Greathouse Happenings

Wow!

2011-05-25T17:49:00.001-07:00

Where has the time gone! I haven't updated my blog in over a year...really? That is terrible but life has been crazy busy and I just don't have time to sit down at the computer anymore and post updates. So, the last year....well, where to start. Gavin turned 6, Audrey is 5 and Sutton is 2. Gavin started kindergarten and I can't believe it's already almost over and Audrey will be beginning her adventure with kindergarten in the Fall.

Sutton has definitely hit the terrible 2's but is the sweetest, funniest kid ever as well. I've always heard the third child is the loudest and funniest of them all. He's got quite the competition to compete with. He is talking like crazy saying new things everyday. I favorite color is yellow so he points out everything yellow that he sees. He has just recently started pointing out slugbugs and snails when we are driving, it's hilarious. He also has to point out every truck, bus, firetruck, 18 wheeler that we see so it's a pretty busy car ride wherever we go which is a lot these days.

Audrey has all the sudden turned into such a big girl, it's crazy how fast she has grown up. She has the memory of an elephant and brings up the most random things that she remembers from so long ago that I barely remember. She loves to do art, coloring, painting, beading, cutting, glueing, etc. She's my little artist. She also of course loves her babies, barbies, makeup and all her girly things. Poor Gavin gets suckered into playing barbies or her dollhouse but he really doesn't seem to mind most of the time.

Gavin, Gavin, Gavin...such a big boy. I can't believe he is going to be in 1st grade in the Fall. He loves, loves, loves school especially getting to see his Grandma everyday (Steven's mom teaches at his school). We are moving the kids to a new school in the Fall so he is pretty sad about not getting to see her, as is she but I think it's for the best. He loves to read and it's so fun to hear him reading everything he sees and watching it figure it out on his own and seeing him learn. He had a big lesson today about money. I told him he could buy something today with his own money and he walked up and down the isles and would stop and look at something and say, "Oh Wow, this is $10, way too much money" and he would keep walking. He had a big realization about how much things cost and how it feels to spend your own money that you have saved up. So he ended up finding something for $17 and I told him he could pay me $10 when we got home and I would pay the rest. After we left the store he said, "Thank you so much mom for letting me pay you $10 and for you paying the rest. I will give you a $10 bill when we get home." He was so proud!

Ok, that is a little snipit of an update. I will post some pics soon. I haven't decided if I'm going to just pick up from now or if I dare go back to last year and update it all. Sounds like a lot of work to me :)

Crazy Week!

2010-03-11T14:13:00.000-08:00

I have had a pretty crazy week so far. My nerves are on edge for some reason...maybe it's b/c I know I will be in Mexico soon. The other day I almost lost it and it takes a lot for that to happen. I was in the middle of cooking dinner for the kids and they were all in the kitchen with me, doing something cute so I ran and got the camera to take a picture. After taking a few shots I set the camera on the counter and went along with my business. Sutton then toddled over and saw the strap to my camera hanging down so he grabbed it and pulled my brand new Nikon off and it shattered on the floor. I almost started crying but tried to compose myself in front of my children. Gavin was worried that I was mad at Sutton so I had to explain to him that it was my fault for not putting the camera back where it belonged and I was not mad at Sutton at all. About 15 minutes later I was picking up after dinner and I looked at Audrey's DS and found a piece of pasta smooshed into the back of it where you can put Gameboy games in, I think. So I had to dig that out and there is still remnants of it b/c I couldn't fish it all out. So, while Gavin was in timeout for this he yells at me that Sutton is splashing around in the toilet which, come to find out is his favorite thing to do. Yuck! It was so hard for me to just breathe and not yell at the kids or go outside and scream. I needed a glass of wine...pronto. Steven got home shortly after and looked at the camera b/c I didn't even try to mess with it, I just set it back on the counter after the catastrophe. He said that we only needed a new lens and that the camera itself was fine. Whew!!! That's only about $100 or so. Big sigh of relief.

For some reason the rest of the week has been super busy. I'm not sure what I've been doing but I sure haven't had a lot of down time. Running errands....that's all I ever do these days. Returns...why do I have so many things to return??? Good question.

I started going to the gym with my dad this week too and that's been super nice not having to fit in a workout in between Sutton's naptime and getting Gavin and Audrey occupied for an hour. Not to mention I'm getting a little burnt out on watching Jillian videos. I took a step class yesterday with him which was a lot of fun. He is a step pro and I told him I had only taken one step class before in my life and it wasn't pretty so I never went back. So halfway through the class he came over and told me he was very disappointed, he was expecting me to be way more of a klutz than I was. Thanks Dad!! He said it took him a year to get as good as I was. What? I'm sure I wasn't that good, I felt lost most of the time. As soon as I would get a little routine she would go on to a new one. Anyway, I'm excited to be able to go to the gym and have the kids taken care of. What a nice break it's been.

Soccer practice tonight....Whew Hoo! Not looking forward to sitting in the cold and possibly rain with all the kids and no Steven there to help. He is working late. Boo!

Sickies

2010-03-08T08:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, we are all well.....at the moment. What a terrible week last week was. Poor Steven didn't get to have much of a birthday celebration b/c we were all down for the count. Sutton got sick Sunday night in his bed, Audrey was sick all Tuesday night, Gavin and I got it Wednesday night and Steven got it Friday night. It was the most terrible experience. I've never seen anything like it. Steven had to stay home on Thursday from work to take care of all of us. Audrey stayed on the couch most of the day and slept and Gavin and I were in my bedroom until about 4 in the afternoon and then we ventured in the living room to join Audrey. At one point during the night with Gavin, he was sleeping on the floor next to my side of the bed with a trashcan and he had just gotten sick. He looked up at me and said, "Mommy, are you feeling any better?" I said, "No, Gavin, Mommy still doesn't feel so good". He responded with,"Well of course I'm not feeling better", in the most pitiful voice ever. Such a sweet boy. It's so hard to watch your babies get sick with the tummy bugs b/c there really isn't anything you can do to help them. Hopefully, we can have one full week without any doctor visits. I had to take Sutton back to the doctor last Monday b/c of his ears. He is on his third round of different antibiotics. I need to go ahead and make a ENT appointment and get it over with. Tubes in the ears....not fun but needs to happen. I guess it's a boy thing in this family. Audrey didn't have to have them but Gavin did. Steven and I's Mexico trip is creeping along here soon. We are so excited to have a vacation, it's been so long. Give me a beach and a frosty drink and I'm in heaven. I have more birthday celebration pictures to post.....check back soon.

Sutton's Photo Shoot

2010-03-05T19:03:00.000-08:00

Sutton and I were just having a good time taking pictures one day. He looked so cute playing in front of the window. At one point he was lying on his belly looking out the window with his feet in the air. I missed that photo op but it sure was sweet. My little heartbreaker.

Audrey's 4th Birthday

2010-03-05T15:06:00.000-08:00

I have lots of pictures from Audrey's fun-filled birthday celebration. She opened gifts from us at home early Sunday morning, on her birthday. She was so excited and couldn't believe that I got her the Barbie bride that she saw at Target one day weeks before. She loved her new sandals, dress and Hello Kitty pajamas too. I still think of Miss Audrey as such a baby it's hard for me to comprehend that she is 4 years old. Time sure does go by so quickly. Happy Birthday Baby Girl!!!!

On the afternoon of her birthday she had her party at Pump It Up. She was so excited to see all her friends from school. It was a wild time with lots of kids running and jumping for 2 hours.

After the party we came home and she opened her gifts. She got a pink Nintendo DS from Grandma and Grandpa, now she can play games like Gavin does. She was so excited!

