The Gentrys-Party of Four

A Day in the Life of an Almost 2-Year-Old

2012-02-01T20:18:00.000-06:00

Step 1: Wake Up

Step 2: Take off pajamas and diaper while still in crib...and tee tee all over the place (I didn't manage to capture this particular moment)

Step 3: Mommy comes in to find current situation...the look on Lila's face lets me know that she knew that she did something that she wasn't supposed to!

Step 4: Play with Minnie Mouse while mommy cleans up the mess, gets breakfast ready, and gets sister ready (must be nice to have everything done for you!) :).

Step 5: Devour waffle while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

Step 6: Bible study with mommy to play with friends.

Step 7: A delicious lunch containing her three main food groups (bread, cheese, and ketchup)...her fourth (fruit) was the snack on the way home from the church.

Step 8: Dress up and play with stickers time.

Step 9: Watch a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode and play with sister.

Step 10: NAP TIME!! hallelujah!

Step 11: wake up full of energy...~~terrorize~~ play with your sister in the playroom.

Step 12: enjoy a messy dinner of pasta with meat sauce, peas and carrots, and a slice of pizza that mommy ordered.

Step 13: TUBBY TIME!

Step 14: Naked victory lap around the house squealing with delight.

Step 15: watch some more Mickey Mouse and play with kitchen

Step 16: Bed time to rest so that she can wake up to do it all again tomorrow!

Lila's 2nd Birthday Party: Minnie Mouse style

2012-01-31T08:04:00.003-06:00

This past Saturday, January 28th, we celebrated Lila's 2nd birthday with a Minnie Mouse party. She loves Minnie Mouse (almost as much as Winnie the Pooh), so I thought it would be a perfect (and adorable) theme! I loved all of the pink, white, and black decor since those are my favorite colors...I know it was Lila's party and not mine :) but I enjoyed it just as much as she did!

Both sets of Lila's grandparents flew in the day before so that they could join in the festivities, and it was so special to have them here. The weather could not have been more perfect, and we were so excited to be outside in January feeling very comfortable, even a little warm, in short sleeves! Chick-Fil-A delivered nugget trays as well as trays of their chicken wraps and chicken salad sandwiches (yes, they deliver!!). We also had fruit, chips, and the cutest cake that I've ever ordered (if I do say so myself)! I combined two designs that I found on Pintrest, and Fiona's Bakery in League City made it look so adorable and really tasty too! We also had cookies and cream cupcakes from Delesandri's in Kemah, and Lila got her very own with two pink candles on top to blow out (although the wind blew it out before Lila got a chance to, but she didn't know the difference!)

delicious food

Lila digging into the chip bowl

Capri Suns: Lila's new favorite drink

We rented a bouncy house from Party Connection LLC, and they were so nice to work with. They set up our house about an hour before the party and were going to pick it up that evening, but my mom couldn't bear for Lila to wake up from her nap to find it gone, so she extended the rental an extra day. I think the grandparents had just as much fun bouncing as all of the kids! I thought that Lila might have been too little to enjoy it, but she was so excited watching it being set up that she couldn't get out there fast enough. She was able to climb in and out with no trouble at all, and all the kids had fun jumping and throwing around balloons inside. My dad was the "security guard" of the bouncy house during the party (which I really think was his excuse to spend the entire party in the house!). The kids loved playing with him as well as with each other, and everyone got along so well!

having fun in the princess bouncy house

playing with friends

opening her presents

We had so much fun celebrating Lila's birthday with our friends and family! We are so blessed and grateful to have met such wonderful people, with wonderful kids as well, here in Texas. It was definitely a great day had by all!

Cake Time!

Celebrating Lila's Birth

2012-01-28T17:24:00.001-06:00

We celebrated Lila's 2nd birthday today with a Minnie Mouse party at our house here in Texas today. I still have to go through about 500 pictures from my camera to put in a big birthday party post, but here are a few iPhone pictures that we took today before and after the party. It was such a great time with Chick-Fil-A catering, yummy cake, and a fun bouncy house that we enjoyed even well after the guests left (Grammy also extended the rental another day so that Lila didn't have to wake up from her nap to see it gone). We are so thankful and blessed to have such great friends and family to celebrate with!

CRAZY!

2012-01-25T21:09:00.001-06:00

...That's what it's been like in our house this past week! It's only Wednesday night, yet it feels like it should be a month from now, we've gotten so much accomplished. Josh and I are both taking a college class this semester and it's been challenging taking turns doing schoolwork and taking care of the girls. These are both pretty time consuming classes, so we've been going non-stop since they began the beginning of January. Plus, we are busy getting ready for family to come in town and Lila's 2nd birthday party this Saturday! We're pretty much all ready to go, except the last minute things (oh, and yard work-since it has rained for the past few days). We are excited for all of ours and Lila's friends to come over to celebrate with us!

I can't write a post with no pictures, so here are some from a couple Sundays ago.

Lila didn't want to share the iPad with her sister

Shirley's Party

2012-01-22T10:01:00.001-06:00

This is a busy time for birthdays, and we have at least one party every weekend for the next three weeks (the next one being Lila's!!). The first of the bunch was Lila's playgroup friend who had her 4th birthday party yesterday. It was a princess theme, and all of the girls wore their princess dresses. It was decorated so cute and the cake was amazing! Lila had the best time kicking around the balloons that were on the floor for decoration. She enjoyed eating the yummy cake also! We had a great time! (I didn't have my camera with me, so you'll have to settle for iPhone pictures)

Rapunzel cake

working her way down the stairs to watch Shirley open her presents

I loved her decorations!

opening presents

"any leftover cake up there??"

yummy!

trying to do a self-portrait of all three of us

Alli watching some tv before the party

A little snack before the party

Late Christmas in Atlanta

2012-01-19T15:58:00.000-06:00

I can't believe it's taken me over two weeks to write this post, but with graduate school starting back for me, the blog has been put on the back-burner. The first week of this year, we took a trip to visit our family in Atlanta to celebrate a late Christmas since we weren't able to be there the actual week of Christmas. We stayed at Grammy and Grandaddy's house, and Santa even made a special late visit to the girls there. We were busy all week visiting the girls' great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, wedding dress shopping for Kimberly, and even had some time to visit some friends. As always, our visit was too short to see everyone that we wanted to, but the girls and I will be back in February!

Here are some pictures from our visit:

Santa came to Grammy and Granddaddy's

Visiting with Great-Grandmama

Wedding dress shopping with Kimberly

Visiting with Mamu, Big Pop, cousins, Great-Grandparents, Nana, and Pop

Dinner with the girls

Tubbys at Grammy and Granddaddy's house

All dressed up and ready to go visit Mamu, Big Pop, Vickie, Bill, Sara, and Charlotte

2-year and 6-month portraits

2012-01-18T16:52:00.001-06:00

While we were in Atlanta earlier this month, we had Laura Negri (who photographed our wedding) take portraits of the girls for their respective milestones. It was a pretty chilly morning, and Lila was not in the mood for pictures, but you'd never know it from her sweet faces!

Here is the link to the slideshow set to music:
http://www.lauranegriphotography.com/slideshows/gentryIV/

Here's a link to some of her favorites on her blog:
http://negriphotography.com/l-a

Six Months Old January 13, 2012

2012-01-17T14:33:00.001-06:00

HAPPY HALF-BIRTHDAY SWEET GIRL!

I can't believe that Alli is halfway to her first birthday. These were, by far, the fastest six months that we've ever experienced!! We have absolutely loved having two daughters and watching Alli and Lila become more interactive. Alli looks up to her sister so much, and Lila can't wait for her to be able to play back. It's been such a fun (and exhausting) six months!

I love to look back and compare how much Alli has grown in the past six months:

tubby time (3 days old and 6 months old)

Mommy and Alli (5 days and 5.5 months old)

doctor's office visits (5 days old and 6 months old)

Daddy and Alli (4 days old and 5.5 months old)

hanging out in her bouncer (3 days old and 6 months old)

falling asleep in her bouncer

sitting in her glider (2 weeks old and 6 months old)

family pictures (8 days old and 4.5 months old)

Here's what you're up to these days:

*you weigh 14 pounds and 2 ounces and are 24.25 inches tall. (these are accurate because we had your doctor's appointment today).

*you cried so hard after your shots that it took your breath away. It also wore you out and you slept the whole way to school after your appointment.

*you were sleeping a consistent 9-11 hours per night until last week (in Atlanta) where you would wake up every 2-3 hours. Thankfully, you're back to your usual 9 hours now!

*normally, you go to bed at 8pm and wake up to eat around 4:30-5:30 (sometimes you even go as late as 7:30). Once you eat, you will go back to sleep until around 7:30am (I will then put you in your swing until around 8:30/9am).

*you take 2 naps per day (10:30/11am until around 1pm and 2pm until around 5pm).

*we only swaddle you from the waist down now because you roll over to sleep on your belly. Your belly is your favorite place to sleep, and the second that we lay you down, you roll right over.

*you have gotten much more distracted this month when nursing. You will nurse for your first feeding in the morning (4:30/5:30) , you might nurse at your 7:30am feeding, but you are too distracted and interested in other things to nurse after that.

*you get solid food in the morning at 9am, afternoon at 1pm, and evening at 6:30pm. You will get bottles on demand in between those feedings. You will take around 4 ounces at a time in your bottles.

*your favorite foods are bananas, sweet potatoes, squash, apples, oatmeal, and peaches. You have tried almost all of the variety of stage 2 foods except the ones with raspberries or strawberries.

