She's Cracking Me Up!

Our child, well, she is hilarious to say the least.  Lately she has been cracking me up with her antics and funny ways about life.  For one thing, she loves to give kisses.  You know the open mouth kind.  I love the kisses, but would prefer the closed mouth kind.  She'll get it one of these days.  But back to my point, the other day, she was passing out Daddy kisses left and right.  I wanted in on the action so I asked her if I could have a kiss.  She came over, kissed me, walked to her dad, kissed him, and back again several times.  She just had lots of love to go around.

She has also become a big lover of filling, scooping and dumping.  So we got out the spices and pots and pans and she filled the pans up with spices (in the containers) and stirred them around a little bit.  She would pretend to pour spices in, stir it up and then lift the spoon to her mouth saying, "mmmm."  Guess she watches me more than I think!

She's also become an avid outdoorswoman.  Not just enjoying the weather, but dragging her father by his hair across the room and pounding at the door until we open it.  Saturday's storm really put a hitch in her plans and she demanded to go out for hours.  I finally opened the door, put her out there and brought her back in.  She was done demanding after that.  She does love it out there though.  Especially when Daddy chips golf balls into the lot behind our house.  

She was a Daddy's girl this weekend.  Not that she hasn't always been a little but mostly if she wanted something, she came to me.  This weekend it was all about Dad.  She gave me the most withering glares if I came to get her from her nap.  She refused to even look in my direction and she saved all her smiles just for him.  I just hope she doesn't forget about me for good!

My little girl is getting so big.  She is becoming Miss Independent, helping put her clothes on and throwing trash away.  She still loves to read and lights up whenever we grab a book from her overflowing bookcase.  She grabs our hand and leads us where she wants to go but still tilts her head back and puts her thumb in her mouth when we cuddle her close.  We had a great spring break together, it just makes us count the days until Summer Vacation!

And While We're on the Subject

One of the best parts about marriage is this: the inability to see your "fault."  Not the fault that you forget to pick up your laundry.  Or that you always burn dinner.  No those are not what I mean at all.

By the "fault" I mean that thing everyone has.  The thing no one sees in the mirror.  Being outrageously inconsiderate perhaps.  Or spending hours at a time talking about yourself when no one else cares. 

I am always looking for my fault.  What is it that I do that gets under people's skin?  I still don't know that answer, and maybe I'm never supposed to.  That's okay with me, it would probably embarrass me down to my shoes so I don't need to know. 

But the thing is, Dustin doesn't see it either.  I will occassionally ask him what it is that I do.  And he honestly has no idea.  It's the purest form of unconditional love aside from the love of a parent for a child.  To be blind to the biggest fault of your significant other shows that that person sees you as you see yourself.  My husband sees what's inside me and knows that whatever that thing is that I do doesn't matter in the slightest because he loves me and that fault is just something I can't help anyway.

My Hubby

Dustin doesn't get a lot of air time on my blog.  Usually what comes to mind is something having to do with Reese.  And she is a star, but today she has to take the back seat to her daddy. 

Dustin has a million hobbies, really expensive hobbies.  Golf for one.  He could spend more on 1 day of golf then I spend in an entire month at the Gap.  Okay, maybe Old Navy, but you get the point.  He loves to play with my step dad and his friends and the driving range got him through many a boring summer day.  Hunting is another.  It seems cheap, sit in a tree and wait for a deer.  But when you price scent-locked boots, spray and clothes, not to mention cold-gear, and the guns and bows.  Well let's just say he could feed an army with that!  But he loves it and a lot of it is a one-time expense spread out over several years of accumulation.  And racing.  Racing, racing, racing.  Thank goodness we are over that a little.  Those weekends of racing were frightening and drunken.  That's all I have to say about that.

He is also a really good friend.  And he has a lot of them.  A lot of them that he likes to talk to on the phone.  Yep, you heard it here folks, Dustin loves to talk on the phone too.  But that's beside the point.  The point is he is a good friend.  He enjoys spending time with them and I know he misses them when we are in the city.  I know this because he is ready to jump ship as soon as we get home so he can see what Keith is up to.  Or Casey, or Clinton, or Stevie, or well, you get the point.

But most of all he is a good husband and a good father.  He loves his baby girl so much it hurts to breathe sometimes.  She has him completely wrapped around his finger.  And maybe so do I a little bit.  He would do anything for us.

I write this tonight because I know he is not having the best week ever.  He would rather be home and things seem to not go his way right now.  He has 1 or 2 or 10 things on the back of his mind keeping him from sleeping well and I just wanted him to know that we were thinking of him. 

