Brrrrrrr

Today has felt and looked like the first day of winter in the Ozarks. As I walked in to work the morning air was damp and cool and as I left for the day it was rainy and cold (and for some crazy reason, I wasn't wearing a coat). On the way to pick up Matney I reflected on the enjoyable moments that every Fall and Winter brings such as cozy evenings at home, decorating for Christmas, and enjoying cold, snowy days.

I couldn't wait to get home this evening; put on my jammies and relax after a long, busy day at work. As I sit here drinking a glass of wine and watching my little lady asleep in her carseat, I am letting the stress release from my body and thinking of all the fun memories that will be made in the next several weeks as we celebrate our first Thanksgiving and Christmas with our beautiful little blessing. My mind quickly moves however, from all the fun to all the things I have to accomplish between now and then and I realize I need to start making my list of tasks. I look forward to the challenge of decorating with my little love underfoot and watching her every move as she celebrates her first Thanksgiving and Christmas and I look forward to the chilly, winter days and evenings to snuggle in and enjoy the Reason for the Season and my many blessings.

Happy Halloween!

We celebrated Matney's first official holiday this weekend and boy was it fun! We spent the evening at Auntie Ab's and Uncle Brian's with our favorite little boys and Nannie B and Papa G.

Our evening was filled with tons of food and candy. Our 4 little trick or treaters were such troopers and made it around a majority of the subdivision with lots of candy received for both the kids and the mommies and daddies!

Here are a few pictures of our little Wolverin Brayden, Chef Grayson, Kennon the Monkey, and Matney Moo. Our little baby calf fit her part perfectly, as we were about 4 houses in to the tricker or treating when she perked up, bent over, and spit up her milk all over a neighbors sidewalk! She was just reminding us that baby calves eat lots of milk!

Refreshing

The past few weeks at work have been very hectic, so I made a pact with myself that this weekend, I was going to relax and do something "I" wanted to do. Many people would assume this would probably mean a pedicure, massage, or shopping trip, but to me it meant a day to learn something new and a day with my wonderful mother!

(Cutting out Matney's stocking)

For years my mom has wanted Abby and I to learn to sew, and in the past it was never that important to me. I don't know if it was having a child of my own or the idea of having a hobby that would actually produce something useful and not something that would collect dust, but in the past several months I have had the "itch to stitch".

(preparing the letters for B's stocking; they had to be strategically placed around the deer)

(Almost finished!)

Growing up we always had Christmas stockings that were hand-made by Mom and had changed throughout each year that when a new stocking was placed on the mantel when a new member entered the family. I always knew I wanted something similar for my house to make each person feel special on Christmas morning when they picked up their stocking that was unique to them. Today I had the opportunity to make that desire come true. My mom patiently taught me many techniques and steps to sewing our beautiful new Christmas decorations. I don't mean to wish my life away, but I can't wait to hang them on the mantel!

(the finished product of which I am extremely proud!)



Today was very refreshing for me and made me love my Mom even more for her patience and talent. What will she teach me to make next? I can't wait.

It's a party

This past weekend we had the privilege of sharing a special memory with Uncle Brent and his new bride, Jackie, as they celebrated their marriage with a reception filled with family and friends. Jackie did a wonderful job planning the reception and the simple elegance of the evening made it very enjoyable and relaxed. Congratulations, Uncle Brent and "Aunt" Jackie!

Busy little lady

Our last few weeks have been filed with watching Matney change with each passing moment. Here are a few pictures of our recent memories while spending time at home. I am a major fan of our "family nights" at home where the 3 of us lay in the floor and play or go outside. Soaking up every moment with my little bug and wonderful husband each evening is the highlight of most of my days and I couldn't treasure them more.

6 months

My little Matney, you are now six months old (actually 6 1/2 as I write this) and you are still growing on your Mommy and Daddy more and more each day. With every new move you make or every action in your little life, you open our hearts to more and more love.
You have so many tricks that I don't know if I can count them all. You are now a professional crawler and pull up on anything in sight. You eat just about anything we will let you, but Mommy tries to be pretty careful about what you eat and are introduced to. If you see a Mum M*m coming, you go crazy and start shaking your hands. You say "Mamamamah" and "bahbaabahba" and you are starting to say "daahhh". You shake your head "no" all the time, even though you have no idea what you are doing, but you often shake it "no" at just the right times. You are very curious and will get in to anything that is within reach if we are not watching closely. When we went to our first Parents as Teachers appointment, the educator kept listing off things you were supposed to be able to do by 6 months. When she got in to the 8 month list and you were already doing those things, I didn't have the heart to tell her you could do all of those, because I didn't want her to think we were crazy. When asked where your Momma or Daddy are, you will look around the room for the person you were asked about. You are starting to clap your hands when we are singing or talking. You do not take very long naps during the day unless you are at school and you have a few issues sleeping at night. You will sleep in your own bed until about 4 or 5 am and then wake up to eat, after eating you cry until you get to cuddle in bed with Daddy and Mommy. You love to snuggle with your Daddy (I think it is because his body temp is about 150 degrees and our room is always cold). You also make some of the funniest faces and noises.

Here is how big you were at your 6-month check up with Dr. Vo:

Weight: 15.4 lbs (50th percentile)
Height: 25 inches (25th percentile)

Mommy and Daddy can't believe our little angel baby is now 6+ months old, but we are loving all the new stages and changes in your life. You are such a good little girl and such a blessing to us. We can't wait to see what the next month brings.

Happy Birthday, Grandma

(Matney-6 months and Grandma Janie-91)

On October 3rd, one of the most beautiful, kind and loving individuals that I know, celebrated her 91st birthday. My Grandma Janie has always been such a wonderful, caring woman and it is such a blessing to celebrate each passing year with her. The love she has for her children, grandchildren, her siblings, and pretty much anyone is just a small portion of what makes her so special. I have never heard her get upset or say anything mean about anyone. The only time she gets fussy is when someone tries to mess with her food (do not ask her if she wants eggs or oatmeal, or she might just through the plate at you).

This year her birthday was celebrated at the nursing home where Grandma now resides. She takes her new life in stride, just as she has done with everything else throughout her life, and enjoys everything she possibly can. I can only hope that someday my granchildren will think so highly and fondly of me and will have more memories than they can count of days gone by. My Grandma made a lasting impression on me in so many ways, from her Christian life and strength to her ability to cook the most delicious food imaginable and many, many more. She made such an impression, that the day I knew I learned I was having a little girl, I couldn't think of any better name than a strong family name that would always and forever remind me of my Grandma Janie (Matney is named after Grandma Janie's mother).