Grandmommy goes to the Zoo

Well, my mom had heard all about the zoo and since she was in town for the weekend we thought we would show her around the hopping spot for a Saturday afternoon in Birmingham. It was a beautiful day and we got to see all sorts of animals. Sarah Katherine tried to share her cup with the kangaroos, but luckily they didn't see it when she dropped it into their area and a zoo staffer got it back before one of them hopped away with it. :)

In the butterfly house with Grandmommy.

Yuck, I don't like big birds, but we got the photo-op anyway.

SK was not so sure about he lorakeets, but at least we have the picture for posterity.

Just call mom the lorakeet whisperer - they loved her!

My 30th

My hubby concocted a surprise for my birthday this year. I was told that I needed to wear a formal dress and be ready to go to dinner by 5:30. So I was of course wondering what in the world kind of place are we going in Birmingham that I am not going to look like I think I am going to the prom??? Well, David had reserved a banquet room at the Embassy Suites where my friends and parents were waiting for us to have a fancy dinner, cake, and my dad put together a photo montage of my past 30 years. It was such a nice night, he really did a great job! We'll see what he has up his sleeve for 40!!!!

A few more from the wedding

So, I got ahold of my dad's memory stick from his awesome camera and pulled a few more pic's off from the wedding weekend...

Hands down my favorite picture of us so far - thanks so much dad!


Sarah Katherine danced and danced to the band at the wedding, we couldn't pull her off the dance floor!

Sarah Katherine in mom and dad's room before the wedding, don't you think she needs a few more necklaces?!

A Beautiful Wedding and a Beautiful Weekend

This weekend we went to Gulf Shores for my friend Leigh's wedding. It was the PERFECT weekend for a wedding - the weather was amazing, the beach wasn't too crowded yet, and it was a great reason to take SK to the ocean for the first time. Mom and Dad were there for the wedding aslo, since dad was the videographer. When he gets the video highlights done I will have to post a link. The bride was gorgeous! The groom even looked pretty snazzy himself. :) Thanks also to Leigh for picking a really pretty bridesmaid's dress that I honestly do want to wear again. I actually had to stop myself from wearing it for Easter because I'm sure SK would have given me some sort of mystery stain that would not have looked good walking down the aisle of the church this weekend. Congrats to the new couple, and I am glad to say their plane made it through the valcano craziness and they are enjoying Italy.

The process of introducing Sarah Katherine to the beach took a little while. The sand was pretty chilly since we went in the morning so she was not having any part of it for a while. We finally got her comfortable with the sand and then she was ready to run all over the beach and did not want to leave! Here is the little cutie after our whole learning process.

Here was how we started the day - SK in my lap, and really all I could do to get her off my shoulders! She likes to ease into the new experiences I guess.

I LOVE this one! David took her next to the ocean for her to see the water and when the water hit his feet for the first time this is the reaction - SK laughing at him and David screaming because it's so cold!

No one tell her she has ventured off the towel! I guess the sand IS ok.

And finally - "see mommy - I can have fun in the sand just like you"!

Happy Easter

We had a wonderful Easter, and this year we actually got to celebrate with egg hunting. :) Having a mobile kiddo sure makes for fun stuff to do! This Easter brought with it the gift of pollen, so we all were visions with our snotty noses but I think we pulled it off. We went to church Sunday morning where I kept the nursery and then in the second service got to go sing in the choir. It was a WONDERFUL service and really brought focus to the reason for the celebration!

We were invited over to some friend's house for lunch where we ate a fabulous meal and chatted while the girls took their naps. Then when nap time was over the egg hunt was on! Sarah Katherine went for the more obvious eggs and Emma took the challenge on and climbed in for the tougher ones. For her first egg hunting experience, SK did great. She threw her basket on her shoulder like a purse and went to town! After all the eggs were picked up then it was time for some sidewalk art. Both girls got chalk from the Easter bunny so they got to channel their inner artist (really so did the mom's and dad's also).

