Happy Birthday to Me...and Other Things

My FAMILY made my birthday very special yesterday!
I LOVE THEM!!!

Memorable Moments: December 6-14, 2009

(previously posted on facebook)

Dec. 6th:

*We've had Hallmark Christmas movies going all evening. I love them! And I got one whole gift wrapped today, but when into Asher's room to make sure his bed was ready for him to go night-night, I found a pile of little pieces of wrapping paper and an UNWRAPPED gift (the one I HAD wrapped). I don't think we're going to be able to put gifts under the tree until we're ready to open them. :(

Dec. 9th:

*Asher calls Loki (our new puppy) his "pal", because "Tuto (Pluto) is Mickey's pal." :)

Dec. 10th:

*Busy week! OKC on Monday to Christmas shop with no kids; kids and Beau to doctors on Tuesday - and grocery shopping; Wednesday - brought new puppy home, and I went to the doc, which means more time at Walmart waiting for prescription; Thursday took Loki to the vet for her first checkup; plus antibiotics for all, breathing treatments for both kids two times a day...

*My kids are cracking me up playing together!

Dec. 11th:

*Asher just said, "You are frustrated to me, Mom." I asked him why, and he said, "Because I don't want you to go on a birthday date." Too bad! Tomorrow, he and Ainsley are staying with our friend Dina, and Beau and I are going to a movie and lunch. Thank you Dina!!! :)

*Asher is holding a cup up to his ear, drumming on it with a straw, and said, "What's that sound?" Well, what do you think it is? Funny question. :) Ainsley is starting to fill things with other things - like wagons with sippy cups and cups with spoons. It's a cute stage.

*Silence. Aaaaaahhhhh... (naptime)

Dec. 13th:

*Ainsley is starting to push her doll stroller around by herself for the first time, which is super cute! But she's getting really upset when she runs into something, because she doesn't know how to turn it - which is NOT super cute. :)

*She's also trying to eat with a fork, but it's not really working. :)

*Low grade fevers for all. :(

*I'm thankful for the RICHNESS that I've been blessed with in my life - my husband, kids, parents, siblings, in-laws, extended family, dear friends. I've been given so many gifts in these people - YOU people!

*Today Asher was talking about the birds that are in the sky with God, and that he could hold the little ones, and I could hold the really big ones. It was pretty funny.

*I think I've decided that what I want just about more than anything is a person who is a professional organizer (like my friend Shannon has) to help me get on top of life. I feel like if I could just get "there" that I could do so much more in this life! It may sound rediculous, but I'm serious!

*This cracks me up. I just read a quote on my friend Brandon's wall: "Sarcasm is the humor of my generation. If that changes in future generations, I'm going to be the meanest grandfather ever." I thought my family would appreciate that! :)

Dec. 14th (My Birthday!):

*I was SO BLESSED by the gazillion well-wishes on facebook. Lots of friends and family helped to make the day super special with those and phone calls. And the kids and Beau gave me a LABEL-MAKER, which I LOOOOOOOOOOOVE!!!!! :)

*It was a bit of a rough first half of the day, since we all had fever and couldn't really go see friends or anything, but the day got better. I got a short nap in the afternoon. The kids and I went on a walk with Loki before it got TOOOO cold. Then Beau surprised me with red roses, chocolate covered cherries, sparkling cider, and a chocolate cake! He even took us to Chili's for dinner. Then we came home, and Asher helped me blow out my candles. It was a special day! :)

*Asher said, "I'm a mousketeer (aka Musketeer), as he was waving his wreath hanger (aka sword).

*Asher was disobeying, so I started counting, "1.2.3. Ok you're getting a spanking." He made a grabbing motion toward me and then threw the imaginary thing he grabbed into the air in the opposite direction. "I threw the three.", he said. Little rascal!

*We're watching Mary Poppins, and Ainsley LOVES it! IT'S SO CUTE!!!

*Asher usually says, "Forse" when he's trying to say "horse". But his Aunt Lee worked with him at Thanksgiving on saying, "H-h-Horse." He's still been saying it with an "f" sound for the most part, but yesterday he said, "Forse. I mean h-h-Horse." It was pretty cute! I told him his Aunt Lee would be proud. But, to be honest, I'll be a little sad when he says everything correctly. :)

That's it for now, folks. Until next time...

Oh! And new pics/videos from the last nine days or so: www.picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/december6142009

P.S. I don't know why I wasn't able to align things on the left in this post. It annoys me, but oh well...:)

Some of My Favs from the Day

More Looks at Loki

Ainsley did NOT want to come in!!!

But we didn't want her fingers to fall off, because it was SO COLD!!! :)

Welcome Home Loki!

We love our new puppy, Loki!

(Beau got the name from Norse mythology, but we're pretending that it's just a cute name.) :)

I had been nervous all weekend about whether or not we made the best decision by adopting her, but I fell in love with her again immediately when I saw her at the shelter this morning.

She's so adorable!!!

Beau hadn't seen her in person yet until this morning, and he thinks she's a GREAT dog too!!!

Ainsley was squealing and jabbering away when she saw her! She couldn't get enough of her!

Asher LOVES getting her to chase him! They're going to be great pals...just like Mickey and Pluto (as Asher brought to my attention tonight)!!!

More pictures to come. I couldn't get more than this to post at a time.

First Week of December Pics/Videos

Trying to dish it out in smaller doses than my usual HUNDREDS at a time...:)
www.picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/December152009#

Happy December!

FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER

This is what I've got so far:
Dec. 2nd:
*Asher came to me with his guitar and said, "PLEEEEAAAASE be a rocker. PLEEEEEAAAAASE!!!" So I took his guitar, and he sang in his mic. And his song went something like this: "I love guitars, and Mommies, and Ainsleys, and Daddies. And I love walls, and newspaper, and Osos ("bears" in Spanish, in case you were wondering), and beaches." That kid!
Dec. 3rd:
*I'm shocked that it hasn't been more difficult to keep Ainsley from destroying the tree. She's very interested but mostly really gentle. (And two seconds later I had to chase her down, because she got an ornament off the tree.) :)
*Ainsley's new thing is saying, "This!" about everything.
Dec. 4th:
*Asher just took a ribbon off of an ornament, and I asked him if he did that, and he said, "Yes, I'm a worker." I said, "How did you do that?" He answered, "Because I'm a worker. Workers take fings (things) off of fings." Aha! Good to know!
*Here I sit at naptime enjoying my therapeutic hot chocolate. We have had many fun moments today, but I tell you, I may very well have to be committed before my life on earth is over!
Dec. 5th:
***HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY WONDERFUL SISTER AMY!!!!!!***
*We bought our first DOG today!!! She's a four month old German Shepherd/Boxer mix. Very cute, fun-loving puppy. Those are both great breeds, so she should be a wonderful dog for our family...we hope! :) She'll be spayed, then we'll pick her up on Wednesday - an early Christmas gift for the kids. We're very excited!
***HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY FANTABULOUS SISTER AMY!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU IMMENSELY!!!!!!!!!!***

November 2009 Waters Fam Pics/Videos

And here are the latest! Aren't you impressed?! It's just barely December 2nd, and I'm already posting these! www.picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/November2009#

October 2009 Photos and Videos

Well...I'm almost caught up. Only November to go.
www.picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/October2009#

September 2009 Pictures/Videos

I'm getting there...Here are the pictures and videos from September 2009 - included are the pics from Ainsley's First Birthday! www.picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/September09#

Colorado Pics...FINALLY!

