So Many Things to Say...So Many Pictures to Post

I think the best way to describe this post is several random thoughts and pictures.

The picture below is of my sweet Kate wearing a dress I made for her way before she was ever born. I think it might be a size 3 so it is still a little big for her, but I did indeed make it. Trying to relearn how to make these again. I think it is ridiculously easy, I am just not Debbie Domestic. Oh also, my dad grew a ton of Sugar Pumpkins. When Kate stayed with them sometime in August or September, she was obsessed with moving them all around so she was sent home with 2.

Wednesday night was Kate's last night in her Cradle Roll class. This really does hit me funny. She will never be in this class again and it was her very first ever class. She loves going to class (probably due to Mrs Dianne). She learned to hold her hands together and bow her head, say Amen, sign "More", and many others. In the first picture Caroline (age 3 months) had just joined the class. This was her first time in the class and Kate's last. I think they are 21 months apart.

But before Caroline joined, this is how the class looked (below). All the boys on one side, Kate on the other. Funny story....I walked into the class Wednesday to get her. Well this is the scene when I walk in (picture it with me). Dianne is holding Caroline as she is screaming her head off. Tiffany is holding Colton (10 month old) and feeding him some baby food. Cooper (14 month old) is standing at the door screaming/jabbering something. Kate (23 months) and Jake (19 months) are in the far left where Jake has a hold of Kate's dress in a clinched fist. Okay I just laughed out loud about this again. I think what I find so funny is that Kate and Jake were about to take each other out but they were the least of the concerns. Thank you to all the wonderful teachers of Cradle Roll. It might not be the easiest job in the world but it sure brings a smile to my little girl's face.

Here is Kate with her buddy Wallace at the zoo. Wallace's mommy Jessica and I went to high school together. I love that we are able to get together in Birmingham and have play dates with our little ones. I think the kids were looking at the giraffes here. Neither one of them were 100% that day (as if you can't tell from their face).

The final two pictures are from Jessica's house when we got together with our friend Kristy and her children. Kristy lives outside of Montgomery so it is a little harder seeing her. The children were so ridiculously tired in this picture. It was WAY past everyone's nap time. I always love to get together though. So funny watching your friend's children. It definitely brings back memories of childhood with their mother.

One last thing....I cried the other day just thinking how many times a day I smile at Kate and what a bright spot she is in my life. I believe at the time she was dancing to the Zac Brown band on the Ellen show. Kate screws up her face when she dances and it gets me everytime. I know people tell you that your adolescence is the best time of your life. This is definitely the best time of my life.

Baby Boy's Crib

I love the way his bedding looks. The sheet and piping beside the "F" initial is actually small blue and white gingham check. You can't tell that from the picture.

The Loot

Last of the 20s

I think I have already told some friends via facebook that this pregnancy made me feel 69 versus 29. Yep, that's right folks, this girl turned 29 on Saturday. I can't tell you what I wished when I blew out the candles on the strawberry cake my mom made for me but I will say that I hope to lighten up with age. I hope to realize that life passes us by extremely fast and if you are always worried about the future, you will miss the great moments of the present. On that note, can I mention what an absolutely precious girl I have? She rocks my world on a daily basis. Her Da-Da taught her to wink this week and it is hilarious. Got to get a picture of that. Plus she is big on saying yes these days. Wait let me rephrase, shaking her head as yes. Anything you ask her now, you get a shake of the head. It used to be a shake no. And she will always be our little tiny dancer. We watched Dancing with the Stars tonight. Not to watch the performers but to watch our performer. She is quickly approaching 2 years of age...less then 3 weeks!

