FREEDOM!!

The weather here has been SO hot this summer (actually summer just started - YIKES!) that we have not been able to get outside a whole lot. Lydia loves it outside, so we were so happy when a thunderstorm rolled through one afternoon and cooled things off! She felt like a free little girl being able to run, jump and play without getting way too hot!

Lydia is a little jumping bean! She LOVES to jump!

Running down the sidewalk! I love how when she gets the least bit hot, her hair curls up! Look at it bouncing as she runs!

Sweet baby girl!

There were 3 girls a couple houses down that had a dog and she couldn't keep her eyes off of them! She loves to watch people!

Pushing her tricycle out of the grass all by herself! I offered to help, but she didn't need it!

Checking her "basket" for mail!

LOVE this little girl!

And she's off!

Hopefully things will cool off a little around here so we can spend some more time outside! It's almost too hot to even go to the pool. We went twice last week and the water felt like the bathtub! =(

I'm so thankful God has provided and I am able to stay at home with Lydia everyday! Some days it's hard and stressful and I wonder if I'm really cut-out to be a Mom, but other days are so rewarding and I know I'm doing exactly what God wants and what I've dreamed about my whole life!

The Adventures of Shawnee Bear

Mimi & Papa brought Lydia a "Air Force Bear" from Shawn's graduation. She was asleep when Karen brought it by ... but the second Lydia saw it when she woke up, she was in LOVE! The bear has hardly left her side all week! Here is "The Adventures of Shawnee Bear"!!

That night @ dinner Lydia wanted to eat with the bear! Here he is giving her kisses!

She shared her dinner with him! She probably wishes that he would really eat it so she wouldn't have to! =)

They double teamed me in Memory!!

Shawnee Bear's first visit to Target!!

She LOVES this bear!

He even went to get sno-cones with us! She didn't offer to share her grape sno-cone though!

Riding side by side @ Sams!

She had a little dance party yesterday afternoon before nap and she stood Shawnee Bear up so he could join in!

He even took a nap with her today!

I'm sure there will be many more adventures with Shawnee Bear!! =)

Congratulations, Shawn!!

Jeff's brother, Shawn, graduated from Air Force basic on June 18th and we are SO excited for him! It is such a huge accomplishment and we were so sad that we had to miss it. You can tell from the pictures how much he has grown up and changed while he was at Basic. I'm sure he's till the same ol' Shawn, but also different! He is now at tech school in Wichita Falls, Texas.

Shawn and Bethany

Can't imagine what she's been through the past 8 weeks! I know she was super happy to see him!

One proud Mom!! =)

And a proud Dad!!

Grandaddy, Karen, Shawn, Bethany, and Tim

Grandaddy was is the military and as you can tell in the picture is so proud of Shawn!

Rita, Bethany, Shawn, and Gene

Shawn - We are so proud of you and can not wait to see where this journey takes you and Bethany! We hate that we don't get to see you as often as we did, but know you are doing what God wants ... and that is what matters! Hope we can come and visit you soon!! Lydia misses you bunches and LOVES her bear! We are praying for you! Love you!

Happy Father's Day!!

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY, DADDY!!

THANK YOU FOR BEING SUCH A FUN DADDY!

I LOVE EATING AND READING WITH YOU!

SINGING AND DANCING!!

DRAWING AND DOING PUZZLES!

PLAYING MEMORY AND BALL!

MOST OF ALL, I JUST LOVE BEING WITH YOU!

LOVE, LYDIA

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

I am so thankful that God blessed me with a husband that LOVES his little girl. I always knew that Jeff would be an amazing father, but until I saw him with Lydia, I didn't know just how amazing! He comes in from work, no matter how many hours he has put in or how hard he works, and if Lydia is awake he gives 100% of his attention to her. Whether they are in her room eating, playing with her ball, cuddle up reading together or just being silly he loves to spend time with her. I love to hear them read together before bed and then say their prayers ... the sweetest thing! I am so thankful for a Godly husband that is a Godly father! There is no doubt in her mind that her daddy loves her!

Thank you for all that you do, Jeff! You are the best and I love you so much!!

Thankful!

I started feeling "achy" on the way home from our small group Sunday night and went to bed hoping that it would go away. Well, I woke up Monday morning feeling worse and went down from there! Not sure what I had, but it was no fun! Fever, aches, chills, sore throat/ear ... all over yuckiness!

My mom offered to watch Lydia while I got better, and I am so thankful! I think that it has taken Mom, GiGi, Craig, and Grandmother to entertain her, but she's having a blast! Every time we talk to her she sounds so happy ... guess she's not missing us one bit! We are at home missing her like crazy! We've been wondering what in the world we did before she was born! We must have been REALLY boring people! Hah! So ready to see her tomorrow, but VERY thankful that we family that steps in and helps when we need it! Love y'all!

**The picture was sent to me by my cousin ... not sure if she was sticking her tongue out at the camera or if she was licking that yummy cupcake icing off her face! Either way ... she's a mess! Love that little girl!

The BIG 28!!

I celebrated my 28th birthday on Saturday and had the best day (other than Lydia being sick!). I am so glad that we got to spend the whole weekend together as a family! We started out the day by going to a local farmers market and picking up some fresh vegetables. I love this time of year! Hoping that next year we can have a little garden in our backyard and grow some of our own veggies!

After the farmers market, Jeff and Lydia took me to Tropical Smoothie Cafe for a yummy lunch! As you can tell, Lydia didn't feel too good. =(

Jeff set up to have my family all meet us @ Carino's for a YUMMY dinner! It was so good to see everyone on my birthday!!

Lydia LOVES Tiffany! She's been asking to see her ever since the middle of May and was so excited when she walked in! Tiffany helped keep Lydia occupied while I finished eating. She had so much fun drawing on her phone!

Grandmother got Lydia and Eden paint with water books and they had so much fun with them! I've been looking for one of these books for the longest time and have not seen any! Thanks, Grandmother!!

My sister-in-law, Leanne, made BEAUTIFUL cupcakes for the party! I was so surprised! She does such an awesome job with them! Not only do they look wonderful ... they also taste great! Thanks, Leanne!!

Lydia LOVED the cupcakes, too! She didn't miss any of it!

Yumm!

One messy little girl! Of course, she had her napkin nearby to clean up! She doesn't like to get messy!

Not only did they come to Little Rock to eat, they also brought presents and sweet cards!!

Lydia and Eden ... before they started running in circles!!

I'm so thankful for my wonderful family that God has blessed me with. Don't know where I would be without them! I love y'all so much!!

Daddy Time & Matching Game

Jeff has been working CRAZY hours lately and 7 days a week and Lydia has missed him so much. A lot of nights, he would come home after she went to bed and leave before before she woke up in the morning. We were so happy when he told us that he would have off last Friday. Lydia spent the whole day playing with him ... and loved every second of it!

We bought Lydia Memory @ Walmart and her and Jeff played 3 rounds of it the day we got it ... and would have played more if it had not been nap time!

Showing Daddy what she got!

She was counting all of her matches ... She was really good at this game!

Look, Daddy!

She was very serious about this game!

When she would get a match she would say "Two ... whatever she got", too cute!

They had a little mid-game snack of yogurt! =)

We will be so glad when the next couple weeks are over and Jeff's schedule becomes a little more "normal" and hopefully relaxed! We can not wait to see the magazine when it comes out next week!