The Rollins Ruckus

Reid rocks!

2012-01-17T09:49:00.001-08:00

Reid dressed himself today!

December 23: Just one present...

2012-01-13T22:03:00.000-08:00

Reid was begging me, so I let the kids open one present each before Christmas.

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Reid helped LiliAnn open her puzzle...

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and Reid opened his Buzz Lightyear gun. Because this was the first present he opened, and because he only opened one present, he was over-the-moon excited about this nerf gun! He jumped up and down and said, "Mom! This is my best, favorite gun!" He wanted to sleep with it, but before he closed his eyes he handed it to me and said, "Mom, can you put this someplace safe for me until I wake up?"

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I really liked how the kids seemed to enjoy the "one" present that I let them open early. Probably because they weren't overwhelmed with a pile of toys that they opened, threw behind their back, and then moved on to the next package. I think that next year I'm going to let the kids open one present per night on the week before Christmas. I think that by doing this they'll be able to actually enjoy opening AND playing with each toy or gift!

December 22: Christmas at Missy's

2012-01-13T21:49:00.000-08:00

Christmas at Missy's...chaotic, crazy, fun, entertaining, exciting...but how could it be anything else? We had 6 kids - 2 four year olds, 1 three year old, and 2 one year olds! We went over to Missy and Melvin's house a couple of days before Christmas, so this was the first presents this year that the kids got to open...hence, they were VERY excited to open presents!!! This meant that they didn't eat very much of their dinner and they were running around like little crazy people! Missy cooked a delicious Christmas meal and had tons of presents for the kids to open!

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I can't believe we actually got a couple of decent shots of the six of them!

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Missy always buys the best presents! Reid got a G.I. Joe and a G.I. Joe Gun, as well as tons of clothes and some cute pajamas! LilliAnn got a Cabbage Patch baby doll, a Cinderella Collector's Edition Barbie, kitty cat pajamas, and some adorable clothes from Baby Gap!

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The aftermath...Missy passed out all of the presents and the kids were throwing trash, baby dolls, clothes, G.I. pieces, EVERYWHERE!

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The girls were so cute playing with their baby dolls!

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Lil loved that her doll came with a "ba ba."

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We had a great Christmas at the Noey house! Thanks Melvin & Missy for a yummy dinner and lots of fun!

December 21: The Very First Christmas

2012-01-13T21:11:00.000-08:00

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My mom bought this wonderful book for the kids last year. It's a recordable book and she recorded herself reading "The Very First Christmas."

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One weekend when we were out at the lake, she read the book to Reid and LilliAnn. LilliAnn loves talking about baby Jesus! She would get the baby Jesus from our nativity scene and carry him around with her.

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Such a sweet picture

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My children are so blessed with such a wonderful Nana! My mother is the most Godly, angelic, selfless, kind, understanding, generous, humble, strong, and courageous woman that I know! Words cannot even describe how amazing she really is! Thank you mom...you are one of my life's greatest blessings. I thank the Lord every day for giving me you as a mother.

December 20: Reindeer Crunch

2012-01-13T20:32:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I can't remember what we did on December 20, but one day in December we made Reindeer Crunch...and that was one of our family Advent activities, so I'll posting about it here! I needed to take a snack for LilliAnn's holiday party at dance. I needed something quick and easy and realllllly cute...finally, I thought about the Captain Crunch snacks that Terry, that works at the clinic, makes and I knew this was just the thing!

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The kids were excited to help! They each got to help dump all of the ingredients into the bowls! However, most of the Captain Crunch ended up on the floor!

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She was very serious about her job.

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Doesn't this look yummy? I got the Captain Crunch with crunch-berries and picked out all of the colors except the red and green ones. Then I added red and green M&Ms to give the snacks just a little more Christmas color!

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We melted the almond bark, poured it over the mixture, then spooned it out onto wax paper...Voila! How easy was that??

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They were so tasty and so addicting!

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I put them in clear treat bags, and then the next morning I tied red and green ribbon around the top and added a picture and personalized message. What adorable little Christmas snacks for dance class!

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MAKING SPIRITS BRIGHT!

A little something for you to much...

Here's a bag of Reindeer Crunch!

Merry Christmas

LilliAnn 2011

December 17, 18, 19: Branson

2012-01-13T20:08:00.000-08:00

The weekend before Christmas, we decided to take a little family get-a-way to Branson. My parents and my brother Kassidy went with us...I called it the C0-RO Family Vacation! We were so excited to be able to spend some quality time with Kass...we hardly ever see him now that he's so busy with college! None of us had ever been to Branson during the holidays and we had heard that it was absolutely gorgeous! Branson is ranked as one of the top holiday destinations in the country and we couldn't wait to see the 4 million Christmas lights at Silver Dollar City!

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We got a suite at the Hilton on Branson Landing. The suite was amazing, with two huge bedrooms, a living room and kitchen, and a patio that overlooked all of the shops of the Landing. This was the first time we have ever stayed at the Landing and we were extremely pleased. We'll definitely be staying there again! I loved being able to walk outside our hotel to all of the shops and restaurants, and Reid loved watching the fire and water show!

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Sissy girl - all ready to start her vacation!

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Reid wanted to go "play" at Bass Pro...Jeb was already exhausted!

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He was great at shooting the targets!

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And sis tried on a few raccoon hats!

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My little cuties!

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Precious baby girl!

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We went and saw The Miracle of Christmas at the Sight and Sound Theatre on Saturday night. It was an amazing production about the birth of Christ that included live animals! The kids did pretty good until about halfway through, then they got pretty restless. It was a great way to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas and think about what it might have been like when our Savior was born. After we got back to the hotel from seeing this show is when LilliAnn broke her finger! See this POST!

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We spent all day Sunday at Silver Dollar City! It was absolutely gorgeous during Christmas time! They had lights on literally EVERYTHING! My favorite thing was the wassail! Wassail is a traditional holiday drink, a little bit like a apple cider/punch. It was so warm and tasty...I just couldn't get enough! My mom loved it too! She was standing next to the stroller, taking a drink of it, and she burst out into song..."everyday I'm wassailin'... wassailin'." Hahahaha!

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FLASHBACK 2010 - Our little family at Silver Dollar City just one year ago! Look how much the kids have changed!

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The giant Christmas tree at the entrance...it does a musical light show when it gets dark.

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Reid played some shootin' games...

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Nana watched the stroller and drank her wassail while we rode some rides.

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Jeb and Reid on the elephant ride!

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FLASHBACK - 2010: Reid and daddy riding the elephant ride just one year ago!

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We rode the pirate ship! This was one of Reid's favorites!

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Reid threw some darts...

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Sissy's first ride this year...the frog ride!

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Reid and mommy rode too!

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Ridin' the bugs...

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FLASHBACK - 2010: Reid riding the bugs just one year ago!

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Riding rides is exhausting! Sissy took a nap for a couple of hours!

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How cute are these gingerbread men?

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My adorable parents!

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And my little brother...

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Silver Dollar City was so pretty as it began to get dark!

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Waiting the ride the Silver Dollar City lighted train!

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Fun on Papa's shoulders!

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This was Reid's very favorite ride! It is a boat ride where you ride through an old "mine" and shoot prisioners, A.K.A. "bad guys!" We had to ride it three times!

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Sissy liked it too! She rode this ride last year when she was only 4 months old...it was her first ride ever!

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Next we went to make stuffed animals...sissy decided to sit down with some of her new "friends!" She absolutely LOVES all baby dolls and stuffed animals of any kind!

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Putting stuffing in sissy's pink poodle

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Hugs for bubba while we wait to see Santa!

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Reid was really excited to tell Santa, once again, what he wanted for Christmas. LilliAnn, however, was NOT having it! She ran from him!

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He whispered to Santa that he wanted a wakeboard and a rope.

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As we left, we wrote a letter to Santa and mailed it to the North Pole! Reid was sure to sign his name!

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Our last ride was the "Silo pulley." You had to use the rope to pull yourself to the top of the silo!

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The ONLY ride we could get dad to do!

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Can you tell we had been here almost 12 hours at this point?!

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Beautiful!!!

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This was my favorite part! The LIGHT PARADE!

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LilliAnn absolutely LOVED the princess! She even got to give the princess a hug! She would say, "my princess, my princess!"

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The most important part of the parade! The Nativity Scene!!!

The Greatest Gift of All

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Before we left, we decided to watch the musical light show.

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The next day we did a little shopping at the Landing.

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Then we headed to the Dixie Stampede show! We went to this show last year while we were in Branson and it was our favorite thing that we did! We couldn't wait to see the Christmas version of the show this year!

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I'm allergic to horses and started sneezing and itching horribly during the show! I had to take a Benadryl, just like last year!

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My little munchkins dancing in front of the hotel Christmas tree!

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Typical...

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The Christmas tree at Branson Landing outside of our hotel room!