Sutton's 1st Birthday Party

2010-03-05T14:54:00.000-08:00

For Sutton's first birthday party we had a few friends and all the grandparents over to celebrate. That is what we did for Gavin and Audrey so I thought we'd just stick with that plan. Sutton really started walking the day of his birthday, it is so cute to watch him wobble around. He picks his little legs up so high like he is taking a step up some stairs each time and of course he is so incredibly proud of himself.

Your statistics on your birthday at your 1 year doctor's appt were

Height - 31 inches (51%)
Weight - 20 lbs. 7 oz (13%)
Head Circ - 45.5 (21%)

You are such a big boy these days and an independent little guy as well. You can say Dadda, Momma, Bubba, Ball and Bath. I'm probably leaving some out but that's off the top of my head. You are eating everything I put in front of you. You love every kind of fruit there is and are getting quite picky about your veggies. You absolutely love balls. We think you may be the athlete of the family b/c you walk around with Gavin's basketball and you bounce it, we think you are trying to dribble already. The first thing you say every morning when I get you out of your bed while looking around on the floor is, "Ball?" You also love taking a bath. I was changing your clothes the other day not even near the bathroom and you looked at me and said,"Bath?" Nope, not bathtime right now. Your little personality is developing more everyday and is so stinkin cute. You love to give hugs and sugars which consists of more of a head bonk than a kiss but I'll take it anyday.

We are so lucky to have you in our family and look forward to many more birthdays to come.

Sutton's 1st Birthday Cupcake

2010-03-05T14:13:00.000-08:00

For Sutton's actual birthday we were going to have dinner at home, I was going to let the kids decorate cupcakes and we were going to celebrate. Well of course it didn't happen as I had planned. I got a call from Steven while I was right in the middle of baking the cupcakes and someone wanted to show the house. Of course, the entire house was a wreck not the mention the kitchen. So I started cleaning and trying to get the kids to help....that's always fun. We ended up driving through McDonalds and taking the cupcakes to my dad's. We ate dinner, sang Happy Birthday to Sutton and all had cupcakes that weren't decorated. Sutton didn't know what to think about the cupcakes. He wasn't all that interested in them. I just gave him a mini cupcake without icing (probably why he didn't like it, he needed some icing). Gavin and Audrey loved watching him and helping him blow out his candles. Happy Birthday to my baby boy!!! I can't believe you are one already!!

Smores

2010-02-12T14:59:00.000-08:00

Gavin asked at lunch if we could have smores after playing in the snow, we didn't have everything so I stopped at the store so we could have some yummy smores. It's not the same made over the fire but it will do. The kids ate em up and I had a few bites myself even though I'm working on the beach body these days. Ha!

We are going to Mexico in March over Spring Break for Lizz and Kevin's wedding. We can't wait!!!! The kids are staying with Grandma and Grandpa and they are so excited. This will be the first time leaving Sutton for longer than a night, which hasn't happened very often either. I'm ready to just sit in a lounge chair with a drink in my hand for 3 days. Ahhhh!

Snow Day!!!!!

2010-02-11T15:37:00.000-08:00

The kids awoke this morning to a blanket of snow out their window. You could hear them talking about it in their room before they came out. They were so excited to come and tell us they couldn't stand it. Audrey has been a little sick the past few days but I let her play for awhile, I just couldn't make her stay inside. It will probably not snow like this again for years. They had so much fun, as usual. I cannot believe how much we got. It hasn't stopped all day, huge snowflakes. It just puts me in a good mood, not to mention makes me want to eat and snack all day. Ha!! These are a few of my favorite pics from this morning. I'm having so much fun learning about my camera and playing with the pictures.

Update

2010-02-09T18:41:00.000-08:00

We have been quite the busy little family these days. Gavin is in school everyday now and is loving it. I can't believe he will be starting kindergarten in the Fall. What happened to that little boy? He is also playing basketball which he is getting the hang of. My cousin Chris put together a team to coach and invited Gavin to play with his little cousin Gregory. He is having a good time learning and practicing at home with his new basketball goal that Papaw got him for Christmas.

Miss Audrey is about to be 4 at the end of this month. Wow! How time flies, my baby girl is growing up so fast. She is still taking dance and loving every minute of it. She prances around the house and wears her dance clothes as often as possible. She recently asked us if she could play soccer so we signed her up for soccer beginning in a few weeks. I can't wait to see how it goes.

Sutton is also about to have a birthday this month. I am always shocked at how quickly the first year goes. It's just not fair, I look back at his baby, baby pictures and wish they could stay that small for just a little while longer. He is getting so smart and learning new things constantly. Just today, I taught him what a tiger says. When you ask him he roars really loud. He is into everything and not quite walking yet. I will catch him taking a step or two without holding onto anything and when he realizes what he is doing he will sit down. He is quite the busy body as most one year olds are.

Other news, we put our house on the market about a week ago. Yes, I know, didn't we just move here? It's been almost 2 years. We have come to the realization that we could really benefit from having another bedroom. It gets quite cramped in Gavin and Audrey's room now that they share their space. It would be nice to have a room for everyone. Also, with Gavin starting school in the Fall it would be fantastic if we could get in a better school district. We would love to send him to private school but with 2 little ones following shortly behind him the funding would get quite expensive. So, we'll see what happens with the house and if we get any bites. We've already shown it a few times so keep your fingers crossed.

That's about all I have to report for now........time to go watch my shows and shut my eyes.

Three in the crib

2010-02-09T18:30:00.000-08:00

I heard Sutton talking after waking up from his nap and this is what I found when I went to get him.

Sutton's 1st Haircut

2010-02-09T18:18:00.000-08:00

I tried to make it to Sutton's 1st birthday to get his haircut but I just couldn't take the hair in the eyes and over the ears. So he got a little trim and it's so stinkin cute. You can actually see his little sweet face now and he looks like such a little man.

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER

Western Day

2010-02-09T18:00:00.000-08:00

Gavin and Audrey had western day at school. They were both pretty excited. After digging through their closets this is what I came up with. Poor kids don't have much for western attire. It worked out fine and they were both happy. We didn't make it to the Stock Show this year, plan on it next year when Sutton is a little older and can enjoy it more.

Silly Faces

Pajama Time

2010-02-09T17:32:00.000-08:00

Getting all three kids together to take a picture and have it turn out decent is almost a miracle. I love this picture. They were all on Audrey's bed playing before bedtime and Sutton was having a ball. He loves his brother and sister so much! They are both so good to him and watch out for him all the time. I love watching all three interact. Pretty precious!

Supper Club Christmas

2010-02-09T17:18:00.000-08:00

We had our annual Supper Club Christmas gathering at Joy and Brian's house this year. It had to wait until January because of all the out of town trips on everyone's calendars but it happened. I can't believe how grown up our kids have gotten. With Sawyer, Emerson and Caleb all in school full-time and Joy and Laura working we don't get to see each other as much as we used to. Of course everyone had fun and enjoyed exchanging gifts.

Gavin, Sutton, Sawyer, Caleb, Emerson and Audrey

Emerson and Audrey sharing some lipgloss. Pretty girls....

Playing with my new camera and Picassa

2010-02-01T12:03:00.001-08:00

I've been wanting to play with my new camera and figure out all that it can do but time just hasn't presented itself for me to do so. One day I took pictures of the kids while they were watching a show and these are some of my favorites. I've been using Picassa to store my pictures for quite some time and decided to mess around with the features and this is what I came up with. It's pretty fun stuff!!!

Christmas Evening with the Grandparents

2010-02-01T06:20:00.001-08:00

We hosted Christmas evening at our house this year. Steven's mom passed on it since his dad had been in and out of the hospital and she hadn't gotten much done around the house. So we happily excepted the opportunity. Steven made steaks and we had twice baked potatoes and spinach. Yummy! Then of course had another round of gifts.

