Andi & B ..... and Avery makes three!!

365 Photo Project

2011-02-06T23:44:00.011-06:00

I am taking on the daunting task of taking a picture every day for a year. I'm on day 18 and believe me.. it's not as easy as it sounds. I'll be posting the pics on the 365 Photo Project site, my Flickr account, and on facebook, so feel free to follow my progress.

I'm hoping this challenge will help me to be diligent about being behind the camera daily. I love being behind the camera, but there are days that become too busy and the camera goes untouched. Sometimes those days turn into weeks. Picking up the camera daily helps me become very familiar with my instrument, helps me sharpen my skill, helps me train my eyes to see things with different perspective and forces me to be creative. Being behind the camera is also a time of worship for me. A quiet time for me to spend with the Lord. A time for me to acknowledge him as magnificent creator and praise him for the works of his hands. It's amazing how much beauty you see with one eye closed and the other looking through that little square box. Beauty that may have otherwise gone un-noticed or taken for granted in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Hopefully I'll prove to be a better daily picture taker than blogger. :)

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things and in him all things hold together." Colossians 1: 15-17

Let it Snow!

2011-01-12T23:04:00.012-06:00

I haven't blogged in AGES!! I know, I know! I warned you that October thru December was a crazy time for me. Hopefully this first entry of 2011 will be the start of me being a more diligent blogger. Time will tell. :)

This weekend Dallas had its first snow of the season! I say first, because I'm hoping we have at least one more and hopefully the next one will have a bit more substance. I mean, the rest of the US seems to be in a state of "Winter Wonderlandment" (yeah, I made that up) and what do we get in Dallas? Bitter cold without the white stuff that can make even the most miserable scene picturesque. We want ours too! :)

Here are some pics of Avery in our "big snow". As you know, she's a beach girl, but the snow made her very happy. She had no idea that it was just a light dusting. To her it was if she was in Vail ready to hit the slopes. She had the best time and then an even better time when we came inside and had hot chocolate with a special surprise.. marshmallows! This girl finds joy in almost everything.... oh to learn that.

Hint: you can click on the above pics to see them in a larger version. :)

Avery's Olivia Birthday Party

2010-10-27T11:53:00.036-05:00

Avery's 3rd Birthday was on October 2nd. It happened to be on a Saturday this year so we were able to have her party on her actual birthday. The theme was Olivia the Pig. Olivia is the main character in the Olivia books and she is also the star of her own show on Nick Jr. This was the first year for Avery to have an opinion about her birthday party and she wanted Olivia. We had yet to do a character theme until this year and Olivia proved to be the perfect one!! I have to admit I was skeptical at first about the color theme... red, black & white? I am a "happy colors" girl... bright shades of pinks, greens, yellows & oranges, especially for my little girl's birthday, but once I embraced it, I loved it! It turned out to be so much fun!!!

I wasn't able to find any Olivia party supplies, so I had to make most of the decorations. I made the cupcake toppers and used Olivia stickers to go with our theme. Favors were watercolor palettes with an Olivia color sheet and tags I made with one of Olivia's "Rules of Life"..."Red is absolutely, positively the best color for everything." :) We also used Olivia stuffed dolls and print outs from the Nick Jr site. We had Red punch and a sweets bar with all red candy (except for the red, black & white M&M's). Avery and I wore the party colors (apparently Daddy didn't get the memo.) The day was absolutely beautiful and we had the best time! Here are some pics from our special day.

Invitation: Invite Delight Too Found the invite here and had them printed at Fedex.
Cake: Society Bakery Greenville Ave location - So very yummy and the decoration was AMAZING and perfect! Will definitely use them again!
Cupcakes: Tom Thumb Bakery- 7700 Northwest Hwy, across from North Park Center. This is the 3rd year I've used this bakery for cupcakes and they've always been wonderful.
Avery's pillowcase dress: Jazzy Girl Boutique

Ice Cream

2010-10-13T00:13:00.018-05:00

Our niece Madison and nephew Connor... affectionately referred to as Mae & Coco by Avery, spent the night with Grandmommy & Papa over the weekend. Since I'm practicing my photography, I thought I would do a photo shoot with them. I have taken pictures of Maddie & Connor for years, but have never done an actual "shoot" with them. I've always been able to get great pics of them doing activities, running around and being silly, but I was surprised at how difficult it was to get natural shots of them in this "photo shoot" setting. They seemed to be very aware of the camera and wanted to pose everytime I pointed it in their direction. This delivered a few good pics, but wasn't what I was going for. So... I did what any good amateur photog would do... I brought out the ice cream! And guess what?? Ice cream did the trick! So fun! :)

Gotcha Day

2010-10-10T12:31:00.031-05:00

I have been trying to write our adoption journey story for 3 years... seriously. I have pieces of it written, but am having a hard time putting it together. Maybe I need an editor. :) I had intended to have it finished and on my blog in time for Avery's Gotcha Day celebration yesterday, but to no avail another year has gone by and still no story. I will keep working on it though. I want Avery to have it and I want to tell our story... it's an awesome story! So stay tuned...

Yesterday we celebrated Avery's "Gotcha Day". Gotcha Day is the day when our eyes saw our daughter for the very first time and we had the joy of bringing her home.. the day we became parents! Avery's Gotcha Day is 7 days after her birthday. It may seem weird that we celebrate both her birthday and her Gotcha Day, but to us they are both very special days that deserve their own celebrations. As my sweet husband always points out... Avery's birthday parties tend to be a bit over the top, but our celebration for Gotcha Day is much more low key and personal. Usually it's just the three of us spending the day together, going for a special lunch or dinner and so far has always involved ice cream.. one of Avery's favorite things. Gotcha Day is a day for us to reflect on that sweet day when our lives would be forever changed. It's a day for us to praise God for his faithfulness and goodness to us and it's a day when we remember Avery's birth mother and birth family and the sacrifice they made. It's a day for us to celebrate the miracle of adoption.

Here are some pics from Avery's Gotcha Day in 2007 and from our celebration yesterday.

Avery & Landen meeting for the first time... love at first sight. :)

And now.... so big!!

Avery's Year in Photos

2010-10-03T14:32:00.006-05:00

I have come to terms with the fact that I am not a scrapbooker. Well.. at least not in the traditional sense. I am much more of a photobook and slideshow maker. Actual scrapbooking stresses me out and I'm pretty sure hobbies are supposed to relax you. So, instead of cutting out cute paper things and glueing them onto a page (no offense scrapbookers... I secretly envy your creativity and patience), I take a digital approach. Last year, Larry Lewis, a friend I grew up with offered to do a slideshow of Avery's 2nd year for her birthday. It turned out great and is one of my very favorite things. After my smart husband gave me Photoshop Elements for Christmas, I decided I would start doing the slideshows myself. I keep all of my pics of Avery organized by month, so it's pretty easy to put a slideshow together. I import the photos to Photoshop and then organize them the way I like and add music. Music is a MUST!! I'm convinced that we all have a soundtrack playing behind our lives... just like the movies.

Here is this year's slideshow. It's pretty long since I take so many pics of our little love. If you have a few minutes give it a watch.

I'll have pics and commentary up soon from Avery's birthday party. It was so much fun!!

3

2010-09-29T23:36:00.023-05:00

Since Avery's birthday is right around the corner I decided to do a photo shoot a couple of weeks ago to commemorate this 3 year milestone. I made the decision to do it myself because I feel I know her the very best and know how to capture her personality on film. It's also my joy to photograph her. So we just went out in the backyard and did it. I hope I don't regret later not taking her into the studio or paying a professional to do it. I always prefer outdoor pics to studio ones and Avery loves to be outside, so it seemed like the thing to do. And hey... the price was definitely right!

We used a couple of props that I would like to give credit for:
Avery's fab sparkly pink name sign(which unfortunately we broke during the shoot :/)was given to us by a sweet friend that I grew up with. My friend Angie Bailey has a business called GlitterPop. She makes lots of fun signs, bow holders, and other girly things. Her business is currently on hold and she's not taking orders, but hopefully will be again in the near future.
Avery's white baby grand piano was given to her for Christmas last year by her Aunt Alison, Uncle Alan & cousin Alex.
Avery's pink Converse Chuck's were a "starting preschool" present from Grandmommy & Papa.

Here are some pics from our little photo shoot. The two in my last post were also from this shoot.

In just 2 days, our sweet Avery will be 3 years old!! This seems almost impossible. Where has the time gone?! I had absolutely no idea when I laid eyes on that sweet, tiny, 5 pound; 2 ounce bundle for the first time that she would become such a beautiful, joy filled, people and animal adoring, music loving, opinionated, passionate, dramatic, silly, fearless little girl who would undeniably steal her Mommy & Daddy's heart. Avery Grace... the first born of our hearts, our precious gift from the Lord, our Little Love, our baby girl, our sunshine, our daughter.

The Sweetest Face

2010-09-22T22:29:00.014-05:00

Last week, Debra invited her readers to take close ups of their kids over the weekend. I didn't pick up the camera this weekend, but fortunately I had taken a few of Avery last week, so I'm posting those. Hope this isn't cheating Debra. :)

Everyday I have the joy of looking at this face....

The sweetest face I have ever seen.

Preschool Mom??!!

2010-09-19T10:59:00.001-05:00

I wrote this a couple of weeks ago and haven't had the time to add the pics and publish it...

9/7/10
Seriously, I have no idea how this happened, but I'm officially the mom of a preschooler! Lots of emotions are attached to that statement...excitement, sadness, fear, joy, anxiety, pride.. and the list goes on. I'm sure I'll have many posts on my processing of all of this.

Avery is going to preschool 2 days a week from 9-2 and her first day was last Friday. I had a few mini-meltdowns on the days leading up to Friday, but then in true Andi fashion, I pulled it together and put on the "I'm so excited!" face as soon as Avery's eyes opened that morning. We had a fun morning getting her stuff together and taking some pics. Brian was able to go into work late and went with us for the inaugural drop-off. I'm soooo glad he went with me! My husband is always a comfort to me when something big and nerve wracking is happening. He's also a heck of a lot calmer than me in all situations...which is just a nice way of saying he's not a spaz like me. Thank goodness!

We arrived at school and Avery was super excited. She looked precious of course with her backpack and lunch kit... Oh my, I'm still having a hard time believing that she's even old enough to have a backpack and lunch kit! As soon as the doors were opened, she sprinted down the hall to her classroom, went right in and didn't even look back. After a reminder from her teacher to tell us goodbye, she came over, gave us hugs and then waved and said, "bye-bye." Brian and I were shocked! Not that we wanted her to cry, but we were in awe of how great she did. We left the school (no... I didn't stay for the boo-hoo breakfast they were throwing for the mommies) and I was on my own for 5 hours! My first stop was Starbucks and then I ran some errands to keep my mind occupied. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that I didn't cry!!! Can you believe it??!! Really.. I only teared up twice, no ugly cry.

At about 1:00, I started getting really excited to pick Avery up and hear all about her day. I forced myself to not pick her up early and got there right at 2:00. She was sitting in "circle time", when I got there and was so excited to see me! Her teacher told me she had a good day except for being "sad" at naptime. I guess that's preschool code for "she cried." :( This was really no surprise to me. I knew she would have a hard time with this part of the day, despite the super cute napmat we got her. She never naps well without knowing I'm nearby and her regular naptime is about 2 hrs later than the one at preschool. Other than being sad, her teacher said she did great and enjoyed playing with all her new friends most of all. (That's my sweet Avery... She'll pick people over objects anytime.) She seemed to be pretty enthusiastic about her day other than when she told me her school made her sad. I'm pretty sure she was trying to tell me about her naptime experience, but that of course was hard for me to hear. We were able to talk about school several times over the long weekend, so hopefully her return this week will be happy.

Here are a few fun pics from the first day. So grown up!!

Blog Update:
Avery has been attending school for 3 weeks and has done better each day! Her teacher says she's stopped crying at naptime and has gone pee pee on the potty! I think she really loves all the nonstop activity and being with the kids. She has been a little clingy in the mornings before school and a little hesitant to go, but never any crying and when she gets there she's fine. Last week she came home quoting a paraphrase of Luke 1:13... "Do not be afraid; your prayer has been heard." Such a blessing to my heart!! I loved hearing her speak God's word and even without prompting. I pray that He will give her a love for His word even now!

I have done pretty well with the preschool thing except for the 2nd day when I realized the novelty of the 1st day was gone and she was actually going to school on a regular basis. That day was hard and I couldn't wait to pick my baby up! Since then, I've been able to keep my days busy with errands and have even had the luxury of a couple of "grown up" lunches with friends. That has made it much easier. I know God has a purpose for my time away from Avery and I'm hoping to use it well.

