Halloweens Past...

One of my friends blogged past Halloween pictures and I thought they were fun to look at. Ok...I KNOW I put Lindsey in a pumpkin outfit on her first Halloween, but I apparently didn't take a pciture! I know, pick your chin up off of the floor....I didn't take a picture?! If I did, I can't find it anywhere! So, here is her at her 2nd Halloween....what an angel!


Don't they look happy! Lindsey was worn out by the time I got a picture taken...oh well! Look at that baby! Oh my word! (That is the pumpkin outfit Lindsey wore her first Halloween too!)


This was last year. Lindsey had just become obsessed with the princess thing! Snow White was the only dress she had and she wanted to be that. So, that she was! I remember trying to take a picture was like pulling teeth! Side note--what is it with pictures and Halloween? I get so many pictures of everything else, but why not them dressed up?! I'll try to be better this year! Anyway, we tried to trick or treat last year, but Lindsey was still in her painfully shy stage and would NOT say anything. Thus, the 2 friends' houses that we went to were the only ones we did!


Look at this angel! Oh my gosh! Seriously!?! Where did time go! That was a year ago? Again...not a great picutre. Look at that NON-CURLY hair! Man...things changed after that, huh?!

Halloween isn't something I really get excited for. The girls like to dress up and they don't get the "trick or treat" thing yet. Lindsey is really into saying it at our house, but we'll see what happens tomorrow night! But I don't mind them dressing up. I did as a little girl and never took it for more than it was--dressing up and getting candy! We avoid the scary, weird part, just have fun and move on. Not a big deal holiday, just something fun to do. Pictures of tomorrow to come...we'll take them BEFORE the festivities so we can have a good one!

Jack-O-Lantern

Tonight we did our annual pumpkin carving. It isn't a big deal, but it has pretty much become tradition. So, it was fun. Courtney didn't care about it. (I think I remember that from last year too!) Lindsey was very into it. She wanted to help draw the face and so Courtney joined in. I drew "dot to dot" for them and they did great!
Ryan cleaned it out and I'm afraid he's always going to be the one to have to do that part! I will NOT do it and Lindsey wouldn't touch it. Courtney held (after he took it out) some "goop" in her hand, but not for long! Sorry Babe! But of course Lindsey wanted to help cut the face! She's very careful and Ryan didn't take his hand off of the knife or her hand. So it was totally safe!

Courtney checking things out...

Lindsey was insistant that she was going to put the top back on. So funny! But once the candle was in there, you can see her caution in doing it.

I'm so traditional. Nothing crazy, different, funny. Just triangle eyes and nose, typical mouth with a few teeth. I don't know what else to do...but I like it!

Princess Tea Party

Today I had a few of Lindsey's friends over for a princess tea party. She had been begging several months agoto have a REAL tea party. So I kept thinking we'd do it on a Saturday. However, with crazy schedules and most of our friends being stay at home moms, I decided we'd just do it on a Wednesday at lunch. It worked out well! There were things I could have done way more "over the top" but it was a simple lunch and a few fun things to do. I was very pleased with how it went!

These were their place cards/crowns! They decorated their crowns with foam stickers and foam markers. That was fun!

Then we had lunch. These are the little sandwiches I made for the kids. We had one brother, so I made him a star sandwich instead of a heart! We had fruit salad, chips and cookies too. It was just enough! I bought croissants for the mommies to eat instead of heart sandwiches!

These are the big girls eating thier lunch! Lindsey, Emily, Abi and Kennedy. Mrs. Katie brought us her REAL tea set to let the girls drink with. She served them and they had a grand time feeling so big!
And here's Courtney! Just right! Her crown on backwards and to the side! Perfect for her! She decorated it herself and put it on by herself! So cute! She felt just as big!

Check out this crown!! How beautiful!

Here are all the princesses!! Brandon did not want to get in the picture. Since he was the only boy, we didn't push it! From L-R: Abi Coston, Lindsey, Kennedy Holland, Emily Alford, Courtney and Bethany Alford. Lots of girls!!
We made bracelets and necklaces too! So cute!! They loved it.
This was a great idea! I'm so thankful for such good friends. Lindsey is so blessed! She doesn't even know it! It was very simple, but great fun. I'm such the girly mom! I had a blast and can't wait for another one!

