Warehouse Wareabouts

A Jolly Good December

2011-12-22T16:16:00.001-08:00

Getting us caught up with all the festivities prior to Christmas Weekend... We had a Treats for the Troops party at our house with some buddies from church.

Attempting "that" picture by the Christmas Tree.

Mallory thought looking at the tree was "dumb"!

Doing some Christmas Crafts...

Mass producing our favorite gift for the season: Peppermint Foot Scrub. The kids are helping make some for their teachers.

All wrapped and ready!

Had a little extra to try out on the girls. B took the picture! Mallory thought it was fabulous!

However, gingerbread house making, not so fabulous. I die laughing everytime I see B's face with Mallory! Mallory wanted to sit in my lap for the process. Made putting that thing together a challenge. I am not a pro at gingerbread house kits. Will venture out on my own next year...maybe!

We had a cousin sleepover marathon! The girls loved their tub time together! I promise B and Harry were there! See, Arkie documented that it is true!

Sending our letter to Santa... I always wonder how many "North Pole" letters come for the poor Postal Workers! This is one of B's favorite things to do at Christmas!

Stay tuned for the Christmas Weekend- I hope to have it posted before the New Year!

Ode to October and November

2011-12-16T13:54:00.000-08:00

Some October/November highlights! They all run together for me. We spent a morning with some friends at a local pumpkin patch. It was beautiful and the girls and I picked a bunch of pumpkins for a little welcome sign for our front door. Throughout the month I was constantly putting them back in order as they LOVED to rearrange them with our neighbor friends!

Pics from the Patch...

We also were able to hit up the ToyLand first Friday on the square in Bentonville. Amanda tried to warn us, but we were not prepared for the magnitude of this event! It was a blast and B saw many favorite charaters there! Of course the hundreds of people were an overload for little Mallory, she may not have ever opened her eyes!

We also went for a little nature walk and found our thankful tree. We started a tradition last year of finding a branch and filling it with things that Brooklyn thought of to be thankful for. It was really neat because she would randomly come up to me each day and say, Oh- I thought of another one! We are so blessed! And she is right, we have been. I took some pictures of a few that made me smile.

Last but not least, Brooklyn at her Thanksgiving party. We are thankful for her school and the amazing teachers that she has had. They sang us songs and made us cry. Scott and I took turns on visiting the party and we enjoyed spending time with our favorite 4 year old and her precious friends.

As a parent I feel that one of my greatest blessings is understanding what "child of God" means. We love our kids with such a deep love that to love anymore would be impossible, yet God's love is just that. Recently we were at Wal Mart and the girls were putting money in the little Salvation Army bucket. The lady there was so sweet and said "Girls,Jesus loves you and your mommy loves you". She went on to say, and your mommy loves you more than Jesus." I stood there a little stunned and Brooklyn very matter or fact says "No she doesn't". I laughed and told the woman, "She's right, I don't- there is no way I could love her like Jesus does." I got back to the car with the girls feeling a little sad and not knowing why I was sad. I turned to Brooklyn wanting to make sure she understood what that conversation was about. We talked about how much her daddy and I loved her but that the love of Jesus can't compare to any love there is. She just stared at me for a while and said "It's because He made me".

I don't believe you teach that to kids- Our Creator puts that love in their hearts. We are here to guide them in their understanding of what that great love is all about. It was such an amazing testimony to me and I love what Jesus is teaching me and my girls.

Our North Pole Friend, Once Again and Vow to Slow it Down!

2011-12-12T23:23:00.000-08:00

I have an ode to october post that needs to be ode to october/november! I despise blogging out of order, but I am way behind and it is already December 13th! Where has the time gone.

Pinterest has been great for ideas, but terrible for making messes in my house. I have a gazillion projects going on and every surface is a "work station". We have a little Santa's workshop going on over here. It has gotten so bad that today when I picked up B from school she had some gifts from school friends. I thought "Rats!" I need to make gifts for all her friends at school. So I jump on pinterest to figure out what I need to make peppermint playdo. We head to Wal Mart and as I am throwing in all the materials (as well as pinterest recipes and other "loose end" projects, I start to feel overwhelmed. There are 13 students in her class and shouldn't I do them for MK's class too? This is where I love that first born of mine. She noticed the worried wrinkle that had worked it's way across my brow. She looks me in the eye and says " We really don't need playdo, Mommy". "Really". "My friends don't need a gift from me, I'll give them a hug or something". Wow- from the mouth of a 4 year old. How often do we get caught up in seemingly good things that only wear us out, stress us out, and suck us dry of enjoying the greatness of the season. Thankfully it was only this moment of this year that I have felt this way. :)- yeah right! I am thankful to God that he chose B to share his wisdom through. Slow it down, life will go on without peppermint playdo!

On to the pictures and appearance of our elf, Arkie! He came December 1st and brought goodies and powdered snow donuts all the way from the North Pole! The girls were beyond thrilled to find his breakfast setup for them. B had been eyeing a certain Lalaloopsy named Holly Sleighbells. Would you believe that Santa worked on her just that morning and used Arkie's clothes to make her dress? Well the proof is on the box! B was very thankful to have Holly to play with while under strict rules to not touch Arkie. We watched the Elf on the Shelf movie, and these sisters are serious about no touching!

I love how Mal imitates B, even with the tilted head! Silly, silly girls! And that Arkie of ours has been a stinker too! I haven't taken pictures of all of his adventures but here were 3 from last week.

Spooktacular Weekend

2011-11-06T21:56:00.000-08:00

Hanny and Giggs came to play Friday morning! Dressing dolls at this moment.

Mallory slapped a few colors and and was done! She was afraid to miss any fun with Hanny!

Brooklyn on the other hand was determined to paint she and Giggs on her pumpkin, holding hands!

That afternoon, we headed to one of the assisted livings I work at. We were able to watch a Halloween Murder Mystery. We walked in through the kitchen and all the residents dressed up was overload for Mallory. Needless to say, our view was from the door of the entrance. Silver lining was that we brought treats and were able to pass them out as everyone left. The girls loved this part. I laughed that they chose to wear dress up outfits instead of Halloween costumes. Little Mermaid and Tinkerbelle!

Saturday took us to Trunk or Treat. Mallory started off behind the candy when she saw some scary faces. It didn't take long until she wanted to pass out all the candy. When the scary costumes came, she would bury her head in my chest. Then look up and say "Otay, Otay, they gone" We loved our little Toy Story Family. Mr and Mrs Potato Head, Jessie and Little Bo Peep. Pat Turner saved me on sewing time by finding one of Sarah Beth's dresses that worked perfectly! The kids loved hanging out with the Allen's and their cousins. Mallory kept saying "Where Orgia Kewey" So cute!

Halloween night, we headed down to show off our beauties to Grandma. Mallory shared her sucker with Mimi!

Halloween night we headed over to the Engleman's. This is the second year we have trick or treated with their kids and other families, it is so fun. Think it will be a tradition! We had dinner together and ,made our rounds all together. I am sure we were a scary sight, with so many kids. Didn't get too many pictures, held Mallory a lot of the time! We got back to the house, hit up the houses in our little cul-de-sac and then handed out candy ourselves. Something B could not WAIT to do. In the midst of handing candy out, Bennett snuck in through our garage and scared us! It was a Trick but a Treat! It was fun to end the night with Woody and Jessie united! All in all, it was a spooktacular weekend! Now to come off the sugar high!

Enjoying Branson Once Again!

2011-10-15T22:24:00.000-07:00

Last week the girls and I made a trip to Branson for a few days to visit my family. It had been many years since my grandmothers had been there, and it was a great week for everyone!
Mom was quick to entertain the girls with the Butterfly Palace. The pictures are deceiving! It was an interesting place, but we were a bit disappointed. Mallory was terrified of the butterflies. Brooklyn liked them as long as they didn't get too close, which they did! Needless to say, we sped through that part!

This is my favorite picture of mom and the girls yet! Love that B has the binoculars backwards. She argued over and over again that they only worked that way!

I was fascinated by this room. Seeing first hand the butterfly transformation was incredible.

They had a mirror maze that was the hit of the place, well until Brooklyn hit one so hard she fell over. Oops, that changed the mood a bit!

Mallory's favorite part...the turtles. She loved to explain them to you over and over again. "This is the daddy turtle, the momma turtle and the baby turtle."

I can't remember what I promised B to smile for this picture. It had to be big! This was after the daze of the maze!

The next day we all went and so the incredible Chinese Acrobats. They were loved by us all. This picture is B's favorite. She had to show it to all her neighbor friends when she got home. She was super shy about taking the picture and made me join. Too bad I'm the giant!

We thought we had good sleeping arrangements until everyone decided to sleep with me on the pull out couch. This was the first time the girls had slept together and I thought they were pretty cute.

I have to say my favorite thing about the few days we spent was not the shows or the food, but it was the last morning where we all piled into one of the condo's and played cards. I was able to play with both of my grandmothers and Aunt SheShe. It was a special time for me and the girls loved having full reign of the place. I am so thankful that we had that time to spend together. It definitely filled my heart and I love any extra time the girls can spend with my grandmothers. Gave me all kinds of warm and fuzzies!

Looking back on September

2011-10-10T21:28:00.000-07:00

A September Update of Pictures of our silly girls! Mallory loves to do anything for a laugh. These q-tips did it! They love to spend the mornings getting in bed with me. They want to do anything BUT sleep, though!

The girls love to wear my shoes. I find them all over the house!

We also hit up the zoo with Chad, Amanda and kids!

We had Romy over for a tea party with the girls. They were adorable!

Celebrating Caleb's 6th birthday at the Arvest Ballpark. It was the perfect party. I couldn't keep B off of the big slide.

First day of Preschool for the girls!

Brooklyn started dance class with two of her favorite girls. Mallory was proud of big sis!

We ended the month with a sleepover with Harry and Georgia Kelley. These kids are so easy together. They even stopped long enough for a few pics!

Bonkers for Balloons

2011-09-17T07:04:00.000-07:00

After Mallory's party, we had some fun with those leftover balloons!

And then we popped them all! Mallory's first one freaked her out a little.

TOUCHDOWN! Lot's of fun!

SDC... A Ware of A Time!

2011-09-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

Harry and Sandy took us all to Branson a few weekends ago and we had the BEST time! It was such a blast and the kids loved it. We did some outlet shopping, hit up Dixie Stampede and spent a whole day at Silver Dollar City. No naps, no tears...100% FUN! Thank you so much in-laws! You know how to plan a great trip!

It's Mallory's World

2011-08-23T13:47:00.000-07:00

Tickle me Two! Mallory's second party, what a good life! I must begin by saying that there are times that I feel like crazy computer things happen to me and someone somewhere is laughing and the mastermind behind it all. If I change the orientation of my pictures on my computer, it deletes that picture. Hence the lack of variety in pictures on this post. Makes me sad, because I made sure I got a pic of everyone there. Luckily I haven't deleted them off the card, so I still have them for later (when we get this figured out). Sigh! Happy thoughts! The party was full of great friends and family! Scott blew up 100 balloons and the kids had a blast playing in them in the living room. There are two other posts after this about MK's birthday celebration! Be sure to scroll down to see them all! We think she's pretty special! :)

I was cooking quickly and took my shots out of focus on the decor! Oh well, it's about the child not the party! And this child had a blast!

It all goes 2 fast!

2011-08-20T00:09:00.000-07:00

BEWARE: This post is wordy! :)

My baby is offically two. I think she knew how hard this was going to be for me. The night before her birthday she woke up in the night just wanting to be held and rocked. I stayed in there well beyond putting her to sleep, soaking it up. That next morning Scott asked me if I was exhausted and my reply was "No, I'm happy". Happy to know that even in the early years, an age is just a number! She is still my baby.

Some things about our sweet Mallory @ 2:

*She must have her "minkie" and "paci". If she wants it and doesnt have it, don't worry, she will tell you!

*She is super polite. She gives her thank you's, sorry's and please's in abundance. When I have Brooklyn apologize to Mallory for something, Mallory always replys with "Ah No,Sister, I sorry!"

*She is a ham. When she thinks she has done something cute or funny, she will do it over and over again. Usually screaming, Mommy WATCH THIS!

*She likes to do everything herself. She started buckling her top buckle of the car seat at 18 months. She loves to figure things out and "fix" them. She's really good at puzzles.

*She has hit the age of a strong opinion. The girl knows what she likes and what she doesn't. And you won't tell her otherwise, so don't even bother! I have been hit with green beans and have seen my share of folded arms and pouty lips. This is the time that the politeness goes out the window!

*She likes a little adventure, as long as I am near. She will slide down a slide, jump off the couch, wants to be "higher" in the swing...yet she is scared to death of our dog Maggie. Poor Maggie, the sweetest dog in the world!

*She loves to sing "God made the round, round sun"and many others. She also loves to sing the KLAC theme song off the radio!

*She can't stand crowds of people. She will cling to me at church and big gatherings. Small groups or just our family and she is the most independent child ever. She loves to play by herself and requires little entertaining from anyone.

*Her favorite things to do are: look at books, do puzzles, watercolor, throw and kick balls, play with the doll house or kitchen, dress up clothes, and shoes. She changes shoes at least 4 times a day. She loves shoes. Sometimes they are B's or mine, or even Scott's!

*She and Brooklyn play really well together. They made up a silly song called "No one's going to kiss it" It all started with Mallory getting a "boo boo" and looking for some sugar. She went to B and B started chanting "No one's going to kiss it, no one's going to kiss it". Mallory thought it was hysterical and quickly joined in. She has added a "boom, boom,boom" to the end of the song followed by a slap on the forehead and head shake. I don't get it, but they do and laugh..every..time!

