Total Tippins Takeover

memories of firsts...

2012-03-01T04:00:00.000-05:00

Last week I took the girls to the Yellow River Game Ranch for the first time.

I have been many times before, but this was the first time I have gone since I was able to chaperone myself. So...it's been a while. :-)

At first, Libbi was extremely excited. Her newest "thing" is to ask what every animal eats. So the entire drive I heard, "what does a goat eat, momma?" "what does a squirrel eat, momma?" "what does a crocodile eat, momma?" and on and on and on. At first, it's cute. but after about 50,000 times answering the same questions, it starts to lose it's novelty.

When we first pulled in, Libbi was thrilled to see cousin Blakeley was there to have fun with us! But before we even made it inside, her demeanor began to change. I should have known that she may not be as comfortable as I initially thought when she started asking, "do cows have fingernails? will those cows get me?" uh-oh.

The first animal that wandered by her was enough to send Libbi into full on panic mode. Bless her heart, she was on "high-alert" from the minute she saw that there were animals freely roaming around. (just a few deer, squirrels, chickens...nothing dangerous!)

Her little head was on a swivel. She was constantly looking over her shoulder to make sure nothing was following her or trying to "get her" and then quickly swinging back to the front to see what was coming towards her.

The first time she said, "hold me, momma!" I obliged and it was not too bad. The fifth, sixth, seventh time she asked, I started to get a little tired. But, she was not having it. She did NOT want to run the risk of an animal approaching her while she was unattended.

I didn't even matter if Blakeley fed the animals first, Libbi wouldn't dare attempt it.

(side note: my family made fun of me because the first thing I said when I saw this picture was a comment about how disgusting that sheep's teeth are....but seriously, aren't they gross?!)

Anyway, When Libbi first decided that she might be brave enough to feed the animals, she took the first cracker she could find and chunked it over the fence. No grazing from the hand of this little girl.

{this just makes me laugh, because you can tell that libbi is definitely keeping her distance - ha!}

The first time she actually relaxed was when we passed all the cages and she saw wide open trails with no sign of life - ha! After that, she was the first in line to lead the way! She enjoyed running and playing with Blakeley until we came to the end of the trail. Before we exited the game ranch, we had the chance to go into the pen that held all of the precious little bunnies!

I was completely shocked that Libbi decided to give it a try. But you better believe she would not step foot in that pen without first grabbing onto Uncle JJ's hand. Blakeley was off and running and loving every minute of it. Libbi was a little more tentative.

And at the first sign of a bunny approaching her, she leaped into Uncle JJ's arms. She practically crawled up his body before he could even have the chance to pick her up. I'm sure she was positive that she would be the first casualty by fluffy bunny that the Game Ranch had ever seen.

And just like that, she was d-o-n-e. I feel pretty confident in

saying that Libbi's first trip to the Game Ranch with me might just be her last for a while. :)

Oh, and in case you're wondering, Laney was there, too. - ha! Her first trip consisted mainly of observing. It looked a lot like this:

{poor libbi, you think she looks a little tense?!?!}

And, if I'm being honest....I'm pretty sure that my first experience with the Game Ranch was a lot like Libbi's. Which could explain why I haven't been back in almost 20 years. :)

To see more Memories of Firsts on the First, click HERE.

Happy March first, friends!! :)

sleeping in a box...

2012-02-28T22:05:00.002-05:00

Libbi is still in her crib. yes, i know. she is 2.5, but y'all don't understand. She is wild. i mean wiiiild. And honestly, she can climb out of her crib. easily, in fact. but for some reason, by the grace of God, she just chooses not to. (*knock on wood*) :)

i'm convinced that once she moves to a big girl bed we will:

A) never sleep again

B) end up in the ER with some kind of broken bone

C) have to remove all furniture from her room and pad the walls

D) wake up to her sliding down the stairs on her mattress

E) all of the above.

i'm not kidding. she sleeps like a rock in her crib, but that's after she does her jumping-singing-talking-trick performing-routine. seriously, there are some nights that she goes to bed at 8:15 and at 10:00 she is still in her bed jumping and talking to herself. it's insane!

And unless she's suuuuper tired, we pretty much go through the exact same routine at naptime. she goes down for a nap around 1:45 and some days it's close to 3 before she finally settles down and goes to sleep.

I'm downstairs during her afternoon routines and it literally sounds like our ceiling is going to cave in. I usually don't intervene unless it starts to sound dangerous. There are many days that I will go upstairs and find her without her clothes, (only once has she been diaperless, thank God!) the sheets will be off her bed, books everywhere, etc. She takes pride in how far she can throw her blankets. It's not unusual to find her lovey's on top of the lamp or across the room in her closet.

One day last week, I heard the usual jumping, song and dance routine. I even heard a few loud bangs, but nothing too out of the ordinary. About 30 minutes in, she starts yelling my name, "momma! momma! mooooom-maaaaaa!" It's always a little unnerving when I'm summoned upstairs. especially because i have no idea what i'm going to find when i open the door.

that day, i peeked into her room and immediately went downstairs to get my camera. the scene in her bedroom was definitely worthy of documentation.

believe it or not, this was all done without ever leaving the comfort(?) of her crib.

and what was sweet little libbi doing, you ask?

hmmm....can you see her?

yep, she was IN A BOX, in her bed.

and pretty proud of herself, i might add.

and just like that i decided right there on the spot that she just might sleep in a crib until she's five.

i rest my case.

project 365: week 8...

2012-02-26T21:22:00.000-05:00

project 365: week 8

As you can see, we had a few things on the calendar for this week:

Sunday, February 19th - Saturday, February 25th:

Laney has had a few rough mornings in the church nursery, but thank goodness for faithful volunteers that love babies! She spent some quality time with her buddy out in the foyer during the service. She's been having some major "stranger danger" lately and will cling to me like a scared little monkey as soon as we start approaching her classroom. I usually have Jeffrey go back and check on her to make sure she's calmed down (or I say I'm going to the bathroom-even though we both know what I'm really going to do- and swing by to check on her myself.) She's usually pretty content and crawling around everywhere. Cheerios always help :)

Jeffrey and I went on a date Sunday night. We enjoyed dinner out and some grocery shopping - woohoo! :) We are so thankful that our parents live close by and we have the luxury of weekly date nights without having to pay a babysitter.

Monday was a busy, busy day for Laney. She spent the majority of the day climbing on and off everything. And pulling up and down on everything else. She finally figured out that Libbi is the messiest eater on the face of the earth, so she constantly follows her around like a little puppy just waiting for the crumbs to fall. Jeffrey took Libbi out to play at the park since it was such a nice day. He also took her by Sonic for her first tater tot experience. It was a big day for her :)

Tuesday was a fairly regular day for us. Libbi went to school and Laney and I ran a few errands and then spent the rest of the morning at home. I made a quick supper of spaghetti and Libbi decided she didn't like noodles....and asked for mac&cheese instead. hmmmm.....go figure. :)

My mom and dad came over to watch the girls while Jeffrey and I went to small group. We LOVE our small group and look forward to it every week!

We met Uncle JJ, Auntie Mannie, and cousin Blakeley at the Game Ranch on Wednesday morning. (for those of you that aren't local it's basically like a large outdoor trail with lots of domesticated animals roaming around and a few in cages, too. You can feed them and interact with them....should you desire to do so). Libbi was basically on high alert the entire time. I'm sure if she could have taken a xanax she probably would have. She was NOT a fan of the wandering animals. The picture above is her reaction to the bunny petting zoo. When one of those sweet, little, fluffy things brushed up against her foot, she basically jumped into Uncle JJ's arms. Poor thing.

Thursday morning while Libbi was at school, we went for Laney's 9 month well visit. She is officially 21lbs and 28 1/2 inches of pure sugar! We love every bit of her!! No shots for lay-lay girl this day, but she did have her toe pricked to draw a little bit of blood. Not surprisingly, she screamed through almost the entire appointment. Again, the stranger danger is in full effect right now. But for some reason, when they pricked her toe, she didn't make a peep. She watched intently and then (As pictured above) spent the remainder of the appointment trying to gnaw that bandaid off her toe.

Thursday night, Laney and I went to a consignment sale while Libbi stayed home with Jeffrey. They went to chick-fil-a and then out for ice cream. Poor Laney just had to hang out with me and a bunch of other crazy momma's searching for some smocked dresses at a good price.

Friday morning we played with Kinley and Baby Annabelle at Kinley's house. Poor Libbi had a little scare when she was surprised by Kinley's cat. It took her a while to recover from that one. Of course, she stuck to me like glue because she was so traumatized and did not want that cat to "get her" (Even though I never even saw the cat...I think it hid under the bed the entire time) but then when we left, she cried in the car because she didn't get to "tell that cat bye!" Oh, Libbi! :)

Friday night was a relaxing night at home. The girls played on the iPad together and we all went to bed early.

Saturday morning, Jeffrey was sweet enough to suggest Libbi and I go out to breakfast since we don't get to spend that much one on one time together. He stayed home with Laney and Libs and I ventured out to our favorite breakfast spot-chickfila! When we got home, Laney went down for a long nap and Jeffrey and Libbi went out to run some errands.

(and i know it's not part of my "365 pictures" but I just had to share this one. Jeffrey and Libbi were supposed to be going to drop off the dry cleaning and to lowe's to pick up some lightbulbs. they had been gone for quite a while, so i called jeffrey. he didn't answer. the next thing i know, i get this picture sent to me. I was very curious to know if it is the dry cleaner's or lowe's that now serves queso???)

Saturday night Jeffrey and I went out for date night and we were all home and in bed by 9:00. That's our kind of Saturday night! :)

To see more of my Project 365 posts, click HERE

Hope everyone had a great weekend! :)

the perfect date...

2012-02-24T22:02:00.000-05:00

Poor Jeffrey, he's been busy dating two girls at once. Bless his heart, I know I'm a handful all on my own, but to add another girl - whew! that's a lot of listening, complimenting, door-opening, and chivalry to keep up with - but so far he's done a pretty stand up job. :)

And I hope he's prepared, because I have a feeling it's only going to get more complicated. I hear there will probably be a third girl added to the mix before too long.

Honestly, I'm not the least bit jealous that he's dating someone else. In fact, I encourage it. :)

I even go so far as to help her get ready for their dates. It's the least I could do.

It took an entire glam squad to get her to recover from this visit from the hair fairy.

But, I worked my magic and soon she was ready to go to the aquarium with her prince charming.

She's incredibly comfortable around him. So comfortable, that she sometimes forgets to use her best manners and ladylike behaviors. He still loves her, though.

Believe it or not, they've been dating for over a year now! To celebrate their one year anniversary, they went back to the same place they had their first date. Like I said before, I'm not the jealous type, but seeing him take her to chick-fil-a did sting just a little.

I don't mind that he brings her flowers...

takes her for pizza...

and i don't mind too terribly much that he takes her for ice cream...

It doesn't even bother me that she kisses him goodnight. I guess you could say I'm pretty understanding.

Truth be told, I pray that they'll continue to date. I pray that she'll know how much she's loved and how special she is because of their relationship. And I pray that when the day comes (many, many, MANY years from now) for her to "date" someone else, she'll know that she deserves nothing but the best. Even though (in my opinion) there really is no better date than a date with her Daddy.

***don't forget to read my "shop with me" post (HERE) if you're interested in any baby girl clothes 0-12mnths.***

shop with me...

2012-02-20T22:30:00.003-05:00

i've had the "shop with me" tab on my blog for a little while now. in case you've never seen it, it's right above the date in this post! or you can click here...

it features some of my favorite online shops/boutiques/sale sites. i've made a few updates and thought i would share them with y'all.

so many people ask about where i buy the girls' bows. after searching high and low, i finally found the perfect place:

POLKADOT POSIES

Polkadot posies has THE BEST bows and THE BEST prices. you must check them out. even if you don't have any bow wearing little girls in your life, you can always buy these as gifts. with bows starting as low as $1 (that's right ONE DOLLAR!) you can't go wrong! click HERE to go to their site.

ebates

If you are not shopping with ebates, then you are missing out! It's an easy way to make extra money while shopping. Really! There is NO catch. :)

You simply register for an ebates account, (click HERE to register) then every time you are ready to make an online purchase, you just log in through ebates first. When you make your purchase, you automatically get "cash back" in your ebates account - so easy!

For instance, when I ordered something off zulily the other day...

First, I logged into my ebates account. Then I searched for "zulily" on ebates. I clicked on the zulily link THROUGH EBATES and made my purchase as usual. I received a percentage of cash back into my ebates account based off of my purchase. Every few months, you get a "big fat check" (as they call it - ha!). You can choose if you want them to mail you a check, deposit it in your paypal account, or have it in the form of a giftcard. It is great! There are tons of companies that work with ebates....walmart, shutterfly, zulily, jcpenny, kohls, nordstrom, etc. It is totally worth the extra step of logging into ebates first just to get a little bit of cash back! Feel free to email me if you have any questions about it! :)

I've also added a few new favorite etsy sites onto my "shop with me" tab. These are shops that I've recently worked with and had great experiences with! :)

Finally, if you or anyone you know is interested in some baby girl smocked dresses/bubbles, i am selling a few things sizes 0-12months. you can click HERE to see the album. the prices/condition/descriptions of the items are listed under the picture. email me if you are interested or if you have any questions/offers.

mrsamytippins (at) gmail (dot) com

or if you know of anyone that has a "laney" that is looking for monogrammed/appliqued items feel free to email me and i can send you pictures of what i have. :)

happy shopping!

project 365... week 7

2012-02-19T22:22:00.000-05:00

project 365: week 7

Sunday, February 12th - Saturday, February 18th:

(btw, no one noticed that i listed last weeks dates as sun, JANUARY 5th - saturday February 12th?! It was a long week, but not THAT long. And Dad, I'm disappointed. I thought for sure you would have caught that!) ;-)

Libbi loves to play doctor with Laney. Unfortunately, she gets a little frustrated when Laney doesn't take her turn as the doctor and let Libbi be the patient.

