Cookies

Her shirt says, "I did it all for the cookie."

You can tell she likes that chocolate chip cookie, too! :)

The Good Life

We have just returned from a fabulous weekend in Centerville. We did so many fun things and were able to visit with family and friends. This weekend, we took our family Christmas card photo that we take each year. Here are some great pictures that didn't quite make the cut (you have to wait for your Christmas card for that one), but here are some of my favorites. Thanks Grammie for taking our pictures. You are such an excellent photographer.
We went and visited with Meemaw and Pappaw Gregory.
Lizzy played, and played, and played with Grammie. An empty house (almost ready to move in) was the perfect playground!

"balance beam"- othewise known as rolled up carpet

Elizabeth took her first tractor ride with Fat Daddy. I seriously got choked up watching this. I have heard from all of Luke's family about how much he LOVED tractors as a child (and still does). To see Lizzy riding on the tractor with her grandfather and loving it as much as he did...kind of gave me that "tight in the throat" feeling. When we got home, Lizzy ran straight to her Baby Einstein Baby McDonald's Farm and wanted to watch it. Each time a tractor came on the screen, she went crazy pointing at it and saying, "Gah, gah!" Fat Daddy, I think she liked the tractor ride!

We also just sat on the porch (oh, how I love that porch) and soaked up the beauty of the country. There is nothing like it...
As a bit of a side note, here is a picture from last year and one from this year...just to see how much Lizzy has grown.

November 2008

November 2009

Views from the Garden

Our garden has been so beautiful the last few weeks. I love seeing all the plants flowering. I don't think I ever realized how beautiful vegetables are until we planted our own garden. So, here is the view I get every time I walk into the back yard...

peas
okra
bell pepper
our first red peppers
lantanas- not a vegetable, but still beautiful

And because I can just feel it in my bones that many of you will be disappointed if there are no pictures of Lizzy on this post, here are some just for all of you...

Lizzy's first four-wheeler ride in Centerville
Lizzy is getting really good at using a fork
Lizzy in "her" cool shades!

OOOOklamhoma!

Last week, Lizzy, my mom, and I traveled to Oklahoma. Since Wendy and her family were here for the KD reunion, we all caravaned back to Oklahoma together. It was a fantastic week. After near 80 degree weather here, it was quite a shock to be in much cooler temperatures. We went to a wonderful pumpkin farm, but we thought we would all freeze to death. I wish that it had been warmer because the farm had the potential to provide hours of fun.

Clayton and Lizzy at the Pumpkin Farm

Lizzy running through the hay maze...I couldn't get her to stop for a picture.

After the near frost bite experience, we headed to the mall. I bought Lizzy lots of winter gear including a new snow suit for an upcoming ski trip, snow boots, warmer clothes, and a Christmas outfit. I had to buy many of these items in Oklahoma because they are few and far between here.

Lizzy playing at the playland at the mall.

On one rainy day, we created a wonderful art project. We had watched the Baby Einstein "McDonalds Farm" video and talked about farm animals, so we decided to make muddy piggies! We used chocolate pudding for the mud. When I asked Clayton where he would like me to put his "mud," he pointed to his mouth!

Lizzy eating some of her "mud"

On our last night in OK, Wendy and I went to the Pioneer Woman's Cookbook Signing at a local bookstore. We waited in line for about 30 minutes behind what must have been 200 people before deciding that it was going to be HOURS before we could get our cookbooks signed. We hesitately ditched the line, but we have really been enjoying the cookbook. If you are looking for a great cookbook with great recipes, you need to check it out! The next morning, Mom and I flew home. It was Lizzy's 5th trip on an airplane. We had a wonderful trip and I already miss my nephews (I miss you too Wendy)!

Kappa Delta Reunion

It was a weekend I had been looking forward to for quite awhile... my college sorority's 10 Year Reunion Celebration on October 24th. Joining Kappa Delta was one of the best decisions I made when I went to college. I knew very little about sororities and the entire Rush experience was very overwhelming. I was not exactly the stereotypical "sorority girl" and I didn't know if a sorority was the right place for me. However, once I became involved with all the sorority had to offer, I realized it was right where I was supposed to be. My best college memories involve living in the KD house and being involved in KD events. Late night movies, living in the 4 person bedroom- jumping bed to bed to bed, council meetings, watching Alias with Haley, any memory with Kayla, watching the first American Idol, "chair-wars" in the study room, mattress slides, staying up well into the morning sending in Initiation Cards to Nationals (I know you feel my pain Jennie! Those were the days we typed them on the typewriter--- took forever), sharing a bathroom with 25 girls and all of us getting ready for Formal at the same time, Big Lil Revealing, Date Parties, and the list goes on and on and on. Well, all those memories came flooding back to me when over 200 Texas A&M Kappa Deltas met to celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the colonization of our chapter. We met at the house for a beautiful garden reception and then went to Pebble Creek Country Club for a wonderful lunch and banquet together. I absolutely loved seeing all my "old" friends and meeting the current chapter members. It gave us all an opportunity to relive college memories, catch up on all that is going on in our lives, and plan for future reunions. There are many memories yet to make.

Kayla and Me
My sister Wendy and Me
Amanda, Wendy, Kayla, and me
My Sorority Family
(from left to right)
Whitney- My Great-Grand Lil, Kendal- My Grand Lil, Haley- My Lil Sis, Me, and Anne- My Grand Big

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween everyone! I am so behind on all of my updates, but I have good reasons...I promise. As you can see, Lizzy was a pumpkin this year (thanks Kevin and Cecilia). I think she was the cutest little pumpkin out there!

I had a hard time getting a picture of her standing still.
This was about the best picture we could get all night.

Pumpkin Patch

I love the fall (I think I said that about the spring and summer, too)! One of my favorite things about the fall is the beautiful colors. I wish that the leaves changed colors here in Texas like they do in other parts of the country. When we were in Illinois, the leaves were just starting to change. I bet it is beautiful now. I also love pumpkins. I don't know what it is about them, but seeing a pumpkin patch just makes me smile. So, when we went to Luke's parents' house this weekend, I was really excited to go to the pumpkin patch at their church (for some reason our church didn't have one this year!). Last year, I remember having to prop Lizzy up against pumpkins to keep her from falling over and this year, she was running through the pumpkins and climbing all over them! What a difference a year makes. Here are some of the adorable pictures we got of her.
And just to show you how big she has gotten...here is Lizzy at the pumpkin patch last year...