*wearing size 2 diapers, mainly 6 month clothes, but you can still fit into 3-6 and some 3 month sleepers.

*you are very ticklish right under your chin! You love to laugh and smile all the time.

*you are getting really good about sitting up by yourself for longer periods of time.

*you love to chew on everything and pass objects between your hands over and over.

*you don't like to give up things that you have a good grip on. You will reach for anything and everything in your sight. Usually, these objects go straight into your mouth.

*you started Mother's Day Out this past month and are doing great! Your teachers love having you in their class.

*you are definitely starting the teething process! You soak through your shirts every few hours and chew on your hands or anything that you can get in your mouth.

*you love to put your feet in your mouth.

*you celebrated your very first Christmas this past month. We stayed at our house in Texas and had such a great time playing with all of the toys that Santa brought.

*you also visited Atlanta again this month. You got to see all of your grandparents and great-grandparents, aunts and uncles, and cousins. You got to meet your new cousin, Caroline.

iPhone post

2012-01-14T19:40:00.002-06:00

I joined this century and traded in my Blackberry for an iPhone today. I'm testing out the blogger from my phone with this post! I think I've found another piece of technology to be addicted to.

Lila and Alli at Six Months Old

2012-01-13T14:48:00.000-06:00

I have a big six month post coming after we have our doctor's visit next Tuesday, but I wanted to compare my girls to each other at six months (I know that I shouldn't compare them, but it's always fun to see how different/similar they are). In some pictures they look alike, but in these, I really don't think that they look all that similar. I can see a resemblance in their faces, but their little 6 month old bodies are SO different!

This is my chunky little Lila Boo on her half-birthday. She is/was always in the 50th percentile for height and weight (even though she has tiny parents!). She has always looked so much bigger to me than Alli does, and she really is so much bigger than Alli!

This is little Alli on her half-birthday (today). She is so much more petite than Lila, and started out like that from day 1. She has been in the 5-10th percentile for height and 25th for weight, so she definitely is a little thing, and I love that about her. We'll see on Tuesday how she fares in the percentile range at this stage in her life!

Cheesy Garlic Chicken

2012-01-11T11:50:00.000-06:00

Those who read my blog know that I never post any recipes. This is mainly due to the fact that I don't cook very often, and when I do, it's either tacos, spaghetti or some very basic casserole that everyone has in their recipe box. However, I needed a change last night, so I went searching for easy chicken recipes out of my thousands of cookbooks that sit in a case for decoration. I stumbled upon this one from In Good Company: Hospitality from the Homes and Hills of Virginia by The Junior League of Lynchburg, Virginia (given to us by Josh's aunt and uncle, Catherine and Doyle Gentry). Everyone knows that Junior League cookbooks are the best, so I decided to give this recipe a try. It was SO easy and really delicious, so I thought that I'd share.

Ingredients:

*1 egg
* tbsp milk
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
* 1 cup herb-seasoned stuffing mix
* 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
* 4 tbsps melted butter
* 2 garlic cloves, crushed (I just used the jarred minced garlic)
* Juice of 1 lemon
* chopped fresh parsley to taste

Directions:

Spray a baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

Beat the egg in a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk. Add the Parmesan and mozzarella cheese and stuffing mix and stir until well mixed and crumbly.

Roll the chicken in the mixture, patting firmly to coat well. Arrange the chicken in the baking dish.

Mix the butter and garlic together. Drizzle carefully over chicken.

Sprinkle the chicken with lemon juice and parsley.

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until the chicken is tender and the crust is crisp and golden brown. Serve immediately.

Serves 2 to 4

I served it with sauteed broccoli, and it was so delicious!

23 Months January 3, 2012

2012-01-08T19:10:00.002-06:00

I'm a little sad that this is Lila's last month as a one year old. She definitely has a 2-year-old attitude (and has had one since about 14 months!), but I'm not ready to wish away her second year yet. Time has absolutely FLOWN by these past two years, and we are busy getting ready for Lila's Minnie Mouse Second birthday party over here! We can't wait to celebrate with you at the end of this month, and we love you Lila Boo!

What you're up to this month:

*you weigh 26.8 pounds and are 32.5 inches tall.

*you have had a great Christmas break home from school. We saw Santa several times, went to many parties, and visited with lots of friends.

*still in size 5 diapers. Wearing mostly 24 month clothes, 2T/24m sleepers, and 24 month pants and outfits.

*you are still obsessed with Winnie the Pooh. Santa brought you several Winnie the Pooh books and toys, and you love them!

*you still are attached to your pink bunny called "Abby Abby", which is what you call bunnies for some reason.

*you've gotten much better about not throwing as many fits this month. I think that you knew that Santa was watching!

*you love throwing and kicking balls around the house. Your dad and I can't wait to get you into sports! You are going to be quite the little athlete!

*you still love your milk ("k") and drink about 3 fulls cups per day. This month you also wanted more water ("wa-wa").

*you really love Chick-Fil-A and call it "yummy yummy". We took you to visit Pooh at Chick-Fil-A one night, and now you think Pooh should always be there. You also call hens "yummy yummy" because they are part of the Chick-Fil-A logo.

*you still love your waffles ("wa-wuls") as well as anything sweet, bread, chicken strips, mac and cheese, ravioli, green beans, carrots, peas, doritos, cheese, any kind of fruit, and penne noodles. You had an onion ring this month for the first time and loved those too (who can blame you??)!

*bedtime is around 8pm and we usually get you out of bed around 8:30am.

*you take one afternoon nap from 2pm until around 4 or 5pm.

*still hanging with 16 teeth and love brushing them!

*you have started talking (saying real words) so much more this month! You love to say characters names: Eeyore, Daisy, Donald, Rabbit, and Pete are your favorite to say. You also loved saying Santa's name and used the cutest inflection when saying it! Instead of saying the word pig, you say "oink oink", and dogs are "woo woo woo"s, and sheep are "baa baa". You call cows and cats "tow"s. You will also say their real word after saying their sounds.

*you count with me up to five and love to sing your abc's (you LOVE to sing!).

*you love to make a mess and climb on everything!!

*you and Alli are starting to finally be able to play with each other. You were playing together several days this month. She really looks up to you and finds you really funny and entertaining!

*you had such a great time celebrating your second Christmas. Santa brought you a kitchen, playhouse, Pooh things, baby dolls and carriages, shopping carts, and some new clothes. I think you'll be sad not to see Santa again until next year!

Prayer for 2012

2012-01-01T14:07:00.000-06:00

Last year on this day, I wrote a prayer for 2011. I don't normally write my prayers, unlike Aibileen in The Help (LOVE that movie!!), but I think it's only appropriate to begin each new year thanking God for all that He has given us as well as asking Him to bless us in the new year as well.

Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.

Philippians 4:6

Dear Lord,
Thank you for everything that you have given us this year! It was only fitting that the new year fell on a Sunday where we could start 2012 off by worshiping your Holy Name and taking communion in church this morning. You have bestowed so many blessings upon our family through restored health, new births, and much time spent with loved ones. I pray, as always, that you will give us the guidance to where our tithes should go, and give us many opportunities and resources to be able to help those who are less fortunate than us. I also pray that you will give us the patience, guidance, and strength to raise our two beautiful daughters up in your Holy name. Help us to teach them about you, and help us let them get to know you and your son Jesus. I pray that you will comfort those who are struggling emotionally, financially, or in health, and give them peace. Lastly, please be with our family and friends, and keep them safe and healthy. I ask these things in the name of your son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!

2 Corinthians 5:17

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T09:44:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year!! I hope that your New Year's Eve was wonderful! Ours was very low key as we brought the new year in by watching our Auburn Tigers win the Chick-Fil-A Bowl (the "yummy yummy" bowl as Lila says) and going to bed early. I guess that's to be expected since I knew Alli would give me a wake-up-call around 5am to eat. It was so nice to start and end 2011 with an Auburn Football bowl game win :) War Eagle!

Have a great 2012 everyone!

A Look Back at 2011

2011-12-31T09:17:00.000-06:00

2011 was one of the BEST years yet! I've put together a little timeline of the most memorable things from each month this past year:

January- Auburn Defeats Oregon to win the NCAA Football National Championship!!! WAAAR EAGLE!

February- Our first born, Lila Elizabeth, turned one, and we celebrated with a big party at my parent's house in Suwanee, Georgia. We also found out that we were having another baby girl (Alli!).

March- 20 weeks pregnant (halfway to meeting our Allison Neal!).

April- Celebrated my 27th birthday and Easter with my family in town to visit.

May- Last trip to Atlanta before baby Alli was born, visited with lots and lots of family.

June- A lot of nesting, cleaning, swimming, taking Lila to gymnastics class and getting ready for baby Alli.

July- Allison Neal Gentry was born on July 13, 2011 at 1:01pm!

August- We survived our first month with a newborn and a toddler, got out of the house more, and reunited with playgroup friends.

September- football season started back with a divided house. One week Lila would wear Auburn and Alli would wear Alabama and the next they would switch. Lila also started the toddler class at St. Christopher's MDO

October- Celebrated Alli's first Halloween and took Lila trick-or-treating for the first time. They were the cutest little strawberries.

November- Celebrated Alli's first Thanksgiving with the Braseltons and Disibios here in Texas.

December- Celebrated Alli's first Christmas and our first Christmas in Texas. Santa was really good to the girls and we had a great time lounging around the house watching them play with their new toys.

I hope that 2012 will be just as wonderful as 2011 has been! Have a Happy New Year!!

When Daddy's Away...

2011-12-29T21:38:00.000-06:00

The girls will play!

