Thanksgiving Pictures

Thanksgiving has been so nice! We made an ambrosia salad, a green salad, spice cake and headed over to the Johnsons to celebrate turkey day! Mary was so excited to go to "Tate's house" that she talked about it all morning until we got in the car to go. The food was yummy and the company was nice and fun! Mary played outside with Kate and completely enjoyed her day!

Playing in the deep deep leaves! Pretty girl!

Collecting leaves is great fun.

Kate and Mary are going to room together at Harvard. Mary just doesn't have her sweatshirt yet.


Our family. I am so HUGE!

Big Foot Lodge

This has been a great week because we have had Murray home! There are wonderful benefits of his being a student. Week long vacations are one of them. You won't hear me saying that over the next two weeks while he is taking 8 finals and I am in the last two weeks of this pregnancy!

Our friends the Fishers told us about a restaurant so we went with them to try it out. It's called the Big Foot Lodge in Downtown Memphis. It was so cool! We ordered a burger with 4 lbs of meat, 2 lbs of bread and 2 lbs of toppings. This thing was massive and DELICIOUS! It came with oodles of french fries and I was in heaven! It fed 4 adults and 3 children! Then (yes it gets better) we ordered smores. They brought out a flame with everything to make the smores and we put them together right at the table. The kids totally enjoyed setting marshmallows on fire. I can't wait to go back!

Murray with the monster burger.

Margaret and Mary with the monster burger

Daddy and Mary making smores

The Red Dress

This was something my mom wore when she was expecting my brother and me (different pregnancies). I thought it would be fun to take a picture in it. Can you guess which picture I am bigger in?

8 months pregnant with Mary

8 months pregnant with baby sister

Dress Up

Mary is starting to want to dress herself. I pick out what she wears for the day but she has enjoyed accessorizing! We found her walking around the house like this...Mary can be so entertaining!

A train conductors hat from a birthday party and beaded necklace from another party. I love that she put the hat on backwards! Yes, we went out like this.

Mom's Sunday sling back heels and Thanksgiving Indian feathers.

The New Hairdo

I so enjoyed the times of throwing a headband with a bow on and calling it good. Those days are over now.

I started to notice when we were out that Mary was her adorable self but her hair was looking a little out of control. I started to wonder if I should cut it but the thought scared me too much. I don't even trust taking her to get it cut. This was our solutioin. I think it is pretty cute stuff!

The piggies. I'll get better with practice

The rubberbands are as small as the kind used for braces.

She is so good and holds still while I am doing her hair. She seems to like it. We had to go shopping for her own comb, rubberbands and hairspray. We even got her big girl shampoo that smells like apples.

Mary took a break from her backpack and is carrying around this little princess tin. She puts her treasures in it. Here she is bringing the paper in the house. One of her favorite jobs!

Thanksgiving Party

Mary and I went to a fun Thanksgiving Party! The activities were fun and so was seeing our friends :)

We made this cute indian hat together. I was surprised she wore it for most of the party.

We made a turkey out of an apple with toothpicks and marshmallows.

The finished turkey

Mary couldn't wait to eat the gummy worm! She asks for "tandy" (candy) constantly since Halloween!

Mary can tell us the letters in her name and when we ask her what it spells she says "Mary". She also loves having her hands traced in crayon. I have so much fun with her!

Mouse in the House

This week we had a little excitement. I was walking in from the garage and was followed by a mouse! I have heard friends stories of their encounters with mice. I didn't understand why they reacted with a scream and jumping to higher ground. I have been put in my place! I screamed at the top of my lungs and managed to get up on a kitchen counter in record time. Sorry, no real picture provided. Thank heavens Murray was home. Someone came out to put a new hard drive in our computer so he had arranged to be home. Murray went to work on finding stuart little. I tried to stay out of my kitchen and laundry room (where I spend most of my life)!

Murray emptied the pantry and moved the washer, dryer and refrigerator. I was so glad to be the girl!

Funny we had hot pink duct tape! It made for good barriers. Can mice jump?

Murray did eventually find the mouse. His life was taken in the garage by a trap. Sorry mouse.

