The Little Lady

Bitty is getting so big and is changing what appears to be daily. She turned 15 months on Sunday, and her personality is blooming! She is into literally everything. It seems like all we do is chase after her and say, No! and Get out of that _________!
Her vocabulary is really growing. Not only is she repeating the things we coax her into saying, but she has also mastered some words are using them at the appropriate times. She calls the dogs (and all other dogs...) by their names, and she is starting to point to my body parts, but not her own yet. The other day she jabbed me in the eyeball. Thanks. Those tears were from the stinging, not the pride. She has even squeaked out an "Oooo Igh!" (Roll Tide!) and, more importantly, "A-mehn".
These pictures are from Sunday. Although it looks like it, she was NOT waving at me, but at the dogs, "Shay-dy and Dodah" ... She LOVES them! The bottom picture was taken first. Notice how much ankle you see. Now look at the top picture. So, even though she's getting big, she's still so Bitty! This is a 12 month outfit. Most 12 month pants won't stay up on her!

The Confession

It has been 25 days since my last post. Forgive me for I have not had much to post, yet have tons to post. Odd, I know. This month has been SO busy.

My AMAZING intern is officially done. I am SO sad. It's like losing a roommate that you really, really like (and who does all of your chores for you!). I have four more weeks of school, a (literal) tiny break, and then I will start tutoring this Summer for the AHSGE for Bryant kids. The principal drama at school is enough to make anyone's head spin, but it's entirely too much to put on here. Just know that it is major, and that Bryant High School's students, teachers, and administrators (both current and future) need your prayers.

Other than the whirlwind we call Bitty, home has been it's usual busy. Michael is finishing up his last semester at Shelton. He is in there typing up his last research paper as I type this. Last Sunday he participated in Honor's Day (I forgot the camera :( ) and received an award for his Phi Theta Kappa Honors Fraternity membership. He's pretty smart. He will graduate in two weeks, and I will NOT forget the camera. :)

The Good Eater

Despite last night's meal consisting mainly of fat free jello and mini marshmallows, Bitty normally does really well during meals. She is a good eater, and doesn't hesitate to eat healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. I was really nervous when she was eating infant food when she would spit out any of the vegetable flavors, especially green beans. But now, green beans are one of her favorites. Same thing with chicken. At first she was not having the texture of chicken. But we didn't give up, and kept trying to give it to her. After about five times, she started to accept the texture in her mouth. However, I struggle in the message that I am trying to send to her. I want her to be healthy, play outside, and be an overall average kid. From both sides of her parents' genes, this poor child comes from at least three generations of overweight people, and I strive to be a healthy role model for her without pressure to be "skinny". That's not necessarily what we want for her at all. We want her to be healthy.
Playing with her jello cup. She picked through the corn and Boston Butt.Working on using a spoon. She can get it to her mouth, but most often turns her hand with the spoon in it an looses it all in her lap. I cleaned a fair amount of jello out of her seat. She kept trying to use the pointed end instead of the scoop. It didn't work for her. Photo-op with Mommy!!

The Risen Savior

When He was born, his mother knew that she would be giving Him up to a higher purpose. Really? Today my heart goes out to Mary, who knew that her son would be the sacrifice for the world. I teared up when Bitty screamed with her first shots. I couldn't imagine it being a spear in her side. However, I can't help but be so grateful for Mary and her gift to the world. Knowing that I get to spend an eternity in Heaven with my Savior all because Mary was headed to prepare the body in an already empty tomb. Hallelujah!

We had an amazing worship service. As always, the songs we sing are so timely, and we all meant for our risen Savior. My favorite is always In Christ Alone because of how it stirs the entire congregation to applause, tears, and shouts of "Hallelujah" as we sing this verse:

There in the ground His body lay,

Light of the world by darkness slain.

Then bursting forth in glorious Day,

Up from the grave he rose again!

And as He stands in victory,

Sin's curse has lost its grip on me,

For I am His and He is mine -

Bought with the precious blood of Christ.

After an amazing morning of worship, we gathered at the front of the church to have pictures made at the cross. It's an Easter tradition at Ridgecrest to prepare the wooden cross with flowers (we forgot ours), and after service, take family pictures in front of it. We couldn't get Bitty to look at the camera, much less smile, but we did the best we could!

