Show Us Your LIfe - Your Kid's (or future kid's) names

Over on Kelly's Korner each week she does a post titled Show Us Your Life-...! Well, this week's topic is Your Kid's (or future kid's) name.

As I have mentioned here before Bob and I are high school sweethearts, but I have never really mentioned how we actually started dating...that I remember at least. My dad died of cancer my 8th grade year (16 years ago this year). I liked Bob at one point in 8th grade, but never said anything and eventually started dating another guy. Jump ahead to our sophomore year and Bob's mom had been battling cancer and his dad had a woman that worked for him that was a friend of my mom's and she gave my mom's name to him and told him she knows what you are going through maybe she could be of help. So needless to say he called my mom and we all started hanging out, and my mom would go set with Bob's mom so that dad could go home for a little bit and unfortunately she lost her battle with cancer. Bob has a younger sister that I had become friends with and as a result of spending so much time together I started liking Bob...again. So long story short we started dating and here we are today.

We had talked a few times when we were dating and before we had Anna about names and pretty much had it decided well before we knew we were expecting.

Girls name: Anna Christine...Anna is Bob's mom's first name and Christine is my great-great grandma's name. My middle name is after her but my parents had changed it to Christina. Bob has always liked my middle name and will actually call me by it sometimes...so it was only fit to use my middle name, but we switched it back to its original.

Boys name: Grant Alan...Grant is my dad's first name and Alan is Bob's middle name. We decided that we were going to honor our parents with using their names some how and when we had decided on the girls name and going to use my middle name we decided why not use Bob's also. 

So, there you have it...the meaning behind the name. We are set for a boys name if ever needed, but as far as another girl or even another boy I am not sure. I would like to make sure they are family names seeing how we started out that way, but we will have to see if that time comes.

Conversation with Anna!!!

We smoked a turkey breast and some ribs Saturday afternoon/evening and invited my mom and sister out for lunch on Sunday. We had sat down to get ready to eat and I had fixed baked potatoes to go along with it and was fixing Anna's plate and had grabbed my knife to cut her potato...she jumped up from her chair and said "I am going to go get my knife." (She has a kitchen with pretend food and dishes) Before I could say anything I could hear her sorting through the basket looking for it and she came back with it and the conversation went like this:

A: I have my knife also...I can cut up yours for you!
M: Thank you but I can get it...
A: I can help!!!
M: No, that is really ok! I can get it...I don't know where your knife has been!
(with out missing a beat)
A: It has been in my kitchen!!!

and of course everyone started busting up and Anna just sat there and stared at us all like we were all crazy and were did I think her knife had been...lol!!!

After lunch we cleaned up the mess and sat around and talked for awhile,  played catch with a big ball, and ponies while Bob went with a friend to see if they could pull out a friend that had got stuck. After awhile my mom left and my sister was sticking around to go to a friends Super Bowl Party that evening that actually only lives a couple of miles from us, so that she wouldn't have to drive the 30 min. or so back at here. We were invited to go also but decided with the yucky weather that they were calling for just to stay home because Bob may have to go work that night...which he did.

So while we were waiting we decided to go see how bad they were stuck and watch "all the excitement" and then came home and watched the game...mainly for the commercials and I worked on some projects. One being Anna's B-day invitations!

Hope everyone had a good weekend and has a good week! Are Monday hasn't started out to well...

Fall Festival 2009

Our home town, which is only like 10-15 min. from where we live now host a Fall Festival every year from Friday-Sunday! The Fall Fest usually consists of Friday: City Wide Garage Sales, Friday Night Football, Wrist bands for Ride-A- Rama, some kind of "teen dance", of course all the vendors, and other little events through out the day and evening. Saturday: Several events going on through out the day and evening, Parade, craft fair, carnival, vendors, and the "Street Dance", which this year was a Local that has made it pretty big Logan Mize!!! Sunday: A local church will have worship in the park, ice cream social, and rewards handed out for all the events throughout the weekend. It is usually the first weekend in September but this year they moved it to October 23-25. Some of the reasons I heard for this change was because here in KS it is usually still pretty warm if not hot the first part of Sept., that date also falls on the opening weekend of the State Fair, and they wanted to book a different carnival and they weren't available until the later date. Anyways, it ended up being a beautiful day!!! It had been freezing all week and garage selling to say the least was a little chilly!

The parade started @ 10 and by then the sun was shining and there was just a little breeze. We actually got by with wearing just our sweatshirts! My twin sister came for the parade also and Anna loved it! After the parade I had told a friend that I would help with registration and stats for the Soap Box Derby event again, so we headed off the get set up for that. After that was over we ended just heading home to get some lunch and Anna was in need of a nap!

