Abe and The Owen Girls

Organizing: Everything has a home and a label

2011-06-08T22:32:00.019-06:00

I have always considered myself "organized" until I went to my friend's house(Lisa H!!!) a few months ago. Her house was organized to the extreme. I fell in love. Since I'm feeling this uncontrollable urge to nest and my husband is not around to stop me, I've become obsessed with organizing. And this is why I haven't done anything to get ready for baby #3. I keep finding things that need to be organized and who can focus on bringing a baby into the world, when things are out of place? Nights can get lonely when you're the wife of a deployed soldier. So once my girls are in bed, my label machine comes out and I go to work. My motto is "Everything has a home....and a label." I was too impulsive to take before pictures, but I have lots of after pictures! Enjoy!!

The Pantry

So my favorite part of my house organizational project is my organized pantry. I totally copied these ideas from my friend and a few organizational blogs, but I love how much easier it is to see the foods we have to eat!

Our Breakfast Shelf

(Oats, Breakfast mixes, cereal)

My baking supplies(baking chocolate, sprinkles, toppings, toothpicks, candles,etc.) and my candy and gum stash, drink mixes, and cake decorating bin. There's a cookie cutter bin on top that you can't see. There's also a marshmallow bin and a nuts bin.

My baking shelf on top. My pasta's and rice on bottom.

The top shelf is my condiments, etc. (ie. marinades bin, condiments bin, salad bin, italian bin and other bin.) The middle shelf is my oils, puddings/jello, bread bin, and paper goods bin. The bottom shelf is my breakfast shelf.
My favorite is my new CANSOLIDATOR! I have sooooo many canned goods from couponing for so long. This is a great way to make sure you rotate your cans and use them before they expire.

snacks bin, popcorn bin, cookies and pretzals.

Dog food and treats

The Girls Room:

Since my girls share a room- that is small- I have to fit ALOT of clothes into one tiny closet. I love bins. It's easier for my girls to clean up after themselves, when they have bins to put their things into.

You can't see, but the bins are labeled:

Belts, Headbands, Panties

ballet stuff, socks, tights, and bloomers

The top shelf is Lily Kate's clothes and the bottom shelf is Elle's. The bins in the middle are skirts.

The bins under their beds are Elle's shoes, Lily Kate's shoes, and bathing suits.

The Laundry Room

On the left in the is my gift wrapping supplies(ie scissors, tape, bows, tissue paper, gifts). The middle drawers are my extra toiletries(ie soaps/lotions, dental, shaving/hygiene-from couponing). The right side is my sewing machine and green sewing bin. The bins on top are for Abe's package gifts and things that need to be mended.

Lost Socks ziploc bag. Don't make fun. It works:)

Some of my laundry stock pile. The rest is in our garage. Below that is my gift wrapping center.

Linen Closet

adult towels and wash clothes

blankets

sheets and pillow cases

blankets, kids linens, adult linens, beach towels, and sheets are in the drawers

Play Closet

We keep most of the girls toys in our Toy Closet under our stairs. I love bins because its easy for the girls to clean up before they pull out the next bin. Each bin is labeled with a picture/words of whats inside the bin.

Here is our stash of SOME of our baby dolls and accessories.

Our kid games and puzzles

Toy Bins labeled with pictures and words. I rotate them with toys in our attic. It's like Christmas when I get toys out of our attic.

Desk

Coat Closet

I wish I had taken before pictures of this closet. Abe hated this closet, because stuff would literally fall on you every time you opened the door. On the shelf is our movies bin all our movies in a big cd case. Also, I have my memories drawer where I keep the girls drawings, etc. Below the coats is our vacuum.

Book Case

For some reason, we have sooo many books. I love children's books and have a ton of them from teaching. I have organized each of the books by category(ie. summertime, princess, family, manners, Christmas etc.). I bought these paper magazine bins from IKEA for $2 a pack and just put scrapbook paper on the front of them. The bins below are baby board books.

Cabinets

medicine cabinet(ie first aid, vitamins, headaches/stomach aches, and cold/fever) The silver buckets have medicine droppers and thermometers.

Top shelf is canning supplies, middle shelf is bottles, bowls, and kids bowls. The bottom shelf is plates and kids plates.

pots and pans

Now our whole house is organized and labeled! I'm ready to get ready for our new baby!!

chores

2011-06-06T20:13:00.004-06:00

I decided to make a Chore Chart for the girls. I will really need their help when the baby gets here and Abe is gone. Tonight for Family Home Evening we talked about "responsibility" and keeping a house clean. We practiced our new chores and they earned stickers to put on their charts. At the end of the week, they will get a prize from the treasure box if they finish all their chores. The girls are so excited to help- at least for now!!

Elle's Chores: 1. Make Bed 2. Pick up toys 3. Pick up clothes 4. Give Marley water 5. Clean table after meals

Lily Kate's Chores:. 1. Make Bed 2. Pick up toys 3. Pick up clothes 4. Give Marley food

General Conference

2011-04-03T21:16:00.007-05:00

Twice a year(April and October) our church has General Conference where members of the church (LDS) can listen to our prophet and apostles speak. There are two- 2hour sessions on Saturday and two-2 hour sessions on Sunday. You can get conference on BYU TV or the internet. We switched to Direct TV last fall, so this is the first conference we've been able to watch from the comfort of our own home. So nice!! This year, I really wanted to try to get the girls to listen and pay attention more. It's a long time to sit and pay attention, so I found some really cute activities on the internet to keep them involved.

First, I made them little conference notebooks. I had a nursery-age notebook for Lily Kate(ie. with activities to draw the prophets face, color his tie, etc.) and I found a primary age notebook for Elle(ie. trace the prophets name, mazes, connect the dots, etc.). The girls were excited to have their own hot pink folders.

On Saturday, I set out a blanket and told them we'd have a picnic and listen to the prophet. I made lots of unhealthy snacks-the kind I'd usually never make for them- just to make it special. We had muddy buddy chex mix and homemade Dill Cheez-its. We also had sandwiches for lunch. To my surprise, the girls did really well. Elle especially loved doing the conference crafts.

And Lily Kate's favorite activity of conference was finding the apostle who was speaking and putting him in the pull pit. She usually went through every picture before she found the right speaker(I guess they all look alike to a two year old!)- but she loved putting them in the bucket.

Conference was an enjoyable time for our family this year. I loved spending the day with my girls and listening to our prophet speak. I think we will make the picnic and conference crafts/activities a part of our family traditions!!

Juicy Fruit Lost its Flavor

2011-04-02T18:41:00.002-05:00

My Grandma bought Lily Kate her own bottle of gum. Juicy Fruit. Even a toddler knows that Juicy Fruit loses its flavor. No worries though. When the flavor runs out, just put it on the table for your mom to clean up and grab another piece. This is what I found on our table.....compliments of Lily Kate.

Package #2

2011-04-02T18:31:00.004-05:00

I have to admit, the girls and I really get into making packages for Abe. I forgot to take a picture of his first package. This is his second package- his Easter package. We put Easter grass in the bottom with lots of candy filled eggs. Elle and Lily Kate drew pictures for Abe and put one in each easter egg. We also made his favorite cookies....we'll see if they're good by the time they get to Iraq! It's fun trying to get creative and make each package fun.

MAW's HOUSE

2011-03-21T22:45:00.005-05:00

Maw had knee surgery several months ago and since has had a hard time having energy to watch the girls. Her life revolves around her great-granddaughters so its hard for her emotionally to not be able to watch the girls. So we try our best to make it to Maws house at least once a week. The girls LOVE going to Maw's house. Usually, Paw Paw comes over too. The girls LOVE playing with Maw and Paw Paw. I am always amazed at Maw. She is 82 and so incredibly healthy. She will do anything to make the girls happy. I am so thankful for Maw and the happiness and unconditional love she gives to my girls.

My dad playing soccer with Elle.

Lily Kate wanted to play with PawPaw too.....this is what she wanted to play.

Picking Maw's beautiful flowers- of course Maw lets her.

Maw pulling the girls around the yard in the wagon. She wanted to make sure all the girls got to have a flower. So sweet!

Lily Kate trying to give Cassidy a piggyback ride.

Then Cassidy wanted to play with Paw Paw too.... at least the girls are having a blast!

Ballet or Soccer?

2011-03-21T22:14:00.004-05:00

Elle is taking both ballet and soccer this spring. I'm trying to let her try different sports so she can decide what she wants to stick with. After watching her in both ballet and soccer, its become pretty obvious what she will choose.

Baby Owen #3 in progress

2011-03-21T21:52:00.003-05:00

21 weeks pregnant

I can't believe I haven't posted about our new baby yet! Abe and I found out I was expecting last November. I've been really baby hungry since Feb. 2010. Since Abe had just moved back home from flight school and we knew he was deploying in November, we decided to just enjoy our time together as a family without the craziness of a new baby. We waited to get pregnant right before he left for Iraq, so he would only miss a few months of the baby's life. So, our new baby will be here July 8th, 2011 at 7:30 am(c-section)! This is also Gigi's birthday! We decided to let the sex of the baby be a surprise. Lily Kate was a surprise and it was so fun! So far, I don't have any feeling whether its a boy or girl. As long as its healthy, we'll be excited. Elle wants a boy and Lily Kate wants a girl.

Abe will be able to come home for two weeks for the baby. C-Sections are always scheduled at least a week early. I'm praying that I won't go any earlier than that-Elle was 3 weeks early. If I did- Abe would miss the birth and that wouldn't be fun. But I have back up plans just in case. We are excited to meet our little baby that Heavenly Father has blessed us with! This pregnancy is FLYING by so fast! I really love being pregnant and I'm trying to cherish this pregnancy. There's just something beautiful and magical having a baby grow inside of a mother.

Green Smoothies

2011-03-08T22:55:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago a friend from church introduced us to green smoothies and we're hooked! They are so healthy and the girls (especially Elle) love them. The book is called "The Green Smoothie Diet". I opted to not read the book but read about this diet on the internet instead. Basically, you want to use fresh produce. No preservatives or artificial sugars, etc. Usually our smoothie consists of lots and lots of spinach, kale, avocado, green apple, pineapple, banana, a whole lemon, little bit of honey, a cup of water and flax seed. And lots of ice. They really do give you a little "nutritional high". I just feel better and have more energy.

