First Birthdays!

As I was beginning to post about Lakyn's first birthday party, I realized I did not post about Alyson Claire's first birthday! Some kind of friend I am!
Rewind to December when Caroline attended her first "first" birthday party!
Aly's mom and I have been best friends since second grade! We have gone through so much together (Slap bracelets, NKOTB, high school, grad school and now teaching in the same district!) We're excited our girls will have fun experiences together like we did! (Except Caroline will never drive. I don't want to even think about that.)
Aly's party was beautiful! The cake was delicious!
Another precious friend had her first birthday on January 18! Lakyn's mommy, Tennille, had a yummy chili supper for us! Lakyn tore into her cake! She has her mom's sweet tooth!
We had so much fun! Caroline and I are so blessed to share these moments with such wonderful friends! Can you tell that I am excited about all of these sweet girls' birthday parties by the amount of exclamation points I'm using?!


T minus 2 days until Caroline's big #1! This time last year we had a snow day at school and we braved the snowy roads to go to the hospital...only to be told it was "false labor" and I had to go home. Looking back I can still get the nervous butterflies in my stomach thinking about how excited and anxious we were to meet our sweet daughter. A whole year has gone by and I can honestly say that I have cherished every second of it, even through the sleepless months (yes, months!) I knew the "baby" moments were fleeting. Every day it gets more fun ! I can hardly fathom what this next year will bring, and not a day goes by that I do not thank our awesome God for Caroline.

This world is not our home, but there are some beautiful places

I really try to listen and give the benefit of a doubt to someone who has an idea that differs than my own. But I really thought I had an argument won with Thomas. I was SO sure!
I can admit when I am wrong, for instance, years ago I really thought that meteorologists were talking about "wind shield factors" instead of wind chill factors. You may laugh at my stupidity, but all of you have had something like that happen to you.
This time I was right...Thomas was watching me type and he said, "wait, you put two spaces after that period." I immediately looked at him like he was completely crazy and said, "of course! That's common knowledge! You've got to be kidding me! You didn't know there are supposed to be two spaces after a period??" ...I'm sure you can see where this is going.
I pride myself on being able to type fast without mistakes and to think, he was questioning my skills! Just to show him how right I was, I "googled" the question and lo and behold, I found out that the two-space rule applied to typewriters and not to word processors and computers. I couldn't believe it. I learned how to type on a typewriter, so I am out of date now. I've tried to leave one space and I just can't do it!
So the moral of this story...
Immediately after having my ego deflated, I thought, "I can't be sure of anything anymore!" Almost in the next second I remembered that it is true, the things of Earth are not sure and are always changing and evolving. The one constant, that we can always depend on, is God. He's always there, never wavering. It is such a comforting feeling to know that He is in control and His love does not change for us.
Thomas went hiking last weekend and took some pictures. He said that in this cave around a hundred years ago, people would gather to have church and sing. The weather was just above freezing outside and inside the cave it was around 65 degrees, so there was drifting fog. The sun shone threw at just the right spot to light up the rock in the middle. A little piece of Heaven right here in Arkansas. (They have not been edited or enhanced in any way.)

I'm a Mom

Last weekend we had glorious weather. We decided to take advantage of the warm weather with a trip to Lake Fayetteville. We accomplished a lot! Caroline and I went down the slide together for the first time ever! I then let her go by herself (I still held on to her, but it counts!) I think she was wondering what in the world were we doing!
Thanks to Thomas' mom and dad for getting us this comfy, sporty backpack carrier for Christmas! We were glad we got to try it out. She absolutely loved it. She kept looking back at me and laughing because she was so much higher up than me. She also liked "oooh-ing" at every tree and touching the bark.
Any time Caroline likes, sees, or wants something she says, "oooh!" (rhymes with shoe)

Thomas and Caroline "ooohing"

Dramatic Pose

So you would think that after 11 1/2 months I would realize I am a mom. Of course, I have realized it, but there are just certain moments that it really hits me. Some of them are happy, adorable moments...when she took her first steps, when she reaches out for me, when she picks out books for me to read to her and when I rock her to sleep every night (just for a few examples!) And then there are the not so happy moments. Friday Grammy told me that Caroline started coughing a little. I thought, she'll be fine, she can get over it on her own. At 4:00am that next morning I am sitting in the bathroom holding a feverish, croup-ey, sad baby with the hot shower going full blast. I had immediate flashbacks to my own mom doing the same thing for Becky and I when we were little, and then I had another one of those realizations that I am Caroline's mom. She looks to Thomas and I to 'make it all better.' What an awesome responsibility. I happily accept it. It's amazing how much I love this little girl.

These pictures do not have anything to do with her being sick (I took her to the doctor today and she's starting to feel a little better.) I just thought they were cute. It looks like Elmo ate about as much of the baby biscuit as Caroline!

Merry Christmas!

Where has the time gone?! Caroline attended her best friend's first birthday party (we got some great ideas that we will use in exactly one month!! Thanks, Rob!) She had her first wonderful Christmas spent with family, her first new year's and her first (and probably not last) witness of the beloved Hogs losing yet another bowl game.

Grammy made Christmas very special with a special area set up with a table, wooden rocker, coloring books and baby dolls just for Caroline! She also enjoyed discovering toys in her first stocking!Aunt Becky and Uncle Travis got Caroline her own puzzle stool!Caroline's set of grandparents in-law (Bill and Mary, actually Uncle Trav's parents) gave Caroline her own pink bible with her name inscribed. So sweet! I think I'm going to "borrow" the Wilsons' tradition of reading the Christmas story to her each year from this bible!The obligatory bow stuck on the baby picture! You've got to have one! It's required!One of our favorite toys from Grammy and Poppy! A rocking, super soft lamb!

Caroline tricks continued...

• Grammy taught her how to say "Woooo" and wiggle her fingers to call the Hogs. We're working on the rest of it.

• When asked, she can find her belly button...and she can find yours if you want her to locate it for you!

• I can show her a cow and she'll say "moooo."
• She no longer only bounces to music (or a beat.) She has added twisting at the hips to her dancing repertoire.