Monday, June 29, 2009

An Oldie but a Goodie...

This video is from when Maddie was about 6 or 7 months old, and I meant to post it then. But it got lost in the depths of my computer and just resurfaced last night. Enjoy!



(PS...seeing this made me remember that I haven't posted pictures of our new living room furniture! I'll try to do that this week. Things have been a little hairy here with sick babies and mommies)

Monday, June 22, 2009

Fun Father's Day Weekend

Andy's first Father's Day Weekend was a lot of fun...I enjoyed it as much as my first Mother's Day! We had really anticipating this weekend for a few reasons: first, our friends Brian and Dawn were coming in town with their little one, Nathan. Nathan and Maddie are 6 weeks apart, so Dawn has been a great resource for me. Nathan is just old enough that he is going through all his baby milestones before Maddie--but not so old that Dawn can't remember the answers to my millions of Mommy questions! We always have such a great time when we all get together--they are another great family we are blessed to have in our lives!
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Kiddos Playing
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Sharing Nathan's Favorite Book
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Handsome Boy!
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Another "Daddy's Watching The Baby" Pic...Brian and Andy sacked out in the playroom
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We spent Saturday night at Kensley and Jason's Wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony and the reception was a blast. True to form, I cried at least 6 times throughout the night. My friend Elizabeth watched Maddie, but since Nathan is a night owl, he joined the party with us. He was a trooper and so well behaved! Kensley was an absolutely gorgeous bride and my friend Sarah was one of her beautiful bridesmaids.

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Mr. and Mrs. Sutherlin
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Brian, Nathan, and Dawn
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Nathan and Brian on the Dance Floor...Nathan LOVES to push his stroller!
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***After dinner, the Tuxedo T-shirt came out--because Jason and Kenz, they're formal, but they still like to party.
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Scott, Sarah, and Abigail
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Sarah, Kenz, and Me!
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The next day was Father's Day, and the very first one for all three boys--Scott, Brian, and Andy. The families spent some time at our house in the morning, and the babies got to play!

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Little Blessings
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Maddie and Nathan love to read!
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Who, Me?
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Later that afternoon, we took Maddie and Nathan to the Spray Park in our neighborhood. I think the Daddies had more fun than the babies.

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Proud Daddies!
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All in all, another fun and fabulous weekend! We can't wait to get back together with Brian and Dawn for the 4th of July. Hope everyone reading this has a wonderful week, and takes some time to tell special friends how much they mean to them!



Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Remembering Kelly

The last few days have been hard ones for me. On Sunday evening, my friend Kelly succumbed to Colon Cancer. I won't say she "lost her battle," because she didn't lose. In the end, she died the way she lived...on her own terms. She was only 29.

I feel such a mix of emotions. Regret is a big one. Kelly and I met when I taught at Carroll, and for that school year we spoke every day. When I left the school, we only saw each other every few months or so. I knew she was sick, why didn't I try harder to spend time with her? Because I never felt like this would happen. Over the years that Kelly had cancer, I always said, "Yeah, Kelly is sick...but she's going to be fine. She'll get over this! She's a fighter!" By the time I truly accepted how sick she was, she was too weak to see anyone but family and her very closest friends. The last time I saw her was when we went to jointly celebrate our birthdays. Maybe that's a blessing...my memories of her will always be happy ones. I don't have images of her in the hospital seared into my mind like some of her other friends do. I selfishly wish I could have spent more time with her, said "Goodbye," but I really don't think that is what she would have wanted. Instead, when I think of our goodbye, I see us sitting on the patio at her favorite Italian restaurant, laughing about life and watching her attempt to eat a bowl of pasta bigger than her tiny body!

Yesterday I was listening to the radio when a song by Miley Cyrus (of all people!) came on. I started to just bawl. I wrapped my arms around Maddie and felt completely overcome with pain. Why? Why her and not me? Why do I have this beautiful life, so full of love, and her life is over? I don't understand. I don't deserve the happiness God has blessed me with. I have never understood my purpose in life. But I think Kelly's passing taught me something about myself. Maybe my purpose in life is simply to BE THERE for others. To comfort those closer to Kelly than I was, like my good friend Elizabeth. To lift up my husband in prayer and make his home a refuge. And to raise my daughter, who is a daily reminder that God does answer prayers. Maybe my purpose in this life is to help them acheive THIER greater purpose. Thank you, Kelly, for teaching me something that has eluded me for so long.

On a lighter note, I called my friend Elizabeth to tell her, "If Kelly is tuned to my station from Heaven right now, she is TICKED that I am listening to Miley Cyrus and crying over her!" Elizabeth agreed...Aerosmith maybe, but not Miley!

I have said to several people that I think the best way for me to remember Kelly is to try to be more like her. She was the type of person who would have wanted to leave this world a better place. All through her cancer struggle, she never complained. She never asked why. She simply tried to find ways to help others. She kept her positive outlook until the end, when she decided she was ready to go. So I am going to attempt to emulate her by trying to be more appreciative of the many blessings in my life. She is probably laughing at me...she knows I'm a complainer by nature! I'm going to try my best, Kelly!

Kelly was loved by many people...her family of course, her husband, friends from school, college, work, teaching and her students. Please pray that they all find peace, and comfort in the knowledge that she is no longer in pain. She was confident that she would be in Heaven and able to watch over those that loved her, but I know she would want us all to pray for them.

Monday, June 1, 2009

Another Great Weekend!

We are recovering today from a very busy, bun fun weekend! I spent most of Friday cooking to get ready for a wedding shower for our friends Kensley and Jason...less than three weeks until their big day, and I'm so excited! It's been a while since Andy and I went to a wedding, and I'm sure I'll have a good cry at the ceremony (like always) and a good time at the reception (like always, ha!).

Sunday was Maddie's first visit to the pool! One of the best things about our neighborhood is the awesome pool complex. I've been anxiously waiting for this summer to see if she liked the pool.

Watch this video and tell me how you think she feels about it:



We had so much fun, and I'm going to try to take her as much as I can during the week. Here are some more pics...

Sunday night we had pizza with our good friends Madeline and John, and Maddie got to hang out with her buddy JoJo. I don't have any pictures of them together, but the girls had a blast in Maddie's new playroom. Yes, RIP to our pointless dining room that I have complained about for 3 years. It is reborn as Toytown, Texas. This was the BEST decision we have made in a long time. The rest of the house stays neater, and I feel so much more sane! Maddie loves having all her toys in one safe and secure place, especially now that she is crawling everywhere.

So, tell me, can YOU spot the happy baby in this picture?