Easter and Beau's 3rd Birthday

A picture from Abby's school Easter egg hunt the day before we left for Nashville. These are her two best buddies at school, Grayson and CeCe.

Easter morning after church

Easter morning getting into those Easter baskets

Check out all of the loot. Lucky kids.After an egg hunt in the front yard with MiMi, and showing off their eggs below.

Egg dying with Mommy and MiMi - worth noting that Abby is wearing a Christmas apron, and Beau is wearing a Halloween apron!

Beau's first teeth cleaning by Miss Emily - he did shockingly well in case you were wondering. The only thing he didn't like was the "medicine" she put on at the end. That caused quite a stir including spitting and crying and everything. Glad that came at the end!

Happy Birthday to Cutler as well! Look at those curls...

Abby showing off her balancing skills at the park

Beau swinging on his stomach (preferred over swinging on his bottom most of the time)

A wagon ride with Uncle Michael

Abby and Beau love their cousin Will

Beau and Will had a blast in the bathtub together - it was quite a sight

Another masterpiece by Aunt Ann - Darth Vader as requested by the birthday boy. Beau turned 3 on April 26th. We had a very small, low-key party with mostly family and a few close friends while we were in town a few weeks ago. Brooke really enjoyed her ice cream.

I wonder what Will is telling Beau in this shot - "Watch what you're eating" or "Let's go to the slide next" or "I can't believe we are both having little sisters"...Hard to tell...My sweet birthday boy

Check out those dirty feet - the sign of a good time!

Best of 2009 Restaurants

So, I have now wasted at least 30 minutes this morning while both of my kids are at school/MDO reading Nashville Lifestyles "best of 2009" restaurants. I thought maybe some of you had some extra time to waste (haha). If you live in Nashvegas and love to eat like I do, check it out...

http://www.nashvillelifestyles.com/apps/pbcs.dll/frontpage

Around Here...

Well, as you can see in the picture, Toby found yet another toad hopping around in the back yard the other night while the kids were playing. Of course both of our kids plus two of my neighbors' kids really enjoyed holding, chasing, squealing at and poking the poor little thing. Abby, the prissy girl, and Curran, the youngest of the crew, were the only ones brave enough to hold it!

Curran taking a turn holding the toad. The funny thing about this picture (besides Beau's redneck Cars tank top that he would not take off that day) is the huge mosquito on Beau's left arm near his wrist. Toby noticed it when he unloaded the pictures onto the computer. Poor thing! I don't recall a bite there... Those mosquitoes around here are big, and they show up early. The proof is in the pictures.

So, this seems like a random picture, but there is an explanation. Beau has started to wake up in the mornings and ask for the most random things to eat. This is a picture of him eating celery and hummus for breakfast after he was refused chicken nuggets. So strange...

Two little monkeys playing on the computer. Abby loves to play games on her school website and pbs, and Beau has picked up on the fun recently. She is so good and patient with him. You can't tell in this picture, but he is actually sitting in her lap and she is explaining to him what to do while they play.

Getting out Easter decorations.

On our way to the Mardi Gras parade that takes place every year right off of our street. We can easily walk two blocks and have a prime spot, and the kids love it.

Waiting for the parade to start.

Enjoying some early Easter suckers from World Market. They thought these suckers were particularly funny.

Papaw came into town in February for a visit and Grandparent's/Patriot's Day. It was so good to have him come and visit. Abby was so excited to have a grandparent present this year. He was in the top 3 grandparents to travel the furthest to be there. Thanks so much, Papaw!! Oh, and the above picture is a very competitive game of Hungry Hippo. I can't remember who won...probably Beau or Papaw...

A picture of Papaw and Abby in Abby's classroom after the performance.

This is a horribly blurry picture, but the only one I got of the three of them at her school.

And.......

Here is the other news that a lot of you already know, but none of you have seen until now...

Yep, that's right...

You guessed it...

We're having another BABY!!!

10 week ultrasound picture. Abby got to go with us to the appointment and she found out she was going to be a big sister again, hence her name on the picture, too. She loves that her name is on there, and is sooo excited about this baby. She, of course, would prefer a girl, while Beau says he wants a "big boy" brother. Someone will be very happy and someone will be disappointed!

Here is a bonus (sort of weird looking if you ask me!) 4D picture of the little nugget at the 10 week appointment. As long as it's arm moves down where it is supposed to be and those nubs form into hands and feet I'll be good! No, really, it is quite amazing to be able to see this precious baby so early and so in detail. Thank you, Lord, for this little blessing! He/she will be making it's "real" appearance sometime in mid-September.

So, that's what has been going on around here...

The Big Easy, Cheerleading and a Haircut

Toby had a pulmonary conference and presentation (yawn...) down in New Orleans a couple of weeks ago. The greatest thing was that Jody came down to watch the kids so I could go, too!! Yay! It was soooooo nice and I had such a good time spending some time with him and sleeping as late as I possibly could! It was weird to wake up and just get myself ready, feed myself, just worry about myself and no one else for a few days. It has been quite a while, and it was very nice and refreshing. Aside from the conference, we ate some wonderful meals, got to socialize with other adults, shopped on two different occasions (a new favorite is Magazine Street), etc. etc. Thanks so much to Jody for coming down and watching our kids so we wouldn't have to worry about them! We really appreciate it. It is better that any gift anyone could ever give us!

