Alyson Claire Edwards

Alyson News!

2010-01-20T06:50:00.001-08:00

Wow it has been a while since I posted anything. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year filled with family and food. Alyson is getting ready for her fourth birthday, that doesn't even seem possible. She recently decided it was time for her to get her ears pierced and she did it without shedding on tear, I was so proud of her, it was just the two of us that went, I think Daddy was too nervous which makes for a nervous child so we left him at home. Alyson is growing up so fast, she is such a sweet girl with a big heart. I feel so blessed to be her mother. Alyson still loves going to her preschool and all her friends. For Christmas she got a brand new Dora bike, which she absolutely loves and has just recently been able to enjoy with the nicer weather. I will try to post some new pictures of her with her earrings and of course her Dora birthday bash that is coming soon.

Fun filled Saturday!

2009-09-28T14:44:00.000-07:00

Saturday was a busy day for us, we went to Mommy's company picnic, then it was off to Landon's birthday party, followed up by an exciting night at the fair. Landon just turned 3 yrs old and had a Curious George birthday party, it was so much fun. Alyson and Landon had a blast at the fair together this year. They rode a lot of rides (including the scrambler, which by the way Alyson requested to ride twice, what a dare devil) and played a few games. We were even able to take Granny Carr with us which is amazing in itself she is 79 and hasn't been to a fair in lets just say a few years, but I think she had a great time. We were all pretty tired by the end of the night but a great time was had by all. Thank you also to Mimi for going and helping with the kids while the adults rode a ride by themselves!

Alyson Updates

2009-09-11T14:00:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to take this time to share a few things about Alyson as she is growing so fast. She is the sweetest little girl ever, don't get me wrong she has her moments as does every 3 1/2 yr old. She loves to play with her dolls and her favorite thing to play is doctor. She is really into puzzles and coloring, anything with art really. She loves going to church and playing with her friends. As far as her health goes she has been a super healthy little girl, thank you Lord. She is not a picky eater, she loves all vegetables, meat, not real crazy about fruit but she will eat it if I put it in front of her. She does have a bossy streak--hummm can't imagine where that may come from. She loves her Mommy and Daddy. She is really into going to "school" and learning new things. Owen and I have not enrolled her in any sports or dance as of yet. Her school will be starting gymnastics and jitter bugs (dance), we let her decide which one she wanted to do and she chose gymnastics so well see how she likes it. We are so proud of the little girl we have and love her dearly she is such a blessing from God!

Mother's Day/Father's Day 2009

2009-06-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

This year for Mother's Day Owen took Alyson shopping to pick out a Mother's Day gift, she did a wonderful job picking out 5 containers of gerber daisies for us to plant in our flower bed. She got one yellow, two orange, and two pink gerber daisies. The flowers were beautiful and still are. I also had her color a picture for both of her Grannies and we framed them, they were so beautiful. We cooked Mother's Day dinner for Granny Granny on the Saturday before Mother's Day, Granny B could not make it she was under the weather. On Mother's Day Owen and Alyson took me out to lunch, it was a wonderful day with my two favorite people.

This year for Father's Day Alyson and I decided to get Daddy a gift certificate that way he could get exactly what he wanted. We took Daddy out to lunch and later that evening enjoyed a rather warm but fun cookout at church for all the Dads. Happy Father's Day to the best Daddy ever!

So Behind

2009-05-15T13:52:00.001-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted anything new in a very long time, we have been so busy. Things are starting to slow down a little bit so hopefully I can post all the fun things we have been doing. Alyson is growing up so fast, it is funny some of the conversations she has with us. Lets just say she is a true diva and we are in the process of teaching her reality... you can't always get what you want. She really is fun though, she loves to wear her princess dress-up shoes through the house carrying her purse and pushing her walmart shopping cart with her baby doll in the front exclaiming "I am going to walmart to get groceries, be back in a minute". She is really into helping, wanting to help clean, vacuum, cook, etc., lets just hope the same attitude is there when she is older. She has been asking lately if she could have a sister....um.... not sure about that yet. She thinks you can just pick out what you want in a nursery and pick out whatever you want, boy or girl (suppose she gets this from going into the church nursery to visit our friend's baby). We just keep telling her maybe someday:) She loves to pray at all the meals and at night, especially remembering her friend that is sick, little Drew. We love her so much and she is such a joy. I will try to get some pictures up of our vacation and outings. Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend.

