Happy New Year!
I wanted to do something to commemorate this past year for our family, and I could think of no better way to tell our story of 2010, than through pictures of my sweet little family. So, here's your advance warning. There are a lot of pictures. If you're up for a longer visit, then I think you will love these precious pictures of my sweet family. I sure hope someone will take the time to look because it took me forever to load them, ha!
We began our year with a trip to the Atlanta Children's Museum with Gigi.
It just so happened that Curious George was on exhibit, and this little guy was so very excited. Speaking of little, can you believe how little he is here?
I love this picture of Carter and Summer checking out each other in their costumes. I hope they always adore each other.
Carter and George. This was Carter's first television love.
In the last year, we welcomed Hundley into our home, named for the lobby dog on Curious George. My how he has grown in the last year!
This was Summer while she was in Miss Page's class at school early in the winter.
Our first snow of the year. It was so much fun. We played outside and made snow ice cream. David was outside throwing snow balls at the front door. I love Tilly's face here! Such a fun memory.
Here's my little snow bunny all bundled up ready to play in the snow.
And the oldest two, sticking close to each other like always.
Lincoln Miles Calhoun joined our family this year on February 11.
Our spring break trip to see Mama with a pit stop at Bass Pro Shop in Macon. Can you tell these girls love their daddy?
Carter, Summer, & Tilly March, 2010.
First Baptist Church Austell Easter Egg Hunt.
Working in the yard with Daddy.
Planting is serious stuff.
Celebrating Easter with our neighbors, dying eggs and playing together.
Easter supper with Miss Erica and her family. We have had some really sweet friends to stand in the gap this year, especially during the holidays when we can't be with our extended families.
Miss Erica and her friends helped the children dye Easter eggs, and they created an egg hunt around the apartment. What a fun evening!
Easter Sunday, 2010. Sadly, the girls were the only ones able to attend church with Daddy.
Because I had to stay home and take care of this sweet little fella. He fell out of his bed Saturday morning and broke his collar bone. What a trooper he was through this ordeal. He had to wear his sling for six weeks.
Carter with one of his very special friends from school at a classmate's birthday party.
Carter, Summer, and Tilly during spring, 2010.
I had my very own date with this princess at a tea party for one of her classmates.
We planted a garden this year, twice. In the early spring, we planted herbs and different types of lettuces.
Daddy is always a rock star Daddy. He was especially amazing during the months and weeks leading up to Story's birth. He took Carter and Summer to 3 or 4 birthday parties by himself! Here's another birthday party for the cowboy and his princesses.
And then there's Story, sweet Story just minutes after her arrival. She joined our family on May 10, 2010, and what a blessed addition she has been! It's truly hard to imagine our lives before this sweet girl. We all just love her to pieces.
Story Leigh O'Dell, 7 lbs, 15 oz, 20 in.
Here are Story's brother and sisters meeting her for the first time. David took some really great pictures while we were in the hospital.
My mom and grandmother came to the hospital to meet Story.
Daddy with his FOUR children. So hard to believe that we have four little people of our own. What a gift!
Story all dressed up and ready to go home in the outfit Mama bought for her.
Meanwhile, Papa and Gigi were helping Carter and Summer finish their last day of school with a picnic. It was a crazy busy week!
Papa and Gigi with all the babies! We are so thankful they came to spend some time with us to help us the week Story was born.
Carter and Summer with Story. She was only a week old and getting ready for her very first doctor's appointment.
Getting ready for Carter's 4th birthday party at Kangazoom.
Meanwhile, this little munchkin stayed at home with Miss Erica and Miss Amy, who offered to babysit since she was only two weeks old.
Mommy and Daddy with the birthday boy.
Not long after school got out, we had Vacation Bible School at church. Here are the big 3 with their Daddy all dressed in their Saddle Ridge Ranch shirts.
Story was dedicated at church on Father's Day this year.
What a special day to dedicate our baby to the Lord.
Early in the summer, we planted our second garden complete with potatoes, corn, cucumbers, tomatoes, squash, rattlesnake pole beans, banana peppers, bell peppers, jalapenos, okra, and purple hull peas. What a bountiful harvest we enjoyed!
My childhood friend, Destinee, and her sweet husband, Jeremy came over to meet Story. What a faithful friend she has been to me!
In the beginning of July, our party of six hit the road to Arkansas for a family reunion and a wedding.
We began our festivities in Little Rock at the O'Dell family reunion.
Aunt Juie, AKA Cari, got to meet Story for the very first time, and we got to meet Lincoln too!
