Enjoying the Ride

Wrapping Up 2011 and Welcoming 2012

2012-01-16T09:13:00.030-05:00

Happy New Year!!!

Milla and Faith
Faith is now 5 months old.
At her 4 month check up she weighed 14# 10.5 oz
and 25 3/8 inches tall

Milla is 2 years, 5 months old.
She weighs 34#.....

(and of course wants to be carried while Faith is being carried!!)

We entered 2012 with a bunch of new baby friends!!! Lots of sweet little ones!!
Here is Milla holding Faith along with friend Elise and her new baby sister...
*Annabelle "Annie" Josephine Hershey* born Dec 11 to Adrienne and Derrick

* Brayden Jeremiah Weathers* born Dec 12, 6# 10oz

to Aja & Gabe....sibs Davis, Keris and Noah

*Grant Henry Spiva* born Dec. 19--8# 6oz

to Jill & Jonathan--and big brother Hudson

*Laney Jo Habeck* born Dec 21-- to Audrey & Ben and big brother Asher

*Hayden Patrick Allen* born Dec. 30--8# 8 oz to Carrie&John and big brother Houston

Goodbye to the pacifier--COLD TURKEY! Milla was a pacifier LOVER!!! Our Pediatrician gave us the OK to let her continue to use the pacifier only in her crib until the age of 2 years old. So, Milla turned 2 and then Faith was born 1 week later--so, in the craziness of things we didn't want to take it away. I was hesitant about going through the long process of weaning her from her pacifier...so, it was much to my surprise when I came home from work on a Sat. in early December and Brandon reported that Milla had stopped using her pacifier!! Brandon told Milla she was getting big and he asked her if she wanted to stop using it and she said YES and helped gather ALL (and she had a lot in her crib as seen in the picture!!) her pacifiers and put them up--and that was the end of the pacifier!! WOW!!! Every time I hear someone say "cold turkey" I think of one of my favorite Hank Williams Jr. songs "Old Habits"...one verse says "I chew lifesavers to help me get off cigarettes, but you know for your love I ain't found no lifesavers yet. and I've gone cold turkey, cause there's not even one kiss a day. Old habits like you are hard to break"

We got to spend time with all of our families around Christmastime. We went to Christmas Eve service with my Mom (Cappie got sick and couldn't come!!) at Church of the Apostles. The music was great! A highlight for all of us was Milla belting out "Oh Holy Night" along with the soloist during the service. She didn't know the words---but attempted all the high notes just the same! It was so sweet!

Cute Tree surrounded by gifts with fun surprises at my Mom and Cappie's house.

My Mom is such a good gift wrapper! She makes everything look pretty--always adds little touches that make for the perfect addition.

another cute package

My Dad and Grandma Dunnington came over on Christmas morning. Here is a picture of Grandma holding Faith. Grandma looks forward to any opportunity to have this little lady in her arms!

Brandon's family came over for dinner on Christmas evening.

Brandon and Me....had to include this one because we laugh that we never have pictures of the two of us together anymore--we are constantly taking pictures of the girls or one of us with the girls.

Brandon, Mr. Crim, Granddaddy, and Brian with Milla

We got to get together with my high school friends to celebrate Christmas and decorate gingerbread houses. Here is Milla really concentrating on her decorating!

Gracie icing the trees

Here is Max showing his personalized apron that Blakeley got for everyone!!

Blakeley, Brittany, Allison and Me
(Blakeley is pregnant with TWINS due in June and Allison is also pregnant due in June!!)

Here are the Grandmas with the Grand kids-
My Mom holding Milla, Mrs. Brook holding Max, Mrs. Biter holding Faith, Mrs. Davis holding Gracie

Made our 3rd annual trip to Bass Pro Shops to sit on Santa's lap!!! We drove an hour to get there and when we arrived they said "sorry, we are out of Bass Passes"...so we weren't going to be able to sit on Santa's lap!!!!! Milla was going to be heart broken! Somehow Brandon was able to sweet talk one of the elves and they gave us a Bass Pass!!! Thank Goodness! He saved the day!

Brandon and bright-eyed Milla as we waited in line for our turn.

can't resist those chubby cheeks!

Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I'll Love Ya Tomorrow

2011-11-04T22:31:00.010-04:00

"Tomorrow, Tomorrow, I'll Love Ya Tomorrow"
"It's a Hard Knock Life"
"You're Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile"
"Maybe"
"We've Got Annie"...etc...
Bring back memories? Annie was one of my favorite movies growing up...as it was for many. We found an old VHS video tape at my mom's of "Annie" and Milla started watching it--- I was so pleased that she loves it too!!! She is starting to sing the songs and act out certain scenes! Of course Hank plays the part of Sandy!!!

So, when trying to figure out a Halloween costume it was only right that Milla dress up as Annie! She was grinning ear to ear! She was hilarious! We thought she would for sure take the wig off right when we put it on...but no---she kept it on for 3 straight hours!!!

Sweet Faith played the part as a bag of sugar perfectly!!
We went over to the Habeck's for Chili before Trick or Treating....here is Audrey and Asher and Baby Girl Habeck on the way!!!

Asher as Woody from Toy Story
Milla as Annie
Will as a Sock Monkey

A ride in the wagon around the neighborhood to trick or treat! These little cuties are growing...not as much room in the wagon as last year!!

Pumpkin Carving!

She's 90...She's Beautiful...and She's Mine

2011-11-02T21:49:00.024-04:00

...My Grandma that is!...and I am Proud to say it! Happy 90th Birthday Grandma Rhodes! We were so happy that we got to drive to Indiana to be there to celebrate and go to Grandma's Birthday Party!!! It wasn't just a bday party...it was also a retirement party (yes-she is JUST retiring at age 90!--wow!) Grandma has written a column in the local paper for 65 years!!!! Her column is called "Dear Heart"...and before that it was called "Fringe & Frosting". Friends and family came from near and far to honor her at a morning party held at the church's fellowship hall.

WHAT A BLESSING!! Our baby girl in the arms of her GREAT GRANDMOTHER!
Grandma is SUCH an incredible lady...she has filled her 90 years with so many interesting things. She is positive and such a joy to be around. It is amazing how many people she keeps up with and corresponds with. She is caring, thoughtful, smart, and involved. She is one of a kind!

What a sweet shot! Grandma and Milla gazing into each others eyes...as if Milla is trying to soak up all of the wisdom that 90 years will teach you! Grandma was giving Milla a lesson on the organ. She knows all of the classics--Milla was requesting Baa Baa Black Sheep!
4 generations represented! Grandma, Aunt Connie, me, and my Mom holding Milla and Faith.
SO VERY THANKFUL for my family.

Festive Faith

Milla was so lucky to get the opportunity to ride a horse!!! Aunt Connie and Uncle Bob board horses at the farm. She loved it...when we tried to put a hand on her to hold her on--she said "self"! Very independent!

little horse back rider

look at those pearly whites!
funny picture of one of the horses that likes to nibble on the fence!!

corn fields cover most of the terrain in Indiana...so pretty!
Here is a picture of Brandon, Milla, and Faith on the golf cart--taking a ride on the trials.

Aunt Connie and Uncle Bob made a special spot...called Camp Jubilee"...for their grand kids and other people who come visit. It is a camp site in the woods by their house with a bonfire and lots of fun things to do!

There is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant that makes the best fried chicken on Tuesdays and Thursdays....we couldn't pass up a local favorite while we were there! YUM!

Milla and Faith lovin' on their Great Grandma Rhodes!

Grandma's party had displays of pictures everywhere---this is one of my favorites of Grandma and Grandpa! Little Love Birds!

Mom and Aunt Connie worked so hard to make it a fantastic party....they served coffee, cider, pumpkin donut bites, and melted mini ham and Swiss sandwiches. It was a Fall theme with leaves and chrysanthemums as the decor.

Love that look at Uncle Bob!

we got to play on the farm, ride 4 wheelers, and visit with some of our cousins while we were there....Mike, Barrett, Emerick, and Brittany
*It was a WONDERFUL trip*

Lovely Lily

2011-10-18T22:55:00.013-04:00

Congrats to Lana, Ben and Samuel!!!!!
She is Here!!!

Lillian Grace Peppers
"Lily"...born Oct. 1st...8#1oz.

Faith meets 1 week old Lily
Brandon, Milla, Faith, my Mom, and I all got to go to Chattanooga to meet the new, lovely, little Lily.

Samuel and Milla

Samuel is 2 going on 16! He has a little car that he took Milla for a ride in. He could navigate it so well! He is ready to get his drivers license!

Proud Grandmas with their Grand kids!!
My mom with Milla and Faith....Mrs. Larson with Samuel and Lily

Siblings!
Wonderful and amazing to see our families multiplying!

FRIENDS!!!

The Fall Has Been Full of Fun

2011-10-18T22:49:00.014-04:00

Pleasant, Peaceful, Precious Baby

enjoying this sweet smile

Milla and Brandon's Mom "Mimi" cozy in the backseat
Milla helping Captin "Cappie's Sailboat"

Brandon's Dad (aka Granddaddy or Papa Ray) being a good sport and playing with Milla in her little play house!!

there were some trees that had fallen down--so, we went up to the farm and loaded up the truck with some firewood for this winter--- Milla, Hank, and Brandon--(Faith was asleep in the cap of the truck)

love this sweet smile too!!!

"Morning Hank"...Milla hugs Hank every morning and every night

we got to get together with some of my high school girl friends at Brittany's pretty new home. Of course we had to TRY to take a picture of all of the kiddos....this is a close as we got!!!
Mia-Milla-Anna-Sarah-Max

Our neighbors.,.2 doors down-(Twins)...Ashlee and Evan...Milla adores them!! Milla will go outside and start yelling "Ashlee, Evan"...in hopes that they will be outside and hear her request and come over to play in the driveway!!!

Elise turned 3!!! Milla got to enjoy the Dora themed party--eat pizza--and jump in a jumpy pit!

Birthday Picnic on the porch

*Brandon's Grandmother and her 2 sisters...Aunt Robbie and Aunt Nita*
It is so cute how they all have the same cheek bones! You can tell they are sisters!
Grandmother was thrilled to have them both visit with. We joined them for an incredible homecooked meal.

These Four Walls

2011-10-18T22:41:00.017-04:00

The nurse in me comes out (as it does in most parents of little newborns) when it comes to germs and keeping Faith healthy. Trying to avoid any triggers that would get Faith sick--for this first stage of her life we have spent most of our time between the 4 walls of our house and on walks outside---so, we have been thankful for our visitors!!!

My WONDERFUL Aunt Connie and Uncle Bob drove all the way to Indiana to meet Faith! Uncle Bob did take a field trip to Clemson to go to the Florida State vs. Clemson game while they were her because they are big Seminoles fans. Aunt Connie helped out so much playing with Milla and holding Faith. She even let me and Brandon slip away and go out on a dinner date!!

Uncle Bob and Faith
Sleeping!

Ashley and Ashley...my work friends came over to say HI!

Milla had fun playing with the "big kids"....Ashley H.'s sweet children Tucker and Addie

Becky and Faith

Becky went crazy and brought us tons of food. She brought this basket loaded with delicious items from a FANTASTIC place called "Simply Fresh"....I am IN LOVE with the chicken salad that they sell--it is called "cuisine on the run". Simply Fresh is located in East Cobb just off of Johnson Ferry Road in the Houlk's shopping center.

Cappie had a break from his assignment in North Dakota and darted home to visit Mom and come meet Faith!

Allie (one of Faith's girlfriends) and Faith

Brittany and Max came over and Milla had so much fun watching Nemo that they had on their ipad. They had to leave before it was over---so, Milla was so concerned about Nemo...she kept saying "Nemo-Need-Find-Daddy"!

Really Starting to Smile!!! PURE JOY!!

First Baths

Everyone wants to be in Dads lap after their baths!! Here is Brandon multitasking!!

So Glad to Have a Sister

2011-09-20T22:24:00.020-04:00

Got the girls all dressed up in dresses the other day to try to get some cute pictures...I just ended up laughing because of course every time the lighting was right, Milla would do something funny or one of them would make a funny face. Rather than posing...here is Milla investigating Faith!

This one is sweet!! A soft little whisper!...or she might just be looking in her ear!!

Sisters relaxing on the couch! Milla always wants to lay right by Faith!...sometimes almost right on top of her!
Blakeley and Mia came over to play and meet Faith. Milla is still having a hard time differentiating between a hug and a strangle hold! (sorry Mia!)

Blakeley with Faith, Mia, Me & Milla

Milla and Mia playing again...this time at Mia's house

Milla got to meet Mia's Cat "Bob" that she was very interested in!

Faith was happy to meet the Benich Family! Kriya was so kind to take lots of sweet pictures of Faith. She has a great eye...she took the picture for Faith's birth announcement. Beau was such a help...he played and entertained the kids the whole time!!! He took Wade, Milla, and Bree down to play at the lake...they are all fast and on the move...he was brave!!!

Audrey and Asher had already met Faith...but they brought Ben back over to see her!
On a side note, Audrey introduced me to a really neat website with lots of ideas to get your creative juices flowing.... http://www.pinterest.com/

Milla use to spend 2 days per week with Kara, Lindsey and Lauren...Kara was so nice to keep Milla on the days I worked. Although we don't get to see them as much anymore...Milla still talks about "Lindsey and Lauren" all the time!

The Bell Family came by to meet Faith! Jackson, Milla and Jordan wanted to take a picture all cuddling with their special blankets!

Brooke with Jackson and Andrew with Faith. We had just come up from the lake...Jordan, Jackson and Milla all got IN the lake...it is September and it was chilly!! The weather feels awesome--but not when you are soaking wet!! They loved it and didn't seem to mind!

Jesse and Faith

Jesse & Tate got married over Labor Day weekend. Brandon stayed home with both of the girls and let me go to their lovely wedding! Here is the cute couple!

NEAT IDEA: as their guest/sign in book...they had people sign river rocks...guests wrote quotes and advice on the rocks and they collected them in a pretty glass bowl.

Another NEAT IDEA: for the seating list...to know what table you were at...they had your name written on a lantern

A day with Grandmum!!!

Milla got her 1st haircut this weekend!!!! She loved it!!! It was so funny...we laughed the whole time!! We went to a place called "Sweet & Sassy"...I guess we should have known by the name what to expect. We were a little sad to get her hair cut...I wasn't quite ready to say goodbye to her baby curls...but, a haircut was due to shape things up a bit...and she still has curls. After the cut they put a braid in her hair, sprayed it with glitter, sprayed it to smell like cotton candy, gave her a star glitter stamp on her cheek, and she got to pick out a fancy lollipop!!! She wanted to get a haircut again the next day too!!! It was fun!

Introductions

2011-08-30T21:41:00.028-04:00

Sweet little Faith is doing great! So far eating and sleeping are her favorite activities. She eats every 2 hours during the day and will do (2) 3.5-4 hour stretches at night. She had jaundice at the beginning...and we had to visit the pediatrician 3 times to make sure the bilirubin levels were coming down...and they were. She is all cleared up and doing well.

Close Up of her precious little features

Big Sister! Milla loves her roll as big sister. She takes any opportunity to hold Faith!
Faith has been getting lots of love! There are always willing hands to hold this little bundle of joy! Here she is with my Mom..."Grand Mum"

My Dad..."Grandpa" and Milla admiring the new baby girl

Mrs. & Mr. Crim ("Mimi and Papa Ray")

My Grandma Dunnington...."Granny Girl"

Uncle Brian & Aunt Kelli. Milla also enjoyed a visit from her Aunt Kelli this weekend where they got to go on a special play date to the park and to get ice cream!!! FUN!

Brandon's Grandparents....(Grandmother & Poppa)

Christian and Becky....Christian & Brandon both had pink shirts on in honor of Faith's birth...we laughed after they had run out of the hospital to pick up lunch with matching outfits on!! They said they got lots of funny looks!!!

Lauren...just had her 3rd baby about 2 months ago!!

Carrie was in town from Nashville....so, she and Allison came up to meet Faith!
Me with Milla, Allison with Faith, and Carrie--(Carrie has a baby boy due in Jan)

Elizabeth and Will...expecting baby #2 this spring!

Milla, Anna, Me & Faith, Asher, & Audrey--Audrey has baby #2 (a girl) due at the end of Dec.

Sarah and Will (Ed was here too...just not in the picture)...they are expecting baby #2 in Feb

Grant and Liz...practicing holding a baby girl...their 1st baby..."Lily" is due at the beginning of Oct.

Pattie with Faith

Pattie brought her girls Bella and Anna over....Milla was proud of her baby sister and had a blast playing with the other set of sisters!!!

Adrienne...baby girl #2 due at the end of Dec.

LeeAnne...our neighbor...she and her 7 year old twins Evan & Ashlee are so sweet to take Milla and Hank on walks around the block after school!

Aja...Baby #4 due in Jan!!!

Mary Elise

Derrick & Adrienne with Faith... they are the ones that came to our rescue the night my water broke...Adrienne answered my call after midnight and Derrick came over and spent the night with Milla!!!!

Milla & Elise (Derrick & Adrienne's little girl)...Elise brought Milla some "dress up high heels"

So Creative!

2011-08-29T21:55:00.013-04:00

Love these creative ideas!

Audrey is so creative--she always has a project in the works and makes the neatest things. She made this for Milla....it rolls up so cutely like this (above picture)...and then unrolls to reveal that it is a crayon carrier (below picture)

She also made these little newborn onesies for Faith. She dyed them hot pink and then embellished the necklines with grey felt. There is also a cute multi colored polka dot burp cloth with pink pom poms on the edge.
Allison made this sweet yellow and light purple dress for Milla. It so stylishly ties over one shoulder!
Jenny got the girls all ready for Fall Football (can't believe it starts this weekend!!). She made this UGA dress for Milla...
and this UGA onesie for Faith

Adrienne ordered this onesie for Faith off of etsy.com.. I just had to include a picture of it because it is hilarious!

Faith's Birth Story (1 week ago today!)

2011-08-20T23:15:00.003-04:00

One week ago today Faith was born!!!
I had been to the Dr. on Thursday, August 11th and I was only 1 cm dilated (which I had been 2 weeks prior) and I had to be induced with Milla I week after her due date---So, we weren't even thinking that Faith was coming soon. Brandon hadn't been feeling well--so, he took Benadryl and went to sleep on Friday night. I also went to sleep and woke up to my water breaking at 11:45pm!! I first called our Dr. and she said we needed to head to the hospital. We were not packed at all so we were in a hurry throwing all of our things together-Brandon even had to go into the attic to get the car seat. Then, I called my Mom (she was plan A to stay with Milla)...she had just gotten to North Dakota that evening! So, we went to plan B...(Cassie,a friend that I work with)--well, she had fallen asleep early and didn't have her phone by the bed--so, she never heard her phone! We hadn't really made a definite plan C--so we were scrambling!! We then called our friends Derrick and Adrienne and Derrick so kindly came over and stayed with Milla. My Dad and Grandma then came over at 7:30 am to be with Milla--and then my Mom jumped on a 5am flight home and was able to get to Milla by about 1pm!! Here is the time frame at the hospital:
1:30 AM arrived at hospital--still just 1 cm dilated- no contractions
3:30 AM-- Got Induced--started Pitocin
9:45 AM--contractions had been building and really intense by now
10:30 AM--Got Epidural (always worries me, but went so smoothly)-Brandon did get kind of light headed and the Dr. and Nurse had him sit down!!!
1:55 PM 8cm dilated
3:30 PM Dr. Sun arrived and got all set up
3:40 PM Started pushing
3:51 PM "Faith Townsend Crim" BORN!!!!!
Happy Day!!! Thank You Jesus!!!

Faith Townsend Crim

2011-08-16T14:34:00.015-04:00

***Faith Townsend Crim***
born Saturday-August 13, 2011 at 3:51pm
Northside Hospital, Atlanta, GA
8#2oz and 21.5 inches

We got a surprise on Friday night...my water broke at 11:45pm...we headed to the hospital...and Faith made her appearance 10 days early. (due date was 8-23-11)
(I will write a more detailed birth story later)

Our family of FOUR!
Milla LOVES her baby sister Faith!
Proud Dad!

Sweet Baby Girl!

Cozy!

Have to put a bunch of pictures...because I can't pick a favorite.....they all make me SMILE!
Mom. Dad, and precious second born daughter

Dr. Phoebe Sun....AWESOME Dr.! We love her! She delivered Milla and Faith.

headed home...Brandon getting Faith all strapped in to go see where she lives, see her sister again, and meet her dog!!!

Home!!!!!

My mom had cute little things all around our house to greet us and celebrate this baby girl. This was in our bathroom---just one of the many things! We are SO happy and excited! God is blessing us like crazy!!

Rearranging Rooms

2011-08-11T22:35:00.014-04:00

Milla passed down her pastel nursery decor and went a little more bold and funky. Again, with both of the girls rooms we were working around blue carpet and basement ceiling tiles...but we were happy about how the way things turned out.
This is Milla's Room:

She loves saying that her room looks like the SUNSHINE!! She will point to anything yellow and say "Sunshine"!! We found the chair at a local antique shop by us for $38 and had it recovered by our favorite upholstery man--(I have mentioned him before...he is awesome...so sweet and kind... and very reasonable. Scottie Abercrombie....770-271-1392) He covered the chair and made 3 throw pillows....found the fabric at a neat site called http://www.tonicliving.com/

Brandon worked a miracle on this dresser--it was old, brown, and worn out...but, he sanded it, painted it yellow, and used circular-wooden-white knobs. He also restored the mirror by cleaning, sanding and painting it---his parents had used it in his nursery as a baby!! We covered a lampshade with some leftover fabric and Brandon hung it from the ceiling like a chandelier.
Pretty picture of a Dahlia to give the room a POP of hot pink!!! For some reason it was hard to find a simple white, wooden frame that wasn't really expensive. A lot of frames are made of plastic now. We went to Good Will and found this frame--took the picture out and Brandon painted it white...just what we wanted for $5.99!

Fruits of the Spirit

This part of Milla's room stayed the same!!
Her is Faith's Room (right next door to Milla's):

Brandon went out in the canoe and looked on the shore of the lake to find this cool piece of drift wood...he then painted it white and hung it with fishing wire--Pretty! Since Milla is still sleeping in her crib--my friend from work Denise so kindly let us borrow her crib that is exactly the same as the one we have!!

The rocker that Grandma Dunnington passed down to us (she used it to rock me!!)....(also covered by Scottie Abercrombie--2 years ago)

Philippians 4:8

Jesus & the Lamb
sketch by Katherine Brown
**We have a cozy spot ready...and are just counting down the days until we get to meet the precious baby girl that will lay down her little head here!!!***
12 days until the due date

The Heat is On

2011-08-11T21:47:00.011-04:00

Milla McConaha Crim is 2 years old!!!!
August 6th was her big day!
At her 2 year old Check Up at the doctor she measured in at:
Weight: 31# and Height: 35 7/8 in

Although it was a small family party, it was a BIG celebration to CELEBRATE our sweet baby girl and the day she was born. Hard to believe it was 2 years ago!!! We had a birthday brunch with Milla's Grandparents, Great Grandparents, Aunt & Uncle, and a few of her little neighbor girlfriends.

* Sunflowers to Brighten the HAPPY day even more*
The weather forecast called for some showers which we were actually thankful for because it made it a little cloudy and overcast which cooled things off. Our air conditioner went out Friday night and our guest arrived at 10:30 on Saturday morning!!! After having the oven on for several hours to cook breakfast casserole and monkey bread our house was pretty toasty. Thankfully everyone was flexible and understanding about the heat!!!

The week before her birthday Milla would wake up daily and say "Birthday?" and I would say...it is Saturday. Then she would say "Cake?". She was SO excited about the cake....I think that is the thing she was MOST anticipating about her birthday. I will always remember the look on her face when we sang "Happy Birthday To You"...she was soaking it all up and her little face was SO HAPPY and FULL of JOY!!! She is allergic to eggs---so, I tried a couple of recipes to find one that would taste OK without eggs... thanks for my friend Anne who is the Queen of Allergy Recipes gave me this one that turned out SO GOOD for cupcakes....
"Golden Layer Cake" 1 cup unsalted butter, 2 cups sugar, in place of 4 large eggs use 1 cup of unsweetened applesauce, 1 cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 1/2 cup self rising flour, 1 1/4 cup all purpose flour. Oven 350. In large bowl, med. speed cream butter and sugar until fluffy-about 3 min. Then add applesauce and beat well, Mix the milk and vanilla together. Combine flours and add in two parts alternating with the milk and vanilla mixture-beating well after each addition. For cupcakes line with cupcake papers and bake 20-22 minutes.

Laughter & Fun
*Haley, Lauren, Milla, & Elise*
swimming and running through the sprinkler
*Wish we could have all of our friends over to celebrate...but we ended up keeping it low key and just had her friends that lived right near by since it was just 2 weeks before our due date!!

EXCITED while opening presents!!!
This particular gift was a book set that came with the book "Tickle Monster" and special tickle gloves!!! That is right up Milla's alley! Other hits were her baby dolls and a stroller to push the dolls in!!!

Brandon, Milla, & Megan

Milla kissing her little sister!!!
When we are out in public she will start talking to strangers and point to my belly and say "Faith" and get a really proud look on her face!!!

Jumping Through July (how did it go so fast?)

2011-07-26T22:11:00.016-04:00

Thoughtful Friends!!! Some of my girlfriends got together and treated me to a FUN, FUN, FUN afternoon of getting a manicure, pedicure, and then going out for dessert to celebrate our little girl on the way! I had a DELIGHTFUL afternoon!

* Kelli, Brittany, Chanler, Me, Allison, Becky, Lana, and Sarah*
While everyone was at the "Nail, Talk, & Tan" in Dunwoody in the Target and Loehmann's shopping center...I was waiting at the "Nail, Talk, & Tan" just 1/2 of a mile away in the Babies R Us shopping center!!! It took me 30 min. to figure out that I might possibly be in the wrong location!!! I will read the directions next time!!! I am so glad they picked the one that they did...it was the best!!! When you are getting your manicure and pedicure they also include a shoulder massage!!!!! Incredible! Special! Relaxing!
Some of the girls with little ones met us at Cafe Intermezzo for a sampling of delicious desserts...we had key lime cheesecake, carrot cake, chocolate cake, and coconut cake!!! Nice to have a bite of each! Here is a picture of me with Anne and Philip who traveled all the way in from Birmingham!!!

Lauren ventured out with little Allie Marie...just 3 weeks old! Allie's first party!

Lisa, Becky, and Sarah

High School friends....
Brittany, Blakeley, me, Becky, and Allison

A random picture from work last week with my sweet co-workers.
Annette, me with Milla, Kara with Lauren, Heather with Lindsey, Christina, Denise, Amanda, Jesse, Dawn, and Bri. Some of the girls also joined in to celebrate our baby girl on the way...and took me out to eat Mexican after work!!!

Starting a Band!
My friend Jenny that I went to nursing school with and use to work with drove over from Canton with her 2 kiddos.... Hayden and big brother Charlie!

We got to spend a morning with Elise...a good friend of Milla's...here are the girls hiking up the driveway to take a stroll.

Just because it is 97 degrees doesn't mean it isn't fun to dress up in winter gear! Milla and Elise cracked themselves up in hats, gloves, and boots! Ready for some snow!

Wedding Weekends

2011-07-26T21:28:00.016-04:00

You go through different stages and phases of life...at one point it seemed like we got to go to lots of weddings...there was a friend getting married or having a shower almost every weekend...but, we haven't really been to one lately until the past 2 weekends. We got to go to 2 really pretty weddings.

