trees and chuckEcheese

I snapped this photo out our back window the other day when the snow/ice first started to fall. Not knowing this would the last photo of our beautiful tree and patio table... The next day our poor tree snapped under the weight of the ice and smashed the end of our deck and destroyed our table. So sad. I saw it happen but it was like one of the slow-mo moments in the movies... there was nothing I could do but watch. (You can't really tell in the photo but the back railing is pulled away from the deck.)

Here's the huge limb that Jamie has to haul off. I think it may involve a chain saw. That should be interesting...

In other totally random news... I took Audrie to ChuckECheese today. I kind of made a little pact to myself a long time ago that I would never go to ChuckECheese... and don't really know why. I guess because in my mind I pictured millions of screaming children and cooties and chaos and... but today I broke down and went for Will's birthday party. It really wasn't the horror I imagined and Audrie had a blast.

I took some fun photos of Will and his party but I was scrolling through my photos tonight I came across these and had to share...

Audrie spent most of her time playing in this toddler playhouse that had a big plexi-glass window that she thought was pretty fun.

Then she started sticking her face to it...

These are the kind of pictures I can't wait to show her first boyfriend. :)

ice ice baby

You know the country song "You don't know a good thang, til it's gone"? That's how I feel about electricity right now! Our power went out Tuesday morning. For the first couple hours it was just fine. Our sweet neighbors Sam and Becca invited us over for a hot lunch since they have a gas stove and then more neighbors Terri and Stuart had us over for dinner in front of their fireplace. Then we came home and played SkipBo by candlelight. So everything was going ok at first. But after we had to have a slumber party all night in our living room floor to stay warm and then wake up to no showers... oh, the best part was seeing Jamie (Super Dad of the Year) getting up at 6:30 this morning, scraping ice and snow of the gas grill on the deck and standing out in the dark freezing cold warming up a pan of water for Audrie's bottle... love him! Finally after another full day of no electricity today we finally threw in the towel and gratefully accepted Brandon and Erin's invitation to crash at their house. So we're here, had warm showers, a tasty dinner, the boys are playing video games, Audrie is sleeping and I'm getting my Internet fix. All is well in Cornett world again. I think the official answer from the power company on the ETA of power coming back on is "could be a few hours or a few weeks"... I think we should tell them that same answer when we decide to not pay our next electric bill. Ha! Anyways, we are so blessed for our friends and neighbors who were looking out for us. Hopefully soon I'll be singing a new song "I got the POWER!!". :)

church nursery fun

Audrie loves playing with her friend, Arianna, in the church nursery! These two are the only two "playing age" babies in the 0-1 room. The other babies are tiny and just sleep (I remember those lovely days...). So Audrie and Arianna spend the whole hour playing with as many toys as they can. This past Sunday the ladies in the nursery took some pictures...

Audrie does cry a little when we drop her off, but they say she only cries for a second and then gets busy with the serious business of playing with toys! And it's funny because they have a TV in the nursery for the ladies to be able to watch the church service, but they said they have to keep it turned off until the singing is over because if Audrie sees me singing on the stage she starts pointing and crying for me.

all play and no work

I think Jamie and Audrie both had too busy of a weekend... they were wiped out! Jamie really was quite a rockstar this weekend. He started at the wee hours Friday morning with his bible study men's group, then breakfast with "the guys", then after work all day he went to see the new underworld movie with Jim and Rhonald, they all came back to our house and played rock band til 4am. After a couple hours of sleep, he got up Saturday morning to hang with Audrie while I got a heavenly massage at the spa, then he played a couple hours of racquetball with Brandon. Whew. Makes me tired just typing it! I wasn't too surprised to see him crash in the living room floor... and Audrie couldn't resist a little cuddle time with her daddy...
I, however, was up to my eyeballs in scrapbooking all weekend. I've been working on a major project all week, but the end is in sight. As much energy and creativity it drains from me, I really do love scrapbooking! This may be a weird thought... but I hope God has a really sweet scrapbooking room in heaven. I will make Him one heck of a thank you card....! :)

if i could turn back time

It was so fun putting together Audrie's birthday invitation and seeing all these pictures next to each other. I miss the tiny little baby Audrie, but am amazed at how much more fun she is every month! Never a dull moment that's for sure.

