Friday 12/21

I can't believe it's almost Christmas!!  We are ready, for the most part.  It has been hard getting into the spirit of things this year.  Mom and I were talking about this time last year we were bringing Dad to Heber and we were so excited.  I remember he came to the house on Christmas Day.  It was a wonderful day for all of us, yet sad at the same time.  He tired so easily and didn't get to stay but an hour.  I remember he asked mom for a cup of coffee while he was there and it broke our hearts that we couldn't give him any.  Hopefully he has been enjoying all of the coffee he wants. :)
It is late and I am exhausted, so I'm going to make this short.  I mainly wanted to post this update so I could remember this time in our lives.  Gracie says some of the greatest things and if I don't write them down, I forget them!  These past few months Gracie has mentioned Pop some.  If we drive past the nursing home (which I try not to do very often...still too hard) she will say, "There's Pops house!"
The other day she was listing all of the people she loved.... "I love Daddy and Mommy, Baby Carley, Dede, Pop, Caroline, Uncle B and Kay!"  I was so touched that she included Dad.  I asked her if she remembered where Pop was.  She said, "Pop is with Jesus and the angels in heaven.... up in the sky."  She was so excited the other day when I picked her up from school.  She said, "Mommy, Mimi has Jesus and angels at her house(nativity scene)... like Pop." :)  We talk about how much we love and miss Pop and she will say and Dede really misses Pop, too.  It just amazes me how much she picks up, at the age of 3.
I hope that everyone has a very Merry Christmas!  We love each and every one of you!!!  :)

Playing catch up

Well.... I'm here to try and play catch up again!!!  Time just gets away from me these days!!! =)  We are usually running non stop till about 8 at night.  I get the kids in bed and have all the fun laundry to wash and fold and dishes to wash and by this time I'm pooped and just want to lie in bed and watch TV. (And cross my fingers that Carley decides to sleep through the night on that particular night)
Anyway, we are doing well.  I celebrated my 31st Birthday back on the 2nd.  I am thankful for all my wonderful friends and family that made it a great birthday!  Mom watched the girls that night and Josh and I went to dinner.  This definitely doesn't happen very often AT ALL, so we really enjoyed it.

self portrait from our night out!

 

Mom and I have been busy the past 4 months writing Thank-yous and I'm soo happy to report we are officially finished!  Mom was stressing over the fact it was taking us so long, but there just isn't enough time in the day... esp to write over 200 thank yous!  We are still just blown away by all of the generosity.  Dad was truly a well loved guy!!!

Gracie and I enjoyed "Disney Live" with our besties, Taylor and Jasmin!!!  The girls were soo cute and had lots of fun!!!

Not the best pic, but the only one I got that night!

 

We enjoyed a Fall Festival at the girls school.  Gracie spent the majority of her time in the bouncy house and had a blast!!!

 



This past weekend Caroline was in a wedding in Jackson, MS.  I went with her and Mom kept the girls!  She is truly super DeDe!  We FaceTimed with them the first night... Carley wasn't too sure what to think of seeing me on the phone!!! 

We had a good time!!  I missed my babies, but I enjoyed my "me" time.  Caroline was busy the majority of the time with wedding stuff, so I just did my own thing and it was very nice and relaxing!!!

 

It was fun getting all dressed up!!!

On the way home, we stopped in Lake Village and took a stroll down memory lane.  It was a little sad... we drove past my grandparents old house.  We have so many memories in that house growing up.  If anyone was watching us, they probably thought we were crazy stalkers, because I was taking pictures of the house and every where else we went!! ha!
We stopped by the cemetery to see my grandparents graves.  It's so weird to think that my dad died 5 years after his mother.  I would have never imagined.

We drove by his old office and then to the lil park they dedicated to my grandfather after he passed away.  He was Mayor of Lake Village for 33 consecutive years!!  What an honor!!  That really says a lot about him, cause you just don't normally see someone in office for that long.  He was truly a well respected man and reminds me so much of Dad.  They were a lot alike.

I have to say, I was soo happy to get home to these lil sweeties, though!!!

I hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving!!!!!! 

Happy Halloween

Mom and I took the girls trick or treating tonight. We went to like 5 houses and I'm pooped! Ha!!! Gracie would have been ok with just trick or treating at our house and filling her bucket up, but we wanted to make a few stops at some friends houses.
Of course, I didn't get any pictures after we left the house! Ohhh well!!!!!
Luckily Gracie is in bed watching Cinderella and Carley is asleep in my lap! I must say I am not too far behind her!!!!!

Happy Halloween from my Princess and pumpkin!!!! :)



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Thursday 10/18

It's been busy around here these past two weeks. Last week I was in Little Rock for my life/health insurance class. Josh had the girls and I'm happy to say they all 3 survived, with the help of our wonderful DeDe! :) Josh's Birthday was on Thursday. I hate that I wasn't with him to celebrate, but Mom made up for it and took him and the girls to dinner. I've decided I need to get away more often..... Josh got Carley to sleeping all night and my house was even clean when I got home! :)
We went to Tull this past Sunday to see Dads headstone. It's weird to say its beautiful. Just about as weird as it was seeing his name on there.
















