My Amazeing Journey

the last christmas pics

2012-01-16T08:21:00.000-08:00

ok, as i've been looking through my pictures i have found some that i never posted

first up is christmas day at grandma sherrill's house

grandma sherrill is 90 yeas old and now lives in a nursing home

she fell and broke her hip last february and was not able to recover enough to live without assistance

it is so heartbreaking to see her in a nursing home, but it was our only choice

however, she is able to leave the home for a day and my uncle has been really good about bringing her to her own house every week or two

we all met up at her house on christmas day so she could see everyone

she's gone down a lot and has lost a lot of weight this year

sometimes she talks about things that don't make sense, but most of the time she is very coherent and knows what is going on

for example, she knows these kids are nothing but trouble! ha!

she will see them (mostly mine) misbehave and make some comment about disciplining (spanking) her!

i looked so bad on christmas day (note to self: start wearing makeup and getting dressed up for holidays)

sometimes i just love to not have to deal with make up and hair

but, clearly those days are over!

these 3 are trouble for sure! (molly-3, maddie-5, eddie-4)

then, a few days after christmas uncle jeff (who is really my 2nd cousin, but molly calls him uncle) came and brought her presents

uncle jeff buys the best presents!

first up was this cool lava lamp to put in her bedroom

she thinks this is cool beans for sure!

next up were two outfits from janie and jack

ok, i love browsing this store but this mama can't afford to shop there

so i loved the clothes a lot more than molly (of course)

even the boxes were adorable!!!

total cuteness!

and he bought her another beautiful dress i didn't get a picture of

what was molly most interested in?

uncle jeff's ipad!

it's so funny, with a few instructions she was busy for the night

she's now a pro at angry birds

i have no idea how to do any of it!

i have no i pad or i phone or smart phone

i don't even text!

really!

so thanks uncle jeff! we loved visiting with you and your ipad!

ride 'em cowgirl

2012-01-15T20:34:00.000-08:00

it's been too long since my last post

but it seems so hard to find the time to keep my blog updated as often as i'd like

i have so much to say and so many pictures waiting to be posted!

molly has been enjoying her horsey given to her by our neighbors

these pics are blurry, but i loved the expressions

this was after we stayed in our pj's all day and watch home alone

she thought it was funny and kept saying, "what's going to happen next?"

tomorrow we are going to see beauty and the beast in 3d

this is her favorite movie and we're both looking forward to seeing it on the big screen

backing up a bit...christmas eve

2011-12-27T12:38:00.000-08:00

the week before christmas came and went so quickly and i never posted about anything

molly and i were busy beavers in the kitchen that week...

she cooked

and i cooked

my little assistant

her new favorite hiding spot...

under the sink

we made cookies for santa on christmas eve

my favorite thing to do...read cookbooks and cooking magazines to plan holiday celebrations!

on christmas eve we dressed up and went to our church's christmas eve service at 3:30

this outfit is a size 18-24 month and i stuffed her into the tights

i just wanted her to wear it for one more year!

we met up with the cousins at church

granny maze went with us

sorry, i cut eddie's head off here, but it was a bit chaotic!

molly and madison

we came home and got in our christmas jammies

molly checked the chimney for santa

aunt nancy read twas the night before christmas to her

we put out cookies, but i forgot to take a picture

this is the note santa left for molly on christmas morning

molly was so tired from a full day that she went right to sleep

unfortunately i forgot to put a pull up on her and she woke up at midnight with a wet bed

she was half asleep so she didn't think to check on the toys

i love the house on christmas eve after santa comes

it's so magical!

molly loves playing with all of her toys from christmas

today we have stayed in our pj's, watched movies, and played all day:)
after christmas bliss!!

walking down memory lane

2011-12-25T18:33:00.000-08:00

we continued the fun tradition started by our neighbor, aunt nancy last year

she came over on christmas eve to read twas the night before christmas to molly

(molly wore the same green gown this year)

another dress we could wear again
love that!

and this adorable outfit could barely fit
but, i made it work for christmas eve

Christmas Decor and Fashion

2011-12-25T18:01:00.000-08:00

i'm about to start the removal of all things christmas

and it's kind of sad:(

but, after 5 weeks i'm kind of read to get things cleaned up and back to "normal" around here too

so, before the mass cleaning begins i thought i'd take a look back and make sure i captured all of our christmas spirit appropriately

the tree was so pretty this year

we slid it in the corner for the first time and it found it's rightful place

i love reach detail of the tree and every ornament that hangs on it

they each have a story to tell

i love the freedom of decorating for christmas in mostly pink decorations:)

this year i brought in sprigs of live evergreen so it smelled like christmas even though i have an artificial tree

for the first time this year i put lights and decorations outside
molly loved it:)

i loved the constant glow of the christmas tree inside

this year molly was a little more into our elf on the shelf
she originally named him "ted" on day 1, but then just resorted to calling him elf on the shelf each day
we'll wait to name him in a few years maybe
he's really a sneaky guy and gets into lots of stuff, but i didn't take a picture each day

and finally, just for my memory i have to include her wardrobe pictures
she had lots of adorable casual outfits, but i mainly took pictures of her dresses
i love having a girl!!

it's christmas day

2011-12-25T16:41:00.000-08:00

we started our christmas day by having a little devotion together, reading the christmas story

this will become a yearly tradition

we've been reading from her toddler bibles a lot lately and she enjoyed listening to the story of Jesus' birth once again today

i want to emphasize the true reason we celebrate is because of Jesus and not just Santa before we opened presents

with so much hoopla this month, it's easy for the big celebrations to overshadow the true intention of the holiday

after our reading and prayer we went into the living room to see if santa had come

she literally gasped when she walked in, she was so excited!

