Pope-A-Tots

Happy 6th Birthday Anna Kate!

2011-06-02T10:33:00.000-05:00

Wow! Time has truly flown by! It's hard to believe that Anna Kate is 6 years old today! She arrived at 7:05pm on 6/2/05 ,weighing 6lbs 13ozs and was 20" long. She had a head full of jet black hair and a beautiful complexion that this first time mom wasn't smart enough to realize was from her being jaundice. ;)
Now, 6 years later, she is finishing kindergarten (graduating Monday night), reading and writing, adding and subtracting and being just about the best big sister that there has ever been! She is still shy in crowds or certain situations but as those who know her will tell you, when she does warm up...that mouth never shuts! lol She is so compassionate and understanding for her age. She has a kind spirit and generous nature. She is compliant, respectful and yet engaging. She can tell a story like no other! These are only a few of her countless attributes. She has always been an easy child to be proud of and I thank God everyday for this ultimate blessing. Happy Birthday AK! I can't wait to see what the next year holds! I love you to the moon and back!

These pics were taken the night she was born. The picture with Mason was taken the day we came home from the hospital. :)

The pics below were taken this morning. She got a certificate, a trophy and 2 medals at the end of the year awards assembly! She made all A's All Year and was an All Star Reader! Afterwards, they had rehearsal for graduation and I snapped a quick pic!

Because He Lives...

2011-04-26T14:47:00.000-05:00

I'm sure many of you know the song that I'm referring to. It is one that many of us grew up singing...especially at Easter. It is one of my all time favorite hymns and I've been singing it daily this week. I'm so thankful for my risen Savior! I think the hymn sums it all up perfectly in the last stanza of the chorus: "Because I know He holds the future and life is worth the living just because He lives!".

We had a wonderful Easter with family and friends! Here are a few pics...

We celebrated Alaina's 1st birthday on Saturday afternoon! I can't believe this little angel is already a year old. I get to keep her once or twice a week and she has become my little buddy. Her mom and I have been close friends for almost 20 years. Our families have so much fun together! I can't wait to meet Alaina's baby brother...coming in July! :)

The rest of these were taken Easter Sunday. We had a great morning of worship followed by a wonderful meal at my parents and egg hunts at both grandparents houses!

*Yes, I know the spacing and fonts and everything else on here is crazy! I am NOT a fan of this newer version. It makes the pics bigger but it doesn't put anything where I want it! Grrr!!

3 Monkeys!

2011-04-23T11:32:00.001-05:00

Allie, Anna Kate and Mary

This was one of the few pics that I was able to snap on our trip to "The View"...but it's one of my faves! These 3 had a blast together...like always!

*Marvelous Mer worked her magic on my blog and on my girls. She is responsible for the gorgeous pics and blog facelift! Thank you Mer!! You are the BEST and I love you much!

Spring Has Sprung!

2011-04-14T18:41:00.004-05:00

The girls and I are enjoying the beautiful weather! We haven't even let the pollen slow us down! ;)

Bubble Time!

Every night AK bikes, Grace drives and we walk.

Hanging out at Nana's with the Pope cousins ;)

Sweet AbigailPrecious Abbott
Maxwell and AK...inseparable!
Somehow I managed to miss the birthday girls (Olivia and Nana) :(

March Madness!

2011-03-28T16:19:00.008-05:00

Like always, I'm behind with my blogging! I can't decide if we're getting busier or if my time management skills are depleted! lol Either way, this will be a long post with little commentary. Most of the pics will speak for themselves! :)This pathetic face was a result of AK being honored as Student of the Month for the second time this school year. Sadly, AK does NOT take this as a positive thing. She HATES any attention being focused on her and it is literally agonizing to watch her go on stage to receive her recognition. It is a source of great frustration for me as her mom. I am at a loss as to how to help her overcome this apprehension. I pray she grows out of it soon. The pic below was on the bulletin board when you walk into her school. I'm thankful she at least smiled for that picture.The rest of these were taken 30 minutes after the ceremony. Funny how fast that smile reappeared when playing on the playground with her besties! :)
Sweet sisters before church on Sunday morning a week ago.
Sunday before last we got together with our supper club for the BEST supper of the year! Nothing like crawfish baby!! YUMMO! This southern girl definitely put a dent in that huge pot! lol There were about 30 of us in attendance but I only managed to get shots of the kiddos! We also had a great time of fellowship and even a little ball playing. This was Grace's first ever time at bat. She hit the ball thanks to a little help from Daddy. ;)

We went and spent the day with my wonderful grandparents. It was so great to see them and the girls enjoyed their favorite cuisine: Mamaw's fried chicken and butter cake.
Grace was sick for our entire Spring Break. It was a bummer but we are thankful that she's finally feeling better. We managed to squeeze out one day of fun in the sun before school started back and the cold front moved thru. Saturday, we took the girls to the zoo in Monroe. They had a blast!

Whew! What a Week!

2011-03-16T13:32:00.006-05:00

March has started off with a bang! lol! We've had lots going on and I've fallen behind in my blogging. This past week has been full of friends, fun, family and even a milestone! Here are some various pictures of how we've been spending our time!

First, I have to make note of a HUGE milestone! I'm very proud to say that I have bought my very last box of diapers!! Can I get a whoop whoop? lol! Grace decided (on her own) to potty train this past week. She mastered it the very first day! In this house...we have all been doing "The Potty Dance"! :)
This excitement and clapping results from her getting a gummy worm after going to potty! ha

For months now, I've been part of a committee organizing a benefit called Dancing For A Cause. The money went to Arkansas First Step, which is a wonderful non-profit organization that meets the needs of mentally and physically disabled children. It was a huge success and everyone had a blast! I'm already looking forward to next year! Thankfully, my role was behind the scenes. Mason and I are not exactly ballroom dancers! lol I'm thankful to be a part of such a great group of friends who pulled together in cooperation with our community to make this event happen!

Mer, Em and the kiddos came for a visit! My girls were thrilled! There is nothing they like more than going to Nana's and playing with their cousins. Of course, I'm pretty fond of their visits myself. I love seeing my nieces and nephew and am blessed to have awesome SIL's. I love their visits and wish I could see them more often. As an only child, it's definitely a perk! ;)

RED is for...

2011-02-24T16:35:00.005-06:00

the Go Red for Heart Health movement and of course, Valentines Day!! This has been a very busy month for us! I'm behind on blogging but wanted to post some pictures from V day and from the Go Red Banquet. I also have to brag on my hubs a little bit. For those of you who know my husband, you know he's not exactly the romantic type. I can't honestly remember the last time we actually celebrated Valentines Day. Well for reasons unknown to me (but I am thankful for whatever these reasons were!) he decided to make V day really special for me and the girls. He surprised us with his thoughtful gifts, words and actions (he even cooked supper that night!). Thank you Mase! I appreciate you and love you very much!

These pics are from the Go Red Banquet. It was really great this year! Mrs Linda did an awesome job. The girls below and I worked hard on the decorations! Special thanks to my wonderful MIL for asking my mom and I to join her in attending this special event!

He knew my faves were tulips and roses...I got an arrangement with 6 of each! PERFECT!

Snow Much Fun!

2011-02-21T14:20:00.004-06:00

It FINALLY snowed in Crossett!! After calling for a 100% chnace of up to 8" of snow a month ago and totally missing the mark (we got a light dusting), we were understandably hesitant to believe them this time when they said we would get 2-3". However, they were correct this time and we ended up getting 2". I realize that is a negligible amount of snow to many of you but that's a lot to us! It lasted about 48 hours and we enjoyed every minute of it!

It took all the snow we had in our front yard to build him, but we were determined to have a snowman! :)

Come Snow or Sleet or Ice...

