Family Pictures 2012

We were so excited to get Krystina Bullard to take our family pictures.... Well, that's a lie.... I was so excited to get our pictures made. John and the kids were less than thrilled. I worked for months making sure that we had complimentary outfits with coordinating colors. You know when you pick the kids up from school and your just KNOW it's going to be THAT kind of night? Their timing was impeccable! So I prayed that we could get a few good pictures before the big melt down.

Can I tell you just how amazing Krystina is? To look at these pictures you would have no idea that the kids were refusing to cooperate and John asked one million times why we needed family pictures! And yet, she turned those moments into these. Wow! Ok, so the pictures were not going well but things were about to take a quick turn for the worse..... This next picture is one of Mom and Daughter, playing, laughing, hanging out being best friends right?........... WRONG! Allie refused to smile in the pose that we were supposed to be so I started tickling her. She proceeded to fall back into me making me fall back as well. We landed in this position and Krystina said we should just go with it. Well about this time Allie started wining saying that her ear hurt. I was beyond frustrated at this point and I kept telling her to quit wining and smile. (Notice she really isn't smiling). She started getting more and more dramatic so I told her to just sit up. It was at this point that I realized that we had laid back into an ant pile. Allie had thousands of ants in her hair, her ears, her clothes and they were biting her. The next 10 minutes left a scar on Krystina, I am certain! I stripped Allie down, she was screaming at this point saying "There's beetles in my hair!" John is giving me the "I told you so" look and I was mortified. I kept saying "I'm so sorry Krystina!" I thought for sure that we would be walking away without a single picture. Krystina offered to meet us back out there whenever we could but I knew, I would never get my family to go back to that field.

Can you believe what she made out of that mess? A-mazing!

Carly's Signing Day

Carly Grace has worked super duper hard and it has finally paid off. Today she signed for a softball scholarship to play at Ouachita Baptist University. I am so proud of her and cannot think of a better role model for Allie. We love you Carly Grace and we cannot wait to cheer you and the Tigers on to Victory!

You cannot celebrate an accomplishment like this without a cake by Sandra! The student body loved the cake! So did Carly's 2 biggest fans!

Sam: 8 Months

Since I am playing catch-up and this little boy is wild and crazy, this is about as good as it gets for 8 months. Sorry Sam!

Halloween 2012

I have been waiting for the day that I could coordinate my children's Halloween costumes! My Meme used to make a huge production of Halloween costumes. My entire family would coordinate. All 10 grandchildren would go as the characters of The Wizards of Oz, Court Jesters, etc. I found this Mickey Mouse costume and FELL IN LOVE! Allie made the perfect Minnie too. And I must say, Sam played along pretty well!

Our first stop was Miss Bridget's Party. I could totally eat them up! John looks thrilled! Ha!

Earlier that day, Allie's class had their Halloween Party and this year we actually got to go Trick-Or-Treating around Downtown Benton. The businesses all stopped what they were doing and handed out candy. So glad we got to do this with Allie. They were too cute!

Best Buds....

Consistency is really not my thing!

So..... As much as I had hoped to be a better, more consistent blogger, I have concluded that consistency is just not my thing! I am going to apologize for the blog overload, but I have a year's worth of blogging to squeeze into this unusual night when both kids are asleep before I am..... Hang on to your seats....here is the last year in review.

Ridin' Rockin' and Livestockin': Allie's Special Day at the Fair

 It was time for Allie to have another Special Day with just Mommy and Daddy and what better way to spend a beautiful Fall day that at the State Fair. I knew that my Allie was a dare-devil but I was shocked at her courage to ride every ride that she was tall enough to ride. She would be hands-in-the-air screaming having a blast and there would be adults beside her stricken with fear. I love that she takes after her Daddy in that aspect. My ride resume ends at the Farris Wheel (of the Fairy Wheel as Allie called it.)

 We started her off in the barns looking at all the animals because we knew we would never get her off the rides once she got on. John laughed and she and I and our amazement with a cow!

 Here she is winning her first fair prize. We tried to keep the games to a minimum afraid that she might think it was like shopping for toys.

 First Roller Coaster Ride. She was all smiles the whole time!

 I love the relationship that John and Allie have. My Dad was so special to me and I gained so much confidence from him. I am blessed that John is the Dad that he is. He loves his children and is committed to spending as much time with them as possible.

 There came a point in the day when I wondered who was having the most fun! John said she never acted scared or stopped smiling and laughing!

Love This!

 This ride when FAST! It went forwards for a while and then went backwards. Allie laughed and smiled the whole time. She said later that this was her favorite ride. Of course it was! It was the fastest!

Pumpkin Patch

 Allie's Preschool Class went to the Pumpkin Patch. I was excited about going this year because last year I wasn't able to have much fun because I was pregnant and sick all the time. This year John and I were both going to go until Sam poked John in the eye and he spent the day at the Eye Doctor. So Allie and I had a Mommy-Daughter Day. She loved being able to run and play with all of her friends.

 She especially loved the hayride to the maze and all of the "animals" in the woods that we saw.

 Here she is up in the tree house playing. I'm not sure why but last year I thought I had to do everything with her. This year, I just enjoyed watching her have fun without having to climb in a tree house. You live and learn!

 Here is Allie with her buddy Joe Duke....I fear these two are two of a kind and may become Benton High School's worst nightmare! I love that Allie makes friends easily and never meets a stranger.

Here the kids are learning about "Bad Bart." Afterwards we loaded the kids back on the hayride just in time for the shoot-out between Bad Bart and Sheriff Papaw. Then we got to explain to all of the 4-year-olds why these men were shooting each other. OH the joys of parenting! It was a fun day and Daddy's eye is all better.