The Fields Family

Divine Pixels Photos

2010-12-23T16:47:00.000-06:00

Back in November we worked with Aaron from Divine Pixels on some updated photos for Christmas cards, etc.

Christmas on the River 2010

2010-12-19T16:01:00.000-06:00

Kennedi and Stevie before the daytime parade.

I hardly have any photos of the actual floats because I didn't have the best angle from my seat but there were lots of good ones.

After the parade we went back down to the river to our RV spot and the girls and I went to check out the replica Nina and Pinta ships. This was the first year they have come to our city and some of the classes from their school came to see but their grade wasn't able to.

The girls had plenty of questions for the crew about Columbus' journey.

Next we headed up to the field where the cookoff was held the night before. Skip is on one of the teams and we stopped back by for lunch.

Rib eatin' girls

We had lots of company over to watch the SEC Championship game that afternoon and we got to meet our friends sweet new baby, Camdyn, for the first time.

The girls modeling the hats they got that afternoon in the park.

And the shirt says it all, after that game we were certainly "Proud to be Auburn Tigers!!"

Since We've Last Seen One Another...

2010-12-19T15:08:00.010-06:00

Veterans Day the kiddos were out of school so we spent a fun day in Tuscaloosa. Stevie decided Daniel had the best seat in the car. She loved the head rest on his booster seat.

I don't know where we went wrong with this girl... she used to proudly wear her orange and blue.

We really saw "Megamind" in 3D this particular day but since we tease Stevie about being Rapunzel with all that hair so I couldn't resist a quick pic.

Mia shopping in Academy Sports

Stevie is taking guitar lessons in Tuscaloosa now and this was her showing off some instruments she would like to learn to play while we waited for her first lesson.

Ukulele & Mandolin

Miller looking precious in her Santa dress

Stev & Miller

Stevie and I got our tree decorated

Yummy Christmas Cookies

Skip and I celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary on November 19th. Although this picture was just taken last weekend it is one of the more recent ones of us together. We had a great weekend in Birmingham. We went to see Jason Aldean & Luke Bryan in concert, did some Christmas shopping, and ate some very good meals.

I know this little ham is going to have a ball on her first Christmas

A couple of updated cousin pictures from yesterday.

Stev and Rock snuggled up watching Christmas movies this afternoon.

Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas week!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-21T17:43:00.005-06:00

This year we celebrated Halloween at our friends Joe & Blair's house again. The live on a street that gets lots more kids out trick or treating than ours so why not pool all our candy and all get together??

Miller celebrated her first Halloween as a pumpkin.

Daniel as Ben 10.

Mia had a costume mishap at the last minute but still looked festive.

Stevie with her girls...

Taylor Swift, Spider Woman, Punky Brewster, & Rainbow Bright

I was thrown for a loop when Stevie told me she wanted to be Punky Brewster?!? I don't even remember her but after doing a Google search and watching a few You Tube videos we were on the right track. Thankfully with some assistance from my mom and Carey, Stev's costume came together even after I came down with a rough stomach virus Halloween week.

Dana, Blair, Katie, Me, & Carey

Whew, pass out candy we certainly did. We had an entire beverage tub (in the pic of Stevie & friends) full of candy and by the end of the night we had almost given it all out! The holidays are right around the corner now. I panicked today pulling up eBay and seeing there are only 34 days until Christmas!!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-01T20:36:00.002-05:00

Weekend before last we headed West to Chunky, MS, to the Pumpkin Patch. Stevie pleasantly surprised me wanting to go. I thought she would think she was too old for it but I was all for it when she brought it up.

Unfortunately the closer we got the darker the clouds got. We did get in some rain but we made the most of it.

Mia was the only one fortunate enough to have a place to keep dry.

Stevie kept all her digits away from the pony. I think he was hoping to get a little snack but it looks like he is about to chomp a few fingers :)

Pouty face... she is always hoping for a big growth spurt.

I had to grab Daniel for a quick pic. He was off to see the loudest animals there...

these little guys.

Next came the goats.

The sun peaked back through and left it steaming hot and a little muddy but we persevered.

We moved on to the Punkin' Chunkin'. Stevie had really been looking forward to this part.

Both kiddos hit the targets (with a little assistance) and got pig noses.

Next we ventured through the corn maze.

Mia "mysteriously"ended up with an ear of corn.

(Thanks to Poppy)

We barely made it to the "Hamphitheatre" in time to see the pigs race.

After cooling down with snacks and drinks we caught the hayride to the pumpkin patch.

Decisions, decisions...

We had a great time and as we were preparing to leave I decided to attempt an updated picture of these 3 but you know how that tends to go...

chewing candy, staring off to the side, etc.

Happy Fall!!

August-Present

2010-10-20T21:05:00.000-05:00

Lots of time has passed since I've posted so I am playing catch up (again!). Here is a quick re-cap of the last couple of months.

Stevie gave Daniel a custom tattoo.

Mia's Halloween sneak preview.

Skip and Miller hanging out watching football.

Stevie flagged down the ice cream truck on our way to watch Daniel's soccer game.

Updated cousin pic!

Stevie luring Mia toward the camera with her snow cone.

Soccer Pics

Rock loves going for a ride in the car.

Stev has a new dog, Sugar, who lives at her mom's.

Rock still remains "top dog".

Kennedi and Stevie playing in the rain. I was tempted to get out in it myself. We hadn't seen rain in quite a while.

Rocky

Stev and Kennedi hanging out in their pj's.

Everyone in the pirate ship at Gigi & Poppy's house.

Miller came to hang out with us a couple of Saturday mornings ago.

Miller and Mom

Lots of phone pictures...

Skip let Miller taste a lemon at dinner.

Stevie and I went to a local plant sale and they gave the kids a cactus to take home and told them all about how to care for it.

She named her cactus Bob, just as she does everything else.