We've been battling colds all week while Josh has been out on his boat, but I think that Lila's starting to feel back to her silly self. Here's what they've been up to this past week:

she loved having this diaper on her head

...and putting it on little sister's head

Alli spent some time relaxing in her chair

Lila using Alli as leverage from which to climb onto her chair

doing a little naked computering

and a little naked climbing

and a little naked tv watching

Christmas Day

2011-12-27T13:51:00.000-06:00

Santa came to see the girls!

Christmas Day was such a wonderful, lazy day filled with excitement, eating, and present-opening. Lila caught a bad cold several days before and was still not feeling very well, so we weren't sure how she'd react to all her new presents. She didn't know what to expect when she first came out of her room and saw what Santa had put in her living room, but she warmed up pretty quickly to all her new toys. We heard a lot of "wow"s and "oh cool"s as she would discover something new that Santa had brought. Even Alli had a great time going through her stocking and playing with the rattles and musical toys that Santa brought for her.

Christmas dinner

playing in her new playhouse

sitting together in their Pottery Barn chairs

We spent the ENTIRE day playing with toys and unwrapping the many gifts that their great-grandparents, grandparents, and aunts and uncles had sent for the girls. It took us 10 hours (not exaggerating) to go through everything, because the present-opening kept getting halted due to meals and naps. For dinner, we had a delicious ham as well as green bean casserole, Sister Schubert rolls, and sweet potato casserole. Both girls got tubbies and ended the day the same way they started, playing with their new things and watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.

It was such a wonderful Christmas and one that we are sure not to forget. It was Alli's first Christmas and our first Christmas in Texas. We missed being with our extended families, but our girls made this year so much fun and special.

relaxing after a busy day of presents and playtime

Christmas Eve

2011-12-26T12:34:00.000-06:00

Christmas Eve was really rainy here, so we spent the day relaxing inside. We put the girls to bed for an early nap so that we could eat dinner and get ready to go to church for their 7 pm Christmas Eve service. The girls looked so cute in their matching Christmas plaid smocked dresses and were excited to go to church at night for a change. The service was absolutely beautiful, and the girls had fun playing in the nursery. When we got home, it was already past their bedtimes, but we opened a few presents, put on their Christmas jammies, and took a few pictures before going to bed to wait for Santa to come.

After the girls were in bed, Josh and I had some wine while we opened presents from each other. We were supposed to have a $30.00 limit (of which I stuck to!!), but Josh definitely didn't! He got me The Help dvd (which I loved!!) as well as a pack of gum (because he's always stealing all of mine!), and couples dance lessons at a studio in Houston. It was such a fun and different gift, and we are excited to learn how to swing dance together!!

Christmas Eve Eve

2011-12-26T11:56:00.000-06:00

The girls were getting more and more excited about Santa coming the following night, so we got in some Christmas pjs and had some fun together before bedtime.

CHRISTmas

2011-12-25T08:37:00.000-06:00

10 The angel said, "Don't be afraid. I'm here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody worldwide: 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. 12 This is what you're to look for: a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger." 13 At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God's praises: 14 Glory to God in the heavenly heights, Peace to all men and women on earth who please him.

Luke 2:10-14

Last night we lit the CHRIST candle at the Christmas Eve service at our church. In doing so, we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior who was born this day in Bethlehem. Thank you God for giving us just what we need for Christmas! Merry Christmas to everyone!

picture taken from pacificunionfamily.wordpress.com

Some Special Ornaments

2011-12-24T13:17:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas Eve! It feels a little strange to not be participating in the Christmas Eve traditions that I've participated in for the past 27 years, but we are having a great day nonetheless. I wanted to share a few special Christmas ornaments that we have added to our tree over the past few years since we have been married:

Lila's First Christmas ornament (above) and Alli's First Christmas ornament (below)

Christmas ornament from the December before I had Lila in February

Josh's Aunt Marianne gave me this ornament because I taught first grade

Above and Below ornaments were wedding gifts from two sweet friends

Gotta love squirrels (our Alpha Gamma Delta mascot!)

Bear ballerina ornament that we bought Lila at The Nutcracker ballet in 2010

Pink Pig ornament that the girls got after riding it this year

Our lovely tree this year

so many presents ready to be opened tomorrow!

Tummy Time

2011-12-22T16:11:00.000-06:00

Alli has always enjoyed tummy time much more than her sister ever did, but here lately, she only wants to be on her tummy. She rolled over from her back to her belly at around four months, and ever since then, she is on her belly whenever she has the chance. I even had to stop swaddling her at night because the second I would lay her down, over she would go. It still makes me nervous with her sleeping on her belly in the night, but I have to trust that everything will be okay since there is no stopping this child from being on her belly!

I just love her sweet little hands

Josh's Next Duty Station

2011-12-21T14:37:00.001-06:00

Since December has been so crazy busy, I never got to write about where he is going to be working for the next 3.5 years! At the beginning of this month, Josh got orders to a shore unit at Sector Houston. I'm not exactly sure what he will be doing (and neither is he), but I know that we are NOT moving again!!!

I really couldn't be more excited about not having to move again simply because I LOVE it here! I was reading my blog post that I wrote in 2010 when I found out that we would be moving here, and it reminded me that God certainly does have a plan for us. I was very reluctant to move to Texas because of how far away it is from our family in Georgia; however, it has been such a great place to live, and I have met the best friends that I could have ever imagined!

I couldn't imagine moving with a 2.5 year old and a one year old. We moved here when Lila was almost 5 months old, and it was pretty difficult. However, we will most likely be moving back to Georgia when Josh is done with his enlistment with the Coast Guard. That puts us moving with a 5 year old and a 3.5 year old (and maybe another baby by then??), but I'm thinking that will be a little better than moving with toddlers! Plus, we'll have more family close by to help babysit!

I'm so happy to say that Houston will be our home until 2015!!

Gingerbread House Playdate

2011-12-20T17:34:00.001-06:00

This morning, our playgroup friends invited us over to make Gingerbread Houses. Lila is way too little to put the house together (they are actually pretty tough!!), so I constructed and decorated one for the both of us, well, and Alli too! My construction skills are lacking, but I thought the decorations came out pretty cute...as cute as I could get with candy as my medium! Lila ate more candy this morning than she has eaten in her whole life, and she had a blast playing with her friends two days in a row. We had a great time, thanks Sandra for having us!

Lila, Alli, and My creation

Working hard on their Gingerbread Houses

Decorating Supplies

Playtime

My Little Monkey

2011-12-19T14:25:00.000-06:00

Lila is my little climber, and she especially loves to climb whenever she is just wearing her diaper...it must be that her clothes slow her down!

Her climbing skills got her in trouble at school, but at home, she has gotten much better at knowing what is safe to climb on and what isn't.

LOVE

2011-12-18T14:20:00.000-06:00

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

Today in church, we lit the LOVE candle. The LOVE candle reminds us of God's love for us as He sent His son to be born on Christmas Day and eventually to die so that we may be cleansed of our sins. I see God's love for me as I look at all of my many blessings, especially my family. I have been blessed with two precious daughters and a loving husband. I hope that my daily actions and attitude reflect God's love and are pleasing in His sight. I also hope that though my actions and attitude, God's light will be reflected out into the world.

Some examples of God's love in pictures from this weekend:

Coast Guard Christmas Party

2011-12-17T14:29:00.000-06:00

Last night, we went to Josh's work party down in Galveston. Most of the guys that he works with on his boat and their families were there. I think that Lila had the most fun of all of us running all around the clubhouse, playing with the kiddos, and getting attention from everyone. Josh's boss's wife loved her, and Lila enjoyed sitting in her lap and getting tons of cookies.

There was a gift exchange for the kids as well as the adults. Lila got a cute toy giraffe, and Alli got these funny oversized sunglasses. We put the glasses on her, but I don't think she liked them too much. Josh and Lila had fun with Alli's gift anyhow. Josh walked away with a screwdriver set, which came in handy today while he put together the Pottery Barn kitchen that Santa is bringing Lila and Alli next weekend :)

the girls before the party

Elle and Lila playing Tic Tac Toe

trying on Alli's present

Lila playing with her present

MOMs Club Christmas Party

2011-12-15T17:00:00.000-06:00

Our MOMs Club had their Christmas party this past Sunday, and we braved the chilly weather to celebrate with our friends at League Park in League City. There was yummy food, fun kiddos, and Santa, who showed up in an old-timey car. Lila was so excited to see "si-ta" (as she calls him), as usual, and ran right up to him when he got there. He had a present for every kid, and Lila had a great time playing with the Winnie the Pooh figurines that he gave her! Both girls got to sit on his lap again (like I said in my last post, they are getting to be pros at the Santa lap pictures!) and had a great time at the party.

ready for the party

my two girls!

running around the park

Santa arriving to the party

lining up her Pooh figures that Santa gave her

JLGC Holiday Ball-Moonlight over Manhattan

2011-12-14T16:09:00.001-06:00

This past Saturday, December 10th, Josh and I headed down to the San Luis Resort in Galveston for the Junior League of Galveston County's Annual Holiday Ball. Last year, I had just found out that I was pregnant about three weeks beforehand, so needless to say, I had a much better time this year! My parents were here to keep the girls, so we made a night out of it and stayed down at the resort.

self-portrait in the hotel room before the ball

We got to the hotel early enough to take a nap before having to get ready for the ball, which was SO nice!! After we got ready, we met up with some friends in their hotel room for a quick drink before making our way to the Grand Ballroom for the party. The theme this year was Moonlight over Manhattan, and the ballroom was decorated to look like the different boroughs of New York City. Even the escalator was decorated to look like the entrance to the subway.

