Peek-a-Boothe

Clay's Buddy, Drew turns 4!

2012-01-30T21:50:00.000-06:00

Clay's buddy Drew turned 4! We helped Drew celebrate at Chuck E. Cheese's with a Captain America party. Can you tell that 4 year old boys are into super heros and C.E.C.? It was such a fun party.

Our little musician

The big brothers

The little sisters

Mommys can have fun at C.E.C. too!

Clay and the Drews. When did they get so big?

Drew caught with a mouth full of pizza

All the little ones enjoying all the action

Love is in the Air!

2012-01-30T21:35:00.000-06:00

We get really excited about holidays at our house. Any occasion is a reason to celebrate! So, it is only fitting that we pull out all of our hearts for Valentines day. I saw a cute idea on Pinterest for Valentines mailboxes and was so excited when I found some on the dollar aisle at Target. I snatched them up and added a pedestal, sticker, and bow.... and viola.... our own Valentine mailboxes! Clay and Avery are super excited about them and can't wait to deliver their Valentines to the mailboxes.

The Con-man turns 3!

2012-01-28T15:48:00.003-06:00

This morning we went to Connor's Cars birthday party. Clay has been asking for days, "When are we going to Connor's birthday party?" Well, today was the day.

My Sweet babies!

Avery and her sweet friend, Bella Grace

Miss Jennifer and the girls

Beautiful day for a party... just a little chilly!

Fun wagon ride.

Avery loves to color. Maybe she will be my little artsy buddy.

The birthday boy blowing out his candles. Isn't he just precious?

Avery found Emma's stroller and doll and was in heaven.

Lately

2012-01-26T12:25:00.002-06:00

Life seems crazy right now, which is unusual for January. I have been wearing a lot of "hats" lately. I am working on a committee at church, doing a lot of tasks at the office, wrangling a busy 4 and (almost) 2 year old, and I have a lot of invitation orders.. on top of all of our normal obligations. I am so thankful for all of these things, but feel overwhelmed at times. My crazy kids keep me laughing, though. Clay is such a ham and loves to pose for the camera. This morning, he showed off all of his ninja moves. It was a little photo shoot:

Avery loves to "dress" herself and carry as many purses as possible. She is definitely approaching the "terrible twos". She loves the word "no" and can be our little drama queen.

My main work task that I was trying to mark off my list was the website. I am so relieved to have it finished and live. Check it out: www.bluestone.ws

I just finished reading "Choosing to See" by Mary Beth Chapman. I HIGHLY recommend it. I am not a reader, but I loved this book. I bought it on Monday and finished it on Wednesday. I couldn't put it down. God taught me so much through this book and touched my heart. It is a must read. I bought it on iBooks, but I am sure that you can get it at any of the Christian book stores.

Backyard Fun!

2012-01-20T08:58:00.000-06:00

I really like our crazy Texas weather when we get 70 degree January afternoons... the kids really like it too. Yesterday was full of backyard fun! Clay and Addison made "soup", played in the sandbox, collected flowers and pine cones, and played with bubble wrap. Once Avery woke up from her nap, she joined the fun too!

Subway Art

2012-01-15T16:09:00.000-06:00

I have been wanting to do a subway print for my kids for a while now and finally got around to doing it. Now, I just have to get frames and hang them in their rooms. I like how they turned out!

Lions, Tigers, Bears, OH MY!

2012-01-14T16:18:00.004-06:00

We took the kids to the Harber Wildlife Museum and had a great time with all the lions, tigers and bears! The kids were in complete awe- even the little two. The museum just opened and it is so encouraging to see such a neat attraction open in our area.

Gee bought Addie and Clay a souvenir shirt. They were very proud!

Love this picture of my boy!

Gee and all her grandbabies!

Cousin Love

2012-01-13T14:31:00.001-06:00

Hello Blogging Friends! Not much to report on our home front. Aunt Jen, Addie and Tripp have been here for a week, so we are enjoying our time together. Clay and Addie have a love/hate relationship, so we have been doing a lot refereeing. ha! Avery adores Addie. I can already tell that she looks up to her as a "big girl cousin." And Tripp is just the cutest thing. He loves his Aunt Ash, too ;) I always get a good bear hug from that sweet boy.

Gee and all her grandbabies

Watching Dora.

Hands

2012-01-09T15:57:00.002-06:00

My girl loves to wash her hands. She will drag the stool to the sink and complete the entire hand washing process on her own. She loves hand sanitizer, too. Or, as Clay calls it, "hand sizer". It is really surprising that she ever gets sick as much as she washes her hands. If we are at a public place with no stool, she will say "Hands, Mama... Help!" So cute!

Sweet girl!

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T13:48:00.002-06:00

Welcome 2012! I love new, fresh starts. 2012 is off to a great start! Gee was so sweet and offered to keep our kids on New Years Eve, so Kyle and I had a great night out with our friends, Mark & Lindsey. But before we left, we had a little NYE fun with our favorite kiddos...

Clay took this picture- impressive, huh?

We went out to dinner and then crossed the state line to Choctaw casino. We didn't really know what to expect, but we had a lot of fun playing slots and blackjack.

BEFORE CHURCH, JANUARY 1, 2012
Clay and Avery's first picture of 2012! (Many more to come! ha!)

Meeting Gracie

2012-01-01T13:35:00.004-06:00

My good friend, Courtney had a baby on Christmas day- Gracie Nicole! So, my mom, sister, kids and I went to see her last week. She is so precious and tiny. Clay was so excited to see Gracie's big sister Presley too.

Christmas morning

2011-12-28T20:08:00.001-06:00

Our Christmas morning wasn't exactly what I had envisioned, but I will spare you all the details of my trip to the ER. After I got home from the ER at 8am and was doped up on morphine, we had a great morning together as our family of 4. Clay was so excited to see what Santa brought him and was truly thankful for everything. Avery just followed Clay's lead and was thrilled too!

I put our gifts on the stairs (behind a gate), so that the kids can't get into them early. ha!

Avery's "big gift" was her kitchen. She has loved it!

Clay's loot! He got a golf bag and a travel DVD player.

Handsome little golfer!

Avery boiling her phone!

I love Clay's expression!

Clay is mesmerized by his new DVD player. He told Kyle, "Daddy, you can watch Cramer whenever you want, because I have my own TV!"

It was a sweet morning with my family... they rest of the day was a blur....

Cookies for Santa

2011-12-28T19:52:00.001-06:00

On Christmas Eve, Clay and I made cookies for Santa. His favorite part was drowning each cookie with sprinkles. ha! Avery helped watch the cookies bake... and eat them! I love this tradition with my kiddos.

We made stars and trees!

Anxiously waited for them to bake. Like Avery's hair? She had some serious bed-head. ha!

Icing each cookie.

The finished cookies! Clay had the idea to do the yellow stars with blue sprinkles. I told him that green and red were Christmas colors and he replied with "but these sprinkles are CHRISTMAS BLUE!" Sounds good to me :)

All ready for Santa!

Christmas Eve 2011

2011-12-28T19:37:00.000-06:00

We did our "normal" Christmas Eve routine with Pop and Gee. We loved spending time together and celebrating Jesus' birth. The kids were so excited. They truly experienced a "magical" Christmas.

Clay was begging to open gifts. Finally, we gave him the "go ahead" to rip into his gifts.

