The Dansbys

Photo Booth Fun!

2012-02-10T19:33:00.000-06:00

Annalise is wearing Minnie Mouse ears. Noah isn't wearing anything fun because he was too impressed with the Batman mask Jon had on. :)

Our Artists

2012-01-27T14:52:00.000-06:00

I think Annalise is going to be very artistic. She LOVES to color and draw and can spend hours doing either of these tasks. She picks out crazy outfits based only on the abundance of color. Noah has followed her example and also loves to color. They have spent a lot of time at our kitchen table lately working on their masterpieces.

Here is some of Annalise's awesome artwork! This is Foofa (from Yo Gabba Gabba) walking in the grass with birds flying by her. I know I'm biased but I think it is pretty awesome!

This is what Noah likes to color-

Another Boo Boo for Noah

2012-01-27T14:36:00.001-06:00

Last weekend Noah jumped off our couch for the 1000th time except this time he landed on his foot wrong and crying a lot. So, he and I spent Sunday morning in the ER. I was convinced he had another broken foot. Last time when his foot was broken I was convinced it wasn't broken. This time, it turns out his foot was not broken (yay!) even though I was convinced it was. Good thing I'm not a doctor!

Here he is sporting his ace bandage for a sprained ankle. I can not get these pictures to rotate right so just tilt your head to the right. :)

Team Mischief!

2012-01-27T11:08:00.000-06:00

Two can make more mischief than one! Especially these two who LOVE to play together and always seem to be coming up with something that is a "great idea" or "very cool."

A Special Treat

2012-01-27T11:04:00.000-06:00

Annalise has always disliked loud noises. The fire department brought a fire truck to the kids school this week for them to see and play on. Annalise was very nervous about the fire truck coming because she didn't want the truck to turn on it's siren. Well, she was a super brave lady and didn't cry at all so we got a special treat from DQ after school.

The kids had never been there before and Annalise was super amazed at how they could dip the ice cream cone upside down in the chocolate with out the ice cream falling off.

Mayborn Museum

2012-01-17T23:29:00.001-06:00

After Christmas we met some Fort Worth friends at the Mayborn Museum in Waco. The kids had a super fun time. Noah was especially darling in the floppy fireman hat.

Fancy Hair and Shoes!

2012-01-17T23:22:00.000-06:00

Annalise has sported some fancy hair styles lately-

She also tried on some fancy shoes at Dillard's while I was trying on shoes. Annalise kept asking me why I don't wear shoes like these (aka giant wedges with tall heels) all the time. I can't even walk in shoes like these!

Swinging!

2012-01-17T23:17:00.000-06:00

We have been enjoying the beautiful "winter" weather we've been having lately and playing outside a lot.

Brave Noah!

2012-01-17T23:14:00.000-06:00

Everyone in our neighborhood did LOTS of fireworks on New Year's Eve. Noah was super nervous about the loud noises at first but then later felt brave enough to try a sparkler. He thought it was so fun!

Snuggles

2012-01-17T19:59:00.000-06:00

Noah found Jon sleeping on the couch and decided to join him. Noah is reading "Where's Waldo" his current favorite book. Please note that he is using a magnifying glass to help him find Waldo and all his friends.

Christmas!

2011-12-31T19:47:00.000-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas break! Jon had lots of time off of work and we really enjoyed being around the house and hanging out as a family. My parents and T and Amy came for Christmas. Here are some highlights-

CRAFTING-
Gingerbread Houses

Reindeer Ornaments

Gingerbread Cookies (The gingerbread man ran away with all of the cookies and left the kids a note in the oven saying "Run run as fast as you can, you can't catch me the gingerbread man."

CHRISTMAS FINERY
PJs

Fancy Clothes (these were taken during a "Hula Hoop Show")

PRESENTS

Super creative present from T and Amy- A Spiderman climbing wall for our fence!

SLAPJACK WITH BUBBA

SNUGGLES WITH T

LESSONS ABOUT JESUS
His incarnation is the BEST thing about Christmas!

Noah Cooks!

2011-12-18T09:24:00.000-06:00

Annalise ALWAYS wants to help me cook. Anytime I am in the kitchen she is there under my feet. Noah has shown little interest in helping out until recently. We were making a chocolate cake and he was ready to help clean up the beaters. Please note that his undies are on backwards. This is so he can see the Spiderman pictures better. Silly boy!

Handmade Jewelry

2011-12-18T09:17:00.000-06:00

Handmade bracelets for Freda. Made especially for her by Annalise.

Yo Gabba Gabba!

