Back home again!

Well, Mallory and I have been home since Friday and I JUST haven't had the chance to dedicate time to my blog. I've enjoyed looking at everyone else's updates (which reminds me...I WOULD like to make a blogroll one of these days...). Our travels to FL were just as we had expected...full of visits and HOT. Our itinerary stayed on track almost perfectly, but we did have a few hiccups on our trip (power outage our first night in Jacksonville for 5 hours, flat tire in Ocala, visits during Mallory's nap time which lead to a 20-minute nap day). Mallory was a great little traveller, which was SO wonderful, despite that I didn't get around to purchasing a DVD player like I had planned. For the 14+ hours that she was in the car (total for the week, mind you), she was an angel. We even hit a few developmental milestones while over the last week or so:

1. She is clapping!!!
2. She can stack blocks!!!
3. She can wave!!!

At 15 months, I figured it was about time for those things! She just decided to procrastinate a bit.

Anyway, I'll have to post pictures soon; I really haven't had a chance to go through them all. Since we've been back, we had to catch up on lots of daddy time. I've also been running errands like a mad-woman and today, I've been cooking and baking for a girl up here that just had her second baby. Tonight is my night to bring her dinner. But, now that Mallory is napping, I desperately need some down-time as well, since yesterday was taken up with bill-paying, cleaning, laundry, etc. It is good to be home. I missed my bed and my body-pillow. I missed sleeping next to my hubby. I missed the comforts of my kitchen and familiar foods. I missed my recliner. And I missed SOME things about my dog.

There's just no place like home.

Road Trip!

Mallory and I will be heading to Florida tomorrow for 5 days! My parents told me last Saturday that they were planning on making a trip to FL to see my grandparents and some other friends and family. After talking with Patrick about it, I asked my parents if they minded if Mallory and I went along. They were excited to say yes, so I had a few days to tie up loose ends at home and ready ourselves for being gone the entire week.

We're currently at my parent's house in Elberton; we arrived this afternoon around 2pm. We're leaving tomorrow morning to spend a few days in Jacksonville, which is our first stop. We'll stay at my Uncle Bob's house on Saturday and Sunday night. On Saturday night, I'll be able to see one of my oldest and dearest friends, Kristin - just me and her for a little girl time. It will be great. Sunday, we'll go to church with Kristin's parents, who are some of my folk's best friends. We'll leave Monday morning to go to Ocala to see my grandparents (my mom's parents) and visit with my cousins, aunts, and uncles. We'll be there until Wed. morning, after which we'll probably go and visit my brother-in-law's parents (who live close to my grandparents), pick up my bro-in-law (who is down visiting his parents) and head to my sister's place in Albany, GA. On the way, we'll make 2 additional stops to visit more friends and family (one stop in Gainesville and one stop in Lake City). We'll be in Albany until Thursday, which is when we'll head back to my parent's house. Mallory and I will probably leave on Friday sometime to head back home.

This is the plan and hopefully we'll stick to it! Mallory is a great little traveler and I'm sure it's going to be lots of fun to show her off to old friends and family. I'm glad I'm able to go on this trip, thanks to the sacrifice of my loving husband who I KNOW will miss us while we're gone. Thanks, Sweetheart!

So, until next weekend...

Video from Farm Fest

Here's a video from the Farm Fest...it's really not that impressive, but you can hear the Bluegrass band in the background as Patrick chases Mallory around...

Farm Fest!

Patrick, Mallory and I went to an event up in Kingsport, TN called "Farm Fest". This event was a part of a 2-week annual event called "Fun Fest" that Kingsport puts on all across the city (for more info, click here).

Our decision to go to Farm Fest was last minute and we really only spent about 30 minutes there before it closed for the evening. It was a free event at an historic restoration park called "The Exchange Place", which is a big working farm that has a bunch of old, historic buildings (like a school house, smokehouse, and log home) that you can browse. There are a bunch of animals there and a large garden that is producing HUGE amounts of crops. While we were there, all the homes were opened up with people inside giving demonstrations on how to, for instance, grind corn for bread, play the dulcimer, write with a quill and ink, sew, and much more. It was free to the public and included live bluegrass, free lemonade, corn on the cob, and watermelon slices. The gardens were open for the public to paruse, there was a huge area where kids could have hay fights, there were trackers set up for the kids to climb on, there were hay rides and buggy rides, and lots of "stations" where kids could wash clothes with a old-timey washboard, make fabric dolls and paint a quilt square. I must say, I was HIGHLY impressed with the event and I KNOW that we'll make this an annual visit.

