We Wish You a Merry Christmas

And A Happy New Year!  We hope you all have a great Christmas and enjoy celebrating Jesus' Birthday! 

Love, The Allen's

Tooth Fairy Time

This isn't the best picture, but Lani was proud to show off her missing tooth!  We had our first visit from the tooth fairy Saturday Night.  She left Lani $2 for her tooth.  Lani was so excited, she said it must have been a pretty good toot since she got $2! 

We Love Santa

Woohooo for the first year of NO TEARS when we saw Santa! 

Merry Christmas!!

Wordless Wednesday

A Sneaky Little Elf

Zeke, our elf, arrived Thanksgiving Night.  Lani, Dax and Harper were very excited to see him hanging on a closet door knob.  He also wrote a note and mentioned all of the things L, D, and H have been doing this past year.  They were amazed at all of the thing he knew about!  Check out what he has been doing while we were all fast asleep....

We woke up one morning and found toilet paper hanging from our ceiling fan.  This made for lots of laughs! 



The next morning he left a special breakfast.  Powdered doughnuts and chocolate milk!  Elves love sugar and he wanted to make sure we loved it too!   

Zeke decided to leave an early stocking stuffer!  L,D and H all received a 10 minute stay up past your bed time pass.  This pass can only be used once, so we much choose the night wisely!

This morning he was just sitting on a shelf.  Wonder what other Elf suprises we are in for this year?

Day 2.....

......Home with a sick baby.  Harper has been diagnosed with a type of strep.  She has a terrible, yucky itchy rash across her lower back that goes down to her little bottom.  One part of the rash, which is in her diaper, has developed an abscess.  :(  She has been sleeping a lot, but when she is awake is playing like her normal little self.  I have managed to get a lot done during her little nap this morning, washed and folded clothes, made the beds and swept and mopped the floors!  If you have the chance, say a little prayer for Harper - that this rash will go away and that these germs will stay away from the rest of us. 

Growing Up

In just a few days, Dax will be 4!  I can't believe it.  So what is he up to these days.  Dax is still a lover of baseball.  He loves everything baseball - The Sandlot, dirt, sliding, batting, throwing.  He is an awesome little and big brother.  He drives his sister's crazy at times, but he also loves them so much and is very protective over both of them.  Dax loves cuddling with his mommy, but playing baseball and building things with his daddy.  He likes to socialize at school, he doesn't love coloring or counting that much.  Dax is a great friend and is friendly to everyone.  He has an amazing imagination and makes us laugh with his crazy stories.  Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!  You have been such a blessing to us and we Thank God everyday for you! 

 Dax's First Halloween!



First Birthday! 

Love his smile!

Happy Halloween

I have been a bad blogger and a bad photographer.  I didn't have nearly as many Halloween pics this year, as I have had on past Halloween's.  This is also my 300th post!  I can't believe I have had 300 things to says.

I hope you all had a great Halloween.  I know my Witch, Ninja and Butterfly had a great time!!

Look at this little butterfly bootie!  Harper is so adventurous and cute.

Awwww...

Who is this cute baby in a pumpkin?  Well it is my niece Haley!  Her happiness in the pumpkin didn't last long, but it sure did make a cute picture!!

32

Happy 32 Birthday Jarod!  He may be 32 but he can still jump out of a swing like he is 12. :) I hope you had a great day Jarod!  We love you and are very thankful for everything you do for us!  You are a great husband and an awesome dad!  Love you!!!

Completely Random

I'm a terrible blogger - I have so much to say, or thought I had so much to say and now that I have made time to blog, I don't remeber what I was going to say.  Well, this is just going to have to be a random post.

-We love football.  I'm so happy it is football season.  Wh have been fortunate enought to attend the last 3 Clemson home games.  Just Jarod and I.  No kids!!!  I love taking my kids places and spending time with them, but our football dates have been a lot of fun. 

- I love this cooler weather.  I am so ready to wear sweaters, boots and scarves.