Family Date Night

Tonight was a fun, family night! I needed that! It has been a good week, but a lot of me with the girls. I know at times I have been thankful, but I needed an outing! So when I was talking to Ryan late this afternoon, he suggested taking the girls bowling. I wasn't sure, but it turned out to be a lot of fun! They loved it. Lindsey had an idea of what bowling is because of Wii and seeing it on a ame on the computer. Courtney had no idea. She said she was going to hit the ball! Nice!

Lindsey was our "ball girl." She loved keeping the balls in line! When they would come out of the "shoot" she'd push them into a line!

This is how we started out with Lindsey....she couldn't do it very well becaus she couldn't push it hard enough. It went REALLY slow and I tought it was going to stop in the lane. Seriously. S.L.O.W! I think she noticed because the next time she wanted to use the ramp. We let her do whichever way she wanted.
Then she wanted to do it all by herself! She loved it!
Courtney only cared about carrying the ball to her ramp. She'd push it down the ramp and then walk away. Not caring until we told her to watch the pins! She was having fun!!

Are these the cutest bowling shoes you have ever seen?

Tonight was a blast! I never thought bowling with a 2 and 4 year old would be so much fun! But it was!! We ate at Marketplace before we headed there, our typical date night place! Lindsey loves it and Courtney is learning! They just love the dessert really! :) It is the only place we order dessert when we go out! So I am thankful tonight for my family. For my husband that is ready and willing to spend his Friday nights with us. For my girls. It was so fun watching them experience something new and exciting! We will go back for sure!

My Sick Girl

Today was one of those days that it is no fun to be a mom, but you learn who you are as a mom at the same time! Lindsey woke up this morning at 4:00 sick sick sick! Luckily it was quick, not easy, but quick. She hasn't been sick since 6:30 this morning. She was a trooper. More than once she told me "I don't like it, Mommy" "When will I not be sick?" in her little, pitiful voice! So sad. So far Courtney is ok as the rest of us are too. Courtney didn't quite get it this morning why Lindsey wasn't playing. She handled it well too though. There were many many toys out, make up on her face (with permission at least), markers out, etc. But, she did well!

I didn't realize how quiet my house had been all day. It has really been a peaceful day. Lindsey took a 3 1/2 hour nap (I had to wake her up), Courtney took a 2 1/2 hour nap, and I had some peace and quiet. It was nice.

However, what is even better is the sound I hear now. My girls running and playing together. Giggling like I love to hear. Courtney do this, Lindsey do that. They are very close adn I love to hear their relationship grow.

I am so blessed to be their mommy!!

Family Fun in Texas!

This past weekend my mom, Lindsey, Courtney adn I went to Texas to visit our cousins. My mom's sister, Aunt Jerry, lives outside of Dallas. Her daughter, Wendi, is my cousin that I typed about moving to Doha, Qatar! Wendi leaves at the beginning of November, so we wanted to see her again before they moved. My other cousin, Ashley, lives in McKinney so she came over while we were there. On Friday we went to the park for a pizza picnic! (Much easier than packing sandwiches for sure!) The kiddos played and we had so much fun! Beautiful weather!

This is a picture of the "big" cousins going to play! Barrett isn't sure which way to go! Ha!
This is Anna Lou! Isn't she the most precious thing?! She sat in the stroller for a while and then she was in the swing! We had fun seeing her! If you know my girls, you know they were ALL OVER her! So sweet!
(She's eating a breadstick, thus the funny face)

This is our attemt at the grandkid picture! First, Lindsey would NOT even go over there, so that is why she's off to the side. Brooks, the oldest boy, didn't want to either, so we gave him a piece of pizza as a bribe, then Wendi took it so he wasn't happy. Barrett just wanted his mommy (and it is nap time!), Anna was just looking around and Courtney was just standing there, not smiling or reacting to anything! Then there are the 2 Honeys...just smiling and laughing at all the kiddos and Wendi and Ashley jumping around behind me trying to get the kids to look AND smile! Didn't happen! Yes, 2 Honeys! My mom is Honey and so is her sister! Cute!

Brooks and Lindsey played really well together for the most part. We had our fair share of not sharing, I want this or that and he/she has it, etc. But for not knowing each other they played awesome!


Courtney LOVED their dog (small pony really!) named Buddy! Side story...Buddy was running along a big highway and Uncle Bill saw him. He had no tags. Uncle Bill called all around to shelters and things tryin to figure out who he belonged to. Nothing ever came of it, so they kept him. They also used to have another yellow lab, Sonny. But Sonny is now in heaven...so it is just Buddy! Courtney adored him!!!

