My Lil Cheeseburger Pirate

A few weeks ago the girls and I got McDonald's and came home to watch a movie and have a carpet picnic. This is what happens if you turn your back even for a second!! Luckily, I had my camera handy. I would have hated to miss this momemt!!

ARGHH, I got me cheeseburger!!

Way too long between posts...

August Update at the end of September...

Ava Grace's Party Recap -

Ava Grace had the best 4th birthday party - if I do say so myself. "Pony Rides and Water Slides". Thanks to Aunt Bess and Uncle MeMe, we were able to do just that. We set up a water slide borrowed from Uncle Bubba, Aunt Molly and crew and saddled up some horses out in MeMe's backyard. It was so much fun. We had a great turn out and the best hotdogs and ladybug cupcakes to top it off. AG came away with some pretty great gifts too. We are so blessed to have such great family and friends!!

After Ava Grace's party, our nephew Noah spent the week with us. We went non-stop the entire time. We went to the park, the movies, to Jump n Jungle, to friends, we played on the slip and slide and just absolutely had a blast!!! We even ended the week with Annabelle getting her first tooth!!

Ava Grace spent the next week with her Granna and Grand Pappy in Howe. They had a house full of unexpected guest, but they made the most of having young girls to play with AG, fix her hair and swim with her. They swam all week, went the the sprinkler park, swam some more, did crafts, went to the zoo, watched a Disney movie or two and just soaked up each others company. She had an awesome time there, as usual!! She even came home with a souvenir - a terrarium full of leaves, catepillars, cocoons - soon to be butterflies that we would let go. It was really a lot of fun watching their transformation.

The past two summers that AG stayed with them, I was so busy with work and getting ready for Annabelle that I didn't really have time to miss her. I missed her terribly this time. She is my entertainment around the house. Though I was glad for the break and got a lot done with only one, I must say I was glad to get her home on Saturday! She was so tan and looked like she had grown.

With Ava Grace gone, I finally took some time to just watch Annabelle. Ava Grace is always on the go and wants so badly to play with AB and get her attention that it was nice to just let her play. Don't get me wrong, they are the sweetest sisters, but a lot of times, AB will get a toy taken away or I am in the other room helping AG or making a meal or something. This time, I just stopped and took her all in. She is such a happy baby and wants to discover all that the world has to offer. She now pulls up on all of the furniture and my legs in order to get a better view and to take a few steps. She will be walking in no time. She also cleaned my floors quite a bit. We started construction on the front bath while AG was gone and Annabelle cleaned it up with her belly - she was still army crawling everywhere until about 2 weeks ago!! It made me crazy to change her clothes every couple of hours, but I don't think she seemed to mind being dirty.

As for the bathroom, we are well on our way to being finished and it looks amazing. Neno let me splurge a little and get granite from a local dealer that was sellling remnants. I love it!! Let me see if I can recap all that we have done in there....

1. Demo all walls in bathing/toilet area.

2. Remove countertop and sink

3. Drywall bath area

4. Put in granite vanity top

5. Remove cabinet doors and drawer fronts

6. Remove existing doors

7. Remove mirror

8. Move light fixture up

9. Have plumber install shower plumbing in wall

10. Drywall/Concrete backer board in bath area

11. Remove existing toilet

12. Tile floor and bath surround

13. Install beadboard in bath area

14. Texture

15. Paint

16. Grout tile

17. Seal grout/tile

18. Hang mirror

19. Trim out entire room

20. Hang doors

21. Reface cabinet

22. Paint cabinet (still need to finish painting these black)

Some of these things aren't completely done, but we are getting there and I am so excited about the outcome. Here are a few pics....

Happy 4th Birthday, Ava Grace!

Here is your story....

You were born at 2:06 p.m. on Saturday, July 30th, 2005
You weighed 7 lbs. 1 oz and were 20 inches long

On Satureday, July 30th labor began at 3:15 a.m. It wasn’t until 6:45 a.m. that we went to Covenant Medical Center to for you to be born. I was observed for an hour or so with contractions 2-4 minutes apart and dilated 2 centimeters & Doctor Broslow started to send us home. The nurse checked my blood pressure as we were about to leave and it was high. The doctor decided it was best for me and you to get labor started right away. The doctor broke my water at 9:15 and petocin was started at 9:20 to speed things along. Finally, at 11:20 I gave in and wanted the Epidural. It was all down hill after that!

Your daddy was told to let me rest—to go home or get lunch—that it would still be several hours. WRONG! At 1:40 p.m. I was told to get him back to the hospital—you were ready to be born. So I called him to tell him and he was in the shower at home. When he entered the room, the nurses were all there and ready to go. Dr. Broslow was right behind daddy and you were born at 2:06 after about three really good pushes! You were perfect from the moment that you arrived. You were placed on my belly while daddy cut the umbilical cord. I will never forget that moment.

You were gorgeous then and you are gorgeous now. I cannot believe you are four. I am so blessed to be your mommy and to have watched you grow and make me smile and laugh. You are such a joy and I cannot wait to see what the years bring and what you will throw at us.

Happy Birthday, Ava Grace!! Daddy & I love you very much!!!!

