Ponytail

Please ignore how very dirty my little girl is, and only admire how very cute her new ponytail is! Emma Grace you look like a little grown up girl with your hair all pulled up and not like a baby anymore. You are also getting so much better and you are leaving them in for at least 30 minutes at a time. I love you my little one!

Sledding with Family

Yesterday it snowed ALL day long, and this morning we woke up to about 8 inches of snow. We thought it would be a great day to bring the kids over to Aunt Emily’s house and go sledding. We had a blast. The Bost also met up with us to play in the snow and eat lot of yummy cold weather snacks.

Emma you are so much like your daddy in that you love to be outside and busy. You don’t’ care if it is cold or raining or sunny you just want to be tramping around outside. You are loving this snow. You keep putting your snow boots on and walking over to the door and crying so that we will bring you out! And Taylor you are just like your momma and you hate to be cold and could care less about being outside, but we did enjoy sledding today so that is all that counts. Hopefully we are creating lots of really fond memories!!!

Daddy and Emma Grace (did I tell you that Emma loves the snow):

Lucy and Daddy:

Aunt Emily:

The Coble's:

The Bost:

Daddy and Emma Grace:

Emily and Taylor:

New Project

I am really excited about this new cabin that I have inherited. This is one that Ryan’s granddad made when Ryan was a little boy. I am planning on painting it, distressing it, taking the glass doors off of it, and putting new hardware on it. I am envisioning that it will have that shabby chic look and I can put it in Emma’s room to display her dolls and hold toys. I will let you know how it turns out. I am hoping that if I post about it – it will motivate me to actually finish what I have started.

Taco Soup

The perfect cure for the cold – a great big pot of Taco Soup. I thought I would share this recipe with all of you because it is so very yummy and healthy. You don’t have to follow exactly just use whatever is in your pantry. As long as you have the taco seasoning and the cumin you will be money!

Start with:
A really big pot!
2 pounds of cooked ground beef (I prefer turkey)
2 Cans Dark red kidney beans
2 Cans Light red kidney beans
2 Cans of Black beans
Corn
Hominy
Whole tomatoes (or diced – or what ever is in you pantry)
2 cans Rotel – the kind with the cilantro
1 Can of Tomato Sause
1 chopped onion
2 packs taco seasoning
1 cup of water
1 teaspoon of cumin
And what ever other Mexican spices you have and want to use

I always garnish with shredded cheese, sour cream, green onions, cilantro, and Frito chips. Enjoy!

Snow Days

Yes it has iced and snowed her again today, and yes we are at home because the schools are closed. Luckily Emily is staying with us and she is able to help with the kids!!! Thank you Emily we would not make it through situations like this without you. This momma does not do snow, but also lucky for us Aunt Emily does (see pictures below). Ryan said we were all going sledding tomorrow – we will see how that goes. P.S. you will not see any pictures of Taylor in the snow because he is a lot like his momma and he does not like the snow or the cold!

Funny story: I was on a conference call with my VP earlier, who is in CO, and he knew that I was iced in. To wrap up the call he said, “are there any closing comments from the ice princess.” I seems to only ice here! I am actually looking forward to that fact that I have to be in Phoenix Sunday – Wednesday of this week. I am hopping that I come back and bring the warmth with me.

Where has time gone? Ms. Emma Grace you are just growing up so very fast, and every day is a new adventure. These days (at 18 months) you are:

Saying lots of words
Doing animal noises
Identifying all of your body parts
Pulling your hair out of all of you ponytails!
Giggling and getting into everything with your cousin Lucy
But most of all each day you are becoming more independent than the last.

You are an amazing little girl and I can’t wait to see what the world holds for you. Your mommy and daddy love you little girl, and would just ask that you QUIT GROWING UP SO VERY FAST. Happy 18 Months Old my sweet little girl!

Emma with her hair in a pony tail!

Silly Kids

Taylor it has been 27 days since you received your Wii for Christmas. I have to admit that it is probably the best gift that your daddy and I have ever gotten you, but I swear you have not stopped talking about it since the day you got it. Tonight your daddy was trying to get you dressed for bed and all you wanted to do was talk about your Star War’s Wii Game. Your dad said “Taylor we are going to go two minutes where you don’t talk about Wii." Well at one point during your two minutes you looked at your dad and said “dad when my two minutes is up I need to tell you something about my Wii.” You are precious, but it obvious these days that there is only one thing on your mind!