Sutton with his Micky Mouse scooter which is loves.

Steven and I got a wine package to make our own wine and have a party with our friends

Puncle helping Audrey with the new legos

Papaw opening his new iPod speakers

Pop-O and his new personalized bar sign for the house

Puncle got a ping pong table and he was opening his paddles, he didn't quite get it at first

Oh boy!!!!

Whoa!

More makeup!

Christmas Morning!!!

2010-02-01T06:08:00.001-08:00

Christmas morning was filled with so much fun and excitement. Gavin and Audrey are at such a great age. We actually had to wake them both up which is odd for them especially on Christmas morning. They were ecstatic and couldn't wait to see what Santa brought them. I loved it when we all looked out the window and saw all the white. A white Christmas in Texas, who would have ever thought? Toys were torn into and played with all day. Sutton didn't know what to do with himself. He just loved crawling over everything and playing with the paper and boxes. We kept him in his highchair while Gavin and Audrey opened all their gifts. He was happy to just sit and watch. Everyone had a fabulous time and got everything they wanted. They played all day with all their new toys. What a fantastic day!!!

Christmas Eve

2010-01-09T12:07:00.000-08:00

We hosted Christmas Eve at our house again this year but it was a small crowd because of the weather. Every year I get so busy and don't think about taking a group picture. Darn! We had Olive Garden this year, lasagna and salad, thank you Buddy and Roger. Mima didn't make it this year, she stayed home because she was getting sick and didn't think it would be a good idea to get out in the cold.

We also got to exchange gifts with my sister and her kiddos. I can't believe how much they have grown into little adults. Connor is 12, Camryn turned 10 shortly after Christmas and Caden is 5. We need to work a little harder at seeing each other more often. We miss seeing them now that we don't live in Aledo.

After everyone left Brittany and Paul (my cousins) decided to stay and play in the snow. Paul stayed inside with Sutton most of the time while we all ran around the backyard. I still can't believe how much snow we had. It was amazing and so much fun. The kids had a ball until they both got really, really cold and were ready to come inside. The cheeks on Gavin and Audrey were so red from throwing snowballs at each other. They loved it!!!

The Duer kids, Connor, Camryn, Caden

Buddies, Gavin and Caden

Audrey and Gavin

Gavin's snow angel

Audrey's snow angel

Getting a big snowball ready to throw

Look at those rosey cheeks

Brittany and Audrey

The Fam

Sutton wanted to know why in the world is my mom letting me sit in this stuff???

Gavin wanting to drink Santa's chocolate milk

Cookies and milk....Enjoy Santa

Slovak Christmas

2010-01-09T11:03:00.000-08:00

BIG NEWS!!!! I got a camera for Christmas. So exciting! We needed one pretty badly and Steven did a fantastic job researching and picking one out. He ended up getting a Nikon D3000, pretty fancy if I do say so myself. My wonderful husband decided that it would probably be a good idea to give it to me before Christmas so I could take pictures. He is one smart man. So, I have been having fun figuring it all out and I finally got around to uploading them on the computer. The pictures in this post are unfortunately out of order and I don't have the time to fix it so here you go.

We do Steven's families' Christmas the weekend before every year. It was at Aunt Jeanne and Tommy's this year. The family keeps growing and growing, so many little cousins everywhere. The kids have a blast and Santa even comes for a visit with presents in his bag.

Sutton was so excited to get his first gift

Audrey and her princess makeup, of course.

Me and my sweet baby girl

Love that face

Gavin and Santa

Miss A with Santa

SuBear and Santa (he is not so sure about this)

Ah, look at Puncle with Sutton (Steven's brother, Uncle Patrick)

Oh my, there isn't much growing room on those stairs

Love this picture of Sutton with his Daddy

Sweet lil man

Grandma and Sutton

The kids made gingerbread houses, as you can see Audrey was eating more than making.

These are all pictures I took before we left. Audrey asked if I would straighten her hair for the Christmas festivities and of course I obliged. She still looks so different to me with her hair straight. Such a big girl.

Brother and Sister Love

G-Man

Audrey Kay

Love it!

Gavin and Sutton Christmas Pajamas

2009-12-15T18:45:00.000-08:00

I pulled these pajamas out the other night and had to take a picture of Sutton in them. They were Gavin's, of course, as is most of Sutton's wardrobe. So I had to post a picture of the two of them to show how incredibly different they are. Sutton is for sure, Audrey's brother and Gavin doesn't much look like he belongs with the two of them. Gavin was almost 15 months in this picture and Sutton is just 10 months. Hmmm, is Sutton big or did the pajamas shrink????

This was our Christmas card picture in 2005 as well. What a sweet boy he was.

Santa Claus is Coming to Town!!!

2009-12-11T15:54:00.000-08:00

Mama Lizz graciously invited us to come join her at her company Christmas party at Casa Manana to see "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". We of course obliged and had a great time. All three of the kids were very well behaved and watched the entire show, for the most part, without a hitch. Even little Sutton watched intently like he actually knew what was going on. So cute! There were a few times during the play that they mentioned Star Wars and that just made Gavin's night, he thought that was so cool. Afterwards they had buffet style foods for the adults and kids. They also had activities for the kids as well. There were clowns who were taking orders as to what they would make you, there was a decorate your own cookie station and of course Santa was there. Gavin and Audrey were so excited to see him and to tell him what they wanted for Christmas. Gavin asked for a remote control dinosaur and a Star Wars Leapster Game and Audrey of course asked for Princess makeup. Sutton was pretty mellow until he turned around to see who was holding him. We didn't stay for dinner because they were getting pretty ansy so we left to get them to bed. It was a fun time had by all. Thanks Mama Lizz!!!!

This is Audrey's shy face trying to tell Santa what she wanted, look at those hands figeting.

Decorating for Christmas

2009-12-04T18:20:00.001-08:00

We decided to put our Christmas decorations up early this year before Thanksgiving. Actually, I talked Steven into doing it early and he finally obliged and got everything down from the attic. The kids were so excited this year. Oh my goodness, I had no idea the reaction they would have, they were thrilled beyond all my expectations. They loved looking at all their ornaments from the past few years. They thought the funniest ones were the ones when I was pregant and they say all of our names and then Baby Girl(from xmas 2005 when I was pregnant with Audrey) or Baby Boy(from last xmas when I was pregnant with Sutton) My pictures turned out terrible but I'm posting them anyway. Audrey kept saying, "I love Christmas Mommy". I can't tell you how many times she said that. She was the cutest thing. She also decided that she needed to change clothes in the middle of decorating to put on a christmas shirt and bow, then Gavin followed suit and put on a red shirt. They were quite entertaining and I was so excited that they were enjoying it so much. Last year they didn't care so much about decorating the tree but this year it was a whole different story. Come to find out, later, they were talking to each other about Santa coming the next day. They didn't understand that Santa wasn't coming until the end of December. They thought if you put your tree up and all your decorations that it must be time for him to come visit. So stinkin cute!!!

This year Gavin has asked for Star Wars stuff....surprise, surprise and also a remote control dinosaur (what?) and little Miss Audrey...all she has asked for is princess makeup and lipgloss. Really? You are 3 years old. Mr. Sutton doesn't need anything, that's for sure, he has so many toys he doesn't know what to do. I'm sure Santa will bring him something, he has been the nicest one out of all 3. Ha!!!!

This is the star that Gavin made when he went to Mother's Day Out in Aledo, this is probably the 3rd year we have had it on our tree.

We let the kids decorate the whole tree, this is the finished product.

