For Lindsay

Last week, a package arrived from my dear friend, Lindsay. One of the things in the package was a "Ginormous Growing Frog" (that was the official title).
Anna Claire loves these kinds of things, so we found a small bucket, filled it with some water, and dropped the frog in.
Day 1:
Day 3:
I think it has almost outgrown the current habitat, so we'll be looking for a new home for our little buddy.

One Day....

Just to give you a glimpse into our life with Anna Claire, the following pictures were all taken in one day:
The people who owned the home prior to us left all kinds of decorations in the backyard and little garden area. We've left most of them because either we think they're cute or we just don't care to move them...I'll let you decide. Either way, AC has taken a particular liking to the little statue that sits in the side garden. She will run out there to sing to the little kids or help them read their book.
After running a few errands, I told Anna Claire that she needed to rest before we went over to our friends' house. She insisted that she wasn't tired and that she would just lay in Daddy's chair to watch TV. 5 minutes later, this is what I found....a cute little lump in Daddy's chair.
Before going to aformentioned friends' house, I wanted to take a picture of Anna Claire in her cute little LSU cheerleader outfit. The following two pictures capture what it's like to get a decent picture of her these days....in the first one, I asked her to stand by the tree and show me her Tiger Outfit. Her response - she hides behind the tree and says "Roar". Lovely. In the second one, I said, "Anna Claire, I need you to show me a sweet girl face"....and she still insisted on hiding behind the tree, but she did give me a non-cheesy smile so I can't complain.

Some dear friends of ours invited us over to their home for gumbo....YUM! Here are all the kids sitting at the table for dinner! Anna Claire loves hanging out with all these kids! And when we got home, she asked for "just a little bit of gumbo". Comforting to know we're raising a good Louisiana girl! What has this world come to?

5 Years Ago Today....

....It was a rainy Tuesday, and Brad and I met at Chili's for our first date! I can tell you what we were both wearing, what we both ate, and what all we talked about, but I won't bore you with the details. I remember getting to school early the next morning and there was an e-mail waiting for me from Brad. It was one of the sweetest e-mails I had ever receieved. I went across the hall to tell my fellow teacher friend, Tag, about the date and the e-mail. His response, "You're gonna marry this guy!" I just laughed, but soon discovered he was speakin' the truth! :)
Brad, I look forward to celebrating this day with you for many more years to come! You were the best last first date! I love you!
Lindsay and Matthew - It's because of you two little matchmakers that Brad and I celebrate this day! Thank you!

This and That....

Kerstin's mom and sister flew in from Germany on Saturday morning! They will be staying here all week! Kerstin was about to pop waiting for them at the airport!
Yesterday afternoon, I had Anna Claire all ready to go. While I finished getting ready, I heard her playing the piano. She called for me and said, "Mommy! Come look!"...and this is what I saw when I came around the corner: Anna Claire had taken off her shirt, draped it over the piano, and had put on her foam Statue of Liberty hat!
And then, Anna Claire and I headed to lunch at Sonic. She thinks she big stuff when I let her eat her lunch in the front seat! Recently, she has become fascinated with watching herself do things in the mirror. She stood in the seat and watched herself eat her entire corn dog!

Mardi Gras Parade

Anna Claire had a little Mardi Gras parade at school this morning! It was too cute! The teachers decorated wagons and the kids got to ride in the wagons and throw beads to the other kids! Anna Claire quickly caught on and had a blast picking up beads!

An Apology and a Banquet

First things first....as I went back through the pictures of the weekend, I somehow managed to not get pictures of my sister or my dad. Odd. They were here and very much a fun part of the weekend, but I didn't capture it on my camera. So, Papa Bear and Sissy...I'm sorry. Thanks for coming this weekend and being a part of such wonderful family bonding! :) I love y'all!
Now...moving right along...the youth group had a Valentine's banquet on Sunday night. Everyone was all dressed up and had a great time together! Here are a couple of pictures of Kerstin with some of the other exchange students who are here this year. None of them knew one another before coming, and it has been neat to watch friendships blossom among them!

A Blog Worthy Weekend

I told you that once the family hit town, many "blog worthy" moments would occur! They did not disappoint.... Before they arrived, Anna Claire went to school for her Valentine's Party. When I asked her to stand still and smile for me, this was the result... Last night, my dad and Brad went to New Orleans to pick up Elizabeth from the airport. While they were away, the girls (Mom, Ma-Maw, Kerstin, Anna Claire, and myself) headed to Chuck E. Cheese. We also did a little shopping. AC still has a strong love for any and all fountains and Ma-Maw gave her some "throw money"! She thought she was all that when Gigi let her stand up on the fountain. Thanks, Gigi. AC was impressed with these little mannequins and informed us that she would just stay there for the night with them. Lovely. Before going to bed, Gigi entertained us with her Wii "skills". She is just slightly competitive, so she was determined to beat our high score on one game. You can see in the video just how hard she tried.....

This morning, we had the ingenious idea to take Anna Claire to get a hair cut. In case you need your memory refreshed about the last haircut, click here. We went to a new place and had greater success. Well, kinda. We had to bribe her big time in order for her to sit in the chair. She wasn't too happy, but she survived.

We're Still Here....

This has been a "non-blog worthy" week, if you know what I mean. Just business as usual around our house. Fear not though...Gigi, Papa Bear, Aunt Sissy, and Ma-Maw will all arrive in Baton Rouge tomorrow, and that will make for one "blog worthy" weekend!
And just when I thought I might win Mother of the Year (kidding, of course!)....last night, I was driving Kerstin and Anna Claire home from church when from the backseat, I hear, "Mommy! I'm not buckled in!" and I see Anna Claire stretching her arms out to me! I immediately pulled in the closest parking lot and fixed the situation. Of course, after experiencing a little freedom, AC was not thrilled with the idea of being buckled in! Oh Lord, help me.

Brad is Rad

Brad had a neat opportunity this past week to travel to Washington, DC. I sent him with the camera and strict instructions to take some pictures.....here are the results:

And sitting at Senator Vitter's desk:
And his hotel room:

Brad was also able to attend the National Prayer Breakfast where Obama and Tony Blair both spoke; however, security was tight, so he didn't take the camera...smart move, Brad. And he had lunch in the Senate Dining Hall, but he informed me it was a business lunch, not really a time to take pictures. Guess we just have to visualize the navy bean soup and pumpkin ravioli which he said were delicious!
Moving right along.....
When we moved into our new house, I did not allow Brad to bring the infamous blue recliner that he held so dear to his heart for so many years. Yes, I'm just that cruel. A sweet family in our church bought some new furniture and, as a result, only had room for one of their recliners. They offered the other recliner to us, and Brad jumped at the opportunity. They delivered it last night, and here's AC giving her stamp of approval while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse this morning: