Two of my favorite things...

Kolo photo contest

2010-08-10T21:09:00.000-04:00

I entered a photograph of Eliza and Emily that my dear friend Melissa took of them. It was one of 15 winners for the month of July! You can go to Kolo.com to read about all of the details and see this months winners. Kolo makes the most beautiful photo albums and boxes.

More precious pictures...

2010-06-14T20:57:00.000-04:00

Having fun at the park...

2010-06-14T20:10:00.006-04:00

My dear friend Melissa took these pictures of the girls last night. I loved so many of them. These are just a few of my favorites...

Winter Photo Shoot

2010-01-17T08:11:00.023-05:00

My sweet friend Melissa spent an afternoon with Eliza and Emily capturing these pictures. Some of them ended up on our Christmas card. Thank you Melissa for taking time to get these super sweet photos!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T21:51:00.006-05:00

I hope you all had a Merry Christmas. We sure did! It is so hard to believe that it's over. It comes and goes so quickly. A part of me is sad, however, I love the excitement a new year brings.
The third picture was the first gift of Christmas... pink Converse... Do those come in my size??? :) You girls wanted those so bad!
Of course, the favorite gift this year were your American Girl dolls. It is so sweet to watch you both take such good care of your dolls. We love you...

I've been away for a while...

2009-12-03T06:07:00.007-05:00

We have had a wonderful beginning to our holiday season! Hope everyone is doing well... Here are some pictures from our last couple of months...

A Sunday walk...

2009-05-17T13:16:00.003-04:00

Harry is working this weekend, so I took the girls out for a walk before the rain. This week Eliza graduates from preschool. I am overwhelmed by how fast these last 5 years have gone by. I am very excited to see what God has in store for her life! I am also very excited that she will be right next door to me next year as she begins kindergarten!

Mother's Day

2009-05-17T12:55:00.004-04:00

"Every good and perfect gift is from above." I am always thanking God for the miracle of my two precious daughters. I feel so very blessed to have the awesome responsibility of being their mother and doing my part to raise them. I am also very blessed to have had such amazing role models in not only my mother but also my dad. I am very thankful this Mother's Day...

Happy Easter!

2009-04-13T17:10:00.026-04:00

Our morning began at our house. After taking a few pictures, we met my parents and sister and her family at church. We ended the day at my parents house for lunch and an Easter egg hunt. I can't wait for the newest member of my sister's family to join us next year! :)

Easter weekend...

2009-04-13T16:19:00.015-04:00

On Saturday, we began our day by taking a few pictures and dying Easter eggs. We all had so much fun! The girls really enjoyed mixing the colors this year and had fun drawing their creations on their eggs with the "magic crayon"! Afterwards, we sat the girls down to read them the Easter story. It was a special time for us and this is what the girls had to say... Me: "What does Easter mean to you?" Emily:" Jesus died on the cross and went into the tomb and then got out of the tomb". Eliza: "Jesus died on the cross and then he rose for us".

The girls with their eggs... and their daddy...

My sweet Valentines...

2009-02-17T14:57:00.003-05:00

This weekend the girls spent Friday night with their Nana and Poppy. It was a last minute thing and Harry had to work late. So... I actually had Friday evening all to myself! I decided to get a head start on Spring cleaning... go figure:) My parents brought the girls back Saturday evening and we all had a very nice dinner together. Harry has become so good at cooking on the grill! On Sunday morning, I made the girls heart shaped pancakes with sprinkles. These are just a few shots of them enjoying breakfast...

Been a little busy...

2009-02-17T14:36:00.004-05:00

Hey there! Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I have just been so busy! It seems like after the holidays I don't take many pictures until around Valentine's Day. It's funny but when you look at the girls scrapbooks, the January pages hardly have any pictures! I guess it is a trend with me...

Everything has been going really well. We are still enjoying school and can't believe that Eliza just celebrated her 100th day. Last night we counted out 100 pennies for her to take to help celebrate. Emily is growing up so fast and she seems smarter to me everyday. She is writing her name so well and can even write her sister's name without any help! They never cease to amaze me and I love them more and more each and everyday.

This picture was taken on January 14 during Donuts with Dads. Harry was so proud to be there sharing in this special day with the girls. I love watching the special relationship he has with them...

Our new computer...

