Blessed in Birmingham

Dade 2012

2012-01-27T08:57:00.001-05:00

It's that time of year again! The time when the Powells' get dressed up in their Seminole gear and head to Bushnell Florida for the Dade Battle Re-enactment! If you want to know more details you can look at my previous posts here, here and here.

This year was even more special because we had some WONDERFUL friends join us! The Thomaidis' and the McConnells. They lived near us when we were in Largo and we miss them terribly! All of our kids had a great time playing together and I'm hoping we can get them all involved and we can make this a yearly event!

Rylie Loves to try on Daddy's hats.

As you can see below the mornings started off chilly and I have not yet made warm indian clothes for the kiddos so we bundled them up for a few hours until it started to warm up. The weather ended up being perfect; right about 70 degrees during the day!

Happy little boy full of doughnuts!

My little Indian Gabriel

Rylie exploring the forest.

My oldest Indian!

This photo takes my breath away.

Some of our fellow Indian playmates

It was so wonderful to be out in God's creation all day long! No cell phones or computers or t.v. The kids had a blast! They ran, played chase, played stickball, hide n' seek. Us Moms kept commenting how our kids had never seen happier than they were those 2 days just playing outside.

Attempting stick ball

This year they had some interactive set ups for kids! It was great! They got to try all kinds of old toys and they even got to make one!

Making toys

Nothing like blocks and a tin can

At this station the kids made their own jump ropes.

Jaydon making his with McKenzie and Zoie's help.

McKenzie jump rope making.

Stephanie and Jaydon

Zoie making jump ropes.

Just in case you were wondering where we get all the Seminole outfits from, they are made! I am currently working on my sewing skills and knowledge on Seminole fashion and this year I made all the kids outfits. Seminole kids mostly wandered around naked or in plain shirts. We had them in plain shirts. ;) My next step will be making new outfits for me! Right now I borrow mine from Todd's family. They have been doing this for over 10years and they have accumulated quite a collection of Seminole clothing for both Men and Women.

The girls and most of the kids

Stephanie, Jen and I

2 tired Indians

Zoie even got her war paint on this time!

It was such a great time and Todd, the kids and I really enjoyed seeing our friends again. Hopefully next year we can do it again.

Big Boy

2012-01-26T21:50:00.001-05:00

Oh this boy can make may heart melt! He is growing up so fast! In this picture he is 15 1/2 months old. He wants to do everything his sisters can do and tries so hard. But he is definitely ALL Boy! This boy can tumble with the best, get messier than anyone I know and is more physical than either of my girls were at this age.

My Supermen!

2012-01-26T09:55:00.001-05:00

Have no fear! The Powell Men are on the way!!!

Christmas 2011 Part 2- Florida

2012-01-25T21:50:00.000-05:00

Over New Year's weekend we not only celebrated 2012 arriving but a second Christmas celebration with Todd's family!

Gida and Zoie have the same fashion sense!

Present time!! Do you like Todd's PJs?

The girls got pretty tiaras! Rylie said "I so Pwetty!"

A Cotton Candy maker? Really? We tried it and it's pretty easy and not as messy as I thought it would be!

Special time with Nana!

Gabriel loves his Nana!

Christmas 2011

2012-01-21T10:27:00.001-05:00

We had such a wonderful crazy chaotic Christmas! My family came up for the event and it was wonderful to see 90% of them! We desperately missed my older brother and his family but enjoyed everyone we got to see!

This is our gorgeous tree! The ornaments kept moving up each day to keep the kids from playing with them.

I have so many great photos from Christmas that you might be a little overwhelmed so enjoy looking at them!

My sister and her kids were able to come up as well. They had to leave EARLY on Christmas morning so we did their Christmas on Christmas Eve.

The Bowman's stash!

Pop and Kaylie

Mimi and Todd joking around as always!

PRESENTS!!

We started a tradition with the girls and they got to pick presents out for everyone from the Dollar Tree. It was so sweet and funny to see what they got for everyone. We loved that it helped it focus on others and to start thinking about what other people might enjoy.

Zoie got Aunt Abbey a night light!

Santa even came to visit our neighborhood!

New PJs from Mimi and Pop

The Bowman's! We love them!

Zoie and her Aunt snuggling

Rylie and Uncle Stephen

6 kids ages 7 and under will exhaust you!

It's bigger than me Mom!!!

Gifts from Rylie and Zoie, a Winnie the Pooh watch and a votive.

Christmas warmth

Nothing like naps with Teddy Bears

Uncle Stephen's family photo collage

We hope you all had a WONDERFUL Christmas!

Outreach!

2012-01-20T22:07:00.001-05:00

We had an awesome outreach this year. We provided free gift wrapping for anyone who dropped by along with drinks and delicious goodies! We had a great time doing it and hopefully we will have TONS of people next year!!

This kids helped by watching movies.

Goodies!

More goodies!

Wrapping!

Marisol (on the left) was our in-house expert.

Baking for the Holidays

2012-01-20T08:51:00.001-05:00

This was the 1st time in a few years that I had the energy to really do some baking this holiday season. And boy did I bake!!

These are Todd's favorites. I call them Cinnascotch cookies.

Lots of decorating sugar and gingerbread this year. We had help from our friends the Keene's.

One of my favorites, Holly Wreaths.

This was my 1st time making Toffee. It was easy and pretty yummy!

Check out that Slam Dunk!

2012-01-19T23:37:00.002-05:00

Gabriel got this for his birthday in September, but it took until December before he figured out how to use it! We're so proud!!!

Agape Feast!

2012-01-19T21:37:00.000-05:00

Once a month our church does an Agape Feast. It is a time for fellowship and food. Normally we do it at church but it being December at the time, we thought it would be fun to have it at our house and include a bonfire! It was a blast!

The kids entertained us with Carols (or banging)

This cutie grew some hair

Rylie enjoying the feast!

2 of our lovely ladies

Our Pastor and his wife warm by the bonfire

Children being crazy and having fun!

Fire!!

Dress up!

Cutest boy at the party!

This one was a close second!

Thanks to our wonderful church friends for a wonderful night!!

Bass Pro Shop and Santa!

2011-12-29T22:36:00.001-05:00

Sometimes it's just fun to go hang at Bass Pro Shop. They have activities for the kids on the weekend and they have bears and fish!!! Well the bears aren't real, but the fish are! We went during the Christmas season to just wander.

