Abell Family

Holidays 2011

2012-02-01T18:10:00.000-08:00

We had another busy holiday season with our families. The kids are at such a fun age. They get so excited about everything. Emma loved the lights, trees, bows, paper and baby dolls. Brady knew what he wanted and every time he opened a gift he was soooo excited. We also took the kids to Nashville during break to see Shrektakular and to Dave and Busters. They had a great time. We are truly blessed to have such close family and friends and we are grateful for our time with them, especially at the holidays.

Polar Express

2012-02-01T17:57:00.000-08:00

This year we decided to have a Polar Express Party and invite Brady and Emma's friends over to make pizzas and cookies and have hot chocolate and popcorn, watching the Polar Express. The next night we all went on a train ride to the North Pole to see Santa. The kids loved spending time together and the train ride was a big hit.

Halloween 2011

2012-02-01T17:51:00.000-08:00

Brady was the Big Bad Wolf and Emma was one of the three pigs this year. They are all about the Three Little Pigs and I couldn't resist the pig outfit.

Fall Break 2011

2011-10-08T07:48:00.000-07:00

Well we've had a great fall break. We've gone to Crawford's pumpkin patch, the zoo, Robert's Farm, took Brady fishing and even to Blazers Fun Zone. It has been beautiful weather so we have been outside as much as possible.
The kids loved Crawford's Pumpkin Patch. They ran through the mazes, climbed the huge haystack to the slide, saw the animals and took a train ride in different animal cars.
The zoo was also a lot of fun. It was such a beautiful day and all of the animals were out for us to see. Brady and Jessi got to feed a giraffe and we got to see the new baby polar bear. They have out all of the Halloween decor so Brady wanted to take pics with the different characters. He loves going to the zoo and asks tons of questions about each animal. The funniest thing all day was after he fed the giraffe we saw the lions and Brady asked, "Can I feed the lions too?"
One night this week we went to Robert's Farm with Jason's parents. We took a hayride back to the pumpkin patch and let the kids pick out their own pumkins. They also got to feed the baby goats and do other fun things.
We had a great Fall Break with lots of good family time, but it has gone by way too fast.

What a Beautiful Bride! Congrats Kelly & Justin!

2011-10-08T06:57:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday was Kelly and Justin's wedding. It was an absolutely beautiful day and everything went pretty much as planned. They were both a little nervous before the ceremony, but it was a beautiful wedding and Kelly looked absolutely gorgeous. Brady and Kinlee did a great job and were very good during the ceremony. Emma didn't make it through the ceremony, but Jason at least got to watch and hear the wedding from the cry room. When we were standing on the alter Brady was soooo cute. He thought him and Kinlee were getting married and he kept grabbing her face and talking to her. They are so cute and innocent. The top pic is one that Kirstie Goodman, our photographer, took. Can't wait to see all of them, I'm sure there will be several I will have to have!!
After the wedding was the reception at Kreso's in Bardstown. We had a great time dancing and celebrating. I think everyone enjoyed themselves and we are so very happy for Kelly and Justin. Welcome to the family Justin!

Happy Birthday Keke

2011-09-27T15:08:00.001-07:00

We celebrated Keke's birthday and watched the KY football game at mom and dad's with a cookout and bonfire. It was a great night. Happy b-day Keke!

Stevie Made It!!!!!!!

2011-09-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

Stevie Delabar, one of our very best friends was called up to "the show," playing for the Seattle Mariners, a few weeks ago. We are so very happy for him and his wife Jamie. Jason, mom, dad and Joseph got to go to Seattle to watch him play against Nathan Adcock the weekend after he was called up. How awesome to watch two of our close friends playing major league baseball. We wish Nathan and Stevie the best of luck and can't wait to see you guys soon!

Happy Birthday Papaw

2011-09-27T14:57:00.000-07:00

KY Lake 2011

2011-09-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

Well, we had our annual KY Lake trip the weekend before school started. It was another great year of family fun. We were all there and dad's sisters came too. We stayed on the lake all day and then played corn hole at night. The kids loved the water and Brady learned some new tricks off the boat.

Pool Time

2011-09-27T14:36:00.000-07:00

The kids were little fish this summer. Brady is swimming everywhere in the pool with no floaties. Emma thinks she can do the same, but she still needs some help. They love the water and really love it when people come over to play. The Bryan kids and the Cox's came over to swim before we started back to school.

July Birthdays

2011-09-27T14:31:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Jason's birthday this year with a family party at his mom's house. Then Joseph's birthday at the lake. As you can see Brady gets to blow out the candles for everyone's birthday and all Emma cares about is the cake.

4th of July at Bats Game

2011-09-27T14:27:00.000-07:00

We went to watch the Riverbats play to celebrate the 4th of July with my family and Jason's family. We had a great time and enjoyed some awesome fireworks.

Summer 2011

2011-09-27T14:18:00.000-07:00

These are some random pics of our summer fun. Jason and I are so fortunate to get to be home with the kids in the summer. We had so much fun watching Brady play baseball, hanging out by the pool and just being home spending time together. We had several big and small vacations, but we have just as much fun just hanging out together at home.

