A Letter to my Daughter

First, there is blog below this one about Georgia's first birthday...don't miss it! Now, I wrote a letter for Reid when he turned 2, so I wanted to do the same for Georgia's birthday.

My Sweet Georgia,

Your smile is intoxicating. Your big green eyes light up with the smallest twist of your lips and you brighten the lives of those who get a glimpse of your joy. Never lose that joy. God does not call His children to merely be "happy." Happiness is fleeting, but joy comes from Him and lives in the deepest part of your soul. Find Him, and you will find endless joy. Your Daddy and I have prayed, even before you were born, that your first love would be Jesus. With Him and that contagious smile, you will be able to live life to the fullest.

As a little girl, there are so many things that you need to learn at a young age. First, your greatest treasure should be your body. It is the temple of God, and should not be taken for granted. Do not be consumed by your appearance or vanity, but know that you are special and deserve to be pure at heart. Only you can make that decision and stick to it. One day, you and your husband will be grateful.

Next, know that your heart is a powerful thing. It holds your deepest desires, and is the
producer of the most powerful emotion and action...love. Do not fear love. Sometimes it hurts...the worst pain ever felt...but you will never regret loving fiercely and unselfishly. And always know, when the day comes that your heart is broken, Mommy and Daddy were made to hold you until the pain eases...we want to.

You were blessed with a pretty amazing big brother. He is the most appreciative and compassionate child. Learn from him. He loves you as much as his little heart can. Everyday he asks about you, watches you and loves you. One day, he will try to protect you. Let him. That is one of his responsibilities. Always know that you have a best friend in Reid and one day, when you have families of your own, only allow that friendship to strengthen.

Sweet Georgia, you and your brother are placed on this Earth for a reason. Both of you were conceived only after the loss of another baby's life. In heaven, we will meet those babies and our family will only grown in size, but know that God wanted you here so much, that Mommy and Daddy were not able to hold your brothers or sisters so you could be created, carried and born. You have PURPOSE. You are here for a REASON. Search for that purpose and live it. Mommy and Daddy will do our best to help, but we cannot and will not force or demand. You will have to trust in Jesus to guide and direct your steps. He will never fail you.

Now, there will be times that you fall or make mistakes. That's okay. Consequences will be different each time, but you have to learn from them. Your Daddy and I will not be able to "fix" everything, and there will be times that we can but choose not to. Know that we have nothing but your best interest at heart and only desire for you to learn, grow and become a better person. God tells us that trials produce perseverance and perseverance produces character.

My love for you is stronger than you can ever imagine. The day will come that you and I can be "friends," but first, I must be Mom. I will make you angry but please rest in the fact that no anger will every interrupt my love for you. You are my precious daughter. My sweet Georgia, I love you.

Mommy

This time last year...

...my sweet Georgia weighed less than 6lbs. She lost so much weight in the hospital because of some breathing/eating issues, but now, she's 19lbs, 33" tall, walking, talking, and stealing a little bit more of my heart with every breath she takes. I can't remember being a family of three...much less just a couple. So much has happened in 4 years (celebrated on June 3rd) and I have two sweet little redheads that I take a lot of pride in.

Georgia's first birthday was simple and perfect. We were pressed for time because Cory and I came home from a wedding in Nashville and were preparing to leave for another wedding in Virginia, so we opted for a small family party and made the sweetest memories.

The food...excluding the two churns of homemade ice cream!

The cupcakes...

Meeting her new friend "Grace" and sitting in her new chair.

Gosh, I love her...

Hmmm...what's this?

It was pretty yummy.

I can't get it all in my mouth fast enough!

Georgia, the world has become a better place because you are in it. Live life and love it...and always know that someone loves you.

How Now "Baby Cow"...

Foster Deas Powell arrived at 7:02 pm May 6. He was 8lbs 4oz and 22 inches long. He's PERFECT! So thankful to add to the Powell family tree.

Big Sister seeing Foster for the first time. She is giving him his passy.

He was wide-eyed most of the time I saw him. LOVE those big eyes.

This was right when he got home. This is the same outfit Kyle wore home from the hospital.

