Happy Halloween!!

Happy (belated) Halloween! We've been busy here. Dave and I have been looking at houses lately, gearing up to hopefully move to a bigger place sometime in the near future. I knew we needed a bigger house, but have 2 kids worth of stuff has made it even more glaringly obvious.

We celebrated 2 Halloweens here. We spent the 31st at Mimi and Papa's house. Abby walked their street and got a few pieces of candy. They weren't a very festive group.

Then everyone put on their Halloween PJs and watched a little Spongebob. And had a blue sucker, which ended up all over everything-- including Livi.

Livi's first Halloween. I wish her eyes would stay blue....

On the 30th we went to Edmond and trick or treated with a bunch of our friends. Livi went with us, wrapped in a sling, and slept for the entire walk. Abby made out much better on the candy front in Edmond!

Here's a picture of the group we were with. We're missing a couple, but in general, 5 families worth of kids, ages 1-5 years.



Livi and I had a little impromtu photo shoot in Mom and Dad's front yard while Abby was getting candy.

And, finally, here's a few of the bestest little fairy princess there is!!

Some action shots.....

She really "got" it this year. She was able to say "trick or treat" and hold out her bug for candy. It did take her a few houses to realize she didn't have to eat the candy as soon as she got it though!

Hope you're Halloween was great too!

(I now realize my "group" photos that I created don't transfer over to the blog with good quality. I don't know why bc they're saved in hi res-- it just makes them much smaller when I pull them over. Any thoughts?)

Happy Anniversary!

Five years ago today, I married my best friend during a fair tale wedding in the Hill Country of Boerne, Texas.

And though it hasn't always been easy, I wouldn't choose any other path.

Happy Anniversary, Dave!!!

(and thanks, Mom, for keeping Abby!)

All about Livi

Olivia, you are one month old! You have been such a wonderful addition to our family-- I can't remember what life was like before you joined us. But maybe that's the sleep deprivation.

Last time we weighed you, you were 10 pounds 13 oz. I bet you're easily almost 12 pounds now. You wear size 1 diapers and are rapidly outgrowing your newborn clothes and usually wear 0-3 months.

If I'm lucky, you sleep 4 hours at a time, although usually you eat every 3 hours like clockwork. You love to be held, and I think you would let someone hold you 24 hours a day if we would! I love that you're having longer and longer periods of being awake now.

You hate having your diaper changed but you're learning to like your baths.

Love you, beautiful baby girl. So glad you're here with us!

Ever had this kind of Day??

Yeah, us neither.

Wedding Weekend

Last weekend our family made the trip to Gainesville, TX to celebrate and take part in the wedding of my college roommate Tori. Their wedding was on a beautiful ranch, and the weather was perfect.

Abby thought the ranch was pretty cool. We spent time looking at the cows (who 'have long tails') and the horses, but the thing she loved the most was ACORNS. She collected them and stuffed them in her pockets all weekend. She was a somewhat reluctant flower girl, and the "official" pictures may not be all that great. But I was able to snap these out in front of the church before the ceremony.

Her cheesy grin

Checking out the bride as she walked to the chapel

Deep in thought

My favorite one.....

Another favorite.....

We tried to get a new family picture with all 4 of us, since the only one we have is from the day after Livi was born in the hospital. However, it proved a little challenging with a 3 week old and an unhappy 2.5 year old. We have several that look like this.....
But finally settled on this, the best of the bunch.

Livi was all dressed up for the wedding too.

And finally, the bride and groom, and the most beauitful flower girl!

Potty Reading

A little light reading for the potty. Any guesses as to what she's reading??

"The Womanly Art of Breast Feeding"

Sisterly Love

Abby has done amazing with Livi. She comes up to her at least 2-3 times per day and tells her how beautiful she is. She makes sure to bless her when she coughs or sneezes. She wants to be nearby when she gets her diaper changed or takes a bath.

And yes, sometimes she licks her. In case you were wondering, "she tastes good."

Making sure she sounds okay, Abby style

Welcoming her home


Sister "nap" on the couch with matching binkies

Checking out her mouth- Abby's inspected all her parts

Overall, it's been a great 3 weeks. I struggled the first week or so with balancing the needs of both my girls. Actually, I still struggle with it, and probably always will, but it was a rough beginning, compounded by hormones. However, instead of now feeling like I ruined Abby's life because I brought Livi home, I realize (I hope) that I've given her a best friend for life. Someone to tell her late night secrets to, share about her first crush and first kiss, a maid of honor for her wedding. A pair who can take care of each other when Dave and I are gone. And I know they're going to fight and get into each other's stuff and NOT like each other sometimes, but when all that falls away, what I'm hoping is for a lifetime of deep friendship and love. And so far, they're off to a great start.