Where did the time go?

I cannot believe that it has been so long since my last post. No wonder no one ever follows my blog, I'm such a terrible blogger. I'll try to do better and blog more often.
First off there is no way I can back track almost a year and catch everyone up on my life so I'm not even gonna try. I will back up and share some highlights of our year with all those who might still stop by. I guess the first highlight was Anna Claire's first Christmas. It was fun! She doesn't remember it and I'm sure she will not remember much about Christmas this year either, but it was fun seeing her eyes light up with the sight of all the decorated trees and all the lights everywhere. I'm sure this year will be even more fun for her and us as well as she is now older and will really enjoy all that Christmas has to offer.

Then came January, the month that both of my children were born, howbeit 8 years apart! We celebrated Paydon's 9th birthday the first part of the month with a party at Pizza Hut. I learned a few years ago that with Pizza Huts pizza deals I can feed everyone pizza and be just a cheap as if I bought the stuff for hot dogs and such and the clean up is a breeze, we tip the waitress and leave and they clean up the mess---for someone his age it couldn't be better! On the 23rd of January we were not able to have Anna Claire's b-day party, which was her actual birthday, do to everyone having a conflict in their schedules, we did however have out pastor and his wife over for cupcakes and chili, I think, and Anna Claire enjoyed feeding herself a pink cupcake. She really got into it! Oh if I was only at home and could add in some pictures of her enjoying it, you'd all laugh! She had icing up her nose, gross I know, but so cute on a 1 year old!

Then came the spring, nothing I can remember there except at 15 months Miss Anna Claire finally decided it was time to take those oh so cute first steps. I jokingly called her my lazy kid because she was much later in crawling and walking that Paydon, but the her pediatrician brought a point up at her twelve month check-up with these simple words, "I wouldn't walk either is someone would carry me." Ok doc point taken, she started walking at almost 15 months. Then the fun began! She gets into everything from the toilet to the bookshelf, something Paydon never did. She is also way too smart for her age. Shortly after learning to walk she also learned that from my chair in the living room I could see her if she went into our front bathroom and soon also learned if she went to the bathroom in our room that I could not see her. She had found Paydon's battery operated Pound Puppy and decided it needed a dunk in the toilet, then when she picked it up it got her wet so she thought it had pee'd on her and she proceeded to carry it to the door and in this gibberish that no one understood began to get on to the puppy for peeing on her. Shortly after that we started shutting every bathroom door and making sure all toilet lids were down! No more giving things baths in the toilet for her!

Well now I'm on to Summer. We've had one hot summer! It has just been terrible around here, 110 one week and the heat index above that, then the humidity and it was just a nasty sticky Summer. Some good did come out of it all though. June 26th Josh and I celebrated our 11th wedding anniversary. We took a little mini-vacation to Little Rock the 24th and stayed at the Robinwood B&B, www.robinwodbnb.com and it was absolutely wonderful. We had the best time even though we left the kids with relatives and I missed them, Josh and I needed to time for us! Summer drudged on and then in August right before school started my wonderful boss sent us to Branson for vacation for the kids and we enjoyed that as well. We went to see the Noah musical and it was wonderful. If you ever have a chance to see any of the biblical shows at any of the Sight and Sounds Theaters I highly recommend it! It's a little pricey, but well worth it! The very next week school started and my little man entered the 4th grade!

I guess that pretty much brings everything up to date. We are all doing good and just staying very busy! Hopefully I'll blog more--no promises though!