Project Smile

This year our League started a new Community Project that is truly amazing and rewarding. Once a month we go in to the New Scott and White Children's Hospital that just opened in October and do various activities with the Children that are staying there. The new Hospital is incredible.... WOW!
The theme for this Month was "Big Hearts and Little Hands Party". We made several Valentine crafts with the precious Children and their families. Several of the kids are allowed to come down to the craft/play room but some kids are not able to leave their rooms so we take the party to them. I had the opportunity to to visit a 4 year year old little boy, and make a a cute Valentine truck with him. He was so precious, and he loves Cars, and especially the movie, Cars. He really knew his stuff and his room was decked out with lots of Cars and trucks. :) I continue to think and pray for this little boy very often... he really touched my heart.
All I know is when I got home I hugged my precious children a little tighter.... life is so precious and you must truly cherish everyday.
JLBC is truly doing the most good in our Community, and for those that are in League and are reading this post and have yet to Volunteer for Project Smile I urge to attend next month. You will not be sorry, and I think it will change your life..... I know my heart was touched.

Inspired

I left Thursday afternoon and made my way to Austin and then to Houston! Thankfully, I had our President Elect, Elect with me to keep me company. I dropped Tyler and Georgia Kate off with Ghee and Poppy before I hit the road and there were not any tears when I left (I guess they were excited about some Ghee and Poppy time). We arrived at our Hotel just in time to register and get ready for the Welcome Reception at the Headquarters for the Junior League of Houston. WOW!! Talk about a inspiring Building and League.
Friday and Saturday were jam packed with inspirational and motivating training sessions! Those sessions really made me realize how blessed I am to be apart of such a amazing organization that is touching lives all over the world, but it also freaks me out in a way that JLBC is entrusting me to run our League!! :) It is hard to fathom that in only a matter of months I will be the President of the Junior League of Bell County. I have truly been given a amazing challenge that I am ready to tackle, and thankfully I have some amazing Actives and Sustaining Members (I am referring to you, Jen..... get ready. :) ) that will be such a huge wealth of knowledge and support during my Presidency.
Friday night I had dinner at the Melting Pot with a whole bunch of amazing Women from all over West Texas... Abilene, Lubbock, San Angelo, Wichita Falls.... the list goes on. I have had the opportunity to become good friends with these women, and I know we will all depend on one another next year.
I arrived home late Saturday night, and I was so ready to see my family... too bad the little people in our house were asleep. I really wanted to wake them up, but did not. I am so thankful to my amazing parents and husband for taking such good care of Ty and GK while I was gone. Thank you for loving and supporting me on this journey!

Donuts For Dads

On Friday Morning Tyler had a special guest take him to school.... Daddy! Tyler loves when Daddy can take him to school, and he especially loves when he can come in and have breakfast with him. What a fun Friday Tyler had!

I got back late last night from Houston, and it felt so great to be home! I got great big hugs and smiles this morning from my biggest and littlest Princess. It was a wonderful time, and I learned so much. I will share more later.... Still trying to re group after being gone for a couple of days.

Party!

On Saturday Georgia Kate attended her first Birthday Party! She slept through the majority of it, but I know she had a great time! :) We celebrated our sweet friend Sadie, turning 4! It was a Princess Birthday party, so I loved seeing all the little girls in their Princess outfits... I can't wait for GK to run around in Princess attire. We had such a wonderful afternoon with some very special friends. Our little Prince was too busy running around with his friends to take a picture.

Well, tomorrow is a day I am dreading.... I will be leaving Georgia Kate for the first time!! I will be gone until Saturday evening... NO. I will be heading to Houston to attend the Association of Junior Leagues Winter Leadership Conference. Thankfully, it is in Texas this year! This is one of my roles as being President Elect... I have the privilege of getting some amazing training with women from all over the world. I know that Ty and GK with be in wonderful hands while I am gone... they will be spending a lot of time with their Ghee and Poppy, and Ty already packed his bag... full of toys of course. :) I told my Mom I was a little jealous of her. :)

However, I am so thankful for a wonderful Husband and Parents who are so supportive me and this amazing opportunity I have to serve our Community. Wish me luck, and pray that I don't cry everyday until I get home. :) Be still my heart!

