Thanks, Sarah!

I wanted to thank my dear friend, Sarah Kinser, for knitting this adorable sweater for Abby Kate. It was given to her when she was first born. And I love it because she's been able to wear it since she was very little and it still fits this winter. Sarah, you are very talented and I appreciate such a special and beautiful gift that we will keep forever. Thank you!!!

Since the holidays have passed, we've been busy trying to get back into our routine. Mike has flown a few times and is getting back into the groove of flight school. And I've been tackling a big handful of graphic design projects - which is a really great start to 2008 for my business. I'm hoping to add a few more clients this year, even if that means I have to work more at night (good thing all my favorite shows are posted online!).

Abby Kate is growing, walking and talking all over the place. She has so much personality and is the sweetest little girl. She still LOVES to "read" and be read to. She's now into climbing and feeding Junah. As soon as I lay his food out, she marches straight over there, scoops up two handfuls and feeds him every last morsel. I don't mind because she is entertained and Junah feels like a king. Need I say more?!

Christmas in Kentucky

The trip to Kentucky for Christmas this year went by WAY too fast. We visited with so many friends and family while there. I felt blessed to have been able to spend at least a little time with so many people we hadn't seen in a long while. My mom's sister Ruth Ann, her two sons Matthew and Jonathan - along with their adorable families - traveled from North and South Carolina to spend the holiday with us. I hadn't seen them in a few years. It was great to catch up with them. And we also enjoyed seeing meeting up with several friends from high school and college while in town. And most importantly, we cherished our time spent with Mom, Dad, Brian, Carrie and William. We love you!! William and Abby Kate played together, shared toys and raced each other up and down the stairs. (William taught AK how to go down the steps on her belly.) We could hardly keep them away from the stairs without them throwing fits!

I explained the birth of Jesus to Abby Kate before laying her down on Christmas Eve, even if it was just practice for the year she'll actually understand. :)

She was spoiled with all kinds of toys and clothes for Christmas. She got two baby dolls and a little stroller to carry them in. She could care less about the dolls, but she LOVES that stroller. Even Junah let her push him around in it. Grami also got her her very own laptop (pink, of course) so she can practice her letters and sounds. Right now she's only interested in opening and shutting it, however. :)

Thanks to my family for a wonderful Christmas spent with you and for all the great gifts you gave us. Here are just a few photos from our week at home...

AK and Will burning rubber... er just sitting there... in their Jeep.

It was so great to see you, Sarah!! You look awesome and Ryan is a catch!

Yep, that's Lyndsey, incognito. I seriously like your hair dark, Lynds. And the purple thing will fade. See, you can't even tell in this pic. It was GREAT to see you!!! It was great to have met Brian finally!

Opening gifts = fun for all ages. I had to keep myself from playing with AK's dolls. :)

Climbing stairs = fun for babies only. They could do it for hours.

Love you, Mom! Thanks for everything!

Got to see both my grandmothers while we were in town. Always a blessing. This is my dad's mom.

All dressed up on Christmas Day.

We wished we'd had time to watch a movie at my aunt and uncle's house, as they have this awesome movie theater in their house! Especially since we haven't been to a theater since before AK was born. But she's more fun than movies anyway.

The Brooks family. It was SO great to see you all. It had been too long!

Getting 10 kids under the age of 3 to pose for a picture is quite the task. And, actually, it never happened. Thank you, Photoshop! You should see all the pictures I used to make this one. Babies everywhere! They are all so cute.

The Pollard family. Thank you for having us! The food was great and getting to spend time with all of you was even better.

And this is my other Mawmaw. I think somewhere in her heart she still knows us and remembers us even though it's hard to tell some days.

Jimmy Dan and Jennifer. Thanks for having us! We had a great time catching up (and boxing, haha). So good to see you!

My how things have changed in the last few years... look at all those babies! These are some of my high school friends and their newest additions. Thanks for having us over, Liz. I loved catching up with all of you.

My forever friend, Lyndsay. Can't wait for February! Working out together will be fun. It'll be like old times in dance class!

I love you, Mike and Abby Kate. Thanks most of all to you for a WONDERFUL holiday! I am so blessed to have you both.