This is a picture of us with Toby's buddy, Richard, from his residency at Baptist. Richard was instrumental in helping Toby get into the pulmonary program down her. His wife, Melinda, introduced me to some great shopping in The Big Easy. They are very familiar with the city, so it was nice to have them to hang with!

Beignets (french donuts) and a latte from Cafe Du Monde - yummy!!

Here is a shot of Abby cheerleading. It may be the cutest thing ever to watch a bunch of 4 and 5 year olds cheerleading. I tried to talk her into basketball (like Mommy played), but, of course, she would have none of it!

This one ends up in our bed a lot, somehow. Yet another shot of him snuggled up with Daddy.

Beau informed us the other morning that he had a boo-boo on his nose. He ran off to the kids' bathroom, informing us that he would take care of it. This is what he came back looking like! I think he got his boo-boo covered, although I'm not sure he could breathe. Hilarious. I also wanted to include this picture as sort-of a pre-haircut picture...

Post haircut! I finally got his golden locks cut again. It had been several months and it was getting quite long. I am pretty fond of the long hair, but we have had several people call him a girl, and I think all that hair in his face was starting to get on his nerves. It actually ended up a little shorter than I intended, but it's just hair and will grow again, right? He sits so still for his haircuts now, which I am so thankful for. Poor kid starting getting serious haircuts at 9 months old, so I guess he is used to it! Ha! This is a picture of him "walking" my friend's new beagle puppy, Honey.

So that is all that has been going on lately! Finally, I am officially caught up on the blog!! Thursday Papaw is coming into town. Abby has Grandparent's and Patriot's Day at her school on Friday, so it will be fun for her to have a grandparent there this year! Pictures to come...

Christmas 2008

Abby back in her classroom after her school Christmas performance. The kids were so sweet saying scripture and singing songs - it just about makes me cry every year. My favorite song this year was, "Knock, knock, knock, went Joseph..." - have you all heard that one. So sweet sang in those precious little voices.

Where's Abby? (Terrible picture, but you get the idea...)

We are on our way to Tennessee!! Rocky takes front and center (literally) on Beau's pillow covered up with Abby's blanket. Seriously. If I could have it half as good...

Aunt Ann was so sweet to let Abby help make a High School Musical birthday cake while we were in town. I have to say it may have been the highlight of Abby's trip. She would stay in the kitchen "helping" all day if you let her. Ann is so patient, and even let Abby decorate her cake herself. Thanks Aunt Ann!

Making cookies for Santa at Papaw's house. It was really a special Christmas for us because the kids got to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas morning in the house Daddy grew up in!

One gripe about the house is the not so well working oven!! It made for some great Christmas cookies!! Ha! Toby loves this picture. Notice the steam coming up in the front of Toby's shirt. Hilarious. Papaw may be getting a new oven for his birthday this year!

We had more cookies, so Santa was in luck this year. He was even served off of Aunt Jody's "vintage" Sesame Street plate!

Pre kids waking up - Santa came!!

And, the kids are up! Let the opening begin! They were so excited. Some favorite gifts of 2008 included a train table and lots of Cars loot for Beau, and a Fancy Nancy doll and and art tackle box for Abby full of different art supplies.

A ballerina with her pop gun...here is something you don't see every day, but we got to on Christmas morning!

Uncle Michael playing with the boys. Will and Beau are 6 months apart and are starting to really have a lot fun playing together. It is so cute.Smith family picture

It was so great to have all of us together for Christmas on Christmas Day!

Can you teach me how, Uncle Michael?

The kids love wrestling with Uncle Berry. I have a picture like this from almost every encounter with him!

Enjoying all of the family to help entertain our young-uns!

MiMi and Abby by the firepit. The kids (and adult males) really loved hanging outside by the firepit, shooting fireworks and playing with sparklers!

Mommy making an appearance outside.

Abby and her buddy Austin enjoying playing the Wii they got for Christmas.

Swinging at Aunt Sara's

Back home in Louisiana helping Daddy put together the train table.

10 Things about Christmas 2008:

1. All of our immediate families were together on Christmas Day, and it was awesome!

2. I attempted making the dressing and it did not turn out well at all!!! Thank goodness I made some other things so I could halfway redeem myself!

3. No snow...again. One of these years my kids will have a white Christmas!!

4. We traveled well over 2000 miles total during the two weeks we were gone.

5. I have never answered so many questions about Santa in my entire life!!

6. I didn't go to a single (adult) Christmas party this year. We were in Disneyworld when we missed the ones here, and the Luckett's didn't do Dirty Santa this year. More parties next year!

7. Toby started a collection of red Le Creuset for me, and I really love them!

8. I wish we could have spent more time with some of our friends in Nashville, too.

9. Abby says her favorite thing about Christmas this year was going to see our family. Nothing about Santa, presents, Disney, etc. She knows what is important at the ripe old age of 5!

10. Toby has less than 2 years left in his fellowship! Hooray!!