A sleigh!

One of Todd's offices had a Christmas party with Santa! Lots of yummy food and candy for the kids to get sticky with but we had a good time!

Last year Zoie was terrified but this year she is in awe of him.

Rylie normally doesn't like strangers but she did good this year!

Gabriel wanted nothing to do with him!

The family and Santa!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-29T08:13:00.003-05:00

Thanksgiving this year was so fun and so busy that I barely had my camera out! I'm wishing I had taken more photos especially of the family that was with us and of all the delicious food!! But alas, this is all I've got.

Making Rice Krispie balls. (The girls mostly just ate it)

Playing Chutes and Ladders

Hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving as well!!!

Family Photos

2011-12-28T09:08:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine Brandie took some family photos of us and some 1 year old photos of Gabriel. She did a wonderful job and really captured us as a family and the individual personalities of our kids. Here is a small taste of what she did!

Noah's adventures in Puerto Rico

2011-12-27T19:57:00.002-05:00

We had a little stow-away who came along with us to Puerto Rico. He was very sneaky and came with us on all our adventures and even snuck into our photos! His name is Noah and he belongs on the ark, but I think he got a little tired of the water and decided to join us on our land activities.

Here he is in Ponce

At San Cristobal

He even got into a picture with us!!

After diving he disappeared. He must have used our dive boat to get back to the ark.

Who knew Noah was this conniving?

Puerto Rico Day 5: Diving and Cocktails

2011-12-27T09:57:00.000-05:00

Our last day in Puerto Rico was spent diving! It's one of the activities that Todd & I really enjoy doing together. On this trip we saw Sea turtles, a nurse shark, a puffer fish, a seahorse, water spiders and a sting ray as well as a large variety of brightly colored fish.

It was a gorgeous day and one of the few days I actually got some sun! We couldn't go back without at least getting a semi-tan!

Ready to dive!!

Balancing on a boat is hard!

This is Ricky Martin's island in the back.

Gorgeous view!!

After diving we found this guy hanging out by the docks.

Later that evening we had a cocktail party to go to with Todd's company. I really enjoy getting the chance to dress up!

The next day was travelling home to see our babies! We had a great time away and really enjoyed getting to spend some quality time together.

Puerto Rico Day 4: The All Day Adventure

2011-12-16T09:41:00.001-05:00

When your adventure starts at 10am and doesn't end until 11pm; your 1st stop is a hearty breakfast!

Our 1st stop on our adventure was to the El Yunque rain forest. I'm trying to remember if I've ever been to an actual rain forest and I can't think of one, so this must be my first (the Rain Forest Cafe doesn't count)! I kept remembering the movie Fern Gully but we didn't come across any fairies.

We did, however, come across a Coqui frog! It means "Little Frog" and it has a very distinct sound. We were very lucky to come across this one posing for pictures! Most people only hear it and see it as plush souvenirs.

The rain forest was beautiful! Our guide, Javier, was extremely knowledgeable about the history of Puerto Rico and gave me a lot of background about the natives, the Taino, who sadly are no longer around. Most of the population are descended from the Spanish, Mexican, African American, American or some mixture of the four.

Todd & I near a small waterfall

So Green! In Birmingham at this point it was full fall with oranges, reds and yellows; no green.

The BIG Waterfall!

My husband as Superman!

The Karate Kid

Part II

Can we take a good picture without help? Umm...Errr...almost!

My "Blue Steel" look.

Snail! Not sure if you can tell here, but they were HUGE!

Todd and I with Todd's sister, Angie.

Fun group! We had a blast!

What's that in the distance? A plane...?

After the rain forest. We rested on a local beach and ate to regain our strength. The hike to the waterfall and back was close to 3 miles. After a rest and grub we headed to the Bio-luminescent Bay in Fajardo. If you have never kayaked or swam in a bio-luminescent bay it NEEDS to be on your bucket list! We couldn't take pictures because my camera wasn't waterproof, but it was gorgeous! The water lights up around you! It's like magic!
I love going places and being reminded of God's awesome creation and this was one that brought tears to my eyes. There are only a few of these bays in the world so we felt blessed to be able to see and experience this.

It was such a fun day!

Puerto Rico: 1 Funny Sign

2011-12-15T17:37:00.000-05:00

My older brother and his wife live overseas and are always posting about funny signs from where they live. When you live in the states those signs are a rare occasion. But we came across an interesting one while in Puerto Rico.

Which way to go?

Puerto Rico Day 3: Castillo de San Cristóbal

2011-12-15T08:51:00.008-05:00

We were supposed to go diving on this day, but we had gotten so much rain that the road to the marina was flooded and so our trip was canceled. We rescheduled for Friday and decided to go check out Old San Juan some more.

We headed to Castillo de San Cristóbal. It was built beautifully and the history was really interesting. I had no idea that San Juan was considered the "key" to the Caribbean and who ever had possession of San Juan pretty much controlled entry to the rest of the islands. It was also important during WWII and you can see some of the updates that was made to it. Oh and it was also used during the filming of the last Pirates of the Caribbean movie (which I haven't seen...must go rent).

Some of the Castle Walls

It was a cloudy day with rain on and off but soo pretty!

This is the view over to Fort Morro (we didn't have time to go there *sad*). Such a pretty view. I could have watched those waves all day!

My Father-in-law, Farris, ventured out with us. He's a huge history buff and if I ever have questions about history he knows it all! So it was nice having him along!

The boys and cannon balls. (insert some kind of joke here)

I thought this was a cool tunnel!

Later that afternoon Todd went fishing and caught a BIG Tarpon! He had photos and videos but they are stuck on our external hard drive which went kaput this week. If we can recover the evidence I'll post it; if not you'll just have to take his word when he tells his "fish tale."

Awards Night in Puerto Rico

2011-12-14T15:51:00.000-05:00

The 2nd Night in Puerto Rico was the awards banquet. Everyone gathered together, ate yummy food and celebrated that my handsome husband (along with others) met their sales goals for the year.

Todd accepting his award.

My father-in-law (Farris) also met his goals for the year and got an award too!!

The Award: Another diamond on his ring. (I think he has more than I do now. We must remedy!)

Todd and some of his co-workers enjoying the evening!

Our friends, Gene and Katrina, enjoying the evening.

