Eating Snapshots

Here is a VERY messy Mallory, eating toast after a hamburger dish she really didn't like. She REALLY likes toast, though. Can't you tell?
Here is Mallory tasting her first popsicle. This picture was taken yesterday as she suffered through an entire day of a 101 body temp. Poor thing! Patrick bought her some popsicles to help her feel better. It took her a while to figure out how to eat it and then I think she got frustrated at how cold it was on her hands. She ate about half before she threw it on the ground.

fyi - Mallory is doing MUCH better today. No temp. I think her "canine" teeth are coming in.

It's been 4 years

Four years ago right now, I was probably up and showered, getting ready for one of the biggest days of my life - my wedding day. We were married in the early afternoon on August 30th and enjoyed a lovely ceremony and reception before we honeymooned in the Western Caribbean.

It's true what people say about the wedding - though the ceremony is well and good, the party is fun, and the presents are great; it's the "ever after" part that is the most important. So true! Patrick and I have been through so much these last 4 years that would challenge any marriage (job changes, moving, having children, moving again...) and I know I love him more now that I did on that sunny August day back in 2003.

"Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm, for love is strong as death, jealousy is fierce as the grave. Its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the LORD.

Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. If a man offered for love all the wealth of his house, he would be utterly despised."

Song of Solomon 8:6-7

Mallory's Current Read

"Rehabilitation Specialist Handbook"

For those who like Peaches

This post is dedicated to my friend, Shannon, who told me the other day that she really loves peaches and especially enjoys it when Sonic sells their special peach drinks. Well, I noticed today that Sonic's Peach promotion is going to start in September!

Our local Sonics have half-price drinks from 6am to 11am. Check your local Sonic to see when their happy hour is. And indulge in a Peach Smoothie!

Trip to Grandma and Grandpa's

We had a nice time on our trip down to Elberton. We did a lot of the same-old stuff we usually do there (eat lots of pizza, look at the fishies in the pond, play with toys, etc) but we did a "first" while we were there. We took Mallory to Lake Russell State Park, which is a huge, beautiful park about 10 minutes from my folk's house. Mallory had a great time at the lake. It ended up being overcast so it wasn't extremely hot. She LOVED running from the sand to the water (and back and forth). She really likes feeling the different textures of the ground beneath her! It didn't surprise me that feeling the dry sand vs. the wet sand under her feet was any different.

I think Grandma and Grandpa may have had a little more fun, but we'll DEFINITELY have to go back next year with Ethan! She had such a good time at the lake that I persuaded Patrick to go to the lake up here, which is only 5 minutes from our house. She had a ball, though I didn't bring my camera!!! I did take some pics of our time at Lake Russell, though.

Lakeside Concert Series

Yes, I'm up early blogging today. I guess it's a mix of things of why I can't sleep. First, after my 5am potty break, Ethan decided he wanted to practice her aerobatics for over 45 minutes. Then, Patrick's alarm went off. Then, I was thinking of everything I needed to do before Mallory and I left for my parents house this morning. Oh yes, we made a last-minute decision on Monday to go see my folks for a few days, since I'm not sure of when we'll be able to travel again before the baby comes. So, Mallory and I leave this morning for a brief jaunt down to Elberton.

And for the main jist of this post....on Tuesday nights from 6-9, a local park hosts free concerts. I think it lasts through the end of the summer, though I haven't heard of an end date yet. Mallory and I went last week, braving the 93 degree evening and enjoyed listening to bluegrass for about 30 minutes. Last night, we went as a family, which was much easier in 85 degrees and with Patrick to help chase around our ever-running daugther.

The community concert band was on the ticket for tonight and they did great! We sat pretty far back so Mallory could have some room to run (though should wanted to run BEHIND us, of course, which was far more interesting). As you can barely see from this picture, the band is down on a pavilion right near Boone Lake, which is a big, finger-y lake that spreads across this part of TN. There are also several beautiful houses that grace the lake's shore. The concert was very well attended, though there weren't masses of people like one would see at a free concert in Charlotte. Anyway, Boone Lake is a beautiful setting and less than 10 minutes from our house. It was a fun evening. And it wore Mallory out.

My Mischevious One

It's hard to believe it's been 16 months since Mallory has been born. I don't think I realized how "old" she was until yesterday. We had woke her up from her nap around 4:30 so she wouldn't sleep too long into the early evening. She was still very tired and groggy and really wanted to just snuggle, which is RARE now that she walks...er...RUNS everywhere! Patrick popped in a "Praise Baby" video, which are her favorite ones to watch, and she just laid on my chest while I reclined on our couch. Oh, how I soaked in the lovin'! Though it only lasted about 10 minutes until she wanted to sit (on my lap, at least!), I revelled in the feeling of snuggling my daughter, stroking her hair, and breathing in her baby scent.

I barely remember when she was a newborn and she didn't have a choice when we held her...chest on chest or cradled in the nook of our arms. Now, she won't even sit for 5 seconds, except at bedtime and she's got her lovey to hold. When I was snuggling her last night, I realized now how those moments are going to be even fewer as she gets older and it saddened me. I miss those times with her, though I TOTALLY enjoy this phase of growing independence. I'm anticipating those snuggle moments with my son, which I know will pass ever too quickly. But, those moments will be here before we know it. Our little Ethan Price...

