Grins, Giggles & Chaos!

{ those WERE white converse } Yesterday, we got together with several families from my mom's group and had a picnic at the park. GREAT idea but it started raining about 30 minutes after we arrived. Thank goodness the playground had a huge pavilion but the kids did not want to stay under the pavilion the whole time. So, what happened? You guessed it....we let them play in the rain. With rain, comes mud! If you know me at all, you know that I do not like for Rylee to get muddy. She has never played in the rain, much less the mud. Against my better judgement, I gave in and let her play in the rain and all the mud puddles. She had the best time. She would run, jump and laugh and I know she hit every mud puddle the park had to offer. If you are wondering, yes - the whole time this mommy was freaking out that her little girl was soaked and muddy but at the end of the day, she had a blast and that's all that mattered! * thank ...

For 23 years, I was lucky enough to spend Mother's Day with my mom. While it was special, I never knew just how special until my mom passed away! The first Mother's Day without her was hard. It had only been 2 1/2 months since she passed away and I think that made it even harder to deal with. Mother's Day was never the same until I had Rylee. She brought back the happiness, the strength, the courage and the joy I was missing from my own mother. I feel like being a mother to Rylee has brought me closer to my own mother, even though she is no longer with us. I feel her presence in my heart as if she was here and I miss her dearly but I know she will be with us Sunday and in our hearts forver ! To all the mothers out there and to all who long to be mothers, I wish you a very ~ Happy Mother's Day!

This weekend has been one of the best in a long time. Friday evening I got a surprise visit from Texas - my family! They came to surprise me for my baby shower! I was so shocked but thrilled to see them. This was the first time my aunt & cousin have come for a visit. :) Rylee was just as, if not more excited to see them. We ordered pizza and hung out. It was a fun night. Saturday, we went to breakfast and did a little shopping. The weather was horrible. Cold & rainy - not my ideal weather for shopping but we weren't out long. After we came home and dressed we headed to my baby shower. It was a lot of fun. It was really special because Nan, Debbie, Sarah & Jennifer were able to attend. I have been pretty homesick lately and having them there with me just made it perfect. I received lots of nice gifts and tons of diapers. Rylee had a blast as well. My family brought her "Big Sister" gifts and she was on cloud nine. What can I say, the girl loves attention. Of ...