Hormones & Stretch Marks

A look back.....at Christmas

2012-02-07T22:10:00.002-05:00

We have been so busy over the past few months, hence the reason I haven't blogged a lot lately. We had such a great December, and I wanted to share some of our favorite moments - even if it is February:)

We started the month off with our family Christmas in NC with my Aunt Jean and extended family.

B had so much fun. Daddy even taught her how to play Corn Hole.

She spent most the time playing on the stage area.

She gave us all quite the show when she decided to play 'Peek a Boo!'

Beth made her a beauty queen sash, and Becca absolutely loved it.

Before we left, she got to spend some time with the other Rebeccas - one of whom is her namesake.

Her next big event was the Christmas party at Nat's house. Becca had so much fun, and Nat went above and beyond.

Notice that while the rest of the kids were decorating their cookies, my child was eating hers:)

Hanna (Becca's BFF) was having so much fun. This picture is just too cute!

Next, we decided to get a group shot. That was easier said than done! After 30 pictures, we got one that turned out cute:)

The last event was the reindeer food bar. This was such a cute idea...

and the kids loved it! It was a little hard for Becca to understand that we had to get down so others could have their turn.

In between all of these holiday festivities, JP's family from Georgia came by to visit with us. I didn't get many pictures from that day, but we did 'try' to get a group shot of all the cousins. Once again, easier said than done.

Our next big even was going to see the lights at James Island with some of the youth from our church. It was amazing - if you've never been, you have to go next year.

Becca loved sitting in Daddy's lap while looking at the lights.
Don't worry - we never got above 3 mph:)

When we stopped, she would stand up and look out of the sunroof!

She even got to sit on Santa's lap, and to our surprise, she smiled:)

She finished the evening eating her candy cane and watching the lights set to music.

The very next night we had the youth Christmas party at church. While Becca didn't really 'get' it, she still had a good time. She loves hanging out with all of her friends.

She was amazed that there was more than one Christmas tree!

She even hung out with Mr. Wade for a little while.

The chocolate covered marshmallows were her favorite!

And cousin time is always fun:)

After our busy month, we finally made it to Christmas. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

We had a very fun, busy month, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. 2012 is proving to be a great year already, and we are looking forward to everything else it will bring.

20 months and counting

2012-01-05T20:37:00.001-05:00

It’s been awhile since I’ve done one of these Becca update posts, and she is doing so much now, so I wanted to share. Sometimes it seems like she changes overnight. Here are her stats:

weight – 30lbs
size 5 diaper
her eating has changed – she’s definitely much pickier, but for the most part she’ll try things (especially if you tell her there’s cheese on it.)
she’s not much into meat
she can sing her ABC’s
she can count to 11
she wears 18 – 24 month clothes (some 2T)
she has developed some “sassiness”
NO is her favorite word
time out is our most effective form of discipline, and yes, we have to ‘discipline’ quite often
her favorite thing to do is read books – The Very Hungry Caterpillar gets read A LOT
Mickey Mouse is her favorite t.v. show – thanks goodness because The Wiggles were getting old
she is very healthy
she loves going to Nat’s and playing with all of her friends – Ha (Hanna), Anne (Marianne), Caire (Claire), and Hudson
she is still in the Cradle Roll class at church and she loves having Carolina in there with her now
she has a shoe obsession
she prays every night before bed, and it is so cute to see who will make her prayer list each evening
7:30 is our bedtime, and she loves going to bed, which is nice for mommy and daddy
she will repeat everything she hears:)
she loves brushing her teeth and washing her hands
she can identify a circle, triangle, and square
she’s pretty good with colors, especially red, blue, green, and ‘lellow’!
Hayes is her favorite person of all time
every time you give her a cookie, she replies with, “Thank you Nat, welcome.”
she loves going to the zoo – giraffes are her favorite animal
she is the love of our life and we couldn’t ask for a better ~~baby~~ toddler!

A Year in Review - 2011

2012-01-01T22:14:00.001-05:00

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

This year was amazing. Not without it’s problems, but the blessings definitely outweigh anything negative. I am thankful for so much – but most importantly my faith, my husband, my sweet little girl, and our family and friends! With all of that, how can you not be thankful?

As we enter in to 2012 (that still seems weird to say), I look forward to all it has to offer. I’ve made my resolutions – who hasn’t – but my main focus is going to be on my relationship with God. I want to grow my faith and dedication to God and His word. With that in order, then I know without a doubt this will be a great year!

occupy d.c.

2011-12-08T22:18:00.001-05:00

i can't believe i haven't blogged about the trip jp and i took to washington, d.c. two months ago.

well, i can believe it, but it still makes me feel slack.

it was an amazing trip. jp and i went alone - no baby - and while we missed her SO much, we had so much fun together. i haven't been to d.c. since 9th grade, and jp, while he was born there, hasn't been back since he was a baby.

we arrived on thursday, and since we were staying in arlington, va. we decided to go ahead and visit arlington national cemetery. this place truly takes your breath away.

it is very sobering to look at the graves of all of those who gave their lives for our country.

and you absolutely cannot visit there without watching the changing of the guards.

it is amazing how precise they are. i could sit there all day and watch them.

i think this summed it up perfectly.

the next day we ventured into downtown, and one of the first things we saw were the 'occupy d.c.' people. it was quite the site!

i really can't believe that people are living there!

our next stop was the white house...

complete with secret service on the roof!

there was something going on out on the front lawn, but we couldn't see who was out there.

the washington monument was amazing, but we couldn't get close because it was closed due to the recent earthquakes in virginia.

the WWII memorial was one of the places i absolutely had to visit.

it too was amazing.

and to top it off, there was an honor flight from oregon there visiting.
it was amazing to see these special people have the opportunity to visit a memorial created in their honor.

we finished our day with a visit to the lincoln memorial,

the vietnam wall,

and finally the capital.

we even took a picture of the two of us:)

our last day we visited alexandria, va.
we went to a section known as 'old town' that is full of little shops and restaurants.
we just walked around, but it was a great end to our trip.

there was even a man set up outside a restaurant playing the water glasses.

our trip was wonderful. we couldn't fit it all in, but we made it everywhere we wanted to go. i definitely want to go back when becca is older so she can experience all of this with us.

there's no place like church

2011-11-13T20:55:00.001-05:00

I'm again putting two 'I'm thankful for..' posts into one:)
And since I'm the author of this blog, I can do that!
Right?

(picture courtesy of Spencer Strickland's Facebook page)
This picture represents both of the things I'm thankful for tonight (and last night.)
The first thing I'm thankful for is our church.
I can't begin to describe how much this church/church family has done/is doing for us. I look forward to Sundays and Wednesdays because I get to worship at this place with some of the most important people in my life.
The second thing I'm thankful for is our new minister and his sweet wife and baby girl. Our last minister was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. There's no other way to describe it. I was devastated when he moved, but totally understood his reasons. With that being said, I was a little 'down and out' about finding another minister. I wasn't sure how anyone would replace Mickey.
Well, once again, God had a plan. Last Sunday, we welcomed our new minister, Spencer. He has been an answer to many, many prayers. I also happen to LOVE his wife and sweet baby girl. I know that they will do wonderful things at our church!

so this is way harder than i thought it would be

2011-11-11T20:59:00.001-05:00

yesterday, i was (and still am) thankful for my in-laws.
they are like second parents to me, and they certainly love becca:)

and i realized after i spent the last 30 minutes looking for pictures of BOTH of them with becca, that i need to get more pictures of becca with her grandmomma and papaw:)
side note: becca has renamed them both. grandmomma is now known as 'memaw' and papaw has become 'pepaw'. this totally makes me laugh, and we have no idea where she came up this!

today, i am thankful for all of our veterans. i cannot begin to grasp the enormity of all the sacrifices made, but i certainly am appreciative that i am an American!

day 9

2011-11-09T22:35:00.001-05:00

tonight i'm thankful for my mom - becca's gg.

from the time she found out we were expecting a baby, she was over the moon!

and her love for this little 'pumpkin' has only grown.

it's amazing how much joy one person can bring a family.

gg totally spoils this little girl:)

she spends every second she can with her.

she never misses a holiday (or an excuse to buy her something)

and she definitely never misses a photo op with her 'sugar plum'

so thank you gg for being so wonderful. becca and i love you and appreciate you more than you'll ever know:)

thankful times 2

2011-11-08T22:05:00.001-05:00

So, I'm going to cheat a little bit. For my dedicated blog readers (insert laugh here), I'm sure you ALL noticed that I didn't post my day 7 'thankful' post last night. I could give you some really good excuse, but it really just boils down to I was tired and didn't have time.
The way I'm going to remedy that - make tonight's post count as two.
How am I going to do that you may ask?
Well, it's easy. Tonight I'm thankful for both of my sweet dogs.
Jack and Grace are our black labs. Jack will 13 this weekend, and Grace will be 6 this weekend. Yes, they were both born within a day of each other - November 13th and November 14th, but I can't remember who was born which day. I could walk upstairs and check, but that would require way too much energy, so we'll chalk it up to the fact that I'm a slack mommy and we'll leave it at that:)

This picture was taken a few years ago, but we'll pretend that we all still look the same:)
These two dogs are so sweet. They are a very important part of our family, and in fact are treated more like humans than dogs. Their official purpose is to hunt (mainly ducks and dove), but none the less, they hold a very special place in our hearts!
So tonight (and last night) I am very thankful for these sweet pups. They have brought us a lot of joy, and I hope to have many, many more years with our fur babies!

day 6

2011-11-06T21:56:00.001-05:00

today, i'm thankful for nat - the wonderful woman who watches our sweet girl while we are at work.

from the first day i went back to work, i knew becca was in good hands.

becca absolutely loves nat. in fact, most days she doesn't want to leave.

and nothing makes this mommy happier than to know that becca loves her so much!

