The Alban Family

Sweet Sisters

2011-11-01T12:30:00.001-05:00

These girls have such a special bond that only sisters can have. I pray that God blesses their relationship for many years to come!!

Pumpkin Bash

2011-10-30T21:10:00.001-05:00

Hannah and I joined my parents this evening at their church. Every year the church holds an event where the kids get to trick or treat, play games, and jump in
bounce houses. This year is Hannah's fourth time to go. Unfortunately, Lauren had to stay home because she wasn't feeling well. Hannah enjoyed herself and hopefully everyone will get to go next year!

Happy Halloween!

Ready for School!

2011-10-28T19:24:00.001-05:00

The girls got to wear their costumes to school yesterday. It was lots of fun for them. Here is a cute picture a friend took of our kiddos. Sweet friends!

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Sisters

2011-10-10T21:23:00.001-05:00

Such sweet sisters! After Hannah fell and scrapped her knee Lauren was there to comfort her. I'm pretty sure that Hannah thought it was the END OF THE WORLD. That's what sisters are for!

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Big Orange Pumpkin Farm

2011-09-30T16:25:00.000-05:00

Today we headed out to the Big Orange Pumpkin Farm with some friends. The weather was beautiful and the kids really enjoyed feeding the animals, riding on the hay ride (twice), and picking out the perfect pumpkin. I didn't take a ton of pictures, but here are a few I did take.

Sweet Lauren...what are we going to do with your hair?

A little close but the picture captures her sweet smile!

In case you were wondering...it's really hard to get a good picture of this many kids!

The Arboretum

2011-09-30T16:15:00.000-05:00

The Dallas Arboretum always has really pretty pumpkin displays in the fall. This years display was beautiful! We had a great time and got a few cute pics.

The Zoo!

2011-09-30T16:06:00.000-05:00

After having such a HOT summer here we were beyond excited when the temps dropped to the 80's. We took advantage of the cooler weather and made a trip to the zoo with some friends. The kids really enjoyed seeing the animals and we had a great time!

Almost got everyone to look!

Carson and Hannah feeding the giraffes.

Looking forward to cooler weather and more fun outside this fall!

First Day of School

2011-09-30T16:00:00.000-05:00

Hannah and Lauren both started school at the beginning of September. This is Hannah's third year to go to Sonshine Academy and Lauren's first year. We have loved the experiences that Hannah has had and we are excited about the new year! Lauren was a little apprehensive about trying something new, but she is doing great.

Here is Hannah telling us that she is in the "fours" class this year. She was so excited and loves to go to school.

A little cookie cake to celebrate the first day of school. Here's to a great year!!

Bug bite

2011-07-29T17:35:00.001-05:00

Hannah had a bug bite this week that started off fine and quickly became infected. After starting antibiotics it continued to spread so we opted to visit the ER. She was such a trooper and had her first IV with round one of a new antibiotic. Today it looks sooo much better and we are grateful she is on the mend!

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2011-07-25T21:28:00.001-05:00

The girls helped me in the kitchen tonight by making brownies. They had so much fun and tasted yummy too!

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Location:Brownies

Pups

2011-07-24T21:33:00.001-05:00

Ok, don't laugh at me, but I'm loving this blogging from my phone thing. Hmmm, maybe I'll post something about my kids
soon. The dogs are cute though...

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Testing it Out

2011-07-24T21:29:00.001-05:00

I wanted to see if this really worked so I'm trying it out!

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A bird feeder???

2011-03-23T14:49:00.000-05:00

Sometimes I have wild ideas about things my kids can make. It's a good thing that my sweet friend, Sondra, is willing to try them out with me. Today I wanted to make a bird feeder to hang in the backyard. So we met at the park to minimize the cleanup. Great move there! Anyway, we cut a paper plate and covered it with peanut butter. The kids then put the birdseed on top. Lauren placed it carefully, Zachary and Hannah completely covered it, and Abigail thought she should taste it. Funny how they did it so differently. We had fun and the kids enjoyed being together as always.

After we finished up I wanted to take a picture of everyone. Here are the results...

Nice, huh? It was a nice try!

Pretty Flowers and Pretty Girls!

2011-03-23T14:34:00.000-05:00

We visited the Dallas Arboretum last week with my mom. The weather was a bit chilly and there were alot of people there, but the girls didn't seem to mind. Here are some pictures of my sweet kids.

Lauren's classic "cheese" smile. Every.Single.Time.

Hannah trying to hold her hair back...such a little diva.

Not too bad of a sister picture...

Hannah wanted to see where J and April got married. When we got to the spot she wanted to dance....Grammie was the winner! She was a great sport with Hannah's requests!

We had a nice time, and look forward to going back again another day!

Happy Valentine's Day!

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I think this picture of Lauren is so funny. This is the face you get when you try to take her picture!

Hannah with her new Ariel doll that she got from Grammie and Big Daddy. We were at the hospital visiting my dad.

Someday I will get a non-blurry, great picture of my kids together. Until then...this is the best I could get.

Snow Fun

2011-02-15T11:03:00.000-06:00

When it was cold and snowy outside we stayed in and had some bed jumping fun!

The picture of Lauren cracks me up because they were having such a great time playing together.

Sweet sisters! Please excuse Lauren's red face, she was getting over a cold.

This is my kind of snow fun...indoors!

Iced In

2011-02-02T14:26:00.000-06:00

The weather has been terrible the last two days, but we are trying to make the best of it! Yesterday, we stayed inside and played. Today we convinced our friends to come and play. Zac and Abby live super close to us,and their mom, Sondra, was willing to drive the short distance to our house. So we got to play with our friends! We were all excited. In honor of the snow/sleet we made some snowflake tortillas. The turned our really good. Here are the kids waiting paitently for the actvity to start.

They folded the tortillas and tore hole in them to create the snowflakes. I think they look pretty good!

