Easter Weekend

We had a great Easter weekend (minus a nasty stomach virus that BJ & I both had).  Fortunately, my mom made a last minute trip in for the weekend and was able to help out with the cooking, cleaning, child duties, etc.  Thank you Mom! She and Kaitlin really enjoyed their weekend together and spent a lot of time playing outside, cooking, dying easter eggs, and shopping.  I also enjoyed a nice visit with my mom once I was feeling better. We finished the weekend with Easter dinner at Brian and Teresa's.  I love holidays.  It's so fun getting to do all the kid activities all over again. =)

They look so much alike.

Such a happy child.

So excited to dye Easter Eggs.

Morning of Easter Egg Hunt.

She loves ducks!

Finally a decent picture of the two of us! :) She insisted on wearing her sunglasses.

Kaitlin and her daddy. <3

Christmas 2011

Santa came to visit Kaitlin...4 times! We celebrated Christmas twice in GA and twice in WV.   Despite BJ, Kaitlin, and I all fighting sickness for several months now we really enjoyed all of our celebrations.  However...next year may be the last year we can do the traveling.  Once she is old enough to understand Santa Claus, we won't really be able to get away with 4 Christmas'.  Our families will just have to come to us. :) 

Christmas #1 in the Mountains.

Christmas #2 at our house- we couldn't travel with the big gifts from us so we had our own Christmas.

Such a happy child and so much personality.

Hot dog!

Books Books Books! And Clothes Clothes Clothes from the Beaver's clan.

Bj's sweet grandparents.

3 generations.

Little family on Christmas Day...I think we were all wiped out at this point.

Flashback: Christmas 2010

It is amazing what a difference a year can make. This is one of my very favorite pictures of Kaitlin. Her personality was really starting to shine at 9 months old. She was already full of life and enjoying being the center of attention. One year later she is still such a happy girl with the biggest smile...and still LOVES to be the center of attention.

2010

2011

Pinterest.

After months of hardly blogging at all, I'm really on a role this weekend. But I just had to share this...Pinterest is my new obsession. I don't have an ounce of craftiness in me nor the time to do most of the cute things I see on there, but its still fun to browse. I'll never be Martha Stewart (and I don't aspire to be), but this was just so easy and so cute. 2 wine bottles, white spray paint, and epsom salt.

Kaitlin decorating the tree..

Santa's little helper...

One of her favorite ornaments is my ballerina from childhood.

She was able to help decorate 2 trees this year...our tree in Atlanta and my parent's when we were home for Thanksgiving. 

Its beginning to look a lot like...

Christmas?  Well at least in our house.  November has been a much needed slower month for us, so I decided to get a jump start on the Christmas decorating.  Christmas is after all my favorite time of year!  Next weekend the tree will go up since we won't be in town Thanksgiving weekend. Here are just a  few decorations...more to come.

Mantel is gorgeous all lit up with a fire in the fireplace.

Handmade Christmas stockings.

Kaitlin can't keep her hands off this display...

My table is always set even if we don't have guests...its just my thing.  Now the upsetting thing is that I can't seem to find my Christmas dishes...hopefully when we pull out the rest of the decorations I will find them.

Just a little Kitchen decor...

Lovely wine rack.

Happy Halloween!

It feels like we have been celebrating Halloween for a month by now.  So when the day actually came and it was time for Trick or Treat...we were pretty much over it.  Not to mention it was on a Monday which are typically early nights for our little one.  I do love the holiday though and am looking forward to many years of Trick or Treat to come.  Kaitlin had many opportunities to wear her costume and I know I'm biased, but she was the cutest little lamb ever!

Don't you just want to eat her up?  She is hilarious and sure does love to play dress up!

Parade with daddy.

Halloween Eve.

 Walking in the Halloween Parade.

 Boo @ the Zoo!

 

She is the best.

Just precious.

At the Stone Mountain Pumpkin Festival parade. She loves the music and danced the whole time!

Not pictured- parade and party at school...no wonder I'm exhausted after this month long holiday! Up next West Virginia for Thanksgiving and Christmas! 

Riding her "Dino"

Riding her "Dino", originally uploaded by mcgills09.

This Fisher Price "Dino Ride a-long" is a great gift, however, she won't really be able to enjoy it to the fullest until she is older. It is really a "Walker" that turns to a ride along when babies are older. However, walkers are not good for babies' development, so we are not using it as a walker. She loves the music and lights and to pushed around in it for now. =) Also, the baby in the advertisement looked so much like Kaitlin that I just couldn't resist!

New Year. New Beginnings.

My loves.
My heart.

Another year over...the year of Kaitlin's birth. The best year I could ever imagine. Although it is sad to see it end, I am also hopeful and optimistic about our future. BJ and I have been through so much and at times it feels like I am going to fall apart. I am stressed out 99% of the time and I get frustrated and depressed over how hard my life is right now. I recently experienced a very eye opening event. Kaitlin and I were in a very serious car accident this past week, and I can honestly say that it was God's will that we live through it. I have replayed it in my head over and over again and the only conclusion I have is that God was watching over us and it was not our time. It was the most terrifying experience I have ever had and I am sure to have nightmares for awhile. But, I am so beyond grateful and thankful. As I saw my life flash before my eyes, all I could think about was my precious girl in the back seat. Oh my, I can't even talk about it. I don't want to be too dramatic, but the only reason I can think that this happened to us and we survived it is because God was trying to open my opens and make me realize what is truly important in life. Had I not been running 10 minutes late, this would never have happened. So, I learned an important lesson a very hard way. I need to live life to the fullest, appreciate all the wonderful people and gifts I have been blessed with. And at the end of the day, realize that all that really matters is how you treat the people you love and who love you back. And finally, families belong together...not separated by hundreds of miles.

So here is to a happy and healthy 2011, filled with love, laughter, and new adventures!

Baby's First Christmas.

This was by far the best Christmas that I can remember. It was so wonderful to have everyone in town and of course Miss Kaitlin was the bell of the ball. She made everything extra special for us all. Oh and all the toys galore and more clothes than you can imagine. What a lucky little girl she is to have so many people that love her! I really enjoyed watching her play with her new toys. She didn't really understand what was going on, but she was excited nonetheless. Of course, her favorite part was ripping the wrapping paper off the gifts. It was a great weekend and I was so sad to see it come to an end.