Giving Daddy Love on Christmas Day

I have so much to post on our trip to Kentucky for Christmas. But I thought I'd share this one pic quickly. This was taken on Christmas Day, just before we went over to my Aunt and Uncle's house. Abby Kate loves her Daddy! More on our family's holiday to come...

Warm Holiday Wishes!

Today's Temps = High: 56 / Low: 27

The cold weather has finally come! Now whether it's going to stay or not... that's the question. We've been teased before. But there's a pleasant chill to the air that we haven't felt in a long time. Maybe we'll actually be able to wear our winter clothes without breaking into a sweat this week! A girl can only hope. Anyway, the most fun part is seeing AK in a hat and mittens. These are courtesy of Grandma Wallace. And the adorable outfit is a Christmas present from Uncle CJ and Aunt Amber. So cute! Thanks, guys!

Daddy's Boots: Not Made for Walkin'

Abby Kate knows what "shoes" and "socks" are and can say the words better than most others. So when she saw Daddy's BIG pilot shoes, I don't think she could resist trying them on. After getting all the way in - with the boots up to her booty (sorry, couldn't resist) - she wasn't so sure about them anymore. I think she was wondering why they didn't 'walk.' (Click the image for a better view.)

As for Daddy, he can certainly walk in his boots as well as accomplish many other great things in them. On Thursday, he soloed at night for the first time. On Monday, he soloed in a 4-plane formation flight (flying a few feet away from his classmates and their instructor flying the other three planes). Next week, he will start practicing how to land on an aircraft carrier (except using a "carrier box" - or a painted area - on a runway instead of in the ocean). I can't imagine him landing a jet on a moving ship out in the ocean, but that's exactly what he'll be doing at the end of his training here (probably early June).

Although it's still stressful being graded everyday, Mike is having a lot of fun with this part of his training.

Tag. I'm It!

OK, I've been tagged by Christina. Here are the rules:
1. Link to the person that tagged you and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share 7 random and or weird things about yourself.
3. Tag 7 random people at the end of your post and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Seven random things about me. Hmmmmmm...
1. I don't like to cook. Or bake. I think the time it takes to make a delicious meal greatly outweighs the time it takes to enjoy it. Plus, a delicious meal usually equals tons of calories. And if you go the healthy route - well, why waste so much time making something that isn't even good?! I'd rather save the time and the calories and just eat an apple and some cheese or whole wheat toast with peanut butter for dinner. If it were only me in this house, that's what I'd do. But we make pretty simple meals around here, anyway. I'm going to have to start making more of a variety of things for Abby Kate, however, so she'll have the opportunity to taste many different things now that she eats mainly table food. So if you have any easy, easy recipes that kids like...

2. I get excited about the mail coming everyday! That's weird, I know. Sometimes it's all bills and coupons, but it's the not knowing what you're going to get - a daily surprise, if you will - that's fun. What a dork I sound like! But we're sharing random and weird stuff, so this is what you get.

3. Christina, me too! I'm terrified of snakes. Even typing the word sends a shiver up my spine. I HAAAAATE them. I'd rather have 100 spiders crawling all over my face than having even a pet snake touch me. And, I mean... "pet" snake? What kinda crazy are you people keeping snakes in your house as "pets?" Blech! I can't look at them in books either. And when that crocodile hunter died? I swear I was afraid to turn the TV on for fear of more coverage about his death. In almost every shot he was holding a disgusting, slithering beast! I've encountered a couple (remember this?), in my life, and that's way too many already.

4. I love wintergreen-flavored candy. Remember candy cigarettes? I used to down those things. My cousins and I would walk up to the drug store near my grandmother's house when we were little and buy bags of candy. I'd always go straight for those because I loved the taste. Only much later would I find out that they sell LifeSavers Mints in the same flavor! My favorites are the ones that are a little bit soft. I could eat a whole bag in one day. I don't. But I could. :)

5. I met my husband when I was in the 7th grade (he was in 8th). I first saw his picture in our middle school yearbook. It was a closeup of him in his football uniform. I think he even had his protective mouthpiece in, so it must've been during the game. He looked all tough and athletic. His blue eyes were so bright against the blue jersey (just like AK's!). I think I'd already fallen for him in that instant while staring at the picture. And after I met him in person, I was completely lovesick. We started dating about a year and a half later when I'd just turned 14. And since that day on July 26, 1993, we've been together. Not one breakup! And I've just kept loving him more and more through high school, college, our wedding, the military, our first baby... I should dig up that picture of him from middle school. I still feel the same as I did at 13 every time I look at it.

