Sweet dreams...sweeter prayers!

Overheard last night while Emma was saying her prayers:

"Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord I'm supposed to keep.

Watch me safely 'froo the night

And wake me with good morning light.

A-men-a."

I guess that she just heard what she wanted to hear, and has been repeating it that way for who knows how long. How sweet is that? I love that she changed it to "the Lord I'm supposed to keep." Isn't that so true? Aren't we "supposed to keep" the Lord first in our lives, always? And my absolute favorite part is "wake me with good morning light." Sweet Emma just assumes that when she wakes in the morning, and sees the sunlight, it's going to be a good day! I think that will be my evening prayer from now on! With a little, fancy "A-men-a" for good measure!

Thankful...in February

Okay...here we are again! It's my top ten "I'm annoyed, yet thankful" list for the month of February.

1. I am so completely annoyed that it's FLU season, and every time I turn around, someone near us has the stomach bug, a cough, a fever virus, a runny nose...it never ends! A few weeks ago, Maggie caught a weirdo bug, and ran a high fever (at 105.2 on both Motrin and Tylenol) that took us to the hospital! But, I'm thankful that with three little girls (two in school!) we've managed to stay relatively healthy. I'm also extremely thankful for hand sanitizer and Clorox wipes!

2. I'm annoyed that I finally got the Wii Fit, and once on it, it proceeded to make my "mii" look fat, and label my Wii Fit "age" as forty-four years old!!! I'm only thirty-one y'all! But, I'm thankful that it's super fun, and an easy way to track my progress...and, the pounds are slowly but surely coming off! Best of all, with a little work, I've gotten my Wii Fit "age" down to TWENTY NINE! Take that, fat little Mii!

3. I'm annoyed that almost everything that I like to eat is bad for me...why can't God just take all the fat, cholesterol, and calories out of chocolate, pizza, french fries, cheese, wine, etc...I mean, seriously! I like broccoli and all, but I probably would like it much better if it was deep fried and dipped in cheese! But, I'm thankful that I am finding healthy things that I do like, and that it has been fun trying new recipes and figuring out how to "trick" my current recipes into being healthier versions of themselves.

4. I'm annoyed that just when I caught the workout "bug" and got really serious about it, and would love to be running/walking outside...it got so stinking COLD! But, I'm thankful that Maggie still takes a morning nap, and that's just enough time for me to hop on the treadmill for an hour. Do I look forward to that time? NO! But, I'm learning not to hate it...doesn't that count as something to be thankful for?

5. I'm annoyed that groceries are so darn expensive! Dow and I are trying to "downsize" our budget in this oh-so-fabulous economy, and food cost is one of the areas that we're trying to watch. Wow, is it a tough job! But, I'm thankful that I've found this nifty little tool called "The Grocery Game" and have been saving tons of money ever since! It's a tool that helps to pair the store sales with coupons to maximize your savings, and it really does work. I'm averaging about $100 a week for our family of five...that's WAY down from what I was spending. That's breakfast, lunch, and dinner for seven days (and the girls brown bag it to school, too!). Yay me and The Grocery Game!

6. I'm annoyed that I'm sometimes a spoiled brat, and can be quite selfish when I want something. But, I'm thankful that I'm learning to separate my "wants" from my "needs" (again, part of the whole trimming the budget concept) and that I can determine when my inner spoiled brat is rearing her ugly head. I've named my inner brat "Nelly" (like the whiny, blond, curly headed brat on "Little House on the Prairie"?) and will chastise her on occasion. . .Wait, I'm now not only talking to myself, but I've given her a name. . .Hmmmm. . .does that mean that I'm totally nuts?

7. I'm annoyed that Maggie has developed her "squeal" and uses it often at the top of her lungs. She goes zero to sixty in about three seconds, and it is impossible for me to respond in the allotted time frame. She uses it for any reason: if she wants a banana (her favorite thing to eat), if she doesn't want a banana, if she wants you to hold her, if she wants you to put her down. I'm telling you, it's like nails on a blackboard, and it's loud! But, I'm thankful that she's developing her own little personality, and learns something new every single day. It's amazing for me as her mother to watch her little mind working, and to see her eyes light up over something new.

