I'm Stuck!

Don't tell me I'm a terrible Mom, I'm not really but I know that I shouldn't have taken time to go get my camera to snap a few picks of Avery, but it was so cute and worth it. She spilled out all her toys from her shelf basket and ended up stuck in it with Bear and I just couldn't help but take a couple pics of her before I got her out. She's fine so it's okay!

Saturday Night with the Family

Tonight, Nana asked Avery and I over for dinner with Papa and the Jurney's. It was such a welcoming invitation seeing as Tim went to the Cowboys game (lucky guy) and Avery and I didn't have any plans. Rarely does something come up that we would ever decline an invite from Nana and especially since she told me that all the cousins were going to be there. Avery doesn't completely get that she's going to get to play all night with her cousins when we go see them, but once she gets there she's in heaven. She just loves her cousins, and how could you not. They are such wonderful kids and her and Catherine are starting to get the hang of each other and "kind of " play together. They all just make her laugh and leaving can be a bit of a process when she doesn't want to go, not that I can blame her.

I too have a wonderful time when I am with our family and it is so nice to have them all so close to us. It's so neat too for me to see Avery's interaction with her cousins and family. She is the type of person that just Loves to be around other people and seeing her with other children is always a fun thing to watch. I try to capture these moments as they happen with her because I know that this time is so fleeting and the next time I blink she will be grown up (okay, a lot of blinking, especially some days), but just like me I hope she always knows her Mom & family are there for her.

I hope all of you are enjoying this time with your family. It seems like the Holiday Season always brings our families together even more than the rest of the year, but it is such a wonderful time to celebrate and I enjoy it every year. Sometimes, I wish this time of year would never end, but then I guess it wouldn't be so special.

Happy Holidays, y'all...now, I've got to go finish my shopping :)

You Tube Friday

I can't remember the first time I heard this version of this song, but I do know it was a few years ago and I couldn't get enough of it. One of my favorite artists is Sarah McLachlan and her voice is so beautiful, she is such a great addition to this song. I still turn up the radio when it comes on and sing along with it...poor Avery and Tim!

So, in the spirit of the season...

Christmas in the Square

After our Safety Town expedition, we drove down the street to Christmas in the Square. We figured, since we never get out to that part of Frisco very much, we should do it all in one night! Avery was such a trooper! Everyone was so festive and nice, they had Starbucks samples of hot chocolate and Tim and I took advantage of the Matitto's out there and got ourselves a BOB for dinner. Thanks, Uncle Mike, for giving us this craving :) And, yes, it was Delicious!

It was so neat because they have the largest choreographed holiday lights and music display in Texas. Now, I will say that Tim and I really enjoyed listening to the music and watching the lights to the beat, but it was totally not intriguing to Avery at all. She was quite bored until we got out of the car and walked around the square.

She really loved seeing the horse drawn carriages-first time to see a real horse, the lit up kiddie train, the model train displays and socializing, of course!

Frisco Fire Safety Town

On Saturday night, Tim, Avery & I met Nana, Papa, Molly, Connor, Riley, Caiden and Catherine in Frisco at the Frisco Fire Safety Town.

All the cousins:


They had "stations" to make ornaments, sit in a Fire Truck (one of Avery's highlights), get tatoos, candy canes, meet Santa, etc.Sitting in the Fire Truck...she really did like it :)


It's such a cute little place all decorated with little houses everywhere, street lights, crossings, even a Toll lane!

Probably the best house of all was the one that gave out balloons. What is it with kids and balloons?? Both girls never let go of those things the whole time we were there. We had such a great time!

You Tube Friday

Kickin' it back old school...and because we just want to dance!!

Having Fun...the Life of Avery

Totally random pics of the Life of Avery...

Riding her car


Hiding from us...found you!


Playing with my things in the bathroom




Look at her shoes - Daddy put him on. I like the 2-toned choice, very 80's


Back from the Dr's with our tummy sticker




She found my slippers too!


