Cell phone pictures.

These days I feel like I take more pictures with my phone than with my actual camera just because I always have my phone with me...Anyway, I finally had some time to upload all the pictures I have taken recently...so here is a very random assortment of pictures:)

ENJOY!

Russell actually sent this one to me while he and the girls were at Chick-fila one night. He usually takes the girls there on Tuesday nights (kids eat free!!) while I teach my boot camp class:) They always have so much fun!
This was taken at the carousel at the Galleria in Birmingham. After we dropped Aunt Jessica off at the airport a few weeks ago, I didn't feel like going home right away, so we took a little detour to the mall...surprise, surprise:) Marissa picked the giraffe because that is what is on her silky (her teddy bear she sleeps with every night.)

Allie got put on the horse right next to the giraffe. She wasn't so sure about it at first, but warmed up to it eventually. :)

Here we are at the pool and Allie is eating...I couldn't resist getting a shot of that belly:)

And here is another picture of Allie eating...this time she is making quite a mess out of her blue Maggie-Moos ice cream!

Oh and here is sweet Marissa holding my hand in the back seat. She was crying about something and having a bad night, so I asked her if she wanted mommy to come sit beside her and she said yes, then she grabbed my hand. I almost cried. It was so sweet:)

Here's Miss Allie stylin' in her seersucker blazer and shorts on her way to church. This is probably one of my all-time favorite outfits!

A few nights ago, I walked into my room to go to bed and I found Nemo in my spot:) Marissa was playing with him earlier that night and I guess she decided he was tired and needed to go night-night:)

Allie.Eating.Again. :) This time it's a banana...do you think she got a big enough bite?

LOL. Oh, I love this picture so much. Sweet Allie and her crazy hair in the morning. And of course, her banana. Let me tell you, our day does not go well if she doesn't get her banana first thing in the morning!

Here they are watching their morning cartoons and having their milk:) I love my mornings with my girls!

:)

Picnic in the sunroom

A few weeks ago, I asked Russell if he would keep the girls occupied for a little while so I could do some stuff around the house and after a while I started looking for them and this is what I found....peanut butter, apples, and placemats made out of scrapbook paper. They decided to have a little picnic in the sunroom:) Also, earlier that day, we got a package from NeeNee (my mom) and she sent the girls these little water-suits so they had to try them on and model them for daddy while they were playing in the sunroom! (By the way...as you can see, I'm in the process of fixing up that room, so please excuse the mess, it's getting there...)

Daddy and his girls:)

I asked Marissa to smile for me and this was the face she gave me?! Not sure what that's all about....

OK, that's better:) Look at that sweet face!

Allie wanted more peanut butter!!!

Daddy to the rescue!

In a peanut butter haze....

Look at those curls:) ( I think I put a picture of Allie's curls in just about every post...)

So she was either doing her best superman impression or she really wanted that thing off of her:)

A is also for Applesauce!

So, the day I taught Marissa all about the letter "A" I must have been feeling like I was supermom or something because I got the crazy idea to ask her to help me make some cookies out of applesauce to tie in the whole "A is for Apple, Applesauce is made out of apples thing" ...not to mention, I have been trying to think of new, healthy snacks the girls would like so I figured applesauce oatmeal cookies would be a total win/win. Plus, Marissa loooooves to help me in the kitchen, as soon as I start cooking anything, she runs to get her blue chair and says, "Mommy, I want to help you cook!"
Well, I found a recipe online, got the ingredients, got my adorable little helper and we got to baking. Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of this process....but if you will remember from an earlier post, Marissa's most favorite thing to do when we bake....
She got to lick the beaters!
And she was even sweet enough to share with Miss Allie!
Checking on the progress of her cookies...

Sweet, sweet sisters:)

And just in case you were wondering, the cookies were not such a big hit....Marissa took a bite and made a face, then looked at me and said, "Mommy, those applesauce cookies don't taste good." oh well, I tried.

*Be sure to scroll down to read more about the letter A. :)

A is for Apple...

That is what Marissa learned this week.

She did an excellent job coloring her Apple red.
And little sister got in on the fun, because, these days, what one sister does, the other sister does. :)
YAY! She was very excited about it!

Left-handed like her mommy?!

Marissa was very intense during her coloring, she made sure there was not one speck of white showing in that apple.

She was very proud of her red Apple!

Allie was off and running at this point, but she sat long enough to get a little coloring done:)

I am also trying to teach the girls a Bible verse to go along with their letter. This week, in honor of the letter A and an Apple, we learned Psalm 17:8, which says, "Keep me as the Apple of your eye, hide me in the shadow of your wings." Marissa learned that A is for Apple, that she is the Apple of God's eye and that means that she is "sooo special". :) (It's so sweet to hear her explain all of that...I will try to get it on video.)

Here she is working on her "block" A and tracing. She did such a great job!

This week, we are moving on to B! Stay tuned! We'll "b" back. (hahaha...)

Fun Times with Aunt "Kess"

Last month we were so excited to have Aunt Jessica come stay with us (or Aunt "Kessica" as Marissa would say...) Jessica is Russell's sister and well, my sister too. I don't have any younger siblings, so since meeting and getting to know her, I am proud to claim Jessica as my own little sister, she is so much fun to be around, is beautiful on the inside and out and one of the most creative people I know...not to mention we share the same name! Both of the girls had so much fun with her, especially Miss Marissa. Marissa thinks Aunt Kess is the coolest girl around:) And speaking of being cool, while Aunt Kess was here, my cool points as a mom began to diminish. I suppose it was bound to happen sooner or later...I just didn't know it would happen so soon....Here's what happened. So I wear headbands...a lot. I have lots of crazy little wispy hairs that need to be tamed and a headband does the job. And I am always trying to get Marissa to wear her headbands, they are so cute on her and they do a great job of keeping her hair out of her face. She just doesn't really like to wear them though, she will take them out very quickly after I put in on....that was until Aunt Kess came along. One morning Aunt Kess came down with her hair in a ponytail and a headband on. Marissa sees her in her headband and looks at me and says, very seriously and grown-up-like, "Mommy, I need a ponytail and a headband, please." Seriously, Marissa? I wanted so badly to say, Marissa, mommy wears headbands and ponytails all the time, why don't you want to be like me??? But I didn't....no mommy guilt trip here....I just smiled, realized my cool points were dropping by the second while Aunt Jess was here...and hung my head in shame as I walked upstairs to get her the headband that she so desperately needed. I suppose at this time, I need to apologize to my own mom for making her feel uncool...which I'm sure I have done plenty of times...I now know, it stings a little. :)

Ok, enough feeling sorry for myself, I'll be quiet and get to the good stuff, some pictures taken by the super-cool girl that we all want to just like....Aunt Kessica!!


See, they love each other very much:)

Now for Marissa's photo shoot....she did some serious posing for Aunt Kess.
I have no idea where she learned how to do this...but she's got it down pretty good:)

One hand on her head and one of her hip....sassy girl:)

On a different night, Marissa helped Aunt Kess make some cookies and her cool points skyrocketed after she let Marissa lick the beaters...Marissa looooves to lick the beaters:)
YUMMY!

Jess got a great shot of Allie's sweet curls. I love her big, blonde curls:)

Look at those lips...I'm so jealous.....

Lastly, Jess and I took Marissa to the movies one day to see Despicable Me (or "Pickle Me" as Marissa would say) and we had a great time. I love this picture!

Aunt Jess, I'm so glad you were able to come stay with us, we had a wonderful time with you! Marissa and Allie are so lucky to have such a super-cool Aunt like you! We love you!!! Come back soon!