What Did the Groundhog Say?

I'm not exactly sure what Punksatawney Phil predicted about Spring/Winter this year, but after the snowy winter we've had, I am more than ready for Spring. If this past weekend was any indication, Spring is just around the corner!

Doug had to work Saturday morning but we met him for lunch at Polo Road Park. The weather was really nice but a little windy - hence the jackets! But we just couldn't pass up the opportunity to play outside!

We took to the swings first. Honestly, I think this is her first time in a non-infant swing and she did really well. I remember helping my nephew, Dylan, learn to swing last year around this time - but Katie didn't quite get the concept. She kept kicking her legs in a wild fashion when I told her to kick. But she held on really well and enjoyed it anyway!

Then we had a nice game of Hide & Seek. Katie loves to do the counting! It goes 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10. Not sure about 4, 5, 6.

But then, after she counts, she runs to go hide! She's a little mixed up! Here she is hiding from Doug after she counted.

There is a little cement track around the playground part of this park, so we had a lively game of chase as well! This was more exercise for me than I intended to get.

What park visit is complete without some sliding? There were a few slides on the playground but after she fell off of one on her very first slide, she was super timid and would only go on this tunnel slide. It took a little coaxing to even convince her that this slide would be ok, so...

Daddy got in on the fun!

Interview with a 2 year old

I have been trying to get Katie on video answering some questions about her likes and dislikes, but she gets so sidetracked during the film that it's nearly impossible. So, I settled for listening to her answer my questions and documenting them here. And here's a few pictures to boot!

What's your favorite color?
Orange (But sometimes she says purple. I can handle either one on their own, but the combination of the two is worrying me.)

What's your favorite snack?
Fruit Snacks

 

What's your favorite food?
CAKE!

What do you like to drink?
Bite! (Sprite - it's become a bad habit but she gets Sprite when we are out and she's behaved well - it's cheaper than the milkshakes from Marble Slab she was becoming accustomed to!)

What's your favorite game?
CHASE (followed closely by Hide and Go Seek)

 

Who loves you?
Dandaddy (what she calls my dad), Dabe (what she calls my brother), and then she says "Lots" as in lots of people love her.

Who do you love?
YOU (but she says this to whomever asks her the question)

Who's your best friend?
Katie (this means Maddie - but for some reason she has started calling Maddie, Katie)

 

What's your favorite song?
Happy (Happy Birthday - she loves to sing it to my dad and her Uncle Denny)

What's your favorite animal?
Dog (plain and simple - she loves them)

 

What's your favorite day? (They've been learning days of the week at school)
Sunday!

Why do you like Sunday?
Church! See friends - then she lists friends such as Caleb, Maddie, Quinn, Riley, Bryan!

She has become quite the talker lately - she has this very pronounced syllabic speech - every word seems to be it's own sentence with pauses before and after. Mommy. No. Like. That. Eat. This. One. - ok the periods don't do it justice so I will just work harder on getting her to focus on film!

Super Bowl Sunday

 

For the 5th year in a row, we hosted a Super Bowl Party at our house. It feels too formal to call them our Sunday School Class - because we are all such good friends. Doug and I got the house ready over the weekend and then relaxed and settled in for food, commercials, and football!

By the numbers -

7 babies under the age of 7 months, 2 of which were under the age of 1 month = lots of infant carriers and bouncy seats!

5 appetizers including the labor inducing bacon wrapped jalapenos, smoked ribs, and a new favorite - buffalo chicken dip.

3 desserts including awesome brownies, football shaped donuts, and pretzel caramel bites!

7 toddlers only one of which was a girl. A girl who found it really fun to sit in her big green chair in her room and watch the boys play with her toys.

Total minutes of Super Bowl watched? ZERO!

But we loved every minute of it...Some would say it was kind of like Christmas!

Bless Her Heart

 

Our niece, Lilly will be nestling into her little Moses basket in Charleston tonight, right alongside her parents and two of her dogs. Tonight is the last night she has to go to sleep with a broken heart. Tomorrow, she is being operated on at MUSC to repair holes in her heart. After five days in the hospital, she will get to come back home with her parents and her healthy heart.

We have prayed tirelessly for the doctors who will operate on Lilly. We have prayed for her parents - for their calm and their patience as they wait to see and hold their baby girl after the surgery. We have prayed for the family that surrounds Eric and Mari - to have the right words to say to help them through this.

God says in Revelation that He will make all things new. He is very specific to not say "I will make all new things." He is not making a new heart for Lilly - but he is making her heart new - just as perfect as she is. He knows the heart he gave her and has the power to heal that heart through the wonders of modern medicine. He is an awesome God. And as scary as I know thinking about the scar on her chest is - I try to see it as a reminder from God about his work. A reminder of his love and grace and mercy. A testimony for Lilly as she gets older and conquers one thing after the other - knowing how far she's come.

We are so in love with our niece and all of our nephews. They make up some really fantastic branches and limbs on our family tree. A tree I am quite sure is unlike any other. A tree whose branches cling to one another and hold each other up when the winds of life blow something fierce. A tree whose branches will blossom with flowers tomorrow - despite the cold winter. I'm pretty sure lilies don't grow on trees - but tomorrow, they will.

In my most Southern of voices but with more sincerity than ever before, I am asking God to "bless her heart!"