Small Group Fun…Whiffle Ball Style

Last weekend we had some friends over to have a cook out and just hang out…but the most notable event of the evening was the highly anticipated Whiffle Ball game.  As you may or may not be aware, I am the most competitive person on the face of the earth!  So naturally I changed into my tennis shoes and put my hair up in time to get serious.  We might have painted bases and baselines in our back yard. 

Team pictures

Donny, Chris, Linz and Myself

Lincoln, Brad, Emily and Charley, Amber, and Sam

The game got really intense actually I just tripped over the small ridges in our back yard, and I fell down on what I’m pretty sure was the first play of the game…as you can see it was absolutely HILARIOUS!!

Amber was LEGIT!

Brad played with one arm…

Donny tried to even things out by also batting with one arm.

Sam was the other team’s MVP…for sure

Although Emily did give him a run for his money as far as that award goes!  I believe the quote was “You can’t handle the heat” directed towards Chris :)

There was some throwback to my rec league days of pitching

Linc brought the heat, but we totally handled it

We appreciated Chris’s effort…all out!!

Linz brought back her high school softball skills, and hit home the winning run…

And I may or may not have scored the winning run :)

In case you couldn’t tell my team won we were just playing for fun and winning didn’t matter!! Seriously though I love love love spending time with my life group…they are the most fun group of people to be around, and its so fun because we are all pretty much in the same season of life…

Sissy and Emery…I could eat this picture UP!!

Miss Maddie…look at those big baby blues :)

Didn’t get any pictures of Don and Debby babysitting all our kids while we talked smack and played, or sweet newborn Isabella and her parents, Kim and Dale, or Layna Bug…but don’t worry there’s always a next time :)

11 months…

Really?? Are you sure?? Positive??  I cannot believe my sweet little girl is eleven months old…where has this year gone?  First birthday plans are in full swing, and I’m so excited to celebrate her first year, but I also want to just yell “HOLD THE PHONE!!! TIME PLEASE SLOW DOWN…BETTER YET…JUST STAND STILL, AND LET ME PAUSE IN THIS MOMENT!!”  But I know that I need to be thankful that she’s growing and healthy and yada yada yada, and yes you’re right but all you other mamas out there know what I’m sayin :)

Here is a little bit of what you’ve been up to this past month…

When we tell you “No, No.”  You look down and say “Ooohhh”.  It’s adorable.

You  have the old lady face down pat, and perform it on command.

You no longer take a bottle at all, but you were not a fan of milk, so we have to give you strawberry milk…don’t judge me…I know strawberry milk is better than no milk :)  You pretty much eat whatever Mommy and Daddy eat, which is making Mommy eat a lot better!!

You can “love” anything…a baby doll, a stuffed animal, mommy, daddy, etc.

You have taken five steps on your own, but you would rather crawl because its faster.

You cried for the first time when we dropped you off at nursery last Sunday, but hopefully that was a one time only deal…but you are definitely becoming more attached to Mommy, and Daddy too.

You’ve started shaking your head no and its really cute!

You say: mama, dada, baba, woah woah woah, and you can “bark” at Lucy (and other dogs).  Daddy has taught you how to give a high 5 :)

You had your very first temper trantrum today…you literally screamed at Mommy when she tried to put your shoes on, and you preceded to swat at me, and kick and scream and try to rip  your shoes off…oh boy…

You are still an extremely easy baby (and yes I will probably still call her a baby even when she’s like 10)…you are just a go with the flow, hang out, smiley little girl and we love it!!

Can’t believe you’ll be one in just a short month…someone give me some medication please!!!

P.S. These pictures are a hint about Emery’s birthday party…thanks for the high chair idea Sarah!!! Can’t wait to share the invites with you…I’m slightly obsessed…and don’t worry I didn’t share the two pictures from them :) 

Dogwood Festival 2011

Yes, I am aware that the Dogwood Festival was 2 months ago…oops.  But, this is what happens when you have entirely too much going on…blogging takes a back seat to playing with Emery, spending quality time with Brad, and yes even housework. 

Anyway, I digress…Emery and I went to the Dogwood Festival in good ‘ol downtown Vinton with the Dowdys and the Millers while Brad took his middle school math praxis….WHICH HE PASSED with flying colors (of course…he is so smart) :)  We had a great time.

