Oh, Christmas tree

I wanted to do something a little different this year for our Christmas tree. So we loaded up this morning, got some breakfast, and hit the road. We decided to go to Boyd Mountain Christmas Tree Farm and pick our tree straight out of the field. It was a beautiful drive. We drove on the Blue Ridge Parkway a good bit of the way. It took longer to get there but was SO worth the views. 

The battery on my camera was dangerously low, so I didn't take many pictures on the way up. We had never been on the parkway and it was gorgeous! We probably only saw two other cars the whole time so we had the road to ourselves.

We eventually made it to the Christmas tree farm. It was really nice. They have little log cabins scattered throughout the property that we loved. RaeLynn was definitely happy to be out of the car. Over two hours in a car seat is a little much for her. 

We hiked up the hills and picked our tree. The the nice guys came to cut it down for us. We learned pretty quickly that RaeLynn is not a fan of chainsaws. Luckily she was all smiles again within a minute or so. We walked back down to pay for the tree and enjoyed some cider and cookies. Santa was there so we figured we would try to get a picture of RaeLynn with him. He wasn't a very "genuine" looking Santa, complete with the big fake beard. We sat RaeLynn down and it lasted about...ehh...20 seconds. Our smiley girl was not having it. Hopefully when we take her to see Santa at the mall it'll go a little better... :-/

After they loaded our tree up for us we went to a hunting store in Pisgah Forest and then ate lunch in Brevard. It was so nice to spend time as a family. It's hard to believe that next year we'll be chasing a toddler around while we're picking out a tree!

All in all I learned a few things today: Always have a back-up battery for your camera, Christmas trees can be a bit pricey when you get them straight from the farm, and RaeLynn's worst nightmare would be Santa with a chainsaw...

10 Months

Today marks 10 months since our little angel came into the world. I never knew 10 months could go by so quickly. Let me tell you, RaeLynn is such a mess!! She has really gotten into making funny faces and noises, is crawling around like crazy and pulling up onto everything she can get her hands on. Needless to say, she's getting into everything! (Which I don't mind one bit!) She is still such a happy, happy girl. A smile is almost always on her face and her first two teeth have come through now. They make an adorable addition to that sweet smile of hers! 

Every month I've been taking pictures of our munchkin in the glider in her room and every month this task has become more and more interesting. I hope to get some better pictures this weekend (since I'll have someone to help me keep her in the chair!) To be honest though, anyone who has a 10 month old knows they are constantly on the move. So in reality these pictures are probably a pretty accurate view of her at this time!

How lucky am I??

It is so easy to get caught up in the busy hustle and bustle of everyday life. It is easy to forget how truly blessed I am. Then a small, ordinary, mundane task like folding laundry can remind me. As I was folding RaeLynn's little shirts, pants, and socks I thought, "Wow...I can't believe I get to be her mama." Justin and I get to raise this beautiful little gift from God. I am sometimes overwhelmed with the huge responsibility that lies within that statement. With that responsibility comes so much joy, though. Although I may not get to spend as much time with RaeLynn as I would like, I am determined to make the time we have together fun and memorable. After all, quality is sometimes better than quantity! 

I have the sweetest baby girl in the whole world! How lucky am ?!?!

Because life gets busy...

It has been SO busy around here! I haven't had a chance to post anything on here in a while. Work and school have been so hectic. Some days I feel like I'm just spinning my wheels and there's no way I'll be able to keep up. However, I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. There is NO way I could make it without the help of my husband and family, though. Justin has been amazing taking care of RaeLynn while I'm in school. It has been so much fun watching him grow into such an amazing daddy to our little girl. I am so blessed to have such an amazing man to raise a family with. RaeLynn is growing SO much! She finally started eating baby food willingly today and is able to scoot around now. Slow down little girl! It's amazing to me how quickly these past 8 months have gone by. Before I know it RaeLynn is going to be running around and getting into everything! 

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The Blue Ball

When I was 2 years old (I think) my parent's asked me what I wanted for Christmas. Apparently the only thing I wanted was a blue ball. You know...just an plain ole, air filled, rubber blue ball. This all stemmed from a story my dad told me before bedtime one night. Well, that year for Christmas I got the blue ball I wanted (along with other things I'm sure.) I kept that ball for a long time. It actually is probably still either at my parents house or somewhere at our house deflated in a box. It may seem silly, but it's always been one of "our" stories between me and my parents. It's the little things, ya know? Anyways, my dad got RaeLynn a ball recently...and guess what? It's BLUE :) 

Photo Friday

It's been a BUSY week here. I started back to school and have come to the conclusion that this term is not going to be easy at all! It isn't the material that's difficult. The time away from Justin and RaeLynn is the problem (along with the lack of sleep because of very late classes.) We will all survive it though! That being said...here are a couple cute pictures of our sweet RaeLynn!

Photo Friday

I'm going to try to start posting recent photo's every Friday. If you know me, you know I love taking pictures. I'm just a little sentimental...okay, maybe a lot! Here are the first photos for "Photo Friday." Enjoy!

1/2 a year with RaeLynn

RaeLynn was 6 months old on Monday. It's so hard to believe that our little angel is already half a year old! I don't see how time has gone by so quickly, but I'm doing my best to treasure every moment! 

Coming home from the hospital

 1 month

 2 months

3 months

 4 months

 5 months

6 months

Splish Splash!

I Love her. The end.

Dear RaeLynn: 5 months

Sweet girl,

You are growing and changing every second of every day. You are quite literally the light of our lives. You have both me and your Daddy completely and utterly wrapped around your tiny finger. Recently, you have been showing us more and more of your personality. You love to play. You love to scream while you play even more! It is amazing how such a big voice can come out of such a little body! You have also started to recognize your name. Someone will say it and your little head swings around like..."Hey! I know you're talking about me!" You love to blow bubbles and make silly noises....and to SMILE! You can be quite stubborn about naps.  We can tell you're exhausted but you will fight sleep with all your might, unless it's bedtime. You have become quite used to your bedtime routine. I think it is my favorite time with you right now. First you have your bath. The excitement you feel about bathtime is quite obvious when you are waiting to be put in your tub. You squeal, wiggle, and smile with all your might. Once you are in the tub, you kick your little legs as hard as you can trying to splash the water. After your bath you get one last feeding before going to sleep. We rock a little in your glider then I lay you in your crib. You love to stare at your little aquarium and within a few minutes you fall right to sleep. I am so thankful you have adjusted so easily to your routine. You almost always sleep through the night. Sometimes I even have to wake you up to get ready in the mornings! It's amazing how quickly time is going by. I get so excited seeing you learn new things, yet wish you'd slow down at the same time! It feels like in the blink of an eye you are going to be all grown up! We are so blessed to have you in our lives, sweet girl.

Love,
Mama