Painting pumpkins

My laundry assistant. She normally just keeps me company from her perch.

Last weekend Carey, Katie, and I headed to the beach for a fun weekend getaway.

Friday night we went to see Bon Jovi on the beach! I think we were 3 of 35,000+.

From this picture you can't really tell but it was super crowded!

Saturday we cheered on the Tigers while soaking up the sun outside of Cobalt. It was a beautiful day and the Auburn victory made it that much better! Now if we can just continue this winning streak with the tough games ahead :)

Cats Out of the Bag...

2010-09-26T17:36:00.006-05:00

Warning: Major Spoiler Alert

For a few months now we have been wondering if Stevie had figured out the whole Christmas "secret". For years she has been smitten with Wayne (her Elf) but recently I noticed Wayne was put up with her American Girl Dolls and not a constant companion as he once was. **Although it is not the typical "rules" for an elf, Wayne stays almost year round and he was never (unfortunately) the elf you couldn't touch.** Stevie's elf began at her mom's house years ago and she didn't go anywhere without him. I think Wayne even went to school most of first and second grade in her backpack. Well, when she was here with us and she required him being tucked under her arm to go to sleep at night, what were we to do? Of course it wouldn't make sense for him to be "magical" at one house and not the other?!? I would never trade the smiles and happiness this little elf has brought her over the years but I am pretty relieved to be out of the elf business at this house :)

September 17th was the day it all came out. Her mom called one night earlier in the week and told me she had once again received a "North Pole" letter returned to her. When she read it to me it was perfectly clear she was definitely still a believer. She talked all about Wayne coming back to the North Pole soon to help Santa prepare for Christmas and hoping he could get his nose fixed (Wayne has seen some true wear and tear over the years) while he was there. Her mom was ready to come on out and tell her and her step-sister who is a year older than Stevie was more than willing to help with that. In their own time things all came out later that week. Some of her friends at school happened to get in the conversation of who still believed and I think it got her questioning it. She went back to her mom's that afternoon and started asking questions and she learned the truth. She called us and told us the big news. I get so sentimental on things like this so it was bittersweet for me but she handled it very maturely. She was more interested in asking questions like "how did y'all sneak around to put my gifts out", "who put Wayne in this place or that place", and "who ate the cookie and powdered doughnuts I would leave out for Wayne" than being upset about it. Skip explained to her we will still wake up early and do our family Christmas just like we always have. She is growing up right before our eyes and she continues to make us very proud!

Family Beach Trip

2010-08-15T22:04:00.000-05:00

A couple of weeks ago my parents treated my family and my sister's family to a little time at the beach!

We all traveled south at different times on Thursday and Friday and everyone but Skip made it down in time to eat dinner at Wintzell's on Friday night.

Stevie's favorite part of eating there is checking out the turtles swimming out front.

Stev & Daniel

Kendall, Mia, Trey, & Daniel
Daniel did some kind of super hero pose every time I lifted my camera, go figure!

Mia took her bath in the kitchen sink since her tub didn't make the trip.

Ice Cream- the perfect bedtime snack.

These next few pics are out of order but I couldn't leave them out. As you can see Stevie was so proud to go get an airbrush t-shirt. By now I should have learned my lesson, between having her softball helmet done and now this, that although airbrush is cheesy, it is not cheap. O well, she is all into bright neon colors right now so she LOVES it.

Around the backside of the souvenir shop was a giant pirate ship. Of course I had my phone handy for a couple of pictures.

Mom insisted I get in the picture so there would be some photographic proof I was actually on this trip :)

Saturday morning Mia made her beach debut with the big kids.

She really liked it! Kendall didn't keep her out too long because there actually was a heat advisory that day.

Lots of trips were made back and forth between the beach and the pool at the request of Stevie and Daniel.

Guess what Stevie and Gigi made in the sand...

Shark!

Just like her daddy, this girl looks forward to watching shark week. Being at the beach and watching it was a little creepy.

After dinner Saturday night we hit Pirate's Island for a little put-put golf.

I love these sweet story time pics.

Sunday Skip and Kendall, Trey, and Mia headed home because of work schedules but I had taken off all week so me and Stevie stayed with my parents and Daniel. While Kendall and Trey got packed up we had a mini photo shoot with Mia.

Every night as we tried to leave to go to dinner a storm blew up. Thankfully we were having pretty days but it made things a little complicated getting to dinner and doing anything afterwards. Fortunately only one night stayed stormy so we opted to go to the movies that night.

The kiddos Monday night before dinner. Stev and I spent most of the day at Waterville but Daniel opted to skip that, he is not really into rides.

Tuesday we spent the day back and forth between the beach and pool again. We wanted to soak it in as much as we could because we were headed home on Wednesday. The pool where we stayed was really cool. It was the kind you walk into and it is like walking into the ocean or a wave pool.

Daniel remembered to bring his boogie board which provided some entertainment for a little while.

On our last night Stevie had big plans. She really wanted to go eat at The Hangout and then she and Poppy were going to ride the roller coaster at Waterville.

She LOVED The Hangout. At dinner when all the staff was signaled they gathered together to do dances like the Macarena, Cupid's Shuffle, YMCA, etc. on the floor and on empty tables. Stevie thought that was GREAT!

She even told me she wanted to work there when she got older. Umm, maybe not. I had to convince her that it probably isn't as much fun as it seems. She decided maybe she would rather just have a birthday party there. Ha! Probably not as fun in December if I had to guess.

Then the time came... she got a little nervous but she really wanted to do it. She was determined to be able to say that she had ridden a roller coaster before.

She and Poppy were the only people on the ride and they sat in the very front!

The first time they came by us she was hanging on to Poppy and looked a little unsure.

The second time was better...

And by them time they got off she was begging to go again!

Instead we went for another game of put-put golf.

