Joshua's Valentine's Day Program

Yesterday was Joshua's Valentine's Day program at school. Joshua was hilarious, so much more confindent than last year. You could tell he was just having a good time. We are so proud of him!!

After the program, while Joshua was in school...Brandon, Aby, and I went to our favorite cookie store called "Sweet Dreams" for a little Valentine's treat.

Here are the pics:

Double Date with the Estes

A couple of weekends ago, Brandon and I were able to go out on a double date with our sweet friends Nathan and Monica. We ate some yummy Italian food and spent dinner talking from everything serious to laughing hysterically to the point of crying. After dinner we headed for the bowling lanes...where an 8-month pregnant woman bowled the best score...that's right I bowled a 143, my highest ever! I think my enormous belly balanced me out. We had such a great time with the Estes and were so thankful for the time we were able to spend together!

Thank You, Lord!!

Last week, we had some terrible storms come through our area. Many places in TN were devastated by tornadoes. Brandon and I are so thankful for the Lord's protection during this time. The storm that came through at 2:00 in the morning was being predicted to directly hit Franklin. So after some time spent in our safe place with the kids, the news said we were safe...the storm decided to go just northwest of Franklin. Thank you, Lord!

This is the worst we have ever seen since living in TN. We spend at least two storms a year in our safe place, but there was just something a little more nerve-racking about this storm. Thank so much for your protection, Lord!! Please keep those devastated by these storms in your prayers.

Here is a picture of the kids and me at 2:00am in our safe place…we all look a little tired:

Daddy Time

I have to say I LOVE watching the kids play with their Daddy. They always have the biggest smiles on their faces. Daddy is most definetely their favorite playmate. On this day, while Joshua was at school I was able to take some pics of Daddy and Aby...it was precious. This is one of the perks of Daddy working from home, especially when he takes little breaks.

The Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey Circus

A couple weekends ago, my sweet husband surprised the kids and me with tickets to "the best show on earth." We had so much fun together as a family. The kids were amazed by everything the circus had to offer, but they especially liked the popcorn. Just watching Joshua and Aby experience the circus for the first time brought back a rush of memories. Here are some pics:

Sharing Rooms and a Big Girl Bed

In preparation for the new addition to our family, Brandon and I spent the weekend painting Joshua's room so Aby could move in with him. We are so happy with how it turned out and the kids are so excited to share a room. Aby is now offically sleeping in a big girl bed, which I am having a little sadness about. I can't believe how fast my little girl is growing.

Below are some pictures of before and after and the kids reactions to their new room.

Aby's last night in her crib:


Joshua's last night in his room alone:


Before:


After:


Joshua's Reaction:


Aby's Reaction:

Christmas through New Year's

It has been a while since we have posted on our blog, so I thought that I would post just a brief update from Christmas...The kids and I finally made it through all of our sickness (thank you to all who prayed) and we were able to enjoy Christmas and New Years as a family.

For Christmas, my mom slept over Christmas eve, which was such a special time. We ate yummy Italian food, played with the kids, played Sequence with my mom and watch Christmas Vacation. The kids were so excited to have their "mimi" there on Christmas morning. After opening presents, we had a yummy breakfast and enjoyed watching the kids play with their new presents. It was a very special memory for me.

That afternoon, we all headed to KY to spend time with Brandon's family where we enjoyed a yummy Christmas dinner and had a great time playing Chicken Foot together. We spent a lot of time laughing and enjoying just being together as a family.

After Christmas, Brandon's mom stayed with us for a week, which the kids couldn't have been more excited about. We went to the movies, the park, and shopping in downtown Franklin. We even got to experience our first snow of the year on New Year's day.

It was a fun-filled holiday and we are so thankful for the family we were able to spend time with. It is always time that we cherish.