CONGRATS Cassie & Justin!
I work with Cassie and they just got married on July 16th in Gainesville. The wedding was at First Baptist Gainesville and the reception was conveniently right across the street at the Gainesville Civic Center. Cassie was such a good bride...the Tuesday before the wedding she got a phone call while we were at work- from the lady doing the alterations on her wedding dress---she asked "do you have anything else you can wear to the wedding?!!!!! And then told Cassie her dress had a hole in it...Cassie rushed to the shop at lunch but it turned out to be really small and no big deal--so all worked out ok--Cassie handled it with stride! (Thank Goodness since she didn't happen to buy a "back up" wedding dress! Ha!)
In this picture: Dawn, Bri, Cassie, Elizabeth, me, Amanda, and Jesse

One of my favorite things they did at the wedding was the guest sign in...our friend Elizabeth sketched this picture of a tree--then, the guests picked from a variety of colorful ink pads to make their thumb print (in the place of a leaf) on the tree branches and sign their name. It looked really neat!

Pretty Cake for Mr. & Mrs. Hamilton!

What a friend! Lana was in town doing some shopping and was so kind to volunteer to hang out with Milla for the evening while Brandon and I went to the wedding together!!! So Sweet!

Congrats Lindsey & Ryan!
Brandon's cousin got married on July 23rd. Their wedding was at Peachtree Presbyterian Church in Atlanta. She had a really pretty dress...I loved how it just had one over the shoulder strap.

They had a really cool reception spot! It was called "Summerour Studio" located off 17th street-close to Atlantic Station and Ikea. www.novareevents.com/summerour/index . It was awesome and would highly recommend it for a big event facility.

Pretty cake for Mr. & Mrs. Schoutlz!

Ryan (the Groom), Nick, Brandon, and Brian

Kelli, Lindsey, and me

Brandon's extended cousins: Catherine, Lauren, Jennifer&Christopher, Kristen&Seth, Sarah&Nick, Me&Brandon, Kelli&Brian

Gary & Vicki with Mrs. & Mr. Crim

24 hours in Chattanooga

2011-07-13T21:33:00.013-04:00

We wanted to get together to visit with the Peppers family one last time while we were both families of 3....because we know things are going to be crazy for awhile when we both grow to families of 4 soon!

Samuel and Milla on Samuel's 4 wheeler. They are buddies!! Samuel is adorable...lovable, grinning, kind hearted, and strawberry blond!

There is a restored, over 100 year old antique carousel downtown Chattanooga that we got to check out. It was a dream of one of Lana's high school art teachers to refurbish a carousel...and that is just what he did. He was a master woodworker and held classes and instructed others in a studio in town as they created all the beautiful animals for the carousel. People came from all over to be part of the creation!
Ben, Lana and Samuel

Just outside of the carousel is an area full of water fountains--it kind of reminds you of the area at Centennial Park in Atlanta. With the temperatures in the high 90's it was the place to be!

After the fountains we cooled down with some Hawaiian shaved ice. Yum! I love that stuff! Milla helped me eat mine...half peach/half watermelon! We felt like Chattanooga had such reasonable prices... it was just $1 to ride the carousel, the fountains were free, and the shaved ice was $1.50... so, for less than $5 we had a wonderful afternoon!

got to spend the morning on Chickamauga Lake...rode on the boat, swam, and had a picnic. Milla and Samuel did great...made it back in the car just as it was nap time--they were both out before we made it out of the parking lot!

Joyful little ones!
It made us so happy just to watch them!
We had a wonderful visit!

Red, White, and Blue

2011-07-12T22:08:00.014-04:00

We had a nice Fourth of July Weekend. There was a lot on our "to do" list around the house to get done in preparation for our second baby girl on the way!!!---luckily we did get a bunch done and made room for a little fun too! Milla eating a Popsicle in honor of the USA

WOW!! The new Cumming Aquatic Center just opened at the end of June only a few miles from our house--we checked it out over the 4th of July weekend! It is AWESOME!! It has a zero entry pool that this playground sits in, a lazy river, and a big water slide. Milla played like crazy. She had no fear. We can't wait to go back. Children under 2 years get in free and it was $5 for adults...it was a fair price and well worth it!

We got to go celebrate Brady Sweeting's 1st Birthday! It was a firetruck bday party. Lots of firetruck decor and a backyard filled with pools and a slip and slide!!! With this crazy summer heat it felt good to have the water nearby.

Brady was living it up! He had a blast in the water and then covered himself with his cake! It was great! Christina (Brady's Mom and my friend from work) was SO sweet to make "egg free" iced sugar cookies in the shapes of firetrucks and #1 for Milla and Anna (who is also allergic to eggs). Milla kept saying... "Love Cookies"!!! Christina shared the good recipe that she used...
http://debralegg.com/2009/02/12/egg-free-cutout-sugar-cookies/

Brandon was craving some BBQ and wanted to make his own at home. He got a "Boston Butt" and smoked it for several hours on the grill.

Brandon's BBQ turned out great! He even made his own BBQ sauce...the vinegar based Carolina way...YUM! I was impressed!

Our family by the lake!

Milla doing some work on the dock!

Becky and Milla
Christian and Milla swimming and dancing! Milla thinks Christian is hilarious! She laughed and laughed!

Kelli, Brian, and Hank kicking back on rafts enjoying Lake Lanier

Babies and Celebrations

2011-06-26T22:02:00.020-04:00

Blessing seem to be plentiful these days in the baby department!!! This is a fruitful season for families expecting little ones! We got to do a lot of celebrating this week!!!

We got to help host a couples baby shower for Liz & Grant Huffaker. It was at the home of Kim & Dale Hicks. Here is the food table and pretty hydrangeas.

The parents in waiting....Liz and Grant!
They have decided on a name "Lily Jean Huffaker"
...estimated due date is Oct. 6th

Lana and I are excited about our babies on the way too!!!
Our baby girl is due Aug 23rd, Lana's baby girl is due Oct. 4th

We didn't let Grant and Liz off easy at the shower....we all wanted to see their parenting skills...so, they had to play some games...

here they are in a race to change a dirty diaper and then redress the baby. They are gloved and goggled up!

Kim and Dale had such a pretty house. I came home wanting to paint because she had so many fun and different colors throughout her house. I took a picture of this just because it was so pretty. In their living room they had the mantle and the wainscoting painted a cool turquoise color that looked SO GOOD!!! Neat Idea!

Becky and Megan

Congrats Lauren & Matt (and sibs...Davis & Haley)!
Welcome "Allie Marie Sanders"
born on Thursday (June 23rd) 6#1oz
She made her appearance after 1 push!!!!!!
Amazing! She was ready!

Got to hold the precious little lady!

Milla had fun swimming and eating watermelon with her two little stud boyfriends in their matching Hurley board shorts!! So cute!!! *Asher, Milla & Will*

Asher climbed up in Milla's chair to give her a sweet send-off kiss when we were leaving!!

We celebrated a late Father's Day with Brandon's family at J. Alexanders on Friday.
Here is a picture with Aunt Kelli and Uncle Brian!

Mrs. and Mr. Crim

Fun In the Sun

2011-06-26T21:49:00.019-04:00

MILLA
Milla's friend Haley just turning 2 and at her party they got to play in pools and on a slip and slide. They took a quick break for some birthday cake and ice cream. Milla is allergic to eggs...so, no cake for her-but thank goodness she likes ice cream so much--she doesn't even notice the cake is missing!

Pool day with friends
Harrison, Milla, and Hudson

It was great to beat the heat in the pool. Jill invited us over to her parents pool for swimming and lunch! We are thankful we got to spend the morning together because we just found out that Chanler, Ander, Marshall, and Harrison are moving to Charlotte this summer!!!
We will miss them!
*Chan&Harrison, Me&Milla, Jill&Hudson*

Hank is SUCH a sweet pup and is SO patient with Milla!!! She likes to make him meals and cook for him!!

The birthday girl
How can Bree already be 1 year old?

Kriya and Beau hosted an awesome party for Bree at the Atlanta Country Club pool. The only thing that didn't cooperate was the weather!! They had everything set up so cute and had so many adorable little details...pictures and decorations. But, as soon as the party began, so did the thunder...so, by the lifeguard's orders no one was allowed in the pool! It was hard for the kids to stay out of the inviting pool---but, after it down-poured there were plenty of puddles that the kids got to splish and splash in and make their own fun....so, despite the weather--a good time was had by all!!!

Milla getting to enjoy a juice box treat with some buddies close to her age...
*Celie, Millie Kate & Milla*

The Benich Family
Bree didn't let the thunder and lightning get in the way of getting to taste cake for the first time!!

Kriya made these REALLY GOOD treats....cake on a stick!

* Milla and Grandpa Dunnington reading*
There is a sweet book written by Billy Crystal for his granddaugther called "I Already Know I Love You"--my Dad sent it to me before Milla was born and even recorded himself reading it on a CD---so, she listens to it ALL the time--but an even better treat is getting to have him read it to her in person!!!

Milla likes to show her great grandma (Granny Girl) all the photo albums every time she comes to visit!

Milla and her Hippo

Salads,Ice Cream & Relaxing

2011-06-26T21:32:00.012-04:00

We went to spend the afternoon with my Mom in College Park and she made us a delicious lunch. She makes a spinach salad that I LOVE!!!! Here is the recipe....
Spinach, chopped up boiled egg, crumbled crispy bacon, toasted almonds, and the dressing is:
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup oil
3 Tbs. sugar
3 Tbs. Ketchup
2 Tbs. vinegar
1 small chopped onion (optional)
Thanks to the tip from my friend Lauren we learned about the free ice cream at Brusters! If you have a little one under 40 inches tall...they can get a free mini cone!!! Milla enjoyed taking advantage of that deal. She loves ice cream-- she is constantly asking for "cream".

Dad and Daughter

We got to see some old friends (Casey & Ann Marie) that we hadn't seen in a while and although it was their first time to meet, Milla and Macy had FUN playing together!

Milla gets really cuddly after bath time at night-just before bed. Here is a picture of her and Brandon kicking back and relaxing!!! Cozy!

The Pulfrey Family Visit

2011-05-24T21:58:00.013-04:00

Alan & Jill Pulfrey--along with their sweet little ones Aaron (2.5 years) and Mary Brooks (6 months) came to visit last weekend! They traveled in from Nashville. Alan and Brandon were roommates at Auburn.

Mary Brooks truly smiled the whole time! You always hear that 2nd born children have to learn how to be laid back...and she sure was. She was so go-with-the-flow and HAPPY!

Milla and Aaron spent a lot of time serenading us! It was adorable. This picture caught them in the middle of "If You're Happy and You Know It" and they were motioning..."then your face will surely show it!"
We decided to venture out and go on a little hike. We went to a small local mountain in Cumming called Sawnee Mountain. We were about half way up when a guy headed down that was trail running tripped over a root and broke his ankle right in front of us! Within 5 seconds his ankle/lower leg was twice its normal size. We actually heard the crack! There was no way he could make it back down. He couldn't put any pressure on it--so, Brandon and Alan carried him down the mountain. At first they just supported him by the shoulders--but by the end they physically picked him up and carried him!! As sad as the situation was--it was a little bit of a funny sight to see because not only were they carrying the guy but Alan had Mary Brooks in the Baby Bjorn carrier on his chest!! In this picture you can see them from a distance.

Jill and I continued to the top with the toddlers. Everyone had skinned knees and wanted to be carried...but we finally made it and the beautiful view was worth it! Here is handsome Aaron!

Here is Milla- proud to be a the top!
Once Brandon and Alan dropped off the injured guy to his parents at the bottom they turned right around and did a speed hike to the top to meet us. They got a serious workout that day!

Baby Girl on the way's first trip to the top of a mountain!

Brandon saw on the computer that they were going to be playing bluegrass music at a restaurant in Dahlonega...so we thought it would be neat to drive up and look around in the cute shops in the downtown square...

We arrived in Dahlonega at 5:45pm on Sunday evening...we weren't aware that basically the whole city closes down at 6!!!! So, we had just enough time to go in 1 shop...the General Store to buy some rock candy and get a jar of jam! Here is Milla taking care of Mary Brooks!

Alan & Brandon

Mia's Party and More April Fun

2011-05-06T22:46:00.020-04:00

Mia Lynn Clark turned ONE!!! Her party attire consisted of a cupcake appliqued onesie topped with a pretty pale pink, frilly tutu like skirt! She was decked out as the lady of honor!

The Clark Family
Will*Mia*Blakeley

The party was so much fun...they
had activities everywhere...food, cupcake decorating, bubbles, play set with a slide, sidewalk chalk, and a pool. So, the little ones were running everywhere. We were able to slow Milla and Elizabeth Grace down for just a second to snap this shot!
*Becky ("Aunt B"), Me&Milla, Allison&Elizabeth Grace*
Blakeley...hostess and mother the new 1 year old!
Laura and Blakeley
(Laura is an awesome interior designer and she is expanding her business...check out her website... http://lauragreenthesimplesophisticate.blogspot.com/ - she has short clip youtube videos that give tips on decorating and design) AND (Blakeley has an awesome new website for her eclectic photography that is FANTASTIC too.... http://www.blakeleylynn.com/ )

The Fischer Family
Mark*Elizabeth Grace*Allison

The Dasher Family
Lance*Max*Brittany

Milla's friend Haley came over to play. Milla and Haley are a little less than 2 months apart (Haley was born in June, Milla in August) and now they will both have little sisters born a little less than 2 months apart! (Haley's sister Allie Marie is due July 4th, and Milla's sister ?name undecided? is due August 23rd)

like Father like Daughter!
Brandon and I were talking in the kitchen--he was leaning against the counter with his feet and arms crossed- without prompting- Milla walked up beside him-leaned on the counter-and crossed her feet and arms (with a grin on her face!)

At about 8:15pm this is what it looks like off the porch...we don't have a direct shot of the sunset..but this is just as beautiful and relaxing!

My Redeemer Lives!!!

2011-05-06T22:37:00.015-04:00

We had a WONDERFUL Easter!

We got to spend time with each of our families. Sometimes we run around and try to see everyone on the same day...which can get quite hectic because everyone lives about an hour away...but this year we spent a different day of the weekend with each family! It worked out great!

On Friday we went to Cartersville to visit with my Dad and Grandma Dunnington.
Here is Milla checking out the neighbor's cows.

*Dad, Milla, Brandon*
we took a walk and Milla walked over a mile! She never tires! She can go, go,go!

Milla is up for Ring around the Rosy anytime. She was thrilled that her Grandpa and GREAT Grandma"Granny Girl" wanted to play! And YES, even Granny Girl fell all the way to the ground when they sang "we all fall down!" what a good sport!!!

On Saturday we went to College Park to have dinner and spend the night with my Mom and Cappie at the "bluebird"(as they refer to their house). We had fun taking an evening stroll around their pretty neighborhood.

Milla taking time to smell the roses on Easter morning before heading to church at Church of the Apostles for a super Easter service. They sang "My Redeemer Lives" to start things off...perfect for the day!!!

On Sunday we went to East Cobb to be with Mr. & Mrs. Crim, Brian&Kelli, and Brandon's Grandmother & Granddaddy at the Crim's house. We had a delicious lunch and watched Milla gather Easter eggs in the front yard! They just refinished a high chair and a sweet little rocking chair that Milla was trying out and gave her approval!

SISTERS

2011-04-14T15:52:00.006-04:00

The ultrasound tech said "are you ready to find out?...... IT's A GIRL!!!!" I was so happy to hear those words! The first thing I thought was--they get to be sisters!!! I have always wanted a sister!! Brandon is so excited too---although I get so excited about thinking about them taking gymnastics and dance...there is no doubt that Brandon will teach them all he knows about fishing & hunting!!! Ha Ha! They will be well rounded! Here is an amazing picture of our baby girl on the way---her sweet profile and adorable little arm and hand!! Right now we are 21 weeks into the pregnancy...so, a little over half way there! The picture that provided the wonderful news! 2 Girls, 2 Years Apart = EXCITING TIMES AHEAD!!! Can't wait!!!

Greenville.....GA?

2011-03-28T21:12:00.011-04:00

I have heard of Greenville, South Carolina...but, it wasn't until this weekend that we were introduced to the little, sweet, picturesque southern town of Greenville, Ga. We got to go visit some of our friend's family farm this weekend in this city that sits south of Newnan--close to Warm Springs--and has a population of less than 1,000 people!

Will & Milla getting a kick out of a walk in the woods!!! They both had to wear their camo to wish their Dads luck with their turkey hunt!

Brandon and Austin driving off in the green "gator" to find a gobbler! This weekend marked the opening of turkey season. There were so many things to entertain and keep Will & Milla's attention! On the farm they have 2 silos that use to operate as storage units--but they cleared them out and made multiple floors and you can actually stay in them! They are equipped with kitchens, bathrooms, and a bunch of floors with bunk beds. So neat!

Austin & Brandon in the field

Milla investigating the 4 wheeler

*The Lineberry Family-- Elizabeth, Austin, and Will* Elizabeth's almost 90 year old grandparents live on the farm and were such kind hosts to us!

*The Crim Family*

The East Cobber

2011-03-28T17:23:00.016-04:00

We got to join the Wentz family for a Mexican meal on the porch.

Milla had fun eating with Harper...who couldn't be charmed by those sweet dimples of Harpers! Elizabeth is an AWESOME writer...I knew she had been doing some freelance work for the "East Cobber" along with some other local community publications...but I was so impressed when I checked out the East Cobber website and looked up some of her work.... they say- "Join Elizabeth each week as she explores East Cobb and the metro area sharing toddler-focused activities, anecdotes, and ideas." www.eastcobber.com/?s=Elizabeth+Wentz Thanks Elizabeth....now I know someone famous!!!! *Dads and their Daughters* Robbie with Harper and Brandon with Milla (Robbie & Brandon were college roommates at Auburn)

Last night we joined Brandon's family at "Peter's"... a tasty Italian restaurant in Dunwoody to celebrate Kelli's 35th Birthday!!!! Here is a group shot... Mrs. Crim, Kelli, Mr. Crim, Milla, Brandon, and Brian

Brain & Kelli....1st birthday as a married couple!!!

Milla LOVES her Mom & Tot gymnastics class!!! We are going to a great program through the Cumming Parks & Recreation Center http://www.gymsations.com/

It is amazing how much they can learn so quickly. I didn't know if she would be able to catch on...but, each week she picks up something new and really gets excited when we go. When we pull in the parking lot she says "nastics"!!!! They sit in a circle and do stretches, sing songs, walk on the beam, hang from the bars, do a forward roll down a wedged mat, jump on the spring board, and learn how to take turns and follow directions. Her class is ages 1.5-3 years old--just lasts 30 minutes--once a week-- and I would highly recommend it!

Caught in the Act!!! I was cooking in the kitchen while Milla was playing with some toys....suddenly I noticed it was VERY QUIET..... I looked around the corner to the pantry and Milla had found some Nesquik chocolate powder--got the lid off- and helped herself to multiple handfuls!!! It was EVERYWHERE!!

Just added this one because it looks so sweet and cozy!! Milla has a video that she really loves to watch.. it is called Baby Signing Times... she has learned so many things... she even knows signs that we don't know yet... http://www.signingtime.com/. It definitely has catchy tunes...the only downside is you will never get them out of your head! Brandon and I find ourselves humming them throughout the day!

Spring Break at the Lake

2011-03-21T21:10:00.027-04:00

Our house overflowed with family, fun, and joy this weekend! Our cousins from Florida and Texas were on Spring Break this past week so we decided to have the 3rd Annual Lake Family Reunion! Kyle,Staci,KJ, & Reagan drove 13 HOURS from Texas!...Ben,Ragan,Gatlin,&Emersyn from all the way from Florida...Uncle Bob&Aunt Connie drove all the way from Indiana...and Mom & Cappie came up too!

The cousins paused just long enough for us to get a picture of their sweet little faces all together.

Milla is the youngest...19 months
Emersyn--"Eme" is 3 1/2... she is all girl...she is particular about her clothes and shoes...always has her toe nails painted...only sleeps in night gowns and likes to wear a robe...and loves her baby dolls--she has a name for each one and does their hair daily! She was a big help with her baby cousin Milla! You could just eat her up with that cute little grin!! (We didn't have any ER visits this weekend--but, Eme secretly found some pliers and tried to take her front tooth out--the tool was so heavy it fell and chipped her tooth!!! ouch!)

Reagan Grace is 5 1/2--- one of the highlights of the weekend was seeing the amazing and emotional video that her Mom put together walking through the whole experience of her getting a COCHLEAR IMPLANT just about one month ago. She had no hearing out of one ear and now-after the activation of the implant--SHE IS ABLE TO HEAR OUT OF IT!!!! It still takes therapy and time to get use to the sounds...but she is doing AWESOME. She is SO brave and SUCH a tough little lady! She has such a sweet spirit and never complains! (She also helped a bunch with Milla) http://www.http/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochlear_implant

Gatlin is also 5 1/2. Both boy cousins were go-go-go! Always on the move-looking for the next adventure! Gatlin is a wild man--but has such a sweet heart--he will be running around crazy and then stop and say "Mommy I love You" or "Daddy I love You"!!!

KJ will turn 8 next month. There is never a dull moment with KJ...he is always looking for something fun to do. Although he is rough, tough, and trained in Jujitsu...he also has a kind, tender side! He took Milla under his wing---he kept saying things like "that's my girl"! He could really make her laugh and giggle!

Aunt Connie and Uncle Bob

Cappie & Mom

Aunt Connie and Mom hid eggs for an early Easter Egg hunt!

Group Shot

KJ and Gatlin took a "Polar Bear Dip" in the lake! It was beautiful outside but the water was still FREEZING!!! It just about knocked the wind out of them both when they jumped in!

the girls did lots of arts and crafts

the guys competed in one "Minute to Win It" game...they each had to wrap an entire roll of streamers around each wrist...the first to get through the whole roll won. It was a photo finish...but, Brandon won!

Hank and Daisy had a fabulous weekend! They swam and retrieved every chance they got! Each night they were EXHAUSTED! Daisy has the strongest tail...it hurts if it happens to hit you! Well, poor Daisy....she injured her tail and it started bleeding---so she was splatter painting with the tip of her tail every time it wagged!

*Me&Brandon, Ragan&Ben, Staci&Kyle*
We are so thankful for our family!!!!
Thanks for coming everyone!

Visits Around Town

2011-03-08T21:51:00.014-05:00

We got to stop by and visit Brandon at his office.
Milla liked checking out all of the electronics!

Got to meet Milla's "Granny Girl"...(my Grandma) and "Grandpa"...(my Dad) for lunch
Milla loved every hug and kiss!! Granny Girl always says "I love you a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck"!!
after being in the car seat and then the high chair Milla was ready to play--so, we found a park to enjoy! One of Milla's favorite words to say lately is "slide"....so, she was having a blast with her Grandpa!
Action shot with Dad!!!

Mom and Cappie came up and went to church with us!!! Milla finally likes her Sunday School class--up to a few weeks ago she cried when we dropped her off--but now she is anxious to get to the room to play and do arts&crafts!

Our friends from our last Bible Study just had their BABY BOY....
Lindsey & Duran welcomed Beckam Baxter Willis on February 21st. He weighed a whopping 9#6oz! WOW! CONGRATS to the Willis family!!

Brandon and Beckam

Milla was SO excited about going to meet the baby...she said "Baby" at least 50 times on the way there---but as soon as we arrived she wanted nothing to do with cute Beckam!!! She cried and cried when I took my turn holding him!!!!! She didn't even want to get her picture taken with him!!! Sorry Beckam...I know she'll come around!!!

We got to have a really delicious homemade meal at Brian and Kelli's house this weekend with Brandon's parents and Grandparents. Here is a picture from the evening with Mrs. Crim, Milla, and Kelli!! As you can see--Milla is just in a little onesie (and it was COLD outside)...one of her favorite things to do is take all of her clothes, her shoes, and socks off!!! She likes to feel free!!!

The Peppers Came to Town!!!

2011-03-08T21:22:00.016-05:00

We were so happy to have Ben, Lana, and Samuel come spend the weekend!

Milla and Samuel playing at a nearby park

BUSTED LIP!
Milla is an active little lady! Her lip typically looks like this every few weeks from running and taking a tumble! It breaks your heart when they get any kind of scratch on that sweet, soft baby skin---but thank goodness they are so resilient and heal very quickly!

Milla and Samuel playing with Hank!

I love this one of Samuel!!!!

Some friends came up for dinner to visit with the Peppers while they were here.
Here are the guys grilling out on the deck:
Ben, Brandon, Andrew, Christian, Grant, and Ed

Liz, Me, Sarah, Lana, Becky, Brooke

The Peppers

The Bells

The Inmans

The Nobles

The Huffakers

The Crims

Will You Be Mine?

2011-03-08T20:33:00.010-05:00

We had FUN celebrating Valentine's Day this year!

We started off with an early Valentine's celebration at the Dasher's house! Got to see my high school friends, their moms, and their babies!
Carrie&Houston, Brittany&Max, Blakeley&Mia, Me&Milla, Becky, Allison&Elizabeth Grace

Milla gives her Dad a Valentine's Day smootch!

*Milla*
this picture makes me want to order one of those profile cut outs....there is something so sweet about a little one's profile... I looked on http://www.etsy.com/ and found a neat site to order from:
"Pretty Faces" portrait silhouettes by jackie

Happy Valentine Smile!

February Hearts

2011-02-14T12:06:00.004-05:00

We had some exciting news to tell....these are the Valentine's we gave to our parents this year...

"How Appropriate For February"

"We got to hear a brand new heartbeat"

"Milla is going to be a BIG SISTER in August 2011"

Milla is really growing up! She just had her 18 month Check Up on Friday....
Weighing in at 25# 8oz and Stands 34 3/4 inches tall.
We've been telling her that she is going to be a big sister...and she doesn't really get it...but she loves hugging her baby dolls and teddy bears and saying "baby"!!! She is going to do great in her up coming roll!

Meeting Baby Philip

2011-01-30T21:00:00.009-05:00

We got to take a trip to Birmingham this week to meet Anne & Michael's sweet new baby boy
"Philip Andrew"
he was born November 22
8# 9 oz
(he is now 8 weeks old)

Big sister Elizabeth holding her new brother Philip and Milla sitting close by so she can touch his toes!

I got my turn to hold Philip!!!! He was so peaceful and easy going!
My mom and Philip

Milla and Elizabeth were go-go-go. They got out every single toy in the house and their favorite game was "ring around the rosy". They would laugh and laugh when they tumbled to the ground! Elizabeth was nice to share all of her things with Milla!

two little ladies busy in the kitchen!!!

I love this picture!
My Mom was actually on an 18 hour layover in B'ham (she is a flight attendant)--so, we got to stay with her in hotel downtown. Milla thought it was fun to change the scenery from her nursery and have a "girl's night out" at the hotel!!!

Beau's 2nd Annual Birthday Cornhole Tournament

2011-01-30T20:34:00.013-05:00

The Benichs know how to throw a party...they go all out...and it is always so much fun!
Here is a picture of BEAU...the man of honor for the evening!!

The temps were in the 30's--but we stayed warm with the multiple bonfires and heaters that lined the cornhole tournament area!

There were 6 cornhole playing stations.
Here is the trophy table....this is serious business!!! They draw names at random--boy/girl teams....and who did I get placed with....the reigning CHAMPION...!!! Lucky me!!