"I love it, Gee! Thank you so much!" -Clay

CoCo gave Avery the cutest Hello Kitty backpack and she wore it for the rest of the night. She loved it! :)

Pop gave Clay his 80 year old gun. It was so kind of him to give it to Clay. He had an official, notarized document and everything!

It was a great night to spend with our family. We are so thankful for our wonderful families and the ability to spend Christmas together.

Clay's First Hunt

2011-12-27T15:45:00.002-06:00

On Christmas Eve, Kyle took Clay on his first duck hunt. They got up at 5:30 and headed to the farm. Avery and I staying snug in our beds until they got home :) Clay had so much fun, but said that it was really cold! I can't believe that my boy is so big. I was super nervous about his first hunt, but Kyle assured me that everyone would be safe... makes this mama's heart a little uneasy.

Shrek the Halls

2011-12-26T21:20:00.003-06:00

On Christmas "Eve Eve" the Sims crew ventured to the "Shrek the Halls" ICE exhibit at the Gaylord Texan. After many long lines and two very anxious children, we entered the wonderful world of ICE. It was so fun and the kids (especially Clay) loved it! I am almost certain that we did everything wrong. So, learn from my mistakes- buy your tickets online and find a coupon, reserve your time, don't go during a super busy time and bring activities for the kids during the wait. My Mom is only 2 weeks out of surgery and was such a trooper.

One very excited little boy!

My favorite kiddos

Waiting in one of the many lines.

9 degrees and loving it!

Very excited to see Donkey

Nana and Paw Paw's boy :)

Daddy and Clay waiting in line for the slide.

My favorite part was the nativity at the end of the exhibit. A narrator was reading Christ's birth over the speakers from the Bible. So cool!

We're on Santa's NICE LIST!

2011-12-21T15:21:00.002-06:00

Clay: 4 years old

Avery: 21 months old

Crafty Christmas

2011-12-21T15:12:00.002-06:00

With much inspiration from Pintrest, I have been super crafty this Christmas.

I stole a cute idea for Santa letters. I created a "fill in the blank" type letter and framed them. We can write on them in dry erase marker and use them every year. Clay is so excited!

I made these shirts for the kids for Clay's preschool party. I designed the image and used transfer paper. I was disappointed, because they didn't survive their first wash. I should've had my mom make them. Oh well!

I started collected my Crystal Light containers a few months ago and used them as packaging for my Puppy Chow. I wrapped the containers in wrapping paper and created a sticker. We have been delivering them to our neighbors and friends.

My favorite craft this Christmas is our Christmas card holder. I bought a wood panel at Hobby Lobby and painted it. Then, I attached ribbon and painted matching clothes pins.

The kids have been crafty too!

I put up a little tree in my kitchen for all of their Christmas ornaments and crafts. My favorite tree!

Clay was given a race car craft kit and immediately wanted to get started. He had SO much fun painting and decorating his car. He is my child after all. ha!

The finished product (almost). Since this picture, he has added stickers.

Bluestone Christmas

2011-12-21T14:40:00.001-06:00

We hosted our company's Christmas party at our house. It was a fun night to get together for dinner and games. We did a White Elephant gift exchange and played We Draw on our TV. It was so fun. It is similar to Pictionary, but you use your smart phone to guess and draw and the main game board is on the TV.

I bet you can guess one:

These are a few of my FAVORITE THINGS...

2011-12-21T14:32:00.000-06:00

I have been meeting with a group of girls for the last 6 months or so. The purpose is an accountability group to encourage each other in our relationship with the Lord, our husbands and our children. We meet every other week after we put our kids in bed around 8:30. We call it "Wives Group", but our husbands jokingly call it "Desperate housewives of Grayson County." ha! We decided that it would be fun to do a "Favorite Things" gift exchange for Christmas. We each gave our favorite thing under $10. I gave personalized stationery, Diet Cherry Coke and Hot Tamales (I could've given any sort of candy, because I love all candy :)

It was a fun night to exchange our gifts and have dinner together.

We exchanged gifts in the parking garage at Cheesecake Factory, because we didn't want to lug in all of our gifts. ha!

I am so thankful for great friends like Heather, Jennifer, Carrie & Amy!

Clay's Christmas Program

2011-12-15T22:14:00.001-06:00

My sweet boy had his Christmas program this morning. I can't believe that he is old enough. I am not going to lie, I got a little teary eyed when he stepped up on the risers. It was so cute, but by the end, Clay was a little too interested in his sweater. ha! We were so excited that Nana got to go with us. It was her first outing since her surgery. Enjoy this little video:

You're Here

2011-12-12T16:00:00.000-06:00

This is my favorite Christmas song this year! I love the lyrics and her perspective. I remember the feeling of holding both of my babies on the night that they were born, but can't imagine holding the Savior of the world. I am so thankful that he came to this world as an innocent baby when he could have left us all alone.

Happy Birthday Jesus

2011-12-12T15:53:00.001-06:00

This morning, Avery and I went to Clay's preschool for Jesus' birthday celebration.

His class did a short play of Jesus' birth and Clay was Joseph.

His sweet little class. Clay loved his Joseph attire and choose to wear it the rest of the day. ha!

They sang Happy Birthday to Jesus and enjoyed a cake together.

Avery is ready for preschool too! She loved Clay's class and everything that went on.

His sweet teacher gave all of her kids a sticker book to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Clay had a surprise for me too. He made me an adorable ornament that I will treasure for many years. It was such a fun morning to celebrate our Savior.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care...

2011-12-10T14:16:00.001-06:00

...in hopes that St. Nick would soon be there!

2011 Santa pictures

2011-12-10T13:54:00.001-06:00

Our visit with Santa this year was very comical. In past years, we have gone to our ~~non-existent, abandoned, crappy~~ local mall and have been surprisingly impressed with our Santa experience. This year was different. The ~~teenage boy~~ Santa was less than friendly wearing a fake beard with tennis shoes. Clay didn't seem to notice that Santa wasn't the jolly old fellow that we had built him up to be. Thank goodness. Avery was not fond of this Santa, but neither was I. But, she could've been crying because Clay was flipping her off in this picture. I just laugh when I look at the picture below. The Interior Designer in me kinda cringes when I look at the scenery. They could've at least propped up the toys in the background. Ok, I know that I am being super critical, but I also know that you are laughing right now:

Mom Update 3

2011-12-07T21:57:00.001-06:00

Thank you friends and family for your prayers. My mom was released from the hospital tonight and is at home. She is resting and eating well. We are so thankful to be CANCER FREE and are able to enjoy the holidays together. We feel very thankful for the outpouring of love and support.

We are so thankful to God that He cured her cancer. To HIM be the glory forever....

Mom Update 2

2011-12-06T13:00:00.001-06:00

Thank you God for great results! Mom got out of surgery around noon and is still in recovery. We talked to the doctor and she said that the surgery went great. The pathology report said that there was no cancer anywhere else in the body, which means that she is CANCER FREE!!!! We couldn't have gotten a better report. We are so thankful. Currently, we are waiting for a room. Thank you for your continuous love and prayers. We are so thankful for each of you.

Mom Update 1

2011-12-06T09:21:00.001-06:00

Mom went into surgery at 7:55 and we just got an update from the nurse. Everything is going good in surgery. They are anticipating that the surgery may last 4-6 hours, because of the type of robotic procedure. She was in good spirits this morning. She was giving her anesthesiologist a hard time because he was an aggie ;) My dad, sister, aunt and I are hanging out in the waiting room. My sister and I have already made a trip to the gift shop. Thanks again for your prayers.

