first-date-aversary

Eleven years ago tonight, Kevan Albright picked me up in his maroon '81 Jeep Wagoneer and took me out on our very first date. We were kids - a young 17 and 18. We had been "chatting" earlier in the day on IM, and he asked if I wanted to go see a movie with him at the Paramount, our local downtown theater.

Of course I did.

I carefully chose my clothes, picking a light blue skirt. I had actually never worn a skirt on a date before, but this felt different, and I wanted to look my best. When he came to the door I risked awkwardness and had my mama take our picture. I just had a feeling that I would one day be glad to have that photo.

I was right.

excuse the blurriness - this is a cell phone pic of the original pic...

We went to see a movie from the 1930's called Anthony Adverse about... I actually have no idea what this movie was about. We were by far the youngest in the theater. We sat in the balcony. I think I remember eating popcorn. I for sure remember loving all 141 minutes sitting next to Kevan.

the actual program from that night

we now have this movie poster hanging in our room

After the movie, we went to Abilene Coffee Co. for some coffee and pie. I'm sure we talked about the summer we had just had. Maybe a little about how I was about to head to ACU, and his football two-a-days were just around the corner. Although I had a strong feeling - even that night - that this was going to be it for me, what if we had known then that this date was really the beginning of the rest of our lives? Would I have believed that eleven years down the road, I would be spending my entire August 5th getting ready for our second daughter's first birthday party? Would Kevan have believed that around the same time our date was probably ending that night, on August 5, 2011, he would still be selflessly working at his second job of the day to help ends meet for his family of four - a family that would include the girl sitting across the table from him?

I think I might have believed it. But I couldn't have ever known how blessed the following eleven years were going to be.

Thank you so much for asking me out, Kev. On IM. I love you!

eleven months

Dear August Rose, 

You are now eleven and a half months old! We will be celebrating your first birthday oh, so very soon.

At eleven months, you are still, of course, as sweet as can be.

I haven't updated about you in a couple of months, so there is much to report!

A couple of weeks after you turned 10 months old, you starting taking steps here and there. A week or so after that, you decided that walking was all you wanted to do. You were such a cute little crawler that I do miss seeing you do that, but you might be an even cuter walker!

Now that you can walk, one of your favorite things to do is go outside and walk up and down the driveway. You'll stop ever so often to play with (or eat) the sidewalk chalk, and then you'll go exploring again.

(This is one of my favorite pictures of you - you heard a noise in the neighbor's backyard and were so concerned. I love how your little pinky is in the air.)

Another favorite thing to do now that you can walk is carry various items all over the house since your hands are free to do so. You usually have a baby doll or a shoe...or a remote...or clothes from the laundry. You make a big mess doing this, but it is just so cute that I don't mind a ton.

Speaking of baby dolls, you now rock them, pat them, and give them kisses. Sweet thing.

The same week you started taking steps, you also started getting four teeth on top and you ran a low fever for three or four days.  It was incredibly sad to see you feel so badly. You are STILL working on those four teeth. 

You are now saying: Daddy, Mama, Hi, Bye-Bye (ba-ba), Baby (beh-bee), Uh Oh (eh-eooooh), and Cheese (teeeeee) whenever you see my camera or phone :)

Here you are saying "teeeeeee!"

You LOVE your daddy- like will stare down the driveway chanting his name, hoping for him to come home, but I think you might be a mama's girl, and I don't mind that one bit. Some of my favorite times of our day is standing with you next to your crib before naps or bedtime. We sway from side to side while you bury your face under my chin. You'll hang one hand to one side while the other pats my arm or touches my face. I sing "You are my August Rose, my only August Rose..." before I lay you down to go to sleep. I love being your mama.

Here we are around this time last year...

...and here we are this summer.

Baby girl, I am so proud of you. You have such a kind and gentle spirit about you already.



I am loving every second watching you learn and explore and carry things and say new words and play with Merit and play by yourself and love on your babies and turn into the little person whom we all adore.

I have loved your baby days, August Rose, and am relieved that a first birthday doesn't automatically turn you into a little girl just yet. Can't wait to celebrate you this next month. You are SO very loved!

much love,
your mama

August Rose, on the move

I think August woke up this morning and decided that today was the day she would quit crawling and fully commit to this walking thing. I really haven't seen her crawl much all morning, and I am trying my best not to be too sad about that. Here is a little video of her (and Merit) walking down our driveway today after lunch...

thrifted

favorite finds last week:

3 kids records from the '80s that we'll most likely use as art in the girls' room and one little white owl

On our walk tonight, Merit asked if she could bring her "bible". She brought along my book (that I wasn't the biggest fan of, by the way), "The Happiest Toddler on the Block" and read to August for a lot of our walk. We had a really great Sunday.

Tonight we joined the Harrisons downtown to eat some yummy pizza and watch our favorite Beatles cover band, SixtyFour. They had a fun little photobooth...

August started taking real steps this week. She took her first two in a row on Tuesday and has worked up to her current record of seven. :) Not sure I'm ready for this, but the cute little stinker pot didn't want to wait around for me to be ready.

Way to go, August Rose!

best friends forever

My dear friend Penny made these shirts for me last summer as a baby gift. I wasn't able to get the best picture of the shirts because the girls were too busy, well, being best friends. :)

my babies' daddy and my daddy after church on Father's Day

also today - Merit's first recital! (full post coming soon...)