Twenty Months...

Annabelle,
I can't believe that there are only 4 more months until you turn two! The time with you is just flying by too quickly. You are absolutely the most amazing little girl. This month you have been your most fun and your most challenging! You have kept us on our toes, and we have spent many nights discussing how we should handle certain situations.


You are wearing 2T/3T clothes and size 6 shoes. You have been sleeping great lately - about 11-12 hours at night, and an 1-1.5 hour afternoon nap.

Your favorite things lately..."nano" (your lovey), pretend cooking "rah-roll" (casserole) and "doup" (soup), goldfish crackers, yogurt, books/story time before naps and bed, riding in the big green cart at the grocery store, making laps around the house with your doll stroller, brushing your teeth, bubble baths, snowmen, and the library.

You just love for us to sing to you, and this month you have adored Christmas music. You have especially enjoyed Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls. I have been singing Silent Night to you when we rock each night. You have started to know the actually words to songs, and you sing a lot in the car and bath. Current favorites are Itsy Bitsy Spider, Row Your Boat, and Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes. We got you a set of wooden instruments (like preschool music class things) and you have spent A LOT of time playing the triangle.

You are very determined to test everything that we tell you. Once you see that we are serious, you usually back down...but not always. We have had several instances in the past couple of weeks that have left me feeling outsmarted by a toddler. Tonight I asked you to eat a bite of carrot and a bite of meat before you had your grapes. It was a struggle. Eventually you did, and then as soon as I gave you the grapes, you took the carrot and meat out of your mouth and handed them to me. Awesome.

I know we are going to have many, many more moments of conflict in the coming years. You are a smart, independent little girl with a very determined spirit. I am praying for the ability to handle discipline issues with consistency, patience, and wisdom. I also need to allow myself some a little more grace. I spend hours worrying about what I should have done differently.

You talk all of the time now! I love it! You call yourself "Babelle". At the beginning of the summer, I was feeling a little lonely staying at home all day, and one of my girlfriends said "just wait until she learns to talk"! She was absolutely right! We talk about everything we do and you have the best memory. You respond so much better to new situations when I talk to you about them in advance, and you seem to remember everything we tell you. Right now your favorite thing to say is "this way" (to get us to follow you somewhere).

We were playing on the floor one day last week, and you came over to hug me and said "love you" completely unprompted for the first time ever. It was one of the sweetest moments of my life.

We love you so much!

The Merriest of Christmas Celebrations!

We have had the most wonderful Christmas celebrations! We started off the festivities with a trip to the mountains last weekend for a weekend with my parents, Ellen, and Jimmy. It was so nice to just be together! We opened gifts, ate delicious food, and stayed up way too late playing games. Mom and Dad did so much to make it a fantastic weekend for all of us!

Annabelle loved her Dora backpack!

Not only do I now have a sister, but I also found out that she loves to play Boggle as much as I do! A growing family is such a special thing. The four of us "kids" cleaned up the kitchen after Christmas dinner and made cookies, and it was just a perfect moment to me. I am so excited for many more years of nights like that together.

Annabelle has finally discovered how much she loves her Uncle Jimmy. She had the BEST time playing with him!
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We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas at home this year which I was so excited to do! We went to the family service at church, and then Jesse and I did our Christmas gifts that night. Christmas morning started bright and early with snow! We couldn't believe it! It snowed all day Saturday and a lot on Sunday as well. I could not have imagined a more magical Christmas day.

Last week I read something that I thought was just a beautiful thought on the season. The joyful celebration, decorations, giving of gifts, dining together and time with loved ones on Christmas can serve as a tiny glimpse of the rejoicing and celebration of Heaven. As we begin to try to balance the magic of Christmas (and all that comes with that for children) and the miracle of the birth of Christ, I was just moved by this thought.

After a little mishap in the kitchen, we spent the morning watching Annabelle open and play with some fabulous gifts! Being a parent is amazing everyday, but I never knew how much fun it would be on Christmas morning!


Annabelle was delighted by the entire day!

We celebrated well!

Guess what was the biggest hit of the day?!?

The empty box... of course!We have spent hours playing with and in her "house".

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On Sunday, we spent a little time enjoying the gorgeous snow. The big kids enjoyed it a little bit more than the little one. I should have known...it looked too much like sand!

