The Maders

Good bye tutu’s. Hello jon jons. . . . .

2012-01-29T17:03:00.001-05:00

We are having a B-O-Y!!!!

January 10 has been a very memorable date for Dave and me the past two years.

January 10, 2011 – My AUsome Auburn Tigers won their first BCS National Title in 54 years!! Fortunately Dave and I were there in Phoenix in that very moment to celebrate a night I will put in the category as “one of the best moments of my life.”

Fast forward to this year.

January 10, 2012 – Dave and I found out that we are having a little BOY!!!! We are beyond thrilled and ecstatic. Since we plan for this to be our last child, we were hoping for a little guy but of course we would have been just as thrilled for another sweet little girl. Since I’m pretty much a girly girl, I’m not quite sure what to do with a little guy but I’m looking forward to learning. I wish I had a video of Dave’s reaction when the nurse informed us that the baby was a boy. It was extremely sweet. I’m happy that Dave will get the son he’s always dreamt of having! He is already looking forward to future Alaska trips with his son!

I also am happy for Lexie. I think she might have a hard time with a new baby in the house at first. She is definitely a Mama’s girl. She doesn’t like me holding anyone’s baby at any time. She gets very territorial of me. With having a little guy around, she still can be our baby girl and princess! She won’t have to feel the need to compete against her baby brother as she might with a little sister.

I think that having a boy will save Dave money. . . . .Not quite the selection of boy stuff compared to girl stuff. There is not even a quarter of cute boy stuff compared to girls. Most everything for boys is so cheesy. Even the bedding. I’m already frustrated with the bedding situation. But I think I’ve finally come up with an idea/colors. Stay tuned. . . .

Around this time last time I was pregnant with Lexie, I went crazy while shopping for her. I had a blast designing Lexie’s custom crib bedding, window panels, and bassinet bedding. Picking out nursery furniture, paint colors, and wall art was so much fun along with finding a chandelier to match. The clothes were to die for. There are so many things out there for girls.

Dave and I are still playing the “name game.” Hopefully the little guy will have a name soon. As for now, we will just call him little guy.

Little guy seems to be doing great. He loves to have a jam session every night around 11 PM. I remember Lexie did the same thing. As she grew, her sessions began at 3 AM. I wonder if the same will happen with this one.

The day we found out we were having a boy. Everything looked great! But the nurse did say little guy was measuring a tad bit larger than normal. She said it wasn’t anything to worry about. But as you remember, Lexie was 8.13 lb TWO WEEKS EARLY! The doctors say:

1.your second baby is usually larger than the first

2. boys are usually larger than girls. . . .

3. the delivery usually happens faster the second time around. . . .(I only pushed for about 20-25 minutes with Lexie). I can’t really imagine something quicker than that. . . . .

I didn’t gain much weight with Lexie so no one expected Lexie to be so big. The doctors were astounded. The doctors said there is no way to really tell how big the baby is near full term. But they said that they’d watch me closer this time around. I’m not worried about the birth right now, considering I have 19 weeks to go but I’m sure I will start to as the end nears. Praying for a healthy baby boy but I’m also praying he’s not 10 lbs!

A Christmas Card Collage and Personalized Place Mats

2012-01-29T15:41:00.001-05:00

We are extremely blessed to receive so many beautiful Christmas cards each holiday season from friends and family. For many years, I was always perplexed on where to display all the lovely cards. Usually the card racks found in the stores only hold about 15 cards or so. That wasn’t an option. I didn’t want to tape the cards to my wall or door possibly causing the tape to take paint off. Strike 2. I also needed something that Lexie couldn’t mess up. About three years ago, I came up with an idea that has worked out really well. A Christmas card hanging collage.

What you need:

Any type of table runner
Clothes hanger (preferably pant hanger – one with sticky arm)
wire
ribbon of your choice
Decorative no nail wall/door hook
safety pins
Wire cutting scissors

Hang the hook in desired place of collage (remember to hang it a little bit higher if you plan on using almost the entire runner). I placed it on the door to our kitchen pantry. That way, all the cards will be on full display for everyone to see them. Using wire cutting scissors, cut the wire from the hanger leaving just the white/sticky part. Thread wire through the inside of the hanger. Leave enough wire on both sides to make a knot around the wall/door hook. It should be in the form of a triangle. Don’t leave too much slack or the hanger will fold in the middle once the fabric is placed on it. Fold the table runner over the hanger to the length of preference. I nearly used the entire length of the runner leaving about an inch to inch and an half to pin on the back. Pin each side using a safety pin. You could sew the sides together if you want to do something a little neater than safety pins. But once you have the cards on there, you won’t be able to see the pins. To hide the wire knot around the hook, I made a decorative bow. You can also attach the wire to the bow (to make it all one piece). That way after Christmas, all you have to do is fold the hanging runner with bow leaving the hook on the door for aprons, etc. Once you hang the runner in your desired place, start pinning your Christmas cards with a safety pin (you could use straight pins but with Lexie running around, I used safety pins to make sure there wouldn’t be any straight pins on the floor). I went from top to bottom. I tend to like things very neat and orderly, but this project is different and fun to just hang the cards in a “non orderly” way.

Decorative wall/door hook (I used the brand Command)

Here’s what it should look like before Christmas cards arrive. Just have a box of safety pins on hand. Every day during December is so much fun to get the mail. I love receiving all your Christmas cards!

After the Christmas cards arrived!

******************************************************************************

Personalized Place Mats:

No what to do with the Christmas cards after Christmas/NY is over??? Like I said before, I love receiving all the beautiful cards and would hate to just throw them away. What about making Christmas card place mats for the next holiday season??

What you will need:

11x18 sheet of paper
double stick tape
Self adhesive laminating roll

Arrange cards on top of 11x18 paper. Once you do that, use double stick tape to securely place the cards to the paper. Peel the laminating paper back enough to cover both sides of the paper. Voila! Your very own personalized holiday place mats! For the 2011 cards, I will probably take the paper to have it professionally laminated. Trying to get each side completely straight with no air bubbles was quite the challenge. You could also make a collage but I chose to go the “neat and orderly” route. These also make quite bit. They are great not only for the kitchen table but for arts and crafts projects. BTW, if you have kids, they will enjoy eating off of these. Lexie loved to sit in a different chair each night for dinner just so she could point out the people she knew.

Christmas & NYE 2011

2012-01-29T14:00:00.001-05:00

We had a wonderful and memorable Christmas! My parents along with Dave’s parents were able to come for Christmas. Both sets of grandparents got to be here as Lexie woke up on Christmas morning to see what Santa brought. After Christmas, my brother in law and his family were able to stay for a night. Amelia and Lexie had a fun time being princesses.

As for NYE, Dave and I like to keep it pretty simple.We aren’t too keen on going out on NYE. Too many crazies out there. For the past couple of years, we’ve had the Frerman’s over for a slumber party. Lexie and Ava get along so well. They put on a rock concert for us. We watched AU put the smack down on UVA, cooked a fabulous dinner, put the kids to bed, and watched the ball drop at midnight.

Hope you all had a wonderful and blessed Christmas/New Years!

Christmas Fun

2012-01-10T15:05:00.001-05:00

What to do over Christmas break? I was trying have some fun activities set up so that Lexie wouldn’t get too bored. We had a “build a gingerbread house”/dress up princess play date with our great friends, the Sapras. Lexie loves C’mas trees so we did a handprint C’mas tree similar to some she did at school. We baked cookies for Santa not once but twice. We made gingerbread and Santa homemade ornaments (failed to get a picture) along with teaching Lexie how to wrap presents (again no pic). I’m seeing a pattern here. Not very good at taking pictures obviously (that’s one of my new years resolutions – to take more pics. I used to be so good at taking them).

Attempting to make a gingerbread house. . . . .

Enjoying being princesses

Cookies for Santa round 1

Lexie’s Handprint Christmas tree

Cookies for Santa round 2

So Much to be Thankful for. . . . . .

2011-11-23T15:36:00.000-05:00

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Yes. . . .We are expecting baby #2!!!

We all are ecstatic at the new addition to the family. The official due date is June 13. But if this baby is anything like Lexie was, I have a feeling it will be around the first of June when we meet this baby.

For those that don’t remember Lexie’s birth. . . . . – I went in for my 38 week check up first thing Monday morning on April 6, 2009. I was 5 cm dilated (had NO clue). I was admitted/induced (by choice), and delivered Lexie (8 lb, 13 oz) at 6:43 PM that evening. My awesome Doctor happened to be on call. When they weighted Lexie, I thought my doctor was going to pass out. No one during my entire pregnancy thought that I would give birth to a nearly 9 lb baby! It was quite the opposite. They kept telling me she would probably be around 6-7 lbs. So nearly 4 weeks ago when I went in to hear this baby’s heartbeat, the doctors said that they would keep a closer eye on the weight of the baby. . . . . . . .

Before Dave left for his annual fishing trip to Alaska back in July, we discussed the possibility of trying for #2 around August or September. Dave expressed that he wasn’t getting any younger. And if things went according to plan, our kids would hopefully be right at three years or so apart (which would be ideal). Well I guess God really wanted us to have another child. I got pregnant within the first month of trying!!! A bit overwhelming at first I might add, but I kept telling myself it was all of the Lord’s will.

I’m nearly 12 weeks along. The last 8 weeks have not been a lot fun. I’ve been a lot sicker than I was with Lexie. My pregnancy with Lexie during the first trimester wasn’t a walk in the park, but it was better than this! I’ve pretty much been nauseous all day along with my usual migraines which I can’t take my medicine for. . . . as well as chasing after a very active 2 1/2 year old. Thank goodness for real coke (not diet) and saltine crackers. Those two have been a life saver. I can’t wait until this feeling ends – hopefully soon. Then I can start planning for the new bundle of joy! This is just a small price I have to pay for such a wonderful gift from God!

A few of our friends and family knew our little secret but we thought sharing our little blessing with everyone on Thanksgiving was the perfect time to let the cat out of the bag. We are extremely thankful and feel very blessed that the Lord is giving us another child. Please keep all of us in your prayers!

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

Auburn/Florida game

2011-11-09T15:39:00.001-05:00

One of Auburn’s cutest cheerleaders!

Poor Belle Belle. Lexie was treating her like a doll by trying to dress her up. . . Luckily that sweet dog is such a good sport. She didn’t seem too bothered.

Halloween

2011-11-09T15:27:00.001-05:00

Lexie was able to go to school in a costume the Friday before Halloween. Costume #1 was little Dorothy and Toto. Let’s just say Lexie’s favorite part of the costume was her red, sparkly shoes. Shocking, right?

Costume #2:

On Actual Halloween, Lexie wanted to dress up as one of her favorite Disney princesses, Snow White. She loves to wear this dress nearly every minute she gets!

We went trick or treating to a few houses. Lexie did so well! She said “trick or treat” and “thank you.” She also only chose one treat when people would hold out the bowl of candy. After about four homes, she was ready to go back to the house to sit on the front steps again and hand out candy.

Trick or Treating with Daddy.

Snow White, the pumpkin.

Easy Crock Pot Roast Stew

2011-10-19T18:44:00.002-04:00

Since it's been somewhat cooler lately, I've been in the mood for some good 'ol yummy comfort food. My Mom makes the BEST beef stew out there. It's literally to die for. Though her recipe is a little complex. I've always wanted to find a way to simplify it. I found this recipe so I decided to try it. It turned out delicious and extremely easy. Of course SuSu's Beef stew is still better but this one came in at a good second.
Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures. I actually forgot. I was a little consumed taking care of a cranky two year while attempting this new recipe.

Recipe:
3-4 medium potatoes; cut/peeled (I used red potatoes)
baby carrots
3-5 lb. pot roast
1 can of cream of mushroom soup
1 pkg onion soup mix

Place all items in crook pot and cook on low heat for 8-10 hours. No need to add water. It will be plenty moist with a nice flavorful gravy!

My notes:
I always tend to tweak recipes to make them my own. So I added a few things:
~ onions; chopped (I love onions. In my opinion, red meat and onions go so great together).
~ can of green beans and a can of corn (more a veggie stew, too)
~ before adding the meat in the crock pot, I dipped the sides in flour (to give it a little crust)
~ salt and pepper to taste and a dash of red pepper for a little heat
~ Along with the soup/mix, I also added one serving of Knorr homestyle beef concentrated stock.
~ I served it over mashed potatoes (you could serve over rice as well).
~ All crock pots I've ever had are fast cookers rather than slow cookers. The recipe says to cook for 8-10 hours. I'm so glad I checked on mine. It was done at 5 hours on low heat.

It’s Fall, y’all!

2011-10-19T15:46:00.001-04:00

When I was younger, Spring or Summer was my favorite season. Spring – probably because school was about to be out. Summer – definitely because school was out and I had 3 whole months of playing and not having to deal with homework. The older I become, I’ve realized that fall has become my favorite season. I love the beautiful colors on the trees, the cool crisp air, the distant smell of smoke from fireplaces/fire pits, the feeling of wanting to snuggle up by the fire with loved ones and sip hot cocoa. Yes, I’m getting old. . . .

