Fun in the Sun

Today Mama, Nettie and I decided to go outside and enjoy the almost 90 degree weather. It was gorgeous out so we grabbed my best sun hat, Nettie's ball and our blanket. Boy was this a fun adventure for me! Doesn't this look fun?

I dug all around in the grass and mommy told me all about the little things I found.

This is a leaf.

It doesn't taste too good.

I picked lots and lots of grass.

I tasted it too.

Nothing like a blade of Spring grass to chew on, right?


We sure did have a fun time outside together. Mommy says there are many more exploring adventures ahead. Boy, I can't wait!

I'm almost a year you know...

Did you know that I'm almost a year old? Yep, my birthday is coming up and I am a big girl. Really, I am. I got a new gown to sleep in. It's a big girl gown.
I like to dig through my toy box, like a big girl...in my big girl gown.

And I like to get dirty like a big girl. Mommy is having to really keep this place spotless these days cause I'm in every nook and cranny.

Surprise Mama, I found a "nook" that you missed.

(Mama thought that vacuuming out the screened doorway to the back patio was enough. Boy, was she wrong!)

Love that puppy!

I just wanted to say that I love my puppy. She sat here on the couch for at least a half hour the other day just looking out the window. Cutie.

Kisses for Dada

We sure are getting kisses alot these days. Here she is going in for the big smacker...

Sweetest thing ever! Both of em!

Catching Up

Well, I guess we should do some catching up here. A lot has been going on with the Douglases lately. Mama and Audrey went to Dallas for a few days while Daddy was working really hard in Austin (Daddy is doing a great job!) And we were able to be in Dallas to celebrate birthdays with cousins Cole (7) and Cate (14). Here I am walking with Aunt Sarah and Gran. I do well pulling up and walking along the furniture, but mostly when you try to get me to walk...I sit down and crawl like crazy.

I got to play with my cousin Caroline and the "See and Say." What a great toy.

And Cole read me my favorite book.

Uncle Eddie fed my ice cream for the first time (when mama wasn't looking!) (And I actually got a bite of cheesecake from one of Grandpa's friends the next night! Boy, was that good stuff!)


I also got to go cheer for my cousin Cate at her softball game. It was cold, but I had fun. I think I want to play softball when I get big. (That would make my daddy happy!)

And lastly, as most of you know, our family has been looking (and looking and looking) for a church home here in Austin. We have been praying for a church that wants to reach the culture of Austin and that is living out the gospel together in community. Well, we have finally found a church that we are really excited about. It's called Austin City Life. It is a church plant that was started last Fall. They say over and over that what they are about is Gospel, Community and Mission. They focus most of their ministry through city groups - which we have been attending and love. ACL was meeting in a theater/coffee house downtown on South Congress, but is now moving around the corner to a club on 6th street. If you know anything about Austin, this is very significant. The pastor (a Gordon Conwell Grad) preached Sunday about the history of 6th Street and the significance of our being there. He spoke of redeeming the culture and it so resonated with Troy and I as we have prayed for a place to minister here in Austin. We went Sunday night to the first prayer/worship time at the new spot. It was pretty exciting. Here are a few pictures. We'll have to take more to give you a better picture of this place.
First, here is Audrey getting ready for church on Sunday morning... The view up 6th street.

And the club. Actually, this is the bar/restaurant downstairs where the kids will be. The club is upstairs. It is called The Parish. It is apparantly one of the more popular clubs on 6th street.
We really do appreciate all of your prayers as we have sought to find the community that God has for us here. Please continue to pray for us all as we seek to "redemptively engage Austin."
http://www.austincitylife.org/index.htm

Cutie Pie

Audrey loves taking a bath. She loves to "kicky kick kick kick!" She crawls around, splashes around, and thoroughly enjoys every minute.
Just thought we needed some pictures to remember the bathtime fun...

Oh, yes, the teeth are in. Two biggies are coming in on top as well.

And then we got dressed to enjoy the coming Spring...

