Happy Memorial Day

Happy Memorial Day!

Thank you to all who have served our wonderful country--we are indebted to you FOREVER!

A BIG THANK YOU to Josh for serving in both Iraq and Afghanistan, fighting for our freedom.

Annabelle and I are blessed to be loved by you!

Fun Table Settings

As I was browsing fun blogs one day, I came across these super easy table settings. They are designed for the kids' table, but I thought they were darling for all festive occasions and for all ages. All it takes is scrapbook paper, 3D stickers, some glue dots, paper napkins and plastic cups (and whatever else you decide to throw in there). You can even use paper/plastic plates and utensils for added color and fun. My sister-in-law, Nikki, and I teamed-up for Easter and made them for the first time. We loved it so much, and it added a lot to our family dinner together.

I decided to throw something together at the last minute for Mother's Day, and they turned out great! It's fun to choose from all the different combinations of scrapbook paper and stickers--the possibilities are endless! It's a fun way to make holidays and special occasions a little more personal and vibrant.

Here's the original website: http://www.hostessblog.com/2010/03/budget-friendly-easter-kids-table-ideas/

The Blessing of Mother's Day

The reason I LOVE Mother's Day?

I get to be a mom to this ADORABLE...
AMAZING...
HAPPY...

CHARMING little girl!

Being Annabelle's mom is the greatest blessing I've ever known--definitely a role worth celebrating!

Mother's Day Prep Party!

This year for Mother's Day I wanted to do something fun to recognize two influential mothers in Annabelle's life: Brittany and Nikki (2 of her aunts). Next to me and my own mother, Brittany and Nikki are the most influential role models of mothers in Annabelle's life. Annabelle LOVES Brittany and Nikki, and they are both wonderful examples to her. She talks about them constantly and loves to visit them and their daughters. Most importantly, she is always taken care of and loved when she is in their presence, which is comforting to me. It is nice to have close family members willing to help out with babysitting from time-to-time, but Brittany and Nikki truly go above and beyond babysitting--they are caring, loving, strong, capable women and mothers who not only make sure she stays safe, but who also genuinely and sincerely LOVE her. This gives me peace. Annabelle and I are blessed to have them in our lives, and are thankful for their example. We admire their beauty, tenderness, spirituality, strength, cooking skills, patience, sense of humor, acceptance, and willingness to help out. When I was in the hospital for E-coli, Brittany and Nikki took turns taking care of her while my mom stayed with me in the hospital. They didn't take turns because the amount of time was too much for one person; they took turns because BOTH of them wanted her and they had to share :) What a relief and a comfort to be surrounded by wonderful women like that!

Well, Annabelle and I didn't think of anything fancy, but decided that we would have a little party at grandma's to paint aprons and bake cookies for these lovely mothers. It turned out great! I had Annabelle make Nikki's and I invited Paige to make one for Brittany. They both had a great time, and were happy to participate. The cookies didn't quite make it to them--sorry girls! :) We LOVE you and appreciate your love!

I like putting little dots of all colors on my apron!

Isn't it beautiful?! I love the rainbow!


Mmmmmm...Mmmm this frosting is delicious and makes us smile!

I think I'm getting the hang of this. But really, all I want to do is eat the dough!

Is it bad manners to lick the knife...A LOT?! I guess not when you decide to keep the cookies for yourself right? :)

The sugar has gotten to me, and I am about to pull out my super cute smiles and laughs!

Paige you are SO funny! That song you're singing cracks me up every time!

Happy Mother's Day!

A Big Girl Bed!

A big girl bed for Annabelle! This past weekend we were able to get Annabelle her own bed--LONG overdue, but worth the wait! She LOVES it and LOVED helping daddy put it together. It makes me a little sad to take away the crib. She loved her crib, preferred it to all other beds (including mom and dad's), and never once tried to get out on her own. Nevertheless, as soon as we started talking to her about getting a brand-new big girl bed, she was more than ready to give up the crib. As you can see in the following pictures, it was a wonderfully happy day for her. To be honest, it was also a wonderfully happy day for me and Josh as well--seeing your children excited, happy, helping out with little tasks, proud to be growing up and embracing change, are all amazing rewards of being a parent. We're so excited for you Annabelle!

My 1st time using a screwdriver! I'm pretty good and know exactly what to do already!
Look at me showing daddy how to work this thing!
My daddy is the BEST! I'm so glad we're doing this together.

Uh-oh...uhhh...dad? It says here the rails are upside down! Gotta start over!

We fixed it and are back on track. Phew!

Let me test this out. Yep! It'll work great. It sure feels good to relax after working so hard.

Look at me! I'm sitting in my new bed! I've got BIG plans for that drawer on the footboard--DRESS-UP stash!

I'm so excited! I really want to "go to my nap." Now can you get my mom to choose a blanket for me?!

Night at the Museum

We recently spent some fun family time at the Dinosaur Museum! Annabelle loves dinosaurs and dragons, so we decided to show them to her up close and personal. It was a wonderful time--we spent over 2 hours walking around, playing, experimenting, and eating at the cafe! She was a bit apprehensive and too scared to get close to the HUGE displays, but she still had a good time, was interested in what she was seeing, and was trying something new, which is definitely a good thing. She was sad when we had to leave, and has been asking me every day since "When is family time? Where are we going on our family time mom?" She must've enjoyed herself!

"Whoa! I threw a piece of paper up there, and it shot up to the ceiling!"


"The instructions say 'Can you make 4 sides?' That's challenging, but look at me! I'm smart, I'm focused, and I'm filled to the brim with confidence. You should see how fast I put together puzzles at home!"

"Dinosaurs make me so happy! Let's go see 'em"

"Uhhhhh they're A LOT bigger than I thought and I'm a little scared."

"Daddy and I both made fun pictures! He was very proud of his dragonfly!"

"I love this game! I can choose a dinosaur, push its button, and the big map shows me where in the world he lives!

"Normally I don't enjoy getting dirty, but after about 10 minutes of testing it out, I finally decided to reach in here--what a good choice! It was fun digging for little dinosaurs in 'dough.'

"I like to find friends wherever I go!"

"These are the dinosaurs I found!"

"Then out of nowhere, I saw 'Ariel's Shark!' Ya know, the one that chases Ariel and Flounder in the ocean? I was scared for a second and cried for my daddy, but now I can't wait to go back and see it again!"

"I'm much more comfortable in here, making my own fossil. Tyson is helping me and I told him 'I make cookies at my house too!' He laughed and laughed

"It just takes a little tap-tap-tap for those air bubbles to disappear."

"I did it! I LOVE it! The dinosaur museum is wonderful!"

Can't wait for more fun family time!

Polka Dot Cutie

"I LOVE this dress!"
"Ta Da"
"Cheese! Can I see?"
Just like a princess
How can you not LOVE that smile?!
Daydreaming about the polka dot bed she wants...to match her dress!

Funny, adorable, and pretty smart too!

LOVE her AND the polka dots