just as last year, she got so focused on playing with things as she discovered them that she forgot their were more presents to unwrap!

these little kitchen toys...mixer, coffee maker, and scale were a huge hit!

they are adorable and she probably played with them for about 20 minutes before she every realized she had stepped over the new trains and train track on the floor

mom bought her a smaller train track and thomas set for an early christmas gift and she loved it!

santa brought this (target brand) figure 8 track with a "hill"

she loved playing with it a long time too!

her new train from the thomas line is the "rosie" battery operated train

some of the others are just off brands that fit the tracks and some thomas trains she already had

after some play, she looked over to realize santa had eaten the cookies and drank all of the milk she left for him

he also left a note for her

we quickly went outside to see if the reindeer had eaten their carrots and they had!

magic was in the air!!

stocking fun!

after about an hour, she finally spotted the box she thought may be her belle doll

she was right!

she loved her kissing simba & nala set!

they are so cute!

she got an elefun game

she had fun re-doing belle's hair with her new princess hair accessory kit!

this was a miniature lion king set

don't all kids love playing with tiny items??

she mixed in her lion king characters with her new set of wild animals

she really loves role playing with them!

it was a truly wonderful Christmas morning

mom came over and enjoyed some breakfast snacks with me while we watched molly open presents

we were able to relax and take our time all morning together

it took her about 3 hours to open everything just because she stopped and played with everything as she opened it

i remember that from last year too and tried to scale it back this year because it just doesn't take a lot to make a little one happy on christmas morning

but, as the season went on i seemed to keep adding things to her list

it's so hard to practice restraint!!!!

now we are getting ready for an early bedtime in order to have a good nights sleep before tomorrow morning when we will have breakfast and gifts with eddie and his family!

the madness continues!!1

Merry Christmas

2011-12-23T11:09:00.000-08:00

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas with your loved ones!

Molly and I have enjoyed a fun pre-Christmas week and are looking forward to what the big guy leaves under our tree in a few days!

I'll be back after Christmas to share all of her goodies soon!

Let the countdown begin...

Christmas at Opryland

2011-12-17T17:57:00.000-08:00

today we all went to the Opryland Hotel to see all of the decorations and sites

we were really bravin' it with all 3 kids together

but, they did really well considering the crowd and lots of walking!

we attempted picture after picture but as you can imagine

there were too many distractions for them to really focus

they did look so cute in their christmas best!!

such little cutie pies:)

after these first pictures we lost molly's headband:(

it always happens!

i told molly to cross her legs...and she did

i meant more to cross her feet, but it was hilarious!

this was the holly jolly town square

they had it set up like the 1940's with a drugstore, post office, bakery, library, etc.

they all rode the train!

then we took a snack break and listened to the music and entertainment

and this singer asked for madison to come to the stage to show everyone her dress

but, madison was too scared/shy

but you know who wasn't so shy...

ms. molly!

it was so funny

she walked right up there and was ready to perform

i think she is especially intrigued with microphones b/c she always wants to sing into them

she also loves keyboards/pianos/guitars

after a while she turned around and picked up an extra microphone and totally started singing 'santa claus is coming to town' while the lady played the piano for her

it was so funny! i could not believe she did that!

when we got home we saw a HUGE SURPRISE on our front porch!

our neighbors are in the midst of moving and decided to pass on their radio flyer pony to molly

she was so excited!

she had played on it at their house this summer

so she knew exactly what to do

she's been riding the pony all afternoon

so thankful for a two week break to enjoy this holiday season!!

cute dresses and the nutcracker

2011-12-11T15:56:00.001-08:00

i love this little smocked rudolph dress

and the cutie pie in it! ha!

the red tights and the red shoes are so festive!

this is another cutie pie dress from last year

love it!

i love this red coat too!

yesterday molly and i went to the nutcracker

we were running late, so i couldn't get a good picture of her little plaid dress

but, it is adorable!

she wanted her picture with the bear

but, when she was actually face to face she wasn't so sure!

she was so good at the performance

completely taken away with the dancers, costumes, music, and drama of it all

she kept saying..."what's going to happen next?"

her hat looked so cute, but she wouldn't pose for me

she fell asleep at the end of the performance...missing the last 10 minutes of it all

when we came home we changed into "comfy clothes" and i gave her an early christmas gift

i debated over whether to get a nutcracker or a snow globe to remember her first nutcracker performace

i settled on this snow globe from target that has the ballerina inside and plays the nutcracker suite

it also has the year on the front

i hope she doesn't break it!

we made and decorated some cookies and watched christmas movies for the rest of the night

it was so fun and relaxing!

Christmas decor

2011-12-11T15:20:00.001-08:00

thanks to aunt judy i had 6 wreaths to hang on my windows this year for the holidays

i bought the pre-tied red bows and tied them on with floral wire

i hung them with the clear suctions cup thingies you can buy at any store

they haven't come off in two weeks, so i think we are good

it's hard to get a good pic of my full house b/c i'm shooting with a 35mm lens

(my other lens broke)

but, i put outside lights up for the first time this year

not on my house, just the trees/bushes in front

perhaps, next year i'll add house lights:)

i do want two more wreathes for the dormer windows...and a tall ladder to climb on

another year

i love the lighted swag i bought last year from qvc (of all places!)

it lights up on a timer w/ batteries

would love to find a similar product for my window wreaths so they could light up too!

i bought rudolph and frosty on clearance after the new year at target

they were less than $10...so cute!

i do have a tree skirt...i think molly was playing with it

i added live greenery inside the house to smell like christmas a bit

just realized there is no photo of my hearth:(

i will have to take one this week

i love this end of the house...to see the tree glow from inside

christmas fun!

