Little Friends

Audrey had a playdate with her friend Mallory today. They are just a few weeks apart and have to be two of the cutest little things! They read books together, played baby dolls and played beauty shop. It was fun to see Audrey on her own without Ella taking charge of everyone! So fun!

Blessed

If there is one thing I hope John and I can really instill in our children, it is the fact the God has blessed us beyond what we deserve. He has given us the precious gift of Jesus Christ and I want our children to understand the responsibility that comes along with that. One thing we are doing is finding ways to serve others. This month, our Sunday school class is collecting items for The Samaritan Inn, which is a homeless shelter here in McKinney. They are in need of snack items so that those residents at the shelter can pack their lunches when they go to work and can save more money to get themselves into a permanent residence. I brought the girls with me to the store and allowed them to pick out items. We talked about why we were doing this and what families we were helping. It was humbling to me to think about the impact these items may have on a family and I hope that we will continue to find ways to teach our children about serving others.

The Joy of Siblings

I am so thankful that my kids love each other so much. Not to say there are not fights and arguments around our house all the time, but when it comes down to it, they are each other's best friends. I hope they will always treasure that special bond!

These girl's personalities couldn't be more different, but they are inseperable!

Ella is just in love with Walker and he is with her too. She is always so kind, gentle and loving towards him. Melts my heart!

Sharks & Penguins

John was off for MLK day, so we packed all the kids up and headed to the Dallas Aquarium. The girls always love any visit to a place with animals! Walker was a trooper as always and slept for most of the outing in his stroller, but we had to get him out for a few pics with the sharks. We spent a long time with the otters which I think are just the most fun thing to watch--it makes me think that those animals have the best philosphy on life - Just play and act silly all the time! Audrey was scared the whole time (very unlike Audrey) thinking all the animals would come out of their cages and tanks! We really looked like our own circus, carrying Audrey and Walker, pushing a stroller loaded down with a zillion aquarium maps, and trying to take pictures along the way!

SHARKS!
A cutie with another cutie!

Even Walker got a close-up look at the jaguar!

Back to the Pool

Just like last spring, we decided to start swim lessons for the girls once a week to get them ready for the pool this summer! It worked out great last year and the girls were such good swimmers during the summer. With Walker added to the mix this year, I want to make sure the girls are both very comfortable in the water before this summer swim season hits so I can go the pool with all three of them!

In their new swimsuits...even though it was 20 degrees outside!

Ella showing us her power kicks!

Audrey was all smiles the whole time!

Mad Scientists

We headed to the Sci-Tech Discovery Center in Frisco this morning for our first time and boy did the kids have fun! It takes a lot for the girls to stay occupied, but there were so many cool hands-on things for them to do and they were able to watch a demonstration of one of the "scientists" making elephant toothpaste! They loved it!

The girls loved being able to figure out how things worked and would get so excited when they could accomplish one of the activities! I actually think John liked it just as much as the girls did! It is definitely a place that we will be going back to again to explore!

Working with Daddy to build a house!

Ella riding a bike with square wheels!

Audrey was so impressive! She figured out every game without us even having to show her!

Getting fingerprinted! We were whirls!

Yee-Haw!

It was "Western Day" at school today and the girls were so excited to be cowgirls. These pics show how non-western we are because a bandana, one hat and a unicorn on a stick was about as country as we get!

Walker at 3 months!

Walker! We just can't get enough of that smile! He is 3 months old today and it really feels like we just brought him home!

• He loves to eat and would every hour if we would let him.
• His swing is our lifesaver and he can sleep in it for extended stretches despite the constant circus of two big sisters running around the house.
• He loves bath time and having his diaper changed--I think it is something about boys and liking to have their clothes off!
• His best friend is his little stuffed giraffe that plays Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.
• He is staying awake a lot more now and likes to interact with the girls on his playmat.
• Not a fan of tummy time -- usually resulting with him bobbing his head against the playmat.
• He has a deep belly laugh...so stinkin cute!
• Likes to pull hair
• Is a chunky monkey..we don't visit the doc at 3 months for weight/height stats, but he is already in 3-6 month clothes. Quite a jump for a baby that was less than 7 pounds at birth!
• LOVES, LOVES, LOVES his sisters...let's see how long that lasts! :)
  

Weedy Weekly Wrap Up #2

It has been a busy week at our house! We've had a round of a minor stomach bug and got to watch snow come to Texas again! :) It is kind of fun to actually have a "winter"! I like the fluff, but I do not like being stuck at home!

Daddy with all three of his munchkins
With the snow and the freezing weather, we spent a LOT of time inside. The girls love to paint, so I let them create their version of a snow day! Ella worked very hard to create a snowman, with eyelashes, a bow, and a little butterfly. Audrey, always wanting to be like her big sister, did the same, just a little more "freely". Watch out Martha Stewart!

