Old Friends…New Babies!!!

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Meet some of my oldest adn dearest friends and their sweet babies! Kristin and Courtney have been important women in my life for a very long time. Kristin and I have been friends since I moved to harrisonburg in 96′ and she and her husband Tim have just moved to Charlottesvile. Courtney, who is college friends with Kristin and therefore my dear friend and also my high school young life leader lives, in Churchville VA. We met up today with our little one’s in Charlottes’ville and spent the morning together. It was so fun to be with women that really know and love me. The time was definitely too short and we were juggling our kids, but it was so refreshing and renewing. Clyde, McKenna and Ben were very cute together. Courtney (unbelievable photographer www.courtneyvogelphotography.com) took some really precious pictures of our kiddos which I will post when I get them. For now here a couple of cute pictures of Clydey that I captured.
I mean…is he a cutie pie or what.
Clyde and Ben both have huge dimples!
I cannot tell you how excited I am that Kristin,Tim and Clyde have made the move from St. Louis so we will get to b with them more!
I love you girls…Let’s do it again soon!

Mrs. Erin Bland

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She did it. Erin Kay Ritter my dear, faithful friend from my Pregnancy Center days was married in the most beautiful rose garden I have ever seen last week. She was exquisite and Montica and I were so blessed to be able to go to share in her joy. We always joked Erin that she was holding out for Mr. Perfect. When she left Lexington and moved to Raleigh, I remember having a conversation with her about all the unknown gifts that God had waiting for her in the next frame of her life. What a perfect present Mr. Bland truly is.

Erin and Caitlin and I counseled together and though Montica wasn’t employed by AAPHC, her Heritage desk was right in the same office with us. The 4 of us worked hard and played harder. I wish I knew at the time how much i should be cherishing such a work environment. In many ways I feel like Erin, Caitlin and Montica knew Anna better than anyone because they were with her all day long 5 days a week. Our loss was their loss, and losing her affected them each so deeply. Erin came back into town for my baby shower for “in-utero” John John and for his birth. Of course when I saw her on her wedding day I couldn’t help but to cry for the deep deep place for which she is tucked in my heart and Caitlin too.

Montica and I drove 5 hours from Charleston, went to the wedding and reception and turned around and drove 5 more hours home putting us back at nearly 3:00 am. Montica drove the whole way as I hopped back and forth from the front and back seat to comfort Ben who was teething and tagged along.

At about 1:00 am, Ben was screaming in hunger and Montica pulled off at the nearest exit and pulled into the only spot with a light…a car dealership. As I sat in the backseat and nursed Ben with my dress pratically on the floor, a friendly cop pulled up to do his job and to check out “the situation.” I quickly tried to robe myself. I thought Montica would discreetly say something like, “We’re okay officer. My friend’s baby was crying and we pulled off to console him.” She decided on a more direct approach and told the cop we had a “breast feeding emergency.” He apologized profusely, (as if he’d done something wrong) and practically peeled out of the parking lot in embarassment.” I’m sure that made for a great story at the donut shop the next morning:)

Erin, We love you and are so happy and excited for the adventure you are embarking upon. Cait, it was wonderful to see you too.

"I Do"

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You may think by the title of this blog that I will be sharing with you about another wedding. Actually these 2 little words brought me so much joy over and over last week. “I do,” is the way Montica and Elton’s little boy says yes or okay, or I want it. “Dawson would you like a banana?” “I do!” Come on Dawson, let’s go downstairs and play!” “I do!” Dawson it’s almost time for supper.” I do.” In 6 days time he must have said “I do” 200 times and I laughed every time…it was just so dang cute. I wish you could hear the inflection beacuse you would laugh too. Now John walks around saying, “Dawson Sammy says I Doooo.”
Our dear friends, the Chambers of Charleston, allowed us to come and take over their home with our brood for a week so we could hang out with them and enjoy their great city. We had an amazing time. Montica and Elton are renting a great house with lots of space (unlike our townhouse) and a perfect basement for running and playing and self entertainment. John had so much fun with the space and freedom their basement provided and the friendship that came with Dawson Sam running around the house after him! We had a few moments of “sharing woes” but all in all they played great together and became great friends. The sharing got easier as the days went by and they even decided to share a virus with each other.
2 weeks prior to our visit, Montica secured a babysitter so we could have some adult time. Our sitter Marie or, as John called her, “Maria”, was teriffic. Montica had filled her in on our history and thus my ridiculous and at times unhealthy attachment to my kids ( I’m working on it). Marie helped to usher me out the door and reassured me when we got home that my kids were perfect. Would she have said that even if they weren’t beacause she knew the stakes were high??? I was shocked when she told me that John didn’t cry for a single second and that he went to bed smoothly for her. We will now be hiring babysitters other than my family on a regular basis for my sake and theirs. We had the greatest time and the greatest supper at a Tapas restaurant and a walk on the pier. The big bummer about our vaca was that Elton had to work practically every night we were there. Bless his heart!!! He left every evening at 7:00 pm and came home the next mornning around 8:30 am. We saw him for few minutes before he went to bed for a good days sleep and woke up around 3:30 before he had to leave again at 7:00. I know this schedule is hard on all three of them but they are surviving and even thriving in thier life. Montica is such an unbelievable wife and mom and she teaches me so much about love and devotion each time I am with her.
John loved the beach! He brought home a huge bag of seashells which are high up on his dresser out of reach so that our living room floor can remain a floor and not a beachfront.
Here are a few pics to share our wonderful vacation with our dear friends with you!!!

Playing at Folley beach!!!

Our great Date

Mexican Train…and the basement

Our Boys

Easter in Lexington

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We began our trip with a couple days in Lexington. Our dear friends the Hatfields were gracious enough to let our family bombard their home and lives for a few days. We had so much fun doing the things we love to do- Laura and I sitting on the sofa, rubbing the stress knots out of each other’s backs, eating cookies and talking about…everything. John and Chris of course do thier bonding on the back porch bundled up in their warmest clothes, talking and ….hmmm, what else do they do out there? We celebrated Easter with John and Laura, which included a delicious breakfast and an easter egg hunt for John-John. Later in the day we had a second easter egg hunt where John’s sneaky parents planted 2 chewable Tylenol to trick John into feeling better. We loved our time with the Hatfields and miss them already.

Another huge highlight of our trip was that my friend Karla was expecting her third baby on April 1st. She had the baby early which meant I got to meet and hold Kendall Marie- what a doll. She has the longest eyelashes of any baby I’ve ever met and she is a sweetheart. I also got to spend time with Coley and Raegan. It’s hard to believe that I moved to Lexington 10 years ago. How grateful I am that the friends I made that first year in college are still my very best friends.

Lexington will always be our home away from home!

Fun Visitors

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On Thursday the 17th of January, my dear friend Montica and her cute red headed son Dawson, got in the car at 4:00 am to make what should have been a 7 hour trip from Charleston SC to Harrisonburg. Bless her heart…15 hours later she arrived. She made her way through snow and ice and wrecks to be with us and to meet baby Ben for the first time. We had so so much fun letting our kids play together and talking..talking…talking after they went to bed. Since she was here just a few days before John’s birthday we moved up the party so we could celebrate with them. We miss them so much already. John now constantly talks about “Onca and Dawson Samuel.” This past summer we made a trip to S.C. where Dr. and Mrs. Chambers introduced us to the fun life of Charleston. We can’t wait to return this summer for more fun. We love you Chambers!!! Monti Thanks for making the long trip for us!