18 Months

It is hard to believe that our amazing littlest boy was born 18 months ago. I have been missing him like crazy and have been very weepy for the past two days when my thoughts would turn to him, but I have also been reminded of Gods faithfulness to us when I see so many glimpses of Landry in his little sister. I still think of Landry so much and the 2 days we had with him. I love you and miss you like crazy, Landry!

God is still doing wonderful things in our life through Landry, and has restored our loss in so many amazing ways.

Adjustment

I get asked a lot how I am adjusting to having two kids and most of the time my heart drops when I hear this, because I have three kids... but it is hard because you just can't see one of them, but Landry is always in my heart. Therefore, my response is always the same. I have been ready for two kids for over a year, so I am loving every minute of it! And that is true... I love it!
Honestly I was adjusting to two after Landry was born, granted we never left the Hospital with Landry, but Tyler was at the hospital the majority of the time, so we had to find a way to give each of our boys the love and attention that they needed, and that was challenging and heart breaking all at the same time.
Of course bringing Georgia Kate home was a adjustment in several ways, but it felt so good to finally have the craziness in our house that we were dreaming of with Landry. Now we have a system that seems to work most of the time. Sure it took some time, and the most exhausting part is the nights that Ryan works late and it is just me for dinner, bath, and bed... I am tired just typing that :)...... but we got a really good routine in place for those occasions, so I am much more calm and pleasant!
I know in most peoples eyes I am the Mother of two, but there will always be that one little boy in the middle that people can not see. Adjusting because of a growing family is a challenging and rewarding task that I am proud to be apart of.

Watch Me Grow

3 Months

The months our flying by at our house! Georgia Kate is such a amazing little girl and everyday with her is gift. I am loving this stage with her, because she is trying and learning new things daily. Georgia Kate loves to smile, coo, squeal, and blow bubbles..... you can't help but smile when she flashes one of her grins, it melts my heart every time. I find myself staring at her all the time because she is truly a miracle, and I am so blessed that God called me to be her Mother.
I was so terrified the whole time I was pregnant with Georgia Kate, but I can honestly she was worth every fear and emotion that I experienced while carrying her.
Georgia Kate is doing a great job with her schedule, and still doing really well at night.... I hope it sticks. She still loves to be swaddled, especially by her Daddy. Gk loves her Big Brother and just watches him all the time. Tyler loves when he can get her to smile. I am so blessed by all three of children, they are all so special in their own unique way.
Georgia Kate has truly blessed our lives and has restored a sense of hope and joy that was missing last year. We love, Georgia Kathryn Steele. You amaze me.

Family Stroll

We have had extremely warm weather here the past couple of days so this afternoon we decided to do one of our favorite things.... walking and playing at the park. Ryan has been working late the past two nights, so Tyler was ready for some Daddy time today.....we all were. It was a fun family outing, and what a wonderful way to gear up for a weekend.

Look At Me

Look at what I can do!! I am such a big girl with a even bigger bow that came in the mail for me today. Thank you Cousin, Bridget! We love it.

I also learned that if I lean over too much I will end back up on my back. You better watch Ty I will be coming after your toys very soon.

My Little Girl

Fast and Furious

I always have the best intentions to sit down and blog every afternoon while Georgia Kate naps and Ty has some down time but it always seems like a look up and it is already 8 pm, and by that point I am too exhausted to write about anything.

Our days just seem hectic at times, but I would not change it for a minute. Last night I had a Junior League meeting and today has just flown by, It felt like we were always on the go and to top it off we spent two hours at the vet with one of our dogs..... two kids at the vet was a experience but they did really well considering we did not leave until 6 pm (Our sweet Abbie is also doing ok, too).... And on top of that Ryan was working late. Thank goodness for a Sonic gift card! Now it is 9 and I am done for the day.... Whew.

