SEC

Trip to Nashville!

2011-09-18T17:56:00.000-07:00

A few weekends back, we returned to Nashville for a short but sweet visit with the college gals. What a fun time it was, and a blessing to catch up with such dear friends. I don't get to see them near enough! Sadly we didn't get one single picture of us together, but got plenty of the kiddos:) We missed you Hannah!! Here is an oldie but goodie...

In other news, we are welcoming fall with open arms. I'm not sure I'm ready for the leaf raking, but am soaking in the cool mornings, extra covers on the bed, soups, and of course football:) We are definitely not die hard around here, but there is something fun about game days with UT flags on every other car, and orange everywhere!

Joel and Kate (born 11 days apart)
Roochita with Joel

Keely and her two angels Caleb and Kate

Syd and Caleb

We're baaaaack!

2011-08-12T18:34:00.000-07:00

Hey all! Is anyone still out there?! I had all but given up on ever posting again to this fabulous bloggy blog. Thankfully I had my mind changed the other day when Sydney and I went back through each and every post from the beginning. We had the best time looking at all the pics, and watching the videos. Sydney could have watched videos of herself all afternoon. So we are back (for now anyway)! I am going to try to do better so Joel can join in the picture viewing fun one day.
Too much to catch up on, so I'll just start with the here and now. Syd will be starting preschool next week, which I think she is excited about and Joel is going on 7 months old:) Sydney loves being a big sis. She will stop doing just about anything for a chance to hold him. It's crazy too how much Joel looks like Syd at that age. Joel has officially starting sucking the 2 middle fingers on his left hand (longhorns, which I guess his cousin Lyd taught him). Honestly I am thankful he has something to soothe himself...he is an easy baby full of smiles and laughs!
My cup runneth over!

Can you tell who is who? Syd on top and Joel on bottom...crazy huh?! More examples to come!

My little goggle girl..she loves going under! Thank you Y swim lessons! This is her practicing in the bath.

Hiking with Courtney The longhorns...my sweet boy

Summer Lovin'

2010-07-07T18:53:00.000-07:00

So I can't believe it's already August! Some of me is ready for summer to be over since it has been so HOT, but I try to remind myself how in the winter I am always dreaming of summer. So here's to making the most of the rest of this hot hot season:) We are headed to the pool in a little while and hoping it feels at least slightly cooler than a bath. Sydney is growing up by leaps and bounds and pretty much keeping us laughing and on our toes all the time. She will be a big sister at the end of January, and got to hear her baby brother/sister's heartbeat today at the doc. What a blessing! Here are a few pics from our summer so far;

Syd's bonnet from Gramps

time in Florence with mawmaw

wadey woo woo as syd calls him

lydy looloo

hiking in townsend

boating adventures

syd's first day of school...(mother's day out)

Cobbly Nob

2010-03-14T18:35:00.000-07:00

Every year we head to Gatlinburg for a get together with my mom's side of the family. We stay in a cabin, and have so much fun catching up, eating delicious food, and soaking in the beauty that surrounds us in the great Smoky Mountains. Sadly this weekend it was rainy and cold, but we still managed to have a great time. With family, it always is. It wasn't the same without Katie there. She is in Guatamala this week for a medical mission trip. We can't wait to hear all about your trip! I didn't take near enough pictures but here are a few;

Hiking as a family with 20+ people

Wade with his Daddy enjoying a cozy ride

Lydia and Pappy

Wrestling with Pappy - the girls were introduced to a "hard hold"

Where Has The Time Gone?!

2010-02-15T11:23:00.000-08:00

Sydney Elizabeth turned 2 Feb 3rd! What an incredible ride the past 2 years have been. She is our little angel from God. Our ongoing prayer is that God leads us as we raise her to love Him. Sydney grows everyday, and boy what a blessing it is to be a part of it. She continues to keep us laughing til we want to cry (sometimes I do cry:)) and keeps us on our toes. Just today, I was getting her out of the tub and something happened (can't remember what...that was too long ago) that forced my to say, "oh shoot" .....which I then heard her say over and over..."oh shoot" "oh shoot." I quickly tried to change the subject and make a mental note never to say that again around big ears!

We had a Play Doh birthday party for her a couple weeks ago. We missed you Aunt KK and Uncle Matt and Gabby!

Fun in the SNOW

2010-02-01T11:28:00.000-08:00

We dug ourselves out of the snow in Utah only to bring some home with us!! We went out there a couple weeks ago and had such a great time. Drew worked the first part of the week, and then the Connells and Purnells met us for some fun in the snow. Just during the week we were there, some parts of Utah got 3-5 FEET....I don't know exactly how much we got, but I do know that trying to walk in it wore us out! The only way to successfully get around in it was with skis or snowshoes on!

Seeing that amount of snow while surrounded by white mountains was a reminder to me of how big God is. What a mighty God we serve.

Here are a few pics to document these wonderful memories!!

Syd sure loved eating the snow while I became a big fan of eating Julie's delicious snow cream!!!!! YUMMY

Sydney and Drew rocking out

The gals before our morning at the spa. Talk about good!

The guys before their first day on the slopes

Sydney and Liam

The girls taking a break from the slopes by the bonfire at Sundance

Lots of Pictures!

2010-01-07T17:16:00.001-08:00

We hope your Christmas and New Years were full of love, laughter, and good times with friends and family. We had a wonderful Christmas with our families, and got to continue celebrating the weekend after at Michael and Emily's wedding. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Clemmons!!!

Syd and Lyd in the car Grammie and Pappie gave them for Christmas

Hugs all around in their cute matching monkey pjs

Drew enjoying Syd's play doh Christmas present:)

Short but SO SWEET visit with Roochita and Abhishek

Nana and Sydney in her new tent

The boys at the rehearsal dinner

Wedding day fun (I didn't take a single picture of the beautiful bride and groom...there are some on facebook if you're on there!)