2011-12-03T13:54:00.001-08:00

molly and i went to see the radio city christmas spectacular at the grand ole opry earlier today

i knew molly would be enthralled with santa and the dancers

and she totally was...the entire time her eyes were glued to the stage

of course, she was decked out in one of her christmas dresses...red tights, red shoes, and red flower headband!

totally adorable!

she wasn't much for posing and smiling for me today

but, i still wanted to capture the moment for future memories

we also have been waking up to see where our elf, "ted", has found himself each morninig

he's a tricky little elf...always making a mess or getting in trouble when her returns from his north pole visit

so thankful for my little 'helper' this season!

thanksgiving day recap

2011-11-24T17:39:00.001-08:00

we had a wonderful thanksgiving day!

we started by watching all of the macy's parade in our pj's while we snacked on a light breakfast

molly started to check out the christmas decor that i put out yesterday

mama maze gave her this thomas train track & train as an early christmas present this week

we put the track around the christmas tree and she has played and played with it!

isn't it amazing what a new toy will do?

of course some of the trains end up in odd places...like hanging from the blinds!

after the parade, we gathered up our food, got dressed, and went to my aunt fayes for lunch

our family tradition...we always have homemade noodles and a german chocolate cake made from scratch!

delicious!

kayla and molly (6 months apart in age)

aunt faye had the cutest turkey butter on the table!

all the kids...

kayla (3), eddie (4), molly (3), madison (5)

they ran around and played the whole time and didn't eat one bite!

we played one quick game of 'pin the hat on the turkey'

{mental note: plan more kid activities for next year}

when we were ready to leave all the kids were hungry and asking for food! ha!

round 1 down, round 2 tomorrow:)

thankful for this day and wishing for a hundred more just like it:)

2011-11-23T18:30:00.001-08:00

i've enjoyed having this whole week of thanksgiving off

quite unexpectedly, molly was sick last weekend and needed monday and tuesday to recover

i wanted her to be 100% healthy by thanksgiving when we would be busy visiting and playing with cousins

she has recuperated from her cough/fever/cold symptoms and is ready for the big day tomorrow!

here we are whipping up some great things for the big day...

last night we had the pleasure of hosting madison for the night

it was so fun!

today gave me one of those rare glimpses of my future if i had two daughters

and i must say, i love it!
i just loved how they played so well together, invented games to play, and problem solved things together
sure, they created a huge mess in my house, but that's just part of it
we cooked, played, crafted, dressed up, and ate yummy food!

{i'd love to adopt again, but i really don't see it in my financial future:(}

this morning we had some thanksgiving craft time...

i forgot to get an after picture of their turkey hands:(

madison is such a consientious crafter
this is what they made: {thanks to pinterest}

madison made about 6 turkey cookies and molly just ate the middle parts of 6 cookies and watched maddie work! ha!

madison made a his and her turkey couple!

this is the inspirations photo:

the remnants of molly's snack

and my favorite! as soon as madison left, molly was completely zonked out, exhausted! this is what we all will look like tomorrow night!

while they played all afternoon i got my house almost completely decorated for christmas! (of course, they trashed the bedrooms and my closet which will have to be cleaned, but they had such fun!) i have a few finishing touches her and there and then i have lots to do outside. but, it looks like i may be finished with everything by saturday! i love it when things are done and you can enjoy the month of december! i even have santa's presents purchased, wrapped, and put away. i scaled way back this year because i realized last year on christmas morning she was just too overwhelmed to "comprehend" too many presents. so, she has 4 gifts plus stocking treats and that is plenty for a 3 year old!

anyway, i hope you have a wonderful turkey day and

gobble 'til you wobble!

Stationery card

2011-11-19T13:43:00.001-08:00

Telling You Why Christmas Card

Design your Christmas cards at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

christmas is in the air

2011-11-19T13:24:00.001-08:00

i couldn't wait much longer, i had to go ahead and start my decorating last weekend!

i have to do it in phases

molly was a big help

here she is showing you her "china ornament"

a tree skirt will come later

we were able to get one tree up and all of the clutter cleared for the rest of the decor after thanksgiving

this has become my favorite "fall" outfit

a short skirt of her short legs is just oh so cute!

i have most of my christmas shopping done and wrapped:) yeah!

my christmas cards are ordered:

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

now i'm ready for some good christmas movies on lifetime and the hallmark channel!

Santa Claus is coming to town!!

2011-11-14T04:00:00.000-08:00

this weekend molly and i welcomed santa claus to town

along with the rockettes

he made his big debut at our local mall and it was so fun to be a part of the celebration!

they performed a short version of their fabulous dance

and then the big guy came to the stage

we followed the parade to the picture area and lucky for me...once we got there

the camera/computer were not working

so i was able to take an unlimited amount of pictures with my own camera

(so much better than paying the $20 for one of their shots:))

this one was my favorite because his eyes are so dramatic as if he's really listening to her!

she is telling him she wants a 'belle that talks'

he was such a pretty santa too!

these are some shots taken while we were waiting for the show...

this outfit is so cute! santa is on her hiney!

all of the kids were dancing here and she stood in the back with her hands on her hips!

after our morning at the mall we went to visit grandma sherrill at the nursing home and passed by a little shop that had mr. and mrs clause there...so of course we had to stop by:)

molly moved from the good list to the naughty list here b/c she looked right at mrs. claus and said, "i don't like her"...i could have died!! mrs. claus said she might be getting a stocking of coal for christmas! ha!

