Being Thankful

We felt very blessed to be surrounded by Greg's family this Thanksgiving. They traveled near and far to be with us in Tuscaloosa, and a great time was had by all.

Uncle Kevin & his girlfriend Rocio flew into Birmingham last Tuesday, the 22nd. I happily agreed to go get them from the airport that afternoon....b/c that meant I could spend the earlier part of the day finishing my Christmas shopping in Birmingham! So fun!

Joyce & Stan arrived Wednesday afternoon and the kids were happy to see more playmates around! Abby entertained everyone with her dance parties and trampoline skills. The kids spent a lot of time outside, blowing bubbles, taking walks, and playing soccer & basketball with Mum Mum & Granddaddy. Nate built forts with Uncle Kevin, and played "Go Fish" and Kevin's personal favorite, "chase the ghost" :) Everyone was super helpful keeping the kids entertained and happy the whole weekend!



Thursday was the big day....Thanksgiving!!! We spent most of the day relaxing, watching football, and of course, eating!! At one point, we had 3 cooks in the kitchen. I will say that Greg & Stan cooked their butts off and we had one delicious meal!! (Actually, not ONE...we are still eating the leftovers!)




Even Diego want some cheese & crackers appetizers!


Though the highlight of the day for most was the Thanksgiving meal, I think Nate had a different opinion. He was introduced to the iPad and it was love at first sight. (Thanks Rocio!) He played games all day whenever he could, and discovered a new found love for Angry Birds. (I swear, if someone buys my kid an iPhone or iPad for Christmas, I will kill you!!!)


Friday was my birthday and my sweet husband was in the kitchen yet again, making me a wonderful spread for breakfast. My birthday present? New brakes for the van. Yippee! Joyce took me on a surprise shopping spree at Lowes, and bought us a new rug for our bedroom. Then we all went out to dinner at the Cypress Inn, a beautiful seafood place overlooking the river. Rocio (who's originally from Peru) got to try fried green tomatoes for the first time, and even the kids liked them! Later that night, Greg & I got to hit the town and have drinks with Kevin & Rocio at one of our favorite restaurants, Five. All in all, it was a great birthday!


Saturday, we took Mum Mum & Granddaddy to the Riverwalk to enjoy the beautiful weather and let the kids run around. Nate had fun throwing sticks in the water and playing on rocks, while Abby just ran around like a wild woman.





Then we hit downtown Northport, to walk around & see some cute shops. We even got a sweet treat at a local bakery. So yummy! The kids found a pile of leaves and took turns jumping in. Such a nice Fall day!

After church and breakfast at Cracker Barrell on Sunday, Mum Mum & Granddaddy headed home. I convinced Greg & Kevin to go out in the rain and get our Christmas tree, so I could start decorating! Uncle Kevin stuck around till yesterday, and we were all sad (especially Nate!) to see him go.

We are SO very thankful for our wonderful family & friends!!

Friday Funny

This is what happens when you leave a 2 year old alone with a stamp & ink pad for too long!!

Happy Friday, everyone!

Friday Funnies are back!

Nate was telling me about a “Franklin” book they had read at school, about little sisters.
N: Did you know Beaver said baby sisters are stinky?
Me: Well, sometimes they are...when they have a dirty diaper.
N: And Franklin said everything would change when he got a little sister.
Me: Well that’s true. But I think it’s nice to have a little sister. Don’t you?
N: Yes! I like Abby. Keep her!!

I had a coke at lunch one day and got lectured by Nate.
N: Why are you drinking that Mommy?
Me: B/c I want to.
N: Well, you shouldn’t.
Me: Why not?
N: You need to go brush your teeth. Coca-cola will give you a lot of creepy creepies.

