MERRY CHRISTMAS!

We had a great Christmas! I hope Santa was good to you all. I will have pictures up soon, but you will have to wait because my laptop is broken and being fixed. (I am bumming computer time from my parents.)

Anna was a blast and really got into opening presents this year. She loved everything and was so dramatic. I will update soon with more and pictures.

HALLOWEEN 2008

Anna & Brock- Her first "boyfriend". Her dad would beg to differ, but we think it is so cute. He made sure she got where she needed to go and got candy. How sweet!!!

Dad enjoying Halloween

Ladybug (Miriam), Purple Princess Fairy (Anna) and Fisherman (Brock)

Anna is so animated. This is her showing/signing "scared". It is hilarious.

WE HAVE WALLS- Phase 2 & Finish

Front Door

Looking from the carport to the back porch and master bedroom

Looking from the living room to the kitchen and keeping area... We are going to brick the arch... One of my favorite pieces...

Anna. The picture says it all...

Master bathroom- The new thing in tubs is the "air tub". Can't wait to try it. Much better than the old jet styles that you can never keep clean. It works like the jet tub, except it has approx 100 tiny holes around the bottom of the tub that blows air for bubbles, but also once all the water has drained it blows water to clean the holes and dry the tub. It also has a heated back rest. I don't know if I will ever get out...

Front... We are roofing and bricking this week... Hopefully no rain.

Master bedroom, 9 foot ceilings with a 10 foot tray cut out

Looking from the kitchen into the living room, the fireplace is in the middle. We will have custom built ins on both sides.

Looking from the back porch into the living room and kitchen. You can see part of the arched opening into the dining room to the right.

Anna knows this is HER house. She loves going work at the lot...

Anna's Second Birthday Party

Anna loved her cake!!! (So did mom... lol)

Trampoline- 2nd year birthday present

Anna loves to sing Happy Birthday!!!

My cousin, Gracie, helping me to paint my pumpkin.

All of our masterpieces...

Pumpkin painting was our treat... The kids loved it.

Which color to choose???

Who needs a spoon???? Not me!!!

Wow!!! A tent and tunnel, just we needed in a 900 sf house... But, it is cute put together.

My first piggy bank.

My "plasma car". These are the best gifts.

2nd Birthday Present for Anna

ANNA LOVES TO "JUMP".
IF WE WOULD LET HER, SHE WOULD JUMP ALL DAY!!!!
SO, WE BOUGHT HER A TRAMPOLINE FOR HER BIRTHDAY!

ANNA AT HER FINEST

ANNA FUNNY

As we are preparing to evacuate last week, my child made us laugh in the midst of a stressful event. Here it goes:


(To set the stage, I am outside readjusting my car to pack in more things while David is inside packing up with Anna. Anna is in her room and David is in the kitchen.)

Anna- Mom
Anna- Mom (Repeat, louder)
Anna- Mom, Come See (Repeat, louder and louder)
Mom- No response, because I am outside and can not hear her.
Anna- Allison (Her new thing, to call me by my first name.)
Anna- Allison, Come here.
Mom- Still no response.
Anna- Allison, 1-2-3-4-5 (She was counting to me like I was in trouble. I have tried the counting technique with her, but it does not work, as you can see.)

Dad- Runs outside to tell me how funny it was to hear her calling for me and then trying to discipline me.

FINALLY, A NEW POST

WE ARE STILL AROUND! JUST BUSIER THAN EVER. I HAVE ACCEPTED A NEW TEACHING POSITION FOR APE & 6TH & 7TH GRADE READING, SO I HAVE BEEN VERY BUSY GETTING PREPARED FOR MY STUDENTS NEXT WEEK. I AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR. I WILL BE GOING BACK TO COLLEGE TO WORK ON MY MASTER'S THIS SEMESTER, SO IT WILL BE A LITTLE CRAZY, BUT WORTH IT.

