Record of our "Kitty" just in case....

I love to see my sweet girl Alvie playing Mama to all her babies! She has one particular that she does not let get too far out of her site, "kitty". She has been her best friend since we brought her home from the hospital. She absolutely must have her at any point that she might drift off to sleep. This sweet way that my girl Alvie loves on this kitty; hugging her, kissing her, feeding her (with her own cup) and putting her to bed, is simply precious. We prayed many many times, and will continue to pray, that our children would be affectionate loving people. There is no doubt that God is answering prayers. Praise be to our father in heaven! Thank you for showing us your faithfulness and giving us such a beautiful example of Love, by giving your son JESUS.

Fall Fun 09

I have been teaching elementary children for almost 10 years now, so I thought I was a little familiar with exactly have much fun it gets around the holidays when you have children, but I don't really think I fully understood until now. To watch these sweet babies learn, grow, and develop personalities is an amazing adventure full of excitement, pure fun, fatigue, and lots of smiles. As they grow in age, the fun and excitement in their little faces just multiplies exponentially.

Last year for Halloween Alvie was around 8 months. We dressed up, visited some friends, took some photos, but she did not really seemed to care one way or the other what we were doing. This year, at age 20 months, she had so much fun! We visited our friends in Mason Hall, TN. They live in a small farming community that is well stocked with ponds, barns, loving down home folks, and farm animals. Needless to say, our little Alvie Rose had a blast! She trunk or treated at the local church, went to an old school Fall Fest (old fashion games, and a live auction of homemade cakes, and everything else under the sun) and played with other equally excited children until she was totally wiped out. When we arrived home at around 1:30 a.m. we took her upstairs to tuck her in and she was still mumbling sweet little sentiments of the evenings past, "candy...trick or treat...cake....pumpkins".

I love Fall and I love Winter, and Spring, and oh yes, especially Summer. I love that our God created different seasons for different experiences. You can't pick pumpkins out of the patch in May or make a snowman in July and that is how it should be. There is the right time for everything, His time.

Oh my Faithful Holy Father - continue to remind me to enjoy and soak up each season of life for what you have designed it to be. Give me eyes to see and ears to hear all you have to teach me and my family. Thanking YOU for our baby girl and this sweet season of parenting that you have us in right now. May we be seen faithful to your calling.

Orange Beach 09

Our family loves the beach! Seth always says, "your either beach people or your not, there is no in between". We are most definitely beach people. The sound of the waves, the sand between our toes, a good plate of some type of freshly caught seafood for dinner, that is our earthly version of heaven.

This trip to Orange Beach was as wonderful as it always is. Alvie LOVED the sand! She built sand castles, filled and emptied buckets of water, dug in the sand for periwinkles, and picked up shells. As for the ocean, not so interested. She spent most mornings saying, "swimming Mama, swimming...", but when we arrived at the beach she was not too interested in trying to practice her swimming techniques. She preferred her sand play, then a snack, then play, then a snack. She is pretty routine at home, as far as meal time and snack time, so getting to eat multiple snacks through out the day really made her days good.

A variety of friends and family visited us at different times while at Orange Beach. Due to the overwhelming amount of love from them, Alvie is now completely rotten. Most likely because her feet have pretty much not touched the floor in 10 days and she has had a list of folks to play with. The next few days are going to be real fun at the Weathersby home. Smiles!

Our top remembrances from this vacation will be; riding the bikes (with Alvie on the carrier) to the beach each morning, spending time with family, the National Shrimp Festival, the sticky footed tree frog Aunt Whitney caught after if landed on her head in the garage, the live conch Warren found in the Bay, the two huge amber jack Daddy caught (that later became some yummy fish tacos), Alvie's first ever bout of vomiting (all over Daddy of course), Paw Paw Obie's ultimate omelets, and just being still long enough to catch some amazing family moments.

Thank you God for your protection on this trip and your blessings that you have chosen to pour on us. You are an amazing God and we only pray that we can some how glorify you in all we do.

Sending love to all our family and friends who helped make our vacation a great.

Picking up the crumbs...

Sometimes I get so tired of picking up cookie crumbs, cracker crumbs, muffin crumbs and that is just the food products. The toys, bowls, laundry, and all the other items that get pulled out, thrown about and hid, are a whole different exhaustion.

As I was wiping up pop-tart crumbs this morning I opened the cabinet under the sink to find a cloth napkin that looked as if it had been wadded up in a ball. I pulled it out with frustration, thinking ahhh just another item to pick-up, and to my surprise when I looked in the napkin there was a tiny little animal cracker. Then POP a light bulb came on and I remembered the other day when Alvie was pulling things out of that cabinet while she was having animal crackers for a snack, she said, "tired, tired mama.....night night". I thought at the time she was talking about herself and I just made a quick comment and dismissed it, but she was really putting that baby cookie bear to sleep in that napkin.

Afterwards I felt a bit disappointed that I missed a sweet moment in my daughters life, only because I was too busy with other things to slow down. Needless to say, today and hopefully for a while, I will delight in the fact that the crumbs and other stuff that finds its way to the floor of our home, is there for a reason.

Catching Up

Do you ever really get caught up? I feel as if I am always running behind, and generally I am.

I feel blessed that God whispered in my ear tonight, "It is o.k., because you are running behind me, I am leading you". Thank you God for your sweet words that warm my soul and keep my feet dancing (or at least moving forward).

I know it has been a while since I have posted. I will try in my limited gifting of words to catch you up.

