sneaky hat girl

harold was just doing the laundry {yes i know...he IS a good husband} and anyway one of the hats georgia wore when she was first born was in there. there is NO telling how that happened. i actually have know idea where she could have found that hat AND how that little booger got it into her laundry basket. anyway, i put it on her head and oh my. we got a good laugh. first she wanted it off. then back on. then off again. then on again. silly girl.

and here she is the day she was born wearing it.

we've come a long way huh. all those smarts growing up there ;) got a weekend full of birthday parties coming, one of which is cousin winn. pics to come. enjoy your weekend.

Moo-ving Up

georgia's cow shirt seemed quite appropriate yesterday. she's moo-ving on up in the world you know. we're getting into new territory over here. and yesterday was the day for a trip to the shoe store. baby needed new shoes. walking shoes that is. i told her to grab her sippy cup and let's go...
she was excited you can tell. then again, she's pretty easy to excite. lots of personality in that tiny little body. so off we went and can you believe i didn't take my camera? i thought about it but some memories i like to just store inside my own little mind. is that mean??? oh well, i got plenty when we got home. so here you go...

although we have some shoes already she can't seem to walk in them. so i went to find something she could walk in. after several attempts and 45.00 later...such a ripoff. we don't spend that much on our shoes we found the perfect pair. that is until she got home and started pulling at them and whining. so i took them off and saw that they were rubbing her ankles raw. so back to the bare feet. thank goodness i can take those suckers back. nevertheless, i'll keep letting her practice with what we already have and she'll get the hang of it soon enough. she's big girl you know, so of course she will. and just when i thought my girl was indeed big, she grabbed her paci and her bunny and let me rock her to sleep.

so maybe not that big just yet. which is perfectly fine with me. hope things are moo-ving & shaking where you are. hee hee hee

Make It Monday {well, kinda}

ya'll know about youtube right? well we're not big youtube fans, but i have been trying to learn how to french braid my own hair {with no luck, so minde can you please come over and teach a sister} so i looked on youtube, wondering if that would help. it didn't, but OH MY. you can find the neatest darn hair tutorials on there. seriously. so after wasting an hour watching/practicing/photographing while georgia slept here's the result of my new favorite style...

isn't is cute???? it was so easy too. so here's how to make your own messy updo. here's the link to the video i watched {and be warned...it takes a minute to get past the eyeshadow. i had to restart it a couple of times because i couldn't quit staring at it}

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VE105h92o8E&NR;=1

happy monday. now i'm off to laundry. with cute hair i might add :)

what you want???

okay i had some other things to post but harold told me that all people are really interested in is Georgia. he told me to just 'give the people what they want'. i think he really just wants me to hurry with this post so i can play with him :) so here you go...nothing particular, just a few pictures of baby girl. as you can see lots of big girl walking going on.

some excitment...

we've almost got 'Touchdown Auburn' down pat. no worries though...i'll be sure to keep working on it.

and g. marie is getting better everyday at walking. yesterday she walked from our kitchen, through the dining room and into our living room. i can see her confidence and balance improving each day. she gets excited and starts walking fast which causes most of her falls but she's getting there. and of all the milestones so far {holding head up, sitting up, crawling, etc.} seeing her walk is BY FAR the most amazing and special. i guess because she's almost to the point of not needing me for transportation. she can get where she needs to be without me. she is able to explore her world on her own terms {and feet}. i think i'll feel the same when she learns to read. she will no longer require me, or anyone else, to give her information. she can seek it out for herself. again, the thought of that independence makes me excited. and i can feel God working in my heart to be able to rejoice at those things with happiness rather than sadness or fear. i can feel Him changing my role as a mother to be the shepherd that is required rather than than the fearful, worrisome & weak human i once was. no doubt it will be a process, but i will changed forever. i already am. not perfect...just changed.

this little silver angel sits on top of the bookcase in her room {i had to sneak it out...she's napping} but on the right wing it reads:

"A mother is not a person to lean upon, but a person to make leaning unnecessary."

if you are a mother you know how hard that is. or will be. but i pray for this often. i will fail her. disappoint her. hurt her. so my job is to do everything i can to move her towards independence and her own personal relationship with Christ. he will NEVER fail her. he will NEVER disappoint her. he will NEVER hurt her. so i'm rejoicing today that she getting steps closer to that. literally. and that makes me very very excited.

