While Daddy's away, us girls will play!

This weekend has been beautiful!

The weather couldnt have been any better and we have really soaked it up!

Daddy spent the entire {from sun-up to sun-down} weekend with Pawpaw on the land in Piedmont. Tyler has been dying to get up there and clear it out and get it looking good. So, despite having some setbacks with the Skid steer, they worked all weekend and got a good bit done.

So....

while Daddy was away, us girls played!

Here's to hoping that the weather stays and only gets better from here! If the rest of our days were like this weekend....it would be wonderful!

Soooo.....big Mom fail for me Friday night! I had the girls' plates ready for them to eat and Alexis sits down to begin eating. I look over at her...and this is the face that she is giving me. It even took me a minute to figure out why I was getting this look {its been a long week} :) And...so yeah, I realize, she cant eat corn like this right now! :) No teeth equals having to cut the corn off the cob! :)

Friday I signed Lily up for T-ball! We got out Alexis' old bat and glove and Lily was SO excited to put it on! I think she is going to love playing!

Saturday fun day since Daddy was gone again. We headed to Moe's per the girls begging me to eat lunch. It was such a beautiful day that we did some shopping and then headed to the park to play the rest of the afternoon! {Alexis said she was too busy eating to smile for a picture...so I took one anyways!} :)

Lily picked out her new glove and cleats! I think her cleats are the tiniest pair of cleats I have ever seen! They look adorable on her even though Im not sure adorable is a word that is supposed to be used when it comes to cleats!

And FUN at the park!

She is SO strong! She held on like this for awhile!

And look at her go! She had two little friends there that she played with....and neither of the other two girls could do it! I was super proud of her! She went back and forth several times!

Lily had fun playing and sliding!

Her friend from school, Ava, and her played and played!

We enjoyed walking over the bridge and looking at the creek!

Then we played some ball! Lily is SO quick and actually has an arm on her! I cant wait to watch her play!!

Look at my little tough ball girl!

We clean up really good for Church! We had Church today and then came home and enjoyed the rest of the day and gearing up for yet another Monday that is on its way!

Love!

Fox spotted!

So, one of our neighbors posted on Facebook that they have seen our 'backporch' fox walking around....

during the DAY!

I was hoping that if the fox decided to still hang around North Oaks, that it would go to sleep or hide or something during the day and I wouldnt have to worry about Tickles! {that he would just come out at night...when Tickles was in the house safe with us} So much for wishful thinking!

AND, apparently this fox doesnt want to hide during the day and apparently loves to be out and about....

around my HOUSE!

So, Tickles is not going to like this, but I am a nervous wreck with her being outside....so she is just going to have to stay in!

There are just too many 'creatures' around our house that are a lot bigger than her and can eat her!

Isnt he beautiful though!

It's a zoo out there!

Well, life lately has been interesting this week!

When we lived in Birmingham, our house had...

one tree in the front yard.

That was it.

Tyler planted a huge and beautiful Japanese Maple in our backyard because we wanted more than one tree in our yard and our backyard was SO hot also so the shade from the tree helped us too!

So, with all of that being said, we didnt have any 'animals' in our yard. What I mean by animals, we had no squirrels whatsoever, no chipmunks, and not even birds. {now dont get me wrong, we had some birds fly around, but not a lot} :)

I remember one time Tyler decided to put some bird feeders out around our backyard to draw in some birds....

well, buddy they came! We loved seeing all the birds, but the poop got SO bad that Tyler had to stop filling the feeders up! ha!

You might be thinking that we were living in like a dessert with no trees and no animals, but we really didnt. It was just how the neighborhood was designed. Thankfully our lot backed into a vacant area and a mountain so we had a beautiful view.

So, when we moved to Jacksonville, Tyler and I both really wanted to have a home that had the 'homey' feeling. That had trees and wasnt 'cookie cutter' like what we had in Birmingham.

Well, our backyard now!..........

OH MY!.........

I am just shocked at what all is in our backyard now!

We now have squirrels galore! {so many that Tyler now owns a BB gun!} :) In fact, I dont know if you have seen the Geico Insurance commercial where the guy is on a roof on top of a building and he is fighting the 'bad guys' with a helicopter hovering and while all of this action is happening is Mom calls and she is sitting on her couch so calm and peaceful and in the background there are squirrels chasing each other...