Apparantly the park is open for tours (free!) and there are events happening in the fall and winter that look like a bunch of fun. The park is about 20 minutes from our house and I can see MANY learning opportunities for our kids in the future. Here are some pictures that we took:

Yummy Spaghetti!!!

Comings, Goings...and Things to be Thankful For

Well, I think I can say I just successfully completed my first wedding photo shoot this past Saturday. Though it was a hot one outside, God gave me the strength to stay physically and mentally apt for the job. Thanks to the assistance of my friend Jason (see his pics sites here and here), we were able to capture beautiful moments of the bride, groom, their families and friends.

While we were in Charlotte for the wedding, we had a great visit with Patrick's folks. Though I was in and out of the house because of the photo shoot, Patrick and Mallory spent a lot of time with Gram and Pops on Saturday. They went to Concord Mills for a few hours and while they were there, Patrick ran into one of his best friends and his family in Bass Pro Shops. What a bonus for him! Also, my great friend, Courtney, gave birth to her son on Saturday and we were able to drive up to Concord that night and visit with her, Donnie and the littlest addition, Michael Dean (9lbs 3 oz!!!!). It was the first time Patrick had held a newborn boy, which was a very special precursor to many hours of holding our little boy come November!!! We're SOOO glad for Courtney and Donnie and it was wonderful to see them.

It was great to be at our home church this past Sunday. Coty delivered a great message and we were able to hug so many necks and see so many of our friend's little ones who really aren't so little anymore!!! We miss our church so much and continue to pray for God's guidance as we search for a church home here.

Though our trip was quick, it was full of good times for all of us and a great opportunity for me to have a wedding under my belt (thanks, Julie, for the referral!!!). Now that we're home and I don't have the wedding to stress about and we don't really have any other immediate plans for the summer, it will be nice to have life return to some normalcy. Patrick is staying busy with work; the program he's a director for is launching next week. There are people from all over the company who are coming in for the training, which seems to be causing a little "hub-ub" over at the office. Patrick is doing great at keeping his cool and I honestly think he's going to greatly exceed his expectations, which are, for some reason, low. He's received great feedback from his superiors and I think this program will do well here in JC.

Since I've been home, there have been so many little projects I'd like to start, but I'm trying my hardest to have them not interfere with the time I spend with Mallory. We've had so much fun over the past few days!!! It will be easier for me to list all my projects/activities...

1. Mallory is climbing up a storm! I love watching her use her toys to get up on our furniture, though it does cause me to catch my breath every now and then. She's also getting curious about the stairs...
2. Mallory and I went to the park on Tuesday after we went to the OB to listen to her baby brother's heartbeat. She loves the park! She'll run all over the sidewalks and up and down the ramps, but she's hesitant about running in the grass. I try to tell her that the grass is easier on the knees when she falls, but after making a "strawberry" on each knee, she doesn't seem to care.
3. I bought Mallory her first puzzle yesterday. She loves throwing out the pieces or chewing them. We've got some work to do where puzzling is concerned.
4. We had a big brunch here at our house today for a mommy in our playgroup who is scheduled to have her son on Monday. We had 8 moms and 8 kiddos at the house today! Mallory was a bit overwhelmed at all the kids playing with her toys, but as long as she had her lovey, Doggie, she was fine! Though there were crumbs everywhere when the passel left, I'd do it all over again in a heartbeat. OH - while one of Mallory's little friends was playing in her room, she riffled through a box sitting on Mallory's changing table and discovered our baby monitor that I had been looking for for months now!!! It's amazing what kids will find! On a side note (which should be the fore-note), I'm so thankful to God for providing a house that will comfortably accommodate such a crowd. We're truly blessed!
5. I bought some yarn to start crocheting edges around receiving blankets for our son. I started my first one yesterday. I love thinking about him while I'm making them, anticipating the moments he'll be snuggled up in one!!! I'm also planning on making a little blanket for him, like I did for Mallory when she was born. There's something about needlework that is a balm for my mind and my hands, which both like to stay busy. Now, if I can just think of a name for our boy...
6. I'm planning on painting the kid's bathroom this weekend. Let's see if my energy holds for that. But, when it's done, it will be SO CUTE!!!

