Sassy Anna

Anyone have advice on sassy girls?? Anna Grace is the sassiest girl I've met. She has always been a little testy, then last week I bragged on her and said I thought she had grown out of it. I was wrong; she is worse. She now says she doesn't love Eric and I on a regular basis, tells Abby she hates her guts (IDK), and bosses everyone. I do spank her, take things away, and sit her in time-out. She is also biting at daycare.....ughh! I think Eric must be paying for some things he did in his younger years, but why am I paying for it too? That isn't fair!

Thru all the bad, sometimes she can be the sweetest angel. Most of the time that is when her sister is gone and it is just us. I love her to death, but sometimes I want to pinch her though. Ever have that feeling or is it just me??

Jax

Meet Jax! He is the newest addition to our family. Eric & I went to Kentucky yesterday and picked him up. The girls were both really excited....I on the other hand, not so much. My life is so busy right now, I'm not really sure how this will work. Plus, if you know me at all you know I am not an animal person:( dogs are cute, but almost like another child.

Anyway, I will do my best-my husband loves dogs and we are trying to get the girls where they are not so scared of animals. Anna Grace has been terrified of dogs until Meme got a Yorkie (Sammy). She loves Sammy and is very gentle with him,for the most part. Now with Jax it is a total different story. Last nite she drug him around the house and was very bossy. Something tells me this might change, ummm once he starts staying awake and getting playful. Only time will tell.....

Happy Birthday Abby

Hey, little sister had to be included too. ( Just didn't mean for her to be first in line:)hah)

My beautiful Birthday Girl. She was def. the princess:)

Money!!

Make a wish, Abby

This cookie cake was so Yummy

On friday, Abby turned the big 6. I spent thursday thinking of how fast time has flown by and how the "Great Pain" that I experienced 6 years ago was worth every minute. Abby was a bit of a fussy baby at first, after a little change in formula she was the sweetest baby ever. She always amazes me & I love her dearly. She changed my life for the better; I always wondered how you could love someone so much. The past 6 years have been so fun & joyful.....she is beautiful, smart, talented, a big Sweetheart, and overall pretty awesome. Pretty proud of the job Eric and I have done with her.

Happy 6th Birthday Abby. We love you so much and are very proud of you..love, mommy & daddy. PS... You Are My Sunshine:)

Sarah & Dylan

Tonight I attended the visitation of a very young woman. 32 I think~the mother of Sarah & Dylan. I got to know these two kiddos last year at church. I taught the childrens choir and they attended our church for a short time.

Dylan and Sarah found their mother dead on Wednesday morning. They are so young, Dylan is probably in his pre-teens & Sarah is 10. When I hugged Sarah tonight, I squeezed her so tight and didn't want to let her go. I just wanted to scoop her up and take her pain away. I know exactly what her pain feels like; having lost a parent myself. I know how hard it was for me, and I have a family of my own. I can't imagine being so young and innocent, and not having one of my parents. To know that they would never walk through our door again.

We are not promised tomorrow; it may never come. I am so thankful for my salvation & to know that we do have hope in Jesus Christ. If my tomorrow isn't on earth, it will be spent in Heaven for eternity.

Please pray for these two and their entire family. Pray for strength and peace, that only God can give.

Sweet Fairies

My Aunt Teresa took these fairy pics of the girls last weekend. I had the outfits and she had the background, so it worked out perfectly. She did a great job, by the way. Both Abby & Anna Grace look very innocent in these pics~I think they are priceless. Anyway, just had to share them with ya:)

**thanks Aunt T......we luv you:)

If you don't like how I drive, stay out of the ditches:)

The weather was so nice today after work, Eric and I decided to go walking. Abby & Anna Grace tagged along, not walking but driving the Barbie Jeep. They think they are really exercising:) We walked until it was nearly dark, so we were trying really hard to get back to the house. Eric kept telling Abby to stop and wait on cars because they were coming from everywhere. At one point he made her pull over in someones yard and stop because she has selective hearing, ya know? Anyway, once he told her she could go, she literally tried to jump the deepest ditch on Cooter Road. She made it okay, but she lost her passenger in the process:( Anna Grace slipped out of the side of the Jeep and did several flips before Eric scooped her up. It was sad but so funny; we all got so tickled. Well everyone except Anna G.
So, I am thinking Abby might follow in her daddy's footsteps~she would probably be good. She drives extremely fast and takes curves really well. It wasn't her fault Anna G flew out, those darn Jeeps should come with Seatbelts...hah!