2011-12-18T09:13:00.000-06:00

My Mom and I took the kids to see Yo Gabba Gabba Live. They LOVED it! They think DJ Lance is so awesome and this was the REAL DJ Lance. Noah was especially mesmerized.

We got there early so we had some treats-

And got some souvenirs-

The kids and Nana. Noah could not peel his eyes off of the stage-

The kids and me. Again, notice Noah's eyes-

The Show!

Looks of amazement!

Big Kids Night

2011-11-30T16:49:00.000-06:00

One night while the Dads were out of town, Olivia and I decided to get a sitter for the little kids and take Annalise and Micah out on a Big Kids Night. They had tons of fun!

First Stop: California Pizza Kitchen

Second Stop: HEB to purchase lots of inexpensive toilet paper!

Third Stop: Miss Becca's House!

This is what it looked like before we got started-

This is what it looked like during the chaos-

And here is our finished product-

A group shot-

Fourth Stop: Ice Cream!

Our night might have been fun enough that Annalise and Micah both had blue poop the next day...

Bubbles

2011-11-28T17:16:00.000-06:00

You Decide...

2011-11-17T15:13:00.000-06:00

Is this Noah dressed as Luke Skywalker or a Monk or Friar? Or is it Noah dressed in just one of my sweatshirts and his shoes because he had an accident at the park? Either way, he looks cute!

Spiderman Attacks!

2011-11-06T10:23:00.000-06:00

Noah is OBSESSED with Spiderman. Here is some proof-

Climbing the walls like Spiderman. He tried to do this successfully for about 10 minutes-

Spiderman shirt-

Web shooting-

Halloween Highlights

2011-11-02T21:07:00.000-05:00

The kids had an awesome time trick-or-treating, dressing up, and eating candy this year!

Pumpkin Painting

Hiding from scary Halloween decorations at CVS

Costume Fun

Annalise was super sad that her lovey couldn't come trick-or-treating. Here she and lovey are, so happy together...

When we told her lovey had to stay home and not get dragged all over our neighborhood-

Sad lady!

And just a few minutes later ere she is with one of our neighbors, happily collecting candy!

Post Trick-or-Treating loot!

Please note that Spiderman is eating Dots and THREE suckers all at once. :)

Today the UPS man rang our door bell and Noah ran to the door to see if he wanted candy.

The best way to potty train is...

2011-10-23T17:35:00.001-05:00

To drop your kiddo off at the grandparent's house 50% potty trained and pick them up in one week 100% potty trained! Noah LOVES his Spiderman undies and carries his "lottsa undies" with him everywhere he goes. I love/feel really weird not having a diaper bag.

Just for some perspective on how huge Noah really is, he is wearing a size 4 in undies. The size 2T/3T were so tight on his waist and legs. He is only 2 and a half!

What a sweet boy he is. I can't believe he is getting so big!

While the parents are away....

2011-10-23T17:32:00.001-05:00

The kids will play!!!

Noah is currently OBSESSED with Spiderman. He was completely amazed by the Spiderman scarecrow.

A Grown Up Vacation

2011-10-18T19:30:00.000-05:00

Jon and I just got back from our first "grown up" vacation. We went to Seaside, Florida and had an amazing time!

We stayed here for a few days-

AND here for a few days-

The beach in Seaside is beautiful-

We enjoyed sun and rain and went running, biking, and played lots of paddle ball in the sand.

This is me in the ocean-

We ate at many tasty places!

More Super Heroes

2011-09-26T16:35:00.000-05:00

On her birthday, Annalise got a Supergirl outfit and a Snow White outfit. Noah was feeling very left out. When Annalise opened the Snow White costume, he said "Where is my man suit?" So, a Spiderman outfit was quickly purchased for our little man.

So here is Noah in his "Man Suit"-

And here is Annalise as Snow White-

Super Heroes

2011-09-24T16:59:00.000-05:00

Birthday Party Fun

2011-09-24T16:53:00.000-05:00

We had a lot of fun at Annalise's party. Messy outside fun!

Fence (and person) painting

Ball Pit

Water Balloons

Bubbles

Fun Roller

Cake!

We had a super fun day celebrating this little lady!

Annalise is 4!!!

2011-09-24T16:35:00.001-05:00

September 12,2007

September 12, 2008

September 12, 2009

September 12, 2010

September 12, 2011- Please note her awesome sense of style...

Annalise is such a darling little lady. She is sweet and sensitive but full of spunk.

First Day of School!