AWANA Race

2009-03-02T07:41:00.001-08:00

This is Alyson's first year to be in the AWANA program at our church so this was her first year to enter the AWANA Grandprix. We decided, Alley included that her car should be painted and decorated like a ladybug. The car turned out to be absolutely cute. She helped us paint it and Daddy and I added the finishing touches. Alyson won 1st place in the design division for her age group and even got a trophy. We all had so much fun, can't wait until next year. Next year we will have to work on speed as her car was a little slow, she did however win two races

Big Girl Booster Seat

2009-03-02T07:37:00.000-08:00

After a lot of investigation and research into finding the right booster seat we finally found one that is not only safe but also stylish. Let me take a minute to back up and explain the decision to get a new car/booster seat. Little Miss Alyson now weighs 34 1/2 pounds and is getting to big for me to lift her into her car seat, now she can get into it herself, much easier on her and me. Here she is on the way to the AWANA Grandprix (post to follow).

Happy 3rd Birthday!

2009-03-02T07:27:00.000-08:00

This years birthday theme was picked by the birthday girl herself. She chose Mickey Mouse Clubhouse with focus on Minnie Mouse of course. We all, including myself had so much fun at this party. We had the party at the Witcherville Community building (we have new carpet and I did not want any accidents involving cake or drinks). Alyson celebrated her birthday with lots of friends and family, everyone had a great time, there was a bounce-a-round with Mickey, Minnie and the crew on it, which I must say I enjoyed as much as the kids, a strawberry cake (another birthday girl request), pinata, goody bags, and lots of presents. Our little girl is now three years old and we are very proud of her and who she is becoming. I pray that the Lord will continue to help her grow and become a godly young woman. She has been such a blessing to us and everyone who knows her. We love you Alyson!

Sleeping Beauty

2009-03-02T07:26:00.000-08:00

This is kind of random but very adorable. This is how I found Alyson sleeping a few weeks ago. She has actually been sleeping like this since we brought her home from the hospital, makes me sad and happy at the same time to see how she is growing up.

Fun at the Park

2009-02-28T16:13:00.000-08:00

After a very cold week in January, one that was so cold there was even enough ice and snow I was able to be home with Alley for two whole days, we spent Saturday at the park because it was absolutely beautiful. We all needed this time to be outside and play because we had been in the house for a while. This was a fun family Saturday at the park.

Weekend at Landon's and Going to the Zoo

2009-02-19T14:44:00.000-08:00

Yes I know it has been a while since I had a post but things have just been so busy around here. We have done a lot of things since my last post. We went on a visit to Landon's house the plan was to take the kids and get their picture made together but that fell through on this particular day so we decided it would be a great day to take the kids to the Zoo. The weather was absolutely beautiful and warm, a rare and great treat for the third day of January. The kids had a great time seeing all the animals, who were surprisingly all out when we went. We even got to go on a train ride. The next morning we were able to take the kids and get their pictures made, they were so cute. We had a wonderful weekend with Aunt Lauren, Uncle Steve and Landon. Can't wait to do it again. By the way these are only a few pics from the Zoo there are many, many more.

Please Pray!

2009-01-15T11:11:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to post this asking those of you who read Alyson's blog page to pray for our friends Jeremy and Laura Holland and their son Drew who is really sick, also keep his older brother Gaven in your prayers. They had to take Drew to Arkansas Children's Hospital yesterday, he has been sick for the past two months, when he went to see the doctor yesterday a blood test revealed a low white and red blood cell count. Last night at Children's he was given blood, due to anemia and today he was having more tests ran to determine what is wrong. Please lift this family up in your prayers, we all know that God is the Great Physician. Thank you and God bless you.