And let’s not forget about FOOTBALL. Fall = football season. There is nothing more fun than tailgating and spending time watching my AU Tigers with nearly 90,000 of my closest AU fans!

I found these pictures below (courtesy of the weather channel). Aren’t they gorgeous?? The south has beautiful falls, but one day I would love to see the fall foliage in the Northeast like the states of Vermont or New Hampshire. I’ve heard it’s quite fabulous to see.

I’m thrilled that it’s not 300 degrees anymore! Lexie and I have been having so much fun spending time outside without sweating like a dog. We are so happy to have fall here!

Having a hard time letting go. . . .

2011-10-11T16:06:00.001-04:00

Of summer. The past couple of times I’ve gone to get Lexie from her afternoon nap, this is what I’ve found. She had gone to her dresser and opened the “swimsuit” drawer only to take every single swimsuit out and lay them on her bed. She was even trying to wear one. . . .

A few random things. . . .

2011-10-07T16:56:00.001-04:00

Lexie has been doing great at school. She comes home quite frequently talking about a different classmate. Wednesday she came home with a Perfect Potty Award along with a bag full of goodies. It’s to praise the children that are potty trained and haven’t had an accident since the beginning of school. Lexie was so proud!

I’ve been getting pretty involved with her school as well. I’ve been volunteering at a lot of school functions. I’m also helping with some class art projects. It’s been nice meeting other Moms of NMP and also to have something to do other than house chores/errands.

Lexie is still into her Princess/dress up/diva stage. She loves wearing her high heels, carrying a hand bag on her forearm, while being decked out in jewels and sunglasses. She is ready to hit the town!

For the love of pink. . . .

2011-10-02T17:57:00.001-04:00

Have I mentioned that Lexie LOVES pink and anything to do with not just princesses but Disney princesses? She has gotten in a rut where she will hardly eat anything unless it’s pink. And the food has to be on her princess plates (unless they are dirty). So I have been trying to be creative. . . If you have any other tricks, please let me know.

Pink Scrambled eggs, pink toast, and bacon

Pink grilled cheese

Enjoying the pink grilled cheese

Pink Ice Cream – special treat of course.

Dinner with the Ladies

2011-09-23T15:44:00.001-04:00

Tuesday night was such a fun night to enjoy a nice dinner with some of my favorite people! It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen these ladies. We all met at one of the tastiest restaurants in town, Agave. We munched on their yummy guacamole and sipped their delicious margaritas. It was so nice to chit chat with these ladies. We don’t do it enough!

L-R: Michele, Me, Courtney, and Cassie (we missed you Ashley).

Preschool Carpool is going great!

2011-09-23T15:16:00.001-04:00

This was on Wednesday while waiting in the carpool line. We have made progress. There hasn’t been a cat and mouse game since the last incident. Hopefully it will stay like this!

Cat & Mouse game. . . .

2011-09-14T17:42:00.001-04:00

Wednesday, 9.9.11:

Lexie and I are still getting adjusted to this preschool carpool line. The school has sent out so many emails and flyers saying you CANNOT get out of your car, talk on the phone, nor pass anyone once you are in line. The child is to be unbuckled and seated in the left side of the car (behind the driver), then a teacher will come up to your car and escort your child into the building (I know that they do all of this for the sake of child safety and to keep the line moving). Once Lexie and I got in the school’s parking garage, I pulled over and unbuckled her and told her to sit behind me. She was doing so good until we had to wait in line. She suddenly became inpatient. Finally when we arrived to the curbside drop off, Lexie runs to the back of the Denali. I told the teacher where she was and the teacher was happy to go to the back of the car to get her. Once the teacher opened the back door, Lexie ran back to the back seat. The teacher closes the back door and came to the side door, Lexie then jumps in my lap. Finally two teachers helped grab Lexie and pull her through the driver’s window. Did I mention that she took her shoes off in the midst of this game?? Granted it was only the second day of school, it will probably take some time for Lexie to adjust. She does not like “strangers.” Still, I was completely horrified that I couldn’t control my child.

Today, I took my car instead of the truck. It worked a lot better because I definitely had more control of Lexie’s whereabouts in the car. She actually did great this morning.

We are still doing well at school with potty training. I have dropped her off and picked her up wearing the same clothes – meaning no accidents. Yay!

We even went to school this morning without “blankie.” Dave and I felt sorry for her teachers when we talked about not letting her bring her blankie to school anymore. The teachers sent out an email to all the parents today saying that there were no tears from any child this morning upon arrival! All the kids went directly into play-mode! Whew!

Lexie is becoming such a big girl! We are so proud of her (besides the defiant part)!

First day of Preschool!

2011-09-13T15:13:00.001-04:00

Wednesday (September 7) was Lexie’s first day of Preschool! We had previously me her teachers last week. She seemed to love Mrs. Julie and Mrs. Kelly along with the adorable cute classroom.

When Lexie woke up on Wednesday morning, she kept asking for her teachers. So I knew that she understood where she was going that day. She was so excited and was running around jumping up and down (it was hard to get a picture).

The entire way to school she kept laughing/giggling. She couldn’t wait to see her new friends and teachers.

The downside. . . .It was “recommended” that parents don’t come inside to drop their child off. They want everyone to drop their child off in the carpool lane. 1. Dave and I were bummed that we couldn’t get a picture with Lexie in her classroom. 2. They have teachers lined up for each car. We just had to have Lexie unbuckled from her car seat, then a teacher will come to the left side of the car and grab your child. Lexie HATED that. She is pretty particular when it comes to people she is comfortable with. I’d be a little traumatized too if some random lady came and grabbed me out of the car. By the time Dave and I got down the hill of the line, we still could see Lexie and she was fine. She quit crying.

I picked her up with a little surprise. . . .MINNIE was waiting for her! It was a perfect way to end her first day of preschool!

I’m thrilled for Lexie. I think that she is going to have a wonderful time this year. I just hope that this carpool thing gets easier. . . . .

Sassy pants

Yay school!

One tired baby but happy to see Minnie!

A Day I will never forget. . . . .

2011-09-11T09:14:00.001-04:00

I remember exactly what I was doing on this morning 10 years ago. Do you? I was still in college at Auburn. I remember it being a beautiful Tuesday morning hardly a cloud in the sky. My roommate, Scarlotte came flying into my bedroom as I was just waking up. She grabbed the remote and turned my TV on. “She said look at this!” I remember thinking it was some type of advertisement for an action type Hollywood movie. It was a live picture of the north tower (trade center) on fire. For a while the TV announcers were thinking it was a small plane that must have lost control of the plane. No one was exactly sure what was going on. As Scarlotte and I were glued to the TV watching the flames ignite the building, we saw the second plane hit the south tower at 9:03. From that moment Scarlotte and I knew that our country was under attack. The morning kept getting worse. At 9:37 AM a third plane hit the Pentagon. At 10:03 AM the news reported that a fourth plane had crashed in Shanksville, PA. Later it was revealed that the amazing and courageous crew and passengers tried to seize the plane from the hijackers who’s intended target was the Capitol or the White House.

Still to this day, I can’t seem to find words to describe those moments as I then watched the Twin Towers collapse.

I remember driving home to my parents house that day trying to take in what had really just happened. I remember passing all the gas stations on the way home that were so crowded that AUPD had to direct traffic to get into the gas staion. I along with probably the rest of the country was thinking the world was coming to an end. I remember being glued to the TV for the next days to come mourning and grieving as if I just lost great friends.

Nearly 3,000 total people died that day. Innocent people who set out to do their daily routines/jobs lost their lives due to such a demonic, hateful, and vicious attack on our AMERICAN soil with OUR AMERICAN planes! It was comforting to hear our then leader, President George W. Bush offer these comforting words on that September night:

Tonight, I ask for your prayers for all those who grieve, for the children whose worlds have been shattered, for all whose sense of safety and security has been threatened. And I pray they will be comforted by a power greater than any of us, spoken through the ages of Psalm 23: Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for YOU are with me.” President George W. Bush September 11, 2001.

He then stated these words a few weeks later:

“Our enemies have made the mistake that America’s enemies always make. They saw liberty and thought they saw weakness. And now, they see defeat. Now, we have inscribed a new memory alongside those others. It’s a memory of tragedy and shock, of loss and mourning. But not only of loss and mourning. It’s also a memory of bravery and self-sacrifice, and the love that lays down its life for a friend–even a friend whose name it never knew.”

- President George W. Bush

So many lives were forever changed. I am so grateful for the brave souls of that day. Some of whom that lost their lives being courageous. I’m grateful for those brave souls that survived that day and the days that came afterward; the ones who spent tiring days and sleepless nights searching for survivors. I love the fact that in such a horrific time, our country came together in unison. Democrat or Republican – it didn’t matter. We were AMERICANS pulling together finding strength in each other. God bless those lives that were lost. God bless those families that had to endure that loss. God Bless the US Military for going to the front lines and continuing to fight for our freedom. God Bless our Amazing Country. . . . .U-S-A!! We will never forget!

Rainy Day activities

2011-09-07T18:14:00.019-04:00

What to do on a rainy day??
We painted for a good while and made some beautiful masterpieces. After Lexie got bored with that, she wanted to play with play-doh. I'm not sure what happened to all our play-doh. We only had one tiny can left. Lexie wanted more to play with. So we decided to make our own!

Sweet hand prints

The foot prints didn't turn out quite as well as her hand prints.

To Make homemade playdough. . . .

Recipe:

2 C flour

1 C salt

4 t cream of tartar

2 C water

3 T oil

food coloring of choice

Place all ingredients in a large pot. Mix and heat on medium or medium high. Stir constantly. Add food coloring. Stir. Cool. Place in sealed plastic bag after completely cooled.

My sweet helper

Since Lexie isn't wearing diapers, she loves to run around in her panties. . . . .

I asked Lexie what color she wanted to make her playdough. She requested blue (maybe because she loves her AU Tigers).

The ingredients are starting to clump together.

Here is our homemade playdough! Just waiting for it to cool.

"So fun Mommy!"

Being Silly.

Even though we were stuck in the house, it turned out to be a fun, rainy day!

Labor Day weekend

2011-09-06T13:24:00.008-04:00

What a fun weekend we had! My inlaws were able to come down for a few days. I'm so glad that they got to see in person how well Lexie is doing with her potty training skills. The weather wasn't the greatest but we had a nice, relaxing time watching football and eating way too much.

My pledge sister, hubby & kids came over to help celebrate AU's victory.
Lexie loves to fly like Tinkerbell (Lexie runs into Dave's arms and he throws her in the air).

Thanks so much for playing with me G'pops & G'ma! I had so much fun - especially our fun tea parties! I love yall!

Potty Training Boot Camp

2011-09-05T12:52:00.017-04:00

As of last week Lexie had no desire to use the potty. If I was smart, I should have began the potty training process back in January when she was very interested. She would go every night before bath time and even pooped in the potty then. She was only 21 months. I guess I didn't want to push her.
On Monday (August 29) I put Lexie into potty training boot camp as myself being the drill sergeant. Since she is about to start preschool on Wednesday (sept 7), I just thought it might be a good time to do this. Plus, I always heard that once kids are 2 1/2 and older, it's harder to train them since they are stuck in their ways. Lexie isn't quite 2 1/2, so we went ahead and jumped on the potty training wagon. I covered all the furniture with towels. I had the potty seats & stools ready to go in two bathrooms along with a jar of "teeing on the pott" treats. Not to mention, I was mentally prepared for a long week of training. And thanks to my dear sweet friend, Scarlotte for her awesome suggestions! I truly appreciate it!
DAY ONE: When I went in Lexie's room to get her, I told her that I had a surprise for her. I made a HUGE deal about big girl panties that had princesses on them. I even put them in a princess bag that she could carry around. I told her that only babies wear diapers and big girls wear panties. Lexie was thrilled to pick out her choice of panties (I had bought nearly 30 pair just to be prepared). We have Cinderella, Tinkerbell, Snow White, Beauty & the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, Minnie & Daisy panties. Lexie started off the morning in heaven as well as cold turkey with no diapers.
Once we put on her big girl panties, we went downstairs to throw away all the "baby" diapers (my friends had told me to have her throw away the diapers to make sure she understood what was going on. And I also didn't actually throw away the diapers, I plan to donate them).
I let her down as much box drinks as she wanted (this was recommended in order for constant urination). Once she had an accident, I would pick her up and run her to the potty. After A LOT of accidents within a short amount of time I was getting extremely frustrated but never let Lexie see that. But at 12:25 PM, she peed on the potty! I felt very encouraged. I kept praising her and telling how proud of her I was. She got to pick out her choice of a treat. After a while she started to grasp the concept.
When it came around to bedtime, I refused to put a pull up on just because I thought that that would be two steps back. She went to sleep with big girl panties on.
DAY 2 (Tuesday):
Lexie woke up dry! That is huge! I was so impressed!! She told me she had to go potty when she got out of bed. We only had two accidents that day. One at 9:24 AM and one at 5:29 PM. She went to bed with big girl panties on again.
DAY 3 (Wednesday):
Again, Lexie woke up dry for the second time. I was so so proud of my sweet pea. She didn't have a single accident the entire day. To make things even better, she pooped on the potty! So many of my friends have said that getting kids to poop on the potty is quite difficult. Since Lexie did that, I gave her a double dose of skittles. . . . :)
DAY 4 (Thursday):
I sent Lexie to MMO with only big girl panties on. No diapers nor pull ups were packed in her bag (just a few extra pair of panties). The teachers were so pleased. She didn't have an accident. We then went to Meet & Greet (same church) to meet Lexie's preschool teachers. She did great! She loved her classroom, teachers, and friends. And still no accidents!
DAY 5 (Friday):
Still no accidents! We ran errands all morning long and came home to pee on the potty.
DAY 6 (Saturday):
Dave's parents came into town to spend Labor Day with us. I think there was so much distraction with Lexie running around and playing with her G'Pops & G'ma that she wet herself twice. Though I thought she was still doing great and even pooped on the potty! However I broke the cardinal rule and put a pull up on Lexie for bedtime due to all the excitement of the grandparents being in town.
DAY 7 (Sunday):
Again, only two accidents but pooped on the potty!

