Big Sister Madelyn

Dear little brother or sister,

I know that you are due to arrive on my second birthday, but since I am already going to be sharing a lot of my things, I ask one favor of you: please come a day after or before, so I can still have my special day. 

I love you and look forward to meeting you soon,

Your big sister Madelyn

Carl, June and Judy

Our newest friends are Carl, June and Judy. June and Judy are two of the sweetest dogs you'll ever meet, and Carl is the real deal.

We first met Carl at the Roswell Farmer's Market. He sold us one of the best watermelons we've had, and we were surprised to learn that it came from his backyard garden, just a few miles down the street from our house.

Carl is old school. He says that the Farmer's Market is hardly worth his time, and he'd much rather people just stop by his house and take whatever they'd like from his garden. He'll happily take some cash for whatever you happen to pick, and if he's not there, he asks that you leave money under a bowl or just pay him later. So, now when we need fresh, local produce we just stop by Carl's house. Madelyn loves exploring the garden and playing with June and Judy, and we love catching up with Carl.

Carl has been on the same piece of property in Roswell, GA since the 60's. Needless to say, he has seen the area change A LOT, but his little slice of Roswell really hasn't changed all that much. Visiting with Carl is like going back to a time when Roswell was a country town and the city of Atlanta was a world away. He still has tractors and cars from the 60's, and his house has probably never been renovated.

We most recently visited Carl on Black Friday, the celebrated shopping day that falls the day after Thanksgiving. While the stores and restaurants around Carl's house were busy with metro-atlanta consumers, we found Carl in his garden raking leaves into the soil with June and Judy by his side. In the midst of Black Friday shopping, it was a refreshing reminder to realize that people like Carl still exist. Sometimes right in our own backyard.

 

 - Another post written by Eric

Halloween Weekend

Madelyn had a great Halloween weekend that included a costume party with her cousins, a trip to the farm and trick-or-treating in the neighborhood!

Triple Date

Madelyn and her main squeeze, Benton, took a trip to the pumpkin patch this past weekend. I guess you can say it was a triple date since the two lovebirds were chaperoned by their parents. There were a few accidents and close calls (including a mouthful of dirt for Madelyn), but I think Madelyn and Benton really enjoyed it. It was a great day to enjoy the fall festivities with Madelyn and even better to spend time with great friends.

Good-bye Kiss

Learning to Walk...and Fall

Madelyn took her first few steps the day she turned 13 months. At first she was very cautious, and I was relieved at the thought of her taking after her mommy, but it turns out she is actually all daddy. This baby knows no fear and doesn't so much walk but run. This past Friday, as I was about to leave for work, Madelyn fell and hit her eye on the coffee table. After visiting two different doctor's offices, waiting six hours, missing two naps, adding in sedation and three stitches, we arrived back home tired and hungry.

Where is the coffee table now? Grandma Molletta and I removed it after returning home and a new soft ottoman has been ordered. I figured that at the cost of our co-pays, the ottoman will pay itself off pretty quickly.

At least she got a cute band-aid.

Dear Madelyn,

Another post from Eric . . .

Now that Madelyn is a year old, I've officially started a tradition. I decided to write her a letter each year, and I began when she was eight weeks old. I express myself best in writing, and I thought that this would be a great way to capture our life together as it unfolds.

If you ever get a letter from me, then you know that it's important (or at least I think so) and that I've spent a lot of time thinking about what I have to say. In fact, while we were engaged, I wrote a series of letters to Stephanie that I compiled into a scrapbook to give her when we got married. I still remember how much work it was - the floor of my dorm room was covered in photos and letters for an entire semester - but it was my best way of expressing myself to her.

Anyway, I thought about sharing a letter here, but I simply posted an excerpt below. I imagine giving these letters to Madelyn at some point in the future, perhaps when she graduates high school, graduates college, or gets married. In the meantime, I'll keep writing and hoping that one day these letters will bless her as much as it blesses me to write.

--

Written July 2010

Madelyn,

. . . Soon you will grow up, go to school, make friends, graduate from school, get married and find a calling. As you lay sleeping in front of me, it is hard to imagine you any older than you are right now, but I know that one day I’ll look back on this day and wonder where all the time went. Life can quickly slip away if we let it. Make each day count, be thankful for what you have and enjoy fellowship with the family and friends that God has put in your life. When you have a bad day, put the situation into God’s hands and do something you love – go on a walk, pray with someone, eat a bowl of ice cream, or simply relax and fall asleep. Don’t let people or circumstances rob you of the ability to enjoy life to it’s fullest . . .

. . . I am truly honored to have the opportunity to love you . . .

Madelyn's Sign Language

Madelyn, 13 months 3 weeks.