8. I'm annoyed that now that I'm trying to up my walk/run to more of a run/walk, it's getting more important for me to develop a ipod play list that has a killer beat. I'm really having a hard time finding songs that aren't "I hate my man, let's kill him and his big boobed and big booty-ed mistress" themed. Seriously! Where are the "I love my man, I have three kids with him, and he occasionally brings me flowers" songs with a good beat that I can run to? I mean, I love my Beyonce with the rest of y'all, but this is getting a little hard to handle. I don't even know what I have to be thankful for on this one. . I'm just waiting for y'all to give it to me!

9. I'm annoyed that it takes all day, every day to keep this house in order. Between the laundry, the cleaning, the cooking, the shopping, the carpooling....it never ends! But, I'm thankful that I'm back on the Flylady plan, and it works wonders! You can find it at The Flylady, and it has seriously changed my life. She is all about doing what you can do in the time that you have, and I swear, my house has never been cleaner or more organized (and this is coming from a pretty anal neat freak!)

Okay...that's it, y'all. I tried my best, but it was all I could do to come up with nine things that I was totally annoyed about. So this month, I see a trying to "get it together" theme. I guess that I'm thankful that no matter how hard it is, and how much work it is, it's worth it! I feel like I'm getting more organized, more budgeted...my house is cleaner, I'm healthier, and I'm happier about it. Yay!

My Papa

A few weeks ago, my sweet Papa peacefully passed away. He was a wonderful man, and left a hole in our family. These past weeks have been tough, emotionally and physically, and I am glad that at least the "formal" part of the grieving is over. I am a Southern girl, from a Southern family, and people in Georgia do not play when it comes to funerals and "paying respects" when someone that they know dies. There was an overwhelming response to my Papa's death. My Grandma's house was overrun with well-meaning guests (coming to pay their respects) bearing gifts of fried chicken (my Uncle Derrell said it best, "A chicken doesn't have a chance in hell in the state of Georgia when someone dies!"), homemade dishes (potato salad, macaroni and cheese, butter beans, creamed corn...), and the most wonderful desserts that you can imagine (pumpkin pie, pecan pie, a sixteen layer chocolate cake, and a "honey bun cake"...yes...a cake made out of honey buns and heaven. It was the best thing that I have ever put in my mouth!). At the visitation at the funeral home, we were again surprised by the number of people who came to let us know how much my Papa meant to them, and the beautiful flowers that were sent. We didn't expect that kind of response, and couldn't be more grateful to these sweet souls who did their best to make this difficult time easier for my family.

Once I thought about it, we really shouldn't have been surprised. My Papa was a one-of-a-kind, thoughtful, strong, Godly man. He was a wonderful builder, but made "God's work" his career later in life. He was a "fire and brimstone" country preacher, but at the same time made it known that his God was a loving, kind, and generous God with whom he had a personal friendship. It was said at his funeral that he was opinionated, and if you didn't want to know what he thought, you shouldn't ask him. I think that was putting it mildly. Most of the time, you got what he thought whether you asked him or not! I remember when I was younger (probably around 12 or 13) and our family went on a beach trip. Papa always had heart problems, and the doctor had him on a strict walking regiment every day. He loved to walk on the beach, and would do so every morning and every afternoon of the trip. Sometimes, I would walk with him, and our discussions would inevitably turn to our faith and the Bible. While we agreed on the fundamentals, we did not agree on some of the finer points of our faith, and on this particular day were debating the role of women in the church. He was old school, very conservative, and very traditional. I was young, and very precocious (I know, that's so hard to imagine!). As a female, I had a very hard time agreeing with him that women shouldn't be ministers, deacons, and leaders in the church. (A belief that I still have!) As we debated, my temper flared, and I blurted out, "Well, I just have a really hard time believing that God didn't put a voice in a woman just because He also gave her a vagina!" He turned, looked at me, and said something like this, "No, God gave you a voice, you just have learn how to use it. Whether you like it or not, women are different than men, and when a woman is at her best, the softer she speaks, the more she is heard."

I don't know that I've ever told anyone that story, but it is near to my heart, and I reflect on it often. I still can't believe that my sweet, old-fashioned Papa got over the fact that his granddaughter looked him in the eye and said "vagina" and still managed to teach her one of the best lessons she's ever learned. I am a very opinionated, very talkative, very outspoken Southern girl, and sometimes have a hard time with the "labels" that are put on people for any reason. The "women" roles are especially hard for me to swallow. But, I can't deny the fact that women are created differently, and that our stregnth is in our softness. The lesson that my Papa very successfully taught me that day was that women and men aren't better or worse, just different. I could do everything that a man can do and try my best to be as good as a man (and probably somewhat succeed), or I could revel in the fact that I am a woman, and be phenomenal!