thankful

2011-11-13T04:00:00.000-08:00

i have so much to be thankful for during this season of thanksgiving

i am reminded that i live in plenty and not in want

i am reminded that i have everything as others have nothing

i am reminded that God answers prayers abundantly and never ignores your desires

i am reminded of the never ending joy that overflows from a 3 year old

i am reminded of all of the things i take for granted on a daily basis

i am reminded of this sweet one's face each morning as she kisses me good morning

thankful .beyond. words

halloween switch witch

2011-11-12T16:02:00.001-08:00

this year i told molly the story of the halloween "switch witch"

have you ever heard of it?

i told her that the halloween switch witch lives on the dark side of the moon

she only eats candy, lots and lots of candy

she comes to earth once a year, the week after halloween, because she knows all the girls and boys have lots of candy

(some people do halloween night, i gave her a week to eat a piece of candy each night...we still had tons left!)

so on monday night (one week after halloween) we put all of our leftover candy in a bowl on the front porch

along with the switch witch sign so she would know to stop at our house

the switch witch will "switch" out all of your candy for a small toy overnight

so while molly was sleeping, the switch witch came and left a wrapped toy in place of all of that candy!

the first thing the next morning, molly ran outside eager to see what the switch witch had left for her

she was happy to find a cinderella barbie!

Thanks switch witch!!

we have leaves!

2011-11-06T05:19:00.000-08:00

we raked leaves for the first time this season today

nancy came over and actually did half the work for me, blowing leaves while i took pictures

i love my neighbors!!

this is our super cute neighbor, kegan!

he is in Kindergarten and Molly loves to play with him:)

throwing leaves is so fun!!

and, when it was all said and done, we had 5 bags of leaves

not too bad for a days work

i'm slowly repacking my halloween decorations to make room for my thanksgiving stuff

this mantle stays the same for the entire fall season

i won the 'give thanks' banner from Kelly's giveaway

She has a very cute blog, so hop over and check her out when you have time

i ordered this super cute photo as a canvas from canvas prints

if you like them on facebook, they will send you a 50% off coupon code

it was the perfect addition to this little space in my "foyer"

that picture is probably one of my favorites of ms. molly

and finally, the halloween stuff is out of the dining room to make room for thanksgiving

only a few more weeks and we'll be adding christmas to the mix

Halloween 2011

2011-11-02T17:03:00.000-07:00

halloween is quickly becoming my favorite night of the year

from choosing a costume to planning a party menu

i love it all!

the day before halloween we wore "molly mouse" and visited both grandmas and aunt judy

i loved this costume for this year and it did turn out so cute!

i bought it for $5 at goodwill:)

for halloween night she wanted to be barney

aunt judy gave her this costume and it was perfect!

the gang all showed up for food and trick or treating around 6pm

eddie, molly, and maddie

cutest kids ever...but, i am so biased:)

aunt ambre and maddie matched

let the trick or treating begin

we have the perfect neighborhood/street for little ones to trick or treat

this year they ran from house to house

totally excited to ring the doorbell or knock on each door!

molly wasted no time digging into the chocolate

mama maze was feeling kind of ill tonight :)

barney-stein

it was a great evening and i can't wait to see what it looks like next year!

enjoying fall and thoughts on adoption

2011-10-30T17:52:00.000-07:00

we had a fun weekend being out and about

enjoying the wonderful fall season

we started out early saturday morning to speak at an adoption meeting being held close to our home

fall in my town

2011-10-30T07:44:00.000-07:00

the beauty in and around me is breathtaking

it reminds me of how creative and imaginative my God is

i snapped this quickly through the car window as i was out driving on saturday

i just couldn't let the moment pass as i noticed the quilt of fall colors beside me

the yellows, golds, reds, and oranges are amazing!

perfection

i hope you take a moment this week to notice the beauty around you:)

fall break

2011-10-23T16:09:00.000-07:00

it's been a great week off with my lit' pumpkin

i have a lot to post along with many cute pictures

but, for now i am soaking up a few more hours before my crazy week starts back

trying to brace myself for a few weeks of long days ahead 'til thanksgiving break

then a few more until christmas break

it goes by so fast!

krispy kreme

2011-10-17T12:57:00.000-07:00

we had another good day at church sunday (yeah!)

and so she asked to stop by the donut store

i'm starting a terrible habit...but they are oh so good!!

llama llama

2011-10-17T12:48:00.000-07:00

this weekend we visited the southern festival of books

it was a beautiful weekend and the festival was all outdoors

our favorite character, llama llama was having a birthday party!

we LOVE llama llama and had so much fun meeting him:)

a new day

2011-10-14T03:52:00.000-07:00

to encourage you today...

but let my true messengers faithfully proclaim my every word...jeremiah 23:28

now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say...2Thessalonians 2:17-17

what joy for those whose strength comes from the Lord...psalm 84:5

for the Lord God is our sun and our shield

he gave us grace and glory

the Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right

o Lord of Heaven's Armies, what joy for those who trust in you...psalm 84:11-12

amen

cute giveaway

2011-10-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

i've been looking for a cute banner to complete my fireplace

this is a cute one and maybe you can win it

go here for details

Disney on Ice

2011-10-08T20:16:00.000-07:00

we had a very fun-packed saturday!

we started out the day enjoying disney on ice

i was really looking forward to seeing molly's reaction to seeing all of the princesses

and she was super enthralled with it all from beginning to end!

she sat in her seat the whole time mesmerized by the show

we didn't even get up during the intermission

(my pictures all seem overexposed

and the ones inside the arena are really on the wrong settings:(

i need to learn to use the appropriate settings asap)

this was really funny...on our way to the arena i was snapping pictures of ms. priss

and a homeless woman offered to take our picture

i reluctantly agreed, and right when i handed her my camera i thought she is going to run off! ha!

