Sunflowers and Vampires

Our first Halloween with Liza was a success! We attended the annual downtown trick or treat in Smackover with Keitha and the girls last night. (and of course Chris, Liza's bf)  Believe it or not Liza was ok with her outfit.  I figured she would have the head piece off in no time, but she left it on.  She ate several dumb dumb suckers thanks to Keitha, and she loved being around all the kids.

Today we had  "dress up as a character from a book" day.  Heather and I dressed up as the Cullen sisters. I was Rosalie and she was Alice.  We even wore the "real" mold on fangs.  The kids loved it.  Then tonight we had our regular trick or treaters.  Our neighborhood is the spot! Liza loved seeing all the kids.  She laughed at all the mask. 

I can't believe next year she will be walking up to doors asking for candy.  Time can stop now.

Here are a few pictures from the last 2 days.

Happy Halloween.
XOXO, Liza's mom

Getting ready to head to Smackover

                                                     
                           Sweet Lunden and Liza

                                

          Alice and Rosalie Cullen (without the long blonde hair)

                                             

             The sweetest boys ever...so so polite...

Sister friends...

As I get older I realize more and more than things happen at the exact time they are suppose to happen. There are still a lot of things that I question and I try not to ever question God, but I will be honest in saying that sometimes thats just hard. I'm a planner and I attempt to plan everything.  When Tyler and I started discussing having a baby, I had it all planned out in my head.  When I would get pregnant, when she would be here, when I would be off of work...all of it! God quickly showed me that I wasn't in charge. We got pregnant sooner than we planned, so my whole schedule was OFF!  I will be honest, I panicked a bit, but in no time I realized it was actually a better plan. duh.

Then in late December she made her arrival. I knew just how things would go. NOT! Withing 24 hours of her being alive I was reminded once again that my plan and my idea of what this was going to be like was so wrong.  She was now in control and everything I did revolved around her.  It didn't matter anymore that her changing table was all cutesy and that her diapers were neatly organized in her drawer because that was going to make it easy on me. What.ever.  That cutsey crap on the changing table was gone in no time.  Tha diaper drawer was a disaster and I was lucky if it had diapers in it.  What mattered was Liza and nothing else.

In the last 10 months I feel like I have done a lot of soul searching.  I find myself wanting to be a better person.  Back to the timing thing.  There are a few people that I feel like have been brought into my life for this very reason.  I have started to slow down and take it all in.  For 29 years I have flown through life and just lived....day by day just living...but not taking it all in. It has hit me like a ton of bricks.  Why have I been so unappreciative? Why havent I been a better friend? Why haven't I been a better sister? This has to stop.  I have to slow down and take a look at this life I have been blessed with. 

It's not everyday you meet people that you feel like you've known forever.  The kind of friends you could sit up with all night and just talk... maybe even cry.  The kind of friends that make you want to be a better person.  I was at such a lonely place in my life, and I needed this.  Believe it or not motherhood can get lonely.  I think its the rush and the stress that comes along with it.. and the adjustments.  Whatever it may be, I was feeling very very alone.  God knew this, obviously and in his own way...he fixed it.

With all that being said...I'm still not where I feel like I need to be, but I do think I'm headed in the right direction.  Liza deserves it, Tyler deserves it, my kiddos at school deserve it...and I owe it to myself.  There's just nothing like girlfriends and God's timing...

Happy Friday Eve... Liza's mom

a true inspiration...

For the past week I have sat down numerous times attempting to blog, but I can't seem to get the words out.  I don't know how to start, or where to start.  On Sunday I got a phone call that completely stopped me dead in my tracks. A friend of mine lost her husband in a car wreck.  They have a little girl who is one month older than Liza. I immediately put myself in her shoes.  For 6 days I have been sick. Literally, my stomach hurts every single time I think of sweet Julee and Preslee. I think of her all day every day.   I met Julee my first year of college. I remember walking into her dorm room and instantly knowing I would love her.  Her room was fabulous!!! She was the most organized person I'd ever met. Her love for God was evident to all around her.  That hasn't changed one bit.  Somehow in the middle of this horrific time she is still inspiring.  She posted a blog 2 days ago and as I sat and read it all I could say was "this is living proof that God lives within Julee" her faith is so strong...  She makes me want to be a better wife, a better sister, a better friend, a better mom...all around better person...With that being said, please continue to lift she and sweet Preslee up in your prayers. Pray that God continues to carry Julee through the tough days to come.  Pray that her heart continues to heal.  I cannot imagine the heartache she is experiencing right now.   The world would be a better place if we were all a little more like Julee.