Sweet Miss A in her Christmas shirt and bow

Decorating away

Daddy let them decorate our swirly thing in the entryway, they were so excited that they got to stand on the table.

The finished product.

And of course our mantel

Amy and Holden's visit

2009-11-23T14:59:00.000-08:00

My cousin Amy from California is in town for a visit with her 7 month old, Holden. She left Isabella at home so she wouldn't miss her Thanksgiving activities at school. Audrey was sure missing her girl cousin time. We met at Chris and Ellen's house, our other cousins for a little playtime and lunch. The big boys played really well together and Audrey spent most of her time outside picking berries. Gavin, Holden and Turner are going to be little trouble makers I'm sure when they get a little older. Holden is 2 months younger than Sutton, I can't believe how much bigger he is and Mr. Turner is still a little baby baby...I so miss those days. Sutton wanted to tackle Holden and knocked him over at one point. I'm sure Holden will be able to get him back one of these days. I'm so glad we got a cute picture of all 3 of them together. Little cousins, so cute!!!!

Holden and Amy

Turner, Sutton and Holden

The boys

Gavin showing Gregory all the cool games on Mommy's phone

Cheese!!!!

Praline Sweet Potatoes

2009-11-23T14:10:00.000-08:00

I have so many people ask me for this recipe every year so I decided to post it and share with everyone. This is the yummiest sweet potato recipe EVER!!!! I got it from a friend of mine at her wedding shower in New Orleans. I now make it every Thanksgiving. I love it so much more than the regular sweet potatoes that are usually made or yams as they are called. You know the ones with the marshmellows on top. Yuck!!! Everybody should try these this year. It's like a sweet potato dessert!!! Ok, here goes.

3 cups (mashed) canned sweet potatoes
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
1/3 cup milk

Topping:
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans

To mashed sweet potatoes, add sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla and milk. Mix and put in 13" x 9" baking dish.

Topping:
Melt butter and stir in remaining ingredients. Sprinkle on top of potato mixture.

Bake 25 minutes at 350 degrees

ENJOY!!!!!!!

TCU Game-Utah

2009-11-23T14:00:00.000-08:00

Gameday at TCU?? What? So exciting!!! Steven and a friend of his, Dave, decided to make a sign together. They came up the idea to have Gary Patterson pulling his pants up and down b/c if you don't watch TCU football Coach Patterson is always pulling his pants up during the game. So creative! They worked so hard on it and were incredibly proud of themselves. I still can't believe they pulled it off. It was for sure one of the favorites at GameDay. They were interviewed by ESPN and mentioned in the article. Here is the link to the article http://sports.espn.go.com/dallas/columns/story?columnist=durrett_richard&id=4657392

Here is also the link to their video on YouTube with "Pants" Patterson in action. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T38X-6f3OWA

I'm so proud!!!! He and Dave were up at 4AM to get a good spot and then the rest of us went up about 8:30. Then we had tailgating and the game the rest of the afternoon. Needless to say, Steven was wiped by the end of the night.

GO FROGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My Little Spiderbabies

2009-11-23T13:43:00.000-08:00

The other day the kids were playing dress up and Gavin and Audrey put on the Spiderman costumes. Gavin has two so Audrey always has one. I remembered that we had a smaller one that was passed on to us from some friends so I dug it out for Sutton. What a cute little Spiderbaby he was. This is an effort at getting a picture of all 3 Spiderbabies. Not so hot but that's ok, they are all still pretty adorable.

Leaves

2009-11-04T15:27:00.000-08:00

Oh my gosh we have so many leaves we don't know what to do with them. I have bagged and bagged and bagged and everyday we seem to get so much more. The trees are almost bare so it's about time for us to be done with the leaves. The kids love playing in them. Hiding toys, hiding themselves, each other, splashing around like they are in a pool. What a joy to watch. What is it about leaves that make a great photo opp. I absolutely love all of these pictures! Of course, Sutton is once again, taking a nap. Darn it!!! I have to get him out there too before they are all gone.

Sutton's First Bath in the Big Tub

2009-11-04T15:25:00.000-08:00

Sutton took his first bath in the big bathtub. He didn't know what to think. I bathed him in the tub that fit over the sink for 8 months which is so much longer than I did with Gavin and Audrey. He can actually splash and play and he gets to take a bath with his sister which he loves, as does she. I had to get a couple of shots of his milestone first big boy bath.

Audrey with straight hair

2009-11-04T15:22:00.000-08:00

Well Little Miss Audrey has been wanting me to straighten her hair for quite sometime, I finally took the time to do it. So pretty!!!! I couldn't believe how soft, long and blond her hair is. She looks so different!

Halloween

2009-11-02T09:12:00.001-08:00

We had a busy Halloween weekend this year. We went to Frogfest Friday night and the kids got to wear their costumes and play all sorts of fun games and play in the jump houses. We also got free tickets to the game on Saturday, bonus! Then Saturday, of course, we went to the game. This was the first game of the season that we took the kids with us. They had so much fun!!! We went down Frog Alley, watched a great football game against UNLV and then their friends Caleb, Emerson and Sawyer got their about halftime. They were so excited to have their friends there. After the game we quickly came home, had a bite to eat and put their costumes on for a round of trick or treating. We took them down to Tanglewood to a friends house. They block off the entire street so no cars can pass through which is so nice. By the time we made it over there most of the houses lights were off or they had already run out of candy. The kids didn't seem to care one bit and I was happy not to bring home gobs of candy. All in all a great Halloween.

This is my attempt at getting a picture of all 3 of them. Not so great.

Halloween Dance Class

2009-10-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

At dance class this week all the girls could come in their Halloween costumes. Audrey was so excited to wear her Snow White costume. She had a really hard time deciding what to be this year and she said she was so happy that she decided on Snow White. There are just too many princesses to choose from I suppose. They did their Halloween dance for everyone and they were all so cute. Gavin of course wanted to be included and wear his costume but I told him he couldn't wear his mask, I was afraid he would scare some of the little girls. Make sure and watch the video at the bottom.

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

Steven had Friday off last week so we ventured out to a pumpkin patch, not a real one unfortunately but we can pretend right??? Gavin and Audrey didn't know what to do with themselves, they ran around chasing each other in and out of the paths and loved looking at all the different sized pumpkins. They each picked a few out and once we got home we gave them their carving kits. Audrey has a princess one and Gavin of course has Star Wars. Steven carved Audrey's pumpkin first, she chose Belle. He did a great job but it took so long that he didn't have time to get started on Gavin's. I will post pics once they are both completed. What a fun morning!

Fall in the front yard

2009-10-28T12:58:00.000-07:00

The leaves have already begun to fall. I love all the different colored leaves that we get. The kids of course love every minute of playing in them. We haven't had many opportunities to though because it's been so wet. There was one day that wasn't so I took the chance and got some cute shots. Sutton was taking a nap so we'll have to have another day with him involved.

Sutton Growing so big

2009-10-28T12:38:00.001-07:00

Sutton has hit so many milestones in the last month. He started crawling, he can sit up, he is pulling himself up and standing, he is on his way to having 6 teeth and he is eating solid foods. It goes by so fast and happens before you know it. He is also quite the little ham and thinks he so funny at times. He tries to keep up with his brother and sister most of the day. He really just likes to be around them whenever possible. I think he would sit and play in their room all day but it's so hard keeping all the little toys away from him that they have in their room. Gavin and Audrey do a great job making sure he doesn't put anything too small in his mouth. The pediatrician told them a way to tell if a toy is too small for him. He said if the toy can fit through a toilet paper roll then it's too small. So they always say that when trying to figure out if Sutton can play with something.

Love his cry face!

Sutton's down dog position

What's up?

