Faith Family Friends, Photography!

Liv in her Halloween costume for preschool on Friday.

2011-10-29T20:56:00.001-05:00

Livi's preschool went to a nursing home to 'trick-or-treat' and everyone had such a great time! Both the kids and the residents :)

2011-10-02T19:50:00.001-05:00

Recent Updates:

2011-03-20T23:57:00.001-05:00

I am officially un-grounding myself from the Internet!!! Since my last actual update, I'm not even sure where to begin with our life-changes -- much less what's been going on with everyone else! Well, at least this is a start:

Liv has already been to 2 birthday parties & will be going to another next Saturday.
My Gramma Pat got married, which in & of itself was awesome -- and I got see lots of my family that I haven't in FOREVER (also awesome!)
My Nephew (Garrett) Sis (K~), Brother (Matt), and Niece (Maggie) have ALL had birthdays!!! But I hate that I haven 't gotten to see them since their special days... I miss them so much. And I seriously cannot wait to get their Birthday presents over to them!
My husband has been now out of town on business 3 times this year. Unfortunately, it has been tradition that whenever he goes out of town, Liv & I will get snow here in Missouri.

The most recent duration that he was out of town: Last week & the week before (7-8 days)
And since it was so close to Spring, I figured this would be the 1st time since 2010 that I wouldn't have to worry about the snow...
I was WRONG! It snowed about 3 inches last Sunday night/Monday morning. Seriously! I could NOT believe it...! March 14 -- less than a week away from the official start of Spring, and I was shoveling snow yet again.

We finally got moved into our new house! (about 99% anyway ~ still just a few loose ends to tie up & bring over here, but not much!)

My amazing husband did SO much of the moving all by himself. I helped with just a few of the big items & some packing/unpacking.

Liv was pretty good for the most part during this long weekend... Unfortunately, she did get to bed extremely late a couple of days & that caused a bit of a meltdown today. Bless her heart she was so tired!

After she [finally] got a nap, she was back to normal ~ very happy, energetic, & agreeable. We took advantage of this BEAUTIFUL afternoon & went to a nearby park:

These last several weeks have been ridiculously long/hard, but it definitely feels worth it all now :)

And now I'll be looking forward to catching up with my e-mail & even Facebook this week... I'm sure I've missed out on a lot these last several weeks. But at least I've kept up with real-life! All the essentials are unpacked at the new house, laundry is almost completely caught up

January Memories in Indiana

2011-01-30T22:22:00.001-06:00

Last weekend was certainly a snowy one,

but that didn't stop me & Liv from traveling

over to Indiana for a couple of days!

Sunday after Church, I promised Liv that we would

take her out & play in the snow after lunch. She had

such a blast! Especially riding around on the sled

pulled by her Papaw's lawn mower/tractor (with Mommy)

Getting ready to get on the sled

And her Papaw looking back to make sure she was sitting

After the 1st go-round, we took a little break. Liv

wantedto look into the cistern with Papaw

(to make sure the waterwas still full enough)

And Jax came over to see what was going on too...

OK, technically not see (since he seriously runs into trees)

but definitely wanted to be right there with Liv

Then Livia made us a couple of snow angels

And then she ran over to the swing set

I promise this child could swing & slide in any weather!

Normally the 'Mom' in me would say, "NO! It's way too

cold for that kind of nonsense!!!" But we were bundled

up already, and I ended up getting a pretty awesome pic

from her fun... And seeing that she didn't get sick or anything,

I can definitely say it was worth it!

[ more sliding ]

[ and more sliding still ]

Then her Papaw came along & made things even more fun

giving a gentle shove down the slide to really make her 'fly'

and pushing Livie in the swing

After all the fun on the swing set, Liv decided it was time

for another round sledding with Papaw & Mommy

Oh... And guess what else my daughter likes to do at

her Nana & Papaws. She LOVES to help vacuum!

I think I can say without prejudice that this is a 3 year

old that most anyone would LOVE to have around :)

So these were just a few of the fun times that we

had in Indiana during the month of January :)

(more beautiful memories to come soon)

December / Christmas 2010

2011-01-30T22:02:00.000-06:00

Just a few of my favorite pictures from the month of December...

Early December:

Liv getting ready to go play in the snow

And finally getting to make her snow angel -- All by herself!!!

(Mommy was quite impressed)

Mid December:

Liv 'helping' her Daddy put the star upon our tree

And in front of the decorated tree just before bedtime

Livia & her Daddy playing, being silly, and having a ball

Christmas Time:

Livia & her class for her Preschool's Christmas Program

And Liv just after the program all smiles

She did a really great job!!!

She and all the kids there received a pillow-pet from
the incredibly generous benefactor for the preschool
I feel so blessed to have personally met him!

'Christmas' morning at the Fultz household:
Though technically it was Christmas Eve, Liv
didn't seem to notice or mind! She got so many
presents, and we had so much fun watching her
open each one with excitement!

Just after all the presents were opened, we packed up

and got ready to leave for Indiana (and we were lucky

enough to get a couple of quick pictures beforehand)

As soon as we arrived in Indiana, Livia excitedly helped

Nana decorate the Christmas tree! Though several branches

had 3 or more ornaments upon them, Liv had a blast

helping her Nana get ready for Christmas!

~ Christmas Morning at Nana & Papaw's ~

Livia was so excited to open all the presents -- but first we all

enjoyed a huge Christmas breakfast from my Mom & Dad

Afterwards we all opened presents...

And then we went to do Christmas with my Mom's side

of the family (below: Laura & her Mini-Me, Meg)

And after lunch & presents with Mom's family, we

headed over to my husband's parents... Though

Christmas over there definitely did not at all go

as planned, I did manage to get a really cute pic

Liv with her cousins (Love them SO much!!!!)

The Day After Christmas ~ aka Laura's Birthday!

Liv posed for a few quick shots in the snow. I had

to get a few pictures to show that we really did have

a white Christmas :)

And then Jax came along to provide for even more cuteness!

Happy Birthday, Laura Belle!

Livia helped her Aunt Laura open her presents...

And blow out the candles!

And that was the end of our Christmas weekend in Indiana!

Valentines day card 2011

2011-01-30T20:57:00.001-06:00

Cocoa Trio Valentine's Day Card

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Peck of Pickles

2010-12-20T20:33:00.001-06:00

...is apparently what you get at McDonald's when you ask for 'light onion and extra pickle' on your McRib!

I was seriously expecting like 4 pickles (rather than the 2 that typically come upon their sandwiches)

Well, guess i know what to do next time we're running low on pickles here at home...!

Thanks for the half-a jar of pickles, Micky D's !

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Well, Hello!

2010-12-04T00:26:00.004-06:00

* Liv's first time visiting the Arch *

Just a very small bit of a catch-up (with some quite recent pictures mixed in for someone VERY special ~ I hope you know who you are, and how much I love & pray for you!)

It's been such a long time since I've written on this blog... And I'm sure I could try to come up with a good excuse, but the fact of the matter is that I simply haven't taken the time to post & write as I should.

Life got busy; life is always busy, but even more so since starting to work in Missouri. And Liv is going to preschool at a wonderful Christian Preschool in St. Peters ~ Kids Kingdom.

We still go to Indiana quite often (usually about every other week), and we are exploring more & more of Missouri. We are quite blessed...!

I've completed several Shutterfly projects throughout the last several months -- even Christmas Cards! I've actually begun the massive undertaking of putting all our memories into photo books.

Since March, I've gotten more beautiful hair styles than I could have ever once dreamed (and just about as many colors). And my wonderful sister has found a true calling in life -- she has such a gift!

But I have not kept up on this poor blog... not. at. all.

Once I stopped writing with any regularity, it fell so easily by the way-side. I'm able to keep up with most of my family & friends via social networking, email, phone, text, and even in-person visits... But many days I feel as if I can barely keep up with my personal life. Our lives...

It's been so nice to look back & see many of the adventures and milestones in our family; I especially love reading about Livia. I cannot believe it was more than 3 years ago that I began this blog, and how far our little family has come over these last few years...

I fear that so many things I love & cherish today wish gradually slip away into the tomorrow's. Without writing down the little wonderful every-day happenings here & now, they could easily be completely forgotten.

So my goal for the upcoming new year is to improve upon documenting memories. Though the photo books are a good start, I also want to keep up on this blog. At least a bit more than I have over the last several months!

There are so many times I've thought about writing, but then where to begin?? When you're so far behind that you have no clue where to even start... Well, that's exactly where I was when I began putting together the photo books also.

So what did I do? I took the first step. I started right where I was, and began working my way forward by going backwards through the years. I've back-dated all the way to the summer of 2008 and also managed to keep up on the most recent months in time.

