Friday, August 28, 2009

Better Late Than Never!

August 8-15

Okay! I didn't post about our wonderful trip to Florida a few weeks ago with Shannon, Scott, Noah and Evan. I'll post some pics later. We had such a great time. It was Olivia's first vacation to the beach. I'm not sure what could have been better for her...sand and water...that's all she plays with in the backyard...so why not stay home and save the money since you have that right in your backyard...the experience of course. It was just fun to see her have so much fun. Shannon and I were just discussing today how wonderful the kids were on a 14 hour car trip there and back. She actually decided that the children were better behaved on the trip than the adults...I had to agree! :)

The most disappointing thing to me was the seafood...I was so excited to eat seafood in Florida...I'll just stick with Red Lobster. The best part...other than being with Travis, Olivia and my best friend ever...the condo we stayed in. It had a private beach, was located right next to the pool, had 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, beautiful kitchen, dining area, living area and washer and dryer. You might ask who wants to do laundry on vacation, but it did prove very useful. We truly had God's favor when driving into Destin to find a hotel. We had no idea where to stay...it was the first hotel we pulled into...doesn't get any better than that...no having to appease 3 very anxious kiddos ready to get out of there carseats while stopping at umpteen different places...YEAH! Yes kids...we are there!

Busy Week!

***Monday***
Miss Olivia went back to gymnastics...she had been out for over a month...I thought she would be out of the routine. She actually ran around like she owned the place. I told Travis that she was doing rolls on her own...hanging from the bars...climbing on everything. Miss Shayna, her teacher, called her a monkey! She was quite the little gymnast today. Her daddy thought that was great that she found another place to show off and have people clap for her efforts...she gets so little attention at home. ;)

***Tuesday (Day)***
Started off by taking Memo, the name Olivia has given my Mamaw, to see her heart doctor. She had a great check-up and also had her pacemaker checked...it was great as well. Ran a few errands with her and headed home to pick up little bit. I had left her with MiMi so that she wouldn't fall asleep on the car ride home. I wanted her to take a late nap because we were headed to "Sesame Street Live...Elmo's Green Thumb" at 7:00 that night.

***Tuesday(Night)***
MiMi and Payton, Olivia's cousin, went with us to meet Travis at the Varsity Grill to eat a bite before heading to the show. We arrived at the show...with just enough time to spare...to hit the vendors that were selling all the useless memorabilia that "you just can't live without". I wanted to get Olivia the cute little red and fuzzy Elmo hat...Travis wanted the plush Big Bird. We decided to let Oliva choose. We had the lady place them both on the counter and Travis proceeded to ask Olivia, "Which one do you want...the Elmo hat or the cute little chicky!" You have to understand that we live on a farm and I inherited 6 hens and one rooster that have become my babies (that's another entry all in itself). Of course Miss Priss knows what a "chicky" is...let's see...I wonder which she chose. You guessed it...BIG BIRD! There is some satisfaction in the fact that by mid morning the next day...he had lost his luster.

The show was great and at intermission this guy comes down the isle with a bundle of about 100 Elmo balloons. Of course I decide to take Olivia and Payton to get one. We stand in line for about 5 minutes waiting our turn. The excitement has built and they are ready to get their balloon...in fact...Payton asked for four. I gently told him he should just be thankful for one...little did I know how true that was. I'm next in line and ask the gentleman how much and he replies $8 each. I swallow...hand him a $20...wait for my change and get a death grip on the strings to the precious Elmo balloons. What else do you do with 2 adorable blue-eyed children anxiously awaiting there balloon?

The second half of the show begins and Travis continues to ask if the kids are ready to go. It becomes very apparent...after he asks for the fourth time...that daddy is really the one ready to go. He finally goes to retrieve the car before the last song is finished. The kids had a wonderful time...as well as the adults. We dressed Miss Olivia in her pj's before hitting the road and she was asleep before we were 5 minutes down the road. She didn't wake up when I put her to bed and she woke up the next morning to a Big Bird character and an Elmo balloon. Her only response when she saw them, "Oh man!".

