Mia is THREE today!

Yes, its true. I did post my last entry on Jody's birthday, and now it is my sweet daughter's birthday today, only 3 days later. It was 3 years ago today that Jody's and my life changed so dramatically when Mia made her entrance into this world at 1:30am and weighing in at 6 pounds 2 ounces, and 19 1/2 inches long. I know everyone tells a new mom, "watch out, they will be older before you know it!" I always laughed, thinking, "whatever." But its true. I'm not sure where the last three years of my life has gone, but it has been amazing, none the less!

Mia is such a joy in our life. She makes me laugh so hard every day. She really is three going on sixteen. She is currently in a very independent stage right now. She tells me all the time, "I can do that by myself, I am a big girl." Its so funny that you spend so much time as a parent to make them more independent, but then the time comes and you want to help them do something, and they refuse your help, repeating exactly what you have taught her (about being a "big girl.") and then that can be frustrating at times. It is only the beginning, and I am well aware of that. She is so great though. I love that I can have such a great time with her. I love that my heart aches when I am not with her. I love her creativity and imagination. I love that she loves Eisley so much, and never gets tired of her baby sister who needs her mommy's help a little more than she does. I love that she gets so excited over simple pleasures, and is so quick to tell us "I had a great time at ___, mommy." I love that she is one of the most appreciative children I've met, as she is so quick to tell people "thank you." I love that she will tell me "thank you for making this dinner for us, mommy" after a simple meal of grilled cheese or turkey meat on a plate. I know I could go on and on, but I will finish by singing (OK, typing) the sweet song Mia sang today when she had no clue I was listening...."Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to Mia, Happy Birthday to myself, Happy Birthday to me. Yeah!!!" (and yes, she applauded for herself after her song.) I hope you all have a blessed day today!

Happy Birthday to my husband...

So, today is Jody's 27Th birthday!!! I can't believe we are all getting so much older. Does anyone else remember when 26 or 27 sounded so old??? I mean, it was practically almost 30! Yikes! I just think its crazy, and not to mention that I still feel at least 18, and people still think Jody looks it. :) I love it! So, for Jody's big day (which, birthdays and holidays are so much more important to me than they are to him, so thank you Jody for letting it be a somewhat of an important day.) we started off with him having breakfast with a friend while I was at the gym. Then, we went to lunch together with the girls at our newly opened Rudy's Bar-B-Que. They have a Rudy's in Lubbock, which we loved when we were at Tech. It opened yesterday, so we thought it was a perfect birthday lunch. And, believe me, it was amazing! Tonight we are going to cook out steaks on Jody's new grill that I gave him for his birthday/Father's Day. I am pumped!

All Jody really asked for his birthday was a cookout with his close friends AND, get this, a Mariachi Band. Well, I don't think I could afford or fit a Mariachi band in our backyard, so I opted for the cookout. I have been secretly gathering all of our good friends to come over Sunday night to celebrate. I told him about the surprise today since I knew he would want a little time to work on the patio and yard and such. Either way, it was a surprise. He is so excited! Although, it almost didn't work out due to a lack of communication on his part. Earlier in the week, after I had called everyone, I found out that Jody was leading worship at a local church Sunday night. YIKES! So, I quickly called the pastor (good thing they are friends of ours) and told him the situation. Thankfully he was able to get a replacement for Jody so that Jody could attend his own party. Kinda funny, but I was nervous.

I love doing fun stuff like this for the man I love the most. I love that we are so different (he is crazy about big parties, I'd rather smaller groups) but yet are so compatible. He is amazing! I am so blessed that the Lord chose me to be his wife! I could have never chosen a more amazing husband for myself. He is willing to do whatever it takes to take care of his family. I love that he seeks the Lord the way he does. I love that he is so talented musically and creatively. I love the father that he is to Mia and Eisley, and the laughter that he brings to our home. I love that I am still able to laugh at him, even after almost 5 years of marriage. He is just perfect for me. Thank you Lord for the abundant blessing of my husband! Happy Birthday Jody! I hope you have an amazing day!

Oh, the joys of unpacking...

So the month of May seemed like a complete whirlwind. I honestly don't even remember May coming and going. Its amazing really. May was full of so many wonderful things...My birthday, of course, my brother got married the next week, Jody and Mia were in a wedding the next week, and then Jody and I spent last week in Austin where he led worship for a camp on Lake Travis. I will definately blog about each of these events.

First I will start with the wedding in Abilene. We had a great time. And really, it was a perfect midway drive to Austin. Our friends Kyle Trafton and Amanda Dunn got married. It was a beautiful ceremony. We had a lot of fun hanging out with friends too. I'll tell you one thing though, Mia LOVED being at a hotel. We didn't realize until we saw her reaction at the hotel, that this was her first time to stay at a hotel, well, that she can remember. She was so cute. She got excited about every part of the hotel, especially the "alligator" aka, elevator (its too cute to correct her.) She kept saying over and over again "I'm having a great time at the hotel daddy." The purest joys of an almost 3 year old. I wish I got more excited about simple things like she does. The suite was a perfect layout for our family. The two beds and the big room were closed off from a little sitting area. This was so helpful for naptime and bedtime. I was prepared for Jody and I to have to sit outside the room while the girls fell asleep. It was a huge blessing! All to say, we had a great time. The wedding was on Sunday, so we got there Saturday afternoon, and Jody and I left Monday to head on to Austin (only a 3 1/2 hr drive) and my parents, who were at the wedding too, brought the girls back home with them to spend the week with Nana and Grandad. I am so thankful for amazing family! Here are some pictures of the wedding weekend....Enjoy!

