Changing Colors

 Living the the mountains has had its perks, but the changing of the leaves has been one of the best.  The leaves have been absolutely beautiful in all shades of red, green, yellow, orange, and brown.  While we have had a pretty good view of them from our home and town, we've taken a few drives on the parkway and through the park to enjoy them a little more.  My pictures do no justice to the beauty we've been seeing.

While driving the parkway we hiked up Devil's Courthouse.  The hike was quite steep, but we all made it!  The view was beautiful when we reached the top!

 Devil's Courthouse from the bottom.

 We also hiked up to Clingman's Dome in the GSM Nat'l Park.  The kids loved all the rocks along the pathway.  It was overcast and cloudy that day so we didn't have a great view from the top, but it was fun anyway.

 One more trip to Cataloochee proved to be awesome as always.  We saw several elk, lots of full grown bulls, and a few young bulls.  The highlight this visit was two young bulls sparring.

Big Brother Sweetness

Levi is proving to be one amazing big brother. Naomi has not been sleeping well at night. Usually she wakes once at some point and it only takes a little snuggling and she is back asleep. I'm hoping it is due to teething, but we'll see. Anyway, Sunday evening I was woken up around 2am to hear Naomi crying. When I woke up I noticed the living room light was on, so I go to investigate. I walk around the corner and look into Naomi's room to find that Levi has crawled into the pack-n-play with Naomi. He has given her a pacifier and is telling her "Its okay." She actually seems calm and almost asleep. That is when he saw me and said "Mommy, Nome's crying." So I pick them both up, give Levi some juice, and send him back to bed (after I tell him what a wonderful brother he is). Naomi is back to sleep and in bed by 3am. When morning finally arrives I decide to sleep in since I had to get up with the kids. Around 7:45am I hear Naomi crying again so start to get out of bed, but before I can I hear my bedroom door shut. I get out of bed and walking into the living room to hear laughter coming from Naomi's room. I head that way only to find that Levi has crawled in bed with her again and they are laughing. When I walk in he says "Mommy, you awake?" To which I reply "Yes." Realizing that he thought I was asleep I ask "Did you shut my door so she wouldn't wake me up?" He looks at me and says "Yes." How sweet is that? I definitely have one sweet little boy.

Quilts

I have always had a fascination with quilts, but lately I have begun to crave them. I just LOVE them. I think they are so homey and they bring me back to my childhood. There are three from my childhood I remember vividly. The one my grandmother made for my parents. It was their bedspread for years, and just recently we had family pictures made sitting on it (see previous post). Another was one I think our neighbor made when I was born. The material is so soft that all you want to do it snuggle up in it. What makes it even more special is that when my kids are napping at my parents house that is the blanket they sleep with. Lastly is the big patchwork quilt we used for everything. It has definitely seen better days, but a lot of love has gone through that quilt. Forts, picnics, Stone Mountain trips, vacations, etc. I can't even remember all the places we dragged that thing, but I know we made lots of memories with it.

My grandmother is a quilter and one of my most treasured possessions is the quilt she made for me when I got married. We [grandkids] all knew is was coming and each of us looked forward to the day we'd get our quilt. Its more than the quilt itself. Its the time, creativity, and love my grandmother put into something made just for me. Its a part of her that I will always have with me, and that makes it treasured in our home.

I would love to have a collection of quilts at home. Piled up in a big basket just beckoning for someone to wrap up in one on a cold winter's night. Or to take on a picnic for some summer memories. Perhaps to just wrap around my sweet babies while we watch our favorite movies. I guess it goes without saying that I would love to learn to quilt. I think it would be so cool to carry on the tradition my grandmother started with us to my own children and grandchildren.

Guess I've got a new goal ahead of me...quilting.

2 Corinthians 9:7 "God loves a cheerful giver."

We are so proud of him.

She's Here!!

Naomi Elizabeth

December 31, 2010

2:50 p.m.

8 lbs. 15 oz.

20 1/4 in.

We are so very blessed to welcome our new daughter into the world. We are all doing wonderfully and constantly thanking and praising the Lord for His provision and favor over us. We are home and will post more pictures once things settle down.

Thankful for...

...my Savior, Christ Jesus. The lessons I'm learning are only drawing me closer to you.

...my husband - the one who loves me unconditionally and completely.

...my son who brings joy and laughter into everyday.

...the expected arrival of my daughter. I can't wait to meet you.

...my parents - for teaching me the value of family and God. I find myself tapping into your lessons on a regular basis.