WE ARE ALSO WAITING TO START BUILDING ON OUR HOUSE. HOPEFULLY WE WILL START IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS. I AM SO READY AND ALSO EXCITED ABOUT THE BUILDING PROCESS. THE ONLY THING, I AM HAVING A HARD TIME PICKING OUT THE BRICK????? ANY SUGGESTIONS????

I HAVE ALSO ACCEPTED A PART TIME POSITION AT THE BANK (MY LAST EMPLOYMENT) TO STAY ABOARD AS THE LIFE INSURANCE SPECIALIST. THIS WILL WORK BECAUSE WE ONLY GO TO SCHOOL 4 DAYS A WEEK AND ON FRIDAYS OR SATURDAYS I CAN WORK BY APPOINTMENT ONLY.

ANNA IS DOING GREAT! WE ARE PLANNING HER SECOND BIRTHDAY. CAN YOU BELIEVE???? SHE IS TALKING UP A STORM AND I HAVE DECIDED THAT IF SHE GETS IN TROUBLE AS SHE GETS OLDER, IT WILL BE BECAUSE OF HER MOUTH. (I GUESS SHE GETS IT HONESTLY) HERE ARE SOME OF HER FAVORITE SAYINGS:

MEAN MOM (YES, AT FIRST I DID NOT THINK IT WAS WHAT I HEARD, BUT SHE SAID IT AGAIN IN CONTEXT AND IT WAS...)

WHAT HAPPENED????? (OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN)

NO, MAM (FOR EVERYONE, GIRL OR BOY, IT IS VERY FUNNY, UNLESS SHE USES IT IN THE WRONG CONTEXT)

ME: WANT MOMMY TO HAVE A BABY? ANNA: NO, MAM

SHE IS STILL SIGNING, I WILL POST A VIDEO IF SHE WILL LET ME FILM HER. SHE IS A LITTLE HEAD STRONG AND DOES NOT WANT US TO SIGN WITH HER OR VIDEO HER. I REALLY DON'T KNOW WHERE SHE GETS THAT FROM??? (LISA, NO COMMENTS:))

HOPE YOU ALL HAD A GREAT SUMMER!!!! WE SURELY DID. BUT, I AM READY FOR THE FALL AND HOPEFULLY SLOW DOWN. (YEAH, RIGHT)

Summertime Update

We had another wonderful trip to our camp this past weekend. Our family was able to go up on Thursday and spend some time together at the beach and boating. Anna had a blast in our new PONTOON boat. She thinks it is HERS (which is how we justified buying it). She loves to drive and honk the horn. It is the cutest thing to see her in her life jacket sitting like a big girl behind the wheel (I say that now, but in 14 years it may not be so cute anymore). We had family over Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It was a weekend of 3rd generation Devall's and 4th generation (our kids). The Devall family is huge, so we try to get as many as we can together once a year at the Lake to catch up and let the kids play and get to know their cousins. I will have pictures to share once I download them...

Anna Update:

She is starting to put multiple words together and talk in sentences. It is the cutest and funniest things we have heard. These are some of our favorites.

I like it!
I don't like it!
Hi! How are you doing? (especially when she is playing on her toy phone)
Hi, mommie!
Hi, daddie!
TV, please??? Einstein, please???

PIANO

Anna loves to play the piano. So, while I was antique shopping a few weekends ago, I came across a childs piano with real keys. I could not pass it up. She loves it and bangs on the keys and sings "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" at the same time. It is so cute it brings tears to my eyes. So here it is... (My hubby does not think it is so cute, because it is so loud, lol)

18 MONTHS

Another milestone!!! A year and a half. Wow, how time is flying...

Anna is growing like a weed, 29 1/2 inches and about 30 pounds. I realized this morning how big she was getting, when we were driving to daycare and she started singing "Twinkle twinkle little star" and I could understand her. That is her new thing now. She loves to sing songs, count to 10 and sing her ABC's. It is just the cutest thing.

Here are some of her favorite things:

NO!!!!! (Everything is NO!!!)
Come on...
Throws her hands up in the air if you ask her where something is and she does not know...
Car
Ice
Fish
What's that?
Play
Slide
Cat
Makeup