Valentine's Day was so much fun. Libbi loved telling everyone, "Happy Balentimes Day!" She knew they were having a party at school and she kept telling me that there was probably going to be cake and presents there, too. Hope she wasn't too disappointed. ;) When I picked Libbi up from school, I brought her a heart shaped donut. I may/may not have gotten one for myself, too. The girls made Jeffrey the CUTEST shutterfly calendar for his office. Jeffrey and I went out to dinner and filed our taxes - true love! :)

Laney is into everything these days. She is pulling up on everything and can crawl so fast! She is SO proud of herself when she stands up.

Thursday was pajama and pancake day at Libbi's preschool. She was pumped to wear her jammies to school. She really wanted to wear her "cupcake jammies" but after seeing her unzip them and yell, "I'm Nekkie!!!!' I vetoed anything with zippers. We compromised on this Hello Kitty ensemble even though I am not a fan of "character" apparel. Of course, it's probably not entirely appropriate that she pronounces her "k's" as "t's" so when she tells you she's wearing "hello Kitty"....well, you get the idea ;)

Laney had to go to the doctor while Libbi was at school (and Libbi was just green with envy - seriously! she loves going to the doctor!). After a diagnosis of croup and double ear infections, we went back to pick up Libs from school.

I'm not really sure why, but I decided to take both girls with me to get the oil changed in my car on Friday. It wasn't as bad as I had imagined....not exactly fun, but not torturous either. :)

Libbi has just recently learned how to "pedal" pretty consistently, so I took her to the park after naps so she could have lots of room to ride her little bike. We're planning on getting her a "real" bike for her birthday (but don't tell her!) ;)

She and I were looking at pictures of some bikes on the internet the other day and I said, "maybe we'll get you a bike for your birthday when you turn three years old." She matter-of-factly replied, "maybe you can get it for me when I poo-poo on the potty!" My little negotiator. :)

Saturday morning I took Libbi to get her hair trimmed. She actually really likes getting haircuts (she takes after me!) and did very well. We were supposed to go on Friday, but after the whole oil change experience, I was just too exhausted to brave another outing. Of course, I made the mistake of telling her beforehand that we were getting her haircut that afternoon and when we didn't she whined the rest of the day that "momma didn't get my haircut! I need a haircut!" pitiful, huh? ;)

Saturday afternoon we went to Snow Mountain with Buddy and Mimzy. It was so much fun! It's basically a little exhibit with snow brought in and some slides/activities for the kids. Libbi went down the kid's slide and loved it! I was shocked that she actually braved it and even more shocked that she liked it! We pushed our luck a little by taking her on the "family slide." It was a little too fast for my taste. But then again, driving on the interstate makes me nervous, so I'm not exactly what you would call "a risk taker." :)

After the family slide, Libbi claimed she liked it, but adamantly protested about ever doing it again - bless her. :)

All in all, we had a busy, but fun week! This week has lots in store for us, too. Between play dates, school, and date nights we're bound to have some stories to tell! :)

Hope y'all had a great weekend!!

To see more of my 365 posts, click HERE.

9 months...

2012-02-15T21:58:00.002-05:00

Precious Lay-Lay...you are NINE MONTHS OLD!!! How did THAT happen?! Wasn't it just yesterday we brought you home from the hospital?! You actually turned 9 months old on Saturday, February 11th, but I'm a little behind with your update (you poor second child) ;-)

This month has been a month full of new milestones for you! It's crazy how it seems like you spend weeks working up to a new skill, yet at the same time you seem to accomplish it and change so much overnight! This month has found you sitting yourself up, pulling up, standing and trying to "cruise", and crawling!

You weigh a little over 22 lbs and wear mostly size 12mo clothing. you can wear a few 6-12 month onesies, but very few of them still fit. There are a few 18month outfits that fit! You wear a size 4 diaper. I have no idea what size shoe you wear, because you never wear them! We are lucky just to get socks to stay on you.

(obviously, this month's "monthly picture" was a little more difficult to take...)

You have cut FOUR more teeth. You now have your two bottom teeth (that you LOVE to show off), four new ones on top, and two more cutting through on the bottom. You'd think with all those teeth you'd be ready for some real food, but no....you're still a champion nurser and a wimpy table food eater. oh well. it will come. and in the meantime, i'm not too worried about you gaining weight. ;)

You are such a happy baby and you are SO expressive. There is never any doubt as to how you're feeling...you definitely take after me when it comes to the "emotional" department. (it's a blessing and curse, sorry!) ;-)

You've started having a little bit of separation anxiety. Nothing too major, just a death grip on my shirt and a few screams when you get dropped off in the nursery at church. good times. There is a sweet man that volunteers in the nursery and you have really taken to him. It's not unusual for us to find you hanging out with him in the foyer when we come to pick you up after the service. I like to tell myself that he just thinks you're so cute and wants to hold you, not that you've probably been screaming and disturbing the other babies and he's a last resort before they page us to come get you. tom-A-toe, tom-O-toe.

I had forgotten how busy new movers can be! You are into everything. Every nook, cranny, corner, and closet. You no longer care for your toys...you are more interested in any little microscopic curiosity you can find on the floor. It does not matter how often I vacuum, you will still find something to pick up and eat. It doesn't help that Libbi leaves a "hansel and gretel trail" everywhere she goes. Just today I had to stop you from eating a sticker, a thread, a piece of fuzz, a leaf, and an m&m that Libbi dropped. And unfortunately, these are just the things that I (luckily) caught. I'm sure there are more that will show up later (if you know what I mean...)

You love watching everything your sister does and she loves watching everything you do, too. However, I think your motives are a little different....you love to watch her just because you're so interested in everything she's doing. She loves to watch you just to make sure you're not into her "stuff." This month has been hard for her. It's not easy having a sister that's newly mobile and into EVERYTHING!

(you are happily chewing on "Strawberry Shortcake" and Libbi is totally losing it....)

While Libbi is prone to minor freakouts, she really does adore you. No one is prouder of your accomplishments than she is. I hear, "WATCH HER!!!" and "Momma...Lay-Lay can STAND UP!" no less than 100 times a day. You've been crawling for a few weeks now and Libbi still gets excited every day like it's the first time. She is DYING for you to chase her. DYING. I think it will make her life complete as soon as you can crawl after her (and then I'm pretty sure she'll tattle on you for doing it) :)

Laney James, you fill our hearts with love and our days with new adventures. We love hearing your laugh, seeing your smile, and watching you grow! I can't believe that you will be 10 months old in just a few short weeks! You are just as sweet as can be and we canNOT imagine our lives without you. What a blessing you are precious girl!

Happy Nine Months Lay Lay girl!!

valentine...

2012-02-14T01:00:00.000-05:00

i've loved you through...*first dates*prom dates*wedding dates*due dates

i've loved you through...*high school days*college days*newlywed days*parenthood days

i've loved you through...* "curfew-ed" nights*summer nights*snowy nights*sleepless nights*

i've loved you through...*life changes*name changes*career changes*family changes

i've loved you through...*laughter*joy*sorrow*tears

i've loved you through...*sickness*health*good times*and bad

and through it all, i'm always amazed that you still love me, too.

happy valentine's day to the one i love.

there's no one else i'd rather go through life with than you.

"And over all of those good things put on love. Love holds them all together perfectly as if they were one."

Colossians 3:24

project 365... week 6

2012-02-12T22:26:00.002-05:00

project 365: week 6

Sunday, January 5th - Saturday, February 12th:

Happy Sunday, Friends :)

field of dreams...

2012-02-07T23:06:00.000-05:00

Laney is now completely mobile and officially all over the place. she crawls, she army crawls, she pulls up, she scoots, she rolls like a log.

sister is on the move.

Libbi is just as excited about this milestone as Laney although she seems to think laney is a little more advanced than she actually is. Libbi loves to yell, "chase me, lay-lay!" and take off running. She laughs wildly like she thinks Laney is hot on her heels, when in actuality Laney's only moved about two feet and is still blankly staring at her from across the room. Soon enough, soon enough. :)

Have you ever seen the movie "Field of Dreams?" We used to watch it a lot growing up. I think it was one of the first "PG" movies I was allowed to watch, so I thought I was big stuff. ;-) Anyway, every time I see Laney, I think of Field of Dreams and "The Voice"

If you build it, she will come....

(and you have to say it in a whisper)

If you build it, she will come....

Go the distance Lay-Lay.

Go the distance.

project 365... week 5

2012-02-05T20:18:00.000-05:00

This week flew by! Between school days, date nights, and birthday parties we were busy, busy, busy! I know some people are trying to shy away from using iPhone pics for their Project 365, but it's just easier for me to use mine for now. So....blurry phone pics are what it is! :)

project 365: week 5

Sunday, January 29th - Saturday, February 4th:

(still using "Red Stamp" for all my pics - it is SUCH a fun app!!)

To see weeks 1-4 click HERE

Hope y'all had a great weekend! :)

groundhog day...

2012-02-02T22:32:00.000-05:00

As you may remember, Groundhog Day is one of my favorite "holidays." I'm pretty sure I'm one of the only people in the world that likes to celebrate it. I really couldn't care less if the groundhog sees his shadow or if we're having an early Spring. However, we still have a soft spot for Groundhog Day. If you're thinking I've pretty much lost my mind at this point...you're right. - ha! But feel free to read last year's post HERE for further explanation on why I LOVE Groundhog Day!

Happy Groundhog Day!! :)

memories of firsts on the first...

2012-02-01T08:35:00.000-05:00

Laney sat up all by herself for the first time on Monday. She's been able to sit unassisted for a while now, but this time she actually sat herself up from lying down.

I was so excited to catch one of the first times on film.

(and if this is the first time you're hearing my voice...please try to block it out. My southern twang tends show up at the first sign of excitement). :)

Unfortunately, amidst my excitement I had forgotten that with many of the first milestones, comes a disruption in sleep patterns. The first time Laney woke up crying last night, I was surprised (and a little freaked out) to see her sitting up in bed and staring at me when I walked into her room.

However, the next five times I had to go in to rescue her from her sitting position were not as shocking as the first.

We are so proud of our Laney-Girl and her first foray into true mobility! And, believe me...we are well aware of what a "game changer" this newfound independence is. first she's sitting, and the next thing we know...she'll be running laps around her sister. We know how quickly that time will come...after all, this ain't our first rodeo! ;-)

Happy February First, friends!

To see more "memories of firsts on the first", click HERE.

project 365... week 4

2012-01-29T21:08:00.001-05:00

I canNOT believe we're in the last few days of January - how did THAT happen?!

Yikes! Ready or not, here comes February :)

And it's onto week four of Project 365. So far, so good....

Don't be too impressed just yet. After all, it's only been 4 weeks. :) We still have 48 more to go!

project 365: week 4

Sunday, January 23rd - Saturday, January 28th:

(I had to take this picture of the weather forecast this morning...notice anything????)

I linked up with Laura from Between the Lines....

click over and check out more project 365's. :)

and click HERE to see my previous 365 posts.

Hope y'all had a great weekend! :)

friday facts

2012-01-27T19:06:00.000-05:00

*Fact: We're finally over the all the sickness....at least the bulk of it. the girls still have runny noses and coughs, but are fever free - woohoo! I'll be so happy when they're both 100%. I tell you what, having to hold down two screaming babies to try and force feed them antibiotics twice a day can really start to wear on you. Whew! That is definitely not my idea of fun and I'm pretty sure it's not theirs, either! ;-)

*Fact: I met up with some sweet friends for dinner on Wednesday night. Jeffrey stayed home with the girls.... a little baptism by fire if you will. Bless his heart, he had to do supper, baths, medicine, and bedtime for both girls. I should have known how the night would go when I asked Libbi, "Are you going to be sweet for Daddy while I'm gone?" and she said, "hmmmmm...prolly no."

He still came home after work the next day, so I guess it wasn't too bad. ;)

*Fact: Libbi didn't nap on Wednesday. She sang, jumped, danced, played, read books, and called my name constantly from her bed. But she didn't nap. She didn't nap yesterday either. But yesterday when she called my name over and over it sounded a little more urgent, so I went upstairs to check on her. There's nothing quite like walking into your two-year-old's room and having her immediately say, "there's poo-poo in my bed." and then noticing that her diaper is no longer on her body. I'll leave it at that. But, it is every bit as awful as you are imagining.