It was a great night and I love celebrating my husband's success!

P is for Powell

2011-12-06T09:52:00.001-05:00

Today's Blog is brought to you by the letter "P"!

Puerto Rico Day 2 - Ponce

2011-12-05T21:52:00.000-05:00

Tuesday we headed out in a rental with our friends Gene and Katrina to see some of the island. We headed toward Ponce which is the 2nd largest city in San Juan. It was a gorgeous drive as the sun came out on our way (apparently it rained all day in San Juan).

This is the Parque De Bombas or Fire Station. I really love that the literal translation is Park of Pumps or Park of Bombs. Not sure why but it makes me giggle. Anyway, this fire station was the main one in Ponce until 1990. I just thought the pop of color in an otherwise normal city center was fun.

Old Fire Truck (not sure what Todd is contemplating)

Ummm....don't ask.

We saw a lot of these little guys (which are actually bigger than where we come from) and we spent the whole week looking for a BIG IGUANA.

Pretty isn't it!

Todd and Gene

I thought the sign was funny, but this mask is very much what everyone wears during carnival. If you ask me, it's a little scary and I'm kind of glad we weren't there during that time!

La Guancha or The Beach. Gorgeous!

BIG Tarpon right by the boardwalk! I have a video of them coming in a later post. Todd was itching to catch them and was kicking himself for not bringing along a fishing pole.

Really have no idea why this was at the entrace to La Guancha, but it was the saddest lion face ever! It really tickled me and I giggled about it for a while.

This is the Virgin's Cross or Cruz del Vigia. I really wanted to go up top but it was closed on Tuesdays.

Pretty!

Puerto Rico Day 1

2011-12-04T23:00:00.000-05:00

We arrived in Puerto Rico to rain. But did we care? NOPE! It was still gorgeous and we were sans kids for the 1st time in 4 years!! Even though I had spent the whole plane ride alternating between giggling like a teenager again and crying for my babies we were excited to have a new adventure together.

The view from our hotel

The hotel was GORGEOUS and as I'm writing this I'm regretting not taking more pictures. Todd's company really likes us to travel in style and we would never be able to stay in such a stylish resort on our own.

Hanging out at the outside restaurant of our hotel

Most of Todd's co-workers have their own territories all over the country so this is one of the few times I get to see or meet any of them. Todd gets to see them all once at their national meeting each year and then gets to see his region about once a quarter so it's nice to get to spend time with some of them in such a relaxed and fun setting.

Gene and Katrina

(Gene is a Regional Manager but lives in Birmingham with us!)

The Parrot Club was where we ventured out to in Old San Juan on our first night. The food was EXCELLENT! Empanadas, fresh Mojitos, nachos made with plantains...talk about delish!!!!

Old San Juan is a gorgeous little town. It is the oldest settlement in Puerto Rico and so much fun to wander around, shop and there are 2 great forts to check out! One of the forts was even used in parts of the movie "Pirates of the Caribbean"

Posing in the center of Old San Juan

Todd pretending he's homeless (we are really silly without kids)

The Drop-off

2011-12-02T11:27:00.000-05:00

My WONDERFUL Husband worked hard and met his sales goals this year! What did this mean, besides pride on my part? Well...we got to go to PUERTO RICO!!!! This would be the 1st time in 4 years that Todd and I had spent more than 5hours alone and together (trips while pregnant do not count as being alone!).

We were so excited! The hard part was leaving my babies, but luckily we found 2 perfect young ladies to take care of them while we were gone. They did such a good job that I don't even think they realized Mommy and Daddy were gone until we came back. They spent the week playing, jumping, eating Chick-fil-A and going to a Pirate and Princess party.

The Before Picture!

We were going to get an "After Picture" but all 5 were so tired from so much fun that they were sleeping and we couldn't get them all awake and together again! Thanks Alex and Kristin for taking such good care of my babies!!!!

The Competition

2011-12-01T15:23:00.000-05:00

August 1st: The Competition starts. Todd and I along with 2 other couples put together our own At-Home Biggest Loser competition. It was couple against couple.
Goal: To lose as much as possible in 14 weeks. Winner was determined by % of weight loss.
Prize: $50 plus for every pound gained during the competition $1 went into the pot.
October 31st:
Winners: THE POWELLS!!! We lost a total of 46lbs which was 12.20%.

We both feel so much better and are seeing immense benefits! Hopefully we can keep it up and stay healthy for the long run!

Before:

After!

Before:

After!

The Cutest!

2011-11-11T07:10:00.000-05:00

I Love this little guy! He's starting to learn how to make us laugh! I love seeing his personality grow!

Dress up Fun!

2011-11-10T07:38:00.000-05:00

We hung out at the house on Halloween this year, but that doesn't mean you can't still dress up and have fun! So that's what we did! We are blessed with the sweetest and cutest kids!!

Fall Crafting

2011-11-09T07:12:00.000-05:00

Zoie and Rylie LOVE to paint and luckily one of our good friends (Katrina) gave us a bunch of clay pumpkins, cornucopias, pilgrims, indians and turkeys that we could paint.

Both girls had a blast and each went through a brand new packet of water colors! Thank goodness they are only $0.99!!!

It was really neat to see the differences in their creativity. Zoie was more of a 1 color per item girl, but painted slow and deliberately; while Rylie painted quickly but used multiple colors.

I'm loving that we can start doing some of these things together!!! Can't wait until Gabriel can join in the fun!!

Warm Leggings!

2011-11-08T07:01:00.000-05:00

I found the directions to make kids leggings on pinterest and thought, I must try this! I did and it was so easy and fun! I'm now on the hunt for more!!!!!!

Pumpkin Time!!!

2011-11-07T14:51:00.000-05:00

We bought pumpkins and as I was too lazy to carve them we did stickers! Sooo much more fun and less mess!! We really had a good time giving them multiple faces!

Mom I can't smile cause I'm not done making faces!

Hard at work!

My pumpkin that I got at Tannehill Trade Days.

Hmmm...which sticker to use?

This was the Daddy according to Zoie

The multi-faced Mommy (hmmm...)

The Pumpkin Family!!!

