Lucy and Sam

Miss Lucy was cute as she could be in her polka dots!

girls love flowers

and here is her cutey pa tootie older brother Sam!

He tried hard for me not to get any cute faces of his or smiles.

As you can see, no matter how hard he tried he couldn't hide his adorable self!

such a sweetie

Gorgeous Lucy

Forget all the posing stuff... we got down to business and decided to just had fun!

Mommy and Daddy are soo cool they let us play in the fountain (in our pretty clothes).

We had LOTS of FUN!

Thanks Lucy & Sam for hanging out with me and looking so stinkin adorable!

The House That Built Me

Have you heard Miranda Lambert's song, The House That Built Me?

I LOVE it and it makes me soo teary everytime I listen to it.

I guess it makes me nostalgic.

I can see seven year old self, running through the garage door and flopping my backpack on the dining room table. Even at seven I can almost remember sighing and thinking I was home. A place I was secure in, loved in and that gave me so much comfort. Away from the scary world, teasing words of kids at school and the frustrating math that I just could not get.

This was home.

This is where my little sister and I played countless hours of baby dolls in the floor of our shared bedroom floor. Where we cooked up scary concoctions of food and our Daddy would try everyone with a smile on his face. The place that brought us coolness from the long summer days of playing outside and warmth from the fires my Moma begged my Daddy to make in the winter months. It's where I learned to loved books as I saw my Moma reading ever spare second she had and where I'd hide with my flashlight under my covers to finish a chapter when I should have been in bed. Where we sang, danced and even laughed with our big brother while he would do silly superman tricks in our doorway at night just so we'd giggle. It's floor was a soft place to lay to watch the Wonder Years, Saved by the Bell and Steve Erkel. As we grew our friends never stopped coming to this place. It held countless slumber parties, girls over to practice cheerleading and the Dawson Creek evenings of friends gathered once a week during our last few years of high school. My Uncle and cousin taught me to ride my bike in the circle drive way around the house, the same one that Daddy taught me to drive my straight shift little truck. It was the place I ran to when I was afraid of the changing life outside it's walls, where my Moma stayed up all hours taking care of me when I had a headache, and where my sister and I had more late night talks than I can remember. This was the place that did make me....me! It was the place where our family was just the five of us (now 14 including the spouses and kids). It was where my memories began, where I learned, where I truly became a Christian (I remember going to my parents bedroom to talk as we were all taking Sunday naps after church to talk to them about my heart and Christ), where I found strength, family and security. This was my home and I'll never forget the house that built me.

Now my brother, his wife. nieces and nephew live there. I can only hope it gives them the childhood it gave me and that the Bluff home will do the same for whatever little ones God brings through our doors.

Green Acres

Thanks to my wonderful cousin, we got to visit the place she works.

Can you imagine working here....

Isn't it gorgeous!?!?!?!

Seriously, I could just look at this picture all day.

We went out for an afternoon to see the horses.

The kids had a blast!

I love horse pictures. They are such strong, gentle and gorgeous creatures.

Especially when they smile like this! : ) This is the pony!

I love this pic....I want a horse of my own, but I'm pretty sure my city neighbors wouldn't love the noise or mess!

My cousin is also a FABULOUS green thumb....

I'm pretty sure I need some of these in my yard next year.

I love water lillies....

Seriously, I NEED these flowers... my favorite as of now!

Thanks Cindy for letting us visit the farm!

oh how I love thee,,,,

Due to the picture below you might assume my title means that I love my beautiful foster children and I do! But this post is for the Man....the one who has turned his life upside down to be a good Daddy. When I started dating Scott we talked a lot about our passions and desires for the future. He was the only man I know that wanted to adopt without a woman influencing his heart. I knew we would one day adopt or something like it (fostering).

We took all the classes and prepared best we could. But NOTHING,,, hear me say NOTHING could have prepared us for what was about to happen. I've heard people discuss how parenting is tough and how you are never ready. Add in that a 3 yr old that misses his mommy and is learning a whole new set of boundaries or a busy 1 year old that you feel victorious with if she is safe at the end of the day. Add in those two things on top of normal first time parenting woes and life gets pretty sticky all of a sudden.

Well, the first few weeks were the most exhausting and challenging weeks of our lives. Scott and I were just talking about how we've never felt the need of the Lord in our lives than now. We've gone through much sickness, discipline struggles, dealing with our own sinfulness, and missing all the time we had alone together before kids. We've been frustrated with ourselves on how we aren't as patient as we'd hoped and how this has been much harder than we ever imagined. But there is good news. We are making HEADWAY!!!

We are all learning more about each other and God is molding all our hearts to be more like His. We are seeing children obey (sometimes) and having loving moments where we are all soo happy to be in the same family!

Scott has dealt with all this very well even though the transition been harder on him than me. I was worried for the first few weeks how he would survive or if our marriage would be negatively effected by this choice. I am such a woman of little faith. He of course has survived and is doing a great job in his new position as "right now" Daddy (that is what we tell the kids about us). He is more and more patient everyday! He helps me be patient and loving when I'm disciplining too. He wipes noses, bottoms and scratches heads at night so everyone can go to sleep peacefully.

Last night I got home from working a very long day. He had them all evening and everyone was asleep when I got home. "N" had been vomiting all night and he had given her two baths. He'd rocked her back to sleep again and put her in our bed so we could change the sheets. I couldn't believe he'd dealt with all of that on his own with such grace and love.

What a husband and what a Daddy.

oh how i love thee....

and this little one is feeling much better this morning.

Praising God for all these blessings.

just a few reasons I LOVED Ocean Isle...

These little flowers everywhere. I LOVED the color!

This MEGA cool boat canal we passed over on the bridge (the only way on the island).

so quaint and cuteness everywhere.

yummy local places!

bright colors all over the isle.

tons of the seashells made the kids and well me happy!

nice beach and surf.

i love dunes.

our rockers on our balcony!

Ocean Isle, if it weren't for the 14 hr. drive, I'd be back every year.

You served us well for the oil spill year. THANK YOU!