I think they look so much alike in this picture.

Let's crawl sissy!

Sweet love!

Standing up in his crib for the first time. So proud!

Audrey's Fashion Show

2009-10-28T12:20:00.000-07:00

Audrey was invited to be in the fashion show at Christmas in Cowtown at the Junior League Luncheon. Zoe and Jack dressed all the kids. Audrey was so excited to wear the pretty dress and walk down the isle with Adriana. She did a fantastic job smiling pretty and in frost of all the ladies.

Sutton Crawling

2009-10-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

This is a video of Sutton trying to figure out this crawling thing back in September. He is so cute and trying so hard to get to his toys. Gavin and Audrey both did the army crawl so it was a lot of fun seeing him actually get up on his knees and go.

Tree Climber

2009-10-18T18:39:00.000-07:00

Gavin has found a new love for climbing trees. We have a tree in our flower bed that is just his size that gets lots of attention when we are out. He has turned into quite the little monkey.

Gavin's 5th Birthday

2009-10-07T09:33:00.001-07:00

Gavin had a birthday back in September and turned 5! I still can't believe that my baby is 5 years old. I remember the day I we had him so vividly. He was 3 1/2 weeks early and I was so incredibly worried that he wasn't ready but he was one healthy tiny little boy weighing in at 6 pounds 2 ounces. What a sweet little man and my goodness how fast 5 years goes by.

Gavin wanted to have his birthday party at Lonestar Gymnastics. It was quite a success and fun was had by all. We invited a few friends back to our house to watch the TCU game and for Gavin to open his presents. His presents were pretty much all Star Wars, which is what he requested. His favorite gift would have to be his new Nintendo DS he got from his Papaw, he was so excited and still is.

Happy Birthday Gavin!!!!!!

STEVEN FOUND A JOB!!!

2009-10-07T09:13:00.000-07:00

First off, I have to update you all....Steven is employed!!!! It really was totally random how it happened. His old boss from N3 called him and wanted to meet for coffee, she said she had a "project" for him. They met and she said she wanted to offer him a job. He replied with, "You mean one with benefits?" She said, "Yes". No long interviews, sending resumes or filling out online applications. Out of the blue opportunity. He was offered the job on Monday and started on Tuesday. We feel so incredibly blessed and are thrilled that we don't have to move, out of state or in with our parents and I don't have to get a job, I can continue staying home with our precious three.

Needless to say we are both elated and a huge weight has been lifted off both of our shoulders. Thank you for all the prayers and helpful kind words. We really appreciate everyone that has been there for us the past 10 months.

It's been a great 10 months having Steven home with us. He has gotten to spend some quality time with the kids and me and we are really going to miss not having him home during the day. Gavin and Audrey have already been asking the past few days where he is and if he is going to be home soon. I know he is going to miss us as well.

Collage of Random Pics

2009-09-08T14:09:00.000-07:00

I don't know what to do with some of the pictures I end up with. I can't do an entire blog entry for just one pic, well I guess I could I just don't want to. So here is a combination of random pictures that I just can't leave out. The kids were having fun wearing my sunglasses the other day and making silly faces, so cute. Steven thought it would be funny to put Sutton in Audrey's babydoll's pack and play, I think he thought it was pretty amusing as well. The others are pretty self explanatory. Hopefully I am going to get a new camera soon...maybe for my birthday...hint hint.

Sutton's First Tooth

2009-09-08T13:41:00.000-07:00

Sutton got his first tooth a few weeks ago and then about 5 days later his second one popped up. Gavin and Audrey both got their first tooth at 6 months so he is right on schedule with his brother and sister. Cheese!!!!!!!

1st Day of School

2009-09-08T13:14:00.000-07:00

Gavin and Audrey had their first day of school today at St. Andrews. They have changed the program a bit b/c they are doing some renovations so all the classrooms have moved. Audrey moved up with all her friends from last year but Gavin stayed in the same 4 year old class so he had all new friends except for one who was in the older class with him last year. They both had a great day!!!

Fishing....much better

2009-09-07T18:34:00.001-07:00

Steven took Audrey fishing this time around and she loved it. Once she caught her first fish she was all about it and didn't want to leave when it was time to go. Steven did a fantastic job this time gettin some cute pics. At least this time they had people in them instead of just a fish. Hee! Hee!

Update on the family

2009-08-23T14:04:00.000-07:00

An update on the family: Steven is still actively looking for a job. It will be 9 months the first of September that he has been unemployed. We never would have imagined it would take this long when he got laid off in December. He has been doing some consulting work to keep his mind busy but it has been incredibly difficult, as you can imagine. There have been some really great opportunities come along that we are hoping and praying will happen and he will get a job offer soon. We are all trying to stay positive throughout this very trying time but some days are obviously harder than others.

The kids will be going back to school in a few weeks and are super excited to see their friends and teachers again. Gavin has a birthday coming up in a few weeks as well so we are planning a birthday party for him. I cannot believe we will have a 5 year old soon. I'm so glad he has another year before he starts kindergarten, what a sad yet exciting day that will be.

I have been talking to some friends and I have decided to make our blog private. It's pretty scary to think that anyone can view our family and all our activities so I want to protect them as much as I can. So if you would like to still view our blog you will have to "register" with your email address and password. Once you do this you will be allowed to view our blog. If you will send me your email address at marissak3@yahoo.com I will add it to the list of email addresses allowed to view our blog. I can add up to 100 people so please email me soon as I will be making it private pretty quickly. Thanks!!!!

Random pics

2009-08-23T13:39:00.000-07:00

I always end up with random pictures that I can't do a whole blog about, so I'm just going to put up a random post.

The kids were playing with Sutton on the floor one day and they called me in to come see what they had done. They thought they were so silly. Audrey went and got one of her flower head bands and put it on him. Pretty funny. Sutton was such a sport, he didn't mind it at all.

I thought this one was cute of Sutton. Audrey wanted to take pictures while we were in the car one day so I let her. I didn't realize she was taking pictures of Sutton the whole time. This one makes me laugh b/c it looks like he is grabbing for the camera.

My sweet little princess playing in her tent.
I can't believe how big Gavin looks in this shot. We were playing outside in the garage and he ran inside and came back with this on. He said he was sweating so he needed his sweatband.

Audrey and her baby brother, she loves holding him.

Gavin and Audrey were playing dress up and out came Gavin in this little getup. I like to call it his Fireman-Ninja Turtle-Warrior-Green Fingered Guy. What a character he is.

Fishing Trip

2009-08-23T13:27:00.000-07:00

Steven has been going fishing every Monday night with some friends for last few weeks and he decided to take Gavin with him one night. I asked if he would take the camera with him to get some pictures of him and this is what he brought home. No pictures of Gavin with his fish or of anyone else...just 2 pictures of some random fish. Wow!! What a man. Gavin did a great job hanging out with the boys fishing. Apparently, he talked the entire time....."I got a big fish!" and then he would hold up his plastic lure. Ha! Steven said he talked about Star Wars the entire time too. He is so into Star Wars right now it's crazy. So, I just wanted to share my husband's photography skills. Hopefully, Gavin will get to go again and he will do better next time.

Gavin's Photography

2009-08-23T13:20:00.000-07:00

I love those days when I pick up my camera and find some interesting pictures. Gavin will get ahold of my camera and go to town. Just thought I'd share a few of his favorite things. My little photographer......

Star Wars stickers

Of course, his feet
Orange Foot, his favorite stuffed animal

The TV with Audrey's princess crown

Trip to the park

2009-08-23T12:44:00.000-07:00

We had to get out of the house the other day after being home for 2 days being cooped up, so we ventured out to the park. We didn't get everything together until around 11:00 so it was pretty hot already. The ducks and geese were super hungry though. We had some special attention from them, they came walking up to us knowing we had some bread to offer. I am so ready for it to start cooling off some so you don't start to sweat as soon as you walk out the door. Come on Fall!

