Meridian

The remaining weeks leading up to leaving for Virginia will be spent with our families and friends all over MS and TX...this past week we found ourselves in Meridian!

No matter where we are...she is SUCH a daddy's girl (pretty sure, he's wrapped around her finger too!)!!

The newest thing she's learned?  Her ABC's...well I think that's what you'd call them - it goes like this...

A........B.........C........LHI LHI!!!  :) guaranteed giggle everytime!! 

Ryleigh met the future husband...mr.max stark...he's already teaching her new things :)

She had her 1st fishing trip with my mom's side of the family - Rock is showing her how it's done!

Ryleigh with her "great-Pop"  :)

She was stylin on St Patty's day thanks to Big J and Little A!



We spent the end of the week packing up all of our stuff for the crate...SUCH a big task!!  I know we'll be grateful to get the crate once we've been in Mada for a few months though!  We're loving traveling around, seeing everyone, and having opportunities to speak at churches.  We are thankful for all of the prayer warriors out there!   Keep checking back - more updates will be on the way since we're in baldwyn this week!  This time with family and friends is priceless...we're grateful to be able to spend time with them - and love them so so so much!  Rest assured anytime Ryleigh isn't in someone else's arms, this is where you'll find her...right in her momma's arms :)

Late Night Ramblings

Everyone in the house is asleep.  I'm awake, but probably shouldn't be.  Exhausted doesn't begin to describe how I feel at the moment, but it's a good thing.  I enjoy the feeling of marking things off of my to do list (those of you who know me are currently smiling).  Today = lots of marking things off = smiley face (like the one below)

Doesn't that just make you smile too?  I'm realizing that I have become such a "mother" - I showed a picture of Ryleigh to the lady who was helping me find shoes today at the mall - pathetic I know, but bless her heart atleast she pretended to be interested.  No matter how stereotypical I may now be - I love it.  I love being a mom.  I enjoy looking at my baby girl and guessing what's going on in her mind.  I like going for a walk with her in the stroller, putting on adorable outfits, playing with her, singing to her, having conversations with her (she does talk back sometimes...well coos anyway), and the list could go on.  I could have never understood the way she makes me feel until now...and i'm a fan - a huge one actually.

(picture from dedication service 2/27)

There's a lot to do - back to that to do list - before we leave.  It can be overwhelming if I stop and think about it too long - so I just try and put it in list form...it seems that I feel like I can conquer it that way.  Trying to think through what we might need for the next 3 years is crazy...just so you know.  I'm trying to find that line of being reasonable and realizing that we're going to be in a foreign country - everything will be different, but people are currently living there and have been for longer than I've been alive - so guess what...we'll make it just fine.  The Lord has always taken care of us and He will continue to - absolutely no doubts about that one.  So...I'll do the things that need to be done - by His strength and grace.  Everything else?  Well, I don't believe it will just take care of itself but I do rest in the fact that He will supply our every need.  Therefore, I will act on what He needs me to act on and otherwise I'll just rest in Him and enjoy the journey...looks like Ryleigh already has that under control...

Goodnight.

Ryleigh's February Top 10

My mom has found herself pretty busy these past few weeks...so I thought I'd blog for her!

Quite a few things have been going on this month that I enjoyed so I thought I'd give you my top 10 - in no order of how much I liked them...more so in the order they happened!

1.  My 1st snow day!  I didn't get to play in it but it was pretty!

2.  Mom's been making me have tummy time for a while now, and I guess it's starting to grow on me.  I actually have fun being on my tummy...well, for a few minutes anyway.

3.  I had my 1st photo shoot for a magazine!  Meridian's 393 magazine is doing an article about us traveling to Madagascar...I made sure to smile pretty in all the pictures!

4.  I applied for my passport.  It took lots of pictures (43 to be exact) before we got one that worked...here's one of those 42 that didn't work (but hey I still looked cute!)

5. I got to travel to Baldwyn to meet the rest of my daddy's family...I do love being the center of attention!

6. I had my 1st Valentine's Day!  It was a lot of fun to spend the day with mommy and daddy.

7.  I had my 6 week checkup - I weighed 10lbs 14oz and was 22 1/2 inches long!  I also had my 1st shots...yeah, not so much fun.

8.  The first time I had a bow in my hair all day long...it took some help from some toothpaste but it stayed!  I think I look pretty cute, if I do say so myself.

9.  We had some beautiful weather, and I got to spend a lot more time outside.  I loved watching all the birds flying around!

10.  I finally got to go to church.  I slept though most of Sunday school but I talked all through the worship service.  My favorite part - the pretty sunlight coming through the stained glass windows.

My parents favorite thing about February??

ME!!