Make It Monday - Butterfly Embroidery

I'm going to try something new around here. It's called 'Make it Monday'. Lots of the things Georgia wears/has/plays with are simple things that I have made for her. And lots of times friends and strangers will ask about those items so I thought it would be fun to share the 'how-to' with you. Not only do I love making her things, I'm also a mother with a budget so lots of times I am forced to be creative if I want cute stuff for her. So anyway, here's the kickoff:

It's a simple embroidery on a white onesie. All I needed was embroidery thread and needles and a onesie. You can use a shirt or onesie or whatever.
After I had my supplies I got a Mark-B-Gone Pen and drew the design I wanted on her onesie. I threaded the needle and tied the knot on the end of the thread and went at it.

Okay, I didn't take the time to take pictures step by step this time but I will going forward. But here's what I did. I used the Split Sticth for the wings, a Running Stitch for the antennea, and French Knots for the body and head.

Pretty cute, huh. I just bought thead to match the polka dots and now she has something that matches. There are so many different stitches that you could use to make it look as you please. Just take the time to look through them and start practicing. This onesie took me less than 30 minutes and cost less than $4.00 to make. So worth it.

And although she doesn't seemed so thrilled about her new digs, they sure make me smile. Let me know if you have any questions. Now, get busy.

guess what????

http://www.youtube.com/get_playerhttp://www.youtube.com/get_player

we gots lots of this sort of stuff going on around here. she is 10 months and 1 week old today and i'm pretty sure she'll be running all over the place by her first birthday. big girl!

busy has taken on new

busy has taken on new meaning. need i explain???

*edited to add:
i just looked up the word 'culprit' because i wanted to know the real meaning and now i kinda feel bad saying she's the culprit. while she is the one who opened the cabinets, oven drawer and pulled the sheets out of the laundry basket, she doesn't really know its wrong. she's just exploring. so she's not really the culprit okay. i don't have time to re-photoshop the picture but just pretend it says "here's my sweet baby girl who likes to do things that keep her mommy very very busy."

a morning with friends...

georgia and i spent the morning with friends {heidi, dede & sarah avery} at the botanical gardens. it was a breezy 60 degrees which made the bright sun a welcomed treat.

poor georgia can't keep up with sarah avery yet so she just sits and watches her little friends run circles around her. we're almost there though. lots of standing up and she has taken a step or two a few times....

and here is the highlight of the trip....

look closely behind {no pun intended} georgia. she was busy trying to put my sunglasses on her head while sarah avery escaped dede mid-diaper change with one shoe in hand. it was HILARIOUS!!!

i'm sure the gardens have some sort of clothing policy but thank goodness the streaker wasn't kicked out. dede, heidi and i sure got a kick out of it though {and let her run around a little longer than we should have naked but it was SO darn funny}

hope you're enjoying the sun as well....love from us all.

okay well...

i guess handmade gift tags aren't that popular. even free ones! we've had almost 200 visitors since i posted on Sunday and only 2 comments. so either you non-commenters aren't that into stationery OR grandparents are checking this thing alot more than they let on. so shea and alicia, you are both getting the giftags. email me your addresses and i'll get them out to you. i think both of you have my email. thanks for being my friends {and only commenters...hee hee}


on a different note, g marie is now obsessed with her reflection. in the mirror. or in the car window. or in the oven...

and if i was that darn cute i might be obsessed too. well until i read proverbs 31. then i would be reminded that 'charm is deceptive and beauty fleeting'...but still, she's pretty darn beautiful huh?!

and on another completely different note...here was our guest room until this weekend...

and now here it is...

we're having extreme guest bedroom makeover {well except for the bedding which i love way too much to 'makeover' }. we sold our sleigh bed and nightstand this weekend because it was way too big for that room. so i'm ordering the headboard this week. got some painting to do and some other ideas up my sleeve. stay tuned...

have a great week all you non-commenters {and commenters too}

a beautiful day...

this is my favorite day of the year. hands down. not necessarily because of what goes on around me {although i do love a get together} but more because of what goes on inside of me. i just really love this day and what it means. and as the day draws to close i can feel myself wanting to savor the sweetness of it all just a little longer.

each year since we've been in birmingham i've wanted to host the easter lunch. we do christmas lunch at my brother's, thanksgiving with either parents, but easter is mine. and everyone is welcome. so each year i have set a place for jesus at the head of our table. he is risen you know. risen indeed and i want him smack dab at the head of our feast!