Everytime Abby goes to time-out (which is usually for biting or hitting Nate), I make her come out and hug/kiss Nate and say “Sorry.” This one particular afternoon, she was just NOT cooperating...
Me: Go hug your brother and say “I’m sorry.”
A: (looks at me with blank stare, but walks over to Nate)
Me: Go on, Abby!
N: Abby, this is how you hug. Put your arms around me and squeeze. And say I love you. Very nicely.

I was washing some dishes and this is the conversation I overheard at the breakfast table:
N: Abby, it’s gonna be a pretty day today!
A: Yeah!!! Bubbles!!
N: (Sighing...)Yes, Abby, I will take you outside to blow bubbles.


I put Abby down for a nap and before closing her door said...
Me: I love you, Abby!
A: I love you, DADDY! (and then she proceeds to die laughing!! What a goof!)


Every time I have to stop suddenly or slam on my brakes, I hear from the backseat: “MOMMY!!!” Yes, that is Miss Abby Reece, backseat driver extraordinaire.

Whenever Abby spots a McDonald’s sign or billboard, she points at it and screams “Bruba!!!” (whether Nate is in the car or not). Guess she knows that’s her brother’s favorite place!

Happy Friday everyone!

2 year check-up

Abby had her 2 year check-up this morning and got a clean bill of health! Here are her stats:

25.6 lbs (35th percentile)
33 3/4 inches (50th percentile)

Just like her brother...long & lean! How cute does she look in her little paper gown? Thank goodness for Fraggle Rock & the portable dvd player, since the appointment took 1.5 hrs! And as usual, she was my little tough cookie & took her flu shot like a champ.

Lots of Love

We had lots of love and lots of visitors this past weekend!! The Gibbs family invaded Tuscaloosa for Abby's birthday (and we are looking forward to having the Givens family in town next week for Thanksgiving)!

My parents started their long drive Wednesday night, and ended up getting here around 11 am on Thursday. Nate was THRILLED when Nanny & Poppy showed up at his school for pick-up at 12!!

After naps, we spent the afternoon playing games, reading books, and playing at the park. But first, Nate insisted on giving his present to Abby. (He had SUCH a hard time picking something out for her...the 2 of us went to Toys R Us last weekend and he painstakingly went up and down each aisle, looking for the perfect gift for his little sister. He decided on a stuffed animal - kitty cat - and then we rushed home so he could make her a homemade card, complete with stickers & glitter! He "wrapped" the gift himself...by picking out a Lightning McQueen bag and stuffing 100 pieces of tissue paper inside. Adorable.) Abby loved the cat and has slept with it at naptime & bedtime ever since.

We showed N&P one of our favorite parks, and almost immediately headed towards the swings. How cute are these two!?

Nate was eager to show off his new skills - he can pump his legs/swing by himself! And they both laid on their bellies for awhile and swung like "superman!"

It got pretty chilly pretty fast, and Poppy started putting his hands in his pockets to keep warm. Miss Priss thought this was the coolest thing and walked around like this for most of the afternoon:

No visit to the park would be complete with a few slide races...

We came home & had yummy chicken parm for dinner (if I do say so myself), as well as a dance party & Elmo bubble bath. A great night!

Friday morning, Nate was super proud to show Nanny all around his classroom and introduce her to Miss Thompson and his friends!

Then we took Miss Priss to her weekly gymnastics class, so she could show off her skills for N&P. It was super crowded due to public schools being out for Veteran's Day, so Abby had a hard time at first. Then, she got into the swing of things once she found the hula hoops.




After gymnastics, we picked Nate up an hour early for school so we could have a special lunch date with N&P and Daddy!! We had heard great things about the Crimson Cafe on "The Strip," but unfortunately our lunch was just so-so. The highlight was the s'mores cookies for dessert!

Nanny & I worked on crafts for the doggie party during naptime (if I never have to cover another shoebox with contact paper, I'll be happy), and luckily the kids slept long & hard. Aunt Lora's flight got in that afternoon, and she rolled in about 4:30 pm! So exciting to see her & have her see Tuscaloosa for the first time!