The Break

Over the break, we didn't do much of anything because the weather was so yucky. It rained and was cold seven of the ten days we were out. On Thursday it finally warmed up enough that we could enjoy being outside for a little while. So, we donned our overall shorts and went to see the "puh-pees"!

Smiling for the camera

She LOVES Sadie and Jonah

On Friday we went to the Riverwalk Park in downtown Tuscaloosa. On the end that we were on there wasn't much of anything to do but walk, so after our Hardee's picnic, we just took some time to spend as a family and enjoy God's beautiful work!

My favorite picture of the WHOLE week.

The river was muddy, but she didn't seem to care

Walking back up the river, Bitty decided she needed a break

So Michael and I took her break time for a photo op.

After the river we rode over to Mom's house. We learned that Bitty loves being outside, but she does NOT love the grass. If she could have stayed on this concrete slab she would have.

Swinging with Gramma

The House, The Home

Two weeks ago in Sunday School we started a new study on The Home that God Blesses. We have an amazing Sunday School teacher who really knows and loves God's Word, and she is infectious with it. For our first weeks homework we were instructed to create a notebook for class that exemplified our house and home. This is what I chose for ours.

This is our house. We have lived here for almost five years - so hard to believe. We have made it very cozy, often messy, mostly loud, but full of love. I love our house, and I am so thankful for how God has blessed us while in this house. His love for us is amazing, and he shows us everyday.


This is how I know: The pictures that I chose for our home. The only thing not pictured here is our family picture from the beach that has gone missing from my computer, but that's just a tiny glitch in the grand scheme.
This post is pretty much the meaning behind our blog title. Through God, our home and love has multiplied, and it is such a beautiful feeling. My prayer through this Home study is that we learn how to better become a God-centered family and raise Olivia to love Jesus the way He (and we) love her.
My world...

The Baseball Game

Spring time is my favorite time of year. (Well, until Fall and football season!) I don't like to be extremely cold or hot, but I like to walk, run, and play outside. Spring's temperature fits that mold perfectly. I also like to spend time at ball games. I enjoy Bryant baseball and softball, and am even excited about going to some soccer games. Last night, Bitty and I were kind of bored, and Bryant's Varsity Baseball team was playing at home, so we decided to go. Bitty was much more interested in the puppies that were there rather than the game, but still we had fun and snapped some great pictures! PUH-PEE, PUH-PEE!! (All the way home...)

Checking for "bag fries" in the hood of her car.

"You talkin' to me?"

The Dancer

Michael and I are nerds. We know it. We accept it. We are turning our child into one, and she's accepting it, too. Here's what I mean: we TiVo Jeopardy, and have for as long as we've had the ability to. We watch Jeopardy almost daily, and well, it has a catchy theme song, to say the least. Bitty seems to think so, too. She has never really danced much, but to the Jeopardy theme song she gets DOWN!

(BTW -- while I was previewing the video before uploading it to the blog, she heard the music through the computer and started dancing to her own dancing video!)

The Beautiful Day

Last Sunday was the first pretty day of Spring. Bitty wasn't feeling great, but we took the opportunity to get out and get some fresh air. We played in the front yard with sidewalk chalk and bubbles for a little while; Bitty beat Daddy in Tic-Tac-Toe. She's just that good. After having fun in the front yard, we moved on to the park. We went down the very staticky slide and crawled through all the tunnels. However, her favorite part of the park was swinging on the swings. She just giggled the whole time despite feeling icky. I look forward to so many more fun Spring days!

The Walker

It is so funny how quickly Bitty learns and adapts to new things. The Saturday after her birthday (at her party), I remember saying that she could only take a few steps, probably no more than three or four at a time. I was kind of disappointed, because I really wanted her to be able to walk by her first birthday. Not for any particular reason, we just thought it would be cool to have such a huge milestone and event fall together. However, we really didn't have to wait long at all for her to pull through! In the week following her party, it was just like she took off! That was three weeks ago. Now she is practically running! Oh my...the things she is going to get into now!!

The Vocabulary Words

As a teacher, I am so excited at the thought of helping Bitty learn new words and learn to read, something that I obviously have a passion for. In the last few days, it just seems that she is blooming with new knowledge. Not only is she flat out walking around our house, she is starting to repeat words, and repeat them in the appropriate places. For a few weeks she's been saying baby, ball, and thank you, and recently, night night, shoe, and bath. Also, in addition to these words, she is starting to point to things in her First Words book, with a little prompting. :) I am so excited, and I can't wait to start taking her to the library and letting her pick out her own books!