It was really hot out there so Stev used one of the water misting spouts to cool her face.

After lots of packing we were back on the road Wednesday.

Thanks so much Mom and Dad! We had a great time!

A Recap of June & July

2010-08-05T12:54:00.020-05:00

I looked yesterday and realized I had 550+ pictures I haven't gotten around to posting!!

Let's start with Father's Day. Yes, it's almost been 2 months but I couldn't let it go without recognizing the man who so graciously loves and provides for our family.

As he sat outside reading the paper we surprised him with a new pair of Costa del Mar sunglasses and a new Polo.

Later we spent the day swimming and hanging out.

Skip rigged up this contraption that I will have to admit is quite nice out by the pool. He drilled small holes into a short water hose and zip tied it to this big fan. It is perfect for laying out!

Even Rock got in on a little pool time.

The steps of the penguin dive...

Next it was time for the celebrations to begin to celebrate me turning 26. I always claim a birthday week :) but with all that was going on during that time it was more like 2 weeks this year. Skip surprised me a couple of days before my big day with an iPhone 4! I was so excited because it offered some new features my 3G didn't have but it has been a nightmare to set up because of "corruption" of my iTunes account. It's always something with electronics!

After our beach trip (in the previous post) with friends we continued celebrating my b'day with my family.

Stevie and my niece and nephew were available to assist in blowing out my candles.

Skip gave Mia some icing to try...

then some ice cream.

The big kids stuck to ice cream cones.

The next night we partied again with a group of friends. I didn't get many pictures but it was lots of fun!

Me, Carey, & Dana

Trish, Blair, & Katie

Miller showing her team colors! War Eagle!

On July 15th we celebrated my grandmother's birthday with a party at my parents. Like most older Southern ladies, my grandmother never reveals her true age. She is so funny.

My grandmother with my Uncle Keith and his family.

Nana with my mom and most of us. My dad and brother-in-law both had to work, Mia was napping, and Stevie was at her mom's.

Mia was all smiles after she woke up.

These two cuties schemed up an idea using this...

on the pool floats for some slip and sliding fun!

Miller came over a couple of days later to take a dip and cool off.

All that swimming will just wear a girl out.

July 4th Weekend

2010-07-11T13:44:00.028-05:00

Road Trip!! About a week before the 4th we planned a long-weekend trip to the beach. I was pumped to be going to one of my absolute favorite places on my birthday weekend.

Stevie took her buddy Chance along for the fun.

Miss Miller waking up Saturday morning.

I really don't have many pics from during the day Saturday. We somehow forgot our hanging bag at home and had to had to run back to Foley and get Skip a couple of shirts to wear to go out

to dinner. You know I certainly did not mind doing a little shopping :)

I guess I was trying to make up for it later that night because I took lots of pics before we went to dinner.

We sent the guys ahead to get us on a waiting list. Good thing we did because everywhere we wanted to go was on a minimum of 1 1/2 hour wait. All I have been hearing is how empty the restaurants and condos are because of the oil spill but I think everyone decided to come on down since it was a holiday weekend.

Miller with her mom and Aunt Beth.

Miller looks like she is holding up a peace sign here. Ha!

Stev & Chance

We photographed the kids and then they wanted to take our picture in return.

Me and my Stev

The kids met some other kids that were staying right below us.

Miller crashed once we finally got to dinner. We wanted to go to Cosmo's for sushi but the wait was ridiculous so went went to Live Bait 2 at The Wharf instead. We sat out back and the view of the marina and the meal were great.

Richard and Beth

Carey, Jason, and Miller

Me, Stevie, Chance, and Skip

The whole time we were there the double red flags were flying but people continued to swim since signs of the oil were few and far between.

Chocolate Krispy Kreme doughnuts, breakfast of champions. And yes, the kids crashed in their clothes from the night before.

Miller was ready for some pool time Sunday morning.

Sunday after lunch we ventured onto the beach.

On one strip of sand you could see the small tar balls we keep seeing on the news.

I love this one!

The current was really rough. Fortunately these two can pretty much hold their own.

The beaches were just as crowded as I am used to seeing them.

This little boy is the only proof I have that it was July 4th. He was much cuter than some of the "small" patriotic string bikinis we saw on some rather "large" women.

About every 15-20th wave that washed up stained the sand.

The condos were prepared with Oil & Tar Cleaning Stations.

Back at the pool the kids played with Miller.

The guys were back from golfing by this point. Miller would just belly laugh when Skip tickled her feet.

The Girls

Miller had on her red, white, and blue briefly before dinner. It was a little too big so she changed before we went but she sure looked cute.

More group shots on the balcony before dinner...

We went back to The Wharf Sunday night for dinner at one of my favorite places, Ginny Lane.

The kids were so excited to ride the ferris wheel. We put it off until after dinner so we could kill a little more time before the fireworks show. During dinner my camera battery died so I was left to use my phone the rest of the time.

Monday we stopped by the outlets in Foley one more time before the extra long (traffic) trip home. Fun times!!

Summer Fun

2010-06-19T16:32:00.019-05:00

Whew! I have had this post in the works for weeks. Yes, you saw correctly, June 19th I began this and July 8th I am finally finishing it.

All of my pics lately seem to be centered around the pool. I wish I was spending as much time there as it appears I am :) Really I just take lots of pictures when I am out there.

Stevie, on the other hand is swimming like a fish, daily.

See my toes? Swinging a 9 year old in and out of the pool is a great leg workout :)

About a month ago, sweet little Miller had her first dip in the pool.

She looked a little unsure at first but I am sure she will be a water baby just like all the big kids.

Pool time wore her out!

Later the dads made it home from the golf course and decided to cool off in the pool too.

The Collins' were in town visiting and Stev was so happy to see Mitchell and Rachael.

The kids were ecstatic we let them camp in the RV in our driveway that night all by themselves.

