A Belated Birthday Blog......

December is lots of fun for us! Two of my favorite girls have December birthdays & I am way overdue with their birthday blogs. I can't even begin to describe or convey what these 2 ladies mean to me, but here is a shot.

Let's start with my dub......

On December 14, my dub, aka Randi Marie (Matthew's sister) turned 22. Now I know you are wondering what is a dub, she was too the first time I deemed her my dub.... But it's one of those special things that well only dubs share........

When I first met Randi she was just beginning high school had short curly hair and braces.....now she has turned into an abosolutely beautiful young woman. It has been fun to watch her grow up and she has been kind to include us along the way. I love hanging out with Randi because she makes me feel young and kinda cool. She keeps me up to date with the cool music, whats going on at the delta house & most recently the cutest ddd shirt, and just what I need to know. I love that she indulges me. Randi has spent the last 2 summers in Atlanta with us and it has been such a joy to have her around. I love that as the youngest with 3 older brothers she is tough yet she is such a girl! It has been sweet for me to see the way she adores Mary Stewart. Randi, you hold such a special place in our hearts....you are much more than a sister in law, but a sister to me! Happy belated Birthday Dub!!!

Then there is Holly aka Hattie to Mary Stewart.

Holly is my younger sister by 3 years. I know that all siblings have there stages, but I can't really remember a day when I haven't absolutely adored my sister. Matthew thinks our house is a shrine to her (so I have a lot of pics of us.....). I remember in high school having a conversation with a bunch of my friends on how the 2nd sibling is the coolest. I won't mention names, but for most everyone in the group it was true. I remember walking away thinking, that is so true...... The sweet thing about our relationship is that the sibling rivalry doesn't exist. We have never been jealous of the other. I can call her and she totally gets me. I love that our husbands love each other. I love that she too adores Mary Stewart. There is something so sweet as a sister, I think it is because there is a little of each of us in the other. Hollybug we love you! Happy Belated Birthday!

A Visit With Santa!

Mary Stewart wasn't so sure of Santa Clause......



Merry Christmas!

Annie

Last week we lost a part of our family. We had to put Matthew's dog of 8 years to sleep.
Annie was our "yellow dog." She was Heathcliff, when my father in love affectionately referred to the pair (Annie & Maggie) as Gertude & Heathcliff. It seemed as though when she wagged her tail, her whole body wagged. She was a lover of babies. By babies I mean the stuffed animals she carried in her mouth. My mother in love always called Annie an egg sucking dog. I never really understood what that totally meant but I think it has something to do with her sneaky ways. She was a thief, especially when it came to treats! Annie had such a cute personality.



We will miss her. Maggie had never known a day without Annie until Wednesday. There is a sadness in Maggie's eyes, but I do think she is liking her new life as an indoor dog.



There will never be another Annie......

The Daily Grind

I realized it had been awhile since I blogged and I blame it on the daily grind. Life has been busy but uneventful and I am thankful for that.
Mary Stewart has been busy cutting 4, yes FOUR molars!!!! I swear everyday I put my finger in her mouth and there is another tooth. For about a week she has been taking INCREDIBLE (by Mary Stewart standards) naps. Of course today was a short one, but I am hopeful for tomorrow!
This past weekend we put up our tree and there is something so wonderful about sitting in a room with a lit up tree! I am looking forward to this Christmas season.....
Here are a few pictures of Mary Stewart. She is a girl on the go & capturing a picture of her is hard work!


Mary Stewart is still in love with dogs. She is barking at the dog ornament in this picture.
Merry Christmas!

New Mercies Each Morming

I found myself waking up each morning last week asking the Lord for new mercies. Let me catch you up.....
Last Sunday evening the stomach bug hit me! After 13 hours of misery I called my doctor & she admitted me for fluids. Matthew got Mary Stewart ready and our gracious friend Erin (mother of the twin bunny) took her for us. Here I am thankful to be under care!



As the day progressed I was still unable to keep anything down and I developed a fever. It was decided I was spending the night. Matthew went home to hold down the fort with Mary Stewart. The next morning at 5:45 am Matthew calls to tell me he has been up all night & has the bug!!! Thankfully I felt better but was still weak. My sweet friend Kasie came to pick me up & I made it home about 10:30 to take over Mary Stewart duty so Matt could rest. All week we were so puny. Thankfully Mary Stewart didn't get the bug but a terrible cough. I took her in on Friday to be told she was wheezing!!!! We came home with the nebulizer....



Sweet baby has been a trooper & is improving! Needless to say it has been a trying week for us, but I do know this truth.... The Lord grants us new mercies each morning!

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Hippity Hoppity Halloween

Hippity Hoppity Halloween!

This Halloween was so much fun! We spent the weekend with our good friends Ben & Mary Catherine & their sweet daughter Charlotte (who is exactly 3 weeks younger than MS) on their families farm. Farm is an understatement, more like an estate. Maybe Matthew will be a guest blogger about "The Farm." He captured some great shots & I think somewhere there may be video..... something the boys enjoyed capturing Saturday evening.

Back to Halloween. On Saturday evening Mary Catherine and I dressed the girls up and took them into the nearby town for trick or treating. The downtown merchants all stood outside to hand out candy. I must say the girls were precious. They insisted on walking and couldn't wait to grab out of the buckets. Of course Mary Catherine & I were happy to help them eat their candy! Mary Stewart enjoyed her first tootsie roll pop! I was so surprised to see her make it down to the tootsie roll. How many licks does it take?

Sunday we headed back home to Marietta and participated in our neighborhood events. We walked over to a parade with some new friends (so wish I had pictures: the cutest pig and puppy you have ever seen!). Mary Stewart took it all in.... I loved seeing all the sweet neighborhood kids and some of my old students.

Then we quickly jumped in the car and headed a few blocks over so Mary Stewart could join up with her twinkie! My friend Erin picked up matching costumes for Mary Stewart & Helen. They were the most adorable pair of bunnies. Erin gave them pink noses and whiskers too!

By this point Mary Stewart was starting to wear out, but like all good rabbits she nibbled on her carrot. All in all it was a fun Halloween weekend with lots of sweet memories!

Mary Stewart's twin, Helen!

"The Zoo"- Andrew, the zoo keeper; Evan, the ferocious tiger & the bunnies!

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to work we go....

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to work we go......

That's right, Mary Stewart and I are off to work. Well Mary Stewart is playing hooky this week with Ya Ya (my mom) as I get settled into my new role. I was offered the Mothers Morning Out (MMO) Coordinator position at First Presbyterian here in Marietta. It's about as ideal of a job as you can get. It's 30 seconds from our house, Mary Stewart gets to come play (& we all know how she adores children), and it's part time!!!

Yesterday as I entered my first day, I was totally taken under the wings of the 2 ladies I will be working closely with. Today as I was introduced in the church staff meeting, everyone was so warm and welcoming. I am thankful to be in such a wonderful environment.

I know this will be a transition for both Mary Stewart and I, but am excited about the months ahead!

Read more: http://www.mylivesignature.com/mls_wizard2_1.php?sid=54488-89-56475EC3FA1EA919FFD20E1E021D3E93#ixzz0gVY8U8ZP