This is the only picture of a float (of like 20 floats) that I took, but it was pretty cool. This years theme was Have No Fear.  

Ryan and Angie snagging some beads 

Look at all those beads hanging off the sides just waiting to be thrown! 

Our First Mardi Gras Parade!!!!

Tonight we joined Angie's family in attending our first Mardi Gras Parade!!! And it went a little something like this,
We left the house at 6pm. Ryan and Angie got an awesome spot along the parade route, right on the road and on a corner too, so that we didn't have anyone around us really. For those of you northerners like myself, it's kind of like football tailgating meets homecoming parade but you go home with a bunch of cool stuff...too much stuff. We hung out sipping Starbucks (thanks Ryan!) and munching on brownies- figuring the parade would roll by around 7pm....but oh no. It didn't come past us until well after 10pm and it lasts for well over an hour. And of course I didn't pack any food for Deagan, nor did we eat dinner before we went. So I walked over to Walgreens and bought chips and string cheese for the girls (real healthy I know) and a bottle and formula for the baby. The girls hung out in the back of their mini van watching movies. Occationally coming out to run into the road to see if it was coming yet. Olivia had no idea what to expect, as this was her first parade of any kind, ever. And Mardi Gras was a little chaotic for her. The first few floats that came by she was out on the street yelling for beads and stuffed animals. Then came a marching band with a huge drumline...and she FREAKED OUT. So here I was with Deagan in the backpack on my back and Olivia in my arms screaming to go hide in the van. So I let her crawl in the cave and she didn't come back out. She stood in the back of the van waving her light up wand, wearing her beads and yelling "go get some more momma!" She had a lot of fun watching from the comfort zone of the van. It was cute. Eventhough I'd love for her to be outgoing and have crazy fun, I've learned to accept her reserved attitude and understand that sometimes you can have just as much fun watching other people be idiots;)
Overall it was really good to get out of this house and have a little fun, and forget for just a few hours about Daddy being gone! Thanks for inviting us Ryan and Angie, we had a GREAT time:)

No, they're really not related! 

this is his concentration face:) 

Oh la la, le dragon de bebe viennent ici ainsi je peux vous embrasser

hi 

Ok sissy, hurry up and finish your bike ride so that I can go on the swings! 

She was so proud of her outfit, because she picked it and it matched...and she even had blue shoes to go along with it! 

Look at those chunk rocks!!!!! 

Grey's Anatomy

I don't normally do this, but Ok, so if you're not familiar with it, let me introduce you to the best show on television, Grey's Anatomy. I'd just like to tell you how much I love this show!!!! Personally, I think it's the best dramatic comedy in a very long time. It is meaningless entertainment- yet it leaves you in deep thought about your own life, which is a nice twist for sunday night TV.
And if you are watching it, what the hell is Meredith thinking sleeping with George? He's like your best friend from college, you just don't go there. Poor guys going to end up with a broken heart. And that new guy, the 'x-best friend' and Addison's loverboy, woah! She needs to just go back where she came from and be with him. That way Meredith can be with McDreamy!!!! And it's about time that they lay it all out on the table (or elevator) and tell each other that they still are in love, get over with and get it on. SERIOUSLY!
And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, watch the show:)

We've got it BAD

Jeff left early this morning for a three week training trip to Knox. It's the first time he's been gone since we've all been back together. He's been gone less than 24hours and already Olivia's world is ending. I can't tell you how many times today she called out for Daddy;and how many conversations we had about him being on a trip. She milked it this morning and got an hour of cartoons out of me while Deagan was napping. Then I took them to the park and it totally backfired on me. She hit a bump and fell off her tricycle and skinned her knee....and let me tell you she's a DRAMA QUEEN when it comes to being hurt. First thing she did was yell at the top of her lungs for her Daddy. You would have thought I was trying to kidnap her or something. Me, her mother, couldn't console her. So she parked herself on a bench and said she was going to wait for her daddy to carry her to the car. I told her she'd be there for awhile, but she found no amusement with me. So I did what any military wife would do and told her to get off her butt and keep going.
So we come home and she bawls up on the couch and cries for an hour and a half about her knee and her daddy. And she wouldn't walk or put weight on her knee (seriously, the scrape was the size of a dime). So I, feeling pity for her, carried her around. Poor little thing! And I'm supposed to handle this for three weeks? It's never been this bad before. I just hope that she can come to terms with him being gone.

A Quick Trip to the ER

Thank goodness Olivia was in school today and Jeff hadn't left for knox yet!!! Long story short- I was in a class at our gym this morning and their equipment broke and busted my hand. We were doing a resistance drill called the parachute, using the rubberbands with handles. Well mine snapped in two. TWICE. I should have got the clue the first time, but it didn't hurt. Then WHAMMY it happened again and left me with three fat fingers and four bruised knuckles. Not to mention a nice accident report followed by a trip to the ER. I got Xrays and they didn't think it was broken, but judging by the swelling and the nice blue tinge my fingers have, they think I might have tore a ligament. I have to wait it out for a few days, follow up with my doctor and see what happens next...GRRRRrrrrreat :/

Our little princess all grown up. (At least she thinks she's twelve!) She was so excited to go to school- she was jumping around the kitchen. She had a great day too!!! The teacher was amazed that she had never been in a structured class setting before, because she listened so well. My shy little girl is no longer. She even gave the teacher hugs....my Olivia gave a stranger hugs...ok sure. Olivia talked all day about how much fun she had at school, and how she wouldn't take a nap. She said she would "miss sompen." These pictures show exactly what every mother hopes for- a blissfully happy child! 

Ok, So Jeff and I have come to realize that we have a charmer on our hands. He flirts with everyone and LOVES attention! And with those eyes and those dimples....oh man watch out Matthew Maconahey here comes Deagan Carter;) 

Olivia's First Day of 'School'

Today is Olivia's first day of school, well pre-preschool mother's day out sort of thing. But for her it's the real deal. She woke up running in a furry to get her clothes on and get to school. I had to convince her that we needed to eat breakfast and it would be ok. On the way there she was chanting, "I'm so essited, I'm so essited!" She couldn't contain her excitement. And the only thing she could remember was to "tell her teacher when she had to poo poo:)" She was rehearsing everything we talked about, eating lunch, playing on the playground and taking a nap on her nap mat...all next to Maddy of course. And when we pulled up she was a champ, ran right in. I handed her to the teacher and she never looked back. The teacher had to call her back to the door just to give me a kiss goodbye...doesn't look like we'll have any problems:) But wish her luck anyway!

Welcome to the world little one

This is sweet baby Sophia Grace, she was born on Feb 11th @ 2:54pm. And is 7 lbs 7oz, 18 in long. We went to visit Ryan and Angie at the hospital today. Sophia is so adorable. She is tiney tiny, smaller than any little one I've seen. She looks about 6 lbs. Mother and baby are doing well and the two big sisters are elated with joy.

Look at that sweet smile...Olivia's best bud Maddy is now a very happy big sister! 

During our little hospital visit the girls thought the bed made a nice toy:)