The Lovell's

Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T09:38:00.001-08:00

I am behind and am not going to try to catch up but I am going to give you a Christmas overview. These are not in order because it drives me CRAZY the way you have to do it to get them in order so...keep up and enjoy.

Allie loves her Rapunzel dress from MawMaw/ PawPaw and her Rapunzel hair from Nanny and Poppy.

Allie and Poppy at Aunt Kandye's on Christmas night.
Cousins.

Allie opening presents gtom Nanny and Poppy on Christmas day.

Allie enjoying her Walking Pup from Santa.

Dress from Santa.

Dora doll.

Checking out what is in the stocking.

Opening Nanny/Poppy presents.

Me and Heather at MawMaw's Christmas Eve.

Opening presents at MawMaw and PawPaw's.

Look on her face when she saw loot from Santa.

Santa's loot.

Excitement.

Halloween 2011

2011-10-30T18:48:00.001-07:00

This is for my dad...he will be working to late to see Allie in her costume tom. And just for fun...here's me and Matt!

Preschool Day 2

2011-08-18T12:02:00.000-07:00

A few tears on the second day of preschool but Mrs. Beth said she had a good day and the tears didn't last long. Allie was even greeted with a new My Little Pony at pick-up time.

First Day of Preschool

2011-08-16T12:33:00.001-07:00

Today was Allie's first day of preschool at Little Tots. I can't believe how fast she is growing up. I just LOVE this little girl to pieces. She had a great first day. She said her teacher, Mrs. Beth is "GREAT," and is a "good singer." I am looking forward to lots of fun times and lots of learning this year.

Posing before we headed out this morning.

Walking to class.

Hanging up her backpack.

Allie and Mrs. Beth.

Time to go home :)

More fun in the SUMMER!

2011-08-05T11:44:00.001-07:00

Here's more of the fun we have been having the past couple of weeks. Last week a group of us to the kids to Treemendous Treehouses at Botanical Gardens in Huntsville. Although this picture doesn't prove it, WE HAD A GREAT TIME!!!

This week we took the girls to Funland Skate Castle in Decatur...here they are doing the chicken dance.

First time in skates!

Summer Play Dates

2011-07-23T05:15:00.000-07:00

This summer we have been trying to have some play dates with our friends who are off work for the summer. Here's Allie with Kaylee at Jimmy Gill Park. It was a really nice place to go and take the kids because it was private and we had the park to ourselves...Anna Beth and Dylan were also here this day and we packed a lunch and ate under the pavilion.
Here's Katie Lee and Allie enjoying some ice cream after taking swimming lessons earlier in the summer. Amanda, Lillian and Abby were also with us at Chik-Fil-A. They enjoyed playing in the play area.

Each summer a couple of my longtime friends get together with our kids. Here's Allie with Carter and Caroline Chandler and Coleby Davis.

Here's Allie with Katie Lee at the Splash Pad in Decatur. It is a fun, free thing to do on a hot, summer day.

We also packed a picnic this day and ate under the trees at Delano Park in Decatur.

We went to Point Mallard earlier this week and the KIDS LOVED IT! Eight kids in all.

We definitely want to go back soon!

The wave pool was this biggest hit.

Last night we met up with Aidan for our second round of the Kiddie Carnival this summer. They loved the roller coaster.

Earlier in the summer we also went to Pottery By You. It is a new business in Athens and I am looking forward to going there again. This day, Anna Beth and Katie Lee painted with Allie.

Allie painted a unicorn, yipee!

The Fourth (and 1st, 2nd & 3rd!)

2011-07-05T19:47:00.001-07:00

We kicked off the Fourth festivities with a "campout" on Friday night. Allie didn't actually spend the night, but to her she still camped.

Glad my dad got to join in the fun this year.

AWWWW!

Marshmellow roastin'!

On Saturday, the Lovell family had their annual Fourth of July stew and potluck.

It's not a party unless you get some baby doodie on you.

I brought some waterguns for the kids to play with. I still haven't decided if this was a good idea.

I brought bubbles too!

Saturday night, we went to my parents' house for steak and fireworks.

Allie didn't like the fireworks.
Monday, we went to my Aunt Ginger's for food, fun by the pool and fireworks.

Allie had a blast!

Loves the pool.

Even did a few sparklers.

Whewww...we were exhausted!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Orange Beach 2011

2011-06-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

We returned from our 2nd Annual Nanny/Poppy & Us beach trip. This year Aunt Shelly was able to come along and we had so much fun. We look forward to the trip for half the year, so it is sad when it is over...BUT...I am looking forward to doing A LOT of fun things with Allie this summer!

This pic is actually from our last night at the beach but it was soooo cute. So of our friends from home were staying at the same place we were...had to take a chance for a photo op. Wish we could have hung out more.

This is Allie on the Dolphin Tour ride. As you can see she seemed more interested in her stuffed animals.
Showing off her ring that Aunt Shelly bought for her at LuLu's.

Daddy teaching Allie a thing or two while playing Putt-Putt at the arcade.

Me, Mama and Shelly.

Poppy and Allie eating lunch at The Crab Trap in Perdido, FL.

Nanny, Poppy and Allie in the pool.

Shelly, Allie and me.

Tornadoes

2011-05-03T14:01:00.000-07:00

I have spent almost my entire life living in Limestone County. It's normal to awaken in the middle of the night to tornado sirens or to seek cover in storm shelters or basements during bad weather. But to say "we are used to tornadoes around here," is just not a fact.
We are used to bad weather and anticipating bad weather, but tornadoes usually don't happen. In my 31 years there has NEVER been anything like this in Limestone County. I am extremely emotional about it, although I wasn't directly affected by it...people I know were, and communities that I consider part of my hometown were too.
This past week has been an emotional roller coaster for me...partly because my little girl broke her leg and partly because of all the emotion and unreal pictures from the storm that I see. I have seen several videos of the tornado that hit East Limestone, just a "stone throw" from some dear friends. I am so thankful that they are all safe. I will always remember what a horrific day April 27 was and I hope we never experience another like it. God bless our community and the many others affected.

2011-04-26T08:41:00.000-07:00

For those of you who follow us by blog, here is what has been going on at the Lovell house. After a fun-filled morning Easter Egg hunting, we decided to head to my parent's house to jump on the trampoline and eat supper. After being there less than an house, Allie broke her leg on the trampoline.

So after spending a good chunk of the evening in the ER, we got to come home and do this. Notice the bunny has a cast too.
Then the Easter Bunny came by and dropped off some goodies.
This kite from the good ol' Easter Bunny sure has been a blessing the past couple of days.
And here's her Easter Dress...don't know when we will get to wear it...hopefully soon.
We go to the Dr. on Wednesday. Pray for good news and a super short cast wearing time.

2011-04-26T08:39:00.001-07:00

Egg Hunt #2

2011-04-23T10:22:00.001-07:00

Saturday morning we headed to Chris and Amanda's for some fun with the kiddos from church. There was an egg hunt and food and lots of fun.
Here's Allie racing to get eggs.

Bunny Breakfast & Egg Hunt

2011-04-16T14:04:00.000-07:00

We attended our second annueal Bunny Breakfast in Athens Saturday. Allie had a lot of fun, although it took awhile to warm up to the Easter Bunny. This year we went with Kim and Brylee and these girls were a hoot! Finally warmed up.

Here we are about to get into a fight about who is going to find the most eggs.

Checking out the loot.

Busy...