There were at least 40 or 50 people there...and we played a bunch of games....but our team WON!!! We got the 1st place trophy!!! (all because of Stephen's Cornhole Skills!!). Unfortunately we had to bump out the Birthday boy in the final round!!! Sorry Beau & Brooke!!

The trophy ceremony!! Ha Ha!

Tell me that this picture doesn't make your mouth water!!!! YUM!! A Krispy Kreme donut tower! Kriya did an AWESOME job thinking up great food for a chilly winter night. The menu included: lots of good appetizers, chili, chili dogs, chicken noodle soup, hot chocolate, cider, and the delicious donuts to top it all off!!!

They even had a hot dog machine!!!!

Snow Covered

2011-01-28T17:02:00.022-05:00

January Snow!!!

Hank was a HAPPY DOG all week long! He had his whole family home and fresh powder snow to roll around in for an entire week!!

Thank goodness Brandon and Hank went to cut up a bunch of wood the day before the snow came...we enjoyed a lot of fires!

Brandon and Hank headed down the driveway. Brandon also went down on water skis!!! (...didn't turn out too well---almost broke his ankle!!)

Grand Mum and Milla bundled up!

Me and Milla at the top of the hill about to sled down!

Despite the freezing temps...Brandon was determined to do something outside--so, later in the week he headed to a river to do some fly-fishing!! COLD!!!

Perfect Timing! After a week of being snowed in---Milla had Emily TenKate's Birthday party to go to at Monkey Joe's (her first time there) ...where she could run wild and free!!

Riding the pony

Milla and I got to take a few trips down the slide together!

December to the New Year

2011-01-06T20:17:00.019-05:00

We had a FUN office Christmas party this year. One of our Dr.'s- Dr. Hempel planned the whole thing. For those that wanted to meet early to do some Christmas shopping--he had us meet at a cute shop in Brookhaven called "Davonshire Home & Garden"...then gave everyone a gift card for a nearby shop. I got $50 for Pottery Barn! YAY!!!

some of my coworkers--
Andy(Tiffany's husband), Tiffany, Tina, Dr. Hempel, Bri,
Cheryl, Sherrie, & Hilary
***Neat Christmas Idea*** Dr. Hempel and his neighbors all go together to the local Waffle House on Christmas morning and fill the whole restaurant-- then, each family leaves at least a $20 tip--so, the staff ends up with a big pocket of cash by the end!!! Makes having to work on Christmas Day not seem so bad!

Sherrie, Me, and Elizabeth
The Powell Family--- the sweet family that takes care of Milla on Tuesdays when I am at work.... Dan, Kara, Lindsey, & Lauren
After shopping, Dr. Hempel and his family hosted the party at their house. They had it catered by Maggiano's..yum...one of my favorite things was the Rigatoni D!!!! Delicious!
(Tiffany-Dixie-Me-Ashley)

Look how HAPPY Milla looks in her Dad's arms as we waited in line for our 2nd annual trip to "Bass Pro Shops" for our free picture with Santa!!!

Didn't feel quite as comfortable in Santa's arms as she did in her Dad's!! This picture is a little hard to see---but she SCREAMED and SCREAMED!!! She was in his lap for a total of 5 seconds!

after the traumatic experience of sitting on Santa's lap-- Milla wanted to take a look at the awesome fish tank they have at Bass Pro. She is doing her "fish face"!

Got to go to our small group Christmas Dinner at Chase & Tiffany's house...
here are the guys....back: Brad, Duran, Brandon, Austin front: Jake, Chase, Ben & Asher

The girls....Jessica, Anna, Lindsey, Audrey, Me, Elizabeth, and Tiffany. Tiffany made a wonderful ham....she said it was from Trader Joe's...it was already seasoned and cooked--you just warm and serve...and was 1/2 the price of Honey Baked Ham. I am going to try that next year!

The Benich's hosted a great Christmas party!!! It was definitely the fanciest that we got to attend...with valet parking and a wait staff!!! FUN!! Beau was a hit when he made his Santa appearance! (Mandy,Kriya, Santa, Me, Becky,& Liz)

One of Milla's many EXCITED faces as she opened her Christmas gifts!!! The hits were...we lucked out and 2 different people that I work with passed down really neat play houses....(one is an outdoor one that looks like a log cabin-and the other is for inside--a "Rose Petal Cottage") and she got a Radio Flyer Wagon that she LOVES to ride in. My mom got her a big stuffed Hippopotamus...from the song..."I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas--only a Hippopotamus will do!"
***Sometimes it Pays to Wait***One week before Christmas we STILL did not have our tree!! We went to Lowe's to just get a little tree--but, when we got there we saw a sign that said "CLEARANCE, all trees $10"... awesome!! We got a 9 ft tree that normally was $70!!! and, a wreath for $2.50!!!! What a deal!!!

Due to all of the Christmas activities we didn't get any time to play in the snow on Christmas day--so, we were ready by Sunday to get out there! We drove up a little north to just outside Helen, Ga. Here is Brandon pulling Milla on the sled.

Sweet little Milla in the snow

Got to spend New Year's Eve Eve with my High School girlfriends!! It was wonderful! We met at a delicious Italian restaurant in Alpharetta called Luciano's. We were going to eat dinner and then go to a movie---but we were at the restaurant for over 3 hours and ran out of time to catch a movie!!! (Allison, Brittany, Blakeley, Becky---we missed Carrie in Nashville!)

We enjoyed fondue at Tiffany and Andy's house on New Year's Eve. Since we both have kids--we did an "early party" and got back home in time to get everyone in bed by their bedtimes...including me!!!...This year was the first year that I can remember that we were asleep at midnight! I was kind of sad about it--but then woke up fully rested and ready to start 2011 the next day!!! One of my many new year's resolutions for this year is to not procrastinate... hopefully I will be able to put that into action and start to blog more frequently. Here's to a FABULOUS 2011! Happy New Year!

A Christmas Miracle

2010-12-17T16:56:00.008-05:00

This is the Taulbee family. Tiffany and I work together. Although Tiffany and her husband Andy already have 4 children of their own, they signed up to be short term foster parents!! As soon as they got all of the paper work and home visits completed-they got a phone call that they were needed. They asked if they would like a 2 year old girl or a 4 year old boy? As they found out more they learned that they were siblings that have been living in the homeless shelter since the summer!!! Of course they weren't going to split them up--so, Tiffany and Andy said they would make room for them both and welcomed them with open arms!!! They all of the sudden turned into a family of 8...with children ages... 1,2,3,4,5, and 8!!!!!!! WOW!!! Joshua and Geonna fit right in and LOVED the Taulbee family! They stayed with them for about a month until their mom was able to get her feet back on the ground. She was able to get a job and get government housing that is close to Marta. Tiffany went to take them back to their Mom last Friday and that is where the story got really interesting....

She found out that they were going back to a totally empty house....no beds, no furniture,...nothing! So, Tiffany sent out a message on Facebook asking friends if they had anything to donate to try to make their house live able. I talked to her Saturday morning on my way to work to see what she had accumulated. At that point her family was giving them a bed and things for the bathroom (shower curtain, rug,..etc..) and another friend was also taking a bed. I got to work and made a sign that asked for donations. When I got back in my car after work there was a message from Brandon (who was unaware of the situation). He said that his sister Kelli had called and she wanted to know if we needed a couch or kitchen table (Kelli and Brian just got married and combined 2 households..so, they had some extra things!!!). I called him back and said "YES!!!!---ask them if they would like to give them to this family?!"....they were more than happy to do so!! God's perfect timing---what a blessing!! So, we got to load up 2 trucks and take them some furniture!!! It was an incredible experience. Joshua and Geonna (along with their Mom and 18 year old sister) were SO EXCITED and grateful! They said "I can feel the love" and "it finally feels like Christmas"!!! When Brandon and Brian carried in the table Joshua squealed...a TAAABBBLE!!!!!! And when the couch came in they rolled all around in the pillows!! It was so much fun to get to be a part of and witness their JOY!!! The giving kept coming throughout the day....Tiffany was able to round up pots, pans, a dresser, and entertainment center, TV, DVD player, and even a fully decorated Christmas tree(which they have never had!). Within 24 hours the house felt a lot more like a home. The Taulbee family was such a blessing to Joshua and Geonna....and I know Joshua and Geonna were a blessing to them (actually to a lot of us!). God is Good and he was able to bring people together and help a family in need!! "Ask and it will be given to you: seek and you will find: knock and the door will be opened to you." Matthew 7:7
So, that was last Friday that the Taulbee's said goodbye to Joshua and Geonna and today they got placed to foster a little 3 week old baby named Sydney. Anxious to see what kind of miracles can come through that sweet baby girl!!

Dressin' Up

2010-11-09T21:25:00.015-05:00

"The Wizard Of Oz" was the Halloween Theme for Asher, Milla, and Will this year.
Asher was the scarecrow searching for a brain...
Milla was Dorothy searching for home...
Will was the lion searching for courage...

The most FUN we have had trick-or-treating in a long time!!
Ben&Audrey, Austin&Elizabeth, Me&Brandon with the babies

Tootsie Roll Pops were the HIT....Milla got her 1st taste of candy....thought it was too good to be true!

Milla by her "M" Pumpkin

We got to have a Halloween Happy Hour over at Blakeley's parent's house...
Allison, Becky, Blakeley (with Mia), and Me

Allison with Elizabeth Grace-- EG was a pony for Halloween...but the outfit was off by this point

Blakeley with Mia the Crawfish!

Brittany with Max the Cookie Monster!

Milla....she loved her Ruby Slippers!!!

SO good to be together!!!

This one is funny of EG and Milla very interested in Mia!

Fall Leaves

2010-11-02T21:43:00.011-04:00

We drove up the winding mountain roads lined with vibrant fall leaves of all shades to meet the Peppers family in Highlands, N. C.

We love Ben's family's cozy cabin that we get to stay in!! Last year when we went Samuel and Milla were only about 3 months old...now the are 14 months...it is amazing how your focus changes during each stage. Last year we were so concerned with feeding them every 2 or 3 hours...this year we had to make sure everything was baby proofed--of course they are like magnets to dangerous things like the space heaters and the stairs!! We loved watching them toddle around and share their little laughs!!!

There was a really cool porch swing that converted into a baby cradle!!

I like this one of Lana, Ben, and Samuel!!!

this is a reenactment of a picture we took last year!!! Our babies are GROWING!
Ben with Samuel- Brandon with Milla

*Lana with Samuel and Me with Milla*
the boys spent the day fly fishing and Lana and I got to take the little ones on a picnic. We picked up food from the DELICIOUS restaurant "Wild Thyme Gourmet"...YUM! www.wildthymegourmet.com Later we went in to some of our favorite shops in downtown Highlands. It was a terrific trip!

First Flight

2010-11-02T20:45:00.014-04:00

Milla got to take her very first flight on an airplane last week!! We flew to Indiana (along with my Mom) to celebrate with Grandma Rhodes on her 89th Birthday!!!

It was interesting to learn how getting through security with a baby works! After loading all of the bags up on the conveyer belt to be x-rayed...they have you take the baby out of the stroller and break down the stroller to also put that on the convyer belt. Of course you have to take off your coat and shoes---but I was surprised when they told me to take off Milla's coat and shoes too!! Funny!! I was relieved that they do let you take milk with you (despite the no liquids over 3oz. rule)... they take you over to a special area and do some sort of litmus test on the milk!
When we got to Indiana we went to Dougherty's Apple Orchard.

Pumpkins!

"Grand Mum" holding Milla--who was very impressed by the animals in the petting zoo!

Grandma Rhodes had two little American flags that she wanted Milla to put on the graves of her Granddaddy Rhodes and Grandpa Dunnington. We thought this picture was so sweet with her little shadow on the grave!

We got to have a "Birthday Brunch" for Grandma at the Farm.
Here is Aunt Connie, Grandma, and Mom.

Grandma had a table full of dear friends join her for her Birthday celebration. It was a time of great food and wonderful conversation. These ladies were full of life!!!

Can't believe she is 89!!!! She still swims a couple times a week, writes a column for the local paper, makes candles, is writting a book, and stays very involved in her church and the community!! WOW!!!

Got to see my cousin Brittany!!! SO PROUD of her!!! She is a University of Tennessee Grad. and has always had the dream of being a firefighter!! She is a wife- and a mother of 2 boys...but just recently finished all the testing and training and is now officially a FIRE WOMAN!!! CONGRATS!!

Milla with her GREAT GRANDMA RHODES!!

LOVE this sweet picture of Milla on the porch at the farm with her pig tails!

Breath of Fresh Air

2010-10-25T12:05:00.015-04:00

The North Georgia Mountains are not far from us...if you head up 400 you can be in Dahlonega in no time. We decided to drive up and get a breath of this fresh fall air and take a little hike.

We get to load up our packs with a little something special these days!!!
We hiked on a little bit of the Appalachian trail off of the Dockery Lake Trail.

We took turns carrying this sweet little lady! She LOVES riding in the pack---she cries when you take her out!!!
Beautiful Views!

Got to have a reunion with some of my high school friends and their babies at Max Dasher's 2nd Birthday party!! Molly is holding Luke (and has another boy on the way in Feb.), Brittany with the Birthday Boy Max in front of her with blue icing all over!, Heather holding Anna (and has another girl on the way in just a couple weeks!), Me holding Milla, Allison holding Elizabeth Grace, and Blakeley up front with Mia. The party was FUN--they had face painting and a lady making figures out of balloons!!

We got to go to Elise's Minnie Mouse 2nd Birthday too!!! Here is a picture of the cute cakes!!

They had little Minnie and Mickey ears for everyone to wear!

Here is ELISE...the Birthday Girl!!!

Milla climbing up the slide to JUMP!

Wonderful Wedding Weekend

2010-10-07T15:40:00.028-04:00

The wedding weekend got kicked off with a "meet the families" dinner at the Crim's house. Brian's family all came in from Missouri. They served a delicious Italian Meal catered by Ippilito's http://www.ippolitos.net/ .

Kelli and Brian...Looking excited about all of the upcoming events!!!

Brian's brother Justin and his wife Camille. They have a sweet little daughter named Aubrey.
Brian's other brother Jeff and his wife Angelia. They are unbelievable...they have 6 children!!!! They have 2 biological children and 4 adopted!!
Deon,Evan,Monae,Tre, Taylor, Aubrey, and Milla (Rachel is the oldest..but she was in the other room when we were taking the picture!)
Kelli and Mrs. Crim at the bridesmaids luncheon on Friday afternoon.
Kelli and her new mother-in-law Linda!

Kelli and her Matron of Honor and long time friend... Stacy!

Brian & Kelli with Mr.& Mrs. Crim at the rehearsal dinner at Chastain Horse Park by Chastain Park in Atlanta. http://www.chastainhorsepark.org/ -- they served great food-- a really good barbecue meal...my favorite side was the fried green tomatoes!!! YUM!!

Me and Brandon

The Bride on the Wedding Day!!
So Pretty!
October 2, 2010
at The Kellett Chapel at Peachtree Presbyterian Church
www.peachtreepres.org/WeddingsVenues.aspx

Mr. and Mrs. Crim dressed to a T...so excited about their daughter's special day!

Beautiful Flowers

My Mom HELPED US SO MUCH with Milla the whole weekend!!! She held Milla during the ceremony since Brandon and I both got to be in the wedding party. She almost made it through....but, I heard a pacifier drop and an "ahh ohh" from the back of the chapel...so, they excused themselves!!! She did great though!

My Grandma Dunnington and my Dad got to come down for the wedding too!!! The reception was at Dunwoody Country Club. http://www.dunwoodycc.org/ . It was a really neat location and the weather was PERFECT!

Brian and Kelli dancing their first dance to Elvis singing...
"I Can't Help Falling In Love With You"... one of the best lines says ..."take my hand, take my whole life too!"

The elegant cake.....white cake with almond icing...trimmed with orchids and midnight blue ribbon to match the bridesmaids dresses.

Kelli and Brandon's Grandmother and Granddaddy.
They won the "anniversary dance" for being married the longest....I believe it was 67 YEARS!!!

Christian and Becky were at the wedding..and were so sweet to help keep little Milla entertained!!!

we could not keep this little dancing machine off the dance floor!!! She LOVED it!!!

Here they are... Mr. and Mrs. Brian Kochs!!!
They made their exit through an array of bubbles and left in an antique, white Rolls Royce to head on to their honeymoon in HAWAII!!!!

Up in the Air

2010-09-25T21:48:00.012-04:00

Brandon wanted "an adventure" for his 30th Birthday...so, I got him a gift certificate to go Hang Gliding. He has tried to go 3 times..but it had to be cancelled due to the weather--and of course you don't want to take any chances with the weather when you are up in the air in a glider at the mercy of the wind! Well, the gift certificate was only good for 2 years and would expire this November--so, we had to get to Chattanooga to make it happen.

The Hang Gliding company is located on Lookout Mountain
http://www.hangglide.com/
There are different ways to take off when hang gliding--- some people run off of this ramp at the top of the mountain!!!

The hang gliders ready for flight

Brandon got to take off by being pulled up by a plane to 4300 feet and then released!!!!

This is a picture of Brandon's glider (yellow and white) being pulled with a rope by the plane!

Beautiful Views!!

Milla, Hank, and I got to watch all the excitement from the field!

An added bonus to our trip was that we got to stay with Lana, Ben, and Samuel.
This is a picture of us trying to teach Samuel and Milla "If you're happy and you know it clap your hands"

Even if they aren't clapping...I think they are HAPPY...and they know it!!!

Will's Fire Truck Party

2010-09-25T21:30:00.009-04:00

The Inman's house was THE PLACE TO BE in Dunwoody today! Cars lined the neighborhood roads as we pulled in to Will's 3rd Birthday "Fire Truck Party"!! Here is a picture of the Birthday Boy about to blow out the candles on his cake with fire trucks, ambulances, and helicopters!

The fire truck was the main event! The kids got to climb on the truck, look around, and even take a ride around the block!! The truck was called "Red Hot Fire Truck" http://www.redhotfiretruckevents.com/ .

After investigating the fire truck---they pulled out a big fire hose and sprayed it in the yard while the kids played and played.

The grand finale was a fire truck pinata...it was a tough pinata...everyone got a turn to swing!

Bachelorette Party for the Bride to Be

2010-09-25T21:03:00.006-04:00

Kelli and Brian are counting down the days...their wedding is in 1 week!!! I got to join Kelli and some of her girlfriends on a weekend trip to Seaside, Florida. (It was my first time being away from Milla over night!..I missed her like crazy..but, she and Brandon had a WONDERFUL time together!)

Kelli wore all white and the 8 other girls wore all black. (I don't have any group pictures on my camera because I was taking a bunch on Kelli's camera) We got to hit two local favorites for dinner. Friday night was my favorite meal at "The Red Bar" http://www.theredbar.com/ . Then, we had another great meal and a fun time with music on the porch at "Bud & Alley's" http://www.budandalleys.com/ .

This is the INCREDIBLE house that we got to stay in!!! It was right by the beach!!!! We lucked out because prices dropped after Labor day and we were splitting it by 9 girls!! WOW!! A great website to find rental properties is: "Vacation Rentals By Owner" http://www.vrbo.com/

On the Road

2010-09-15T10:50:00.013-04:00

Milla and I jumped on the invitation from Anne and Elizabeth to join them for a quick trip to St. Simmons!! St. Simmons is such a neat beach---the beach is so BIG-- there is a lot of room--Milla wanted to crawl on each square inch..FREEDOM!! I also love that you can bring your dogs on the beach!

Milla and Elizabeth playing in the sand. Elizabeth was so cute in her sweet little blue and white bubble bathing suit with her white sunglasses!!

Milla is so good at standing--she gets really proud of herself when she gets up..it is hilarious! She has taken about 4 steps..just on the verge of being able to walk around everywhere!!

We got to go to Chattanooga to celebrate SAMUEL's first birthday with the Peppers!!!

The whole party was decked out with a "Monkey" theme!!!
Monkey Cake-

Monkey Cupcakes-

Monkey's hanging from the ceiling!!

Samuel pondering about how he wants to dig in...

Party on the Porch of Lana & Ben's beautiful, new craftsman style bungalow!

Playin'

2010-08-26T21:09:00.017-04:00

Milla was entertained and tried to keep up with Houston and Elizabeth Grace when their Mom's brought them up to play!! We learned that right now the key to Houston's heart is C-H-O-C-O-L-A-T-E (you have to spell it- not say it) and The Key to Elizabeth Grace's heart is anything "Elmo" related!!! I am trying to think what Milla's would be these days...??? her 2 favorite things lately are climbling the stairs and dancing!

Playing in Milla's room!

This is just a funny picture from the other day....

We got to celebrate an early Birthday with Harper...
POOL PARTY
Harper Sophia is soon to turn 2!
(Brandon with Milla, Robbie with Harper's cousin, Elizabeth with Harper)

Milla loves her time with her boys...Will and Asher!!!
Notice the adorable tie-dye onesie that Elizabeth (Will's Mom) MADE Milla!! If you look closely you'll see that she even attached some white beads at the neckline for a little necklace!!!!
(Will*Asher*Milla)

Audrey holding ALL the babies!!!

Bath Time..the babies with Alfalfa hair-dos

Kelli & Brian's Big Day is getting closer

2010-08-26T15:07:00.015-04:00

The FUN showers and wedding preparations have begun for Kelli and Brian!!! We got to help host a Couple's Shower for them. A "Luau" theme... which is appropriate since they will honeymoon in Hawaii.
(Milla*Me*Kelli)
Stacy(Kelli's best friend) is such a creative party planner... for the menu ideas she contacted the Polynesian cultural center--there was Backyard Roasted Pig!!! with Poi dipping sauce, pineapple & watermelon, a cold rice/veggie salad, tossed green salad with fresh fruit, Hawaiian rolls, and...she made a Magnum P.I . cake for dessert!!
It looked just like Tom Selleck!!!

The boys by the "pig pit"
Drew, Brian, & Brandon

WARNING...You might not want to scroll down...
here is THE PIG....!!!!!!!

They told Kelli that it was an old Hawaiian tradition for the bride to kiss the pig--if she did it would bring their marraige years of happiness....She had to close her eyes--but SHE DID IT!!!!

Milla had a great time celebrating at the shower!!

Kelli has sweet friends that we got to host with..
Karla, Me, Kelli, Stacy, and Beth

Last weekend Mrs. Crim's friends had a Bridal Shower Luncheon for Kelli. They did such a great job and it was special for Kelli! Brian's Mom Linda flew in from Missouri.
(Linda*Kelli*Mrs. Crim)

The Engaged Couple... Brian & Kelli

Happy 1st Birthday MILLA

2010-08-10T16:49:00.022-04:00

Milla turned ONE on August 6th!!! One year ago a friend wrote us a note about what a PRIVILEGE it is to get to be a parent and watch a little one grow...in this past year I have come to know first hand that is very true! It is amazing that a little baby was born that needed help doing everything and had everything to learn...and now she is on the move, can feed herself, smiles, laughs, dances, pushes buttons, knows that her favorite things to get into are the ones she is not suppose to get!, calls us "MaMa" and "DaDa", points to pictures, hugs Hank,...etc.!!! WOW!!! I have loved every minute!!! Milla is a DELIGHT!

We celebrated with a little "You are My Sunshine" Party!!

Here is the Birthday Girl with her proud parents!
We took a few pictures before...but then, things got busy and I barely took any pictures!! Thankfully someone grabbed my camera and got a few. We never got a group shot of all of Milla's cute buddies!!

At this point we had just sang "HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU" and Hank was watching from the front row...Then, before Milla could have her 1st taste of cake, Hank wanted to make sure it wasn't poison... and he took the first lick!

Then, Milla got her turn....

fianlly decided to dig in!

The "big kids" had fun splishing and splashing in the big pool with water--but, Milla and Asher decided to take it easy in the ball pool.

It is never fun unless you take ALL the toys out!!!

Fun in the driveway.

The best surprise of the day was that Lana, Samuel, Mr. & Mrs. Larson were able to make it!!! They had a Grandmother's 90th birthday to celebrate in Chattanooga the same day---but, somehow they made it at the last minute to celebrate with us too!!!! Yay!!

Brandon picked fresh Sunflowers from a nearby field for his little girl's Birthday (the funny part was that he was in flip flops and only had a tiny pocket knife with him!!...what a good Dad!!)

Lemon Drops to Go
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY GIRL!!
We had a great day celebrating with family and friends. Thanks to those of you who were able to make it...and those of you who couldn't make it---Thank you also for being sweet friends and being invloved in Milla's life this special first year!!! Many fun times ahead!!

ALEA MOORE

2010-08-04T22:11:00.003-04:00

My two friends that are photographers were not available-- one is taking a maternity leave from photography and the other has taken a photography break---so, we were on the search for a photographer----- and through a recommendation we found a WONDERFUL one. I can't say enough nice things about Alea Moore... she is AWESOME!! She is a very artsy photographer and is really original. She has such a sweet, kind- hearted personality and was SO GOOD with Milla and Hank. If you are looking for a photographer.... check her out!!!
http://www.aleamoore.com/
our pictures are at
http://www.aleamooreblog.com/ search "crim family"

Journeys in July

2010-08-04T17:38:00.023-04:00

We got to drive through Auburn (Brandon's alma mater) on our way home from the beach! It is always fun to go back and walk around the pretty campus and "remember when". Things have grown up a lot--- but, the memorable landmarks are still right where they have always been.
Here is a picture of Milla sitting between parking meters downtown.

Brandon and Milla "rolling" Toomer's Corner. If you are not familiar with the Auburn tradition-- they roll the big trees at Toomer's corner whenever there is a big AU sporting victory!! You should see it after they win a home football game----it is totally white--looks snow covered!

Milla got to put her toes in the sand for the first time!!!!
She made her footprints on the white sandy beaches of Destin and Ft. Walton. We got to take a quick 2 night trip down to the pan handle---crossing our fingers that the beaches would be open due to the oil spill. There were lots of volunteer worker on the beaches in clean up efforts and we did see a few tiny tar balls---but, thankfully the beach was still beautiful and didn't get hit hard!

Milla gets a sweet kiss from her Dad at sunset

we all loved every minute of getting to be near the ocean

We were lucky the 1st night we were there--my Mom (who is a flight attendant for ASA) had an 18 hour lay over in Destin and so we got to hang out with her and she was kind enough to share her hotel room with us!!! It was a nice Embassy Suites Hotel--- and, I would recommend Embassy Suites if you ever have to get a hotel room with a baby--they are a good choice because their rooms have a bedroom with a door that closes (which is key with a baby that goes to sleep at 7:30 or 8) and a little living room area and pull out couch. The next night we were in a regular hotel room and it was hard for Milla to sleep--we had to build a fort with blankets hanging on lamps and chairs around her pack and play to block out the light and sound!!
(Mom, Milla, Me)

Wonder what Milla is thinking?
Notice the father/daughter resemblance in the hair flip!

Milla got to play with some of her friends over at the Childer's house...
Mia, Mill, Cole, and Wyatt

We got to celebrate Will Lineberry's 1st Birthday.... we all laughed at this "paparazzi" picture!! Suri and Shiloh think they can't get away from the cameras.....but, Will has 3 family members that are professional photographers!!! I am sure they got some great ones of his 1st bite of cake!!

All the kids! Will had a "pirate" themed party. They had hats, patches, earrings, tattoos, treasure chests,...etc.

Got to cool off in the pool and on the slip and slide.

