For The Northern Grandparents--The Birthday Song and Maeve watching Amelie open her presents

Poor little Maeve was so tired during our "W"onderful Family celebration that she didn't eat any cake and went to bed right after Happy Birthday!

Amelie however, was in her glory and ate up all the attention, played with and opened all of the presents and entertained our family!

Thanks for coming Granny and Pop, Ryan and Cayla and Ali! You made this day so special! We love you all! We missed you PLL!

Happy Happy Birthday Sweet Baby Maeve!

Where oh where did the year go? My littlest little one is ONE today! She has brought so many wonderful changes to our family--we are more joyful and whole for having her.

Little Maevey V--

You light up our lives!

I'm so thankful that God chose us for you and pray that you grow up to love Him!

Happy birthday sweet girl!

Love, Mama (and the rest of the Wonderfuls)

Maeve is eating like a big girl, walking like a big girl and sleeping better than her big girl sister--Go Maeve! We can't wait to see what you do next year!

Wherein I Discuss The Mundane Details Of My Life

The weekend is always such a blur...the get away from me and then I can't remember a thing I did so for posterity, my weekend:

Fridaynight

Birthday shopping for the Maevenator

I *heart* Lakeshore Learning store!

Saturday

Grocery shopping (I also *heart* Wegmans!)

Long coma-like naps

Impromptu late night trip to the Children's Museum

--so fun and uncrowded--
Amelie performed for 20 minutes on the stage a one girl rendition of Michael Jackson's Thriller. (Suhweet.)

Movie/dinner night with friends. Friends Rock.

(As does getting out of the house childless)

Sunday
Church
More Coma-naps

Maeve's 1st Birthday Photo Shoot--Best photo shoot EVER! A million cute pictures and we were done in about 5 minutes.

Awesome.

There you have it! Scintillating, no?

I leave you with a picture of Maeve, walking into the future towards *1*

Ah! So Funny It Hurts Me.

A Picture of Maeve's Birthday Suit

Remember the Gap dress I was salivating over for the Maevenators big day?

Isn't it lovely?

Well, I decided that $40 was too much for a dress (even with a coupon and birthday money) so I went in a different direction....an entirely different direction....

Meet skull embellished t shirt, ladybug skirt (from TCP--thanks to the coupons I get in the mail every 5 minutes) and black and white striped tights from la Gap.

Tres charmant!

And ever so much more the Mama's personality than the baby's...but that's what having kids is all about....

Scarring them for life and so that they can make it up to you during their teen years.

Have a good night, and as always, the amazing parenting advice is totally free. =)

Seen On A Church Sign

"Prevent truth decay

brush up on your Bible."

Ah, those witty Protestants.

I wonder if the people who write fortune cookies know about the people who write church

sign-age.

I'm sensing potential for a collaboration.

Just sayin'...

Unlucky 13

13 years ago I was pulled over in front of my high school for going 5 mph over the speed limit.

I was handed a ticket in front of my friends and foes and have driven like a nun ever since.

Fast forward to today.

I was leaving a fabulous little birthday party with two crying babies in the back seat.

I was driving in an unfamiliar area.

I thought my turn was approaching so I moved into the left turn lane and promptly after turning left was pulled over by a police officer.

It seems I entered the turn lane too soon.

I was sure when he saw my screaming babies, my SPOTLESS driving record

(that spot 13 years ago was reduced to a non-moving violation, so I was spot free until today), and the fact that I was lost-ish that he would give me a warning.

Instead he stood in front of my car picking leaves off of my grill for 5 minutes.

Walked to his car.

Wrote me a ticket.

Handed me a ticket.

Bid me adieu and sent me off to "drive safely."

Way to go NJ--Excellent job keeping the career hardened criminals off the streets or at least, terrified behind the wheel and determined never to drive again.

I feel that it must have happened for "a reason"

(you know, aside from me inadvertantly breaking the law and all=)

there were just too many weird variables for me to think otherwise

(we were going to leave the party 10 minutes earlier but then Amelie caught wind of a pinata and it was all down hill from there AND being pulled over for the lamest reason ever--at least get me when I'm a speed racer!).

When I figure out what the reason/lesson was I'll let you know.

'Cause I'm dependable like that.

{And a little bit more humble because of the experience}

Peace and just say no to left turns!

Walker {Texas Ranger} Jersey Baby

A *Sigh.... Says It All

I've been thinking a lot lately about the blessings in my life and at the top of the heap of all of those blessings are my husband and my sweet girls.

There are some blessings we receive in this life that don't look so much like blessings but in hindsight, you can see that they were indeed.

I just found out that yesterday, October 15, was the National Day of Remembrance for all pregnancy and infant loss, through a blog I happened upon.

I often think about the two children I lost to miscarriage and dream about

what they would have looked like

smelled like

felt like

dressed like (you know i can't help it)

lived like

Boys? Girls? Both?

(I can't wait to meet them in Heaven, what a blessing the thought is!)

Nothing ever grew me so hard or stretched me so much as the loss of my little ones.

May 22, 2006

and

December 5, 2006

will forever be etched in my memory.

For months and months my soul in agony cried out in anger, despair and rebellion to the Lord.

"Why did you take these from me? They were mine! Why are you letting me go through this? Feel this? I have lived my life for you! Where is my reward?!"

What a messed up, backwards thinker I was.

There is nothing in my life that isn't there by the grace of God,

nothing I have that doesn't belong to Him first,

nothing I have that isn't exactly what I need.

God is good.

I learned more through the devastating loss of my babies than through anything else I have ever experienced.

I have learned more about His grace, His presence, His power and His love through this loss which has never really lost its sting.

I can say I've healed because He healed me.

I can say I'm whole because I lived through being broken.

Just when I was at my lowest He lifted my eyes to see His face.

Not by my might have I recovered but by His.

Glory be to God and all praise be to His most excellent name.

Extra Extra Read All About It! Barak Obama EATS Babies!

Yet another reason not to vote for him...

Barak Obama is a closet baby eater.

See here:

Hahahahaha....ok, ok, just kidding with the inflammatory title and all.

But seriously, that baby is like, "Get me to a McCain convention!"

Carry on with your day now...

Adjusting

We are trying to get in the swing of our new schedule.

Preschool three days a week is wonder-full--

Amelie loves it!

I have gotten a lot of exercise the last two days b/c of it so I suppose that is a good thing.

Our day FLIES by though!

Usually we are a very lazy--one thing to do per day--type of crowd.

Wednesdays with dance class, preschool and awana might be pushing it--

We shall see.

The good news?

Amelie is back to naps.

All of this adjusting is hard work!

Pleasantly Surprised That I Haven't Lost My Mind (Yet...)

I ordered some shoes for Amelie from Children's Place online and they finally came!

Imagine my surprise when there were two large boxes from children's place on the porch--

"they shipped them separately..."

i figured...

lo and behold I opened a box and instead of shoes TWO silver holiday outfits waited inside:

frantically I ripped through the packaging--

you see, when I window shop, sometimes I place things in my online basket and I thought that I had mistakenly placed the silver outfits (which I can NOT afford) in the cart with the clearance shoes for Amelie (which I can barely afford AND now have to return because they don't fit).

I scrounged up the packing slip and breathed a DEEP and satisfying sigh of relief when I found the message:

"Merry Christmas! Love Granny and Pop Pop of the East"

Wow....That was a close one!

Granny and Pop-pop--the girls will look totally awesome in their christmas dresses!

Yay and THANK YOU!!!

Hopelessly and Forever Awkward

Have you ever met somebody at a place and time in which you didn't expect to meet/see them and it totally throws your brain for a loop?

Like...meeting a work friend when your hair is in curlers at the grocery store or an everyday friend at work and your brain just...

does not compute.

I met someone the other day and my heart screamed:

You know this person!

You know this person!

You know this person!

and your brain whispers:

Give me three days to figure out who it is.

Give me three days to figure out who it is.

Give me three days to figure out who it is!

In light of this,

A letter to my brain:

Dear brain,

I do so much for you

shower you

feed you

house you

and what do I get in return?

An ever-lengthening list of socially awkward moments.

Thanks but no thanks.

Yours truly until I forget my own name,

Shelly

A Sketch, Of My Girl, In Honor Of Her First Day of School

I miss you already Amelie!

I hope you loved your first day of preschool!

Stupid Craigslist

Now I want everything you are selling!

Didn't I just write a blog about being content?

OY!

