Weekend at the Lake...

Wade loves nothing more than being at the Lake...it doesn't matter to him if it is 100 degrees or 3 degrees out...and I have grown to love it too, because it means that I have to actually relax...and I love it!!   It gives me a chance to drink almost a whole pot of coffee and get caught up on the blogs I love, but sometimes just don't have the time to read them.   

Here are a few shots of Bella and her crawling ways...she is unstoppable now....

Heading over towards her favorite toy ever!!! 

My little Bella is getting so big...

Here is an adorable shot of Miss Bella at school this past week ...she is getting so big, crawling this past weekend and standing up (while holding herself up of course).   But I had to post this picture just because it was so cute!!!

Bella Crawled!!

I just wanted to make sure I posted this so I could document the day!!!  No pictures to go with this post..but I always forget the actual day things happen.  So thank god for blogs...documenting my life and these precious moments!!!   Good Night Sunday!

A January Weekend ....and lots of SNOW!!

Well this weekend the girls were lucky enough to have a 4 day weekend because of al the snow that dumped on us on Wednesday night.  We ended up with 11 inches in total and it is snowing again...think we are supposed to get another round of 3 inches or so today/tonight!  I personally love the snow!!!

What I hate is when the girls beg to go outside at 9am and by 9:15 they are already back inside b/c it is too cold.  Man...I remember being outside for way longer than that..but we had good hills to sled down and New Town is nothing but flat.  Not good for sledding at all!   But then all the wet clothes get piled up in front of door.   But they have a blast!!

I mean look at this snow!!  We haven't had this much snow in forever!!

While all the big girls played outside Bella and I hung out inside in our jammies...love those kind of days!!

On Friday afternoon Wade, Grace and Ava headed off to Jeff City for Grace's first basketball tourney on the road...she was so excited and I think Ava was way more excited just to be going to stay in a hotel.  You would have thought that the 2 of them had never traveled before...but I do remember how fun it was to travel for softball, so of couse I understood.    She had 1 game on Friday night and 2 games on Saturday....although Bella, Lizzie and I stayed behind b/c personally Bella in the gym all day with crazy basketball games going on = NO FUN!   But we got updates on all games and very excited to announce....

Grace's Eagles took 1st place...won all three games!!  So she got a medal and was super excited!!!

Lizzie, Bella and I stayed busy on Friday night w/ ordering Pizza and just hanging out ....love lazy weekends!

A great picture of these two!!  Love sisters!!

My little piglet trying to feed herself by taking the bowl on herself :)

And on Saturday we went off to run some errands and over to my dear friend's Tracy's little boy's Logan's 1st Birthday party....was lucky enough to make his #1 cookies and some fun cupcakes (forgot to take pictures)  

Drying before getting wrapped and ribboned..she had the cutest theme!!

Lizzie keeping Bella busy while Mommy finishes getting ready

And Bella sitting in her most favorite spot while Mommy gets ready...it's amazing what we can find in my drawer to keep her busy while I blow dry my hair :)

Bedtime with Lizzie

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Here is my sweet Lizzie getting ready for bed! She is my little model with her adorable smile. She lights up my day each and every day. Good night my princess. And don't let the bed bugs bite. :).

It is crazy how big she is getting...little Miss Independent!!  Still loving Kindergarten every day and trying each week to get the "Good Student Award"   It is amazing what a little construction piece of paper shaped as a Ribbon with some Glitter can make a 6 year old do.

I have always been pretty lucky with Lizzie that she has always gone to bed like clockwork...never once getting out of bed when she was little.   I remember when she was younger waking up in the morning and she would just be hanging out in her bed waiting for me to come get her.   Playing with stuffed animals.  Hopefully when Bella is older she is the same like her older sister Lizzie.  

