Thank You

My father-in-law showed this video to me today, and I thought I'd share it with all of you as well. It captures the very raw and real emotions of those who patiently wait for their loved ones to return home from war.

Thank you, brave servicemen, for your commitment & sacrifice. Thank you for your dedication to this great country, and for your unwavering faith in our flag. Thank you for defending our freedoms, honoring our Constitution, and pledging your lives for America & all that she stands for.

I am proud to be a soldiers wife. I am proud that we are a military family. And I am so very, very proud that my husband serves this nation that we love so dearly. Exercise your freedoms...speak out for what you believe in!! Men & women fight every single day so that you are able to do so.

Happy Memorial Day from our family to yours! Now go out and hug a soldier :)

Remember...

Spirit, that made those heroes dare
To die, and leave their children free,
Bid Time and Nature gently spare
The shaft we raise to them and thee.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

A Week of Firsts!!

Miss E has hit some incredible milestones this week! We're having so much fun watching her learn new things, and get bolder in her endeavors. She was still pretty much content to just sit and watch the world around her when we headed back to Texas...not so anymore!! She's into everything, and it cracks me up!

Here are some of the things that she's learned this week:

May 21st ~ First Word "Dada"

She said it during the day while she was babbling, but later that night she said it more clearly while looking at Daddy's picture! She also says "buh-buh" (bye-bye) and attempts to wave. Pretty cute!!

May 22 ~ Learned to Clap!

She does it ALL the time now :)

May 23 ~ Learned to go to sitting position from her belly.

This is how we usually find her now...sorry for the poor iPhone quality!

May 25 ~ Stands Without Our Help

(Though, as you can see, I can't quite take my hands away yet!!)

May 26 ~ Crawls Backwards (still hasn't mastered frontwards yet!)

She's been scooting backwards for some time now, but she's finally up on all fours...she's just moving the wrong way. Ha!

I can't wait to see what she does next week...we're likely to have a walker on our hands by then! Well, maybe not quite yet, but soon I tell ya!! And it's already getting harder to keep up with her...wonder what it's going to be like in a few months. Oh my gosh, it makes me tired just thinking about it :)

Goin' to the Chapel!!

The reason for our recent trip back to Texas was so that we could attend my older brother's wedding. His fiance', Jessi, chose a gorgeous outdoor venue on a ranch, and handmade almost all of the decorations....and you know how much I like handmade!! The bridesmaids wore summery white dresses with pretty green sashes, and the tables were lined w/ burlap runners & adorned with huge bouquets of white flowers in mason jar vases. The bride and groom were married next to a still pond, in front of a beautiful white alter that my brother made. It was so touching to see their love for each other, and to witness their vows. I am incredibly happy for them, and so very glad that I was able to attend.

Casey & I at the Rehearsal Dinner

My family: Michael, Me, Casey, Amy & Dad

Alter that Casey built

Our entire family w/ the groom :)

Reciting the vows

The Ceremony

Bride & Groom

First Dance

And they lived happily ever after.....

Recipe Hop ~ Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ever done a Recipe Hop? Me neither! But, I thought it would be fun to browse some blogs...and we'll get some great recipes out of it too :) Hop on over HERE and see how to participate. You'll be entered to win a fun prize as well, as if all the delicious recipes weren't enough! So, on to one of my most favorite "go to" recipes (it tastes so good, you'll never believe that it's pretty good for you, too!)...

Chicken Tortilla Soup

You'll need:

1 tsp Olive Oil

2 cups Cooked & Shredded Chicken

1 cup Chopped Onion

2 Garlic Cloves (minced)

1 Tbsp Seeded and Chopped Jalapenos

1 tsp Ground Cumin

1 tsp Chili Powder (I sometimes use more)

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

1 box of Low Sodium Chicken Broth (or 2x 14 1/4 oz cans)

1 cup Frozen Kernel Corn

1 can 98% Fat Free Condensed Tomato Soup

1/4 cup Dry White Wine (or one can of water)

1 can of Rotel (I use medium or hot)

Tortilla Chips & Shredded Cheese for garnish

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or a dutch oven. Add onion & garlic and saute for 2 min (or until soft). Add chicken, and then stir in all other ingredients. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Let simmer for about 45 minutes.

Fill bowls w/ tortilla chips and ladle the hot soup on top. Garnish w/ cheese and enjoy!!

Whirlwind of Fun!

What a trip! Literally :) Elli & I had a great time in Texas visiting friends & family, soaking up the sun, and eating plenty of Mexican food (well, I did that...not so much Elli!).

I'll let the pictures speak for themselves!

Landry & Elli chillin' before the wedding! Elli is digging for a tooth (which she has yet to find!).

Papa & E dancing at Casey's wedding. Notice Elli is in her jammies...it was a late night :)

Grandma Donna, Grandad Mike & Miss E

Grandma Donna & Elli LOVING the Carousel!

Checking out Lucky Dog!