I hope this is a start of some wonderful Easter traditions. I hope everyone else out there had a great Easter and is enjoying our new-found warmer weather. Try not to drown in the pollen though. :)

Here is the Easter girl in her fabulous dress from Grandmommy. It has little Bo Peep and her sheep around the collar - note the matching purse (again, thank you Grandmommy)!

Because the dress is longer than SK is used to, she would spin and kick the bottom of the dress all morning! She knew she was looking sassy. :)

The egg hunt is on! As usual, my cutie daughter gets very excited over stuff - even finding eggs that are laying in the middle of the yard.

The Emma and SK with their haul. They don't show up in this picture, but they are sitting under the "Easter tree" that is fully adorned with Easter eggs on the branches. Way to go Mr. Michael!

Because the Easter bunny was so busy, SK got her Easter basket after we got home from the day's activities. I think she dealt with the delay pretty well! Her favorite things from the bunny were a spinning, light up egg and a frog that sings when you push his hand. Good job Easter bunny!

Easter Party Day

Today was Easter party day at school, so of course Sarah Katherine had to dress for the occasion! Here she is this morning on her way to school all decked out in her bunny dress and matching sun hat. Surprisingly enough, the weather was actually warm enough to wear springtime clothes - woo hoo!

I hope everyone has a wonder Easter weekend, and truly remembers the reason for the holiday. Thank you Lord for sending your Son to die on a cross for my sins!

And then there went March...

So my attempt to get back into blogging was seriously not happening during March. Of course it may have had something to do with the fact that the stomach virus went through the house not once, but TWICE during this month. Between that and going out of town a lot on the weekends, we have been run ragged this month!!!

This month SK did hit the 18 month mark, and I heard that was when a lot of learning and vocalizing really starts to take off. Man has that been the case with her! Every week she seems to be learning a new word and she is really starting to be able to put things together to know shoes go with foot, let's go bye-bye means give me my bag and let's head to the door, time for bed means go upstairs and take a bath, let's let our doggy out means open the back door, and on and on. She is still LOVING school! She is so excited to go in the mornings and every day when I pick her up she is having fun with her buddies or her teacher. Her "curriculum" this past month was on light and dark. They would turn the lights on and off to talk about that and they also drew pictures of light and dark. Apparently part of this was a version of flashlight tag where they would turn the lights off and turn the music on so that if the flashlight pointed to you, it was your turn to boogie! Needless to say, my music and dance loving child thinks this game is awesome! :)


Here are some pic's from various things over the past month.

Some of you may have already seen this on my friend's page (who is better at blogging in a timely manner), but Sarah Katherine spent the night with her friend Daniley earlier this month and her mommy took the most precious picture of them being sweet and playing outside. That weekend Sarah Katherine also got to ride a 4-wheeler for the first time, she always has fun adventures each visit. :)


SK got her hair "did" at school one day! Here is proof my child does have SOME hair. :)


We went to a park over one weekend and yes, we have become fans of the child leash. Before I had a toddler I totally judged parents that used them, and I would like to officially repent and apologize! I am 100% on board now that I am living it.



My friend since the 6th grade, Leigh, is getting married in April so this month was shower month for her - so fun! SK and I drove up to Huntsville for a bridal tea for her. I was very concerned to take an 18 month old to a "tea", but we had a chat about etiquette and she was actually an angel! While Leigh opened her presents Sarah Katherine just stared in awe at the fun stuff she got. I hope she stays such a little lady, or at least while we are in public.

Along with the verbal fun of the 18 month old is the "independence" of the 18 month old. The other night I was feeling yucky (the 2nd round of the plague was going on), and Sarah Katherine decided she wanted to pick out what she wanted for dinner and HAD to feed it to herself, without help. So, since I felt bad anyway she got no argument from me. Well, she had applesauce (which she fed herself with a spoon) and when that was empty she had a chicken finger that she would only eat if I put it in the applesauce container so that it got "dipped" in the remnants of the applesause - hey whatever works!