2009-01-05T15:15:00.005-05:00

After 7 years with a Gateway desktop, we have finally upgraded to a new, much better computer. We purchased the new Apple Macbook. It is a laptop computer and it is wonderful!!! If you are in the market for a new computer, I highly recommend this one. It is very user friendly. We just love it!!! (Thanks Beth!)

Fall 2008 Photo Shoot...

2009-01-05T14:52:00.006-05:00

One of my dearest and best friends Melissa spent a Sunday afternoon taking some wonderful pictures of the girls. I think that she has a future in photography! Thank you Melissa for capturing our girls in such a beautiful, natural way. We love you!

Christmas Day continues...

2009-01-05T14:36:00.006-05:00

We all got ready and headed over to Nana and Poppy's house. We enjoyed a wonderful brunch with Emily, Blake and Cameron too! It was Christmas morning all over again as we opened presents and enjoyed just being together...

It's Christmas Day...

2009-01-05T14:28:00.008-05:00

What a special morning! You girls were so precious... We had so much fun watching as you both opened each gift. Thank you for making such wonderful, special memories for us. We love you both so very much.

Santa comes...

2009-01-05T14:19:00.006-05:00

It was such a relaxing Christmas Eve until yall went to bed! Then the real work began... Daddy and I had so much fun setting up everything. I think I had a harder time falling asleep than yall did. I was so excited to see you both in the morning. It brings back such wonderful memories for me...

Christmas Eve 2008

2009-01-05T14:12:00.003-05:00

We began the evening by attending church where the girls and I spend most of our days. We had a special time being there on such an important night. We had fun seeing some of our friends and their families. We finished up our evening at home... just the four of us! We had dinner, opened one present, read the Night Before Christmas, and left out cookies for Santa...

Christmas is almost here...

2008-12-21T21:51:00.003-05:00

Here we are in front of the beautiful tree at school. The program is complete and the parties are almost over. We only have 2 more days of school. I cannot wait for all of us to be at home together. It will be so nice to wake up late and enjoy taking it easy for a while! I look forward to Christmas morning...

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be on his shoulder. Isiah 9:6

The preschool Christmas program...

2008-12-21T17:29:00.014-05:00

Our sweet angel...

Excited as ever...

Ms. Carol said you were the only one to keep your hands together the whole time you were singing. So precious...

Proud Nana...

Proud Mamaw...

These pictures were taken of the girls on the day of their Christmas program at school. I was so proud of each of them for their singing and smiles up on stage. Eliza did such a great job this year. She made such a sweet angel. Emily, of course, did a super job up on stage. She is not as shy and seems to enjoy being in front of an audience. Girls, mommy is so proud of you both and I love you so much. Thank you for making this Christmas so special for us!

Mamaw comes for a visit...

2008-12-21T17:21:00.003-05:00

We always enjoy when Harry's mom comes before Christmas every year. This year was the most special. The girls just loved decorating their cakes that Mamaw made for them! They also had a special day staying home from school... they danced to the Nutcracker cd that Mamaw brought on their own new cd player, made lots of crafts to decorate our home for Christmas and played with her until their hearts were content! Thank you Mamaw for such a special and memorable time. We love you so much!

It's Poppy's Birthday...

2008-12-21T17:15:00.002-05:00

We celebrated my Dad's birthday at our house with my parents and my sister and her family. We had a great time being together for this special day. All three girls had fun playing. I love watching them grow up together.

The Nutcracker...

2008-12-21T16:55:00.003-05:00

My mom and I took the girls to see the Nutcracker one Saturday. We had such a good time. Eliza absolutely loved watching all of the ballerinas. Emily was more focused on it than I thought she would be. I was so happy to share in this special day with my mom and daughters.

Making memories...

2008-12-04T18:19:00.006-05:00

I have had so much fun getting our house ready for Christmas this year! I have never really done a "theme tree", but this year I added lots of lights, silver tinsel, and ornaments, some of which I bought from an antique store. I love the look of a vintage tree and I really love how ours turned out this year. Even the star at the top looks old! The girls enjoyed adding their hand made treasures to the bottom of the tree.
We also started a new tradition this year... the elf on the shelf. The girls named him Candy Cane! It is so sweet to wake up each morning and find Eliza already down stairs looking and calling for him.
On Saturday night, the girls snuggled up in their sleeping bags on the den floor and we all watched The Polar Express. It is one of those sweet memories that I'll never forget.
So here is a little of what Christmas looks like at our house...