I told Mom the other day I only wish I could see Dad with Gracie AND Carley right now. They would both have their Pop wrapped around their little fingers!
I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. We are headed to Benton for the weekend. My cousin is getting married and Gracie is one of the flower girls and Caroline is singing. I know Caroline will do great, I'm just a lol nervous about how Gracie will do! We've been practicing what to do, so hopefully she won't "freeze" up!!!! :)
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Happy Birthday, GRACIE

Happy 3rd Birthday to our sweet and sassy lil Gracie!!!!!!!


She woke up and got to open the gift her Gigi set her!


We then headed over to Dede's to open gifts and are now heading to Benton for the day! :)


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Tuesday 10/2

Wow! I've really been MIA. I didn't realize it had almost been 2 months since I updated last. Hopefully I didn't run everyone off and someone will see this post! :)
I don't even know where to start! Not too much has been going on with us, yet we've been soo busy! Josh and the girls and I moved yet again this past weekend. It wasn't too bad this go around, but I'm sure glad it's behind us! We are still in Heber and the girls and I (and Josh when he's in town) have dinner with Mom pretty much every night. I'm so thankful we live close and are able to be together so much.
We've celebrated Dad and Moms birthdays since my last post. We went to the cemetery on Dads. It sure was a hard day, seeing the fresh grave without any flowers. Everything from the service had died due to the the hot hot weather. We took some flowers and stayed and visited for awhile. We hope to go back this weekend and his headstone will be up. It will be hard seeing that, but at the same time I'm ready for it to be there. It's still so surreal. I haven't fully accepted it that my Daddy is gone. I know people say it will get easier with time, but for now, I can't say I fully believe that. I miss him more than ever.... We all do. Mom and I sit and talk about him constantly. We picture the way he would hold his head when he would laugh, the way he would say things and the looks he would give! (Both good and bad, lol) I found some videos on mom and dads laptop the night dad passed away. We watch those constantly and just laugh. Mom told me the other day she watches them every night. One is of Dad singing and goofing off. He had us all rolling. The other starts off with Dad singing and dancing in the kitchen, then Mom joins in! I'll have to remember to post the one of Dad (Mom would kill me if I posted the one of her! Lol) I wish everyone could have known Dad as the way he acted in that video! He loved to have a good time.
Moms birthday was the 24th. The girls in her office had a lil surprise party for her and we went to surprise her as well! We also went to Copelands for dinner
for her birthday. Unfortunately it was dinner from hell! lol Both of my kids decided to act crazy! Carley screamed and Gracie fussed the entire time. After all of us taking turns walking outside with them, I finally had my meal boxed up and we drove around the parking lot while Mom and Caroline ate! Ugh! One day we will look back at this and laugh, but for now, I said we may never go out to dinner again until the girls are 13!!!!
Everyone is doing well. Caroline is still living and working in Little Rock and loves it. She has a new beau. :) Brett is still in Heber as well and helps me out with things quite a bit, especially when Josh is gone. Mom is still working. Thank you notes and the girls and I are keeping her busy when she's not. :) (I can not tell you all how touched and honored we were by everything people have done since Dads passing. We are seriously floored and cant express our appreciation enough) I'm still working as well and loving my job and my coworkers. They are the best!!!!! The girls are growing everyday!



Gracie will be 3 on October 14th and Carley will be 4 months on the 12th. Time sure is flying by. I only wish Dad was here to enjoy everything with us.
I took this picture 4 days before dad died. I wanted to have a picture of Carley with her Pop and I'm so thankful that I have this.


I hope all of you are doing well. I promise to update more often!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Monday 8/6

I can't believe it's been two weeks since Dads funeral. There has been so much going on, and we've been so busy. It's helped to keep us preoccupied, but we all have a good cry at least once a day. Sometimes it's more. I'm remembering Dad before he got sick. I thought it was kind of odd I wasn't thinking of him being sick, but then Mom and Caroline told me the same thing. I guess that's a good thing and that's how he would want us to remember him.
Gracie still talks about Pop and going to "Pop's house"..... Oh how I wish she would have been able to know him longer. One thing is for sure... She was all about her Pop and vice versa. Seriously, if you knew Dad, I'm sure you heard lots of stories about Gracie and probably even had the luxury of watching some of her videos if you went to visit him at his office! Lol
We went to the cemetery last weekend and we ordered his headstone. Talk about weird. Just didn't seem like we should have to be doing that. It doesn't seem fair and all this definitely doesn't make sense. I know one day it will. If you were at Dads funeral you've already heard this amazing song. The night Dad passed away our good friend (and my boss! :)) stopped by to see us. We had already asked her to sing at Dads service and she wanted us to hear a song she had heard. Mom, Caroline and myself sat around the laptop and watched the video on YouTube. We had goosebumps and cried like babies as we listened. This song was sooo fitting. I just kept picturing Dad following the words. We knew after hearing it had to be played at his service. I've listened to it over a dozen times and it still brings tears to my eyes. Here is a link to the video.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivM1ytYswNA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

One of Dads friends, Mr Wes, sent us this picture today. We all had the best laugh!!!!!




Love Dads badminton and love Mr Wes's navy plaid shorts!!!! Haha!!!!
-Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone