The House that Built Me

This song has been out for awhile now, but if you ever really loved the house you grew up in, it never gets old.

Labor Day Weekend

We had a fantastic three day weekend! I feel like we really got every drop out of it and I'm so glad! Saturday morning we got up bright and early and headed to Arkansas (aka our future home). We started by going to the farmer's market in Fayetteville. Oh my goodness! They had some of the best looking produce I have EVER seen! I wanted to load up the back of the van and bring it all back, but I couldn't because it would have had to sit in the car all day :( They also had gorgeous flowers. I can't wait until I can buy some and bring them home to my dining table in ARKANSAS....whenever that may be...

Ezra loved playing in this little waterfall. All the kids we jumping around and splashing-it was so cute and he had SO much fun! We probably spent more time doing this than anything else at the market.

He was in heaven! Who knew he would enjoy this so much?

Poppy and I people (and dog) watched on the side. The weather was gorgeous that morning so it was really nice to be outside in the fresh AR air!

THEN we went to AQ chicken! (possibly the main reason for the trip) It was delicious as always, but I was too busy chowing down to get a picture.

After that we headed to Sams because their Sams is way better than ours! We bought quite a few things there and also came across this fun chair (which we did not buy). Ez thought this was awesome!

We came home Saturday night and headed to church early Sunday morning. After church we went out to lunch and did some shopping for a few clothing items Ezra and I needed for fall. Then that evening went to eat at my parents house. I didn't get pictures of anything else because I didn't really think about it until later. Monday we just mostly stayed at home. Caleb and Ezra went to get Krispy Kreme while Poppy and I were still in bed. Then we just worked around the house getting things picked up and ran to the grocery store. It was a perfect mixture of relaxing and getting out.

And just for fun, Poppy has been standing on her head lately. She just started doing it one day and it was so funny. I never could get a picture of her actually doing it because when she see's the camera she always stop, but this one came close. She is starting to be so funny!

Well that's it! Hope you all had a great weekend too!

Run Fun

The weather has been so much better lately and we have been wanting to be outside, so we started running a little recently. I ran track in high school for two years, but I am not a natural runner by any means. Mostly I hate it. However I have found myself looking forward to it lately. I was a little sore when we first started, but it was a good sore, the kind that you secretly like because you know you got a good workout but you're not doubled over in bed chugging aspirin- kind of sore.

Caleb has wanted to do the 5k in the Tulsa Run for the past couple of years, so he found a program online where we can start now and be ready by the end of October for the race. It was pretty hard for me the first day being that I haven't run since I was pregnant the first time, so let's just say a few things had changed.

We put the kids in the double stroller and so far they really like it. Plus I got a pair of new running shoes out of the deal...oh the things I will do for shoes! Ha ha! But seriously, they are pretty cute, don't ya think?

We only have to go three times a week and we are on phase 2 right now which is pretty much killing me, but I have done it so far! Poor Caleb has to slow down so he doesn't leave me in the dust!!! I really hope that I can make it...Wish me luck!

Baby Birthdays

We made it through! I had been wondering what it would be like planning for two birthdays almost exactly a month apart, but this was the first year and we made it! I never got around to posting Poppy's pictures so I will just do a double post now for them both.

Her birthday was on July 31. We just had a little party at the house with all of the grandparents, (plus Aunt Cara and Uncle Zach.) That's what we did for Ezra too on his first birthday because really, what else can a non-walking one year old do? It was fun and we had a really good time!

I ordered this tutu and had been saving her "1" onesie for a LONG time, but it was totally worth it! She looked so cute!

She got SO many presents and her cake was YUMMY!

Giving some love to her daddy. She is a daddy's girl and a mommy's girl. She is just precious and she has been giving us so much love lately. She will hug us and pat us and say, "ohhhhhh."

Digging in...the girl LOVES cake!

Time for presents! She wasn't really sure about ripping off the paper-something she usually gets told no no for. Luckily Ezra stepped up and did his big brother duty- he was quite the helper :)

Fast forward almost a month later...

