Mac's Dedication

On Sunday, December 7th (my sister's 24th birthday) we dedicated our baby boy to the Lord. We were surrounded by our church, family, and friends as we celebrated this special event in Mac's life. They often say it takes a village to raise a child, and I do believe that. In just the short 8 months we've been parents we have learned that we cannot do it alone. It's refreshing to know that there are others supporting us, encouraging us, and lifting us up in prayer on this journey of parenthood.

Jeremiah 29:11 is scripture I often refer to these days, and that's also the verse that I pray over Mac's life.  11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 

Mac was glad that his Aunt KK shared her birthday with him for his special day. It was a special day for our little family, and we are blessed to have been able to share it with so many people we love. We are so lucky to get to live this life we've been given, and are thankful everyday to the Lord above for all of his blessings.

Thanksgiving

I know everyone is now in full blown Christmas mode, but I also know if I don't post this I will kick myself for it later. Our Thanksgiving was very low key and different this year. We actually hosted Thanksgiving at our house for the first time! My parents came to our house Wednesday evening, stayed overnight, and we had a very casual dinner Thursday afternoon. Mac had an unusual night that Wednesday, and we were up every hour on the half hour, so this mama was tired Thanksgiving morning. My mom and I did the local Turkey Trot 5K Thursday morning, and then came home to prepare the meal. It was the perfect fit for Mac's first turkey day!

Mac HATED the turkey leg, and wouldn't even pretend to like it for a pic. I don't know what it was, but he pouted up almost instantly when we gave it to him. But he did like the sweet potatoes, green beans, and stuffing. The boy loves his food, and really likes when he can eat what everyone else is eating.

That's our Thanksgiving in a nutshell. I hope you and your loved ones had a great Thanksgiving too!

8 months old

Today our little man is 8 months old! These past 8 months have flown by, but have been the best months of our lives. Mac has brought so much joy to our life and into our home. He's taught us so much in the past 8 months, and I'm not sure what we'd be doing if we didn't have him except sleeping in past 7AM on the weekends.

Mac is still hitting all of his developmental milestones. He LOVES to bounce and jump! The boy will try to bounce on anything. He's is getting up on all fours and rocking, so we know that any day he's going to take off crawling. Mac is pulling up on things, and it won't be long before he's standing on his own. He loves to talk, but we haven't heard any real words yet. We've been working on words with him, and it won't be long either. He's a happy boy, and also getting to be very curious. He loves to touch, grab, and look. He also loves to growl, happy scream, and fake cough to get attention. He can clap his hands, and can throw a mean fit when he isn't getting what he wants. He likes to play with his toys, chew on everything, and play in his bouncy. He loves watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and just smiles when Mickey talks. Mac adores his daddy! He still loves bath time, and hates naps. Mac is becoming very curious, and once he becomes mobile he is going to be into everything! He's really liking baby food and green beans are still one of his favorites. He likes puffs, and also likes to try mommy & daddy's food when he can. He has a total of 6 teeth, 2 on bottom and 4 on top. He's a drooling machine! Mac is eating 6 oz bottles and baby food, wearing 6-12 mos clothes, and size 4 diapers. He's a wild sleeper, and can sometimes be a night owl.

A couple weeks ago we put up our Christmas decorations in the house, and he loves looking at all the bright colors, glitter, and lights. We set his bouncy in front of our tree, and he will just look and bounce. He also loves to roll over up under the stockings and grab at them. Christmas is going to be fun this year, even though his favorite things will be the boxes, paper, and sacks. Mac is our little Christmas blessing, and we wouldn't want it any other way!

Mac,

It's hard to believe that you're already 8 months old. One day when you grow up, you'll understand why mommy says time goes by way too fast. You're growing and developing every day, becoming a big boy right before our eyes. You've brought us so much joy these past 8 months, and we are so thankful God gave you to us. You're our sunshine, and we love you so much more than you know!
XOXO,
Mommy

PS: You decided to wake up at 4:30 AM today and that's why your 8 month pics are in your jammies. Mommy thinks you're about to cut another tooth because I have no other explanation for your poor sleeping lately. 

Fall Family Pictures

It's been an ongoing family tradition for several years for us to do fall family pictures with my family. This year was a little different because we now are a family of 6 adults, and then we also had a little addition! We had the pictures done in mid October and since Mac also turned 6 months old, we did a combo session of family pics and Mac's 6 mos pics.
The pictures turned out so good! We love them all, and I'm still undecided on which ones I'm actually going to print because they're all great! Ashley Westfall with Ashley Thompson Photography is the photographer behind these little gems. She captured some great shots, and we'll cherish these little memories forever.

All the photos above are copyrighted by Ashley Thompson Photography. 

Do not use, copy, save, or print without permission. 