Skype

2011-03-03T00:01:00.003-05:00

Skype is a BLESSING!! We are able to see and talk to Abe pretty much everyday because of Skype. The girls get so excited when they hear Abe calling on the computer. He usually calls us before he goes to bed- which is around 1:00pm GA time. Or he'll call when he wakes up, which is 12:00am GA time(8:00 in Iraq). Iraq is 8 hrs ahead of us. We try to give the girls time alone with Abe too. It's funny to listen to the girls tell Abe about the highlights of their day. Elle's conversation usually starts off by showing and telling Abe about the outfit she chose to wear for the day. Then she'll show him her new ballet moves and she'll show him her two missing teeth in her mouth-everyday. When Lily Kate talks to Abe, she usually tells him "hi" five times and just laughs and copies whatever Elle is saying. And just like Elle, she likes to show Abe what shoes she's wearing. When she's eating a snack, she'll try to feed Abe through the computer and Abe will pretend to eat it. Then they'll usually make silly faces to each other on the computer. The girls always kiss him through the computer too. It's cute to watch. And our dog Marley goes crazy when she hears Abe's voice on the computer. She'll frantically run to the door because she hears his voice. It's kind of sad, but sweet that she gets so excited when she hears him.

I am so thankful for Skype. I feel like I'm always being separated from Abe. When he was on his mission for two years in Brazil, the only communication we had was snail mail letters. That was so hard. Now, here we are- 10 years later- married with two kids and one on the way -we're separated once again. But Skype has made this separation so much more bearable. He is still very much a part of our daily lives- just in a different way.

Daddy Read Aloud

2011-03-02T23:46:00.003-05:00

Last week the girls got a package in the mail from their Daddy all the way from Iraq! In the package were two books and two DVD's. One for each girl. On each DVD was a video of Abe reading books to the girls and telling them how much he loved and missed him. The girls loved their books and were so excited to see their dad on tv. They kept talking to him as if he was going to respond(maybe they thought it was like skype?) It was funny because Lily Kate kept screaming at Abe, "Daddy you want some dinner?!!" (I was cooking dinner while they were watching their videos). It was so nice to see him and hear his voice while the girls listened to their daddy read them stories-over and over and over.

David and Goliath

2011-02-08T14:20:00.004-05:00

For FHE(Family Home Evening) on Monday we went to the Owen's house. We read and acted out the story of David and Goliath. We were explaining to the girls that David, even though he was so small, had great faith and had Heavenly Father with him. David was not scared of the giant Goliath because he knew Heavenly Father would be with him. Since he had Heavenly Father with him, he was kept safe. You could see Elle trying to process and understand the story. Then Elle asked, "Does Daddy have Heavenly Father with him?" Her question of course melted our hearts and we told her "Yes, absolutely, Daddy has Heavenly Father with him just like David". I'm so grateful for the insight that my girls give me and the strength that they are to me as we try to get through Abe's deployment. Elle's question helped me to remember that Heavenly Father is with Abe and he is with our family as well. As long as we have faith in him, then he will protect us and keep us safe, just like he did with David.

We had so much fun acting out the story. Sweet Uncle Ez put a kitchen bowl on his head, used a cookie sheet for his shield, and had a wooden spoon for his sword. He was a scary looking Goliath! The girls screamed and laughed so hard as the scary Goliath came towards them. Since they were "David" they got to throw Papa Tom's rolled up socks at Goliath. After a few rounds of stinky socks, Goliath finally died.

Elle lost her first tooth

2011-02-04T19:14:00.003-05:00

Elle has a new smile!

Elle lost her first tooth on her 5th birthday. It was her bottom front tooth. We were both so surprised. I didn't even know she had a loose tooth. I was brushing her teeth at night. She went to spit in the sink and when she came back for me to finish brushing her tooth was gone! We looked all over the bathroom so I assume that she either swallowed it or spit in down the drain. When I saw that her tooth was gone, I was so surprised. I said, "Agh! You're tooth is gone! You're tooth is gone! Where did it go?" Then Elle started crying and said "Put it back. Put my tooth back." She was really upset because we've never really talked in detail about losing teeth yet. Our neighbor Jenn came over to look at Elle's tooth and got Elle excited about losing a tooth. Finally Elle got excited when we told her about the tooth fairy. I just can't believe how fast Elle's growing up!

Then tooth #2 fell out when we were shopping in Target. It was her other bottom middle tooth. Elle just looked at me and said her tooth was gone. We looked all over Target and never found it, so I'm guessing Elle's swallowing them? Anyways, so now Elle has a new toothless smile. I can already see her big teeth growing in. She just seems so young to already have big girl teeth!!

Pampered Princess Party

2011-01-29T09:51:00.010-05:00

So my sweet Elle is growing up. I can't believe it's been five years since she graced our lives. The happiness she brings our family is indescribable. She is so mothering to Lily Kate and a big help to me. She has a tender heart and loves to make her mom and dad happy. She loves anything girly and pink. She has also had this ongoing fascination with Little Mermaid. It started when she was two and its never let up. There's just something about Ariel!

One night we had a cute little baby sitter who wore a "wish necklace." She told Elle that it was given to her by the "fairies". When you get a "wish necklace" you wish upon the stars. When your necklace falls off, your wish will come true. And that very night, the fairies also left Elle her very own "wish necklace". Elle would not tell ANYONE what her wish was, because then it wouldn't come true. Then finally one night in complete confidence, Elle told me her wish. She wished that Ariel would come to her house. Which gave me an idea for her birthday party!

I couldn't think of a better way to celebrate my girly little Elle than to have a princess makeover party with Ariel! So that's what we did! And since Abe wouldn't be able to be there, we decided on a GIRLS ONLY party. That way, she wouldn't be sad if everyone else's dads were there and not hers.

I told Elle that Ariel called me from her "shell phone" and that she wanted to come to her birthday party. I've never heard Elle scream so loud- followed by running around the house and jumping off couches for the next 30 minutes. I got the girls a calendar to count down the days till Abe came home, but we also used it to count down the days till Elle's birthday. Every morning, the first thing she would do is count how many more days till her birthday.

So we invited our closest little princess friends and ended up with a grand total of 16 little girls! I had so much fun planning Elle's princess party. Everything pink and princess filled our house in preparation for the big day. Our house looked like it was invaded by pink princesses!

The decorations are up and the food is prepared. The princess cousins are waiting on the royal guests to arrive.
When the girls first arrived, we did princess make overs. We had a hair station, a nail station, and a make up station. After their make overs, they had to go to the accessory table to pick out their tiara, necklace, bracelet, ring, and boa.

After the make overs, the girls showed off their new princess looks during our Princess Fashion show. With Princess songs blaring in the background, the girls magically walked the runway and struck a princess pose.

After the fashion show we played a couple of princess games while we waited on Ariel to arrive. We played "Princess Says" and the "Princess Whisper Game".

When Ariel arrived, the girls were star struck. They touched her to make sure she was real and had lots and lots of cute questions for the princess. Ariel was magical and described her life among princesses with great detail.

Ariel was amazing. She is a woman of many talents! The girls played games....
Ariel painted all their faces.

They danced. She even did magic tricks and made each girl a balloon animal.

id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5567634606459968978" />Elle told me after the party that "all her dreams came true." Elle was one happy little girl.

After Ariel left, we ate birthday cake and opened presents. Elle had a magically perfect 5th birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRINCESS ELLE!!

One last goodbye

2011-01-23T19:57:00.008-05:00

This past week, Abe had a training in Alabama for a week. So, the girls and I headed to Dothan Alabama to spend one last week with Abe before he left for Iraq. Our week in Dothan was Heaven. I am sooooooo grateful for the time we were able to spend with Abe. And when time is so limited with your loved one, you really appreciate every second you have with them.

The girls and I got there Monday night. The anticipation of seeing Abe made me feel like I was in high school again. I had butterflies in my stomach and couldn't drive fast enough-thankfully- no ticket:) When we got to the hotel- Comfort Suites- Abe came out to the car. He looked so cute as he was walking to our car, I felt like my stomach was doing flip flops. I ran and hugged and kissed him and just wanted to stand there holding him....then I realized the girls were screaming to see their dad and they were still locked in the car. The girls were so excited to see their daddy! They of course were screaming and were soooooo hyper when they saw him. The moment seemed surreal, to actually be in his arms again. We were all in heaven being together again.

The hotel where we stayed was literally brand new, so it was nice.....and you could literally see the mall from our window. Nice. During the day, the girls and I would go to the playground, go to the mall(that had a carousel), go to lunch with other army wives, etc. The days went by fast. And thankfully, Abe got home around 4 every afternoon- sometimes earlier:)

One night, we took the girls to Chuckecheese(or however you spell it) to celebrate Elle's birthday. Thankfully, it was a Wednesday night and the place was empty. So no screaming snotty nosed kids running around, just us and our beautiful perfect little girls:) It was surprisingly relaxing and fun.
Our little genius discovered a good strategy for pin ball. No need to throw it when you can just place it in any hole you want.

Every time Abe and I would kiss, Lily Kate would come running, get in between us and push us apart and scream, "Don't kiss my Daddy!" She would give me this stern look. It was so cute. So we of course would keep kissing just to watch her do that. She knows she's funny- so its fun to watch her doing it trying not to smile.

We took the girls to see Yogi Bear, to eat at a Hibachi restaurant, and to get ice cream. The most fun we had was just hanging out in our hotel room watching the girls jump on the beds and wrestle with Abe.

Abe tucked the girls into bed every night and read them princess books. He is seriously a really good girl dad. Our girls are very lucky.

The week went by WAY TOO FAST!!!!!!! We were loving and appreciating each and every moment we got to be together. I have to say, I feel like I've fell in love all over again with Abe this week. He makes me feel so loved and beautiful when I'm with him. He is so kind and patient with me and the girls.

Abe gave the girls a Father's blessing Saturday night. They were both so excited to get a blessing from their Daddy and they sat so reverently and listened to every word. That was a very sweet moment. Saying goodbye was not fun. We woke up Sunday morning and got ready to go. The girls of course were fine and Abe and I did all the crying. Elle told me she was going to draw me a picture of Daddy holding a flag so I would be happy. Lily Kate asked me if I was sad, I told her yes, because I miss Daddy. Then she said, "alright then, well- I'm sorry(all while swinging her arms)" and she walked off. That made me laugh. My girls definitely make me smile and happy when I'm feeling sad. I love them more than anything in this world.

