Christmas 2013

Another Christmas has come and gone and I'm anxious to start a new year. It was a low key Christmas and that's how I like it best. Maddie learned how to say "ho, ho, ho" every time she saw a Santa and Olive enjoyed sitting under the tree mesmerized by the lights. As I get older and especially now that we're parents, I realize each year how I want to center the holiday more on Christ and not the presents. 

Our 2 Year Old

On Thanksgiving Day, our Maddie Moo turned two! We were able to spend the day with our birth family in South Carolina and it was awesome!  I took one photo with my phone of the day- and it was just of the girls. I forgot my real camera and I'm trying not to be sick about the moments I didn't capture. Grandma Celia made adorable dog cupcakes to celebrate the day- after the yummy feast. We feel so blessed to have them in our lives! 

Happenings of M3:

* caught her eating things off the floor like a dog
*stopped her from licking water out of the dog bowl
*pulled Cony's shorts down and gave him a raspberry on his bum
*falls asleep holding books
*licks faces if you let her
*tries to chew on my toes
*talking in full sentences (small but full)
    -our favorites: "Hi Dadda!" "Hi Mamma!" 
*puts on boots and runs to the door for a "walk"
*pulls her new birthday tutu all the way up to her armpits 

 

5 months

OCM at 5 months:

*delightful
*cuddly 
*full of smiles
*loves to eat cereal
*plays while breastfeeding
*grabbing anything within reach
*loves her crib 
*sucks her two right fingers to sleep & sooth herself
*almost sitting up on her own

Soul

I'm sitting here watching the Christmas Devotional waiting for Cony to come home from his trip to Mississippi. My heart is full after a wonderful Sabbath day- something that is very rare these days. With Cony gone and me working the most I have in one week since being a mom, I knew today would be difficult. However, I'm humbled because the Lord has lifted me in unexpected ways in the last two days. I found a way to serve someone today and somehow in the last few months I've forgotten how important that is to my soul. After making it home in a car on E from church, the girls went right to sleep- at the same time. After only three hours of sleep on my part this seemed like a treasure way beyond my reach. Olive slept from 1:00 to 5:30 and although Maddie woke up with a 101.5 temperature because she's teething, it allowed us to snuggle and have more relaxing time.  The Lord knew exactly what I needed today.

A year later we are starting to see the reasons we moved back to Georgia. Maybe the reasons haven't been very obvious to us because we've been in survival mode for what seems like an eternity... regardless I couldn't be more thankful for my mom who helps us survive. I'm able to work and make it worth it because she takes care of our girls- even when it means waking up and going home at 2:00 AM. When I take the time to open my eyes... I see that Heavenly Father has been by our side through the good and the bad. I can't help but feel blessed for the trials we have because of what we learn in the process.

Today is exactly what my soul needed and I'm thankful. 

 

 

Busy Nothings

The girls have been sick, yet again! It seems we've been stuck in the house a lot lately because of illnesses and today it was too cold to even go on a walk. Instead we found ourselves in Madelyn's room doing nothing when I remembered some owl bloomers I needed to put on Olive before she out grew them. I'm constantly reminded how grateful I am that we have a way to capture life's moments. 

M3 happenings: 
-talking, talking, talking
-climbing, climbing, climbing
-barely started to end most sentences with "momma"- just wish I knew what she was saying
-going through a phase where we have to lay down with her at night in order for her to sleep
-she will only sleep in the corner of her room on the floor (not sure if I should be worried)
-potty training and doing really well (we've discovered it's NOT for the faint of heart)

OC happenings:
-loves taking baths
-smiles, smiles, smiles
-has giggled twice and it's music to my ears! 
-doesn't mind getting smothered by sister 
-barely found her feet
-has become independent and loves the floor mat & exersaucer (I believe me working has helped with this!)
-will only fall asleep on dad when we're out (which is usually just church)

Dahlonega

In the middle of October we found time to meet in Dahlonega as a family. Not just our immediate family but our half siblings as well. It was so delightful! We try to make it up there as often as possible and visit the waterfalls where we spread my dads ashes. There's nothing special that we do except enjoy the scenery and time together. After keeping the kids from swimming down the creek, we walked (since it was Goldrush weekend) to a Mexican restaurant for dinner. It made my heart happy to be with the entire group that day in honor of dad.