My Papa was many things, and he will be so very missed. I know that he's the reason that I pray the way that I do...I remember him saying, "Jenny, just talk to Him like He's sitting in that chair." I know that he's the reason behind my family's notorious quick wit and sense of humor...my Daddy said that Papa "laughed all over himself." He and my Grandma's love for each other was the best model I could ever have for how a loving, Godly marriage should be, and one that Dow and I aspire to. He was definitely the center of our family. He had a profound effect on the woman, the mother, the wife, the daughter, the friend, and the Christian that I am, and I am so grateful for the time that I was able to be loved by and taught by him.

My Favorite "L" things...

Okay, another idea that I got from my friend Bethany's blog. If you'd like to read hers (and I highly recommend it!), you can find it at HappyascanB. Anyway, this is a fun little alphabet game, and I'm supposed to list my favorite things that start with the letter "L". B assigned me this letter because I live in and love the Lowcountry!

You can play along, too! If you want to participate, leave a comment on this post and I will assign you a letter. You then write about 10 things you love that begin with your assigned letter and post them on your blog (on on your facebook "notes" if you don't have a blog). When people comment on your posted list, you give them a letter and the chain continues on and on. Fun, right?

Okay...here are some of my favorite things, brought to you by the letter "L".

1. Let's go with the obvious, and start with The Lowcountry... I just love it here! We're close to the river, we're close to the beach, we have the most amazing sunsets, and warm-ish weather pretty much year round! We're right between Savannah and Charleston (two of my very favorite cities!) What's not to love??? Oh, yeah, the sand gnats. But, I'll take 'em as long as I get to stay in Bluffton!

2. Lilly Pulitzer....yeah, her stuff is expensive, but something about those bright, funky prints makes me fall in love every time! I love them on the girls, and they are such high quality clothes that they are one of the few things that make it through all three of them. Lilly is one of the many things that I shop for on eBay.

3. Lime...yum, yum, yum, yummy, yum! I love lime...I love Key Lime pie, lime in my Diet Coke, and the coconut lime stuff from Bath & Body Works, but I especially love lime in my beer. I used to think that my favorite beer was a Corona...then I discovered (on a ski trip to Colorado) that I didn't really love the beer, I loved the lime in the beer. And I've been a "fruit the beer" convert ever since (my favorites are Coors Light and Michelob Ultra). I've turned most of my friends on to this, and now, when we have a party, there's almost always a bowl of lime slices next to the beer! I don't, however, like the lime flavored beer or diet coke...only the real stuff for me, thanks!

4. Ladies' Night Out...My fun little group of girl friends does a "Ladies Night Out" once a month, and it's one of my very favorite social outings, and something that I rarely miss! It's fun, low key, and relaxing. We do dinner, or a movie, or just meet at the wine bar and have a few cocktails. We've painted pottery, had a karaoke party, and also do a "Girl's Weekend" to Daufuskie Island once a year. This group of ladies is spectacular, and is made up of some of my most favorite people in the world. We're all different, but get along great. There's just something about a night out with friends...no husbands, no kids...just girls! Fun, fun!

5. Little girls...I know that it's pretty obvious that I adore my three little princesses! I love the sweetness, the prissy-ness, the big bows, the dress up clothes, and the pink, princess, sparkly-ness of little girls. I was made to be a girl mommy, and I love every minute of it!

6. Love...I'm a total fool for love! I love love...everything about it, and confess that I am a total romantic. I'm a sucker for champagne and candlelight. I love love songs, love stories, romantic movies, and love notes. I love Valentine's Day, and anniversaries. I love hearing the story of how people met and fell in love. I just love love!

7. Lamps....and candlelight, too. I really like soft lighting, and rarely have the bright, overhead lights on in my house, unless I need them for something specific (like cleaning or working on the computer). Every room has lamps. I'm told that it's an interior decorator's "secret" to use "soft, adjacent" lighting, but I really just don't like bright lights! I like the softer, calmer look of lamp light. Dow says that I'm nuts, but I think he secretly likes it, too.