It is amazing how everyone's families have multiplied!! We got to get together with some of my high school girl friends and their little ones at Allison's house.
Blakeley and Mia

Allison and Elizabeth Grace

Carrie and Houston

Brittany and Max (welcome back to Georgia to the Dasher Family!!! They just moved here from Winston-Salem!!)

BEAUTIFUL BABIES

2010-07-09T14:43:00.008-04:00

Sweet Little
Cecelia "Bree" Benich
born on 6/17/2010
8#
CONGRATS KRIYA & BEAU (and WADE)

If you want to hear the whole birth story go to--
http://benichblog.blogspot.com/
Here is me holding Bree...

Handsome
Brady Kent Sweeting
born 7/2/2010
7#4 oz

CONGRATS CHRISTINA & CHAD!!!!!!!

Celebrating on the Lake

2010-07-02T17:23:00.012-04:00

Happy Birthday to Austin!!! Had a great day on Lake Lanier with Elizabeth&Austin and Audrey&Ben.
We took the babies (Will, Milla, and Asher) on a spin in the boat...they only made it 5 minutes and they were ready to crash!!! Thank goodness there were lots of grandparents back at the houseboat that were more than willing to stay with the sweet babies while we went back out.
Austin and Elizabeth are SO GOOD at all water sports...they taught the rest of us how to WAKE SURF behind the boat. It is so much fun! You get pulled up by a rope and then the wake acts like an ocean wave...eventually you drop the rope and somehow continue to surf as long as you can.
Here is Brandon surfing...

Me surfing...

Elizabeth & Austin

Audrey & Ben

We ate Austin's Birthday dinner at a good restaurant in Buford called "Third Coast Grill"...we are so proud of Elizabeth's younger brother Chase----he is an AWESOME wake boarder and they have his picture and one of his wake boards hanging in the restaurant...so, we had to get our picture taken by it!!!

Earlier in the week Milla and I got to get together with Becky, Allison, and Elizabeth Grace. We went to lunch at a really cool restaurant off of Windward Pkwy called "Wildflour".... www.wildflouratlanta.com . It was delicious!

Becky with her arms full....

Lauren brought Haley over to play....

Got to take a wagon ride and a dip in the pool with Elise....

A Father's Love

2010-06-20T22:47:00.004-04:00

Happy Father's Day!!
This is one of those videos that you could watch over and over and each time it would bring tears to your eyes. It is so encouraging and makes you never want to complain again! This father loves his son...he carries his son, he wants the best for him, he wants him to be happy, and his love is unconditional. As amazing as this father's love is...it doesn't even compare to the love our Heavenly Father has for all of us....that is hard to imagine!!!

Wedding Weekend in the Mountains

2010-06-17T21:58:00.022-04:00

Grant and Liz got married this past weekend at Brasstown Valley Resort www.brasstownvalley.com in Young Harris, Ga. It was a WONDERFUL wedding!

The BBQ rehearsal dinner kicked off the festivities on Friday night in the "Tack Room" of the horse stables.

The awesome view from the rehearsal dinner...horses, mountains, blue skies....
GRANT AND LIZ!!!!!

Marty, Ed, and Becky enjoying the delicious fried chicken meal...(fried chicken, BBQ,baked beans, coleslaw,potato salad, green salad, bread, sweet tea in Mason jars, and cobbler topped with vanilla ice cream)

Lana and Ben share a wedding weekend with Grant and Liz...they were celebrating their 5 year anniversary!!!

Andrew and Brooke

Megan, Kim, and Becky

Dale played the guitar after dinner...he is GREAT...he plays all the songs you love and want to sing along to...every time you think he has played your favorite---he tops it with the next!! In this picture all of the Knoxville girls were up at the mic. singing "Rocky Top"

Groom and Groomsmen
(Ed,Ben,Grant,Christian,Brandon)

Got to stop in to hug the kids in between the wedding and reception. Our mom's were SO NICE to come with us for the weekend to help babysit!!!
(Me&Milla, Sarah&Will, Lana&Samuel)

The reception site was gorgeous! We got to see the sunset over the mountains! Here Grant and Liz dance to their first dance.... Elvis singing "I Can't Help Falling in Love With You"

Will and Laura

The Girls
(Sarah,Brooke,Danielle,Kim, Becky,Laura,Megan,Lana)

GREAT IDEA.....they had baskets of flip flops to grab when you were ready to kick off your high heels

One of the most memorable moments of the wedding was when Mr. Huffaker sang "Glory Glory Hallelujah"

Visiting Friends

2010-06-15T20:19:00.017-04:00

Jill&Hudson and Me&Milla drove over to spend the night in Birmingham with Anne, Michael, and Elizabeth! We got to tell Anne CONGRATS in person...she is pregnant with baby #2!!

All of the meal times were FUN!! We lined up the highchairs and filled their bellies!! Anne is an expert on foods and their ingredients....she introduced us to a substitute for peanut butter (especially for people with lots of allergies)... Sun Butter http://www.sunbutter.com/ and a really good, nutritious bread that they get shipped from Albany... http://www.thebreadhouse.com/ (we had a loaf of wheat bread and the cinnamon rolls!)... the bread reminds me of the AWESOME Ezekiel Bread from "Full Cup" in Buckhead... http://www.fullcup.org/ . At one point we did venture out to a good Italian restaurant...Lovoy's http://www.lovoys.com/

Milla, Elizabeth, and Hudson having FUN in the TUB

FRIENDS.....sweet picture of Hudson (turns 2 in July) giving Elizabeth (turns 2 this month)a squeeze
Michelle was in town from North Carolina.... we got to meet her baby #2....
"Blake Foster Dunn"...8 weeks....

stopped by to hang out with Becky, and Mr.&Mrs. Dockter..... they have done so many neat things to their back yard---made a waterfall, stone fire pit, and a par 3 golf hole with beautiful flowers all around!!!

Although Kriya is due any day now----she is still planning and hosting parties!! (how does she do it???) We got to swim at the Benich's pool...
(Molly&Luke, Kim&MillieKate, Amanda&Gregory+Natalie, Kriya&Wade, Elizabeth&Harper, and Me&Milla)

Mille Kate was so sweet and planted a kiss right on Milla's nose!!

Milla enjoyed a day with her GREAT GRANDPARENTS!! They are in their 80's...but, so energetic and love to be with Milla. They babysat for Milla while we worked one day last week! Notice the cute outfit she made for Milla---matching sundress, bloomers, and hat!!

Milla gives Cappie a Happy Birthday beard rub. Mom hosted a neighborhood Birthday party for Cappie!

Mom, Mrs. Larson, and Milla

"Back Home Again In Indiana"

2010-06-10T15:39:00.019-04:00

We got to take our first long family trip over Memorial Day... Brandon, Milla, Hank and I loaded up and drove to Westcott Place Farm in Indiana to visit our family. We LOVE every minute that we get at the farm. It takes about 9-10 hours each way to get there...but it was a smooth drive.

Milla got to sit on the miniature horse "Butternut"!!

Brandon went with Uncle Bob and Cappie to the Indy 500!

Every time we got on the golf cart Hank wanted to catch a ride too!

Had to have a picture in front of an Indiana corn field. Indiana is beautiful...corn and soybean fields everywhere.

Milla admiring the pretty horses

4 Generations.... Grandma Rhodes, Grand Mum, Me, and Milla

COUSINS...Kyle&Staci, KJ, and Reagan Grace

COUSINS... Ben holding Gatlin

COUSINS.... Ragan with little Eme

OUR GRACIOUS HOSTS.... Uncle Bob and Aunt Connie with all of their grand kids!

Reagan Grace and Emersyn are little caregivers---they love to help with Milla-- here they are helping give Milla a bath in our favorite claw footed tub upstairs at the farm

Fishing In the Gulf

2010-05-26T15:04:00.010-04:00

This past weekend Brandon went to Biloxi on a "guy's weekend" to celebrate with Grant before he gets married. They got to go deep sea fishing (despite the oil spill). They caught a lot of fish--mostly Red Fish-- had 4 coolers worth at the end! The trouble was...trying to figure out how to get it all home!!

Brandon with a big smile on his face!

The Groom!

Milla was getting over a cold--but we went to College Park to spend the night with Mom and Cappie. We went on a run through the pretty neighborhood and on Woodward's campus with Milla and Hank.

There was a little 'Party at the Park" in the neighborhood--they had blankets, picnics, & a band. It was Fun! Milla enjoyed people watching. She is mesmerized by watching other kids!

Taking pictures in the yard--to see all of Mom and Cappie's hard work making it so pretty!

Common Summer Questions

2010-05-26T14:01:00.012-04:00

June 21st marks the first day of summer this year. Less than a month away!! Yesterday at work we had a "Lunch & Learn" and one of our Doctors went over some of the common summer questions that we get from parents. Although we hear it each year--it is always good to get a refresher!

(this picture doesn't have anything to do with this post--I just thought it was a cute one of Milla from this weekend!!!)

SUMMER INFO:
Sunscreen: it is recommended to keep babies under 6 months old out of direct sunlight--but, if that is unavoidable--use sunscreen (at least SPF 15 and reapply every 2 hours). If your baby has really sensitive skin-the most hypoallergenic sunscreen is "Vanicream". If your baby is under an umbrella at the beach they can still get a sunburn from reflective rays--especially off the pretty white sand. Before you try a sunscreen for the first time--do a "test patch" on the under side of arm the night before and watch for reaction. Insect Repellent: OK to use as early as 2 months old- safe to use a product with up to 30% deet. Wash it off at the end of the day. Try not to use the combo sunscreen/repellent because you would need to reapply the sunscreen more than you would want to apply the repellent. Bee Stings: Remove the stinger. Apply meat tenderizer or baking soda paste (this breaks down the proteins that are causing the burning/stinging). If you are allergic to bee stings (and carry an Epi pen) be careful around fire ants because you could have a similar reaction. Of course call 911 if any difficulty breathing or other signs of severe reaction.
With any kind of bite/sting...bee, mosquito, spider...etc monitor for signs and symptoms of infection (redness, swelling, pus, tenderness, warmth, fever)--go to Dr. if so Ticks: mark the date of the bite on your calender. Remove the tick with tweezers--the head may stay in when you pull it off but that is okay--your body will see it as "foreign" and push it out. -just monitor site for S/S of infection--if you get a rash along with a tick bite--GO TO YOUR DR.--we are watching for Lyme Dz. (which is uncommon in the south) and RMSF (Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever) Swimmers Ear: for those of you that live in the water during the summer--after swimming put alcohol on a cotton ball and squeeze into ear (the alcohol dries up the water in the ear canal). You can use alcohol + vinegar--but, it smells bad and just Alcohol by itself works best.

BUSY

2010-05-20T21:58:00.003-04:00

Everyone is so busy these days!! We laugh about feeling like a hamsters running in a wheel!! I watched this video and really liked his perspective on how to view our time and how we fill it up. It is a 10 minute clip...but it is worth it...watch when you get a minute!

9 Month Dr. Appointment

2010-05-18T21:18:00.005-04:00

Our Pediatrician's office is WONDERFUL... Children's Medical Group....it is where we take Milla AND where I work... http://www.cmg-pc.com/ - we see Dr. Cox--but, I LOVE all of our providers.
Milla just had her 9 month appointment
Weight: 19# 13.5 oz
Height: 29 inches
TIPS FROM VISIT:
*we really need to "baby proof" the house because she will be on the move soon
*at this age they need on avg. 18-24 oz of breast milk/or formula per day
*try starting to ease away from the pacifier-(the earlier you do it-they easier it will be)--have them only use it while they are at home, then-only in the crib, then-only at night, then-not at all. ( I'm sure it is easier said than done!!)
*Can pretty much start eating any foods except the big ones you want to avoid until they are older (milk, peanut butter, nuts, eggs whites, honey, strawberries, citrus fruit, shellfish...)

Milla in her rocking chair
-Brother and Sister-
*Hank and Milla on the stairs*

Where NOT to Park!!!!!

2010-05-12T22:12:00.012-04:00

We had a DELIGHTFUL Mother's Day enjoying the incredible day on Sunday.....Then....came back to our cars to this.....
NOT 1

Not 2

But 3 tire boots!!!!!!

EVERYONE and their brother decided to go to Piedmont Park on Sunday--it was packed--there was not a parking place to be had. So, when we saw the Trader Joe's on Monroe by the park with lots of spots--we thought--great-- we will park there and then buy some drinks when we get back to the car so that we will be "customers". But, when we got back to the parking lot--there were boots on my car, Brandon's car, and my Mom and Cappie's car. Turns out, there was a guy sitting on a bike rack (that we actually said HI to when we parked) and he was the "watcher" of the parking lot--he scopes out the lot and then makes a call to his friend/coworker who also sits in the lot and he comes over and puts a boot on the car! $75 per car to get the boot off!!!!! .....On Mother's Day!!!! It was our fault--we should have known that the open spots were too good to be true---we didn't notice the "camouflaged" signs until after the incident!!! I was just disappointed in the parking lot guy--wish he would have just said "hey, you can't park here" rather than just watch us walk into the trap...it seemed so malicious!!! Needless to say--it ended up being an expensive trip to the park!

First Mother's Day with Milla

Relaxing with Mom, Cappie, Hank, Milla, & Brandon

Hank always likes to ensure that he gets just as much attention as Milla--so, he positions himself right in the middle of everything!!! He loves to be near his family!! Sweet Pup!!

DOG PARK
they are doing construction to the big dog park at Piedmont Park...for now there is a temporary area... it was packed with dogs of all shapes and sizes... So much fun to watch! Hank went crazy--he liked meeting all the dogs but I think he likes humans best....he was running up to all of the owners to get petted first!

***Also****
we got to spend Saturday night with Brandon's parents
we went to eat at "Relish" in Roswell to celebrate Mother's Day with Mrs. Crim- It was really good-- http://www.relishgoodfood.com/
we got one of their specialties for appetizer.... pimento cheese fritters with pepper jelly!! YUM!!!
we were too full for dessert--but they are also known for their Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding!

