I attempted to teach Livvie how to eat with a spoon/fork last night. I know...she's almost 18 months, and just now, right? Well, I hate mess. I hate watching my kiddos faces get messy, their hands all sticky, and then it goes in the hair, and geez....yuck.

But, her being a kid and all, I decided to let her try it. Gotta tell ya.....she loved it!



She also loved the bath she got afterwards too! :)

Later that day we tried spaghetti, and that was also a success! :) YEAH LIVVIE!

...day without snow in the forecast. Daddy says it's supposed to snow for (maybe) 24 hours straight..... ho hum...*sigh*

One of the blogs that I frequent, Pioneer Woman, had some tips on how to make your photos look crisp and clean! See if you can notice the difference from this first one, which is not edited....
to this one, which has some editing...
See how that "gray mask layer" is gone? I never knew there was such a thing!
it's amazing what you can do now-a-days!

(and, yes...I am fully aware that it's almost 2 in the morning, and I'm still up...)

What a fun idea! I am biased, but I think my girls have beautiful eyes.
I had fun finding these photos of my beautiful girlies!

I've had my ring since PG's proposal, May 20th, 1999.

The day after I got it, I slammed it in the door to my car...oops
Since then, let's just say, I'm not the best caretaker of this ring.
I've had to get 3 of it's prongs replaced...and that was in the first 5 years...oops
I just got it back yesterday from the jewelry store. I had to have the whole "head" replaced.
$90 later, and a GREAT cleaning.....I am in love with my ring all over again....
Just so you don't think I'm bragging about this ring of mine,
the diamond is less than 1/2 carat, it just looks larger here....

Challenge....why don't all you ladies out there, take a pic of your wedding ring and post it?
I'd be so curious to see what they all look like!!! :)

Well, despite it being SPRING, and wearing our SPRING coats yesterday....mother nature had another idea for us.....a big white snowy 4 inch idea...

Liv has only been outside playing in the snow ONE other time this winter. It's been SO super cold here! I thought that, well, since I did buy her a cute snowsuit, and, that she didn't really know what snow was, that why not take her outside on this semi-nice SPRING day?

Look at her adorable footprints....

She and I made a lil' snowman....it was perfect wet-snowman making snow!

I love my Livvie oh so much...

I really hope this is the last SNOWY day of SPRING we have around here!

It's still me....

I wasn't able to find a new pair of jeans,
so I decided to find myself a new blog look
....once again....

because the airfare is SO stinkin expensive!

Dena and I were planning my trip for my big golden birthday. I was getting excited, until I saw the $535 price...um, Dena, Leslie, LeAnn, and others....I love ya, but c'mon....not gonna pay that! :)

So, instead of my trip - all alone - to South Carolina for my birthday, we - my family of 4 - are going to my parents house to celebrate there!

So, those of you, and you KNOW who you are, who live by or near my parent's town, get your calendars out....

My family is coming on April 25 (Friday) thru April 28 (Monday).
We won't actually be there as I turn 29, on the 29th, but we'll celebrate like I was! :)

Our family had a fun Easter morning. Avery would tell you that the best part, was that she woke up at 5 am, 'cause she just couldn't sleep.... She then woke up Livvie, and us, by 5:30 am. Not very fun when you didn't go to sleep till 1 am...thanks hubby for letting me nap! :)

This is the best picture I got of the girls together.....I said, "Okay, Avery...put your arm around Liv and smile." This is what I got!


After church, we came home to eat some lunch, and look at our fun Easter baskets! Liv is into all sorts of things right now, so it was a lot of fun to pick out her gifts! The best gift, by far, was the pink princess ball....she LOVED it!


We also bought her a cute little summer hat! She loves to put hats on, so this was right up her alley! How cute is she??? :)


I can tell I'm gonna get some cute summer pics out of this hat!


Avery got an "educational" basket this year. Some level 2 reading books (which are too easy for her, now) and a fun color by number set. I hid clues to her Easter basket around the house, so she really enjoyed going on her own little "hunt".


As you can see, within 5 minutes of getting her new ball, Liv tried to be naughty and figure out a way to stand on it.....seriously....the girl is nuts! :) (but I LOVE her to pieces!!!)


This is the best Mommy-Livvie picture from today!
(**MOM...I didn't wear the pink sweater. The plain white shirt was too plain, and the white dressy shirt didn't look right. At the last minute, I pulled this out from the back of the closet...**)


Me and Avery...she had to do her color by number kit RIGHT AWAY!