As I read just recently by someone wise beyond her years, it only takes one step. After taking that first one, the rest of the steps just keep getting easier & easier.

Instead of getting overwhelmed & feel as if there's just too much piled on to even start, just start right where you are. Begin with the here & now, and try your best to keep up -- and perhaps even do some catching up too.

That is my advice to myself in the upcoming year -- take lots of steps in the right direction. There are many ways I hope to take these steps, but it all begins with making the effort & taking that first step. No matter how hard it may be.

Change doesn't happen overnight, and I certainly don't expect myself to begin blogging again every single day. That's not even a remotely realistic goal. But posting something at least once a month? That's a pretty reasonable expectation.

No, I may not be very good at a lot of things right now, but that can certainly change. I CAN change myself for the better! And it all starts with a first step...

There is no such thing as small change

Christmas Card 2010

2010-12-03T22:51:00.001-06:00

Dazzle And Shine Christmas 5x7 folded card

Make a statement with Shutterfly Christmas photo cards.

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Welcome to the World, Baby Noble!

2010-05-24T23:58:00.034-05:00

Oh, it's been such a long, fun, busy, wonderful day! I'm still here in Indiana with Liv since we still had some things to take care of here in town (more about that later). And I'm SO glad we're still here, because one of our best friends from church had her baby today!!!

Noble Willis D. was born today (May 24, 2010) weighing in at 9 lbs and measuring 20.5 in.

Matt & Rhona are just about the nicest, most beautiful people I've ever known... And I am beyond delighted that they have welcomed their son into the world!

I thank God for blessing the D. family with a beautiful, healthy baby boy! So tonight I say a prayer for Matt, Rhona, & Noble: I pray that all is well for them, and I pray that Rhona has a very quick recovery. And tomorrow I pray that I may be able to meet Noble before Liv & I head back to Missouri.

Still Behind ~ And Falling Even Further!

2010-05-24T00:42:00.000-05:00

After taking a glance back on the last few posts of catch-up, I realized that my updates only took me to the very first Saturday in May... And here we are in the last full week of the month! There is still so much that I left out from the time frame that I did post about, and don't even get me started on all that has already happened since.

Do I ever have a prayer of completely catching up?! If I'll just remember to post something on a fairly regular basis, that shouldn't be a problem. But just in case I do, here are just a few things that I really hope to write about & show off pictures from:

• Our Church being blessed with a wonderful new Pastor
• Our Family Reunion
• A visit with Marie
• Baby Day at Church
• Mother's Day
• Baby showers
• New bow hangers for Liv's room
• Liv's yearly check-up
• Livia's 1st hair-cut by her Aunt Laura
• Our Church's Community Summer Kick-Off
• And more!

Well, at least now that I've made a mentel -- and an actual -- list, I think I have a better chance at remembering to write about it all. ☺

All my ♥ !

Update 3:

2010-05-22T01:59:00.004-05:00

(Things that have happened quite a bit since my last 'real' post, on Livia's 3rd Birthday)

• My husband won 4 tickets to a Cardinals Baseball Game ~ which just happened to be in the 5th row!!! Side note: this was only my second baseball game ever. And another side note: my husband has to be the sweetest man in the whole world! He actually invited my parents to go with us!!! And this was only their 2nd baseball game ever as well. What an experience it was ☺

One of the best sights ever!

One of the 3 of us at the beginning of the game

We got a private bar, snack, & restroom area with our seats...

And Fred-Bird was there the 1st time we went in!

The one regret I have about that day is that Livia really wanted to hug & kiss that 'Red-Bird'... And I didn't seize the opportunity when we had that one chance. I'm hoping there will be plenty of other chances for Liv to meet Fred-Bird.

The evening started out very if-y...

Cold, rainy, and misty...

And we got off on the wrong foot against the Braves...

It didn't even matter ~ we were all having fun just being there!

There was even enough to keep Liv entertained & happy:

She loved seeing Fred-Bird perform for us

And she found lots of excuses to visit our private little bar-area

And of course I was more than happy! Case in point:

☺ Hello, Mr. Pujols! ☺

Just kidding! My hubby is the one who really made me happy

That, and the fact that the Cardinals rallied from behind to beat the Braves!!!!! I don't think I could have wished for a better game ♥ And I certainly couldn't have wished for better people to have been there with.

~ My Dad & Mom, Liv, Me, & Perry ~

Mom & Dad even stayed the night there in St. Louis (actually close to where we live in St. Charles County). And the next day, we all went to:

The Magic House

Children's Museum of St. Louis

Liv had so much fun there!

♫♪♫ Music ♪♫♪

Mirrors

Places to crawl

And places to make a face (and more!)

There was a water room (that Livie just loved)

And a static ball (that Liv really didn't care for at all...)

I just loved the balloons at the entrance

And it was so cool watching my mom make bubbles & music

And speaking of bubbles...

This thing was SO cool!

Yes, I had to do it too!

And there were even more ways to make music

Nothing beats a big ole' slide, right Liv?

Except playing in a Bobcat!

This thing was really fun too

And then Liv got to play 'judge' ~ it was too cute!

Finally, we hit the outside area

Liv loved the table that was just her size

And I think the best part was that my parents were there to share the whole thing with us.

Oh, what a whirl-wind of a week this truly was!

• Within this very same week, my husband somehow got another set of tickets to the Saturday Cardinals game (against his Reds). He had originally planned on taking his brother & dad. But since neither of them could make it, he told me that I could ask my sis! And she could come!!! (Do I not have the very best husband in the whole entire world?!)

Michael had to work, but one of our very best friends from church was able to come instead. I still cannot believe what a trooper Rhona was! Did I mention that she was 9 months along with a baby?! And swelling & all, she did not complain 1 time ~ Bless her heart ♥

Here are just a few fabulous photos & memories from that day:

Laura Belle, Rhona, & Baby Noble

Aunt Laura braided Livie's hair (SO pretty!)

And Liv was such a good girl ~ she had so much fun!

♥ Some of my favorite girls ♥

I love this one during the 7th inning stretch:

Liv & Aunt Laura singing "Take me out to the Ballgame"

And Livie with the best seat in the house!

All us girls having a wonderful time

And Liv with her Daddy (getting sleepy!)

We had no clue it was going to be so nice -- or so warm

But Laura sure took great care of Livie-Bug

And Liv took care of her Aunt Laura too

This was TOO cute:
Liv wanted Laura under the umbrella with her!

And one of my fav's ~ me & the Love of my life!

It really was SUCH a great game... Even though we are a household divided. My husband is a die-hard Reds fan, and I've been a Cards fan for as long as I can remember. I guess he still had a chance of getting me to root for his team... Until we moved here right next to St. Louis! And now that he knows that he has no chance in you-know-what of converting me, this game was even more funny!

The Reds led almost the whole game... And there were some very obnoxious (and drunk) Reds fans a couple of rows behind us. It wouldn't have been so bad, except for their, um, colorful language. I had to include the pic below simply because it reminds me of how HAPPY I was when they finally left!

[ugh... Reds fans.] Bottoms up, eh buddy?

Can I just say how utterly tickled I was when the Cardinals began to pull ahead, and it became perfectly obvious that the Reds were going to loose?! Yes, that's why our colorful Reds fans finally left the game.

And my poor husband...

Well, he was ashamed to even show his face
by the end of the game!

It was so great to see my Cards win ~ 6 to 3!

The crowd was certainly up on its feet at the end ☺

Then we got just a few pics in front of that beautiful green field:

I love this one [Noble's 1st Baseball Game]

Rhona & Baby Noble

~ Laura & Rhona ♥ Besties ~

~ Our happy little family ~

Me, Perry, Liv, & Laura Belle

And our whole group!

Before we left, we visited the gift shop.

Liv was clinging to her Aunt Laura, and this was TOO funny:

Laura sat Livia down & told her she was 'On Sale'; Liv loved it!

She was still giggling about it after we left the shop!

We got one last pic of all us girls before we left

And just when I thought the excitement was over for the day...

We had just gotten out to our cars, when the gentleman in the truck behind us struck up a conversation with Liv. Livia gave him one of her lolly-pops, and in return he gave Livie an actual game ball! Turns out that the man works for the Cardinals (in or near the outfield) and snagged a foul ball towards the end of the game. I guess Liv just won his heart!

And he showed this to me:

What a picture of Albert Pujols!

A shot of my happy little girl before we left:

Liv hugged her ball until she fell asleep on the way to Indiana

Which took only mere minutes!

