Happy Birthday Snoopy!!!

So, I apologize for being so consistently behind on my blog. It seems that in my down time I'm having to catch up on laundry, wash dishes, or lay on the couch since I've been under the weather some this week. Hopefully, I can catch back up and stay on top of it a little better!!

A couple of weekends ago we had the joy and honor of being visitors in Uncle Michael's new house! He has done such a fabulous job at decorating and getting moved in! You would never know it was a bachelor's pad!!=) Really, it is a place he should be proud of for sure!

Olivia absolutely loved all the space in Michael's big house to run around and she especially loved the stairs. I guess the stairs were so fun to her since we don't have any in our house. But, by the end of the weekend she had found her little spot on the bottom stair and (pretty much) understood not to go any further!

We also got to celebrate my dad's (Snoopy) birthday on Sunday! I'm not sure there is a Hallmark card that could express what his life has meant to me and I'm not even sure there are words for me to express it. However, I'm going to try. The most important and impacting quality I love about my dad is that he is a God fearing man. In everything he does he seeks God's wisdom. He is a man of integrity, strength, honesty, and wisdom and those qualities didn't always make him the popular dad growing up.=) We didn't get to always do what "everyone" else was doing but boy am I glad now!! What a blessing it is to have a dad who isn't seeking the popularity vote. You see, because of the qualities I saw in my dad growing up I was able to choose an amazing God fearing man as my husband. A father and a daughter have such a special relationship. My dad taught me so many things about how a man is supposed to treat and love a woman. It is because of the demonstration of love he showed me and my mom that I am able to have a healthy marriage now to an amazing man. Thank you dad for always taking the time to be a "father" to me and for always choosing the less traveled path to lead and guide our family in a way that is pleasing to Christ. We celebrate not only another year of your life, but another year of opportunities for you to impact our lives in such an amazing way! I'm so excited for Olivia to get to know you as the man I know you are too! She will truly be a better person because of the way I know you will touch her life as you have mine!!! ~Happy Birthday Snoopy!!!

18 months already??

Yes, I gave in and broke out the passy to help her regain some compusure. Desperate times call for desperate measures!!
Life was good at this point because the dr's visit had come to an end and she was admiring her sticker!

My baby girl is 18 months and I can hardly believe it!! It is amazing how fast her life is flying by right before our eyes! On one hand I feel like she should still be a teeny tiny baby and on the other I feel like she has always been with us. It's hard to remember life without her. I never imagined the amount of joy she could bring to our lives. What a true blessing she is!! I'm so unworthy of such a gift from God!!

It is so fun at this age to watch her ability to express every emotion to an even exaggerated degree. When she is happy, you know it! She is babbling in her own little language, giggling at who knows what, and even feels the need to break out in a dance every now and then. When she is sad, you know it! She knows exactly how to poke out that bottom lip and tear your heart out of your chest!! When she is mad, YOU KNOW IT! She arches her back and throws herself on the floor in the worst temper tantrum you've ever seen. She already knows how to march off and find a place to sulk too when the tantrum doesn't seem to get any attention. I guess along with all the good that comes with the stage, comes the bad too. It's the precious times that carry you through the ugly fits that you never thought your sweet child could throw!

With all of that said, we had her 18 month well check-up today and boy was it a traumatic experience for her. From the second we entered the room she broke down into hysterics. She was completely and totally aware (much more so than past appts.) of what the next few minutes would hold....more shots! Like I explained above, because Olivia is so in tune with her emotions=) this made for a dramatic scene at the pediatrician's office today. Once she began crying she could not get control of herself, nor could I get control of her. And once she saw that the prick was bad enough to need a band-aid she cried even harder. It was like the band-aid was a constant reminder of what had been done and every time she saw it she would lose control and break down crying again. Dr.Stone assured us that this was normal and would probably be worse at the 2 year appt. and get better from then on out. Let's hope so, because our sweet baby girl definitely knows how to take drama to a whole new level!!! Oh, what a day at the doctor!!!

Like a flip of a switch however, she was all better. The second we left the building her day was instantly fabulous! Rush and I took her to O'Carr's where she got to sit in the booth like a big girl next to me. She sat so tall and proud!!! It was the best and easiest lunch (at a restaurant) we have had in a long time. She is all about being a big girl! It's amazing how young that starts and so sad for me to watch her grow up too fast!

