Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

The Oakes, David's and Schor's had a wonderful Christmas this year! Everyone must have been on Santa's "good" list this year because we were all spoiled!! On Christmas Eve Allen's parents came to Birmingham and we had them over to our house for dinner, cocktails and opened presents. It really was so much fun and wonderful getting to see each other. It had been soo long since we all had been able to just relax and catch up. Here are a few pictures...







After our little get together, Becky and John Allen went over to Scott and Jenny's house to spend the night with them so they could wake up on Christmas morning and watch Will, Carter and Lily Kate open up their presents Santa brought them.

I woke up Christmas morning to Allen cooking us breakfast and making coffee. What a treat!!! We had a great Christmas too! Allen got me Britney Spears tickets!!!!! I am so excited and can not wait to go this March...with Allen!!! He is being a trooper and going with me for a weekend get away in Atlanta. Here we come Britney!!! After that, we went over to Jenny and Scott's to surprise/watch John Allen open his BIG present from all the kids, a 37 inch flat screen TV!!! I can't even start describe the look of surprise on his face as he opened his present. He had everyone almost in tears as we watched his face like a kid getting their first bike on Christmas morning.

We then went from there to my parents house ( after we went home and showered, of course!) to open up presents. We began to open presents while Olivia napped, which WOW we are so blessed to have wonderful parents! They treated us to a great Christmas with bunches of presents to unwrap...this always takes a very long time because we like to open one present at a time going around in a circle, usually starting with ME!!!! Usually taking from start to finish about 3 hours! Here are some pics!









After we opened presents the "little muffin" woke up and she began to "open" her presents. Grandaddy and Nana SOOOO spoiled her! She got a new chair, a little puppy dog sleeping bag from Pottery Barn, baby doll stroller and baby doll, grocery cart, table and chairs and so on! Here are some pics!







What a wonderful Christmas 2008! We are hoping that 2009 will bring us continued happiness and grant us OUR wonderful wish for our little family! Happy New Year to all! See you in 2009!

I caved!!

So, I caved to Kea's tag. I saw people doing this too and it looks fun so here goes.......This is the fourth file and fourth picture in that file...drum roll please!!!!!



This is a picture from the wedding shower that Becky's Judson College friends threw us after we were married....like 5 months later! Its funny because just this weekend Lindsey and I were talking about how babies always go through some sort of "awkward" stage and don't look so cute. Well, guess what this picture was taken when Lin and I thought Liv was going through that phase. I know that sounds awful and I shouldn't say that but I know you all out there think the same thing about babies but you just won't say it...well i did!!!!!

Now I get to tag four people....1. Evan, 2. Brandi, 3. Lindsey...come on you haven't posted in like 4 months and 4. Jamie, I have to call you out too!!!! Hopefully, this will get you back in the blogging world!

Trying to get in the Christmas spirit...

I don't know what it is this year but I can't seem to get in the Christmas spirit. It seems like last year I was all excited about Christmas decorating and going shopping for Christmas presents and this year its just so so. I guess i was just excited because it was our first Christmas as a family as well as Liv's first Christmas. I'll get there soon! Any way!!! After a week of staring at my Christmas decorations on my dining room table, trying to get my creative juices flowing, I finally managed to get going with my living room mantle and then just went from there. The only creative art project that Lin and I did this year was painting some wooden initials, AOL & BSL. They turned out pretty cute! We painted them red and painted green dots on them then sprayed them with gold glitter spray. You can kind of see them in the picture of my mantle. They are right in the middle. Here are some pics..they are kind of blurry because I took them with my camera phone. I've also included a pic of Olivia from this weekend. She is in a phase right now where she loves sitting in front of the TV watching anything. And she will sit on or in ANYTHING! Even a reindeer plant holder!!!!! We had to take her rocking chair away from her because she was standing up in it!!!!

Another one.....

So, I know that most of my friends probably think that my life revolves around Olivia....it does!!! Just kidding! But really, she just brings so much happiness to my life and can always make me smile when I've had the worst day at work! Hopefully, soon I'll be able to post pics of MY baby!!! And, NO I am not pregnant! Olivia just has the best personality and this pic shows it!

A wonderful November weekend!

This weekend was my mother in law, Becky and my our annual weekend trip to Montgomery to go Christmas decorating shopping. Our two must have stops are Cafco and Southern Home and Gardens in Montgomery. We are always able to find soo many cute things at both places. If you haven't ever made a trip to either two Southern Home and Gardens, you MUST!!!! they by far have the best Christmas decorations ever and they prices aren't bad either. Can't wait to post some of the new decorations I'll have out this Christmas. i LOVE Christmas and actually even asked Allen if I could start decorating...I might become one of those wives that start decorating before Thanksgiving!!! hehe..just kidding!

When I got home on Sunday I HAD to go see Olivia, I was having withdrawals from not seeing her for almost a week. We had a fun afternoon of playing outside and riding her choochoo train. She know loves to "push" us around on it. Lindsey and I bundles her up and headed outside for a little while this afternoon and watched her tottle around the front yard going up and down the front steps. Once she learns how to do something she has to do 100 times.

I am so excited too because I FINALLY took at day off tomorrow to go to the doctor and hangout with my mom. These last couple of months have been so crazy at work with handling the construction of 4 practices from Carraway moving to Brookwood because of Carraway shutting down. It is a well deserved break, more days are necessary though! Enjoy the pics!

This is the cutest picture! She is the happiest baby! Moments like this puts the biggest smile on my face and make me want to smother her with kisses!

Loves pumpkins!

Just totting along, like a big girl!

Up and down up and down we go!

One of her favorite ways to travel! On her mommas shoulders! Or Aunt Lala's!

Whoopsie, I fell!

A little catching up to do...

So, for the past couple of months we have been having some fun! A couple of weeks ago Lindsey, Olivia, Harvey and I made a trip down to Selma to stay with Kea, Lee and Kylie. This was the first time I had actually got to see little Kylie, she is such a cutie!!!! When we got to Selma, we decided to go to the Montgomery Christmas bazaar...kind of like what the Junior League hosts each in yes in Birmingham. They had some cute booths set up but it was so crowded that it was crazy. Especially with a one year old that hadn't eaten lunch yet and needed a nap terribly and had been in the car for a total of almost 3 hours non stop. We stayed there for a total of 30 minutes and then turned around and went back to Selma. All and all we had a good time, but only to learn that get togethers are just not the same anymore with babies. The relaxing, drinking beer and watching the football game just isn't the same but we have come to grips to what has evolved and look for forward to our next get together! Now, we know what to expect! Here are some pics:

Olivia playing Pee Pie with me! She loved Kylie's play mat. Lindsey needs to get it back out. Actually, she loved a lot of Kylie's play toys.

She loves books!!!! That is her favorite book...the dog book. She just giggles and giggles while you read to her.

Kylie and Olivia having a little face to face! It was so funny, Olivia would walk up to Kylie and just stare at her and laugh. Then she would try to lean over and grab her animals on her mobile.

Once again, Olivia playing with Kylie's toys.

Harvey chillin!

Olivia and Kylie talking with one another

Next, we had Dad's 54th birthday party at my house last week. Nothing extravagant, but just a good ole family get together. Here are some pics:

Christmas is going to be so much fun this year! She wanted to help open each present with Dad.

She's WALKIN!!!!!

And finally, our 2nd trip to the zoo. This time Granddaddy, Nana, Uncle Allen, Aunt Lala and Livvie went this past Sunday. It was funny to see how attentive she was to the animals than the last time we went. Each animal we went to she said "Woof"! Her favorite part was riding the carosel with me!!! She loved every minute and giggled the whole time. Her latest word to say is "Weeeeee" so of course that's what she was saying as we went around and around.

Have you ever seen anything cuter?

I have no words for this post. The pictures say it all........

Fall Decoration Day!

I enlisted the help of my mom today to help me with my fall wreath for my front door. We had a fun time making it and I am so thankful for her help! She is so talented and I am thankful that I was blessed with just a "touch" of her decorating talents! She definitely comes on handy around the holidays. Hopefully this week I'll be able to post a finished picture of the front of our house and some better quality pictures with my actual camera instead of my camera phone. There is still a lot of planting to be done and cleaning up. Hope everyone had a great weekend and thank you so much, Mom! Love you!

One Year Ago

I was looking back through some old pictures on my computer and came across this picture of Olivia. I can't believe it's been over a year since this picture has been taken and that she was EVER this little. I also remember thinking that I better treasure these months because she won't be this small forever and what do you know....She's a year old now and almost walking! How time flies!!!!!

Pretend Motherhood 101

So this weekend I offered to babysit for my friend Julie, who I work with at Brookwood. She has two sweetie peetie twins, David and Georgia who are in Kindergarten at Green Valley Elementary. Julie and Darrin flew to Tulane this weekend for Tulane's Homecoming game and were going to try to relive some of her college days. We really have had a fun weekend and have done SO much!!!! For all of you moms out there.....I realize how exhausting it is!!!! Here are some pics from this weekend! Oh, and I also had another child to watch....Roosevelt a.k.a Rosie, their golden retriever puppy! And of course I had to post a picture of my precious Olivia!

Olivia, David, Georgia, Lindsey and I went to Homewood Park on Saturday afternoon for some fun swinging and sliding down the slides. Of course, David and Georgia had a blast playing on everything but Olivia LOVED the swing! She cried when we tried to get her out!

Rosie....posing for one of his sweet moments.

Rosie....attacking his toys! He is so cute and clumsy!

Sweet David! Waiting patiently with me for Georgia to get finished with her ballet lesson.

The twins. Such cuties! We are on our way to Tip Top Grill to eat lunch and then to heading to the park for some fun in the sun!