Life Lately

Our sweet teeny, tiny Taylor turned 9 months old Wednesday. I just cannot believe our sweet little girl is NINE months old!  She has 2 shiny bottom teeth, she's crawling like a champ, she's pulling up and standing and she loves to climb!!!  She's starting to eat a little bit of table food...in teeny tiny bites of course!  At her doctor appt Wednesday she weighed in at 16lbs 1ox...4 lbs lighter than her big sister at this age!!  She still fits in some of the 3-6 month clothes!  She LOVES to high five!  She has an infectious smile that brightens the room and draws people near her.  Her laugh is truly precious and her personality is still so gentle and content.  She is an absolute angel!!!  Here's a little picture of our sweet-T

Kenley is truly the best big sister.  When Taylor cries, Kenley is quick to bring Taylor's favorite toys and soothes her saying "It's ok...mommy is here."  Kenley will sit and play with Taylor and is so sweet to tell Taylor she loves her.  I love watching them together and know it will be a true joy to see their relationship as they grow up.

Tonight we are grilling out burgers and hopefully enjoying our little backyard...one of our favorite activities as a family.  When it gets too dark or a little too chilly, we'll come in and watch the Cosby Show together...something Kenley has really gotten into and we couldn't be more thrilled!!  We may even make chocolate chip cookies from scratch.  A perfect evening!!

My first wedding is tomorrow and then again on Sunday.  I'm so nervous and excited and it means the world to me to know my husband is cheering for me.  He has been SO supportive of my new photography venture and I couldn't do it without his support, encouragement and enthusiasm...he's such a blessing! 

I've signed up for another 5k at the end of the month.  Running is something I NEVER thought I would do.  I totally used to think people who ran were a little crazy...but that's because I'm lazy and have asthma...not a good combination for a runner.  I have to say though...I've really been enjoying it lately!!!  I'm doing the couch to 5k and I just finished week 2!!  I've been trying to do this for a couple of years and I've never made it this far (remember what I said earlier about the lazy)  I'm totally excited and can't wait for my next 5k!!!

BIG Announcement!!

So I've been sitting on this news since January because honestly, it was just too good to be true!!  It's been long enough...time to make the announcement...

On January 1st I got an offer from J Messer Photography to be her assistant/second shooter!!!  This is EXACTLY what I wanted to do with my photography and I'm so unbelievably excited to be working with someone so talented!!!

My first wedding with her is March 12th!!!  I'm so excited and can't wait to kick off the wedding season!!

 Here we are at a bridal show back in February.

Photo by Tom Daspit

I'm pleating!!!!!!!

Having little girls in the South means they have to wear precious little smocked bishops.  Thanks to my "Do-it-yourself" nature, I wanted to learn how to smock...plus you can save a little when you make them yourself.  So 2 years ago I decide that I'm going to smock Kenley's Easter dress.  [It was a huge undertaking b/c I decided this kinda late in the game]  A dear friend, Ellen, sat with me at lunch one day and taught me the basics and my amazing mother-in-law (MIL) 'put the dress together' and Kenley had a beautiful handmade smocked Easter dress. 

 Here she is on her first Easter ('09)!

My love for smocking has only grown.  I seriously love it!  I love seeing my girls in those precious dresses and I love knowing that I made it for them.  Now I know how to put together my own bishop and [again thanks to my MIL] I can now PLEAT my own dresses!!!! 

Why is this a big deal?  Well pleating the dress costs about $15-17.  Multiply that by 2 and that means I'm spending roughly $30 just to have the dress pleated.  That does not include material, thread, smocking plate, etc.  By the time it's all said and done...you're really not saving that much making it yourself. 

MIL surprised me at Christmas with my very own pleater and I finally got the courage to give it a try today.  After doing some reading and watching a couple of videos I grabbed some spare fabric and turned the crank and successfully pleated for the first time!  I'm so excited!!!!  Now I can make dresses for my girls, gifts for friends and maybe over pleating services.