What's going on in your lives?

This weekend

Well, this weekend we're heading to Charlotte for a visit! I'm also photographing my first wedding on Saturday. I'm really looking forward to the opportunity and I've been looking forward to this for almost a year now. It should be hard work but a lot of fun. In preparation for the long day, I was pampered last night with a professional massage. Man, I needed it! Patrick had given me a gift certificate for my birthday and I finally used it. It was nice to relax a little in between a busy week and weekend.

Thanks sweetie!

Last year and This year

Here's Mallory on 4th of July last year:

And this year...

Our 4th of July celebration!

We had a great 4th of July holiday. My sister and her husband came up to visit us from Sunday through Thursday morning. They were in the later half of a 2-week trip up to Illinois and Michigan, visiting family and friends in addition to seeing some historical sites (my brother-in-law is a history professor and LOVES researching our past presidents!). My parents decided to also come for a visit, so they were here from Tuesday night through Thursday morning. We had a full house during the day, though mom and dad opted to stay at a hotel at night. We enjoyed our own fireworks celebration on the 4th and were surprised to be able to see so many other fireworks displays from our back porch. We sat out there for at least an hour watching the horizon for splashes of red, white and blue. It was so much fun...and Mallory slept through it all!

We ate good food, watched as much Wimbledon as we could despite all the rain delays, and enjoyed each other's company. It was fun to host a family gathering and were very thankful the freedom we have in this country to do so civilly and peacefully.

Here are a few pics from our holiday:

The grill master cookin' up burgers and dogs






















My mom and sister loading up their plates. What a spread!























Here's Mallory enjoying watermelon...one of her favorites! I let her get a *little* messier than I normally do...






















The fam

New Paint Job

It seems as though every 4th of July weekend I get an urge to paint. I can think of 3 different 4th of July holidays that I painted in the last 4 years! Well, I painted our 4th bedroom down in the basement a nice, cool "sky high" blue in anticipation of my sister's visit beginning tomorrow. I have had the room taped and the paint bought since we've moved in, but this was the first time I really had a chance to do it. My vision for this room is to be various shades of blue and gold (which is the color of the linens). My Marcel Mouly print fits nicely in this space (print over the bed), and I'll eventually add several other pictures in gold frames. I might hit a few antique stores...or maybe even shop the local TJ Maxx...to find other odds and ends to make a home in there.

Patrick took Mallory to the park today and then lunch at Bojangles (where she ate a biscuit and fruit - no chicken for her!). Patrick was impressed at how she mealed down on the biscuit and had many compliments from other customers at how cute his little girl was.

Anyway, it was fun for me to paint and get this room together. I still have some ideas of what I want to add in here, but for now, it's cool and comfortable. The bed is made with fresh linens, ready for our guests to arrive!!! We can't wait!

Family Visit!

On Wednesday, we had a brief visit from Patrick's cousin, Mike, and his family on their way home to Pennsylvania from a vacation to Lousiana. It had been almost 4 years since we've seen their family and it was great to fellowship with them, allow the girls to play, and for them to eat a home-cooked meal.

Thanks, Mike, Robyn, Elizabeth, and Samantha for coming for a visit!!! You all DEFINITELY wore out Mallory. She slept like a rock for a good 11 hours after you left :-)

(L-R, Samantha - 3, Mallory - 14mo, Elizabeth - 5)

Opinion

When baking bread, there is a HUGE difference when using bread flour and all-purpose flour. I didn't know this until I tried both kinds. But, bread flour is 10x better than all-purpose!!! This may be a fact that many of you already know, but I'm still new at the whole "home-made bread" thing!

Back in the swing of things!

Well, Patrick and I did get a chance to go to Atlanta last week and we had a great time! We left on Wednesday morning and arrived a little over 4 hours later in Buckhead. We stayed at the Doubletree in Buckhead, which was in walking distance from a movie theatre, a shopping complex, a Maggiano's, and a MARTA Station.