2011-04-11T05:19:00.000-07:00

I know, I know I have been neglecting this blog for a while now...but I have been busy. Back in October, Matt and I began taking classes to become Real Estate Agents. He got his license back in November and I was a little behind him and just recently took and passed my test. We both joined AAA Realty and will hopefully start selling houses soon. This real estate endeavor is in addition to the business we already do so I am expecting and hopeful that we will be busy. If you are interested in buying or selling a house, call 256.614.2157. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Tashia Wales Lovell

Allie's 3rd Birthday Party

2011-03-07T14:14:00.001-08:00

I have had a case of the "bloggin' blues" over the winter months but hopefully with the warm temperatures ahead and fun stuff to do, the posts will become more frequent.
Last month we celebrated Allie's 3rd birthday with a party at Onyx gym. Lots of kids and Lots of fun!
Here's Allie in her Ariel shirt...the theme of the party.
Allie's beautiful cake that Laura made for Allie...It was a hit!

Katie Lee using her skills.

Shelly and Abby taking a break.

Renea and McKayla.

Just some old dudes who crashed the party :)

Courtney, Kandye and Mama.
Ella, Allie, Madigyn and Abby.
Ava, Allie and Emma with the bean bag MawMaw and PawPaw gave her.

Allie is 3!

2011-02-10T20:25:00.001-08:00

Since we won't party until Saturday, we had to make today special since it IS Allie's actual birthday. So, we started out the day with a present.

YAY! It's a bracelet.

Now, Logan's for lunch.

Can't believe my little Poo-Poo is 3. I love her sooo much!

Christmas at MawMaw and PawPaw's

2011-01-28T05:19:00.001-08:00

Anticipating the loot.

A big hit this year was the pillow pets.

Me and Heather.

MawMaw and Rylee.

More Christmas

2011-01-27T17:03:00.001-08:00

Christmas morning with Nannie and Poppy.

Christmas night with the Waleses.

Britney and Allie.

Daddy and Allie making snow cream on one of these snow days.

Late, late Christmas

2011-01-27T16:48:00.000-08:00

My apologies...these are a little, no A LOT late! But here ya' go...
We got a PRINCESS everything for Christmas.
"Mape-up" to go with our vanity.

Princess Cafe.

Vanity.

Baby Alive and stocking stuffers.

Let's get it started!

2010-12-20T19:25:00.000-08:00

Thursday evening we started the Christmas parties with a gathering at Catfish Cabin with AAA Realty.

Saturday we went to Aunt Alice's for the Marbut Christmas Party. Lots of good food and good fun. Wish I would have gotten my crockpot in the Christmas swap though :(

Disney on Ice

2010-12-04T18:02:00.000-08:00

Laura and I took James and Allie to see Disney on Ice this morning. We had such a good time and I am so glad we got to go together. I'm looking forward to more day trips with Laura and James.

Snow White and Mommy.

Laura and Sleeping Beauty.
A tuckered out little princess. What a way to spend a Saturday!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-26T14:09:00.000-08:00

The turkey decor at the Lovell house.
Our first trip of the day was to MawMaw and PawPaw's for the Lovell festivities...

We wanted a pic of Emma and Allie since they were dressed alike. I told Allie to hold her hands up so we could see the turkey...this is what I got.

Allie and William kept going in MawMaw's closet and shutting the door in the dark...I think they were playing hide-and-go-seek. They could have been plotting their takeover of the Lovell plantation. :)

Our next gathering was at my aunt Ginger's house. Here is Abby and Allie.

Me and Kandye.

Daddy and Matt...you can see my Meme in the background laughing at something.

Shelly and Campbell.

Ashley, Britney and Abby.

Halloween Part II

2010-10-30T18:49:00.001-07:00

Saturday...we had a BIG day to say the least. Aside from all the visiting and plans we had during the day on Saturday we also had plans to Trick-or-Treat with Aidan and Rylee.
Here is a shot I took while waiting on our company to arrive. Allie did a very good job this year. She would go up to the door and knock or ring the doorbell if it was low enough. She would even say "Trick-or-Treat."
Aidan finally warmed up and got in on the action.
Our transportation.

Mom and Al.

Neighbor Jim.

After ToT. Aidan and Heather stayed for some stew. I think we all had a great time BUT we are glad Halloween is OVER! We are tired!!!

Halloween Part I

2010-10-30T12:39:00.000-07:00

It has become tradition that we head to MawMaw and PawPaw's on Halloween morning to eat breakfast for Matt, Jim and Will's birthday...so we take the opportunity to dress the kids up so we can all see each other in our costumes.

Allie the "Bumble Bee."

Group shot.
Ava the "Witch."

Aubrey the "Cat."

Aidan the "Dragon."

Rylee the "Caterpillar."
Didn't get a single one of Emma but she is "Minnie Mouse."

William a.k.a. "Mickey Mouse."
Opening the "loot" from MawMaw and PawPaw.

Then we went to my mom and dad's. Here is the "loot," from them. A rocking chair! She is going to love it!

Happy Birthday to a Super Cute little man!

2010-10-30T12:30:00.000-07:00

William turned 3 earlier this month and we celebrated his big day with a Charlie Brown Big Pumpkin themed party last night. The kids and adults had a lot of fun! I had three servings of "the best baked beans ever," last night. Thanks Amber...felt the effects of that this morning!

These two are GONNA be some trouble!!!

Busy, busy weekend

2010-10-25T18:59:00.000-07:00

This weekend sure was busy. We started off on Friday night with the Athens/East game. We sat on the Athens side. Allie loved the band and the cheerleaders and the two guys dressed up as bananas.
Making funny faces at the camera.

My sweet girl.

Allie started Sat. morning off eating breakfast with Daddy and his friend Aaron at Canebrake. He took her to Wal-Mart afterwards and brought home these crazy balloons. YAY Daddy! Here she is playing with balloons before I took her to my aunt Kandye's house so that Matt and I could attend Roger and Valarie's wedding, which was beautiful.

We ended the day Sat. with supper at friends house...no pictures of that. Sunday was another busy day. Here Allie is licking the batter for the cake that I made for a young folks gathering Sunday night.

This one is out of order. But, here she is posing before Church Sunday morning.

Sunday evening, some young folks from our Church got together for a Scavenger Hunt. I stayed and helped with the kiddos while others scavenged (sp?). Sounds like everyone had a good time.

Here is Allie with her "Monster Mix."

Painting her pumpkin.

Aidan having a good time.

Pumpkin Painting and Storytime

2010-10-21T18:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight we decided to paint pumpkins. I was going to wait until tommorrow so that we would be better prepared but we "made-do," and Allie seemed to really enjoy it!

Also, this week we decided to head back to the Elkmont Depot for storytime. We have not been in a few months and with the colder temperatures ahead, this will give us something to do. James, Kendall, Allie and Evan.

Getting ready to make our craft.

Fall at this Lovell House

2010-10-15T18:24:00.001-07:00

My f-a-v-o-r-i-t-e piece this year. It is made out of burlap. I didn't make it but I believe I could. The other side says BOO!
Full view of the front porch fall decor.

Mums, pumpkins and my little scarecrow.

Peek-a-Boo!!!

Back porch.

Fall Festival

2010-10-15T18:11:00.000-07:00

Thursday night Mawmaw invited the crew to Athens Convalescent Center for their annual fall festival. It was fun for the kiddos...I don't know about the grown-ups.