Tannehill State Park at Halloween

2011-11-07T07:10:00.000-05:00

I was so blessed to get an entire day off a few weeks ago! My lovely husband let me and a girlfriend do some serious wandering/shopping! We headed to a craft fair and then afterwards went to Tannehill State for their Trade Days. Trade Days is a mixture of a craft fair, farmers market and flea market. We spent about 6 hours just wandering around looking at all the goodies.

When we drove in we passed the campground and discovered massive amounts of Fall/Halloween decorations!! It was crazy! We then found out they were having a decorating contest.

This family had not only a camping trailer but a tent to make their very own play area! Now that's roughing it!

This was a gorgeous state park. This was a pretty little waterfall that used to help run a grain mill.

An Iron works tower.

This was a covered bridge that went into a neighborhood. I thought it was so pretty and a little spooky that I had to take a picture.

Walking Pro!

2011-11-06T07:06:00.000-05:00

Gabriel is really walking now! And never crawls anymore. He also squirms like crazy in your arms because he wants to Go, Go Go! Here is how well he was walking 2 weeks after his birthday.

Park Fun!

2011-11-05T07:55:00.000-04:00

The summer was so hot here that we really didn't get to go out to very many parks. Now that the weather is turning a little cooler and gorgeous during the day, I'm trying to get us outside some more. This is a park out in Hoover (the ritzy side of town). It was a great park and enclosed which I love! I wasn't a huge fan of the wood chips, but only because I spent the majority of the time keeping them out of Gabriel's mouth. We had a great time and Gabriel really got to practice his walking.

Silly Girls

2011-11-04T07:49:00.001-04:00

Our girls are just so silly! I LOVE THEM!!!

B-Ball Baby!

2011-11-03T07:32:00.001-04:00

Most you will probably not find this video interesting, but what made me laugh was Todd and I's desperate efforts to get Gabriel to play with his "birthday present." You can however see how well he is walking now and it's improved even more since this video was taken!

I have a feeling Gabriel will take after his Dad and not play basketball but you never know!!!!!

Cool Cats

2011-11-02T07:26:00.003-04:00

S'up!

Chill Out!

The Stand Off

2011-11-01T07:22:00.000-04:00

Coco and Musette had a stare down. Can you guess who won?

If you guessed Musette you guessed correctly! Our cat does not stand for disrespect in her house!

Coco

2011-10-31T08:41:00.002-04:00

This is Coco. She was a 4month (she is now 5months) old Shorkie (shitzu/yorkie mix) at the time this picture was taken. She is my Mother's new baby and boy is she sweet!! However when you combine a young puppy with 3 kids ages 3 and under, the mix is...well let's just say chaotic. It was a lot of fun though and the kids LOVED her (sometimes too much)!

Playing where is Coco!

I promise Zoie isn't trying to step on her. She was stomping to get Coco to chase her.

A Boy and a Dog become fast friends.

(Later they became enemies, Coco took a liking to Gabriel's lovey and to Gabriel's hand; apparently it was the perfect size for a chew toy.)

Thanks for visiting Coco! We had a great time playing with you!!!!

The Vulcan

2011-10-30T07:36:00.001-04:00

Little did I know that Birmingham has a mascot. The Vulcan is a Birmingham symbol and stands in downtown atop of a large hill. There is a museum and in the fall they even do concerts in the afternoons. He is the world's largest cast iron statue.

My parents were here to celebrate Gabriel's 1st Birthday and my Mom's 60th (their birthdays are on the same day! Sooo Cool!)! So we thought it was a great time to go visit Vulcan and see what he is all about.

In case you can't tell he has no pants on. Which I think is hilarious!

Mimi & Pop on Vulcan Hill

In the museum. We learned a lot about how Birmingham came to be and it's efforts to supply the USA with Iron.

Any Star Trek Fans? Anyone? Anyone?

Whoa! We are up high!!

Can you see Gabriel? He's hiding!!

A Box

2011-10-29T07:30:00.001-04:00

Sometimes a box is all you need to have fun!

Gabriel's 1st Party Part 2- The Party!

2011-10-28T07:01:00.001-04:00

From the pictures that I have of Gabriel's party you would think all we did was eat! And while that's mostly true; what you don't see is the kids playing in the backyard, the men throwing the pigskin around and an adult (we won't mention names) who thought he was 12 and swung into a tree using a rope swing my husband created. It was a fun day!

Nothing better for kid parties then hot dogs and cheese balls!

My Mom, Katrina and Gene

Rylie helping me open Gabriel's presents

1st Taste...yummm

Oooh...I think I like this!

Oh yeah...I LOVE cake!

Ummm...going a little overboard son.

Now this is the face of a happy 1 year old!

She is so proud of her brother (or is she just excited to eat cake too?)

Happy Birthday little brother! Can I have more cake?

Our friend Joshy from church.

Even my Dad enjoyed the cake! I'm never buying store cakes again if I keep getting this kind of reaction!

It was a great party! One that Gabriel (umm...maybe just me) will remember forever!

Gabriel's 1st Party Part 1- The Cake!

2011-10-27T07:21:00.001-04:00

I have to hand it to Todd! He is a master at decorating cakes! We make such a great team! I do all the baking, icing making and he carves and does 98% of the decorating (I help where I can)! He is a MUCH better artist than I ever will be and he will go the extra mile to make it look special, while I'm just ready to be done with it.

Since Gabriel's 1st birthday was during football season we decided to go with that theme.

This is Gabriel's smash cake!

And this is the cake!

My favorite part is the difference in sizes between the players and the football. It makes me giggle, don't ask why. But I really love that Nabisco came out with football shaped Oreos. Made my life easier!

Next up: The Party!!!

Tis the Season of my life...

2011-10-26T15:21:00.000-04:00

For the past few months I have been struggling with Blog laziness. Normally I LOVE blogging, and posting pictures, and I LOVE reading my friend's and family's blogs. I still do, but have been slow in getting to it. I am now a month behind on keeping you, my loyal readers, up to date on our family and our life. I haven't even shown you our littlest one's birthday photos!

It is the season in my life where my precious kids run faster and take more energy and time than ever before, and by the time I sit down to blog, I find my eyelids drooping and my creative words escaping me.

So I ask you to be patient with me during this season in our lives if there are weeks that you don't see me. I haven't forgotten you, I promise, I'm just loving on my babies as much as possible while they are still small!

It's Ok

2011-09-28T10:16:00.001-04:00

You can drool. What's more sexy than seeing a man use a sledgehammer to put up a birdhouse? Ummm...not much.

