A Going Away Party

Tonight we had a last-dinner-going-away-party for Asa and a birthday party for Bonnie. My mom and Joel were in New Orleans, so it was just Asa's family. I made fajita chicken in the crockpot all day and Asa grilled the beef fajita meat. Billy and Marley got to play together in her new play tent and we had a cake for Bonnie after dinner. Asa and I are so lucky to have such great families. They all love us and support us and want us to be happy. We have been spending a lot more time with our families since Asa has joined the Army and we are savoring our time with them. I'm glad his family was there to see him off for his 3 months away from home!

So, here are some of the many many pictures we all took with Asa in his uniform! I made his put his ACUs on just for this!
Doesn't he look so handsome in his uniform?! I couldn't be more proud of him and I know our families feel the exact same way!

Marley's final Christmas Present!

We decided to save this present until after Christmas so that she would enjoy all of her other toys also. It's such a big toy that I didn't think she would concentrate on anything else with it up Christmas morning. I'm so glad we did, because she loved it when we put it up!
She smiled and laughed at us from the inside...She crawled through the tunnels...
And she surprised us by popping out the end of it!
She LOVES it! We had to take one of the tunnels and end pieces to make a little room for living in the living room, but she plays in it. She loves to take her toys in there and put her baby to sleep in the main part. She's such a good mommy!

A Resolution

I was looking through some old blog posts that I wrote around Marley's first birthday and I found this post. I made me so sad to read.

I feel like everything has been so hectic for the past few months. Ever since she turned one, our lives have been going so fast. I wonder if I have been enjoying it as much as I should have. Between moving, getting married, school, Asa leaving, and just juggling my daily life, the stress has been consuming me and I am thinking I might look back and wish I had not worried so much. Did I spend enough time making sure Marley was happy these past few months? Have I been as patient as I should have been? I know for sure the answer to that is no. It is so hard to remember these things in the middle of the day when Marley is crying and I am starving and I am trying to switch over the laundry and I have an assignment to do for school. All I want at that moment is for Marley to take a nap or play by herself so that I can have a moment to do whatever it is I need to do. But, late at night when she is asleep and I am sitting in the living room, all I want to do is hug her and watch her sleep. I just wish I could remember that when it's that stressful moment in the middle of the day. And I have a feeling that is exactly how I will feel in 20 years also. I will wish I could just go back and do it all over again, no matter how hectic it was.

Life is hard with Asa not here. I can tell that Marley misses her Daddy and she can tell I miss him as well. So much has changed for her and so much is still changing that I just want to be the best parent I can be for her. I want to give her something steady. I want her to know that I will always help her and I will always love her, not matter how many loads of laundry I cannot get done.

I know it is a common problem for moms to lose their patience, but it is still hard to admit to. So, think of it as my New Year's Resolution. I want to consciously think about being patient with Marley every time I feel stressed or worried. Being in a stressful situation is just a part of the ride, the good comes with the bad, and every part of it is totally worth it. Marley is the reason for everything I do, she is the most amazing thing in my life. I just feel like sometimes I forget that. Sometimes I let the less important things get in the way of showing Marley how much she means to me. I don't want to anymore.

I'm going to get in bed with my beautiful baby.

Pajama Day and dinner with Grandma

We designated today as pajama day in the house. Well, we wore out pajamas, but Marley didn't want to so she wore only her diaper. We spent all morning and afternoon in our pajamas, cuddling on the couch, taking naps, watching Bones, and pulling Marley around in her wagon. It was so relaxing and much needed after all the business we had had from Christmas.