Hopeful

2011-12-05T21:38:00.001-06:00

I wanted to give an update on my mom. Thank you for your continuing love and support. This is an email that I sent last week:

Friends and Family,

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your families and are already enjoying the Christmas season. Kyle and I enjoyed time with both sides of our families and feel extremely blessed by our time together.

For those of you who don't know, my mom was diagnosed with endometrial cancer at the beginning of November. Since that time, we have met with a wonderful team of doctors and have received nothing but top rate care. At our first meeting with the Oncologist in Sherman, he congratulated her for getting the "best kind of cancer." (oxymoron, right?) Endometrial cancer is usually surgically curable and has one of the best survival rates. From what we can tell on the CT scans, the cancer has not spread and is contained in the uterus. She was referred to a Gynecological Oncologist at Baylor Hospital in Dallas. We met with her a few weeks ago and, like the other doctors, she feels very confident that the cancer will be cured with a full hysterectomy. If further treatment is needed, it would be preventative radiation therapy. She will be having a robotic surgery this Tuesday, December 6 in Dallas.

I am sending this email asking for your prayers. I am so thankful to have each of you in my life and wanted to inform you of my mom's status. My mom, like always, is very positive and knows that there is a valuable lesson to be learned by this trial. Even with a positive prognosis, there are very real fears that creep into our minds. We know that the Lord is with us and is the only one that can calm those fears and anxiety. During trials like these, I am so thankful for my faith. The Lord promises us that He will never leave us nor forsake us and we can stand firm on that promise. Thank you so much for keeping my mom in your hearts and prayers.

I find it so fitting that Clay is memorizing Psalm 139 in preschool. It so conforting to hear his sweet little voice say "O Lord, you've searced me and you know me..." and "You knit me togeher in my mother's womb..." What a comfort and peace.

Thank you for being a sweet friend to me and my family.
With much love and thankfulness,
Ashley

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
¹ You have searched me, LORD,
   and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
   you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
   you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
   you, LORD, know it completely.
⁵ You hem me in behind and before,
   and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
   too lofty for me to attain. ⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
   Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
   if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
   if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
   your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
   and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
   the night will shine like the day,
   for darkness is as light to you. ¹³ For you created my inmost being;
   you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
   your works are wonderful,
   I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
   when I was made in the secret place,
   when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
   all the days ordained for me were written in your book
   before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts,^[a] God!
   How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
   they would outnumber the grains of sand—
   when I awake, I am still with you.
¹⁹ If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
   Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent;
   your adversaries misuse your name.
²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD,
   and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
²² I have nothing but hatred for them;
   I count them my enemies.
²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
   test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
   and lead me in the way everlasting.

It's the most wonderful time of the year

2011-12-02T22:17:00.001-06:00

Clay Thomas (4 years) & Avery Elizabeth (20 months)

Christmas Card 2011

2011-12-01T16:07:00.001-06:00

(back of card:)

Signed, Sealed and Delivered!

Our Christmas cards are in the mail and should be arriving in your mailbox any day. I love checking the mail in December and receiving all of our friends' cards. So, we waned to send our card to wish you a very merry Christmas. We hope that you enjoy time with your friends and family as we celebrate the birth of Jesus.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2011-11-30T21:27:00.000-06:00

We have decked our halls are are ready for Christmas. We pulled out all the decorations this past weekend . The kids love the trees and all the lights.

Clay loves the Little People nativity set. His wise men started traveling today . He chose to start their journey on the grill in his room upstairs. We did find the other wise man last year when we were boxing up our Christmas decorations, so we don't have 2 wise men and a race car driver. ha!

I have to remind Avery that the tree is for looking, not touching!

Our little kitchen tree displays all the kids ornaments that they make. It is my favorite of all of our Christmas decorations!

Our entry table. Welcome to our home!

I made this Christmas card holder with some Pintrest inspiration. I love the way that it turned out. I can't wait to hang all of our cards on it!

Hope you are getting into the Christmas spirit too!

SIC 'EM BEARS!

2011-11-27T15:12:00.001-06:00

We took Clay and Avery to their first Baylor football game! It was so fun for me to hear them say "Sic 'em Bears!" I even talked Kyle into wearing Green :). The kids had a great time. With a lot of candy, we bribed them into sitting in their seats and the rest of the time was spent running around the stadium. It was so FUN to see my alma mater with so much spirit and pride. The Bears beat Texas Tech for their 8th win this season. I don't think the Bears won 8 games the entire 4 years that I was at Baylor! ha!

(Sorry for the terrible quality of pictures- I threw my little camera in my bag to save space) Kyle was a happy camper, because we ate at Freebirds on the way to the game.

Rise up Baylor Nation!

Way to go Bears!

As we were pulling into the parking lot, Clay says "I wish the Aggies were going to be there." I have got to get busy doing some more Baylor brainwashing. ha!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-25T15:55:00.001-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving with our families. We are so fortunate to be able to spend the day with both sides of our families. We had lunch at Kyle's parents'. Gee outdid herself and everything was wonderful!

After naps, we loaded up the car and went to my Aunt's house in Plano. My cousins and their kids were there, so Clay and Avery had a ball playing.

My two favorite men watching football:

My mom and Aves girl!

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

Our Art Gallery

2011-11-23T14:34:00.000-06:00

Between pre-school, sunday school, cubbies, and mother's day out, we have quite the craft collection. I saw a cute idea on Pinterest to take photos of your kids' art and make a photo book. I definitely keep the sentimental items, but throw away the others (there is no way to keep everything).
So, without further adieu.... Clay & Avery's Art Gallery:

This is Clay's school picture. I love it!

Clay's Thanksgiving Feast

2011-11-18T13:18:00.001-06:00

All aboard the Mayflower!

Clay had his Thanksgiving Feast at school and it was so sweet! Clay's class dressed up as pilgrims (he was a little disappointed, because he really wanted to be an Indian) and the other class were Indians. They did a cute little reenactment of the first Thanksgiving and then we enjoyed a feast!

Clay's Feast:

All of his fall crafts:

I made these cute little tee-pee cupcakes for his class. I found the recipe here.

They all brought feathers to add to the turkey. Every child made 3 feathers and wrote what they were thankful for. Clay was thankful for: "the birds and their beautiful sounds", "Mommy, Daddy and Avery" and "God"

Clay's 4th Birthday Party

2011-11-09T20:46:00.004-06:00

This year was the first year that I let Clay pick his birthday party theme and location. I knew that I wanted it to be super easy and not at my house. So when he suggested Chuck E. Cheese's, I was sold! But, the Spiderman theme really threw me for a loop. We have never watched Spiderman and I didn't even think he knew who spiderman was. Well, he did and he wanted a Spiderman birthday party. Well, that is what he got :)! We have more Spiderman paraphernalia now than we know what to do with.

Clay had a great time and was super excited to see all of his friends! He was playing so hard that he was drinched in sweat at the end of the night.

He loved seeing the "real" Chuckie!

Wearing his birthday hat while we all sang Happy Birthday:

Blowing out the candles:

The ticket blaster! He got to pick one friend to go into the blaster with him and he picked his buddy Drew.

These pictures really make me laugh:

Avery had a great time too! She loved all the "rides"!So many of Clay's little buddies have little sisters, so he thinks that that is what all families have: a big brother and a little sister. He asked me before the party if all the boys were going to bring their baby sisters. ha!