My baby is growing up!!! She turns three in just 13 days! Preschool is definitely a big milestone and will be a season of change for us. Most of you know that I don't do change well. I usually resist and dig my heels in at first, but then eventually embrace it. This has certainly been no different. I'm sure my heels left huge prints and the drag marks are still going, but I'm getting there.:)

Bad Reader

2010-08-24T22:51:00.012-05:00

Not only am I a bad blogger, but I'm also a bad reader. Just a few years ago when I had a little more time on my hands, reading was something I really enjoyed... and not just the reading of blogs, status updates or tweets.. the reading of actual books!! I love books. I love being surrounded by them in bookstores, I love having them on my nightstand, I love holding them and sometimes falling asleep with one in my hands... love them, I just have trouble finishing them lately. These days, my standard operating procedure is to start two or three books at the same time and after a few days they inevitably end up sitting next to my bed collecting dust. Of course, one or two of them get chosen to go on vacation and trips with me, and one usually ends up in my car just incase I have a few minutes while I'm waiting to pick up Trevor, but they never actually get read. So, my goal for next month is to finish at least one of the books I've started. Lofty, I know... but my goal nonetheless.

I used to read... promise! These are the last 3 books I can recall reading in somewhat of a timely fashion:
The Kite Runner- Khaled Hosseini
Same Kind of Different as Me- Ron Hall & Denver Moore
The Memory Keeper's Daughter- Kim Edwards

Here are the books that I've started that are currently stacked up next to my bed(okay... so it's more than 2 or 3):
So Long, Insecurity You've Been a Bad Friend to Us- Beth Moore
Eat, Pray, Love- Elizabeth Gilbert
Crazy Love: Overwhelmed by a Relentless God- Francis Chan
Adopted For Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches- Russell D Moore
Sheperding A Child's Heart- Ted Tripp
My Sister's Keeper- Jodi Picoult (In my defense, I've had to put this one down several times.. the subject matter is hard for my mother's heart.)
Christian Beliefs- Wayne A Grudem
A Sweet & Bitter Providence- John Piper

Books I want to buy, but won't until I finish at least one from the list above:

Choosing to See- Mary Beth Chapman
Momfidence! : An Oreo Never Killed Anybody and Other Secrets of Happier Parenting- Paula Spencer
Instructing A Child's Heart- Ted Tripp

I'll keep you posted on my progress... hold me to it! :)

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who does this. Come on, you can tell me. What's in your "stack"?

Bad Blogger

2010-08-06T21:38:00.023-05:00

I am a bad blogger. It's been almost a month since my last post, which seems impossible, but July flew by and before I knew it... it was August! Why is it that the summer goes by so fast?? I guess the old adage is true.. time flies when you're having fun. And we've been having lots of fun!

Here's a re-cap of our fun summer...

1. Brian and I celebrated our 15 year wedding anniversary in June! Yay us! :) We had a great date night with dinner at the restaurant where our rehearsal dinner was held. So greatful to the Lord for his faithfulness in our marriage and for my sweet husband.

2. Our fabulous beach vacation to the gulf coast of Florida.

3. My mom and I celebrated our birthdays in July. I celebrated what I've been calling "the one before the big one" and my mom celebrated her 60th... she won't like it that I told you. ;)

A few years ago....

and now...

We celebrated my mom with a dinner at Macaroni Grill complete with a yummy cake from Celebrity Bakery and some surprise guests! Our sweet friend Patty, her husband Omar and their daughter Bella came in town from Houston to suprise my mom. She had absolutely no idea and the look on her face was priceless. So fun!!

The next night I had a fabulous girl's night out dinner at La Duni, one of my very favortie places. Such a sweet night with friends... yummy food, delish margarinha and best of all... adult conversation!! It was long overdue and I am so thankful for the beautiful ladies who made my night so great! Love each and every one of you!

And apparently, I have the most ridiculous facial expressions ever when opening birthday presents... sigh.

4. At the end of July Avery and I flew to Ohio to visit with my family there. We had a wonderful time as always at my Aunt Jenny & Uncle Alan's. My sister Becca and her son Kaden (14 months) and my cousin Becca (yes that's right, two Beccas) and her son Matthew (19 months) were also there. It was so much fun to see those kiddos running around together. Avery loved playing with those boys! We played outside, swam in the pool, went to the park to play, fed the geese & ducks and got to experience Kaden & Matthew's first pospsicle!! It was great to spend time with my precious grandparents and watch them delight in all the great grandbabies. I loved the "mom talks" I was able to have with my sister and cousin and the "adult talks" we had after the kiddos were in bed. It's fun that we all have kids so close in age. I also had a blast taking pictures with my new lens (my fun birthday present)!! I seriously took almost 500 pictures... seriously! I love taking pictures of kids and these three together were constant inspiration. Such a fun trip!

5. Tomorrow Brian and I will celebrate his birthday early since I will be leaving town...yet again and will be gone on his actual birthday (bad wife!). This trip is to West Virginia for my cousin Michael's wedding. My mom, Avery and I are flying out next week and will be staying for a week to visit family there and attend the wedding. This will be my last time to travel this summer and when I return it will definitely be back to business mode. Trevor will start school, Avery will start preschool, then Avery's 3rd birthday, then before you know it the holidays will be here... YIKES! Sad that the summer with its carefree days and all its fun is nearly over. Hopefully I'll find some time to blog once the madness of Fall begins.

Beach Baby

2010-07-08T21:17:00.038-05:00

The Stubblefields were blessed beyond measure when we were invited, by my childhood friend Patty, her husband Omar and their daughter Isabella to join them on vacation at the beautiful Canary Cottage beach house they rented in the Santa Rosa Beach area of Florida. Santa Rosa Beach is located between Sandestin and Seaside in the panhandle about an hour outside of Pensacola. Brian grew up in Gulf Breeze which is a suburb of Pensacola and we absolutely love that area. There is really nothing more beautiful than the emerald water and white sand and I am so glad Avery was able to have her first beach experience on these amazing beaches! She even got to spend some time on Pensacola beach.. the beach her Daddy grew up on. Avery loved everything about the beach. She loved the sand, she loved playing in the water, she loved the waves and she even loved her sunscreen, which she reminded me to apply. :) It was such a joy to see her experience God's amazing creation for the first time. We made so many precious memories!

Avery Grace... these are some sweet memories I have of you from our vacation:

1. I loved how you were Daddy's girl the week of our vacation. I know he secretly loved that he was your favorite this week. :) You two were so precious playing in the ocean together. (A lady on the beach told me that watching you and Daddy was better than any movie or tv show.) I loved your game of waiting for the wave and then jumping. I love how you charged into the water then looked for Daddy's hand.. and it was always there to catch you.

2. You and Daddy flew a kite together and then you flew it on your own!

3. I loved how you squealed, "Mommy!! The ocean!" when you first saw the water. I loved the awe and delight on your face when you put your feet in the ocean for the first time.

4. So funny that you called Patty & Omar's dog Jaxson, "Sparky" out of the blue and called him that for the entire trip.

5. You drove me crazy (scared me is more like it) going up and down the stairs of the beach house but it just reminded me that you are a fearless little girl with so much confidence. You know you are loved and that your Daddy & I are here to catch you when you fall.

6. Your bikinis and beach hat were the cutest things I've ever seen.

7. You and Bella were so precious with each other...sisters. Running on the beach, singing and dancing to Justin Bieber's "Baby", eating ice cream at Miss Lucille's Gossip Parlor, hiding in the closets for us to find you, sitting on the porch with Grandmommy blowing bubbles, and your little voice calling, "Bella, where are you?" when she got out of your sight.

8. You were so funny when you told Patty to give Mr. Omar a time out. :)

9. I love how you talked about alligators the whole time we were there after we saw them at Fudpuckers on our second day.

10. So fun that we saw a man with a parrot on the beach! You got to pet him and I held him on my shoulder.

11. I loved that you took a nap while I held you on my lap. You wore yourself out running on the beach and playing in the water. It was a treat holding you while you slept. You haven't let me do that in a while.

12. You took up most of the bed you shared with me and your Daddy, but we loved it.

13. Love how you grabbed Omar's boogey board like you knew what you were doing. I'm sure you'll be riding the waves next year.

14. You surprised me and your Daddy in the pool at Margaritaville when you went under the water, held your breath and tried to swim and then said, "Try again!" You never cease to amaze us!

15. Eventhough we applied lots of sunscreen, you still got a beautiful tan and despite your hat, your hair got really blonde from the sun. I love how you smelled at the end of the day.. saltwater, sunscreen and goldfish snacks. I love how you begged to go to the beach when we weren't there. You loved the beach and you loved our vacation! Daddy and I are so happy you were there with us and we can't wait for more Stubblefield family vacations!!

My two favorite people

2010-06-21T22:44:00.013-05:00

These pics from Father's Day weekend bring such joy to my heart for a myriad of reasons. These are a few things I see when I look at these pics:

1. These are my two favorite people in the whole world.
2. My husband is a father and gets to celebrate Father's Day after many years of waiting and hoping.
3. My husband is an amazing daddy who loves this little girl with everything in him.
4. My husband is a godly father who protects and shepherds his daughter's heart and who is passing on the blessing of a godly heritage to her.
5. I am a mother!!
6. We have a daughter!!!
7. Our daughter is beautiful and a blessing to everyone she meets. She is full of joy and life.
8. Our daughter knows she is loved by her Mommy & Daddy, her family and friends and most importantly by Jesus.
9. When I look at these pics and see my two favorite people, I can't help but be reminded of the sovereignty of God and his kindness toward us. I'm reminded that His plan for our life is not "plan B", and that He writes the most beautiful stories.
10. My two favorite people were adopted. Adoption is a part of their story and now a part of mine and as I like to say, "a banner over our life." I'm reminded that God is the author of life and I love how He has crafted our family. So very thankful.

"No eye has seen no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him" 1 Corinthians 2:9

Summer Faves

2010-06-15T23:43:00.000-05:00

I'm thinking about doing a weekly blog on some of my "faves". Favorite things that I use and enjoy on my SAHM budget... make-up, fashion, accessories, items for the home, food, treats and other random things. There will be some splurges here and there, but mostly things that the average gal can afford. :)

I LOVE summer, so my first "faves" will be a few things I love for summer.

1. Origins Sunny Disposition Bronzer: Love, love, love this bronzer! In fact, I love it so much I use it all year round. I think it's a great way to get a sunkissed look without the sun. I use the deep shade and apply it with a kabuki brush. The beauty of a bronzer is that you can build the color. Start out light and add more if you want to look more tan. This bronzer is a bit of a splurge at $20, but it's well worth it. It typically lasts for 6 months of everyday use.
Hint: When applying, do so in a "3" pattern on each side of your face. Brush over the forehead, cheek and chin, where the sun would naturally hit you. Finish with the nose, the neck, down to the chest and don't forget the earlobes... that's right, the earlobes!

2. Origins Halo Effect: Another Origins fave that is great for summer, but is used by me year round. Halo Effect is a face illuminator and can be worn alone or with foundation. In the summer, when I'm just running errands or going to be outside in the sun, I wear it over my sunscreen or mix it with my moisturizer to give a little color and sheer glow. When I want a little more coverage, I mix it with my foundation to give it a little shimmer. Halo Effect is also a bit of a splurge at $17 for .5 fl oz, but I'm able to make it last for 6 months as well.

3. Loreal Sublime Bronze Self Tanning Gelee: I love to have a tan, but don't have the luxury of working on it like I did in my single days. I have also acquired a brain with age... did anyone else use tanning oil with zero sunscreen or heaven help us.. baby oil?? These days I steer clear of the tanning beds and don't spend nearly as much time in the sun. My splurge is the occasional spray on tan, but a great alternative for my budget is a self tanner. Loreal's Sublime Bronze works great for me! You get instant color with the bronzer so the application is a little easier. Sublime comes in versions for fair, medium and dark skin tones and is also available in a lotion form, as a spray on (which I find a little more challenging) and in towelette form. I've used them all and they all give the same result. Self tanners have really come a long way... almost fool proof so don't be afraid! Long gone are the days of the orange oompa loompa look and weird smell.
Whatever your preference, you can find them at most grocery/drug stores and they're quite a bargain at around $10!

4. Sally Hansen Insta-Dri fast dry nail color: Love this nail polish! The brush is a little wider and makes application easy with one stroke. The polish dries in 60 seconds (it really does), so no waiting or worrying about smudges. It comes in 32 shades, but my absolute favorite is Petal Pusher which is perfect for summer. I use this shade year round because I prefer a light color on my fingernails... and pink is my "signature color". :) Definitely a steal at around $4.

5. This is hands down my favorite tee for summer!! The Mossimo pocket tee available at Target. This tee is sooo versatile! It can be layered with a tank, worn with a fun scarf or cardigan or just as is. It is available in a myriad of colors including my favorites this summer.. a really fun aqua and a cotton candy pink. I also love the plain white tee and actually own 3 of them! One I wear out, one I pair with my p.j. pants and one I use as a work around the house/workout shirt. It's so soft and I absolutely love the fit! It's a "fitted" tee, so it's not boxy, the sleeves hit at just the right spot and it's long enough to give you coverage (no thong shots). At $8 this summer must have is a steal! Go get one... or five! :)

6. Old Navy flip flops: Old Navy is a great place for summer wardrobe finds. They usually have great sales and their lightweight pieces are great for the hot Texas weather. My favorite summer item from Old Navy... flip flops! Who can really have too many pairs of flip flops?? ON has fun colors and the price can't be beat... 2 for $5!! I love the metallic silver and gold, which I can wear with almost anything. In addition to their basic flip flop, they also have dressier summer shoes at affordable prices.