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LilliAnn had to wear this splint, but she was such a brave girl!

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Heading to the room after Dixie Stampede...bow & arrow and horse purse in hand!

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What a fun, Christmas family vacation! Hopefully, we'll get to come back next year!!!

December 16: JELLO

2012-01-08T18:05:00.000-08:00

One day we made Christmas Jell-O jigglers! Not the most healthy snack...sugar and water...but the kids thought that it was fun, so what's a little Jell-O going to hurt?!

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Sissy wasn't so sure. She had never eaten Jello before!

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Mixing the water and jello mix

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Sweet little helper girl!

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Precious little helper boy!

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Cheese! He's always excited to help "cook!"

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"I wanna mix too!"

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Ta da! Christmas Jello jigglers! Unfortunately, neither kid liked them. They both are kind of weird with cold, slimy textures...they aren't big on pudding either. Oh well, it was fun to make them!

December 15: Making Spirits BRIGHT!

2012-01-08T08:43:00.001-08:00

This night, our family activity was driving around and looking at Christmas lights. Our neighborhood has the best lights that we've found in Shawnee, so we didn't have far to go! We had wanted to go to some other places around OKC to look at lights, but never made time. The kids loved looking at all the houses...Reid's favorite color of lights were blue and LilliAnn said she liked the "geen" ones. They especially liked when there was a Santa or a snowman out in the yard. Reid asked if we could put a big Santa in our yard next year. Jeb put lights up on our house and it looked wonderful! We did red lights with white icicle lights hanging from the red and then lined our driveway and sidewalk with red lights. We had white lights around some of our shrubs and around our mailbox as well. I was really brought of the Rollins' light display! I didn't take any pictures this night, but I have a video on my phone of Reid saying that he wanted Santa to bring him a wakeboard and LilliAnn saying that she wanted a pink baby doll. It was a nice little evening spent with my family.

December 14: A Visit with Santa

2012-01-08T08:42:00.000-08:00

Our visit with Santa this year was a 50% success! We had done a practice run at Shawnee Mall the night before, and neither one of them cried, although I was holding LilliAnn the entire time at this visit. They were both excited to see Santa, especially Reid! The next day when we went to get our picture taken with Santa at Penn Square mall, this happened...LilliAnn screaming and Reid cheesing! I love how Reid has his hand on Lil's little knee! He kept saying, "It's ok sissy. It's ok. It's just Santa Clause."

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He wanted to make sure that he told Santa what he wanted this year for Christmas! He told Santa that he had been good and that he wanted a "wakeboard and a rope," and that sissy wanted a "pink baby doll."

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He has always been such a serious kid! It takes a lot for me to get him to smile for pictures!!

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Reid's 1st Christmas - 2008

It was all smiles for Reid when he visited Santa at 8 months old!

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LilliAnn's 1st Christmas - 2010

Sissy didn't have the joy on her face that Reid did on his first visit with Santa! She wasn't so sure of this strange man in red! Reid was 2 1/2 years old last year and WAS NOT getting near Santa. I couldn't even carry him to Santa's lap for a crying picture! Hence, there's no picture of Reid with Santa on his 3rd Christmas.

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Reid's 2nd Christmas -2009

Reid was the exact age in this picture that LilliAnn was this year. They pretty much had the exact same Santa experience at this age.

December 13: Decorating with Nana

2012-01-08T01:11:00.000-08:00

We helped Nana Karen decorate the lake house for Christmas this year. We wanted the lake house to be festive, since we spend most of Christmas out there, but also didn't want to do too much decorating because we didn't want a lot of work putting decorations up and taking them down on yet another house. My mom and dad were having their Sunday school party out at the lake house this year, so the kids and I decided we would help Nana! Mom brought tons of Christmas decor from Shawnee and after sorting through the boxes, my creative juices started flowing! We went with a fun, whimsical, fairy woodlands Christmas theme. I thought this was perfect for the kids and the woodland theme was great for the lake house. I used all different colors, especially jewel tones, mixed in old, traditional ornaments and new sparkly ornaments, threw in some pine cones and some branches, AND even included mom's fairy collection into the tree!

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LilliAnn was helping unwrap ornaments and broke several of Nana's good/special ones!

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Putting the finishing touches on the tree!

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Reid was such a good helper!

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I love this picture of my mom and Reid.

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My mom would tell Reid about each special ornament and they would talk about each one.

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"What's this one Nana?"

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Sis was taking it all in...and breaking ornaments!

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Voila! How cute is this tree?

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Some decor we threw together for one of the coffee tables...I also did the garland on the mantle and lighted branches with gold ornaments around a mirror in the living room. It all turned out ADORABLE and my mom couldn't be happier with the finished product! The kids and I enjoyed spending time with her and I hope this becomes a yearly tradition!

December 12: Up, Up & Away

2012-01-08T00:50:00.001-08:00

Jeb had the awesome idea for Reid and Grayson to write what they wanted Santa to bring them on a balloon, then they could let it go and it would fly to the North Pole to Santa!

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The boys had so much fun with this! They couldn't wait to go outside to let go of the balloon.

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Reid had Jeb write "wakeboard" under his name and Grayson wrote "dirt bike" under his.

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Then they took the balloon outside at Granny Carol's house and let it float away into the air to the North Pole!

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Up, Up and Away!!! They watched the balloon for several minutes...they watched it until it was no longer visible. Jeb gets the "Dad of the Year" award for this activity! Reid talked about this all day long and kept saying things like, "I hope Santa gets my balloon."

December 11: Jingle "Bowl" Rock

2012-01-08T00:48:00.001-08:00

What's more fun than a family bowling night? Our Advent activity this day was a night of jingle bowling with the family! We headed out to the new Firelake bowling alley to hit the lanes and play in the arcade. Reid absolutely LOVES to bowl and is actually pretty good at it!

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warming up!

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little bowling boy

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Sissy checking out the score!

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I feel a strike!

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Sweet Cason!

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Daddy was having fun too!

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I couldn't resist this one. Johnna's face cracks me up!

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Get it gurrrrl!

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"This one's not too heavy mom!"

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Grayson is all smiles!

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Sis got to bowl too!

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"but I wanted a strike!"

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"awww, man!"

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We had a blast on bowling night! It's wonderful having such a nice bowling alley and fun place to take the kids so close to our house. We may even decide to have Reid's birthday party here this year...fun, low-key, and no mess to clean up...sounds perfect to me!

December 10: Homemade Ornaments

2012-01-08T00:46:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite things that we did this holiday season was making homemade Christmas ornaments! It was oh so messy, but oh so much fun!! I googled the recipe for the dough and Reid helped me gather all of the ingredients.

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Reid always asks me if he can help cook, so when I told him I needed help mixing the dough, he was super excited!

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Sissy helped too! And this is when it started to get messy! I let her pour in the flour by herself and we had flour everywhere...on the counter, on the floor, on our clothes...pretty much everywhere but the bowl!

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"But mommy! I'm such a good helper!"

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Then we mixed, and stirred, and mixed some more!

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"Is this one cup, mommy?"

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I was excited to make the kids' handprints. The sad part to this is that I cooked the ornaments too long, or mixed the dough up wrong, and after a few days the ornaments started splitting and cracking and then broke into pieces. I was so upset, but realized that it was about making the ornaments and spending time with the kids that mattered most.

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Aren't they adorable?

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We got Christmas cookie cutters and made some more ornaments with the left over dough. Unfortunately, I forgot to put holes in these ornaments before I baked them and they ended up being little dough decorations instead!

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Reid wanted to make a Christmas tree and LilliAnn picked out a snowman!

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I'm looking forward to many more holiday craft projects in Christmases to come...

December 9: Letters to Santa

2012-01-08T00:43:00.001-08:00

We sat down one morning to write letters to Santa. It did't quite go as I had planned...Reid just wanted to use our return address stamp the entire time and LilliAnn wanted to draw on everything in sight, including her clothes! Finally, I was able to get them to sit down and "write" their letters to Santa. They were really concentrating and I got the sweetest pictures.

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I asked LilliAnn what she was asking Santa for and she replied in the sweetest voice, "a baby doll."

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Reid is very artistic and was doing all kinds of coloring and stamping on his letter! Sissy was watching closely and taking notes.

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Yes, the stamp was SO much fun! He thought that it said, "from Reid."

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"Cheese" face!

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And he's currently really into making funny faces when I try and take his picture.

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Apparently, LilliAnn is too! This is her famous "kissy face!" Jeb can do this exact same thing with his lips...which is funny because they don't have very big lips at all!

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How sweet is this?

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All finished! Showing me his letter to Santa!

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Adding her last minute touches!

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He loves his sissy! It usually takes a miracle for me to get a decent picture of them together, but I guess they're finally getting the the ages where they will sit still for a minute for me to get a shot.

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Precious moments

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I helped them finish up by writing what they said they wanted this Christmas.