Muscles!!

Today's Homeschool Lesson...

2011-09-27T10:13:00.001-04:00

Has been brought to you by the Letter 'B'

Camouflage to Cuteness!

2011-09-26T09:58:00.002-04:00

My 1st big re-do! I found this dresser at a garage sale for $20. Zoie needed her own space to put her clothes in and this looked perfect! Errr....except for the color.

If you know me well then you know that I am not a camouflage fan. So, of course I had to redo this. I went to Lowe's bought my own electric sander (without hubby's help); sanded; primed; painted and stenciled the whole dresser by myself! This is a HUGE accomplishment for me! I'm one of those who likes the idea of projects but stops about halfway through (my life would be easier if movie montages were real) because it's too hard or taking too long.

Sanded, primed and ready to go!

The finished project! Well, almost; I still want to get some knobs for the middle but that will come later!

Star of God

2011-09-25T09:53:00.000-04:00

No words can describe this one of a kind, unique masterful piano piece that Zoie wrote, composed and performed!

Princesses!

2011-09-24T09:44:00.002-04:00

Zoie noticed one day that neither she nor Rylie had Princess Crowns and that we needed to fix that soon. So, loving as I am...we made a trip to Hobby Lobby (my new favorite place) and created crowns! Whew! Can't have princesses running around without their crowns! That would be just disgraceful!

Princess Zoie

Princess Rylie

Ahhh...Royalty. Don't you wish you had the grace and poise that these 2 little princesses possess?

Happy Birthday Monster!!

2011-09-23T14:34:00.003-04:00

Our Baby turns 1 today!!!!

Finger Painting with Chocolate Syrup!

He is our little Monster and we love him to pieces!!! He is the sweetest guy ever and LOVES his sisters!
He loves to cuddle but doesn't want you to realize it, so he'll cuddle with you while looking away, or scoot his backside up so that it's touching you (what a boy!).
He is walking like mad now! He can walk all the way across our living room floor and practices every chance he gets now. The boy will no longer sit still. (Yikes!)
He weighs 25lbs (which is how much Rylie weighs as well) and is in 18month clothing (but even those are sometimes looking snug).
He has 6 teeth and earlier this week starting cutting some more, so this number will change quickly.
He LOVES most every food there is out there. He especially loves any kind of meat, pasta, fruit and pretzels.
He can say, Dada, Mama, Oh Oh (uh oh), and ki-kat (kitty kat). He can also sign "more", "all done" and wave Bye-bye.
Our favorite thing about him is his monster growl. It is just so cute and I've never met a baby that does this!

Happy Birthday to the most Handsome 1year old ever!!!! WE LOVE YOU MONSTER!!

1st Day of School!

2011-09-23T09:26:00.000-04:00

Yes, Zoie is only 3 and Rylie only 2, but a lot of their friends are starting school and Todd and I have been praying about homeschooling; so we figured we would give it a trial run this year. We are doing "Little Hands to Heaven" by Heart of Dakota which is perfect for ages 2-5.

On our first day September 4, 2011, I attempted to get them to sit still for pictures. I hope wrangling them for lessons proves easier.

So far we LOVE it! It's easy, fun and the focus is on the Bible which is a HUGE plus! I'm aiming at teaching Zoie and let Rylie join in as she wants or is able. As I write this we are starting week 3 and learning about the letter "C" and the number "3."

Curlers!

2011-09-22T09:14:00.003-04:00

Growing up, I remember many a Saturday night sitting on the floor while my mom piled sponge curler upon sponge curler on my head. Then I slept awkwardly 1/2 on my face and 1/2 on a few curlers but the result was a super cute spiral curl for the day! I might not have been as cute as Shirley Temple, but then again, who is?

MY GIRLS!!!

I was so excited when Zoie mentioned she wanted her hair to be curly for church. So we sponge rolled her hair and then of course, Rylie can not be left out. So she too got some curlers in her hair. The next morning we awoke, took out the curlers and VOILA! My beautiful girls were even more beautiful (didn't think it possible)!

Introducing Rylie Temple

And...Zoie Temple!

Trying to get even a few of us in a picture was impossible.

I wish I had a better picture of me and the kids, but this was the best we could do at the time. If you can't tell even Gabriel has his hair done up! Mohawk style!!! Such a rebel!

Splash Pad time!

2011-09-21T08:10:00.001-04:00

Before the cooler weather showed up we were able to head out to a splash pad up in North Birmingham. It is a little far for us to go on a regular basis but we wanted to check it out at least once.

We also were able to hang out with our wonderful new friends the McGinnis'. It was a perfect day with sun a touch of cool wind, food and icecream!!

Gabriel really enjoyed just watching everyone and hanging on to his cups.

They had this piano pad on the ground that actually played notes!! Todd enjoyed it, as did the kids!

Piano Time

Zoie, Rylie and Gabriel playing together.

Daddy! You've got me in the water!

Miss Sarah showed off her scuba mask! (those come in handy at a splash pad!)

ICECREAM!!!!

To the far left is Zoie's new friend Zoe. Zoie LOVES Zoe.

"Ice-cweam Coooood Mommy!"

You know you had fun when they pass out 2 minutes into our ride home.

We be Jammin!

2011-09-20T16:10:00.000-04:00

We love to Jam in the car and now we can air guitar with the best of them!!!!

FREEDOM!!!

2011-09-12T21:09:00.000-04:00

As of August 8th, 2011 the Powell family is

Debt FREE!!!!!

After almost 5 years of REALLY working on it; we have done it!!! It took a little longer than we wished, but life happens...in those 5 years we have moved 3 times, bought and sold 1 house, bought 2 (used) cars and had 3 kids!

Ahhh....sweet freedom! The weight on our shoulders has just lightened a bit!

If you are working on your financial freedom let me encourage you! It's SOOOO worth it! I'm not saying it's not hard, because let me tell you, it's HARD not being able to go get everything that you desire for your kids...and it's REALLY hard not to be able to buy a new pair of shoes when you want to! But it is worth it! I can breath easier! AND, I know what my limit is! I'm never worrying if buying something is going to break the bank. I KNOW!

So now we are ready to enjoy life and serve 1 master. Our savior, Jesus Christ!!

The Amazing Mind!

