Three P's in a Pod

Lost Pumpkin Pictures...

2012-02-12T16:09:00.001-06:00

Back in November our hard drive went out. Actually, it crashed on our kitchen floor.
We were devastated.

We had four client sets waiting to be edited and all of our personal pictures since August.

Economically, it would have been smarter to give back everyones' money and re-shoot the sessions we lost but my heart was broken for Ileigh's baby pictures and a few weekend trips we had taken.

These in particular. The lost pumpkin pictures. Worth every penny. They are her 9 month pictures

Ileigh's First Birthday!

2012-02-09T19:32:00.001-06:00

*Consider yourself forewarned: tons and tons of photos follow.

We celebrated our little sunshine Sunday. It was a very eventful week/weekend, and a birthday party was a great way to wrap it up! (Get it, wrap-up. HA!)

Lynsey made/decorated the cake. It was perfect. And fabulous. I made the tissue poms- we had a great time laughing and chatting well into the night...

You can't see her pennant banner very well, but just imagine with me...next time I will make better color choices. :)

Didn't she do an awesome job?!? It was so cool and went perfect with our "sunshine" theme!

I love her little banner. Sorry I don't have a better picture, but trust me, it was cute.

Thanks for cutting it out, Heather!

More of the cake!

Ileigh's tie-dyed cake!

Abby, Megan and Morgan...

Mema, Uncle Steve, Abbi, Kaylee and Papa...

Kaci and Robin...

Sheldon and Pey...

My Aunt Tammie and cousin Heather were in town! They are from Florida so we were thrilled that they could join us for the party! And of course, Lynz was there- she had to tell me how to cut that cake!

The most awesome daddy ever. Seriously. And the guy who cooked ALL the food.

Can't get enough of the cake. Also, if you look closely, I made little rainbow crayons for her favors- you know the ones; they are all over pinterest.

Eventually, our little sunshine decided to wake up from her nap and join us. We found out that morning that she had a double ear infection. More on that in another post.

Eli jammn' with the birthday gift from Uncle Tim, Aunt Amber, Morg, Pey and Addy Grace...

Eli was such a good helper with Ileigh's gifts. I guess he really could care less about all the clothes she got, so there was no fighting over toys...I guess that will start next year...

Tammie and Memamaw...

Tammie, Memamaw and Gramps

Mema and Papa...

The new chair from Mema and Papa...

Gramps surprised Eli with a big tractor...

and Ileigh with a pony. Just wait Gramps, in a few years she will want a real one...:)

Thank you to everyone who came to celebrate Miss Ileigh Grace. We are so grateful that she has so many in her life that love and care for her!

Our Little Sunshine...

2012-01-27T18:17:00.001-06:00

Happy birthday, Smiley Ileigh!

I cannot believe that it has been a whole year.

On one hand, it seems to have been a very long year, but on the other I feel like it was just yesterday when we were headed to the hospital to meet you.

You are such a joy. You have the most precious laugh and smile.

You have added so much to our little family- already! I can't wait to see the woman you will become.

You are flat out beautiful; darling dimples, big bright beautiful eyes and your little giggles make my heart leap.

We are so, so proud of you, baby girl! You have added so much sunshine to our lives! We love you!

Your daddy has been out of town for the past few days, so we hung out with Memamaw and Gramps today. While we were out to lunch in Pampa, these awesome workers came over just to sing you "Happy Birthday"...and brought you ice cream. Your brother ate most of it. :)

Happy birthday, sweet girl! Can't wait to celebrate you with our family at your little party in a few days!

New Year Goals

2012-01-19T14:09:00.000-06:00

I know, I know. I am a little late, but hey I feel like this is worth writing down.

1. Run a 10K

Pretty crazy goal, if you ask me considering I was that girl that hated running in grade school. But, there are so many more reasons that I run now and it gets really addicting. I am hoping to pull Chris on board with me on this one. He was happy to run the 3 5Ks with me last year, so I am betting he will be in. Right, honey?!? :)

2. Learn to knit

I REALLY want to learn. It was a goal last year that I didn’t get to, so it is making an appearance again.

3. Make a quilt for my kiddos

Actually, one quilt this year, one next. I am terrified to try to make one, but I love that I have a quilt from my great grandmother and I feel like this is an art that is dying.

4. A new recipe a month

I like quick and easy dinners- therefore, I get in a rut. A lot.

5. Take more pictures of everyday life.

We aren’t that great about taking photos of our kiddos. When we do, it is usually a planned “outing” that last about 10 mins. I want to do a better job a catching our everyday life.

6. Go out on more dates

Does this need an explanation? With two little ones, I think not.

7. I am SUPER excited for this year. Chris and I have some pretty awesome things going on in our lives at the moment. I cannot wait to see what all God brings us to this year. We are really trying to be open and listen to the way God is telling us to move. I'll let you know how it goes...

Guess what we did today?

2012-01-18T19:00:00.000-06:00

Someone loves their new big boy bike.

I am really surpised how well he is handling it! He has blown me away!

He is such a good listener and an even better driver.

He really liked talking to his shadow while he rode. And waving to all the cars that drove by.

Baby sister and I enjoyed our little stroll too. I was just in shock the whole time that my son was in front of me, ride a big boy bike. I might still be in shock.

Me: Eli! Don't look down, honey! Look up, look up!!

Me: No! No! I mean look straight! Watch where you are going!

Me thinking to myself: I sure hope he remembers how to use those breaks.

Taking a rest at the neighbors'

Eli talking to baby sister...

Ileigh LOVES stroller rides...such a happy little girl!

Where's the fire?!?

2012-01-16T14:32:00.000-06:00

Sunday was Eli's firefighter birthday party with the family. He wore his fireman suit and had a blast with everyone.

As "favors" for the party, we bought everyone a fire hat!

I love the look Kaylee is giving her momma in this picture! "Really, mom, really?"

HA!

And, of course we made everyone take a big group shot in their fire hats. This might have been my favorite moment from the entire party!

I made up some cupcake wrappers again- so easy and cute...

and a little banner...

We had pulled pork, corn casserole and salad...

Eli LOVED opening his presents...he was begging to open them while everyone was still eating- even telling everyone to hurry up and eat!

new chair from mema and papa...

He loves this guitar from aunt Abby, uncle Steve and Megan...

Gramps got him a big boy bike!

Test ride. This kid is fearless. I don't think he realizes he can fall.

We had cupcakes afterward, but Eli refused to blow out his candles! Crazy kid! :)

That night Eli got out his guitar and sang and played songs for mommy, daddy and baby sister! Adorable. :)

Thanks to everyone for a "smokn'" good time! Thank you for celebrating with us and loving our little boy!

3?!?

2012-01-13T14:29:00.000-06:00

It really is just crazy. Crazy I tell you.
I cannot believe that Eli is 3.

We celebrated his big day with birthday pancakes with candles- he really loved it. Sorry, they aren't very pretty. I should've let Chris make the pancakes...lessoned learned.

Little Miss didn't get a pancake (they had sugar and sprinkles in them, I didn't think that was a good way to start her day) but, she sure enjoyed her Cheerios...see that one on her shoulder?

Then it was off to school (MDO) where his teachers informed me that he was sure to tell EVERYONE he saw that it was his birthday.

After school we made a quick stop by McDonalds to pick up a chocolate chip cookie since he was so good at school. Then we came home where he got to watch his favorite TV show (Wild Krats). Daddy came home a little early and Eli got to pick what he wanted for dinner- a peanut butter sandwich. :) I love that kid!

And of course, another round of candles...

Then he opened his two gifts from mommy and daddy...and baby sister.

He loved his day of friends, a little TV and candles! We are having a small family party on Sunday.

Our Big (little) 3 year old

2012-01-12T10:19:00.000-06:00

Eli! You are 3 today!

You have been waiting for this day before Christmas. You were asking if it was your birthday every day and if you were three yet.

You are my little thinker. The way your mind works blows me away. You are so, so smart and you have an amazing memory.

Eli, you are my joy; such an incredible joy.

You love firetrucks, tractors and guitars.

Eli, you will never fully know the depth of our love for you, sweet boy. I am so proud of you and so thankful that you call me "mommy".

I cannot wait to see what your future holds. Every night I thank God for the miracle of you. I cannot wait to see how He uses you.

Love you, sweet boy!

Houston, we have a walker!

2012-01-04T11:28:00.000-06:00

Over the past couple of days Ileigh has become more and more independent in her walking. I think we can officially say that she is walking now.

It is so much fun to see the differences between her and big brother. Eli just barreled toward everything; Ileigh is so cautious and carefully weighs her options. This might be an answer to prayer. :) Eli and his dare-devil stunts still prove to be very stressful for me.

Sweet girl...

Watching her big brother playing...

Hearing mommy call her name...

taking those first big steps to mommy...

not quite making it...(do you know how hard it is to take a picture and catch a baby at the same time? Try it.)

making eye contact with mommy to make sure she will be there to catch a falling baby...