Checking out the loot.

Fishin'

Allie want the ball.

Cake Walk.

Allie playing a game.

Grand Opening

2010-10-12T18:31:00.001-07:00

Congrats to Justin Miller for his new business (Farmers Ins. J. Miller Group). I hope I have the business name correct. Tuesday evening Matt. Allie and I went to his Grand Opening. Great music, good food and wonderful company...
Ava and Allie munchin' on some Doritos.
Kynsley and Allie.

Groovin' to the music.

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-11T18:37:00.000-07:00

This makes our second annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch with our friends Kim and Brylee. This year instead of Tate we went to Lyon Farm in Tenn. The girls had a really good time and I am glad we get to spend this time with them.
It took Allie a little while to warm up to the pigs but she really enjoyed touching them.
As close to an "us" photo as I got.

Playin' in the corn.

Allie's "very own" pumpkin. It sure ain't the prettiest one though!

It also took them a while to warm up to petting the chick. This guy was "real" enthusiastic about his job...guess he gets pretty board.

Tunnel fun. Awwwwww!

I think this is the only pic I got of William. Will, Amber, Emma and William were there too! Fun times!

Just us...

2010-10-09T19:08:00.000-07:00

We have just started letting Allie spend the night away from home. Friday night was her fourth night away from home. She stayed at Nannie and Papa's. She called my mom Friday and told her she had packed her bag and we were on our way...and when I went to pick her up she cried, pushed me away and let me know she wasn't ready to come home...eventually she came around...glad she did...I miss her when she is gone.
Here she is with my dad when I dropped her off Friday.

Anyway...on to the post title...Just us...
Friday night Matt and I went to the Athens game and went to breakfast Saturday morning. It's nice to get some "just us" time. I miss that too!
Here's my cousin Courtney. She is a senior at Athens. She must have been super excited that we showed up since this was homecoming and all. ;)

aUBreY Is oNE

2010-10-09T19:01:00.000-07:00

Thursday night we celebrated Aubrey's 1st birthday. Time sure does fly. There are now seven little cousins and it doesn't seem like that long ago...there were none :)
Allie seemed to love Aubrey's presents. She is getting to the age where...SHE WANTS EVERYTHING for Christmas :O

Opening presents is ALWAYS chaos.

Fiddlin' Fun

2010-10-09T18:49:00.001-07:00

Little late with the posts, but better late, right?

We went to Fiddler's on Friday...day and night. We went early to shop the booths and later to eat and socialize with the fam. We had a good night :)

Allie sat with a couple of girls from church for a little while on Friday. She didn't want to leave when it was time to go. She loves her church buddies.

Allie and William chillin' out and relaxin'...or holding their chairs hostage ;)

Just a funny pic of these two.

Our family pic for the evening...and...NO I do not have on blue lipstick but something went wrong in the cropping process.

Me and Erica. Sorry it is sooooo cropped in but "Aunt Heather" didn't tell me my shirt was too low. My unmentionables...well...you know :)

BUCK DANCIN'

For Sale: Toile Chairs

2010-09-28T12:48:00.000-07:00

Okay...so, I got my new table and the parsons chairs are not working in my space now. So, they are now for sale! Table is sold but these red toile parsons chairs are on the market. If you are interested, comment below for a price.

Lil' Sis is moving

2010-09-27T04:09:00.000-07:00

There is nearly a 7 year age gap between my Lil' SIS Shelly and myself. So, needless to say, growing up, we weren't close. But, as the years have passed, we have taken a turn for the better. After Allie was born Shelly became one of my biggest helpers, which led to a close relationship between the two of us. She is so helpful and loving when it comes to Allie... and no offense to my Sis-n-Laws but Shelly is probably Allie's favorite Aunt! Shelly goes out of her way for us. She cuts our hair, babysits, brings surprises, and basically just enjoys spending time with us. Tuesday nights have become Shelly's night at the Lovell house. I usually prepare supper and Shelly comes and hangs out and WE ARE GOING TO MISS that.

Shelly and her husband are moving to North Carolina in a couple of weeks. It is a move that is best for their family to better prepare for the future. Their plan is to take care of a couple of things while away and come back to Alabama in 2 years. Alex plans to go back to school while there.

Anyway. This is a sad time for my family because we will miss her very much. So, last night we had a little going away party for her and it was very nice to get together with the Wales family.

Our little family.

Aunt Shelly and Allie.

Some of the crowd.

Sisters. I told Heather L. to take this picture because she was the only one I trusted to take it. Look at it! Blurry.

Abby and Allie. They sure had fun playing at the party!

Wild night on the Lovell Plantation

2010-09-18T19:13:00.000-07:00

Glad there are folks that are brave enough to get this rowdy bunch together :) Sure was fun but wild that is FOR SURE! With a bunch of kids 5 years old or less, you can help but get roughed up a little.
All joking aside, we had fun at Buzz and Jenn's for an extended family gathering Friday night...but let the pictures speak for themselves...Lots of wild kiddos, crying and mischief...

This is an "attempt" at a group shot. Why do we even bother?

The stage is set, forgot what they were singing...

Eatin' some grub...

The yummy cupcakes Amber made! I made the deviled eggs, which made my house smell like a poot! GRRRR!

A pre-game "Mommy Shot."

My new ride...

2010-09-10T05:24:00.001-07:00

Clear the streets....Allie got this yesterday!

She was getting Lisa ready for a ride...But seriously...Where did she get the name "Lisa" for her babydoll? It so OLD SCHOOL :)

For Sale

2010-09-08T13:52:00.000-07:00

Handpainted distressed black table and two chairs. Red Toile Chairs ARE NOT for sale. Comment if you are interested and I'll give you a price.

Lovell # 7 is born...

2010-09-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

Breaking news...

Amidst a busy weekend of Alabama Football, dove hunting and Vet Clinic debuts, Rylee Jordan, a.k.a. Lovell #7, busted onto the scene in a chaotic frenzy Friday evening.
Around 6 p.m. Friday, mother- Heather Lovell, began to experience some mild labor contractions. After about an hour of this annoyance, the pains began to worsen enough for the elder Lovell to say, "This is it!"
After wrangling Jordan, a.k.a "The Dad," in from a Friday night fishing trip on the Elk, the two RUSHED to Huntsville Hospital Women and Children's facility. After hurriedly making their way into the hospital, the Lovell's learned of their little bundle's fast approaching arrival.
After discovering that Heather was already 8 centimeters dilated upon arrival, everyone knew this procedure would have to be quick and THAT it was! In less than 2 hours of their arrival Rylee Jordan made her entrance around 10:45 p.m. Friday.
Aidan Lovell, a.k.a. "Little Brother," or "Little Wade," remains unsure of his feelings towards this addition to their family. Everyone agrees that this will just taking some---gettin' use to.
As for mom and baby...everyone is doing fine.

Wanted

2010-08-22T16:19:00.000-07:00

A wooden jewelry box that stands like a dresser. Anyone got one to sell and if so, how much??? Not too concerned on color or condition. Planning to paint.

Tremendous Treehouses

2010-08-22T13:35:00.000-07:00

Saturday my friend Kim and I took our kiddos to Tremendous Treehouses at Huntsville's Botanical Gardens. It was a lot of fun but it SURE WAS HOT. I hope we get to go again...we didn't make it through the whole exhibit because the kids, as well as us, were worn out!

The Bird's Nest exhibit...

Brilee and Allie quenching their thirsts...