The family


Mia and the other flower girl, Savannah







The newly weds, Kyle and Amanda Trafton with Mia, Savannah, and ring bearer, Spencer Craft

Our little girl is so grown up.

Well, we did it! It was finally time for our little girl's first REAL haircut. Yes, she's had it trimmed here and there, including a big cut at 4 months old with her daddy's clippers (family was not so happy with us.) But yesterday, we finally gave in. Jody and I have been going back and forth about cutting Mia's hair for about 6 months or so, but when I was ready, Jody wasn't, or vice-versa. But, yesterday, we were in agreement. I originally wanted to wait until after all the weddings (she is a flower girl in another wedding this weekend.) since her hair used to look really sweet all curled. BUT, since I found out last weekend that her hair was too long and straight to actually hold the curl for longer than 20 minutes, I said, "forget it! Lets chop it!" So we did. We had a fun time though. I was hoping that we would actually be able to donate her hair to Pantene's Beautiful Lengths (similar to Locks of Love) but it was just barely too short. Oh well, we have many years ahead of us to get to do that again. Maybe when Mia is old enough to understand more about donating her hair. All to say, Mia LOVES her new haircut. She really beams when you talk about it. I have never seen her so proud about anything in her life. Her joy in it makes it completely worth my missing those beautiful long locks! (I will NOT miss the tears that came at times with my brushing her long hair though.) I took plenty of pictures, so enjoy!

BEFORE




DURING






AFTER

My little brother got married.

So, my brother got married this past weekend, on Friday actually. It was a beautiful wedding! I just can't believe my little brother is married. I just don't feel like he is old enough. But I guess he is technically older than I was when I got married. Crazy.
We are excited to have Leah a part of our family now. She is a great match for Matt! We had a great weekend seeing all of our family and friends. Especially ones we don't get to see often enough!
I can't believe I didn't take many pictures. I guess I was really busy chasing around Mia and trying to keep her from messing her dress up. Not to mention that I had to curl her hair 3 different times. I guess she was simply blessed with my straight hair that does not hold curl well. It also didn't help that she was running around with her cousins, rather than sitting there prim and proper like I was dreaming of. And, of course, I didn't get any pictures of Mia with her other flower girl cousins, Bailey and Addison. I also didn't get a picture with my brother, either. Dang. The night went too fast I guess. Oh well, here are some of the pictures that I do have. Hope you enjoy. Again, I wish I had more!

The family

my newest sister in law, Leah. Welcome to the family!

My sister, Leah, and me

Mia was one of the flower girls

Jody's sister Amy, her husband Zach, and our family

Thursday night was my brother's rehearsal dinner. My mom did a great job preparing for the night. The room looked beautiful, and the food was amazing! It was a great night!
The table centerpieces...Great job Mom!

My brother and Leah

Cool glasses Mia


Cousins...my sister, me, and cousin Brenna

Mia and me

My mom's brother Joe and wife Darla, from North Carolina. We had so much fun with them, we always do, even though we don't get to see them often enough!

Jody and me

Its been a busy 2 weeks.

I am so sorry that it has taken so long for me to write. I cannot believe how busy the past two weeks have been. I know everyone can say they are "busy" but I am serious, I have no clue where my time has gone...Well, maybe I can give you a brief run-down...

Monday (4/28) - went to Eisley's 6 mth check-up, and she weighed in at 12 pounds 10 ounces!!! And, she made the weight chart, finally! She is officially in the 3 percent. We wanted to throw a party for her.
Tues (4/29) - The ECI nutritionist came out to do her evalutation. Other than simply giving us some helpful hints are what foods are the highest in calories for Eisley to eat (like squash and sweet potatoes), she told us that Eisley looked wonderful to her and she saw no problems. YEA!!!
Thurs (5/1) - The ECI physical therapist came out for her evaluation and also said Eisley looks great to her, and saw no need for any intervention. She kinda laughed even while wondering why she was even referred! It felt so great to hear that!
Fri-Sun (5/2-4) - Jody and I went on our church's marriage retreat and had an amazing, restful time together. What a refreshment it is to spend undivided time with my husband. I am so in love with him! Jody's parents kept the girls, so Jody and I went to Childress to get them Sunday and stayed the night. His parents cooked out for my birthday celebration (its tomorrow, actually) They are amazing, and treat as if I was truly their biological daughter. I am so blessed. We then drove home Monday.
Monday (5/5) - We were supposed to get our concrete patio poured on this day, but are actually still waiting. The rain has caused a severe hold up. Jody is not happy.

This brings us to today. I had an okay day. I did have a Mother's Day Tea with Mia at Mother's Day Out. It was very special.

So, needless to say, I am pretty worn out. Being a mom is by far one of the hardest jobs I've ever had, BUT, it is also by far the most rewarding. Just some days I have to remind myself of that more. :) I pray you all have an amazing rest of your week, and weekend. Blessings! Here are some pictures of the girls and their weekend with MaMaw and Papa.

Sisters...

Mia "helping" MaMaw with the dishes, I'm sure

I love this picture! Eisly is saying "I love your kisses MaMaw!" I love Eisley's expression with her eyes!

I celebrated my birthday with my brother in law Zach. His brithday was the 6th. Thanks Becky for the Rice Krispie cake! (a Wilson brithday tradition.)

Jody told me to show him how excited I was about my birthday present. That happy!