Ozark Fun!

Abby Kate got to play at Neannie and Pop's for 3 days while B and I went to Conway to visit buddies. We had a ball, great rest and great conversation and AK had even more fun. She constantly talks about Neannie and Pop! We are SO blessed with such amazing grandparents! We cannot wait to get back to visit!

Rainy Days

I know it has been forever since I last posted. Falling down on the job for sure. I actually left my camera in my purse which, consequently, was in the car for weeks. I guess there really is something to say about having it close. I grabbed it a bit too late last night. I was fixing dinner and I hear B and AK giggling outside. As I go to investigate, they are playing in the pouring down rain. My eyes soaked in the sight for a bit too long before I thought to grab the device that could actually capture the moment. By then, the downpour had passed. Those two find more uncommon adventures than any I know. Praise God she has him.
As for our daily life, things have been hard but grand. We have moved in to the "terrible twos" a bit too soon. Lots of frustration and tears. From both of us. I begged for wisdom to parent this child. God has been gracious as always.
The most exciting thing to me is her verbal development. Yesterday alone, I said, "do you want to go see Uncle Hal?" She replied, "Al? Al?....Ashley?" It shocked me that by merely mentioning Hal's name she placed Ashley beside him. She did the same thing when we shopped this week for Neannie's Mothers Day present and I told her we were shopping for Neannie and she said "Neannie? Neannie? Pop?" I also handed her some water in the car yesterday and she said "Tank you." There has been nothing that has hit me so hard...she is growing up. Her abilility to process and then repeat is incredible to me. Because I love words so much, hearing my baby speak in her own sweet voice her very own thoughts is the sweetest blessing.

Laughing at Daddy

Bath Time

Fun with Aunt Ashley!

We got to go play on the Riverwalk on Sunday. Abby Kate ADORES her Aunt Ashley and starts saying her name the second we turn down their street. She LOVED playing with her in the fountains. She kept getting wetter and wetter saying "more, more" and sweet Ashley got soaked obliging her...but as you can tell in the pictures, neither of them seemed to care. I was far away zoomed in on their faces...I only wish you could have seen the glee on AK's face!

Chillin'

I died laughing when I walked into the living room after putting away laundry only to see AK kicked back in her chair watching TV. Hmmm....this is such a Bobby pose!

Fun with Friends!

Abby Kate and I had a ball last Thursday with our friends Issac and Ethan and their Momma's, Erin and Nancy. Erin, Nancy and I worked together at the U of A and were all pregnant at the same time. Erin and I even shared an office so we got to share in our pregnancy joys and pains every day! It was SO much fun to watch our kids play together and get to catch up. I miss them both SO much. Thanks again buddies for coming! We miss you already....

Fun Spring Day!

Easter Afternoon...

Playing with Aunt Ashley!



Trying on size 16 flip flops!

We had so much fun yesterday afternoon. We ate a huge lunch and then Uncle Hal and his friends came over to play as their plane was delayed a few hours (they were going on a celebration trip for graduation from med school). Though we know easter eggs and such are not even on the page when it comes to celebrating Easter, AK had fun searching for them and finding the treasures Sweetie had placed in each one for her.

Easter Pretty!

As always, something happens and we didn't get a family picture as I had planned. But here is our Easter beauty!

Fun on the Swing Set!

Time with Neannie and Pop!

Neannie and Pop got to visit Thursday through Saturday. We were all SO sad the weather was so cold but they got her a swing set for Christmas and Pop and Daddy put it together on Friday in the snow. It was so worth it! She LOVES to see it outside and is constantly wanting to play! We had SO much fun with them as always. She ADORES them both.

An Alfresco Lunch

We continue to take advantage of the great outdoors. We LOVE being outside. We ate on our front porch yesterday and got to visit with the neighbors as they passed. AK loves to exclaim "HI!" and "chat" with everyone. She talks 100 miles a minute and of course, you cannot understand a word...but she has a smile you can't resist.

Food face

How broccoli ends up on her nose, hair, ears with ME feeding her is beyond me. Mealtimes are a haze for me right now. She fights to feed herself and does a spectacular job with a fork (she fed herself an entire container of ravioli by herself last night) but has not perfected the spoon. She turns it over, dumping its contents into her lap, onto my newly mopped floor, or into her highchair that is becoming increasing hard to ignore its need for a complete take apart for cleaning purposes. AGH! Independence is overrated.

