14 Weeks

This past weekend was very busy and full of fun! We went to Jessica's wedding shower tea in Henderson on Sunday afternoon. She is like my little sister and we are so excited for her and Clay as they will marry in June. She will begin her teaching career this coming fall in Kentucky. For the past nine years, each July, she and her sister Anna Catherine have helped  set up my kindergarten classroom. They were in our youth group in Henderson and have stayed close throughout the years. This summer, I hope to help her set up her very first classroom. We attended evening church services in Henderson. It was so neat to introduce the girls to our family there. The new church building was just completed and they made final completions and moved a few weeks ago. It was beautifully done and  Jessica's wedding will be the first one in the new building. The girls got to meet our dear friends, Miss Julia, Rosemary and the Lowe's, as well as other members at the Henderson church. We stayed with the Bloomingburg's and the girls enjoyed getting love and hugs from Doc and Deb. Thank you for the hospitality. The Southern Pecan Fresh Market coffee and poppy seed bread hit the spot on a rainy Monday morning drive!

We then headed to Memphis for a few hours to attend Debbie's retirement party. I've taught with Debbie the past four years. She is so much fun to be around. She would always invite me to her room for morning breakfasts before the school day started. I will miss teaching with her and hearing her sunny

singing voice down the hallway! I'm very excited for her as she begins this new part of her journey.We also stopped by my classroom so I could read to my class. The Buckaroos were very surprised and loved meeting the girls!

And yes, I was one of those who said, "I will never drive a mini-van," and yet this past weekend we got ours! After trying to feed both girls in the trunk of the CR-V and making several trips that were very crowded to say the least, we decided practicality is the most important thing right now. I never thought driving a mini-van would be this cool, but I have to say we are loving it and enjoying every automatic  slide of those side doors!

Mary Charlotte and Elizabeth at 14 weeks

Before our first church service at our new church home in Nashville

Elizabeth napping before we load up.

Mary Charlotte all in white and ready to go.

Funny faces in the morning time.

Mary Charlotte loves her Boppy pillow!

We just got our finished plaque! Love it so much!

Good-bye CR-V, hello Mini Van!

Mary Charlotte

Elizabeth's expressions are funnier by the day! Would love to know what she's thinking!

My sweet Miss Julia and the girls!

Junie and Larry with the girls

Ann and Jerry with the girls.

Clay and Jess holding MC.

AC with MC

Jessica, Donna, and Elizabeth

Rosemary with E and MC

First B'burg sleepover

Elizabeth and Mary Charlotte

E, MC, Froggie and Puppy

Mimi and G-Daddy with all their grand-babies, big and small! 

3 Months and a Fashion Show from the Past

Last night after church, we took the girls three month pictures. A couple days late, but at least the right week! You can tell they are crazy about Daddy! He sings and talks to them all the time. The girls are laying on a blanket my Grandma Golda made and the little chalkboard I've been using belonged to my Grandpa Virgil. He used it as a child in primary school for math and writing assignments. We happened upon it one day when we were stripping a hutch he gave to us as a wedding present. I never would have guessed it was in there, but so glad it was!  I've kept it over the years knowing at some point I would put it to good use. As soon as the girls were born, we brought it out and starting using it to mark their special days. I think he would be proud knowing it is still being used and enjoyed. I'll try to only use it for a few more months and not make them stand with it at their high school graduations!  This morning, I had a little....or a lot of fun putting my baby clothes on the girls. I'm so glad my mom kept up with them throughout the years, because it is surreal, thinking about me being small enough to wear these clothes, my Cabbage Patch kids wearing them, and now our precious baby girls having them on. Here's to Elizabeth's and Mary Charlotte's girls wearing them someday! I'll try to take good care of them...maybe they'll make it another 30 years!

Elizabeth and Mary Charlotte, 3 Months, on Grandma's Blanket and using Grandpa's chalkboard

Flirting with Daddy! I can only hope they find this good of a guy to flirt with later on in life!

