Bella and Gavin

We had an Easter egg hunt here at the daycare yesterday. I caught Gavin doing a couple of cute things on camera. He is just wonderful...everything about him. He reminds me so much of Bella at his age. They have the same personality...I love that. :) I recently allowed Bella to pick out a new bathing suit for this year. She picked a yellow one. I was surprised by that choice since everything she owns or does is pink. hmmm...

Here are a few pictures of the egg hunt and a very sassy Bella with her new bathing suit on. :)

Project : Deck Building

Chris and I have been wanting to add a deck to our house since we moved here, but money, money, money. So...we decided to put our tax money to good use this year and just do it. Chris did about 80% of the work, and the other 20% was done by a great friend. He helped screw the boards and dig a hole. I have a very handy husband. :)

Where's the light

We taught Gavin to show us where the light is. He loves it when we ask because he loves getting praise. He even claps for himself sometimes! lol. I also taught him where my teeth are...but I didn't quite think it through because I had a camera in front of my face. :)

So...while I am gone...or when he thinks I'm not looking, Chris sneaks Gavin drinks of tea...or chocolate milk. ugh...

Spring

I have been LOVING this weather we have had here lately. It is perfect...mmmm...the breeze, the smell of a well seasoned steak on the grill, the sound of 2 crazy kids playing in the yard....oh and don't forget - the sound of a drill guiding a screw into place. Yep..that's right...a drill... Chris has planned and started the deck building process we have so desperately wanted to do for so long. Spring time brings about all sorts of projects around here. My husband is an overachiever and I love him for it. :) We (Chris) have already put one project under our belt - we (Chris) painted our garage floor a couple of weekends ago. It looks great!

Yesterday was Friday - Oh how I have looked forward to that day for a whole week (seemed longer). I have felt so drained for some reason. Maybe it was the time change catching up with me...or maybe it was from all of the stress of planning a birthday party for one sweet, precious one year old. All I know is that I needed Friday like whoa! Now that it's Saturday, I feel soooo much better. I slept late this morning, got up around 8, and prepared to go to a baby shower for some friends. After the shower, I took Bella to see Alice in Wonderland 2D, and now I'm blogging. I have REALLY been slacking with this blogging stuff. So sorry.

Last night I took Bella to Target to buy the shower gifts for my friends. While there, I thought that maybe...just maybe I could find a cute shirt or even shorts for Gavin since the weather is changing and he could use them. NOPE...nothing. I couldn't find anything that caught my eye or even made me think about buying it. They seriously need to step up their game on designing some cute boy clothes...really. ugh. So...instead, I bought Bella the cutest, colorful dress. And get this...it was only $6! Can't beat that! Here are some pictures I took of her playing in the dirt. She decided to sneak the dress on while I wasn't looking. :)

Yes, those are cinderella sleeves from her dress up box...:)

This is what happens when she dresses herself...

She was getting chilly

Running inside to grab a jacket

um...that's not a jacket...

The start of our (Chris') deck building project :)

Is it just me, or does Gavin look OLD here? Maybe it's the hair?
ugh... A one year old for sure. :(

Gavin's Birthday Party

Here are some pictures of our baby boy on his First Birthday. Sorry it has taken me so long...I am still recovering from all the stress and time change. :)

March

As I look back on the last year - through memories in my head, pictures on my laptop, or 10 second video clips, I am brought back. And OH how I love that feeling. I love to close my eyes and leave reality for just a moment of "going back in time". Like the feeling of listening to that oldie but goody of a song you remember from High School, and if you close your eyes at just the right moment and let it all sink in - you could swear you were back there again... Or sometimes just sitting outside in the beautiful spring air letting the wind hit me in my face, I am taken back to a wonderful feeling I felt a year ago today. March...I love this month. I loved this month from the beginning...the day they told me when to expect to hold my baby for the first time...March. March was my new favorite word for those nine months. Oh how I wanted March to hurry and get here. I needed to hold my baby and touch his precious face...and I knew that March could give that to me. There is absolutely nothing better in this world than seeing your baby for the first time. Thank you March.

March 12, 2009

Our baby, her baby - Happy First Birthday Gavin!

Walking

Gavin is braver than ever now...he is almost a walker indeed. :)

Friends

Sometimes I miss having "friends". Ya know the ones you can be silly with and stay out late with. But here lately, I haven't really missed it much. I moved here (Benton) a couple of years ago and I guess just sort of grew up. lol I grew out of the junior high act and grew into a mom/wife. My home town friends resented me for it and talked behind my back. It hurt my feelings...I got over it...it happened again...I got over it - ya see the cycle? It took me a LOOONNNGGG time to figure out that they weren't really "friends". I mean they were there (when they needed something) and they called (when they needed something), but I just didn't like the way they made me feel. They didn't like me for me...and I was sad.

Good news!
I am 27. :) Yep...27! That means...I don't have to be friends with them anymore. I'm not in high school. I AM a grown up....and I like it. I have children and a husband (that I was made to feel bad for having), and they are my "friends". I get to act silly with them and stay out late with them after our walmart trips...and guess what! - They still LOVE me at the end of a bad day. So...I guess what I am trying to say is...

bye bye old life...:)

p.s. Dear old life, please don't text me some dirty, mean message because of what is written on MY blog. I didn't make you read it. :)


Here is my new life:







You have no idea how good it feels to be a part of this. This is pure silliness...and pure LOVE. :)