2011-09-06T13:42:00.000-05:00

Hooray! Annalise and Noah were both SO excited for the first day of school this year.
(I was even more excited than they were.)

Sun Hats

2011-09-02T20:08:00.001-05:00

It is great to be able to go back to the pool since Noah's cast is gone!

Who likes orange?

2011-09-02T20:06:00.001-05:00

Noah does!

He chose an orange cast and this lovely orange outfit one day last week.

Sweet Little Lady

2011-08-19T09:06:00.001-05:00

Tonight Annalise told us that she likes to eat anything that is "yummy, crusty, crunchy, or noodles." Silly gal!

A Date at 7300 ft...

2011-08-16T16:48:00.001-05:00

Step 1: Find Babysitters

Step 2: See Harry Potter

Step 3: Enjoy the beautiful scenery and perfect weather

Step 4: Eat Sushi

Last Bit of Mountain Fun

2011-08-10T21:29:00.000-05:00

I know I am biased, but I think Annalise and Noah are the cutest!

Posing with "The Man" (That is what Noah kept calling this statue)-

Beautiful lady and beautiful flowers-

A machine to spray sunscreen on you. What a great invention!

Beautiful sculptures-

Smashing Cowboys and Indians with Monster Trucks- Big Fun!

Play houses/schools/offices made of washer and dryer boxes.

Beautiful flowers-

My sweet Noey-

Sensitive and spunky Annalise-

Please note Annalise's outfit. She just discovered you can wear tall socks with flip flops... awesome!

Wildflowers at Vail!

2011-08-07T11:07:00.001-05:00

We rode the gondola to the top of Vail one morning. The wildflowers and scenery at the top were amazing!

People Pics-

Identifying wildflowers with a guide book-

Beautiful scenery pics-

Chair Lift Ride!

2011-08-07T10:49:00.000-05:00

One of the days in the mountains we rode the chair lift up to the top of Beaver Creek.

Boys on the chair lift-

Girls on the lift-

Playhouse at the top!

Balancing-

Snuggling-

Seeing the great views!

Happy parents-

Mountain "Golfing"

2011-08-07T10:40:00.001-05:00

We played Putt Putt one afternoon in the mountains and practiced our golf skills at the house a lot. Noah was hilarious! He would swing SO hard several times in the air before putting the club on the ground. After the club was on the ground it still took a few swings before he connected with the ball.

Please note Noah's club in this picture, he is in a full swing.

Watch out bystanders!

Jumping in the Mountains!

2011-08-07T10:26:00.001-05:00

Noah was not sure if he liked this or not-

Annalise thought it was AMAZING!
She is our high flying dare devil!

Skate Training School

2011-08-07T09:54:00.000-05:00

As a special treat, Annalise got to take an ice skating lesson while we were in the mountains last week. She was so excited and for some reason, she kept calling it "Skate Training School." Skate Training School was a HUGE success. Her lesson was an hour long and we had to drag her off the ice. She could not wipe the biggest smile off of her face the entire time, it was precious. In addition to being such a big deal to her, she actually did really well for her first time out on the ice. She learned to properly fall, to get back up, how to skate, how to stop, and her most favorite thing- doing spins and skating fast. What awesome memories!

Here are some of the TONS of pictures we took that evening (There are way too many videos to sort through to pick just one or two to share.):

Annalise is all ready! Please note the outfit she chose-

She could NOT stop smiling!!!

Patient Spectators-

Big Boo Boo for my Noah

2011-07-27T09:14:00.000-05:00

Last Tuesday Noah jumped off of our coffee table and hurt his foot. When he was still limping this weekend, I realized he had not gotten any better and needed to go to the doctor. We went to the pediatrician Monday and got xrays and found out he had a fracture. Tuesday we went to the orthopedic doctor and he came home with this snazzy new cast.

Here is he getting one last good bath. Only sponge baths for the next 4 weeks. He is going to be a smelly man!

Cast time! Noah was so brave.

I'm off to find fun, indoor activities for him for the next month (no swimming or splashing and I don't want him to get super sweaty).

PS- It hasn't slowed him down AT ALL!

Mustache and Goatee (sp?)

2011-07-23T14:27:00.000-05:00

Jon gave the kids some facial hair. Noah looked especially hilarious. Don't worry, it washed off...

Work in progress-

The finished products-

Noah showing his BIG MUSCLES!

Annalise, our delicate little lady-

Super Fun Girls Weekend

2011-07-19T17:13:00.000-05:00

I can't wait to get together again!

Best One Yet

2011-07-09T17:16:00.000-05:00

We hardly ever take pictures of all of us together. This is our best one yet!

