Popsicles

When Daddy is in charge....

They eat popsicles on my new couch. Aren't they cute?

I can't resist....

He's just too darn cute to keep them to myself.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We are headed to the beautiful mountains of West VA early Thursday morning to spend the holiday with my family, and I cannot be more excited about it. I miss holidays with them, so I plan on soaking up my time with my Papaw and the rest of the crazy gang!

Sneak Peak

My friend took the most amazing pictures of Hayes for his 1-year milestone. She is wonderful with the camera and even better with the kids themselves! I am very excited to pick out our favorites and order them to share with family and friends. He is such a handsome, sweet little boy.

Bath time...

It gets WILD around here each night at 6:00 p.m.!

Picnic in the Park

I took the kids to a local park the other day for a nice little picnic. It was one of the warmer days and we know how stir-crazy we can get once the cold winter sets in, so I packed up a lunch and headed out. It was fun, but let me tell ya...chasing Hayes through the gigantic wooden play-set got really old really fast. He still isn't walking. Not even a little bit. He, however, wanted to follow Addie all over this monstrosity, and I came pretty close to a heart attack several times. It's not easy keeping up with these two by yourself.

Addie loves the idea of a picnic. At home, we try and sit at the table together each night for dinner. So the idea of eating on a blanket on the ground is very exciting to her!

Hayes on the other hand, doesn't care where he eats, just as long as their is enough food to fill him up! The kids eats and eats and eats.

So cute these two! I enjoy watching them play together. Hayes just follows her around like a little puppy. She is really so good with him too.

I am thankful to have days like this. Thankful and grateful and also very, very tired :)

Wild Man

This was Hayes after dinner the other night. Tim is taking him to get a bath. Do you think he needs his hair washed?

How else can I get dinner cooked for all of us? He has to help himself. And I think he actually enjoys it!

A Wedding

And the beautiful bride....Mrs. Jarah Nicholas...

To me, weddings are one of life's most precious moments, right up there with having a baby. Everyone is happy and hopes are high. Two lives join together to tough out the rough times and relish the sweet moments in between. I almost always cry at weddings. The father-daughter dance is my lowest point. I boo-hooed like a baby when Jarah and her Daddy danced that night. There's nothing like a Daddy and his little girl. I am even more emotional since Addie....and look forward to watching her dance with her Daddy on this special day.

I have been honored to be a part of several special weddings over the last 10 years. It means a lot to me to be asked to take a role in such a momentous occasion in someone's life. I will be a part of their picture albums, scrapbooks, and jump drives for years to come. I love helping my friends plan their dream day and getting to know their families throughout the whole process. You can say that I have learned how to be the "perfect bridesmaid" over the years. Well, atleast I thought I was pretty darn perfect. Until....this last one. I was a little less than perfect. I was actually quite the opposite, and I haven't quite figured out what happened or why I just couldn't get it together. Perhaps it was the whooping cough that threw me off course, or maybe it was the strange rash that invaded Addie's body, or even the viral bronchitis that consumed my little Hayes....who knows? I was definitely not the perfect bridesmaid. But....God bless her...Jarah took it all with stride, and she was the perfect bride. The wedding was beautiful and you could feel love in the air that night! The cobbler was delish, and it was awesome to have all of my close friends in one place for the night. It was one of life's sweetest moments, and I am thankful to have been a part of it! Thanks Jarah...love you girl!

Pamper me Addie!

I let Addie have control of the finger nail polish the other night. It took everything in me to sit still and let her have at my hands. The perfectionist in me wanted to boss her around and tell her how "to do it right", but I made myself be still and quiet....and she had so much fun.

She certainly tried her hardest and was very teary-eyed when I told her that I was going to take it off. I was afraid I would scare people, being it was blood red and all over the tips of my fingers! She is such a girly-girl, and I love it!

Priceless

I love memories like these!

Aren't you curious?

What was little Hayes for Halloween? Did he dress up? Well of course he did! Check out our little dragon.

He was a sweet little dragon, despite a little cold lingering around. Next year he will be running right there beside his sister as we trick-or treat!

Playdough

This past weekend my Dad and Memaw came up to visit from the warm south. The day before they arrived, it was almost 80 degrees and the kids and I were playing outside in short sleeves. The morning I picked them up at the airport, it was a chilly 50 degrees! We didn't let the cold weather bother us one bit though.

Addie wanted to get her playdough out that first night and she insisted on everyone sitting down with her and making something. Even Papaw Rick joined in on the fun.

Here he is cutting the leg off of Addie's hippo I made her. She was not very happy with him.

Poor little hippo...or cow...or whatever it was.

After our efforts with the playdough were exhausted, we made Papaw Rick and Memaw play a few rounds of Hungry Hungry Hippo. Addie whipped our tails. She's a pro at that game! It was a fun first night with our special company. I wish we could do that sort of thing more often.

Again

My Dad was here and worked his magic again. I now have a "mudroom" like I have always wanted...well...close enough. It's awesome! No excuse for little stride rites and pink cowgirl boots to be strewn across the living room floor, or size 13 sneakers to litter my foyer as soon as you walk in our house. I love it! And I love the little ladybug in the picture too! Thanks Dad...I love you as well!

She finally did it...

She actually participated in Halloween. She didn't refuse to put on her costume and run and cry when the door bell rang bringing little trick-or-treaters to our house. She wanted some candy herself and knew what she had to do to get some. Our little Ladybug Girl loved it this year!

We met up with her little cousins and Addie just followed them around like an old pro. She always enjoys being with them.

She was rather shy and stand-offish at first. This is a picture of her standing off to the side, waiting her turn to say "trick-or-treat to the lady with the candy bowl.

Do you see her trying to keep up with her cousins...running towards the front door of this house? How cute is she?

Trick-or-Treat!

I have plenty more pictures and stories to share from the weekend. We had special guests and lots of memories were made for our little family. Stay tuned...

Our little Strawberry

Last week Addie wore one of her little Halloween costumes to school for a little parade and "show" they put on for the parents. She was such a little cutie. It is crazy to see how shy and reserved she is at school. I have a very different Addie here at home, that is for sure. Can you pick out our little Strawberry?

She didn't mind the costume one bit, unlike last year where she refused to participate in any of the festivities at all. She hammed it up and kept referring to herself as "Little Red Strawberry Head". She makes me laugh. And she makes me cry sometimes too...but I love her, and I love holidays so much more now that I have kids!