Abe leaves this week to go overseas. He will go to a mobilization base(in a very secretive disclosed location-not really) for about two weeks before he's actually in Iraq. Once he's in Iraq, he will not be able to use his phone because the calls are so expensive. We will communicate mainly through email and Skype. While he's on his way overseas, we probably will be out of contact for a couple days. This will be sad for me- the realization that he's officially in a war zone and not being able to just call him when I need him. Right now I can talk to him on the phone throughout the day, but that will change in Iraq and our communication will be limited.

The next time I see Abe, we will be having a baby! He will be able to come home in July for the birth. I think he will be able to stay for 2 weeks before he'll have to go back. The baby will be 4 months old when Abe's deployment is over. Abe kind of likes the idea of coming home after the baby is sleeping through the night. Nice timing for Abe:)

We had a perfect week in Dothan Alabama. I got to know some of the other army wives and they are really fun to be around. We are very grateful for this extra visit we were blessed with. It has really helped us to transition into this deployment without only a limited number of breakdowns. And I blame them all on my pregnancy hormones:)

A Perfect Christmas with Abe

2010-12-30T11:39:00.006-05:00

Since Abe was still in mobilization training in TX, Abe was able to fly home for 3 days for Christmas. We are so very thankful that we were able to spend Christmas with him. We picked him up at the airport late Wednesday night. The girls worked on Welcome Home signs for him all day. They literally screamed and ran to him when they saw him at the airport. They missed their daddy so much and were thrilled to see him again.

We really didn't do much while he was home- which made Christmas so relaxing. This year, we decided to just do Christmas Eve with our little family. It was so nice to just focus on our family and do our own little traditions. First we made a nice dinner and ate in the dining room. We made Shepards Pie, Grapes and Cheese (for wise men), bread and cheese, and Angel Food cake for dessert.

After dinner, the girls acted out the nativity as we read it from the scriptures using Gigi's homemade nativity scene. It was the same nativity set that Abe and his siblings played with when they were young.

Then, we popped popcorn and watched "Joy to the World", the nativity story on DVD.

Then the girls made reindeer food, put cookies out for Santa, and went to listen for Santa's bells on the front porch. They heard them and started screaming and running as fast as they could for their beds. Elle was screaming "hurry Santa's coming! We have to be asleep!" All the screaming and commotion scared Lily Kate and she was so scared to go to bed. I guess she was scared that Santa was going to get her! So, I had to lay down with her till she finally fell asleep.

Christmas morning was perfect. The looks on the girls faces were priceless. We spent Christmas morning playing and opening lots of presents.

For lunch, we went to Maw's house where the girls got new bikes and a really cool horse that actually walks!

When we got home, snow was everywhere. It was like a dream Christmas! So we got on our snow clothes and played in the snow till dark.
Marley LOVED the snow. She kept running away with our snowballs. She was fun to watch.

Christmas came and went too fast. Before we knew it, it was time for Abe to leave. So we headed to the airport to say our goodbyes once again. Abe will be at a training in Alabama in 3 weeks, so we might go down and see him for a couple days while he's there. So, saying goodbye was not as hard this time. I was already used to having him gone and I was able to focus on the fact that we'd see him in 3 weeks. We cried when we said goodbye, but I was okay after that. The people at the airport were so sweet and supportive. People would just stop and watch as we were saying our goodbyes. As Abe was kissing the girls goodbye, several people came up and patted Abe on his back and thanked him for his service. It really fills my heart with joy to see the kindness and appreciation of complete strangers. It makes you have a deep sense of pride for your husband and all the soldiers who leaves their families to serve.

Abe called later that night and I was so excited to tell him that I haven't cried once since he left....he laughed-didn't know if that's good or bad. It's good, because the last time he left, it was almost unbearable. I'm so thankful that I get to see him in January. That goodbye will be the hard one for us, because that's the last time we'll see him. Ugh. I don't even like to think about it.

We had a beautifully perfect Christmas!

Abe's Deployment

2010-12-27T21:43:00.004-05:00

Abe's deployment began right after Thanksgiving. He is deploying to Iraq for one year. He hopefully will be home before next Thanksgiving. His last weeks at home were really emotional for our family. The anticipation of him leaving and just knowing everything was a "last" was almost overwhelming....Our "Last" FHE(Family Home Evening), our "last" dinner together, the last time we said prayers as a family, the last time he would tuck the girls in.....etc. We cried a lot. The last time we knelt down to pray as a family was really hard. We barely made it though the prayer, but as sad as it was, it was a very sweet moment. I will always remember that bittersweet moment. It was a reminder that we are so blessed to have our little family and it was a reminder of how we loved each other. The next time Abe would live at home, our girls would be another year older. They will change so much by the next time they see him. A year just seems so long not to see your 2 and 4 year old. They will have to get to know each other again- I think that's what makes me the most sad.

Abe's last night at home was actually his 30th birthday. He was supposed to leave on his birthday, but due to bad weather, it was pushed back a day. We were so thankful we got to celebrate his 30th with him!! We went to our favorite sushi restaurant and came home and ate cupcakes.

This is Abe's last night to tuck the girls into bed. It's funny how life's routine's can become so sentimental when you know they are about to end.

The day of Abe's departure is a blur to me now. We woke up early and got to Dobbins by 6:30am. It was freezing outside. When we got there, there was a waiting room packed full of all the other military families. Abe went off to work and get everything ready, and we sat in the waiting room. About an hour later, they announced that Abe's helicopter was not working, and that him and the other pilots on that helicopter wouldn't be able to leave till the next day. It was crazy, but of course I was so excited thinking that I got to go home with Abe and spend one more day together. So we called our families and told them not to come to Dobbins that he wasn't leaving yet. Abe had to leave to go do some test flights on the helicopter, so the girls and I just waited in the waiting room till he got back. At this point, I was so relieved to not have to say goodbye just yet. I was already planning our night at home. Waiting on Abe to finish his test flights seemed to take FOREVER. Finally, a couple hours later, he came back in the waiting room. It was such a relief to see him and I just wanted him to take us home. Then the bad news came. He said that they actually fixed the helicopter and that he was going to leave.....in 30 min. He had to leave again to finish doing last minute stuff, so we had to continue to wait in that small and cramped waiting room. It was at this point that I couldn't hold the tears back. I HATE crying in front of other people. So, I quickly got the girls and ran to the car and cried. I was trying so hard not to mess up my make up, but I couldn't stop the tears. I was stunned and felt like I was on an emotional roller coaster. I missed him so much and just wanted to talk to him, but he was so busy working and getting ready to go, that I barely even saw him before he left. Since he found out he was leaving only 30 min. before he had to leave, we quickly called his family and they were able to make it up to Dobbins before he left. My mom lived too far away and couldn't make it in time.

Because my mother raised me the way she did, I quickly ran to the bathroom to freshen up before I had to say goodbye. We got a few last minute photo's. Don't let the pictures fool you, I was falling apart inside.

The girls were waving bye just as happy as they could be. They have no idea how long he will be gone. We waited outside in the bitter cold and watched him fly away.

This was the worst day for me. I did not expect to be so emotional. I knew we were going to see him in 31/2 weeks at Christmas. I tried to focus on that, but somehow it didn't matter. I guess it was just knowing, that this was the start of a year without Abe. Don't get me wrong, I knew I was going to cry, I just didn't expect it to hurt as bad as it did.

The following few weeks, I was an emotional mess. Every time Abe called, just the sound of his voice, made me do a big cry. Abe learned to just give me a few minutes to say hello every time he called. The tears were uncontrollable to the point of embarrassment. So, I finally asked for a blessing. I should have asked for a blessing a long time ago. It reminded me that Heavenly Father is always here with me and He mindful of my needs. That I am not alone. He is always with me. That if I rely on Christ, He would give me the strength I need to get through the days and to be a good mom to my precious girls. The blessing calmed and comforted me and reminded me to rely on Christ.

Since the blessing, I am doing so much better emotionally. Right now, Abe is in TX doing mobilization training. He will go to Iraq sometime at the beginning of the year.

Trials stink and are never fun to go through. But they also make us stronger and better people. As much as I don't want to go through this deployment, I know that we have a lot to be thankful for. We have two healthy kids and one on the way. I have an amazing husband who loves me unconditionally. I am thankful that he is able to serve our country and I am so proud of him. So proud. He has worked so hard to be a pilot and he loves doing what he does. I have felt so loved from my friends, family, and strangers. It's so heart warming to know that other's are praying for our family and our soldiers.

Thanksgiving Holiday

2010-12-12T21:51:00.005-05:00

We were very busy during our Thanksgiving Holiday. Abe's sisters came into town, so we were able to spend lots of time at the Owen's home.

Papa Tom had a cute idea to have a "Thanksgiving Day Parade" in our driveway. We dressed the kids up in cute costumes- whether they liked it or not. They were under strict instructions to have fun. We sang cute indian songs and we gave them cute indian names.

On Thanksgiving Day, we all ran the Jingle Jog in Marietta. Elle was very excited to run in her first race.

That afternoon, we ate Thanksgiving at The Owen's.

Halloween 2010

2010-12-05T22:54:00.005-05:00

This year was Abe's first year to spend Halloween with the girls. He has always been away with military trainings, etc. So we were so excited to be together as a family on this Halloween.

The girls dressed as a "pink cowgirl" and a horse. They looked so cute together!

We were to The Pumpkin Patch Farm in Adairsville.

We(actually just Abe) carved our pumpkin.

We went trick or treating on the coolest hayride EVER on Halloween. We had so much fun riding this thing.

We made crafts sent by Gigi. The girls get so excited to do crafty things!

Fall 2010

2010-12-05T22:30:00.005-05:00

We went to Disney World with my dad and Emmi's family (Abe's sister). We stayed 8 days and had so much fun!!

Abe and I also took the girls to SeaWorld one day. We were SPLASHED by the Whales- which was the highlight of our trip.

While I was serving in Young Women's, Sharon and I earned our Young Women Medallions.

