She will ALWAYS be my baby ♥

       



    The morning of March 16,2012 was a very memorable day for a very special little girl. Avery went to school for her first day of preschool that morning. She has been so excited to finally get to go to school with her sister and on this morning she could not stop smiling! It is very hard for me to still comprehend how my little baby girl could even be old enough to go to school, but it happened. My goal for this morning was to leave the school without Avery seeing me cry. I thought I did very well not crying but of course my eyes teared up for abit before leaving her on her new adventure. Me & Josh were both happy that when we last saw her pretty little face she was smiling so big! I knew she would do great in school and was so happy to pick her and Hallie up from school that day. Avery's teacher had only wonderful things to say about her first day and boy did this make me so proud of her. She is going on her first full week of school now and she is doing so well it makes me know that this was the right timing for her to enter school. Sometimes I look at Avery and think when in the world did she get so big, I mean wasn't it yesterday I brought her home from the hospital?? No matter how big this little girl becomes there is one thing that will never ever change......she will ALWAYS be my baby. ♥

♥ Mommy & Avery on her 1st day of school ♥



♥ Daddy & Avery ♥

And so it begins......

God's Perfect Timing



      Well the day has finally come, today is my last day working at my old job and Monday I embark on a new adventure. Looking back six months ago I never thought this day would come, but I have truly learned a thing or two about patience. It is funny when I think about the jobs that I thought would be so perfect for my life and my family but when they fell through the cracks I for sure thought I just missed the most perfect opprtunity.......but God had a PERFECT plan for me. I have been wanting so bad to work for Sentara for a while now and knew that the process to get a job is a long one but when I got the call 2 weeks ago offering me a position I could not believe it! God's timing is perfect and after all the stress and worry I now know that God had a perfect plan all along. No it might not have been what I was thinking was the right time but I know now it was. God is good all the time and I am just so greatful for this new chapter in my life, starting in a new career that I know for sure I will be in for quite awhile and this excites me! His plan is perfect. ♥

In His Timing......

      Well life has been a little hectic lately, good but hectic! Hallie has been loving school and Avery is just becoming more and more grown up everyday! I have felt that recently God has been teaching me more about patience then ever. It is so hard when you want something so bad and just dont know if it is God's plan or timing for you and your family right now. Im hoping the next time I post on my blog I can share some exciting news!!! Right now Im enjoying the time I get to spend with my little girls throughout the day and love hearing about Hallie's days at school as she is so excited to share with me now! I can't believe how big my girls have gotten just since this school year has started. They make my heart so happy and I am so proud of them. ♥ God is so good ALL the time!

Hallie's 1st Christmas Program

            Hallie was so very excited to be performing in her first ever school Christmas program. Her PopPop surprised her with a very pretty new dress to wear and she looked like a little princess. She has been informing me while we are driving in the car that certain Christmas songs she was hearing on the radio were "her" songs. Meaning these would be the songs she will be singing during the program. I know how extremely lively Hallie is at home and how she sings like a pro in the car to the radio but I was still uncertain how she would react having to sing in front of an audience. I was hoping she would not get shy and just completely shut down up there on stage but that did not at all happen! Hallie stood up on the stage with her class and sang her little heart out! She did such a good job listening to her teacher and singing the songs. I could not have been any more proud of my little girl. Not only did she look so stinkin cute but she sang so pretty and did I mention LOUD!!! She made my heart so happy and I love her to the moon and back. ♥

♥ Hallie performing in her 1st school Christmas program ♥





Family Christmas Pictures



         Well it's that time of year again for the famous family Christmas pictures and this year I was determined to take them myself! We took the girls up to Founders Inn and my parents came too so I could take their pics as well. My mom ended up taking our family pictures and I took the girls pictures with each other and with Josh and Mimi & PopPop! I wanted to go in a total different direction this year with Christmas colors and went for the blue, pink and grey look! Loved the girls dresses from the moment I laid eyes on them and think this years colors are my favorite so far. Every year I look back at the previous Christmas family picture I cannot believe how much my little girls have grown over a years time. This years picture I see how much they are starting to become preschoolers and it just makes me sad because I want them to stay little forever! Love how beautiful my baby girls are and they make me so proud!



Hot Chocolate 5K Weekend



    I have been so excited about this past weekend to be running for the first time in the Washington DC Hot Chocolate 5K. I have been training for this and was looking to get a personal best in time. Me & my brother ran the 5K and my very pregnant sister-in-law walked. Once we finally got to the starting line I was ready to do this! Well I have never ran any kind of race with hills in it before and found out fast that I should not even worry about my time, but just focus on running my pace and focus on getting up the hills! I was so excited when I found my brother looking for me at the last .20 mile mark. He really was able to push me going up the last hill before the finish line and this is the first race we have crossed the finish line together! I just love my brother so much and love the way we push each other to do our best and finish out strong. No I did not end up running the time I wanted but for being bottle necked with the multitude of people for an almost 3 minute walk and then the 2 hills that kicked my butt in the end I don't think having a 36 min finish is bad at all!!!! I know for a fact I would have crushed my 33 min. goal if it were not for those 2 obstacles but I am very happy with my finish time. I am now looking forward to my 14K training and plan on focusing on a new goal for this race! Running this race with my brother has made me excited for running more races with him in the near future! We are already planning on our first Warrior Run together!!! CANT WAIT!!!!!



Oh Boy!!



        I was very excited to be visiting my brother and sister-in-law this weekend beacuse it's been awhile since we have been able to see them. While we were visiting I was able to take some maternity pictures for them. I cannot wait for my lil nephew to make his grand arrival sometime near January 20th!!! I will be a first time Auntie and I just cannot wait to hold that sweet lil boy!!!!! I dont claim to be a professional photographer by any means but I have always LOVED to take pictures and now I am putting that love into taking pictures of the ones I love! This whole weekend turned out to have great weather and on Saturday we went to a park to take these pictures outside. I enjoyed every minute of this day and think the pictures turned out great!!!! Now I cant wait for the lil guy to get here so I can take pictures of him!!!!