Playing with foam

Millie was a vicitm of the foam fun

Playing in her beans...

Attempting to sled with Aunt KK

Yummy to our Tummies...

2009-12-23T12:01:00.000-08:00

Fun Christmas traditions!!
Annie and Martie came over to build some delicious gingerbread houses with Katie and I. It was a fun-filled evening with such wonderful friends! At the end of the night Drew was the judge.... results to follow.
Gingerbread house making and eating materials

Annie's house (Santa's Spa) - 1st place,

Martie's house (Santa's Party House) - 2nd place

Katie (Santa's Mountain Home) and I (Santa's All-Inclusive Resort) tied for 3rd place. Drew was being nice and didn't want anyone to get last!

Cookie Decorating! I was so excited to do this fun project with Syd, and had hoped she could help decorate cookies for some friends. However, I wasn't really surprised when her first dip into the icing went straight into her mouth instead of onto the cookie:)

Sydney's finished product

Matthew 1:21 "She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

Phil 2:9-11 "Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth, and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

The Holidays are Here!!

2009-11-29T14:21:00.000-08:00

We sure are enjoying this holiday season. We hope you and your families are too!! We enjoyed several fun Thanksgiving celebrations over the past week. We are thankful for Christ, for family, friends, laughter, and love. The Lord continues to shower us with his amazing blessings. My prayer is that we recognize these are from Him as we strive to glorify Him each day.

If you are a Ktowner, tune into the good ole B97.5 for some fabulous Christmas tunes to get you in the Christmas spirit....some of my faves are
1. Tender Tennessee Christmas
2. Baby It's Cold Outside
3. All I Want for Christmas is You
4. Any and all Christmas songs from Home Alone
5. Melekalekmaka (...there's no way I spelled that right...)
6. Amy Grant Christmas

Syd playing BOO with the Santa hat

Lyd, Wade, and Syd with their Grammie and Pappy (santa)

The best aunt in the whole wide world and 3 silly faces

Sydney and Grammie after face painting at Fantasy of Trees

Trying to get a good pic of these three = very difficult

My favorite pic from the night we decorated our tree. A whole family affair

Flash's LARGE tongue

Sydney once again with her bodyguards

More Fall FUN!

2009-11-02T14:22:00.001-08:00

We had a great time at the Peeks Eeks Halloween party this year! This was the best picture we could get of the kiddos sitting by themselves on the couch:) Syd was a ballerina.

Syd cheesing it up in Bishop's (handmade by his momma) clown wig

One of Sydney's fave things these days is to hold hands....here she is holding Carter's (yoda)...so sweet!!

We raked a big pile of leaves, which isn't hard to do at our house for Syd and Millie to enjoy!!

Joy from Trees

2009-10-28T17:28:00.000-07:00

What a beautiful time of year! I was just sitting in my office today looking out the window in awe of God's handiwork. Every season brings something different for us from Him, but fall might be one of my favorites...especially when the trees are this breathtaking!

Here is some of what we've been up to lately!

Sydney and Lydia in their matching dresses made by Ash! The pic up top is their "funny faces"

Riding the tractor with Pappy

We had a car divided traveling down to Tuscaloosa for the game. Julie and I pulled for the Vols, while Chris and Drew cheered on the Tide!

Sydney, our dog at the Fall Festival this evening at church

Sydney with her buddy Carter, the dinosaur!

Short But Sweet

2009-09-24T12:51:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a long weekend getaway to Florida with Nana (Drew's mom), and Michael and Emily. We were also blessed by some fun time with Laura and Brent and their two precious kids who now reside in sunny FL. What a great trip!!

We packed it in since we only had two full days there. We enjoyed some beach time on Captiva Island, where Sydney for the first time really got into playing in the sand. In the past when it came to sand, Syd's experience consisted of tasting the sand, and an overall sense of uneasiness about playing in it (getting her hands dirty is not one of her favorite things). This trip she ended up covered in it, and was a very happy camper:) Drew and I found ourselves building castles in the sand with her, and it sure was fun! Sadly I hadn't done that in years. It brought back so many great memories from our family vacations to Hilton Head. Dad would always build the coolest creations......seriously people would walk by and stop to get a good look. I remember him most often making a "dead man" which resembled a man washed up on the beach. Anyway, Drew, Sydney, and I's creation wasn't even close to being as cool. We've got some practicing to do. We also enjoyed some delicious seafood, fun time in the pool, cheering on the Vols, a little shopping, and some nice walks. Thanks for such a memorable trip!

The Mundies

Is this not precious?!

Syd's new fave friend...Emily!

Sweet Parker

Ponytails and Lake Watauga

2009-09-20T18:10:00.000-07:00

I have blogged about Sydney's hair recently but here I go again, because woohoo! she's got enough for a ponytail, if that's what you call this;

Syd cracked me up one evening as we were playing with our hair and the camera. She has learned to expect the camera to flash when we count to three and say cheese, so this is the face we've been getting;

Drew and I enjoyed Labor Day weekend with some of our friends at beautiful Lake Watauga. We made the trip last year as well except we had Sydney with us. This adventure was Sydney free:) ... Thanks to mom and dad! It was so much fun. I didn't take many pictures but the snapshots I got were from our "Awesome Off." As we learned that weekend from the Millers, an "Awesome Off" is where each couple teams up against the other couples in random events such as paper airplanes, water balloon toss, rock skipping, corn hole, catch phrase, trying to whistle while eating crackers, and these;

nut spitting

grape toss (We came in 2nd overall)

Lions and tigers and bears! Oh my!

