We are still ALIVE!

Has it seriously been 3 months since I have blogged?!?! Seriously?!?! Crazy to think how fast time goes. So much has happened since I blogged last. I mean there was our trip to North Carolina for my mom's graduation, Memorial Day, Our anniversary and Londyn's first weekend stay at Mamaw and Papaws, Father's Day, and 4th of July! So to quickly give you an update of our crazy life....here ya go.

Londyn and I headed on for my moms in May. It was a wonderful time, maybe the best time I've had with her. I spent Mother's Day with my mom which was just great. I woke up to flowers, breakfast, and a wonderful lunch out. I'd like to show you a picture, but apparently I had too much fun that I forgot to do so :(. During our trip I found Londyn the princesses and Mickey Mouse that she was looking forward to seeing. We also had many park days full of fun. My Great grandma and Aunt came too. It was great to look back on how each of us have grown and caught up with the things life brought us. Anyways we had a blast the whole time, but sure were ready to see our daddy:)

Just a couple weeks ago Keith and I celebrated 5 years of marriage. This was a big weekend for me, it was the LONGEST I've been away from Londyn. We met our inlaws in Carmel for dinner and then returned home childless. Keith and I headed out to St. Louis for our trip after work on Thursday. We did a whole lot of eating, little sleeping, and a lot of thinking of our girl. I was dreading my time away from Londyn. But in the end I absolutely loved having some time alone with my husband.  Our trip ended us back in Bedford for Father's Day. The guys smoked a brisket, which was AMAZING!

The best breakfast out there!

Happy Anniversary

Our beautiful table at Ruth Chris

My handsome date

Our meal

Ready to see our girl

I think they missed each other

I sure missed her!

Happy Father's Day

Yesterday we celebrated Independence Day.  It was great. We had good friends, great food, and a wonderful time. Londyn was out by 9:00 and fireworks started on the TV at 10 (due to the burn ban). I think I made it through the first 5 minutes before I found myself asleep on the couch. It was the quietest fourth I've had.

I'm a sucker for black and white photos

Her fourth spirit

This is how she really felt

Pinterest dessert that was a hit 

Lots of dessert

Lots of food

Love this man!

This is how we chill

I'm adding this one just because I love my girl!

Sorry if I bored you through reading this, you actually might not even read to this point to get to my apology.

Here are pictures from our fun!

Happy Birthday my 2 year old!

Dear LondyRae,

     Wow, I just can't believe that you are two! Where has the time gone? I'll tell you where it's gone. It's gone through adventures, learning, growth, and personality. Yes that's right I said personality. It is crazy to think of how big you have become and how much you now know. You are one bright little girl that is clever in her thinking and always ready to discover new things, even animals right now:).
When I think about this time last year you were just starting to walk, gain confidence in your steps, and tried to play by yourself. This year we celebrate all of that and so much more. In the past year you have learned how to play for 15-20 minutes by yourself out of our sight. You love to play with your baby, kitchen toys, pretending, and hiding under a blanket. I love to hear you tell your baby that you love her and give her a hug when she is hurt. I think it's funny that you work your baby up to go shopping as I do you. We get excited about those things. In the past year you have learned that you can reach the counter tops in the kitchen, bathroom, and your dresser. Mommy and daddy have learned this too. You love to play outside, I mean LOVE to play outside. You always want to go play at the park, ride in your stroller, and go for a walk. You love to talk on skype and give hugs and kisses to the person on the other side. One thing I can say about you is that you are a loving girl. You always want to cuddle, kiss, and hug....I'm okay with that:).
Your recent word discovery is "Why?" Yes I know, I can't explain everything to you. Like the time you dropped something down the register in the bathroom and you didn't understand why I couldn't get it for you. Or "why" you had to go to time out. Speaking of time-outs. You are really testing this area right now, missy! Sometimes you sit, but most of the time you try to scoot yourself slowly closer to us. Some day you will learn that the quicker you serve your time out the quicker you will get out, it just takes time. You have a spunky personality right now. You know what you want, how you want it, and who is going to give it to you. You are a fighter, you won't just take no for an answer nor does time out really seem like a threat to you. Actually you are really testing your boundaries right now. I hear that is just part of being two. Daddy and I will walk you through this and be by your side every step of the way. It will be a learning experience for all of us.
You love to pray holding hands. Your favorite prayer right now is God Our Father. I like it too. It's cute to listen to you say it word for word. You make sure that everyone says it word for word too.
In just the past few weeks you have been using full sentences, remembering things we say to you and relaying messages to someone.
The friends that you love playing with the most are Desmond, Addy, Kinley, Morgan, and Xander. You love school and all that has to do with it.
Your favorite tv shows are Dinosaur Train, Blue's Clues, Elmo, Thomas the Train, Dora, and Backyardigans.
You had surgery about a month ago on your adenoids and tubes when you turned one. You are much healthier now. Dr. Hendrick and Dr. Cupero have taken good care of you!