Madelyn's First Steps

The day Madelyn turned 13 months, she took her first three steps. The next day she walked the entire hallway to get to Daddy's phone. We don't let her play with our phones, so I guess it was worth the effort for her.

Salt Life

During our second year of marriage, Eric worked as an Admissions Representative for Berry College in Rome, Georgia, and each fall Eric traveled to the different college fairs in his assigned region, which was Florida.

After graduating college and before I had a "real" job, I was able to travel with Eric. For two weeks we traveled through just about every part of Florida. It was such an awesome time. We were still somewhat newly married, uncommitted to other obligations, and plain poor. Over the course of our travels, we both fell in love with Jacksonville. We loved the waterfront city and loved the beach town even more.

Since that trip we have gone back every year, making each trip better than the last one: locating our favorite hotel in nearby Ponte Vedra, finding the area's hidden gems, and becoming somewhat of out-of-town "locals". Things haven't changed too much since we started going. We still look as though we are newly married - on this trip we were asked if we were honeymooning - we are still poor, and although we are far from free-wheeling now, it sure is nice to feel as though we are for the four nights that we are there.

Our favorite way to spend the afternoon -
drinks at the hotel pool.

These little guys made a daily appearance to
say hello and have a swim.

Ponte Vedra Beach

Date night #3 in a row.

Special thanks to Grandma Molletta for keeping the baby!

So Long Nike Shirt . . .

If you know Eric, you know that he often wore a blue and white, faded and torn Nike dry-fit shirt, purchased in 2006. When he first got the shirt, it was bright and vibrant, but after years in the sun and enduring a mountain bike crash, it definitely became somewhat lackluster and worn.

The shirt didn't provide much protection in
this mountain bike crash (2008), but it
continued to be worn.

I really did not like this shirt. I hid it behind the dryer, begged and pleaded with him to throw it out, purchased him new Nike shirts for Christmases and Birthdays and still he continued to wear the shirt.

Well, we went tubing this past Forth of July weekend and when Eric's tube flipped his shirt fell in the river. Eric was too "disoriented" to save it, and I was not about to make any sort of effort to save the shirt. Eric's sister, Laurie, made an attempt to go after the shirt not realizing my joy in seeing it float away. I quickly gave her specific instructions to let the shirt go, and so Eric's favorite Nike shirt now sits at the bottom of the Chattahoochee River, unable to be worn again. I don't condone littering but this was a justifiable exception. It was a sad day for Eric, but I seemed to deal with the loss pretty well.

Eric still has two other almost identical Nike dry-fit shirts that he will most likely be wearing if you see him soon. But, don't worry, they are not faded and torn (yet).

So long Nike shirt, you were good to him but your time was way overdue. 

In the Bahamas in February of 2007 with his
relatively new shirt.

Last photo of his shirt - Kiawah Island, SC,  June 2011.

My Baby Girl is One!

A year ago today the most amazing, beautiful baby joined our family. What a whirlwind it has been. We went from having a baby who cried the entire first four months of her life to a baby who is now so sweet. She has brought such a joy to our family, and I honestly couldn't imagine life without her. Although the first months were rough, we are truly blessed to have such a great baby now. I love her more than words can describe.

Picking out a bow.

Playing in the tupperware cabinet, which is now "her" cabinet.
Notice what she has voluntarily chosen to sit in.

Catching some rays at the neighborhood pool
(her kiddie pool).

Baby and Daddy.

Playing in the Chattahoochee River on Father's Day.

Shootin' the Hooch.

Helping Daddy clean the dishes.

At her Birthday party with all of our family.
Thank you G G'ma Rita for her cute bib!

Happy Birthday, Baby!

Happy First Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the most deserving father.

We love you!

Fun in the Sun

Madelyn took her first trip to the beach last week - Kiawah Island, South Carolina. The first day at the beach was full of tears and fears, but after a few visits, she finally got in the water, tear-free. Each day we placed her a little closer to the water until she was finally in - the tide coming in helped too. By the last day, she seemed to finally love the beach. With Eric and I as her parents, it's in her blood; I knew she'd come around.

Thanks to Ginger for her super cute swimsuit.

It's a big world out there.

Hanging with Papa.

Sunbathing with Grandma.

There's a smile!

This little stinker was determined to eat the
sand. It wasn't until I finally let her eat it,
in fist fulls I might add, that she finally
decided it wasn't for her.

Playing with Cousin Sammi.

Two peas in a pod.

And of course, Eric would not be happy until he caught...

...his shark.

So after a week of perfect weather, beautiful beaches, yummy food, cold drinks, memorable family time, and great card games of "Golf",  it was hard to go home. Although, I think the beach creatures were glad to be rid of Madelyn after she tormented a poor small fish and pulled the arm off an innocent starfish.

Until next time beautiful beaches and perfect weather...