Separate Holidays!

This memorial day we had separate family functions.  I good friend of mine, Lisa, got married in Alabama  and Wade took the girls camping with some friends of ours.  

The funny thing about me my friend Lisa is that we were friends from Troy and we both  ended up here in Arkansas within 6 months of each other.  She is also the one that hooked me up with my Part time job at the Club.  SO now we have some friends here in common and that is who I went to Al with for the wedding.  It was a lot of fun to spend a weekend with women I enjoy and was able to get to know them all a lot better!!!  IT was great fun!

Wade was brave and took the girls camping at Devils Den this past weekend.  We went as a family last year to the same place and it was a lot of fun.  WE planned on going together this year, but when I couldn't go he decided to move forward with the plans.  Not sure of all the details but I KNOW it rained almost the whole weekend.  My friend emailed me a couple pictures so I saw evidence of the mess my children were.  But, I heard no complaining, so it's all good! ;)

Look how dirty my poor girls are!!  Nora's hair looks like it hadn't been brushed in days!  gotta love Dads! ;)

Lisa and the whole gang I went with on the back porch of the "plantation"!  We pretended to be good ole' southern girls.  The others were taught how to say Mama and Deede! ;)

Us again with our "fans"  where is our iced tea?!  

These are my college girlfriends!  It was so good to see all them and catch up!  I felt like i was 20 again for a brief minute! ;)

Here's to the SUN

Well, after a couple weeks of CONSTANT rain and chilly weather (in MAY), The sun has finally come out and I think it's for GOOD!  The girls and I have been outside everyday since.  They L-O-V-E it out side!  

One day we played with our shadows and traced our body outlines.  The girls love anything they can write with, so combining sidewalk chalk with a sunny day is like HEAVEN to them!  We had a great day just hanging in the front yeard.  Loving days like that!

Today was the first time we got in the pool this summer (or spring).  My friend,Toni, has a neighborhood pool that has opened.  All other pools in the area don't open until Memorial Day weekend.  Both the girls love splashing around in the bath, but Nora was the only one truly enjoying the water.  Audrey sat on the stairs the whole time thinking about it! ;)  i just loved soaking up the sun.  I basically had to drag Nora out kicking and screaming, but she will have plenty more pool time.  Between the neighborhood pool and the pool at the Club I work at, we will be LIVING at the pool this summer!  Can't wait!

All I have to say is that I totally feel like a better mom when we hang out all day in the sun.  Does anyone else feel this way? It must be the vitamin D or something!  ;)  So, heres to the sun and all the joy it is gonna bring my family!!  Do you think I am excited it's FINALLY warm and sunny??? ;)

Sweet Baby Girl

So, I took some pictures of Audrey for her ONE YEAR Birthday!! I can't believe how fast this year has gone!  I remember thinking time went so slow during Nora's first year, I guess b/c I was watching and waiting for every little milestone, but Audrey's first year has FLOWN by!  I put these pictures on Facebook and a couple people mentioned that Audrey looks a lot like Nora.  So Wade and I busted out some old pictures, and sure enough, they do have a lot of the same resemblances.  The biggest difference is that Nora's hair was a lot longer.  I WILL get a  little bow in Audrey's hair one day!! ;)  Audrey has been a true blessing and Joy to us.  She and Nora love each other so much and have such a great bond.  She makes us laugh constantly and is full of smiles (except when she is in tantrum mode)!  We can't even imagine our family with out her.  We truly know her little spirit was meant for us!

Anyway, these are a couple of my FAVS!!  If you have already seem them on Facebook...So sorry, enjoy again! ;)  I have also put them on my photography blog, Click HERE if you want to see it.  I must admit, It's nice to be able to take pictures of my girls.  Even if my little budding business doesn't bloom, I know I am gonna save a fortune just on yearly pictures of us all!  ;)

PS~ For the GRANDPARENTS....  If you double click on the pictures it will bring the picture full size and then you can "right click" and  "save as" to save them on your computer and then order prints online.  I would be happy to print them and mail them to you, but you KNOW from experience that Audrey may be closer to 18 moths by the time you get them! ;)  Just saying!!  haha!

Gotta love a freebie!

I have been in need of new patio furniture for a while now, but I never can seem to fork over all that money!!  Wade and I tried to find a good deal during the end of season sales last year, but we weren't really looking that hard.  Since summer was vastly approaching I knew I needed it and I needed it NOW!  Again, I just didn't want to spend that much money.  Honestly, have you looked how much nice table and nice comfy chairs are lately???  You could easily spend at LEAST  $800!!!  Anyway, a good friend of mine knew I needed new patio furniture and also knew that I like a good deal... FREE being the BEST deal!!  Her mother in law was moving and wanted to get ride of her patio set, so she thought of me and just brought it over.  I was so grateful she thought of  me, but It would definitely need a makeover.  I wasn't sure if I could do it justice, but knew I needed to try.  