Dear sweet Mallory Kate,

I can not believe that you are now 2! You are such a precious girl and fill our lives with joy. I am thankful that you love me so much now. I want you to look back on this at 16 and know that you had a deep obsession for your mother at 2! I will lose that soon, so let me enjoy it now! When you want to be picked up, I pick you up. When you want to cuddle, that's what we do. That's not spoiling, that's savoring! Just thinking about you makes my heart swell. I am so proud of the little girl that you are becoming. I see wonderful things in you. I believe that you are going to grow to be a very strong woman one day. I can see such determination in you, and that will be a great strength to you. I pray to God that He give me wisdom in raising you to be all that He intended. I know His plans for you are big, I pray that my plans become His plans. I thank Him tremendously that I could be YOUR mother. What an honor! With detemination, I see passion. You love deeply, you hug tightly, you play hard,you smile extra cheesy, you apologize extremely, and you scream loudly!

At 2, I hope to always remember your raspy little voice, that bounce in your step, your goofy dancing and how you mimic your sisters every move. I love your piercing blue eyes, those pretty lips and your blonde hair in pig tails. I am sad to say that there is not one baby roll left and that is the mark that you are indeed growing up!

Thank you for all the happiness you bring to our little family. We can't wait to share and celebrate each August 17th, praising God for each year that it brings!

With all our love! Mommy and Daddy

Flamingo Family Fun Party

2011-08-17T19:47:00.000-07:00

We have been celebrating MK for 2 weeks now! Nana and Pops took the girls for a week while Scott and I were counselors at camp. Between them coming up that weekend and family coming up for Uncle Chad's big induction into the hall of fame at Springdale High, we squeezed in a family party to boot. Did I mention that I also helped my mom find a new car and threw a bridal shower at church? Yeah, it was crazy, but in a good way!

The Gadberry's were gracious to allow us to use their pool for the festivities. I was racing around trying to get it together that morning, but I thought it turned out cute. Here are a few pics from the big day. The party girl wasn't quite into it. Maybe she was thinking, today is NOT my birthday. :)

The kids had a great time just digging into these cupcakes with their fingers. No need for the plates! It was awesome!

So glad Gran made it down for the occassion!

Jumpin back to July

2011-08-09T20:30:00.001-07:00

Started with eating chocolate pudding, then to play in it...then to be overwhelmed by it and wanting OUT of it!

Much happier in water!

A typical Friday morning! Breakfast in the car with a favorite movie for about an hour of garage sale shopping. Win Win!

Scored this awesome horse costume for $3! Was going to resale it but now B wants to be Jessie for Halloween.

This is what happens to boys when they are in our house too long. B had our neighbor dressed up as a princess. He was sweet to go along with it!

Checked on B during a nap and found her wrapped in her blanket. The blanket isn't that big, she was folded up pretty tight to make this possible!

Made a Hope trip to celebrate Benjamin's first birthday! I took most of my pics on my mom's camera, but did have this one. Isn't he adorable! Jennifer made his cake- it was amazing!We had a pet caterpillar for 2 weeks. He went EVERYWHERE with us and was truly a part of the family No he is not a beautiful butterfly now, because his life was ended in the midst of the 100+ heat. B is ready to adopt a new one. Wormy friends, B Ware! :)

Pictures we took for Mallory's 2nd birthday invite. We had a family flamingo pool party. She will actually be two next week and I don't want to think about it. More on that later! Isn't she cute! I would flock to her too! :)

Swimming Lessons= SUCCESS!

2011-07-20T20:07:00.000-07:00

Last year we attempted swimming lessons. A bit of a bad experience. I wish that I had talked more to the swim instructor before that first lesson. Needless to say dunking my fearful daughter in the water within the first 5 minutes was not going to make you her best friend. Actually that first lesson was the first time I had ever heard B say anything negative about a person. She told me very matter of fact that she didn't like Mrs. ______ and that she knew how to swim so she was all done with lessons. We continued the lessons that week. She was miserable, I was miserable. Her instructor would ask her to do things and B would do everything she asked but cried the WHOLE time. I was pained that she was so unhappy but hoped it would get better. The lessons made her more fearful of swimming and we dropped the subject in hopes that the next summer would be a different story.

A new instructor, a private pool, a class with her very best buddy in all the world. We have a winner! Oh happy day! She was in a 2 week session and it was unbelievable the transformation!

I can't describe to you the love these girls have for each other. The look alike, talk alike, act alike. I am fascinated by their little conversations and am so thankful that B aligned her heart with such a precious friend. Not the best picture, but Mrs. Dana was the most patient person I have ever seen. EVER. I watched these kids try to get out of trying new things and she presented the ideas in different ways over and over again. And you know what, her teaching style worked for them. By the end of the two weeks B was completely comfortable in the water. Would swim with her face in the water (no goggles), could float on her back and the most important thing to me- would jump in the deep end and could swim to the side. I am a nervous wreck when it comes to pools and want my kids to be strong swimmers. Last year was such a bad experience that I was so thankful for such a turn of events!

Brooklyn was able to take swimming lessons also with her BFF's sister, Campbell. She was a fish in the water. I was so impressed by this girl.

Sweet RoRo. We adore this girl!I think Romy was concerned she was a goner. B became quite the floater.Mallory decided to join on in. Too bad she initially did this with her pants on. I found a swimmer diaper in my purse and she was stylin.

Would not have been a big deal except it was a Wednesday night, Scott and I were both teaching and it was VBS! So this was our bright idea.

Mallory wasn't sure what to make of her pants hanging out of the car!Verdict: It works! Maybe we started a new trend. If you see my car with clothing hanging out of every window, it's not an accident. We are just using our I-540 Cycle!

Can't forget the Fourth!

2011-07-19T22:45:00.000-07:00

The weekend started with B going with her cousin Harry and Papa/Mimi to the Rodeo. She was more then excited for the big date. Mimi gave them hats for the event. B thought her cowgirl hat was pretty awesome.Harry and B spent the night with Mimi and Papa. We met up with Hannah and Tyler at the Rodeo Parade. They came bearing donuts and Mallory was one happy chicka!It didn't take long for B to make a new friend.

Mallory stuck by her daddy's side most of the time.

It was a fun time! Except I was disappointed in the lack of candy throwing!We headed up to Amanda and Chad's pool to cool off. Guess who made a bee line for the slide?Mallory LOVED the slide and went again and again!Georgia Kelley was no different!It may have been the faces they saw at the end of the tunnel that gave them the confidence!It didn't take long to get Harry to join in.And then...no, not Brooklyn! She spent her time in the area where she could touch. We are proud, however, of how she is starting to "get" swimming. She did a lot of practicing.As was apparent with her hairdo. :)All prettied up for the Fourth! We actually spent the fourth at the Gadberry's pool where Mallory spent the majority of her time sliding down their slide. No pics from the day. I spent the day counting my chicks! We had a wonderful weekend with family and friends!

Been there, Tri-ed that!

2011-07-13T05:13:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I completed my first sprint triathlon. I have been training for 12 weeks. I will have to admit, training on your own for something like this was hard. I need motivation from others (hint, hint!). It helped that I signed up as an "early bird" because I couldn't back out of it. The training consisted of 2 (3-5 mile) runs, 1 bike ride (45 minutes), 1-2 swims (30-45 minutes), and then a long bike ride on Saturday morning transitioning into a run (1 hr 25 min). Most days I got up at 6-6:30 and did my workout and when I came home everyone was asleep. Awesome! I usually had some quiet time still before everyone started stirring and that helped my day tremendously.

Day of the race:

Couldn't sleep the night before. I told Scott it felt like I was prego with B all over again. I had no idea what I was getting into the next day. I got up at 5:30 on doom day and got to the site an hour and 1/2 early. Probably 90% of the racers were already there. Intense, yes! They have a big area called the "transition area" where you come to after each leg of the race. Don't you know I was scoping out how everyone else was doing things. I put my bike on the rack and started asking people questions. I was surrounded by newbies, which helped ease the tension.

When we got to the swim area, I met a sweet girl who also was a newbie. She wanted to finish in 2 hours like me. Ironically we both finished at 1 hr 45- 10 seconds apart. I felt like my stomach was already starting the butterfly stroke as I waited for the "GO". I started swimming and there were legs and arms everywhere. I was kicked and punched in the face multiple times. I guess that is why they body mark you, in case you drown they will know who you are! I quickly learned to switch to breast stroke so that I could see ahead more easily. I finished the 5oo meters in 11 min 16 sec. It felt incredible. I came out of the water skipping up the hill. That part I LOVED! When I got to the transition point, Scott and the girls were right behind me. I was able to hug and kiss them and talk excitedly to Scott. Needless to say, my transition time wasn't good!

I grabbed my bike, threw on my gear and headed out. Unfortunately I could not get my shoes in the caged toes and it became a mental thing. The more I tried the more I told myself "this isn't happening!". Seriously wasted over a minute doing this! Started the bike ride (what I had dreaded!) and things went great. I know Scott was stressed the whole time. I have had issues with my bike. There hadn't been a ride yet that the chain hadn't come off. I am a newbie on the bike for sure. I borrowed my friend's mountain bike to practice and finally got my road bike in June. So I had been riding on this bike for a month. I really wanted to do the 15 miles in 1 hour (15 mph average). Some good friends of mine live on the bike route and they were out cheering me on as I passed their house. The bike ride ended up being my favorite part. It was awesome. I met an older lady on it that was a Barnabas. We spent the majority of the ride screaming out encouragements to each other. I sped down the hill by GVBC and noticed my odometer read 42 mph. Thought I was going to vomit! The speed limit was 45! After that rush, we made the turn to go up was called "the chicken hill" by Monte Ne chicken. It should be called that because you can't be a chicken and face it. It is horrible! All the riders ahead of us were off their bikes and pushing them up. My new friend and I looked at each other and said "We can do it, keep your head down and go!". And we did it! It was slow and painful, but we did it! After that it was rolling hills back to the start. I could see worry all over Scott's face and I came off the bike jumping with adrenaline. I looked down and did it in exactly an hour! I felt so giddy as I started the run....

The run was horrible! I had practiced biking and running, but running with music. Music is prohibited during a race. Found this out the week before. I could hear my terrible breathing and counted each step until the end. The race start was delayed, so it was 9:00 when I ran. Already 90* for this record high day! I would just pour cups of water over my head as I passed water stations. Longest 3 miles of my life and I did it an embarrassing time of 30 minutes. 5 minutes more then when I was training!! Music is motivating!!

Will I be doing another Tri soon? Already researching out the area. Thought it was a bucket list thing, but I'm not so sure now!

B asked me over and over again before the race "Are you going to win"? I told her "NO, but I will go as fast as I can". I laughed when I saw the sign. Not the fastest mommy, but so proud to have crossed the finish line on my feet and not a stretcher!

Fifth's on the Fifth!

2011-06-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

It has been a weird week for us around here! A little over a week ago B had a low grade fever and complained about a sore throat. It was Friday before Memorial Day weekend and we called to get in to see Dr. L before the holiday. Let me just say, B LOVES her pediatrician. I mean she loves him. I told her we were going to go to the doctor and she jumped for joy and pumped her fist in a YES! Tells you a lot about him. I share her sentiments because he takes his time with us and is very through.

So we went, step test was negative but he went a head and gave us some antibiotics because the culture wouldn't come back until Tuesday and it wouldn't hurt for her to be on it. Within 24 hours she was back to normal. 1 week later I noticed a rash on her checks. We had been playing outside and I figured it was a heat rash. It got a little worse until the next night I noticed that it had spread to her arms and chest. Of course Scott was out of town and it was now Saturday night. I was teaching not only Sunday school but helping on Bible Hour that next day. With the guys all at the Men's Retreat, I knew that they would be short handed. Luckily Mimi came to the rescue and kept them both that morning. I did some frantic research online that morning and had a pretty strong feeling it was Fifths Disease- a diagnosis made on June 5th! B was acting normal but the rash grew worse and worse. I took some pics after her nap. Monday was the first day back for MDO and the rash was even thicker! I called work to reschedule my time there, dropped MK off at school and back to see Dr L we went. She looks so pretty, till you see this!

I was really nervous when upon giving Dr L's our details remembered that B had a tick bite on Tuesday. I panicked until Dr L reassured me that she would have a high fever and not be acting normal. Wheww!

It is Fifths Disease and can last for up to 4 weeks. Luckily in the rash phase it is no longer contagious. I have no idea how she got it, we haven't been out and about as much the last few weeks. All I know is that I am ready for it to be gone!! I have been hesitant to go anywhere with her because she looks like she has leprosy and even though I know she isn't going to spread it along, other mothers don't. So I am sparing us all the dirty looks and the feeling that we are the "unclean". :) This isolation business is for the birds, though. It's horrible! B HATES to be hot and will only last 10 minutes in the backyard before exclaiming "I feel some sweat, I need to go inside". We went to the park this morning and after 5 minutes she told me she needed "some shade". She happily played in the pavilion while I pushed my drenched sweat Mallory in the swing. Funny how your kids can be so different. Just glad everyone was out and happy!

Mommy Knows Best

2011-05-08T18:47:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day started off with the girls jumping in bed with me. Brooklyn exclaimed that she had a surprise for me and showed me my Mother's Day scrapbook. Scott was genius when he started it. Each year he writes a poem that includes things about that year of myself and the girls. He adds a hand print of them both and we put a picture of each mother's day in the scrapbook. Here was the pic from this year. B sometimes forgets how to smile, and that is just perfect because I will always remember this age by it! :)

Our church service was especially great. Keith, our preacher, gave a dynamic lesson on the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel. It has inspired me to be more diligent in my prayers to truly dedicate my children to the Lord. It is such an impactful story and if you haven't read it in a while, do it!!

