Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Feeding the Ducks

While we were in Florida, we went to the park to feed the ducks. I don't think Madeline had seen a duck up close until then. It was so funny watching her watch them. She tried to follow them into the water a couple of times and seemed completely fascinated by them! It was so cute...it brought back so many memories I have of feeding the ducks with my Granny. I loved watching her with her grandparents! Madeline also got to swing, slide, and play while we were at the park! 












Christmas with Gannaw and Ganpaw


Since we knew we wouldn't see Terry's parents at Christmas this year, we let Madeline open her presents with them at Thanksgiving. She loved opening her presents! She got all kinds of goodies and plays with them all the time! From books to baby strollers to new clothes, she got it all! She is completely rotten! 

New clothes -- this is also the new facial expression she picked up while we were there! Cracks me up!


Sponge Bob Pajamas!



Madeline and Baby Emma

There is nothing sweeter than watching someone else love your  child. I think that is the beauty of grandparents! She loves them so much and I was so thankful she got to open her presents with them so they could see her sweet face. 

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Halloween

No time like one week before Christmas to post Halloween pictures! I can't believe I got so far behind on blogging. :(

We went trick or treating with a couple of friends and their kids in our neighborhood. I have been around for 28 Halloweens and have NEVER seen anything like Halloween in our neighborhood. Apparently our neighborhood is one of the San Angelo trick or treating hot spots...there were hundreds of people. It was insane. I skipped school because my class didn't end until 7:15 and I was afraid it would be too dark and Madeline would be too tired to go if I went to class first. Well, it was a smart decision because I literally wouldn't have gotten back to my house if I had left. Anyway, we had a good time. Madeline carried her bucket like a big girl, and once or twice just sat down to "sort" her candy! It was so cute!!!







Disappointed...

I am feeling disappointment to the point that I feel the need to blog about it. I am so thankful that our troops are leaving Iraq, yet I am so saddened by our country's lack of support. I realize the end of this war and their return in no way compares to the persecution - yes I did use the correct word there -- that our poor men who fought in Vietnam faced. I am just disappointed that we don't have the same support for our military that we had after 9/11 nor the same pride in who we are as a nation. I feel like the lives of over 4,500 Americans are not being recognized as heroic, as they were lost in this war. War is never pretty, but if you are thankful to be able to go to the church of your choice or to not go to church at all, then you have the obligation to be supportive of the men and women who give you that freedom.

Let me make this personal for a second. First and foremost my husband fought in this war for 9 long months. I wouldn't hear from hear for days and sometimes weeks at a time while he was deployed. He had to go "outside the wire" several times while he was there, and when he was one the phone with me during the New Year in Iraq, all I could hear was gunshots and someone over a loud speaker yelling for them to take cover as our call was disconnected. I didn't hear from him until 2 days later. Thank God he came home with no physical injuries. My cousin is still in rehab for his injuries, including the loss of both of his legs, he sustained almost a year ago. My brother-in-law deployed more than once and lost one of his very best friends in this war. My dad did the funeral for a 24 year old father who died in this war. A good friend's bother had his feet amputated, among other injuries. This war changed people's lives in huge ways. More than likely, you know someone who's life has been forever changed by this war. Even the men and women who come home safe physically will bear the mental and emotional scars of this war for their entire lives.

I am so thankful for our military, the everyday sacrifices they make, as well as the life altering ones. So if you see a member of our military, shake their hand, thank them out loud (more than likely they have deployed to fight this forgotten war), buy them a drink or a meal, just let them know you appreciate them. Most importantly, pray for our men and women who are still in Afghanistan. CNN, MSNBC, and Fox news may have forgotten them but their spouses, children, and families certainly have not.

PS this is not a plug for Terry to get free food :) :) :) 

Thursday, December 15, 2011

11 Months

I totally missed 10 months and since Madeline's one year birthday is in two weeks I figured I better get working on her 11 month post! :)

Madeline,

You are 11 months old!! (plus 2 weeks...eek!) You are about 20lbs...not sure how tall you are but your size 12 month jeans are pushing the highwater line! You still wear a size 4 shoe and size 3 diapers. You wear mostly size 12months clothes but your pajamas with feet are all 18 months because you are so long! They're a little long but the size 12 doesn't come close to fitting! You still sleep all night and take 2-3 naps during the day! 

You are into EVERYTHING! I feel like I say this every month and you  continue to prove to me how much more of a handful you can be...You love "organizing" the tupperware!



You LOVE animals...when we visited Gannaw and Ganpaw, you LOVED their cats. The cats weren't quite as fond of you. You have yet to meet an animal that doesn't make you squeal with delight! Wonder where you get that??  


You LOVE to play outside. You especially love the park and are getting to where you can play on some of the equipment. I love it too! 


