Tale of Three Christmases

What a Christmas! We have much to be thankful for! It was a joy-filled Christmas especially with Claire in the house. We probably could have written our own 12 days of Christmas song and it would have ended with "3 different houses, 2 road trips, and one baby in a manger!" I'll let the slideshows below tell the stories. THanks to Robert and Andrea for hosting Christmas with my immediate family. Those cousins are going to have a blast together! Thanks to Uncle DD for hosting my extended family in his home...20+ people from 4 state converge to catch up with no gifts and no fancy food! LOVED IT! We ended our tour right back at home sweet home with the Carver Family arriving on Friday 23rd and staying with us through Tuesday. Now that was great! Enjoyed cooking with no rush...Jeff and I got to go to our church's CHristmas Eve Service, which we have never gotten to do; We paced ourselves on Christmas morning as we gathered Claire into bed with us after she woke up and read the Christmas Story from Luke 2 and prayed thanking God for his Gift in Baby Jesus before all other gifts were exchanged. We paced ourselves through the day enjoying each other and each other's gifts and good food. I'm thankful for low key in-laws who have strong stomachs since it was my first time to host the Christmas meal. (Also, thankful for Honey Baked Ham!) I guess the funny was on me...in my attempt to get Claire stickers for her drawing pad, I also picked up Glitter tatoos! I should put on her hip and send her to day care and see what kind of reaction I get after those diaper changes :)) It was a great time and it's hard to put it all into words but enjoy the photos and wishing everyone a great 2012! Christmas in Memphis

Christmas in Brandon

Christmas in Hoover

Daily Fun at the Carver House

McWane Center

Claire took her first trip to McWane Center. We took her to see if she would be old enough to enjoy it and as you can see by the photos, she had a great time. So much to do, see, and experience. We had a great time just watching her face and watching her jump right in to new experiences. Claire might check her stocking for a membership this Christmas!

Meet Some of the Coolest People

This group of folks is so special to us. They (minus a few who could not come to the Christmas Party) make up the Hinton Sunday School Class at our church. This class has been going for 2.5 years now and has grown a lot together. This class is encouraging and challenges each other to grow in our faith. We have seen lots of babies come into the world and are watching 2 of our teachers prepare for graduation from seminary and embark on a life of formal ministry. Thanks to Val and Beau for hosting this year's Christmas Party and to all who helped put together the fun game of questions in which we learned all kinds of little known facts about each other. It's so great to be a part of a growing body of believers, that has fun and is serious about their faith. Merry Christmas everyone!

November Highlights

Just a few fun photos from November. First of all, you'll see the Birthday Club met again. Time to celebrate Alisa and Heather. We were all there and had such fun catching up. So glad we have kept this up for years! Claire has started wanting to be a big helper in the kitchen. She willingly wanted to help me sweep! We are starting to show her how to help with the dishes! (That is not child abuse!) "Train up a child in the way they should go..(loose interpretation)" You'll see a few photos of her in her Red Christmas Pajamas (Thanks Heather!) showing you that she knows to throw her own diaper away and she asks for help using sign language to access my pots and pans or Tupperware! Just this morning Jeff brought her down while I was riding my stationary bike for the last few minutes and she wanted to participate. During and interview at our wedding, my dad described me as a "participator" and Jeff's parents described him as "one who always wanted to be involved". Claire is truly living out her DNA! She will be 16 months old tomorrow and amazing us everyday! We are excited about this Christmas for sure! Some say, "You only get one 'First Christmas'". I say, "You can have lots of firsts at Christmas!" This Christmas will be our "First Christmas with a toddler". What will this be the "first" for you?

Thanksgiving 2011

Thanksgiving...isn't it amazing that we have to have a day that makes us stop to give thanks! Yes, it's a great time to look back and reflect on our history and make some time to think about what we are thankful for - and get to eat great food. I guess it's like all those ceremonies and festivals that they had in the Old Testament. God knew that if we didn't have special times to celebrate and remember certain things that we probably would not because of human nature. So, Thanksgiving 2011 was spent in Birmingham. Mom and Jim hosted us in their home along with Jim's two daughters, Jennifer and Jamie, and their families. The weather was perfect and the food excellent and we continue to enjoy getting to know Jim's family. This year and everyday, I am most grateful for my salvation, my husband and my daughter to name my top 3...after that the list of things is a mile long...the Hinton Sunday School class, UAB, Bluff Park, Kindermusik, YoToddler Yogurt, Wonderful friends and family, The Bham Zoo, Skype, kids under 2 fly free, whole milk, wheelchairs, music, Brodie and Ellie...I could keep going...So here's a few pix of the family at the "Poore House" on Thanksgiving Day! (No I did not shop on Black Friday but I did start my shopping during the Alabama/Auburn Game - lines were shorter for sure!)

