A Little More Recent...

Alright, so this video is a little more recent...it was shot a few months ago during bath-time! We were just rehearsing saying a few of our colors and numbers. Since then, Sawyer has learned to count to ten all BY HERSELF!

Sawyer..4 Months old!

I absolutely
L-O-V-E this video...Sawyer was just 4 months old. She had recently discovered she had the ability to scream...loud...and she was showing off her new "talent!" She was so sweet...check out that cute little bald head!

New Room....

This is almost embarrassing, but I have now re-painted Sawyer's room for the third(and final) time! First it was pink...then apple-green...now sage green. I re-decorated a bit...put up some new wall words and wall hangings (I found the cutest metal flowers at Hobby-Lobby), and embellished her curtains and lamp with some new fringe/trim I bought. It looks so much better! And the best part is I did it ALL for under 50 dollars! This "new" room will definitely be staying until we decide to move...and we love it!

Water Baby...

Sawyer likes taking baths. She would probably play in there for hours if I let her...well, and If I kept the water warm! She has some of her funniest moments in the tub. I'm not sure why, but I guess it just brings out her silly side. The other day she let me play with her hair after it had been shampooed...she looked so cute! I thought you may get a laugh out of these too!

My Top 25...

Okay, so here's the deal...yesterday My Dad and I got started on a conversation about our favorite songs of all time. We went back and forth for a while, naming off songs we would put on our list, when I decided it would be absolutely impossible for me to do a top ten, but that I MAY be able to do a top 50! I know, that's a lot of favorites, but I LOVE MUSIC! Anyhow, a compromise would be a top 25, which is what Ive come up with...but let me tell you-it was HARD! I've been mulling this over since yesterday, so here they are in NO PARTICULAR ORDER...DRUM ROLL PLEASE...MY TOP 25 ALL TIME FAVORITE SONGS! (let me warn you, this will likely be the most random list you've ever seen...so if it seems like a strange mix...well, IT IS!)

1. A Change is Gonna Come, By Sam Cooke
2. There is a River, sung by the Gather Vocal Band (this song is AMAZING...it moves me to tears...and if you've never heard it, you need to!
3.) Home, by Michael Buble
4.) Alone, by Heart
5.) Unchained Melody, by the Righteous Brothers (though I prefer the one by Elvis)
6.) At Last, by Etta James (Our Wedding song!)
7.) She's Got a Way, by Billy Joel
8.) Georgia, by Ray Charles
9.) Its So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday, by Boyz 11 Men
10.) How Could I Ask for More, by Cindy Morgan
11.) You Make My Dreams, by Hall and Oats (How can you not just bust out dancing when you hear this one?!)
12.) The Dance, by Garth Brooks
13.) Tiny Dancer, by Elton John
14.) Immortality, by Celine Dione and The Bee Gees
15.) Let's Get It On, by Marvin Gaye (C'mon! YOU KNOW YOU LOVE IT TOO!!!)
16.) Im Movin On, by Rascall Flatts
17.) Kiss and Say Goodbye, by The Manhattan's (lovin that Barry White intro! ha ha ha...)
18.) Faithfully, by Journey (One word: CLASSIC!)
19.) Superstition, by Stevie Wonder
20.) When A Man Loves A Woman, by Percy Sledge (I dont care who you are...you like this one too)
21.) Me and You, by Kenny Chesney
22.) Crazy, by Patsy Cline (reminds me of my Mamaw every time I hear it)
23.) Let's Stay Together, by Al Greene (love love love love love it...)
24.) You are So Beautiful, by Joe Cocker (Mine and My Dad's song)
25.) Layla, by Eric Clapton

And there you have it ladies and Gentleman...if you haven't heard any of these, you need to make a visit YouTube and give em' a listen!!! Enjoy!

Silly Girl...