*Fact: I've been bad about saving all the laundry until Sunday afternoons and then doing loads and loads and loads (or letting Jeffrey do loads and loads and loads). This week, I made it a goal to do a load each day instead of letting it pile up. Apparently, my girls decided to hold me accountable to this. There have been multiple bouts of barfing (on me, on them, in the bed), plenty of diaper blowouts (thank you antibiotics) throw in yesterday's "diaper situation" and I've done at least one load a day, sometimes two. Including everyone's bedding!

*Fact: Libbi cracks me up on a daily basis. That girl is hilarious. Since Laney plays with a good bit of Libbi's old toys and wears some of her old clothes, I guess we often say, "that used to be yours when you were a baby...." So now, whenever Libbi sees something that she thinks is small or tiny, she assumes that she used to play with it or wear it when she was a baby. For instance, the small openings between the baby-gates and the floor- Libbi is certain that when she was a baby, she used to crawl under them (not unless she was an insect because the gate sits about an inch/inch and a half off the floor). Or her "little people" horse - daily she tells me, "when I was a li-lul baby, i rided 'dis horse!"

* Fact: We watch the Bachelor on Monday nights just so we can laugh hysterically at everything they do. It is like a horrible comedy. I am so embarrassed and mortified for those girls the entire time I'm watching it, but I just can't quit laughing. Jeffrey told me he wished I was on there so he could laugh at me every week. And as sweet as that is, I could never do it. I would be so un-cool and so boring. I would probably just hang out at the mansion in my sweats all day. :)

*Fact: Tomorrow night is Date Night! I can't wait :)

(Fact: I feel like Dwight Schrute every time I say, "fact")

Happy Friday!

Project 365...week 3

2012-01-23T11:37:00.000-05:00

I'm blogging from my phone tonight because I've got a very fussy, sick baby that doesn't want to sleep. So that means I'm on borrowed time and it's just easier to blog from my phone upstairs. Bless Laney's heart, I think it's an ear infection mixed in with a little of what Libbi had/has. While I'm thrilled that big sister can share with baby sister, the sickies are definitely one thing I wish she'd keep to herself. Oh well, guess that's just par for the course. Now, before I'm summoned to the nursery (as I'm sure I will be at any minute!) here's this weeks project 365 post...

project 365: week 3

Sunday, January 15th - Saturday, January 22:

I linked up with Laura from Between the Lines....

click over and check out more project 365's. :)

And...

the winner of the willow house welcome basket is:

Emily from Being Mrs. Gentry

Congratulations Emily!! I'll be emailing you shortly :)

thanks to everyone that entered! If you didn't win, you can still buy one for a great price on Lauren's Willow House site!!

Happy Day, Friends!

libbi 2.5

2012-01-18T15:21:00.000-05:00

**only two more days to enter the willow house giveaway! don't miss out on your chance to win the willow house welcome basket. click here for more info!**

With all the excitement and busy-ness of Christmas, I missed doing a post to mark Libbi turning 2.5. I feel like even just the past couple of weeks she has really taken off with her speech and vocabulary. we've entered into the "why" stage where she wants to know why everything is happening, where it came from, how it got there, etc, etc. etc. And let me be the first to tell you "I don't know" is not an acceptable answer.

From the minute she wakes up in the morning asking what color shirt Daddy has on at work, to the minute she goes back to bed at night asking where MawMaw's Bible is - the questions never, ever stop. :)

I want to write down a few of the things she says most often these days so I can look back and remember Libbi 2.5. Just a fair warning, although we think she's pretty funny, I realize that this post might be completely boring to anyone other than grandparents. :-)

Her favorite movie right now (which could very well be different by the time this post publishes tomorrow) is The Lion King. We only watch the beginning when Simba is born and a small cub. When it gets to the hyenas and the stampede scene, we have to skip ahead. She says its "stare-ee!" And to be honest, I'm not really up for explaining what happened to Simba's Daddy. :(

She loves to pretend that she is Simba (of course I get to play the role of Rafiki and lift her over my head) and make Laney bow down to her. She will lift her Simba doll over her head (if I'm unavailable to play Rafiki and if Laney is unavailable to bow down) and scream "SIMMMMBA!" Timon and Pumba just get to ride around in her buggy with her while she does her shoppin' :)

One of my favorite things that is a recent development is that she has really started using her imagination. It's so much fun to see! She had been learning so much about "Baby Jesus" here recently and talking about Him a lot. One day at lunch she had a chip on her plate and it had a smaller crumb on top of it. She very excitedly said, "LOOK, MOMMA!" it's special baby jesus in the manger!" and proceded to pretend the large chip was the manger and the smaller crumb was baby Jesus - ha!

She is a whiz with technology. That girl can work an iphone and the ipad like it's nobody's business. I am amazed at how easy it is for her to figure those things out. She definitely doesn't get that from me! :)

She also loves to look through catalogs and mark the things she likes...now that she does get from me! ;-)

She acts things out all.the.time. She is such the drama queen. But, she is so funny too! We literally laugh all the time. It is amazing how quickly she can go from one emotion to the next (I guess some girls are just born with that talent - ha!) One minute she's telling Laney "you my bess fran" and the next she's scolding her and saying "No ma'am lay-lay!"

Libbi has an incredible memory and sense of direction. She remembers everything! This can be a good thing and a bad. :) When we go to the store to pick up a few things, I'll tell her what's on our list. More than once, she's reminded me of something that I've forgotten to pick up and saved me a repeat trip. But if I tell her Mimzy or Buddy is coming over after naptime (just as a general period of time) she will wake up from her nap asking for them and wanting to know why they are not here. The other day she and Blakeley were playing and Blakeley had on one of her momma's necklaces. A few days later, I wore the same necklace and Libbi would not quit asking me why I was wearing "auntie mannie's" necklace.

Libbi loves to sing! She sings all the time and has just recently started trying to sing with us. She'll ask me to sing to her when I put her to bed at night and she'll just kind of hum along until she learns a few of the words. There is nothing sweeter than hearing her sing "Jesus Loves Me."

She loves to get in the car after school and tell me all about her day. She will recount everything that was in her lunchbox (even though I'm the one that packed it so I'm pretty sure I know what was in it) and she let's me know what she did/did not eat. She is also very free with sharing who went to time-out on that particular day, even when that person is her! :(

She loves her sister...sometimes a little too much :)

She loves making Laney laugh and will do anything and everything to get her to. Libbi and Laney can cause quite the ruckus - ha! Libbi loves to go get Laney when she wakes up from her nap. She always says, "Lay-Lay...you so 'sited to see me?!?!?" And will tell her she loves her so much and missed her so much. If that doesn't melt your heart, I don't know what will!

I could go on and on with all the things that we love about sweet Libbi and all the precious and hilarious things she says, but I'll save some for another day. She's growing up before our eyes and we are enjoying every minute (well, almost every minute....there's a few tantrums I could do without) :-)

Libbi Jane, you are quite the character and we just love you to pieces! There is no one else like you, sweet girl.

And, just in case they're weren't enough pictures in this post - haha! - here's a short little video of Libbi reciting her Bible Verse: "With God, All things are possible!" Matthew 19:26. Amen and Amen! :)

project 365...

2012-01-15T15:17:00.001-05:00

***Don't forget to enter the Willow House Giveaway. You could win the Willow House Welcome Basket!! Click here to find out more**

okay, so i know that last week i said i was doing the photo challenge that i found on pinterest, but i've changed my mind - ha! :)

i had completely forgotten about project 365 (actually 366 this year since it's a leap year) and decided to forgo the monthly photo challenge in lieu of project 365.

i thought project 365 would be a little more relevant since it's basically a photo a day for the entire year. i was struggling trying to find some of the things with the previous photo challenge, but this is easier since it's just our every day lives (albeit maybe not quite as interesting, but easier to chronicle for my sake).

My friend Sarah shared some great apps to use: project 365 and red stamp.

project 365 is a free app that you can download that includes a calendar to add a photo each day. you can also program it to send you a reminder to take your picture for the day.

red stamp is a fun app that has different photo editing and collages you can use. that's what i used for the pictures in this post. it makes it really easy, because i can take the pictures with my iphone, edit/arrange them in red stamp, save them back to my phone, and then blog them from my phone, too! easy!! :)

So, without further delay...

Project 365: Week 2

i couldn't decide between these pics, so i cheated and used 2 for 1.8.12

I linked up with Laura from Between the Lines....

click over and check out more project 365's. :)

Hope y'all had a great weekend! :)

willow house giveaway!

2012-01-13T16:44:00.000-05:00

my sweet friend Lauren was so gracious to sponsor a Willow House giveaway on my blog. She is offering to give one of y'all this fabulous Willow House Welcome Basket

I have been coveting this ever since I first saw it! How cute would it be hanging on your front door?! Or even better, what about as a gift to welcome a new neighbor to the neighborhood? I'd sure like to have neighbors like that! :)

The winner will receive one Willow House Welcome Basket courtesy of Lauren

but, fear not, even if you don't win you can still order one (for a GREAT price) from Lauren's website: www.laurenfresh.willowhouse.com or by clicking HERE.

Wanna know how you can win??!?

1. For one entry, go to Lauren's willow house site (www.laurenfresh.willowhouse.com) and come back and leave a comment with your favorite item that would for sure be on your "wishlist."

2. For a second entry, blog about this giveaway and leave the link to your post in the comments.

3. For a third entry, tweet about this giveaway linking back to this post. Be sure to mention @lefresh1 &/or @mrsamytippins in your tweet.

The "deets":

*Open to US Residents ONLY

*You can still enter even if you don't have a blog, just make sure to leave your email address in your comment so we know how to contact you.

*I was not compensated in any way for this giveaway, other than the Willow House Welcome Basket to give to one of you! All opinions are mine.

*Giveaway ends at midnight EST on January 20

*I will use random.org to find the winner and announce sometime 1/21. If the winner does not contact me within 48hrs, I will use random.org to choose a new winner.

Oh! And if you have a chance, click on over to Lauren's personal blog, too! She is the sweetest thing with lots of fun recipes (good 'ole SOUTHERN recipes!), book reviews, and tales of her precious little James....and baby brother on the way!

Thank you Lauren for sponsoring this giveaway!

8 months...

2012-01-12T11:30:00.001-05:00

Happy 8 months Laney Girl!

I canNOT believe that you are just four short months away from turning a year old! Time is just flying by. I feel like we just brought you home from the hospital, and yet here you are sitting by yourself, trying to crawl, and just growing by leaps and bounds!

This month has been a busy month for you. It has definitely been a month of moving!! We finally moved you over to your crib....after I said "six weeks tops" in our room (famous last words, huh?) You would have been fine earlier, but it was more so out of laziness on my part. :) You are not the best sleeper so it was just easier for me to tend to you when you were in our room than having to get out of bed and go into your room 500 times a night.

You're pretty much the opposite of your sister at this age. She was an awesome nighttime sleeper, but a terrible napper. You take wonderful naps, but sleep fitfully at night. You take two 2-3 hour naps each day. One in the morning and one in the afternoon (if the stars are all aligned, you and Libbi will nap at the same time - hallelujah!) You go to bed around 7 most nights and will wake up (for good) around 7 the next morning. You still wake up around 2-3 times a night.

You are 22 pounds of solid muscle ;-) and i think the majority of it is in your thighs. You wear size 4 diapers and size 12 month clothes.

You are an excellent independent sitter and can roll around like it's your job. You are trying SO hard to crawl, but just haven't quite figured out how to go forward. You can scoot backwards and "army crawl" your way towards anything, and you are always pushing up on your hands and knees and rocking back and forth. You can scoot yourself so far back that you are just about an inch away from sitting yourself up!

We've reached the "x-ray vision-i-will-find-the-most-miniscule-piece-of-anything-on-the-floor stage." Luckily, your sister is a watchdog (aka a tattletale) and will immediately alert me if you even think about putting something in your mouth. (unless of course she's the one feeding it to you). She also likes to throw in a "No ma'm Lay Lay! What me tell you bout that? No ma'am!"

I try to tell Libbi all the time that she needs to enjoy this time while she can. Right now, all she has to do is move away from you and you can't touch "her stuff" but pretty soon, you'll be all over it. Girlfriend's gonna freak. :)

You love to stand. You can stand up holding onto something, but can't pull yourself up just yet. You lock your legs all the time and arch your back to make sure we know that you are wanting to stand.

You love: sweet potatoes, green beans, puffs, your sister!, standing, laughing, chewing on things, your momma!, watching daddy do anything, smiling, eating, taking baths, eating, being tickled, eating.... ;-)

You do not love: your carseat, sleeping through the night, bananas, when someone walks by you without picking you up (you are rotten!), getting your fingernails clipped, getting your diaper changed, and teething.

You have four teeth - two on top and two one the bottom - with two more trying to make their way through on the bottom.

You are such a happy baby. You smile and laugh all day long. There is nothing I love more than hearing you and Libbi laugh and play together. This month you have really been aware of Libbi and will watch her every move and try your best to get her attention if she's not looking at you. When I put you in the car to go get Libbi from school, you immediately look over to her carseat with a puzzled look on your face like, "where is she?!" :)

Laney James, you are just the most precious, sweet spirited little baby and we love every little roly poly inch of you! You make us smile every day and we can't imagine our lives without you! My prayer for you is that you will always be so quick to smile and bring to joy to others around you. We love you sweet Lay-Lay!
Happy 8 months!

photo challenge: week one...

