Great Getaway!

We were so excited to get to spend another weekend in Hot Springs! This time, Mason took Monday off so we were able to spend a full 3 days enjoying ourselves. We were thrilled that Wes and Ashley could join us for the long weekend. Anna Kate and Grace had a blast! They soaked up all the attention Wes and Ashley could give. I don't think Anna Kate let either of them out of her sight all weekend! lol! I want to thank them for being so great to my girls. They love you guys so much and we promise to try to be just as attentive and loving to your future kiddos (hint, hint! Hurry up! hee hee).
The highlight of the weekend for Anna Kate was on Saturday afternoon. Mason took her to Oaklawn to watch the horse races. She absolutely LOVED it! They were there for about 3 hours and he had to drag her out when it was time to leave. Apparently, she's also got quite the eye for picking winners...although Mason never actually bet on any of them (he ended up wishing that he had!) Anna Kate was able to pick the winner of 3 races!! How funny is that?? I wish I had pictures of her from Oaklawn but Mason refused to take the camera...ugh!
Grace and I managed to sneak in a little shopping while they were at the races and then Ashley and I snuck a little more shopping in yesterday. It was a great weekend!! Hopefully, we can do it again when it's a little warmer. :)

Sweet Grin :)

AK fell sound asleep on Ashley

AK was taking advantage of lap-time with Wes

My sweet Grace giving me some love

My girls loving time with Wes & Ashley

8 Months!

I'm a little behind in posting this...Grace turned 8 months old on the 10th! Time is seriously flying by! My tiny baby is no more :(. Her official stats are: weight 17lbs 10ozs (60%) and height is 28.5 (90%). Grace is doing great! She doesn't have any teeth and hasn't yet attempted crawling, but she loves motivating thru the house in her walker and playing with Anna Kate. She's a really good eater (she can self-feeds snacks!), much better than Anna Kate was and sleeps at least 10 hours every night. I'm so thankful that her disposition is so sweet and that she loves to laugh! Her favorite activities are playing pat-a-cake, watching Baby Einstein, swinging in the backyard, riding the golfcart with Ashley, riding in her stroller and doing anything with Anna Kate or Bailey. Her vocabulary now includes: "DaDa" "Hi!" "Hey!" "BaBa" (Bailey) & "Bye Bye". She's still very much a mommy's girl (which is both a blessing and a curse!). She is my little sunshine and I can't wait to witness all the other "firsts" that are to come! Here are this month's Flopsy pics. She's big enough to ride him now! lol

Sweet Smile...

She's grinning at her daddy
(& squeezing Flopsy's nose!)

All she needs is spurs! lol!

Banquet, Hot Springs & Aunt Emmy!!

That title sums up what we've been up to these past few days! Mason and I were very privileged to get to spend Friday night in LR attending the AR Sports Hall of Fame Banquet. We were there in support of our friend, teacher and coach, Bobby Richardson. Most of you know Coach and you know what an amazing person he is! It was so great to be a part of such a special night for him and his family. We congratulate him on this great honor...we can't think of anyone who was more deserving!
*I also want to say a special thank you to my wonderful parents for driving all the way to LR and keeping our girls so that Mason and I could attend the banquet.

Mase and I after the banquet

After the banquet, we were off to Hot Springs for the weekend. We had a great time and appreciate Margaret and Max for letting us use their condo. It was so nice to have a relaxing weekend. Anna Kate couldn't wait to feed the turtles and throw rocks in the lake...I couldn't wait to indulge in stuffed shrimp at Fisherman's Wharf! lol! Grace also seemed to enjoy time away from home...she slept-in both mornings! yay!

Grace kicked back and relaxed!

AK showing off some of her VDay loot!

She liked it so much she agreed to take a pic with me (that's rare!)

Grace having some tummy time.

We got a phone call from Emily on Sunday morning letting us know that she was in Crossett for a couple of days. Of course, we were thrilled so we packed up and headed home a little bit earlier than we had initially planned. Anna Kate could not wait to see her "Memmy"! I was pretty excited too since I knew I would be getting the opporunity to take a peek at my new niece! We had a wonderful time with Em last night and the girls and I got to tag along for her ultrasound this morning. We were so thrilled to see a very healthy, very energetic Abbott Clare! Thank you to Em for letting us tag along! We can't for July when we can hold her and see her in person!!

Below are a couple pics of my girls with their favorite auntie! ;)

25 Things About Me...

OK...Mer posted this first and tagged me, so here goes...

