Turkey Time

Thanksgiving this year had us in Corpus for our frousin holiday. Oddly enough, with two bouncing one year olds and a mischievous three year old, it felt like one of our more relaxing years. Shannon and I went waaaaay overboard with all the food and dessert. Between the two of us our spread included; a beautiful turkey, wild rice casserole, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, green beans, carrot casserole, spinach souffle, cranberry-apple sauce, spicy pumpkin stuffing, two different pumpkin pies, pumpkin cheesecake, apple pie, buttermilk pie, faux-pecan pie and about 70 cookies. 

Yes. For four adults and three toddlers. On the upside, it was all yummy and we didn't cook again the whole four days! Our time was spent at the beach, taking Christmas card pictures, playing with silly girls, late night conversations, puzzles and scrabble for the guys and even a late night movie get-away for the mamas! 

Our holiday in pictures: 

Thanksgiving morning at the beach!

Dads with two jumping girls. Alice Virginia much preferred her mama and digging.

Me and my Maevey

Believe it or not, this was the best picture we could get out of three tries. Oh well!

Observing the work in process.

Working in the kitchen with the girls.

                                    A very good trip, and we were sad to see it end. It was nice to come home and sleep in our own beds though, and I had almost forgetten we were all decorated. Driving up, and walking in the house was twinkling and even spells like pine. Yay Christmas!! I've been craving that sweet potato casserole like mad though....it may make it in to next weeks meals....

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween from our little band of storybook lovers to yours! 

 We spent the evening at a local church carnival with games, animals, bounce houses, and so-much-candy!

 Little Red running through the woods with her basket of goodies. 

While Maeve didn't have the love for cotton candy her Mama does, she did think it was hilarious to feed it to me, giant clumps at a time.  

That's right, she walks! While in DC she went from the few steps she'd been doing for a month, and just took off. She spent all of Halloween walking and hasn't stopped since! 

Whirlwind

These past two months have been a whirlwind of change, growth and activitiy. My parents visited in early September, then we were lucky to have my frousin and her girls here for Maevey's birthday, then a week later I was off to DC to help my parents for three weeks! I've been home for a week and a half now and plunged right back into busy. 

You are looking at a five foot tall bear my parents bought for Maeve.

 It is as tall as my mother. 

Maeve loves him though, and while I don't know where in our little townhouse he and his two buddies (Oh, did I leave out that they bought a Minnie and Mickey of the same size? Cause they did.) are going to reside, he is quite soft and I'm looking forward to snuggling against him for storytime. 

Maeve and I spent most of our visit hunkered down at my parents house, but we kicked off the visit at a local pumpkin festival complete with slides, hayrides, animals and fair food. It wasn't until we got home hours later that I discovered poor little Maeve has a 102.6 fever....so that explained the mellow mood for the day, she was actually in a fevered daze. 

Here she is with her Faja!

They had miniature tractors and farm equipment scattered around for the kids to play on. 

While we're happy to be home, we miss you guys very much!! Hop on a plane and come back to Texas!!!

Happy Birthday Baby

Today, at 7:30pm, our Maevey-bean turned one and was ushered into toddler-hood from infancy. 

Not quite a baby, and not quite a little girl. 

This last year has been a whirlwind of tears, exhaustion, joy, frustration, un-ease, laughter, exploration and learning. Right after Maeve was born, I asked the nurses if we could change her into pajamas and a hat we had brought for her. My questions were met with laughter and the exclamation "Of COURSE! She's YOUR baby!!" The thought that we were in charge, that we would know best, that we would steward her for the next eighteen years was too overwhelming to really comprehend at the time. Now, a year later, it still seems unreal. 

Every day I'm almost surprised there's a third person in our house. A little girl I'm learning more about every day. Who loves bananas, grapes and whole wheat bread. Who gives kisses, and waves and brings you books to read her. Who loves her puppy, the water and climbing and jumping. Maeve brings us so much joy, and I am overwhelmed at times by my love for her. And each time she can do something new, and independent I am incredibly proud and a little sad all at once. Last week she began feeding herself with her bowl and spoon and I found myself crying. What happened to my little baby I had to nurse every two hours? What happened to that fragile little creature and who is this little independent spark?

Maeve has brought surprises with her from the beginning, and yet somehow I realize after my initial shock that I've sensed it all along. Right before I began to push, the nurse asked me if I wanted to know the baby's hair color. I was a little thrown off, but equally excited, and said "yes". She told me she saw bright red hair, when she left the room I told Adam she was probably wrong, yet out came our red, curly-haired baby. I was shocked, until weeks later when my cousin Shannon pointed out I had written her about my red, curly-haired baby when I was about five months pregnant. Or the other day, when Maeve climbed out of her crib and fell to the ground. When I ran upstairs it almost didn't click, I kept thinking "How did you get here? How are you on the floor?" but Adam reminded me we had talked about our worry it was coming weeks earlier. 

One year and one week old. Oh my!!

I am so thankful to have Maeve and while it feels impossible a year has gone by, I also can't imagine our family without her here. I feel like she's always been here. She makes our days brighter and makes us laugh so much. I had no idea how much I could love until our mischievous little Maevey-bean came into our life and I cannot imagine life without her. 

Taken at exactly 7:30pm tonight. Happy Birthday baby!!!

My Sweet Birthday Man

Today my wonderfully sweet husband, and Maeve's favorite daddy, turns twenty-seven. 

 Haaaaappy Birthday Adam! 

In celebration I would like to tell you, in no particular order, twenty-seven things I adore about the main man in our lives:

1. He is an amazing father. The perfect kind for little girls, (and maybe one day little boys) he plays tea party, cradles dolls, reads stories and has the bow-dress coordination down pat. Watching him father our daughter makes my heart melt. 