Miss Charley

My little cutie

The cutest little boy EVER with Emily’s his favorite Ellie dog :)

Surprisingly Emery is the one in Charley’s business in this picture because its usually the other way around haha

All of the kiddos and the three strollers

Emery and I

Lindsey spent 90% of the time we were there putting sunscreen on Layna…but hey she didn’t get burnt :)

Emery spent half of the time sleeping

Emery and Chris became bff that day…and Emily no longer allows Chris to hold Emery…we think it gives him baby fever.

Emery loved the parade…especially the horses.  She must have thought they were just really large dogs because she was barking at them.  After the parade she crashed as we walked around and checked out all the vendors.  Thankful for a small town and great friends!!

10 months…just a little late :)

Yes I am aware that Emery is  now 10 and a half months old, but I’m busy…it’s the end of the school year…give me a break :)

Miss Emery you have quite the little personality!  You are full of life and smiles and giggles and squeals and we LOVE it!!  You only drink one bottle a day now before bed, but at 11 months we’re going to try to drop that, and start giving you milk because you’re not really into the bottle so much anymore, but you are still a big time eater. 

You are super fast and into EVERYTHING, and I mean EVERYTHING.  You always try to get into Lucy’s dog bowl….yuck! 

When we tell you no, you always stick your bottom lip out and do a pitiful fake cry, and crawl over to me to pick you up.  For a week you were calling me “mama”, but now everyone is “dada”…even strangers which is only slightly awkward. 

You have also started to bark back at Lucy, and speaking of Lucy you LOVE to pet her, pull her, poke her and such.  She’s still protective of you, and likes to be wherever you are, but she doesn’t really love you being about to chase her and touch her.  You can take one or two steps on your own, but you realize that crawling is faster, so that’s what you go for. 

You have two bottom teeth, two top teeth, and two other top teeth about to come through (this was at 10 months…now you have two more top teeth)  this makes Mommy sad because I don’t think you look like a baby anymore.  You’re still a mama’s girl, but I think Daddy may make his move this summer while we’re all home together. 

Emery you have given me the greatest joy over the past ten months, and I cannot believe you’re only 2 months away from being one year old!!!

My First Mother’s Day!!

This past Sunday was WONDERFUL!!  I enjoyed celebrating my very first Mother’s Day.  I did a lot of reflecting back on last Mother’s Day when I was 7 months pregnant with Emery, a lot of eating (duh!), a lot of shuffling between families, a lot of loving on my girl, and a lot of thanking God for my family, my daughter, my mom, my grandmothers, and my mother in law.  I’m so lucky to have such amazing examples for me in my life.  Those who have gone before me have left such a great legacy for Emery and I, and I want nothing more than to uphold and add to that legacy.

Mom borrowed Emery on Saturday to help her make me this adorable pot :)

3 Generations (wish I would’ve gotten Granny in this picture, and had one of 4 generations)

Please excuse the pasty whiteness…if you recall I did not get to go to the beach :)

Emery and Gammy (So sad I didn’t think to get a picture of Emery and Nanny Boo at breakfast or after church!!)

Family of three :)

So thankful this little boogs made me a Mommy!!

Emery and I with Grandbess

“I am reminded of your sincere faith that lived in your grandmother, your mother, and I am persuaded, now lives in you also.” 2 Timothy 1:5

Spring Break 2011

Since we were unable to go to the beach this year, I got a lot done around the house and we took care of Brad I tried to find lots of fun things for us to do with Emery! :)

We enjoyed Maddie’s cozy coupe while she left it here for a couple of days.

We read books (these pictures absolutely melt my heart!!)

We had dinner with the Smiths, and ate bread off of the floor, in just a diaper, after crawling 4 laps around their kitchen and living room…and by we I mean Maddie and Emery not the adults :)

We walked to the park at the apartments near our house, and swang on their swings with Layna, Lindsey, Lucy and Daddy!

We also did LOTS of other fun things on our break, and are in high anticipation of Summer…I only have 18 more student days…I think I can I think I can I think I can :)

Life long friends

It is so fun to have friends with kids who are at least close to the same age as Emery.  There’s Layna, Maddie, Charley, and Sam…just to name a FEW!  I like to think that these guys will be life long friends…how cool would that be??  Last week Byrd played PH in soccer, and Emily and I met up for dinner before, and then we took some sweet pictures of the kiddos all dressed up for the game!

OH, and how do you feel about arranged marriages? The Dowdy’s and the Collins’s are totally in support of them because that means we can marry off Emery and Sam…Oh Dowdys how we love your kiddos…Just Sayin!!! :)