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.