Happy Birthday Grandma!

Last Thursday, we celebrated my Grandma's 86th Birthday!  Anita (gma) grew up in Hoyleton, IL, a small town of 250 people.  Her parents instilled hard work on her from a young age growing up on a farm before she decided to move to STL.  The lady can get any stain out of any piece of clothing and up until last year would do all my ironing!  She rarely complains, and if she does you know something is wrong.  Grandma comes from a family of good genes even thought she is the last sibling left.  A couple of weeks ago we headed to her hometown to bury her sister who celebrated a life of 99 years.  Gma's sister was just 2 months of turning 100.  I would put my Vegas bets on Gma knowing more about the Cardinal's than anybody even close to her age.  The women loves to watch the Cardinals play and tunes into the radio or TV set for EVERY game!  With 3 children (2 girls and 1 boy), and all but my mom living out of town, it can be tough to get the entire family together.  Here is a recent picture with Gma and all the girls in the family!

So to celebrate 86 years, my parents decided to treat us all to dinner, so out we went.  Of coarse the restaurant was packed, so we waited...and waited and finally got seated.  It ended up taking 2 tables to finally get seated...

Abby and I decided to suprise grandma with cookies, reminding us all how old she is!

And of coarse my special helper passed them out and Gma was all smile!

All and all it was a fun evening despite the longggggg wait!  I am so glad Abby is able to know who her great-grandparents are!  And as we walked out of the restaurant, she remided both Mike and I that her birthday was next!!

The Party Month!

Year after year, June always seems to be the party month!  Between Grad parties, bridal showers, weddings, baby showers, birthday parties and Father's Day, we always seem to be quite the social butterfly's in the month of JUNE.  Now that's it mid-June has hit, I look at the party board and this is what we have left!

Four Parties, a Wedding, and Father's Day.  Unfortunaly, we just can't do it all.  With some of our family and friends being out of state it can become difficult to balance.  I owe it to my family first!!  So with that being said, Abby and I have been working on our Father's Day gifts for Mike...

Here we painted a heart...and used finger paints to make handprints.  This is NOT the finished product as we have so many more hand prints to do...and a poem to write in the heart!  Very easy for any of you to do with your kiddo's...just buy a piece of canvas and paint away!!!

Next on the list of "creativity," I stole from my friend Mimi!  Take a collection of your childs artwork at school and put it in a shadowbox frame.  We all know how much artwork kids bring home and there is only so much you can do with it.  We are still working on filling in the smaller holes, but here is a sneak peak!

We try to make a gift and buy something fun...personal touches always seem to go further!!

If I ever decide to start a "hobby business" it would be in the field of party planning!  At times the dollar only goes so far, but I just think it is so fun to plan parties!  Since our Princess is turning four at the end of the month, it's been tradition that she always wears a number shirt depicting how old she is!  This year I came across the world's cutest b-day skirt to go along with her shirt!!

Now that invitations have been sent out and we have an idea on who will attend, Abby and I are working hard at making flip flops for all the girls who attend her party!  The other night, we made a trip to Michael's to get ribbon.  Here are Abby's cute new flip flops!  The boys, well they just get the basics flip flops! 

I don't have a lot of hours in the day and find my self staying up late and getting up early, but it is so fun and so worth it!  Like my dad always says, "the best people were born in the month of June!"  His b-day was June 7...go figure!!  So I am sure you will see the complete party picts and blogs with all the goods throughout the remainder of the month - Happy June and Happy Party Planning!

Tuesday's "stay at home mom" fun!

I've always wondered how stay at homes moms do it because by 3:00 today, I was ready for a nap!  My mom always tells me you just get in a routine and before you know it time flies and your kids are gone...yes, I know thanks I am 30!  Well today I was off work...it was 90 degrees and sunny in STL so we decided to venture to the zoo and the pool.  I'm pretty sure one should not to have too many activities in one day...BUT if you want your child asleep by 7:30pm then I would suggest it!  We saw all the animals...

The Camels...

The Zebra's...

Giraffe's...as Abby would not stop asking, "Mom, why does he have such a long neck?"

the Elephants...and of coarse our personal favorite...

The TIGERS!!  I really think she loves the tiger so much because a couple of years ago when Mizzou had an awesome football team, Mike would teach her to cheer MIZ-----and of coarse Abby was tought to say ZOU!  The mascot for Mizzou (University of MO) is the TIGERS!!

One could not leave the zoo, until we road the carousal, jumped in the water fountains, and most importantly headed to the face painting station!

The animal of choice...the ladybug, but it had to be PINK!

After hitting the waterfalls....

...of coarse it had to be in her Dora and Boots swimming suit...which by the way...many of you who know me may have thought I would NEVER dress my kid in "characters"...but let me tell you I have changed!  I have learned that your sanity is worth  A LOT more than everybody in Target STARRING at you!  As we finished our day up at the pool....

 

going down the slide approx 30 times...swimming like a big kid with a life jacket on...

Abby was ALL smiles ALL day!!