Bob and I don't usually go anywhere to often that we don't take Anna with us, but this night my mom had offered to watch Anna so that we could go into the "Street Dance" for awhile and seeing how it didn't even start till 8 we wouldn't of been able to stay long if Anna would of went. So, we went in and grabbed supper at one of the pizza places there in town and then had a nice night with some friends. Fall Fest is always a nice time to catch up with old friends! It seems like that is a time when people that are around this area come home!

Here are a few pictures that I got at the parade! I wasn't able to get any pictures of the Soap Box Derby because I was to busy trying to get people signed in, keeping track of times and making sure I didn't mess up the bracket!!!

*Anna getting candy!*
*Friend from high school and her son, my twin sister, Anna and me-This picture was taken on my friends camera phone...not a very good picture of me or Anna (not sure what she was looking at)!*

Dallas Cowboy Cheerleader-Halloween 2009

We started off the evening by going to one of my sister-in-laws to drop off my nephews candy buckets...I try to do something small for the little ones every year and then we went by grammy's to show her Anna's costume and then we headed into town. A neighboring town, actually the town I grew up in and the town were Bob and I went to school about 10-15 minutes from where we live do a Trick-or-Treat Street. Downtown they have a Hamburger and Hot dog feed complete with chips and a drink for donations starting @ 5:30 and a parade from the school down the street to downtown, which we missed because we were running a little behind. Lets just say when mommy says you might want to lay down and take a nap because we are going to have a busy evening you might want to take my word for it! When it came time to get dressed Anna was getting sleepy and was fighting to get dressed! But after we got dressed and she realized what we were going to do she was all better...good thing or it might have been and even longer night!!!

After dinner from 6-7:30 all the businesses downtown and even some from around the rest of town line the streets and you walk down each side of the street and get your goodies! One of the local banks was doing a "Hunted Cellar" in the basement of the bank and we walked through it. It was set up pretty good! It was really dark and had strobe lights going and it was almost like a maze and there were people jumping out at you and you had no clue they were even there! I ended up in front of Bob and Anna and Anna was walking with Bob so I couldn't see her reaction, but I never heard her yell or anything. When we got done I asked Bob if she got scared and he said no that she just looked at them weird and after the first one she kept looking all over trying to find more and watch for them. I asked her if she liked it and she said "yes and it was scary"...lol!!!

After leaving we went to one of the churches in town and did there Trunk-or-Treat, which there is like 3 churches that do them but Anna's bucket was so full we decided to skip the rest. We still needed to go by a couple of friends houses, so by the time we hit those her bucket was completely full.

We hung out at one of our friends house for a little bit and Anna helped pass out candy and it was so cute because every kid that came to the door she would chat with them and ask about there costume and then she would tell me when she was done that "that was her friend!!!" After we left there we went by another sister-in-laws house to drop off my nephews candy buckets that I made and then hit my brother-in-laws house on the way home!

All in all we had a good night and Anna had fun and that is all that matters!!! We usually go to the pumpkin patch, but with the weather here and just the way things worked out we never made it, but my brother-in-law had some pumpkins that he planted in his garden this year and sent a small one home with Anna, so she was thrilled and at this age she didn't really know different!

I took a few pictures...sorry my camera has been acting up lately and after it starts getting dark it really does some funky things! Really need a new camera! I know a friend of ours took some pictures so when I get those pictures I will do a little update! But for now you get the point...

*Halloween buckets I made*

*Anna and Grammy*

*Trick-or-Treat!!!*

*Daddy and Anna Trick-or-Treating*


*Downtown-This was @ the end of the night when the crowd was thinning out! This was a sea of people @ the beginning of the night, but didn't get a picture!*

Two Year Old!!!

This is what I found after I walked into the bathroom after Anna was in going potty...




Guess I should have none better than trust a two year old to go potty by herself!!! Usually she does just fine...lol!

*after I took the other pictures Anna decided she needed to get her camera and take a picture also!*

Newest Addition!!!

Well...DH was a softy and let DD get a fish!!! Welcome Bubble Splash...which DD named herself! It is from the fish song that we sing at Story Time, Playgroup, and during PAT meetings. The last several times we have been to Wal-Mart when we pull into the parking lot she starts yelling from the back seat "I see fish!" It is funny that she knows the different stores because if we pull into Tractor Supply she says she wants to see the ducks and chickens, Orschlens is the ducks, chickens, and rabbits, and Atwoods is ducks, chickens, and turkeys! Which all of these are farm supply stores if you are not familiar with these stores. It just amazes me that a two year old would know what is at each store!