The things my daughter says and does makes me laugh every single day. Preston and I were talking about her a while ago, and I told him that my favorite thing about Sawyer is her sense of humor...it's true. She just loves being silly. And I swear, that laugh of hers is contagious. Its the sweetest sound...one that I will never ever get tired of hearing for as long as I live.
She really gets the giggles when her and I are alone after bath-time. As I get her dressed and ready for bed, we start cracking each other up making funny faces and noises. She's probably just trying anything she can to stay up, but its working, because I so enjoy that precious time with her!
I'm in the process of trying to figure out how to post a video (of Sawyer), but when I do, I promise you'll be entertained...she is hilarious.

Photography...

I LOVE taking pictures...
A few months ago, my husband, realizing my passion for photography, bought me a professional-grade camera...and I haven't put it down since. There is RARELY a day that passes when I don't take at least a few photos. And what's great is, the more I take, the more I love doing it. So, I decided that I would delve a bit more into my hobby and take a Photography class at U of L, which I started last night.
Honestly, I really didn't think it would be anything serious, more just for fun than anything. But let me tell you...this class is the NO JOKE, and my professor isn't either. This man has travelled around the world over the past 20 years taking some of the most breathtaking pictures Ive seen...he's even been published in National Geographic! I've only been to one class, and I've already learned so much...but I'm a little overwhelmed with how much I still don't know! Anyhow, I'll likely be posting some of my photo assignments soon...but for now, I'll just post some of my favorite pictures I've taken over the past several months with my camera...and of course a couple of my little Sawyer-Bug!

Short and Sweet...

Such an innocent, precious little girl could never do something so destructive, such as vandalizing a piece of leather furniture right? Wrong.
I'm going to keep this post short and sweet with a word of advice for all the parents out there: NEVER EVER EVER EVER let your toddler hold a pen anywhere near your furniture... or anything else for that matter. They are not to be trusted with items that may do permanent damage, or else you may just find yourselves in the same predicament that I'm in... with a new leather sofa that has been "adorned" with my little one's art work.
It's always an adventure around here.

When it's Cold Outside...Just Improvise!

Ive said before that Sawyer is truly an outdoor-girl. She would chose playing outside over just about anything, and I mean ANYTHING. Unfortunately, during the winter months here in Louisville, its much too cold to do hardly anything outside except run as fast as you can to get into your warm car. This basically translates into us being stuck inside almost every single day, and with a wild 18 month old who needs to burn off a lot of energy, indoors isn't exactly ideal. However, over the past few months we have discovered several places to go and things to do that allow Sawyer to play her little heart out. Some of our favorite places include the Chick-Fil-A indoor playground, the Big Boat at the Oxmoor mall, McDonald's indoor play-place, and as of last night (we went to a birthday party here)...the toddler area of Chuck-E-Cheese. Sometimes, though, you've just gotta break down and make your own little "playground" at home...and this morning, that's exactly what I did. I decided to take Sawyer's mattress out of her crib and make her a slide! Let me tell you, she had a ball, and I had a lot of fun myself just watching her. It's amazing how the simplest things keep toddlers entertained for HOURS.
I will definitely be utilizing my home-made slide for the next few weeks, until the warmer weather arrives. But still, there's just nothing like being outside on a beautiful day...Spring can't come soon enough for me and my little Bug.

Yet Another Reason to Be Thankful....

