Ellie the Make Up Queen

It all started with painting her toesies....

And quickly turned into a make up party I obviously had no control over....

Apparently Ellie is a fan of the Mike Tyson look!!!

And it's just 9am.  Looks like this is gonna be a DAY, y'all!  If you need me, I'll be scrubbing make up off a certain little girl's face! 

Beachin' It

A week at the beach was just what our family needed!  We ate, played in the sand, enjoyed the sun and ocean, ate, rode bikes, shopped, toured Parris Island (the boys did anyway.  Brian went through boot camp there, so it was neat for him to go back, and Tim loved tagging along and asking a million questions, I'm sure!), ate, spent loads of time in the pool, made friends with a family from Connecticut, laughed, played, and ate some more.

And it was awesome.  Every single second of our trip was just perfect!  Since Molly is such a little princess, we were a little worried about how she'd feel about the beach. The sand, the noise, the breeze, the ocean.  .  .  we just were not sure how she'd do.  We quickly learned she LOVED it! 

We played in the sand. . .

We sang "Itsy Bitsy Spider" on the beach. . .

We sunbathed. . . 

And we snuggled on the beach. . .



We took the girls to the beach one evening for some pictures, and goodness gracious, did we get some great moments!  The girls are so fun together, and they love each other to pieces!

Ellie is always helping. . . 

Molly was content to watch Ellie . . . 



And Ellie was in constant motion, as usual. . .

Molly did a little walking. . .





And Tim got a few kisses and snuggles with his baby girl. . .

One night, the adults loved a night out (thanks, Lovie!). . .

These two girls light up our lives. . . 

And we had the best time with them! So very thankful for a fabulous vacation!

Molly Miller ~ 13 Months Old

Wow this last month has really flown by!  And it's been slap full of excitement!  Molly is so close to walking that it's scary.  She's cruising all around furniture, standing by herself for seconds at a time, and is trying her very best to climb the stairs.  I just know our world is about to be R-O-C-K-E-D!

And it's so much fun!  Molly loves playing with her ball, her train, teaset, and birthday cake.  She also loves loves loves her ladybug toy.  Most of these were birthday gifts, and she has the greatest time with them!  We've set up a play area with Molly's toy chest (that her Daddy and a dear friend made her) and toys, and it's right down the hall from her bedroom.  Now, everytime we walk out of her room, she points towards the play room and starts grunting.  She'd play in there all the time, I do believe!

Molly has also decided wearing my sunglasses is one of the funniest things in the world.  She gets to tickled when we put them on her face!

Another first this past month was a boat ride!  Molly was NOT a fan of the life vest, and since we were in a pontoon boat going s-l-o-w-l-y, we relented and let her just enjoy.  She obviously found the ride to be quite soothing and relaxing.

Month 13 was full of fun for Miss Molly for sure! We love you to pieces, precious one!





Birthday Wishes to my True Blue Friend

Ashley, B, and Jodi ~ Lifelong friends

A truer friend I could not have ever asked for than the friend I have in Jodi.  I firmly believe a friendship like ours happens once in a lifetime.  At best.  The last 32 years have woven a beautiful tapestry of two lives, one friendship. 

See, I have a little golden book my mom received when she was pregnant with me.  It was To Baby Miller (that was me!) from Baby Outler (that was Jodi!).  So when we say we've been friends all our lives we mean it.  Literally.

And my, oh my, the memories we share.  From the absolute heartache grief and pain of untimely deaths and personal struggles to the incredible joy of marrying two amazing, godly men and having beautiful babies of our own, we've built a friendship steady and strong.  From partying like rockstars in our wild days - days we'd both likely wish we could erase - to worshiping together every Sunday at church, studying God's word together in Sunday School, and praising our Heavenly Father for his amazingly steady provision through all of it. . .  Jodi is my true blue, best friend. 

Jodi's the friend I walked 60 miles in 3 days with.  She's the friend I worked with for about 5 years.  She's the friend who squealed the loudest when I got engaged, the friend who smiled the biggest when Tim and I got pregnant.

The friend I simply cannot imagine my life without.  And I thank God for her always.

Especially today as she celebrates her 32nd birthday.  I love you, dear one!  Here's to the rest of our lives!  The best is truly yet to come!

A Father's Day to Remember

We had a great Father's Day around here.  Church, noodle bake for lunch, ice cream for supper, and tons of playing with Molly. 

It just don't get no betta than that!

My heart is so full; I just don't know where to start.  Tim has been such an amazing father, and I get so excited when I daydream about our family's future! 

What a blessing it was to be able to honor our husbands (and daddies if they were there) in church on Sunday.  It's one of my all time favorite things our pastor makes a point to do on Father's Day and Mother's Day.  Tim and I had a special time of prayer where I was able to thank our Heavenly Father for the man Tim is, for the husband he is, and for the father he is.  What a precious gift!

Tim, you are an amazing father.  The way Molly lights up when you walk into the room is priceless.  She adores you and is sure you are the best thing EVER.  You work so very hard to provide for us, and I am so very thankful for that.  Your work ethic is truly second to none.

You love us in such a way that fills our hearts every single day.  And I am so very thankful for you.

Hope your Father's Day was perfect!

Molly's First Birthday Party

Molly's First Birthday Celebration was So! Much! Fun!  We had a ball!  So many of her friends were able to come, and we had tons of family here, too! 

There was lots of food!  All polka dots and stripes. . . 

There were lots of snuggles with the birthday girl. . . 

There were gifts and gifts and more gifts to be opened and explored. . . 

We sang to the birthday girl. . . 

Games were played and smiles were shared. . . 

And every single minute was so much fun!  So fun, in fact, it slap wore out the birthday girl herself!

Yep, it's safe to say fun was had by all! 

Happy Birthday, precious one!

Molly ~ One Year Old

Molly is one!  It's so hard to believe!  At one, Molly is still taking three bottles a day, and we are slowly moving from formula to whole milk.  I think that transition will be smooth, but we're taking our time for a number of reasons.  Mainly, I'm helping with VBS at our church this week, so to keep it as easy as possible for Molly, we're sticking with what works for her for a little bit longer!  Molly still is a bit of a picky eater, and we really never know from one day to the next what she'll eat and what she'll shake her head no at!  She typically always loves Cheerios, puffs, cheese puffs, nutri grain bars and toast.  Oh, and chick fil a nuggets and fries are always a hit!

Molly is not walking just yet, although she loves to walk behind some of her toys at home.  She's pulling up on everything and every morning I find her standing in her crib peeking over the railing when she wakes up!  Lately she's been such a Daddy's girl and absolutely goes crazy when she hears him walk into the door!

Molly and Ellie are playing so well together these days, and it's just so much fun hearing them laugh and squeal together!  They are surely the best of friends!

Molly Miller, your Daddy and I love you so very much, and we are so very thankful to be your parents!  We have loved every minute of the first year of your life and know that the best is yet to come!