2012-01-09T22:04:00.001-05:00

It's no secret that I like to take pictures. It's also no secret that there is not too much variety in the pictures that I take. It's either Libbi, Laney, Libbi & Laney, or Laney & Libbi. :)

I found this fun little Photo Challenge on Pinterest ((where else?)) and thought it would be a fun way to document our days and help me mix things up a little bit all at the same time. Instead of posting a photo a day, I thought I would just do a week's worth each Sunday night (and I'm already behind - oops!) I just taken these pictures each day with my phone and compiled them all at the end of the week.

If you want to participate, but haven't started yet, it's not too late!

Just pick up where we are and fill in the rest when you can :)

Source: statigr.am via Amy on Pinterest

Photo Challenge: Week One (1/1 - 1/7)

Jeffrey took this picture of us with his iPad. Laney looks dazed and Libbi is saying, and I quote, "I'm SO mad!" and making her mad face. This is our life y'all :)

Love me some chick-fil-a. I considered using this is my #3 picture, but decided it was probably best to go with something else...Oh, and this pic was taken after Jeffrey brought me home chick-fil-a for breakfast. We had a long list of chores to complete on his day off, and I needed a *slight* attitude adjustment. He sure knows the way to my heart. And just like that, I broke my New Year's resolution :)

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE seeing my girls "play" together. And I can only imagine that it just gets better and better...

I wasn't quite sure what "letterbox" meant. After some googling, I came up with two different possibilities. Some people seem to think that it just means your mailbox and others say it's a photo technique where there are black boxes on the top and bottom of the photo. Either way, I just kind of combined the two. Hopefully that covers it. I got these bows in the mail from Polka Dot Posies (if you have little girls, check them out!!)

This is also the day we started "potty training" so I had no reason to get out of my pj's all day. And believe me, I definitely didn't just sit around with my feet propped up. They're more likely propped up so I don't accidentally step in a "puddle"...

On 1/6, Libbi and I enjoyed a picnic lunch inside her tent in the playroom. There is nothing I love more than being home with my girls and seeing their sweet smiles :)

No, this doesn't mean Libbi is my "Favorite" - ha! I took a picture of something that is one of Libbi's favorites. Imitating us is one of her favorite things to do. She loves feeding her baby just like we feed Laney. In this picture, you can't see it very well, but she is actually feeding her baby out of a teapot - haha - I promise we don't feed Laney out of one of those! :)

Stay tuned for Week Two of the Photo Challenge. I hope to have it posted on Sunday! :)

humbled...

2012-01-06T23:27:00.004-05:00

Today was one of the scariest and most mortifying moments of my motherhood journey thus far. I can laugh about it now....kind of. But at the time, I was definitely NOT laughing.

Let me start at the beginning.....

We are in the market for a new carseat. Laney has outgrown her carrier and needs to be moved, so I've been pricing a few (those things are EXPENSIVE - whew!) and checking out different options. I decided that today was the day we were going to buy her new seat. We went to Buy Buy Baby and I was all ready to check out their seats and possibly even make a purchase. Of course, as soon as we walk in the door there is a line of cozy coupes just beckoning poor Libbi. Such torture!

I Laney's carrier in the front seat of our buggy and I decided to let Libbi walk since we were possibly going to be putting a carseat in the buggy. (Usually I set Laney's carrier in the open part of the buggy and put Libbi in the front seat. I rarely let her walk around because she still has VERY curious hands and for other reasons that will become clear shortly - just keep reading) :)

After a few minutes of looking at seats, we needed to take a bathroom break. Always a fun time with both girls. :) We made the trek to the back of the store, unloaded our buggy, and left it out in the hallway.

After we finished our business, we came back out to retrieve our buggy. Libbi was standing right beside me as I lifted Laney's carrier up to put into the seat. By the time I placed her in the front, Libbi was gone. Just like that. Y'all, it was all of two seconds. And she was gone.

To be honest, I wasn't too worried at first. We were in the back of the store near all of the nursery displays. There were cribs, rocking chairs, gliders, etc and I was just sure that she was either a) in a crib or b) in a rocking chair.

I calmly looked around the general vicinity of the restrooms and called her name. I fully expected her to say, "Here me ham!" as she often does.

No answer.

I started to call her name a little louder and walk a little faster.

Nothing.

At this point, I started panicking.

I was scanning every last inch of the back of the store and trying to keep from hysterically screaming her name.

Still no sign of her.

I decide to start walking towards the front of the store, because I'm going to have to seek help. I am so mad at myself, but also more scared then I've ever been in my life. I'm praying and trying my best to remain as calm as possible.

About halfway to the front of the store, I stop dead in my tracks as I see Libbi coming towards me.

She is smiling like she's having the time of her life.

And she's riding down the aisle in a police car cozy coupe.

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry or slash the tires of the cozy coupe.

I was so busy feeling relieved and thankful that she was okay that it took me a minute to realize the manager of the store was also standing there.

He says to me, and I quote, "you might want to watch her. She's been riding this thing all over the store and has knocked over a couple of displays and run into quite a few things."

Right.

Thanks.

Since I usually encourage my 2 year old to wander stores without me and test out the merchandise. Y'all, I'm telling you, at this point I was beyond mortified.

I grabbed Libbi out of that car, plopped her in the buggy and apologized profusely over the sound of Libbi screaming, "LET ME OUTTA HERE!!!!! I NEED TO DRIVE MY CAR!!!!!!"

The manager of the store then asks me, "Do you need some help with a carseat?"

No sir. We do not.

I pushed my screaming child and poor Laney out of that store as fast as I possibly could. When we got to the car, I tried to explain to Libbi how important it was that she stay with me at all times. That she can never run off like that again. I was crying a little as I told her how scared it had made me. She starts crying (or pretending to, really) and I said, "what's wrong? why are you crying?"

She says, "I so scared!" I'm thinking I must have really gotten through to her and she has realized the gravity of the situation. score!

I ask her why she's scared and she says, "I so scared 'cuz I choked in the store." (and she adds in a little cough for dramatic effect).

Oh, Libbi.

Needless to say, we basically drove 45 minutes (one way!) to Buy Buy Baby to use their (public) restroom and knock over their displays. We came home without a new carseat but with a lot of lessons learned. And that, my friends, is priceless. :)

establish

2012-01-03T12:08:00.004-05:00

I'm not usually one to make resolutions. At least not serious ones. I tend to get caught up in the excitement of the New Year and spout off a few resolutions here and there and then never think about them again. Or at the very least, laugh when I think of them again. :)

But this year, I've really been mindful of the fresh start that a New Year can bring. There's just something so symbolic and refreshing about wiping the slate clean and starting anew on the first day of a brand new year. While 2011 was a wonderful year (including the birth of Laney!) it was also a very challenging year for me personally. I've been praying a lot over the direction of 2012 and how God can use me this year and how I can be open to what He is going to teach me.

I've been re-reading some old studies that I've done (and loved!!) like Annointed, Transformed, Redeemed and have been reminded of some great truths. Through these studies and lots of prayer, The Lord has given me a verse to cling to this year as well as a word to define my 2012.

My word for 2012: establish

We have this plaque hanging in our living room. In the foreground it has our family name and the verses Proverbs 24:3-4. In the background are the words "established 2007" (which is the year we were married). Honestly, I bought the plaque (or rather, picked it out and my mom bought it - thanks, mom!) just because I liked it and I liked that verse. I never really thought about "established 2007" meaning anything other than marking the year we were married and officially started our lives together. Until I started re-reading Anointed, Transformed, Redeemed and I found this definition of establish:

"When God is the subject of the verb establish, it means that He sets things securely in order and prepares them for the specified purpose."

Wow.

I don't know about you, but to me, that says a whole lot more than we were just "made official" in 2007. It reminds me that long before I ever knew Jeffrey, God had established me as his wife and him as my husband. He set things securely in order to prepare me for the specific purpose of being Jeffrey's wife and Libbi and Laney's mom. On the days when I feel like a less than stellar wife or a sub-par mom, I can find comfort in knowing that HE has established me to fulfill these roles and that he will fully equip, secure, and prepare me for them far beyond my own capabilities!

When I chose the verse to go on our family plaque, Jeffrey and I were just a family of two. Did I know that our home would one day be filled with two "beautiful treasures?"...nope. But God did. Deuteronomy 32:6 says, "...He has made you and established you." So, if I believe that God made me, and God established my roles in life, how can I not believe that He will fully prepare me with all I need?

My prayer is that I will be open to what He wants to teach me in order to establish great things in and through me! I pray that I will not let insecurities or a lack of faith get in the way of the truth that He has equipped me to accomplish that which he has called me to establish.

Whew! That's big stuff, y'all!! :)

Finally...

My verse for 2012:

"Who am I, O Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?" (2 Samuel 7:18, NIV)

While 2011 had it's challenges and even some trials and tribulations that I'd definitely not like to re-live, I am confident that 2012 will be the year that I can look back on and say with conviction that God has brought me "so far." I am praying for big things in 2012, so big that God can be the only explanation for them. I am praying that God would accomplish a "so far" kind of work in my family and in my life. On December 31, 2012 I am going to be saying, "wow....who am I Lord? and what is my family that you would bring us so far?!" While completely undeserving of the Lord's favor, I am eternally grateful that He isn't finished with me yet. And even more so that He promises to see me through the good work He has started within me.

I pray that your 2012 will be full of realizing all that He has established for you and that God would also accomplish a "so far" work in the your life and in the lives of your families! Happy New Year, Friends!! :)

resolute

2011-12-31T17:07:00.005-05:00

Happy 2012

We've been thinking long and hard about our goals for the New Year.

I thought I would share a few resolutions from my favorite girls....

Happy New Year from the Tippins Family!!

Christmas Top Ten

2011-12-28T15:49:00.002-05:00

Presenting....

"The Top Ten Lessons Learned During Christmas 2011"

1. Looks can be deceiving....especially during a "white elephant" gift exchange at MawMaw's house. :)
Exhibit A: Precious MawMaw who is as sweet as they come, tends to laugh the hardest at all the inappropriate gifts, and enjoy partaking in this little "tradition" more than we ever could have imagined evidenced by her gift below and her contagious laugh when her SON received it! :)

Exhibit B: self explanatory (it's amazing what a little modge podge can do!) ;)

2. There is no such thing as too many Christmas outfits (unless you're asking Jeffrey) ;-) There is such a thing as "not enough time to wear them all." If only it were acceptable to start wearing Christmas themed clothing as soon as the stores start putting out their Christmas decorations. If that were the case, my girls would be decked out come September.

3. No matter how hard I try, I can't predict which gifts will be the "favorites"
Case in point, Libbi has been playing with a doctor kit (cheap-o, last minute, tacky set of "tools" that I bought on a whim) and a a clearance set of bathtub binoculars non-stop. Not the dolls, books, or princess accessories that I had assumed she would be enthralled with. go figure.

4. No matter how hard Santa tries, he can't win them all. :)
Since Libbi's current favorite movie is The Lion King, Santa brought her a stuffed Simba and a stuffed Pumba. I thought she would be so thrilled to see those two sitting beside each other when she came downstairs for the first time...but it didn't quite work out that way. She rounded the corner, took one look at them and said, "Where's Timon? Why Santa no bring me timon?" sigh.

5. Don't put candy in the stockings. Nothing else matters once Libbi sees the candy. And no matter how many ridiculously awesome presents we just lavished upon her, I suddenly become the meanest mom in the world because I won't open a reese's peanut butter christmas tree at the crack of dawn while we're opening gifts. ahem.

6. Christmas will still come even if I don't send out Christmas cards....really, it will!
I just couldn't get it together this year. At least not in time for Christmas. And while I loved getting all of the cards from our friends and family, I still hated not sending out our own. But, Christmas still came and we still celebrated and I don't think anyone crossed us off their Christmas Card List just because we didn't send any out this year....right????
....right?!?! ;-) (ps - we are sending out New Year's cards)

7. We will need to practice our "thankful faces" many times throughout 2012 so as to have them perfected by next Christmas. This year, we were off our game.

8. There's nothing sweeter than seeing your children pick out gifts for each other and then watching their faces fill with joy when they realize that giving really is better than receiving. :)
Libbi picked out the cutest little toy for Laney. She was SO proud of it and even helped me wrap it. She showed it to Laney no less than 50 times a day and would remind her that she got it for her. She kept saying, "See Lay-Lay....it's a jingle bell" (it was a little toy that has a bell in it). But she felt sure that if she said it in a whisper it wouldn't ruin the surprise for Laney. And Laney was sweet enough to act every bit as surprised as Libbi would have hoped.

9. No matter what the toy is, it always looks way more fun when someone else is playing it. Especially when that someone else is your sister...

And while we're at it, toys are really not all that necessary. You can garner way more laughs (and exert more energy) just running laps around, over, and in between your baby sister.