2009-09-01T17:16:00.000-07:00

Sydney and I have been blessed to be a part of a play group through church since she was only a few months old. We've enjoyed many play dates with our friends at the nursery at church, various parks around town, Sara's pool (Thank you!!), and the ZOO!! Today was an adventure at the zoo. We had perfect weather, and the animals seemed to be the most active and visible as I've ever seen them. I don't think the zoo is something only the kiddos enjoy. We enjoy it too!! The picture below was one of the neatest things I've witnessed in a while. This baby gorilla is George, and is just over a year old. He was playing right up next to the window, and is tiny! This is him nursing in his momma's open and loving arms! So neat!! I could have watched him all afternoon.

Sydney enjoyed the animals.....for about 10 seconds per animal, then she was ready to move on. This truck though was definitely a hit! She fought me when it was time to get out. She loved it.

Sydney and Carter crusin' together with Miss Sara as their chaperone.

With our friends Katie and Collin.

Sydney and Bishop explored together in the indoor kids play area. If you haven't been to the zoo, this area alone is worth a trip. It is full of different stations for the kids to learn through hands on fun, such as a play grocery store, kitchen, hardware store, tunnel, dress up area, and even smaller animals like frogs, rats, rabbits...to look at as they play.Very cool place!

Telling Aunt KK bye, TWINS, and a Trip to Montgomery!

2009-08-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

Katie made the trek back to LU to start her junior year. Where did the summer go?!We sure are going to miss her. We love you and are praying for you.

Great time with Natalie, Lincoln, and precious Emory and Isaiah.

They are such dolls, and are getting so big!! Drew had the magical touch with Isaiah.

Sydney and her new friends. She looks like a giant:)

Over the weekend I finally got to meet baby Nolan!! Hannah and Jeremy are dear friends of ours that live in Montgomery. Hannah and I grew up together, went to college together, and now get to share in the journey of motherhood together. What a blessing!! Jessica and Sara also made the trip to meet this new sweet miracle. Lots of laughter, good eatin', and great conversation made for a wonderful trip! Drew and Sydney want to meet Nolan next time, which better be pretty soon!!

Hannah and Nolan

New Babies!!

2009-07-31T14:32:00.001-07:00

Congratulations to Joel and Emily on their new baby girl Josie, to Seth and Katie and their sweet baby Emery, and to Michael and Stephanie, whose bundle of joy Carter arrived earlier today. It is such a blessing to see these miracles from the Lord. What a mighty God we serve!

Some days it feels like yesterday Sydney was born, and other days it feels like she's always been part of our family. We are thankful for her and the gift she is. She blesses us daily with her unconditional love, laughter, and smiles. She even blesses us on days like today where she is sick with a little cold, and overall pretty grumpy:) I think she may be getting some new teeth, which usually goes hand in hand with a red bottom around here. Poor thing!

At the moment she is being pretty sweet. As I'm typing this, she wandered off into her room to read books. I just checked on her, and she's sitting on the floor with books all around her just talking up a storm. The only word I can understand coming from her room is "hello"....Yesterday and today one of her favorite words has been "dilia," which means LYDIA!! Lyd's here with her family for a visit so they've had some good time together.

Good Time with Gramps

Sydney's finally got enough hair for a bow!! We've waited 18months for this!!

Beautiful Utah

2009-07-13T20:58:00.000-07:00

Syd, Drew, and I just got back from a long, wonderful vacation in Utah. After a trip out there we always come home feeling rejuvenated and reminded of God's power and love. His creation there is utterly breathtaking, and it never gets old. From the beautiful mountains, to the bodies of water, it's a taste of heaven on earth. We are thankful to be able to go there and cherish every minute of it.
We were blessed to have Matt and Gabby and Michael and Emily join us for part of the trip. We enjoyed our visit with them so much. Syd loved getting to spend such good time with her uncles -- thanks Uncle Matt and Uncle Michael for teaching her her latest, hippest dance move. I wish we'd gotten it on tape! Thanks again for coming yall!!

The gang enjoying the sunset before a bonfire

The second part of the trip my mom met us out there. We are always blessed by time with her. Not only is she a ton of fun, she's also an example to me. She is constantly looking for ways to serve others. Sydney sure loves her Grammie (she calls her mammie). Thank you mom!!!

Taking a breather during a bike ride

Good times in the hammock

Hiking part of the way to Mt. Timpanogas Cave

We laughed the second half of our trip at one of Sydney's newest words....Ohgooguy....any guesses as to what she means when she says this?! She repeatedly said this word, so we knew she wasn't just jibber jabbering. It really meant something. We finally figured out she meant MOTORCYCLE...there are lots of them in Utah and she never missed one going by. Mom thinks we need to get her ears checked:)

Kentucky and Father's Day

2009-06-22T18:41:00.000-07:00

A shout out to Hannah and Jeremy Vest who welcomed Nolan Robert into their family June 17th! We can't wait to meet him. Congrats to big brother Titan. If he's feeling neglected and needs to talk things through with Millie and Flash, he can give them a call!

We were finally able to make a trip to Sturgis/Morganfield, KY this weekend to meet Caleb Thomas Hagan born to Keely and John Tom Hagan on May 6th. He is such a sweet baby boy...I just couldn't get enough of him. We sure enjoyed our visit there (as we always do!) and of course it seemed way too short. We enjoyed some good cooking thanks to Keely and John Tom, fun times in the swimming pool, a special rose bud ceremony in honor of Caleb at their church, and lots and lots of catching up. I am so blessed by and thankful for our friendship. Here are some pics of our fabulous weekend. I already can't wait to see Keely, JT, and K-LOVE again soon! Love you guys!

Caleb

Happy Father's Day!! I am so thankful for the dads in my life. My dad holds such a special place in my heart. I can't begin to describe how much he means to me. I love you dad.