Our summer was pretty uneventful. I had surgery in early June that kept me close to home and my bed for many weeks. That wonderful experience pretty much killed all of our vacation hopes for the warm months. I am very thankful that I had a very smooth recovery and even more grateful for friends who helped out along the way.

Since there was not a lot of traveling this summer we have been going wide open trying to catch up and feed our cravings for adventure. We recently went to Louisville for the weekend to watch a friend compete in an Iron Man Triathlon. Then two days later we flew to Charleston for six nights. We visited Savannah and Kiawah Island while we were there. We had some great family time. So often, as I am sure most families can relate, it is she (Alvie) and I, or She (Alvie) and him, or He and I. Hardly ever, with a crazy ER schedule in the works, is it all three of us together. We do occasionally get a day here or there, but not many days in a row.

We came home from our adventures excited, relaxed, and peaceful. Praise Him!

We are in our last week at school before we dismiss for Fall Break. We will complete our Fall traveling season with a trip to Orange Beach. We are looking forward to visiting with friends while there and having another great stretch of family time. We are both very excited to see what Alvie will have to say about the ocean. She is a very verbal 19 month old and loves to express herself. .

Alvie has started preschool! I can not believe it. Lately I have kissed her little cheeks so much they occasionally look chapped. I just feel like she is growing too fast and I need to get it all in. When I picked her up from the first day of school she was asleep. When I got to the car to put her in the car seat she woke up and I quickly said, "Hey baby, its Mama, how did you like school today?". She responded with, "Boys...Cars Mama". Seth did not think that response was quiet as funny as I did. Must be his Daddy coming out.

Our prayers lately have been filled with concerns about the Orphans in Africa, our government/president, and everyday desires to get through each day. Praise God for He is faithful.

Until next time don't worry about catching up, just keep your eye on the leader.

Our sweet little girl got her first big sickness this past week.  She had strep throat (she actually caught it from me) and ran fever as high as 104.  She was pitiful.  This was my first real experience with our daughter that left me feeling so grateful, yet so helpless.  I am thankful that we have a God who is in control and brings all things together for the good of His kingdom.  I am thankful that He sent us a helper in the form of the Holy Spirit and I am thankful that I know He has experienced the helplessness that comes from being a parent and dealing with your child being in pain.   Thank you God that you loved us enough to send Jesus and to author a story that is righteous.  Thank you for healing our family this week and providing for our every need.  Pictures to come.  :-)  

ST. LOUIS TRIP

Just the two of us took a quick week-end trip to St. Louis to watch the NCAA Women's Final Four games.  We acted like kids in love, as you can see above.  :-)

More Jamaica Pictures

This was Alvie's little crib while we were there, she obviously seemed to like it.

Alvie taking a closer look at the Caribbean sea.

Daddy & Alvie getting ready for the pool.

Alvie getting caught picking the flowers off the vine.

Our good friends Michele & Caroline Bass.

No Problem Mon!  That is the most common saying on the island of Jamaica and is in my opinion the lifestyle that the very adoring Jamaican families live by.  I only hope some of that mentality, the thought that nothing is ever a problem, has rubbed off on my small family.  We had an amazing time and our little Alvie did wonderful.  We had beautiful weather, delicious food, moments of sheer stillness and contentment that only comes when you are made to slow your life down.  This was our fourth time to the island of Jamaica and each time HE shows us something different that he added to His canvas when HE created this amazing place called earth. Thanks be to our God for safe travel, fellowship with great friends, and wonderful memories that will last a lifetime.  

Alvie's Dedication

I can not believe it has taken us a year to get Alvie's Baby Dedication scheduled on our calendar.  No wait, I guess I can believe it, since we do live in the world of ever changing ER schedules and with a Momma who does not like to live a rushed life.  Good thing we learn to deal with things we don't like early in life.  :-)

The ceremony was beautiful and Alvie behaved very well.  Seth said in the car that evening on the way home (in his sweet Daddy Voice),  "Alvie do you feel any different since we gave you back over to the Lord?"  I very quickly piped in and said, " that is exactly right".   She is HIS!  May she acknowledge she is HIS early in life. 

We feel very blessed for our church and the opportunities they offer to help families follow after Christ.  We praise God for our beautiful girl and only hope that our actions as her parents will be seen faithful in HIS eyes.  Thank you Lord for Alvie!

Alvie Turned One!

Oh my, how I can not believe it has been a year.  You will have to excuse the date of the post, I have some catching up to do.  Our little girl is one year old!  I have heard Seth say many times lately, especially when friends ask him how the first year has gone, "this has been the best year of our lives."  It has been the best year so far and with our amazing God in control I can only hope for many more like this one.      

Oh my amazing God please help us to help her grow closer to knowing you.  May she come to find you early in life.  May she be surrounded by people who will help lead her toward you and give her a beautiful picture of what it looks like to live as a Christ Follower.  Oh my sweet Jesus, thank you for our girl and thank you for her spirit.  The words I think of to describe her personality this first year are; mild, funny, happy, curious, contagiously sweet, affectionate, soft, smart, and beautifully expressive.  Thank you Jesus for her and for her wonderful personality.  Please Oh God continue to grow these traits deep in her soul.  

Happy Birthday Our Beautiful Angel!  

Let's talk about the reason we want to blog...our sweet girl.  We wanted a way to allow our family and friends to see how God is growing our beautiful Alvie.  She is such a gift and we feel ultimately blessed for every minute we can spend with her.  We look forward to posting photos and new happenings.  She is growing so fast, hope we can keep up with all those happenings...

Coming Soon....

Got to tell the husband!!!