This was the extent of Sutton's visit to the park.

Audrey still likes to swing in the baby swing. She would swing all day long if she could.

Gavin can now go all the way across the rings. He is so proud of himself.

Sutton is 6 months old

2009-08-23T12:24:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe my sweet precious boy is 6 months old. My how quickly it goes these days. He is wanting to be more and more mobile and tries so hard but it's not quite happened. He tries to get up on his hands and knees but his head just won't come up along with him. It's a pretty funny sight to see. He is so happy to just be on the floor with a few toys. Such a content little guy. Although, if you put him down and come back a few minutes later he is on the other side of the room. He rolls and scoots all over the place. Gavin and Audrey both think it's so funny to watch him move around. These are a few shots we took on his actual 1/2 birthday, August 18. I don't even want to think about how fast the next 6 months are going to go by. Before we know it we will be planning his 1st birthday. Noooo!!!

Happy 1/2 Birthday Sutton Barry!!!

Gearing up

2009-08-12T15:16:00.000-07:00

It's almost that time of year again....TCU games!!! This will be our 4th year getting a parking spot at the TCU games. We have such a fun time and are looking forward to this year in particular b/c more of our friends have added on to the excitement and have a parking space alongside us, I think we are going to have 6 or 7 spots in a row this year. We scheduled a happy hour soon to coordinate with all the other couples on food, drinks, supplies, etc. The guys are convinced that we need to have a tv out there with satellite and all. They have been working together trying to figure out how to make that happen. Jessica came by the other day and brought us our package with lots of goodies in it. The kids loved the eye black stickers that the football players wear. Thanks Jessica!!! Go Frogs!!!

Audrey and Sutton's Picnic

2009-08-12T15:07:00.001-07:00

The other day I was busy doing chores around the house and not paying much attention to what Miss Audrey was doing. I walked by and saw that she had brought all of her food out and a blanket and she said she was having a picnic with Sutton. She made him a hamburger and she was feeding it to him. He was so happy to play with his big sister and she was just as excited.

Picture Time!!!

2009-07-27T15:39:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to have their pictures taken a few weeks ago and I'm just getting them up. One of the first poses they took Audrey was sitting on a barstool and Gavin had his arm around her while standing on a block. He lost his balance and fell bringing Audrey down with him face first to the floor. She busted her lip and was very upset, Gavin was fine. As you can see, she recovered quite well and took some great pictures. Here are some of our favorites.

Train Ride

2009-07-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

I've been wanting to take the kids to ride the Trinity Train and we finally got the opportunity. Steven had the morning off to go with us so we all loaded up and went. The kids were so excited, Gavin had looked at the website and already picked out which train he wanted to ride on. He wanted to ride the green one because it went through the snow. I had to explain that one to him but I thought it was pretty cute that he thought that. Sutton had fun as well just sat in our laps and enjoyed the cool breeze. We bought some popcorn on the way back and they got to feed the birds. Fun was had by all!!

Waiting patiently for the train to pick us up

Rainy Day

2009-07-27T12:25:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was a nice rainy day and we let the kids play outside in it. They had so much fun running around with not a care in the world while we sat on the porch and watched. There is nothing better than watching two kids have that much fun giggling in the rain.

Gavin and his many faces

Sweet Audrey face

Sweet brother and sister

Sutton observing, wishing he could participate

This is a picture from our porch. The ground was so hot that there was steam coming off of it from the cool rain. Pretty neat!!

The Cats Game

2009-07-27T11:47:00.000-07:00

Mama Lizz and Kevin invited us to go the Cats game last weekend with all the other employees and families from Community Bank. We had such a fun time! It was our first time to go to a Cats Game. Gavin loved the big Cat and kept trying to take a picture of him on the field. We all had hotdogs and snow cones...yummy. Can't wait to do it again.

Uncle Parker

Silly Gavin Face

Momma's Girl

Daddy's Girl too!!

Mama Lizz and sleepy Sutton

Mama Lizz, Kevin and Parker

Gavin finally got to take a picture with Dodger the Cat

Audrey was afraid so she stood back

Sutton is 5 months old

2009-07-19T17:46:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my baby boy is already 5 months old. These are just a few cute pics of the little man.

This one makes me laugh, you can see the drool string...he has been doing that a lot. Probably will see a tooth soon.

Stitches, Jewels and Cereal

2009-07-16T20:21:00.000-07:00

I feel like so much has happened in the last few weeks for some reason. I have been trying to keep the kids busy with playdates, art projects and stuff to do outside of the house (and in the a/c or in water) so they don't get bored. They have been going to GSX the past few weeks and are loving it, we go swimming at Mama Lizz's or Pop-O's when we can and we try to get together with our friends too. Gavin and Audrey have also been going to Grandma and Grandpa's and spending time over there. Sutton will eventually be able to spend the night with them too, I just have to get him to take a bottle....he's having a little problem in that area.

I started keeping a friend of mine's son a few times a week for entertainment for the kids and to make a few extra bucks. Steven is still on the hunt for a job. He went on an interview yesterday and there are two other potentials that he is waiting on. Hopefully, one of them will come through for us and we will be able to say someone in the family is employed. We are going on 8 months of unemployment...no fun, let me tell ya. This economy stinks!!

These are a few pics of G & A playing with beads, Audrey loves to make her Grandma necklaces and bracelets. Gavin will play for a few minutes and move on pretty quickly to do boy stuff.

We went to Mama Lizz's to swim on Sunday this past weekend and had to make a visit to the ER. Gavin was walking around the pool with a big ball and tried to step up onto the spa, missed his step, fell and busted his chin. Poor little guy. This is the second time to do that. Last time was last 4th of July in 2008. He immediately stood up and said,"I don't want to go to the hospital!" We waited a while to decide and called the doctor and they told us if it was an open wound then they suggest going to the hospital. It was definitely open. So we went to the emergency room for stitches, once again, luckily he only had to get one stitch this time. Last year he had to get six...ouch. I am posting the picture from last year along with this year's. He was such a big boy and so proud of himself. He bragged to Audrey about how good he was.

July 2009

July 2008 (messy face, must have been hungry when we got back)

I officially put Sutton in his room, so sad. I have been holding on to that baby in my room. He has been sleeping in his cradle and it's been so nice having him right there next to me but I've realized that it's time. He is getting too big for the cradle and he sleeps all night so there is no reason to have him with us (even though I secretly really want him to stay in our room forever). He is almost 5 months old and it is time. Gavin and Audrey were both already in their rooms by this time, I just want to keep him a baby for longer.

He had his 4 month check up last week (a little late) and his statistics were:

Weight 15 lbs. 8 oz.
Height 26 inches
95th percentile in height
50th percentile in weight

What a big boy!!! He also started eating rice cereal for the first time tonight. He loved every minute of it and did quite well for his first time. He lapped it up while laughing and smiling the whole time. What a hoot!!!

"I don't know about that bite"

Daddy likes to call this Sutton's Bitter Beer Face

That was fun, I wanna do it again Mom!

More 4th of July

2009-07-06T18:56:00.000-07:00

We went to Mama Lizz's for the day after the parade and swam until the kids were completely worn out. They had so much fun and Gavin and Audrey both swam from one end of the pool to the other without any floaties. No need for swim lessons here. Yay!!! I am so proud of them for learning how to swim so well. My little fish.

