Ready for Church....

I snapped this picture before church last Sunday and thought it was too cute not to post!!!=) By the way, I just finished 11 (Yes, you read it right, 11!!!) new posts. So there is a lot of catching up to do on Miss Olivia below!!!=)

Splish Splash...

We are having extreme beach fever and are on the countdown until our beach trip!! So, for the meantime I decided to pick up a swimming pool for Olivia to enjoy on these hot afternoons!!! By the time Rush and I got it ready for her to play in it was 5 in the evening. The sun was down and although it was not cool it was probably not warm enough to be in water even though we filled it with warm water. HOWEVER, she insisted and seemed to enjoy herself with a shivering chin and goose bumps!!! We had to force her to get out when her little lips started turning purple.

Stadium Fest....

This past Saturday evening we decided to head over to Samford to check out Stadium Fest. Our friends Ben, Ashley, and Lily met us there. It was extremely hot and crowded and that mixed with 2 two year olds was a bit much for me. We spent most of our time by the baseball fields letting the girls play. They got out some good energy before we headed to LaPaz for a yummy bite to eat!! I heard great things about the overall turnout/outcome from Stadium Fest at church on Sunday! So glad they were able to reach so many lost souls!!

Picnics and Wagon Rides

We have enjoyed the last several days of beautiful weather despite our terrible allergies! Olivia has been enjoying picnic lunches at her new picnic table and her sand and water table she got from Gigi and Snoopy!! We have also been having fun in the wagon and on her new trike! We decided to pull the wagon to church this week to pick up Grayson after MDO. What a nice change to have sunny, warm days!!

Olivia's 2nd Birthday Party!!!

What a blast we had at Olivia's birthday party!!! It was such a blessing to be able to share it with such sweet friends and family!! Although Olivia didn't quite understand, it meant a lot to Rush and I that each one of you were there to celebrate her life with us!=)

As most of you know, if it includes a party, Olivia is going to eat it up!! She looved having her sweet friends at the park for the big celebration! They jumped, jumped, and jumped, blew bubbles, played with sidewalk chalk, and ate some yummy sweets!!! Olivia enjoyed every minute of it and is still enjoying all the great gifts!

We were worried about the weather all morning. However, our prayers were answered, and the sun even peeked out for a little bit! It was a perfect day and a perfect way to celebrate Miss Olivia's 2nd birthday!!!

MDO Birthday Party!

I snapped a quick picture of Olivia before she headed to Mother's Day Out on Weds. of her birthday week!! She got to share sugar cookies with her little class! Too cute!!

Happy Birthday Lily!

Olivia and Lily are 1 day apart....Ashley and I enjoyed visiting with each other when we were in the hospital after giving birth!=) So, on Easter weekend, we also got to celebrate Lily's birthday! We had so much fun playing on Lily's new swingset and jumping in the moonwalk! Olivia was worn out by the time we got home and was ready for a good nap!! Happy Birthday our sweet friend, Lily!!!

HE IS RISEN!!

Olivia's overflowing Easter basket from the Easter bunny!!!
Reading her new "momo" (Elmo) Easter book.

I think bubbles have to be her favorite thing in the world!!!

Enjoying her new coloring book with Daddy!

Looking precious and ready for church! Gosh, that paci has got to go!

I just thought this was funny....so typical!!

Yes, I know, Olivia isn't even looking, but this is the best shot we got due to a tired 2 year old and windy weather conditions!

I think Easter may be one of my favorite holidays!! Not only does it mark the beginning of a new season, spring (warmer days), but it is also a reminder of the gift of eternal life Jesus Christ gave us when His blood was shed as a sacrifice for our sins!!!
Olivia awoke Easter morning to an overflowing basket full of goodies! She slept late Easter morning which left us rushing through her Easter basket before throwing her in the bathtub! She was so distraught that we would tease her with all these fun things and then take her away from them to get ready for church. We came very close to an all out meltdown until we found a toy she could take in the bathtub with her! Needless to say, she enjoyed her Easter basket thoroughly this year!

Rush, Olivia, and I went to church together and out to eat to celebrate! We also got in a visit with Sayjay and Bobby Sunday afternoon. Although it was a bit of a different Easter this year, it was fun!

Birthday Celebrations Fiesta Style....

Since we weren't able to have Olivia's party on her actual birthday Rush and I took her to eat at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants, Iguana Grill. To give you an idea of just how much we love Iguana Grill.....they know us by name and seat us immediately when we come in! Ha So, of course, when they found out it was Olivia's birthday they went crazy! After Olivia finished eating the hostess came and got her and walked around the restaurant with her while Rush and I finished our meals in peace. Unfortunately, the whole singing ensemble came with her cake while she was gone with the hostess!! haha! It was probably a good thing she missed out on the singing.....I'm sure she would have been terrified!!! haha However, she did enjoy the cake! Actually, she enjoyed feeding the cake to Rush! I'm not sure she took even a bite of it??!! We attempted to get a shot of her with the sombrero on and as you can tell from the pics above it didn't quite work out. Like EVERYTHING else, it has to be HER idea!!!!! Ohh, my sweet Olivia!=)

Happy Birthday My Sweet Baby Girl!

Olivia awoke to a brand new tricycle the morning of her birthday!!! She already loooves it!!
She's got the steering down, we just have get the pedaling figured out!ha

How in the world is my sweet baby girl 2????? I realize she is not a baby anymore...trust me, she reminds me everyday that she is fully capable of doing it HERSELF!!! Rush jokingly says all the time that she would move into her own aparment tomorrow if she could! She is seriously strong-willed and independent! WHICH are two personality traits I'm so thankful she has. However, it makes these young years a little tough and trying. We are hoping to guide that strong will and independance in the right direction so that one day those personality traits will be used for God's glory!!! So, back to my first sentence....how in the world have 2 years gone by since she was born??!!!! It scares me to death at how fast her little life is flying by! On one hand I feel like she was born just yesterday and on the other it seems as though she has always been a part of our life. Rush and I often wonder what we did before she was a part of our family! I can honestly say there wasn't near as much joy in our home!! On April 11 we were given the most precious blessing God can give, the gift of life! She has blessed our lives abundantly every day since then! Only since her birth do I even get a glimpse of how much love God has in his heart for me through my love for Olivia! I never knew my heart could be so full of love for someone! I also realize how gracious our God is.....I am so unworthy of such a precious gift as Olivia! How humbled I am that he would see me even remotely worthy to entrust her life to me. Lastly, I realize she is not mine, nor is anything else I may possess....it is HIS. HE has only loaned her to me for a short amount of time here on earth. Her life belongs to him...while that is an overwhelming thought, it also brings me so much peace! Only through our Savior, Jesus Christ, can she have eternal life! It also helps me realize that I can't do this alone.....only with Christ by my side can I rear her in such a way that she would come to know Him as her savior and live a life in such a way that would be pleasing to Him. So, on this day, I not only celebrate my baby girl's 2nd birthday and the joy she has brought to our lives, but I also celebrate what Christ has taught me through her sweet little life in only 2 years! As much as I hate to see another year fly by as fast as these past 2 have, I'm just as excited to see what God has in store for her life and just what else he can teach us through her!!!