Speaking of...

Last night I blogged about Addie needing me (and not) sometimes. Today is one of those days when all she wants is Mommy. She got sick yesterday afternoon so today we are laying around watching Mickey Mouse, Disney movies and rocking. Although I hate missing school, I am trying to enjoy being needed. This makes it worth it:

Growing pains

Blogging has not been my strong suit lately. I'm not even going to try to recap the summer...too much happened.

Moving right along, Addie is GROWING up!! I have to say that I have gotten very comfortable with her independence. She will point to her diaper and babble something important to let me know that she has gone to the bathroom...although the awful rotting garbage smell gives it away! Tiny handprints are all over the cabinets (where she gets her cookies), fridge (when she wants milk or grapes), windows (from wanting to leave with Carla everyday...she pitches a fit to go), and mirrors (where she makes silly faces to herself). It's amazing to me that she is only one. There are times when I feel sad about her growing up so fast. I don't want to move her into a big girl room, take the pacifier away, or put away the high chair. It's going to happen, just not now. Even though she is doing all of these awesome things by herself, it melts my heart when she "needs" me. If I am in the kitchen washing dishes and she wants a hug, she will grab my leg and turn me around so that she can get my attention. Addie also gets needy if Andrew hugs me or kisses me. Rule number one: she always has be in the center of a family hug!

An issue and rule number two: if she isn't comfortable with you, don't try to pick her up. She will freeze like a popsicle and start to cry. Not sure why but she has done that since birth. It's always a little embarrassing when she does that to someone she should know. It's not her fault...it just happens.

Currently, these are her favorite things: Minnie Mouse, Tinkerbell, watching football, ballet, talking nonsense, Chips Ahoy cookies (she secretly gets them out of the cabinet), pushing Charlie out of the way, and running through grass. Here are some pics as of lately.

 With the big kindergarteners at the pep rally!

 Uncle Alec and Sean after a pep rally

 Rocking chair

 Excited about something

 "What's that?" favorite phrase

 Reading the book to us

Playing with her Little People house

 Knocking over the Little People house

 Smelling her plastic "tea cake"

Fake smile...

 Surprised face!

How do I look?!

Should we call it camp?

Andrew and I just spent 8 days at Frontier Ranch, a Young

Life camp, in Buena Vista, Colorado. Amazing is an understatement! I have been to YL camps as a camper, leader (toughest job), summer staffer, and now an adult guest. To watch all of the hard work come together from a birds eye view was quite a change for me.

We have been on committee in Madison for a year so Andrew has heard plenty about what Young Life is. He has seen a banquet, plenty of committee meetings and heard about contact work and camp. This was his first YL camp experience. Some of you may be thinking...well everyone grew up going to camp. Of course camp is great. No...this is not like any camp experience you have ever seen. Does God need YL? No...he doesn't. But it is an amazing tool used to reach "Every kid, Everywhere!" Everything including the food, facilities, and program is top notch. The reason camp is so relevant is because you don't go to camp by yourself and come home alone. Instead, your leader that has been intentional in getting to know you on a personal level, rides the bus with you to camp. When you get there, your leader is with you EVERY step of the way. They are doing "the screamer" with you, eating meals with you, going on a 5 hour (super intense) hike with you, etc. Each night there is cabin time to discuss questions, read scripture, and pray together. It doesn't smother kids though. It just allows time to process the talk and maybe put together all the thoughts running through kids minds.

On top of all the fun things at camp, there is also an assigned speaker that doesn't just disappear after he speaks. He is at meals, leading the hike, spending free time with you, etc. Assigned team includes the program guys (entertainment) and everyone else that does scheduling and runs camp for a month. They are on "assignment" for one month and then a new crew comes in to run camp. Most of the assigned team is on staff in an area around the U.S. There are also about 50 high school and 50 college VOLUNTEERS that pay their way to come work at camp. Their jobs range from cooking, serving, cleaning bathrooms, working rides, snack shop, etc. It's not easy but they LOVE it...I loved it when I did summer staff. There are some really long nights and early mornings but no one complains! Everyone at camp is real. The most important thing to "get" at camp is that being a christian isn't easy. It's hard! Steve Gardner (the speaker and a YL staffer from Charlotte, NC) did a great job of explaining how God's love will never disappoint. He is always pursuing us but until we accept him and begin a relationship with him...we are fallen. That's not easy to hear. He offers an everyday love to change our everyday lives.