7. I love beach towels! Happy, bright colored beach towels! They just scream summer!! Thankfully Target & Wal-Mart have a pretty good selection at great prices. I try to stock up because I never seem to have enough for the nieces, nephews and friend's kiddos when they come to swim in the fabulous Stubblefield above the ground pool. :) I've purchased two this season already.. one at Target for $5 and one at Wal-Mart for $4! In my opinion, the ones at Target are cuter and seem to be a little more plush, but you can't go wrong with either.

Bonus... My 2 favorite summer tv shows:

Mad Men Season 4 premiering July 25th on AMC!

So You Think You Can Dance Season 7. Now showing Wednesdays & Thursdays on Fox.

I have more faves to share with you and would love to hear some of your summer faves! Let's trade secrets!

Happy summer!!
Andi

15

2010-06-10T00:05:00.001-05:00

Today Brian and I celebrate our 15 year anniversary! It seems unbelievable that 15 years have passed. I saw a card yesterday that said, "The years haven't flown, they've danced."

...And what a dance we've had!

Thank you honey for being the best dance partner a girl could ask for... a partner who leads, who sweeps me off my feet but doesn't let me fall, a partner who shows me off but holds me close, a partner who puts your whole heart into the dance. Happy Anniversary my love. I'm looking forward to dancing many, many more dances with you.

All my heart...

Measuring up... or not.

2010-06-08T00:08:00.006-05:00

So for those of you who doubt that God is at work in our lives and cares for us...

My friend who is pastoring in S Korea, whom I haven't talked to in a very long time, instant messaged me out of the blue last Tuesday morning and asked me if I had been feeling pressure to "measure up" to certain standards that I've placed on myself. He said he had a dream in which I was keeping checklists, and making sure that I got them right, but kept getting off track and frustrated with it.

I was totally blown away!! This dream was a message specifically for me directly from the Lord! There is no way at all this friend knew that this "measuring up" was something I've been struggling with and that it was the very thing that had been weighing heavy on me over the weekend! Crazy!
This is not a new struggle, in fact I've been struggling with it for some time and especially since I've become a SAHM (stay-at- home mom). Almost constantly concerned with whether or not I'm doing things the right way. Trying to measure up to the "good" mom/wife I have in my head.

You know the one...
Loving, gentle, kind & funny.. but not too funny... not akward. She loves to take care of her family. Her house is always spotless and organized, and impeccably decorated. She actually enjoys cooking and delights in having a beautiful, delicious meal on the table when her husband arrives home from work. She has an endless amount of energy... her very full day starts with a pre-dawn hour long quiet time in which she studies the scriptures and spends time in prayer, then continues with playdates, preschool prep, music time and bible study with her children. Of course during the course of her busy week, she still manages to find the time to clean house, train for a marathon, tend to her vegetable garden, and prepare meals for two weeks in advance. In her spare time she serves in ministry, volunteers in the community, advocates for her social justice cause of choice and mentors younger women. She's not even sure how she does it but she seems to find the time to entertain on a regular basis as well as paint, write songs, journal, craft her own line of fun handbags (which she sells on etsy of course) and wonder of wonders... all of her kids' homemade baby books are up to date!! She is beautiful inside and out, especially on the outside. She always looks put together, her hair rivals that of hair icons and she has a fashion forward but not too trendy wardrobe... no sweats and tees for her! Her figure is flawless, despite the fact that she has birthed three children and is nearing 40. She and her husband have the perfect relationship and rarely have disagreements. They spend lots of quality time together and never miss a date night. They are connected on every level.. spiritually, emotionally and physically. Her children are a joy to be around... always. They are extremely well behaved and never have meltdowns in public. Parenting comes naturally to her and her discipline plan is an artform. She's always consistent and she never raises her voice, but merely sings to her children and they obey. Even her dogs are well mannered.

Okay...you laugh. Maybe this is a bit over the top, but unfortunately not too far off from what I'm trying to live up to and obviously failing miserably. It's totally exhausting and utterly RIDICULOUS! I mean, seriously!!?? Who is this woman? She surely doesn't exist(does she?), so why do I continue to live in her shadow? And another question that begs an answer... in my quest for perfection, who am I really trying to impress? Ughhh... I'm a broken person!! So full of pride and hungry for the applause of man... Praise God for grace!!

So back to the dream... My friend said, "Well the good news is, it ended in freedom." He said at the end I was laughing and said, "Guess I should just ignore these lists anyway!" Imagine that, me ignoring the lists! Me ignoring the perfect woman I battle against everyday. Sweet freedom!

How very kind and patient is our God? How humbling and comforting it is to know that the God who put the stars in place cares for me, loves me and thinks of me? How miraculous is it that He would give someone who lives half-way around the world a very specific dream about me? How precious is it that He would use that person to give me a message that He has been singing over me for so very long? A message I preach to the women in my life, but one that my own heart has failed to hear because of my loud, self-condemning,"have to" measure up voice. A message of grace, freedom, hope and rest. How freeing to know that when he looks at me he sees perfection because he sees his son, that he puts no expectation on me because he has no need for anything I can give.

So, is it possible for me to give up the lists, to rest in the freedom that Christ purchased for me on the cross? Well, certainly not on my own. Only by the grace he gives. Grace I don't deserve, grace not based on my merit, grace not about me at all. I'll take it one day at a time (one minute at a time really).

Andi

"For freedom Christ has set us free;stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1 (ESV)

"The grace of Jesus Christ is alone able to defeat and renew the one thing you can neither escape nor conquer, you." Paul Tripp

Little Grey Dress

2010-05-22T15:59:00.012-05:00

Several items in my wardrobe get worn over and over again. I do this for the following reasons:
1. Since I'm a SAHM, my clothing budget is significantly smaller than it used to be.
2. I'm a creature of habit!
3. If I like something and feel confident in it, it becomes my "go-to" item.

Case in point: the grey dress pictured above. I LOVE this dress and what makes me love it even more is that I got it for $40!! It almost looks like something from my favorite store that I can't afford... Anthropologie, but I actually got this little gem at one of those "cute clothes for cheap" type stores in the mall. I purchased it last summer to wear to my 20 year (yes, 20 year) high school reunion. Since its debut at the reunion, I've worn it 4 more times including a wedding I went to last night. It's my standard wedding and special occasion number and it has more than payed for itself. I can wear it as is or with a pashmina or cardigan if it's chilly. This little grey dress in fact has gotten much more wear than a dress I also purchased last year at my favorite store that I can't afford!

So if you see me in this dress over and over again in pictures, now you know why. I hope I'm not the only one who does this.... am I?

May Madness..

2010-05-19T18:05:00.039-05:00

The very merry month of May has proven to be merry, but very busy! I really haven't had a moment to slow down and blog. So, I have lots of catching up to do!

First there was Mother's Day. I celebrated my 3rd Mother's Day as mommy to Avery. I LOVE that part of Mother's Day.. being Avery's mommy. I love celebrating my mom and Brian's mom and the other mothers in my life, but Mother's Day is still somewhat akward for me. Truth be told, I'm sure it's akward for many women. Those who long to be mothers but aren't because of infertility or loss, because they aren't married or some other life circumstance. Those who have lost children in the womb or to illness or tragedy. Those who have placed babies for adoption or who struggle with the regret of abortion and those who have lost their mothers. I'm sure Mother's Day is a hard day for many of them. Before Avery came, Mother's Day was a big struggle for me. There were even a few that I spent the entire day in my house in my pj's and for at least 5 years in a row I didn't go to church on that Sunday. I just couldn't handle the "all the mothers stand up and be recognized" tradition and mother themed sermon that usually goes on in all well meaning churches. It was far too painful. I almost always left the service in tears and spent the rest of the day crying. Thankfully when we started going to The Village, I got a much needed reprieve. No mom themed sermon (THANK YOU Matt Chandler!), no flowers handed out to the moms, no standing up in the service, etc... So refreshing! All this to say, I'm still trying to navigate this weird holiday. I want to celebrate the joy and privilege of being Avery's mommy, but my heart is always reminded of those who are experiencing that all too familiar pain on that day and probably sitting at home in their pj's waiting for it to be over.

Okay.. on to more pleasant things!

My little brother got married on May 15th to his girlfriend of 4 years, the lovely Kimberly Bye. Our entire family calls her "Kim Bye" and has since Matt started dating her. Don't ask me why we felt compelled to call her by her full name, but we did and it stuck. For example... "hello Kim Bye", "how are you Kim Bye?", or "hey Kim Bye would you like a piece of cake?" I'm pretty sure we're all going to have to go through some sort of hypnosis to call her by her new name... Kim Phelps.

The wedding was beautiful!! The ceremony and reception were held at the Rockwall Wedding Chapel and it was the perfect location! Kim was a stunning bride, Matt looked so handsome, the ceremony was sweet and the reception was so very fun!! Such a happy day!!

Did I mention that I was a bridesmaid, I sang in the ceremony, Avery was a flower girl, Trevor was an usher and Brian was a groomsman?? Yeah, we were a little busy and I was just a wee bit stressed on the the big day, but everything went great! Avery did a great job for her first time as a flower girl. She almost made it down the aisle without any issues and thanks to my sister in law Alison (Avery's personal assistant for the day), she was very well behaved during the ceremony. She was finally able to cut loose at the reception where she cut a rug... I'm serious.. the girl got down! She was a dancing fool and it was the cutest thing I have ever seen!! Loved it!

During the few weeks leading up to the wedding, my mom & I spent alot of time together running errands and doing wedding prep. My Saturn Vue became our second home. We had some mishaps, including a spray on tan incident that was like an episode of "I Love Lucy", a few melt down moments, and lots of laughs. This pic proves that we survived, that we emerged relatively unscathed and that we still love each other.

Here are a few of my favorite pics from my camera:

One of the highlights of the evening for me was when my husband schooled the new Mrs. Phelps on some 80's classics. They were singing at the top of their lungs and Kim even busted out with some riffs on the air guitar... classic!!

My latest adventure is babysitting our friends the Corsos' 2 month old baby boy Brooks. His mommy is an elementary school nurse so I'm watching him for 3 weeks while she finishes out the school year. So far it's going great. Brooks is a very sweet baby and Avery is handling him being here very well. She hasn't had any "that's my mommy!" moments and she's actually a great helper! She loves baby Brooks. I'm learning what it's like to have a tiny one in the house again. It's definitely interesting with two. It's quite the challenge to get a shower or even get out of my pj's for that matter. I haven't fixed... let's just be honest here.. haven't washed my hair in 3 days and haven't put on any makeup except much needed under-eye concealer and lipgloss. Guess it's good training if we get to be parents again. I think Avery would be a good big sister. :)

Brother Jack

2010-05-04T00:29:00.015-05:00

I'm a dog person. Some people are cat people, some are both, but I'm strictly a dog person. I love dogs. I've always loved dogs and this love began with my very first dog, Jamie Allen, a poodle my parents had before I was born. Thankfully, Brian is a dog person as well, and before we became parents, we truly considered ourselves to be "parents" to two furry kids. We even referred to them as "grand-dogs" to our parents who were eagerly awaiting grandchildren. When Avery came home and we became actual parents, we immediately began calling our two furry kids Avery's brothers. Although many dog owners told us that our love for our dog children would likely change when we became "real" parents, we didn't believe them. I even got irritated on occasion when someone suggested that I just might love my human child even more than the furry ones. (What can I say... I was clueless).

Well, let me tell you.... "those people", the ones who irritated me, were absolutely 100% correct!! Although I still love my dogs, they most assuredly became 2nd class citizens once our sweet girl arrived. Thank goodness for Brian, because those poor guys get very little affection from their Mommy these days. My affection has been stolen by a blue-eyed blondie who very rarely drools after she drinks, whose bodily functions are contained to a diaper, who smells like Johnson & Johnson's, who doesn't shed and who is thankfully hypo-allergenic.

Clearly, my "favorite" child is Avery, but Avery's "favorite" person in our home(there I go again, calling them people) is Jackson... aka Jackie (Avery's name for him). That girl loves her basset hound brother! When he's not around she asks about him. When we pass the turn-in to our neighborhood she shrieks, "I want to see Jackie!" At home she talks to him, she plays with him, she offers him snacks, she asks him to play, she hugs him, she tries to ride him, she chases him, she lays on him... all with very little protest from Jack. Jack is a dog. Jack is often smelly and has a slight drool problem. His shedding is beyond annoying and on rare occasion he loses it on the tile, but Jack is a good brother. He's gentle and sweet and I think he loves his sister.

So today, I thought I would pay tribute to our basset hound, Jackson Stubblefield. He has been the subject of many photo shoots lately and it turns out that not only is he a good big brother, but he is a fabulous model! He really knows how to work the camera!

