This past weekend was very busy but very fun!  Jon and i went to the parenting conference at Grace friday and saturday and it was packed with TONS of great information and ideas!  We were really blessed!  Friday night we saw a lot of friends and wished the break was longer so we could have talked a little more.  We will just have to get together with them sometime soon!  I'm now the one in the family struggling with the cold that my family keeps passing around.  My head is really hurting but mommies don't really get sick days. =(  i did stay in bed the majority of the day yesterday b/c jon's sweet mom came and got the girls for me!!  THANK YOU!!!!  Here is a picture of ava who fell asleep in her highchair last week.  She has NEVER done this.  This new seat has a recliner and allison told me why and this is the reason!  I thought it was soooo sweet!!!

We are enjoying our wii!!!  we did have our first wii related injury this weekend though.  Anna knows not to walk around who ever is playing.  well, she had memory lapse and walked behind me while i was playing jon in tennis.  I didn't see her and smacked the back of her head.  She cried, and i cried, and i had to ice my finger and she was fine!  oh, the drama!  So anyways, i thought this was cute of her and jon playing! For our small group meeting sunday i signed up to bring a dessert and i thought i would just practice the cakes, so i did the giant cupcake!!! it was yummy and only 1 piece was left!! Since we didn't get to celebrate jon's bday last week we went to liberty and ate sat. night.  It was soooo good!!  Here is his guinness cake i made him.  While we were being seated EVERYONE was staring and pointing and i had someone ask for a card!  LOL!!  awesome!

trying to be optimistic

I have been very different for this election than past.  I have learned that I need to respect the authority that has been chosen for our country.  I have really felt that I have done this since this morning i have learned that the gov't funding for abortion groups is going to begin and the prison at guantanimo (sp?) bay is being closed.  

ok, the abortion issue is one that my friend allison and i have discussed.  I am totally against it and she is as well.  She has said (and i agree) how can people who say they are Christians vote and support someone who is for abortion and thinks it is ok.  The Bible says it is wrong!  Tommy made a great point by saying what will all the people who voted for him say to God when the blood of these little babies are on their hands?  And as for the prison issue, they will bring these terrorists into prisons in the USA!!!!  Does that NOT scare you!?!?!  I'm really trusting God and trying not to have a spirit of fear but of sound mind.  Obama is now over our country and so i will respect his authority and i will really pray for him!  He NEEDS God's direction and as of right now I'm just not feelin' it!  I hope you all will join with me in continually praying for him b/c it will affect your future and your children's futures!

Oh, and side note......hopefully our household is on the mend.  Ava spiked a little fever again yesterday and dr. jones put me at ease.  Poor guy had to hear me crying over the phone!  Her fever was gone last night so we are hoping it is just maybe teething.  Hopefully new floors will be going in soon since jon is well again!  We are going to a parenting conference this weekend at church and I'm soooo excited about it!  It will hopefully show me some ways to make our household a little more peaceful!  Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

i'm going to win!

Those of you who have facebook have probably noticed that my immediate family has been sick (especially ava) A LOT this fall and winter!  Well, this week ava went to her dr. jones TWICE!  Now, i really like stephen, but we've seen him more than i'd like to in 1 week.  We went Mon. and she was much better.  We went last wed. and she had the beginnings of walking pneumonia!  OMG!  So, she was on meds and was MUCH better Mon.  Jon woke up tues. morning and went to work not feeling really well.  Normally he gets over it in an hour.  He NEVER gets sick!!  He has been in the bed since 1:00 tues.  LITERALLY!  Today, ava had a temp of 102.2 ON MOTRIN!  So we went back to see dr. jones to find she now has an ear infection.  This is all very new to me even though i'm a mother of 2.  Anna is like jon.  she has never been on an antibiotic and she is 3!  AMAZING!  well, this is ava's 4 round of antibiotics since nov.  and her 3rd ear infection.  

My nerves are gone!  I've cried with almost everyone i spoke with today.  I feel that our family is really where God is wanting us to be and idk if he is testing my trust and strength or what but I'm going to overcome this.  Satan is knowing right where to get me with fear and worry of my children, family and self.  I'm going to keep on going and seeking God.  I'm in tears of how this is affecting me.  I'm mentally and physically drained.  Please help me pray that God will get me through this tough time.  We have literally been sick all fall and winter.   I am feeling so helpless because i'm washing hands and trying all i can do to keep us well.  We have discovered though that one of the major problems is our carpet upstairs.  That is going to be replace ASAP with wood.  Hopefully this will eliminate sickness.  We may also have to get rid of our dog of 5 years (if ava is allergic)!  I'm really struggling right now and would love some prayers my way.  We really are truly blessed when i stand back and look at the situation because it could be MUCH worse!  God is putting me through this for a reason.  Maybe to just make me stronger!!  Thank you all!!!  Much love!

ava's black eye!

Allison's mom is in the hospital so i kept Bleeze for a bit today.  He and anna had so much fun playing house!  Here is a cute pic of them!  

Ok... Ava has fallen rather climbed i guess out of her high chair 3 times!  1 time ems came and the other time we knew how to deal with it.  I strap the child in and I mean so tight i'm afraid it will hurt her.  She is hudini (sp?).  She got out and as i turned around she was falling.  This all happened mon.  I saw her face and freaked!!!  I took her to the dr. immediately and was just crying in the waiting room.  My goodness i felt horrible about it!  Here are some pics of the after effects.  I took these today!  My poor baby!  She is fine though but her eye looks horrible!!! I hope you all have a great new years eve!!!  Please be careful!  We are headed to chris and dorsey's to play wii!  LOL!!!  we are totally obsessed!  I will be home though around 9:30 and i'm hoping to stay awake to see the new year.  I'm not sure i'll be able to!  HEHEHE!  Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas Everybody!