We had a great night celebrating our 4 year old! It was so fun and all the kids had a blast. We are so thankful for all of our friends who helped us celebrate our Clay-boy!

School Celebration!

2011-11-09T14:54:00.002-06:00

Clay's birthday was full of celebrations! He had a party at preschool and his teacher invited us to join them. So, Kyle, Avery and I had the privilege of being spectators for his school party. I made #4 sugar cookies for his class and he loved them. Clay told me that the cookies were his favorite part of his school party. It might be a new birthday tradition ;) Clay got to wear a birthday hat, put candles on his "cake" and draw a gift for the goodie bag.

His class enjoying the 4 cookies!His teacher had a birthday message inside a balloon. He had to figure out a way to pop the balloon to read the birthday message.It was such a fun morning and I am glad that we got to be "flies on the wall." (Notice Avery in Mrs. N's lap? Isn't that sweet?)

Clay's Birthday Breakfast!

2011-11-09T14:40:00.002-06:00

I can't believe that my baby is FOUR!!!! We started Clay's birthday with a special breakfast of cinnamon rolls, blueberry muffins and orange juice. We had a few gifts for him to open and we sang Happy Birthday! Good morning SONshine!

Happy Birthday Nana!

2011-11-04T20:26:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday to the best Mom! We had so much fun celebrating your "39th" birthday ;) I found this saying on Pintrest, so guess who got a cute little framed graphic?

My little FIRE CHIEF and DALMATIAN

2011-11-02T20:55:00.001-05:00

Before trick or treating we went to the fire station for a photo shoot! The kids loved it and the firemen at the station could not have been sweeter to my kids. My dad went with us and helped me get some priceless shots of my kiddos!

Trick or Treating

2011-11-02T20:45:00.003-05:00

We had so much fun trick or treating in our neighborhood on Halloween night. It was fun to see all of our neighborhood kids dressed up. Avery had it all figured out after the first house. She was loading up on candy!

Pop & Gee's Fall Fest

2011-11-02T20:11:00.003-05:00

Pop & Gee's church had a fall fest Sunday afternoon, so we decided to venture out in our costumes after naps. It was such a fun afternoon and Clay loved all the games and candy. It was so exciting to see so many of our friends there :) Clay and Princess Hope

Clay and Strawberry Shortcake

Clay and his buddy Blake from school

Clay and his buddy Beckam

Halloween Party!

2011-10-30T13:58:00.004-05:00

Our friends, the McClures and Hammetts, invited us to their house for a Halloween pumpkin carving party. We all had a great time. I loved baking for the party:The Hammett girls painted all the kids faces. Clay LOVED it! He convinced Avery to get her face painted too!Sweet Ashlynn took Avery to have her face painted. Clay picked out the dog face for her ;) I was shocked that she sat still for them to paint.

Clay decided that he wanted a Batman too, so Grant painted it for him!

Clay was fascinated at the "big boys" launcing pumpkins. He thought that that was pretty cool.

Avery was checking out all the carved pumpkins.

Clay had so much sugar at the party and had a tummy ache this morning. It was so sweet because he prayed: "Dear God please heal my tummy and Amen." and then he told me "Mommy, God hears our prayers because he has good hear-sight. Ha! I love that boy!

Care-A-Thon

2011-10-26T21:23:00.002-05:00

Last Friday, I helped Clay's preschool class participate in TCS's annual Care-A-Thon. It is a fundraiser for the school where they get sponsors for service projects. It is a win-win for the community and the school. Every grade level has a service project. The preschool classes collected canned food for the local food bank. I LOVE his teacher and his school- I could go on and on! They are so intentional about everything that is taught. With the Care-a-Thon, they used it as a perfect opportunity to teach the preschoolers to serve others and love others like Jesus loves us! It was so sweet to see every preschooler load up a bag of food and carry it to the food bank's truck. Clay's class collected the most canned foods and won an ice cream party. It was a fun day and I loved watching Clay in preschool mode.

Wild Wednesays!

2011-10-26T21:16:00.002-05:00

Wednesdays are our busiest day of the week. Clay has preschool, Avery and I have BSF, Clay has Cubbies and Kyle plays in a Wednesday night golf tournament. I sleep really good on Wednesday nights. ha! Tonight was "Crazy Hair Night" at Cubbies and Clay requested spikes and my headband. (Avery doesn't go to Cubbies- hers was just crazy from her nap!) This is Clay's super hero face. Aren't you scared?My sister made this cute shirt for Avery. I thought she looked so cute for BSF this morning!

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." - Picasso

2011-10-23T19:59:00.003-05:00

Check it out!

2011-10-20T15:41:00.004-05:00

I am so excited about my new stationery sets. For more information, you can go to my Blue Box blog or my ETSY store. AND... I will be selling these sets and other exciting things here: Mark your calendars to attend! It should be a fun day to get into the Christmas spirit!

33 minutes worth your time!

2011-10-17T23:16:00.000-05:00

Take 33 minutes to watch this video! Well worth your time. It will change your perspective and hopefully, your heart.

More Fall Fun!

2011-10-17T16:36:00.003-05:00

Kyle was playing in a golf tournament all weekend, so we decided to have some fun! Gee and Nana took us to the Whitesboro Peanut Festival. It was a beautiful day and the kids loved it! Clay and I went down the slide together:The only ride that Avery could ride was the carousel and she loved it. She said "Neeee" the whole time.Gee bought Clay a sword and this is how he wore it! ha! What am I going to do with that kid? He is the funniest kid that I know.We went home to watch the Baylor/ A&M game on TV. Our house was divided on this one. We always cheer for each others team, except when they play each other! Unfortunately, the boys' team won!Avery was really sad that the Bears couldn't pull off a victory :(

Blast off!

2011-10-16T13:42:00.002-05:00

I love all the little crafts that Mrs. Carrie's class does at Mother's Day Out. Last week, Avery came home with the space ship. I remember loving it when Clay did it 2 years ago. I scanned both to compare. It is funny how they are both good representations of their personalities. Clay was almost 2 when he made his space ship and Avery just turned 18 months.

Weekend Fun!

2011-10-10T20:57:00.002-05:00

We had a great weekend together! Friday night we went to the Sherman Bearcat football game. We figured out a trick to get Avery to sit still: Tootsie roll pops! She did so good as long as she had her sucker. Once her licks ran out, she was ready to climb the bleachers. Saturday morning we got up and decided to make a quick trip to Allen for Freebirds. We let the kids play at the Villages of Allen and then had lunch at Kyle's favorite restaurant. Freebirds was a big hit with the kids. Clay loved all the foil sculptures while Avery loved the pinto beans. :) I took this picture of my precious babies while we were in Allen: Clay loved the chips and queso, too!

I pulled out an outfit from last fall for Avery. Last year she wore it as a dress and this year it was a perfect top! I am getting good use out of that top. This is a picture of her wearing it both years:
Saturday night we enjoyed a low key night at home watching sports. We were flipping back and forth from the A&M/Tech game, the Baylor/Iowa St. game and the Rangers game. Too many sports in one night! All of our teams won, so we were happy campers! Our house will be divided this weekend, though. My Baylor Bears play Daddy's Aggies. Clay has already told me that he is for the "gig em aggies", so I guess I have to recruit Avery cheer for the Bears!

