Anderson Farms 2012

It’s not Fall until we have made our annual trip to Anderson Farms in Leesville, LA with Granny. This year the weather was PERFECT for some pumpkin picking and family fun.

It is so fun to go back and compare the pictures from year to year. This year the girls seemed to have a little more “spunk” in their pictures!

Anna picked up a piece of corn and started singing like it was a microphone. I love her personality!

Anderson Farms is such a fun place, offering a Hay Maze, Corn Maze, Hayrides and TONS of photo ops!

My girls have learned from the second they were born, when Granny says “smile”-they look and smile…they are EXPERTS! But sometimes, you just gotta have some FUN!

Navarre Beach 2012

We were thrilled-and that’s putting it mildly-to get to spend 2 weeks in Navarre Beach, Florida this summer with my parents and my Aunt Lisa. Little did we know that our relaxing vacation would be cut short… About 2 hours into the trip, Maddie started coughing. No biggie. We made it to the beach and enjoyed a day of beach time.

By day 2, she was coughing her head off. Since she had not had to use her inhaler or any breathing treatments in over a year, I had not packed either-BIG mistake! I quickly called Ryan and asked him to overnight her meds. By this point she was coughing nonstop and we had gotten NO sleep. After 3 calls to her pediatrician, I was convinced to find an urgent care to take her to. Her pediatrician was convinced that she had pneumonia…

Diagnosis- strep & her lungs are clear. After a breathing treatment at the Urgent Care, she seemed to be doing better. She started an antibiotic and I was convinced we had dodged a bullet. Relaxing beach vacation…here we come! Somewhere in the middle of the night, my knight in shining armor surprised us by showing up with Maddie’s meds from home (LOVE that man!). We were thrilled that Ryan was going to get to spend a few days at the beach with us after all!

All seemed to be looking up…we even tried to take a few family photos…

Can you see Tropical Storm Sandy in the background? She was not helping my hair at all. We were literally about to blow away in these pictures!

Unfortunately, Maddie started going downhill after this and after another trip to another Urgent Care (she needs steroids, lungs are clear), we decided to pack it up and head home. At this point we were on a first-name basis with the pharmacist at the Navarre Beach Walmart. We were at the pediatrician’s office before 8:00 am the next morning. We were immediately sent for chest x-rays. Diagnosis-pneumonia with effusion (translation-your little girl is really, really sick. Her lungs had not been clear the whole time, rather they were so full of fluid there was no air moving at all!). Thankfully, she quickly responded to the 3 antibiotics her amazing pediatrician prescribed and she was back to her old self within a few days. Unfortunately, she passed along her pneumonia to her little sister and her daddy! I guess us Momma’s have to have immune systems of steel!

Better luck next summer!

Dance Recital 2012

This year was an “off” year for dance recital…translation-less expensive costumes and less stress for Mommy. On “off” years, the girls just wear their black leotards, and change their tutus for the different dances. The girls still have a blast and love dancing on stage. We were thrilled that Grandmother came and brought Emalyne and Lizzy with her!

 

Love these little ballerinas!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then it was time for tap…Anna was really feeling the music in this one!

Blessed.

 

 

Mrs. Liz                                       Miss Desiree

Sweet cousins

Easter 2012

I am a sucker for family traditions, and one of my favorites is the annual Easter Egg hunt in Ruston. I have no idea when it started, but I know it has been going on since before I was born. I’m pretty sure my grandma looked forward to the hunt every year almost more than Christmas! I am so thankful that even though Grandma now celebrates Easter with Jesus, the tradition continues. Friends that I used to hunt eggs with every year, now bring their kiddos to hunt eggs with my kiddos…and the tradition continues.

The cousins dying eggs with Grandmother.

Anna’s finds.

Me & Stephanie ~ one of my besties growing up!

 

After church on Easter Sunday, we ran over to DeRidder to spend some time with Granny & Papa. The girls hunted eggs, and we also celebrated Maddie’s birthday while we were there. We are so blessed to have Granny & Papa live close by!