The princess and the P.....

The Princess......

Sleeping Beauty of course

and the P.....

 Peacock that is.  Do you know how hard it was to capture her being still?  Very Hard.

Love that we live in a small town.  

We strolled over to join in on the neighborhood parade.

Our Crew:

Mary Stewart & Anna Caroline

Hank & Virginia- Mickey & Minnie

Durham & Caroline:  Capt. America & Baby Pumpkin

Karter: Sweet Giraffe

Minnie & Sleeping Beauty enjoyed one anothers company for the parade.

The peacock was quite surprisingly content laid back
 in the wagon.

Lily Kate, Virginia, Mary Stewart

After the parade we headed back home to do a little trick or treating

Captain America showed up to save the day too!

The peacock was right at home, perched in her favorite nest!

& on that note, Shake Your Tail Feather!!!!

This Time Last Week......

This time last week I was settling in after a weekend away. 

It all started with these two.....

John & Matt started playing golf last spring.  A few months ago they began talking about a golf weekend away.

Naturally I was thrilled when they decided to include these two....

It was just about perfect.  I had my friend to do all of my favorite girl things: shopping, afternoon coffee, a great morning run... And then our evenings with the boys!

Enjoying the cool air around the fire pit.  Not the best pictures but certainly a great time.

"The Hound" a resturant in Auburn had been recommended to us & it was delicous.  I HIGHLY reccommend it! Our table took full advantage of their menu: wild game sausage sampler, pimento cheese, hot pepper jelly, gourmet grilled cheese, beet salad, an amazing take on chili, burger out of this world........ (that doesn't really cover it).  Like I said you should try it.

John & Emily live a few blocks from us.  They have two precious little ones, Durham & Caroline.  Emily & I tend to fill our afternoons together when we are "golf widows".  Thankful for the friendships  and looking forward to our next golf trip.  Golf just may become my new favorite sport.......

Happy Wednesday!

Anna Caroline found the shovel & took to the dirt like a pro.  She gets it honestly.  Hope theres a green thumb around there somewhere!

Here's to the beautiful fall weather!

Four Months

Four months.  Usually everything on this blog talks about how fast time is flying, and it is.  Yet somehow Sunday made four months since my dad's accident and in some ways it's been the slowest 4 months of my life.  I debated publishing this blog, or even putting my thoughts down, but I love to look back over old post and remember where we have been.  Sunday Matthew took the girls & headed to Camp D for the night.  It was so nice to have time by myself to accomplish so much but also just to be still and really think.  Crazy enough I hadn't been alone by myself for that length of time since the spring. 

 The sadness comes in waves.  I have yet to feel like I've really grieved.  Sometimes I still wonder if it was all a dream.  There have been so many other distractions the past few months that in some ways I wonder if I have even really processed it.  The other day I had a heart to heart with a very dear person.  She was just saying how she  can see I'm not the same person, that losing my father & all that encompasses it, has changed me.  It was sort of an ahhh moment for me.  Of course. Why would I think walking through the most difficult thing thus far in my short span of life wouldn't affect me.  My prayer is that God would use this as a sharpening & refining season of my life, as HE is.  I know this too is part of a bigger plan.  Even today at bible study I was so thankful for the affirmation he gave me in even something I was struggling with this past week.  Who would have thought Cain & Able could be so pertinent to me today (Don't worry Hattie, I'm not getting any ideas).  It amazes me that though I feel like this "season" of my life is somewhat walking through a valley, God has been kind to give me sweet relationships & His word to guide my hand. Thankful to have had almost 30 years with a wonderful earthly father.  I know not everyone has the joy of having a sweet daddy, & I consider myself blessed for it.

God is faithful and I am curious where He will have us in four months from now.

Oh My Stars.....

Oh My Stars..... I've been saying it a lot lately.  Seems like more & more over the past 6 months.  I wonder if it has any correlation with this Sweet Pea becoming more and more mobile.