All about ME! {Clay}

2011-10-02T21:37:00.006-05:00

Last month at preschool, Clay's class learned about themselves. The unit was entitled "All About Me" They sent home an adorable book that they made about "Me." It is such a treasure! These are a few of my favorite pages:
I almost cried when I opened to the "When I was a baby" page. I thought, "what do you mean when I was a baby?".... "he still is a baby!" I can't believe that he is growing up to be such a sweet little boy. He will be 4 next month!

I wanted to jot down a few things about our boy, so I won't forget-

------------------------------------
-Clay Quotes-
"Mom, I hurt my tummy bone."

"Look at my pimples!" (holding up his shirt and pointing to his nipples)

Walked into my sister's room, looked around, bowed his head and closed his eyes to pray: "Dear God please make Ally clean her room and Amen."

His normal dinner time prayer: "Dear God, thank you for everysing and everyone in Texas and Amen"

"Mom, he is not making a wise choice." Referring to a motorcyclist not wearing a helmet

"I can see good because I eat my carrots"

"Can God lift up our house?"

---------------------------------------
-Some of his favorite things-
Peanut butter and jelly sandwich for lunch
Donuts
His buddies, Drew, Lane and Mary Grace
Lamby (his lovey that he has always slept with)
TV- he would sit in front of the TV all day if I let him
Riding his bike
Chick-fil-A and the restaurant with "peanuts on the floor" (Texas Roadhouse)
Any super hero: Spiderman, Batman, etc.

I love my fun-loving little red head! He is such a JOY!!!!

My little Mini-Me!

2011-10-02T21:24:00.004-05:00

I am not going to lie, I love it when people say that Avery looks like me. Kyle took this picture of us before church this morning and I think we look so much alike. This is a picture of me around Avery's age. My serious face reminds me of Avery's expressions. I love my sweet girl!

We have a Winner!

2011-10-02T21:12:00.003-05:00

Thanks for all your votes! We have a winner!

Fall Fun!

2011-09-28T16:08:00.005-05:00

We have had so much fun with Kyle's sister, our niece and nephew this fall. Unfortunately, they had to go home, so we are a little out of sorts. We already miss them (they were here for 3 weeks). While they were here, we went to the Sherman Arts Fest and the kids had a great time. Clay wanted to participate in every inflatable that they had. He has such an adventurous spirit. Tripp sharing his Cubs hat with Avery:
Clay loves his Daddy and I love my boys:I had my 10 year high school reunion. It was so fun to see people that I haven't seen in 10 years. It seemed like a reunion for Kyle's class too- so many of the girls from my class married (or dating) guys from his class. It was a fun weekend of reminiscing!

Acts 2:38

2011-09-28T16:02:00.002-05:00

Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The PROMISE is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Acts 2:38

For all you Mamas out there: I was so encouraged by this and wanted to share! I pray this promise for my children- that they will repent in the name of Jesus and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter must have known the prayer of a parent's heart! Love this!

Happy Half Birthday, Avery

2011-09-25T15:42:00.000-05:00

Happy Half Birthday Avery-girl! I can't believe another 6 months has come and gone! We are so blessed by our sweet girl. Truly a gift from the Lord. She is a busy girl! She loves to climb and move. Although, she is a big cuddle bug. She is the best for cuddling up on the couch with a Sesame Street book.

She loves to play the "100 questions" game.... Where is your eye? Where is your belly button? Where are your toes? Where is the duck? What does the duck say? Where is Clay? Where is Avery? What does a dog say? What does your nose say?.... you get the idea. She said her first "sentence" this week. As we were walking into Mother's Day Out, she was wiggling out of my arms to catch up with Clay and she looked at me and said "I Walk!" I was shocked. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. So, I let her walk ;)

She is very interested in the potty and the potty has become part of our pre-bath routine. She has had a few successes (of both kinds)! I can't believe that she is so big... where did my baby go?

Here are Avery's 18 month stats:
33 inches tall
29 pounds
Size 4 diaper
12 teeth

I love to see the progression of every 6 months:

Help Wanted!

2011-09-20T13:32:00.001-05:00

For this very important decision, I am enlisting my blog readers' help! I need help deciding on Clay and Avery's HALLOWEEN COSTUMES.... I told you it was important. ha!

I want them to coordinate and I have a few ideas. So, I am putting poll on the right side of the screen to VOTE!

Here are my ideas:
Firefighter & Dalmation
Peter Pan & Tinkerbell
Scarcrow & Dorthy
Dragon & Princess

Welcome Home, Daddy!

2011-09-17T17:39:00.003-05:00

Kyle was in Pittsburgh all of last week for work, so we were so excited when he got home last night. This is a picture that he sent me: (sorry for the bad quality, it was taken on his phone) The kids and I made a banner to welcome Daddy home. Avery loved coloring and Clay was in charge of the stickers. It was a fun craft for a good cause :)Kyle brought Clay a Steelers football and he loved it!
I am so glad to have all my chicks back in my nest :)!!!!

Back in the Swing of Things!

2011-09-13T12:30:00.003-05:00

We are in full swing with our fall schedule. I LOVE having a routine and schedule (And I love the cooler temps. too!) Our calendar is very full with activities. I don't know if I can keep up in a few years when both kids are in school and extra curricular activities. Now that I have a few more free hours during the weekday, I have been working on a house plan. I love being able to work from home- it keeps my mind sharp and helps me appreciate all of Kyle's hard work. Since we are back into our fall schedule, I had to pull out all of my fall decor. I tried a few new things, thanks to Pintrest inspiration :) I rearranged furniture this summer and moved this table into my breakfast room. I "won" (Kyle laughs every time I say that I "won" something) the G. Harvey print on Ebay. I added my fall pumpkins and voila:Avery was sitting in Clay's lap this morning while they were watching Sesame Street and I had to pull out the camera. Clay has become very protective of his baby sister and is very concerned about her. Avery gets really upset when Clay gets in trouble. I love their bond :)I love this shot of my little mini-me!
Happy Fall Y'all!

Day at the Zoo

2011-09-08T15:19:00.003-05:00

We are taking advantage of this BEAUTIFUL weather! Today we ventured to the zoo with Aunt Jen, Addie & Tripp. We had a great day with all four kids. We had the entire zoo to ourselves and the weather was absolutely perfect. We fed the giraffes, rode the train, had a picnic, and enjoyed every minute together.
What wonderful memories we made today!

Avery's first day of school! :)

2011-09-06T21:23:00.003-05:00

Clay had his turn and today was Avery's! It was her first day of "school". She is going to Mother's Day Out once a week. Clay is going too, but he considers preschool as "real" school (not MDO). So, today was Avery's "special day!" I packed all the lunch boxes and back packs and they were off...(Disclaimer: these pictures are terrible! Both my camera and subjects were not cooperating. None of these pictures are even post worthy, but I wanted to document the day.) The big school girl:This is the best picture of both of the kids... pathetic, I know.Addie & Tripp are going to be here for a few weeks, so they are going to MDO too! It is so fun to have them in Sherman with us!

They all had a great day :)

Texas Football!

2011-09-06T21:08:00.003-05:00

It's that time of year: TEXAS FOOTBALL!!!! I love the fall for many reasons and football is one of them. We took the kids to Sherman's first home football game. They loved it! Avery didn't last too long because it was way past her bedtime. But, overall it was a fun night.After the Sherman game, we came home to cheer on my beloved Baylor Bears to a BIG win. When I was at Baylor, we were lucky to win a game. I can't tell you how many games I have sat through (usually only until half time) when we lost (sometimes by 50 points). So, I am not used to Baylor having football talent, but I LOVE it! Great start to the season, Bears. Keep it up!
Sic 'em!