Laurie Came to Visit

Laurie Perkins is a friend from my childhood. We have always kept in touch with eachother. It was a fun surprise when she said she was coming to visit! It was good to catch up and show her around the Memphis area.

On Beale Street

Silly Elvis Faces. I know mine isn't even close!

Peabody Hotel by the famous duck fountain

Corky's BBQ

Mississippr River, enjoying super wind

Picnic in the back of the van because it was FREEZING

"make a muscle, rrrr"

Super Mom

On Thursday Mary woke up and wasn't her usual self. She was running a fever and only wanted to be held. She asked for water and drank 8 oz and also wanted ice. Not too long after she threw it up on me. I was so grateful it was just water! I put her in the bath, got us in clean clothes, gave her some tylenol and made a clean bed on the couch for her. She fell asleep and this is the part of the story where I feel like a super mom.

So, she is asleep on the couch and there is no way I am going to attempt putting her in the crib because it is likley she will wake up. Then I remember when Janae told me Aunt Dena would put pillows on the ground next to the couch in case the little ones rolled off. I put down a blanket, my body pillow and some other pillows. I left and took a shower. When I came out I found Mary asleep in a sea of pillows. She slept there for almost 3 hours! I felt so glad I had the thought she might roll off and proud of myself for not ignoring it and GRATEFUL for the wonderuful idea shared with me over 3 years ago!

Asleep on the couch

Saved by pillows!

Taking Turns

Mary enjoys taking turns. Usually she says "mommy's turn", "mary's turn" and it goes like this for awhile. I was really happy when we first started it because she wouldn't get so upset when I needed to take something from her. It also worked great for activities she didn't want to do. But I think I am ready for a new game!

In this picture Murray would ask Mary a question and she would answer or point. Then Murray would ask one of the babies and Mary would take the babies finger and have her point to the right answer. It was totally funny to watch. Mary really does need a sibiling. Good thing that is in the works!

Mom's Group Halloween Party

I am playing catch up with a lot of our posts because our computer was out of comission for a little while. Several of our October posts will have to fit into November.

Our moms group had a Halloween Party. There was play-doh, a bean bag toss, dress up like a mummy, a cupcake walk, make a card and lots of yummy treats. All the mom's contributed and made it a lot of fun! It was the last activity I planned. I really had a lot of fun starting this great group with my friend Kristi! I got to know some really wonderful ladies.

I can't believe I am reaching the end of this pregnancy! We are so excited to welcome a sweet little girl into our family! Mary will say "baby sister" point to my belly and even give her a kiss. I love it!

Mary and Mommy

Abby and Mary

Carving Pumpkins

We had some friends over and carved pumpkins. We had a great time with them! Mary loves it when her friends come over. This week she has been saying things like "where they go" and "uh oh, all done pumpkins" when we drive by where the pumpkin patch used to be.

The carved pumpkins lit up

The Nevers, Pratts and Sullengers

Mary's little pumpkin

Getting ready to carve the pumpkin

Yucky, Mary didn't like touching the inside of the pumpkin

It looks like I swallowed a pumpkin, doesn't it?

Happy Halloween

We had a very fun and festive Halloween! We went as characters from The Wizard of Oz. Mary made an adorable Dorothy, Murray was a great tinman and I was the wicked witch. Ben and Carolyn were nice enough to take pictures for us. After pictures we headed off to the ward trunk or treat. There we enjoyed food from the chili and pie cook off. We also went to Kate's 2nd Birthday Party. She was really born on Halloween! Mary had a blast celebrating her good friends birthday!

Our family (my broom didn't make it in the picture)

I loved Mary's red sparkly shoes!

Mary and Daddy

Cute kick

I thought it was sweet how she put her arm aroud the bunny and crossed her ankles

Enjoying a cupcake at Kate's party

I spy with my little eye

Murray came home a few times last week looking like this! He will dilate an eye with another guy or two at school so they can practice looking at nerves and whatever else is in there. It looks pretty weird huh?

I love my car

Mary's friend Charles gave her this little car and she loves it! She takes it with her everywhere. When we leave the house she wants to take it with us, she wants it by her crib when she sleeps and even took it into the bathroom and shut the door! Thanks for this great toy Charles!