2011-02-09T08:22:00.005-06:00

We were determined to make it to Gill and Jenna's wedding!! We had been planning for months to attend the wedding of one of Mason's closest friends. Ryan Gill or Gill as we call him, was getting married in the beautiful Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs last Saturday evening. Unfortunately, mother nature decided to cover the entire state of AR with a mixture of either rain, ice, sleet or snow. It became apparent that the trip would not be an easy one but we decided we had to make it anyway! I'm so thankful that God kept watch over us and got us there safely! We had a wonderful time and were thrilled to have been witness to such a joyous occasion. (Special thanks to my parents for keeping our girls while we were gone.)

Lacy and Ryane made the trip to LR with us on Friday night. The roads were covered in ice when we got there and it was snowing!
We took these Saturday afternoon before the wedding.

These are our sweet friends Michael and Laura. They were gracious enough to let us stay with them in Bella Vista Saturday night.

Laura took this pic of Mason and I in front of the chapel. It was a beautiful day for a white wedding!
Mr and Mrs Ryan Gill!

Me with the handsome groom

And the beautiful bride!
Mason with his bff. ;)
We had a lot of fun. Dancing with my husband is a rare but fun indulgence.
Bays, Gill and Mason...these 3 used to take Beaver Lake by storm! lol
This cake provided the most dramatic moment of the wedding! This is how they announced the sex of the baby. They are expecting a BOY in early June! Congrats!!

I also wanted to include this picture with this post. It was taken Sunday night after we got back from the wedding. We were at Ashley and Brad's watching the Super Bowl. We decided to take this pic in the same place in the same positions that we took it last year. I guess this will be our new Super Bowl tradition! ha

Partying!!

2011-02-03T14:25:00.009-06:00

We've been partying this past week! Last Saturday, we got to celebrate Hadley's first birthday. Hadley is the daughter of our great friends, Wes and Ashley. She is such a precious little angel! Her beautiful big blue eyes and impish grin light up a room! AK and Grace love doting on her. As you can tell from the pics, Wes has a very special place in the hearts of my girls. They love him to pieces!! Can you tell why? lol Tuesday marked the 100th day of school for Anna Kate. Her day was filled with fun activities, crafts and parties all carrying the 100 theme. Each student was asked to make a shirt with 100 "somethings" on it! We chose neon sparkly pom poms to be our "somethings". She loved the result and we had a great time making it together. I'm the homeroom mom for her class so Grace and I got to join in on the festivities! Grace had a blast...she absolutely loves going to AK's classroom and playing with her classmates. Thankfully, they embrace her and give her the attention that she so desires! lol

These last pics were taken last night. I love that my girls LOVE to play dress up! They are so funny! Notice each outfit is always made complete with my heels! ;)

Back In Action!

2011-01-25T13:01:00.016-06:00

FINALLY!! After a long and unwanted break, I am back to blogging!! I have been having Windows related computer issues for almost a month now. It has been very frustrating to say the least. I have so much to blog about, so this will be a hodge podge of what would have been several separate posts. I'm fairly convinced that the only ones who follow my blog are close family and friends, so they may have already seen most of these pictures. However, at the end of each year, I turn these blogs into a keepsake book for my kiddos, so I can't leave out the precious moments that I will want to be included in the book! For those of you who make it all the way to the end of this post, I will be very flattered, grateful and am probably kin to you! lol

A few days into January, Grace learned to drive AK's 4 wheeler! She was SO proud of herself!

I love this group of ladies! We had a great time on a cold winter night. Thanks Lori for being such a wonderful hostess. :)

It snowed...a LITTLE. So, we got the girls bundled up and they enjoyed it while it lasted!

I also used the snow as a great backdrop for some pics I took of Lacy and Todd. I love this girl so much! Still can't believe she's about to head off for college. Grace will miss her dearly.

On Jan 14th, my niece Allie turned 8! Allie is incredibly smart, outgoing and is a born leader. I can't wait to watch her grow and see what she will become. We love you beautiful girl! (I robbed this pic from Mer!)
Also on the 14th, Anna Kate received the Bear Club Reading Award. We are very proud of her! She loves to read!

On Jan 16th, we celebrated Clay's 5th bday. It was at McDonalds and the kids had a blast! It's always fun to watch Clay, Rylee, AK and Grace play together. I hope they stay close the way their daddy's (my cousin's) and I have!

On the 18th, AK lost her first tooth! She was very excited to get a visit from the tooth fairy.

Before...

After!!

We spent this past weekend in Texas. We went to celebrate my niece Mary's 5th bday!! Mary is quite possibly the sweetest little girl in the world. She is only 6 months younger than AK and they have so much fun together! Her bday party was at an indoor pool. The kids had a blast! Thanks Mer for letting us come and crash the party (and your house!! lol).

Festive Family Fun

2011-01-06T12:54:00.009-06:00

This Christmas was wonderful for us! I am so grateful for all of God's generous blessings on my family. We managed to see everyone on both sides of our families this year. The girls especially enjoyed spending time with their cousins! I know they are making lifelong memories. :) Here are a few of my fave pics from Christmas 2010.

Santa brought Grace a new tricycle!

He brought Anna Kate a styling salon, chair and belt!

Grace with a few of her babies :)

Grace was AK's first client at the salon. ;)

She was very excited about her new PINK digital camera!

About to open presents with Nona and Grandaddy

Sweet hugs for Daddy!

Family Christmas Pic 2010...not perfect but it's the best we could get! ha

So thankful for Mase and all he does for us!

Nana with 6 of her 9 grandkids. Unfortunately, Grace was NOT in a picture mood! :(

Anna Kate with her Memaw

Cousins! They had a BLAST together! Olivia, AK and Maxwell

Christmas night at my Mamaw and Pa's

My girls "attacking" my Pa! He was lovin' every minute of it!

This pic is priceless! So typical of AK! lol "WHAT IS THIS??" I also love that my beautiful mom and her radiant smile are captured. :)

These cousins are only 6 months apart and always have fun together! Clay and AK.

My favorite picture of Abbott from the week.

This is SO sweet. Grace hugging Abigail. They became fast buddies.

My first born and only boy. ;) He turned 10 on Christmas day. We love you Bailey!

This was taken on my birthday. I turned 31 on the 28th. My girls and my mom made my day extra special!

I hope everyone is having a very safe, happy and prosperous 2011! My prayer is that God will continue to bless each of you in this new year!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-23T20:39:00.003-06:00

From our family to yours...we hope you have a truly blessed Christmas full of love and laughter. We pray we never forget the reason for this wonderful season...
"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." Luke 2:11-14

Festive Fun!!

2010-12-07T14:49:00.006-06:00

Last night we had our annual Christmas and Birthday Extravaganza! We went to Portico in Monroe to play Dirty Santa and celebrate mine, Stormy and Robin's birthdays! I look forward to this night all year and this was by far the best year yet! We laughed until we couldn't breathe and enjoyed every minute of being together. I am so thankful for this group of ladies. Some of them I've known for 15 years or more and others I've just recently gotten to know. They are each among my greatest blessings!

Random Pics

2010-12-03T09:39:00.005-06:00

Here are a few random pics from this week. It's that time of year and we're busy running in different directions. Tonight is the Christmas parade in Crossett, so I'm sure I'll have more pics to post soon!

Anna Kate after church on Sunday
Grace does NOT like taking pics! ha

Robin and Alaina...I love that lil toot!Our tree :)Girls Night Out Annual Christmas Party

Thanksgiving

2010-11-29T15:39:00.007-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We spent it with both my fam and Mason's. I absolutely love Thanksgiving. I have SO much to be thankful for! I tried to savor every single second with my kiddos, parents, grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, sisters and friends. I am truly THANKFUL for all the blessings in my life!

