ABEL IS 3 - catch up blog #9

Here is our little crazy 3 year old. He LOVED getting presents. What kids doesn't. He was so excited when people walked in the door w a present. He opened each one right away. We let him :-)

Becky Crenshaw made this INCREDIBLE CAKE. AND people could just not stop talking about how good it was. THANK YOU BECKY!

Two of my sweet friends. LOVE THEM BOTH SO MUCH! Becky and Christy!

Everyone gathering around to sing happy birthday to Abel.

Aidan... OF COURSE boys will be boys and crowd around a video game.

Abel and his buddy Jet playing JUST DANCE on the Wii.

Our Trip to Louisiana.. Catch up Blog #8

We went to see Ted's parents the day after Christmas. It is a very long drive... but it is very worth it. The kids were so excited to see Mawmaw and Pawpaw. We drove most of the day and got there in the middle of the night. They were all so excited that it was hard for them to go to sleep once we got there.

This was Abel's first trip to Mawmaw and Pawpaw's house. We went to see them the January before Abel came home. SO - it's been almost three years since we made this trip. It was LONG over due. They make it out to see us once or twice a year.

I was so glad that the kids got to go and be with them. They had a great time.

OUR FAMILY PICTURES - Catch up blog #7

This shoot was done in November... so we could get that perfect pic for our Christmas Card. We had such a good time doing these ... and then we celebrated when it was over... because having pictures done is STRESSFUL. My friend Mandy took them w my camera and I edited them :-)

Catch up BLOG #6 - BIBLE STUDY GIRLS

This Fall I started a Bible study in my home on Sunday nights with some girls that are out of college and just in that new season of life... One is married, one engaged, a few dating, a few single. It is such a sweet spot of my week EVERY WEEK. We decided to make journals one night. It was so much fun. I love hanging out... but hanging out and doing a craft - EVEN BETTER!

BLOG CATCH UP #5

The kids are all in co-op this year and Addie's class made a cook book of cookie recipes. She also had to have a picture to go with it. The sad thing is ... we got snowed out of our Christmas parties. So this batch of cookies we made didn't even make it to the party.

Avery had her sweet little friend, Kylee spend the night during all the cold weather. She found a recipe in an American Girl Doll magazine that she asked me if we could make. It was SO GOOD. It was for hot chocolate. It had sprinkles and ice cream in it. HOW FUN!

Here's Aidan w his :-)

and Abel ....

and the girls :-)

CHRISTMAS - CATCH UP BLOG #4

Here are some pictures from Christmas this year...
(these posts are OUT OF ORDER) but that's ok :-) (right??!!)

Here's Abel in his sweet outfit the Melissa sent him for his birthday.

Avery read a verse at our Christmas service. Abel was up there for support - haha.

Here I am playing Guitar Hero at the Hornes. I found out I STINK AT GUITAR HERO!!!! BAD.

Me and my boy Aidan. He has the sweetest heart! Love this kid! (love them all!)

This is Angela, myself, Angela's mom, Peggy and her aunt. They were so sweet to have us over to celebrate Christmas Eve. What a fun night. AND GREAT FOOD. We brought appetizers to share and it was ONE AMAZING FEAST!

all of the kids ... getting ready to open their gifts. Haruka is also with us. She is a foreign exchange student from Japan that is living w the Hornes this year. OUR KIDS LOVE HARUKA!

Here are all the gifts... ready to be opened on Christmas morning.

Our tree 2010

Getting everything ready for Christmas morning...

We took video Christmas morning... No pictures. It was a sweet morning as a family. The Randalls came over for Christmas dinner and we had steak and lots of yummy sides. We have done our steak dinner for SEVERAL YEARS w the Randalls. We had so much fun playing Just Dance and hanging out. WHAT A GREAT CHRISTMAS.
WE HAD SNOW on Christmas this year and so Bruce (Christy's husband) and I ran through the snow barefoot w our kids following barefoot - WE ARE CRAZY! It was so much fun!

My dear friend, Melissa.... CATCH UP BLOG #3

These kids belong to my best friend, Melissa. Melissa and Chris live in Texas and we got to spend time w them as well when we made our trip. Melissa is dear to my heart. She was such a good friend to me when my parents were ill. So was Chris. Chris would go and cut my parents grass. Melissa would go and check on them and even go grocery shopping for them. She would also take my dad to the store. JUST PRECIOUS. I can never say what a gift she was to me during that difficult time. I lived 6 hours away from my parents at the time and it was heart breaking to know they were in need. Melissa has such a servants heart...

These are her kids... I got to do a photo shoot of them while I was in Texas. SO FUN!


This is Chloe. She is the oldest :-) PRETTY PRETTY GIRL!

This is Zoe... Isn't she beautiful?

And Mr. Zane.. I have a kid crush on him.

and this is baby Hope. The name is so fitting. Chris and Melissa have gone through several miscarriages and then came baby Hope. What a precious gift!

and all 4 of them together :-)

TRIP TO TEXAS - CATCH UP BLOG #2

One of my sweetest surprises while on our trip to Texas was seeing a few old friends from High School. Vanessa and I have known each other since middle school. We were cheerleaders together for several years. She has three children (two were not with her). This is her husband Derrick. It was so fun to get to meet him. We ate at Casa Ole'.... Which brings back SO MANY MEMORIES. It was great catching up w Vanessa.

I also got to see my friend, Paula. Paula and I were the best of friends in middle school. I have so many memories of Paula. We would spend the night at her house all the time. She also was a fellow cheerleader ... Love me some Paula! She is married to one of my best guy friends from High School. Brett... he was working on this day so I didn't get to see him.

Here is Abel... They got to meet Abel for the first time. The other three kids were with their aunts having a FUN DAY. Actually they were at the movies seeing Narnia. So Abel stayed back w mom and dad :-)

My kids are CRAZY about their nanny Beck and nanny Gwen. They have so much fun w them. They cry when we leave and ask about them SO OFTEN. Thanks Becky & Gwen for always making their time w you guys so memorable.

Nanny Beck lives on a lot of property and the kids had a blast driving the golf cart around. Nanny Gwen is BRAVE because she is riding on the back of the golf cart as Addie is driving. BRAVE IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT!

Nanny Beck also has lots of farm animals. The kids got to feed the chickens and go and get eggs in the morning as well. HOW FUN!

Here is Avery throwing feed to the chickens :-)

Sweet siblings!

Texas OH Texas... We will always be TEXANS!

This woman is LOVED!

Ted with his two sisters. What a sweet picture!

We also went and visited my aunt and uncle. I grew up going to their house and spending the night. Sometimes I would spend SEVERAL NIGHTS in a row w them. We spent just about every holiday at this house as well. It was fun to have my kids step into what is such a family memory for me. They had never met Abel so they got to meet him as well. Abel had never made the trip to Texas. I'm sad to say it has been over 3 years since we have been there.

This is my aunt and uncle. My uncle is my mom's brother. My cousin, Dana and I spent LOTS of time together as kids. They have two other children as well but they both live out of town. Dana's girls are the two in the picture above. Our kids had so much fun playing w them. Of course, Abel had to jump in the picture!