This is our back patio. Mommy just planted some new flowers. (Strawberry pot to the left and tulips/dafodills behind. Peppers and tomoatoes are in pots on the ground.) ...Mommy has on shorts today. sorry to all of you Bostonians.

A Few Firsts...

Audrey had a few "firsts" yesterday. #1. We went to a children's music class together and Audrey LOVED it! We sat in a big circle on a carpet with about 8 other kids and their moms and we sang and tapped rhythm, danced a jewish dance, played instruments. Audrey was so precious. She was the youngest in the room by a couple of months and all of the other kids were regulars. Audrey just sat in my lap and watched everyone so closely as we sang and did motions. She just smiled and watched. And when we got out the musical instruments she crawled to the middle of the circle and picked up 2 shakers and just shook and shook to the music. It was so neat! I am really considering enrolling in a 10 wk. class. It's just rediculously expenive (I think.) We're considering it though. It seems like all of the other kids are in class after class. I'm not sure we'll be doing that, but at least one class may be well worth it. I think Audrey may just be able to sing like her mama and dance like her daddy. :)
The next "first" wasn't quite as exciting for mama. I was cooking dinner and had her in the kitchen playing on the floor with some spoons. I turned around for a minute at the sink and when I looked back she was at Nettie's food bowl. Recently she has taken an interest in this and I have swatted her hand a bit away from the water bowl. But not today. Today she had her hands full of dog food. And not just her hands. I looked at her face and her mouth was FULL of dog food (the dry stuff at least.) I dug it all out of her mouth and she cried and cried. Poor baby. She got a big drink of water after that. I guess it was inevitable. Oh the joys.

Bec's Fabuloso Cinnamon Rolls

Yummy...

4 cups jiffy (or bisquick…bec always uses jiffy)
¼ cup sugar
1 1/2 c milk
¼-1/2 c butter softened
½ c sugar
2 t cinnamon

Mix jiffy, ¼ c sugar, 1 ½ c milk. Sprinkle countertop with dry jiffy mix (generously). Knead dough until stiff. Roll out dough to ½ inch thick (make sure you have enough dusting underneath.) butter dough (just rub it all over the dough – all of it.)
Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar (1/2 c sugar + 2 t cinnamon mixed) roll up dough (like a jelly roll) and cut into 12 rolls, place in buttered pan. Bake at 425 for 15 – 20 min.

Let cool. Top with glaze and nuts if desired.

Glaze:
2 c powdered sugar
½ t cinnamon
2-4 T milk or OJ
½ t. vanilla

**as strange as it sounds – people from Nebraska always have cinnamon rolls with chili. It’s pretty good. You should try it. I might just start that tradition too.

Tribute to Becca

This is our dear friend Becca's birthday week (the official day was the 5th). Since it is Saturday and we love spending Saturdays (well, any day really) making breakfast with our friends the Lucases, we decided to make Becca's famous cinnamon rolls for our breakfast. It was my first time to make homemade cinnamon rolls and they were fabulous. Here's to you Becca...
Happy Birthday! We love you!
Just wish you were here to enjoy them with us!

Hats Off to Another Sunny Day

Well, we set out around town again today. Boy, am I enjoying the great sunshine. We decided to try out another Food Network recommended Austin spot - Maria's Taco Express. It was a really quirky place in South Austin.

I wore my cupcake sweatshirt just for the occassion. (it's one of those outfits given to me before I was born that I could not wait to wear. This one was a gift from the Yates girls! LOVE it!) I topped it off with a cute reversable hat that Nana gave me. I'm into hats these days - if you can't tell.

Isn't my Valentine's shirt cute too? My Aunt Sarah sent me that. (I think she was trying to tell me she loves me.)

We ended our afternoon with our first trip to the Austin Public Library. Mama was excited and she tells me that I will get to enjoy some great books there very soon. That sounds good to me because boy and I starting to really really like books. :)
Alrighty, off for my nap - I'm beat after another afternoon on the town!