Oh my stars she's on the table.  Oh my stars she has climbed out of the high chair.  Oh my stars she has climbed out of the strap in the grocery cart & is standing about to take a dive.  Oh my stars she is so fast.  Oh my stars she is hiding under the bed.  Oh my stars she has a fiery temper.  Oh my stars you are an eater.  Oh my stars you MELT MY HEART.

Anna Caroline loves to be wide open.  Truly.  Give her a field and she is happy to run for days.  

 Clearly she is giving me a run for my money.  I feel like each day she has a new word, today she was carrying around a baby and kept saying "baby, baby" like a little parrot.  She is a great eater & I swear most days she eats more than Mary Stewart.  She is trying to drop the morning nap but somedays needs it.  Anna Caroline tends to be such a content child & still loves our outings in the stroller.  I am thankful she is becoming more snuggly.  At night she will cuddle up with me, lean over give me a kiss, snuggle back up under my chin, lean up and give me a kiss, repeat, repeat.  It's hard to put her in bed on those nights.  We only have 5 teeth and are patiently waiting for the others as this momma is over teething.

Her personality is continuing to be revealed and it's precious!  So different from Mary Stewart.  Anna Caroline, thank you for adding such joy and spice to our lives!

Happy Birthday Mary Stewart

Happy 3rd Birthday Mary Stewart

We are thankful for your sweet & loving nature and the ability you have to make us all feel so loved and special.  It warms my heart to see you love Anna Caroline the way you do.

You certainly are a social butterfly and love all things princess so a princess breakfast was in order.

It is evident you are loved.  We are thankful for our family and friends who continue to pour into you.

Oh how you have taught me so much.  You continue to bring me to my knees for God to grant me the wisdom to love you well, to nurture your spirit, to raise you in home that loves the Lord first, and of course some days it's for extra patience (sadly you get your dramatics from your mother).

My do you love your daddy and boy does he love you.  There certainly is a sweet bond there.  There is something to be said for the way a daddy loves his little girl.  I pray for you both and that bond continues for the years to come.  I know there will be days where a daddy's love will be the one thing that will fix it all.  Very parallel to the way the Father loves us.

You are so fortunate to have such a large extended family that loves you so!  We are thankful that you have been able to know and love your great grandparents.  The saying "It takes a village" is certainly true. You are so blessed to have so many aunts, uncles, grandparents, and "adopted" family to embrace you as you grow.

Thank you Mary Stewart for the privilege of being you mommy.  May I never take it for granted what a blessing and gift you are.

 

Life's a Beach

Oh the beach.  So much happiness wrapped up in one word "beach."  We just got back from a wonderful trip with Matthew's family ( I started writing this a month ago). This trip has been in the works since the spring, but it couldn't have come at a more perfect time.  Thankful that in the Lord's provision he new we needed this trip at the end of the summer.   I have come to the conclusion that September might be my favorite month to visit.  It's not as hot, crowds have gone home and it's just calmer.

The only guaranteed time that all of Matthew's family is together is Christmas morning, and as families grow,  I know that's not always going to be a guarantee either.  It had been since Christmas since we had all been together.  What a great trip.  The house was beautiful, the company amazing, beach was perfect and the food was great too!

Anna Caroline wasn't a fan on the pool.  I think it has something to do with her being contained.  She's a free bird for sure!  The beach suited her perfectly.  She could romp around to her delight.

Mary Stewart loved it all.  Mainly ALL the attention from her aunts and uncles.

I walked away with a couple of things from this beach trip:

1.  I am ready for someone else to start having kids!!!  We need cousins!

2.  If we are going to get Dee Dee out of the kitchen (we all divided up meals, but she didn't listen) we are going to have to tie her up!

3.  I want a house in Watercolor.  Not too much to ask right?

Thank you Pa Pa and Dee Dee for a great trip filled with sweet memories!

* Sadly the only photos I ended up with were from my phone- forgive the quality*