4th of July

2009-07-06T18:39:00.000-07:00

Our neighborhood has a 4th of July parade and we didn't make it to last years so I thought we should go and check it out this year. I was highly impressed and so glad that we went. I wasn't expecting very much so anything would have been great. They had the corvette club which was probably about 40 corvettes, tractors, firetrucks, police cars, motorcycles with guys dressed up like Elvis and most of them had candy to throw out to the kids. I think they enjoyed the candy more than anything of course.

Gavin's New Haircut

2009-07-06T18:33:00.000-07:00

It was time for Gavin to get a haircut so we decided to try and save some funds and do it at home. Steven said he would take care of it and just trim it up so I trusted that he would. Out came Gavin with a buzz just like Daddy. Wow!! Not what I expected at all, I was not very happy especially since I had just made an appointment to get the kids pictures taken in 3 days. I got used to it and now I think it's pretty cute but I was not thrilled to say the least. I had to get a picture of the boys and their do's all together. Daddy, Gavin and Puncle (Steven's brother). Gavin was so excited to have a haircut like his Daddy's.

We love Puncle!!!

All Caught Up-Last few random pictures

2009-06-26T16:05:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it!!! I am finally all caught up posting pictures. It's funny to post 4 months in such a small span of time I feel like I've been really busy with all sorts of activities when in reality it's been over a long period of time.

Sutton is 4 months old now and such a sweet boy. He got in his jumper for the first time this week and loves it. He just bobs around a little bit, nothing too crazy.

Ok, now here is the test to see if I can keep up with posting regularly. That is the plan so keep checking back for the latest Greathouse happenings.

Slip and Slide Fun

2009-06-26T15:56:00.000-07:00

Steven bribed the kids the other night to go to sleep. He told them if they went to sleep without getting up or talking that he would take them to Target in the morning and let them pick something out for $10 or less. Gavin picked a slip and slide and Audrey got a new garden set.

Pulliam Reunion

2009-06-26T15:23:00.000-07:00

My cousin Amy from California came to Fort Worth to visit and brought her daughter Isabella and son Holden. We used it as an excuse to get everyone together a few times. We had a playdate at my Aunt Ellen's house. The kids played playdoh, colored, ate snacks and decorated cookies. Fun was had by all. Thanks Aunt Ellen for putting it together and having us out!!!!

Baby Holden, Elena, Gregory, Eva, Audrey, Baby Sutton, Gavin, Bates and Isabella didn't want to cooperate so that is Amy holding her up behind the couch. HA!!

Audrey and Gavin eating their decorated creations

The two newest Pulliam additions, Holden and Sutton

PlayDoh Fun

We went out for a cousins dinner to Joe T's. We all had a really good time and everyone came back to our house for a bit after dinner.

Parker, Brett, Matt, Laura, Carrie, Chris, Me, Amy---First Cousins

The boys at the end of the table....Steven, Jacob, Aaron, Parker, Brett, Chris and Matt

My sis Carrie, and brother inlaw Cory

Then we had a get together at my dad's new house. All the kids had a blast swimming and playing. It's amazing how much we have all grown up and it's so much fun seeing all of our kids together.

Audrey, Gavin, Isabella and Gregory at the bar eating lunch

Carrie's oldest, Connor

Audrey, Caden (Carrie's youngest) and Gavin eating ice cream and popsicles

Audrey in her yellow polka dot bikini

2009-06-26T15:17:00.000-07:00

I love this onesie, I think I just love his name....Sutton...so cute

SIBLING LOVE!!!!

SUGARS

Sutton Boppy

2009-06-26T14:43:00.000-07:00

I used to leave Sutton on our bed in the boppy and he would be happy to just watch the fan. The last time I did it I came back in the room and he had shimmied his way off of it backwards. I guess that is the last time I do that again. It made for a cute photo op though. He looked pretty proud of himself.

Sutton was 3 months old in May

2009-06-26T12:35:00.000-07:00

I can't believe my baby boy is growing so big so fast. I so want the time to slow down so he can continue to be a baby for longer. What a sweet boy he is. He is so content most of the time and gets a little cranky when he's hungry but that's about it. 3 months old and still has a foe hawk.

Washing Cars

2009-06-26T12:29:00.000-07:00

Washing the cars is always so much fun for kids, getting soapy and wet and throwing rags at each other. The best!!!

The Many Faces of Audrey Kay

2009-06-26T12:18:00.000-07:00

Audrey and I were playing in Sutton's room and decided to take some silly pictures. My future little actress. Can you say drama queen???

Gavin's Graduation

2009-06-26T11:52:00.000-07:00

Gavin had his graduation from preschool except he really isn't graduating yet. His birthday is September 14 and when we signed up for his school they didn't have any openings in the 3 year old class so they let him go to the 4 year old class. He will be in the same class next year so we will have another graduation in 2010.

This is his class. All of his classmates will be in kindergarten next year except for Gavin and one other little girl whom he loves.

Austin Fishing Trip

2009-06-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

We took our first roadtrip with our new Family of 5 to Austin to stay at Lake Travis with Papaw, Ann, Aunt Diane and Uncle Ellis and cousin Laura and Aaron. We had such a fun weekend relaxing, eating and fishing. We spent the night at Aunt Diane's house on Thursday night in Austin then loaded up Friday and headed to the Rod and Gun Club at the lake. We had a mexican feast Friday night and then Uncle Ellis had his famous fish fry on Saturday. There was a cold spell on Saturday and we all had to bundle up with what clothes we had. We were totally caught off guard by the chilly weather. Hopefully we will get to go back in August and catch some more fish.

Gavin and Audrey fishing in the crappie house

Gavin's first fish to catch for the weekend. Daddy told him you have to kiss your first fish for good luck but Gavin didn't buy it, he wouldn't even touch it.

Audrey's first fish to catch EVER!!! She was so proud.

Audrey's Dance Recital

2009-06-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

Audrey had her first dance recital in May. Her dance was called Raz-A-Ma-Taz and she did a fantastic job. She did the entire dance on stage at Will Rogers. While she was dancing she looked around at all the other girls, who were just standing there, and you could tell she was thinking,"Why aren't you dancing? You are supposed to be dancing." We were so proud of her for doing all the steps and singing her little heart out. Go Audrey!!!

Random Sutton pics

2009-06-25T14:59:00.000-07:00

Just hanging out with Baby Sutton. Gavin and Audrey are so good with him and love him so much. They love having him around and try to make him laugh and smile all the time.

I love this picture...look at that tiny little hand.

Big eyes...I have a picture of Audrey that looks so similar to this one. I will eventually post pictures of the two of them that look like the same baby. It will be interesting to see what Sutton looks like as he gets older...a boy version of Audrey Kay.

Sutton Bathtime

2009-06-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

These are random shots of Sutton taking a bath.

Supper Club Easter

2009-06-25T14:51:00.000-07:00

My goodness, we have a lot of Easter celebrations. We had an impromptu Easter egg hunt at the Sallings with Supper Club. I can't believe how big our kids are getting.

Easter Day

2009-06-25T14:43:00.000-07:00

This is Easter day at Grandma and Grandpa's. We ate a yummy lunch and hunted Easter eggs.

Slovak Easter

2009-06-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

Easter with the Slovaks. Every year, the weekend before Easter, we have a celebration at Steven's aunt and uncles house with all the extended family on his mom's side. It is so much fun! They order about 30 pizzas and we have a huge Easter egg hunt on their land among all the bluebonnets. Great picture taking time. Of course, once again, I have no pictures of Sutton. Probably because he was being passed around between all the ladies in the family. Actually, it was incredibly windy that day so he was inside during all the outdoor festivities with Grandma. Everyone brings filled Easter eggs to hide and it always turns out to be so much which is a blast for all the kids.