Fishing

2011-09-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

Brady enjoyed fishing this summer. He was a lot more patient then we thought he would be, but of course only if he was catching fish. I have to say he's a pretty good fisherman.

Charleston - Folly Beach, SC Vacation 2011

2011-07-05T14:29:00.000-07:00

Fort Sumter

Our Family Day

Deep Sea fishing

Our day in Charleston

Some Family Pics

We had an awesome family vacation with Jason's family in Charleston - Folly Beach, SC. When we left Myrtle Beach from Teri Lynn's wedding we drove to Charleston for some more beach time. My parents joined us there for the first few days.

The closest beach to Charleston is Folly Beach, which is actually an island about fifteen minutes away. It is a beautiful place and our condo was on the beach with the pier just a few feet away. We spent lots of time in Charleston, but the main road in Folly is pretty awesome too. There are shops and seafood restaurants up and down the street.

Charleston is a gorgeous city with so much to do. It is very old and the Victorian houses are spectacular. We went to Charleston almost every day. One day we walked around and checked out the market, went to several shops, rode the trolley to Waterfront Park and Pier and took a carriage ride through the historic part of Charleston. It was a really hot day so we let the kids run through the fountains in their clothes to cool off and they loved that. Everyone that went with us was able to do the carriage ride and that was also a lot of fun and very interesting. It was a long, but great day.

Jason, Robbie, Kasey and Donald went deep sea fishing one day. They caught a lot of fish and even a few sharks. Unfortunately, Jason was sea sick the entire time. The next night Jason cooked some of the fish and it was great.

We had one day with just the four of us because everyone else went shopping or other places. Of course Brady and Jason played baseball and then we went to beach and went out on the pier. It was a really nice day with just us and the kids.

We all took a boat ride to Fort Sumter one day. It was a neat place, especially at the very top. It was really windy, but the view of Charleston was awesome.

We had a great time and we will definitely visit Charleston-Folly Beach again.

Myrtle Beach Vacation 2011

2011-07-05T14:08:00.000-07:00

My parents were on vacation with us in Myrtle Beach so they could also attend the wedding. We stayed at an awesome condo that had a pool with a lazy river, waterfall and big enclosed slide. Of course Brady had an absolute ball, especially on the slide. It was pretty fast and dark and he was one of the youngest kids riding it, but he loved every minute. We even went down with Emma, and she liked it okay too.

Brady and Emma also liked the beach. Emma liked eating the sand, but she really enjoyed going in the ocean. Brady tried surfing, but was done with that as soon as he got saltwater in his eyes. Of course he had to play baseball on the beach too.

One night we went to eat seafood and the restaurant overlooked the water. Brady got to see some fish and hang out on the dock.

Teri Lynn and Erik's Wedding

2011-07-05T13:51:00.000-07:00

We went the Myrtle Beach, SC for one of my best friends' wedding. Teri Lynn and Erik had a gorgeous wedding and reception overlooking the ocean. It was a great time and Teri was a beautiful bride. My kids loved the reception. They both had a great time dancing and Brady made a new friend that he ran around with all night.

Baseball in Huntsville, AL

2011-07-05T13:37:00.000-07:00

We went to Huntsville, AL to see our friend Stevie play baseball. We got to see him pitch the first night we were there and it was very exciting. Brady even got a player to toss him a ball when he was coming off the field. He was so excited and then he had Stevie sign it for him after the game. The second night they had fireworks after the game and they let the kids in the stands run the bases. Brady was more excited about running those bases then I have ever seen him about anything. He was the smallest kid out there, but he didn't care.

Oh yeah, and I guess you can see from these pics that Emma had a little accident. She fell the day before we left to go to Huntsville and caught herself with her nose.

Brady's First Weiner League Game

2011-07-05T13:26:00.000-07:00

Brady is playing Weiner league this summer for the Marlins. He absolutely loves playing baseball. He has watched "The Sandlot" movie so many times that he has it memorized, and some parts he probably shouldn't repeat. But it is a cute movie. He pretends he is playing baseball on and off the field. He is either playing with the boys from the Sandlot (Smalls, Benny, Ham, Squints, etc.) and running from "The Beast" or he is playing with the St.Louis Cardinals, calling out each of their names. He loves baseball!

Easter 2011

2011-07-05T13:18:00.000-07:00

Although Easter was a rainy day, we did get in an egg hunt at Gigi's house after church.

Happy 1st Birthday Emma

2011-05-02T19:27:00.000-07:00

Well,Miss Emma actually got two birthday celebrations. We had a small party for her on her actual birthday and she had cookie cake and presents. Our parents and siblings and my dad's sisters and my grandpa came to my parents house for dinner and a small party. Then Easter weekend we had a big party to celebrate her 1st birthday. I did an Easter egg hunt for all 11 little kids and they had a blast. Then, to our surprise, Emma dug into her cake. She doesn't usually like cake or icing, which is why I got her a cookie cake on her actual birthday, but at her party she had it everywhere. Thank you to everyone that helped with the party. We had a great turn-out and I think everyone enjoyed celebrating Emma's 1st birthday! We love you (as Brady calls her) "cheeky little girlie!"

