Over Thanksgiving break we had the opportunity to get some family pictures done! One of my friends from high school has a new photography business with her husband. She met us at my parent's house in Fort Smith for a photo session! They turned out GREAT! Thanks so much Emily! You can see some of them here.

11 months.

Last week, Bri turned 11 months old! It is SO hard to believe that in less than a month she will be celebrating her 1st birthday! Here is what she has been up to:

She loves to play with her new Little People Nativity Set! She is very partial to the red wiseman. He goes with her wherever she goes- I even let her go to sleep with him one night, but she stayed up playing and would never fall asleep, so I had to take him away. ha!

Wes is so proud of his little theologian studying the Scriptures.

Every day we practice the productive parenting skill of the day. Today, we learned how to take on and off a lid.

Aubri loves, loves, loves to play with Momma's Christmas tree. And it makes Momma crazy, crazy, crazy. If you only knew how long it took me to get that tree up, you would sympathize with me.

Still trying to master the sippy cup. We have tried 3 different kinds and are still struggling to get the hang of it. Any tips?

Aubri hamming it up!

All Bri wants to do these days is STAND UP! She will let go and stand up by herself for about 2 seconds. Way to go, girl! (Wes put these socks on her...he always thinks she is cold, so he goes overboard to keep her warm...Ha!)

Thankfulness.

What are you thankful for?

During the craziness of the Thanksgiving holiday accompanied by festive Christmas shopping, I never stopped and spent time thanking God.

When I finally did stop and begin thinking of the blessing to praise God for, my first thoughts were: health, family, financial provision... all of which are true and wonderful blessings from the Lord. However, once I began praying through each of those things, my heart was convicted. What is good health if you don't live for the Lord? What is having a family that isn't united in Christ? What is financial stability apart from Christ? What I truly need to be thankful for is my life in Christ. He has shown me through His word that we are called to "give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Wes and I recently started praying through a handout our church provided called "30 days of Gratitude". It has drawn my attention to the precious gifts I all too often take for granted: my salvation, God's goodness, an entrance into God's presence, His Word, believing friends and family, His provision, faithfulness, steadfast love, and the list goes on.

May I encourage you to take a moment and praise the Lord for EVERYTHING- "Giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." Ephesians 5:20

Reformation Sunday

Every year our church celebrates Reformation Day (October 31). As most of you know, this commemorates the day when Martin Luther nailed the 95 theses to the cathedral door in Wittenburg, Germany, during the 16th century.
It's a fun time for our church to think about the founding father's of our faith and celebrate the Protestant Reformation. Most years, we have a HUGE Reformation Celebration and all the kids dress up, but this year we decided to have a church picnic at the local park. That didn't stop me from wanting Bri to have her turn to dress up. Wes thought she should be a Puritan. Ha! Here is a picture of our little Puritan in her first Reformation Day outfit!

A day of PUMPKINS!

We went ahead and set our clocks back today, so that our fun field trip to the Pumpkin Patch didn't conflict with Wes's flag football game and Bri's nap time. However, we had so much fun, she still ended up missing most of her nap.

Here's the rundown:

This afternoon, we headed to Mainstay farm to visit their pumpkin patch. It was AWESOME! Bri was still a little young for most of the festivities but we got some cute pictures and she will, hopefully, love it in the years to come!

Bri fell asleep on the way home, so we let her sleep a little later (Yes, we do sometimes veer off schedule, ha!). Once she woke up we decided to start carving the pumpkin we got at the farm. Bri was a little hesitant at first, but she warmed right up.

Cleaning out the insides.

My little helper.

My first time carving!

The finished project.

We finished up our pumpkin day with toasted pumpkin seeds and a pumpkin roll- 2 main reasons why I LOVE this time of year! YUM!

An afternoon at the park

The sun was out today, so Aubri and I headed for the outdoors. We spent the afternoon playing at the park. This park had the harness type swings, so Bri got to try it out all by herself! She LOVED it!