Mary Charlotte wearing Mommy's pink ruffle dress. It fit perfectly!

Stretch and grow, MC!

"Elizabeth's hospital look is complimented by a furrowed brow," said Mommy in her runway voice. 

My belly is hanging out of Mommy's shirt...get me some real clothes people!

Elizabeth wearing a dress made for me by Norma, my mom's best friend. I think I wore it for my 3 month picture?!

MC wearing a romper I wore and another one of E wearing my purple dress. 

I'm happy today, oh yes I'm happy today.....

Take that Elizabeth!

Wanna hold hands, sis?

Clothes for our first trip to the Puffy Muffin

We're still working on how to sit like a lady!

You're getting very sleepy....very sleepy.....

Come on Mommy, can we be done with the fashion show?

Okay, I really mean it now, it's been fun, but let's move on....

First Trip to Grandma's and Grandpa's House!

This was a very full weekend! I had plans of blogging and getting my "to do" list done first thing this morning, but we were so busy this weekend, the girls and I crashed in bed  and caught up on some much needed rest. Someone told me laundry and dishes will wait, but babies will not. This morning I took full advantage of that pearl of wisdom, and decided to enjoy the girls and bed a little longer. 

Our weekend started on Friday morning as we headed to my parents' new house for Easter weekend. I really should have started packing Thursday night, but for some crazy reason, I thought it wouldn't take that long to get everyone ready! Ha! I guess we weren't too bad, because the plan was to leave at 8 a.m. and we actually got off by 9 a.m. Lots of help from Daddy made it possible for us to get out of the door before noon! We enjoyed the trip there, as the sun was shining and the girls were napping the whole way. We had to wake them up  for their 11:00 a.m. feeding somewhere in Kentucky. As soon as we got to Mom and Dad's, we fed the girls again and got unpacked. Our first order of business was to take the girls out to the country to meet their great Grandma Golda for the first time. It was so amazing to watch her interact with them and to see her face for the first time when she saw them. My Grandma Golda is very special to me and I'm so glad she got to meet the girls. Later on in the weekend, she surprised us with handmade blankets for the girls. She started making them in October, shortly after she found out we were expecting. The true treasure of this gift was the time she put into them. Her little shoulders hurt everyday and the thought of her going through pain just to make something so special truly touched our hearts. It's a gift of love that the girls and I will treasure for years to come and I'll always remember that special moment when I opened them at the shower and looked up to see my grandmother's smile as she made the effort to come to the shower. Her strength and determination to stay busy and get out of the house, despite her physical pain, amazes me and I'm just so glad that my girls got to meet her and that she was able to spend so much quality time with them this weekend. 

Friday evening, my dear friend, Becky got to meet our girls for the first time. It was so fun watching her interact with the girls as well. She and her husband, Jared, have always been special to us and we enjoy seeing them anytime we can. Becky and I met for the first time during Thursday school when were four years old! The girls also got more hugs and love when they got to meet more Illinois family, Bud, Norma, Lisa and Whitney. They came into town just for the shower and were putting finishing touches on the decorations on Friday night. It was so nice to see them the night before the shower on Saturday. Lisa has always been such a great friend to me and the sister I never had. From infancy to adulthood, she's always remembered special days, given me sisterly advice, and been there for me anytime I needed her. What a wonderful friend! Whitney, her daughter, was the flower girl in our wedding ten years ago. It seems surreal that she is now holding my girls in her arms!

On Saturday morning, my mom, Norma, Lisa, and Whitney hosted a shower brunch for Elizabeth and Mary Charlotte. The food, decorations, and gifts were wonderful and I'm so grateful to have such love and support in my life. They were generous with their time and resources to make a special day for the girls and for me. My mom's friends came together to make lots of yummy dishes for the brunch and Lisa made everyone laugh at the shower. Everyone had fun and it was a really comfortable, laid-back shower. Whitney wrote down all the gifts and it was wonderful to see everyone. Former teachers, church members, and life long friends came and it truly was a day I'll remember for years to come. Thank you, Mom, Norma, Lisa, and Whitney for an amazing shower and memory for Jason and me!

On Sunday morning, we woke up to a delightful smelling house as Mom made a delish quiche. The girls received Easter baskets and were dressed by Grandma Di Pie and Daddy. Mommy was busy getting ready, so we were thankful to have extra hands. Mom chose the pink gown for MC and J chose the white gown for E. The bonnets they wore will eventually be worn again as handkerchiefs on their wedding day. They also wore handmade booties from Hulene Pate, a special Memphis friend from church.  We took lots of pictures of the girls as Sunday was their three month birthday as well as their first Easter and visit to church. I was glad to be able to take the girls to my home church, where J and I were married as well as the place I grew up. It felt so great to have everyone meet the girls and be able to attend church services together as a family instead of going alone. We are very relieved their homebound time is coming to a close! Mom held Mary Charlotte through services and Norma held Elizabeth. It was a wonderful service and we were so glad to get to be home for this special day. A big thanks to my parents for a great weekend!

Sunday evening, we stopped by Patti's, a special restaurant for J and me. This is the place only a few months ago, we told our parents about our little ones that would be coming soon. Kind of neat to think that the girls had actually been there before and were getting to come for the second time! 

We are so blessed to have such loving families. The girls are very fortunate to have grandparents on both sides that are good examples and Christians. I'm so thankful to have shared such an amazing weekend and first Easter with my family and our new loves! I hope you have a great week! Love and hugs from Nashville and the Beard Babies!

Grandma Golda and Mary Charlotte 

Grandma holding the girls for the first time.

Grandma feeding Elizabeth. 

Whitney, our flower girl,  feeding Elizabeth.

Whitney was such a natural with the girls. 

Lisa holding Elizabeth

Baby talking time with Lisa

Mom and Elizabeth talking to Becky and Mary Charlotte.

Mom with Elizabeth

Beautiful decorations from brunch

The flowers came from the Miselbrook's land. They picked over 500 daffodils for the tables!

Elizabeth and Mary Charlotte surrounded by the gift table. Everyone was so generous!

Mommy with E and MC

A picture with the hostesses, they did such a beautiful job with the decorations and food. 

Grandma was able to come to the shower on Saturday morning.

Mrs. Smalley was my high school home economics teacher and she taught me so much while I worked at the Badollet House Bed and Breakfast in her home. 

Grandma got the first hold at the shower.

Becky, my life long friend

Colorful panchos handmade by Sheri Thomason

My sister in law, Denise's mother, holding MC

Opening up the handmade afghans from Grandma Golda....tears flowed

More tears flowed as I opened a card from Elizabeth that said, "To my first friend" on the outside. My Elizabeth is named for her and I miss her so much! These are handmade gifts from the Middle East.

Someone is watching you, Becky!

Becky with Elizabeth, Mommy with Mary Charlotte

Marlis, Rita, Norma, Julie, and my mom with all her lifelong friends.

Stacey feeding Mary Charlotte. I babysat her kids during high school.

Dianne, a family friend,  feeding Elizabeth after the shower.

Becky's little girl, Nora, getting acquainted with Elizabeth. 

Mom and Dad holding girls on their new back porch on Easter morning.

Grandpa with Elizabeth Diane and Grandma with Mary Charlotte

Daddy with Elizabeth and Mommy with Mary Charlotte

Their first Easter baskets on their first Easter before going to their first church service.

Sweet Norma holding the girls after church.

Bud and Norma helping with the girls.

Connie and Marilyn holding the girls. 

Grandma Di Pie holding MC and E. 

Mom and Dad with the girls at their first church service.

Our two new little loves!

Grandma Golda getting more snuggles before we headed out for Nashville.