My Silly Little Girl:

Dinner with Family

On Saturday Audrey, Aaron, and Lila where able to join us dinner, and we enjoyed their company so very much. Actually Audrey and Lila were able to join us, and Uncle Aaron just got to swing by and eat really quickly while on his break. Baby Lila is getting so very big! I can’t believe she is already 8 months old. Where does time go?

Boot Camp and Lunch with an Old Friend

Today has been an exhausting day. I don’t think that I have told you guys but Mary and I started Boot Camp last week at the fitness center and it is well kicking our (mostly my) butt. Last week we did cardio, and this week we are doing lower body. Let me tell you – I can’t even sit down without groaning. I know it is good for us, but I am so out of shape that it might just kill me to get back into shape. On the second day of class the teacher walked over to Mary and me and said, “I was not expecting to see you ladies back again.” My goal by the end of the class is to not finish last on the sprints anymore!

Even thought I have been exhausted all day today I did get to step away and have lunch with my dear old friend Candice. You might recognize the name, but Candice is the one that made all of the letters for my sister and me (pictured in the upper right hand corner of my blog). Candice actually used to work on my team at Wal-Mart Transportation, and I had the opportunity to mentor Candice, and now we are really dear friends. Candice is now the most amazing young/professional lady I know. She has so much potential and drive and I am so very proud of her and all of her accomplishments!!! I wish that I could scan in and show you Taylor’s baby scrapbook that Candice finished for me. It is truly amazing – she gave it to me a lunch today and I am so thrilled with it. You guys will just have to stop by the house and see it.

Manna In Town

We have also had a little bit of time to spend with Manna over the past couple weeks, and we have really enjoyed her company – except when she is spreading her germs. HA! We passed a stomach bug back in fourth a couple times and it was not very fun, but I think that we are all feeling better now. Unfortunately Manna had to go back home to Baton Rouge yesterday, and we miss her a lot, but I know that G-Daddy is enjoying having his wife back in town. We miss you guys and we love you, and can’t wait for your next visit!

The girls riding their Manna:

Taylor playing his favorite thing in the world (The Wii):

Taylor on a side note you lost your second tooth last week. Maybe you will stand still long enough so I can take a picture of it and share with everyone! I love you my little Wii player.

Fast Lanes here we come…..

As you know last week we had a lot of snow and ice, and no school. Well Friday I was so tired of Taylor being cooped up in the house all week that I took off work and we went to Fast Lanes to have fun and get out of the house. I wish I had thought to open a place like Fast Lanes. It is perfect for kids, especially when it is cold outside. There is bowling, video games, racecar riding, lazar tag, and really good food (I am not kidding they have excellent food). And it this place is always packed – they have to be making a killing. Well we did it all and Taylor, Aunt Emily and I all had a blast! I have to say thank you to Aunt Emily because she spent almost all week last week with Taylor while he was out of school. I don’t know what I would have done without you Emily – Thank you!

My beautiful sister Emily:

Tacos, Fishing, and Family Fun

Today has been the most fun day of all! The four of us (Ryan, Taylor, Emma Grace, and myself) have spent the whole day together, and honestly we have not done that in a really long time. Since our children are so far apart in age we usually have to plan separate activities with them, and during this time of year (hunting season) we usually don’t see Ryan much at all on Saturday mornings. But today was the exception. We go up and all had breakfast together, then we got cleaned up, went to the recycling center, had Tacos for lunch at Joe’s, and went fishing together. It is like 55 degrees here today, and we thought it would be a good day to get out since it has been so cold the past couple of weeks. Unfortunately the boys did not fish long because Emma wanted to go swimming with the ducks, but we had a good time together nonetheless.

Have you ever seen a duck with an Afro?

Well I had not either until this morning.

Emma Grace you reminded me so much of your brother today

carrying around all of your sticks!!!

My favorite boys with their fishing poles:

Fallen Off Track

I am sorry Blog, for I have neglected you once again. I truly do have good intentions of blogging at least every other day, but lately I have been cold, sick, and over worked and you have fallen to the waist side. I will try to catch up today, and possibly get back on track next week!

Ice Day....

It is Thursday January 7th, 2010, negative 10 degrees outside with ice all over the roads. Taylor has now been home from school for 20 straight days in a row. One can only wonder if he will have school tomorrow, or it he will go 23 days in a row with no school and return on Monday. We have got to get back to a normal life around here!!!

Getting Out of the House

Yesterday I had to get Taylor and Emily out of the house because they have been cooped up due to the weather for 5 days now. So we joined the Bost at the movies and all watched the Princess and the Frog. Well Lucy, Emma, Mary, and I only made it about 50 minutes through the movie, but we considered that a success. While Emily and Taylor finished up Mary and I let the girls run around the hall of the theater.

