Happy Turkey Day!

Ha ha, Charlotte and I did an impromptu photo shoot on the front porch swing. She is such a little ham!

She got a litle brave here and let go of the chain to wave!

Trick- or- Treat

What child doesn't love to go trick-or-treating? Visit neighbors and friends, ask for candy, and come home with lots of loot? 

The correct answer to these rhetorical questions: Every child!

So it goes without saying, Max was excited.

 This year Max and Charley got to go Trick-or-Treating with cousins Claire, June and Hunter! It happened to rain that night, but as you could have guessed, that didn't stop any of these kids!!

Pictured above is Thor, a Zebra, Dorothy, a Lion and a Giraffe!

Cold and rainy, but still a success!

And this lil' zebra stayed home. 

Charlotte's 1st Birthday

Charlotte Jane,

You, our sweet baby girl, have made our lives so complete. This time last year, we were meeting you for the first time. And we instantly fell head over heels. 

It is amazing how life can change in just an instant. In eight very short days, our lives were miraculously changed for the better. A phone call from the agency, a flight to Tallahassee, a beautiful birthmom, YOU, and back home again to get settled into our new family routine. 

God is so incredibly, incredibly good.

We all have been smitten with you, my love, since the moment we laid eyes on you. You have been doted and loved on, as all princesses deserve. You make a single peep, and you have an entire household wrapped around your teeny tiny fingers. You smile and giggle, and we all light up. You cry or get a little bump, and you have your choice of arms to fall into for comfort. Little one, we absolutely, whole-hearted, adore you. 

Charley, we can't wait to see your destiny unfold! We already know God has big things in store for you. We support your 

desires and your dreams and want the front 

row seat of watching them come true. 

Hugs and kisses from your biggest fans.

Mommy, Daddy and Maxi

Hard to choose which birthday photos to post, so I did just about all of them!

Fall Fun

It's a beautiful day in mid-October for us Ohioans, and what better place to spend it than at the Pumpkin Patch. Grandma Tonya (Colton's Mom) was in town visiting this weekend and we thought we'd take her out for a little family fun! We definitely enjoyed our short time together, but we made sure to make many memories!

Doesn't Charley look like a big girl here? I think our baby is growing up.

Max checking out how tall he is this year. I think he is a little over half a leaf away from 4ft (with boots on, of course)

You can just tell they adore one another. And that sure makes my heart happy!

Thanks Brit for editing this photo! Looks cool.

Gotta weigh that pumpkin, right? 

Looks like a big one, Max!

Reunion in St. Augustine, Florida

Dearest Aaron,

What a gift you have given us. Charlotte lights up our life. She is sweet, and funny, and absolutely adorable. Our lives are forever changed because of your decision to choose us! Maximus has enjoyed every minute of being a big brother and has continued to surprise us with his tender spirit and protective nature towards his baby sister. And Sam and I are completely smitten with having a daughter. It is more than we could have ever imagined or wished for. Charlotte is a dream come true. 

What a beautiful reunion we just had with Aaron, Chris (Charlotte's birthfather), Grandpa Chip and Grandma Sheila (Aaron's parents) in St. Augustine, Florida. We dined, and shopped and our sweet little Charlotte melted all their hearts. 

Charley, you are one blessed little girl! You have SO MANY people that truly love and adore you. Family that will go to the moon and back for you. What a treasure you are to all of us! 

Cheers to time well spent with our new and extended family. Already looking forward to next time. 

Charlotte (age 1) and her sweet Birthmama, Aaron

Caught Red Handed

Mmmmmm Hmmmmm....

Whatcha doin'?

What fun!

What is that saying? While the cat is away, the mouse will play! Well, Sam's brother took his wife on a Mexico vacation so we had the privilege of watching their girls. Claire (3) and June (13 mo). It was definitely hard work to have 4 kiddos 4 and under, but the week was absolutely a success and all had fun! Here are the little babes at the pool! (I did not venture to the pool alone, fyi, Sam and Brit accompanied me so lots of manpower watching these guys play!)

June, Max, Charley and Claire

Lil' Sun Princess

Charlotte is soaking up some sun. This girl doesn't know how great she has it.... while visiting friends - Charley ate, napped, and hung out by the pool. What. A. Life.