We both were beginning to get a little cabin fever with all the rain we have had. It was a great day to just sit outside and soak up the sunshine...

and explore LEAVES...

and see how they taste, of course! ha!

Flu Season

While talking to my sister this past week the topic of the flu came up. It seems like just about everyone we know has either had or has the flu. It is past the point of if you are going to get it but rather, when you are going to get it.

Well, we had our turn.

Wes got sick last Sunday and was out a full week. We took drastic measures (set up a quarantine, Lysolled the entire house every few hours, bought 4 bottles of hand sanitizer and 2 bottles of antibacterial soap, communicated with Wes via telephone to avoid him spreading the virus to me, etc.) to ensure that Aubri didn't get sick. (Which is why I haven't blogged lately...Wes had the computer held hostage in his flu infested quarters.) By God's grace, she has remained healthy.

We sure missed Wes this past week. But, Bri and I had some good girl time! We went shopping, we baked, we sewed...

What's girl time without a little lip gloss?

Aubri was SO happy when Daddy finally emerged from his room!

I know that many of you knew of our situation this past week and were fervently praying for us! We are so appreciative that we have friends and family that pray for us, call us, and encourage us. THANK YOU!

Funny Faces!

When it comes to baby food, Aubri can be pretty picky. She likes her food to be warmed up and if it cools mid-feeding, then she stops eating until it is warmed up again. Now I must admit, I cater to her pickyness. I am more than happy to warm and re-warm at her request.

Well, she has found a new favorite food. It is blueberries & apples. She would eat it all day long if I let her. If she won't eat a certain kind of veggie then I throw in a little blueberry & apple and she digs right in. It is a real blessing to have found this treasure!

So anyway, since she likes blueberries & apples so much, I decided to see if she would eat them cold-straight from the fridge. Now, mind you, she doesn't even eat things room temperature, much less COLD.
But she did...and it is so funny I had to share!

Our 9 month old Swimmer

Aubri is really beginning to move! I have heard that all babies find their own style of crawling. Aubri's looks more like swimming than crawling! Want to see?

Last Friday Aubri turned 9 months old. Here is what she has been up to:

-She weighs 17.1 lbs and is 27.5 inches long.

-She says "Ma ma ma ma" and "Da da da da"!

-She waves bye-bye.

-She claps when she gets excited! (Which is almost ALL the time!)

-She has started sleeping on her tummy. (I never thought this would happen since she has always HATED being on her tummy.)

-She has moved to size 3 CRUISERS since we have a little cruiser on our hands!

-She has started eating a few solids (boiled potatoes and chicken). But it takes her FOREVER to chew it up and swallow. What can you expect? She only has 2 little teeth! ha!

-She LOVES bath time! I lay her down to get her clean and then sit her up and she just plays and plays and plays! Last night, when I started getting her out of the tub, she started crying! It was as if she was saying "But, Mom, I'm not wrinkled yet!" ha!

-She likes to sing. When I start singing, she watches me for a while, and then she joins in. And when the music is on in the car, she sings at the top of her lungs! What a joyful noise!

I could go on and on and on. I just love to talk about this little one!

Football Frenzy!

This weekend the entire Carroll family met in FW for a weekend of football!

Here are some of us gearing up for the Hogs vs. Aggies game!
WOOO PIG SOOIE!

But first, we had to cheer for one of our own.
Wes had a big flag football game Saturday morning.
He had a great run and they won! Go RAC team!

When I was a student at the UA I rarely missed a Razorback game, but since we moved from Fayetteville it has been a little more difficult to get the stadium to cheer on the hogs. So, I was VERY excited when I found out that they would be playing in Arlington, right here, close to our home! Plus, that means we would get to check out the infamous Cowboy Stadium! And let me tell you, it was amazing!

Hogs 47 Aggies 19
GO HOGS GO!

