Thankfulness...

While we were traveling (anybody who has ever droven from the city to Altus knows it's a looonnnnggg drive-meaning there is nothing to look at except dirt), so I had plenty of time to compile everything I've have to be thankful for this holiday season and the list is just like the drive-long! I won't list them all...but here are the heaviest on my heart.

More than anything in this life, I'm most proud, grateful, and thankful to be the mother of my three daughters, Avayah, Adalynne, and Amelia, who mean more than life to me. These sweet girls make our life interesting, bring endless love, joy, and laughter to our hearts, and more than anything they make us a family. They keep their Daddy and I working harder to work it out. (seriously love me some Buble!) I'm grateful we all have our health too..my heart and prayers goes out to families we know and don't know that are struggling with illnesses.

I'm proud to be my husband's wife. I'm grateful that we are still standing together; our marriage, love, and sense of humor intact. We still have a long way to travel, but man the future is looking bright! I'm thankful that God gave me and Trav enough grace and courage to be able to move forward and reopen doors with our families too.

I'm thankful to and for our parents for coming together with forgiviness, understanding,courage, and lots of love. From the bottom of both our hearts we love you all and can't wait to begin the next chapter...

To my Mom, words could never express how grateful I am to you. Thank you for teaching me to never give up..and what the importance of tradition is. I love you immensely!

I'm thankful for my siblings-Johnny, Courtney, and Dane and their significant others. Close doesn't describe how close we truly are. You all limbs of mine who help me function..without you I'd be lost. I can't say enough, for this year alone, what your love and compassion did for Travis and I. You all are the best!

To my bestie, Melisa. In a sea of friends, you are beyond a rare find. I could just cry thinking of how you held me together this past year...how your wisdom, love, and encouragement was my lifeline. If only you knew it was you that kept me laughing! I love you beyond words friend!

And Melissa, girl if their was ever someone who I had more incommon with I'd be shocked. I admire and respect who you are, and love you to pieces. Thank you for your patience, late night phone calls, and love. I wish I could describe what all that and you mean to me, but I think you know!

2010 has definitely been a whirlwind of emotions, change, and trials, but the way I look at it is simply like this...Doesn't it always seems we stress to the max over the holidays; what gifts to get, where we will split time, and any other drama that could unfold? Sanity is knowing holidays are a season, they are over just as quickly as they arrived. I know I will look back on these crazy, hard, and trying times this past year and realize it was just a season of my life and the next chapter can only get better.

Beyond it all, I'm blessed beyond measure...and truly couldn't ask for anything more!

Happy Holidays!
Lvs,
S

Thanksgiving 2010

The girls, Travis, and I-along with our pies and the Armada loaded down...traveled down to Altus this past week to celebrate Thanksgiving with Grandpa Dan, Grammi, Courtney, Garic, Dane, and Jenna! It was such a great time. I'll say it again, doesn't get better than being around the table with the ones you love sharing some food and a laugh-and there were plenty and probably at my expense! ;) (Um...BOOM!)

Seeing my girls running around, getting loved on was priceless. Addy now thinks it's her job to make french toast-thank you Auntie Courtney for being creative with my girls! I'm still laughing at how funny it was seeing the little girls playing Dance Dance Revolution...and my baby brother Dane on expert level! Hilarious!
Eventually I will get my hubby to turn in his man card and get up there and shake it! Here are some pictures of our stay!

It's a Turkey Feast...

Amelia and I had such a wonderful time going to Avayah's Thanksgiving Feast at school this past week! She looked so festive in her turkey hat. She did such a great job creating her hat and her placemat; they were beautiful! I was so proud of my girl as she went around introducing me to all her school friends!

My Girls...

All the way from Phoenix

The girls' Pawpaw made a special trip to Oklahoma to see the grandbabies and the girls could not of been more excited! Avayah and Adalynne got to go with their Daddy and Pawpaw to Clinton to see Granny Polly, Meme, and Papa. They had so much fun visiting, playing, and romping around with Daddy on Papa's four wheeler.

A little road trip....

The girls' great grandparents, Meme and Papa, made it back to Oklahoma a couple of weeks ago after spending time in Colorado...so the girls and I along with Melissa, John, and Jessie loaded up and hit the road to Clinton. After we inhaled Wongs (the best chinese eva!), we had such a nice time catching up, while the Avayah, Adalynne, and John ran wild all over the house! Amelia was definitely loving some Meme too; she just cooed and smiled up a storm!

