Ava Faith is SEVEN years old!

(Remember the 100th day of school in Kindergarten? You wore 100 clips and accessories in your hair. So cute!)

Ava--

My life is completely changed because of you. You've taught me what love truly means. You've taught me to have fun, laugh, shake my head, pray, love, and to cherish every single moment. It literally seems like yesterday I was in labor with you. Now you are my big girl. My smart, funny, intelligent, silly, beautiful, caring, loving and full of life little seven year old.

I am so proud of you. I am proud of the little girl you are becoming. I see myself in you and it just makes me laugh. I enjoy hanging out with you and hearing your comments about everything. You are perfect to me and I am proud to have you as my daughter.

Happy birthday to the sweetest girl I know.

Ava Faith---I love you sweet girl.

Wow...it's been almost 2 months!

I really do not know where to begin because it's been so long since I've last updated. I've been so busy lately. My computer was acting up and taking an extremely long time to upload my blog that I totally abandoned it.

Anyways...we've had so much happen lately.

I'll try to recap as best I can.

My two favorite men in the world....
Damon has been so busy working hard to provide for our crazy little family. He continues to plug away at his PhD. His work is as busy as ever leaving him little down time. What down time "I" allow....hee hee....he enjoys working outside and reading. :)

He's one lucky man b/c next month he gets to travel back to Hawaii for a conference. His one day conference somehow turned into a week long stay in Hawaii. It's OK...he deserves it more than anyone I know. :):) I will miss him terribly though.

Dawson Ray is now 3 years old. The picture above is after his "fire station" b-day party. He was worn out and sick w/ ear infections. Bless his little heart. This little boy is my heart. I love being a mommy to him. There isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't say something that melts my heart. I seriously feel bad for his wife. This little boy is mine. All mine.

Dawson is now potty trained. All it took was waiting on his fierce timing and allowing him to potty outside. Damon thought I was a little crazy, but Dawson loved it. Now he just goes to the potty all by himself. :) He's so smart. :)

Dawson has such a strong willed / laid back attitude. Not as strong as his "ti ter" (sister) but it does wear me out nonetheless. He's a bit on the whiny side too. LOL

My heart swells w/ pride every single time I look at him. He is my son. My boy.

Oh Ava. Where do I begin?
This little girl is my mini-me. Her mannerisms, her attitude, her love, her determination, her look, everything about her is me. I guess that is why we fight like sisters. Ha!

Seriously--Ava amazes me every.single.day. She is so very smart. She is also sooooo very bossy and soooooo very stubborn.

She wears me out on a daily basis. Scratch that....about 30 times a day. If I make it through her teens I will need a wig b/c I'm already turning gray and losing quite a bit of hair. Seriously!

She can be the most sweetest, most loving, most caring little girl....but.....she can also be the most independent, most SASSY, most aggravating, most temperamental little being all w/in about a 2 minute span.

She continues to excel at school. She recently received her report card and scored "exceeds" on most everything. She is reading on a third grade level. There is NOTHING I can get past this little girl. She can spell anything and knows everything about everything. ;-) Again....just like her mother. Hee hee.....

I am doing very well. I'm still teaching at the preschool and I love every single minute of it. I get excited about going to work. That is so wonderful! I love my job and I love my babies at school.

I just started a new adventure. I am now selling Premier Jewelry. I love this company. I love their jewelry and I love everything they stand for......
I am so excited to meet new people and to work this business to my advantage.
I'm amazed how God totally dropped this opportunity into my lap.
He is so good to me.

Ava and I leave in about 1 hour for Disney World. My friend Michele and her son Ethan invited us to go to Disney w/ them. To say Ava is excited would be like saying I love ranch dressing. For those who know me knows that she is one very happy little girl. :)

We will be gone for one week. I will miss my little boy more than anything. I am so sad to say goodbye to him. Ava and I need this though. We need to have a little girl time. It's going to be all about her this week and I am so excited to dote solely on her.

The kids had their friends Aubrey and Brendan spend the night recently. These two pictures were taken around 9pm while they were watching Toy Story. :) They love their friends and so do I....I have the best friends in the world!!! :)

Some of my favorites.....

My friend Kim posted her favorites on her blog and it sparked my fire to do the same. She and I like a few of the same websites......

Enjoy....I know you will b/c these are my FAVORITE sites to visit. :=)

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These sites are where I go when I want a really good laugh. Click on the links.....

People of Walmart

Cake Wrecks

Awkward Family Photos

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These sites provide me with great photos, good writing, and they just warm my heart!

The Sphors are Multiplying

Classy Chaos

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Here are two sites that I realllllly enjoy b/c they always have yummy recipes to share.

Bakerella

The Pioneer Woman


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And last, these sites are where I get my celebrity news.....*rolling eyes here*

Radar Online

TMZ

US Weekly


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***If you'd like, share some of your FAVORITE sites w/ me. I'm always looking for a good read. :)

I'm just not ready.

