Our Family

Happier Times:)

2010-10-07T22:58:00.003-04:00

After spending much of our summer at the hospital with Mom, we finally got to break away in September for a much needed family vacation to the beach. The trip was so fun and was Kinley's first time at the beach. We stayed with the entire Elliott family in 2 adjoined condos in Panama City Beach and had loads of fun. Mom is doing much better now and will be coming home soon. Thank you for all your prayers for her and our family. Now, here are some pics from our "fun" moments this summer:

Please Pray for my Mom

2010-06-08T14:34:00.003-04:00

As most of you know, my mother has suffered from a ruptured brain aneurysm. Her recovery is uncertain and we know God is in control, so I am asking everyone to please pray for her. This will be my final post for awhile until she gets better. Right now she is all that matters.

These are some pictures of some of our most fun times together. I cannot wait to get her back so we can make more fun memories.

Love, Karen

Dance Recital and Mother's Day pics

2010-05-20T00:33:00.002-04:00

Anna Kate and Lauren before their performance at Recital!

Anna Kate being "Anna Kate" in her tap costume just before showtime.

I thought her ballet costume was so cute this year. They danced to "Time after Time." I loved it!

Me and my little sidekick on Mother's Day at Landry's Restaurant.

Anna Kate with me on Mother's Day. It was such a great day to spend with my girls. They made it very special for me.

Lately, at the Elliott household......

2010-04-23T00:27:00.003-04:00

My little Kinley turned 8 months old...... My how time flies!

The Easter Bunny delivered the goods and we got all dressed up to celebrate our Risen Savior at Bellview Baptist!

A special guest dropped in (Cinderella) to visit my other little princess and a few of her pals on her 5th birthday.

And Kinley turned into a little mermaid (she wanted to match big sis in her Ariel costume... LOL)

That's all for now! That's about all this momma can handle for the month of April!

Hope you all are doing well!

Love, Karen

Meet My Assistant - Welcome to the Elliott Team!

2010-03-04T11:33:00.004-05:00

Name: Kinley

Age: 6 months

Experience: Personally shadowed and assisted top area Realtor for my ENTIRE life (now THAT's experience) by attending conference calls (and sometimes voicing my opinion during call,) attending meetings with contractors (and yelling at them if they're not doing their job,) and drooling and crumpling all documents my boss needs to send thru the fax ensuring multiple paper jams.... just to keep boss on her toes.

Personal strategy for success: Making sure my boss (a.k.a. Mommy) starts her day early, say at 4 a.m. most mornings. Success comes to those who don't sleep, right?

Favorite Hobby: Chewing on everything

Least favorite thing to do: Sleep

Our Condo is Available for Lease!!!

2010-02-13T16:20:00.004-05:00

The condo we own at TRADITIONS CONDOMINIUMS in Tuscaloosa is available for lease beginning Fall 2010. The unit is only 2 yrs old and we've had excellent tenants for the past two years who have kept it in great condition. They'll be moving out in July and it will be ready and available beginning August 2010. If you know any students going to college at The University of Alabama or Shelton State who will be looking for a place to rent in the fall, PLEASE have them contact me at (205) 533-1055. I WILL pay a nice "finders fee" to anyone who refers me a qualified tenant (who signs a lease for August) by the end of March. Contact me for more details.

Property Details: 2 BR/2 BA, Granite Countertops, Hardwood Floors, Large Balcony, Stainless Steel Appliances, 24-hr Security Surveillance cameras, Pool, Fitness Center, Tanning Beds, Clubhouse, GATED COMMUNITY, 2nd Floor unit. Unit Rents for $985 per month.

Great Kitchen with Built-In Microwave, Stainless Steel Appliances (Refrigerator in kitchen and Washer/Dryer in laundry room are included)
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Living Room has hardwood floors and crown molding.

Each Bedroom has a ceiling fan and large closet.

Each bathroom has tile shower and large vanity.

Amenities at the condo....

2010-02-13T16:06:00.003-05:00

Pool (view from our level) with Tanning Deck and covered Patio Area

24-Hour Tanning Access (2 Tanning Bed rooms)

Fitness Center with separate Cardio and Weight Rooms (both with TVs)

Happy New Year!!!!

2010-01-01T13:15:00.002-05:00

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year..... Here are some pics of the fun we had during the holidays. The little boy in the picture below is our new nephew Drew who is Sherra and Pete's little boy. Hopefully, I'll have some time later to post more (yeah, right:)

My girls.....

2009-11-12T23:08:00.003-05:00

These two are keeping me very busy these days. Here are some highlights...