☺ Oh, what a wonderful day! ☺

Update 2:

2010-05-22T00:04:00.001-05:00

(Things that have happened just since my last 'real' post, on Livia's 3rd Birthday)

♥ We went back to Indiana to celebrate our little girl's Birthday there ♥

• Livia had a Birthday Party at Gatti-Town with her Aunt Kee-Kee, Uncle Matt, Maggie, Nolan, & Garrett; and her Grandpa & Grandpa Fultz

Livie's pretty Birthday Cake

Some of my most favorite people in the whole wide world!

Liv getting ready to blow out her candles

Giving sweet Maggie some BIG lovin's!

And opening all her fabulous presents

FYI: Her Aunt Kee-Kee & Uncle Matt absolutely spoilt her rotten!!!

The kids had tons of fun with rides & games

But all too soon, it was time to get ready to go...

The girls didn't even want to let go of each others' hands!

I feel so blessed that we've been able to spend the time that we have with our families -- in some ways, it's never enough... Not enough girls' nights, not enough play-dates, and not enough double-dates. But we're going to keep trying! And I'm still hoping to see my nephews play in at least one of their baseball games.

• Livia had another Birthday Party at her Nana & Papaw's house. Almost everyone on her Mommy's side of the family (and friends!) came... And they spoiled her rotten too!

Since this party was at her Nana & Papaw's house, we thought a farm-themed cake would be perfect. And I've never seen a cuter, happier little cow!

Isn't The Donut Bank amazing?!

Liv had just woken up from a little cat-nap in this photo... So sweet & sleepy!

It wasn't long before she was wide awake & ready to blow out the candles

I was tickled pink that the triplets were there...

And they were even more tickled to see their Uncle Don

(the moment he arrived, they totally swarmed him!)

Before long, it was time for presents

LOVE this one! She's literally inside the bag ~ haha!

And she's learning the love of shoes very early in life (that's my girl!)

I was so happy to have all our family & friends there!

↑ My 'Bestie' and her little ones ↓

Then we all went outside to see the baby kittens:

And even though I had to be talked into this pic, it turned out being one of my favorites:

Especially since this one was taken right after:

♥ So sweet ♥

So, those were Liv's Birthday Parties in a very small nutshell ☺

Update 1:

2010-05-22T00:04:00.000-05:00

(Things I should have put up before my last actual update!)

♥ Lots of Indiana Fun ♥

• Olivia's 2nd Birthday Party ~ We had tons of fun at this sweet little girl's b-day party ☺ Here are just a few awesome pics:

'No O' hugging (not trying to choke, I promise) on 'Miss O'

On of my favorite pics from Olivia's Patriotic Party

Liv helping Olivia try out some of her new toys

A great photo of Livia with her Papaw & Nana

And the Birthday Girl getting ready to blow out her candles with Mommy

• Easter: I completely didn't post ANYTHING about that wonderfully fun day! And may I just say: Praise God for Easter!!!

Liv's Nana & Papaw surprised her with a wonderful Easter Treat Basket including: Shoes, socks, candy, & more!

We all went to Church together that morning, and Liv wore her new Easter Dress:

SO cute!

Then we went back to my Mom & Dad's for their family-famous Easter Egg Hunt:

And we found more than just eggs:

Baby kittens!

My Dad had actually found them earlier, but he let me think that I had ~ that's one thing I LOVE about my daddy! He still lets me feel like a little girl whenever he can ♥

Liv & Meggie had SUCH a fun time with the kittens

And they had a wonderful time together too:

I felt really blessed to have my hubby there too (as did Liv of course)

"All Daddies love their little girls!"

• Our 1st and 2nd trips to the St. Louis Zoo ~ The first time we all went on one of the 1st Saturdays in April [BIG mistake! Everyone & their brother was there!!!]; the second time was just me & Liv. Here are some pics from the first trip:

Liv & her Daddy

Liv & her Mommy

Liv playing in the water fountain

And Liv with the beautiful tulips just outside the zoo

We would have had a much more enjoyable time there if it wouldn't have taken over an hour just to get from the main highway exit into the zoo!

The next time I took Liv (just me & her) it was a beautiful, sunny Wednesday in the middle of the month of April. And here are some pics from that:

Just before we entered the zoo

Livie ~ all smiles, loving all the animals there

With a very friendly goat in the Children's Zoo

And playing there too

Liv just loved the train!

SO glad that we went ahead and splurged on the Safari Passes that allowed for unlimited train rides all day, entrance to the Children's Zoo, unlimited carousal rides, & more

One of the 2 of us on the train

And Liv happy-as-a-clam on the carousel

And finally one just before we left.

• And my sister has begun a new career in Cosmetology! Laura Belle is going to school at TSPA (The Salon Professional Academy), and she's doing absolutely fantastic. She colored & trimmed my hair, and may I just say, it looks absolutely fabulous!

And I think that catches me up (for the most part) up to Livia's 3rd Birthday ☺

Dear Facebook:

2010-05-21T21:53:00.001-05:00

You are QUITE the time-suck!

Every time I get on you, you take up a ridiculous amount of my time!

I would delete my account with you... Except that I love keeping up with everyone & everything on there.

And not to mention that you've made it even easier to do with my phone:
• Getting updates via text message
• Getting messages & links directly to Facebook
• Sending status-updates & photos as simply as a text message
• And direct Internet access through the phone

Facebook, I'm blaming you (in part) for not keeping up on my blog the way I should. It's way too easy to 'just update my status' on Facebook... On the surface, writing a nice, thoughtful post with pics and/or videos in blog-world just seems to be too time-consuming. It takes mere moments to post a status-update; but then I can spend WAY too much time doing other things on Facebook!

I'm hoping I will soon bore & tire of your addictiveness. Or at least not loose track of my time on you.

Now I have that little rant out of my system...

Back to the real world! Stay tuned for some much needed, Livie & life updates & pictures ☺

All my ♥ !

Happy 3rd Birthday!!!

2010-04-21T23:32:00.000-05:00

Today is my litte Livia's 3rd Birthday!!!

I'm looking back, and I cannot believe it's been more than 2 weeks since my last update...

(Oh.no! I'm falling into old habits again! MUST regain control of free-time!!!!)

But back to the matter at hand:

Livia's 3rd Birthday!!!

I must say that this Birthday year has been the most fun thus far! Liv was just SO cute all day today: "I'm three!!! I'm not two anymore; I'm a big girl now!!!" I must have sang "Happy Birthday" to her 2 or 3 dozen times... And she just grinned from ear-to-ear every single time! She even squealed with delight a few times.

We started out the day just after her Daddy left for work (I felt so bad that she didn't wake up in time for him to tell her 'Happy Birthday' before he had to leave...) But at any rate, Liv requested one of her favorite movies as of late: Kung Fu Panda; how could I say 'no' to the Birthday Girl?! She wanted TONS of chocolate milk, and really didn't to eat anything until almost 10! (Trust me, I tried to get her to eat breakfast before then) Well, at any rate... She finally did eat, and was then excited to spend some time outside playing & drawing with her sidewalk chalk.

Before we knew it, it was nap-time (haha, for me as well today! I could NOT sleep last night; I just kept thinking about how my little girl was just about to be 3!) After she woke up, Livia requested: "Please wanna bo [go] to Ollie Garden?" And so it was: we went to Olive Garden for a her birthday! She was SUCH a doll; very well behaved, and superb manners; she even made friends with one of the restaurant's manages in the bathroom. She was so enamored with Liv, that she ended up sending out a free piece of cake for my sweet little girl! 3 lit candles & everything!!!

You can see by the photo that was she was just tickled pink!

The waitress & I sang 'Happy Birthday' to Liv...

And Livia took a BIG breath...

And blew out ALL the candles!

Just after we left Livia's favorite restaurant, I saw that we were within mere meters of a Toys R Us; I knew it was fate! Livia has just been begging for a certain present. What certain present? Well I don't think it should surprise ANYONE that Livia was wanting a camera! Can you imagine my delight?! Cameras are certainly something that I've researched heavily, and knew that Toys R Us is one of the few stores that carries the one I specifically wanted to get for Liv. I even tested her several times: "Would you rather have [this] or the camera? ... [That] or the camera? ..." EVERY time, the camera won!

Just as we were leaving the store, Perry called to see where we were; he was on his way to Wal Mart. We'd promised to meet up there to get Liv her other big Birthday present:

A 'Big Girl' Bike!

My husband was so proud strolling her towards the check-out!

I told Liv that she looked SO big!

And then she dropped her little shades down:

Haha! My little biker chick!!! How cute is she?!

So, that was the most of Liv's wonderful little 3rd Birthday!

Below are just a few photos I managed to snap of Liv after we got home... How obvious is it that she adores her new camera?

This weekend, we'll head back into Indiana to meet up with the fam & to celebrate with them; hopefully many more pics & updates to come!!!

HAPPY 3rd BIRTHDAY once again, little Miss Livia!!!!

