Abigail turns 2!

Our sweet, funny, full-of-life Abigail turned 2! We celebrated with a ladybug birthday party. She loves to play with her baby dolls, balls, building with her mega blocks and singing. Her favorite songs to sing are Jesus Loves Me, Jingle Bells & You Are My Sunshine. She loves her big sister Grace and they play together so well. We can't imagine life without this sweet blessing. We love you Abigail!

Birthday girl!

The ladybug cake...red velvet

Abigail and cousin Catherine sport their ladybug headbands

Grace enjoys playing with Abigail's new baseball bat

Family pic...photo bombed by Nana :)

Birthday girl enjoys cake & ice cream

Happy Easter!

We had a great day celebrating Easter..beginning with a wonderful service at church with my handbell choir, Ben sang in the church choir, and I played a piano/organ duet. The service was followed by a very nice brunch and then off to the Taylor's house (my sister-in-law's family). The weather was gorgeous and everyone enjoyed being outdoors all afternoon. The girls had so much fun running around and playing with their cousins and a few new kids. 

Nana & Pappy with their 6 grands

Abigail's first egg hunt...she wasn't walking at Easter last year!

Abigail, Grace & cousin Catherine enjoy the wagon

My beautiful girls

During one rainy week we built a fort and Grace slept in it several nights. I was glad when it came down, but Grace is always excited to build another one when it rains.

Tea Room with Grandma Hough, Nana, Grandma Westbury, Grace & Abigail .

Winter Fun

We are enjoying our winter (or lack thereof)...We love playing outdoors in the 65-75 degree weather and the best part is there are no bugs!! Our azaleas are already starting to bloom a little. I attached some pics of us on our bike ride. We are on the bike/walk trail several times a week. Abigail is enjoying her new bike seat and Grace is doing great on her bicycle (w/ training wheels). Grace started a dance/gymnastics class and loves it. She looks forward to going every week. Abigail and I enjoy some 1-on-1 time together during Grace's class. Abigail and Grace started their first combined story-time at the library. It was a disaster as Abigail was not interested in sitting still and when they all sat in a circle to color Abigail decided it would be fun to throw the crayons; of course it hit a boy right in the eye and he screamed so loud. I felt awful and was too embarrassed that I haven't been back since. Maybe we'll try another time.

Ballet class

Gym class

We decided to take a long bike ride. Saki got to ride in the basket. It was the windiest day of the year which wasn't so bad going since the wind was at our back, but it was almost impossible to ride back home. I thought we would never make it back!

Merry Christmas 2012

We had a wonderful Christmas celebrating with our family. Our first family party was with the Westbury's where we ate yummy food, opened gifts, played games and sang Christmas carols. Then we attended our church's Christmas Eve service for an unrehearsed Christmas Pageant. Grace was a shepherd and Abigail was a sheep. It was chaos, but very sweet and special for the kids to be able to participate in the service. We came home and opened presents that evening and then headed to my parent's house for a yummy Christmas brunch and feast for dinner with Matthew, Grandma Westbury & Andrew's family. The day after Christmas we traveled to Hampton to visit my Grandparents and visit with relatives and enjoyed the beautiful weather outside playing croquet and swinging in the hammock and of course eating more yummy food. It was a fun and exhausting holiday!

Abigail eating Grandma Page's good cooking!

Abigail & Ben crash from partying too much!

The star goes on the Christmas tree.

Our homemade cross-stitch stockings by Grandma Hough.  They are beautiful!

Saki the reindeer. Antlers from Ben's deer that he shot over Thanksgiving this year.

Tea party with cousin Jude

Festival of Lights

Decorating sugar cookies with cousin Emma-Grace

Pappy was decorated as a Christmas tree at the Westbury Christmas party.

Singing Christmas carols at the Westbury Christmas party

Grace got a two-wheeler bike for Christmas!

Homemade princess dress from Grandma Hough...beautiful!

Abigail snuggles with Uncle Andrew

Abigail meets Santa

Fall Fun 2012 (post 1 of 3)

The fall weather around here keeps us outdoors a lot. Whether Grace and I are having school or reading a book, we love being out this time of year. Grace had a Daddy/daughter date to look for shark's teeth in the canal and also took a walk to see the marching band practicing. It really made an impression on her as she talked about it for a long time. I love hearing the band practice when the windows are open in our house.



School on the porch. We were learning about foxes because Grace was scared of them for some reason (maybe because they are always the bad guy in her children's books). Since we learned about them she is no longer afraid of them and doesn't try to cover up the one on her wall mural in her room at night anymore (she used to stack up her pillows so she couldn't see the fox while lying down). :)

Ben got the rocking horse out of the attic and the girls love riding on it! Abigail thought it was real at first and wouldn't come anywhere near :)

Looking for shark's teeth



Beautiful day to walk on the beach with Nana & Yogi - Abigail was so funny running from the water!

Of course Grace couldn't just walk, she was wet from head to toe...and freezing, too.



Pappy snuggling with his grandaughters.

Our homemade scarecrow.

And a trip to the pumpkin patch to pick out that perfect pumpkin.

Grace liked the red tractor.

Bee City (post 2 of 3)

We took a fun morning trip to one of our favorite places in September...Bee City. Each time we go the girls enjoy something different than the time before. 

 

Choo-choo

My little animals

Grace feeds a lemur

Grace holds a SNAKE and loved it!

We have our own bunny at home, Elliott, that the girls like to feed, too.

Happy Birthday Grace! (post 3 of 3)

Hard to believe that Grace is 4 years old now! She is growing up so fast and likes being a big girl. We had a fun bird-themed party with a bird's nest cake, games and a picnic with family and friends at a local park. It was a fun day.

 

Grace's bird shirt embroidered by my friend Lanier

Kiddie table

Nest birthday cake (dyed coconut on top)

Grandma came to join in the celebration. Grace got a violin from her Hough grandparents.
We have been learning to play the violin together.

 

Thanks Nana & Pappy for my super cute doll house!

Pigtails!