And again, not the tidiest house by any means, but there you have it....
Our Easter!

We're up at Daddy's parents house right now in A-town, and we're having lots of family fun! It was our first trip in the van, and it was SOOOO nice having all that room! Never will I go back to traveling in that little car of ours!!!

to, again, be the "conservative, not very fun mom".

My kids, do not, and will not....ever....celebrate/believe in/go see the Easter Bunny/Santa.

Someday, we might give in, and let them wear a cute little outfit on the day that happens to fall on Halloween. That's one that we might, one day over the rainbow, give in to.

BUT, the birth of Christ, and celebrating His resurrection....that is something we will NEVER compromise with our family. No Santa and No Easter Bunny....PERIOD....

No, we do not believe that we are taking the fun out of celebrations. We have a wonderful Christmas, full of love, presents, and family. Also, we have a wonderful Easter...filled with love, Easter baskets, and family! They are not "missing out" on anything...

Avery is fully aware of what Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny are....make-believe.

She is also fully aware of many other, more important things...
the birth of Christ,
Jesus' 12 disciples,
miracles of Jesus,
What transpired Easter week,
Attributes of God - incomprehensible, omnipresent, glorious, all-knowing, creator, eternal, YHWH, wise, almighty, sovereign, attentive, faithful, unchanging, never-tiring, jealous, righteous, patient, merciful..... (yes, she knows all of those!)

Yes, she is a Pastor's kid. Yes, she does hear her fair share of the bible.

For some reason, I would rather teach my child about our Creator, her Savior, than read to her "Here comes Peter Cottontail"....


A Glorious RESURRECTION Day, to you all!

One of the songs Avery sings....
"Have you heard the news today....the giant stone has rolled away
Jesus lives! We can too! Have you heard the news!"

Last night I went to get groceries, alone, with my new van/grocery getter.

I have to admit, I felt really cool....being high up off the ground, not being in a tiny 4 door with it's share of dings and scratches...

Then came as I was walking to my van, after getting groceries. See, I was REALLY looking forward to putting the bags in the back hatch, ya know, being a cool "grocery getter" and all.

I walk up to my van, which is still really clean and shiny. I park my cart behind the van, and then I realize....hmmmm...I have NO idea how to pop the trunk! I looked by the steering wheel for a pull thing....didn't find it right away....I walk to the back, and try to figure the thing out....nope, I couldn't.

My embarrassment level was now a little high (but was laughing at the same time), so I just decided to open up the sliding door, and put the groceries in there.

I have the owners manual in the house, and I plan on studying it today.... :)

I'm so silly.....

P.S. How cool is it, when you go through the drive thru lane, that you're high enough so you don't have to reach up to pay and get your food? Just another reason I'm glad we have a new van! :)

yes, I'm fully aware of the clothes that are all over my dining room table...it was laundry day...

when I think she's sleeping in her crib...
yes....that's her bottom all right!

We added a new member to our family today....Internets....meet Bluebell, our new van...She's new, to us. She's a 2003 Dodge Caravan Sport, and we love her...

The girls' seats are already installed, and ready for our Easter trip on Sunday!

She's a little darker than this photo shows. She's "midnight blue"...the flash makes her look like she's royal blue...BUT, she's not!

We're excited to get to know her! Mom is OVER THE MOON!!!!! :)

In the last couple of months, Liv has eaten the following items

*blue playdough
*a flower bead
*puppy poop

I'm curious....what is the strangest thing your child has digested? Please tell me I'm not alone!

Here is "Bella", in all her glory!
Enjoy...be sure to listen close to the end,
where Avery tells you all what Livvie ate today...

She's just soooo very cute! We thought my mom decided on a name, but nope...nothing yet! Mom has a long list of "maybes", but nothing has really felt right to her yet. Here are her final names (that I also like:)) Ellie, Macy, Molly, Bella, Emma, and PG and I like Chloe. Feel free to plead your case for what name YOU like....my mother needs all the help she can get! :)

Puppy loves to snuggle.....I mean LOVES to snuggle. She is so soft, and has that puppy smell! Avery and Livvie have LOVED having her around. The puppy loves to sit with Avery as she sings her songs and reads her books. Earlier today, the puppy was chasing Livvie around downstairs and her little giggle was heard all through the house!

She must like us, because she sure is giving us lots of kisses!!!!!

Get ready to fall in love, Dad....this one sure is something special! :)