A couple of days later Mia and Daniel were here swimming with us.

I caught these two cuties swimming again a few days later when I got home.

Life Lately

2010-06-06T16:32:00.010-05:00

These first pics are back from Mother's Day. Stev and I got to hang out for a while before she went back to her mom's house. She was super excited because she got her first Nike shorts that day. Now she is obsessed and wants to wear Nike shorts every day. I can't blame her, I love them too!

Sonic drinks, another fav!

We went to Foscue Park and she wanted to walk the trails. She is not so much into the walking part but she loves the bars and rings along the path.

After she and I left, we met up with my parents who were about to go to Foscue, so Stevie and I went back with them. My dad was showing her some new moves on the equipment.

Of course she was ready to give it a try too.

Prepare yourselves, I know I don't have many pics like this, but Stevie is actually in a dress! This had to have been right after church because normally she goes straight in to change clothes.

We have oficially wrapped up another season of softball.

Go Bears!!

More phone pics...

Stevie and Daniel

Stevie and Mia

These are a couple of weeks ago when Stevie and I went to Tuscaloosa. Our movie plans fell through but we had a fun day. Stevie said she didn't think she had ever been to so many stores in one day but she liked shopping now :)

She always asks to go in this store that sells hermit crabs!? I think she would watch them for hours.

She has had a couple from the beach in years past and she always wants to go look at these. She will pick out a favorite and name it but she never asks to get one, thankfully. This was Bert. Something about those big ones really gross me out!

My mom and dad were there with Daniel and we met up with them for lunch. Afterwards Stev took Daniel to see the crabs and then they made wishes and tossed change into the fountain.

Another tradition when we are in Tuscaloosa is to always squeeze in a visit to TCBY.

Another pic of Mia... I love this smocked bubble on her!

A couple of cute pics of Miller... she was grinning ear to ear, until I got my camera ready. I guess it's always that way!

Anna-Coleman

2010-06-06T16:06:00.003-05:00

I am so behind on updating my blog, but for those of you who haven't heard I still want to share this. The precious little girl pictured above is currently battling cancer. Anna Coleman's story continues to touch so many lives. Her mom Jennifer is a friend and co-worker of mine and her faith remains so incredibly strong throughout everything they are facing. Please keep this family in your prayers. Jennifer updates her Caring Bridge page often, please click here to read.

USJ Talent Show

2010-05-31T18:57:00.005-05:00

Stevie and Kennedi performed in their school talent show on May 14th. We were very surprised that she wanted to do it because she is typically pretty shy but we were very proud of her getting up there and giving it a try.

The girls performed "You Belong With Me" by their favorite, Taylor Swift. They were decked out in the t-shirts, sweat pants, and big glasses just like Taylor wears in the video.

Stevie's cousin Tyler teaches her guitar and he was able to play bass guitar while the girls alternated playing and singing.

Stev sang through the first verse and chorus while Kennedi played.

Kennedi came in on the second verse. They did a great job even though their song got cut a little short :)

This cracks me up! I have this set to pop up on my phone when Stevie calls!

Wishbone Day

2010-05-21T20:39:00.002-05:00

Me and many of the girls I work with all wore yellow in support of Wishbone Day on May 6th. Wishbone Day is about raising awareness of Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), more commonly known as "brittle bone" disease. Up until a couple of years ago I had never really heard much about OI but my co-worker Mandy's sister Dana's daughter was born with it. Rhae will melt your heart. She is the most loving little girl with an extremely charming personality. We all look forward to her visits to the bank. Rhae has overcome many obstacles. It brings tears to my eyes to see her crawl, stand up, and this week she even brought her walker to the bank and off she went! She is truly a little miracle. Please take a minute to check out www.wishboneday.com.

Still Here

2010-05-10T20:23:00.017-05:00

I haven't had much time to update lately but we are still here. We have 2 more weeks of ballgames and school! I am still not believing Stevie will be in 4th grade in just a few months?!

Look at that mischievous (dirty) face! This is Stev's little brother Ryan. This boy is a mess!

Pool Time! Stevie had Elly over to swim after a couple of Saturday games.

Mia and Daniel came too. Mia liked watching from the shade.

Big Blue Eyes

Rock came out for a little sunshine.

He loves to feel the wind blow his hair. He squints his eyes and stands perfectly still. It's so funny to watch.

We watched lots of giant splashes once the girls started their synchronized jumping.

Not quite in sync...

getting better...

got it!

They thought it was hilarious to see the pictures of themselves mid-air.

In Full Swing

2010-05-08T22:14:00.004-05:00

We are moving on through this softball season. During the last couple of weeks Stevie has taken over a new spot on the field.

#19 now resides behind the plate.

Unfortunately we have not been pulling off many wins but these girls are playing better each game.

We Took the Plunge...

2010-05-02T18:11:00.003-05:00

Ever since Christmas Stevie has asked constantly when we can swim again so Sunday, April 25th, we decided we thought it may just be warm enough. Over the course of the last couple of months I have caught her laying flat on her stomach with her arms in and I have walked out to her sitting on the side with her feet in and every time she says, "it's really not that cold".

I made it waist deep but it is still a little cool for me. I sat out for a couple of hours in the scorching heat but even then I couldn't bring myself to get all the way in. She called in Daniel as her swimming partner.

Mia got her first taste of pool weather too. Trey dipped her feet on the first step and she was perfectly fine with it.

An Unforgettable Birthday

2010-05-02T14:41:00.014-05:00

Last week when I blogged about going to his game I didn't tell you that my precious nephew Daniel celebrated his 6th birthday on April 22nd!

I still feel like he should be this age...

This child has had all this thick hair since he was a tiny baby!

The Ben 10 cake.

Mia and Patrick were all smiles meeting for the first time.

Look at these adorable cotton-top twin girls.

