i saw santa kissin' merit fey

This week we took Merit for her first visit with Santa. My sweet mom (who has been in town all week helping me...she is wonderful and beautiful and a true lifesaver...) and I were waiting on Kevan to get off of work and meet us. 

Merit's Nina got her a precious little outfit for the occasion

Here's how cute she looked standing up...ignore my caught-off-guard look...

We were killing time by pushing Merit in circles around the area where Santa was. 

At one point, he got up to take a break and noticed Merit...it was love at first sight for both of them. He motioned for us to come over, and he immediately began talking sweetly to her, saying, "I love you" over and over. 

Merit reached out for him and he held her and told her how much he loved her. It was so sweet! When he handed her back to me, she reached back for him. I think she won him over! Her stocking will for sure be the fullest at our house this year. 

When Kev showed up, Merit got her official picture taken and she did great! We never got a huge smile out of her, but we got a very, very sweet one. 

She had about all the Christmas cheer she could take by the end of our time with Santa. 
In other news, after designing almost fifteen cards for others (yay!), I finally finished designing our own Christmas card today. I had wanted to post it here before Christmas, but since they most likely won't be in the mail until, well, who knows at this point, you'll just have to wait! I know you are dying of anticipation. 

Merry Christmas! We are starting our journey to Texas tonight!

whelmed

Girl 1: I know you can be overwhelmed, and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?   

Girl 2: I think you can in Europe.

-10 Things I Hate About You

Overwhelmed would be the term I would use to best describe myself at the moment. We just moved into a new apartment, which is a good thing, but the boxes are never-ending. I have been very busy with Christmas card orders over at Redbud, which, again, is a very good thing, but our computer just broke. I would love to update the blog with something substantial and catch up on all the things I have neglected to post in the last couple months (2 weeks in Abilene...getting to see and try on my GREAT-GREAT-grandmother's wedding dress!...a Texas Thanksgiving...the move from Merit's first home...ummmm I think more than that has happened in the last 2 months, but remember? I'm overwhelmed at the moment. and. can't. think.). So, hang in there, Nina and Grammie. Maybe I'll get it together before Merit turns 9 months old...

8 months?!

My Merit Fey,

You're not really 8 months old, are you? Time is going by almost as quickly as you are crawling these days! The past month started in Abilene. On your 7 month birthday, just after getting over your first cold, you got tonsilitis. It was incredibly sad and pitiful, but I loved how you wanted to be held all day. 

You have changed a lot over this past month and are learning something new constantly. Your daddy and I love your little personality. You talk to us...and to your toys...and to the TV...and to the mirror...like you are carrying on a conversation. You say "mama" and "dad-dee" (in the sweetest whisper voice on the "dee" part). When we say "Hiiiii", you'll imitate us in a long Texas drawl, and you always smile and raise your eyebrows as you do. You are so friendly (must be the Texan in you). Your new favorite noise to make is "ooOOOooh" like you are admiring whatever it is you are seeing. We'll be moving to another apartment soon, and when we went to see it, you said that cute little "ooOOOooh" in every new room we took you. 

(this video isn't all that exciting, but you can hear Merit's new fave sound towards the end...sorry about the tv noise...) 

You can stand really well now and will stand alone for a second or two. I love watching you explore your surroundings, and you love seeing everything from a new level. 

Since before you were born, I have been praying that you are blessed with good friends your age to "grow up" with wherever we may be along the way. Here are a couple of answers to my prayers... 

you and Audrey grabbing some good Mexican food on your first Halloween

you and Lily playing in your pj's
I can already tell you want to be like your daddy. You have a toy guitar that you absolutely adore, and one of your favorite things to do lately is reach up and strum the strings on your Daddy's guitar. (This is usually followed by a "Mer Merrrrrr, that's a no-no" from me or your Daddy.)

I think he wants to be like you, too.

Speaking of your Daddy, he has the magic touch when it comes to putting you to sleep these days. I will rock you and sing to you and drive you around in the car all day to get you to take a nap. It only takes being with your Daddy for a few minutes and you are peacefully asleep. I don't know how he does it.

Our 8 month photo shoot didn't go so well. You are way too busy to take time to sit still in a chair. This was the best I was able to get this time...Hmmm. I mean, I love it because you are in it, but I am glad I was able to get some more pics this month that have become some of my favorites.

Happy 8 months, Mer Mer! 

I love you, I love you, I love you!

~your mama

four years...

November 20, 2004...where this whole thing began.

celebrating a wedding!

honeymoon in Cozumel, Mexico

Our first year took us to Africa...

and moved us to Tennessee.

For our 1st anniversary we went to Gatlinburg, TN. While sitting in the hot tub on this deck, a black bear came walking up the stairs to the deck. (My hero Kev scared it away by making a lot of noise...I sunk down into the water...) Hands down, one of the most frightening moments of my life.

We tried a little bit of our year-old wedding cake.

Kevan is in this picture somewhere... :)

Our second year was full of teaching...

and Belmont-ing.

11.20.06

For our second anniversary, Kev took me to Atlanta and surprised me with tickets to see JAMES TAYLOR!

The main events of our third year are summed up in the following photo:

For our third anniversary, we stayed in a fun hotel here in Nashville...

and Kev got me tickets to see my all-time favorite band, NICKEL CREEK. We got to go their final two shows, two nights in a row, here in Nashville at the Ryman. (They are now on a "break" of indefinite length...) For their last show, we were on the front row. Yes, I do have the greatest husband ever.

Oh, I have loved our fourth year... 

We took a trip to Chicago--our last big trip as non-parents.

I got bigger.

And then 2 days after the picture above was taken, we welcomed Miss Merit Fey. This was our last family pic with just the 2 of us.

I love my new family.

So now we find ourselves here on November 20th, 2008. Married four years, with a precious baby. No trips to the mountains or big cities planned as celebration. We have no tickets to cool concerts or dinner reservations. 

But I have a feeling this may be the best anniversary yet.

Kev, I love you and Merit so very much. We have so much to celebrate and be thankful for today it is overwhelming. Happy 4th Anniversary! I wonder what this year will bring?? Whatever it may be, I am excited and honored to experience it with you...