"Here I come"!

"You are going to catch me, right"?

Now, she is walking all over the house. We haven't had any major falls- most of the time she either regains her balance or gracefully plops to the floor on her bottom. She can also standup without holding on to anything. I am not sure if Eli ever really did that! Way to go, big girl!

And, she will eat it!

2012-01-03T22:51:00.000-06:00

Just a little more proof that she is my daughter...

She loves her rice! :)

Little Miss is becoming a little more open-minded when it comes to her food choices. :)

ThankTheLord.

:) Cutie.

Eli got a little jealous and wanted his picture taken too... He really wanted to show me the oranges he found in the fridge.

I really wanted him to show me his peanut butter goatee from lunch.

I love my incredibly messy kids!

(They totally get that from their daddy, right?!? RIGHT?!?) :)

Ileigh Grace- 11 months

2011-12-27T17:55:00.000-06:00

Wow, 11 months. Crazy.

Ileigh, you are a fantastic crawler- way better than your brother ever was. You take a few steps at a time; like from the couch to the ottoman or from me to your daddy.

I finally caved and bought you store bought baby food and you love it. Seriously? Child, I can't believe that you would choose store-bought food over my homemade stuff- I hope this isn't a sign of things to come. Maybe you are putting on a little weight though! Hooray!

You are working on your 5th tooth and you take 2-3 naps a day and have yet to sleep through the night. Boo! Maybe before you turn 1, right? We are hopeful. You are sleeping in your own room still and love to play with your big brother. It really is the sweetest thing ever. You love to babble and have added "baby" to your vocab this month- maybe because you got so many for Christmas!

I think you are the sweetest thing ever. You have a huge smile and two darling dimples to boot.

Love you sweet girl.

Momma

Well, hello!

2011-12-13T16:15:00.000-06:00

Ummmm...wow. It has been a long time since I was able to sit down and write a "real" blog post. We were rockn' in November with our "24 days of Thankfulness" (which we did finish by the way- they are on Chris' computer, we just haven't had time to upload them".

A few days after a wonderful Thanksgiving we headed to Branson with my parents. We took them as my dad's "Yay, we are finished with chemo" trip. We had a great time- all of us.

I wish I had pictures to share, but a few days ago while trying to steal Eli's food off the table, Callie (our first-born pup) took down our hard drive as she was jumping to the floor. I might have been yelling at her to get off the table. Boy, did she show me.

Everything was lost. Everything. Thank-the-Lord though, someone will be able to get them off. We are in the process of sending it far, far away. Not only did we lose everything of Ileigh's for the last 5 months, but also 4 families Christmas photos.

I was sick. I still don't like to think about it. I am very anxious to get those files back in my hands.

ANYWAY.

We have been a little stressed and frazzled around here.

To make me feel a little better about losing all of our daughters photos for the last couple of months, Chris took us all down to a little shop here in Amarillo and we took a few photos of the kiddos. :)

Gosh, he is just so big. And he has my heart...and he knows it.

This is Eli showing me the "claw".

Awww...:) Look at those bright eyes. She only smiles like that for daddy.

Merry Christmas!

(I would post a photo of our Christmas card, but its image is also on the hard drive) :(

Ileigh Grace- 10 months

2011-12-04T14:21:00.000-06:00

We were in Branson celebrating my dad's last chemo treatment when Ileigh turned 10 months.

This little cutie was fantastic in the car on the way down and on the way back. I was really worried about the drive, but apparently Ileigh just wanted a chance to show off how sweet she can be!

(It also helps that the trip fell between those nasty teething pains.)

Here is our little pumpkin in her adorable Thanksgiving outfit. Those of you who spent Thanksgiving with us might wonder why you didn't see her in it- she was teething and felt like junk. In fact, if I remember correctly, she slept through both families Thanksgiving celebrations. Oh, well. At least we have a couple of pictures of her in this adorable outfit! :)

Ileigh, we are so proud of you! You took your first steps a day after your turned 10 months. You even showed Memamaw your new moves while we were on vacation.

You have all 4 front teeth and love to point and wave.

Oh, goodness child. You are adorable! And, on a side note I cannot get over how much you look like your big brother.

Love you sweet girl!

Momma

24 Days of Thankfulness - 22

2011-11-22T22:54:00.000-06:00

Day 22

1. Turkey
2. Sweet potato casserole
3. Mashed potatoes
4. Gravy
5. Stuffing
6. Mom's broccoli and rice
7. Honey crust ham
8. Fresh rolls
9. Canned cranberry sauce (still in the shape of the can)
10. Stuffed celery
11. Green beans
12. Peas and potatoes
13. Macaroni and cheese
14. Corn
15. Deviled eggs
16. Cheese balls
17. Olives
18. Roasted asparagus
19. Veggie trays
20. Cider
21. Pumpkin bread
22. Chocolate-laced pecan pie
23. Pumpkin pie
24. Leftovers!

24 Days of Thankfulness - 21

2011-11-21T22:29:00.000-06:00

Day 21 (Music Day - this list can in no way be exhaustive and is in no particular order)

1. Everything - Lifehouse
2. Hey Johnnie - Elton John
3. Safe and Sound - Matthew West
4. Bad Medicine - Bon Jovi
5. Mahler 5 (only slightly more different than Maroon 5)
6. 3 a.m. - Matchboxtwenty
7. Rite of Spring - Stravinsky
8. Jazz Suite No. 1 - Shostakovich
9. 18th Floor Balcony - Blue October
10. Pierrot Lunaire - Schoenberg
11. Thriller - Michael Jackson
12. Symphonic Metamorphosis - Hindemith
13. Suspicious Minds - Elvis
14. Apres Moi - Regina Spektor
15. The Scientist - Coldplay
16. City Beneath the Sea - Harry Connick, Jr.
17. Good Riddance - Green Day
18. Symphony for Organ and Orchestra - Copland
19. Lincolnshire Posy - Grainger (I don't care if its cliche)
20. Fantaisie Originale - Picchi
21. Slumber - Needtobreathe
22. Freedom - Run Kid Run
23. Hero - Abandon
24. Find Your Wings - Mark Harris

24 Days of Thankfulness - 20

2011-11-20T22:32:00.001-06:00

Day 20
1. Playing with the leaves
2. New bible studies
3. Blueberry pancakes for dinner
4. New music
5. Fabric softener
6. Nursery workers
7. 14 year old pajama pants (those polar bears might have another 14 in them!)
8. Pumpkin dresses
9. That feeling when Ileigh puts her head on my shoulder and falls asleep
10. Seeing nothing but Tif's and Eli's feet since they are lying on their tummies, halfway inside Eli's closet, reading a book
11. Finding leaves in your hair six hours after having a leaf fight with some awesome kiddos
12. The way Kaikeyi still cocks her head to the side when she wants something
13. Clean cars
14. Warm jackets
15. Having a wife so giving and thoughtful as she picks Christmas gifts for neighbors, nurses, and nursery workers
16. Having awesome neighbors, nurses, and nursery workers
17. Being approved to be a vendor after someone decided we are "professional photographers"
18. Watching Eli pretend
19. Pumpkin and chocolate chip muffins
20. Awesome new thank you cards
21. New paintings (from our very own artists-in-residence)
22. Re-naming Willow Tree figures while in Cracker Barrel
23. Burt's Bees lip balm
24. Fresh coffee

24 Days of Thankfulness - 19

2011-11-19T22:31:00.001-06:00

Day 19
1. Crimson
2. Cream
3. Ritualistic incantations evoking unwavering and unequivocal responses of pride and honor (Boomer!)
4. NOT the Baylor Bears
5. Eli: "Where is Jesus' car?" Mom: "Jesus doesn't need a car; he's everywhere. He flies." Eli: "Like Superman?" Mom: "Yes, like Superman." Eli: "And Word Girl?" Mom: "Yes, like Word Girl."
6. Saturday morning doughnuts
7. Good sales
8. Getting letters from strangers (and friends!) blessing your children
9. Cooperative children when shopping (especially near the toys)
10. Country Pride hamburgers
11. Honey
12. Eli's excitement over his new shoes (apparently Woody + lights = excited boys; even stranger because Eli doesn't know who Woody is)
13. Getting to stare in awe at Tif while she works, especially when she doesn't see me gawking
14. Cute little red pajama pants
15. Sippy cups that don't leak
16. Chamomile
17. Hot showers
18. The numerous times Eli requested "Daddy's Song" today
19. Moving Ileigh into her room
20. Ileigh's random mohawk
21. Anticipating tomorrow's worship service and Sunday school for no particular reason than to truly worship God
22. When stew is better the second day
23. When the wind calms down at the right time
24. Surprisingly slow Saturdays

