Gulf Shores vacation

We just got back from a week long trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama. This may be redundant if you are on Facebook, sorry! Wow is all I can say. I went to GS the summer before I started ACU and I don't remember it being this pretty. Brad and I both agreed that the beach was better than Mexico! The water isn't as blue and clear, but the sand is amazing.

We lef the metroplex at 7am. We rented a Suburban and my parents drove their Maxima. One carseat went in their car and the other two in the Suburban. It worked out great to rotate a kid every stop. The drive went so much better than what we expected! It was a LONG 16 hours. I am even more thankful for portable DVD players, fruit snacks and cousins to entertain each other! I think there was more complaining and whining from the adults!

We pulled into Gulf Shores around midnight. The kids got their second wind while the adults unloaded the cars. Everyone was in bed by 1ish...and up by 6...at least our kids. Mom and dad were the only ones that slept in during this vacation. The trend remained for the girls to wake up at 6. Lovely!

Our condo was great too. Many props go out to my sister who researched for hours finding us the perfect place. Pictures don't really do it justice, this place was nice! It was very reasonable too, when you split it with multiple families. Let me give you a little tour.

The elevator opened to our foyer. OPENED to our foyer! Every time it opened I wanted to say, "Welcome to my crib".

Take a left from the foyer and you head down to the kitchen and living room. Kelly and Wade's room is on the left.

The living room had panoramic views of the ocean. There was also a semi-wrap around balcony.

The couch fit all 6 adults very comfortably while watching multiple episodes of The Office. The kitchen was fancy too. We cooked three dinners at home and ate out once.

The view to our right.

And, to our left.

Back at the foyer, take a right and you head to the other 3 bedrooms.

This was our room. It was as big (if not bigger) than our living room and kitchen combined! Each room had it's own bathroom and flat screen tv...and their own balcony too!

This was Mallory's room. She had an entire king size bed to herself.

If you are ever going to Gulf Shores with your family, email me and I'll send you all the info. You will not be disappointed....or we just don't get out much:)

I would do a play by play of every day, but it was pretty much the same. On the beach by 9ish, swimming in the pool/hot tub, up in the condo for lunch and naps, dinner, walks on the beach, baths, dessert for the adults (I won't tell you how many tubs of ice cream Wade, I mean we, consumed) and multiple episodes of The Office. So, here is our week in pictures!

Tate, Wade, Brad and the girls swimming in the indoor pool. Morgan preferred this much more than the ocean!

This is what Morgan wanted to do on the beach...the whole time!

Floaties and a toddler belly are the next big thing in modeling...right??

Mallory and Tate jumping around in the "little ocean". They had a blast playing together.

Hey, look! Morgan is smiling! Oh yeah, it's because she's on the towel and not on the sand!

One of my favorite of Mallory. It was her first time in a "bubble bath" in a hot tub. We think there might have been a little too much cleaner left in when the jets turned on!

Lots of snuggle time with Mimi and Grandpa.

The first day...before Morgan decided she hated all things to do with the beach!

On their way to the beach for the first time!

This was after our photo shoot on the beach. My mom wanted to get family pictures made. It was a little windy, but hopefully they turned out good. At least Dad got a good shot!

Heading out the first day! Everyone is excited!

Kelly and I tried to stay an extra day, but the plan fell through when Mallory was up the last night semi-puking. So, we packed up Wednesday morning and hit the road by 8. We pulled into Kelly's driveway around 9:30. The drive back was even better than the one there. It was a great vacation and we are trying to figure out how to go there every year!!

Time's ticking...

There is only about 3 more hours left for the giveaway at Jelby's! Go now and enter to win a free set of super cute and super unique burpies!!

It's a giveaway!

I'm hosting a giveaway at Jelby's!! Go take a look, and enter to win!

Mother's Day 2009

On June 5, 2006, my identity as a woman changed forever. I became known as "Mallory's mommy".

December 18, 2007 changed my name again. I was now known as "Mallory and Morgan's mommy".