Christmas Day 2008

2009-01-12T19:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas Day: Christmas morning we open presents from Santa at our house followed by Mommy making pigs in a blanket for breakfast, then it is time to get eat lunch at Granny and Papa Edwards and later in the evening off to Popa and Nonna's for finger foods, dirty Santa and a family game of some kind.

I must say this was my favorite Christmas this far, oh I am sure they just get better but for now this is my favorite. This year we were able to start teaching Alyson that Christmas is not about present from Santa but it is about the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. I think for this year we have established that it is a special time, Jesus birthday which there is no doubt I know she knows that fact she has been singing it since Thanksgiving (Happy Birthday Jesus). She did however enjoy her presents and she was thoroughly excited to see that Santa had left presents for her under her tree and that he ate the cookies she left out for him. Alyson loved all her gifts: baby doll with stroller, high chair, and bed, dress up items, Dr's kit, games, kitchen, doll house, a shopping cart, and a stocking full of goodies. Santa also left a note just for her. It is a wonderful experience to watch a child on Christmas morning, so excited and full of life and wonder. Thank you Lord for the many blessings in our life and for all you have given us!

Christmas Eve 2008

2009-01-12T19:07:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve is spent every year with my family, we have such a wonderful time together and what a blessing to have Lauren and Landon with us this year. Of course as I mentioned in my Thanksgiving post my Grandpa passed away in June so this was our first Christmas without him and we truly missed him. I am so thankful that our whole family was able to spend Christmas Eve with my Granny at her house to help her through this time. All the kids got several presents from all the aunts and uncles and loved playing together.

Chirstmas Lights

2009-01-12T18:50:00.000-08:00

The weekend before Christmas we decided to check out the lights in Van Buren. There is a house that has Christmas lights that dance and blink to music, just set your radio to a certain station and watch the show, for FREE. Anyway we waited in line for about 45 minutes to see this and was it worth it. Santa was even there handing out candy canes to all the cars. Alyson loved the show, although her favorite part was Santa coming up to her window and talking to her and giving her candy, since this is what she had told me she wanted Santa to bring her for Christmas. It was a wonderful show and well worth the drive and time.

Church Christmas Play

2008-12-14T19:08:00.000-08:00

This year Alyson was old enough to participate in the church Christmas play. She was a beautiful little angel. There were four angels in the play this year: Alyson, Braxton, Gaven, and Piper. All the kids looked really cute in their angel costumes. All of Alyson's grandparents came to watch her big performance, although she did not really sing any of the songs (not because she didn't know them, I guess it was stage fright) but she still looked super cute up front. Aunt Mimi and Uncle Andrew came to watch her also. After the program we all met in the fellowship hall for yummy sweet treats. Happy Birthday Jesus!

Alyson and Piper and Alyson and Gaven

Alyson's First Christmas Parade

2008-12-13T20:09:00.000-08:00

That is the first parade to actually ride on a float in. Our church entered a float in Mansfield's Christmas Parade this year and the kids in AWANA (Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed) rode on it. Alyson had a blast and she was really excited when she was the one throwing the candy. I think she might have liked it more than being the one catching the candy, on second thought maybe not more, but she was excited. It wasn't a big parade but we had fun riding in it.

Family Chirstmas Pictures

2008-12-13T20:01:00.000-08:00

I have to say this year I really loved our family Christmas pictures. Alyson cooperated wonderfully and we actually had fun doing them. As tradition after family photos Daddy takes his girls out for our Christmas dinner which is always Olive Garden and then we go look at Christmas lights. Thank you Daddy we had a great time. Merry Christmas!

This is the only pic I could get, but Christmas cards have been sent out with good pics.

Our Christmas Tree

2008-12-13T19:54:00.000-08:00

Owen and I have always wanted real Christmas trees at our home, so in keeping with tradition the day after Thanksgiving we all went as a family and picked out our Christmas Tree. I now that we would have so much fun going to a tree farm to pick out a tree but we really like frasier furs and the only place we have ever gotten on is either Home Depot or Lowes. It really didn't take much time to find the right tree, we all agreed, even Alyson that this was the one. She even did a little modeling of one of her new Christmas shirts.