LilliAnn - a baby doll, a kitchen, and a Dora toy

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Reid - a wakeboard, a rope, a dinosaur, a pirate ship, a gun to shoot deer with, a basketball goal, a bouncy ball, and Thunder Up clothes

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My babies...my life...my everything...my loves...my blonde beauties...my dream...my heart.

Thank you, Lord, for these two blessings!

December 8: A Little Jingle in our Jangle!

2012-01-08T00:42:00.001-08:00

Who doesn't just love to dress-up? I put a little basket of old Christmas "gear" in the play room one evening and the kids had a ball! We decided that our Christmas activity for this day would be to dress up in Christmas clothes and put a little jingle in our jangle! Reid was absolutely CRACKING ME UP! They walked into the bathroom and they both had Santa hats on and Christmas house shoes on their hands. LilliAnn didn't leave her gear on for long, but Reid danced around the bathroom in his!

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Let's talk about this outfit...the elf hat was made for the kids last year for our Christmas card pictures (adorable, huh?), he's wearing LilliAnn's Santa diaper cover from last year (she was 8 months old and it fits him at age 3!), the slippers are from Reid's first Christmas when he was 8 months old, and he's wearing his reindeer house shoes from last year on his hands!

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LilliAnn was Reid's personal stylist :) She helped him keep his hat and mittens on!

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Cutest Little Christmas Boy that I've EVER Seen!

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I told him to make a silly face and this is what I got!

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HO HO HO! He wanted to wear his Santa hat in the bathtub, so I filled the tub up with bubbles and let him make a Santa beard. I tried to get LilliAnn to put on her Santa hat and make a beard too, but she wouldn't leave the hat on and she did NOT like the soapy bubbles getting into her mouth.

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making the perfect beard...

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"But mom...it's hard to have a beard and smile too!"

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Finally! A bearded smile!!!

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Best Looking Santa EVER!

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Then we put away the beards and the hats, and finished our bath. It was such a fun, entertaining, and silly night! Looking forward to lots more Christmas cheer!

December 7: Play time with Papa

2012-01-07T17:33:00.001-08:00

Yes, this is an unusual Advent activity, but as I mentioned in a previous post, our activities leading up to Christmas would be all about family or the true meaning of Christmas. On this particular morning, I had to run an errand so my dad came over for a bit to play with the kids. They pretended they were super heros, then army men, and ran around the house yelling and rescuing each other!

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"I'm calling for back-up!"

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"Hands up!"

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"Save me from the evil villain!"

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"Where are all the bad guys?"

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Captain "Miss" America will help!

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Such a fun morning with these crazy kiddos!

December 6: A Special Ornament

2012-01-07T17:32:00.002-08:00

Every year I buy the kids a special ornament...something that reminds me of them for the particular year, something they're interested in, or just something that I think they would like. I really like the personalized dough ornaments, but I'm a little late ordering them this year. I found these two ornaments and I think they're perfect for 2011!

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Reid's ornament is a pickle! His absolute favorite things to eat right now are pickles, and when we got to McAlister's Deli he'll eat at least four pickle spears. I saw this pickle ornament and immediately thought of Reid. I thought a pickle ornament was strange, but little did I know that there is a story behind this "pickle" ornament. An old German Christmas tradition is that someone hides the pickle ornament in the Christmas tree and then on Christmas day, everyone looks and tries to find it. The person who finds the pickle first is said to have good luck and fortune for the coming year.

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LilliAnn's ornament is a Christmas themed Dora the Explorer. Besides Curious George, Dora the Explorer seems to be on our television more than anything else. Lil LOVES anything "Dora"...actually, her very first word was "backpack!" She'll say, "I wanna watch Doooora!" and "Doooora pretty!" She loved this ornament so much that she kept taking it off of the tree and saying, "It's my Dooooora!!!" and "I wuv her," then she would hug and kiss the ornament.

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I hope to always continue this tradition of getting my children a special ornament each year. It's so much fun to look back at all of the ornaments and talk about the special meaning that each of them have. My mother always bought me special ornaments every year and now they're on my own family's traditional Christmas tree! Although some have been broken and don't look so good after years of wear and tear, I cherish each of them and look forward to the memories they bring back as I place them on my tree each year.

December 5: Elf on the Shelf - Meet Chippy!

2012-01-07T17:32:00.000-08:00

Last year, we bought the kids the Elf on the Shelf book/elf set. Although we read the story to them, they both were too young to understand the meaning of the "Elf on the Shelf." This year was different. Reid had already watched the movie, so when we got our our Elf on the Shelf box this year, Reid knew exactly who he was and was excited to name him "Chippy!" Before bed this night, we decided to read the kids the Elf on the Shelf story and have Chippy make his grand appearance!

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The Elf on the Shelf is a really cute story! The story talks about how you have an elf from the North Pole that comes to your house to help Santa watch and see if you are naughty or nice. You get to pick a name for the elf and everyday he may be hiding in a new spot. You're not supposed to touch the elf or he will lose his magic, but in our house it's ok to touch Chippy if you ask permission. Reid listened to the story very carefully. He was especially interested in this "naughty or nice" concept because Santa emailed Reid a personal video this year, and on the video Santa gave Reid a "green light" meaning that so far he had been a good boy!

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Click here to watch the video that Santa sent to Reid!

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Sissy would point to the pictures and ask, "That Chippy?"

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After we read the story, the kids had to go look for Chippy all around the house! Where was Chippy hiding? Was he in the Christmas tree? Nooooo.

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Was he in the laundry room?

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In the dryer? Noooooo.

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Was Chippy in the traditional Christmas tree?

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Noooooo.

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Maybe he was in the refrigerator? Noooooo!

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In mommy & daddy's room?

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Was he in the bathroom? Wait. Time-out for a dance break! My kids are hilarious!!

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There's Chippy!! In the playroom!!!

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Riding in on Reid's dinosaur!!!!!

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As soon as LilliAnn saw Chippy she wanted to kiss him.

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It was adorable! "I wuv him," she said.

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The Elf on the Shelf worked really well for us this year. We took him everywhere...to the lake house...and even to Branson! Reid would pick up his toys if I reminded him that Chippy was watching, and the kids couldn't wait to see what Chippy was up to each day. I think next year will be even more fun when Chippy makes his way from the North Pole to our house! Both kids will understand the concept of Chippy helping "watch them" for Santa, and I've heard that he's got a lot of fun things he plans on "getting into" next year!!!

December 4: And that's a WRAP!

2012-01-07T16:33:00.001-08:00

Our Christmas activity for this day was a GREAT idea that I got from Pinterest. I let the kids pick out 21of their own books (because it was 21 days until Christmas) and let them help me wrap them. They will get to take turns each night opening a book that is wrapped under the tree and we'll read it before bed. I think this is genius! The kids LOVE getting to open a "present" and we get to read a book that maybe we haven't read in a while. Also, the anticipation of unwrapping the book and guessing which one it's going to be is so much fun for Reid & LilliAnn!

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Here's Reid getting some books from the shelf in his playroom.

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They each had their own wrapping paper...Reid had Toy Story and LilliAnn had Disney Princesses. Reid LOVES helping do any kind of "work," so he was all about helping wrap his books.

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Sissy wanted to help as well, but her idea of "helping" was to step all of the wrapping paper and steal the tape! "My do it!"

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This is the craziest face I've ever seen! She gave me this look when I told her to stop stepping on the paper.

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All done!

December 3: Deck the Halls

2012-01-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

There were lots of issues with the trees this year. We have one fake tree and we usually get one real tree for our "traditional" ornaments. When we went up in the attic to get our Christmas decor, we realized that we didn't have a tree to put up. Our fake tree had seen better days, and Jeb and I tossed it after Christmas last year. I couldn't find two real trees that I liked here in Shawnee, and I didn't want to go to the city to look for a Christmas tree. I finally found two fake trees at K-Mart that were decent, and to make life easier, I went ahead and bought them. They are a little skinny, but are perfect for not taking up too much room, as well as for easy decorating and storage. I can't wait until we build our new house and I can put up a HUGE Christmas tree in the entryway!

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Reid LOVED helping "fluff" the limbs!

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We went to Lowe's to get a few outside lights and garland and came home with this $20 "thing." Jeb thinks it's a meercat, I think it's a farret. Whatever it is, LilliAnn was absolutely in love with it and would not put it down. He sings and dances to "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree," and she loves to dance along!

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Sissy wasn't quite the helper that Reid was...she just wanted to jump off the step ladder!

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Ornery!

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And then, of course, so did Reid!

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So pretty when we were finally finished!

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Oh Christmas Tree...