8.Laughing.... I love to laugh. I love funny jokes, emails, movies, books, etc...I really have a very silly sense of humor, and dumb jokes are my specialty. I love that laughing-so-hard-you-get-tears-in-your-eyes-and almost-wet-your-pants feeling. The best!

9. Laying out....Okay, I know that "laying out" is something that we never get to do anymore, but I swear, it's one of my favorite things. I'm not an idiot, and I'm a huge fan of sunscreen, so the "laying out" isn't really for the tan anymore. There's just something about laying at the beach or by the pool with a cold drink in my hand and a magazine or fluff novel to page through. I love the thought that the most important thing that I have to do that day is flip!

10. Lazy weekends...I love it when I have nothing to do. I look forward to those cold, rainy weekends when you just bundle up and stay in. I look forward to and am pleasantly surprised by the days when you can stay in your pj's, play board games, read books, and sit by the fire all day. I love it when I'm still drinking coffee at noon, and when we have breakfast for dinner (because that's the only thing in the house!) Lazy weekends are the best!

Come on, y'all! Play along...

Snow White and the Seven Dorks

Our sweet Emma is so funny lately, and says the cutest things. Tonight at dinner, we were discussing our typical lively topics (that's what you get at dinner in a house full of girls!), and somehow it came up that Daddy wished that Peter Pan didn't wear tights (I know, it's a ridiculous man thing...more about that later!). Anyway, in the conversation, Gracyn said that she thought that Peter Pan wore tights because he was sort-of like an elf or a fairy, and they both wore tights. Then Dow piped up that Snow White had elves and they didn't wear tights...and Emma promptly corrected him by saying, "DAAAddddddddyyyyy! Snow White doesn't have elves! She has dorks!" You know..."Snow White and the Seven Dorks???" Hilarious!

Thankful...in January

Okay...here we go again! My top ten "I'm annoyed, but thankful" list.

1. I'm annoyed the the girl's clothes are getting so darn expensive! I can still find cute, sweet, inexpensive things for Maggie, but it's getting harder and harder to find cute, age appropriate things for Gracyn and Emma. And, those of you who know me well know that I'm not about to send my girls out in the world with anything not age appropriate on their bodies...no strapless, sequined, "juicy" written on behinds for us! So, I'm thankful for two things: first, I'm so very thankful that Gracyn and Emma wear precious little plaid jumpers to school every day, and that they are required to (with a very strict uniform policy right down to the Mary Jane's on their feet!); and second, I'm so very, very thankful for Ebay! I love it, and always get the best deal on "boutique" clothes for the girls that I'd never even look at in a store because of the huge price tags. Yay for Ebay! One note: Dow is not nearly as thankful for Ebay, and thinks that I'm quite addicted...

2. I'm annoyed that Maggie still thinks that it's her one job in life to destroy my house. She's like a tornado in a trailer park, leaving mass destruction in her wake...But, I'm thankful that she's so easily distracted and entertained, and I can usually pull her away from whatever mess she's made to clean it up pretty quickly. I'm also thankful that Dow and I are getting pretty creative, and can limit her "access" to those things. I'm using door locks, rubber bands, etc...but trust me, as soon as we get one area secure, she's on to something else!

3. I'm annoyed that it's so darn cold outside! Yes, I am a princess when it comes to the weather, and yes, I would much rather be sitting inside, sipping a hot cup of coffee in front of the fire, wearing my fluffy leopard slippers. I live at the beach in South Carolina for a reason, y'all, and I'm just not used to the high being in the forties! But, I'm thankful that with this frigid, arctic air, comes some gorgeous sunshine! At least, it looks pretty when I'm glancing outside (from my perch in front of the fire) or when I'm resting my princess behind on my heated seats in my car! Oh, and I'm thankful that the forecast is calling for temps in the high sixties this weekend...now that's more like it!

4. I'm annoyed that my printer is dead....I mean D-E-A-D, dead! And that it's going to cost a million dollars to get it fixed...well, not actually a million, but it might as well be. But, strangely enough, I'm thankful for the break! I'm really enjoying the down time from not working every day. I'm getting my house back in order, and spending lots of time with Maggie, and I'm just so busy, I just don't miss it at all...hmmmm....maybe I don't really like working from home as much as I thought that I did?