Allie's photos

2010-08-18T07:58:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I took Allie to have her 2 year pics made. I think they are great! I am going to have a hard time choosing. Thanks to Carla McLemore for doing a wonderful job!!!

Our weekend...

2010-08-14T18:34:00.000-07:00

We didn't do anything extra special but we have been having a fun weekend. Friday evening we went to the mall and some other stores in Huntsville then we stopped by the driving range for Matt to try out a new golf club he bought. Allie enjoyed kicking and throwing the balls.

Allie has been enjoying a more "grown-up," style of playing lately...including getting made up or dressed up...whatever you want to call it. Cute either way.

Saturday afternoon after a trip to Rooster's we headed to Southern Gayles for 9 holes of golf with Matt. We had fun but I am sure Matt won't be requesting our company too much on the golf course. Allie kept taking the balls away before Matt could hit them.

Splash Pad

2010-08-13T12:11:00.000-07:00

Friday, Heather and I took the kiddos to Splash Pad at Delano Park in Decatur. We enjoyed about an hour or more of the pad to ourselves. It was fun and a nice break from sitting in the house. VERY HOT though!

End of summer hoorah...

2010-08-10T18:48:00.000-07:00

...at the Kiddie Carnival that is!!!

Allie and I went to the Kiddie Carnival Friday night to give us something to do. It was actually a nice night to go...wasn't crowded and it wasn't super hot...so all-in-all pretty fun.

Matt made over in this picture...

Ticket in hand ready to ride the swings. She loved having the tickets to give to them.

I thought I was going to have to say something to this girl. She kept rocking the cage, which made me nervous!!!

Here she is on the carousel. Just warming up here.

Before the Kiddie Carnival Matt, Allie and I went to the park for a little family time. Here's Allie and Matt while we were at the pond feeding the ducks.

Just because...

2010-08-10T06:24:00.000-07:00

...IT'S FUNNY!!! This was one of the "boiling pots of water from the stove" baths Allie had to take while our water heater was out!

Spend-the-night

2010-07-31T19:45:00.000-07:00

Friday night Allie spent the night with Nannie and Papa (my parents). This was her first overnight visit with them and everyone was excited. Here she is knocking on the door...

Well I don't know how excited everyone was at 3:30 in the morning and Allie was still WIDE AWAKE! She is not much for sleeping in any other bed BUT HER OWN. There are times when she will...but NEVER like she does at home. She sleeps from approximately 8:30 p.m. until 6:30-7:30 a.m. when she is at home...SO for her to be AWAKE at 3:30 a.m. is a BIG deal. My poor Mama...just laughed as she told me about it but I know Allie exhausted her. Allie never would go to sleep in the bed. She decided to lay on her "sleeping bag," (bean bag) and sleep. So off Mama and Allie went...to sleep. Well it didn't last long because a little before 6 a.m. Allie was standing looking at Mama while she sleep telling her it was "Morning!" So, up they got...

Mama and Daddy said she did really well, aside from sleeping, during her visit though. Well, that and a few Tashia Tantrums. Daddy took her to Ardmore and she had a few meltdowns over bubblegum and bandaids but she made it. Finally at about 3 p.m. today...this happened for a couple of hours...

Bless her heart. She had such a great time...SHE DID NOT WANT TO LEAVE!!! She cried when I loaded her up to come home. I figured she'd be ready to come home. I am glad she had a GREAT time and hope they will want to do it again...So we can do this...

Again! We had a Date Night at Bridgestreet! Ate at Connor's and stayed out until 10 p.m. WooHoo!!!

Sorry...I guess I'm lazy about posting :(

2010-07-24T20:18:00.000-07:00

Haven't been bloggin' a lot lately. Hot and in a funk, I guess. We've been busy and lazy and hot and tired but here's what we have been doing...
Aunt Shelly got a new pup...Oscar...he came to visit the other night and Allie loves him :)
Went swimming and playing with Shelly and Abby. We had a lot of fun and glad for the invite.

Even though it is SUPER hot outside...decided we needed to pull out the winter coat and wear it because Mommy had on a sweatshirt.

Another dog pic...too lazy to cut and paste it with the other one...

I really enjoy pretty outdoor spaces. Working to make mine beautiful...getting there, I hope :) Here's a rocking chair I recently bought for my back porch.

Window boxes I have been wanting for a while.

My front flowers and door decor.

My table and chairs on the back porch.

Just some pics...

2010-07-17T04:37:00.000-07:00

We haven't been doing much lately but here's a few pics you might like. We got together with some of my longtime friends last Monday. The little boy in the background is my friend Leigh's son Coleby and the older girl in the front is Amy's daughter Caroline...as yes that is Allie sucking on a "pacy." It happens occasionally. I am fixing to have to "break"it.
Ready for church...

The motorcycle I didn't Matt to buy...he bought about two weeks ago, sold it two days ago...I'm glad it's gone.

Me and Heather cheesin' at a recent gathering.

Twin Bed

2010-07-12T16:20:00.000-07:00

Does anyone have a twin bed they would like to sell? I am looking for one for Allie's room. I would prefer a nice wood bed that is in great condition or is workable with a good paint job. If you have one or know where I can get one let me know. I do plan on looking at Home Treasures and Bargain Jungle.

The Fourth...busy, busy

2010-07-04T19:32:00.001-07:00

The Fourth of July is always a busy celebration for the Lovell family. This year we had a "camp-out" Friday night...I think 2 people camped-out and a lunch on Saturday. On top of that we celebrated Heather Lovell's Dad's 50th birthday Saturday night and had a cook-out with my family. So, after an exhausting weekend, I think we can all say we had a good time.

Here's Allie at the "camp-out" enjoying some good food.
Enjoying bubbles on Saturday in our most festive outfit of the weekend...hey...at least it WAS red, white and blue.
Finger painting was a hit...don't know where Aidan is in this pic but he enjoyed it too.

Papa Wales brought Allie some sparklers to the cook-out tonight. She enjoyed them but thought she needed to put a Dora Band-Aid on them to keep them from burning her.

Here's a couple of pics from Wade's 50th birthday party on Saturday night. It's always fun to get together with my extended family...we don't get together enough.

Gatlinburg or Bust

2010-07-02T10:27:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we left for our second vacation this summer. Since we haven't really taken a vacation in a couple of years, this summer has been a busy one. We were nervous to take Allie out of her comfort zone but surprisingly she did alright! However, I am exhausted and need a little rest from the vacation. We started off our trip with a visit to the Aquarium in Chattanooga. This was fun, but we needed a whole day to dedicate to it, not just a couple of hours. Maybe we will get to go back...

Our first night in Gatlinburg we just enjoyed some of the sites and food on the strip.

This picture is from the top of the Skylift mountain ride. Allie really enjoyed this one. She looks a little tired here, doesn't she?

Allie enjoying a hot dog on the strip...

Enjoying some bluegrass in The Village.

Can't hear bluegrass without dancing!

Daddy and Allie's new shades.

Jordan, Heather and Aidan made it up there on Monday night and enjoyed a couple of nights of fun with us. Here's Aidan and Allie on our last night there.
Me and Heather.

We went to Cade's Cove on Tuesday. That was a fun trip but a long one.

Allie at the Arcade.

Aidan and Allie...two peas in a pod.

Allie loved this Dora cut out. Here she is holding her hand.

Chillin' on the balcony in our shades at the Jack Huff.

