Snow Day!!

Since we have moved farther south, I had kind of given up on ever seeing any considerable amount of snow again, but last week we got about six inches! Lydia really liked kicking the snow, but probably had more fun tasting hot chocolate for the first time! She especially enjoyed picking out the marshmallows to eat! What a fun day!

Surprise Birthday Party for Mel!

Since Mel's birthday fell on a Wednesday this year, our church decided to throw him a surprise party! It was really nice, and almost all of the church members were there! With some clever attempts at stalling him, he was actually completely surprised!

Lydia ~ 15 Months

As we celebrated the birth of Christ this month, it was precious to hear our 15 month old daughter say "JESUS" when someone asked her whose birthday it was! She was also learning to fold her hands when our family was praying, as she realizes that she cannot eat until we thank the Lord for our food. Again, we traveled to see both sides of our family for the holidays, which was nice, but we were glad to return home after about a week of traveling around North Carolina!

Lydia ~ 14 Months

Again, as we approached Thanksgiving, we could not help but be thankful for the many blessings the Lord had given us, and one of the most special was our now 14 month old little girl! She was walking more now, on her own, but not quite ready to let go completely. She continued to enjoy books, music and "helping" Mommy with things like unloading the dishwasher and clipping coupons! It also seemed like she was learning a new word every day!

Lydia ~ 13 Months

As the time for our church's Harvest Festival
approached, it was hard to believe that our little
"Pumpkin" from last year was the same little girl who wanted to pick up a pumpkin this year, calling it a "ball"! One of Lydia's friends gave her the butterfly costume that she is wearing in

the picture. I think her favorite part of the Harvest Festival was walking around with Mommy at the cake walk!

Lydia ~ 12 Months

It was so difficult to believe that our little girl was ONE! We were so proud of her for all the things she had learned during her first year and for being such a sweet, happy girl! We thank the Lord daily for the privilege of being Lydia's parents. We celebrated with many family members, church members and friends. Lydia enjoyed opening the gifts - but most of all playing with the ribbons. She wanted to look at each gift and "love" every doll or stuffed animal. She blew kisses to everyone when she was done opening her presents.
HAPPY FIRST BIRTHDAY, LYDIA!!

Lydia ~ 11 Months

By 11 months, Lydia had handed in her bottles for good and was enjoying her "sippy" cups. She had also given up crawling and had taken a few steps. Most of the time, though, she chose to scoot on one leg and one foot - quite amusing! Lydia really began to catch onto things and enjoyed music, singing, and was learning to hold up one finger when asked how old she was (getting ready for that first birthday!). We had a short but enjoyable vacation to Sunset Beach and Myrtle Beach for some needed relaxation!

Lydia ~ 10 Months

July was a VERY busy month for us! We celebrated the 4th of July by visiting a nearby lake that has a "beach" area, and Lydia actually enjoyed being in the water! (The kiddie pool is not her favorite activity just yet...). We also went to Tweetsie Railroad with some of the Winstead family and Lydia went to VBS for the first time and had a great time!

Lydia ~ 9 Months

Lydia continued to enjoy exploring this month and is quickly learning that some things (like the pretty items on the coffee table) are off limits for her. We felt that it is more important to teach her what is and is not appropriate, even at this age, rather than take away everything that could get her into trouble. Daddy was also blessed this month by celebrating Father's Day with his little girl!

Lydia ~ 8 Months

Lydia got her first tooth this month ... and about a day later ... another tooth! We quickly discovered that those teeth were quite sharp! Lydia also began to crawl around a lot - in her own unique way. Mommy's favorite memory from this month, though, was celebrating Mother's Day with her precious girl! We also went to Myrtle Beach for Memorial Day, with PawPaw and Nana Anthony!

Lydia ~ 7 Months

The weather was beginning to get warmer, and Lydia really enjoyed being outside! Her favorite activity was going for a stroll with Daddy and Mommy, but she also enjoyed the swing and touching the grass!

Lydia ~ 6 Months

It was hard to believe that our little girl was half way through her first year of life! Lydia began to really enjoy baby food and there was hardly any kind that she did not like. She also began to sit up really well by herself and loved the jumping toy and exersaucer. Lydia also celebrated her first Easter this month, but was a little unsure about why she could not eat the flowers that were blooming and the plastic grass in her basket!

Lydia ~ 5 Months

Our Sweet Little Valentine! We were so thankful that God had given us another person to love this Valentine's Day! Lydia got stronger and stronger after being so sick, and began to enjoy eating baby cereal and started sleeping about 12 hours at night! She continued to be a happy baby who loved to share a smile!