...and YES the ladybug washed off by the time we left the pool!  What a GrEaT start to SuMmEr!!

Carnival Fun!

We all probably remember going to a Carnival at some time in our lives!  For me it was always Ballwin Days...well for Abby it is the local Catholic Church's Carnival that they always put on the weekend before Memorial Day Weekend! 

Don't mind the women who decided to walk in front of the camera!  Snow cones, funnel cakes, beer, and fattening food, what could be better!!  Well for Abby it was all about the rides!!

After I got sick of riding, Abby and her friend Mia took a ride on Dumbo all by themselves!

Then it was off to the Largest bounce house that I have ever seen!

=

Next thing you know, Mia's brother Frank won a fish...so guess where we were headed...

Oh yes, to the fish game.  Five dollars later after getting a ping pong ball in a cup of water, Abby finally walked with a fish!  She was a little unsure of the fish once she got it in her hand!!

I think this might be the first cross eyed picture I have of her - scary, I know!  Since the fish was in the bag, she thought it would be a "great idea" to take the fish on a ride...and guess who won that battle - ABBY!!

So hear I am, holding the fish on my favorite space ship ride once again!  And for the record, a week later, the fish is still alive!!  Since my mom used to always play NEMO in her car when she was younger, she named the fish Nemo...what could be better!

Golfing Fun!

Have you ever asked yourself what your hobby is?  Well for my husband GOLF would roll right off his tongue!  Too the extent of when he leaves, Abby says: "Catch you on the back 9 Dad!"  When practicing Softball with Abby, I want her to be a left handed hitter...more options for her...you softball fans can relate!!  Oh no, Mike thinks it will mess up her golf swing, so he wants her to be a right handed hitter so she can golf too!  I have already given in...why...because GOLF pays much better than Softball!  Last weekend Mike was on the coarse with his long time buddy Scott to take part in a Charity event for MV7.

Abby and I ventured out to take part in the silent auction and dinner!  As I was bidding on a professional Photography session, next thing you know, Abby was in the sand trap...

And then it was "golf ball hunting" on the greens so she could take the balls home to practice herself!

...and then of coarse she got her hands on the golf cart!!

Don't worry we got out of the coarse damage free!!  I hope you find a "hobby" to help release just a bit of the stress in your life!!  I can only wonder what our daughter's will be!!

The clean-up tour!

With my work schedule, life has been a little crazy!  Flying all over the country the last thing I really want to do is "deep" clean a bedroom and clean out a playroom!  I would much rather hang out with my fam!  I was in for a suprise on the amount of toys and clothes one toddler could have.  Everytime my hubby or I goes out of town for work, Abby asks us to bring her a "prize."  NO MORE PRIZES!!!!!!!  When it rains all weekend in STL, this is what you get...a picture perfect, clean bedroom... 

Inspired by the beach...one of her favorite places...

Nothing better, but Abby telling us...LUV U in sign language from the beach in FL! We still need to get this picture blown up and hung in her room!

The playroom took a bit longer, but when it was said and done, it was so worth it!

From organizing a child grocery store to a kitchen and what she calls her "project" table, oh and did I mention baby dolls, Build-A-Bear stuffed animals and clothes...and all her purses...what could be worse...

...the art project drawers and the closet filled with puzzles, dresss up clothes and games!!  Abby actually helped clean the mirror!  It's amazing what we do for the little ones!  We love you kiddo! 

Love, Mom and Dad

Meet the Family!

We try to teach Abby about Family and tell her stories from when we were kids.  She now understands who our moms and dads are in addition who are brothers and sisters are.  Ya, it might just be the three of us...but without family, who would you turn to, argue with, drink with, eat with, and just be able to relate to?

From the first day we brought Abby home until just recently when we went to Florida....time has flown by!

I grew up with 3 younger brothers. We always got dragged along to everybody's sporting event and deep down we were each others biggest fan!!  I always wanted a sister, but that never happened!  We never really went on family vacations because we traveled all over the country for Softball and Baseball.  We looked forward to the Lake of the Ozarks every summer and to this day...we still re-group at the lake...now we just have more toys and a bigger boat!  Meet the Mitchell Family...

Yes, my mom seriously made us take a picture with Santa in our PJ's when we were little and more recently we all went to Denver to take part in my cousin Blair's wedding!  We all still live in STL!

Mike, on the other hand grew up with 4 sisters and 3 brothers...yes a large Catholic Family!  With so many kids, the Carr's didn't go on many vacations either.  Dad remembers going to the Lake of the Ozarks as a kid and staying at Point Breeze which is now torn down.  He always looked forwarded to Christmas and his birthday because he got to chose where the family could go out to eat! 

The only picture I have of all the kids...this is like 10+ yrs old!

A little more recent at our wedding...but Kelly was unable to make it.  Dad was always close to his little sister Kelly who passed away of complications of Diabetes, right after Abby turned 1.

As we start out family traditions, we can never forget where we came from!

Love, the Carr Family :)