My precious Mamaw with Anna Kate. This woman is the BEST cook on the planet! Her fried chicken is famous...and yes...I indulged myself in lots of it!
My cousin's daughter Lana and AK
My super sweet Grandaddy with Grace. She is #6 of his 8 great grandchildrenMe and AK after Thanksgiving meal #2
Sweet Cousins: Allie, AK and MaryNana helps them make a gingerbread house...it's become tradition and they love it!
The finished product! They did a great job...w/ a "little" help from Nana ;)
The "G's" get along great. Garrett and Grace enjoyed watching movies together!
Mer took this pic of Grace...she is such an awesome photographer! In fact, several of these pics are hers. I stole em! haha The one below Grace's pic is another fave. We love our Bailey boy and are thankful that he's still here!
The next pics were taken on Saturday night. We called the HOGS with my parents and watched them give LSU a beat down!! I am a HUGE Razorback fan and this was the perfect ending to a perfect holiday! WOO PIG SOUIEE!!!!

Tangled

2010-11-24T22:44:00.005-06:00

Today, Mason and I took the girls to watch the new Disney movie, Tangled. The movie follows the timeless story of Rapunzel and we all agreed it is one of our new favorites! It was shown in 3D so we got to wear the lovely black glasses! lol This was Grace's first time in a movie theater and she did very well. She slept through most of it, but at least she was quiet! ha
I want to also wish everyone a very safe and Happy Thanksgiving! It is absolutely impossible for me to count all my blessings! I serve a mighty and merciful God who has given me more than I could ever deserve. I hope each of you take the time to tell Him just how thankful you are for what He has done in your life.
I will close this post with one of my favorite scriptures:
"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of Heaven..." James 1:17

Weekend in Pics

2010-11-21T18:26:00.003-06:00

I picked up a really cute little Indian from school on Friday!

We had a great time Saturday night celebrating my friend Angela's 40th birthday! She is a beautiful person inside and out and I hope I look as amazing as she does when I crest the hill!;)

The birthday girl

Stormy, Macy, Joanna, Angela, Me, Ashley

Lacy entertained Grace during the party. I don't know what I would do w/out her!

This last pic was taken tonight. I spent yesterday and today getting my Christmas decorations out. Afterall, "It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year".

Sunday Smiles

2010-11-14T11:00:00.001-06:00

Trick or Treat 2010

2010-11-02T14:09:00.005-05:00

We had a great Halloween again this year! The girls loved every second. Grace was so funny! She couldn't wait to knock on the door and say, "trick or treat" (unlike her older sis who still refuses to knock or speak! ha). Grace also had to add in a "GRARE!" or two before offering "thank you SO much!" to each person. She was hilarious and offered plenty of entertainment for everyone she came in contact with. We started our Halloween celebration on Wednesday at our church's annual Fall Festival. I was privileged with planning it again this year and I'm thrilled that it was such a big success! After Wednesday, we suited them up again on Saturday night and went door to door before ending the night with friends. It was a memorable Halloween with my two precious little goblins!

Indulgences...

2010-10-19T17:13:00.007-05:00

We had a weekend of individual indulgences of sorts. One might argue that I got the biggest indulgence! I spent all day Saturday at Indulgences Day Spa in Little Rock. It was awesome! I got a fab massage, pedicure and tan (in a $50k bed that was more like a space ship!). I went with a great group of friends in honor of Ashley's 40th birthday. We had a blast and enjoyed some really great food along with all the pampering!Thankfully, on Sunday, we were able to work in an indulgence of sorts for the kiddos. We took them to our local zoo and park. It's small but they absolutely love it and always have a great time!Mason also managed to get in one of his fave indulgences...hunting! This weekend marked the opening of muzzle loading season. It's still hot and humid here, so I couldn't help but laugh when he climbed on his 4 wheeler in shorts and tennis shoes. That has got to be a first! lol

Friday Night Lights

2010-10-14T14:09:00.008-05:00

Last Friday was Homecoming in Crossett. It's a big deal in our small town. I can still remember how much fun it was when I was in school and even now, 12 years later, I still look forward to it! I especially enjoyed it this year. For the second year in a row, I got to serve as personal paparazzi for my two surrogate teenagers. They are the daughters of one of my best friends, but they are also my babysitters, my former employees and my friends. Lacy is a senior this year and was a maid on the homecoming court. It was a very memorable day for her and a true privilege for me to get to follow her around and catch all the special moments. As I told her, she is beautiful inside and out. I can't wait to do it all over again next year with Ryane!

Lacy was absolutely gorgeous!

Sisters and best friends...

Lacy and Ty
I can't believe he's a senior! Seems like just yesterday I was babysitting him!
We were backstage waiting on the assembly to start...
8 of the 10 maids...Shi Shi (kneeling) was crowned queen.
Ashley and Lacy...like mother, like daughter
Brad was one very proud Daddy!

I LOVED her suit! It had lots of bling!
This is one of my fave pics. Ryane is smiling b/c Lacy didn't have her heels on yet and Ryane did, meaning for the first time ever...she was taller than Lacy! lol

Derek, Ryane, Lacy and Matt

I'm the "hobbit" as Brad says...between his two beautiful girls.
Brad took this after the girls left for the dance. Ashley and I were exhausted. It was a long day...and night! :)

*Special kudos to my mom and Mason for taking care of my little girls so that I could go have fun with the big girls!

A First on the First

2010-10-07T15:08:00.004-05:00

Last Friday, October 1st, Grace got her first haircut. It was a monumental moment considering it took 27 months to have enough hair to warrant a hair cut! lol Anna Kate got her first one before she was a year old! ha As always, Grace was a trooper. She is SO funny! I wish I had videoed it! She did great...although she was sure to tell Mrs Lisa "hurt!" or "ouch" if something was pulling. Lisa was wonderful with her and Grace actually loved every minute of it. I'm hoping it won't be another 27 months before we need a trim! ;)

Before the trim..

She did so good! She watched every move Lisa made.Look how long her hair is when it's straight!Finishing touches...Voila! Beautiful!Her favorite part? Getting her goody bag and treat from Mrs Lisa! :)

September...Revisited

2010-10-04T13:13:00.007-05:00

Wow! I can't believe it's been a month since my last post. How sad is that? Needless to say, life has been very busy and my poor blog has been pushed to the back burner. I've stopped to post no less than ten times but always got pulled away before I could get anything posted. I intend to start making more of an effort to do better. Not b/c anyone has missed reading this blog...I realize I have very few readers BUT b/c I turn these blogs into a memory book for my girls at the end of every year. My girls deserve better. I must do better! ;)
So...this post will be all over the place. I will include pics from various times, places and events. They have all occurred since my last post and I feel they are all worthy of being included in the memory book. So, without further ado...

It's football season! In Crossett, this can only mean one thing:
Friday's are maroon and white and my fam and I are in the stands cheering on our Eagles!!

Football season also means Eaglette Kiddie Kamp! This was the first year that AK was old enough to participate and she had a blast!! I was so proud of her! There were over 100 kiddos on the field at halftime dancing their lil tushes off! So cute!