and even though the food has been packed away. dishes are cleaned. company is gone and babies put to bed, i have left his place setting there. i don't want to put it up yet. just a little longer sweet jesus. just a little longer.


on to more pictures from the day...



here's georgia and her cousin, winn. who has his very 1st birthday in 18 days!

we also had a couple of impostor bunnies running around. and pretty cute ones at that!

and for the last 2 years i hid plastic eggs for the kids to hunt. however it was more about teaching than a hunt. i hid them all in the neighbors yard and then turned them loose in our yard. it took about 3 minutes for them to realize that something was up. so they asked where all the eggs where. so then i turned to luke and read them the story of the empty tomb. the women that went to get jesus couldn't find him either. and why??? BECAUSE HE IS RISEN!!!

anyway, this year i didn't do it. they've heard the story and i figured i would do something else and maggie asked halfway through lunch if we were going to find the eggs. um. well. i hadn't planned for it i told her. well, not to worry she said because she had a bag full of plastic eggs that we {uncle harold} could hide. so he did. and even though there was no candy in them they still had a blast looking for them.

i found some random hersey bars left over from something that were the 'prizes'. but really it could have been anything. are kids not the greatest teachers. joy comes from the experience. do you see anything but joy in that picture above? that's goodness i tell you.

this was the scene at one point in georgia's room. babies babies everywhere. {and that wasn't them all}

and here are my parents {Cissy & Chief } with all 5 of their grandkids. do you think they are proud???

and just because it makes my heart melt...here's a picture of walker kissing georgia's feet goodbye. what a lucky girl she is to have such sweet cousins.

and if you're still reading i have something fun to share...

since jesus christ through his death and resurrection has given us the free gift of eternal life, i thought it would be fun to give something away too. so you see those cute little tags above???

post your favorite easter tradition in the comment section and i'll use a random generator thing to choose someone to receive 2 dozen handmade gift tags by yours truly. you see a chick above but you'll receive an assortment of different designs. but all very very cute. so all you readers that never comment, let me hear from you...i'll announce the winner on wednesday.

i hope your day has been beautiful as well. here's to a very joyful week...

“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

a Good Friday message

hope you can spare 3 minutes to watch...

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzto6khRp7w]

"For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God!" 1 Corinthians 1:18

a good visit...

grandparents {on one side} have come and gone and now we are in auburn visiting {well harold is working, i'm visiting } the other side. what a week for georgia. and a welcomed break for us. her grandma came bearing gifts as usual and baby g didn't quite know what to do with the giant easter basket brought just for her...

i love the way the sun is shining in the window in the picture above. a great reminder of the one and only Son that this season is all about.

and do you know marvin k. mooney???

i didn't either. but apparently he's been around awhile because we have pictures of harold reading this book to his little brother so now georgia has a copy of her own that her daddy is more than happy to read to her. thank you grandma & grandpa.

and despite the cooold weather, i hope the Son {and the sun} is shining bright where you are. be back soon!

i can't think of one...

this post has no title really. no theme either. just wanted to share some pictures from the last few days. spring has sprung and it's beautiful all around.

our azalea bushes are about to burst. and we have our first bloom of the season. {until georgia gets hold of it}


we spent some time at the park with friends yesterday and all the other kids could run and play so i decided to bring georgia's 'walker' so she wouldn't be ground bound. it was a great idea if i do say so myself. not too much longer baby girl...

and this. not my favorite. she has learned where her hair is and when you ask she goes up to it. but now she has started pulling on it. and her favorite time to do it is when she eats. which makes for a very messy baby. but at least she's learning. well, and smiling. so who really cares right?!

georgia had a very special visitor this week too. one of my dear, dear friends from college came from out of state to visit her for the first time. we had a great time. too good for it to end so soon. but she'll be back.

and she is so sweet that she decided to let me photograph her with bed head so georgia wouldn't be self-conscious about her bed head. now isn't that sweet?

{ya'll realize that i'm going to get it for posting that picture right? i intentionally left off her name and home town in hopes that she'll give me mercy. but really, she's an amazing, smart and BEAUTIFUL woman. when her hair is fixed. hee hee}

and finally. my new favorite picture. i could look at this picture for hours and never blink.

hope you all have a good weekend. grandparents are coming our way so i'm sure we will. love from bham...