I think we got ahold of everyone to let them know about the date change for her party, but in case you didn't hear... we had to change her party to Sunday, Feb. 1st at 2pm. Jamie actually got out a candle the other night and we tried to teach her how to blow it out... um, yeh... that's not gonna happen. She just wants to play with the fire (wonder who she gets that from??). But I'm looking forward to seeing her dive into her birthday cake! Hope you can be there for her big day, but if not, you know I might post a FEW photos... :)

i can see clearly now

I finally got some new glasses! Whoo hoo! (My old pair I have had since 1997.) I realized my glasses were the same age as my students... so it was time. I really like them a lot... mostly that I can SEE out of them! In other random news... my mom made me a really sweet apron. It's super cute. I was making some cookies for Jamie yesterday (raisin oatmeal with white chocolate chips... YUM!) and the apron really helped me channel my inner Betty Crocker... :)
Thanks, mom, for the apron... I love it!

i heart jamie

In case I haven't mentioned it lately... I have one amazing husband. I really could easliy make a list of 100 reasons why he is the best thing that has ever happened to me! And besides being a mighty good husband- he is so crazy wonderful with Audrie, too. We are both very blessed to have him. Here's a couple of reasons why he's a keeper...

He changes diapers. (Lots of them... even the nasty ones!)

He reads books with Audrie. He plays toys with her (and even tolerates the loud annoying toys).

Did I mention he changes diapers?! (I think Audrie is praying here that this one is a real doozy!)

He loves playing with Audrie when he comes in from work.

And her face lights up when she sees him!

And after all that, he still has time for kisses...
"I never knew how much I loved your father until I saw how much he loved you."

~ Alice Riley

just a swingin'

A few weeks ago Jamie hung a swing for Audrie on our back porch. She loves it! It really hasn't been warm enough to be outside but every now and then we bundle her up and take her out for a few minutes of fresh air in the swing...

It doesn't take much to bring out the smile in this little girl!

"There's no better view than the view from a swing!"- Jane Armor

toast

Audrie really does babble pretty much all day long and mostly to herself. I tried to capture her deep conversations on video and I managed to get a few sentences today at lunch time. I'd really LOVE to know what she is talking about...

therapy

So wonderful to be able to go out with just the girls last night!I went out with a group of my dearest gal pals for dinner and a chick flick... and it was just what I needed. It really was like therapy. To be able to hang out with a group of close friends and vent about whatever stupid stuff we wanted to. And Jamie had fun having Audrie all to himself at home. (Plus he's going out with some of his guy friends tonight so I don't feel too guilty!) Anyways, the movie was cute but the time spent with friends was even better. Thanks girlies for the night out! Can't wait to do it again.

Oh... PS- I did NOT win the radio singing contest... came in second by .5 of a point! I guess I'll stick to my day job...

cellphone superstar!

This morning on my drive to work I just happened to hear on the radio that they were having a singing competetion... so I called. And I sang. You can click this link to hear my big debut: http://www.klrc.com/Article.asp?id=290426&spid=11248
They are supposed to announce tomorrow morning the winners... 101.1 here in Northwest Arkansas... so you'll have to tune in to see if I'm going to be famous!

she bangs she bangs

Well, it's official. Audrie loves music. She gives us a few private concerts every day featuring her own musical compositions. The best part is the great faces she makes while she plays... (you gotta click this image to see up close)
I think she is favoring percussion instruments right now, but with any luck we can teach her that drumming is no life to live.

Although like any good drummer she can keep the beat going with a drink in her hand...!

We do spend some time at the piano for some daily sing-a-longs, too. (Usually before Jamie gets home from work because there is really only so many times in a row you can hear "The Wheels on the Bus" before you lose your mind.)

And here she is again with her weird music face making... our own little Stevie Wonder.

She likes helping me strum my guitar as I make up songs about "Audrie and her poopy diaper"... that's going to be my #1 hit on my next album.

We're booking tickets now for Audrie's first concert tour... let us know if you want front row seats!

photographer for rent

My friend Kate is a soon to be famous photographer and I am so thrilled she has asked me to help her shoot a wedding! I jokingly offered to put together a portfolio before Kate "hired" me and she told me that my blog was my portfolio! ha! So I thought I better update my "portfolio" here and see if it lands me anymore photography gigs... here are few random shots I've captured over the past couple months:
(The weddings I did with Kim and the family sessions are friends of mine who let me practice on them!)

The Pope Wedding The San Antonio Wedding

The Bell Chapel Wedding

The Cross Family

The Searcy Family

The Ward Family

And a cat