We are on the road of being nearly potty trained. The hardest part is over. I couldn't be more proud of Lexie. The first 3 days of boot camp were tiring but so well worth it. Who knew that it would be so exhausting for me.
My biggest advice is positive reinforcement. Yes, there will be a lot of accidents which is to be expected. Don't reprimand, scold, or say "no, bad." Believe me, it was so hard especially when Lexie was peeing all over the place on Monday. I still encouraged her and told her to please let Mommy know when she needed to go to the potty. I was constantly saying that since her attention span is so short. But we are getting it!!!

Lexie's bag of big girl panties

The throne. . . .
If Lexie pees or poops on the potty, these are her choice of treats.

Day 1: These new panties are fun!

Day 2: Enjoying "craft time" with big girl panties on.

Day 3: Look at that cute diaper-less tush!

Day 3 - dancing with SuSu, Mickey, and Minnie

Going night night with no diapers on!!

Big Girl Room

2011-09-05T11:35:00.004-04:00

****This is a very late post.
Back in February Lexie decided she no longer wanted to sleep in a crib. Yes, she was climbing out of it. So we bit the bullet and said good bye to the baby room and hello to a big girl room. I was hoping she'd stay in the crib a bit longer because I knew that it might be a little challenge to keep her in her bed for nap time or bed time. We had a few battles but Lexie did well with the transition. She LOVES her big girl room!

My little monkey

2011-08-30T15:23:00.003-04:00

See the red box in the picture below? Yep, that's where I found Lexie the other day (keep in mind she was on the outside of the steps). Lexie's been going up and down the stairs by herself since about Christmastime of last year. Her playroom is upstairs and she is constantly going up and down the steps. However there is one rule - she's not to play on the steps. Either she needs to go straight upstairs or come straight down.
As I was unloading the dishwasher, I heard her flipping her hands through the spindles. I called her name and told her not to play on the steps. She said, "Mommy look at me." I walk over to the steps to scold her but I didn't see her. I walked around to the foyer and found her halfway up the steps. . . . on the outside!!! Needless to say seeing the horrified/terrified look on my face, that was punishment enough for Lexie. She was upset after I "rescued" her to the ground.
I kept thinking what if she fell? She would have fallen directly on top of the foyer glass table. Ugh! I was so rattled for the rest of the day. The child keeps me on my toes and my blood pressure at an all time high!

For the Love of Shoes. . . .

2011-08-25T20:27:00.015-04:00

To say I love shoes is quite an understatement. Obsession might be a better adjective. I've always had a love for shoes. My parents will even vouch to say that my obsession for shoes started about the time I could talk/walk (12 mo). When I have play money, rather than going to the spa, getting mani/pedi's, shopping for clothes, or buying things for the house, I usually splurge on a pair of new shoes even if I don't plan to wear them on a daily basis. Crazy, I know. I'm the person who buys shoes and then tries to find outfits to match the shoes. Yes, it's backwards. In some ways, shoes are like little pieces of art. I don't wear heels as much as I used to or would like to (heels+chasing a 2 year old = disaster) but I still drool when I see a gorgeous pair of "clackers."

As I was getting ready the other day, Lexie made herself at home in my closet as she usually does. But most of the time she goes straight for the jewelry. This time she found a new love. . . .shoes! I became nearly giddy at the thought of her loving shoes just as much as I do. And boy does she have good taste. She bypassed all of my "summer casual" shoes (flip flops/sandals) and ballet flats and onto the higher end shoes that I have displayed on lower shelves.

Lexie had so much fun presenting me with a fashion show. I loved watching how excited she got while trying on the different pairs. I know this sounds silly probably to a non shoe fanatic but it was truly a special mommy/daughter moment! :) So fun!

***Sorry the pics aren't great. They are from my phone. I was afraid if I ran and got my camera, I would have ruined the moment.

***In the pictures below, the reason that she isn't looking at me is because she is too busy looking at herself in our giant bathroom mirror. She kept saying "so pit-ee." I'm not sure if she is talking about the shoes or herself. . .

Nine West
BCBG
Via Spiga

Michael Kors

Marc by Marc Jacobs

Stuart Weitzman

Valentino

And the grand finale and my FAVORITE shoe designer, Jimmy Choo.
***Though I L-O-V-E Jimmy Choo, these shoes are especially special. I said my vows to Dave while wearing these shoes.

She knows how fabulous Jimmy Choo is. . . . .

Off to conquer the world one pair of Jimmy Choo's at a time!

Mother of the Year Award. . . . .

2011-08-15T18:09:00.004-04:00

Oh my sweet, devilish, knew what she was doing daughter locked me out of the house last week. I had run to the mail box to drop a letter in the mail. Literally 30 seconds later, I came back to the same door I left to find it locked. . . .Lexie had locked the deadbolt - I knew she could reach it but she has never toyed with it before until the day I leave the house for 30 seconds with no keys nor cell phone.
Thank the Lord that. . . . .

I was decently dressed and even had flip flops on. I have been known to run to the mail box in my pj's (not anymore).

I ran next door to my neighbor, Michael's house. I was thrilled that he was home and that I could use his phone to call Dave.

Dave was in fact in town!!! He is on the road so much that it was a Godsend that this happened while Dave was here even though he had to cancel of ton of meetings. . . .

Lexie was completely fine. I was way more traumatized than her. I was running around the yard like a crazy person trying to see her and get her attention. I saw that she was in her chair casually enjoying watching Cinderella. I rang the front door bell and she actually came and unlocked that door (but we have a latch on the top that she couldn't reach). I tried to tell her to go to the other door and unlock it. Her response, "yeah, sure, ok." Then she met me at the other door but just stood there. . . .

So happy that I had nothing in the oven or on the stove!! Even though Dave was in town, it still took him about 30 minutes to come home.

When Dave got home and unlocked the door, it was like nothing ever happened. Lexie runs up to me and says, "hi mommy." Of course I was hysterical at that point at the thought of what could have happened. Lesson learned. We now have another form of getting into the house in case this happens again and Dave is out of town.

So I think I should get an award of the Mother of the Year (*sarcastic tone*) due to the fact of underestimating my two year old! She won that day!!

The Princess Stage. . . .

2011-08-12T16:41:00.008-04:00

My child has officially entered the girly princess stage to the fullest. Lexie is obsessed with dresses, shoes, bows, jewelry (earrings especially), tiaras, wands, and make-up (her princess lip gloss).

Lexie demands to get dressed once she wakes up and only will let me put a dress on her unless we are going to play (which is MMO). She will shower herself with all the bead necklaces that can possibly go around her neck (almost looking like a girly Mr. T) along with bracelets around her wrists. I got her some costume/dress up earrings and she constantly wants to wear them with everything at anytime of day even before she goes to bed. My friend Steph gave the girls dress up high heels at the beach which Lexie still loves to "click clack" around the house in.

At least once a day, we have to watch a "princess" movie. Her favorite is Cinderella (which is my favorite Disney "princess" movie too).

Lexie's friend Zarin gave her plastic Disney princess figurines (not pictured) that Lexie loves to sit next to her while she watches her movie of choice.

This is such a cute stage. The princess also enjoys watching me put make up on in the mornings. Besides pucking her lips up for some lip gloss, wanting hot rollers in her hair like mommy, she also holds out her wrists for a squirt of perfume. I guess it's never too early to learn how to be a lady. . . .

Lexie's FAVORITE movies. Mainly Cinderella - which she L-O-V-E-S!

One of Lexie's favorite things to watch. A sing-a-long Princess tea party. There are songs from all the different Disney movies.

The "must read" books before bedtime every night.

The Belle of the Ball. . . . .

Flower girl, Lexie

2011-08-11T14:11:00.011-04:00

My cousin Meredith got married last weekend in Jackson, MS. It was such a sweet wedding. It was so much to be able to see my 88 year old G'ma along with all my cousins, Aunts, & Uncles.
I was honored that Meredith wanted Lexie to be a part of her and Evan's special day. I was thrilled at the thought of Lexie being her flower girl yet a little worried how she would do walking down the isle by herself. Lexie actually did great. She was sprinkling the rose petals in a very precise circle down the isle. Though Dave and I grabbed her & left the ceremony when she wanted to run up and down the isle. . . .
Lexie had a ball at the reception. The very stunning bride Meredith and Evan had some type of banjo/line dancing live band (not sure what to call them). But it was so unique and fun to see everyone join in the festivities and line dancing. At one point, everyone on the dance floor was in one big circle. Once the music ended, Lexie runs into the middle of the circle, clapped her hands yelling, "Yay, yay, yay! Again!" Then she bowed. Everyone got a real kick out of her performance. It was so cute. If only I had my flip video at that certain time. . . . .
She enjoyed dancing so much that she got awful blisters from her shoes and she didn't once complain about them. We ended up having to drag her away from the reception. She would have danced the night away if we would have let her.
I was running around taking pics (with my Dad's camera), so I don't have really any good ones yet.
Thanks Meredith and Evan for letting our little munchkin be a part of your day! She (along with Dave and me) had a wonderful time!

Cousins! Amy Claire, Hilary, the bride to be Meredith, and me
My fabulous and spunky G'ma with her 4 granddaughters. Lexie refused to get in the pic :(

Meredith and my Aunt Melinda

Miss priss wearing a new dress that SuSu made for the Bridesmaid luncheon

Giving sweet kisses to Daddy

Trying to cool off

Sharing her biscuit with Papa. We took her flower girl dress (aka princess dress) off due to how hot it was making Lexie due to all the tulle.

Below is a pic of Lexie dancing before dinner at the reception. I love how she bows at the end of her dance.

Mommies pampered!

2011-08-11T13:50:00.003-04:00

These six mommies (pictured below) were able to enjoy nothing but relaxation at the Ritz Carlton on Lake Oconee. We all were in absolute heaven. We all love our jobs as being a Mom but we also need a breather every once in a while; a charged battery. We were able to sit by the pool and not have a single worry in mind. We didn't have to change diapers, listen to tantrums, cook/clean, feed/bathe the children. There were no little ones tugging at your legs demanding something from you. It was nothing but pure peacefulness knowing that there was no schedule to go by except for dinner reservations later that evening. We could actually sit in the lounge chairs by the pool with our fruity cocktail in hand and read more than a couple pages of a book before being interrupted. Though it was a short get away, it was perfect and very much needed! Thanks to Mandy's hubby, Neil, for making the reservation! Extremely thoughtful!!

The infamous cotton candy. . . . . .with the b'day girl, Mags!

Mommy/Daughter Trip to Destin

2011-08-11T13:22:00.016-04:00

For the past couple of years while Dave goes on his annual fishing trip to Alaska, I end up doing something with my girlfriends and our daughters. We usually end up going to a beach of some sort. We ended up back in Destin at my parent's condo this year. Though last year it was 3 moms, 1 sitter, and three 1 year olds. This year the crowd has expanded. There were 3 moms, 2 sitters, three 2 year olds, a 9 month old, and a 2 month old - yes, you read it right, FIVE KIDS UNDER 2 YEARS OLD! It was a little cramped considering my parent's condo is only a 3 bed/3.5 bath. But it all worked out fine. Thanks to Sommer and Jennifer (our sitters). I don't think we could have survived without their help. Another fun mommy/little people beach trip!

Cheers!

Dinner time!

The "Clackers" - the girls loved their high heels. . . .

Miss Jennifer reading the girls a bedtime story.

Going on a "treasure" hunt

Lexie and Z being sweet

Lexie and Taylor battling the waves together.

The girls were all enamored with their new princess lip gloss

Since we couldn't see Daddy on his b'day, we made him a sign!

Whooville!

How do you entertain three very energetic 2 year olds when it storms at the beach? Throw them in the tub for a tea party in bubbles. . .

Or have a tea party under the table.

Mommies night out! We actually got to go out child-less two nights while we were there. It was much needed!