I'm in the middle of reading Sacred Marriage. In one of the recent chapters, Gary Thomas talked about how marriage is like a mirror reflecting your true self (totally paraphrased by me). I'm sure in his other book, Sacred Parenting, he probably says that parenthood is an even bigger mirror!

I won't say that motherhood has always made me look the most beautiful at times, but it is definitely the most rewarding thing I have yet to do. It's overwhelming to think about the responsibility I have in the life of these two precious girls:

The love overflows, the discipline is hard, the hugs are amazing, the spontaneous "I love you Mommy" is enough to make even the hardest day better, and the joy that I feel being their mother is unending.

I had a wonderful Mother's Day (and eve). Brad sent me away Saturday to spend some cash however I saw fit. I didn't come home for 5 hours!! I also got some beautiful begonias planted in the pots by our front door. We went to church yesterday and heard an encouraging sermon on being a wise momma. It was followed by a yummy brunch/lunch at Cracker Barrel. Mmm!

What a blessing to be Mallory and Morgan's mommy! And, what a blessing to be at home with both of them and watch as they learn and grow!

My birthday weekend!

My birthday was almost two weeks ago, but I want to blog about it, since it was so much fun! I think it's even more fun when your birthday falls on a Friday, that way you have a reason to celebrate all weekend!!

On Friday, Brad came home to watch the girls while my friend Karen took me to lunch. We went to a tea room in Salado. It was wonderful to eat a lunch and not worry about two other mouths to feed at the same time!! I came home from lunch greeted by Mallory and Brad. Mallory was dying and literally yelled, "We bought you a present and a card!!!!" On the table was a card scribbled on by Mallory, Morgan and Brad. Then, I opened this:

I am not a big jewelry person, but, aside from my wedding rings, this is my favorite thing to wear! I helped Brad a little (sending him the links to four different sites), but he ordered it all by himself and picked out which one to get. I love it!! And, if we happen to have another little one someday, then I can just add his/her charm on!!

Friday night, we went out with a group of friends from church. Back at our women's retreat, we were talking about how great the atmosphere was at the restaurant we were eating at. Meredith told us about a fun German restaurant in Walburg that was kind of similar. So, the plans started and we actually followed through!!!


Walburg is a town that isn't known for much except for this cool Biergarten. They have a real restaurant with plates and everything, but we thought it'd be more fun to sit outside and listen to the "Walburg Boys". It was! The food was so so (I didn't venture out with the German food, just a safe cheeseburger), but the company was great!

Here's a group shot:

All of the girls: Karen, Sarah, Meredith, Natalie, Me and Laura

Mallory and her buddy, Bella, dancing the night away!

Morgan has been making this "Elvis" face for a long time. I haven't been able to get it on camera yet, but finally did (even if it's blurry)!

Me and Laura with Morgan. Apparently, we are long lost sisters. At church on Sunday, the nursery worker asked Laura, "Are you and Morgan's mommy sisters??" So funny, since both of us look nothing like our own sisters!

Mallory and Bella waiting on the food...or the music to start!

Saturday, my parents came to Georgetown with us to watch Brad's spring scrimmages. They brought our nephew, Tate, since his mommy and daddy were living it up in San Fran for their Anniversary. It is never a dull moment when Mallory and Tate are together. I'm actually surprised I have so many "still" shots.

This picture is while they were resting. You can see by the sweat on their faces and in their hair that there hadn't been much down time. Tate ended up on the field at one point during the game! Oops. Good thing he's the coach's nephew!!

Every time Tate sees Brad, he usually says "Soccer!" Well, after this weekend, he added a new phrase when he sees Uncle Brad..."Score!!" It was pretty cute. Brad was talking to some other coaches and Tate would run by yelling "Score!" while kicking his soccer ball. Not much longer and Tate will be able to come to Uncle Brad's soccer camps!

Grandpa, providing some entertainment.