Spring Professional Pics

2010-04-08T01:43:00.003-05:00

The pictures to follow are the proofs from our photo session at Portrait Innovations this past Tuesday. There were WAY too many good pics to choose from, and I think the hubby was a little shocked about how much I ended up spending... until he saw the photos for himself! I think after that, he was actually quite happy I didn't spend more!

Be warned, there are some not-so-good's in here, but I wanted to include all the pics that were taken. Livia will surely want to shoot me one of these days! Until then, enjoy!

There are SO many good ones to choose from -- just from this outfit!

Liv in her little bomber jacket
from Dan & Cindy (Michael's parents)

Some really cute poses!

And I love her pretending to fly (below)

Attitude & cuteness!

LOVE these shots (above & below)

We didn't have as many successes with her Easter Dress... But thankfully, we still managed some really cute ones:

Not too bad...

And more that aren't that bad...

Ugh... all fake-y smiles

The one below isn't too bad!

And I love these w/the black background

LOVE LOVE LOVE these!!!

But this next background switch brought out the absolute worst in Liv... I'm almost embarrassed to show these, but I figure someone out there may need a laugh:

Eyes closed, but otherwise ok-ish --^

And definitely one of the best of this scene --^

And another that isn't bad at all --^

After this point is when it gets ugly...

Livia is actually doing her 'ugly face' in these!

Laughing--^ OK better...

Ugh... But now we're right back to the 'ugly face'

HOLY COW:

A good one!!! Hallelujah!!!

Being silly, stinking out her tongue...

And fake-y smiles

Looking up just like we told her to...

But finally, one more good one:

So then it was on to the next outfit, and we got in some pictures of the two of us:

Love these :-)

Lots of good ones!

Not crazy about me in these, but Liv looks so cute!

Again, LOVE these!!!

And now, just Liv in her cute little Summery dress from Aunt Laura & Uncle Michael:

Some very cute ones...!

And MORE cute ones!

Just adore her on the beach scene!

How sweet & innocent does she look in the pic?!

More cuteness

WHEW!! And that's finally it! See why I had such a hard time in choosing?! Luckily, we'll have plenty to hand out to our friends & relatives! Hope to get some Easter/weekend pics up in the next day or two... Wish me luck!

A Belated Happy Easter

2010-04-08T01:24:00.000-05:00

Many, MANY pictures to come from this past wonderful weekend! But for now, I just want to publicly acknowledge & praise our God for giving His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, for our sins. Below is one of my favorite comic strips ever (from Good Friday back in 2004). My Mom has this upon her refrigerator, and I am SO thankful I was able to find it! Though it did take quite a long time for me to locate this image upon the internet, it was well worth it. Happy Easter.

Me & Liv

2010-03-31T11:47:00.000-05:00

Just a few shots of me & Liv after we got home from the mall:

And one of Livia being quite the goof-ball!

Jumping in the Mall (2)

2010-03-31T11:42:00.000-05:00

My husband was so excited to see the cell phone pics & video of Liv jumping on the trampoline/trapeze thing at the mall, that we decided to take here there once again so the both of us could enjoy her jumping show.

This time we came equipped with a good camera & camcorder. I hoped to be able to get one of the good videos up, but unfortunately it's just too large to upload directly onto the blog. I'm not giving up entirely; I have an idea of what to do, but it may take a little more time than I'm willing to devote right at this time.

So, after Liv figured out what she was going to get to do again, she was SO excited! And once again, she amazed the people working there. Livia isn't the least bit shy or timid when it comes to jumping!

She went right up to the girl working there for help getting onto the contraption:

Liv was strapped in:

And up she went!

WAAAAYYY UP!!!

And yet again, Liv gathered a small crowd of people just amazed that such a little person was jumping that high. The girl working there definitely took a liking to our daughter -- she even gave a bit of extra fun for Liv:

She would grab a hold of Livia on her way down, pull her legs down as far as she could, & let go.

I don't think that Livia actually got any higher than she was with just jumping, but it sure made her giggle like crazy! She absolutely loved it!

Right after, we got Liv & ourselves a little snack from the mall's food area. Livia wanted a hot dog -- which she ate almost every bite of! And Perry and I shared some Japanese food. We had never eaten 'fast-Jap' before, and didn't know what to expect; it was great! For such yummy fast food at a very decent price, we were really quite impressed.

Then we made one quick pit-stop by the Children's Place to get Livia some much needed sun glasses. She was so excited to try them -- even though it was dark outside by the time we were all said & done. I told her that we'd better not wear them right now, or we wouldn't be able to see anything. Thankfully, she was just fine with that as long as we let her hold on to the bag. Which she happily did the whole way home!

Our happy camper just getting into her car seat

Just TRY It

2010-03-31T11:14:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago out at my parents, Liv's cousin came over for a visit. While there, the girls had some dinner; one just ate a little more variety than the other... Liv loves to try new foods, and she thinks that everyone needs to try new foods as well. It's obvious that not everyone feels that way. Case in point:

Liv was trying to get her cousin to try a green bean in these pictures. I wish I would have video-taped it though! The whole time Livia was saying, "C'mon Meggie! Try it! You liiiike it...! Just try it Meggie!"

Liv even tried hand-feeding the green bean to Meg, but to no avail. Megan wasn't having any of it! Livia finally gave up, shaking her little head & saying "She just didn't wanna try it!"

I Dress Myself!

2010-03-31T10:58:00.000-05:00

This little cutie was almost forgotten from a couple of weeks ago:

Liv came in & said, "I dress myself!"

Yes, Livia really did dress herself -- well, at she least accessorized herself! Every time I look at this photo, I smile!

:o)

Li'Vinci...?

2010-03-20T19:00:00.000-05:00

Our daughter seems to be QUITE an artist! Perhaps it's [way] too early to compare her to the 'greats', but I couldn't resist the funny title for this post! Thanks to a super gift from her Aunt Kendra, Liv has been having tons of fun 'coloring' in the bathtub... and just this week those random colorings have totally evolved.

She's now drawing people!

There are still several scribbles, but look at all Liv's 'persons'

I love the big ones she drew!

I'm hoping to get the video I took from this evening onto the other blog -- hopefully the stars will align & technology will cooperate with me to do so.

:o)

St. Patty's Day Pics

2010-03-20T01:39:00.000-05:00

I took these little beauties just before we headed back to St. Louis earlier this week (obviously it was St. Patrick's Day). How stinkin' cute is she with that little Dora backpack?!

Easter Flowers

2010-03-20T01:32:00.000-05:00

On our walk back home from the neighbors, my mom & Liv picked the 1st Easter Flowers of the season. Here are the cute shots of Liv and the those flowers:

Jumping at the Neighbors

2010-03-20T01:20:00.000-05:00

On my Mom's day off work, we were able to make it over to the neighbors for some jumping-fun for Livia. My parents have taken her over there to jump with the kids before, but on this day it was just going to be Liv jumping. Meg, Jay & Sam were at day care, but Liv's Aunt Tanya gave us the OK to let her jump on the trampoline. So off she went!

Up...

And down!

With all the static around her, Liv's little hair-do made her look like a cute little dandelion!

And she had SO much fun!

Livie's Cows

2010-03-20T01:08:00.000-05:00

After Liv was finally convinced that she'd been swinging long enough, we decided to take a walk over to the neighbors'. On the way there, we passed by the cows -- which Liv is now convinced that are 'her' cows! I can see why she thinks that:

Upon our arrival, the cows were quite a ways back.

Almost immediately, one came a'runnin towards Liv!

And before we knew it, a whole crowd of cows was there!

Liv loves her cows, and the cows sure seem to love her too. I have to say, I think that last photo has to be one of my all-time favorites!

Hey, Mom -- Livie's new boots sure came in handy, didn't they?

Swinging in the Country

2010-03-20T00:55:00.000-05:00

I feel so blessed to be able to spend all this extra time with Livia lately! Something that she definitely enjoys is swinging -- and since we were out in the country with my mom on this particular day, I was able to get some great photos of my little munchkin:

Swinging,

Swinging!

And then twisting:

And untwisting...

And twisting...

And so on for the next hour or so!

I just loved all her grins & giggles

And I'm sure her Nana did too

I have to say that I also feel really blessed that my mom was able to take a day off work just to be with us. It was a really great day!

Signs of Spring

2010-03-20T00:38:00.000-05:00

There are some very pretty things out at my parents' right now -- particularly the upcoming blooms that are a sure sign of spring! Case in point:

My Momma's crocuses

It's definitely been a bright spot in the brown-ish surroundings of the country. On a closer look at the flowers is even more proof that spring has begun to arrive:

Look at all those busy little bees! They were certainly abuzz in the little crocus garden at my parents, I just stood there watching them for several minutes until a certain little someone brought me back down to earth:

"Cu-mere, Mommy! I'm-a show you sumppin!"