Smart hubby

2010-04-24T12:21:00.012-05:00

My sweet husband gave me a fun present for Christmas this past year... Photoshop Elements 8. Before I go any further, I have to confess that I was a little confused about the gift when I opened it and actually not very excited. My lack of enthusiasm showed on my face and if I recall correctly, I actually compared it to receiving an appliance for Christmas... GASP!! After several akward, "Gee thanks honey" responses to his "are you sure you like it?" questions, I told Brian... "It's software, I'm not going to jump up and down about it, but I know when I start using it I will love it. It's like getting a Dyson as a gift.. you may not be that excited when you get it but once you start using it it's the best gift ever!" My attempt to back pedal was unsuccessful to say the least. I hurt my husband's feelings.... I mean, really hurt them. He was so excited about his gift to me. He knew how much I loved taking pictures of Avery and he was giving me something amazing to enhance my experience. He put alot of thought into this gift and to him he was giving me something I would love. Needless to say, I apologized profusely for my horrible response and Christmas day wasn't totally ruined...whew!! A couple of days later Brian installed the gifted software and that was the end of it. I didn't use it at all. To be honest, I was a little intimidated and I had just plain grown comfortable with my dinky editing program.

Fast forward 4 months to April... Andi gets a digital SLR camera!!! Guess what is coming in really handy and is the coolest present ever????!!! Photoshop Elements!! It is fantastic and I've only scratched the surface. I still really have no idea what I'm doing, but have learned a few tips from MckMama (a blog I read). She is a rockstar and super generous to share her secrets!

My husband is so wise. He knew that I would need Photoshop even before I knew it. I love that about him. He often knows what I need before I need it. He is such a good provider. He is forward thinking, analytical, level headed and somewhat practical... all the things I'm not. I don't always understand these things about him and sometimes they just tick me off, but I'm so thankful that he's wired the way he is. Guess that's why we work so well. Thank you Lord for my husband!!

So, in short... things I learned from this life lesson:

#1. I'm an idiot!
#2. I'm evidently the worst gift recepient ever.
#3. I really had no idea what a great gift Brian was giving me.
#4. My husband is very smart.
#5. I'm an idiot!

Love you honey! And yes... this is my public apology to you for the horrible way I received your gift. Thank you so much for Photoshop! You know me so very well. However, I don't think you know what a monster you've created... I will undoubtedly want more software in the future (Adobe Lightroom for one), but at least now you'll have some "sure fire" gift ideas. :)

My new friend

2010-04-23T22:35:00.019-05:00

Okay... so I have a new friend... a digital SLR camera! It's a Canon EOS Rebel XS and I am IN LOVE!! I really have absolutely no idea how to use it (hope to take a class soon), and pretty much have it set on auto everything, but even so... I am IN LOVE!! I've always enjoyed taking pictures. I won't call it photography because a photographer I am not. I know many fellow bloggers who are legit photgraphers (Andrea Hughes, Casey Chappell and Stephany Stimson, just to name a few) and they are AMAZING at what they do. I'm just a mommy who loves taking pics of her little love and other things that catch my eye.

I'm super excited because this camera takes my "picture taking" to another level... no more waiting for the flash, the ability to take pics in rapid succession, fewer blurry action shots (comes in handy with my busy girl), and beautiful clarity and crispness. It truly has opened up a whole new world for me. I'm really looking forward to learning and experimenting!

Here are some of my favorite pics so far...

She is ours, we are hers...

2010-04-18T00:08:00.005-05:00

Because Avery was adopted, we have 3 special days that we celebrate each year:
1. Her birthday- October 2nd
2. Her "gotcha" day (the day she came home to us)- October 9th
3. Her adoption day (the day her adoption became legally finalized)- April 18th

Today is Avery's adoption day! It's been 2 years today since our little love "officially" became a Stubblefield. Oh how I love this day... different than her birthday, different from her "gotcha" day, special and beautiful all on its own... her adoption day. A sweet celebration of the family that God knitted together being legally declared, "forever". A ceremonial day on which promises were made, oaths were taken, testimonies were given and pronouncements were made.. "she is ours, we are hers." A day on which we could breathe a sigh of relief and rejoice.

Click here to read the post from Avery's adoption finalization in 2008.

On this day as we celebrate our precious daughter's adoption, I am reminded of my own adoption as a daughter of the King. So thankful that God has made this scripture come alive to my heart through the adoption of our sweet Avery. "For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ,provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him." Romans 8:15-17.

Happy adoption day tootsie-pie girl! Your Mommy & Daddy love you beyond measure! You bring much joy to our hearts!!

Think before you speak... please. :)

2010-04-05T17:36:00.011-05:00

Our sweet Avery was adopted. We don't often get asked if she was adopted because she looks so much like us. Eventhough we're not asked, we like to share the fact that she was adopted. We are blown away by the way God has designed our family, so we love to talk about our adoption story.

More often than not, when people find out Avery was adopted the first thing they say is... "Oh my goodness! I can't believe she's adopted!! She looks like she could be yours!" Okay... we all know what these people really mean. They mean she looks alot like us, that she could have been the product of our genetic union and that it's really amazing that she was adopted and looks so much like us. These people mean well, and are trying to compliment us, I'm sure. We understand that, but how we'd really like to answer is, "She is ours! We love her, provide for her, care for her.. she's ours!" Another one of our faves is... "So, do you know her real mom?". I really want to say.. "Yes, I know her very well... I spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week with her! I'm her real mom! She relies on me for every need, she calls me Mommy, she's 100% my daughter, I'm her real mom!" Again, I know what the person's intent is. They want to know if we have an open adoption and if we have contact with Avery's birth mom. Most of the time we just answer questions in the nicest, head nodding way possible and move on, but as Avery is getting older and is understanding more of the conversations around her, it's becoming apparent that we will need to start lovingly reinforcing some positive adoption language. Can you imagine being a 5 year old little girl or maybe a 13 year old teenager and hearing... "she looks like she could be your own or are you her real mom?" What feelings might this evoke? "Does that mean I'm not theirs?" "Who do I belong to?" "So does that mean Mommy's not my mom?" Thankfully these are the only comments we've had to deal with. I can't even imagine some of the questions and comments parents who have done international or transracial adoptions have experienced! Avery will absolutely know she was adopted. We have already begun talking to her about it in ways she can understand and will continue to tell her more of her story. Hopefully she will be equipped to handle comments that are negative in nature, but until she is it's our responsibility as her parents to protect her and educate those around us who aren't aware of the current positive language associated with adoption.

Believe me... I have learned so much from going through the adoption process. I too unknowingly said things that were insensitive. I said many things before I thought them through and probably would have gone on saying them had I not been informed. I'm sure my sister in law who adopted our niece 12 years before we even started the process can attest to that. :) My hope is that by providing this list of Positive/Negative adoption language, people will be informed and can avoid hurting those who are touched by adoption. I read this on the adoption.com site today, "As we become more accustomed to using positive adoption language, we'll discover that this way of speaking about adoption will feel just as natural as the old hurtful clichés once did – and hearing the old clichés will offend us as much as a racial slur." I know most of us don't intend to hurt or offend people with our words. If you know someone who was adopted, who has adopted children, someone who has placed a child for adoption or someone who is going through the process, please take a moment to look over the list.

Also, if you've ever told us that Avery looks like us... please don't feel bad!! We think she looks like us too! We are amazed that God would give us such a sweet gift.

Positive vs Negative Adoption Language

Positive: Birth/Biological parent
Negative: Real parent

Positive: Parent
Negative: Adoptive Parent

Positive: Birth child
Negative: Own child

Positive: My child
Negative: Adopted child, own child

Positive: Placed for adoption
Negative: Given up or "put up" for adoption

Positive: Was adopted
Negative: Is adopted

Positive: Decided to parent
Negative: Decided to keep

Positive: Waiting child
Negative: Adoptable; available child

Positive: International/ Intercountry adoption
Negative: Foreign adoption

"God still love me!"

2010-03-31T22:18:00.024-05:00

This is a bit long... hang with me. :)

Ordinarily, Avery is a pretty easy going child. Of course she has her moments, but overall she's been pretty easy so far. Recently, she gave us a run for our money and we experienced our first real battle of the wills with our easy going girl. Our 15 year old niece Alex came to visit us on Saturday for a few hours. Avery loves Alex and is always thrilled to see her and this time was no exception. We were enjoying our time hanging out and Alex sweetly offered to read a book to Avery. Avery looked at Alex and said, "No! Daddy read it!!" Brian looked at Avery and said, "Avery, that's not nice. You need to apologize to Alex." to which our easy going girl said, in a matter of fact tone... "NO!" Brian and I looked at each other with wide eyes and Brian said calmly, "Avery, you hurt Alex's feelings. You need to say you're sorry. If you don't you are going in time-out". Avery looked at Brian once again and said, "NO!". This 2nd emphatic "NO!" led to several more "no's", 5 trips to time-out and an eventual visit to the bedroom for a spanking from Daddy.

After the spanking (aka- 1 swat on the diaper by Daddy), Avery was still refusing to apologize to Alex. Brian and I exchanged the "what the heck do we do with this?" look and I decided I would give it a whirl. I took Avery to our bedroom, gave her another chance to do the right thing and when she refused again, I spanked her. After the spanking and another refusal, I had no idea what to do. I was astonished...this girl was not going to give in! How long could this go on?? So, I looked at her and asked, "Avery, do you need Jesus to help you tell Alex you're sorry?" to which she said, "Yes". So I said,"okay, let's pray." I prayed over her and asked Jesus to help her apologize to Alex, to take away her pride, and to help her obey Mommy & Daddy. When we were finished praying I asked her again if she was ready and again she said no. Dang it!! I really had no idea what to do, so I just said, "sit on the bed and think about what you need to do"... seriously, I said that to a 2 & 1/2year old? Yes I did, because I had absolutely no idea what to do and I needed to buy a few minutes to figure out my next move. After some time had passed I asked her if she was ready to get up and she said yes. I asked her if she was ready to see Alex and she said yes. I asked her if she was ready to apologize to Alex and she said yes!! Finally!!!! (cue the Hallelujah Chorus) We walked into the living room and she went directly to Alex, said hello, said "I'm sorry" and then gave her a hug. She was fine and back to normal for the rest of our visit and the rest of the day, thank goodness! Whew!

Later that night when I was getting her ready for bed we talked about our day. I asked her if today had been hard and she said yes. I asked her if it was hard for her to obey Mommy & Daddy today and she didn't answer. I said, "Avery, God wants you to obey Mommy & Daddy. Obeying is the right way." She looked at me with the sweetest face and declared, not questioned, mind you.... "God still love me." I had to stifle my gasp, then I said, "Yes Avery, God does love you. He loves you no matter what, but.. He wants you to obey Mommy & Daddy, because obeying is the best thing."

Can you believe that?? I certainly wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't heard it. My daughter who is 2&1/2 has a better understanding of God's grace and steadfast love than I do! Right now she knows that no matter what she does, God will love her. She knows that God's love is not based on works and that it can't be earned. She knows that God's love is unfailing. Amazing! I'm not naive and I know that it's likely that Avery's child like faith will become a jaded adult faith at some point, but I am praying that God will seal this work he has done in her little heart and that the gospel will become real to her. How precious would it be if she could stay in this place of taking God at his word? Oh, that she would fully comprehend that because of Jesus, God loves her despite her sin and disobedience. That he loves her with an everlasting love. That he delights in her and rejoices over her with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17) Let it be so Lord!

Father, teach me to approach you daily with the faith of a child.

Matthew 11:25-27 "At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure."

Back to Blogging!!

2010-03-29T22:44:00.004-05:00

Hello blog! It's been far too long!

I've decided that after a yearlong hiatus from the blogging world... I'm back! I could attribute my hiatus to the craziness of life, the demands of mommyhood, lack of motivation and time, lack of energy (aka caffeine)etc, etc... but the truth of the matter is plain and simple... Facebook! Facebook is easy with its short status updates and convenient photo albums. Facebook is very addictive and Facebook is a time stealer. Don't get me wrong, I love Facebook and have no plans of leaving it behind, but I would also like to carve out some time to blog again. I've been reading my old posts and love that through blogging I was able to record things that were happening in our life and how I was able to capture Avery's "firsts" and milestones. I'm so sad that I missed out on a full year of that. So here I am again. I have no idea what this blog will morph into. I have grand aspirations of course, but really.. I hope it will just be a place where I can be real... flaws and all (more on that coming in a later post), where I can share my experience of being a mommy and wife, and where I can talk about the things I'm passionate about (Jesus, Brian, Avery, family, friends, adoption & music.. just to name a few).

If you're new to my blog... welcome friend! Make yourself at home and read some of my old entries. If you're an old follower and you've been waiting for a year for me to publish a new entry and photos... I am so sorry! I'm back and look forward to catching up!

Love, Joy & Blessings,
Andi

'tis the season part 2

2009-01-03T23:03:00.004-06:00

Here are some pics from our Christmastime happenings. Avery had so much fun this year, but was a little overwhelmed by all the presents. We had to open them in "stages". Thank goodness we had 3 houses to go to. Our families were very generous... too generous!