I hope that some day when you read this you see the joy that you are to me. No matter what happens I will always love you! You are my girl and my alligator;). Thank you for bringing me great joy and teaching me many things in the past year. I look forward to growing and exploring with you this year.

Winter Festivities and more.

Our Holidays have been very eventful. We have been able to enjoy all of our friends and family this year, making me feel very blessed. Our Christmas week was crazy for us because it seemed as though we just couldn't get our plans straightened out. We decided to go ahead and do our Christmas with Londyn on Tuesday night (before Christmas). I could hardly hold myself back from opening her gifts myself, I just knew it was everything her little heart would love. So Tuesday night when Keith got home (later than usual because of work) we rushed to skype with my mom so that she could watch Londyn open up the presents she sent her. After that we let Londyn enjoy those presents, which she did very much! While I watched her build up her stacking blocks as high as she could and knock them over, I began to make the dinner I was looking forward to:). A few weeks ago I got a really good deal on a waffle maker at Kohls so I told Keith when we did our Christmas I was making waffles with vanilla bean ice cream. Dinner was good, however this was the first time that allrecipes.com let me down with the homemade batter. I still see waffles in our near future with a new recipe:). By the time we got to opening Christmas with Londyn it was around 8:30 or so. We knew that we were getting to the point of tiredness and she would be over it all very soon. As she saw all of her gifts her little eyes didn't know what to do:). She loved her baby and all of it's gear, she became a natural little mommy in no time.
We did Christmas with our best friends on Thursday night and headed out of town on Friday morning to enjoy Christmas with our families down south. Friday night was a blast with my sister's. I always enjoy getting with them. I would say that my older sister and I are closer, maybe because our lives are similar in everything that we do. But it is always a pleasure when we get to spend time together. I miss her when I'm around her. I wish we had more time together and sometimes lived closer (however, I love my home and Lafayette:)). Londyn got a Lalaloopsy from them and new Twinkle toes. She received another stroller from my other sister and so all was right in her little world. She loved giving presents too. This was our first visit that Londyn did not cry, just another sign that she is becoming such a big girl.
Saturday we stayed in and just enjoyed family, naps, and baking. Keith and I have talked about whether or not Santa would come in the picture for Christmas. This year we made cookies and left them out, but Santa didn't bring anything. I'm sure we are really going to have to make decision soon. Christmas day we read the Christmas story, as well as, played with our nativity scene. After that we saw that Hoho ate part of his cookies (tip for the future, eat it at night not the next morning, yuk!) Londyn then opened up her rock with Elmo and equipment from Uncle Kevin and her Cleaning cart from mamaw and papaw. She had a great time. Soaked up all of the attention she could get. By the time we left Bedford she was one sleepy little girl and was glad to be home again.

Christmas from Meemaw. This was her favorite

Waffles and Ice Cream

Excited to start opening

BABY!

Each baby must have it's accessories

Such a good little mommy

Eating with Monkey at Mamaws and papaws

Giving Aunt Julie love with Lalaloopsy

making cookies for Santa

Cutting out our cookies

Ready for the oven

Checking to see if they are done

Our cookie for hoho

Playing the story of Christmas

Christmas morning!

"I might not be able to move, but I sure do like them"

Feeding our babies

Dancing with Daddy

For New Year's we had friends over and celebrated. As Last year, Londyn fell asleep at 12:00 on the dot. It was great to celebrate with good Friends.

This is not anything to celebrate about (or maybe it is) I rear-ended someone last Tuesday morning when it was snowing. Not a way to start your morning trust me. However, the good part about it is that the insurance company is writing a check for more than the car is worth. Now we need to decide if a second car is in our near future or not.
God has been so good to me this past year, I cannot tell it all. But I am thankful. I am excited to see where he puts me this year and the blessings we will see!

I'm a hot emotional mess so in love with Jesus!

No one could have prepared us for how emotional parenting would  be. 

You always want your child to be the best at the table, in the stores, at the restaurant, meeting new people, and welcome friends with open arms. I wish I could say that accomplished that, but thus far we are lost for answers. Our latest thing that we are struggling with is proper discipline, proper timing for discipline, and the big word we dread hearing "NO!". It is her famous word right now. Not sure how to tell her not to say no, when that is what we say when we are trying to protect her or even stand our ground. 

