New Stuff

I really want to get back into the blogging world!  I've missed it.  After our crazy summer- Joey submitting his proposal, preparing for the oral part of his Qualifier, presenting at a research conference in Park City, UT, finishing up some projects for a paper, & I had been babysitting a little boy up until the end of July (I did it for 8 months), pregnancy sick and exhausted- not to mention Joey was juggling 2 demanding callings until a week ago.  I developed a whole new level of respect for single mothers and more appreciation than I already had for all Joey's help! Ok now enough complaining cause this week has been a breath of fresh air!  I feel like this is the start of a new phase in our life!  

Firstly-Joey passed his Qualifier earlier this month and NEVER has to take another course for the rest of his PhD career.  Now its hardcore research time(which he loves so he is SUPER excited the course part has come to an end!)  His induction ceremony is in September and he will get his white UAMS lab coat!  We're pretty proud of him!

Next- We are excited to announce that BABY #3 will be joining us in February and I was able to get in with an AWESOME high risk Dr. here. It has really put me at ease and I feel really good about things:)  The girls are beyond EXCITED and now that Avery knows, she has been much more sympathetic to my tiredness and not as short with me about being "slower."  Ansley is always wanting to raise up my shirt and says, "Baby"!

& My baby girl started Pre-K!  & while it may not seem like a Super big deal, it is because here Pre-K is all day.  Joey and I went back and forth on this decision for a while; we considered Preschools that are only 1/2 day and other 3 days a week options BUT with her birthday causing her to miss the deadline for Kindergarten by 8 days we decided to do full time.  She has been begging for school and this week has been such a success.  It has made me so happy to see her excitement to go, get things 'perfectly' ready to go, and all the stories she has to tell me when I pick her up!  

First Day of School

On Day 2 Here are 2 conversations we had in the car on the way home:

Avery: Mom, I was really tired today so I said a little prayer that I would fall asleep during nap time and I did.  Heavenly Father answered my prayer Mom.

Me: Avery that's so good, if you are ever needing help with anything know you can always turn to Heavenly Father.  *I was feeling pretty proud at this point*

Then...

Avery: Mom, I also made a new friend at school today.

Me:  That's great, what is Her name?

Avery:  No, mom- His name is Eli. and he hugged and kissed me then told me, "we're going to be Best Friends!"

Me: (trying not to freak out-we're only on DAY 2) Oh well where did he kiss you?

Avery: on the cheek

Me:  ok ( and I decided to drop it at that point) I was caught off guard and didn't want to make it a big deal/say something wrong/over react, etc..- What would you have done?!?!?! I decided to wait for my better half to get home.

When Joey got home she recited the same story to him and he asked her if she kissed him back.  She told us she did but just on the cheek.  Joey told her very calmly that she should just give hugs and only kiss Mommy, Daddy, Granma & Granpa.  Avery then asked, "but Why? you kiss Mommy?"  Are we really having this convo with a Pre-ker?!?!  Joey and I replied at the same time but with different answers. 

Joey: you don't kiss other boys until you're 16

Me: you don't kiss other boys until you're married

She said, "Oh,  OK."

I think she got the gist of it:) (at least I'm hoping)

This is a pic Eli drew her

 A pic she drew of her and Eli- is this beginning already?!?!

& a project they worked on today at school.

They cut some of their favorite things out of a magazine- 

I wasn't surprised to see makeup, flowers, and yummy desserts on her paper!

She proudly laid out all her work for me to see after school today.

& Lastly, Ansley and Mommy are enjoying a lot of one on one time together!  While we enjoy play dates with friends as well, Ansley has proved to be quite the little helper.  She is really good at helping me unload the dishwasher, press the buttons to start it and put clothes from the washer to the dryer.  She does tell me at least once a day, "I want Avey!" and when I tell her it is time to pick up Avery she lets out a shrill of delight and races down to the car!  

We have been looking forward to this day since she broke her leg on Good Friday &

After being "layed up" for the past 3 1/2 weeks we are happy to report that our Avery is...

CAST FREE!

 We have been celebrating! 

What we didn't know was that our sweet lil Ansley could be so dramatic?!?!

I guess she was feeling a little attention deprived (really how could that ever be?) She came to me very concerned, and pathetically uttered, "mama, look (well it sounds more like uk)" to show me a very small blister on her foot.

I tried not to chuckle cause I knew exactly what was going on.

Joey and I carefully wrapped her blister until she approved. 

  Then she happily hopped right up and did what she's seen sister do.

 What am I going to do with these girls?!?!?!

**Avery did inform her that the only good thing about having a cast was that it was pink and her friends signed it.

 On another note I feel pretty bad...

The whole time Avery had her cast, she complained about her heel.  I kept asking if it was in pain or uncomfortable. She would say both, but go back and forth.  We finally shoved a butter knife down in the cast and kept it in there because she said it felt best.  I felt pretty horrible when we found this blister after the cast came off:(  No wonder she complained about her heel... Poor girl!

Best Friends

A few weeks ago as I got off the phone with a best friend from high school, Avery asked me who I was talking to. 

(she has to know EVERYTHING)

Our conversation continued a little longer and then I asked Avery who her Best Friend was; without hesitation she replied: "oh mom that's easy, Ansley."

She has asked me multiple times this week, "when is Ansley going to wake up from her nap? I want her to play with me."

I can't put into words how happy this makes me :)

Proud Wife Moment

All my blog posts (when I'm posting) revolve mainly around the kids and different activities we're caught up in.

Today the Man Behind the Scenes made his debut on the UAMS website!    You can check it out here: http://www.uams.edu/update/absolutenm/templates/news2003v2.asp?articleid=10946&zoneid=29

He HATES it when I get all sappy and cheesy but I'm so glad I found him:) He's Pretty Awesome! &  I feel pretty Lucky<3

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: