Happy Halloween

Our Little Pumpkin...

Our Little LSU Tiger (saying "Roar" instead of "Cheese")...

Anna Claire and Kerstin getting ready to leave for the Fall Festival at our church:

Anna Claire and her baby doll modeling their matching dresses from Stella:

Happy Birthday, Anna Claire!

Anna Claire turned 2 yesterday! I know I will say it every year, but I can't believe how quickly time passes, and our little baby is no longer a baby! She had a wonderful day that started with donuts, then a party at school, and then to dinner at Chick-Fil-A! Thank you to everyone who sent cards, called, etc!
October 30, 2006

October 30, 2008

Look Whoooo's Turning TWO!

This blog title is dedicated to Gigi, who made fun of me for ordering birthday invitations (cute ones, I may add!) that had a trendy little owl on them! I love you, Mom!)
This past weekend was a crazy one to say the least! On Friday night, Aunt Sissy (my sister, Elizabeth) flew in to spend the weekend with us! She had no idea what she was getting herself into by coming in town! I immediately put her to work personalizing all the pumpkins that would serve as a craft project/party favor for each kid on Saturday night at AC's birthday party!
The pumpkins were added to the Fall scenery on the back porch! Way to go, Aunt Sissy, for tapping in to your inner Martha Stewart. I'm so proud.
Now, in theory, this little "Fall spread" would have been the perfect backdrop for some pictures of our little birthday darling, but she was more concerned about everything else going on and really didn't have time for a picture. This is the best I could get. (Please notice the shoes. They are cute, but AC didn't really care to keep them on. This is the last time you will see them in this post.)
Our friends are graciously letting us borrow their playhouse, and I'm pretty sure if we would let AC sleep out there, she would go willingly.
We had about 16 kids and their families - fun times for all! Our new backyard is wonderful for entertaining (one of the selling points of the house) and the weather was perfect! We fixed stacked tacos (an Etier specialty), decorated pumpkins with paint pens (hence the white t-shirts on all the kids), ate yummy cake, and opened packages. Everyone was tuckered out by the end of the evening.





Then, last night we hosted our church's youth group at our home for their monthly afterglow. We carved pumpkins and made caramel apples with all kinds of toppings. My camera was in the car for this event, so I used my sister's camera. About half way through the evening, she informs me that it will be a while before I get those pictures because she has temporarily misplaced the cord that connects her camera to her computer....stay tuned.

Anna Claire circa 1984

If Anna Claire had graduated high school in '84, her yearbook picture may have looked something like this:
If you're looking for a great way to waste time...go to www.yearbookyourself.com. Enjoy.

Money! Money! Money!

Anna Claire received two birthday cards in the mail today thanks to Gigi and Papa Bear and David and Shauna! Each card had $2, and Anna Claire was thrilled!

A Package from Gigi and Papa Bear

Gigi and Papa Bear sent AC a care package today, and it was waiting for her when she got home from school!
There was a life-size Dora doll:

Some books and movies: (I think she is trying to hold the book the way her teachers do when they read a book to her class)

And BOWS, BOWS, BOWS! Sheryl, these pictures are for you! :)

Thank you, Gigi and Papa Bear, for all the wonderful surprises in that huge box! We love y'all!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Brad! Anna Claire and I hope you have a super special day! We love you very much! In honor of Brad's birthday, I've decided to make a Top 10 List of why we love Brad!
1. His love and commitment to the Lord.
2. His love and commitment to our family.
3. His love and commitment to our church.
4. His caring and gentle spirit.
5. The way he jumped right in, like a pro, to the role of Daddy.
6. His passion for all sports - especially football.
7. The funny little things he does to make Anna Claire (and me) smile.
8. He loves to shop (sometimes more than me!)
9. The guilty look he gets when I catch him drinking milk straight from the carton.
10. His attention to details in all areas of his life!
Happy Birthday!

Round Up Sunday

Today was Round Up Sunday - a time for us to invite friends to visit our church. We ask everyone to dress in their western gear, we serve a BBQ lunch, and have all kinds of fun activities (hay rides, a dunking booth, roping, boot-shaped pinatas, etc.)

Sweet Dreams, Cowgirl

Anna Claire woke up the other night asking for her hat. She was terribly concerned as to where it was. I think she may have been dreaming about it. Anyway, she insited on getting up to find her hat. Well, then she decided that she really didn't need to go back to bed, but instead that she needed to help us unpack a few boxes.
Does she look tired to you??? And thanks to my super friend, Lindsay, for supplying the adorable pajamas.

Pumpkins, Pumpkins, and More Pumpkins!

Yesterday, we went with some friends to a pumpkin patch! It was so much fun! Anna Claire couldn't get over just how many pumpkins were within reach! There was face painting, pumpkins, a petting zoo, pumpkins, little riding tractors, pumpkins, a cotton patch, pumpkins....and yes, you guessed it...more pumpkins! Now, living in the South, we don't really have "Fall" and it was almost 90 degrees yesterday as we were on our hunt for a good pumpkin! This will explain Anna Claire's lack of fall attire!

Come Shower With Us...

Look closely at the picture above. You will see: a water hose, an opened bar of soap (on the right window ledge), and our church building. Let's put these clues together to figure out that a homeless person has been using our water hose to shower in the evenings. Now, we only have witnesses to one incident, so let's hope this is not a nightly practice for said person.

This and That

The other night, we went to dinner and Barnes and Noble. Kerstin and Brad were off looking at books in various parts of the store, so I took AC to the kids' area to see what we could find. She immediately started trying to climb out of her stroller, saying "Out, Mommy, Out!" and I noticed she was pointing at the train table. So, I let her get out of her stroller and play with the trains. She was thrilled! She quickly figured out that she could put one on the train cars on this bridge, give it a little push and it would go down the track and around the corner in a flash. She would push the train and then run around the track to watch it go! This entertained her for a while until another kid showed up, and she wasn't too sure about him.

Anna Claire has decided that any time she walks past the baker's rack in the kitchen, she needs to pull off these two cookbooks. There are many to chose from, but she always brings these two to me and informs me that they are "Gigi's books!" Well right. When we first moved in, I told Anna Claire that Gigi had written the blue cookbook she is holding, and I guess since the A&M cookbook is similar is shape, Anna Claire thinks it belongs to Gigi as well.
A growing animals update: The frog is about to take over our house. I wake up thinking I hear him calling from the kitchen that he not comfortable in his current living conditions. The cat is just odd, but then again, most cats are. The turtle is about to grow out of the shell....how do you explain a naked turtle? Hmmm....
And finally, in true Anna Claire fashion, as I am cleaning up a mess, she is making one! Yesterday was no exception. I was straightening the kitchen, and Anna Claire found it necessary to pull out every piece of Tupperware she could find. And I wonder why I can never find a lid and dish to match.