Side note - I have to tell you all that this was the best movie I have seen in a very long time. It was amazing, and I did not even get to finish watching it. I can’t wait to buy it on DVD.

Wouldn’t these statues be cute for a child’s play room?

Snow Week

When you were little didn’t you hate having to go back to school after a long break? Well Taylor was suppose to go back to school on Monday after being out of school for his two week winter vacation, instead it is now Wednesday and his has been out all week due to the snow that fell on Sunday. Not to mention that it is supposed to snow again tonight with temperatures only reaching about 6 degrees today. I bet that the children of Bentonville will have a three-week winter vacation this year! Lucky kids.

Thank goodness Aunt Emily is now officially back in town. She has been able to keep Taylor during the day so I can go to work.

Emma Grace talking up a storm

Lately Emma Grace had been talking up a store. The other day she pointed outside and said, “Snow.” I have been so worried that this child would not talk that I did not know what to do. I guess with a brother like Taylor that she has not had time to get a word in edgewise. But lately she has really been talking away. She says tons of words now!!! I love you Emma Grace - you are such a smart and funny little girl.

Emma Grace the Wallet Finder

About a week ago I found Emma Grace in my purse going through my wallet, and then a couple days later she brought her brothers wallet out to the den and started going through it. Well I did not think much of it until Monday night when I found her sitting in my room, with my purse opened (which I had strategically zipped before putting it on the floor). She was going through my wallet again and this time had everything pulled out all over the floor. I would have taken a picture but I really wanted to take the opportunity to teach her that it was not as cute as it really was, so maybe she would not continue to do it again. I guess some people are just born to shop!!!

New Years Day Meal

Yesterday we all got together for a wonderful traditional New Years Day Meal. We had collard greens, black eyed peas, round brie cheese, rice, and ham. We should have lots of luck in 2010!

New Years Resolutions Looking Back and Looking Ahead

Looking back on 2009:
* Get promoted at work - accomplished
* Loose 10 Pounds – not quite, but started exercising religiously
* Be a better more genuine friend – continually try to do this
* Stop popping fingers – not anywhere close


Resolutions for 2010:
* Be a better mom and try not to yell at my children (Taylor that is). I love Taylor and he is a good kid but sometimes he doe not listen (or take me serous) so I feel that the only way to get his attention is to yell, and I feel really bad about it, but I do not believe in spanking and timeout has become a joke. Ryan and I stared making Taylor run laps in the back yard about a month ago and it has seemed to help, but I continually need to work on being more patient.

* Be a better more genuine friend – I want to try to remember to do this for the rest of my life.

* Stop popping fingers – maybe if I right it down and speak it allowed I would stop – or maybe my friends will hold me accountable.

* As always, be a better Christian. I would like to read and study my bible more often, and become more comfortable witnessing to people. My mother-in-love is the best witness to God and all his glory, and I would like to be more like her in this area of my life. I was taking and really enjoying a Bible study class this fall, but had to quit due to my travel schedule. I am afraid that at this point in my life my travel is not going to slow down any, so I am going to have to find a new way to study the bible. (Any suggestions?)

* Of course loose weight – I would like to loose 11 pounds and I think I would feel really good about myself.

Christmas in Alabama

Yes we did it again. Mary and I thought that it would be a good idea to pack up our three small children and go to Alabama to visit our grandparents. It was a good idea to visit because several of them have been ill lately. But it was not a good idea to bring our children. We were planning on staying 5 days in Alabama, but we made it 2 days. Thank God my sister Emily was there otherwise I am afraid that we would have packed them in a FedEx box and had them overnighted back home so we did not have to ride in the car with them.

On a side note I wish I had a picture of us coming back home because it was quite humorous. We traded cars with my mom so we could get all three of the car seats in the car to come back home with (she drives a ginormous Ford, Excursion). Unfortunately she did not have the third row of seat in it, so poor Emily had to ride in the very back of the car on the floorboard. I am sure that we could have been arrested for the behavior, but I think it brought back memories for Emily for that is how she spent most of her childhood in the car.

Taylor and Brianna:
Beautiful Cousin Laurie (Laurie has always been one of my closest friends in life):

Rub and Dub Dub, Three little girls in a tub (Lucy, Emma, and Kyland):

Allison and Kyland:

Emma and Lucy in a Toy box:

Aunt Shurly and Lucy

G-Daddy and Lucy:

Granddad and G-Daddy

Grandmom and Tracy:

Shirl and Manna:

Ginger, Anna, Stewart:

Taylor and Lili: