Alyssa

Alyssa.  Our first child.  Strong, independent and wise.  And brave.  She may very well be one of the bravest people I know.  Except when it comes to the dark or being alone on one side of the house.  But you throw life at this girl, and she faces it head on.  She's so courageous and I am so proud of the young lady she is becoming.

We went to Calloway Gardens with the Fraziers before Christmas.  We drove through the "Fantasy in Lights" and visited the Butterfly Garden.  So beautiful!

This picture pretty much sums up Alyssa's relationship with her baby sister- she loves her and Ayden Claire adores Alyssa!  I know it's not always easy to be the oldest but Alyssa is truly the BEST big sister.  She's so helpful!

We took the girls fishing at Lanark one day this spring and Alyssa caught the biggest fish I've ever seen!  She was so excited.  It was catch and release so he went back to the lake to live happily every after with all of his fishy friends.

<3 this little girl!  She stole our hearts almost 10 years ago.  Wow, how time flies!

Wes and I just love this picture of Alyssa!  It is SO her!  A little bit of attitude and sass with a beautiful smile and those innocent little dimples.  And the leftover 4th of July tattoos.

Alyssa Grace will be 10 in four days and it just doesn't seem real!  Have we really been blessed with her for a decade now?  Have I really been a mommy for 10 years?!?  Unbelievable.  What I do know with certainty it that I could not be more thankful for this little girl. 

Anniston

Anniston....our sweet, sweet Anniston.  She is holding steady her place as "middle child"- once was the baby and remembers that she was once the baby but now that spot is taken by her baby sister BUT she gets to be a big sister, too!  She had lots of exciting things happen this year.....

.....It snowed!  Twice!  I mean really, how often do you get TWO snow days a school year in Alabama???!??

.....She got glasses!  Pink glasses, of course. 

.......and she lost her first tooth on her 6th birthday!

.....She got a hamster!  She'd only been asking for one for months leading up to her birthday.  So, here's "Pluto"- the Chinese Dwarf hamster.  And shockingly he's still alive, 6 months later. 

....She was asked to be on the preteam at gymnastics!  She takes at the Armory in downtown Montgomery and they have been around forever and have some excellent gymnasts.  Anyone who knew Anniston when she was 8 months old and started walking (I promise, we have video!) knows that Anniston was destined to be a gymnast!  :)  She LOVES to tumble and stand on her head.  I've really never seen anything like it- she watches entire episodes of Hannah Montana in a headstand.  Crazy- but we love her.  And I sort of have hopes that one day Wes and I will be driving to the Coleman Coliseum in Tuscaloosa to watch our baby at her Alabama gymnastics meet!  ;)  Roll Tide!

....She made All-Stars at the end of softball season!  Did I mention she's athletic?  ;)

....And she ran away from home, sadly.  Fortunately, she came back!  We would have really missed our precious little blondie!  (Please note she had totally dressed herself!  She looks a little homeless in whatever this is she was wearing!!!)

....and of course, what's a year without some slumber parties with besties??? 

And now our lovely, eccentric middle daughter is in 1st grade and loving it.  I never thought I'd see a day that Anniston went anywhere for any amount of time without me.  :(  But, it's a good thing, I know.  She loves me in such a special way- she just LOVES!  She is such a fun little girl and there are days that I just don't know where in the world she came from and I just have to shake my head....

Ayden Claire

What a year for our "baby"!  Ayden Claire has really come into her own this year and her personality is just contagious!  She is the happiest person on earth, I'm positive.  She literally bounces when she walks!  I say quite often, "I just don't know if this house is big enough for Ayden Claire's personality!"  I could really eat her up- she amazes me and I adore her.

Ayden Claire tried out ice skating for the first time this year.  She quickly decided she likes the carousel better!

Heading to one of many birthday parties we celebrated this past year.  She LOVES her friends!

Checking out Daddy's helicopter!  Well, it's not really his, but it might as well be to the girls.  They totally think he's the coolest!

Playing at the Archive Museum in downtown Montgomery.  Don't her eyes just sparkle???  :)

And now her 3rd birthday is right around the corner!  SO hard to believe.  I can hardly remember a time without our little AC.  She just completes our family so perfectly!

Fences

Last weekend we went to Jill's house to build a fence.  Yes, a fence.  My dad and brother were coming up to build the fence Jill had been wanting since buying their house so Wes and David were enlisted to help.  Wes was actually excited!  Nothing like male bonding over a privacy fence in Alabama in July.  And build it they did!  They worked two days straight in 95+ degree summer heat and went through about 75 gatorades between the 5 of them.  As the final boards were being nailed in to complete the fence, I started singing the line from the song "Signs"- "You put up a fence to keep me out, or to keep mother nature in...."  I always liked that song!  "Signs, signs, everywhere are signs, blocking up the scenery, breaking my mind, do this don't do that, can't you read the signs...."  But back to the fence.  And then I started thinking about where we build fences in our personal lives- do we put fences up to keep certain people in or out, where do we place fences or boundaries with our children?  Everyone builds fences in different places....some closer to the house and some further away.   Especially with our children!  Still following me?  Some parents put fences around their children VERY close to home in hopes of protecting them.  In my opinion, and its just an opinion, that is okay but it really limits their view of what is beyond that fence.  I don't want my girls to wake up one day and step outside of their fenced in life and be shocked by what is beyond their backyard.  But, on the flip side of that, I don't want them to have too big of a fence too soon.  So I think we put up our fence somewhere in the middle....probably a little closed in when it comes to some things and we expand the limitations with other things.  I think at times my oldest daughter is a little sheltered and naive in ways.  I try not to keep her totally in the dark but on the other hand I don't want her to worry about things that 9 year olds shouldn't worry about!  It's a balancing act and there is a fine line as a parent I try to walk.  Preparing your daughter for life and protecting her from life all at the same time.  It seems impossible at times yet day after day that's what I try to do as a mom.  My dad jokingly told Anniston once the fence was completely finished that "We're going to take it all down now!"  One day (and not as far off as I'd like!) all the fences Wes and I have put up for our girls will be taken down.  It will be up to them, as adults, to place and decide their own boundaries and what they will accept and let in and keep out of their lives.  My prayer is that we've prepared them for that and when they test new things and find some unacceptable, they build their fences accordingly.  And I also pray they never build fences around their hearts- guard them, yes, but don't fence in all that you have to give. 

This picture really has nothing to do with fences, it was just taken in Jill's kitchen while the guys worked outside!  Isn't Kendra the cutest little mommy to be?  Can't wait to meet baby Kai!

Did I mention that I helped as well....?  :)