Spring

Spring is here and we are having so much fun! It's so funny how you don't even realize how much you miss the sunshine until it's back!

The flowers are blooming, the birds are chirping, and the weather is perfect! Alabama LOVES to be outside so we've been spending some time enjoying the beautiful weather while it lasts! A few more months in Augusta and it will be so hot you can't even go outside!

Last week, we went to a park in Louisville while we were waiting on my Daddy. Alabama loves the swings! Then we climbed on this and slid down the slide. We blew bubbles and had some snacks! It was such a nice little park!

She loves to go outside when we're at home. We ride in her car....a lot! We ride around the yard, to get the mail, to go next door...everywhere! She also loves to ride in the wagon still, too.

She also loves to play in her playhouse that Georgia gave us last year. I know she is really going to love it when she's walking more. She goes in and out. Sits on the chairs. Looks through the windows. On Tuesday, she and Adam played in there forever. She cooked him supper and it was so cute!

We even took her push toy outside and she loved to walk around! I think she looks so non-baby in this picture! So grown! ha!

What have you been doing to enjoy the Spring sunshine??

Happy St. Patricks Day!

I thought I had lost the photos I downloaded from my camera around St. Patrick's Day....but I found them this morning!!! So, here they are!

We had a fun, green day. We went to eat lunch with Adam at work. They grilled hamburgers and then we watched the St. Patrick's Day Parade that goes right in front of his shop. I'd never been before so it was neat to see. It was raining so we were inside but we also went out on the patio for a while to watch the parade go by. We saw men playing bagpipes, marching bands, Irish dancers and lots of floats. There were also many floats like this with so and so "family or clan"...I never knew there were so many Irish families in Augusta! That was so different! We didn't stay the whole time, but Alabama really loved watching everyone go by.

There was another baby on the outside of the building and she and Alabama had fun playing through the glass! ha!

Here we are wearing the green beads we got at the parade! Then we went to church that night and had green banana pudding for supper! ha!

First steps!

Yes, Alabama took her first steps this week!!! I was so excited! On Tuesday, we were in Bartow for Daddy's fiddle lesson and her and I were playing outside while they were finishing up. I stood her up in front of me and she actually stood there then took a couple of steps to get to me! She was so funny! I got so excited and cheered for her and she just grinned! When we got to Granny's later on, she did it again but this time took about five steps! Yay! Of course, she wouldn't walk for Adam until Friday afternoon. She took a few steps between us. She's still not a walker yet, but it won't be long now! (I'm really hoping she's got the hang of it by Easter!)

Party, Part 2

Here is the other post of Alabama's party....sorry it's so late! I've been so busy and it's hard trying to find a minute to blog lately....I'm so behind!

I wanted to make sure we got pictures of everyone with Alabama.

Here she is with me and Adam.

Here's Adam's Dad and his sister, Georgia, and our nieces, Anna and Morgan, and nephew, Ethan.

Here we are with my Mama and Daddy.

This is my sister, Audra.

Here is my sister, Alicia.

Here we are with Nana and Ralph.

After the gifts, it was time for CAKE!!!!

Our friend, Shea, made the cakes for us. We sang 'Happy Birthday" and let her go for it. She wasn't sure what to do at first, but got the hang of it quickly. The cupcake icing was the hard kind and not very messy so I smeared some icing from the cookies we made onto the cupcake and it worked a little better. NOTE: To make for a messier first birthday experience, use store bought, Betty Crocker chocolate icing!!!

It was so cute, she grabbed big chunks of cake and stuffed it in!

While she worked on her cake and ice cream, I cut the big cake for everyone else.

After she was done with the cake and all the guests had eaten as well,
we got in the bath tub and cleaned up.

She played for a while with all the toys and after everyone left, she took a good long nap. Birthdays are hard work, huh, Alabama! That night, my frined Leslie came by and brought a gift for Alabama. She gave her the cutest swimsuit--it is pink with a tutu around it! So cute! She also got her "twin" dolls. They are precious and Alabama is in love with them! She plays with them constantly!

Thank you everyone for coming and making her first birthday a sweet time! We love you!

Thanks Georgia for being the official photographer!

I sooo appreciate it, and Alabama will, too!

P-A-R-T-Y!

What a fun day to celebrate Alabama's first birthday! We had our family over for a sweet cupcake party and had a great time! I wanted to keep it simple so it would be less stressful (still not stress free! ha!) and we could focus on Alabama having a great time and not about entertaining a lot of friends. She did great even for not taking a nap all day long. She crashed after everyone left!

Here are some of the decorations.