....thank God we have 10+ years to work on this:)

Happy "Late" Birthday Big Daddy

Okay, not sure when or where Anna Grace got the name "Big Daddy", but she has always called Eric that. Each time she says it she literally laughs about this until she loses her breath..hah:) Anyway, Big Daddy's birthday was in February, but the family just got together for dinner on Saturday (hey, we are busy people). Meme (Melba) always fixes each one of us an awesome meal of our favorites at each birthday.



Big Daddy is quite the prankster, so of course he pranked Uncle Chad in December on his birthday. Well, Uncle Chad and Aunt Laura did some pranking of their own this time. In the picture is Eric's very own Victoria's Secret Bag.....with a Pink Toothbrush and a card and money of course. He hates the color Pink (refuses to wear it) & he is a toothbrush fanatic, so it only seemed fitting to combine the two. Did I mention he hates to have his picture made?? Anyhoo, good work guys:) he was def. surprised.

Happy 30th Birthday Big Daddy.....love your girls, Abby & Anna G

PS I have no idea what he was doing in this pic.....it was the best one we got:)

"Thanks Aunt Laura"

Uncle Chad, Aunt Laura, Carter, & Caleb came to visit today. We celebrated Eric's birthday and had a yummy dinner. My mother-in-law Melba is a fantastic cook, I hear she learned a little something from her mother, BB. The day was spent playing outside, the evening was spent Learning-hah. Uncle Chad is a math whiz, so he gave Brittney some math pointers. Then we have Aunt Laura, our English major, who taught my oldest daughter to say "Three". Yes, I have been working hard on this one for quite some time. It always sounded like feree (as I mentioned in "100 things about me"). Aunt Laura simply said "Abby, it is like Guthrie" and then Abby said it. That was all it took-I worked for so long on that one and it was as easy as 1-2-3. I have no clue why I never thought of that one, considering that is my last name! So thanks for the free tutoring sessions the Guthrie kids had today. We owe you (maybe we will settle this with some free haircuts). I knew you all should visit more often:)

Grandma Beal

Okay, I know I have already made two posts tonight. Give me a break, my kids are at Mom's & Eric is working, I had a lot of catching up to do.

These are pics of my Grandmother, Rachel Beal. She has always been an interesting lady. Not much of a kid person, although she has 8 of her own. Three years ago she and my grandfather were in a car wreck, and my grandma hasn't been the same. She suffered a blow to the head and ever since she has slowly changed. One day she no longer wants to live with my grandpa and the next she forgets who people are. She has had some funny moments, however sad too. Funny: she acts just like a kid, she throws herself on the bed and cries like a child, closes her eyes when someone is telling her to do something, & loses her glasses at least 2 times a day. Sad: forgetting the names of her grandchildren, thinking her first husband is alive (who has been dead for 40+ years), and is getting a little physical with caretakers.

I wasn't trying to make you sad, just wanted to post these pics of the girls and their Great-Grandma. I know she would love them to pieces if she was in her right state of mind. Most of the time when she is around them now, she just stares at them. Maybe wondering who they are or if they are her own children. I often think of how she must feel, Lost I'm sure.

We love you Grandma Beal

Funny Pics of the Girls

Anna Grace working hard in "the office". Notice the mis-matched clothes and headband:)

Don't ask me...this was suppose to be serious. Abby was tickled about something!