Visit to the Hendersons

We had lots of fun visiting Robert and Andrea, Brodie (4 yrs) and Ellie (6 months) this past weekend. Enjoyed just letting the cousins play. Had fun watching Ellie take her first bite of baby food (Pears). She did great! Brodie was cute wanting Claire to play with him in everything. He wanted to teach her and share his toys with her (Note the Tonka Truck ride). As you can see, they had a fun bath time together. Brodie read Claire and Ellie a bedtime story too. Andrea and I decided we wanted to make it a tradition to make sure we get these kids together just before the holidays and have some kind of fun activity to do. So even though they weren't totally engaged with the whole thing, Andrea guided us in making reindeer shirts and the antlers were their hand prints. (You'll see the end product in the photos). She also showed me how to make a wreath out of strips of fabric and a coat hanger. (I need to spend more time with Andrea! She could teach me lots!) She's a great Kindergarten teacher and most excellent at involving kids in tasks! I love the idea of a family tradition together! I have so many fond memories with my cousins. Feels a bit weird to be in the Aunt role now, but I'm loving it. Three sweet phrases I love to hear: "This is my wife", "Mama!", and "Hey Aunt Sis!". Looking forward to more memories made together! I'm thankful for you guys!

15 months and growing

So we took stock on Friday Nov. 4 and paused to inhale and exhale! Claire is growing and learning so fast! It's amazing to see it in action! We knew she was learning a lot but now we can actually see it! She is adding to her vocabulary almost daily! (In honor of the LSU victory over UA, she learned the word purple!). We attempted to teach her a few signs from sign language to help with communication. I wasn't sure she was understanding them but all of the sudden it clicked! She can sign "more", "all done", "milk", "water", "diaper", and "help". It's wonderful to be able to communicate! At her 15 month check up she weighed 20.2 pounds (12th %) and was 29 1/4" long (20th %). We are thankful for great health and development. Her favorite toys now are anything that has a top on it that she can try to get on and off. She still loves to get all her books out, stack them all up, then go put them back (with a little guidance :)). She was given some colors and a coloring book at Publix the other day and decided she was ready to give it a try! I had no idea a kid this young could try coloring. I think the moral of that story is age does not matter...it's what they show interest in...go with it! (except for motorcycles!) She is totally off baby food and she's eating from our plate. This has challenged me in my meal planning and has been good for us to eat vegetables daily, which didn't always happen pre-Claire! She seems open to most all foods so far. For those of you in this stage of life like us, a friend recommended a great book on feeding kids called Child of Mine by Ellyn Satter. It has been great help/guide for me. It's a bit wordy but easy to follow and great resource. So the weather is changing along with the leaves and the time! Did your child sleep in for you? Not here! But she adapted after 2 days. I love the fall leaves to observe, but I have mixed emotions about when they hit the ground. I was raking today and in my brain the conversation went something like this: "This is futile, the leaves will be right back...oh, but it's great exercise and the weather is perfect...Enjoy the peace and no brain time...oh remember the time you got severe poison ivy when raking Mr. Hamilton's yard when you were about 10 years old...Never forget it...I think I made $6 for doing that! Oh, just enjoy being outside...no phones, no emails, no nothing but leaves and me and God right now...that's perfect...You know, if I had a dollar for every leaf out here, we could send Claire to Havard and still go on a European vacation!"...end of conversation... So enjoy some photos of Claire's trip to the park on her 15 month weekend, her attempts at a "Welcome Home, Daddy" sign to welcome daddy home from a work trip, and a trip to the zoo with her friend Noah. She would pet anything that would let her!

