15 Months

Dear Lucy,

Have I mentioned how much fun you are?  I'm sure I have.  Lucy, you are rocking our world!  You funny, funny little girl.

It's still crazy to look at pictures of my rolly polly chunky monkey baby, and then watch my feisty little bean pole twirl around the living room and then take off running in circles through the house.  You are still hovering around what you weighed at 6 months (21ish pounds), you just keep on stretching.

You like to try and imitate the animal sounds I make, which might not be the best thing.  Some of those I'm pretty terrible at.  Like an Elephant?  You have an Elephant puppet that you love and you come running over to me trying to place it on my hand.  I'm sorry kid.  You might be going to school thinking that an Elephant makes a different sound every time it opens it's mouth.  Sounds that range from a trumpet, to a motor boat, to a sneeze.

Summer has been pretty kind to us so far.  Lots of outside time still.  We have had some good bike rides and strolls this last month and plenty of backyard explorations.  There's lots of open grassy space, but your favorite thing is to bushwhack through the bushes coming out on the other side grinning from ear to ear, covered with twigs and leaves.

You love coming in the garden with us.  There are times when I watch you and you're so careful and gentle with these plants, like you are truly in awe of the produce.  Then there are the times when you come stumbling through the hay piles and we have to keep you from trampling everything green.

We had a quick trip to see Aunt Amanda and Uncle Tyler on Wilmington Island.  I don't think they have had that much one on one time with you ever!  They love you so much, and you will learn so much from them.  While we were there, there was news of a tropical storm brewing.  None of our plans were messed up, and it actually brought in some cooler weather for us.  It also, however, brought 35 mph winds down on the beach.  But you were thrilled.  You clung to me as we walked through the blowing sand storm but once we got down to the packed sand by the water, you took it in for a second and then wanted to take off.  You ran up and down the beach, squealing as the wind took your breath and carried your squeal away before you could even hear it.  You would have preferred running straight into that angry ocean...but Mama and Daddy wouldn't let you.  I'm afraid you might find the beach pretty boring next visit :)  Your dad also bought you an airbrush t-shirt.  I figure you have to have one per lifetime, so mark that off your list.  So when you are a Senior in High School and I'm chaperoning your Spring Break beach trip, save your 30 bucks.

You've also had your first week of survival swimming lessons through Infant Aquatics.  It is unbelievable!  Only one week and you are already launching yourself from me and swimming UNDERWATER for 5 to 9 seconds to get to your dad.  You really are amazing.  You are so courageous and fearless.  Which is actually a big reason we sought this out for you :)  You love to explore and we find ourselves by lakes, rivers, ponds, oceans and pools a lot.  And this will give you the base to have a lifetime of fun and safety in the water.  I will definitely write more on this later.  It's a 6 week course, so I can only imagine what you'll be doing by the end.

I'll end with one of my favorite family outings from this past Saturday.  You love blueberries,  I mean LOVE them.  We planted some bushes of our own because it was getting hard to afford your habit.  And they are producing, but you eat them off the bushes before we can get them in the house.  Your father and I dream of blueberry pancakes, blueberry muffins, maybe even some blueberry scones.  Our bushes only support your intake.  So we found a farm.  We drove up, walked over to a table, picked up our buckets and started wandering through rows and rows of giant blueberry bushes and picked away.  It was such a delightful afternoon.  We spent two hours, just wandering.  It was like the whole place was ours.  You were in your element.  You are so peaceful when you're outside.  Just like at home, you wanted to walk under the bushes and cross through the bushes instead of going around.  You were so scratched up, but it didn't phase you one bit.  And yes, you ate some berries.  Some green ones, some red ones, some lots off the ground, and some nice big juicy ones out of my bucket.  It was just perfect.  And I love that you already show signs of not being afraid to put in the effort for something you love.  You never got frustrated, you were just soaking in the experience.  It was all just perfect...

Well, there was one minor mishap.  I really don't know how to tell you this.  Here it goes...

You might have, sort of, maybe, probably, pretty much ate some deer poop.

You were sitting under a bush, looking so content.  I was lovingly gazing at you thinking about what a sweet, precious little girl I have.  And man does my girl love her blueberries.  Wait a minute...those are some dark blueberries, they kind of look black.  Like some oval shaped pellets.  HOLY CRAP THAT'S DEER CRAP!