2011-11-05T22:42:00.000-04:00

day 5:
today i'm thankful for becca's cousins. she loves them all very much!

whether they live here...

one state away....

or all the way across the atlantic ocean!
i'm thankful for these relationships, and i pray that they will continue to grow as she does.

forever friends

2011-11-04T22:04:00.002-04:00

on this day, i'm thankful for the friendship these two already share.

maybe it's because they've known each other since becca was born,

or because these mommies are such great friends,

or because they've watched football games together.

It may have something to do with the fact that they've tested out 4-wheelers together at bass pro,

shared special moments like boo at the zoo,

had fun cheering on the gamecocks,

or for the simple fact that they can see past each others differences.

maybe it's because they've vacationed together,

or shared kisses on the beach,

or because pj's and bed head don't matter to them.

whatever it is, these two love each other and love spending time together. it doesn't matter how often they see each other, they are always excited to play together again.
i'm thankful that becca has already experienced the joy of a true friend.
and just as a side note, if and when they get married, they're going to have THE best slideshow ever!
i'm just saying...

priceless

2011-11-03T22:13:00.003-04:00

for day 3, i had already decided what i would blog about, but then i changed my mind.
tonight i'm thankful for the time i got to spend (alone) with my husband,
for our $38 'date' to the movies,
for the laughs we shared.

tonight, i'm thankful for this hand i got to hold.

thankful - day 1 & 2

2011-11-02T21:57:00.001-04:00

One of our sweet friends, Heather, had a great idea for blogging something you are thankful for each day in the month of November. Well, I didn't see this until I was laying in bed last night, and my phone wasn't cooperating, so I'm combining day 1 & 2 into this post - I think it's o.k. since there are 2 people in my picture:)

I'm so thankful for my amazing husband and my sweet baby girl! They are the reason I get out of bed in the morning. I love them so much it hurts. I hope that one day I'll be able to show them just how much they mean to me!

we walk

2011-10-19T21:38:00.001-04:00

we walk

so these babies might one day live in world free of cancer

so beautiful amy won't have to fight for her life

so sweet families like this will have the opportunity for many more photos

so babies

won't have to walk "in memory"

of their 'mammy'

so '4 generations' is experienced by all

we walk

so my angel won't have to know this evil we call cancer.

an adventure in apple picking

2011-10-18T22:38:00.000-04:00

a few weeks ago, lauren and i decided to take the babies to hendersonville, nc to go apple picking. we left on a friday evening, and by the time we got there that night (at 9:00) i think we began to realize we might have bit off a little more than we could chew. after spending almost half an hour unpacking the car, with the babies in tow, we finally began to settle down for the night. we felt certain the babies would sleep since they went to sleep WAY past their bedtime, but let's just say that didn't happen.

needless to say, after a little bit of a sleepless night, we all woke up saturday morning ready to go pick apples.

these sweet babies started their day off by reading together. oh how they melt me.
we took our time getting ready, and then off we went to sky top.

i should have known by how things had been going, that nothing about this day was going to be easy, but oh how i wasn't prepared for what lay ahead.

but enough of that, here's a look at all of the fun we had!

the orchard was beautiful, and i hate that i didn't get a picture that showed this.

there was a variety of apples to choose from, and for us 'first timers,' there were signs pointing the way.

these babies had so much fun, even if they did spend most of their time picking up apples off the ground.

i think becca's favorite part was getting to carry the basket!

apples aren't the only thing grown at the orchard, but the only thing in season at the time.

lauren and i definitely had our hands full, so we were very thankful that aunt wiwi met us there and helped out with the babies. she even climbed trees to pick fresh apples for us!

i love that i get to do things like this with my sweet girl. it is so fun to watch the amazement in her eyes at the simplest things...

one of the things i was looking forward to, was taking pictures of hayes and becca in front of the 'how tall this fall?' sign.

well, let's just say that once again things didn't go exactly as planned.

but then again, how often do things go as planned with two toddlers?

there was also a small pumpkin patch that becca played in.

she's a very determined little girl...

but sometimes we must all admit defeat!

we had such a good time, and we're already looking forward to going back next year - with the daddies of course!

polo & frogs & owls, oh my

2011-10-17T23:30:00.000-04:00

We've been really busy since I've gone back to work.
So busy in fact, I haven't had much time to blog.
Excuses aside, here are a couple of pictures from the past few weeks.

We love playing outside - especially in our new shoes!

And speaking of shoes, this girl has a serious shoe addiction.

We won't talk about the 'fit' she threw the day we left the shoe store without buying any shoes. I've told her Daddy that he is in serious trouble!

Here are her 'newest' shoes! This girl LOVES her frogs.
I'm waiting on the day we have the melt down over not being able to wear them out of the house!

I love this picture because I feel like it sums up my sweet girl perfectly.

Happy.

Fun.

Full of life.

I promise more posts with more pictures...soon.

In fact, my goal is to blog each day this week!

So until tomorrow...

What have we been up to?

2011-09-25T22:26:00.001-04:00

(In pictures, of course!)

We’ve been wearing our hair in a ponytail…

and eating suckers…

all at the Chapin Labor Day parade!

We finally got to meet sweet Immy – my cousin’s baby who flew (on a plane) all the way from England!!!

Becca loved her cousin…

and loved giving her kisses:)

We went to our first Chapin football game of the season – it was hard for me to sit on ‘the other side’ since they were playing Dutch Fork AT Dutch Fork!

While we didn’t get to sit and watch much of the game, this sweet girl had a lot of fun running around!

She was mesmerized by the cheerleaders!

It was a fun night!

And speaking of cheerleaders, this little girl is all ready to cheer on her Gamecocks this season!

Becca still LOVES to read. In fact, her books are the only things she has anything to do with. When she was reading this book with her Daddy, all I could think was that I hope that one day she understands just how much we love her!

My friend Lindsey, from Winthrop, invited us to her sweet girls 2nd birthday party.

She was so sweet and so excited!

JP and I had our first ‘trip’ away from Becca a few weekends ago. We attended a family retreat at Palmetto Bible Camp. While it was a little more ‘outdoorsy’ than what I’m used to, we had a great time.

The camp was beautiful…

and the ‘audience participation bedtime stories’ were absolutely hilarious!

Since we were up that way, we decided to take the opportunity to visit Pretty Place at Camp Greenville.

The views there were absolutely breathtaking!

Ahhh, there are so many more things I’d like to share, but we’ll save those for another night! Enjoy and until next time…

font-tastic!

2011-09-12T22:00:00.001-04:00

I love cute fonts!!!

They make me happy!

They make me want to blog more!

They’re so much fun!

And now they’re easy for YOU to get!

Check out this great website where you can download your own fonts – for free!

F J E C M G

They even have cute symbol fonts!

Ok, ok, enough examples!

Here is where you can find these same fonts!

I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!

my little girl

2011-09-06T21:50:00.001-04:00

My angel

My sunshine

My laughter

My dream

My miracle

My blessing

My happiness

My heart

My gift from God

My little girl

A big thank you to Kim Bradford at Earth Angel Portraits for these amazing 16 month pictures of Becca!

Happy Birthday Nat

2011-08-27T22:02:00.002-04:00

Happy birthday Nat!

We love you and hope you had a great day!

Aquafresh Extreme Dancing

2011-08-25T22:37:00.002-04:00

Becca L.O.V.E.S. to dance.
She dances at home, in the car, anywhere there is music!
The funniest thing about her dancing is she has favorite songs that she will drop everything for in order to dance.
She'll literally come running in the living room when she hears her favorite songs, and the best part is, they're songs off commercials.
Tonight, the Aquafresh commercial came on and we had to rewind it several times so she could dance, and I was finally able to catch it on camera.

This little girl makes me smile, and this is just one of the many reasons!

my wish for you

2011-08-16T17:40:00.002-04:00

I think often about how fast Becca is growing up, and while I love watching who she is becoming, I can't help but feel a little sad about how much she isn't a baby anymore.
As I was driving home today, I found myself thinking about all of the things I want to be able to do for her, and this is what I came up with:
1) help her develop a strong relationship with Christ
2) love her so much, that no matter what, she never questions my love for her
3) teach her how to be empathetic to others
4) help her see that 'things' don't really matter - love does
5) provide her with a constant feeling of safety and belonging
6) help her develop the desire to serve God and others above herself
I'm sure there are a million other things I want to do for her, but those were the really important things, that above all, I want for her throughout her life.
This parenting thing is no walk in the park, but I am totally committed to being the best Mom I can be. After all, you only get one chance to do it right!

summer lovin’ 2011

2011-08-09T22:20:00.001-04:00

This summer has been amazing! I have loved being able to spend all day, every day with my sweet Becca. But alas, the time has come for me to return to work, and surprisingly, I’m ok with it. She has become VERY attached to me, and I think going back to Nat’s is just what she needs. Don’t get me wrong, I will miss her immensely, but I look forward to returning to my classroom and Becca returning to her friends.

Here is a look back at our summer.

where oh where

2011-08-06T07:35:00.001-04:00

did my baby girl go?