One night we headed to Calhoun's for some good food. Here's Allie taking in some more bluegrass and buck dancin'!!!

We finally found this big chair I have seen in pictures.

Another pic from Cade's Cove.

We ate breakfast at The Pancake Pantry one morning and here is Allie's "Bears in the Snow." What's up with pancakes in Gatlinburg anyway? They are everywhere.

Here's a picture of the leash we bought to keep Allie close. It worked pretty well at times. I plan to use it on some shopping trips back home.

My apologies...

2010-06-24T05:08:00.000-07:00

I have been a little lazy on the blogging seen this summer. We have been busy that is for sure but just lazy when it comes to this computer stuff. And YES we finally joined FB and that is taking up some time as well. But anyway...hope to get some things up here soon. Hang in there.

Rant for the day...

I feel frazzled A LOT these days and I love looking pretty as much as the next person BUT that seems NEARLY impossible these days.
First it is soooo hot but it is usually because I focus MOST of my energy on CLEANING OUR HOUSE and MAKING SURE ALLIE LOOKS nice.
So, I get a little miffed, so to say, when I see these moms without a hair out of place, dressed top notch in the high heels and beads like they haven't done anything all day. Don't get me wrong they have probably been JUST as busy as me but seem to be able take a few extra minutes for themselves. Where's my few extra minutes? I guess I need to start making that a priority. :)
By the way, who feels like wearing heels anyway? Maybe I just miss them...

Kiddie Carnival and VBS

2010-06-17T19:11:00.000-07:00

We have had a very busy week since we have returned from vacation. After celebrating a birthday on Saturday...we kicked off VBS week with a pot luck at the Kiddie Carnival. This was our second year to attend and it was so much fun!!! Here's some pics of the Kiddie Carnival.

Happy Birthday AVA!

2010-06-16T19:39:00.000-07:00

A little late but I am finally getting around to posting some recent pics of what's been going on with us...

Last weekend we celebrated Ava's 4th birthday. Great food and GREAT company!!!

!!!

Orange Beach 2010

2010-06-10T13:50:00.001-07:00

By the looks of this picture you wouldn't think we had a nice ride down to the beach. But in all honesty, Allie did REALLY WELL considering this was her first LONG trip. Only a few moments like this...

My Mom and Dad joined us for our first beach trip and we all had a really nice time. It was fun for them to be with us. We hope to go again next year and add Aunt Shelly to the mix.

Allie was super excited about her float and had to wear it before we left for Church Sunday morning.

Daddy and Matt really outdid themselves this trip. They were all about beating each other at NasCart racing, Arcade games, Frisbee throwing...YOU NAME IT!!! Here they are tuckered out!
Allie catching a break at the beach. This was the only day the oil was bad! See it and sand caked on her feet!

Showing off the bucket. She really enjoyed the ocean and collecting sea shells.

We too joined in on the fun of the "Air Brushed T-Shirt" I wouldn't want one for myself, but I wanted Allie to have one. This is the one she wanted. A "whale shirt," which is actually a dolphin.

Enjoying some time on the beach before heading to Waterville. No pics from there. Didn't want to have to keep up with the camera.

Me and Allie enjoying ourselves at the Arcade.

Mama and Allie collecting sea shells.

Daddy and Matt relaxing again!

More fun at the beach.

Daddy, Matt, Allie and I went to The Little Zoo That Could on Wednesday. Allie really enjoyed the snakes.

Group shot at the Zoo.

Mom and Al.

Playing ball at The Track. We went there Tuesday night after eating at Sea N' Suds.

This was Allie's favorite part at The Track...the 50 cent carousel rides.

Here are a few pics I took of the oil on Wednesday. There were some tar balls on the beach Saturday when we arrived but nothing too bad until Wed. when we went out to see stuff like this...

We stayed at the Phoenix East and there weren't many people there the first few days, which was really nice...Then like 10 charter buses full of teenagers participating in a Baptist camp came in on Tuesday (maybe Monday). Anyway, then it got a little more crazy. All in all they were very well behaved though. Here's what one on the drew in the sand... Crews cleaning oil off the beach right down from our condo. I had a hard time understanding this guy but I think he was telling me that he was too ugly for me to take his picture :)

Oil freckling the beach.

Here's a few Lone Ranger pics down here...

My dad and Allie at the Zoo.

Matt and Allie in the pool.
An attempt at a family pic.

Allie eating crab claws with Matt at The Crab Trap.

Matt and the NasCart. Rock On!!!

Memorial Day Weekend Fun!!!

2010-06-01T18:28:00.000-07:00

We had a fun Memorial Day weekend. We celebrated Addie Mae's 3rd Birthday on Saturday and had a really good time.

On Monday, we visited MawMaw/PawPaw's house a couple of times and visited the creek. All in all...pretty good.

What a MOMENT!!!

2010-05-27T05:16:00.001-07:00

Never have I been a POISON fan, or a Bret Michaels even...until RECENTLY. I have watched Michaels on the Celebrity Apprentice and followed his illnesses in the news. And last night when he performed with Casey James in the IDOL finale...THAT WAS THE BIGGEST MOMENT THE SHOW HAS HAD IN A LONG! TIME!!!
It almost brought tears to my eyes... Just a few days ago he was barely walking onto the stage at the Apprentice finale and now this. This was just awesome!!! I told Matt earlier in the show that it would be AWESOME if they brought Bret Michaels on...and a few minutes later...THERE HE WAS.

For those who know me well, may think this is a little crazy for me to be so wild over this...BUT I AM all about big moments in history. THIS, MY FRIENDS, is a BIG MOMENT in ENTERTAINMENT history! The comeback of BRET MICHAELS after such adversity...AND it's pretty neat!!!

Busy weekend...

2010-05-24T17:43:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning my dad came to get Allie to "bum" around Athens for a while so I could get some work done. They had a good time until Allie threw a fit in Wal-Mart. Daddy said that she got mad because he wouldn't buy "10" birthday cards that she had picked out for Aunt Shelly. Then it was on to Kinley's 2nd birthday party. They were our neighbors when we lived on Gill Crest. It was fun catching up with the old neighborhood.
The birthday girl is in the middle.

Aidan and Allie enjoying some refreshing Capri-Suns on such a hot day.

After a short nap and a "temper-tantrum" it was off to Mama and Daddy's to celebrate Aunt Shelly's 24th birthday with a steak dinner. Here's Allie handing off the present.

Then on Sunday after a busy day of playing with cousin William at MawMaw and PawPaw's and the evening church service it was off to celebrate cousin Bailey's graduation from Ardmore High School. What a weekend?!?

I'm just throwing this one in here for fun. While Williams was staying with MawMaw and PawPaw, Aidan and Allie visited too...Looks like the Popsicles were a hit!

Impromptu Night O' Fun!

2010-05-16T11:11:00.000-07:00

At sort of the last minute last night Aunt Shelly called wanting us to go out to eat. So, we ended up going to Logan's and then on to the Big City Athens Carnival!

Looks can be deceiving...

2010-05-13T19:18:00.000-07:00

Looks all sweet and innocent doesn't she?!?
...until she gets the "tiger hold" on you. This little princess (enter sarcasm here), has been a little PILL lately. She has been throwing some "DEMON CHILD" fits lately. Just the other day, she got mad at me for something, who remembers what, and took her claws to my neck and face, literally leaving marks on me. She has been throwing books off shelves, slamming doors, knocking things over and beating me up!!! I thought I would have like, 14 years, before I REALLY had to deal with this nonsense. Anyway, she has gotten several spankings, talking to's, threats and whatever else might work...not sure if I am making progress but somebody PLEASE tell me this stage ends before it gets worse again. I need a break from this before the teen years get here. At least at that age I expect the DIVA fits.