Here's to our favorite Daddy ever!  We are so excited to see you!

Time Lapse

Here's what the snow looked like at our house today.  This was a blast to make!  We started at 10:00 Tuesday morning and took a picture on the hour for 12 hours.  We also put a shampoo bottle on the table for perspective.  Reese and Miller really got into the action.  One or both were at each picture taking and they really loved watching the snow fall.  Be patient, it takes a little while to load.

Miranda

Thursday night we went to see Miranda Lambert. We both really love her so when Dustin had the opportunity to get tickets to see her for our anniversary we just couldn't pass it up. And my goodness are we glad we went!

We had a great time, right down to every last detail. Our tickets were general admission so we were standing only a few feet from the stage. Eric Church was just great. He sings a lot of songs we love too so it was kind of a two for one deal. But the best thing of all was Miranda. She was just fabulous. Her microphone stand was a shotgun, which was pretty cute and she had a pink guitar. She threw out her guitar pick one time and guess who got it? US!! A girl right by us almost kicked Dustin, she was sooo mad!

Overall, it was a fun night. We enjoyed having some time to ourselves, especially seeing such a great show. And if you ever get the chance, go see her, she is like phenomenal!

Two Years

Yesterday was our 2 year anniversary. 2 years, I can't believe it! We have so much fun together that 2 years has gone by very fast. Okay, okay some times it goes by very slow, like when it's bedtime and he suddenly remembers the "gift" he got me that day, usually a goose or a tickle which totally defeats the purpose of quiet time before we get in bed. Anyway, we have come a long way in 2 years. Here are a few of our highlights.

Dating

Engaged

Our wedding day

Newlyweds

Pregnant

Meeting Reese

And our greatest highlight of all

Hunting Shows

Do you it is only 14 days until deer bow season? I do.

Do you know that "160" constitutes a BIG deer? I do.

Do you know what Scent Blocker, Drury Outdoors, and Mossy Oak are all selling? I do.

And do you know why I know these things? Because I live with a hunter. An avid hunter. An avid-hunter who watches the Outdoor Channel like it's the Food Network. For the past month we have watched every hunting show imaginable. EVERY STINKING ONE!

I have taken up the Kardashians in response to this behavior.

Soon I will become a single mother to the woods. I will spend my weekends alone because I cannot bear to pack up the car and go home another weekend. I will probably end up throwing at least one temper tantrum due to the neglect I am feeling.

You see, my outdoorsman husband refuses to be lured into any activity outside of hunting that he is not expressly interested in. He doesn't visit friends, or come in early for a party. And if you catch him on opening weekend of gun season....well, you might as well save your invitation.

He does have one tiny little commitment falling around November 5th, however.

Wordless Wednesday

Miller's Favorite Pasttime

Miller loves fetch. He stands vigilantly for hours over a ball. He can catch a frisbee in mid air. His only problem is that his brakes aren't always the best. He tends to roll or slide when he gets to his destination. Which in turn causes him to get huge grass stains all over his white coat.

Anyway, Dustin is also really in to golf. He's been chipping in the back yard which serves two purposes. First, he is able to practice his shot and second, Miller gets a great workout. This morning, Reese and I decided to head outside to watch the ordeal and I couldn't help but capture the moment.

Apples

Dustin: "Who do you think was the first person to ever put peanut butter on an apple?"
Me: "I don't know...Eve?"
Dustin: "No....I'm thinking....George Washington Carver. I'm thinking he's the kinda guy who wants a little more to his apple."

Ugh, do you see what I live with?

A Nice Surprise

I got home today and saw this...my little chubby girl with a Zales bag. Let's just say, she had my attention.


So, I decided to look inside. Here's what I found there. Now I was REALLY interested.


Turns out, that was for me! Just because my family thinks I am a pretty amazing mom and a pretty amazing wife. I just might be the luckiest lady on earth. Thanks, D, you are the BEST!! So, I'll leave you with a little piece of my happy day....

So Sweet

I realize this is my second post today, usually I don't get one done, but this just caused me to stand back in wonder tonight.

I usually do bedtime, I have a special routine and I just love doing it. But tonight I thought it was Dustin's turn. I used the opportunity to do some laundry and clean up a few things. While I was working, I could hear him reading her a story. He read it like it was written just for her, which in his opinion, it probably was.

Once he was done, he picked her up and took her to bed. A second later he brought her back out to give me a kiss, just because he worried she wouldn't be able to sleep without one.

I count myself lucky to have found a best friend who is an even better father.

