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Thanksgiving

First off, we have just gotten new family pictures taken by Rachel Parkhurst (the best photographer EVER!). These include Megan's 3 month pics, pictures of the girls in their baptism dresses, and pictures of our family and the O'Neills. Check them out at http://www.rachelparkhurst.com/. Go to the Clients tab and use the passwords "midland" and "midland2" to view.

As I hope all of you did, we had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. For the last four years, we have spent Thanksgiving with our fabulous best friends, Will and Audrey and their kids Keegan and Avelyn. This was the first year to have four kids - last year there were only two and two on the way! - so as you can imagine, it was quite hectic and crazy. However, it was a ton of fun, as always. We went to Fort Davis for the long weekend and stayed in a great little house all together. We're so thankful, this year and always, for our friends and family who bless our lives with love and beauty.

Here are pictures from the last few weeks - Thanksgiving, baptism, and everyday pics.

Megan is getting to be such a pro at lifting her head and turning over, from front to back and back to front. It's amazing how much more quickly she does these things than Anna did - I'm sure it's from watching Anna be so active around her all day.

I can't help it - I have two beautiful girls, and I have to dress them in matching outfits. It's just too irresistible...
They are so sweet together - such good sisters.
I like Anna's posture in this pic - totally relaxed

Check out the Dorothy shoes - Anna insisted upon them!

Anna with her Mimi - she just started saying "Mimi" today at lunch!

Aren't those bonnets adorable?!?!

Cowgirl Anna

Reading with Megan and Keegan

Anna, Jimmy and Keegan having fun outside of our house in Fort Davis

Anna really enjoys sitting in people's laps right now - poor Keegan had to endure this during his Saturday morning cartoons!

Megan has the best laugh - she really gets going about halfway through this video.

A giant, overdue post

Well, I have to admit that life with two little girls is a bit busier than I could have ever expected - thus, I haven't posted in awhile. Here are all the pictures from the last month...we made a trip with my parents to Ruidoso, the girls and I visited Austin for a week, and Jimmy, Megan and I went to Tampa for my birthday. Random pics from the month are scattered amongst the event pics!

Beautiful Avelyn on her baptism day

Anna and Jimmy at Avelyn's baptism

The whole family during Avelyn's baptism

Pops and Anna reading in Ruidoso

Anna at the Pumpkin Patch

My preppy girls
Isn't Avelyn adorable in her little bear outfit?
I was so proud of Anna! She was so brave and went to the very top of the Chick-fil-A playground by herself in Austin. She was so excited when she got to the top - she must have waved at Audrey and I for 30 minutes - so adorable!
Argh! Anna was a pirate princess for Halloween. Unfortunately, I have no pictures of Megan in her chili pepper outfit - it lasted all of 5 seconds before she started screaming. It was cute for those 5 seconds, though!
That's Keegan under that robot costume - isn't it great?!?
Avelyn in her penguin costume
Megan has a great smile which she shares all day - I love her so much :)
Anna enjoys using her finger when we're scolding her - we're not sure where this comes from, since we're pretty sure we don't shake our fingers at her, but she thinks it's really funny. It actually is, most of the time...!
Bathtime in the kitchen sink
Megan on her first plane ride
Tampa was so beautiful - white sands, blue sea, gorgeous weather
Jimmy and Megan at lunch on Saturday
She wore a little bitty, teeny weeny purple polka dot bikini...
Ah, happiness - my baby, a strawberry daiquiri, and the ocean
I love this picture
Maci and Anna during a playdate - they're so sweet to each other!
If you can't see her shirt, it says "Potty Like A Rock Star" - thanks, Percy and Linda, for the gift :)

Girls, girls, girls

I love Megan's face in this - as if to say "Mom, I don't think you should trust Anna to hold me just yet. What are you thinking?"
You can't really read her shirt, but it's straight from Wagamama's in London, my fave restaurant - thanks, Mimi and Pops!
I love that smile!
Anna's so fancy - she's got a polo dress, a pearl necklace, and a cute barette - all thanks for Aunt Amy and Uncle Scott!

This video is to showcase two of Anna's most recent accomplishments - walking backwards (which is about the cutest thing I've ever seen) and singing. She's also dancing (which consists of her bending down and shaking her booty), saying "Mmmmm-oooooo" when asked what a cow says, and has finally learned to say "no" after many months of only saying "yeah!" Needless to say, Jimmy and I are rather sad that no is part of the vocabulary now - everything was so easy when she agreed with us all the time!!!!

Visits from friends and family, along with fun daily pictures

My girls in purple

First family pic since the hospital
Megan just loves watching Anna run around
What a cutie!
Getting ready for sprinkler time!
I was so excited to catch her smiling on camera!

Paw-Paw holding Megan
Ma holding Megan
Mike and Julie came to visit us over the weekend - we had such a great time!
The following video is of Anna "talking." She babbles constantly and often sounds like she's really saying something. I don't think it's going to be long before she surprises us with all sorts of words...she already says 9 (mama, baba, egan (for Megan), block, book, ball, yeah, no, anks (for thanks)). I'm amazed at her verbal abilities - can't imagine what it'll be like in a few months.

New pics, plus house reno post

I'm posting twice this Labor Day weekend - once to put up new pictures of the girls, who are both doing great, and once to put up a slideshow of our house renovation work. We have been living here for a year and a half, and have done an enormous amount to the house to make it more "us" (as well as more safe and livable, of course!) It's been fun for me to look through the photos that we took of the house before we moved in - and it's totally amazing to see what all we have done.

Have a happy Labor Day!

Amy came to visit!!! Anna(belle) and Megan were so glad to see their aunt!
Megan reminds us so much of Anna when she sleeps like this - both of them are fond of this position at this age
Anna at the shower Mimi threw Megan - she was showered with big sister gifts, which included some flashy jewelry :)
This is Anna's favorite face right now - it's her thinking face, her tantrum face, and her face every time Megan cries. She's such a toddler now - too funny
Food time with Daddy

Nudey-tudey girls everywhere
Auntie M and Anna striking a gangster pose

Daddy and Anna mowing the lawn
We're still a little cross-eyed, but we're getting more focused every day :)