Then....the big surprise....another special birthday "package" arrived for Abby that evening...Aunt Bebe & Uncle Mike!!! They drove from Knoxville, TN just to see Miss Priss at her party. So sweet! I knew they were coming but no one else did and WOW, to see the look on their faces. It was a great moment. (It was extra special b/c my family won't ALL be together for either of the upcoming holidays. Thanksgiving, we'll spend with our respective in-laws, and then Lora will be in Europe for Xmas.)

While Lora helped me cook dinner (yummy sausage & orzo, thanks H!), the kids entertained everyone else. And of course the paparazzi snapped into action...

Thanks to Aunt Gena, Abby has a new art easel - complete with dry erase board, magnets, and chalkboard!

Watching the UNC game with Uncle Mike! Go Heels!

After dinner, Nate wanted to "help" Abby open presents...I'll let you guess how that went.



Love at first sight with her Fraggle Rock doll, Red



Saturday morning, everyone was a huge help in getting Abby's party set up. It was a hectic morning but a good one and I think the party went off without a hitch. After lunch, Bebe & Mike had to leave :( so the rest of us just relaxed during naptime.

Before going out to dinner, Nate made sure to show Aunt Lora the things he wants for Xmas in the Toys R Us toy catalog. I think he pointed to about 90% of the toys!?

Getting ready to head out to dinner...seriously, love this cutie pie!

We tried yet another new restaurant for dinner, Wintzell's Oyster House, and thankfully it did not disappoint. Everyone had yummy seafood and sides and Abby chowed down on grits. Aunt Lora got in some lovin' before we had to leave:

Aunt Lora, N&P all headed out early Sunday morning before anyone else was up. I was sad to see them go, but so happy we had such a fun weekend! Family times are the best times...

Abby's "Puppy Party!"

We celebrated Abby Reece's 2nd birthday this weekend, with a puppy-themed party since she is SUCH a dog lover.

We were lucky enough to have lots of family & friends join us for Abby's party.
Here's the Gibbs girls with the birthday girl!!


Aunt Bebe and Mike made a surprise appearance Friday night!

To begin the party, I had the kids decorate their "puppy beds." (I asked all the kids bring their favorite (pretend) puppy with them). Stickers + crayons = lots of happy toddlers! It was hilarious to see how intense some of them were. Serious work!



Abby could NOT keep her eyes (or hands) off our littlest guest, Miss Loa Harper. She lives 3 doors down from us and is 10 wks old. So sweet!

Then, it was time for the "Puppy Parade!" I didn't know how this would go, but the kids got really into it! Most of them even wore their puppy ear headbands (except the birthday girl, of course). They looked so cute pulling along their little puppy beds.




Then, it was time for snacks and cupcakes!! Abby was not too sure about everyone singing "Happy Birthday" to her...

While still on a sugar high, I thought we'd take the kids outside in the backyard to run off some of that energy. The new bubble machine was a hit, and luckily the weather was perfect! We enjoyed playing outside with bubbles, chalk, bikes, and balls for the rest of the party.





Of course, I got so caught up in everything that I forgot to have the kids play the "Pin the Nose on the Doggie" game. Oops! My family had fun playing it after all the guests left.

Thank you to everyone who came to the party and helped to make it a success!! And as usual, my paparazzi sister took amazing pics. Thanks Bec!

**For those that are interested, the rest of the pictures are of my "homemade" decor. I have had so much fun these past few weeks making the invitations, decorations, and thinking of puppy-themed activities. It's amazing what ideas you can find on the internet these days!

The "wall of Abby" - I had pics of Abby at ages 1 wk, 3 mo, 6 mo, 9 mo, 12 mo, 18 mo, and 2 yrs. She has changed SO much!! :(









I found these online, and immediately they became the inspiration/centerpiece for the party. Thanks, Tammy, for all your help on making these adorable paper lollies!