Go Pokes!

Tailgating with Sweetie and Poppy!

Getting off the shuttle and immediately beginning to cheer!

The new stadium

Super hot beginning of the game

A little relief after Sweetie bought her a hat!
Abby Kate and I got to go to her first OSU game.  VERY last minute, my brother got 2 free extra tickets so we got to tag along.  It was SO MUCH fun!  She absolutely LOVED the energy, loud fans and action.  She spent almost a whole quarter laying between Sweetie and I eating popcorn and saying she was night night.  She was VERY disturbed that she could not actually talk to Pistol Pete.  Seeing as she met him at a dear friend's wedding, she now thinks they are personal friends and was unsure as to why she could not be close to him.  We kept telling her he was working.  We left at half but had such a sweet time walking back together.  She said after walking about a half mile, "WHEW! Momma, I tired!"  but she kept right on walking.  We got to the car, put on our jammies, and headed for home.  Not before stopping at McDonald's and her devouring a whole happy meal!  

Play!

It has been a while since the last post.  We have had lots of fun stuff going on....constant boundary pushing, sweet sentences, POTTYING IN THE POTTY!!!!, and learning to love going to church to see our "friends."

Here are a few pictures of Abby Kate playing with her Daddy.  Aunt Lynn sent a big box of surprises (to her utter GLEE!) and she also sent the boa or "feather necklace" you see in the last pic.  Thanks again Aunt Lynn!  We have been SO entertained.  

Impatience....

Who needs to wait until Halloween?!  Bobby and I are notorious for instant gratification.  We never wait until Christmas (or birthdays, Valentines Day, anniversary for that matter) to open gifts.  We usually end up giving to the other still in the sack because, IT IS SO GREAT!  I JUST CAN'T WAIT!  OPEN IT!  HURRY!  OPEN IT!

So it seems our child has inherited our love and quick devouring of surprises.  She picked out this costume in a magazine weeks ago and has asked every day if it was ordered.  It came in last night at 8:30 (how weird is that?!  The poor UPS man) and we gave her a taste by letting her sleep with the wand.  Of course, as soon as she woke up this morning, she spotted the costume and squealed "IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL! I WEAR IT?!"  

So being the parents we are, we ripped opened the package and put it on her.  We went on a 1000 errands this morning all the while Miss Abby Cadabby followed me with her wand, sprinkling fairy dust every where.  The Wal-Mart cashier was mesmerized.  

So for those of you that don't know, this is an Abby Cadabby costume.  Abby Cadabby is the newest member of Sesame Street.  She is a "princess in training."  Our sweet Abby Kate has LOVED her from the first time she watched Sesame Street.  I said last year after her birthday that we MUST have an Abby Cadabby birthday party this year (Mrs. Phillips would be so proud of me!  Having a birthday planned a year in advance!).  It is only natural as we are living with a princess in training.  Not to mention their names sound pretty similar eh?

Branson Pics...Finally!

This is my ALL TIME FAVORITE!  Look at the glee on both their faces.  What an AMAZING great-grandmother!

This hat became an obsession.  She even slept in it!

Sweetie was a champ and said she would ride this huge boat with her (I KNEW I would throw up!) and got sick as a result.  AK wanted to go again....

Sweetie bought bubbles at the Dollar Store for AK before we went and I think it was the hit of the trip.  We are still playing with the bubbles SEVERAL times a day!  This was one night at dinner.

She LOVED the rides.  Wasn't so sure about this one though.  She is her Daddy's child for sure!



Sorry it has taken me so long to post these.  Mom had them on her camera so I had to get her card to download them.  Oh we had SUCH fun!  7 FULL days of vacation.  It was dreamy.  Our condo was right off the strip so we had quick access to everything.  We shopped several days.  Ate amazing food!  We went to Silver Dollar City 2 days and to Celebration City one night.  Swam in the HUGE indoor heated pool with 2 hot tubs.  Yes, it was bliss.

So here are pics from the fun adventures.  I am so sad we did not get any of us all together.  Hal and Ash came up Thursday night so we had 4 full days of us all together.  Nannie even bought a Cadillac while we were there!  So here are the fun pics.  Thanks Poppy and Sweetie for such a FUN FUN FUN vacation!

