My Candy Striper

This little girl was dressed cute as a button today. She wore her new Christmas outfit to MDO today. She looks like a little candy cane!

I was lucky to snap a few pics before we walked out the door.

Holding "Sandman" (Snowman)

Logan loves his big sister! Here is Madison making Logan laugh.

Look at her pointing her finger at Logan.

more laughs...

beautiful baby boy

big sis holding bubba

chillin' with Daddy

I've GOT to get my Christmas decorations up. I feel so behind. Maybe by this weekend!

Thanksgiving 2010

" The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy." Psalm 126:3

The Lord HAS truly done great things for us, and we ARE filled with joy! I'm thankful this holiday season for my husband, Gabe, and our two precious children, Madison and Logan. They are each so different in their own way, but I wouldn't change them at all! I love Madison, in all of her feistiness and I love Logan, in all of his sweetness. Thank you, Lord, for healthy children. Thankful also that Gabe and I were both raised in loving, Christian homes and were taught about the Lord.

We spent lunch at the Freyaldenhoven's for Thanksgiving lunch. We had a SPREAD of food. Had one minor little incident though. A relative from Conway forgot the Petit Jean peppered ham! Gabe was devastated, but got his spirits lifted back up Thanksgiving night when the ham arrived in Russellville. (Gabe eats 90% meat, and 10% veggies so this was a HUGE ordeal for him!)

Poppa & Logan

Poppa with his grandsons, William & Logan

Uncle Cookie, his girlfriend Evelyn, & Logan

Aunt Becca & Logan
She rocked him to sleep! Sweet, sweet, baby boy! Man, I love him!
Later on, we went to visit my parents. Madison quickly adorned herself with jewelry!
Grandma & Madison

FAMILY

Ryan and his girlfriend, Joanna

Mmm, cranberry sauce. Tastes like candy!

Sweet smiles

Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours!

"Give thanks to the Lord, our God and King, his love endures forever."

Dinner Date & Thankful

Gabe took me out for dinner tonight at Italian Gardens. Since I cooked for him on our anniversary, he cooked for me tonight. ;)

Gabe's parents watched the kids. We are SOO THANKFUL to have both sets of grandparents living in the same town as us. It is such a blessing to not have to worry about finding a babysitter. We have also saved hundreds of dollars! Thank you Grammy, Papa, Grandma, and Grandpa! We DO appreciate YOU!!!

Sandman

Madison has a new obsession and it is quite funny...snowmen!!! Except, she says "sandman." It all started when I played some Christmas music off of the t.v. You may or may not be familiar with the music channels that have a pretty picture on the screen as music plays. Well, it just so happened that a snowman popped up on the screen and Madison became infatuated that very moment! The pictures on the screen rotate and Madison gets so upset when the snowman leaves!

Madison was so obsessed with the snowman that Gabe printed her off a picture of snowman and she carried that piece of paper with her everywhere she went. She even slept with the piece of paper last night. Gabe and I both decided that I needed to go out and find some sort of snowman today for her to have. I found a snowman beanie baby at Hobby Lobby and she loves that thing. I think it will be her new bosom buddy! She's sleeping with him this very moment!

Happy Anniversary!

Today Gabe and I celebrated 3 years of marriage! What a fun journey it has been so far! I remember being single and wondering when I would ever find the person I would spend the rest of my life with. I wondered who it would be. Would it be someone I already knew? Well, turns out it was. He was just in a different circle than me at the time...

I love this picture of us. I had just walked in the sanctuary and Gabe and I saw each other for the first time. This picture captures my giddiness! I remember being soo ready for the ceremony to begin. I felt like I had waited forever for Gabe to propose and I was ready to get the show on the road!

What a team we are together! Isn't it neat how God knows exactly what we need. He knows the desires of our hearts and He meets them. Not in our timing, but in His. Gabe was soo worth the wait!

Tonight I cooked for Gabe. We had filet mignon, twice baked potatoes, asparagus, rolls, and chocolate melting cake-one of Gabe's new favorites since our cruise. I pulled out our "special" table cloth. One of our special friends, who helped Gabe the night he proposed, got us this neat table cloth. On one side it says...

Engaged

Sept. 13, 2007

On the other side it says...

Married

Nov. 17, 2007

I hope to pull this table cloth out every year on our anniversary. I also pulled out our china. Pretty dishes just make a meal taste better! ;)

Gabe also surprised me today with a special delivery... a bouquet of fall flowers with three roses, representing three years of marriage.

Who would have guessed that we would have two kids by our 3 year anniversary???

So glad to have my "little Gabe."

I love our family and I love living life with YOU!

Happy Anniversary, Babe! Here's to many more!

Turning into a...

DADDY'S GIRL!!!

Madison LOVES when her Daddy comes home from work. She immediately grabs his finger and drags him to her room to play the "blanket game." She wants all of her blankets from her bed and wants him to lay on the floor with her. Friday afternoon before Gabe had to leave for Pottsville's football game, he put Madison in his backpack. She liked it!

Madison and Daddy calling the hogs...

Woo...

Pig Sooie!

Razorbacks!!!

Weekend Wrap-Up

My two cuties-this is the best picture we got!
Logan's face is priceless! He looks scared to death. Of course, I would be too if my hand was in my big sister's mouth...
Love, Love
Logan looks thrilled!

"What's wrong with him, Mama?"

Take 1...

Take 2...much better!

Saturday night we had PNO at the church. (Parent's Nite Out) The church provides free babysitting from 5-8pm so that parents can go out on a date once a month. We love it! Gabe and I went to Omami's Japanese restaurant. It was soo good. Afterwards we went to Wal-Mart. I love shopping with just Gabe. It's so peaceful! :)

This afternoon I took the kids to see their Grammy and Papa. Madison had fun playing outside with her cousin, William. Logan made the cutest sounds and laughs for his Mema. So sweet!

We have a busy week this week. Lots of fun things going on.

Music to my Ears

So, as a mom of a strong-willed child, I often wonder what her teachers and nursery workers think of her. This little note let me know exactly what I needed to know... and made my heart smile!

Every Tuesday and Thursday, Madison's Mother's Day Out teachers send a note home with her letting me know what she ate for lunch, when she napped, if she had a BM or not :0, and any other comments necessary. Usually the teachers do not write much, except for what she ate and how long she napped. Well, today when I picked her up I noticed that her note was awful wordy. I instantly thought she must have done something bad at school that day. However, it was quite the opposite.

Madison can be so sweet and cute when she wants to be, but she can also be quite the firecracker. I'm so glad other people get to see her sweet and cute side!

Thank you, Lord, for the little encouragements in life!

Birthday Lunch & A Little Visit

Last Friday, we celebrated my friend Megon's 29th birthday at Dixie Cafe'. We have gotten so good at drowning out our kids' noise. :) I'm sure everyone else in the house was annoyed, but hey...what else is a mom to do? We deserve to have a little fun too!

Madison's "CHEESE" smile...

The kids were actually fine. Megon brought some M&M's for our final ammo and they bought us a few more minutes to chat.

After lunch, my cousin, Jennifer, came over to visit. She is from TX, but is dating a guy from Russellville so is up here quite often now. Madison really likes her.

Hope you had a happy 29th birthday, Megon. Sorry for stealing the pics off of your blog. :0 Next year your birthday may not be so pleasant! Ha!