Abby and Anna Grace always want their hair wrapped in towels. Guess they want to be like mommy:)

100 things about ME

I kinda copied this from a friend of mine, Cassie. Anyway here are 100 things about me you might not know:
1. I am married to a wonderful man
2. Have 2 beautiful daughters: Abby & Anna Grace
3. and a Dog on the way (LOL)
4. after 72 hours of labor, I ended up having a C-Section
5. and 2 1/2 years later, another one
6. I am a Child of God..he is everything to me, don't know how I could make it w/o him
7. have a wonderful family
8. my Mom & Sis are my best friends
9. Lost my Dad 7 months ago
10. I miss him terribly
11. Get along with my Mother-in-Law, she is so sweet
12. Have a ton of neices and nephews
13. Derek, Landen, Brittney, Carter, Seth, Chelsea, Jake, & Caleb
14. I am in school, Abby is in K
15. I have a little brother, Stevie
16. I love sweet Tea with Lemon
17. I am addicted to it, I think
18. I love to text
19. I have a ton of friends....love them all
20. I hate spaghetti
21. I love when my kids sleep with me, I know it is a bad habit, I can't help it
22. They are so warm and sweet when they are sleeping
23. I love that Abby can't say "th" and she says 3 like "Fereee"
24. I love how Anna Grace calls electricity "Tricity"
25. I could sit and watch them dance all night long: it is the funniest thing ever
26. I love sitting outside with them in the summer until the mosquitos start biting
27. I absolutely love the Lake
28. it is calling my name, can't u hear it?
29. I love my cousins to death: Christy, Amber, Magin
30. We are all so close.....best friends
31. I hate scary movies.......Eric loves them
32. I will cry over sad movies:(
33. I am addicted to cutting & coloring my hair
34. I color it at least every other Wednesday at school
35. different colors each time
36. I use to love Soaps....can't really stand them anymore
37. I love to go mudding, or riding in the snow:)
38. I am a picture fanatic
39. just like my mama
40. hate balancing a checkbook-that is what online banking is for....hah!
41. I am 5'1.......Eric is 6'2 :)
42. I hate Baths.....they annoy me
43. Can't even relax for thinking about what I could be doing
44. I never fix my hair or make-up until I get to school
45. I know, you can't believe it, but it is true
46. I hate SCRUBS....they are fat traps, don't even realizing you are putting on the weight until you try your jeans on every Saturday....ughhh
47. Love jewelry
48. and purses
49. and shoes, a little
50. I say Freakin-A all the time
51. Can't stand to hear cussing......it annoys me bad
52. Love to sing
53. Especially in the car on the way to school
54. Love Carrie Underwood
55. and Dierks Bentley
56. Talk to my mom everyday
57. Not really a Dog Fan, guess I should get over it
58. love Dancing With The Stars
59. love DVR.......I'm miserable without it
60. love a Strawberry Cheesequake Blizzard from Dairy Queen
61. So not ready to wear a bathing suit this summer
62. I love that my kids have chunky legs, they are so cute
63. My oldest daughter has a BF
64. he told her he loves her:(
65. My youngest saw french kissing on tv and wants to kiss us and move her head......IDK
66. My sister is hilarious
67. We laugh at sad stuff
68. like when people fall or get hurt, I don't know why but we do
69. I didn't vote for Obama
70. Was I suppose to tell that??
71. That doesn't mean I don't support him-I pray for him every night to make the right decisions for our country
72. The economy is seriously scaring me
73. My husbands hours were cut.....like so many others
74. I believe God will get our country thru this
75. I am thankful for my Christian Heritage
76. I am thankful for my hardworking husband who is working odd n ends jobs while his work is slow
77. I am thankful to be healthy and have healthy children
78. I have a big heart for children
79. We are getting a baby cousin from Ethiopia:)
80. I have a huge family
81. I married into a small family
82. I love twice baked potatoes
83. and bbq chicken made by my husband
84. slightly burned just the way I like it
85. I am a Romantic
86. my husband is not:(
87. 2 children is all I intend to have
88. I plan to own my own salon in 1-2 years
89. I am a neat freak
90. I get this honest, my mom has OCD....hah
91. I love lip gloss
92. drive an SUV
93. Can't wait for my new house
94. love Christmas morning with my kids
95. Don't have any muscles:)
96. hate cold sheets
97. love to stick my cold feet to Erics legs...he is like an electric blanket 24/7
98. hate Walmart
99. love Target
100. living my dream life:)

the end! That was hard work but anyway, it is me. Not much to it, I am a simple girl!

