Pebble Beach

*Disclaimer:  This is the LONGEST post ever!!!!!!

We had such a wonderful vacation this year.  We went Carmel with our dear friends, The Pardues to beat the heat in Texas and Arkansas.  It is crazy to think that 60 degrees is cold, but it is when you come from 100 degree temps!  Flint and his mom both grew up going to Carmel so there are lots of memories there.  Flint also knows lots of the local places that you can't miss while there.

We stayed right off the coast and couldn't miss a family photo op!  Too bad, Miss Cilla Pants was not in a very good mood! 

The Pardues

Our trip got off to a rocky start after spending over three hours in the Northwest Arkansas airport and nearly missing our flight in Dallas (thanks for that American Airlines!)  But, Cilla was a champ and appartently the Queen of the castle!

Our first day was spent in a little area called the Barnyard.  It is a cute, quaint little shopping area.  We ate Mexican food for lunch and Cilla made the biggest mess I have ever seen her make with her black beans.  Luckily, the weather was so nice and we were on a relaxing vacation so this momma could care less!

She loved the fountain

...and loved getting to walk around like a big girl!

When our friends finally arrived in town we took them to the Dennis the Menace Park.

Fun was had by all!  I think the smile on Flint's face is bigger than the one on Cilla's!

Two little cutie pies!

We ventured out to the beach and as you can tell it was not as popular as we had hoped it would be!  This can't be my daughter if she doesn't like the beach and the sand.  Hopefully, that love will develop with time.

Fortunately, that was an easy fix.

This is Bird Rock.  It kind of reminded us of home.  Not because of the waves crashing, but the seals barking always make us think of our Katie girl!

Harper made friends with this fat little guy!

Out to dinner and not Cilla's best performance.  That seems to be a reoccurring trend these days!

We took one day to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Cilla love loved loved this little play area for the little bits.  There was a little water bed that she thought was the coolest thing ever!  That's our girl...she loves jumping on the bed.  Where do they learn these things?

Our two little peas in a pod.

Apparently, Seahorse daddies have the babies.  This was the Seahorse exhibit and of course Cilla and Harper's daddies thought it was funny!

The cutest little Otters.  They are so fun to watch

Both Flint and I and the Pardues got a night out while the other couple kept the girls and put them to bed.  Since Flint and I celebrated our 8th Anniversary while we were there, we went out that night.  Of course, I forgot to get pictures of our night away.  We went to Carmel By the Sea (as the locals call it) and ate at a yummy little Restaurant called Flaherty's and then we walked around the town.  We ended our evening at Little Napoli's, a little Italian bakery, with macaroons, gingerbread men, and cannolis.  We came to a quiet house and our baby was sound asleep.  Now, that is the perfect ending!

Lauren and Corby also had a night out.  Here they are before heading out.

Flint and I ventured out with Harper and Cilla.  We took them to dinner and headed down to Cannery Row to the Ghirardelli sweet shop!  YUM! YUM! YUM!

Harper admiring her cookie bottom sundae.  Don't worry Lauren and Corby, we didn't let her eat the who;e thing by herself!  

I love this picture with those big brown eyes peeking over that ice cream sundae!  She has NO other cares in the world!

All smiles

this is what she is laughing at.  This little guy, so graciously, cleaned up our mess for us.

Then, the boys got a day away and so did us girlies.

Flint and Corby paid a visit to Stanford's campus in Palo Alto.  They said it is one of the most beautiful campuses and is so rich in history.

Their football stadium, which a Standford alum forked over money to get rid of all advertising inside.

Flint scouted out the Tri Delt house for me.  You definitely aren't in the south anymore!  No offense, west coast sisters, but I prefer the plantation style sorority houses in the south.

Lauren had a connection at a nearby winery, so we got a private wine tasting at Ridge. 

It was sent up in the hills just out of San Jose and it was beautiful.

Grape Experts!

One thing you can't miss while in the Pebble area is the Bag Piper at Spanish Bay.  He is famous.  Every evening he walks the the paths of the course playing and ends by the clubhouse.  It really it neat to watch.  Despite a very chilly evening, we all enjoyed ourselves.

 We had such a fun trip.  We loved having time together as a family and making memories with our friends.

Holy Turf

I just wanted to share a little of what has been consuming my hubby's time these days! 