One night we went to eat at this fabulous place called Babe's. It was a great kid place! Home style meal and waitresses singing and doing the hokey pokey! Fun times!!

Terrible picture of Lindsey, but she has very sensitive eyes to the sun...I guess. Ryan has always complained about it and she does too. Blue eyes?! I don't know! Anyway, there was this big old tractor thing out in front and they had fun sitting on it and playing.

Barrett and Courtney working a puzzle!

Uncle Bill made a train for the kiddos. Lindsey pulled the train, Courtney sat in the wagon, Brooks and Barrett were tied on with a rope. Buddy followed them around. By the time we got out there to take pictures, Barrett was finished riding! Not soon after that Brooks was too. It was fun while it lasted though! Way to go Uncle Bill!!!

Here are the cousins (really 2nd cousins) minus Anna! :( She got a fever and the doctor thought it was strep. With fever and possible strep, she stayed home so we only saw her on Friday. But, here are the others. Lindsey is 4, Brooks just turned 3, Courtney is 2 and Barret is 1 (16 months old). If Anna had been there she could have been our "zero" for not being one! Five kiddos 4 and under! Lots of fun!!!

We had a blast!! I'm so thankful for my close family. I have learned so much, even lately, to not take it for granted and to realize how God has blessed me! I am very close to my cousins and close with my extended family on my dad's side as well! We come from a Christian background and were raised to love Jesus! I pray that even though for now Wendi and her family will be half way around the world we will stay close and that our kids will grow up loving Jesus and their family!

Please pray for Nick, Wendi, Brooks and Barrett as they make this HUGE, MONUMENTAL transition in their lives! I have moved, but not this far and not to a whole new culture!! They will get to come home at Christmas and then it won't be until next summer before they come back to TX for a visit. They have a house there, but they will be "in transistion" while their stuff is shipped over, goes through all the security checks, etc. They know that it is God's will for them to do this, but it is still hard! What a blessing to follow God, even when it isn't where we want to go!

WHY?!?

The picture says a lot. But I will write and fill in the questions for those of you wondering why there is a picture of my broken phone...plus a few parts! My 10th grade Sunday school girls pooled their money and gave me $100 for a new phone! So sweet! Priceless really! Love them! So I got a pink razor because I LOVED my other one that broke. So I got it in and it had been great. I dropped it and it got scratched pretty bad in Disney World. Still ok...just scratched. Oh well. Then one of the hinges fell out and I put it back in. Still...ok. So last Friday sometime, not sure when, the hinge fell out again. I couldn't find it and my phone still worked, just looked funny because it was "uneven" and loose where the hinge should have been, if that makes sense. A friend across the street, Tonya, had an old razor phone that she tried to get the hinge out of. She couldn't. I mentioned that to another friend, Erin, and she also had an old razor. I figured if anyone can figure out how to get this fixed, it would be my husband who can fix anything! Yes, he can! Well, he did get the part out of Erin's (after basically taking hers apart) and then as he was putting it into mine I told him that the repair shop I had talked to today said that there was some wire or something that would be messed up. He looked and said, "Yes, there is a wire." As he pushed the part into the side. So...he turned the phone around, sure enough there it was. Looking good and working. He closed it to check the hinge. Then he made the mistake of re-opening it! The screen was WHITE. BLANK. NOTTA. NOTHING. Seriously! He apologized, it was ok. It was my fault we were in this situation to begin with.

Well...that is it. No more razor for now. Back to my GHETTO phone as my 10th grade girls so fondly refer to it. I hate it that I have to tell them it broke. They gave me money, I bought a phone and it broke! Seriously! So frustrating! I've had some bad luck lately and I'm sick of it!

Too Stinkin' Cute

How can I make some money off of this? Seriously! I think she could be a model. Not that Lindsey isn't beautiful, but PERSONALITY just comes through Courtney's pictures! Mercy! Just had to share these from before church this morning!
She is ALL ABOUT babies! She was feeding them yogurt. I went over to try and talk to her and the babies and was told to leave. She is so into this! It is very sweet. She talks to them, changes their diapers and announces when they are stinky, feeds them, spanks them (nice!), puts them down for naps--pretty much everything! She is a very caring child! Very sweet natured!

Tagged

4 THINGS I WAS DOING 10 YEARS AGO:

1)Going to the U of A, living with Ashley in Gibson Hall!
2)Working at the Boys and Girls Club afterschool program.
3)Loving college life, becoming addicted to watching "Friends" on Thursday night after we got supper at Sonic!
4)Loving Razorback football--having to go early to the games to get a good seat in the student section!