Sunday at home...Bella almost crawling

Bella is so close to crawling ...the girls are super excited and try and get her to do it each day.  Me, not so much...b/c I know once she starts it is not only another milestone that I will never have back, but she is not going to stop moving!!  She loves to try and get into everything already....Here are a few shots of us at home on this laid back Sunday.....here she is all bundled up before we head out for Church.

Here she is....as she had just fallen down from being on all 4's. 

And a shot of her and her sissy's minus Miss Lizzie.   Goofy around

One of my new favorites!!  She loves that tounge of her's..she always has it out!!

Happy Sunday everyone!!

A day of no craziness



 About once in a blue moon do we have a day of nothing...no sports, no bday parties, nothing.  I love love love it!!   On this Saturday, we had nothing...and just Bella was with us as Lizzie was with her daddy and Ava and Grace with their mom.  Oh the silence is almost scary...but after a couple weeks of craziness with the holidays and vacationing down in Florida...it is nice :)   Bella has actually been doing great sleeping all week (after the mishap earlier in the week with the ear infection).  She has pretty much been sleeping through the night now ...waking up a little a making a few cries, but successfully putting herself back to sleep.  Oh to sleep through the night is simply glorious!!!   Although I was quite the pro at waking up throughout the night, I do prefer going all the way through.  

Morning Bottle while laying in bed with Mommy



Up close on that morning bottle...love it!

There is really nothing cuter than a happy baby in the morning.  Bella you are always so happy in the morning, my sweet angel!!

Sure had a great Saturday of not much going on....running to the bank, lunch with Daddy, and ending it with some football games.   

Bella is 8 Months!!!

It is so hard for to believe that little Miss Bella is 8 Months old already!!  She is getting to be so big and her personality is nothing shy of an angel!!   She is our little happy baby that is so easy going!!  Except my dear, you still do not like to sleep 100% through the night yet, but you are soooo close!  Last week you made it 3 days in a row, but then an ear infection ruined all of that.   Actually this past week Monday you had Mommy out in the car @ 3:00am driving you around New Town trying to get you to sleep.  You wouldn't have anything to do with it longer than 10 minutes at a time...but it was b/c of your horrible ear infection (as we found out the next day at the doctor.   Here is a shot of you at the doctor's office...

You are getting pretty used to Dr. Hoffman's office...you have already had croupe, and 2 ear infections...so you might be my little sicky baby, but you still manage to pump out an adorable smile even though you might feel a litle under the weather!  That is what I love about you...your bright spirit!  Even at a tender age of 8 months!!!

This one is so classic!!  You just felt so poopy and mommy was making you take pictures b/c it was your 8 month old birthday!!  You in your jammies and little sleep sack...and your face just looks sad and sickly, but your eyes are amazing!  Although very puppy dog like!  Moms always know when their kiddos are sick, they just have a little look about them.  

Here you are wishing I was done snapping pictures!!

And at 8 months you love playing around with anything you can get your hands on....you love exploring everything.  You are so close to crawling, you get up on all 4's and rock back and forth..it is too cute!

Happy 8 month old Bella!!  Love you  ~ Mommy

Holiday Break in Naples

So excited a couple months ago when my mom called and said that our Christmas presents to each one of my brothers was that they were going to fly us all down to Naples during the Christmas Break!!  Sign me up...nothing better than spending time with the entire family for just under a week.   As I have gotten older I just love spending time with my parents and brothers...we just have so much fun and cherish the times when we are together since my mom and kent spend most of the year in Naples and Todd lives down there as well.   The girls had an absolute blast playing with each other and cousins Meghan and Mallie. 

These group shots turned out great on Mimi & Pawpaw's back porch..they have some fancy name in FL ..leniu (no idea how to spell it)

Lizzie and Bella at breakfast before we headed off to the beach.

 

Some cute shots of Bella before and after at the Beach

 Some shots of the pool ...Stacie & Rupert/Lizzie starting to get sick..she ended up with Strep and was sick half the trip.  She was such a trooper though!    And the classic shot of Kevin & Katie, and Todd doing who knows what with his hands.