Spring Break 2011

2011-05-02T19:05:00.000-07:00

Well, we made a last minute decision to go to the beach for spring break this year. Jason went the Kansas City to watch our good friend, Nate Adcock, play and then he had a baseball tournament at the end of the week. So, the kids and I went to Florida with my parents, Kelly, Joseph and Melissa. We had great weather and the kids loved the beach. Brady always loves going to the beach but Emma was too little to know what was going on last time so this time she really enjoyed the sand and the water. We are really glad that we went, but the kids and I really missed Jason. Can't wait for our next trip to the beach!!

Baseball & Soccer Practice

2011-05-02T18:56:00.001-07:00

These are a few pictures of Brady's first soccer and baseball practice. I can't believe he is already big enough to play sports. We have not had any games yet, but just watching 3 and 4 year old practice any sport is hilarious. Most of them have no idea what they are supposed to be doing, which is what makes it so funny. We have had sooooo much rain that our games keep getting canceled, but we are looking forward to playing soon. Brady's weiner league baseball team is the Marlins and his soccer team picked their mascot and name so they are snakes, the black mambas. I'll post more pics of his first games, if we ever get to play.

The fisherman

2011-03-27T19:20:00.001-07:00

We took Brady and Emma fishing for the first time last Sunday. We couldn't believe how well Brady did and how much he enjoyed fishing. He was so patient and did a great job of casting and reeling all by himself. In fact he caught his first fish, a blue gill, and casted it out and reeled it in all by himself. He was so proud of himself. Jason made him touch the worms that he put on his hook and he kissed his fish and held him before he let him go. We had a great family night out and we will definitely be going back to Mr. Clark's house again soon.

Happy 3rd Birthday Brady Michael

2011-03-27T19:00:00.000-07:00

We can't believe that Brady is already 3! He is such a little man with soooo much personality. As you can see he loves to sing, so the microphone and guitar that Keke and Justin got him was a big hit. He loves playing any sport and being outside. Pappaw and Gigi got him a truck to drive at their house and he's starting to get better at driving it. Brady is growing up so fast. He loves his sister very much and is a great big brother.

We had a small family party on his actual birthday and a few weeks later we had his friends come to the Dugout for a Scooby Doo party. We just did cake and ice cream and the kids played in the bouncy house, played baseball and had a blast with the Scooby Doo pinata. I think all of the kids had fun and Brady appreciated all of his gifts.

Playing with Molly

2011-03-03T18:10:00.000-08:00

We have had so much fun this week with Miss Molly Claire. She got to come over and hang out with us on Monday night and again tonight. Her and Brady have played so well together. Tonight we played outside until it got dark and then Joy came over and gave Molly a haircut. Molly loved playing with Brady's new birthday toys and all three kids loved taking a bath together. Then when she got out of the bathtub I surprised her with a new pair of Dora pajamas that I found for her this week. Of course she loved them and they look super cute on her.
Molly is such a little mother to Emma. She loves to feed her and hold her and give Emma her passy.
We love having Molly over and she is more then welcome to stay with us anytime. I think it is going to be Sam's turn to hang out with us next week. Brady can't wait!!

Sam, Molly & Brady Painting

2011-02-26T11:34:00.001-08:00

Sam and Molly came over today to play with Brady and Emma and they had a great time. I was even brave enough to let them paint and oh did they love it. They each picked a Toy Story Picture and got their own paints. And yes they do have clothes I just made them take off their shirts to paint. All three of them are a mess. But they played great together and they were a lot of fun.

Also, we want to send our thoughts and prayers to Danielle, Ben and baby Bryan. Danielle is at Norton as a precaution in case little boy Bryan has to be delivered early. They had a bit of a scare yesterday, but everything looks great right now with mom and baby. We love you guys!

Congrats Robbie and Kasey

2011-02-26T10:21:00.001-08:00

We had another amazing time at the Brad Paisley concert last weekend. He is so great in concert and this was the best yet. Jared Niemen and Darius Rucker opened up for him and they were awesome too. We were in the 10th row and I don't think we have ever had seats that good at any concert. But the best part of the concert was that Robbie asked Kasey to marry him!! Robbie got down on one knee at the end of "She's Everything" and of course she said yes! We are so excited that Kasey will be part of the family. Congrats guys! We love you.

Happy Birthday Gigi

2011-02-26T10:17:00.001-08:00

We celebrated Gigi's birthday at our house with a nice dinner and cake. Brady and Emma enjoyed the cake the most.

