Getting ready for Easter!

Last weekend we went to the second annual Alachua Egg Drop! It’s so much fun for kids! A local church in Alachua puts it on every year on the property they are currently saving money to build a church on. It’s a HUGE piece of land and such a great place for an egg hunt! Cori participated last year in the 3 and under hunt. I remember her being a little shy and not quite sure about this whole hunting for eggs thing. But, this year was so different! She was one of the best egg hunters out there – not that those eggs were hidden all too well! :)

There were 3 fields roped off for 3 different hunts. Ages 0-3, 3-7, 7-11. It’s literally just how it sounds – a field with eggs scattered everywhere! It’s basically a free for all! Cori needed no help filling her basket FULL of eggs! To the left she was getting ready for the hunt! SO EXCITED! And to the right, she was filling that basket FULL!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the hunt, we sat down to count some eggs… Finley counted too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, Cori helped her of course!

Daddy had to work, but the girls and I had such a great time together! I hope they have something like this in Birmingham next year!

 

As I think and prepare for Easter, my heart has been thinking a lot about how we will teach our girls about this beautiful holiday. In teaching them the beauty, we also have to teach them about the suffering Christ went through. I’m so glad though, that this holiday is so much more than eggs and candy! It’s about a Savior who loved us enough to die for us, and then was resurrected to live with God in heaven so he could come before God and petition for us in our lives down here on this little earth. Wow. I’m so thankful for that!

At 27 months, I think Cori is old enough to really start learning about the story of Easter. I know I’m her mama and partial to her, but the girl is so stinkin’ smart! So, this year, we are going to do a 6 day version of Resurrection Eggs. Resurrection Eggs tell the story of Easter in an unconventional way. In each egg there is a symbol that goes along with the story of Easter. There is a verse with a short explanation of each egg. Normally there are 12 eggs, but we are only going to do 6, and I think we will do one each day leading up to Easter. To find the 6 day version I am using, click here! I can’t wait go get started! What traditions do you do with your little one to teach them about Christ during the Easter season?

We have a CRAWLER!!!

Finley is officially crawling!! She has been up on all fours, rocking back and forth, and making small movements for sometime now. Last week those small movements turned into full on crawling!!! Finally, at 8 and a half months old, little miss is crawling. I am SO proud of her and SO excited to see her on the move! She is pretty excited about it herself! Cori Belle, on the other hand, is not so excited. Crawling means the knocking down of castles, the stealing of toys, and the intrusion on a certain toddler’s personal space! haha! Oh, the joys of siblings!!

I tried to take some pictures of Finley sitting on our bed the other day, and she kept crawling away! I’d place her near the pillows and walk to the end of our bed to snap some photos and she’s be almost to the edge of the bed! I LOVE my little crawler!! And, her gorgeous smile too!!

6 Years and Counting…

Over the weekend, my sweet hubby and I celebrated 6 years of marriage together. 6 years. Wow! We have now been together for a decade since we dated for 4 years before we got married. I thought, we’d take a short trip down memory lane…

We started dating in July of 2002. We were both summer camp counselors at the YMCA in Tampa. I, in gymnastics camp. He, in sports camp. It was a summer romance like no other. Sparks were flying and we seemed to spend every waking moment together. I’ll never forget when he came into work one day – at lunch with all the kids around – with a faux engagement ring made of black electrical tape with an aluminum foil diamond in the center. You see, I turned him down initially when he asked me out. So, he turned on the charm and eventually won me over! :)

Summer 2002 – wow, we were YOUNG!!

After that summer, we spent a year apart with me going to UNF in Jacksonville and him at UF here in Gainesville. We had pretty much talked about the long term and even eventually getting married after only a few months of dating. So, after that year apart, I transferred to UF, into their elementary education program.

The summer after graduation, I went home to Tampa to work as a youth intern for the church I grew up attending and Dave went to South Carolina to work as summer camp director for Camp Thunderbird, a YMCA affiliated summer camp. Two weeks in to him being gone, I went over to his parents house to have breakfast with them. Upon arriving, there was a note on the front door from Dave (who was supposed to be in South Carolina!). It said to enter and follow the rose petals. I followed them around the house – stopping to read a few notes he had left along the way. The petals finally led me upstairs to a beautiful picture of “I love you” written in sand, along with another very sweet note. At the end of the note, he told me to go back downstairs. As I started the stair decline, Dave was standing at the bottom of the stairs, guitar in hand, singing “Grow Old with You.” It’s pretty much the theme song to the movie, The Wedding Singer, in case you haven’t heard it before.

I wanna make you smile whenever you're sad
Carry you around when your arthritis is bad
Oh all I wanna do is grow old with you
I'll get your medicine when your tummy aches
Build you a fire if the furnace breaks
Oh it could be so nice, growing old with you
I'll miss you
Kiss you
Give you my coat when you are cold
Need you
Feed you
Even let ya hold the remote control
So let me do the dishes in our kitchen sink
Put you to bed when you've had too much to drink
I could be the man who grows old with you
I wanna grow old with you

It was one of the sweetest moments. He sang as I descended the stairs and when I finally got to the bottom, he pulled a ring out of his pocket and asked me to marry him. Of course, I said YES! I’ll never forget what a beautiful engagement that was.

After that summer, Dave started his first year in Medical School and I started my Masters degree in Elementary Education. In January of my Masters year, I got hired on as a full time teacher at P.K. Yonge and on March 11, 2006 we got married.