Big sister couldn't miss out. Plus, her baby wanted to ride on her shoulders too.

And, the highlight of Mallory's day! Mallory LOVES to "drive" Brad's Jeep into the garage. Since it's only 10ish feet, I put Morgan in to. They both had a blast!

What a fun weekend! I got to celebrate with family and friends. Doesn't get much better than that!

Look at her go!

Well, after a couple months of holding our fingers, getting skinned knees from crawling on pavement, wearing out shoes and putting holes in jeans...we have a walker!!!! Walking is definitely Morgan's preferred mode of transportation now, and it makes life MUCH easier!

Check out her skills below. It's been a rainy week and it was time to pull out the tent (it's reserved for special occasions, and I think you'll see why). If you look real close, you'll see a mass of bubbles everywhere. My sister introduced us to Gymboree bubbles and they are awesome! You'll find bubbles for days!! They are a life saver on rainy days too!

Goofy girls

I had a super fun birthday weekend, and will post about it soon. But, for now, here are some pictures from the weekend that I think are hilarious!

This one isn't so hilarious, just a sweet sleeping picture of Morgan. She was o.u.t. the other day when we needed to leave the house. She wouldn't wake up for anything, but as soon as she did, and saw Mallory, she was all squeals and smiles!!



While I was getting ready the other day, Mallory was reading some books in the living room. I walked in to the room to find this big girl kicking her legs and reading her Bible. My brain is finally catching on to the idea that she will be THREE in a little over one month. Sigh.

This cracks me up. Mallory was coloring with markers and somehow Morgan got a hold of one. She puts everything in her mouth, so it didn't surprise me when I saw blue around her mouth. But, this was the result when I told her no and took away the marker....

And, finally, this was tonight after bath. Mallory put Morgan's blanket on her head and proclaimed that she was "Mary" and the baby doll was "Baby Jesus". Apparently, they were on their way to "Becklaham" on a donkey. She did this all on her own. She then named Brad "Joseph" and I was the "innkeeper" (Brad helped her with that one). So sweet and hilarious! She's really been into the whole role playing stuff. The other day, we were all Disney princesses. She called me Sleeping Beauty the entire day, called Morgan Belle, and of course, she was Cinderella. I kept forgetting, so finally I'd hear "Sleeeeeeeeppppping Booooottttyyyy!" and figure out that it was me she was trying to get attention from:)

Loving this weekend!! More to come soon!

My new adventure!

Well, after MUCH encouragement (and gentle nudges) from family and friends, I have decided to take the plunge and start selling burp rags...or as they are affectionately known as now, "baby burpies"!

Come on over to Jelby's and take a look!! Let me make your next gift for the mom-to-be!!

My addiction came in handy!

Some may say that I have an addiction to Coke (the drink, just to clarify). I will admit that my preferred drink with pizza, mexican food, popcorn, Taco Bueno...okay, my preferred drink with anything is usually Coke. I really try to limit myself to one a day. That is why I don't buy Coke for the house! I would totally go through a 12 pack in 3 days. It's awful. My newest addiction is the $1 Cokes at McDonald's. They are greatness. I've started ordering them with extra ice, mmm! Yesterday, my $1 Coke came in handy, and that is why I will continue to invest in $1 Cokes.

After lunch, I thought it'd be a great idea to head to the park. It was a beautiful day yesterday and the girls were in great moods. So, we went to the park right by our house.

It's a very toddler friendly park without too many openings. After about 4 times down the baby slide, Morgan thought she'd be big stuff and follow Mallory around. She still isn't walking, so she just crawled as fast as she could over the bridge and up the steps...you might see where this is going.

She was crawling up the steps and I guess she looked back to see Mallory, and slipped head first down the step. She of course started screaming so I ran up the steps to grab her. I thought she just bumped her head, but then I noticed her mouth and all the blood! Yikes! I flipped out slightly (that is the calm, cool and collected ER nurse in me) and ran Morgan to the car (and yelled for Mallory to run too!).

