Seniors 2012 Graduation

I have now served 5 years with my growth group bible study girls and they are graduating and moving on this year.  I have enjoyed getting to know them and spending time with them every week.  It's funny that I was the one serving, because I definitely got a lot back from them in return.

They taught me that there are kids these days who love Jesus and choose to live for Him every day.  Sometimes we get bogged down with all the crap in the world that we forget to praise the good things kids do.  And I will stand behind the fact that I had an amazing group of girls who were able to show me Jesus many times, even as young adults.  They chose to come to church when school, work, and life were crazy busy.  They chose to serve others, to invite friends to come, to love on friends when they had bad days.  They knew that Jesus was the reason.  They knew that Jesus meant more than anything else, so He had to become their priority.

I have loved getting to know these girls so much.  Some I have known all 5 years.  Some have come and gone.  And some are new.  But they have all brought joy, personality, craziness, and friendship into my world.  They make me laugh constantly.  They make me feel young again (which is impressive these days).  They make me wanna strangle them and then hug them all in the same hour.  They make me want to be a better Christian so that I can help lead them.  They make me want to cry because I am so proud of the women they have become.

Here are some things I have learned over the years...

1. You must pray with your head bowed, at a 45 degree angle, eyes closed, hands grasped firmly in front of your face.

2.  Food is a good way to bribe people to arrive on time.

3.  Thinking someone is fit and has nice abs is not lusting.

4.  Most people play jenga on their honeymoons.  What else would they do?

5.  Sometimes raising your hand doesn't get you called on so you just need to talk over all of the other people who are conversing.

6.  Even if someone is trying to make a serious point, surely there is a pointless tangent you can start talking about that is way more fun.

7.  Camping out is fun, even in the backyard.  #andhashtagsarecool

8.  You are a downer if you have two lows and no highs.

9.  You can only pray for someone if they are directly related to you.  No aunt's sisters' boyfriends' hairdresser.

10.  Once you pick a seat, get used to it.  It's gonna be your seat forever.  Because it gets weird when someone else is next to you or on the wrong side of you.  It just throws you off.  So go back to your original seat and be happy with it.

11.  Even if you are tired, busy, or had a bad day, go to growth groups.  Because it always helps.

So to all my sweet, sweet girls...  I will miss you dearly.  I am proud of who you have become.  Don't let other people change who you are.  But make sure that God is your priority.  Your life is to praise Him.  To glorify Him.  To serve Him and His people.  Never let the world get in the way of being a child of God.  No matter where you go or what you do, He will be with you every step of the way.

Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go."

Joshua 1:9

I love you girls.  I will miss you.  But I can't wait to see what's in store...

AJ

Oh Harper Elizabeth

Harper is one funny little lady.  Here are some funny things she does these days...

She loves to sneak her food.  She hides it in her highchair so Maggie can get it later.  Or, she'll watch me and wait until I turn around and fling food to the dog.  She would do anything for that dog.  Of course, when I tell her no, she smiles sweetly and continues to her food like she has no idea what I'm talking about.

She loves to play hide and seek.  If she hears someone coming, she screams really loud and jumps into my lap giggling really hard.  It's the best sound ever.

She is learning to stand on her own as we try to teach her to walk.  However, she knows that we get really excited when she stands and we tell her "good girl."  So when we stand her up, she automatically drops down and looks at us laughing really hard.

She thinks there is some conspiracy to her not being able to get cabinet doors open.  She keeps pulling on them and they keep falling closed and she just looks at me and whimpers.  I have to admit, I think that one is pretty funny.

She loves to take everything out of her dresser.  She has also gotten tall enough to take things in and out of her laundry basket.  I know have to be very mindful of what she's doing or I'll be washing clean clothes multiple times a week.

She has learned to play fetch with Maggie.  She gets a toy, usually one of hers, and holds it up to Maggie and babbles something like, "Are you ready?"  Then she throws as hard as she can, and the toy falls about 5 inches away.  Maggie of course runs to get it and Harper giggles some more.  Then, Harper reaches into Maggie's mouth, all the while our ferocious dog is growling.  It doesn't even phase her.  Eventually Maggie lets go and it starts all over again.

Our First Mother's Day Together

Since it was our first Mother's Day, Harper and I decided we wanted to spend the whole day together as a family.  We slept in, till 6:30 of course, and then spent some time lounging in bed.  Harper isn't 100% good at just lounging in the morning, she definitely thinks it's playtime.  But that was one of our favorite things to do pre-baby.  So it was nice for Cody and I nonetheless.

We had a big breakfast and enjoyed a relaxing morning.  We then went and ran a few errands and stopped at IKEA to get ideas for the house (we are repainting!).  It was a wonderful, easy going, beautiful day.  I have enjoyed being a mom so far.  Definitely one the most challenging and rewarding things I have ever done.

The day before we celebrated Mother's Day with my mom and stepmom.  We had brunch with my mom in Addison while the kiddos played outside.  Then, we had dinner at our house with my stepmom and sisters.  It was a great weekend, our first "holiday" that wasn't too crazy.  Such a nice change!

Brunch with my Mom 

Harper and Grayson playing on the playground

The McCools (My sister is 24 weeks pregnant here and she's so skinny!)