...my Moo - I love you!

...my in-laws - your acceptance and love have made me feel welcome and given me a second family.

...my church family and their friendships.

...my friends who are more precious than gold and I hope you know how much I love each of you.

...my family - close and extended - when times are tough we are always there for one another and I am truly grateful.

...my home - safe and warm.

...wisdom - though I have very little I am extremely thankful for bite size pieces God is giving me.

...love - without it I would be incomplete.

...my bank account. Although no one would be impressed with the size of it I am thankful that I'm able to pay my bills, take care of my family, and enjoy a meal out every once in a while.

...my hearing - I love to hear the laughter, music, and stories that are shared this time of year.

...my eyesight - to appreciate all the beauty God has created.

...electronics - cell phones, computers, etc. Sometimes they get in the way, but I like being able to stay connected.

...food. All the goodness of sweets, starches, and carbs. Oh, and the healthy stuff too.

...running water - I would hate to have to use an outhouse...especially being 9 months pregnant.

...my health and the health of my family. May I not take it for granted.

There are so many things to be thankful for, and the above list is just a few of the things I'm so thankful for this year. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving with a big slice of pumpkin pie!

The Hills Are Alive With...

The Sound of Music is my favorite movie of all time. Seriously - my favorite. I absolutely love the story and of course the music. I probably have every single song memorized (and most of the dialogue at that). I'm not sure what exactly it is about this movie that makes it so wonderful, but it has always had a special place in my heart. Today on Oprah (disclaimer: I do not normally watch Oprah, but heard this was going to be on so I made an exception) they had a Sound of Music reunion show. I loved being taken back to that moment when I first watched it and hearing about all the behind the scenes stories. If you haven't ever seen it I strongly recommend you do. I can't wait until my daughter is old enough to snuggle on the couch and watch this with me. Here are a few clips from some of my favorite scenes.

What's In A Name?

A LOT! Aaron and I take the names of our children very seriously. Maybe a little too seriously, but we want our children to know that they were named for very specific reasons with God, love, and family in mind. We like to use Biblical names for their first name and family names for the middle name. Everyone has been asking me about the name of our little girl and until recently we hadn't decided on a name for her. Right before our trip to Texas we decided on a name and I've commented on the name in my previous post in the comment section, but for those of you dying to know what name we've chosen for out little girl and haven't read those comments - here it is...

Naomi Elizabeth

Naomi is Hebrew for Beautiful or Gentle. Elizabeth is Hebrew for God is my oath. We always have stories behind our kids names so here is the story behind her name. Aaron and I were both hoping for a little boy (I know what woman wouldn't want a little girl - but I am different). When we found out we were having a girl we were slightly disappointed, but the anticipation of her arrival has brought so much excitement to our lives. We were wrestling between two names when a few weeks ago Aaron was listening to the radio and heard an interview with a man. In the interview the man was speaking of how they had an unexpected addition to their family and what a beautiful blessing it had been. We already knew that Naomi meant beautiful, but we had only looked at it from one perspective - a physical beauty. We had entirely overlooked the beautiful spiritual aspect from God. Having a little girl is going to be an entirely new adventure for us. Her coming into our lives is going to be a beautiful blessing to our entire family. Now we see beautiful in a new way. Not only will she be full of physical beauty (I mean how could she not be the most beautiful girl in the world?), but she is going to bring a beauty to our family we've never imagined before. Her middle name Elizabeth is also special to us because we are naming her after my great-grandmother. Grannie Bone has been such an example of a godly woman to us, and has led our family in faith for so many years. She celebrated her 90th birthday 2 weeks ago and we wanted to honor her in this way. We are so blessed and so excited to meet our new baby girl! {If you don't know the story behind Levi's name I'll try and post it in the next couple of weeks.}

Memories and Shooting Stars

I have always been fascinated with space. I can remember being in elementary school and reading about astronauts and thinking "I'll do that one day." Well I'm no astronaut, but my love and fascination for outer space has never changed. One of my favorite ways to enjoy the wonders of space is to watch meteor showers. They hold both precious memories and new experiences for me each time.