Well, that commercial reminds me of our backyard!

We have squirrels chasing each other! We have chipmunks, we have a ton of birds and....not just all of that 'regular' animals business... we have had a policeman shoot a rattlesnake in our backyard. YEP! We have had a TON of cats. I swear our neighborhood is the biggest cat loving neighborhood because we have cats everywhere, but never dogs. We dont have dogs running around! We have had opossums, a racoon {that wanted to eat Tickles!} and rabbits. One night I looked out the window and there were two huge deer standing in our backyard just chilling!

And the other night, I was awakened by a very loud 'gobbling' noise! I kept hearing it and just so confused at what was making the noise! I thought there was a really big Turkey in our backyard. So, I get up and cut the back porch lights on and to my very BIG surprise, there was a huge red fox sitting on our cushioned lounge chair on our deck! Just sitting there all curled up and acting like he was our pet or something! The light didnt scare him when I cut it on and I just couldnt believe it so I went and woke Tyler up so he could come out and look because to be honest, it was one in the morning and I thought I might have been dreaming that a fox was on our chair!

Tyler tells me to go and get my camera to take a picture and when I do, I move the blinds and that makes him get up and just hop down and casually walk off our deck! We think he might have been sick because he was so calm and not scared at all and he seemed to have a limp. We have no idea what made him cry those several times like he did but I for sure have been on the lookout for him and havent seen him since that night thank goodness!!

So....this is our fox! Yep, he is a fox....but this is not the fox I was trying to take a picture of! Yeah, it was 1:00am in the morning so I was not thinking very clearly that I would be taking a picture of our reflection! ha! I really hate that I didnt get a picture because he was beautiful! I have never seen a fox that close up or heard one either! It was neat to see!
We have a zoo in our backyard! Who knows what we will have next come up!

Tyler surprised me with flowers. It made my week! So thoughtful!

The girls have been working hard with homework this week! Lily cracks me up because every time Alexis is doing her work, Lily asks me to give her work for her to do. So, I make sheets where she has to trace things....and write her name, etc and she loves doing her 'homework' too!

I love getting Alexis' 'Wednesday' folder home on Wednesdays. She brings home all of the work and tests that she has done the week before and I love seeing her grades and her hard work! Yesterday was a great day for her! LOOK at all of these awesome grades!! Such a smartie!!

I started a Bible study Tuesday at a friend's house and I am so excited about it! The very first chapter and study was called 'I am worn out', The Worn out Woman.......................and boy, it hit home! I have a feeling this Bible study is going to be exactly what I need. I am looking forward to it as the weeks come!
Besides throwing in Awanas, haircuts, gym class, dance and regular other life in general, I would say we have had a great week and ready for FRIDAY tomorrow! Whoo hooo!! :)

Wordless Wednesday!

Remembering

I still remember my Dad surprising me by driving all the way down to Auburn to have lunch with me and bringing me flowers for one of my birthdays when I was in College.

I was so surprised and excited and happy that he came!

I also love surprises and flowers......

and my Dad, so it was the best day!

I dont understand really how it is getting harder and harder with me concerning my Dad being gone. I miss him more and more everyday. It is hard.

If I had a wish today, I wish I could surprise my Dad in Heaven and have lunch with him on his birthday.

Oh, how it would be good for my soul because right now, that would make my week.

But, life doesnt work that way, but I know one day that I will get to have lunch on his birthday and OH what a great day that will be!

So, since I am here and you are there.....happy birthday still and I love and miss you!

Happy birthday Pops!

Snow, 'zombies' and close ups!

Well, the snow is melting!

I cant say that Im sad, I think it is beautiful but my life is better with nice and warmer weathered days! :)

Even though we had snow this weekend, luckily, that didnt deter our plans.

Tickles just didnt understand why she couldnt go outside! She kept trying! Poor thing! But....after Church today, I let her out! She was so excited! It was soooooooo funny because when she ran out, she hit the snow on her paws and started hopping! She didnt know what to do about the snow! Thank goodness it is pretty much melted now so she could go out and enjoy the sunshine!