Click here to see LOTS of pics from our little family's vacation to Colorado at the end of August - and then a few pictures into the beginning of September as well. Maybe one day I'll get caught up. :) http://picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/COTrip2009AndMiscEndOfAugBeginningOfSept09?feat=directlink#

October 2009 Facebook Status Updates

I'll post them in the opposite order this time. Which do you think is better?

1st:
*Asher just said, "I'm a little boy, cause I can't draw a M."
*First of all, I feel pretty sure that overalls are completely illegal to wear anymore, and although I haven't pulled them out in a long time, I just needed to today. Sometimes it's just an overall day. And this afternoon, they just seemed so appropriate, as my kids were having so much fun playing outside, in the dirt, with nothing but their diapers on. I loved it! :)
2nd:
*Asher tee-teed in the potty THREE times today so far!!! Later, I did too...and he said, "Great job, Mommy! Now you can get some candy!"
4th:
*I had an EXCELLENT Sunday afternoon nap! They're the BEST kind!!!
5th:
*I told Asher I was going to fix biscuits this morning, and he said, "But not in the oven, I will be hot...in the MICROPHONE!" (He meant microwave...not that one can bake biscuits in the microwave.) :)
6th:
*Ainsley's walking around waving, saying, "Hiiii!" (in a good TX accent), and she figured out how to blow a whistle this morning - all by herself. She's a GENIUS! :)
7th:
*Getting ready to leave for Seattle with my sisters! (The dads are keeping the kids - except for Jacob.) Heading to Em's tonight and to the airport EARLY in the morning! We're so excited!!!
14th:
*My sisters and I had a GREAT trip to the Northwest! Beau did an amazing job with the kids while I was gone!
*Found out Asher has bronchitis - breathing treatments for a week or so.
*Beau is sick too. (The rest of us were soon to follow...)
15th:
*Asher just said, "I'm FRUSTRATED!" (I didn't even know he knew that word.) I said, "What are you frustrated about?" He said, "I KEEP dropping my animal crackers!" Yes, that IS frustrating! :) He then brought me a book, and said, "This isn't frustrated.", then put his bowl of animal crackers next to me and said, "But this is frustrated." That boy! He cracks me up!!!
*Pregnancy and Infant Loss Rememberance Day
*I literally have a pulse in the center of my forehead, and my shoulders need a serious massage! I think those are markers of my stress level. I'm TRYING not to be stressed, but it's not working. Asher's the only one awake and still making noise, and it's even "cute" noise. He's asking me if his drawing is "almost beautiful"...but I'm ready for SILENCE! :)
20th:
*You think you've finally reached a moment of "quiet", and then a kid thinks he has to come play his drum right where you are. Oh well...:)...I wouldn't trade my little ones for anything in the world!!!
*For those of you who know what the top of my refrigerator looked like for two years, it is now CLUTTER-FREE!!! I sang a little tune when THAT happened! It's a MIRACLE!!! :)
*A perfectly blue sky, leaves changing colors and falling to the ground because of the strong breeze, and to top it all off, playing outside with my kids...I love moments like those!
*Two kids asleep.... ssssssssiiiiiiiiiigggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...
*I made really yummy meatloaf tonight. Who knew that meatloaf was good?! :)
21st:
*Children can be such little terrors sometimes! How can they be so adorable and conjure up such feelings of love at one moment and be so evil the next? Don't worry, I say this with a smile on my face...kind of. :)
*Off to eat coconut meringue pie (my FAVORITE!!!!!!!), wrap up in a quilt, and watch something on tv. PLLLLLEEEEEAAAASSSSEEEE don't wake up children! (It didn't happen...Ainsley woke up RIGHT when I hit "share".)
22nd:
*We just filled the firetruck tent with pillows and had storytime. It was so fun! :)
*Yesterday, as we were driving into town, Asher said to me, "When you were a little boy, and I was a mommy, I was driving you, Dr. Wilson fixed you, and you got a sucker!" Then he started talking about everything we don't eat. "We don't eat old food. We don't eat grass. We don't eat those signs...those lights...those cars...those trucks..." You get the picture. It was a good "lesson" for us all. :)
25th:
*Asher and Ainsley are up WAY too early this morning, and Asher said, "Do you want to play with me?" I said, "I'm enjoying sitting right here right now." Which he replied to, "I'd rather you play with me." "I'D RATHER!" So funny hearing that come out of a little guy's mouth! Then I needed to change his diaper, and he said, "In a minute. I need to do something really cool first." At least he's funny! :)
28th:
*Ainsley keeps walking behind the arm of the couch, peeking over, and saying, "Boo! Hahahaha!" It's so funny!
*Asher was outside playing, then came to the door saying, "Mommy, there are bugs EVERYWHERE! GET ME OUT OF HERE!!!" It was really funny! And, by the way, there were NOT bugs EVERYWHERE! There was ONE on his tractor - and it was dead! We're trying to toughen him up! :)
*I know this is gross, but it's funny. First of all, sometimes Asher calls his boogers his "hamburgers". Secondly, he just said that his boogers were sad, because they wanted to stay in his nose. Who ever thought of their you-know-whats having feelings before?! :)
29th:
*Ainsley is holding a stuffed duck up by her head, rocking back and forth, and singing to it. It's so cute!
*We're in the process of taking down our HIDEOUS vertical blinds and putting up curtains upstairs - FINALLY! This makes me VERY HAPPY!

And that's October, folks! More to come...

November 2009 - Facebook Status Updates I Don't Want to Forget

I've been out of the loop for WAAAAAYYYYY too long as far as blogging goes. I think I got behind when we went to Colorado, so I keep thinking I need to "catch up" before I can blog. I've decided that's a bad idea. So, here's a start. Memorable moments from November (so far) that I recorded on facebook...so I wouldn't forget. Now...just in case facebook deletes my status updates, and for the sake of those who aren't on fb, here are those memories. :) And HOPEFULLY...I will get the other MONTHS recorded sometime soon!