With Uncle Trav & Aunt Stephie on the Forest Park Miniature Train

Nana, Elli & I on the Train

Meeting her Great-Great Aunt Lee

Elli Hearts Scout :)

E & Grandaddy Mike...looking for that Scout doggie!

Meeting Emme & Whitney for the first time. Don't you love how they are all looking at the camera!! Ha!

Hello from Tejas!!

Hey friends! Well, we made it to Texas!! I was shocked by how well Miss E did, she was a trooper :) We stopped in Louisiana on the way here, and had a our first "girls night" in a hotel. To all of you single moms out there...wow!! You guys rock! It's tough getting all that baby gear (not to mention the baby herself!) into a hotel by yourself. I looked like the bag lady when I checked in...you could barely see E under the mountain of stuff that I had piled on top of her stroller visor. It was insane, but fun at the same time! Definitely an adventure :)

My brother's wedding was beautiful. It was out in Corsicana, and we were a little afraid that we'd all be washed away in a flood before they even got married, but it turned out to be a gorgeous day (much to the bride's relief, I'm sure!). I'll post pics just as soon as I get back. Wait 'til you see my brother's face in them, oh my gosh is he happy!

Since we've been back, E & I have made sure to hit all the places in town that we long for back in Mississippi. Getting some Tex-Mex was one our first priorities, and it didn't disappoint :) She rode her first carousel yesterday, and it was just priceless! And we've discovered that she LOVES dogs. If I can ever figure out how to work the video thing on here, I'll post the clip that I took of her with my little brother's dog, Charli. SO funny!! At one point she looked up with me and literally had tears running down her cheeks because she was laughing so hard! I'm thinking we'll be dog owners before the year is up!! We're just soaking up our time with family now, as we only have a few more days here before we head back to MS.

Hope y'all are all having a great week :)

Who Knew?!

Miss E and I are heading back to Texas tomorrow for a brief visit, and to attend my older brother's wedding. In case you didn't know, I LOVE weddings!! Big, small, outdoors or in, I just love them. This will be E's first experience at one...don't worry, I've packed plenty of non-noisemaking toys!

Speaking of packing, holy moly that girl requires a lot of stuff!! Though, I have to admit, I might have overdone it just a little bit. My convo w/ the hubs last night went a little something like this...

Him: Hon, why do you have 10 baby bowls in your suitcase?

Me: So E can eat, why else?

Him: Yes, but why 10?

Me: Well, one for each time she eats her oatmeal.

Him: Hon, don't our parents have dishwashers?

Me: Oh.

Him: Silence, followed by a kiss on my forehead.

I'm just going to skip over the patronizing look, and go straight to thinking that he just loves me so much that he couldn't resist giving me a sweet kiss :) After our brief chat I began to think that 10 bowls might be a tad too many (considering she only eats oatmeal 1x day), and that I probably don't need to pack every single bottle & baby spoon that we have in the house....just for starters. And her bows alone take up an entire bag! Now I'm just exaggerating...or am I??!! Ha! But the things that she really does need DO start to add up. With the stroller, the diaper bag, her suitcase, her toys, & her bottles and food, I barely have room to drive. **Insert my plea for the Volvo XC-90 here!!!** Who knew babies would such space-hogs?! Gone are the days of a 1 backpack per person! Wait, who am I kidding? I was never like that. I guess my Little Miss takes after her Mama!!

Flight Suits & Fairytales ~ The Debut :)

To go along w/ my new Etsy site, I thought I'd change up my blog a little bit as well!! Because we all know how completely un-tech savvy I am, I was super excited when I found Amber at Stolen Moments! For a really low price (seriously, like $15 here!!), she designed two layouts, two headers, all the labels, & the post separators for me. She even took care of the code dirty work by installing it all...totally customized!! She was really easy to work with, answered all my questions, changed things multiple times, and got it done really fast. If you're looking to spice up your blog, or just want something a little bit different, she has GORGEOUS layouts for as low as $4.00! Seriously, that's a steal! And she didn't even ask me to promote her site...she's just THAT good, and I felt like I needed to share :)

AND, I'm so happy to announce that I've recently sold my first item on Etsy!! WooHoo!! I don't even care that it was to a family member...I'll take what I can get :)

I hope everyone had a great Mother's Day weekend!! I'd love to hear what everyone did, and what they received from their kiddo's! I got this sweet purse from my hubs, and I think I'm in LOVE!!

Happy Mother's Day

My mom wrote me an email the other day about cherishing every single second of Elli's life because the weeks/months/years will only fly by faster the older we get. I cried as I read it. I cried as I responded too, as I wrote that I've noticed that the little dimples in Elli's hands have already started to fade. Part of it is because I'm even more emotional now that I'm a mom than I ever was before (hard to imagine, I know!), but the other part is because I truly do treasure every moment and I STILL feel like time is slipping through my fingers.