Instead of a sit-down dinner, this year they had food stations set up for the different areas of New York, such as Little Italy, SoHo, ChinaTown, and the Meat Packing District. The food was so delicious, and Josh and I definitely went back for seconds...maybe even thirds :)

the girls

There was a live auction as well as a silent auction. We bid on a live auction item as a table but were quickly outbid, so Josh and I decided to check out what was on the silent auction table. There were so many great things available, and we decided on a Keurig coffee system with coffee and a Starbucks cake pop kit, which we won and had to lug home in three huge bags! We had a great time, and even better, a full night of un-interrupted sleep!!

Five Months Old December 13, 2011

2011-12-13T12:57:00.000-06:00

I remember thinking about how old Alli would be at Christmastime when I found out my due date a little over a year ago. I counted the months and figured out that she would be 5 months old, which seemed SO incredibly far away last November! I can't believe that she's been on this Earth for 5 whole months, and she is such a joy to be around. She is the happiest and sweetest baby that I've ever seen, and we are so blessed to have her in our lives.

Here's what you're up to:

*you weigh 13.6 pounds and are about 23.5 inches long.

*you are sleeping much better this month, although each night is different. You go to bed between 8 and 8:30pm and wake up for the first time anytime between 3 and 5am. I feed you and put you either back in your bed or in your swing until you wake up for good between 8 and 9am.

*you still sleep swaddled from the neck down for bedtime as well as with naps. I will try to wean you from that when you consistently sleep 8 hours at a time.

*you take two naps per day with your morning nap being much shorter. You fall asleep around 10:30am and sleep for about an hour. Your second nap starts around 2pm and lasts 2.5-3 hours.

*on most days, you take your morning nap in your carseat and your afternoon nap in your bed, but if you wake up after only a little while in your bed, we move you to your swing to finish your nap.

*you still nurse really well and love to eat right when you wake up from your naps or in the morning. You get a bottle right before bedtime at night and take anywhere between 2-4 ounces.

*throughout the day, you will drink anywhere between 2 and 7 ounces at a time depending on how hungry you are. Sometimes you like to snack throughout the day, and some days you eat more at one time less frequently.

*you are LOVING your solid food!! The foods that you've tried are: squash, sweet potatoes, peas, bananas, apples, pears, and green beans. Bananas, apples, sweet potatoes, and squash are your favorite, but you don't mind your peas. Green beans were not on the top of your list!

*you are really noisy when you eat.

*you still love your Mam pacis

*still wearing size 2 diapers.

*wearing a mixture of 3 month clothes, 3-6 month clothes, some 6 month dresses, and some 6 month sleepers.

*you are so ticklish on your chest right under your chin. You giggle like crazy when we tickle you. You are also such a smiley baby and make the cutest faces.

*you are starting to "talk" a lot more. You make loud "aah" sounds when playing in your play yard and bouncer. You love to squeal in delight.

*you rolled over from your back to your belly for the first time this past month.

*you can stand up for a short period of time when holding onto something (we use the side of your crib).

*you can sit up for short periods of time by yourself. We practice on my bed because I'm not ready to watch you fall over on the hard ground yet!

*you still love to kick the animals in your pack-n-play right after you get up from your naps and especially in the morning after you get out of your swaddle.

*you love to take out your paci and pass it back and forth between your hands.

*you grab at anything and everything within your reach! Everything that you grab goes straight into your mouth.

*you still love to stand up.

*you also still love your feet and even put them in your mouth now.

*you celebrated your very first Thanksgiving this past month. We ate lunch at the Downtown Aquarium with your friends Chandler and Karsyn, and then ate dinner with your friend, Elle.

*you helped us pick out your first Christmas tree this past month too, we decorated it while we watched your first Iron Bowl. Daddy made me put Alabama colors on you, so you were supporting the winning team this year. Auburn will be Alabama again one day!

Breakfast with Santa

2011-12-12T20:37:00.000-06:00

On Saturday morning, my parents, Josh, and I took Lila and Alli to have breakfast with Santa at the Aquarium restaurant at the Kemah Boardwalk. Lila really loves Santa, so I knew that she would have a great time seeing him during breakfast as well as getting another chance to sit on his lap and talk to him. He came by our table, and Lila got SO excited, as you can see from her face in some of the pictures below. Santa also swam around in the fish tank when he wasn't sitting in his chair or walking around the dining area. Lila and Alli enjoyed sitting on his lap after we ate and are getting to be quite the little pros at the Santa picture!

jam session before brunch

family pictures before breakfast

so excited that Santa is coming to her table

Santa held her hand and walked her to his chair...so sweet!

Houston Ballet's Nutcracker

2011-12-12T14:58:00.001-06:00

This past Friday, while my parent's were here to watch the girls, Josh and I had a date night to see the Houston Ballet's Nutcracker. We started the tradition of seeing the Nutcracker last year, and we were so glad to be able to continue it this year! We started the night off with some delicious sushi across the street from the Wortham Theatre at The Blue Fish restaurant. It was some of the best sushi that I have ever had, and it was so nice to enjoy a meal without the girls! After dinner, we headed over to the theatre to have a drink before the ballet started. Even though we had a night away, we couldn't help but think about the girls and bought them ballerina ornaments as souvenirs before we headed back home. It was such a great, relaxing time, and the ballet was wonderful as usual. I can't wait to take the girls to see it when they are older!

dressed and ready to go

outside of the theatre

JOY

2011-12-12T13:33:00.000-06:00

I'm a little late on this post due to family being in town! BUT, this past Sunday, the third Sunday in Advent, we lit the JOY candle. This week marks a shift in attitude from the somber preparation for the coming Christ into a more joyful and celebratory mood. This week, we are reminded to be joyful in that our Lord and Savior is to soon be born!

When I think of JOY, it brings me right back to my private school days (all one year of them). But, I took something from that school that was important and a fun acronym as well (I love acronyms!). It is a way to remember the order of importance for things in our lives:

J- Jesus
O- Others
Y- Yourself

Especially during the holiday season, we get wrapped up in things that are important to us and our kids without stopping to realize that Jesus is, in fact, the reason for the season. I also try to remember, especially during this time, that there are SO many others in this world that need our help and resources. Our family tries to sponsor at least a couple families or children each holiday season to be able to provide them with gifts and clothes that they wouldn't normally be able to afford. As we celebrate in joyful anticipation for the coming Christ, let us remember the acronym of JOY and apply it to our daily life.

picture taken from blogging4jobs.com

Top Parenting Blogs Award Winner!

2011-12-07T13:05:00.002-06:00

www.eCollegeFinder.org selected our blog as one of their top parenting blogs. Our blog is now featured on their website as a recommended parenting resource for their readers (pressure's on for good parenting advice and examples!!). We are honored that they have chosen our blog to provide other parents, and especially student parents, with advice and examples on how to "do it all!" Thanks eCollegeFinder

Online Colleges

PEACE

2011-12-04T15:04:00.001-06:00

Blessed are the peacemakers,

for they will be called children of God. – Matthew 5:9

Today in church, we lit the Peace candle. I love how this website states the importance of peace, not just now, but always. "Peace on Earth starts with us, with our attitudes towards others. Our words convey the attitudes of our hearts and create either a culture of peace or a culture of hate within our homes." Our Pastor, during the children's sermon today, touched on how the children can help make their homes more peaceful. Of course, children can do this by being nice to their brother or sister or by obeying their parents, but the same lesson can be used as adults in the home, as well as on a larger, more global scale. I ask myself today, "how can I make my home, community, and world more peaceful?" Of course, I may not be able to have a huge impact on peace within the world, but I can have quite an important impact on my community, and even more so, my home. By loving others as ourselves and providing help where there is a need, we can begin to spread peace during this holiday season as well as throughout the rest of the year.

(image taken from allianceforcommunitypeace.org)

22 Months Old December 3, 3010

2011-12-03T15:55:00.001-06:00

We are yet another month closer to your second birthday, and you are learning SO much everyday! You are such a funny, high spirited kid that truly has a love for life! Although you can be a bit difficult at times, we love being with you, and are so glad that God has blessed us with you!

*you weigh 27.4 pounds and are a little over 32 inches tall.

*you still love your Mother's Day Out and learned the letters H and I this month. You also had a big Thanksgiving feast in your class on November 15th.

*We celebrated Veterans Day with a parade with your friend Karsyn.

*Still in size 5 diapers and wearing mostly 18-24 month clothes. Some t-shirts that you wear are 2T and your jeans range from 18 months to 3t.

*You still are completely in love with Winnie the Pooh. You love to watch youtube videos of him on our computers. Your favorite is Eyore, and you call "E-aw"

*You still love your pink bunny and call her "Abby"

*You want to hold anything and everything on the counters and in the car and pitch a HUGE fit when you can't! You especially love this bar of Dove soap, and lay down in the parking lot to pitch a fit when you can't take it places.

*You still love throwing balls and are getting better about not throwing things that shouldn't be thrown (except you threw daddy's phone at him and gave him a fat lip last week!).

*You still drink about 3 cups of milk ("k" as you call it) per day. You haven't wanted water much this past month, but tried chocolate milk for the first time...you weren't crazy about it.