B is getting so big. Here she is wearing her sweet dress that my cousin Kerri (and her husband Dave) got Becca last year while in Hawaii for their wedding.

I do

2011-07-28T22:17:00.001-04:00

This is Jerry – aka Papa to Becca. It is hard for me to put into words how much Jerry means to JP and I. He married us, he helped us become Christians, and he has been like a father to both of us. We love him to the moon and back.

On July 2nd, Jerry married one of the sweetest ladies I’ve ever known – Shirley. We are very happy for both of them.

Becca wore her new dress from GG, and she looked precious!

Here is the happy couple getting ready to walk ‘up’ the aisle.

Their love for each other is so apparent.

Their wedding was so sweet. These two are amazing Christians who both deserve nothing but the best.

Jerry couldn’t stop smiling…

and neither could Shirley.

It was so sweet.

After the wedding, we helped host a reception for them at the church. Becca was beyond tired at this point, so GG was taking her home to get a nap, but not without some pictures first!

As you can tell, she wasn’t feeling her photo op!

I LOVE this picture – Papa stealing kisses and Shirley laughing!

Jerry & Shirley,

We are so happy for both of you. You mean so much to us. We couldn’t be happier that you are now husband and wife. You are an inspiration to us, and we admire what you have and what you stand for. We love you always!

only a month late:)

2011-07-26T21:59:00.001-04:00

Beach Trip 2011

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We had such a good time at the beach this year. The babies really made it so much fun! Here are some of the pictures I took – enjoy!!!

God’s newest angel

2011-07-18T20:59:00.002-04:00

My sweet friend Lauren lost her mother to cancer this past Friday. I can’t begin to tell you what a special woman Mary was. She was like a second mother to me. My heart is saddened that I will never get to talk to her again or hear her laugh, but I find comfort in knowing she is in a better place. I want to share a letter I gave Lauren as a tribute to her mom. Hopefully this will help everyone see what kind of person Mary was.

As the eternal optimist, I never really wanted to believe that this day would come. I really thought that a woman as courageous and strong as your Mom would live forever. But God had other plans, and I find comfort in knowing that she is at peace.

I don’t remember exactly when I first met your mom – it seems as if I’ve known her as long as I’ve known you. And even though I am sad beyond words that she is no longer here on this earth, I can’t help but smile when I think about her.

I know you hear all of the time what an amazing woman she is, but I want you to know exactly what people mean when they say that. Your mom could be described in so many ways. She was a Christian, a wife, a mom, a Mammy, a sister, a friend, a co-worker, and a stand in mother to so many – myself included. Anybody who met your mom immediately called her ‘friend’. As you know, the first thing anyone did when they saw her was give her a hug – that was her. It didn’t matter if she had known you for five minutes or fifty - five years, you were getting a hug!

Your mom was also a fighter unlike any person I’ve ever known. I feel confident in saying that I wouldn’t have been able to endure a tenth of what she did in her fight with cancer – and ALWAYS with a smile on her face.

She IS the most considerate, kind-hearted woman who would give anyone the shirt off of her back if she even thought they needed it. She always put everyone ahead of herself. That’s just who she was.

She was a self-proclaimed shopaholic, and proud of it! Obviously that is genetic because it has definitely been passed down! She never turned down an opportunity to go shopping – it was retail therapy that made her feel good.

Simply put, she was amazing.

Even though the last few weeks have been hard, I still have so many good memories of the time I spent with her. Several conversations we had still make me laugh. From her informing us that Sonny and Cher had a daughter who is now their son, to her admission of the ‘red dress’ she bought that she shouldn’t have spent so much money on, to her telling me (after I asked her the same question twice) “AA, you already asked me that.”

Your mom is going to be missed by so many, but I know without a doubt that everyone who knew her has happy memories that they will carry with them always. Knowing she is pain free now, in her new body she wanted, will help us through the hard times. When I find myself wondering why now, why so young, I remind myself that I already know the answer – God needed His special angel in Heaven with Him. He gave her to us for 61 years and He couldn’t go another day without her.

Thank you for sharing your mom with me. She taught me so much about how I should live my life, and I will forever be thankful that I had the opportunity to call her my friend.

2011-07-07T23:06:00.003-04:00

Do you remember this?

This was Beccas first day at Nat's.
She was so tiny!

This was just 9 short months later.
Where did my baby go?

This was such a great year for Becca.
She absolutely L.O.V.E.S. Nat, and that makes this mommy very happy.
A lot of people have asked how we found Nat, and it's actually a funny story - I like to say this proves God answers prayers.
I had always thought when we had children that they would stay with one of two women who keep children in their homes near my work. Well, we got pregnant, I called them, and they were both full. I didn't have a back up plan. I didn't know where else to look. We really wanted an in-home child care provider who watched teachers' kids so we wouldn't have to pay over the summer - not easy to come by. When our 'plan' didn't work out, we decided we would just pray about it.
*Note: I'm not sure why we waited until then to pray about it seeing as how this was one of the biggest decisions concerning our child, but lesson learned!
Anyways, we were at JP's Christmas party and struck up a conversation with the mom of the owner of the company. She asked us what we were going to do about child care and we told her we didn't know. She asked where we lived, we told her Chapin, and she said that her best friend's daughter lived in Irmo and she kept children in her house. It kind of caught our attention, but she couldn't remember her name, so she told us to call her if we didn't find anything and she would get us her information. To be honest with you, at that point, we didn't think much more about it.
A few weeks later, we went to dinner with some of our friends from church. Again, our child care plans were brought up and I shared with them that we didn't have anybody and that I was starting to get worried. Monica said she had a friend who watched children in her home (only teachers' kids), and that she would call her for us and find out if she had any openings. I was really excited because at this point I was only a few months away from having this baby, and I had absolutely no idea who was going to watch my angel when I went back to work.
The next day, Monica called with great news. Her friend, Natalie, had an opening. I was so excited that I called her that night. I talked with her for about ten minutes and then made plans to meet with her the next day. Nat sounded so wonderful on the phone that, for the first time in months, I was at ease about our child care options.
We went and met with Nat the next day and absolutely fell in love with her. She was wonderful - we knew within the first few minutes that this was where we wanted Becca to go. We stayed and talked with her for a while and found out that her mother was friends with the mother of the owner of JP's company.
It was an answer to our prayers! It was obvious that this was what God had planned for us all along. Two people, who do not know each other had recommended Nat to us:)
Nat is fantastic. I can't say enough good things about her. Becca loves going to her house. In fact, I think Becca misses being there while home with me this summer - but don't worry, she gets to go once a week:)
Becca has learned so much and enjoys playing with all of her friends. She loves everyone, but her and Hanna are definitely BFF's.
These girls are partners in crime. What one does, the other one does (and usually Becca is leading the way!)

I think these sweet girls will be friends for a very long time:)
Thanks Nat! We love you so much and appreciate all you do for our baby girl!

VictoRAY!!!

2011-07-02T07:48:00.022-04:00

Any idea where this sweet little girl was yesterday?

Why at the State House, of course!

And not just for a visit.
In case you live under a rock, or if you're not from around these here parts, the Carolina Gamecocks won the College World Series, earning them the title of the 2011 National Champions!

Back to back Champions at that!

And just to let you know how big of a deal that is to all of us in the greater Columbia area, they flew the Gamecock flag on top of the State House along with the American flag and the State flag.

We're serious about our Gamecocks!!!

To honor the baseball team and their amazing accomplishment, the City of Columbia held a parade in their honor. Despite temperatures being near 100, we decided to head downtown and join in the festivities.

There were people for as far as the eye could see.

Garnet & black were the colors of the day:)

This little girl was amazed - mostly with the birds and the helicoptor, but still amazed:)

The parade was a little longer than we anticipated - it seems that if you wanted to be in it, they let you! We waited in the sweltering heat for two hours waiting for our chance to cheer for our baseball team.

We finally got a glimpse of Cocky and realized we were nearing the 'good' part of the parade.

The coaching staff was next.
Congrats Ray Tanner:)

A crowd favorite:)

Then the baseball players arrived with that amazing trophy!

* please excuse the blurriness of these pictures - despite waiting two hours for a front row seat, the police officers let the crowd behind the barricade run up in the street once the baseball players arrived. That definitely made for some upset people, who like us, had been waiting on the curb for two hours, but what do you do. I just held my camera up over my head and hoped for the best!

The crowd was excited, to say the least.

Seeing BOTH National Championship trophies was amazing!

After the parade, the team gathered on the steps of the State House.
Columbia Mayor Steve Benjamin made some welcoming remarks.
And while we wanted to stay and ~~see~~ hear more, it was just too hot!

We started our ten minute walk back to the car, and to our surprise, ran into Sir Big Spur!

Sir Big Spur's owner was nice enough to hold him so Becca could pet him.

This was probably the highlight of the day for her:)

Congrats Carolina baseball! You've made us all proud to be Gamecock fans yet again!
We can't wait to see what 2012 has in store for our team!
Until next year...

I Do

2011-06-28T20:21:00.013-04:00

Last Friday, Jeremy & I celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary.
I know it sounds cliche, but I really can't believe it's been five years.
I remember our wedding day like it was yesterday.

Everything from getting to the church,

to putting on my dress,

to taking pictures,

to walking down the aisle,

to saying our vows,

to taking some more pictures,

to signing the marriage license,

to dancing,

to going home with my husband!