Today, I was preparing for a photo shoot I have this afternoon and took a couple quick snaps of Mallory. I have my crude "studio" set up in what will be the baby's nursery, which is now closed off to Mallory temporarily, since we have pieces of the crib, mattress and changing table in there waiting to be put together. I opened up the room today and Mallory was glad to see some of her toys that have been stowed away for a few days. She went from one to the other, moving around like a hummingbird finding the blooms with the most nectar in a flower bush! Here are a few of my little mischievious girl, now a whopping 16-months old!

Fence is complete!

Our fence is finally complete. It was actually finished last week, but I just got around to posting about it. Cayman really likes being outside, perched up on one of the high deck steps so she can observe what's going on the other side of the fence. Yes, she has ran a few laps, sniffed the perimeter, and marked her territory ALL over the backyard, but she prefers to keep watch. But, that's OK. As long as she keeps the barking at a minimum, which is rare when the building construction is going on!Next project: get some grass to grow in the backyard, which Patrick is anxious to be starting!

Almost done!!!

Well, our fence is almost done! Last week, the posts were set. Today, all the rails and boards were nailed up; well, almost all the boards. There are only 4 panels left to be complete, in addition to scalloping the top and cleaning up their mess (and there IS a lot of mess!). Tomorrow, Cayman should have a GRAND time being released into the back yard without being tied to her chain. She'll be a new woman. I'll be a new woman. We're VERY excited, though I think Cayman is more excited about not having the big truck out back with strange men walking around making a bunch of noise!

Mommy's nose

I asked Mallory to show me Mommy's nose today and she actually grabbed my nose!!! Of course, I asked her to do it again (after I stopped squealing in delight) and she was distracted by something else that suited her fancy. And after asking her a dozen more times, she didn't want to point out my nose, her nose, or the dolly's nose. I've been working at showing her facial features and today was the first time she responded to a "show me" question.

It was VERY exciting.

Busy Weekend...

Well, last week was busy and last weekend was probably busier! Patrick, Mallory and I went to Asheville on Friday to celebrate our friend Erin's birthday. They had a big BBQ at Taylor Ranch just outside of Asheville. I wish I would have brought my "big" camera and snapped a few pictures, but I honestly didn't want one more thing to lug around in the heat! I got a nice picture of Mallory and her daddy, though, that will do!

The next morning, Mallory played with her friends Sophie (15 months) and Parker (7 months), both are children from old friends back at Hickory Grove. It was fun to rekindle friendships, celebrate a birthday, and watch our kids interact. We unsuccessfully tried to get a group picture for a few minutes but couldn't get the kids to cooperate (surprise???). Erin suggested popping in a video, which worked wonders. At least they're all looking in the same direction!

Saturday night, we had dinner with some new friends, the Jordans. We met them through the pastor of a church we had visited last fall. The Jordans have 4 young boys; Mallory is between the two youngest. It was a fun evening and SOOO refreshing to meet another reformed family! I'm actually heading over to their house on Thursday so the kids to play together and allow me to get to know Shannon more!

On Sunday, we visited the church that the Jordan's go to (the same church of the pastor who introduced us to them) and I think we'll be attending there for a few weeks. Pastor Weems is starting a bible study on Wednesday nights using JI Packer's "Knowing God", which is one of Patrick's favorite books and is looking forward to the study. Anyway, we had another couple over to our house for lunch on Sunday after church (Patrick's co-worker and his wife who just moved here from Indiana). And after a baby shower I attended later in the afternoon, I was finally able to rest up! Whew!


God has truly blessed us this week/weekend. We've met some new people, which God knows we need the fellowship, and we were able to hang out with old friends. Lots of fun memories were made!

Busy Week!

Has it really been a week since my last post??? Goodness, I can't believe how time has flown and how busy we've been. We had Patrick's folks in town this past weekend and we REALLY enjoyed their company. They left on Monday morning after taking Mallory and I to breakfast at Cracker Barrel, one of our favorite places to eat. It's a good thing it's about 4 miles from our house!

On Tuesday, I took Mallory to one of our local state parks, Warrior's Path. This park is LOADED with activities for adults and kids alike; it has the BEST playground I've ever seen and it's absolutely huge! There's a lake for water activities and fishing, a pool, disc golf, an 18-hole golf course, and mountain bike trails. It takes us about 15 minutes to get there and it's on the way to Patrick's work. Whenever we go, Mallory runs around all the sidewalks, testing the difference it feels under her feet compared to the ground. She constantly walks off and then onto the sidewalk! She doesn't seem to care about all the playground equipment, though she really likes being put in the swing! After the park, we made a surprise visit to see Daddy and brought him a big glass of McAlister's sweet tea and a chocolate chip cookie. He LOVED the surprise.