We put butter, cinnamon, and sugar on top and baked them for about 10 minutes.

They were nice and crunchy! The kids enjoyed eating them and they tasted great!

Thanks for braving the ice and coldtospend the morning with us! We had fun.

Ballet

2011-02-02T14:09:00.000-06:00

Hannah started a little ballet class at the YMCA last June. We have been going every Monday since then. She loves going and it is a nice, low stress class. They have been practicing a little routine to "Twinkle, Twinkle". Here are a few pictures of her dancing.

She is much more engaged at ballet, then basketball. I think it's a keeper.

Well...

2011-02-02T14:00:00.000-06:00

We decided to try rookie basketball at the YMCA this year. Let's just say we don't see any major commitments to sport of basketball happening any time soon. She looks super cute...

fluffing her hair on the court. Yes, the other children were running around playing the game.Oh, my! And don't worry she has a nice pink and purple ball to play with too. Bless her little heart, but I don't think basketball is her thing.

Footie Jammies

2011-01-18T13:21:00.000-06:00

For Christmas I bought the girls matching jammies. Lauren got footie pj's and Hannah got a two piece set that had the same print. When Hannah figured out that hers did not have feet she was devasted. She hasn't worn footed jammies since she was 9 months old! So she and I went to the store after Christmas and picked out one pair of footie jammies. To be honest I thought she would hate them and not wear them, but I was WRONG. EVERY night she wants to wear them! She loves them! Needless to say, we bought some more! Silly girl!

TRULY matching jammies!

Halfway from one to two!

2011-01-15T13:45:00.000-06:00

Sweet Lauren Bear,

How can it be that you are already 18 months old? It seems like such a short time ago that you joined our hearts and our lives! I have to admit that I have been looking forward to you being this age for a while now. Part of me loves that baby stage, but the other part of me knows how much fun you are becoming now that you are older. You are such a tender hearted little girl with so much love for everyone around you!

You have such an excitement for the little things in life. You love to play with just about anything you

can! You love to take showers and you can't wait to eat breakfast as soon as you get out of bed. Generally, you are a happy little girl unless you can't have what you want (because Hannah won't let you) or you can't do it by yourself. You love to follow Hannah around and want to play with whatever she is playing with. Most of the time she agrees to let you play!:) Although you love your sissy, you love your alone time with mommy while Hannah is at school. Most days you sleep until 7, and take a pretty good nap. You like to eat variety (unlike your sister) and love Mexican food! Recently you have had a growth spurt and wear 24 month size clothes. You try to talk all the time and have added some new ones lately. Sissy, Hannah, MOMMA (firmly yelled), DADDY (also firmly yelled), ball, up, down, out, on, and NO are some of your favs. You don't talk quite as much as your sister did at this age, but goodness you dont need to! Hannah does it for you! We are so proud of you and couldn't imagine our lives without you in our family. Thank you God for blessing us with the life of Lauren Kate.

Oh, yeah...I had a hard time with the pictures. She just wanted the camera, and wouldn't stand still!

Sisters

2011-01-12T13:48:00.000-06:00

Lately, the girls have been really sweet with each other. It seems like they just truly realized it is kind of fun to play and interact with one another. I love watching them enjoy being together. Along with the sweet moments have come those not so sweet moments! Although it's exhausting to experience sometimes, they are creating priceless memories! We love you sweet girls!

This picture above is blurry, but it captures their true personalities!

First trip to the dentist!

2011-01-12T13:36:00.000-06:00

Hannah had her first trip to the dentist today and she did GREAT! She did awesome and was super exicted about all the goodies they gave her. We went to a pediatric dentist and they were wonderful with her. They took xrays and cleaned her teeth. The dentist was pleased with what he saw and said to keep up the good work. He also noted that she has a teeny tiny mouth which means braces are in her future! He even thought as early as 7 or 8 years old! Oh, my! We better start saving now! I am so proud of how well she handled such a big girl thing!

The Snow!!

2011-01-10T14:46:00.000-06:00

We got our annual snowfall yesterday! Hannah couldn't wait to go outside and play in it. So we got all bundled up and went outside. It didn't last long because it was COLD! Here are a few pictures I snapped!

I know...

2010-12-20T14:28:00.000-06:00

I have been a HUGE slacker. Don't worry we are still alive and kickin' over here at the Alban house! We have been busy visiting Santa, going to the Children's parade downtown, decorating cookies, and enjoying the season! The pictures below are proof that we are still here! Just because I don't update my blog doesn't mean I don't look at your blog!

Sweet Girls

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Cookie Decorating!

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Having fun!

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Children's Parade

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I wanna be like my big sister...

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Maybe someday...

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I will get a good picture of the girls together! Oh well! We went to play at the little houses in Allen and were pleasantly surprised that they had a cute little pumpkin display. They had a lot of fun!

Go Bears, Go Bears, Go Bears, Go Bears Go!

2010-10-13T16:16:00.005-05:00

Hannah, Dustin, and I along with my parents made a trip to the state fair to see the Baylor Bears play football. We enjoyed the game even though the Bears lost, and enjoyed the sites of the fair as well. If only there were a few less people at the fair!:) There was an amazing petting zoo with tons of different animals . Hannah loved the goats the most. Enjoy the out of order pics, sorry about that!

She loved the cotton candy!

We went through a farm training for kids that was super cute! She practiced feeding and watering and they even gave her a dollar to spend after her goods went to the market.

My two girls!

2010-10-08T14:42:00.005-05:00

I love looking back at pictures of Hannah to see if she and Lauren look alike. I think the resemble each other alot more than I thought they did. Hannah is just a little older in this picture, and she had so much hair! Some day Lauren will have that much too, right? I hope so. Anyways, here are my two sweet girls!

More Pumpkins!!

2010-10-08T14:23:00.005-05:00

Pumpkins!

