Desperate

Please take a moment to click on THIS and read about this precious girl.

Turning 3!

Our precious girl Mary Kenzie has turned 3! Where has the time gone???

She started off the day opening her presents from our family. She loved her brand new purse from Riley.



Next, was a package all the way from Oklahoma from Aunt Kaitlin. Gum was a continuous theme throughout the day...now that Mary Kenzie is 3 she can have gum.



Michael and I got her a tricycle and Princess helmet. She and Riley will have lots of fun riding their bikes together in the court.


After opening gifts, Mary Kenzie and I went and had our very first Mother/Daughter pedicure! Mary Kenzie LOVES to have her nails painted so I thought this would be a fun and special treat. We had so much fun together. The place we went actually had small chairs and basins for little girls, complete with their own personal dvd player! The one disappointment was that my camera on my phone would not work so I don't have any pictures of us in the salon. But, here is a picture of Mary Kenzie's finished product!


We ended the day at our pool with our family and some friends. The princess had a wonderful day complete with some cake...which is all she ever wanted for her birthday! I cannot say enough HOW THANKFUL I am that I get to be Mary Kenzie's mommy. Her birthparents will always have a special place in my heart, and a birthday does not go by that I do not remember them and pray that God will give them what they need for peace and a happy, fulfilled life.

I wrap my arms around my little girl and she says, "Mommy, I love you." I cannot help the tears that well up as I think of how extremely blessed I am to be a mom and the enormous responsibility I have to love my children unconditionally no matter what, to protect them, and nurture them. Happy birthday to my sweet girl...your smile is contagious...your laugh is adorable...and I pray that God will use your amazing personality to bring joy into this world.

Six Month Old Sweetie

Annalise turned six months old on Monday! Yesterday I took her in for her six month check-up with the pediatrician. She is doing great and the doctor said she is really strong. She just continues to be a little peanut! She is 13 pounds, 13 ounces...in the 13th percentile for weight. She is 25 inches long...in the 54th percentile for height.

It is so fun to hear Annalise when she wakes up in the mornings. Her coos and babbling are so precious. When she hears me open the door she pops her little head up as much as she can to try to see me and then she gives the biggest smile. Pure sweetness!

Lovin' the Summer!

My July resolution (since I was 40 weeks pregnant at New Year's I figure I can make "July Resolutions" this year since my only New Year's resolution was to deliver that baby!) is to blog more frequently. There are few things more annoying than checking someone's blog and they have the same post up that I read the week before (much less the month before...yikes!). So, I am publicly declaring that I will try to do better! Thank you for bearing with me and continuing to care about what's going on in our lives.

This a photo dump...and a way to catch you up on what we've been up to this summer.

First, my sister Kaitlin graduated from high school! Kaitlin moved in with us last spring and really became a part of our little family. We were so proud of her...walking across that stage, getting her high school diploma, finishing second in her class! She is working as a counselor at a camp out of state. We miss her! Can't believe she'll be out of state for college next year, but we know God has amazing things for her!

Riley had another fun soccer season! He loved his team this year and became a strong offensive player. He loved scoring goals and would get the hugest smile on his face after he scored. I love his enthusiasm!

We have spent some fun time at the beach this summer! Riley and Mary Kenzie love the beach...Mary Kenzie is content to dig in the sand and look for shells for her "collection" as she calls it. Riley has really become a water bug and loves to ride the waves! We went to the beach for a good part of a week with some of my siblings in May. Then in June we went on our annual trip with 4 other families who all have kids our kids' ages. We are still looking forward to one more trip this summer with Michael's family...always a highlight of our summer!

Annalise is growing and growing! Cannot believe she is a week shy of 6 months old! Amazing! She is still super attached (to put it mildly) to her mommy and daddy. But every once in a while she allows someone else to hold her for a minute. She has the sweetest smile and is turning into a cuddle bug. Her eyes are still the same beautiful blue they were when she was first born, but her dark hair has definitely lightened up.

After we took Aunt Karoline back to Raleigh to catch her flight back to Boston (sad, sad!) I took the kids to downtown Raleigh to a fun science museum. Across the street from the museum is the NC legislative building where I worked before I got married. I had the kids stand in front of it so I could capture a quick picture.



Today we had a very fun 4th! We started the day downtown for the parade and then headed to the pool for a fun afternoon! We ended the day with a cookout at Michael's parents' house. Can't believe the long weekend has come and gone already!


As you can see, we have been staying busy and enjoying many fun things! Despite the daily routine that can sometimes seem mundane (does the laundry ever end? ever?), most of the time I still cannot believe that I am MOMMY to these three blessings!!