December 2: Christmas Stories

2012-01-07T16:10:00.001-08:00

I was sick this day. The stomach bug got the best of me and I was in bed (and the bathroom!) all day long. I was too exhausted from throwing up all day to carry out any extravagant Advent activity, so we decided it was the perfect night to read a couple of Christmas books. We read "Happy Birthday, Jesus" and Jeb and I explained that the reason we get presents on Christmas is because people brought presents to Jesus on his birthday because He was the King of the Earth. LilliAnn liked to point out all of the animals that were with baby Jesus on his birthday and Reid pointed to the big, bright star and asked, "Is that Jesus, mommy?" Then we sang "Happy Birthday to Jesus." I have the sweetest video on my phone of LilliAnn singing to Jesus.

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Next we read a classic...The Night Before Christmas. Reid really likes this book/poem because of the rhyming. He sort of knows a few parts of it and likes to act like he's reading along with Jeb...although it sounds more like jibberish :) LilliAnn points at the pictures and Reid asks questions like, "Is Santa going to come down our chimney?" Then he says, "some people call Santa Clause, St. Nick" and "those kids are wishing about candy!" (He calls dreams, "wishes.")

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The 25 Days of Christmas: December 1 - Christmas Movies

2012-01-07T16:09:00.000-08:00

I wanted to do an activity Advent calendar this year, but the more I thought about it, the more stressed I became. What if on a particular night it said to "drive around and look at Christmas lights," but both kids were cranky and ready for bed...or what if it said, "write a letter to Santa" but both kids were rowdy and not in the mood. I would constantly be changing/rearranging the activities...scheduled Advent activities did NOT sound like fun with a one year old and a three year old. I did, however, want to start a tradition of doing Christmas activities as a family and dedicating the month of December to time spent as a FAMILY, as well as teaching my children the true meaning of CHRISTmas. I wanted age-appropriate, fun, low-key activities...reading books, reading bible verses, talking about Jesus's birthday and what his birth means to the world, making homemade ornaments, cooking holiday goodies...SOOOO this is OUR 25 Days of Christmas. It may not be picture-perfect, and every day may not consist of something big...but every day we WILL do something together as a family and do something CHRISTmas related. I wanted to at least get a little Advent box or calendar to put little prizes or candy in for the kids... or even get one of the "old school" Advent calendars where you got to read a bible verse and eat the chocolate when you opened the little box each day, but we were all very sick the first week of December and I didn't get around to it. This year our Advent activities are fun, flexible, and family oriented!

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The first day of December Reid woke up with a temperature of 105. We went over to the clinic so Tricia and I could check him out...his ears were just slightly red, throat was fine, lungs were fine, no rash, no vomiting, no diarrhea...just fever. He got an antibiotic shot and we went home to rest. I've never seen him this "lifeless." He didn't get up off of the couch all day long and didn't even want to take his jacket off. So for our first Advent activity, we watched Christmas movies. Reid absolutely LOVES the Grinch this year! I love the movie too because now when I ask my kids where Christmas is, Reid replies, "in my heart." It was a great one to kick off the holiday season. No matter how old you are or how many times you watch it, it's always a great reminder that "maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store. Christmas, perhaps, is a little bit more." We also watched the movie, Elf, but Reid slept through most of that one.

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Reid's words...

2012-01-02T20:45:00.001-08:00

Jeb leans over in bed tonight to give Reid a kiss and Reid stops him: "No, daddy. I only kiss gwirls."
Lol!

Mommy is the big boss...

2011-12-29T06:31:00.001-08:00

"Mommy, daddy won't let me watch that dinosaur movie. Can you spank his butt?"
~Reid, 3 1/2 yrs.

Elf on the Shelf: Day 24

2011-12-26T18:44:00.001-08:00

Even Chippy knows the reason for the season!

Elf on the Shelf: Day 23

2011-12-26T18:43:00.001-08:00

It's for the birds...

Lil's First (Bad) Boo Boo.

2011-12-23T23:32:00.001-08:00

We went to Branson last weekend for a little pre-Christmas, mini vacation (post and pics coming soon). We decided to leave a day early, and arrived in Branson late Friday night/early Saturday morning around 1 a.m. On Saturday morning we did a little shopping at the Landing and then met my parents that afternoon to see the show, The Miracle of Christmas. It was an amazing show about the birth of Jesus and the true meaning of Christmas...an outstanding production! After the show we headed to the hotel to check in to our suite and that's when IT happened...
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Jeb was unloading luggage, I was helping mom check in at the front desk, and the kids were running around...being kids...in the lobby. LilliAnn kind of lost her balance and reached for the velvet rope (you know, the two metal stands with a velvet rope between them that you see outside/and in the lobby of hotels, restaurants, and clubs when you're standing in line?), and the huge, heavy metal stand pulled her down and crushed her little fingers! It was only inches from hitting her head!! I immediately knew that it was fractured because of the instant severe swelling and the bruise that circled around the base of her finger. We hurried to the ER, which, thankfully, was just down the street.
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The doctor told me that it was probably fine because "little ones have mushy bones and she most likely just smashed it and bursted a blood vessel to cause the severe bruising." I hadn't told him I was a nurse practitioner yet, and just stated that I'm sure it's fractured and could he go ahead and take a look at the x-rays. Sure enough...fracture of her right 4th proximal phalanx!

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Here's my sweet baby girl, worn out in the ER after she got her hand wrapped and splinted. For such a bad boo boo she was a very brave girl!

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It has been difficult to keep the splint on. We've had to rewrap it several times, and the ortho doc has re-splinted it twice already!

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She kept telling us, "my boo is hurtin'" and "my tinger is hurtin' weally bad, mommy." It looked horrible! Her entire finger and even her palm were bruised!

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We went and saw ortho yesterday. We had more x-rays done and the good news...it's already healing, the bad news...it has angulated just a bit so it's really important to keep it splinted. We follow-up next week and hopefully, after about a month, the splint will come off. Despite LilliAnn's injury, we had a wonderful family trip to Branson and a great ER experience at Skaggs Medical Center! Stay tuned for updates on Lil's progress...

Elf on the Shelf: Day 22

2011-12-23T22:00:00.001-08:00

K.D.?! No...it's Chipp. E.!

Elf on the Shelf: Day 21

2011-12-23T21:57:00.001-08:00

So technologically advanced!

Elf on the Shelf: Day 20

2011-12-23T21:56:00.001-08:00

Just hangin' around...

Elf on the Shelf: Day 19

2011-12-23T21:55:00.001-08:00

"There's a ...ELF... in my boot!"

Elf on the Shelf: Day 18

2011-12-23T21:54:00.001-08:00

Sneaky...sneaky...

Elf on the Shelf: Day 17

2011-12-21T18:26:00.001-08:00

Chippy was buckled up and ready for Branson!

Elf on the Shelf: Day 16

2011-12-21T18:24:00.003-08:00

Elf in the Box?!

Elf in the Shelf: Day 15

2011-12-21T18:24:00.001-08:00

Prettiest little package ever!

Reid's words...

2011-12-21T15:41:00.001-08:00

"Mom, if I was a gwirl, I would be so mad."

Elf on the Shelf: Day 14

2011-12-16T19:15:00.001-08:00

Someone is trying to sneak his way to Branson!

Elf on the Shelf: Day 13

2011-12-16T19:13:00.001-08:00

Elves are always having a ball!

Elf on the Shelf: Day 12

2011-12-13T21:26:00.001-08:00

Who needs a reindeer?

Elf on the Shelf: Day 11

2011-12-13T21:25:00.001-08:00

Tree Hugger?

Elf on the Shelf: Day 10

2011-12-13T21:24:00.001-08:00

"It's ok, Chippy. Some people think we were never real either."

Elf on the Shelf: Day 9

2011-12-13T21:22:00.001-08:00

Elf on the Shelf: Day 8

2011-12-08T22:08:00.001-08:00

Good job, Chippy! See, LilliAnn, Chippy goes in the potty!

Elf on the Shelf: Day 7

2011-12-08T21:26:00.001-08:00

Yee haw! Chippy's enjoying a little reindeer ride!

Elf on the Shelf: Day 6

2011-12-06T19:58:00.001-08:00

Chippy loves to just "hang" around...

Thankful {Thanksgiving 2011}

2011-12-05T06:11:00.000-08:00

A little Thanksgiving post...

We went to Melvin and Missy's for lunch on Thursday. It was their first Thanksgiving since being married and all of Melvin's family was coming over for a Thanksgiving lunch. Missy had worked really hard getting everything ready and was excited to show off her grand babies! The kids always have a blast a Missy's house. They live out in the country, on top of a hill with a beautiful view overlooking Seminole. The little boys love to run wild, ride the horses, and play outside. We had the traditional Thanksgiving meal...turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and giblet gravy...I brought my baked potato casserole, Lacee brought a store-bought key lime pie (her absolute favorite dessert and "birthday cake") and Aunt Sheila brought her pea salad. Everyone had filled their plates and Shelia's pea salad was still untouched. She kept walking around saying, "I made the pea salad. Nobody is eating the pea salad." I thought that was really funny. We didn't stay long...the kids were getting really wild. I wanted Melvin's family to be able to enjoy themselves and be able to visit with Missy, plus we needed to to see my mom's side of the family before that Thanksgiving was over, so we headed to the lake for more family fun!