I have also been doing Joy School with Elle. Since this is my first year to stay home, I didn't want her to leave everyday to go to preschool. Joyschool is a group of moms who alternate teaching each week. You just buy the curriculum online and it's very easy to prepare. Elle LOVES Joyschool and the good friends she has made.

She usually wants friends to come over afterwards or to go to play at someone else's house. This particular day, we invited all five girls over to play. They had so much fun!

Lily Kate's 2nd Birthday

2010-12-05T21:56:00.005-05:00

We had a family birthday party for Lily Kate's 2nd birthday. We've decided to only have "big birthday parties" on big birthdays- such as 5, 8, 12, 16, etc. Big birthday parties are too stressful and expensive, so we decided to keep it simple and sweet. And it was! My dad, Maw, and my sister's family came to help us celebrate. Abe was away at a training in Savannah and sadly has to miss her birthday.

Lily Kate is such a beautiful and charming addition to our little family. I am so thankful she is in our family. She has brought spunk and laughter into our home. She is as stubborn as a mule and has a smile that will melt your heart. She is generous with her affection and is a girl who knows what she wants. She is so funny and she knows it. She'll do anything to get a good laugh or a good reaction out of people. She loves her big sister and does and says everything Elle does. I love my baby girl with all of my heart!!

What we've been up to.......

2010-12-05T15:26:00.010-05:00

I have not been good about updating our blog! I feel guilty because I have all these cute posts from when Elle was a baby, and hardly any of our sweet Lily Kate. So, I am going to try to catch up our blog.

My last post was in July. Since then.....

Lily Kate got a UTI, had to go to the ER, learned to hold her urine because it hurt her, and potty trained herself. It was very unexpected since she was 22 months old. But, she was ready, so I went with it. Here she is having to go potty for the first time in the ER.

Lily Kate in her new Elmo panties.

My Dad taught me how to shoot a shot gun. It was surprisingly fun.

We put the girls together in a room. Abe's parents gave us the bunk beds that Abe's dad built Abe and his brother's when they were young. I love it because it's sentimental!

Two weeks after Abe got home from flight school and other military trainings (in which he was away for two years expect for weekends) we found out he was going to get deployed for a year. I was pretty devastated and tried to not think about it. There's a lot to do to get your family ready for deployment. First, we took family pictures together.

Then, I ordered "Daddy Dolls" for the girls so they could hug their Daddy even when he was away.
I ordered kids books on deployment to help the girls understand where their Daddy was going.
I also made a book of pictures for Abe and the girls.

There is also a video made by Sesame Street that helps kids deal with deployment. My girls LOVED this video and helped them understand that Abe was leaving to help other people and that he would miss them and come home when he was finished.

http://www.sesameworkshop.org/initiatives/emotion/tlc

At the end of August, we went to OBX with friends. Abe was at a training in Savannah for a month in August, so we had to go without him. We stayed in a 6 bedroom house close to the beach. It was so nice and packed with friends! I left a day early with the girls because of Hurricane Earl. Everyone else stayed and braved the storm....but since I was solo, I did not want to risk it. So, I drove home 12hrs. straight with the girls. They did AMAZING in the car. We only stopped 2 times!

The Fourth

2010-07-13T10:36:00.005-06:00

For the Fourth of July, we went to my mom's boat on Lake Lanier. The girls love the boat, but are scared of the water. They love dancing and jumping on my mom's beds in her boat. Lily Kate had a blast running in circles with her cousin Lucy (literally). The fireworks on Lake Lanier were BEAUTIFUL! I honestly don't know if I have seen fireworks as amazing as the ones on Lake Lanier. Elle loved them. Lily Kate...not so much. She literally covered her eyes the entire time and put her blanket over her head. She would scream if you took the blanket off.

Beach May 2010

2010-07-12T07:41:00.005-06:00

In May, we went to Panama City with my mom, her husband, and my step brothers. They rented a beach house for all of us. It was crowded but a lot of fun!

We went on a pirate ship while we were there. Elle LOVED it! The ship entertained the kids the entire ride. They danced, read stories, had water fun fights, played pirate games, and found a treasure.

We loved being together with out family!!

Elle's First Gymnastics Competition

2010-05-17T08:08:00.004-06:00

Elle had her first gymnastics competition a couple weeks ago. For those of you who don't know Elle, she is naturally really clumsy. She is always walking into walls or tripping over her own two feet. We knew early on, that she was definitely going to be more of an academic girl rather than an athletic girl. With that being said, gymnastics has really helped her learn how to use and move her body. I'll never forget her teacher working with Elle and then looking over at me in the parent seating, shaking her head and trying not to laugh at Elle. Sweet little Elle, she really has come a long way. Elle's teacher said she is the "most improved student"....take that for what its worth:) I guess as a mother, I love watching her do gymnastics because she LOVES doing it. She practices literally everyday at home and gets so excited on her gymnastics days. I love watching her confidence grow as she develops new skills and learns that she can get better and better as she practices.

Elle was so excited that her family was there to watch her, that she'd forget to pay attention. She kept looking over at us the entire time to wave.

Elle with her teacher Mrs. Peggy

We are so proud of our baby girl!

Elle's New Bathing Suit

2010-05-12T22:45:00.002-06:00

My mom came and got Elle to spend the day with her. My mom, of course took Elle to her favorite store....GW (aka Good Will). My mom found Elle a brand new bathing suit- still had the tags on it...... Elle loves her new bathing suit..... and wears it around the house in anticipation for the summer. She even wears it when our distant relatives come to visit and want to take family pictures. All I can say about the bathing suit, is at least we know that she will not drown this summer.

Reverence

2010-04-11T21:43:00.004-06:00

Tonight while we were reading our scriptures, we realized that we need to work with Lily Kate on being reverent. She was literally upside down the entire time we read our scriptures. Elle thought Lily Kate was so funny she decided to join her......while we were reading our scriptures...... at least they were standing upside down quietly.

FYI

2010-04-04T22:46:00.003-06:00

Just an FYI, when you're dying eggs with your toddler, they might think the dye tablet is candy.....and eat it.....then spit it out on your nice newly covered chairs....just FYI.

Clean up after Dinner

2010-04-04T22:17:00.003-06:00

Lily Kate gets so messy during dinner, that after wards, we bring her straight to the sink. It is now a part of our dinner time routine.

She gets mad at us when we get her out of the sink.

My girls and their athletic abilities

2010-04-04T21:49:00.003-06:00

Elle is taking gymnastics and practices constantly throughout the day. Here is her latest, the back bend.

As for Lily Kate, she also practices her tricks throughout the day and they usually include my high heels. Here is her latest, the hooded high heel walk.

We are very proud of our girls and their accomplishments.

What are big sisters for???

2010-03-02T14:15:00.004-05:00

Big sister's think its fun to potty train.

Big Sister's think its fun to change diapers.

That's what big sister's are for.

QUICK Owen Update

2010-02-27T09:51:00.005-05:00

Abe graduated flight school.

We threw him a party.

His Grandpa surprised him at his graduation.

Then, Elle turned four and we had a family (plus the Danneman girls) birthday party for her.

Then it snowed.....

....and Lily Kate cried.

We sled down the hills in our neighborhood GA style (in a blow up pool).

Elle made Valentines on Valentines Day.....

...and LK tore them up.

Then we made cupcakes....

And had a scavenger hunt.

Now that Abe is home, life is getting back to normal!

Baawwl.

2010-02-15T10:33:00.003-05:00

Lily Kate LOVES balls. It was her first word. Whenever she sees a ball, she'll say "baawwl, baawwl, baawwl" in a thick country accent till she get's to hold the ball.

A few weekends ago, I met my sister at the Children's museum in Atlanta. While changing LK's diaper in the bathroom, she kept saying, "baawwl" over and over while in the bathroom. When I finished changing her diaper, I looked up to see the ball she was pointing to. I looked up to see a nice Indian lady with a red "bawwl" on her forehead. Awkward.

I heart couponing!

2009-10-05T20:27:00.003-06:00

My life has been crazy busy lately, and here is one of the many reasons why......Coupons!! I have a friend who feeds her family of 8 on $50 a week!! Crazy right?!! She introduced me to the world of coupons! I've heard of these crazy coupon moms before....and was over whelmed by it. Once my friend explained it to me, its really easy. It's actually kind of fun-especially when you're checking out and see how you can get ton's of food for almost free! Now, I'm obsessed! It's so much fun! Before coupons, I was spending $90-110/week at Wal-mart buying all Great Value brands. Now, I'm spending $50-$60/week at Publix on name brand foods and getting twice as much! Literally! I took pictures to show Abe so he could be proud of all my hard work:) Abe and I have actually sat down together the past few weekends and cut coupons together.....ha ha. I guess we're getting nerdy.... oh well.

I'm just starting out, so I will eventually- hopefully get better and better. Also, the idea is to basically store up so much food, that you don't need to go to the store every week. You just go to get the REALLY good deals- almost free deals. I still have a lot to learn, but I'm already obsessed!

The first week I saved $90 and spent $70.

The second week I saved $125 and spent $60.

The third week I saved $120 and spent $50.

I also ventured out to CVS this week. I spent a total of $5 after all the coupons and Extra Cash Bucks. Not bad!

I'm just starting out, so I can do a lot better. But I'm excited for what I have saved so far!

She's walking!..Wait...no she's not....Now she is!!!

2009-07-06T10:32:00.004-06:00

Thought I'd do a little update on "Baby Adderol" as my mom calls her. Lily Kate is one happy happy baby and she's wired. At 9 1/2 months Miss Slobber started walking. She would walk across an entire room by herself. She was doing this for about a week when she was walking at church and fell completely backwards and hit her head pretty hard. That's when she refused to walk anymore. If you tried to let go of her, she would arch back or plant her feet and not move. If you tried to stand her up, she would completely lift her legs up in the air. In the meantime, she would walk around our house using the walls and furniture as props. Finally, now at 10 months, she started walking again! She'll walk back and forth between Abe and I, across a room following me, or she'll let go and walk to a toy etc. Finally I have a mobile baby!

She weighs 21lbs. 97% percentile for height and 78% for weight.
Her drug of choice: a bottle. I've got her down to three 8 oz. bottles a day. But she would definitely take more if I let her. She's very fickle with her food. She'll eat carrots one day and not the next. Frustrating. I usually have to go through three different food choices, before she'll finally eat one.
Does she crawl? No
Does she pull up? Almost...still needs a little help...have you seen the size of her legs?
For some reason, I don't have the most athletic kids. Weird since I've always considered Abe and I as athletic. But they are both talkers. Lily Kate babbles constantly ALL DAY long. And Elle talks and asks why ALL DAY LONG!