God made the World

2011-09-05T20:30:00.002-05:00

One thing that I love about Clay's preschool is that they do scripture memory. This is his first verse. It just melts my heart.

Picture Day!

2011-08-30T21:36:00.004-05:00

I had a great coupon for The Picture People, so I used it as the perfect excuse to have the kids' pictures taken. Clay did great. Avery... not so much. I told Clay that I would buy him a toy if he smiled big for the camera. Avery doesn't understand bribery yet. I love how the pictures turned out.

Cotton Bowl

2011-08-28T16:46:00.004-05:00

The Sherman Bearcats played at the Cotton Bowl and we made the trek to Dallas with my parents to watch them play. Clay LOVES football games, so it is so fun to take him. We stopped at Uncle Julios on the way to the game: It was a great game and the Bearcats won. It was a 7:30 game and was only 105 degrees. ha! Needless to say, we just stayed until half time.This little munchkin stayed with Gee and had a great time:

Clay's first week of Preschool!

2011-08-28T16:31:00.004-05:00

Clay loves preschool! He had a great first week. His teacher has a website where she posts pictures, so I downloaded a few to share:

He tells me that the "bean tub" is his favorite thing about preschool.Last week, we had a "preschool social" for all the parents to meet at the spray park. The kids had a great time. Avery just stood on the side and watched. She wasn't sure about all the "big kids."

Clay is off to a great start!

Clay's first day of Preschool!

2011-08-22T13:15:00.003-05:00

Today was the day that my baby started preschool! I can't believe it! We packed his bag with goodies for his teachers: Had a yummy breakfast on his special plate:Mommy took a lot of pictures:

Daddy went with us to drop Clay off.

And he was off:

I did a lot better than I expected. I just knew that I would cry like a baby, but I didn't. He was so excited and ready to go. When we dropped him off, I kinda stood around too long and he turned around and started having second thoughts. Kyle quickly directed back into his class. As we were walking off, I said "He was having second thoughts for a second, huh?" and Kyle responded with "You mean, you were having second thoughts?" ha! When I picked him up he said "I had a great day and preschool is my favorite place!" I asked him what he learned and he said "God made the whole Earth!" I call that a success!

Jello face & Toothbrushes

2011-08-20T15:47:00.002-05:00

I just let her go at it: She loved the jello!After the jello-fest, both kids hoped in the bath with their new tooth brushes.

My Summer Picks!

2011-08-19T00:53:00.002-05:00

Some of my favorite things this summer include:

- The Help: So, so good! Loved the book and the movie!

- Pintrest: As if I needed another online addiction :) Reminds me of doing concept boards in college (remember, Courtney Beal?)

- Step Aerobics: Yes, I know it has been around forever but I just started this summer. Love it! I tried Zumba too- not a huge fan. I like step aerobics much better because it is a lot less "shake" ha!

- "Just Beachy" OPI nail polish. It has been on my toes all summer.

- Kashi Go Lean Cruch- yummo! Such a great way to start the day!

- Favorite tunes: Jason Aldean's Dirt Road Anthem & Lady Antebellum's Just a Kiss.

*Yes, I know I just posted a lot of photoshoped material. I couldn't sleep and was in a photoshop mood. Good night!

Nicknames

2011-08-19T00:34:00.003-05:00

I call my kids a thousand different names.
So, I wanted to record what we call them!
For Clay:
Names for Avery:

Anniversary Book

2011-08-19T00:05:00.004-05:00

I always look forward to adding another page to our anniversary book each year. Seven years down... many, many more to come!

Growth Spurts

2011-08-10T12:55:00.005-05:00

I am convinced that both of my kids went through growth spurts this summer. They have both changed so much in the last few months. So, I wanted to update my blog and record a little bit about each of them.Clay is 3 months shy of being 4 and makes us laugh every single day. I say all of the time, "I've got to write that down." He says some of the funniest things. He really is at a fun age. I wish that I could keep him at this age forever. Last night before baths, I sat Avery on the potty to see what she would do. Clay gave me a very puzzled look and said "You've got to be kidding me." HA! He has never said this before and I cracked up laughing. While in the car, I heard him in a very soft voice say with his eyes closed and hands together "Dear Jesus, please make it rain so that ours flowers and grass don't die and Amen!" Aww... sweet boy. He tells everybody that they are his best friend: "Daddy, you my best friend"... "Mommy, you my best friend." He is such a sweet kid. His favorite hobby is to play "birdie game on Daddy's phone." (Angry Birds). While Kyle was at work, I let Clay leave him a voice message and he said "Daddy, I love you so much. You my best friend and I want to play birdie game." Clay is his Daddy's little buddy. They love to go to the golf course together and are planning their first camping trip this fall. Clay gives so much life and energy to our family. He is so fun to be around and is currently the easier child. I love that boy! At 16 months, Avery has decided that she is ready to talk. She can respond to my questions and obey commands. Her newest word(s) is "yes 'mam." I can't believe that she is turning into a little girl. I don't know where my baby went :(. It makes me sad to think that I probably won't ever have another baby in my house (unless the Lord has a different plan for us). She loves to climb on things and is so proud of herself when she makes it to the top of a piece of furniture. Climbing is a new territory for me, because Clay never even thought to climb onto things (at her age). She still eats and sleeps like a champ. She is finally eating other meats besides chicken nuggets. She now likes turkey burgers and sausage. But, fruits and veggies are still her favorite. She and Clay have really started to play together and enjoy being with each other. She has learned how to play cars and build tents. Big brothers are really good for teaching those kinds of things :). She can zoom a car along the floor with one hand and have a baby doll on her other hip. She is still such a Mama's girl and occasionally gets separation anxiety. She is full of energy and has no problem keeping up with Clay. She is such a doll. She really was the missing piece to our family. Thank you Lord, for our sweet girl.

Horseshoe Bay Anniversary Trip!

2011-08-07T21:29:00.005-05:00

Back in November, Kyle played in a golf tournament at Horseshoe Bay and won a free night at the Resort, a round of golf and a gift card. We were so excited and thought that our anniversary was a perfect opportunity to redeem our prize. Aunt Ally and Nana were so sweet to keep the kids overnight. We had a nice dinner and walked around the resort when we got there Friday night. The view from our room: Saturday morning while Kyle was playing golf, I slept in and ordered breakfast in bed. Such a treat. I can't remember the last time that I slept in!

We laid by the pool Saturday afternoon and headed home that night!

It was a great way to celebrate our anniversary! I am so thankful to have spent the past seven years with Kyle. I am so thankful to have him as my husband. I am looking forward to many more anniversaries together.

Cheap & Air Conditioned Entertainment

2011-08-04T14:56:00.002-05:00

Since it has been 110 degrees and too hot to do anything, we have been getting creative with our air conditioned actvities. The highlight of Clay & Avery's day: the laundry basket. Oh, my sweet babies! I love them!

Carry Your Name

2011-07-31T22:23:00.000-05:00

Love, love, love this song! Just wanted to share!

10 years later...

