SO behind!

I have been meaning to get back to documenting our lives via Perry Perfect... So the next few posts are an effort to get caught up and back in the habit of capturing the everyday, wonderfully uneventful aspects of our lives.  So here goes...

after thanksgiving dinner

we saw a hot air balloon over jackson!

our post thanksgiving beach trip

sweet family

mommy and her girl!

Random shots of US!

BBP loves making silly faces and taking pics of us!

AK was excited about her new gold TOMS

BBP insists on strapping Bitty Baby into the seat belt everytime we get in the car!
He will be a great daddy someday!

SUPER BARNES! Ready for Gavin's super hero birthday party!

AK will be a sweet mommy one day.  She loves her baby so much already. 

Feast post #2

Here are a few pics from today's Thanksgiving Feast that I helped coordinate for Playschool! We had so much fun.

corn pop favors for the kids

cupcake teepees



The Feast when it was set up and ready for the kiddos!



What a spread!

my little inidan boy

Thanksgiving Feast

We had Thanksgiving Feast at BBP's school today.  It was so much fun to get to see all the little children dressed up in their Indian and pilgrim costumes. As they bowed their little heads to pray before they had their feast, I welled up with tears hearing their little voices be thankful to God. 

On Facebook, the going thing is to post what you are thankful each day of the month.  I couldn't possibly accomplish everything I'm thankful for in 30 days or even 365 days.  I am so blessed, truly blessed to the point of feeling overwhelmed. 

I am thankful for...

1.My wonderful husband, without him I'm lost.
2. My beautiful, healthy children, without them I am empty.
3. My mother, she has shaped me into the person I am.
4. My family, they hold me up in this world of uncertainty.
5. My past experiences, for they have brought me to who I am today.
6. My friendships, those that endure time, distance, and children yelling in the background during phone calls.
7. My job, both as a mother and as a part-time professional.
8. My home, I am warm in the winter, cool in the summer.
9. My country, without freedom we enjoy nothing.
10. My health, something we all take for granted until we don't have it.

That's my Top 10 off the cuff.  What are you thankful for?

Happy Halloween!

We had a great time on Halloween! The kids had cute coordinating costumes... while some may call our costumes redneck, we call it OPEN SEASON at the Perry house!

My Duck and Duck Hunter!! 

And now you are one!

We had a big time party at the Perry house a few weeks ago! Im very tardy on my posting since we moved into the new house.  I must do better.  The theme of the party was Fall Fun!  Our little pumpkin was decked out in fall leaves and she had so much fun on her big day.  She fills our lives with joy each day and we are so blessed to have her as our #4 in the Perry family.  We love you Anna Kathryn!!

The cakes turned out so cute!

cookies were yummo!

little owl treats

she loved her cake!

trying to feed mommy some cake

sharing with gammie

we went for a hay ride

group picture

birthday girl

her gift from daddy and mommy

pearl earrings for much later when she has pierced ears

Gammie got her Bitty Baby

nana and papa bill gave her a baby and a stroller too!

Happy Birthday to our sweet girl~!

Anna Kate, you turn one in just a few minutes.  This time last year, I don't know if I slept a wink.  I was anticipating seeing your sweet little baby face and all the precious things that come with holding your newborn baby in your arms.  On the way to the hospital to have you, I was a basket case.  Your dad was his usual calm, collected self and talked me through all my anxiety.  We met you that afternoon after a pretty uneventful c-section.  You weighed 9lbs 3ozs and were 21 inches long.  Your daddy said you looked just like your brother, and I agreed.  You have changed since then and still favor Barnes but you have your own look about you and we think you are beautiful.  Seeing you and your brother together brings me the greatest joy.  You just think he hung the moon and he loves to laugh and tickle you.  The two of you have bonded over the last year and he is such a big help to me. 
This year has been one of great happenings at our house.  We built a house from the ground up, sold our old house, packed up a whole house, moved it to the new house and then unpacked it all again.  But the greatest thing about this year has been watching you develop into a little person.  You are very opinionated and vocal when you don't get your way (I have NO idea where you get this from). But you are sweet and your laughter is intoxicating.  When you laugh, Barnes starts laughing and so do I.  Thank you my sweet daughter for bringing me such joy these past twelve months. You have shown me that my heart can only grow bigger over time because I love my sweet babies so much.

Happy Birthday, Anna Kathryn Perry!

First Day of School!

First day of playschool 2011

Tuesday was Barnes' first day of Playschool at First Presbyterian!  It was a big day.  I planned out everything... had his breakfast ready, backpack packed, clothes laid out, sister dressed and ready to go.  So its time to wake him up and it goes like this:

Me:  Barnes its time to get up.

BBP: ME NO GO TO SCHOOL!

Me: Its going to be fun! You will make new friends and make crafts and sing songs and play outside.

BBP: ME NO LIKE SCHOOL!  ME NO GO!

Me: Well, lets get ready and we can talk about it over breakfast.

So we have breakfast, which he refuses to eat.  I try to persuade him that he will love it, to which he fights me at every turn.  We get dressed, he hates his clothes, doesn't want to wear what I picked out.  Overall, it isn't going well.  So I ask if I can take his picture, to which he relents and actually half smiles. I then bribe him with a box of gummy lifesavers to even get in the car.  But this seems to change his attitude... THANKFULLY! And he eats his gummies and seems content on the way there unless I directly mention school and he says, ME NO GO!

About this time, I'm thinking I'm totally going to be the mom whose child must be peeled off her thigh. Dreading every minute of the embarrassment of having to wrangle him and try to keep Anna Kate happy and content as well while we are in the middle of a swarm of kids and parents.

So we get there and it goes like this:

1.  I sign him in.
2.  I tell the teacher about his tree nut allergy and give her the epi pen, which is totally ridiculous to talk about punching a hole in his leg and calling and ambulance! OH DEAR, I'm sure they LOVE  me already.  I'm the MOM with the allergy kid!
3. We go to the bathroom, which hes fascinated with because there is a tiny little boy sized urinal in the floor and he says! ME PEE PEE IN THAT!
4.  We go back down the hall after washing our hands and I take him to the classroom.
  THIS IS THE MOMENT I'M DREADING!
5. I tell him I'm going to leave and he says, Bye mommy and walks away!

NO screaming, no drama, not even a second thought.  He just walks away.  I'm in shock!  I grab Anna Kate and get the Hell out of there~ FAST! I take one more look as I'm heading by the classroom door and hes sitting at a table playing with an etch a sketch.  He looks up and waves at me and that's it. First day drama was non-existent.

7.  I leave and cry all the way to the car!  I'm overwhelmed by what a big, smart, handsome, precious little boy that the baby I held in my arms has become.  I think to myself that Brad and I have done good. We have done well.  He is a great little boy.

After I leave, I call everyone I know to tell them how shocked I am at what happened and say how proud I was of him.  When Anna Kate and I pull up to the school to pick him up at 11:45 we are the first SUV there.  My friend on the phone says... YOU CANNOT BE THAT MOM! Leave now and drive around for five minutes.  Then you can come back.  (Thanks for the advice, Jamie!)

When we come back, we are about car #8 in a line of 30+ SUVs and mini vans all waiting anxiously to pick up their pre-schoolers.  So as the line starts moving and they put him in the truck the convo goes like this,

Me:  Barnes did you have fun?

BBP: Yes, Mommy.  Me played outside!

Me: Great! I'm so glad you had a good day, do you want to come back again soon?

BBP:  Umm, No thank you.

OH DEAR! Who knows how things will be tomorrow when we go back for day #2.  Wish us luck and say a prayer.