2010-10-06T13:34:00.004-05:00

The girls and I went to a little pumpkin patch today to try and take a few pictures. They had a pony ride, a maze made of hay, a bouncy slide, and a petting zoo. I was really proud of Hannah because she hasn't always been a huge fan of riding ponies or bouncy things. Today was a different story! She loved it and didn't want to stop!

This is what you get when you try to take a picture of both children. Lovely huh?

Sweet Lauren!

Checking out the animals through the fence. Both girls loved the animals.

Hannah riding the pony! She hopped right on!

The maze made of hay!

Soccer

2010-10-03T14:56:00.006-05:00

We thought it would be fun for Hannah to try soccer this fall. So we signed her up for Rookie soccer at the YMCA. She has been looking forward to playing since we started talking about it. She is the only girl on the team, but she doesn't seem to mind! The morning started off well. She practiced kicking the ball into the goal and was ready to start. When the ref blew the whistle she and another kid just stood there. Everyone on the other team and the ringer on her team ran to the ball. But not Hannah, she just watched. HILARIOUS! I couldn't stop laughing. It got a little better as the game went on, but then she was tired and didn't want to play anymore. I don't think the team missed her contribution once she decided to stay on the sidelines. Even Uncle J and April couldn't convince her to come back into the game! Oh well, maybe next week will be better!

The snack and drinks were the best part!

You did a great job sweet girl! There is a first for everything!

Learning Fun!

2010-10-03T14:28:00.004-05:00

I told Hannah that we could pratice writing her letters using shaving cream when Lauren went down for her morning nap. There was no way that she was going to let me forget this one! She did a wonderful job following directions and forming her letters. She's a sneaky little thing and doesn't always share what she can do! I am learning that she actually knows how to form a lot of her letters already. Great job Hannah!

We used a tray to keep the shaving cream contained.

We finished the day with gluing some "c" pictures from a magazine into her letter book.

Enjoying the weather!

2010-09-30T10:59:00.003-05:00

Veggie Tales!

2010-09-25T12:00:00.002-05:00

Hannah and I enjoyed a fun little Veggie Tales Live show last night at Prestonwood Baptist Church! We met Kaden and Angie for some yummy dinner and then watched a great show together. Hannah really enjoyed it once she was willing to take her fingers out of her ears. She seems to be really sensitive to loud noises and insists of plugging her ears. We are hoping this goes away soon! After a while she loved hearing the songs and dancing along. I enjoyed my date night with you Hannah Banana!

I hope the church has a bunch of extra notepads and little pencils. I am pretty sure that every kid there used one!

We seem to have a problem...

2010-09-25T11:52:00.002-05:00

getting our laundry room door stuck. Our washing machine moves sometimes when it has a lot of stuff and then the door won't open! Here is Dustin working hard to push the washing machine back with the rake. He is so handy!

If you want a 3 year old to...

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to write the letter A, then you might need to include some bribery. You know, like a sucker. So then when she FINALLY does it, you give her one. And chances are, when you give her a sucker...

then you have to give one to her sister too! I know...not the best parenting technique, but too late!

My two SWEET girlies!

First Day of School

2010-09-10T15:10:00.002-05:00

Hannah just finished up her first week back at school! She is at the same school, just on the preschool side! On Tuesday, she was THRILLED to be going back to school. She loves her new teachers and her new classroom. We are so excited to see what this year brings! Good luck Hannah Grace!

This was my attempt at getting a picture before we went in. It was pouring down rain and there were so many other people that were more exciting to watch!

Sitting at her space and playing with a brand new can of playdough! Bye mom!

Such a sweet girl!

Lately

2010-08-24T20:50:00.004-05:00

I have been TERRIBLE about blogging lately! Now that birthdays are over life has slowed down tons here at the Alban household. It's wild to think we now have a ONE year old and a THREE year old! Ahhh! Anyway, here are some pics that I have taken lately.

My sweet Hannah Banana! She is such a delight to have as a daughter! At three years old she loves to dance and sing to music of all kind, play with her princess dolls, and take showers "all by myself!" She is very independent and likes to put her own clothes and shoes on all by herself. She often insists that her hair is "down" and not "up" and loves to play dress up too! Popsicles, hot dogs, and quesadillas still rank on the top of her food list, but she is willing to at least taste new things. She wears panties and uses the potty like a big girl although, she doesn't always want to stop what she is doing and go potty. This girl loves to watch movies and is learning how to play games. Hannah is a wonderful big sister and she loves Lauren to pieces. She will be going to preschool in a couple of weeks and we are so excited for her! We love you sweet girl!

My sweet Lauren Bear! How is it that you are already 13 months old? Just last week she decided that walking might be kinda fun! Helloooooooo! We have been trying to tell you this sweet girl! Crawling still seems faster sometimes, but she is walking more each day. She continues to be our little eater who is willing to try just about anything. Using a fork seems to make everthing taste better! Oh, yeah...this girl is a climber! Don't turn your back on her or she will be standing on top of something dangerous with a giant smile! At 13 months you adore your sister and both puppy dogs. You watch everything that Hannah does, and try to copy it. It is priceless to watch. Sometimes you love the puppies too much and I think you scare them a little. It's been a while since Hannah was rough with them,but they are getting used to it again! She is learning to use some words including dada, night night, dog, down, mama, and we think you say nana for Hannah. She will use sign language for milk and more. We love you to pieces and look forward to what is to come!

It's hard to get these girls to stop long enough for a good picture!

Lauren's First Birthday Party

2010-07-20T21:06:00.016-05:00

Ok...so I am having some difficulties with the posting of Lauren's party, so bear with me. Here are a few random shots that didn't make it in that I thought you needed to see! Sorry they are out of order.

This was the main table. We served candy for favors along with cupcakes, chocolate covered pretzels and marshmallows.

This weekend we had the honor of celebrating Lauren's first birthday with a ladybug bash! Grammie and Big Daddy so graciously let us open their home and helped us celebrate with style! Enjoy the pictures!