Anna Kate won 2nd place at her school pageant and the People's Choice award (audience vote.) I was a proud mommy (and that pageant wore me out!) I never thought I'd be a "stage mom" but I was so nervous about the pageant, even more so than Anna Kate. It was fun, but I got my first taste of doing "competition" with kids. I'm not sure I'm up for it with two girls:) Gotta lot of years of this stuff ahead of me!

Kinley is growing too fast! I blink and she's another month old. I want her to stay tiny. I'm already missing the little 8 pounds, 11 ounces I brought home. Now she's 12 pounds, 9 ounces and thinks she's 6 months old. She's only 3 months old, but she is sitting in her exersaucer already because she gets bored laying down or swinging. She likes to chatter just like big sis. She coos at me like she's trying to talk to me and has the sweetest smile (BIG dimples like sis.) I'm having fun with her, but wish I could slow down time.
Here are some pics of our latest fun times:

Whew! Who has time to do this anymore?????

2009-09-13T19:37:00.004-04:00

I can't figure out how people with babies have time to blog???? I'm doing good to just remember to eat and brush my teeth every day! Between the loss of sleep and constant activity at my house, I should be given "Mom of the Year" award for finding this minute to blog:) I hope my children one day appreciate all the time I spend trying to take pics, document, and scrapbook every living, waking moment of their childhood.... LOL. Love, Karen

Life at home...

2009-08-26T17:07:00.002-04:00

Well, we're settling into our routine as a new family of four now. Anna Kate loves her baby sister, but sometimes thinks Kinley is old enough to do the things Anna Kate wants to do:) She likes to push her higher on the baby swing.....(I have to keep an eye on that!).... likes to teach her hopscotch (I REALLY have to keep an eye on that!).... and when I turn my back, likes to try to pick her up (I'm a nervous wreck!) We're really having to do a lot of teaching about what little girls CAN do with the baby and CANNOT do with the baby. I'm so happy that she's so loving to her little sister, though, and wants her to hurry up and be a play mate.

Here are some pictures of my two girls hanging out in what we call the "Ladies Lounge" (aka: my bedroom sitting room.) This is where we go to watch Disney movies and relax after school. Anna Kate likes wearing her matching Big Sister and Little Sister shirts. I have a feeling this won't be the only matching outfits they'll have together.

Enjoying my blessings! Bye for now!

Finally some baby pics! She's doing great!

2009-08-13T20:32:00.002-04:00

Kinley Elizabeth Elliott is here!

2009-08-11T16:55:00.002-04:00

8 lbs, 11 ounces!!!!! 21 inches long. She's a sweetheart and her big sister is REALLY EXCITED! We'll post more later!

Anna Kate's first day of K4

2009-08-09T21:41:00.003-04:00

As we get ready to welcome a new baby girl to our home, I also have to come to grips that my 4 year old is getting to be a big girl now. She started her first day of K4 this past week and LOVED it! She loves that she goes to a school where there are big kids and lockers. She loves that they are learning so much every day. After only 3 days of classes, she knows 3 new songs and has brought home artwork and classwork for me to see every day. I think she's going to have a great year at her new school. This is a photo of her just before we left home on day one. As you can see, there were no nerves. She was very excited!

New Arrival! Drew Wagner is here!

2009-07-19T22:00:00.003-04:00

Our sweet little nephew, Sherra and Pete's son Drew, is almost 1 week old. I finally have some pictures to post. Chris went out to Dallas to see the new "little man" and here are some pics he brought back. So far, Drew is known for liking to sleep ALL day and stay up ALL night which makes for some tired new parents... ha ha. Little cousin Kinley Elizabeth Elliott, our baby girl, will be arriving (hopefully) in less than 4 weeks. Seeing Drew's pictures makes me wish Kinley was already here, but I can wait patiently for a few more weeks, I guess.

Nursery is ready.... now just waiting on baby!

2009-07-14T15:41:00.004-04:00

We've been super busy these days with all my obsessive projects, a sudden increase in my real estate business, and trying to enjoy as much as possible these hot summer days with Anna Kate. Chris has been at his new job for over a month and our easy days of family quality time seem to have come to an abrupt end as we gear up for all the upcoming transitions our little family will soon face. Anna Kate will be starting to a new school in a couple of weeks, which is a big move for her. She' s very excited about all the cool things she'll be doing at "real" kindergarten. She's only going to K4, but the class I observed at the school was doing "real" work in their class, like learning to read and write and doing more than the playing and coloring she's used to. She is a smart girl for her age (even if I am a biased momma) and I think she's ready for some challenges. She loves meeting new friends and I know she'll do well in K4. As for other news around here, we're just waiting patiently on Kinley's arrival. The due date is still August 15, but we're hoping she'll come a little earlier. We're actually quite ready around here. The nursery is complete, except for her. We're ready to have her come and occupy her new room. I've posted some new pics of the room below, since some of my out of town friends and family asked to see them.

We're still here!