As I look back at all of the pictures, I remember how happy I was - how in love I was.

But I have to laugh now because I had no idea then just how in love I would be now.

We were on our vacation at North Myrtle for our anniversary, so we went to dinner at Aspen Grille.

One word: A.M.A.Z.I.N.G!

If you are ever in the Myrtle Beach area, you HAVE to go eat there.

It was THE best food we've ever had!

But, back to the important stuff:)

Anyone who knows me, knows that I have been wanting my second wedding band since ~~the day we got married~~ our first anniversary. JP decided that I would have to wait until our fifth wedding anniversary to get it, but a month or so ago we had some unexpected expenses come up - mainly Grace (our dog) needing around $4,000 worth of surgery.

I know, I know - you can pick your jaw up off the ground.

Because of this, I knew my ring would have to wait.

As much as I wanted it, it wasn't a necessity.

So the night of our anniversary, I took a shower, got ready, and put my rings on right before we walked out the door. To my surprise, there were three rings laying where there are usually only two. I was speechless.

He did it! He got me my second band.

I love this man with all of my being.

He is my everything.

On our wedding day, I walked down the aisle to a song called 'When God Made You' and those words have never been truer.

'When God made you, he must have been thinking about me.'

I love you always and forever!

~me~

beach bums

2011-06-23T00:18:00.004-04:00

salt water

seashells

smooth sand

but someone has to do the work!

itsy bitsy

2011-06-19T17:15:00.008-04:00

It
was
an....

itsy, bitsy

teenie, weenie

yellow polka-dot bikini

that she wore

for the ~~first~~ third time today!

playdates: not just for kids anymore

2011-06-15T09:19:00.016-04:00

If I'm being totally honest, I would have to say that I used to spend my summers doing absolutely nothing. I mean, I would make the occasional trip out to run errands or lay out by the pool, but my days mostly consisted of sleeping as late as a I wanted, staying in my pajamas until late afternoon, and watching lots of Lifetime movies.
Ahhh, the good ole' days!
Now, I spend most of my days chasing a VERY active 1 year old, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Now, I knew this summer would be a lot of fun, but I also knew I had to make plans for us. I mean, sitting at home with me is no fun - especially compared to playing with your friends at Nat's house everyday. So I made the executive decision to organize play dates this summer with all of B's friends from Nat's.
Even though we are only a week and a half into summer, we have been very busy.

We started our summer break with sweet Hanna's first birthday.
She is definitely Becca's BFF:)

Becca and Hanna are definitely partners in crime.
If one does something, the other is not far behind.

I so desperately tried to get a picture of them together, but this was as good as it got.
They are too busy to sit still for a picture.

Last Tuesday we decided to go to a Music & Movement class at the library.
While it was a chance to get out of the house and interact with other Mommies & babies, it was a little too 'calm' for my active girl.
They wanted us to cuddle them and hold them above our heads! Ha!
My girl weighs 25 1/2 pounds - I didn't sign up for a Mommy workout!
Thank goodness Hanna & her Mommy met us there!

Becca mostly ran around the room, but she was very excited when they broke out the bells!She had a lot of fun with this.

I like the idea of music class, but I think next time we'll try the 18 month - 3 year class.

On Friday of last week, Hanna invited Becca over to play in her pool.
These girls had a lot fun cooling off on that hot day - and I enjoyed the adult conversation:)

This week Hanna's mommy had to be in class all week, so we made plans for Claire to come over to play.
These two had so much fun splashing in the pool!

Becca calls her 'Laire'!

This sweet angel is Caroline - Claire's baby sister.
Could you not eat this sweet face?

I got to hold on her and love her yesterday.
It definitely made me miss that tiny stage:)
Not enough to have another one right now, but I did miss it!

And Becca really loves baby Caroline.
She calls her 'Baaay' - pronounced with a really southern accent!

She loves to rock her in her carrier!
She even tried to climb in there with her.
It was so nice to have someone to entertain B - and I really enjoyed getting to talk with Jenn (the mommy of these sweet girls)

This summer has certainly been busy, but we have loved every minute of it! We are looking forward to more play dates with our friends.

They are so much fun, and it helps keep me sane!

love times infinity

2011-06-14T20:56:00.003-04:00

Day 14: someone(s) you love

these two are the absolute reason i live and breathe.
how could you not love them?

2011-06-13T22:43:00.002-04:00

Day 13: something that reminds you of your childhood

when i think back to my childhood, few things brought me such pleasure as a garden hose with ice cold water.

sun flare

2011-06-12T21:39:00.000-04:00

Day 12

now i lay me down to sleep

2011-06-11T22:55:00.002-04:00

Day 11: Silhouette

thanks to my sweet friend for helping me out with this picture.
it took quite a few shots, but we finally got it:)

open/close

2011-06-11T00:28:00.003-04:00

Day 10: Animal(s)

my sweet dogs jack and grace.
who since becca has been born, have been seriously neglected.
well, at least neglected in their opinion:)

FRUIT-ful

2011-06-09T23:06:00.002-04:00

Day 9 - fresh fruit

so again, i forgot until 9:00 tonight about the photo challenge.
good thing today's challenge was fresh fruit.
and good thing i was at publix at 9:00 tonight.
great produce section filled with lots of different fruits.
i chose to take pictures of persimmons, kiwi, and avocados.
dare to be different, right?

and now it's time to say - goodnight

2011-06-08T21:31:00.002-04:00

Day 8: Sunset

Ok, so obviously I need to explain!
We had church tonight and then hung around to talk with friends, so needless to say, the sun had already set by the time we got home.
So, what does one do who needs a picture of the sun setting?
Why you take a picture of the sunset on tv of course!
And on the Sprout channel, no less:)
So I know I'm reaching, but I at least get creativity points, right?
Hey, at least I'm keeping up with the photo challenge:)

play time

2011-06-07T22:57:00.002-04:00

Day 7: High Angle

this sweet girl was having too much fun playing with her daddy (and her dog) tonight:)

man's best friend

2011-06-06T23:42:00.001-04:00

day 6: books

i love books.
i love all books.
i really love children's books.
my favorite book is the Bible - really.

yes, please!

2011-06-05T14:26:00.001-04:00

day 5: breakfast

thank goodness i have a husband who gets up and cooks me breakfast. otherwise, this would have been a picture of a banana:)

they're singing a song to remember you by

2011-06-05T00:13:00.002-04:00

day 4 of the 30 day photo challenge:

clouds

this is an illustration from my favorite book to read to becca - On the Night You Were Born

miracle

2011-06-03T23:09:00.003-04:00

day 3: hands

Day 2: Favorite Shoes

2011-06-03T21:49:00.002-04:00

photo challenge

2011-06-01T22:18:00.003-04:00

i L.O.V.E. taking pictures!
in fact, that might be the understatement of the year.
a lot of people (jp and lauren) make fun of me often because i take my camera EVERYWHERE!

i came across this blog challenge on Earth Angel Portraits blog.
it's actually a challenge started by the writer of a feathered nest.
this is right up my alley - and it may even help prompt me to update my own blog more often!
here is this list of the challenge for each day.

today is day 1: self portrait
i really struggled with this one - mainly because i hate being in front of the camera.
i took like 100 pictures until i finally ended up with this one.
i like it because a person's eyes tell you so much about them.
(and it also helps that you can't see my double chin!)

check back tomorrow for day 2 - my favorite shoes:)

goodbyes are never easy

2011-05-26T20:52:00.002-04:00

this sweet angel is lily.

she was one of becca's first friends.
they light up at the sight of each other.

her mommy & daddy both graduated from USC a few weeks ago, and they have moved to arkansas.
while we're very happy for them and their new life, we miss them very much.
church just isn't the same without them.
we love you & miss you lyndsee, ben, and lily!
we pray for you often and wish you all the best.

Judgement Day

2011-05-21T20:34:00.002-04:00

It was a few weeks ago when I first saw a billboard similar to this one.
I must admit, I hadn't heard this 'rumor' that has obviously been circulating for awhile.

The rumor was that Judgement Day was to be today, May 21st, 2011.
This man, Harold Camping, is the one who 'revealed' this fact to the world.
Harold Camping is a man from California who has, for the second time, predicted the end of the world.

I've thought about what I want to say about this atrocity, but I think I'll just share what the Bible has to say.

As for Mr. Camping, the Bible is very clear that there are false teachers.
Matthew 7:15 - 'Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.'
AND
I John 4:1 - 'Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.'

As for Mr. Camping saying the Bible 'guarantees' that today is Judgement day, well, he obviously hasn't read much of the Bible.
I Thessalonians 5:2 - 'For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night.'
* The last time I checked, no one schedules a date for a thief to come!
Mark 13:32-33 - 'But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.'

I could continue, but I think it's very clear just from these 4 verses that there is NO WAY anyone can tell when Jesus will return. I know that there will be a day when Jesus will come back to earth to take the saved home to heaven, but as for the date of when that will happen, we do not know.
Because of this, we must always be ready.
We must live every ~~minute~~ second of every day as if it could be our last here on earth.

I don't know what Mr. Camping will have to say tomorrow, nor do I know what his followers will have to say, but I pray that he will realize the error of his ways and pray for forgiveness. I pray that he will read the Bible and follow the Word of the Lord - not his own ideas.