During the holidays Avery had bronchitis, I had a sinus infection and then the whole house came down with a 12 hour stomach virus. Yuck!! Having a sick household has made me so much more thankful for good health! We're all well now and hope to stay that way for a while.

Avery is 15 months old... yikes! She's walking all over the place and doing the cutest things. Her personality is so precious. Everyday there is something new. I'll start posting 15 month pics soon.

Hope everyone had a very merry Christmas... one filled with the joy and peace of Jesus.

Happy New Year!!
Andi

2009-01-03T23:03:00.001-06:00

'tis the season!

2008-12-16T20:51:00.004-06:00

Here are some pics we've taken over the last couple of weeks. Avery is so much fun this year!! She loves her "jingle bell", she says "ho-ho-ho", likes her Santa hat, points at the Christmas tree and says "ooooh" and loves playing with her Little People Nativity set. We ask her where baby Jesus is and she picks him out every time. :) We are really looking forward to our annual Christmas Eve brunch with the Corsos, our Christmas Eve candlelight service at the Village, spending time with family and seeing Avery's face on Christmas morning as she opens her presents. She'll probably like the paper better than the gifts, but we're okay with that. :)

Hope everyone is enjoying their Christmas season!!
Joy & Blessings,
Andi

2008-12-16T20:48:00.001-06:00

walking!!!

2008-12-14T22:09:00.004-06:00

Our girl is walking!!! Yay! :)

I'll post more pics and commentary very soon.

Merry Christmas!
Andi

day 2, no bottle!

2008-12-07T23:08:00.003-06:00

Avery is 14 months old!!! I absolutely cannot believe it! She is becoming a big girl in front of my very eyes. Today was our second day with no bottle. I think Avery would have given it up whenever I took it away, but I wasn't ready until now. I've been gradually decreasing her feedings from the bottle since she turned 1, but I was still giving her 1 bottle at night. I didn't even intentionally take it away, but circumstances over the past 2 days just made it easy to give her milk in her cup instead. Since she's done so well and hasn't asked for her "ba", I guess we're bottle free. :( Don't get me wrong, I'm happy about the milestone, I'm just a little sad because that's one more step away from baby and one more toward little girl. She is so fun right now! Changing so much and doing new things everyday. Last month she started blowing kisses in addition to her enthusiastic waving good-bye. It is adorable! She also likes to do "gymnastics" in the window sill. She walks on the window sill, sometimes balances on one foot, lifts up on her toes and does knee bends. It's like she's on the balance beam. Scares the life out of me, but it's fun watching her exercise her daring side. She's always talking... we can't understand most of it, but talking nonetheless. We can understand daddy, mama, bird, ba, Jack, bite (she says this when she wants food), hi, bye-bye, and hey. We also got her a new "big-girl" car seat. She seems to really like it.

In other news, we decorated our tree tonight. It's beautiful. We get a real tree... a noble fir. I love the way a real tree smells. I hate the needles, but the smell makes it worth it. We always had a real tree when I was growing up so I can't bring myself to buy an artificial one. I'll deal with the needles. Avery and Brian hung the first ornament; Brian's Florida State ornament. Apparently, this is a Stubblefield tradition. Well, Brian thinks it is. Really, I let him hang it first and then I hang all the other ornaments and conveniently move his to an inconspicuous spot because it doesn't go with the rest of the tree decor. Such Christmas spirit! :)

Also, I'm finally on facebook. I caved under Brian's (and all you other facebook addicts) peer pressure. It really comes down to this... I couldn't let my husband one-up me on anything socially based. It's just wrong. So, now I too am addicted. It's crazy. I am obsessed with seeing who has added me as a friend and I'm determined to get more friends than my husband. So look me up on facebook. I need to win! Just kidding honey, I'm glad you have lots of friends! :)

Good night!
Blessings,
Andi

2008-12-07T23:07:00.001-06:00

hats again?

2008-12-01T10:39:00.003-06:00

Could it be that Avery is going to wear hats again?? Little love was definitely a hat wearing baby, but at around 8 months she wised up and decided that she didn't want anything on her head. She subscribed to her daddy's philosophy... bald is beautiful. Much to daddy's delight, she began pulling off her hats and bows. Daddy may have been happy, but mommy was sad. Because of Avery's lack of hair, and without the defense of a bow or fun hat, I would now have to combat all of the "what a cute boy" comments. (It's crazy... even if she's dressed in pink, we still get those comments.) So, since bows are too tempting to pull off, I thought I would give hats another try. It's winter and she needs something to cover her ears. She'll go for that logical reasoning, right? :) We got this cute hat a couple of weeks ago and believe it or not, she actually wore it long enough for me to get these cute pics. She even seems to be posing with it a bit. Maybe hats are our friends again... we'll see how long it lasts. A mommy can hope right?

Happy Monday!
Andi

thankful today

2008-11-27T21:56:00.003-06:00

Thankful today for so many things. Some shallow, some deep, but still thankful.

Thankful for....
15. lipgloss
14. my favorite jeans
13. my comfortable bed
12. wine with a good meal
11. dogs
10. coffee
9. ipod & dvr (i guess just technology in general)
8. freedom
7. music
6. organ donors (random I know, but my Aunt Jenny is waiting for a heart)
5. family & friends
4. birthmoms who choose adoption
3. the miracle that is my sweet daughter
2. my amazing husband
1. a savior who loves me despite myself

Speaking of my sweet daughter, here are some fun 13 month pics. Our little love loves to explore and escapes at every chance with her signature "scrawling" (with great speed I might add), so we finally got smart and got a baby gate. Avery hated the gate when we first got it and I was able to get a picture of her crying about it... yes, she actually cries sometimes. :) Still no walking. Lots of cruising and the occasional few steps, but I'm not getting worked up about it. She'll walk when she walks. I'm enjoying watching her "scrawl" and loving that she's still a baby, not a big walking girl quite yet. She's doing so many fun things right now.....blowing kisses, doing her own versions of Pat-A-Cake and Itsy Bitsy Spider (or just Itsy Bitsy as we call it), pulling up her shirt to show us her belly button and giving "lovey-loves" (hugs & kisses)when asked. It's soooo cute that she says "mmmmwaaaa" when she gives kisses because that's what I do to her. Daddy likes to show her off and have her "perform" when we're with family. She was the absolute star of the show today. :)

"The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song." Psalm 28:7

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving!!
Blessings,
Andi

2008-11-27T21:55:00.001-06:00

What a difference a year makes...

2008-11-12T11:51:00.003-06:00

Above is a picture of Avery from this Halloween and one from last year. She is sooo big now!!! Also, a little late, but the slideshow below is Avery's 2nd Halloween festivities. We call her "monkey" and "monka-monka", so we thought it appropriate that she should be a monkey this year. :) She endured the costume for about an hour (just long enough to show her off a little and get some pics). Both sets of grandparents came over to hang out and Maddie & Connor came over before they went trick or treating. We had chili and cornbread and Grammy brought a pumpkin pie. It was lots of fun. The week before, Avery and her cousins went to a pumpkin patch. There are a few pics of that as well.

I'll have some 13 month pics up soon....
Andi

Halloween '08 Pics

2008-11-12T11:48:00.001-06:00

2008-10-23T22:18:00.005-05:00

Here are some fun 12 month pics. Is it just me, or has Avery matured so much in just a month?? Man.... so crazy! The first pics are ones I just captured while she was hanging out in the window. I love it when I'm able to get ones like that... no posing, no making her stay still.. she just looks at me and I get the shot. Great! There are also some of her in her fun halloween shirt on our front porch with pumpkins. I had to get this shirt for her because of the owl. The girl loves birds! :) The last few are of her playing in her room. She loves to play in there with all her new toys and all the things that Mommy hasn't put out of her reach yet. It's sad, but her pretty room isn't very toddler friendly. I don't want to constantly be saying "no" to her in her space, so I'll have to start putting away all the pretties very soon. As you can see from the pictures, she's a little climber. I don't let her climb in the chair very often, but I had to capture her daringness on film. It's hilarious that she looked right at the camera with that "am I supposed to be doing this?" face. She's still cruising, but not quite ready to let go... so no walking yet. She stands for a few seconds without holding on and then falls on her bottom. She then proceeds to do her "scrawl" to get where she wants to go. Our little individualist.

On her 12 month check up she weighed 18 lbs, 14 ounces and was 27 & 3/4 inches long. She's eating lots of different table food now and really doesn't want anything to do with baby food. In addition to hi and bye-bye, her favorite word is bird. She loves birds and daddy takes her outside every evening when he gets home to look at them. Maybe we should consider getting her a membership to the Audubon society. :)

Happy Weekend!
Andi

Some 12 month pics!

2008-10-23T22:18:00.001-05:00

2008-10-16T21:55:00.007-05:00

We had Avery's first birthday party on Saturday, October 4th and it was sooo fun!! We had it outside in our backyard and the theme was a garden party with birds, bees and flowers. The weather was absolutely beautiful!! We had lemonade, popcorn, a sundae bar and bee & flower cupcakes from Tom Thumb... props to Courtney for making them so fun. Avery had her very own cake from Tart. It was precious!! They made my vision happen. I highly recommend them for your next event. :) My mom and sister-in-law Alison put in lots of time helping me make the party happen. Daddy also logged many hours in the yard making it pretty for his little princess. Before the party on Saturday, our whole family was out in the yard hanging tissue balls, and getting the last minute stuff done. I am so thankful for their help... beyond words.

We were blessed to have lots of family and friends celebrate the day with us. Avery had about 12 little friends in attendance. She's quite the social butterfly you know. :) Not only did the guests shower Avery with gifts, but they also generously donated to our diaper drive for Nueva Esperanza orphanage in Honduras. Our sweet friend Stephany Stimson, who is also a fabulous photographer, was at the party and took pics the entire time! (Can't wait to see them... we'll have them up soon.) We truly have amazing people in our lives!

As most of you know, I typically don't do anything "ordinary", so lots of planning went into the party and there were lots of little details that I felt were important. Brian thought I was crazy and over the top. He, being his usual positive self, assured me that Avery wouldn't remember any of it. I assured him that I was fully aware of that and when she was older that she would have pictures to look at and would know that her mommy planned an extra special party for her 1st birthday. To me, all the planning (and stress) was well worth it. I have been waiting a very, very long time to plan my little girl's 1st birthday party.

It was a beautiful day and the best part of all was after the guests were gone and the decorations were taken down, Brian and I were able to watch our sweet, exhausted baby girl play with her new toys. We were able to get her ready for bed and then watch her drift off to sleep. We were reminded once again, as we always are when we look at Avery, of the goodness and faithfulness of our God. What a precious gift He has given us in Avery Grace. In the words of our nephew Connor.... "Avery Grace, you're my best present."

"Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow." James 1:17

Our Avery Grace is a good and perfect gift from our Jesus who is the ultimate gift.

Blessings,
Andi

Avery's Birthday Party!

2008-10-16T21:54:00.001-05:00

2008-10-16T21:40:00.007-05:00

Sorry for the hiatus, but "birthday week" was super busy and the Stubblefields have been fighting a viral cold.... so fun!! Avery's actual b-day was on Thursday, October 2nd. We had a relatively "normal" day and celebrated in the evening with daddy and a special cupcake from Sprinkles! I'm posting some pics of the actual b-day festivities and will follow with a few pics from her birthday party. Note: The birds and owls are ones that I made for the party to be hung in the trees. The huge pink tissue flowers are from a Martha Stewart kit. My mom and dad helped me put them together and then we hung them from the trees. They looked great! It was so girly and maybe just a little over the top. :)

Blessings,
Andi

Avery's 1st Birthday

2008-10-16T21:38:00.001-05:00

7 days and counting....

2008-09-25T10:48:00.005-05:00

The countdown has begun....our "Little Love" will be one in 7 days!!! Can't believe it!

Avery will be flying for the third time tomorrow. The Stubblefields are headed to Ohio to visit my family. We're looking forward to the trip and hope Avery is as good on the plane this time as the last two times. She's lots more active now, so it should be interesting.

I'll have some fun pics and an update for you when we get back.

Have a great weekend!
Andi

11 month pics

2008-09-18T23:30:00.002-05:00

Here are some fun 11 month pics!! Avery is really so big! It's crazy!! She has 6 teeth, is still cruising and standing on her own for a few seconds, and is really talking up a storm. Her favorite word is still "hi". She is a source of entertainment for many when we're shopping. She also says "baby", something that sounds very much like "Jack" when she sees him, and ocassionally "dog". She also says several words in a foreign tongue that I can't quite decypher... the girl loves to talk! :) It's amazing to hear her little voice and actual words coming out of her mouth. Such a miracle! I look forward to long conversations with her in the years to come.

Operation "1st Birthday" is in full swing. I'm planning and preparing in my "spare time". :) We're having a back yard bash on October 4th with cupcakes, lemonade and ice cream sundaes. We're trying to keep it simple... as simple as an Andi event can be. Please pray that it doesn't rain on our special day. We absolutely don't have room for this kind of party inside, so we're taking a big chance on the outside venue. I checked with the Farmer's Almanac (not something I regularly utilize, but desperate times... ) and they say it won't rain that week. Let's hope they're right.