she kept backing up with it, but thank goodness she didn't run off

i was just thinking...she will be able to out run me and i have pictures on there that are not loaded onto my computer just yet!

of course, she followed us a couple blocks asking for $

but, she was harmless

i have been looking for this dress for a few years! ha!

i first saw it on a blog, probably 5 years ago

the little girl was at disney world

and it was just so simple and adorable

i was so happy when i found it on ebay a few months ago in molly's size!

it is the fairy tale line of mulberry street

molly has the cinderella and snow white dress

i really want to take her to disney before she outgrows these dresses

it's shallow, i know:)

in nashville, we have our own star walk!

i was disappointed they didn't have the real characters out for pictures before the show

i guess they want you to make a trip to the actual DW for that!

i ordered our tickets during the presale this summer

and was able to get 2 tickets on the first row

we had great seats!

we sat right beside sheryl crow, scott hamilton, and one of the guys in rascal flatts

totally cool!

we also sat next to the adoption attorney who finalized molly's re adoption here at home which was really fun

she had her son there and as we talked, she said you seem really familiar

(we had only met once 5 years ago at the beginning of the process, the re adoption was all done through mail)

so, after we chatted we connected the dots!

the best part was at the end of the show when all of the skaters came out together

molly (and the other kids) was able to walk right up to the edge of the ice and shake their hands

when she saw belle up close, she was so amazed!

we were too close to take pictures and it was all so fast

i was just enjoying the moment

that's when i mentally booked our trip to DW! ha!

after the show, we took in all of downtown nashville

it was such a beautiful day!

molly was totally into all of the street performers throughout the city!

(for out of towners--there are singers literally on every corner of downtown nashville! and they are usually good:))

and we took a carriage ride (horse and buggy) around downtown to end the afternoon

(yes, molly insists on wearing her glasses upside down)

what a really great saturday with my girl!!

my little school girl

2011-10-08T17:28:00.000-07:00

i put this little gymboree outfit together thanks to goodwill and consignment

i bought the knee socks at target this season

and thought they were so cute

she looks so grown!

sunday school update

2011-10-04T04:00:00.000-07:00

well, we gave sunday school another round this weekend

and, i'm proud to say that it went better

it was still a rocky start ( i left her screaming and crying)

but, i came back to find her having a snack with her friends (no tear in sight)

after about 30 minutes of being upset, she finally bonded with her teacher, ms. debbie!

praise Jesus!

so, i really am keeping my fingers crossed this will last for next week too.

we stopped to take some celebratory pictures at a nearby park after church

it's just so pretty!

she was SO proud of herself today!

and i am glad she was able to bond with a "stranger" for the first time

pumpkin patch

2011-10-03T04:00:00.000-07:00

we had a beautiful fall weekend so molly and i headed out saturday morning for a local pumpkin patch

she had a great time!

this is the same one we went to last year

we shopped for the perfect pumpkins first

the sea of orange is just so beautiful:)

and after shopping we went to visit the farm animals...

she loved the train ride through the fields

and, the tunnel slide

playing in the corn stall

these pigs were cracking me up!

all huddled together under the heat lamp!

and the yummy finale...a funnel cake:)

later that night we went out to eat and she wore this cute outfit

i just had to share it, even though she is not cooperating

it was so cute on!

toddlers and tiaras?

2011-10-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

do these pictures make you think of this horrible tlc show?

saturday night i wanted to experiement a little with molly's hair, but didn't have the correct curlers

so i brought out my huge velcro rollers from some time ago when i had longer hair

she was so hilarious! once i started rolling her hair up i couldn't stop:)

it made me think of that show

(which i have watched out of sheer amazement and boredom at times)

molly has perfect hair

a bit bouncy, but not curly

smooth and shiny and it does not tangle easily

it will hold curl nicely

so once i get the proper rollers we will do this more often

and maybe she can sleep in them.

i have vivid memories of my mom rolling my hair on saturday night for church the next day

do you remember the pink spongy rollers that you would sleep in?

(or am i the only one?)

mom and i would be in the bathroom screaming (her) and crying (me)

all for beauty

and in the meantime eddie and my dad would be watching a football game and laughing at us!

anyways...next time i curl her hair i will take after pictures:)

thriving at three

2011-09-29T20:15:00.000-07:00

molly has been testing the waters at three years old!

she's been refusing naps at daycare

the aforementioned "it-itis"

generally rude at times (telling me to "go away")

but, then again the next minute she'll be curious, cute, and sweet

i'm praying that all of the goodness of her character overtakes the...not so good

and so we've been talking more and more about Jesus, prayer, and church! (ha!)

when we first arrived back from china over a year ago i knew she wasn't ready to stay in the sunday school class for her age group or the nursery during worship

she just needed time for the 3 A's

adjust, adapt, and attach

by now, she's definitely attached

and i'm not sure she'll ever detach!

we started back to the church where i had been going pre-china

and i've tried to leave her in her sunday school class

but she screamed and threw a big fit!

i ended up staying with her for one hour

i left for a quick 15 minutes and came back to her moping and wheeping around

(although not hysterical, but not happy)

when i asked her why she was crying

she said, "i was crying b/c i lost my mommy"

and my heart melted

on monday morning she said...i don't want to go to my new sunday school for big girls today

i just want to go to my "mama maze" school! ha!!

i've been trying to pump her up all week for this sunday again

she is not biting at all

she shakes her head and says she doesn't want to go and wants to stay home!

but, we'll keep trying b/c i know she has to get used to staying with someone besides me and mom

bless her heart...

growing up is hard to do:(

but, if she doesn't catch on after a few weeks

we'll step back and continue to go to church together

(where she just goes and sits with me in worship)

but, i'm not going to give in so quickly

i'm not too worried about it b/c i know there will be a day all too soon when she will no longer be satisfied with just us

she will have friends, parties, youth groups, vbs, camps, outings, and so much more

these are the simple times

just let me revel in it for a moment:)

tonight

2011-09-25T15:39:00.000-07:00

molly singing her debut song #2

"tonight"

stuck like glue

2011-09-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

molly's favorite song

stuck like glue, by sugarland

watch out jennifer nettles!