Greenwood Chirstmas Parade

2008-12-13T19:43:00.001-08:00

A couple of weeks ago our town had its annual Christmas Parade, I was not entirely sure we were going to go but after mentioning it in front of Alyson and her request that we take her so she could see Santa I decided we would brave the cold and go. Unfortunately Owen was not feeling very well the night of the parade (fever and overall aches) I had determined that Alyson and I would just have to go it by ourselves. My cousin Kellie, however was kind enough to accompany us the parade, I am sure she felt more like my pack mule (she carried most of my things, camera, blanket, and various other things while I carried Alyson the ENTIRE HOUR AND A HALF we were at the parade). I need not mention that after standing at the parade for that period of time holding a nearly three year old child one's arms tend to feel a lot like jello by the end of the night, but we made it and I am so glad we went. Before the parade began they had the lighting of the town square and fireworks, Alyson had a wonderful time. Thanks Kellie for going with us and braving the very cold temperatures.

Thanksgiving Day 2008.

2008-12-13T19:28:00.001-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving day with all our family at Granny Carr's house. Everyone had a wonderful time and more than enough delicious food. All the little kids had a great time getting to play outside since the weather was absolutely beautiful (good thing, they needed to run after all that food). What a wonderful Thanksgiving as we all are so truly blessed.

Thanksgiving Morning 2008.

2008-12-06T15:04:00.000-08:00

Alyson was very much into the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this year and excited to see all the floats. I was trying to get ready for dinner at my Granny's house and she would run into the bathroom and tell me that another balloon was on T.V. I think this is the most she has sat still to watch anything on T.V. ever.

Fun in Fayetteville

2008-11-25T13:15:00.000-08:00

Saturday evening we headed up the hill to the Smith house were we ate pizza and went to the lighting of the square. The girls had a great time watching the lights and the parade, they even got a few pieces of candy, I think they both snacked on a small candy cane before the night was over. Anyway as always I forgot my camera at home but Lindsay got some really cute pictures of the girls, hopefully she will post them soon. Thanks guys for the fun evening and for letting us ride in your now new van--congrats.

Girls Night at Granny Carr's

2008-11-25T13:08:00.000-08:00

Last Friday night Daddy went camping (crazy, the temperature was about 20 degrees) so that he would be in place for early duck hunting. Alyson and I decided to go to Granny Carr's and keep her company for the night. Saturday morning we made a trip to Ft. Smith to pick up some material I ordered for Alyson's curtains that Granny Carr is making her for her new big girl room. We also had to get our measurements for a bridesmaid dress and flower girl dress, Jevon my very good friend is getting married. That's right Alyson first flower girl gig, how exciting. After the getting our measurements we went to Dillard's to find Alyson a Christmas dress, no luck yet, hopefully we find something before this Saturday, we are having family Christmas pictures taken. Our next stop was Target to get a few things and then Granny took us to lunch. It was a great day, we love spending time with our Granny. Later that evening it was time to take off to Fayetteville to meet the Smith's and go to the lighting of the square in Fayetteville.

Halloween!

2008-11-01T12:33:00.001-07:00

As you can tell from the pictures Alyson was Snow White this year for Halloween and I think she really did like her costume, she even left her crown on for most of the night. Our Halloween night started off at Granny and Papa's for some delicious stew and popcorn balls, which Alyson was not impressed with but Mommy and Daddy liked it. After dinner we headed out to start the real fun. Our first stop was Granny Carr's house where Alyson got a book for trick or treat and some candy. Second stop was to Poppa and Nonna's house for more candy and s short visit. The third stop was to Aunt Mimi house where Alyson got several goodies and prizes. Fourth stop was Granny B's house, Alyson got some stickers and a coloring book, along with many other things. Last stop of the night was to Aunt Yvonne's house who gave us cookies, yummy! This may not seem like a lot of places for most people but the entire circle took us about 55 miles and 2 1/2 hours, but well worth it for all our family to get to see Alyson. Thank you to everyone for all the wonderful treats and prizes! Also thank you to Mrs. Val for the glowing wand.

Beginning of Halloween Fun!