Valentine's Day

Last night I blogged about family dinner. Tonight we had the best one ever! Here's to having our first V-day as a family. We didn't need a babysitter (although Mommy and Daddy are needing a date night bad) and we didn't need to go out. We had the best little date night ever right here on our living room floor. Complete with Miller Lite in our wedding wine glasses, flowers and chocolates compliments of my 3rd graders, and a beautiful little baby!

Happy Birthday, Dusty

January 6, 1983 was the birth of my hubby. And as he will tell you, he will never be as old as me. He even calls me old girl sometimes but that's because he's hung up on age, I on the other hand, am not.

Dustin is the best friend I've ever had. He is also the male version of me. He loves to drink Miller Lite, hang out with friends and cuddle his daughter. He loves old country music and back roading on the weekends. He has many passions; hunting, racing, drinking, and just about anything that involves competition. But he is more than just that. He is loving, thoughtful and empathetic. He probably would never admit to half of that but it's true.

Dustin is a great father, he gets up even when he has to work. He washes bottles and does dishes and changes dirty diapers. He can't wait to see her when he gets home and loves to text pictures of her to his friends. He is a great friend to me too. He was right beside me cheering me on when I gave birth. He stands up for me when I don't like something that happens. And he makes a choice to love us each day.

So tomorrow, Dustin, I hope you have a great day. I hope you get every wish your heart desires. And I hope that we will be able to spend 60 more birthdays together!

Happy Anniversary

One year ago today, I was on Cloud Nine. I was dancing the night away with my husband and 300 of my closest friends. It was by far the happiest day of my life. And here I am a year later. Who knew I'd be where I am now? Certainly not me. But even though today is not the best day of my life, it's been one really great year.
When Dustin and I got married we really wanted to wait a year before having kids. We talked about it a lot and decided that was a pretty good plan. We began trying to get ourselves ready to conceive and before we knew it BAM! I was pregnant. Even though it was a little ahead of schedule, we couldn't be happier.
It's funny how everyone says the first year is the hardest, because that hasn't been true for us at all. We've been happy and content and each day is a new beginning. That isn't to say that we haven't had our share of hard stuff, but the truth is, we both would rather deal with the hard stuff as a united front than to ever have a happy day alone.
So, here's to a year, a year of evenings spent together on the couch, a year of sitting on our patio listening to old country music, a year of enjoying our friends and family, a year of excited plans for the future of our family, a year of waking up next to my best friend. Here's to a great start of a great life. Happy Anniversary!

Hunting and Gathering

Well today is the first day of October and it feels like fall is officially here. Someone even told me today to (gasp) put away the flip flops -maybe she didn't realize that none of my other shoes fit right now. Fall is in the air and of course that means....bow season.

Bow season is my arch enemy. I lose my husband from the middle of September until about Thanksgiving and I don't love it. He grows his beard and starts talking on the phone with all his hunting buddies constantly. It's always a conversation of inches, points, salt licks, and game cameras. As I go through my nesting transition, he is going through his own transitions to get ready for baby; hunting and gathering. I suppose this is okay, it is his greatest passion. He loves it so much and I really do love that he is happy. I just hope a deer ends up in my freezer this year....

Dustin's Birthday

This weekend was full of fun! We had people over for Dustin's 26th birthday and had a blast. Daniel, Andrea and Rilyn, Keith and Andrea, Brad, and Mary and Eric all were in attendance. We broke out the Rock Band and found out we have very talented friends! Although, I'd recommend asking Brad to play an instrument, he's not much of a singer. There's nothing better than having some good food while having good friends over and this weekend was one of the best we've had. Thanks for a good time and Happy Birthday Dustin!

Wedding Day

Our Wedding Day!
What a wonderful day! We had beautiful sunny weather and were surrounded by some great people. Many tears were shed, I think, but none from us. I always thought I'd cry on my wedding day, tears of happiness maybe a little of sadness with the changing of themes. But when I walked down the aisle, I saw my very best friend smiling and all I could do was smile back. Tears welled a little at the vows, but I held it together!
We had lots of laughs and celebrations. Keith, of course, is ever our entertainment. He just double checked to make sure he wasn't signing his car title instead of the marriage license! He also stole all the rolls from the rehearsal and used it as a ring box. There were only a few crumbs left over!
The priest asked Dustin if he loved Lacy, but the smart boy said no, since obviously, there was no LACY present! I don't know what the priest was thinking but whatever it was it wasn't a thought about us!

Overall it was the perfect day, full of celebration. And on the day of new

beginnings, a new life was announced as well. It made it even better to find out my best friend is having a baby too!