I can't say for certain that you consumed any or if you did, how much.  But you certainly had some handfuls. Lucy, if you feel like holding this against me one day, just know that I tweaked an old knee injury when I did a leap, twist, dash to get to you.

Here's to a good immune system!

Your dad has already said that the first thing we'll do when we buy our land is go out and plant plenty of berry bushes. 

Happy year and a quarter baby.

Love,
Mama

 

 

 

Meet Ethel...

A little friend for Lucy.

I really hope I don't have to explain the Lucy and Ethel thing (which, with much disappointment, I had to for my husband). 

Ethel was a rainy day project I've been wanting to do for awhile.

The most exciting part was that I didn't have to buy one thing.  Every part of her was made from scraps and things I had in a bin.

See, I made a deal with myself that before I bought any new fabric for some projects I have in mind, I would try and use up what I have.

So I have lots of dolls to make now!

Ethel was made with lots of love and I hope that Lucy and her will become the best of friends and make lots of memories.

People and Adventures

Lucy,

I wanted to mark this past weekend. It was a jam packed weekend. One that left me exhausted and absolutely slap full of joy.  From neighborhood picnics, to cook-outs and live music on Saturday, then church, a 6 mile canoe paddle (complete with a tipped boat in the middle of the river), and a Bar-B-Q on Sunday.   You moved from one event to the next with your sweet spirit and your ready-to-go attitude.  You are a little extrovert, a people-lover for sure, just like your daddy.

I imagine that when you’re older and you ask for a story about the early years, this will be a weekend I tell you about.

What I can’t wait to tell you, is just how big of a person is in your tiny little body.  You are so delightfully infectious.  When you enter a gathering, you meet each gaze with a big cheesy smile.  You so genuinely love being around people, that they genuinely enjoy your company.  And from someone who’s always been an introvert and struggled some with shyness, it’s awe-inspiring to watch you.  Saturday night you charmed all and by the time we left everyone knew your name and your dance moves.   

But here's where you really blew me away...

When we were first asked about going on a 6 mile river paddle, I admit I didn't think it would happen.  You are just so active right now and do not like being constrained in any way and I could just imagine a 3 hour wrestling match trying to keep you inside the boat all the way down the river.

But your dad and I talked, and decided that we didn't want to make decisions and miss opportunities based on how we assume you may or may not react to something  After all, from biking to backpacking, you have loved it all.  And we've been wanting to get you on the water for awhile now.  So why not now?

When we arrived at the drop-off point, we definitely got some "she's so cute!" mixed in with some "you're so brave!"  

Lucy, we had high hopes and we're thinking positively, but you blew us away.  Three hours on the water and not only did you not have any melt downs, but you were so in love with the whole situation.  You took turns sitting with your dad in the back and then sitting with me in the front, helping us paddle, skimming the water with your fingers, and playing with pine cones and eating blueberries in the middle of the boat.  You waved and squealed at the other kayaks and canoes.  We stopped on a rock island and you climbed around on the rocks and splashed in the water.  You enjoyed every part of it. 

You fell asleep in my arms the last 15 minutes or so and stayed asleep as I climbed out of the boat and we waited to be picked up.  You were exhausted.  But in your typical power nap fashion, you woke after 30 minutes.  Just in time to get some dry clothes on and join everyone for a Bar-B-Q and more dancing of course.

You have your Mama's adventure heart and your Daddy's people heart.  I can't wait to see how God uses that...

Grow Garden Grow

This is one of my favorite times...

When the garden is full of tiny, miniature, examples of the produce that is only weeks away from being placed on our table.

I have such an excellent helper this year.

Mama and the Moon

You know those little books that you see near check-out lines?  Cute, funny, or inspiring books with pictures and words of wisdom or humor.  I normally do not pay much attention to them.  But one caught my eye the other day.  

The title…

 “My Mother Gave Me the Moon.”

So I stopped and read through it and thought, wow, this is my mother to a T!

Even more than that, I thought, this is the kind of mother I want to be.

Thank you Mama, for giving me the moon.   I wish I would have written these words first, but they still come straight from my heart!

