Drew was watching the living scriptures, the one where the Savior comes to visit the people in America.
Drew says "Wow, Jesus is really sticky."
me: "Huh?"
Drew: "Jesus must have really sticky feet. He can stick to the clouds and walk on them."
Ha Ha, love that boy!
Such a fun Night!
We went to Vala's pumpkin patch last week with some friends. It was such a blast!! This place is huge and packed with family friendly fall activities and goodies galore. It still doesn't replace Patterson's farm in Ohio, but it was close ;)
Livi was scared to death of the Camel. So I did what all good moms would do. got her picture with it. The Camel decided it would be funny to give her a big wet one. She screamed so loud! We laughed so hard!
There was a huge pile of corn to play in. everyone (adults included) loved it. The funniest moment was when Andy threw some corn at our friend blake and 2 kernels went straight up both of his nostrils! So Funny! We had corn down our pants, and just about everywhere.
The spider web crawl
Livi Loo loo
Just some random pics from Livi and I hanging out in the garage last week.
She LOVES to eat chalk
12 months at a glance
Livi decided to take this walking business serious on her birthday. She took off and hasn't stopped since. She loves her independence!
Livi loves to read books with her daddy
She loves babies, blankies, and stuffed animals
her first word is "uh-oh"
Her first animal sound is an elephant
she can scream like no other :)
She is a happy sweet little girl!
we love you livi loo loo!
Around the House Part 2
As of last week, I had NO pictures of my kids on the walls. That needed to change. I LOVE Canvas prints and would order a ton if I could. Unfortunately, they don't fit in my budget right now. So I found a solution. Behold the Faux Canvas
I was a little skeptical before I started, but I actually really like them. And, It cost less than $20 to make all Three! I bought a board at Lowes (about 3/4 inch thick) and had them cut it into 12x12 pieces. Then I painted the sides black, had the pictures printed at Costco for $3 each, and mod podged them on the boards. And Waahlaa! Faux Canvases! You've got to try it. Fun, Cute, and Cheap!
HoW tiMe fliEs...
It seems just like yesterday I was buying girl clothes and bedding before even knowing the sex of baby #3 (more on that here), hoping, waiting, wanting another sweet babygirl. My wish was granted and this last year has been a dream in so many ways. Livi has not been the easiest baby, but she has won my heart. I am head over heels for this little girl.
Enamored.
I had so much fun planning her party. Things didn't go quite as expected (the weather forced a few changes on us), but I think it turned out pretty cute and we had a great time!
I didn't have time to take pictures before the party, so you will just have to use your imagination a little as to what the table looked like with all the food and stuff :)
I found a ton of cute craft projects online that I knew I had to make for the party. First was the adorable crepe paper rosette balls that I hung on the tree branches. So cute and fun to make! The doilie banner was the perfect delicate touch for the table. And one of my favorite ideas I came up with was the picture time line (I was going to hang it up outside but it was too windy). I cut out 12 birdies, labeled one for each month, and hung the corresponding pictures up with clothespins.
The party favors were fun to do too. The goods included 1. bags of gummy worms with tags that said "early bird gets the worm" 2. Felt bird clips for the girls made by my amazingly talented mom 3. Bird whistles (do you remember these as a kid? this was to add a little nostalgia. I loved these when I was little and knew I had to have them for here bird party). You fill them up with water and they really sound like birds tweeting. And some bubbles and play doh
number 4 shows the cute shirt that my mom also made for Livi
Here is the cake topper. And oh the cake! It was really hot and humid the day I made it. I put the filling in the middle and decided to do the frosting after I finished up a few other things. After a while I looked over and noticed that the filling was oozing out the sides, melting into a big mess. So I picked up the cake to put it in the fridge. As I bent over to make room for the cake, The whole top layer slid right off and splattered all over the floor. not pretty. I almost cried. But, I happened to have an extra layer (long story) so it wasn't as tragic as it could have been. but no party is complete without a little DRAMA!
Livi LOVED the cake. I gave her a cupcake and she seriously devoured it!
Lucky for us Uncle Austin and Aunt Andrea got to be there to help us celebrate. Andrea was my picture taker so I could enjoy the party. I think she did a great job. Thanks Andrea!!!
Around the House
This post is for you Kathryn!! :)
Last winter My Friend Kathryn and I bought some old doors off of Craigslist with the intent of making headboards for our beds. We both were really excited about moving and decorating our new pads. Unfortunately we never got around to making them and after moving into my new place I lost my zest for all the DIY decorating projects I had planned. Mostly because I realized we are only going to be here for 1 year and every house has different needs, so there is no point in making everything for this house. But, last week I caught the decorating bug again and was determined to get the headboard made. This was my first woodworking project and lets just say I learned a lot! :) Thanks to my sweet hubby who answered my dumb questions and came to my rescue a few times, I am very happy with the way it turned out! So without further ado, here are some seriously crappy pictures taken with our point and shoot of the finished product :) Except I really want to paint the walls now. But I can live with them for a year.