After church we headed over to Harry and Sandy's to indulge in an amazing meal put together by Harry. It was incredible and we ended in death by chocolate cake. It was difficult to move afterwards! :)

On top of it being Mother's Day, it was also Scott's grandma's 87th birthday. Sandy had a great idea to have each member of the family write memories for Grandma and put them in a box together. Grandma struggles with dementia and has a difficult time with short and long-term memory. She enjoyed the box so much.

I love this picture. These are hands of a wise, God-fearing woman. Grandma has such a sweet spirit and has impacted others by truly being a woman of Proverbs 31.
Sandy is so much like her mother. She too is a giving person and lives with a heart full of compassion. Scott and I agree that her greatest trait is being able to go up to ANYONE in any situation. God has placed her working with hospice patients and families for a reason. Happy Mother's Day to my favorite MIL!!
And I can not go today without saying a special Mother's Day to my own incredible Mother. It has been a hard day to see everyone with their mothers and not share in that special bond of my own. My mother has a gift of encouragement. She has a way with words and will encourage myself and others with heart-felt letters. She has a gift in writing and has mountains of prayer journals that she kept when Alan and I were growing up. I never realized just how that dedication to prayer has impacted my life. She didn't pray because it was a last resort, she prayed because she had a deep understanding of the power of prayer. I am so thankful for all that she has done for both Alan and I. You are one fantabulous mother (and don't look up that word, because it won't be in the dictionary...if it were, my mothers picture would be next to it...:)

Easter Hoppenings

2011-04-25T16:52:00.000-07:00

Easter week started off with a hop! Mimi took the kids to see Hop on Tuesday and B came home energized. It was a great way to kick off the week. (Photo courtesy of Amanda's blog- I thank ya!)

An Easter week can not go by without some fun traditions. Tyler and B enjoyed dyeing Easter eggs and Lisa and I caught up on life. These two get along so well. Tyler is a joy to be around. He has the best manners and obviously is being taught right by those parents of his!

Thursday we had big plans that didn't involve eggs or Easter bunnies. Hannah and I took B to see Disney Princesses on Ice. I don't know who was the most excited. It was a rainy day (and has continued to be- many roads in our area are flooded!) so B wore her Belle dress with a raincoat, rain boots, and Dora umbrella. She was stylin and pretty proud of her attire!

The show was AMAZING! I know that word is overused, but it really was fantastic. Far exceeded our expectations. We had good seats and soaked up every second of it. By the end of the show B had a fancy program (no, not free), a coloring book, an Ariel necklace, a Belle rose, cotton candy with a gold Disney crown (don't even ask how much that cost!). We are going to have to lay some major ground rules when we actually go to Disney World. The loot was out of control!

Here was a picture after the show. B looks a little overdosed on cotton candy. She clapped and cheered for each princess. She even liked Mulan, so we may be adding to our collection!

The next morning we met one of my good friends, Christy and her daughter Andi at the Wonder Place. Andi is precious. She kept us laughing as she carried a stuffed dog twice her size everywhere. She is such a beautiful girl!

The only time the three girls were in the same place. With all the cool rooms, it was hard to keep up with the kids. At one point, Christy and I were in deep discussion and I heard Scott's voice " I need a little help here". I totally zoned out and our kids were all over the place. MK soaked herself in the river. Oops!

Even though Scott is in mid-sentence, I like this picture. I see some similarities in these two.

When MK found this dog, she immediately decided to take him for a ride. If only she loved our own Maggie like she did this guy.

Later she found a mini version and reacted the same way when she saw him. He ain't nothin but a hound dog!

Boy, no denying these two look alike! They were enjoying the craft room.

The girls both fell asleep as we pulled out of The Wonder Place parking lot. That was our cue to head on down to Hope for the rest of our Easter experiences. That night we had the whole family over for game playing. It was perfect because the girls could go to sleep and we could let the games continue. After everyone left, Scott said to me "Your family is so fun to be around". I don't think I ever quit smiling the whole night. I love being with my family, I love the laughs and familiar stories. It is such a comfort to me.

Saturday, Scott and I went over to Alan and Jen's. Scott became an exterminator of a dead opossum in their attic. He came down with it and I was sick seeing it's tail over the pail. So glad I was in the kitchen cooking with Jen! They also laid down insulation. I'm telling you, not fun jobs for those guys but good brother-in-law bonding! Jen and I had a great time catching up and being free for a while. My parents kept the kids, so it was uninterrupted conversation. Sacred times!

That afternoon we walked down to my Mema's for the annual Easter egg hunt. This is the 3rd year and one of my favorite parts of the weekend. I remember taking Easter pictures at her house and having our own egg hunts. It means so much to me that the girls are having that time with Mema each year. It is special.

MK must have spotted a hidden egg! Look at that face!

Memaw spending time with the girls. They love to play "this little piggy".

Love this!

When we were about to leave, MK took her shoes to Mema to put on her. She was so comfortable around Mema, it spoke volumes!

My treasured picture of the trip.

A few pics of the kids in a favorite tree at my parents house. They were not digging it, but couldn't get out!

After the egg hunt, we loaded up for another fun-game filled night at my Mimi's. She is always up for card playing action. Again, had so much fun I forgot to take pictures.

We headed home and started a tradition that I have waited forever to do. When I first started working at the health department I would give out this Resurrection Cookie "recipe" to parents and kids I would see. I could get around the system because it was a recipe. This is the first year I felt like B could really "get" it and be able to sit through and listen to it all. Scott ended up really getting into it too. We had a fun night with it.

And we work up the next day to...

The Tomb was Empty! Our Jesus rose from the dead. "Jesus has risen, just as He said". Matt 28:6. Death swallowed by triumphant Life! 1 Cor 15:56.

The Easter Bunny stopped by as well filling those baskets with goodies and more candy then we need!

After church services, they had an annual Easter egg hunt for the kiddos. At one point B just sat down and shoveled eggs into her basket. It was ridiculous how many eggs there were! They covered the ground. Within minutes I had to tell B to stop because her basket overflowth! MK enjoyed it too, although she was super tired. Nothing sugar didn't fix.

Once we changed clothes, we headed over to Alan and Jen's for Easter lunch. Scott and I were miserable by the end of the weekend. We ate so much good food, I think we destroyed our P90X results!

A pic of the kids in action. I love how much Mimi is enjoying being with them in the background. I always wish for more pictures after we leave. We just have such a good time, I don't even think about that camera! I was shocked by baby Ben! He pulls up and stands so well. We couldn't get over how much he has grown. Where did that baby go?

Growing up, I was a collector of the Care Bears. Alan had two that weren't in my collection- Champ and Grumpy. Here is a pic of Ben and Grumpy- they are opposites! Ben is anything BUT grumpy. He is such a good natured, sweet boy! He just sat and took everything in. We were thankful to spend the holiday with both sides of the family at different times. Easter is my absolute FAVORITE holiday with Christmas a close second. This year was no exception- it was pure bliss.

It's a Great Day to Praise the Lord!

2011-04-02T18:39:00.001-07:00

The annual Spring Program at MDO fell on St Patricks Day this year. Both of the girls classes were apart of the program. I say that with a laugh because Mallory was not having any participation. When I left her classroom she was laying flat on the floor bawling to have my camera. There was nothing I could do but flee the scene and apparently she didn't get over it. Luckily there were many cameras flashing and she never noticed I was behind one of them. I was so nervous that she would see me, half my pictures have the top of a chair in them! MK is in the "Little Ladybug" classroom. When I went digging for green clothes I thought this little shirt was perfect for the occasion! Gotta love that our child is the ONLY one with not only a paci but also her blankie. Oh well, she wasn't crying anymore! Her teacher is the sweetest woman in the world. She's the one that will rock her forever. She tried so hard to change MK's mood- but that MK is a stubborn one! I love these next two. Her teacher braved removing the blankie and paci. Here is the grab for the blankie.

Paci was next and I love the look they shared with each other. I think that little boy is looking over thinking "Oh no she didn't!" He was probably ready to plug his ears for our little darlings response. It was a miracle that MK didn't even protest and even SMILED! I am thankful for these good hearted teachers. Every time that I leave the girls I know that they are greatly loved.

B had her songs down. Her teachers told me that she was the most animated of the group and I was ready to get it on video. Well, she missed the whole first song by searching out Mimi in the crowd. She couldn't see her and was distraught that she wasn't there. On the video you hear me say "JUST DO IT, Mimi's here, JUST DO IT!". Between the two songs I got Mimi to stand up, B saw her and was back in the game. We laughed that one of her teachers even specifically called her name to get her focused. She did a great job on her apple poem. I tried to download the videos, but blogger and I don't see eye to eye when downloading videos. Scott and I knew the 2 songs B's class was singing because we had practiced it day after day. She even changed out the words for other things she would do during the day. Even while sitting on the toilet. One song she sang was "Mr Sun, Sun, Mr Golden Sun please shine down on me". Scott witnessed her singing on the toilet one day "Mr Poopie, Poopie, Mr Brown Poopie please come out of me". Yes, we are proud parents! :)

Well after the two songs were sung, we thought the program was over. Then a guy came out with a guitar and the the whole preschool group sung "It's a great day to praise the Lord". B sung it with all her heart, laughed with her buddies and smiled the most genuinely happy smile she could give. A tear rolled down my cheek while I layed on the floor videotaping it. I was on the floor because the front was packed with parents and their cameras. I literally video taped under a leg of a chair. It was insane! No wonder some kids got stage fright, the paparazzi was unreal!

All of B's pictures are with her friend Romy because they never separate. They are like little twins separated at birth. They look alike, talk alike, act alike and have crazy love for one another. Romy's mom works at the MDO and will tell me precious stories everyday of their little friendship. We celebrated Romy's birthday this afternoon and when it was time for Romy to blow out candles, she got nervous to do it. B put her arm around her and looked her right in the eyes and said "It's ok Romy, you can do it." Romy bit her lip and said back "Will you help me". They blew them out together. Arwen and I were behind them hugging each other at their sweetness.

That being said, Fellowship Bible MDO program has blessed our family tremendously. Besides the leadership, the teachers and the little friendships that my girls are making- I am most joyful that their hearts are directed to understanding God more and more each time that they are there.

Hum-messy Mallory

2011-03-30T10:13:00.001-07:00

Brooklyn and I were in her closet cleaning up when I heard a strange noise outside the door. I came out to find that Mallory had pushed her highchair all the way from the kitchen to B's room. She then took me by the hand to the fridge. When I opened it, she went wild pointing at the hummus. And that's when things got a little hum-messy.

Besties x3 and Jonquil Festival

2011-03-18T20:40:00.000-07:00

My best friend from high school, Julie, texted me last week telling me that they would be in Hope. My wheels were spinning on how we could make everything work. We needed to make a trip to El Dorado to see Scott's Memaw and celebrate Pops birthday. I am so happy to say we got everything in during the trip and my Friday with Julie was pure bliss. I have missed her so much. When we are together, it reminds me of why she is so wonderful. I am completely myself with her, unguarded about anything. I know she will never judge me and my spirits are always lifted when we are together. I love you Bulie Boo Boo Boo!

We headed down to Old Washington for the Jonquil Festival. I was skeptical of what kind of time it would be, but it was a blast and very kid friendly. We hiked the whole area over to find a good field for pictures, but it was so worth it. I cherish these pictures of us and the girls together.
Isn't Julie gorgeous! She is a natural beauty- no joke makeup free she could be the next Noxzema girl. I would die to have her skin!

Besties #2 (both 4 years old- 3 months apart) These girls LOVE each other. It is unreal how well they played and enjoyed their time together. Brooklyn adores Meggie and is already asking when we can see her again. She was so sad when I told her we wouldn't see her Sunday at church. Isn't Megan such a beautiful child

Raise your flowers and toast to good friends!

B sharing from her bouquet.

Sometimes they are totally in sync!

I don't know what it is about this picture of the girls, but I just love it.

Mallory enjoying the jonquils.

Reese- she is as good natured and sweet as she is adorable. I melted when she reached out to me from her momma and would sit in my lap without hesitation. I just smile looking at this face!

Besties #3- Mallory (19 mo) and Reese (almost 15 mo) They enjoyed showing us their bellies and watching the big girls play.

What do we all have in common? Instant connection, unfading Love, and the Ware girls will always tower over the beautiful petite Rivera's. I was so happy and so were my girls to spend all day with such dear friends. We did miss Ethan, but it would have been overload of girl time so it was good he hung out with his daddy! If they lived closer, the road would be hot with us traveling back and forth. Thank goodness we still have our families in Hope so we can catch up!

Mallory Kate @18 months

2011-03-05T17:18:00.001-08:00

What they say about the second child is so true! They get the boot when it comes to pictures and in MK's case, definitely blog posts! I think I wrote one for Brooklyn every 3 months, here's an attempt to be better.

I LOVE that we can communicate now with our little Mallory. She repeats any word that we say and is using phrases. One of her first "words" was "thank you". She said it before she said any of the grandparents names. It sounds like "tank too". Love it. She is obsessed with "ogurt" or otherwise known as yogurt. She will sneak past you when the fridge is open, grab one and take off running. If she thinks you are going to take it away from you, she lets out one of her deafening screams. I usually give in by taking off her shirt, putting her in the highchair and letting her go at it. Usually always ends in a bath afterwards, but she is soooo happy! Other phrases she uses regularly are "Is that good", "Lets go" and "Come on". Those phrases sum us up, we are on the go and we love to eat.