On Wed night, we napped, ate at Maggiano's, and watched Ocean's 13 before we walked the 100 yards back to our hotel. On Thursday, we rode the MARTA to the Peachtree Center downtown and headed to the World of Coke and the Georgia Aquarium (both right next to each other and both VERY fun!!!). We tried not to over-do the walking too much for Patrick's sake, but he felt good to walk and enjoyed the sites and sounds of the tourist attractions we visited. We went back to our hotel about 3pm and napped for the remainder of the afternoon. That night, we ate at the Cheesecake Factory and then spent an hour at a Borders Bookstore as Patrick checked his email and I read some periodicals. We left the next morning to pick up Mallory from my folks house, but stayed to visit a few days with them before heading home on Sunday. It was a busy week and Patrick and I really needed the break, rest, and relaxation. It was good to see our girl, again! Here are some pics from the week:


Here's Patrick in front of the Georgia Aquarium:

This is the BIG fish tank in the Aquarium. There were TONS of people looking into the tank at all the fish, snapping pictures and pointing at the HUGE grouper. The grouper were just staring right back out on all the people. It was very funny to think what must be going on in their brains looking all the crazy folk and the bright lights. Just think, they get all of that entertainment for free!!!

Us infront of the World of Coke. The folks who took our picture were from England. They were on their way to Savahanah for a visit

Here's Patrick in the taste room at the World of Coke. You can taste over 70 different kinds of Coke products from across the world, including Africa, South America, and Europe. Our favorites were DEFINITELY North America brands!!! We LOVE Fanta (the grape, strawberry and orange. We'll forgo the Mango and Apple flavors)!!!






















Me inside the World of Coke in one of their many exhibits

















My parent's beautiful water feature. Mallory was constantly on the go, but loved looking at the fishies inside the pond.

Provision and Sustenance

Thanks to the Lord's grace and mercy, Patrick was released from the hospital yesterday afternoon around noon. We weren't sure when the surgeon was going to make his rounds on a Sunday (let alone Father's Day!), but he was there at a decent time and had nothing but good things to say about Patrick's progress. My mom and I brought Mallory by earlier in the morning to wish her daddy a Happy Father's Day, and she was definitely a bright spot on the hospital floor.

Patrick and I had lunch at Fuddruckers (his choice!) where he had his first meal since Friday! We filled his prescription and headed home for some much-needed rest. We ALL slept for at least 2 hours, except for Mallory who slept an extra hour and a half! I grilled some chicken and tenderloins for his Father's Day dinner, which Patrick seemed to enjoy. He felt so much better in his own environment, but had a difficult time avoiding the urge to pick up his daughter (he's not supposed to lift anything over 10 lbs for the next 2 weeks).

He had a fever last night and this morning, but that has since went away. I drove him into the office for a brief "hand off of patients" to the 2 other PTs that have been on vacation for 4 weeks (and that's why Patrick has been so crazy busy for the last month!). What a welcome back they had! Patrick is working remotely today around the time when he's resting. He's taking the remainder of the week off.

Our original plan for this week was to head down to Atlanta today for some business meetings Patrick had scheduled for tomorrow and Wed, but he decided it would be best if we did not leave today, which makes perfect sense. We had made a reservation for a hotel in Buckhead for Wed and Thurs night, which we still might keep depending on how he feels tomorrow and Wed morning. If he still doesn't feel up to travelling, we (or I) will head down to my parents house to pick up Mallory...

Well, Mallory went home with Grandma today. Since our plans included a babysitter for Mallory over the next 4 days, we decided to keep that plan, which allows us more time to rest and Grandma and Grandpa to have some quality time with their granddaughter. Though we both miss her SO MUCH, it has been REALLY nice to piddle around my house without keeping my ears peeled for my busy little girl, who loves to run from one end of the house to the other opening cabinets in the bathrooms and playing in the toilet bowls (if they're not shut!). Anyway, we're still going to play the remainder of the week by ear, but we're in a state right now where flexibility is required and easy to handle.