Look at this nut posing on the toilet. He is so silly....

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I love bathing him and hearing him say, "I swimming!"

Laying down at night w/ him is one of my favorite things to do.

I don't even care that he still has his paci at night. Look at those big blue eyes.....

I love how he is fascinated w/ tools.

I EVEN love his temper.

WOW...he's mad at me here. I still find him so handsome even when he swatting at me.
Who cares that he's almost 3 and isn't potty trained!?!?!

I live for Tues / Thurs when I get to spend 8 hours w/ him by ourselves. We love to cook together.

He's cooking here too....or so he thinks!

These blue eyes will always be my favorite. :)

Our Ava....she is the life of the party!

Ava celebrated the 100th day of school recently. She was asked to do something in honor of that day. We decided to put 100 bows and clips in her hair. She had a blast and everyone loved it. :)

She was mad at me here, but this is what her hair looked like when we took it all out.

This is what Ava got to do on her day "off" from school. She shaved w/ her daddy.

She walked up to me yesterday and said, "Mommy-this is how I milk my babies." She was very serious until I busted out laughing. She thought she was nursing her baby. ONLY my child!

Dear Dawson Ray,

My boy. My favorite little man in the whole world. The sweetest boy I know. My heart literally skips a beat every single time I see you. You are my world (and your sister, of course!).

I remember the day you were born. I could not believe how big you were. You were born 2 weeks early and you were 9.3 lbs. and 22 inches long. I remember when the doctor took you out, I heard you cry. I immediately started thanking God for hearing your precious cry. No sooner had you cried, you stopped.


I saw you for a moment and then they whisked you off to the NICU. You (like your sister) had breathing problems when you were born. I remember asking your father if something terrible had happened....he was crying, there was panic in the operating room, and I was tied to the bed and I couldn't reach you. It was the most helpless feeling I've ever felt.

As happy as I was at yours and Ava's birth, they both were the most scariest/saddest/painful/depressing days of my life. To have both of your children taken from you so fast and to only have seen you both for just a second, it was terrifying to say the least. Daddy left both times to be w/ you and Ava.....I had to summon him back to let me know what was going on w/ both of you after your deliveries.


Unfortunately, you had trouble breathing.....you had to stay in the NICU for 6 days. I never got to bring you to my room the whole time. I didn't even get to see you until 12 hours after you were born. Grandmommy and Papa Willie took pictures of you for me and brought the camera up to my hospital room so I could see you. I remember thinking that you were the most precious baby ever. I could not believe how big you were. Seeing all the tubes, IVs, "junk" attached to you literally broke my heart. I wanted to take all the pain you were experiencing away from you. If only I could....



Around midnight I was allowed to go down to the NICU to see you for the 1st time. Oh how I remember that moment like it was yesterday. I could not get my hands off of you....I wanted to hold you so much. I only got to stay for a few minutes because I was in so much pain from the c-section. You were able to start nursing about 24 hours after you were born. I loved nursing you.



I can't believe YOU, my sweetest baby, my lover boy, the most handsome one I know, my best friend, my everything will be turning 3 years old very soon. It seems like yesterday Ava was kissing my belly and telling you how much she loved you. It seems like yesterday I felt you moving and kicking me. It seems like yesterday that I saw your boy parts and I told Ava that she was having a brother even before the technician could confirm. It seems like yesterday I found out I was pregnant and started crying b/c I already loved you.



Dawson Ray--you make me so proud. You are the funniest, sweetest, most caring child I know. You will make someone very happy one day (although I feel sorry for "her" b/c she'll have to deal w/ me......). I pray for you every day. I ask God to bless you, to keep you safe, to make you happy, to give you lots of friends, to help you to always do the right thing no matter what, to keep you under His hand forever....


I love you more than you'll ever know. I am blessed to have such a sweet boy as mine. You are my life. I love you so much little one.

I am so thankful that God gave you to me. My little Mama's boy.....Dawson Ray! :-)

I had a vision and now it is a reality! Finally--after many long months of remodeling.....

Our house renovations are complete for now.....(well I take that back...they will be done tomorrow---the floor still needs to go in the playroom!). I had a friend (RUSSELL!!!) come over and put crown molding, chair railing, and shadow boxes up in the DR, hallway, and kitchen. Then I painted the dining room, hallway, foyer, and kitchen all by myself! :) Lastly, I just had my new floors installed throughout the downstairs of our house.
I hope you like it.
I am so happy that it is done.
If you know me, you know my OCD has been going crazy during this mess. I never knew what it was like to renovate while living in the house at the same time. Never again!

Excuse the little pieces of carpet under my chair....I need to put protectors under it so it doesn't scratch the floor.

I could not say it better myself. I agree 100%. :)