Fountain Fun!

2011-07-09T17:12:00.001-05:00

Dancing to the music from the fountains-

Fun Roller Fun!

2011-06-22T18:29:00.000-05:00

We got a new toy called the Fun Roller. It is fun and gives the kids awesome static!

Belly Flop!

2011-06-22T18:22:00.000-05:00

Our fearless swimmer Noah is king of the belly flop-

The windup-

Check out his awesome form in the pics below-

Big Splash!

Tacky Tourists

2011-06-21T23:58:00.001-05:00

Presents Nana and Bubba brought back from Hawaii for the kiddos-

Annalise's hula dance is absolutely hilarious!

Noey looking like a little grown-up-

Belated Easter Fun

2011-06-02T22:22:00.002-05:00

Better late than never! Here are some cute pics from Easter...

Lazy afternoon on the back porch-

Egg Hunting-

Even Freda helped-

Noah really enjoyed the candy-

WIPEOUT!

2011-05-30T10:28:00.001-05:00

Our kids LOVE the TV show Wipeout. They think it is hilarious and that it looks so fun. Jon and I decided to set up our own Wipeout course in our backyard.

The set up-

The contestants-

Mud pit-

Shaving cream slide-

Slip n Slide-

Water slide-

Action shots of Annalise who thought it was SO fun-

Action shots of Noah who did NOT want to get messy-

All in all, it was a big success. We will definitely make plans for another Wipeout!

Kid Cuteness!

2011-05-30T09:48:00.000-05:00

Undies Cuteness- Noah thinks diapers are "yucky!" but he is far from mastering the potty...

PJ Cuteness-

Couch Cuteness-

Towel Cuteness-

"Lovie Blankie Dansby"

2011-05-29T08:54:00.001-05:00

Annalise recently learned that she has a "whole" name that includes her middle and last name. She decided that Lovie's whole name is "Lovie Blankie Dansby."

Fort Worth and Wedding Fun!!!

2011-05-24T16:07:00.002-05:00

Jon officiated a wedding in Fort Worth this past weekend and Annalise was one of the flower girls in the wedding. She was precious! Annalise's best buddy Grayson was the ring bearer. While we were in Fort Worth we also got to go to a fun birthday party for our buddy Lincoln and catch up with lots of other friends.

Skippy helping Annalise primp for her flower girl duties- She painted Annalise's nails and gave her a real lipstick!

Rehearsal and Rehearsal Dinner:

Lincoln's Party on Saturday AM:

Pre-Wedding and Wedding:

Annalise would have walked down the aisle a hundred times if she could have. She was sad she only got to do it "for real" one time.

Here is Annalise and Mrs. Cheryl, one of her most favorite and special grown ups of all time:

The reception was at Mainstay Christmas Tree Farm. How often do you get to go on a hayride at a wedding reception? So fun!

Handsome Noah

2011-05-20T09:26:00.000-05:00

"My Skateboard!"

2011-04-27T09:16:00.001-05:00

Noah loves this little skateboard that our friend Micah left at our house. He does not understand that it isn't the kind of skateboard you can actually use to skate on but has had many wipe outs giving it his best try...

Little Artists...

2011-04-26T18:58:00.001-05:00

I let Annalise do watercolors by herself in her room at her art table during rest time last week. The first day she did it, she was very neat and super careful. She was less careful and more "creative" on day 2...

Noah always wants to do art projects like Annalise but he requires more supervision. I can't trust him yet with crayons and markers. These pictures below are what he did with the markers last time I let him color. He bit the tips off of the markers and chewed and swallowed them. Yum yum!

Coach Noah

2011-04-26T17:37:00.001-05:00

Doesn't Noah look like a football coach in these pics? He sure loves sports! He plays basketball on his Little Tikes basketball hoop upstairs by himself for about 30 minutes every day.

Soccer Update

2011-04-22T13:10:00.000-05:00

Pre-game with a fancy hair do-

Team Pic-

This kid REALLY wants to be on the team. Next year will be super fun for Noah!

Warm-ups-

Dribbling-

Ears Covered- (Look how TINY she is compared to her team mates)

Ears covered again-

Coach Todd covering her ears-

Chasing the ball-

Trying hard to get the ball-

Me dragging Noah off of the field, take 1-

Me dragging Noah off the field, take 50-

Post Game Spa-

Soccer...