Oh, how do I love that little voice!

New Boots

2010-03-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

Guess who got new boots??? I'll give you a hint... She has blonde hair, blue eyes, and is almost 3. Give up? It's Livia, of course!

Her Nana & Papaw got them for her at Rural King less than a week ago, and Liv just LOVES them! I love that she can go trotting out in the country anywhere with her boots. The country can be pretty muddy, especially this time of year. So it's no wonder why Liv is so excited about her boots!

I mean, I would be excited about them too :o) How CUTE are they?!

Although come to think of it, I do have some new boots too -- both black & brown 'hot stuff' boots. Lucky me!!! My wonderful hubby got them for me just a month or two ago, and amazingly they still look quite new. Guess that means I need to wear them some more!

Squirrel Encounter #2

2010-03-19T23:52:00.000-05:00

[see squirrel encounter #1 first]

Just a few days ago, we had to stop at that same rest stop, and sure enough -- we had another squirrel come up to us! Livia had some fries left over from her lunch.

She was EXTRA good this particular day, and was treated with McDonalds. She actually fell asleep with a little nugget in her hand!

Anyway, Liv decided that the squirrel would definitely like the fries:

And sure enough, he did!

Unfortunately, he decided to take his food to go (right under our car). Liv had a really hard time seeing him...

Until she bent down to his level -- my smart kiddo!

Now Liv reminds me daily of how we met the squirrel, and how he liked the fries, but how we never pet them (we had to go over that several times... she just kept wanting to try to pet him!)

I wonder if we'll get a 3rd visit with a friendly squirrel on one of our trips!

Squirrel Encounter #1

2010-03-19T23:23:00.000-05:00

On one of our trips to/from St. Louis, we had to take a break at a rest stop. It turned out that a very friendly squirrel was there as well...

This shot was taken less than 3 feet in front of me -- those were actually my chips & drink that he was quite interested in.

He scampered around us for several minutes until he realized that we weren't going to be offering any of our snacks to share.

"Maybe next time!" I told the little guy as we got back into the car...

Downtown Evansville Fun

2010-03-19T23:09:00.000-05:00

Earlier this month, my Mom & I took Liv to the park and river downtown. Liv just LOVED the swing! That little girl could swing for hours upon hours...

She took little interest in the other areas of the park. My Mom says that was exactly how I was as a little girl... That I just loved the outdoors & that I could swing for hours on end. I know I loved the country, but that's where I grew up. I think Liv loves the country even more than I did!

Liv also loves water. And seeing as the park is just a short walk to the downtown Evansville riverfront, we were able to easily convince Liv to go for a walk. Below are some of the lovely photos I shot of her while on our walk:

Here, she was telling Nana how old she was going to be,

"I'm bunna be free [3] here pretty soon! My birfday's April twunny-furst!"

Doesn't she just look so cute?!

My Mom even thought to get a couple of me & Liv:

Have I ever mentioned how much I love my little girl?

When my husband and I were dating (and even sometimes now), he would tell me how much he loves me. Like, "I love you more than all the home-made pizzas I ever have or ever will make!" So, how much do I love Liv?

I love her more than all the Four-Leaf Clovers I ever have or ever will find!

Which is a LOT :o)

Oh, and I love my husband more than all the times I've ever squinted in the sun! (Couldn't leave you out of this one, Perry!)

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2010-03-17T16:31:00.001-05:00

Liv definitely won't get pinched today!

Zander (Updated)

2010-03-16T01:46:00.000-05:00

Puppies grow incredibly fast! Especially a certain little German Shepherd by the name of Zander... Case in point:

Look how huge he looks in Michael's arms!

Oh, but he's still Laura & Michael's 'baby'

"The Family Howl"

Yes, they can get Zander to howl with them!

There's no doubt whatsoever how much they love him

He's their big baby!

My New Hair-Do

2010-03-16T01:36:00.001-05:00

I did finally manage to get my hair done a few weeks ago -- Yay! I just love it... Oh, and I also got my eyebrows waxed! Which gave me a little encouragement to get lookin' good & go out with my husband a few couple of weeks ago:

Make-up & everything!

I just love how my hair looks

Just a little shorter...

But a good trim helps keep it healthy & pretty

So, yeah! I'm a happy camper!

And guess what...

I'm going to be getting my hair done a LOT more often now!

Wanna know why?

Because my sis is now in cosmetology school!!!

And wouldn't you know, they have to provide
their own 'models' for testing out of the skills

I said, SIGN ME UP!!!

I'm so pumped!

And have I mentioned how much I LOVE my sister?
I totally do -- totally!

:o)

Missed the Boat

2010-03-16T01:18:00.000-05:00

I'm not exactly sure how... but these cute little pics never made it here onto my blog! Truth be told, they actually almost didn't make it off the memory card. How on earth could I have overlooked these adorable shots?!

No matter. I'm playing catch-up anyway. So, here's a bit of cute-ness from back in January:

Livia's Lake-side Hobby

2010-03-16T01:06:00.000-05:00

My hubby's company had up put up in a Corporate apartment for a bit in St. Louis. While there, Liv found that the complex had a very pretty lake... With ducks & geese! My child just loves animals, and after seeing another person feeding these creatures, it came as absolutely no surprise to me that she wanted to as well.

This was her very 1st time feeding the ducks & geese:

Getting ready to throw her 1st piece of bread

A very friendly goose came right up to her

And Liv rewarded it with a piece right from her hand!

It was freezing cold...

But Livia couldn't have cared less!

~~~~~

Here she is feeding them another day:

~~~~~

And yet another day

(please excuse the crummy camera-phone quality of the pics)

Though I'm sure she'll miss those ducks & geese, there are TONS of parks in and around St. Peters (just west of St. Louis where we've found a place). As if we needed another excuse to go to the park

:o)

Our New Place

2010-03-15T17:40:00.001-05:00

The duplex we're officially renting in St. Peters MO

I'm Still Alive...

2010-03-15T17:38:00.002-05:00

Just some days more so that others!

My mom got me that shirt - does it not fit me perfectly?! I mean, that's definitely my personality. Especially as of lately.

So why the frick didn't anyone tell me how stinkin hard moving is?? Or why didn't i at least listen?!

Whew, it's been a rough last couple of weeks.

We're finally unpacked and for the most part organized.

Ooh! I'll have to upload a pic of our new place! Guess i'll be doing that next

:-)

I cannot wait to do some catching up on here! Wish me luck

:-D

Old, New, & Overdue!

2010-02-22T23:54:00.002-06:00

I haven't had very many pictures with my daughter lately, especially here in Indiana. I was severely overdue for some new ones. Side note, I'm also quite overdue for some hair-help! Luckily, I'll get that taken care of tomorrow (yay, Katie!) And my Mom was able to help me out with some new pictures yesterday afternoon:

Me & my Livie-Bug outside Mom & Dad's

The best shot we got with Liv looking towards the camera...

We couldn't really get Liv to look directly at the camera, and certainly not with a smile. I think it was just too bright outside for her. Her and those sensitive, blue eyes... Just like her Momma. How many countless squinty-eyed or no-eyed photos were taken of me over the years?! Oh, but I truly do love Livia's beautiful, blue eyes! Gosh, her eyes are just gorgeous...

With the dress she was wearing, they almost looked teal-blue. That dress was once worn by Liv's Aunt Laura and even by her Momma. I feel so blessed that my Mom saved it over all these years! She also saved the big white bow in Livia's hair. How awesome is my Mom?!

I so love the pics of us looking at each other

My Mom also snapped a few really good photographs of just me:

Love this pic... Just wish my hair wasn't two-toned!

Turning it black & white would help some... But hair aside, it really is a super pic! My Mom is turning into quite the photographer! It's so awesome so get a good picture of yourself; since I'm usually behind the lens, that rarely happens.

I usually do the whole the whole hold-the-camera-in-front-of-me-backwards-and-hope-for-a-decent-shot thing. (Like the one above) So I guess the only reason I like the one above at all is because I can't see [as badly] how much I need that hair appointment tomorrow!

Hahahahaha!

So glad I can laugh at myself :oD

Leapin' Livie!!!

2010-02-18T23:05:00.009-06:00

Today, Liv and I were finally able to make it out to a mall here in St. Louis. Needless to say, I had tons of fun shopping! Amazingly, Livia also had some fun while we were there...

Just inside the main mall area from the Macy's entrance, I saw a crazy trampoline / bungee contraption. My first thought was, "Whoa! That looks fun!" And my daughter must be a lot like me, because she said, "I wanna do dat, Mommy!"

