Epic Fail and Pictures

Just a quick sweep of the past 4 months since I have been silent on here! Hopefully I can carve out some time to get back to writing this year! :)

 Daniel turned one in August! Everyone enjoyed blue coconut cake including the birthday boy!

 This busy little one has a knack for emptying cabinets, sneaking outside and "gathering" leaves, helping me mow, and falling asleep during dinner.

David turned 3 in November! I used a little less food coloring this time so as not to dye every-ones mouth a bright shade of the rainbow and David LOVED his tractor cake.

 Christmas was wonderful! 

Daniel is One!

Happy Birthday to my cuddly spastic climbing little one!

Orange Beach

Our neighbors may live in North Alabama, but I've always suspected their hearts and health still yearn for sea air and coastal living. This year they followed their hearts and purchased a cozy vacation home just a stone's throw from the white sands of the Gulf of Mexico. Since it's not inhabited year round (yet), Tim volunteered to mow the grass while they were away. I just knew he'd be lonely (and hungry) so far from home and working so hard so I volunteered to go with him. Well we couldn't leave the kids to fend for themselves so we decided they needed to come along too. We're quite responsible like that! One excellent quality about vacationing at the beach is.... it's FREE! No charge to get covered in grit sand and green mush seaweed from head to toe 

and in the hair 

and between the toes

and in every nook and cranny.

To top things off we found a family willing to spend a whole week in our awesome presence. So 2 van loads with 4 adults and 7 children spent a week terrorizing soaking up the gulf coast. Here's a picture BLITZ of our wonderful vacation to the coast.

super excited for beach excursions

 family 

 enjoying the boats coming in the harbor while getting our seafood fix

 my honey BOO and me

 need I explain??!

the close up...

its not all sand and waves 

 delight

you never outgrow swinging

sand and diapers leave a messy bum that's why we have stock in oatmeal!

ready for the beach

never ending sand box 

 brave enough to go in the ocean alone!

only brave when daddy is holding me!

shirts are optional even off the sandy shores!

 more sand sand sand...

attempting to avoid sand for a few minutes 

how does it taste?

more sand...

 the ocean swimmer

 heavy equipment at work here

 ready to go crash!

 that's us!

 buh-bye folks!

Just around the corner...

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

Buh-Bye

11 Months

One year is sneaking up quick, but thankfully still 29 days away. This time last year I was sweating out the last few weeks of just the 4 of us. I was eagerly awaiting a bundle of pink and had a closet full of pinks, purples, laces, frills, and bloomers washed and hung. Beautiful bedding was ordered and grand schemes danced in my head of what the girly corner of the kids room would unfold to be. Yes, God was chuckling at me. Though I was not given the baby girl I had dreamed about, I  WAS blessed with another wonderful little man to cherish. 

Daniel is busy these days.

I am...

Pulling up on furniture and cruising around without letting go.

Eating table food and baby food

Feeding myself... and the dog... and the floor

Putting EVERYTHING in my mouth

Drooling gallons upon gallons

Sporting 2 front bottom teeth

Drinking whole milk from a bottle but still nursing.

Spastic about bath time. Especially if I bathe with my brothers. I soak them relentlessly. 

My hair is curly on the ends, just like Daddy.

Love to lay on Dakota and swat the cat. They tolerate me.

Not much for snuggling. I'd rather be exploring the kitchen cabinets.

Pretty good escape artist... NOT FUN for mommy.

Can wave and say "bye-bye"

Learning sign language for "all done" and "more"

FINALLY sleeping through the night.

I am 11 months old.