These are the signs we hung on the front doors. My mom uses these wreaths normally and they were perfect for the occassion!

I made this name banner and some tissue paper poof balls. The balls are really cute, but kinda a pain to make. I'm not sure that I will be making them for Hannah's party!

My parents have a HUGE island and it is the main reason I wanted to have the party at their house. Here is our display complete with toole and pictures of our sweet Lauren.

We had cupcakes for the guests and a smash cake for Lauren.

Chocolate covered marshmallows! Yum,yum!

Chocolate covered pretzels

The ladybug smash cake.

Our youngest guest, Ella.

Kaden

MichaelHannah with a red mustache

Sondra, Abby, and Zac

Kelly

Opening presents (she had no idea what was going on, but the big kids did)

Hannah and Abby

Getting ready for cake

What a cheese ball!

Sheis enjoying the frosting...

until Daddy thought it would be a good idea to smash her hand in the cake. Lauren did not agree with that idea. Cake time was OVER.

After some dessert the big kids were checking out the backyard. Too bad it was like 110 degrees because they have an amazing backyard.

What a great way to celebrate little Lauren's first year of life. She is such a joy and blessing to have in our lives. Happy Birthday Lauren Bear!

Sunbelt Pool Party

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Birthday Dinner

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Grammie and Lauren

Sweet Hannah

Hannah and Kaden

Hannah INSISTED on holding Ella and April assisted.

The Rhodes

Dustin and I

Dustin and his mom

Grandpa and Lauren

Uncle J and Lauren walking around outside.

What a nice 29th birthday!

Beauty and The Beast

2010-07-20T19:53:00.003-05:00

Last week we had the opportunity to take Hannah to see the musical production of Beauty and The Beast at the new AT&T performance center. She LOVES Disney princess movies and Beauty and The Beast is one of her favorites. We ate dinner at Chipotle first and then rode the Dart Rail downtown. She really enjoyed the train ride and we did too. It would have been nice to have driven our own car for sake of time, but it was the experience we were going for. Hannah loved it and did great! Getting ready to leave while Auntie B stayed with Lauren.

Being silly with daddy!

She wasn't too excited to take this picture!

What a fun evening!

Happy Birthday Bear!

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At 2:03 pm on July 15, 2010 Lauren Kate Alban officially joined our family. We have been blessed beyond words by her sweet spirit and infectious smile. In one year she has changed so very much! We love you sweet Lauren Bear and look forward to many more birthdays in the future.

Good morning birthday girl! Unfortunately, she also had a snotty nose when we got her up. Oh well!

Everybody loves chocolate sprinkled donut holes for breakfast on your birthday!

We made a quick trip to the doctor for our well visit. She looked great! (other than the snot :( )

We went shopping and ate lunch at the mall with Grammie. Here we are learning how to work her new toy! Good thing Hannah is there to help!

After dinner we opened a few gifts and played with each one. She had no idea what was
going on, but Hannah sure did!

We sang Happy Birthday and she tasted a cupcake before getting ready for bed.
Yum, yum!

What a great day!

My Little Fish

2010-07-13T14:00:00.003-05:00

Hannah has been taking swimming lessons for a while now at Emler swim school. She goes once a week for 11 weeks and is really making TONS of progress. When she started she held on to the teacher with a death grip and REFUSED to put her face in the water. Her teacher is very sweet and patient and Hannah loves her. Today she put her head under for four seconds! We are so proud of you little fish! Patiently waiting for her turn.

There she goes...underwater!

Proud of herself for going under the water.

Getting ready to go down the slide. A couple of weeks ago she wouldn't even think about the slide and today she was all about it.

Yea! Good job, Hannah!

Bounce Houses and Snow Cones

2010-07-13T13:46:00.003-05:00

Last night Hannah and I went to a registration party for her school. We turned in all her paperwork, ordered her a new school shirt, and got to play in the bounce houses. She had a GREAT time jumping and running back and forth between houses. I was surprised she enjoyed it so much because never before has she liked bounce houses. I guess she is over that fear! We got to see some friends from her class and even her teacher! These were the best pictures I could get because she didn't stop the whole time!!

I know...

2010-07-08T20:40:00.006-05:00

it has been FOREVER since I have posted anything. Sorry about that. Honestly, I just haven't taken all that many pictures lately. We have been super busy and are doing well. Lauren will be ONE next week and Hannah will be THREE in just a few weeks! Here are some pictures from what we have been up to. Lauren's new favorite facial expression! It cracks me up.

Crawling in a dress is difficult, so Lauren just crab walks with her butt in the air.

Yesterday we ate lunch at Gatti Town in Frisco. Hannah and Daddy had a great time playing games.

Lauren loves to hold your hands and walk, but not so sure about letting go.

She has moved to a booster seat.A couple of weeks ago we spent the day in Keller with the Rhodes family. We had a wonderful time and played a little Rock Band.

Lunch by the pool.We made homemade pretzels with Zac and Abby. They were YUMMY!

Playing with the dough...

Hannah LOVES to hold Roxy the puppy.

We have hung out with Auntie B.

Spent lots of time at the splash park with friends...

We have really enjoyed the summer and I will try to take more pictures. Hannah is taking swimming lessons and Itty Bitty Ballet every week and loves them both. Lauren is busy exploring and getting into EVERYTHING. Hope you enjoy the pics and stay tuned for bday pics!

Summer Fun

2010-06-05T21:20:00.006-05:00

We have already enjoyed one of the perks of warm water in Texas. Water!!!! This evening we spent some time at the splash park by our house with our lifegroup friends. It was a great time of food and fellowship. Too bad I didn't get any good pictures. Oh well! We have tried out a new splash park with our friends Zachary and Abigail. These kids have so much fun together. (and so do the mommies) Zachary and Abigail are both so sweet to Lauren and love to be around her. Lauren doesn't mind one bit!