I had nothing in the car to wipe her mouth off with, so I used the extra skirt in Mallory's bag. After I wiped her clean, I finally saw that she had (only) busted her top lip. It was already starting to puff up...and then I saw my $1 Coke!! I know the ice from my Coke made Morgan's mouth feel 10 times better. So, there you have it. That is the reason I buy my $1 Cokes almost everyday:) I don't need a first aid kit or extra towels in my car for accidents...just my $1 Coke from McDonald's!!!

Morgan's mouth is totally fine by the way. After about 10 minutes, she didn't even act like anything had happened! It was swollen and puffy after her nap, but today it's pretty much normal. I think the accident might have helped break her top teeth through the gums...just joking!

Happy Easter!

We've had a busy, but great Easter weekend!

On Friday, Brad's parents came through on their way to San Antonio, and picked up Mallory. Morgan was supposed to go too, but she has been sick since Tuesday with a virus/fever/cough. So, BMom and Pop took Mallory to San Antonio with them. They went to Aunt LaShay's church to watch their Easter performance, played HARD with Julia and Johnathan, ate at Chick-Fil-A, played with dogs and then conked out in the car on the way home yesterday. Apparently, it was a super fun and jam-packed 24 hours.

I didn't know what to do with only one child in tow! I didn't really get anything done, but it was nice to have a break from potty training!!

Saturday morning was Brad's alumni game. We missed the game (it was cool and overcast, so we stayed home since Morgan has been sick), but met everyone for lunch afterwards. The returners beat the alumni and Brad had about 5 recruits come in to watch also. It was a fun day! Mallory came home around 5 and got "readjusted" to life with Mommy and Daddy:)

This morning, our church had the Easter service at our Expo center. It was slightly odd sitting in a coliseum with cigarette butts under the seats and dust all over everything. But, it was neat to see the place packed out. This is the first year that Mallory has understood what happened on Easter. We went to an Easter pageant at Brad's work last week. Ever since then, she's been telling us, "Jesus died on the cross and got boo boos. Then, he came out of the tomb, and said, I'm alive! I'm alive!" Pretty accurate!

Oscar and Laura invited us to Laura's parent's house for lunch after church. The girls had fun playing with Maddie and the lunch was super yummy! It was topped off with red velvet cupcakes...mmmm!!! We really enjoyed being with Laura's family. Here's some pictures from after church today.

Outside of Laura's parent's home. My super talented friend, Sarah, made the girl's dresses!! I'm not sure if she wants the publicity, but she did a fantastic job on them! She hand smocked each dress. They may not be the most Easter-y, but I love them!!!

The girls with Maddie. It is entirely impossible to get 3 kids to look at the camera at once. Check out Maddie's triple decker bow!! She is the most adorable bow head I've ever seen!!!

This is what I get every time I try to take Morgan's picture lately. Turkey!

Maddie in her pretty Easter dress. So sweet!

She's almost there!

We definitely aren't calling her a "walker" yet...but she is taking some steps on her own every now and then! This video is from last weekend at my parent's house...please excuse the high pitched "Yay!" in the background!!

Fake birthday weekend

Technically, Kelly's birthday was in March and mine isn't until the end of April, but we got to celebrate (late and early) over the weekend! We headed to the metroplex to see everyone on Friday. It's always fun going to the metroplex. Busy, but fun. This weekend was no exception.



Friday night we ate at Mi Cocina in Southlake. Wade kept the kids busy with popping bubbles on his IPhone. Uncle Wade is a handy guy to have around while waiting for the check!!




It was a nice evening, so we played around the fountains for a while before heading back to my parent's house. I really wish our town had stuff like this. It's free and fun entertainment!


The dogs are always a hit with the grandkids. Here's Mallory posing with Jazz, who is leaning on the elderly side. It will be a sad day when she's not at the house anymore!