That evening we went out to Asa's mom's house for a dinner with her. We wouldn't be able to go out there again before Asa left, so we got almost everyone together and also had a little birthday party for Billy.
Marley really enjoyed the cake! We have such a proper little girl... on her birthday she wouldn't have anything to do with her cake because we wanted her to use her hands and get all in it. What we should have done is put it on a fork and served it to her and she probably would have loved it. She just doesn't want to be messy!
And even if she didn't make a mess, she loves to clean herself up afterwards!
Asa downloaded a seismograph application on his phone, so he had to try that out for everyone. It actually worked and his heart caused enough of a vibration to register on the seismograph!
Lewis's son was also there with his wife and 4 week old daughter. She was so tiny and it was so hard to believe that Marley was once that small! Seeing how tiny she was definitely made me miss Marley being that young! She is so fun now, but there us also something fun about them being that tiny and you being their everything.

Happy Birthday, Mimi

Today was my mom's birthday! She had to work in the morning, but she spent the afternoon with us. She had planned to make chicken-pot-pie for us, but we switched that to the next night.
Asa picked out the bag, can't you tell?
We went to Auntie Pasta's for dinner, and Marley did her normal performing at the dinner table. She colored, threw the menu over her head, and danced like Beyonce for everyone. Then it was time for presents!
Asa picked out the bag, can't you tell?And she got her favorite picture of Marley for her birthday!

Happy 30th Birthday, Mom! I hope it was as great as you hoped it would be!

Houston

On the day after Christmas, we piled i the car and drove down to Houston to celebrate Christmas with my Grandma Karen, Grandpa David, Aunt Julie, Uncle Andy, Jack, Alex, Palina, Sofia, and David. Wow! That's a big party! Marley was a great sport on the way down there, sleeping the entire way, which is becoming a habit of her's lately! We got there around noon and spent the afternoon opening presents, visiting with everyone, and eating some delicious fajitas. Sofia is two and a half, and I was excited to see she and Marley play together. but unfortunately they didn't really want to play with each other. Marley loved sitting at Sofia's miniature table, climbing the stairs with Jack, and "going shopping" in Sofia's shopping cart, but they didn't actually want to do any of that together. Marley especially loved an electric car that is Sofia's. She wanted to ride in that thing all afternoon and I finally had to hide it so that she would spend some time with the rest of us.
We decided to stay the night in Houston that night and have fun there the next day as a little getaway for the three of us. Once the festivities were done at my grandparents' house, we packed up our new presents up in the car and headed to our hotel! Luckily Marley slept the whole way there, which made the rest of the night much better. We have never stayed in a hotel as a family, and Asa and I have only stayed in one once before. It felt pretty exciting the be there, acting all responsible and stuff.

After we got settled in our hotel room, we headed out in search of a place to eat. This is where our iPhones came in very handy. We could search for nearby restaurants and then get the directions to them, and read and write reviews about them. But in route to one restaurant we had never been to, we spotted on my all time favorites: La Madeline! We had to stop and let Marley eat in one of the places we all grew up eating in! It was totally delicious and I had to text my mom and sister to let them know how jealous they should be!
What made it even better was the fact that Marley actually ATE! She had cheese, croissant, chicken, croutons, and even swallowed a few small pieces of lettuce! I know she would love this place.

After dinner (and dessert) we decided to walk around the stores that were nearby. We live in such a small town, it was so nice to feel like we were somewhere exciting, with things going on, and people actually out doing things! We got countless compliments on how cute Marley was and she had a blast walking all over the stores and chasing us down the sidewalks.
After our fabulous shopping experience, we decided to make a plan for the next day. We had the Natural History Museum, the Children's Museum, and the Houston Zoo as our choices. We ended up coming to the decision that we should just go to the Houston Zoo. We are an animal kind of family, so since we were so close to such a nice zoo we couldn't pass it up. I do want to take Marley back to the Children's Museum one day though.

So, we decided that if we were going to spend the day walking around the zoo, we were going to need a new stroller. And with all the Christmas money we got, we could make it a good stroller! So, we searched for the nearest Toys R Us and found that it was only a minute away. We went there and picked out a great Jeep stroller that they had two of on display. We loved it, even sent my mom a picture of "our stroller." But it turned out they didn't have any more in stock and they were not willing to let go of the ones on display. So, I got a little grumpy with the jerk who was helping us and eventually gave up. So, we looked up the next closest Toys R Us, which was 15 minutes away. We decided it was worth it and drove there.