It has been such a gift to watch Drew be a daddy to Sydney. She loves him so much...I can't tell you how many times she says "daddy" throughout the day while he's at work. There is nothing he doesn't do as her daddy, and best of all he is teaching her what it means to love God, and to pray to Him. She has just started saying Amen after prayers. She is also a good present giver....she thought of her Mommy too with her gift. She gave Drew (and I) tickets to the Keith Urban concert...you better believe! Thanks Syd!

Oldie but goodie

eating like a big girl!

2009-06-16T16:25:00.001-07:00

We let Sydney try to feed herself tonight out on the deck in between playing in her pool. It has become one of her favorite things to try, but pretty annoying to us because it's tough to feed her when she is grabbing at the spoon every second. So we finally let her at it tonight...

A pic of Syd's curly cue

What a load!..........It's just water and proof of the benefits of a swim diaper.

Story and Thought

2009-06-10T12:24:00.001-07:00

Ironically enough after my last post dedicated to Millie and Flash:), I was fairly certain that I'd lost them today. It all started when earlier today I noticed Flash chewing on something out on the deck. Sadly it was a turtle scared and closed up in its shell:( I wasn't sure if Flash had killed it or not but he sure was chewing away at the shell. I turned it upright to see if maybe by the time Sydney and I got back from lunch the turtle would have migrated to a different spot. When we got home thankfully it had moved!! It was hiding under our grill and needed to be moved to a safer spot on the outside of our fence away from Flash. To do this, I open and realize later left open our gate. I didn't realize this till the dogs had been outside for 10 minutes or so. They were long gone...free to run and roam, which they loved every second of I am sure!! A huge THANK YOU to the Salvador family, a.k.a. the best next door neighbors in the world who stayed with Sydney as she slept through all this, and helped drive around and eventually find them for me!!

One of my favorite things in the summer are afternoon thunderstorms! It is a reminder to me of God's power and creativity. I just love it when it gets nice and dark before a short but heavy down pour along with thunder and lightning. Sydney only being 16 months old hasn't seen too many storms in her day:) Therefore she is really scared of not only thunder, but loud trucks, lawn mowers, etc....Any time there is loud noise outside she says in a real paniced voice, "mon mow, mon mow..."

And last but not least a couple pics from the last few days!!

Sydney and her buddy Carter

Syd and Lyd swimming together

A Girl's Best Friend...

2009-06-02T18:04:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics I took the other day of Syd playing with Millie and Flash. She sure does love them. One of her newest words is Millie....so now every dog she sees is "Millie." It doesn't help that several of our friends have boxers too. Talk about confusing for a child.

Streams in the Desert

2009-05-26T18:37:00.000-07:00

I've been reading "Streams in the Desert" by L.B. Cowman over the last month or so and what a blessing it's been (thanks Lori for the suggestion!). It's a book comprised of 366 daily devotional readings. What I love most about it is that the devotionals are short but so encouraging. Each day starts out with a verse or two the rest of the reading is based on. It seems like no matter what our day holds, God uses that specific day to prick my heart in some way. Part of my reading from today stood out.

"We never know the trials that await us in the days ahead. We may not be able to see the light through our struggles, but we can believe that those days, as in the life of Job, will be the most significant we are called upon to live." Robert Collyer

Anyway, just wanted to pass this neat book along to anyone looking for an encouraging read.

On a much lighter note, I just started reading "My Sister's Keeper" by Jodi Picoult, which I can already tell will be hard to put down. I saw a preview for the movie about to come out and was moved to tears just watching that. I thought I better read the book first so I can make it through the movie in one piece.

New Arrival!

2009-05-19T12:25:00.001-07:00

Ash, Brad, and Lydia welcomed Wade Connell White into their family this past Friday evening. We were able to take a short but sweet trip to Chattanooga Saturday to meet our new nephew and Sydney's new cousin! Here are a couple pics of sweet baby Wade.

Wade Connell White - 6lbs 13oz

Grammie and the Lyd

Syd sure loves her Aunt Katie and is SO glad to have her home this summer (so am I)!!

Will and sweet Cole!!

Cousin Time!

2009-05-08T13:30:00.001-07:00

First of all a big CONGRATULATIONS to Keely and John Tom on the birth of their baby boy Caleb Thomas!!! We absolutely can not wait to meet him!

Mom and I had appoinments this week with our new dentist, Dr. Brad White. Not only is he a fabulous dentist, he is a great brother in law too!! We love days when we have a dentist appt because we get to spend time with Ash and Lyd in Chattanooga. Now that Sydney is more mobile, her and Lydia have the best time playing together. This particular visit Lyd did a lot of saying "No Sydney!" and Syd did a lot of watching and wanting everything Lydia had!!!

Here are a few pics from the day!

Here is Sydney sporting Lyd's rain boots

Get Down Tonight...

2009-04-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple videos of Sydney doing one of her favorite things.....

Sunny Easter

2009-04-13T06:47:00.001-07:00

We were blessed with a beautiful Easter Sunday. My prayer is that we remember the meaning of Easter every day. Enjoy these pics we got at my parents house!

Things We're Thankful For...

2009-03-22T17:37:00.000-07:00

I just put Sydney to bed and Drew is putting a new wagon together for her. I am feeling so thankful for God's unchanging love, and for the ways he blesses us daily. Some blessings from today include;
- Sydney sleeping until 8:45 this morning :)
- Waking up healthy and together as a family

- Going to church

- Being with our church family

- Hearing God speak through one of his faithful servants

- Time with wonderful friends
- Gorgeous sunshine and 60-70 degree weather
- Drew being able to play football
- Sydney and the joy she brings us (I am going to try to post videos of her...she is cracking us up these days)...her latest phrase is ah ohhhh (not sure how to spell that) when she drops something or falls down.
- Me being able to practice real estate
The list could go on and on...What are you extra thankful for you today?