Saturday morning, my parents gave the kids their Easter buckets and had an egg "hunt" out in their front yard. I use the term "hunt" very loosely:) Mom basically threw a bunch of plastic eggs out in the grass. There was no "hunting" involved, but it was still loads of fun!

2 out of 3 smiling...not too bad!!

Saturday evening, we went to church with Kelly and Wade. Mallory loves "Tate's church" because there is a play area inside! It is MUCH cooler than our church:) We had dinner at my parent's house (mom's chicken tarragon looked and tasted MUCH better than my attempt) and ice cream cake to celebrate. Kelly and Wade's gift will go down as one of my all time favorites. I mentioned this forever ago and she remembered!! Sorry Mom, you'll have to get creative now:)

Sunday was especially fun for me and Kelly! We took off early Sunday morning and headed to Canton...by ourselves...without husbands...or children!! It was my first time there and it did not disappoint! I came home with some really cute fabric, a fun bucket for the girl's bathroom (which is in the process of being redecorated) and a couple of books for the girls. I was on a "business" trip or else I would have brought home a lot more stuff for me! I am already ready to go back. We only had about 4 hours to spend there and we figured out that is not enough.

Mallory and Morgan got to have some fun too...with daddy! Brad took the girls to Krispy Kreme for some doughnuts with Uncle Wade and Tate. I guess they were a hit since Morgan ate 1 1/2 by herself!!! Later that day, Mallory, Brad, Uncle Wade and Tate all went to Keller Pointe to go swimming. That was a huge hit...with Brad too! Again, it's too bad we don't have anything like that around here.

And then on the road again heading home! What a fun weekend.

Someone got a haircut...

...and the sass to go with it!!!

I took Mallory to get her hair cut last week. The last time we got her hair cut was last July. I decided to take her to the salon that I go to. It started out bad. I had to wake Mallory up from her nap and then had potty issues. But, we made it there and she warmed up to the experience eventually:)

Lauren shampooed her hair in the sink and everything! That kind of freaked Mallory out at first, but then she thought it was pretty cool. I came armed with 2 of the best snacks in Mallory's book...Dora fruit snacks and a pink sucker. They both worked like a charm!

I love Mallory's hair cut (and totally wanted it this style), but it made me tear up seeing her looking that old!!! It just makes it more real that she is turning THREE in 2 months. Crazy!

Genetics

They are a funny thing. When we got pregnant with Mallory, and found out she was a Mallory, I just knew that she would look like me. And, she did!! A lot!! So many of my baby pictures look just like Mallory's. It was strange and surreal.

So, when we got pregnant with Morgan, I wondered if she would look like Mallory. She did...for the first 5 minutes after she was born! She changed so much as a baby. All of her black hair fell out and blonde hair came in it's place! Her eyes stayed blue and her skin if a lot more fair than my olive skin.

When we were at BMom and Pop's house a few months after Morgan was born, I was looking through some old photo albums. I wish I had the picture of Brad at 3 months to scan and put on here. It was crazy how much they looked alike...and still do!!

The strangest thing of all is about 6ish months ago, I started noticing that Morgan looked like my sister's baby pictures. How weird is that? She looks NOTHING like me, but just like her dad and aunt? I always joke that I was just the surrogate, but that kind of creeps people out:) But seriously. It's weird. Here's some proof!

First, we'll start with how much Mallory and Morgan do not look like each other. Here is Mallory at 10 months, and Morgan last Sunday (15 months):

Now, here is Aunt Kelly (and Mimi) back in 1976ish:

Aunt Kelly around one year old:

Morgan at 14 months (here I think Mallory and Morgan might resemble each other a little):

Is that not the weirdest thing ever???? I was looking through old pictures at my parent's house and just kept saying, "Oh my word! That is weeeeeiiirrrrddddd!!!"

And, just for fun, here are some pictures of me around 2 years old, and a picture of Mallory at 2 years old (it was the closest picture of Mallory with a "mullet"...apparently my preferred choice of hairstyle from 2-8 years old...thanks Mom and Dad!):