Atalie-6 weeks!

She's a delight in every sense of the word. A happy baby, a sleepy baby, and she makes noises like a little lamb. You really hear a little "baaaa" when you pick her up from a nap. LOVE IT!

Here's a few pictures of my little lamb.

The Beach!

This past week we've had a spell of warm weather. It hit almost 80 degrees one day! I love the warm weather. Scratch that...I love HOT weather. So one evening we packed up and went down to the oceanfront for the evening. We ate a picnic dinner and officially got ripped off by Dairy Queen. How is it that 3 hot dogs and 2 drinks cost $18???? Next time we'll be packing PB &Js. Or I'll eat ice cream for dinner.

Charis chasing the birds!

Me, attempting to feed Atalie while she attempts to fall asleep. Oh, and Charis successfully attempting to swipe a sip of our soda. :)

We had a blast that evening once we got over the price of hot dogs and Brian maneuvered the stroller on the sand.

Sisters!

Having a sister is something I always wanted and I feel blessed that the Lord has allowed Charis and Atalie to have each other. Charis already has an attachment and a genuine fondness for Atalie. Or as she calls her, "A-dee-dee."

Time with Dad

Charis was very curious at first!

Charis's first time holding Atalie.

Inspecting the goods...

Atalie's first day of church.

My girls

For some reason I get such a kick out of the goofiest pictures. So here's a little taste of some of my recent favorites. :) Seriously, look that that double chin.

Still trying to focus on things!

She was very excited to play in the sink. We had to do a little sink bath after playing with glitter during art time.

I still don't know why she was making these faces, but it was hilarious.

First Snow

Charis's first time actually playing in the snow was this past February. She loved it!

This is Charis and Brian's sad attempt to make a snowball.

Yes, Valerie. This is what closes schools in Virginia Beach!

And this....is the snowball.

I Do What I Don't Want To Do...

I'm finding that too often I do exactly what I'm hard on other people for doing. Have you been walking through the grocery store and hear a scream that catches your attention? You turn, already knowing what to look for. A toddler or child crying. Too often I catch myself thinking about what they should do as a mom, or what type of punishment to deal out to the child. That is, until I was that mom in the grocery store. I remember it well...
Charis had been dealing with a pretty nasty cold all week. We'd both been cooped up and I was dying to get out of the house. Normally she's my shopping buddy. She loves any kind of shopping and will gladly spend the day hopping from store to store. So we venture out to Bloom to pick up a few groceries. It's close to the house, we've been stuck inside, and she probably needs a break from the same walls she's seen day in and day out.
As soon as I plop her in the grocery cart I notice it. She was fine on the drive over, even perky! But the dark circles popped up, her posture wilted, and she put her head down on the bar of the cart. Then commenced the crying. At this point we've got the necessities only in the cart and I'm rushing to the line to get out of there! By the time we got to the cashier, all eyes were on us, and my child was face down in the front of the cart (no easy task, mind you...but she was determined to lay down).
My face red with embarrassment, I reflected on the situation as I drove home (Charis crying the whole way). How often have I been quick to judge someone because of what I see. But I only see part of the picture. Too rarely I jump to my own conclusions without giving others the benefit of the doubt. Is the child sick? Having an off day?
How about me? I'm thankful that God sees it all, even what I don't want anyone to see, and still bestows grace and a healthy dose of humility. It's time to stop looking at what others should do and start looking at what ways they reflect Christ better than I do. I could learn a thing or two from that mom in the grocery store, I'm sure. But even more so, we could learn a lot from friends and family (the ones most of us tend to be the hardest on.)
God's challenging me to look at those around me and stop being the judge, but the student. I guess every now and then I need a visit to the Principal to set me straight.

Party time!

Anyone who knows me, knows I love birthdays. All birthdays. Anyone's birthday. Birthdays are meant to be celebrated!!! I remember waking up as a child with posters around the house, post-it notes strategically placed, and coming down the stairs to a birthday breakfast. Then later I enjoyed a birthday lunch and birthday dinner. Birthdays were never over the top as far as money goes...but every birthday I felt so special. It was MY day!


I love celebrating other people's birthdays too. We've even had birthday parties for our dog, Major. His birthday is Valentine's Day!


So when this birthday came I, for the first time ever, had given it little thought. With the arrival of Atalie things had gotten a little busy.


But my wonderful husband still managed to make things special for me. Flowers....(I love getting deliveries, even mail.)

Dinner....no cooking for me!


And then mom came over to babysit the girls. Brian and I went to the Cheesecake Factory for dessert. Well, desserts. Three. Apple streudel cheesecake, lemon raspberry cheesecake, and a Godiva icecream thingy. YUM!


Then on Saturday the celebration continued at my mom and dad's house with Chinese Food, clam dip, and key lime icecream.


Ah, birthdays. Don't you love them???