June

The last month has been super crazy in our life (as it always is). I am so thankful that Brandon gets to work with Uplift and that I get to help him do it. It is so much fun and great to see so many teens come together to worship the Lord. We are slowly recovering from three weeks of very little sleep.

Claira was not so sure about this Uplift thing. She had fun but missed seeing her daddy and having mommy's undivided attention. My mom was here for week 1 and Brandon's mom was here for weeks 2 & 3. Thank the Lord for Nonna and Grammy!!! Last year Claira just slept in the stroller and ate all the time. Not this year, she is always on the move and getting into things. Grammy drove to Little Rock and got Claira a Cozy Coupe car that she drove all over the Benson lobby. It was a lifesaver for a little girl who was already starting to hate being in the Benson.

One of the best parts about Uplift is that our best friends, Tyler and Kelly and their boys get to come help us. It is so great to spend three weeks together, catching up and letting our kids play. The verdict is still out on which boy Claira is going to marry. I don't know what we would do without them. Kelly and I managed to sneak away for a pedicure one day and it was wonderful.

Brandon is going to Nicaragua on Thursday so Claira and I are going to Atlanta on Wednesday to spend some time with my family before my parents move to Baton Rouge, LA in August. We are so excited about their new adventure.

We attempted to keep Claira up for the 4th of July fireworks, but she normally goes to bed by 8p.m. So, it was only 8:15p.m. when we decided to take the screaming child home. Hope you got to enjoy the fireworks for us. It was nice to come home and go to bed early after all the fun.

Here are a few pictures of our crazy June:

Making cookies with Grammy.

Going to church with Grammy while Mom and Dad worked.

Enjoying her first ride in the cozy coupe.


Going to get dessert with Keynan.
Keeping us entertained in the cafeteria.

Claira Update:13 months

I am still in amazement at how fast our little girl is growing. I keep asking Brandon, "When did she get this big?" It seems like she should still be a little baby rocking in my arms. Good luck getting her to sit in your lap forget even trying to rock her.

This past week has been so fun just getting to spend some good quality time with just Claira.

"Trash" has been the new word for the past week or so. She picks anything up and puts it in the trash can for me. She stands next to me and waits for me to blow my nose so she can go put the tissue in the trash. She has started taking toliet paper off the role and then says "trash" and puts it immediately in the trash can (sometimes she pretends to blow her nose on it first).

Claira has also learned how to put words together "more please", "milk please", etc.

Everything is "one more". She can stack "one more" block on top, she can find "one more" piece of trash, she needs "one more" bite of food. She is so cute.

We have been taking her to campus to play on the front lawn in the evenings since no one is there. She is getting really good at kicking the ball. Her Uncle Jay would be very proud. She is going to be a great soccer player some day.

She wakes up in the morning ready to name all the things in her room and make all the animals noises to her stuffed animals. I love that the elephant is her favorite (ROLL TIDE!).

Another new thing is her need to "knock, knock" on every door. This has been especially funny since we are in Houston staying in a hotel. This morning she tried to knock, knock on every door on our way to breakfast (sorry to those people of the few doors she knocked on before we could stop her).

I think my most favorite thing she has been doing lately is her kisses. She's been blowing kisses and giving us kisses when we kiss her or if we ask for a kiss but recently she has just started walking up to us (and sometimes other people) and sticking out her lips to give us a kiss. She is such a sweet little girl.

Here is my new favorite Claira pic. taken by Brandon's sister, Christy, when we were at the zoo for Memorial Day/Carter's Birthday.
Thanks Nonna for the giraffe shirt that says "I love long hugs". Perfect for a day at the zoo.

24 of Carter.