Anyways...just FYI...our little punkin weighed 20 pounds today! Yes, only 20 pounds. She is in the 8th percentile for weight and the 80th percentile for height. (Dr.Stone assured us her body type would just be long and lean) I promise I'm feeding her good!!! However,don't be fooled by this little light weight...that 20 pounds can sure hold her ground and let her voice be heard!!! =)

Boo at the Zoo

Saturday night we decided to venture out and check out the Halloween event at the zoo, "Boo at the Zoo." I must say that I was shocked at the crowds of people that swarmed the zoo all decked out in their halloween costumes. I had no idea it was such a big event! We definitely didn't get to take advantage of all the rides due to the length of the lines, but we had just as much fun walking around checking out costumes, visiting the petting zoo, and running into our sweet friend, Lily. Olivia was completely entertained and had no idea she missed out on anything. Next year we will know to arrive earlier!
We were completely unsure of how Olivia would react to wearing her "doggie" costume. However, she was a champ! She absolutely loved wearing it and you could totally tell by the way she pranced around. She was one proud puppy dog!=) I'm glad we took advantage of another opportunity for her to wear it. I'm excited to see that cute puppy dog again on Halloween night!

One proud sister....

Uncle Michael came down to visit this past weekend and we had a great time!! We are soaking up all the time we can get with him these days because he heads to Afghanistan at the beginning of December. There are so many emotions to be felt as you send a loved one,a brother, to war. The selfish side of me knows that I will miss him for a year and hates for that much time to go by without the fun visits and phone calls. The protective side of me hates to know that he will be in such a dangerous environment surrounded by men(terrorists) who have no respect for human life. There is also a part of me that feels anger as I see him preparing to leave and put himself in harms way knowing there are so many (including those who could possibly lead our country in the coming weeks) who are so unappreciative of the fact that he is willing to risk his life for their freedom. See, for those who completely rely on our media to educate them on this war, our soldiers are fighting for a greater cause then what is portrayed in the news. They are fighting for the precious children who are fearful to leave their homes, who are not given the opportunity to be educated, for the mothers and fathers who desire to give their children a safe environment to play and be loved in, for the men who simply want to be able to provide for their families. They are fighting for all of the things those uneducated protesters take for granted here in America. You see, those innocent lives will never have the chance to appreciate such things as we do with terrorists around that don't even respect their own life much less anyone elses. So, with this said, the majority of my heart feels joy and pride knowing that my brother is fighting for such a greater cause than self. I'm so proud of the decision he has made to honor his country and God. To not stand by and let this evil fall on deaf ears.

I pray that as Michael leaves in December he would have a peace beyond all understanding that can only come from God alone in the decision he has made to go and help build better lives for the generations to come in this part of the world. I pray that God would place a hedge of protection around him every day and night. I pray that those precious people would see something different in Michael...that they would grow to know the one true God that resides in his heart and seek Him in their hearts as well. I pray that God would surround Michael with soldiers and people that lift him up daily and to be a constant source of encouragement to him as I know he will be to others. I pray that he would feel the constant prayers we will be lifting up to God on his behalf!! And most importantly I pray that God would keep him safe and protect him from harm's way and bring him home safely to us next year!

We love you Uncle Michael and know that there are not enough words to express how proud we are of you and all the other soldiers who have left loved ones behind to fight for our countries freedom.

Books, Books, Books

As an educator I understand the importance of exposure to literature starting even while the baby is still in the mother's womb, which is why I find so much joy in watching Olivia develop such an interest in books. I started reading to her when I was pregnant with her and haven't missed many days since. Now, she not only LOVES to look at books but, she will most often turn down all other toys to sit and read(in her language) a book. I will admit that the books usually get chewed and torn and I will sometimes find a page out of a book here or there around my house,but I guess that just proves that they are being well loved by a toddler. =) I'd much rather them look worn, knowing that means she is enjoying them, then keep them looking brand new, knowing that means she doesn't ever touch them. All this to say, her new favorite place to read is in the chair that I first began reading to her in after she was born. She will literally sit for hours reading books as long as I will retrieve the book she points to off the bookshelf.=) (I guess you could call it her Queen Olivia chair) The best part is unfortunately the part I can't capture in the picture above...the sweet sound you hear when you enter her room as she is "reading" her books. She jabbers away in her own little language with all the confidence that the story she is telling is exactly what the words on the page read. She definitely has learned to use that pointing finger along with an animated voice like her mommy uses when reading to her.=) These are for sure the moments I cherish at this sweet little age and definitely the moments I hang on to in the midst of the terrible tantrums she can throw!