24 Days of Thankfulness - 18

2011-11-19T22:16:00.001-06:00

Day 18
1. Laughter
2. A good joke
3. Diaper wreaths for others
4. Watching others give joyfully
5. Lunch dates
6. Speaking of lunch dates, Rosa's Tortilla Factory
7. Going to bed earlier than normal
8. Friendly customer service people
9. Having a good memory (yeah, that would be Tif)
10. Taking time to watch the leaves fall
11. "I want to be handsome!"
12. Fast commutes
13. Free carwashes
14. Shopping for others
15. Talking with a friendly stranger
16. Sweaters that fit just right
17. Artwork from church
18. New recipes
19. Good sushi
20. Pink sunrises
21. Fresh tea
22. Having a crafty wife (meant literally, as in she is awesome at crafts)
23. Not having a crafty wife (meant not trying to be deceptive; aka honest and truthful)
24. Dresses that fit perfectly (from all angles)

24 Days of Thankfulness - 17

2011-11-17T23:58:00.001-06:00

Day 17

1. Late night Oreos

2. Watching Eli “shoop” his spaghetti

3. High heels

4. Musical sheep

5. Infant gas drops

6. DVD labels

7. Having a wife that could care less about Twilight

8. Going to bed before midnight

9. Change

10. Water cooler conversations

11. Not being consumed by technology

12. Continually diminishing desire to watch TV

13. Good cookware

14. Knowing how to use good cookware

15. Beautiful brown hair\

16. Finally taking a bottle

17. Trusty old laptops

18. Histograms

19. RAW

20. Not running out of things to be thankful for

21. Inside jokes

22. Not having to use Google Chrome for blog posts

23. Android phones (and their bills)

24. Fridays

24 Days of Thankfulness - 16

2011-11-17T00:37:00.001-06:00

Day 16
1. India?!
2. People saying nice things about our photography

3. Lunches at home

4. Pumpkin patches

5. Snoring husbands….well, as long as it isn’t too loud

6. Being able to cuddle up on a cold night

7. John Deere Green

8. Thanksgiving!

9. Registering for our last 5K of the year

10. Meeting goals

11. Staying up until 1:00 for several nights in a row and still being able to function- I wonder how long I can continue

12. Vacation, vacation, vacation- and last treatments

13. Paying off Chris’ car…within a year of purchase

14. Deep conversations

15. More friends

16. Warm house

17. Beautiful kiddos

18. Friends who love to give us baby girl clothes

19. Seeing Eli play with his best friend

20. Editing our last wedding photos of the year

21. Good music
22. Splenda

23. Chocolate chip cookies

24. Crawling babies

24 Days of Thankfulness - 15

2011-11-16T00:03:00.001-06:00

Day 15

1. Watching Eli get the hang of his “bicycle”

2. Taco Tuesdays

3. Eli’s new “leaf song”

4. Salsa bars

5. Cookie clubs

6. “Thook thook”

7. Healing

8. A sense of accomplishment

9. Pinterest

10. Watching Eli help me park

11. “No tickles”

12. “Do it again!”

13. Guitar blankets

14. New house shoes

15. Mentor programs

16. When Eli comes to our bed in the middle of the night…with completely different clothes on

17. Fresh baked chocolate chip cookies

18. Knowing that perfection is God’s domain, not ours

19. Being awed by your spouse every day

20. Canon 5D Mark II

21. Superman glasses

22. Cowboy hats

23. “Mommy the Sid”

24. Finishing lists

24 Days of Thankfulness - 14

2011-11-16T00:00:00.001-06:00

Day 14

1. Seeing former students

2. Cute babies

3. Compliments from strangers

4. Friends who give props on the interwebs

5. Fresh cilantro

6. Positive attitudes

7. A child’s genuine attitude

8. Sunny days

9. Stickers

10. Smelling chocolate chip cookies when you walk through the door

11. Fresh perspectives

12. Getting caught up

13. God’s ability to continually bless beyond your imagination

14. A passionate wife

15. Crisp breezes

16. Calling Amarillo “home”

17. Giving souls

18. Living in a society that allows freedoms that most people can’t begin to understand

19. Realizing that everything is God’s anyway, we’re just looking after it for a while

20. Lowepro camera bags

21. Crock pots

22. Discernment

23. Having a front row seat to our kids’ lives

24. Completing projects

24 Days of Thankfulness - 13

2011-11-14T00:47:00.001-06:00

Day 13

1. Family gatherings

2. Baby dedications

3. Stew

4. Fresh pumpkin bread

5. Piles of leaves

6. Pink lace

7. Boy Scout popcorn

8. Quiet offices

9. 11th floor sunsets

10. Car rides without kiddos

11. Big cokes

12. Having our parents in church with us

13. Dedicated parents

14. “Daddy, you’re snoring!”

15. Reverse psychology on a two year old

16. Sleeping babies

17. Fresh cornbread

18. Comfortable jeans

19. Favorite fleeces

20. Needy puppies

21. Finger-saurs

22. “That’s Eli!” (said loudly during a quiet slideshow)

23. New razors

24. Being reminded by a website that I am, in fact, awesome

24 Days of Thankfulness - 12

2011-11-13T00:39:00.001-06:00

Day 12

1. Fun photoshoots

2. Cooperative kiddos

3. Perfectly diffused light

4. Leftovers

5. Hearing Eli sings songs we’ve never heard

6. Clean sheets

7. The smell of stew simmering overnight

8. Fall leaves

9. Heath Bar cookies (thank you McAlister’s!)

10. Family’s safe travel

11. Watching Christians be courageous in their faith

12. Supportive family

13. A wife immeasurably devoted to our family

14. Blue eyes

15. Freckles

16. A sacrificing wife

17. Nicknames

18. Secret signs

19. Saying random things/singing random songs at the same time

20. Crunching leaves

21. Little babies in pumpkins

22. Geese flying south

23. Watching as Eli sings to a total stranger, even though he is super shy

24. The complete stranger’s face after Eli sang to her

24 Days of Thankfulness- 11

2011-11-12T00:11:00.001-06:00

Day 11

1. That Tif doesn’t like M&M’s as much as me

2. M&M’s

3. Lunch with friends

4. U.S. Army

5. U.S. Marine Corps

6. U.S. Navy

7. U.S. Air Force

8. U.S. Coast Guard

9. Reserves

10. Guard units

11. Humor

12. Sunroofs

13. Weekends

14. Caymus cabernet

15. Fajita tacos

16. 50mm 1.4

17. Cousins

18. Who needs a chiropractor when you have Dr. Chris?

19. Having a cousin that is a chiropractor

20. Having Dr. Kaci on speed dial

21. Life through death

22. Hidden candy stashes

23. Pumpkin patches

24. That the hubby is getting more into these lists than me…:)
(He is in the bedroom, rocking Ileigh and I happend upon his list for today.)

24 Days of Thankfulness - 10

2011-11-10T23:09:00.001-06:00

Day 10

1. Lunchables

2. Enchiladas

3. Radical

4. Wifi

5. Old pajama pants

6. Swapping travel stories

7. Having travel stories

8. Baby dedications

9. Free lunches

10. Getting to experience the gears turning in Eli’s head

11. Space heaters

12. Sticky notes

13. Friendly banter

14. “Am I free (aka three) yet?”

15. Sweet deals on Amazon

16. Night at home with no photoshoots, previous commitments, or classes; first one in over two weeks!

17. Can I ever be too thankful for MDO?! I think not!

18. Surprises from daddy

19. The “calm” right after both children have been screaming

20. Going to bed before midnight

21. Long conversations with my dad

22. Hearing Chris open the garage door

23. 50 cent shirts from Old Navy

24. Hitting all green lights when leaving the office

24 Days of Thankfulness - 9

2011-11-10T08:07:00.003-06:00

Day 9

1. New friendships

2. Little boys snoring

3. “Here me comes!!!!”

4. A truly amazing God

5. A peaceful sunrise

6. A wife who sacrifices so much for the betterment of our family

7. That God chose us despite our flaws and weaknesses

8. Sleep

9. One more treatment

10. Positive attitudes

11. Watching Ileigh “dance”

12. Apple cider

13. Reading to Eli

14. Eli’s prayers at night

15. “Thank you God for good food. Thank you God. Aaaaaaa-men. Yea!”

16. Wagging tails

17. Cinnamon

18. “I’m a giant. Bom, bom, bom, bom.”