Anyways, I have told DH several times before we should get DD a Beta for our bubble gum fish tank that we have had since DH and I have been together and Dh always says "I don't think she needs a fish" but for some reason DH decided yesterday that she needed one!

DD was all excited, of course and she has gone over several times today and just watches him...It is so cute!!!

It is kind of hard to tell in the pictures but Bubble Splash is white at the front of his body and about half way back it fades into a pinkish purple and then fades into a dark purple on his fins. I have never seen one before with this color pattern. It works very well for a little Girl!!!

The fish tanks light is turned on by turning the handle like you would on a real bubble gum dispenser to get your bubble gum. DD has figured this out and every time she goes over and looks at Bubble Splash she turns it on and says "wake up Bubble Splash" and when she turns it off she tells him good night.


Oh, how little things in life can bring such joy to a little kid!

Just Playing Around!!!

DD has been on this kick of she wants a bath everyday no matter what! She could of just taken a shower the night before but the next morning she tells you that she wants a bath...I guess we can't complain she is defiantly a CLEAN little girl! I think it is more about playing in the bath more than anything...lol!


Anyways, when she got out we were sitting on the couch watching Tigger and Pooh, one of her favorites and I started messing with her hair. She is starting to get more hair, it is just several different lengths were it is still growing out, and will sit still...I guess as still as you can get a 2 year old to sit. So...this is what we ended up with, which I thought was pretty good for a 2 year old!

Getting ready for Easter!!!

I remembered that Easter was this Sunday last Sunday...Which still gives me time to get everything done, but I just feel like I have a million things left to do and not enough time to do it in and to top it off I scheduled for our insurance agent to come out tomorrow to go over our policy...what was I thinking. I called my mom and asked her if she wanted to get together because she hadn't said anything and she laughed and said she kind of forgot about it also! So we planned our menu and dinner is set for 12:30 or 1:00, probably more like 1:00 the way things work around here.
I told DH that I wanted to color Easter Eggs with DD this year! She loved hunting for plastic ones last year so I figure she would have a blast coloring and hunting for real eggs this year. I boiled our eggs today and we are going to have some friends over Saturday and color them and depending on the weather hunt for some Easter Eggs. They are talking rain here for Easter and it is starting to cloud up and thunder as I type this so we will see. We may be hunting in the house, which I remember doing a few times as a kid and it was still fun!

*Easter 2008, I can't believe how BIG she has gotten and ALOT more hair!*
My mom called yesterday and asked if DD and I wanted to come to town and go shopping and she would buy DD her Easter outfit for Easter instead of doing candy or something. Of course, I was thrilled because that was still on my agenda to get done and I would prefer that over candy or some little toy that I have to find a place to put with all the other thousands of toys...ok maybe not thousands but you know what I mean! So after some searching we found this which we saw on a manikin as we were walking into the mall and loved. I told my mom that it would work for Easter and also anything else that came up this summer like a wedding, or graduation so that she could get more use out of it, which I am all about!!!

So, I finished boiling the eggs and they are already for coloring on Saturday and then church and dinner on Sunday with my family!

*I figure a dozen will plenty for DD to color...I could be wrong though!*

*I got the basic dye kit! I thought that would be just fine for her and less stress for me!*
I still need to get with the Easter bunny and see what we are doing for her Easter basket, which like I said before she doesn't really need anything, but it is always fun to watch there expressions! Maybe a movie,or some books, or a game and some new crayons because for some reason most of the crayons in this house are all broken...I guess that is the beauties of having a two year old!
So... I am off to finish my cleaning and start on some of my cooking...Hope everyone has a GREAT Easter!!!

Who Knows???

Yesterday, March 19, 2009 was a busy day! DH was gone most of the day so that meant that DD and I were on calf duty! We have new baby calves arriving and we have to go out and check cows just to make sure there is no problems and the vet doesn't need to be called. As of yesterday we have 4 little ones (3 bulls and 1 heifer) two born on Wednesday and two born yesterday! Only 18 more to go and hopefully with no problems!!! I need to get some pictures, but DD just loves going out and watching her "baby palfs!"

For lunch yesterday I fixed fish sticks and tatar tots, nothing out of the ordinary! DD used ranch to dip hers in which she refers to ranch as dip no matter what it is on! Just like her dad has to have ranch with everything...lol! I mention all of this because all of a sudden I noticed this:



Who knows what caused this but I immediately gave her Benadryl and of course this had to happen right before nap and because her lips were swelling a little and not knowing what caused this I kept her up past her normal nap time. About an 1 1/2 later her face was still red but she seemed to act fine and DD was DEFIANTLY ready for a nap so I went ahead a laid her down and with having the benadryl and a later nap she slept for about 2 1/2 to 3 hours and when she woke up she was fine!