5. I don't mean to get too political, but I'm annoyed that the world thinks that our newest President is the Messiah. I don't hate him, but I just wish that the media would treat him like the actual human that he is! I wish the best for President Obama (doesn't that sound odd!), and hope that he can do something to at least help our struggling economy. I love this quote from Wyclef: "I think that he's on his way to being one of the best President's ever." Really, Wyclef? He's been in office a whole twenty four hours, done absolutely nothing, and already, he's the one of the best Presidents ever? Wow! Wyclef is obviously not hard to please! But, I'm thankful that we live in America...I thought that the Bush's were gracious and kind in the transition, and the fact that the "changing of the guard" is a peaceful, collaborative process is just amazing to me. And, I'm also thankful that the media is a "fair weather friend"... hopefully, some of the shiny, sparkly, "new" will wear off soon, and we will get some actual news in our various media outlets. In the meantime, I guess I'm also thankful for FOX News?

6. I'm annoyed that I'm so darn sore from my New Years resolution to work out more. I mean, sore...like every part of my body is sore...even my teeth! But, I'm thankful that it's getting easier, and I'm getting stronger, and I'm starting to enjoy it! Okay, that last one was a total lie...I don't enjoy it for one minute...the only thing I enjoy about it is when it is over! But I am getting stronger, so I guess I can be thankful for that. And maybe my behind is getting a little smaller?

7. I'm annoyed that I can't seem to find time in my schedule for a hair cut or a pedicure. Seriously...those are two very important things in the regular maintenance of a lady. But, I guess that I'm thankful that I'm so busy with good things? I'm thankful that I am able to stay home with Maggie. No, that doesn't leave me with very many minutes with no baby tagging along (which doesn't bode well for relaxing salon time!) But, it does fill my days with so many wonderful moments. I wouldn't miss her first steps, her first words, or her many, many messes for anything! She's a joy, and I love being her mommy. I also love that my older girls keep me so busy. My favorite part of the day is picking them up from school...hearing Maggie squeal in excitement when she sees them and to listening to their non-stop chatter in the back seat, telling me everything important about their day.

8. I'm annoyed that I just broke my iphone...yep! I dropped it on a run with Bogie, and totally cracked the glass. It still works, but looks horrible. And, best news of all....the only thing that I can do is trade Gracyn in for a new one (for those of you who are a little slow on the uptake, she's my "first born", and the iphone ain't cheap!) Now, to put a positive spin on this whole debacle, I love, love, love, love, love that phone and am totally thankful for it. It has the coolest applications, calendars, and other organizing tools. I put everything in that phone, and carry it with me everywhere...it's the secret to me never forgetting anything (because when you're organizing the lives of three little girls, a busy husband, and a way overbooked mommy, it's easy to forget everything!) It has a grocery store application, a calorie counter, the weather, all my music...you name it, it has it, and I love it! Now, if I only hadn't chucked it onto the concrete...

9. I'm annoyed that my family lives so far away, and that I can't see my sweet baby nephews as much as I'd like (my sister, Amanda, just had a new baby, Marshall, last week. And my brother, Drew, and his wife, Morgan, had a precious little boy, Kyle, in December.) But, I'm thankful for my wonderful, funny family. I love that we are so close, and that I want to see them! I love that coming to visit us feels like a vacation for our family, and that I get to have Hayes and Carter (Amanda's other two boys who are seven and five) for a week every summer. They love the beach and the boat, and doing all of the fun outdoor things in our neighborhood. We have the best time when we are able to be together.

10. I'm annoyed that money doesn't grow on trees, and that we have to be so careful in this economy and save every dime that we can. It's an unwelcome stress, and I hate constantly worrying about Dow's job! But, again I'll say, I'm so grateful that he has a job, and that God has continuously provided for us. We have three healthy, happy girls, and our life is good. Who could ask for more?

So this month, I actually had a tough time coming up with ten things that annoy me...that's good, right? I do feel that we're blessed...and no matter how busy I am, or what little things set me off, I have so much to be grateful for. Yes, I miss my family, and yes, I'm bummed about my phone, and the state of our oh-so-biased media, but really, who cares? In the grand scheme of things, I've got it pretty good! So, I'm going to be thankful for that!