2011-04-08T10:40:00.000-05:00

Annalise started playing on a YMCA soccer team this spring with some of her new Austin buddies. She did great at the first practices and had her first game last weekend. It was a disaster! She was terrified of the referees whistle. So, we decided the best way to remedy that problem was to go directly to the sporting goods store after the game and buy a whistle for her and one for Noah. Things have been loud at our house this week! We will find out on Saturday if it worked...

Here is Annalise feeling nervous-

Here is what she looked like on the sidelines, she covered her ears the entire game so she didn't have to hear the whistle-

Post game Ring Pops-

Fun with whistles!

Boo-ti-ful Fla-wees

2011-04-08T10:23:00.000-05:00

Our yard has several rose bushes that are full of beautiful and GIANT roses. Noah loves to smell them. Imagine him saying "Boo-ti-ful Fla-wees" in his deep little voice. It is darling.

He also likes to say "Boo-ti-ful Bubberflies" in the same deep voice. What a dumpling!

Stylish Headgear...

2011-04-08T10:15:00.000-05:00

Fun in the Mountains

2011-03-28T17:08:00.001-05:00

We had fun over spring break in Colorado. Sadly, most of our pictures of this week got lost somewhere between the camera and computer. Trust me, lots of them were super cute!

The weather was AMAZING while we were there. Both of the days we skied it was over 50 at the base of the mountain and about 45 on top with lots of sunshine. And, to top it off, we didn't wait in a single lift line EVER!

Here are the kids jumping on the trampoline. Kids in puffy snow suits are so cute!

Here are the few skiing pics we still have. Annalise was awesome! The first day they did the "magic carpet" which is like an uphill escalator. Noah was not coordinated enough to be able to ski down by himself but enjoyed skiing under our legs.

These were the TINIEST skis and boots I've ever seen! So darling!!!

Going up the Magic Carpet. Noah is hiding between Jon's legs.

Annalise riding the Magic Carpet. She was a pro!

Annalise figured it out quickly and LOVED it. Things took a turn for the worse on day 2. We took Annalise up on the gondola. The runs underneath it looked SO flat and easy. She insisted that we could NOT help her so things didn't go well. She pointed her tiny little, parallel skis down hill and went for it. She was going so fast and had some big wipeouts! We finally got to the bottom and decided we should give it one more try. Annalise was not a happy camper and screamed a lot of the way down in between her wipeouts. It ended with my Dad skiing down with her under his arm. We now know why ski school is so expensive. Lesson learned!

Getting Cozy

2011-03-25T23:13:00.000-05:00

Still the Best Dog Ever!

2011-03-25T23:09:00.000-05:00

I know I've said this before about Freda, but she really is the best dog ever. Take a look-

A few weeks ago, Noah was VERY sick with croup and an ear infection. Frey came to snuggle him while he was laying on the couch. He was worried she was going to steal his snacks. :)

Happy Birthday, my Noey!

2011-03-12T15:24:00.006-06:00

I can't believe that my sweet, exceptionally friendly, relentless-never-going-to-give-up Noah is two tomorrow. What a delight he is, we love him so much!

Here are some pics of Noah through the years..

MARCH 13, 2009
SO FAT!!! Where is his neck?
How are his cheeks and belly so huge?
How did 9lbs9oz of baby fit inside of me?
What if he had not been born almost 5 weeks early?!?

MARCH 13, 2010

MARCH 13, 2011

PS- Poor Freda doesn't like his present very much...

ELMO!!!!!!!!!

2011-03-05T10:34:00.000-06:00

A couple of weekends ago, my Mom and I took the kids to Sesame Street Live. I wasn't sure how they would react. I was actually expecting Noah to scream and faint like a teenage girl from the 80's seeing Michael Jackson. Both kids were starstruck and watched with their mouths wide open the entire show. The pictures I took are terrible. What a fun memory!

The people in these costumes were seriously amazing dancers. My Mom and I were super impressed.

This is Annalise showing Elmo her Elmo.

Special Elmo Toys

More Mischief...

2011-03-05T10:22:00.000-06:00

We have some kind of sprinkler problem in our side yard and it is a muddy swamp. Annalise couldn't resist the mud! I have more pictures but I can't share them because she stripped all of her clothes off. The picture below shows how I cleaned her up. She was way too muddy to get into the tub or shower but it was too cold to hose her off. So, I filled this bucket up inside and brought it out and made her get in it. :)

What the Dansbys do with lots of hanging plants...

2011-02-25T11:55:00.001-06:00

The previous owners of our house had many hanging baskets with plants. Since we have black thumbs, here is how we are using all of the hooks-

PS- Annalise likes for Jon to swing her high enough so the back of her swing hits the ceiling of our porch!!! Dare Devil!