She is getting over her fears of other people. Well, she's getting over it, but isn't quite there yet. She loves MDO and her precious teachers. They cater to her more then I do, she is spoiled at her school. One of the teachers will rock her to sleep for an hour because she loves to.

She has the funniest walk. She waddles and many times will walk on her tip toes.

Brooklyn is her favorite person to play with. They have a great time together. However, I have always heard that the younger one annoys the older child. Not at this age! Mallory never annoys B, but B can definitely get on MK's nerves! She lets her know though, no question about that!

When it's nap time or bedtime, MK will come up to you and cover her right eye and say "sleepy". She has a pink blanket and of course that paci still and naps. I learned during the snowstorm that she will sleep 2-3 hours if I put her down at 10:30. We would always be on the go in the mornings and I would put she and B down for a nap in the afternoon. She would sleep about 30 minutes. Loving her new schedule, although we can't always be here for it.

Bath time is a favorite and she has no fear of the water. I have to watch her because she loves to dunk her head in the water. She comes up laughing, but it panics me! She mimics that sister of hers.

She is kind and if B gets hurt, she will come up to her and pat her on the knee saying "You otah?" (You ok) I like seeing that tenderheart!

Favorite time of the day is any time we can snuggle together. Sometimes she will just come up to me, wrap her arms around me leg and say "UP". That's my cue that some good cuddle time is coming!

With all those nice things, I need to add when she is upset about something- SHE IS UPSET. She doesn't calm down easily and if you were the culprit, be prepared to get the stink eye. Luckily she doesn't hold a grudge. When I have to cut her fingernails, she gets so upset I think she might hyperventilate. Neither of us are a fan!

We love our little Mallory Kate. I have had many people ask me if what we call her. B's the one that started calling her Mallory Kate, and we follow suite sometimes. Usually it's Mallory, MK, Mal, Malzors, or another B favorite is Mallory Baby. She may have a complex with all her nicknames, but so far she answers to them all!

Light Snow, Moderate Snow, DUMP SNOW

2011-02-09T16:48:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn has been praying for snow and even asked for it to snow in her Santa letter. I am sorry that she has caused so much trouble in our area lately! :)
Snow Storm #1: First day was a snow dust, two days later 3-4 inches

My absolute favorite picture of Mallory Kate. My friend Melanie edited to for me. Brooklyn turned 4 on the first "snow dust". Little did we know just what was to come less then a month later!

B doing what she loves the most. Eating the snow! We have had snow ice cream 6 times in the last month. Mallory squinting in the snow. She didn't last long, but liked to touch the snow.

We just thought that this was a big pile up on the car.

Isn't she angelic! :)

MK after getting pelted by daddy. Her only smile in the snow!

Storm 2: Total of 6 inches
The kids before we went on the sledding adventure.

They loved sledding together. B would hang on by Caleb's hood and they shot down the hill turbo speed!

Two snow angels.

Sisters coming down the hill together. We love this sled. Thanks to Mimi and Papa for letting us borrow it!

Coming to a stop. Mallory was like a little marshmallow. She couldn't move and was probably hot in all the layers!

Ready for the big push. No fear on this face!

And she's off! Such a trooper. She would drag the sled all the way up the hill on her own.

Mallory Kate and I taking the sled for a spin. She laughed the whole way down!

We thought this was a lot of snow!

Snow Storm #3: 2 feet of snow
A view of the house after the crazy blizzard!

Snow fell off our house and covered our little tree. The mound was almost as tall as Scott!

MK literally stuck in the 20+ inches!

Scott obviously didn't try to get to work this morning. Can you imagine getting out in this?

B giving the car a good karate chop!

Wish you could really see the roof, it was unbelievable! The police department in our area had their roof almost collapse by the weight of the snow. In Arkansas, what?

My sweet B lovin this snow!

Playing with Scott in the snow. I think he would have stayed out here all day!

Ready to pelt daddy with a snow ball. Looks like Mallory was hit! Sister revenge!

Scott even threw B in the snow, it was impressive and a soft landing into 2 feet of powder snow!

You would think with her reaction that it hurt. When we asked why she was crying, she said "I got snow in my face". Girly girl for ya! This picture hurts my heart. Her cries are so sad.

Between that and the following pictures, we knew fun in the snow had ended. B did not appreciate the fact that her favorite swing was stuck. I had to muffle laughter as she tried to get it to move. She was not impressed!

And just when I was about to go inside, look who I found tunneling the snow for me. Maggie, my loyal friend! She has spent most of the day inside with us, except when she is begging to go back out! She was really digging this snow!

Look-a-Like or Not

2011-01-19T19:17:00.000-08:00

First off, I know the fact that I have blogged 9 times already this month is insane! I looked back and always have the most posts at January. I guess between the holidays and New Years Resolutions to blog better, it's always my best month! It only goes down hill from here! :)

Recently I've heard from a few friends how much they think our girls resemble. I had so much fun pulling out old pics of B and comparing. See for yourself!

Mallory Kate (16 mo)

Brooklyn (14 mos)

MK (16 months)

Brooklyn (16 mo) I hope MK can wear this little dress in the spring, it was a favorite!

Mallory Kate (16 mo)

Same froggy pj's

Brooklyn (14 months

The hair color and eye color/shape make them look so different to me. Scott says he knows Mallory right away but has to look at B again. He thinks in 20 years we won't know the difference. This momma will KNOW! Mark my words! What do you think? Do they look alike?

Mommy's playdate...and the kids had fun too!

2011-01-19T17:20:00.000-08:00

I am a blessed mommy to be able to spend regular time with AJ and her sweet boys. Thankful isn't even the word that can describe what I feel about this friendship! She's one of a kind!

It was an absolute treat to have Christie and Lillie in town. Christie is a very dear friend of mine. I feel like I am getting spoiled by seeing so much of her. AJ, Christie and I all went to Harding together and were friends my senior year. It felt like old times hanging out!
Brooklyn had her own agenda for the day. Eat, drink, and watch a movie. I begged her to play with her friends instead, but she convinced them all to watch too. Thankfully it didn't keep their attention for too long. Drew was loving this ice cream scoop. Notice it on his nose.

He used it to eat popcorn and all the ladies were mesmerized with his skills!

Lillie was bored with the movie and thought reading books with sunglasses on was a better way to spend the day. Girl, I like the way you think!

Titus took a LONG nap...or so we thought. We found him lips to head on Mallory Kate's favorite baby doll.

Notice the glisten on the forehead. She has never experienced such attention!
Sharing the good things in life, like popsicles. Only one of the 5 million foods B asked me for in that few hour time span!

The girls took it easy and hung out on the couch. Love the arm around Lillie and Lillie all leaned in and cozy!
Mallory Kate thought if she pulled off Titus' socks, he wouldn't leave! She loved playing with his toes.
A wonderful way to spend the afternoon! I needed it...and so did the girls!

Slumber Party!

2011-01-18T17:17:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the first ever (in our house) Ware Cuz slumber party! We loved having these two!

Couldn't get a great picture, but the babies loved crawling in the tunnel over and over again!
This pretty blue eyed baby was lovin the tunnel!
Harry makes the best ice cream! Mine was strawberry with sprinkles..quite possibly rainbow sprinkles!

Mallory Kate says "Yummo- Harry's ice cream is De-lish!"
Waiting on their ice cream!

In the playroom the babies were most fascinated with a stain on this chair. They sat just like this and jibber jabbered back and forth. Wish I could interpret!

I tried to catch a precious moment here. I was checking to see if anyone was awake (because it was almost 7:30 and none of the 4 kids were up!) B was awake sitting at the end of the bed watching Harry sleep. Loved it!
Hanging out in the crib.

The girls had the same food but for some reason it looked a lot better on Georgia's plate!

A little cartoons Sunday morning. These two were well rested, although they look a little zombie-ish!
On to another electronic, playing the Leapster Explorer. Thanks Nana, good gift! They shared so sweetly too! No angry words, they actually helped each other during it. Sweet kids!

MK sportin her new outfit from Mimi. Cheesin it up!

This is my absolute favorite picture. These two are going to have a tight bond like their siblings, I just know it!

Mallory looks like a giant, but I promise she is not that much taller then Georgia Kelley. I think GK was getting a little smashed down during that love hug!

Slumber Party= Success! Ready for Round 2!

Tumble On Over

2011-01-16T10:43:00.001-08:00

Brooklyn had a flippin good time at her 4th birthday party. She even had a police officer flashing it's lights at the locations entrance. Some do balloons, but we say go BIG or go home. HA- actually their was a suspicious package in the area and the entrance was blocked off for the bomb squad to inspect it. The local news even came! I wanted to take B out and jump in the background screaming "It's my birthday", but Scott thought it was inappropriate. He's such a party pooper!

On to the partay! Luckily our guests were not scared by all the activity, we ended up having over 30 kids there! It was the right place for a big group and we loved all the celebrating!

MK trying to imitate big sis. Work those arms, girl!

Sweet Mimi and MK.

The main two little men in B's life. She calls both of them her "cousin". They are both prayed for every night and super special to her. I'm liking seeing how strong they are. I think they will be protective of B in her future. Just what she needs!

B's bestie from school, dear Romy. Oh how we love this child. I think they look alike.

Big kids can have fun too!

Jumping with Romy and Anniston, another Bestie.

Rachel and Harrison braved our afternoon craziness.

Such a good one of MK and mom.

GK wasn't feeling her best, but made an appearance with her crew.

You wouldn't know she wasn't her usual self. Look at this angelic smile!

And big bro as handsome as ever! Bennett get in on the fun with the trampoline. This child has such a sweet spirit.

MK and Daddy- I have a similar one of B from about that age I need to dig out from one of Adam's parties.

Attention everyone, the Ware Cuz performance, synchronized flipping. Precious Madison has a front row of the show. Look at that cute poise!

Lovin that look from Harry. These kids adore each other.

All the kids together. Nothing, not even a bomb squad will shut this party down!

Enjoying the cake. I didn't take a pic of it, but it was a gymnastics cake. Thankfully we made a video of her blowing out the candles, so we can remember it that way!

Present time!

And yes, we were both equally happy about this one. Pretty, pretty princess game. We have had a lot of fun playing this!

Who let this crazy kid in?
Oh, wait. It's just silly Drewbie!
MK and GK talking away about who knows what!

Hugs for special friends!

B with the grandparents.

Mommy and Daddy with our 4 year old! Gulp, really?

Our family of 4. Happy Birthday, baby girl!

B is 4!!

2011-01-10T20:34:00.001-08:00

I have about 5 posts that need to go before this, but my baby is 4 today! I can't believe it. I think because we have MK it makes us realize that she is growing up. She towers her little sister and it is hard on this momma! I carried her after her nap today to the living room and her feet were hitting my knees as I walked. I will be the Love You Forever mother, rocking my 30 year old when she is asleep. Seriously need to come to grips! ;)

I will leave the birthday party post for another day. This morning B woke up to it snowing. She asked Santa for snow and now is not disappointed since it came on her big day. It was confusing to tell her that she was now 4 when she celebrated her birthday 2 days ago. She said "Well then where is my cake and all my friends?" Smart girl. Trying to get another party. Not a chance, kiddo! I am worn out from the last one! :)

Birthday Pink Pancakes with chocolate chips. We added 4 candles and she announced officially that she was now 4. Whew, glad that was all it took.

MK enjoyed the special morning grub too. She is a child that would need to be bathed every hour. How she is always dirty is beyond me!We ran out for a little snow time. B wanted to eat the snow, but it was a bad idea. When you don't even have an inch, you end up with a mouthful of grass too! Yesterday she was able to wear a special birthday dress. After getting a zillion presents, the balloon from our neighbor's birthday party was what she and her sister had the best time playing with. Yes, after B's birthday we then stayed for another hour and a half party at the same place for Jack our neighbor. I actually had a better time at his because I could play with B and not stress!Happy Birthday to the kindest and sweetest 4 year old! We love you, honey!

New Years at Memaw's

2011-01-08T16:15:00.000-08:00

We spent New Years weekend with Memaw and Gran in El Dorado. Minus the fact that Mimi got sick on the way down (sick enough for the ER) causing them to be a no show, we still had a good time. We missed Papa and Mimi terribly though. There was lots of laughs, game playing, and kid playing. You were able to catch a snuggle every now and then but they spent a lot of time racing up and down Memaw's ramp. A favorite for everyone, even MK who took it slow!

We had Christmas while we were there and the kids were thrilled to have more presents to unwrap!
B with Goldie. She also got Pinkalicious for Christmas and Pinkalicious rides Goldie everywhere in our house. She loves this unicorn!

Harry received a really cool David and Goliath action figure set and was quick to say his thank you's to Gran.

The baby girls loved their mommy and me bears. They were sweet snuggling up to them.
They even practiced their sharing. Sweet thangs!

We had a wonderful visit with Memaw and Gran, it was a much anticipated trip! Going to church with Memaw is always a special time and we enjoy feeling up a pew with her!

2010 Christmas Eve Nite/Christmas Day

2011-01-07T10:22:00.000-08:00

I will start off by saying this was the BEST Christmas ever. Being a parent with a child that believes with all her heart and has enough Christmas spirit to convince any old Grinch is THE best feeling in the world. Just thinking about the night gets me giddy again.