Let this be a reminder to all of us that there are many wolves in sheep's clothing that are out to corrupt us. Be mindful of this for we are NEVER to follow a person - only our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

2011-05-17T20:41:00.001-04:00

you are my sunshine

my only sunshine

you make me happy

when skies are gray

you’ll never know dear

how much I love you

please don’t take

my sunshine

away

thank you jennifer for capturing such beautiful moments of our sweet angel!

Blogalicious

2011-05-07T19:48:00.001-04:00

Again?

Yes, this sweet girl has once again been featured on a blog, other than mine.

Jennifer, aka MckMama, took Becca’s first birthday pictures back in April, and much to my surprise, she shared a few of them on her blog Wednesday night.

If you’d like to see them for yourself, you can check them out here.

We L.O.V.E. the few we’ve seen and can’t wait to see the rest!

Houston, we have a walker!

2011-05-06T06:59:00.003-04:00

the big oh-one

2011-05-03T22:30:00.006-04:00

Did you know?
It happened, and this momma survived!
What you might ask!
Well, this sweet girl turned ONE!

And if you ask, she'll even show you!

I'm not sure where this baby went!

Was she ever really this tiny?

It really all happened too fast!
Everyone said it would, but I didn't understand it until I lived it.
Don't get me wrong - we LOVE the age she's at now.
She is so much fun, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss my tiny baby.
The one who would sleep in my arms and let me kiss on her as much as I wanted.
The one who stayed in one place for more than 2 seconds.
The one who let me change her diaper and get her dressed.

Now, I have this sweet girl.
The one who absolutely melts my heart.
She amazes me everyday!
Here is what she has been up to:
* she weighed 23 lbs 8oz at her 12 month well visit
* she was 29.5 inches tall
* she is off formula & breastmilk - only drinking whole milk & water
* she eats all 'big people' food - and I mean ALL
* her favorite foods are bananas, peas, cheese, & yogurt
* she smiles & laughs constantly
* she can out crawl anybody
* she's not walking, but it will be anyday now!
* she LOVES her books
* her favorite toy is her walker - she pushes it all around the house
* she has quite the vocabulary - dada, jack, whats that, bye, nat, tim, ball, book, tass (travis), lala, hayes, hanna, a (for all letters of the alphabet)
* she is wearing 12-18 month clothes
* she is still in a size 4 diaper
* she still has 12 teeth
* she takes 2 naps a day - most days:)
* she goes to bed between 7:30 and 8:30 and sleeps all night;)
I know there's so much more I need to share, but my mind is a blur.
When I think about how much fun this past year has been, it makes me want to do it all over again.
* Don't worry - she doesn't (and won't) have a sibling on the way for a while!

To my sweet angel,
You are my heart. You are my soul. You are my everything. I cannot thank God enough for giving you to us! From the time I was old enough to talk, I knew I wanted to be a mommy. I didn't understand just how amazing this would be, however. You are the most precious gift. I don't deserve you, but I promise I will spend the rest of my life loving you. It is my prayer that you will grow up to be a Christian woman who is kind, loving, accepting, and understanding of others. You have already brought so much joy and happiness to so many - I know this will only continue. Thank you for letting me love you. Thank you for being mine.

Love,
Mommy

creative toys

2011-04-24T22:15:00.001-04:00

the things you do to have a moment of quiet time while trying to get ready!

and when she starts pulling on the cord of the straightener? well, you put her in the bathtub with toys of course!

where oh where did my baby girl go?

2011-04-23T15:37:00.002-04:00

yesterday

2011-04-22T11:38:00.005-04:00

We went to Children's Hospital.
We checked our sweet girl in.

They took us back for her kidney ultrasound, and despite being pain free, she screamed through the entire thing. Thank God it was a short process, and she calmed down once she was back in my arms.

Then THIS!

I knew as soon as I saw it that she was going to be strapped down.

My heart raced.
My heart broke.
I knew my baby was going to be terrified.
We got her changed into her hospital gown.

There's not many things more pitiful than seeing your baby in a hospital gown.

The nurses were wonderful!

They explained exactly what was going to happen, and we were able to stay with Becca the entire time.

We had to wait a few minutes, so we took the opportunity to pray.
To pray for Becca, the doctors and nurses, and to pray for strength & comfort for us.

From start to finish, the VCUG procedure only lasted five minutes.
Relief washed over me when it was complete and I could pick her up.

The physician's assistant was able to tell us immediately that there was no reflux.
Again, another wave of relief.

We got her changed - clothes back on - and after a short snack, we were on our way home.
I prayed again as we walked down the halls toward the parking lot.
I thanked God for my healthy baby.

And then, as we were walking out the front door, we passed a little boy with his parents.
A little boy in his pajamas.
A little boy who had a mask over his face.
A little boy who had only wisps of blonde hair on top of his head.
A little boy who was hooked up to IVs.
A little boy with cancer.

It broke my heart.
I fought back tears.
I felt overwhelmed with guilt.
I thanked God again that we were able to leave that place with the knowledge that our little girl was healthy.

As I layed in bed last night, I couldn't get the image of that little boy out of my head.
How do parents deal with that?
How do they watch their baby fight against a horrible disease?

So, again I prayed.
I prayed for that little boy.
I prayed for the doctors & nurses that treat him.
I prayed for that horrible cancer in his body.
I prayed for his mom and dad.

prayers please

2011-04-20T22:23:00.001-04:00

I’m coming to everyone to ask for prayers.

prayers for becca tomorrow.

prayers for this momma tomorrow.

we will be at children’s hospital tomorrow at 12:45 for becca to have two tests run. the first will be a kidney ultrasound, and the second will be the vcug test that i described here.

I know that she will be fine, and that she is too young to remember any of it, but pray that everything goes ok and that the results come back positive.

oh, and if you have a few extra seconds, pray that I make it through it all with very few tears!

life lessons from a first year mom

2011-04-19T21:22:00.001-04:00

wow!

a year already.

it’s still surreal that i’m a mom. i know that in time that will pass. i remember having the same feeling when we first got married.

one of my biggest fears in becoming a new mom was breastfeeding. i was determined to nurse, as long as becca was getting what she needed. i knew it would be hard and i knew it would be a big commitment, but i felt prepared to do this.

jp totally supported this decision, and was willing to do what he could to help me in any way, but it really came down to me. I decided to commit to six months and then go from there.

i remember when they first brought becca to me in the recovery room (jp had told them i wanted to nurse as soon as possible because the sooner you nurse after delivery, the better your chances are to continue) i suddenly realized i had NO IDEA what I was doing.

the sweet nurse helped me, and we were very blessed that becca latched right on. she acted like she knew exactly what to do – i’m glad one of us did!

from that moment on, we had total success.

someone once told me that if i could just make it through the first two weeks, then i would be fine. this was very true advice. the first two weeks are a little on the painful side – even though the lactation consultants say nursing should never be painful. once we got past that, it was smooth sailing.

now, even though I was the only one able to feed her, jp was very helpful. if i was very tired, i would wake to feed becca, and then he would change her & get her back to sleep. i would not have been successful without him and his support.

now, i know that nursing is not always easy. even though it worked out for becca and i, it was a H.U.G.E. commitment. for the first few months, i couldn’t be away from her for more than a few hours. after that, i had more freedom, but I just had to make sure if I left the house, I had my pump and all fifty million parts that go with it:) then there was pumping and work. at first, I was pumping three times a day. luckily, my schedule worked out for the most part – i just pumped during my planning period and at lunch. it eventually just became a part of my daily routine.

now, i must say that when the time came to put the pump away, i was NOT sad.

not even a little bit!

i was able to nurse for a year. we had to supplement with some formula the last month and a half, but i still nursed in the morning and at night. I loved this time with becca. it was our time, and i wouldn’t trade it for the world.

this was the last time I nursed her, and while it was a little bittersweet, she was ready to give it up, and i was ok with that.

mamarazzi

2011-04-16T12:47:00.001-04:00

so anyone who knows me, or who reads my blog, knows that I L.O.V.E. to take pictures.

i take my camera everywhere because you never know when you might need it.

i catch slack about this from certain people who shall remain unnamed, but it doesn’t deter me.

I am always ready with my camera – it doesn’t matter what anyone says!

if only

2011-04-13T23:05:00.001-04:00

if only I had known then

how much I would love you now!

happy birthday punky doodle!

happy 1st birthday sweet girl

2011-04-13T07:03:00.001-04:00

So, I guess the day’s here! it’s my baby’s 1st birthday!

happy birthday angel. we love you more than you’ll ever know.

have your cake & eat it too

2011-04-11T21:58:00.001-04:00

We had a VERY busy weekend filled with a photo shoot, a quick overnight trip to Charlotte, a visit with Yaya, and of course, the birthday party.

It started Thursday night when we headed to Charlotte – we had Becca’s 1st birthday pictures taken there early Friday morning.

This was B’s first time in a hotel, and while she struggled to go to sleep, once she did, she slept all night.

We woke up early the next morning to make sure we were on time for our pictures that began at 8:40. We arrived at Independence Park at 8:20, but found that Jennifer, aka MckMama, was running late – good thing it was her and not us. When she arrived at the park at 9:00, we struggled to locate her in the park. Why you ask. Well, that would be because we were at the WRONG park! Yes, somehow, someway, I got confused on the location. By the time we got to the right park, Freedom Park, it was 9:25 – there was only about 15 minutes left in our hour long session. I was frustrated, overwhelmed, and very sad because I had been so looking forward to this. The only thing I was able to do was cry. Thank goodness Jennifer is so wonderful! She had already explained our situation to the next family (who was already there) and she went to try to salvage what was left of our time. Becca was great, and so was Jennifer, so even though we only had about half an hour, I feel confident that we got some great shots! As soon as I get them, I’ll be sure to post them:)

Yay! We got to meet MckMama!