Little Miss Mischief

2011-02-25T11:46:00.000-06:00

These are the results of "naptime"

Super Fun Snow Day

2011-02-09T18:15:00.001-06:00

After a week of very cold, below freezing temperatures (Texans aren't made for that weather) we finally got some snow. It was only about an inch but the kids sure loved it! Lots of snow angels were made.

Noah all bundled up-

Annalise all bundled up-

Snow angel on the hood of Jon's car, it was the last patch of unspoiled snow-

Freda enjoying the snow-

Dual snow angels-

Me and my Noey-

Punky Strikes Again...

2011-01-29T21:20:00.000-06:00

Punky Brewster struck again, this time both kids dressed themselves-

Please note that Noah is wearing rainboots, a dressy shirt, and his Halloween PJ bottoms... so stylish!

Helper?

2011-01-29T21:09:00.000-06:00

These are the results of Noah "helping" me unload the silverware from the dishwasher-

Cute Little Ladies

2011-01-27T17:30:00.000-06:00

Here is Annalise holding her new friend Emmaline-

Annalise thought the trip to the hospital was SO fun. She was so excited to see her tiny hands and feet. Hopefully this is the first of many pictures of these little ladies together.

Best Dog Ever

2011-01-19T17:28:00.001-06:00

Freda is one of the sweetest dogs ever. She gets lots of "love" from the kids many times a day and is always patient. She even initiates playing with them by stealing Annalise's lovey and Noah's special blanket called "hat." Here she is getting a through medical exam from the kids.

Sweet Noey

2011-01-19T16:52:00.002-06:00

Noah is becoming a very social dude lately. He talks to every person who passes us in the store, usually saying "Hiiiiiiii" or asking for "High five." He even tells random strangers "Bess you" if they sneeze. Most of his thoughts come out in complete sentences these days. He is still my sweet and snuggly guy. Some other things that Noah has been saying lately that I want to remember are-

Noah calls Annalise "Sissy." Jon and I have never called her that, he came up with the name all on his own. It is so sweet.
Anytime you ask him if he wants something or wants to do something he says "I DO!!!!!!!!!!!" with great enthusiasm.
"Pilled it" for spilled it.
The word "dinosaur" is always followed by a very throaty "ROAR!"
When I go in his room in the mornings he sits up in bed and says, "Frefast (breakfast), poppy (poptart)?"
"Wagar" is water.
"Bubble bat" for bubble bath.
"Ca-pill-per" for The Very Hungry Caterpillar
"Boon Boon" is a balloon.
When we pull up to his school he starts saying "Elliot" (think like ET) for his favorite buddy in his class and "Miss Tish" for his teacher over and over.
And, he still calls his special blanket "hat" :)

Punky Brewster

2011-01-19T16:40:00.000-06:00

Annalise has been choosing her own clothes lately. She ends up look like Punky Brewster with many colors and many layers. She is such a sweet, little lady! Another popular outfit of choice (which is sadly not pictured) is any sundress over a long or short sleeve shirt, with leggings or tights, and a skirt, all at once...

Annalise has also been interested in curly hair lately. Here is our unsuccessful but cute, attempt.

And for the latest (and cleanest) in hat fashion-

Chapstick

2011-01-12T16:22:00.000-06:00

I love chapstick. Apparently Noah does too, especially on his cheeks and under his nose.

Visit with Friends!

2011-01-11T16:07:00.000-06:00

Ryan, Brandi, and Lincoln came to visit. Sadly, this is the only documentation of our fun weekend-

Lazy Sunday...

2011-01-09T16:19:00.000-06:00

Christmas Fun!

2010-12-29T21:09:00.001-06:00

We had a great Christmas! The kids had tons of fun and Jon and I enjoyed a nice 3 day break with no kiddos!

Park fun-

Napping with Freda in the bed fun-

Convertible riding fun-

Christmas tree fun (I have NEVER been happier to take down a tree than this year! Noah wore me out with the spreading the ornaments everywhere and almost tipping it over)-

Doggie and helmet fun-

Tinkerbell fun (Annalise LOVES Tinkerbell and ripped her clothes and panties off on Christmas morning when she opened this outfit to put it on immediately)-

Plasma Car fun (Thank you Grammy!!!)-

Rollerskating fun-

"Ho Ho Ho Tinta Claus"

2010-12-20T22:26:00.001-06:00

"Ho Ho Ho Tinta Claus" is what Noah says whenever he sees Santa. It is SO cute. We took the kids to see Santa today. Noah was unsure but brave. He kept staring at him like he was thinking "Why are you holding me and what is that hair on your face?"