We started off by making Santa cookies. Brooklyn didn't want to just give the ordinary Christmas like cookies. We also had butterflies, teddy bears, and hearts. I think there was even a duck! The cookie she was insistent should be on the plate was one that she iced a bird and eggs on. ? Only she knows what that was about! When I asked her what we wanted to leave for the reindeer, she was sure that they would love carrots just like she does. She placed the carrots in a perfect row- 9 for each reindeer.

She and Scott watched Polar Express while I was in turbo speed trying to get all the cooking done for the next day. I was determined not to miss anything and since I had seen Polar Express at least 3 times in the last week, this was my chance! :)

After dinner, we pulled out every game that we had and played games (the three of us, MK was out by 7) for almost 3 hours. It was pure bliss. Scott looked at this watch and realized that is was after 9. He told B that Santa would be here soon. She popped up with the biggest eyes I have ever seen and took off for our room where we had a bed made next to us. I couldn't help but laugh. Scott grabbed her and they took off the brush her teeth and potty before bed. He said that she had never been so fast at it. She kept saying "I've got to go to sleep so he can come, I've got to go to sleep so he can come!" They came flying through the living room and onto bedtime. Scott's Memaw made us a Twas the Night Before Christmas soft book a few years back and it is our family tradition to read that book together before bed. Her face was glowing with excitement. She went down EASY, knowing she had to be asleep for him to come in the house.

Hannah and Tyler came right after and we were gushing with our stories of her fun and cute she was that night. They noticed the nice neatly placed carrots for the reindeer outside. We all stayed up talking really late and not about light hearted stuff, their was some deep discussion going on Christmas Eve at our house. We loved it. Santa came- he loved his cookies, the reindeer gobbled up their carrots and wishes were granted right under our tree.

The next morning Mimi and Papa came early, not to miss the reaction. I literally pulled MK out of bed. She was dead asleep. We laughed all morning because she was such a zombie. She was a sweet zombie though, a trooper! I was very surprised and impressed with B's reaction on Christmas morning. It was obvious that she saw her requested gifts, however she first gave MK her stocking, then mine, and lastly Scott. I don't know if that shows a kind heart or a mother hen. Either way, I love my precious B. Once she saw the pillow pet and dress, she was a happy little girl. She especially was excited that Santa left her a special note. She was a little sad that Arkie had left our house until next Christmas. We had a good time with that Arkie!

Games came out and so did the fun!

Tyler's parents came over for lunch with our crew and we had a wonderful meal together.

B and sweet Grandma all cuddled up!

Cheesy MK...She was lovin' Papa SantaThey especially loved the box the gifts came in! What?

Hannah, Mimi, B and I ended the evening with a special girls movie night. We saw Tangled and I can't wait to own that movie. Super cute, even brought a little tear. B sat in Hanny's lap the whole time and soaked up every second of the flick. It was the perfect way to end such a magical day!

Ware Christmas Eve Brunch

2011-01-06T11:32:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve we had a family brunch with Scott's family. Brooklyn still hasn't realized what her Papa and Mimi have really gotten her. We still haven't picked it up, but when she sees it, it will be Christmas morning all over again. Her very on trampoline. I am thankful that it will have the guard around it to keep them from falling out. It is so funny to watch kids open presents because even though they are grateful, they just want to open something else. Not in a greedy way, but just the fun of tearing into another package. B helped other people open gifts after she was done. Here are the girls showing off their new stocking caps!

The babies on the other hand could care less. Harry got a marshmallow gun and MK was content with sitting in Amanda's lap all day and munching on the ammo.
It didn't take too long for Georgia Kelley to join right in.
Somehow my only pictures consisted of the girls! Sorry Harry, we do love you too! The babies are starting to interact and are too cute together. It was all about the kids this year, so much fun. All we needed was food because these kids bring the entertainment all day long! I am so thankful they love each other like they do!

All Aboard- Polar Express

2011-01-05T20:52:00.000-08:00

The Thursday before Christmas, Mimi had arranged a 3 hour train ride for the kiddos. Harry and Brooklyn were so crazy excited. They were all matching in their sock monkey pj's (even Mimi). I loved waiting for the train and hearing their excitement.

As for the babies, well, we drugged them.

No! They did great on the train ride...the last little bit got them a little cranky, but nothing a few suckers couldn't handle!

They can barely contain the excitement!
They were almost as giddy as these two were!

What better way to ride a train then to have this face pop up over the seat. Pure sweetness this girl is! The train was moving and so was she! She made more new friends then anyone else.
MK would rather steam the windows up instead!
And then teach her sister how to.
Harry and B were going crazy when they got a glimpse of this guy at the front of the train. Can't you tell how happy she is? I don't have the picture of the babies reaction to Santa. Just imagine the exact opposite. Panic, then fear, lastly sheer terror!

It was such a wonderful trip and we are so thankful to Mimi and Papa for making it a special memory for us. It was the perfect way to keep us all in the Christmas spirit!

9 Year Anni

2010-12-31T19:22:00.000-08:00

We celebrated our 9 year anniversary in the midst of the holiday chaos. I was surprised to find out that Scott had reserved a night stay at the Embassy and we had a couples massage planned as well as dinner at Bonefish Grill (my favorite!). It was such a special treat to really enjoy our anniversary when the past month had been crazy! A funny thing that happened. When we got there Scott went in and checked in, while I stayed in the car. He had a funny look on his face when he got back in. Later we found out that 300 of the 400 rooms were filled with teenagers there for a Pentecostal Convention. It cracked us up the whole time we were there!

This has been another wonderful year together. Each year literally tops that last. I am so thankful for this man I married in my hometown church. He is my self-esteem booster. One day I left my wallet at home and was driving there to get it. I told Brooklyn, Oh sweetie, your mommy is so silly. I hope that you don't take after me!" B replied with "Mommy, you left your wallet, but your not silly". Me: "Really, then what am I". B: "Well Daddy says your beautiful". I tell you that to say that not only does he show me how much he loves me everyday, but he's showing our girls just how much we love each other.

Happy Anniversary Babe!

Christmas Wareabouts- Hope

2010-12-22T09:37:00.001-08:00

We had a wonderful time spending QT with my family over the holidays. My pictures are all about the kids, and they were some cuties this Christmas. Mom bought them matching shirts. Benjamin is pure sweetness. Between everyone there, I felt like I had to swing some elbows to get time with him. Scott grabbed him right away.

The girls took no time to show little Ben all the gadgets on his exersaucer. I would have loved to know what he was thinking about it all.

What, everyone is looking and not crying? How did we get so lucky?

This picture looks so sweet but MK actually was smashing Ben's face.

And then the face she gave Scott when he got onto her.

These reindeer ears were a hit.

Opening presents is always the crazy time. This year the kids opened their presents first. B gave Ben his gifts and commented and showed each gift to everyone in true Vana White fashion. Oh that girl is too much. She was ultra animated about every gift she received.

And we can't truly have a Hope trip without getting in the hot tub. I'm not sure which was higher on B's list, the presents or the hot tub. MK was sure to get in the action too. We didn't bring a floatie for MK, so she got out before she was ready. Talk about fire mad.

I took more pics on my mom's camera for her. I especially wish that I had taken pictures of the Chambless Christmas get together. As a kid, we would go to my Papa and Mimi's house and have the Chambless get together Christmas Eve. After everyone left, we would have Christmas with just the immediate family. I have so many wonderful memories of this time. I was so thankful to be there this year for the reunion and talk to family members that I hadn't seen in years.

Since we celebrated Christmas in Hope the weekend before Christmas, we celebrated Christmas not for just one weekend, but for 2 weeks. Wheew- lots of good times!

Santa Sighting 2010

2010-12-14T17:33:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn was so excited to see Santa. We got to the mall early and she stood in line softly saying to herself what she wanted to tell him. When Santa finally made it, she was awe-struck. Her sister, not so much. Mallory took one look at the man in the red suit and was DONE. She wanted nothing to do with the whole experience. I felt terrible for Brooklyn because the screaming of her sister overtook any special moment that she could have. Once we got that perfect picture, and I do mean PERFECT, B sat with Santa for a minute to tell him all she wanted to. Here is B when she was 11 months.

I asked her later what she told Santa and she said "I said, Santa- I love you. Can I have a Belle dress this year? Leave it at my house, ok?" She realized in telling me her conversation that she left out an important part. She really wanted a purple/pink unicorn pillow pet. "Oh no, I forgot the pillow pet". We happened to pass by a display that had pillow pets and they were out of the unicorn one. She said, "if he can't find a unicorn, a ladybug would be ok. They are cute." I think Santa remembered :).

So here is the letter we wrote together after we got home. I just wrote what she said and was impressed with her thought process.

Dear Santa,

I love taking pictures with you. When it snows, please give me a present. I want a pillow pet. Let It Snow. When its Christmas Eve, my elf, Arkie, can do anything you want to do.

We love you, Brooklyn

What a fun time of the year!

It's been a while!

2010-11-30T22:57:00.000-08:00

SNOOZE ALERT- this post is boring. I nearly fell asleep typing it. Just catching myself up to document the memories!

This last month has definitely been a test of patience. Our laptop had all it could stand. We had keys that had been pulled off and countless accidental drops/ stomps. All the reasons why when I suggested a MAC replacement there was a firm "No" for a reply. The last month I have had minimal internet time. We still have a "box" computer that has always been a backup we never used. This is where the patience part comes in. When it takes an hour to check or write an email you tend to lose interest in getting on the internet altogether! So thankful for Black Friday and our new Dell laptop that so far has all its keys and is still nice and shiney. Count down the days at how long that will last, huh!

There is so much to catch up on! The girls were the "princess and the pea" for Halloween. Daniel came over and took pictures of the girls. Here was one of the favorites.

We had a big trunk or treat event at church where Brooklyn loved passing out all the candy. I was incredibly proud of her. She was not interested in getting the candy, but was very devoted to passing it out. I loved to hear her sweet voice praise the kids for their costumes and laugh out loud at the funny ones. She is an absolute joy to us. Our little pea stood behind her in the "trunk" with a sucker in each hand. Little did we know that she was sick. On Halloween she didn't even step out of the house. I was so thankful that Daniel got pictures of the girls beforehand! Luckily it was a 24 hour thing and our sweet pea was back to normal.

To start off the week of Thanksgiving we went behind our neighbors house and got a small tree limb. It served as our "thanksgiving tree" for the table's centerpiece. Each day one of us said something we were thankful for, wrote it on a small card, and tied it to the tree. I didn't get a picture of it, but it was a fun tradition to have without "skipping over" such a wonderful holiday.

We were able to have a "fall family picnic" outside with the beautiful leaves. I didn't think we got a single good shot and then I nearly cried at the pictures. Our friend Melanie did a great job and I am still in awe at them. Some treasured shots of the girls and our little family. I loved the picnic idea and we incorporated a little tea party for the girls, the zoominoes game B loves, and the "I love to laugh" book that is MK's favorite. I will love to look back on these pictures and remember those special "favorites" of our family. Here are a few that were taken.

We spent Thanksgiving week with my family in Hope. B was so excited. She kept telling me, "Mom, lets get in the car, watch a movie, and we'll be there!" We always have such a great time. I especially enjoyed spending more time with our new nephew. It's hard to be so far away and not see the daily changes. We had a feast at my brother's house and then our family started dropping like flies. Seriously each day someone else was sick. I remember sitting in church and whispering to Scott, "maybe we need to get out of here now, it could be one of us next...on a 5 hour trip home!". Amazingly our family didn't get it and neither did Benjamin or the grandmothers. We had family pictures taken there as well. I was feeling a bit vain since we had just taken pictures of our family the month before. B was a ham and MK didn't want anything to do with it when all the family was there. She didn't even like for my dad to put his arm around me. It was hysterical. He would put it around, she would give him the stink eye and push it off of me. She has been a bit crabby ever since. She is 15 months with only 4 teeth. There's been a lot drooling lately and crying. I feel so bad for her.

Now we are entering the Christmas season with plans of parties and new family traditions. We have a family elf named Arkie. (Because he lives in Arkansas of course-per B). B had a love/hate relationship with him. She loves him but was a bit freaked out by the flying around the house in the night bit to go to the north pole. She even commented that she was going to try and touch him to lose all his magic. That way he would have to just stay here with us. She's gotten over her fear and is enjoying each morning to see what he's doing. Our version of the elf only includes him telling Santa how sweet and good she is. Life with girls, right! We still have fun with the elf each night. Last night he took a joy ride on the entertainment center in a barbie car with a hot date (a doll from the dollhouse).

If I could only freeze time and ENJOY every second of these next few weeks. It is one of the best times of the year. I love having the house decorated, making hot chocolate, and listening to Christmas music while the girls break out some crazy dance moves. We have a lot of fun in this Warehouse of ours. I am tremendously blessed.

Corn Maze

2010-10-02T07:39:00.000-07:00

Friday night we went with a group of friends to the corn maze in Cave Springs. The kids all had a blast. I will have to admit, the corn maze gave me a little anxiety. We were in there for a long time, it was getting dark, and I could not keep up with where all the kids were. I felt like the whole time I was yelling "Where's Brooklyn, Wait up Caleb, Was that Adam running through the corn by himself, etc. When we found the exit and all the chicks were accounted for I could breath easy!

Madison and B had some funny conversations together. They were in agreement that the corn shooter was too loud and boring. The boys had other thoughts.

B's favorite thing was the cow tractor pull. She chose the first cow and it was one crazy ride!

Ashley was hustled to ride behind Madison and offered to take MK along for the ride. If only she had known that her cow was a mad bull! Poor Ash!

All in all we had a great time with friends and enjoyed the wonderful Fall weather!