The next picture is a source of extreme frustration for me but still one worth noting on this post. AK was awarded "Busy Bee" for the month of September by her kindergarten teacher. Busy Bee is similar to student of the month and is considered a coveted honor. Mason and I were thrilled for her to be bestowed this honor so early in the school year. Unfortunately, winning this award also meant that her school held a luncheon where she and the other Busy Bees would be asked to walk on stage and receive a certificate from their principal. They would also have their photo taken by the local press. Of course, my RIDICULOUSLY shy child went into a state of panic when they called her name. She adamantly refused to go on stage and get her certificate, much less allow her picture to be taken. Mason and I, along with our parents had all taken off work to be there for her big day. Apparently, we should have all stayed home! lol Oh well. I'm still proud of her. Although she was officially listed as, "not present for picture" in the newspaper. (Grrr....) I took this picture BEFORE they even called her name for her to come to the stage. As you can see, she was already thrilled. UGH!
The rest of the pics were taken 2 weeks ago in Fayetteville. I can't tell you how excited we were to get to go watch a Razorback game again! It had been 6 long years since Mason and I had been to "God's country" (as he has always called it!). We stayed with his BFF Ryan "Gill". We had a great time and thanks to my parents, so did my girls!! In the end, Bama won the game...nonetheless, we had a GREAT time. GO HOGS!!!

Labor Day Pics

2010-09-06T21:37:00.005-05:00

We spent Labor Day weekend in Hot Springs! We were in desperate need of a relaxing weekend and we enjoyed every second! We stayed with my wonderful in-laws at their condo. It was a great time from start to finish. I can't thank them enough for all they do for us! We managed to pack lots of fun into our 3 day trip. Hope everyone had a safe and fun holiday weekend!!

I have a kindergartener!?! WHAT????

2010-08-19T21:17:00.004-05:00

I can't believe it...but yep, Anna Kate started school today! After a shaky start, I'm thrilled to report that she finished the day "all smiles". I know she is going to have a fantastic year. She has an amazing teacher who she already adores (thank you Lord!) and one of her besties Emma is in her class. I went and had lunch with her today (yes I sure did!) and was thrilled to see my big girl doing so well. That said, she will always be my baby! ;) Here are a few pics from this morning...

Anna Kate and her teacher, Ms Johnson :)

Anna Kate and Emma

# 9!

2010-08-04T07:55:00.002-05:00

9 years ago today I married my best friend and my soul mate! I'm so grateful that God has blessed us with so much in our 9 years. I love you Mason!

A FUN time was had by all!!

2010-08-03T22:28:00.006-05:00

Last Friday night we celebrated my friend Joanna's 40th birthday! It was supposed to be a surprise, but if you know Joanna...you know that is nearly impossible!! We did manage to surprise her with a few elements of the party. :) We had a huge turnout and it's safe to say that we all had a great time!! Here are a few pics...

Me with the birthday girl...love her! :)

3 Hot Mama's! lol
Robin with Alaina, Lori with Barrett (due any day!) & Ashley M with Hadley

Jenny Lynn (& Blakely!), Joanna and Me

Me and Ashley B

Stormy, Jenny Lynn and Melissa
My adopted nieces...Alaina and Hadley. :)

Melissa and I

Alan and Melissa...our heroes! :)
Got some good couple shots!
Brad and Ashley
Me and Mase

I have the most fun, most amazing group of friends!! I can't imagine laughing, crying or staying sane without them! lol

Photos at Aunt Mer's

2010-07-24T11:07:00.002-05:00

Here are some pics Aunt Mer took this morning while visiting. We are going to Abbott's bday party this afternoon!

Slideshow customized with Smilebox

Beach Break!

2010-07-11T17:36:00.010-05:00

We took a quick trip to the beach over the Fourth of July holiday. It was a really nice break for Mason and I and definitely for our girls! The weather was great and despite what CNN said, the beaches and water were also great! We had 3 full days on the beach and utilized our time very wisely. We managed to work in a trip to LuLu's (AK's fave restaurant), a night out at Cosmos (MY fave restaurant), an afternoon of putt putt and arcade games, shopping, ferris wheel riding, firework watching, swimming, sun bathing and of course...sandcastle building! Grace loved the ocean...much more so than AK did at her age. The waves were higher than normal, but she never backed down! She took several waves directly to the face and laughed through them all! It was a great trip and luckily, not our last this summer! We will be back on the beach again...with the entire Pope clan in tow...the second week of August. Can't wait!!!
Here are a few of the many pics that I snapped! :)Orange Beach....we will see you again SOON!!!!!!!!! :)

Pretty Girls

2010-06-27T13:45:00.005-05:00

We've enjoyed a relaxing weekend at home. Last night, we went to Robin and Jeff's and I got to spend some time with Alaina. She is SO precious. I just love spending time holding her and smelling that intoxicating "baby smell". She is almost always happy and is such an easy baby. No doubt they are blessed to have such a laid-back and beautiful little girl! They fed us a scrumptious supper of grilled red fish and fresh veggies. We always have such a great time together. Robin has been one of my besties for almost 15 years. I'm so glad we get to raise our girls together!

These pictures are from today. We took them before we left for church. I thought the girls looked so pretty!

*AK took this one! :)

Fathers Day Weekend

2010-06-22T18:56:00.005-05:00

We spent this past weekend in Hot Springs. It was a much-needed, very fun trip. For the first time in a very long time, just the four of us went. It was nice to spend time alone with the kids and with each other. We stayed at my in-laws spacious condo...they are always so generous to let us use it! The weather was perfect. We spent all day Saturday and Sunday on the barge on Lake Hamilton. The girls played in the pool and swam in the lake. Mason snorkeled and I lounged on a raft. It was the perfect rejuvenation getaway. Here are some of my favorite pics...
Of course, Sunday was also Father's Day. There aren't really enough words for me to express just how much my Daddy means to me. Anyone who knows me at all, knows that I'm a Daddy's girl. He is the most amazing man on earth and no one will ever convince me otherwise! lol He has always been my hero and my constant source of advice, guidance and support. He is a trusted friend and confidante. He is absolutely everything a daddy should be and so much more. I thank God daily for the example he has always been and continues to be. I love you Daddy! We took this pic on Sunday night after we got back from Hot Springs. :)
Last, but not least, I want to thank Mason for being such an incredible father to our girls. He is always there for them. He loves them unconditionally and makes sure they know it by his words and also by his actions. I'm so thankful that my girls have the same adoration for their Dad that I've always had for mine. I love you babe!:)

Summer Splashes

2010-06-13T22:49:00.004-05:00

It is HOT here!! It's only June and the humidity is already nearly unbearable. Of course, the girls don't seem to mind. They spent much of this week in the pool. Although they had a blast swimming, this fun birthday gift from Aunt Mel, seemed to be the highlight of their afternoons. They had a blast running and playing in the water. As you can see, they didn't take time for swimsuits! lol You can also tell that Grace was having more fun with the puddles than with the sprinkler itself! :)

Happy 2nd Birthday Grace Elizabeth!

2010-06-10T07:25:00.005-05:00

Wow...I cannot believe that it's already been two years!! It doesn't seem possible! Today, at exactly 12:14pm my precious little imp will officially be a 2 year old. She is such an answered prayer and such a blessing to us! Her personality is infectious...she's impish, sneaky, curious, stubborn, opinionated, sweet, loving and cuddly. She is opposite from her Anna Kate in almost every way, yet loves her to death. She has quite a vocabulary and loves to talk...she gets that honest! ha She loves to dance, loves to sing (especially You Are My Sunshine), loves to swim and loves to be outside. She's also a leader...she's made that clear from day one! lol Best of all, she's also a huge Mama's girl! ;) Gotta admit, I love it! She is my cuddler, always willing to be rocked and held. I wish I could freeze her in time. Grace is truly everything we prayed for and more. Thank you God for this precious little angel. I love you Grace Elizabeth!! Happy Birthday!!!

Birthday Bash...Luau Style!

