Taylor Swift Baby!!!!!!

Back in February I learned Taylor Swift was coming to Little Rock in October.  I got online to find tickets possibly for Avery's birthday, and Holy Cow-- tickets for seats in the nose bleeds were almost $100.00!!!!!  I'd looked on ebay and Craigslist too with no luck for less expensive tickets.  I have listened to the radio for multiple ways to win and tried so many times I couldn't possibly count.  

The 2 days before the concert, KSSN played Taylor Swift songs each hour and when you heard a song you had to be a certain caller to win tickets.  I listened both days, ALL DAY.  Even Joey helped me call when he got home from school and in the mornings.

The day of the concert I was at a friends house here in my ward.  I was cutting her kids' hair and she was asking me what I'd been up to.  I laughingly told her what a dork I was, and how I finally told myself I needed to get some things done and turned the radio off.  She said, "Taylor Swift, you say?"  I responded, "Yes."  She then went on to casually say that she thought her husband had some tickets and they didn't really care much for country and wouldn't be using them.  She proceeded to call him.  He didn't answer cause he was in a meeting.  I didn't get my hopes up.  I had already told myself it wasn't going to happen.  We left the Hansen's around 3pm.

On the way home from picking Joey up from school, I get a call and my phone says Jennifer H.. (My friend here in the ward)  I seriously think my heart skipped a beat, ok maybe 2!  I answered and she told me she had 4 tickets for me that I could come pick up cause the concert was in 2 hours!!!!!!

We quickly drove home.

 I was so giddy!

 Avery ran into her room and grabbed her cowgirl boots. I put mine on too:)

We got dressed and were on our way with more excitement than I can possibly write.

We were jammin' out to Taylor the whole way there. 

& Jennifer's daughter, Wesleigh, came with us.  (Avery loves her)

 I just hope she always will want her mama to go to concerts with her!

 Such CUTE & FUN girls!

 At the car headed into the Concert!!! Woo Hoo!

 Taylor Swift Baby!!!!!!!

 Wesleigh told me some of her friends from school were going. I told her not to get her hopes up because the verizon arena is a big place.  How fun that we DID in fact run into them:)

 Waiting for the concert to start!

Silly faces

 More silly faces!

Wesleigh was one of my activity day girls and there is Never a dull moment with her!

Between her and Avery I felt like a kid again and we partied it up!

In one of Taylor's advertisement posters for Cover Girl she is striking a pose with her arms behind her head.

The girls asked me what she was doing... 

I told them she was posing, then they started doing it- hahahaha

 Everything was so P.R.E.T.T.Y.

 Avery was singing every word to Mean

Some day I'll be livin' in a big ol' city...   Why you gotta be so mean

She was crackin' me up and I was lovin' it!

We were all 3 standing up, screaming, and singing the majority of the time.

So FUN

 My favorite performance of the night:

(Back to December) + some lyrics from the song-It's too late to apologize...

She played the piano, fake snow fell, and she wore a beautiful light blue sparkly dress.

Just BEAUTIFUL

 Before we left she came to the back (closer to where we were) and the last song we heard before we left was Fearless!!!!!  

She plays the guitar, the banjo, the fiddle, the piano...

She has got talent!!!!

We <3 Taylor Swift

Although I acted like a crazy teenager squealing the whole night, I DID responsibly leave at 9:45pm (before it was over).  Poor Avery hadn't had a nap and her head was a bobbin'.  She cried when I finally decided we needed to leave.  I also realized I hadn't talked with Jennifer about a time to get Wesleigh home...

So UNFORTUNATELY, we left before it was over, BUT I was/am GRATEFUL for EVERY minute of it!

It was a night to remember & we are still talking about it!

ANSLEY 1 YEAR

 ANSLEY TURNS ONE (well back in July)

We celebrated Ansley's 1st birthday with some close friends and Joey's mom and youngest sister also came into town to celebrate the big day with us!

We are continuously grateful to have her here as part of our family.

& A special visit to Children's was unquestionably amongst the festivities to celebrate this special day:)

Lately:

Ansley will go grab her shoes and bring them to me to put them on her when I say we are going bye-bye.

She runs and starts yanking on the freezer door when I announce its time for a popsicle.

Her pink blankie and baw-baw go everywhere with us.

She starts flailing her arms and squealing da-da when we pull into the UAMS parking lot to pick up Daddy. (Joey is yet to hear it- and doesn't believe me & Avery)

She is into EVERYTHING

Playing with her new kitchen!

& lovin' her handmade pillow from our friends!

Friends and Family who came!

Racing around the corner to find out what is going on!

and 2 months later--

She is a walking tornado...

& a ball of non-stop energy-
We call her and Avery "Double Trouble"

 I tell them multiple times not to play on this table-

 So she recruits a partner in crime.
& although Pickett (our cat) is not in the pic, they were playing a game where they hang their arms off the table and Pickett paws at them.  They giggle and giggle and think its the most hilarious thing:)

 One morning Avery told me that she was going to cook me up a snack.
I hear some crazy giggling going on and I walk in to find out what's cookin'...