Che-tee

2011-02-08T12:05:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that I have never mentioned "Chetee." Chetee is Brady's imaginary friend and he's been a part of our family for about 6 months now. According to Brady, Chetee is also 2 years old and recently Chetee got a new brother named, "Sicky." I could not make this up if I tried. Anyway, Brady plays with Chetee a lot and talks to him and always includes him in whatever he is talking about. He told my sister "Keke you are so beautiful." Kelly said, "Brady are you two or twenty?" he said, "I'm two years old and so is Chetee, Chetee Michael Abell." If he's not ready to go somewhere he'll say, "We can't go yet because Chetee is sick." Or if he wants some more candy or cookies he'll say, "I need some more because Chetee needs some too." He has a crazy imagination, but he's usually pretty funny.

Kids say the funniest things...especially 2 year olds

2011-02-02T18:25:00.000-08:00

I have written down several things that Brady has said recently and have been meaning to post them because they are just too funny. Before Christmas my mom had a nativity scene under her Christmas tree that she told Brady he could play with. We had been talking to him about the true meaning of Christmas and he knew it was Jesus' birthday, but I wasn't sure if he knew the rest of the nativity scene. So, I held up Mary and asked him who it was and he said, "that's Jesus' mommy." I told him yes, and her name is Mary. Then I ask him about Joseph and he said, "that's Jesus' daddy." I said yes, and his name is Joseph. Then I held up one of the wise men and had no idea what he would say. He looked at me, and very sure of himself said, "oh, that man, that is Jesus' Pappaw. That is Pappaw Jesus." He was so sure that Jesus had to have a Pappaw in the manager with him and of course his name would be Pappaw Jesus. It was too cute.
Brady likes to listen to music with his Nana and Pops and dance. Well, he had been listening to Bob Segar the past few times he had gone to their house and Katmando became one of his favorites. Well, he asked me if we could listen to Katmando and I said, "Katmando?" He said, "Yeah mom, you know, Bob Segar sings Katmando. Yeah, Bob Segar lives at Katmando's house." I about fell over.
Some other little funny things that he's been saying sound more like a teenager then a 2 year-old. Things like, "you are wearing me out mom, I am serious." And his latest is, "fine whatever" when I ask him to do something or tell him something he doesn't want to hear.
This week when mom took him to library program he was picking out the books he wanted and mom told him that some of them were "stupid" because they weren't really appropriate books for him. He said, "Gigi you're not supposed to say stupid. You should say something like ridiculous. Like, oh that book is ridiculous." I don't know where he gets this vocabulary, but Jason says he sounds just like me.
And the way Brady talks to Emma, oh so cute. Yes, he is a little rough with her at times, but he really does love her to death. He talks to her and says, "oh hey pretty girl" and "your a little toot." She just eats it up and thinks Brady is the greatest thing ever. She crawls around everywhere and is really close to walking. She has two teeth now and has been standing on her own the past few days. I can't believe how big my babies are getting. They keep us busy and make our lives so fun and happy. We are truly blessed.

January Birthdays

2011-02-02T18:16:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Robbie's 30th birthday with a surprise party at BJ's is Bardstown. We had a great turn-out and soooo much fun. Some of the family came and several friends. It was a really great night.
Then, last weekend we celebrated Nana's birthday with dinner and cake. Here are a few pics I took of her and the kids.

Merry Christmas!

2011-01-02T18:55:00.000-08:00

Christmas day is always so busy for us, but we love it. We start the morning with Brady and Emma's Santa gifts and Jason and I exchange gifts as well. Then The kids have some time to play with their new toys before we go to Jason's families Christmas and then we go to my mom's families Christmas at my Grandma's. Like I said it's a busy day!

Brady was very excited to get a Buzz Lightyear, race track, Boris Tyrannosaurus dinosaur, movies and of course Stinky the Garbage Truck from Santa this year. He asked over and over for Stinky and Bigfoot. Well, Santa didn't think that he needed Bigfoot, but he did get Stinky. Emma got a kitchen, dolls, movie, Minnie Mouse and some other things. Yes, they are spoiled!

With all the snow this year on Christmas, Brady got the build a snowman with his dad and Uncle JoeJoe. Of course they had to give it the UK touch!

Christmas Eve

2011-01-02T18:36:00.000-08:00

Christmas to me is all about traditions and Christmas Eve is when my families traditions take place. We have always gone to Christmas Eve mass and come home to see if Santa has come to see us, and so far he never misses. Since I was little we have opened gifts from Santa and my parents on Christmas Eve so we are not so rushed on Christmas morning with all of the other places we have to be. Now that we have our own kids this works out great because we can do Christmas with my family after church and then be at our house for Santa on Christmas morning. As our family is getting bigger the night becomes more and more special. We can go to church and reflect on what the season is all about and then have some awesome family time like we have every year my whole life.
As you can see our kids got way too much stuff from my family too. Brady got some cool Buzz Lightyear pj's that he had to put on immediately, a Woody doll, truck with hunting supplies from bass pro, a cash register, play food and other stuff. Emma got her first American Girl Bitty Baby, a cabbage patch doll, a jewelry box with bracelet, pj's and other stuff. They had a blast! Brady got a little annoyed with Emma because she wanted all of his stuff, but she stayed pretty occupied with the paper and bows. It was a great night and we didn't want it to end.

