What a perfect song for this day!

"Free To Be Me" Lyrics
by Francesca Battistelli | from the album My Paper Heart

At twenty years of age
I'm still looking for a dream
A war is already waged for my destiny
But You've already won the battle
And You've got great plans for me
Though I can't always see, 'cause...

I got a couple dents in my fender
Got a couple rips in my jeans
Try to fit the pieces together
But perfection is my enemy
And on my own I'm so clumsy
But on Your shoulders I can see
I'm free to be me

When I was just a girl
I thought I had it figured out
See my life will turn out right
And I'll make it here somehow
But things don't always come that easy
And sometimes I would doubt, 'cause...

And you're free to be you

Sometimes I believe
That I can do anything
Yet other times I think
I've got nothing good to bring

But You look at my heart and you tell me
That I've got all You seek
And it's easy to believe, even though...

And you're free to be you

It's my new anthem!!!!! Just thought I would share :)

Our adventure to the zoo

So yesterday we took a trip to the zoo. Adam and I took Thomas, Claire, Maggie, and Tori to the Memphis zoo. It was so much fun!! I spent all yesterday morning worrying and praying because I was sure that we were going to have a meltdown from either Tori or Maggie, but we got there at 12:15 all fed and ready to see some animals... First thing Tori falls on the playground and busts her lip... Don't you hate it when you're right there and can't catch them!? We went into the Cat Cafe and got some ice and then the monkeys in the window made her happy. So I was so sure that was just the beginning of the end... I was so wrong! We had so much fun. Everyone was happy the whole day. I think we saw every animal in the zoo and Tori took an hour nap in her stroller.. Talk about a good baby!! We saw a sea lion show and a penguin feeding, and the girls clung to me all the way through the animals of the night. Claire was so dissapointed that she couldn't take pictures in there. I think she took a picture at almost every exibit. Tori was making monkey sounds, and lion sounds at every animal and I got an occasional meow, and woof when she thought it was a cat or dog haha... She was so cute!! Her favorite was the lions and the monkeys you should have seen her roar at the lions!!! And every monkey we saw she just "ah ah ah ah ah" until she couldn't see them anymore. Claire has an obsession with hippos so of course that was her favorite. She even remembers their names and said her favorite part was when splish wiggled his ears... silly 10 year old. Maggie loved everything, but decided that if she had to have a favorite it would be the elephant. Thomas said he like all the cats. especially the Puma he took some cool pictures that look like he was touching one through the glass. Tori thought the Puma was pretty cool to. She roared at it. My favorite was the giraffes. Adam agreed. I think maybe it was because they had 3 babies out there. I guess Mommies and babies are my weakness haha... But it was pretty cute!! The sea lion show was really cool and Claire got some really good pictures. All in all it was a perfect trip. The weather was absolutely perfect. We wore short sleeves and didn't get cold, but it was a little overcast so we didn't get hot either. We're alittle sore today from all the walking, but that is so worht it!! Plus I need the exercise. I  am proud to say that no one fell apart at all!! We got some great pictures and made some wonderful memories. I think it was the best trip to the zoo in all my 21 years!! We bought Tori a little souvenier stuffed monkey and I got a picture frame for our sweet family picture. What a wonderful Friday to spend with my family!! Maggie fell asleep on the way home and we picked up McDonalds before we got home at 6:30. We spent 5 hours at the zoo!! Wow... Anyways I know how boring animal pictures are, but I'm going to post a few for you guys :) and a few sweet family pics, and some great kandid moments.... ENJOY!!! i know we did :)

About 2:30 My precious girl was out

Hope you enjoyed our pictures!!!!!

For some reason I couldn't get the commentary to be beside the right picture so in order

1. Sleeping Tori

2. Mommy holding Tori in the carrier

3. My sweet family

4. One of my favorites: such a kandid shot

5. The girlys

6. Tori and the puma

7. Cool sea lion trick courtesy of Aundre the sea lion

8. Sliding right before the busted lip

9. Maggie and her favorite animal

10. Mr. Rhino

11. Claire and her hippos splish and Julie

12. cool polar bear pic. courtesy of Claire

13.Mommy and Tori pointing at the sea lions

14.Panda

15. White tiger

16. My favorite the mommy and baby giraffe

17. Orange tigers

18. silly monkeys hugging eachother at the window

19. Thomas cool picture of him "touching" the puma

20. Tori roaring at the puma and claire growling at him

21. Daddy's turn!!

22. Claire, Tori, and Thomas at the sea lion show

My baby pictures!! People say this one looks like Tori.... Cover up all the hair and I can see it :)

So I was looking through my baby pictures and I found a few. They are a little out of order, but I don't feel like fixing them tonight lol. ... ENJOY!!              Me with blonde hair

My first birthday!!

me and my mommy and my roger(My lovey!! I MISS HIM!!)Roger and me again
4 Generations!

