A year ago today

I am so excited to post this blog because a year ago today we brought home the most beautiful angel on the planet. My baby Stella. Just saying her name makes me want to eat her up! She has come so far and grown so much! She is right on track, she didn't want to be labeled a preemie so she stepped up to the plate and caught up with her age!! She is 50% in weight and 65% in height!! She weighed 20pds and 29 1/2 in long at her 12 month check up. She talks, walks and brings so much joy into this family. I looked back at all the blogs we posted this time last year and just........you guessed it, cried. Oh my, the emotions we experienced for our daughter was overwhelming just reading about them. I am so thankful for my husband starting this blog, I have so enjoyed sharing our life and most importantly being able to document my Stella's first year of life! I can't wait to see where we are at this time next year!!

Bringing home baby. Do you realize how tiny she is??! I mean this is a baby car seat and she was too tiny for it!! We had to add extra padding just to keep her from tossing back and forth. When we left the hospital she was barely 5 pounds!! This scares me just to think about it!!! I can't believe I nurtured a 5 pound baby!!!

One year ago, this picture was taken right before we loaded the car to bring Stella home. I love thinking about this moment! I was so ready to get her home! 21 days in the NICU!!



This was us tonight with our preemie! Yes, she has grown up quite a bit, its amazing what a year can do. And look you can see her hair poking out from her head!! She is growing some!! yeah!!! We will be proud of the day she stops getting called a boy! (If you are wondering about the christmas baby that is finding its way into all our pictures, our wonderful Aunt Joy bought this for Christmas and Stella will NOT put it down, this is her "baby" and we can't leave the house without it or go to bed without it. She absolutely LOVES this baby. She actually learned how to say the word "baby" and if its not in sight she will continue to say it until someone finds it and brings it to her. Thank you Aunt Joy for giving us the Christmas spirit all year long!)

Upcoming events for our family:

Feb 27th-Stella's birthday party with her 2 friends Hudson and Clara

March-With the help of my wonderful Mother-in-law I have decided to make the girls Easter dresses this year. I am major excited about my first sewing experience. Pray for my mother-in-law for taking on the teaching.

April-week long beach trip with my precious family. Can't wait to be on the sand!

May-SP's 1st Dance Recital, SP's 3k graduation and Mother's Day Weekend in Georgia at my Aunt Tracy and Uncle Davids house with my entire family (debating with my husband if we are going to take our girls to the American Girl Store or the Cabbage Patch Hospital to get some dolls for them)

June-SP will be a flowergirl in Jared's cousin Kerry's wedding. She is thrilled to say the least, we have this down to an art.

I will stop here, I am already overwhelmed.

Family of Four....snowmen that is.

okay, wow, I realized how much I love snow last weekend! What a feeling to be snowed-in with your family, drinking hot chocolate and of course, PLAYING!! We took full advantage of our snow weekend, Jared got off early so we bundled up and headed out to play. Stella was down for a nap during our playtime but we didn't forget her. (thats her on the right)

we built our family, yes that is me leaning on my man. I wasn't properly secured, but this could actually sum up our life, constantly leaning on Jared.

Daddy and daughter "cheersing" their hot chocolate after an hour in the snow.

SP and I right before we decided the snowmen couple needed children.

Love Rules

I love love. I really do. I would certainly call myself a hopeless romantic, I think? I mean if hopeless romantic means loving to be swept off your feet constantly than I guess I am. Gosh, I feel bad for Jared, thats some big shoes to fill. Poor thing. I also love the month of February and walking into stores with PINK (especially pink) and red everywhere and constantly hearing Valentines Day is over-rated. Sure it might be a big ole marketing scheme but think about what this day tries to accomplish.....love. The one thing in the world everyone truly wants, to love and to be loved. Let me tell you my friends, I am totally in love right now. Of course with my hubs, but right now I am deep, deep in love with Jesus Christ, my closest friend.

I had some time to think one day, so I looked back on the past couple of years at some of the trials in my life, when I thought I was all alone, and I see Jesus all over the situations, I am talking from beginning to end. I started crying and praising because He was with me the WHOLE time. Sure its hard to see anything when you are in the eye of the storm but to be able to look back and say, "oh my, look at Jesus' protection", its pretty amazing. Do you ever just want to grab Jesus and squeeze Him? I mean I can't wait for the day I get a hug, I don't think I will ever be able to let Him go. I was driving one day, thinking about what my favorite love song is, and look at the lyrics that popped in my head.

Love is a Cross

And Love let it be

Love is saving you

Love is saving me

The blood and the nails

A body so bruised

A Holy heart was broken

That's how he chose to prove

Love is a Cross

wow. I want to paint these words on a wall in my house (and I just might), to constanly be reminded of TRUE LOVE. This is why love is so important, He loves and so should we, bottom line. As Beth Moore would say, not just love the people who are easy to love, but the ones who are very testy to love. Jesus commands us to love one another (John 15:12), and He loves us with an unfailing love, so unfailing that He died on the Cross to prove it. I love to think about Jesus' love for me, it makes me feel so secure in a world that constantly lets you down and forsakes you, Jesus NEVER will. Thank you God.

I am doing a Beth Moore study, Living Beyond Yourself, exploring the fruit of the Spirit. In Galations 5:22-23 it states, "But the fruit of the Spirit is LOVE, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control. Against such things, there is now law." wow. Coincedence that LOVE is the first commandment? I think not. Love is what its all about people. How can we serve without love? How can we worship without love? How can we do anything in our day without love? Its some powerful stuff. (fyi: During this study I have majorly been trying to have all the fruit of the Spirit all day everyday. Whew, this is not easy stuff, especially might I add with children, and of course since the devil knows I am doing this study, I feel he is attacking all my fruitfulness constantly!!! The devil is such a loser. This study just intensifies my appreciation for Christ and who HE is.)