Christmas Eve!!  We even snuck a shot of santa!

On Christmas Eve we usually do Christmas with  my grandparents.  Next year it will be christmas night with my parents a brother so we'll combine it!  YAY!  Anna got a tea set and Ava LOVED it.  I couldn't believe she liked it! This was before presents were opened. Anna got to open hers from aunt millie.

Ok. this skips a little ahead to christmas night.  I always am in charge of the festivities and cooking.  I cooked from 11:00 - 6:00.  It was worth it though!  It was yummmmO! My parents, anna, aunt mo and uncle b! Ok, back to Christmas morn!  Anna got the color wonder paint set and made MANY masterpieces!!! THey really are beautiful! Here was the BIG present.  The playhouse.  I love this thing!  I could live in it!!!

Even daddy has a cup of tea! Friday we had Christmas with Jon's parents and his brother chris, and sis in law dorsey and their kids.  Molly Blair got a dress up set that she brought for her and anna~ they were SO cute!!!  Oh, and mine and jon and chris and dorsey's presents from jons parents were AWESOME!!!!   We got a wii!!!!!  Wiiiiiiiiiiiii!!!!  I am so very sore!

Our princesses were dining in royalty!  LOL!

Here is the ward clan!  5 grandchildren in 3 years from 2 sons!  We work fast! Here is the Cox side of the family.  We go to my dad's parents in the lower part of sc for the weekend after christmas.  We have the family reunion on the sunday after christmas!  So this is my large side of the fam! And here are my cousins (minus jon and brian at the top and morgan beside me:))   So we had a fantastic Christmas!!!  2 nights before christmas i was listening to Delila (sp?) and she and this woman were talking about the real meaning of Christmas.  It was so awesome and then she played Mary did you Know and i cried and cried while drinking my hot chocolate beside the Christmas tree.  It was such a sweet time spent with God.  Jon was outside and i had all the lights off except the christmas lights.  It was an awakening to my hectic life!  Anyways....i hope you all had a great Christmas too!  

man, i'm behind!

So the Ward's lives have been needless to say....mmm busy!  I haven't blogged in so long and i have so many pics and events that happened that i don't know that i can remember them all.  I've got to get better about this!!!  So, here it goes.  The first pictures are of us at the carriage rides in Ft. Inn.  My previous blog tells our incident! LOL!

Here is anna before our accident!

And here are the Ward's.  This was our Christmas card picture this year.  LOL!  This is always a fun experience!  Doesn't Ava look like she is done!

After the Simpsonville Christmas Parade we went with Grammie and Pappy to Tony's Pizza.  Here are my mom and anna waiting patiently and coloring. hhehehehe!

I mean really!  Can ava even see?!?!

It was soooooo cold we had to bundle tight! Even us the parents are enjoying the parade.  We even got on the tribune times website. hehehe! Anna was VERY excited! I will post Christmas week on the next post.

so hectic.

hello hello!  This is going to have to be rather quick.  I have just a little bit while waiting on jon to get ready for us to run by lowe's and then to our small group gathering at the haff's.  Anyways...hmmmm...i  really don't know where i have left off but here are some highlights.  The biggest thing is that we went on the carriage ride in ft. inn last night.  I hurried and made a meat loaf (which was VERy yummy)  so we could get on the road b/f it got too late.  We got the rides and Santa was there!!!  Anna was so thrilled and of course Ava looked at him like "if you touch me!"  LOL!!!  ANyways... we got on the carriage and wanted to go on the inn circle ride but there was a line so we went on the main street.  We were enjoying our ride and looking at all the lights and having fun learning about our horse Ben.  It was so nice!  The weather was GREAT!!!  SO we were headed back on the carriage and i hear tires squealing.  Yep.  We got hit.  A chevy TRUCK hit the back of the carriage HARD!  Anna was thrown in the floor board and i almost had a heart attack!!!  We had to sit there until the police and carriage people inspected the carriage and gave us the clear.  Then the police had to get our names.  What an ordeal!?!?!  I just thank GOd that it wasn't any worse!  We could (anna especially) have been seriously hurt!  God had his hand on us!  we got back home and jon's cousin justin, and his girlfriend courtney stayed with the girls while they slept for me and jon to go to a friend surprise b-day get together at Brixx.  So much fun!!!

So, today i dropped my girls with jon's mom for their nap and headed to Target.  I just love it there except they take a lot of my moolah!   Too many cute things!  We got anna a pink and white polka dot wilson tee ball glove and a pink ball and couple of months ago and she LOVES it when jon plays ball with her in the yard.  I had to hold myself back today b/c they also have a pink bat bag, a matching pink and white dot bat, and black cleats with pink trim.  OK!  How cute is that!?!?  But i held myself back and opted for some hello kitty stocking stuffers and a large SOFT bat and ball for her to practice with!  We are going to only be able to play with it a certain times b/c i know ava's head would become the ball.  I'm really excited about this christmas!  Anna has just put so much magic in this season!  Her eyes light up at everything!  I can't wait until Christmas morning when she sees that santa brought her a pretty playhouse!!!!  Oh, the tears will be flowing!  God has given us this awesome time of year and i'm so glad my family is able to just enjoy it.   Well, i need to get our games together and our white elephant gifts to take to the party tonight.  I will hopefully post some pics this weekend.  Oh, and i have to keep anna and ava occupied christmas eve for like 3 hours.  Does anyone have any ideas?!?!?!