Martin Luther King Day

A relaxing Monday with 2 of my favorites!
“Those who are not looking for happiness are the most likely to find it, because those who are searching forget that the surest way to be happy is to seek happiness for others.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

Baby It's Cold Outside

Who knew that bundling up could be so fun. I am so in love with this precious gift from God! Her smiles light up a room and melt my heart. Our home was in need of this beautiful girl, our Georgia Kate.

Coach Steele

We love our Coach! Gk is in need of some blue!!

Basketball

Basketball Season started shortly after Georgia Kate was born, and Ryan thought he would tackle yet another sport this year, and help Coach Basketball. Who would have thought that a Superintendent of Schools would be a football and basketball Coach.... only our Superintendent!

I have yet to take the kids to game yet this year, so I felt it was time to go and cheer on our Westphalia Blue jays! We didn't make it through the whole game due to GK's bedtime routine and schedule. Poor Tyler, our little Coach in training walked off the court in tears. He was in tears because he was able to sit on the bench with the players while his Daddy Coached. Ty was loving it! We are so proud of our Daddy and all that he does for his School.

I have been working on this post all day but for some reason I am having a hard time posting pictures. I got one up, but I have a favorite that I can't seem to get up here so I will try again later.

Wordless Wednesday

Paying It Forward

Last week seems like a blur and I still feel like I am still trying to catch up on everything. It is easy to feel this way when you are taking care of 4 instead of 2. I guess I should point put that the extra 2 were my parents. My parents thought it would be fun to plan surgeries on the same day..... I really questioned this so many times since I would be the primary care taker, but looking back on everything it all went very smoothly. Last Wednesday both of my parents went in for minor procedures. Of course they had to be at different locations... but it all worked out. Times like these make me miss my Brother, and dread becoming a only child. Thanfully I have a wonderful Husband and Family. Not to mention my parents amazing friends that were willing to help me. My Aunt came in from Austin and was with my Mom, and I was at Scott and White with my Dad and Georgia Kate. My Dad was in good spirits before his Surgery and of course loved showing Georgia Kate off. I should say that GK did really well for the all the time we spent in the waiting room.....waiting.
Ryan was willing to take a half day so he could pick Tyler up at school and then they came up to Scott and White so we could have some lunch and wait together. After lunch I was really flustered and tired. Therefore, after we spoke to the Doctor about my Dad, Ryan agreed to stay and wait for my Dad and take him home. I really don't know what I would have done with out Ryan.... Thank you. I was able to go home and get the kids ready for Ghee and Poppy's house..... I was there nurse on Wednesday night. :) Ryan called me at one point on Wednesday evening to see how the kids were doing. I think I got everyone situated and all in bed by 8. I kept telling my parents I was going to get them on Georgia Kate's schedule to make it easier for me. :) The next morning was a little better, and they were able to get around a little bit better. I am so thankful that they both have had a quick and easy recovery so far.
My parents have done so much for me over the years that last week and even grocery shopping for them today has made me realize how thankful I am for them and how I would not want to be any other place right now.

Note To Self

Please obey all traffic laws and speed limits! Because if you don't you will get a ticket and have to spend your day watching a Defensive Driving DVD. How do I know this, because I am spending my day watching a DD Video and taking quizzes. Boring! Thank goodness the video has lots of cars, school buses, trains and emergency vehicles for Tyler. I think he might be enjoying it more than me. :) Well, I better get off and pay attention so I can pass!

Ringing In The New Year!

Make new friends but keep the old.
There was something special about being able to ring in the year with 2 of my oldest, well maybe I should say long time friends instead of old. :) We even made it up till Midnight! I have known these girls since I two , so we have a lot of memories and stories to tell. Our paths have not always been together but it feels like time has never left us when we get together. I am so thankful for Emily and Laura and their beautiful hearts and friendship. Friends like these is one of my favorite parts about still living in the town that I grew up in. We actually just welcomed Laura back not too long ago! So blessed and thankful for wonderful friends. I am really not sure where I would be today if it were not for old and new friends.