2010-06-08T20:55:00.007-05:00

We celebrated Anna Kate's 5th and Grace's 2nd birthday this past Saturday. This year I decided to do one party for both girls. Theoretically, it was a great idea. Only one day to prepare for, one cake to order, one party to plan and decorate for, easier on family who live out of town...etc etc. It was easier in some ways but tough in others. Most notably, I could not be with both girls at once and therefore missed many of the gifts that they opened, pics that I would normally have captured were missed and time to chat with the friends and family in attendance was nearly impossible. However, all in all, the party was really great!! The girls and their friends had a blast!! (which is all that matters!) We did a Hawaiian luau theme this year. It was easy and fun and I found tons of cute decorations. The best thing about this party: it was hosted by my amazing in-laws! They had the perfect setting for a luau and it made the prep SO much easier on me! I can never thank them enough!
Of course, I'm including lots of pics. I still can't believe Anna Kate is 5 and Grace will be 2 on Thursday! Time truly does fly and we have been blessed far beyond words. As I always say, my girls are my world. They are my greatest blessings!
*Special thanks to Aunt Em, Uncle Adam and Abbott for coming in from TX for the big day! They picked up and delivered some special (XL) cargo that made my kiddos day! ;) Tks guys!

The cake was awesome!! One set of initials on one side, another on the other! :)

(Please click on collages to enlarge image)

Happy 5th Birthday Anna Kate!

2010-06-02T07:40:00.002-05:00

It's very hard for me to believe that Anna Kate is turning 5 today! Time does indeed fly. The day she was born was the happiest day of my life! I am so privileged to have her as my daughter! She has such a sweet spirit, always wants to do the right thing and is the most dramatic storyteller that you'll ever meet. She loves her sister more than anything in the world and seems to have endless patience with her. She's smart, funny, shy and beautiful...there are no bigger, bluer eyes on the planet! She loves to draw and is very artistic. She would much rather be swimming or riding her bike than watching TV. She treats her Baby Alive doll "like it's real". I hate to admit it, but she's also a huge Daddy's girl and always has been! ;)
I love you Anna Kate and am so proud of you!! Everyday you learn something new and I can't wait to watch as you continue to grow. You are my sunshine...I love you to the moon and back!

Cabin Fever

2010-05-31T22:05:00.008-05:00

The Crew...all 24 of us! (minus Ryan who was taking the pic!) The Bolin's, The Pope's, The Robert's, The Webb's, The Jones' and The Strebeck's

After being in Crossett for 6 months straight, I definitely had cabin fever!! I was so ready for an escape! Thankfully, I got a really fun one! We left on Friday for a trip to the Buffalo River with some of our best friends. We stayed in a 5,000 sq ft lodge nestled in the Ozark Mountains. It was beautiful! We floated the Buffalo on Saturday and I'm happy to report that only one canoe flipped (that canoe, the cause of the flip and the person(s) involved shall remain nameless...but it wasn't me! heehee). There were 24 of us and everyone had a blast. The kiddos especially enjoyed themselves. This was AK's first float and she loved every minute of it! We've decided that we'd like to make this an annual event and I hope Grace can join us next year (thanks to my parents for keeping her this time). Here are some pics from our weekend...sadly there aren't any from the river...didn't want to take a chance on something happening to my new camera! ;)

Take 2...this time w/Ryan but w/out Brad! lol

The Buffalo Lodge...it was awesome!
Joanna, Stormy, Jenny Lynn, Ashley, Angela and Me

Anna Kate, Laney, Jenna Cate, Anna Claire, Alia and Macie

Lacy was responsible for french-braiding everyone's hair that is in this pic! She was a busy girl! Thanks Lacy! (the haze is from all the sunscreen that had just been sprayed...seriously!)
Playing horseshoes, pool, poker, grilling and eating...fun times!

Buffalo River 2010
Can't wait til next year!!

Anna Kate's Graduation

2010-05-22T16:22:00.004-05:00

Anna Kate graduated from preschool (WEE School) on Thursday night. It was a very special program...one that will forever stand out in my memory. She was so excited and actually enjoyed herself throughout the entire program (a first for her!). She is usually so nervous that she looks absolutely miserable or breaks down in tears. Thankfully, she sang, danced and recited her verses and parts perfectly! We couldn't have been more proud! It's so hard to accept that my little girl is starting kindergarten in a few short months. It is such an honor to be her mom. She inspires me every single day. Believe it or not, I almost made it through the night without crying...almost. Towards the end, they played a slideshow of various pictures taken throughout the year. The song playing while the pics were shown? "Let Them Be Little"...yep, that did it! The tears flowed but I was smiling through them!
*special thanks to her grandparents and her great grandfather for being there to share in her big night!

So proud of my girl!
Emma, Anna Kate and Annabeth

Anna Kate and Grace with Nana and Papoo

Anna Kate and her Nona
Sweet Smile...
Rockin' out to the ABC's!
She said her part perfectly!
Mrs Becky handing her the diploma :)

We are SO proud of you Anna Kate!
We love you!

Relay For Life

2010-05-17T09:08:00.006-05:00

Mase and I with Alan

We spent Friday night (and into Saturday morning) at our local Relay For Life. It was a truly humbling and inspiring event. We were a part of the McCone Marchers. Our team was formed in support of our friend, Alan McCone. Most of you know Alan, for those who don't, please click here and you can read their blog. Alan has been fighting kidney cancer (mRCC stage IV) since September 2008. I can't even begin to explain just exactly how much Alan and Melissa mean to us. We love them dearly and they are a daily inspiration to all who know them. It was an honor and privilege to be a part of his team. If you haven't already, please add Alan and his sweet family to your prayer list. Our relay team was over 30 members strong and many people worked very hard to make this event a success. I thank all of them. It was a great night...full of hope, strength and prayers!!

Mmm Mmm Good!

2010-05-13T09:54:00.002-05:00

Delicious? Yes!! Nutritious? Not so much...

I caved...nothing better than a cupcake for breakfast!! lol

Tribute to the Moms in my Life...

2010-05-10T15:19:00.008-05:00

Anna Kate & Grace...

You are my world and I thank God every day for allowing me the privilege of being your mom. I love you both...to the moon and back! :)

I had a really great Mothers Day because I got to spend it with the people who mean the most to me. My hubby was super sweet and got up and fixed my fave breakfast. He then got the girls ready for church entirely by himself (minus the hair fixing!). It was so nice to not be rushed and only have to get myself ready! Thanks babe! Our church service was really special b/c it was also baby dedication day. I got to see two of my surrogate nieces (Hadley & Alaina) get dedicated. :) After church, we enjoyed a wonderful meal with Mason's parents and grandparents. I spent the afternoon planting my Mothers Day gifts and then we headed over to my parents house for a scrumptious steak dinner. As I watched the girls play with their grandparents, I found myself once again counting my many blessings.

See? It's impossible for them to take a good pic with me!

Here's the smile I wanted...
Memaw...we love you SO much! Thank you for ALL you are!

To Margaret: You are the best MIL ever! I mean that with all my heart. You are such a wonderful friend and confidant. You inspire me and help me at every turn. I am so thankful to have you in my life. Thank you too (as Mason said in his card) for not giving up on him...as most moms would have. He was a hard one...definitely a stubborn one. You never gave up on him and he is the man he is b/c of your perseverance and patience. As his wife, I thank you and I love you!

To My Mom: For all that you are and for all you have always been...there will never be enough thank you's. You are my rock. My source of constant support and friendship. You have always been my role model, my teacher and my biggest fan. I am who I am b/c of you. Thank you for the countless hours you spent praying...and your continued prayers. You are amazing in every possible way! I love you more than you'll ever know.