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Jeb and "the girls"

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Jeb looks so thrilled that I'm sitting on his lap!

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How cute is my baby girl in her Matilda Jane? This dress is called "Millie" and is a Platinum piece. I'm thinking now that the cream colored shirt would have looked much better under it, but the blue gives it some character.

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A kissy from Missy!

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After a quick hello to the McKenzie girls and my mom's family, but changed clothes and got ready for family pictures with the Cook side of the family. My Grandma Lucy has been wanting a new family photo since LilliAnn and Josslynn were born and since Tara was recently married. Trying to get twenty-three people all smiling at the same time, especially with lots of little kiddos, was a nightmare! It was cold outside, we were in a time crunch because of the lighting, and Reid was NOT cooperating! He cried the entire time and I couldn't even bribe him into smiling for the pictures. We took several shots on our lake house stairs and some down by the water, so hopefully we'll have a winner!

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After pictures, we headed up the hill to Grandma Lucy and Papa Glenn's cabin for more delicious food. Papa fried a turkey especially for me and grandma cooked me a special pan of dressing, without the onions and celery. The turkey was absolutely AMAZING and I love grandma's dressing! I'm going to have to learn how to make it next year! And of course, the meal wouldn't be complete without Grandma Lucy's famous noodles. Dinner was delicious, the kids ate great and got their bellies full, then we headed down the road to Aunt Glenda's house for our yearly Thanksgiving family tradition...the making of the cheese apple. I did a post last year all about this "Family Tradition." If you're interested, click HERE!

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Reid helped a little last year, but was really into helping this year! Reid's a great little helper...he would always rather be "helping" than playing. Whether it's cooking, cleaning, "wiping," wrapping, sweeping, raking, weeding, mowing...he loves it all!

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The six of us grandkids were all this age when we started helping with cheese apples at grandma and papa's old house of Dove Tree! It's really neat seeing our own children enjoying this tradition.

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Garrett and Tara just got married last month. It's only his second year to make cheese apples, but he's already a pro!

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Reid's getting a lesson on how we "cute the cheese" from Nana Karen.

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"the thinker" - my cousin William

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It's all smiles for the Fun Master - Aunt Tammy

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Jett Taylor

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Reid was showing everyone that his hands were "all clean!"

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taking it all in...

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Nana getting some hugs from sissy baby

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Josh - the garlic chopper

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Isn't she gorgeous? She looks like she should be on Food Network or something.

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Lacee had been full of expressions all day! She was cracking me up! This just really shows how much fun we have when we're all together...there's always something to laugh about! I love my family!

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Garrett was digging the juice boxes :)

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Tyler - taking a break and supervising (this is usually Papa Glenn's job!)

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Can you say garlic? Aunt Glenda taught the guys that if they would run their hands on the faucet when they were washing their hands the smell would come off their hands. They couldn't believe it, but it really worked!

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We REALLY do have so much to be THANKFUL for!

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Praise the Lord.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

Psalm 106:1

Elf on the Shelf: Day 5

2011-12-04T21:09:00.001-08:00

Chippy! You better stay away from the girls!

Elf on the Shelf: Day 4

2011-12-04T01:19:00.001-08:00

Who doesn't love M&Ms?

It's off to Neverland! {Halloween 2011}

2011-12-04T00:47:00.000-08:00

Halloween was so enjoyable this year! We didn't have our usual "Rollins Family Halloween Blast," but it was still a great time! After chairing the Junior Service League pumpkin project, I was sooooo exhausted that I decided against the annual Halloween party. We spent the weekend before Halloween out at the lake. My dad picked up some pumpkins on the way out for the kids to carve, and of course, Reid couldn't wait!

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LilliAnn in her Halloween jammies

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I LOVE this picture of her!

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She was much more interested in cleaning the pumpkin, rather than carving the pumpkin!

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Pumpkins with Papa!

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Pumpkin guts! Eeeewwwww!

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"But I wanna help too!!"

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"You're too little, sissy!"

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Our finished product...this is the face that Reid picked out. My dad cleaned out the pumpkin and I carved this lovely face!

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Our Jack-O-Lantern!

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They were so proud!

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Monday was Halloween and Trick-or-Treat night in Shawnee. Since we weren't having the Halloween party, I invited our family and a few friends over for chili, chicken and dumplings, and hot apple cider. The kids did a little bit of trick-or-treating, but they didn't really see the point when I had a huge basket of candy by our front door. Reid thought it was more fun to help pass out the candy!

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Kari got me this adorable front door sign for my birthday!

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We're off to Neverland! This year our family costume was Peter Pan. Reid insisted on being Captain Hood (he's really into pirates right now), so that left Jeb wearing the green tights. He seemed okay with it up until it was actually time to put them on, then I saw him sneak into the bathroom and pour himself an alcoholic beverage. Lol! I was Wendy Darling. I had ordered a auburn/red ringlet wig, but it was back ordered so I just did the best I could. I thought our costumes turned out great!

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And what's Peter Pan without his little Tinkerbell?!

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Captain Hook was ready to take on Peter Pan!

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Cutest Captain Hook that I have EVER seen!

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Priceless!

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Gam-Ma Missy came over and brought her yummy sausage balls!

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Peter Pan & Wendy

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"Oh, Peter!"

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Tons of people were walking around trick-or-treating...and our neighborhood is one of the busiest ones in town on Halloween! We were out in the front yard and all of our neighbors kept waving and talking to Jeb. It was hilarious! I know in this picture he's thinking, "Yep, I'm a grown man...standing out in my yard in green panty hose....took one for the team...dad of the year."

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The Cadenheads - A.K.A. Super Mario Brothers

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The Rollins - A.K.A. Little Red Riding Hood & Gang

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How cute was Grayson?

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Tinkerbell was over this whole costume thing! She just wanted some chocolate!!

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Best husband & dad EVER! LOVE him!

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Mica came as Flo, the Progressive lady, and Travis was Mayhem

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My bestie, Kari, lookin' cute in her Halloween colors

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It was a fun, relaxing Halloween spent with wonderful friends and family! I absolutely LOVE dressing up and I already have an idea for next year! I can't wait to share :)

BOO hoo! Look how much they've grown!

2011-12-04T00:23:00.000-08:00

Here's a quick look back at Halloween years past...

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Reid Jackson Rollins

Monkey - 2008 Clown - 2009

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Cowboy - 2010

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Captain Hook - 2011

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LilliAnn McKenzie Rollins

Pink Poodle - 2010

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Tinkerbell - 2011

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Halloween 2010

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Pebbles & Bam Bam - Halloween 2010

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Pebbles - 2010

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Bam Bam - 2010

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Captain Hook & Tinkerbell - Halloween 2011

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Family Costumes

The Incredibles - 2006

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Popeye - 2008

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Clowns - 2009

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The Flintstones - 2010

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Peter Pan - 2011

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Halloween Pajamas

2010

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2011

Mean Green Fighting Machine: Alumni Football Game

2011-12-03T16:11:00.000-08:00

I'm a little late making this post, but...better late than never! The first part of October, Jeb played in the Seminole vs. Wewoka Alumni football game. Seminole and Wewoka have always been huge rivals...more so before we were in high school, but still rivals nonetheless. I was really nervous about Jeb playing because I didn't want him to get hurt. I kept saying things like, "You're a dad now," and "How would you feel if you got paralyzed in an alumni game?" But, as it got closer to game day, I started getting really excited too. This was my alma mater as well! I also wanted to be really supportive because I could see just how excited Jeb was about the game. Several of his high school buddies were playing and they would get to try and re-live their glory days.

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I love this gorgeous shot of Chieftain Stadium with our historic high school in the background. Seeing all of those guys on the field again in uniform brought me back to those days where I stood on the sidelines, cheering them on, hoping for a win so the guys would want to go hang out and build a bonfire after the game. I remember Little Olympics on this field...Homecoming...holding run through signs...tumbling down the green grass...Little Chieftain Cheer Clinic...half-time routines...walking Jeb off the field...hanging flags before the games - all wonderful memories of the past!

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Warm-Ups!

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My cousin Tyler went to Wewoka and played in the game as well. Him, Jeb, & Josh had being talking trash to each other for several weeks before the game about who was going to win.

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Since we live in Shawnee now, LilliAnn didn't have anything "green." Thankfully, I had a friend who let me borrow this little old-school cheerleading uniform for Lil to wear to the game. Isn't it adorable? I also dug out one of Jeb's football picture buttons from high school and let her wear it as well.

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"Class of 2002: JEB ROLLINS"

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There they are! The 2011 Seminole Chieftain Alumni Football Team!

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Reid and Jett were so excited to get to watch their daddies play. Reid had to wear his helmet and jersey - just like daddy!

