I am so incredibly proud of the little gentleman you have become. You take care of me, you look out for your sister, and you are genuinely thoughtful and kind and wonderful. You love hard and you play hard. You are everything and more than we could have ever wanted or hoped for our family. You gave us love and purpose and faith.
As if that wasn't enough, you are smart. So incredibly smart. You put together puzzles with more pieces than I can count, and you do it with such ease. You are imaginative and inquisitive and brilliant. The world is wide open for your incredible mind. School won't know what hit it when you walk through those doors.
You are Adaleigh's best friend and protector; the two of you are a team. Whether you are snuggling or fighting, you are always inseparable. There are no words for the bond with your Daddy- it is manly, friendly, loving, and involves a lot of wrestling. You share a love of sports and superheroes.
As for me- You are part of me. It's not that I can't remember life without you; I can't imagine what I felt like or who I was without the love you have forever burned in my heart. There is no me without you. Each breath I take is because of you and the life you gave to me. Nothing and no one will ever replace you in my life, and I like it that way.
On the eve of your 4th birthday, I hope you feel loved. We wanted and hoped and prayed for you years before you came into our lives, and I hope that feeling is always with you. You are always worth it.
Love always & forever,
Mom
2013 was quite the year. In twelve short months we became a family of four, built a new house, and Nick and I started new jobs. Our hearts grew, we learned patience and forgiveness, and we watched our lives fly by in a blur.
We started the year with planning and preparation for Logan's 1st birthday party. Family and friends gathered to celebrate the sweet little boy that had changed our lives forever.
In February I said goodbye to everything I had known in nursing, and began my new career as a home health nurse. It has been challenging and frustrating in so many ways, but I love it. My patients have become my family, and my heart has grown with a place for each of them.
We spent our weekends in the spring and summer celebrating new friends and watching Logan explore the world around him. The days were never long enough, but we enjoyed every minute we had together.
Nick left for annual training in July, and I struggled with the task of working full-time and taking care of a walking, energetic toddler... all while 9 months pregnant.
Logan and I survived, and Nick returned home just 2 days before we welcomed our sweet Adaleigh Rose to the family. On 8.8.13, at 2:22pm, she stole our hearts with a full head of dark hair and big, beautiful eyes.
At the end of September, we finally moved into the house we had fallen in love with over 5 months before. It had space for our growing family and touches that made it feel like home from the moment we walked in.
In October we made our annual trip to Honeysuckle Hill Farm, and left with kettle corn, pumpkins, and memories.
We celebrated Halloween with friends alongside our very own Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. It was storming and cold, but our hearts were warm and full.
We welcomed family any chance we could get. Living so far away from the ones we love the most never gets easier, but we've learned to cherish every moment we have together.
I turned 30 on Thanksgiving and celebrated the only way I knew how... by working. Nick cooked an amazing dinner to share with friends. We spent the weekend decorating, listening to Christmas carols, and visiting Santa at Opryland.
Nick left his career in security in December, and began the adventure of learning IT recruiting. With it becomes hope and possibilities that are sure to make the next year interesting.
We traveled to NC for a short trip in December to celebrate the union of Bob & Carol, and returned to TN quickly to prepare for our first Christmas together, at home, as a family of four. We spent Christmas Eve at church with friends, and started new traditions as we anxiously awaited "Ho Ho" to arrive down the chimney. Christmas lasted for days, as the grandparents arrived for the weekend with more and more presents. We took a short day trip to Chattanooga before it all came to an end.
We rang in the New Year quietly on the sofa in our new home, with sweet little ones asleep just down the hall. We made plans for 2014, and shared our dreams and goals for the new year.
Like every other day of our lives, 2013 was beautiful chaos. Here's to 2014- the year of no (new) babies!
Since it's almost March, and Logan is almost 13 months old, I thought it might be a good time to share some pictures from his birthday party (better late than never, right?). The lighting was pretty terrible and I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I hoped, but I really loved the way everything came together. I focused on the food (learned from my wedding planning days), and didn't plan a lot of elaborate decorations. The best parties are all about good friends & family, and celebrations of love. Which is exactly what we did.
One thing I didn't plan on? Waking up to a blanket of snow on Groundhog Day. Luckily it melted quickly, and only stopped a few people from joining the party.
Of course our theme was airplanes, and I had a lot of help with the decorations. Mom arrived late Friday night with the banner made, and stayed up until 1am securing each of my thousands of photos for the other banners. Together with my Dad they brought everything to life the next morning, filling the clubhouse room with streamers and balloons and as many pictures of Logan as I could find. I used a few airplane props from his bedroom for the final touches.
The room was overflowing with pictures of Logan... exactly what I wanted. I used
Printicular to print all of our instagram photos at Walgreen's, and printed some (about 100?) of my favorite photos of Logan's first year. Inspired by
this photo from Pinterest, I hung the pictures with clothespins. Simple and colorful.
Always the control freak, I insisted on making each and every platter of food on my own. I spent all day Friday in the kitchen, and most of Saturday morning, too. Thank you, Pinterest, for lists that never stop growing and endless ideas that I have to try.
smoky cheese ball recipe
here
A few years ago I hosted a baby shower for a dear friend of mine, and decided to make my own buttercream frosting for the cupcakes even though I only owned a hand mixer. Never again. This time I opted for boxed cake mix, and premade frosting from Publix. Best decision I ever made. And at least they were pretty?
I also went simply and easy for Logan's smash cake (which he hated, by the way). Funfetti boxed cake mix, and funfetti frosting. And the cutest airplane candle holder from Amazon (here).
I totally planned for and expected cute smash cake pictures. Boy, was I wrong. He enjoyed the singing and being the center of attention, and flying his airplane around, but that's about it. He wanted nothing to do with his cake. And when we forced him to try a little frosting so he could see what he was missing, it was all over. He screamed and cried, and threw up the nacho cup he had enjoyed not long before. Definitely not the pictures I hoped for!
The little ones had a great time at the party. So many little cuties!
Overall, the party was a success and exactly what I hoped for. Happy birthday to my sweet little boy! Here's to many more years of celebrations with friends and family.