Also a quick shout out to Will and Jen Brewer -- Congratulations on baby Cole's arrival!! We look forward to meeting him.

Fun in the Sun

2009-03-04T16:52:00.001-08:00

Sydney and I just got home from Florida where we spent several days with my friend Jessica and her little girl Katie. We sure missed you Laura, Parker, Hannah, and Sara!!

On one of the many walks we took...we were just about to see some dolphins! The girls saw them too. It was so neat.

Sydney wanting to get in the pool. She would have walked right on in...she loved it

The shells and sand sure were yummy:)

Sydney and Katie enjoying the sunny beach.

Asleep after a long day

Thanks Jessica and Katie for a fun and memorable adventure!!

One Year Portraits

2009-02-22T17:18:00.001-08:00

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update my bloggy blog!! I had mentioned I would put pictures from Sydney's birthday party next but we really didn't take that many. We have a new video camera we used more than our camera. I'll try to figure out how to upload clips for future posts.

Sydney has been cracking us up lately with her babbling. She is really trying to tell us things that of course we don't understand:) She says "hi" to everyone (including our dogs), whether we're at the grocery, the mall, or just playing at home with each other. She'll go out of a room and come back in smiling saying hi! She is also doing a lot of squealing usually when she wants something - not the best habit, but we're working on it;)

Here are a few of Sydney's one year pictures taken by our friend/photographer Angela Acker. Sydney wasn't in the best of moods that day and therefore didn't smile as much as we had hoped. Enjoy!!!!

Our Almost ONE! Year Old

2009-01-25T18:24:00.001-08:00

I can't believe Sydney will be one in about a week. To think about what our lives were like this time last year compared to now is crazy! Each and every day over the last year has brought something new into our world. I cherish every bit of it.

I love thinking back to the blessed day she was born. I like to relive each minute of the day, even the parts that at the time I thought I'd never want to think about again. Still to this day when I drive past Fort Sanders where she was born, I get this weird feeling in my tummy -- I can't really describe it but it's pretty awesome. God has taught us so much through Sydney's birth and life. We praise Him for her.

The early days were filled with a whole lot of sitting and staring at her, absolutely in awe of God's goodness and power. I am still amazed at what a miracle she is, and what a gift she is.
Some of the early days were also filled with sleepless nights, frustration, tears, reading and rereading BabyWise, talking to other mamas including Ashley and mom, trying to keep Sydney awake in the day so she'd to sleep at night, dreading bathtime and getting her dressed (we spent many days in our pjs), enjoying feeding her, lots of swaddling, trips to Babies R Us, Mother Goose, and SOOO many more things.

Sydney at a year old!
- Walking, walking, and more walking - she is not happy unless she's walking. It has really made things tricky when I used to could run into a store and hold her, and now all she wants is down so she can explore!!
- She is definitely curious to see how serious we are about the word "NO". For example, she knows without a doubt that outlets are OFF LIMITS for her. She still goes up to them, and before touching them looks at me and grins....
- Some words we understand are dada, mama, dog, duck. It is fun to watch her follow instructions now like go get your blankey, monkey, baby, carrot...
- She blows kisses and waves
- She touches her head whenever we ask her where her head is, but also touches her head if we ask her where her ear, nose, mouth, etc are.
- She sleeps with the blanket my grandma made her
- She loves to dance - she gets this from her daddy
- She sucks her thumb when sleeping, sleepy, or upset.
- She LOVES the dogs (even though I have days like today where I was ready to give them away...anyone interested???)
- She is still eating baby food, but sure loves healthy foods like pizza, quesidillas, cheese, cheese, and more cheese:) She enjoys fruit, yogurt, applesauce, waffles...
- She is sleeping (most nights) from about 8 to 7 or so...
- She has 2.5 teeth
- She's afraid of the vacuum cleaner but knows it's okay since her daddy is afraid of it too:)
- She loves bath time
- She is totally potty trained .... HAHA this is a joke for those of you still reading
- She still has seperation anxiety...nursery, babysitters, new faces..these have all been a challenge. I think she's doing better though:)

Thanks for reading. I will post pics next time of her bday party!

Blog Background

2009-01-17T12:46:00.000-08:00

It's a little early to be celebrating Valentine's Day, but I wanted to share my excitement for cute blog backgrounds!! I finally figured out how to use a background other than the simple ones offered through my blog account. Ever since this blog was started I secretly wondered where everyone got their cute backgrounds. I was always a little embarassed to ask because I figured it had to be fairly simple and probably obvious:) Anyhoo, I finally figured it out and here it is!! This one will be up a while since we still have a month before Vday! If any of you are wondering how to download a different background (preferablyValentine's Day - that's all the site I found offers), please don't hesitate to ask:) I only know of the one site, so if you'd like to share where you all get yours, that would be great too!!

Here are a few pics my friend Angela took of Sydney.

Tender Florida Christmas...The Only Christmas For Me

2009-01-04T17:12:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas was wonderful. Time with family and good friends is always so sweet. This Christmas was extra special since it was Sydney's first. Here are a few pics from our holidays!

Thanks Uncle Matt, Gabby, Uncle Michael, Nana, and Gramps for all the wonderful gifts. We sure enjoyed our Christmas with you. The cell phone is one of her favorites!!!

The beach at Christmas is so much fun!! Especially with my Grammie!

Sydney did a lot of walking on this trip...thanks to her Aunt Ash! She's been walking about half the time since we've been home. It all depends on how quickly she wants to get somewhere.