There was a little boy already on one (he looked to be about 4) and he was just standing there frozen on the trampoline thing clinging to his Mom. The 'Mom' in me wanted to immediately take my daughter far away from the huge waste of money...

But the little kid in me said, "Wait! That's definitely something you would've loved to do... You should let Livie try it! For once, just throw common sense out the window & let your daughter give it a whirl."

Today is one of those days that I'm glad the little kid inside me is still alive & well!

Livia immediately went to the young man working there to get strapped in...

He told her how to hold on to the bungee cord

And Liv was ready to jump.

Though I had doubts of how well she would do, I enthusiastically cheered her on. I said, "Jump, Livia! Jump! You can do it, sweetie!" And boy did she ever...!

(Please excuse the side-ways-ness & poor quality of the camera-phone videos below)

I still can't believe how high that little girl was going! She actually gathered a small crowd -- I think everyone was amazed at how high such a little girl was jumping. They asked how old she was, if she'd ever done it before, and I'm sure they were wondering if Liv is afraid of anything!

Our daughter is absolutely fearless!

I'm glad I was able to capture a few memories. Even if Liv doesn't remember this day long-term, I definitely will. My one regret is that I didn't have my good camera on me (it was actually in the car). I certainly won't regret spending the money on giving our daughter the chance to fly!

Farmer Livie

2010-02-16T08:11:00.000-06:00

Saturday over at my parents, I dressed Livia in her overalls for the day...

The second she had them on she said, "I'm a farmer!"

Below are just a few of the cute pictures of Liv in her cute little outfit:

I do believe she's the cutest little farmer I've ever seen!!!

Back to St. Louis...!

2010-02-16T08:09:00.000-06:00

Looks like we'll be headed back to St. Louis today! My Dad spent about 4 hours shoveling snow last night to ensure we can make it out of the driveway without any problems.

We'll be back here again next weekend for an even longer stay! Perry will be going down to Louisiana for a work-trip throughout the 1st part of the week. We might as well be here in Southern Indiana while he's gone!

I do miss my husband like crazy though, and I can't wait to see him today!!!

An update on our move: We're very close to narrowing down a more permanent residence around St. Louis! Right now we're in corporate housing, and within the next month we'll be moving for real. We decided that for a short time (about a year) we'll rent. We'll be selling the house we own in Evansville, and we're rather not be under more than one mortgage. So hopefully around this time next year, we'll be looking at buying a house within the St. Louis area.

For those of you who know the area well, we're planning on living in St. Charles County (both short-term and long term). The corporate apartment is located in Creve Couer; though it is a very nice area, we really love the 'feel' of St. Charles County. It really reminds us a lot of Newburgh (though a bit larger!)

Anyway, it's time to finish getting ready! Liv is still asleep (holy cow!) so I need to do what I can now! I may send a few traveling-pics thoughout the day... Otherwise, I'm sure I'll have more to write about once we're back in St. Louis!!!

Snowed In

2010-02-15T18:41:00.006-06:00

[edited at add just a few more photos]

Well, my plan of heading back to St. Louis today was severely compromised by the several inches of snow Southern Indiana recieved yesterday!

The view from the front of my parents' house

And from the side

Sure is pretty, huh?

We obviously haven't even left the middle-of-no where, much to Livia's delight (and of course one of my absolute favorite places as well!)

In St. Louis, I see Cardinals everywhere... Not like this though!

Blue Jays & Finches

Finches - both brown & yellow!

A Blue Jay (& Woodpecker in back)

Blue Jay

Blue Jay & Woodpecker in flight

Blue Jay & Woodpecker

Cardinals, Finches & a Woodpecker

Cardinals, Finches, & a Blue Jay

A male Cardinal, Blue Jay, & a female Cardinal

Cardinals & Blue Jays

Even though I'm having a blast & getting some fabulous pictures, I'm definitely ready to see my hubby again...

Luckily, I have a very loving & understanding husband who has no problem with me staying an extra day. We'd much rather be on the safe side when traveling.

The one down-side to being here today was that my mom & dad still went to work (such troopers!)... So Liv & I were here alone.

The second her Nana & Papaw came back in the door, Liv squealed with delight! And immediately ran to my mom to ask:

"Please wanna bo farm?!"

She was happy to comply, and I said that sounds like a great idea. I asked Liv if she wanted me to come along. Her response was an immediate & firm "NO!"

"Mommy, you hafta stay here. Just me 'n' Nana bo farm!"

I said, "You don't want me to come along, Livie?"

She said, "NO! You stay here!"

Something tells me that my little toddler has seen enough of her Mommy today!

Livia ~ all ready to go to the farm

P.S. My dad is out there shoveling the drive way right now, in hopes that I'll be able to head out tomorrow. He said the SUV was dragging on the way in & there's no way I'd be able to make it out all on my own without some help. And my mom & Liv are now back from the farm and are making home-made noodles... Yum-O!!!Gosh, I love my parents!!!

Silly Slider

2010-02-14T01:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday out at my parents, Livia had a blast sliding -- in some of the strangest ways! Her Nana was always right behind her during every one of these crazy stunts, but I don't think Liv even noticed half the time. The child is fearless...

Nana helped her get sitting up right...

Liv would look at me & just GRIN....

And down she went!

Again...

And again...

And again!

And when she got bored going down backwards...

it was time for a new silly trick.

Going down Head-First!

(Notice how her socks are now missing?)

And of course, she found another fun way of going down:

Half walking/scooting down

(And notice now that the sweatshirt is missing)

And I think this is when she got the idea...

To start jumping from halfway down!

Without pants, of course.

It was at this point that we decided that she needed to start winding down... And put some clothes back on! Oh, that child is such a hoot!

Sweet Stallings

2010-02-13T22:21:00.005-06:00

Livia has a habit of stalling every night before bedtime. Some of her favorites are:

"I hafta go potty!" ... minutes after she had just gone.

"I need my [Elmo/Cookie Monster/Big Bird/Baby]!" Insert the one thing that she doesn't already have in her bed.

"I'm tursty!" ...which has earned her a sippy of water to take to bed many a time.

I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that tonight was any different. Actually, I should probably be grateful it wasn't worse...! We're here at my Mom & Dad's spending the night, and Liv did just about every stalling tactic possible including:

"I need-da feed my bay-bee!"

In the end, Liv's Nana actually had to lay down with her to get her to go to sleep! Hopefully she stays asleep -- that little stinker!

But, boy do I love her :o)

Take it To Go

2010-02-11T22:41:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago, Liv & I met up with my sister & my mom to spend some time together. We decided to meet at Olive Garden, which is one of our absolute favorites!

Mom had picked up Livia from Day Care, so I was ready to go in plenty of time. Amazingly, I arrived there first! Mom, Liv, and Laura were very shortly behind me, and we had a GREAT time & delicious meal together.

Livie and I didn't quite finish our dinners, so we decided to get a to-go container. When the server brought the box over to us, Livia had her own idea of taking the left-overs home:

How funny is this?!

And bless her heart, our server actually said we could take the bowls home! Though I'm sure they would have been a fun souvenir, Liv had absolutely no attachment to the bowls. She just thought that's what she was supposed to do to take the left-overs home.

As we were leaving, Livia convinced her Aunt Laura to help her touch the lion:

To which Laura got LOTS of hugs:

And kisses:

SO sweet :o)

After our yummy dinner, we headed over to the mall (where my sis talked me into some fabulous outfits!), and where Liv provided even more entertainment for us. Please excuse the side-ways-ness video... Couldn't figure out how to turn it. Call it artsy... or call me ditzy! No matter what, I call it hilarious!!!

Notice how she never once even paused throughout the entire video? Well, she actually didn't really stop for like 10 minutes. I can't imagine what other shoppers thought of my toddler marching around in that little hat, singing at the top of her lungs!

Daddy's Girl

2010-02-10T23:55:00.000-06:00

There's no doubt that Liv is very much a Daddy's Girl.

Just ask her who she loves.
She'll almost always say, "Daddy the most!!!"

And she knows her Daddy loves her VERY much as well.

Perry will often pose the question: "What do all Daddy's love?"
And Livie will immediately respond, "Their little girls!!!"

Livia loves her Daddy SO much that she'll often latch onto something of Perry's & hold it (or even cuddle it) for hours. She's done it with his wallet, a sweatshirt, she still has his wolfie, and now the item of her latest affection...

Perry's new leather coat

My husband was in desperate need of a new coat, A huge bonus was that was originally priced over $300; my hubby picked it up for under $100 (I think 80-something dollars?) Anyway, Perry's just a thrifty as I am!

And Livia just loves that coat! She snuggled & cuddled it for close to an hour before Perry (well, ok -- we) convinced her that it was time to get ready for bed. Yeah, she definitely has her Daddy wrapped around her little finger.