19th:
*Asher was looking through a book, naming lots of animals, but when he got to a dragonfly and a moth he didn't recognize, he called them "put-put" and "tuk-tuk". Sound good to me. :)
*Ainsley is spinning around in her cupcake pajamas, getting dizzy, falling down, and laughing. She's never gotten dizzy before. It's quite entertaining! :)
18th:
*Asher just said, "Y as in yes. And now he's peeking over the computer screen at me saying, "Sir, do you have any money?"
*Asher's new thing is begging me to go upstairs - without him. And I know what he's up to! He wants to climb up on the kitchen counter and get candy, but he knows he's not supposed to. Little toot!
*"Children, obey your daddy and mommy ALL the time, for this makes God happy." (Colossians 3:20, paraphrased, of course) I told Asher this is what God tells us in the Bible, and he thoughtfully said, "That makes sense."
*Asher put on his OWN sock this morning - ALL BY HIMSELF!!! I said, "Open the hole and put your toes in.", and he DID!!!
*I think it's significant that when I'm cradling my baby girl in my arms, our hearts are almost touching.
17th:
*Sometime between 7:30 and 8:00, Ainsley found her special blanket and paci all by herself, came over to Beau and laid her head down. She was practically begging to go night-night. (She normally goes to sleep at 7:00.) It was so sweet!!!
*Asher is wearing batman pjs tonight, but with his blanket wrapped around his shoulders like a cape, he said he was "BLANKET MAN" - which is very appropriate for him, because he LOVES his "blue blankets", as he calls his two silky, soft blue blankets. :) I love that he's entering the stage of dress-up and make-believe!!! It melts my heart! :)
*Our fireplace is now gone from our living room! Beau and Randy moved it out this morning. Now we have a little more ROOM!
*Ainsley just came and piled up eight shoes beside me - one by one. She was so proud of herself everytime she would go get one and bring it back for the pile. :)
16th:
*Ainsley has lately been "Jame" (not "Jane") to Asher. Now it's "Jamea". I love his growing imagination!
*I have a wonderful husband! Yesterday he stayed home from church with the kids, since Asher had been sick and Ainsley was sleeping, and when I got home, he was finishing up fixing lunch - tilapia, corn, and toast. Then he EVEN did the dishes! It was a GREAT surprise!!!
*Asher asked me, "Do you have a diaper?" I said, "I did when I was a baby." He replied, "Oh, cute!"
14th:
*I love my kids more than I could ever express, but like I told a friend this evening...Mommies get no rest!
*Just made my first craigslist sell! I'm so excited!!!
13th:
*Sick baby boy! He's just crying, because he says his mouth and tummy hurt!
*I worked so hard to finish something before lunch, JUST so I could MARK IT OFF my to-do list, and when I went to mark it off, I hadn't even written it ON the list!!! SO disappointing! :)
*I said, "Asher, you have the grossest dad in the whole world!" He replied, "Thanks!" That kid doesn't know when it's a compliment and when it's not! :)
*My babies are playing outside ALONE! I love it that Ainsley's getting to a stage where that is somewhat possible!!! Don't worry...the door is open, and I'm right beside them! :)
*Asher quotes of the day (so far...and all unrelated): "This room looks great!" (speaking of the living room that I straightened this morning); "He wants his kids." (referring to a daddy long-legs); "I think she likes me! My brother likes me!" (talking about Ainsley - his SISTER) :)
9th:
*We're settled into our hotel room. It's funny what a great time the kids are having in a new place with no toys - just space, closet, nooks, etc.
5th:
*My husband surprised me with sterling (light purple, thornless) roses and a really sweet card today...just because! He knew I was having a hard morning, and he wanted to make me happy. I cried...happy tears. :)
4th:
*Asher was talking about driving HIS car to HIS football game, so I asked him how old he would be when he could drive, and he said, "Three." We love his "stories" that are becoming more elaborate every day! :)
*I'm off to take a walk with the kids. We ALL need to get out of the house!!! :)

New Waters July/August Pics

I'm getting a LITTLE closer to being caught up with editing/uploading our pics. Take a look at the latest if you'd like to: http://picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/JulyAugust09?feat=directlink

Ainsley's First Birthday Party Pictures

My friend Shannon was SO SWEET to bring her camera to Ainsley's party yesterday (even though I didn't even ask her), and she took these GREAT pictures! I love them! Thank you Shannon!!! Ainsley was the perfect birthday princess. :)

You'll have to click on these two links separately to see all the pictures.
#1: http://smilebox.com/playEmail/4d5445304e544d794e6a4a384d5467334d6a637a4e6a673d0d0a&sb=1
#2: http://smilebox.com/playEmail/4d5445304e544d304f545a384d5467334d6a637a4e6a673d0d0a&sb=1

Then and Now

The Difference One Year Can Make...

Ainsley's First Couple of Days

Ainsley Grace is ONE Today!!!

Our baby girl is turning ONE YEAR OLD today!!!


I can't BELIEVE it! This year has gone by INCREDIBLY FAST!!! We love her like crazy, and we've had so much fun with her over this past year! She's growing up so much lately! Yesterday we counted her take 14 steps! She's starting to talk a little bit more. This morning, she walked up to Asher and me and said, "Hi!", while waving. It was so cute. :) She can eat almost anything without it being cut up in small pieces. She loves to make us laugh! And her hair is getting a little longer...SLOWLY but surely. :) And yet, she's still my little baby. I was just savoring this morning how when I take her in her room to put her down to go to sleep, I sit down in her chair with her for a minute before laying her down, and she instantly lays her head on my chest, wraps her arms around me, and just relaxes completely. Those are some of my favorite moments to share with her every day! She's pretty much just altogether GREAT and PRICELESS!!!

WE LOVE YOU AINSLEY GRACE!!!!
You're our little princess!
Happy FIRST birthday Baby Girl!

New Waters June/July Pics and Videos

They're getting uploaded...slowly but surely. Only two and half months behind now. :) Here are our family's pics and videos from June-July 4th. As always, enjoy as many or as few of them as you'd like. :) There are lots! http://picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/JuneJuly42009?feat=directlink

Where do I begin???

NOTE: I wrote this entry a few WEEKS ago - BEFORE our vacation to CO, because I kept meaning to "finish" it. I never did finish it, but I'll go ahead and post it anyway. I'll try to get better in the blog-world...AGAIN! :)

Well, it's been a while! When I get busy like I have been lately, and I haven't had much time to get on the computer, I get a little overwhelmed when I think about "catching up" on my blog (and others' blogs) and facebook. But I suppose I'll just go for it and see what comes out. :)

I think since the last time I blogged, we've had several visitors. My sister Amy and her kids came around the last of July or so (I think - I've lost track. :)). We had such a fun time! Some of the highlights were going to a waterpark about an hour away and Beau taking us all tubing on the lake. Asher even tubed with me (as Beau drove the boat VERY slowly of course!) and loved it!

A few weekends ago, we went rafting with our Sunday school class down the Illinois River. It was a nice, slow trip down the river, so Asher got to join us for that too. It was a very beautiful area, and Asher had a lot of fun. But he did get a little tired and bored by the end. He even fell asleep for a while - first on the floor of the raft, then he slept in my arms for a while longer. I don't know if I would do it again, just because there were lots of things around us that were very distasteful to say the least. But we're glad we got to spend a fun day with some friends and get to know a few people better!

A couple of weeks ago, Beau's parents brought us our car and picked up their truck. Mark did a lot of work on our car and had some work done on it too! Thank you so much Mark!!! And thank you Barbara for letting us use your truck while it was getting fixed! We appreciate y'all SO MUCH!!! And it was great to see them! Their visit was perfect timing for helping our friend Dina move. Beau and Mark also fixed our water heater. And the kids loved playing with their Grammy and Grandad!!!

That same week after Mark and Barbara had gone home, I spent some more time helping Dina move. Then Friday, the kids and I left to go to their cousin Claire Bear's 3rd birthday party. It was a fun time with cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. Then Saturday, we headed to Waco to spend the week with my parents. We see my parents fairly often but hardly ever get to go to Waco, so it was really special to be at my old "home" - with my old parents...just kidding Mom and Dad. You're not OLD! Sunday morning we went to church. It was a great service, and as always I loved seeing lots and lots of old friends! The rest of the week was spent seeing Coby, Adrielle, and the girls, and a few other friends. I loved seeing all of them and catching up. I don't usually get to spend much time with friends when I go home, because I'm always there for some family event - which is great :), but it was fun to see a few of my close friends! Hopefully I'll get to see more of my old, close friends around the holidays!!!

.....So that's my "unfinished" post. I'll work on updating now. :)

FUNNY!