On a lighter note...My mother called the other day and told me to ask Allie what she put in Nannie's mouth that day.

Allie's response, "A booger."

Why? I asked. "It's funny," she said. :)

Mother's Day Festivities

2010-05-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

Cheesin' before heading to Jim and Erica's for the Lovell Mother's Day Celebration...

Drawing on the sidewalk

Ava and Aidan spreading the love around.

Allie cheesin' with Mom when she really didn't want to.

Photo op with Daddy.
Allie playing on with her bike during the Wales Mother's Day festivities.

Homespun Fun

2010-05-10T15:50:00.000-07:00

Friday Allie and I went Homespun. We had a good time and enjoyed some good treats.

Oops I did it again!

2010-05-10T15:44:00.000-07:00

Forgive the cheesy Britney reference above but it fit the post. It was time to wash the blankets again.

Hard to sneek "wash time" by this little girl.

Happy "Mudders" Day!

2010-05-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

Sooo happy to be this little girl's Mommy!

The wheels on the bus...

2010-05-05T12:43:00.000-07:00

...go 'round and 'round. During "Story Time" at the Elkmont Depot today an Elkmont Bus Driver brought his bus by for the little ones to tour and learn about. Believe it or not this is the bus that I would ride if I were 25 years younger and still lived with my parents. I know this is not the SAME bus I used to ride but it does go by my parents house and it is BUS #66, which, if I am not mistaken was my old bus # as well...

Here's Allie and Kaylee.

After the bus tour the kiddos came back in to do more fun stuff including making a card for Mother's Day. How sweet is this???

Build-A-Bear

2010-05-01T05:11:00.000-07:00

For those of you reading this who knew me as a child will probably say I am "paying for it," (my raisin') after reading this post. Yes, this is Allie...and YES she is crying at Build-A-Bear as she is watching...

THIS! Poor lady. She was stuffing and sewing as fast as she could to get this bear stuffed so Allie would be DONE with this traumatic experience. Everything was fine at Build-A-Bear until she started seeing the animals being stuffed and go scared and kept saying "I want to go bye-bye."

Well we finally got our bear who she named "Allie Lovell B." I don't know what it is with Allie Lovell B, but she says it a lot. So, when she was asked what she wanted to name her bear...that's what she said.

Here she is...

Still traumatized!

Having explained the experience, I will now get to why we went to Build-A-Bear. It was to celebrate Dylan and Kaylee Carter's birthday! Don't get me wrong, WE HAD A BLAST, aside from the few minutes the bears were being stuffed. We are thankful we got to experience this with wonderful friends!

Here's some pics from the night...

William and Allie. Allie even gave William a kiss on the lips but I didn't catch it on camera.

Cousins...Allie, William and Emma.

Allie with "Allie Lovell B."

THE BIRTHDAY KIDDOS! Happy Birthday Dylan and Kaylee.

This picture is funny because her name tag says Kansas. It's funny because her name is Kynsley and she either told the "Name Tag Lady" her name was Kansas or that's what the "Name Tag Lady" thought she said...either way...FUNNY!

My little DRAMA QUEEN!

2010-04-27T18:28:00.000-07:00

She got this upset because her blankets were in the washing machine...I'd hate to be the boy who breaks her heart one day :( BLESS HIS HEART!

Sick...

2010-04-21T07:12:00.000-07:00

...ALL THREE OF US!!! That is what's up at our house.

Advice please!

2010-04-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

O.K. it's time to do this...I have got to get into serious potty training mode. She's ready, I'm not. Lazy about it, I guess. Anyway. I need some suggestions. I just don't know where to start. A book, positive reinforcement. What? Anything!!!! Help!

A busy week...

2010-04-17T12:59:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday night we ate at Nannie and Papa's. Allie gets a lot of attention!!!
Allie read to her babies.

Allie, Aunt Shelly and I went to Sonic for ice cream.

And last night we crashed Jim and Ava's party at the creek. We all had a lot of fun!!!

Fishin' for fish of fishin' for boogers...which is better?

I'm gonna miss this girl...

2010-04-15T13:50:00.000-07:00

I have been a loyal follower of ABC's Ugly Betty from the first time this "Poncho Clad" gal debuted prime time TV.
I love Ugly Betty!!! I record it so that I can watch it in peace when Matt is at work and Allie takes a nap. The show...a little silly and far from reality...but it is my escape and I fully enjoy it. For some reason the show had it's SERIES FINALE Wednesday night. Maybe not as many loyal followers as I would like. Anyway...I CRIED LIKE A BABY throughout the finale.
My heart aches now that our weekly dates must end. Here's to you BETTY. I hope you enjoy your new job in London and I wish I could watch as you and Daniel's relationship blossoms. Love Ya!

We did it!

2010-04-12T13:56:00.000-07:00

It was prbably a fluke because we are not in SERIOUS POTTY TRAINING mode but I had a special "Mommy Moment," yesterday because my baby pee-peed in the potty. After church she stripped naked to get ready to go outside with daddy. She said something about doo-doing (sp) on the potty so she went and sat on it. After getting her ready and sending her outside I went to put it up and stuck my finger in PEE-PEE.!!!! If I wasn't so HAPPY for her I might would have been mad but I got the potty took it to the back door and expressed my enthusiasm for the job well done!!!! Until next time...

Where has the time gone?

2010-04-06T14:06:00.001-07:00

Do you ever wonder how this happened? How you went from being 18 and carefree to 30 and careful? Time has flown by over the past decade but especially over the past two years. Allie is such an amazing little girl. I could have never imagined how she would make me feel. I love her more than I can ever explain. Sometimes I catch myself just watching her and smiling. I may be biased but I think she is a "Super Smart" little girl and all of her accomplishments make me sooo happy. I just wanted to share a few of them with you along with some funny moments.

1. On a good day she can pretty much count to 10.

2. She knows things that I have never talked with her about and she remembers things that are only briefly mentioned.

3. She can point out and say without you telling her almost all the primary colors.

4. I like it when she tells me my name is "Tashia Lothell."

5. Although she is not potty trained she will sit on the potty and say "Do-Do come out....PLEASE! It won't work."

6. She sometimes tells me she has a booger on her finger.

7. I like it when I find her hovered in a corner or under the table grunting to make a doodie.

8. She calls for mommy to come get her out of the bed. If I don't come she starts yelling "Tashia!"

9. As I am typing this she is in the bed hollering..."Mommy get Allie."

10. Just last night in the tub I drew a square and a triangle and she knew what they were. I don't remember ever teaching her that.

11. She is afraid of bees, flies, the carwash, the doctor and I am sure many more things to come. While driving through the carwash she cries and hollers..."I scared. I scared."

12. She likes to do things herself. If I try to do things for her she says "Allie do it!"

13. She is so cute when she mothers her babies. Lets me know I am doing a good job...She will sing and rock and kiss them. She has soooo much love to give. I even catch her spanking them sometimes.

14. We have always sang songs about things that we are doing...the songs do not make sense but maybe she'll remember them someday. For example...

a. "I got Pee-Pee's on my tute-tute, sometimes it smells like a fruit loop. " b. "Brush, brush, brush my teeth like a little squirrel, I brush, I brush, I brush, I brush...I brush my little squirrel."