This morning was a picture perfect morning shopping as a family with our Starbucks in hand, goofing off and enjoying our little family the whole shopping trip. When we arrived home at 11:30 I knew it was past lunch time (she did drink a yogurt while shopping, she was not starving), she needed to go potty, and well the shopping trip wore her out. I can't even recall what the argument was over this morning, but she told me no over and over again. Needless to say, I was over hearing such a dirty word out of a sweet girl. So after her potty time it was time out time. Recently I have noticed that our little hallway is a perfect spot... far enough away from the group, but yet close enough to see she is missing out. I heard her scream and yell at me (as an 19 month old can). She was a wreck and beyond tired. As Keith went over to talk to her she immediately calmed down. You know the saying "this hurts me more than it hurts you"? IT IS SO TRUE! As she came over to say sorry to me we just hugged and I cried :). I was explaining to her that the words she was saying made for an ugly heart and God gave her a beautiful heart....I cried more. 

Why did I cry? Cause I am a hot emotional mess right now. 

Lately I have been so emotional sharing the story of Jesus with Londyn and all the great things His love provides for us. So like telling her that God gave her a beautiful heart... I also cried when telling her that the star on the tree represents the Jesus story, that Christmas is to celebrate Jesus, that the Bible has such great stories of the love and hope that is given to us, that because we bought gifts for a little boy he now would have Christmas, when every night I pray that Londyn would find a place in her heart that Jesus could live.  I cry when she asks me for a hug or kiss. My heart is overflowing with love and blessings.

Parenting is emotional! Sharing the love of Christ is beautifully emotional! Being a mommy that wants the best for her girl is incredibly emotional! I love that girl so much, never knew that this love could be so big. As the season is here to celebrate the birth of a babe in a manger, I want Londyn to know every inch of the story and how great Jesus is. I want her to grow to have a heart set and focused on God. I want to never stand in the way of her following Gods will. I want to be the example of a beautiful heart to a girl that is full of emotion and is trying to figure out how to express it. 

Some pictures from our Thanksgiving break:

making our thanksgiving meal

Thanksgiving dinner

"hot" chocolate and raisins

Heading to the park

Taking Thanksgiving naps

Her and Blue are becoming close...

I am so thankful for my sweet girl and my wonderful husband....We are on this journey called family. And I want us to be a loving family where the Love of Jesus is seeping out of our skin because we are so full of it. I want every life she comes in contact with to be a life that is touched by Jesus.

The happenings of October

Wow, was October a busy and crazy month or what?! I'm not sure that there was a weekend that we weren't doing something.

At the beginning of the month we walked for Londyn's friend Ashlyn and our Pastor's family in the Down Syndrome Indiana walk.  It was pure joy to celebrate the life of sweet Ashlyn and all that she has taught us. Couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day to be outside for 4 hours or more.

The following weekend we were able to spend time with my mom and step dad, pure joy and THIS girl needed her momma a little bit:). Londyn had her school pictures, watched Elmo and played outside.

The next weekend we went to Bedford for a car show my in-laws were helping in to raise money for cancer patients. Towards the end Londyn was getting mad at the wind for blowing her cawcown (color) page away. However, she enjoyed the love there! We also carved "pumpins" from uncle Kevin. The best part of this is that she had just learned the sign language for pumpkin.

This past weekend we celebrated Halloween. This was Londyn's second Halloween, but her first to enjoy. We were helping out in our church's treat the street program, providing candy as a group to children and their families. Londyn would get upset when people stopped coming. So I thought it would be great to do a  little Trick or Treating ourselves. She LOVED it!!!! Our first house we told her to say trick or treat. Proudly we heard "tick or teat!" She loved getting the candy and was quick to shove it into her Elmo purse. When we got back to the house she began licking all of the candy that was in the bowl to give away.

Our latest thing in October was to move to BIG girl panties. She loves her "Rora's" (Dora) panties. The first weekend we could put pants on because Rora was too cool. We even thought Rora belonged on our head.

Londyn has been talking up a storm about anything and everything! I love every stage that she goes through in it's own way. But this one I love because we can talk!

Here are some pictures of our October adventures:

                                                             Our Walk For Ashlyn Ruby

sideways but this was our team name!

A little breakfast before our walk

The walk appeared to be a great time for a nap

Sweet Ashlyn Ruby, we LOVE this girl!

                            My Mom's Visit  (enjoyed my time so much I forgot to take pictures)

First time not crying being out in the grass

We played ball!

She picked her "pumpin"!

We also checked out the inside

read books 

and "Cawcowned" at the car show

Three of her favorite things to do: Sit in her panties, play with the broom, and color.

In the Rora portion of our lives.....

Super Rora

It's Melmo time!

Londyn Elmo with her friend Addisyn Elmo at her school party

Add caption

Our Rocking Elmo!

Enjoying her Halloween treats

Elmo didn't last long

This is how I found her after nap....

Our October was full of fun craziness!