Flashback: Leaving Fairhope

As I was going through my blog, I realized I hadn't posted any pictures of Abby's last days at Fairhope Elementary. Also, I have some of her first day at her new school, Daphne Elementary. Being late never hurts right?! Ha ha that seems to be the theme of my blog anyway... 

This is a picture of Abby down by the pier. She's standing over the heart shape on the side walk that we both loved!

She is growing up too fast and getting to be such a beautiful girl! 

So anyways, I went to withdraw Abby on her last day, and it was a lot more emotional/difficult than I expected it to be. All of her classmates were so sad and didn't want to see her go at all!

Especially Mrs. Tynes, she was just so sad! She even cried big time when it came time to hug Abby goodbye (same for Abby, which eventually made mommy cry too)! It was such a sad moment that I wasn't prepared for!! She reminded me, like she always has, of how sweet of a girl Abby was. Mrs. Tynes always says Abby is one of the best students she's ever had. For only knowing Abby for two months, I'd say that's a huge compliment, Abbygirl! :) 

  

Mrs. Tynes wanted her picture taken with all of the kids! Here is one with all of the girls..

(Before the sadness kicked in)

A few weeks ago, around Thanksgiving time, Abby received a package in the mail from her old school! Mrs. Tynes had all of the kids make cards for Abby and draw pretty pictures. They said things like "We miss you" & "We love you Abby". It was the sweetest thing ever, and Abby was so happy when she saw them all! I could tell she was feeling extremely special, and it couldn't of been any more perfect timing (she was home sick with a bug)!! 

Here are a few pictures of things before we moved. 

Abby and Isabella, our neighbor and her best friend in Fairhope! We hope her and her siblings can make it to Abby and Cole's birthday party next month! :)

I will never forget our life changing summer in this beautiful town. God truly blessed us with so much this past summer, and I will always cherish the memories of Fairhope! We will definitely be back at this beach as often as possible this summer since we're only about fifteen minutes away!! It's truly a hidden gem that's for sure!

Now we live right across the bay from Mobile, and we love it!! Daphne definitely has the best of both worlds. We can hop on the bridge and be in the city in minutes!

This is our new apartment!! It's not the biggest that's for sure, but it's perfect for us and we LOVE it! They just finished remodeling the entire apartment before we moved it, and we can still see the sunset looking over the bay! It's a privately owned small complex. So we don't have lots of crazy neighbors, which is a huge plus! We really wanted this place, and I'm so happy that our sweet landlords rented to us! 

This is Abby's new school! It's so pretty and old very old. Unlike Fairhope, it's only K-3rd grade, which we really like!

She wasn't too sure at first about staying at her new school. It was such a hard thing to do as a mom, to leave her behind scared and feeling alone (because I've been there many times growing up and know what she was feeling)! However, she made it through like a champ, and is really enjoying it now!! 

Though we have a long way to go with our new apartment, and life in general, we are SO happy right now!! 

God is great! :)  

NYE at Sandestin

Sorry about the crazy eyes, we couldn't get it to go away. ;) 

We had lots of fun spending new years eve with Gerald's parents, and could not believe how PACKED Sandestin was!! I mean you literally could not get anywhere if you wanted to! No empty spot down all of the little village streets/grass/porches/etc. Oh and boy was it cold! Freezing is more like it. We all decided to walk down twice, once early in the night, and then again right before midnight.

So around 7:00 we took the kids down to see all of the beautiful decorations, and they didn't disappoint!! Then we all had some fun in the new, very awesome, arcade! Abby and Cole loved that, especially my little extremely hyper boy! Cole is ALL over the place these days, to say the least! Just to give you an idea, I think I had to apologize at least five times for him running up and stealing peoples balls they won, their balls in the games they were playing, and jerking the steering wheels on the race cars! He also loved to climb on those little games where you roll the balls to make them in the holes, if you even know what I'm talking about!? Lol I was getting a workout, and no longer cold that's for sure! It was so fun though, and I'm glad the kids got to have fun! :)

He's growing way too fast! :( 

I know this is blurry, but I just love this picture G's mom took! There was lots of laughter and smiles going on here! :) 

Yee haw LOL!! This one cracks me up for some reason..

Love being her Mama!!! 

After playing games we went back to the room to get warm, and some good football! Then of course we all watched the ball drop in New York! Abby always loves to watch the ball drop ever since we went to nyc! She just stares in amazement at all of the people haha! The fireworks in the village were pretty great too! Although I was too busy videoing them, and wished I had enjoyed the moment a little more! (One habit I hope to change in 2014.) It was the best way to bring in the new year, and we loved getting to spend it with Gerald's parents! I will say NYE definitely brings all of the wild party animals out in Sandestin, and they love to start drama with others (or run into you)! Lol it was sure nice to get back to the room, where we were safe and warm! ;) 

We spent the next day there hanging out also. We took Abby to get candy, play a few more games, and then ate with his parents at one of our favorite places in Destin. Miller Ale House, me and Gerald love that place, and their prices are great! Then we spent more time at the condo watching football, and eating all of our good luck foods for dinner. Which included hog jawl (yuck), pork chops, collard greens, and pinto beans. Hopefully it proves to be true for us, because last year we didn't eat anything and boy did we have bad luck LOL! Abby actually loved the hog jawl (however you spell it?).

Thursday morning we got up early and headed back home to get ready for school!! 

Until next time Destin...  :) 

2013 Highlights Video

This is a slideshow of our 2013 highlights!! I literally spent a good hour on this thing, and had my favorite songs matched up perfectly to the pictures. Well of course when it came time to save it, the site asked me to buy it for FORTY dollars!! There's no way I would spend that on a slideshow haha! So I had to pick one of their ridiculously crappy songs. I found a trick though, refresh the page, then immediately click play on my music player (right hand side of the screen). That is the song I made the slideshow to, and it goes along much more nicely. So DON'T click anything on the slideshow, just play my music, and enjoy!! Hope you like it :)

Copy of 2013 - slideshows


It makes me tear up watching this! Cole as grown and changed into such a handsome little man, and Abby has become such a beautiful (not to little) girl! This is a year I will never, ever forget! Not many people know all of the struggles we went through earlier in the year, and I will probably never share that. Things that I would never wish on my worst enemy, but we stayed strong as a family through it all! Our wreck, in March, was the breaking point where we truly lost it all. Our only vehicle, Gerald's job, our income, we lost everything. When times were horrible, and we hated where we were in life, we just tried to keep faith and hang on! God came through for us again and again, when I thought nothing else was possible! Gerald's family, and my mom have especially been there for us all year! We are forever grateful to everyone that stuck by us (even when we didn't deserve it)! Getting to live in Fairhope this summer was the BEST decision we've ever made, and the BIGGEST blessing for our family!! It truly healed us and showed us what we wanted/didn't want to be like. I'm so proud of Gerald and how far he's come in just one year with his career change, his spirit, and just way of life in general! We've had to face all of our problems (that we caused), deal with them, and shut that devil out of your life! When I think about how low I felt at the beginning of the year, and how HAPPY I am now, it's just crazy to me! We are nowhere near perfect, but I love my family! I know there will be so many great things to come in 2014! I can't wait!


Wow that was emotional, hahaha! So on a lighter note, we're off to Sandestin in a few hours to spend the holiday at Gerald's parent's! Wishing everyone a wonderful year, God bless and Happy 2014!!! :) 

Christmas Day

I think this picture pretty much captures it perfectly! ;) 

Our Christmas Eve ended very late with us having to unload all the presents, and play Santa. Then naturally our Christmas morning started extra early. Ha ha, that's always how it works right?! So we got the kids up around 6:30 am, and headed down stairs at Gerald's parents, to see what Santa brought!! Abby looked so surprised, and it was so fun to watch their faces! I was so excited this year because it was definitely the best so far! Cole was a little shy/cranky that morning. Once he opened up his basketball, it pretty much ended his interest in the other presents. He was attached, and still is, to his basketball. Just like his Daddy! ;) 

Santa brought him lots of balls, a t-ball set, a golf clubs, new dinosaurs, clothes, lots of lego blocks, a John Deer little tractor with legos (basically our house is full of legos now haha), and more boyish stuff like that! He was such a good boy this year! 

Some of Abby's favorite gifts from Santa was this Easy Bake oven, a Furby, lots of arts and craft sets, new clothes, boots, a princess book set that reads to her, a Razor (scooter), barbies, and more!! She must have be a good girl this year! ;) 

We'll have some good times cooking with this! 