My little Sous Chef

2011-08-11T13:11:00.008-04:00

Lexie loves to "cook" in her kitchen. I enjoy having my little sous chef help me bake in the kitchen. I had planned to make these cupcakes at the beach but completely forgot about it. So we baked some post fourth of July sweets.

Ingredients
Lexie stirring the eggs into the batter

Looking what to do next

Pouring some sprinkles on top of the batter (not really).

"Ok, what next?"

Anxiously awaiting for the cupcakes to bake

And voila. Here are Lexie's masterpieces! They tasted just as good as her cute creations.

4th of July in Destin

2011-08-01T09:53:00.020-04:00

Our fourth annual 4th of July in Destin was another hit! We spent two weeks of wonderful bliss playing in what I think of is the world's prettiest white sand. There was nothing but constant running and playing chase with our two year old. Lexie really enjoys the sand and water - which made our trip even that much more special. Not to mention that SuSu and Papa were there. Lexie was in heaven!

Daddy filling the bucket with water
Giving more orders. . . ..

Going to the pool with Daddy

Eating one of about 100 Popsicles
Taking a bubble bath

Daddy captured the picture when Lexie first woke up from her nap. LOVE IT!

Being silly on the sand

Love this pic of SuSu and sweet pea

Lexie loves her Papa! Sweet kisses.

Some of Lexie's favorite people!!!

Lexie's table and chairs

2011-07-10T18:30:00.008-04:00

As one of Lexie's 2nd birthday gifts, I wanted to give her a table and chair set. For months and months I could not find what I was looking for anywhere. If I did find one that I semi-liked, it was outrageously expensive and I had to assemble it.
I (Lexie too) have always loved the table/chair set my Mom has at her house. But the chairs are fire truck red and the table is just coated with polyurethane. That wouldn't exactly go with my decor. But she told me that she bought the table/chairs locally but did the table/chairs herself (meaning she sanded, painted/stained, and coated them with poly). So when I was in town one week in March, Lexie, my mom, and I stopped off at the same local store. Everything there is unfinished real wood furniture - something you hardly see these days. You have the option of selecting any color stain. They can stain it for you (for an extra amount fee) or you can do it yourself. And with the table and chairs, I nor Dave had to assemble them. I browsed the place and found a set that I adored and thought it would go perfect with the house. Then I selected the color stain - which was the darkest, Java.
All in all it took about two and half days to finish the project due to having let each coat dry for a certain amount of hours, etc. There are a few imperfections but I was pretty proud of the way it turned out. Lexie is no longer eating in a booster seat at the table (unless we are somewhere other than our house). She has lunch/dinner at this table now and loves it!
All you need is sand paper, paint/stain, a rag, gloves, and polyurethane to start your project.

Table and Chair(s) before sanding, staining, and poly.

Chair sanded and stained. Waiting for the poly coats.

Table waiting for the same poly coats

Chair with final poly coat.

Table and chairs - Finished product!!

Father's Day

2011-07-10T17:29:00.015-04:00

We had the pleasure of celebrating Father's Day at the Lake with my parents and our fun friends, the Frermans. Josh and Kathryn live close to us and we hang out quite a bit. Ava is nearly a year older than Lexie but they really enjoy eachother. Lexie talks about Ava constantly. It's neat to see these little girls bond so well.
Once again, another fun weekend at Lake Martin!
Happy "very late" Father's day to all you dads!

Popsicle time! These two L-O-V-E popsicles!
Lexie and Ava watching Tinkerbell

Watching Annie

Sweet Ava having some down time with Mickey, Minnie, Elmo, and Pluto

Josh and baby Andrew napping

Dave doing the same. . . .

Lexie enjoying another popsicle with Su Su and Papa!

What a great way to end Father's Day. Look at this pretty sunset!

Memorial Day at the Lake

2011-07-10T17:11:00.010-04:00

We spent Memorial Day at the Lake back in Bama. John, Michelle, and Amelia were able to join us for a few days. I think the girls went non-stop the entire time. They played extremely well with each other and had so much fun!

Cool cat

Sweet girl!
Splish splash!
Cousin fun in the pool.

I guess the boat ride made this little one sleepy. . . .

I guess Lexie thought I needed to eat since she was. . . .

You can never be too young to learn to drive a boat!

It looks like they just were caught doing something they weren't supposed to. . . .hmmm

Southern California

2011-07-10T14:27:00.018-04:00

Dave's company had a big week long convention in San Diego towards the end of May. Since I've never been to Southern California, I was able to sucker Dave into taking me out there for a few days before his convention.
We stayed in Laguna (San Juan Capistrano) for a few days with some dear friends, Mike & Callie Wray along with their adorable kids Emma and Nicholas (Mike is also one of Dave's coworkers). They have one of the most beautiful homes I've ever seen with one of the most gorgeous views. One of the things I was most impressed with was their garden in the back yard. They had lemon, lime, peach, and avocado trees! You could literally make lemonade with your own lemons!
Callie took me shopping for the day. Later the guys met us for lunch at the Beachcomber at Crystal Cove (Newport Beach). Crystal Cove is also the location of the famous Beach House from the movie "Beaches."
One evening, we left the Wrays house to go visit Dave's cousin Tamie and her family who literally live 15 minutes away from Callie and Mike. It was so nice to visit with Tamie, Mike, their 3 boys along with Bo (Dave's other cousin). Tamie cooked an amazing dinner. It was so much fun to catch up with family we hardly ever get to see!
Another evening the Wray's took Dave and I to dinner at the Ritz Carlton in Laguna. We were able to see the sunset go down over the water. I totally get the fascination with southern California! From the very nice climate (no humidity and it never really gets below 50 degrees year around), to the views of mountains and the ocean, to the landscapes - it was breathtaking. If I didn't have such deep roots from the south, I'd want to pack my family/bags and move out west!
After a few days in Laguna, we headed back south to San Diego for a few days. We stayed at the Hilton Bayside where Dave's conference was going to be held. We had dinner reservations at George's Rooftop Terrace in La Jolla, Ca with some of our friends Brian and Ashley who were in town as well (Brian also works with Dave). Dinner was amazing. Again, we got to watch another beautiful sunset go down across the water. La Jolla is another very cool, quaint area.
Dave and I spent the next day sightseeing. We drove over to Coronado, Ca. Another slice of heaven on earth. I think it was my favorite place in California. It's a tiny little peninsula consisting of only 16,000 residents. It's the home of the famous hotel, Hotel Del Coronado (a.k.a. the Del). It's the hotel that Disney World modeled the Grand Floridian hotel after. I also feel like it's a pretty safe place. . . .it's where the Navy SEALS train. . .
After touring Coronado, we walked around downtown SD. We were able to walk into Padres Stadium. It was so cool, it's in the heart of downtown and has a park inside the stadium where you can bring your dog. Very cool. There is a neat area in SD called the Gaslamp District - it's a historic area that consists about 16 blocks of restaurants, bars, shops, offices, etc.
My last night in SD, I was able to meet up with my sweet friend, Lindsay. She was my pledge sister and sweet mate while at Auburn. It has been since AU that I have seen sweet Linds! She has been living in SD for about 2 years and caught her right before her and her hubby were about to move back East to Charlottesville, VA.
The trip was so much fun. I hope to return soon!

Crystal Cove @ Newport Beach
Me and Callie

The "Beaches" house then. . . . .

The "Beaches" house today. . . . .

We had so much fun playing with Emma & Nicholas.

Name what we are. . . .

Sunset at the Ritz Carlton in Laguna

Mike, Callie, me, and Dave

Mike and Callie's view from their backyard

Mike and Callie's very own lemon tree!

Dinner at George's with Brian and Ashley

Me (and my sun burned face) and Lindsay

The fabulous Del!

Five Years

2011-07-10T14:10:00.003-04:00

On May 6, 2011 Dave and I celebrated five glorious years of marriage! Since our sweet baby was at Su Su and Papa's for the weekend, we treated ourselves to our favorite restaurant, The Lobster Bar. In my humble opinion, there is hardly a better steak or fried lobster tail anywhere else in the Atlanta area. I thought they were going to have to roll us out of the restaurant. The food was fantastic (as always).
Dave, you are the most wonderful, tender-hearted husband I could have ever imagined God giving me. You are truly a blessing and I'm so proud to have you as my husband and the father of my sweet angel! To many more wonderful years!

Sea Island Fun!

2011-07-10T12:14:00.019-04:00

Two days after Lexie's birthday party back in April, we packed up and headed south to Sea Island, Georgia. It was our annual mommy/daughter trip there with my amazing friends Stephanie, Mandy and their children. Stephanie's in laws have a beautiful estate in Sea Island. They were gracious enough to let us invade their place once again.
All 3 of us Moms decided to bring a sitter just to help out since there were going to be five kids during the week long stay (three 2 year olds, an 8 month old and a 5 month old). Jo was our sitter. And I must say that she is the baby whisperer. She has the sweetest/calmest voice, yet the toddlers listened to most every word she said. She was so great with the girls. She definitely kept them entertained. She took them down the beach on "treasure hunts," instructed them in paint lessons, and even traced their little bodies for them to color. I couldn't imagine our week without Jo. She was awesome!
Below are some pictures. There are a lot but I always have a hard time narrowing down the ones I like. So bare with me!

Sea Island last year (June 2010)

Sea Island this year (April 2011) - it's extremely hard to get these 3 two year olds to stand still for a picture.
Taylor and Lexie holding hands walking to the beach.

Tay and Lexie still being so sweet!

I just love Sweet pea's curls!

Lexie and Zarin having fun splashing in the water

I love Z's expression in this one

We all know that Lexie LOVES day days (a.k.a. dogs) but who would have thought she would be able to spot my FAVORITE kind of dog (scottish terrier)?? My sweet Scottie, Blitzen had passed away before Lexie was born. This picture was bitter sweet.

Jo letting the girls go wild with the paint. . . . . .Lexie before. . . . .

Lexie After. . . . My little warrior, "Braveheart!" As Mandy liked to say.

About to go on a "treasure hunt" with Miss Jo.

And they are off to find treasure!

Miss Jo keeping the girls entertained on a rainy day.

My sweet little one sleeping in a big girl bed. No more pack-n-plays!

Miss Jo reading a bedtime story to Z, Tay, and Lexie

These were the girls last year. . . . . . (Tay, Z, and Lexie)

And this year. . . . .Z, her baby sis Sloane, Tay, Tay's cousin Sienna, and Lexie. They were all ready for Easter (notice the crying girls from last year were much calmer this year). We had another fun time this year! Again, thank you so much to the Nalley family for letting us enjoy their home away from home!

Lexie's 2nd birthday party

2011-04-18T18:11:00.022-04:00

Saturday, April 9 - we had an Easter egg painting party as Lexie's 2nd birthday. About 10 cute toddlers came to help celebrate Lexie's birthday. Each child had half a cartoon of white wooden eggs (I luckily found them at Hobby Lobby - can you imagine letting 2 year olds play with boiled eggs. . . .). We had washable paint, markers, and stickers to decorate them. Every child got their own smock with their initial on it.

After the eggs were finished, Dave got out the bounce house for the kids to jump in.

My parents, inlaws, and best friend were all able to make it for the party. It was such a fun day. I think all the kids had a fun time - I know the adults did. The weather couldn't have been more nice!

Party favor baskets - a stuff egg (when you unzip it, there is a stuffed rabbit inside), sidewalk chalk, saf-t-pop suckers, welch's fruit snacks, and "dress a bunny" stickers.

Lexie's eggs that she painted

Britney, Katie, and me

Katie's son, Oliver and Lexie

Tay Tay and Lexie

Reading a card from Ava

Su Su!

M.E.S.S

Lexie seemed bothered that her parents wanted a picture in the middle of making her masterpieces. . . . .

Ava, Lexie, and Taylor playing

G'pops and G'ma

Su Su and Papa

2 YEARS OLD!!!!

2011-04-18T18:04:00.008-04:00

My goodness, where does the time go?? I cannot believe we just got done celebrating Lexie's "SECOND" birthday (April 6)! I remember like it was yesterday when she was born.

She is quite the active child and is growing like a weed.

At her 2 year old check up, she was:

Weight - 92nd percentile

Height - 90th percentile

Head - 97th percentile

She loves to:

Play outside (rain or shine)

Push her baby stroller up and down the hills of our backyard

go up and down our stairs by herself

drink from a "big girl" cup and not her sippy cup

watch Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. . .still

snuggle with Mommy in the mornings and at night

play with Daddy in the basement

help mommy cook

play with "sticks" (stickers)

read books about animals or AUBIE

paint or color with markers (things that make a bigger mess than crayons

dress herself with jewelry and beads (she LOVES trying to get into Mommy's jewelry).

picking out her own shoes and bows

playing chase with Papa or G'pops

going to the farm with Su Su and Papa

animals - she is obsessed with "horsee's", "cock-a-doo's", cows, ducks, goats, and her most favorite for the past year, "DAY DAYS" (dogs).

going to the zoo

going to the park and sliding down the slides

french fries and nuggets (she calls chick-fil-a "Chick-o-lay" and McDonalds "fries") - I know, mother of the year, right?

cheese (can never get enough), yogurt, and apple sauce

anything sweet (she got her daddy's sweet tooth)

SHOP - yes, she is just like me. I always ask her if she wants to go shop and the child goes crazy with excitement!

and lawnmowers - yes, it's odd. But we have to go outside and watch our neighbors mow their grass when she hears the "mawnmowers" noise.