I love my Great Grandma and Great Grandad

Drew's snook!

Fun Fun times in the pool

What fun we had....it was so good to finally meet precious Parker!!

Future Baller...

2008-11-25T06:42:00.000-08:00

If at first you don't succeed (gracefully).....

Try, try again!!

Old Stomping Ground

2008-11-13T13:04:00.001-08:00

We made a trip to Nashville last weekend to visit Katie for her 20th birthday, and also to see some of our very dear friends. First of all, I can't believe Katie is 20!! Time with her is always a blessing to me. She is so much fun to be around, and is also someone I truly look up to (and I am 8 years OLDER!).

It is always such a sweet treat to go back to Nasvhille. My four years there were wonderful. Here are a few of my favorite things about Nashville;

Opryland Hotel, especially at Christmas
Antropologie (I finally got to go to this store for the first time this weekend)
Brentwood Hills CofC
The statue
Nashville Marathon and Half
Maggie Moos
Bread and Company
Mazatlan
Big city feel (girls wear things you would only expect to see in NYC)
US Border Cantina

Some favorites about Lipscomb;
1. Sunny days in the square
2. The professors
3. Elam - especially the 3rd floor front hall
4. Singarama
5. Intramurals - especially flag football
6. Eating upstairs at Marriot
7. Phi Sigma
8. Chapel
9. Tuesday night devos
10. Mission trips to Australia!

Thanks Keely for these great pics!!

With our friends Lisa, Brooklyn, Bear, and Keely

Halloween, Carhartt, and Leaves Galore!

2008-11-04T15:28:00.001-08:00

Here is our little cow -- yes, it is a homemade costume, utters, tail and all!! We were farmers:)

With my good friends Bishop the grasshopper, Sawyer the cowboy, and Gabe the bee.
We missed Carter the skunk in this picture!

At Peeks Eeks Party

Our girl in her Carhartt overalls and Ugg boots -- Those are for you Aunt KK

Daddy in his Carhartt, and Syd in hers:)

Sydney in our first of many leaf piles this fall:)

me and my daddy...

2008-10-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

In the mornings usually I feed Syd and we hang out in bed together for a little while before we actually get up. Drew was in the other room getting ready for work when I got done feeding her. When she heard him coming towards the bedroom where we were, she went crazy! She squealed and crawled up to me like a speeding bullet to hide from him. It was hilarious and really really cute.

Twins

Our little climber and stander!

2008-10-09T16:30:00.001-07:00

Here is a video I took of Sydney today. Hopefully it's not too boring. I just want to have it for later on, and therefore you all can enjoy it too (hopefully)!!

She then stood up using the door to watch for her daddy to get home:)

Montgomery, AL

2008-10-04T15:24:00.000-07:00

We are here in Montgomery visiting with one of my lifelong best friends Hannah, and her husband Jeremy. They have been amazing hosts, and I truely cherish my time with Hannah. We went today to a beautiful park for a short but sweet photo shoot. Enjoy!

My listy list

2008-09-30T18:03:00.000-07:00

Thanks for tagging me Cindy -- I think these are fun:)

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:15, but then got to dose off till about 7:30
2. Diamonds or pearls? Both, but probably diamonds
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2
4. What is your favourite TV show? ER or Law and Order SVU
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Cereal, right now I'm on a Special K with strawberries kick
6. What is your middle name? Now it's Connell but it was Joy (just like Cindy's!!)
7. What food do you dislike? raw sushi
8. What is your favourite CD at moment? I've had Tim McGraw greatest hits in my CD player for the last few weeks so I guess that...but don't really have a fave
9. What kind of car do you drive? white 2004 Toyota 4Runner
10. Favourite sandwich? Croque monsieur from Hogans
11. What characteristic do you despise? greed
12. Favourite item of clothing? comfy tshirts and pj pants
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? Seaside with the family again!
14. Favourite brand of clothing? I am hooked on Ann Taylor Loft these days
15. Where would you retire to? Right here in good ole Ktown
16. What was your most recent memorable birthday? maybe my 21st when Roochita sent me on a scavenger hunt around Lipscomb to find 21 gifts!! That was great!
17. Favourite sport to watch? Basketball
18. When is your birthday? November 24
19. Are you a morning person or a night person? was morning, but since being married to drew more night now.
20. What is your shoe size? 8.5
21. Pets? 2 boxers Millie and Flash
22. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? can't think of anything
23. What did you want to be when you were little? a mom, teacher
24. How are you today? great
25. What is your favourite candy? it changes but right now probably twix
26. What is your favourite flower? roses
27. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? Oct 4 - being in Montgomery with Hannah for a visit
28. What is your nickname? Al, Deanna, Big D, Farfo
29. What are you listening to right now? The dryer and Flash snoring
30. What was the last thing you ate? 2 peanut butter cookies heated up in the microwave
31. Do you wish on stars? No
32. If you were a crayon, what colour would you be? Red -- I always used to say that was my favorite color but I have no idea!
33. How is the weather right now? Very fallish!
34. The first person you spoke to on the phone today? Drew
35. Favourite soft drink? Diet Caff Free Coke
36. Favourite restaurant? Soccer Taco
37. Real hair colour? what it is - brown
38. What was your favourite toy as a child? Anything ashley was playing with
39. Summer or winter? summer
40. Hugs or kisses? Hugs
41. Chocolate or Vanilla? chocolate
42. Coffee or tea? Sweet Tea
43. When was the last time you cried? today when I got some amazing news from a dear friend
44. What is under your bed? some of drew's shoes and lots of dust :)
45. What did you do last night? went to my Bible study at Annie's
46. What are you afraid of? being home alone at night
47. Salty or sweet? both
48. How many keys on your key ring? 4
49. How many years at your current job? Being a mom to Sydney - for exactly 8 months on Friday, Connell Properties, Inc. - 3 years
50. Favourite day of the week? Saturday
51. How many places have you lived in? Tennessee - Knoxville and Nashville
52. Do you make friends easily? Usually

Wild Eater

2008-09-29T08:01:00.000-07:00

This is Sydney eating a puff...she has just learned to do this over the past week or so. I also wanted to post this video because this is what she does every time she eats...The following is a result of her wild eating habits;) The tapping you hear is her feet going crazy against the table.