Is this real life?

Flippin' adorable. 

                                                       

This picture has definetly become a favorite. We tried to get a good picture on Father's Day, and these don't disappoint. It really doesn't get much better than this. And how about Char's little face? Is she a ham or what?

Pool Craze

With a pool so close to the house, it is no surprise that we are already logging some serious hours.

Max is quite the swimmer. All he needs is a pair of goggles and an adult nearby. Seriously, this kid could swim for hours. He loves holding his breath and swimming under water for an impressive amount of time. Go buddy!

And this little angel can't get enough of the pool either. Splashing, laughing, having fun. She absolutely LOVES being in the water! 

Just Because She's So Cute

                                                       

         It's so easy to get Charlotte to give you one of these grins. She is always this happy!!       

                                                               Our little Bear - 8 months

Charlotte's Dedication

Charlotte,

It seems like we have waited forever for you, and at the same time it's like you have always been with us. We love you so much, and can't wait to see how God will use you to shake grounds and move mountains. We feel so blessed to be your parents. We thank God for choosing us! We love you! 

It was an absolute gorgeous day for her dedication at church. I just love that Sam and Max are wearing their matching white linen pants. :) And Charley looks like the princess she truly is in this outfit. 

Charlotte Jane,
   You are amazing!

Charlotte Working The Camera

Here is a little impromptu photo shoot I did with Charley on our front porch swing.

Charlotte Jane -7 months old. :)

These are the days where she will actually keep bows in her hair! I love this outfit on her. It sure is fun to dress a little girl up, especially when her Aunt Kristen gets her precious skirts like this one. :)

Baby Yoga

Charley's new thing: sucking on her toes (especially the big one)! 


My aunt captured this video while watching the kiddos for the afternoon. Charley is happy as can be, still in her crib, after a wonderfully, long afternoon nap. 


Charley, you are going to be ready to join me in yoga class in no time!

Charley Loves Avocado!

Today marked a first for our baby girl. 

Avocado!

It was love at first sight, or should I say, at first taste. Avocados are packed with nutrients, so it was an easy winner when choosing our first food. 

And I am pretty sure this face says it all.

Yep, we will be dining on more avocado tomorrow!

Roll Over, Roll Over

With lots of grunting, and lots of serious core work, Charley has finally mastered rolling over. 

And THATS how its done peeps. 

Charley at 4 Months

This little girl is growing, and according to her 4 month well check-up, she is healthy and perfect. Yay God!


Charley is 80th percentile for height and 50th percentile for both weight and head circumference. I would love to know what those cheeks are, but they don't do any measurements for that. ;)

Too Cute for Words

What Have I Been Missing Out On???

So one of my brilliant friends/SIL, who happens to be mother to five children (my heeeeeeero!) was listening to me complain whine passionately share about how difficult it is to get things done around the house most days. And how I am always having to stop mid-project to help a toddler, feed a baby, etc. 


Well, my SIL was quick to offer advice. 


"How is Max helping? He is almost 4. He can share in the jobs. He can absolutely feed a baby. In fact, this will make him feel good! Like he is your helper and a capable little boy. Get to it!"


Right. Why didn't I think of that? 


So, you guessed it. What did the next feeding look like?

I feel like I just won the lottery! I have an uninterrupted 20 minutes to get the laundry folded, or dishwasher emptied, or dinner made (really, its amazing what a mom can do with 20 uninterrupted minutes....). 


Dear Maximus,


You are such an amazing big brother. We are so very proud of you! You transitioned from life as an only child to life that includes a sibling with ease. You are really so helpful - from collecting empty bottles to throwing away dirty diapers, you love to lend a hand. And it warms our hearts to watch you interact and play with your sister. No one can make her laugh like you do! Charley is so blessed to call you big brother! 


We love you!
Mommy and Daddy

The Magic of Duck Tape

My nieces are amazing with duck tape. Yes, you just read that correctly. For Christmas, they made all their aunts and uncles duck tape wallets (and they actually work folks!). They can make a mean flower that attaches to the top of a ball point pen. And the youngest of the 3 girls, Lauren (almost 7), just made Charlotte her first duck tape headband. It's adorable. I think these girls need to take this show on the road and get registered on Etsy!