Lovely . . .

WILD WOMAN 

So Baby M has a fantastic room full of random toys! It is soooo much easier for me to take her in her room and hang out. If not, our living room looks like a tornado and we're constantly saying "M, get off that, hey, stop, don't..." So I love her room. I have found that she is quite obsessed with looking out the window. 

Don't you use your lawnmower as a step too? Let's be honest - yours is probably not pink and it probably doesn't sing the ABC's. 

C is off on Mondays, so he and Baby M party it up. Like when he gives her hot dogs for lunch and she smiles. I die when he sends me sweet pictures. 

 Last week Baby M strolled to Target with me... and became a little devil mid shopping trip. Like you're to the point where your basket is full and you can't start over and don't want to just leave. . . So I did what every amazing parent does... introduced her to Puffs. Let's just say she loves them and I give her one just about everyday now. In this particular picture she's trying to find her puff... 

Nope, Baby M, not in Blue's bowl... 

TEXAS 

We went to Dallas this weekend and had a blast. It's nice to be surrounded with family and love. Seriously, our family is a blast - we laugh, eat, play games and really just relax. So it's a tradition, on Saturday mornings, if we're all together, the girls head to our favorite Mexican restaurant. It is hands down the best place for Mexican food. My recommendations are tamales, any breads and burritos! The place is Marquez Bakery and it's right next to the Dallas Cowgirls stadium. 

We're about to walk in and these little bunnies were sitting outside! Maggie is rocking 10 months with the bunnies and my niece is rocking her I-just-woke-up look. 

Adorable 

Let's laugh for a bit. This weekend my niece was heading to her senior prom - AKA big deal! So we're helping her get some last minute things when I ask her on Friday afternoon, "What does your corsage look like?" With a confused and disgusted look she says, "What is that?" So long story short on Saturday afternoon, about 4 hours before prom an awesome floral shop made a corsage and boutonniere for her and her date. The floral shop staff was so nice and they had this adorable fella to greet you when you walked in. He was handsome and Baby M kept saying "Wool." Nope, Baby M, that dog isn't Blue.  

My niece. This is right when she walked out, our family cheering and telling her how beautiful she looked. She, without a doubt is one of the nicest people I know. It's hard to grasp that she's graduating in a month. I remember watching her trot around as a crazy toddler and now it's a joy to see her love on Baby M. I'm so grateful that Baby M has such a great role model to look to. Three cheers for great nieces! 

10 MONTHS 

So Baby M was too busy eating Mexican food to really celebrate 10 months in 

Texas. So we're celebrating a few days late. Some people probably think we're borderline obsessed with Baby M, that's fine. I think when someone has prayed and waited for this gift for so long, it's not really obsessed it's just gratitude & gratefulness. We love being parents, I'll shout it from the rooftop. 

EASTER 2014

Yesterday was Easter. Yesterday I was in the nursery/kid's area. I love working with kiddos, they're a lot of fun and you can learn sooo much from them. I learned yesterday that shoes are optional, ants love candy and an Easter basket color is important. I also learned that some kids are happy with one egg, one egg, while some are not. In the midst of the chaos, the kids had fun. Mercedes was ready to go cry herself to sleep, but the kids had fun. I encourage everyone to help at their church. Find something to get involved in. C works in the media department, plays the drums and serves as an usher. I work with the kiddos and we really do feel good after we serve. It's really hard sometimes to want to serve, because most of us work full time jobs and the weekends are OUR time, the time to just relax. In the few hours I've spent in the kid's ministry is the times I've learned more than what I ever thought I could learn. 

I learned yesterday that to some Easter is all about candy. In the midst of everything, I saw a lot of sharing taking place, selfless acts by the smallest little kiddos. Oh and Easter is about what happened many years ago. About our God showing his skills in ways no one thought possible. He is alive today more than ever, no grave could hold him. Boom, take that Reese's eggs. 

I learned that not everyone has a lot, but they do the best with what they do have. 

I also learned about how I want Baby M to respect adults. Sometimes kiddos do not respect adults at public places, because they don't have to respect adults at home, but I choose to teach M to respect adults. 

Last, I leave you with what Easter meant to me. Our church does an excellent job of letting the kiddos know they matter. In fact, yesterday our church gave every child an Easter basket, yes even baby M left with a massive-candy-filled Easter basket, that my husband and mother in law will probably polish off today. What I learned is that kid's do not need a lot to be happy, they just need to know they are loved. I saw some kids almost cry when they heard they were getting an Easter basket. The thought of receiving a gift, mattered to them. I guess what I learned on Easter 2014, is that investing in the lives of the little crazy wild kids, is the best thing anyone could ever do. I hope Baby M loves to serve others, it's a blessing! 

Shout-out to Katelynn, she captured Baby M playing with an Easter egg during the hunt at church. . . I'm thankful she deleted the pictures of Baby M eating all of the grass. 

Last, I'm cheering for the Boston runners - run fast, hard and have fun! #BostonSTRONG