Translation Guide:
baby = baybeeee
ball = bah or baw (depending)
thank you = tuh ta
night night = nigh nigh
shoe = oo
bath = baa

Our next challenge? Body parts!!

The Big Brother

I have a big brother, and I wish I were talking about him, right now. He's less scary and doesn't lurk outside my door or in my classes...He doesn't take notes on how bad I suck and deliver the news via broad faculty meeting generalizations. He doesn't (at least not since I was 5) set me up for failure by snatching the rug (of support) right out from under me and expecting me to continue on as if nothing has changed. Just because he is walking the halls does not mean that he is supporting us. He is not helping us; he is scaring us. We want support and assistance from our friends, not criticism and judgment from ones who don't even know our names. What do we have to do right to gain support and a shred of credibility among our fellow schools?
I just want to feel supported, backed up, and most of all, appreciated by those who are so quick to judge.

The Secret Sharer

Well, it's not really secret more than it is my desperate attempt to coin a corny name for the post that is spun from a droll Josef Conrad classic.

In other words, this is what goes on while Daddy is in charge. When seeing these pictures for the first time through the camera, it looked like a flip book! Although these pictures look eerily similar, I promise they are just taken quickly and consecutively. She is such a good sharer, and Sadie LOVES to be shared with!

The Snow Day

I always have mixed emotions about weather days. On the one hand, I am SO thankful for not having to be in school on a cold dreary day, but on the other, I want to save those off days for when the weather is pretty in April! Not to mention that the typical weather day isn't necessary anyway. Unlike the day in January though, this day produced actual snow! I got up around 6:30 to nothing. Not even a flurry. I was just about to post a sarcastic remark online when I looked out the door to see big, fat snowflakes! This is how it started:In just a few hours, this is what we got. But sadly, it soon died. Only an hour or so after this picture, the snow on the ground was completely melted.

And, because Bitty has been battling a cold all week long, I didn't feel right about taking her outside, especially since there wasn't much of anything to play in. We walked outside twice, and neither time was she too sure about the white stuff. So, instead, we enjoyed our rare weekday time together curled up with a good book. She randomly brings me books to read to her.

After reading almost every book we own, twice, she decided to entertain herself. In the video below, after she pulled several of the laundry pieces out, she climbed in. This is not the only time she did this tonight, it's just the only time I caught it on tape.

The Party

The Birthday Girl in her new birthday outfit! The shirt underneath has a pink giraffe, like her Spots!

Yay for party time! Although Olivia's birthday was last Tuesday, we waited until the Saturday after (the 6th) to have her party. I was actually very nervous as the party host, simply because I have never done it before. There was a mix of our friends and family, and most everyone seemed to have a good time. I'm still bumfuzzled that my baby is ONE year old!!

You know I am a HUGE fan of traditions, so for one birthday tradition, I wanted to start Olivia off with a birthday plate. I made this at All Fired Up. It was meant to be used to eat her cake, but the cake was a little too big for the plate. There are two holes on either side of the words so it can be hung with ribbon.

Her cake was made to match her plate. It was a little on the hot pink side, but in the light of PCA it wasn't too bad! In the background is a cake cutter and server that she got as a baby shower gift from a good friend of the family. The card in it was so sweet. It says that she is to use it for all of her birthday cakes, and then for her wedding. Ugh...makes me cry just thinking about it!
The Party Guests:

Church friends: Katherine, Mattie, Jeremy (whose head is cut off, sorry, JT!), and Karri

The Family on both my parents' sides

The Birthday Twin and her Dad: Ally and David Woolbright The Cottrells: Dedric, Kameka, and Brooklyn

More Church peeps: Alivia & Lindsey, and Shayla & Courtney Noah Jones! He LOVED the ball pit!

Getting ready for cake!

Consulting with new birthday friend, Flower"What am I supposed to do with, Mom?"Not too sure at first...But QUICKLY figuring out what to do...The aftermath... Had Mom not taken it away from her, she would have finished the whole 7 inch cake!

PRESENTS!!!

An awesome new bikini! (To go with her new crab pool and sunglasses!!)

LOTS of new clothes! She soon was diving in after them herself...

HOT new Hata'blockas!!

Giving that sweet baby sugar!

It was such a great day. We are so thankful for all of you who came to celebrate with us! We LOVE you!