After leaving Charlotte, we stopped by my Grandma’s house so she could spend some time with Becca.

Becca loves her Yaya, and her Yaya loves her!

These are some of the world’s best kisses – I know from personal experience.

We came home Friday afternoon, and our day continued the same. Everything I did, touched, or looked at turned into a disaster. After messing up her smash cake and then the Oreo pops, I decided it was time to call it a day.

* Note: The reason her smash cake didn’t turn out was because I forgot to add the butter. I realized this the next morning when JP found it (the butter) in the microwave!

Saturday was such an exciting day. I spent A LOT of time planning, shopping, and making things for this day. Even though I didn’t get everything done, it turned out great!

It was such a pretty day. We spent a lot of time playing outside!

This sweet little girl looks (& acts) just like her Momma!

Real men drive pink cars!

We tried so hard to get a picture of the 3 of us, but this little girl wanted to do anything BUT sit still long enough for a picture.

Then, it was cake time! I’m pretty sure this was HER favorite part of the day!

Is anyone shocked that she liked her cake so much?

After that mess, we had to take a bath & change clothes, and then it was present time. Becca got so many wonderful gifts. Our friends and family were more than generous! She is one lucky little girl.

Of course we have to stop & clap for everyone:)

And how does a one year old say thank you? Why, she blows kisses of course!

Miss Addison loved sitting in the swing. In fact, that’s where she sat to play. She even tried to strap herself in!

Kisses for the birthday girl!

Love from her Lala!

I so wanted to get a picture of these two girls together, but it was way past nap time. Addison still tried to give Becca some love.

Last picture before nap time – B & Lily:)

We took a LONG nap, and then we got up and played with all of our new stuff!

It was finally bath time, but that wasn’t the end to our playing because she got some great new toys for the bathtub! They were too much fun.

This was one exhausted little girl – happy and blessed, but tired!

2500

2011-04-09T22:16:00.002-04:00

JP and I are watching a show on TLC about sex in America.
They just showed a statistic that says that 2500 TEENS get pregnant in America everyday.
Let me repeat that for you: 2500 TEENS get pregnant in the US E.V.E.R.Y.D.A.Y. That is unbelievable!
And to top it off, it costs the American tax payers 9 billion dollars a year.
WOW!
My jaw is on the ground. How has this happened?

The show is blaming the school system - Of course! It's always the schools' fault. Their stance is that public schools wait until 9th grade to teach kids about sex, and by that point, it is too late.
I do agree with one part of that - waiting to talk to your child about sex until they are in 9th grade is a mistake.
Children need to hear the FACTS about sex way before that point, but they also need to hear that sex is an act that takes place between two married people.

Now, before I have people attacking me for saying that 'sex is for married people,' please let me explain. I did not always make the right choices in my life. In fact, before I became a Christian (almost 3 years ago), I made A LOT of choices that were not right. But I can no longer dwell on that. I made the decision to accept Christ as my Lord & Savior, I was baptized, and my sins were washed away - that is still hard to totally grasp! What an amazing gift I was given.

Anyways, back to my original topic - the out of control teen pregnancy/sex thing. I DO NOT feel that it is the public schools' responsibility to teach children about sex.
PARENTS - WAKE UP!!!!!
WE need to educate our children about sex, AND how important it is to wait until they are married to have sex!
It's no different than how we teach our kids to clean their rooms, or say please and thank you, or be kind & respectful to others.
It's a part of being a parent!

Another side being taken on the show is that churches are wrong for teaching abstinence. Several teens are saying that they feel their churches should have a program in place that teaches about safe sex. It should teach them about their options. Again, my jaw is on the ground.
Saying that is like saying that churches should not teach monogamy in a marriage. Instead, they should just teach safe sex when you cheat on your spouse.
OR, that churches should not teach about forgiveness. Instead, just teach how to be safe when you take revenge and/or kill a person who has wronged you.
OR, that churches should not teach about being honest. Instead, they should just teach you how to be safe when you committ robbery.
The Bible is very clear on these topics.
There is no room for discussion.
You can live your life one of two ways:
THE RIGHT WAY or the wrong way.

olympic gold medalist in the making

2011-04-02T22:25:00.003-04:00

I know that many of you are confused by this title. And you will be even more confused when I tell you that I am the gold medalist in the making. My 'sport' isn't part of the Olympics YET, but I plan to share my ideas with the Olympic committee for the upcoming 2012 summer Olympics.
Does anyone know if they are open to suggestions?
Anyways, as a new mom, I've learned many new skills. Because some of these skills take a lot of practice AND cause me to break a sweat, I feel that it is only fair that they be classified as a sport.
And since they are a sport, they should be a part of the Olympics. I mean if ~~ping pong~~ table tennis is a part of the Olympics, then my new sports should be added, no questions asked!
* No disrespect meant to table tennis players*

So, do you want to know what my new 'sports' are?
Drum roll please!

Sport 1: Diaper Changing of a mobile child
AND
Sport 2: Snot sucking of a mobile child

Winners would be determined by whoever completes them the fastest and with the most accuracy.
All babies used in the contests will be required to be very mobile and very active - over the age of nine months.
Disclaimer: No babies will be harmed in the participation of these sports.

So what do you think?
Any takers?
I'm just warning you that I am a master at both sports, and I fully plan to take gold in both events.
London 2012 here I come!

a different kind of dance

2011-04-01T20:50:00.003-04:00

so, becca has added a new word to her vocabulary! make sure you turn up your volume so you can hear what she has to say!

i'm pretty sure she's a genius:)

is an ear infection too much to ask for?

2011-03-31T20:47:00.001-04:00

So, I was mistaken when I posted Monday that the Stomach bug had struck our house again. I assumed it was the stomach bug since Becca threw up, but come to find out, I was wrong. Tuesday she was fine and even went back to Nat’s, but early Wednesday morning she woke up screaming and was running a temperature of 103. I called the doctor, and we went in for our appointment at 11:15. Dr. G came in and did her examination, but couldn’t ‘see’ anything wrong, so she wanted to run some tests. First, we did a strep test and that came back negative. The next test was to see if Becca had a UTI, and just in case you don’t know, the only way to test for this is by getting a sterile urine sample. What does that mean for an 11 month old? Being catheterized!!!

This was horrible. I was not emotionally or mentally prepared for this, and my sweet girl certainly didn’t enjoy it either. The nurse was wonderful and it was over in less than a minute, but Becca was so upset. I got her calmed down and fed her a snack while we waited on the results.

When Dr. G came back in, I could tell immediately that something was wrong. She started by telling me that Becca did in fact have a UTI. She then went on to explain what ALL we have to do now.

First, we had to get a rocephin shot – two actually because they had to break the dosage into two shots. One in each thigh:( Then, as long as her fever went away (which it did) we could start on oral antibiotics today.

That didn’t seem so bad, but I wasn’t prepared for what she had to say next. Because of her age and the fact that she has a UTI, we now have to have tests run at Children’s Hospital to make sure she doesn’t have VUR - vesicoureteral reflux. In layman’s terms, this is when your urine backs up into your ureter and/or kidneys.

What tests are required to diagnose this? An ultrasound of the kidneys and a VCUG - voiding cystourethrogram. The first test is pretty self explanatory, but the second one, not so much. The VCUG is where they catheterize the baby and then insert dye into their bladder. Once they have done this, they take x-rays to see if the urine is going backwards – back into the kidneys. Just the sound of this horrified me! Dr. G told me not to worry about this yet, but I can’t help it. I’ve been home with Becca the past two days, so I’ve had a lot of time to think about it. I can’t read about it online anymore because the stories are horrific!

Please pray for us and the decisions we’re going to have to make soon. Pray that Becca will be healed by the antibiotics, and that we will make the decisions that are right for her. Pray that I can be strong for her. Just pray!

the stomach bug strikes again

2011-03-28T08:57:00.001-04:00

So, for those of you who don’t know, Becca had the stomach bug for the first time. It was last Friday night, and other than being a little fussy at Elaine’s birthday dinner, she seemed fine. Well, that and she didn’t want to eat any cake – alarm bells should have been going off.

Anyways, we were literally 30 seconds from the house when she started coughing. I turned around to check on her (JP was driving) and she had thrown up EVERYWHERE! Ahhhhh!

We got her home, and I took the car seat apart while she got a bath. She seemed to be feeling better, so we thought maybe something just didn’t settle in her tummy, until she threw up again ALL OVER JP. Obviously this was the stomach bug!

After another bath, throwing up some more, and then another bath, I got into bed with her to try and get some sleep. She slept ok – only waking to throw up a few times. I, of course, was up most of the night because she wouldn’t wake up when she got sick, and I was terrified that she was going to choke.

The next morning, other than a fever, she seemed to be feeling fine. She didn’t really want much to eat, and she slept a lot, but played the rest of the day!

I was glad it was short lived because there is not much more pitiful than watching your baby throw up!

And everything was fine, until we got home from church last night! We eat dinner after church with our Sunday School class, and again, Becca was a little fussy and not wanting to eat, but we attributed that to her being overly tired. She fell asleep in the car on the way home, so we tried to move her inside without waking her up. As soon as we got to the kitchen, she sat up and again, threw up all over JP.