Now let me tell you a little bit about why this particular birthday is so unforgettable. Since Daniel's birthday is in the middle of the week his party was planned for Saturday the 24th.

There happened to be a severe line of storms blowing through the southeast. The day was off to a messy start, the rain was pouring down. The kids didn't seem to mind. They were having a great time playing in the gym.

About 45 minutes into the party someone calls to let us know a tornado has been reported about 25 minutes from us coming in our direction. We decide to line all the kids up and go into the next building in the hallway.

Everyone was trying to keep calm and not scare the kids. Cell phones were blowing up with calls and text messages.

The kids found another room which happened to have a bucket of toys.

Stevie was the oldest child there and you can see from her expression she was pretty distraught over the situation. Just last year she began to panic over bad weather.

Next we got a call that tornadic activity was reported around Demopolis Airport. This was only about 10 minutes from our location. From there we moved everyone into the building's "safe place", the men's restroom. Thankfully it was a clean one!

Crazy? Yes! All the adults continued to pray silently for safety. I really don't know that we could have heard the storm if it came right over us with all the kiddos we had packed in there just chatting and playing. I decided to keep snapping iPhone pics to document all the events of this party :)

About 20 minutes later we got the news we were clear to come out and we resumed our party festivities. Cake time!!

The "cheeeeeeeeezzzzzzzz" smile you get from Daniel. Don't think you can tell him "look at me and smile" without getting this fake grin.

Gift Time

The crowd cleared out after gifts to get home before the next band of storms hit.

During clean up I tried to get a cute pic of the cousins but that isn't always an easy job.

Back at Kendall and Trey's after the party I got a couple of grins from this sweet girl.

Later my parents and I rode to see the storm damage at the city landing we had heard everyone talking about.

It was later confirmed that the damage was caused by straight-line winds, not an actual tornado. Several trucks and trailers were damaged in this parking lot while parked there for a fishing tournament. Windows were blown out and trailers ended on top of a couple of trucks. I know what you are thinking because I thought the same too, why were these people out fishing in this weather anyway??

Lots of trees were snapped into and limbs ended up everywhere. Sorry for the bad pics, once again I was using my phone from the backseat of the truck.

Thankfully our town only suffered this small amount of damage as so many places throughout Mississippi had devastating damage and lives lost that day.

Daniel's Game

2010-04-26T17:27:00.009-05:00

Last week Stevie and I went to watch Daniel play baseball.

Daniel says he "really likes soccer and golf but he just plays baseball" and from the picture above you can see how interested he is :)

Stev finally got to get her hands on Mia again.

I got tickled when I peeked over and saw Stevie shading Mia's eyes.

Daniel was thrilled to see Stevie there to watch him.

Daniel and Bill

Stevie was causing a little to much excitement outside the dugout. All the boys were more concerned with her than the game.

Thumbs up when he made it around to 3rd base.

Talking... of course

Daniel's favorite part of the game is snacks afterwards.

On the way Stevie was telling me about the vehicle she wants when she turns 16 so I took her by to see it on the way home...

too funny!

Biker Babe

2010-04-18T18:03:00.004-05:00

Check out this flashback...

2005

2010

The Events of Last Weekend

2010-04-18T11:57:00.018-05:00

My mom, my sister, and I hosted a bridal shower for my cousin Morgan on April 10th. We decided I would host it at my house. I have decided I need to continue to do things like that at my house every so often because it really makes me get small projects I have been putting off done. Thankfully Skip is great to pitch in and help me get things finished. We managed to get yard and house projects completed just in time.

The night before the shower I picked up Stevie from softball practice, and although I needed to get home and get things ready for the brunch, Stevie wanted to go pick up Daniel and go eat Mexican. I think that was just the break I needed. I love these kiddos and how much they love each other!

A couple of group shots I got with extended family. Morgan (the bride) is in the green printed dress in the back between her two grandmothers.

Mom swapped places with me for this one.

Mia wanted to come hang out with the girls at the shower.

Kendall and Mia

This big girl wants to be right in the middle of everything.

She always wants to be sitting up so she doesn't miss anything.

The week of the shower we found out Stevie's team had their first 2 real games that Saturday too. Thankfully Skip's niece Mandy could fill in to get Stevie there and help out. Skip had to work, me, my mom, and sister had the shower, Stevie's mom ended up with the stomach virus, so it was Mandy to the rescue to get her to the early game until we could all get there.

Lots of pics from the game...

She got walked her first at bat.

She made it all the way around to home plate.

Giving Daniel a lift to the parking lot.

This is too funny. A few weeks ago Stevie and I were eating a bowl of cereal for dinner, she had Captain Crunch and I had Special K. She decided when she saw the strawberries that she wanted to try mine. Ever since she has been CRAZY about Special K. She eats it 2 bowls at a time at least once a day. We now go through about 2 family size boxes a week between the two of us. At least that is what she has choosen to love right now, it could be junk food!

If you have been a blog reader of ours for any length of time you know Stevie loves to lay out on our tile to see how many squares long she is :)

Yuck! Look at those dirty ballpark socks!

Sunday Stev got to hang out with her best bud Chance. Jason and Carey had lots of us over to hang out and watch The Masters.

I wish I had a group shot of everyone. Lots of people remembered to wear their green.

Trish getting a turn to hold baby Miller.

The weather was perfect and they had a tent set up with a TV outside. Little Miller slept so good in her bouncy seat.

This sweet girl was 2 months old on the 12th!

Easter 2010

2010-04-13T18:26:00.012-05:00

This year was a little different for us. I cannot remember an Easter weekend when we haven't had Stevie?? In previous years we've gone all out decorating our house, dyed eggs multiple times, gone to big egg hunts, baked goodies, etc. I will have to say it was a little sad to me how "grown" Stevie is now. She really didn't have much interest in any of our usual traditions. I boiled eggs and had things ready for the weekend before Easter when she was with us but we never got around to it :(

Speaking of growing, Mia is getting to be such a big girl.