10. It's not all about the packages, bows, fixings, and trimmings. Christmas isn't about baking cookies, checking things off a list, opening presents, or even fancy decorations. It's about celebrating the birth of our Savior. If my girls never remember what their favorite toy was, what they wore to Christmas dinner, or even if they helped bake cookies; I'm okay with that. As long as they know that we celebrate the birth of a risen Savior at Christmas time (and all year through!) then they will have grasped the most important lesson! I pray that we won't get so caught up in traditions that we forget about the true meaning of CHRISTmas! Don't get me wrong, we love our Christmas traditions and definitely plan on making more, but when it comes down to it, sometimes less really is more. I'm not positive, but I'm pretty sure Mary didn't dress Jesus in a smocked coming home outfit, the wise men didn't bring him gag gifts, and the shepherds surely didn't bake him homemade sugar cookies. ;-)

I hope y'all had a Merry Christmas!! Enjoy the last day of 2011 :)

christmas card outtakes...

2011-12-22T17:37:00.001-05:00

I had every intention of getting our Christmas cards out by December 1st this year, but unfortunately, that just didn't happen.

We tried SO hard to get a good picture of everyone together, but as I'm sure most of you know, it's next to impossible to get an almost 2.5 year old and a 7 month old to cooperate.

We made several attempts and I pulled out every trick in the book. I would hoot and holler and stand on my head if it meant that we could get a decent picture.

Spoiler Alert:

It didn't happen.

So if y'all are waiting on our Christmas card to arrive in your mailbox, just go ahead and plan for it around 12/01/12....

I will probably just post it on the blog this year instead of sending them out (tacky and totally lazy on my part, but...'tis the season!) :)

In the meantime....here are a few outtakes from our Christmas Photo Sesh:

(and we may or may not have someone making a cameo in these photos)

*******************

I should have known better than to attempt a picture right after the girls woke up from naps (hence the blank stares) and during Sully's break time (hence the phone and dr. pepper)

Take Two was a little more successful...

Now, c'mon...act like you like each other! :)

On three, everyone make a silly face... 1, 2, 3!!

Individual Shots

(looks like somebody has a thing for blue mange)

"say uncle!!!!"

It's gotta be a sign that the photo shoot is over when the participants are using each other as pillows.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for....

our 2011 Tippins Family Christmas Card:

whattaya think???? :)

santa...i know him!

2011-12-21T16:46:00.002-05:00

We went to visit Santa last week. While I was pretty sure Laney would do just fine, I had NO idea how Libbi would react. She's seemed to have grown a shy bone as of late. While she is as loud and sassy as ever at home, she is much more reserved when she first sees new people. She likes to assess the situation and size up the person before she really lets loose. :)

For instance, there's a sweet older man that is a greeter at our church. He stands outside every Sunday and gives the kids "high fives" as they walk into the auditorium. Everyone knows and loves Mr. Bob....everyone except Libbi that is. As soon as we pull into the church parking lot, she immediately starts saying, "I no give Mr. Bob high five." Her fists remained tightly clenched until we are safely in the building leaving Mr. Bob "hanging" each and every Sunday. (And we may or may not tell her that Mr. Bob is sliding on the playground slide as we leave church on Sunday. I'm telling you what, we haven't had one incident with tantrums and meltdowns about the playground since. That, my friends, is parenting at it's finest :))

When we were at the mall last week, Santa was kind of hanging out in his little cottage just waiting on some kids to stop by. We just so happened to be walking by during this "down time" and Santa meandered out to chat with Libbi. Needless to say, she immediately became mute, her chin attached itself to her chest, and I'm sure she was silently willing herself invisible. Her little hands were tightly clenched into fists as Santa's valiant attempts at a handshake or even a high five rivaled the efforts of the infamous Mr. Bob.

So, with those two experiences fresh in my mind, I honestly thought we were going to have one of the classic Santa freak out pictures to display this year. I tried to prepare Libbi as much as possible, but as most of you know - there are no guarantees when it comes to two-year-old's. We arrived at the mall nice and early. Libbi seemed excited, but again, I still wasn't sure. She kept telling Laney that they were going to sit on Santa's lap and tell him that they wanted "peasants" ;-)

What happened next can only be described as a series of Christmas Miracles...

Christmas Miracle #1 - there was NO line! We walked right up and saw Santa without even having to wait!

Christmas Miracle #2 - Libbi sat on his lap like she'd been doing it all her life. She was actually excited and made an attempt to smile (aka look like she's just gotten a whiff of rotting flesh)

Christmas Miracle #3 - She let Laney sit with her AND without her.

Christmas Miracle #4 - Santa was giving out slinkies! (one of Libbi's favorite toys! And I guess it's a good thing she can't read yet since Santa's elves left the "made in China" sticker right on the front of the slinky....)

Christmas Miracle #5 - Santa's chair is placed in such a way that the Great American Cookie Company's sign is highly visible by those that happen to be sitting on his lap. Let's just say that Santa's elves (and G.A.C's employees) sure knew what they were doing when they set up this whole locale.

After our successful visit with Santa, we went outside to partake in another tradition: The riding of the Macy's Pink Pig! Last year was Libbi's first time to ride the Pink Pig and since I was pregnant with Laney I was just the photographer. This year, we all got to ride! Since Laney was not allowed to sit in my lap for the ride, she and I shared a car and Libbi got to ride by herself. She was over the moon excited to ride all by herself and loved every minute of it! She loves telling Laney that she can't do something because "you just a baaaa-beeee" and this was the ultimate. :)

It's crazy how much can change in just a year! I can't believe how much Libbi has grown...was it really just a year ago that she looked like such a baby?!?

It's fun to see though, that even as some things change....others stay the same :)

(also know as the frozen face look. wonder if libbi will ever outgrow it?) ;-)

our "official" Santa pics from 2011:

parties and programs...

2011-12-18T12:22:00.004-05:00

Libbi had her school Christmas party on Thursday. She was SO excited to have a "happy day Jesus!" (aka birthday party for Jesus). Especially since there were cupcakes involved :)

(thanks to my sweet friend, Sarah for the FREE printable for cupcake toppers on her blog!)

Somehow I ended up as the "party coordinator" (don't ask.) Which meant that I had to coordinate the snacks and crafts for the party.

We were stringing red and green fruit loops onto jingle bell necklaces.

(don't let the look of concentration fool you. See those TWO lone fruit loops on her necklace?! That's as far as she got. The rest were her "appetizer" before the cookies...)

Then, we decorated sugar cookies

(and by "decorated" of course I mean put one little teeny tiny drop of icing on the cookie and then lick the rest off the spreader).

They had fun though, so that's what counts...right? ;-)

After such a fun day at school, we were excited to go back that night for Libbi's Christmas Program! Of course I made sure that she had on her Sunday Best:

Kidding! :)

Those are just her "loungin' clothes" :)

I was anxious to see how Libbi would do with the big performance. She'd been singing all her little songs at home for weeks and putting on big time shows for us. She also tried unsuccessfully to get me to sing the songs (that I'd never heard) and then proceed to tell me, "not like THAT, momma!" over and over and over. She's funny because she'll be so sassy and loud at home, but then sometimes in front of people, she'll just clam up.

I had no idea if she'd sing, freeze, cry, or what during the performance.

She started off rather gracefully....

And then she saw me!

After she saw me, she refused to sing or participate until she found Buddy. ha! :) I just kept seeing her little mouth move while saying, "Where's Buddy?!?" I finally told my dad to stand up so she could see him. Once she spotted him in the crowd, she actually began to sing!

She was precious :) I have a video, but there's no way to block out the faces of all the little friends that we don't know, so I'm not going to post it (which is also why libbi is surrounded by floating "ornaments" in the pictures) ;-)

they ended the performance with, "Merry Christmas!" and blew a kiss - so sweet!!

After her big performance, she had time for a few pictures with her adoring fans.

And then she did what any other superstar does after a big show.....

drink some chocolate milk and hit the hay!

7 months!

2011-12-12T21:42:00.000-05:00

Lay-Lay, you are 7 months old today! (well, actually yesterday, but I was a little too busy to get this post finished up....sorry!) ;-)

I can't get over the fact that 7 months have passed, while at the same time it feels like it's been so much longer!

Here is a little about you on your seventh month of life:

You are still the roly poly-est thing ever and I think everyone that ever holds you just wants to give you a squeeze!

You weigh a little over 20lbs and wear mostly size 12 month clothes, although you can still fit into a few 9 month outfits.

You are definitely a momma's girl. You can spot me from across the room and pucker that lip like nobody's business until I come to get you! I love that you get so excited to see me. Your little legs and arms just start kicking and flapping all over the place!

You have two teeth and have two more on their way. I'm hoping that they will make their final appearance soon, because you are not the most easy going "teether." You do take full advantage of the two bottom teeth you have, though. You will use them to hold all your little toys and rings and let them just dangle from your mouth while you use your hands to do other things. You're already a great multitasker. :)

One of my not so favorite things (sorry!) is one of the new noises you make. It sounds like a cross between a hyperventilating cat and a car cranking. You do this all.day.long. Whether you're happy/sad/mad you make this noise. I love you to pieces, but this noise is like nails on a chalkboard. This is one little phase I'll be happy to see you grow out of! :)

You sit up like a pro, you can roll all over the place (especially when you're fighting sleep), and you can easily put your hands and feet in your mouth. You say mama, baba, and the occasional dada. You love to smile and laugh (and we love it, too!)

You still nurse like a champ, although I have to admit, it wouldn't hurt my feelings if you would take a bottle every now and then! We're still practicing, but I have a feeling you'll just bypass them and go straight to sippy cups. There are also times that I *wish* you would take a paci. It would definitely make some long nights a little easier, but I know that I'll be glad one day when we don't have to worry about breaking that habit.

You've eaten green beans, carrots, oatmeal, applesauce, and bananas (once). You didn't seem to like the bananas and you threw up all night after you ate them, so we're backing off those for a while. I have to admit, Libbi had tried a lot more foods by this point, but we're in no hurry to see you grow up. So we're just taking our time (and obviously, gaining weight is not a concern for you!)

Laney James, we couldn't have asked for a sweeter baby... you are pure sugar !! I am so thankful that the Lord chose us to raise you and I pray every day that you will grow into a kind and loving little girl. I know that the Lord has great things in store for you precious Laney girl, and I can't wait to see what your future holds (but I'm okay with waiting....we're in no hurry!!) ;-)

Happy Seven Months!!!

and for comparison's sake....

from the waist down they could be twins! :)

confessional...

2011-12-07T21:21:00.001-05:00

I have not blogged since last week! I think this is the longest I have ever gone without blogging. With Laney not sleeping, Jeffrey being out of town, Libbi going a mile a minute, and just the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, I either haven't had time to write or I just haven't felt like it. By the time I have a spare minute, all I want to do is sit in the quiet. Many a night I just enjoy the silence after the girls have gone to bed. It doesn't usually last too long since Laney has been up just about every hour on the hour for the past few nights....

Anyway, a few confessions and this and that's to help me catch back up, get back into the swing of blogging, and just get a few things off my chest. :)

1. We went to a christmas tree farm last Saturday. It was the first time we have ever been as a family. We roasted marshmallows, made smores, and visited the petting zoo. We even saw some of our friends there!! After a few impromptu pictures and some sight seeing, we headed back home.....And after church on Sunday, we stopped by Lowe's to pick up a tree.

2. I had a doctor's appointment earlier this week. On my way OUT of the office, I realized my sweater was on inside out (at this point I had already been to Libbi's school, the bank, and the doctor's office). Even though it was a cardigan and I could have taken it off and put it back on the right way before leaving the dr's office, I just left it on inside out. I did try to strategically place my ponytail over the tag in the back, so at least I made some effort.

3. Jeffrey was out of town for the past 4 days and I didn't cook a meal or do a single load of laundry while he was gone. (In case you were wondering, we still ate and wore clean clothes, in spite of my lack of housekeeping!) ;-)

I did have to stop at chick-fil-a on the way to take Libbi to school on Thursday so I could buy a fruit cup and a juice box to add to her lunch. Our pickins' were slim as far as lunches were concerned.

4. I downloaded a "talking santa" app on my phone for Libbi. I thought it would be similar to the "talking tom cat" app that she loves (and the talking giraffe, robot, dinosaur, etc, etc, etc). I guess I should have previewed it first. She was sitting next to me playing it and when she pushed a certain key, Santa turns around, drops his satiny red pants, and moons the world with his jolly old self. I think it says, "Merry Christmas" on his boxers (who knew santa wore boxers? not me. but I sure am thankful he doesn't go commando!). After I recovered from my initial shock, I figured out that I could change the text written across Santa's backside. I definitely made it say, "I love Daddy" and then told Libbi to go show Jeffrey her new game. ;)

5. Poor Laney girl has a double ear infection. I was actually kind of hoping that's what it was so we could at least have an end in sight for the horrible, non-stop screaming that's been going on up in here. Sister has NOT been a happy camper.

6. For some reason, the doctor's office brings out the WORST in Libbi. Nothing can make that girl act the fool more than taking her to the doctor when Laney has an appointment. (and between Laney's six month visit, flu shot, sick visit, and a visit today, we've been there a lot the past month!) I have resorted to putting Libbi in time-out IN the exam room, because it really is that bad. I'm sure they love to see us coming. :)

7. We have an elf on the shelf, but don't really buy into the whole "magic" thing.... Obviously....since Libbi carries her around everywhere (her name is "cookie", by the way). I think the whole idea is cute and we do hide "cookie" around the house and let Libbi find her. But, I'm just not sure I like the idea of telling her she has to be good or else this little elf will report back to Santa and then she won't get any presents. We do "believe" in Santa and he brings presents, but I kind of feel the same way about him as I do the elf. It's a fun memory making tradition, but I don't want to bribe or coerce my children into behaving just so they can get more stuff. I want them to behave because it's what Jesus wants us to do....not Santa. :) Santa is not the "big guy" we're living for.