Later that evening after supper DH was cutting up seed potatoes to put in our garden and DD helped by handing him the potatoes out of the bag and she kept telling DH "Daddy, I help" it was so cute and she thought she was such a big girl and was doing daddy a big favor, which she was!!!

Hopefully whatever caused this was just a flook and it won't happen again, because if it was the ranch all of a sudden and DD can't have her "dip" I can see there being major problems!!!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

Hope everyone had a great St. Patrick's Day and enjoyed their green beer, corned beef and cabbage!!!

2nd Birthday Party!!!

We had DD's 2nd Birthday party on Febuary 21, 2009! It was a cow theme...if you know DD then you understand! She can name different breeds of cows, tell you what kinda of cows we have, which are Black Angus Cows, name heifers (heipers), steers, bull, bull with papers (can't say registered very good), and you get the point! She loves helping with the cows and anything to do with cows, so it was only appropriate to have a cow birthday party and let me say finding just cow stuff is harder than you think. I happened to find a couple of sights on the internet for the decorations and I made the invitations and the cakes! I also found a site for her shirt and had it designed! So, here are a few pictures from her party!

Her is pictures of DD's cakes-sheet cake is white and the cow cake is chocolate, invitations, and the decorations! The table that has the inflatable cow on it had a white table cloth with birthday confetti on it with the cow in the center, but I didn't get a picture of it while it was decorated.

These are pictures of her gifts! I think DD did very well and she loves playing with every one of them. Thank you everybody!!!

After her party we went out with a couple of friends that came to the party and ate supper...Mexican food! Mexican is one of DD's favorites especially dipping the chips in the salsa. After supper we went buy and picked up the picnic table that Aunt M got her and came home and of course when we got home DD insisted on having the picnic table set up and even tried it out!

It was a very good day and I think everyone had fun! I know we did and DD enjoyed playing with all her friends and new toys! Again, I would like to thank everyone and Happy 2nd Birthday DD!!!

Our Little Girl turned 2!!!

Yesterday, February 26, 2009 DD turned 2!!! It doesn't seem like she should be 2 already...how time flies! Before you know it she will be going to school...I don't even want to think about that right now. We have already been seeing some TERRIBLE TWO's for awhile now, but it just seems like there is a little more attitude with it now...lol!

We had her birthday party last Saturday, February 21, 2009!!! I will post more on it shortly! For her actual birthday yesterday we went over and had lunch at Grammy's with Uncle M and Aunt E and had Biscuits and Sausage Gravy and after lunch Uncle M, Daddy, and DD went out to feed Uncle M's "heipers". DD doesn't let Uncle M slack on feeding his heifers. I think every time we are over there DD will say "M, go feed heipers or cows"!

After they got done feeding the heifers Daddy and Uncle M went back out to work on fence down at the pasture and DD and I went to the zoo!!! It was a pretty nice day out. It was like 61 and slightly breezy, but not terrible especially for Ks!

We took DD's new wagon that we got her for her birthday and she loved it! The last few times we have went to the zoo DD would sit in her stroller, but there is some stuff she just can't see without getting out and then once she is out then she wants to walk and to hold her hand and push the stroller at the same time is just a pain. Also, I noticed when she is out of the stroller she seems to socialize and interact more.

She rode for awhile and then she decided she wanted to get out and pull the wagon herself. She told me "Sara, you stop" and would move my hand off of the handle and she would walk up to one of the exhibits look for a minute and then grab the wagon and say "Sara, come on"! For those of you who don't know DD started calling me S when she first started talking. She said "mommy" at first, but within a week or two I was "Sara". Don't know why for sure...I guess because everyone else calls me Sara!!! She goes back and forth, depends on her mood or if she wants something...lol!!!

When we were coming out of the Gorilla exhibit and getting ready to cross the bridge I asked her if she wanted to take a picture with the gorilla statues and she told me "No, I fine! Lets go" but later she pet the bear statue! See that's what I mean about the Attitude, but it was really quite cute!

Here are a few pictures of DD on the cow in the petting zoo. She was all about it until she realized the head moves and then she was afraid she would fall.

During supper last night when Daddy asked her about the zoo DD said "Fun", "See Monkeys, See Monkeys at the Zoo" and then proceeded to tell him all the animals that she saw! All in all I think she had a pretty good birthday. She kept going around and saying "Happy, Happy Birthday" and asked after supper last night "cake, Birthday cake"! I told her that we already had her cake! She got up this morning and said "Happy Birthday", so now she thinks everyday is her birthday!!!