Hey, I found it!
6. I love word games like Scrabble and other word puzzles. I can't ever get Mike to play them with me, but when I have time I play them online.

7. I couldn't have imagined not having a little girl. I prayed and prayed for a little girl, even if it was just one. And I couldn't be happier that she's here!!! I'm so, so excited about all the fun things and special moments I'll get to share with her. I love you, sweet girl!

OK, sorry guys, I'm randomly tagging seven here... get going!:) Marge, Lori, Kim, Sommer, Carolyn, Whitney, and Kasey.

First of Many, I'm Sure

Today started off not so good. Abby Kate awoke at 2 a.m. with a 104.4 degree temperature for the second night in a row. She slept on my chest for the rest of the morning after we gave her some Tylenol and didn't wake up again until 9:30. So I called Dr. Price and she thinks AK has a stomach virus. She's really tired and just feeling miserable today.

As if all that wasn't enough, she then took a tumble into the coffee table this morning. At first, I didn't think she had injured herself, but then about 10 minutes later, this appeared on her little cheek! I feel so bad for her. It looks a little worse in person - more black and blue. So we're just asking for your prayers to make her feel better soon. I'm sure this bruise is the first of many, but I just hate that I can't prevent them all!

Santa Came to Town. On a T-45!

Abby Kate met (and was terrified) of Santa for the first time on Saturday. The squadron hosted a Christmas party for the children and "flew" Santa in on one of the jets. He actually just taxied around the runway a bit, before exiting the jet to hand out gifts and take pictures with all the kids. It was all really cute, but Abby Kate DID NOT like the fat, jolly old soul with the beard. We weren't even close to him, but she was shrieking from afar. So we knew right then there would be no picture with Santa. (Hence, no picture with Santa here.) We did get a picture with the jet though. I'm not sure how Santa is scarier than this loud, giant piece of metal, but go figure. I tried to explain to her that this is the plane Daddy flies everyday. To which she pointed to it and replied, "Doooooog." Everything's a dog.

We went upstairs to the squadron afterward for snacks and gift-giving. Santa brought Abby Kate her first Care Bear, which she named "baby." However, she was way more interested in the bowl of Cheez-Its than any part of the Christmas festivities. :)

Christmas is Coming!

I put the decorations up early this year looking forward to Abby Kate's reaction. I brought her downstairs the morning after - she pointed to the tree and said, "ball!" Thankfully, little miss AK doesn't put her little fingers all over the "balls." She got really close a couple of times, but never touches any of it. I was surprised. I think maybe she's a little scared of it!

Thanksgiving

We traveled to Tyler, Texas this year to visit Mike's family for the Thanksgiving holiday. We stayed with CJ and Amber (thanks again!) so Abby Kate had a lot of playtime with her 8-month-old cousin, Luke. They shared toys and laughs and had some good baby fun together. We enjoyed a delicious meal and plenty of pie and cookies! All of Mike's family was there, including his younger brother, Bill, who just returned from his third deployment in Iraq as a helo pilot. It was only the second time he saw Abby Kate (the first time, she was only 2 months old), and it was the first time he'd met Luke.

Thanks again to the Wallaces for having us! We enjoyed spending time with each of you!

The Run for Hope

Yep, that's me, runner #29, preparing myself for 6.2 miles of torture. I decided to run a 10K race (my first one). I'm only smiling here because I just saw the ambulance pull up. Reassurance for quick medical attention should I not make it past mile four! Ha, ha. Mike ran, too, but in the 5K road race because he was pushing 50+ lbs with Abby Kate in the stroller.

This race was a charity event with proceeds going to Hope Village for Children here in MS. It's a place for children who come from abusive homes or those who have been neglected, or abandoned.

So off I went with the unexpected gunshot at 8:30 a.m. I was doing great about a 1/8 mile in until I pushed play on my iPod and nothing happened. Aaaagghhh! You've got to be kidding me. No way was I going to make it up all those huge gravel hills with no musical motivation! I could already hear myself and all those around me breathing heavy. And that, for me, is the exact opposite of motivating. And if the only thing I had to concentrate on was my pitiful heaving and the pounding of my feet, you can pretty much be certain I'd have turned right around.