Mothers Day Tea Party

2010-05-07T13:00:00.005-05:00

Today was the Mothers Day Tea Party at Anna Kate's school. It was so special! We (kids, moms and grandmothers) got to dress up and be served punch and hors d'oeuvres. The party started with each child bringing their mom a beautiful rose, poem and picture keychain. Anna Kate was grinning from ear to ear as she proudly handed me my rose! It was SO sweet! Then, the kiddos serenaded us with several songs and said a prayer over the food. Afterwards, Anna Kate's wonderful teacher, Mrs. Becky, read the poem, "When You Thought I Wasn't Looking". When she finished, there wasn't a dry eye in the room! It was a really special day for my big girl and me. I can't believe she'll be in kindergarten in 3 short months!

After receiving my beautiful rose...

Nona and Anna Kate
Nana with her girls...Grace was having a blast! ;)

AK and Gage :)

My gorgeous big girl
My precious little girl

It is absolutely impossible for them to take a good picture with me!
Love those eyes!

They found an ant bed...which of course means they HAD to blow on it! lol

Polka Dot Cutie!

2010-05-02T16:52:00.005-05:00

Grace decided to put on a show for me today! She came in from church and immediately started posing. It was hilarious! Soon as I pulled out the camera, she became even more of a ham! lolIt's so hard to believe that in a little over a month, my baby girl will turn 2! Where has the time gone?? She is at such a fun age and I'm trying to hang on to every minute. I am so blessed to have this "lil imp" as I lovingly call her, in my life. She is definitely more outgoing than Anna Kate and is also more...shall we say...mischievous! lol I love you Gracie! Thank you for letting me capture these priceless grins! ;)

Bailey has been her best bud from day one. She loves him SO much!

I thought the photo shoot was over when I took her clothes off...but I was mistaken! These were too funny not to include. She's obviously going to love heels as much as her Mommy! That's my girl! ;)

Meet Alaina Noel :)

2010-04-29T18:15:00.004-05:00

If you follow my blog, I'm sure this precious baby needs no introduction. Robin and Jeff welcomed Alaina into the world at 7:45am, Saturday, April 24th. She was 7lbs 5ozs and 20" long. She was the perfect, beautiful little miracle that we had all prayed she would be!
I was up all night Friday night texting back and forth with Jeff. He kept me posted on everything and it was almost as good as being there with them. Thankfully, I got to go and meet Alaina the afternoon she was born. Welcome little one...you are SO loved! :)

AK's Art Show :)

2010-04-26T10:48:00.005-05:00

Here are her masterpieces...some of these I hope to frame and put in their playroom. :)

Anna Kate's preschool art show was last Thursday. Once again, her wonderful teachers outdid themselves! The art was quite impressive for 3 and 4 year olds! As always, Anna Kate was too shy to really enjoy showing off her art, but she was thrilled that everyone came to see it. I hope one of these days, we can get her to be as proud of herself as we are!

We took these before we left...my lil monkeys ;)

* Special thanks to Nona, Grandaddy, Nana, Papoo, Memaw & Deda for being there and making Anna Kate feel very loved!

Standing Guard...

2010-04-22T14:11:00.006-05:00

Beloved

Adored

Intelligent

Loyal

Energetic

Youthful

Bailey...you are my faithful friend. I love you...and I love that you stand guard over my girls while they play. :)

Soul Food

2010-04-18T14:51:00.008-05:00

We had Supper Club last night at Wes and Ashley's. It was the first time they've been able to host since Hadley's arrival in December. We had so much fun! The kids had a blast (as always) and we all took turns lovin' on Hadley and rubbing on Alaina (aka Robin's belly! lol) We are so anxious for her to make her arrival...which should be any day now!! :) I'm so thankful for these great friends. They truly feed my soul!

Paula, Me, Ashley B, Robin, Ashley M & Stormy

Every one of these hands have prayed for this little miracle! Alaina...you have many aunts who are anxious to spoil you!

Grace with her BFF...thanks Brad for always playing with my baby girl!

Anna Kate, Laney & Julia

Jeff, Mason & Paul...obviously taking care of some serious business (pretty sure it was related to turkey hunting and the paper mill! lol)

Ashley, Robin and Ashley...sharing Mommy advice ;)

Stormy (aka "Nanny") and Hadley :)

AK, Laney, Julia and Alia
...don't let those innocent faces fool ya! lol

Robin & Jeff...these two have no idea just how much their life is about to change! ;)

Cousins!!!

2010-04-13T14:33:00.007-05:00

Last week was full of fun and laughter. Hudson and Melissa (and the kids!) came to town to spend spring break. They live in Fayetteville, GA, so we only get to spend time with them 3 or so times per year. AK had been looking forward to spending time with her cousins for weeks! Making the week even better, Emily and Abbott also came to town! It's always fun to watch the kiddos to see how much their interactions with each other evolve and change since their last visit. During the week, we celebrated my niece, Olivia's, 10th birthday! She is a super smart and creative girl and we were glad we got to celebrate with her. We also celebrated Nana's birthday. Mel, Em and I took her by surprise by taking her to get an IPhone! She loved it! Nana was in high demand all week and managed to juggle the 6 grands with perfection...not to mention, feed 15 or more people per meal! This week she's getting a well deserved break...she and Papoo are cruising in the Cayman's...and the rest of us are jealous! ;)
As always, I took tons of pics. Here are some of my faves!

Church Directory Pics

2010-04-08T14:37:00.004-05:00

Our church is doing a new pictorial directory, so we went and had our picture taken on Tuesday night. Unfortunately, Grace was NOT thrilled with having her picture taken by a stranger and the pics didn't turn out nearly as well as I had hoped. However, thanks to AK's preschool teacher (who just happened to still be at the church!), I did get some good pics of us before we met with the photographer. I thought we looked pretty good in pink! (it only took me 9 whole years to get Mason to wear it! lol)

Hop To It!

2010-04-04T16:07:00.016-05:00

It seems like we've been busy "hopping to it" for over a week now! I'm behind on my posts, so this will be a REALLY long one. Last Wednesday, I helped organize our annual Easter Egg Extravaganza at church. It is always a ton of fun...just stressful trying to get everything planned and executed! Thankfully, everything went smoothly. We had a great turnout and the kiddos all had a blast. I'm SO thankful for our church family. My girls lives are greatly enriched by these wonderful people on a daily basis. I have tons of pics but will only post a few. Many were taken by Margaret (my awesome MIL) who took pics while I was helping in other areas.

Mason grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for around 350 people! Tks babe!

The next pics are from Friday and Saturday. My girls are so blessed to have both Nana and Nona as a huge part of their lives. They got to go and dye eggs with them both and had a ton of fun doing it!

Grace decided she'd rather ride her 4-wheeler than dye eggs!

These are from this morning before church. The Easter bunny left them a few things. :)

The Easter bunny didn't forget Bailey! ;)

These pics were taken today after church. I love Easter and God certainly blessed us with a picture perfect day! We enjoyed a wonderful celebration of our risen Savior at church and then got to spend time with both our families. I can't think of a better way to spend Easter! Hope everyone enjoys ALL the pics! (I'll be amazed if anyone makes it through this entire post! lol)

Memaw and Mason

Deda and Grace

Memaw and Nana with my girls :)

My fabulous in-laws and grandparents

Memaw and Granddad...they are the BEST, most precious people in the world.

My amazing Granddaddy...can you believe he's almost 89? I absolutely adore him!

Me with Ty and Travis...they will ALWAYS be my boys!

My gorgeous Aunt Theresa and I

Stacey, Clay and Aunt Rheeta :)

Travis and his baby girl, Teagan...can you believe she's only 8 months? Such a cutie!

Stacey and Clay...he is irresistible!