Annalise was VERY excited to visit Santa. She asked for roller skates. Before we got there she wanted to know if she could hug him, if he would be fluffy, and if he would get fuzz on her. She seemed very satisfied with her visit but was also mystified by the beard.

This picture is terrible because it is a phone picture of a real picture, but you get the idea.

Here are some past Santa memories-
2009
2008
2007

Ages 5+ (!?!)

2010-12-18T11:14:00.000-06:00

I just got Noah a helmet to go with some of his Christmas presents. Annalise's helmet is a 3+ size and it is so giant on her little head. I got Noah a 3+ and it wouldn't even fit on his head at all. So, here he is in a size 5+ that barely fits down on his huge head!

"Messies!"

2010-12-15T21:53:00.000-06:00

Anytime we pass piles of leaves that have fallen off of trees Noah calls them "Messies." He wants to play in the messies, throw the messies, stomp his feet in the messies, and especially jump and do seat drops in the messies.

These are pics from my phone so they aren't the best but it sure was fun! Noah's mouth is open in all of the pictures because anytime he is concentrating, he sticks his tongue out.

Flashlight Fun!

2010-12-11T16:54:00.000-06:00

SEA WORLD!

2010-12-11T15:52:00.000-06:00

The day before we left for our Thanksgiving break, we took the kids to Sea World with a bunch of other families from The Stone. I was DREADING it. I knew it would be fun once we got there, but getting excited about a potentially super crowded (and expensive) place like that is so hard for me! However, we couldn't have been happier that we went. It was SO fun for us and the kids. They loved the shows and the aquarium. Hopefully next year they will be big enough for some of the kiddie rides.

In this picture below, both the kids are sobbing because of the dolphins. They thought it was TERRIFYING when they came up out of the water to eat the fish you could feed them. Needless to say, no dolphins were pet by my kids.

Silly Kids!

2010-12-11T15:35:00.001-06:00

Fire Station!

2010-12-11T15:27:00.000-06:00

Annalise and I got to visit the fire station with some friends last week, all the kids had tons of fun!

JUST FOR THE TASTE OF IT............

2010-12-08T17:38:00.000-06:00

DIET COKE!

(Annalise LOVES to drink Diet Coke. She snuck this, which was mine, off of the counter)

Bubble Madness!

2010-12-06T17:42:00.000-06:00

The kids have been taking A LOT of bubble baths lately, they are just so fun. Sometimes it gets a little out of hand...

Gingerbread House

2010-11-29T21:03:00.000-06:00

The other night I let Annalise stay up late with me and make a gingerbread house. This project falls into the "crafting" category which I am not very good at. It is messy but we had lots of fun!

Look at those crooked teeth, hello orthodontics!

Silly Sleeping

2010-11-29T17:49:00.000-06:00

Jon and I think it is super funny to find the kids sleeping in crazy ways. Here is Annalise's latest-

Simultaneously Cautious and Wreckless

2010-11-20T21:42:00.001-06:00

The Westerfields and Kathy came to visit us in Austin the weekend of my 32nd birthday. How is it possible that I have been driving for half of my life??? I often tell Jon (usually in parking lots because that is where my skills are seriously lacking) that I feel like I operate a car like I just learned to drive- simultaneously cautious and wreckless...

Anyways, here are some pics from our weekend. For my birthday lunch Kathy, Courtney and I went to Walton's Fancy and Staple (owned by Sandra Bullock!) for lunch and dessert. While we were there, we saw Vern Yip from HGTV (He is in the background of the pic by #19, Courtney was "taking a picture of me with my giant cookie" so we didn't look like stalkers).

Annalise and Grayson had tons of fun together and were super cute as always-

And, Noah and Asher had fun too, they just aren't at a very photogenic age yet-

Dress Up!

2010-11-11T22:28:00.000-06:00

While the kids and I were at my parents house a few weeks ago, they had lots of fun playing dress up with some of the old Halloween costumes my Mom saved from when Thomas and I were kids.

Ever since we went to Carolyn's wedding this summer, Annalise has been asking me a lot of questions about when she will get to wear a "long dress." So, she tried on my prom dress which was obviously very long on her and happened to be white. She was amazed!

Annalise and Noah also got into some mischief while painting pumpkins, poor Freda. What a sweet doggie she is-

And, since when does Annalise look so grown up???

