Michigan Trip

This summer we were able to spend our 8th anniversary in the Sleeping Bear Dunes area of Michigan.  What an amazing trip!  The views were astounding, the beach was gorgeous, property was pricey!  I guess I'll just show some pics! :)

 We made it half way to the North Pole! ;)

It's been a great and fast 8 years!  Hoping for MANY MANY more!

Seriously...pricey real estate!

 This was way too funny...check the fine print on the right! (if you can't see it, it reads, "Another Truckload of Political Promises") on the truck that pumps out the outhouses! :)

Happy Mother's Day

 My sweet family is just the most amazing thing I've ever been a part of.  These girls are so sweet and funny and loving!
 Lilian is a couple months away from turning 4.  She is a HUGE help to us for her little sister.  She makes sure the gate on the stairs is always shut!  She's learning letters and loves, Loves, LOVES playing outside, especially with friends!  She always says something witty and funny...and I think she's just plain beautiful!  When I ask her how she got so pretty, she says, "God made me that way!"  Can't argue with that!
Hadley is approaching 14 months.  She will now take steps but isn't a pro yet.  She's very big for her age so I guess that much body and weight is just harder to balance.  She's very smiley and happy...most of the time. ;)  She is learning sign language and knows "more", "eat", "daddy", "shoes", "please", "bath", and "milk".  She's got these little yellow flip flops (a hand-me-down from the babysitter) that she wants to wear at all times!

Birthday Party!

Hadley's birthday isn't for another couple days, but we had her birthday party this weekend. We were blessed to have so many family and friends come to celebrate with us! We simply cannot express how much we appreciate those who care for our girls! We decorated and set up in the garage, it turned out really well! The "big kids" got to be outside and have a good time.


Hadley has started drinking whole milk and eating soft table foods. Oh, yeah, and riding in a front facing car seat. What a big girl! She even wears 24mo. clothes! Some of my friends are sad about the baby getting big and getting past milestones...I'm not...I'm thinking, "RUMMAGE SALE"! I'm loving watching her grow and learn! So, Happy Birthday my sweet Hadley!

 
 Nana with her girls!

Before...

Getting there...
 

Almost done!


All cleaned up and ready for presents!

My How They've Grown!

Someone recently asked me about life with 2 kids...my answer...busy! We simply do not rest until we crash in bed! But let me tell you, it's the greatest thing ever to be the parents of the 2 sweetest girls on the planet! I don't guess we don't have any major things going on right now, just life, which is good!

Lilian is now 3 1/2 years old. She loves her barbies, helping in the kitchen, playing music, coloring, cutting/shredding up paper, and playing with her friends, especially Mia (age 2/1/2) and Josh (age 15). She really loves her little sister! I'm counting on them playing together as Hadley gets bigger!

Hadley is almost 11 months old. She is getting ready to walk! Any time now would be good, the girl is quite a lug to haul around. She's somewhere between 20-25 lbs! In fact, with her birthday coming up, I've got to buy her some 24 mo. clothes! Hadley loves to rough house in the floor. Jeff or I will get down on the floor and she will come over to be "wallered". Her laughter is one of my favorite sounds! She is very easy going and very smiley, but is definitely not afraid to let you know she is upset!

Here's some shots of our darlings!

I guess we are in for another character with this face!

Family Visit

We had a very brief but good visit from our family in TN. Aunt Stacey got some really sweet shots of the kids. We are all now looking forward to Christmas!

A quick Lilian story...we were arriving at my Grandma's house for supper and getting out of the truck. Lilian is afraid of all things living and asked to hold hands because there might be a cat. Jeff told her to just walk up there because there was no cat in sight. Then she asked me to hold her hand, which I told her just to walk. Her reply, "I just want to hold your hand because I love you!". So, yeah, I held her hand. :)

I Love My Family

*It has taken me all week to get this post going. Got a new computer and it put pics in a different place...took forever to actually find them! Ok so, here we go!*

I know the girls have done and said many cute things, and I know I won't remember them all. I'll try to hit the high points here.

Lilian has really started to turn into a big girl and much less of a toddler. She can reach the light switches and can open the refrigerator by herself. She's been quite the talker for most of her life...for those of you who haven't experienced the mouth of Lilian...but she's just learning and attentive and perfectly willing to tell you ALL ABOUT IT! She's beautiful and funny, and a joy to be around. Of course, she's still 3, and all that being 3 involves. :) She loves to help me in the kitchen and she loves her little sister.

Hadley is 7 months old and wears 18 mo. clothes! YIKES! The Dr. told me last month that she was going to be a big girl! Only time will tell how big she will get. My younger sis outgrew me early in elementary school. I'm guessing my girls will be the same. Hadley is our happy, smiley girl. She wakes up in the sweetest moods, just ready to smile and talk and play. (Lilian...not so much) Hadley has 2 teeth, but is working on at least 2 more, I'm sure of it. She's got quite a layer of blonde fuzz on top of her head. And blue eyes...oh my! Lilian's have changed some but are still blue. Hadley's eyes look like the blue sea. (see reference pic)

We are battling the colds in our house. The weather doesn't help that it's cold one day and warm the next. But we are managing and life is good. Too good, really, I don't deserve the blessings and family that God has so graciously given me. I love my husband and girls more than I ever thought possible. (That's going quite a bit from my young, independent self back in the college days) But it just goes to show how God can work in hearts and lives, even mine.

Here are my 3 favorite people!

Lilian was lookin' all cute in a dress that came from Josie, thanks cuz!

Notice the orange nose here in these shots...we're stickin' with peas and green beans for a while now. :)

I LOVE MY FAMILY!

Where Have I Been?!!???!!

Yeah, I'm still here, we are all still here. Life has been in a bit of hecticness since Hadley's arrival, but all is GREAT!
There are so many things that I need to remember about Lilian and Hadley and even now, I don't remember most of it, sad. We are definitely not documenting Hadley's life near as much as Lilian's. Again, sad. But I would never in a million years change the way our family has shaped up. We LOVE our family of 4 and cherish it...most of the time.
Well, here's the best update I can think of:
Hadley is about 2 1/2 months old and is consistently sleeping through the night. YIPPEEE! Now, I wish her almost 3yr. old sister would do that! Lilian whines and talks in her sleep more than anyone I've ever been around. Back to Hadley, she is almost 13 lbs, 24" long and is at the top of the growth charts. She is wearing several things 3-6 mo. sizes. I've already got a whole tub full of newborn clothes that I hope to never need again. RUMMAGE SALE! Just kidding, not yet. Hadley is a sweet little girl who's grin just melts my heart instantly!

Lilian will be 3 in less than a month! Where has the time gone? She's so big and for those of you who know her, TALKS so big! She is constantly talking. And, oh, the responsibility to see that she uses her gift of speech to be an encourager and a pleasant person! I hope we can get that job done. She is now getting herself dressed, all the way from picking out her clothes, getting out of the old ones, and getting into the new ones! So PROUD of my big girl! She loves to color and "DOT" (Thank you to my friend Jill for hooking us up with that one!) And Lilian is the queen of facemaking! Oh yeah, and Lilian has been singing along with some of the songs on the radio! Too cute, we all jam in the car when a good song comes on. She'll "hand" me a guitar pick and daddy his drum sticks...and let me tell you, we rock out! ;) Ok, I guess I'll try to get some pics going here! See ya next time!