Since she hasn't been crawling like most babies, she's had lots of time to work on other important skills: like waving bye bye, she'll put her blankie over her head and play peek-a-boo. She loves to dance and clap. She LOVES to jump!! on anything! She'll scream really loud when she jumps!
She says mama, dada, bye bye, and Hey- in a deep voice while she puts her arm straight out. She resembles Hitler when she says Hey. She loves when people talk to her. When we're at the store, she'll keep saying hey in her deep hitler voice, till someone stops and talks to her. Then she's all smiles and hides her face in my chest.
More importantly:
Does she tan? Yes, a little bit, but nothing like Elle.
Does she have hair? Not much! It's white blonde and has a little tint of strawberry in the sun.

Lily Kate at 9 1/2 months (before church)

In the meantime, she walks using anything as a prop.

Lily Kate refusing to walk after church.

Now at 10 months and one day, I'd say she's officially walking again.

Lily Kate LOVES to jump on the trampoline.

Roughin' it on the Fourth

2009-07-06T08:50:00.006-06:00

For the Fourth, we sold our Peachtree Road Race tickets and spent the day at Lake Lanier instead. My mom has decorated their boat better than most houses. You might ask, how does she get her decorations to stay in place on a boat that rocks back and forth? HOT GLUE! It's kinda funny. Her lamps don't move, her picture frames stay on the wall, etc. We spent the day at Cocktail Cove and made Elle cover her eyes the whole time. After the craziness at Cocktail Cove, we drove back to the dock, grilled out. That night we drove the boat to a different cove to watch the fireworks on the lake. It was beautiful and relaxing!

My mom and I were cleaning up the dishes after dinner. I asked if she had a garbage disposal. Her reply: "No. We don't. Kelly we're are seriously roughing it when we come to the boat. It's just like camping." As she's saying this, she's turning off the flat screen tv and turning on their suround sound music. It is a rough life.

Abe doing back flips off the top of the boat.

My mom and the girls roughin' in the kitchen.

Abe and Abelina

Elle helping PeePaw drive the boat.

Lily Kate with her cousin Lucy.

Sitting with the Captain.

Elle trying to stand up in "her room."

Elle jumping on the bed in the master bedroom.

....and nothing ever moves. Thank you hot glue!

I heart Charleston!

2009-07-05T16:45:00.005-06:00

Charleston is by far one of the prettiest cities I've been to. I love the old oak trees, the beach, and the beautiful homes. We went to Charleston with our friends Mandy and Chad and their little girl Ella. We had so much fun venturing into the city(hottest city in the world!!!), going to the beach, visiting the local resturants, and relaxing at the condo. Thanks Mandy and Chad for a FUN weekend!!!

Paw Paw loves his little girls!!

2009-07-05T16:13:00.007-06:00

Who is big and cuddley and would do anything for his girls?

PawPaw!!

My dad had two girls, and now has three granddaughters! I have to say, I think my dad secretly loves the fact that he has a bunch of princesses running around. PawPaw is so sweet, cuddley, and goofy with his girls. We just love being around him!!

For Father's Day, we went to his house and had some fun!!

Happy Anniversary!

2009-06-21T20:17:00.004-06:00

June 21st was mine and Abe's 6 year anniversary. Time really does fly. Abe's parents said they'd watch the girls Saturday night, so Abe and I decided to go to the new Coke Museum in Atlanta. Honestly, I had a bad cold and had 3 or 4 hours of sleep the night before, so I wasn't feeling good at all! And Tylenol Cold did absolutely NOTHING to help. I really wanted to go though because Abe and I never get to go out on dates anymore. Once we got there and started drinking coke, I had forgotten I was even sick. (From now on when I'm sick, I'm going to drink a Coke) I had forgotten how much fun it was to hang out with just Abe. It felt a little bit like we were in high school again. We had the perfect day together. Abe did many sweet and thoughtful things, which made me feel so loved. Abe's truly the love of my life and I'm so greatful for everyday I get to spend with him.

The Beverly is the nastiest Coke drink EVER!! Disgusting!

"Mom! Hebenly Fader's not listening to me!"

2009-06-14T21:39:00.004-06:00

SWEET MOMENT:
This past Thursday I was in a hurry trying to pack so we could go visit Abe in Alabama. It started thundering and raining outside. Elle was getting a little scared of the thunder. She kept running into my room (scared) asking me what the loud booms were. I kept saying, "Oh Elle, you're fine. It's just thunder. The clouds are playing baseball." A few minutes later I went to check on her in her room and saw her praying(on her knees, hands folded). I stopped in my tracks so I could spy on her without her seeing me. Her prayer went like this:

"Dear Hebenly Fader, please help the thunder and rain to go away. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

Then, she jumps up and looks out the window. To her disappointment, it was still raining and thundering.

Then she yells(very frustrated), "Mom!! Hebenly Fader's not listening to me!"

What Do You Do For Fun?

2009-06-03T21:23:00.003-06:00

We put our kids in bins and see how far we can push them on the carpet.

Is this normal?

2009-06-03T21:14:00.003-06:00

Abe let me sleep in on Saturday morning. I came downstairs halfway awake,walked into the kitchen where Abe was feeding Lily Kate. This is what I saw.....

Abe never explained Lily Kate's appearance. Is this normal?

SEE ROCK CITY

2009-06-03T21:02:00.003-06:00

We followed the signs and saw Rock City...it was fun. I took the girls with Abe's parents and grandparents. We had a little picnic and walked through the park. It was breathtaking!! Elle's favorite part was the "Mother Goose Cave." The swinging bridge gave me a mini heart attack. Next time I go, I'll make sure Lily Kate is in a sling and I'll go when its not so hot outside. It's actually really beautiful and a fun trip to take if your kids can walk!

Little Miss Sunshine

2009-06-03T20:36:00.003-06:00

Lily Kate is Little Miss Sunshine. She is ALWAYS smiling and laughing and has brought sunshine into my soul!! She's VERY active but always happy, so it makes her craziness kind of cute! I love my Little Miss Sunshine!!!

Where have we been?

2009-06-03T19:52:00.004-06:00

We went to the beach with some friends....

We went out to eat with some friends and LOTS of babies......

We went to Papa Tom's 60th surprise birthday party! And spent the week hanging out with Emmi, her boys, and Abby and Harper.

We went to Northside to celebrate little Cassidy coming into the world(Heather- my sisters' baby)

We had Tim and Ez over to hangout.

We have been so busy! I'm excited for the summer so things will hopefully slow down!!

Like Mother Like Daughter

2009-05-23T22:50:00.003-06:00

Elle's second cousins

2009-05-23T22:08:00.003-06:00

Elle's second cousins came to visit. They are the cutest boys I've ever seen and they're ALL boy! By the time they left, Elle (who is extremely girly) was catching catepillars and putting lizards on her head!

Lovin' on a lizard!

Chasing Maggie

catching catepillars

Grandma and Grandpa Great

2009-05-23T21:57:00.003-06:00

Abe's grandparents came to visit in March. They are the nicest and most thoughtful people you will ever meet! They went sky diving for their 80th birthdays and loved it! Grandma wants to go again this year! They are so funny! I just adore them and hope to be just like them when I grow up:)

Ryan's surprise Bday in NY

2009-05-23T21:06:00.011-06:00

In March, I went to New York to surprise my good friend Ryan for her 30th birthday. While I was there I....

went to the to the Empire State Building.....lots of times...

...went shopping in New Jersey.....

...and in NY...

...ate dinner at Del Frisco's for Ryan's birthday...thanks Gary!

....we saw Mary Poppins on Broadway. LOVED IT!!

....and went to Seredipity and had a banasplit and frozen hot chocolate.....

....ate cupcakes at Magnolia bakery, sushi at Ruby Foos, and Korean BBQ(disbusting!) I love NY! Happy Birthday Ryan!

Easter

2009-05-23T20:06:00.006-06:00

For Easter, we had a busy and fun day. We woke up early and went to church. When we got home, we ran inside to see what the Easter bunny left us. My entire family and Abe's family came over for dinner. After dinner, Elle and my brother in law's neices had an easter egg hunt. It was so much fun celebrating Easter with everyone at once!! Heidi made Elle and Lily Kate's dresses. She did a phenominal job!! She even made them braceletts and bows to match! Perfect!! We had a fun day and loved being around our entire family.

Happy Easter!!

2009-04-11T21:15:00.002-06:00

"Nothing done before or since has so affected mankind as the atonement wrought by Jesus of Nazareth, who died on Calvary’s cross, was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, and on the third day arose from the grave as the Living Son of the Living God—the Savior and Redeemer of the world."---Gordon B. Hinckley

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'

2009-04-01T05:55:00.005-06:00

......And she's over. Good rolling Lily Kate!

Meet a Hero Day

2009-03-22T17:20:00.004-06:00

Our neighborhood had a Meet a Hero Day, where the kids could meet different heros. There was a black hawk helicopter, a firetruck, ambulance, swat team, marines, etc. It was a fun afternoon in the sun! We of course were fascinated with the blackhawk helicopter!

Growing old is a state of mind

2009-03-22T16:37:00.003-06:00

Growing old is a state of mind....Apparently, Elle doesn't think she's too old to sit in the Bumbo and play. (This is how I found Elle when I came downstairs Friday morning).

What happens when you leave a 3 year old alone with a baby?

2009-03-13T15:26:00.002-05:00

They play dress up!!! Photo opportunity courtesy of Elle.

Lily Kate 6 months old!!

Fancy Nancy Birthday Party

2009-03-08T20:26:00.002-05:00

This weekend Elle's friend Abby had a Fancy Nancy birthday party. It was FABULOUS!! The girls dressed up like Fancy Nancy, got their make up and nails done, and then walked the run way. Too cute!

Sisters

2009-03-08T19:34:00.003-05:00

"Having a sister is like having a best friend for life."

Running in the Rain

2009-03-02T08:03:00.002-05:00

Some teachers that I work with signed up for a 5k and talked me into running it too. Well, the morning of the race was awful! It was pouring rain!! If you know me, you know I hate getting my hair wet too! I wasnt going to run it at first because I havn't been running since Thanksgiving and the pouring rain. After getting grief from my fellow teachers for not running in a race because of rain, I decided to just do it. So, Liz Kelly and I put on our shower caps and ran the race. We got lots of funny looks and lots of laughs from fellow runners, but it was worth it! Our hair looked beautiful afterwards!! The funny thing is, I got second place in my age group!! (Just dont ask me how many people were in my age group!)

After all that, my fellow teaches didn't even show up to run the race!!!!

Lily Kate did something!!

2009-03-02T07:58:00.002-05:00

Lily Kate started sitting up last night. She was able to sit up for a good five minutes unsupported before toppling over. She still hasnt rolled over yet....and I don't see her learning how to roll over anytime soon. Her big belly makes it kind of hard! Elle never learned to roll over either. My girls!!

Elle's First Dentist Appointment

2009-03-02T07:52:00.002-05:00

I took Elle to the dentist for the first time last week. We read several books about going to the dentist. She was pretty scared about the whole idea. My neighbor/friend Jen cleans teeth. So we made an appointment at her office. Elle was so brave!!! She sat in my lap in the big dentist chair while they cleaned her teeth. Jen did an AMAZING job of helping it to be fun. Elle didnt have any cavities! Afterwards Elle said, "I was scared just a little bit, but it wasnt that bad."

Family Home Evenings

2009-02-09T08:09:00.004-05:00

Abe's mom found a great book for Family Home Evenings (FHE) for young kids. It's called A Year of Family Home Evenings written by Karen Crossley and Roberta Hunter. The lessons can be prepared in under 5 minutes and uses stuff you have around your house. The lessons are written for young children.
Last week, we talked about how the scriptures are a "treasure". Elle went on a treasure hunt to find her own scriptures. The book tells you exactly what to say and gives you the primary songs to go with each lesson. This book is so easy and fun. It has really helped us to have FHE everyweek. And Elle gets so excited!!

You can get the books on Amazon. I got my used for $2.00- and it looks new!

(For those of you who don't know what FHE is, Family Home Evening (FHE) refers to one evening per week, usually Monday, that families are encouraged to spend together in study, prayer and other wholesome activities. According to the LDS Church, the purpose of FHE is to help families strengthen bonds of love with each other as well as provide an atmosphere where parents can teach their children principles of the gospel. (Copied that from Wikepedia:) )

Uncle Ez's Birthday video for Elle

2009-02-06T15:58:00.003-05:00

So Ez make another creative video. This time, it was a birthday video for Elle. I wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. He's so creative and funny!! The slideshow is sweet, but pay attention to the end. He used all of the toys in Gigi's basement to create the video. Pay attention to the small details. I still laugh everytime I watch it! The "blond headed Dora" is one of Elle's favorite dolls. She calls her Dora for some reason. Anyways, thanks Ez!!! You are so funny!!!

http://ezraowen.blogspot.com/

The past three years

2009-02-04T10:10:00.004-05:00

Elle turning 3 has made me realize how fast time really does fly. Like where did the time go? I have to say, that the past three years have without a doubt been the best years of my life. Here are some pictures of Elle's past three birthdays!

Elle at 3 months old

Elle at 6 months old

Elle's first birthday

Elle's 2nd birthday

Elle's 3rd birthday

Elle's birthday party

2009-02-02T07:47:00.006-05:00

We had Elle's birthday party this weekend at Jump-its in Marietta. Elle has been asking about her birthday party ever since this summer. I can't tell you how many times I've heard the questions, "Mommy is it my birthday yet?" We invited 12 of her favorite buddies. We hardly saw Elle because she was so busy playing- that's a good sign she's having a blast!!

Elle LOVES Dora! (I personally don't like Dora....she has a bad haircut, her clothes don't match, and she uses a map whereever she goes.....they should introduce Dora to GPS!) Anyways, out of unconditional love for my daughter, we had Dora EVERYTHING! Cups, plates, forks, table cloth, hats, goody bags, and a Dora birthday cake! Elle was in heaven as everyone sang Happy Birthday to her. She was soaking up all the attention....it almost made me cry watching my little angel stand there as everyone sang to her. I just can't believe she's already three. It seems like yesterday, that I held her in my arms at the hospital, in awwwe of my beautiful daughter! Now she's a little girl!! Where does time go?! I wish time would freeze right now! I'm enjoying every minute of my sweet innocent Elle. She's always making me laugh and I love her innocence and sweet spirit.

Elle got way too many presents as well!! I hid half of them as soon as we got home (there in Elle's bathtub which we never use!). She got so many presents for her birthday that I'm going to bring them out one at time throughout the year!

Thank you to all our friends who showed up to celebrate Elle!! She had a FABULOUS birthday!!!!!
And to top off the perfect day, when we went to leave, my dad had paid for the party!!!! What would I do without my dad?!!! Love you Dad!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elle's birthday!

2009-01-30T18:06:00.006-05:00

Elle turned three on Thursday Jan. 29th!! I can't believe she's already a little girl...no longer a toddler. Elle and Brooklyn went to do Build a Bear at the mall on her birthday. Afterwards, we went out to eat with my family and back to Maws house to open presents. We had a very busy and fun day! Happy Birthday Elle!!!

Where's Elle?!!

2009-01-25T21:59:00.006-05:00

So tonight I tucked Elle into bed around 7:30. We read books, said our prayers, and kissed goodnight. I went to check on her thirty minutes later and she wasn't in her bed!!!!

She snuck into my bed and was fast asleep-on my side of the bed!!! Little stinker! It's funny to me because I have begged her to sleep with me ever since Abe's been gone and she always thinks says, "No mommy, that's your bed. Your silly!" She always thinks its so funny when I ask her to sleep with me! Finally! I won't have to sleep by myself!

Snow Mountain

2009-01-25T19:47:00.010-05:00

Those of us who live in Ga do not get to "experience" snow that often. And when we do, it's usually just flurries or maybe an inch deep. Which is fine with me because I hate being cold. I was reading a book with Elle about a snow fight and realized that Elle had never played in the snow....She kept asking me tons of questions about the snow......that's sad!

Stone Mountain created a man made snow park on Stone Mountain! How creative is that! Now all of us southerners can experience playing in the snow too!

I took the girls to Snow Mountain at Stone Mountain this past Friday with our friend/neighbor Jenn and her son Andrew. We had so much fun!!!! It was absolutely worth the drive and the money! We got there at 3:30. First, we made snow angels and threw snow balls.

Then we attempted to make a snowman....we had fun trying. Never quite made one. Elle and Andrew just had fun digging in the snow.

Then Andrew and I went tubing down the hill. Kids have to be 42in. to tube. Elle is 38 inches so she couldn't go. She was sad at first, but then Jenn bought her a pretzal and all her worries went away. Tubing was so much fun!! Andrew was so brave! We waited in line for about 30 minutes, then we were able to go down the hill. After we tubed, we rode the skyrail to the top of Stone Mountain. This was really fun!! Once we got to the top we walked around on top of Stone Mountain.....Jenn was having an anxiety attack when I took Elle and Andrew to walk around the top of the mountain. She volunteered to stay behind with Lily Kate.

After the skyrail we went to an area called "Little Angels". This area was my favorite part. It was perfect for Elle and Andrew who are 3 and 4. They were able to ride a sled down a little hill, play on slides, throw snowballs etc. But only little kids were allowed in this area.

I had to go buy "snow clothes" for Elle to play in. All the snow clothes were soldout at Target, so I had to just buy the left overs. Elle's pants were soooo big on her. I rolled them up twice, but they were still a little big. While we were playing in the "Little Angels" area, I notice Elle walking towards me with her pants around her ankles with this horrified look on her face. I was laughing so hard I couldn't even help her!! It was so funny!! All night poor little Elle had to keep pulling her pants up because they kept falling down around her ankles! I'm still laughing about her pants.

To end the perfect day, we made smores by the fire. It was fun but kind of scary giving Elle a long stick and letting her "play with fire."

Good Reads

2009-01-24T21:35:00.002-05:00

My friend Ryan just told me about this really cool website called Good Reads. It's a website where you can see the books that your friends are reading and see how they liked the books! I'm so excited! I've been looking for good books to read. I need to read more. Ever since I read the Twilight series, I can't find a good book that can seem to capture my interest. Honestly, it's hard to find time to read with two kids and no husband. But I think I'm going to start reading while I feed Lily Kate. I don't want to get alzheimers when I'm older, so I need to find some books to read!! I'm excited to find some really good books! Check out this website http://www.goodreads.com/

Also, If you know of some really good books, please let me know!!!

The Other Owen Family

2009-01-10T09:22:00.005-05:00

Abe's oldest brother Zach, his wife Ginet, and their four kids came to visit GA! They stayed at Abe's parents' house. We loved having them here. Elle adores them. Elle and Summer (4 years) were like little best friends all week. I wish they didn't live so far away, so we could see them more often!(They live in CA). I forgot to take pictures most of the week, but here are a few from the Aquarium and hanging out at Abe's parents' house.

Pillow Thief

2009-01-01T13:20:00.004-05:00

We have a pillow theif in the Owen house..... Last night was New Years Eve. We celebrated the New Year with a couple of friends at our house. We put Elle to bed around 9:30. We stayed up and celebrated and didn't head to bed till 2:30am. We were exhausted! It took every ounce of energy in my body to get up the stairs and walk to my room. I was half asleep as I washed my face and brushed my teeth. All I could think about was laying in my wonderfully cozy bed and cuddling up with my pillow. I basically sleptwalked to my bed, pulled the covers down, ......and didn't see my pillow. That's weird. I just made my bed this morning and I know I had a pillow.....At first I thought Abe was playing a trick on me, but he said he hadn't touched my pillow. Abe and I looked all around our room- no pillow. Hmm. I just wanted to go to bed!! Abe said, go look in Elle's room. So very queitly, Abe and I snuck into her room....and the little stinker was sleeping on my soft cozy pillow!! Hers was thrown on the floor! Apparently, Elle snuck into my room after Abe and I tucked her in and stole my pillow! Of course, Abe and I couldn't help but laugh. She's so funny sometimes! This morning, I told Elle that I couldn't find my pillow and asked if she had seen it. A huge grin swept across her face, "I took it mommy. I was just borrowing it. It's more commerable." How can you be mad at that?