Carson, Shane, and Aubrey joined us too. The boys enjoyed the scenery more than the water! Silly boys!

Hannah would play in the water all day if we let her!

And so would Lauren!

I think she loves it more than the pool!

These pictures are from our first trip to the pool this summer. We had a great time eating, swimming, and spending time with our friends. Here are Zachary, Michael, and Hannah playing in the pool. They didn't want to pose all at the same time. Some day!

Abigail enjoying her lunch!

And sweet Lauren too!

I thought I would try again. No such luck!

Baby Ella

2010-06-05T21:04:00.002-05:00

Our good friends, Jon and Angie, welcomed their little girl into the world last week. On Saturday we traveled to Grapevine to meet their newest little one. Congratulations Jon, Angie, and big brother Kaden! She is precious. As you can see Hannah was in LOVE. She talks about her often.

Lauren getting in the action too. Do you see that bow? She NEVER keeps them on anymore and it makes me so sad. We can't wait to see you again Rhodes family!

Just some cute pics...

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I think this picture is really cute because it sums up Lauren's days, watching Hannah. She ADORES her and it constantly following her around. I pray that they are good friends.

Ummm...yea. I know 10 month olds are not supposed to eat oreos, but she found it before we realized it. Hannah was eating one and apparently left it next to Lauren. Who doesn't love oreos?

Hannah had her last day of school last week. She loved every minute and learned so many things! We can't wait for the fall!

Picture Comaparison

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This is a picture of Hannah, Emma, and Bailey when Hannah was about 11 months old. Check out the hair?

Here is a picture of Lauren and Emma taken today at 10 1/2 months old. Check out that hair? Oh wait...there isn't any! Haha!

Sweet Loves

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These are my sweet loves, Hannah Grace and Lauren Kate. They bring joy and smiles to my face everyday! Mommy loves you so much!

Tubes

2010-05-19T18:57:00.003-05:00

Last Tuesday our sweet Lauren had tubes put in her little ears. She has been battling with ear infections and fluid in her ears for awhile now. We were excited about how it was going to help her feel better. She did great and was only upset when she first came out of surgery.

Waiting on them to call us back. We had it done at a surgery center and it was awesome.

It was a little bit early and she was ready to get down and explore.

Playing with daddy's phone while we waited.

She is doing great since the tubes were put in. Since last week she has discovered how to really crawl. I think it has to do with her equilibrium being normal now. We love you sweet girl and are happy to see you feeling better.

Lately

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Lauren just hanging out while standing at the table. She is such a big girl.

This is what happens when you try and take a picture of my children. Nice huh?

Ok...we got one!

Back in April we went to Lubbock to visit my grandma. We made some plates with handprints. They turned out really cute.

Being silly!

Plane ride

Getting ready to get on the plane. She was sooooo excited. We had a great time and enjoyed seeing Gigi.

Nine Months Old

2010-04-25T09:43:00.005-05:00

Little Bear you are growing tooooo fast! You have already turned NINE months old! Where has the time gone? I thought you just turned three months old a couple of weeks ago! You are growing into your personality a little more each day and we love seing who you are. Here are some of the things that you are up to these days:

*On your nine month birthday you took your first plane ride! You did great and got to go see you Gigi in Lubbock.

*You eat three solid meals a day and take four bottles of formula or breastmilk. This month I weaned you from nursing and you did it like a champ.

*You prefer cut up solid food over puree baby food. Some things you love include: cheese, turkey, strawberries, carrots, bananas, and yogurt. Pretty much you eat anything!

*You still have no teeth that I know of. I think there are two coming in on the bottom, but I am not for sure.

* During the day you usually take two naps. They vary in length depending on the day. At night you sleep around 11-12 hours.

*You want to crawl and be mobile so bad! We think it will be any day because you are so close. Life is about to change in our house when this happens! We are in trouble!

*Hannah is still your greatest source of entertainment. When you hear her voice it lights up your face. I can't wait to see how your relationship blooms.

*You enjoy clapping your hands, waving, and playing peekaboo.

*This month you had another ear infection and a cold. We are going to talk to an ENT about getting ear tubes this week. Poor baby!

*At your nine month check up you weighed 18 pounds. Your percentiles were in the 30's for both weight and height, so you are on the smaller side. Your head on the other hand was in the 45%. Must be all those brains you have in there! Or maybe your daddy gave you this trait and we love you just like you are!

There are so many more things I could write about your life right now. You constantly light up our lives and remind us to slow down and enjoy the little things in life. We love you to the moon and back sweet Bear!

Love,

Mommy, Daddy, and Hannah

Potty Training Update

2010-04-11T21:33:00.002-05:00

Hannah is doing super! She is going consistently in the potty and even went in public! Twice that is! The last two days she has worn a pullup, but has kept it dry all day. We are all so very proud of her! Great job Hannah Grace!

I'm SHOCKED

2010-04-07T21:30:00.002-05:00

because this sweet thang is using the POTTY! Yes, that's right...the POTTY. You see, potty training has not been my favorite part of parenting. I don't like buying and changing diapers either, but oh my has it been rough! We tried to potty train her at Christmas and it just wasn't working. Everything that you can try, we tried. Rewards, potty chairs, panties, pullups, etc. NOTHING worked. She loved talking about it and trying at school, but just WOULD NOT do it. She would sit on the potty every hour and nothing would happen. Yet, she didn't go in her diaper or pullup. Where did she go? She would hold it for six or seven hours! Scary...I know.

One thing that we have learned about our sweet Hannah is that she doesn't do anything that SHE doesn't want to do. Especially, if you want her to do it. It has been that way since she was little. Rolling over, crawling, walking, holding a bottle, learning her letters, counting, etc. I knew in my heart that she would get it. I mean I don't know any kids that go to elementary school in diapers! I will be honest though, I was very frustrated. She has known all about the process and exactly what to do for a long time now. You would ask her when she was going to use the potty and she would reply, "I will use the potty tomorrow."

