A chapter ends

 Not sure where to begin with this one, I think it's all beginning to sink in that something is ending. We came to Huntsville two years ago and knew no one except these sweet friends. God perfectly planned for us to live next to each other...backyard to backyard. This alley between our homes symbolizes so much to me and it was the only place I could envision our last picture in Huntsville together.

Two years ago we were pregnant when we moved to Huntsville, we shared the the births of our sons, we had playdates, shared our first and second  halloween, first and second  Christmas parties, snow, Valentine's, enjoyed swinging in the backyard, playing in Big Spring Park, being best buds, learning to hunt eggs, playing in the pool, beach trips, concerts in the park, Sam's first and Owen's first birthday, backyard dinners, trip to the pumpkin patch, going to get hot doughnuts, and playing with fire...and then there were so many in between.

Late night talks, discussing our futures, talking about moving to Texas, discussing what our little boys are doing, what they are learning, how we should teach/parent them, talks about God and Bible. They are friends that you could go and knock on their door with tears in your eyes and they would embrace you with open arms and listen...and yes, I have done that.

I am so glad Ty, Brittany, Sam and future baby Ashley will be in Texas only a short drive away. We won't be able to walk through the gate to the other ones yard everyday, but in a way we will still be in each others backyard...only in Texas.

Huntsville was good to us. We brought are sweet baby boy home here, we learned what life was really about...your own little family. We have grown spiritually and closer to each other.

We handed over the keys to the new owner who just so happened to capture Owen's newborn portraits in the very house that will now be her studio. It is so neat to see things come full circle, because just when a chapter ends, another is just beginning.

Favorite One Year Pics

Wanted to share a few of my favorite one year pics that the fabulous Erin Cobb photographed of our little family. She is always a joy to work with and I think she truly captures the spirit of each child she photographs.

Such special shots she captured. Love them...every single one. Love them!

Reflections on the First Year

Dear Owen, 

It was one year ago today I held you in my arms for the first time. God blessed us with a beautiful baby boy.



It is hard to believe our baby boy is a year old.

You are walking, running, climbing, into it all.

You are curious. 

You look at things, point, vocalize, and look to us to give you words and meanings as you discover the world around you. 

You are fearless. 

You will climb anything you can get your long legs over.

You love water. Love your bath . Love the pool, the ocean, and the water hose.

You have your daddy’s beautiful blonde hair.

You have some of your mama’s faces.

But your are Owen true and true. Your own self. 

You never took a bottle. I was never away from you this whole year for more than a couple of hours.  

You are a Mama’s boy. I am not just saying that because you are mine. Everyone would agree. And I kinda like it that way.

I have loved holding you in my arms and rocking you. Maybe this is one reason you were not a super fan of your bed to start with. But I just wanted to hold you and stare at you…so I did this for months and I have no regrets.

You do things on your own time. You rolled over, crawled and walked early. Although you took your time learning to eat and and sleep : )

As I look back over this past year, I see how much you have changed, grown, and learned in the course of just 12 months. But the thing is, you aren’t the only one who has changed this past year. Everyone says a baby will change your world. That is true. But my outside world did not just change… my heart, my desires, my prayers, my love changed. You showed me a deeper love for a person, than I have ever experienced. An unselfish love, an unconditional love, a never ending love. There is no one I have and would do more for than you. And as much as I love you, I know that God loves us more. Which boggles my mind. He teaches me to trust in him, rely on him, give him my worries, struggles, and weaknesses. I am not perfect and do not have all the answers, but God loves us anyway and he is where we get our true strength. 

It is such a privilege and responsibility to be given a child from the Lord. You are such a blessing. You teach us and show us things everyday. It is so much fun to see the world through your eyes. A bird flying and landing to eat from the feeder, blades of green grass shooting up from the earth, the tide as it rolls in and out, the sand in your toes. I see so much beauty that God created through your eyes as you see his creation for the first time. What joy that brings!

You are blessed to have a Daddy that is so diligent in his work and is choosing a field that he can help others. He loves you so much and you are buddies. He makes you laugh like no other and you watch everything he does. He understands how much it meant to me to stay home with you and he gave me that privilege.

I honestly can’t imagine any better use of my time than staying with my son. Teaching him, showing him God’s world, spending time together and loving you every day.

 

"Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord" Psalm 127:3

Happy Birthday Owen!! You are a true blessing.

Love,

Mama 

Gotta show you

some beautiful pics Erin Cobb took of our sweet baby boy... Enjoy!

Forgive me for sharing an abundance of photos...just couldn't help myself : )

6 Month Pics Sneak Peek

We had the pleasure of having Erin Cobb come to our home and take Owen's 6 month pictures Monday. Erin is amazing...an amazing photographer as well as an amazing mom. She is so down to earth, energetic and wonderful with kids. She really has a gift of capturing the true essence of a child. She shared a sneak peek of Owen's pictures on her blog: http://erincobb.com/Blog/(which you should) check out or I will share them with you here:








I LOVE THEM! How cute is he...even if he is my child. The white outfit is one a family friend, Ms. Gloria Miller made. I was so happy she could get a shot of the two of us as well...I just love my sweet boy!

Thanks Erin for the AMAZING shots, can't wait to see the rest!