(but, let me say that we do have lots of friends that do the whole "Elf" thing and it's great. their kids love it. more power to them!) ;-)

8. There was one day this week when Laney wore four different pair of pajamas. We never planned on leaving the house, so each time she had a blowout, I just put her in a different pair of jammies. See also # 3.

9. We made a gingerbread house this week. I got it at my ladies small group Christmas party. I've never made one before (unless you count a color/cut/glue kindergarten activity) and it's no joke, y'all! I put the roof on as the sides of the house. I put the doors on upside down. Maybe I'm just not cut out for making gingerbread houses, just for eating them :) Libbi enjoyed making her "cookie house" and of course enjoyed sampling bits and pieces of it, too.

10. We are doing the whole "25 books of Christmas" countdown. I've wrapped 25 Christmas books and Libbi gets to open one each night before bedtime. We then read it as one of her bedtime stories. It's fun and she enjoys opening a "prize" each night. But...here's my confession.....I didn't buy a single book. I just "shopped" my old kindergarten tubs that were stored in the garage and got the books out of there. I also took a few that were already in Libbi's collection and wrapped them up. She was just as excited to open them....again. :-)

Happy Weekend, Y'all!

what we've been up to...

2011-12-02T21:34:00.001-05:00

We've been back in the swing of things after a week off for Thanksgiving. Libbi went back to school, Bible Study met again, and Jeffrey had to work all week.

I made Libbi this tree after seeing it on pinterest. I just bought some cheap, green felt from Hobby Lobby (I think it was 1.99/yd?) for the Christmas tree and then used some felt that I had leftover from my kindergarten days for the "ornaments." I had a big bag of cheap stick on bows, too so I put a little piece of velcro on the back of them so they'd stick to the tree.

Libbi had fun decorating her tree. She was so funny...she'd put a few ornaments up, step back and say, "hmmmm....it's missing two." Then she'd add a few more and step back to size it up again and say, "There! Per-fet!" I have no idea where she got this from...we have yet to put up our tree at home, so I'm not sure if she's ever actually seen anyone decorate one! :)

Libbi has a Fisher Price little people santa race track. She enjoyed racing her cars on it for a while (who'd a thunk it?!) but now she is obsessed with using pieces of the track as skates. No matter how many times I tell her not to, she can't resist stepping on those pieces and sliding around the room. It wouldn't be so noticeable if she didn't recite, "'kate, 'kate, 'kate" every time she attempted to slide her feet.

I would love to have my house decorated for Christmas, but it just hasn't happened yet. I really wanted to deep clean before I decorated, but now I'm thinking I may just decorate in order to hide the mess - ha! :) It's hard enough to clean with two little girls underfoot, I dread the thought of having boxes of Christmas decorations within their reach. I am not really in the market for any decorating assistants (especially those age 2 and under).

Our house may not be Christmafied just yet, but that doesn't mean our wardrobes can't be! We've definitely broken out all the Christmas outfits and jammies. They're some of my favorite pieces!! I think they're Libbi's favorites, too because for the first time in a looooong time, we aren't having battles over getting dressed in the morning. She's so excited to put her clothes on since they have Santa or gingerbread men or Christmas trees on them.

I have to brag on Libbi for a minute. It's probably not a big deal to anyone else, but I thought it was so smart! The other day she was "makin' sumfin" and when she finished and told me to look I was so impressed. She had lined up all her blocks and animals and tried to match the color of the block to the color of the animal. (I helped her with the blue one because she couldn't find anything blue, but the rest was all her!) I love the way her little mind works!!

We made a list of the Top 25 things we want to do this Christmas. I'm so excited to start checking things off our list! I love Christmastime!!

Finally, yesterday when we got home from picking Libbi up at school, I deposited both girls in the living room and I had to take a quick potty break. I thought Libbi went into the playroom, but when it got quiet I started to worry. I could see Laney (yes, the door was open. Sorry TMI, but I have two little ones...privacy is not in my vocabulary) but I could no longer see Libbi. I called out, "Libbi??? What are you doing?" She quickly answered, "I jus' doin' spinkles (sprinkles) momma!" I thought, "sprinkles?!?! what???"

I quickly found out that she was, in fact, "jus' doin' spinkles." I found her with a large bottle of red glitter in her hand...in her shaking, sprinkling, precious little hand....

it wasn't open, but that didn't matter. It was all over the stairs, the floor, the living room, her toys, she even filled Daddy's shoe! She was SO proud of herself. She kept saying, "oooh, it so pitty!" Honestly, I was just super thankful that it wasn't all over Laney.

never a dull moment I tell ya :)

Hope y'all have a great weekend! We're off to celebrate my mom's birthday (Happy Birthday, Mimzy!!) and get our Christmas tree. I'm sure more fun awaits us! :)

memories of firsts on the first ... santa

2011-12-01T22:22:00.000-05:00

The first time Libbi visited Santa, she was just shy of 6 months old. Santa came to the school where I was teaching at the time and so I picked Libbi up and brought her to sit on his lap. At first, I wasn't sure if she would cry or scream or smile, but she didn't do any of those. She just.....froze. :)

The first time Jeffrey and I took Libbi to see Santa together, it was after first first flu shot. When she sat on his lap, I was a little prepared for what was to come since it was not the first time I had seen her freeze up.

Last year was the first time we took Libbi to see Santa at the mall and it was also the first time we rode The Pink Pig.

Again, we saw her frozen face (and it was not the first time I checked to make sure she was still breathing- ha!)

We decided that perhaps this face was either one of complete and utter terror, or perhaps it was the face of sheer joy that she wasn't sure how to convey just yet. ;-)

It was also the first time that we realized Libbi would do just about anything for candy ;)

Last Christmas was also Laney's first "unofficial" visit with Santa.

This Christmas will be the first time we take two girls to sit on Santa's lap. I have a feeling that I'll have some new "firsts" to add to our Santa list after our visit.

To see more "memories of firsts on the first" click HERE.

Happy first of December!!

" ...how pleasant to see a new day dawning."

Ecclesiastes 11:7

christmas jammies, magic, and a princess

2011-11-29T22:40:00.001-05:00

Since Thanksgiving has passed and December is quickly approaching, we felt it only necessary to "officially" break out the Christmas jammies (even though they've "unofficially" been in the rotation for a while already) :)

Is it sad that I bought Laney a 12month and Libbi a 2T? :)

Oh how we love our chunky Lay-Lay girl! She sure is a jolly little thang!

I love that our girls are starting to interact more and more. Libbi has figured out that she can make Laney laugh. Of course, more often than not she sounds like a dying car while trying to get a laugh out of Laney, but it is sweet of her to try.

Libbi's interests change so often these days. We were on an elmo kick, then it was dinosaurs, mickey/minnie mouse, babies, all her "stuff" (aka a huge collection of crap that she carried around everywhere) and now she's moved onto being a "pin-cess" and carrying around her "magic."

Since we don't do Harry Potter read alouds before bed and I'm pretty positive that there is no "magic" in the her little Bible or Mickey Mouse books I'm not really sure where she got all this "magic" info. The only thing I can figure is she picked it up from Abby's Flying Fairy School (which oddly enough very rarely holds her attention).

She carries around her magic wand and casts spells(?) on everyone. Every transformation begins with Libbi saying (in her most thoughtful tone) "hmmmm....let me think about that...." and then she just recites some sort of mumbo jumbo, snaps her wand and says, "You a frog!" or "You a butterfly!" and then expects you to act accordingly. A few moments later, she recites the (exact same!) mumbo jumbo, snaps her wand and says, "now you momma!" or "now you lay-lay!" ;-) and you can breathe a sigh of relief because you have magically been returned to your original state.

Of course her "magic" would not be complete without the entire accessorized ensemble. She wears her crown everywhere she goes....restaurants, bed, church, etc. She puts it on and says, "I'm a pin-cess" and proceeds to do a little shimmy and shake. What a sweet little princess she is! :) Unless she happens to misplace her wand and then she can be heard screaming, "WHERE'S MY MAGIC?! I LOST MY MAGIC!!!" Guess the gift of supernatural vision is not in her magical repertoire (neither is patience for that matter).

And it must be said...

If she's the princess, doesn't that make ME the QUEEN? :-)

thanksgiving...

2011-11-22T15:57:00.001-05:00

A little Thanksgiving acrostic on this Thanksgiving Day. Cheesy? yes. But, I was a kindergarten teacher, "cheesy" is in my blood. the cheesier, the better. I love it.

This isn't my first acrostic, and it certainly won't be my last :)

THANKSGIVING

T - Together. I am so thankful for my family and that we take every opportunity we can to get together. I'm thankful that we celebrated Thanksgiving at MawMaw and Grandad's house on Sunday and that Grandad was able to join us.

H - Health. I am so thankful to have two healthy babies! After Laney's surgery a few months back, we really gained a new perspective on what a gift it is to have healthy children. I am thankful that we have the peace of knowing that even if our children are not healthy in this life; they will be forever healed and healthy in their eternal lives!

A - Additions. I am thankful for the new additions to our family this year. Both immediate and extended! Of course, I have to be honest and say that one new addition in particular is my favorite, but the others are not close behind! We welcomed new cousins - Lyla and Khoen. We welcomed new friends and "futures" - Bailey and Dave. And we "officially" welcomed T.J (although he was already considered family). ;-)

N - New Beginnings. I am thankful to be given a new beginning each and every day. I never cease to be amazed that the Lord will let me start afresh no matter what the previous day entailed. What a gracious God to allow me to start each day with a clean slate. Were it not for the promise of new beginnings, I know those tough days would seem that much tougher.

K - Kindness. I am so thankful for the kindness of strangers. The sweet lady at Kroger that always gives Libbi a sticker. The elderly couple that will wave and smile each of the 500 times that my child waves at them first. The man that holds the door open for us at the mall while I maneuver our double stroller through the tiny opening. The kind employees at chick-fil-a that will bring our food to the table so I don't have to wait in line with two babies. The man that chased us down at the store because Libbi had dropped her "lovey" and he wanted to make sure we didn't leave without it. It's a blessing to know there are still "good people" in this world.

F - Forgiveness. I am so thankful for the forgiveness of my Savior. What an amazing God that would offer up His only son to die for my sins. I am so undeserving, but eternally grateful for the gift of forgiveness and for the redeeming love of my Savior.

U- Unexpected Blessings. I am thankful for the unexpected blessings that have been poured out on our family this year. Our lives this past year have been full of ups and downs. We've faced times of need and we've had times of plenty. Through it all, I'm thankful that the blessings of the Lord never fail. Sometimes the sweetest blessings are the ones that are most unexpected.

L - Laughter. I am so thankful for laughter! I am thankful that my family can laugh together and enjoy each other's company. I'm thankful for the laughter of two precious baby girls that just warms my heart each and every time I hear it. The way that they've started to make each other laugh is enough to make my hurt full for a lifetime. I'm thankful for a husband that makes me laugh every day. I'm thankful for friends that I can laugh with and forget about all the stresses of every day life. Sometimes laughter really is the best medicine. :)

There are so many things that I am thankful for this year. Blessings big and small. Thanksgiving is such a wonderful time to reflect back on all that He has done for us over the year, but my prayer is that I would have an attitude of Thanksgiving all year round! I hope you and your family have a wonderful day today!!

"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever."

1 Chronicles 16:34

friday phone cleanse...

2011-11-17T20:08:00.001-05:00

Since I haven't blogged all week (GASP!) Here's a few pics from the 'ole phone to help me keep track of what in the world we've been up to. :)

Our week in pictures (and a few captions) ;-)

MONDAY:

Libbi wasn't feeling good which warranted some lounging around and taking it easy.

In an attempt to help her feel better, I showed Libbi how to take pictures of herself on my phone. It's safe to say she doesn't mind having her picture made when she's the one taking it. Since she could see herself on the screen, she made sure to pull out all her best "faces"

When that didn't do the trick, we made a trip to the doctor. Of course we got the ever original diagnosis of "virus" and pretty much paid to be told "keep doing what you're doing" but, I am thankful it was nothing more serious.

Libbi rested for the rest of the afternoon while Laney practiced her sitting.

She has been sitting for longer and longer periods of time.

what can i say...she's got a sturdy foundation. baby girl is built like a rock. :)

TUESDAY:

Libbi had school (glory, hallelujah!) but our mornings would not be complete without some sort of battle....

Laney and I stayed in our jammies for way too long. All that sitting she does really wears her out, so she likes to take a nice snooze in the pack-n-play napper. (she does have a bed, she just prefers not to sleep in it, yet).

Laney also had rice cereal for the first time. She loved it! I think it's pretty obvious that the girl has got an appetite! I thought it would take us a few tries for her to get the hang of it, but she was taking bites like she's been doing it all her life (all 6 months of it!) :)

She was pretty proud to be sitting in the big girl high chair!

