Thankful!

We had Gammie and her family over for Thanksgiving. It was lots of fun to eat, visit and catch up with one another. There was lots of yummy food prepared by mom and me.

3 months!

Baby Celia is 3 months! She loves playing with her hands and laughs out loud at the kids. She's the happiest baby!
She went to her first football game this month. I must be nuts... But it all worked out perfectly and she slept like a bug in a rug the whole game.
I'm looking forward to her first Christmas! It'll be so precious to see all three kids together on Christmas morning. ❤️

Tricks + Treats

We had a rainy and wet Halloween this year. We didn't think we'd get to go trick or treating at all. But about an hour before dark, God parted the rain and we were able to get the kiddies dressed up and go out! The kids had a great time.

Barnes couldn't decide what to be this year. He's been obsessed with Star Wars since April when we were at Disney. He went through several costume options. Dark Vader (as he says. And I don't correct him bc I think it's cute). A storm trooper, and Luke skywalker. But he finally settled for Anakin Skywalker. Who is actually dark Vader before he went to the dark side. And Luke's father. It's all pretty confusing if you ask me.

Anna Kate picked out a Snow White dress at Disney after we had breakfast in Cinderellas castle. She has been set on wearing the dress for Halloween all this time. She wanted baby Celia to be a bumblebee and Barnes wanted her to be an ewok. You'll see who won out.

And now you are three

My precious, Anna Kate, you are three. Three was an age I didn't know if we'd reach. Lord, bless your sweet soul, He knows I love you more than life. But He also knows how hard I've prayed for grace and patience this past year too. It was a doozy!
You are a little lady that knows exactly what she wants to accomplish and the best way to get there. I think you will probably be a negotiator for the United Nations one day. Or president or an Army Drill Sergeant You're so smart. Honestly, you never cease to amaze me in how creative your brain works or how sharp your memory is. You learned your alphabet in about 2 days this summer. You know lots of your letters, and all your colors and shapes. You have a thirst for knowledge and genuinely want to learn more each day. You read books to me and to baby bacillia and to yourself sometimes too. You love to tell funny jokes and tell stories about things all the time. Your favorite story to tell is about a little girl in your class that spilled apple sauce. You tell me about Aaa-ver-weee and her applesauce accident all the time!
You are fiercely independent. I mean honestly you are all the things a mommy wants their daughter to be. Self sufficient, motivated and driven. A leader not a follower! Those words all describe you dear. But as a two year old... All those traits can turn a mommys hair gray and seriously increase blood pressure.

This year:

-We visited Disney World
-we went tithe beach
-you started school for the first time
-you got a big girl room and a big girl bed
-we prepared for a new baby sister
-you welcomed your baby bacillia with love and enthusiasm
-you learned your ABC's

You've had so many exciting experiences this year, sweet girl. And we look forward to what year number 3 will bring!! We love you so much our little firecracker!

Life's a Beach!

We've had so much fun on our beach vacation. Tomorrow is our last day here and I'm looking forward to spending one more long day with my sweet family with nothing to do. It's been such a relaxing (almost) two weeks. Seeing the kids play together (and fight some too) and seeing brad not have to worry about work and having nothing to do but focus on family has been such a welcome respite from our daily routine. Our daily schedule at home is pretty hectic. Brad gets home late, 7 or later, we eat, we bathe the kids and throw them in bed. Then brad has to get up at 5am and do it all over again. He barely gets to see the kids for a little over an hour each day. This vacation has let us focus on the things that really matter. Family and quality time together. Barnes is swimming like a fish and Anna Kate is too. She loves the water. Baby Celia has slept most of the vacation in the condo with Gammie. But we've brought her to the beach and the pool a few times.

Ahhhhvacation! I'm thankful brad could take the time off to come for such a long time. We won't be able to do this in the fall many more years.

One month!

Im a few days late posting this. Our sweet girl was a month old on the 5th.

Oh how fast the last month has gone! This happy baby has given us so much joy. The kids are nuts about her and so are we! Can't remember life with out our little bitty girl!!

Pray for our nation

That day was the first time I had ever known true fear and deep sadness in a way I cannot explain. I am just as sad and even more affected by it today as I was 12 years ago. We visited the George W. Bush library in Dallas this spring and I wept uncontrollably through the entire exhibit on 9/11. It brought back fresh emotions like it happened yesterday. I encourage everyone to visit the library. Whether republican/democrat or independent. It is a testament to the men and women who died on that day. Looking at the twisted beams from the trade center while we walked through the exhibit was chilling.

I am heartbroken at the day I have to explain 9/11 to my children. Barnes has such a tender heart and won't understand why they would want to hurt us. He just will not understand. I cannot understand and I am an adult.

Pray. Pray everyday. That our children and our children's children never experience the terror of that day.