There's no way I could ever stop talking about how much God has blessed our family, and last week, He gave us yet another reason we have to be thankful. I'm sure many of you know that Preston had been looking into the possibility of taking on a new position with a new company for quite some time now. He actually started the interview process with this company last March, so almost a year ago. Several interviews took place from then to now, and several other things occurred during that time frame which ultimately kept Preston with the company he has been with for the last 4 years. We were so excited about this job prospective from the very beginning, and we still had hope that it may work out even though it had been such a long time from the first, second, and third interview. We waited, and then waited some more...still no answer.
As the months passed it became increasingly harder and harder to wait. By January of this year, I think we both basically had our minds made up that this just wasn't going to happen. Still, we continued to pray every single day that God would work things out with this job situation, and He would place Preston wherever He wanted him. I asked God to open the doors that needed to be opened, and close the ones that needed to be closed. I prayed that He would give us patience, and faith that He was going to do what was best for our family.
I must admit...learning patience is a HARD thing, especially for me, as I can be a bit of a "control freak." I want to plan, be ahead of the game, on top of everything, and "in the know." Waiting usually just isn't my thing...which made me the perfect person for God to teach a lesson on patience to!
Last week Preston got the phone call we'd been waiting and hoping for...for such a long time. He got the job...His first day with Gordon Food Service(or GFS for short)is March 2nd! When He called and told me, I was so happy, and so thankful I just cried. He will be working a NORMAL schedule, 8-5 Mon-Fri... be provided with a company car...wonderful health insurance...a bigger salary...tuition reimbursement...paid vacation...and the list goes on and on. And what's even more amazing; it's a faith based company that has a great reputation. Honestly, we couldn't ask for anything more. We are so excited for this new opportunity, and everything it means to our family. I hope I never forget everything God has taught me through this whole experience... that His plan is better than ours, patience always pays off, to have faith in things you cannot see, and that God always knows whats best for us. Praise the Lord...He is so GOOD!

Piggyback...

Sawyer has discovered a new favorite thing...piggyback rides! She loves sitting on top of Daddy's (or whoever else will let her) back, and riding around like a little queen. I'm trying to remember when she's hollering to get on my back, that time flies, and it wont be long before she wont think a piggyback ride is so special anymore. So, when she says "again!" for the tenth time, I tell her to hop on... for just one more ride.

My "Funny Valentine"

My husband, who has to be the sweetest, most thoughtful man in the world surprised me this Valentines Day...
He arranged for my mom to watch Sayer while we went on a little two-day getaway! We left on Thursday around noon, and he took me up to Indianapolis to stay at one of the nicest hotels Ive ever visited...it was brand new and beautiful. If you ever happen to be in Indianapolis and you need a place to stay, go to the Marriott Renaissance! After we checked in, and I discovered a dozen gorgeous long stem red roses waiting in our room that he had delivered, I was told her get dressed up! He took me to an amazing restaurant with the best food Ive ever had in my life...no exaggeration! It was this place called Sullivan's, and I cant say enough good things about it. The service was wonderful, the food was delicious, and the atmosphere was amazing. Very romantic. After dinner we went to Keystone At The Crossing just to walk around for a little while...
The next day we had breakfast in our hotel room, got ready, and headed to the Edinburgh Outlet Mall. I can never turn down shopping. We found some really cute things for Sawyer, and just had a good time being with each other. Before driving home we ate at one of our other favorite restaurants for dinner.
What a fun, special time we had! It was so nice to get away from home, even just for a little while, and it was so sweet that he planned everything for us! I'll be sure to remember this Valentines Day for a long time...

Being Her Igninuative Little Self....

I always knew Sawyer was extremely clever...but I must say that as of late she has also been pretty resourceful!
The other day we were playing in her room, and she could hear the birds chirping outside her window. She was just dying to see them, but she's not quite tall enough to get a good look out. I left the room to get my camera, and when I came back she had already devised a plan...
She found her plastic craft bin, emptied it, and turned it over on its top, so was able to stand up on it and look out! Atop her new perch she could see the bird perfectly!

Random Things...

