Our New Family Members

Well, after a few days of cold, Wintery weather, we have had a few nicer days with temperatures reaching the 50's...
Avery absolutely loves being outside (well, so does Hunter) but I just didn't remember Hunter loving it this much at her age! Her walking is so good, she is trying to start running & she has been stumbling a lot but that doesn't slow her down at all!

Here she is chasing her shadow ha ha...

Hunter's news of the week: he was allowed to buy a few hermit crabs! (Exciting, huh? His grandma on his dad's side had given us their old tank Hunter used to have at there house) So as a family, we ventured to Pet Co and let Hunter decide which 3 little creatures he would be responsible for.
Here is their picture:

The 3 crabs are: far left, middle-right (colorful shell) & far right in the back corner. The rest are just extra shells. (One crab actually already changed from his original shell into one of ours so that was eventful). Other than that, they don't do much, but to Hunter & Avery they are just too fun!

Today, we were trying to name them & Hunter & Cody came up with "Speedy" for the one on the far left because that is the only one who ever does anything. And I asked Hunter, "Can I name one?" He responds with, "Sure, mom." I suggested to name the colorful one Mr. Krabs (from Spongebob) and Hunter tells me, "No, mama, that is lame!" Well, psh. I guess I'm already that embarrassing mom that says such embarrassing things. Ha ha oh boy...

THE GROUND IS WHITE!

YAY! We finally got some weather here in Ardmore! I was so excited yesterday when the snow started falling early in the morning. We got the kids dressed right away & started playing!

Avery wouldn't move when I put her in the grass, it was too funny! Then I grabbed some snow in my hand & she was scared to touch it. (Look closely to Avery's right hand- yes, that is a taquito... she wasn't going to let anyone take that away, not even for snow)

Hunter's Yoda hat- isn't it adorable??

Bubba & sissy in our first Oklahoma snow :)

I hadn't had Hunter for snow in a while (last year he was at his dad's house)... So we ended up going a little out to the country part of Ardmore (where Cody's cousins live) and Hunter got to build a snowman & a fort & have a snowball fight! Lots of fun!

This morning, I let him stay home so we could have another snow day, shh don't tell :)

Where Does the Time Go??

Today marks a month since Avery turned 1... ALREADY! In all seriousness, where does the time go? In the last month- we celebrated Avery's 1st birthday; had a very busy Christmas; a boring, but Happy New Year; and somehow now Avery is turning 13 months old!

She has accomplished so much since her first birthday last year: the most gratifying, walking! As my last post showed she has gone from a few steps here & there to walking almost everywhere... It is so amazing what a tiny child can accomplish in such a little time period. She knows where a nose is, whether it's pointing to mine or a baby dolls... she leans her head to you when you ask for kisses... she shakes her head "yes" & "no" --although "no" is her favorite (uh-oh)... Her newest thing she does all day is clap. She does something she considers is good & claps waiting for us to clap and exclaim: "YAY!"

I could go on all day about how proud I am of my little girl... but I won't ha ha because even though it is fun to brag about our children, being a mother means having endless chores and not enough time in the day (which I am wasting away on my blog)... I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Mama's Little Walkin' Machine!

I can't believe how far she's come since her 1st birthday last month. Tomorrow, she'll be 13 months and has started walking so fast!! I am so proud of her.

I spoke too soon...

With temperatures reaching to the mid 60's I was pouting & grumpy... now in the 20's, I'm curled up in a blanket & my toes just won't stay warm. This is when I hate our cold hardwood floors that creak beneath my frozen nubs I once called toes... okay, a little over-dramatic, but sometimes you need to fancy up your ordinary life.

The last few weeks have been brutal in the mommy department. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE my children & couldn't imagine life without them- okay, yes I can imagine life when they are grown up & just visitors in my adult paradise ;) But this whole raising them every single second of every single day is getting hard on me. No one tells you what you really sign up for when you see that cute little peanut on the sonogram screen!!

Hunter, surprisingly, hasn't been the "hard" one. I used to think he was high maintenance... no... Avery is a diva already!!! She has an attitude problem, anger issues & is sassy- and she hasn't even been 1 for a whole month yet! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO?

But it all seriousness, she is going through a phase (waking up in the middle of the night, clinging to me, throwing tantrums) that I hope ends soon. As I remember correctly, Hunter didn't start the terrible 2's until he was in fact 2.... so what happened with Avery? Where did I go wrong? My mom swears up & down I wasn't a hard child, but also adds that my sister, the 2nd child was. So, is it 2nd child syndrome? Does it get better with the 3rd?

Anyways, the New Year is finally here... I hate the whole "What's your New Year's Resolution??" I don't know!!!??? I am doing good just getting through each day with these little toots, let alone trying to decide what I should be doing for the rest of the year.

But I can try my hardest everyday to be the best mom I can be... I know, I know, I should do this anyways, but sometimes it is hard work. Too hard. When I make it a promise, I make myself try harder. For example, the "phase" Avery is going through- I can pray harder to have patience & understanding for my little baby girl. Yes, she is fine, no, crying won't hurt her!

I can try harder at being a good wife. To show my gratitude for my husband working hard for his family. To cook new things that the whole family can enjoy!

To me, 2011 is going to be a year full of new beginnings, new achievements, security, and above all gratitude!! Learning that even when the times are rough, I should be grateful for what God has given me & my family.

Hope everyone had a wonderful New Year's!