2009-07-08T01:26:00.002-04:00

So I've taken a little blogging vacation since I'm now addicted to facebook.... ha ha. I have new pics to post this week and promise I will do so, even if my sister is the only person who still checks my blog... ha ha. I'm sure I'll be back into this very soon when baby Kinley arrives! Stay tuned!

Great News!

2009-05-29T16:26:00.002-04:00

Chris just got a FANTASTIC JOB!

I just wanted to thank everyone who has prayed for us during the period of unemployment we just experienced. At the end of February, Chris (as well as many other EBSCO employees) lost his job. It took us by surprise because he'd been "safe" through so many rounds of layoffs there and it was not anticipated that there were still more layoffs to go at that time. We were stunned and scared at the time. What was even more intimidating was the fact that we knew how many other people were looking for jobs right now and the competition is tough! Real estate sales are slower this year than in the past, so my business has suffered this year, as well. I tried not to worry too much about it, because I kept thinking, "At least Chris has a good job." Well, as you can expect, I felt panicked when he told me the news about the layoff on that day back in February. We began praying for God to just LEAD us in this. I have a tendency to want to think I'M in control, but we all know that God really is the one who is paving the way each day. I made a promise to myself and to God that this time, I would LISTEN to Him and let Him just LEAD us on this. After praying about it, I felt a peace that I cannot explain as I gave all my worries to Him and was faithful that, no matter what happened, He would take care of us and that even though our life might change a bit, it was His PLAN for us.

I am so proud of Chris for diligently getting busy at job hunting, interviewing, networking, and getting himself out there quickly to not waste any time. He has impressed me more now than ever in our marriage as I got to watch him "work" from home. I never knew just how organized, thorough, and determined he was when he'd set goals for himself. I've learned a lot about him during his time at home with me. He's going to make a fine employee at his new job. He's very excited to get back to work (and away from the endless home projects I have him doing here... ha ha.)

I just wanted to post this to give all the GLORY to God for taking care of us during uncertain times and for watching over us. I could write for days about all the blessings we've received during this time, which are no coincidence at all, but directly related to all the prayers that have been said on our behalf by our loved ones. We have gotten so much family time together, we took two vacations (which were planned and paid prior to the job loss,) we completed tons of projects around the house while Chris was home, and pulled closer than ever to our Lord which is what God really wants from us anyway. I always look back at difficult times in my life with no regrets, because on the flip side, you always begin to discover what it was God was preparing you for as one of His servants. Praise to God for blessing my family, and thank you friends for your prayers and support.

Love, Karen

We're Back!

2009-05-21T15:54:00.004-04:00

So, I know I'm terrible lately about updating this blog, but things have been busy around here lately. Since our last update (Disney Trip) we had Anna Kate's 4th Birthday, her dance recital, Aunt Sherra's baby shower, Mother's Day and much more. Our family is doing great. We are excited about our baby girl who'll be arriving sometime in mid-August. We've already named her: Kinley Elizabeth Elliott. We're currently working on getting her room ready so that we won't be finding ourselves so busy at the last minute. Chris painted the nursery today and I'm excited to start the decorating! I've been blessed to have Chris home a lot lately, as his help with all the projects I've got going has been priceless. He has been off of work since February, but God has blessed him with lots of new doors opening. He's interviewing for jobs every week and we're hoping that the right one will come along soon. I'm impressed at how he's treated his job search like a "job" and has been so diligent every day with furthering the process. I never realized how organized the man was until I started seeing him in action every day. I will miss him when he goes back to work, but am excited about whatever new opportunity the Lord has in store for him. I think he's excited to begin something new, as well. As for me, not much has occupied my mind other than getting ready for baby Kinley, spending as much time with Anna Kate as I can while we await baby's arrival, and trying to get some of these houses I have listed SOLD before Kinley gets here! Although, the economy has turned our job situation upside down for now, the Lord has taken care of us and blessed us every step of the way. He is in control of the situation and we give praise to Him for all of the blessings that we've enjoyed during this time, most especially the amount of family time we've all had together lately. Anna Kate and I are spoiled having Chris around so much because he takes such good care of BOTH of us. Chris is facing some final rounds of interviews this upcoming week for some companies he's interviewed with, so please keep him in your prayers as he continues this process. We are at peace knowing that God has a plan for us in this. Our latest pics that I'm posting here are from some of the fun things we've done lately: fishing with Anna Kate, Sherra's baby shower, and Anna Kate's dance recital. Enjoy!

Blogger Award

2009-04-27T01:07:00.002-04:00

So, I've been tagged by three friends already with this "award" so I guess I'll be a good sport and play along. These are fun, anyway, because it teaches you a little about your friends.

