From Winter to Spring

Most of the last 4 months in pictures (lots of pictures)

We love our neighbors

Donuts for Dads at school

A picture of most Saturday mornings in our house

Growing baby #3

(January and February)

Valentine date

Visit with G and Buster

Buddies

Selfies

She wants to do everything big sister does

Bubble baths are the best

  

6 year anniversary weekend away

They miss me when I'm gone

Valentine love

Papa and Yaya's birthdays

side of the road potty break

Meredith and Alison turn 30!

Little man's baptism 

College friends beach trip

We all survived the stomach bug that wiped through our house

Zoo day

We spend many Saturdays at Home Depot

March 1/2 marathon for Daddy

Children's Museum

Easter Egg Hunt at school

 Church Egg Hunt

Trip with the girls to B'ham 

  Visiting Anne

  Grandmama

Cousins 

Nothing like a ride on Grandmama's walker 

PJ day at school 

Park time 

Little sisters

Spring music program 

Kisses for "BeBe"

Ivy comes to Atlanta 

Cousins pizza party 

Girls move in together 

16 months and 3.5 years

A lot of our days right now are LONG, challenging, and exhausting.  Another reason I can barely sit myself down to write up a post.  Of course, there is fun, smiles, and laughs in there too and while I wouldn't trade it for anything sometimes at night I just feel like I have survived.  Which is a little scary considering this 3rd baby has yet to make his/her appearance.

I do LOVE LOVE watching these two interact and become friends

This pic of Annie looking at Caroline sums everything up...she wants to do anything C is doing

And sometimes big sis wants to be like little sis too

16 Months - Annie 

-Words-moma, dada, shoes, stinky, uh oh, thank you, good girl, sissy, no, hi, bye, car, eat, nack (snack) 

-Things she is doing- Nods her head for "yes" to certain questions and can shake her head for "no" as well.  Blinks her eyes when you tell her to, follows simple instructions (drink your milk, pick up the toy, hand me your bow, etc), still loves peek a boo, likes to eat with a fork (I put the food on it and then she put it in her mouth), starting to like milk more,  does not like most of her food cut up into small pieces (wants to eat like us - especially sandwiches).

-Walking all over the place
-Annie gets frustrated easily when she cannot do what Caroline is doing.
-Very into books right now
-Still my little cuddle bug.  She wants to cuddle and snuggle lots and I do not mind one bit.  Especially loves to wrap her arms around my neck and play with my hair while she hugs.
-Has had 6 teeth come in over the last month or so - 4 in the front and 2 bottom molars.  Top 2 molars are coming in now.

Still loves a straw sippy cup

Thinks these baby doll bunk beds are hers

Always a trooper

Spaghetti is her favorite 

3.5 years - Caroline

-Talks, talks, and talks more

-Loves to ask questions 

-Sweet and very sensitive, yet can be so defiant and rebellious at times 

-Loves to help with anything - Annie, "setting" the table for dinner, going to get something for me upstairs or anywhere

-Loves dancing, ballet, music, her bike

-Has become a bed hoarder - so many lovies, dolls, pillow, and stuffed animals in there
-Thrives and really lights up in a smaller group where she is most comfortable
-Loving playing "school" or "bank" at home
-Responds best to discipline that is calm and gentle
-Loves accessories of any kind

90 Years

In January, my sweet grandmother, Annie Elizabeth, turned 90 years old.  

90 years.... I cannot even imagine all she has seen in her lifetime, but I am very grateful she is here to tell her stories.  And boy, can she remember everything perfectly! 

Some of my best childhood memories are with her and my grandfather.  

We rarely got one on one time with them since there were 10 grandchildren, but every year on your birthday you always got a date to any restaurant you wanted with just the two of them.  

And, they took each grandchild on a special trip around the age of 10 or 11.  Mine was a 3 week road trip to California, Colorado, and everywhere in between.  We covered 13 states in those 3 weeks.  It was amazing and one of the coolest things I have ever done.  My love for travel definitely came from my grandmother and grandfather.       

For her birthday she wanted a simple celebration with all her family together.  

And from all over we came. 

4 children, 10 grandchildren, 5 great grandchildren (+ 2 on the way).  

My grandmother is a Georgian (Atlanta) raised southern girl transplanted to Alabama as an adult.  She loves good southern food so we feasted on fried chicken, mac n cheese, pimento cheese, chicken salad, green beans, and sweet tea.  

They say people can be difficult and more demanding as they become elderly, but not my grandmother.  She is the most easy going and pleasant person you will ever meet.  She is up for anything and always a trooper.  She just wants to be around friends and family.  

As we celebrated her 90 years, she made a up a trivia game for us all to play.  25 questions about her and her life growing up.  Questions ranging from her favorite Christmas present as a child to who she was named for and where she took her first vacation.  Many of us didn't do too well in the game, but we loved hearing more about her life.  

I love that she knows my girls and my girls know her.  Caroline always associates Birmingham with two people: Mimi and Grandmama.  

She is kind, gentle, humble, patient, loving, faithful, and giving.

Happy birthday to one very special woman.

We look forward to many more birthdays with you!