Hope everyone's having a happy week!
Blessings,
Andi

2008-09-18T23:29:00.001-05:00

Restoration Song

2008-09-01T22:28:00.000-05:00

11 months tomorrow

2008-09-01T21:51:00.005-05:00

These are the last of the 10 month pics. My little love will be 11 months old tomorrow. Although I'm in denial about her 1st birthday approaching, I have started to plan her party.

So, let me tell you about this sweet girl... she has such a personality!! Over the last few weeks she's started saying "hi" and waving...and the funny thing is, is that she knows exactly what she's doing. She does it at home to us and the dogs, but also at the grocery store, Wal-Mart, Target, the mall, restaurants... wherever she sees people. She says hi and if she doesn't get a hi back, she says it louder until whoever she's talking to responds! People can't get over it. They think it's the cutest thing they've ever seen... this tiny thing saying hi and waving to them like she's a big girl. She absolutely loves people. I can't imagine what it will be like when she can actually carry on conversations. (and her daddy thinks I'm a talker... he's in for it!) :)

Andi

2008-09-01T21:51:00.001-05:00

Call me.... crafty?

2008-08-30T11:11:00.002-05:00

Okay, so apparently I've inherited the "crafty" gene. I come from a long line of "crafters" (is that a word? I prefer to call them artists.) My paternal great grandmother, Grandma Allen was a master seamstress and quilter and my maternal grandmother, Mamaw Sherman was essentially the craftiest woman I have ever known. Crochet, quilting, painting, sewing, pottery, macaroni jewelry boxes... you name it, she did it. She even used golf balls to make the cutest dog craft you've ever seen. I spent many hours as a child under her tutelage, so it should come as no surprise that some of her craftiness would rub off on me. My mom is also extremely crafty... floral arrangements, doll making, crochet. So why am I so amazed that JoAnn Fabric has become my favorite store and that I've done so many crafty things this summer? I think I've supressed this crafty gene over the years for fear of becoming one of those women who crochets her own matching beret and poncho in that alternating color zig-zag pattern. It seems having Avery has brought some of my "skills" to the surface. In addition to the crafts I did with the kids over the summer, here are a few of the other things I've done.

1. Covered a body pillow with fabric for my grandmother's bench. I only mention this because I probably wouldn't (and didn't) do this pre-Avery. Our small group is meeting at our house again and I was in dire need of more seating. Instead of buying a pice of furniture, I took the bench out of the dining area to use. Unfortunately it is very uncomfortable, so I needed to find a seat cushion to fit. I looked at several places and couldn't find the exact size, so I decided to improvise. I covered a body pillow that was the same exact size as the bench in a great mocha colored fabric and then added some cool accent pillows from Pier 1. I didn't include a picture because it was really no big deal. In fact, my "crafty card" would definitely be revoked if the powers that be found out how I "covered" the pillow. I've only shared this with a select few people and plan to take this secret to the grave. :)

2. Made a name sign for Avery's room. It took me 10 months to actually decide what I wanted to do and literally 20 minutes to make once I had the materials. I didn't want to just hang letters on the wall... I wanted something with more flair. My friend Stephany had covered canvases with fabric to display as artwork in her apartment. I thought this was a great idea, so I tweaked it for Avery's name sign. I found this awesome mod polka dot fabric and the canvas at JoAnn (of course) I purchased the letters, whch I've been eyeing for 10 months, at Lone Star Baby. I covered the canvas with the fabric and then hotglued the letters on. Super easy... and so cute!! I really wanted lowercase letters, but I think these turned out fine. It looks great above her bed. :)

3. When I started envisioning a baby's room, I definitely saw a chandelier. After we got Avery, I had to have one for my sweet girl's room! I had been looking at one at Pottery Barn Kids since before she came home, but didn't want to pay the big price. I wanted to find one at a flea market or thrift store and paint it myself. It took about 9 months, but finally my sister-in-law, Alison found one!! She got it at Goodwill and payed $10 for this treasure!!! We painted it an antique white and then I bought and covered shades with fun fabric and trim. I am so pleased with how this turned out! It looks beautiful in her room. It was exactly what I wanted and all in all it cost about $45 to make. :)

I hope I've inspired you to let your crafty gene emerge! Really, it's not scary. I haven't started wearing my own creations.... yet!

Andi

2008-08-30T11:10:00.001-05:00

So long summer....

2008-08-25T22:15:00.002-05:00

Alas... summer has come to an end. The kids started back to school today and the lazy, care free days of summer are over. (Well, my days were never lazy or care-free, but it sounds better.) :) I thought I would update you on how we spent our last fun filled month and throw in some great pics.

Here's how August shaped up...

1. Awesome get-together with Amy & Annabelle and Kim & Landen! Amy's dad has this great inflatable slide/pool. The kids absolutely loved it! Amy made lunch and the mommies got to catch up. Such a fun day! :)

2. Lunch at Mooyah! I took the gang to lunch at Mooyah, a fun burger joint. It's no Purple Cow, but it's fun in it's own right. The kids look so great in this picture. Maybe Mooyah will contact me about using it for an ad... great product placement. :)

3. "Read To Rocky" Our library (where we spent many hours this summer), did something so cool!! They brought therapeutic dogs in for the kids to read to. At first I thought it sounded a little strange, but the librarian explained that it was a great way for kids to practice their reading because they don't feel self concious reading to a dog the way they might reading to a peer or an adult. The dogs were amazing!! They just sat or layed there and let the kids read or pet them. It was such a fun outing!!

4. Maddie's 8th Birthday celebration. Since Maddie and Connor were with me during the week and Maddie's b-day happened to fall on a weekday, I had the great privilege of throwing a little "actual birthday" celebration for her. Maddie, Alex & I went to see the American Girl movie, Kit Kittredge while my sweet sister in law, Alison, kept Connor & Avery.(side note... this was the first movie I've been to since Avery came home) After pigging out on some yummy theater popcorn, we enjoyed some very girly pink cupcakes at home (yes I made them). I think this may have been the first time I've gotten to celebrate with Maddie on her actual birthday. It was sweet.

So that wraps up the summer and what do you know, I survived! Now we're in serious, back to business mode and I'm trying to switch gears. :(

I'll have the last of the 10 month pics up tomorrow.

Happy Monday!
Andi

More Summer Pics

2008-08-25T22:14:00.001-05:00

10 months already??!!!

2008-08-07T22:38:00.004-05:00

Avery was 10 months old on Saturday! Unbelievable... I know I say that in every post, but I can't get my mind around how fast time is going. To celebrate, we went to Madison's 8th birthday party. The theme was a fun luau and Avery had a blast! She was literally the center of attention... running a close 2nd to the birthday girl. :)

It seems like Avery has started doing all kinds of fun things at once. At the end of her ninth month she began pulling up on anything she could and cruising (for those of you who don't keep up with baby lingo.. that just means she's taking little steps while holding onto something). The best surprise was when I walked(stumbled) in to get her one early morning and she was standing up peeking over the side of her crib looking at me like, "I'm ready to get up, where have you been?". It was a bit of a shock at 4:30 AM, but I couldn't help but smile. She also started clapping her hands and saying "Yay" when she does something she's proud of or when she hears music, clapping or cheering. I love it!! She knows where "nose" is now and takes great joy in squeezing the nose of whatever poor victim has been suckered into the "Where's the nose" game. She started saying ma-ma. Pretty sure she doesn't know what it means yet, but I love hearing it. I'm also about 99% convinced that she's saying dog. I could be jumping the gun a bit, but something very close to that comes out several times a day.

She's a joy to be with and I still can't believe that God gave her to us.

I'll have more pictures up soon and I also have a few things on my mind that I hope I find time to blog about.

Happy Thursday... almost Friday!! :)
Andi

10 Month Pics

2008-08-07T22:38:00.001-05:00

Hot Weather... Cool Stuff

2008-07-29T20:20:00.006-05:00

Here are some pics of our summer activities! The time has really flown by... I can't believe I've been a SAHM for 2 months already! The kids are awesome and we have so much fun together! This new role is hard, but really rewarding. I feel challenged in a way that I've never experienced. I'm definitely more tired than I've ever been, but God has been so good to give me energy and new mercies every day. I feel so blessed to be able to stay at home with Avery and having Maddie & Connor here is really icing on the cake.

So back to the pics.... Mostly just shots of things we do on a weekly basis.

Chilln' in the "Sweeter" Stubblefield pool- for those of you who have followed my blog, the "Sweet" Stubblefield pool just wasn't red-neck enough, so Brian had to up the ante and get us a bonafide above the ground blow up one!! Judge if you must.... the kids absolutely love it and it keeps us cool.

Storytime with Mr. Mike at Barnes & Noble- We do this every Monday morning. So fun!

Hanging out at some sort of indoor play area... Chick-fil-A, McDonald's, etc...

Crafts in cool craft aprons-
1. The terrarium craft was something I saw on a Mommy blog and stole the idea. I've been planning this craft since before I left Power FM and we finally got around to it last week. Hopefully the plants survive. :)
2. Picture frame craft- We did these today. So fun!! I let the kids pick their colors and let them paint them. We used foamies as decorations. I'm learning so much about myself with these crafts... I want things to be pretty, so I made alot of "suggestions" on where the foamies should go and I definitely "helped" with the painting. So what does that say about me??? And is anyone else as confused as I am? Me... doing crafts?!!!!

I'll have pictures of our Austin trip up soon... promise! I'm sure you're counting the seconds. :)

Love,
Andi

More Summer Fun

2008-07-29T20:20:00.001-05:00

9 Month Re-Cap

2008-07-28T18:28:00.005-05:00

Hey guys!
Sorry it's taken me so long to update you on Avery's 9th month. Here's a re-cap of this month's happenings...

Avery weighs 18 lbs & 1 oz. She's 27 & 3/4 inches long. She has 4 teeth coming in on top (you can see two of them in the pictures). She's not crawling, but she gets wherever she wants to go by scooting on her bottom. Her hands are into everything!! She started pulling up. She doesn't do it consistently, but she does it when the mood strikes her. She loves to "walk" with Daddy. She loves to be in the water. She's always "talking" and just started growling this week. :) She looks at Daddy, Mommy, Grandmommy, Papa and Maddie when you ask her where they are. She's happy most of the time, except when she's cutting 4 teeth. :) She likes to give kisses and dances when she hears music. Her Great-Aunt Elaine gave her the doll that she's attacking in the pics. It's actually a collectible Middleton doll, so this was the first time she got to touch it.

We had an eventful month...Avery went to her first Wimbledon brunch (no we didn't go to London) and looked fab in her Adidas tennis dress (thanks Aunt Jenny), she celebrated her first 4th of July with a dip in the "sweeter" Stubblefield pool with Daddy and a family BBQ, we went to Austin with the Corsos and Sullivans, we celebrated Mommy's b-day with a game night at Aunt Ali & Uncle Alan's house, we celebrated Grandmommy's b-day at Purple Cow and we have spent lots of time playing with Maddie & Connor!!

Avery will be 10 months old on August 2nd. Yikes!! We'll be planning her first birthday party very soon. :)

Love,
Andi

9 Month Pics

2008-07-28T18:28:00.001-05:00

14!

2008-07-22T22:04:00.003-05:00

I know it's been a while since I've posted... sorry!! Since we took our mini-vaca, I haven't been able to get caught up. I have several sets of pics that I want to post, so I'm starting with Trevor's 14th birthday first. Trev was at camp on his actual b-day, so we celebrated on July 5th. We went to Purple Cow (our tradition- 3 years running). Then we came home for cake and presents. Brian & I and Trevor's mom went in together and got him an electric guitar. We got a Fender Squire Strat starter pack. It's a good one to get started on. He was really excited and we hope that he'll actually pursue playing. The pics are hilarious.... Trevor and Keeyon are such typical teenagers. Oh, the joys! :)

I'll be blasting you with pictures soon from our Austin trip, random summer shots (including a fun terrarium project with the kids) and Avery's 9 month pics and update. Keep checking back!

Hope everyone is enjoying the 100 degree + weather! :)
Love,
Andi

Trevor is 14!

2008-07-22T21:55:00.001-05:00

2008-07-11T18:21:00.002-05:00

The Stubblefields are in Austin for a fun weekend get-away! We'll have lots of pics to post after the trip. Stay tuned!

Happy Weekend!
Andi

Studio pics

2008-07-07T09:21:00.002-05:00

Check out Christie Yonce's blog for some fun pictures she took of Avery last month!

Hope everyone had a great long weekend!!
Love,
Andi

Avery is 9 months old!

2008-07-03T17:24:00.001-05:00

"The days are long... the years short"

2008-07-03T17:22:00.000-05:00

Avery was 9 months old on Wednesday! So crazy that she'll be a year old in 3 short months. On Saturday, we visited Brian's former boss Liz and her husband "Mr Lundy" in Fort Worth. They have a little boy and we were talking about how quickly the time goes when they're little. Liz said, "the days are very long, but the years are very short." I thought that was brilliant and very acurately described this time in life. The days (and sometimes nights) are long and I'm exhausted at the end of them, but it is such a precious, beautiful time. I wouldn't trade it for the world. I have a tendency to worry about the future or lament about the past and I truly hope that this is one time that I savor the fleeting moments and live in the present.