-I turned the stupid thing on and off a couple times and then - to my surprise and total relief - my tunes flowed, the sound of my breathing ceased and my eyes... well, my eyes now focused on the first ginormous hill. @#$%!

I pressed on passing a couple of people, then getting passed by six more... and so on and so forth. There were a couple of guys that were running a bit faster than me, but they walked up every hill, so I kept passing them on the inclines. One of them had the physique of an Olympic runner. I'm thinking,

Seriously, look at you... and you're running way back here with me?! No, I don't mind... you're totally making me look good. Oh, what, you're stopping to drink the water? heh, heh... Watch this, I run and hydrate at the same time, Mr. Olym- uh-gha! cough, gah, cough, aachk! Choking here! where's that ambulance?

Then I'm wondering why I care since I've never known myself to have any sort of competitive streak. However, I knew Mike was going to get a picture of me as I came up on the fifth mile, so I managed to get myself in front of the guy for the photo! :) Check me out, all beating those two guys. Yeah, after that, I gladly let them pass me again and slowed to a comfortable pace for the last mile.

My goal was to complete the race in an hour and 15 minutes. Approaching the finish line, I glanced up and the clock, and disbelieving, I saw it blazing a red 58:30! I can't believe I finished it in under an hour! I love you, iPod!

Mike did great, too. He finished the 5K in 24 minutes! That's impressive with the stroller, not to mention picking up sippie cups and pacifiers (and who knows what else) in stride along the way. Good job, honey!

It was a gorgeous morning. We both agreed it was a great event and really enjoyed it. We saw several familiar faces there and met some new people as well. And you wouldn't believe it, but we both ended up taking home awards! Mike finished first in his age group, and I finished second in my age group. Nevermind that Mike was only 5K runner in his age group. :)

Thanks to Little Miss AK for running with Daddy and for cheering Mommy on!!! You were such a good girl!


OK, so you can't really tell how athletic the guy (second one behind me in blue) is, but trust me, he looks like he should've been the first one across the finish line.

Babies on the Way!

Swings, Slides and Stats

The weather's been mild here lately, so we took advantage of it and headed to a local park last Friday. There was an elementary school field trip there, but we managed to get on a few slides and swings. I think Abby Kate enjoyed watching the other kids just as much as she liked the playground.

Abby Kate is growing and learning so fast! I feel like she gets bigger and smarter by the hour. Here are her stats:

30 inches tall (75th percentile)
24 lbs (75th percentile)

She's walking all over the place. She walks laps around the house with no purpose or intent of going anywhere. But she always has to have something in each hand. Usually, it's my cell phone in one, and a toy in the other. Her favorite things are her books. She brings them to me all day long, wanting me to read them to her. When the story's over and I shut the book, she picks it right back up, hands it to me and says, "mee, mee?" - which means "read me?" It's so dang cute that I've been known to read her the same book a dozen times in a row!

Besides "mee, mee," she can say nine other words:
"bah" - ball
"doe" - dog
"UH-oh!" - UH-oh!
"Ma-ma" - mommy
"dah-dee" - daddy
"baby" - baby
"shoes" - shoes
"booooo" - moo (while pointing to a cow)
"ah-boo" - peek-a-boo

Halloween Fun

Abby Kate was less than a week old last Halloween, so she didn't get to dress up and trick-or-treat until this year. And well, she still didn't really grasp the whole trick-or-treat thing, but she did enjoy the only piece of candy we let her eat: a snack-size Three Musketeers! We took her to Mike's squadron (the building where all the air operations are based). The wives' club had organized a trick-or-treat party for the kids.

Without further a due, here's our little bunny!

Her costume came with a carrot "rattle." So cute!

In time she'll learn not to be so timid and take candy where she can get it! (Like Mommy.)

Fellow trick-or-treaters: Griffin (spider), Eden (Dorothy) and AK (pink bunny).

After Abby Kate went to bed, Mike and I stood out in our driveway and handed out candy until 9:30 p.m. Our neighbors had warned us that people from all over drop their kids off in our neighborhood. We ended up treating close to 400 kids (and teenagers, I think). Our friends across the street had a big haunted house going and the kids would come to our house next, shaking and crying because they scared them so bad! It was mean, but a little funny, too.