You are still taking about 3-4 bottles a day. I am pretty certain our biggest struggle will be getting you off the bottle. Thankfully, we don't have to do it just yet because you really love your bottle. I gave you cow's milk and you love it! You are finishing up the last can of formula and then you'll be only on cow's milk! Yea!!! You still love cheese in any form -- macaroni and cheese, grilled cheese, quesadillas, string cheese, sliced cheese...you get the idea. You also haven't met a fruit that you don't like. You really love strawberries, peaches, and bananas. You eat three meals a day and two snacks. You also found a new love this month -- nutri-grain bars! 


You have been trying to climb for a while now but you are just now becoming successful. You can climb on and off the futon, off the couch, and just figured out how to climb onto your bouncy seat and then up onto the entertainment center to touch the TV...oh man! 




You are running now...you especially love to run from me when you see a diaper come out or an outfit. You HATE getting your diaper changed and you HATE getting dressed. It is my least favorite thing to do for you...you usually end up upside down and turned around by the time we finish getting you ready to go somewhere!  It is also becoming increasingly difficult to get a good picture of your face since you like to run from us now! 


I am loving your facial expressions. You make your face into an "O" when you see something new that excites you and you point to it making the "oh" sound. SO cute! You also make the turtle face now when I ask for a kiss...I kinda think you know what kiss is because you used to give me the open mouth ones, but since you know how to do a turtle face now, you give me that instead and then laugh. You already have such a funny sense of humor! 



You got your first baby doll and you love her. You play with her a lot, but when you are down you tend to throw her on the ground. Sometimes you bang her on stuff. Her name is Emma, and I bet you two are going to make lots of memories together! 


You are just silly right now. Everything is funny to you, and you are consistently entertaining Daddy and me. We love your little laugh! 


You really enjoy helping me load and unload the dishwasher. You especially love knives...you wear me out! 


You eat almost every meal in the nude because you were ruining clothes faster than I could afford to buy them. You haven't left a bib on since you were about 5 months old so that didn't work either so now you just eat naked...unless we are in public! 

Your favorite toys right now are anything in the shape of a ball. You love balls and balloons! You also really love peek-a-boo and hide and seek. You love it when I jump out and surprise/scare you! You crack up laughing. My favorite time of day is right before bed when Daddy and I play with you in your room and you just soak it all in.

I could never tell you how you have changed our lives. Your Daddy and I can't remember what we did before you came along, what we talked about, or where our money went! ;) We love you SO much!!! You are truly a gift from God, and we are so grateful He chose us to be your parents. We love you sweet girl!!!

Sunday, December 11, 2011

Secret Sunday

This isn't much of a secret anymore...well, not to Terry at least. I have this dishonest exaggerating quality where when I spend money I round down. For example, when Terry asks me how much my $23 shirt is, I will say, $20. Surely I am not the only woman on the planet who does this though...

Friday, November 25, 2011

Black Friday

There are SO many blessings that have come with being married to Terry. However, after being married to him for over 8 years I have found that I lost a very important part of myself....my love of shopping in massive crowds of crazy people fighting over a $10 infant laptop. I used to go Black Friday shopping every year but the longer I was married to Terry the more he had me convinced that it was crazy madness that only an insane person would participate in. Sadly, I let my priorities get out of order....but there is a happy ending to this story. This year changed me...I am back! It must be Madeline bringing out the best in me! I headed out this year at 9pm with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law. We went to Toys r Us which I have to admit was a little too wild for me but then we went to Walmart. After Walmart we tackled Bealls then when they pooped out, my friend picked me up and we headed to Target.  I finally called it quits a little after 3am. I can't tell you how Black Friday shopping makes me feel. I got this rush of adrenaline. It is the BEST feeling! I love getting a bargain and seeing people fight over Dora pajamas that are only about $3 cheaper than normal just puts me in the holiday spirit. I realize I sound crazy but to see all these people so passionate about a good deal just warms my heart. I got so many cute presents for my baby for her first Christmas and birthday and have decided this will be my tradition. It's not cheap having Christmas and your only child's birthday just three days apart so any deal I can get helps! Anyway, it was SO fun and I am SO ready for Christmas!

Thursday, November 24, 2011

Thankful

I didn't intentionally take a month off from blogging. Life has been hectic and my computer that has all my pictures and that I blog from crashed and Terry hasn't had a chance to fix it. He ended up remodeling our hall bathroom....not for aesthetics...for necessity! I have lots to post about but wanted to do a Thanksgiving post today. Sorry for no pictures...I am not sure I want to upload them on the laptop because there are SO many.

We are in Florida at Terry's parents house for Thanksgiving. I think you would be hard pressed to find two people who love their granddaughter more than they love Madeline. She adores them as well and has been completely comfortable from the moment we got here -- thinking all those hours on Skype have paid off! Anyway, I wanted to list all the things I am thankful for so here goes...

1. For Jesus...for loving me and for saving me...so thankful for His forgiveness and unconditional love

2. For Terry...I have to admit I was concerned about how he would do with a baby. He really is an amazing Dad and I couldn't ask for anyone to love my baby more. He adores her! Through thick and thin, he is my best friend and my partner in this sometimes crazy life!