It was a warm October evening and we were all almost sweating by the end of our session in our fall clothes. This is why my child is only in a diaper in a few of the pictures. You have to love Oklahoma weather... it can be 90 one day, and 45 the next. 

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thankful thoughts.

We all have so much to be thankful for. No matter what battle you're fighting, you can bet that there's someone else out there in the world that's fighting a bigger one than you are. This time of the year I enjoy challenging myself to find something new to be thankful for every day. Yes, I do thank God for my many blessings daily, but it's the season of Thanksgiving.

I have been beyond blessed along with my little family. All of our needs are met, and we also get a lot of our wants. I know we are often guilty of taking advantage of the things we have, but I always try to be grateful.

I have so much to be thankful for everyday. I've been saved by God's grace. I get to share life with my best friend, and though our relationship has its faults, we make a good team. I have been the best gift I've ever received, the gift of motherhood. I have an amazing baby boy and he's made this life so much better. Mac gives us a whole new reason to strive to do our best. I have the best parents. I have an amazing support system of family and friends. They lift us up and are always there for us when they're needed. I am blessed to have a handful of true friends who would do anything in the world for me. I have a great job I enjoy, and coworkers that I also get to call friends. Mac has a babysitter and friends at daycare that he loves (and that love him). When I drop him off he's always excited to see them, and I'm thankful every Monday-Friday that Mrs.Cindy was put in our life. We have a home. We have a soft, warm bed to sleep in and running water to bathe. We have a closet full of clothes, and a pantry full of food. We have bills to pay, but that means we have jobs and a steady income to pay them. We're American... and I'm certain I could think of many more things. All of that being said, I AM THANKFUL.  Not only during the season of Thanksgiving, but every day.

What if you only woke up tomorrow with what you thanked God for today?

|| Photo Credit ||

ashley thompson photography

My two biggest blessings are my two boys. The pic above is a sneak peak of our fall family photos, another post coming on that real soon. 

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Celebrating a Decade!

10 years ago... 10 WHOLE YEARS! A long, shaggy haired, boy took me on a date and when he dropped me off before curfew, he asked me to be his girlfriend at the end of my driveway. Neither of us ever imagined that cool November evening that we'd be where we are today 10 years later! 

a look through the years... in no particular order!

It sounds CRAZY to say that a whole decade has gone by since the mr and I first became "an item", but as crazy as it sounds it's TRUE! The past 10 years have been a roller coaster ride, but I'm so grateful for God's plan and that I get to share this life I live with my best friend. We've had our fair share of ups and downs, bumps in the road, and our relationship has literally been through hell and back, but we always seem to overcome the impossible. I truly believe that what we have is special. There are a lot of couples out there that wouldn't make it through the things we have.  

Clete is my daily source of laughter, and someone who pushes me to be a better version of me. He's the best daddy, a big dreamer, a hard worker, and a team player. There's no one else I'd want to live this beautiful life with! 

Looking back... 10 years ago neither of us would've dreamed we'd now be married, living in a different city, and have a family of our own. I'm sure glad God's plan is always best! Cheers to the first decade, and to many more to come!

7 months old

Mac is 7 months old today! It's hard to believe time is going by so quickly. He's so much fun right now, but also very hard. He is developing quite the personality, but also wants to be mr. independent.

Mac is hitting all of his milestones right on target! He's been sitting up on his own for a while, and he's now starting to pull up. He also is getting up on all fours, so it won't be long before our baby boy is mobile! He is quite the wiggle worm, rolling all over the place and also a little jumping bean when he's standing up (with help of course). He enjoys sitting in his activity center and watching cartoons. He is eating baby food every day, and is loving all his veggies and fruits. Mac and Honey get along great and are the two best of friends! It's so sweet to watch the two of them play together. The boy loves his dog! Mac likes sitting in the floor and playing with toys. He still loves bath time, and still thinks his daddy hung the moon. He is talking lots, but no real words yet. He has two teeth on the bottom, and has two coming in on the top. He loves to bounce, and really likes when you help him stand so he can do so. He's recently started a fake cough, and it's quite humorous to watch. He has quite the personality, but also knows how to throw a mean fit. He loves his bottle, and is holding them all by himself now. Mac is in the 85th percentile for height, and the 90th percentile for weight. He wearing 6-12 mos clothes, and size 3 diapers. We recently lowered his bed, and put in his bumper pads. He loves going to Ms. Cindy's house while mommy & daddy work, and he loves his friends there too! He's eating 6 oz bottles, and is sleeping around 10-11 hours at night.

Mac,

We now cannot imagine life without our little nugget! You are the light of our of world. You bring us so much joy, and for that we are grateful! You're the biggest blessing we've ever received, and we love watching you grow. You are loved so much more than you know, and have made our lives so much better. We love you to the moon, baby boy!
XOXO
Mommy