Christmas at Nana and Pops

2011-01-02T18:29:00.001-08:00

We had Christmas with Nana and Pops the day before Christmas Eve. The kids loved all of there gifts. As you can see Brady got a tractor and Emma got her first doll house. They are too spoiled, but seeing there faces when they open their presents is what makes Christmas so fun. Brady was hilarious and very thankful for everything he got.

Ski Trip to Gatlinburg

2010-12-29T20:24:00.000-08:00

This year Joseph decided to give the whole fam an awesome Christmas present. Rather than buying us each a gift he got us a ski trip to Gatinburg. We stayed in an awesome chalet and had an unbelievable time together. Brady was getting over a virus so he was no quit himself and a little grouchy, but he still had fun. He did ski, but it was such a process just to get on the snow, that he was only out there for a little bit and he was ready to take all of his "gear" off. I probably overdressed him, but we really didn't know what to expect. Anyway, the skiing was fun for everyone and definitely something we will do again. But after Brady was done skiing he got to ride the carousel and hang out at the ski lodge. It was a really neat place. We also had a lot of fun just hanging out at night playing Catch Phrase and just acting crazy. We finished the trip with a little shopping, overall a great trip! Thanks Joe, Joe for the great gift! Can't wait for next year!

Random Christmas

2010-12-29T20:13:00.000-08:00

2010-12-29T20:02:00.000-08:00

These are some random pics of us before Christmas. Emma is so darn cute in her Santa hat that Papaw bought her. She is at such a cute age and getting into everything. She is cruising around the house holding on to the furniture and yes, taking many falls, some of which are often caused by her brother. She'll be nine months next week and still no teeth, but she babbles all the time and I think she'll be walking soon.

Playing in the Snow

2010-12-29T19:57:00.000-08:00

Brady and Emma were playing in the snow with Jessi at Nana and Pops house on one of our snow days.

Breakfast with Santa

2010-12-02T19:26:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that it's already Christmas time. This year is going to be even more fun for us because Brady is already so excited and we have Emma to be thankful for as well. Brady loves the lights and seeing Santa and of course he already has a very long list of things that he wants. Last year he asked for candy and this year he is asking for much more expensive gifts that are harder to find. He wants "stinky the garbage truck," "big foot the monster," dinosaurs, cars, and many others things. Basically anything that he sees in a store, on tv or in a magazine, he wants. I can't wait to see what Santa brings him and see the look on his face Christmas morning.
We took the kids to see Santa a few weeks ago for breakfast with Santa. They were both very good and Brady told Santa everything that he wanted. Now, when he tells me he wants something and I tell him I doubt he'll get that, he'll say, "Oh, Santa will bring me it."
We look forward to the holidays and time together. We are so very blessed and have so much to be thankful for.

Emma's First Haircut

2010-12-02T19:03:00.000-08:00

I can't believe that Emma already got her first haircut. Since she was born Emma has had quite a bit of hair, but lately it has gotten so long that unless I have it in a ponytail it's in her eyes. So, two weeks ago we decided to have Cindy give Emma her first haircut. These are some before and after pics. She didn't take too much off, just enough to keep it out of her eyes. She's such a little cutie!

Happy Birthday Reed

2010-11-14T19:05:00.000-08:00

We went to Brady's buddy, Reed Mouser's, 3rd birthday party today. They had a really cool huge slide that the kids loved. Brady had a great time on the slide, playing with the trucks and cars and running around with his friends. It was a great birthday party. I can't believe how fast our boys are growing.

Green beans and a Shiner

2010-11-14T18:53:00.000-08:00

Well, we had some exciting happenings this week. On Tuesday night Brady went to the Dugout with his dad while I went to the grocery. When I came to pick him up I was a little upset to see his first black eye. Of course it was a complete accident. Jason was holding a bat and Brady was running full speed and ran right into the end of it. Jason said he only cried for a minute, but of course he wanted sympathy from me as soon as I got there. Poor guy!

On a better note, that same night, Emma finally ate some baby food. We have been trying for weeks to get Emma to eat cereal or baby food or anything other then milk without gagging or throwing up. She has not liked any fruits and I tried a few veggies, but I hadn't tried green beans, because what baby prefers green beans. Well, wouldn't you know she loved them. She didn't gag at all and she ate the whole jar. Since then she is now eating bananas as well. Yah!

Trick or Treat - Halloween 2010

2010-11-08T18:08:00.000-08:00

Well, Halloween lasted all weekend for us this year. Brady was "Rex" the dinosaur from Toy Story and Emma was a cute little butterfly. Saturday night was trick or treating in Hodgenville with all of our family and Sunday was trick or treat in E'town in our neighborhood. So we got way too much candy and decided that one night is really enough when you are dragging two kids around. But Brady and Emma were great and they got to see their closest friends each night. Saturday night we saw mine and Jason's grandparents and other family members and then Brady and Emma got to hang out with Kasen and Kinlee. Sunday we started the night at Mrs. Faye's house, Brady and Emma's babysitter, and Emma got to see her buddy Davis. Then we came back to our neighborhood to Trick or Treat with Brady's best buddies Sam, Owen and Reed. Robbie and Kasey met us as we were Trick or Treating and then the kids had even more fun when we finished because they got to play together at Ben and Danielle's house. It was a very busy two days, but the kids had fun and they were so super cute!