I was going in to give her a bite of her peas and she starting swinging her arms I think because she was excited, and her peas ended up on her forehead.

The Vols!!

2008-09-24T11:15:00.000-07:00

Here is our little Volunteer!! Unfortunately the vols aren't looking too good this year. We might be better off putting Sydney in her Roll Tide colors for football! When basketball season rolls around though, there is only one color for her!! ORANGE! Thanks Katie for these sweet pics.

Crawling!

2008-09-08T07:22:00.000-07:00

Sydney is officially crawling -- she isn't real fast yet (thankfully), but she gets around

Sydney and her daddy at beautiful Lake Watauga

Sydney and cousin lydia had the best time when we got to visit them last week! They are in Chattanooga now, and in a new house! We are so happy to have them back on the east side

Millie and Flash

2008-08-28T10:34:00.000-07:00

We sure do love our two boxers Millie and Flash. When we first brought Sydney home we were anxious to see what they thought of her. They really didn't pay much attention to her till recently. Now that she's a little older and more interactive, they are noticing her a lot more. Thankfully as of right now, they are a hit with each other. There is no question that Sydney LOVES them. No matter how upset she is, if you take her over to see the dogs her frown is automatically flipped upside down into a huge smile.

If given the chance to visit with her, Millie and Flash want to say hello by licking her (this doesn't bother her one bit...she actually likes it, we think). If any of you know Flash personally, you know he has a serious tongue problem (his tongue is too big for his mouth). The result of this is constant licking. We are trying to teach him the command "No Lick" (and have been for a while) but not with much luck. If you happen to know any tricks, please share:)

Hilton Head

2008-08-22T06:56:00.000-07:00

Our first trip to the beach with Sydney was a blast! The trips to and from were a little rough, but overall she did great. We aren't too sure what she thought of the beach itself, but was definitely a little afraid of the waves. She sure loved being with her Nana, Uncle Matt, Uncle Michael, and Gabby!!

I love going to the beach. It never fails that seeing the HUGE ocean reminds me of how big God is, and how small we are. This makes His love for each one of us that much more amazing.

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." Eph 3:17-19

Good luck to Katie who is going back to LU today to start her second year there. We love you and will miss you SOOOO much. You'll be in our prayers!

Sydney and Nana

Uncle Matt and Uncle Michael

Much needed new post

2008-08-12T17:40:00.001-07:00

I haven't written in what seems like forever, so I don't know where to begin with an udpate. Basically, we are loving life as parents and are cherishing each day with Sydney. She is 6 months old now and is so much fun. She is sitting up, and reaching for EVERYTHING. I wasn't used to this at first and wasn't as careful as I should have been. A few weeks ago we were eating at Panera and somehow Syd got my napkin. I didn't notice she had it till I heard her gagging...she had bit off a piece of the napkin. It scared me to death. Praise God she was okay...she just ended up swallowing it:)

We took her swimming tonight for a little while, and have decided she is going to be the future female version of Michael Phelps...she LOVES the water, and is already going under and even doing the breast stroke kick......okay the only part of that that is actually true is the part about her loving the water. We are off to Hilton Head this weekend for a short but sweet vacation. It will be Syd's first trip to the ocean!! We are excited. Anyway, thanks for reading!!

Some other eating milestones I'd like to jot down;

1.Sydney is eating cereal twice a day pretty well

2.She has tried carrots and peas and has not been too thrilled with either (any ideas?)

Little Blessings...

2008-07-22T12:36:00.000-07:00

1. Spending great time with both old and new friends. We went to KY this weekend to visit Keely and her family, and had a great time. We were sad for it to end, but so thankful we were able to see them! I'll try to post pics from that soon! We just got home from spending time with our new friends Sara and her son, Carter, who was born one day after Sydney. Sydney and I have really enjoyed getting to know them. It is so much fun watching Sydney and Carter interact...not that they do much, but they look at each other and sometimes smile, and reach out for each other. It is precious.
2. Good long naps that Sydney takes and that I am sometimes able to take too:)
3. Sunshine that is so hot, you have to be near a pool to be out in it!
4. Then the awesome storms that usually follow such a hot and humid day.
5. Getting a good long run in!! -- thanks Katie R for that last night!!
6. A supportive and loving husband.
7. New date nights while Nana keeps Sydney...Thank you!!
8. The Lord's reminders of what is really important
9. Opportunities to help someone else -
10. A sister who is about to turn 30!!! HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY ASH!! Love you!

More Utah Pics

2008-07-07T05:13:00.001-07:00

Drew got Sydney some much needed sunglasses.

At Sundance

With the Millers at The Blind Dog

With Betsy and John

The family after Sydney's first time eating cereal!!

UTAH!

2008-07-01T07:54:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a week long vacation in beautiful Utah! It was Sydney's first time to fly and her first real vacation. I was very anxious about how it would all go, but she did great! She was a trooper on the plane...I was worried about her ears bothering her, but there were no signs of that thankfully. We got to spend some great time with our friends Betsy, Nat, and John Ford and Laura and Drew Miller. Every time I'm in Utah I am reminded of God's creative and artistic hand. I'll post more pics soon!

Our First Trip to the Pool!

