it's a celebration

oh how i love sweet addison! 

can you believe that the little one who came 4 weeks early and barely fit into clothes made for babies "up to 7 lbs" just turned 4 and now looks like this

she brings such unspeakable joy to our lives and is such a blessing.  she's full of spunk and she's a fighter.  she is our little peace keeper, always wants everyone happy.  every single day with her brings about a new adventure and she keeps us on our toes!  i love looking at life through her eyes, hearing her heart when she speaks and dreaming big with her.  she is such sunshine!

i so love the bond she shares with avery ~ from day one their relationship was precious ~ and i can't wait for all the memories, laughter and fun times ahead for them.  they are sisters and they are the best of friends.   

happy 4th birthday sweet addison!  you are such a wonderful blessing from the Lord!

thankful

that, for 4 days, when i woke up in the mornings, i saw this 

 and that my girls never asked to watch tv because they were doing this

 

or this

 or this

 

i think this picture shows how we all felt about the weekend!

 

hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving!

guess who

allen and i are having fun with the baby pictures of the kids...because at some point or another they all look the same.  can you guess who is who??

sweet addison

she started 3k last week....it's hard for me to believe she's old enough to go to preschool.  just one short year ago we moved, she was in diapers, and now she's skipping off to school.  she was too excited when she met her teacher, mrs phyllis!

and she was even more excited about the water fountains!  i never let my kids drink out of water fountains.  maybe that's one reason we all stayed well last year...did i mention we're all sick right now?  i blame the water fountains....

her first day was full of excitement...after all, she's watched avery come and go for 2 years. it's finally her turn!

one last hug....and she was on her way.  for some reason i can't post my last two pictures...i'll try and add those in a bit!  i love my sweet addison!

she's growing up

avery started kindergarten today.  she did amazing...and so did we :)  

she's such a blessing to us and we're so thankful for her.  

we're praying for God to use her in her school so that others will see Christ through her....

here is a glimpse of our morning

it's my birthday

well, almost.  technically i still have 6 more days (translation....6 more shopping days), but i really don't go by that.  my mom has always joked that i start planning my next birthday the day after my birthday.  and she's kind of right.  i love spending time with my family and my friends and while that happens often, something about birthdays make it even more special. 

last year allen surprised me with dinner with about 30 of our closest friends :)  it was right before we moved so i was soaking up all the time with them that i could get.  it was also that night that i *knew* i was pregnant with anderson.  yes, august 19, 2009 was a great day.

my mom asked me a week ago if i'd made my birthday list.  i hadn't.  she was shocked.  so was i.  i normally start mid-spring sending emails with links with "for my birthday" as the subject line.  so i started thinking...about things i've wanted since christmas (or before) and either hadn't asked for, didn't get, or pushed to the side so i could get something else, which normally translates to "for my kids."  i love getting money but i normally use it for gas, diapers, clothes for my kids or groceries.  am i the only one who does that?

so here are a few things i've had my eye on. 

a toy watch.  and no, i don't want it because sandra bullock wore it in the blind side.   in fact, i saw these on oprah's favorite things when avery was 1.  loved it then, love it now.  white on white is my favorite, my second choice is white with a pink face.

  

a hobo clutch/wallet.  a friend introduced these to me a few years ago and i love them.  they are kind of pricey, but well worth it (i've heard).  they are super cute and supposedly "last forever."  i take that term with a grain of salt knowing that it won't be the last wallet i ever buy.  for those of you that have one, do you love it??

 

custom picture frames.  because you just can't have enough.  and because these coordinate with a piece already hanging on my wall.   i sent my mom a set for andersons room (see, i can't help it) but i want these too.  is that bad?  no.  it's not.  that's why we make wish lists...if i don't get it for my birthday you'll see it again on my christmas list.  a perk of having a summer birthday.

a necklace.  i gave these to my mom and mother-in-law for mothers day.  i want one too.  super cute with a white fitted t-shirt and dark jeans.  

speaking of which, there are some jeans i want too...that i'll be getting...but not on august 19th.  i can't find the picture, but trust me, i know where to find them!

so there's my list.  it's not long, partially because there is only one thing on it priced under $100.  i know i have at least one friend who will identify and sympathize with my list.  and i love her for it!  she's probably reading this post and nodding her head.

so how about you?  what's on your wish list?

our new obsession

our family has a new obsession.  i know we're a bit behind the granola train, but, to be honest, i've never had any yogurt that i just loved.  or really even liked.  the consistency and smell grosses me out.

until i had anderson.

i was in the hospital and they brought me a parfait that was YUMM-O.  so good, in fact, i asked for another.  i did a little research and been on a mission to find my favorite combinations.  bonus?  the girls love it too!

here's my mix of choice

i love the cinnamon raisin granola, and the fresh berries are yummy too!  i have a friend who makes her own granola, and i can't wait to get my hands on her recipe.

my avery

six years ago our family was blessed with the precious gift of avery.  i can tell you that my world changed when they placed her in my arms, when we brought her home, when she smiled at me, rolled over, walked, went to student life childcare, called me mommy, held her baby sister, started 3, 4 and 5k, wrote her name, did a forward roll, recited scripture, told me she loved me, made the right decision, saw cinderella's castle, danced in her ballet recital, held her baby brother, taught addison something new, swam by herself, failed at something...then succeeded.  in six short years God has used this little girl to change my life and i am so thankful for her.

happy birthday avery!

same faces, different places

we were in town for the fourth!  that meant lots of family time and lots of friend time!  dreamland and fireworks have been our tradition with our friends and this year was no exception.  we did, however, change our location to watch the fireworks and (thanks to trey) it was a spectacular view!