Asher's birthday (cont.)

My mom being super cute Miss America with the makeshift "blindfold"

Hugsy and Dadsy - sun in his eyes? Yes, I think so. 

Madi pinning the tail on the donkey

She's so excited she did it right!! lol Cutest little girl ever.

Nieces and nephews getting ready to sing Happy Birthday

Soon as Max saw everyone gathered 'round two cakes he started singing, "Hap birthday to YOUUU!"

Elizabeth, Mom and Asher, Avery

Blowing out candles

Asher and my Grandma Baker share the same birthday!

Noah and Asher

Asher: "It's an ironing thing I think."
(It's a mixer. He has me for a mother, how would he know the difference between an iron and a mixer?)

Max hates to lose the attention

People think it's weird for me to give my son a mixer for his birthday.
I think it's just good sense.
I let him have the pink cake with pink frosting he requested, too.

Drawing with brother

They are best friends lately, it's absolutely adorable.

Ever seen Care Bears? Asher says he's doing the "Care Bear stare".

I told him to do another thing that's cool.
This is what he did.
No idea what it is, but it's cute!

He looks so old in this picture I could puke.

Six!?!?

Asher loves his new Charlie Brown doll!

(Go over to Too Much Aubrey for more about my little Ash)

Happy Birthday Party

My niece Olivia, my sister Jennifer and I shared a birthday party tonight at my mom's house.

 

Reading the card from me. Isn't she beautiful??

Wearing the jewelry I gave her

Grandma lighting the candles

My best attempt at getting Josh to make a real smile

My best attempt at getting Asher to smile

Me & Max

Max Max

Seven people collapsing a bouncy house (Zac's birthday party Saturday)

Grandma's Happy Birthday

Today is my mama's birthday.  She's like 35 or somethin'.

I'm way lucky to have the mom I have. She knows basically everything, she's my own personal nurse (whom I call for absolutely every little thing that looks a little off), and she has pretty much been a second mother to my kids. I can't even tell you how much she's done for me and my family, and I'll never forget or stop being grateful for parents who were supportive of my teen pregnancy. They never once questioned my decision to keep my baby, which gave me the courage to be Joshua's mom, and I have been so blessed by that! What on earth would we do without Joshua??? I can't think of a mom I'd rather have in the world, and I hope she knows she's the best.

I'm sorry you only get a clean house once a year, Mom. ;) I love you!

Filling in the blanks - It's winter & I'm a terrible blogger

Thanksgiving Day 2010

 

He's so incredibly good-looking.

My brother is such a great photographer!

Me, Max & Steve - haha - love Max's face!

First of all, there's this problem with my mom's computer. I can upload pictures... and I can even find the pictures... but blogger refuses to recognize them. So until I find a solution to that, I'll need to settle for just these few that my brother e-mailed me. Isn't he awesome? I love them.

Here's what's happened this month that I have failed to blog about:

• The first ever (but not the last!) Niece's Night Out (which actually turned out to be In). 3 of my local nieces came over and we did crafts and talked and talked and talked. We listened to Olivia's Olivia Newton John record (yes, an actual record - I had to ask my mom and Fred for help operating it), and talked about secrets and what we'll do for the next Niece's Night Out! (We're going to see Tangled, yay!)
• Steve's father - who we barely know - gave him a car. It's a 1992 Nissan, and it drives great. :) Just needed a new windshield and tires. This means I have a car sometimes!!! We are a 2-car family for the first time ever. I can't even tell you how excited I am! And just in time for winter.
• Max turned one! I posted a video, but no actual birthday pictures. We had a little party, but it was nothing big, and I was having too much fun to stop and take pictures. I stole a couple from my mom's blog and will post them here. Also, Jon's going to do a photo shoot in the studio whenever I get the time to take Max out there. :) 
• Thanksgiving/Ashlie's birthday! My niece Ashlie is twelve years old. I seriously can't believe it, and I have to say - she's absolutely gorgeous! I think she's so pretty and she's such a fabulous girl; we got very lucky having her in our family. Lately I just stare at her because I can't believe how old she is - and how much she looks like her mom! Happy birthday, Ash, I love you. xoxo
• Black Friday/worst mistake ever. I will definitely blog about this at To the Depths, cause let's face it, it's a stupid idea. Black Friday shopping is kinda like childbirth... you forget how much it sucks till you have to do it again and you're saying, "What was I thinking?!"
• There was a major blizzard. It snowed and snowed and snowed, and I'm no fun, so I didn't take my kids out in it. Luckily it snowed again and my husband did. :)
• Had a girls' night with Jenn, Andrea, and Jamie. We are all so busy now, we hardly ever get to get together, and I'm missing them! We saw The Social Network - which I expected to suck, because, let's face it, it's about fb - but it was actually really good! I'll definitely be seeing it again... but it won't be as good cause I won't have my girls with me. :(  P.S. I told them all I was going to bring a camera and take pictures because we don't really have any pictures together...  I even made Jenn have a shower and get all pretty. But then I forgot to take pictures! Haha, sorry Jenn! Next time. Definitely next time.
• Did I mention it's winter? I despise winter. It's very, very, very cold and wet. And I really hate cold and wet. But I get to wear scarves! And you know how I feel about scarves. <3 Getting my boots out of the closet for the first time this year... best feeling ever. I always get so sad when I have to put the boots away for the summer. Flip flops are so boring!

I'm sure there's more, but this is all I can produce right now. You don't want to read, though, you want pictures! So here are the (stolen) pictures from my mom's blog!

Max's birthday cake! I decided to risk it... and he didn't get sick!

Grandma 'Chele feeding Maxer his cake - look at his cute little chubby arms!

Grandma & Max reading his new book

Joshua... isn't he beautiful?

Josh & Max playing with his new toys

Max, Asher, Josh

Niece's Night! Olivia, Ashlie, Emma, me

Thanksgiving:

My nieces and nephews are getting old. They're not even little anymore!

Try to ignore my hair & just look at how cute my Joshy is reading!

Asher got to take home Boxy the Box Turtle (puppet) for the weekend from preschool. He was so excited!!

I love this picture cause my dad is sharpening knives. It just feels so much like home to me. Is that weird? Every once in a while, there are little things - like my mom sitting with her ice on the couch, or my dad sharpening knives... totally average things that just make me remember being a little kid and make me feel safe again (except, if we're being picky, my mom would have been holding a Diet Coke if I were still little).

Me & Max, Jenny, Ashlie - look, she's one of us now!

Fred, Justin, Jon

My niece Kenlee, my mama, Max

Olivia - she's 10! I'm in shock.

When did my nephew Adam become a guy? He's, like... tall!

I love this picture for two reasons: First of all, we're looking at black friday ads, which we do after Thanksgiving dinner every year, and second, Ashlie's hands are in the picture, and she's wearing the gloves I gave her for her birthday. :)

Alex & Josh

My mama and my niece Ashlie - see? I told ya she's beautiful.

All 4 of my local nieces: Ashlie, Kenlee, Olivia, Emma

My sister Natalie and her gorgeous girls, Ashlie and Olivia

Me, Jenny, Ashlie

Husband & I getting food

I <3 having family around

My beautiful sister-in-law Krista, who has fantastic style, a gorgeous house, and amazing clothes (which she passes down to me)  :) I have missed her, and I'm so glad we got to do Thanksgiving at their house this year!

My Max, all ready for the freezing cold, snowy day!