On Saturday, she really wanted this lollipop from the egg hunt. I told her she could have it after she went potty. That child sat right down on the potty and went! What? She sat right down and used the potty just like a pro! So we had to give her the lollipop even though she was about to eat dinner.

Then on Monday, I told her to use the potty again. I turned on the light and left her alone. Not 30 seconds later she was announcing that she had gone potty! What? Again? Is this real? So throughout the day we kept trying and she kept going! Boy was I excited! Then on Tuesday, she told EVERYONE at school that she had used the potty ALOT. She was beyond proud of herself. Then today we did BOTH in the potty! This was huge for her as before she was scared to do more than pee.

We are not fully trained yet, but she is doing great. I don't think it will be long before she is going on her own. The next item to tackle will be public bathrooms. She is not a huge fan of the automatic flushers. I don't blame her because they are kind of scary, but we have to use the bathroom when we are out.

We love you Hannah Grace and are sooooooo proud of you! Keep up the good work.

Easter Weekend

2010-04-07T20:53:00.008-05:00

We had a wonderful Easter weekend! With egg hunts, church, and quality time with family our Easter was complete! Enjoy the sweet pictures of our precious girls! Hannah and Lauren waiting for the egg hunt to start.

The Easter Bunny loot.

Lauren that the eggs were pretty great!

Nicebed head, huh?

Attempting a family picture after church.

Her mouth is ALWAYS open!

Sweet Hannah Grace!

Looking for eggs and Grammy and Big Daddy's new house.

Just hanging out.

We hope that your Easter was as blessed as ours was. There is nothing sweeter than celebrating the life of our Savior.

Cake Pops and Cutie Pies

2010-04-01T21:54:00.002-05:00

I thought Lauren looked so sweet today when she was taking her nap. She has been doing this lately when she sleeps. With her hands behind her head, she looks so comfy! Unfortunately I woke her up when I took the picture. Sorry about that Lauren! Hannah had a little egg hunt today at school and got to bring her Easter basket to school. She was very excited about the day!

We made chocolate cake pops for her teachers for Easter. Hannah had a wonderful time sampling the cake as we made them.

Here is the finished product. I need to practice a little more before I make them again. They turned out really cute, then again I only made six. It was just too much work. Oh well, nice try.

Disney On Ice

2010-04-01T21:41:00.004-05:00

Hannah is such a lucky little girl! She went to her very first Disney on Ice. As you can see from the picture she wasn't very happy that the show was over! She was in love with the characters, especially the princesses! We had great seats right on the ice and enjoyed some quality time with Grammy. Thank you Grammy for taking us to see Disney on Ice! We love you so much! Almost everyone got into the picture!

Playgroup Egg Hunt

2010-04-01T21:28:00.005-05:00

At playgroup on Monday we took advantage of the beautiful weather and had an egg hunt. The kids had a great time picking up eggs and enjoyed eating the yummy treats inside! Hannah and Shane

Bryce looking for those eggs!

Ryan is on a mission!

What's inside?

Carson and Laney both seemed confused that I kept taking their pictures. It was so funny!

Great times with great friends! Happy Easter!

The Fastest Easter Egg hunt EVER

2010-03-29T13:38:00.003-05:00

We went to our first Easter egg hunt! Our neighborhood had an egg hunt for the kiddos last Saturday. Hannah and I got there about 10 minutes early and I am sooo glad that we did. It started at 1:30 and by 1:34 there were NO.MORE. EGGS. I had to help Hannah collect a feworshe would have only bought home about three eggs. Even though it was fast we had a great time!

Spring Pictures

2010-03-26T15:36:00.006-05:00

My mom and I took the girls to Target today to have their pictures taken. Hannah did great, but Lauren was not so sure about what was going on. Honestly I think she was really hungry and she thought the photographer was strange. We did get a couple of cute ones. Enjoy!

B is for Bunny

2010-03-22T20:13:00.003-05:00

We had fun today making a "footprint" bunny! Hannah loves using the paint and is even willing to use the potty in order to paint some more! That's right...we are tring to potty train AGAIN. Hannah has been rather stubborn about the whole process, but today she had two successes and only one accident. That girl has a bladder of steel! Keep up the work!

Zoo

2010-03-22T15:12:00.005-05:00

We offically tookour first trip to the zoo last week. Of course, because it was spring break, there were tons of people there! We still had a great time. Hannah was funny because she wasn't exactly sure what to expect when we got there. When we first got there she thought all the animals were going to be statues because of the giraffe that you see when you come in! We didn't get many animal pics, but these are just as cute!

Yes, another shower!

2010-03-22T14:59:00.004-05:00

Here are some pictures from the shower we had for Meghan and Noah Speer. The theme was "little man Speer" and it was super fun.

These were the napkins and some chocolate covered "cigars".

It is hard to tell, but the food was super cute. We had "hamburger" cookies and fries, chocolate mustaches, and some yummy dip.

I made these onsies that we hung up. Two of them have little ties and one has a "N" for Noah.

Congrats Speer family! We can't wait to meet them!

Showers and more showers!!!!

2010-03-22T14:43:00.004-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I helped give another shower for Camden and Melanie Schulte. It was toooo cute and turned out great. Here are some pictures from the big day! Yes, those are fish.

Salad anyone?

Nothing like a "beachy" cupcake! Watch out for the shark!

A Trip to the Park...

2010-03-18T17:36:00.004-05:00

The weather was so beautiful yesterday that we had to take a trip to the park! On our way out the door we called our friends Zach and Abby to see if they wanted to come. They joined us there! Hannah and Zach had such fun together. See... they are aboout a month apart in age and get along great! Here are a fewcute pics!

Sweet Cheeks

2010-03-12T12:15:00.001-06:00

My babies have the best daddy EVER!