4 THINGS ON MY TO-DO LIST FOR TODAY:

1)Church
2)Dishes
3)Laundry
4)Hang out with the girls while Ryan plays golf...

4 RANDOM THINGS I LOVE ABOUT MY HUSBAND:

1) That he is SUPER handy around the house!
2) He works hard for our family so that I can stay home with our girls
3) He helps A LOT around the house when I get behind, or when he sees something needs to be done!
4) He takes me on dates!

4 JOBS I HAVE HAD:

1)File clerk at Outdoor Cap Company
2)After school care teacher
3)Elementary school teacher--1/2 of 3rd grade in Springdale, 1/2 of 5th grade in Horn Lake, Mississippi, full year of 2nd grade in Olive Branch, MS
4)MOMMY!

4 MOVIES I HAVE WATCHED MORE THAN ONCE:

1)The Break Up
2)Wedding Planner
3)Sweet Home Alabama
4)Father of the Bride

4 PLACES I HAVE LIVED:

1)Little Rock, AR
2)Plano, TX
3)Bentonville, AR
4)Olive Branch, MS

4 PLACES I HAVE BEEN:

1)Cozumel
2)Belize
3)Cayman Islands
4)Cancun

4 PLACES I WANT TO VISIT:

1)St. Lucia (or somewhere over there)
2)New York
3)Grand Canyon
4)Hawaii

4 TV SHOWS I WATCH:

1)Amazing Race
2)The Hills (MTV)
3)Desperate Housewives
4)The Big Bang Theroy

4 THINGS YOU MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT ME:

1)I LOVE fresh sheets on my bed!
2)I have a deformed right ear!
3)As much as I hate to say good bye, moving around has been fun. Although as my girls get older and attahed to places, I'm not so up for it...
4)I wanted to be Cinderella or at least one of her dancers when I saw them at Disney World! Seriously...I would LOVE that!!

4 PEOPLE I TAGGED ARE:
1)Sherry
2)Mischelle
3)Julie
4)Tonia
5)Anyone who wants to...it is fun to learn new things about our blogging friends! :)

Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday we went to the "pumpkin patch" that was really just a bunch of pumpkins and some hay, but it worked! It is the same place we went last year, but it was put together much better this year. We went with our friends--Kennedy and Scotty, Courtney's pretty much best friend! We couldn't get them all to look at the same time, but of course Scotty (as only Courtney calls him--everyone else calls him Scott) is sticking his tongue out! Silly boy... I had a really hard time getting Courtney to look at the camera, just like in Disney World. Then by the time she looked, Lindsey had been smiling for 10 min. so she had this bad fake smile. But, I thought this one was pretty cute of both of them considering.


They each picked out a pumpkin to bring home and put on the hay by "Joe the Scrow." Mr. Sean, Kennedy and Scotty's daddy, brought us some hay yesterday for our porch. So this morning we will get Joe down and decorate the front porch.

I love fall. But I must say that when I was pulling my few fall decorations out yesterday, Lindsey got so excited! It made me so excited for Christmas! Ryan and his brother couldn't have cared less about decorating at their house, so Cynda just gave up and ended up later just having a little tree and a few decorations. I think it is a girl thing and I realized that for sure yesterday when I got out the stuff and Lindsey wanted to help! Just wait Lindsey Lee...Christmas will be even more fun to decorate for with TONS more decorations!!! Fun fun!

Some Disney Pictures

The ONLY family picture we have! :) How crazy is that?!? We were given these "ears" because it is the year of a million dreams...we didn't get the "good" prizes like princess makeovers, pass to the front of the line, or anything. I guess it was nice to get ears though. Courtney didn't like them much at all!
This is my classic picture of Lindsey as she saw Ariel for the first time!! Priceless for sure!
The best of the best...Cinderella...their favorite!!
Cute one with Tigger!
Ok, this is obviously not very many pictures from what I have. It is so hard to post so many and to know what to post. So, I have put 217 pictures in a snapfish album, so if you want to see more, just let me know! I'll be happy to share! :) I just don't want to send them to you if you aren't interested, but I am more than happy to share them ALL with you! Just e-mail me or leave a comment that you don't mind to look at 217 pictures of my family at Disney World!