Crawford's Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-08T17:57:00.000-08:00

Mom and dad took Brady and Emma to Crawford's Pumpkin Patch the week before Halloween and they had a great time. Brady ran around in the maze, fed the animals, sat on the tractor and much more. He had a great time and got even more pumpkins to bring home with him. My kids are just a little spoiled :)

Carving our Jack O' Lantern

2010-11-08T17:41:00.000-08:00

Well we always have to carve at least one pumpkin each year. Brady likes taking all the "guts" out, of course he's a boy. And Jason usually carves the face. He thought it was so cool when Jason was finished and he got to light it. It did turn out pretty good.

Costume contest winner

2010-11-03T14:00:00.000-07:00

Well, we took the kids to my school's Fall Ball and they had a costume contest. Emma is a butterfly this year and Brady is Rex the Dinosaur (from Toy Story) and our cute little butterfly ith the chubby little cheeks and legs won! Yes, Emma got firt prize out of 13 little ones. She was pretty cute if I do say so myself!

Jessi's Halloween Party

2010-10-20T18:58:00.000-07:00

Jessi had her annual Halloween party this past Sunday. It was a beautiful day and the little ones had so much fun. When they got there they played in the leaves, then went on a hay ride. At the end of the ride they picked out their own pumpkin. When we got back the kids decorated their pumpkins and ate and Jessi had a special treat bag for each kid. They had a lot of fun playing together and Jessi did an awesome job hosting the party.

Happy 3rd Birthday Sam

2010-10-20T18:50:00.000-07:00

Brady's best buddy Sam turned 3 on Saturday and he had an awesome Toy Story party. The kids raced on their horses, played pin the badge on sheriff Sam, bean bag toss, and other fun stuff. They had cupcakes and ice cream and just ran around and played together. It was the perfect day and the kids all had a great time.

Pappaw's Buddy

2010-10-20T18:47:00.000-07:00

Brady loves doing anything outside, especially with his Pappaw. My dad and Brady made their yard look festive and Brady absolutely loved it. Everytime we come in or go out of my parents driveway he says, look what me and Pappaw did.

Fall Break Sandestin 2010

2010-10-14T19:36:00.000-07:00

We went to Sandestin, Florida for Fall Break and had an amazing time. The weather was absolutely wonderful. Not too cool, not too hot. The ocean was so calm and the water was completely clear. I have never seen it like that. Brady loved the beach, pool, hot tub, everything. Him and Emma were so good the whole trip. My dad, Jason and Brady built sandcastles everyday (I think dad and Jason got into it more then Brady sometimes). We had a great time at night as well at some of our favorite restaurants and at the wharf in Sandestin. Brady loved the playground and Merry-go-round at the wharf so we went several nights. We had a great vacation and can't wait to go back!

Our Dare Devil

2010-09-29T17:56:00.000-07:00

Brady is such a little dare devil. When we went to the bourbon festival he went down all of the slides, even the super steep ones. He makes me nervous sometimes because he has no fear. Here is a video of him going down the tallest slide they had and laughing like crazy. What a mess!

Happy Birthday Aunt Keke

2010-09-29T17:52:00.000-07:00

We went to Bardstown for Keke's birthday and enjoyed the bourbon festival. Brady had a ball on all the bouncy houses and slides. Then we went out to eat and stayed at Robbie and Kasey's. We had a great time. Happy birthday Keke!! We love you!

Emma Sitting Up

2010-09-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

Emma started sitting up on her own about two weeks ago. I can't believe how big she is getting. It seems like she does something new everyday. This is her buddy that she goes to Mrs. Faye's house with, Davis, and they are close to the same age. I'm sure they will be best buddies before long.

Strolling

2010-09-29T17:44:00.000-07:00

We got a new double stroller and we have really been enjoying it. The kids love being outside and they do really well sitting next to each other (most of the time).

Goofy Kid

2010-09-29T17:40:00.000-07:00

Kids do the darndest things. Brady got some stickers in the mail this week and he wanted to "see" them. I was in the other room and came back into the living room to find him covered in stickers from head to toe (literally). He can be a real stinker sometimes, but he is a lot of fun!

Happy Birthday Uncle Norman

2010-09-29T17:33:00.000-07:00

We had a birthday party for Jason's Uncle Norman. He is always doing so much for everyone and we thought someone needed to do something for him, so we had a surprise party for his birthday. We love you Uncle Norman!

Emma's Baptism

2010-09-29T17:19:00.000-07:00

Emma was baptized about a month ago. She looked so cute in her pretty white dress and of course she was perfect during the service. She is such a good baby. We are so blessed to have such wonderful children. Thank you so much Danielle for taking the pics. They were wonderful!

Go Cats!