*Getting you to eat much is such a struggle these days, but your favorite are: waffles (you call them "wa wuls"), bagels with cream cheese, pizza, Chick-Fil-A chicken strips (you call Chick-Fil-A "yummy yummy"), any kind of fruit, any kind of sweets, french fries, egg and cheese biscuits, green beans, carrots, cheese, yogurt, apple sauce, penne pasta, ravioli, Doritos, goldfish

*You will sometimes eat: beans, potato salad, hot dogs, turkey sandwiches, chicken that's not from Chick-Fil-A, pork chops, meat, mashed potatoes, eggs, mac and cheese, hashbrowns,

*Bedtime is at 8pm, and we will usually get you out of bed around 8am (but sometimes around 9).

*You take one afternoon nap from 2 until either 4 or even 5 sometimes.

*You still have 16 teeth and are just waiting for your two year molars...I'm really dreading those! You love to brush your teeth and chew on your toothbrush.

*You are starting to say more real words although the pronunciation of them is always a little off, which makes it so much cuter! Some new words/phrases that you say this month is: santa "si-ta", "look at that", "tee" for Christmas tree, "yum yum" for cupcake, "nonald" for donald duck, "ey-o" for Eyore,

*You really love to sing and you sing the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song (and add the word "cool" to the tune), as well as the Winnie the Pooh theme song.

*You love to make a mess, and climb on everything, especially ottomans.

*You are having so much fun with your sister, or "a-yee", now that she is becoming more and more interactive. Your favorite thing to do is tickle her feet and pull her bows out. You also loves to pull her socks off. You still give her kisses a lot!

*You celebrated your second Thanksgiving by eating lunch with your friend, Karsyn and dinner with your friend, Elle.

*You also sat on Santa'a lap with your cousin at the beginning of this month and with your sister at the end of this month. We picked out our Christmas tree and decorated the house for Christmas. You are so excited for Santa to come.

Hanging with the girls

2011-11-29T17:01:00.000-06:00

Alli is becoming more active every day and can even sit up for very short periods of time by herself. She and Lila are already starting to be able to interact and it makes me so excited for what's to come in the future. I hope they continue to love each other and keep each other entertained as they get older! We have been having so much fun with them in the evenings, especially when Lila shows us her silly side (which is most of the time)!

HOPE

2011-11-27T10:55:00.000-06:00

noun

the feeling that what is wanted can be had or that events will turn out for the best

a particular instance of this feeling

grounds for this feeling in a particular instance

a person or thing in which expectations are centered

something that is hoped for

Today marks the first day of the advent season, and we celebrate by lighting the HOPE candle. The Christian walk is based on this HOPE that we will one day be re-united with our Father in Heaven. This site puts it well when the author says, "To walk in hope, as a Christian, is not simply to be optimistic. Instead, it is to live with a sense of purpose, knowing that we walk in the presence of the living God revealed in the person of Jesus Christ." (Cornwall, 2008). I pray that this advent seasons brings you Hope, Peace, Love, and Joy in the anticipation of our coming Christ!

(image from edencandles.co.uk)

Visiting Santa Clause

2011-11-26T15:49:00.000-06:00

Because last year was such a crazy experience (linked here), we decided to take the girls to visit with Santa early this year! It was so special this year, just like last year with Lila, because it was Alli's first time meeting Santa, and she was pretty indifferent towards him. She was just happy to be held and to be out of her car seat, so she was content with him. Lila loves Santa, mainly because of his beard, but this year, she even had a small conversation with him. The Santa at Baybrook is so sweet and acted genuinely happy to talk with her for the few minutes that she sat on his lap. We even joked that he could keep Alli, and he said that he would be happy to and that he loved babies (I guess you'd have to in order to not go crazy with this job that requires tons of screaming babies to be forced to sit in your lap). We've had such a productive and festive Thanksgiving holiday weekend and are ready to celebrate Christmas in the coming weeks!

We were looking back on Lila's Santa picture from last year, and I can't believe how much she has changed in one year! I also can't believe that this year there is another precious baby sitting on Santa's other knee that belongs to us!

Christmas 2010

Christmas 2011

Day After Thanksgiving

2011-11-26T08:17:00.000-06:00

This is the earliest that we've EVER decorated for Christmas, and I think it's due to the fact that we will actually be spending the entire month of December here since we aren't able to go to Georgia for Christmas this year. We are so excited to not have to travel this year and to be able to spend Christmas with our girls in our own home, that we went out the day after Thanksgiving to pick out the perfect tree as well as a few new lighted decorations for our front yard. We bought a pretty lighted angel as well as a golden retriever. I know that those two don't really flow together, but the golden retriever was so sweet looking and we can always use a lighted guard dog (although we all know that golden's make terrible guard dogs :) !).

ready to pick out our tree

checking out the lights in Home Depot

Once we got home, we put the babies down for a nap and popped the bottle of champagne to have mimosas while we decorated the tree and watched the LSU/Arkansas game. I got the tree completely decorated as well as put out a few of the "baby-proofed" Christmas decorations that we have. Once Lila saw the tree decorated and all lit up, she was so excited and kept saying "OOooo" and pointing at it. We put it in the foyer, behind the baby gate, since I'm not willing to risk my nice ornaments being destroyed by Lila trying to pull the tree down! She seemed to enjoy it just as well from behind the gate! Just the smell of fresh pine throughout the house made us all so excited for the holidays to be here and all the new traditions that we will start this year with our little family of four!

mimosas and tree decorating...what could be better?

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-25T14:52:00.000-06:00

This Thanksgiving was another great one and probably one of the best that we've ever had! It started off with a delicious buffet lunch at the Downtown Aquarium restaurant with the Millets and the Braseltons. My friend Ashley and her parents invited us to spend Thanksgiving with them at their house last year, which was so nice since it was the first year that we weren't able to spend it with our own family, and we decided to make it a yearly tradition. This year, they decided to try out the Aquarium restaurant, and it was so delicious. Lila acted terrible at first, but came around and was actually not so bad in her high chair towards the end. We sat right next to a huge fish tank wall, which gave the girls something to look at and play around after we finished eating. Lila and Karsyn always have so much fun playing together, and I can't believe that they were only 9 months old this time last year!

After lunch, we took some pictures, let the girls run around outside for a bit, and then headed down to Galveston to meet our friends, the Disibios for Thanksgiving dinner at their house. John and Josh work together, and his wife and I get along so well. Their little girl, Elle, is only 7 months younger than Lila, so they enjoy playing together also. Unfortunately, they are moving to Missouri in July, so we are trying to get together as often as possible until then! John made such a delicious meal, and we had a great time visiting and watching the Cowboys beat Miami!

It was such a great day, and we are truly blessed with some amazing friends here that are like family!

Happy Thanksgiving! 11/24/11

2011-11-24T09:36:00.002-06:00

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His court with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations."

-Psalm 100:4-5

Last year, I wrote a long post (linked here) about all of the things that I give thanks for in my daily life. My list this year remains mostly the same; however, I am able to be more specific about number 10 this year :)

For the sake of time (having two under two doesn't lend itself to much free time!), I will copy and past most of my post from last year...so don't judge me for being somewhat unoriginal this year!

I am thankful for:

1. A wonderful, supportive, loving husband who is such an amazing father and role model for our precious daughters. I love it that we always have so much fun together no matter where we are or what we are doing!

2. Our beautiful baby girls: Lila Elizabeth (21 months) and Allison Neal (4 months). They bring so much joy into our lives, and we have such a great time watching them grow and learn the world around them. Lila keeps us laughing and on our toes quite often throughout the day, and Alli is blossoming into her own sweet personality and smiles all the time. God has blessed us with two great ones!!

3. Our families. Josh and I are blessed with amazing parents and siblings, who would give anything for us to move back home! (my mom has been trying to strike a deal with the Coast Guard to put a station on Lake Lanier for almost 4 years now) :)

4. Grandparents! We are so thankful to have 5 living grandparents between Josh and I that are healthy, happy, and able to play with our crazy Lila boo as well as hold and rock our sweet Alli.

5. The Coast Guard. Even though they frustrate the heck out of me sometimes, if it weren't for them, we wouldn't be able to have lived in two great places (Destin and Houston) so far and have met so many new friends in these places. I also appreciate that they have given Josh a great, stable job that provides us with awesome benefits and incredible insurance.

6. Our Home (...well technically, two homes). In the midst of the recession and the housing market failure, I'm so thankful to have a roof over our heads, and not just any old roof. We are so blessed to have a beautiful house that is a home! There is so much love between these walls, and I just love the busy-ness of the day-to-day here with a crazy toddler, 4-month old baby, and a golden retriever that is three years old, but still acts like a new puppy. I am also thankful that even though our house in Florida hasn't sold yet, that we are able to afford to keep it on the market and are not in danger of foreclosure.

Texas home

Florida home

7. Our dog, Chevy! Sometimes I'm not so thankful for him when he scratches off the drywall, drags in clumps of mud right after the floors have been clean, or sheds his clumpy, yellow fur EVERYWHERE...but, we don't know what we'd do without him! He's such a sweet dog and puts up with all sorts of abuse that Lila gives him. He really loves these girls so much, and is the perfect family dog!

8. Our friends that are like family here in Texas. Between our old small group, the Jr League, playgroups, MOMs Club, MOPS, and my women's Bible study, we have met some pretty amazing people that are more like family to us here. I have met some of the best friends, and it has been so much fun to watch our babies grow up together. They were also so supportive when Alli was first born, bringing us meals and gifts galore! Alli was born on July 13, and we had meals delivered twice a week until September 15th! These friends have been such a blessing to me since our family is so far away!