For those of you who don't already know, Flint has started a website that is all about college football.  It is awesome, and I am not just saying that because he is the face behind it.  I would love it even if he weren't!!! 

Check it out at http://www.holyturf.com/

There are lots of good reads about the spirt of college football, different schools' traditions, football terminology, and one my favs...the tailgating recipe section!  Be sure to look at the "For Women" section.  One of our very favorite recipes is featured today as the first of many Tasty Tuesdays!

I know most gals think of football as being for the boys in our lives, but Flint has done a superb job of making sure all of us ladies keep coming back to visit again and again!!!

If you like it you can follow it on Facebook for all the latest stories!

Three-O

So, I celebrated my thirtieth birthday a couple of weeks ago.  Thanks to Blogger, I have had some trouble posting the pics.  Some are still missing so I guess that gives me another reason to have another post, right?!?!

It was far less painful that I anticipated, thanks to my wonderful family and friends!  In fact, I could not tell any difference in any other birthday!  Besides maybe a little less sleep and the dark circles under my eyes, thanks to my Sweet Baby Cilla!

My parents came up to Fayetteville to kick off the celebrating.  We went to Doe's on Dickson street for dinner and we had Bliss cupcakes.  For all of my NWA friends, the Marshmallow Brownie is a MUST have!  Only one word describes them- AMAZING!!!!! 

Thanks mom and dad for everything.  I love you bunches and I am so thankful for all of your love and support.

Then we were off to Kansas City for a fun-filled weekend with some of our dear friends, the Moore's.

              

We had lots of fun.  We went to Kaleidoscope, a children's museum in downtown.  Cilla loved it.  Especially pushing all the buttons!  I love the picture of her standing on her tip toes to reach the button.

We shopped at The Plaza and ate lots of yummy food!

Everything was going great until Cilla woke up in the middle of the night having thrown up and with high fever.  My actual birthday was really kind of sad.  I ate all three meals in our hotel room hanging out with our very sick baby.  It broke my heart.  Not for myself, but for sweet girl.  We still do not know what hit her about it took her almost a week to get back to her old self.   

Breaks.  My.  Heart.

 Isn't this pitiful?!?!  She sure is trying to smile.

We did get dressed and go out to the lobby for a little while.  Only to end up back in bed.  She was fascinated by the glass elevator that you could watch from the lobby!

Our traveling toddler.

  She was a very good sport about being in three different hotels over the course of about 6 days.  After we left Kansas City, we went on to visit two college towns: Lawrence and Manhattan.  Flint wanted to see Kansas and Kansas State campuses since they were so close to KC.  Even after being at Baylor for two years, he had never made it to either of those Big 12 college towns.

Flint was so thoughtful and went the extra mile to make my 30th special.  He found a delicious bakery and had my favorites {chocolate and red velvet} delivered to our hotel!  Thanks, Love, for thinking of all the little details. 

Despite Cilla being so sick, I still had a great birthday.  I am so thankful for everyone who helped me celebrate.  Thank you for all of the fun gifts, the message, texts, and phone calls.  I really appreciated it all and it made my day!

Happy 8th

Today Flint and I are celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary.  WOW!  Time really does fly!  I am so thankful that God blessed me with Flint.  I couldn't ask for a better husband or father.  God really is the ultimate matchmaker {and I have my bestie Laura to thank, too ;)}  We have had a wonderful eight years.  I am so proud of Flint.  Life has handed him a lot the last few years and he has handled it with such grace and through it all he continues to point our family toward Christ.  We have been through lots together, but it has only made our marriage stronger.

It is so funny how the Lord works. He brought Flint into my life when I least expected it, but in His perfect timing! I was not looking for love or even a relationship at the time…I was just having “fun”. It did take me a little while to take interest, but Flint waited for me, the Lord worked on my heart, and the rest is history. I am so thankful for Flint’s discernment and his persistency in seeking his Heavenly Father and then me! After a bumpy spring semester and summer of 2001, It took only one of our first dates of sitting out in a thunderstorm in Razorback Stadium waiting for the Hogs to take on Tennessee for Flint to know that I was the one for him!