They didn't have our original choice, so we picked out one that was a little big better and even on sale! We put Marley in the display one and she loved it too! But guess what. They didn't have one in stock. You think we would have learned our lesson. So, we finally found the perfect stroller. It was more than the other ones, but I am so glad we ended up getting that one because it was so nice! I love it!

We rushed back to the hotel, so excited to put it together. Who would have thought that a 21 and 22 year old we be that excited about a stroller?! I set it up while Asa and Marley took a bath. It was a little harder than i would have liked, but oh so worth it! Our new stroller is the best stroller in the world! And Marley loves it!
We got Marley to sleep and then watched Duplicity together. It was definitely nice to be back in a king size bed, where we could spread out! I felt like such a grown up staying in a hotel with my little family. Wait, I am a grown up.The next morning we got up and went to the nicest continental breakfast I have ever been to, and then packed everything up for the zoo! Our trip to the zoo will have to be a separate post, because it would take was too long to put it here.

Ok, I know I have been doing terrible about blogging our adventures for the past two weeks, but I have an excuse! I am trying to soak up as much time as I can with Asa! However, tonight he is going to see a movie, so I have some time. I am going to write some blogs I have been meaning to, but I am going to date them like they were done the day they happened. Just for my memory's sake. So, don't get confused!

Bee

I don't know if I have mentioned it on this blog, but my sister has an unhealthy obsession with Beyonce. She thinks about her all the time, and compares everything to her. The other day I looked at Emily's Facebook page and saw on her news feed:

Emily is now friends with Beyonce Knowles.
Emily wrote on Beyonce Knowles' wall.

She says things like, "I'm feeling Sasha-fierce today" or "I have been thinking, I don't want to be Beyonce because then there would be no Beyonce and I would have to have another idol." When we go out to restaurants, she talks to the waiter about Beyonce and if they know trivia about her or love her a third as much as Emily does, then she tells my mom to tip them more... weird right? So, anyway she has taught Marley to recognize Beyonce and when she sees her or hears her name, Marley puts her hands behind her head, trying to do this:
And the second "Single Ladies" comes on, Marley sticks her hands in the air, waving them around like she does in the music video! It is an instant mood booster for Marley's sad moments!

It cracks me up that she does it and it makes whoever sees her do it laugh pretty hard, and I know Emily is excited that someone else appreciates "Bee" as much as she does!

So, can you guess who made her this for Christmas?

Christmas Day

Marley's second Christmas was fantastic!One of her favorite things that Santa brought- personalized M&Ms! Marley's face was even printed on some of them! When she first came out and saw them, she just walked them back and forth to whoever she thought would open them!
She had a great time opening her stocking, and was trying to be a part of helping everyone! She would pull a few of her own things out and then run over to someone else to see if she could do theirs.
And she got an early start on the candy!
We had cinnamon rolls for breakfast, which of course Marley loved!
She really had so much fun opening her presents. Last year she couldn't really do much, but this year she really got the hang of it and we all out! She loved all of her toys, and it was so funny to watch her try to decide what she wanted to play with first!
One of her favorite things was her wagon that Santa brought her. She was pretty preoccupied with the other toys, but once she noticed the wagon, that was all she wanted to do! So, got her all dressed (in her new coat!) and each took turns pulling her around the yard in the wagon! She loved it and laughed so hard, probably also at the fact that my pants were falling down the whole time I ran around the yard!
My big gift from Asa was this huge wind chime! I love the sound it makes, and it definitely catches your eye. But the best part about it was how happy Asa was so give it to me. He was so excited for me to open it and so proud once he saw how much I loved it!