This week I feel like we've been pretty busy, but If you asked me what Ive accomplished, I probably couldn't come up with much...
I suppose the most exciting thing that happened is that I cut all my hair off...all in all she took off almost a foot of hair! I think since it had been the same way for such a long time that I just needed a change. It's so much easier to fix, but Im still getting used to it.
The pictures Ive posted are of some random things...We saw Mamaw and Papaw a few days ago, so I got to take some pictures with them. And Sawyer looked so sweet in her little dress today before church that I couldn't resist snapping a few of her...
Lastly, I just want to say that GOD IS SO GOOD, ALL THE TIME...NO MATTER WHAT! He has blessed Preston and I far beyond what we could ever imagine, and he continues to prove himself faithful every single day. Over this past year he has taught us patience, and reminded us that His timing is ALWAYS better than our own. He has showed us that He is a God that truly "takes care of his own," and He always has his children's best interest at heart...even if it doesn't feel like it to us! It is sometimes so hard to remain faithful when we feel like everything is going wrong, or our prayers aren't being heard...but take heart! There is NOTHING that God doesn't see or hear, nothing he cant do or understand, and many times we already have the answer to prayers right it front of us... it may be a "no" that we aren't ready to accept, or "not right now," but often it is to WAIT and TRUST that he is working in whatever situation or struggle you may be going through!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

I'm very excited for the week ahead...Preston has the week off on vacation, so we will be getting to spend some much needed time together! We have plans for Valentines Day, but I'm not allowed to know about them yet...he's surprising me, that sweet man. If I don't post before then....HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!

Sawyer....18 Months

February 1st Sawyer turned 18 months old! I can hardly believe how fast the time has flown by, and I know with the blink of an eye she'll be turning 2. Our baby girl isn't much of a baby anymore! She now weighs 30 pounds and her height is 34 inches...she's pretty tall! She also has almost every single one of her teeth. Soon, we will introduce Sawyer to her "big girl" potty, so I'll keep you posted on how that goes! Sawyer has also learned how to use her fork and spoon while she's eating...although she sometimes still prefers using those little fingers! She has gone from saying just words by themselves to short 2 or 3 word sentences. Sawyer also is responding pretty well with instruction/discipline. Like every toddler, she definitely has her tantrums and bouts of "misbehavior," but for the most part, she obeys and is willing to follow simple directions when I give them to her. She amazes us everyday with how much she's learning ad growing...one thing is for sure, life isn't boring! There are so many new changes...its crazy! She makes me laugh all the time, and although she can certainly be a bit of a drama queen at times, I still can't imagine even one day without her.
Besides talking all the time, she still loves to dance! I always say she has some pretty sweet moves, so I'll have to post a video of her soon...you'll get a kick out of it too!
I found this sweet little poem and thought I'd share...It reminds me of Sawyer.

“What Is A Little Girl”

She's a bundle of sweetness,
brightness & fun
The beauty of springtime,
the warmth of the sun
She's Innocence covered with mud,
sand, & soot
She's Motherhood dragging
a doll by the foot...

She's a composite picture of
giggles & tears
Of tantrums, excitement,
amusement & fears
A bundle of mischief
and often a tease
A creature of moods
not easy to please...

Who'll capture your heart
with her pixie-like grin
Or chatter and beg till your
patience wears thin
But obedient, naughty,
mischievous or coy
She's Mom's little Darling &
Dad's Pride & Joy.

Time with Friends...

One of my favorite things is spending time with good friends, and fortunately this past week I was able to spend quite a bit of time with my best girlfriend, Jordan. Ive known her the longest of all my friends...actually, since I was the first grade! In all honesty, I consider her part of my family...much more of a sister than just a friend. I'm so thankful for her. It's always nice to be around people who have known you almost your entire life, who you can talk to about anything, have been there for your good and not-so-good moments, and still love you anyways. Now, we both have two precious little girls, and like Ive said before, I hope they share a special friendship like ours. Cameryn is such a sweet baby, and she's lucky to have such a great Mommy.
Mom and Dad watched the girls for us a few days ago while Jordan and I went to grab lunch at Cheddar Box and to look around at Two Chicks and Co. (such a neat little shop!) It was a good time to be kid-free for a little bit.
The next night Jordan, Josh and Cameryn came over for game night! We all had a good time together laughing and talking. While they were visiting I got some sweet pictures of Cameryn...too many to post them all!
Hopefully there will be more good time with friends to come soon...I just love it.