Asher Case

Asher has started saying things like : "by the way", "actually", and "Can you mind to put this on your face?" (pointing to the sunscreen that was setting on the bathroom counter). He also said several times today, "It's a nice day." And many of those times was as he was floating on his back in the bathtub - with an "Ahhhh..." before the sentence. It's so fun to hear him trying to talk like we do. :)

He took his first road-trip without us last week! And he did GREAT! Our friend Dina was going to her daughter-in-law's baby shower fairly near Livingston, where Beau's parents live. So Asher rode with her on the six hour drive to see his Grammie and Grandad for the weekend. He was only there for one full day (two nights), and he didn't miss us at all! :) Next time, maybe it can be longer. But we missed HIM!!! It was nice to have special time with Ainsley, though. Thank you Dina, Mark, and Barbara!!! It was such a fun weekend for him!

Today he went to work with his daddy. :) Beau had to drive to Tulsa to pick up some parts for something, so Asher went with him. They had a fun time together, and I got a LOT done around here! It was needed BADLY!!! So badly, in fact, that I held my hand up and made a vow to Beau that I would work as steadily as possible ALL day long today (with NO computer breaks)! :) It worked. The house isn't perfect by any means, but I got a lot done!

And tonight Uncle Tyler (Beau's brother) is here. He's never gotten to come see us in Oklahoma before, so we're really happy to see him!!!

New May Pics...

New Waters family pics from May '09. June is on its way... http://picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/May2009
NOTE: There are a billion! Look as quickly as you want, or take your time...it will probably take lots of it. Sorry! If you skip the videos, that will help. :)

I Don't Want to Forget...

*We were talking about fire ants, and how Cooper got in fire ants a while back. And Asher said, "When we were at Poppie's and Gibbie's, and we were playing in the sparkle?" #1: Good memory! #2: SPARKLE?! That's the cutest name for a sprinkler I've ever heard! :)
*We had been looking at pictures of Asher when he was a baby the other night, from when we lived at our old house, and in some of those pictures, he was playing in a little blue inflatable swimming pool. So, the other day, we were driving, and he saw a blue swimming pool in someone's yard and said, "Is that my old little blue swimming pool at our other house?" We love where we are, but sometimes I really miss where we were!!!
*We're borrowing Beau's mom's truck right now while his dad fixes our car, and today when Beau drove up in it, Asher said, "Did you drive your mom's truck?" Funny. :)
*Ainsley's got on a shirt today that has polk-a-dots on it, and when I put it on her, Asher said, "Are those her princess polk-a-dots?" Awwwww...
*As Beau drives off for work, Asher yells, "Be careful!"
*The bridge we normally drive across to get home from town has been closed down a lot lately, and yesterday when we drove across a different bridge, Asher very excitedly said, "The bridge is open! YEA!!!!" He cracks me up.

Just a few things I wanted to remember...

News Flash!!!

Ainsley has been saying "Mama" for quite a while now, but we haven't been SURE that she has said "Dada"...UNTIL just a few minutes ago!!! We're so happy. :) Especially Beau! I was sitting downstairs with her, and she was looking up at our landing, as if she was looking FOR something, and she started saying, "Dada. Dada." She was looking for Beau. It was too cute! :)

Our Kids

ASHER CASE

*Asher said, "I got an ant. I see his face and his legs. They're so little. But he'll eat food and get big, then he can play basketball." - or something like that. Then he thought for a minute and said, "No. He not play basketball."
*I mentioned something about Grandad (Beau's dad) fixing our car, and Asher said, "Daddy's dad?" He's starting to get connections better. The other day he said, "Daddy was a little baby, and Grammy held him."
*"I do it all my byself." (the "m" and "b" intentionally switched)
*He has started saying "music" instead of "sumic". I hate it! I want him to call it "sumic" forever! :)
*On that same note of reversing letters...We have a summer staffer here named Fisa, and Asher called him "Sifa". It's so interesting how his little brain switches things.
*Our conversation yesterday:
A: Where is Santa Claus?
M: At his house in the North Pole.
A: In the swimming pole? He took his shirt off, and you can see his armpits.
I thought I was going to lose it! That's hilarious! Has ANYONE in the whole wide world ever mentioned Santa's armpits before? I doubt it! :)

AINSLEY GRACE

*Her fifth tooth is breaking through (top middle right).
*She's having more fun playing, since she can move around more now.

*She still usually falls asleep easily in her bed when I put her down, but it's getting a little trickier at times, because she'll sit up or stand up and then not know what to do with herself.

That's all I've got for now, folks. Happy July 8th!

Movin' On Up!

We (the kids and I) got home yesterday from spending the week with my sister Emily and her family. While we were there, Ainsley really started blossoming! She had pulled up a few times before we went there, but it really became easy to her during our stay. And she is FINALLY crawling! She's only really taken off on a "long" stretch of carpet once that I've seen, but she's on the move! That happened about three days ago. Two days ago, she started "cruising" - walking along furniture while holding on. And yesterday she had her first meal of adult food - green beans, pork chops, and crescent rolls - all cut up in TINY pieces, of course! :) And she's lovin' all of it! She's become even more content in general just because she's starting to have more to DO. It's really fun!

Asher had a great time with his cousin "Claire Bear" - except when he didn't, because they're TWO! :) They really did have a good time together, but they had countless run-ins...like the time when Claire was saying, "You're a-dor-a-ble." to him, and he was saying, "No." And then they kept saying the SAME things to each other back and forth and back and forth a million times until they were almost screaming at each other: "YOU'RE A-DOR-A-BLE!" "NOOOOO!" They are too cute, but ohhhh...it's hard to teach little people how to communicate effectively! :)

We loved being there, though! Baby Jacob, my new nephew, is SO SWEET! I loved taking care of him some in the mornings and when all the other kids were down for naps in the afternoon, so Emily could get some extra sleep. He loves being swaddled, given his paci, and held close - or laid on his side in his boppy. :) He's such a little, blue-eyed sweety! I miss him already! And of course, I always love being with my sister! We even got to go on a double date one night: Allan and Emily, and Jacob and me!

The day before we came home, we also got to see several relatives on Beau's side of the family. It was so special to see them all for a little while! Beau's dad's cousin, Kathy, her husband and their new baby were coming through town, so as many family members that were around got together for lunch. It was great to see everyone at Larry's and Mary's house - or "Uncle Mary's" as Asher said. :)

Today we had a low-key day at home for most of the day, which was nice. Then this evening, we went to the Expo with our friends, the Wilsons, for the kids to do some fun activities: little carnival-type games and inflatables, and to watch our local fireworks show. The kids both really liked the fireworks! Ainsley liked them so much, she couldn't stop clapping. :) And we had fun spending time with friends!

And here's a bit of humor for you: A little history first...I have a TERRIBLE memory. Really! I do! And it's not that hard to imagine me really losing it one day. Some of you know I'm not kidding. :) And I LOVE cute little dogs like lhaso apsos! So, tonight, someone was selling cute little puppies like those, and I was oohing and ahhing over them. Beau told me not to even think about it or something like that. And I told him that one day he would surprise me with one -
"even if it's when I'm 75 or something", I said. And he said, "When you're 75, I'll hand you a crumpled up piece of paper, and you'll think it's a dog." Maybe you would have had to have been there, but it was really funny. :) He cracks me up!

So with that, I'll say...HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!! And good night.