1. The way he gets excited about little things. Turning on a light, snack time, going outside, the wagon, etc.
2. Singing "Jesus Loves Me" when putting him down for a nap and him ending with a loud "SO"
3. His big laugh, especially when he and Claira make each other laugh continuously.
4. Every time we go somewhere, I load Claira in the car first and then come back for him and he asks "Where's Claira?" like he doesn't have a clue that she is in the car and then gets excited and screams "Claira!" When I open his car door and he sees her.
5. When he and Claira hold hands in the car.
6. His wet kisses.
7. The big hug he gives Claira after getting in trouble for being unkind to her.
8. The way he is always looking for my approval and wants me to be proud of him.
9. "HANDS!" - any time there is something (food, dirt, etc) on his hands that he wants you to get off.
10. Hitting the same button on a toy over and over again.
11. "No poopoo"- any time his diaper is just wet.
12.Wanting to be a big boy and help do anything I ask.
13. His love for Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
14. Tickle time.
15. Singing. Especially "My God Is So Big" and "If you're happy and you know it"
16. The way he can stay clean when playing outside while Claira is covered in dirt.
17. The conversations he has with himself when he wakes up from his nap.
18. Reading books.
19. "Phone"- anytime my phone rings, he lets me know and helps me look for it.
20. "Nanon"- getting excited every time Brandon walks in the door.
21. "Bye Bye Nanon"- anytime Brandon kisses me Carter assumes he is leaving to go back to work.
22. Counting- Carter counts all the time especially when we are driving in the car.
23. "Shhh"- reminding me to be quiet when Claira falls asleep in the car.
24. Feeding Claira- when I ask him to share his snack with Claira he sweetly puts it in her mouth.

I have been so blessed by getting to keep Carter for the past 10 months. He is the most wonderful little nephew I could ever ask for. I am so thankful for the time we have spent together and the great friend Claira has. Carter's daddy is a school teacher, so he gets to spend the summer playing with his dad. I think Ben's goal is to remind Carter what it means to be a man; no teapots, baby dolls, bows or purses. I am excited about only having to take one kid to the grocery store and changing half as many diapers but I am sad that Claira is not going to have her playmate every day. Luckily Carter just lives around the corner and he did get a new swing set for his birthday this weekend. So, I have a feeling we will be visiting often.
So, on our last day together- I just wanted to say - "I love you Carter man."

Look how little they both were in August when Carter started coming over.

One of my favorite pics.
Talking on the remote/cell phones.
He wanted to wear a bow like Claira. (Shh, don't tell Ben.)
Fun times in the wagon.
They love to swing.
I might not miss the sound of the constant drumming.

Claira’s Birthday Week:

Claira turned 1 year old on Tuesday. I can’t believe it has been a whole year. It has been a crazy, full week. Tuesday morning Claira opened her first round of presents and ate a big birthday breakfast with her mom, dad and best buddy Cousin Carter. They played hard all morning, then we met Brandon and Lloyd for lunch and then a trip to visit our animal friends at the pet store (if you don’t have a zoo, check out the pet store. Claira and Carter love it!). Claira got to spend her birthday evening with her Great Uncle Randy while Brandon and I went to the David Cook concert- I’m not much of a big concert fan, but it was a great show.

Wednesday- my mom and dad came in to continue the celebration. We took a big trip to Wal-Mart to get everything we needed for the big party on Saturday.

Thursday- Claira’s Great, Great Aunt Nancy and her Great Grandmother came in from Mississippi and Florida. Mom and I spent the morning working on Claira’s big birthday cake. We also had a big Uplift meeting Thursday afternoon and Friday morning.

Friday- Brandon’s parents got in around lunch. I thought that was the end of the party train, little did I know that there were a few more people coming in. We went to One Stop in Georgetown on Friday night- all of both of our families together. The food was great, and it was so neat to see everyone together for Claira’s birthday.