Bed Head

Just thought she looked so cute and cuddly after waking yesterday. I loved the mornings!

Street Sweeper

"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well." Martin Luther King Jr.

Boo Boo

This child is as accident prone as I am. She falls ALL the time and then pops right back up with blood dripping down her leg. She is tough! Every night when we get in the bath, she points out all her "boo boos", both new and old.

Friends and Daughters...

We had a shower for my friend Jodi this past weekend and we laughed about how we have all had daughters! Guys that want sons are out of luck when you marry a Sallisaw girl....Not really. But it is so weird....must be in the water. So the first pic is just of the girls and the second is all my friends and our daughters.....

More Zoo....

Abby Kate and Kourtney, Spring Break!

As promised, here are our pics from this week. I have to say, AK ADORES her big cousin. I have never seen anything like it! I was the oldest on my Mom's side and always took that role so seriously. I watch Kourtney, her sweet spirit and kindness and I am so glad AK has her to look up to. She has been tireless her whole time here. She just plays and plays with AK. We went to the aquarium on Monday (the first pic) and went to the Zoo yesterday and had a BALL. We stayed for hours and even got to hear a lion roar. That is what they were watching in the last picture. I cannot wait until summer when she can stay a whole week!

Time with Poppy

As I have mentioned, Ak loves being outside. That is one of the reasons why Poppy is her hero! He plays with her countless hours when we visit. She LOVES it!

15 Months and other musings....

Hmm....appetizing huh? A bare bottom while I fix dinner. I so wish I had grabbed my camera a few seconds before this as she was laying on the ground with it in the air.

All kinds of new stuff to update you on...first up, the exploding vocabulary. I am shocked each day to hear new words come out of her mouth. Like ABC, 123, mouth, nose, eyes, shoes, Bob (Veggie Tales), Bow, whoa!, yea!, Mickey! (always said with enthusiasm thus the exclamation point), blue, and shockingly, can name every family member in her photo album. I sound like a braggadocios parent and I really don't mean to...she is behind or normal in many other areas, but not surprisingly (with me talking her ear off all the time and the fact she is a girl!) she is talking up a storm.

Her personality has emerged. She is still ultra observant, sometimes still pausing for a while to size you/or a situation up. However, she is mostly just happy. She smiles a lot still doing the nose crinkle. She is super dramatic and always exclaiming loudly! She loves her books, loves to snuggle with her dolls or animals and loves exploring. She LOVES being outside and squeals when our playground comes into sight on our walks each day. She loves the swings and sometimes likes the slide if I go with her (which I am beginning to hate due to the excessive amounts of static electricity). Other than that, she is simply fun.

But best of all, she has become super affectionate. She latches onto my leg numerous times a day just squeezing with all her might. She will come to my chair, lift her arms and squeeze my neck and then smile sweetly. She gives wet sloppy kisses and now says please and thank you. Basically, my every dream for motherhood is accomplished in these moments. Thanks for letting me goo all over this post but I love to share her with those that do not know her well yet! I love each of you! More pics soon, I promise. We will have our niece here next week for her Spring Break so the pics of our many activities will be fun to share!

The Bunny

This morning Bobby forgot his phone so when he came in the front door, he shouted for us to "Come Quick!" We found this black and white rabbit hiding under our tree on the front porch in the middle of a storm. Abby Kate was squealing loud enough for the neighborhood to hear. We brought it inside and fed it carrots. By 10am, it was part of the family, laid out on the carpet, and following AK EVERYWHERE. I have never seen a rabbit act so much like a dog. I then let in out in the backyard while I showered and went out to find it gone. I went next door to our neighbors to tell her not to let her dogs out until she checked her backyard only to find out it was her missing pet! YEAH! Now I am just hoping when I go to get AK up from her nap, she will have forgotten the whole thing...or else think it was a dream :) A Mom can only hope right? I am NOT NOT NOT adding a rabbit to this drama that is my life, no matter how much she loved the rabbit (I am serious Mom...they are NOT cute Easter presents)!