What kind of blogger AM I?! :)

So, I've been "out" for a while. I'm back...again. :) Here's a little run-down of what's been going on since I last posted.

Wednesday, the 10th, Ainsley and I left the boys here with Grammy and arrived at Emily's about 30 minutes before a tornado hit their NEIGHBORHOOD...and not only their neighborhood, but a house in front of theirs and trees behind their house. It literally JUST missed their house! It was CRAZY, and we were so thankful for God's peace and protection!

Emily was induced the next morning, and Jacob Allan - my new nephew - arrived at 1:51pm! He weighed 8 lbs., 15.4 oz.!!! He's a chub just like his cousin Ainsley. :) He actually broke the record for the biggest great-grandbaby for my grandparents (my Mom's parents). Emily did a great job, and we were AGAIN so thankful for God's protection! Emily hemmoraghed REALLY BADLY after Claire's birth, so we were a little nervous this time. But everything went perfectly, and she and Jacob both are as healthy as can be!

I forgot to mention that on the way to Emily's house, I decided that our air conditioner in our car was officially BROKEN! I stopped and bought a bottle of cold water to put in Ainsley's car seat with her to cool her off. How pathetic is that?! :) Anyway, so after braving a very early morning drive home on Sunday morning (so that it wouldn't be so hot), we were reunited with Daddy, Asher, and Grammy. Asher had a blast with his Daddy and Grammy, and we are SO grateful to her for coming all the way here to do that for us! Then she stayed for a couple more days and got some good time with Ainsley too.

We rented a car on Tuesday to take Beau's mom to the airport and dropped our car off to get fixed that same day. After dropping Barbara off, I even braved a small trip to Sam's (for the camp canteen) with BOTH kids. It was successful. We did it! Ainsley in the Baby Bjorn and Asher on foot. THEN we stopped at Best Buy right quick before we came home for Beau's Father's Day gift (and a phone charger, because I forgot mine in TX). I was feeling really adventurous that day. :) And I was GLAD when we got HOME!!! :)

Since then we discovered that our car was going to be a bit expensive to fix, which we weren't sure if it was worth it to get it fixed, since it's already nearing the end of its life. So we've gone back and forth about what to do. Finally, we decided to go ahead and get it fixed, because summer is no time for Beau to be car-shopping. He has NO time for that with camp going on! So once the car place gets a compressor in (long story...), they will fix it, and we will once again have a car. In the meantime, the kids and I are spending a lot of time at home. But that's ok. We were supposed to leave yesterday for Emily's again. I was going to go help out this week, but because we have no car, and because Asher had a fever of 103 in the middle of the night two nights ago, we are going to wait until next week.

We had a nice Father's Day with Beau. We gave him his gifts and breakfast, went to church, ate at Chili's for lunch, then came home and had a relaxing rest of the day. I even played "The Game of Life" on the computer with him again, which he really enjoyed. :) He's such a gamer! He had a good day - and that's what matters. :) We love him, and he's an AWESOME dad to our kids!!!

And now we're just doing what we do: napping (the kids, not so much me!), eating, diapering, bathing, grocery shopping, playing, and such... And Ainsley has really started "growing up" on us the last few days. She started playing peek-a-boo on Father's Day - just for Beau, I'm sure! It's SO CUTE! The way it started was...she was sitting in her highchair, and she put her hands on her head - for no real reason. And all of a sudden, it was like a lightbulb lit up in her head, and she got a big smile on her face. Then she started putting her hands, fingers spread wide, up to her face (sometimes, if she was lucky, covering her eyes), then she jerks them away from her face with a huge smile. I love it! She's also been really working on crawling and pulling up. Granted, she doesn't have either one of them down yet, but it's fun watching her try. She has been successfully making it up on her knees more in the last couple of days, and today she even made it to her feet once and was SO surprised and happy about it! She'll also "walk" when I'm holding her hands - much to ASHER'S enjoyment! He REALLY likes it that his baby sister is starting to "do" stuff! She's also getting really good at eating cheerios, and the magical "puffs" were introduced today. I can't believe she's already nine months old!!! This is a really fun age! She's been bonding more with her daddy in the last couple of days too, which we ALL love! :) AND...at her nine month appointment she weighed 20lbs. 15oz., I think. And she had LOST a few ounces since an appointment at the end of May. She's really "slimming up". (not really!)

Asher is doing great too. Getting smarter by the day - communicating better and better. No specific stories come to mind, although I'm sure there are countless ones to be told. He loves "working" with his daddy when he gets the chance. Actually, he loves doing just about anything to be like him! And he's a great big brother to Ainsley! Although he says that he's not "big". It's true. He's "wittle", and I'm glad. :)

And that's what I'll leave you with. Beau has had quite a "DAY" at work and is still gone. I'm so sorry for HIM, and I'm so ready for these kids to be asleep! Well, Ainsley actually faded early tonight, so she IS asleep, and thankfully Asher's nap was ruined today, so he'll be asleep soon too. :) I love 'em, but it's nice when the day is "done"! So, I hope you all have a good evening and get breaks from whatever/whoever it is you need breaks from! :)

I'm Here...

This won't be very in depth, but I wanted to say that I am still here! =) I hadn't put my finger on WHY I have been so out of the loop lately - until the other day when Beau said that it was because he's been so busy that he hasn't been able to relieve me. And I do believe he was correct. Things are going well at the camp so far this summer. Beau has had his plate very, very full and has been working even more hours than usual. He's been stressed off and on, but things are SOOOO MUCH better than last summer! The help he has maintaining the grounds and facilites and our three cooks (vs. ONE last summer) has made ALL the difference! Not to mention that it's not our first summer this year. That helps too.

He was actually able to take this weekend off - the first days he's had completely off in quite some time, and it was great! We relaxed for most of the day yesterday, then left the kids with a couple of girls who live near us, and we went to dinner and a movie. Things have been so busy lately that it felt like a "real date". It was so nice! Then today we went to church, put the kids down for naps, played "The Game of Life" together on the computer for a couple of hours (which is kind of a funny thing to do, I think), then we cooked out with the summer staff, went swimming, and played sand volleyball...well, Beau played, Ainsley and I watched until she fell asleep in the Baby Bjorn, and Asher had a great time "fetching" the ball when it was hit out of the court and playing with Gracie - an eight year old girl who is out here for the whole summer. So it's been a good weekend.

Tomorrow I've got to get busy. Beau's mom, Grammy, is coming on Tuesday to stay with Asher (and Beau :)) while Ainsley and I are gone to TX for the birth of my newest nephew, Jacob Allan! He's going to be here on Thursday!!! So I've got to make sure things are in order here before I leave on Wednesday. (I'll be back Saturday night or Sunday for those of you friends who are wondering. :))

So that's us in a nutshell. I hope you're all doing well!!!

Adventure!

Yesterday we took the kids on four wheelers! (Don't worry, we were careful...) It was so fun!!! Ainsley was with me in her Baby Bjorn, and Asher rode in front of Beau. We were out for an hour and a half or so, and we just rode around on trails here at the camp, then went to a park near here on the lake. I had one of those two-kids-doesn't-sound-so-bad moments. I mean, what would we have done if we were outnumbered? It was a "perfect" outing! =) It made me excited about all the fun things we can do with them as they get older. (Who knows what will happen, but I would be surprised if they end up being our only two...just for the record. =))

On a different note, I think Ainsley's chub may be keeping her from crawling, but she's working on it (crawling, that is...not her "chub"). For the past few days she's been scooting on her bottom - which is funny. And yesterday she started scooting backwards on her tummy. At least she's moving. =)

The other day I was snapping my fingers, and a couple of days ago she started "snapping" hers. Brilliant baby! =)

Oh! Another funny memory that I was telling Beau about yesterday and realized that I had never recorded was about Asher. One day he asked me, "Where's Barbara?" I said, "Who's Barbarba?" He said matter of factly, "Grammy." It's true. Barbara is Grammy. Funny kid!