Liv is SUCH a Daddy's Girl!

Group Shot!

2010-02-09T21:26:00.000-06:00

A few Sundays ago out at my parents, Liv and I were there after church as well as the triplets. This was the last Sunday before our move over to St. Louis, and my Mom thought it would be nice to get a group photo of the cute little munchkins:

Pretty cute, huh?!

Another pretty good one

Livie's giggling like crazy in this picture (still love it!)

And guess who has completely lost interest in the camera...

So there are the best shots from that day! Mom, you'll have to let me know which one(s) you like the best. I can email them to you or just bring them along when we're back there. Just let me know!

Fur-Fur & Yo-Yo

2010-02-08T23:16:00.002-06:00

This is just a really funny story!

Several months ago, Livia began saying "Here, Fur-Fur!" This was always said to me, & never to anyone else. It was cute, but no one had any clue what it meant.

Within the last week or so, Liv also started saying "Hey Yo-Yo!" Except she only said this to Perry...

My husband actually solved the mystery a few days ago.

He confronted Liv, and asked her directly: "Livia, what does "Fur-Fur" mean?

She was SO shy about telling him. But after a lot of coaxing, she finally told her daddy: "It means Mommy"

So then we asked her what "Yo-Yo" means, and we weren't at all surprised when she told us: "It means Daddy"

The mystery has finally been solved!!!

"Here, Fur-Fur!"
Translation: "Here, Mommy!"

"Hey, Yo-Yo!"
Translation: "Hey, Daddy!"

Glad we figured that out :o)

Zander!

2010-02-07T23:30:00.001-06:00

Today was a very busy, but wonderful day! One of the best parts of today was that Liv & I got to meet the newest member of the family -- Zander!!! My sister & her husband just got a brand new German Shepherd puppy just days ago.

As soon as we got to Laura & Michael's, Laura Belle took her neice by the hand and led her downstairs...

To meet...

Zander!

He's such a cute, fun little puppy!

My sister having a blast with him.

A close-up of the cute little guy

Such a great pic of my sis & Zander!

I hope Laura & Michael hold Zander as much as they can right now -- he's gonna grow SO fast! Being a German Shepherd, who knows how big he'll someday be :o)

Livie giving lots of hugs & snuggles to Zander.

She even got a kiss or 2 from him!

They loved playing together...

And having someone close to their own size

And for the most part Liv loved Zander's puppy-love!

Then I finally got to hold Zander!

I can still smell his sweet puppy-smell :o)

Hopefully, more to come about our fun day today... I have tons more cute photos (some already edited!) and a couple more fun stories as well.

Side Super-Bowl note (and this is all I will say of it): I am so incredibly disappointed in the Colts. I thought the game would be pretty tight... And it pretty much was until the 4th quarter. In the end, the scores weren't even close! Oh, well. I'm quite content to root for a team that makes it to the play-offs like EVERY year. Anyway, there's always next year for the big game!

One reason I really do love the Colts (not just because my home-state is Indiana) is because Peyton Manning is a stand-up individualm both professionally & in his personal life; he works very hard & has been married for nearly a decade.

On the bright side, it's getting closer & closer to baseball season!!! Oh, this is REALLY going to be a fun year! I've been a bit of a Cardinals fan since my youth (mostly because my Daddy's a fan)... and my husband has been a DIE-HARD Reds fan his whole life. Since we're now living within minutes of Busch Stadium, my husband may have a really rough season!!!

Anyway, we had a blast in Evansville this weekend. More to come later -- it's back to St. Louis tomorrow!!!

My Blessed Day [Today]

2010-02-06T23:25:00.007-06:00

This morning, I woke up in our house in Indiana. All alone...

But within minutes, I was on the phone grinning from ear to ear. I great it was to the sound of my sweet husband's voice! And to know that I'd be seeing him in mere hours :o)

I got up and scurried about the messy house, trying to gather up odds & ends. I made but only a dent in what's yet to be done!

I gave up after an hour and resigned myself to the shower. Oh, how I needed it! I should have gotten one last night after driving for several hours... But I just didn't have the desire. I would have felt refreshed, happy & clean; I probably would have slept better too. But my shower this morning did just that as well.

I met up with my soul-mate, his parents, & our daughter for a Saturday mid-morning brunch... And though after much ado, we had a very tasty meal!

Livia chattered about her Grandma Trilby & Papa Bill nearly the rest of the day (she sure loved spending the night over there last night!)

Liv asked to see the camera-phone pictures of herself & Sugar (Bill & Trilby's big, white German Shepard) and squealed with delight each time she saw them. God Bless my little toddler for reminding me that it's not the quality of the photograph, but the quality of what's IN the photograph that matters most!

Liv & Sugar 02/06/10

My sister talked me into getting some very cute, stylish clothes before our move to St. Louis, and my husband loved them so much that he offered to take me shopping for more today.

[Marking this one down in the record book!]

He did his best to entertain our tired little daughter while I found a few cute sweater-dresses to our liking. After our purchase, I thought aloud it would be best to head back to the house for nap-time. (Much to my husband's relief!)

And within minutes of arriving back to our Evansville house, it was certainly nap-time. For all of us!

After we'd all woken up, it was snack-time. Livia was extra-cuddly with me, and it felt fabulous!

Then we packed Liv up to go over to her Nana & Papaw's... While watching a good part of Madagascar II (LOVED it!!!!!)

We finally all headed out to my Mom & Dad's. Livia barely even noticed that Perry & I stayed and visited for a while! Her attention was 100% on Papaw/Nana. She just loves her grandparents :o)

And then, our evening turned into a mini-date night for me & my husband. Perry insisted that he buy me some cute boots to match the sweater-dresses we'd bought earlier in the day. How on earth could I object to that?!

Then we ordered a pizza, made a quick stop for soda pop, & headed home for pizza and a show.

Such wonderful husband & wife time we had tonight! Rest assured, all spouses need time together like the time that we were blessed with today. It's nights like this that make me live for tomorrows!

And now, though quite past my bedtime, I feel rested & happy. Even more so in just a few minutes; I will soon sleep peacefully next to the love of my life.

Tomorrow is but another day, and though I know it will be very special day as well with the Super Bowl & all... It surely won't hold a candle to today!!

Blessed is this day... For though it was mine, it was first the Lord's. Thank you, dear God, for this glorious day!

Doppelganger

2010-02-05T02:08:00.006-06:00

So this (and/or possibly last) week in the world of Facebook, it's "Doppelganger Week".

[I'm guessing the trend started last week on the coasts, but at any rate it has now trickled out here to the Midwest.]

But I digress...

So what is this Doppelganger I speak of? See what Wikipedia says : here

So, it's like your look-alike. Except for Doppelganger Week, Facebook people have been changing their profile pictures to the celebrity they've been told they look like.

So who is my Doppelganger???

No stinkin clue.

Yeah, that's not very fun at all. Is it?

OK, so to be fun & play in the game... I give you what I deem to be the closest celebrity to my Doppelganger:

~ Amanda Peet ~

She's the very first person anyone told me I looked like, and I definitely took it as a compliment. At the time, my hair was really quite blonde & couldn't imagine myself with Ms. Peet's dark brown hair. Now I don't even have to imagine! My hair's natural color is now quite dark brown. (Which reminds me... I need to get a hair appointment with my fav ever stylist next time I'm back in town.)

Others I've been 'told' I resemble: Uma Thurman, Hillary Swank, & Angelina Jolie's lips (and to that last one I scoff YEAH RIGHT!!! I can't hold a candle...). So, anyway there's my fun little bit of silliness...

OK, here comes one more:

Apparently people are also changing their status's on Facebook to another strange thing... Oh boy -- This one may take a while to explain...

The instructions are to go to UrbanDictionary.com, type in your first name, and copy & paste the 1st 'definition' that appears onto your status.

I actually did that... and now I feel dirty all over.

(I must BEG of you not to venture out much if any more on that website! And try to look ONLY at the definitions listed numerically! To put it nicely, it's just not a classy site...)

Anyway, my 'definition' is as follows: A women named Amanda is typically very beautiful with an incredible body and nice eyes. They are known to be very loveable. Amandas are envied by other women.

Certainly not the worst thing it could possibly say. In fact, all things considered, it's actually pretty nice.

NOW I'm off my little Facebook cross-over post! All future posts shall be dedicated to my wonderful God, our family, friends and/or my photography until further notice!

:o)

Out to Eat in St. Louis

2010-01-31T23:08:00.003-06:00

Tonight our little family went out to eat for the first time here in St. Louis. It was great!

We headed out early in the evening with no exact plan of where we were going. We drove for several miles just seeing what all is in the area, and discussing where it is we should go. We finally decided upon The Macaroni Grill!