2010-03-12T10:13:00.003-06:00

Before we even had children I knew that Dustin would be an incredible dad. As we became parents he was always involved in our children's lives. He loves to play with them and give them lots of hugs and kisses. Hannah quickly learned that Daddy plays differently than Mommy! She loves being tossed around and playing rough! Dustin seems to have a way with disciplining them too. There is something about the way that he says things that makes Hannah listen. Last night Hannah woke up with a stomach bug. If you know much about me, you know that I do not do well with throw-up. I don't know why it is so hard for me, but I am glad that Dustin is stronger about it than me! He sat with her in the living room while she got sick over and over. He changed her sheets and slept with her on the floor. I did help a little, but I can't take credit for much. Thankfully, Hannah is feeling better and it seems to be just a little bug. Don't they say that your spouse helps balance you out? They are stronger in the areas where you are weak? My husband is just that. He does throw up and I do not. Thank you God for such an amazing daddy for my babies!

P.S. Did you know that daddy has lost 30 lbs? Yep, that's right! Great job and keep up the good work!

Love,
Mommy, Hannah and Lauren

Cuties

2010-03-10T21:00:00.002-06:00

Craftiness

2010-02-12T15:09:00.004-06:00

For Christmas I got an embroidery machine! Here are a few of my creations. I forgot to take pictures of some of the other things I have made.

My Loves

2010-02-12T14:47:00.004-06:00

Our sweet family. It is not very often that you will see Mommy and Daddy in the picture too! Can you tell that Hannah put the hat on her? She was such a good sport and tolerated it even though it was practically in her mouth. Such an easy going girl!

Hannah told me she was making a snow angel in this picture. I am still not sure where she got this from, but it was cute anyway.

Lauren and I were about to go pick up Hannah for school and it was snowing like crazy outside. So I thought she needed a hat. Don't you love those cheeks?

Riding in the car with Hannah. Lauren thought she was soooooo big because she got to sit with Hannah in the car.

Hannah and I went with Dustin's family to get our toes done last Saturday. She was so good and enjoyed being pampered.

Sweet sisters!

I love you girls to pieces and look forward to the many more blessings you bring to our lives!

Schulte Shower

2010-02-12T14:31:00.002-06:00

What a joy it was to shower our friends, Toby and Melanie, as they prepare to welcome their sweet baby boy. Can you believe that this is our tenth baby shower to give as a lifegroup? Yup, that is right. In 2 1/2 years we have gone from no kids to 11 in our group! We had a great time at our tropical themed event! The food and decorations were wonderful and the games were a blast! We can't wait to meet Camden!

Grandma Brunie

2010-02-12T14:15:00.003-06:00

Dustin's Grandmother Brunie has been here for the last two weeks. She lives up North in Ohio and flew down here to see the family for a couple of weeks. Before this trip she had only met Hannah
once and had never met sweet Lauren. We have spent alot of time with her and the girls love her so much! While she was here we celebrated her 90th birthday! I can only hope that we live as long as she has. We love you Grandma Brunie and have enjoyed spending time with you.

1/2 of a Year

2010-01-21T11:10:00.004-06:00

Our sweet blue eyed, bald baby is already 6 months old! She is a wonderful baby and a JOY to have in our family. We went to the doctor on Tuesday for her 6 month well visit and she is doing great. Besides the snotty nose she is developing just as she should be! She weighed 15 lbs and 7.5 oz and was 25 1/2 inches long. Lauren seems to be a little smaller than Hannah was at this age by a little more than a pound! Here are some things that she is up to lately:

*She eats solids twice a day and nurses four times. She loves pretty much everything except peas, including sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, mango, pears, apples, cherries, bananas, green beans, and oatmeal. This girl is pretty serious about her food and she will tell you if you are too slow!

*She usually take three naps a day and goes to bed around 8:15 or so. We are almost completely done with the swaddle, but sometimes she had a hard time going to sleep without it. Even when she is not swaddled her arms are by her side like they were when she was swaddled! Lately she has been waking up around five, but will go back to sleep after she gets a pacifier. Hopefully that will pass soon!

* She sits up unsupported pretty well. As long as she doesn't try to look at something behind her she is good to go!

* She rolls both ways, but perfers to play on her back. If you put her on her tummy she will roll over quickly, but likes to hang out on her back.

* Her toes are the best entertainment! She will lay on her back and play with her feet forever. It is so sweet to watch.

* She babbles and blows raspberries all the time. Sometimes she will have spit all over her face from blowing raspberries. Silly girl!

* She wants to touch EVERYTHING! Books, hair, glasses, remotes, Emma, Bailey, pillows, and most of all TOYS! Her toys are a wonderful source of entertainment. She loves playing with them. (as long a Hannah hasn't taken them!)

*The excersaurcer and the jumper are also two of our favorite places to spend our awake time. She loves to bounce in the jumper and turn herself around in the excersaucer. What fun toys she has!

Lauren, you continue to amaze us everyday! Your sweet smile melts our hearts every single time we see it. Each day you and your sister fall more in love with each other. We pray that you continue to grow and learn more about the amazing world around you. Much love to you my sweet bear!

Lately

2010-01-14T17:35:00.002-06:00

Here are a few pictures of my sweet girls! Don't they just melt your heart?

I was making Hannah's lunch when I turned around to find this...

2010-01-14T17:23:00.003-06:00

"Mommy, we are playing!" Hannah says as she covers Lauren's head with baby wipes. Nice, huh? Lauren did not seem to care one bit! She was as happy as can be. Silly sisters!