And one more thing of noteworthiness...Numbers have really been clicking for Asher lately for some reason, and he's been working on recognizing how many fingers we're holding up and learning to hold a certain number of fingers up himself. Yesterday he held up five fingers on one hand and one on the other and said, "Five and one makes six." He amazes us all the time!

Today the rest of our summer staff is arriving. We're excited to get this summer started!

And...

I forgot yesterday, but Ainsley is also saying "Mama" now!!! Her FIRST WORD!!! She has been making the ma, ba, da, la, and ya sounds, but just this weekend we decided that she's actually associating ME with "Mama". I LOVE it! =)

And another sweet thing about Asher...Yesterday Beau was starting to get really stressed about a few things that were going wrong here at the camp - one of those being our broken (again!) mower. Asher heard him talking about it, and said, "I fix the mower with my screwdriver and my hammer. Where the mower? I fix it for you." He went upstairs and got his toolbox. He was serious! He was going to fix that lawn mower! It was so cute and sweet!!! It melted Beau's heart...and mine!

I've mentioned before Asher's love for sports, and today we went and bought him his first baseball, glove, bat, and tee. He's been playing his heart out ever since we got home - except for naptime. Tonight we have five of our summer staff guys over here. We cooked out, and I think they all took a turn at playing baseball with Asher. He's about to have PLENTY of playmates for the summer! We're excited that this time of year is here!!!

Until next time...

(By the way, the mower is fixed now. But Asher wasn't the one who did it. =))

New Things!

Ainsley has started doing several new things since Friday! It's so fun!
*Friday: My mom was making a popping sound at Ainsley with her mouth. Does that make sense??? And she started COPYING her!!! She hadn't really copied us yet...and she'd never done that with her mouth either!
*Sunday: She was playing peek-a-boo on her own. She would pull the blanket over her head, then pull it down and smile really big!
*Monday: She tried to clap while watching Asher and me clap!
*Today: She started WAVING while watching her daddy and us wave at her!

YEA AINSLEY!!!

And here are some Asher Funnies too:
*We've been teaching him not to say, "Oh my God.", because we believe you should only say God's name when you're talking to Him or about Him. So it's been a very big deal to him, and we like to talk about what we CAN say: "Oh my!" "Oh my goodness!" "Oh my gosh!" "Oh my peas!" "Oh my chinny-chin chin!" (both from one of his shows, "Super Why") Anyway...the other day I was listening to a song in the car that said, "Hosanna" in it a lot, and he asked what Hosanna meant, and I told him that it's another name for God. (Now I know that it's actually an expression of praise to God. I had forgotten. But for these purposes, we'll pretend that it's another name for God.) So yesterday, seeing what he could get away with, he said, "Oh my Hosanna!" It was REALLY FUNNY! But I didn't let him know that. I just told him that he can't say that either! =) Little rascal!
*Today he was playing like he was talking on the phone, and he said, "This is Crosstimbers." - just like Daddy. =)
*We sing a song that we stole from the Powells, and in it, we sing, "You're my pumpi-umpi-umpkin..." This morning, I said, "Hi pumpi-umpi-umpkin." And he said, "I'm not Poppie-Poppie-umpkin (Poppie is my dad.). I'm Asher-Asher-umpkin!" Too cute!

And a side-note: Yesterday we got to go to Dusty's state track meet, and he WON!!! He's the state champion in shot put for Division 1 jr. high boys in Oklahoma!!! Way to go Dusty!!! I loved being at the track meet, because I loved track in school. And Asher loved it too! He even got to "run on the track" when we were crossing it to go see Dusty. He thought that was really cool!

Besides all of that, we had a successful trip to TX - tiring but worth it! =) And now we're so happy to be home with Beau!!! Speaking of...a few of our summer staffers arrived Monday, and the rest will arrive this weekend or this coming Monday. Things are picking up! Please pray for Beau! He's doing well! Staying sane so far. But this is crunch-time, and it tends to get extremely stressful during these few weeks. Thankfully, he has help this year, and it's our second summer here, so things are already going SO MUCH better than last year!!!

Had to share about my little girl who is turning into such a fun little thing...and of course our Asher! They light up our lives! =)

Cooper

I'm at my sister's house taking care of her kids while she and her hubby are livin' it up in Mexico.  I've got to document a couple of funny things that Cooper has said so that I don't forget.  He's a funny kid!

*On our way to his blastball game yesterday, I told him that he was cute.  He said, "It's 'cause I've got my awesome Mudcats clothes on!"

*I gave them all notes from their mom, and his was signed something like, "I love you Baby, Mommy".  And he said, "Why'd she call me 'baby'?"  I said, "Because you ARE her baby."  "No I'm not."  "You'll ALWAYS be her baby!"  And he said, "SHE thinks that!" =)  

*Yesterday he said, "I've never taken care of myself before."  I said, "Oh, you don't have to take care of yourself, I'll take care of you."  He said, "I don't like it when people take care of me."  Last night when I was putting him down for the night, I said, "Thanks for letting me take care of you." (not thinking of our earlier conversation)  And he said, "Remember, I'm taking care of myself."

I'm very thankful that I am able to "take care" of my pseudo-kids.  It's interesting overseeing five, but we're making it (although I don't know HOW we would have last night without Emily and Allan!!!)!  I love my niece and nephews very much!!! =)

April Pics

Click on the link to see our April pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/beauandsarawaters/April09#

Enjoy! =)

We Love Texas!

I can't figure out how to post a video to my blog, so just click on this link to see Asher say the chant that we say every time we drive into TX. It's so darn cute (WE think! =))!

"We love Texas, yes we do! We are Texans through and through! Yea Texas!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FObHAJvMi28

Cuties!

Ainsley has been "blowing raspberries" for a week or two now, but just yesterday she started TRYING to ENTERTAIN us!!! It's SO FUNNY! Her two favorite things to do to make us laugh are blowing raspberries while squinting her eyes and doing her "laugh" that I talked about in the last post. That girl! Also, she's still not really moving anywhere - as far as crawling or anything, but yesterday she was sitting beside me on the couch and turned to the side and lunged herself onto me. That's a step! =) And this morning, she had her first bath where she sat up and really played with toys. She loved it! She's getting so old! =)

And Asher...oh Asher...my little heart melter! Last night I was getting dressed for Dusty's 8th grade graduation (Congratulations Dusty!!!), and Asher said, "Mommy, you look BEAUTIFUL! You have a BEAUTIFUL dress!!!" I love my boy! =)

My Two Favorite Kids

I LOVE THESE TWO KIDS!!!

This one has been cracking me up lately (of course!)!