Now if you're wondering where the title of this post came from, let me explain. When Reid pronounces his Uncle Kyle's name, it comes out "Cow." Well, before we went to Auburn to see Foster, I showed Reid some pictures and told him, "That's Uncle Kyle's baby!" Unfortunately, Reid thinks that Foster's name is Baby Cow...and he will correct you if you tell him otherwise. But I look at it this way, as much as he loves cows, "Baby Cow" is probably more of a compliment than anything else that could come from that two-year-old's mouth! Oh well...maybe it won't stick.

She opens her mouth in wisdom...

...and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. Proverbs 31:26

Over the last four years, my life has changed pretty drastically; from becoming a wife, a mother, and then a mother of two. In Proverbs 31, the role of a wife and mother is perfectly outlined, and God gives insight into everything that He expects and desires for the women who love Him. I know I fail miserably...maybe with time and patience that will slowly change. However, God has not only blessed me with His word as a reminder of what I have to live up to, He has given me Godly women, who each play a personal role in the life of my family, as pretty amazing examples. These women raised mine and Cory's mothers, Cory and I, and now love Reid and Georgia more than those two could ever imagine. We love you, and "I thank my God everytime I remember you." Philippians 1:3

My Mom

Cory's Mom

My Meme (My maternal grandmother)

Cory's Granny (Cory's maternal grandmother)

And of course I have to show the sweet faces of my two kiddos. I'm also thankful beyond measure for having the pleasure of being their mother.



**DISCLAIMER** All pictures of mothers were taken with Georgia, not showing favoritism, but simply facing the fact that she is easier to capture for a photo...at the moment. = )

Things I Love...

...about summertime...




Sweet baby faces after eating fresh watermelon.

Bare baby feet after strolls in thick summer grass.

Crocs, for running in cow pastures and picking flowers.

Sticky little boy cheeks after eating too much ice cream on a lazy Saturday afternoon.

Fresh strawberries growing on the back porch.

And listening to little boys learning to call the cows.

Dedication?

I've always used the excuse of two children as the reason that I am not as dedicated of a blogger as I once was. Yes...that may be true...but I am seriously taking a new approach to my priorities. Where is this coming from? Well, let's see...over the weekend, I was "computer-less" because our power cord bit the dust, and our spare was at Cory's office in Andalusia. So I wasn't able to do anything on the computer all weekend. That wasn't too big of a deal, until Monday morning I found myself piling the kids in the car before 8:00 am to drive to Andy to get the power cord...I guess because I couldn't make it until Cory came home. Then I began to notice a pattern...I would get on the computer and check Facebook and my email before I would do anything else. Again, tonight I was eating with friends, and the discussion came up about blogging, Facebooking and the pros and cons.


So where am I going with this?


I want to make sure that the time I spend on the computer is "worth while." Blogging is much more personal...and I'm documenting the lives of my children. I want to limit the needless time, and spend a little more time enjoying what really matters.


SO....if you are a Facebook friend...yes...I am gone. Maybe permanently...maybe temporarily...but at least until I don't need my "Status Update Patch" for the withdrawals. I want to be more dedicated to what matters...like maybe the laundry...Cory would like that.


Here are a few pictures of the kiddos...per Mrs. Nancy and my Mother's request =)

"CHEESE!"

Sissy is so close to walking...

Diva!

This smile makes my day!

Oh, and here is a video of Sissy's latest talent...she is very good as saying, "NO!"

Snow down South

What a weekend! The weatherman kept saying, "Snow, Snow, Snow" but of course, we're always skeptical...but he was right! Cory was able to come home from work, and we stayed at home with the kiddos, (we were supposed to go to the beach for V-day) ate chicken soup, and watched it snow.

Reid was amazed. He kept pointing outside saying, "Ho, Ho, Ho!" Cory and I are grouches I guess (probably because we have had babies in the hospital more times than we care to remember) so we already knew that Reid was not going to get to play in the snow too much. But we did let him out long enough to make and throw a few snowballs and take some pictures. Honestly, I think he liked looking at the snow more than playing in it.


Sweet Georgia is just too little...and too bald to be out in it long. So...I bundled her up, and stepped out on the back porch long enough for Cory to take a picture. She kept looking up, closing her eyes and sticking out her tongue. She was so precious with snowflakes on her eyelashes. She would just look at me with the sweetest smile like she was saying, "Mom, this is magical!"

Even though our snow play was little (no snowmen or snowangels) we caught a few pictures and made some sweet memories.