9. Lila's school: St. Christopher's Mother's Day Out. Without this school two days a week, I don't know how I would have ever gotten anywhere on my schoolwork for my master's degree. Now that I have Alli, it allows me to get more done in four hours than I ever thought possible! Running errands with only one baby (one that stays in her carseat no less) is MUCH easier than trying to get anything accomplished with a baby and a wild toddler! Besides selfish reasons :) , I know that Lila loves her teachers and her friends there and takes off running for her classroom the second we walk in the building. She is learning so much and building her creativity, as well, through the many art projects that she completes during each week.

10. Our church and our faith. I'm so thankful for our Lord and Savior who gave His life so that we can live forever in Him!! It is so amazing that he loves each of us so much that he was willing to die for us! I am also thankful that we have a place to worship Him and that we are free to do so in our country!

Fall Fun

2011-11-19T14:07:00.000-06:00

"I love fall! Fall is exciting.

It's apples and cider.

It's an airborne spider.

It's pumpkins in bins.

It's burrs on dog's chins.

It's wind blowing leaves.

It's chilly red knees.

It's nuts on the ground.

It's a crisp dry sound.

It's green leaves turning

And the smell of them burning.

It's clouds in the sky.

It's fall. That's why...

I love fall."

- Author Unknown

Since our leaves don't change colors down here in Southeast Texas, we have to make up for it by wearing fall-type clothing! It also feels a little weird to be drinking hot cider and building a fire when it's a high of 85 and a low of 70-something...but it will get cold enough eventually! The girls modeled their fall leaves the other day when it was actually somewhat chilly enough to wear long pants this week!

Four Months Old November 13, 2011

2011-11-15T12:48:00.000-06:00

Another month has flown by, and Alli is four months old! That newborn stage has definitely come and gone, and we've moved onto rolling around and even a little solid foods. She is still changing weekly, and right now she looks like her daddy's twin!

Here's what you're up to this month:

*you weigh 12 pounds 6 ounces and are 22.75 inches long. (We had your 4 month well-baby check up this morning, so these weights are actually accurate)

*you did so much better with your shots this time and didn't scream quite so loud. I hate those shots :(

*your sleeping patterns haven't changed much in the last two months. You still sleep swaddled. You go to bed at 8pm, but you still like to wake between 1 and 2 (I'm starting to let you cry it out until at least 2), as well as 4 and 5, and up for good at 8.

*you turn in circles in your bed at night. I will lay you down with your head to the right of the crib and wake up with your head to the left of the crib. You love to wiggle your way around.

*you take two distinct naps a day now. One nap is between 10:30 and 11 and lasts about 1-1.5 hours. Your second nap is between 2:30-3 and lasts until around 5:30. We usually have to wake you up from your second nap!

*you nurse the best right when you wake up from sleeping (naps and at night). Other than that, you would rather snack on a bottle (an ounce or two at a time) than nurse, unless you are super hungry. You are definitely a snacker and don't like a huge meal except for certain times of the day (right before bed or in the morning).

*you still use Avent bottles and will take anywhere between 2-4 ounces at a time. But, mainly, as I said above, you just snack throughout the day.

*you still love your Mam paci's, especially at night, which gets tiring to constantly put it back in for you!

*you've graduated to size 2 diapers this past month.

*you are wearing mainly 3 month clothes, but still wear some 0-3 month clothes. You can also fit into some of your sister's old 3-6 month sleepers.

*you can laugh now! You started laughing out loud right after your 3-month birthday. It sounds so precious!!

*you also blow rasberries quite a bit.

*you are working on rolling over from your back to your belly. You are getting so close and love to roll onto your side to sleep.

*you have gotten to where you LOVE your little lamb swing! You spend most of your naps in there, but you don't sleep in it at night at all unless it isn't turned on.

*you still love to kick the animals above your pack-and-play.

*you will grab anything within your reach! You even enjoyed grabbing your spoon to put it in your mouth when we fed you your first taste of oatmeal!

*you also love to hold onto your giraffe lovey. You also love to chew on your blankets and loveys.

*you LOVE to stand!! You are happiest when you can either lay down and kick or stand up on someone's lap.

*you still love to smile, especially after I get done nursing you in the morning and after your naps. You will always give me the biggest grins.

*you still love your feet and grab them every chance that you get!

*you celebrated your very first Halloween this past month. You dressed up like a ladybug, jack-o-lantern, and a strawberry (your main costume). You enjoyed riding in the stroller behind your sister who was trick-or-treating for the first time.

*you also flew on an airplane for the very first time this month. You did very well on the flight to Atlanta, but caught a cold and had a little bit of a rough time on the way back to Texas (so did mommy with her cold too!).

Inspirational Words for Student Parents

2011-11-14T15:20:00.000-06:00

As some of you know, I am currently working on my Masters in Elementary Education with a Reading Endorsement from the University of West Florida's online campus. Going back to school has been a challenge in itself, but add in two children under two and it makes it all that more difficult. I, of course, am no expert, but I do have some words of advice that I can provide to other student parents.

My first piece of advice is to prioritize the little time that you have as well as try to make school an everyday habit. If you make time for your schoolwork each day, whether that be during your children's nap times or after you put them to bed, you will be set up for success. Half the battle of completing school after becoming a parent is finding the time to devote to your studies. Schedule school in your daily calendar, just as you do each activity for your child, and follow through with your studies.

Another piece of advice that I can give to student parents is to not be afraid to ask your professors for help. I know that we moms think that we can and have to do everything ourselves, but that is just not the case! Your professors are there to help you succeed, and please do not be afraid to ask them to explain something in a different way or to clarify what they are going over for that day.

Lastly, good luck and congratulations for making the decision to go back to school!

(thank you to eCollegeFinder for nominating us for your Top Parenting Blogs Award)

Veterans Day Parade

2011-11-12T21:00:00.000-06:00

Today, we joined our friends, the Braseltons, for a Veterans day parade in San Leon, Texas. Trevor is the band director at Dickinson High School and had to lead the band in the parade, so we decided to include the babies in the parade as well. Ashley and I pushed Chandler and Alli while Trevor pulled Karsyn and Lila in the wagon as he lead the band. The band members were so sweet to the girls, and Lila had such a good time playing with them and giving them lots of high fives before the parade started. The parade ended at the VFW where they had a free BBQ lunch for us. It was such a fun time and a great way to honor those who've served and currently serve in the military!

ready to go in the wagon

lining up for the parade

baby Chandler waking up for the parade

picture with a war veteran

Alli being pushed in the parade

Lila and Karsyn playing before the parade started

playing with the girls in the band

high five!

walking in the parade

patriotic spectator

Karsyn enjoying the BBQ at lunch

2011-11-11T16:29:00.000-06:00

A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.

Joseph Campbell

Happy Veterans Day and thank you to all you men and women that serve and have served our country, especially my wonderful husband, Josh. We appreciate all that you do for this country and our family!!

The girls have had a fun day wearing their Coast Guard dresses in honor of their daddy (who is hard at work today on his boat).

Pink Pig and Santa Clause

2011-11-10T14:57:00.000-06:00

This past Monday, while I was still in Atlanta, my mom, Lila, Alli, and I met up with Josh's mom, sister, and Lila's cousin, Coleman at the Macy's Pink Pig. I posted on the Pink Pig last year, and this year Lila had even more fun now that she could "get it" more! We all got to ride since I had to sit by Alli, my mom had to sit by Lila, and Melissa had to sit by Coleman. Next year Lila and Coleman will finally be big enough to sit together, but until then, the adults got to enjoy the "pink pig train" (as Coleman calls it) as well. The train is an Atlanta tradition and is so cute. It is shaped like a pink pig (obviously), and goes around this cute little forest while Priscilla the pig explains the tradition to the kids. I hope that we get to visit Atlanta at least once in November or December each year so that the girls can continue to enjoy the Macy's Pink Pig.

After riding the Pink Pig, we met up with my sister at California Pizza Kitchen for lunch. It was a perfect place to meet since they had tons of room for our huge party and was also loud enough to drown out our noisy toddlers! After lunch, we took the babies to see Santa and have their picture made. Lila was so mesmerized with his beard, that she hardly wanted to look at the camera, but I guess that I'm glad that she's not scared of him! We got some cute pictures, and it was so nice to not have to wait in line to see him! I can't wait to take both girls to see him here in Texas next month!

Jones/Ott Wedding Weekend

2011-11-09T15:18:00.003-06:00

Last Wednesday, the girls and I flew to Atlanta to meet up with my family to then travel to Greensboro, North Carolina for our good family friend, Maggie's, wedding. We have been friends with the Jones' for as long as I can remember because their dad (Hugh) was my dad's college roommate. They have stayed such good friends over the years, and Hugh and Sally's three daughters and my sister and I (and my brother too, but he didn't have quite as much fun with all the girls as Kimberly and I did!) all grew up together. I posted about a year ago on her sister, Katie's wedding, and Maggie's was just as much fun!

Hugh and Alli

baby bath in the sink

We got to Greensboro late Thursday evening to be there for the Bridesmaid's Luncheon on Friday morning. The Bridesmaid's Luncheon was held at Maggie's Grandmother's house and was so beautiful and delicious! It was so good catching up with Molly, Katie, and Maggie, as well as their mom, grandmothers, and the groom, Taylor's, mom. That evening, we went out to dinner in the hotel restaurant, Print Works Bistro, and it was so delicious. It is located in a completely green hotel, The Proximity, and was so gorgeous and the food was so good! After dinner, I wasn't feeling well due to my head cold, so Alli and I headed back to the room, while everyone else went to the after rehearsal dinner party. Everyone said that it was a blast and danced all night to an awesome dj. I wanted to save my energy for the big day!