2011-07-31T21:25:00.005-05:00

Last Thursday, I packed up the car with snacks, suitcases, car seats, strollers, portable DVD player, a very excited little red head, a very curious 1 year old, and a very supportive Nana to make the long trip to Houston. We went to visit my very best friend from college, Sarah. Her parents live in Houston, so we stayed at their house. Let me just say, they rolled out the red carpet for us. I have never seen such hospitality in my life. Homemade meals, comfortable home, and friendly, helping hands. I am SO glad that we went. Our only agenda was to spend time together. Clay and Avery LOVED Sarah, Leanne and Dane! They couldn't have been sweeter to them. Clay is already asking when we are going back. We really missed Kyle, but Clay told his Daddy that we were going back next Thursday and he was going with us. ha!This summer was the 1o year reunion of our meeting. Sarah and I were "potluck" roommates at Baylor and we met the summer before to make decorating plans for our room. We met in Dallas (summer 2001) with our moms and shopped for fabric, pillows, etc. I am pretty sure we had one of the cutest dorm rooms in Collins :) It was very appropriate that our moms were with us for our "10 year reunion"
We took the kids to a playscape and they LOVED it... especially Clay. Sarah and Leanne went above and beyond to make our visit extra special. Sarah is SO good with kids... a true gift!

I am so thankful to have Sarah in my life and consider her my very best friend :) My mom was so sweet to go with us and I couldn't have done it without her. Big hugs were in store for Daddy when we got home!!!

Swim Lessons 2011

2011-07-21T15:10:00.005-05:00

We finished up 2 weeks of swim lessons today. It was Clay's first year to be in preschool class (not parent/tot class), so Avery and I did a parent/tot class while Clay did his big boy class. I was so proud of him! He definitely didn't trust his swim instructors as much as he trusts his Daddy in the pool, but he was still a very brave little guy! Today was free day, so they got to play the entire time. Aunt Ally offered to do Avery's class with her, so I got to watch Clay and take pictures.

Clay's friend, Brynn was in another class, but they splashed together for a little while. (Notice Ally and Avery on the right. She sat there almost the entire time watching the big kids play. She rarely ever sits still.) Clay was so proud of his certificate!

Avery and Ally watched Clay poolside!

Miss Priss!

His sweet teachers brought cupcakes for all the kids when they were finished. Clay was thrilled. He gets his sweet tooth from his Mama!

All bundled up:

Clay had great instructors: O'Lydia & Paul! They were so sweet to my boy!

Our certificates! I am such a proud Mama!

Blah...

2011-07-19T15:06:00.002-05:00

Not much to blog about! Just our everyday, simple life. I am sure that my 3 faithful blog followers haven't been missing my posts. ha! We took the paddle boat out a few nights ago and Gee snapped some pictures: We have been trying to survive this heat. It zaps all of my energy! I love this picture of Gee and my babies:

Hopefully, I will find some blogging motivation soon! But for now, I am going to finish my laundry, cook dinner, clean the house.....

Preschool here we come!!!

2011-07-06T13:27:00.004-05:00

If you know me, you know that I had the hardest time deciding on a preschool for Clay. I don't know why. There were so many variables in my decision- schedule, cost, curriculum, etc. I was very thankful to have two great options for preschool. In my mind, I had a first choice and second choice. At first, I decided on my second choice because it worked into our schedule better. I made that decision in April and paid a deposit... and then I changed my mind. So, in June we started the process all over. I had a gut feeling about my first choice. I couldn't let it go. So, FINALLY I have made up my mind and feel great about the choice. I am so excited for Clay and think that he will thrive at Texoma Christian School!!!! I drove Kyle crazy with my indecisiveness, so he is very thankful that we have arrived to a decision. We got the "acceptance letter" in the mail last week and the excitement has been building ever since. I can't believe that it is already time for my boy to start preschool. I could cry just thinking about it. He is so big. Where did the time go? I swear this was just yesterday:

Fourth Festivities!

2011-07-04T14:04:00.007-05:00

Our good friends, the Bossens, hosted an awesome fourth of July party. From their front yard, you can see our city's fireworks show. They went all out and got a water slide for the kids (and adults, too!). We had a great evening with our friends and watching the fireworks.Clay and Kyle loved the water slide. After Kyle dried off, Clay continued to go down the slide. He played on the slide for the entire 3 hours that we were there. He had no trouble going to bed that night. In fact, we had to drag him out of bed for church the next morning. He was worn out!Avery did great in her car! Since she was strapped in, I didn't have to chase her all night and she was completely content.My sweet friends, Amy and Haylee: (Thank you Sara Macha for letting me steal this pic from your Facebook :)I love this picture of Emma and Avery! Such sweet girls!
Fun night with great friends! Happy Birthday, America!!!!

Happy 4th!

2011-07-03T21:06:00.000-05:00

Avery: 15 months

2011-06-28T21:11:00.002-05:00

Busy, active, opinionated, independant, fast and Mama's girl currently describes our Avery. She is definitely in a "hard" age. I remember this age with Clay, too. I am completely exhausted every night when she goes to bed (sometimes at 7pm). She requires a lot of attention and loves to be held. I am trying to enjoy this age, because it went by so fast with Clay. She is so cute and I absolutely adore her.

What does Avery love? Gerber cheese puffs, any fruit, juice, popsicles, Elmo, Dora and Clay (She does a little dance when Dora or Elmo come on TV!)

How big is Avery? She is around 25 pounds/ size 4 diapers/ 18-24 mo clothes

How does she sleep? She goes to bed for the night anywhere from 7-8 and takes one nap around 1 pm. She usually naps 2-4 hours.

What are some of her "tricks"? She can say a few words: Mama, Daddy, Bubba *cringe*, bye bye, uh-oh, Ca Ca (cookie monster) and a few others. She can sign "more", "eat", "bye bye" and "all done." She can point to her nose, eyes, ears and a most Seasame Street characters. She gives good kisses, pats and hugs. She can obey commands like "let's eat" or "let's change your diaper"

How many teeth does she have? She just got a new tooth for a grand total of 7 teeth. But, she has another one on the way. (I am NOT a fan of teething)

The BIG 3-0!

2011-06-27T19:19:00.004-05:00

It's official- Kyle is in his thirties! We celebrated his thirtieth birthday this past Saturday. Then, I had a small party for him Sunday night and we all had a great time! Some of our closest friends came over to Gee's pool for a fun drink & dessert party!
Thank you to all of our friends and family who made Kyle's 30th birthday special!

Ka-Chow

2011-06-25T16:20:00.003-05:00

We had been talking about Cars 2 for months, so Clay was so excited when the day had come to see it. He packed up all his cars in his backpack and we were off to the first showing of Cars 2! Clay loves the entire movie experience, especially the popcorn! Ally and Nana went with us and we had a great time! Crazy would be an understatement to describe the theater. I have never seen so many preschoolers in my life! I had to plow over a few to get my boy a good seat (not really, but kinda :)We liked the movie, but not as much as the original Cars. It was a fun day with my boy!

Beach Blast VBS

2011-06-25T16:10:00.003-05:00

We survived a week of Vacation Bible School. Our church hosted a "Beach Blast" themed VBS and the kids loved it! It was a great week of learning and worshiping (and sweating :). Avery loved the Bye Bye Buggy!Clay's favorite part was the worship rally!