Ezra's Birthday was on August 26. I wanted to make it really special since he totally understands for the first time that it is his birthday and that's a big deal. We had planned on getting up really early so that I could make pancakes and we could have a mini party before daddy left for work, BUT... the night before Poppy started getting a cold. She was fine when we put her to bed, but then I had to get up with her several times during the night because she was so congested and was having a hard time sleeping.

The pancake thing didn't work out early in the morning because I was zonked and he ended up sleeping a little bit later anyways. So instead we didn't get around to making pancakes until about 8.

Ezra and his birthday breakfast!

Luckily daddy got to come home at lunch and we let him open a present so he would have something fun to do during the day until his party.

That evening we went with my parents to Chuck E. Cheese.

This train was the highlight of the evening...I think we spent about 40 tokens on this thing. Did I mention he is a little obsessed with trains?

I'm not too sure that daddy didn't pick this racing game out for "Ezra". Either that or Ezra is really good because they were the second top scorer the game ever had. ;) 

(Just get it out of your system before we get on the real road daddy:) )

We rode on the roller coaster simulator.

Then to my parents house for cake, ice cream, and presents!!!!
(He was MUCH more excited than he looks in this picture!)

 I'm THREE!

It was a fun and BUSY day! We were all pooped by the time we got home and we were all up wayyy past our bedtimes.
Luckily, there's a whole year before we do it again!

Weekend fun in Texas

We spent this past weekend in Texas celebrating the end of summer with a little back to school shopping- none of us are in school technically, but let's get over the details people. :) Actually my brother went with us, and he IS in school so anyways... We had a great time hitting the outlet mall for TWO days! Many pictures coming up...

This is actually on Friday. While I was packing up a few things, Ezra and Poppy played with their horse, "Regatto." Ezra asked me if he could have some carrots to feed him, and being the smart mommy I am (Insert Laugh Here) I told him YES! But you have to eat what he doesn't finish! Oh I am SO smart! (Sometimes I get a few good ones in) So here he is feeding him carrots. And then Ezra ate them after they were done playing. ;) Score!

We left early Saturday morning and headed towards Dallas. We got there around 12:00 and it was HOT! There were a ton of little rides around so we told Ezra that he could earn quarters by being a good boy and then he could spend them riding the rides. It worked pretty good, so here is is enjoying the fruits of his labor after the first day of shopping.

We headed to our hotel late that afternoon and relaxed a little while. Here is Poppy pestering Zach while he was on the computer.

Later we went to Spring Creek BBQ. It was pretty good, but I'm not used to getting bone in meat, so after we were done I said it looked like we were dirty beasts because our plates looked like we had ravaged our food.

Poppy reallly enjoyed her BBQ chicken and I could not seem to feed her fast enough!

The next morning we had brunch at Cyclone Anaya's. It was YUMMY! ( I must note that they have the PRETTIEST salsa I have EVER seen!)

Little pretty enjoyed her pancakes and fruit. We have yet to find a food that she does NOT enjoy!

Zach and I. If we look tired, it's because we are. The littles didn't sleep too well the night before, HOWEVER...our hotel beds were the sleep number beds and they were delightful! I really wished I could have taken full advantage of them!

We spent Sunday shopping as well and then headed home. Here are Ezra and Poppy right before we left using their earnings.

We had such a fun weekend!

Back to reality

Hello blog friends! I am really being the worst blogger right now, but summertime is BUSY!!! We had a wonderful vacation in the Bahamas and now we are back! I lost my memory stick soon after we got home, but now I found it so I will post some pics!

 This is the beach that we went swimming at most days- it was THE BEST beach EVER!

We had to get creative about finding fun ways to stay in the shade, so we buried Ezra's legs. He thought it was pretty cool!

Caleb was really looking forward to getting some snorkel time! I don't think he got nearly enough, but he enjoyed it anyway:)

Poppy loved to float and be rocked by the waves. I think she would have sit in that floatie all day if we would have let her!