So here is what it looked like when I got it:

This is what it looks like after 5 cans of spray paint, new chair cushions (on sale at Target) and a new big RED umbrella!!  Yay!  I love it! :

So whatcha think?  Did I do a good job??  I am quite pleased with my work.  And I must say it is comfy!  Wade and I sat outside after the girls went to bed and talked and drank "mockarita's"  ya know margaritas w/o the tequila!!! ;)  It was so nice, we have never really done that b/c we've only had an uncomfortable bistro set since we got married.  Now we can lounge in comfort and style!!!  YAY!  

PS~Thanks Lori, you're the BEST!

Maybe there is something to that there FHE (Family Home Evening)

Dislaimer: This may be long, but there is a good point!!!

So tonight right before Family Home Evening (FHE), Wade and I got into a little tiff.  Basically, I was being a total brat, but I'll tell you the whole story anyway.  He was being super nice and volunteered to go to the grocery store for me tonight so I wouldn't have to tag the kids around.  Sweet, no doubt!!  But, when he got home he had bought TONS of stuff.  Like 3 bags of that, 3 boxes of that, 5  of those whatch-a-ma-diggies.  Did he think we are feeding a small army??  Anyway, not really a big deal, but when I am trying SO hard to live within a budget, how frustrating is it that he spent the WHOLE month grocery budget in one shopping trip?  I know it a moot point b/c the food will last all month anyway.  But there is no time for such SENSIBLE thinking when you're trying to be annoyed at your husband! ;) Anyway, he got upset b/c I was acting all, well, we'll just say MOODY! ;)  In his defense he did let me complain for a good ten minutes at all the Wrong stuff he bought, when I guess he would have appreciated a "Thank You" or something!  I know, if you're a guy and reading this I am SURE you are SO glad you aren't married to me!!

Well, after a couple minutes of silence Wade started FHE.  We always start it with a Primary song.  Mormon 101:  Primary is children's Sunday school and Primary song are like church hymns made just for kids.  We always start FHE with a couple songs from this:

We actually have a couple of the DVD's and the girls (both) love to sing along with them.  It's true that hymns invite the Spirit of the Lord.   I began to find myself happy and laughing/ not angry anymore in an instance.   Well, I have a point... and that is, that anger cannot dwell within your home when the Spirit of Christ is there. I feel a Mormon Ad coming on....

(This one is an oldie, but goodie.  Circa 1990's or something)

Wade then went on with the lesson which was on "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it Holy" (Ex. 20:8).  It was a cute story about a little boy who didn't know how to do that and his mom suggested he could "serve" someone.  She then suggested he pray about who... and when he did he thought of his grandma, so he decided to write her a letter b/c she in lonely b/c grandpa passed away.  For the activity We wrote Wades Grandpa, whose wife died a couple years ago and is in an assisted living retirement home.    The girls LOVED it!!  They drew him pictures and Wade wrote a long over due letter.  Click Here is the link to the story if you want to read it!

So I'm not saying we are always perfect in inviting THE SPIRIT into our home.  But, I was taught a lesson tonight.  It is a lesson I always known, but it was great to see, first hand, how Christ's presence in our home made us a stronger family!  Ill feelings between Wade and I melted away as we sang and taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our children!!  

Occasionally I like to throw in these little stories on my blog so I can remember these days... since I am SO bad at writing in my journal!  Thanks for letting me share, hope it wasn't too boring! ;)  Here are some pictures of the night as well!!

Payback

This video is of a temper tantrum that Audrey is THROWING!!!  Seriously, this is hilarious to me!  By the time i started to record this she had been throwing a fit for about 15 minutes.  It all started when I  wouldn't pick her up b/c I was in the middle of working on a project.  I know it may sound SO mean that I think it is funny, but common, she is only 12 months and she is TOTALLY throwing a fit.  Literally,  I mean she is throwing her body on the ground.  You can also tell in the video that she finds something on the floor that interested her and she almost gets sidetracked, but then she looks at me to see I am still looking and goes right back to the FIT!!  She is SOOOOOOOOO stubborn, but she looks so cute too!  

But, in the end all I can say is that PAYBACK Sucks!!!!  I was the QUEEN on tantrums when I was little.  I am talking kicking holes in the wall tantrums.  So I guess I only have myself to blame!