birthmark

Dear Lydda Grace,

Tonight you found your birthmark. We were in Mama and Daddy's room and you said, "I'm going to look in the mirror!" and then, "What's that??" and you pointed to the little spot up under your chin. I'm really not even sure how you saw it.

I told you it was a little spot you have had since you were born. I showed you my birthmark on my arm. Then I told you that that little spot was extra special and that it is one of the things that makes you, Lydda Grace Wylie, so wonderful.

You looked up at me and BEAMED, pointed up under your chin and said, "Tell me 'bout that 'gain." So I did.

Lydda Grace, I hope you grow up knowing that every little thing about you that makes you different and unique is there because God made YOU just the way you are. And He made you that way for a reason. Baby, your Daddy and I love every inch of you and it's hard to fathom that God's love for you is even greater.

Love you lots,
Mama

book slings

A friend forwarded me this link, but I can't remember who, so if you are that person please remind me!

As soon as I saw these book slings I loved them and knew I wanted to do them in the kids' rooms. Lydda Grace was so excited about them and since we put them up yesterday I have already caught her several times sitting and reading and rocking. The basket has blankets and baby dolls in it so she can cuddle and read to her babies.

This was a totally forced smile as she is still in the "don't take a picture of me" stage!


And in this picture you can see her curtains which were recently made as well.

BIG snow!

As much of the rest of the south we enjoyed a big snow that came in Sunday night, January 9th. Jon was off of work Monday and Tuesday and had delayed openings on Thursday and Friday. It was GREAT! I love just being at home, so to not have the option to really leave or the pressure to feel like we needed to go run to this place or that was wonderful. We had some great family time and got a lot done around the house as well.

It was so very cold out that we didn't even take Wade out in it at all and Lydda Grace didn't seem to enjoy it too much (there are no pictures of her smiling while we were outside!).

Okay... maybe this one is sort of a smile!

Enjoying our snow cream. She seemed to like it, but it didn't hold up to mine and Jon's expectation and anticipation!

adventure at edventure

Jon had a retreat he worked at earlier this month so the kids and I headed down to Chapin. We got to all go to the children's museum, Edventure in Columbia. It was amazing! Lydda Grace seemed a bit overwhelmed at first but really loved it. I was impressed that they even had an area that was great for Wade as well. These pictures don't even cover a fraction of the fun!

Lydda Grace's favorite was the little grocery store. (which is why I have a ton of pictures from there).

Entering the store, I love that smile on her face.
Wow! A doughnut!!

Exploring the store with BeBe
Checking out at the register.
Riding on the farm.


Mega baby blocks, it doesn't get much better than this for the Wade-a-roo!
Ice fishing in "Snowville"

A final picture at the peach orchard before we left.

she flys through the air....

BeBe and PopPop majorly surprised us all with a swing set (or as Lydda Grace calls it, "my playground") for Lydda Grace and Wade for Christmas. Assembly help was included with the gift, so BeBe and PopPop came up over New Year's to put it together. It was an all day task for Daddy and PopPop, but of course, very rewarding :)

Lydda Grace really wanted to help.



Apparently Wade loves to swing!

Thank you BeBe and PopPop! We all love our playground!

1st snow of the winter

The day after Christmas we had snow! We actually had to wake Lydda Grace up from her (very long) nap as it was melting quickly and we wanted her to have a chance to play in it.

Taking it all in. Notice the bags on her feet, not too keen on those.


Uncle Mark is a pro snowman-maker and Lydda Grace had a lot of fun.

Learning to throw snowballs with PopPop.

I love this picture!

It didn't take much to convince her to go back inside though... two words.... "hot chocolate."

Wade was perfectly content to stay inside and eat frozen bananas out of his little baby food musher thingy.

Christmas Day in Chapin

Below are a random smattering of pictures from Christmas Day in Chapin, it was super fun to all be together. Just thinking back on it now makes me laugh, it's kind of like a circus there are so many conversations and play and randomness going on all the time!

Traditional picture on the steps before going up to open presents.

LG got some baby bottles in her stocking.

Dad got a Jimmy Johnson shirt in his stocking.

Wade watching all the excitement.
BekBek and HaHa got a sled from Bethy and Mark.
The aunts and uncles all got LG an easel, she loves it!
Sewing with Aunt Bethy.

Mom and Dad got a fire pit for the backyard so of course we had to give it a try!

