Liv

Eli had some friends over today.
She arrived first.

I could hear her scream with joy from her van as they pulled up in the driveway.
She came tearing into the house...

you could feel her excitement as she walked through the front door...

dropped her bag and asked for me to take off her sweater.

(You know, some serious playing was getting ready to ensue.)
She and Eli darted through the house. Upstairs. Downstairs.

From one room to the next in true three-year-old-tornado fashion.
They talked non-stop.
Michael arrived and she had another set of ears willing and ready to listen.
With the weather in the upper 60's and sunny,

we headed out to the yard to swing and play in the sandbox.
Once she wiggled her bare feet into the cool sand, she exclaimed,

"This is SUCH A GOOD PLAN!"
She and E played and played and played.
The sandbox must have transported them to some far-away place because they shouted the play-by-plays to me like they were on the other side of the world.
We picnic-ed on a blanket.

She threw her head back a couple times and absorbed the sun on her face.
They ran back to the swings and swung HIGH and FAST!
Barefoot the entire time.
She is Olivia.
We like to call her Liv.
Because that is exactly what this girl is gonna do...
LIVE.

Getting ready to swing over alligators???

Flying HIGH and FAST!

Liv-ing life to the fullest...
Pink, frilly, twirling skirt and muddy feet!

Date Night

We were brave and went to the big ATL for our Valentine Date.
We were brave and went to a comedy club.
We were brave and ordered 'Atlanta's Original Nacho Tots' at 10 pm.
We are so. brave.
:)

The time in Atlanta was fun.
The comedy club was...ooookaaaay.
The Nacho Tots? Yumm. y.

Us and our Nacho Tots.

Artsy, gooey picture of the tots.

I officially loved these tots.

Valentine Class Party

Chloe's class Valentine Party was short and sweet.
All the kids wanted was to get into their 'mailboxes' and devour the candy...
And that is exactly what they did.

At her table.

Her Valentine Mailbox

Chloe's Bestie, Ella.

Mrs. Todd and Chloe

Pre-Valentine Movie Night

Kevin and I will be out on a date tomorrow night, so we did some special things with the kids tonight for Valentine's Day.

Feel the love.

Popcorn with pink and red sugar sprinkles.

Peanut Butter Marshmallow toasties.

Peanut M&Ms

Heart shaped marshmallows

and Sparkling Cider

Picnic in front of the TV

the Disney Channel (soon to be Disney Junior)

cooperated with our fun night by showing Toy Story. Yay!

It was fun and simple and cheap!

Good times! Good memories!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

What are you doing to celebrate your loves?

This Year's Valentines...

We had fun making Chloe's Valentines for her classmates today.

This is what we made last year...

I got the idea from Nicole over at 60piggies. She has a great tutorial.

You will love her writing and photography and will want to buy lots of adorable things from her etsy shop. (and if you do, you will help bring their littlest home from Ethiopia!)

Here are some photos of our creations:

Each one reads:

Your Valentine's Day will be filled with LOVE.

Love one another...for love comes from God.

1 John 4:7

(do you think the scripture referrence will get us in trouble in public school??)

Kevin pulled out the fancy Macro setting on the camera!!

I like!

Another artsy shot.

Pretty easy and oh so CUTE!!

Thanks for the tutorial, Nicole!

Daddy-Daughter Dance

For the third year in a row, Kevin and Chloe had a date night to the Daddy-Daughter Dance at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church. It is a big. deal. Like new dress and shoes-big. Like sparkly fingernail polish and make up-big.

Lily got to go to the dance this year too. She also got to wear a new dress.
Like the matching tie?
(remember? Big. Deal.)

I Heart Them.

At the dance.

Kevin tells me that his first dance of the night was with Lily.

Chloe wanted her to feel special since it was her first dance.

Such a precious girl, our Chloe!

(and such a funny mental image of Kevin dancing with a doll in a room full of men!)

This girl LOVES to dance!

Something about this picture captures how much fun she was having. :)

Chloe with her friends Abi, Blakley and Ali.

Each year, the girls are given a charm from their Daddy to collect.

Love this tradition!

So thankful they get to do this together.

Following the dance, they always go to The Cheesecake Factory for dessert...each year Chloe has practically slept through the whole meal...her Apple Crisp with vanilla ice cream was untouched.

(Why did she not order Cheesecake, you may ask??? I was wondering the same thing!)

@ Tire Barn...

I'm at The Tire Barn...getting my tires checked out...

AAAAANNNND....

I'm blogging.

How cool is that?