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I think he was a little disappointed that the Alumni Football Organization didn't have his old number from high school... #43

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I must admit, I really liked seeing him on the field again. He hadn't been in pads since his last college football game at ECU five years ago.

Perfect linebacker stance!

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First quarter down...thumbs up!

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and.........he's still got it!

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"yeah, I know I'm good."

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Brothers!

Josh is two years older than Jeb so they only got to play together a few games. It was neat seeing them play together.

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And yes, I really wore my old high school uniform! I was excited because it was actually a little big for me! I'm about 15 pounds lighter than I was in high school - and that's after TWO kids! Jeb didn't think I'd really wear it, but I thought, "Why not?" I LOVE theme dressing and when else can you wear your high school cheerleading uniform?!

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Mean Green Fighting Machine

Half time...he's starting to look REALLY tired! Maybe not the stamina they all had in their teens?!

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On the field together again...in uniform...10 years later - and just as much in love as we were 10 years ago!

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I love this picture of sissy in front of the iconic Mean Green bell!

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Daddy's cheerleaders!

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The Chieftains were ahead most of the game and then ended up losing it in the final seconds! They were going down for the victory snap, but because their center had already started taking his pads off, a new guy that had never snapped the ball before did a bad snap and the ball was fumbled. Wewoka scored with just a couple of seconds remaining in the game! You would have thought they had won the Super Bowl. Our guys were disappointed, but they were just glad it was finally over! They were EXHAUSTED and Jeb had the worst headache of his life.

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Lifelong friends - Jeb & Chase

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Chase and I have been friends since we were about 3 years old. I've been cheering for these two for a LONG time!

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My little Chieftain family!

Even thought our kids will be going to school in Shawnee, I'll always be a Chieftain at heart!

Once a Chieftain, Always a Chieftain! Green & White Forever!!!

Elf on the Shelf: Day 3

2011-12-03T15:27:00.001-08:00

We've all been very sick today and it looks like Chippy caught it too! Runny nose and body aches...good thing he knows how important it is to take his medicine!

Elf of the Shelf: Day 2

2011-12-01T16:24:00.001-08:00

That long ride back from the North Pole must've made Chippy hungry!

Elf on the Shelf: Day 1

2011-11-30T23:52:00.001-08:00

After coming out of hiding in the North Pole, Chippy made his appearance riding in on Reid's dinosaur today!

My sorry.

2011-11-29T22:16:00.000-08:00

I have to share this story...LilliAnn walked into my closet when I was hanging up clothes and said, "My sorry, mommy." I said, "What for sissy?" She took my hand and led me to one of the walls in my bedroom where I noticed some pen marks & scribbles. "My sorry for this wall, mommy." She had to have done it earlier this morning, but I guess she started feeling bad and wanted to tell me sorry...I probably wouldn't have noticed for days. She's her mother's child...always telling on herself :)
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Then, Jeb was trying to get the kids settled down for the night, but they were both running all around our house acting crazy! Jeb kept telling them to stop running and lay down or they were going to get a spanking and be in trouble. Reid finally settled down, but LilliAnn would NOT listen to Jeb. Finally, Jeb said, "Sissy! Stop running and lay down now!! I mean it!" She looked at Jeb with a huge smile and said, "Dang it!" Then she plopped down in Jeb's lap, lifted up her leg and said, "'pank me Reid!" Oh my goodness...and she's only 1 1/2! Jeb said, "KelliAnn, think about when she's 16!"

One day...

2011-11-26T16:24:00.000-08:00

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A couple of months ago Jeb and I closed on the lot where will build our future home...one day. The lot is in Shawnee in Bridges - the back part of the Country Club. Jeb and I debated over whether we wanted to live farther out of town on more land, or whether we wanted to stay in town. I wanted to be in town because as the kids get older and get more involved in extracurricular activities, it will be easier if we live in town. Also, when they start driving I didn't want them going back and forth on the highway. Jeb was for living a little farther out, but I DID NOT want to drive on dirt roads... and finding nice land for sale a little bit out of town on a paved road seemed impossible.

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We finally agreed on the beautiful lot in the very back of the Country Club in the cul-de-sac. It's one of the bigger lots in the addition, it backs up to a gorgeous tree line, is somewhat secluded, faces the golf course, and we'll only have a neighbor on one side. It's also in Grove Elementary school district, which is where we want our kids to start school. We decided it was PERFECT! If we want some land out in the country to "play on," we decided we could buy some later on. Also, we have the land at the lake that is "out in the country." We've had our eyes on this lot for about a year now, so when it went up for sale a couple of months ago, we made an offer immediately!

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The 2,200 sq. ft. house we live in now was brand new when we moved in 5 years ago, but we're wanting something bigger and we've always wanted to build. My dad loves projects and him and Jeb are very anxious to get the process started, however, I get overwhelmed when I start looking at plans! Jeb thinks that I'm not excited, but with the kids still being little, I feel like I don't have the time that I need to really focus on everything. Small children are so hard on a house...messes, spills, scratches on walls, coloring on walls, dented baseboards...so I've decided that I'll take my time with the new house. I'll spend the next couple of years collecting ideas for my dream home, and we can pour the foundation when Reid starts school. So for now, I'll dream, plan, visualize, collect ideas...and before you know it, we'll have built a house!

Pretty Little Kitty: SDC Fall Party 2011

2011-11-26T15:37:00.000-08:00

Last month LilliAnn's Mommy & Me dance class had a fall party the week before Halloween. I was so excited to dress LilliAnn up in her Halloween clothes and take party favors to dance. I wanted to bring the perfect treat for her first party and I think my popcorn balls were just that! My mom helped me make popcorn balls and I put them in little treat bags, tied them with orange ribbon, raffia, and a picture of LilliAnn holding a pumpkin that said, "Hope your Halloween is a BALL! Love, LilliAnn" They were absolutely adorable and DELICIOUS, of course!

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Miss Darana painted their little faces like kitty cats! LilliAnn wasn't so sure about all of it at first...

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but she sat very still until Darana was finished.

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Prettiest little kitty I know!

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Lil and Maggie checking out their faces in the mirror

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Snack time!

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Sis was really into the candy!

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And the icing off of the cookies...

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Bubba even got a ghost tootsie pop!

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Seminole Dance Company * Mommy & Me 2011

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Miss Darana was my dance teacher too!

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My favorite shot...I love this baby girl!

LOVE her!

2011-11-26T10:40:00.001-08:00

"Hold me tight mommy."
#bestwordsever

19 Month Old Drama Queen

2011-11-21T17:32:00.000-08:00

LilliAnn's new phrase... "Oh Ba Gosh!" She's soooo dramatic! I wonder where she gets that from?

Other recent sayings..."I love you a whole bunch, mommy." "Who was that?" (after I hang up my cell phone). "Mommy, I'm one." "I'm gonna 'pank you Reid!" (after her brother gets put in time-out). "Ina get up...peeease!" (when she gets put in time-out). "Mommy, Reid hit me." "I want some pretty." (wanting to open up my make-up bag).

She is SUCH a talker!

2011-11-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

I handed Reid two omega-3 gummies and LilliAnn got one. After a few minutes LilliAnn walked into the kitchen and said, "I need two vit-mins, mommy! Anoder (another) one!" I said, "ok, you can have just ONE more." A few seconds later she walked up to me and said, "more, peeeease."
My little 19 month old talker... love how she already understands the concept of one versus two!

I felt the Earth. move. under my feet!

2011-11-06T19:45:00.000-08:00

Last night, at around 10:30 p.m., Oklahoma had an EARTHQUAKE that measured as a 5.6...the largest quake in Oklahoma history!!! But what was so crazy about this entire experience is that it wasn't characteristic for Oklahoma to have big earthquakes, and this was the first one that we had ever felt!

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On November 5th at approximately 2:13 a.m. we had the first earthquake that I had ever experienced. Jeb and I had been at a party at Suzanne and Billy's house and the kids were at home with a babysitter. We arrived back home at around 1:30 a.m. and Reid woke up about fifteen minutes after we got back. I had just put LilliAnn in her crib, Jeb and Reid were watching television in our bed, I had just taken off my jewelry, and was about to plug in my phone to the charger when we it happened. The walls started shaking and I thought that someone had hit our house with a car. I started looking out of the windows in our bedroom, then the shaking and rumbling intensified. Jeb and I looked at each other, both of our eyes wide as could be, and he said, "It has to be an earthquake." I yelled, "We've got to get sissy!" And I rushed into her room, lifted her out of the crib, and ran with her back into our bedroom. I put her into Jeb's arms and she immediately fell back asleep, but Reid was wide awake! About the time I got LilliAnn, the earthquake was over. It lasted about 30 seconds, but the light fixture above our dining room table swayed for several minutes. This was the first earthquake any of us had ever felt and we were in complete shock! We had no idea what we should do, or if it was really happening...it was a little bit surreal! Within seconds of the earth settling down our telephone rang and it was my dad. He kept asking how the kids were doing and I could tell that he was still a little shook up...literally...and he kept saying, "that was just wild!" Jeb and I both grabbed our phones and started checking Facebook. Everyone was talking about the earthquake! 4.7 magnitude...epicenter near Prague...largest one since 1952. Oklahoma is known for our tornados...but earthquakes?!? I was a nervous wreck and didn't sleep the rest of the night! We kept feeling small aftershocks and every time I got out of bed I felt anxious, dizzy, and a little off balance. I'm not good with things that are out of my control! With earthquakes there is really NOTHING you can do! You cannot escape them!