3. For my sweet Madeline...words could never express how I feel about my girl. She lights up my life and is the most amazing blessing. Her little personality is incredible, and she has brought so much joy to my life.

4. For my family...my parents and Terry's parents. They have supported and encouraged us over the years and have given us examples of how to make marriage last. I am thankful for Christian influences in our lives and hope we can love our children like they have loved us. My brother, sister, and sister-in-laws....love them all dearly. My niece and nephews...I love them so much and each one of them is so special to me in their own way.

5. My Granny...I wanted to be just like her when I was little. She is my only surviving grandparent and I love her so much. She is the most generous person I have ever met. I am also so very thankful for my grandparents who are already with Jesus. They made a huge impact on my life, and were phenomenal people. My Mamaw loved Jesus and was the nicest, most genuine person I have ever known. She truly never had a bad thing to say about anyone. My Pap for all the mornings he took us fishing with him, and for forgiving us for no telling how many animals we scared away that would've been a sure shot for him! My Papaw who could make a friend out of anyone and would talk to anyone anywhere anytime -- now you know where I get it! My Papaw could make anyone laugh and lit up any room he was in. I miss them and hope to leave the same legacy with my children and grandchildren that they have left with me.

6. My pups...I realize my friends should probably be next but let's be honest for a second -- who loves me unconditionally? Who greets me every morning with a smile, wagging tail, and a kiss? I love my pups so much -- they have seen me through some rough times and are always the same. No one loves you like a dog...

7. My friends...I am so thankful for all of them. This year I am especially thankful for Stephanie. She has helped me tremendously since we moved to San Angelo. We have laughed a LOT, cried some, and had some of the best conversations about everything. She has made my life better and I think that's the true beauty of friendship. I am also especially thankful for my friends who have been there for me for years...you have all made my life so sweet and I am so grateful that I know I can pick up the phone and call you whether it has been ten minutes or ten months since we talked and you are always there for me. I love you!

8. My church...the move to San Angelo has been tough for us, but our lives have been tremendously blessed by our church. I can't adequately describe the love the people in our church have for Jesus and for each other. It is the most loving body of believers I have ever been apart of. Our pastor is wonderful and would be there in a second if we needed him, as would anyone else in the church. It really is unbelievable how incredible these people are! We love them so much and am so thankful that the Lord led us there. I am thankful that Madeline's first church is such a loving church!

9. The everyday comforts I take for granted...I am thankful to live in such a nice home with heat and air conditioning. I am thankful for food to eat, a cozy bed to sleep in, and a car to get us around. Thankful for a country where I can worship Jesus, and for men and women who work day in and day out to protect our freedom. (thanks, Terry)  I am thankful for Terry's job and mine and that we are able to live the life that we do. I only wish I stopped to count my blessings more often.

10. I am thankful for Taco Bell, Stripes fountain sodas, and kazoozles. I can't explain how these three things have helped me through some tough days! Stripes has this soda machine that has cherry, lime, or vanilla flavoring that dispenses with your soda. So on a tough day I always know I can go there and get a 32oz cherry diet Pepsi and everything will be ok! :) If it's been a really bad day, I add kazoozles which is the most delicious candy on the planet! I can't describe them and I can only find them at Stripes though. And who doesn't like Taco Bell? I mean what is better than Pintos and cheese?

Anyway, I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Secret Sunday

I know all of you (the two of you who read this - haha!) have been anxiously awaiting the second installment of Secret Sunday! Here it is...

I love lists. Nothing makes me happier than writing a list. I get this honestly from my mom who is a compulsive list maker. I make chore lists, grocery lists, homework lists... you get the idea. Well, I am not going to lie. Sometimes I write things on my list that I have already done just so I can cross it off my list! It is SO dumb but man it makes me feel so accomplished for some strange reason!

PS -- I had a pretty perfect weekend but am too tired to upload the pics tonight so I'll have to do another post later this week but I had a wonderful birthday and feel so loved!

Baby On The Move...

Everyone jokes that you better get out your running shoes when your baby becomes mobile. I didn't really appreciate that until Madeline got pretty good at walking. She is into everything! The other day I didnt hear her in the living room...this is where I found her!



Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Pumpkin Patch

Last weekend we went to the pumpkin patch with our church. It was so cute and so fun!!! We got a big pumpkin that Terry cannot wait to carve!









Life Needs Frosting...

Yet another important milestone...



Stephanie

She has become family to me in San Angelo. I seem to pick up a family member or two each time we move! She dropped everything and came over when Madeline hit her head...she almost beat the ambulance! She has helped me paint my kitchen (another post), sod my backyard, brought teething gel and teethers when I was in tears because I didn't know how to get Madeline to stop crying one day, and countless other things that have boosted her from friend to family! So when her birthday rolled around a couple of weeks ago, we got together at Texas Roadhouse to celebrate. Her husband, Adam, is deployed and I wanted her to have a special day! She knew that we were going out to dinner but she didnt know all the gals from church were going to be there too! It was so cute and we had such a good time!


This has no relevance except that it is the biggest country fried steak I have ever seen!