Hanging out in front of the X-Mas tree


Ready to mow our yard


Watching toons with Caiden


Mommy and Daddy's night out

Where's "Avery"

Having fun at the grocery store! She enjoyed it so much, she almost got to ride home back there!

Hangin' Around with Our Friend "Bear"

Bear spends a lot of time with us. She's a cutie so we don't mind having her around!

I only have eyes...for Bear! What about Mommy??


Watching cartoons with Bear




Bear likes to eat with Avery too! She even fits in the high chair with Avery.




Bear likes to listen to music and dress up with Avery too. She's very well rounded!

YouTube Friday's

Okay, so I have a tendency to peruse other blogs and a lot of them have YouTube videos on them and one in particular has YouTube Friday's and I thought that would be something great to add to our blog. Nothing like a great song to get you going for the weekend!

This song I dedicate to Avery and Tim because one day a couple months ago, it was one of those beautiful fall days that you spend outside all day. We had the music going while hanging out in the backyard and this song came on and Tim was singing this to our little girl as she looked at him with her huge dimpled smile and every time I hear this song I think of that moment and my beautiful family.

Happy Friday!!

Our Little "Bow Head"

Avery and I were playing in her room the other evening and she really enjoys playing with all her bows. So, she decided she wanted all the different colors in her hair...her first "up do"!

Then, she decided she just had to wear this pair of shorts over her jammies. What a sense of style!

Holiday Fever

Friday was such a relaxing day in the Penrod house in the afternoon at least :) My mom and I decided to brave the crowds and do some holiday shopping. Now, we didn't make it out before 9:00, but that's really good, I mean early, for my mom and I!

Anyways, when I got home, Tim and Avery had done some re-decorating at our house. Our X-Mas tree was up as well as the stockings on the mantle. So of course, we had to decorate the tree and Avery was such a great helper. She helped Tim put up the ornaments, one by one, she would pass them to him. We had such a great time! She loves looking at the tree all lit up and she enjoys taking off the ornaments that are in her reach, though we are trying to break her of that habit.

We even put "lit up" garland around our staircase banister. Tim and I have had this garland since we were married, but we never had anywhere to put it in the old house, so we decided to do up the staircase here. Let me tell you, it was the nightmare project of the season! Poor Tim...it was all bunched up so he had to unravel all of it, then it was not long enough to fit the whole banister, then the lights couldn't be connected together and we finally had to add another strand of lights and more garland, but it's on now and it won't be coming down for a long time!

Avery even had some fun decorating her room while we were decorating the rest of the house :)

Thanksgiving at the Penrod's

This year, after being married for 6+ years, we were finally able to have Thanksgiving at our house. Not that we couldn't have necessarily done it at our Greenfield house, but I just figure that more than 4 people would like to sit at the Thanksgiving table. So, when we moved into our new house in July, I kept thinking about how I would really like to host the whole family this year.

I will say, with all the fabulous cooks in our family, it was a really easy Thanksgiving. Everyone had about 2-3 things to make and I was responsible for the main dishes, a side, and a dessert. Now, I've never cooked a turkey before and after emailing all my girlfriends (who apparently have also not cooked a turkey before...we are all "sides" girls) I caved and we got pre-cooked turkeys from Tom Thumb. All you have to do is defrost and then reheat for a couple hours. I'm not a huge turkey fan, but I will tell you...this is the way to go!

The afternoon was just wonderful spending it with the family. You know, there is nothing better than having a family that gets along so well together. With both my family and Tim's family there is just a wonderful dynamic between everyone. The men watched sports, the women chatted away and the kids played all afternoon. I will say it is so neat to watch Avery with her cousins. I swear she is totally enamored with all the boys we even caught her and Catherine playing together a couple of times. This is still rare for the girls because they just "don't get it" yet, but one day I know we will not be able to separate them!

I can't wait for next year so we can do it all again!!

Some pics of the kiddos playing outside before and after dinner