The Big Girls!

Avayah and Adalynne have been so busy lately!

Avayah is really loving school and can't wait to be a Kindergartener next year! She is counting like crazy and can write her name as well as everyone else's (Mommy, daddy, Addy and almost Amelia) from memorization. A few things she is learning are letter's sounds and simple math...like coins and such. I'm so proud of her! She is loving being the biggest sister diva in the house! We also cut her hair again into a cute chic bob!

Adalynne has energy that could fuel an entire city. She is up before everyone in the morning and is usually getting into some sort of mess that will take mommy countless hours to clean! Like today, when I found both the girls in their closet with the door shut at 6:30 a.m. Before I opened the door, I heard their little whispers, which is a sure sign of mischevious trouble! So I sucked in a breath and cracked the door open. To my dismay, there were my two girls in their pj's sitting on the closet floor with a bag of Tyson frozen chicken tenders (thank goodness they were fully cooked) between them. And of course in their hands were half eaten FROZEN chicken tenders!! I didn't know whether to immediately scold them, laugh, or just GAG! There is definitely never a dull moment in this house, that's for sure!

Amelia's 2 Month Check-up

So I know it's almost cliche to say, "I can't believe that my sweet little girl is already 8 weeks old." But it's just so true. Where has 8 weeks gone??

I have had so much fun with her over the last 8 weeks...I'm so in love with this girl! She is so full of life and and so patient with her big sisters, who love her-I mean squeeze, touch, and try to feed her-it's amazing. And yes I literally mean feed. I guess Addy Grace thought that her baby sister was just not getting enough to eat that she actually tried to feed-meaning almost accomplishing shoving a fruit loop in Baby Amelia's mouth!

There is so many stories I could share over the last eight weeks, but this post may never end if I travel down that way, so I'll stick to the update. Amelia had her eight week appointment last week and it went great!

She weighed in at 14 lbs 10 oz, yes we all were shocked. But what can I say she loves to eat a lot!! She also had grown 3 3/4 inches too! She is such an active baby, she has taken up making the most adorable sounds...I really think she thinks she is getting her 2 cents in too. She hardly ever cries and is such a snuggle bug. Her eyes are getting lighter blue everyday and her hair is just as dark as her big sister Avayahs'. She has the most adorable cheeks and button nose! She follows you and your voice where ever it travels too!

Avayah still asks me a thousand times a day if she can hold her, while Addy is consumed with making messes that she hardly notices she is there sometimes! Here are some pictures of Miss Amelia Rose!

Family Time!

So last week brought some special family visitors to our home! My brother Johnny came to the city with his sweet girlfriend Lauren for a wedding and they stayed with us. Needless to say...my big brother Johnny is such a wonderful uncle, who my girls just adore. While Lauren was at the wedding rehearsal, they rallied Uncle Johnny to play some soccer outside and even watch Toy Story 3 with them. This is Amelia and Adalynne with Uncle Johnny, (Avayah was at the movie theatre with her bestie Maddy watching Megamind!)

Also, Grammi brought the girls and I some delicious Ted's last week too! We can't say enough how much we love having her over! The girls got to spend some time playing and eating with her before she had to leave to volunteer at the Regional Food Bank!

Halloween Party 2010

Today the girls got to have a fun Halloween Party with their friends at our home!! They had fun playing, coloring spooky color pages, and eating yummy cookies & banana ghosts (Thanks Melisa!)...and because of these crazy thunderstorms going on last night and this morning...we added creepy darkness to the party when the power went out half way through!!! Ahh..the memories!

Amelia, Avayah & Adalynne

Avayah, Emercyn, Hadley & Adalynne

Avayah & Jack

Amelia Rose

Bunk Beds...

Zoo Birds...

Trav took the big girls to the Zoo with their cousin Little John & Aunt Lissa & Uncle John...they all had a blast feeding the birds at the Zoo!

First Day of School

Today was the girls first day of Parent's Day Out at our church! They were so excited to pick out their outfits, get their backpacks ready, and pack their lunches! Trav and I had fun dropping them off this morning together, and baby Amelia and I picked them up this afternoon. They both did great and had such a fun time meeting their new teachers and friends! We are so excited for this year!

3 Princesses~Avayah, Adalynne & Amelia