1. I am incredibly thankful that myself, my hubby and my children are healthy.
2. I love my DOG! Bailey is the greatest...my constant source of unconditional love and adoration...and my warm blanket on cold nights!!
3. I have the BEST parents on the planet. I can honestly say that I have never, ever needed them when they weren't there for me. If that isn't the definition of true love...what is? They are my greatest fans...no matter what. I have no idea where I would be or what I would do without them!
4. My hubs is funny...really funny...in ways that most people don't understand or see. He has a look...a really rare, truly happy smirk...that makes me uncontrollably happy!
5. I love God and stand in awe of all that He has done for me and my family.
6. I miss my bestest bud LeAnn...Colorado is too far away!!
7. I'm really thankful to be back in Crossett. I'm happier here than I ever thought I would be.
8. I love my friends...they make me laugh...HARD!! I'm especially thankful for my new friends that God has placed in my life...I don't know what I did before I had them!!
9. I'm also thankful for my lifelong friends...they know who they are and know that they hold a special place in my heart.
10. I like blogging...I look forward to reading other people's and enjoy writing my own!
11. I'm SO ready for winter to be OVER. I hate cold weather...always have. I'm only good with cold weather til Christmas, after that...I'm ready for spring!
12. I am SUPER excited about becoming an aunt again! Em is going to make a fantastic mom and I hope to be there for as many special moments as possible!
13. I have the world's best in-laws. Hello? They let us LIVE with them for 6 months...and we loved it!! It was fun...how many people can say that??
14. I'm content with 2 kiddos. Always thought I might want to have a third, but I'm over that idea!
15. I've just now come to realize what I missed out on by being an only child. Anna Kate has a love for Grace unlike anything I've ever seen. I know it won't last forever, but right now...it is priceless. They can't get enough of each other!!
16. I've finally learned to get over petty disagreements...it is truly impossible to please everyone at all times.
17. I love the beach...no really, I LOVE the beach. I am happier and feel more alive there than any other place on earth!
18. I will always love horses. I may never again get to compete or even ride like I used to...but I will always love them and I will always treasure the memories that are associated with them.
19. I wish I was more giving and more thoughtful. So many times, I think about doing something but then don't actually follow thru.
20. I really like to bake. It's a creativity outlet for me.
21. I miss working...I wouldn't leave my kids at daycare for all the money on the planet, but I do miss work. I miss feeling accomplished and appreciated. I even miss having to be dressed up everyday...I miss the office gossip and banter...mostly, I miss the wonderful ladies that I worked with.
22. I like getting dressed up and going out. Always have...probably always will. I love clothes, love getting my hair done and love make-up...they are all indulgences that I crave! lol!
23. I want to be more disciplined with my Bible study. It's hard not to get distracted. I want my kids to know and understand the importance of taking time to be alone with the Word.
24. I am extremely protective of my family and those that I love. I'm thankful for those that were always protective of me.
25. I'm trying to "let go and let God" more...I tend to be a control freak so it has been challenging. I hope stop sweating the small stuff and start enjoying more of what I've been missing!

'Round and 'Round They Go...

Where they'll stop?...I sure don't know!!! lol!
Here are some pics I took this morning of my ever-busy, always energetic kiddos. Anna Kate got tired of waiting for Grace to be able to move the walker on her own. So...she decided to help her a little bit. By the time I came back from starting a load of laundry, Anna Kate had created her own speedway loop which incorporated our kitchen, breakfast area and living room. Thankfully, Grace was thrilled with the new "track" and only laughed louder as Anna Kate increased their speed! I should've gotten video...darn it!

PS Thanks to those of you who have checked on me these past few days. I feel much better now and am very glad to be back among the land of the living! h/h! I'm SO ready for cold/flu season to be OVER!!

Happy Birthday Ladies!!

Today I got to have a great lunch with some great girls! A group of us got together at Johnny's Pizza in celebration of Ashley M and Janet's birthdays. We had a blast!! Nothing like a little girl-talk and yummy food to make for a great day. I am so thankful to have such awesome friends! Love you girls and can't wait til next month!!!

Ashley blowing out her candles!

Ashley, Janet and Tambrey

Ashley B, Ashley M and Janet
(there is a funny story behind the look on Ashley B's face...it involves a fingernail and FIRE! lol)

Paula, Me and Melissa

*Robin and Stormy somehow managed to avoid my camera...I will get you girls next time!!! :)

Weekend Pics

Lately, our weekends haven't been as fun as we'd like for them to be. Last weekend, Mason was on call and this weekend Grace was sick. She's been fighting RSV for almost 3 weeks now. I wish I could say that she's doing better but I'm not convinced that she is. We think she picked up an additional virus or cold on top of the RSV sometime last week. Poor baby. You can look at her eyes in these pics and tell she's not feeling good. We hope and pray she'll be back to normal by this coming weekend. I'm taking her back to the pediatrician tomorrow.
Even with Grace not feeling so good, we did manage to make Anna Kate's weekend fun. Friday night I pampered her and finally caved in to her biggest wish...I put full make-up on her! I usually only use "play" make-up or only do it when she has friends over. This time, I let all my focus be on her alone and she ate it up!
Saturday night we were thrilled to have Laney spend the evening with us. Anna Kate LOVES Laney and they always have a blast together...as usual, they requested a bubble bath!
Since we were unable to take Grace to church yesterday and since we were all going stir crazy from being in the house for so long, Mason and I decided to take the girls for a quick trip to the zoo. Anna Kate loved every minute of it! Grace wasn't as impressed but she did seem to enjoy getting out of the house. I'm so thankful for our little zoo. Anna Kate absolutely loves it and was VERY excited to meet the newest addition...a camel. :)