My daughter learned to pose

Since she no longer has 12 flashes going off in her eyes before I snap a picture, Kairi has come to enjoy posing for the camera!

Here's some shots from lunch today:

Packing up her lunch.


But wait, you need to see this piece of bread before I put it away!


Gramma's fun to share with:


I'm gonna make Mommy take a drink, whether she's thirsty or not!


Hmmm...This would be a cute pose, snap it fast Gramma!


It's even more cute when I smile! Take another one!


"Oh, oh, sweet baby." Even hugs can be poses!

25 Years

On January 14, 2008, my parents will have been married for 25 years. They've been through a lot in those years, and I can attest to the fact that it hasn't always been easy for them, but they made it! To celebrate, my dad and I have been planning a surprise vow renewal for my mom. He proposed to her (on the radio!) last Friday. :) We spent today looking for dresses for the wedding! Here's what we found:

My mother's wedding dress:




The dress is too small, but the alterations lady promised that it'd be easy to fix! :D It was a great price and a beautiful dress on her. This is really exciting b/c she wasn't able to wear a real wedding dress, or even a white dress, when she got married the first time.

Here's the dress I'm going to wear. Please excuse the black socks, bra showing, static-y hair and how large I am. I did just have a baby, and am excited to be down to this size! I think that I will look much better in it once I have a decent bra and heels.




Kairi's dress was a 2T!!! It's the only blue dress we found, and it's gorgeous!




We had quite an adventure as Kairi should have been laying down for a nap about the time we finally got out the door. In order to keep her happy, we allowed her to push Alex around in the stroller.




What Alex thought of Kairi pushing him:


Alex finally calmed down, but only once he was in my arms.



And by the time we left, Kairi was sound asleep.




We still have a lot to do over the next couple of weeks, so I may not be able to blog regularly. But I'll continue to post about the upcoming wedding! :D

Christmas Pictures!

Final post for the night....

2 Years Ago, Today

I just wanted to take a moment to recognize the man that makes my life complete.

Two years ago today I married the man of my dreams. We have been through a lot in the last two years, and have seen our lives change in ways that we never imagined them changing. But I wouldn't trade them for the world. That's not to say that our life together is perfect, because there are certainly things about him that drive me up the wall, and I'm certain that he could say the same about me. But I know that God has blessed my life with Chris, and that He is guiding and protecting our marriage.

I recently began a list of things that I hate and I love about Chris. Here's the final result.
Things I hate:
I hate how he never cleans but gripes when there is one thing out of place.
I hate how he mutters under his breath every morning about not being able to find anything, but I've gone out of my way every night to tell him where all the things he'll need in the morning are.
I hate how if I can't find something he shrugs, says he's sorry but he hasn't seen it, and then sits on his butt, BUT if he loses something it's my job to find it.
I hate how he'll decide he needs something done, but won't tell me about it, and then gets mad when it's not done.
I hate that the trash piles up for days on end before he takes them out.
I hate that he jumps on me about the stupidest crap whenever he's had a bad day at work.
I hate that he never acknowledges how much I do at home for him.
I hate that he makes promises about changing things at home while he's out to sea, and then conveniently forgets most of what he promised when he gets back home.
I hate that he knows that he's called to music ministry, but won't do anything about it.
I hate that he closes his mind to what God's trying to teach him at times b/c he's heard it before or already knows it.


Things that I love: (notice that this list is MUCH longer!)
I love how he loves me unconditionally.
I love how he beams when he gets to show his babies off to people he works with.
I love how when I've had a bad day, he tells me to go take a bath w/ my "stuff" and to not worry about Kairi b/c he'll put her to bed.
I love how he is learning to play w/ Kairi at night while I cook dinner.
I love how he brags about her to his parents and the people at church.
I love how he gets excited about going down the toy aisles at Walmart and wants to get everything for the babies.
I love how he gave up his savings for a motorcycle to buy a washer and dryer when we moved into our apartment in Jacksonville, even though he at first said that I needed to go to a laundromat instead.
I love how he asks me out on dates still.
I love how he reads classic books just to have something to talk to me about. (In college he'd read the books I had to read for school even.)
I love how he'll go buy books that we'll both enjoy to give us something to do together.
I love how he plays board games with me, even though he HATES them.
I love how he plans for our future and never doubts that we'll still be together in 20+ years.
I love how he never complains about me buying clothes for myself or the babies.
I love how he goes grocery shopping w/ me even though he hates it. And that if he really doesn't feel like going, he volunteers to watch Kairi while I go so that I can have a break.
I love that he encourages me to take time for myself.
I love that he'll explain whatever he's been doing at work, or what he's currently studying/researching online in simple terms so that I can understand it. (Although sometimes this is on the hate list ... )
I love that when I still don't understand what he's talking about that he doesn't get frustrated and instead just reexplains it.
I love that he loves my family even though things were really strained b/w them at first. He loves them so much that HE wants to move here when he's out of the Navy.
I love that he has fallen in love w/ all kids since we've had Kairi.
I love that he supports my desire to get my masters and PhD, but still teach junior high.
I love that even though he'd rather I work, he'd never tell me that I had to b/c he knows how important being home w/ the babies right now is to me.
I love that he wanted me to move back to Texas while he was gone b/c he was worried about me.
I love how he's in a bad mood when something goes wrong w/ me health-wise and he's not here to take care of it.
I love how he's changed almost as many diapers as I have.
I love how when both babies were first born, he spent hours holding them and staring at them.
I love how when I was having problems with the night nurses after Alex was born, that he stayed the night with me to remind me that he was supporting me, but then let me fight my own battle.
I love how after we left the hospital, he told me to be sure that I was back in Jacksonville in time for Jenny's baby to be born so that when she's delivering there that she has support at night when the Nazi nurses try to keep her from breastfeeding.
I love how he's more passionate about breastfeeding than I am.
I love how he kisses me on the forehead.
I love how much he enjoys cooking and will volunteer to cook anytime there's something specific he wants.
I love how he never complains when I try a new recipe, even if it turns out crappy.
I love how he lets me take naps when he gets home.


That's right ladies and gentlemen, I have an amazing husband.



So dearheart, if you ever read this, know that I love you, I miss you, and I can't imagine my life being lived with anyone besides you. You complete me. And I thank God every day, and many many many times a day, for you. Take care of yourself, and know that the babies and I are looking forward to when you come back home.

The First Samples from a New Camera!

Over the last several major gift-giving occasions, Chris has not been able to or else forgotten to get me anything. So this year after my birthday he told me to buy myself a camera and consider it last year's Valentine's Day present, my birthday present, my anniversary present, and this year's Christmas present. I was told to get whatever I wanted in the way of cameras. Unfortunately for me, there's no way we could afford what I REALLY want. BUT I was able to find an awesome camera for a reasonable price. (Well, reasonable considering it stands in the place of 4 major presents.)

Here are the first samples from said camera!










Becky!!! Look at this one ...