15. She likes to smell her doodied up diaper. Who knows why this has become fascinating?

Encouragement Please!

2010-04-06T05:14:00.000-07:00

"Hello. My name is Tashia and I am an addict."

I have told you of my obsession with ice cream before but it has really gotten out of control recently thanks to Publix and their Buy One Get One Free deals. If it's not Mayfield, it's BlueBell or some other brand of ice cream that they have on sale EVERY week! No I don't buy one, I buy TWO and usually eat BOTH 1/2 gallons (almost entirely) on my own.
Today, I am making a vow to cut down on the ice cream intake. I don't think I can go "Cold Turkey," as I enjoy it far toooooooo much.
I am sort of a closet eater. I usually start off with a whoppin' 6 scoop bowl (usually going for seconds) while Allie is down for a nap. 1. Because Matt gives me a hard time about all of the ice cream I eat and I CAN'T take all of the ridicule. 2. I don't want to share bites with ANYONE...including Allie. 3. I want to fully enjoy each bite (ALONE) and smile with pure glee as I devour my big heaping bowl.

PLEASE HELP!!! Encouragement here please. I am going to get big as a house if I don't stop. I am not the 12-year-old I once was who could come in after school and fix a chocolate mound of ice cream, add chocolate chunks and cool whip and eat until my heart's content. My body just can't handle all that action like it used to.

Apparently this has always been my weakness. My favorite flavors are Birthday Cake and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough. Starting next week. I AM NOT FALLING FOR THE PUBLIX BOGOs anymore when it comes to ice cream!!!

Easter supper with the Lovell fam

2010-04-04T19:09:00.000-07:00

Sunday night we went to MawMaw and PawPaw's for supper. They are lucky enough to get the tail end of the weekend when all the kids are at their wildest :) !!!

Family portrait...
Easter Bunny gifts from MawMaw and PawPaw...They went crazy over the DVD's in their baskets.

A group picture is nearly IMPOSSIBLE!!!

Daddy/Mommy/Allie pics

2010-04-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

Easter lunch with Mommy's family

2010-04-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

Traditionally we go to my Great-Aunt Helen's for lunch on Easter Sunday. Allie didn't eat very much but she sure did enjoy hunting eggs!!!

The Easter Bunny came...

2010-04-04T13:38:00.000-07:00

I am interested to know what other people's "Easter Bunny Tradition" was growing up. My memories of the Easter Bunny was that he would leave a bunch of goodies in a basket and leave it on the kitchen table. So, that is the tradition I pass on to Allie. I leave her basket on the kitchen table and all of her goodies are in the basket. Is this yours? Or do you have a different one?

Here's our pics from the Easter Bunny visit this year...

Huntin' eggs and havin' fun

2010-04-03T14:15:00.001-07:00

Saturday we went to an Easter Egg Hunt with some friends and family from church. Here's Allie and Aidan making their way to the party.

Allie playing on the slide.

Enjoying a cupcake while the eggs are being hidden.

She really enjoyed hunting eggs this year...Here's some pics of the hunt...no order to these...

Not bad...

2010-04-02T18:34:00.000-07:00

...considering it has been like 15-20 years since I have been involved in this sort of thing! Friday evening Allie and I decorated eggs for the big hunt with our church friends tommorrow. Allie was actually a lot more involved than I expected.

Rolling the eggs "ever so gently" (not hardly) in the dye bath.

Blowing the eggs to get them dry.

Placing stickers with great concentration.

Loving on the egg.

This makes Mommy happy :) ...the imperfection of all this makes it so special!

Our finished product!!!

I've been bitten

2010-04-01T14:17:00.000-07:00

and NO it's not by our beloved vampire Edward Cullen...but rather this little VAMPIRE...

The evidence!

Bunny Breakfast

2010-03-29T05:02:00.001-07:00

We had a very busy weekend...After Disney on Friday, we went to the Bunny Breakfast on Saturday morning hosted by the Spirit of Athens. We went with Ella Christopher, Betty and Penny. Ella and Allie sure do enjoy hanging out and we all had a good time. BTW, we had intentions of going to the Egg Hunt...but we were a little late and I guess it only lasted a few minutes...:(

Waiting for breakfast...

Betty and the Easter Bunny. Allie was scared of him but we did manage to get a picture of Allie, Easter Bunny and myself. It's on the fridge.

Ella and Allie posing with their stuffed animals they got after seeing the Easter Bunny.

The breakfast, biscuits/chocolate gravy, fruit, eggs and ham. Note the biscuits in the shape of rabbits.

Mom and Allie.

Here is a couple of pictures of Allie on Sunday morning. We brought out the Spring/Summer attire.

Disney Live---I think?

2010-03-26T19:19:00.000-07:00

Friday evening we headed out for girls' night out. Allie and myself, along with several other ladies and daughters from church headed to Disney Live or Playhouse Disney Live???? not sure. Anyway. The real show was the girls. All the girls were 3 and younger and I think they had more fun walking back and forth in our row and climbing and dancing on the steps than actually watching the show. It was a good time and thanks to Amanda for getting us in on the gig. Not to leave anyone out, we did have ONE little man on the trip...Bryson joined in the fun too.
P.S. Didn't get great pics of the show, but I am sure you'll enjoy these...
Katie Lee, Allie, Anna Beth, Lillian and Kynsley. Do you know how hard it is to get a picture of these cats???
Allie, Kynsley and Anna Beth having fun on the before-mentioned steps...
Seems like your kids never REALLY want to sit with you. Although Allie did sit with me a good bit of the time...She did end up elsewhere a lot.
The show is over.

Hershey's Better Basket Blog Hop

2010-03-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hershey's has partnered with the Children's Miracle Network in excess of 20 years, and this year, bloggers get to help!!!

For every blog post sporting a virtual Easter basket post, Hershey's is donating $10 (up to $5,000) to the Children's Miracle Network!!!

HERSHEY’S BETTER BASKET BLOG HOP RULES

* Copy and paste these rules to your blog post.

* Create a blog post giving a virtual Easter Basket to another blogger – you can give as many Virtual Baskets as you want.

* Link back to person who gave you an Easter Basket.

* Let each person you are giving a Virtual Easter Basket know you have given them a Basket.

* Leave your link at BetterBasket.info/BlogHop comment section. You can also find the official rules of this #betterbasket blog hop, and more information about Better Basket with Hershey’s there.

* Hershey’s is donating $10 per each blog participating to the Better Basket Blog Hop to Children’s Miracle Network (up to total of $5,000 by blog posts written by April 4th, 2010).

* Please note that only one blog post by each blog url will count towards the donation.

I received my basket from Lacy @ Forever Young

I am giving a basket to...
Erica @ Mommypix
Whitney @ The Brink Bunch
Kristy @ The Cook Family-A Boy's World

Fun-filled Sat. night!

2010-03-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

This is what we did Sat. night...

...yes, I rented and we watched NEW MOON. And yes, even Matt. I had already seen it in theaters but I was Super excited about the DVD release. So, I made sure that I had the number to Movie Gallery on hand Saturday during my shopping trip so that I could call and have them hold me a copy. Matt is not much of a movie person, so it says A LOT when he actually stays awake during a movie. And he has now watched Twilight and New Moon with me. I know he stayed awake last night because he harasses me through the movie about how ridiculous the storyline is. But he wouldn't be watching it if he didn't like it. BTW, I think Matt is "Team Jacob." He said tonight that Bella really couldn't fall in love with Edward because he is basically boring (at least that's what I got out of it). But he said..."She could really fall in love with Jacob (something like that)."
BUT, for the record... I am "TEAM Edward!" I told Matt that minus the vampire stuff, it's the love story every girl dreams of. Am I right, ladies?

