you've got mail

*I forgot to add this to my valentine party post.

I found this idea http://beeinourbonnet.blogspot.com/2011/01/youve-got-mail-cookies.html on a creative blog and knew it would work perfect for the party. There was a lot of frustration put into making these cookies and they didn't turn out the way I wanted but it worked. Next time I'll have the right icing to write with so they'll look more like mail.

Valentines Party

A couple of weeks ago I was walking through the dollar section at Target and found the most adorable metal mailboxes and I instantly thought of being in elementary school, decorating shoe boxes to take to school and receive candy grams. I thought about it all day and that night I decided I would be creative and give Liz, and a few of her friends, a Valentines Party. It was a lot of work to prepare for but it was all worth it.

We decorated their pink mailboxes with stickers, passed out candy grams, ate tons of junk food, and the adults finished it off making wooden, heart shaped, princess wands. Valentines Day might be my new favorite holiday. It's so much more fun when you have little ones.

I didn't get any pictures during the party because lets face it, 5 little girls between 1 and 2? It got crazy. But luckily I did get a few shots of the spread before all the action.

Visiting Tulsa

*Note: Christmas post following

Joe was going out of town and I didn't want to be home alone so we decided to make a trip to Tulsa to see our friends, Katie, Colby, and Brynlee. We got there Friday night and played all day Saturday. Joe had to leave Sunday and Liz and I stayed until Wednesday. We had a lot of fun! Saturday we went to the mall so the girls could ride the carousel. Afterwards we went to bass pro shop where we saw fish and played a shooting game. Sunday it started snowing and snowed till Tuesday. We stayed inside and looked at it from the window. We hung out inside the rest of the week and watched lots of movies and ate lots of junk food.

Liz's new look. I have no idea where she gets it from. I'm blaming it on her daddy

Liz's first carousel ride. She loved it!

Joe teaching her young

They're not related at all.......

The closest we got to the snow

playing with Aunt Katie

As I was packing up to leave they were watching cartoons and Liz was snuggling on Brynlee. too cute

Christmas 2010

Christmas was A for AMAZING this year. Aubrey, Kyle, and Lacey came for 2 weeks, my parents came for a week and a half, and Derek came for 4 days. We had tons of fun, lots of laughs, and of course food food food. Kyle loves to cook and so we got to take advantage and enjoy his awesome meals. We also got to enjoy our first fires in our new house. There is nothing quite like a real fire.

It couldn't have gone better and we were so sad to have everyone leave. Hopefully more family trips will be in store for 2011!

Lacey's first Christmas

Kyle making Christmas breakfast

Keeping with family traditions and walking down the hall, youngest to oldest, to open presents

Joe enjoying Liz's toys more then Liz

Reading books with Grandma and Grandpa

Puzzle time with Grandma

All the nieces and nephews love their Uncle Derek

snuggle time with Bumpa

I couldn't resist. I found a Liz a matching shirt! Funny but cute

Mullet be gone

In the last month the back of Liz's hair has been growing like a weed. It turned into a mullet and as obsessive that I am it had to go. I was planning on taking her to a fun kids place to have her "first" haircut but it was going to more of a trim so I decided to do it myself. With the help of Katie, I did the first trim Sunday morning. It looked better but not as good as I wanted so Sunday night I was back at it. I was trying to get it too perfect and was afraid I was going to end up cutting it way too short so I forced myself to stop and had Katie hide the scissors. I'm happy with the way it ended up and the mullet is gone, HOORAY!

Before

During

After 1st haircut

Final haircut

So long Conway, Hello OKCity

So much has gone on I haven't had time to think about posting on my blog. I am reminded daily, by my sister of course, that it's time for me to blog. To save you from a long blog and run on sentences (I'm a horrible writer) I'm going to use the bullet system.

• At the beginning of June we finished our kitchen with cabinet doors. As we were putting the last one up I told Joe "you know that since we're finishing up with these we'll be ask to move. Sure enough 3 days later we were told of a new position in OK
• Joe and I moved my parents out of their house and into an apartment
  
• On fathers day liz crawled for the first time
• 2 weeks later Liz and I made a trip out to Utah to see family. She really started crawling there.
• While we were in Utah, the first week of July, Joe got promoted. Which meant moving to OKCity.
• 2 weeks later I left Liz for the first time overnight and flew to OK to find a house.
• Got back to Arkansas and got the finishing touches done to the house to sell.
• Met with the realtor and got a sign put in our yard.
  
• Sunday afternoon Joe left to start his job in OKCity, which made for a very long 3 weeks.......
  
• Our house was posted on-line on Tuesday. Same day, had the realtor walkthrough and 2 house showings.
• The next day, Wednesday, we had an offer that we countered
• On Thursday we got the call that our house had sold and we had to be out in 3 1/2 weeks.
• 3 weeks later packed the house and truck, I said goodbye to my home for 22 years and headed off to a new adventure
• We couldn't get into our house in OK right away so we lived in a hotel for 1 very long week.
• Moved into our house in Edmond on August 27th and we couldn't be happier
• Liz turned 1 on Sept 9! can you believe its been a year already? (post later to come on the birthday girl)
  

So there you go. That was our eventful summer that went by so fast but yet felt like an eternity. We absolutely love being here in OK and love our new house.

When I find time I've got to post pictures of our before and after pictures of our house in Conway and then of course our pictures of our new home here in OK.

Flip! I'm 24

One of the few awesome gifts I got for my birthday!
My birthday was Monday it was my "golden" birthday. I turned 24 on the 24th. To some of you this number may seem young but for me I feel so old. 24 is what my older siblings are and still 18.

Regardless of my age Joe out did himself this year. He surprised me by taking the day off and having the entire day planned out for me. We had breakfast and then he had arranged for my mom to take Liz for the day so he could take me shopping for a swim suit and lunch. He was a great sport and helped me search for the perfect swimsuit. After a good day of shopping and lunch we came home, picked up Liz, and went swimming for the first time this year and first time for Liz. It was a little chilly but was so much fun. My parents came along and my dad even got in with the water being colder then what he likes.

We ended the day with my favorite meal, roast pot pie, and to spice things up this year we went with an ice cream cake. It was a great day and I loved the gifts I got. Even more I love that Joe is so great and spoiled me on my birthday and I loved celebrating with a new addition, Liz.

Easter and Just because pictures

Easter for us this year was extremely low key. We decided to have an "early" easter with our friends Katie, Colby, and Brynlee. It was fun but the girls were only into for about 10 seconds. Other then Easter not a whole lot has been happening with us. I just enjoy staying home with the cutest little girl and watching her grow everyday. Hope you enjoy the pictures as much as I do.

6 month pictures

valeriekeithphotography.com