I remember being 6, 7, maybe 8 years old and there was going to be an awesome meteor shower one night. My family along with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins that lived next door all gathered this one specific evening to watch the amazing event. I remember feeling so special that not only was I able to watch something so amazing, but that I was surrounded by my wonderful family and we were all sharing this experience together. I'm not sure that anyone else there that night even remembers it, but I have carried that memory with me ever since. As I got older I still indulged in the annual meteor shower that I was aware of, usually dragging my dad and sisters with me because I didn't want anyone to miss something awesome that just might happen. My dad always indulged my love for these things and was always right there beside me whether it was sitting out on a summer night or freezing our rear ends off just for the chance of witnessing something spectacular.

Now that I'm married and have kid(s) of my own I'm looking forward to making even more memories with them. At any chance I get I drag Aaron outside with me on these nights in hopes of seeing something beyond description. A few years ago we were freezing outside watching a pretty good show. We got so cold that we moved into the house to say warm. However, I wanted to watch more of the show so we sat in the bathtub and continued to watch the show from there. Last night was the peak of the Perseid shower. Aaron & I went out last night and again this morning and it was totally worth it. Last night I walked outside and within a minute I saw the most amazing meteor/shooting star I've ever seen in all my years of watching. It came from behind my house and went all the way to the tree line. It was bright orange with the longest tail I've ever seen. Totally made my efforts worth it. We saw a few more big ones, and then this morning saw around 30 in the 45 minutes I was out there. The whole time I was out there I kept thinking about how much I was looking forward to Levi getting older so that I could share this passion with him. Not only it is an awesome sight, but it just reminds us how grand our God is. Something I think we all need to be reminded of every now and then.

I'm already looking forward to tonight. Maybe we'll get lucky and see a few more!

Decorating Obsessed

Oh my! I am obsessed...well, maybe not quite obsessed, but I definitely have decorating on the brain. With baby #2 on the way, I started looking at bedding and beds for kids. Levi already has a slight cowboy theme in his room that I want to keep, but I definitely want to upgrade the boy side of it all - I mean his walls are yellow for crying out loud. That is definitely going to change. I already know I want to stick with browns and blues and accent with reds. I also know that I want to clean and timeless look that will last for a while. Knowing this I headed to the internet for inspiration, thus leading to the obsession. I have found tons of rooms that I love and several that I think would go great with my ideas. Here are a few of my favorites. I love the stars, and think it would go great with the cowboy theme, but could be used later with any "theme" in the future. Simple stripes. Love it.

The horseshoes are adorable, but not over the top. Crazy about this as well.

Bunk beds! I never thought I'd be a fan of bunk beds, but I love this unconventional style and color. The desk and storage are added bonuses. Definitely caught my eye with baby on the way.

Two more examples of simple stripes. Love the combination of colors and both of these looks would definitely last well into teen years.

Now that I've drooled over these awesome bed sets let me add that most of this is well out of my price range - at least for now. However, I'm hoping to hit Target, Wal-mart, etc. to find something similar to make an awesome statement like the ones above. Here's to inspiration!

Priviledged

The other night we went out to dinner with some wonderful friends. Our friends are fantastic, in fact this post is about our friends - all of them, but through our discussions at dinner my mind wondered. It is apparent that some of our friends are a little better off than we are. Don't get me wrong, I know there are lots of people in the world and probably even down the street that are worse off than us, but I just started thinking. What defines a life as privileged? Is it what we do or have? I've never been skiing, ridden a jet ski, owned a new couch, bought expensive clothes, we don't have cable or new cars or even grass growing in our front yard. When Levi was born I didn't buy him new nursery furniture - not because I didn't want to, but I simply couldn't afford it. I guess you could say I was having a little pity party about all the things I didn't have and wasn't able to do. Don't we all go through moments like those? Then it dawned on me...I am privileged. My privileged life may be different than others, but it's a privileged and blessed life nonetheless. I had the best childhood of anyone I know. I lived near my grandparents and cousins and was able to make lasting friendships with them because of it. We spent many summers playing outside, digging in the dirt, going to Jenny's "school", jumping on trampolines, watching Disney movies, swinging in the tire swing, kicking our jellies off and onto the roof of our trailer, watching my dad build our house, singing The Little Mermaid a million times (come on girls join with me...Look at this stuff, isn't it neat?...), celebrating holidays together, and going through difficult times together such as job losses, miscarriages, and deaths. Being able to count on these people makes my life amazing and completely blessed. The moments I've shared with family and friends has made me who I am today. I don't think I would trade these moments for any amount of money or opportunity. I've been able to travel (a little), go to college, start a family, pay my bills, worship freely, stay at home with my growing boy, and put dinner on the table every night. What is more privileged than that? So in honor of all those people who helped me make these memories and supported me along the way - I say thank you! I'm glad you're part of my life. I hope you all feel as blessed as I do.