Are you noticing a pattern here?

I put her in the bathtub while JP cleaned up the kitchen. I then tried to lay down with her, but she wanted to play, so I ended up putting her in her bed. She went right to sleep, so I was hopeful that we might get a good nights sleep. Ha! Wishful thinking!

She was up around midnight, and while she never threw up again, she was very restless. I’m assuming her tummy was hurting because it was like she couldn’t get comfortable. I ended up putting her in the bed with us and she went back to sleep. She tossed and turned most of the night, and by 3:00 AM she was running a fever. I ended up holding her a lot of the time – which was fine by me!

I’m staying home with her today, and so far, so good. I’m pretty sure she’s still running a little fever, but right now she’s playing, so I’m hoping we’re on the mend.

Here are some pictures I’ve taken over the past few weeks just in case you’ve forgotten what she looks like!

Here she is showing off one her new skills – standing and clapping!

Don’t you wish you were this talented?

My happy, happy girl!

want out?

2011-03-23T12:40:00.002-04:00

yesterday, i was going through the mail, and i found one of those val-pak envelopes.
you know the one - they're blue and filled with a bunch of worthless coupons and ads.
anyways, i always go through them in hopes of finding an 'out of this world' coupon that is going to save me a million dollars on something i don't need!
as i was quickly flipping through, one of them in particular caught my eye. at the top it said:
Want Out?
i, like i'm sure you just did, thought 'want out of what?'
the answer as i found by reading the next line: your marriage.
yes, you ~~heard~~ read me right!
it was a company advertising their services to help you get out of your marriage.
WHAT?

disclaimer: i am a christian who has very strong beliefs about marriage. if you don't, please don't read any further as i am likely to offend you.

i was shocked!
i was speechless!
i was immediately talking out loud to myself because i was simply appalled.
maybe this is what is wrong with our society - offers to help you get divorced are now being delivered right to your mailbox.

does anyone take their marriage vows seriously anymore?
you promised to love, honor, and cherish your spouse (not love, live with, and divorce them) - IN FRONT OF GOD AND ALL OF THOSE WITNESSES!
how can you break a promise you made before God?
how would you feel if God broke His promises to you?

marriage is serious stuff. it's not a decision to be made lightly.
if you find yourself miserable in your marriage, DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!

the more and more i look around, the more and more i find people who just get tired of it all.
well, duh! of coarse you are tired. marriage is extremely hard work. i would be concerned if you weren't tired. when you get tired of work or your family or your dog, you don't just get rid of them - you work it out. you find a way to be happy again!

for those of you who don't know, i am married to quite possibly the most wonderful man on the face of this earth (seriously), but do you think that there aren't days where i ask myself 'why did we get married?'
YES - I DO THAT AND I'M MARRIED TO MR. PERFECT!
even mr. perfect gets on my nerves sometimes, but it doesn't mean we give up.
we talk, argue, yell, whatever we need to do to get our point across, and then we get over it.
if i'm not living up to his expectations then he tells me, and providing it's a reasonable expectation, i make the necessary changes, as does he.

and since i'm very clearly not the authority on marriage, let's see what the authority - the Bible - has to say about divorce!
IT very clearly says that when two people are married, they become one flesh and they are not to be separated by man.
IT also says that other than adultery, two people are not to divorce. if they do and remarry, then they are committing adultery.
And, if you'd like to read it for yourself, here are some of the scriptures:
Matthew 19:3-9
Mark 10:2-12
Luke 16:18

i am not perfect.
i am not without sin.
i am guilty, just like the rest of the world, however, i do my best to live my life by the word of God and in His word, are commands for how WE are all to live.
and they are just that, commands.
not suggestions.
not opinions.

it saddens me that so many people water down the Bible in order to make it fit their lifestyle.
that's not how it works, folks!
remember that our time here on earth is short compared to the time we will spend in eternity - our decisions we make now determine heaven or hell.

i really don't want to leave this post on a bad note.
i'm not judging people who are divorced, or who are getting divorced, i am just sharing my knowledge, my beliefs, my Father!

Dancing Queen

2011-03-21T21:48:00.002-04:00

you can dance, you can jive,
having the time of your life.
see that girl, watch that scene,
diggin' the dancing queen.

ha, i LOVE that song, and when i watch this video, that is exactly what i want to sing.

just in case you needed to learn some new moves!

oh, she makes me smile:)

11 months

2011-03-15T18:02:00.001-04:00

Another month has passed, leaving us with only a month until we hit 1! Where has the time gone? I truly can’t believe that I’m planning my baby’s first birthday party!

We’ve been busy – as usual – but having so much fun! Taking pictures has gotten much more challenging. Oh how I miss the days when I could lay her somewhere and she would still be there when I got back:)

After trying to take several 11 month pictures, we decided to wait and try again after church.

Needless to say, that didn’t work! This little girl is way too busy to sit still & take pictures!

At 11 months, here is what Becca has been up to:

she weighs 22lbs 7 oz
she started on Similac Advanced formula a few weeks ago – she is still breastfeeding, we are just supplementing with formula
she takes 6-8 oz. bottles at a time
she nurses in the morning and at night
she started whole milk this past weekend – only a cup a day (we will gradually increase the amount)
we took paci away – she’s done great. You would never know she had one.
she eats everything we give her STILL!
her favorite meat is ham or turkey & chicken nuggets
peas & sweet potatoes are her favorite vegetables
she only eats oatmeal cereal at breakfast now
we just moved up to a size 4 diaper
she is wearing 12 month clothes
she takes all of her bows out of her hair & that drives this mommy crazy
she has 3 new words: bye, Hanna, & ball
she only takes 1 afternoon nap when she’s home, but still takes a little 45 minute cat nap in the morning at Nat’s
she can stand without holding on to anything
she blows kisses – in her own way:)
she is currently cutting 4, yes FOUR, new teeth! She already has her upper & lower central incisors, her upper lateral incisors, her left lower incisor, and her left upper first molar. She is currently cutting her right lower incisor and her other three first molars. WOW! She has a mouth full of teeth:)

she still goes to bed around 7:30
she is back to sleeping through the night!!!
she is very happy, but full of attitude! I’m hoping this is a phase because I’m pretty sure I was told I wouldn't have to deal with this until she was 13?!

She LOVES her books (and the occasional pack of markers she finds because Mommy forgets to put them up, out of her reach!)

Bath time is so much fun – even though I end up totally soaked!

These sweet babies love playing together!

We’re going to have so many blackmail pictures of them:)

A few weeks ago, we went to Jefferson, Georgia to celebrate JP’s Uncle Denny’s birthday! Becca had so much fun playing with all of her second cousins!

Kennedy & Brock (2 year old twins) and Kenzie (10 years old) are Genna’s sweet children.

Juliana (the redhead) is also 2 and will be a big sister in just a few short months to baby brother Eric! She is Rachel’s daughter.

I didn’t take nearly enough pictures, but we all had a great time. We stayed with Genna & her family which was so nice because she had everything we needed (ie. pack n play, high chair, food) AND her house was clean & baby proof!

Sweet Brock!

‘Big’ cousins Juliana & Kennedy feeding Becca her bottle! They were so sweet!

We can’t wait to go back & play!

These last 2 pictures are random pictures I ‘ve taken in the past week. I thought I would add them for your viewing pleasure!

Becca may follow in her Lala’s footsteps!

And this, well, this is what you call bedhead! She had literally JUST woken up, but was so happy!

Until next month! Please pray that I can keep it together when I have to say that my baby is 1!

it's the most wonderful time...

2011-03-10T06:34:00.001-05:00

of the day!

We L.O.V.E. bath time!
Can you tell?

Answered Prayers

2011-03-08T19:54:00.002-05:00

So, for anybody reading this for a 'Becca update,' you'll have to check in another night.
Tonight I want to talk about my experience with prayer.

I've always said my prayers - from the time I was little and recited the:
Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
You know the one.

But as I've gotten older, and more importantly as my relationship with God has grown, my prayers have changed.
These days I find myself praying for more specific things, and I also find myself praying more often.

Before I understood how prayer worked, I always wondered why God didn't answer every ones prayers. I mean there have been plenty of times I've prayed for things that I didn't get while others around me got everything they wanted - and then some. I think we've all done that.
But it wasn't until a few years ago when I heard a sermon about how prayers are answered that I truly understood prayer.
God ALWAYS answers our prayers - it's just not always the answer we want.
We are never alone.
We are never without HIM.
And we must always remember that HE is in control of our lives.

With all of this being said, I had a bit of an 'Aha' moment tonight.
The past 24 hours have been very trying for me.
Nothing major - it's just more of the 'how many more things can go wrong?' type thing.
For instance I seem to be surrounded by every person in the Irmo/Columbia who CANNOT drive.
Or I find out that people I have considered friends are really anything but that.
I also deal with 22 ten and eleven year olds on a daily basis. That in itself, while rewarding, is extremely challenging some days:)

Anyways, back to my 'moment.'
Due to all of these situations, I've prayed for patience A LOT in the past week or so.
(It seems that I run out of them faster and faster each day - sometimes not even making it past 8:00 AM.)
Well, while driving home tonight from an event that isn't actually until tomorrow night, I found myself having a bit of a pity party. I mean, why me?
I'm good.
I go to church 3 times a week.
I say my prayers.
I tithe.
I participate in extra curricular activities at church.
I teach a children's bible study.
Pretty good resume, right?
So why isn't God rewarding me for all of this? (or at least making things a little easier)

And then it hit me like a ton of bricks!
I've been praying for patience, so how does God help me learn patience?
Well, he puts me in situations where I need patience.
It's so simple, so why did it take me so long to see this?
He IS answering my prayers.
He's giving me exactly what HE sees that I need.

