschool was holding a school supplies drive for all the students/teachers that would be moving to different schools because the tornado destroyed theirs. I let Audrey pick out the supplies and help me deliver them. While we were doing this she, once again, was asking all of her "why" questions and was concerned about what was going to happen to all these people that had all their stuff blown away. That night at supper, the girls and I sat down to eat our spaghetti. After saying the prayer, Audrey looked up at me and asked- " Mommy, do all those people who got their stuff blown away have something to eat? 'Cause if not, we need to give them our spaghetti". It was all I could do not to break down and cry, but I did pause to thank the Lord that my child had a tender, loving heart.

Still now, 3 weeks after that tragic day, everywhere you look is destruction and it is quite depressing- at least it is for me. No more of the "normal", no more going to all the stores and restaurants that we frequented. But it gives me hope to see all the loving and willing volunteers all over our city helping out and it reminds me that there are still good people in this world. And although I often feel guilty because I have a warm shower or a good meal in my home, I thank the Lord for all those blessings- big and small- because it could've easily been us.

So, now that I have poured out my soul- anxiety, fears, and emotions- I feel better. It was very theraputic. If you made it all the way to this part- I thank you for hanging in there and allowing me to open up about this. Hopefully, my next post will be a little happier. Sorry for not including photos. I just can't stand to capture such torment on camera. I have enough images in my mind and having to see it daily. I didn't want it all over my blog, too.

A Little Bit about My Little Bit

2011-05-18T14:30:00.001-05:00

Here are a few snapshots of what our Little Bit (aka Addison) has been up to lately.

This girl loves to play in the sandbox. She hasn't quite learned NOT to throw the sand up in the air, despite the fact that it has often landed in her eyes and hair. (sigh) Maybe one day she will get the point!

And her latest interest is hanging a purse or bag around her neck to carry her loot. So funny!

Just playing a little "dress-up". Won't Daddy be proud...well, okay, maybe not. He has big expectations for their future occupations--like doctor or lawyer ;)

Don't you just love those pretty pink shoes (that totally do not match the outfit)! Addison is NOT a fan of socks or shoes. On a good day she will leave them on 2.15 seconds after you put them on her little feet...unless they are tied SUPER tight, then she just fusses and grunts trying to pull them off. But for some reason she loves these shoes. She will go get them out of her closet and bring them to me to put on her feet or she will sometimes try to put them on herself. Her love for these shoes can't be because they are comfortable, so it must be that they are pretty and shiny.

I couldn't help but take this photo. She was just so stinkin' cute laying in the floor watching tv the other morning.

Easter 2011

2011-05-14T19:57:00.000-05:00

We began our Easter with Audrey decorating Easter Eggs the night before. She enjoyed herself and really did a great job!

Grammy helped her out a little.

Then Easter morning, the girls found that the Easter Bunny had found his way to Grammy and Granddaddy's house to deliver their goodies.

Addison got a kick out of all her loot! Last year she just slept through the whole Easter basket fun. But this year, she got in on the action.

She spotted the candy!

And even shared some with her big sister :)

Next, we got ready for church. We went to my mom's church. We had been there the last several Sunday's off and on so Audrey had been practicing with the Kid's Praise Choir and knew all the songs, so she got to perform with them. She did a great job. We were all so proud of her!

After church, I tried to get a picture of them in their dresses. One didn't want to smile and the other didn't want to sit still :/. Good thing I took some pictures of them in their Easter dresses prior to this day. Those turned out better and I will share later :)

Me and my girls

Then we had an Easter Egg hunt at Grammy's house. We hunted eggs SEVERAL times.

Both girls were so cute finding the eggs. They'd had enough practice, they were getting very good at locating them :)

Look Mom! An Egg!!

Addison was thrilled when she found an egg with money in it...because it made a cool jingling sound.

Uncle Keith helped Audrey find all those well hidden eggs in the "high" places. (He was the one who put them there in the first place).

I think we found them all...but we may be finding forgotten eggs for months to come :)

Easter Egg Hunt

2011-05-14T08:00:00.001-05:00

Every year we attend an Easter Family Fun Day presented by my mom's church. It is always so much fun and this year was no exception. We had a blast!

The girls both got to hunt for eggs. It was difficult to get good photos of both of them because they had the field divided up by age groups and Audrey and Addison were in different groups. Plus they hunted at the same time so I was running back and forth trying to snap a few shots of each of them.

It took Addison a couple of minutes to realize what she was supposed to do. Once she caught on, she loved running and grabbing the eggs. Sometimes it took a little coaxing to get her to actually pick it up. She just wanted to point to it to show us.

Audrey had no problem finding the eggs. She was off in a flash and had a basket full in no time.

Audrey and her Grammy searching for more eggs.

Daddy and Addison enjoying a little shade and snack.

Audrey spent most of her time in the inflatables.

Daddy and the girls checking out their loot.

Sweet Audrey-girl

Yes, I was there too. I had Corey take this picture so the girls will know that I did attend their events...I'm usually the one taking all the photos and never have proof that I was there :)

Audrey' 4th Birthday

2011-05-13T19:27:00.001-05:00

Audrey's 4th birthday fell on Easter weekend this year, so she had many things to keep her busy.

We began her morning with our family tradition serving "birthday muffins". The birthday girl gets a candle in her muffin and is serenaded by the family with the "Happy Birthday" song.

After enjoying her birthday breakfast we headed out to an Easter Egg Hung (that is a later post).
Around lunchtime we arrived back home and celebrated some more with a picnic of hamburgers and hotdogs. Most of the family was there- Mommy, Daddy, Addison, Grammy, Granddaddy, Nana, Uncle Keith, Aunt Carol, Keeley and Brantley.