Once I finish my first 'start to finish' smocked bishop I will post pictures!!

 SQUEE!!!!!  Here's my pleater!!!

Check. It. Out.  I pleated something!!

This is a dress I smocked for my friend's little girl ('09).  LOVE this blue!!

LOVE LOVE LOVE this dress!  I made this for Kenley last summer ('10)

This one is very precious....this was Taylor's coming home dress ('10).  It was the first dress I ever put together.  She was so beautiful in it!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Valentine's Day was kind of a blur this year because we were all sick.  There were new teeth (all parents know how awful teething is), fevers, ear infections, runny noses, terrible coughs, etc.  But we still had a great time celebrating our family and taking a moment to show our love in fun, special ways.

 Our little Valentine's breakfast spread.

 The puffs are heart shaped!

 Happy about the special pink heart pancakes!

 Pink pancakes are so fun!!!

 Taylor loves it!!!

Only one word to describe this one...YUM!!!

Thanksgiving

I'd love write a beautiful and meaning post here because Thanksgiving is such a special holiday and time of year but time is short with the little ones and I'm in the middle of baking for tomorrow.

Instead, a quick list of things I'm thankful for

• God's grace and all the blessings He has given me

• My wonderful, loving, hardworking husband.  God has truly blessed me with my husband and I love him SO very much!!

• Our precious girls.  Being a mother is such an incredible gift and responsibilty and I'm so thankful for my girls.

• Our home.  It's nothing fancy and in need of repairs...but it's our home where we have shelter and love and make our family memories.  I love it!

• Our health.

• Our struggles and our challenges.  While it would be nice to have the perfect little life, each struggle and obstacle is given to us from God.  I'm so grateful that He is working in my life to bring me closer to him, to make me a better Christian, wife, mother, friend.  I'm grateful that He causes me to evaluate my heart.  I'm so very grateful to know that He will never give me anything I cannot handle.

• Our families.  We are so blessed to have amazing families that love us and are always there for us.

•  Food on our table.

I hope you all have a very blessed Thanksgiving!!!!  From our family to yours...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

photo courtesy of J. Messer Photography

GIVEAWAY!!!!!

I love love love giveaways in blogland...even though I've yet to win one.  This is one I would LOVE to win!!!  Go check it out at the TomKat Studio because not only could you win a Silhouette machine...but her blog is AMAZING!!

Silhouette Machine Giveaway

 

It seems like EVERYONE I know is running 5ks, marathons, triathlons, etc.  Literally...everyone.  Even my own sister has done many runs, including the New York City Marathon!  So while I was pregnant with Sweet T, I decided that I too would start running.  Figured it would be a great way to get back in shape and it helps raise money for many great causes.  Win-win

The run I selected was the Race for the Cure 5k.  I had Sweet T in June and the race was in October.  I had plenty of time to train.  Did I train?  Nope.  Did I run/walk it?  Nope.  We had a terrible heat wave that lasted pretty much all summer and it was difficult to get out there and run with a 2 year old and a newborn.  Those were my excuses.  Pretty lame.

Then a couple of weeks ago, while visiting my family in Hot-lanta, my niece and nephews (all under 10) participated in a neighborhood duathlon to raise money for a neighbor struggling with cancer.  I was SO proud of them for being a part of that event and it was just the motivation I needed to get off my butt and start running.

With a little less than 4 weeks to prepare, I signed up for the Jingle Bell Run!  I just might be crazy!!!  I've never run, much less WALKED, a 5k and here I am trying to do it in less than a  month.  I'm totally pumped though!  My first week I walked 1.5 miles 3 times.  Then today I walked 5k!!!!!!!!!  It took me an hour but I did it!!!  I'm having to train while pushing both my girls in the double stroller so that's approx 70lbs.  I'm hoping that will help me come race day since I don't have as much time to prepare as I'd like.

I'm a little nervous and a lot excited about my first 5k.  I hope it's just the first of many!!