The Splawn's Pumpkin Patch...

Saturday afternoon we decided to visit the Splawn's pumpkin patch. Ha...not really. Mountain Brook Baptist has an annual pumpkin sale that just happens to be located in the front yard of the missionary house which is where Mary and Wayne are living. They didn't have to go very far to pick out a pumpkin this year!=)

Anyways, while we were there we attempted to get a few pics of Olivia. As you can tell from the first picture, if I'm going to get any pictures of her they are not going to be posed. So, we scrapped that idea and let her run free while we picked the perfect pumpkin for our front porch!

Thanks Mary and Wayne for letting us stop by and visit from a minute!!! It was great to see you!

Friday Night Football...

We headed to Regions Park Friday night to cheer on the Hoover Bucs with the Parkers. The girls had a blast cheering in the stands and playing with each other. They were completely entertained the entire game. The moms wore out before they did!! How cute it is to see them giggling and being silly little girls...true girlfriends already!

Baker's Farm

After a quick lunch Friday afternoon, we packed up the truck and headed to Baker's Farm. Olivia got to see and pet some farm animals, pick some cotton, and take a hayride to the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins. She had a blast as did Rush and I. We were all exhausted after loading the car to head home. What a fun day!

Davenport's....

Sunday night we joined Ben, Ashley, and Lily at Davenport's for some yummy pizza. Unfortunately, Olivia isn't too fond of pizza yet but she enjoyed the company.=) After dinner Rush introduced her to her first game of Pac Man. We had to pry them away from the machine to head home. Oh yeah, and on our way out we of course treated ourselves to the complimentary tootsie pop! Olivia's favorite part of dinner for sure!!! I think she got more in her hair then in her mouth! Needless to say, we had a quick sponge bath before bed!

What more could you ask for....

Uncle Joey, good friends, the Bluff Park Art Show, and college football...what more could you ask for on the first Sat. in October!=) Saturday morning we joined Amy, Chris, and Grayson on a walk to the Bluff Park Art Show. After checking out some very talented artists and their artwork we headed back to Larkwood Drive, empty handed I must add, to take in some good college football while the kiddos entertained themselves with a few Arbonne boxes. It still amazes me that the things I don't buy for Olivia's entertainment are the things she is most entertained by. Thanks guys for a fun Saturday!

The Zoo...A Week Ago....

Okay, so I promise I'm going to get better at blogging in a more timely manner. I hate it when I get behind because it takes so long to catch up. However, life has proved to be a lot busier than expected this fall.
We seem to try to make up for the busy/chaotic week days on the weekends. Rush gets off at noon on Fridays so a week ago Friday we decided to take Olivia to the zoo since our last trip was cut short. This is always the perfect time for family outings because most places aren't quite as busy Friday afternoon as they are on Saturday. Olivia had a blast checking out all the animals. She gets more excited every time we go about seeing the animals. The excitement in a toddler over such little things is priceless! She got to ride the carousel this time and still seems a little apprehensive about the moving animals going in a circle. But, as long as she had a death grip on me she was okay. =)

All in all it was a fun Friday afternoon outing!!

Homewood Park

Today we joined some of our church friends at Homewood Park for a playdate. Olivia had a blast playing with all her friends. Her favorite thing to do was to climb up the stairs, crawl through the tunnel and slide down the slide. It is amazing that she is capable of doing all of these things now without the help of mom! What a big girl! Afterwards we stopped for a quick bite to eat at Mama Goldberg's! Such a yummy place to eat! We had a great time with you, Lily, Henry, Ford, and Daniel!!! Look forward to doing it again soon!