Mother's Day Weekend & Annivesary

I hope all of you wonderful Mother's out there had a great Mother's Day!  

Our Mother's Day weekend started with our 7 year Anniversary celebration on Saturday!  I cannot believe that I have been married for 7 years!  WOW! 

We celebrated the entire afternoon & evening making our way through town.  I love days that it's just me & Chad & we can catch up on on life & just talk.  He has been working a ton lately so it was so nice to just be alone & laugh!  He is seriously has the sweetest soul.  I love his quiet nature around others, but his beaming love & zest for life that is shared in such a special & unique way, with just me!

We stopped first at the Crystal Bridges Museum.

Afterwards we headed over to the movies to watch Avengers, my choice.  It's not often that we are together without Avery so I really wanted to take advantage of a movie & this movie is something I was dying to see... and if you haven't seen it, a must see!  (Okay, & I MAY have a crush on Thor)...

Chad took this on his phone so it's kind of blurry it was dark.

Dinner followed on our square.  We love the square in our town & went to this lovely place on the square called, "Table Mesa".  It's one of my top choices & was just the perfect candle lit setting.

(Again, blurry someone took on my camera)

Sunday was just the greatest Mother's Day!  We woke up early for church & my sweet nephew Hudson was dedicated into the church.  After church we headed with my brother's wives family as well as mine to eat lunch.  My Mom got me & Tiff these pretty earrings from Perfect Choice.

Avery got me some adorable bracelets & made me the sweetest card!

We loved our earrings!

We spent Sunday evening at my parents with Chad's family!  We had a nice cookout!  We all just love being at my parents house, it's like being at a little resort.  I love the calmness, how it's out of town & super relaxing.  When I am there, nothing in this world matters.

The girls ate chips all night long!

We had such a great Mother's Day with our girls!

And, the perfect celebration weekend together & with the ones that love us the most!

And, we have spent this week so far being busy bee's going to school, the gym, the park, & being outside in the water!  Our pool opens in 2 weeks, we are counting down the days.  

How cute is her bikini?

In love with this almost 3 year old!  

That's all I have.... =)

Avery's 1st Haircut!

Today was a special day.  I kind of found it sentimental seeing that this weekend is Mother's Day as well as my 7th wedding anniversary & my little sweet nephew is being dedicated into our church. 

It seems like there is always some sort of milestone & this one specifically I didn't want to forget.  Anyone that has followed our journey knows my sweet girl was born with no hair!  That's right, with no hair.  I always thought I would have a baby with thick crazy brown hair... but she was born with nothing & has been perfect since!  I was born with the same & to this day have the most thick long head of hair!  I know she will be just like her Momma!

So the fact that FINALLY right before she turns 3 she needs a cut, it was a huge moment for this Momma!

I took a few pictures of her before we left the house today so I could always remember this little moment.

She was more than excited to hop up in the "airplane" chair.

She did so great & was so still!  SURPRISED! 

{blurry from my phone I was rushing taking this}

And the final look!  A little sweet bob!  I am just in love all over again!

These are the special moments I will NEVER ever forget!

Happy Mother's Day Weekend!

Cookie making & Boat riding

We are totally itching for some pool time so until our pool opens we are taking full advantage of doing some things that we probably won't be doing again all summer, baking! We are usually out so much swimming that we are hardly home.  So Tuesday we sat around all afternoon & baked cookies.  I let Avery make a huge mess & play in the flower.  She just loved it!

She loved icing them with her finger & adding sprinkles!

And their is evidence everywhere that she got into some crazy fun sweets!

We are really working on her name right now so we decided to spell it out on the cookies!

Today we woke up & I told her if she would poo-poo in the potty I would let her have a special treat of breakfast in bed.  I totally spoiled her today.  Guess what, she went in the potty! BIG GIRL!

After breakfast we met with my sister in law/sister/& her mom for a lovely day in the sun.  My mom made a special lunch which included some yummy lemon pound cake & chocolate pie!  We indulged, laughed & then went on a fun boat ride!  I am loving my family.  Now that we all have kids & are so lucky to live close, we are enjoying some fun times together!  Since Crystal just had sweet Ella Kate we thought she would also enjoy a day away from home to have some fresh air!

And seriously, how cute are these cousins?

Yes, it's true.  I am driving the boat!  Tiff & I took turns, scary!  

It's been a nice few days & I am really looking forward to Mother's Day Weekend.  Our 7 year wedding Anniversary is on Sunday as well as Mother's Day & the baby dedication for Hudson into our church.  Great times ahead!  

Life is but a dream

I have been thinking alot lately about how much my life has changed in the past 3 years.  I can hardly believe that my little girl is about to be 3 in just a few weeks.  As I am digging into the party planning & thinking about making this day special for her, I can't help but think about how grown up she is.  The past 2 years I have planned something I wanted her to have; this year it's her turn.  She is telling me everyday new things that she wants which is making it hard on this Momma because her mind is changing constantly!  I have however came up with a couple options!

Seems like yesterday we had her as tiny as she could be...

She was so tiny on her first trip home!  Big bow & all, when she use to not argue with  me about them!



Oh, life!  Sometimes there are so many things going on in life that we just forget to focus on the things that matter the most yet we focus on the things that aren't as important. My biggest downfall is that I am home alot during the day & I tend to get on facebook too much, my blog, read others blogs, instagram, my phone games... really I am so busy with Avery that I don't even talk on the phone to friends anymore; which at times makes me sad because before this lavishing world of technology we use to pick up the phone & call people, go places & do more things.  Instead, it's like I know what is going on with everyone via the Internet that I don't have to even check in.  I find that hard to understand sometimes although my friends & I do a great job of keeping in touch via text, & we plan tons of get together's, & I am so grateful for that. I truly have some wonderful ladies in my life;  near & far!  I'm telling you, after having one child, (& others have more), it's just close to impossible to get on the phone & chit chat! So I do appreciate things about the Internet as well.

But, the problem for me in all of this is I tend to utilize it too much.  I love to use the social media to know what is going on with my best friend that is in Memphis, to see what my cousins are up to, to visit with my Aunts & Uncles, my grandmother is even on FB now!  It's especially great to learn about old friends, to get recipes, to share stories, to grow.. I always try to utilize it as a positive & only that.  I never want to use it as a tool to vent the bad in my life; but more so to reflect the good in my day & be a light to everyone around me.  But I am no miss prissy perfect.  I have bad days; trust me! =)  Ask hubbs!

Lately I have been trying to build a lot of quality time with Avery & really take in every second of her.  Life at times can bring pressure & I don't want to ever feel pressure in having another one yet, until I am ready.  I get alot of questions from friends & family on when we are going to have another one, & to be honest, I'm not there yet.  I am loving getting my health under control with my thyroid, getting in top shape, spoiling Avery, & enjoying my newborn nephew.  I just don't feel it's vital for me to get on the baby train again until God lays it on both mine & my husbands hearts.

So as I was looking at ideas & ordering something offline for her Birthday, I started going back through some old pictures of previous Birthday's & had to share her 1st couple of Birthdays that were the most special of times in my entire life.  As most know, I love pictures, I capture every moment & I LOVE Birthday's.  I think it's so important that families celebrate another year of life.  It's thanking God above & beyond for giving us yet another year on this earth!

Her 1st Birthday!

Avery's 2nd Birthday!

Oh wow now to decide my princess' 3rd... 

{& no judging, the passy has been a working process, it is to be gone by 3}

"to each their own"

...{tear}

I just hope that someday when I am not longer here that my story & life will be utilized as an example in others lives.  I am so thankful for each moment, each day, each breath!

  Life is truly but a dream.