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Reid tells the story of the first earthquake like this...a little TMI, but it's funny and I want to always remember it. This is the story he told to my grandparents..."I was laying in mommy and daddy's bed, and my butt was itchin'. Mommy was fixin' to get that medicine for my butt, and then there was an earthquake and everything was shakin' like this (shakes his head and hands). And I was under the covers!" He talked about it all day the next day. "I don't like those earthquakes, mommy." "That was crazy!"

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We were hoping that was our first...and last...earthquake that we would ever feel...but it wasn't over yet. At around 10:30 p.m. that same day, a bigger one hit. Jeb was lying in bed watching the post-game reports of the OSU/Kansas State game on the news when we heard the rumbling. It's like a train is coming and there's no where to run! LilliAnn was in bed with us and as the shaking intensified much more than the previous quake, Jeb got a really scared look on his face...one I had never seen before. "Get Reid!" We both yelled. I ran into Reid's room and as I turned the corner with him to go back into our bedroom, I saw Jeb in the door frame of our bedroom with his arms wrapped tightly around LilliAnn. He grabbed me and Reid and said, "stand here." We all clung to each other as tight as we could...kids in the middle of us...with nothing to do but ride it out. We heard the newscaster saying, "We're experiencing another earthquake right now. Our studio is shaking!" After over a minute of intense shaking, things began to settle down. A few pictures were knocked off of our wall and shelves, and decorations had fallen off of our mantle. Things played out about like the night before...we got on Facebook and discovered even more people talking about this quake, and lots of people were very scared and shook up! We got the phone call from my dad again, and things had fallen at their house too. Mom said their pool was even white capping! As we watched the news and kept checking Facebook, the reports started to come in...at first it was a 5.2 and within minutes they had upgraded it to a 5.6 magnitude...largest earthquake ever reported in Oklahoma...epicenter near Sparks...lots of damage to houses...roads buckled and cracked...Neil's Home Furnishing in downtown Shawnee significantly damaged...steeples at St. Gregory's University fell. And again, we had several aftershocks throughout the night and I was unable to sleep. Jeb and I decided on an earthquake emergency plan for our family. Since we have no trees in our yard, and not many in our neighborhood, we felt that at our location being outside would be much safer than being inside during an earthquake. The door to our backyard is just a couple of feet from our bed, so in the event of another quake, we are grabbing the kids and heading to the middle of our backyard. Hopefully, that was the last earthquake we will ever experience, but if another one hits...we're going to be prepared!

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When natural disasters such as this occur, it is comforting to know that I am a Christian and will be going to Heaven. Someone shared this on Facebook last night and it gave me some peace. Proverbs 8:29 states that "He laid the foundation of the earth." You do not have to be afraid when the Earth shakes, when you know the One who laid the Earth's foundation. I put all of my trust in the Lord and pray that He will keep my family safe.

Orr Family Farm

2011-10-26T22:36:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we took the kids to Orr Family Farm. The weather was gorgeous and we thought it would be a perfect day for some fall fun! Johnna and Grayson spent the day with us, and Reid was so excited about having someone to hang out with all day.

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One of the very first things we did when we arrived was ride the ponies. LilliAnn was yelling, "Pony! Pony! Touch the pony! Ina ride da pony!" The boys got to Reid first and she could hardly wait her turn! Reid thought he was a real cowboy and kept throwing his hand up saying, "yee-haw, ride 'em cowboy!"

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Sissy finally touching the pony!

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"Hi mommy!" But what I think she was meaning to say was, "Hi Papa, don't you think I look cute on this horse?" :)

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The farm had a small petting zoo with farm animals that you could feed. In the barn they even had a life size dairy cow where you could practice milking a cow! Reid was all about it. Lol!

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Orr Family Farm is 70 years old and is a real working farm! The scenery is just gorgeous and there are tons of places that make great backgrounds for pictures. I had to share this adorable shot of Lil looking out onto the pond.

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Heeeeyyyy, gurlllll! Aunt Johnna supervising the boys on the jumping pillows

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We had lots of snacks...cookies, candy, kettle corn, and even a grape snow cone!

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I thought these "jumping pillows" were so cool! They were giant inflatable "pillows," kind of like a bounce house without walls, buried in the ground with sand around them. This was Reid's favorite thing of the entire day!

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Playing dead after he did a flip into the sand!

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"Cheese!"

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And I just couldn't WAIT to hop on one of these! Pedal cars!! They looked like so much fun, so Lil and I went for a spin!

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Sis wasn't as impressed as I was.

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Besides the real pony rides, this was LilliAnn's favorite thing...the mini carousel. She kept running over and climbing on the pink horse while we were waiting in line for the train.

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My little pumpkins are getting so big!

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Next was the scenic train ride around the farm. Reid told me that this was his "other tavorite (favorite) thing that we did."

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Isn't it cute?

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And what's a visit to the farm/pumpkin patch without a hay ride?

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The hay ride took us out to the corn field maze and the pumpkin patch. All the kids got to pick out a pumpkin to take home with them. Reid took his time searching for the perfect pumpkin, but Lil just wanted to pick them all up and carry them over to me.

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Precious Pumpkin!

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"I like this one, mama!"

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Sissy showing me the one she finally picked.

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Sweet boy!

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We had been at the farm for several hours at this point and the kids were both getting hungry and cranky. This was the best pic I could get of them together. I should've taken their picture together right when we got there!

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Grayson with his pumpkin pick!

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This girl can handle her own pumpkins! This cracks me up because this picture is SO LilliAnn! When she was 9 months old, she would pick up this plastic stool, that was bigger than she was, and carry it around the house. Now, she picks up her plastic baby bed/crib and carries it around!

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A picture with my pumpkins!

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I was trying to get Reid to take a good picture (which is near impossible at this age!) and he kept putting the pumpkin over his face and saying, "pumpkin head, pumpkin head!"

Where's Reid?

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There he is!

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I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this picture of LilliAnn and I! She loved the carousel so we had to ride it twice! She would say, "et's go horsey!"

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How cute is this little boy?

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What a fun day at Orr Family Farm! Daddy takes the camera on the way out and gets a shot of super mom. Lol! Pushing the stroller filled with bags, snacks, and pumpkins with a baby on my shoulders. This photo is the picture of perfection...what I was born to be...a MOTHER!

my little dreamer...

2011-10-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

Reid talks a lot in his sleep...he always has. I remember when he was a little of a year old, he woke up in the middle of the night and was talking, although we couldn't understand much. He acted as if he was scared of something or upset, and it took us quite a while to get him calmed down and back to sleep. I think he does this because he's a very active, energetic, intelligent, and strong-willed child...he's always busy and always thinking. My little brother, Kassidy, did the same thing. He would frequently wake up and talk during the night. He'd be talking to someone or acting out a scenario....sometimes when he was really little he would be fighting with my cousin Jon-Michael in his sleep, and other times he would just be upset or worried about something and it would take my parents quite a while to actually "wake" him up. This usually happened when Kassidy had played really hard that day, was extremely exhausted/stressed, or when he had been playing with lots of kids that day. It's the same for Reid. He usually does this on nights when we've had a crazy, chaotic day, or when we've been really busy, or when he's been playing with Grayson or lots of other kids. Sometimes he talks or argues with Grayson and then goes back to sleep, and other times he starts crying and doesn't know what he wants. We hold him, walk around with him, try and wake him up, and eventually he calms down. It's like his brain is always thinking...like it's hard for him to slow it down sometimes...I can relate. Sometimes I think he's uncomfortable because he needs to go to the restroom, so he can't rest well. After he goes to the potty, he's usually settles down and falls back to sleep.

