Celia Starts School

Celia started school, ok pre-school, on July 31st of this year. She was so excited. Georgia has a lottery funded preschool program. So it is free, but it goes the normal length of school. In fact Celia goes to the elementary school for preschool. I have yet to let her ride the bus, though she really really wants to, I am just not ready for that. I really like her teacher Mrs. Purvis. She is a great teacher that is challenging, fun and loves my little spirited daughter.

Pregnant

I really am ever so glad to be pregnant. I am about 9 weeks along now and hoping that at the end of this first trimester I will start feeling better. Just a month or so to go to find that out. This pregnancy has definately been completely different from Celia's. I am grateful my husband is so supportive and does so much around the house to help out. Even if he does call me a slug. I have medicine for the naseau and vomiting so as long as I can keep it down I do much better. Every time I pay homage to the porcelin throne I have to remind myself that my baby is doing good and that this really will be just a short time. I really am looking forward to October to find out what I am having. My young women keep telling me that I am having a boy. My mother insists that it is a girl. I don't have a really strong feeling, but am leaning toward boy. So I am sorry if I am cranky and out of it, please don't take it personal I still love you, I just don't feel good at all.

Disney Fun Part 2

We took Sunday off parks and went to church and then the Orlando temple. It is an absolutely beautiful temple, just wish we had known how to get there before leaving the church building. Lost and hungry do not make a good combination.

Our family photo reflects the cranky and hungry.

Isn't it such a gorgeous temple. We were privileged to go there previously for a friends wedding and it really is so beautiful.

Monday was spent at Magic Kingdom, which is packed with lots of fun stuff to do and see....packed being the word for the day. We started it out with Breakfast with the Princesses. We all loved it because the food was good and we got to eat in the castle and we got to meet the princesses, they all came to our table.

Snow White came first and Celia wanted to know where all the princes were. Snow White said hers was waiting for her and they would dance in front of the castle soon, which I heard they did.

Sleeping beauty came up with this pose and I am with celia, is this really necessary...whatever.

Celia loved having all the princesses come and meet her. It was so fun to see her face and enjoy it with her. I would definately do it again.

Celia and Belle, one of my favorite characters....They give you a wand, a wishing star, and a photo package with Cinderella. We really enjoyed ourselves.

I guess this is a pretty rare picture to get, but we were waiting to ride the tea party ride and John went with Celia to wait in line and get her picture with Alice and the white rabbit. By the way 4 grown adults and a child do not fit in one tea cup, we learned that the hard way.

This makes me laugh so much. During a break time for the adults we went to a play area for Celia. She promptly made friends with these two boys and became the leader...ok their master cuz they were her dogs. I laughed and felt bad, but they seemed to be enjoying it as much as her....my little leader.

Can you tell how hot it was, look at those cheeks. Celia really enjoyed minnie's kitchen. So much fun to be had.

Who doesn't love a merry go round ride...we all enjoyed it.

I love this picture of mom and her new t-shirt, Cotton is your best friend when outside too long in Florida.

I love this picture of my dad cuz it shows his cowboy attitude. Too fun.

One of the benefits of going during the summer is the Disney waterparks are open. We went to Typhoon Lagoon. It was really so much much. The wave pool had the biggest waves that I have ever seen at a wave pool and literally knocked people over and into each other. This was a fun, but exhausting day. Playing in the water is so tiring.

Celia loved the kids area complete with slides and their own little tube ride. She rode a couple bigger ones, but loved the independence of being able to carry her own tube and do it all by herself at this one.

John and Dad loved the snorkeling with the fish attraction. It was really fun to be able to just enjoy the animals in that way. John took some pretty good pictures with our waterproof camera.

This is the entrance of the waterpark, but this is the end of the day. So much fun...I really enjoyed Disney and wish I could have gone to the other waterpark as well.

Disney Fun part 1

Okay slightly out of order, but that is otay. Our Second day at Disney was our favorite. We went to epcot and loved the gliding ride so much we rode it twice. We got to see a lot of really cool stuff and Celia loved the masks and coloring stations they had in each country. Celia also loved all the characters she met. Though you can't tell from this picture. Problem was she only wanted to see minnie mouse and had waited in a long line to do that. Then she found out she had to say hello to all the characters. Since poor mickey was first Celia had nothing to do with him.

Then it was pluto's turn, at least he got a look and a smile. She still wouldn't go near him though and Dad had to help.

Finally she got to minnie and she was golden after that.

She liked Donald so much that his was the only one stuffed animal she wanted.

Goofy was last and she was so happy she got to see everyone, especially minnie...

Celia also talked grandpa into waiting in a line for her to get to see snow white. Yeah for grandpas.

The Disney tradition is to get a mickey mouse shaped ice cream treat when you go, but Celia liked our ice cream much better. We all shared and it was still fun to try to beat the heat a little. Just so you know June is very hot in Florida.
Celia with her grandma and grandpa in front of Epcot.

The thing we love about Disney is they really try to make your experience great. You will randomly get taken to the front of the line just because one of the workers is being nice or anything like that. You may spend a good deal of money, though it wasn't too bad for us with the military rates. Anyways, the customer service and the way most of the rides and parks are run are great. There are a few rides that have horrible lines or are not the greatest, but it was still fun.

Our First Day was spent at Animal Kingdom. Which was a good day, but not our favorite. The Lion King show and Nemo show were really cool, and they had some nice rides, but the one we really wanted to ride we were unable to ride. Celia loved the ride above because she was in control of the movement of the ride.

The Dinosaur Display outside the dinosaur ride. Yeah we should not have taken Celia on this ride. We all felt like it was made for the hearing impared and wondered if we would need hearing aids after riding it because it was so loud. Celia does not handle loud noises at all. Then the Scary dinosaur right when they flash a light (take a picture) in your eyes...Yeah the end you look and the picture and everyone is going huh.

