lighting up the camera!

SHE lights up my life and my camera...

so I just had to share a few of my favorites from lately!

{I mean, really? I wish I looked this cute in a hat.}

smelling the flowers and sharing paci's with her Lamby,

cant get much sweeter.

Well, maybe it can.

She gets a little extra cuddly when she's tired...

{this is one of my new fav pictures ever, makes my heart melt}

helping mama with the dishes

...and making sure mama was okay after a run (ha, smart girl!)

Need an excuse to open that bottle of wine mama?

Do some cork painting!

Have a happy one...

{I know this made you smile}!!

"New"

What is this sun the conquers mountains,

singing over what has been asleep?

What is it that softens all my doubting?

It's YOU.

Morning brings a hunger for new eyes,

that have been covered by the hurt of yesterday.

Who could create in me the vision of a little child?

It's YOU.

You take an ordinary day

and turn it into flowers like the month of May,

Yes You do.

You see all my pain,

and cry over it for hours till I'm new again,

Yes You do.

When I have been a victim of familiarity,

when my heart has fallen into sleep,

Healing is the voice that awakens me,

and it is YOU.

You take an ordinary day,

and turn it into flowers like the month of May.

Yes You do.

You see all my pain,

and cry over it for hours till I'm new again,

Yes You do.

You.

You make me NEW....

(Bethany Dillon, "New")

<

M-O-V-I-N-G!!!

It's time to share what's going on with us lately....

We are.....

M - missing our friends and family so much already.

O - open to all that's in store in this next season.

V - very excited to live in a "small town".

I - incredibly blessed by our supportive family as we make this move.

N - nesting...I LOVE nesting in a new home!

G - grateful for the opportunity we've been given.

(this is how the house will look for the next few weeks...

boxes, boxes, and more boxes!)

Yep, MOVING. Away from the big city Dallas life and on to....

(drum roll please)

Norman, Oklahoma!

We lived there our first year of marriage while Parker finished law school at OU,

and love the town, so we are excited to go back as a family.

Its about 100,000 people, which is a little more up our alley than the million or so in Dallas.

Its a great college town with lots to do and see.

(though we will still be rooting for our Aggies when they come to play OU this year!)

(the beautiful OU campus)

Parker is joining up with his roommate and friend from law school who has had a little practice there in town, doing the same kind of law Parker's been doing on his own here.

It is a great opportunity for him to grow,

and a great opportunity for our family to move.

(praying for renters for our house here!)

If you know us, you know we've tried to move away from Dallas several times (Colorado, Australia, etc), but the Lord has always shut the door, even at

the last minute...making it clear that we would be in Dallas until He said to go.

And now He is SHOVING

doors open for us.

We have had quite a few trials and doors close (so thankful for those looking back) throughout our journey, and not just when it comes to moving. But He has ALWAYS made

His plan and details for our life better than our own.

Though its emotional to be leaving what we know (especially grandparents),

We are believing Him for this

next season in Norman, and are excited to see what's in store.

We will be moving the first of June,

(only 5 short weeks away!!)

I will share more about all this soon...

So thankful for you all, we love you so much!

Sharing what's on my heart today with other bloggy friends over here:

Embrace The Camera!

I'm "Embracing The Camera" today...

a great challenge for us to make sure we actually are in some of the pictures

we capture of our littles, we (and they) will want a few someday with

us in them, not just a million photos of them crawling, drooling, etc.

(you know how you can be with that camera, mama!)

We went and walked around the Arboretum today, one of my all time favorite places to go here...absolutely GORGEOUS right now and the perfect (beautiful) place to let a toddler run around!

Share your pic, and dont forget to let us see YOUR smile too!

linkin up here:

versatile blogger award, and 7 things....

the "Versatile Blogger Award" 

was just given to me by my new bloggy friend at 

Texas Is For Lovers!

Thanks so much, I am so excited!

Go check out her blog...she loves dishing up some fun date ideas,

 AND I love her because she is embracing Texas for the great state that it is! :)

Here are the award guidelines:

1. thank and link to the person who awarded you

2. share 7 facts about yourself

3. pass on the award to 7 newfound bloggy friends

4. let your bloggy friends know they were awarded!

This is an awesome way to link up with friends, and to find new ones too!

We are all "connected" in this wonderful world of blog, so lets spread the love! 

Soooo....7 facts about ME.

1. Becoming a mommy is the best thing that's ever happened to me 

(just in case you cant tell that I think that from my blog...)  :)  

Abigail Joy has graced my life with just what her name means: JOY.

She came at a perfect time... my pregnancy with her was part of God healing me from Fibromyalgia, and she was born 3 months after we unexpectedly lost my father-in-law.  

God knew just when we needed her.  She is FULL of life. 

2. I love juice.  I drink it every night, its what I have on my nightstand.  Not water, juice.  The dentist has taken this up with me a few times, but I love my juice.  

It's usually some flavor of lemonade. 

Now if only they made a giant sippy cup...

3. I love tulips, they are my favorite flower.  Especially light pink ones. Parker surrounded me with them when he proposed to me 8 years ago 

(yes, 8 years...which is another fact: we will celebrate 8 years in August! Where has time gone!?)

4. I am adopted, and it is one of the biggest blessings in my life.  It's something I've always been proud of.  My parents adopted both my brother and I, and they are AMAZING for doing so.  

I am forever thankful for the gift they gave me by raising me.  

Another fact about that is that I met my birth family 3 years ago and it has been a blessing...

I even gained two sisters and am in one of their weddings this summer!  

Adoption is an amazing thing, for all parties involved.  I applaud those of you out there who are adopting, and those of you who have given a baby for adoption....what a gift.

5. I am supposedly training for my second triathlon right now.  You will see on a coming post why I have been distracted from that lately.  

The first tri I did was a great accomplishment for me and I hope to do one again soon.  

Oh, and I hate running. But fortunately I love to bike and swim.

6. I could pretty much quote you any episode of FRIENDS.  

Don't challenge me in the FRIENDS boardgame (yes, they make that. and yes, I own it.)

I find myself relating situations in life to FRIENDS episodes (Parker is never surprised to hear it),

and I never get tired of reruns on TBS.

one of my favs: "Get there faster!"  (Chandler to Joey.)

7. The Lord has flipped my faith upside down in the last 3 years, all for the better.  The way I worship Him now looks completely different than they way I did most of my life.  

I've always loved Him and known He was there, but the "fire" He has allowed in our life has given me a whole new belief IN Him.  He is trustworthy and good and I don't have to be "religious" to know His presence.  That's so freeing. I'm thankful for His grace and that it is so reliable.

Hope you got to know me a little better. 

Thanks for listening!

OK so now the fun part...I get to pass this little award on to 7 others!!

Go check these blogs out, yay!

Elizabeth Ann's Recipe Box

The Keep Family

Marx Family Blessings

The Anderson Chronicle

Adam + Amy

A Boy, A Girl, and A Promise

Blueberry's Blog

Can I list more?  puhhleaaaase?  There are so many out there that bless and inspire my socks off.

(check out more great blogs on the sides over there!)

If you're not on this list, or if you are and you've gotten this award before I knew you, 

Just know I love you!!

Spread it. :)

Blessings!!!