19. Faces covered in Cheerios.

20. Mommy sandwiches

21. Readily available chapstick

22. The smell of starch

23. Happy squeals

24. The look on Callie’s face when she wants a treat (which happens way too often)

24 Days of Thankfulness- 8

2011-11-08T23:28:00.002-06:00

1. Did you see that sunset?!?

2. Little yellow mailing envelopes, filled with CD’s!

3. Time to work on getting caught up.

4. Christmas decorations in the mall.

5. Fresh, cool air.

6. Christmas music in stores.

7. Shopping ALONE.

8. Choosing not to take a basket because I don’t have to haul a car seat around Target.

9. Ileigh liking her sweet potatoes.

10. Eli’s obsession with Band-Aids

11. How Eli has a “boo-boo” in the exact same spot has his gramp’s “boo-boo”.

12. Meals out.

13. RAIN!

14. The rain starting literally 2 minutes after ending a lunch photo shoot.

15. Wobbly baby legs.

16. Taking goodies to my dad’s nurses.

17. Knowing just how thankful he is that I do it.

18. The way Eli tries to sneak up on me working when he wakes up from his nap.

19. How he lets me cuddle with him until he wakes up a little more.

20. “Little drummer boy”

21. Ileigh singing into the microphone.

22. Heated seats.

23. Getting emails that Chris forwards me about how much his secretaries love our kids.

24. Seriously, did you see that sunset?

24 Days of Thankfulness - 7

2011-11-07T23:46:00.000-06:00

24 Days of Thanksgiving – 7

1. “I’mafrogribbit”

2. Dinner with friends

3. Watching Tif work her PhotoShop magic

4. Puppy dog eyes

5. Sharing hot chocolate with your lovely spouse

6. The smell of clean laundry

7. Freedom to worship

8. Unexpected opportunities

9. Rain

10. Our own family pictures

11. Warm socks

12. Little girls’ dresses

13. Compliments about our children

14. Marshmallows

15. PB&J

16. Letters to our kiddos

17. Sharp knives

18. A quiet drive while the kids are in the car

19. Bluetooth

20. Watching people watch your kids

21. Doppler Dave

22. Red bell peppers

23. Shout stain remover

24. Garage door openers

24 Days of Thankfulness - 6

2011-11-06T23:13:00.000-06:00

Day 6

1. Chicken and Dumplings

2. “Daddy, come play with me!”

3. “I want to push the escalator”

4. Eli’s prayers at bedtime

5. Giggling little Ileighs

6. Watching others grow

7. Imaginary presents from your children

8. Great bible study classes

9. Sibling banter

10. Prime lenses

11. Incredible bokeh

12. Birthdays

13. Giving spirits

14. Holiday season

15. Daylight savings time – fall only

16. Mary Jane socks

17. A wife who truly loves her friends

18. The man at church who always shakes Eli’s hand

19. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches

20. Peanut butter and jelly hands

21. Second bedrooms

22. Family traveling safely home

23. Weekend plans

24. Whimsy little clouds

24 Days of Thankfulness- 5

2011-11-05T23:57:00.003-05:00

Chris decided that he was missing out on all the fun, so he wanted to make a list today.
:)

Day 5

1. Family gatherings

2. Brothers

3. Butterfinger pie

4. Wife who made said butterfinger pie

5. Nieces who love to play with their cousins

6. Warm fires

7. “Oh the bun, it is to write, open slore, hey!” (aka Eli’s version of Jingle Bells)

8. Onion rings

9. Dimples

10. Bleu cheese

11. Churches that put heavy emphasis on marriages/families

12. Eli singing Happy Birthday to Papa

13. Dishwashers

14. Mom’s (Gloria) pound cake

15. “I like your new Nissan”

16. OU beating A&M

17. Sisters-in-law

18. Heated seats

19. “Mamamamamamamamamama”

20. Happy puppies

21. True forgiveness

22. Realizing that perfection is God’s business, not ours

23. “Watch out for dump trucks! I’m goin’ to!”

24. Tif’s smile

24 Days of Thankfulness- 4

2011-11-04T23:24:00.002-05:00

1. “This is Moses, mommy. He is holding two mailboxes.”

2. Anticipation

3. Pink note cards

4. Laughing at the Dollar Tree

5. Scratching Ileigh’s back

6. “Here is a spot for you, mommy.”

7. “That cloud is a puppy dog!”

8. Smell of fresh laundry

9. Little boy bed head

10. “Gansta Baby”

11. Self portraits in a crowded restaurant with people looking at you like you are a young, crazy in love couple.

12. Recalling “best-of moments”

13. The way Ileigh laughs at Eli…every time

14. Baby shower invitations in the mail

15. Unexpected thank you cards

16. Finishing up a project

17. pretty toe nails

18. My polar bear PJ pants Cami got me in the 9th grade that I still love

19. “STEAM”

20. YouTube “I ate your Halloween candy”

21. “Yep, I’m are.”

22. Churches that watch my kiddos so that I can go on a date night

23. “I want to go up high”

24. Ileigh clapping

24 Days of Thankfulness- 3

2011-11-03T22:38:00.001-05:00

Day 3

1. Free queso

2. Lunch alone

3. Big boy underwear

4. Compliments on my kids

5. Realizing that your child just exceeded your expectations

6. To-Go teas

7. Throwing leaves

8. Sweet potato gobbles

9. Meeting goals

10. Vacation plans

11. Two more treatments

12. A happy baby

13. A proud little boy

14. A warm smile

15. Painted toenails

16. Heaters

17. Husband’s sweatshirts on cold days

18. Christmas cards finished early

19. Time with family

20. Boots on the wrong feet

21. Catch up

22. “You cannot read, Daddy. Mommy reads.”

23. Christmas lists complete

24. A day where the wind is less than 10 MPH

24 Days of Thankfulness-2

2011-11-02T21:25:00.002-05:00

Day 2:

1. Two-toothed smiles.

2. Secret love signs.

3. Girl Talk.

4. Hot chocolate.

5. Clean bed sheets.

6. Long showers.

7. OU football.

8. Photo shoots with happy families.

9. “You’re something else”.

10. My warm house on this freezing cold night.

11. MDO.

12. Sweet friends who give me 40 pairs of shoes for Ileigh :)

13. Leftovers.

14. How much Eli loves Mr. Victor.

15. The power of Photoshop.

16. “Thank you God for good food, thank you God. Aaaaaa-men.”

17. The way Ileigh looks at herself in the mirror.

18. A little gray in the goatee.

19. Little miracle babies

20. Realizing just how much of a miracle my babies are.

21. Open eyes. Change in perspective.

22. Big plans.

23. An extra hour of sleep.

24. The smell of fireplaces outside on a cold night.

24 days of Thankfulness

2011-11-01T23:42:00.000-05:00

I love Thanksgiving. Love it.

It is my favorite holiday celebration; lots of family, great food and taking time to celebrate the little things that are really the big things in life.

To celebrate, I will be attempting to write out 24 things each day until the 24th. That’s 576 reasons to be thankful. Have you read 1000 Gifts yet? You should.

1. Above all, I am thankful for my Lord Jesus, who takes me as I am, in all my imperfection for His perfect glory. God has blessed me beyond what I ever dreamed (seriously) and is making Himself known in our family in ways I never imagined. Truly awesome.

2. Chris. There aren’t words. Sometimes I can’t believe I am his wife; seriously the coolest person I have ever known. I don’t know of anything that he can’t do and I am excited to have a lifetime to figure out if I can find something…

3. Our kiddos. Never have I know so much joy.

4. My family. My family is really cool.

5. This crazy, crazy photo side job. I don’t even want to think about how behind I am, but I know without a doubt that God provided this opportunity for Chris and I and it has flourished beyond what we could’ve dreamed.

6. Our year in Kansas. One of the best times of our marriage; best times of our lives.

7. All of the valuable lessons I learned while working on my master’s.

8. My friends for life from Oklahoma- we bonded over the Duke case!

9. Friend who I sat beside in Kindergarten who I was jealous of their “big” crayons and who never left my path.

10. A girl I roomed with at Buff Branding, who by all accounts I should have lost contact with and didn’t. Such an awesome person- so glad I have a friend like her!

11. Leaves turning

12. Texas sunsets

13. Tea!

14. Little boys who love to throw leaves up in the air.

15. “I want to hold you”

16. Eli praying at dinner.

17. Ileigh only wanting me (this gets old quickly, but I know it won’t last nearly as long as I would like)

18. hot chocolate

19. “Friends at church”

20. date night

21. smart phones

22. silence

23. nap time

24. snuggling on a cold night….

and on that note, goodnight.

It. Is. Finished.

2011-10-31T23:11:00.001-05:00

Last night around midnight I wanted to throw my sewing machine up against the wall.
I was totally on the "hate" side of the pendulum of my love/hate relationship with my sewing machine.

I mean, who in their right mind would leave their kiddos Halloween costumes to be finished hours before Halloween? Dang. That would be me. (Did I mention that I already have ordered our Christmas cards though! Bam! Shout out to Lynsey for taking our family Christmas photo this year) ((Lynz- please don't let anyone know just how easy it is to be a photographer- you might steal all our business!))

But, despite a pesky bobbin of death I finished. I FINISHED! Woot!

Today I told Chris that if I "wanted to save a little money/needed a way to channel my inner craftiness" to please talk me out of making costumes again for our children. Two reasons: 1: Eli is old enough to play in the costumes that we buy him, so they will get year-round use. 2: Really, in the end, I didn't save that much money. Certainly not worth my time spent yelling at that dang bobbin.

Anyway.

I finished the costumes about two hours before Chris' office Halloween party. It is really cool that they invite all the kiddos up to the office to trick-or-treat. Eli LOVED it. Here is Daddy and the kiddos in his new office...