2008-10-31T15:00:00.000-07:00

Today Aunt Mimi, Alyson and I spent most of the morning and mid afternoon together. We went to visit Granny B at the preschool, where she is a teacher, we went to lunch and I even got to vote early while Mimi watched Alyson, so great. In the afternoon Alyson and I went to her Halloween party at school and then to do a little shopping, which was unsuccessful we ended up coming home empty handed, I am sure Daddy won't mind. We had a wonderful day together.

Jack-o-Lantern!

2008-10-31T14:51:00.000-07:00

Last night we decided it would be fun as a family to carve our first Jack-o-Lantern together. Alyson really enjoyed it and she has even discovered there is a difference between a pumpkin and a Jack-o-Lantern. After we finished carving his face we put a candle in him, turned off the lights and watched him glow. Later that night we made a place in the floor where we all sat down and watch It's The Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown. I was sitting by Alyson about to start the movie when she looked at me and said "Mommy this is great" ahhhh how sweet she is. By the way her hair looks crazy because she has woke up from a nap not too long before the pictures, and we do not normally promote standing on the dinning table.

Big Girl Bed!

2008-10-31T14:45:00.000-07:00

We have finally given in and purchased a "big girl bed" for Alyson. It doesn't seem possible she is old enough for one but she will be 3 in another four short months. She has actually been sleeping in it for almost a week now and is doing great. We did not purchase rails, I opted to use big pillows on each side of her and she hasn't fallen out yet. She was so very excited to finally get it and get to sleep all night in it. Hope you love your new bed Alley!

Fall Fun!

2008-10-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we all got together for a hayride, hot dog roast, marshmallows, and lots of fall fun. We went to my mom's house (she has a farm) because I was a little reluctant this year to pay $7.00 a piece to go to the Wild Thing's Farm when we have our own farm to go to and our own tractor and hay to ride on. We had a lot of fun especially on the hayride looking at all the animals, singing songs, and visiting. Thank you Granny B.

Allergy!!

2008-10-09T13:58:00.000-07:00

It seems as though Miss Alyson has an allergy to something, and I say something because I have no idea what is causing the red spots all over her abdomen and legs. On Monday night after bath time I noticed an area near her right underarm, so being the freak that I am I put some hydrocortizone cream on it thinking it was probably just a bug bite. Turns out this was no bug bite and by Tuesday night she had little red dots on her abdomen and legs. We were at my Granny's house (we visit her every Tuesday evening and have dinner with her) so I let Granny and Aunt Kris look at the spots, we decided it was probably some virus from daycare and I would just watch it. By Wednesday morning the small red dots had turned into nickle sized spots, ok time to freak-out, what in the world is this. Wednesday morning I took her to the pediatrician who confirmed she was having an allergic reaction. I have been trying to determine if we have introduced anything new, foods, detergents, soaps, etc. and I can not come up with anything. Today is Thursday and the spots were there this morning but getting better throughout the day with the aid of Benedryl, so we will just watch and see how long it takes to go away, luckily they do not itch so she is not miserable. I think it is bothering me more than it is Alyson.

Date Night

2008-09-28T20:01:00.000-07:00

Just had to throw this little post in here because Owen and I finally got to go on a date. That is right the first date since little Miss Alyson was born. We haven't been out on a date not because we haven't wanted to just every time we would plan one something would come up. Saturday we had to be in Rogers for an AWANA conference. We finished the conference up about 3:45 and went to the movies to see Fire Proof. I would really suggest all you married people out there see this movie with your spouse as it is a good lesson on marriage and the need to have God as the center of it. After the movie we made our way to Lifeway Christian store to look around and see if there were any good bargains, we end up buying Alyson a book and new Veggie Tales movie. We went out to dinner which was rather odd, not that it was bad just different as there was no one to take care of or sing to or make sure they were eating their food and not playing in it. We had a wonderful time and I know Alyson had a great time with Granny B, she even got to stay the night with her. Thank you Daddy for a great evening and Granny B for watching our little angel.

