Thankful for...

1. A little relief from the busyness.
I finally had two days last week with absolutely NO commitments or obligations! One of those days I didn't even leave the house just to enjoy it :)

2. Time to catch up with friends.
Morgan and I were able to resume our playdate with Kristi and Audrey after a several week hiatus, and Amanda and I enjoyed an extremely tasty breakfast at Magnolia Pancake Haus. I had the most wonderful apple cinnamon waffle ever ... and they even gave free pancakes to Annabelle and Morgan! Could I love MPH anymore?

3. A small group babysitter.
The Newcoms have two new family members so we now have six kiddos in our small group. Kelly brought Christina, one of her pharmacy employees/all-around hardworker/superstar, to watch the clan. She is incredible with kids; I could seriously use a lesson :) AND I was able to secure a full-time sitter for future meetings.

Anyway, why is this super you may ask? It meant all the adults/parents were able to participate in small group without anyone having to miss out in order to watch the kids.

4. A LONG overdue date night with my husband.
Ian and Kara graciously watched Morgan so we could enjoy this privilege. We went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner and then saw Wall E. We tried to brainstorm the last time we had been to a movie just the two of us, and we couldn't even remember! It was so nice... I'm ready to do it again :)

5. Three mornings of prayer time with Jonathan.
We've fallen out of this habit of late and are trying to get back on track. After only three days, I can already see an improvement - we both find we feel a lot better and relate better with one another when we make this investment in our relationship with God and each other.

6. Time to see THREE movies: Sweeney Todd, Singin' in the Rain, and Wall E.
This never happens - maybe one movie but not three! (For those of you who are curious, Wall E is just okay. I say wait until it comes to DVD. And for those of you who saw it, do you agree with me that the underlying message is "Recycle or you'll get fat"?)

7. Morgan has started standing all on her own.
Though not for very long ... which is why I don't have any pictures to post of it.

8. The Fourth of July coming up.
I don't know why I like this holiday so much; I just do. We live in such a fantasticly blessed country, and my heart always swells with pride when we celebrate the Fourth. I think it's all the patriotic music :)

So what are you thankful for?

Dear Ol' Dads...

Happy Father's Day Dad W & Dad S! JD, Morgan & I are so blessed to have such wonderful dads who care for us. You've been through a lot with us, and you have supported, encouraged, and guided us all along the way. You provided for us physically, emotionally, and spiritually until we became the strong, independent adults you taught us to be. And you continue to be there for us! Thanks for EVERYTHING; we love you both,

Barb, Jonathan & Morgan

Dad, Steph & I sharing some cuddle time on the couch

One of my favorite recent photos of Dad & I
...and one of my favorites from our wedding

Jonathan and his dad share some father-son bonding over the duck tank

Happy First Father's Day Babe! You are a great Dad to Morgan.
You can tell how much she loves you by the way her eyes light up everytime she sees you anew - I love seeing it!

It's not easy being .... ORANGE

Today is Morgan's nine month birthday, and in quarterly fashion, we celebrated with a photo session and a doctor's appointment. Below are her pictures taken yesterday at Portrait Innovations. I'm generally pleased with them; I had hoped for at least one shot with a really great grin showing Morgan's redneck smile (she's got like 3 3/4 teeth - only two of which are fully "in" :). I'm already anxious for her 1 year pictures which I plan on having my talented friend Bre take! Ahh... one year old; that means I have to start thinking about a birthday party. Yikes!

Morgan's doctor appointment also was relatively uneventful. However, the first thing the doctor said upon walking through the door was, "Looks like someone's enjoying a lot of orange vegetables." My reaction: Huh? Apparently, the beautiful gold-colored skin tone Morgan is sporting is not a product of being related to my sister Steph or being a sun-kissed beauty but of eating orange veggies! Makes me wonder if I can get a "tan" that way too... Other than that, she's slightly below average in height and slightly above average in weight.

It's hard for me to believe that Morgan has now been alive as long outside the womb as she was in the womb! Both periods of time have been challenging and life-changing in completely different ways. However, I still prefer having her here with me than being pregnant with her (or pregnant at all for that matter!).

Saying Goodbye

Sorry, it's been so long since I last posted. Life has been a bit hectic of late. Last Thursday, June 5, my Grandpa Walsh passed away at age 81. A year and a half ago he had battled with and overcome cancer. However, it seems that fight left his body weakened and unable to fight off other smaller health struggles that had come upon him in recent months. Thankfully, he died peacefully and with family at his side. Although difficult for those he left behind, we know that he was ready to be free of the pain of his health problems and is without question in a better place!

While my grandfather was by no means a perfect man, we will remember the legacy he left for our family. In my younger years, my sisters, cousins, and I referred to Grandpa as "Petey-dink" - I think my cousin Julie coined the name, but I have no idea if it was for lack of being able to pronounce "Grandpa" or for some other reason. One of my favorite pictures of Grandpa is posted below - one Easter he laid of the floor and let four of us grandchildren use him as a jungle gym :)

Thankfully, Jonathan, Morgan and I were able to make the trip up to Illinois for his visitation and funeral. It was great to see the many who came to the funeral home to express their sympathies at our family's loss, their care for my Grandfather, and support of my Grandmother. We were also blessed to have a little time together with Dad, Mom, Matt, Steph, Maddie, and Kel as well as the Kilmer family (my Mom's side of the family) - even despite the circumstances, we are always happy to see family!

Thanks to everyone who was so thoughtful and supportive of me and my family during this time; it was greatly appreciated. Please continue to pray for peace for my Grandma, my dad, and his sister as they all work through the adjustment of life without Grandpa.

Grandpa & I

Easter 1982