Spring Break Mexico Beach

We were fortunate this year to be able to spend Spring Break down at the Hackett's (friends of the Graham family since the kids were small) beach house in Mexico Beach. I absolutely love it down there because it is beautiful and quiet:) It was a good way to spend the break and we are grateful for their hospitality!! We headed down on Tues. March 10 and got sun burnt pretty bad on the first day...:( Joey and I had forgotten how long we've been cooped up inside and were a little overeager to get a good tan; luckily Avery was lathered up well and she didn't burn.
It is so gorgeous here!!!
Family picture on day #2 after we were sunburnt! We didn't take any
chances after the first day; we wore plenty of sun screen!!! Avery loved the water and was a little dare devil running for the water until... the first wave toppled her over! She would still go in after that, but only with someone holding on to her. (which made me less nervous)
She had so much fun with the Beckstead's kids. They were so nice about including her and she thought she was so grown up. Here's is her after they buried her in the sand!
Avery and daddy heading out into the water! She's a little more hesitant here:)
Just a fun pic! The water was a little cold for my liking but the kids dove right on in. We spent a lot of time on the beach and playing in the sand. We had a sandcastle contest on Thurs., we never did declare a winner because each was awesome in its own way. Here is Alyssa and Natalie Beckstead's castle with all the pretty shells used to decorate it!
Joey, Jason and Hannah working on our sand castle... notice the big mote around the sand castle... that served many purposes. 1 being to keep Avery from toppling it over; after she was buried in the sand, she thought she needed to be in every sand pile!
Our finished castle. I took a stick and drew the bricks in; the boys kept making fun of me cause I couldn't wait for my turn to do this. I saw it done on the show where they have sand castle contests and anxiously awaited to participate in my contribution to the castle:)
The Beckstead's and Hannah and Jason watched Avery for us on the night of my birthday and Joey took me to eat at my favorite restaurant in Panama City.... THE TREASURE SHIP!! They have the best Mahi Mahi I've ever had and it was just as tasty that night as well!
It seems to be becoming a tradition for Joey and I to take a picture with this exact prop!
When we got home from our date the kids had decorated and set a cake out for me!
One of the last days at the beach
My little cutie pie!
Here are the kiddos that decorated for me!
Here's a picture of Avery that includes a funny little story: She did not like having to hold our hands while we were walking in the parking lots around the shops (probably because we just let her run everywhere around the beach house and on the beach). She started pitching a fit and throwing a pre- terrible two tantrum by dragging both her feet while we were holding her hands. Not a few seconds later she starts laughing and saying Whee while hanging in this position. Joey and I started laughing too! & were glad that tantrum didn't last long!
Always busy busy busy doing something...............
Awww......Hannah and Jason
This is as we were leaving and I love this picture of the two of them. You can just tell that she makes his heart melt!
On the way home and all tired out! I was glad Avery finally fell asleep because Hannah had fallen asleep and Avery kept grabbing her and saying "Hannah, Hannah." What a great 5 days Now, back to reality!

Happy Birthday to Us! (triple date)

** I was going to put the beach pics up of Avery tonight Rose but they are on Joey's computer and he's studying up at school.....so to play a little catch up: last week Karl, Joey's brother, got us tickets to the Mavericks Hawks game at Phillips Arena in Atlanta for our birthdays:) Although the Mavericks did not win, it was a lot of fun!!! When I first found out about the tickets I excitedly rushed to call my dad and tell him. Not 4 days later a Mavericks shirt was in our mailbox for me to wear to the game!!! Thanks dad, you're too good to me! The lady sitting behind us at the game noticed I was outnumbered and gave me a german flag to wave! (I proudly cheered on Dierk sp?)

Let me just give a quick history of how the younger Graham boys hate on TX and all their sports teams... Well, when Joey and I were first married and moved to Georgia Karl had gotten tickets to the Cowboys Falcons game! Of course the whole trip down on Marta they were all ragging on the Cowboys and I didn't say a word.... guess who won.... THE COWBOYS!!! and on the way home I didn't even rub it in although I wanted to...

I was hoping this night would be similar but the Mavericks couldn't pull it off :( I have to say it was kind of sad at the beginning of the game, there was no one there and it was so quiet for a basketball game, it almost felt kind of awkward! After half time it filled up and by the end it was packed and loud.The Hawks had been awful for a while but they are pretty good now and have some good players.... Mike Bibby (I remember watching him with my dad when he played for the Kings), Joe Johnson, Smith, and Horford (sp?)
The flying air hawk did some pretty cool tricks! (see above)
Joey and I at the beginning of the game!
Here's our triple date crew at Taco Mac by the CNN center in downtown Atlanta.
Karl and "Chick fil A" girl (I still don't know her name)he'll have to tell you the story! She was nice though:)
Hannah and Jason...........thanks again Karl!