We headed to the Anniston Museum yesterday afternoon for Mackenzie's birthday party! She turned 5! Lily had so much fun petting the animals the most! Alexis enjoyed walking around. It was a perfect thing to do on a snowy and cold day!

Little cutie!

Maybe she will be a Vet? She loved petting and asking questions about the animals!

She had to have a picture with the 'big and TALL' Giraffe, per her!

Alexis cracked me up because she kept asking to see the 'Zombies!' I would tell her they were Mummies and then she would ask another question and call them zombies again! ha!

Bundled up and ready for Church today!

Lily wanted me to take a picture of her balloon from Mackenzie's party before we left for Church. She decorated it when we got home as a face and wrote her name on it and then 'tied' {wrapped it around and around} it to her door.

After lunch................... we had a photo shoot! Stay tuned for the rest of the pictures when it is Valentine's Day, but here is what I can show you now!

So sweet!

Little models

Sweet sisters!

These two are super silly and love to crack each other up!

They may fight and whine and argue with each other sometimes...........but they also will do anything for each other too! They take up for each other and are each others best friend!

Snow babies!

So.....

we officially had snow on the ground!

We didnt get much, but what we did get was beautiful and the girls had so much fun today playing for the few minutes we were out there!

Brrr.......

it was cold!

We've enjoyed the snow, relaxed, headed to a birthday party and came home to the little bit of snow left today!

Not a bad Saturday! :)

The snow is so peaceful to me!

So pretty!

The backyard view!

These two were ready to play!

I think this is now one of my most favorite pictures of her! I love this little 'Im up to something' smiling little girl! :)

And, this picture is perfect Alexis! A picture of her acting TOO grown! :)

Snow angel!

Daddy had fun helping Lily make snowballs.............to throw at me!!

Let it fall

It's Friday!!

And....

it is snowing!!...

My two girls are not so thrilled as I thought they would be!....

I had to beg Alexis to take a picture of the 'beginning part' of the snow....

and Lily is asleep!

Maybe once it sticks everyone will be more excited! :)

Life lately has been low key so far until  SNOW started falling!

Here's what's been happening!....

Yes, this is how she sleeps....but no, she is not asleep! She has become obsessed too with this ball toy! She LOVES it and it cracks me up just as much watching her as it does watching Aubie! It cracks me up how both of them flip over and twist and turn and jump as they play! :)

I told Alexis to get her shoes  on so we could leave for school the other day and I look over at her and she says she is ready!.....in my boots!

Then Lily wanted to put them on! Literally the boots were all the way up her legs! It was hilarious watching her try and walk in them with them being so high up on her!

And today......I had two little munchkins with me for a little bit while I finished up some work since school was let OUT early because of SNOW! They always love coming to my office with me and everyone always loves seeing them! I put Alexis to work so she was 'working' in this picture and Lily started getting tired in this picture since she left school right when it was her nap time!

So, we came home and warmed up and got cozy! So cozy that I had to beg Alexis to take a picture when the snow started falling harder because she didnt want to get out of her bean bag! :) I have no idea why.....but the pictures with Alexis wouldnt show the snow. I dont know if it was because my camera was focusing on her instead of it....or what! So, I kept taking pictures and taking pictures...and Alexis was over it! ha! So, I had to bribe her with a popsicle after dinner for her to let me keep getting that 'perfect picture' with her and the snow! Well....finally I gave up because it wasnt happening!

But....with her out of the pictures....you can see the snow!
Im sad because last night we had a horrible wind storm {that kept me up all night} that was so bad that it knocked our pretty glass light fixture off our mailbox. :(  So, seeing our mailbox in the background is sad now!

See, so not sure what that was about, but snow was behind her! :) Cant wait to see if it sticks and how it looks in the morning! Maybe we will get snowed in and not have to go to work Monday! :) Fingers crossed! :) :) It was really pretty coming down!....

And...as it was coming down, this was Lily!
At least she was cozy and warm! Now, Daddy is home and we are all 'cozy' and ready to just be cozy and relax now that it is the weekend! Maybe I can get a nap like this sometime this weekend! Fingers crossed!