Let Freedom Ring!

This is my 200th post and I find the timing quite appropriate to dedicate this one to all the men and women out there who risk their lives serving this country so that we may celebrate the great freedom we have here in America.

I was also reminded this morning that as we celebrate this freedom may we not forget where we find true freedom and that is in Christ alone!

Hope everyone had a great 4th of July.

Update wtih Lots of Pictures

Here is what we have been up to. Pictures aren't in any chronological order so lets just start with the beach...

Jason, Kate and I headed down to the beach this past week. Kate is like a little fish and LOVED the water and sand. *anyone give swim lessons...I am thinking I need to enroll her in some since she is not afraid at all of the water.

We got to spend a few days at the beach with Mama Dre and Papa Lee too!

Kate loved playing with her daddy. Jason was with us a few days but then had to fly out for work.

Kate really got into washing the sand off of her. She caught on fast on how to lift your feet and clean them off and then turn around to get the sand off your back. It was really cute to watch.

Kate had no problem kicking back and relaxing with a drink.

I got Kate some sunglasses but this was the longest that she had them on...that was 10 seconds - just enough time to snap the picture!

After Jason left the beach a few of my sweet friends came down to spend the rest of the week with us. Kate and Graham are best of friends. They would wake up asking for each other, they ran around and played and were thick as thieves.
Oh and we like to slide....over and over and over again.
Now on to other things....I was playing with Kate's hair when I realized it would fit in a pony tail, I happen to think it is soooo cute!

My Goddaughter came over to play one day! Maggie Rae is the sweetest!! Kate however was not so sweet as she was slightly jealous of her mommy loving on someone else.

Kate has been trying to keep up with the big kids on the street. She loves playing with their scooters, cars and bicycles. Too bad was have a little while longer until her feet even reach the pedals.

Kate has figured out how to wear and walk around in my flip flops. Its pretty cute.

Speaking of hanging with the big kids, Kate doesn't like to sit in her booster/high chair. She prefers to sit like a big girl...at least most of the food actually makes it to her mouth since it has such a short distance to travel!

And that's it for now.

10 Years?! Really?!?!

This weekend was our 10 year high school reunion. We had a little pre party at our home Friday night with our close friends and then Saturday night was the actual planned party at B&A Warehouse. We were supposed to have a family picnic Saturday morning but because of the weather we had to cancel it.


For the most part I have stayed in touch or am still really good friends with many I graduated with. So this was really more of a party with friends than a reunion. But all in all we had a great time...I just can't believe its been 10 years!

Nichole, Lisa, me, Kim and Jamie - I still see these girls at least once a week!

Lisa, Jamie, Danica and myself - we were the "planning committee" for the reunion...no one told us that when you are running for SGA and class officers in high school that it means that 10 years later that would mean that we were responsible for getting this shindig together.

Myself, Davida, Catherine, Nichole and Meredith - we all cheered together throughout high school and I have GREAT memories with these girls

For those of you who didn't know, Jason and I went to high school together so this was his 10 year reunion too. It was funny to see people react when they found out we were married. Jason and I were friends but never dated so no one ever thought that 10 years later they would come the the reunion and see that we had gotten married.

Tom and Jason - Tom is one of Jason's best friends. Tom made my day when I heard he was flying in from Colorado to come to the reunion.

This was from the pre-party at our house Friday night. We had about 20+ adults and 10+ kids running around. CRAZY!

ps. on another note, i am going to have to get some pictures of kate hanging out with our new neighbors. since moving into our new home kate has grown up so much! I have so many thing to write and post about, but that is going to have to wait for now.

Spring Photos

If you remember I had won a free photo session from Melissa Hardin photography back in the fall and because of a glitch in her camera that day she was so sweet to take Kate's pictures for me again this spring. Here is a link to Kate's photos...leave a comment with your favorite!

http://melissahardin6013.zenfolio.com/p662374033

Happy Birthday Uncle Mike!

I realize this is a day late but just didn't have time to download the video yesterday...but for those of you who know Kate, she doesn't talk much compared to other kids but just now has started saying more. So Happy Birthday Uncle Michael...we can finally say your name!

And after our first week in our new home Kate has adjusted fine. The only sad thing was when we went by the old house to get some mail and when i drove up and then drove off she started crying. I forget that the old house is still familiar to her and she thought we had just gotten home and now we were leaving again. But she hasn't skipped a beat. Lucy on the other hand needed a few days to calm down. But she is doing great now.

Our New Home

I have been asked to post a picture of our new house.....and here it is....

The Joys of Moving

For the few of you who read this blog and wonder where I am...here is what my days have looked like in the past week.

Wake up

Pack, Pack, Pack

Drive over to new house and unpack boxes

Put Kate down for a nap and work while she sleeps

Kate wakes up and plays with the neighborhood kids while I continue to work

Grab some dinner

Put Kate down to sleep and work some more

Jason has had the busiest month with work and traveling this May so it has been up to me to meet contractors/painters and oh yeah, pack our whole house! But things are going well, it is just really busy. Thanks to help of friends and family who have either helped watch Kate or helped pack boxes...I TRULY APPRECIATE YOU!

Here is a cute picture from the other day when my parents got on the trampoline to jump with Kate!

Child Labor

My good friend Ashley started her own business Ashley Macs and she makes the best food but her all time best is her strawberry cake. If you go to their Bluff Park or Cahaba Heights location they have samples you can try. Kate loves sampling the strawberry cake! The other day we were up there and saw Andy, Ashley's husband, who is a favorite of Kates. Most likely because he lets her have all the strawberry cake samples she wants! Kate took her sticky icing fingers and put them all over their windows and Andy was about to clean them when Kate asked if she could have the paper towel to clean. We would spray the window and then she would wipe it down. She kept saying "please" and "more" and kept cleaning. I tried to hire her out telling Andy and Ashley what clean windows they would have and that she could attract lots of clients into the store!!

Thirsty??

Kate had more fun yesterday playing in our sprinkler system and drinking the water. Needless to say she was drenched!

So I just stripped her down to her bloomers and let her keep having fun!

Latest Sewing Project

As I have said before, I always wanted to sew to be able to make things for my home. However, it took having a little girl to get me started. But now I am starting to get into sewing more for the home. I made curtains a few months back and now I have tried my hand at pillows. I decided to pipe them and I understood the concept but just had never piped anything. But I must say that I am very pleased how they turned out. I am excited to see them in our new house!!

I had no idea to do a zipper to close them so I just overlapped the back and put in buttons!