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.

Snowed In...

I'm sure you've noticed our blog has been "silent" for a little bit. The big winter snow storm that came through put us at mom and dads for the past four days, as Preston and I (along with thousands of other people) were without power!
We came over to Mom and Dads house Tuesday night to watch American Idol, (I know, its a sick addiction) and when we went back home, we discovered we were without power...our house was already FREEZING. So, we packed up our things and headed back over. The next morning the phone started to ring. Mamaw and Papaw called, and they had no power and were on their way over. My friend Jordan called and they also had been "powerless" since early that morning. Her and her husband Josh have a 4 weeks old baby, so I told them they'd better come over to Mom and Dads soon...the snow and ice were still falling fast!
So, all ten of us spent the entire day together and we had a great time. We had plenty of food, and I'm so thankful that my parents were so willing to let everyone invade their home! By the end of the night, both Mamaw and Papaw, along with Jordan and Josh's power had been turned back on...mine and Preston's took a bit longer (it was turned on the night before last.)
I've discovered that being "snowed in" can have its advantages...You get to spend time with the people you love and catch up on all those things you don't get to talk about on a daily basis. You have an excuse to be a little lazy...and sometimes it's good to not have to run around doing errands all day.
Although the weather wasn't the greatest, it looked so beautiful outside. Everything was white...a real winter wonderland. I just had to get my coat (and Preston's big boots) on and go outside for a little while to take some pictures!