Happy Birthday to our sweet girl! We love you so much!!!

April 6, 2009
April 6, 2010
April 6, 2011

A shiner and a fat lip in a week. . . . .

2011-03-01T21:08:00.004-05:00

It was a bad week for my child (two weeks ago). As I previously blogged about Lexie got a nice shiner on Valentine's day at Mother's Morning Out. Not but FIVE days later, Lexie and I met up with Zarin/Mandy and Taylor/Stephanie at the zoo. We literally walked in the entrance and made a bee line to see the flamingos. The 3 girls stepped up onto the ledge to be closer to the birds. Lexie forgot that she was on a ledge (that was about a foot tall). She fell flat on her face. This was the first "real bloody" accident. But again, she cried for about 2 seconds. Then she ran off trying to catch up with Z and Tay.
For the past two weeks, we have been accident free. . . . . . .

Being a trooper on the train with Tay and Z.

A black eye and fat lip all in a week!

First "real" battle wound

2011-02-15T11:26:00.005-05:00

I got a call from the teachers at Mothers Morning Out yesterday. Lexie had tripped, fell, and then hit her eye on the corner of a plastic piano. The teachers said that she cried all for about 2 seconds then demanded to go outside and play on the playground. The teachers attempted to put ice on her eye but Lexie said it was "too cold."

I was tempted to go get her but the teachers said that she was doing fine. I went to get her and she was happy as a clam! She was talking up a storm and telling everyone Hi and Bye. I'm wondering if she was proud of her wound. . . .?

I've had 2 bad black eyes (2 different elbows from back in the days of cheerleading). I know that they hurt like heck. So I'm super impressed of my child's pain tolerence. Or maybe I should be unimpressed with the lack of my pain tolerence. . . .

The pics of course don't do the eye justice. I have a feeling it's going to look worse before it gets better.

Z's b'day party

2011-02-08T17:03:00.016-05:00

Lexie and I had the pleasure of going to Zarin's 2nd birthday. Zarin is the daughter of one of my dearest friends, Mandy. Taylor is another little friend of Lexie's. Her Mama, Steph is also special to me. Who knew that when the 3 of us girls worked together, that we'd all get married and have precious little girls within 3 months of each other?! It has been such a blessing to have Mandy and Steph in my life as well as Z and Tay in Lexie's. It has been so much fun watching them grow and play together. I'm so thankful for such sweet friends!

The Birthday girl!
The 3 Muskateers begging for more bubbles.
Hands up. . . . .

Tuck in the neck. . . . .

And roll!!!!

A big, bouncy ball.

Playmat fun. . . .

Rocking in the boat with Tater tot.

Lexie and Zarin chasing eachother.

Juice and cupcake time. . . .

What a M-E-S-S. . . .

2011-02-04T17:46:00.005-05:00

What happens when you are stuck inside for days and days due to rain??? You get creative. . . .

Instead of eating the yogurt, my child decided to decorate her cup with it. Apparently coloring books can be boring. What's better than coloring your face with markers?

Luckily these were washable markers and they wiped right off. I'm so ready for the sunshine and warmer weather. I don't know if I can take another day of this creativity!

An AUsome Celebration on the Plains

2011-01-28T16:04:00.025-05:00

Lexie and I had driven down to Opelika/Auburn for a couple of days to spend time with Su Su and Papa John while Dave was busy with a week long conference. It also happened to be a special celebration for Auburn's National Champions.

My Dad and I went to Jordan-Hare stadium to help cheer on the champions with about 78,000 happy AU fans in the freezing cold but beautiful day. The 78,000 fans didn't account for all the students on the field nor the 400+ letterman and families in the suites. More people attended this celebration than the actual National Championship game in Glendale (including Oregon fans). And to think, it was nothing but AU fans! While waiting for the official celebration to start, the BCS game was replayed on the huge jumbotran for all of us to rewatch again. It was fun to see the game with 78,000 of your closest AU friends!

There were a lot of important AU people that spoke. The following spoke and gave amazing speeches, the Auburn mayor, the newly-elected Governor (who is also a dermatologist), former AD David Housel, former QB Dr. Lloyd Nix, the President of the BCS, Jay Jacobs, Coach Chizik, Nick Fairley, Cam Newton, Kodi Burns, Lee Ziemba and the list goes on. Here is a clip of some of the speeches. They edited a lot out but you can get the general idea. Also in attendance were many former players. What a fun tribute to the team's year long hard work!

And what a special day to spend with my sweet Daddy! WAR EAGLE!!!!

2010-2011 National Champions!!!
Nick Fairley (aka the pain train) getting the Lombardi Award
Former AU QB's Stan White and Randy Campbell presented Cam the Heisman Trophy
The "Brilliant" Offensive Mind (who I'm so glad decided to stay at AU) - Coach Malzahn
Lee Ziemba - "Leave it to an Offensive Tackle to get straight to the point." Jay Jacobs, AU Atheletic Directior. His speech was one of my favorites - very simple, yet sweet.
Kodi Burns - "Kodi! Kodi! Kodi" is what the crowd chanted when it was his turn to speak. He exemplified what it truly means to be a team leader. He scored his first receiving touchdown this season in the biggest game of the year. How we AU fans were blessed to have him. Kodi, You will be missed! BTW, his speech was my favorite.

Dr. Lloyd Nix presenting the trophy. He was the QB for the 1957 National Championship team.

Look at that beautiful Waterford sparkle! :)

Coach C and the new crown jewel!

Me and my sweet Daddy! All the people standing in the field were students. I was so bummed I didn't have a student ID. . .

The new sign outside the stadium. Looks good, doesn't it?

The raising of our "new" flag

Such an Amazing picture of all the AU fans!!

Atlanta's Winter Ice storm

2011-01-28T15:48:00.010-05:00

Who knew such a storm would linger for so long in Atlanta?? Dave and I got back from Phoenix/Glendale on Wednesday, January 12 (2 days after the storm). We had hoped that we missed all of it. Hardly. . . . .Once we got home (which was a miracle), we were basically trapped in side until that Sunday. The pictures below were taken FIVE days after the storm hit Atlanta.
I could not be more ready for spring. . . . .

Our driveway FIVE days later and our driveway still had about an inch of ice on it. . . .
Our side yard with about 5-6" of snow and about and 1/2" of ice on top.

Our patio

Sweet pea helping Daddy get rid of the snow. . . .

She made me a snow ball!

"Air-pane!"

"Cold!"

Tiny footprints in the snow. . . . .I'd much rather see tiny footprints in the sand!

Feeding the dog pecans. . . .

2011-01-28T09:16:00.004-05:00

Playing in the snow

2011-01-28T08:59:00.002-05:00

Auntie Bit

2011-01-27T16:47:00.006-05:00

What to do when Auntie Bit (Britney) comes to town? Play in the snow! My fabulous friend and Lexie's Godmother came to town for the night. We rarely get to see each other due to both of our hectic schedules. It was so much fun to catch up. Lexie adores her Auntie Bit!
Brit, come back anytime! We loved having you! xoxo

Thank you Su Su & Papa John

2011-01-27T16:13:00.003-05:00

In my previous posts, I failed to recognize my parents and their wonderful support during our 8 day whirlwind trip. My parents graciously accepted to watch over our precious sweet pea while Dave and I were in Mexico/Atlanta (for less than 12 hours)/Phoenix for 8 days. It was the longest we've ever been away from her but we all did fine. I knew that Lexie was in excellent hands which helped ease my mind tremendously. She loves her Su Su and Papa John. They kept her pretty busy to where she hardly knew Dave and I were gone. Every time I talked to my Mom, I kept telling her that Lexie isn't going to want to leave her house with all the fun things to do there.
Kudos to my Mom for driving Lexie back to Atlanta on the Wednesday after the game. Little did her or my Dad realize the extent of all the ice surrounding the city. I'm amazed she got here without getting stuck on the roads. The roads were awful! It was wonderful to walk into our house and see our sweet girl waiting for us!
There aren't many grandparents that would keep their 21 month old grandchild for EIGHT straight days. What can I say, I have some pretty amazing parents! Mama and Daddy, I appreciate your love and love for my child! Where would we be without Su Su and Papa John? You help us all in more ways than you know it! We love you so much!

Double the sweetness!

2011-01-27T15:10:00.006-05:00

I finally got to go see some cutie pie twin girls! Mine and Dave's dear friends, Marc & Fran Colley gave birth to twin girls back in November. Due to the craziness of the holidays and a toddler that continues to give me head colds, I wasn't able to see the girls. Finally last week, while Lexie was at Mother's morning out, I was able to drop by and see Marc, Fran, Caroline, and Madelyn (Maddie). I knew that they would be oh-so stinking cute, but of course they were even more precious in person. They were so sweet and just slept peacefully while their parents and I caught up. I even got to hold each sweetness!
I can't believe they are 9 weeks old already! Fran and Marc were born to be parents. They are so laid back and seem to enjoy every minute of those two precious babies! Congrats again sweet friends! You have a very beautiful family!

Miss Caroline
Miss Maddie

Such sweetness!

Sweet sisters holding hands!

From a Mexican Paradise to a National Championship Paradise!

2011-01-27T14:07:00.015-05:00

Dave and I flew home to Atlanta on Saturday afternoon January 8 only to wake up Sunday morning at 4 Am to catch a flight to Phoenix! It was so very well worth the loss of sleep!

Dave and I had a blast in Phoenix. We met a bunch of our friends from Atlanta there. Sunday night we went to a wonderful steak house in Scottsdale called J & G Steakhouse. The steakhouse was located on top of the Phoenician Hotel (such a Gorgeous hotel). I ended up getting a burger and I must say it was one of the best ones I've had in quite some time. Sitting right in front of us at dinner was John Gruden, Urban Myer, the SEC Commissioner Mike Slive, the Pack Ten Commissioner Larry Scott, the President of BCS games, and 2 other "unidentified" men. Needless to say, all the guys were in heaven! Our friend Stewie even went and had a conversation with them. And whether or not you are an Urban Myer fan, he is very handsome in person! :) Once we got done with dinner, we went down to the hotel lobby bar where we saw John Saunders, Nick Saban, and Chris Fowler. We all assumed that the entire ABC/ESPN staff was staying at that hotel. I so badly wanted to take pictures but didn't want to look stalker-ish. . . .

I woke up the next morning like a little kid on Christmas. It was game day - the MOST important game AU was going to play in nearly half a century! I was nervous but so excited. I kept telling myself that even if Auburn did end up losing, I would still be super proud of the fact that they made it thus far. We got the gang together and tailgated across from the stadium for a couple hours.

The game was AMAZING. It was such a good match up of two great teams. There was never a dull moment. I think the last two minutes of the game was the best part. Oregon tied the game, we got the ball, managed to hang on to the ball and Wes Byrum didn't let us down by kicking his 6th career game winning field goal to win the 2011 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME! Man, I still get chills thinking about that game and that moment. It will be a moment I will NEVER forget. I am so very proud of my Auburn Tigers. They came, they saw, they conquered! What a wonderful example of team leadership/spiritual leadership, team chemistry, perseverance, determination, and love for the game. WAR EAGLE my friends!

Tailgating across from the stadium.

(Prashant, Stacy, Neil,Dave, Me, Ashley, Marc, Audrey, & Stew)
Tailgating: Dave, Bo, and Stewie
Walking to the stadium

Game time! The AUsome AU band about to perform.

Confetti!

Right after my "cry fest." Watching Wes Byrum kick the winning field goal to win the game, I lost it!

My parent's good friends who sat with us, Shayne & Robert

Awarding Coach C the crystal ball!

Party after the game with a million other oh-so happy AU fans!
(Stew, me, Dave, Audrey, and Marc)

Still in a state of shock that we actually won!

WAR EAGLE!!!

There was no tree in our hotel room, so we decided to roll Stewie!

Starting off the new year in a Mexican paradise

2011-01-27T13:45:00.011-05:00

Dave and I along with about 25 other couples were treated to a few very nice days/nights at the Ritz Carlton Cancun courtesy of Manhattan Associates (Dave's company). It was a fun group this year. A lot of our close friends were able to go along as well.
I was a little skeptical going to Cancun. There has been a tremendous amount of violence at the Mexican border. But I had heard that Cancun wasn't too safe either. When we arrived, the hotel was about a 15 minute drive. We passed a bunch of nice resorts on the way to the Ritz Carlton. We later learned that we weren't actually in Cancun. We were in a town called Quintana Roo. Apparently Cancun was about 30 minutes from where we were. None of us left the grounds of the resort - there was really no reason to. We had everything we needed at our hotel. But while we were there, I felt completely safe. The staff there was AMAZING! What a fun few days. But most of all, I'm so proud of my husband's hard work and determination. He definitely deserved this trip!You guys know how much I LOVE Christmas and Christmas decorations. This picture doesn't do this justice. But when we first entered the lobby, this is what we saw along with a huge gingerbread house in front of the two trees.