Livia & her Mommy just before our meal arrived

I had no clue what kind of food they had there, but was soon VERY pleased to find out... That it's an Italian restaurant! Very classy atmosphere, delicious food & drinks, and great service. I was quite glad that I'd actually spent a little time on my hair, makeup, and wardrobe. Perry just loved the sweater dress! (Thank you Laura Belle for talking me into all those cute clothes!!!)

Another one of Liv & Me

The only thing that didn't seem to belong at this super-nice restaurant was our ornery little daughter... She did not want to stay seated, she sang & talked SO loudly that we had other tables standing up to look our direction, and let's not even talk about the screaming!

Ugh, it's nights like this that I can't wait to find some good babysitters here in Missouri! My husband & I have obviously realized that such a nice restaurant should be reserved for the two of us. At least until we get out of these terrible-two's!

That little stinker looks SO innocent in this photo!
I promise, she was all but a little terror.

The food was amazing, though I wish we could have enjoyed it just a little more! I think we know why Livia was acting up even more than usual. She didn't get a nap until very late in the afternoon, and I didn't want her to sleep more than an hour by the time she actually went down. Our daughter must have been quite sleepy, hence the misbehaving...

One piece of great news for the night, Liv is doing GREAT with potty-training! I told her that once we moved to St. Louis, she would have to start going in the big girl potty all the time. Looks like it's working for the most part!

Perry with Livia just before we finally left

I was just praying that she wouldn't have an accident while we were out -- I completely forgot to bring along any extra pull-ups! Lucky for me, she did great! I took Livie to the restroom twice while we were there at The Macaroni Grill, and she was still dry when we arrived back home.

One last thing about the evening: When Livia got in trouble, I was the one who had to discipline her. Perry just can't do it! Guess who has her Daddy wrapped around her little finger?

She's such a Daddy's girl...!

More Singing in the Bathtub

2010-01-30T20:44:00.001-06:00

Guess who just loves to sing when she's in the bathtub? Well, yes, i do... But Liv's singing is a whole lot cuter! i just listening to our daughter sing!

Bubble Bath Time

2010-01-30T20:35:00.001-06:00

Tonight Livia got her very first bubble bath here in St. Louis. She loved it just as much as she did back in Evansville! No surprise there, right? :-)

When I Knew

2010-01-30T11:42:00.002-06:00

I've known for several months that moving to St. Louis was a definite possibility. There was one day in particular that I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that this really was what God wanted for us. That day was October 26, 2009. I remeber the date very well because I posted up a small blog entry on my KLOVE profile.

I showed that post to my huband late last night...

Moving...
Posted: 10/26/2009 08:31:04 PM

I got to thinking today, and in many ways we are always moving in relation to God. We're either moving closer to Him or further away from Him. Very rarely are we ever just standing still... Even if it's just a little bit of sway, we're almost always moving one way or the other. And though it's seemingly impossible to continually move closer to God, with Him all things are possible!
I think about my own personal life, and I remember how excited I was when I decided that I wanted to be baptized. I didn't think it would ever be possible to be more excited about God than I was at that moment in time. But the reality is that though I've had my good and bad days, I actually feel closer and more excited about my God now -- more than ever before! It's somewhat of the love you feel for your own child. You think you can't ever love them any more, but that love just keeps growing. And this is only but a shadow of how much our God LOVES US!!!! Our God is an AWESOME God!

The title says it all. Though nothing in the body even mentions the possibility of moving, deep in my heart I knew. I knew that this is what God wants for us.

This was weeks before my husband went to St. Louis for his face-to-face interview. God was already beginning to open my mind & heart to the possibility of a move.

Isn't it amazing how God works in our lives & hearts when we let Him?

:o)

Safe in St. Louis

2010-01-29T22:55:00.005-06:00

So, we made it here to St. Louis safe & sound...

PRAISE GOD!!!!

I know this is all a part of His divine plan.

I just pray that we will continue to walk in His light, and that God's Will be done in our lives in ALL ways!

Thank you God for all that you do for me and my family.

Sometimes I may not know ~~everything~~ anything behind God's direction for me & my family.

Praise God, that in HIS infinite wisdom, he designed me so that I don't have to know or even understand the Lord's Leading.

All I have to do is trust Him.

And trust I do!

I've learned lean not upon my own understanding, but upon the path that God leads me & my family.

~ Praise God ~

So, that said...

I am VERY much enjoying my very first night in St. Louis!

As soon as we made it safely into town, Liv and I went to my husband's work & met some of his co-workers. I am so happy for my husband in his new job, and I already love his co-workers & bosses! It was a real treat to get to see him as soon as we got into town.

After we left Perry's work, Livia was cryin' the hungry-kiddo blues. So we got Liv some McDonalds; which meant she was extra-good while we picked up a few groceries.

Then we arrived at the corporate apartment that Perry's company has us in. It is really nice! Plenty of living space, fully furnished, and tons of hiding places for Liv. (She just loves to play hide & seek!)

Unbelievably, we even had our munchkin in bed before Perry's home-made pizza was done.

(Oh, how I LOVE my husband's home-made pizza!)

And now, here I am relaxing with the Love of my life.

Just watching a movie.

Such a fabulous day!

2010-01-29T17:35:00.001-06:00

We've officially made it safely into St. Louis!! I'm so excited and happy to finally be here!

Crash

2010-01-29T14:41:00.001-06:00

No, not the car! Just Livie :-)

Livie & Loaded

2010-01-29T14:34:00.001-06:00

Liv in the back seat amazingly not yet asleep! she's using much of our packing as entertainment, and as footrests. I think she's tryin to get all comfy for a nap - oh i hope! ( ps : the photo was taken backwards hence the funny angle )

Almost Ready...!

2010-01-29T12:00:00.001-06:00

To leave for St. Louis!

I'm hoping to post updates througout our trip, seeing as I've figured out how to post via cell phone!

There are some photos I need to upload from last night too -- got to spend our last night here in town going out to eat with my Mom & Sis (fun stuff!!!) LOTS of cute & funny photos, even tho the quality rather stinks. It's the memories that matter most anyway, right?

So I'll have lots to post (as always!)

But I PROMISE -- no texting while driving.

I'm planning on making it there alive, thank you very much.

Plus I've already typed in a few messages and saved them to my drafts. I know, sneaky-sneaky, right?!

Wish us luck!

Superbowl 2010

2010-01-26T00:56:00.001-06:00

Our day of Fun Photos in support of our favorite team making it to the 2010 Superbowl:

Livie the Cheer-leader!

She's already got the poses down :o)

And what a killer smile -- all that's missing are some braids

Well, Aunt Laura took care of that!

Love it!

Liv watching TV with her Papaw

No, she's not actually watching the football game

But she does at least know what football is!

Me tying to corall Liv for some cute pics of us...

Which we were actually able to get!

v-- I think these 2 are my fav's --^

Then Uncle Michael & Aunt Laura played

"Swing the Toddler!

Livie just loves her Aunt Laura & Uncle Michael

Elmo 2 & More

2010-01-23T18:50:00.005-06:00

The 2nd cell phone video of Liv calling out for Elmo in the middle of Target:

I'm SO excited that I've figured out how to post things from my cell phone! It's just been so incredibly busy around here... Since Livia and I are down to less than a week that we'll be going over to St. Louis for good!

I'm having the very best time ever with Perry and Livie here this weekend. Even though my poor husband has had the worst cold ever. I almost told him that he should just stay there in St. Louis, but he really wanted to see us (ok, Liv).

My last day of work will be Wednesday, and I should have plenty of time to get our essentials gathered & packed. I'll pick up Livia from day care just after noon on Friday, and we'll be on our way to St. Louis! With any luck, she'll sleep a good portion of the way there. Guess we'll see though, right?

And with any luck, I'll have some time to catch this blog up on the holidays and such after we get settled in St. Louis. I really look forward to posting up lost of photos on this blog and videos on the other. I broke my own protocol on a couple of posts this week, but I'm rationalizing it with the fact that they are low quality cell phone videos. And the one from earlier in the week was posted directly from the cell phone!

Anyway, I hope everyone is doing well! I'll have many more updates and pics soon to come :o) Much love to all and God Bless!

The sun DOES Shine!

2010-01-22T09:11:00.003-06:00

Welcome to southern Indiana, where it may be easy to truly forget where you are. We have had fog, rain, & overall dreary weather for the last week or more. I'm starting to feel like i live in London with all this fog! Well, yesterday for the 1st time in what feels like forever, i got to see the sun! It was for only an hour at most, it was so wonderful! Especially since the yucky-muck is back yet again today (as proven by the photo below)... Ha!