Yea Sewanee's Right

2011-09-25T12:06:00.000-07:00

we had a beautiful autumn weekend in middle Tennessee!

saturday morning we packed up the whole family and headed to sewanee, tn

to tailgate and watch the football game with the kids

sewannee is home to the university of the south, which is eddie's alma mater

he was there from 1990-1994 and played football

we enjoyed tailgating and watching him play for 4 years

the memories are definitely a highlight for our whole family

my grandparents, parents, and i would drive down and unpack the most delicious picnic lunches

homemade by my granny:)

we would watch the game and then walk around the campus, visit the guys, and come back home

during that time i was in high school

and immensely enjoyed my weekends decked out in purple (the university color)

and traveling to ~~meet all of his cute fellow football players~~ see the games

this is a HUGE advantage to having an older brother

who plays football

i had 8 years (4 years of High School and 4 of college)

surrounded by some really cute and nice older guys!

thrill!

but, back to the story...

if you Google "the most beautiful college campuses" in America

the university of the south will be at the top of the list every time

literally

Sewanee sits between nashville and chattanooga

on top of a beautiful mountain surrounded by lakes, caves, and gorgeous scenery

all of the buildings have goth-styled architecture

which makes it seem like you have just entered Europe

if you live in the south you need to take a family trip sometime and experience it for yourself

especially in the fall

simply gorgeous!

the kids loved the school mascot, the tiger!

watching for the football team

as you might guess, the kids didn't stay for much of the game! ha!

mom and i took them for a walk around campus

which made for a very quiet drive home:)

even the newer building have the same feel as the oldest ones

i told the kids this was the castle in beauty and the beast

so when we walked inside they had to tiptoe and be quiet

it worked!

the most famous building on campus is all saints chapel

it is simply gorgeous!

since we were in church, i told them they had to pray:)

the university is episcopal, however our family is southern baptist

so we are not used to kneeling pads in our churches

but, i took them out and showed the kids what they were for

madison, loved it and went back to ask her dad if he prayed when he was in college

i told her i was quite sure he prayed a lot! ha!!

love this house/building?

all of the students dress up for games

i wish i had taken more pictures of them b/c it is quite a scene

these girls are in simple sun dresses and boots of course

but, some of them really get decked out

the guys are in everything from kilts to shirts & ties

it's quite interesting!

"Yea, Sewanee's Right!" is the school motto and the last line of an old football cheer

triple threat??

2011-09-24T17:04:00.000-07:00

this is molly's bad note from daycare

you know you really have to be "bad" if the daycare owner is your grandmother

and she's the one telling on you

i hope this is a phase!!

as you can see, ms. molly is trying to be a "triple threat" i suppose in her own way

she is doing all the -it's

hit

bit

spit

not a good combination

i want to sincerley apologize to ethan and watson's mom's who may see this on facebook

she loves your boys, she just doesn't know how to show it yet:)

this kind of behavior has not been something she typically does

but it is something she is capable of

so, i'm trying to pray her out of it

really

(the red writing is just something mom wanted to remember to tell me...we've been visiting my grandma in the nursing home and molly calls it a hospital. so i guess she correlated hospital to sickness during some conversation. who knows??)

your birthmother

2011-09-19T20:06:00.000-07:00

i always stop and think of your birth mother around your birthday

i know she must be thinking of you too

three years ago she made a heart wrenching decision

one i can't understand

but, i am so thankful for

her heartbreak brought my heart great joy

and i hope and pray she feels some kind of peace today

it's a strange place to feel like you are eternally in debt to someone you've never met and will never meet

part of me wants to hug her, invite her over for sweet tea, and tell her about how great you are

and the bigger part of me is so grateful for the ocean that separates us

and so, i will just pray for her

and raise you with a strong sense of self

to teach you the unconditional love of Jesus

and i know you will grow up to do remarkable things in your life

you will live a life she would be proud of

and i'm already proud of

now at 3 years old

36 months of life

you have been with me longer than you were in the orphanage

and, i am thankful for that huge milestone

that you've known my touch longer than the months of loneliness

that you've known my voice longer than the silence

you've known our family longer than your crib mates

and now, you know you are loved

abundantly loved

Happy Birthday Molly!!!

2011-09-19T04:00:00.000-07:00

"You are the poem I dreamed of writing ..the masterpiece I longed to paint. You are the shining star I reached for in my ever hopeful quest for life fulfilled. You are my child. Now with all things I am blessed!"

Molly-3 years old

Madison- 5.5 years old

Eddie 4 years old

Our cousin, Kayla- 3.5 years old

Our theme this year was "Goldilocks and the 3 Bears"

She loves that story and I thought it would be fun to decorate with elements from the story

My neighbor made the cake and it was SO GOOD!

" Baked Porridge"

Bear Cupcakes

My neighbor also made these chocolate popsicles, yummy!

I collected Goldilocks books, bear decorations, and anything that fit the theme for about 6 months from local Goodwill and Thrift stores (the "vase" holding these flowers is a bear jar)

I made different garlands using pages from one of the books

I ordered plastic bear bottles for the kids to drink juice from

Yummy food...egg salad rolls, fruit and dip, mini quiche, sausage balls, veggie pizza, ham rolls, veggie sticks...I was busy all morning!