The Christmas Season

2009-12-28T13:47:00.006-06:00

We have had a wonderful Christmas season. Here are some pictures from some of the things we have done this year to celebrate. Between decorating Christmas cookies and visiting Santa we have been very busy! Christmas Eve was spent with Grandma and Grandpa Alban at Auntie B's house. We went to church, ate some yummy Pasado's, and then went back to Aunt Brendin's house for presents and dessert. Hannah enjoyed the time with family and so did we. Christmas morning began at our house where we had to force Hannah to keep opening presents. That's right, I said FORCE. She would open a present and then want to play with it for at least 30 minutes. I wish we had wrapped about half of her presents! The rest of the day was spent with Grammie, Big Daddy, Uncle J and April. We ate a delicious lunch and opened lots more presents! This weekend my grandmother came into town so we are enjoying some time this week with her. What a blessing it is to be able to be with family at this time of the year. We hope that your Christmas season was as wonderful as ours, and we wish you a Happy New Year!

Cupcakes with Grammy

2009-12-17T21:30:00.002-06:00

On Tuesday when I was tutoring Grammy, Hannah, and Lauren made "Happy Birthday Jesus" cupcakes. They had a great time and made quite the mess.

Thanks Grammy for making cupcakes with me. I had alot of fun! I love you!

Cutie Pie

2009-12-17T21:26:00.003-06:00

Lauren is FIVE months old already! So hard to believe! We love you sweet Bear!

Safety Town

2009-12-17T21:07:00.003-06:00

Sunday night we bundled up and headed out to Frisco Fire Safety Town. They had lights and decorations throughout the little town as well as Santa. After exploring outside we got to sit in a fire truck and listen to a story about Christmas. Hannah really enjoyed it and Lauren was a great sport as always.

Away in the manger...

2009-12-15T15:31:00.002-06:00

no crib for a bed. The little Lord Jesus lay down his sweet head! The stars in the sky look down where he lay. The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. Isn't he cute? Creative I thought. Hannah made it at school today and I thought it was worth sharing.

Come on...Let's dance!!

2009-12-10T13:26:00.002-06:00

Thanks Uncle J and Aunt April for being good sports and standing on the fireplace to dance with me! I love you guys!

Mmmm...good!

2009-12-10T13:19:00.003-06:00

Who doesn't love a good ole' corn dog?

She did it!!!!

2009-12-10T11:28:00.004-06:00

Neither of my children were very interested in rolling over at an early age. I knew that Hannah turned just fine and she didn't really start rolling until about six months. So when three and four months came and went I was not worried at all about Lauren when she still didn't roll yet. But not any more! She did it! She rolled from her tummy to her back today. I don't think it will be long before she can roll the other way because she can get herself to on to her side. Way to go Bear!

Stockings

2009-12-07T14:43:00.004-06:00

God Our Father

2009-12-03T22:09:00.003-06:00

Hannah has been learning so many things at school these days including a love for the Lord. She has been singing this song about God our "faber". Today on the way home she told me to close my eyes and bow my head, then started singing:

God our faber,
God our faber,
once again,
once again,
we are here to thank you,
we are here to thank you,
amen,
amen.

It is the sweetest thing to hear your child sing about thanking our heavenly father. I did have to tell her that I couldn't close my eyes because I was driving! She didn't seem to think it would be a problem and told me again to close my eyes! Sweet girl!

Go Bears, Go Bears, Go Bears, Go Bears Go!

2009-12-02T10:56:00.004-06:00

Saturday we had the privilege of going to the Baylor vs. Tech football game. You see my parents both went to Texas Tech and my grandparents have lived in Lubbock for as long as I can remember. It is always fun to go with my mom and dad to the games even though they went to Tech. My mom is more of a Baylor fan and my dad is more of a Tech fan. Although, he wore a green shirt and a black vest to support both teams. The stadium was really cool and Hannah had a blast. She was so well behaved and really enjoyed going to the game. The bears put up a good fight, but ended up losing. Oh well!

More Thanksgiving Pictures

2009-12-02T10:05:00.003-06:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday. Dustin and I hosted lunch at our house and both of our families came. It was a great time of food, family, and some good ole' football. My grandma came into town for a couple of days and I know the girls really enjoyed their time with "Gigi".

An attempt at a family picture. Not the best picture in the world, but oh well.

Gigi, Grammy, and Lauren at dinner on Friday night. We enjoyed some yummy Scotty P's.

April and Hannah being silly and enjoying each others company. We missed you Uncle J, sorry you had to work.

We are so thankful for all that we have, especially our family.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

2009-11-26T14:21:00.003-06:00

Bedtime

2009-11-15T21:50:00.005-06:00

Tonight before bed, I wanted to take a few pictures of Lauren to document her turning four months old. Of course, Hannah did not want me to take pictures just of Lauren. She got in the chair and started posing. Don't you love the pajamas? Daddy let her pick out her pajamas and this is what she chose. Nice, huh? Anyways, I think the pictures turned out pretty cute.

Hannah being silly for the camera and Lauren trying to figure out the whole camera thing.

Cheeeeeeeeeesssssssssssssseeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

The serious picture.

After the photo session, I read the girls a story in Hannah's bed. Everyone seemed to enjoy it, even Emma.

Goodnight and sleep tight!

Do they look alike?

2009-11-10T12:57:00.002-06:00

I think they do! This is Hannah in Jan 08. Look at those cheeks!

Lauren at 3 1/2 months.

Hannah in Dec 08. Lauren makes this same face all the time.

Lauren at almost 4 months.

I love school!

2009-11-10T12:32:00.004-06:00

Hannah, can I take your picture in your school shirt?
This is what I got:

Why do we move over here because there is no shadow. Hannah says, "Shadow, where is the shadow?" Yes, another fabulous picture.

Waiting to go into school. The pictures are slowly getting better.

This is her teacher, Mrs. Haley. The best picture of the day so far!

This is Mrs. Caylor, her other teaher.

Hannah loves school and can't wait to go!

Look who loves the Jump-a-roo!

2009-11-10T12:20:00.002-06:00

Lauren loves the Jump-aroo!

And Hannah loves Lauren! Sweet kisses for two sweet girls!

Fun with the Rhodes

2009-11-03T13:01:00.002-06:00