2008-06-09T08:50:00.000-07:00

I grew up swimming for KRC -- the best summer swim team in Knoxville!!! and spent many summer days hanging out at the pool. Sydney began her swimming career last night at KRC, and I think really enjoyed it:) Here are some pics of our adventure.....

Sydney all greased up with sunscreen...it was 6pm when we went, but we wanted to be safe:)

Seeing a pool for the 1st time!!

She floated and even kicked a little

After she got out...we remembered a new diaper but forgot a dry outfit

A play day with Grant, Laura, and Carter...we sure are going to miss the Miller family!!

The Deck and Dr. White!

2008-06-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

Just when it was starting to turn cold, Drew and my dad (with help from others too..mom and Brad) finished up our new deck. We weren't really able to enjoy it much till now! Sydney and I have fun out there on pretty days, and it is always nice to grill out and enjoy when Drew gets home. Thanks again Dad and everyone else who helped with it! We love it!

Also we wanted to congratulate our brother in law and Sydney's uncle Brad on his graduation from Dental school. We were sad we couldn't be there to witness it, but were thinking of him. Sydney can't wait to wear her new outfit. Pics of that to follow in another blog:) We are even happier that this graduation will bring them closer to us again! We love ya'll.

Syd in her sunhat...I know it's a little bit big:)

Sydney with her bodyguards:)

Sydney and Uncle Matt

A couple more pics from the weekend

2008-05-30T06:30:00.001-07:00

Sydney with her precious friend Katie Wallace

Jessica, me, Laura, Hannah, Sara

Wedding Weekend!

2008-05-19T17:58:00.001-07:00

Congrats to Will and Jen Brewer!! We had a great time with friends and family celebrating Will and Jen's new marriage! Here are a few pics from the weekend.

Happy Day

2008-05-19T17:58:00.000-07:00

Some blessings from today...

1. Beautiful Sunshine

2. Sydney's smile

3. Drew's love for his family

4. Drew getting Sydney to laugh out loud (she doesn't do this often at all and when she does it's usually for him)

5. My new plants/flowers in our window boxes.. the impatiens are already blooming!

6. My Bible study (even though tonight we didn't actually study the Bible:)

7. I COOKED dinner tonight (this is unusual for me but I'm really working on it) and it was actually good...even though Drew said the chicken tasted like "chinese food" and it wasn't supposed to be chinesey...he liked it though or so he said:)

8. Katie came to watch Syd today so I could go to the grocery and mall -- THANK YOU!

9. Work was very productive!

10. Lunch with Katie and my peanut butter cookie from Hogans.....YUM!

11. I picked up Sydney's first professional portraits from Sears...

12. Drew's excitement by getting to play Guitar Hero for a lil while tonight..and his demonstration of his unbelieveable talent:)

13. I got to hear about and see pics of Ash's house .. Congrats!!

We took these pics of D's nostrils the day after Sydney was born so we could see just how much her nostrils look like his!

The Funky Bunch

2008-05-12T06:51:00.000-07:00

Sydney finally meets the funky bunch all together!!! She even got in on some of our "Funny Face" pictures!!

Our crazy girl Millie...

Sydney with her Nana watching her daddy play ball!!

Sydney with her Gramps!!

Great Grandparents and New Friends

2008-04-09T15:15:00.000-07:00

Sydney got to meet two sets of her great grandparents a couple weeks ago. She also got to meet her new friend Savannah at Fort Kid.

Mawmaw and Sydney

Grandma and Grandad - 4 Generations

Grandma's got the touch!

Savannah, Sydney, and Laura

Syd in her (Lydia's) sun hat!

Singarama and Church

2008-04-07T06:44:00.000-07:00

We went to Nashville this weekend to see Katie perform in Singarama! Congrats to her group winning FIRST place!! It was a lot of fun and Katie did a fabulous job as a mechanic working 9 to 5. Sydney got to see Keely again and meet Emily at none other than our favorite restaurant in Nashville...Mazatlan! I also got to see Sara, which was great. Love and miss you all!! We also got to go to church for the second time with Sydney. All the new babies were introduced and prayed for by the elders. It was really neat. We are so blessed by our loving family at Laurel.

What a short but oh so sweet visit!

Katie in her mechanic costume!

Sydney with her Pappie.

GO VOLS!

2008-03-27T06:10:00.001-07:00

It is a beautiful day here in Ktown today. It is already almost 70 degrees and is only 9:30am. I love this kind of weather. Sydney and I will hopefully get to enjoy it later during a walk. We are thankful for SPRING!! Hope everyone is cheering on the VOLS tonight!! Enjoy the pics!

Millie and Sydney - not sure what to think of each other...

GO VOLS!

Sydney and Katie Wallace met for the first time while watching UT beat Butler! They are going to be great friends one day:)

First blogging attempt:)

2008-03-19T07:24:00.000-07:00

Sydney is 6.5 weeks old and is really starting to smile at us. She seems to be the happiest laying on the changing table looking around her room . This is where we can get her to smile the most. She used to cry every time we changed her, but now she loves it!! She is so much more alert and aware of what's going on around her. She makes us laugh with her funny facial expressions and many smiles. With her in our lives, we are constantly reminded of God's goodness and love.

We had a family get together in Gatlinburg over the weekend. It is always so great seeing extended family and catching up with them. We just went up for the day Saturday since Sydney is quite unpredictable when it comes to bed time...well, really when it comes to any time! She was able to meet her great aunts and uncles, second cousins, and finally her first cousin Lydia! The Lyd and the Syd hadn't been able to really meet and greet until now. Unfortunately when Lydia was here when Sydney was only a week old, she had a cold. They had to meet through the glass door at our house. Enjoy the pics!

Cousin Lydia and Sydney

Sydney hard at work with me:)