While all of the adults started eating, I took the kids on a "Goldilocks hunt" in the front yard. I hid one Golidlocks and lots of cut out bears and 3's cut out from paper. They all got treats after the game.

Kayla, Molly, and Kegan

Aunt Nancy had story time with the kids...they LOVED this!!

look at how intent they are listening/looking:)

she was so happy!!

lots of fun presents! she really loves this Halloween book b/c it makes a scary noise at the end:)

at the end she said "thank you, bye bye" (the bye bye was completely unprompted)

after the party, we lined up w/ balloons and released them

is there anything more fun for kids than to watch a balloon go up in the sky??

they are all showing how old they are w/ their fingers...molly is still working on holding 3 up...it's a bit hard!

and the party was over!

We had a really fun day! Thanks to all of our family and friends for coming to celebrate with us!

Sunday Snapshot

2011-09-18T19:08:00.000-07:00

We had a beautiful fall day today as we relaxed and recovered from Molly's big birthday party!

We pass by this beautiful home almost every day and they have decorated with the best fall decor recently

I made a quick stop to take some photos of Ms. Molly

(didn't think they would mind borrowing their scenery:))

after all, this is officially her last day of being a 2 year old

sniff, sniff:(

molly's birthday week!

2011-09-17T16:12:00.000-07:00

this has been a busy and hectic week as i've been preparing for molly's bday party

now, it's over

the house is clean again

the dishes have been washed and put away (thanks, nancy!)

molly is napping

and i'm enjoying some peace, quiet, and rest

i'm looking through pictures from this week (and have a lot to post:))

but first, i wanted to take a look back

has it really been a whole year since we were celebrating her 2nd birthday??

she wore her birthday dress from last year this week

and here are some comparison shots

you can clearly see the baby-ish look fading

and the little girl shining through

kind of makes me want to cry knowing how fast life happens!

totally not sure what she is doing in the following shots

maybe karate?

dance?

flash mob?

i have lots more to post about

but, i'm going to take advantage of my quiet home, a bad football game, and sunset to take a little siesta!

i will have much more soon...

thomas the train

2011-09-10T18:55:00.000-07:00

molly's birthday is one week away

today we began the celebration by going to see thomas the train

she sported her birthday girl tshirt

and posed a little for mom:)

we had a 20 minute ride on the train

taking self portraits

it's so hard getting good pictures of both of us

then we had a long wait in the hot sun just to get a picture in front of thomas

by the time we got to the front she was tired and hot and would not cooperate for a picture:(

this is what she did for the photographer...completely turned around

but, after standing in line for so long she wanted to actually look at thomas

made sense to me!

did you know there is a molly train?

radio flyer

2011-09-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

i saw this cute radio flyer tricycle at a local consignment store and had to have it for molly

it was meant for her third bday

turning 3 justifies a tricycle i think

but i never put it in storage to save for her actual bday

so she started to use it early

i've had it for a while

and didn't know the seat was adjustable

so, once i lowered it molly could actually reach the pedals

and off she went!

we live in the perfect house for us

the perfect street (with the perfect neighbors)

i'm so spoiled:)

but, our little culdesac is the perfect place to practice such skills as riding a tricycle

we've certainly enjoyed practicing this week in the cooler weather

she was really striking a pose for me during this little photo shoot:)

so classic and retro

practicing her silly faces...sad

scared (or surprised?)

thinking

determination

the bell...her favorite part

ta da!

so big!!

last day of summer

2011-09-10T15:40:00.000-07:00

on our last day of summer (labor day weekend)

we enjoyed time outside in the pool before the cool weather came in

one last opportunity for bubbles and bathing suits

outside kitchen play

ms. independent learning to put her sandals on all by herself!

and trying to manage the tricycle which was a little too big for her

loving time outside to stroll her babies

the weather has now cooled down a bit and it feels like fall is coming

this afternoon we are baking cookies and watching football

(and putting final touches together for her 3rd birthday party next week)

time goes so quickly

in trouble

2011-09-05T07:24:00.000-07:00

i knew it was too quiet one afternoon

when it's too quiet there is usually trouble brewing

i went into my room and discovered the evidence...

looks like lipstick on the door

and the wall

i followed the trail

another door

and the counter

and here is the culprit...

in case you wondered!

tears were shed

punishment was given

although i'm not sure how effective time out is when you are taking pictures

i just couldn't help it

because i knew i would want to remind her of this when she is 16 and again when she has children:)

call me weird, but i kind of love these little "signs" she is marking our home up with

it's such a reminder of God's gift to my life

for a long time my home was perfect

mark-less

quiet

and lonely

i don't feel that way anymore!

(but, i hope she doesn't use lipstick on my walls again either!)

Thank you, Jesus for this gift of life!

my pretty princess

2011-09-05T07:08:00.000-07:00

we were all dressed up on our way to a wedding shower

this dress is such a cute party dress

she does this "princess smile"

and sort of sticks her teeth out when she smiles

and it cracks me up!

she is so funny!

pink-ness

2011-09-05T06:58:00.000-07:00

this is one dress i couldn't resist while at shopping this summer

it's just a soft knit, but so cute!

of course i love the color too!

we got the cute pink sandals on clearance at target last week

even though it's the end of the season we had to coordinate this outfit! ha!

i love my crepe myrtle trees

there blooms are pink, light, and frilly

so delicate and beautiful!

what i'm reading...