A nice and fresh coconut cocktail

The beautiful beach and water

Me and sweet CallieDave and Mike from our balcony
Girl fun L-R: Heather, Cassie, me, Callie, Alexis, & MargotTwo of my most favorite "northerners," Colleen and Jim Flynn (from Michigan). I wish we got to see them more often.

"Tito" from Oliver & Co.

2011-01-02T17:45:00.002-05:00

One of my most favorite Disney Movies is Oliver and Company. We watched the movie this morning. Lexie loved the little Chihuahua, Tito.

Cousin Time

2011-01-02T17:21:00.003-05:00

I got a little lazy with taking pictures. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of Amelia and Lexie playing with eachother. But I happened to take a video of them playing in our "junk room" of our basement.

Christmas

2011-01-02T16:56:00.013-05:00

Christmas was a blast this year. My parents came up on Christmas Eve and stayed with us until the 26th. Then Dave's parents and his brother's family came on the 26th for a couple of days. The days were very relaxing and low key. A great way to spend time with loved ones.

Having fresh snow for breakfast

Santa came!

A new baby doll

Sit and spin

My little chef has been cooking up a storm since her new gift.

Every girl LOVES a blue box. . . . . .

What's in the blue box??

Posing in front of her new kitchen
The best we could do with a timer. . . .

G'ma and G'pops

A White Christmas

2011-01-02T16:45:00.002-05:00

After 128 years, Atlanta got a white Christmas. It was also Lexie's first white Christmas!

Dancing to the Hot Dog song

2010-12-15T17:29:00.003-05:00

To say Lexie loves the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse cartoon would be quite an understatement. Her favorite is dancing to the Hot Dog song at the end of each episode.

Snow in December??

2010-12-13T09:46:00.005-05:00

Wow! I can't remember the last time it snowed in December in the south. I think it was about 12-13 years ago? My family and I were leaving the Christmas Eve service at First Baptist. As we were going to the car, it started snowing. We actually had a "little" white Christmas!
Atlanta is very much a transplant city - meaning that most people who live here aren't from here. A lot of northerners live here. And I have a lot of northerners as my dearest friends. They (along with my sweet mother in law) make so much fun of me because of the fact that I get so excited when it snows. As you can see from the pictures below. They also like to make fun of how panicked people get here when it snows. The salt trucks are out, the snow plows are ready and the city is shut down for just nearly an 1/8th of an inch of snow. I might be exaggerating a bit but it is true. At least we have the resources if we were ever to have a blizzard. You never know what could happen. . . . :) Though I have to admit, I do think I would get tired of the snow after a while. The amount of snow we get down here in the south is just about right for me. And I'm thrilled that it is snowing in December (it usually snows in late February/early March).
The pictures below were taken yesterday afternoon. When Lexie and I left this morning for Mother's Morning Out, it was snowing sideways with a frigid temperature of 20 degrees. . . . .I like snow but not the jack frost weather that comes with it! :)

"There's that cold, white stuff that Mama stuck me in last February when I was only 9 months."

"Santa, are you there??"

Wham! The Hesiman goes to Cam!!!!!

2010-12-12T19:33:00.004-05:00

I'm not going to sit here and rehash all the drama that my team and players have been put through for the past 3 months. I'm sure you've heard. . . . .Though I have to say I feel a little redeemed for my team and for Cam. It seems like the Heisman voters were smart enough to vote for the BEST player in the country. A blind man could see Cam's stats and know that he deserved the prestigious award. If you are questioning Cam's integrity, I think his actions speak for themselves. Period. Believe what you want to. I can't change any body's mind. All I can say is that I think Cam is a great kid with an unbelievable second chance! We are so blessed to have a Lord that gives us second chances. Congratulations, Cam! You deserve this amazing award! War CAM Eagle!

Auburn Greatnesses

This isn't directed towards any particular team. It's for all the naysayers that said Cam would never win the Heisman let alone lead his team to play for the National championship!

I love this pic. . . Cam winning the Heisman. 25 years earlier, the AUsome man (Bo Jackson of course) sitting behind Cam in this picture won his Heisman at Auburn.
WAR EAGLE!!!!

A Christmas tree farm = a house ready for Christmas!

2010-12-12T17:59:00.019-05:00

For those that know me, I LOVE CHRISTMASTIME! I love the feeling of love, warmth, togetherness, happiness, and of course celebrating the birthday of our Lord and Savior.

Last Friday, my parents drove up for the weekend. We chose to go to a Christmas tree farm about 45 minutes north of Atlanta to pick out a tree (unfortunately Dave couldn't go - he had to work. We would have gone the next day in order for him to go but he was going back to Charlotte to watch his Hokies play for the ACC championship against FSU). The type of trees that I like (Frazier firs) don't grow in the south. But the reason for going to this farm is because the Frazier firs that they get are kept in water from the time they are cut down to the time they are sold - unlike the trees I used to buy from Big John's in parking lots. I was getting tired of my tree dying or drying out before Christmas Day. Not to mention that the cost of the trees were significantly cheaper than what I had been paying Big John's Christmas trees in the previous years.

This place had a TON of Frazier firs to choose from. Anywhere from 3 feet tall to 20 feet tall. I felt like I was walking through a Christmas wonderland forest of pre-cut trees! The folks running the farm could not have been any nicer. I have a feeling this might become a Mader family tradition.

I just adore Christmas trees!

This pic doesn't do this tree justice. It was around 13' in height and about 6 1/2' in width. It was HUGE! It could have fit in our living room but we might have looked like the Griswolds. . . .

"I'm so excited for Christmas!"

The family room tree (It was only about 10' high and 4 1/2' wide). Dad and I would have gone a lot bigger but Dave didn't want a "ginormous" tree. . . .

The banister lights

The Foyer tree

And lets not forget the reason we decorate in the first place.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him, should not perish but have everlasting life!

Lexie & her BF's visit the Pink Pig at Macy's

2010-12-12T17:33:00.012-05:00

Last week, my 2 fabulous girlfriends and their little girls all visited the Pink Pig at Macy's. For those who aren't familiar with the Pink Pig, it's a small train on tracks that goes through a life-sized story book featuring Priscilla the Pig and her friends. This Ride has been entertaining Atlantans since 1953. The girls loved it!

The Pink Pig!

Ladies day out!

All aboard (this pic is not the greatest of my sweet pea).

Attempting to talk to Priscilla the Pig. . . .

Ladies lunch at CPK (California Pizza Kitchen)

Precious Zarin!

Sweet Taylor!

"Today was a lot of fun, but I'm worn out!"

A Great T'giving in the Carolinas

2010-12-12T17:00:00.015-05:00

Thanksgiving was full of wonderful times and memories. Dave, Lexie, and I packed up the car and headed north for four fun days in South and North Carolina. Dave's parents have a second home in South Carolina (their primary residence is in Denver) and Dave's brother lives in Charlotte (about 15 minutes from my in law's house).
On our last night in town, Michelle and John took all of us to the Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens for their tour of Holiday Lights. Lexie and Amelia had the time of their life. They were just running around aimlessly through all the trails and walkways. Saying they were fascinated by all 600,000 lights would be an understatement. Not to mention that they weathered the frigid temperature that night very well!
The four days consisted to two little munchkins terrorizing Kathy and Mike's house, eating way too much food/junk, watching AUsome football, and getting to spend time with loved ones.

It's impossible to get a "perfect" pic of these little rascals.

Grandpops and his favorite granddaughters
"Yay, Mama said I could have some pumpkin pie!"

Dave preparing his famous "Dave" turkey

Grandma and her favorite grand babies

Oh so happy girls!!! WAR EAGLE!

Poor Amelia - this pic was taken right after Auburn beat Bama. I probably scarred the child for life with my excitement.

A very happy family . . . .Auburn had just beat Bama in an epic Iron Bowl!

Sweet cousins

Having fun in the willow wood maze - the kids LOVED it!

"May I have a hot cup of hot chocolate?"

Loving the horse and carriage going by. . .

these little munchkins were so stinking fun to watch!

An attempt to get a C'mas picture. . . .not so much.

Fun Time at the Atlanta Zoo with Su SU

2010-12-12T16:53:00.005-05:00

Lexie was fascinated by the flamingos

"I like this neigh!"
Petting the goats and sheep

"Thanks Su Su for a fun time at the zoo!"

Fried Green Tomato Casserole

2010-11-07T16:29:00.006-05:00

I love, love, love tomatoes - especially home grown ones like the ones from my parent's farm. I also really enjoy cooking. This might sound crazy, but cooking is therapeutic for me. Sometimes I get in a rut and cook the same things over and over. But lately I've began to try to new recipes again. I found this recipe and tried it on Friday.

The recipe is Fried Green Tomato Casserole. Though I tweaked the recipe a bit with three additions or changes.

Original Recipe

Ingredients:

6 Medium green Tomatoes, Sliced
Salt and pepper to taste (I added Italian seasoning)
1 Cup Ritz cracker crumbs
1 Cup sharp Cheddar cheese (I also added shaved Parmesan cheese with the cheddar)
6 Tablespoons of butter

Layer half of the sliced tomatoes in a greased, shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add half the cracker crumbs and half the grated cheese. Cut butter in small pieces and place on top of crumbs. Layer the other half of tomatoes, salt & pepper, cheese, cracker crumbs, and the remaining butter. Baked covered in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes; uncover and bake an additional 10 minutes until brown. Serves 6

My tweaks:

I didn't really need or want an entire casserole, so I cut the portion down. I only used one greenish/yellowish tomato. I cut it into slices and put in a greased 8"x8" pan. I coated them with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning (Italian seasoning is a favorite and thought it would be a great addition). Then I sprinkled each slice with cheddar and shaved Parmesan cheese (I guess I was aiming for an Italian dish, because the additions I kept adding were Italian). I crushed up about 6 or 7 Ritz crackers. I placed the crumbs on top of the cheese. Last, I cut little pieces of butter and placed them on top of the crackers. I baked the tomato for 30 minutes but probably should have baked them a little less. It didn't have as much as a "crunch factor" as I had wanted. The greener the tomato, the longer it should bake. My tomato wasn't that green. But it was sooo yummy anyway! This would make a great appetizer if you were having some friends over for dinner.

Simple, yet delicious!!

All the ingredients you will need (butter, cheese, tomatoes, cracker crumbs, salt & pepper).

Voila! By the way, I didn't bite off the piece in the upper right corner. It had a little brown spot that I cut out before baking.

Sweet Cookie

2010-11-07T10:24:00.014-05:00

We had a very fun Halloween last Sunday evening. Many adorable trick or treaters greeted us with their cute costumes. Since trick or treating didn't start until right around Lexie's bed time, we dressed her up to sit on the front porch and help hand out "5" bags of candy. She had a fun time watching all the kids arrive at our door step.
A few days before Halloween, I carved two pumpkins. Lexie LOVES Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, so I thought it would be fun to carve Mickey and Minnie. I think they turned out cute.
But my favorite thing about Halloween this year was my sweet Cookie. . . . . :)

Who doesn't love a sweet cookie??

Kids night @ McCrays

2010-10-19T19:29:00.007-04:00

For those that don't know about kids night at McCray's Tavern in the West Village (Smyrna), it's the best thing ever! Every Tuesday night, McCrays reserves their back "sports room" for kids night. There is a huge projection screen that plays a Disney classic along with flat screens in the corner showing other cartoons. There is also a little face painting station - which there is no way of Lexie sitting still long enough to have that done. There is an all you can eat kids buffet for $1.50. Yes, a $1.50! The adults can order off the restaurant menu. Their buffet consists of pb&j, chicken fingers, fruit, mac-n-cheese, mashed potatoes, and mini burgers. They either have create your own bowl of ice cream or create your own cookie. Tonight was the cookie. I had fun decorating the cookie and I think Lexie had fun devouring it. We look forward to next Tuesday night!

Lexie enjoying the Lion King

We chose chocolate shavings, butter finger, pink icing, and m&m's.

The masterpiece! Umm, Umm Good!

Lexie thoroughly enjoyed it! Thanks Da Da for letting me eat all the sugar!

Beth and Brunch

2010-10-19T12:16:00.002-04:00

My Mom drove up last Wednesday afternoon. She and I had the pleasure of attending a Women's fall conference at church on Thursday morning. It featured a video presentation by Beth Moore. It was about her new book, So Long, Insecurity.
Her main focus was that insecurity plagues women day after day. Yet God has designed each of us to live off His immovable, immutable security. She challenged us to develop the six characteristics of a secure women.
The six characteristics were:
1. Saved from herself
2. Entitled to truth
3. Clothed with intention
4. Upended by grace
5. Rebounded by love
6. Exeptional in life

While her point and lecture was so amazing her delivery wasn't quite so. The entire two hours of the video, I felt like she was screaming to get her point across. I kept wanting to turn her down or even mute her (I know it's not very nice. . . .). I'm not sure why some evangelists have to scream to get their point across. I've been a long time fan of Beth Moore (still am) but I don't like when people yell while preaching the Gospel.
But it was a fun-filled Mother/Daughter morning. After we picked up Lexie in the nursery, we went outside and picked out some great big pumpkins!