- We went camping this past weekend and had tons of fun!

-My hubby is getting old.  He will be 32 on Thursday.  Happy Birthday Jarod!  Love you!!!

- We have found a new church home at Mt. Tabor Baptist Church.  Now I don't have anything negative to say about my old church home and still have lots of love for Covenant and ALL the people there.  As a family, we felt God leading us some where else and followed his lead.  I have to say that I know with all my heart we are where we need to be and it was the best thing for our family. 

Harper Loves Candy Apples!

Harper decided to snatch the cnady apple from Lani.  I think you can tell that she enjoyed herself :)

~Sweet Prayers~

Tonight, Dax made me giggle a little while we were saying his prayers.  When I asked him what he wanted to pray for tonight, he immediately said "mommy, first you always need to say Thank You to Jesus because he died on the cross for me."  (Such a sweet smart boy!) I told him he was absolutely right and ask if there was anything or anyone he wanted to pray for.  He said, "Well, my three brothers live at my old house and one of them fell in the dirt and broke his arm." I reply with that's nice Dax, but why don't we pray for your 2 sisters, that are real.  He corrected me by saying his brother's were real and that one had really broken his arm.  As we begin to pray, he stops me and says, I forgot about my dog mommy.  My Doggy has a broken leg, we have to pray for my dog!  So why did I giggle - Because Dax definitely does not have any brothers or a dog.  Oh how I love this child and his wild imagination. 

~Friend Friday~

It has been forever since I did a "Friend Friday" post.  I didn't mean to be so slack, I guess I just haven't been blogging on Friday, or I had other stuff to say.  This week's "Friend Friday" is all about........My MOM!!  Mom, Gina, Gigi's....You can call her whatever you want :)  Not only is she my mom, but I consider her one of my best friends!  We have been through a lot together, and yes we argue at times and don't always see eye to eye.  But I can always count on her to be honest with me and tell me the truth - even if it is somethinng I don't want to hear.  Since I was little, she has always been there for me and supported me in everything I have ever been involved with.  It is also her 52nd Birthday!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMA!!!  I love you!  Thanks for everything you have ever done for me!  I hope you have an awesome day! 

~5k, 4k, 2k~

My kiddos are growing up! I can't believe Lani is now a kindergartner!  She loves school and is anxious to get there everyday!  She even walked in all by herself on the second day.  Of course, I did have my cousin Wendy, waiting for her at the door, in case she got lost. :)

Dax skipped 3k this year and had his first day of 4k at Covenant Christian Academy.  He has a November birthday and will be 4 soon.  He was ready for 4k.  Dax loves school too.  Recess and lunch are his favorite parts of the day :)  Dax also loves baseball and I couldn't get him to take a normal pic.  He had to pretend he was was playing baseball.  :)

Off to 2k!  My little Harper, is now in my class at Covenant!  She had a bad hair day on the first day of school, so she is looking a little rough.  She has had a great first week at school.  She hasn't gotten upset with sharing her mommy with her friends at all! 



Her bookbag is bigger than her!

The first week of school, wore us out.  But we are happy to get back on a schedule.  Happy New School Year Everyone!!

Trace Adkins - Just Fishin'

For the last 2 weeks, I have heard this song everyday. It is usually on everytime I get in the car. I can't tell you how much I love this song! It reminds me so much of my daddy! I loved fishing with him and it was much more than fishing - I have the best memories. I even had a pink fishing rod, just like the little girl in this song. Of course, that pink fishing rod is at the bottom of Lake Hartwell. Daddy had ordered for me and it even had my name engraved on it. So anyways, I love this song and the happiness it makes me feel. Have a great day - Ansley

1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4.......

C-L-E-M-S-O-N-T-I-G-E-RRRRR-S, FIGHT TIGERS, FIGHT TIGERS, FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!

is ANYONE ELSE READY FOR FOOTBALL SEASON?  Well, I am now officially READY!!!