After the trick or treating, we stopped outside his building for a quick round of pictures...because, of course when you finish the costumes on the day-of, there is no time for a big photoshoot production. (Way to go, mom.)

Eli is getting much better about wanting to take pictures with Ileigh. It is just so funny that the moment that we can get her attention and a little smile, something always gets Eli's attention. In this picture, the moment Ileigh smiles, a police car with two lights drove by. Eli was very excited and started yelling, "It has two lights! That police car has two lights!". All this while waving "two's" in the air.

Tink did awesome with her headband, tutu and wings. Much better than anticipated. :)

After the quick shoot, we drove down to Canyon to say a quick "hi" to Chris' grandparents and parents.

Here is Eli making his way up to ring Mema and Papa's doorbell.

And then turning back around. He never goes in the front door, so he wasn't too sure about it...

Same thing happened last year...:)

A little encouragement from Daddy...

Mema with the goods.

After Canyon we made our way to our church for their Trunk-or-Treat.

Gosh, we love our church. :) Such great and giving people.

Afterward, we swung by Papa Murphy's for a pumpkin pizza for dinner and waited on Trick-or-Treaters.

(we had one person ring our doorbell!)

Happy Halloween!

Ileigh Grace- 9 months

2011-10-27T17:58:00.000-05:00

You are soooo close to walking- I am soooo not ready for that. You are a great crawler too- it is hilarious because you stick one foot out and use it to help move you along. We are working on eating more food, but pretty much the only thing you will eat is pears that I make. And only on a good day. I think you will want to breastfeed for the next year- which I am NOT okay with. No matter what, baby girl, we are cutting this off at a year. :) I think you might have drank 2oz of formula for your daddy...we are working on that too.

This month we took you and your brother to the balloon festival in New Mexico. You did so well in the car and you loved all the attention from Memamaw and Gramps. You also went with us to our last wedding of the year (YAYAY!!!!) and of course you were really good. We also traveled to OKC for the Race for the Cure where you got to go on a really fast stroller ride with daddy!

These pictures make my heart happy.

We did the same thing with Eli whe he was 9 months. :)

She has a doll...

2011-10-17T19:11:00.000-05:00

Well, we finally decided to get Ileigh a doll. Actually, this is my doll from when I was 3. (Thank you, mother for keeping ONE toy from my childhood! :))

There are a few things that irk me about toys/clothes/ect. for baby girls verse baby boys (not that dolls are one of them), but I cannot deny the way Ileigh's face lights up when she sees this little doll. Eli just didn't have the same reaction.

She loves to cuddle with her doll during naptime.

And then mom wakes her up with that annoying clicking from the camera.

I don't think the clicking will stop anytime soon, Sweet Pea. You better learn to just sleep through it. :)

Just to be fair...

2011-10-05T13:54:00.001-05:00

I happen to think this little boy is pretty darn cute too.

Ileigh Grace, 8 months

2011-10-04T22:03:00.000-05:00

Well, well, well.

Has it been another month already?

Crazy.

C-R-A-Z-Y.

This little Miss has had a big month.

We snapped a few photos of her in all of her adorableness on our little time away in Santa Fe this weekend.

(Do you love the hat? I knew you would! You can find them here.)

I am VERY happy to report that Ileigh is the proud new owner of two teeth.

Oh my dear lord, child. You might be one of the hardest teethers ever.

Two weeks of vomiting, crying, screaming, Pedialyte and doctor's visits makes for a very long days.

I hope the next 18 teeth go a little better.

Gosh, she is a cutie.

Little "Sissy Grace", as her Gramps and big brother call her, still wakes us 1-2 times a night.

She will take a bottle (YAY!), but only of momma's milk...no formula for her.

We have tried the 'ol bait and switch routine, but you are a quick one, little Miss. Determined not to let a drop of formula enter your mouth, you refuse the slightest taste of it with screams and wails.

Did I mention she is cute?

Also, if you remember last month she would only say "Da-da". I am happy to report that "Mama" is now a conversation staple as is "Buba".

She also likes to wave and still has the biggest smiles I have ever seen. Almost as big as those gorgeous eyes.

She is pulling up every chance she gets and is trying very hard and get on all fours.

I have a feeling though that this one will walk before she crawls just like her big brother.

Sweet baby girl,

We love you. You are such a joy; such a gift.

Thank you for bringing us so much sunshine.

We love you,

Mommy

Fun with Markers...

2011-09-26T16:09:00.003-05:00

Eli recently decided that he really loves markers.

I tried to make him color before, but he really wasn't interested until recently.

I had to share the adorableness...:)

Yes, I make him get in the high chair to color.

Many times I am feeding Ileigh and I worry about what I would find if I let him have freedom outside the confinement of the high chair...

As you can see, he is a big fan of body art.

The next day I ask him if he would take off his shirt too.

Maybe not the best idea.

I think I only encouraged him to mark more on himself.

I see tattoos in his future.

He must take after me...not his daddy. Chris hates any kind of marking on his body.

Fun times.

Labor Day

2011-09-22T22:23:00.003-05:00

Yes, I know it is almost October.

We are just finishing up a crazy busy month of shooting weddings every weekend and our normal photo shoot routine; it has been a little over-whelming. We are very excited for a little vaca and our "relaxed" October schedule.

Back to Labor Day.

We spent the long weekend in White Deer mostly. We shot a beautiful wedding in Groom Saturday.

Sunday, Chris was working out in my dad's garage and Eli wanted to help too.

Then he spotted a fire fighter's hat on my dad's work desk...jackpot.

I don't think he took that helmet off for the rest of the weekend. We have been back to WD every weekend since and the first thing he asks for is the fire helmet. :)

What more could a boy want? A John Deere and a fire hat. And Thomas PJs.

We made a quick trip to Papaw Campbell's house in Skellytown...of course we had to show off our helmet to Papaw...

"You're something else, Pawpa Campbell". I have no idea where he comes up with this stuff. I am just so grateful for a husband who is quick with the camera. I LOVE the look on Papaw's face.

Ileigh Grace really liked Papaw's house...

We also went out for dinner with my dad's side of the family! We were super excited that some of the Kansas crew got to come into town too! I have a few pictures from that too...maybe within the next month I will add them on. Here's hopen'

Swing Set

2011-09-22T21:47:00.000-05:00

Man, oh man,do I like Craigslist.

Chris and I started talking about getting a swing set for Eli a couple of months ago.

We really wanted something big and nice being that we want to keep it around for a long time for many different kiddos.

We of course wanted a Backyard Adventure set, but holy moly...that is a lot of money for something that sits outside. Anyway, I started looking on Craigslist and we came across the perfect set for our kiddos (current and future).

And we talked the guy WAY down from his asking price. YES. Probably because it was a beast to move, but hey, we had some awesome helpers.

Here is Eli coming around the corner to see his "special surprise". He had no idea what was going on.

Chris was able to get one of the slides up by himself, and Eli had a blast playing on just that section for a few weeks...

A few weeks later we begged Chris' oldest brother to come help. :)

Here they are finishing up everything...

Eli was a big helper for uncle Steve and Daddy.

Here are the girls watching...actually, Abby did a lot of work too! I love a man that isn't afraid to ask for help.

Eli loving the tire swing...

We have played outside everyday since. Ileigh loves the baby swing and I think Eli has gone down the slides a thousand times already.

What a great investment!

Two days ago we bought a fabulous double stroller off of Craigslist...I am hoping we get some great use out of it on our vacation coming up!

I am currently looking for a queen headboard to redo for Ileigh's room on Craigslist. :)

This parenting thing, it is going to hurt

2011-09-15T09:54:00.000-05:00

Disappointment.

At the end of the first day of Eli’s MDO this semester I was met by a young, tired worker with a tired smile. Kudos to her; a room full of 2 year olds is not exactly my idea of fun…maybe for an hour, but not long after that I would be checking the clock every 5 mins.

I asked how Eli had been and she told me that he had gotten a sticker for helping pick up toys. “YAY! Go Eli” I thought to myself. She showed me the paper where all the stars were collected.

Then I saw it. I saw children that had three stars next to their name. Three.

My heart sank. I have never in my life been disappointed in Eli. He has always gone beyond my expectations of him. He walked early, talked early. He has always been the best in my little world; and if he wasn’t the best, I am sure I found a justification as to why.

But there was no way around that one star. Immediately I started blaming myself. I am totally a self-blamer; when things go wrong I blame inward and not outward. I should have made him help more picking up toys. I should have spanked him harder when he hit his sister- maybe it is my fault because I spank him at all. The list went on and on.

That one stupid star ruined my day…actually a couple of days.

My whole worth as a mom was tied to that one star. I mean, when you give up your career to stay at home, your career becomes your children. Believe me, if I didn’t feel lead by God to stay at home- I would be at work…in a heartbeat. As much as I try to be Betty Crocker and Martha Stewart, I long for the adult interaction and tangible numbers of success that are found in the structure of a good work environment.

