2016 proved to be a wonderful, overwhelming, blessed, challenging, exciting, exhausting road for our family. We aren't big on New Year resolutions, but we do openly discuss our goals for the future, for our littles, for our marriage, for our family, for our passions and our purpose here on earth. There is absolutely no one else on earth I would rather endure and enjoy this life with than my husband. We have soooo much to look forward to and God has never failed to provide and show us His ultimate plan for all things.
1/4/17. Sweet Julianna is 8 months old and that number coming out of my mouth hurts all over again!!! We are so beyond thankful for you Juile girl and we know God has amazing plans for your life. What a gift that He chose US to have this special role as your mommy and daddy. We love love love you to the moon and back.
This little one loves to travel, and made it 1,000 miles half-way across the country to Katy, Texas!!! She was sooooooo glad to get out of her carseat and lay on her BELLY on that cushy soft bed!!! Don't worry, we broke the trip up over a couple days and she literally slept the entire time, ate when we stopped then went back to sleep again.
Three generations miles and miles away from home but we made some wonderful memories together that I will never forget. My mom had never been to Texas (nor had I) and she and Daddy had always talked about traveling out west and taking road trips to places they'd never been. I'm so so so thankful I was able to experience this "first" with my mama.
The weather unfortunately took a turn for the worse and we had to cut our trip short and get back home!!! Through the sun and rain and even some snow and ice, we made it.... Julie girl had actually been really sick before we left and I honestly believe aaaaaallll of the time she had to rest and relax in the car truly helped her recover and feel so much better. Those big brown eyes.... and those cheeeeeeks!!! Oh I just could kiss them off her face!!!
We made it home with a little time to spare before bedtime so we absolutely went sledding in the first snow of 2017!!! Sweet Tuck was awful glad Mama and his baby sister were back home. Love love love my precious boy!! And may I also say that he has come a LONG way in the last year....he wanted no part of the snow before and I literally had to DRAG him inside...after dark!!! Night-time sledding IS pretty fun though...I admit it!!
If there is one thing we LOVE about East Tennessee it's the weather... snow one day then two days later 74 and sunshiny so we can wear summer dresses to church!! This is one my very favorite pictures of Julianna. It perfectly represents her tender and sweet demeanor.
And you already know how much I love this man as my husband, so you can multiply that love a million times over for how much I love watching him as daddy to our little ones.
He completely melts me to the core. His hard work for our family has made itself very evident in the past 6 months since buying our home. Renovations continue and we can't wait to begin showing you updates of the house we will very soooooon call home.
We lined up front row seats together to watch Daddy work because we are without a doubt his biggest fans. It doesn't matter if its 15 or 85 degrees outside, you will find him here.
Our house is home, even though we aren't "living here yet". We are making memories here already and some of my favorites are coloring pictures with my boy....
...watching him work with daddy and help him measure everything under the sun. "It's forty-five mama!!" (as he holds a measuring tape across the width of the sawhorse leg)...
...watching him peek through the window of this door from the mudroom into the kitchen. I see him as sooooo big now that he has a baby sister, but pictures like this remind me of how little and innocent he still is...
...i love capturing this sweet little one, and those windows in the dining room...they steal my heart every time we walk in. So much still to update and refinish, but thankful for these moments.
Finishing the seal on the siding so we can PAINT!!!!
One thing I try my best to do is spend undivided time with each of my littles. Julie LOVES when Mommy is putting on her makeup and her favorite place to sit is either in her bumbo on the counter so she can see herself in the mirror, OR in the floor with my bag of makeup and brushes!!
Tuck is also quite a fan of seeing himself in the mirror, either to comb his hair, brush his teeth OR take a selfie with Mama =)
I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but that very blanket was mine when I was a baby. My mom gave it to me at Julianna's baby shower and she hasn't spent one night or taken one nap without it. I love how much she loves it without even knowing it was mine. I love that my mom saved it for me to have for my baby girl one day. And of course, I LOVE watching this baby girl grow up and recognize the teeniest little things, like her toes!!!
She continues to grow on me. We had a hard 2016 together. I am GRATEFUL for the challenges and hard times because BOY it makes me so much more thankful for each day we still have. I'm so looking foward to a New Year and New Us.