My mother gave me the moon.

My mother gave me the stars.

My mother gave me the universe and all its little miracles.

My mother gave me warmth.

My mother gave me security.

An all the while, my mother gave me room to grow and the freedom to discover the world for myself.

My mother gave me the gift of countless sunny afternoons…

Of wheelbarrow races and butterfly chases,

Bubbles of all sizes and sweet surprises.

My mother gave me childhood, pure and joyful.

My mother gave me friendship.

My mother gave me faith.

She instilled in me a sense of wonder and the wisdom to be gentle with all living things.

My mother gave me dreams and the courage to believe in them.

And she still does.

My mother made everyday days seem special.

And made special days nothing short of magical.

She taught me to hold traditions dear…

And family close.

And long before anyone else did…

My mother showed me what love really is.

14 Months

Ahhhhhh!  Lucy baby girl…joy, joy, joy.  That is what you bring to my life.  You are pure joy.  

So much has changed in the short 2 months that you turned a year old.  Gone is that baby, pitiful with red, swollen gums with a new tooth popping out weekly.  Gone is the baby clinging to me 24/7, anxious and uneasy on the cusp of a new world, with new views and new heights all on 2 wobbly legs.

My little baby is gone.

You are this brave, confident, funny, loving little girl.   

Still rocking your low-maintenance, old man hairdo of course. 

Lucy, you are hilarious.  You walk up to little girls in public and try to hold their hand like your best friends.  When we finish eating at restaurants you like to walk by each table and flash a smile and make sure they’re all enjoying their meal.  You are so affectionate.  If you see me on the floor, you stop what you are doing and come crawl into my lap and lay your head on my chest.  Sometimes only for .3 seconds, but I love it.  You also still give the best open-mouth, wet, slobbery kisses ever.  I steal about 77 every day.  

You’ve become a dance machine.  You turn any sound into a rhythm that can be rocked, swayed and stomped too.  Sometimes the only sound seems to be playing in your head alone, but you dance.  You like to do drive-by piano playing.  On your way around the house, you pause just long enough to reach as high as you can and play a few notes.

Your favorite word is still, Uh-Oh.  You use sign language with us for the words:  more, all done, sit, and eat.  The sit one kind of backfired on us though.  You love to climb onto every piece of furniture, especially your little rocking chair, and then stand up and look directly at us with the biggest smirk on your face while doing the sign for sit.  But you understand so much more.  In one of your word books, I can ask you where the banana, baby, blueberries, and pine cone is and you can point them out and then proceed to clap and applaud yourself for a job well done.  You immediately start clapping when we sing, If You’re Happy and You Know It.  You can point out your nose and belly.  I can ask you to go get a book and you walk over to your bookshelf and bring back as many as you can carry.  You pretend to give your baby doll some of your water.  After you’re done eating, you go and get your play broom and dust pan and try and sweep under your seat.  If you’re not trying to help me push the vacuum cleaner, then you’re trying to ride the canister.  

You laugh, all the time.  You laugh at your dad and me when we twirl you around or make funny faces or play chase.  You laugh at yourself, whenever the thought happens to cross your mind.  When we’re out with others and you hear someone laugh you make this grand effort at this fake laugh like you totally get the joke.  You just want to be a part of everything good this world has to offer. 

I don’t sit much these days.  But I am loving this time Lucy.  I have so much fun with you.

We have a lot of fun planned for this Summer and I look forward to sharing everything with you.

Love,

Mama

3 Years

Yesterday was three years.   

Three years of being a wife.  

I’m fully aware that three years is nothing.  Nothing.  Since I will be growing old with this man.

But I can say that I’ve learned more in these three years than any other time in my life.

I’ve learned that marriage is a lot more then choosing to love your best friend forever.  It’s letting God use that person to mold and shape you into the image of Christ.  

You head down the road together; learning to be selfless, giving grace, showing mercy, and offering forgiveness.

In these three years I have been humbled and overwhelmed by the amount of grace, mercy, and forgiveness I have received from the man I married.

I’m honored to be in a union where love is given without condition.  The kind of love that is given because Christ is teaching us to love as He did.  

Thank you, Steven, for a love that is genuine and transforming.

I love my life with you.