My parents came over to watch the girls while I went to our couples small group by myself since Jeffrey was out of town. I love our group! It is always such a refreshing time. We did miss Jeffrey, though! (btw, we're reading "Enemies of the Heart" by Andy Stanley...I highly recommend it!!)

WEDNESDAY:

I had my ladies small group at church and the girls went with me since there is childcare. It was raining, so there was no fight over the playground. We were having a pretty good day (aka no meltdowns, no time-outs, etc) and enjoying our afternoon at home...

Until naptime rolled around and along with it came a tornado warning. So we spent the first part of naptime bonding in the bathroom downstairs. Not really "restful" for anyone. :)

Libbi got a package in the mail from her Mini Mail Pal and was over the moon!

Lots of cute, cute stuff and a turkey shirt to wear to school for her Thanksgiving feast!!

Thank you, Kennedy!!! ;-)

Libbi spent the rest of the night building towers. She'ss been very into building towers lately. She especially loves it when someone else builds it and she can karate chop (and kick) it down. It's really such a nice, calming, quiet game to play while Laney is sleeping.

THURSDAY

Libbi wore her precious turkey shirt for her Thanksgiving feast at school.

She was pretty proud of it! Our fight this morning was over which toys to take in the car (there is a limit) she realllllly wanted to take the dinosaur...and the hippo, books, maracas, strawberry shortcake, etc, etc, etc.

Laney and I got some things done around the house while Libbi was at school. When we picked her up, she told us all about her feast ("I hun-gee. I no eat nuff-in") and was so proud of the hat she made. Although I do think something may have gotten lost in translation, because she was adamant that she made a "pirate hat." She has been talking about that "pirate hat" nonstop. silly girl. ;-)

we were so happy to find some turkeys in the mail from the lovely lulu mcgee!

FRIDAY:

Friday morning started off at the doctor's office....again! This time we went for Laney's six month well visit and also flu shots for both of the girls.

Laney weighed in at 21 pounds (99%tile) and 26.75inches long (75%tile) GO LAY LAY!

Both girls did great with their shots. Libbi got to choose something out of the treasure box and after much consideration she finally decided upon a magic wand. She spent the remainder of the morning and afternoon casting spells?? Who knows. I think she may have picked it up from Abby's Flying Fairy School, but I'm not really sure...

Since we had such a busy morning, I thought I might get good naps out of both the girls....but no such luck. Oh well! :)

We played for the rest of the afternoon. Laney snacked on some ice cream.

Libbi continued to do her "magic."

After a busy week of doctor's appointments, small group, a traveling Daddy, flu shots, and school...we are happy to be home on a Friday night!

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

PS....I did not hear from the first winner of the Bright Starts Giveaway, so I used random.org to choose another! The new winner is....

Lisa Sutherland!
Please email me at: mrsamytippins@gmail.com
to claim your prize :-)

WINNER...

2011-11-14T08:40:00.001-05:00

Congratulations "Martha" you are the WINNER of the Bright Starts Giveaway!!**

Please email me at: mrsamytippins@gmail.com and I will make sure you receive your Bouncin' Around Door Jumper!

Thanks again to Bright Starts and to everyone that entered!

Happy Monday!!

**winner has 48 hours to contact me or a new winner will be chosen by random.org

ch-ch-ch-changes

2011-11-12T19:36:00.001-05:00

When I wrote Laney's 6 month post yesterday, I said I would add in a few comparison pictures today. I always like looking back and seeing how much she has changed over the months as well as comparing her pictures to Libbi's, mine, and Jeffrey's.

That's just one of that fun parts of being a baby....everyone has their own opinion of who you look like!

Here's Libbi and Laney both at six months...

Here's me at about 7 months

And here's Jeffrey I think somewhere around 3 months

(I would have used better pictures of us, but our scanner is not working and these were the only two baby pictures I had saved on my computer).

To me, Jeffrey and Libbi looked SO much alike for her first 8-10 months of life, but now I don't really think they favor each other as much. I also don't really think Libbi looks like me, either. I think Laney favors me more right now, but it will be interesting to see if she takes after Libbi and starts to look completely different the older she gets.

So....what do you think???

Happy Half Birthday!!

2011-11-11T15:09:00.001-05:00

Precious Laney James, six months ago today you came into our lives and our family of three became a family of four.

We never knew what we were missing, until we had you! :)

You are just the sweetest thing and we love you to pieces! It is so much fun to see you start to develop your own little personality. I just went back and read Libbi's six month post and it was neat to see the differences and similarities between the two of you. It did make me a little sad, though, because I seriously feel like Libbi was JUST turning six months old and now here we are celebrating your half birthday....time goes by way too fast! I need my babies to slooooow down!! :)

You are currently wearing a size three diaper and mostly 9-12 month clothes. You go for your official 6 month well visit next week, but I estimate that you weigh a little over 20lbs. (which is only 7 pounds less than your big sister - ha!) You have more rolls than a shar-pei and we couldn't love them any more!

Libbi still calls you "Lay-Lay" and so do we. We also like to call you "Laney Girl" and "Precious" :) I think I like hearing Libbi call you "Precious" just as much as I like hearing her call you, "Lay-Lay." She definitely loves you, sometimes a little too much, but she means well. :) Every time we go to pick her up from school she always says, "I LOVE Lay-Lay soooooo much!" and "Lay-Lay miss me sooooo much!" ;-)

And if your cover is raised on your car seat to block the sun out of your face, Libbi gets upset. She will yell from the backseat, "I CAN'T SEE LAY-LAY! MOMMA...HELP ME SEE LAY-LAY!"

This past month you have become VERY aware of all your surroundings. You are constantly watching what's going on around you. It's made nursing difficult and getting you to sleep a little bit trickier. In order for you to concentrate on the task at hand, it has to be dark and quiet - otherwise you are completely distracted. It's safe to say that we have our fair share of "distractions" with Libbi running around all day. :)

I love watching your little wheels turn as you figure out the world around you.

You still will not take a bottle (any and all suggestions are welcomed!) so I still can't be away for more than a few hours at a time. You don't take a paci (and neither does your sister anymore - woohoo!) and you now have cut two teeth completely and have two more coming through.

You have decided that you really like standing up. You are so strong and are able to bear weight on your legs for good lengths of time. You love for us to raise you up into the standing position - I think it's because you have a better view of all that's going on around you. You have started sitting up unassisted. You can sit on your own for around 10 minutes or so and then you get tired and just gradually start to sink. You roll from your belly to your back all the time and have rolled from back to belly a few times.

You like to sleep on your belly, which makes me a nervous wreck, but you really do sleep so much better that way. You've been a belly sleeper for a few months now. Your sleeping is still sporadic. You got on a pretty good kick of sleeping through the night, but then you got croup :( and then you got two teeth - neither of which seem very conducive to a good night's sleep (for you or for me!)

You have been waking up reallllly early since the time has changed, like 5:30am early.

The past four (yes, FOUR!) mornings you have had a complete blowout at 4:30am and I've had to get up and change you. By the time your diaper and clothes have been changed, you're usually wide awake. You'll lie in your bed and kick and "talk" for a while. As long as no one looks at you (ha!) you're usually pretty content. But, if you see even the shadow of me or your Daddy...it's all over with. You refuse to lie down when there are two able bodies nearby that can hold you. :)

Libbi was always a big "talker" and would babble all day long, you on the other hand, have your talkative times of day. There are certain times (usually early morning and early afternoon) when you are a chatterbox, but then the rest of the times, you're just taking it all in. You do laugh A LOT - which we love! And you've recently started making a "mad" noise where you clench your fists, clench your teeth, and grunt. I tried to catch it on video, and was somewhat successful.

{this is your "mad face!"}

Laney James, we just love you so much! I cannot believe that you have been a part of our family for SIX months!! I have loved watching you grow and change each day and I am so excited for all of the new things you are learning. You are the sweetest, cutest, chubbiest, most precious six month old I know! We love you Precious Lay-Lay Girl!! :)

And....since I haven't put enough pictures in this post (haha!)

tomorrow I'll have a little "comparison" post with pics from the last six months and from Libbi's first six months. :)

a few faves on film...

2011-11-10T12:12:00.001-05:00

Not much to post today....Libbi had school this morning and Lay-Lay and I just hung around the house. I thought I would share a few of my favorite pictures and videos that we've taken lately.

It's so hard to get a good picture of Libbi these days because she is CONSTANTLY on the move, but Laney girl is at the perfect age (in my opinion) for pictures, because she isn't mobile yet (minus the rolling) and she'll smile like a jack-o-lantern at anything!

see what i mean? and check out those chompers! (she's got two more coming in...fun times at the Tippins' house!)

Laney's not always smiley though, sometimes she can be downright pensive ;-)

I love this picture of Libbi. She has on her tickle monster gloves (do y'all have that book? if not, you must get it! It is so much fun!!) She loves wearing these "tickle gloves" almost as much as she loves when someone else wears them and tickles her!

I can't remember if I ever posted this picture, but it makes me laugh every time I see it. The girls had on their cute little matching Halloween dresses with witch feet to wear to church (is that sacrilegious?! it probably got them added to the prayer list for sure!)

Libbi wanted to hold Lay-Lay (which is a rarity, because she usually refuses to hold her saying either, "Lay-Lay too hea-bee!" or "Lay-Lay...biiiiiig poo-poo!") Seeing this picture I think she may be right! Laney is almost as big as she is! :) This has the potential to be filed under "awkward family photos"

Finally, a few short videos that I'm sure only the grandparents will get a kick out of :) (Excuse the quality, they're from my phone...and excuse my "hushpuppy" voice as my dad would say)

Laney has started making this funny grunting noise. Almost like she's mad and she clenches her fists to go along with it, which makes it even funnier.

Next is our little rambunctious one. She is just full of energy and finds new ways to "use" her toys and furniture each and every day. I sure am glad we bought her that pottery barn chair...She keeps us on our toes, this one.

This is Attempt #1:

Her second attempt to scale the chair (while using the donut given to Laney after her surgery!) proved to be successful. But, you'll see the joys of having a dramatic little girl as things quickly take a turn for the worse. (side note: I am not laughing at her per se....but she is mad because she is trying to put the donut on her head while hanging upside down and it's just not cooperating! If she were really needing "help" I wouldn't film it and laugh.) ;-) This is just a typical day in the life of Libbi...she can go from one extreme to the other in the blink of an eye. :)

Attempt #2:

Happy Thursday!

Don't forget to enter the Bright Starts Giveaway
or to take the Melissa & Doug North "Poll" to get your 25% discount!

Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon When You Take the North "Poll"

2011-11-09T21:19:00.000-05:00

Melissa & Doug want you to tell them which of their educational toys you think is the best! Just click on the image below to place your vote in the North "Poll!" You'll Get a Melissa & Doug 25% Off Coupon** to use at MelissaAndDoug.com just for voting!

bright starts giveaway...

2011-11-08T16:00:00.002-05:00

*****COMMENTS ARE NOW CLOSED*****

A few months ago, the kind people at Bright Starts sent Laney their Bouncin' Around™ Door Jumper. It's been hanging out in her closet just waiting for her to grow a little bit more and wouldn't you know it, all too fast...she did!

Now that she's about to be six months old (as of Friday!) she is finally ready to use her Bright Starts Bouncin' Around™ Door Jumper!

Since sister was at school today, we decided today would be the perfect day to try it out! That way Laney could test out her new toy in peace (since sister is usually all too willing to offer her "assistance" with every.little.thing ;-)). There was a little bit of assembly required, but believe me, if I can I set up the door jumper easily by myself - anyone can! :)

Once I had The Bouncin' Around™ Door Jumper assembled, I attached it to our door frame and my little tester was all too happy to give it a whirl.

I looked on the Bright Starts website beforehand, so I knew a little of what to expect:

Bouncin' Around™ Door Jumper

This door jumper provides hours of bouncing fun for baby!

The 4 playtime toys including a plush zebra and giraffe, teethers, and mirror, will also entertain baby while jumping. The straps are adjustable for use as baby grows, and the Support Me Pillow™ provides extra support for smaller babies.

Features:

Cushioning seat for baby’s comfort features bright colors and high contrast patterns
Sturdy door frame clamp provides a secure fit into doorways
Support Me Pillow™ provides added support for smaller babies
Straps are adjustable for use as baby grows
4 playtime toys: Plush zebra with teether and clacking rings, Plush giraffe, 3 leaf teethers with multiple textures, Large mirror for self discovery
Machine washable seat pad

Age/Height/Weight Requirements:

Weight/Height: Up to 25 lbsAge: 6 Months and Up

I have to admit, their description was pretty spot on. Some of my favorite features of the Bouncin' Around™ Door Jumper are:

*The Support Me Pillow.™

The Support Me Pillow™ offered that little bit of extra cushion that Laney needed to help her feel supported while in her seat. And if I'm not mistaken, I do believe she even reclined on it just a little when she got tired of jumping. :)

*The playtime toys

The playtime toys are in the perfect position for her to grasp and actually be able to "play" with them. We've tried other jumpers before that had the accessories so far out of reach, they were more like decorations than toys.

*The easily adjustable straps.

The easily adjustable straps made it super simple to lower or raise the jumper to the perfect height for Laney. The Bouncin' Around™ Door Jumper also came with easy to understand directions and diagrams that showed exactly how she should be positioned in the jumper.

