3rd Times a Charm

Well we really tried hard to get a good Christmas picture this year, even though we didn't get our Christmas cards sent out, but Shelby was just really not wanting to get her picture taken. After several attempts we finally got a good one, but I thought they were all pretty good and fun!!! Happy New Year Everyone!!!

Is that a Deer over there?

Shelby is just a little too young for a gun, but doesn't she look absolutely darling in her new camo?




Papaw did a little Christmas shopping all by himself. The kids were so excited to open up their brand new bb guns, of course Caidance's is pink, and their camo outfits to match.

Ready, Set, Go!!!!

Well it all started with having to rope off the stair case because Santa made a trip to Nanny and Papaw's house! The kids could not wait to race up the stairs.

Christmas Eve at Nana, Pop's, and Mamaw's

All of the girls at Nana and Pop's house!



Christmas Eve was quite eventful as we headed out to Fred Tx, and then on to Lumberton. We started off at Mamaw's and enjoyed some of her yummy chili and delicious sweets and then of to Lumberton to enjoy Nana's awesome pumpkin crunch!! The girls had such a great time all getting to be together and play with their toys! Shelby held on to that kermit the frog, eventhough it was one of Mamaw's toys. LOL! You were both so proud of all of the things that you got for Christmas. Caidance especially could not wait to play her DS! Shelby just loved opening up the packages and throwing the tissue paper. She thought it was a pretty fun game.

Caidance and Shelby's favorite things about Christmas

This is Shelby eating Santa's cookies! I guess he left a couple!


Caidance's favorite things about Christmas
1. Hunting for the magic reindeer
2. Putting the tree up
3. Feeding the reindeer
4. Santa Coming
5. Giving presents
6. Making cards for all of her family

Shelby's favorite things about Christmas
1. Being home with mommy, daddy, and "sitty"
2. Rearranging the Christmas ornaments on the tree
3. Looking at all the "ditty" Christmas lights (AKA pretty)
4. Hunting for the magic reindeer
5. Opening presents
6. Eating Santa's cookies

Here Comes Santa Claus! Here comes Santa Claus! Right down McInnis Lane!

Well we were so blessed to have such a wonderful 2010 Christmas! God was so good to my family and we owe everything to him. The girls were so excited to see what Santa Claus brought them on Christmas morning. However, the girls were not very quick to get up early, we had to go and wake them up about 9:00. We were up late the night before celebrating Christmas Eve with Mamaw and Nana and Pop and we did get home kind of late, but I still thought that they would get up early. LOL!

My baby is going to Kindergarten

I am really behind on post, so I am trying to catch up on lost time! Let me tell you, one of the hardest things I had to do was get my little girl all set for Kindergarten. I mean, where does the time go! I am still trying to convince myself that my baby is no longer a baby, but a 5 year old Kindergartner. I am so thankful to be able to go to the same school as Caidance and be with her on all of the fun activities so that I don't miss out. That morning she got right up and was ready to get ready for school! Her teachers name is Mrs. Ayala and she absolutely adores her. In fact the other day she was not listening to me and she got in trouble and she so innocently said, "please don't tell Mrs. Ayala." She is learning all about being R3 (Respectful, Responsible, and Ready to Learn) and she has learned all the little symbols for going to the bathroom, getting a drink, and throwing away her trash. We will be sitting at the table and she will use the hand symbols. It is pretty cute. She has received a great progress report and report card, which makes her mommy and daddy very proud! She is already learning to write stories and draw amazing pictures. I think her most favorite thing about Kindergarten is centers and her favorite center is blocks. Her favorite large group time is P.E. because she has so much fun there. Her favorite thing to play outside is on the turtle and she pretends to be a kitty and her friends to be a shark. Her favorite book that she has read is Clifford's First Christmas. She was Rockstar of the Week in October and we got to decorate a really cute star. Mrs. Ayala always gives them really cute letters to praise them and she loves to be able to take home the morning message. We are so proud of our little Rockstar! I have uploaded pictures from the first day, pumpkin patch problem solving, and reading night.

Dum, Dum, Dum (AKA Gum, Gum, Gum)

This month Shelby has been so enthralled with getting into Caidance's bubble gum machine. Her sissy has to make sure that she keeps her closet door shut because before you know it, Shelby has a huge gum ball in her mouth. I had to laugh one day when Shelby heard those closet doors open and we all went running for her, but before we could even catch her she had the gum ball out and in her mouth as she was saying, "dum, dum, dum" Good Girl!!! No, Shelby that is not a good girl! A couple of days went by and Shelby did it again so her daddy put her in her high chair and let her chew up her "dum".

Two Sisters that love each other!!!!

