Some Randoms....

This was taken at Hayden's 4th birthday party at the children's museum in Gadsden. That place is awesome! This is just one of the stations set up for kids to pretend....a vet's office, complete with kennels of puppies & kittens that the kids can "treat". Here, Haleigh & Rylie are giving shots to this poor unsuspecting bulldog, over & over!

Yes, that is indeed my child eating the cake with her face! She wastes no time with petty utensils or even her hands....this girl knows how to party!

This is Rylie at Carter's 2nd birthday party...note the look on her face! She kept watching him eat...it was cute! (Also, check out her shirt...I made it! I have been into projects lately & this one was fun & easy:)

I was not even kidding when I said she has a mild obsession with Charlotte's Web right now! Here, she is watching the cartoon while sitting with "Wilbur" & "Templeton". We bought these for her birthday party, which will be themed...you guessed it....Charlotte's Web! She got so excited when she saw these & people thought I was a wierdo for buying her a stuffed rat I am sure!

Family Pumpkin Carve!

We had a family pumpkin carve night...1st Annual! First, we chose a design for our pumpkin & carved it, while eating chili & watching "The Great Pumpkin". (Stewart made fun of me for checking this out at the library, since it comes on TV every year! But what would a family pumpkin carving night be without watching The Great Pumpkin?) Then, Rylie & I made some decorations for the front door & we finished off the evening with a batch of orange sugar cookies that looked like jack-o-lanterns with all different facial expressions! Rylie loved the finished product so much, she kissed it! (See above picture:)

Of course we chose the spider web, since Rylie is into all things "Charlotte's Web" these days!

Here are the cut-outs we made for the front door.....Rylie kept ripping the eyes off the pumpkin for some reason....

Rylie, posing by the jack-o-lantern!

Enjoying a pumpkin cookie!

Showing Daddy how it's done!

Trying on her pig mask that she got at Hayden's birthday party! (Once again, a throw back to "Wilbur" from Charlotte's Web"....I am telling you she loves it!

Cleaning out the slimy pumpkin guts!!

Pumpkin Patch 2008

This is our 2nd Annual trip to Tate Farms.....we had so much fun! This year we went with the Wilsons, and Kaylen & Rylie had a blast!

Our little sunflower:)

Rylie and Kaylen, oh-so-carefully picking only the best pumpkins. Rylie's litmus test....to sit on the pumpkin & make sure it was the right one! She actually sat on one that was rotten & fell right through! She said "that one is broken".

This little guy was a favorite to both girls!

How about this one?

Yep....seems just right!

Carefully inspecting.....

The hayride to the pumpkin patch was lots of fun!

Dawn & I decided to get in the corn pit with the kids! I can see why they love it so much....it was the highlight of their trip!

They could have stayed here all day! Let me just say.....corn pit + overalls.....needless to say, we brought home quite a bit of corn as an unexpected souvenir! Even after I thought most of it fell out, I still had it in the washing machine & the lint filter of the dryer! It was soooo worth it, though! Too cute! (Thanks, BB for the CUTE overalls!)

Little farmer!

"I picked you a flow-der! Wanna hold it?" ( She loves to ask you if you want to hold something these days, from a baby doll to a flower, whatever it may be! Always say yes....I think she considers it impolite to turn this request down!You just hold it for a minute & then give it right back...pretty funny.)

Getting so big!

Pumpkins for days!!

Rylie room!

We took down the crib in Rylie's room some time ago & there has been a blank wall that I have been trying to figure out what to do with. I couldn't find pictures that I liked & I didn't want to paint directly on the wall, so I did these. They are a combination of acrylic & paper...mixed media inspired by none other than my dear art-guru friend, Dawn Wilson. She convinced me to add some paper in the mix to make it more interesting & it worked! Thanks, Dawn! Rylie loves the lady bug on this one!
Although you can't read it in this picture, this one says "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy..." I sing that to Rylie a lot. It was Stewart's idea to put a balloon in the tree...I love it!
Rylie is really into owls right now...go figure! Stewart put an owl statue in one of the trees in the backyard to keep the birds off Rylie's swing set & Rylie always wants to go see "Mr. Owl", so I painted one for her room! He has a button for an eye:)

My 31st Bday!!!

O.k....this is a picture less blog (boring) but I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed my 31st birthday! (I will add some pics later, don't worry!) I am so blessed to have so many wonderful family members & friends that made me feel so special, whether it be a phone call, an email or a card.....thank you so much! I especially appreciate it because I have been so bad with birthdays lately, but I love you all even if I sometimes forget to tell you. I started out my day with a huge bouquet of pink roses & sweet cards from both Rylie & Stewart. Then I opened my first gift (from Rylie )& it was a certificate for a local artist workshop where I get to go & paint my own canvas! Fun! Then Stewart gave me concert tickets to MICHEAL BUBLE!!! I am so excited! Then it was breakfast with the Foxes...Gary & Darlene, Grandma Fox, Skyler & Me Stewart & Rylie Kate all had a great time eating together. Then my mom & Haleigh drove up to see me & take me to lunch. Then I had a great dinner at PF Changs with the Wilsons & the Carlisles! After church Sunday, we had lunch at Sherry & Clay's with Vickie & Phillip & Skip & the girls. Lots of fun! In the midst of all of this I got several texts, phone calls, cards,gifts etc. from lots of great friends & family! Thanks for making it such a special day for me:)

Camping with the Carlisles

These are some shots from our camping trip with our good friends, The Carlisles. (Keith & Hollie, Jonah, Katherine). They embarked on the maiden journey of their newly purchased camper & we met up at Guntersville State Park for a fun weekend. My sister Melinda & one of my nieces, Haleigh, also joined us. We had a blast! My dad happened to be fishing there on Saturday, so he took Haleigh out on the lake & she came back with this catch! What a bass! He didn't make it, so we grilled him up for dinner...much to my dad's dismay. (He is an avid Bass fisherman & doesn't eat them! He catches & releases!) It was quite tasty, though, I must say:)

Rylie & Jonah, scarfing down some cinnamon rolls & blueberries for breakfast.....yes, that's how we "rough" it in the wilderness!


The deer were very domesticated. They came right down into the campsites, even eating from one woman's hand! They were beautiful and there were lots of them!

The only major mishap of the trip...Haleigh went to grab her bike & a yellow jacket stung her hand. We put a coffee packet on it to try to ease the swelling/pain. I guess it worked. She was as good as new in no time!

Yes, that is me, the rickshaw taxi driver for Jonah & Rylie. They loved it & it was great exercise for me! A win-win situation:) It was a great place to go for a ride & the kids were so cute holding hands & waving to everyone. Jonah is so chivalrous....he even pulled Rylie out of the road when another biker was coming down the path...such a gentleman!

Here is our special outdoor movie "Shrek the 3rd". We popped popcorn & sat around the tube outdoors! (pictured: Hollie, "Baby Kat-rin" (as Rylie calls her), Jonah, Stewart & Rylie) Somehow Keith escaped all my pictures! We had so much fun...maybe more can join us next time!

Another Funny....

I just went to get the oil changed in my car & while we were sitting there she started whining....I said "Oh, you are just sleepy." to which she adamantly replied...."I NOT SLEEPY!! I JUST RYLIE!"