The reason we got the kids up so early was so we could make it to Tasha's house in time. Cousins Kayli and Chase got a huge surprise this year, their going to Disney!! We all piled in their living room to watch their response (which was pretty funny) as they opened a box filled with balloons and a "We're going to Disney" letter! They leave in just a couple of weeks. Fun!! :) 

Then we headed literally right down the street to watch Mary Hyatt open her Santa! Gerald's sisters live in the same neighborhood now. I mean you could literally throw a rock and hit their houses haha. Abby just loved that!  It was so much fun for the kids to be there to watch everyone's Santa! Though I think we may have bombarded MH's a little too much haha. Poor Cole wouldn't get out of her new car, OR let off the horn! Eek =/ 

After going to all of the cousins, it was time for everyone to meet back up at Gerald's parents for breakfast and more presents! Abby loved Nana and Papi's new rotating tree! ;) 

Some of Cole's favorite gifts from family were this basketball goal, a Black and Decker workbench, clothes, trucks/cars, and lots of other boy stuff like that! Needless to say, he's had a blast the past few days, and has played independently so well! 

Abby has been asking Santa to get her a tablet ever since we got ours! When it wasn't under the tree I could tell she was a little bummed. Gerald's parents asked to get it for her so we decided to do that, and I knew she'd be surprised. Her reaction was just priceless!! 

She has been on it constantly and just loves it! Even as I type this, she is watching Jesse all cuddled up in my bed! :) 

 These girls got lots of matching gifts this year, and Abby loved them all so much! 

Having a tea party! 

Daddy and Colebear. :) 

Tasha, Me, and Christen in our new Patagonia's ha ha! We all loved them! 

The rest of Christmas Day was spent napping, playing, eating more, and just lounging around his parent's. We were SO tired! 

The next day we ran around town and got to see Decatur. It has changed a little since we've been back. There is a new Walmart Market, Kohl's, and Olive Garden. That is where we ate lunch, and it was delicious! I don't know why we never go there, but we need to start! Now I'm craving it again... ;) 

Abby is wearing one of her new outfits, new boots, one of her sparkly headbands (she's all about glitter/sparkly things!), and the cowl I crocheted her! I love it, and made everyone one this year. There were several different colors, and I plan to post them soon. :)  

Right before we headed to my dad's.

I love my little family! 

The kids with my Dad at his house in Eva, AL. 

Sorry this isn't the best picture ha ha, but it's all I have of us at his house! 

After visiting with him and my step mom for a couple hours, we headed back to the gulf coast! Abby got to stay one more night though. She had a spend the night party with Mary Hyatt at Christen and Ben's house! She just loved getting to stay at their new house, and spend extra time with everyone including Kayli. 

It's good be home, but I miss "home-home" already! ;) 

We're off again in a few days to spend NYE at Sandestin with G's parents. This is our first time seeing what their new year celebration is like, and we hear it is awesome! Can you believe that it is almost 2014? Because I sure can't!

Anyways, I'll be sure to post lots of pictures. I hope everyone has a wonderful and safe new year!! :)

xoxo,
Tiffany

Our Trip Home For Christmas - Part 1

We were so happy to actually make it home for Christmas this year! Last year was spent in New York, and wasn't very fun. So it was great getting to be with everyone again! Tuesday night we made it to Decatur at supper time, and headed straight over to Gerald's grandparents to eat/open gifts. The whole family was there, minus Mark who was sick with a bug that our house just got over also. We even got to see Tamyra and Owen who live in Atlanta!We hadn't seen them since like Christmas 2011 I believe.

Giggles and laughter was heard constantly from all of the cousins! They just love getting together and playing! I wish it could be more often. 

Dinner was delicious, and we loved all of our presents. Some favorites were movies tickets for me and Gerald, Auburn SEC Championship shirts, dress up jewelry/clothes for Abby, and Cole got some fun boy toys! Aren't these girl looking super fancy, as Abby would say! She loves her Fancy Nancy books! :) 

Cole did great opening presents this year! He got a little too excited and end up puking on cousin Chase's new toy car. Haha I thought he'd enjoy knowing that one day. Me and Gerald couldn't help but laugh, and felt bad at the same time for Chase. Poor boys! =/ 

Santa even made an appearance.. 

Their Grandaddy is so good at playing this role!! The kids absolutely love it! Cole kept wanting to give him high fives and wasn't scared of him at all.

It was a great night, and we loved getting to see everyone. It always feels so good to be home and surrounded by everyone we know. Especially since we're always alone here in Daphne. We just don't have time to get out and meet people, between working, and taking care of the kids. So it was a real treat to be there!! 

Stay tuned for part two, Christmas Day.... :)