October Happenings

October was a fun month. The leaves are changing, the weather changes drastically and so does our toddler. She seems to be learning a new word every other day! She knows about 10 body parts and can use about 5 signs from sign language to communicate with us. She has about 15-20 words now. She still has 4 teeth and gets better all the time feeding herself. She is now officially off all baby foods and eating from our plates! So wonderful but it's been a challenge on meal planning! I know we eat better now that we have to make sure she gets her veggies! She continues to enjoy her Kindermusik Class on Mondays and this month has participated in 2 MSU football games! Big Daddy came to town and took us all the the MSU/UAB game and had a new outfit for Claire to wear. She made it through the 1st quarter then time for nap. (You may notice the spots around her mouth - she had a bout of Hand Foot and Mouth Disease. Took about 6-7 days for the spots on her arms legs and around her mouth to go away - yes she did have them in her mouth...lots of kids at the day care had it...part of growing up I hear.) The next week she got to stroll around campus before the MSU/S.Carolina game but didn't go because of timing. We tend to not compromise much on nap times and bed times! A rested baby is a happy and healthy baby! Can I get an Amen?!? :) She went to her first Trunk or Treat at our church dressed as a pumpkin...pretty cute! The end of the month brought my 15 year reunion since Physical Therapy School. The one thing I do like about reunions is that it is a chance to thank those who invested in me to get me started in life and career. I would not be where I am today without my professors in PT School for sure! It's a committed group of faculty members who are STILL there educating the finest of the fine who are out there "stamping out dysfunction" (in the words of my coworker, Linda). It was great to see a few former (not old) classmate, especially Lee Powell. She and I were at MSU together before PT school! What fun we had and sweet memories! Great to see you, friend! What I love about Lee is that she has ALWAYS been able to make people feel special because she really tunes in with her eyes, ears and heart and focuses on you when you are with her! I'm always encouraged when I see her to do just that! So that's a wrap for October! I can hear the march of the holidays around the corner...memories waiting to be made!

September Happenings

What month of variety around our house! Enjoy the highlight reel above. Claire started back to Kindermusik and she's now one of the "big kids". We love her teacher Mrs. Jill. She's back in there with 2 friends from her previous class, Mills and Sophie. Sophie and Claire are buddies and enjoy the park together before class starts...always includes a picnic lunch at Homewood Park in which we share lunches depending on what the girls are in the mood to eat. Thanks, Beth! Claire did her 2nd annual 5k Run called Head Over Teal that is a fundraiser for Ovarian Cancer Research. I did not know that even young girls can get it! WOW! We celebrated our dear friend, Celeste, with a birthday club at Cracker Barrel. Cel and I have been friends now for 15 years and going strong. She was my first true friend when I first moved to Birmingham. Thank you, Lord for such a dear friend! We also enjoyed a surprise visit from Keri and Eden. This month included a work trip each for me and Jeff. I got the opportunity to teach a CEU course in Orange Beach on Wheelchair Evaluations, Fittings, etc...Jeff kept Claire at home and did a great job of daddy duty! Thanks for always supporting me and my work, Jeff! Jeff soon left for Canada for a week! Middle of that week we got a visit from Granddaddy, who just so happened to have found a meeting in Birmingham to come to. What do ya make of that? Love it how things find a way to work out when there is a 2 foot tall bright-eyed granddaughter around! We enjoyed having him with us for 5 days! He spoiled us by keeping Claire so Jeff and I could go see Les Miserables. What an incredible story of redemption and the ripple effect one who has been redeemed has on another who needs redemption. What a picture of God's grace! Some where in the mix we had a great visit at Bluff Park with Jack Breland, our friend who shares the same birthday as Claire. We ended the month with a first time visit to Railroad Park. Very nice! Well landscaped! Great area for kids to play. Wide open spaces where every slice of Birmingham could be seen and found enjoying each other. Well done, Birmingham! After playing at Railroad Park, we went back by the church where Claire goes to Day Care and enjoyed the Greek Festival. Great food and atmosphere and you always bump into someone you know! Thanks for enjoying our highlights...hope everyone is enjoying great weather, great family time and time with friends making memories! OPA!

Trip to Dallas - Labor Day Weekend

We flew to Dallas over Labor Day weekend for the LSU/Oregon game. We met Jeff's parents and brother there. It was Claire's 2nd trip on an airplane and overall she did great! We picked the flight times during nap time hoping she's sleep the whole time. That did not happen on the way out but did on the way back. On the way out she was more interested in the flight attendants, the safety information in the back of the seat and the seat belt than in napping. She had no trouble with the pressure changes thanks to the pacifier. It was a 90 min flight. On the way back we had an open seat and we were able to put her in the car seat and she slept great - even through the significant turbulence we flew back into as the storms of Hurricane/Tropical Storm Lee were entering Birmingham. The time in Dallas was lots of fun. Always enjoy family time and we got to see one of Jeff's good friends, Jay, too. They met in while grad school in Maryland and were in a small group together at their church. They have remained good friends since especially since both are strong Tiger fans. Everyone went to the game and Claire and I enjoyed mother/daughter time at the hotel. It was wonderful for me to be able to play and enjoy her without house/dinner/laundry etc...LOVED IT! I especially loved the hours of down time after she went to bed all to myself. I need that from time to time! The Tigers were victorious and everyone enjoyed the experience of being in Cowboy stadium. Sunday afternoon we all went to the Dallas Aquarium and that was neat. Claire enjoyed all the creatures saying "hey" to almost all of them. It was amazing to me to watch sharks eat especially a sawfish! God sure was creative with all those species! Great trip and so thankful we have a good traveller! Enjoy some highlights in photos.

Claire's 1st Birthday 8/4/11

So this Blog post took forever to put together so hope you enjoy the 4 slideshows of photos of Claire's 1st birthday celebrations! She had a little party at her school the day before her acutal birthday. It was enlightening to see how many different ways a kid can eat a cupcake! A few days later, we had a few dear friends and children over to our home more to tell them thank you for guiding, praying, supporting, and cheering us on this year! Finally, a week later, we had a family party at Bluff Park in Hoover. We had our photographer come and take her 12 month photos and include family. We had cake and gifts then headed out for lunch. (I love simplicity!) It was tons of fun to watch her play at the park (one of her favorite places) and enjoy family and cake! You will see she thoroughly enjoyed it. We had to take a bath before a hard nap after all the festivities. People were more than generous to love on her and us as we marked the monumental day of bringing our baby girl into the world one year ago. WOW! We reminisced about me waking Jeff at 3am to tell him my water had broken and we were having a baby today...as well as the long but worth it day to hear her sweet cry that she was finally here...and finally to announce her precious name to the world.

Her 1 year stats at her 12 month MD appt are that she weighs 18# 8 oz (she grew from the 6th percentile to 12th) and she was 28" long (from 6th percentile to 25th in height). She still has only 2 bottom teeth and has been so healthy. She is doing great on cow's milk and eating lots of table foods...still a little baby food. She loves yogurt, cheese, peas/carrots/squash/zucchini, all fruit...and of course, Cheerios!

She's on the move and exploring more everyday! I wrote her a poem for her birthday and will post it soon. Thanks for enjoying our little girl with us. I soak up both Jeff and Claire, every single day! Thank you Lord!!!

First slideshow is of her school party. Second is of her party with friends and pix of neighbors who remembered her big day. Third is photos with family members. Fourth is her 12 month photos of just her (and us).

Cousin Brodie Turning 4!

We went to Memphis to celebrate with Brodie (a little early) his 4 year old Birthday. Actual day is July 31. He had a great time with his friends swimming and eating cake and to his surprise, the ice cream truck showed up! How COOL! Then they all pulled a string on the pinata to grab for candy. What a blast! Robert and Andrea did a great job planning it and had gracious hosts who had the perfect home and set up for it. Claire did a little time in the pool and enjoyed hanging out. Sweet Ellie is 8 weeks old and growing and doing just was happy healthy 8 week olds do...I got some sweet time holding her while she napped. Great job with the party and Happy Birthday, Brodie! You are a cool guy!
It's still surreal to me that my brother and I both have families now! Seems like just yesterday we were playing the sandbox in the back yard or building tents in our rooms. Claire played so hard she napped so hard that she got "car seat head" That photo was blog-worthy!

First Trip to the Zoo

Claire made her first trip to the Birmingham Zoo. She was ready! The reason was to celebrate her little buddy, Sophie's 1st birthday. They got to be friends in Kindermusik last spring and have stayed in touch. They enjoyed the splash pad together and petting the animals in the petting zoo. I can see a Zoo membership in our very near future. I love watching Claire's eyes at every new experience...wide open taking it all in! What joy to watch a child experience new things...especially your own!

First Independence Day

Claire's 1st 4th of July was calm but we did try to commemorate it. We enjoyed some play time at Bluff Park near our home and appropriately at Veterans Park on July 4. She wore her colors with pride. We also celebrated by replacing our flag with a brand new one. For those who live in the Bham area, you can take your old flags to Tidmore Flags in Homewood and they will dispose of them appropriately. No fireworks for Claire this year since she was asleep before dark, but maybe next year. Enjoyed sharing ribs with Big Daddy on July4! Thank God for Freedom!

First Trip to the Beach

We had a great family trip to Orange Beach, AL. Thanks to Aunt Bobby for spear-heading it! Getting together with our extended family at the holidays has become more and more difficult as we all get older and now all have in-laws, "outlaws" and kids. So the family trip to the beach every 2-3 years was started! Let's make sure we keep it up! We all converged at Orange Beach from 3 states. We enjoyed relaxing, playing games, catching up and a nice evening out to dinner, sponsored by Mom and Jim (THANKS SO MUCH!). Claire was such a joy to watch. She is in DISCOVERY MODE and I LOVE IT! She enjoyed the pool a lot. Thanks Mom and Jim for the Baby Ring! It made a big difference! You only get one chance to catch the major "firsts" in your child's life...and to me, the first time in the sand and in the ocean is a biggie! I would have loved to have been in her head hearing her thoughts about how it felt and how it tasted :)) It was good to take it all in with her. She even held her balance in the sand walking around with the wind blowing! (You got it...she's walking a lot!) It was nice to be away and I'm always refreshed by the breeze and sound of the waves lapping onto the shore. We told Claire one morning that the waves hitting the shore was a picture of the love of Almighty God for her...constant, never changing, enduring, refreshing and full of Life!

First Father's Day

It was a fun weekend celebrating Jeff's first Father's Day. His parents flew in to celebrate and spend time with us. We just enjoyed hanging out and watching Claire be her happy little self. They got to see her walking in action. I can't figure out how to upload a video yet but it is true! She took her first real steps about a week ago! So glad we were home to see it! Anyway, we enjoyed some time at Aldridge Gardens where Claire wanted play ball and push her stroller around. It was pretty hot so we went to the Hoover Rec Center to let her take a dip in the pool - in preparation for her upcoming first trip to the beach. Later she napped and so did I, while daddy and Granddaddy put together our new porch swing. It swings very nicely and we can enjoy the quietness of our deck in the evenings now. Part of Jeff's Father's Day gift was dinner at Ghengis Grill. Unique dining! You know you will like what you get! Sunday we all went to church and had a nice lunch. We gave Jeff cards and a ice chest on wheels. He felt loved! :)) Jeff is a wonderful husband and father! He is so protective of us and I love watching him with Claire. He soaks her up and will be a strong guide for her. So glad he's the father of my daughter! It's so neat to see how even a 10 month old adores her daddy!

To Jim, I say thank you for being a wonderful father to Jeff. I am reaping the benefits of the example you set for him and your strong guidance for him. To my dad, I say THANK YOU for who you are and how you care for me and my family. You are consistent and committed and I appreciate you! And finally to my brother, Robert, one of the most dedicated fathers you'll ever meet - He is all about his wife and kids! "There ain't noooo doubt about it!" It's not easy being a dad these days! You men are incredible!

