Birthday Girl!

Happy 1st Birthday Anna Kate

We love  you as high as the sky!

Being thankful

Being a bit sentimental and nostalgic this time of year I look at the simple things in life that I am thankful for...

Laughing and smiling faces of princess ballerinas on Halloween

 Picnics with the park on a sunny day with Grandpa and Granny and cousin John Paul

Rainy days

Families

Life long friendships:

Anna Kate with her Nanny Sarah's kiddos and Madeline

Princess Ballerina Kisses

d

Hugs from Mimi 

and love from Sisters

...don't think I did not tear up at this one!

No matter what is going, remember you do have many things to be grateful about in your life!

Colorado

Thank you to my wonderful Uncle Charles and Aunt Sharon for letting us crash in their beautiful home in Golden, for most of our stay in Colorado.
We really enjoyed it there, as I write this they are getting record setting snow and so I imagine this scene is in a blanket of the yummy white stuff!
We were there 4 weeks ago with sunshine and not a cloud in the sky the whole visit, so it is hard to picture it now.
We saw deer, 2 bucks, a fox and rabbits in their backyard I wish I had the camera.

Anna Kate enjoying an empty chip can for a toy while we all take a break from sitting in the car. Love this age ;-)

Home away from home: While staying in a cabin at Estes Park the girls enjoyed the movies...too cold to go outside after the sun goes behind the mountains. I think they are a little too close to the tv but I will not be the mom that says "your eyes will go cross if you stand that close!" We all know that is not true, I hope!

Outside the window from the cabin...This pic is so relaxing. I wish we could have stayed outside longer but the wind and some snow flakes kept us inside.

Downtown Estes with Steven and Madeline, Anna Kate is hiding...

...asleep, snug and warm.

Madeline loves strolling and shopping no matter how cold it is.
Foliage in Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park

Downtown Boulder never disappoints us! Next to these fountains we ate "the best sandwiches" voted in Boulder. They were good, however Darrell's still is the best hands down :-)Our one family photo, thank you mister from Arkansas. This is the highest we could get in Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park. Trail Ridge Road (which goes through the Rockies) had just closed that weekend due to snow until Memorial Day weekend.
The beauty of the Rockies is unbelievable. It is worth the 18 hour drive, I think. My husband and others could feel differently :-)
.

Halloween Fun!

The girls played and helped daddy make Jack-O-Lanterns in the wonderful weather over this past weekend! Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year, the season is changing for the better (love cold weather) and it is so close to holiday times!

Thank you Nanny Kate for the apron. As you can see she is most proud of it.
Anna Katherine is so close to walking on her own. She takes a few steps at a time now. She turns 1 in a few weeks so maybe she will be walking fully on her birthday. However, this baby still has no teeth. Madeline got her first one at 11 months.
I guess she be walking and talking before a tooth appears.

All done... They were very happy with it!

Madeline was a little scared of them in the dark. I think Steven did a great job! Yay daddy!

We have been on the road so much these past 2 weeks...went to Colorado. Still uploading pictures. Here are some random ones before leaving for our vacation. Enjoy!
Happy Fall!

What is wrong with this picture? Anyone? Look closely Anna Kate is in John Paul's clothes and John Paul is wearing Anna Kate's clothes... identity crisis? Or Granny and Kate's idea? Honestly it took me several seconds to figure who was who. Those babies look so much alike.
Okay, so I know you are not suppose to play with matches but can I at least taste them?

Madeline is cooking with mommy. She loves to help with everything. Do they make toddler aprons?

This is my shirt when I was a baby. Anna Kate is about to pop out of it so I had to get one last picture to my "Future Rock Star". Plus the leg warmers (yes they are back in style I hear) are so cute on kiddos.

The girls are making a tent with Daddy. I wish Anna Kate's face was showing, she laughs so much at Madeline.

Madeline and mommy visiting Ruston to see Family...

The Green cousins: Emma, Olivia, Sophie, Anna Katherine & Madeline At Mimi and Papa's house in Ruston

30 yrs young & 6 yrs of marriage!

In a little over a week I have turned 30 and Steven and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary!

Keeping it short and sweet, 30 is turning out to be wonderful. I have 2 amazing, healthy children and a devoted, adorable husband of 6 years. Life is good.

Upon looking for pictures to insert into this blog I started to realize how quickly 6 years goes by... Steven and I have been through a lot since we found each other. In the beginning, it was the road less traveled by and it has made all the difference (thank you Robert Frost, it sounds cheesy but it is so true).

Happy Anniversary to us, Steven. I can not imagine being with anyone else. You are truly an astounding father and friend. Much love and support to you, always.

September 20, 2003
Honeymoon: Jackson Hole, WY

Madeline Claire: May 22, 2007

Anna Katherine: November 12, 2008 I realize now that we need to take more pictures with the 4 of us! This was Easter 2009

Enjoying the weather...

A few weekends ago we had some record lows and plenty of sunshine here in Lake Charles. We totally took advantage of it and spent most of the time outside.

Playin' in the dirt in the backyard...
Our two sweet girls!
Mommy and daddy are so brave for having this as the girls "playground". I am not sure how that little fruit tree is still alive!

Lock Park...
Anna Kate loves to swing. At one point all 4 of us were swinging at once. You forget how much fun swinging is. I request more swinging for adults! The world would be much happier :-)

Madeline was not sure what to think of this fire truck. She is such a girl. We saw a little boy just run up to it and started playing with no doubts.

The Lake...
We went and fed the ducks (and lots pigeons!) I thought this was a sweet moment with Madeline and her daddy.

Anna Kate is in awe of all the ducks and pigeons, but most importantly how to get anything around into her mouth...hummm, the grass, the rocks or even the sand down by that oh so clean water would be such a treat!
Sam Houston State Park...
We saw deer, rabbits, birds and lots of moss.

Anna Kate laughing and dripping a little something from her nose at the same time. I am glad we have a picture of this face because she does it all the time, and as I have mentioned before, parents forget little faces and sounds children make as they grow.

A great shot of Louisiana...so pretty! Of course pictures don't do total justice but you can get the idea!