This is one of those blog posts that I would love to skip over and not write. To me it shows just how far I have to come in my ideas of parenting and my goals/dreams/expectations of our children. If I can let a little sticker get me down, what will it be like when Eli comes home with a less-than-perfect report card? Or if he decides that college really isn’t for him and wants to backpack across some foreign land and not go to school. Am I really able to let go of all of my dreams for him, my expectations so that he is able to lead the life that he is called? This is hard.

This is going to hurt.

This parenting thing, it is going to hurt.

Last week I was sitting in a room full of wonderful ladies, they pour out their concerns for their children. Young and old, the concern of a parent never ends. There is no magic cutoff day when you stop worrying about them. And they are convinced that it just gets harder…what?

Man, sometimes the responsibility of being a parent just gets to me. But man, what a ride; what if we can succeed to help build responsible, respectful, compassionate God-fearing children. That is a legacy.

Ileigh, 7 months

2011-09-06T23:19:00.001-05:00

Man, these last few weeks have been rough, but seeing this little girl's smile helps me gain a little better perspective. :)

Ileigh is 7 months old. Crazy.

She said her first words this month. Of course it was "Da-da". I told Chris it was just a "happy coincidence" the first time, but then she said it three more times. Dang. I guess I need to try harder with our next child. Eli's first word was also Da-da.

For Da-da being her first word, she sure is a momma's girl. I can't even walk past her without those cute little arms waving in the air and those big eyes pleading for me to pick her up.

Good thing she is cute. :)

She is wearing 9 month pj's not really because she is long, even though she is, but more because we have barely bought this little one any clothes and there just happened to be a gap between 6-9 months. So 9 month pj's it is. I still can't spend twelve dollars on a sleeper that will only last a few months...

(I love this photo. She is watching two other little girls play. See that adorable little dimple? Awe.)

We thought she would for sure have teeth by now, but none yet. I have found no logical reasoning explaining the fussiness/restless nights/moodiness/drama...except for maybe a loud 2 1/2 year old interrupting a good nap pattern...hmmmm.

She hasn't been to the doctor yet for shots this month, so I really don't know how much weight she has gained. Did you know that people taking chemo shouldn't hold a vaccinated child for two weeks? The vaccination leaks through their skin and can affect an already low immune system. Now we all know. My dad just took his second of six chemo treatments, and it is a little difficult to line up her shots with his treatments.

People told me that having children this close together would be hard- hard for the first year and then wonderful after that. I thought we were doing pretty well, but it has seemed to snowball here recently. A lot of family in town and a lot of missed naps make for unhappy kids and tired mommas. But, in a few short weeks we will be back in the wonderfully structured fall season! WooHoo!

Ileigh,

Never doubt our love for you. You are amazing, little one. I cannot wait to see what is in store for you. You are simply gorgeous. Your big, deep blue eyes are changing into the same beautiful brown eyes your brother has. I love it. Your little smile is just breath taking. I have yet to go somewhere without someone taking note of just how beautiful you are.

You are one strong willed little girl, who knows exactly what you want, and you aren't afraid to tell anyone about it.

I hope you stay exactly that way, my love.

Eli's First Day of School...

2011-09-05T22:54:00.004-05:00

I don't know, but it seems like there is a world of difference between 2 and 2 1/2.

Man, looking back on it now, Eli still seemed like a sweet little baby still back then...only six months ago.

Now he seems to be all grown up...with a grown-up attitude to boot

We have totally entered into the "why" phase.

Cute, yes, but man I have quickly learned to not even try to out reason him. UGH! The child!

He must take after his daddy...the attorney.

Oh, and I have to add in that he said his first "bad word" too- Thank you, Thomas the Train!!!

Do you see why I don't want him watching TV?!? Really, Thomas the Train taught him his first bad word! UGH!

(It was shut-up in case you were wondering)

Anyway, about a week and a half ago was Eli's first day back to MDO. We are still doing one day a week, but based on all the photo editing and cleaning I should be doing it should be two.

Never the less, one day it is.

Here is Eli showing off his new nap mat that I finally finished- errrrr...I mean almost finished. It still needs some straps, but hey, he can lay on it!

He also got to wear his "sprinkle" shirt (the teacher told me she really appreciated it!). He really loves that shirt...:) yay.

Really.

He loves it.

Here is a picture of his first day of school last March...It seems like he has grown so much since then.

According to my camera...

2011-08-17T14:15:00.000-05:00

According to my camera, Ileigh had her first taste of baby food on August 10th at 2:59p.m.

Man, I didn't even remember when we started; it has only been a week ago. She started on cereal a few days before she turned 6 months...I think.

(We have had a little bit going on; at least that is my excuse.)

Anyway, here is a picture of the optimistic start...

(Yes, I don't have the cover of the high chair on. It has been repurposed by Eli as some sort of fireman's hat and coat. Don't judge- the child is lucky I cleaned the high chair off for her! :))

Homemade acorn squash baby food! (If you ever get the chance, make your own baby food. It is really easy and very cost effective)

And the less than dramatic after picture. She just looks stunned.

"Well, thanks. What was that, Mom?"

"Ummm. It was good, I guess. Sorta."

This little one is still refusing a bottle, but hang on- she is halfway drinking out of a sippy cup. ThankYouJesus.

An awesome friend of mine gave me a few of their old sippy cups and she really loved them! She has just had a little water with her squash so far, but maybe soon she will drink milk too!

Ileigh is also cutting two teeth. I can see them...I know I can see them. I am hoping that I can see them and it isn't just my imagination. I would love to explain her recent neediness and fussiness! :)

Kick Back Day

2011-08-10T15:37:00.000-05:00

Man, we love July. The big culmination of the month is the White Deer Rodeo and Kick Back Day. Tons of family come into town and we all hang out and eat a ton of good food- what could be better? :)

Eli would say "fire trucks". This was his year.

Here is my baby girl at her first Kick Back Day parade!

Here was Eli and I in 2009...

Eli got to ride in the fire truck with Memamaw and Gramps! He was in heaven. Just this morning he asked if he could see "Eli in the fire truck picture". We might have to print it out for him to put on his wall.

Here is our clan claiming our spot for prime candy-gettin'.

:) I hung out with Ileigh while daddy took pictures and Eli rode the fire truck.

Ileigh and her great grandpa...

Our beautiful niece, Megan was in the parade. :) We were super proud!

Emma and her daddy...

Eli got to wear his finished sprinkle shirt! He has been asking for weeks and I caved. I wanted to do a little photoshoot with it first, but I knew it was the perfect outfit for the event. He loved the bouncy house.

We even coaxed him to climb up the slide and slide down! What a big boy!

No joke, he is fearless...or he just doesn't know better. He is over 8ft off the ground in this shot.

Maybe he won't have his daddy's fear of heights; but then again, when this is his normal routine, who could be afraid?

I love July...:)

6 month pictures

2011-08-06T09:22:00.002-05:00

I wanted to take a few pictures of Ileigh with some things of my Nanny's in WD. The weekend we went down for the rodeo was the perfect opprotunity! Here are a few of my favs. (Thanks, Stef for letting us use your new blanket!)

Nanny thinks Ileigh looks just like a cupie doll.

Big Boy Bed

2011-08-05T17:34:00.000-05:00

I have been a little emotional lately. Eli started sleeping in his "big boy bed" this week.

I was actually looking for sheets in Kohl's for the queen bed in Ileigh's room and started crying when I saw all of the college stuff. I could help but think that soon Eli will be in a twin bed. I slept in a twin bed until I was a senior in high school. I could just see Eli packing all his things and heading out the door for college. Ah!

Anyway.

Originally, we had planned to buy a toddler bed for him and move the crib to Ileigh's room. After our trip to Dallas and seeing the quality of what we would be getting for the price, we decided to build one. Actually, I decided that we Chris would build one. I saw a tutorial online of how to do it, but Chris didn't use it. He really can do everything...:)

Daddy loved having his little helper with him...

Eli was happy to help out...

Carrying the bed to make sure it fit! It did! Woot!

Eli really loves his new "big boy" bed.

Alot.

With all the fabric and materials we spent around $65- we were going to have to spend around $100-150 if we bought it. Awesome.

We moved his bed in his room Tuesday morning for naps that afternoon.

He has done great at night so far. Wednesday night we woke up to find that he had crawled between us, but last night he slept all through the night! Woot!

Favorite toy...

2011-08-05T14:21:00.000-05:00

One little girl got to try out her big brother's favorite toy...

She loved it.

I don't know if she loved it as much as he did, but we will be using it again!

Eli, August 2009

Nope, they don't look anything alike...not at all. :)

6 month old toes....

2011-07-30T23:20:00.000-05:00

I just can't seem to get over your little toes, Ileigh Grace.

Every single thing about you is amazing...even down to those adorable little toes.

We are so thankful to have you as our daughter...I can't wait to see you in 6 more months, in 6 years and then 16. This is already going by too fast.

Love you, and your little piggies too...