Aubri and her cousins stayed in Fort Worth and played with Jenny and James during the game.
This was Bri's first time with an official babysitter. We got a great report. I guess Aubri behaved herself, besides her peeing all over Jenny! whoops!

Our big day!

Today, Bri and I met some of our friends at the FW Zoo. Bri was more entertained by her stroller's seat belt than she was the animals but it was a great time to get together with friends and to get some fresh air!

What a great day for Aubri's Ma-Ma-Ma-Ma! Check this out!

Check this out!

Glory to God, the Giver of all good gifts!
Click here for some exciting news!

Getting Busy.

Bri is getting so big and I am loving it! Everyone tells me that the current stage is your favorite stage, and this is so true! The stage she is in right now is SO FUN!
(Please forgive the blurriness of the pictures, I am having a little trouble with my camera.)

Tickling the ivory!
She loves her new piano! But more than playing, she loves to turn the pages of the attached piano book.

Her cousin, Millie, gave her a lion that is push/riding toy.
She can't push it yet, but loves to use it to stand up!

Now she's riding. When she pushes his nose, he starts growling and she starts beaming!
She loves this toy! Thanks, Millie Moo.

Each year that we have been at Seminary, we get together with fellow Razorback fans and a few 'Bama fans to watch the two teams battle it out. This year, we hosted the party at our house.
Bri loved playing with all the big kids, even though they were cheering against her Hogs.

I am hopeful that next week, when we actually get to be at the AR vs. A&M game, we will be able to cheer the Hogs to a victory!

Hit that line, hit that line, keep on going...

I LOVE FOOTBALL SEASON! There is just something special about this time of year! Today, the three of us got our Razorback gear on and had some friends over to watch the Hogs play the Georgia Bulldogs. Aubri thought her mommy and daddy were going crazy as we cheered and sang the fight song at the top of our lungs! She has never seen us act like that! ha!

Aubri was getting really upset that we were losing so she decided to go to bed before it was over.

Unmotivated...

For whatever reason, I have not been real motivated to blog lately. Maybe it's the weather. It has been rainy and gloomy for the past several days. But things are beginning to look a little brighter outdoors today.

Labor Day weekend, our little family headed to Arkansas for the Carroll family Olympics. It is tradition that my side of the family gets together every Labor Day for the 3 day weekend. In the years past the boys have played golf and last year the winner even got a golf trophy. Dad thought it would be a good idea to include the girls in the friendly competition so this year we had the Olympics. We had so much fun, but unfortunately we didn't bring home the coveted "Big Hoot" trophy. I forgot my camera but you can see pictures of the weekend here.

Last weekend, my church had a women's retreat. My mom and dad came down so Mom could come with me to the retreat and dad could spend time with Wes and Bri. Sharon Better's was the speaker and she talked about ways to encourage our sister's in Christ that are going through very dark times. It was a very encouraging time and was a huge blessing to be able to experience it with my mom.

Thank you so much, Mom, for coming! It meant so much to me!

Dad needed a little nap to re-energize from his weekend of babysitting!

Sunday School

Today was a big day for us! Wes and I have started teaching Sunday school classes and Aubri went to her Sunday school class for the first time ever! Yes, you heard me right; Aubri has Sunday school not nursery. Our church actually has Sunday school starting at 12 weeks. They even have a little lesson and a time that they prayer over each child. I love how intentional our church is with teaching children. The teachers really see the importance in fulfilling their covenant with parents to come alongside them in the shepherding of their children in the Lord.
Wes was asked to teach a study on the Biblical book of Mark and I am teaching 1 year olds.

Due to the hustle and bustle of all of us getting ready and out the door early this morning I didn't remember to snap a picture to capture the big day. But, you know I rarely post without a picture of Baby Bri! So, here ya go!