David with his roommates from college, Brad and Nugee. Nugee got married this summer, and we were honored to be apart of his special day.
O'Dell party of six leaving Jonesboro and headed to Marmaduke, Arkansas.
Miss Bonnie getting to meet Story. This lady is so very special to me, as I lived with her for 6 months before David and I married.
We have so many sweet and precious friends in Marmaduke. It's always a joy to be with them.
Carter and Summer had their very first dental appointments this summer. Miss Nancy, a precious lady in our church, works at a pediatric dental office, and she took such good care of us.
I took Tilly for a follow-up ultra sound this summer, and she got the all clear. Her one ovary is healthy and everything looks great! What a gift!
We celebrated this pretty girl's third birthday this summer, doughnut style.
Story getting ready for church one Sunday. I'm sure she's thinking, "Mommy, what is this crazy thing you have on my head?"
This summer, we spent many many hours at Miss Pat's pool. What a blessing it was to be able to spend our afternoons at her pool. We took Story's swing with us, and she was more than content to swing while we played.
Mama with all of her great grandbabies at Summer's birthday celebration with my family.
Story began smiling more and more showing off that precious dimple!
Carter and Summer got cleats and shin guards for their first soccer season.
David and I took Carter and Summer to their very first Braves game.
I began taking monthly pictures of the four children together. Story is 3 months old in this picture.
Story with Mama, her great- grandmother in August, 2010.
We celebrated Tilly's 2nd birthday in August.
Everyone got back to school hair cuts in August, including me! I donated 12 inches of my hair to locks of love, something I have always wanted to do.
Carter, Summer, and Tilly on their first day of school at Heiskell.
Our four children on Story's 4 month birthday.
Story's first taste of rice cereal. She loves it, far better than I remember any of the others. Even with all of the other solids she is eating now, she still really enjoys rice cereal.
In September, we had some special visitors from Arkansas, namely Master Lincoln and his parents too, of course.
Carter went to his first UGA football game. It was only appropriate that for his first game between the hedges, the dawgs were playing the hogs from Arkansas. He later told me about the game, "Mommy, I heard a bunch of people calling the dawgs really loud!"
In the fall we traveled to Tennessee for David to preach Homecoming at one of our friend's churches. The 6 of us stayed in one hotel room, and we took a "detour" on the way home visiting two extra states!
Carter and Summer dressed in their cowboy duds for Western Day at Heiskell.
Bath time buddies!
Carter, Summer, Tilly, Story October, 2010. Happy 5 months, Story!
Carter and Summer dressed for nursery rhyme character day at Heiskell. Summer dressed for a Christmas nursery rhyme, and Carter is the hunter from Reigate.
In October, we went to the pumpkin patch to pick out some pumpkins for our home.
At the end of October, we traveled to New Orleans for David to defend his final paper. We had so much fun showing the children all of our favorite places in the city we love so much.
Buzz and his princess posse at Austell First Baptist Church's fall festival.
Carter and Summer, hilarious hat day at Heiskell.
Carter, Summer, Tilly, and Story November, 2010. Happy 6 months, Story!
Carter playing soccer for Team Italy.
Story learning to crawl. She is all over the place, now.
Summer took ballet for the first time this year and just loved it. In November, I went for a parent observation. They did a ballet dance to "Thank You for Giving to the Lord."
In November, we celebrated Thanksgiving with Papa and Gigi. We also celebrated Daddy's and Gigi's birthdays, which happen to be on the same day!
In December, we continued our tradition of riding the pink pig at Lenox Mall. It's an Atlanta tradition!
Christmas picture at church, December 2010.
Along with Story's birth, the greatest adventure of 2010, was David's graduation from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary with his doctorate of ministry degree.
He graduated on December 18, 2010 at 10:00 AM. Papa, Gigi, and Aunt Karen met us in the Big Easy for the ceremony and celebration.
Upon leaving New Orleans, our party of six went to Marmaduke to spend some time with friends. These sweet girls helped me to celebrate my 33rd birthday on December 21.
The birthday celebrations continued when we got back to Atlanta with these two precious girls, Mary Katherine and Wendy, my roommates from college.
On our last day of 2010, we spent the morning at home together, and after naps we headed to the Cloer's house to watch the Georgia game and spend time with friends. It was wonderful to have uninterrupted girl time while the children played and the boys watched the game. Sadly, we were having so much fun that I didn't manage to even snap a single picture.
As I look back over the last year, I realize that our family has been able to be a part of so many wonderful things, and I can't wait to what the Lord has in store for us in the next year.
Happy New Year from the O'Dell party of six!
