Our Christmas

For Christmas this year we enjoyed our first holiday in our home as a family of four. When plans changed with my family's christmas get together, we decided to stay home in Stillwater. Our little family really enjoyed celebrating together, and especially starting new tradition. Ruby Kay at age really understood Christmas, and it was special for Ben and I to blend our childhood traditions to begin ones for our family. Highlights of this year were our Church's Christmas Eve service, reading the Christmas story in pajamas by the fire, leaving homemade cookies, milk, and carrots for Santa and his reindeer, stockings and presents in the morning, and making a big Christmas Meal for dinner.

Ft. Worth Stockyards

For our Thanksgiving break this year we visited Ben's brother, Daniel in Texas. We spent the day in Fort Worth Stockyards, where their family had visited on a past vacation. We enjoyed a good Barbeque lunch and afterwards we explored the downtown area besides the stockyards.

It's always a treat to enjoy Dublin Dr. Pepper when in Texas.

Family Pictures

 

 

Our family lucked out when one of our students agreed to take our pictures this year for the Holidays. Megan Mitchell is a Sophomore at OSU enjoys taking pictures while being a full-time student. She did a great job with our pictures, and it was so hard to choose a favorite. I know we will look back on this time with so much fondness for our sweet, tiny girls.

Summer Days

I forever want to remember the shape of her sweet little lips.

As the summer draws to an end, the temperature feels like we are just beginning. The days have jumped from hot to humid to even hotter. With my troop of an adventerous three year old and a still small eight month old, we enjoy frequent trips to the park, splash pad, and the backyard plastic pool. Even in these days where a quick errand takes twenty minutes just to get out the door, we all love to get out of the house and enjoy being outside. These two girls require a lot of care and patience, but boy are they worth every second of it.

A Guide to the Best of the Best in Northwest Arkansas

On our way to Ozark Lakes, our family took a quick pit-stop in Northwest Arkansas for the weekend. It's always fun "going home" to the area where we lived as newlyweds, got our first jobs, and brought home our brand new baby. Fayetteville still holds a special place in our hearts, and we had a great time visiting friends, restaurants, and our favorite places during our stay.

If we could make a Bucket List of places to eat and see while in Northwest Arkansas, here are a few that would be on that list.

Fayetteville:

The University of Arkansas

Wilson Park

Geraldis

Slim Chickens

Hammontree’s Grilled Cheese

Ricks Bakery

Dickson Street:

Arsagas

Hog Haus

Fayettechill
Nightbird Books

The Square:

The Mustache

Shindig Paperie

Bliss Cupcakes

Hugos

Downtown Bentonville:

Flying Fish
Tusk and Trotter

Walmart Visitors Center

Onyx Coffee Lab

Crystal Bridges Museum

A Sip and See for Kennedy Frances

 

A little over a month ago, my sister hosted a Sip and See for Kennedy at her home in Fayetteville. It was a great time to catch up with our Northwest Arkansas friends, and have them meet our sweet girl! We enjoyed donuts, quiche, sausage balls, fruit, and juice. Kennedy was our party girl, and slept through almost the entire thing.

We sure love this little girl of ours, and loved celebrating her arrival with good friends! Special thanks to my sister, Bethany for opening up her home for us to celebrate our KFS.

Happy Easter

Kennedy Frances, almost 4 months

Snack time at MDO

Countryside's Egg Hunt

Decorating eggs with Papa and Mimi

Easter Sunday 2016

Happy Easter! 

We had a great time celebrating Easter this year, especially since it was Kennedy's first one. Ruby Kay also is beginning to understand holidays more and loved going on two egg hunts this year. Her sweet Mothers Day Out does such a good job celebrating the holidays, and including us parents for their parties.  On Thursday, Ben's came in town for a few days before Easter, and brought a Easter basket with goodies for the girls. We enjoying dyeing egg, and spending time together. Both of the girls love their Mimi and Papa so much. Jake and Sue also watched both girls while Ben and I went to the movies one afternoon. That was such a treat!

Life with these two girls and their Daddy is so sweet. This year I am thankful for Jesus' Ressurection and the gift of life that he provides! We had a busy week full of egg hunts and easter baskets, and althought they were fun- I hope next year to teach RK more about the real reason we celebrate Easter. As I write this, RK is saying "my bunny give me doctor set" over and over.