Little things like:
*When he is going to play baseball, he has to wear his baseball cap. If he is playing some other sport, he usually takes it off. If I am going to take a picture of him, he usually turns it around backwards (because it's "cute", you know). It's so funny!
*I need to post some pictures of him in his "working hat" too. He's been pretending so much lately. He'll put on this "trucker-looking" hat (which he calls his "working hat"), and say, "I'm going back to work." And yesterday he did that, then said, "Oh. I need my boots." So he had his red rain boots on and his trucker hat with a Stihl chainsaw on the front of it, and said, "Ok, I'm going back to work now."
*He's getting better and better at knowing what he can and can't eat or drink because of his allergies, so the other day, we were kind of playing a "game" with him asking him if he can have "this" or "that", and Beau asked him if he could eat sticks. He said, very seriously, "Yes." We laughed, and said, "People don't eat sticks." He was very confused and said, "I can eat fish sticks." Funny!
*We were sitting at the table yesterday, and he said, "I love you THIS MUCH!" - as he stretched out his arms. We went back and forth a few times and added our hand motions with it. Then I said, "You melt my heart!" And the next time I said that I loved him, he said, "You make my heart!" Sigh...I loved it! He DOES melt my heart!!!

One of my FAVORITE pictures of Ainsley so far!

She's getting funnier and funnier too!
*She likes to turn her tongue sideways in her mouth a lot, and it cracks me up.
*She's been opening her mouth really wide and letting out the funniest laugh. It's almost like she's pretending to laugh. I don't know how to describe it, but when she does it, we ALL laugh!
*She weighed 21.3 lbs. one week ago (at seven and a half months!)! =)
*She LOVES her daddy and her big brother - in small doses. =) But she still loves me the most - which is sweet and tiring all at the same time! =)
*She's a GRABBER! She's getting really good at grabbing whatever it is she's got her eye on! (We're trying to teach Asher to not get things close to her if he doesn't want her to have it, because she grabs it, he yanks it back, then we have a sad baby on our hands. And of course, we're also always teaching him about being kind and sharing too. =))

We're doing well...kind of (trying to get rid of ear infections and colds!). We are very blessed and happy...for the most part (because who is REALLY happy ALL the time?! =)). Beau is gearing up for the summer, and we are so thankful for Randy and B.J. who are both such HUGE helps at the camp. And we're striving to improve our lives daily by letting God be God in and through us (easier said than done...)! We hope you're doing well too!!!

Happy May!

P.S. I know that my alignment is weird in this post. Blogger wouldn't let me fix it for some reason. =)

50 Random Things About Me (I never do this stuff, but why not?)

1. What color is your toothbrush? Light blue and white, I think (usually pink and white, though)
2. Who made you smile today? Ainsley when she laughed funny and Asher when he brought me a flower from outside
3. What were you doing at 8am this morning? Getting breakfast together for Ainsley and myself (Beau had already taken care of Asher's)
4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago? Feeding Ainsley before I put her down for the night
5. What is your favorite candy bar? Snickers, Baby Ruth, Milky Way, Three Musketeers (sorry, can't choose just one)
6. Have you ever been to a strip club? No way, NEVER...never WILL go to one either! I pretty much HATE them!
7. What is the last thing you said aloud? "Funny kid!"
8. What is your favorite ice cream? Blue Bell Rocky Road (I also love Cookies and Cream - and lots of others...I REALLY like ice cream!!!)
9. What was the last thing you had to drink? Water
10. Do you like your wallet? No
11. What was the last thing you ate? Chocolate Fudge Sundae from McDonald's - haven't had one of those in a really long time, but it sounded really good this evening!
12. Have you bought any new clothing items this week? I wish =)
13. The last sporting event you watched? Golf was on yesterday, but I didn't really watch it...I guess Jack and Cooper's baseball games...or maybe Dusty's...or maybe flag football...what do I know?
14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? Kettle or caramel
15. Who is the last person you sent a text message to? My friend Jodi - which was an exception, because I'm not usually allowed to text. =)
16. Ever go camping? Yes. I love it! Especially in the mountains...but anywhere pretty will do.
17. Do you take vitamins daily? Yes - JuicePlus (veggies and fruits), folic acid, and DHA
18. Do you go to church every Sunday? Every Sunday that we can
19. Do you have a tan? No. Hopefully that will at least change a little soon...but I'm kind of like Amy when it comes to that. I never get very dark, but I don't get near as many sunburns as I used to, because I was finally convinced of the value of sunscreen when I actually puked because my sunburn was so bad!
20. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza? It depends. I like them both.
21. Do you drink your soda with a straw? Yes, unless it's out of a can or at home.
22. What did your last text message say? That scrapbooking had been rescheduled.
23. What are you doing tomorrow? LAUNDRY! And hopefully cleaning a little too.
25. Look to your left, what do you see? My phone on the arm of the couch
26. What color is your watch? White gold
27. What do you think of when you hear Australia? The Wiggles
29. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru? Both
30. What is your favorite number? I don't have one.
31. Who's the last person you talked to on the phone? Beau
32. Any plans today? To relax this evening then go to sleep early - Ainsley is asleep, and Beau is putting Asher down. The silence is NICE!
33. How many states have you lived in? Two - but I'm a Texan through and through TOO Amy! =)
34. Biggest annoyance right now? Laundry piled high, messy bedroom and laundry room, and Asher not obeying - It's a tie.
35. Last song listened to? Beau humming "I love you Asher Case, oh yes I do. I love you Asher Case, and I'll be true. When you're not near to me, I'm blue. Oh Asher Case, I love you."
36.Can you say the alphabet backwards? I'm sure I could if I said it slowly enough.
37. Do you have a maid service clean your house? I REALLY WISH!!!
38. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? Cheap, black flip flops from Old Navy - cute but terrible quality. I really want some Chacos!!!
39. Are you jealous of anyone? Of course. I shouldn't be, but sometimes I am.
40. Is anyone jealous of you? I couldn't tell ya.
41. Do you love anyone? Yes!
42. Do any of your friends have children? Most of them
43. What do you usually do during the day? Mommy stuff. Fix food for my family, feed my family, clean up after my family, laundry, play, put kids down for naps and bedtime, facebook - and sometimes see my friends =)
44. Do you hate anyone that you know right now? No.
45. Do you use the word 'hello' daily? Yes.
46. What color is your car? Black
47. Do you like cats? They are cute, but I don't just ADORE them. And I am a little allergic to them.
48. Are you thinking about someone right now? David Spade
49. Have you ever been to Six Flags? Yes, I LOVE Six Flags! Roller coasters are one of my FAVORITE things!!!
50. How did you get your worst scar? My finger got slammed in the closet door in the band hall by Rhonda Archer when I was in jr. high. I ran across the campus yelling, "I want my Daddy! I want my Daddy!" - because he was a coach/teacher there. It was very traumatic but pretty funny to think about.

Wonderful Friends =)

So, I keep putting this post off, because there's so much that could be said about my great friends here in Oklahoma. =) And I would like to post pictures, etc., etc., etc...But I don't think it's ever going to be the PERFECT moment where I have "enough" time, so I'll just go ahead and say it. I love my friends here. Most of them are new - VERY new - but they have already grown to be so dear to me!!!