Women of Faith

The Women of Faith Conference was great! We heard some wonderful testimonies from the speakers of God's amazing work, we sang our hearts out in worship, we laughed until we cried, and cried until we laughed. Glory be to God! Mom, I look forward to doing this AGAIN, maybe next year?!?

Mandisa (a former contestant from American Idol) was there! She did a little mini concert! I have never been to a REAL concert before. (I know, I know, it's hard to imagine.) The closest I have ever been is the little "concerts" at the fair. And I don't really think those count. Anyway, Mandisa sang a medley of songs at the beginning of her concert. The audience all got out their cell phones and started waving them in the air! (You know, like lighters...) It was just like I imagined a concert to be! Ha!

This picture is terrible. But you get the idea.

She also sang this song. It is based on the Ecclesiastes 3 passage.




Psalm 46:7 The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Dallas Day Trip

My mom and a few of her friends (CRAZY friends, I might add!) are in Dallas for a few days for some shopping and the Women of Faith Conference. So, Aubri and I hopped in the car to meet them for the afternoon at Northpark Mall. It was so fun watching all of mom's friends "ooo" and "ahhh" over Itty Bitty. They tried hard but I don't think she even gave them a glimse of her toothy smile!

Me and my Nana

There's a smile!! Check out my 2 teeth!

We had a great time visiting and strolling around-actually we used the stroller as our shopping cart because mom couldn't put Aubri down! ha! I think she must have been missing her granddaughter! I am planning to head back over to Dallas tomorrow for a day of the conference. That means Aubri and her daddy will be getting some quality time! That should make for some fun stories! I'll keep you posted!

I CAN'T IMAGINE!

I was reading my sister's blog and a few other friends that posted about their children heading off for KINDERGARTEN yesterday! They all had pictures of their little ones sporting their new outfits, with coordinating hair bows in place, new back packs packed with brand new supplies, lunch boxes in tow, and my eyes filled with tears! All the memories they are making with their babies made me think of my Bri getting bigger and us snapping pictures to capture each moment of her first day of Kindergarten. At the rate we are going, this day may never come for us! We struggle putting Aubri in our church's nursery-and its only for 1 hour, 1 day a week! ha! I CAN'T IMAGINE! For now, we will hold her close, rock her gently, and soak up every precious little moment!


Esther, I am so proud of you, Big Kindergartner! And Ashley, I am proud of you too! You made it through her first day!

Did you know?!?

Does your digital camera eat batteries like ours does?!?

Before we left for Hawaii I went to Target to stock up on some batteries for our trip. I saw these that said they lasted 7x longer in digital cameras. It had to be too good to be true! But, decided to give them a try anyway. I loaded my camera with these bad boys the day we left town. And now almost 2 weeks later (2 weeks of using my camera multiple times a day) I am still using the same 2 batteries! AWESOME! Worth every penny!

Now on to the good stuff!
A video I thought the grandparents might enjoy!


This video is a milestone in the making!
Our little Roly Poly is TRYING to crawl!

Aloha and Mahalo!

Some of our good seminary friends, James and Jenny, got married! Jenny is from Oahu, Hawaii and she wanted to have the wedding back home. So we traveled with our friends Anthony and Tasha, and their son, Marcus, to witness their covenant! How could we pass this up?!?

This picture just about sums up the whole trip! If you know my husband at all, you probaly know about his love for pineapple. Well, we just visited the home of all pineapples. We bought 4 pineapples while we there. And ate all of them. (Aubri doesn't eat solids yet and I don't like pineapple...so really WES ate all 4 pineapples. Not to mention the pineapple at the luau, the pineapple at the Dole plantation, the pineapple at at different restraunts, and so much more that I can't remember it all!! ha!)

James and Jenny (our friends that got married) both said "I do." and we had a great time so I guess you can count this trip as a success! Here's a run-down of all the Hawaii happenings.