She loves someone to interact totally with her.

Uncle Skip was getting some big smiles from her at lunch.

My cousin Morgan with her fiancee Harris and Mia

Big brother giving baby sister a smooch.

The kiddos love getting eggs from Nana.

Mom with my sister's baby girl...

and then with my cousin Jessica's "baby". You know we love a Yorkie!

I love that we have enough younger kids again so when we gather at my cousin's house we have an egg hunt. For a few years we didn't have anyone young enough to bother with it.

Daniel showing off how many he found.

Daniel & Turner

Neela & Turner

Stevie called that afternoon and was anxious to come see what Easter goodies she had at our house.

This airbrush helmet was something she had been wanting for weeks. A few of the girls on her softball team have similar ones and I happened to look up online and see that there was going to be a booth at Academy Sports in Prattville doing them the day before Easter. Mom and I made the trip over to get her one.

She was beyond thrilled to get it! Unfortunately these are the only pics I have of her that day. I should have snapped a few after church with my phone while she was dressed up and looking pretty but I guess I wasn't thinking??

All in all it was a fun day to spend time with family and friends. Easter eggs, pretty dresses, and baskets of goodies are fun but the true reason we celebrate this holiday must not be overlooked.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.

1 Peter 1:3-4

A little bit country...

2010-04-13T17:35:00.005-05:00

It's not every day you see a 9 year old driving a tractor in a residential subdivision!?

Then she decided it may be more fun to ride in the bucket :)

Whew... I have been absent from blogging lately. We are staying very busy with softball. Stevie's team has been practicing 4 days a week for 2 hours a day. Games started this past weekend but I will save that for another post.

Stev and Dad getting a little extra practice in the yard.

Ballgames & Buddies

2010-03-30T16:50:00.000-05:00

Last weekend Stevie had her first practice game.

This is her first year in this league where the girls pitch to girls, no more coach pitch. I could tell Stevie was a little bored by this look on her face. There were lots of batters being walked and not much action on the field:)

Stevie on deck: she got hit with the ball in the thigh and got to head on to first base.

Scoring a point for her team, The Boone's Bears.

Saturday morning cousin Christy brought over the Yorkie she was "dog-sitting".

Elly came to stay with Stev after the ballgame and Rock had company too.

Poor Toby couldn't be let off his leash because he would bolt:(

This girl is crazy over a dog, or any animal for that matter.

Toby has had his spring cut and hopefully Rocky can get his trim this week.

All Fired Up

2010-03-24T20:57:00.003-05:00

I am getting behind posting again. Weekend before last Stevie decided we should go to Tuscaloosa. I thought she may have a plan up her sleeve and she did. She wanted to go to All Fired Up.

We have been a few times and she and I both enjoy it. Skip wasn't sure painting pottery was his thing so he dropped us off and went to get everything on the Sam's Club list.

Stevie decided to paint a food bowl for Rock and she painted a little mouse for Mia.

I snuck in a few iPhone photos. She is getting to the age where it is embarrassing for me to carry the big Canon everywhere to take pics :(

After a couple of hours of painting we had a delicious dinner at Longhorn Steakhouse. I love eating there and obviously so do a lot of people in Tuscaloosa. The last few times we have tried to go the wait time has been outrageous!

Happy 33rd!

2010-03-24T17:05:00.007-05:00

Today we are celebrating my hubby's 33rd birthday! Actually last night the festivities began. We had a little family party here at our house. Skip LOVED his Sky Caddie (golf GPS for you non-golfers) from my parents.

He had 2 assistants standing by in case he needed any help with the gifts:)

This just cracks me up! Dana makes precious hair bows and she brought a huge bag by the bank yesterday. I couldn't help myself:) I had to get a few for Mia.

I was showing them to mama and Kendall last night and mama decided to try to clip one onto her patch of longer hair on the back of her head. Everytime I looked at her with that bow I got tickled! I LOVE a baby with a bow! Mia may have to wear her's on a headband until her hair grows.

Rock with Nana and Mia. Nana made Skip his favorite, caramel cake.

Skip's mom (Dendi) with the kiddos.

Stev was ready to get her hands on Mia. She claims she has permanent "shotgun" on holding her first.

The girls with Poppy, my dad.

Daniel rocking Gigi.

Giving Mia a goodbye hug!

Happy Birthday Skip! We love you!

My Newest Love...

2010-03-17T18:25:00.003-05:00

Excuse me while I gush:) I recently ran out of my usual stain remover (Oxy Clean Max Force) and I ran to get more yesterday. This fancy little bottle above captured my attention and I decided to give it a try. I had a load of laundry that was really going to put it to the test. I had a pair of Skip's khaki pants that he worked in the yard, down on his hands and knees in, that were covered in dirt, Stevie's softball pants from practice, these too were covered in red dirt and grass stains, and a shirt that Skip had gotten grease all over the sleeve. To my amazement, mixing the above product into my detergent worked miracles! Everything came out spotless! I think this stuff will be a staple around our house from now on.

I Believe...

2010-03-11T20:44:00.007-06:00

I received this email from a friend a few days ago. I love how true it is and I have read it multiple times. Enjoy!

A Birth Certificate shows that we were born. A Death Certificate shows that we died. Pictures show that we lived! Have a seat. Relax . . . And read this slowly.

I Believe...
That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do love each other.

I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I Believe....
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with Loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I Believe...
That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I Believe...
That my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and have the best time.

I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe....
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I Believe...
That it isn't always enough, to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe....
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help.

I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I Believe...
That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I Believe...
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; They just make the most of everything they have.