State Fair

2008-09-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

The fair came to Ft. Smith this past week. We went on Thursday night so we could also go to the Circus that comes with the fair every year. This year Alyson was able to do some rides that even I found to be somewhat fun. We rode the hot air balloons (twice), pink elephants, train, and the helicopters. Daddy let Alyson play a game and she won a horn (which she blew from Ft. Smith to Greenwood non stop) and a bouncy ball. At the circus we saw tigers, a lion, elephants, and acrobats. We went to Old McDonald's farm and feed the goats. We saw the sheep and chickens in the livestock barns, although Alyson did not want to see the cows not sure why she is afraid of them but trust she is. We had a wonderful time out as a family.

The Wonder Place

2008-09-28T19:23:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in the last post we took the kids to the Wonder Place for Landon's birthday. The kids had a wonderful time with all the different stations. There was a huge vacuum that the kids could put colored scarves into and watch them go around and around until they finally blew out the other end. There was a huge sand and water table, also very fun. A craft room, that day they had several different stamps out of animals and letters. A pretend veterinary clinic complete with shots, xrays, stuffed animals, and even an exam table. A produce market with plastic vegetables, fruits, milk, meats, fish, and cheeses, which also had two registers for check-out. A River Cafe with you guessed it pretend food for cooking and serving, they even had little bistro tables just the right size for kiddies. A puppet and dress-up area. Last but not least an area to climb a rock wall, go through a tunnel, and a set of stairs to climb that lead to a huge doll house. The kids did not stop for the whole 2 1/2 hours we were there. I highly recommend this place to anyone who is traveling to the Little Rock area. It was a blast and we adults had fun with some of it too!

Landon's 2nd Birthday

2008-09-24T06:43:00.000-07:00

Last Friday night we left after work to go to Conway to visit with Aunt Lauren, Uncle Steve and Landon for Landon's 2nd birthday. We had a wonderful time going to the park, having a cook out and taking the kids to the Wonder Place (see next post). Landon had a Sesame Street theme for his birthday with yummy cake and lots of birthday presents. Thanks guys for a fun weekend.

COWGIRLS

2008-09-24T06:38:00.000-07:00

The theme for AWANA this year is "Wanted by God", which is a western theme, so last Wednesday night was dress western night. The kids had a great time dressing up and playing the western games. Here is a picture of Alyson and I before we left for church, by the way Daddy dressed up too we just didn't get a picture of him. We have several more dress up nights scheduled so we will get him next time.

Birthday Party Weekend

2008-09-09T20:39:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Alyson was invited to two birthday parties. On Saturday we went to Gaven and Drew's birthday party, Alyson goes to church with them. Gaven turned 4 and Drew turned 2. Since their birthdays are so close together their mom and dad decided to have one big party. We had a lot of fun. There was cake, homemade ice cream, fruit, cookies, candy, and a HUGE bounce-a-round. I did however neglect to take pictures at the party, we were rushed Saturday and I forgot my camera, but we had a wonderful time.

On Sunday we went to Fayetteville for Lily's 3rd birthday. It was great to get to see Steve and Lindsay's new house (very nice) and just to see them again. Lily had a very cute, very girl, Hello Kitty birthday party. Alyson had tons of fun on the bounce=a-round, eating pizza, playing games and eating cupcakes. Hopefully we will get back up there soon to see them again. I did get pictures from Lily's party.

Dress-Up

2008-09-09T20:29:00.000-07:00

While I was at the Growing Kids Sale last week I decided I would look for Alyson some costume jewelry because she loves to get into my jewelry box and take out bracelets and rings (I have learned to make a drawer for her, things I don't really like or wear anymore). I found a whole bag full of clip on earrings, rings, necklaces, bracelets, you name it it was in there. She was so excited when she found out I had bought her jewelry. She will bring me the basket full of this play jewelry and say "make me a princess" although I think she looks more like Mr. T. Tonight we went to Sam's because Valarie (nurse I work with) told me they had princess dress-up sets for a good price, so we ended up with a Snow White outfit, a Tinker Bell outfit complete with wings, and a pack of 6 pair of dress shoes. The minute we got home we were instructed by Alyson to get her dress-up things out of the package so she could be a princess. I have not taken pictures of that yet but here are some of her and her jewelry.