Pop-O's 60th Birthday Party

2009-06-25T14:25:00.000-07:00

Pop-O's 60th birthday party. We had my sister and her family over to celebrate my dad's birthday. We had fried chicken and played in the backyard. I love this picture. There aren't very many pictures with Pop-O and all his grandchildren.

Finger Painting

2009-06-25T14:15:00.000-07:00

FINGER PAINTING!!!! My little artists. Gavin and Audrey both love to paint but I do have to say Miss Audrey Kay could do it all day if I let her. She is into all the arts and crafts she can get her hands on. They loved painting outside and made quite the masterpieces.

Sutton

2009-06-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

I absolutely adore this picture of Sutton Barry. It is definitely one of my favorites. He wore that hat almost everyday when it was cold. I just want to squeeze him.

This picture has a story....We were out on the front porch enjoying the spring weather so I brought Sutton out to swing. Audrey was her usual busy body and I wasn't paying much attention to what she was doing. When I went to check on him this is what I found. She had gathered up a few of her friends and a blanket and set them all around him. She is already a little momma. Pretty sweet.

MoHawk and Park

2009-06-25T13:52:00.000-07:00

Sutton had so much hair when he was born and it just grew longer as he got bigger. It would naturally go in a foe hawk style all by itself. Stinkin cute!!!

The family took a trip to the park to go for a walk and feed the ducks. It was pretty funny seeing this picture for the first time. The Greathouses and our entourage. So much fun!!!

Botanical Gardens

2009-06-17T19:10:00.001-07:00

We went for our first family of 5 picnic at the Botanical Gardens in March. It was such a pretty day and I was itchin to get out of the house. We had such a fun time but I just now realized that I didn't take any pictures of Sutton. What a horrible mom! I was too focused on the Gavin and Audrey and Sutton just stayed in the carseat in his stroller the whole time. Oh well, at least I got some cute ones of the kids with their Daddy.

Audrey's 3rd Birthday!!!

2009-06-16T17:53:00.001-07:00

Miss Audrey Kay turned 3 February 28 and had lots of birthday celebrations. The first was her birthday party with just a few friends and family at our house. We had pizza and cupcakes and played outside. She received lots of fun gifts but she loved her new baby doll and jewerly box loaded with jewerly the best. I can't believe my baby girl is 3.

The next birthday celebration was held at Grandma and Grandpa's for March birthdays with the whole Slovak clan. She loved opening all of her gifts and especially loved her new yellow polka dot bikini and yellow shades.

These were taken on her actual birthday night. Papaw made her a birthday cake and brought it over for her to decorate and blow candles out. She loved it!!!

Picture Time!

2009-06-15T18:25:00.000-07:00

Love those big eyes, thinking they are going to be brown like Mommies and Audrey's

Sweet siblings....

I love that wrinkles forehead.

What a sweet smirk

Random pics

2009-06-15T18:16:00.000-07:00

My Family!!

I absolutely love this picture of my little man.

Daddy and his boy.

Our new little man

2009-06-15T18:06:00.000-07:00

I cannot believe how small he is in his little bouncer. The kids love talking to him and holding his little hands.

Look at all that hair!!!

Sutton Barry has arrived!!

2009-06-15T15:17:00.000-07:00

We welcomed Sutton Barry to the world February 18, 2009 at 12:05 pm. He weighed 7 pounds 5 ounces and was 20.5 inches long. What a sweet boy he is. We are so incredibly blessed to have a third healthy baby to add to our family.

This is his cute room that still needs some work, in due time we will get it finished.

This is the last picture I have of my belly, I can't believe how big I was.

Welcome to the world Baby Sutton!!

Wide eyed and ready to go.

Mommy and all her babies

Gavin and Audrey were so excited to meet Sutton, they love him so much.

Go Frogs!!!

Random pics

2009-04-20T10:01:00.000-07:00

PopO and Audrey playing with her Leapster. She loves her PopO.

Daddy and Gavin about to go outside and play with their new Christmas Nerf guns. They wore their full on gear and looked so cute. They were trying to look mean in this picture.

This is one of my favorite pictures of the kids in their aprons. They were helping me cook dinner that night and did such a fantastic job.

Dance Moves

2009-04-20T09:51:00.000-07:00

Here is our little dancing princess cheerleader and crazy ninja turtle. They love to dress up and dance around the house. Pretty cute stuff if I do say so myself. Audrey has some some good moves until I turn the camera on her and she doesn't do so much.

2009-04-20T09:47:00.000-07:00

Here is another pregnant belly shot from January....growing every day.

Having Fun with the camera

2009-04-20T08:40:00.000-07:00

We were just having fun taking pictures of the kids and once again you can't take a good picture of Gavin these days. He is so silly in all of them....big goof ball.

Boys Fishing Trip

2009-04-20T08:30:00.000-07:00

Steven took Gavin on a boy's fishing trip in January to Papaw's place on the lake in Austin. They had so much fun doing boy stuff and Papaw loved having them there. We are going to take a family trip in a few weeks.

2008 finished!!! Yay!

2009-04-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

Just finished posting all of 2008...now on to 2009. I'm really rushing through it all so I can get to now. I'm so far behind, I am going to try and do a month per night. We'll see how that goes. I want to hurry and get to Sutton. Steven keeps asking why I'm worrying about the past and just start from now. What? There are so many cute pics up until now, how can I skip them all? I can do it!!! I know I can......

Christmas Morning

2009-04-19T19:16:00.000-07:00

Audrey got a Leapster for Christmas just like her bubba has. She was so excited that it was pink and purple.

Gavin playing his new Leapster games

We can't get a serious picture out of this kid anymore. It's always a silly face.

She loved her Princess nail polish with glitter, she wanted me to immediately paint her toes.

What is it????

Oh my goodness, a big boy bike!!!

Let's cook something, she always goes and get her apron and hat now when she helps in the kitchen.

Wow! 7 princesses in one box, how'd they do that???

Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's

2009-04-19T19:06:00.000-07:00

Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's was so exciting as usual. The kids of course got way too much stuff and had fun with it all.

I had told Grandma that Gavin needed some dress up clothes b/c it was getting really old having him put on princess dress up costumes. So, she bought him a few boy costumes. Buzz Lightyear and Spiderman. He also got more from other people for Christmas....Ninja Turtle and another dark Spiderman that's pretty scary.

Audrey got a cheerleader costumer and absolutely loved it!

Grandpa, Papaw, PopO

Audrey, Gavin, Grandma, Puncle, Mommy(Baby Sutton in my belly) and Daddy

So sweet!

Christmas Card Photo Shoot

2009-04-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

Here is my attempt at taking our annual Christmas card picture. These were the best out of the bunch.

I don't really know what we were thinking here....must have been Steven's idea.

Here was the Winner!!!!

Supper Club Xmas

2009-04-19T18:51:00.000-07:00

Supper Club Xmas....the kids and their silly xmas sweaters from the Sallings.

Audrey, Gavin, Caleb, Sawyer and Emerson

All of us in our crazy Christmas sweaters that were given to us from Brian and Joy back in 2004. We bring them out every year for a pic.

Slovak Xmas

2009-04-19T18:39:00.000-07:00

The annual Slovak xmas gathering at Steven's aunt and uncles. So much fun!!!

The young ones....aren't so young anymore

I love this picture!

Santa Claus came for a little visit

Pregant Pics (November 08)

2009-04-19T18:31:00.000-07:00

Whoops got out of order, here I am in November. The kids loved comparing bellies....I think I won hands down everytime.

Pregnant Pic (December 08)

2009-04-19T18:25:00.000-07:00

Here is a picture of my pregnant belly back in December, strange to think I was that big. So fun!!!