Ten Things

I was challenged to do this by my sweet friend, Bethany, and thought it looked like fun. The challenge is to write ten things that people might not know about you. So here goes:

1. I'm left handed. I don't, however, feel that I'm very "left brained." I'm a very organized, type A personality, and not very "artsy."

2. I'm a very safe, conscientious driver, and haven't had a ticket since college (knock on wood!). However, I failed my first attempt at my drivers license miserably. I got it on the second try, but I was a nervous wreck!

3. When I was a little girl, I wanted to be a country singer when I grew up. I still "get my fix" singing karaoke (alone...with my ipod!), and living vicariously through "American Idol."

4. I love being a mom, adore children, and even teach Bible School, but never, never, never ever wanted to be a teacher. I just don't think I have the patience.

5. I color-code my closet... shoes, too. And Dow's...and the girls. I'm a little neurotic when it comes to organization.

6. I firmly believe that everything has it's place. And as organized as I am in every area of my house, I have a very messy "junk drawer" in my kitchen. I have no idea what's in there, and occasionally have to clean it out when it gets too full, but for the most part, I just let it live in the kitchen...eating whatever doesn't have a home.

7. I have a very silly sense of humor, and will find kid's jokes (like the ones you find on a popsicle stick) absolutely hilarious. The sillier the better!

8. I'm totally addicted to "As the World Turns" and Tivo it every day. However, I hate Paul Ryan, and will fast forward every time he's on the screen.

9. I'm a HUGE Disney fanatic, and quite a dork about it. I love Disney World, Disney movies, Disney Princesses...It's a no-stress, good natured, fun, happy place and I love everything about it. I'm worse than the girls when we're on the way to Disney World. I have a hard time sleeping the night before, because I'm so excited! Sometimes, I find myself on the Disney World website...just dreaming! (I'm such a dork! I know...) I'm also a Christmas fanatic, and will go nuts over anything and everything Christmas...lights, music, etc...the magic and make believe just brings out the kid in me like nothing else!

10. I'm pretty sure that our family is complete, and that Dow and I are done having babies. But, sometimes, I toss around the idea of adoption. I don't know why it's on my heart, or if anything will ever come of it, but I like the idea of giving a child a loving, Christian home. I feel that it's my calling to be a wife and a mother, and wonder if I'll have room for just one more down the road...

There! That's my ten! I'm a pretty open book, but it was fun to try and find ten things that you might not know.

Happy Birthday, Baby Maggie!

It's hard to believe, but on December 30, our precious baby Maggie turned one year old! It has really been the fastest year of my life! She's such a blessing, and has really completed our little family. Gracyn and Emma are such great big sisters, and Maggie just adores them!

She had a great time on her first birthday. The girls and I made her chocolate cupcakes (Dow insisted that they be chocolate!) and as you can tell from the picture, she enjoyed every bite!

To honor her first birthday, I'm going to list the things that Maggie does...milestones, and other little "Maggie" things that best describe her at this age.