Now, over eight years later, I know that things couldn’t be more right. I see more and more everyday how God so fearfully and wonderfully made Flint and when He made him, He had me in mind to be his wife!   God definitely answered all of my prayers when he blessed me him.  Being married to Flint is so much fun and yes, babe, I still think you are funny!

I love you so much, Flintastic!  Happy Anniversary!

Home Sweet Hog Country

How we have missed you, Hog Country.

Many of you already know, but to some this may be new news.  Earlier this summer we moved back "home".

To our Alma Mater.  To the place where we met, feel in love, and got married.

To the beautiful Ozark Mountains.

To a pretty quirky town with some to die for local dives.

Waco Friends,

 We miss you all bunches and bunches.  I know our time together in Waco was short, but you are so dear to us and you hold a special place in our hearts.  You were the friends that that saw us through the lowest lows when Flint's mom passed away and you were the friends that rejoiced with us when baby Cilla was born.  You helped us to "survive" our first year with a baby and you were Cilla's first friends.  We love you guys and think about you every day!

Arkansas Friends,

We missed you and there is nothing that can replace old friends that you have experienced life with.  We are excited to reconnect and we look forward to making new friends here, too!

Sweet Sixteen

I can hardly believe that Cilla is 16 months old today!  I have been terrible at updating about her...moving will do that!  So, brace yourself, this may be a very long post.  But there are so many things that I do not want to forget.  This past month Cilla has really started to turn into a little girl and is rapidly losing some of the sweet little "baby" qualities about her.  I love watching her grow and learn but (sigh) it makes me really sad, too!

Where do I begin?!?!

 *She is so so busy and energetic and mischievous!  Oh, and a dare devil.  She is learning to climb and it may make my hair turn gray!  

*She has such an outgoing personality and such a fun sense of humor.  She is the little person who people love to be around.   

*She has not gotten any new teeth since right after her first birthday.  She is still holding strong to 12 pearly whites!

*She is definitely learning to test her mommy and daddy.  I feel like I tell her "no" more than I tell her anything else.  Let's hope it is getting through that hard head that she has!

*She loves loves loves to swim.  She has been missing our pool in Waco.  But, honestly, her mom and dad are not missing it.  She would walk straight off the edge into the water.  Can we say "No FEAR!"

*She loves our dogs (and all dogs for that matter).  I am not sure the feeling is mutual.  

*She is sleeping like a champ.  She is in bed by 8 p.m. most nights and sleeps until about 7:30 a.m.  

*We have been a one nap a day family since well before we moved back to Arkansas.  She takes between a two to three hour afternoon nap.

*She babbles lots but says few words.  She says "mama", "dada", "nana" (for banana and my mom), "baba" (for balloon)....she knows "duck", "quack", "horse", "naaaaaaaa", "Katie" and she has distinct ways of saying each of these, but it is hard to make them out.

*She is such a girly girl.  She is really into clothes, shoes, and purses.  It really is hilarious and we are not sure where she got it from.  Actually, we know exactly where it came from, but I PROMISE...I did not encourage it!!!

*She loves to read "Barnyard Dance", "Snuggle Puppy", "All the Ways I Love You", and "Kisses".

*When we say "WHOOOOOOO", her hands automatically go up in the air.  Every little Hog fan HAS to know how to call the Hogs!  This one makes us so proud.

*She still loves her giraffe and her paci.

*She is obsessed with her infant carrier and bouncy seat.  She REdiscovered these while we were packing and unpacking during our move.

*She weighed almost 27 lbs last week when I took her to the doctor.  She is still our little chunky monkey.  But the way I see it, there is more Baby Cilla to love on!  And her little legs are just deliciously plump and precious!  I LOVE IT! 

I could go on and on!

Cilla, It is such a blessing to be your mom.  You make me so so proud.  You are smart and witty (and you keep us on our toes) but we love you just the way God made you  Although we have 'toddler moments' several times a day, I still love my days with you.  I don't take one day for granted that God has given me the opportunity to get to spend my days with you; Teaching you.  Despite how exhausting it can be, I wouldn't trade it for the world.  You are so beautiful (which I know) but it makes me so proud when people stop us out in public to gawk over you!  Although I hope you are pretty on the outside, I pray everyday for you to be pretty on the inside.  It makes my heart melt to watch you learn to love others and to begin to have a heart that loves Jesus.  I love you so much more than you will ever know.