...Yes, they are spoiled

I hate to be the one to admit it , but my children are so spoiled. Every morning since birth I, along with my mother-in-law Melba, have held my girls in my lap and fed them breakfast. That's right, actually put the food in their mouths and everything. They are so not morning people and being a working Mom, I do whatever necessary to make things easier. However, I reached my breaking point a few weeks ago. They don't just eat pop-tarts & cereal, they eat foods like Oats, Grits, Sausage, Fried Eggs, well anything that is NOT easy. Oh and lets not forget the instant Coffee~I promise I didn't start this habit, I hate the stuff! Every morning is a battle and I am finally sick of it, so I have moved them from my lap to the kitchen. They do sit on the bar (I really don't know why they can't just sit in chairs like normal kids), but hey at least it is not in my lap:) Abby is not to fond of this move b/c she is missing out on Spongebob, but that is what she gets for being so picky. Next I will start working on simple foods.....hah!

Christmas 2008

The chaos at Meme's has begun.

Abby & Anna sporting their new vests &

side pony tails:)

Santa aka "Quenna Quas" visited the girls

at Grandpa Stevie's

Derek helped Anna Grace open her gifts..

she is So Not a Morning Person:(

Abby has been begging for a

Digital Camera

Santa was a hungry man!

Derek, Anna Grace, Abby, Seth, & Landen

on Christmas Eve.

It has been forever since my last post.....with school and all I have little time for anything. I decided I would make my cousin Christy happy and start posting again. She fussed at me the whole time she was in town. Which, by the way, Christy is an "Army Wife" and her husband is currently serving in Iraq. That is where he spent Christmas:( She is an amazing mom & wife, I don't know how she does it. But her spirit never changes, she stays the same person through it all. She is still that same little girl at heart that we have always adored~We Love You Cousin Christy.....this post is for YoU!

We had a great Christmas.....it lasted several days:) Needless to say we are all exhausted and stuffed! We visited several different houses full of different parts of our family. The girls really enjoyed spending time with their cousins and were sad to see them go. Abby and Anna also really missed their Papa-Doo. They really thought he would be back by Christmas :( but he was with us. I know he was wathcing us~we miss you dad! Anyway, check back in....I'll try and update at least once a week!!!

Catch Up

It has been a long 3 weeks.....(since my last post). The first week we moved out of our house, second week I had VACATION, and third was my first week of school! Which by the way, I survived it.....it was the longest week of my life, but I made it and loved every minute of it!

My Girls are doing great! Ab is doing well in school, made a 95 on her very first big test.....missed one question! Anna Grace has just been her cute typical self~she has been ill this weekend, so we are headed to the doctor:(

Abby has been wanting her pic made in a cotton field for the longest, she has figured out that her clothes come from "a field" and she is so fascinated. I have been so busy, I had forgotten all about it and most of the fields near our house had already been picked. Thank goodness there was one in front of Mom's house just waiting to be picked.

The pic of Abby in the pumpkin suit was hand painted by my friend Monica. I worked with her at the CU and she had made her little girl one and offered to make my girls a suit. Of course I was thrilled~she did a fantastic job!! Anna Grace has one also, but everytime she wears it she has an accident in it :( Not sure what the problem is, but that is the reason she isn't in the pic!! **Maybe it won't take so long for my next post! Until then.............

Anna Talk

Anna Grace is a tiny little ball of energy....and she has the cutest little voice you have ever heard. However, some things she says are hard to understand~well for everyone but me. Last night Eric, Anna, & I were at mom's and as Eric was heading out the door Anna said "Daddy wheragoi"....Eric just stared at her. I was in the kitchen and said "What, you don't understand Bobby Ray Talk?" My dad Bobby had this way of running all of his words together, making one big word and somehow Anna Grace has inherited that bad habit. She actually said "Daddy where are you going?"~I knew exactly what she said. She isn't even blood related to my Dad, but she sure does act like him.

Then, this morning my sister picked Anna Grace up to keep her for the day. Somewhere in the midst of Anna's conversation, she said we have Trucity. Mandi thought she was talking about a cat or something and asked her if Trucity was a cat. Anna Grace said "No, it works the TV".......'Electricity'. Duh Aunt Mandi, you should have just known that :) We think Anna Grace is a hoot...she keeps us going with her eyebrow movements and her talk; and occasionally a few little temper tantrums here and there. That is why we love her though!!