Picking out the perfect Christmas tree...

2008-12-04T18:06:00.003-05:00

Every Friday the day after Thanksgiving, we go to a local tree farm and pick out our Christmas tree. This is a family tradition that we adopted from my parents. This year, my sister and her family along with my parents, all met at the farm. We had so much fun feeding the goats, looking at all the trees, and taking snapshots of the three precious girls...

What I am most thankful for...

2008-12-04T17:46:00.004-05:00

Of course my husband and children... They brighten every one of my days. I am so very blessed to have them and love them so much.

I have also been blessed with the two best parents any person could possibly have. My mom and dad are my best friends and I know that they will always be there for me and for my family. I love them so very much.

I also have an amazing sister, brother in law and niece. They were gracious enough to host Thanksgiving again this year. Here are a few pictures from this memorable holiday...

Celebrating Thanksgiving at school...

2008-11-25T13:01:00.011-05:00

GIVE THANKS TO THE LORD, FOR HE IS GOOD PSALMS 136:1
This has been such a fun time for me... This year, the four year old classes sang at a Thanksgiving program. Eliza, you were so shy last year at the Christmas show. It was so hard for me to watch you so scared and shy on stage. This year, however, you were so precious. You sang and looked up at Daddy and me so proudly. We couldn't be more proud of you! I was told yesterday that you would be an angel in the Christmas play. That is such a perfect part for you. You truly are a little angel to us...

Emily... you have never been the shy one. You were absolutely precious last year in the Christmas program. It brings tears to my eyes when I think back to how excited you were when you saw all of us in the audience. I can't wait for the program again this year... This is such a sweet picture of the two of you. I am so truly thankful to have you both, and your Daddy too! I thank God everyday for giving each of you to me.

It's beginning to look like Christmas...

2008-11-17T21:17:00.003-05:00

I love Thanksgiving and I am very excited about celebrating it, but I love Christmas even more! The girls have been asking me when we can start decorating, so tonight I decided to get out their little trees and let them have some fun. In front of the fireplace and listening to Christmas music in the background, I watched as my two precious daughters decorated their trees with such eagerness. They piled most of the ornaments on one side so we had to go back and spread them out a little. It was such a special night for us. Unfortunately, daddy was working late, but he'll be here for all of our other Christmas projects! After we had finished, we placed their trees in their rooms, took baths and got pjs on. During prayer time, Eliza said "Thank you God for Jesus." It was such a special moment for me because even though all of the decorating and gift giving is so fun and special, I believe that she knows what Christmas is really about...

It's Nana's birthday...

2008-11-17T21:13:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was my mom's birthday. We celebrated at Nana and Poppy's house with yummy food and cake! The girls were so excited about being with their Nana on her birthday...

Emily's room too...

2008-11-17T21:07:00.003-05:00

I felt like I should post some pictures of Em's room too! She is very proud of her new "art boards" like "Liza's"... We haven't actually put any art work on them yet, as I just hung them yesterday, but that will happen soon enough! I just love how excited they get about decorating... :)

Eliza's "new" room...

2008-11-17T20:50:00.006-05:00

When we first moved into our new home, the girls had seperate bedrooms. Emily was still in her crib so we felt it best to keep them apart. When it was time for Emily to have a "big girl bed", we put the girls in twin beds in the same room. This worked for awhile, however, Eliza decided that Emily keeps her awake... So, after much consideration, we decided that we would move Eliza into a room all to herself. It has actually worked out very well so far. They do seem to have different schedules and they have been sleeping better, which is better for all of us! :)Here are a few pics of her "new" room. When I asked her what color she wanted it to be she said "red". I didn't paint it red, it is more of a raspberry. It really turned out very pretty.
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Having fun before church...

2008-11-09T17:53:00.004-05:00

I decided to take a few photos this morning after getting ready for church. The girls were not really in the mood to have their pictures made but I think they turned out cute despite that fact!

Fall is in the air...

2008-11-07T20:53:00.024-05:00

As I take this picture of my girls walking toward home, I am reminded of when I used to go trick or treating. I have such fond memories of going with my dad and sister. He would carry the flashlight and because "back then" it was always cold on Halloween, we would be all bundled up. My mom would stay home and pass out the candy. We were so blessed to have my parents join us this year, as well as, Harry's mom. We all had so much fun and I can't wait until next year...
This is pretty much the view we saw all night! The girls started running and didn't stop until we got home.
It's Alice and Minnie...