Hope you all had the merriest of Christmas weekends as well!

Silly Face...

Annabelle has developed such a precious sense of humor, and she loves to make us laugh. Her newest thing is to make this face...

If you ask her if she is silly she will give you this face..raised eyebrows and all. Over the past few days, if she wants our attention, she will say "mama" or "dada" and then make her silly face at us.

I could kiss this face all day.

Nineteen Months!

Annabelle,
You are 19 months old and getting so big!

Words that best describe you these days are: determined, adventurous, silly, playful, bright, talkative, and loving. You approach each day with such delight and enthusiasm. You are ready to go the minute your eyes open each morning, and you rarely stop until nap time. The pictures with this post are just so you...climbing and smiling. You have the sweetest, most joyful spirit!


You are still absolutely crazy about animals. We made another trip to the zoo with Jesse's parents, and you want to read your animal books everyday. You know all of the animal names and love to make their sounds. I know this sounds like I am exaggerating, but you seriously do know an amazing amount of animals...even strange things like geckos, chinchillas, anteaters, toucans.


You wear 2T clothes and size 6 shoes. You have 11 teeth now - including 4 molars. You have had two haircuts by mama in the past 2 months.


You talk so much these days. You have started to understand how to use plural and possessive words. You say the word or name, and then you have a long pause before you say "sssssssss". You have started combining words regularly, and have started saying a few sentences like "baby eat pie". It is absolutely amazing to watch your vocabulary and understanding of words grow!


When you aren't talking, you spend a lot of time shrieking, squealing, and singing. You are a little quieter when it is just the two of us...but when your daddy is home, you two get very loud and silly together. You two have parades around the house with your doll stroller and grocery cart. Daddy sings the Georgia Tech fight song, you wave and say "yay" as you go by, and my heart melts.


What you love right now: playing "fort" with blankets, hiding and playing "peak-boo", Dora the Explorer (with a slight obsession), outside, climbing, swinging, the park, books, coloring, baby dolls (you always have at least 2 nearby at all times), blueberries, milk, waffles, mexican food, anything you can "dip-dip", brushing your teeth, and pretending to cook.


I am having trouble thinking of things that you dislike. You occasionally dislike a certain food randomly, but it is very inconsistent. Also, you do not like having your hair rinsed out after a shampoo.


One of my favorite things you do right now is wanting to say the blessing at meals. You say "may-men" (amen). If we are not at the table yet when you start a meal, you say "mama may-men, dada may-men" until we come hold your hands to pray. I know you don't know what it means yet, but we love that you want to hold our hands and listen so intently as we pray.

Being your mama is the greatest joy of my life.

So thankful!

I am just dropping in to quickly share a couple of pictures and to say how much absolutely thankful I am for my sweet daughter and incredible husband. I am just filled up with love for both of them. We are celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow - so I am not behind! I will be back soon with a 19-month post!

Ellen & Jimmy's Wedding Weekend!

Well, my little brother is married! His sweet bride, Ellen, planned a phenomenal celebration! It was a magnificent destination wedding weekend with fabulous family and friends, amazing weather, delicious food, and beautiful events. It is hard to capture everything into words, so here are some of my favorite pictures from the week.

The beach was perfect!

Reading with Annabelle and Autumn

Enjoying the sunshine!

Rehearsal dinner! This was such a special night. I loved hearing all of the toasts...I even gave my attempt at one through lots of tears. Jimmy and Ellen are dearly loved by all of their friends and family.

All of the men in our family before the groomsmen breakfast - what a handsome group!

These are the doors entering the garden. Ellen made the piece on top that says "I lift my eyes to the hills". This is from Psalm 121, and it was written on the outdoor chapel at the mountain where they were engaged. The pastor incorporated it into the ceremony as well. Special details like this filled the ceremony and reception, making it the most intimate and personal celebration. For me, the most treasured moment was watching my brother see his bride for the first time. It was one of the sweetest, most genuine moments I have ever experienced. It was a beautiful and sacred commitment of their lives to each other in the Lord.

That was followed by some serious dancing and an incredible reception!

Ellen was a gorgeous bride in a beautiful gown.

The bride and groom left the reception tandem-style!