*The machine washable seat.

need I say more? I have a 6 month old. In diapers. Accidents happen. Machine washable is a MUST! :)

You can find The Bouncin' Around™ Door Jumper at the following stores:

The Bouncin' Around™ Door Jumper is the perfect fit for our little Laney girl and she definitely enjoyed the time she spent bouncin' around!

Would you like to win a Bright Starts Bouncin' Around™ Door Jumper of your own??? It would be perfect for your little one or even as a gift for any little one in your life. The Holidays are coming up and The Bouncin' Around™ Door Jumper would make a great gift!

For one entry, all you have to do is leave a comment on this post. Easy, right? :)

For an additional entry, "like" Bright Starts on facebook (click HERE to go to their FB Page) and come back and leave another comment letting me know that you did.

Two easy steps and you've got two chances to win a Bouncin' Around™ Door Jumper of your own!

The giveaway will end on Sunday, November 13th at 9pm EST.
I will use random.org to pick a winner.

Thanks to Bright Starts for sponsoring this giveaway!

*disclaimer: I was gifted a Bright Starts Bouncin' Around™ Door Jumper to review for this post. However, all thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own. Other than the product for my review and a product to give away, I was not compensated in any way for this post.*

the little things...

2011-11-07T22:46:00.003-05:00

Libbi is changing so much every day and she is becoming more and more of her own little person. It's so much fun to watch all the new things she does and hear all the funny things she says. I feel like at this stage in her life, it's not so much the big milestones that we're marking (sitting up, standing, walking, etc) it's more of the little things. Little nuances and sayings that may not be just right, but they're so completely Libbi. These "tricks" are not like the skills that we worked at and practiced until she'd accomplished them. It's more like little things that have just become so much apart of her that it will be hard to pinpoint the exact moment that she outgrows them. In my mind, I know she'll all too soon learn the correct way to say things but in my heart, I know that when she does, I'll honestly be sad! It will mark another stage of growing up and those stages are happening all too fast these days!

Libbi loves to hide anywhere she can (most of the time she's not very conspicuous with her hiding places...) but she is especially into making sudden appearances from her hiding spots. Each time she jumps out she yells, "HERE ME HAM!!!"

For some reason she says, "ha-woke" instead of "hold" So when she wants me to pick her up she says, "ha-woke me, momma!" Or if she wants me to carry something for her (i.e. her collection of junk that goes EVERYWHERE with her - even to bed) she says, "ha-woke 'dis and ha-woke 'dis."

Speaking of her collection of stuff...here is the current list:

baby

baby's bottle

cat (happy meal toy)

strawberry shortcake

stretchy spider

a set of 'noculars (so she can "see far 'way") these were an old kindergarten sample that i had in one of my kindergarten files. who knew she would like them?!?

an elmo board book

a dog that goes with a set of stacking blocks

4 monsters, inc. books

2 (yes, TWO) sets of teething keys

and I know I'm forgetting a few.

She carries all of them in a halloween bucket, except for the baby and her bottle. Those stay in her arms at all times.

The baby's bottle is one of those cheap little bottles that looks like it has liquid in it, and appears to empty when it's turned upside down. I can't tell you how many times she tried to drink the "juice" from the bottle and how many times she said, "it's broke, momma...it's not workin'!" because nothing was coming out of it.

When she knows she's about to get into trouble she starts saying, "yes ma'am, momma. yes ma'am" over and over. I guess she thinks that will help?

(her hiding spot...she added a pillow so she'd be more comfortable)

There is nothing sweeter than when she says, "Lay-Lay" (which sounds more like "yay-yay") and of course we all call Laney, "Lay-Lay" now because of Libbi. She says, "I yove yay-yay sooooo much!" at least 50 times a day....and then looks around to make sure somebody, anybody, heard how sweet she was being - ha! :)

I'll definitely be sad when she starts saying, "Laney" instead of "Lay-Lay."

She loves to roll right over by Laney and let Laney "get her." Of course, she then tries to scoot away and makes sure to tell Laney, "no ma'am lay-lay! no get my hair!!"

She frequently (as in 3/4's of the day) gets in Laney's face and says, "My name Bibbi Jane. I like you toes Lay-Lay" haha! sometimes it's "I like you hair." or "I like you eyes" etc, etc, etc.

We fight over triangles many times throughout the day. She LOVES to say, "triangle has TWO sides! TWO sides! TWO sides!" At this point, I'm pretty sure she knows it has three, but she also knows that by saying a triangle has two sides she is driving me batty. :) If I tell her a triangle has three sides, she will chant "TWO sides!!" over and over. :-)

Finally (for now, because I could really go on and on) Libbi has a sweet tooth like none other (except for maybe her momma!) so Halloween was seriously the best thing that has ever happened to her. We let her have a piece of candy each day and it is the highlight of her day. She has a VERY hard time limiting herself to one piece (and it usually ends up in some sort of dramatic falling out). She's a sneaky little thing, though. She will choose her one piece of candy, eat almost the entire thing, and then proceed to tell me that it's "yucky" and "i no yike dat canny." Which means that she thinks she should be able to choose another candy to eat. sneaky, sneaky, sneaky!

Oh, how we love this sweet, sweet girl! :)

motherhood....

2011-11-03T22:38:00.001-04:00

Motherhood is not for the faint of heart. It is serious business, y'all.

Some days I feel like I get so caught up in the "busyness" of just being a momma. The days when I feel like all I do is change diapers, wipe noses, fix snacks, and "play" it can be easy to overlook my true purpose. Then there are those days that I feel like I could suffocate from the enormous weight of responsibility I feel for the little lives I'm caring for. I feel so unworthy to be the one that gets to teach these babies about life. I struggle with walking the line between doing too much and not doing enough.

When I start to think that the "little things" don't matter, I have to remind myself that those "little things" are what's helping to build character in my girls.

When I remind Libbi for the 1000th time to look at me when I'm speaking to her or when she's speaking to me, I'm teaching her about attentiveness. It's showing her that what others say matters and that what she has to say matters, too.

By asking her to play with the toys she already owns, making sure she takes care of them, and not giving in each and every time she asks for new ones, I'm helping to teach her gratefulness, moderation and contentment. Not only teaching her, but showing her that we are thankful for the things we have, and that the Lord has given us exactly what we need.

When Laney has a "boo-boo" or Daddy is sick, we pray for them. By teaching her to pray for those in need, to take her requests to the Lord, and to earnestly believe that He will answer, she's learning about compassion and faith.

Even the small gestures that may seem trivial can have a greater impact. We bow our heads when we pray at the dinner table. We do not eat during the blessing....why? because we are teaching her about reverence and respect. When we approach the Lord in prayer, we give Him our full attention and eliminate distractions. Does she always bow her head and refrain from eating/talking/silliness while we're praying? No. She's two. :) But, we gently remind her that we're praying and encourage her to respectfully participate.

When I ask Libbi if she hit her sister even though I already know the answer is yes, I'm teaching her that I expect her to be truthful. When she is then asked to apologize for hitting, she's learning about repentance and forgiveness. We're teaching her that when you do something wrong, you are honest about it, confess it, apologize to those you've hurt, and seek forgiveness.

Lately, I've been thinking a lot about my role as a mom to my girls and I have felt such a burden to raise them in a way that produces strong character and a foundation of faith. It's not about, "one day they'll be grown...." it's about planting those seeds right now so that when that "one day" becomes today, I'll know that their core is solid. When I think about it that way, I feel not only a huge sense of responsibility, but also a tremendous amount of awe that the Lord would trust me to instill these values in their little lives....especially when I'm still learning about so many of them myself!

The other day, I read a post from Mrs. Shelia called Why Are the Preschool Years Important? and it really resonated with me. (to read the article, click the link in the title or you can click HERE). It was a wonderful reminder of the tremendous influence we can have on our children, especially during the toddler years. I know I have days where I feel like a broken record or that I'm basically talking to myself, but that's when I have to stop, take a deep breath, and remind myself that mothering is not my main goal...revealing Christ to my children is. I have to ask myself daily (sometimes hourly) if what I'm doing for/with them is showing them Christ's love or if it's just to boost my own momma ego. I'm so thankful that many of these lessons that I'm trying my hardest to teach my girls, the Lord is still teaching me. And I'm even more grateful that He has way more patience than I could ever dream of. :)

"And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are away on a journey, when you are lying down and when you are getting up again. Tie them to your hands as a reminder, and wear them on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

Deuteronomy 6:6-9

memories of firsts ....halloween edition

2011-11-02T14:14:00.002-04:00

(I realize this is posting on the 2nd of the month, but it was in my draft folder to post on the 1st and blogger was being sketchy and wouldn't let me upload last night....)

Last night was Laney's FIRST Halloween. (I can't believe last night was Libbi's third Halloween. It felt like she experienced her FIRST one just a few days ago.)

It was also the FIRST time I got to dress up two babies in costumes. As far as coordinating outfits goes, this was definitely not our FIRST rodeo. :) The days of matching/coordinating outfits and costumes are numbered, so I'm the FIRST to admit that I'm taking advantage of it while I can.

The FIRST time our little farmer wore her costume, she was in her FIRST school costume parade.

The FIRST time our little piggy wore her costume, she was at her very FIRST fall festival.

But, Laney was not the FIRST little piggy from our family to attend the fall festival as a member of the swine family.

Little Libbi was also a piggy at her FIRST fall festival last year.

What a difference a year makes :)

We all enjoyed our FIRST time at the fall festival as a family of four. It is the same fall festival that I went to when I was a little girl. Only then we had cake walks and a "fun maze" (since southern baptist churches don't do haunted houses - ha!) Now they have bouncy houses and petting zoos. :)

On Libbi's FIRST Halloween, we stayed home because the weather was yucky and our baby was too little to take out. She sure did look cute in her FIRST little "costume" though.

Last year we went out trick-or treating for the FIRST time and Libbi loved it. We also had our FIRST neighborhood Halloween party and FIRST fall festival experience.

This year, Libbi considers "8,9,10" to equal a fairly large amount. So she frequently asked for "8,9,10 cannies" (candies) Bless her little candy lovin' heart. She's not the FIRST Tippins girl to have a sweet tooth :-)

On Laney's FIRST Halloween, we went to a "Trunk or Treat" at Libbi's school. It was a FIRST for all of us! Although Libbi enjoyed getting all the candy, I think her favorite part of the night was getting to eat with her little friend Davis before the festivities began. I'm pretty sure it was our FIRST (and only) dinner at a Mexican restaurant with a farmer, a pig, a dinosaur, and a doctor. :)

To see other memories of Firsts on the First, click HERE.

Happy FIRST of November!! :)

mini mail...

2011-10-29T21:11:00.000-04:00

Don't we all love to get mail? I'm not talking about bills, fliers, and the odd mailer that comes every so often. (and FYI....I debated way too long on whether or not it was "flyer" or "flier" and my trusty sidekick dictionary.com said either would work. So just go ahead and call me a nerd right now.)

Anyway...back to mail. you know, the good kind. Handwritten letters, personalized cards, special treats. - That kind of mail. Since we love to get fun things in the mail, it makes perfect sense that our little ones would, too!

Meredith from The Tichenor Family came up with a fabulous idea of creating mini mail partners. It's kind of a modern day "pen pal" for our littles. I signed Libbi up, because I knew she would love it. Sister is ob-sessed with the mail. She watches for the mailman every day and immediately wants to run to the mailbox when she hears/sees him coming. I usually give her all the "junk" mail and she is just over the moon. She'll ask, "'dis my mail????" as she tears into each and every piece of it. :)

For our mini mail partner, we were paired up with Kennedy. Her momma is Hether from The Transplanted Texan. It's so neat, because we're *almost* neighbors - what a small world! :)

I totally forgot to take any pictures of the items that we sent to Kennedy, but maybe Hether will include some in her post. When we received Libbi's "happy box" full of goodies, it's safe to say that she was in the middle of a melt down (which is not all that unusual these days - ha!) She had just recently gone through a bad breakup and was having an "off" day. :) But, upon seeing a package addressed to her (and one that she was free to open!) she quickly turned her frown upside down.

she loves finger puppets...especially when they're monsters and she can make them "ROAAAAAR!" and she loves them even more when they can fit on lay-lay's toes. ;-)

Kennedy sent Libbi some of her favorite goodies - playdough, a book, stickers, even a harmonica (Oh, Kennedy - how did you know that Libbi loves to play instruments?!?) ;-)

Needless to say, Libbi was beyond excited. It was like Mary Poppins's bag - she kept pulling out more and more stuff! If I had a nickel for every time I heard, "open 'dis momma. open 'dis!" I'd be one rich lady. :)

she's worn her "pi-ver rings" everywhere

my poor deprived child did not know what a slinky was - haha! :)

Thank you so much Kennedy (and Hether!) for all of Libbi's goodies! You definitely helped turn a cold, rainy day into a Happy Mail Day!! We hope you enjoyed your happy box, too! :)

(of course it didn't take libbi long at all to break into the chocolate!) :)

If you'd like to sign up your little one(s) to participate in the Mini Mail Swap, it's not too late! Head on over to Meredith's blog to find out all the details. And while you're there, read about all the other mini mail partners!