We have a busy weekend, too. We're heading to Asheville to attend a friends 30th birthday party and are spending the night with them and another family we know from Charlotte. It will be good to see Erin, Nathan, Sophie, Carson, Carol and Parker! Mallory should have lots of activity! We also have a few other things planned, but I'll share all those in a later post. Today, Mallory and I just got in from having lunch with a lady who just moved here from Indiana (her husband just started working with Patrick at Gentiva). I think it was refreshing for both of us to become friends, especially since we both not only desire fellowship but Christian fellowship with another sister in the Lord! Mallory has crashed from her busy day and I'm about to join her, though I hope I can get some shut-eye while our fence is starting to be built outside (VERY exciting!!!).

Frontrunners

Well, I can't get Patrick to make a decision on our boy's name. I was hoping to have him named by the end of July. Though we don't have a name, we have some frontrunners. I like them all, though I have my preferences and Patrick has his. I decided to give you the first names and middle names and see which combination you like best. Maybe you can finally help Patrick make up his mind!!!

First names - in no particular order (2 out of the 3 are my favorites, 2 out of the 3 are Patrick's, though I'm not telling which is which!!!)
Ethan
Jeremiah
Nathan

Middle names - both are family names
Patrick
Price (Patrick's Dad's middle name)

Florida Recap and Pictures

We left to go to Florida last Saturday morning (Jul 21) around 7:30ish. Our first destination was my Uncle Bob and Aunt Gail's house in Jacksonville. We ended up arriving at their place around 3:30, after a few stops for breakfast, lunch and gas. Mallory was a trooper!

When we got to Jax, a typical late-afternoon FL thunderstorm moved through the area and provided us with a great show of loud thunder, bright lightening, and hard rain. We sat on the porch the entire time marvelling at the storm as mom, dad and I reminisced about how much we missed storms like that. Mallory liked the rain, so we stripped her down to her diaper and let her run around on the porch where rain water was dripping (she did not seem interested in venturing out in the grass while it was raining, which was good because of the lightening). Anyway, while it stormed, a transformer in the area blew right when my aunt was putting dinner in the oven. We expected the power to come on shortly, but it wasn't until after 10pm that the power was restored. We enjoyed good take-out, though. And Mallory was worn out from our travels and all the rain-dancing.

While we were in Jax, we saw some dear friends of ours we've known for...well, forever (in my mind). I also had some girl-time with my dearest friend, Kristin, at a local bistro where I enjoyed a heavenly piece of Coconut cake. YUMMY!

We left Monday for my grandparent's house just south of Ocala, where we stayed for a couple of days. We ate lunch with great-grandma and great-grandpa. My grandmother looked great and it was so good to hug her and my grandpa. Mallory ran all over their house and enjoyed her time there. We had every meal on Tuesday with them, which was very nice. It was good to have such quality time with them.

While we were in Ocala, we had dinner at my cousin's house so Mallory could play with her second-cousin, Peighton (dad had a flat tire on the way there, but we were able to make it to their house and not be stuck on the side of the road!). Peighton had a great dress-up corner in her room with a basket full of clothes and a mirror that hung low so she could enjoy her reflection. Mallory was OBSESSED with the mirror (which I quickly purchased and installed shortly after coming home) and enjoyed playing with her "friend" who looked JUST like her! My mom enjoyed dressing Mallory up and we enjoyed watching her antics. She did surprisingly well with all the attention, given that it was over an hour past her bedtime...

We were also able to visit with my great-aunt Margaret (my grandmother's sister) who lives in an assisted living community about 20 minutes from my grandma's house. On our way back from visiting her, we stopped at Sonic (my first time!!!) and enjoyed a slushie. Mallory REALLY liked it, too! I'll DEFINITELY have to make Sonic a frequent stop here in JC.

After Ocala, we made several stops on our way up to my sister's house in Albany, GA. First, we stopped at my brother-in-law's parent's house in Silver Springs, which is also about 20 minutes from my grandparent's house. David was down visiting his parents, so we picked him up to take him back home. Our next stop was Gainesville, where we had lunch with old friends that we've known since...well, since forever (in my mind...). Their daughter, Sara, was one of my childhood playmates and she's now pregnant with her first child, only 5 weeks behind me. It was good to see her and share pregnancy stories. Our next stop was Lake City, where another cousin of mine lives. We were there for only 45 minutes, but it was fun to watch Mallory meet her newest 2nd cousin, Sammy, who is about 8 months old.

Our FINAL stop (before heading back to Elberton) was my sister's house in Albany, GA. We arrived there on Wednesday night around 6:30. Mallory had only about 20 minutes of sleep that day because of all the stops and decided she didn't want to sleep anymore until bedtime. She was definitely running on empty until about 8pm, when she finally crashed for a good 12-hour sleep. The next day, we took her to a park downtown where she and my sister ran all around a water fountain. Mallory preferred running OUT of the fountain, but she had a good time in the water, though I *think* my sister had more fun playing in the water with her neice.

We headed to Elberton on Thursday (4.5 hours from Albany) and then we left the next day to head home to JC (3.5 hours from Elberton). We covered many miles, visited with many people, and made many memories. I don't know if this Florida trip will be an annual tradition (we went this time last year, BTW), but I hope it won't be the last time we do it!!!