Dinner with my stepmom

Waiting for Carleigh to arrive

Pushing Harper in her swing

Uncle Brian laying down the law

Grayson and Pop playing with his new ball that his Aunties got him

10 Month Turkey

Harper is 10 months now and such a little turkey.  The worst part is that we totally stink at disciplining her.  She is actually cutest when she is doing something wrong.  Such a stinker.

She is just over 20 lbs but still seems petite.  We are finally officially in 9 month clothes.  Her hair is growing like weeds and sticks up all over the place.  Still only 2 teeth, but surely those others are coming soon.  She could fill the Atlantic Ocean with all the drool she produces.

Playing with a motorized bunny that runs along a path.  Either Harper or Maggie 

grabbed the bunny within seconds of me letting it go.

Learning to play the drums like Daddy

She is a mover and a shaker now and would rather play than do anything else.  She loves any of her toys that she can push and walk behind.  We are totally out of any stationary toy that requires her to just sit there.  That's for babies of course.

Showing Kara how she walks

Harper opens all the kitchen doors.  Mom closes them.  

Harper opens them.  Mom closes them.  

Repeat.

Her favorite thing to do now is open cabinets, drawers, etc and just mess around with non baby things.  Dumping out rice all over the floor.  Taking all the coffee cups out of the basket.  Pulling all her shirts and pants out of her dresser.  Things that most people do for fun.

Helping take everything out of her dresser.

This cabinet door makes me laugh.  She just doesn't understand why she can't fully 

open it.  So she just keeps trying.  Haha!  Such a funny bunny.

She is big in reading still.  She will listen to you read for hours as long as you go fast enough and don't make her wait on you.  But she will sit by herself and look at her books all day.  She just turns the pages, looks at all the colors, and feels all the different textures.  Her favorite book is "Little Quack loves Colors".  I'm guessing because it has these amazingly bright pictures with bold colors.  And it's short enough that I finish reading by the time she's ready to turn the page.  She really doesn't like waiting.

Her book with textures like animal fur.

Her Little Quack book

This past month, she really stopped sleeping well.  We started getting up multiple times a week for about 3 hours in the middle of the night.  And I will tell you, I'm not a good mom, wife, or person when I am up  from midnight to 3am.  So we went to the doctor and I was explaining how we thought it was her stomach or her reflux or some other ailment.  Nope.  She just wanted us and wanted to play and didn't want to sleep without us.  Awesome.  So we tried the "cry it out" method one more time...and it worked!  It only took one night and she now can put herself to sleep without any crying.  Plus, when she wakes up at midnight, she just crawls around till she finds her paci and then goes back to sleep.  Hallelujah!  What a change this has made in our lives.  We are seriously grateful.

Now that she goes to sleep on her own, she sleeps in the funniest positions.  

Here she was being a superhero.  

Harper and Maggie are still best friends.  She loves to sit in her new swing and watch Maggie catch balls.  She still lights up when her Dad gets home from school.  And she still loves her Mama more than anything.  She is a super happy little girl and we are so in love with her.  She definitely makes life good.

Best Day Ever - Rereading The Hunger Games while Cody hit balls to Maggie and Harper 

watched, on the patio during 75 degree spring weather.  I wish all days were like this.  

Swinging

Maggie Love.

Loving on Pumpkin and Piper

Lookin' good in the shades (for all of .5 seconds before she pulled 

them off to chew on them).

Happy 10 months Harper Elizabeth!

Uncle Air Wick Visits

I stole this post from my sister Kristen, at One Night at McCool's.  It seemed easier than reposting the exact same thing on my own.  Thanks, Krissy!


This weekend was a total family weekend! My brother Eric came in town this weekend. I love the way Grayson says his name - "Air Wick".  Friday evening Eric came over and hung out a little bit before going to a Engagement party. Saturday we hung out all day and then went to my Mom's for dinner. Eric grilled steaks and made dinner for everyone.

Look at Harper - what a big girl pulling up on her own!

Can't get enough pictures of cousins in the bath!

Reading books in pajamas. Grayson, AJ, KK and Harper

"Helping" AJ lift a big bag

AJ and Grayson

AJ made Grayson a t-shirt quilt! I picked out all my favorite onsies and t-shirts from the first 18 months. Shirts that remind me of Grayson. I cut out all the shirts and AJ sewed everything together. I LOVE it! And I hope one day Grayson will treasure this!

Thank you Aunt AJ!

There goes Harper

Grayson, Me, Eric, AJ and Harper

Sunday we all went to lunch with my Dad, Kristi and the girls.

Harper and Eric

Harper and Pop

Taylor, AJ, Eric, Harper, Kristi, Dad, Me and Carleigh

All this little girl wants to do is walk!

A True Texas Girl

Over Easter weekend, we visited the bluebonnets.  My friend Kara said, "You're not really Texan until you have a picture in the bluebonnets."  And right she is.  We all took a picture as a kid, sitting in a bluebonnet field, with some super cute or cheesy outfit on.  But it's Texan, so it's normal to us.  Either way, Harper has hers now and she is one cute Texas baby.