September Picture Wrap-Up

2010-09-30T10:38:00.000-07:00

At the beginning of the month Harry and Georgia Kelley came to hang out with us. B was in Hope with my parents, so poor Harry was stuck with me and the babies. He came in our girly pink playroom, glanced around and with a sigh said "There's nothing for me in here"! He was right. We did pull out some crafts and play doh. Luckily a few hours later our neighbor was home from school and they played hard outside. I did try to take a few pics of the ever moving babies. Its a fun age to see them start to really interact.

Caleb turned the big 5 this month and had the best Pancake party ever! We were stuffed by the festivities!

MK loved on AJ- such a CUTE picture of the girls!
MK went home with Scott and B and I headed to Fayetteville for party number two! It was great to enjoy the beautiful afternoon with sweet Tyler. All aboard the Tyler train!
They were being super silly!

We ended that day at the circus! Crammed in as much fun as we possibly could!

Glad Madison was having fun because the other two...
Can't you tell B was impressed...
Picture of the girls the Sunday after the big win over Georgia. Love my little piggies!

And a few randoms...

Sister cuddle time-

A current obsession of MK's. Books, the pink chair and our dishwasher. If only she would put my dishes up for me!

September Wrap-Up now comes to an end!

Preschool-September

2010-09-26T07:00:00.000-07:00

B LOVES school, although she hates to tell us what she has learned. When we ask, she says "I don't want to tell". We have to be sneaky to get it out of her without her realizing it. Her teachers Mrs Julie and Mrs Dawn are incredible. Wouldn't you love it too! Look at this amazing stage and learning zones!
Each week is a different color at school and they are encouraged to wear that color to school.

RED

ORANGE(B telling her sister that she will miss her at school)

YELLOW

This was a hard one because we woke up to a very chilly morning! Luckily Mimi had bought this for B this summer. It was too big this year, so I had put it back for next summer. When I went digging through her closet for something yellow, this dress was my pot of gold!
B also had her preschool pep ralley. I totally forgot about it on that Monday and she quickly told me that I didn't come. Broke my heart. I made sure to be there on Thursday with pom poms. When she ran in, she scanned the place over until she found me and ran to me with a big hug. She probably came over and hugged me 10 times in that 10 minute span telling me how happy that she was and that she loved me. I was proud to be her momma!

You can tell that she and her friend Romy had the spirit! As we walked out that day she said, wait I need to tell Brayden bye. Hold up, who?? Yeah, a new boy. We walked out and she informs me that Brayden is her best friend. When I asked her why, she said because he gives her hugs. My next question was "But not kisses, right." She said, NO! I kiss Daddy, Papa, Pops...and Harry, no other boys. Just checking! We passed by a mini van where the famous Brayden was (screaming and giving his poor mom a headache). I looked over and B and she had her head in her hands. I asked her what was wrong and she said very dramaticly "I am just so worried about Brayden". Oh Jeez, you are only 3 my dear! So we drove home talking about all the girlfriends that she had! :)

Weekend Wareabouts- Labor Day

2010-09-24T07:45:00.000-07:00

Labor Day weekend was a busy weekend in our house . Between Scott's birthday dinner, the Razorback game, and combined small group at our house we were ready for a laid back Monday. Scott decided to enjoy the great weather by cleaning out the garage and washing the cars. B decided he needed some help.

B was serious about her car washing skills and did not want to be photographed...

When she turned on me with the hose I decided to move on! I pulled out one last little red/white/blue outfit and took some pictures of a much happier and cooperative Ware child.

Later on B decided to take MK for her first real spin in the car. I think I have a couple of Malibu Barbies here. I had the pin in it that keeps it from going fast. MK looked bored and even hit the side of the car in an effort to speed it up. Once I took the pin out, they were laughing and going crazy. The more bumps and crazy turns the happier they both were.

After working up a sweat, they had some fun bath time. B is such a little momma!

A Bit on Brooklyn

2010-09-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago MDO started up for the fall. When we arrived to school, Brooklyn was told that she was now in the preschool building. She is in the "Surf Shack" classroom. Try saying that 3 times. It's hard for me so you can imagine how difficult it is for B!

When we arrived to her classroom, Mrs Dawn tells us that she will no longer take naps and that she won't need her blankie. My eyes were huge. You can't do this to me!! I didn't have time to prepare her, this is going to be the WORST DAY OF HER LIFE! B looks back at me and shrugs her shoulders. "OK" she says and on she bops into her classroom straight to her friends Tabitha and Romy. I walk back to the car, numb with the news while stroking her tattered blankie. How could my baby grow up so fast. Why wasn't I prepared for this. How am I going to make it when kindergarten gets here? :)

I took this picture when I came back to pick her up. She told me she was kissing the number because it was so cute. :)

10 things about our 3 year old:

1-She refuses to make a choice if it could possibly hurt someones feelings. She will always reply with "both" or "everyone".

2-Her favorite activities are "playing tea party", "playing dolls", reading books, riding the car/bike outside, and anything that involves friends.

3-She is extremely expressive and could tell a story only using her hands and big eyes. People always get a kick out of her animation.

4-She already knows how to work you. She has the "sniff, sniff" down pat and will pull it out at any given emergency for pity. It makes me want to laugh everytime.

5-She loves to play letters, numbers and shapes games while driving in the car. Most of the time the radio is off because there is shouting of "There's an M, there's a P, there's 45, there's a triangle". If I didn't see something she shouts out, she replies "Ohhhh, sorry mommy. You missed it. You'll get it next time". Gotta love the encouragement

6-She lives in the future. She always wants to know what is next, and then what's after that, and that. She could have my whole week planned out if I let her!

7-She is a very good eater, but a bit of a weird eater. She doesn't like anything mixed or really seasoned. She prefers things plain and usually raw. She is our little Ware Hare. :)

8-She has began interpreting Mallory Kate's baby language. MK might say "Gaagaa Maaa Deee" and Brooklyn would say "Oh Mallory Kate you say you want to go in the playroom and play dolls. Ok, I will play with you. Thank you for asking." sometimes MK tells her things like "Oh, MK you think mommy should let us watch cartoons and eat goldfish. That's a very good idea!" Not so innocent, huh!

9-She has started drawing people and is learning to write her name. I am trying to convince her that we can also call her Brooke. Much easier to spell. She's not having it. The first time she drew me I almost choked. I wish that I had put it on her display board. It's amazing to me!

10-Our favorite thing about B is her tender heart and her cheerleader personality. She truly loves people and I already see encouragement as one of her spiritual gifts. If I were to guess her love language at this point, I would say it is "words of affirmation" and possibly "gifts". I constantly have flowers, rocks, and grass in my pocket either for me or other people we will see that day.

Bobbin who?

2010-09-08T09:10:00.000-07:00

That's right, the sewing machine is out and running! I have learned the terminology and here is my first attempt at sewing. I will be the first to point out all the flaws and goof ups. My hope is that it doesn't fall apart in a public place! I know that Scott has mixed emotions on this new hobby. He is happy that I have finally dusted off my Christmas present but he isn't a fan of how much time it takes me or the fact that our kitchen table has turned into a needle hazard.

So here it is...

And a close up of the sadly stitched piggie! I was just happy when I showed it to B that she guessed the correct animal! :)

I have made one for MK too. It was actually my "first" one and took me twice as long to finish. I can say now that it was fun and a learning experience. Now maybe I'll get that sewing machine manual out and see what all this machine can do! Sew long friends!

Who knew turning one could be so much fun!

2010-08-24T22:24:00.000-07:00

Saturday we celebrated Mallory Kate's first birthday with family and a few friends. I was super pumped when my brother called Friday afternoon informing me that "Benjamin wanted to see his cousins". To say that I was elated that they were coming up with my adorable 3 week old nephew is an understatement. We were very thankful that they made that big trip with a newborn- they were very brave! This was Scott's first time to see baby Ben. He was a pretty proud uncle! We started off by having a little BBQ, a lot of laughter, and awesome conversation. Grandma took a seat with the young ones in the crowd. Everyone loves sweet Grandma. We were very happy that she came for the festivities.

A quick shot of Papa and Mimi. They are always great to do anything for their grand babies.

My dad and brother had the exact same wave and facial express
ion. I think they just wanted to eat and not take a picture!

I love how all the kids are all over the playroom. I think I had an amazing monster clean up crew because after the party there wasn't a single crumb in sight in this room.

And finally the birthday girl chowing down on some strawberries, turkey and anything else I could find in the fridge to hold her over until the cake! She loves to eat!

Jimmy was out of town and couldn't make the party. Ashley and Scott were rubbing it in that he was missing all the fun.

Now onto the cake...Shelby Lynn's didn't disappoint!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing

Again, cleanup crew had to be fantastic! Whoever you are, I LOVE YOU!! B was on cloud 9 with some of her favorite friends there.
We borrowed an awesome water slide from a friend. It was a good thing because it hit 100* that day. They had a blast. B wasn't sure at first but quickly overcame her fears. That's my girl! I love Scott in the background encouraging her after her first time down. What a good daddy he is.

Nana gave special attention to all her grand babies. Isn't Benjamin a beautiful newborn. I didn't get to hold him as much as I would have liked to. He did amazingly well with all the chaos in the house.

Sweet Georgia Kelley had a blast with her Uncle T-bone. She and Mallory Kate will be having slumber parties in no time. I can't wait!

Brooklyn enjoyed some time with her newest cousin. If I would have thought about it, I should have taken a cousin picture with them all. We are just thankful everyone was able to come and celebrate.

Although most of the cupcake ended up in her tummy, the rest was smeared on her outfit. What's cuter then a baby in their diaper anyway! She was loving the freedom, note that the bow was still in place! :) Present time- all the kids loved participating in this.

We had our own "Sweet Sixteen". Mallory Kate got a new mustang for her birthday. It is just very convenient for B that she can't drive yet and B will have to be her chauffeur for a few years. I see a lot of crashes in our future. Good thing MK's tough!

Photo Sharing - Video Sharing - Photo Printing
When all the partying died down, we looked around and MK was gone. The grandmothers laughed to find her in the playroom taking it easy in her chair. I guess this party wore her out! Happy Birthday silly, sweet, beautiful, precious angel baby Mallory Kate. We love you!

Letter to my little 1 year old

2010-08-13T18:59:00.000-07:00

Dear Sweet Mallory Kate-

You came into this world 1 year ago. I can't believe that we are already celebrating this big milestone. I still remember the moment Dr H told us that you were a girl. I remember the emotions I felt knowing that I would have another daughter, thinking of Brooklyn and knowing her best friend for life had just entered the world. You were born crying with the cutest pouty lips that melted your daddy. You have been such a joy and an easy baby. We are the ones that are suppose to adjust to your schedule, but you just go with the flow of whatever each new day brings. You spent many early months wrapped in the baby Bjorn being swept away from one place to the next.

We love your little raspy voice and the sweet way that you say Hi when you see a new face. There's no denying that you are a momma's girl through and through. I wouldn't have it any other way and most of the time enjoy spending my day with you on my hip or cuddling with your sweetness. You get so excited to see your daddy each day when he gets home from work. You also get giddy and laugh when we wake up your sister after her nap. That is my favorite part of the day. Laying in the bed with you and your sister and hearing you giggle and play. I pray that you will always be close and love each other like you do now.

Some of your favorite activities include pushing around our laundry basket, playing in the bathtub, seeing Maggie, leaning down and looking back at us through your legs (adorable!), playing anything with your sister, eating anything we put in front of you in mass quantities, and having me hold you for the majority of your day!!

We consider you the dare devil of the family already, although we know that may change. You aren't scared of many things that still freak out your sister. You are tough and will cry if you get hurt but quickly get over it. We call you our little houdini because you can get out of your highchair buckles and will stand and even sit on your food tray when we aren't looking. You are giving us heart attacks and you are only one. You actually have already gotten out of your crib once. Thankfully we were able to lower the bed a little more and that trick has stopped. You blow my mind at how fearless you can be.

You love your paci's and pink minky blanket. You will sleep with other blankets but will grab for it when you see it and stroke it with your little hand. I love your bright blue eyes, the red tint in your hair, your sweet dimple, and that two tooth grin that warms my heart just thinking about it. You are a beautiful baby and perfection to our eyes.

We thank God for granting us with your life. We couldn't imagine our family any different. When you were born, your daddy said "We feel like a family now". You bring so much sweetness and goodness to our life. I am so blessed to be your mother. Happy Birthday to our precious Mallory Kate. We look forward to many more celebrations of your little life.

Love- Mommy

Daddy Day 2010

2010-06-20T00:53:00.000-07:00

I can not begin to describe to you how grateful I am for Scott. Brooklyn gets excited to take her nap because she knows that when she wakes up her daddy will be home. From the minute he walks through the door, it's all about daddy. She loves to fill his ears with all she has done that day. Once Mallory catches her daddy's eye, she will leap out of my arms to get to him. When dinnertime comes, it is a must that daddy sits by Brooklyn. I am long forgotten! They all play hard until it is bedtime. Mallory goes to bed pretty soon after dinner. For a while now we both have started putting Brooklyn down together. It is one of the greatest parts of my day. Our night time includes 3 books, the "don't you dare smile game" (B's favorite at the moment), Prayer time, and a made up story that begins with "There once was a Princess named Brooklyn, she lived in a pink castle"- a tradition Scott created. Brooklyn loves to snuggle up to her daddy and enjoy this time. Usually I just sit back and watch those two.

Scott, I thank you for all the goodness you bring to our family. You are a rock and such a great example for our girls. I love that even after a hard day at work, you always give your full attention to us when you get home. We all adore you. Hope you have a wonderful Father's day!

