Silly Sunday

Yesterday Scott watched the girls for a few hours while I did some grocery and Christmas shopping and apparently they all went a little crazy without me! No, actually Scott has been so sweet lately to let me escape on Sunday afternoons so I can have some alone time (despite his goofy appearance here, he is a pretty smart guy!). I was finding myself completely exhausted after getting everyone ready for church and then going through the whole routine once we were there that I was beginning to dread Sundays, which was NOT the attitude I wanted to have. And once we were home, I had no energy or patience left to sit down and play with the girls. So my sweet hubby began insisting that I take a few hours off every Sunday, and I must say that it has been stellar! It's amazing what a few hours can do to recharge you and help you gear up for the week ahead. Speaking of gearing up, I need to go wrap a few presents for our Christmas with the Bedicheks since we are celebrating it on Thanksgiving this Thursday! Pics of that are sure to follow next weekend.

Top Ten

After my afternoon and evening yesterday were filled with 2 tantrums and every excuse in the book to avoid going to sleep at bedtime (all by precious daughter #1), I decided to switch my focus onto the positive things about my children. Without further delay, here are my Top Ten Things I love About Avery and Kendall.


Top Ten Things I Love About Avery:
1. Her belly laughs
2. Her sweet spirit (Last week she actually thanked me for taking her outside to play!)
3. Her use of hand motions and her facial expressions when she talks
4. Her made-up songs
5. Her love for Kendall and the way she can make Kendall laugh like no one else can
6. Her intelligence
7. Her love of reading
8. Her prayers and the things she says about God/Jesus
9. Her (usually) good manners
10. Her love of shopping and pretty clothes, shoes, etc

Top Ten Things I Love About Kendall:
1. Her smile and smiley eyes
2. The way she hooks her arm around my neck and hugs me when I get her out of her crib
3. Her open-mouth kisses
4. How easily amused she is -- she'll play with a sock, a piece of paper, anything!
5. The way she worships her sister and laughs so hard at her
6. The way she waves at and tries to play with people sitting behind us in church
7. Her sweet baby breath
8. Her beautiful, soft skin (especially on her cheeks and neck-- so kissable!)
9. The way she "talks"to Avery
10. The way she can entertain herself while I am doing chores and other things around the house

When Scott saw what I was writing a minute ago, he asked why I wasn't doing Top Ten things I Love about him. So I think I'll take him up on that challenge, although honestly, it might be hard to narrow it down to 10!

Top Ten Things I Love About Scott:
1. The way he supports me in all areas of life and always tells me what a great Mom I am.
2. What a wonderfully caring, yet hilariously fun Daddy he is.
3. How hard he works to make the practice successful.
4. The diligence he puts into our personal finances as well as the business finances.
5. The way he always strives to learn and become a better individual.
6. His passion for football.
7. The way he always lightens the mood and makes things more fun!
8. The way he knows me better than I know myself sometimes.
9. The sacrifices he makes and sweet things he does for the girls and I on a daily basis.
10. How he's always striving to develop a deeper relationship with God, a deeper understanding of His word, and to be a better servant and Christian.

I am so blessed to have such an amazing husband and two beautiful, healthy, precious daughters!

Kendall 101

If you want to know all about Kendall at 9 months of age, here's a quick "course".


Favorite toys: Fisher price learning "house", ride-on toy car, play food and dishes, anything that Avery is playing with

Favorite foods: oatmeal, meat, banana puffs (meat & potatoes girl I guess)

Least favorite foods: several of the fruits and veggies (especially peas)

Favorite hangouts: Avery's room, outside, wherever Mommy and/or Avery are

Newest skills: crawling fast, beginning to "cruise" and stand alone for a few seconds, waving when the word "Bye" is just said, feeding fingerfoods to herself, giving open-mouth kisses, turning pages and lifting flaps on books

Favorite activities: playing with Avery, watching Avery and other kids run around, swinging, taking walks, splashing (big!) in the bathtub

Least favorite activities: riding in the car, diaper & clothes changes, getting her nose wiped

Sizes: size 3 diapers, size 2 or 3 shoes, size 6-9 or 6-12 month clothes (although pants are often big in the waist)

Sleeping habits: night: 8 pm- 7ish am, naps: 2, sometimes 3 a day (about 2-3 hrs total)

Nicknames: Ken, Skinny-mini

So that's Kendall in a nutshell. She is a sweet baby who is so smiley, so much fun and so funny when she is happy. As a friend at church put it, "Your youngest really lights up the room!" But watch out, because she is quite a spirited little thing who can go from happy to sad or mad and back to happy in 5 seconds flat! As always, she is not afraid to let you know when her world isn't right. She is growing and learning by leaps and bounds these days-- and Scott and I are looking forward to all the milestones, like walking and talking, that lie just around the corner for her!

Giddy-up!

Kendall and Avery were both cowgirls this year for Halloween. Unfortunately I was unable to find matching outfits, but at least their skirts matched. Actually, Avery wanted Kendall to be a pony "so I can ride her" as she put it, but I couldn't find a cute pony costume. We settled on both of them being cowgirls instead and on getting Avery a stick horse. Our church had a trunk or treat, but we opted to check out the carnival at Richland Hills C of C, which is a little closer and is where Avery goes to school. We figured that with it being "the mall church" as we call it, they would have a pretty good carnival. We got there a little later than we had intended and Avery was coming down with a cold, so we actually didn't stay too long. Just long enough for Avery to play a few games, get some candy, and go through the petting zoo. One random, funny thing I have to mention is that when I put Kendall's bandana headband and bow on (which my Mom made just for the occasion) Avery said, "Oh, is she a bunny?" That girl keeps us laughing for sure. Avery liked dressing up as a cowgirl so much that we have already made plans to go to the rodeo here in Ft. Worth in January (I think) so Avery can enjoy wearing her cowgirl get-up again. Yee-haw!