2011-09-10T09:17:00.001-04:00

Children's minds amaze me! The amount of information they can memorize and soak in is astounding! Zoie loves to read and is constantly looking at books or asking us to read to her. We have also started getting some books on CD for her from the library so that in the car she can still read her books. This is one that we got about a week ago and she's already memorized it!

It was so cute to see her reading it to Rylie and Riel!

We've got a walker!!!

2011-09-08T15:16:00.000-04:00

It took me weeks to capture this highly important video! So enjoy! I may never be able to capture something like this again!

Ball Popper

2011-09-06T09:51:00.000-04:00

Since having children, I have come to have an aversion for noise making toys. Not only are they annoying but I find the kids, in general, don't really care for them.

Except this 1 toy.

The ball popper.

All my kids have thoroughly enjoyed it and have played with it! Gabriel is no exception! But what boy isn't happy playing with a ball of any kind? Football, soccer, baseball, basket ball; boys just seem to gravitate towards these things. I really enjoy watching my kids get excited about things and so I LOVE this video! Hope you do too!

Chillin

2011-09-05T09:43:00.000-04:00

I'm soo tired that I just want to hang out in my recliner.

Rock Me Mama!

You so silly!

Nothing like snuggle time!

The Bedroom Set

2011-09-04T09:30:00.000-04:00

When Todd and I first got married, I had already been in the process of saving up to buy a nice bedroom set (seeing as how I was still sleeping on a mattress with box springs and that's it). So a bedroom set was our 1st BIG purchase as a married couple. We got a really nice set and we made sure it was high quality. And it is, except for the drawer pulls. This is what they looked like when we first got the furniture.

This is what most of them looked like 6 years later. We were leaving drawers open because it was too hard to get them open if we closed them. It was annoying me and Todd!!

After about a year trying to find pulls that fit (apparently ours are a uncommon length). And trust me I looked everywhere!! I finally decided it wasn't going to happen so we had to come up with and alternative. And it isn't my ideal solution, but it works and doesn't look bad at all!

The final product!

And now we can close our drawers! Whew!!!

1st Dentist Visit!

2011-09-02T09:13:00.002-04:00

Both Zoie and Rylie got to have their 1st Dentist visit earlier this month (August). They were both super excited about it and Todd and I had been talking the visit up for weeks!

We got there and they had a great little play area where they could sit in vintage cars and watch "Cars." My girls were in heaven! It was actually quite difficult to get them to leave to go in the back to get their teeth cleaned!

Mesmerized

In the back they had cute colorful "beds" that the kids could lie/sit on and they had T.V.s on the ceiling so the kids could watch while their teeth got cleaned (wish we had those at my dentist).

Rylie is watching the movie upside down.

At this point Rylie started getting a little skeptical of the while "dentist" idea, but Zoie remained excited. She even let them take x-rays or "pictures" of her teeth and thought it was super cool!

Ready to get my teeth cleaned!

Zoie was an angel! She thought the whole experience was interesting and REALLY thought she was special because the dentist said her teeth were so pretty that Cinderella must have given them to her. And now, Zoie tells everyone that.

Rylie got shy and we had a hard time getting her to open up to get her teeth cleaned but she did it! She is my shy girl and doesn't like strangers getting close to her, so I knew this would be a little hard on her. It usually takes a few meeting for her to warm up to people.

Watching Zoie get her teeth cleaned.

"Look Mom! Cinderella teeth!"

"Can we stay here all day and watch movies?"

"My teeth are pretty too!!!"

I was so proud of my girls! They did a great job and the dentist gave their teeth clean bills of health!

Greatest Swing Ever!

2011-09-01T09:42:00.001-04:00

It's FINALLY starting to get cool enough to go outside and play in the late afternoons (sometimes). And so, if we can, well, we do!!

Gabriel got his swing set up and LOVES swinging in it. He especially loves it when one of his sisters will swing him. Right now, that is Zoie. She loves making him laugh and swinging does that!

Here's hoping Fall is not far away!!

Gabriel Claps!

2011-08-31T13:14:00.000-04:00

Happy Birthday!

2011-08-30T09:10:00.001-04:00

If your birthday is coming up call us! Rylie's new favorite song is Happy Birthday and she's GOOD at it! Here she is singing it for a friend of ours with the help of Zoie.*Please excuse the bad manners of singing at the table, we are most likely to perform 1st thing in the morning*

Babies

2011-08-29T08:48:00.000-04:00

We've had a lot of wild life around our place lately, and these were right outside our front door. Soo cute!

Hello!

2011-08-28T07:41:00.000-04:00

Our visitor one hot muggy morning.

You got nothing on me!

2011-08-27T08:39:00.000-04:00

Olivia Newton John, Eat your heart out!!!

What?

2011-08-26T07:35:00.003-04:00

What?

Walking with my Walker!

2011-08-25T07:56:00.000-04:00

We want so badly to run after our sisters! So we are cruising and when we can we walk around using our walker! (this was taken a month ago 7/22)

Acrobat in the making

2011-08-24T08:00:00.000-04:00

Me: Zoie don't jump on the couch

Zoie: Ok, I'm just hanging!

Cat Watchin

2011-08-23T17:49:00.000-04:00

There are several cats in our neighborhood that wander around freely. Not sure if they are strays or just outside cats. But one in particular has been spying on us and our guard kitty (Musette) has been warning him to stay away. We couldn't figure out for a few minutes if one of the girls was crying or what was going on and then we realized it was our kitten making a crying sound.

Here they are staring at one another.

Our Favorite Song!

2011-08-03T08:52:00.001-04:00

This is the girls favorite song these days and they sing it all the time! Can you guess what it is??

An Opportunity of a Lifetime

2011-08-02T08:27:00.038-04:00

A couple of months ago, Todd got the privilege of hearing Julie Ziglar speak at a motivational conference in Birmingham. Later that evening he ran into her at the hotel's restaurant. They started talking and Todd told her that he was a big fan of Zig Ziglar (her father) and that he had read most of his books and that the last time he was in Dallas he debated about stopping by his house just to meet him. Well she said that the next time he was in Dallas we would plan a lunch so that Todd could meet Zig.

Well, we got that opportunity while in Dallas this last time. My Dad and my brother, Stephen, also got to join us. What a privilege! Zig, his wife (the redhead) and his daughter Julie all came to lunch! The kids behaved so well and Zig even held Gabriel for a minute (but he was squirmy so it really only lasted that long).