Christmas

2008-12-30T10:25:00.012-05:00

I'm in shock that Christmas is really over! It came and went sooooo fast. Its funny how much preparation goes into one day, making sure you have the perfect gifts, the perfect food, etc. As much as I stress about making everything perfect for my family on Christmas, I know that the only thing that matters is that we're together. I felt so blessed Christmas morning, cuddling with my sweet Lily Kate and watching Elle, fascinated by all her toys, while thanking Santa. Nothing in life brings me more joy than my girls and my Abe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My step sister in law Jodie with her Lucy, and me and Lily Kate.

It's a family joke, trying to get my mom to take a good picture.... here are just a FEW of the MANY pictures we took trying to get a good one of my mom. We love you mom!!

Yes, I'm still breastfeeding, but I do occasionally pump and give Lily Kate a bottle. She was sooooo hungry on this day she didn't want to wait for me to hold the bottle for her.

Christmas morning with Aunt Heather opening yet another Little Mermaid Doll.

Elle feeding her Little Mermaid using her Hooter Hider with Aunt Jodie and Lucy. She "needed her privacy."

In her new dress up clothes singing on her new karoke machine.

YEa!! for Christmas!!

Even Lily Kate loved her toy!!

I promise I don't play favorite with the girls, but I hesitated to buy LK much for Christmas because she's so young. I had to ethically, but honestly, she's happy as long as she's fed. Next year, things will be different. This is all Santa brought LK for Christmas.......

and this is what Santa brought Elle. (Doesn't include wrapped presents). I bought too much again. I won't do this next year.

We reinacted The Christmas Story with the girls one night for FHE. Elle was Mary and LK was
a wise man. Doesn't she look wise?

Abe the Plumber

2008-12-24T00:46:00.003-05:00

Yes, it happened again. Elle clogged our toilet....AGAIN! I was in the living room playing with Lily Kate when Abe started screaming "Go get some towels NOW! The toilets over flowing!!" I ran upstairs- Elle was in the bathroom- I yelled at her, "Elle get out of the bathroom and go to bed!" I stopped our washing machine then ran downstairs and stopped the water just in time to save our carpet. Abe got the wet vacuum and started vacumming up all the water. The water was a couple inches high and it was disgusting!! Just disgusting! I won't even describe- it was just gross. We used every towel we owned cleaning up the sewage in the bathroom. Meanwhile, Lily Kate started crying to eat and Elle was upstairs in her room crying. While I calmed Elle down and fed Lily Kate, Abe wiped up all the water from the floor. All I could say over and over was "Thank you God for letting Abe be home!" "Thank you for letting Abe be home." And my friends across the street Jay and Jenn (who helped me clean it up last time this happened) we also saying, "Thank you God for letting Abe be home!" We tried EVERYthing to unclog the toilet, a plunger, hanger, etc. nothing worked. We said a quick prayer that we could unclog it on our own and then Abe ran to walmart and bought every plumbing tool they had....none of them worked. Finally, he opened the third and final plumbing tool they had. It blasts air through the toilet-it didnt work either. I started getting numbers and looking at prices for plumbers in disgust. We can't afford a plumber and especially one of Christmas Eve! I was sick to my stomach. In desperation, Abe just kept blasting the toilet over and over. Then, out of no where, the last blast worked! It was music to our ears!! The toilet flushed!! We were so excited. I can't tell you how romantic it was! My husband unclogged our toilet and saved us hundreds of dollars! Its funny how things like this become romantic after 5 years of marriage!! "Thank you God for letting Abe be home!"

Gingerbread House

2008-12-14T21:09:00.000-05:00

Elle and I made a gingerbread house today. I love Christmas time!! I love listening to the music, making things, and the smells of candles and christmas trees! Since Abe wasn't home, we blasted Christmas music, made a huge mess making the gingerbread house, and ate most of the candy that was supposed to go on the house. Lily Kate was content to just watch us. I love my girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lily Kates Blessing

2008-12-14T14:38:00.001-05:00

We also blessed Lily Kate while we were in Califoria. She looked beautiful in her long white dress that Gigi made. We also blessed Emmi's baby Devon on the same day.
It was a special day to have the everyone there on the day of their blessings.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-14T13:16:00.001-05:00

The month of November was CRAZY for us! We were out of town most weekends. I think I've finally recovered enough to make a post about our vacations! We were in Chicago for my stepbrothers wedding, then to Alabama for Abe's family day, and then we went to California for a week for Thanksgiving.

All of Abe's brothers and sisters were in California with their families. We had so much fun just hanging out with them and watching Elle play with all her cousins. We took way too many pictures while we were there so I will just post a few of my favorites.

Elle and Summer modeling their new princess crowns made out of pipecleaners.

BabyFest 2008!! Emmi and Abby had their babies in July and I had LilyKate in Sept. Add Addie to the mix and you have four babies all born within a year! Good luck finishing your bunny blankets GiGi!

My newest obsession is dressing my girls alike. Here is one of their many outfits that match.

Abby with Harper and Me with Lily Kate

Elle and Hayden at Thanksgiving dinner.

Abby Ryan and Harper

Gigi and Papa with their NINE grandkids!

Chris Emmi Hayden and Devon

Our little family

The Original Owen Family

We took Elle, Hayden, and Summer to the Zoo while we were there. They were the three muskateers all weekend.

We also celebrated Abe's 28th birthday while we were there. Happy birthday Abe.

New Invention: Red Neck Sling

2008-12-08T14:01:00.000-05:00

Sometitmes my mom does things that just leaves me speechless....and this is one of those things.

So I called my mom today to see how my girls were doing. She was so excited because she came up with a new invention.....She was saying how Lily Kate just wanted to be held all day and she couldn't get anything done- couldn't even go to the bathroom. She so invented a way to hold her without using her hands..... She got Steven's underwear(whitey tighties) and put each of Kates legs through the holes, then she put her arms through the holes and made it go across her shoulder. She was so excited! My reaction:
me: Mom!!!! That's disgusting!!
mom: Why?!! I washed them!
me: Mom they make Slings for that. I'll put it in the diaper bag tomorrow!
mom: Lily Kate likes it. She's smiling.

So my mom has been walking around all day with my baby wrapped up in Steven's underwear...and both my mom and Lily Kate are happy.

Next time I'll remember to put my sling in the diaper bag! You do have to admit, its pretty creative.dingbu

"Marley you got a big fat butt!!"

2008-12-05T11:44:00.001-05:00

I had to blog about this because I can't stop laughing about this. A few weeks ago, I asked Elle to to let Marley- our dog- out so she could go wee wee. As Elle is opening the door, I hear Elle telling Marley, "Marley, you got a big fat butt." "You're a dumb dog, dummy". Then Elle laughed. In shock, I couldn't help but laugh. Actually, I couldn't stop laughing. What in the world!!?? Why is my two year old telling my dog she has a big fat butt and why is she calling her a dummy?!! The next day when I took the girls to my mom's house I found out where Elle got this from. My mom would tell her dog it had a big fat butt because it would make Elle laugh so hard. Like the gut stomach laughs that you don't see everyday. The more Elle would laugh, the more names my mom would call her dog. It was pretty funny and we were all laughing till our stomachs hurt. Well, yesterday as I was taking Elle out of the car, I asked her "Elle where are your shoes?" and her reply..."They're on the floor you IDIOT." and then she laughs histarically. I was trying so hard to not laugh and be mature....but it was so hard! My two year old just called me an idiot....funny- but not good! I held myself together(trying not to laugh) and acted shocked and said, "Oh no! Thats not nice!! Where did you hear that from?" She immediately started crying and said "Grammommy". I knew it! My mom's retarded! As funny as it was, I had to call my mom and ask her to tone down the name calling game. I'm terrified she's going to tell an adult that they have a big fat butt- that won't be good!

Family Day

2008-11-22T13:55:00.000-05:00

On Thursday, the girls and I drove down to Alabama to see Abe. His family day was on Friday. We spent the night in his apartment. Elle loved sleeping in her new tinker bell sleeping bag. On Friday, we were able to watch Abe fly and eat lunch with him. We also sat in a helicopter and walked to the top of the watch tower. We went out to eat and then drove home Friday night. We got home at 2:30am!! I'm exhausted!! It was neat to see what Abe does everyday. I have a whole new level of respect for him. I didn't realize how time consuming and difficult it was to fly helicopters. Abe's days are CRAZY!! He basically wakes up at 3:45am, gets to the airfield by 4:00am. Flies till lunch time. Eats lunch, then goes to class from 1:00-6:00. He comes home, grabs a bite to eat, then leaves to go study with his "study partner" a.k.a stick buddy. I get exhausted thinking about his schedule! He's such a hardworker and never complains! Good job Abe! We love you and are proud of you!

Elle's first hair cut

2008-11-22T13:20:00.002-05:00

Well, I finally decided that Elle needed a haircut. I love long hair on little girls, so I just wanted a trim. We went to "Pigtails and Crew cuts." Its a hair cuttery place for kids. Elle did great. She sat in the airplane chair while they cut her hair. She was so busy playing that she didn't even realize they were cutting her hair. Her hair looks much better now and its still long!!

Lily Kates New Man!

2008-11-13T19:54:00.001-05:00

Lily Kate has a new man. His name is Landon! He's so cute and we're hoping that one day, she won't be twice his size.

I went to see Lisa's new baby boy today. He is so cute! He has a head full of blond hair! Right now he weighs what Lily Kate weighed when we brought her home from the hospital(7lbs 13oz). She's so much bigger than him already. I didn't realize she was growing so fast!!

Anyways, we're hoping for an arranged marriage one day. Don't you think its love at first sight?

Elder Holland

2008-11-13T19:51:00.001-05:00

Yes, that is Elder Holland standing with my family! While I was at my stepbrothers wedding in Chicago, Elder Holland came to speak in the Powder Springs Stake and stayed at the Owen's house. Abe and Elle ate lunch with him at the Owen's house. For all of who have no idea who Elder Holland is, he's basically a "mormon celebrity"(one of the twelve apostles in the LDS church)!
The second picture is of Lily Kate one week after church. She loves her daddy!!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-04T16:51:00.001-05:00

Here are my little ballerinas on Halloween!!