Lydda Grace dances

Brian took this video when we all went to lunch over Christmas and added some music to it (I need to learn how to do that!). Enjoy!

guest post: bloggers pillow party

My mom is not a blogger, but an avid blog follower... and an exceptional seamstress, so when she saw the Pillow Party at Stitched in Color I was happy to let her use our blog to participate. Who knows, maybe she'll get hooked and start her own :) Following is her entry:

My new pillow creation began with the marriage of our youngest daughter. You may be wondering, how did a pillow tie to a wedding (other than the ones carried down the aisle with rings on them)!? In this case though our daughter's bedroom here at our house had two twin beds with fairly new matelasse spreads (purchased) and dustruffles that I had made. We replaced the twin beds with a double bed of her grandmothers. I cut one twin spread in half and added pieces to the sides of the other twin spread to turn it into a double bedspread. I also adjusted the dustruffles. I had some solid pink fabric from one of the bedspread left over and this is what I used as the basis for my pillow. I would describe my pillow as a sampler of embroidery stitches. I had recently bought an embroidery book by Judith Baker Montano, Elegant Stitches, that I was anxious to try. The straight lines of the matelasse were perfect to use as guidlines for my stitches. My pillow has eight rows of different combinations of stitches, includng french knot, lazy daisy, pyramid buttonhole, chevron, scroll stitch, herringbone and featherstitch. This pillow now lives on the bed in my daughter and son-in-law's room.

by Susan Moore

Please visit Stitched In Color's Blogger Pillow Party to see more beautiful pillows!

Christmas Eve in Chapin

Christmas Eve we headed down to Chapin to BeBe and PopPop's house. BekBek and HaHa and Bethy and Mark were all already there. Sadly Lydda Grace has actually started calling them by their "real" names (well Mark's real name is Mark already...).

When we got there the guys had a surprise and sent Mom and the three sisters to lunch and to get manicures and pedicures. It was such a treat to get time to just sit and catch up and hang out together!

Then it was off to the Christmas Eve service.

Lydda Grace "reads"

Because it's hard to understand in the video this is what she's "reading":

This is the stable where Jesus was born.

This is the cow in the sweet smelling hay, the cat and the kittens and three mice at play, that lived in the stable where Jesus was born.

This is the mother, Mary by name, the mother of Jesus she became, who sat near the cow in the sweet smelling hay.

This is the father, Joseph so tall, who cared for the baby and animals all. But mostly the mother, Mary by name.

These are the shepherds who came in the night. Who left flocks of sheep in their hurry and fright and wished well the father, Joseph so tall.

This is the angel who said, “Fear not.” Who spoke of a birth in a glorious spot and sent fast the shepherds who came in the night.

This is the town of Bethlehem, where families gathered and fill every inn, beheld by the angel who said, “Fear not.”

This is the earth all round and bright that glimmered with hope that first Christmas night at news from a town called Bethlehem.

This is the baby in swaddling clothes. The small, precious baby, the One whom God chose to come to the earth all round and bright, that glimmered with hope that first Christmas night at news from a town called Bethlehem. Where families gathered and filled every inn, beheld by the angel who said “Fear not.” Who sent fast the shepherds who came in the night and wished well the father, Joseph so tall. Who cared for the baby and animals all, but mostly the mother, Mary by name, who sat near the cow in the sweet smelling hay that lived in the stable where Jesus was born.

My favorite is the "smaaallllll pwecious baby" part :)

By the way if you've not seen this book, The Stable Where Jesus was Born, by Rhonda Gowler Greene we HIGHLY recommend!

Christmas in Yadkinville

We left home on Tuesday morning and our first stop was Yadkinville to see Granna Wylie ("Granny Why" is what LG is calling her these days). We had lunch Wednesday with Brian and Uncle Paul in Winston which was a fun treat. We got to visit with Uncle Nick and Aunt Mandy and got to meet Granna's Wylie's boyfriend Richard.



Lydda Grace and Wade both love Granna Wylie's cats (one of which is Finn, the cat we had before LG was born). Finn would lay on top of the kitty condo and LG would just pile toys all around him while he laid there and she would talk to him, "here's a toy for you Finn".... "you like this toy Finn".... etc. Wade just squealed whenever he saw the cats!

It was great to just play, read and relax with family.

never ever let it cool...

A while back Lydda Grace watched The Polar Express, (which she loved) and heard the Hot Chocolate song. We made some not-too-hot-chocolate for her and let her drink from a big girl cup. This is now one of her favorite things and she has her own version of The Polar Express' hot chocolate song.... as seen here....

teamwylie Christmas

Since we were planning to do lots of traveling over Christmas we decided to have our family Christmas morning on the 18th, giving us a few days afterwards to hang out as a family and just play together and have fun!

For our "Christmas Eve" we dragged the double mattress into the den and sat on it while we ate supper (pizza and cookies) and watched these little Disney Christmas mini movies.

"Christmas morning" we had the big reveal of the kitchen and had fun opening the few gifts we got the kids. We spent the rest of the day playing!

I think we all were in our "jammies" well into the afternoon!