Playtime with Aidan

2010-03-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

Friday, as sort of a spur of the moment ordeal, we decided to meet up with Heather and Aidan at the park and play. We brought lunch and enjoy the afternoon. The kiddos enjoying sliding, swinging, throwing those little "prickly" balls in the fountain and of course playing with the wagon!!!

An artist in the making

2010-03-16T05:42:00.000-07:00

The ladies from church got together last night to do a little painting at an art studio in Huntsville. I really enjoyed it! My painting was lacking a little bit but I am confident that I could do this again and maybe do a better job next time around. I enjoy getting together with these ladies although my curfew is always too early!!! Maybe one of these days I'll get an extension on the curfew....

Five years of Birthdays

2010-03-16T05:34:00.000-07:00

We have been celebrating birthdays with this little girl for years. Breelynn turns 6 today and we celebrated her birthday on Saturday. We were their neighbors in our old neighborhood and really enjoyed spending time with her and her family. So, Happy Birthday Breelynn...Miss You!
Note...You can actually see our old house in the background.

Allie really enjoyed their dog Heidi. I am hoping that we make it a long time before Allie begs for a dog.

Anyone interested?

2010-03-15T06:45:00.000-07:00

I have this posted on Craigslist. It's for the bedspread. It is a king sized but I have it pictured here on a full. I have been holding for a lady for 2 weeks and she still hasn't paid for it or come to get it. So, thought some of you might be interested. I have moved Allie's room into this room and redoing her old room so I won't be using this. It is pratically new. It was in the spare br for a few months. Leave a comment if you are interested. Way too nice and new to put in the upcoming yard sale.

Fun with the ducks!!!

2010-03-12T18:17:00.000-08:00

We took advantage of the warm weather this afternoon with a little of this...

And finished the trip with a little of that...

Little girls...how sweet!!!

2010-03-12T18:12:00.001-08:00

Matt was on the couch the other night snoozing and this is what Allie did to him...

I guess she learns this from mommy?! She had to tuck Daddy in for the night!

Chili Challenge

2010-02-27T11:52:00.000-08:00

This was Allie's second trip to the Chili Challenge and she loved it!! This year we gave her a cup and spoon for her to taste her own chili.

"It good, Mommy," she would say while eating the chili.

She ate several bowls of it...Soooo!!! We are now one DIRTY diaper down and who knows how many to go?? She was in her bedroom and she came to me in the kitchen with a thumb full of POOP! She had stuck it in the dirty mess. Yuck!!!

Recent Fun: An Overview

2010-02-26T19:33:00.001-08:00

I am become a slacker lately on my posting duties so this is a "catch up" session to clue you in on what we have been up to.
After celebrating MawMaw's Birthday on Thursday (no pictures), we had a pretty eventful weekend. Saturday night we we had a wonderful supper with Jim, Erica, Ava and Aubrey. We had grilled pizzas and they were AWESOME!!! Thanks for a wonderful visit. Here's the girls playing dress-up.

Sunday was a Beautiful day and gave us even MORE SPRING FEVER. So, we took a stroll down the road to the park...

I did some painting during the week and playing in Mommy's make-up helped keep Allie occupied. Although you can't tell in this pic, she had a little too much fun in the eye shadow.

Friday night we got together to celebrate PawPaw's birthday. We had a lot of fun and ate some GREAT food, thanks to MawMaw, and Allie had fun here with Uncle Will making funny faces.

Here's PawPaw playing with the gift we gave him. They took turns smelling what was in the jar.

Kitchen table makeover

2010-02-25T19:12:00.001-08:00

This is my first try at linking to a party...so here goes. I am joining Mustard Seed Creations @ missmustardseed.blogspot.com for Furniture Feature Friday. This is a table that I painted and distressed for my kitchen. Sorry, I don't have a before picture but if this helps I bought the table and two wooden chairs at a yard sale for less than $25.

Boy, have we gotten into some trouble!!

2010-02-17T19:49:00.000-08:00

Amy is one of those friends who you can go years without seeing and you can pick up where you left off. We have been friends half of our lives...thanks to her mom who made her call me and check on me when I was sick with shingles about 15 years ago. Since then I have considered her my friend and although we go long periods of time without talking, it is always nice to pick up where we left off. After the passing of one of her classmates, Amy decided she was going to have a bucket list of things she wanted to do or people she wanted to see. Believe it or not my mom, not me, made it to the list of people she wanted to see. So, Saturday, fortunately for me, she planned to come visit my mom and lucked up with a visit from me too. It was so nice to see her and we shared a lot of laughs. We have gotten into a lot of trouble together over the past 15 years...most of which I would be ashamed to admit to any of my followers. But...hey you live and learn, right? Amy is a great friend and I miss her and our good times. Thanks Amy for such a nice visit. Lets not let it be 3 years until the next one...

Well, we're not "Big Time."

2010-02-17T19:41:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that 10 years ago these two chicks (above) thought we were going to be "Reporting Live" for some big to-do news station? Well...Look at us now. Just a couple of worn out Mamas. Who would have thought?

Kristy is one of my friends from college. We are sisters...Phi Mu, that is...and broadcasting majors. When we were in school we sure thought we would be doing something a lot different than we are...But ask either one of us and I guarantee we'd say..."I wouldn't change a thing!"

Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T17:56:00.000-08:00

I have spent many Valentine's Days single throughout the years but in 2003 that all changed. Matt proposed on this very special day and this time of year brings back that very heart warming memory. Who would have thought after all those lonely Valentine's Days that I would actually be proposed to on such a day?? But I am very thankful he did and I hope we have tons more Valentine's memories in the future...

This was my gift to him this year. It's goofy looking, isn't it?
Allie and her princess cup from Mommy.
Allie and her box of chocolates from Daddy.
Mommy's box of chocolates from Daddy. See how many I have eaten already???
This is a special gift from my sis-in-law Erica. It can a couple of days before Valentine's Day and by looking at the envelope I thought is was a birthday card for Allie. Boy was I surprised when I opened it to find my favorite vampire tucked inside!!!

My B-A-B-Y is 2!!!

2010-02-13T12:27:00.000-08:00

Wow! What a day! We celebrated Allie's 2nd birthday with a Cookie Baking/ Dora Party at Suzanne's Bakery. A little wild...But I think everyone had a good time!!! Thanks to all of our friends and family for coming out and celebrating our happy day!

The homemade "Dora Backpacks" my mom and I made.
The decor....Backpack centerpieces with Maps and Explorer Stars.

The Birthday Princess!!! This is her Birthday outfit from Nannie and Papa. She loves it...up until the party...she would go up to it and kiss it and say how pretty it is...

Let's give love to the guests...

Playing a game....

Eating some lunch.

Lillian
Opening presents
Ella decorating a cookie
Abby decorating a cookie.

James and Allie taking a ride in the wagon MawMaw and PawPaw gave Allie.

Ava and and the girls scooping out cookies.
Breelynn and Ella.

Brylee and the tricycle.

Party favor cookies. Explorer Stars.

Here's the cake...