So here are the rules:
1. When given the award you write about the seven things that you love
2. Pass the award to 7 bloggers that you love, and be sure to tag them and let them know they've won. (You can copy the picture of the award and paste it on your sideboard.)

Seven things that I love:
1. Jesus
2. My family
3. Watching Anna Kate grow and entertain me daily.
4. My friends! Especially my "gals".... you know who you are!
5. My Sunday School class (cutest 3 yr olds on Earth!)
6. Going somewhere on vacation that I've never been. I love to try "new" places, although I don't get to do it as often as I'd like. I'm thinking I'll travel more when the girls are a little older. New York is one of my favorites, so far.
7. Organizing... Yes, I know this is nerdy, but I love to have things in order, it is part of being a self-diagnosed OCD nut. I'll never feel organized "enough" and it drives me a little crazy but is part of my personality.

Now I give this award to seven friends and bloggers.(this means you get to put this cute little award on your blog so don't let me down by not participating and passing it along.)
I give the award to:
1. The Lantrip Family
2. The Davis Family
3. The Pruitt Family
4. The Hughes Family
5. The Turner Family
6. The Stanley Family
7. The Atchison Family

There's a new princess in town! Greetings from Disney World!

2009-04-05T23:53:00.003-04:00

We had a great time at Disney World! Anna Kate went to the Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique at the Cinderella's Castle and was "transformed" into a princess for a day. Shortly after her makeover, we were approached by a Disney Staffer and Anna Kate was asked if she'd like one of her wishes to come true.... They took us to a private room to meet Cinderella where we got about 10 or 15 minutes to talk to Cinderella all alone and take pictures. It was wonderful! I'm posting a couple of those pics and some other character encounters here:

More Disney pics....

2009-04-05T23:26:00.004-04:00

I was really surprised that Anna Kate ran up to the "Beast" and gave him a big hug... ha ha.

We had a royal birthday breakfast at Akershus in Norway (Epcot) with all of the princesses. Sleeping Beauty was the first to sit at our table and she was SO sweet to Anna Kate.

Belle from Beauty and the Beast was also at the breakfast and she was just beautiful. Anna Kate was star struck all day.

At Animal Kingdom, Anna Kate made a little friend while we waited in line for the train. Her name is Kierra. She is the long lost soul sister of Anna Kate:) They were instant best friends and had identical personalities. They insisted that we tour the park together, so we quickly made friends with her parents, Jessica and Doug. They were a super nice family and we ended up making some great friends out of total strangers from Indiana. I know we'll always keep in touch. We spent another afternoon at Hollywood Studios with their family as well, and the girls couldn't get enough of each other. At the end of the day when we'd split up, the girls went home with sad faces because they wanted to keep playing together.

More character dining at Chef Mickey's. We got to see the whole Mickey gang at this dinner: Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy, and Donald Duck!

It's A Girl

2009-03-17T13:23:00.002-04:00

Anna Kate has been right from day one. She has always said mommy was carrying a baby girl and she would have a baby sister to take care of. The doctor said everything looked good and the baby is healthy (about 8 oz right now). We are very blessed and can't wait to see what she looks like.

Let it Snow!

2009-03-03T01:10:00.003-05:00

Making snowballs with Daddy

Making a snow angel

Our snowy home

Roll Tide snowman

More fun in the Snow!

2009-03-03T00:59:00.002-05:00

Getting Mommy with a snowball

Making a snowman mouth out of Twizzlers candy

"I'm cold Mom, can I go in now?"

"Snow Village"

I think if we have a boy, I'll name it Stone.....

2009-02-10T15:05:00.002-05:00

After the KIDNEY STONE that is killing me right now! Yesterday I started feeling lousy, but was trying not to be a "baby" about it, but after a full night of pain in my side and back, I decided to go to the doctor this morning. I completely thought that they'd tell me "nothing's wrong, go home and rest." I went anyway, though out of concern that something might be wrong with the pregnancy. The bad news is that it appears (after having a quick ultrasound) that I've gotten my very first (and hopefully LAST) kidney stone. The good news is that I got some pain meds that are helping me BREATHE again AND I got to see a little ultrasound picture of my sweet baby a little early. He/She was waving at me as if to say, "Sorry, mom, I know you feel like crap, but I'm OKAY in here!" I was VERY relieved once again to hear a strong heartbeat and see a little head and arm movement on the ultrasound. That made me relax again. Anyway, I'm hoping this stone will do whatever it needs to do to GET OUT! I've got enough going on in this 32 yr old body..... As for the baby, we'll go for another regularly planned ultrasound in about 5 weeks to find out if it is a girl or boy... can't wait for that one!

For Aunt Robin

2009-02-05T10:40:00.002-05:00

Thank you Aunt Robin for the cute outfit! Love, Anna Kate

Thank You!