The Oil Ranch

2010-11-11T22:19:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, my Mom took us to The Oil Ranch outside of Houston. Some fun Austin friends joined us as well. We had a great time feeding ducks, combing the goats hair, riding the train, riding ponies, doing the Indian swing, picking out pumpkins, jumping in the bounce houses, and swinging on the rope swing into the hay. Lots of pictures below!

This is what Noah looked like on the car ride home-

Halloween!

2010-11-03T21:16:00.000-05:00

We had a blast on Halloween. The kids dressed up as "Bones" that glowed in the dark. Noah thought that every person wearing any kind of mask was also dressed as Bones. He chased the big kids around all night pointing and saying "Bones! Bones! Bones!"

Look how cute they are-

We went to a party in our neighborhood at 5, the we trick-or-treated around the block, then we were off to another party. Since Halloween was on a Sunday Jon had to work but he joined us at the last party when he finished up.

And here is the morning after... They both slept till almost 9am! I guess that is what happens when you stay out partying till 11pm. Annalise slept in her bones but Noah didn't get to because he pooped his pants at one of the parties we went to the night before. :( He slept in a pair of PJs we borrowed at the party that were a size 5T! He is a giant boy!!!

Funny Lady

2010-11-01T17:37:00.000-05:00

I found Annalise asleep like this a couple of weeks ago when I came to wake her up from her nap. Later she told me she was sleeping in her "garage."

I currently have a few pregnant friends and Annalise has been asking me lots of questions about the ins and outs of growing babies in ones stomach. She keeps asking me if it was dark when she was inside of me. She also keeps asking if it "felt tight" for her inside of me. All these questions have led her to this story she tells me frequently-

"I have a baby growing my my tummy. His name is Stephen. He is a girl. It is dark in my tummy. I will let him come out when he is old enough, when he is 5."

What a sweet and silly little lady!

Best-a-Buddies!!!

2010-10-29T18:08:00.001-05:00

Annalise, Noah, and I recently spent some fun times with our best-a-buddies...

Fudgesicles/Face Paint

2010-10-06T15:41:00.000-05:00

Daddy

2010-10-06T15:32:00.000-05:00

The kiddos couldn't love Jon any more thank they do! He is a rock star when he gets home in the afternoon.

"COOKIES!!!"

2010-10-06T15:25:00.000-05:00

Noah loves to say "COOKIES" in a growly voice just like Cookie Monster. He has never seen an episode of Sesame Street but some how knows just how to imitate him.

Here he is "helping" me bake cookies-

First Day of School 2010

2010-09-22T17:32:00.000-05:00

These are terrible pics, but that is what you for waiting till it is time to run out the door. I am enjoying NO KIDS two days a week, what a treat!

Back Seat Drivers...

2010-09-19T12:48:00.003-05:00

Annalise has been a back seat driver for quite a while. Noah recently joined her ranks. Here is what it sounds like from Annalise. She has lots of wisdom about the rules of the road.

"Mom, don't drive on the grass."
"Mom, you need to drive with both hands!"
"Mom, slow down."
"Mom, go the light is green!"

And, since we just moved to Austin, I have to use the GPS navigation on my phone a lot. This is what that looks like-

GPS lady "Go south on Interstate 35."
Annalise "Mom, go south. What's south?
GPS lady "In 400 feet, turn left."
Annalise "Mom, turn left!"

She is so very helpful! (And she loves to wear her "shades" in the car no matter what time of day it is.)

Noah's backseat driving is a little different. It consists of him yelling as loud as he can "LOUD!!!" He wants the music loud all the time. Anytime I turn it down, to hear the phone or the friendly GPS lady, or just to think clearly he starts yelling "LOUD! LOUD! LOUD!" until the music is turned up.

Future Party Animal-

PS- When I took these pictures we were on our way to the paper recycling dumpster at the elementary school by our house. The moving company used SO much paper to pack our stuff. We had to take 2 trips to the dumpster where the way back of my car and the passenger seat and floor in front were filled totally full of paper. It almost completely filled one entire dumpster!

The Lie-Berry

2010-09-18T22:17:00.000-05:00

We just took Annalise and Noah to the public library for the first time this week. Annalise thought it was awesome and especially loved "swimming the boat" in the little magnetic toy table. She also liked scanning the books to check them out. Noah loved seeing Elmo on the computers for the kids. He sat down at the computer like he knew exactly what to do with it, using the mouse and the keyboard. Noah REALLY loved the Elmo! So much so that we had to leave because he kept yelling "ELMO" every time he popped up on the screen. We checked out a couple of books and look forward to going back again! (These pics are from my phone so they aren't the best.)