Next, we went to Bill and Mary's house for Christmas there!
My mom bought Marley this Christmas dress, but the only size they had was 2T. So, it was huge on her, but she will probably be able to wear it next year too! We opened more presents, and got many more things that Marley loves! She is going to be great in the toy department for a long time!
I have been nervous about the present opening situation in the past. I always felt a little nervous, because we open the presents one at a time. But this year seemed different. We had more kids involved and everyone just seemed to be genuinely happy. Even when it was my turn, I didn't feel out of place or nervous. I loved the feeling of us all sitting in a circle and laughing together, while the kids placed with toys on the floor.
After a fantastic lunch, the three youngest boys took a Christmas nap! It was so cute! I really don't remember when Marley napped... she had to have taken a nap at some point, but I have no idea where she fit it in!

After Christmas was over at Bill and Mary's, we headed back to our house for dinner. We had our new tradition: prime rib roast, which was fabulous! After dinner, Emily and Marley danced to Beyonce in Marley's new Bee onesie! And once Marley went to sleep, Asa and I got to enjoy one of our favorite gifts! My mom and Joel got us a hot cocoa kit, with mugs and a blanket to take by the fire and spend some time together! I loved that gift, and loved the hot cocoa!
I am always sad when Christmas is over, but I was extra sad this Christmas. It was always looming over my head that Asa might not be with us next Christmas and we could be celebrating without him. If he is gone, I am so glad we had such a great Christmas this year. Christmas is fantastic to watch through a child's eyes, and even though Marley doesn't understand yet, I could tell that she thought it was awesome! We are so lucky to have amazing families that love us!

Christmas Eve

We celebrated Christmas with Asa's mom Donna and his step-dad Lewis on Christmas Eve, as is our tradition. Bonnie was there with her sons, Malachi and Billy, as well as Asa's sisters Emily and Noah-Beth. I wish we had gotten it together to take a family picture of everyone, but it slipped my mind. So, here's us!
Marley actually ate a few things during our Christmas dinner and the kids had a great time playing together. I'm so glad that Marley is becoming more outgoing with other kids and adults. It is definitely a relief to not be the only one who can hold Marley all the time.

These cousins adore each other! I wish Billy and Malachi lived closer!
Marley loved opening presents and wanted to help everyone with theirs. Noah-Beth wanted to pass out all the presents to everyone before we all started opening them, but I was having the hardest time keeping Marley from touching them! I finally just gave up and she had to start. Just like with her first presents a few nights ago, she slowly pulled off small pieces at first and handed them to me. Once I started opening my own present and not paying so much attention to her tiny scraps of paper, she actually got the hang of it and tore them open.
And she was very proud of herself when she did! Asa's mother gave us an amazing book about a child whose father is in the Army and gets deployed for a year. She took the time to add in pictures of us and make it personal to Marley. It had Asa and I both tearing up in the middle of Christmas while everyone else opened their presents.

Another tradition is that we play Christmas themed Bingo together! We always play enough rounds for everyone to win at least once, and if you don't win you still get a prize! It was whole lot easier last year when we didn't have Marley trying to destroy everyone's cards... I mean help everyone play.
And last but not least was fireworks! Asa and I stopped on the way out at Asa's favorite fireworks stand and bought a family pack for everyone to enjoy. Unfortunately, this is like the coldest weather I can ever remember in Nacogdoches and we were about to freeze outside watching them. Lewis actually said he could see snow! So, the kids sat in our car and the adults took turns sitting in the car with the kids or standing outside freezing their butts off.
Marley had a blast figuring out how to turn on the windshield wipers and honk the horn!
I was actually proud of all the gifts we got for people this year. Before we have felt like we just had to get someone something so we picked whatever we could find. But this year I was so excited to give people things that we knew they would want and like. I was so excited to see their reactions to their gifts and it felt good to be able to show everyone that we were thinking about them. We are so fortunate to have as much as we do and it felt great to share that with our families this year. You could definitely feel the love in the house this Christmas.

Once Marley got to bed that night, the adults got everything ready for Santa to come. Emily made him cookies and Asa and I made sure the stocking were set out for him. We finished wrapping the presents from us and then went to bed so Santa could come!