60 Degrees

Well, 64 degrees to be exact, and it was wonderful!!! This weekend was so nice with temperatures in the 60's!! We took every advantage opening windows, riding our bikes, and going to the park both yesterday and today. Levi had so much fun at the park that both days when it came time to leave he cried and then continued to cry the whole way home. I think it's safe to say that he is looking forward to spring and summer as much as I am.

Change

Welcome fall and all the holidays I love!!! I am so looking forward to the holidays this year. This time of year always reminds me of family, friends, football, snuggling in blankets, fires in the fireplace, a big bowl of chili, hot cocoa, sleeping in, waking up on Christmas morning, sharing stories, turkey & dressing, monkey bread, carols, sweaters, and all the like! To celebrate my excitement and did a little blog makeover today. Hope you like it!

Rain Man

Tuesday afternoon after Aaron got home from work, we were spending some family time outside playing and just hanging out. We had plans to cook out for dinner so we were talking about getting things together and such. Levi was playing in the yard with his ball and chasing Dodger. It had been a little overcast all day, so I was expecting it to rain at any moment. The dark clouds rolled in, it started sprinkling, and we headed inside. As soon as we got in, Levi was asking to go back out. He's only one, so what little reasoning I can do with him didn't make much of a difference. Usually we can distract him and get his interest in other things, but not then. I first thought he just wanted to go ride in his wagon on the porch, so I figured no harm and we headed out for a little ride while we waited for the storm to pass over. He rode for a little while, but then wanted to investigate the rain. He was so in awe by it. He went to the edge of the porch and put his hands in the water running off the roof. Aaron was holding him, and next thing we know Levi sticks his head in the water running off the roof. He LOVED it. He kept doing it again and again. He then walked to the stairs like he wanted to go in the yard, and sure enough he did. Aaron put him in the yard and he just played around for a little bit. He absolutely loved playing in the rain. What did I do during all this? Enjoyed it. So many times we sit on the sidelines watching life pass us by. How many times have I wanted to "play in the rain" but was too afraid to just do it? Too afraid to get my hair wet or look silly? I love Levi's innocence. He loves life. He engages in it, and because of him I'm learning to do the same. I see so many things through his eyes that I never saw before. Everyday his fearlessness and desire to have fun inspire me. So next time don't be surprised it I join him right there in the middle of a down pour!

The fun has only just begun...Lookout world Levi's turned 1

This Saturday we celebrated Levi's 1st birthday. We had a cookout with all our friends and family to celebrate and give thanks to the Lord for the most amazing year. We have truly been blessed with Levi and God keeps amazing us with His goodness. We had a wonderful time and want to thank everyone who came out to the party. I owe a huge thanks to my cousins Jessica & Rachel who came down and helped me make his cowboy cake. It turned out wonderfully, and was quite delicious too.

Levi stuffing his face full of cake.

Still stuffing...

And now presents!

Thanks again to everyone who came. We are so thankful for such wonderful friends and family like you. You made the day extra special!

One Year Ago Today...

We received the best gift of our lives.

We love you Levi!

Happy 1st Birthday!

5

Love is always bestowed as a gift - Freely, willingly, and without expectation. We don't love to be loved; We love to love. - Leo Buscaglia

Aaron & I are celebrating our 5th wedding anniversary today! There are so many reasons that I love Aaron, but this past year I have seen a new side of this amazing man. With the addition of Levi to our family, I have seen Aaron develop into the most wonderful father, and I love it. He has always been beyond outstanding, but seeing him be a father to Levi has been one of the greatest things I have ever witnessed. I don't know how I could love him anymore than I do right now, but I look forward to trying. Here's to the rest of our lives...

One Small Step

...one giant leap for Levi! Yesterday Levi started taking several steps all my himself. He has been walking for a while now, and will walk anywhere if you hold his hand, but he is getting braver and braver. It won't be long now.

First Haircut

While we were in Texas, Levi got his first haircut. Aaron's granddad is a barber and gave Aaron his first haircut, so we thought it would be cool if he could cut Levi's hair while we were visiting. We drove down to the shop Friday afternoon. We were hoping that Levi would sleep on the way so that he would be a in good mood while he was getting it done. It didn't quite work that way. Levi refused to nap and basically cried the whole time. However, Granddad did an awesome job and Levi looks as cute as ever.