The Beach 2011

2011-06-20T13:07:00.007-05:00

We LOVE going to the beach! Kyle and I have gone to Destin, FL together since we were in high school. It was so fun taking our kids this year. Fun is hard work with 2 kids, though. There is a big difference between a family trip and a vacation. ha! None the less, it was a great trip and the kids loved it. It was so fun seeing my little boy run and play in a big ocean. He loved building sand castles, jumping over the waves and catching crabs. It took Avery all week to adjust to the sand, but finally by the last day or so, she was having a ball! We went with our friends, the Blevins! What a stud! Ready for the beach:

Mama's girl:

Our first day at the beach:

At the pool:

Avery was so relaxed when she had on my sunglasses and her pappy!

Sitting on her float at the beach enjoying a snack:

All the girls in their cute matching shirts.

Our new favorite breakfast place in Destin, The Donut Hole!We have a lot of favorite Destin places: Stinky's Fish Camp, Cheeseburger in Paradise, Dewey Destin, The Back Porch, Destin Commons, The Grand Boulevard, Publix, Frillseekers and so many more! We have stayed at Tops'l Beach and Racquet Club the last 3 years and love it! Clay loved all the spray fountains!

Can't wait to go back! Truly paradise!

Home Sweet Home

2011-06-18T21:59:00.002-05:00

We're home from a great week at the beach! Once I sort through my 500 pictures, I will post more!

Summertime!

2011-06-15T13:55:00.000-05:00

We have been spending a lot of time at the pool this summer. It is a great way to burn off energy and get fun time together. Clay is starting to swim really good, but still uses arm floats. Avery is a little dare devil and would jump off the diving board if we let her. And I just thought that Clay was my busy body :)Aunt Ally has been helping Clay with his swimming skills!All the Sims girls:Avery loves to swim, but she loves Chubs even more:
Happy Summertime! :)

Our little MAVS fan!

2011-06-10T14:10:00.003-05:00

Yes, we are "fair weather fans", but it is so fun to cheer on our favorite team when they are in the finals. I got the free "Go Mavs" sign from Academy when I was buying Father's Day gifts and Clay was really excited to stick it in our yard. Go Mavs Go!

Daddy Daughter Date!

2011-06-10T14:01:00.003-05:00

Kyle took Avery on her first date! He took her to Panera to eat dinner. He is said it was so fun to have her all to himself. I tought that they looked so cute in his truck when they were pulling out of the garage, so I had to grab my camera. (Sorry for the terrible quality)!I hope this becomes a tradition in our family. I think that it is so important for girls to have a good relationship with their Daddys! Avery is so blessed with a great Daddy!

Cheese!

2011-06-06T15:02:00.003-05:00

My cousin got married this past weekend, so we snapped a few pictures before the wedding. It was a very low key and informal wedding. The bride and groom both have kids, so they had a bounce house, train, cotton candy machine and hot dog stand. Clay LOVED it! Every wedding from here on out will be a disappointment for him! ha! I wish that I had taken pictures at the wedding. Father/Son & Mother/Daughter:

Backyard Fun!

2011-06-01T20:27:00.002-05:00

While I was in Nashville, Pop (Kyle's Dad) built a sandbox for Clay. He LOVES it! He would spend hours in it if I let him. He fills up his dump truck and then dumps the sand out, he makes rivers and mountains and loves to get super sandy!Avery is not a fan of the sand. She doesn't like it on her feet, so our beach trip should be interesing ;). She plays in her "house" while Clay gets knee deep in the sand.Avery has finally taken to the grass. I am hoping that she warms up to the sand before we hit the beach. I love baby feet in the grass.Clay is Avery's mechanic. He was "fixing" her car for her. What a gentleman!
I love relaxing evenings in the backyard with my two favorite little ones!

First SWIM of the Summer!

2011-05-30T14:57:00.005-05:00

We had our first swim of the summer at Gee's pool. The Blevinses joined us and we had a great time!

Brynn showing off her skills:

Belly buster:

Paisley & Avery:

Daddy's girl:

Happy Birthday Tripp!

2011-05-30T14:39:00.003-05:00

Our sweet little nephew, Tripp turned one on Saturday. Since we couldn't be in Chicago to celebrate with him, Clay made a card and sent it with Gee. Isn't Tripp so cute? Jennifer did a cute train theme for his party, so this is the invitation that I created for his special day:Clay was very proud of the monster truck stickers that he put on Tripp's card. He was certain that Tripp was going to love it!
Happy Birthday, little guy! We love you!

Avery: 14 months!

2011-05-25T20:02:00.002-05:00

14 months already? I really can't believe it- she will be 2 before we know it! Little miss priss is growing up right before our eyes. She definitely has a little attitude now. She is so fun and I love seeing her personality. She loves to read Sesame Street books and point and give kisses to all the characters. She is doing more sign language and has perfected "more." She is starting to say more words and can understand commands like "get a book" or "let's go to your highchair." Her little walk has become a full speed run now.I love my sweet girl. She is way more of a cuddle bug than Clay ever was. I love it when she gets her blanket and paci and crawls into my lap.
Happy 14 months Avery girl!

School is out for Summer!

2011-05-24T15:50:00.003-05:00

Today was our last day of Mother's Day Out for the year! Clay and Avery both had a great year. I am so thankful for all the teachers that loved on my kids this year. It afforded me time to run errands, work, and have Mommy time. They both loved going and enjoyed the time with their little friends.I took little thank you gifts to show my appreciation for their teachers: Hello sweet summertime!

Music City

2011-05-23T22:30:00.007-05:00

I spent last weekend in Nashville with my very best friends from Baylor. Every year we try to all get together in one of our home towns. Robin is currently living in Nashville, so it was great city to visit and enjoy my friends! I LOVE these girls so much! It always feels so normal when we are together. We always pick up right where we left off. We have so many good memories together. (l:r- Robin, Sarah, Haley, Me:)We all love to eat sweets! We went to Ivey Cake and I had to try the "I do" cupcake that Carrie Underwood had at her wedding. It was delicious! We spent Saturday afternoon shopping in downtown Franklin. After all the shopping we had to have another sweet treat. We went to Las Paletas for gormet popsicles. So good! We had a good southern dinner at Whiskey Kitchen.
After dinner we went to Broadway and Taylor Swift was doing a benefit concert for the tornado victims. The entire street was closed because of her 6 semi trucks that lined the street. The street was flooded "Swiftees!"No matter what we do, we always have so much fun together. Sunday morning, we layed around in our pajamas and just talked. Robin made a great breakfast and then we all headed to the airport. It was short, but so sweet! Robin was a wonderful hostesses and tour guide. I'm already counting down the days until next year's girls' weekend.

Kyle's SURPRISE Golf Trip

2011-05-17T10:23:00.003-05:00

We celebrated Kyle's 30th birthday this weekend. His "real" birthday isn't until June 25th, but it was the only free weekend to celebrate with our friends, the Golikes. Lincoln turned 30 too, so Carrie and I surprised the guys with a weekend of golf. They got to play 3 really nice courses in Dallas and we all stayed in a hotel together. It was such a fun weekend. Carrie and I had a shopping weekend. We hit 3 malls in Dallas and the Outlet mall in Allen. Each day they opened a card with their tee time, course and map: The big reveal!:Aren't they cute golfers?:I had a successful shopping trip! I got a few things for me and a few things for the kids. My favorite "finds" were these containers for the kids' MDO lunches:And, a cute beach bag for only $4.99... all found at the Container Store. I got Avery this cute jumper from Hanna Andersson:
We had such a great weekend, but I really missed my sweet babies! My parents were so generous to keep them all weekend. Happy 30th birthday, Hubby! :) Can't wait to spent 30 more years with my man!