I on this Valentines am thankful for my earthly loves, my Jared and my 2 baby girls but even more thankful that I serve a God who loves me and thinks I am beautiful, even though I sin and fall short of His glory every single day, He continues to LOVE me. His love paid the price, and I will reap the benefits of it for all eternity. I love love and I deeply love Jesus. On this Valentines Day don't forget about the truest form of love there is, Jesus the One and Only.

I might be scattered, I know this, but thank you for reading my little thoughts.

Circus, One and Beth

Okay here is an update on our month of January, and a little into February. We visited the Circus with SP's 3K class, Stella turned ONE, and yesterday I met THE Beth Moore.


yes, I know, I am more excited I met her than anything else!! Can you blame me?? She is so awesome! Who hasn't done atleast 1 Beth Moore study??!! I certainly don't place her above our God, but God sure does speak through her ALOT, especially to me!!! She is so real, truly helps women dig deeeep in the Word, and all while being glamorous! My friend Lauren and I were talking about her the other night, and agreeing that she is such an encouragement because she LOVES God with every ounce of her soul but is still a girly girl who is obviously into fashion, gets her spray tans, cares about her hair and enjoys being a woman! Let me tell you, she does NOT disappoint!! She is who she proclaims to be and what an honor to meet her and get some encouraging words from the woman I only get to see on tv!!

I wanted to tell her so much, you know about she has touched my heart, and how thankful I am that she stepped up for all women, and how she has shown me how to walk with the Lord faithfully with kids. But of course I was completely STARSTRUCK!! I mean besides being gorgeous, what has this woman not heard?? So I froze, I told her how much I loved her (3 times) and what an inspiration she was to me, I mean come on.....who hasn't told her this??? Bottom line, she rocks and I WILL be prepared at my next encounter with her.

Stella turned ONE, January 29th. We had a little dinner with just the grandparents, but look at all the gifts! She got much-needed clothes and some great toys! She will be having a party with 2 other friends, Hudson and Clara, at the end of February, who are also turning ONE. Can't wait to post pictures of that!

Playing with the book her sister got her.

My little terror. She is into every cabinet, every socket, the fireplace, loves to put things in her mouth that she finds on the floor, and she doesn't stop!! wow, she makes me tired just typing about her!

We visited the Circus with SP's class. Here is a picture of the elephants, our favorite. (Roll tide, haha)

The clown mask her class made.

We sugared her up that day. I mean thats what the circus is all about right? The sugar overload and of course, the light-up things that will cost you around 500 dollars. No not really, but will set you back about 20 bucks! crazy! (no we did not get one, are you kidding??)

Got some cotton candy, it was worth it because mommy wanted it more than Sittre Paige! We were glad that our daddy got to come with us, especially considering that we would NEVER buy tickets to just kill time and go to the circus! Sorry, I'm just NOT into the circus. Since this was a class trip, I am glad SP got to experience it, although after about 2 hours she was restless! The thing started at 10:30 and was over at 1:00! Yes, 1:00. This to me is a bit much for kids. I mean you expect them to sit there for 2 1/2 hours.....not happening. I wanted to run as far away from the BJCC as possible after that was over. Again the best thing to come out of the circus is the sugar overload!

Saying Goodbye

This is the last picture I took with my grandmother on Christmas Eve.

I said goodbye to my precious grandmother Munner, on January 26th. Well, I actually got to say my goodbye to her about 2 weeks before then. She had a heart attack on Decemeber 31st and had to stay in the hospital, and long story short, her kidneys shut down, she developed ARDs which basically filled her lungs with fluid, and also developed obstructive bowel and the doctors basically told us there was nothing else they could do for her but make her comfortable.


She was so precious to my heart. She loved my girls so much and always called me to bring them to her house. I tried to go often. We talked atleast once a week and I think about her everyday. I find myself wanting to talk to her more and more as time goes on, its one of the hardest things to grasp that I can't. Since she knew she was dying, all her family was able to tell her goodbye. I can't explain how amazing this was. I got to spend alone time with her, we talked about all our times together, she made me laugh, she told me how beautiful she thought I was, she told me "if it weren't for bad luck, I would have no luck at all" (that was for me not her), and she told me she was ready to see Jesus. I knew she was ready to be over her suffering. Although my selfish flesh would have kept her here just for me.


Having to explain death to Sittre Paige has been interesting. We actually had to explain death to her this past summer when my parents cat got hit by a car and died while we were over at their house visiting. She of course got to know Munner, and asks about her alot. I could type all day about her funny questions and sayings. She went through a stage where she kept asking if she was going to die so we realized we might be telling her too much or maybe scaring her. Although we just told her when you die you get to see Jesus, I think when we tried to explain you don't come back she got paranoid. Again, trying to figure out how to be parents and learning as we go!!
She took many pictures with Munner and we keep them out so she will always remember her. Sittre Paige was so lucky to get to know her, I just feel bad Stella didn't get too.

I spoke at her funeral. I wanted to, because she was such a wonderful grandmother to me I couldn't let it go by without telling everyone. I had to type my speech out because the minute I get in front of people I freeze. I didn't think I was going to be able to open my mouth, but of course the peace of the Holy Spirit comforted my soul. He always comes through for me. But I was proud to speak about things we did together and to let people know that my grandmother knew Jesus Christ as her personal Savior. I miss her so badly and there probably won't be a day I don't think about her but I'm certainly glad to know that she is now Home.