We are starting to get more of the baby toys out for Walker and we drug out the Bumbo seat. Is it sad that our 5 year old still fits in it comfortably? Boy do I wish I had those twiggy legs!! :)

We brought the girls up to Lowe's for one of their kids clinics. The girls had a blast hammering a game box together! We had to keep a close watch on Audrey!

Walker loves laying on his activity mat and watching himself in the mirror. I love that he smiles when he sees himself and has really turned into a happy little boy!

This week, Auburn University won the National Championship in football. I'm an Aggie fan through and through, but I really rooted for Auburn this time. My oldest cousin, Jessica graduated from there and was a loyal Tiger! Jessica was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was in her early 30's and fought as hard as she could to beat that horrible monster. She lost her battle after several years just two weeks after Audrey was born. It is still something our family has not gotten over and I pray that my girls will get to live in a world where breast cancer is something of the past. So this week, as Auburn clinched the title, I know Jessica was cheering!

Snow!

We got a little winter wonderland this Sunday! I remember only a handful of times growing up when I saw snow in Texas, but what a treat we have gotten the past few winters. It was such a beautiful site and the kids couldn't wait to get out and play! We never officially made the full snowman because it was so cold and the girls weren't too crazy about being wet and cold. On Monday, the snow had stopped and it wasn't quite as cold, so we ventured out again to enjoy the fluff! So grateful that we got to experience a little bit of winter!

Walker's First Snow!

Snowball fight!

Weekly Wrap-Up #1

We had a fun start to the new year! For the first week of January, we have been unseasonably warm in Texas. The girls have played outside every day...oh how I LOVE our backyard. Their little creative minds can spend hours turning our back yard into a whole little town. They ride their Jeep from the bank to school, to the doctors office, to church. We've also enjoyed a few visits to the parks with friends to soak up the nice weather before the freeze hits next week. Yeah for Walker sleeping a little more regularly and going a little longer at night. It makes for a happier Mommy!

Ella is always the chaffeur but Audrey doesn't seem to mind!

Ella- I am starting to realize that she really is a little girl and not a toddler anymore. Her vocabulary and choice of words is so grown up and she is so curious about everything. I spent an entire car ride this week trying to explain how the earth goes around the sun and the moon goes around the earth, while questioning exactly if my recollection of science class was accurate. She has become so into reading "chapter books" and John and her work every night on going through all the library books we check out each week. She is so thoughtful and loving with Walker. It is wonderful to see the special and unique bond they have. Her creativity amazes me and I am so grateful I have kiddos who would much rather pretend they at school, Cinderella's ball, or the doctor's office, than watch TV!

In mid-air after knocking down all but one pin on New Years!

Audrey- Oh this child is just so stinkin' cute. She could care less about any type of order, structure or rules, but she's got a laugh and a smile that will melt your heart. This week, I found her laying on the rug in the kitchen just giggling (see below). She's so silly and is Ella's constant side-kick, repeating every single word even if she doesn't know what it means.

Walker - We are finally getting out of the fussy stage we were having with him. He is awake a lot more now, which makes things harder, but it is so fun to have him as part of the action now. Oh how he loves his sisters despite the constant attention he receives while he is trying to eat, sleep, etc. John and I always say one day he is going to punch their lights out for all this! He is smiling and laughing so much --Such a happy little boy!

John & Angi - We wish for more sleep in 2011! It seems like someone is always having a bad dream, has to go to the bathroom, or tummy hurts in the middle of the night...and it is not a 2 month old that is complaining. We dream of Hawaii, one day! :)

Gig Em!

The Aggies headed to the Cotton Bowl this year! Though the final score didn't turn out like we wanted, the kids were still excited to cheer on their future Alma Mater!!

Welcome 2011!

Well, it has been almost a full year since I have posted to this blog! We had such an exciting 2010 filled with a pregnancy, selling a house, buying a house, a trip to Disneyworld, birthdays, first days of school, and Walker's arrival in October. I am disappointed in myself for not documenting it all, but one of my goals for 2011 is to keep up with all the wonderful memories we are making! Goodness knows, I'm having a hard time remembering where I put my keys every day, so I know I won't remember in 20 years which kid did what if it isn't written down! I think I am going to try to do more of a "Weekly Wrap-up" on Friday to keep myself accountable and not get so far behind!

We celebrated our New Year with our tradition we established last year. We head to the bowling alley when they open for some family fun and then come home to watch football and eat a delicious meal of pulled pork, black-eyed peas, and cheese grits! I'm so lucky to have a husband that cooks much better than I can! I didn't have to do a thing except enjoy it!

The girls got hot pink vampire teeth with their tokens from the bowling alley. The rest of the attire (princess dress up clothes) is the regular look at our house most days!

The girls--you probably can't see the score, but the winner was John, followed by Audrey, Ella, and Mommy at the end!