In most cases, kids come home to a 21 day follow-up. In Madison's case, our only leader had to go straight to assignment at Trail West. So when he gets home he will do his follow-up. It's really important to keep that momentum up because it's hard for kids to come back to the same situations. But that's what makes Young Life camp different...you don't have to do it alone. My leader took me to church with her after camp. It opens the door to new possibilities.

Madison has had a full time staff person for 1 year. Our first summer, he took 8 kids to camp. Next year we are shooting for 80! We can't do it without local support though. We work off of a budget and always are looking for more funding opportunities. Young Life accepts monthly donations or one-time gifts. Please consider making a small contribution to allow God to work in the lives of teenagers through Young Life in Madison. You can donate here:

http://sites.younglife.org/sites/madisoncounty/Donors.aspx

Here are some pictures and videos from our trip.

Andrew, me and a camper from Fort Worth, TX on the screamer...listen closely to hear who is really screaming...

Screamer pic

The program guys...hilarious

How many teenagers can fit in one hot tub?

Throw all the floaties to the other side of the net...chaos

If this isn't proof of God then I don't know what is...

It wasn't hard for Andrew but it was honestly the hardest thing I have ever done!

Thankful

Andrew's grandfather got to come down for the afternoon Friday. We were SO excited that I spent the week cleaning the house (which is rare), picked up Sweet Daddy's ribs, Tony's tamales and had the family over. It was a great night for Andrew as Pop had not seen our house yet. I think this was his third time to even see Addie. We enjoyed the moments with him but unfortunately they had to leave in the middle of the night due to power outages in Grandmother's nursing home. It turned out to be fine but Andrew was pretty upset. I am sad to say that I didn't get any pictures.

I can't explain how thankful we are for our families. Mom sent me these videos earlier tonight.. they love our little girl. :)

Sesame Street videos (obsessed)

Loves to cook

Giggling

Long time no see

The end of school is always a whirlwind. We made it through but now I am stuck in the "what to do" part of the year. Andrew is in his busiest season, of course! (It makes for an interesting summer.) Carla is still coming to keep Addie 3 days a week so I find myself running errands but missing my little sidekick. I can get so much more done by myself but when I am floundering for things to do, it's a bummer. I know it's a great problem to have and I shouldn't complain because during the school year I whine about being overwhelmed and tired.

In all of my spare time, I have successfully read all of Emily Giffin's books. They are wonderful and very thought provoking (sometimes a little too much)! A quote from one of her books that keeps running through my head is "only boring people get bored." It's true...which makes me wonder how many times in the past week I have used the word bored.

As I was getting a manicure and pedicure yesterday (I had gift cards galore) the girl had to tell me to relax a thousand times. I guess am in a state of constant worry as Addie is into everything. Relaxing is something I am going to work on.

Here are some recent videos and pictures. Please mute my voice! I also have to learn to stop talking while recording.

Andrew ran an 8K last weekend. We were there bright and early to cheer him on! I'm so proud of him...he is the most driven person I know. I wish I had half of his devotion.

Talking on her phone and sitting on the stairs; two favorites

Some animal call she found of Sean's

Turning the tv on and off

Colored bath water = awesome

Little joys

Andrew and I have both been very busy at work lately. It's pretty much a marathon until the end of May. However, we were able to squeeze in 3, yep that's right...THREE date nights this week! We did the Fleet Feet Pub Run Wednesday night, used a 20% off coupon and gift card to Local 463 Thursday night, and sent Addie to spend the night with Nonny and Big Friday night. I missed my little girl but really enjoyed 1 on 1 time with the hubby. Addie is so easy to take places, we don't do "date nights" very often. She usually just tags along. I have to admit, it was pretty nice!

I just loved this picture of Addie. She is getting to be a big girl but still loves that paci, being rocked and a bottle! No shame...

Favorite things...slamming the car door, getting out to check the gas, slamming the gas door, and repeating the process over and over.

Andrew might kill me for posting this. His Pop gave him a riding lawn mower. You would have thought he got a million dollars...

I can think of 10,000 things I should be doing...BUT Charlie, Addie and I are inside napping while Andrew is tackling the yard. Ha!

happiness

On a beautiful February day...we swam!