My girls.

My interesting, beautiful girls.

My 17-month apart girls....

curious, sweet, in love with the outdoors and their daddy, 

always ready with hugs for Nana.

Mud lovers, adventure discoverers.

Unique, incredibly opposite of one another, great wonders of God.

Funny, silly, and full of ways to make me laugh...

there is truly never (ever) a dull moment in our house with my girls around.

My girls love cheering for the Razorbacks, playing outside, eating at restaurants, making art, and dressing up.

Both adorable, I'm in awe at the enormous task of raising and loving them well. 

I pray I do a fantastic job.

My girls are growing to love Jesus,

with Anna Ruth saying "God made the sunset!" and exclaiming how it's purple and so pretty!

My girls are made in the image of God,

exactly how He wanted them to be. 

I pray they're learning to tuck confidence and grace inside their hearts deep...

where the world can't take it away,

and to know the extravagant love of Jesus.

Sleepyhead.

These pictures and moments,

yes-even this one,

are worth more to me than gold.

A birthday party for Betsy Grace

Yeah!! I finally have a "Make Merry" post!  If you all only knew how many party/entertaining ideas float around in my head.  Like, it's a lot.  With Miss Betsy Grace's birthday I knew we needed to tailor it to her personality, which meant an itty-bitty party.  She just doesn't enjoy a crowd typically, so decided to keep the gathering small. 

I decorated using a wood slice my sweet husband cut for me with the chainsaw (go real men), and a collection of little things I already had on hand.  I wanted the theme to look vintage and pastel.  The only thing I bought was the tiny deer ornament I found at Target.  

Betsy thoroughly enjoyed tearing into her cake! I made the cake but bought the icing/sprinkles.  

The garland behind her was made from a vintage sheet.  

All in all, a sweet little moment celebrating our bright-eyed Betsy Grace! 

Do you enjoy planning parties? Why or why not?

Happy Birthday, my Bright-Eyed Betsy Grace

My dearest Betsy Grace is one today.  The big ONE.  In some ways I can hardly believe it. 

I remember before Anna Ruth turned one I was very sad.....I just didn't want my baby to grow up.  With Betsy, it's totally different.  I feel like we've only gotten a glimpse of the HUGE personality her little body holds.  The curtains just barely been drawn back.....and I just adore what I see.

Betsy Grace came in this world rather uniquely, for us at least.  I had an emergency c-section that I stayed freakishly calm throughout.  The presence of God was so thick in the room with me it was almost unbelievable.  I remember, way back in the most human part of my mind, being so scared that something would happen to Betsy.  I didn't tell anyone that until last week actually, when I admitted it to Brett.  But, she DID make it and I remember the nurse handing her to me and I just cried.  My beautiful, screaming baby. 

We came home and life proceeded with two.  Sure, there were challenges, but Betsy Grace has been a pretty great sleeper from the start so things seemed ok.  It was when she was a few months old that I suppose I started to notice her fussiness.  At six months it really peaked.  I remember one particular day at my moms when Betsy Grace would not stop screaming.  I felt utterly helpless.  I called in and got a doctor's appointment for her that afternoon. 

We drove there and discovered she was 12 pounds at six months.  I was nursing her and gaining weight as fast as I could, trying to keep her nourished.  It just wasn't working.  Guilt came in waves....but a sick feeling more than that.  My sweetie was starving.  The doctor gave us until the next day to get her to take a bottle with formula.  She just wouldn't do it. 

Finally, right before bed that night she gulped 3 ounces.  It was a miracle.  I can picture her tiny mouth fitting around that large bottle like it were yesterday.  It was heavenly.  

So you see, my girl is a fighter.  She's tough and brave.  And-she loves to eat.  It didn't take her long to figure out how wonderful formula is as well as other food.  We've skipped baby food with her and moved straight to table food.  

Betsy Grace ..........

is loud,

loves small groups, not big crowds,

has the toothiest grin,

hair that sticks straight up,

wonderfully sweet.

She gives kisses,

moos at the cows,

gets into EVERYTHING that Anna Ruth does,

likes eating everything she can-lotion, crayons, etc,

Her face is very expressive,

her eyebrows are always going all over the place,

and she likes to make her mouth in a "O" shape.

She adores music,

her daddy,

the farm,

truck and Ranger rides,

balloons,

and her cup. 

She's a bundle of joy and passion.  She adores messes.  She has a lot of her mama in her. :) 

My bright-eyed Betsy Grace has been a kiss from heaven. 

Happy first birthday!

Growing, giggly, gorgeous gals

Ya'll, these girls!  They are just incredible.  Anna Ruth and Betsy Grace both appear to have grown up right before my eyes.  It seems like every time I glance at them lately I think, who is that grown-up version of you?  Where's my baby?! 

Betsy Grace gets way less blog fame than Anna Ruth did at this age and that's just how real life is with two.  Betsy Grace is a very passionate little gal.  She squawks (for lack of a better word) and makes all kinds of noises, desperate to get her point across with us.  Especially when it comes to food!  She tries to crawl but can't seem to figure out how to get her belly to raise up enough.  She loves the cows and isn't scared of them at all, but cries easily at a loud sound inside the house.  

She's a cuddly hugger at times and it just melts me every single time.  When she lays still on me, sucking her thumb, it's like healing, grace, and heaven on earth all wrapped up in one.  

And then there's Anna Ruth.  You should hear her say her name!  She even gets the "Tor-ditt" in there. This gal keeps me laughing.  I truly never know what she'll say next.  Her newest thing is "I'm upset"...like, she'll really say that and then work VERY hard to squeeze a tear out when she doesn't get her way.  I laugh and laugh over the dramatics of it after she's safely tucked away in bed.  

And THIS is the real life of a mama to two.  A baby on the hip, chugging coffee. 

Really, what else could I add to this picture?  It's two-year old Anna Ruth perfection. 

Betsy Grace got to see her first pumpkin!  I put it down in front of her and she cried.  So then I showed her how to pat it with her hands and she liked it. :) 

These pictures were taken with my phone and they are truly some of my favorites.  Especially the ones with Anna Ruth above.  We are simple, easy to please people.  A day playing outside for us means we go out, turn on the water hose and explore.  Anna Ruth and I love to find interesting sticks, rocks, leaves, flowers, acorns, and more.  And Betsy Grace is a happy, happy little gal in the mud.  

My two growing, giggly, gorgeous gals.  My heart is full.

Pink.

We are a pink house. Officially.  I fought it hard before Anna Ruth was born, saying I didn't want everything to be all pink. That girls could wear other colors.  And they can and ours do. Then I got asked a time or two if she was a boy, or comments like "Look at your sweet boy", and out came the pink.  Pink was my shield against people wondering if I held a little gal or guy.  Not that there's a thing wrong with little guys....it's just not who our family is right now.  With the addition of our pink auction rug everything around our house just feels very rosy. Beautifully blush.  Brett's given up on fighting the pink for now.  Smart man. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.  

I captured these pictures one afternoon of our gals and thought they just looked so pink.  Our two gals love the farm and cows.  They prefer a truck over a car.  But they are girls to the max.  And that's just the way I like it.  Anna thinks it's perfectly normal to check the cows with a pink purse slung over her arm.  A little cow couture...

Happy, curious, pink, rosy gals.  

{What color describes your home?}