Wednesday, August 5- We arrived in Honolulu, and were greeted by Jenny's parents and sister who gave us leis. We then went to get our rental minivan. Side story: Once we got our van we noticed that it made a funny noise, but we had just stood in line for 1 1/2 hours to get the van so we just blew it off and headed to find our lodging. Once we were settled, we headed out to get dinner and find a wal-mart to buy diapers and snacks.

Jenny (the bride) and Aubri at the Honolulu airport.

Thursday, August 6- Woke up early (due to 5 hour time change) and headed out to hike Diamond Head -an inactive volcano that looks over Oahu. We ate a late lunch and then headed to the rehearsal dinner.

The dads and their babies.

Almost to the top.

View from the top! It was beautiful!

Friday, August 7- Woke up early. Headed to Pearl Harbor. We saw a historical video to refresh our memory of the events that took place and then toured the Arizona Memorial, the Battleship Missouri and a U.S.S. Boefin submarine! Then we headed back to the house to let the kids nap and get ready for dinner.

On Arizona memorial. (L to R-James, he's the groom, Anthony, Marcus, Tasha, and us.)

Saturday, August 8- WEDDING DAY! Congratulations James and Jenny Williams! It was a beautiful ceremony and reception. Which reminds me of a funny story. At the reception, the wedding party was supposed to be announced as they walked in. Well, the MC announced Wes and the bridesmaid we was escorting and no one came in...so, the MC announced them again. Still nothing...then all the sudden, Wes and the best man, Anthony, swing open the doors to the recepiton hall and start breaking it down! Ha! I have never seen Wes dance like that! He was pretty good! Ha! Then the bridesmaids came dancing in, followed by the new couple! It was hilarious! I wish I had it on video but by the time I grabbed my camera I had missed it.

Wes walking out his bridesmaid.
Isn't he handsome?

Sunday, August 9- Woke up early. The boys had reservations to swim with the sharks so we drove to a little historic town on the water to drop them off. They had a great time and saw lots of sharks! BIG ONES! Wes will have to tell you this story! After they finished with their shark enounter we drove to the Dole Plantation. This was really cool! We took a train through pineapple fields and ate pineapple ice cream, drank pineapple juice and got t-shirts too! ha! This wore the kids out so we took them home to rest and then headed out to Waikiki for dinner.

The Dole Plantation.

Pineapple Ice cream!

Monday, August 9- Woke up early. Remember that story about our van making a funny noise? Well, it was getting worse each day. And today, we got all loaded up to go to the beach and started backing down our STEEP driveway when...DAD STOP READING!...the breaks went out. Thankfully, Wes was smart and hit the emergency break before we ran into the road. So, needless to say, we spent the morning on the phone with our car rental agency and waited for a tow truck and a new van. Then, WE FINALLY WENT TO THE BEACH AT WAIKIKI! There was a threat of a hurricane coming and we were beginning to worry that we were going to have gone to Hawaii and not gone to the beach!

Beach Baby!

Tuesday, August 10- We woke a little later. Finally able to sleep the day before we head home. ha! We headed to see the only waterfall in Oahu. This was probably my favorite day! It was BEAUTIFUL! Then we headed back to Dole to get some more pineapple ice cream. YUM! We headed back home to get ready for the luau!

Walking to the waterfall.
We forgot to bring Aubri's hat, so we had to stop at the gift store and get her one.

Getting a Somoan temporary tattoo at the luau.

The underground oven...where they cook the pig.

Hawaiian doing the hula dance.

Wednesday, August 11- Headed back to a beach that we had seen when were driving to the waterfall the day before. It was so beautiful! While we were there, the boys and I went cliff jumping! That was crazy! On our way home, we stopped to get some shaved ice. It was just like the sno cones from New Orleans-with ice cream at the bottom and sweetened condensed milk on top! YUM! Then headed back to the house to clean up before we flew home.

It was such a great trip! We can't wait to tell you all the funny stories! Aloha and Mahalo!

*please excuse the font sizes...I don't know why they are all over the place. I can't get them to change.