Run Frances Run!

We are in countdown mode!  There are some big events coming up in the month of February.  Frances turns 3 on Feb 8th, Mercedes Marathon is the following weekend....and let's not forget Meme's birthday is Feb 4th!  Frances and Daddy have been training very hard lately. You can catch a glimpse of Frances in training mode in the video below.

If you take a look back at this time last year, Frances was just learning to use a walker...Fast forward to the present, and we can hardly keep up with her!

February 2013

Daddy is running the marathon (that's 26.2 miles) in honor of Frances. This year is extra special for us, as it will be Frances' last year as a Bell Center student.  Please consider making a donation in honor of Frances and all the children of The Bell Center by clicking the link below.  You can also mail a check (made out to The Bell Center) to us if you prefer.

http://www.imathlete.com/donate/WillandAnnaRuthMcCalley

Christmas Catch-Up

One day I'll get back to blogging on a regular basis, but until then I will keep subjecting you to occasional photo explosions of what we've been up to.  We are slowly getting back into the swing of things following a fun-filled Christmas season.  Then I realized today that Frances turns 3 (ahhhhh) in exactly one month and I got sad and have been looking at her baby pictures all morning.  I guess this is what most Mommy's go through as babies grow up.  I absolutely love watching her grow into a young lady, but I soooooo miss her being a baby!

Big girl!

So, here is your promised monstrosity of photos from the past few weeks....

Christmas PJ party with friends.

First trip to the McWane Center.

The Bell Center party

McCalley family Christmas gathering

How a 2 year old does the Christmas Eve church service

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Christmas Eve

Story time with Lyndy and Kat on Christmas Eve

Santa's little helper 

So much excitement!

Christmas breakfast with Meme and Grump

An hour long bath to play with new toys

This is what is looks like to try and take a picture these days!

More Christmas with the cousins

Meme and Grump

Frances and Irene

Picnic at the park

Anna not wanting any help on the slide

Frances and Brooks

Frances suffering from a little post-Christmas hangover (i.e., trouble sharing toys)

New Year's Eve....Anna not a fan of the hats. 

New Year's Day trip to the mall.

Grump and Irene

Window shopping

New Year's lunch with our friends!


Happy 2014!

While Daddy Was Away...

....I lost my mind and went craft crazy.  I'm talking paint, glue, stickers, candy, icing, and (gasp) even glitter.  I inherited an incredible need for cleanliness and order, and messy crafts literally make me twitch.  Don't get me wrong, I love for Frances to get messy and have fun, just not in my house.

Pure concentration

So on Friday night, Frances and I sent Daddy off to Huntsville to run the Rocket City Marathon....which actually was a makeup marathon after St. Jude was cancelled last weekend due to weather.  The folks who put on Rocket City were kind enough to open up some slots after the Memphis cancellation. So after he got on the road, Frances and I got busy.  The house is a wreck and there's icing on the ceiling, but we have had so much fun.  Frances is a good reminder to slow down and just let things go!

Beautiful artwork.  Mommy painted one too :)

A late night trip to Publix to buy candy.

"F" is for Frances- yummy pancakes!

We love pancakes!

Getting started....

A lot more eating than putting candy on the house!

Hard at work!

Beautiful

My side of the house....all nice and orderly.

Fun on the Farm

Earlier in the month, Frances and I got to to the National Peanut Festival and spend the weekend down on our friend Lydia's parents' farm.  It was such a nice getaway with friends, and Frances got to play with her friend Charlie for the entire weekend.  On Saturday we hit the big parade, relaxed, played outside, and went to the fair.  Frances was wiped out from all the fun when we got home!

Beautiful sunrise

Breakfast with Charlie

Waiting to go collect our peanuts!

Frances very carefully put 1 peanut in the bag at a time

Waiting on the parade

Such fun friends!

It's never too early for cotton candy! 

Waving at the parade

Playing ball

Charlie

Picking cotton is harder than you might think.

Exploring the cotton fields while the children nap!

Sunset cocktails in the Kubota.