 ANSLEY!!!!!!

I can't get enough of these girls.
Some moments I think I'm so ready for Avery to be in PreK, but its moments like these I think, "I/We are going to be so sad when she goes to school."
They crack me up!

Difference a Year Can Make

Last Summer:

If so much as a tiny droplet of water came anywhere near Avery's face, she would dart quickly out of the pool and search for the nearest towel.

& She rarely ventured from the shallow end of the pool.

{which was very frustrating to a mama who lifeguarded and taught swim lessons throughout High School and College :/  }

On the Other Hand This Summer:

We joined our neighborhood pool and a visit there has become part of our DAILY routine.

They have a very laid back swim team and told Avery if she wanted to join they allow the younger ones to swim with floaties.

Her first meet was 2 weeks ago ( I forgot the camera) and she swam it WITHOUT her floaties!

She has become our fearless little fish and jumps off the diving board all by herself too.

At her first meet, she finished far behind the other kids she swam against but she had no clue and was all smiles as the other kids on her team were chanting, "Avery, Avery, Avery."  I got a little teary eyed-(I think I'm becoming my mom)  But it was so sweet.  As soon as she got out the other kids were there telling her, "good job" and giving her high fives.

This week she did better and beat her old time by a little more than 5 seconds!!!!

She loves it and we love watching!!!

Avery waiting for her turn with the other 3 year old on the team Oliver

(This was obviously from the summer, I'm just late on posting)

Now that the weather has cooled off and the pool has closed, Avery had expressed interest in wanting to take dance, ballet, or gymnastics.  I looked into a few and we decided on gymnastics.  She LOVES it and today she walked the balance beam all by herself with pointed toe kicks, before jumping in the pit. (that is her fav part)  I love watching her, its so CUTE!

Avery before her first day of Gymnastics & my CUTE lil Dawg Fan:

Penny and Izzy's visit

My cousin Penny came to visit this past week.  

Ever since we were kids we have been such great friends.  So many of my favorite childhood memories include visits to Bay City or their visits to our house.  I remember in grade school writing letters to each other and always being excited for the mail.  We lived about 5 hours apart, but our dads were good about getting together often.  As we got into high school we were always there for each other (especially to vent about the dramatic things high schoolers gab about).  Then we went off to college together, her a year before me.  She got into BYU and I did not.  She was there to listen to me cry as I thought the world had ended!  I ended up at UVSC (now UVU) and we lived in neighboring apartments.  We have been there for each other through so many of life's obstacles and so many wonderful and exciting things as well.  We lifeguarded and taught swim lessons together.  I was there the night of her proposal... The list goes on and on...

Since getting married we have only gotten together a hand full of times:( Funny how life does that...

This past spring her brother, Craig, (my cousin) passed away at the young age of 26.

I remember the day, the time, the place and what I was wearing after I had received a text from her saying, "Can you call me asap".   After having heard the news, I was at a loss for words and miles away.  

If I had to describe Craig in 2 words they would be smart and thoughtful.

I found this pic of him taken at my wedding and I love it.

(Craig & Suzette)- 

I know it has been a hard year for her but I continue to be amazed by her strength, faith, steadfastness in the gospel and her outlook on life.  Though there is but a year between us, I look up to her so much.

Penny is one of those people after having spent time with her, you walk away knowing you are a better person!  It was such a treat to have her and sweet Izzy here with us this last week!

Some pics from our week:

The girls loved having Izzy here to play with!

We were riding 3 wide in the Accord!  (I told Joey if we ever get brave enough to have a third I'll definitely be wanting that Odyssey I always dream about. (who would have ever thought I'd dream of owning a minivan?!?!)

 The weather was so perfect we played outside a lot

 Izzy was so Cute she wanted to ride the big girl bike

 giving Ansley hugs!

 Love these CUTE girls

 While Avery was at preschool Izzy and Ansley played at the tubes & loved the fish tank

  I had to take Penny to the Rhea Lana sale (the most awesome name brand consignor sale)

too bad she didn't have a suitcase big enough to take this back in, Izzy loved it! It made noises too!

 Had to get a tub shot

 Ring a round the rosies after bath time

 Playing at Peabody Park on the Arkansas River

 On one of the Pedestrian Bridges

 & of course we had to see the Ducks walk the red carpet at the Peabody Hotel

 If Penny and I had not been standing close I'm positive they'd have all dove in with ducks!

 The Wildlife Museum 

 Izzy liked the Bear

 She loved Pickett, sadly I think Ansley has pulled his tail too many times b/c anyone who looks 'young' he now runs from...  I was trying to get him to sit with her.

 More outdoor play

 Wagon Rides

 & blowing bubbles.

Penny and I also had a girls night (thank you honey) and went out to eat Mexican food of course! & then squeezed in some shopping down at the Promenade. (I had never been there--AWESOME)

We came home -talked, laughed, cried, and vowed there are some stories (from our teenage years) our kids will never know about! 

Although by Thursday, Penny and I felt much like referees with the girls- Avery is already asking when Penny and Izzy are going to visit again:)