It was so great to listen to Zig's wise words of wisdom, to hear the story of how he and his wife met and to hear about all the great things he has done. He is a great example of a man who follows God in every area of his life. His wife was a picture of beauty, grace and after all these years (64) still enjoyed being his helpmate.

Zig Ziglar and Stephen

Jean (aka the redhead), Julie, Zig, Todd and Zoie

Julie, Rylie, Me, Jean, Zig, Todd, Zoie, Gabriel and Stephen

Zig and Todd

What a great opportunity to meet some really special people! We are looking forward to seeing them again!

Mimi and Us

2011-08-01T11:18:00.000-04:00

Well, Mimi and most of us. I think Todd was taking the picture, and I don't remember where Pop was. But that's OK because when you have kids, it is a miracle in itself to get a photograph taken much less a decent one. Here is our attempt at getting a picture with Mimi!

10 Months!

2011-07-30T11:09:00.000-04:00

I am 10 Months old now! And Mommy still thinks I am the most handsome little boy ever!! I am a crazy fast crawler and I can now stand without holding onto something for a few seconds, but I'm not feeling quite confident enough to take steps on my own. However, I do enjoy pushing my walker around the house and moving kitchen chairs across the kitchen.
My favorite game right now is peek-a-boo and I laugh like crazy when my big sister, Zoie, plays with me. I also enjoy hide and seek in Mommy and Daddy's bedroom. They hide around the corner of their bed and I go find them!
I have 4 teeth now and I'm ready for more so that I can keep on eating everything that my family does. I don't like being fed except every once in a while when it's grits or applesauce. The other day I ate 4 chicken nuggets from Chick-fil-a! My favorite foods right now are: Grilled cheese sandwiches, scrambled eggs, bananas, yogurt melts, applesauce, apples and ground beef.
Mommy and Daddy can't believe I'm only 2months away from being 1!

The Everett side of the Family

2011-07-28T15:53:00.000-04:00

This is my family!

Left to Right: Back row: Lucas, Mike Jr, Mike Sr, Todd, Gabriel

Middle Row: Abbey, Kayleigh, Morgan, Patti, Memo, Me, Rylie, Stephen, Zoie

Front Row: Cole, Cadence, Aidan

They never grow up!

2011-07-27T08:07:00.000-04:00

Sometimes it's the men who have more fun with the toys than the kids. Todd and my brother, Mike, had a blast playing with this race car set. You can see Todd and his nephew, Aidan, playing here.

90!

2011-07-25T11:34:00.000-04:00

My Grandmother, Memo, turns 90 this year and so we celebrated that along with some of the littles whose birthdays were coming up soon.

Red Devil cupcakes were passed all around! YUM!!

Am I making you hungry yet???

More Swimming in Texas

2011-07-24T09:51:00.001-04:00

All done swimming says Kayleigh (3)

So proud of Rylie she finally got comfortable in the pool and would swim and play like crazy!

Pop and Cadence(6) noodling around.

TaDa!

Aidan really was enjoying all the time in the water. It was so hard to get him out!

Mimi, Uncle Stephen and Cole(5) discussing the importance of sunscreen.

So Zoie will be a FSU cheerleader, but Rylie will go to Texas Tech!

Eat More Chickin!

2011-07-23T09:34:00.000-04:00

LOVE Cow Appreciation Day at Chick-Fil-A

"I don't want to get my picture taken! Just give me chicken!!!"

I tried so hard to get pics of kids in cow outfits but like this one (nephew Cole) it just wasn't happening!

But Mimi would pose for me! What a pretty cow!

Poolside fun in Texas

2011-07-22T09:19:00.000-04:00

It was family time in Texas after the 4th and so we loaded up the car and drove 12hours to Dallas to spend time with ALL of my family! I think it was the 1st time in 3 years since everyone had been together. We spent as much of that time in the pool since it was super hot!!!

Todd spent a good portion of the time teaching Zoie how to be a FSU cheerleader.

Lucas and my older brother Mike played "save me!" This was a game invented by Lucas (3yrs) where he would swim around and then just yell "SAVE ME!" and Daddy (Mike) would go save him. It was soo cute!

Jump time!

Mimi and Riel relaxed in the pool and just watched the action.

I haven't seen Aidan in a while and was so impressed how grown up he was! I love seeing personality qualities in kids. Aidan was so very content to just swim around and explore the pool while Zoie, Rylie and Lucas needed to be near a parent 24/7. Probably an age thing but still so neat to see.

Catch!

Gabriel even got to play catch!

More fun with the Thomaidis'

2011-07-21T09:07:00.000-04:00

We spent the 4th of July going to a local beach at a state park and then took a small hike (thank goodness! Did I mention how HOT it was??)

Stephanie (brave thing) carried Riel on her back. I don't think she knew much this would increase the heat!

Tim and Todd being the manly men they are.

BFFs 4EVER!!

Too cute!

Love spending time with friends! Even while sweating profusely.

THIRSTY MOMMY!!!!

Helmet of Salvtion

2011-07-20T09:04:00.000-04:00

Zoie learned about the Armor of God at church (4th of July weekend). And this is her helmet of salvation that she made!

Mud and Worms

2011-07-19T21:04:00.000-04:00

4th of July weekend we were blessed to have some wonderful friends spend the SCORCHING HOT weekend with us! The Thomaidis' came and we sweated and played and wore ourselves out but had a GREAT time!

One of the things we did was we made Mud and Worms for dessert! DELICIOUS! And it was so fun to let the older girls (Zoie and McKenzie) help in making it! Jaydon thought it was sooo gross to eat worms until he discovered they weren't real. Soo much fun!

Zoie and McKenzie munchin' on worms!

Mmmm....chocolate

Never been so happy to eat dirt!

Steph enjoying the mud as well!

Is there something stuck in my teeth??

Camera Fun!

2011-07-10T09:39:00.000-04:00

Play Ball!

2011-07-10T09:35:00.000-04:00

Gabriel and I played some ball the other afternoon. He's so precious!

Gonna throw it to you Mommy!

9months and he can already palm a ball! Am I crazy or does that seem amazing to anyone else?

Pure sweetness! I have such a handsome little man!

Baby!