2009-01-30T10:45:00.001-05:00

Thank you for all the calls, texts, blog messages, facebook messages, etc, expressing sympathy at the loss of our "Pop." It's nice to know I have so many friends who care and who pray for each other. God Bless you all!

Love, Karen

A sad goodbye to our Pop

2009-01-23T23:19:00.003-05:00

Today our "Pop" went to be with Jesus only a short five months since "Neenie" left us to be with Jesus. I'm happy that he's in a better place, but my heart is broken and aching right now knowing that I won't hear his whistling tune as he comes in the door of our family gatherings. I'm heartbroken and words cannot describe what this wonderful man meant to me. He's Chris's grandfather, but has been my "Pop" since I was 16 years old when Chris and I started dating, just shortly after MY grandfather (also, called "Pop" had suddenly passed away.) He was one of the finest men I've ever met and I loved every minute with him. He had friends everywhere he went and if you knew him, you'd know why. I'm sure he's whistling his way through the gates of Heaven right now. Please pray for our family as his departure will leave a huge hole in our hearts. He had a BIG piece of mine.

Here's the obituary that was posted in the Bham News on Sunday:
ELLIOTT, JAMES W. (1919~2009) James William Elliot, age 89, of Jasper, Alabama was called home to be with his Lord and Savior on January 23, 2009. James Elliott was born of Claude and Lilly Elliot (also of Jasper) and was preceded in death by his loving and devoted wife, Lois Sherer Elliott. James "Pop" Elliott lived a long and wonderful life serving his Lord, Family, and Country. Mr. Elliott graduated with a Civil Engineering degree (a member of Theta Tau fraternity) from the University of Alabama in 1942, and earned a Masters Degree in Civil Engineering in 1947. Upon graduation with his Bachelors, Mr. Elliott enlisted in the U.S. Army and served his country honorably as a member of the elite Office of Strategic Services (OSS) in the China, India, Burma Theater during WWII. He later worked for U.S. Pipe and Foundry in their Technical/Sales Division in Birmingham, Alabama until the age of sixty-nine. He also had his own engineering and land surveying business and worked in the Birmingham Metro Area as a Professional Engineer and Land Surveyor until the age of eighty-six. Mr. Elliott was an active and devoted member of the Crossroads Methodist Church in Jasper, Alabama. Funeral Services will be held at Kilgore-Green Funeral Home on Tuesday, January 27, 2009 at 11:00 a.m. Visitation will be from 10:00-11:00 a.m. at the Funeral Home with Graveside Services at New Prospect Cemetery. Minister Roy Wolfe will be officiating and Kilgore-Green will direct. Pop was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and friend. He is survived by his sons, James William Elliott, Jr. and his wife, Carol of Pleasant Grove, Thomas R. "Rick" Elliott and his wife, Holly of Plano, Texas, Jeffrey W. Elliott and his wife, Robbie of Huntsville; grandchildren, Sherra Elliott Wagner and her husband, Pete of Plano, Texas, Chris Elliott and his wife, Karen of McCalla, Brandon Elliott of Plano, Texas, Nathan Elliott of Plano, Texas, Patrick Elliott and his wife, Rose of Montgomery, Ryan Elliott of Huntsville, Taylor Elliott of Huntsville, and Leila Elliott of Huntsville; great-grandchildren, Anna Kate Elliott of McCalla and Ethan Elliott of Montgomery; and sister, Jetty Ziff of Jasper. Kilgore-Green Funeral Home, Jasper, Alabama directing.

Our Baby's heartbeat

2009-01-20T13:36:00.003-05:00

Today was only my second doctor appointment. It feels like it takes FOREVER to get to the next appointment! I'm very impatient with pregnancy:) Poor Chris... Anyway, today we let Anna Kate go with us to the doctor's office. I had mixed feelings about it, because she's SO excited but since we had not heard a heartbeat up to this point, I was a little nervous about having her come in with me. But, God has blessed us with wonderful news at each appointment now, as we heard the heartbeat loud and clear today and I'm feeling very relieved, at least for a minute. I'm already ready to fast forward to the next appointment and the next and the next and the next. I would be happy if the doctor would let me come every week, just for reassurance.... ha ha. Anyway, thank you to anyone who might have said a little prayer for us and our baby. I believe in prayer and I'm praying each visit to the doctor will continue to bring good news for my family. I'm also praying for all of my friends who are also pregnant or are trying to get pregnant. I pray for you all too and I hope we all are blessed with happy healthy families.

We're BACK! Surviving Christmas...