Saturday, I attended The Ladies Football Clinic and it was so much fun.  Not only did we have a great time, but it was a chance to raise money for Dabo's Foundation and learn about cancer research and breast cancer.  This was my first time at the clinic, but I will definitely be back next year. 

Tiger Time! 

Jenna 

My Friend, Jen's, camera.  Her digital camera died and she found this in a drawer at her house.  It made me giggle that she still had one of these. 

Locker Room 

My Aunt Carol, who isn't really my aunt. :) 

Yeah, not really sure why I thought this was a good idea.  This helmet was smelly.

This is Bobby.  Bobby reminded us all day that we needed to hustle and not take pictures while walking. 

The player is Tony Steward.  We learned all the steps it took to recruit him and then we got to meet him and ask him questions.  Recruiting was my favorite topic that day.  Learning about offense was OK, but not my fave.  Defense really taught me a lot.  I learned about safety's and how they can trick the offense.  I actually began to understand plays and what the X's and O's mean when it is written on paper.  I was proud of myself. :)

~Lani~

In less than a MONTH, my Lani Bug, will attend her first day of kindergarten.  Where has the time gone.  Is she ready - Oh yes!  And pumped up!  Am I ready - Yes and No. I have my moments, but everything is going to be fine.  My cousin, Wendy, is a 6th grade teacher at Lani's new school, so at least someone familiar is going to be close by.  Not that it matter's to Lani, who thinks she is 15 instead of 5! :) So what's going on with Lani these days.....

-She is an awesome big sister.  At times, she does get annoyed with her younger siblings, that it quickly passes.  She loves them both so much!

-She would rather lay out in the sun on a beach towel than swim in the pool.  She does swim, she just likes to get her tan on too.

-She can clean her own room!  This might sound crazy, but it's important when there are two others that haven't mastered this skill yet.

-Lani loves Taylor Swift, iCarly, the song "Country Girls Shake It For Me" (I can't believe I just admitted that on here)

-Lani says the sweetest prayers at night and usually doesn't leave anyone or their scratches, bruises or sick dogs out of her prayers.

-Lani takes her bible everywhere in her purse.  She says she learned at VBS that she needs to pray and read her bible. 

-Lani has decided that she doesn't want to take dance again next year.  She has decided that she might try baton.  Why?  Because she doesn't think she will have to move her legs as much.   Oh my. 

Wordless Wednesday

This post....

.....is completely random!  You have been warned! :) A lot has been going on since my last post and the NKOTBSB concert.  So much, that I haven't had a chance to blog! 

We have spent, like most of our summer's, a lot of time at the pool or at the lake.  The weekend of the fourth was basically a pool/lake weekend and it wore us out!  The kids love it and it was a fun weekend.  Jarod also put new flooring down in our living room, which I LOVE,  so he was really the exhausted one. 

Lake time - Watching the fireworks in Clemson! 

Fun on the tube!! 

I told you everyone was tired!  She takes the best naps on the boat - even in the life jacket.  Lucky for us, she doesn't seem to mind the life jacket and doesn't fuss when we put it on her! 

Lani took this pic, which turned out pretty good. 

Who is this baby??  Well, I have a new role in my life - I'm an aunt and this is my niece - Haley Parker Forrest.  She was born 7-11-11 and weighed 7 pounds and 8 ounces.  She is super cute!!!

The Best Night Ever :)

Hangin Tough....

So guess where I will be tomorrow night .......In ATL at the New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys Concert!  Pictures will follow :)

Take Me Out To The Ballgame....

We celebrated father's day Friday night and went to a Greenville Drive Baseball game!  We all had a great time!  After the game, there was a great firework show.  Happy Father's Day to all the dad's out there - I am so blessed to have a wonderful husband that is a great father to our children!

Lani and Dax with Reedy Ribbit! 

Harper before the game

 ~Fireworks~

I love the look on Dax's face!  He was so excited about baseball and fireworks!  It was a great night!