2010-09-13T18:13:00.000-07:00

We are so excited that football season is here and we can cheer for out Wildcats! I love this time of year. The weather is amazing and we get to spend our weekends tailgating and watching the CATS! It doesn't get much better. Of course our children are already cat fans as you can see from our most recent family pics. We enjoyed the first game of the season with our friends and family at my parents house out by the pool.

Happy Birthday Owen

2010-09-13T18:07:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we had a very busy weekend. Saturday morning was Owen McDowell's 1st birthday so we went to his party. Brady had fun playing with his friends and as you can see he was all about the presents. When he walked down to the lake with Aunt Keke and Kinlee he got a little jealous and wanted her to carry him. I think he gets more jealous of Keke spending time with other kids then he does Jason and I. Everyone loves Keke!

2010-09-13T18:01:00.000-07:00

Brady and Emma were both swimming with Aunt Keke, but she didn't want her pic taken so this is the best I could do. And yes we are still working on the potty training. Actually, he's doing really good most of the time. As you can see his favorite place to pee is outside in the rocks. Although I don't think that ever changes.

Emma's bathing suit photo shoot

2010-09-13T17:55:00.000-07:00

I had to take some pics of Emma in her bathing suit. She looks absolutely adorable with those chubby legs and cute smile. I just want to eat her up. She is such a happy baby and we all love her to death!

Billy Currington Concert

2010-09-13T17:49:00.000-07:00

The last weekend of the state fair Jason, Robbie, Kasey and I went to the Billy Currington concert. We had so much fun!! Several of our friends were there and we went out after the concert. It was nice to have a night out with our friends that we don't see too often and the concert was really good.

Brady Swimming

2010-09-13T17:41:00.000-07:00

2010-09-13T17:34:00.000-07:00

Our baby girl is getting so big!

2010-08-05T20:01:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Emma is already 4 months old. We started back to school this week and it has been so hard leaving my kids after being home with them since April. Although Emma is getting so big she is still my little baby girl and it breaks my heart leaving her each day. It does make it easier that mom and dad are keeping the kids on Mondays and Fridays. And our new sitter, Mrs. Faye, is wonderful and she loves my kids as much as they love her already. Our summer was so busy and it went by way too fast, but I was very fortunate to be able to stay home with Emma for fours months. We are truly blessed with our two beautiful babies!

Happy Birthday Papaw and Joe Joe

2010-08-05T19:56:00.000-07:00

We have lots of birthdays to celebrate at the end of July and first of August. This is great news for Brady because he loves blowing out the candles and of course eating the cake. Happy birthday Joe Joe and Papaw!!

Happy 30th Birthday Jason

2010-08-05T19:48:00.000-07:00

Jason had a great 30th birthday. We spent the day at home with the kids and then went to Louisville to eat at Hooters and go to a Bats game. What Jason didn't know was that several of our friends were meeting us there. Some of our college friends we hadn't seen in a while were a really big surprise. It was a nice night out, and a great way to celebrate turning the big 30! Happy birthday honey!

Ky Lake 2010

2010-08-05T19:26:00.000-07:00

We had another great trip to Ky Lake. It was super hot, but on the lake it was nice riding the boats and swimming. Of course Brady absolutely loved every minute of it. He swam in the lake and jumped off the boat all day. One of the most momentous events of the trip was giving up passy. That's right Brady finally got rid of his passy, although it wasn't really by choice. On Saturday when we were on the boat he was starting to get tired so I let him have his passy and as he was going from one boat to the other it fell out of his mouth between the boats and to the bottom of the lake. I think I was as devastated as he was, thinking about how our night was going to be without it. But my aunts took him over to the side of the boat and told him that a little baby fish was crying and really needed the passy. So he talked to the fish and told them that he was a big boy and that he would give his passy to the baby fish. I thought, oh yeah, we'll see how this works out when its time to go to bed. So that night of course he asked for it at bed time and I said, remember the baby fish has it. And he finally fell asleep without it. That was two weeks and ago and although he has asked for it several times he always says, oh yeah I gave it to the fish and that's it. He has asked me a few times to go to the store and buy him another one or begged me to please let him have one of Emma's, but he is definitely done with it. I'm glad that he finally gave it up, but it's a little sad too. Just another part of growing up and becoming a big boy!

Congrats Kelly & Justin - St. Louis Trip 2010

2010-07-26T22:24:00.000-07:00

Well, we had another great trip to St. Louis, with an extra special event. Our annual trip to St. Louis was extra special because Justin asked Kelly to marry him.

We arrived on Friday afternoon and checked in to our hotel. Then we went to the Budweiser Museum and game 1 of Cardinals vs. Dodgers. The museum was really neat and the game was a lot of fun. The kids were great, even though it was really hot.

2010-07-26T21:51:00.000-07:00

Saturday morning, mom, dad, Jason, Brady, Emma and I walked around downtown St. Louis and then came back for some pool time at our hotel, The Millennium. That's when Kelly and Justin joined us and shared their exciting news. Justin asked her to marry him under the arch Saturday morning, and of course she said YES!!