"Don't tell God how big your storms are, tell the storms how big your God is."
Philippians 4:13

Hair Dilemma

2010-03-10T17:11:00.003-06:00

You would think after all this time I would know a back up flat iron should be a necessity?! Those of you who know me personally know that I have very curly hair and the combination of that, plus a broken flat iron, plus days of rainy weather have left me sporting a ponytail almost all week. Why not just let it go back to being curly you might ask? I wish it were only that simple. I guess the years of straightening it have left me with a frizzy, part curly, part wavy, part straight mess on my head. I am keeping my fingers crossed that my new straightener will be here by the weekend. I saw this on a friend's blog and thought it was very fitting. If you've got curls like me, you can relate...

The curls, their hearts are full of rebellion.They fight against the one who loves them.Their minds are set on evil all the time.

Woe to the curls.Woe to the curls that disobey their mistresses.Woe to the curls that do one thing in the morning and another thing in the noontime.Woe to the curls that go limp in the evening.Woe to the curls that freak out before times of public speaking.Woe to the curls that look dumb for parties.

They shall be flattened with hot irons.They shall be poisoned with every kind of gooey chemical.They shall be cut off from the heads that grew them.They shall be banished from the scalp, and the scalp shall remember their place no more.

But the obedient hair shall be loved by its mistress.It will dwell on the scalp and grow long.It will be dressed with lovely-smelling organic products.It will be combed gently with boar-bristle brushes.Surely, the obedient hair will prosper and the curly shall bow down at its roots.

Weekend Wrap Up

2010-03-01T17:32:00.009-06:00

Saturday Stevie got her wish to go see Mia and Daniel.

Eagerly waiting on Mia to wake up.

Sleeping Beauty

Cute Cousins

Always an effort to get Daniel to look at the camera!

Mia was wide awake after we took her strolling.

Grins between the girls.

Mia in her "oven mitts". They have sure saved her face from lots of scratches.

Stev and Rock being silly.

I will leave you with a couple of pics of "Skip Jr." from yesterday afternoon. Anything Daddy does she is right there wanting to do it too.

The 1st Meeting

2010-02-27T10:16:00.001-06:00

Last Sunday Mia and Miller met for the first time.

This may just be too much cuteness for one post!

The Greatest Show on Earth

2010-02-27T09:43:00.004-06:00

I was just viewing the pictures on Skip's camera and found the pics he took when he chaperoned Stevie's 3rd grade field trip in January. They loaded up the buses and took the kids to Birmingham to watch the Barnum & Bailey Circus.

Anna & Stev

Chance the clown

I cannot seem to make this picture upload straight. It is fine on my computer but when I transfer it to blogger it comes sideways??

Being silly with friends on the bus

Sweet Baby Girls

2010-02-20T21:04:00.006-06:00

Little Miss Mia is 1 month old today!

Daniel sure loves his little sister.

Look at that wild hair! It looks a lot like Daniel's did at that age.

This one is for Stevie. She sent another Silly Band to Mia today. She said I was to give Mia and Miller both a heart from her.

These were still on my computer from a couple of weeks back. This is Mia wearing a dollar sign Silly Band from Stevie.

Stevie's first time feeding Mia.

Bless her heart, you can see in these she was still having an issue with her tear duct clogging and her poor little eye oozing.

Here is Miller today... one week and one day old.

How precious!

Gymnastics Girls

2010-02-20T20:23:00.005-06:00

Last night Katie and I took Stevie and Kennedi to the Alabama vs. Arizona "Power of Pink" gymnastics meet in Tuscaloosa.

The girls had quite an exciting day! They celebrated Kennedi's birthday right after school when a group of them were picked up in a stretch Hummer limo, taken on a scavenger hunt to find all her gifts, and celebrated with pizza at Mr. G's.

We got to the meet just as it began.

I can remember coming to watch when I was Stevie's age with my aunt, uncle, and cousins.

I absolutely LOVE going to these meets. The girls are so talented and work very hard.

Stevie decided next year we should get season tickets. I am all for it!

Valentine's Day Weekend 2010

2010-02-15T18:58:00.007-06:00

First I have to say, I made it to my 100th post!!

Saturday night me and Skip and our friends Mark and Trish headed to Birmingham for a night of fun. We were looking to go out to a good dinner and then to go see The Black Eyed Peas.

We tried to make reservations for dinner at several places last week and most were either totally booked or didn't accept them.

We ended up at Kobe, which is always a favorite of mine! I could eat Japanese everyday!

I will have to say, this concert was AWESOME!!

It was a super fun weekend! We enjoyed lots of good food and a great time with friends!

Miller Elizabeth Windham

2010-02-15T18:30:00.003-06:00

A couple of weeks ago Carey came to visit Mia. We hoped Mia could encourage Miller to come on out. Ha!

And here she is...
Almost 2 weeks past Carey's due date Miller arrived on February 12, 2010.

Miller weighed 7 lbs. 3 0z. and was 19.25 inches long.

Congratulations to Jason and Carey!

Fowler Birthday Celebration

2010-02-06T20:09:00.007-06:00

Tonight we celebrated lots of birthdays. We grouped the November, December, January, and February people for one big party. The numbers on top symbolize my Aunt Kim's 40th in November, my Dad's 50th in January, and my Mamie's 70th in January.

Even the 3 youngest great-grandchildren fell into the birth months we were celebrating. There are only about 5 of us that have birthdays between March and October.

Mia ventured out of the house tonight for something other than going to a doctors appointment. I also finally got a picture of her with her mom.

Sweet little Rachel

Gigi and the kiddos

As you can see she doesn't like to be unwrapped. She prefers to stay snug in her blankets.

Pretty Girl

Uncle Skip and Daniel

South's 1st Birthday

2010-02-05T19:59:00.005-06:00

Cousin South turned 1 on February 3rd but we celebrated his birthday last Saturday. I wish I had more pics of the cute decor. Bain was very creative with the Farm Animal theme.