Celebrate

My Mom is a New Year's Baby! So on January 1st we celebrated our Ghee with dinner and a yummy Ice Cream Cake. We love you, Ghee!

Victory

I grew up loving the Baylor Bears. Mainly because my Dad went to school there and he actually played football there..... we took Ty to his first Baylor game last year and of course we followed the Football team this year. On Thursday night Baylor played in a Bowl game against Washington (where my Mom went to School). Therefore, we headed over to my parents house for some great family rivalry fun and a house divided. As you can tell my Mom was out numbered. :) Well the Victory went to the Bears..... Sic Em' Bears!!

2 Months

GK's appointment was during her morning nap time. :) I adore her.

Our sweet little girl turned 2 months on December 22 (this Momma is a little behind.... poor girl). Turning 2 months meant a trip to the Doctor for a check up and shots! Georgia Kate is getting so big. She weighed 10 pounds 14 ounces and 22 1/2 inches tall. Gk still eats every 3 hours starting at 7 (7,10,1,4, and 7). The even better news is she has been consistently sleeping through the night since 8 weeks. I am hoping it sticks.... naps have been pretty good since we have been home, but it will all change tomorrow when Ty goes back to School. Hopefully, we will get back into our school routine quickly. I love a routine and schedule. :)

Everyday when I look at Georgia Kate I am reminded of Gods faithfulness and perfect timing. I can not imagine our life with out our precious beautiful gift from God.

Christmas Day

Our Christmas Morning started early, well 7 since that is when Georgia Kate eats. :) My parents were with us as we opened present after present. Ty and Georgia got lots of fun stuff and it was so fun having our sweet girl with us this year. It is amazing how our lives have changed in just a year. Poppy never let GK go, well until it was time for her morning nap.... yes, our sweet girl was napping during the majority of present opening.
Christmas was so much lighter this year, and I am so thankful for that. Honestly, last Christmas seems like a blur to me. Of course I still missed Landry like crazy, especially on Christmas Eve as we were starting new traditions. However, I was reminded how God can make broken hearts anew.
My Aunt and Uncle and two Cousins came in to town later in the afternoon and we had a wonderful Christmas feast with lots of laughter. Overall we had a very special first Christmas. Ty's cool new bike. Thankfully, we have had some beautiful weather outside..... last week and today have been spent outside riding up and down our street and occasionally around the block.

Georgia Kate is already for Baseball Season. She will be sporting her Braves Onsie from her Daddy.

Well, Ryan is back at work and Tyler starts tomorrow so we are slowly getting back in to the swing of things. I was actually sad to see Ryan go..... we really had some nice and much needed family time. Ryan did lots of work outside building a new dog house, Ryan can do any kind for a long period time, as long as he has talk radio close by. I actually helped when I could, however there was not much talking because I have learned not to talk during Rush or Shawn Hannity. :)

I guess now I will just start counting down the days until Spring Break. Mainly I am thankful for a Career that allows Ryan some much needed and deserved time off.

Christmas Traditions

Throwing out the Reindeer food!Our poor Christmas Cookies! We put just a little too much dough, so they grew really big in the oven. I will work on my Cookie skills so I am all ready for next year.

Having to say good bye to Francesco until next year. We really enjoyed our special guest Elf.

Reading our Christmas Eve book. Mater Saves Christmas.... I immediately thought of Ty when I saw this book.

I have always Christmas Eve traditions ever since I was a little girl, and have been looking forward to the moment that we could start our own family Christmas Eve Traditions. This year we introduced Francesco the Elf, making cookies and reindeer food for Santa and his Reindeer, and being able to open up one gift (a Christmas book that we will then read before bed time). Tyler really enjoyed everything, except it took lots of bribing to get him to help me with cookies. It finally took Ryan coming in to the kitchen to decorate with us. Sweet Georgia Kate was already in bed with visions of Sugar Plums during the majority of our Christmas Eve activities. For Tyler when it was time to finally go to sleep he had the hardest time falling asleep... to excited about Santa coming to our house. So thankful for all of these fun traditions with my family and look forward to many more.