The Small Things

Okay, so God really let me have it this morning. First, let's go back to yesterday. We are moving and I come home from work and I have no furniture, no washer or dryer, and no refrigerator. I knew this was going to happen, but we are still staying the night there; well for 2 more nights. Anyway, I was asking Eric "how am I suppose to feed my kids, or do laundry, and where are they suppose to sit while I feed them oats". It hit me today, how many times do I acutally thank God for little things like my refrigerator or my couch or food~how selfish have I been? Most of the time when I pray, I thank God for everything I have in general, not really noting specifics. With so much reading of other blogs and talk about Ethiopia and such places, I can't help but to stop and Thank God for everything around me; because I truly am blessed. Some don't have the luxury of appliances, furniture, clothing, or even food-basic things that I think I can't live without. I am so Thankful that God spared my family and my children of those heartaches, but also saddened and heartbroken. All I can do for others now is pray to end poverty, hunger, and even abuse. From now on, I will stop and notice the small things and be thankful for them.

Lunch with Grandma Brumley

Okay....so if you don't already know, Bobby (papa-doo) is not my bio-father. He married my mom when I was 5. Grandma Brumley is his mother and she is a go-getter. My girls haven't been around her a lot, as we don't live that close (that is no excuse, but we are making things better now). Anyhoo, yesterday we had lunch with Grandma Brumley after church and she just amazes Abby & Anna Grace. She fixed a big spread of food.....too much...and it was all delicious. Then after lunch, we all kicked back to relax. Well, here go the kids running thru the house, instead of fussing at them for running, she starts running with them. She has to be at least late 70's early 80's. When she finishes running, she falls in the living room floor and starts kicking like a horse. She tried to get Abby in the floor to show her how to do this, but Ab was a little shy. My girls just stood there in total shock that a G-ma could do this. I think they thought she was a little crazy, but funny too. She might be, but that is why we love her.....she is so much fun. Reminds me so much of my Dad. They really did attach themselves to her very quickly though. Last night in bed Anna Grace was talking about her and giggling. Someday I hope that I will be a fun Great-Grandma like her :)

Princess Anna & Princess Abby

Abby & Anna Grace were in my cousin Deanna's wedding in August. They were flower girls as you can see. I think they looked absolutely beautiful :) Deanna & Caleb's wedding was gorgeous and we were so honored they asked our little angels to be a part of their big day! Thanks Deanna & Caleb.

PS...I did their hair, can you believe it! I was amazed at my work..lol!

School

Abby started Kindergarten 4 weeks ago. All summer long she had this fear of school and cried everytime the word was mentioned. Turns out, she loves it....she thinks it is the best thing since Uncrustables..lol! I told Melba that God must have worked this one in my favor, I couldn't have handled her crying about school, on top of my dad's illness & death. Thank the Lord! She says it is Great, Fantastic, and Super. Her favorite subject is 'Libary' & she thinks 'Coach' (P.E.) is okay. Takes her lunch everyday, just like I did. So far so good, but who knew K was so much work? She told me what a rhombus was, I guess in Arkansas where I went to school they don't call it that. She also teaches her class all night and reads her 'kids' books, and she is a little bossy. Her cousin Jake Ryan is still her BFF...nothing could change that. She plays with him everyday at recess. She is a smart little girl though and already seems eager to learn......makes me so proud! Anna Grace on the other hand has NO interest in learning. However, she does want to ride the 'Cool Bus' (school bus) and is ready to start taking her lunch.

In about 3 weeks, I will be joining Abby in the whole 'school' thing. Well, not her school, but on October 14th I will be starting Cosmetology school in Paragould. Yay!!!!! I can hardly wait, this has been a dream of mine for about 8 or 9 years now. Eric is finally allowing me to leave my job and take the plunge..hah! He is ready for me to make the big money so he can retire early....lol! So say a prayer for me as I venture out into a whole new world. I haven't been to school in a long time and I am a little nervous about leaving my comfort zone. Abby and I will get thru this together ;)

Happy Birthday Ronda

Today is my BFF Ronda's birthday. She is the big 27~she won't mind me telling her age..hah! Happy Birthday Ronda~I'm not far behind you!!