Saturday afternoon we had lunch at Hooters before the game and then went to game two and the Cardinals won again. We were able to see our family friend, Trevor Miller, pitch on Friday and Saturday. He is the reason we go to the games and it is so neat to actually know a major league baseball player. Especially since we are such big baseball fans. Unfortunately we didn't get to spend any time with him this trip because his family was in, but he knew we were there cheering him on and we look forward to hanging out with him our next trip.

Happy 4th of July

2010-07-08T15:20:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to a cook-out at Jason's Uncle Mike's house to celebrate the 4th and Ryan's 16th birthday. Brady had a good time playing with the kids, Davi and Jessi. Then on Sunday we had a fish-frog fry with the family and then went to the lake to watch fireworks. Brady was so funny watching he fireworks. He got so excited and even little Emma liked all the lights and didn't mind the loud noise.

Brady and his buddies

2010-07-08T15:14:00.000-07:00

Last Wednesday Brady had fun playing with his friends Sam, Molly, Reed & Tate at my parents pool. They played in and around the pool and actually all got along. Sometimes it's hard when we get too many two year olds together, but they all had fun.

Fun at Holiday World

2010-07-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

Jason, Brady and I went with his family to Holiday World last Tuesday. We had a blast! We spent most of the day at the waterpark, which Brady loved. He went on all of the little kid rides in both parks by himself. He has already asked to go back.

Congratulations Katie & D.W.

2010-07-08T14:41:00.000-07:00

We went to another wedding for some of our good friends Katie Bowling and D.W. Cruse. Their wedding was beautiful, especially the bride, and we had an awesome time. We had both of our kids at the wedding and reception and it was probably a little late for the kids. At one point both kids were tired and only wanted me so they were both in my lap crying. But they ended up falling asleep and we took turns with our parents holding them. We had a great time hanging out with our friends and dancing.

Happy 80th Birthday Grandpa Newton

2010-07-08T14:28:00.000-07:00

We celebrated my Grandpa Newton's 80th Birthday last week. He turned 80 on June 24th so we took him out to dinner at BJ's in Bardstown and surprised him by having the rest of my dad's family there. Even my Aunt Charlotte and Uncle David from Arkansas were there, which he didn't think would be coming home until the weekend. He was surprised and very excited to see the whole family. We had a nice meal and visit together.

Then Saturday we had dad's family over to cook-out and swim at my parents house. It was so hot and we all enjoyed the pool.

Night at the Movies

2010-06-24T12:28:00.001-07:00

Tuesday night we took Emma and Brady to their first movie. Brady has been all about Toy Story lately so we thought he would like Toy Story 3. We weren't real sure if he would sit through the whole movie, but he did. He wanted cotton candy when we got there, and had it finished before the movie started. Of course Emma, the perfect baby, slept the whole time. The movie was really cute and it was a nice family night out.

Happy Father's Day

2010-06-24T12:23:00.000-07:00

Jason was able to celebrate Father's Day with an extra one this year. We had a great day together as a family. We started out by going to church, then we went and saw Pops to wish him happy father's day. Then we went to my parent's house for a swim and dinner. We got dad some waders and Brady thought he looked really funny. We love the dads in our life!

Mandy & Ty's Wedding

2010-06-24T12:13:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we celebrated another great couple that finally said "I do." Ty and Mandy have been our friends forever. Jason and I grew up with Ty and Mandy and and Kelly have always been close so we were excited to share this special day with them. Mandy was a beautiful bride.

Happy Birthday Adam

2010-06-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Adam's 22nd birthday last week. Emma and Brady love their Uncle Adam.

Downs after Dark! Surprise!!

2010-06-15T15:55:00.000-07:00

We went to Churchill Downs Friday night for Downs after Dark to celebrate mine and Adam's birthday. I didn't know, however, that several of our friends were also coming to surprise me. It was so good to see everyone and the night races are a blast. Jason and Kelly did a great job of surprising me and I really appreciate all of our friends that came.

Ice Cream Social

2010-06-15T15:50:00.000-07:00

Danielle had an ice cream social at her house last week so the kids could get together and play and have ice cream. They loved it. They jumped in the bouncy house, rode Sam's cars and ate lots of sweets. It was a good time.

Mommy's 30th Birthday

2010-06-15T15:40:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that I am 30. Life goes by so fast and I am truly blessed. I have awesome parents, siblings, friends, husband and of course two beautiful children. On my birthday mom and Kelly took me to see Sex in the City 2 and then we met the rest of the family, Jason and the kids, his parents and my friends Danielle and Donna at the Mexican restaurant. Of course Brady was all about the cake! It was a nice birthday.

We lost a dear friend

2010-06-15T15:23:00.001-07:00

This past week we lost a very dear friend, Tara Cooper. Tara was in our Bunco group and she was always at our kids birthday parties and Tick or Treating on Halloween. She was such a sweet person, always smiling and never had a bad thing to say about anyone. She will be truly missed my many people. We love you Tara and we'll see you again someday!