2009-01-08T11:56:00.000-05:00

Hi Everyone! I'm way behind on posting because, well, Christmas just wore me OUT! I felt like a big ol' Scrooge this year because sometimes the craziness of the holiday events that we attend gets the best of me. This year in particular, I was SO sick during Christmas because of the nausea I've had during this pregnancy. Walking into loved ones homes and smelling food just did not go very well for me. I can remember thinking, "If I have to eat one more meal today, I will die!" I've been doing better since Christmas, and as long as I stick to cold foods, not hot, I somehow manage to eat pretty well. I eat a lot of sandwiches and salads right now because they don't have any aroma. That's the key.... If I can't smell it, I can eat it... ha ha.
Anyway, enough about nausea.... ha ha. I've finally been to the doctor and she says things look great. I go back on the 20th for another visit. Please pray with me that we'll have a strong, healthy baby again. I don't take it for granted at all that Anna Kate has been super-healthy this far in life. I just hope that baby #2 will be blessed with the same level of health and happiness that Anna Kate has. She was an easy baby, so I'm nervous this time around since no two babies are alike!
We had a great time over the holidays and enjoyed the time we had with our family and friends. I'm posting pics of some of my favorite moments during the holidays:

Singing "We wish you a Merry Christmas" with friends at church

Showing the parents her dance steps learned this year at the dance party

Playing in her Christmas Apron (aka "elf costume") that cousin Lisa sent (Anna Kate likes to wear it like it's a sundress... ha ha)

Accessorizing the "elf costume" with some Christmas bows

And more Christmas pics...

2009-01-08T11:41:00.004-05:00

Enjoying a visit from my cousin Christie and her adorable new daughter, Jasmine

Christie's other little girl, Stella, had a great time banging on the piano with Anna Kate. Their music was just beautiful:)

Anna Kate in her new Snow White costume

Opening her Bama Cheerleader doll from Memaw and Paw

More Christmas Pics...

2009-01-08T11:23:00.004-05:00

Opening her Gifts from Mom and Dad

Excited about her new Snow White dress up costume

Trying out the new kitchen that Santa Brought

Riding in the PG Christmas Parade with all the dancers from Lynn's School of Dance

Having some fun with my friends from High School

I've been tagged!

2008-12-23T15:41:00.003-05:00

This is the second time I've been "tagged." The first time, I didn't have time to play along, but this time I'll be a good sport and keep up the fun. Here are the rules:

The object of the picture tag is to:

1) Choose the 4th folder where you store your pictures on your computer.

2) Select the 4th picture in the folder.

3) Explain the picture.

4) Tag 4 people to do the same. No cheating (cropping, editing, etc.) Have fun!!! Here's mine!

Explanation of the picture: This picture was taken on my first trip to New York City (in 2006) while riding through Central Park in a bicycle carriage (not a horse and carriage, a BICYCLE carriage that was driven by a skinny foreign guy with broken English who broke a REAL sweat pulling my mom, sister, and I around Central Park.... ha ha. We exceeded the 2 person carriage capacity, but he let us ride anyway and got a good workout.) The photograph is of the oldest carousel in the United States and is located in Central Park. It dates back to 1871 and was originally pulled by a mule. Interesting, huh.... ha ha. Sorry my pic was a little boring.... I didn't cheat though!

I'm tagging: Lynn, Kim, Lyndsey, and Shannon

A Baby is on the WAY!!!

2008-12-09T09:10:00.002-05:00

So, this is already starting to be old news for some, because I let the cat out of the bag a little early. Being how my doctor can't see me til January 6, (YES, JANUARY 6... and I'm a little fussy about that wait) and I've gotten 3 positive home pregnancy tests and almost threw up on a Belk salesman yesterday (he ushered me to the men's restroom and watched the door for me... ha ha,) I'm SURE I'm pregnant and I'm telling everyone.

We're very excited and Anna Kate is already referring to the baby as "she." No matter how many times I tell her it could be a "he" she still says, "No, Mom, SHE." Ha Ha.

My pregnancy with Anna Kate was super easy during the first trimester with no sickness, but I can already tell that this one's a little different. I'm tired by 9:00 every night (when usually I would easily stay up til 1 or 2am) and I'm having waves of nausea these last couple of days. Looks like it is going to be a long 9 months.

Just wanted to share the good news!

More from Thanksgiving....

2008-12-01T00:32:00.003-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-12-01T00:14:00.004-05:00

We spent Thanksgiving Day with my family (Souths and Baileys) at my sister's new condo in Orange Beach, Alabama. We enjoyed great food, great sunsets, and fun in the sand! Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

New Pics of Anna Kate

2008-11-16T21:18:00.002-05:00

My friend Rachael Spencer is a very talented photographer. She took these photos of Anna Kate at the Botanical Gardens a week or so ago. Anna Kate was a total goofball that day, so the fact that Rachael got some great shots reveals her talent as a photographer... I'd recommend her for your kids pics!