A Day at the Zoo

2010-03-25T13:21:00.007-05:00

Yesterday, Mason and I took the girls to the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo in Monroe. It was a perfect day for it! The weather was beautiful and the girls had a blast. It was also nice not to have to fight the crowds. Louisiana schools aren't on spring break yet, so there were only a few people there. Anna Kate couldn't take it all in fast enough...she kept going from exhibit to exhibit without giving the rest of us time to get a good look at the creature(s)! Grace wasn't as impressed as AK but she did love watching the peacocks and tropical birds. They were definitely her favorites. However, AK was much more impressed with the large animals...the rhino, zebra, tigers, lions and gators all captivated her. Strangely, her favorite animal at the zoo...was the HIPPO! Yep, the HUGE hippo was her fave! lol

It was a rare excursion for us and one that we really enjoyed. I'm thankful to Mason for taking half a day off to spend with the girls and I. He does it whenever he can and it means so much!

He held Grace most of the time so she could see over the fences.

This tiger seemed to love the sunshine.

They are crawling out of a tunnel where they were able to observe prairie dogs. :)

This rhino was enormous...seriously the size of a car!

Grace and I squinting in the sun

The gorgeous peacock

Sweet smile

This big guy begged us for food...he followed us all around the cage!

She insisted on riding the carousel

The huge hippo that AK was so impressed with.

They each got to pick an animal from the gift shop. Grace chose a giraffe...

and of course AK chose a hippo! ;)

Robin Gets "Pinked"

2010-03-22T15:22:00.006-05:00

Instead of punking Robin, we "pinked" her! lol My friends and I surprised her with a luncheon in her honor last Thursday. She was definitely shocked by all that awaited her! For those of you who read my blog often, you probably know who Robin is. She has been a close friend of mine since junior high school. She's expecting her first child, a little girl, in April. Robin isn't exactly a girly girl and so she has been avoiding all things pink for her new addition. However, we couldn't resist saturating her in it, as we realize just how much pink she will be surrounded by in the coming years! lol It was a fun time...complete with yummy chicken salad, BLT dip and petit fors. I'm so blessed to have this group of women in my life! We love each other and support each other thru it all. Congrats Robin...I cannot wait for Alaina to get here!
I couldn't resist tagging these pics onto the end of this post. Yesterday, Laney (Brad and Ashley's daughter) was baptized by her Pepaw (Ashley's dad). We are so happy for her!!
I'm also adding a couple pics we took after church. I absolutely love the one of Grace! :)

New Toy

2010-03-17T16:40:00.006-05:00

I have a new toy to play with. I finally broke down and bought a new camera. My old one lasted almost 5 years...which was pretty impressive considering it was small and inexpensive. I've been taking random pics over the past week. So far, I'm thrilled with my purchase. I debated and researched for months, but I think I made a good choice. Now, if I can just learn how to use all of the wonderful features and settings! ;) I'm hoping my wonderful sis-n-law will give me a short tutorial when she comes for a visit next month!

Although it is fun and something I will no doubt use on a daily basis, there is a bittersweet footnote to my purchase. I was able to afford this camera b/c I sold my horse...along with a huge piece of my heart. He has been with me for almost 14 years...and I will ALWAYS cherish the memories we made together. I've put the rest of the money back for an even more special purchase that I plan to make years down the road. Anyway, hope you enjoy the pics...they are certainly more impressive than my old ones! :)

These are my 2 new faves of my girls....

And new fave of my Bailey boy ;)

The color is amazing! My other cam could never have done this!

Serving table for Robin's baby shower

Paula, Merry, Jamie, Stormy, Robin, Me, Joanna & Ashley

It's hard to catch them both smiling!

Anna Kate...always the poser!

My sweet Mom and Julie...we will miss her!

Last FBC staff pic with Brian

I LOVE the behind the passy smile!

She's tired of me playing with the new toy! lol

Fun with Em and Abbott!

2010-03-15T15:55:00.005-05:00

I'm behind on my posting! It's been a very busy two weeks! Last week was full of fun for the girls and I. Em and Abbott came for a visit while Adam was visiting his brother in Montana. They stayed from Sat til Wed and we made the most of every minute! AK had been counting the days until they got here and she spent every second possible with them. I was thrilled to get to spend some time with Abbott. She is PRECIOUS! (not that I'm at all biased!) She is an incredibly easy and happy baby. I held her and played with her as much as time allowed. She is growing like a little weed and is already crawling! Such a strong, smart little peach...can't imagine where she gets that! lol While they were here, Em and Marg (my MIL) painted accents in both my girls bedrooms. They look SO good! I'll post pics of AK's....I'm still working on Grace's. I can't thank Em and Nana enough for taking the time to add those special, personal touches to my girls rooms. They love them!
Here are some pics from our time with Em and Abbott. :)

"I Like Green Eggs & Ham"

2010-03-06T14:15:00.008-06:00

Anna Kate is the first one on the top row.

This week was Dr Seuss week at Anna Kate's preschool. Each day they had a different theme for their snacks, clothes, books and activities. They even had green eggs and ham on Thursday. AK came home raving about how yummy they were!! She had a great time and I managed to snap some cute pics. I've also added a few of Grace and I.
We hope everyone is enjoying this beautiful sunshine!!

Wednesday was "wacky day"
Grace and I snuggling on the couch

Thursday was "green" day in honor of Green Eggs and Ham

Grace is still a Mama's girl :)

Friday was "favorite hat" day...she insisted that this beloved crown WAS the only "hat" she would wear! lol

We had a busy week...Grace fell sound asleep watching Baby Einstein!

Playing Dress Up

2010-02-22T12:59:00.005-06:00

My girls love playing dress up! This weekend was a quiet one for us and we spent most of it indoors. Thankfully, they kept themselves busy! Here are some pictures from a fashion show that they did for us. This was one of many shows that AK hosts but this was the first where Grace was an active participant. She loves to watch but this was the first time she actually put on the clothes! It was hilarious! I wish I had gotten pics of all the outfits they showcased...it was a long show! haha

Posing for the camera...(at least AK is!)

Putting on different outfits apparently makes you very thirsty!

She's obviously very gifted in the fashion and creativity department! lol

Of course, what fashion show is complete without make-up?

Anna Kate and her trademark eyes. I think she can stop traffic with those and her paintbrush thick eyelashes. (Not that I'm biased or anything ;)
I'm pretty sure these beautiful girls were the inspiration for the fashion show. Anna Kate loves Ryane and Lacy and she couldn't wait to look at their pictures from Winter Formal last Saturday. They asked me to tag along and take pictures before and during the dance. It was so much fun. Thanks girls for letting me share in your special night!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-15T14:56:00.006-06:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentine's Day. My girls certainly did! The grandparents definitely came through with lots of "sweets and treats" for them. Between Wee School, Awanas, Sunday School, friends, family and their Daddy...they have more loot than they know what to do with! Thanks to everyone who helped make this VDay so special for them!

AK got this heart pillow from Nona and Grandaddy
She has slept with it every night since!
Grace was as impressed with the balloon as she was the candy!
Grace checking out her M&M's while AK plays with her Slinky

Mason insisted on getting AK a Slinky...I think he had as much fun with it as she did! lol
Grace thought it was hilarious! ;)

Everyone that knows Grace, knows she LOVES suckers!!

Nana, Nona and Ashley all loaded her up! ;)She looks so big! Love you punkin!
Me with my lil valentine. :)
Nana knew how much AK loves the Berenstein Bears!
Grace loved her ball!
AK showing off part of her loot from Nana and Papoo
Grace with her Nana

Me and my valentine...we celebrated Friday night with dinner in Monroe.
Thanks to Nona for keeping the kiddos for us!

Snow Day!!!

2010-02-13T15:32:00.007-06:00

It was very hard to believe, but Crossett actually got a little snow this week! Having lived here the majority of my life, I was very skeptical that we would actually have any accumulation. We didn't get much, but at least we got enough for the kids to play in! This was Grace's first time to ever see snow. She was completely amazed by it! She loved it...from catching the flurries in her mouth to trying to throw snowballs at her sister. Anna Kate had seen snow before but this was the first time she was actually able to get out and play in it. It came on Thursday night and was gone by noon on Friday but we made the most of the time we had!