Lil' Farmer - Coming right UP

This past Sunday some friends of mine from church threw us a shower. This was extremely sweet of them considering this is a second child and we have the major items. It was nice though to receive some little boy things because as you know when children are little, it is very easy to decipher what is boy and what is girl. Hence not much handing down taking place in our household. Lil' Farmer racked up on tons of sleepers, diapers, and wipes. We also received a new Skip/Hop Diaper bag, booster chair, and mom and my grandmother bought him a floor lamp. The floor lamp is awesome. I will post pictures as soon as I get the bedding put in the crib, hopefully this weekend. The bedding lady called today and said it would be ready Friday. Can't wait! Thank you SO much for everyone that had a part with our shower. It truly means alot when people go out of their way to celebrate a very important event in your life. I may not have gotten the opportunity to thank each and everyone of you yet but I do want you to know how thankful I am to have you in my life. Here are a few pictures from the shower.




Myself with my hostesses (3, Kelly K., Ashley W., and Cecily B. were missing due to prior commitments and sickness). The hostesses pictured are Lana D., Tiffany H., Keri S., Dianne W., and Brooke W.



All of my mother's sisters were able to come to the shower except one who was sick. That meant alot. Plus of course my sassy grandmother.



4 generations:



College friend, coworker, and now pregnant at the same time. She is however on her 3rd and me on my 2nd. Oh yeah, plus she is due 1 month before me.

The Animal versus The Beast

Okay guys. I am getting lazier and lazier with these posts. I have a ton of pictures to post but I am not going to lie, my Apple computer is slow posting them so I get bored with it. So you only get highlights. I attached a picture of Kate Friday night at the Senior Member Appreciation Dinner that the younger folks do for the older folks at church. It was a Tailgating theme. Kate snatched her DA-DA's hat off his head as soon as we walked in and proceeded to wear it like this the rest of the night. I am pretty sure all involved had a great time.



Saturday we had a crazy busy day with Don's sister and husband coming down to go to the Bama vs Penn State football game with us. His sister informed us midweek that she snagged some "Zone" tickets from her employer/doctor. We sold our tickets and lived up the way the higher class do football games. We walked into a air conditioner holding area where they wrist banded us then took us by elevator to the 5th floor. We walk out and there are men and women's VERY CLEAN restrooms. After that we see rows and rows of buffet tables serving all types of football cuisine. Unfortunately there weren't many places to sit at that time so we walked outside and stood at a balcony that overlooked the mass of people making their way into the stadium. After we stuffed our faces, we made our way out to our seats that were 3 rows from top in lower section of endzone. We could come and go out of the air conditioned part as much as we like during ballgame. We also could eat as much as we wanted. Can I just say that was the fastest half-time we ever set through. :) Might have been due to the fact that we were again stuffing our faces and concluding with a nutty butty ice cream cone. The game was great for the home team in which we won 24 to 3. It was also neat seeing 3 legends on the field... 83 year old Joe Pa, Bobby Bowden, and Nick Saban. Oh and to explain my blog title. Our 2nd string running back, Trent Richardson has started the last 2 games due to our Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram being out due to injury. Don and I had a discussion at the beginning of the game about who would be considered "The Beast" and who would be considered "The Animal". I said, definitely Richardson as "The Animal" and Ingram as "The Beast". I based this on body type, the way they made their yards, and personality. By the end of the game, I had changed my mind. Trent helped change my mind as I watched him countless times drag 4 or 5 defenders with him as he made extra yards. Trent is now "The Beast" in my eyes. But as I learned tonight on Big Brother (love that show), "The Animal" beats "The Beast" in the end.

LIfe has been fairly crazy lately with preparing for the arrival of our baby boy and football season, birthdays, and upcoming holidays. I love this time of the year but I am not sure I am going to be able to keep my blog updated like I should. I will do my best!

Aunt Al from Alabama :)

MY BRO and SIL are having a BABY! What a relief I can reveal that. I have been sworn to secrecy since the end of July. It has been crazy trying to keep my mouth shut! The babe is expected to arrive around March 23rd. I know Wade is going to be the best dad. He will either drive them crazy constantly or they will think he is the coolest thing ever. I can just see him now with a little tag along. Sad that we don't live closer.

Here they are when mom just learned of the good news. And no Gretchen is just holding that bottle, no drinking.



One more thing. They are not finding out the sex of the baby but Wade knows it will be a girl. Mom says it is a boy! Mom is 2 for 2 on calling it for me. :)