I've been very thankful over the past few days...well, past MONTH, really...that God never fails his children! I'm going to close this post with a list of ways God has fulfilled his promise to provide for and sustain us:

1. God gave Patrick the strength to complete 4 weeks of 12-15 hour days, while keeping a good attitude the majority of the time
2. God gave me the strength to chase around our busy toddler without the presence of my husband for the last 4 weeks while recovering from my abdominal pain that confined me to my bed a month ago
3. God held off the appendicitis until this past Friday, which was Patrick's last day of covering PT by himself at work AND before a week that did not require his services at the office
4. Since my parents had already planned to watch Mallory, it was a little easier for them to arrange their schedule for my mom to drive up here (at 4 in the morning!!!) to help me. I have a dad who was willing to cover my mom's shifts at their restaurant AND his shifts AND work on Father's Day so that I could have my mom with me. I have a mom who sacrificially did all of my laundry and humbled herself to Patrick and I to meet whatever needs we had while he was in the hospital. What provision for us, through them, from the Lord!
5. I have in-laws who were so concerned about us that they prayed continually for us this weekend and sacrificially stayed home away from their son so that it wouldn't be more stressful for us to have 2 more visitors, though they would have been more that welcome. I know it was very hard for them to stay put, but they thought of us before themselves. What a blessing for us to have two sets of parents like ours!
6. God has provided us with a beautiful daughter who was PERFECT at the ER for 4 hours in the middle of the night. She was a gem! She's rolled with all the craziness of these past few days and we're so thankful for a little girl who just takes everything in stride. What a provision!

We have so much to be thankful for and appreciate all your prayers and encouragement over the last few days. You are a blessing to us!

9:00pm

Well, I'm home for the night and Patrick is resting well at the hospital. He does have a temp (100.8), but the nurse didn't seem concerned because he's doing so well. We don't know what time he'll be discharged tomorrow morning because (a) it's Sunday and the doctor's don't have normal rounds and (b) it's Father's Day and they may be in early or late. I hope it's early!

Anyway, we're all very tired, but thankful all has gone well today despite my hubby's surgery. Keep praying.

3:30pm

Thanks to those who have called and written emails! It's been so nice to hear your words of encouragement.

Patrick was out of surgery by 9am and I saw him around 10:30 after he got back to his room. The doctors plan to keep him overnight to monitor him and pump him up with antibiotic to avoid infection. He's doing very well and is hungry; he'd LOVE to have a Pals (a GREAT hamburger joint up here that quickly became his favorite).

My mom arrived about 7:45 this morning and has been with Mallory all morning. I was even able to get another good hour and a half of sleep and I feel like a new woman! We'll be heading back down to the hospital in a few minutes with Mallory so her Daddy can see her.

All is well; I think the shock of this whole think just drained us emotionally and are VERY thankful for God's sovereign grace in all the events that occured up to this point. He knew we could handle this, but only with his strength are we soaring on wings of eagles. Continue to pray. And I'll continue to update when I can.

:-)

7:30am

Patrick will be having his appendectomy surgery at 8:00am. I talked to him about 20 minutes ago and he sounded good; I just wish I could be there with him! He should be in surgery for about an hour and then in recovery around 9:00am. He should be in recovery for about 4 hours, then he'll possibly be released, based on how he's doing. His surgery is laparoscopic, which requires a few small incisions and then a laser will zap out his appendix (at least THAT sounds cool...) I'm so glad he'll be at home rather than doing another overnight stay.

Thanks for your prayers. I'm doing pretty well considering I've slept for an hour and a half! My mom should be here around 8, which is when I'll head to the hospital. Patrick's folks will be coming up later this afternoon, too. We should have a full house and we thank the Lord for providing us a home that will accommodate several comfortably.

4am

We had to take Patrick to the emergency room around 11:30 pm and found out around 3am that he has appendicitis. He'll be having an appendectomy later on this morning. The surgery isn't scheduled yet. It's not classified as "Emergency" because his appendix is not yet severely inflamed. I'm at home now, hoping to get a few hours rest before heading back down to the hospital to be with my husband.

• Please keep him in your prayers. He's had a tough 4 weeks at work and we were planning on vacationing next week for some mental relief. Our plans may change due to his recovery.
• Pray for the surgeons, too. Please keep me in your prayers. I need my rest to care for my hubby, my born baby, and my unborn baby.
• Please keep Mallory in your prayers. She's been really fussy lately (most likely due to teething), so please pray that she'll feel better and have patience with her mommy while her daddy is recovering.
• Please keep our extended family in your prayers. I know his parents will be worried and my mom is traveling up to help me with the baby as we speak. Pray that she'll drive safe.

I'll keep you updated as I know more information from the doctors.

