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!

The "Not-so-Terrible" Two's

So, I may be eating my words, but I am thinking Abby turning TWO is going to be my favorite age so far for her! Today, our Miss Priss is two years old and I can hardly believe it! (I won’t bore you by retelling my labor story, but if you’re interested, check out this link.)

It’s weird...I wasn’t super sentimental when Nate turned two. I’m sure it’s because I was pregnant with Abby at the time, and knew we’d be going through these stages again. But now that my BABY GIRL is turning two, I am sad!!! She is for sure our last child, and so I really think I’m treasuring each stage that much more.

With that being said, I think the move to Alabama has been the best thing for mine & Abby’s relationship. I know that might sound strange, but we’ve really bonded since moving here...since Nate is in school every morning, we’ve gotten the chance to be alone, do fun things one-on-one, explore our new surroundings, and make new friends together. It was such a blessing in disguise that I was not able to get her into a Mother’s Day Out program when we moved here. I’ve just really treasured my time with her (well, most days)!!


This past month with Abby has been filled with more laughter than usual. I’ve said it before, but I just LOVE her personality!! She is so feisty and funny and sweet, all rolled into one little munchkin.

Tidbits from our past month:
-Every stick she finds outside turns into a magic wand. Greg has begun teaching her Harry Potter spells and they are hilarious! Her favorites are “Redacto” and “Repairo”

-She is already getting pretty good at her colors (not sure how that happened, ha!) She gets yellow right 100% of the time, and blue & green a lot as well.
-Abby has moved on from dressing up in costumes, to dressing up in her brother's clothes. She loves it!

-She has begun “whispering” in our ears to tell us secrets. Love this.
-Another adorable thing: if she wants to give you a kiss, she grabs your face with both of her hands and lays a big smackeroo on you. Sound effects and all. This is probably the cutest thing I’ve ever experienced.
-Abby has a few rituals she does most mornings with her Daddy: watching Fraggle Rock in bed, “helping” him make coffee (and getting a small lick of sugar), and sitting on his lap while watching the stock market and stealing his raisin bran. I wouldn’t say Abby’s a Daddy’s girl, but she is p.r.e.t.t.y d.a.r.n c.l.o.s.e!!

-Who knew, but she has an obsession with candy corn.
-I’ve noticed she’s using her left hand a lot more….to draw and sometimes when she eats. Maybe she’ll be a leftie/smartie like her Aunt Lora!
-The highlight of Abby’s past month has been her learning to say “I love you.” Melts me every time. (Though it takes a bit of translation b/c it sounds like “I yuh you.”)
-Abby got her first pair of Toms! No, I don't have any...but my 2 yr old does. Makes perfect sense. Thanks Aunt Bebe for the early bday present! Oh, and did I mention that they are pink corduroy!? So stinkin' cute.


A few other pics from our past month with Miss Priss:



We are having her birthday party this weekend, and I am looking forward to celebrating with family coming into town, as well as some new friends. It is going to be a “puppy party,” so stay tuned for a TON of adorable pictures :)

Happy 2nd birthday Miss Priss!! You are the light of our lives!!

The "Real" Halloween

Nate woke up yesterday and asked "Is today the REAL Halloween?" I think I confused him with all the prior week's Halloween activities...oops!

He decided to wear his Spiderman costume to school, and Abby & I tagged along during the costume parade. The kids were soooo cute....paraded up and down the halls of both the elementary school next door and middle/high school as well.

Please note that N is sandwiched between 4 girls. From what Miss Thompson tells me, this is a daily occurence :)

Then, as one of my "Room Mom" duties, I planned the Halloween Party for Nate's class. So after dropping Abby off at the sitter's, I headed back to school to set up for the party. The kids had a great time and I love seeing them so excited to see "Nate's Mom!"

Then last night, we walked around the neighborhood loop to trick-or-treat with some of the neighborhood kiddos. The kids got WAY more candy than I expected, being as how we only went to about 10 houses. Everyone is so nice here!! It was nice meeting a few new neighbors as well.

Cute BFF's Kennedy (aka Dorothy) and Preston (aka Pirate)

Momma Bird (Paige) and Baby Bird (Loa - 10 weeks old)! Paige is super talented and made every bit of their costumes, even Loa's "nest!!"

Kennedy, Abby, and Nate starting the rounds. They all did a great job of saying "Trick or Treat" and "thank you!"

My cuties

Can you tell Nate is excited from all his loot!?

When Greg got home from teaching, the kids (and me!) were all on a sugar high!! It was a great first Halloween in Tuscaloosa. (Though I dearly miss "Americana" and my Foundry Circle gang!)