Avery has her 9 month check up next week, so I'll keep you updated on height, weight, etc... She finally has a third tooth coming in. It's the one on the top left next to her front teeth. Should be an interesting look when that one comes in. :) She's not crawling yet, but she scoots around everywhere and has her hands in everything. She's very close to pulling up and it looks like she might be a walker before she's a crawler. The pics above are some that we took in the final days of her 8th month. They are so fun, I had to post them. I'll have some 9 month ones up soon.

Happy Thursday!
Andi

Summertime TV

2008-06-29T23:10:00.003-05:00

A few months ago, my friend Jade blogged about her "guilty music pleasures". I thought that was really fun, so I decided to keep the multi- media confessions going by first confessing my summertime guilty viewing pleasures and then asking what you're watching this summer.

Before you judge me... (you probably will anyway, but I'm okay with that)...I don't spend endless hours in front of the tv. I utilize the amazing invention, the DVR and then of course fast forward through the commercials. I'm also reading this summer, so I'm not destroying all of my brain cells. :)

Here's my list....

1. So You Think You Can Dance- Fox- Wednesdays (performance show) Thursdays (results show)- The dance version of American Idol and sooooo much better than Dancing With The Stars- Absolutely love this show! :)

2. The Bachelorette- ABC- Mondays- Not really a fan of The Bachelor, but I like this show. It's a different ballgame when the shoe (or the stiletto in this case) is on the other foot. :)

3. Shear Genius Season 2- Bravo- Wendesdays- Stylist duke it out to see who is "shear genius"- Hosted by Jaclyn Smith- What's not to love?

4. Project Runway Season 5- Bravo- Premieres Wednesday July 16th! I've watched every season of this show and LOVE it! I'm excited about the new season and seeing how the designers "make it work"!

5. Mad Men Season 2- AMC- Premieres Sunday July 27th!- This was my favorite show last year, hands down. It is a smart, well written and acted drama about advertising executives in Manhattan in the early 60's. If you didn't catch it last season, you can get caught up with a marathon on July 20th.

So.... what are you watching?? You can share... I won't tell! :)

The Boys Are Off to Camp!

2008-06-26T00:03:00.005-05:00

The pics above are Trevor and Keeyon (our next door neighbor)at their end of year choir concert. These pictures crack me up because they totally peg these guys... "too cool" one minute and total goof balls the next. I'm posting the pics because the boys are headed to middle school church camp tonight. The camp is in South Padre and they are totally stoked about going! I didn't have to sell them at all on going this year. They were in after the first announcement. I can only imagine the late nights, the pranks and the lack of hygeine these guys will experience, but my prayer is that they will experience Jesus above everything else. Please join me in praying for them while they're gone (Wed-Mon). Pray that God would stir their affection for Him. Pray that their ears and hearts would be open to the Word. Pray that they would have a blast hanging out on the beach and swimming in the ocean all the while knowing that the very Creator of these things loves them and desires a relationship with them.

Also, pray for the leaders who are accompanying them... they are so very brave! :)

Blessings,
Andi

Dress Up!

2008-06-23T21:57:00.000-05:00

Avery is 8 months old for one more week. I can't believe she will be 9 months so soon.
The time is certainly flying....

On Sunday, we had some special "mommy & Avery" time. We played dress up and had so much fun! The girl has some beautiful clothes! We are so blessed that many of the beautiful things she has have been gifts from sweet friends. The two gorgeous dresses she is modeling in these pics are from Dr. Hyziak, my Aunt Jenny's pediatric partner. She gave them to us on our visit to Ohio in March. So sweet!! We haven't had a place or occasion to wear them yet, so I thought I would grab a couple of shots before Avery outgrows them. She really looks so grown up!

There are also some pics of Avery and her brother Jackson. She loves dogs! Not just her brothers Sam & Jack, but all dogs. Everytime she sees one her face lights up and she bounces up and down. I'm not sure what it is about them that makes her so happy, but I'm glad they do. :)

Happy Monday!
Andi

8 Months- Week 4

2008-06-23T21:52:00.001-05:00

Summer Fun Pics

2008-06-22T13:54:00.001-05:00

Summer Fun

2008-06-22T00:19:00.013-05:00

Above are some pics of the first two weeks of "Operation SAHM (stay- at- home mom)". We've actually been having a great time and have all survived..... virtually unscathed. Let me explain the virtually...there have been a few mishaps:
1. A bonk on Connor's head on day one by my car door
2. Nearly being mowed over by a Mercedes SUV in the Barnes & Noble parking lot (on our way to storytime with Mister Mike).
3. Avery being catapulted off the couch by the hyped up trio of Trevor, Maddie & Connor. Don't worry Aunt Jenny... Avery is fine! It sounds much more dramatic than it really was. No permanent damage. :)

We've kept busy with outdoor time, craft time, and some field trips: Story Time with Mister Mike every Monday morning, the library, a tour with Engineer Kent at Power FM, and to the movies to see Kung Fu Panda (love Jack Black so it was fun for me too!).

Craft time was especially fun the week of Father's Day. Kim and Landen joined us on that Friday to make "Dad Rocks" Rock families (see pics). These are our take on the ever popular rock paper weight (do people even use paper weights anymore? I'm pretty sure those were retired after the wonderful invention of the Post-It.) Whether or not they're still in use, Brian, Isaac & Matt were all presented with one (Matt got two!) and are now proudly displaying them on their desks.... maybe not proudly, but displaying them nonetheless. :)

I'll have more to report next week. Let's hope mishap free.

Love,
Andi

13

2008-06-16T18:00:00.006-05:00

Thirteen years isn't a long time by some standards, but here are just a few of the things that can happen over the course of 13 years:

A change from one decade to the next

A change in presidents (possibly 3 changes without repeat terms)

A child officially becomes a teenager

Someone becomes a doctor (4 years of college, 4 years of med school, 3+ years residency)

Your hairstyle changes at least 3 times (some more, some less depending on how adventurous you are)

Gas price increase from $1.22 to $3.93 a gallon

Why am I hung up on thirteen? Well, Brian and I celebrated our 13th wedding anniversary last week! Thirteen years.... unbelievable. The time has flown and it really doesn't seem like we've been married that long. It might to Brian, but it doesn't to me. :) We've experienced joy and sorrow during these 13 years, we've grown closer and come to know each other more deeply (ugly stuff and all). We've discovered that we are utterly helpless without Christ in the center of our marriage. We have come to understand more fully what Ephesians 5 looks like in our marriage. We have leaned on each other while clinging to the cross. We've learned to love better. We've discovered friendship. We've learned to be patient, to persevere and to trust. We've learned (and are still learning) to be selfless. We've witnessed the miracles of God and seen beauty come from ashes.

I am truly blessed with an amazing husband. I know I take him for granted most of the time, but today I am thankful. Thankful for him and for the life we have together. Thankful for our hardships and our joy. Thankful for our love and friendship. Thankful for the thirteen years God has given us. Just thankful.

For fun, here are some happenings from 1995 (the year we were married)... yes I'm fully aware that some of you were still in high school or middle school even. :( What can I say, we're old!

http://www.infoplease.com/year/1995.html

On another note, I'm alive and well and enjoying my time with the kids. I'll post tomorrow to let you know what adventures we've had so far.... storytime, crafts and water balloons... oh my!

Happy Monday!

Andi

Some 8 Month Pics

2008-06-06T23:45:00.003-05:00

Here are some 8 month pics! Avery is so fun in front of the camera. As you can see in some of the pics, she's also very Zoolander! :) We had some professional pics done this week by CYonce Photography, a photographer I found through Celebrating Adoption. Avery was hilarious during the shoot. She hammed it up the entire time. My mom says she's a natural because there's always a camera in her face. I'm not sure what she's talking about..... :) Christie, the photographer got some really great shots! She asked me if Avery was always so good and easy. We are soooo blessed, because she really is for the most part... with the exception of bedtime. Our little social butterfly doesn't want to miss out on anything. :)

No, we didn't get the balloons for her 8 month b-day. They were for Lily Grace's welcome home celebration and shower. This was Avery's first experience with balloons and she loved them! She had to ride home with them in the backseat and was very frustrated that she couldn't reach them.

Avery loves her brother Jack, so I included a pic of him. She also LOVES kids and is so excited that she will get to spend time with Connor and Maddie this summer. We'll also get to see Landen lots since Kim is a stay at home mommy for the summer!! There is an awesome picture of our "little loves" on the Corso's blog.... check it out!!

Happy weekend!

Andi

Second trip to Ohio!

2008-06-03T15:18:00.002-05:00

Well, I'm blogging from "Stay at Home Mommy Central" today. This week is my first official week as a stay-at-home mommy! I still have mixed feelings about this. Don't judge me.... I know there are many women who would love to be in my place. I feel so blessed to be able to spend more time with Avery and I know it will be the best thing in the long run, but I really loved my job at Power FM. An amazing place, an amazing family.... and I'm going to miss it! It would have been alot easier to leave if I hated where I worked, but that definitely wasn't the case, so it was very bittersweet to leave. Also, I have worked (outside the home) in some capacity since I was 15! Being at home full time is going to take some getting used to, but I assure you my days won't be filled with TV watching, internet surfing and ice cream eating.... my days will be very busy because next week I'll begin keeping my niece Madison (7) and my nephew Connor (4) during the day. Almost overnight I will go from part-time working mom of one to stay-at-home mom/caretaker of 3! I'm really looking forward to it, but I'm not going to lie... I'm also scared out of my mind! I hope I have what it takes to entertain and occupy my audience while I maintain my sanity. :)

I'm sure many interesting blogs will be birthed out of my summer experiences, so keep checking in!

The pics above are from our Memorial Day weekend trip to Ohio to visit my family. It was a nice get-away and it's always good to see family. Avery was diagnosed with a viral throat infection on the Wednesday before we left, so needless to say she was pretty miserable until about Saturday. The flight there was a little rough, but the flight back was fun! She loved looking out the window with Daddy! The last picture is our "thank goodness we landed" shot. It was good to be on the ground in Dallas after a long weekend.... we all look a little tired.

I'll have Avery's 1st 8 month photo shoot up soon.

Happy Tuesday! (it is Tuesday isn't it?? I'm losing track of my days now..)

Andi

Real Hope For Haiti

2008-05-28T11:00:00.001-05:00

Sorry I've been MIA the past few days.... Avery was sick (but is much better now), we went to Ohio to visit family over the holiday and now it's Wednesday, and I'm back at work.... my last week at work before I become a "stay at home mommy". I'll fill you in on this later and will also post some pics from our trip, but instead of blogging about myself and "my stuff"this week, I would like to ask you to take a moment to read about The Rescue Center in Haiti.

I've been following Aaron & Jamie Ivey's journey to adopt in Haiti for the past year. Their 2 children, Amos & Story are currently living and being cared for at The Rescue Center. The Rescue Center is a refuge for sick and malnourished children and babies as well as some adults. The center is run by an American family (you can read about them on Aaron's blog) who is pouring out their lives in this impoverished country. The work they do there is difficult, but invaluable to the people of Haiti. The Rescue Center is currently in danger of closing and is in need of immediate financial help! If the center closes, 50-60 malnourished and sick children have the potential to be left without care, shelter, and food. Please read about the center and pray about what you can do.

If you would like to give one time donation or a monthly gift, you can donate through Aaron & Jamie's paypal account that they have set up for RHFH on Aaron's blog.

If you would rather send money through snail mail, you can do so at: Real Hope for Haiti P.O. Box 23 Elwood, IN 46036.

All donations through online paypal and their ministry address are tax deductible. Real Hope For Haiti is a non-profit organization, which allows your gifts to be tax deductible. any contributors will receive a statement at the end of the year detailing gifts given. 100% of the money given goes directly to their paypal account (minus a tiny fee that paypal charges). The donation button deposits directly into Real Hope For Haiti’s ministry account for immediate use.

Thank you for praying for The Rescue Center.

Blogging friends- please spread the word and help bring awareness for The Rescue Center.

We'll catch up next week....

Love & Blessings,

Andi

Please Pray for the Chapman Family

2008-05-22T11:46:00.003-05:00

Please pray for the family of Steven Curtis Chapman. The Chapman's 5 year old daughter, Maria, was tragically killed on Wednesday evening.

Read more here:http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080522/TUNEIN03/805220370/-1/TUNEIN

"We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you."
Psalm 33:20-22

Connor's Birthday Party

2008-05-19T12:45:00.001-05:00

Our nephew, Connor is turning 4 on May 24th and we celebrated his birthday a little early this weekend. The theme was Batman- Connor's current superhero of choice. It cracks me up how kids' favorites change so quickly. Last year it was Bob the Builder, now he informs me that "Bob the Builder is for babies!". So funny! This was Avery's second birthday party to attend and she had a blast. She loves being with people and especially kids, so she was definitely in her element.