Jonah and Alyson

2008-09-09T20:06:00.000-07:00

It is really nothing new that we have been hanging out with Jordan, Susan and Jonah for several months now, but I finally got a picture of Jonah and Alyson. Alyson loves it when she gets to see Jonah. She likes to give him kisses and most of all play with his infant carrier when he comes over. I have since bought her a baby doll infant carrier so she can have one to play with when he is not at our house. Anyway we love having our friends over for dinner or just to visit and I am sure Alyson can't wait until Jonah is big enough to play in "her house" (this is what she refers to her playroom as).

Jonah and Alyson

Labor Day Weekend

2008-09-02T19:32:00.000-07:00

Our Labor Day weekend did not start off that well but after Saturday it was a great weekend to relax and enjoy our family. I was sick most of the day Saturday with a virus but luckily it only lasted one day. Alyson and Daddy got to spend most of Saturday with each other while I was on the couch with a tummy ache. Alyson decided she wanted Mc Donald's for lunch so Daddy took her to get a Happy Meal. Sunday we did the usual: Church in the morning, Aunt Yvonne's for lunch, nap, evening Church, and resting at home the rest of the evening. Monday we just hung out at home, got our clothes together for the Growing Kids Sale, and later that evening we had Granny and Papa over for dinner. It was not an exciting holiday but we had a lot of fun at home coloring, playing hide-n-seek, playing with our baby dolls, and just spending time together.

Poor Aunt Mimi :(

2008-08-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday night late we found out Aunt Mimi had broken her arm after being kicked by a horse. It was BAD. The following morning after Alyson woke up and we were getting ready to go to church I was telling her that Aunt Mimi had broke her arm unaware of what was about to unfold. She was very upset that her Mimi was hurt, I had to eventually call my mom to have her calm Alley down. How unassuming of me, I had no idea she even understood what I was telling her, but she did. After church I took her over to see Mimi and to see that she was fine. Aunt Mimi had surgery on Monday to correct her fractured ulna and dislocated radius. She had a plate and screws put in, I opted not to share this information with Alyson so as not to have another break down. Mimi ended up staying a night in the hospital but when she came home I took Alyson to see her. On the way to her house Alyson asked me if Mimi arm was fixed, I told her yes that it still hurt but it was fixed and it will get better, she just smiled and said "oh good". Mimi is doing pretty good as of today, we all just want her to feel better:) Never underestimate toddlers.

Sesame Street Live!

2008-08-28T09:17:00.000-07:00

This past weekend Aunt Lauren and Landon met Alyson and I in Ft. Smith to go watch Elmo Makes Music. The kids had a wonderful time. Alyson loved dancing and singing. She was very excited to see Bert and Ernie, and of course the rest of the Sesame Street gang. We bought the kids each an Elmo balloon to take home as a souvenir (all that stuff is so expensive we thought we would be doing good with a balloon, still $7.50). After the concert we went back to our house for lunch, naps, and some playtime, then it was on to Granny's house for some more visiting. It was a wonderful day and we were so happy that we could spend it with Aunt Lauren and Landon. I will try to post pics from the concert later.

Moving Up

2008-08-19T14:07:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday Alyson graduated to Children's Church and loved it. I was a little nervous because all the kids meet at the front of the Church for a message from Bro. Gary before separating into the two age groups, but to my surprise (somewhat) Alyson was AWESOME! She sat with her legs together (in her dress) with her hands in her lap and LISTENED to the message. After the service I went to get her out of her class and her teacher said she did great. We went home and had lunch after church, when we had finished lunch and it was nap time I had taken Alyson to potty before laying down, I asked her what Bro. Gary was talking about in Children's Church and with a very intent look on her face she said "ummm plates", exactly. He had been talking to the kids about the importance of God taking having the bigger part in their lives and he was using dinner plates and dessert plates to demonstrate with, so she really was paying attention. We'll see how this next Sunday goes.

Cute Pictures

2008-08-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

This picture was just too cute to keep to myself so I thought I would share it, there is really no story attached

This is Alyson's thrill seeking side. I am not real sure how comfortable I was with her on this HUGE slide , but she loved it.

