W.O.W. Goal!

My cousin Becky is hosting a "Withing One Week" blog. I decided that since the weather is finally looking good I have no excuse to not get outside and work on my garden. Chad and I have worked really hard the last couple of years to have a nice yard, and it's looking great (I put a few pictures up of it), but we've spent so much time on the yard that I have put zero time into any kind of garden, and I really want one! So this week I'm going to plant myself a nice garden. Not sure I'll be able to get everything I want done in a week (I need to buy plants, garden soil, and caseron and that costs money!) but I'm going to get as much done as I can. I had put in a little garden last year, but the grass overgrew everything, so I'm going to really have to work on getting ALL the grass out before I plant anything. Here are some pics!

Here's some pictures of the yard. Doesn't it look good! We're super proud of it. No auto sprinklers, and no yard service, this is all us. It wraps all the way around to the back of the house. About .5 acres.

This is where I'd like to plant my garden. Right along the edge of the house. It's going to be a big job!! This has been a troublesome part of the yard. It has patchy spots that don't seem to want to hold on to grass seed. Hopefully this fall we can get some to stick there!!

And here is what I've gotten done so far today. I used my mom's rototiller to till up the soil really good. There is still some grass in there I need to get out but I think I've almost got it all. The caseron should help keep the rest out! I think this was the hardest part. Now I just have to get the soil ready for planting and pick out my flowers! I'll keep you all updated.

"Computer Hacking Skills"

The other day I caught Avery "hacking" into my computer. She climbs up onto the chair if I don't push it in and starts banging on the keyboard and by the time I see what she's been doing she's opened a million windows and changed about 10 settings on my computer!! I've started closing my laptop when I'm not on it. She really looks like she knows what she's doing though doesn't she...

Binki Blues

The other day at Katy's house Avery found Joey's binki and decided she wanted to suck on it again. Today she found a bink in her diaper bag and made it her friend. It's kinda cute, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to nip this in the bud since she hasn't wanted a bink a since she was 6 months old!!

Princess Avery

A couple weeks ago I got this crown, septor, and sash. I put them in Avery's toy box and she just found them a couple days ago. I put them on and she thought she was pretty cool. I love the cheese face! Anyway, she wore them ALL DAY. When the crown would fall off she had to bring it to me to put it back on haha. I might have a girlie girl on my hands!!

Refresh and Renew!

I am back! I had such a great time this last weekend at my church's women's retreat in Leavenworth. There really are no words if you haven't ever been to a retreat with your church. I came home totally renewed and ready to live for Christ. I am definitely not sweating the small stuff nearly as much, and I have this renewed motivation to get into the word more than I have in the past. It was so great getting to know all the women better, even the people I already thought I knew I learned so much more about.

We were lucky to have a woman who has been a missionary in The Chad for years come and speak the entire weekend, and she really hit home on a lot of things. Major reality check for me. AND, I get home and my house is spic and span! How amazed was I. If anyone knows my husband, they know that he is NOT a neat nick, he is as messy as messy can be, but he did such a good job keeping the house in ship shape while I was gone. I almost cried when I walked in the door!

And of course I left Avery for the first time. For anyone who hasn't left their baby over night for the first time, let me tell you, it IS as hard as you think it's going to be. All I could think of was her waking up and me not being there. It was sooo hard driving away from that house the first night!! My heart was really hurting. I was, however, very glad that it went well. She had a lot of fun with Chad's mom and dad, and when I got home I got the biggest squeezie I had ever gotten. Of course she won't let me out of her sight now because she swears I'm going to leave again! I'm glad she missed me, makes me feel good. I missed her and Chad soooo much while I was gone that when I got back nothing mattered except my time with her and my time with my hubby. I called Chad's parents at least twice a day while I was gone too, so that helped !

My own Floating Baby!!