Dina is...DINA! We can always count on her to fix us GOOD food...and make us beautiful quilts! =) She takes care of us! I want to take pictures of the four quilts that she's made us - and I WILL - but I haven't yet. She and her son Dusty (who we also love so much!) come over a lot on Tuesday evenings to eat dinner with us and watch American Idol. Asher and I went over to their house last season for the same thing, but now that we have Ainsley, and she goes to sleep at about 7:00 every night, it's easier for them to come here. And that way Beau can watch AI with us too (even though he's not really "into it"...supposedly! =)). Tonight we fixed burgers, hot dogs, and "armadillo eggs" (hollowed out jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese and a little smokie and wrapped in bacon!) on the grill. Mmmmm! And we had brownies too! We were all stuffed, and we agreed that it is a good thing we only do this once a week. =) And Dusty! We love him for lots of reasons, but one of the main reasons is the way that he loves our kids! He's 14 and SO SWEET with them!!! Asher loves him too!!! And Ainsley's growing pretty fond of him as well. =) And by the way, he just won FIRST PLACE at the Regional track meet for shot put! Way to go DUSTY!!! The state meet is Saturday!

SHANNON! Today I was about to LOSE MY MIND around lunch time! I REALLY thought I was going to! I wanted to SCREAM! My kids were making me NUTS! Every day, Beau comes home for lunch, but he had one of his bosses in town today and found out right about lunch time that he was going into town with him...which was fine, but that about sent me over the edge. =) I NEEDED him! (But OF COURSE I wanted him to go have lunch with his boss!!!) About that time, Shannon called. I almost didn't answer it, because I was really in no state to talk. But I did, and I cried on the phone to her. I didn't mean to...it just happened. =) And she came out to see me. It was SO NICE! The kids went down for naps right before she got here, so we had a really great couple of hours just relaxing and talking. (And then they woke up right as she was leaving, and reality set in again...but I was better by that point.) And she brought me little treats too! She brought us a pretty hanging basket of impatiens - which I HOPE I can keep alive!!! =) And she brought me a stack of magazines to look at and two cds that she burned especially for ME! =) One was music from Twilight, and the other one was inspirational songs for mothers...so sweet! I needed that! =) She also brought some toys for Asher to play with! Thank you Shannon! You truly did brighten my day (and my kids' day too!)! Who knows what would've happened if you hadn't come!!! =) We had a lot of fun the other day too. They are building a new house, and I went over there and helped her glaze her kitchen cabinet doors. I'll post pictures so you'll know what I'm talking about.

MISS WUTH! (Or "Ruth" if you're not Asher =)) She's my newest friend here, and I know that we're going to become very close! I've mentioned her before, but she has two little guys around my kids' ages - three years and almost nine months (I think). And that is what bonds us...not to mention that I just like her!!! =) We've decided that we're going to have "Make a Wish" days for each other. Last week she came to my house and dusted my downstairs and cleaned my windows...and supervised the kids...while I got cleaning done too. It was GREAT! And this week, I'm supposed to go to her house to help her with whatever she needs - although I don't think it's going to happen, because my kids seem to be a bit under the weather. This past Saturday we went to Muskogee together to go to Hobby Lobby (sorry Shannon - I know you asked me first! =)). It was such a fun day. Oh! I also recently found out about a walking track in town (from Shannon =)), and Ruth and the boys met the kids and me there yesterday morning to get a little exercise. I'm glad she is in this season of life with me!!! =)

And Autumn!!! My Wal-Mart friend! =) For a LONG time, Dina was my only friend here...then there was Autumn! =) She also has two small kiddos - four and two, I believe. We don't get to see them quite as much because of schedule conflicts, but she is a special friend as well. She has been my spur-of-the-moment-movie friend a couple of times. Last week we went to see a movie, went to Chili's afterwards and talked there for a VERY long time before heading home. She's a talker...and I love hearing what she has to say! =) From the first time we got together to hang out, we talked about "deeper" things...and I like that. She's one of those rare "as iron sharpens iron" friends! Thanks for getting my number in Wal-Mart Autumn! =) Where would I be without you?! =)

So there you have it. I'll have to post pictures soon...so you can put faces with names. I'm so thankful that God is blessing me with these sweet friends!!!

Big Yawn...

I'm too sleepy to really post anything tonight (although I have several things I want to blog about), but I thought some of you might appreciate having something else on your "blog lists" under my name besides my last post title. I thought it was funny, but you can only appreciate it for so long. =)

Sorry this is such an empty post, but my brain is dead right now. It's been a decent day, but I must sleep now. =) Good night!

"Don't bite your balls!"

Usually it's Asher quotes, but I had to share MY latest. And no, it's not what you're thinking...thank goodness! =) Asher has had this thing since he was little - If he gets his hands on a Nerf ball, he takes a bite out of it! I figured it was just a "baby" thing, so I put away all things Nerf. But I decided to break out his Nerf football today, and what do you know? He took a huge chunk off the end. So I (naturally) said, "Don't bite your balls!" And I'm sorry, but that's funny...I don't care how old you are. =)

I do have to brag on one thing about him though. He's been writing "H"es like a mad man. He says, "H. H. Across." When he draws the lines down, that's when he says, "H". And then he says, "across" when he draws the line across. Brilliant! =)

Ainsley's newest thing is wiggling so much in her bed that she ends up in the top corner.

Now. Off to make some dinner...

My Manly Man

Showing his MUSCLES!

Fun Family Fitness =)

We went on a great family walk a few evenings ago.

Asher was saying, "They not hear me." about the cows that he was trying to get to say, "Mooooo" to him. And, obviously, he found a puddle of water before this.

Sorbet Cones!!!

This made us so HAPPY that Asher got to experience what every kid SHOULD experience...an ice cream cone (except his was sorbet...due to his allergies)!

A Few Overdue Easter Pics

Zerbert!

I zerberted Asher's cheeks, then he wanted me to zerbert his nose - which was a little challenging. =) Then he returned the same zerberts to me and then said, "Your teeth!" So he zerberted my teeth! Weird! It didn't really work, by the way. =)

"She's a princess, Mommy...just like YOU!" - another cute thing that came out of my boy baby's mouth.

We just returned from a very last minute trip to see one of my close friends and her brand new baby who was taken to Cook Children's hospital in Fort Worth. I won't share names or anything on my blog, because I don't think that's my place. But I will say that the baby boy is getting better. He was severely dehydrated and jaundiced, but he has been steadily improving and as of yesterday they thought he would be moved to a private room today. He was in the NICU, then in the PICU, and he will hopefully be released tomorrow. They had concerns about his heart, but those tests came back with no signs of trouble, so that's wonderful. And they're still waiting on results for another concern. Please pray for my friends and their precious baby boy. My friend had an incredibly difficult labor and delivery (I thought I did, but mine was NOTHING compared to hers!), so please pray specifically for her recovery and rest. Of course all new mommies are beyond exhausted and emotional - but she is way beyond the "norm"! I'm so proud of her as she's done what has needed to be done, but it is catching up with her, and she NEEDS rest! It is obvious that God has been carrying them through this time, and I'm so thankful for that!!!

A bright side to that surprise trip was getting to stay with my childhood friend Angie and her family! It was GREAT to spend time with them! Thank you Chase and Angie for opening your home to us - and for taking care of my kiddos!!! They had a great time playing in their WELL- STOCKED playroom! =) And the backyard was so fun as well. Ella, Angie's four year old, LOVED Ainsley, and Ainsley thought she was pretty great too! =) Thank you Ella for letting us sleep in your room!

We got home LATE last night and are enjoying lounging around this morning before we get back into the swing of things...which I plan on doing this afternoon. Hope you're all doing well and enjoying this sunshine (Shannon!!!)!

My Girl