Good Things Come To Those Who Wait, The Blog That Almost Wasn't And A Mouse In Time Saves Nine A.K.A. Stream of Consciousness is all I can muster

Happy Columbus Day!

(What did he ever do for me and why does he have a day? I'm pretty sure he didn't really even discover America...but anyways)

I love fake holidays and the fact that my husband got a half day out of this one--
Glory be to God!

*****************************************************

I made the find of the century on craigslist and scored a nearly new toy for Maeve's birthday!

(next week! and no toys or plans or anything to speak of)

Yay for the fisher price kitchen of her dreams!

****************************************************

Disaster almost struck today when I tried logging on the internet and my mouse didn't work--

the tab button can only take you so far--

so glad my husband snatched an extra unwanted mouse from school so that I could blog today

...you know, the important things.

***************************************************

My Amelie didn't nap today so I'm counting down the hours until 7:00 pm bedtime

(oh! and in happy news she stayed in her big girl bed and out of her crib all night for the first time since...well, since forever)

**************************************************

The husband has piano lessons tonight

(major bummer dude)

but I have a laundry basket full of baby girl clothes to put on ebay--

with luck I'll break even, ha!

*****************************************************

Where's the stinkin' UPS man?

I've been waiting for him and the tidings of joy box of children's place shoes (on clearance, score!) he's supposed to be bringing me ALL DAY!

Ciao!

Spontaneity Saves The Day

We had a nice relaxing Sunday

--with no plans and a happy little nap time--

Upon waking I realized that our friends, Jon and Carrie would be in town performing/leading worship at our other good friends' Sarah and Josh's church.

(Say that five times fast)

So we made the trek to Lancaster after dinner last night

(Oh Lancaster, how I love thee and wish to live on your green grass, I'll convert to Amish, really I will)

and had a lovely time catching up briefly with some of our favorite people in the land.

(and as a bonus got to meet Jon and Carrie's baby for the first time-

-he is big and boy and beautiful)

When I was sitting in the service listening to Jon and Carrie sing/lead and sitting next to/singing with Josh and Sarah I couldn't help but think of Heaven when we'll get to worship with our best friends every single day.

Won't that just be something?

Until then, I'm glad for a spontaneous trip to Lancaster and a few short hours spent with old friends.

(oh, and J and C have excellent song choosing skills because they had us sing my favorite hymn--Be Thou My Vision-

most excellent, and Sarah--I wikied BTMV just por vous)

My Favorite Kind of Sailing--Yard Sailing (Har Har)

Today was the HH town yard sale.

Town yard sales ROCK.

We got some amazing arm fulls of .50 clothing brand new with tags.

It's all superfluous of course, but new clothes with new tags for .50 makes my heart go pitter pat!

We also found some fun princess paraphernalia which made the noisy one happy.

{She's a dream when she's high on princess paraphernalia.}

The sale across the street put everything they didn't sell on the curb so we also scored a brand new portable baby booster seat.

Awesome-o.

******************************************

And on a totally unrelated note, I went to the movies with my pal Amy today--

yay for movies and pals and the tissues I stuffed into my purse because Nights of Rodanthe is not all rose colored glasses.

******************************************

On another totally unrelated note it is wonder-full to have family in the area.

I like it.

A lot.

Fin.

Time Flies All The Time {Except For When You're Standing Still}

We went to the park the other night (oh how i love going to the park as a family!)

Maeve was having way too much fun trying to climb up the slide

--it was a dream come true--

two steps forward, 3 steps back the whole time

at least she was easy to keep an eye on

*wink

Halloween-ie and Heartbreak

It's official: Amelie is going to be Alice in Wonderland for Halloween:

Ooo La La!

Now for the heartbreak--as you know I've been doing some dress research for Maeve's impending birth-day. I've searched high and low for something fabulous and cheap. I was looking at Macy's today and found the PERFECT dress--to die for! It was 70% off! It was beautiful and oh so perfect--it was iridescent fabric with beautiful hand sewn embroidery/sequins--sounds gaudy but was really just fabulous. It was technically her size (12 months) but seemed small so I had them search and see if there was another one in the store and supposedly there was but we couldn't find it. Major bummer dude. The search continues! Oh, and if you're wondering what Maeve will be for halloween I'm thinking hand-me-down Amelie's first halloween frog suit...you know, cause she's one and has no idea what's going on and all..=)