The whole family after dinner on my 27th Birthday!

Mr. and Mrs. Bailey today...Four and a half years after our honeymoon to the same place!

...and of course you gotta have one of these pics!

and one of these!

BUT...

Now we are back home. Ezra has been sick this morning and as I am writing this I am listening to the AC guy in the attic above me fixing our air conditioner that quit working two days ago. 

Yep, definitely back to the real world.

I'm back!

Wondering where I went? Me too. I don't know what happened to May- it just started and then it was GONE! It really was a blur, so here is a mish mosh of things that happened.

Caleb celebrated his 28th Birthday and we celebrated by going to Incredible Pizza. We had never been there before, but it was lots of fun!

Zach moved home from college for the summer and we were SO glad to have him back! We get to see him lots more now and that makes us HAPPY! He even came over to play trains with Ezra one afternoon...what a good uncle! :)

Poppy is getting into EVERYTHING! It is so exhausting! Anywhere I put her or anything I try to occupy her with is completely pointless, she would much rather find something that she shouldn't be in. Why are those always the most interesting things??? She also started pulling up on everything too...poor Target sack was the victim on this day.

Aunt Cara and Grandpa Steve came down to see Caleb for his birthday and we got to visit with them for an evening which was nice. Ezra even tricked Aunt Cara into playing trains with him. (Can you tell how excited he was about that?) Although I'm pretty sure Cara knew what was going on all along! :)

Poppy playing in her kitchen. This occupies her everyday for about 3.2 seconds. She just likes to pull everything out onto the floor and then she crawls away while I pick it up. It's quite a fun game...for her.

And earlier THIS month we celebrated Zach's 20th Birthday! That makes me feel really old. Here is Ez on the way to the party! He is really into wearing his cool shades right now.

We went out to eat and then back to my parent's house for cake and ice cream.Here is Ezra with the birthday boy!

Poppy and the cake.

Make a wish!!!

Poppy was licking her lips for some cake...sorry Poppy :( But your birthday is only a few months away!

Getting some love from the Birthday boy :)

It went fast, but it sure was FUN!

Show Us Your LIfe Money Saving Tip

(Reposted for Kelly's Money Saving Tips)

I made a great discovery this week! Well, I think it's great, but everyone else may already know. Have you checked out the library lately? I realized that they have really good cd's! Every cd that I wanted to buy (which is at least about 15 at any given time) they had to rent! I have been mad at itunes for raising the price of their songs, so I haven't bought any lately, but now I can listen to everything I want FOR FREE!!! And they have movies too! I was mad because I looked up several of the last few movies we have rented and they had them all there, again FOR FREE!!! I'm all about saving a buck, and though I LOVE Redbox (I'm also mad at Blockbuster for being a RIP OFF) free is even better! SO needless to say I requested that a bazillion things be sent to the library by our house and I can't wait to go pick 'em up!

Dinner and Dogs

We've just been hanging around lately. The vegetarian diet is going quite well and we have both lost weight. i am really enjoying chopping and cooking vegetable rather than meat- SO much easier, SO much less "ickiness." I am learning to LOVE cheat day and I now savor every morsel of eating out or getting a dessert. We were so spoiled before and just scarfed down food at a restaurant because it wasn't really a treat, but now it tastes so good and we really appreciate it! This is one of our meals from last week- not too bad huh?

We took a trip last weekend to Tahlequah to go to the Red Fern Festival. It was really fun and I loved seeing the hound dogs. I teared up when I saw some like our dog Annie that we had when I was growing up and that really caught me off guard. I was pretty embarrassed and not expecting that at all, but sometimes things just hit you like that I guess. Here are some pictures of the field trials that were pretty fun to watch (although I felt really sorry for the raccoon.)

Ezra enjoyed listening to the music and his free balloon!

and look who is becoming an expert crawler...

I didn't think she was ever going to crawl because Ezra never did. He just walked and skipped crawling altogether, but she has gotten really good at it and I have been a very busy lady!

Have a great weekend! Eat some veggies!!!