My friend Tiffannie made Lily Kate's Tutu. It's a onsie that says Tu-Tu Cute and Sassy on the bottom. I fell in love with it and had Abe's mom make Elle a tu tu also. We went to our neighborhood parade with our neighbor and friend Jen and Andrew. Then we just trick or treated on our street. My mom watched Elle while Jen and I took Elle and Andrew trick or treating. We had a fun Halloween!!

Happy Birthday Dad!!

2008-10-31T07:55:00.000-05:00

My Dad is getting old!! Yesterday was his birthday. To Celebrate, Heather and I met him at the High Museum of Art. He was in charge of building the new addition to the building a few years ago, so it was neat to listen to his 'behind the scenes stories'. Afterwards, we ate dinner at Houstons. It was a really fun night just hanging out with my dad and sister. I love you Dad! Thanks for taking us out on your birthday!!

Obama/McCain Dance off

2008-10-28T16:48:00.001-05:00

I saw this on TV and thought it was pretty funny!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlAKnSCRWQM

Disney on Ice with PawPaw

2008-10-25T21:20:00.001-05:00

My dad took Elle and I to see Disney on Ice. We had so much fun watching Cars, Little Mermaid, The Lion King, and TinkerBell. Elle loved waving to Mickey and Minnie and especially Little Mermaid. It was definitely magical! Elle got scared when "Ursella" came out and jumped in her PawPaw's lap. It was cute watching Elle and my dad together.

Elle was in heaven with her "Paw Paw". He spoiled her like crazy and Elle ate it up. When we were younger, my dad used to tell my grandma to stop spoiling us so much. Well, he spoils Elle ten times more than we were ever spoiled!! When we got there, dad bought Elle the $10 cotton candy that came with a TinkerBell hat. Then he bought her a $20 princess tiarra. Then she kept looking at the princess dolls. My dad asked her if she wanted one of those too. Well that brought a HUGE smile to her face. So he then bought her the $20 little mermaid doll. THEN, during the intermission, she asked for the $10 snow cone and of course Paw Paw was right there to buy that for her too. Now as a mom, I felt the need to put a stop this crazy spending on silly things. But my dad kept buying her stuff. I think He just wanted to make the day special and get something for Elle to remember it with. I guess that's what grandparents are for. My dad seemed to just enjoy making Elle happy. It brought back memories of us growing up. Whenever he does something, he does it BIG! Thanks Dad for taking us to see Disney on Ice! We had so much fun spending the day with you!! Elle is a lucky girl to have you for a Grandpa!

Life with Lily Kate

2008-10-19T17:55:00.007-05:00

I've taken a ton of pictures of Lily Kate since she was born and I just havn't had time to post any.

I just have to say that Kate fits perfectly into our little family. We are all so in love with her.

The first week with her was kind of crazy, not because of her, but because of Elle. Elle had several tantrums( which she NEVER did before!) just to get our attention. Abe and I thought our heads were going to spin trying to take care of them both. Luckily we survived the first week. The next week was much better and Elle went back to acting like her sweet self. We got back into our routine and things went back to normal....for the most part. I have taken them both to get groceries, to the mall, and out to eat and they did great. So, I feel like an accomplished mom of two!!

So as of now, Abe comes home- most weekends. He gets home after I've gone to bed on Friday nights and leaves to go back to ALA. at 4:00 on Sundays. The weekends fly by WAY TO FAST!! When he's home, he is soooooo sweet and does as much as he can to help out. He should be done with flight school next Summer.....hopefully.

I've always dreamed of having a household full of girls...and so far my plan is working out perfectly- ha ha ha!! All I want to do is hold Lily Kate and smell her sweet head. She has a cute baby smell. She's a wonderful happy baby(knock on wood!!). She's very noisy. We call her our little horse because she is always making these weird grunting noises that sound like a horse. She's also a very smiley baby. She started smiling at 4 weeks when I would talk to her. Now (at 6 weeks) she smiles EVERY time I talk to her. It melts my heart. I think she likes me!!! Yea!! Elle didnt smile that much. We used to have to do a juggling act to get Elle to smile. It's funny how they are so different, yet just the same.

4 days old.

GiGi(Abe's mom) gave Kate her first bath.

Elle LOVES to hold Lily Kate!! 2 weeks old
......and touch her face!!

Elle and Lily Kate doing tummy time.

Cousin Lucy and Lily Kate. Lucy was not even a week old in this picture. She weighed 6lbs. 5 oz. Lily Kate was 3 weeks old. She weighed 7 lbs 13 oz. at birth. We are so excited to finally have a cousin in Ga. They are going to be BFF!!!!

Elle thinks Kate is her personal baby doll. I found Lily Kate like this the other day. Elle!!!!!!!!

Kate 4 1/2 weeks

Elle trying to get Kate to smile.

Daddy's little girls!

I LOVE WHEN SHE SMILES!!!

The Pumpkin Patch!!

2008-10-11T15:53:00.001-06:00

I would like to apologize in advance for ALL the pictures I'm about to post!! I can't help it!! I know I'm a biased mom, whose totally obsessed with my little girls, but I just couldn't narrow down the cute pictures. There were way too many!! Abe got me a new camera for a baby present (Canon XSI) and I love how it takes pictures!! So.....Sorry!!!!

We went to Berry Patch Farms with our friends John and Brie, and Katie and their families. Elle LOVES LOVES LOVES their daughters Brooklyn and Ella!!!!!!!!!! She talks about them everyday and refers to them as her "best friends". We always have a good time when we're with them. Hopefully, the girls will be BFF for life!!

We went on a hayride, got their faces painted, ate icecream, looked at pumpkins, had a picnic, looked at the STINKY animals, and played on the playground. We had a fun time!!!!!

Lisa's Surprise Shower

2008-10-11T14:52:00.000-06:00

Roxanne and I threw a surprise shower for Lisa the other night at Simpatico's. It was a blast. Lisa is having another cute little boy named Landon. She's due at beginning of November. Here are the pictures.

Helicopter Helmet

2008-10-11T14:45:00.001-06:00

Abe brought his helicopter helmet home for us to see. Guess how much this thing costs?

$1500 for a helmet!! Crazy!! He said the apachee helicopter helmets cost $75,000!! Even crazier!!

And we're letting our 2 year old play with it! This is your tax dollars at work. Thanks!!

Valerie!

2008-10-08T21:49:00.000-06:00

One of my friends was singing this song as he came into my apartment the other day and I was like,
"Dude who sings that?"(excitedly)
"Steve Winwood"(with a look on his face like I was retarded)
"I love that song"(me)
Okay, video is kind of gay, but if your listening to this, don't be like that songs gay, I know you like it. I went straight to the computer downloaded it off Amazon, and the techno version, and now it is on the "Running_List" on the ipod.

Surprise Baby Shower and Man on Fire

2008-09-28T09:38:00.001-06:00

Abe told me that we were going out to eat with our friends Mandy and Chad on Saturday. So we get both the girls ready and go to meet Mandy and Chad at there house. When I walked through their door....SURPRISE!! It was a baby shower for Lily Kate! I was shocked!! The shower was sooooo much fun!! All my best friends were there and it was just fun hanging out with them. I received way too many adorable gifts! I am so thankful for my friends and I love them all soooooooo much!! Thanks Mandy and Jen for throwing the shower!! I couldn't ask for better friends!

NOW LISTEN TO THIS!! After the shower some of us decided to go get Sushi at Atami- a new sushi resturant by our house. I took Kate with me and Abe took Elle home with him. We almost sat at the hibachi table but decided not to at the last minute. We had just finished eating when we hear a loud and scary EXPLOSION! I turned around and the chef at the hibachi table was on fire! His hair, head, all the way down to his feet. The entire left side of his body was on fire. I'll never forget the look of complete terror on his poor face. I can't get it out of my head! He panics and starts running around the resturant. We all start SCREAMING! HELP him! Help him!!! Then we start yelling, stop and roll, roll!! Everyone in the resturant is screaming and crying. He's still completely on fire. He finally manages to run back to the kitchen and one of the other waiters takes his shirt off and covers him with it. We didn't see what happened after that because they were in the kitchen. He was on fire a long time....4 or 5 min. My friends and I called 911 and explained what had just happened. A few minutes later the fire truck showed up and a helicopter. They had to life flight the guy to the hospital. Apparently, when he was making the smiley face on the table with the oil, the oil bottle got too hot and exploded all over the guy. All I could think about is what if we had sat at that table......what if Lily Kate had got hurt. I felt sick to my stomach all night and couldn't sleep. Thank goodness Elle didn't come to the resturant with me. She would have been horrified! I don't know if I can ever sit at a hibachi table ever again.The only funny part of the night was Lily Kate slept through the WHOLE thing!!

Marietta Square

2008-09-28T09:21:00.001-06:00

My mom and her friends always rent tables at the Marietta Square whenever they have their concerts. We met my mom and her friends up there this weekend. The weather was perfect! It was such a fun atmosphere!! Elle made a friend on the playground and walked around holding this girls hand on the playground. She also had fun dancing with her CRAZY grandma! Ever since Kate was born, Elle has gotten much more outgoing and much less shy. It was fun going out as a family with my TWO little girls. I still cant believe I'm old enough to have two kids! Time goes by so fast!

Yay for Lily Kate!!

2008-09-24T10:42:00.000-06:00

We took these pictures for Lily Kate's Birth Announcements. I'm in heaven with my two little girls!!

And she thought we weren't watching......

2008-09-13T21:08:00.000-06:00

Abe and I found Elle in the living room by herself.....she thought we weren't watching.

Sesame Street Live

2008-09-13T20:56:00.000-06:00

We took Elle to see Sesame Street Live Saturday night. Maw(my grandma) heard about it on the radio and offered to watch Lily Kate and pay for the tickets if we would take Elle. I hesitated at first because Kate is only 1 week old, I'm breastfeeding, I can't even fit into my jeans, I mean this time last week I was still in the hospital. But, Elle really loves Sesame Street and Lily Kate couldn't be in better hands than Maw. So, we decided to take Elle. I have to admit that it was really nice to get out of the house and Maw was in heaven being able to hold a sleeping baby all night. We had fun and Elle loved singing and dancing with Elmo!