Celebrating the arrival of fall on a hayride at school!

Picking out the perfect pumpkins...

The girls with their first face paintings! We had such a fun day...

There is something that I love about each and every season. In the fall, I love knowing that I can sleep with flannel sheets on our bed, drink hot chocolate, sit by the fire and read to the girls, watch "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!", pick out pumpkins and attend fall festivals... to name a few. These pictures are a collection of some of my favorites taken most recently.

A fun weekend away...

2008-11-07T20:14:00.005-05:00

One long weekend, we decided to go up to the mountains to visit Harry's mom. The girls had never been in a mountain stream before. They had so much fun playing in the water and looking for minnows. Eliza called herself "a great fish catcher" by the end of the day. She actually caught more in her net than I did. It was such a joy for me to watch them explore and play all day long. We had a great time!

Eliza turns 5...

2008-10-30T20:19:00.010-04:00

I remember when Eliza was born thinking that her 5th birthday seemed so far away and now that it is here, I really can't believe it. I am so very proud of the special little girl that she has become. She is an amazing artist and writer. She is funny and sweet. I love her more each and every day. Happy birthday my little Eliza...

Margaret Emily

2008-10-30T20:03:00.007-04:00

On September 7, 2008 I lost my first grandparent. Momee was 85 years old and lived a long, good life but I still can't believe that she is not here anymore. I know that she is in a much better place and that she no longer suffers, however, the selfish part of me wishes that I could pick up the phone one more time to call and talk to her. It was hard on my family but we are learning to deal with our loss and to move on. We know that is what she would want us to do. These pictures were taken of us in May 2006. It was the first time my grandparents met baby Em. It was a special day that I'll never forget. I miss you Momee... GO TIGERS!

Our first day back at school...

2008-10-30T19:52:00.002-04:00

After a fun and memorable summer, we are back at school. I will miss those lazy days but know that there's lots of fun in store...

Being silly on a rainy day...

2008-10-30T19:23:00.003-04:00

The girls had been begging to wear their new rain coats. This was the perfect opportunity!

Emily turns 3...

2008-10-30T18:50:00.009-04:00

These last three years have gone by so fast. Since Emily was born, we sold our first house, moved in with my parents while our new house was being finished, I went back to work and the girls started preschool. So many wonderful memories have been created and I wouldn't trade them for anything in the world! Since joining our family, "baby Em" as we like to call her, has brought us so much joy. She is so funny and also has a very sensitive side. I love her so much and feel so blessed in the two precious gifts God has given me. Here is our birthday princess...

You wanted cupcakes for your birthday, so I did my best to make it look like a birthday cake!We were so blessed to have Harry's mom, brother and wife here from out of town to celebrate this special day.

We are finally at the beach...

2008-10-30T17:07:00.008-04:00

After much anticipation we headed down to the beach at the end of June. This was our second family beach trip. I was so happy to have my sister's family join us this year. Cameron is so precious and I loved watching her playing in the sand and getting her feet wet! We had such a wonderful time. We are so blessed to have Aunt Alice and Aunt Jane take such good care of us...

Muffins with Moms & Donuts with Dads

2008-10-30T16:38:00.004-04:00

I still can't believe that my two babies are in school, but I am so blessed to teach there also. I love going to watch them play and learn each day. This year my mom and dad were able to join Harry, I and the girls at school for Muffins with moms and Donuts for dads. We are so blessed to have my parents living so close to us. They are a huge part of our lives and I love them dearly. School is almost out for the summer...

Just Us

2008-10-30T06:43:00.004-04:00

We all had such a wonderful time during this photo shoot. I am always amazed at how much I love the candid shots the best. It was a perfect start to Spring...

Here I go...

2008-10-29T21:09:00.000-04:00

I have never done anything like this before, but I just got this great idea of starting a blog from my friend Mande. I just want a place where I can share pictures and thoughts about my family... mostly of my two precious daughters. I would love for them to be able to look back on this one day to see what their lives were like when they were little. I seem to have trouble finding the time to scrapbook and journal, so maybe I can print these pages and save them. The first picture was taken this spring. It is one of my favorites. More to come...