So sweet...

I just had to jot these memories down for us to remember....

Today, Abby Kate and I went to Marshall's just to browse and get out of the house.  We recently discovered Bobby's love language is gifts (he is not greedy, and not big things but just a little token to show he was thought of) and so I had I conversation with Abby Kate that went a little something like this...

Me: Let's look for Daddy a surprise!

AK: OK MOMMA!  And Abby Kate a surprise?!

Me: Well, we will see.  But lets look for Daddy. Okay?

AK: OK!

AK: What about dis? Or dis? Or dis? (all cute but not so fun surprises for Daddy)

Me: Okay, I don't see anything.

AK:  (Sweetly) Now Abby Kate's surprise?!

Me: Okay, we can look...

AK:  What about dis?

Me: No, that is too much money.

AK: Dis?

Me: Nope, too much money.

AK: OH MOMMA!  LOOK!  They are bouncies!  My surprise?!  PLEASE?! (it was lip gloss with the lids having springs that had a heart and star and flower at the end...one was missing and it had been clearanced to $3)

Me: Oh Abby Kate!  That is perfect!

AK:  I did it!  My surprise!  YEAH!

Me: Okay, lets go pay.

AK: MY bouncies.  

Me: Oh, Abby Kate.  We must not say Mine.  They are yours but we must be thankful.  You will need to give it to the girl to scan it and be sweet or we are not going to get it.

AK: Okay Momma! (she hands it over with a little whimpering)

Shopgirl:  What a fun surprise!  It is only $3.  How great!

Me: Yep.

AK:  THANK YOU (to the shopgirl)

Shopgirl: You're welcome

And as we are walking out of the store in FULL BLAST 

AK:  THANK YOU MOMMA!  THIS IS SOOOOOOO GREAT!

Me: (Grinning stupidly) You are so welcome, baby sweet.

The whole way to the car...

AK:  THANK YOU MOMMA!

Me:  Abby Kate, every good and perfect gift comes from above.  God allowed Momma to have a little extra money and it was my pleasure to buy you a surprise today.  We cannot do it every day but today was so fun.

AK:  THANK YOU MOMMA.  (silence for a bit)  THANK YOU GOD!

Me: (tearing up)

Finally...the wedding post

the beautiful bride!

The family following the wedding

blowing off steam after the rehearsal 

the bridemaids brunch

"helping" Amber

Amber and sweet Eliza (the other flower girl) with Abby Kate

Rehearsing

I bet you thought I made this wedding all up?  I lost all 3 of my SIM cards for my camera (figures) and had to use the one out of Bobby's phone so it has taken me this long to remember to grab the card when he was not using the phone and download them all.  

So on to the fun stuff, we had a BALL!  I cannot tell you how precious this couple was and what a true HONOR it was to be part of their wedding weekend.  It started with a beautiful bridesmaids brunch at Amber's house that was absolutely exquisite and delicious.  Much to Abby Kate's delight, her parent's had a fish pond in their backyard so much of our time was spent out there.  The other flower girl was PRECIOUS and so sweet to Abby Kate.  She literally made the weekend so easy for me!  Abby Kate loved her at first sight and wanted to do whatever she did so it made the actual walk on wedding day super fun.  We then had rehearsal and rehearsal dinner (which AK did not make it too) which was so fun and honoring.  The wedding was beautiful and Amber looked absolutely perfect.  There was standing room only in a huge church which was a complete testimony to both Amber and Jordan (and their families) and the impact they have had on the lives of others.  I truly cannot tell you how much I love this girl and how thrilled I am that she found such a Godly man to serve beside!

As for Abby Kate's role, she walked easily, rounded the corner to see me for the first time and exclaimed loudly, "HI MOMMA!  I DO IT AGAIN!"  and then quickly began shouting "AMBER! I SEE YOU!  AMBER!" as she walked down the aisle, to which I promtly walked her out to her Daddy waiting in the foyer.  She really did wonderfully.  But in the end, I was not at all surprised because we had tons of people praying.   Thanks for praying!