Maggie and Me at the Bridesmaid's luncheon

Mother of the bride making a sweet speech

Saturday began with a family viewing of sport center in my parent's hotel room, since we were all so interested in what they would say about the big game that evening (Bama vs. LSU). After that, mom, Kimberly, and I went shopping at a super cute boutique in Greensboro near the Friendly Center while dad and Kimberly's boyfriend, Ralson, went to play golf. Kimberly and I found some really cute dresses and shoes for an early Christmas present (I actually ended up wearing one to the wedding instead of the dress that I originally brought). After shopping, we ate at a cute lunch place called the Carolina Cafe before heading back to the hotel to get ready for the wedding.

The girls before the wedding ceremony

The wedding was held at a Christian school in Greensboro and to say it was beautiful would be a HUGE understatement!! Sally, the bride's mom, did ALL of the decorations, flower arrangements, programs, favors, and adorable signs that hung around the venues. I just loved all of the centerpieces and personal touches that they had and couldn't stop taking pictures of every last detail! Maggie looked beautiful, and she and Taylor are so happy and adorable together! We all had such a blast dancing with the band! Since I didn't want to carry my huge camera on the dance floor, I took some pictures with my blackberry so forgive the quality (just needed to capture the fun moments!).

After the wedding, my sister, Ralson, and I watched the end of the Bama/LSU game in the restaurant bar. I'm sad for Josh that Bama was beat, but I have to admit that it isn't so bad to watch them lose being an Auburn fan! We had to leave to go back to Atlanta bright and early Sunday morning in order to get back in time for a photography workshop that I attended, but we had such a fun time with the Jones' celebrating Maggie and Taylor! Congrats to you both!!!

21 Months Old November 3, 2011

2011-11-09T08:03:00.000-06:00

Another month has passed, and Lila is inching her way closer to two years old. She is definitely gaining more of a two year old attitude, and is learning to listen and follow directions so much better. She is getting really good at staying with me in public places rather than running around everywhere like she had been doing. However, the doesn't mean that she always follows our directions, even though she definitely understands what we're saying! She is very strong willed, and I can't wait to see what she will accomplish in these last few months of being a one year old!

*you weigh 26.4 pounds and are about 32 inches tall.

*you are having such a great time at Mother's Day Out and are learning about your letters. In October, you learned about letters D, E, F, and G. You also had a great time at your Harvest Party on October 25^th.

*you are wearing mainly 18 and some 24 month clothes. You moved up to size 5 diapers this month.

*you absolutely LOVE your pink bunny stuffed animal and used to call her "daby," but lately she has been calling her "Abby." You also have a newfound obsession with Pooh this month!

*you LOVE to take your diaper off, but you have to move your belly to see how. It's funny to watch you lift your belly and undo the straps. Many times we have found you in your crib with your pants and diaper off after your nap.

*you love to scour the countertops to see what you can find to play with. You will pitch a huge fit if we don't give you what you are asking for (which is about 90% of the time!).

*you still love to throw anything you can get your hands on. You are getting much better at throwing only balls though.

*you still drink about 3-4 cups of milk per day and still call it "k." I'm not sure why you only say the last part of the word, but I'm not going to correct you because it sounds so cute. You will also drink water, if it's from a straw.

*your favorite foods these days are waffles, bagels with cream cheese, strawberries, blueberries, bananas, oranges, carrots, peas/green beans, honey nut cheerios, Chick Fil A chicken strips, goldfish, any kind of bread, sweets galore, ravioli, penne pasta noodles with any kind of sauce, Doritos, Salt and vinegar chips, egg and cheese biscuits, hashbrowns, and mac and cheese....but you are still pretty finicky about what you eat and when.

*you really hate to sit down for meals, and will eat much more if you are allowed to roam around and graze.

*you still love to play in your crib, and when your teeth are coming in, it's the only place where you are truly happy.

*bedtime is between 7:30 and 8pm and we usually get you out of your bed around 9am (unless we have somewhere to be that morning).

*take one afternoon nap at around 1:30/2 until around 4/5.

*you love to brush your teeth, and you especially love to chew on the toothbrush!

*you have 16 teeth now, four more came in this past month and are working their way through. You are not much fun to be around when you have teeth coming in!

*you talk all the time, but don't say too many real words. Your favorite words are "ball", "shoes", "juice," "milk" (sounds like 'k'), "dog", "Alli" (sounds either like "a-yee" or "a-dee", "lila," "Auburn" (sounds like 'Aubie'), "night-night", "hi", "bye", "this", "cool"(you love to say that everything is "so cool"), "wow", "uh-oh", "baby", "sister", "mama", "daddy or dada", "Pop", "love you", "Pooh" also "Winnie the Pooh", "waffle", "book"-sometimes

*this month you started saying "duck" and "cat". You still call dogs "woo woo woo"s.

*anything else that we try to get you to say still comes out sounding like "dada", but at least you try and humor us!

*your favorite tv show is definitely Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and you love to dance and sing all of the songs in it. You will also try to get as close as you can to the tv to watch it.

*you are starting to love Winnie the Pooh too. You are enchanted by his stories!

*you love to sing and will hum tunes on occasion. The other day you were rocking your sister in her car seat while singing "my baby my baby" to her. It was SO cute!!

*you still love to make a mess and to climb on everything.

*you love to giggle and laugh. Your teachers say that you giggle all day long, especially during lunch time. You're such a silly girl! You can also fake cry, which I taught you on accident while playing a game.

*You love pumpkins and had a great time this month visiting various pumpkin patches and picking out your own pumpkins.

*you really love your sister (most of the time) and are so sweet with her. You are learning to be gentle, but don't always like being gentle with her. You love to try and lay on her or pick her up. You like to watch her play on the floor, and you also like to read with and sing to her. I hope that you are always this loving of your sister!!

*you celebrated your second Halloween this month and had a great time with all the fall activities this month. You were a lady bug and a strawberry fairy.

We love you, Lila, and can't wait to watch you continue to grow into such a fun kid! You definitely keep us on our toes with your crazy energy!

MOM's Club Halloween Party

2011-11-07T16:47:00.000-06:00

WOW oh wow, I am so behind on blog posts!!! Two days after Halloween, Lila, Alli, and I flew to Atlanta (and we're still here). So, there are many more posts to come...including Lila's 21 month old post. But, first comes first:

I'm in a MOMs Club here in League City, which is wonderful! They have such a fun Halloween party for the kids each year and this year Lila was about to even enjoy some of the games and such. They had tons of great food and treats as well as a pumpkin rolling race and mummy wrapping contest. Lila had so much fun tearing off the toilet paper that Josh would wrap her in for the contest and watching him have to wrap her all over again. She finally grabbed the roll and started wrapping herself after the contest was over. She and Alli dressed as jack-o-lanterns and were so adorable :)

having fun at the party

family pic

daddy and Alli pumpkin

mummy rolling contest

Halloween 2011

2011-11-01T18:39:00.000-05:00

This was Alli's first Halloween and Lila's second, and it was such a great one! We knew that Lila would have a blast since she would get to go trick-or-treating for the first time, and she sure did. She liked meeting the neighbors that would answer the door just as much as she liked putting the candy in her basket. She didn't even want to eat the candy, she was just as content playing with the pieces and placing them in and out of her bucket. She was definitely the cutest strawberry fairy that I've ever seen!

Alli was a strawberry, and she was so cute in her puffy little costume! She was such a good baby while we walked around behind Lila trick-or-treating. They were so precious next to each other, and Lila had a good time playing with her before we went out. Even though Alli didn't get to trick-or-treat (for obvious reasons), I think that she had a great first Halloween as well!

The girls trick-or-treating

she loved seeing all of the neighbor's dogs

testing out her candy

playing with her candy

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T14:26:00.000-05:00

I hope that you are having a wonderful Halloween so far! Lila is so excited to put on her strawberry costume and go trick-or-treating for the first time tonight! The weather is perfect, not too hot and not too cold! Alli has had a good Halloween so far as well, and I'm sure she will enjoy walking around the neighborhood with us tonight!

SEC Family

2011-10-29T17:34:00.000-05:00

Our poor girls are so confused about who to root for on game days since I went to Auburn and Josh went to Alabama. But, to make them even more confused, we also go for Georgia (since we're from Atlanta) as well as Ole Miss (because my brother is a senior there this year) when they aren't playing Auburn or Alabama. Today, while they were dressed in their Auburn outfits, Josh had to give them a Big Al stuffed animal so that both teams could be equally represented while rooting for Georgia against Florida and Auburn again Ole Miss (sorry brother!).

my sweet little Auburn girls

loving on her feet

being silly

daddy in Georgia, Lila in Auburn, and Big Al in the picture

Alli's not sure what to think about this elephant

Alli's First Halloween

2011-10-29T17:23:00.001-05:00

3 1/2 Months old on her first Halloween (2011)

Finally Fall

2011-10-28T12:37:00.000-05:00

Texas finally got the cold front that the weathermen had been promising for the past few weeks last night! There is a high of 60 degrees today, and it feels wonderful! Lila even got to wear tights with her dress (like it was meant to be worn), and she was really excited about it-not sure why though, I hated wearing tights when I was little! It's not the prettiest day, since it's really cloudy out, but tomorrow is supposed to be sunny with a high of mid-60s. Yay for the FALL weather that has finally arrived!

Now, I just hope that this was enough to scare the mosquitos away for a while!

sister playtime in the morning

being silly on the front porch

excited for the cooler weather!

