Pretty Amazing Stuff Going On...Part 3...Walking

Molly is walking. She took her first couple of steps on her own last Friday, did a few more on her own last night, and then today, she took off and really hasn't stopped. It is adorable and precious and makes us want to cry. How is our little baby growing so rapidly?!?

10 months & 9 days.

She's so proud of herself!

Go darling!

Pretty Amazing Stuff Going On...Part 2...Anniversary

Sunday, we celebrated my grandparents' 65th wedding anniversary. Folks, that is a BIG deal. They have quite a story...he was wounded in WWII, awarded a Purple Heart, returned to the States (Oklahoma) to have surgery, decided to look up an Army buddy's family while he was there, and that buddy's sister turned out to be my grandmother. I love that era, and I love to hear their stories. I love my grandpa's drive and ambition and my grandma's love of entertaining and all things homemaking. I love both of their generosity and loving hearts. Aren't they a lovely couple? They will both say they don't deserve the nice things I say about them, but they do. I have been blessed abundantly in the grandparents department - my dad's parents were amazing - my Grandma Kusch being one of my biggest fans in life, and both sets of Aaron's grandparents still influence our lives on a daily basis. We have quite a legacy and heritage.

Grandma asked Aaron and I to be in charge of the photography (mainly Aaron), and I am so proud of how the pictures turned out - he did a great job!

Pretty Amazing Stuff Going On...Part 1...Birthday

On February 5th, we celebrated my Grandpa's 87th birthday!

My grandpa is an usher at church and delivers meal-on-wheels as well as does a million other things such as golfing and yard work.

He's quite an amazing guy.

Happy Valentine's Day

**Snow**

Shimmering glitter

Dancing diamonds riding the wind

Sunshine on falling snowflakes

Sparkles sprinkling the snow white ground

written by Hayley, 2.9.11

Thank you, Lord, for your delightful, creative display of wonder today.

My "Job"

Aaron told me last night that I have the best job in the world. I could not agree more.

I get to play on the floor.

I get to laugh and giggle and tickle.

I get to ask, "Where's mama's nose?"

I get to see her point her little finger to my nose...or flinch when she pinches it instead.

I get to watch her turn on the turbo speed crawl.

I get to see her turn on the turbo speed walk while she holds onto the furniture.

I get to walk with her as she holds onto my finger.

I get to hold her.

I get to kiss her.

I get to hug her.

I get to cuddle with her.

I get to snuggle with her.

I get to watch her kiss Fletcher through the window.

I get to watch her wave at Fletcher oodles of times each day.

I get to chase her down the hall.

I get to catch her and together we squeal with delight.

I get to clean up the disasters and messes that she leaves behind her.

I get to fix her sippy cups of water.

I get to wipe up water after she dumps her sippy cups.

I get to see her explore her world.

I get to see her learn and discover and experience every day.

I get to learn and discover and experience right beside her.

I get to watch in amazement as she stands by herself longer every day.

I get to listen to her jabber and babble.

I get to laugh at her new tongue tricks.

I get to cook and clean with her hanging onto my leg.

I get to read to her.

I get to stick my finger in her mouth to get out the cardboard/paper she eats.

I get to sing and dance with her.

I get to stick her feet into socks a jillion times a day.

I get to search the store for her socks that she takes off and throws.

I get to wave to her and say "hi" back to her.

I get to change dirty diapers and rub lotion on her soft body parts.

I get to laugh at her bedhead.

I get to "kiss it better" after she tumbles or smacks her head or slams her finger in a drawer.

I get to be suddenly hugged when the urge attacks her.

I get to make her baby food and try to get her to eat it.

I get to be with her and love on her and be present.

I get to be her mommy - the very best job in the world.

She is 10 months old, and she melts my heart.

Castle Love...Again

I know I've posted of my love of Castle before, but I can't help myself...

#1 - "Three armed cops and a writer makes four. You're under arrest, so get on the floor!" New favorite quote of Castle's.

Hysterical. I watched that part 4 or 5 times.

#2 - Personally I'm glad that Beckett's apartment blew up because she now lives in the coolest loft ever! Two weeks ago, I fell in love with it, and the episode now stays cued in our DVR at the point in the show where I can see her bookshelf wall. Aaron thinks I'm crazy because he'll walk into the living room, and I will be staring at the paused TV screen dreaming about my own bookshelf wall. Hmmm....who do I know who is a WHIZ with woodworking? (I've been married to him for 12.67 years.) Last night we got to see the stair step book case in her kitchen, and I don't plan on deleting this episode either. More daydreaming...

My Favorite Room in our Home

In September, we decorated Molly's room and had more fun than should be

allowed. Most folks nowadays decorate the nursery before the baby arrives. Since we didn't know Molly would be a girl and since we were living in a rental home for just a few months, we didn't even try to decorate before her birth day...just paint my furniture from my growing up years. Of course, I had the quilt and her name banner finished a year ago, and I'd been keeping a list of ideas in my trusty notebook that goes everywhere with me.

First, I found two images of trees that I loved as well as a butterfly, and then I borrowed an overhead projector. After copying the images onto a transparency, I combined & traced them to meet my vision onto a large sheet of a woodlike substance from Home Depot.

Then Aaron cut them out, painted them, and nailed them to her wall.

In the hall as you enter her room... My mom purchased the plaque in the hospital's gift shop on the day she was born.

I made up the curtain as I went, and I'm thrilled with how it turned out.

I also made the embroidery hoop & covered the lampshade.

The cuckoo clock: Pottery Barn purchase that I got for a steal and repainted to match her room.

The adorable frame was made by my friend, Jill, and the butterfly was my mom's napkin holder that I rescued and repainted.

I traced Molly's announcement and embroidered it.

I don't think I ever posted the entire quilt I made her.

Thank You Note #2

Thank you, vacuum sweeper, for not being in the laundry room closet when the washing machine spewed gallons of water flooding the laundry room as well as part of the kitchen. I would have hated to have had to replace you.