As you can see he thoroughly enjoyed his cake!

Gigi and Stevie

I love this picture of them.

After South got scrubbed down and washed all the cake off it was time to open gifts.

Aunt Donna, Baby Rachel, and Mamie

Rachel at almost 3 months

More of Mia

2010-02-02T19:46:00.007-06:00

Monday, January 25th Mia came home from the hospital and we were all ready to see her.

Proud Big Brother

Sweet!!

Mia did have a touch of jaundice but she is loosing her "tan" now.

Dad loving on Mia

Cousin Stevie getting her first peek at Mia...

And she has been totally smitten ever since!

Stevie is such a tomboy we have been very (pleasantly) surprised how crazy she is over Mia. She has Mia's picture in her school binder and I see little notes like "Mia is so very cute" doodled on her papers.

She also asks every day when we can go back to see her and she says she has permanent "shotgun" to hold her first.

Pretty Girls!!

Mia Katherine Ferrell

2010-01-23T10:47:00.004-06:00

I got my wish!!! It has taken me a few days to update but Mia arrived about 9:45 a.m. on January 20, 2010.

She weighed in at 7 lbs. 9 oz. and was 19 3/4 inches long. Right after she was born she was taken to the NICU to be checked out because they believed she had fluid/ possible pneumonia in her lungs.

Thankfully her tests all came back good and she is doing great now! These last few pictures are from Thursday on her second day when they were able to take most of her tubes out.

Yesterday Kendall and Trey were able to hold her for the first time and today she will be able to move into the regular nursery and come to the room.

Congratulations to Kendall, Trey, and big brother Daniel!

Special Day x 2

2010-01-20T07:10:00.005-06:00

Today is a special day for 2 reasons: It is my Dad's 50th birthday and my parents 30th anniversary! I love you both and wish you a very special day!!

Quick baby update: Kendall is still hanging in there. I think it would be pretty cool if little Mia made her arrival today (and I could change the title to Special Day x 3) but we are still counting down to the 26th. Carey is still doing great and we are waiting on miss Miller's arrival around the 31st. Hopefully I will have lots to post about soon!

Flash Back to the 80's

2010-01-09T21:09:00.005-06:00

Last Saturday Skip and I went to the Silhouette Club's Flash Back to the 80's Dance.

Kathleen, Blair, Katie, Trish, Carey, and me

Carey at 35 weeks.

All of the club members did the 'Thriller"dance.

Marci & Betsy

Hanging Out at Home

2010-01-06T20:04:00.005-06:00

We have been spending lots of time indoors since it is FREEZING outside. Today it never got above 32 degrees and we are expecting sleet/snow flurries tomorrow and much cooler temperatures. I know to lots of people who live where it snows often this is no big deal but it is a completely different cold here, more of a damp windy cold. Saturday the girls and I were hanging out in our pajamas and we had an unexpected visitor...

in our laundry hamper! I did not see him until I was bent over getting a sock out of the very bottom and we were about eye to eye. I guess he was looking for a warm place to hide out but we had to give him the boot. I do not mind lizards if I know they are there (and outside!) and they do not startle me but I do not care to pick them up. I went to tell the girls of my discovery and they acted as if they would take him back outside for me but no one wanted to pick him up. Eventually we rolled the hamper out onto the patio and hoped he would leave on his own. After about 2 hours Skip had come home and the lizard was still in there. Thankfully he returned him back into his habitat.

Rock also found a warm and snuggly place to hide out.

Ringing in 2010

2010-01-06T19:49:00.000-06:00

Stev's best buds were there for support as she pulled her 10th tooth on New Years Eve.

After we went to grab a quick dinner we had a firework show in front of our house.

The kids doing the robot in front of a flashing firework.

Growing Worm

Smoke Bombs were some of their favorites.

Lighting their sparklers.

Skip gave the Rip Stick a try...

and the kids showed him how it is done.

Happy New Year!!!

Happy Birthday to You!

2010-01-04T12:30:00.002-06:00

Today is my sister's birthday and we hope soon it will be her daughter's birthday!!

Hope you have a great one sis!

Christmas at Gigi & Poppy's

2010-01-03T18:20:00.007-06:00

We had been to many Christmas gatherings but we couldn't find a time to get together at Gigi and Poppy's house until the 26th.

New Ben 10 toys!!!

A Webkinz llama. They are really getting creative with their new animals:)

Stevie and Daniel both got Alabama rainboots.

" You'll shoot your eye out!" haha!

Both kids got bow and arrows too!

Poppy gave a lesson in shooting the BB gun.

It took me all day but I finally got ALL the Christmas pictures posted! We had a very Merry Christmas and we hope you did too!!

Christmas at the Fowler's

2010-01-03T17:20:00.007-06:00

Before I start Christmas I needed to post this picture of all the family (Stevie couldn't be there that night) on Thanksgiving.

Christmas night we got together for dinner and gifts.

Some of my pictures are not quite in focus but here is Daniel with his new Black Power Ranger.

Our family has grown by leaps and bounds on this side. Every grandchild is now married with at least one child.

Baby South

Little Rachel slept through all the festivities.

Kendall & Trey

We are still waiting on Miss Mia's arrival but we are now thinking it is going to be sooner than the scheduled date January 26th.

Aunt Kim & Paw-Paw

Ashton & Daniel

Christmas at The Fields'

2010-01-03T16:26:00.004-06:00

Do you see a theme to lots of Stevie's gifts? There is lots of crimson.

Stevie giving her gift to Mrs. Sarah

Stevie was all smiles once she found out that Brooks could play the guitar so well.

(Almost) the whole family

Same group + Dendi's neighbors Mrs. Sarah & Thomas

Skip's sister Brenda

Skip with brothers, nephews, & brother-in-law

Stevie talked Brooks into teaching her a few chords.