And what celebration is complete without a cake??!

Audrey even got to open a few gifts. She got this one from Grammy. It is a doctor's kit.

Her "real" birthday party was set for the following weekend and was postponed because of the devastating tornadoes that struck our town. (and we are still waiting to have that party---more on that later)

A few days later, Audrey celebrated her birthday with a little "party" at preschool. I took cupcakes, chips and drinks for all the kids. She enjoyed her special day!

Park Play with the Family

2011-05-13T15:00:00.004-05:00

I have so much catching up to do with my blog posts...so I am going to be back tracking a bit.

A few weeks ago, the girls and I went back to visit with my family. While we were in town we went to the park to enjoy some playtime and sunshine. We took Grammy, Nana, Granddaddy and Uncle Keith with us.

Addison and Nana

Granddaddy and Addison

Both girls LOVED this little bridge. It is made of conveyor belt type material and it seems "bouncy" when they jump on it. They spent a lot of time bouncing and running across it.

This cracked me up! Addison couldn't get enough of this little contraption. She would hold on for dear life and laugh out loud the entire time. Notice the open mouth. You can almost hear her laughter.

And certainly Audrey had to play a little "hide and seek".

And Addison was "Just a Swangin'".

Then Audrey did a little clowning around...

...and roaring like a lion.

Nana with Audrey and Addison

Before we left, we walked around the pond and spotted this adorable family...

One kind lady shared some bread with Audrey so she could feed them.

We had such a wonderful day and made so many beautiful memories.

Cheap Traveling

2011-05-10T14:37:00.001-05:00

Why pay $4 a gallon when you have a little sister???!

I'm Still Here!

2011-05-05T23:09:00.003-05:00

I know it has been forever! And I have tons of catching up to do. Our area suffered great destruction from tornadoes last week. Fortunately, we received little damage, only lost several trees. But many around here were not so fortunate. We are just now getting internet restored. so I will be back soon with updates.

Thank you everyone who has been checking on us and praying for us during this time. :)

The Easter Tree

2011-04-12T21:36:00.001-05:00

This tradition started many, many years ago. When my brother and I were little, Nana would always have us help her decorate an Easter Tree in her front yard. We hung plastic Easter eggs from the branches. After a while we grew older and that tradition stopped. Well this year, I decided it was time to bring it back. My girls are old enough to enjoy it and I wanted them to have those wonderful memories as well. Since Easter will be the first holiday we will celebrate without Pawpaw, my family is trying to cope with the huge hole we still feel within our family. So, I thought some family time and Easter Tree decorating would do us all good, especially Nana. Here is Uncle Keith, Audrey and Addison pulling all the eggs out so we can begin tying the fishing string.

Everyone working on the eggs. (Granddaddy, Grammy, Addison, Uncle Keith, Audrey, Aunt Carol, Nana)

Aunt Carol and Audrey share some snuggles.

Granddaddy and Audrey hang their eggs.

Addison loved admiring the colorful eggs...

...then snatching them down. I spent most of my time replacing the ones she removed.

Grammy got in on the activity.

We put Nana to work too!

Aunt Carol hung some eggs, too, until Audrey pulled her away to hide and find Easter eggs.

Here is Nana and the girls in front of their beautiful Easter Tree.

It was a wonderful day full of laughter and memories!

Addison's 1st Haircut

2011-04-05T15:20:00.004-05:00

This is my little rag-a-muffin before her haircut. No doubt she needed one!! I took her to my long time friend, Brandi. We've been good friends since we were 5 years old. Isn't it great to have friends for that long! Brandi is awesome with my girls and they feel comfortable around her. Audrey won't let anyone but Brandi cut her hair. So, I'm happy to make the 2 hour drive for her to cut my girls' hair. I usually get my hair cut, too, while I am there.

Addison did really well. She sat in Grammy's lap so I could take pictures. She was mesmerized by Brandi and was really taking in every move she made.

And this is after...She doesn't look like a "baby" anymore. (sniff, sniff). Addison looks so grown up here.

Brandi gave her a cute little certificate to go in her baby book with the snip of hair. I forgot to take a photo of it before I posted :(

Whew, that first haircut was an emotional one---for me anyway. But she does look adorable with her new "do".

Park Playtime

2011-03-27T12:37:00.000-05:00

We are loving this wonderful spring weather!

What better way to enjoy it than spending a day with the family at the playground.

Addison has come to love the slide. She wants to slide over and over again.

Audrey is becoming fearless on the playground. She is like a monkey and getting really good at the monkey bars and such. (This makes me so nervous when she does this...I broke my arm doing this very same activity when I was 5 years old. I always get a knot in my stomach when I see her doing this.)

Recently, she has mastered walking on these swinging steps.

We had such a fun time together!

Diaper Duty

2011-03-26T09:39:00.001-05:00

I just couldn't resist. She just looked so darn cute running around in her diaper just before bath time.

Addison was feeding Audrey's Lambie a bottle then decided that she would chew on it.

Don't you just love those legs?!

Just Like Daddy

2011-03-25T07:40:00.000-05:00

Audrey likes being a helper...and learning to build things...

...just like her daddy.

Building Birdhouses

2011-03-24T14:36:00.002-05:00

She loves helping her daddy. So he bought her this little birdhouse kit and some small tools so she could build it. He helped her with the nails and screws a little. But she did a great job.

She did the painting by herself. We just stood by to offer assistance if needed.

It turned out great! And she was so proud!