***Wednesday***
Olivia and I transplanted my pumpkin plants that I began in a planter. I was a little concerned that they would not survive. I felt like I was performing a surgery. The plants appear to be making it just great. I hope to have pumpkins by Halloween. It takes very little to excite me. :)

***Thursday***
Olivia and I spent the day with Memo. I had made some copies of some black and white photos she had in a family album. I went through each picture with her and she told me their names and a little info about each. It was so much fun...some of the pictures sidetracked into some very humorous stories. I mentioned that her sister looked angry in a lot of the pics. She said that she had a fiery temper...she was red headed and lived up to it. She told about a time that she and her sister went to milk the cows one morning. Her back was to her sister's cow. Somehow her sister made the cow kick her. She was so mad they fought all the way back to the house...ending up in the bedroom on top of the bed pulling eaching other's hair and kicking at each other. She said her mama came in and the fight was over. I came home very excited to put my book together entitled "Our Family History by Memo".

***Friday (night)***
Travis and I took Olivia to the Greenwood fair. She had a great time. D-Dad and MiMi went with us. We ate lots of junk food, rode a ride, listened to a band and bought some more very useless memorabilia. We started to leave and realized that Travis' truck was blocked in...front, back and one side. He had me watch while he maneuvered out...understand he drives a 1 ton Ford dually. My hat is off to him...he got us out and on the road in no time. Great job Daddy!Again, put Olivia's pj's on before heading home. She fell asleep and stayed asleep once we got home and put her to bed...maybe there's something to letting her fall asleep in the car before bedtime. Anywho...busy week...very fun...lots of memories!

Saturday, July 25, 2009

Here We Go Again

Okay! I am going to try this blogging thing yet again. I am obviously not that great at it yet...I do have quite the role model to aspire to though...Ms. Shannon. So much going on in life and yet the same-o...same-o. Olivia is talking...talking...talking. We wonder about the days now that we couldn't wait to hear what her voice would sound like. :) It is precious and never ending...literally...everything she says is repeated at least 10-15 times. Always waiting for a response from mommy/daddy...or both.

She is putting words together now to make small sentences. My favorite, "Tank you...Mommy" or "Want some...Peas!!!". She has quickly realized that any request followed by "Peas" usually gets her what she wants. Who are we kidding, anything she wants she pretty much gets...the benefits of the first and only child...the big blue eyes don't hurt her cause either. I just can not thank God enough everyday for such a wonderful blessing.

At night our routine consists of bath, cereal, books, prayers and sleep. Ahhhh...sleep!!! The sweetest part of the nightly routine is her prayers. The second you start the prayer with, "Dear God..." she begins naming off all the people and things that are important to her (and in her vocabulary). Example...Dawdee, Mommy, D-Dawd, MiMi, MeMo, D-Dawd, Boppie, GG, D-Dawd...notice D-Dawd(my dad) gets a number of prayer requests...not sure if it is because he's so special or because he truly needs that many prayers...lol. She also includes: swing, binki, puppies(masi, nola and patches, her stuffed animal), chickees, and bull(just a word she knows). The little things that mean so much! We are having so much fun being a part of Olivia's life...she is the truly the sweetest blessing!

Friday, December 19, 2008

Santa, Penguins and Polar Bears...Oh My!

we went on a family trip to muskogee, OK yesterday...business trip for travis...we had such a great time. i really wanted to take olivia to see the "garden of the lights" display. we found out at the hotel that they actually had two light shows in town...the other was at "the castle". as we left the hotel we decided to go to "the castle" first. when we drove in i was thinking, "how cheesy"...it was a driving trail lined with nothing but Christmas blow-ups...any and everything imaginable. i have to say...my first impression was wrong...it was actually very magical...olivia loved it! i can't put into words how wonderlandish...if that's a word...it seems to look out in the night and see 100s...if not 1000s...of these lighted snow globes and characters...a must see again next year. at the end of the drive we parked and went into an actual castle. they had people dressed in medieval costumes greeting us at the door speaking with thick irish accents. inside...there was a gift shop, cafe', a Christmas movie playing, Christmas blow-ups for sale, and much more. we had a great time...unfortuantely...the next tour of lights dimmed in comparison. :)

Wednesday, December 17, 2008

Santa Claus...I Don't Think So!

travis and i took olivia to see santa for the first time on monday...during the move we did not get around to it last year. we had high hopes that she would love santa just as she loved the easter bunny back in the spring...no such luck. there was no one in line so we just walked right up and began chatting with santa and his helpers. olivia immediately began shaking her little hands and grunting...what she does now to let us know she isn't happy with the situation. santa offered her candy...she wasn't interested. he talked to her with a very jolly demeanor...not interested. we tried distracting with all the beautiful decorations...not interested. we decided to take a stroll around the mall...thinking she might forget...hoping she would feel better acquainted seeing him the second time...not interested. needless to say...we had a family picture made with santa...only by daddy turning her where she could not see him until it was time for the camera to snap...then quickly turning her to be included in the pic. a very fun family outing! oh the holidays!

Friday, December 12, 2008

Grandma Got Ran Over By a Reindeer...Just Kidding! :)

i took my grandma shopping yesterday for her Christmas gifts...quite an outing. she also wanted to do a little shopping for her fireplace mantel. she is 90 years old and decided the other day she wanted to have a fireplace put in her living room...you go girl...age should never stop you from living life.

the Christmas shopping went off without a hitch...we then drove to hobby lobby to look for mantel accents. we started off looking at mirrors...simple enough...you would think. she has really high ceilings so i was suggesting some rather tall mirrors...she was looking at considerably smaller ones. she informed me her room was small and the mirror needed to be small. i told her that her ceilings were very high so it wouldn't matter. she informed me...very emphatically..."oh yes it does matter". needless to say...i let her choose her own mirror. she is too cute...i love her so much.

our next stop was Target...looking for a rug. we found a few choices...she decided on a very pretty design. we then looked for some pillows to match...i forgot to inform that we are repainting her living room after Christmas...so she has the new color in her head...however...her furniture doesn't quite go with the new colors. i told her she is on a roll and we should just go and get some new furniture for her...she then replied "don't tempt me...get thee behind me satan". i don't know that i've ever been called satan before. she's a hoot!

my day ended with my kitchen island being filled with all of the materials i've accumulated for all of my good intentioned Christmas projects...YIKES! i just keep telling myself...i will create, i will create, i will create. if i do...some of you just might find them in your stockings!

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

holidays and weekend visits

















okay...i'm turning out to be a terrible blogger...unlike shannon that blogs 2-3 times a day...my life just does not seem very news worthy. had a great thanksgiving holiday...spent it with travis' family and then mine on the following saturday. olivia enjoyed playing with her cousins...hayden, jordan and emily. she especially liked jordan's toy cell phone...needless to say we made a mad dash to wal-mart to find one the following day. of course when she pretends to talk on it she holds it up to her ear and says, "da"...meaning daddy. what's the deal...the child is with me all day, but definitely daddy's girl...i really wouldn't have it any other way...although i do give him a hard time.


we had a great weekend...just this past one. travis' friend tom came over and brought his two kids, isabelle and thomas. we had so much fun...feeding the cows, taking walks on the farm, jumping on the trampoline, decorating sugar cookies and water coloring. isabelle and thomas got to ride on the tractor to help travis get the hay...they thought that was exciting. we all rode in the back of the truck to help travis put out cubes...the cows ran beside the truck mooing and bellowing and kicking up their heels. tom was really concerned about being on the next episode of "animals gone wild"...that makes me laugh...ahhh city boy! i've attached some of the pics above.


shannon, isabelle and i went to the Christmas tour of homes in greenwood on sunday. we had a great time...the homes were so beautiful...got lots of ideas...too many in fact. it makes me want to come back to my house and add some things...change some things...mainly add. well, i hope that everyone is having a stress free holiday time thus far! don't forget to breathe and most importantly the reason for the season!