2011-07-09T09:30:00.000-04:00

This time it's a baby bird! There was one in our front yard the other morning. Poor thing was scared to death! I'm not sure how it fell out of the nest but it was quite far from it. So Todd and I found an oven mitt and a spatula and proceeded to scoop him up and put him back in his nest. We succeeded but I have not yet been able to tell if the poor guy survived. The nest is high up and I can't see inside it. He was so cute though! I hope he is ok!

9 months!

2011-07-08T09:12:00.000-04:00

I am now 9 months old! I am 21lbs and climbing! I am such a happy baby and only fuss when I'm hungry or tired. I LOVE my sisters and will follow them around the house. Zoie makes me laugh all the time and I like it that she wants to giggle with me.

I like to eat just about anything but right now I am really into frozen bagels (feels good on my gums), yogurt melts and eggs.

I am crawling like a champ and am starting to really cruise around the coffee table and couch. A few times I have stood without holding onto anything but it was only for a second. I want to walk and run so bad so I can play with my sisters and do everything that they do!

I have 3 teeth with more on the way! I can say Da Da and throw a ball! I really like balls and am happy if you will roll one around me.

A True Carnivore

2011-07-07T09:01:00.000-04:00

Gabriel had meat for the 1st time the other night and he went to town! He could not get enough of it! I'm guessing he will not be a vegetarian.

Good thing too, because I saw on a bumper sticker not long ago "Vegetarian = Eskimo word for 'poor hunter'"

The Monster!

2011-07-06T10:11:00.001-04:00

We call him, Monster. He's our precious boy but underneath all that cuteness is a monster just itching to get out!

I picked it out all by myself!

2011-07-05T10:05:00.000-04:00

Miss Independent here! I dressed myself for church! Mom, wasn't too sure about the outfit but since it wasn't inappropriate in anyway she smiled and just made sure EVERYONE knew that I picked out everything myself. I was very proud that day.

Bad Manners

2011-07-04T09:55:00.001-04:00

Yes Mom, I know we are not supposed to play at the table, but sometimes that's when my kids are the most animated and it's fun to take pictures!!

I hope you enjoyed our lack of good table manners!!

Mmmmm....Peaches

2011-07-03T09:51:00.001-04:00

Peaches are in season around these parts and boy are they good! I'm trying to get some every week and we eat through them quickly!

Take my Picture!

2011-07-02T09:48:00.000-04:00

Zoie LOVES the camera right now. If it is out she runs towards it yelling "take my picture...CHEESE!"

Momma in training!

2011-07-01T09:46:00.001-04:00

Gabriel's New Bed!

2011-06-30T09:42:00.001-04:00

Since our lovely movers lost 1/2 of Gabriel's crib, we had to go get a new one. So here is his new bed with all his new bedding!

We decided to go with a monkey theme because we are APE about our boy! Besides, what is cuter than little monkeys?

Jack in the Box Fun!

2011-06-29T09:38:00.001-04:00

Look at Me!!!

2011-06-28T21:37:00.000-04:00

Aren't I cute! I AM the happiest baby on the block!

A Broken Heart

2011-06-16T09:42:00.043-04:00

Our beloved Nana (Todd's Mom) had her heart broken 2 1/2 weeks ago. We think it started breaking a few months back, but we didn't realize what was happening at the time. It got worse a few days before she came to visit us and again while visiting us. We took a trip to the hospital and after many doctors and tests it was confirmed that her heart was broken (heart attack) and would require surgery.

The day of surgery they discovered that she had broken her heart in 5 places (quintuple bypass)! But the amazing thing about our Creator is that our bodies are able to heal things like this using a part from a completely different place on our bodies! Nana's heart was fixed and after a few days in ICU and a few more in the hospital she was allowed to leave to continue healing.

Even with such a seemingly terrible thing to have to go through our Savior's handprint was EVERYWHERE. Here are just a few:
1) She was at our house in AL. If she had been at home she would have been alone as her daughter (Aunt Gigi, aka Angie) was up here at our house and Gida (Todd's Dad) was 2 hours away working.
2) Birmingham has some of the best cardiologists in the country.
3) After the heart attack it was confirmed that there was no damage to her heart and so she went into surgery with a strong heart.
4) Her being here in AL close to Todd & I allowed us to be able to visit her often and stay nearby for the week and a 1/2 she was in the hospital without causing too much interruption to the children's schedules.
5) God provided a perfect artery in her leg to replace her arteries to her heart. She still has complete usage of her leg and now a healthier heart!

Do we not serve an Awesome God! He can heal not only our hearts emotionally but he can heal them physically as well!

Philippians 4:19
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Turning 2 Part II- The Zoo

2011-06-15T07:24:00.000-04:00

For Rylie's 2nd birthday we also went to the Birmingham Zoo that weekend. We had a GREAT time and all the kids loved seeing the different animals.

A sweet little owl

Butterflies!

Rylie is not up for much picture posing these days.

But Zoie LOVES having her photo taken!

Mom...not again! Put away the camera!

My little model

This was such a perfect photo! I felt like I was in the Lion King!

The girls loved banging on these drums.

I was a bad mommy and forgot to bring bathing suits, but luckily I did bring a change of clothing for the girls so they got wet at the splash pad anyway! Here Rylie is being silly with my hat. Soo cute!

And once again Zoie wanted me to take a picture of her! Adorable!

Laughing Baby!

2011-06-14T20:14:00.000-04:00

I can not get enough of this handsome boy!!!

Birthday Videos

2011-06-14T07:50:00.002-04:00

3 Birthday videos for your enjoyment!!!

#2 turns 2!!!

2011-06-13T20:37:00.001-04:00

We celebrated Rylie's 2nd birthday on May18th. Just a short week after we moved, so we kept it small and simple, which I think suited my shy girl just fine!

Rylie is in LOVE with babydolls right now so we got her a special baby just for her. It's eyes open and close and it cries when you take it's pacifier out. Rylie loves her and calls her Baby L (which is also what she calls Gabriel). She also got a doctor's kit so she can keep her dolls healthy!

We also celebrated Rylie's birthday by going to their favorite place! Nope, not Disney World. Did you forget we moved? Chick-fil-A! And what birthday isn't complete without massive amounts of sugar! So a cookie cake was in order! Soooo good!!!

But wait! This is just part 1! Part 2 of the birthday celebration is to come!