Really good advice we were given was to go to the Safari first thing in the morning. We did and the animals were definately out. It pays to go early.

Yeah I know the mass post again part 1...

John graduated from all of his training with the army in the beginning of June ....Yeah that means he gets to come home and be a reservist right? This is John and Celia with his good friend Jose. We miss Jose :(

Celia and her ice cream nose.

I really wanted to take pictures of them both that day. Celia was so cranky and John helped loosen her up, I am really glad he did cuz I love these pictures now.

Isn't this so cute....their little smoochies....
Celia, John, and another good friend Chelsea Jenson at graduation. It is always good to graduate, but hard to say good bye to friends.

Strawberry picking with friends at the end of May. Joanie and her little Serenity. Joanie is my best friend who until next week lives about a mile away. I will be so sad to see her go, maybe it is better that I am sick right now and can't think about it.

Joanie's little girl Destiny and my Celia. They are really good friends as well. Strawberry picking is always fun when you get to eat the spoils.

I am not really a person who usually likes pictures of myself, but I actually really like this picture. I just had my hair cut and colored and it looks pretty good.

Close up of the strawberries and the flowers. The coolest thing about strawberry picking is you get to see the different stages of growth a strawberrry goes through.

May 2009

My three helpers - Daniel Embry, Celia Autry, and Destiny Campbell. Daniel's apron I made for him, he's a huge Blues Clues fan, I think it turned out pretty good. Celia, well I tried to help her, but in the end she made her own apron and Destiny's is just one someone gave me. It is a fun project if you are looking for one to do. They are pretty cheap at Hobby Lobby. We've been crafting lately.

Celia holding little Serenity Campbell. She loves babies and is always excited at the thought of holding them. She doesn't have a very long attention span, but she does pretty good. She wants a baby brother lately.

Destiny (the big sister) and Serenity. Just before Serenity was born, Destiny kept telling me she could do things by herself because she is the big sister. She really is a great big sister.


You have to enjoy the sequence of events in these pictures from Rebecka Duggan and Isabelle Riddling's joint birthday party at my parents (they are only a day and 4 years apart).

Looking at the cake.Lighting the cake.

Hey wait, don't blow the candles out yet.
Too late, Let's try this again.

Adam Duggan at the park enjoying a favorite past time of mine as a kid. Who doesn't secretly dream of being a monkey when they are younger...before you remember the part of monkeys throwing their own poo at people.

Mass Update - April 2009

I just knew I needed to do this mass update. This week John graduates from his nursing program in the army and then we go to Disneyworld for 10 days or so and I know the pictures will pile up this week. At any rate, I love this picture of Celia (miss independent) making a pb and j sandwich and Daniel (little man) helping out in his funny clothes. He always makes me laugh, such a funny kid. The only just 3 year old I have ever heard tell a knock knock joke.

I love this picture. Celia had her face painted like a butterfly. I wish we had more pictures from this day. We went and did a 10k in my parents neighborhood. It was to support the Fallen Heroes of Georgia. Only appropriate that it rained on us the whole time and it was a very hard and trying run. There is nothing but hills in my parents neighborhood and none of those nice soft rolling kind, more like straight up and kill yourself kind. Yet we made it through and it was somehow a sobering experience to pass by all those names most of them really boys. You couldn't complain too much because they gave their life to support us and our country...what's a little pain, sweat and rain.

Our beautiful niece Emily turned 8 this year and had the privelege of being baptised. We always love it when we get a chance to get together with our family and especially love these momentous occasions. Yeah Emily.

At the very beginning of April we had the privelege of going to Hilton Head, South Carolina. It was fun. It was Celia's first time going to the beach and she loved it. The water was still cold and unfortunately it was not hot enough to make that ok. We still had a good time though....Here Celia is with her new friend. The girl seems to make them wherever she goes :)

Celia attempting a sandcastle. I have to admit I was less than impressed with the sand at Hilton Head, it was impossible to make a sandcastle. Oh well, maybe next time we'll go to Destin and enjoy that good sand.

At a park in Hilton head, they had this really cool thing...it kept moving and there was only water underneath. It was fun.

Even John took a turn in the fun. I love this picture of my husband, it truly displays his fun playful side. One of the reasons I love him so much.

Don't you love our tree lizard. I did.

Easter kisses. Ben and Amy on Easter. I used to have a tradition that I tried for a few years of taking pictures of family on Easter. I don't really press my family to do this anymore..But if they show up dressed up, I can't help but take a few shots....maybe someday I will get better.

Tabitha - Isn't she beautiful. I wish I could show her cute dress, but I am too lazy to load the picture onto the computer and flip it the right way, so you'll have love her face.

Celia (4), Izzy (almost 2), Kyla (2 1/2), and Becka (almost 6). They are all making such interesting faces. They were loving the picture taking though.

Kyla and Rebecka Duggan are just too cute. I love their easter dresses and them.

The newest Duggan edition - Lena. She is also so stinking cute... I can hardly believe she is crawling already. I saw it yesterday though.

Our Easter eggs that we dyed and stickered. I think they turned out decent this year. We did have some help though.

Celia hunted easter eggs with the Carter family and then with my family at my parents. She had so much fun hunting easter eggs. The Carter's did something I think is kind of fun, she didn't put stuff in all the eggs. It certainly makes for a more interesting hunt.

Isabelle Riddling loved the chocolate on Easter. She really was so cute.

Celia and Izzy both beautiful blondes. I love how unique we all are from birth. No one comes out a carbon copy of anything and I really believe they come out with their own personalities. The goal is to guide the personality to the best possible choices.

Isaac waited so long for his sister Isabelle. I think he would agree that she was worth the wait.