Then after coming to that realization, I had another realization that just because I'm doing all of these 'great' things at church, that doesn't make me any better than anyone else walking the face of this earth. God loves me just as much as He loves everyone else. We are all His children, and He doesn't show favoritism.

Wow! Sometimes it's all so simple, but we have a tendency to make it so hard.
Everything we need to know is written down for us, in the Bible.
Romans 12:9-12 is on behaving like a Christian.
It says:
'Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another;
not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;
rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer.

So tomorrow when one of my fellow Columbians (is that a word?) cuts me off at malfunction junction, I am going to take that opportunity to thank God for answering my prayers.

One year ago..

2011-03-05T06:44:00.008-05:00

A year ago today, we were getting ready to go to Wee See for another ultrasound. I was 33 weeks pregnant, and we were beyond excited to see what our little girl looked like.
This is what we saw:

Sweet chubby cheeks with delicious lips:)

A silly baby!

A thumb sucker?

A little bit of attitude?

A happy, happy girl!

A angel sent to us from God!

We love our sweet girl.

It's hard to believe we've had her with us for almost a year now!

Where has the time gone?

confession of a new mom - #3

2011-03-01T19:14:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since I've done one of these, but don't think that it's been a while since I've learned something new about being a mom. Those lessons are daily, and sometimes hourly.

Tonight as I was giving Becca a bath, she began splashing water.
Now, this isn't the first time she's done this. She has been splashing for a while, but nothing like this. This was like a tsunami in the bathtub. You know the kind where you end up just as wet as she is?
My first instinct was to stop her. Correct her and tell her no.
But as I watched her, I couldn't help but smile.
She was having so much fun!
The look on her face was priceless.
Then I began questioning myself - why would I stop her?
The only answer I could come up with is because you're just not supposed to splash in the bathtub.
I started weighing the pros and cons. She was playing, having fun, and not hurting anything or anyone. The only con, if you can call it that, is that she was getting some water on the floor.
I decided at that moment that while some people may think this behavior is totally inappropriate, I don't think there's anything wrong with it.
It took me an extra 5 seconds (literally) to dry up the water on the floor.

I think sometimes we get so caught up in constantly telling our children no, that we forget to let them be children.
Now don't get me wrong. I don't want Becca to grow up and be some unruly child that no one can stand to be around, but I highly doubt that by allowing her to splash and play in the tub, she is headed down the road to prison.

So my lesson for myself is to really think about discipline. Don't enforce rules just because it's the thing to do. Think and make decisions for my family - ones that allow us to be safe, respectful, and happy!

ashes

2011-02-22T20:27:00.001-05:00

Today, this is what remains.

A single footprint helps tell the story.

On Saturday, this was the view from our front porch.

And this was the view from our back porch.

That day started off great. I went & got a massage, went and ran some errands, & then came home to clean before picking Becca up from my mom’s.

I was in the living room getting ready to vacuum when I noticed A LOT of smoke. I ran to the back porch and saw our old house surrounded by smoke & flames.

My heart dropped because I thought the house was on fire and I knew Travis was in there – sleeping. I grabbed my cell phone on the way out the door. I frantically called Travis’ phone while running over to see what was going on.

The first thing I saw when I reached his stairs was smoke and flames all in the woods. It appeared that his house was on fire, so I began panicking even more because he wasn’t picking up his phone.

Our neighbor was in our yard, using a hose to try & stop the fire. I was screaming for Travis for what seemed like forever. Once the wind shifted and I realized his house wasn’t on fire I ran upstairs and beat on his door frantically.

He finally came to the door and was shocked. I was screaming (still) and smoke was quickly filling his house. He grabbed his shoes and ran out. He took the hose from the neighbor and began wetting the ground beside the house in hopes of keeping the fire from making it to the house. Another man (who turned out to be a good Samaritan) was asking me for another hose. I directed him to the front yard and immediately called 911.

I’m glad those calls aren’t public because I can only imagine what I sounded like. Anyways, they had already received the call and the fire department was on the way. As I watched the fire shoot through the woods in both directions, I was in shock. I knew I needed to do something, but what? I ran to the garage, saw this cooler, and began filling it with water from our outside sink. I ran back towards the fire with all intentions of throwing it into the trees, when I realized how much that was NOT going to help.

I realize now just how stupid this idea was, but when you are panicking, you aren’t always rational

The fire continued burning, and Travis continued doing what he could to try to keep it from spreading.

The fire department finally arrived…

and then several other trucks arrived as well.

Did I mention how our road is right in between a set of railroad tracks and the interstate, so there is no public water. And no public water means no fire hydrants. Yes my friends, we have no access to fire hydrants!

But that’s ok because these wonderful trucks each carry between 1,000 to 1,500 gallons of water – plenty of water for our small forest fire.

Once the firefighters arrived, it didn’t take them long to get the fire under control.

These were two of the first firefighters to respond – they were so nice!

And here is all that is left of Travis’s firefighting attempts!

We are very blessed that we had so little damage. The old house will need some siding replaced…

but thank goodness most of the fire was contained in the woods.

JP will need a new wheelbarrow,

the tires on the S.S. Minnow will have to be replaced,

and we’ll have to find a new tree to hang Becca’s rope swing in,

but we are counting our blessings.

Our landscape looks very different now

but when we look at just how close we came to losing the house, we can’t help but be thankful.

So, wondering how the fire started? That abovementioned neighbor who was helping put out the fire – well he had decided to burn some boxes that afternoon. Not the best idea on a windy day.

And for those of you who are asking yourself where JP was – at the hunt club, of course. This WOULD happen when I’m home by myself. He raced back when he got the call, but pulled up right as the last fire truck was leaving. He was just thankful that no one was hurt – and that our house was still standing

the way you look tonight

2011-02-17T20:04:00.010-05:00

saturday was a big day for this little girl!
it began with a nap that afternoon.
this is what you call good sleep.

then we got all dressed up!

complete with jewelry!

gg was there

and so was uncle travis:)

we were a little nervous about taking becca to the wedding ceremony, but since we knew there would be several other kids there, we decided it would be ok.

she made it through the first 5 minutes of the wedding, and then jp had to take her out because she was getting restless.

fortunately, the ceremony was fairly short, so we could head over to the reception.

this little girl enjoyed sampling all of the food - surprise, surprise:)

here daddy was feeding her strawberries.

and the verdict?

she loved it!

here she is clapping for herself!

and what could have made this night more fun?

nat was there!
this little girl sure does love her:)

L.O.V.E.

2011-02-15T19:29:00.019-05:00

this valentine's day was so special.
i mean, what better valentine than this sweet girl?

we started the morning off with becca opening her gift from us.

she had a lot of fun with the card...

and tissue paper:)

she had lots of goodies in her bag.

she got new spoons, pacis, pajamas,

and her favorite

a new book!

we sure do love our little valentine:)

becca is definitely spoiled because we weren't the only ones who got her a valentines day present.

nat also got all of her babies a balloon & present.

becca had puffs, a stuffed monkey, and a new bowl in her gift bag.

but obviously she loved the balloon the best!

not long after we got home, uncle travis came over and took becca outside to ride in her wagon.

can you tell how much fun she was having?

but the fun didn't end there.

grandmomma came over to bring becca yet another valentine's gift.
again, she LOVED the card!

look at all of the music she can make now:)

THEN, gg came over to give becca another valentines gift!

this little girl surely is ~~rotten~~ blessed!

gg gave her a new book, some socks, spoons, and the best of all -

her monkey balloons!

it's amazing the new feelings of love you experience when you become a parent.

we certainly have another reason to celebrate the day!

i am very blessed to have the best husband and daughter in the world.

wishing everyone lots of LOVE!

double digits

2011-02-13T20:40:00.007-05:00

10 months!
can you believe it?
we're in the double digits.

here is what becca has been up to:
* she weighs 22lbs
* she is still only drinking breast milk - i'm praying we can continue
* she takes 5 - 6 oz. bottles during the day
* she eats anything you give her - including beef & chicken
* she is still in a size 3 diaper
* she is wearing 9 - 12 month clothes
* she is down to 2 naps a day
* she goes to bed between 7:00 & 7:30
* she has been waking up at night for the past few weeks:(
* she is still only saying 3 words - Jack, Dada, & Mama
* she can wave bye
* she can crawl
* she can clap
* she can walk while holding onto her push toys
* she went to her first wedding yesterday
* she is still the happiest baby
* she has 6 teeth, but i'm pretty sure 2 more are about to pop through
* we got her first pair of 'real' shoes from Goody 2 Shoes & she wears a 3 1/2 wide

she is ~~talking~~ babbling a lot more

this is her new 'trick' - we've got to work on being more lady like:)

standing is our new 'thing'

we hope you enjoyed our update!

see you next month!

not really because we all know I'll post more pictures of her before then, but it sounded good:)

live, laugh, cupcake?

2011-02-10T19:39:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, my cousin Kerri celebrated her birthday. Kerri is currently living in England, so we couldn't celebrate with her.
But we certainly didn't forget her special day!
We had cupcakes, and this little girl L.O.V.E.D. them:)

I can't wait to see her with her 1st birthday cake!