I'm adding this picture because Scott looks like a model to me- such a hottie! God gave me Scott-tinted glasses, he is my eye candy! (I expect lots of rolling of eyes and fingers down throats at this point!)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Now to thank the man that was a wonderful father to this little girl. Thank you dad for also being a rock in my life. I love the many sides of you! You are a strong Christian man- rooted in God's Word. You are a hard worker and that is evident in all that you have accomplished. You also are crazy goofy and I love to watch you with my own girls. Thank you Dad for giving me such a wonderful childhood. Thank you for the continued wisdom that you share with me. I love you so much and will always be your little girl!

Happy Father's Day!

Beach Family Pictures Overload

2010-06-19T21:19:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it has already been a week since our big family vacation. We had been anticipating this trip for such a long time. It did not disappoint. Some of Brooklyn's favorite things included anything with Harry, being in the ocean with Scott ALL DAY LONG, hunting for crabs (only if she was held!), and sleeping in Mimi and Papa's closet. Mallory was much like B as a baby with the beach. It wasn't her favorite place to be. I don't know if it was her age or the large amount of people there or even the combination of the two- she was not herself on the trip. Scott and I have laughed since then because we are used to such a happy, smiling baby. We have a lot of great "out-take pictures" I should post later.

The Ware gang. Blessed beyond measure to be apart of this family.

Crab Hunting-so much fun!The kids had fun covering Scott in sand.

Our beach beauties

Harry and Brooklyn- 3 weeks apart

Mallory and Georgia Kelley- 8 weeks apart

Beach Bum Mimi and Papa- they had the best tans of all!Where Brooklyn wanted to spend all of her day.

Mallory enjoying the beach without touching the sand!

She would much rather climb the stairs over and over again

And check out Mimi and Papa's spa shower.
By the end of the week, Mallory and Papa were good friends!

Family Picture day- thanks Hannah!

A few favorite individual shots

A big thank you to Harry and Sandy for giving us such a great week of memories and filling our bellies with incredible food!

Sweet and Sour

2010-05-14T06:58:00.001-07:00

Sour

After visiting 2 friends in the hospital with new babies...

B: "Mommy, I think you are going to have one more baby in your belly"
Me: "You do?"
B: "YES, one more, not two. Don't even THINK about having two"

Sweet

After getting an altoid (which she dearly loves)

B looked at me "Oh no, I swallowed my mint" She pulls her shirt up and proceeds to show me where it is. She points to her heart and says "There it is, right next to Jesus".

The Face

2010-05-11T21:11:00.000-07:00

A new friend of mine has recently had a great tragedy in her life. I thought I would share. A close friend of hers committed suicide the day before Mothers Day. She was the mother of 5 children- all 5 and under. My friend described her as always smiling. The only determined reason for this death was "being overwhelmed, in over her head". I have never had suicide cross my mind, or anything close to that, but there are moments daily that I can feel overwhelmed. I can't imagine that "moment" to feel like life to someone else. It breaks my heart that this mother was under so much stress/depression that she didn't want to face another day of it. It saddened me even more to think of those children, not the Mother's Day they should have to spend. This horrid childhood memory will provide tears for them on a day we celebrate each year.

I felt like this post needed to be written to say, if you EVER feel this way- don't keep it inside of you. We all can give "the face" so well. "The face" shows to people that we have things under control. I detest "the face". It provides a barrier that keeps us from sharing ourselves with each other. It prevents meaningful relationships and provides surface friendships. In this case, "the face" caused someone that was deeply loved, to believe there was no where else to turn.

Psalm 139 is my absolute favorite passage in the bible. I love how close it makes me feel to God. I know that you have probably read it a million times, but I just ask that you take the time to read it again soon. Every time I read it, I tear up. Every time I read it, I feel like God is screaming these words to me and telling me that I have purpose and meaning in His Plan. The last section of the passage reads this:

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

I want to be like David. I love how he exclaims his desire to be exposed! I want to take off "the face" and have the courage to say "God, please search me completely. I understand that you know my thoughts...and please dear God work through my imperfections. Lead me to you, allowing me to know that your presence is there every step of the way. I AM NOT ALONE- Your right hand shall hold me."

Today as I drove to Ashley's house with the girls, a song came on the radio. I am terrible at knowing who sings what, but the chorus of the song is "Savior, you can move the mountain. My God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save". It gave me chills as I heard my 3 year old singing it in the background.

Our God can move any mountain in our life. In writing this post, I hope that someone who is having a "down" day or is struggling to keep that mask of perfection on, I hope that you gain the courage to be David. Let God search your heart and be freed from this burden. Your God is mighty to save, He is mighty to save.

Dear Mom

2010-05-09T19:08:00.000-07:00

Mom,

As a brand spankin new mother I have come to appreciate all that you have done for me. I thank you for getting up and rocking me as a baby. So sorry that I didn't sleep well for you! Each time I get up with Mallory Kate, I think about you...and you require so much more sleep then I do! How did you do it? :)

You invested all your heart into Alan and I. Whatever was important to us was important to you. I know that I can call you about anything and you will listen. I also know that I can't expect for you to just listen. You care so much that any problem or worry that I have you try to fix. Even at 31 years old! Thank you for loving me that much. Thank you for being my biggest fan. I get it now. I desire to be just like you. As Brooklyn is learning more and becoming a little person, I am her 1 woman cheer squad. I believe in her and dream of all that God has planned for her life. I want to support both of my sweet girls in all that they love. Hey, I can honestly say pink is my new favorite color! Reading Pinkalicious nightly has rubbed off on me.

I know that you see me as being independent. I still depend on you and miss you. Those 4 1/2 hours are just as hard on me as they are on you. I feel blessed to have such a strong relationship with you even with the miles between us. Nothing can ever truly come between us.

You are an amazing mother, loyal friend, supportive wife, and now fabulous Nana. Thank you for all the sacrifices you have made through the years, the many prayers that you lifted up for me, and for being THAT person that I can be completely myself with. Thank you for continuing to help shape me in this stage of my life. Motherhood never ends and I need lots of help!

I love you Mom, you bring me so much happiness. I thank God for choosing you to be my mother. He knew I needed a special one! All my love- Amy

Recent picture of you with Mallory Kate. I think you look so beautiful, Mom!

We took this picture before church. It reminds me of pictures we would take by the flowers behind Mema's house. The start of new traditions!

8 months

2010-04-16T19:28:00.000-07:00

There is something to the phrase "Crazy 8". Mallory Kate is crazy fun right now. I really think where she is right now is my favorite of the first year. Here's some things we love about her1- When she is trying to get your attention, she will tilt her head all the way over and growl this raspy growl. It is adorable and always gets her laughs. She also has this cute thing she does with her nose. She will crinkle it up really cute and smile big.

2- She has no fear. She loves to be tossed in the air or hung upside down.

3- She absolutely loves to laugh and when she gets tickled it will last forever. It is the cutest thing.

4- When she sleeps, she curls her knees under her body and sticks her rump high in the air.

5- She is extremely inquisitive. Interested in everything and and will crawl right off the couch if she is determined to get something. Needless to say, we have to keep an eye on this girl!

She started crawling the day she turned 8 months. Life has changed!

6- She's a shop stopping baby. Where ever I go, people want to talk to her and she will smile at anyone. It is sweet but makes shopping trips longer then I would like. Thankfully both of my girls are good shopping partners!

7- She has entered that "I love my momma" phase. Don't worry, I am eating it up because I know it won't be long before she has moved on from me and onto her daddy. She has a death grip and will hang onto me for dear life. The girl loves to snuggle and my favorite time with her is when she wraps her little baby arms around my neck.

8-She is crazy easy going. The other day I found Brooklyn and MK rolling around together in the playroom. Brooklyn was rolling on her and MK would climb back on B. I went to protest and then realized that MK was laughing and smiling. What? I couldn't believe that she wasn't gasping for air or crying. I was completely shocked at the difference between my girls!

We recently had some pictures taken at picture people and I realized that her hair has a red tint to it. Please, give me a red headed child! I would love it!

Here are some pictures from the last few months. I'm trying to get back into blogging, but I've got to be honest- I want to make blogging fun for me again and not something that I feel is a chore. I despise chores!

Catching up with an Easter Post

2010-04-16T07:23:00.000-07:00

We had another great Easter weekend in Hope. The weather was beyond beautiful, although the whole town was covered in a layer of pollen. Needless to say, Scott is still sneezing! :)

Brooklyn was able to have 3 total easter egg hunts. 1- with cousin Harry before Easter Weekend 2- Outside Memac's house 3- With kids at Nana and Pops church

A few funny stories before I roll out some pictures.

Story 1
During the easter egg hunt at my hometown church (B's 3rd one) the kids were let loose to an area COVERED in eggs. It seemed there were more eggs then grass, it was insane! So you would think that B would end up with eggs rolling out of her basket. Not the case. B had been through this before and became very selective. She would pick an egg and then open it to see if it had candy she liked. If it didn't have candy she liked, she carefully put it back together and went onto another egg. The child ended up with 6 eggs. A childhood friend of mine had a daughter who collected probably 50 eggs. No joke! This child was grabbing one while she zeroed in on her next move. It was strategy and I loved watching her. We just laughed at B, there was no rushing her!

Story 2
If you remember last year, we had one of those teary moments with Brooklyn on Easter morning. She exclaimed "He's alive" and went on to tell us "My Jesus is Alive Today". Well this year had a different twist. I honestly think the stinkin Easter Bunny makes the holiday so confusing. Not that I'm against the long-eared hare, but how do you explain the reason for Easter when you've got that guy hopping around with candy filled eggs.

Mommy: "Why is Easter so special, Brooklyn?"

B: "Easter eggs"

Mommy: "No, what's the exciting thing that happened on Easter?"

B: "Easter bunny"

Mommy: "No, didn't Jesus die and then after how many days he was alive again?

B: "3" (lucky guess, she's 3)

Mommy: "Right, and 3 days later they rolled away the big rock and where was Jesus?"

B: "He was hiding"

Mommy: "Hiding?"

B: "Yeah, hiding easter eggs".

Ugg... got some work to do!

A few Bideos

2010-02-10T09:35:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned before how obsessed B is with watching videos (or bideos). She wants to watch home videos 24/7, no exaggeration. You may think it sounds cute, but it drives me nuts! When I tell her no (which means she has seen about 10-15 by this point and I am sick of it!) here is her response.

On a brighter note... a MK bideo! I have a lot to upload but will start with the oldest one, MK rolling over. Mom this one is for you, sorry I am so late on putting it on here.

And now she can roll over, she rolls over everywhere. Even in her bouncy chair!

Hey You Up There

2010-02-06T10:59:00.000-08:00

I have been meaning to post this forever. The following took place about a month ago and continues daily.

We were leaving the house to go somewhere and I was putting MK in the carseat. I hear Brooklyn screaming out at our driveway. I stood back to take in what was going on. I could not comprehend that she would yell out to a neighbor, she is timid in that area. This is what I hear.

"Hey,Thank you for making Jesus" "Thank you for everything that is wonderful,and the stars and the trees and the moon. Where did you put that moon,silly? Did you hide it again?"

I was trying to wrap my mind around this and asked who she was talking to.

"I'm talking to God and telling him thanks for making Jesus."

Part where I tear up and try to explain how good it is to talk to God and we can do that anytime.

"I know mommy, I not finished"

As I get her situated in her carseat, she leans her head out and screams

"I love you Jesus and I miss you."

These are things I hope she always shouts to the mountaintops. Who knew that a 3 year old could encourage your prayer life. Thank you B!

Birthdays and Random Happenings

2010-01-31T18:53:00.000-08:00

Catching up on the past few weeks. The biggest event around here was the 30th birthday of our dear friend Jimmy. I won't begin to tell you what he or Ashley mean to our family. I don't think that I can put it into words. So glad that Jimmy has entered the 30 club. No more old lady jokes for me!

Robin and the new baby, Hurst. Is he not precious and doesn't she look amazing 2 weeks after delivering! If she wasn't so sweet I would seriously be annoyed!

Mallory adores Ashley. Luckily for you these pictures aren't scented. We raced to the party after spinning class.

Brooklyn recently had a haircut. We didn't go as short as originally planned. I think it is adorable! She was most excited to see Kim! Kim cuts my hair too, but this day was all about B.Afterwards we had lunch with Grandma. We got there to find Grandma having her hair done as well!
B showing off her cuteness!

Next party was for little Alyssa. Alyssa is a special friend of B's from MDO. They are best buddies and B will be quite possessive of Alyssa referring to her as "my Alyssa".

The party was at Build a Bear- what a fabulous idea! B picked out a blue bear (no doubt in honor of Cinderella) and quickly added pink ribbons and a pink shirt with all the princesses on it.

Having fun with Romy, another great friend from MDO.

After build a bear, the party continued with rides on the carousel for all the kiddos and kids at heart. I was proud to get a shot of us on the moving ride! The party was a 3 year olds dream!

At some point we also had a play date at Fun City. Although I only got pics of B and Olivia (or Livie as B calls her), there were 7 moms and 13 kids. They had a blast!

B didn't show to be much of an air hockey kindof girl. Athletic ability is looking kinda slim! Livie was smoking her- can't you tell in this picture!

She makes up her lack of coordination with being the comedian of the house. She was determined to be a part of the cooking. The onions were getting to her and she came up with a solution.

One night after bathtime, I attempted to get some snuggly pictures.

Ms Mal was very tired and quickly had enough! She has started giving us this face when she is at the point of exhaustion. Looking at it makes me smile every time. Sweet babies!