18 MONTHS!!!

2010-10-11T19:47:00.019-04:00

Holy cow! Where has time gone? My sweet little munchkin is 18 months old! She is quite the active child to say the least. There is never a dull moment in our house. I am constantly on my toes at all times!

We went for her 18 month check up on Friday. The child is super tall. She is still in the 97th percentile in height and head. She actually dropped to 85th for weight.

Her precious little brain has totally exploded. She is really starting to communicate and speak real words. While there are some moments where it seems like she is speaking a full conversation in Chinese!

Then there are some moments. . . .she has began refusing to do what I want her to do. She acts stubborn and defiant at times. But I know this is all part of her learning to be independent and learning to be her own little self.

Here are some things she is doing:

she loves Roaming the yard - front and back.
She enjoys pushing her crazy coupe and radio flyer - and sometimes riding in it.
Every day after she wakes up from her afternoon nap, she likes to sit on the front steps and wave at all the cars driving by.
She loves to take my old cell phone and pretend she is talking on the phone.
We are 15 miles for the worlds busiest airport - meaning that there are quite a lot of planes that fly over our house. Lexie is fascinated with airplanes in the sky. She hears them and runs around the yard trying to spot them in the air.
She loves ketchup on just about anything. She is like me and love french fries.
She has the love for ice cream like her Daddy.
She is still very much the little snacker. She constantly likes to munch. Again - like me.
She loves Day Day's aka Dogs. Whenever she sees one outside or on the TV, she does a fun dance.
Every morning she enjoys watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse while eating her breakfast. Of course Pluto and Goofy are her favorites.
She still has the "Mader voice" - meaning very loud voice.
She loves to make the animal sounds. These are her favorite: "arf" for dog, "meeeou" for cat, "ahhhh" for sheep, "neeeeeeee" for horse, "cock-a-doodle-doo" for rooster, "boooo" for an elephant (heeee), and "eeeeeeya, eeeeya, eeeeya" for Old McDonald.
She likes to pick up picture frames of both sets of grandparents and talk to them as if they were really in person.
She loves her pink blanket (a special hand made gift by some amazing friends). She can't go to sleep without it. She can put it anywhere. If you ask her to go find her blanket, she will be on the prowl until she finds it.
She is toying with learning her colors. I will ask her to go pick up a purple block. She will sometimes grab it or the blue one. But I was pretty impressed. She will point to colors and want me to say what they are.
She likes to play with crayons. We have about a 5 min. art session every day and then she is off to something else.
We don't (and never had baby gates. . . . I know, I know) - but she will grab my hand when she wants to go upstairs to play in her playroom or when she is ready for her nap. She knows not to go upstairs or down by herself.
When she is hungry, she will either climb in the kitchen chair or walk me over to the pantry door.
She grabs at her diaper letting me know it needs to be changed.
When she is ready to go outside and play, she grabs my shoes and hands them to me.
She is OBSESSED with her shoes (I'm proud to say like her Mama)! She has all sorts of boots and cute flats. I find her putting her fancy shoes on even when she is about to go night night.
The child used to HATE hair bows. Now if one falls out, she grabs it and runs to me to put back in her hair.
She loves to dance. Whenever she hears a fun beat of music, she goes to town dancing. Her favorite is the AU fight song (she has been dancing to that song since 7 months) - no joke!
The ladies at MMO (mother's morning out) say that she loves to share her snacks with her friends. She even tries to feed the caretakers. They also say that when she is playing with a toy and some other kid wants it, she will hand it to them and go find another toy to play with.
Her last 4 teeth have just popped through. As Dave says, now that she has all her teeth she can eat a steak! Ha!
She loves to walk on her tip toes - maybe practicing wearing heels in the future.. ..
She doesn't like to be spoon fed anymore. She wants to feed herself - even though it makes a complete mess!
She likes to step into my heels and try to walk; She LOVES my jewelry - her days of playing dress up are coming. . . .
And my favorite - she has become extremely generous with her sweet kisses! Every time I tell her that I love her, she leans in and gives me a kiss!

She has such a sweet and kind soul. Her heart is so sweet! I just adore this little child of mine. We have such a fun time together during the week. We have a lot of play dates and fun filled afternoons.
And if you are wondering when Lexie will have a brother or sister - you might be wondering for a while (I can't tell you how many times a day/week I get asked). I really am enjoying this special time with Lexie. If the Lord thinks that it's time for Lexie to have a sibling soon, than so be it. Otherwise, it might be a bit longer. We are in no rush! As you can see, Lexie keeps us pretty busy.

Happy 6-0 Papa John

2010-09-02T19:52:00.004-04:00

2 weeks late, but my precious daddy turned the big 6-0 on Friday, August 20. My Daddy doesn't like surprises nor does he like to make his birthday a big deal. But it's a milestone birthday. How could we just let his birthday pass by without doing anything? My Mom and I decided that we would take him out to his favorite restaurant in town. The Warehouse Bistro. So we invited two my of dad's closest friends Robert (who lives in Destin now and drove into town just for Dad's dinner) and Scottie (along with their wives) to join us for the celebration. Robert's mother started the Warehouse Bistro and is now partial owner. So when we got there, there was a table full of black balloons, confetti, and baskets of gag gifts. Also Robert had a variety of yummy appetizers already set and ready to eat. As always, the food was absolutely amazing! I sure wish they would open up one in Atlanta.

Also, I have to brag about Lexie. The child loves to sleep and usually is asleep by 6:30 (EST). We tried all week to find a sitter but it was Opelika's first home football game. I gave her a really late nap. She was up and ready for dinner by 7. I was a little nervous walking into the restaurant knowing people were probably going to be annoyed with a toddler there. But she lasted all the way to dessert and seemed to gain a lot of friends throughout dinner. My Mom and I just packed a few little toys/books, cheese puffs/yogert melts and milk it seemed to occupy her throughout dinner. She did amazingly well! I was oh so proud of her.

Even though my Dad wasn't too keen on the idea, he walked away feeling very special! We love you, Daddy!

Lexie entertaining herself

Daddy, Scottie, and Robert

Lexie excited to celebrate

I keep telling Dad to wear these glasses around town. He could start a trend. . . .

Mama and Daddy at nights end

Cousins!

2010-08-16T13:53:00.005-04:00

John and Amelia stopped by for a couple hours on Saturday morning. Pour Amelia wasn't feeling very well, but she seemed to plow through and have some cousin fun! It was great seeing you. Hopefully we can do it again soon.

"Yay! My cousin is here to play!"

Lexie and Amelia

Brothers and their little girls

Peanut Butter lover

2010-08-10T22:00:00.005-04:00

2 weeks of Destin beach bliss!

2010-08-10T08:39:00.022-04:00

In July, Dave packs his bags and heads for his annual guys fishing trip to Alaska for about 10 days. Since I have 2 girlfriends who are SAHM with girls 3 months older than Lexie, I thought it might be fun to plan another girls trip (we all went to Sea Island, Ga together in June).

Lexie and I arrived in Destin on a Friday followed by Stephanie, her daughter Taylor, our sitter Elie, and Nicki (btw, I highly recommend bringing a sitter to the beach when there are multiple kids). We had a great low key weekend with great weather (the water was a little rough due to hurricane Bonnie). Nicki had to leave on Monday to get back to work. But we had Mandy and her daughter, Zarin on their way.

For the entire week, it did not rain once nor did we see any oil or tar balls. We did see a lot of BP workers patrolling the beaches looking bored out of their minds - which is a great thing!

Lexie, Taylor, and Zarin played awesome together and it was a joy to see them interact. We got them matching swimsuits and matching rompers. They looked so cute! But it was so hard to get a good picture of all 3 of them. . . . .

Mandy and Z left on Friday, while another wonderful friend came, Britney. Stephanie and Taylor left Saturday while my Mom drove down. My Mom's sisters and their children were going to be in town over at Topsail. I extended my stay a few days due to the fact that my G'ma was going to have all 3 of her great grandchildren in one room! By this time, it was nearly 2 weeks since Lexie and I had seen Dave. But who knows when the next time GG's 3 great grand kids will be together again. So special! Again, it was hard to get pictures. . . .

The 2 weeks at the beach was so much fun! Though it seemed like our condo was a revolving door - it was a blast having so many of my closest friends come. It's a shame that everyone wasn't there at once. Maybe next year. I have a feeling this will become my annual "alaska-ish" girls trip!

Destin water/beach

Our AWESOME baby sitter that came for the week

Saying good bye to Aunt Nicki

The sweet Taylor hugs that Lexie was afraid of

Dinner time!

Scrub a dub dub in the tub!

The little people and their matching suits

The group minus our fabulous sitter, Elie

Mommies night out

3 cutest, little beach buds - Lexie, Zarin, and Taylor

Lexie and Zarin

My bestie, Britney, with her goddaughter

What can I say, the child has taste! She loves her Louis like her Mama!

Poor Dave. . . . . . she already has my not so cheap taste!

Tired baby in a wagon
One of the most special things about the trip. . . GG with her 3 great grandchildren!!!
Lexie, Sam, and Pearse with their trucks!

Carolina visit and a 1st birthday party

2010-08-02T11:48:00.007-04:00

The weekend of July 17, we packed up the car and were Carolina bound. Dave's parents have a second home right outside of Charlotte in S. Carolina. We were going there to see G'ma and G'pops as well as celebate Amelia's first birthday in Charlotte! It was such a fun weekend to see everyone. It's a shame that it went by too quick.

Having some fun pool time before the party

John, Amelia (the b'day girl), Lexie, and Dave

Chasing the bubbles

Cousins

My sweet baby

Happy Birthday sweet Amelia! We had such a fun time celebrating your special day!

Lake fun with G'ma & G'pops

2010-08-02T11:39:00.009-04:00

G'ma K and G'pops came back to the South. Since the last time we hosted them at the lake, the lake was pretty much dried up due to that awful drought 3 years ago. We invited them again and we had a lot of water!! Lexie showed her Grandparents how she can swim and how much she enjoys the water. We had a great time and hope to do it again soon!

Pool fun

Trying to drink the water

Feeding the geese with Daddy

Playing with Grandpops

Getting a lot of love from G'ma K and Grandpops

4th of July in Destin - what a difference a year makes!

2010-08-02T10:33:00.023-04:00

It's a amazing what a difference a year makes! It has become a tradition that we always end up spending the 4th of July in Destin. Last year was Lexie's Destin debut at just 3 months. Below you can see the difference in just a year!

As always, we had a wonderful time. Especially with our little 15 month old fish who just adores the water! Lexie 3 months - 2009

Lexie 15 months - 2010

3 months - 2009

15 months - 2010
3 months - 2009 - first time the toes touched the gulf!
15 months - 2010- the hundredth time the toes touched the gulf!

3 months - 2009

15 months - 2010

3 months - 2009 - before the fireworks show

15 months - 2010 - before the fireworks show

A blog facelift!

2010-08-02T10:26:00.002-04:00

It's been a while since I've blogged and I figured I would start off a new post with my blogs new face lift! Thanks to my oh so sweet friend, Shealy! She redid my blog and I think it looks pretty amazing! I keep telling her that she should do this as a side job. She is so creative. I appreciate your help Bug! You're the best!
I'm in the process of posting more blogs. . . . .

Matt Finger got married!!!!!!

2010-06-07T18:09:00.025-04:00

Those who know Matt, never really thought the day would come that he actually would get married. I'm not saying that in an ill way. He's pretty particular when it comes to the girls he dates (which is not a bad thing at all). But all of us weren't sure if that woman truly existed that he kept waiting for. Well, she does exist! Kristin Cuff walked into his life nearly 3 years ago and they fell in love!!! On Saturday June 5, 2010 Matt and Kristin were married!
Dave and I had the pleasure of witnessing the special occasion. Matt and Kristin fell in love in Savannah. They chose to have the wedding in that area. The special place was The Inn at Palmetto Bluff in Bluffton, South Carolina - my new favorite place. If you ever get the chance to go, I highly recommend it!
The weekend was a really fun weekend to celebrate the joyous occasion and spend time with some of our dearest friends like the Wrays, Vanlandinghams, Benners, and Bhatia's. People we see but not as often as we'd like.
After hitting the beach all day on Friday, the four of us couples caught a taxi to the Inn for the rehearsal dinner. The rehearsal dinner was at Moreland's Landing which sits on the Intracoastal waterway. Once we got to the Inn, we were transported by a trolley and taken to the dinner. The scenery was so beautiful. It was exactly what you think of when you hear "low country." I kept waiting for Paula Deen to pop out some where and say, "Hey yall" (even though we weren't exactly in Savannah). :-) The food was amazing. Fried chicken, grits, beef brisket, and pecan pie. You can't go any more southern than that!
Saturday, we hit the beach again until it was time to get ready for the wedding. The guys played bocce ball while we ladies enjoyed some sun.
We arrived at the wedding in time for the 5:45 start. It was such a unique, but cool ceremony. They had a marching band come through the front door and exit behind the altar. There was a rabbi and reverend. The ceremony lasted about 30 min. After Kristin and Matt were announced husband and wife, they released butterflies from the steps of the chapel.
We munched on some delicious appetizers and cocktails for about an hour in the courtyard. Around 7:30, we were ushered into the ballroom. The word ELEGANT was the first word that popped in my mind. It had to be one of the prettiest ballrooms I've ever seen for a wedding. The tables were decked out with beautiful silver and crystal and gorgeous centerpieces. Luckily, Matt and Kristin placed the four of us couples together at the table for the 6 course meal which lasted a bit long (nearly 5 hours). There was an open bar on the deck along with an sculptured ice martini bar (the actual counter was ice).The entertainment they provided had a lead singer that sounded just like Michael Buble! Since he is one of my favorite entertainers, I was happy! As we lined up along the sidewalk outside the Inn, our sparklers were lit and we waited for the bride and groom to exit. There were also smores to make over the fire before we left.

