Sergeant Sally

June 9, 2007

Our wedding

June 2010

Grandma with her Great-Granddaughter Avery

On January 15, 2011 Jason's grandmother, Sally, went to be with her Lord and Savior and is no longer in pain. Sally will be remembered as the vibrant and vivacious red head who traveled and loved being with her family. She was an active member in the Dallas Ladies Elks and was known as Sergeant Sally for her determination to get the job done. I know we will all miss her very much but will one day see her again.

First snow of 2011

On January 9, 2011 we got our first snowfall of the year. Hopefully there are many more to come. I love the snow and although I would love to live where this was a regular routine, I could not live anywhere else but Texas. What a treat to get this much snow in Texas!

So glad to be back where we actually see snow without driving to the mountains!
Avery loved the snow!

Precious baby trying snow for the first time!

Everything looks so pretty with a blanket of white. We had about 4 to 5 inches on the ground after the last snowflake fell.

Coming into our neighborhood

A New Year........

2011 has arrived, and even though I am writing this a little late, I still want to share a few things. Each new year we can look back on the previous year and it seems that all we remember is the "bad" or "negative" things from that year. That was not the case for us. I have to say that 2010 came with much joy with the birth of our beautiful daughter. Avery has brought so much joy and life to Jason and I and that is all I can see from 2010. Granted, I do think about the tragedies and pain, the dear ones who passed, and the exhausting move we made from Houston to McKinney with a three month old who did not like her carseat while I was still strictly nursing. With all that being said, I was happy to usher in a new year to see what life holds for our family in 2011.

I made a few New Year's Resolutions:

1. In November we found a great church that both Jason and I are really excited about. We have made the decision to join and it feels so refreshing. As a family I want to grow in Christ and become more centered.
2. I want to be a better mother, wife, daughter, sister, teacher, and friend.
3. Become more financially sound.
4. Have a date night with my husband at least once a week.
5. And lastly live a "SIMPLE" life.

In regards to number five, I would like to share this from last Sunday, "And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. This, then, is how you should pray: 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.'"

-Matthew 6:5-13

I find this so true in my own life when I pray. I pray at night when I am rocking my sweet baby and I feel I need to name everything and everyone I am praying for. All it takes is the word, "Unspoken". I will simplify my words and my life in 2011. These are my goals for the new year and I hope to accomplish them. I am only human so I will do my best.

Avery is excited about 2011!

Happy 8 Month Birthday

Happy 8th Month Birthday

Gorgeous Baby

I feel like such a bad momma. Heck in just a few weeks, I will be posting another birthday month. It has been a really busy month and you will understand in the coming post why it has taken me so long to update. Here is what our precious baby has been up to:

• You are taking two naps a day; one at 45 minutes and the second for about an hour and a half.
• You started stage 3 foods and you weren't quite sure of them. You are getting better now and not gagging as much!
• You take 6 bottles a day and two jars of food and at night you get cereal.
• You are wearing size 3 diapers.
• You are wearing size 6-9 month clothes; the 9 month clothes are too big, but the 6 month clothes are getting too small.
• You are pulling up on everything; the coffee table, the bar stools, just about anything you can reach. The house is no longer safe.
• You are talking up a storm.
• When we get your bath water ready upstairs and you hear the water from your room, you take off like a rocket to the bathroom. It is so cute!
• You LOVE Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and we love to hear your reaction when Mickey comes on the screen; your arms start waving and you start kicking your feet. I can't wait to take you to see him in person, but that will be a while.
  

WOW! Time flies when you are having fun! You are a vibrant and cheerful little girl. You make us so happy and to see you smile still brings tears to my eyes. You want to play with Maddie so bad but she takes off running the other way. Maybe it is because you takes chunks of hair out and you try to pull off her Snuggy! Yes the dog has a Snuggy for those of you reading! I love your smell and how in the mornings when I get you out of your crib you lay your head on my shoulder. I wish I could just pause in that moment and stay there forever. I cannot believe that in four months we will be celebrating your 1st Birthday. That does not seem real. We are very blessed to have a healthy baby girl who is home with us and happy! We are blessed to be your parents and I take such pride in wearing my 1st Mother's Day Brigthon bracelet that you and daddy got me. Every time I look at it, I feel like the luckiest person alive to know that I am your momma! Love you baby girl.

Christmas Marathon

Merry Christmas 2010! This is going to be a rather lengthy post. I felt like we ran a marathon on Christmas Day. We started all the festivities on Christmas Eve with church service. We loved taking Avery to "BIG" church but Jason and I both agree we love our sweet ladies in the cherub room that take care of our sweet angel. There was too much going on for Avery to sit still in church. Oh well, we were there as a family. We then headed to Sherman for a get together at Jason's dad's house. After visiting and eating too much, we headed back home.

Once we got home, we put Avery to bed and I started icing cookies. I was up till 2:30am cleaning and helping Jason load the car for Christmas morning. I had just gone to bed when Santa dropped off all of Avery's goodies. He must be on a diet, because he only took a few bits of those cookies I iced all morning! Jason and I got up pretty early Christmas morning to get ready before Miss Avery woke up. Once she was up and discovered all her new toys and toy box to put them in we loaded the remaining things in the car and headed to Nana and Poppa's house. Santa had come to see all of us at their house too. We had a wonderful breakfast and then opened presents like we have done since we were kids.

After Nana and Poppa's we headed to Gigi and Papaw's house. Once we got there our nieces and nephew were waiting on us to open presents. After we opened presents we walked down to Aunt Cinda and Uncle Larry's house to have Christmas with Jason's side of the family. There were about 30 of us there. It was crazy but fun. His family always does for the kids and then we do a "Chinese Christmas" which keeps everyone laughing. After a late lunch we headed back to my parents house for dinner with my moms brother and his family and her dad and Betty. It was really enjoyable to spend Christmas with them. After dinner and presents, we then went to Jason's dads house for a few hours. Avery was a trooper all day and was still kicking when we got in the car to head home. We put her right to bed and the next morning we got up and opened presents at our house. We spent the morning just soaking in all the fun Avery was having with her new toys then spent the afternoon with my dad's side of the family in Parker.

On our way home I told Jason, "we did not even have dessert today". Funny that was what I was thinking about! Christmas Day was so fast for us and we both said next year we are going to slow down. It was great getting to see all of our family, but we were exhausted. At the end of the day the BEST present this year was our precious baby girl and knowing that she is happy and healthy. We are close to our families, we were both blessed with great jobs, and we have each other. That is all that matters. We hope you enjoy our pictures and we hope everyone had a joyful Christmas!

Finally opening my presents from Mommy and Daddy
The only family picture we got all day

The Godbey Family

Our family with Papa and Betty

We have not taken a picture like this in a long time.

Reading her book Gigi and Papaw got her

Santa came to see Avery at Nana and Poppa's house too!

Avery with her new chair from Nana and Poppa! Thanks Lisa Mitchell!

Finishing what Santa could not eat :)

Teaching her baby to play the drum!

Mommy had lots of cookies to ice......up till 2:30am. I went to bed right before Santa came. Close call!

SANTA came to see Avery! She loves her Bitty Baby and beautiful toy box! Thanks Judy!

Cookies for Santa

Getting ready to head to Christmas Eve service at church

Santa Baby Party

Our sweet friends, Ashley and Avery Boothe, hosted a Santa Baby Party for the Babies of 2010! It was so much fun to visit with all the moms while the babies played. I say we find an excuse every year to get together! Thank you so much for putting together such a fun evening. The Glover girls loved it! All the girls with Tripp! Avery with Mommy The Averys