Well I have not posted in a very long time, school started and things have been going full blast! Here is a quick update on my little family! Shelby is just getting so big and learning so many new things every day! She is talking alot. This month, she finally started saying Nanny and boy does she say it a lot!!! She loves her Bailey and she really emphasizes the "L" in her name. LOL! At night Shelby will lay in bed and call out every body's name until she falls asleep and realizes that nobody is going to get her out of bed! She will say, "BaLLLeeYY" for Bailey, Naaannny!!, momma! Mine is real short and to the point! Daaadddyy! Siitttyyy for her sissy! She loves to make all of her little noises, "croaker, snakey face, cutie pie face and she has a few new ones, she will make a kitty sound, cow sound, and if you ask her about the 4-wheeler she will give you a sound for that too!!! Every time we walk in the door and pass the 4-wheeler she waves at it and sais, "hi, leeler"! Nanny is taking her to the library on Tuesdays and she has learned several new songs. She will point to her eye and say, "I" and for love she will give herself a hug and for you, she will point to herself!! hahah!! That is how she sais, "I love you"!!! She is learning! When she is wet, she will tell you, "dapper" I am hoping this is a sign that potty training will come easy :) She has an appointment with an ENT on October 6. She still keeps having ear infections at least once a month, but this girl can tolerate alot of pain! Our little Shelby has given us so much joy! She is such a loving little girl! She loves to give you kisses, hugs, and tells you night night when she is ready for bed!
Caidance is doing so well in Kindergarten! Her new teacher is Mrs. Ayala and she is really enjoying being in her class and learning so many new things. She has made alot of friends. She loves going to home center because she gets to play with the babies, but she also tells me that the boys go to home center too, but they pretend to be the daddy so they enjoy it :) She is learning how to draw and she has really taken off with her artistic abilities. She says that she wants to be an artist when she grows up. She has also informed us that she gets embarrassed really easily. I asked her if she told her friends about jump start and she said, "momma that is embarrassing." She loves to eat breakfast in the cafeteria on Wednesday's because they have cinnamon rolls. It is such a joy to be walking in the hallways and run into my little girl. I still get goose bumps when I see her and she does her little wave with her finger. I am so proud of both of my little girls. We both just enjoy seeing them grow every day and learn new things.

The View I love the Most is the Outside Looking In!

Dad was able to come home for 3 days this week and just in time to celebrate his birthday. We were so excited about this special surprise. I am so proud of my dad as he will be heading out with a team to go to the oil spill. I just pray that God will give them strength to stop this spill and to get it all cleaned up. Father's day is approaching and it makes me think of how proud I am of my dad and how much I have learned from him. He has always been a role model to me and taught me and I am so proud to call him my dad. Of course during dad's stay, he was able to capture some amazing pictures of our family. We really enjoyed being together. We went to the children's museum on Tuesday and then celebrated his birthday that night. My dad is a hard worker, but always set's aside time to be with his family. I love you dad and hope you have a very Happy Father's Day! You are in my thoughts and prayers everyday. Go Make History and Stop that Spill


These photos reminded me of the song "Outside looking In" Not sure if that is the name of it, but hopefully you get what song I am talking about.As we all sit on the porch of that lodge, I am reminded that next to God, my family is the most important thing in my life and nothing else matters next to family and God. So the view I love the most is being on the outside and looking in to my family. Mom entered the girls in a contest with the skirts they are wearing, so we are hoping that she wins!! She did a great job on them.

Caidance is the big 5

I know that I am about a month behind on this post, but we have been running around like crazy since summer has started. Caidance wanted to have a bubble gum birthday party and it turned out really cute. Nanny made her cake (with a little bit of Caidance's help) and we had a "splashing" good time. Nanny made her some really cute things for her birthday (towel wrap with her name on it, cute house shoes with her name on it, and a travel bag with of course her name on it :) I was so excited that my Aunt and Gram got to come celebrate with us and some of our really good friends. My brother "the chef" made the brisket and we had some really yummy sandwiches. Caidance wanted to have the party at her Nanny's castle so that is what we did. We played in the sandbox that papaw made and swam in the little pool and slip-n-slided. (if that is even a word). I cannot believe that it has been five years since I became a new mommy. Caidance has grown into such a mature little girl. She will be going to kindergarten with me, which I am very excited. She has such a passion for learning. She loves to read and has learned all of her sight words (Thanks to Tiny Treasures) and she just loves to write stories and draw pictures. She is very into doing crafts, painting, sewing, and planting flowers. Oh and I cannot forget that she is a pro at the Wii!!! My little 5 year old is a very special little girl and I am just so proud of her. Happy 5th Birthday Caidance.

Don't Blink

I feel like I am so behind in my blogging and I literally think that in one blink my baby girls are 14 months old and 5!!! I can't believe it is even possible. Caidance has had so many HUGE achievements over the passed few weeks and Shelby is just changing everyday. It is even hard to know where to begin, but I will try. Caidance turned 5 years old on May 22nd and is going to be in the big Kindergarten next year. I feel relieved that she is going to be at my school so that I will not miss out on anything. On May 26th she graduated from Pre-School. So many things ran through my mind as I watched my little girl in a cap and gown walk down that isle. For a moment, I saw a toddler with a pacifier and a diaper walking down that aisle, I had to look twice to see that, that was really my little girl graduating from pre-school and entering Kindergarten. As we laid in bed that night, I told her that I don't want her to grow up and she looked up at my with those big blue eyes and said, "it's o.k. mommy, I have to grow up and you have to let me." I told her, but I want you to stay little forever and she said, "but momma, if I don't grow up then I will never be able to wear your shoes." I said, "well if that is your reason, then you can grow up, but promise me that you will always be my little girl." Caidance is reading books and sounding out words so well. Her kindergarten teacher will be so proud of her.
Shelby is now just walking and talking. She just amazes me with her personality. She reminds me a lot of her daddy. Words that she can say, "papaw, momma, ouside (that is how she pronounces it), bah (for ball)," this" and then she will point, dada, "wasat" for what's that, hi, bye, bye, and dat for that! She has a mouth full of teeth and I think that is a lot of the reason for the continuous ear infections. She already has her back teeth. Both Shelby and Caidance love to change out their earrings. Shelby's earring fell out about 3 weeks ago, so I had to change her earring, well sissy wanted hers changed to after that happened. Now, we change out earrings about 3 times a day. She said, "Mommy I don't know what I was scared about, I was so brave and it didn't hurt." Shelby can hold her own, when it comes to something that she wants. She will fight for it! She pushed her sister down to sit in my lap a couple of days ago and Caidance and I just looked at each other and all we could do was laugh because we could not believe what just happened. I am just trying to treasure ever waking minute with these girls and if I could I would never blink an eye!!!!