I didn't know how much I would love being a mother. I had no idea how much joy I would get out of hearing my daughters laugh, or watching her learn and experience new things. Her triumphs are my triumphs, and it's unlike anything I've ever known before. On my very first Mother's Day, I find myself looking forward to who she will be when she's older. I pray that Chris and I set a good example for her of a loving partnership, that we instill in her a deep desire to love and to have a relationship with the Lord, and that she always remembers to whom she belongs.

Happy Mother's Day to all of you mommy's out there, for I know that you all must feel a lot like I do on this very special day!! May you all know that you're appreciated & loved by your precious children (and your spouse! heehee!!).

I'll sign off with a line from the sweet Mother's Day card that my mom sent to me. It touched my heart so deeply, I just know that you'll love it too!

"Being a mother means knowing that whatever else you did or didn't do, you gave the world something beautiful".

It's Official....I'm on ETSY!!!!

Whew! After months of sewing, tying, cutting, knotting, glueing, crafting, learning, & planning, I have finally opened my shop on Etsy!! In the next few weeks I hope to add lots of cute new stuff, but for now I'm super happy with what I have :) Please feel free to browse my store, and be sure to send your friends my way!

Thanks so much for all of the prayers, and the wonderful encouragement. I really appreciate everyone's support!

Introducing......Elli Grace Designs!!!!

(Pretty clever name, huh?!)

Show Us Your Life....Children's Names

I haven't done a "Show Us Your Life" in awhile, and I thought this was a great topic to jump back in on! I'm sure I've told most of you this story (I might have even blogged about it!), but I LOVE the way that I found/chose Elliana's name. So, if you've heard this one before...well, you might want to skip on down to the Boy Name part :)

Let me set the stage: I was totally depressed, and drowning my sorrows in a caramel frappacino @ Barnes & Noble. Chris and I were having issues getting pregnant, I was very unhappy with my OB, and it seemed that every single friend I had was already a mommy, or was expecting their first baby. I was in a sad place; a place that too many women seem to find themselves in! I don't know why I thought that surrounding myself with Baby Name books was going to make me feel better, but there I was...completely up to my eyeballs in just that. A few days earlier, a dear fried of mine had prayed with me about letting go of my NEED to get pregnant, and for the strength to trust God's plan. I was desperately clinging to her words, but still hoping that God's will, and my hearts desire, would someday be one and the same. So there I was, flipping through books and searching for that perfect name. The first book that I picked up just randomly opened to the "E's". And there it was, at the top of the page, the very first name that I saw...

ELLIANA : God Has Answered, or God's Answer

And I just knew. It was as easy as that. If we had a girl, her name would be Elliana. A few people weren't too thrilled with it at first, and some (Chris) thought it sounded too Italian/Spanish & fancy for a daughter of a Chris & an Amy. But in my heart, I knew it was perfect for our future daughter. And about a year later, our very own Elliana Grace was born!!

If we have another little girl, I really like the names: Kate, Caitlyn, Avery, or Claire, and I her middle name will be the same as mine...Danielle.

As far as boy names, Chris is as 4th generation "James" (James Christian), so if we ever have a little boy I think James will definitely make an appearance in his name somewhere, we just haven't decided on whether it will be the first or the middle. I LOVE the name Caden (Cade for short), and Jackson.

What do y'all think? Any unique favorites out there? A good friend of mine named her sweet little girl, Emmeline (Emme) Hart and I just LOVE how unique and pretty that is.

Wordless Wednesday

Thank Goodness for Saturdays

Chris's schedule has officially gone back to being really, really crappy. He started his 12 hr days again 2 weeks ago, and I gotta say, I really didn't miss those guys! I guess if it was JUST the 12 hr days it wouldn't be so bad...but the studying for at least 3 hrs when he gets home afterwards makes it even worse. I always try to look at the bright side of things (emphasis on TRY), and I hate to be a downer about stuff, but sometimes it's just hard to find the good amidst the, uhhh, not so good. It makes me sad that he only gets to see Elli for 30-45 min a day, and that our time together consists of speeding through dinner & going to bed at 9. Yuck! Not fun! I thought, after the craziness of England, that there was NO WAY that his schedule could get worse, or that we'd spend LESS time together. Umm, I'm beginning to think that I was wrong.

But I still vividly remember how much I missed him when he was deployed, and I'm so thankful that we're not having to deal w/ that at all during Elli's first year. And I know how important it is for him to do well in this Phase of pilot training, and doing well takes hard work. I fully understand that. And I'm grateful for the spouse's that I've met here in Columbus...they are some of the most selfless women I've ever known. So, though it's tough sometimes (okay, a LOT of the time!), I'm trying to focus on the positive.

Saturdays are our respite, our family day, our "us" time. And I LOVE them, I treasure them, and I long for them by the time Friday rolls around. The rest of the week can be a crazy, hectic mess, but give this girl a Saturday and she'll be happy! Oh how I wish there was more than just one per week!