As soon as your back hits the floor you roll over to your tummy. Sometimes you automatically roll back over, but most of the time you get stuck and frustrated. You do a great job of holding yourself up off the floor- what a strong little one you are.

Your favorite person is still your big brother. Every single time you see him you get a huge smile on your face...someday soon the two of you will be getting into all kinds of trouble together. You love to sing and coo and have the best tooth-less smiles.

Can't wait to see how much you grow over this coming month...watching you grow is nothing short of amazing.

Mommy

Dang you, VBS...

2011-07-23T14:45:00.000-05:00

Not really.

But really come on.

Just like last year I saw these little scrapbooks and bawled like my 6 month old...

This is all just going by too fast...

I mean look at Eli in that picture; he isn't a baby anymore! :(

I also took a few pictures of this little one on the last day of VBS...I just love her outfit so much!

She is just so big. And cute. That too.

Of course, that big smile on her face isn't for me, it is for her big brother.

Tutu Cute

2011-07-22T16:01:00.000-05:00

We had big plans to take the kiddos for pictures while we were in Dallas. Sunday morning when we woke up, I knew that it would be a fight to get pictures; a fight I didn't want to fight! Eli was sooo tired and by the time he woke up and got moving, it was well on its way to being too hot to even try to get pictures outside.

We settled on taking a few pictures of Ileigh in the hotel.

Ahhh! She is just the sweetest little thing! :)

I just wanna dance...

2011-07-22T15:25:00.000-05:00

Last weekend we made a quick trip to Dallas to get out of town.

We were supposed to be going to pick up Eli's big boy bed from IKEA, but after seeing the prices and the quality we decided to do something else and picked Eli up a table and some chairs instead. It was just nice to get out of town for a little bit.

The kiddos did pretty great with the long car drive and we even got to see some of our friends! It was a great trip...

Eli thought so too...

Here he is showing off his moves in our hotel room...on his "stage".

Oh, yeah, break it down, E!

I also got to finally start Eli's sprinkle shirt that I have wanted to do forever!

Eli, 2.5

2011-07-12T22:42:00.001-05:00

Eli,

I don’t even know where to start. No list of adjectives can fully convey the likeness of you.

You, our precious first-born

You, our ornery little (big) boy with the most beautiful eyes I have ever seen and a huge cowlick I can never comb down

You, who can stop my heart and steal my breath

You, who I can’t remember life before or imagine life without

You, whose laugh is contagious

You, our little Eli

Your cognition and speaking skills blow me away. It is amazing to watch the growth of a child from infant to now. To go from total dependence to where you are now is nothing short of amazing.

You love to be outside, working on your trucks with your tools. You love to sit and listen to music. You are really “into” firemen, tractors, guitars and cowboys. You won’t take your boots off without a fight.

You are potty-trained! We are so proud of you.

You are very good with Ileigh and LOVE to help me take care of her or the puppies. When baby sister is crying in the car, you automatically start singing “Jesus Loves Me” so that she will stop. You also like to sing “Jesus Loves the Little Children”, “Twinkle, Twinkle”, “Mary had a Little Lamb”, “Sweetly Sings the Donkey” along with many, many more.

Your favorite song right now is “Fiddle-dee-dee”; you love to be tickled.

You are a huge fan of daddy. You love to “go up high”. You also love it when daddy gives you baths and swings you high in your towel. And even when I ask you what song you want me to sing you before you go to sleep you say “Daddy’s song” (Freedom, by Run Kid Run) instead of Mommy’s song (Find your Wings, by Mark Harris) or Eli’s song (Safe and Sound, by Matthew West).

In this picture, I think you look just like your daddy..

You can spell your name, count to 20, and you know where you live, your grandparents live and even cousin Emma. You can almost name all of the days of the week, but don't have a grasp of time yet. You have also just started having bad dreams. Most of the time they are of dinosaurs coming through the cracks or lions that bite your toes. I have no idea where in the world that came from, but it makes me sad to think that you are afraid.

Eli, I am so proud of you. I hope you always know just how loved you are. You are one special little boy. If I got to pick my son out of all the little boys in the world, I would pick you. Thank you for being who you are…Eli.

Just for fun, here are a few pictures of Chris and I. We weren't 2.5, but maybe you can tell who he looks more like...

Cowboy Eli...

2011-07-11T12:03:00.000-05:00

One little guy is all decked out and ready for the big rodeo in a few weeks!

Oh, he just melts my heart! :)

And tomorrow he will be 2 1/2...where in the world has the time gone?

I am sure we will be celebrating with a little ice cream. :)

Here I raise my Ebenezer...

2011-07-08T06:59:00.013-05:00

Ebenezer:
Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Jeshanah, and named it Ebenezer; for he said, "Thus far the LORD has helped us." So the Philistines were subdued and did not again enter the territory of Israel; the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel. The towns that the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron to Gath; and Israel recovered their territory from the hand of the Philistines. There was peace also between Israel and the Amorites. (1 Samuel 7:12-14 NRSV)

The word "Ebenezer" comes from Hebrew and is actually two words pronounced together: Even Haazer. It is usually transliterated as a proper name by dropping the definite article (Ha) from the Hebrew word for "help" (Ezer) and putting it together with the Hebrew word for "stone" (Even) to create: "Ebenezer." The etymological roots of the word, thus defined, should demonstrate that an "Ebenezer" is, literally, a "Stone of Help."
Source

Background:
I have been in somewhat of a struggle with God these last few months. Don't misunderstand. I am firm in my faith, but I felt a little let down by God (crazy in retrospect of everything He has done for me, but He knows my heart, and I am being honest). I desired a natural birth with Ileigh. I knew it was unlikely, but I knew that if God wanted it to happen, it would. It wasn't until I was in the hospital being hooked up to IVs for a C-section that the reality of what was about to happen hit.

I had prepared myself for the C-section, and it went well and Ileigh is just perfect. In the weeks to come I felt selfish and ungrateful for not being satisfied with this beautiful gift of a child that God had- I wanted more. I wanted that natural birth experience. Something that I can't even bring myself to say out loud that I may never have. Honestly, I don't know why it is such a big deal to me...I mean, really? Come on, Tif, get your priorities straight. I should be overjoyed to have two beautiful, healthy children.

Most days I have peace, but every once in a while I would find myself questioning God. Really, thousands of natural births happen every day- why couldn't I be one of them? Didn't God understand how much this meant to me?

Anyway, I struggled. I saw God working through my friends; the little ways that God shows you, you matter. I saw nothing. I felt forgotten.

Main Story:
Sorry, that was a long explanation of where I was but I think that it is important to see what/where I was coming from.

A few weeks ago, Chris was rear-ended coming home from lunch. He was fine; a few chiropractic treatments and he was good to go. (Thank you, Lord)
His car was not. They deemed it totaled and actually gave us a pretty good deal to hand it over to them.

We had started saving for Chris a new car in December. We were halfway there. I was so excited to walk in, buy a car with cash and not have a car payment. There was no way that would happen after this wreck.

We started the search for a low-mile, used car. We spent many nights searching the internet until midnight...nothing.
Finally I told Chris that I was expecting God to do something; to show us exactly which car to buy. Buying a car was a huge deal for us- that is a lot of money, people! Finding a good car that would last for a long time was very important.

The next week, we were told about a new Ford Fusion that was in our budget range. We were totally against buying new, but there was NOTHING out there that didn't have too many miles or didn't get horrific gas mileage. (I think that could have something to do with the economy- no one is trading in their cars at the moment). Cool, we thought that we had found the car. Chris had also gone to a new dealership here in town and found a Nissan a little out of our range, but that he loved. Of course after test-drives and comparing the cars online and reading reviews, because of our "Ramsey" ways, we went with what we could afford. Friday, everything was set in stone, a dealer in Oklahoma was going to get this Ford in Dallas and we would meet that next Thursday to pick it up. Done deal.

While we were happy that we had found a car, I was still frustrated. I even told Chris I was disapointed in God. We had prayed and I had total faith that He was going to show us a car- and give us some sort of sign. I didn't pray for a specific car-that part didn't really matter to me; I prayed for a sign to show us which one to get. I wanted some sort of confirmation. We had none.

Long story even longer, tiny detail after tiny detail kept delaying the Ford from being picked up. Finally, after many phone calls, Thursday (the day we were suppose to be getting the car) the dealer in Oklahoma called to say that the car in Dallas had sold. Well, that was all the sign I needed- as soon as Chris said that I told him to call the Nissan place here in town and see if the car he was looking at was still there.

Chris called back and was elated. The car was there, and since it was the last day of their current special and the first day of their new special, the Ford and the Nissan ended up being the same price...but only on that day, for two more hours.

Ah! There was the sign- how crazy?! The timing was absolutely perfect. Chris called them back and told them to start the paper work. We set out on a celebration dinner to McAlisters--

After a happy dinner we pulled up to the Nissan dealership and immediately the salesman that we were working with and the district manager met us at the car. Five minutes he had hung up the phone with Chris, another salesman had sold the car. It had been sitting there for months. And sold 5 minutes after Chris got off the phone to start the paperwork...on a Thursday night. Who buys cars on Thursdays?