Anyways :) Just thought I would share!!! 

Bows, bows, bows

Carousel Bows



So I have told some of you that I decided one day in January that I did not want to spend $4.00 on a bow everytime I needed a new one and I decided that I would make Tori's bows!! Well that turned into making so many bows that I thought hmm... maybe I could sell these!! Well I took them up to The Neely House on Royal street by the train station and to my surprise they took them right away!! So as of now I have sold 2 bows :) SOOO EXCITING!! Anyways if anyone is needing bows I am selling them for $3.00 a piece and I'd be happy to match a bow to an outfit!!

Picture time!!

So this is the story of the day!! Finally after 14 months of wishing for hair I decided that hair was not coming so with a gift certificate from Adam's family Tori and I went and purchased 5 bows and a headband.... And I am ECSTATIC so finally see my little girl with a bow of her head!!!! I had to capture that moment for sure!! She looks so girly and sweet!!! :)


Eating her PB&J man
Chopping up the christmas tree
Standing over the air vent

Telling Papa she loves him!
Her prissy face
The Day she learned to say Cheese!

Rocking in her cradle.... She's a little too big
Sweet cradle made by Papa, and blanket made by great grandmommy
Bubble bath!!

One more thing!!

Adam has a hernia and is getting surgery on Thursday! It's outpatient but he will be out of work for a while and it's always scary to have any kind of surgery, so just keep him in your prayers!!! Thanks so much! I know he appreciates it

My baby just keeps growing up!

Sorry for the lack of pictures today! I'm on a computer that doesn't have any new pictures on it so I promise I will post a nwe post of just pictures sometime soon after this one. Just wanted to let everyone know that we have a wonderful christmas and new years! Tori was sick the whole time we were in NC so it was a hard trip, but fun never-the-less. She was so cute playing with all her new toys and everyone else's for that matter! She slept through the Christmas Eve Candlelight serivce which was such an answer to prayer! I was so afraid that since she was sick she wasn't going to even let me sit down! So the day after christmas I took her to the doctor in NC, who has taken care of me many a time while down there(Even gave me stitches twice!!), and he was wonderful. She had an ear infection so a round of antibiotics later and she is back to her cute normal self!! New Years was fun, but I kept falling asleep haha. I took nighttime medicine around 10, not smart if ya wanna stay up till 12!! But I made it just in time to get my kiss and go to bed!! I finished up Tori's baby book Saturday... So bittersweet!!!! I put a lot of pictures in and wrote as many things I could think of until I ran out of room, then I went back and read everything from day one... Just made me realize how much I want another one!!! Maybe in about 6 or 7 months we'll start thinking about it :)

So for those of you who don't know here's an update on what ms. Tori is doing with herself these days. WOW is she busy!! She is so cute playing with her toys and her baby dolls especially!! Her Papa made her a cradle for hr baby dolls for christmas and she loves to put her baby in it and sing "La-la, La-la" while she rocks it. She says please in sign language which is rubbing your belly in a circular motion, which for her has become a cute way to get anything she wants. She just rubs her belly any time she wants food or a toy or something she can't have and I melt!!! It's so cute. This vacation was really good for Adam too he got to really bond with her in a way that his job hasn't let him in the past. She runs around the house looking for him screaming "DADA" until he answers. She's very verbal for her age. I'm so impressed with some of the words she says and the things she does! She understands so much more than I give her credit for!!! A couple weeks ago I put this cute little orange t-shirt my dad brought her from Washington and it has a monkey on it. As soon as I put it on her she pointed to the monkey and said "Ah-ah-ah!!" now I know i've told her what th monkey says but she had never said it before!! I'm just so amazed by her everyday. Yesterday she had a dress on and she stood over the vent to make her dress blow up... That was a cute little photo-op. Her favorite thing is her bath and she will just please, please, please to get in it! Then once the water gets running she tries so hard to get that leg up and over before I even have her clothes off. Many of these things I have pictures of and I will get them up soon!!! We miss everyone in NC and OH and I hopre everyone's holiday was as wonderful as ours!!!!