All I have to say is these are two cute kids!!!

Water Fun!

Going to Landon's House

2008-08-09T13:17:00.000-07:00

This past week Alyson and I spent a few days with Landon and Lauren just visiting and going to some fun places. We had a great time. Alyson and Landon had a lot fun playing together and I had a great time catching up with Lauren. Let me tell you these two kids are nothing but balls of energy, the only time they are still is when they are sleeping. The second day we were there we took the kids to night water at Wild River Country and they had an absolute blast. The day we were leaving to come home we took them to Jump Zone, we probably won't be taking the kids back until they are a little older, but Alyson (who has no fear, not sure this is a good thing) went on all the bounce arounds, luckily there was something for Landon to play with. He found a little play house to play in. All in all we had a wonderful time and we can't wait to see them again. Thank you Landon and Aunt Lauren.

Go Hogs!

2008-08-02T19:47:00.000-07:00

This was the last week of the "summer program" at Alyson's daycare which means that after the break this next week they will officially begin their curriculum for the new year. Her daycare has a set curriculum for ages 18 months and up. They followed very closely the same calendar year as Ft. Smith schools. Anyway with all that being said each day there was a theme. Friday was the end of summer party, the theme was Razorbacks. This was dedicated to one of her teachers, whom we loved dearly, because she will now be going to school in Fayetteville. Of course I didn't wait until the last minute to look for her a Razorback shirt (yea right), so I went Thursday night on the mad hunt for a "cute" shirt, no such luck. I decided the best thing to do was to make one, by the way let me tell you there is nothing I dislike more than crafts, it is just something I never have liked. Nevertheless what is a good mother to do other than make her child a Razorback shirt at 11:00 pm the night before. Alyson really seemed to like it when she found it the next morning. I asked her who made her shirt and she said "my mommy made it for me", that definitely made it worth it. I do think it turned out very nice and in fact I received several compliments on it from her teachers at daycare.

Landon Comes to Visit

2008-08-02T19:35:00.000-07:00

Last week my cousin, Lauren and her little boy Landon came up for a few days to visit. Alyson is seven months older than Landon. They had met once before and loved playing with each other, this time was no different, they had a blast playing and swimming. Alyson and I are going to their house this week to visit for a couple of days and go to Wild River Country because these two LOVE the water, as you can clearly see from the picture.

Granny turns 78!

2008-08-02T19:15:00.000-07:00

Today my Granny turned 78 so to celebrate the family decided to take her to Furrs for lunch. We all had such a great time. My Granny has not been able to do much of anything for her birthday in YEARS so it was great we could take her out and let her enjoy her day. Alyson had a wonderful time as well, she had chocolate cake after lunch and went on a merry-go-round at the mall. She also sang Happy Birthday to Granny about 30 times. The only thing that could have made the day better would have been Daddy, who was helping Papa in the hay.

Happy Birthday Granny!

By the way the only picture I ended up with at the lunch with Granny and Alyson was this one with Aunt Mimi.

First Official Blog

2008-08-01T14:06:00.000-07:00

Okay, here goes I am going to try blogging. I haven't been real successful with this, but I decided why not our friends will be able to keep up with Alyson and get to watch her grow. Since this is the first official entry let me catch you up. Alyson was born February 22 2006 at 11:19 pm. She weighed 8lbs 3oz and was 20 inches long. She was a wonderful baby, although at times a little fussy, but what baby isn't sometimes. She is now a beautiful little girl who is 2 1/2 years old. She is a loving and energetic child who is full of life. She loves her family. Alyson has a huge extended family that loves her so much and we are so blessed to be able to live so close to all of them. She enjoys swimming, going to church, playing with other children, singing, dancing, reading, and watching Veggie Tales. I am a working mommy so Alyson goes to "school" (daycare) four days a week and stays with her Granny one day a week. She loves her friends at school and her teachers. She recently graduated from the nursery at church to her first real Sunday School class and loves it. Alyson is the light of our lives and I thank God every day that he has allowed me to be her mother. All that being said I will do my best to keep everyone updated on our little angel. God Bless You!