2011-08-26T17:09:00.000-07:00

i had a long list of books to read this summer

and i'm over halfway finished

time just got away from me

but i wanted to give a quick critique before i forgot about them...

a stolen life, by jaycee dugard was the most disturbing book and the most inspiring book combined

i simply cannot imagine how she lived through what happened to her for 19 years

nor can i imagine what her mother endured

any amount of money she makes from telling her story will not be enough

any amount of money she gets from the police department who failed to go in her abductors backyard over 60 times will not be sufficient

she deserves every amount of happiness she can get out of her life from this moment on

i was sickened by her account of what happened to her

and i was brought to tears at the end as she described calling her mom from the police station

after 19 years of being apart

she's amazing!

i love tina fey! i think she is so funny:)

this book made me laugh a lot

it had lots of colorful language and so if that bothers you i would not recommend it

i guess all comedians think you have to use bad language to be funny

but, her account of her life so far was really funny

an easy and fast read

this is one i'll go back to lots of times

this is a simple way to keep your life well...simple!

very basic, but good

ok, yeah don't laugh! ha!

i'm not really a palin fan, but i don't hate them

i'm just curious about them

and i'm always curious as to how "good christian" girls fall for bad boys and end up pregnant by them!

she is young and has a lot to learn

about everything

but she does have he support of a big family

oh this little book is a real thought provoker

it brought me to tears

the accounts of this little boy about heaven are amazing

i believe it really happened to him

read it and tell me what you think!

who doesn't LOVE ree drummond?????

don't miss her cooking show on the food network premiering saturday morning, 10:30 CST

but seriously, i want her life!

i want to find my cowboy

live on a ranch

cook all day

and have lots of babies

the end!

this is great, i'm in the middle of this

i'll see the movie after i read it

i hear the movie is wonderful too

i'm in the middle of this too

it's everyday practical advice on mothering

very good

i'm just nosey and wanted to read more about her life

she has overcame a lot in her lifetime

(her parents died when she was a young adult and she raised her siblings)

then she went through a very public divorce

this is good, if you like her

of course i had to read this book

i don't think amy chua is half as bad as the media makes her seem

just a strong mom who doesn't fall prey to popular parenting pitfalls

i like her:)

that is all

i usually read the bulk of my books in the summer months

after school starts i'm usually reading teacher books, educational books, or children's books

but i will keep an eye out for books to add to my summer 2012 book list!

have you read any good books lately?

eddie's birthday party

2011-08-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

eddie's party was saturday

it was at a jump house which was so much fun for the kids

here you can see molly about to slide down

and below...as she's sliding

ha!

of course, nobody slowed down enough to get individual pictures

we did try to get a group shot, minus my kid!

she wouldn't cooperate

imagine that!

and then we tried to get a picture of all the great grandkids for granny maze

but, again molly wouldn't cooperate

so amber had to hold her in it!

the 3 girls on the end are samantha, kelsie, and kayla

all three are my (2nd) cousins

and we are not all together very often

eddie's spiderman cake

with a little mishap to the side of it:(

4 years old!!

it was a fun party

can't believe he's 4 years old (or that molly is soon to turn 3)

time flies!

snowcones and the fair

2011-08-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

i'm playing catch up

as usual the beginning of the school year kicked my rear

it seems like it gets more demanding, more time consuming, and more stressful each year

you'd think after 14 years it would be less so

but, with the current state of public education

i think there will be many stressful years of work to come:(

but, we took a quick break before the year began to celebrate little eddie and ambre's bdays

they are both august babies, so we combined the parties and i cooked dinner for everyone

when all 3 kiddos get together it is pure madness

so i didn't get any pictures of the meal or presents

but, we ended the party with snowcones on the front porch

this weekend was the last chance to go to the wilson county fair

this is the best county fair in tennessee

so we tried to cram it in on friday night

along with everyone else, apparently

the traffic was so bad getting there

that i wasn't so sure molly would be up to it

she was already so tired!

and me too!

but once we got her hand stamped

and she met up with her fearless cousins

she got a burst of energy and excitement

they loved the rides

but, really loved petting and feeding the animals

they were several little baby animals and they were so cute!

it was so crowed, it was difficult to get good pictures

we had a great time

and got home very late

but it was worth it!

kissing summer goodbye

2011-08-07T13:00:00.000-07:00

i'm addicted to bathing suits in her size

this is a ridiculous obsession

but, seriously, when you look this cute in a bathing suit how can i resist?
so here is to our collection of bathing suits for summer 2011

i'm officially kissing summer goodbye today

i'm in mourning all day...molly and i have stayed in our pj's and just hung out all day

so long lazy summer days

play time

story time

shopping time

painting and project time

how much i have enjoyed these 8 weeks!

i'm trying to gear myself up for what's to come

new kids, new parents

freshly sharpened pencils

crisp clean notebook paper

new administration

lots of new teachers

it's going to be a different year

and i think i'm almost ready

miss you

2011-08-04T04:21:00.000-07:00

after 8 weeks of being together non stop

i miss this sweet face

but, i think she was glad to be back with her friends at daycare

in-service started for teachers this week

and students come on august 11th

build a bear

2011-08-02T09:04:00.000-07:00

this was everyone's first visit to build a bear

what a fun place!!

mama maze treated all the kids to a stuffed animal of their choice in celebration of:

eddie's 4th bday this week

molly's 3rd bday in september

and madison starting Kindergarten this year!

madison was first to choose a sparkly kitty cat

after stuffing and mending, they had to take a bath

next up, eddie chose a camouflage teddy

pressing the "stuffer" pedal

lastly, molly chose a grey cat to match madison's of course!

madison tried on 3 different outfits for her cat before she decided on one

that is so madison!!

a little fussing, fighting, and pushing took place between these two

they both wanted to push on the pedal

they crack me up together!

eddie will aggravate molly and just giggle, and molly never backs down!

the crew