Things I do NOT want to forget about this trip:

• That Courtney nor Lindsey sleep on airplanes!
• The time I saw Courtney hugging Lindsey and I said, "Are you loving Lindsey?" She responded, "No, I'm just rubbing her back." (as she rubbed her shoulder)
• Lindsey's face when she saw Ariel (the first face to face princess she met)
• Courtney offering to give up her ride on Daddy's shoulders because Lindsey wanted to ride--she has such a sweet spirit
• Lindsey's face and look of awe as Cinderella walked over to our table
• Courtney's reaction to Piglet, one of the Little Einsteins (she wouldn't let go of her hands), and Daisy Duck (not sure why on any of these)
• Courtney calling Chip and Dale "Chip Chip" out of the blue
• Lindsey saying that Mickey Mouse's bed is "cute" (She totally believes that he sleeps in the house that we walked through)
• The Lion King show we saw---A.MAZ.ING!
• The smile and bursting heart I had on Friday night as I went to bed. I never want to forget that feeling of joy I felt with and for my daughters!

We had a blast. I have 350 pictures to go through. Some not worth posting, many many that are priceless!! Luckily tomorrow my girls are going to MDO so it will be laundry and pictures for me ALL DAY LONG! I can't wait...

The short version...sort of!

Wow! I can't even really write anything because I can't put pictures with it. Some of the things, memories and priceless times with our family can not even be put into pictures and words! All I can say is that our trip started out rocky...of course! But, it has been a BLAST!!! I really believe that Lindsey is at a perfect age for her to be here! She still believes that these characters are so real and that Mickey and Minnie really live in the houses that we walked through. So priceless. I can't begin to write everything. I wanted to update every night for all 2 of my bloggers waiting with bated breath to read about our trip! Ha! But, the internet is NOT free here and so we got it tonight so Ryan could do his fantasy football and I could get my "fix" of internet time! So here is a VERY VERY brief summary so far...

Wed: went to Tulsa, stayed in the 3rd hotel we went to after having reservations, but unable to stay at that hotel...no running water! :)

Thurs: 2 flights, both went well. Neither girl slept AT ALL! I left the ENTIRE set of DVDs that we own on the 2nd flight, so we have only ONE to go all the way home with! PRAY they somehow show up in Orlando at Baggage Claim lost and found before Monday at 11:45! :) Oh, and I had to ask another mom for a diaper b/c somehow ALL of the diapers (entire package that I brought) ended up on the non-carry on bags! Yes, I walked the aisle looking for a mom of a somewhat close to a 2 year old b/c not only did I not have diapers and her's was full...she then POOPED! Did she KNOW I didn't have a diaper for the 2 hour flight and we were only 10 min. into it?! Seriously!? This was BEFORE I lost the DVDs! Nice! #1 mom award right here for sure!

We arrived fine, very neat hotel/resort. Nothing to type about other than we got here! :)

Thurs. night dinner with Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale (the chipmunks...nothing exciting!) Ha!!
Very fun. Courtney did NOT like Pluto, but loved Mickey!

Fri: Magic Kingdom ALL DAY LONG! Very fun, meeting characters, riding Dumbo, tea cups and the train! Fun times!

Sat: Epcot in the AM--neat aquarium and Nemo ride for the girls, rode the spaceship earth ride in the big Epcot ball, then had lunch with the princesses! OH.MY.GOSH! We met and talked to Cinderella! WOW! I want to just capture that expression and excitement on my girls' face! Ryan so does not get it. I feel like a little girl too! As I walked out I tried to think about what was so "neat" about it all. I think it is like a celebrity to the girls and as a "big girl" you always have that fantasy of being Cinderella or a princess or something. I don't know. I can't put my finger on it, but I know for sure...RYAN DOESN'T GET IT! :) Which is fine...just funny!

This afternoon we went to Animal Kingdom. Saw an AMAZING Lion King show, what I would relate to things I've heard or seen about Broadway! Very amazing! The girls were very entertained and even Ryan said it was good!! Then did the saffari ride, saw some cool animals and then the parade.

Ok, a few of the details to keep you in suspense for the pictures! I think I've taken close to 200!!! My new camera has sure come in handy though!!!! I have LOVED having it!!

Tomorrow morning we are getting up early and going to eat breakfast with the Little Einstein's and JoJo from JoJo's circus on Disney. There are some shows there that we will watch and then probably head back to Magic Kingdom to ride some rides for our last afternoon!

I can't wait to share some pictures with you!!