• Maggie loves her sisters, and loves to play in the upstairs playroom with them. She's still a little afraid of the stairs, and will stand at the bottom of them and yell, "GIRLS!" When she'd like them to come get her. She sometimes does it in the day when they aren't there, too. So cute!
• She's mastered the art of waving, and will get very frustrated and wave "bigger" if you don't wave back. She waves at people passing us in cars, people we pass at the grocery store, golfers on the golf course as we're taking our walks, and anyone who passes by her high chair!
• She's also mastered the art of squealing in a very loud, high pitched voice. Cute at first...not so cute the thirty-fifth time in a row!
• She's expanding her vocabulary, and can say: Mama, Daddy, Girls, Gracyn (Gay-Sin), Emma (E-MA!), Cup (Gup), Yay!, Get Down, Come Up, Let's Go!, Bye-Bye, and lots more. She will also give you a very serious "talking to" in gibberish if you're not doing exactly what she'd like you to do. I get one every single Sunday when I pick her up from the nursery at church (not her favorite place!)
• She still hates to get her diaper changed, but loves her bath!
• Her eyes were a blue/green/hazel when she was born, but have recently darkened to brown. They aren't as dark as mine and Emma's but I'd still call them brown.
• She is very curious, and has the best time taking anything and every thing out of drawers, boxes, cabinets, etc...she especially loves anything that she can bang together to make a loud noise!
• She's very musical, and has great rhythm. She dances all the time (to any music!) and will be breaking it down to a song that I won't even realize is playing (like background music in a store).
• She loves to be outside, and gets excited when I put her in the jogging stroller, or in her baby swing on our playground.
• She's been walking since she was ten months old, and is very fast. She's perfected her little run, and loves to play chase. Her cue to chase her is to turn around, look at you, throw her hands up over her head, and yell "Ahhhhhhhhh!". You'd better start running after her, saying "I'm gonna get the baby!" or you'll get a "talking to" like I mentioned earlier.
• She loves the dogs, and her bowls are her favorite toys. She'd prefer to "swim" in the water dish, and eat the dog food...If I'd let her. Poor Maggie never gets to do either.
• When she gets in trouble, she sits down on the floor, puts her hands between her legs, slumps her shoulders, and looks down like a little lost puppy. She'll even look up a few times to make sure that you're watching her! Adorable (and effective!) at first...now, we just know that's her "I'm sorry Mommy, but look how cute I am!" pose.
• She's very tiny (19 pounds, and in the tenth percentile for her height and weight) but she's very busy and eats like a horse! Most of the time at dinner, she will put Gracyn and Emma to shame. If you're not feeding her fast enough, or her tray gets empty, she will beat on it and look at you like "More! NOW!"
• She's learned to blow kisses, and if you say "Give me a kiss" will lean over and "allow" you to give her one. I thought that she was going to kiss me the other day...she leaned over, but instead bit my chin! She also loves to "honk" your nose, and laughs every time. Every one of us makes a different "honk" when she does it, so this will keep her entertained for a while.
• She loves songs and nursery rhymes, and Patty-Cake is her favorite right now. She really loves to "throw in in the pan!" She also likes when Daddy is watching football to run in, throw her arms over her head, and yell, "TOUCHDOWN!"

Maggie is just a plain mess, and runs me ragged every day! But she's a doll, and a joy! This has been the busiest, most fun, craziest year of my life, and I've enjoyed every second of it! Now...on to toddlerhood. Oh, Lord! Give me patience!

Happy birthday, Baby Maggie!!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Wow! What a holiday season we had at the Drury house...we were busy, busy! The girls had a great time, and we were all exhausted by the time they headed back to school. It always seems like the break isn't long enough...

Christmas was great fun. Maggie didn't really know what was going on, but she had a great time with the lights, decorations, and gifts...she loved the wrapping paper and tissue paper! I kept joking with everyone that they could just stuff a bag with tissue paper and that would be gift enough for that little monkey. No one took us up on the offer, but I swear it was the truth! She got lots of loud, fun toys with lots of little pieces (thanks, y'all!)...she hasn't stopped playing yet.

Gracyn and Emma had a great time, too. They got lots of outside toys (a basketball goal, a soccer goal, and a zip line for the back yard!) We were all bummed about the weather being so warm, but it was a good thing at our house, because the girls stayed outside the whole week! We also got a Wii from Santa, and that was quite the hit. I still haven't mastered anything but bowling, but the girls are quite good at all of the games, and (of course) Dow is a pro at everything! Emma is especially great at boxing, and will knock you out with one or two punches. Then, she looks at you with an angelic smile and says, "Really? That was pretty easy!" Everyone who comes over thinks that they can beat her, but so far, no one has...it's hilarious! I tried so hard one night, but I never beat her, and to top it off, woke up the next day with very sore arms!

The magic of Christmas is still alive and well in the Drury house, but we had to be very careful this year! Emma has her Daddy's analytical mind, and informed us "there was no way that there is a such thing as Rudolph!" When we asked her why, she said (very matter-of-factly) that "there was no creature on God's green earth that has a light bulb for a nose...that's just plain ridiculous!" We tried our best to reason with her, but I do admit that it is pretty ridiculous! She still believes in Santa, but just thinks that Rudolph is a story that someone made up. Gracyn has her mama's vivid imagination, so she still very firmly thinks that Emma is wrong, and happily put out the "magic reindeer food" on Christmas Eve.

We were blessed to be able to spend time with lots of friends and family this Christmas. It was a world wind, but we had a great time seeing everyone and catching up. Hope you and yours had a wonderful holiday season! Happy 2009!