You can see Anna Kate's pics on her blog at http://rachaelspencerphotography.blogspot.com/

Anna Kate plus 1 2-Liter of Sunkist= Destruction!

2008-10-31T10:33:00.002-04:00

OK. So, again I'm TRYING to do a little work from home yesterday afternoon. I'm in the office at home and she's watching (or so I thought) Yo Gabba Gabba (what an annoying kids show, by the way!) Downstairs I hear a crash and a spewing noise. "Hmmm" I think, "better go check on this." "Anna Kate" I say, "is everything okay?" "Yes, mommy, everything is fine!" she yells back...... but it doesn't sound fine as I still hear hissing and spewing noises coming from downstairs. I walk downstairs and meet her at the bottom where I see her eyes as big as golfballs and in my peripheral vision see orange shooting across the kitchen. I run into the kitchen and there's what looks like the Old Faithful Geyser at Yellowstone National Park right in the middle of my kitchen, except its REALLY a 2 Liter Orange Sunkist drink with the top exploded off and orange spraying all over EVERYTHING in my kitchen. There's orange drink in the floor, on the cabinets, on the counters, the appliances, all the way across the kitchen on the glass table, running into the pantry, and worst of all, at least a liter of it is UNDER my refrigerator. It took over an hour to clean it all up. There's no picture of it here, because it was an emergency cleanup and there was no time, nor was I in the mood for a picture at that moment. I asked Anna Kate, "How did this HAPPEN???!!!!!" She replied, "I don't know Mom, it just jumped out of the frugerater."

This blog post is dedicated to all the work-from-home mothers out there...

2008-10-27T00:17:00.003-04:00

Since I work primarily from home selling real estate, I have the opportunity to be at home with my little darling most of the time, with the exception of a few mornings she spends at moms-day-out. Most people who know Anna Kate know that she is constantly putting on some kind of show for anyone who'll watch. Either it is a rock show (see earlier posts,) a cooking show, pretending to be a dance teacher, an acrobatics show, etc, etc.... you get the idea. On this particular day, while I'm on the phone with an attorney all day trying to tie up loose ends on a real estate closing, Anna Kate is coming into my office riding on what she calls "elephant horse" and performing various acts. First a comedic session where she tells her one and only joke, "What kind of monster likes to dance?...... The Boogey Man!" Then a dancing show where she does what she calls the "Too Coo Pango" dance, then she rides out on "elephant horse" and comes back to climb up the back of my office chair and tries to sit on my head! Thankfully, most of the attorneys, loan officers, and other Realtors I work closely with know about Anna Kate because they are used to hearing her singing in the background, so they ask me how my "little assistant" is doing. So, for all those work-from-home moms who wipe hineys while doing business, I know your challenge. I wouldn't trade getting to have my little girl home with me, however, for the world.

Riding into my office on "elephant horse"

2008-10-27T00:14:00.000-04:00

Showing me what she calls her "Too Coo Pango" dance (Have no idea what Too Coo Pango is!?!)

2008-10-27T00:11:00.003-04:00

Telling her one and only joke she knows.."What kind of monster likes to dance? The Boogey Man!!!"

2008-10-27T00:08:00.003-04:00

Riding back out of my office on the "elephant horse"

2008-10-27T00:05:00.002-04:00

Trying to climb on my head...

2008-10-27T00:01:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday Dad!

2008-10-16T09:04:00.002-04:00

Last Friday night, we celebrated my dad's 60th birthday at my house. I think my dad looks great for 60! My mom, Jacob, and Jared all came over to have steaks with us and we had a great time. Anna Kate LOVES for Jake and Jared to come play. She made Jared stay upstairs in the playroom with her the whole time. They are so sweet to her.

A typical afternoon at our house

2008-10-01T16:42:00.002-04:00

Anna Kate spends most afternoons changing clothes, over and over and over again. I never know what is clean or dirty because we go through about 5 or 6 outfits (and/or costumes, Sunday clothes, bathing suits, etc) per DAY. It is something that she enjoys, so I let her do it, despite the effort it takes to collect the clothing around the house at the end of the day. It is one of those things that makes Anna Kate.... Anna Kate. On this particular day, she had chosen a costume to wear for the afternoon and was putting on a rock show for me on the steps when Daddy came home. Daddy decided that he wanted to take a turn with the guitar, and as you can see, she was in NO MOOD to share the stage that day!

State Fair - Yes, that is me in a teacup!!!

2008-10-01T16:35:00.002-04:00

We went to the State Fair last weekend in Pelham and had a really fun time with Anna Kate. For those who know me, you KNOW I must really love my child to ride in a teacup with her. She was too small to ride alone. I normally vomit on these types of rides so I immediately tried to move us to another ride, but her mind was made up that we HAD to ride this one. I somehow managed not to get sick this time!