Weekend Extravaganza

This was our niece, Taylor's, special weekend. She turned 8 back in August and got baptized this past weekend! She is such a smart girl and we are all so happy for her. The day turned out beautifully. Taylor bore her testimony in sacrament and you could just see her beaming! She was so excited:) Here is a picture of her with Uncle Kevin and Kimi (Taylor's mom). Kimi gave a talk on baptism and Kevin spoke on the Holy Ghost at her baptism. They both gave AWESOME talks!

Taylor with her dad and the faith bear her primary teacher gave her!
Taylor in her baptism dress that Kimi, Jill, and Jeni also wore on their baptism day. Cute story: Kimi and Grandma took her to the Liahona store in Atlanta to pick out a dress. Kimi and Grandma had picked out a beautiful dress but Taylor was not satisfied and expressed that she really wanted to wear the dress her mom, Aunt Jill, and Aunt Jeni wore. I thought that was so Sweet!
Jeni with her new hi-lites! (Kimi and I were so excited to put them in; however, the brothers are not a fan because she looks so grown up!) We told them they just have to face that she is beautiful and she is growing up!!!
The family at the baptism!
You can tell Gary was not taking the pictures, they would have turned out much better if he was!
Avery with Aunt Jill, Uncle George, Christopher and Anthony
This is how Jill gets her wanting a girl "fix":)

Avery waking up after her nap and getting ready to play in the snow
I seriously had just gone through Avery's clothes and packed away the big winter coat because we were having 70 degree weather. Sunday it decided to get cold and snow. Marietta got an inch or so but Athens got 6 inches and school was cancelled on Monday. We ended up staying the night Sunday after the baptism because it continued to snow in Athens through the night.The kids of course had a blast and as soon as we got home from church were ready to play in the snow!









Avery all worn out from trying to keep up with her cousins and playing in the snow.




Here are a couple of pics of what Athens looked like.... On the overpass by our apartment people had parked and were tubing and boarding down the hill!

25 cent fun!!!

Little Miss Avery and Little Miss Aubrey! We recently found out our friends, the Wallentines, will be moving to Tampa, FL in just a couple months because Ryan has been accepted to Anesthetist school at Nova. We are excited for them but sad to see them go; in the mean time we are trying to squeeze as much time in with them as possible! Avery will sure miss her playmate Aubrey!

This past weekend we watched Jill's boys and we all went to Chuckee Cheese! (love this place) Joey is known for taking the boys to Chuckee Cheese whenever they come out here, but this time Jill told the boys not to be too sure that Uncle Joey was going to take them this time! Together Jill and Joey came up with a story telling them that the whole weekend they would only be getting PB & J sandwiches. I don't think the older ones believed it so much but Christopher was not excited for a weekend of only PB&J. When we pulled up to Chuckee Cheese they were all pleasantly surprised! Last time we went to Chuckee Cheese with the boys Avery was a lot younger and could not do anything. This time was much different and we all had a good time:)
Girl after her daddy's heart!
Avery and Aubrey on the kiddie coaster!
Meet Chuckee!
Aubrey was not a fan of Bob the Builder......
Kristen and I with the girls!
The Daddy's with the girls! It donned on me that I have no pics of the boys at Chuckee Cheese but then I remembered that when I took these pictures they, including Joey were all out of coins. Don't worry though no more coins does not mean they can not play anymore; there is a nice sized playground that they enjoyed! The fun never ends at Chuckee Cheese!

New Beginnings

This is for you, mom! So my mom has always had a special place in her heart for the YW program (maybe b/c she has been a ward YW President three times and was Stake YW President for 9 years)!  Through her diligence and hard work I too hold a special place for this program and was super excited when our YW presidency asked us, as advisors to help with New Beginnings. :)  They did it a new and different way this year.... all the current YW were to create and design a table explaining a value to teach to the new girls coming into the program this year.  It was a wonderful idea and the night was a huge success! The girls designed some beautiful tables while helping their fellow sisters learn more about the YW program they will soon be taking part in.  

                                                        Welcome soon-to-be Beehives!
  Janette was such a trooper; she was sick but still made it to this special night!
  Kaitlyn and I!  She wrote a poem on Individual Worth and displayed it along with some yummy brownies, digital picture frame pics, and a sheri dew quote!!! 
     Jessica and the Divine Nature table!!
 Emily and the Good Works table!  (I loved that she included cleaning supplies on her table, my kind of gal!)
Shelley, Lindsay and Cheyenne with the Choice and Accountability table......Caramel Chocolate Kisses or Oranges?....... hmmm..... 
           Integrity table with Katie, Amber, Emily

 the value that has been added since I was in YW...... Virtue!!!
            Our hardworking YW Presidency!  I love these ladies!!! 
                                          YW advisors!  What an inspiring program and great night; I came home motivated to be what our Stake YW President calls a "100%-er!" 100% scripture study, prayers and smiles:)