Snips and Snails...

and puppy dog tails,
that's what little boys are made of.

Today we had our "big" ultrasound, which showed we have a healthy baby boy on the way! I think Patrick and I were both taken aback at the news, yet we're both so very excited to have a son to carry on the Moss name. Patrick had a dream a few nights ago that this baby was a girl, yet it was only a dream! He's really looking forward to playing GI Joe's with him, though he has a few more years for that.

We now have the daunting task of naming our little peanut. I don't think there are any prospects yet, so we have a lot of discussing to do!

Oh, we love him so much already!

Picture#1 - Baby is face down. You can see his head (far right), spine, belly and one leg.
Picture#2 - Indecency!

Dancin' to the....Razor?

Big Walkin' Girl

New Pool

I got Mallory her first kiddie pool this past week. Her first reaction to the pool wasn't very nice. She screamed and cried at the coldness of the water. After putting a few pitchers of warm water in the pool, she really seemed to enjoy herself. I took a ton of pics that turned out SOOO nice. I can't post all of them, but this is one of my ultimate favs of the bunch.

16 things

I was "tagged" by my friend Kelly a few weeks ago to list 8 things people might not know about me. I'm just now getting around to it. Since I have a few extra minutes (Mallory went down for her nap a bit early!!!), I'll do Mallory and me.

Mallory's 8 things
1. She's trying VERY hard to make walking her primary means of getting around. Though she's still wobbly, she's getting really good at it. And it's SOOO fun to watch!
2. She loves looking at herself in a mirror.
3. She loves opening and closing cabinets. If you have a cabinet, she'll find it. And she'll open it. And close it. And open it. And close it. And...
4. She's starting to not go to sleep as easy as she used to. She cries for a good 30-45 mintues or even longer before she'll finally snooze. This has been going on for about a week, now. She also can't decide if she's a one-napper or a two-napper. It confuses me, though I'm trying to figure her out.
5. She loves watermelon. She doesn't like mac n' cheese. Go figure. (PS...I LOVE mac n' cheese. It's my comfort food).
6. When she takes a bath, she'll get on her hands and feet and slap her butt against the water. I call it "rump shaking". Patrick doesn't like it when she does it (though we both find it very amusing).
7. She still does not wave or clap. No matter how much we wave and clap at her.
8. She loves Praise Baby. She'll watch the same 2 PB videos over and over and over. She won't make a peep while the video is on. And if you get in her way, she'll do anything she can to look around you. It's absolutely mezmerizing to her. I'm just hoping the words of those songs are soaking into her brain!!!

My 8 things
1. I look forward to when Mallory takes her naps so I can take one of my own. I love having a 2-3 hour span of time where I can either catch up on my never-ending list, read, bathe, or sleep. Sleep usually trumps the former options.
2. I don't like making phone calls. I have no clue why, but when I have to call businesses, set up apts, or sometimes even to chat with a friend, I just drag my feet about it. I don't mind talking on the phone with a friend; I enjoy it, but it takes me forever to dial the numbers. It's a weird thing about me.
3. I find great accomplishment when I cook and all the items either baking, steaming, boiling, grilling, etc. are done at the same time. I feel it's an art (though it really may not be) and I find great satisfaction in serving all my meal items piping hot. If one dish is ready before another, I feel I've failed. Strange, yes.
4. I love a good book. If I find a book that really moves me, inspires me, or I just plain enjoy, I'll read it at least 3 times. There are a few books in my collection that I've literally read a dozen times.
5. I love to plan trips. Again, I find great satisfaction in booking cheap hotels, finding cheap flights, and organizing the itinerary. I'm actually planning one now and it's SOOO fun.
6. I struggle greatly with buying things (food, clothes, housewares, etc) at full price. Unless I find a sale or buy something with coupon, I will often experience buyers remorse.
7. I absolutely hate wearing bathing suits. Always have.
8. I have a difficult time planning activities outdoors. Since I grew up in FL, I spent A LOT of time in the AC, unless we went swimming. We vacationed in the mountains and did a few things outdoors, but I never really was a hiker, walker, outdoor-gamer, etc. I'm trying, though, since I don't want Mallory to love the couch as much as me. Since our weather up here is SOOO much more mild than anywhere else I've lived, I'd like to be outdoors more. I just forget about it sometimes. Odd, yes, I know.