The cupcakes hanging in the background were painted by Audra and I the night before. It's probably a good thing they aren't up close......just saying. ha!

Here's a banner I made out of scrapbook paper, chipboard letters, and twine.

It turned out SO cute!
Here is the spread. We kept it simple with cake, cookies, pink kisses, and ice cream.

I also found some cute cupcake Marshmallow pops and chocolate cupcake suckers to give to the guests and use for decorations. It was really a great theme because it was so easy to find cupcake items during Valentine's Day!

Here's my Dress-me-Up plate festively "dressed" for Alabama's birthday!

After all the guests arrived and we played and visited for a while, it was time to open presents!

First she played with the Fisher Price chair! I found it a few months ago at the SA and have been saving it for her birthday. She loves sitting in chairs! It is really cute.

Georgia, Chris, Anna, Morgan and Ethan gave her a precious outfit from Crazy 8. I never think to look on their site but they have some really cute stuff! She wore it to church yesterday and was so cute in it! They also gave her this fun horsey that plays music, rolls and has a basket for her doll in the front! How fun!

My sister, Alicia, gave her some cute red shoes because she knew we outgrew our old ones, some bath toys, a cute summer dress, some bows, and an awesome Cozy Coupe!!!! Alabama loves getting in and out of it and riding around the house! It is really neat because it has a removable floorboard and handle so she can be pushed now and then later can use it like a regular Cozy Coupe car.

My Mama and Daddy gave her a new car seat so she can ride facing forward now and also my Mama finished this crocheted blanket that she started when I was about 7.....so 20 years later it is done for Alabama! ha! It has a painted Cabbage Patch doll on it and it is for her to use to play with her babies. I'm sure she'll love it!

Adam's Mom, Maxine sent a package from Hawaii since she was there and missed Alabama's birthday. She sent a card that Alabama wanted to hold the entire time with a little Hawaiian baby on it and....a hula skirt outfit! It is sooo cute! She's so funny wearing it and dancing! It has the grass skirt, a coconut bra, a beaded necklace and a red flower for her hair. I remember my Nana bringing me a dress and a grass skirt back when she went to Hawaii many years ago!

His Dad actually went to the store and picked out a present for Alabama all by himself! We were all so shocked! ha! It was so cute he gave her some John Deere socks. I thought it was so funny in this picture....she knew exactly what the socks were and was trying to put them on!

My sister, Audra, gave Alabama a cute black swing jacket and a umbrella stroller so that we can carry it around and have more room in the car, and some yogurt melts. Here's Alabama snacking on the yogurt melts...when she saw them that was it! She had to have some right then. Nana and Ralph gave her some shampoo, some money, and a cute bathing suit cover up.

Bo, Kathie, and Jenna didn't come but sent a gift with Nana. They gave her a cute book about God's Precious Gift and a really cute summer outfit. It looks like it's from Paris!

My beautiful one year old!

Okay, it's getting kind of long....so I'll do a second post with the cake pictures!

Happy Birthday Cupcake!

On Friday the 26th of February, 2010, Alabama turned One! It was a day I'd looked forward to with much anticipation. When she got up that morning, we played for a while and I gave her a box of Kleenex to pull out every single piece as a fun treat for her birthday! She loved it! She pulled them out, tore them into pieces, and put some in her "drawer" in the kitchen to save for later I guess!

We got ready and went to Cracker Barrell for lunch with Big Mama, Aunt Lee Lee, and Aunt Katie. She loved eating her biscuits, green beans, macaroni and cheese, and Coca-cola Cake! yummy!!!

She turned one and is already reading huge books! haha!

We had to run a few errands that day and she was so good! We went and met Adam at Target after he got off work and before he had to go to the church to work on some Kids Alive stuff. It was fun to see him a little while since it was her birthday! After he left, Alabama, Audra, and I went to Babies R Us where she bought some birthday presents for Alabama!

Then we headed to Granny's and Aunt Judy's. Granny has been in the hospital last week and they weren't able to come to the party so we went by so they could see her and give her their gifts. She had fun opening the cards and presents from Aunt Ann and Uncle Phillip, Aunt Judy, and Granny. They were so sweet! She loved this card because the bear plays Peek-a-Boo! So cute!

Alabama loves to push Granny's walker so Aunt Judy took her for a ride on it! It was so funny seeing her running around pushing Alabama. She loved it but wasn't sure what to think! haha! I told them it was like an "amusement park ride at the retirement home!" ha!

She was such a sleepy girl when we left late that night. She'd had a fun but LONG day!

Just wait, it only gets better tomorrow, Alabama! ha!