Blowing bubbles for our sweet girl .

2. He is always gentle and kind.

3. He makes me laugh harder than anyone I know. In fact, he makes Maeve laugh harder than anyone else. He has us both soundly convinced he's funnier than any Brian Reagan or Elmo. 

Yes. This is Adam, in a dress, groping another guy...in a  dress , at a youth group retreat.
We were 15 and 16.

4. He is always encouraging and lifting people up. He sees the good, the potential, the gift in everyone and is often the first to say he's proud. 

5. He is committed to me no matter what. Giving love and devotion I often don't think I deserve, he always reminds me he's in this forever.

A throw back picture.
18 & 19 and so in love!

6. He encourages me to dream. When I finally shared my desire to teach, Adam was all support He helped me arrange meetings, get the word out, work through ideas and even built my ballet barres! 

7. He is amazingly sensitive to my needs and my sometimes difficult-to-decipher emotions.

WTAMU Annual Bonfire Fall 2005

8. He respects and honors women.

10. He adores his Maevey. She'll giggle or smile or do something new at and he'll look at me and say, "She is SO awesome. I love her!" 

Father's Day 2012 with my goofballs

11. He never yells when he's angry.

12. He craves learning and exploring new things. Our house is bursting at the seams with different hobbies and projects of his.

Skiing Santa Fe. Yes, that's a Tigger suit.

13. I don't think he ever stops thinking, wondering and dreaming.  

14. He is confident, but not arrogant.

15. He loves his pipe, fedora and suspenders because he's secretly from 1950. 

Straight out of the blues.

16. He loves his bike. In Amarillo he would get all dressed for work and ride it downtown, taking it up in the elevator. Here in the metroplex he mourns his bike-less commute.

17. He can build and fix anything. Our porch swing is just sitting in the storage closet waiting for a proper porch to be on!

18. He has unshakable faith that I envy and don't quite understand. 

The peaceful Pudget Sound in Seattle.

19. He has a beautiful singing voice. When we were first dating and I was in Hawaii, he would learn songs and serenade me over the phone; now he does the same for Maeve. He only sings for his girls and for God.

20. He is NOT a sporty-mcsport guy! I did not grow up in a huge sports house, but Adam did. He loves to play sports, especially baseball, but not watch. Last year he didn't know who was playing in the Super Bowl day of. I love that!!

21. He's not afraid to speak his mind, but always treads lightly when doing so.

22. He is really good at surprises. He had my engagement ring for a year before he proposed. 

In our house. In our closet. In his suit pocket. 

Moments after he proposed. Someone saw the whole thing take place on the beach.

23.He would live forever off of Chinese, Indian and fried okra if he could.
24. He loves the arts. 

25. His desire to have adventures together. The first summer after we were together we took a trip to New York and DC together and stayed in a hostel, exploring everything until the wee hours. We were 18 and 19. The adventures have just built from there. 

NYC

26. His unexpected taste in literature. His favorite books are "Walden" (Henry Thoreau) and "At the Mountains of Madness" (H.P. Lovecraft.) 

27.  I don't mean to brag, but have you seen this guy? He is incredibly handsome!

Almost One

Well, it's almost here! Last week our little peanut hit eleven months, and in just twenty-six days she'll be a year old! How did this happen? Where did the year go?! I've been working on choosing a theme for her birthday for weeks, and debating birthday ideas with friends for even longer. We've decided to go with ladybugs for our sweet little lady and an outdoor picnic before some (optional, and dependent on weather) pool time. Can't wait to get these and send them out! Now, onto crafts and decorations for the party---hello pinterest!!

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

Boston in a Day

Most everyone knows I'm from Pawtucket, RI, born just outside Boston in Norwood, Massachusetts. I've seen Boston many a time, though not in recent years, but this was the first time Adam had ever been. We're hoping to plan a New England trip again in the coming years. One where he and I can explore and see old friends in Rhode Island, where I lived, danced, went to school. Maybe get extra touristy and watch the leaves change. ;) We had a day to explore until we needed to be back at the airport for our flight home and we made the most of it. 

Union Oyster House with my sweet.

We had another amazing meal, this time at the Union Oyster House, the oldest restaurant in America. Lobster, clams, oyster, chowder. YUM!! Maeve was seated next to my mom and kept trying to pet her lunch. Hilarious. 

Trying to pet the lobster like a doggie.

After lunched we walked over to Faneuil Hall to explore the shops, street performers and the Freedom Trail.  We gathered up a few souvenirs too: a beer stein for Adam, and a "future Harvard freshman" romper for Maeve. Right in front of Faneuil Hall is the statue of Sam Adams, and not far to his left is the park bench where my dad proposed to my mom after a Neil Diamond concert. 

Mom & Dad, married 27 years this February.

Adam and me in front of Sam Adams at Faneuil Hall.

We are big tour fans. Ghost tours, historic tours, brewery tours...had we had more time we would have loved to take one of the Freedom Trail, but instead we speed walked a third of it. We made it to the airport in the nick of time too, and Maeve was an exhausting handful while we were parked on the tarmac for 30min. 

My two favorite people! Our sweet wiggle-worm was full of loud (but happy) shrieks on the plane.

Thank goodness Adam was there because I felt like my arms couldn't hold her squirmy self any longer. As stressful as flying to my parents with her at eight weeks was, even with help this was a lot harder. Not gonna lie, we're both a little terrified of what it's going to be like when we fly to Hawaii at Christmas. Luckily, she gave up pretty quickly in flight and made for a peaceful ride home, sleeping in Adam's lap.

Landing in DFW at 10:30pm she was sound asleep.