BIRTHDAY GIRL

Saylor Grace,

Today you turned THREE years old!! I am so in love with the little lady you are becoming. I love how kind and nurturing you are! I love how funny you are! I love how you can't do much anymore without a tutu--it's your must-have accessory! I love that you love princess tiaras and high heel shoes, but also love to play with your garbage truck just as much! I love listening to you pray! I love watching you sleep and your beautiful smiling face first thing in the morning! I love how much you sing and dance! I love how much you love school and your cheerful attitude every Wednesday when I drop you off! I love when you use big words, it makes me laugh! I love your curls, especially at the nape of your neck! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE everything about you, precious girl!!

You bring us so much joy, Saylor girl! We love laughing AT you and WITH you :) and watching you grow and learn and explore. Every day we are more and more thankful for our little girl and the light you shine into our lives. We will do everything in our power to continue to fuel that little light in you so you can be a blessing to everyone who knows you, and that you will use your light to love and honor and serve the Lord.

Happy birthday, baby bug! We love you more than words could ever express and we are so humbled by the opportunity to be your parents!

Looking back to NOVEMBER

We had a busy, busy November--these are the memories that stand out in my mind at the moment:

(and some of these pics are from my phone so they aren't so great)

Saylor had a Thanksgiving Feast at preschool. The kids dressed up as Indians and Pigrims and came out and sang a few songs, and then we all got to eat a Thanksgiving dinner together.

My sweet little Pilgrim! :)

Then we went to Amarillo for a few days for Thanksgiving.

Here, Saylor is teaching Paul how to use an iPhone :)

Reading with GG

The day after Thanksgiving we made a fast trip to Lubbock to see Mas' family. This is the first time we had met Paisley, who was born in September.

Saylor and Cousin Zach

To say Saylor LOVED Paisley would be quite the understatement!!

Saylor and MeMe

We also stopped to see our dear friends, Ross and Missy

Missy and I
Saylor and her buddy Reid

They love each other so much, and we love that they love each other. But, I am kinda disturbed that she's closing her eyes to kiss him. In a few years, he'll have some explaining to do to her daddy if we catch them doing this :)

Saylor and Yonna

At some point in November, we decorated for Christmas. It's one of my favorite days this holiday season. Saylor and I decorated the tree together and it was just one of those moments that I want to remember forever. We both had such a great time and at one point she said "Mommy, I'm having so much fun"! It also brought back memories of when we used to hang ornaments all together when I was little and my mom would always get sentimental about certain ornaments that we made, and now I completely get it. Saylor made a few this year in preschool and I know in just a few short years she'll be driving and I will get all sentimental over her little handpainted ornaments that she made when she was TWO. I also love how lots of the ornaments are concentrated at the bottom of the tree. She enjoyed the tree so much this year (and told me to "put that back, Mommy" when I started taking the tree down after Christmas).

Fourth Quarter Review

It's been a long, long time!! The truth is, I am just plain lazy. My laptop bit the dust several months ago and sometimes it's just too hard to actually walk into the next room and sit down at a desk and blog at Mas' computer. I was very accustomed to blogging from my comfy bed with my computer in my lap (which is what Mas says made my computer croak in the first place, but whatever). Anyways, I thought before the year was through, I could at least do an update for October before I forget what went on. So here is a quick run-through.

Saylor was a precious little ladybug for Halloween. We got to take her to Storybook Forest, which is a walk-through outdoor forest that has storybook characters handing out candy. She had lots of fun! My mom was here with Saylor the last 5 days of October so she also got to take her trick or treating--once to the zoo and once around the neighborhood.

Mas and I took a fabulous trip ALL BY OURSELVES to the lovely city of San Francisco. This was the first vacation we've taken since we got married 4 1/2 years ago. It's funny how life happens and 4 1/2 years seem to pass so quickly. We had an amazing time! We stayed in fab hotel, ate DELICIOUS food, saw lots of great things, and really really enjoyed each other. We missed our little ladybug like crazy...really...the last day, I wasn't sure if that plane was ever gonna land, and I couldn't wait to kiss her sweet face. However, it was soooo unbelievably nice to get away. Thanks again, Mom, for coming to OK to hang out with Saylor!

(The house that the first season of Full House was taped--AWESOME!)

(The Full House house along with the other "Painted Ladies" and the SF skyline)

(Haight Ashbury was quite interesting! I didn't get a picture of all the people smoking joints freely along the sidewalks)

(Golden Gate Bridge on a rainy day)

(The cable car we rode)

(the width of ONE cable that suspends the GG Bridge)

(Alcatraz)

(Napa Valley--Yountville)

Rock-a-Bye Baby

I'm writing to say farewell to a very special stage of our lives: rocking our baby before bed. About six months ago, it was pretty obvious that Saylor was over the whole rocking at bedtime thing, but she still kindly obliged because I would ask so nicely if she would come snuggle with her momma. She would fold her long legs up into a fetal position so that her legs didn't hang too far off the chair and we would rock and sing a few songs before I put her in her bed. Actually I would usually sing one and then she would sing it back to me. She would say "you don't sing it again, I sing all by self". But for about the last month--since we put her in her toddler bed--she's been just too big to cuddle in our laps and rock. Now we finish praying and she just runs and hops in her bed.

I loved rocking her. Well, usually. Of course there were the nights when she was smaller that she had fussy nights and I couldn't wait to put her back in her crib so I could put my own zombie body back to bed. Those are the nights I carefully watched her fall asleep and then contemplated if she was in a deep enough sleep that I could maybe slowly tiptoe her back to her crib without waking her up and starting the whole exhausting process over again. What I wouldn't give to have one or two of those nights back. Just occasionally!! Nothing like a sleeping baby in your arms!

Now she's big and independent and I absolutely love this stage too. I just miss rocking my baby!

Please, Please Pray!

I did not know Leslie personally prior to this, I just had the pleasure of being her nurse for a short time. I honestly cannot think of a more devastating situation. Her husband lost his first wife a few years ago from breast cancer and his three children lost their mother. Please take the time to read her blog and pray for this sweet family. They desperately need to be wrapped in prayer!!
lesliejoyevans.blogspot.com

Llama Llama Did NOT Miss Mama!

Saylor did wonderful last week at her very first day of preschool. The whole drive to school my stomach was in knots and I just prayed and prayed for her to feel safe and secure and have so much fun! He surely answers prayers!! Mas and I dropped her off and there wasn't a tear shed (although her momma got a little teary-eyed). I only thought of her about 23 million times throughout those 6 hours until we got to go pick her up....and I was thoroughly surprised again. Her teachers said that she never cried! My very cautious child didn't cry on her very first day of preschool?! Hallelujah! They also said that she was so sweet, ate very well, and talked A LOT! Of course I know those things, I just wanted her to be sweet at school as well! I am so proud of my little preschooler! And she can't wait to go back, which I am so thankful for.

*As an added bonus--my hubby and I got a date day while Saylor was in school. He took me to breakfast and to see a movie! Great day all around!

You Are My Sunshine, My Only Sunshine

Here is Saylor singing You Are My Sunshine. She is definitely my sunshine! :)