Saturday-Mom, Brandon and I spent the morning putting up all the decorations and getting everything ready. My dad had spent the night with my Uncle Randy and they secretly went to the airport and picked up my sister and her little foster boy to surprise Claira (and me) for the party. The BIG PARTY. Everything went great. The weather was beautiful, and I think everyone had a great time. Claira got a lot of stuff, mostly some great outdoor toys including: a sandbox, picnic table, swing, wagon, bubble mower, and lots of bubbles. She also got a bunch of books, clothes, and fun girly stuff. It was so great to just relax and enjoy the day with our wonderful family. Claira decided to take a morning nap and slept right up to the time of the party- I was so glad she was well rested and ready for the fun. She was not a big fan of cake for the first time. She ate a few M&Ms off it but kept reaching for the cheetos left over from lunch (apparently she prefers salty to sweet). We took an afternoon nap and then met up with the Tittle family for dinner at a new pizza place in town. We went to the park afterwards and hung out for a little while before returning home to get Claira ready for bed and play cards with all of my family. It was such a great day.

Sunday: Today- Brandon and I left this morning to go on our anniversary trip to Washington D.C. Just incase the week wasn’t crazy enough… we were also getting ready to leave. Brandon’s parents are keeping Claira while we are gone for a few days. Currently we are sitting in the airport waiting for our connection.

I promise I will post pictures when we get back from our trip.

I still can’t believe we have a one year old. She’s growing so much every day. Every time I turn around she has learned a new word. Her new favorite for this week was “door” and then she knocks on the door and says “knock, knock,” and she also learned “star”.

I can’t wait to see what our beautiful little girl is going to do in the next year.

This is the only picture on Brandon's computer- Birthday morning opening presents. What a cute little girl.

How Can I Keep from Singing YOUR Praise?

there is an endless song
echoes in my soul
i hear the music ring
and though the storms may come
i am holding on
to the rock i cling

how can i keep from singing your praise
how can i ever say enough
how amazing is your love
how can i keep from shouting your name
i know i am loved by the king
and it makes my heart want to sing

i will lift my eyes
in the darkest night
for i know my savior lives
and i will walk with you
knowing you'll see me through
and sing the songs you give


i can sing in the troubled times
sing when i win
i can sing when i lose my step
and fall down again
i can sing 'cause you pick me up
sing 'cause you're there
i can sing 'cause you hear me, lord
when i call to you in prayer
i can sing with my last breath
sing for i know
that i'll sing with the angels
and the saints around the throne

I got to sing this song on Wednesday night- standing between my parents in the teen center at their church. My parents are going through probably the worst storm of there lives and yet they have never lost sight of the one who is worthy of all of their praise. I sang as silent tears ran down my face as I thought about how God will always take care of us through the storm if we continue to look to him.
It has been so great to be with my family this week. I am sad that I am not here all the time to face the storm with them. I have always thought that my parents were pretty great people but this week I have gained a whole new respect for them and all they do for others.
I am laying in my bed in my parents house looking up at the glow-in-the-dark stars I put on this ceiling almost 12 years ago. As I am writing this, I am thankful that instead of being caught up in the storm, my parents went up to the church to spend a few hours in prayer together. I am blessed beyond anything I could ever imagine.

I know I am loved by the king and it makes my heart want to sing.

Thanks Esh for the beautiful pictures.

My best friend from high school came to visit this past weekend. We had a great time watching Harry Potter, eating chocolate chip cookies and Krispy Kreme donuts, staying up way too late, but mostly playing with Claira. Esh is a wonderful photographer and I am so thankful she took some amazing pictures of Claira while she was here. Here are a few of the 181 pictures she took. Check out my facebook album for a few more.

Claira loving on her baby doll. She wants you to take turns loving on the doll with her.


I love her dimples.

We were singing- "My God is so BIG, so strong and so mighty. There's nothing my God can not do."


Her hair is getting too long to leave down. I like the new do when she will sit still long enough for me to fix it.

Thanks Auntie Esh for the new shades.
I can't beleive Claira turned 11 months old on Saturday. She is almost 1 and I'm not ready for it yet. We are in Atlanta for the week spending some time with my family and celebrating my nephews 2nd birthday- missing "dada" who stayed home to work.
Hope you are having a blessed week.

Happy St. Patrick's Day.

Hope you are having a wonderful Tuesday.
Claira will be 11 months old this weekend!!! Mom is not ready to have a 1 year old. She is growing and learning so much every day.

Here's our big girl ready for St. Patrick's Day.