Dewberry Farm

2011-10-24T19:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, we met our friends, The Disibios, at Dewberry Farm in Brookshire, Texas to have some Fall fun (although it still feels very much like Summer here!!). There is a huge pumpkin patch, corn maze, pig races, petting zoo, rides, and so many activities to enjoy at the farm. The girls are too small for a lot of the rides and games, so we will be sure to come back again next year!

We got to the farm right when it opened, stayed for about three hours, and still didn't get to do everything that there is to do there. Lila had a great time leading us all through the corn maze, and thankfully, didn't get us lost since we were following her. She also had a good time playing with and climbing on the pumpkins. Alli even enjoyed being in the pumpkin patch (I think it's because she was finally out of her car seat!). We might go back in a couple of months for their Christmas activities, and if we get ambitious, cut down our own Christmas tree! ...although we will most likely still be getting our tree from Home Depot to make it easier! It was such a fun, exhausting, day at Dewberry Farm, and I can't wait to go back next year!

Having fun in the flower patch:

Lila leading us through the corn maze:

Playing in the pumpkin patch:

Lila and Elle having fun in the pumpkin patch together:

Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-20T16:36:00.000-05:00

Josh had another unexpected day off (for the record, most of his days off are unexpected, and we just have to take advantage!), so we went to pick out some pumpkins at a local church's pumpkin patch. Lila is in love with pumpkins, so we knew that she'd have fun with a whole field full of them, and she surely did! She didn't know where to start and kept running from pile to pile to try and pick up the pumpkins. It was pretty funny to watch her try and pick up the giant pumpkins, but made quite the mess when she found the pumpkins that were more her size. Of course I took a ton of pictures because I just love how bright orange pumpkins make the perfect photo op!

When we purchased our pumpkins, the man working the booth gave Lila stickers with which to decorate her little pumpkin. She had a great time sticking the little eyes, nose, and mouth on her little pumpkin.

Alli's first "car" ride

2011-10-19T17:06:00.000-05:00

Lila used to LOVE this pink car walker, and I'm happy to see that she is sharing so nicely with her little sister. Last night, before bed, she gave Alli a ride in her old car. From the look on Alli's face, I'd say that she enjoyed it!

Lila hasn't given it up entirely though. As you can see, she climbs in it on occasion; however, she has a bit of trouble getting out!

"help, I'm stuck!"

Lila and her sister's shoes

2011-10-16T16:39:00.000-05:00

Lila is obsessed with shoes and plays with any that she finds (or steals). This morning before church, while the girls were sitting on the couch, Lila saw it as a prime opportunity to steal Alli's shoes for playtime. You can tell by Alli's face that she's not too thrilled with having her shoe stollen and wishes for it back. They are so funny together!

"Alli, I'm going to take your shoe"

"Got it!"

Alli: "please give it back" Lila: "I'm trying to put it on, just be still"

Lila: "Alli, you have stinky feet!" Alli: "Come on, give it back!"

"How do you work these shoes anyways?"

"All better, thank you!"

Houston Zoo Boo

2011-10-15T21:49:00.002-05:00

Josh got an unexpected two days off at the end of this week, so we decided to take advantage of it and head to the Houston Zoo for their Zoo Boo celebration. There was a pumpkin patch, face painting, trick-or-treating stations, and games. Josh had never been to the zoo here before, so he was really excited to go. I was excited to take the girls, especially since Lila can enjoy it so much more this year, and boy did she ever!

We got there right when it opened because it was Saturday, and we knew that it would be packed. The weather was perfect, and the girls were great on the drive up. Once we got there, we headed straight to the pumpkin patch area to let Lila pick out her own pumpkin to decorate before the crowd arrived. Lila had such a fun time picking out her pumpkin, and tested them out by seeing how far she could throw them (good thing they are sturdy little pumpkins, or I'm sure we'd be in trouble!). She painted it with paint pens and was so proud of her work. She played with her pumpkin all afternoon and evening also!

After we left the pumpkin patch, we explored the rest of the zoo. We let Lila walk, even though it took longer to get from exhibit to exhibit, so that she could see the animals better. She had such a fun time running around and seeing the different animals. She even got into looking at the map of the zoo to help daddy navigate. All of the animals were so active, and we had such a great time watching them. This time of year is such a perfect time to visit the zoo, and I'm so glad that Josh could join us this year!

sisters holding hands

playing with her pumpkin

me and baby girl

My happy lil' pumpkin

Zoo Boo 2010

Three Months Old October 13, 2011

2011-10-13T06:52:00.000-05:00

* you weigh 11.8 pounds and are about 22.5 inches long.

*you are still sleeping pretty well (although I'd like it to be a little longer!). The past few weeks you have woken up like clockwork at 2am and again at either 5 or 6am. You are really hungry when you wake up, so I think that you must be growing.

*you had a few nights at the beginning of this month where you slept 7-8 hours straight. Lately it's only been in 4-5 hour stretches. Hopefully, it goes back to the 7-8 soon!

*you will grunt when you are trying to get yourself to sleep. It sounds so funny!

*we started swaddling you all the way for your naps and at night. You seem to like it better than you used to, but it doesn't help you sleep any longer at night, just longer for your naps.

*your naps are becoming slightly more regular; however, some days they are still all over the place. Most days, you will nap at around 10-11am for about an hour and again at 2 for a good two hours (which is the same time as your sister!).

*you still nurse pretty well. You are getting more used to your bottles and sometimes prefer those at certain times of the day. You nurse the best right after your naps or when you wake up from your nighttime sleep.

*you still take a while to finish a bottle, and will drink between 3-4 ounces of breastmilk every 3-4 hours.

*you still love your Avent bottles and Mam pacis.

*you are wearing mainly 0-3 month clothes with some 3 month clothes thrown in there. Some of your newborn clothes still fit, but the dresses are getting pretty short! You have completely outgrown the newborn cotton pajamas.

*still wearing size 1 diapers.

*you still like your lamb swing okay. You usually go in there about 7am when we want to get a couple more hours of sleep in the morning. You will sleep in there until 9 or 10, which gives us a chance to get up and get Lila ready for the day.

*you LOVE to look at and kick the animals in your pack-and-play, bouncer, and swing. You will coo at them and play with them for a long while!

*you have a strong grip and love to grab our fingers and various objects in your reach (toys, blankets, etc.).

*your neck is so strong and you can lift it to 90 degree on your belly. You can also hold it up so straight when being held or sitting in your Bumbo.

*you love to stand and can bear all of your weight on your legs while we just hold your hands to balance you.

*you will turn in direction of our voices as well as follow our faces with your eyes.

*you found your feet and love to play with them. You also love holding your hands together.

*you still smile all the time, especially when daddy wiggles and jiggles you or you see my face. It melts my heart!

*you got to meet your new friend, Chandler this month. You all are only 8 weeks apart!

*you went on your first vacation this past week. You did SO well on the 10-hour car ride to Florida! You had a great time visiting with family, but weren't crazy about the beach (your sister throwing sand in your face on your first day there didn't help!).

I can't believe that three sweet months have gone by with you in our lives! You are so bright-eyed and beautiful! We love you, Alli!

Last Day of Vacation

2011-10-09T23:13:00.000-05:00

We ate brunch at the Donut Hole with Josh's parents before they had to leave to go back to Atlanta. It was delicious as always, and Lila was so well-behaved in her high chair! After brunch, we put Alli down for a nap while we took Lila to the beach to enjoy the sand for one last time before we headed back to Texas. She loves to get sand all over her and had the best time playing with her shovel and pail. Josh and I had such a wonderful time lounging on the beach as well as watching Lila have a blast playing on the beach. It was so great to visit with our parents, my sister, as well as Josh's sister's family this past week!

Since Lila was having such a great time playing on the beach, we didn't take her to the condo pool until yesterday for the first time. She loves her baby intertube and was having so much fun being able to "swim" without one of us having to hold her. We could only spend a couple minutes in the pool before we had to put her down for a nap, but she really enjoyed it while it lasted.

That evening, Georgia, Auburn, and Alabama were all playing their games at the same time, so we went to dinner at La Paz to watch the games. They had the Auburn game on the big screen (which was a little hard for me to watch!), but at least the food was good!

kisses from Aunt Kimberly

Alli says "touchdown Auburn"

This morning we slept in and got a late start heading back to Texas. The girls did so well on the almost 10 hour trip, but were so excited to finally get out of the car once we got home. We had such a great vacation, but are glad to be back home!

Day 4

2011-10-09T22:51:00.000-05:00

This day began with a trip to Niceville to visit our old home (that we still own). Our renters are moving out next week, and we had to do the final walk-thru to make sure everything is all good to determine the deposit return. It smells the exact same as when we lived there and brought back some great memories while looking around the place. Our renters have left it in such great shape, which is good because hopefully we can either sell it or move back into it if Josh get's re-stationed in Destin this transfer season (although I really don't want to leave Texas!!).

We got to the beach in the early afternoon and it was such a beautiful day again! Josh's family was waiting for us, and we had fun watching Lila and Coleman play together for a couple hours before they had to head back to Atlanta. It was so nice to visit with them since we don't get to see each other very often with Josh's crazy work schedule.

That evening, we took some more family pictures on the beach at sunset which included my dad this time. They turned out so great (even though Alli was fussy most of the time!). Good thing she is a cute crier! After pictures, we hung out with my and Josh's parents on the deck while we watched the beautiful sunset before heading to a dinner date with my sister. It was the first time we got to go to dinner without Alli since she was born. We went to Camiles to eat, and it was so nice to drink wine and eat delicious sushi without worrying about keeping a busy toddler entertained or a baby quiet. Josh, my sister, and I had such a great time, and the grandparents had a fun time watching and playing with the babies.

ready for our date