The district manager out of Lubbock was unbelievably gracious and offered us the same exact car, except a 2012, for the same price. It had just been unloaded off the truck 2 days before. He gave us an incredible deal, losing money because of what he considered his worker's mistakes. He didn't have to do that.

Now, that is what I am talking about! There was a sign.

Thank you, Jesus for your faithfulness...even in my lack thereof.

I know that in retrospect, this is just a small thing. Sometimes, all I need is a small glimpse of His love.

Daddy's Gotta New Set of Wheels...

2011-07-07T12:22:00.000-05:00

Many of you don't know, but Chris' car was totaled a few weeks ago when a woman rear-ended him at a red light...

Chris was fine after a few chiropractic treatments (shout out to Dr. Kaci Cooper here in Amarillo!).

The woman's insurance company gave us more to hand the car over to them than we could have gotten for a trade-in, so we just let them come pick it up.

Of course, we are total dorks, so we had to take pictures before it was gone. Do you see our little budding photographer? :)

This has been such a great car for us. Chris got it right out of his undergrad and we paid it off before we moved for law school. It has made countess trips to Kansas and Oklahoma for us. It holds a ton of memories...

And this is all it took for it to be "totaled". The damage is a little worse than what it appears in the photo, but really, we didn't think it would be totaled.

Here they are taking it away. It looks more like it is being repossessed. Chris was sure to tell the neighbors what was going on...

After a week of being a single car family, Chris found a car! Hooray!

And I only forgot to pick him up from work once!

I don't have a picture of him and his new car, but this is what it looks like! It is exactly what he wanted; actually, it was even more than what he wanted and we are thrilled with it.

Fun Fourth...

2011-07-05T16:32:00.000-05:00

I just happen to think that these two were the cutest little things in red, white and blue yesterday...

We have had the same 4th of July routine for years: Pancake Breakfast, Canyon Parade, Fair on the Square and then a cookout and fireworks in WD. This year we have a burn ban in place because of the drought; it was the first year I can remember where we didn't buy fireworks. But, it was still fun...and with a two year old and a five month old, it was probably for the best!

Eli LOVED seeing the fire trucks in Canyon while we waiting in line for breakfast...

Gosh. I just love that kiddo.

Speaking of love, I LOVE this little happy girl too...

Every year Chris' parents join us...or we join them really. They are the ones that started the tradition.

Miss Ileigh and Mema...

Oh, Ileigh's first pancake breakfast!

Here is Eli at his first pancake breakfast...

And his third yesterday...he LOVED the parade!

Ileigh slept through the parade in Mema's air conditioned car. Chris and I switched off sitting with her and sitting with Eli in the back of my car...

After the parade, we sat on the grass in the square. Ileigh practiced sitting up and Eli ran around in the grass making new friends...

Total Daddy's girl...

That is okay, we might have a Momma's boy on our hands...:)

After all the fun on the square, we had lunch and got ready for our parents to come over for dinner. We ended up making our own fireworks when we caught the grill on fire. :) Ha! Fun times!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Fourth of July!

Ileigh Grace- 5 months

2011-07-01T14:28:00.001-05:00

One little girl is just growing like a little weed around here.

Little Miss Ileigh's 5 month birthday was this week. Crazy!!! How has it been 5 months?

She was very excited about it!

Eli was pretty excited too...or a tad jealous and wanted in the picture.

Awww, he has my heart.

Can I just stop this post for a moment and tell you how much I LOVE this headband?

We are now about to a half inch of light red hair that sticks straight up on Ileigh's head...we need to wear headbands...we will probably need to wear them for another year! Anyway, I saw this one and couldn't help but order it...

Back to the child:

Ileigh is doing great at sitting up. It is funny because I think I tend to doubt her abilities. I always catch myself thinking she is too little to try things (like the high chair, the exersaucer, sitting up by herself...) then, I see pictures of Eli doing it at her age and I give it a shot- and she does great. I think we were more ~~pushy~~ encouraging with Eli than Ileigh to grow up faster.

She really likes the exersaucer...

And this month, she found her feet. She hasn't started sucking on them yet, but I am waiting on the day so that I can snag that picture!

Some little boy wanted to pose like sister...:)

Ileigh weighs about 14lbs, 5oz and just went to the doctor for her 5 month shots.

She will not take a bottle for anything! Ugh! This child will probably never take a bottle...just go straight to a sippy cup...at least, I hope she won't refuse that too! This was never an issue with Eli so we are totally in unchartered water. No fun at all.

She rolled over from back to tummy early this month, but still doesn't really like to be on her tummy. She loves to stand and move around. She doesn't really like to be rocked or cuddled. :( I am hoping I can convince her of otherwise....

But gosh, is she cute!

Sweet baby girl,

What a gift you are. You are amazing. We are so proud to be your mommy and daddy!

Father's Day

2011-06-19T22:56:00.001-05:00

Happy Father's Day to the man my kiddos are blessed enough to call their daddy and I, my husband.

Seriously, if you have been around Chris for very long, you know what a phenomenal father he is. I cannot wait to see his relationship with our kiddos grow. We are so blessed to have a man that would give up anything for us. He makes many sacrifices for the betterment of our family and I am so grateful I chose him to marry.

Happy Father's Day, honey. I am so proud of the father you are to our children.

I hesitate...

2011-06-17T15:34:00.003-05:00

I have been putting off writing this post for over a week now. I am terrified that we are going to regress back to the land of diapers. But, I don't think there is any turning back now...

Eli is potty trained!

I cannot believe how big he is. What in the world happened to my baby boy?!? Where did he go? How did it happen this fast and without my consent?

Here are a couple of pictures Chris snapped of him while we were on a photoshoot last weekend. Who better to test the light for us? :) He LOVED Jaxon's football, so for his big reward for no accidents last week, we went to the store and bought him one. Heaven help us if he is a football player. His daddy and I will totally be out of our element. Not that I am limiting him at all though- he is pretty amazing.

He has done great. We started going out of the house on diaper-free outings last Sunday. No accidents! He still is a little fearful when we aren't at home, but I expected much worse. Now, we will just have to work on someone besides me taking him- like the grandparents! Today we made a two hour trek and still no accidents. Wow, if someone would have told me that everything we went through in the first three days would work I would have laughed in their face.

We still use diapers at night...will someone please explain pull-ups to me? We bought a box and they are super expensive! Ah! (Okay, most of you know I am cheap) What is the point of them? Isn't it pretty much like a diaper at night anyway? Except that they can pull them down like underwear? Honestly, I really don't care about that...Eli seems to adjust just fine with out the pull-ups, so we will keep wearing diapers at night for a while.

Funny conversation with Eli yesterday:

(Referring to the Cars on his big boy underwear, as we are putting them back on from a successful potty break)

Eli: They are mad!

Me: They are mad? Why are they mad?

Eli: They need a cookie. Cookies make them happy!

Me: Cookies make them happy? Do cookies make Eli happy too?

Eli: Yeah!

(The Car charaters did look a little angry...more along the line of competitive though, but I didn't feel like explaining that...I will save that conversation for another day)

San Antonio

2011-06-07T15:48:00.000-05:00

A month ago we went to San Antonio. Yep. I am that far behind.

It was a work trip for Chris and he asked Ileigh and I to tag along. Eli went on "acation" to White Deer to ride John Deere tractors and look at big trucks all day.

I didn't want to go. I didn't want to leave Eli and I didn't think that Ileigh would do very well on the plane. Eli had a few rough moments when he wanted his mommy and daddy, and Ileigh did great except for about 20 minutes of one flight. Take it from me, those of you with small babies: It doesn't get easier for you to leave your child. Honestly, I think that I worry more about Eli now than when he was really little. Start early. You need time away...and so do they.

Anyway, here was Ileigh's bed for the trip:

Comfy, cozy, huh? Parenting has helped our improvising skills...

Here is Ileigh and her daddy...:)

And her mommy, who comes in at a close second to her daddy. I'm okay with that.

We love San Antonio...Chris proposed on the River Walk. It will always have a special place in our hearts.

See how Ileigh is taking in all the sights?

She was very good for the most part and tons of people stopped us to comment on what a good baby she was, let alone how adorable she is...:)

She did get a little tired of her car seat though...

We were staying right across the street from the Alamo. I enjoyed watching all the school kids touring it from our room window while editing pictures and waiting on Chris to get out of his meetings...

We took the opportunity to "culture" Ileigh...

Daddy explained the significance of the Alamo...

Aren't they sweet? :)

Oh, yes little one, the eyes of Texas are upon you...how could they not be? You are amazing, little one.

Chris got a new program for HDR images that he is loving and loved testing it out...

Pretty cool...

We were gone over Chris' birthday, so we celebrated the week before. Of course we had to find a birthday cake on the actual day-of though!

Love my hubby. To many, many more happy birthdays!