Sassy Number Five

2010-01-19T12:38:00.000-08:00

I can not believe that I have a 5 month old. It is flying by faster then I would like. Mallory Kate is learning to use more expression and has found a definite voice! If I put her down before she is done cuddling, she cries this terrible cry that still kills me. She knows how to work me for sure, I can't stand that little sob. She loves to coo back and forth and would stand all day if you let her. She detests to be anywhere that she can not see people. I am using the Bumbo during mealtime and she is completely content watching me cook. She has a great attention span already. She will let me read book after book with her. She loves to pull her paci out of her mouth and play with it- her eye/hand coordination is really good, better then mine most days! :) She still thinks B is the funniest person in the world and gives great big belly laughs for her. She's not much for tummy time, but is willing to endure it. She is my cuddler. I love to feel her sweet hands wrapped around my arms and the precious pats that she gives me. Oh this girl melts my heart. I bring her into bed with me at her morning feeding and she curls up next to me and falls right back to sleep. I usually have a hard time going back to sleep because it's hard not to stare at a sleeping baby.

Her expressions are adorable. She has these almost flirty eyes that can hypnotize you if you don't watch out. I've watched her work her magic on Scott, she has even pulled his attention away from a basketball game just with her smile and flutter of the eyelashes. Hopefully her daddy will be the only boy she is interested in for YEARS to come. I will say that our friends little boy who will soon be 4 has already put his claim on MK. If she's anything like her momma, her future man isn't even in the womb yet! :)
I think she has hit another growth spurt! I know, it's crazy! Many of the 6-9 month sleepers aren't long enough for her, but the size up swallows her whole. We may have to give into two piece PJ's for now! I can't wait for the summer so that I don't have to worry about the cold and I can show off her prized possessions. She has dream baby thighs- I love her rolls. All in all of course I think she's just perfect. Isn't that what you always hear from a proud mommy?

Pinkalicious Princess Party

2010-01-18T15:24:00.000-08:00

Last week we had a very Pinkalicious Princess Party for Miss Brooklyn who turned 3. She was excited weeks before the party took place! We started the morning with Pink Chocolate Chip pancakes which B said "these are cool mommy, these are cool" when she saw them. It actually was easy to get her to take a nap. Once she knew that she would wake up to "party time" she was out. Our friend Daniel took all the pictures and it was the best gift I...errr BROOKLYN could have been given. ;) To see all of his pictures of the party, go to http://www.danielryandesigns.com/ Here were a FEW of my favorites, there are some great ones of individual kids from the party.

This picture is by far my favorite. I love how she is looking at her cake.

She was so excited to blow out her candles that she got to blow them out twice!

Brooklyn, you are our ray of sunshine. You wake up every morning happy and even though sometimes it is earlier then we like, we still smile at your excitement for each new day. Each morning we hear you fumble with the doorknob (because you have your blankie and at least 2 dolls in tow). Once you have flung the door open you exclaim "It's not night time anymore, it's light time... wake up!" Luckily you are quickly satisfied with some food and morning cartoons!

FAVORITE THINGS AT 3
Family, Friends, Princesses, pink, purple, horses, Dora the Explorer, painting, our home videos (I know random, but she asks to see them on our computer 20x/day!), Mallory Kate- every morning starts with holding hands with her sister, talking nonstop- LOVES pretend play, books, books, books, making people laugh, cooking, Maggie, candy (which she can sniff out any piece in our house in a matter of seconds!), jumping on her bed, dancing with daddy, going to "school" and church, her blankie (which one day last week she told me she didn't need it for a nap, that hasn't happened again!), playing with blocks. She enjoys bossing around her babies, she strangely sounds like me :(

Her favorite day would start with cartoons and continue with Chuckee Cheese, a trip to both Wal Mart and Target, about 20 rounds on the carousel horse at the mall and another 10 on the train, a stop by Chick filet to play and end eating more candy then Willy Wonka could provide. And because she gets MORE energy and enjoyment from people, all of that would happen with her family and little friends.

LEAST FAVORITE THINGS AT 3
Anything that is sticky, gooey or makes her dirty. Once she realizes she has anything in that form on her, there will surely be a meltdown. Anyone laughing AT her, she knows the difference. Seeing her sister cry, sometimes it makes her cry too. Detests the color red (happened after reading the book Pinkalicious), Cries at the sight of most puppets and all monsters. Watching people leave our house is traumatic. Dogs other then ours takes a little bit of time to warm up to- she likes them from afar! Going home, no matter HOW much fun we have had she will protest any idea of going home. There have been days that we have pulled into the driveway and she is holding her blankie with thumb in mouth a second away from falling asleep. Somehow she can still whisper- no..go...home, please Mommy

We love you so very much sweet girl. Thank you for making our life fuller then we could possibly have imagined. Happy Birthday!

Our Snow Angel

2010-01-09T22:00:00.000-08:00

As you can tell by my frequent postings, we have been shut in for too long! Our first snowfall was a great start to the week. I was anxious to see what our typically timid 2 year old would think. Of course B loved it and had a smile from ear to ear all afternoon! (MK was taking a cozy nap in her crib while we lost feeling in our fingers and toes!)
She pretended to fly in it..

even got a good taste of it..
Made some great snowballs..

Yelled at her daddy when he hit mommy with one- so good to have someone on my side!

Later she got him back, straight in the face. Good job, B!

They attempted a snowman, but the powder snow wasn't cooperating.

It is comical that after a few inches of snow, the whole area of NWA shuts down. I went to the gym to do an aerobic class and they were cancelled while school is out. Really, is that necessary? I'm sure this isn't the last fall of snow our area will see. I was reading online about Fulton, NY. Can you imagine snow falling for 9 straight days with 55 inches!! Over 4 feet of snow, insane!

Stay tuned for a posting on a Pinkalicious Princess Party. I can't believe my baby is turning 3 tomorrow! Yikes!!

Happy 8 years

2010-01-08T07:23:00.000-08:00

What were we thinking when we got married 4 days after Christmas? I know what it was. We were so in love, we looked at the calendar and figured out what was the first available date to plan a wedding. I have to say, I am more in love with this man today then I ever was 8 years ago when we had our first kiss as husband and wife under a mistletoe. Cheesy, I know!

Growing up, I would tell my mom that I wanted to marry someone just like my dad. I feel like I did just that! When Scott and I were dating, he went to Greece for a semester. Although it was a great semester with my girlfriends, I realized that I couldn't live without him. He doesn't believe me when I tell him that I am dependent on him. I totally am! I feel like my world would crumble if I didn't have him to share my life with. I am so thankful to God for blessing me with the love we share.

Let me take a minute to tell you all that I love about Scott.

He loves God before anything else. He has this inner drive to always do the right thing. I admire how this has never changed. I consider this one of his strongest qualities.

He truly cares about others and has such a kind spirit. When he talks to someone, he is 100% focused on that person. Sometimes at church when B is running wild I don't exactly appreciate this, but I know the person he is talking to does.

He lives in a house full of girls (even Maggie, our dog) and wouldn't have it another way. When he is home he is so helpful. B screams in delight when she hears the garage door opening and opens the door for him. Most days I tell her "when you wake up, daddy will be here" and she will go straight to sleep! I love to watch him read books or play in the floor with the girls. Most nights he is the one to put B to bed. One night he was talking to her about Jesus and how much that he loved us. He was explaining that Jesus died for us. She looked at him matter of fact and said, yeah he was 28. ?? Where did that come from. The fact that the conversation happened at age 3 shows what kind of person that he is. It is so important to him to have an open relationship with our girls and to talk about everything. That is refreshing to me!

He is ALWAYS considerate of my feelings. I make fun of him (but secretly really appreciate it) at how he argues. It always begins with "I see where you are coming from" or "That's a good point, but". You see what I mean? You can't really get mad at someone who honestly tries to see your side of things. Because of this fact, out of the 8 years/almost 11 years of being together, I can only say that we have had one major fight...and it didn't last longer then 24 hours.

When we got married I wrote a little song that I still feel speaks how I feel about him.

As a child, I saw my fathers love
in the sparkle of his eyes
When I look at you, I see that same love
in your never ending kindness.
But there's something more I see,
something even greater

Your eyes reflect, the love of our God
Your eyes reflect His beauty

I will follow your lead
all of our days
We will serve the Lord as one.

All my life I've prayed for this day
to find a love that's true
I'm thankful now I've found you

Your eyes reflect the love of our God
Your eyes reflect His beauty

I will follow your lead, all of our days
We will serve the Lord as one
We will serve Our Lord as one.

I love you sweetie! I will continue to follow your lead. I trust you with all my heart.

New Years Wareabouts

2010-01-06T07:21:00.000-08:00

Although not many pictures were taken, we did have a great New Years Eve! We went to the Allens and enjoyed Ashley's yummy italian cuisine! There are no pictures of adorable Madison, but that's because the girl is in bed by 7! We spent the night playing games together.

While we were playing, B and Caleb watched High School Musical. Caleb knows all the songs and taught B all the moves. We were cracking up at their dancing! Aren't these two cute!

MK celebrated the New Year in style. I found this shirt at Wal Mart for $1. Thought it was too cute to pass up!

Hope your New Year will be one of Cheer!

Christmas Wareabouts

2010-01-05T19:02:00.001-08:00

It started with one last sighting of Santa. One of our elders dressed up as Santa, took pictures with the kids and read a story. Don't pull on his beard, it's the real thing! Anthony is wonderful with kids and has a real spirit of Christmas.

I wasn't able to witness this next outing, but thankfully could steal a few shots from Amanda's blog! The kiddos visited Grandma and passed out poinsettias to all her friends. You can see some Christmas joy on these faces! Love it!Here was one of the many gifts from Mimi and Papa. Opening the presents was shown to be the favorite part. I couldn't keep up with what was going on! The big hit here was a retro pink kitchen. Since I have a little cook and a lover of pink, this was a great gift!

The next morning we headed down to Hope to spend Christmas eve through the weekend with my family. Nana was quick to get us all swaying with some Christmas Carols. Here they are singing Jingle Bells, B's favorite.Brooklyn was able to open a special gift before Christmas. Nana gave us matching aprons that were too adorable for words. Mine said "Domestic Diva" and she was the "Diva in Training". Fitting for our daily cooking together!
The aprons came out early because Brooklyn cooked a famous chocolate pie with my Mema. Considering it was naptime when we went to see her, I was so impressed with B's manners. She didn't stay for the whole process, but we all had such a great time at any rate!

That night we had some more baking to do. Here are Santa's cookies. For some reason Santa only took bites out of the cookies and B was a little offended that he didn't scarf them down. Note to self! The rein deer were feed as well, although it was frigidly cold. Brooklyn told me they weren't going to like that cold wind.
One last picture before those visions of sugarplums danced in her head!

And the video that will always be a classic in our family...

My family all came for lunch before the next round of presents were riped to shreds. At one point I didn't see B. I found her, zombie like here with her blankie. It was noon and the girl was worn out. Why she is in a chair on a chair is beyond me. I guess this was her definition of comfortable!

MK wasn't left out of the fun. At 4 months she had a whole corner to herself of gifts. Although she was pretty keen at just smiling at my SheShe all afternoon!

Here's the whole Martin crew. My Mimi had on a sweatshirt that I made for her in junior high. She wears it every year and I am still proud of my puff paint skills! :) I love everyone in this picture so much and am blessed to have been born into a loving Christian home.

We drove down to El Dorado during our weekend Hope visit to spend a day with Scott's Memaw. Here is a picture of her holding MK for the first time. They are a sweet pair!

Tyler again steals the award for the favorite family member. He's only been in the family since June (although has been around for about 5 years!) and has stolen our toddler's hearts.

Traditional family picture at Memaw's. We keep growing, that swing set is going to need an extension to fit us all in. Again, I am so blessed. I have wonderful in laws and absolutely love hanging out with them all!

I would say that our Christmas was definitely very "Merry". The greatest part was all the family time we were able to share.

4 month check up

2010-01-05T18:30:00.001-08:00

Mimi came with us to our 4 month appt. We saw our usual doctor and she did all she was suppose to do. She told me how smart, beautiful, and perfect my baby girl was. We didn't have a warm and fuzzy pediatrician at her 2 month appt, and I don't think you should be a pediatrician if you can't make the Mama happy with some ohhing and awwing over the little darling. We found out that she is again, an overachiever. She is an average 6 month old in weight and 9 month old in length. Yeah, Scott has basketball stars in his eyes for this long lady! MK and B were the same in weight but MK is almost 2 inches longer! Wow! Doesn't she look long to you for 4 months?
Mallory is still the most laid back, sweet baby. She is the happiest held and looking into your face. Cuddling with her never gets old! She still loves her paci and has a specific routine for falling asleep. She holds her blanket with both hands and buries her face into it with paci in her mouth. When she rolls into the blanket, you knows shes about to give into the zzzzz's.
I treasured the newborn months, but at 3 months things start happening and everyday seems more exciting. MK would love to roll over, I see it in her eyes. Why hasn't she done it yet? Well these pictures tell all.

Even after the mountains of presents that B received at Christmas, MK is still her favorite gift. She spends all of her time with her. Mallory is just as in love with B too. I'm so glad they play well. I never have to worry about B with MK if I leave the room. She is very protective of her and is the little mother hen. She can't stand for her to cry and will do anything to get MK to laugh. She always laughs when B jumps on the bed and when B gets the "giggles" MK chimes in. It is precious!

The bumbo is probably the favorite toy at the moment, but even it doesn't last more then 20 minutes. We could sale all the equipment and she would be completely fine. She would much rather be social! Most of the time when you look into her face, this will be her response!