Grace is 16 Months Old!

I'm sure it's not possible. Where has the time gone? 16 months have passed since Grace was born...I just can't believe it. Today we pause to give thanks for our daughter who has brought such abundant joy to our lives. We love you, Grace Calleigh!


This adorable picture is of Grace playing her bodhrán (Irish drum) earlier this week. She digs it!

Today is also my nephew's 6th birthday! Happy Birthday, Josh :-) We love you and hope you have an awesome birthday!

Last, but certainly not least, it's my Aunt Barbie's birthday today too. She's also my Godmother, and I love her to bits! Birthday wishes all around :-)

Ike has come and gone...

...and we were spared. Other than a bit of a breeze, we completely dodged Ike's bullet here in Austin, and we're thankful! We didn't even get any rain. I was up off and on during the night checking on the status of the storm. At 5:30 am, I brought the dogs into the garage because the wind was really picking up, but it became clear within a few hours that we weren't going to be in the danger zone.

So we're spending the day watching the coverage of the storm and the havoc it wreaked on Galveston, the Houston area, and the Gulf Coast. Please keep everyone who has been affected by the storm in your thoughts and prayers in the days to come.

Awaiting Ike...

The eyes of Texas are on Hurricane Ike, as we await landfall within the next 5-6 hours. We've been tracking the storm all week, and the path has changed significantly. There was a time when Austin was directly in the path of the storm; now we're on the fringes. They are saying we should only get 1-2 inches of rain and winds of up to 50 mph. In comparison to early projections, this is welcome news. We plan on spending the day at home, and we'll surely be paying close attention to the weather reports.

The news, on the other hand, for those along the Gulf Coast is not good. This storm could bring widespread devastation, so please take a moment to pray for all who are in the storm's path. Pray for safety and protection and that God will watch over us all.

A fun Saturday :-)

Grace and I started our day with a nice walk and a visit to the playground. Grace had a great time playing, especially picking up and throwing the wood chips that surround the swingset and jungle gym. She also liked climbing the steps of the jungle gym, although she didn't want my help walking back down the steps. She wants to be completely independent and isn't impressed when we try to help her do anything. In fact, when I try to take her hand to help her, she looks up and "yells" at me. I can only imagine how sassy she'll be when she starts to talk more!

I took Grace to get professional pictures taken in the afternoon. It's the first time she's gotten professional pics taken since she started walking. It was quite the adventure! I dressed her in her Philadelphia Eagles cheerleading uniform, and as you can see, she looked adorable! The photographer and I had a great time, as we tried to get Grace to 1) stay in one place long enough to take her picture, and 2) show her pretty smile. I'm pleased to report that we were successful! We got some wonderful pictures of our little cheerleader :-) I can't wait until they arrive in a couple weeks!

This evening Grace and I took a road trip to Bastrop to visit my friend's grave. Grace napped all the way there and back, and I used the drive as a time for reflection. I still think about my friend, Dawn, and her family everyday. In October, it'll be a year since she passed away unexpectedly. It has made me realize just how short life is and has reminded me, time and again, of the importance of living each day to its fullest. On the way home, I pulled over to snap the picture on the right. I thought Dawn was reminding me that she's watching over all of us.