A weekend of mixed emotions...

I know, it has been a while again since I blogged. Kind of in a little bit of a funk lately. Last Saturday night was wonderful. We had a great turnout around 90 people or so. We raised some good money for Olivia's family so that was uplifting, but we also were saddened to find out that Olivia passed away that morning around 11 am or so. My heart just breaks for their family. It causes a little deja vu from a year ago and what the days following Laynie's death were like. We will just continue to pray for their family. They are a strong Christian family and I know that like He did for us, God will continue to lift them up and hold them tight when they are weak.

This morning we also lost Tadd's grandma. We are at peace knowing that she went peacefully and is in heaven rejoicing as we speak. But also know that there are a lot of memories that we will never forget of Grandma Minnie!

Selah is doing well. She just cut her 3rd tooth on Saturday! It is the top left one and the top right looks like it will be soon following. She tried green beans on Sunday for the first time - regular ones that is, not baby food :) She did really well and does with most food I allow her to have, but she still can't quite get the coordination between picking up the small pieces of food off her high chair and sticking them in her mouth...they usually get lost inbetween there somewhere! She now rolls over all the time and is sitting up more by herself to play. She has started doing what I say looks like a yoga move. She hasn't discovered how to crawl forward yet, but she arches her back, plants her feet on the ground on her tippee toes, and puts her butt all the way up on the air while pushing on her hands and feet if that makes any sense...she pretty much forms a "V" with her body. It is hilarious, because once she does it she gets frustrated because she just looks at you like, "why am I not moving?" Besides that, we are enjoying the few nice days of weather we had. The house is in the process of getting re-stained (and no we are not doing it ourselves, we tried that once!) and Tadd and his cousin Jon worked on some outside landscaping this weekend with the retaining wall, so spring is in motion.

I will try to post some pictures of Saturday night. I didn't get too many because for some reason I must have forgotten in the midst of everything going on :) But, thanks again to all who helped. My mom and Joyce were a gigantic help in the kitchen along with all my buddies! Thanks guys - without you the evening wouldn't have ran so smoothly!

coming soon...

This past weekend Tadd's aunt and uncle and his cousins came to visit from Indiana. We loved seeing them even though it was a quick weekend. We are gearing up for this weekend. On Saturday we are hosting a benefit/singing of sorts. We have done one most every year, but this year is a little on the bigger scale with a meal involved. Tadd's cousins and I are singing along with a few other things during the evening in honor of Laynie. It is also a benefit of sorts for Laynie's friend Olivia and her family. To see her story go to www.thechattpack.blogspot.com or the link on the side of our blog. Each year around Laynie's birthday we are going to try to choose a heart child and their family to help in memory of Laynie and Olivia stole our hearts from the beginning! I will try to post pictures next week from the evening.

As a prayer request, Tadd's grandma G's health is not doing very well. She recently was placed on hospice and we all realize that she may be going to see Jesus soon. If you can just pray for her daughters that they can feel His peace wrapped around them and that grandma can not be in any pain and feel His peace as well.

I just got sent these pictures from Tadd's cousin's husband (I know, complicated) who caught a few moments of Selah this weekend and I just thought I would pass them along. I know, lots of pictures of her...but isn't she just precious!! Thanks Dustin!

This is Jacey, Selah's 2nd cousin. They are only 3 weeks apart, isn't she a cutie! Can you tell which of them needs a nap and which just got up from a nap :) Great to see you guys J and T!

It's been a while

Well, our little Selah Malia isn't so little anymore. She is growing like crazy. And she is developing quite the personality. She is totally like her daddy! Loud...j/k hon!, full of laughter, and spoiled rotten. I know we promised the judge that we along with her grandparents to spoil her all the days of her life, but we may need to cut back a little soon :) She knows just what to do already to get her way if you can imagine that. She just whines or grunts as loud as she can until someone looks at her and then giggles like crazy. Of course, it is hard not to laugh right along with her. Here are a few pictures from the other night while she was entertaining us. She scoots all over now and rolls, so soon she will be crawling. She also is cutting her 3rd tooth. We can see it but it hasn't quite broke through yet. She also got a new outside swing that she absolutely loves. We are definately looking forward to sunny weather and going bike riding, walking, and swimming too!

A night of pottery fun!

On Tuesday night our sewing group took our mothers to Artful Designs. We had a great night of laughing at ourselves and our "creativity" but it was lots of fun.

Even little Katie got in on the fun and got her footprints done!

Happy Birthday, Layniebug!

I know it was bad, but I didn't get a post done on the 30th, Laynie's birthday. It was a day filled with mixed emotion. We are in shock that Laynie would have been two this year. It has been harder as the years go by I feel, because soon after she died it was easy to be able to say that she was out of pain, no longer struggling...but now the mindset leads towards what she is missing, what she would be doing if she was 2, walking, running outside in the yard.... And the fact that Selah is two months shy of how old Laynie was when we lost her...disbelief. And then I struggled with what to do to honor Laynie's birthday, wanting to do something without going over the top that everyone thinks you are crazy. I absolutely despise going to the cemetery - I know it is horrible. It started when I went to early the first year and things looked aweful, grass had not grown, etc... It totally looks different now and is fine, but I just find it so mundain to go set flowers at her grave when we will never see them. I believe Laynie is in heaven not in her grave, so it is just an empty place for me that in movies is completely idealized. Don't get me wrong, maybe it is different for other people. But, I don't ever just go out there and sit and "talk" to Laynie. I would rather go sit in my bench in her garden and see the pretty pink flowers and think of her there or look through her scrapbooks. Anyways, needless to say Tadd, Selah, and I took some flowers to her grave on Thurs. but the real celebration of her life was on Sunday. Both sides of our family came over for supper and then we let balloons go. It was a time of reflection for me, but mostly just taking in all of God's blessings. The fact that we can get together as a family and enjoy each other is such a gift. Time is so short and spending it with those you love is what it is all about!

Here are my ladybug cupcakes for our "Layniebug" :)

Getting ready to send our balloons up to the heavens for Laynie.

When Addy found out we were doing balloons she wanted to write a message to Laynie too on her balloon.

Get ready...

Up, up, and away...We love you Laynie!

Here is my brother and dad - in their element fishing.

Brooks, Addy, and Doug went fishing too. Brooks caught 2 or so, Addy 1, and I even got one! It was lots of fun.

Grandma and Selah watch the fountain splash, mesmorizing..she was so sleepy :)

To Grandma's House we go

On Saturday I got the pleasure of going to a National Scrapbook Day CM gathering at Joyce's all day to scrapbook. I missed my baby girl, but got a good start on Selah's scrapbook so that was awesome. Meanwhile Tadd took Selah with his parents to Iowa to visit Selah's great-grandma G! They had a great time. We love you grandma!