A Summary of August

elmo live....why does a two year old love this creature so much


my sweet mother-in-law does all of our birthday cakes...




our sweet friend parker at the space jump party

hannah and wade's kids - avery and grady with ally at city bagel...boy does a lot change in 5 years....

our 2nd birthday party

breakfast at city bagel

ally loves to copy everything dad does

in the airport at the beginning of the many hours spent on planes and in airports

Things here are good....Our summer was busy....Ally, I, and Mary Grayson in belly flew to Park City for a wedding of a good friend....We had a good time but flying was an adventure....Our little cousin Anna Grace turned one....and then we had Ally's birthday party a little early in case Mary Grayson came early....We gave Ally tickets to Elmo Live for her birthday....Not what I considered the greatest 1 1/2 hours of my life.....I drug Will to the 1st Ms State game hoping Mary Grayson did not decide to arrive while we were there....We got to spend time with good friends and their kids....There is nothing better than game day at MS State (especially when we win)....I go to the doctor tommorow so we will see what Mary Grayson is doing (our official due date in September 25)...

Spring is here I think.....

bundled up for spring


easter egg hunt



ally got a nap in while we were packing to come home from disney. (By the way we drove)

on the farm with baby cousin

we love to try on shoes - anywhere and anybody's

We got to go see Mickey and Minnie in March because Will had a conference in Orlando. It took Ally a few days to warm up to all the characters. Her favorite ride was the carousel (which Will's response was "we can do this at Miskelly's"). We had a good time. We went to the farm for a few days with our baby cousin to visit my aunt and uncle. I took Ally to an Easter egg hunt today. Needless to say we were not able to wear our sleeveless smocked outfit with the bunnies. It was sooooo cold. I went to see Beth Moore this past weekend, so Will had parent duty all alone. I am so thankful to have an amazing husband.

The Holidays and the Mattern Home.....

helping mom in the kitchen

snowmen outfits donated by grandma

our favorite toy that santa brought

our newest cousin "anna grace"

I was just updating some new pics and news.....We are having another baby - our due date is the end of September....I am excited - just was not expecting double birthday parties for the rest of our lives....Christmas was fun this year....Ally actually responded appropriately to gifts and we had a new cousin this year, Anna Grace was 5 months at Christmas....Ally does not quite comprehend that Anna Grace does not want toys thrown at her....But she loves Anna Grace....Hopefully she will love one come September that does not go home....Alicia

Ally's Week on the Farm....

My Aunt and Uncle were so gracious to keep Ally while we went to Chicago...Here are a few snapshots of Ally loving the life on the farm...I think we are going to have to make this a tradition.....Thank you Jack, Cindy, Brandon, and Nana for loving Ally

Things going on in our world....

watching the usm homecoming parade












We went to the kamper park and zoo in hattiesburg and loved our train ride

ally and I went to pick pumpkins with nana

Halloween at the mattern household - ally the lobster meets her friend the lion

Game Day at Mississippi State...Ally loves Jacob Beavers, but I am not sure if Jacob loves Ally

"The day after the Chicago Marathon"

So here are a few snapshots of what has been going on in our life....I may would update more often if it did not take me 2 hours to attempt to add a post....I need a few lessons, because I I can never do it....My pictures never do what I tell them to do and I have no idea how to make all this look cute...Anyway that is what i think about blog.com.....So we ran the chicago marathon....I am not sure what word I would I use to describe it....It was extremely hot.....Will dehydrated at 16 miles and had to walk the rest of the way....but his dehydrated walking pace was faster than my running pace....I am not even sure if my body knows I am running - I am so slow....But I got my medal and I have chosen to retire from running...Because the thing that I enjoyed the most was the friends I made along the way and I will just look for friends elsewhere....Will loved it and is not going into retirement yet....We went to a State game and USM game....I think Ally loved State more....She loved ringing the cowbell....Ally loved meeting Jacob Beavers....She is all about kissing on the first date....My nana is a trooper and went with us to pick pumpkins one day and then to the health department to get shots another day.....We LOVE my Nana....We went to the zoo and Ally loved the swing and the jaguar....We were a lobster for halloween - it was pretty humerus watching her attempt to walk with all her appendages...I am enjoying being part time....I just am having to remember that a one year old needs her naps....Sorry it got a little lengthy - I decided to include everything so I can just do it monthly...alicia

ALLY IS ONE

A few highlights

"Life at grandma's...I am not sure what we are doing in the dishwasher...."

"The 10 year reunuion"

"A 5 k amongst our training for the Chicago Marathon"

"Ally's new friend - Jack"

"ally at my nana's - all dressed up and nowhere to go"

"the beach"

"charleston"

Hello to all....We have been a little busy this summer...so here are few pictures to highlight our busyness...Will and I went to Charleston, South Carolina for our 5 year anniversary trip (Ally did not come)....We had so much fun....We actually could go to dinner starting at 8:00 and eat for as long as we wanted without having to put more cheerios on the high chair....We went to Navarre Beach with some friends from Park City, Utah....Last time we went to the Navarre - Ally was in the belly...She did make this trip...and loved the ocean, sand, and pool...I signed up to plan my 10 year high school reunion....so that has come and gone....and Will decided months ago that he wanted to run in the Chicago marathon and wanted me to go.....so I decided if I was going to go to Chicago - I was not just standing there that I would run too....I thought surely I can learn to love running....Months into it and MANY miles later - I do not love running or even like running....and Ally's first year of her life has almost come and gone....She is getting so big - actually I think she is pretty small for her age....She is almost a year old and she is weighing in at 18 lbs....I promise I feed her but she is all over the place....She will not sit still for 1 second.....Snuggling is not in her vocabulary....So life at the mattern household is good...and it does not slow down...Will's sister is getting married....My sister is having a baby....and somewhere in between all of it Will and I trying to find time for ourselves...It is hard to believe sometimes - there was once just two of us....And we thought we were busy then....I love keeping up with all of your lives through your blog - sorry I am not the best blogger....alicia