Time with Friends

2010-05-12T21:34:00.009-04:00

It was a treat to get to see the Mitchell's while they were in town from San Antonio, TX for Amy's sister's wedding.
Amy meets Milla for the first time

Milla loved playing with Amy's kids---Mary Katherine and Jackson!! Jackson was so little last time I saw him and now he is such a cute, grown up little boy!!! Mary Kate cracks me up-- she is so polite, girly, and poised!!! Even when she is playing she wears her pearls!! She says things like..."excuse me Mom, may I get up from the table?" and "Miss Megan, that was so nice of you to visit us today"... just so funny to hear coming from someone her age!!!! I love it!

Got to spend some time at the Chick-fil-a playground with some of the girls I work with to celebrate Kathryn's "baby on the way"...baby boy "Colton" at the end of this month
*Milla, Anna, Isabella, Pattie, Addie, Ashley, Tucker, Jackson, & Kathryn*

Becky. Milla, and me at Marty's "Kentucky Derby" party... he did it right--we got to pick our horses and sip on Mint Juleps...as if we were right there at Churchill Downs.

* Milla and Haley*
-we went over to visit the Sanders family-
Milla and Haley are about 2 months apart--so, I always get to hear Lauren's stories about what Haley is doing--and get to see what I have to look forward to soon with Milla!

Milla got to play with Asher one night while we ate a delicious dinner with his parents. Ben and Audrey made chicken noodle soup from scratch...they even made the noodles...pretty impressive!!

$123

2010-05-03T20:56:00.005-04:00

I LOVE GARAGE SALES!!! Our friends Adrienne and Derrick were so nice to let me join in on their "Neighborhood Garage Sale" a couple weeks ago. The garage sale was from 8-12 on a Saturday morning. I made $123!! I was so excited. It was all little stuff... I had one $10 item, one $5 and the rest was $2, $1, or 50 cents!!! So many people came. They live in the very first house in the neighborhood--so, it was a great location! Milla and I got there at 8:15 and there were already so many people there that I could barely unpack--people were going through boxes as I set them down from the car. Someone even picked up my purse I had just briefly sat down to buy!!! I wish I had taken more stuff over!! I am already pumped up and ready for my next one---so, if your neighborhood ever has a sale--tell me...because I would love to join ya!

(Me & Milla, Adrienne & Elise)

(The Hershey Family....Adrienne, Elise, Derrick)
There is a neat website that gives you good tips on having a garage sale...
www.yardsalequeen.com
it tells you things like---
*get a neat sign from www.sassysigns.com
* have lots of change (people love to pay with 20 dollar bills)
*expect early birds (people came at 7:15 for the 8am sale)
*keep payer's money out while you make their change-- if you put it up and give them change for their $10...they could say- "I gave you a $20" and then it is their word against yours!
*play background music
*Sell bottled water
...etc....check out the site

Yogurt is a No-Go

2010-04-26T21:50:00.003-04:00

It is such a thrill to watch Milla try foods for the first time!! You can't give babies cow's milk to drink until they are a year old. But, they throw you off by saying that it is ok to give yogurt, cheese, and cottage cheese earlier. I was confused! I found out that the reason is...babies are unable to break down/ digest the proteins in cow's milk and certain minerals can build up and damage their kidneys---But, in yogurt, cheese, and cottage cheese these proteins are already broken down--so they are safe under the age of one....usually around 8 months or so.

On Sunday I was excited to give Milla yogurt. She ate a whole 4 oz. container of "Yo Baby" yogurt (my first mistake!!)... and she loved every bite! Shortly after she took a nap--when we went to go get her when she woke up--she had vomited yogurt ALL over herself (and rolled all around!)- so, I got her in the bathtub to rinse her off and she had hives and a rash all over her back and arms (you can kind of see it in this picture). That is a typical allergic reaction--so, we are going to lay off the yogurt for awhile and maybe try it again in several months.

Milla meets Mia

2010-04-23T13:53:00.008-04:00

WELCOME....
"Mia Lynn Clark"
born: Saturday, April 10th
CONGRATS to:
Blakeley & Will !!!!!

Milla and Mia
(it is UNBELIEVABLE that Milla was that size just 8 months ago)

Mia was sweet and sleeping the whole time we visited (heard she prefers to be up and playing at night!!!) She has a head full of adorable little, soft, fuzzy hair!!

Personalities

2010-04-12T21:31:00.007-04:00

Where do personalities come from???
How does everyone become the person that they are?
How much of it is learned and how much is one born with?
Milla got to visit with some of her friends this week and it is always so much fun just to be around other kids and watch and observe their personalities. It is incredible that not one person in the world is exactly the same. There is something special and something to be learned from everyone. Guess that is what keeps life so intersting!!!

Here we are at Allison's house

HOUSTON

ELIZABETH GRACE

Here we are at Jenny's house playing with HAYDEN and CHARLIE

Easter 2010

2010-04-12T21:12:00.005-04:00

" He Lives! He Lives! Christ Jesus lives today!
He walks with me and talks with me along live's narrow way.
He Lives! He Lives! Salvation to impart!
You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart."

Milla admiring the blooming tulips on Easter morning

We LOVED our 1st Easter with Milla!!!

Cousins

2010-03-30T20:53:00.012-04:00

We had a wonderfully crazy weekend!! We got to have family in town from Indiana and Florida. It was Milla's first time of meeting some of her cousins! Mom and Cappie came up from College Park-- then Aunt Connie (my mom's sister) and Uncle Bob came from Indiana-- and their 2 sons Kyle and Ben came from Florida with their families--- (Kyle and Staci have KJ and Reagan Grace in St. Pete) and (Ben and Ragan have Gatlin and Eme in Land O' Lakes)

This is Milla with Reagan Grace and Emersyn. They are so sweet-- they wanted to help with everything...they would say "can I hold my baby cousin", "can I feed my baby cousin",...etc! I loved it and so did Milla!
The guys went sailing on Saturday. Here is Gatlin and KJ peeking through.

Brandon helping put up the sail.
Cappie sailing his boat!!! (that is how he got his nickname..."Cappie" short for Captain!)
The next generation!!!

Cousin Ben with his wife Ragan, Cousin Kyle with his wife Staci, and Brandon & me

Easter Egg Hunt with the cousins and our neighbors Ashlee & Evan

Family Group Shot
(Cappie&Mom, Ben&Ragan, Aunt Connie&Uncle Bob, Staci&Kyle, Me&Brandon, Gatlin, KJ, Reagan Grace, Eme, and Milla)

HILARIOUS!!!
This picture cracks me up!!!

Wedding Bells Will Be Ringing

2010-03-30T20:46:00.003-04:00

CONGRATS to Kelli & Brian!!!!
Brandon's sister and her boyfriend got engaged this weekend!! YAY!!

Oh Happy Day

2010-03-24T22:13:00.015-04:00

Milla got Dedicated on Sunday at our church-
Browns Bridge Community Church

Before your baby gets dedicated they have the parents come to an orientation and listen to 3 parenting talks on the computer-- they are really good--if you have an extra few minutes you should listen:
http://www.brownsbridge.org/babyD/page/process_step1

As part of the "homework" they ask you to sit down as parents and discuss the top 5 things you want for your child...and then talk about ways to make those happen. Of course there are many, many things you want for your children--but these are 5 of the things we are hoping for Milla:
1. That she asks Jesus into her heart and continues to grow in a relationship with Him
2. That she has a heart for serving others
3. That she learns the truths of the Bible so she can experience peace and have the knowledge to make wise decisions
4. That she will be able to see, experience, and appreciate God's creations (develop of love of nature, be adventurous, and take advantage of opportunities)
5. That she will be content in each stage of her life

Family Picture (Milla was sleeping)
*Cappie, Mom, Mrs. Crim, Mr. Crim, Kelli, Brian, B's Grandmother, B's Grandaddy, my Grandma, my Dad, me, Brandon, and Hank up front *

Will got Dedicated Sunday too!!!
Here is Elizabeth with Will and Me with Milla at the service.

Brandon with his little girl!

The Spiva family was so sweet to come support Milla!!
*Jonathan, Jill, and little Hudson*

The weather lately has been unpredictable--back and forth--but when it is a nice day--it feels so good!! We headed to the park with Audrey and Asher to soak up some sunshine!!!

Audrey taking Asher on his first trip down a slide!!

Something Different

2010-03-18T14:07:00.010-04:00

We got to celebrate Blakeley's little baby girl that is on the way in April. The shower was so neat-- it was at "Dream Dinners" on Mansell road--( www.dreamdinners.com )-- it is a place that you go prepare meals for your week and freeze them-- they have already done the grocery shopping and all the chopping and prep--you just combine the ingredients and you have got a meal. I have heard of these kind of places--but didn't know what to expect-- it was even better than I expected! They have a great menu--they offer 14 meals that change monthly. We all got to make a meal for Blakeley and Will to save time when the baby comes-- AND as our party gift--they sent us all home with a meal too! WOW! It was FUN!

Here is a picture of Blakeley with the 2 proud Grandmas!! (Mrs. Waters kissing the baby & Mrs. Clark on the right)

Here are the mother/daughter hostesses that had the great idea for the shower-- Sue&Brittany, Blakeley, and Laura&Quida

This is a picture of how "Dream Dinners" is set up

Later Saturday night we got to have a shower to celebrate the upcoming wedding of Liz and Grant!!! The shower was at the Inman's house-- they have a neighborhood lake in the back of their house--so, the plan was to have a "fishing tournament" at the shower--but the day brought on and off showers--so the fishing had to wait! Liz and Grant are getting married in June in the North Georgia Mountains.

Will, Brandon, Grant, Ben, Christian, Ed

Laura, Megan, Becky, Sarah, Kim

Lana and Ben got to come from Chattanooga-- but little Samuel had to stay with his Grandmother because he had RSV...no fun little guy!!

HAPPY (early) BIRTHDAY Kelli!!
We got to celebrate Brandon's sister Kelli's bday a week early on Sunday! Her birthday is March 21st-- that is a popular bday!!! It is also the bday of Anne Adams, Elizabeth Fischer, and Wade Benich!!! HAPPY HAPPY BDAY EVERYONE!!

I love a quote that my Aunt Connie sent-- it says "A baby's smile can make you forget whatever it was you planned to do...and when you remember...it didn't matter anyway"!!!

First Week of March

2010-03-08T21:26:00.011-05:00

Had a FUN lunch with Allison and Elizabeth Grace-- We were quite a sight trying to visit, eat, and keep two little ones entertained--but, I loved every minute!!! Elizabeth Grace is amazing-- she isn't even 1 yet and she is already walking SO GOOD!!!
(Allison holding Milla, and Elizabeth Grace in her highchair)

Kara, although she has two precious little girls of her own (Lindsey(almost 4yr) & Lauren (2yr)), is our kind friend that watches and takes such good care of Milla one day a week while we are at work. (My sweet Mom watchs her the other day). Milla has such a good time at their house-- It warms my heart when I ring the door bell in the morning and I hear their soft little voices say "yay! It's Milla!!"! That makes it not as hard to drop her off. I know she has FUN there!
(Kara, Lindsey, and Milla)

Kara & Dan hosted a 2nd Birthday party for Lauren on Saturday. It was a "ladybug" theme!
(*Lindsey, Milla, Lauren*)
While we were at the party, we met a neat family--the Mom was there with her 3 kids. They left the party about 10 minutes before us... then, when we left we were driving down the road and the family had gotten in a wreck! A 16 year old new driver pulled out and hit her -which sent their van spinning and through a fence! SCARY! Thank Goodness they are all doing fine and okay--just shaken up! They think it was just the fence that kept them from flipping!
It just shows you how quickly things can change!

Mr. and Mrs. Crim came up to visit on Saturday night.
We took a stroll around the neighborhood.

Yesterday we finally got to go on a hike we have been wanting to try at a little park not to far from our house. It is called Sawnee Mountain Park. It had a great view for being so close. I am glad Brandon was willing to wear the Baby Bjorn because it took 1:45 min to make the treak up, down, and around. Here is a view from the top.
(Milla and Brandon)

Milla and Me

Road Trip

2010-03-08T20:52:00.008-05:00

Last weekend Brandon, Milla, Hank, and I loaded up and headed up 75 to Chattanooga to visit the Peppers and the Larsons!! On the way there we got to stop in Cartersville to eat breakfast with my Dad and Grandma Dunnington. It was Milla's first trip to Cracker Barrel!!
*Milla & her Grandad*
We all got to stay at Mr. and Mrs. Larson's beautiful house.
It was so much fun cathcing up and watching the babies! Samuel was born 18 days after Milla. The last time we were together was when the babies were just about 2 months old and now they are over 6 months old. They have grown so much! Samuel is so sweet, peaceful, and laid back!! We wish we lived closer!!! The Grandma's LOVED being together with the grandbabies!!!
(Mr. Larson, Mrs. Larson, Mom, Cappie,
Lana holding Samuel, Ben, Brandon holding Milla, and me.)

It just happened to be my birthday weekend that weekend--so everyone was so sweet to celebrate with me. We ate so many delicious things! Mrs. Larson made Taco Soup for lunch-- then- Ben grilled a beef tenderloin (on his Big Green Egg) for dinner and Mrs. Larson made her incredible Caesar salad that I love (she makes homemade dressing that is delicious!). My mom made one of my favorite kinds of cakes-- Coco Lopez Cake!!
Milla & Samuel loved watching the candles!

Birthday Lunch with my work friends!!
So Strang- we went out to eat last Monday and got to eat outside on the porch
and then it snowed on Tuesday!!! The weather has been so back and forth!!!
(Donna, me, April, Elizabeth, Amanda, Susan, Christina, Dixie, Tiffany, Jessyca, Maressa, Dawn, Elizabeth, and Bri)

Hank wants to be part of everything!! He wants to lay on Milla's blankets and play with her toys!! He makes sure that they both get equal attention!!!