The first flurries started falling Thursday afternoon
AK couldn't get Grace to slow down long enough to take a picture

Our street Friday morning
Our home :)
Trees were gorgeous...view from our front door
She could barely move...but she was warm! lol
The first of many snowballs
Grace was all smiles all morning!
Yep, AK's about to get her!
Bailey: "Who just hit me?"
Discovering what he was hit with ;)
Snow angel time!
It turned out good!

Waving to the neighbors
The snow didn't taste as good as she thought it would...

AK's snowball pile

3 Parties in 3 Days!

2010-02-09T14:19:00.007-06:00

Whew!! We've partied the last three nights in a row! It was a lot of fun with some great friends. I'm actually kind of bummed that we don't have somewhere to go tonight. I had gotten used to not having to cook! lol

Saturday night was Ryane Bolin's (Ryano as AK calls her) sweet sixteen party. Ashley asked me to come and take pictures and we all ended up having a great time. Ryane had a Wii party and it was quite entertaining to watch them as they danced, played Mario and rocked out to Rock Band and Guitar Hero. We had a great time and I'm so glad we got to be there. We love Ryano and hope she enjoyed her special day!Sunday night was...of course...time to get together with other members of the WHO DAT nation for a Super Bowl Party! We had a blast cheering the Saints on to victory!! Thanks to Ashley and Brad for hosting...no doubt a fun time was had by all!Last night we went to a surprise 30th birthday party for my great friend, Ashley McDougald. Wes did a great job with the planning and Ashley was thrilled to see so many friends and family waiting to celebrate with her. We missed seeing Hadley but we hope to see her again soon. Thanks to Greg and Cheryl for hosting. The food was wonderful...as was the fellowship! Happy Birthday Ashley!! Welcome to the club! ;)
These pics obviously weren't taken at the parties, but I had to include them!! Check out Grace's hair. It is always wild and curly when wet! The next pic was taken Friday night. They were watching a movie in AK's room. They made their "nest" completely by themselves. AK said the bean bags were "Grace's idea". Hmmm... ;)

Lighting Up My Life

2010-02-04T12:32:00.004-06:00

This week the girls and I have had alot more togetherness than usual. Anna Kate started out the week with a cold and it progressed into pink eye. I'm also fighting an infection, so we've been staying in the house and out of the rain. Although my girls have all the toys they could ever need, they are always looking for a "new" toy. Grace isn't happy with any toy longer than about 5 minutes, so I'm constantly on the lookout for more ways to keep her entertained. As often happens, it's the simplest things that bring the most joy. Grace spotted Mason's flashlight and couldn't wait to grab it and "puusshh". It's an LED light, so it's very bright. She was immediately intrigued! She's been pointing it at everyone and everything...poor Bailey!
I snapped some quick pics...they are both in a great mood today!

They've Got Skills!

2010-01-25T14:42:00.005-06:00

Yep! My girls are always learning and can't wait to show us their new skills. I should have posted these pics a week or more ago, but we've all been sick. I'm so thankful that we're finally feeling better and am beyond ready for cold and flu season to be over with! However, in the midst of our puny feelings, our kiddos always manage to make us laugh. As Mason always tells them, "they've got skills!" lol

Grace insists on using a fork AND spoon for each meal. It is quite funny! This was taken after she had fed herself yogurt and chocolate pudding. Gone are the days of her letting me feed her anything...she will only eat if she can hold the food, plate, bowl and utensils herself. She's definitely my independent child!

Anna Kate is so proud of herself for finally being able to legibly write her full name. I'm not sure why she insisted on cutting it out but I'm very proud of her just the same!:)

I can't believe how big she's getting. I'm so thankful that she loves to learn! She wanted me to post pictures of her letters (the alphabet) and her numbers (1 thru 30) but Grace destroyed that paper before I got the picture! Gotta love little sisters! haha

My 30th Bday and New Years!

2010-01-12T12:42:00.006-06:00

I wasn't exactly thrilled about turning 30 but I certainly prefer it over the alternative! lol However, thanks to my family and friends, it was a really great day! It was made even more special by the arrival of Hadley Nicole McDougald. She is the daughter of my great friends, Wes and Ashley. I had hoped for 9 months that she would be born on my birthday, and she was!! We even got to be there to welcome her!

Grace and me on my bday

AK didn't want to take a pic with me but did give me a really good smile!

My wonderful family and friend took me to lunch!
Em, Mel, Margaret, Mer, Ashley, me and my mom

Mase took me to Longhorn's in Monroe for supper.

Ashley and Brad...

and Robin and Jeff joined us!

Don't know what I would do without these two!

Me and the very proud new daddy!

First family pic!

Hadley Nicole McDougald
12/28/09, 9:25pm
6lbs 7ozs, 19.75"

We spent New Years Eve at Brad and Lori's house. We had a great time! They had a house full and there was never a dull moment! lol I'm so thankful for such great friends!!
We hope everyone is blessed during 2010!!

Our 10th New Years Eve together! :)

Joanna, Ashley and Robin

Justin and me

Joanna, Ashley, me, Robin and Lori

Five Christmases...

2010-01-04T13:49:00.016-06:00

...literally! Now you know why it's taken me so long to post pics! I took over a hundred, so it took a while to look through them and edit them all. I am going to post some from each Christmas...so this will be a VERY long post! If any of you look at them all, I will be amazed! lol We are truly blessed!
Hope everyone is staying warm and enjoying this new year! :)

Our first Christmas was with my parents on Christmas Eve at lunch. As always, they spoiled the girls rotten and fed us really well! It was the start of a wonderful, memorable and very busy 72 hours!

Next, was Christmas Eve night which is always spent with the Meeks fam at my grandfather's house. I cannot even begin to imagine a Christmas Eve night without this hilarious, loving group! I am so glad they are a part of my life.

Christmas morning was spent here at home with our girls. Mason and I love watching our kiddos hit the stash that Santa left them. We are so blessed and cherish these private moments with our girls. :)
*Notice my baby girl's bedhead! Is it the greatest you've ever seen or what? lol
As soon as Santa was done, we jumped in the car and headed for Nana's (Mason's parents). Everyone was there for Christmas morning except Meredith's fam. The kiddos had so much fun opening their presents together. It is a very wild, very fun crew. Mer and kiddos arrived on Sunday and the fun began all over again! I love being a part of such a big family!! It is an amazing and unique experience! There is nothing like watching 9 kiddos opening gifts! (these pics are from Christmas thru Wed)*As you can tell, Grace started feeling puny towards the weekend. :(

Our last Christmas was on Saturday at lunch. My grandparents and the rest of the Rodgers crew came to my parents house. We had a great time and Anna Kate really enjoyed getting to play with Lana. They are a year apart...just like their moms. My grandparents are the best and showered the kiddos with lots of fun toys. I'm so thankful that my girls have gotten to know and love my Mamaw and Pa.

Merry Christmas!!

2009-12-23T13:16:00.003-06:00

From our family to yours....

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:11

Sunday Smiles =)

2009-12-21T19:40:00.005-06:00

Here are some pics we took before church yesterday. The girls looked so cute in their Christmas dresses (thanks Nona!). Church was amazing, the music was especially incredible. Anna Kate really enjoyed listening to Anna Cate Toler's "Happy Birthday Jesus" and Wes's awesome performance of "The Singer". Grace seemed to enjoy the entire service. She split her time between her Nona, her Memaw and her Deda. I thought it was a special treat for all four of us to make it through an entire service together!