 

We bought a small two bedroom condo (which we still live in today) and started out our married life. I worked as a teacher for 4 years to support us as Dave finished Medical School. The spring before he began his Residency in Pediatrics, we found out we were pregnant. We decided that I’d finish out the school year, then stay home with our new little bundle since Dave would be starting a paid Residency.

In December of 2009, Cori Belle was born. She brought more love into our family than we ever had imagined possible. I still get teary eyed just thinking about that moment. What joy that day brought to both of us!

 

Life as a family of three was beautiful. Dave continued on in his Residency and I was at home with our little girl. When Cori turned 6 months, I decided to take a new venture and became a Jewelry Lady with Premier Designs Jewelry. It gave me something fun to do and helped tremendously with our finances. I am still a Jewelry Lady today and I LOVE my job!

When Cori turned 9 months, we got pregnant again. 9 months later, on July 1, 2011, Finley Grace was born. I never thought I could love another baby like I did Cori Belle, but I sure did. It’s a love that surpasses all understanding!

 

We became a family of 4 and I am so in love with all three members of my sweet family!

 

Cori Belle is now 27 months old and Finley Grace is 8 months old. Dave is finishing his Residency in June, and our family moves to Birmingham so he can start a Pediatric ER Fellowship in July. There is so much in store for our sweet little family. I cannot thank God enough for his provisions and blessings in our life. It’s been an amazing 6 years together.

Dave,

I am more in love with you today than ever before. It’s amazing how love can grow like that. I am so thankful for you. Your love for the Lord encourages me like no other and I am proud to call you my husband and the father of our two beautiful girls. I LOVE you!

Dani

Where has a week gone?!

It’s Wednesday and I am up early. I’ve gotten up with Dave the past 2 days – 5:30am yesterday and 5:00am today. It’s been good to rise early. I’ve gotten some quiet time in and some chores done all before the kids wake up. I’ve also gotten some time to catch up on reading my favorite blogs and realized that it’s been a week since I’ve posted – where has a week gone?!

Life with 2 kids comes at you fast to say the least. We’ve been enjoying time together – staying busy for sure. Finley has been working on her mobility and Cori has been potty training. Monday we went to Target and picked out some “big girl undies” as Cori calls them. She picked out 10 pairs of Princess undies. That girl loves her some princesses! She’s been reading a new potty book that she got from her Aunt Nen over the weekend. It’s about a little girl named Hannah who learns to use the potty. Cori reads it every time she sits on the potty. She can actually tell you what the pages say by reading the pictures – something I used to teach my kindergartners and 1st graders to do. Yesterday she woke up with a dry diaper and we sat on the potty right away. After a few minutes she went peepee and was SO EXCITED for herself! It was the sweetest thing. As soon as she’d gone potty, she asked to call her daddy to tell him. We hung up with daddy and she asked to call Mimi. Then Yaya. Then Poppop. Then Granddad. In the Potty book, Hannah calls her grandma right away after she goes in the potty the first time. Cori wanted to do the same thing. Her grandparents enjoyed the phone calls and Cori felt so proud of herself. She wore big girl undies the rest of the day (other than our trip to the park – I’m not ready to take this public yet!) and did great! She had 2 little accidents at home and used the potty twice. Can’t wait to see how today goes! Here she is, so proud of herself yesterday …

 

Finley continues to work on her mobility each day. She is so DIFFERENT from Cori. She is more reserved and enjoys people watching. Cori wanted to be right where the action was – and is still that way. It’s funny how different each kid can be. Of course no two children are the same, but as a mommy it just amazes you to see your own two children growing up and notice all the differences about them. It’s such a precious thing and I love getting to know my kids more and more as they grow each day. Finley also has the most beautiful smile and seems to have such a pure heart. I love that about her.

 

I am such a blessed mama to be home with my girls. The days may seem to go by fast, and I may turn around and not know where a week has gone. But, I love looking back and seeing the time I got to spend with my precious angels. Thank you Lord for these children. I am so blessed by them!

Until next time…

What I LOVE about YOU .. week 34 & 35

My sweet baby girl turned 8 months old last Friday. I just can’t believe it! I am SO in love with her!! We took some 8 month pictures out on the field behind our house. That girl is just so stinkin’ cute!! :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I LOVE…

• The beautiful squeals of laughter when you and your sister play.
• Listening to you talk to yourself in your crib in the morning before I come in to get you.
• That BEAUTIFUL smile of yours when I come in to get you every morning!!
• That you love to snuggle with blankets and stuffed animals – especially at bed time. I know I say this often, but you really are such a snuggle bug! I LOVE that about you!!
• That you have been attempting to stand up in the bath tub! Not anywhere else in the house, but in the tub. Maybe not the best place to practice, but it’s okay! :)
• That you and your sister were both doing “downward dog” the other day. You guys actually do that a lot. You laugh at one another and you do your best to imitate your big sister. It’s quite cute!

• Taking you and your sister grocery shopping with both of you sitting in the “kid cart” as Cori calls it. It has a seat for two kids with steering wheels. You LOVE to practice driving!!
• Your ferocious desire for real people food. You really don’t want ANYTHING to do with baby food. You want what we have!!
• Your SWEET face!!

Oh, sweet Finley, I LOVE you!! I love having TWO girls and I love that precious personality of yours!!! You are a true gift from the Lord and I’m so thankful for YOU!!