September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month!

Every September since Caleb's death, we, as a family, make it our mission to honor those children living with and that have died from Cancer. We try to attend fundraisers, have our own, whatever we can get into to continue to raise awareness. Since Tamra works at Chili's we love to go to dinner on the night where all proceeds go to St. Jude's. 100% of the proceeds! Amazing...We also had a great Bath an Body event, hosted by FLUFF products, which raised a couple hundred dollars for the foundation and left everyone smelling and feeling sweet!

Maddie and Daddy

I am so in love with how in love these two are with each other. The way her posture and demeanor changes when Garret walks in the room, the way she makes sure he's watching while she performs with giggles and dances. I am not unaware that most men wish for a boy, but I really believe Garret when he says he really didn't care, even hoped for a girl. He is the first man she will ever fall in love with and I think there is a special bond between them that is so very sweet. He, for certain, is wrapped around her tiny finger and has been since birth. She, conversely, leads him around (figuratively and literally) and seduces him with her charms...he is helpless and she loves it.

Fuzzy wuzzy had no hair....

I know it's selfish. I want Maddie to have hair for total vanity's sake. Bows, barrettes...it was just not to be with my little cue ball. I mean she's so adorable as she is...perfect even. I just wait for something to happen up there. I'm starting to wonder if she'll ever have hair. I fantasize what it will look like, how we'll decide on fun styles ("Should we do a ponytail or two pigtails today? Maybe a french braid?"). She's so often mistaken for a boy. She has such delicate features that I see not a masculine thing about her, but it is just assumed. No hair=boy. Guess all the pink and earrings doesn't help clear up any confusion....

Summer lovin!

On our way to a friend's wedding

The girls having fun in Bella's Bug!

Braves Game with Kyle and Georgia

Maddie and Daddy in the pool

Heading to my 36th Bday Party

Cake at Monique's

4th of July

The Deleon Pool

Some pics from over the summer! Not much to report except sweltering heat...ugh. We tried to hide in swimming pools and in air conditioning!

Hot as Haitis!

It is sooooooo hot. I mean, sweating profusely taking a thirty foot walk from the car into the grocery store hot. Don't bother with make-up and get over hating your legs so you don't ever wear shorts kinda hot! So, what to do for fun? Miami Seaquarium? Sure, why not? I'll TELL you why not! There is no air conditioning. NONE, zero, zip. Even inside the underwater viewing areas, nada. And shade? Barely! It is nearly all exposed to direct, beating sun. PPPfffftttthhhhtt! NEVER again in the month of August will I haul my cookies...or my little cookie, who, P.S., was flippin' MISERABLE, to this place. If she could say it, I assure you she would have asked, nay, demanded to go home. Problem is, this excursion to the center of the sun was a bit spendy. Garret thought it would be a nice pre-birthday family getaway. God love him...no more planning left to him. Next time, mommy schedules a ski trip to Aspen. :)

Laughter...truly the best medicine!

So things have been a bit stressful lately. Financial stress, family issues...the usual. It's amazing how children remind you of the silliness of it all. Maddie is smiling now with this goofy under bite and it's hilarious. I'll be worrying about something and she just flashes this crooked grin, eyes squished shut, nose wrinkled. It' hilarious. Instantly, I am reminded of all the many blessings in my life...her and her daddy heading the list and it's somehow all better. Thanks baby girl for knowing exactly how to make me forget my troubles and focus on the many positive things all around me!