Daddy's Birthday

2008-10-01T16:30:00.002-04:00

Last week was Chris's 32nd birthday and we celebrated at our house. Can you guess who enjoys the birthday cake the most?

First Day of Dance Class

2008-09-13T13:05:00.003-04:00

Anna Kate LOVED going to Mrs. Lynn's dance class. In fact, she's asking me every day, "Is today the day we go to dance?" I was the only mommy in there snapping pictures, but Lynn was nice to let me have a few minutes to grab some photos of the class before she shut the door and started class. I wanted so badly to see the little girls dancing in there, but they have a "no Moms in the class" policy that I think is VERY SMART of Mrs. Lynn. Prior to starting class that night, we spent the entire day all over town looking for a black leotard to fit Anna Kate. Everyone had them, just not in her size. It was the first time I realized what all my mom must have gone through when I was taking dance, piano, softball, and my sister was a head majorette at the high school, and my brothers played baseball (ALL AT THE SAME TIME!!) She was a true Supermom. We "kept the road hot" as my dad always said... ha ha. I don't know how she kept track of everything with all 4 of us! Anyway, we're off to a good start now with our first official extracurricular activity.

Our little dancer...

2008-09-07T18:59:00.003-04:00

Anna Kate has convinced us that she's now a ballerina. Last week she got her very own dancing attire, complete with 'real' ballet shoes and a sparkly bag. She also has some pink tights that she INSISTS on wearing every time, despite the fact that they are WAYYYY too big for her. Doesn't bother Anna Kate though... she just pulls the tights WAYYYY up high and makes a full outfit out of them. Genious, huh. Well, I thought that would be enough for right now, but now Memaw and Nana are pushing dance lessons so we're probably going to start dance lessons really soon. We've already made the call to Mrs. Lynn to find out about enrollment.... so stay tuned. Personally, I think Anna Kate is more of a hip-hop kind of girl (she loves to shake the bootie and break it down for us;) and even Aunt Sherra describes Anna Kate's dancing as "like Elaine on Seinfeld" for those of you who remember that Seinfeld episode (ha ha.) Nevertheless, we're going to try ballet and tap and see if she's star material.

Roll Tide!!!!

2008-08-31T02:07:00.003-04:00

What an exciting game! I watched it on TV with Anna Kate and Carol while Chris got to BE THERE with his dad. I worked today so I had to pass on the opportunity to go to the game, but I'm sure it was even more awesome to be there! I haven't been prouder to be a BAMA alumni than after watching that game. While I was a student at UA our team wasn't so hot, so I've been waiting all these years to see a good comeback for the Tide and I hope this is the start of a great season.

Prayer Request

2008-08-21T21:06:00.002-04:00

I didn't think I'd actually be on my third blog post in my first week of blogging, but we had bad news this morning. Chris's grandmother (Jimmy's mom, "Neenie") passed away very early this morning. She had been in the hospital in the ICU since a surgery she'd had back at the end of July. She just never did fully recover and this morning, she passed away. The family is very sad, so please keep the entire Elliott family in your prayers. Thank you.

"Dora Night" at the Barons' Game

2008-08-19T23:28:00.004-04:00

There's nothing like a little last minute trip to the Hoover Met just in time to see Dora! We don't go to the Barons' games often, but found that it was actually very fun for the family. Laura Faith Beard was in-the-know about a special visit from Dora the Explorer tonight so she called up Anna Kate and well, we just "HAD" to go... Chris and I were pleasantly surprised to find out that we could feed the entire family for $1.25 because tonight was the 25 cent hotdog night, as well.... Woo Hoo! (Momma thought the cheesy fries were excellent too!) When the girls met Dora, it was funny because Anna Kate kept insisting on "high-fiving" Dora while she was signing autographs. Anna Kate was very proud of her autographed ticket stub that we brought home... ha ha.

Anyway, now we have a new place to go entertain the girls besides the Chuck E Cheese germ factory:)

Beginning Blogger!

2008-08-19T00:32:00.000-04:00

OK, so I'm REALLY new to this and have resisted for over two years now but I'm afraid to become the "dinosaur" by not jumping on the blogging bandwagon. The first time I EVER read a blog was when those beautiful Hughes boys were born and we watched their earliest days online as we prayed earnestly for them to get to go home from the hospital. I still watch their lives unfold online and have found that although I rarely see them in person, somehow I feel like I know so much about them.

I have followed other blogs and found it to be such a great way to spread prayer requests, give updates on families and praise to God when good things happen to us, and a great way to BRAG on our little brilliant children... ha ha.

So, here it goes.... feel free to offer blogging advice and tricks for me because mine will probably be pretty bland for awhile til I get the hang of it!

Here's my latest photo of my little princess! We were playing in a friend's yard and since the weather was nice I started snapping pictures.