20 year High School Reunion

It's hard to even type the title of this post! Can I be old enough to have been out of high school that long?!? According the the documents at Pillow Academy, I am! About half the class of 1991 descended on Greenwood, Ms. We got a tour of the school and lots has been added since our glory days - a new fine arts center, new locker rooms, new weight room, new courtyard and getting new front entrance to the main building. We had a nice social event at Lyn's home in which we caught up with old friends and saw pictures of classmates and families and last but not least, watched some of the Senior Play - Cinderella. I was one of the wicked step sisters, with Amanda (on my Right in the pic of 4 girls)and had to talk with a lisp! It was humorous to say the least! Good to catch up with Amy (on my immediate Left in pic of 4 girls), now mother of triplets in KY, whom we ran many a mile together around that hot track! Always wonderful to see Riddell (on my far Left in pic of 4 girls), whom we came up together at St. John's making Macaroni Jewelry together! Good times! Other special moments were visits with neighbors who watched me grow up like like the Parham's and Mrs. Tharpe (Upper Right Photo). The biggest treat was getting to stay in the home of Mr and Mrs. Stansel (upper Left Photo), my former English teacher in Junior High. Her daughter and I remain good friends and their family has set a good example for me and I have much respect for all of them. But the most fun I think I had was getting to show off my husband and child. Many thought I'd never marry and now there is evidence there is a God and He cares about me and YOU! It was good to go home and remember all that many had done to help me grow up. You can't forget where you came from. And Greenwood is one of those places that you never really get away from no matter how far you travel. I have met people from Greenwood or who have a Greenwood connection when I have been overseas! It's crazy! I'm grateful for where I am and grateful for where I came from. Thanks to Brent and all that planned a great weekend!

3rd Anniversary

So here we are 3 years post-wedding day and amazed at all that can happen in 3 years! The sale of 2 homes, the purchase of one, 2 major remodels, lots of travel, lots of work, and oh yeah...we had a baby! Our dear friend, Jenny, called us about 6-8 weeks before our anniversary and said she'd like to keep Claire for us overnight if we'd like to go celebrate our anniversary! WOW! What a wonderful offer! I think we pondered it for a nanosecond and it was done! She came and fed Claire dinner on Fri night while we went to eat at one of our favorite places - Surin West and had wonderful conversation. Enjoyed dessert and a relaxing evening at a hotel in Homewood. The good and bad about the hotel location is that it was walking distance to Babies R Us and Lowe's. Of course, we'd make a quick stop in both places! It was the first Saturday morning I had been in bed past 7am in more than 10 months. We enjoyed a nice brief break from preparing bottles, etc. However, I did wake up thinking about Claire of course. She did great with Miss Jenny napping and eating as if she were with us. We got home around noon and shared lunch with Jenny. It was a wonderful time of reflecting on where we have been the last 3 years and where we hope to go in the next year. Someone has encouraged us to set some goals at each anniversary for the next year in each area of your marriage and that's what we did. Hopefully it will push us to keep growing and not get complacent - my biggest fear in life --> Complacency! Thank God for Jenny and thank you God for Jeff! Thanks for a wonderful 3 years!

May Happenings

The month of May was busy and fun. Here's some pictures of the 2nd half of May. My friend,Julie , came from Augusta, GA to meet Claire and visit with us. We enjoyed playing around in Claire's room, Julie played the piano for CLaire (Julie leads the children's choir at her Church and is the pianist for their worship services), and we went to Homewood Park to swing and slide. We are on the hunt for the parks with the baby bucket swings. Julie is the type of friend that refreshes you and is rejuvenating to be around - Life-giving friend! Thanks, dear friend, for making the effort to come love on us! Claire can't wait to come to Augusta to see you - who cares about the Master's or James Brown's statue?!

Jeff returned from a week long conference in Honolulu the day before Memorial Day. We missed him greatly and he says Hawaii was NO FUN without his girls. He had few sips of pineapple juice in our honor. We missed him lots! Yes, we could have gone with him, but I was not ready to put a 9.5 month old on a 10 hour flight and yank her through a 6 hour time change to be stuck in a hotel while he was in meetings most of the days. So, after he returned and we decided to spend Memorial Day resting as he jet-lagged and make sure we did NO work and did something fun with Claire. So we did just that. We took Claire to Captured Creations to do her first art project - a collage of her hand prints. It was tons of fun and she enjoyed slapping all the paint around. Later we took her to discover a new park to us in Hoover - Georgetown Park. I joked with Jeff that we are getting to see a whole new side of our city and ourselves now that we have a child...we love it! We had no idea Hoover had so many great parks tucked away in neighborhoods. I loved seeing the Mommy or Daddy Duck with her/his baby duck - Very protective...as is any parent of their baby "duck". She also loves her duckies at bathtime :)) Finally, I included some pictures of Claire's everyday activity of exploring her world in my kitchen and her toy box. She is giving Dora the Explorer a run for her money!