So.... Last night, I just couldn't stand it anymore and I took a pregnancy test. You guessed it! It came up positive. We are pregnant!!! We are super excited about baby #2! It's very early, I'm only 4 weeks along, but like I said, I can't stand to hold things in so I have to tell the world! So pray for a healthy baby for Chad and I, and I'll keep you all updated. OH, and I now have my own freaky floating baby on my blog page.

Happy Mother's Day Every Day

Mother's day came and went. It was a nice relaxing day, nothing too different from any other day except that I got a "Happy Mother's Day" from lots of people. I enjoyed it still! I wanted to put a few pictures up the main reason I enjoy mother's day. What a blessing children are! Avery can make me smile even on my worst days. I love this kid more then I ever knew I could love someone, and I thank God every day for giving her to me. He definitely knew what he was doing at a time when I really had no idea what I was doing! Even now I get emotional because I'm so overwhelmed with love for her. In many ways I feel like she has saved my life, and most definitely changed it for the better. Thank you Lord! Thank you Lord!! And Happy Mother's Day to the many other's who know exactly what I'm talking about!





This picture is from about a year ago. Amazing how fast they grow!

These are a few pictures from Nana's the other day. She had a nasty cold so that's why she has black circles under her eyes. She had this little bear and Kerners put it in her shirt. Now she thinks that she has to have it in there all the time, and if it falls out, she comes over so that someone can put it back in lol.

Another picture of the bear under the shirt. Can't explain why she would even want it there haha, but she did!

Yes, Avery makes messes at other people's houses too. Aunt Karen took these pictures for me and while I was gone to the grocery store she found the pots and pans. I bet she had fun with that!

She went naked outside for a while. She really loves climbing on Nana's chairs outside and was laughing at me when I put one on my head, so we put one on her head. She thought that was pretty neat.

An early mother's day present...

My sweet sweet child. The other day I was, of course, blogging. I was so focused on the dang computer that a bit of time went by before I noticed that it was very quiet. I called Avery's name a few times, no answer. I heard some rustling in the back, so I decided to go take a look. I walked into her room.... And what did I find? Everything was pulled from her bottom two drawers and thrown on the ground. But who would do this? Not my sweet sweet girl! Oh yes, my oh so innocent daughter was the culprit. I was pretty upset considering that I had just folded up about half the clothes that were now strewn all over the floor, but that I decided it was a good blogging moment. So, yet another Avery mess, with many more to come, I'm sure.

blog layouts

I checked out my sister's blog this morning, and decided to go ahead and do the same thing! So I gave my blog a "face lift". All you have to do is go to cutestblogontheblock.blogspot.com and pick one out. There are lots to choose from, and they're free! All she asks is that you give her a shout out on your blog, so here's my shout out! Hope you like my new look. :)

Cheese!

We've been trying to teach Avery how to say cheese when she smiles for the camera. She says cheese just fine, and has been saying it since, well whenever Mia and Jeremy came over here. But for some reason she makes this weird hand motion. She scrunches up and puts her hands out like she's begging for something. It's so funny. I got a few pictures of it.

She started doing the cheesy face (as we call it at home) at lunch the other day just out of the blue.

This was her close up cheesy face on Mom's lap.

And of course, he new favorite thing.... Picking her nose. I had to throw this picture in. Her favorite book is "This Little Nose" so she's known what and where her nose was for a long time, but just in the last month or so she's decided she's going to pick it, so here's an action shot. She's got great form doesn't she? I love how that belly sticks out over the skirt too. Just adds to the picture I think.

My sister has an addiction!

I knew that Katy had a problem, but now I have proof. Please, we have to get her help. She's addicted to WEBKINS! Yes, she says "it's for her kids" but I know otherwise. I caught her on camera playing "Cole's" webkin games. This was while we were supposed to be playing cards, but she had something more important to do. I sat there for about 10 minutes waiting for her, then went to check on her and this is what I found. These games are not for adults Katy! Please, stop webkining. I love you too much to see you do this to yourself! Know that I am only doing this because I'm worried about you. Together we can fight this!