Everything about this wedding was so amazing and special. It definitely should be featured in a magazine. It was a true southern, beautiful, and magical wedding weekend. Rehearsal Dinner

Callie, Courtney, Cassie, Me, and Ashley
Wade, Prashant, Mike, and Dave

Dave, Mike, Matt, Kristin, Prashant and Chris

Me, Callie, and Cassie

The cutest chapel in the world! Matt and Kristin came down the stairs to release butterflies. Then we were lead by a band to the cocktail area.

Inside the adorable chapel

Before the reception

I LOVED Kristin's dress!!!! I was trying to get some pics but never got a good one that showed how beautiful it was. She also looked amazing in it!

The GQ groom :-) I just caught him off guard.

The most exquisite orchid centerpiece

William (aka Will.I.AM) our taxi driver Friday and Saturday to all the festivities. He was so sweet. Saturday, he even came in an hour and a half early for his shift just to be able to get us to the chapel in time for the wedding.

Four Years Ago. . . .

2010-05-06T09:29:00.005-04:00

I married the most wonderful, amazing, and brilliant man! May the Lord continue to bless us with
His unfailing love and love for one another. Happy Anniversary, Dave! You are truly loved by your two girls! :-)

Diana: A celebration exhibit

2010-04-28T11:30:00.025-04:00

For those who adored Princess Diana, you might really enjoy the "Diana: A celebration" exhibit at the Atlanta Civic Center. Diana's brother, Charles Spencer (along with the Spencer family) decided to put an exhibition together and travel the globe as Diana loved doing.

I've been dying to go but something always seems to come up. Finally, the chance came and my Mom, Lexie and I jumped at the opportunity. The exhibit displays everything from Diana's family jewels, to her childhood mementos, family photo albums, correspondence, famous wedding gown, and to a lot of the beautiful couture evening gowns designed by famous fashion icons.

Though it was great to see all of these things that Diana actually wore, it felt a little morbid in a way and really sad. There was Charles's had drafted speech announcing to the public about his sister's death, the 4 page speech he read at Westminster Abby during the funeral along with the musical score of Candle in the wind sung by Elton John.

All in all, I suggest going to see it. It was a little bit of history I may never get to see in person again. The exhibit is in Atlanta until June 13.

Diana, Princess of Whales

The Spencer Family crown -1840

My Mom and I were drooling over this necklace. The 2 big diamonds can also detach and can be worn as earrings!!! 46 diamonds set in silver and gold.
Isn't this broach gorgeous?

Coronet for the Countess Spencer. Probably made to wear at the coronation of Edward VII

The Spencer tiara Diana wore during her wedding ceremony.

Believed to have been made between 1770's to the early 1800's.

Never really a big fan of this dress but it was neat to see it in person. It wasn't as 'poofy' as I thought it would be?

Over 1 billion people watched the royal wedding in 1981

You can't go wrong with a classic Chanel suit. Ahhh - what I'd do to have Karl Langerfield design me a couture Chanel suit!

This was always one of my favorite dresses. I can't get over how different the color is in person. I guess all those camera flashes really change the color.

This dress was worn the day of Diana's last public appearence

Charles Spencer's hand drafted letter to the press announcing the death of a princess

We had to get a picture with the princess. . .

It's official. . . . .

2010-04-22T20:03:00.006-04:00

Our house is on the market as of yesterday. We bought another house about 3 miles from this one. It's a great house but we are refinishing/restaining the entire first floor hardwoods, master and catwalk upstairs. Then we are painting the whole house, and replacing the carpet in the guest rooms. Hopefully we will be moving in by the first of May. . . .

Our current home is for sell - sad and happy all in one. So many wonderful memories in this home. I hope that someone/or family can find happiness in this home as we did.

Our New Home!

Back - It needs some help in the landscaping department but my Mom and I already have an idea of what needs to be done. . . . This picture isn't the greatest but the backyard was the selling point. It's nice and flat!

First Birthday Party

2010-04-22T18:49:00.023-04:00

*Again, late post*
We got to celebrate Lexie's 1st birthday party in Opelika.
Dave and I are in the midst of moving so we didn't really have a place to host Lexie's party (and she has to have a party. . . .). :-) My parents were gracious enough to host the party at their house Saturday, April 10.
Lexie and I drove down to Bama on Wednesday to help my Mom set up. Dave and his parents drove down on Thursday.
Friday we went out to my parents farm. The guys fished at the little pond while us ladies drove around on the golf cart.
Saturday, the party came and went. Boy did we all have a great time! I got to see so many of my childhood friends and their families. I didn't get to talk to all my girlfriends nor take pictures with them as much as I had liked. But it sure was so wonderful to see everyone. We even had a 3 week old join us. Precious, little Duncan Martin! I'm glad he was able to grace us with his presence along with his 2 sweet older brothers, Ford and Luke. Lexie got to meet a lot of other adorable kids like Tripp, Georgia, Walker, Kyndall, Jonah, Mary Evans, and Whit. Thanks for coming sweet babies! Lexie may not remember it but she enjoyed having you all!
Lexie started to get a little fussy during the party. I tried to put her down for a quick nap but she wasn't digging that idea. I hated to be a bad Mom and make her miss her own party. So I skipped the nap and decided to do the cake smash. She had a fantastic time with that! We all sang happy birthday (which I thought she might get real upset because EVERYONE was singing to her but she thoroughly enjoyed it) and then presented her own smash cake! It was so cute and she even offered me some of her cake. After all the excitement, she went on to take her 3 hour nap.
The rest of the weekend consisted of spending time with our wonderful family and watching the Masters. It could not have been a more perfect weekend!

Eating scrambled eggs at Stewart Farms

Grandma and Su Su letting Lexie drive the golf cart

Watching the dogs outside

Lexie's fantastic cake!
Laurel, me, and Say - 2 of my dearest friends (and oldest)!

Sweet Nicki

KareBear!

Sweet Baby Duncan!

I'm not sure about this. . . .

Yay! It's my birthday!

Can't walk and eat a pretzel at the same time

I love my Su Su

Family photo before the 'mess'

Trying to give me some cake

This is fun!

I'm making sure I get every last piece smashed!

The Mader girls - Lexie and Amelia are only 3 months apart. I see a lot of fun in the future. . .

The Mader Clan

Su Su and Papa John - Lexie is eying Dad's sunglasses

Lexie's 1st Birthday (4.6.10)

2010-04-20T14:46:00.012-04:00

*Late Post* My how time flies! Our baby girl turned ONE on Tuesday, April 6. Dave was actually in Chicago until Tuesday morning. So I woke up Tuesday morning and made Lexie her favorite breakfast, scrambled eggs.
Dave got back from Chicago and took his ladies out to our favorite restaurant, Marlows. After a fun family day, we gave Lexie a cupcake for her actual birthday celebration.

Loves Bathtime!

Happy 'Early' Birthday Sweet Pea

2010-04-05T21:53:00.012-04:00

I keep saying this, but I can't believe my baby girl will be a year old tomorrow. This past year has brought me such joy and happiness. I was given the best and most precious baby girl I could have ever imagined! Dave and I are blessed to have Lexie as our little munchkin! :-)

Below are pictures of Lexie's first 24 hours of life in this world!

Before. . . . .(family of two)
8 lb 13 oz later. . . . .voila!
Family of three!

Papa John and Su Su holding their first grandchild for the first time! Daddy's girl

My angel

Time to go home!

Lexie's first 2 Easter Sundays

2010-04-04T20:08:00.005-04:00

As I was going through some pictures today, I thought I'd share a picture from last year's Easter and one from today. I can't believe it's been a year! Time flies way too fast.

Easter Sunday, April 12, 2009. Lexie was only 6 days old. (She is wearing her very own haute couture Easter dress made by Su Su). :-)

Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010. Lexie is 2 days away from turning ONE!!!
(Lexie's Easter dress by Su Su)

Comfort from the Empty Tomb

2010-04-04T19:45:00.006-04:00

Here are the 'cliff notes' from the sermon this beautiful Easter morning. I was deeply inspired by it and thought I'd share it. Happy Easter!
Jesus resurrecting from the dead is the single most important thing in the Christian faith. Because Jesus rose from the dead, our past can be healed, we can find power in our daily lives, and rejoice in the promise of heaven.

Question:
Why do we feel so comforted by the empty tomb?

Jesus is alive and has risen from the dead. We can be comforted in the fact that Jesus knows our struggles and daily trials and He will supply all we need due to the fact of Him rising from the dead.

There is life after death. - Because Christ has risen, we know that there is eternal life after death. That hope gives us significance.

Christ's atoning sacrifice for our sins was accepted - the empty tomb gives us confidence that we may have peace with God. Jesus predicted his death and resurrection. The empty tomb confirms that the Father has accepted Christ's sacrifice for our sins and restored and restored us to right relationship with Him.
Every believer will experience a bodily resurrection - Jesus rose from the grave with a glorified physical body. When the disciples thought He was a spirit, He told them to feel the scars on His hands, feet, and side.Our Lord also ate with them on two occasions, proving He had a physical body.
Christ’s resurrection is a foretaste of what we will experience one day Our bodies will be renewed and perfectly fit for eternal life. We will need a physical body in eternity—we won’t merely be spirits.
Just as a farmer plants a seed and expects a harvest in due time, our bodies won’t be forgotten in the grave. God will raise them up in absolute perfection one day. We will be faultless in every way, as Jesus is.

We do not have to fear death - Most people are afraid of dying. Why? Death is an unknown, and their sin and rebellion against God make them unsure of what to expect. But believers will have the confidence to stand before Him—not because of their good deeds, but because of His gift of salvation. Jesus is preparing a home in heaven for those who place their trust in Him. What must you do to see heaven—the kingdom of God? You must be born again, believe in Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross (John 3:16 - my Daddy's favorite verse)and accept Him personally as your Savior. If you do this, Scripture promises your sins will be forgiven.

Conclusion:

If Jesus Christ didn’t rise from the dead, our faith is in vain. We may as well live like the rest of the world—without direction, hope, or purpose. But our Savior triumphed over the grave and has gone to prepare a home in heaven for us. Because of the resurrection, you and I can have confidence that all Jesus promised will come to pass. This Easter, rejoice in the awesome significance of the empty tomb.

My Two sleeping angels!

2010-03-31T18:34:00.002-04:00

Dave was supposed to be putting Lexie to sleep. Looks like he put himself to sleep as well. So sweet!

California Family

2010-03-30T16:15:00.013-04:00

Dave and I had the pleasure of hosting John and KC Bobrowski and their adorable 2 year old son, Nicholas for the weekend. They are such dear friends of ours who live in Sacramento. We hardly ever get to see them so it was a treat (to say the least) for them to stay. Dave and John went to VT together. While in Lake Tahoe for a wedding weekend 3 years ago, KC and I became fast friends! I think we could cause some shopping damage if we lived closer. . . Our husbands are thankful for that! We also called last weekend the 'meeting.' KC and I kept saying, "so this is what an arranged marriage is like." Ha!
This was my first time meeting Nicholas. He has got to be one of the most precious and well mannered little boys. Not to mention beautiful! He was so polite to his parents, Dave/me, and especially to Baby Lexie (as he called her). He would go up to her and give her hugs and kisses. He even made up a song about her while she took a nap on Saturday. "Lexie, Lexie, Lexie, la la la la la. . . . ." It was so cute!
I know that when Lexie woke up Monday morning, she was pretty bummed to realize that it was just me and no Nicholas. She really had a good time with him.
I hate the trip was so short lived. Hopefully we will get to see them sooner rather than later.

What a cutie!

Auntie KC and the thirsty kids

I love this picture. Look at the face Nicholas is presenting!

Lexie is saying, "I like you!"

And sweet Nicholas decided to give one of his sweet hugs.

Could we be future in-laws? Ha! Lexie looks so serious.

Dave and John having fun watching basketball

Multi-tasking in Jeff and Lauren's kitchen

Cheers to a fantastic weekend with my twinsta!