I also did a few projects for Avery's room over the summer with my mom. Avery got her duvet cover for christmas last year. I LOVE it, but it is a peachy pink that is hard to match. I saw this Liberty London print at Target and knew that it was perfect for her bed. I ordered a duvet cover online and it took over 5 months to get it (no joke). But I was elated when I finally saw the package on my doorstep! I made curtains, the bunting, and lampshade with the duvet cover. I LOVE it!
and of course her room could not be complete without a "you are my sunshine" picture :)
I always tell Andy that when we buy our next house I am hiring a decorator :)
okay Kathryn, I want to see what you've done with the fabric for the family room, Kolette's room, and your room!!
okay Kathryn, I want to see what you've done with the fabric for the family room, Kolette's room, and your room!!
☀ Liquid Sunshine
Avery was almost one year old when Andy's brother Adam was first diagnosed with Cancer. Grandma Cindi was having a rough time (rightfully so) but always tried to look for the positive. One of her happy spots was Sweet Avery Jane. She called Avery her Liquid Sunshine, the bright ray of hope to shine through the dark clouds. There is something amazing about a child's ability to help you feel the love of the Savior and put a smile back on your face when life has you down. Avery is especially good at this. She is my Sunshine baby girl!
see more here
He Thought This Day Would Never Come
Drew started PRESCHOOL today! He was SO ready. Ever since Avery started kindergarten, he has been asking incessantly when his school starts. Today is the day. He walked right in and never looked back. I can't wait to hear all about his day!
Drew and his empty backpack :)
I LOVE them!
Those EYES that is!
sorry, I've got Livi on the brain. You may be seeing lots of this girl in the next few weeks. I can't believe she is almost one!
see more here
The View from Here
If I have to have a little baby tugging on my pants all day, at least I get to see these bright eyes staring back up at me. Cutest little 11 month old ever :)
P.S. Livi just took her first 2 steps!! Oh No!
Up For Grabs!
Up for Grabs is a $20 Target Gift Card
Thanks guys!! We miss you all!!
Take Two
Day 2 of Kindergarten is now behind us. Avery said she didn't miss us at all. Which is good, but man do I miss her!
Drew, Livi, and I tried to entertain ourselves. We did the best we could and put on our happy faces
But this is how we really feel
This is Drew waiting outside the school to pick up Avery.
And just to show that he can make a normal face (please ignore the fact that he is tackling his baby sister)
ReAdY oR nOt
Last night was the elementary school Ice Cream Social. As we got out of the car, I asked Avery if she was ready to go meet her kindergarten teacher. She took a deep breathe and said yes.
She then nervously grabbed my hand.
tight.
I'm not sure who was holding on tighter.
me
or
her.
her.
I am a baby. I am crying as I type this.
I'm not ready.
Avery is an Angel, I love her so much.
Drew misses his best friend
Livi misses her best friend
and I miss my best little friend.
All day kindergarten is TORTURE!
She did GREAT today. She LOVED it and said she can't wait to go back tomorrow.
Her favorite part was sitting at her desk and coloring.
Here she is, my little kindergartner!
Here she is, my little kindergartner!
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| It is a dark rainy day. My ISO was at 1000, F/2.8, ss 160 and it was still underexposed...outside! I need to take her out for a real back to school photo shoot soon. |
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Mandatory Picnic
At the end of Andy's first week of his Residency they had a mandatory picnic at the Base Lake. Kind of funny that it was mandatory. But hey, I would much rather be at the lake enjoying my family than sitting at home counting down the hours until hubby comes home. The days adventures included frog catching, boat rides, bubble popping, food, and of course lots of silly faces from Drew!
Blues and ABUs
Andy's family wanted to see him in his uniform, so here are a few pictures from COT (officer's training).
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| They call this uniform their Blues. He has to wear it every Monday |
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| These are their ABUs. He wears these the rest of the week. |
One Word
If I had to describe Nebraska in One word, it would be CORN!! There is LOTS and LOTS of CORN. My mom and I went exploring one Sunday afternoon and drove down the same road for 30 minutes and there was nothing but rows and rows of corn on both sides of the road. Everywhere you look there are Corn fields. I think it is part of what makes Nebraska charming, and about as "All-American" as you can get. My niece and I stopped by one farm to ask if we could take pictures there. The owner was just as expected. An adorably sweet, hardworking little old man wearing worn out Wranglers and his trusty old dog by his side. I love this place!
Just a test shot, but I think it is kind of cute!
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If you had to describe where you live in one word, what would it be?? come on, you know you want to play along!
Amelia Grace
While I was in Utah, I went to the Heartshop. It was a photography workshop put on by the talented Becky Earl and Yan. They had some great models lined up for us so that we could shoot our little hearts out. It was really fun and I took a ton of pictures. I didn't want to clog the family blog with all the pictures, so one lonely night while Andy was gone I created a place to plop the ❤shop pics. I am calling it Amelia Grace Photography. Why Amelia Grace you ask? Well, first of all it starts with an "A" and that's how we roll round here ;). Really, it is a name that I have loved from the first time I saw it. My favorite place in Ohio is Chesterland. It is gorgeous, serene, and full of fond memories. On the drive out there, there is a quaint little assisted living facility called Amelia Grace. For some reason it spoke to me, made me giddy every time I drove by it. I would use the name for a kid, but Andy vetoed it, so it now has a new place as the name of my future photography business. I know the explanation sounds a little silly, but I love it. So for those of you who are interested in checking out my work, you can visit the new blog here. I will be adding new pics from sessions and such over there. Lots more to come real soon. Don't forget to leave me some love so I know you were there!
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