Here you are at 2 weeks - posing for your announcements

Now, you are 4 and fabulous!!

Getting All Caught Up!

Struck by Lightning -

This gave us the scare of our life. Last Saturday, Neno and I were watching TV after the girls had gone to bed and it began to rain. Neno went outside to listen to it under the covered patio and lightning hit so close and so hard that it send him running back inside. After settling in to watch a show that Neno and I both enjoy, it happened again, but this time it felt like it hit the house. No joke, we didn't just have a power surge, we had everything going nuts. The TV spazzed and then went off and our alarm that hasn't been tripped in 4 years starting going crazy. We had no idea how to turn it off and were sure that it was going to wake the girls, but they slept right through. We were sure that it hit the house so Neno set out with a flash light to make sure that nothing was on fire or smoking that was attached to the house. Once he made his rounds and with no TV to watch, we headed off to bed. Then, the doorbell rings - not a regular occurrence at 10 p.m. so we answered it to find our neighbors. They had come down to tell us that they saw the lightning strike close by and when the went to find out where, the bark from our oak tree was in the street. That lead them to our tree and the spot of the strike. Here are a few pics of the damage...

You can see the entrance and exit of the lightning!

Annabelle is 9 months -

AB turned 9 months on Saturday and I know I have said it before but I do not know where time goes. She is so much fun and I just love when she gets excited. Like Ava Grace, she has some great expressions. I have decided that she will probably not crawl like most babies. She could care less to get up on all fours and take off. The army crawl works for her and it gets her anywhere in the house that she wants to go. She has also started standing up in her bed occasionally. So, we had to drop it down so that we wouldn't find her on the floor one day. She is so proud when she gets all of the way up in the bed. She starts to get excited and bounces which puts her right back where she started from on her rear. She is getting too big!

She broke the mobile pretty much as soon as she grabbed it. Gorilla glue to the rescue!!

AG Swim Lessons-

On July 13th, Ava Grace started swimming lessons at Tech's new leisure pool (It is fabulous). I would have to say that our short stint at TEGA earlier in the summer got us off to a great start. She had no hesitations about getting in the water and taking off. She keeps telling her teacher, "I can do it by myself." And though we aren't quite there yet, she is getting really close. She wants to go under and get diving toys, she wants her teacher to back-up when she jumps and she is not afraid of holding her breath and staying under water for a while. I love it!! She is a little fish! I have also had the chance to play with my camera some when we have been out there and I captured a few good pics...

4th of July-

Over the 4th we ventured to Lake Buchanan (Nana & PawPaw's) to have some family time with my parents, siblings, nieces and nephews. We also had some special visitors as my friend Kristen, her husband Brian and precious daughter Presleigh joined us for a day. We hiked down to the "Big River" as there isn't any water behind my mom and dad's house right now. It is so sad, but the hike was worth it. The kids loved picking up shells and swimming in the "big river" as Ava Grace would say.

The girls and I stayed behind for a few extra days so that we could play and mom and I could talk business. I even got to soak up a little sun while the girls were napping. That was fabulous. We met Molly, Emma Beth, Marlee, Janie, Pepper and Jackson at Chick Fil A in Austin one day for just a little extra cousin time and it was so fun to see all of them together. I am not going to rush it but I cannot wait to see all of them growing up together.

And Now, We Are All Caught Up...

Ava Grace - ism

We were stopped at a light today and Ava Grace said "mommy, look at that truck it has HONK A HORN on it! Is this how Uncle Bubba does Honk A Horn???"

It all came together for me when she flashed me her horns symbol that my brother and his kids taught her. I didn't have the heart to tell her it was "Hook'em Horns."

Not that it matters. She won't ever need to know that anyway!!! Love ya, B!

Am I Cute?

We have been working on consistency in disciplining Ava Grace. That includes holding to a promise made for punishment. So, that brings me to today's blog.

Before Church this morning, my darling angel was throwing a bit of a fit in the parking lot. She was whining and stomping her feet to get Neno to pick her up. I politely grabbed her by the arm and walked her between two cars in the parking lot. As I tried to talk to her about how she should be acting, she continued with the attitude to which I then promised a spanking when we got home.

I am going to credit the great message that we heard this morning and the celebration of Father's day with my memory loss of that spanking. Hours later, Neno remembered and asked me and Ava Grace about it.

When I asked her about that spanking and whether or not she remembered why she was to receive one, she responded with her stock answer of "I don't know." That was quickly followed with I don't need a spanking because "I AM CUTE!"

As Neno and I laughed, it continued. "Mommy am I cute?" "Daddy am I cute?"

I guess our discussions now will be to reassure her that she is awfully cute, but that does not get her out of punishment.

I love the innocence and logic of my almost 4 year old.

Back In Business

After buying my mother-in-laws camera Easter weekend, it decided not to work in auto mode, a month later. Now, another month later, I have made my first really big purchase. Yes, I broke down and bought a new camera. But, I couldn't go back to any old camera. I had to get a GOOD one. After having a Canon Rebel, I couldn't settle for anything less. I promise to be blogging again with fabulous pictures taken with my new XSi!!!! And after my class in July, I will be a pro - or so we hope!