Buttercup

I missed my chance just before summer turned to fall to take pictures of Maeve in the sunflowers.  But I didn't miss her in the daffodils!  Last week I noticed an old homeplace with lots of yellow buds showing their heads.  I told myself that the first chance we got when the weather was warm, I was going to stick my little girl in the middle of those flowers.  So, today was our chance!

We called Doo to come sit with an under-the-weather Cam just long enough for Maeve and I to head over to the photoshoot location.  Of course after changing her into her match-the-flowers outfit, I forgot her shoes so she was not about to even attempt to stand in that scratchy stuff I kept calling grass. 

Take a look at my little buttercup! 

Four Year Old Fun

Cam started t-ball this week.  We've taken advantage of the pretty weather on the past Sundays to do a little practice.  Being the coach, Tony is a little obsessive with all the things he must teach him.  We have baseball pants in three colors, a new glove, batting gloves, and a bag to carry it all in.  Tony has also told him that he should wear his Crocs to and from practice so as not to get his dirty cleats in my car.  It's serious four-year old business!  Here he is practicing at the big boys' field: 

With pretty weather comes the itch to fish.  The boys (Tony, Pop, Tommy, Uncle Chris, Clayton, Carson) all headed to the pond yesterday to get their poles wet.  This year Cam actually got a hook on his pole (as opposed to just a float that he would cast and cast and cast...).  This means that he was able to catch a fish!  Actually, he caught two!  I think he's hooked! 

Double 1st Birthday Party

Unsuspecting girls...not knowing CAKE was on its way!

Maeve enjoyed her celebration!

Well, Hillary and I finally got to have our double event.  And no, it wasn't a wedding; it was the first birthday celebrations of our sweet baby girls.  It's really hard to explain, and some people are still probably wondering why we would want our girls to share a first birthday, an event that is supposed to be totally about one person turing one.  Well, you see, our friendship is just not something you run across every day. Hillary and I have always known that we have something special, but until now it was only us who really knew it. Now because of the pure wonder of His plan, everyone who knows us understands us and our friendship a little bit better. When people hear the story of our girls being born so close together, it reminds them how great our God is! 

Chloe and Cam try to show them how to dig in

We go way back. All the way back to our preschool days. We picked up again in the awkward stage of middle school. Our friendship was clinched during the longest summer of our lives when our little league softball team clinched the state title. We spent the next four years finding our way through high school together. We happened to find our husbands there and shared more double dates than most couples have in a lifetime. When the time came, we even considered a double wedding. After college we got each other through grad school together, even worked together for the years when we needed each other most, the new mommy years. Now we experience the highs and lows of everyday life. In the hectic schedules that we lead, we take time to fill each other in and consult each other for the most important things. We remind each other when to laugh and when to cry. We trust in the peace that only He can give us for all the many decisions life throws our way.
Since the double wedding didn’t work out for us, He decided to double another blessing: he sent us our Maeve and Anna Belle almost simultaneously.  And for the sheer awesomeness of this, we celebrate!  
You are here as a testimony to a friendship that goes beyond friendships. It’s not an everyday occurrence. It’s something that people long for and never find. Hillary and I happened to stumble upon it, and will never be the same because of who we are in each other. We know that our friendship is so unique, so rare that it must be continued. It is our belief He has destined the two of you for this purpose.
 
The party was themed in pink and black polkadots, and in true fashion, easy-going Hillary fashion, she let me run wild with it!  It started off with these adorable dresses and ended up with two cute little ladybug cakes smeared across the faces of Maeve and Anna Belle.  We just knew one of them would be sleeping during the party or fitting, but both girls seemed to enjoy the attention and the new experiences.  It was a fun time for all! 
 
Happy Birthday, sweet girls!  We look forward to many more double events with you! 

Talking to one another

Getting the hang of digging in

These lips look extra sweet, Anna Belle!

Maeve digging in with both hands at this point

Happy Birthday, Maeve!

Our Birthday Girl

Good morning, birthday girl!  You are one today! 

Today was a very special day.  It's so hard to believe that it's already been a year since we welcomed our little girl into our lives. And in true time, it snowed! As we drove to the hospital last year in the biggest snow accumulation Georgia had seen in more than 15 years, it was hard to believe.  I still think my anxiety over losing power and thinking of "what if I have to get to the hospital in all of this?" was the cause of why she decided to make her surprise entrance.  When the weather forecast predicted snow for her first birthday, we were excited and surprised again.  How rare that would be for her to come in the snow and then celebrate a year later in the snow!  Well, it happened!  Last year when she was born, Cam declared her our snow baby.  Today she lived up to her name! 

Birthday Bottle

Tissue paper is the BEST present! 

That candle is "hot!"

We aren't sure if the snow surrounding our little Maeve means that she's pure and peaceful or if it is an indication of her unpredictability!  I would like to think it's a reminder of how truly special she is to all of us who love her so! 

Why have you been keeping cake from me all year? 

This stuff is great! 

Being very busy on her birthday!

What a day!

Our one year old is fast becoming Miss Personality.  Some of our favorite things she does right now are:
-walking on her tip-toes (while holding our fingers)
-blowing kisses
-whistling by blowing in and out
-crinkling up her nose and smiling really big
-calling "daddy" on the phone
-waving "bye bye" but saying "die"
-laying her head on our shoulder and while sucking her fingers
-yelling upstairs for Cam
-looking for CoCo while she's in our bed
-taking your finger to point to pictures in a book
-cruising around the coffee table and outoman and snatching anything she thinks she's not supposed to have

Her favorite things to say are: 
dada
mama
CoCo and woof
quack, quack, quack
hot
juice
bye, bye
cookie

My how our lives have changed in the last year. We cannot imagine our life without her.

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To him be glory both now and forever! Amen." -2 Peter 3:18