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Tonight, I had just gotten into a hot bath when I heard him start crying. He was in our bed, of course, and I heard Jeb start to soothe him, "what's wrong, bubba?" I got out of the bath, walked into the bedroom, and Reid was sitting up in bed, crying and very upset. "I need that basketball! I just really need it. My basketball!!" He was still asleep. It seemed as if he was having a dream and someone wouldn't give him the ball. Last night we took Reid to the Kevin Durant charity game, so it makes sense that he had basketball on his mind. He absolutely LOVES K.D. and the Thunder. Although he was a little confused when we walked into the Cox Convention Center and headed upstairs. He wanted to sit on the floor because that's where we sit when we watch the Thunder play. After looking at the players for a minute and observing warm-ups of the pick-up game, he said, "mama, this ISN'T the Thunder!!" :)

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So as I was saying, it makes sense that he's dreaming of basketballs. I asked him if he wanted his basketball and he said yes. So then I clarified, "your big basketball or little basketball?" I didn't want to get the wrong size and have another meltdown! "The big one. Thanks, mama." So as I'm looking at the little blond-haired boy in my bed, fast asleep - one arm around a basketball that's taking up more of the pillow than his head does, and his daddy, who's sharing his bed with two children, his wife, a stuffed bunny, and a basketball...I think to myself, "you're gonna miss this."

Happy Fall Y'all!

2011-10-21T10:46:00.001-07:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Conversation with my 17 month old...

2011-09-30T21:30:00.000-07:00

LilliAnn, you communicate SO well! Since the day you were born, I've always known exactly what you wanted...I never had to wonder or guess..I always knew. Although you weren't able to talk, I knew when you were hungry, sleepy, or needed to be held close. You've done everything so early - crawling at 5 months, first steps, at 8 months, running at 11 months...always trying to keep up with your bubba.
This is how our conversation went today as we were walking out to the car at Nana Karen's house...

"What do you want to wear to Tara's wedding tonight, Sis?"
-"A shurt."
"A shirt? What about a pretty dress?"
-"A tutu."
"You want to wear a tutu?"
-"Ya! A tutu train" (and you start laughing that little loud, fake laugh like Reid does)

Then as I'm putting you in the car at our house to go back to Nana & Papa's you look at me with a really big smile and say, "tooty butt!" And you start giggling. I think you've been learning some things from your big brother!

Sentences I've heard you say in the past couple of days...
"Where's Reid at?"
"What Papa doin'?"
"That daddy's hat?" "That daddy's shoes?"
"I want my baby!"
"Mommy! Moonie! (movie)...It's ovie! (over)"
"I wuv ooo" (I love you)
"Ready to go!"
"That Reid seeping?" (sleeping)
"Pee pee in the potty?"

LilliAnn, you are quite the talker...I wonder where you get that from?

Warrior Dash - 2011

2011-09-25T22:41:00.000-07:00

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Yesterday, Jeb and I ran in our very first Warrior Dash! What is a Warrior Dash? You ask. A Warrior Dash is a 5k obstacle course race and event that travels all over the country every year. This was the first year for the Warrior Dash organization to come to Oklahoma and the event was held in Tulsa. Jeb heard about the Warrior Dash several months ago, and after watching the YouTube video he was dead set on the idea that we were going to be WARRIORS! So....we signed up! It was only a month ago that we signed up and I did not do any training for the race. I'm not a runner and I have missed several sessions with my trainer the past month because I've been sick with allergy/sinus stuff, so I was really feeling unprepared for this little warrior adventure. Jeb assured me that it was just for fun and it would be a great bonding experience. He PROMISED that he wouldn't leave me behind! My cousin Tyler had also heard about Warrior Dash and signed up to run the same time slot. He rode up to Tulsa with us, and we all agreed that we'd stay together as a team. People raced every thirty minutes all day long and their were thousands of people that competed.

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"But I'm like reeeeeally good at climbing over walls!"

Jeb: "When have you ever climbed over walls?"

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Here we are getting our warrior packets!

The event was so much fun! There was a little shop to buy "Warrior Dash" gear, a stage with a band, a beer stand, turkey legs and other food, and huge water trucks with people standing on top hosing the mud off those that had just finished the race.

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Warriors!

These are the hats we got for entering the race.

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On the way up we got on the Warrior Dash website and started checking out the results so far. I found out that the approximate average time for women in my age division was 55 minutes, so that was my goal. We decided we would shoot for 45 minutes, and that anything under that time would be AWESOME!

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I am strong! I am a WARRIOR!

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Here is a picture of one of the walls we had to climb over. The race started with a mile run through winding hiking trails. The first obstacles were small walls to climb over and barbed wire to climb under. Next there were hanging tires to climb through, old cars to climb over, and tires on the ground to jump through. After more running, we had to climb up a wall using a rope, then climb through cargo nets. Next, we had to run up steep, rocky hiking trails! That was the part that got me the most. We were over half way finished, but I was getting exhausted. I felt nauseated from the steep climb and I felt like we were never going to make it out of those trails! At one point, I was walking a lot and Jeb got mad at me and said, "I'm not going to walk this whole thing!!!" That motivated me a little bit, so I started running full speed ahead....and then I fell...I tripped on a stump and bit the dust hard! Two guys that were behind us asked if I was ok, and said, "Nice recovery! Now you're a real warrior." Lol! I could tell that Jeb felt bad, but I knew that he really wanted to laugh too. Just when I thought I couldn't go any longer, we got to jump in an ice cold lake and climb over logs! Jeb had a hard time getting over the logs and two girls had to push him over! The water cooled me down and got my adrenaline pumping again. The ice cold water took my breath away, but when I got out and started running up the muddy hill I felt completely rejuvenated! At this point, we had to run over rocky trails and climb over three more wall obstacles, run down a steep rocky hill, climb under more barbed wire, climb under nets, and then crawl through a mud pit! The race ended with us having to jump over fire!!! It was soooo exciting! The running part was hard for me, but I LOVED the obstacles! Jeb said that I was making him nervous because I was going over the walls and the nets so fast!

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We got sooooo muddy!

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The FIRE!

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We did it!!!! Jeb and I finished the race in 44 minutes! Tyler finished about 3 1/2 minutes before us, so we all beat our goal! I was so excited because I finished 140th out of 939 girls in my age division! I was pumped up, because I hadn't even been running! I've ran only twice in the past two months.

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All washed off and ready to head home!

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I think this race was a bonding experience for Jeb and I. We had an absolute BLAST and we will definitely be at Warrior Dash 2012!

Yum!

2011-09-16T20:35:00.001-07:00

Cinnamon rolls...the perfect bedtime snack!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

It's official!!!

2011-09-09T12:31:00.001-07:00

Jeb and I closed on our lot in the country club today! I'm soooo excited!! We're not in a hurry to build...I really want to spend time picking out plans, so maybe in a year or two!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A Pirate's Life For Me

2011-09-03T10:08:00.001-07:00

"but mom, pirates don't brush their teeth."

"I'm too busy to brush my teeth. I have ta catch those pirates!"

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

The Rollins Ruckus

Reid rocks!

December 23: Just one present...

December 22: Christmas at Missy's

December 21: The Very First Christmas

December 20: Reindeer Crunch

December 17, 18, 19: Branson

December 16: J*E*L*L*O

December 15: Making Spirits BRIGHT!

December 14: A Visit with Santa

December 13: Decorating with Nana

December 12: Up, Up & Away

December 11: Jingle "Bowl" Rock

December 10: Homemade Ornaments

December 9: Letters to Santa

December 8: A Little Jingle in our Jangle!

December 7: Play time with Papa

December 6: A Special Ornament

December 5: Elf on the Shelf - Meet Chippy!

December 4: And that's a WRAP!

December 3: Deck the Halls

December 2: Christmas Stories

The 25 Days of Christmas: December 1 - Christmas Movies

Reid's words...

Mommy is the big boss...

Elf on the Shelf: Day 24

Elf on the Shelf: Day 23

Lil's First (Bad) Boo Boo.

Elf on the Shelf: Day 22

Elf on the Shelf: Day 21

Elf on the Shelf: Day 20

Elf on the Shelf: Day 19

Elf on the Shelf: Day 18

Elf on the Shelf: Day 17

Elf on the Shelf: Day 16

Elf in the Shelf: Day 15

Reid's words...

Elf on the Shelf: Day 14

Elf on the Shelf: Day 13

Elf on the Shelf: Day 12

Elf on the Shelf: Day 11

Elf on the Shelf: Day 10

Elf on the Shelf: Day 9

Elf on the Shelf: Day 8

Elf on the Shelf: Day 7

Elf on the Shelf: Day 6

Thankful {Thanksgiving 2011}

Elf on the Shelf: Day 5

Elf on the Shelf: Day 4

It's off to Neverland! {Halloween 2011}

BOO hoo! Look how much they've grown!

Mean Green Fighting Machine: Alumni Football Game

Elf on the Shelf: Day 3

Elf of the Shelf: Day 2

Elf on the Shelf: Day 1

My sorry.

One day...

Pretty Little Kitty: SDC Fall Party 2011

LOVE her!

19 Month Old Drama Queen

She is SUCH a talker!

I felt the Earth. move. under my feet!

Orr Family Farm

my little dreamer...

Happy Fall Y'all!

Conversation with my 17 month old...

Warrior Dash - 2011

Yum!

It's official!!!

A Pirate's Life For Me

December 16: JELLO