my mom...

Today I get to wish a very happy and blessed birthday to my sweet mother!!!!

She is one of the most giving and caring people that I know.

...and anyone who knows her would agree.

She is an incredible wife and mother, and I always knew that.

But to see her now with her grandchildren is the most amazing thing.

She takes the name "Memaw"from my own Memaw.

And my girls LOVE their Memaw. :)

a few things you should know about my mom:

She gives more than she has.

She puts others above herself.

She makes meals for others all the time. good meals too.

She and my dad gave my brother and I the amazing gift of adoption.

She is a very loyal friend and sister.

She is an incredible teacher to her preschool class of crazy 3 year olds.

And on that note, as you can imagine, she has amazing patience.

She is a wonderful caregiver.

She is always looking for ways to help those around her.

She taught me about Jesus and about the love I could find in Him.

She is a wonderful mother-in-law to my husband.

She sends cards in the mail to us and to my girls. (those are treasures already)

She trusts the Lord through very tough times.

She loves us well, and loves our girls well.

She is a blessing to us and to so many.

I am so proud to call her my mom.

{when I was digging up pictures about my Grandmom the other day,

I found some special pictures of my mom and I... isnt she beautiful?!)

Happy Birthday, Mom!!!

We love and miss you!!!!

most. beautiful. trip. ever.

As you know, I just returned from an amazing, restful, and refreshing time in Lake Placid, NY
with some incredible friends.

Friends that I had never met in person, but feel like I had known for a lifetime.

I was a little nervous going into it, wondering if it would live up to all my expectations...and it blew them out of the water. In every way.

The views were beautiful, the cabin was beautiful, the weather was beautiful, the sleep was beautiful...

but the most beautiful part of the whole trip?

The hearts of the women I was with.

These girls I have been getting to know in the last year or so, and especially in the last 6 months, were just absolutely incredible to spend time with. They were already all close friends, but they are no doubt now a part of my life forever.

It's like the Lord just connected our hearts all together, without much effort.

It was the most refreshing fellowship I have been a part of in a very long time.

We laughed, cried, ate, laughed more, slept a lot, drank coffee, broke bread, and shared our "stories" together.

I am truly blessed to call each one of these ladies my friend.

Though we all have blogging in common, and that is how we "met", we didn't even talk about blogging. (I think a lot of people were under the impression that this was a blogging conference or something...it wasnt! It was just a girls trip with a group of good friends!)

But if you don't know these ladies through their blogs yet...you should. Trust me. 

You need to know these hearts:

Danielle, Carina, Stephanie, Heather, Kara, Hannah, Esther, and Jami.

ok, so. this is a total picture overload.

I have no apologies. :)

woah. :)

all I can say...

I. Am. Blessed.

LOVE YOU GIRLS!!!!!!!!
#lakeplacidjam

#octoberladies

#friendsforlife
#holla

Remembering my Grandmom

My sweet Grandmom, the only grandmother I have ever known, 

went Home to be with Jesus last week.

Though it is always hard to realize the finality of loss, we know that it was her time and are thankful for no more suffering. 

She lived a blessed 94 years here, and we will miss her greatly.

I am so thankful for the woman she was, and that she got to know my own little girls.

(i dug up some *really* old pictures...)

She was funny and witty, and I remember always laughing a lot around her.

She had a great sense of humor even in the last years of her life.

The picture below is of her, my mom, and my brother looking at me on the day they brought me home from the adoption agency. 

I love that my Grandmom was there for that.

Cousins...on Grandmom's couch. We all spent most Christmases there.

Michelle, Melanie, my brother Tim, and me (the youngest of us 4).

I am glad that Grandmom will get to see her soul mate now, my Grandad.

She has missed him for the last 15 years.

Their wedding anniversary is next week...I'm excited for them to celebrate together again now!

Grandmom and her girls, my mom (left) and my Aunt Ginger.

She said at every meal together..."I taught them everything they know". :)

She taught them both well how to cook, clean, and keep a home and family.

I have TONS of memories of sitting on this porch with my family.

My grandparents' backyard in Lubbock, Texas was seriously one of my favorite places to be growing up.

I spent hours at the organ in their house.

Hours.

Grandmom, my brother Tim, and me.

My mom and her parents.

Grandmom, Grandad, my mom, me, and my cousin Melanie outside of their home.

Lots of Christmas mornings were spent on that green couch.

So thankful for her life and for the blessing she was in mine.

She was a caring, funny, sharp, loving woman who I am proud to call my Grandmom.

I carry her middle name, Elizabeth, and that has always been and will be so special to me.

She will be so missed, but I am thankful for her complete freedom and healing now.

that time I slept until 10.

just sitting in a beautiful cabin.

at noon..

sipping coffee and chatting with girlfriends.

who am i?

so so thankful for the blessing of this beautiful trip with some beautiful ladies.

If you've ever wondered if any of these ladies are as amazing in person as they are "online"...

take my word. They are even better.

I am so honored to be spending this weekend with these girls!

oh, and I slept until 10.

again, who am I?

{L-R: Heather, Stephanie, me, Esther, Hannah, Carina, Kara, Jami, and Danielle}

Talk to y'all next week!

if you want to follow our crazy adventures on Instagram, we are using the hashtag #lakeplacidjam...
because Lake Placid is definitely the Jam. :)

Happy Inside-Out Day, Bethany!

Bethany...

you are 9 months old today! 

("Inside Out Day": 9 months in, 9 months out!!)

That feels like such a milestone.

I cannot believe I was meeting you this day 9 months ago. It seems like forever ago, 

yet just like yesterday too.

You are such a beautiful baby, such a happy little spirit.

You make your Mama smile ALL the time.

I am so thankful for you, my little peanut.

I love how you breathe through your nostrils and scrunch your face when you get excited.

It's hilarious and makes everyone giggle!

I love how much you light up when your sister is around.
She is truly the light of your life.



I love that though you are a petite little flower,
you seem to have a fearless spirit about you.



again, I love your scrunchy face.
It makes your lips square off and is SO incredibly cute!!!
(see below!)



I love that you are already so into being mobile.
You love crawling everywhere, grabbing everything in sight, and getting into a little mischief.



I love that you are still snuggly and love to be rocked.
(your Mama is begging you not to ever change that, okay?)



I love your beautiful blue eyes.
They are so piercing and stunning, and people comment about them all the time.



I love your willingness to be pushed around a little by big sissy...
just because you can't stand not being around her.
You'd rather be smushed than be in different room than her. :)



I love how you love your bathtime.
You splash hard with your hands and it is so funny to watch you just come alive in the water!
And you love taking baths with Abigail..it just adds to all the excitement.



I love your soft sweet baby skin.
And that tiny hiney of yours is just the cutest thing ever.



I love how you already know how to love others so well.
I really believe God has given you a gift of love and compassion.
I cannot wait to see that blossom in the years to come.



and....
I love being your Mama.

Happy 9 months, baby girl!!!!
You are such a treasure in my life.