The weekend flew by... can't believe it's already Monday!

Blessings,

Andi

Welcome Home Lily Grace!

2008-05-16T11:21:00.001-05:00

Avery loves Lily

Happy Girls!

Our sweet friends Shelby & Brian became parents this week through the miracle of adoption!! Lilian "Lily" Grace was born early Tuesday morning and was welcomed home on Thursday! Avery and I were priviliged to be Lily's first official visitors at home! :)
Shelby & Brian are so special to us. God knit our families together through small group and we became even closer as we walked through infertility and then our adoption journeys. We have cried, prayed and rejoiced together. Shelby & Brian also used our agency, Inheritance Adoptions. We are absolutely thrilled for this sweet family and are in awe of the goodness and faithfulness of our God! Thank you Jesus for the precious gift of Lily Grace.

Happy Weekend!!
Andi

Accessories are a girl's friend!

2008-05-14T14:04:00.001-05:00

Such a fun Monday afternoon photo shoot! This girl is soooo silly in front of the camera! :)

7 Months- Week 1 Pics

2008-05-14T12:37:00.001-05:00

These are pics from last week. Yes, we LOVE the hat so she wears it often! I also had to post one of bathtime.... black mail material for later :) Hope no one is offended by the topless baby.

There are also a couple of pics from Mother's Day... yes, my first! I still have mixed feelings about that holiday. It is such a hard day for so many... those who have lost their mothers, those who want desperately to be mothers but are struggling with infertility and those who have lost babies. I feel amazingly blessed to be a mother, but I still remember how painful that day was for me as I was waiting. Bittersweet....

2 weekends ago, our sweet friend Stephany Stimson did a photo shoot with us at SMU! The pictures are amazing! She is truly talented and soooo generous to give us such a beautiful gift. I'll post some of those later if it's okay with her.

Enjoy the pics! I'll be posting some from a fun photo shoot we did on Monday a little later.

Big Girl!

2008-05-13T13:57:00.000-05:00

Where is my "Little Love"? I can't believe how big she looks in this picture!! So crazy! I'll post more pics of the first 2 weeks of her 7th month tomorrow. We have some fun ones, so stay tuned! :)

Happy Tuesday!
Andi

Power FM Spring Share-A-Thon

2008-05-08T14:45:00.000-05:00

I'm sure most of you know, but I work for 89.7 Power FM, the Christian Rock Station. We are a non-commercial, listener supported station, so we have to raise funds to stay on the air. These funds also keep our staff (me) employed. To raise these funds, we do "Share-A-Thon" twice a year and it's a crazy, stressful, fun time. This time around I'm "officially" going to be on the air! Yikes!!! In years past, I've just hopped on here and there, but they scheduled me with a real slot this year. So if you have nothing else to do, then tune in to hear me making a fool of myself over the airwaves. :) I'll be hanging out with Jade and Drue on Thursday 1:00-2:00 and 3:00-4:00. Friday 1:00-2:00 and Saturday 12:00-3:00. You can listen in your car at 89.7 FM or online at www.kvrk.com

Also, if you listen to Power FM and aren't supporting the station, please pray about what you can give. Power FM needs your help!

Happy Share-A-Thon!

Andi

Pals

2008-05-06T11:16:00.000-05:00

Pals!

I love this picture! It was taken on the day of Avery's adoption finalization on one of the benches in the courtroom. Not only do I love the picture, but I love the kids in the picture. Landen and Annabelle are Avery's BFF's :) Actually, I guess they are friends by default right now, but my hope is that they will remain friends for a very long time. Their mommies and daddies have been such good friends to us!! We have known Kim & Isaac (Landen's parents) and Amy & Italo (Annabelle's parents) for several years. They walked with us through our struggle with infertility and continued to walk with us as we began our adoption journey. They faithfully prayed for us and were a constant source of support and encouragement. We are so thankful for them!! We pray even now that Avery will have friendships like the ones we've experienced... encouraging, challenging, unconditional, and God centered.

Happy Tuesday!
Andi

Avery is 7 months old!

2008-05-02T10:12:00.000-05:00

Dedication Day

8 days old

Oh my goodness! Where has the time gone? I'm sure this is something that every mom deals with, but I can't believe how fast she is growing up! I love watching her change and do new things, but part of me is a little sad that she's growing up. I can't imagine that soon she'll be walking and talking then before we know it she'll be driving, going to dances... (if Daddy lets her out of the house), then leaving for college, and the progression goes on... It seems like we blinked and suddenly our little love is a"big girl" who is sitting up, has 2 teeth on the bottom, will probably be crawling anytime now and is saying da-da-da!

Putting my nostalgic mommy feelings aside, I am fascinated by watching her grow each day into the woman that God has planned for her to be. I know that He knit her together.. each piece... her sweet face, her beautiful blue eyes, her smile that lights up the room, her little hands and feet, her tender heart, her sing-songy voice, her infectious laugh, her fun social butterfly personality, the way she fights her sleep because she doesn't want to miss out on something....Each attribute came from her Father in heaven who loves her and knows her intimately. She is fearfully and wonderfully made! I am in awe of how good our God is and watching Avery day by day is a wonderful reminder of His goodness and faithfulness. Thank you Jesus for the sweet gift you have given us in Avery Grace!

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. " Psalm 139:13-16

Laminin!

2008-05-01T10:08:00.000-05:00

I heart Louie Giglio! :) He's my hero... not in a weird idolatrous kind of way, but in a mentor kind of way. I was able to see his "How Great Is Our God" talk live last year and it blew me away! This is a clip from that talk, so if you have a few minutes check it out! It's really amazing!

Happy Thursday!
Andi

More Avery's Concert Pics

2008-04-29T13:30:00.002-05:00

It was a long day, so there are lots of pics... We started with lunch at MiMi's in Lewisville and then caravaned to Wichita Falls. After the hearing we ate dinner at a local favorite, Casa Manana famous for their red tacos! Such a wonderful day spent with family and friends.

Avery's Concert Pics

2008-04-29T13:29:00.002-05:00

Here are some pictures of our Finalization Day, or as we affectionately refer to it... "Avery's Concert".

More 6 Month Pics!

2008-04-29T10:37:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I'm going to send you into picture overload!! I confess, I take alot of pictures of our "little love" and I like to share them, but that's pretty much the main purpose of this blog.... so be warned! I took these pictures the weekend of Avery's finalization and they are so fun...I just had to post them! :) I'll be posting some pictures of the finalization very soon as well as some pics from Avery's dedication.

Happy Tuesday!

Love & Blessings,

Andi

Bluebonnets!

2008-04-23T14:01:00.000-05:00

Aaah...Spring!! To celebrate this wonderful season, my sweet friend Kim and I took our "little loves" to Ennis on Saturday to take pics the Bluebonnets (the state flower of Texas for all you foreigners-ha!). Avery and Landen had a blast! They were much more interested in the flowers than they were in looking at the camera, but we got a few fun shots. (Click on the picture above to go to the photobook).
I'm still pushing for an arranged marriage for these two, but I have to get the other parental units on board. :)

Also, I promise I'll get more pictures of "Avery's Concert" up as soon as I get them organized. Lots of people were taking pictures and I want to get them all in before I post them.

Love & Blessings,

Andi

"Avery's Concert"- Part 1

2008-04-21T16:12:00.001-05:00

Happy Stubblefields!

Friday, April 18th was a very happy day!! We had our hearing for Avery's adoption finalization! Avery is now officially a Stubblefield!! In our hearts, she has been a Stubblefield since the day she came home (and even before as we prayed for her), but hearing the judge say her name was icing on the cake. Now the legal aspect is done and it's great to have that behind us, but I must say that we have had so much peace the past 6 months leading up to this day. God has been so faithful to provide the peace that passes all understanding. He has taught us to trust Him with Avery and His plan for her life. I will have much more on all of this later.... so much to process.

We had 18 people make the trip to Wichita Falls with us to be present at the hearing and celebrate this happy day! We are so blessed to have such amazing families and friends. So what's with the title you ask???.... Our 3 year old nephew Connor absolutely loves Avery and was so excited to be going with us. He asked my mom on Thursday night, "Mamoo, are we going to Avery's concert?" So cute!! Well, it wasn't your typical concert, but it was a concert indeed... musical, beautiful and loud... a celebration of the goodness of our God!

Part 2 to come with lots more pictures...

Love & Blessings,

Andi

Weekend Fun!

2008-04-14T13:24:00.000-05:00

Avery had a fun-filled weekend! She went to her first birthday party! Her sweet friend Annabelle was celebrating her 1st birthday! Annabelle's daddy took some fun pictures of Avery. Of course, Mommy had to get some more pictures in her cute dress. She also spent some time outside with Mommy while Daddy did yard work. She's almost mastering sitting up and we have the pics to prove it! So fun!! The most fun was when she played in her Exersaucer and got some sloppy kisses from Jackson! Hopefully my Aunt Jenny doesn't see this picture- LOL! :)

Hope everyone is having a happy Monday!

6 Month Check Up!

2008-04-11T11:36:00.000-05:00

Avery had her 6 month check up yesterday afternoon. I have a love-hate relationship with the well visits. I'm always excited to find out how much she weighs and how long she is and I love to talk with our Pediatrician, Dr. Porter. He's such a nice man and is great with Avery. I also love all of the office staff and nurses. They are soooo sweet and they are crazy about our "Little Love". What I hate about the visits of course is the shots. Immunizations.... the necessary evil. I hate to watch my sweet baby's face turn bright red after the first stick and then hear the scream. I hate seeing her look at me with those eyes that say, "Why are you letting them do this to me?" I've wanted to cry everytime, but I've managed somehow to hold it together for her. Yesterday actually wasn't too bad. She screamed after the first stick and looked at me with "that look", but as soon as the nurse was done and I scooped her up, she was fine.

I love how God uses our everyday happenings to remind us of His love. As I comforted my daughter I was reminded that pain is a necessary part of our lives as believers. In His mercy, God uses that pain to draw us near to Him and then in our brokeness, He scoops us up in His arms and comforts us. It is such a beautiful picture! Praise Him who loves us and saved us!

Love & Blessings,
Andi

Avery's 6 month stats:

Weight: 16 lbs.

Height: 25"

Milestones (so far this month):

1st tooth on its way in (bottom right), sitting momentarily unassisted, eating cereal and yellow veggies, very vocal and transferring objects from one had to another.

Favorites:

Gymini, Bumbo seat, mirror, dogs, books, Exersaucer (thanks Amy & Italo!), music, American Idol, playing "Peek-A-Boo" & "Ride A Horse", Mommy's silly songs, Daddy's silly faces, cousins Trevor, Alex, Maddie & Connor, friends Annabelle and Landen.

What Year Were You Born?

2008-04-09T12:37:00.000-05:00

Want to know what was in the headlines the year you were born? Check out this link: http://www.infoplease.com/yearbyyear.html

I'm not going to tell you what year I was born, but here are a few of the Grammy's given away that year...hint, hint...
Record of the Year: "Bridge Over Troubled Water," Simon and Garfunkel
Album of the Year: Bridge Over Troubled Water, Simon and Garfunkel (Columbia)
Song of the Year: "Bridge Over Troubled Water," Paul Simon, songwriter

Thanks Uncle Alan for sending this fun link! :)

God Of This City

2008-04-09T12:13:00.000-05:00

Latest Photo Shoot- 6 months week 2

2008-04-08T11:49:00.001-05:00

Avery is learning early that accessories can make an outfit! :)

Props to Single Moms!

2008-04-07T10:54:00.000-05:00

In addition to the AAC, Brian's company has the account for TMS (Texas Motor Speedway) in Fort Worth. Brian is the regional controller, so TMS is his property. The NASCAR race was this weekend and that wonderful "sporting event" (notice the sarcasm), kept my husband away from home Thursday-Sunday. He left the house really early each morning and got home basically after I was in bed, so I didn't see him much at all. That meant that Avery and I had alot of girl's time. I love having girl's time with my "little love", but I'm not going to lie... by day 4 I was pretty wiped. Taking care of a 6 month old by yourself without any help and very little sleep is rough! My sweet husband is always a big help so his absence was definitely felt.

Everytime Brian is out of town or working long hours I am reminded that single moms are on their own all of the time and are playing the role of both parents. I really can't believe how they're able to do it and hold it together. My respect for them has gone to another level since I've exerienced just a small portion of what they encounter daily. So today's blog is dedicated to single moms. If you know any single moms, please pray for them and take some time to encourage them. Ask them if there's anything you can do to help them... offer to baby sit, treat them to a manicure or pedicure, clean their oven, etc... If you're a man, offer to mow their lawn or service their car.

Hope everyone's having a happy Monday! :)
Blessings,
Andi

9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:9-11

Avery is 6 months old!

2008-04-04T14:05:00.001-05:00

Hello Friends!

2008-04-04T13:34:00.000-05:00

Well, I am finally entering the realm of blogging! I have intended to do this since before Avery arrived, but never committed to it. I would like for this to be a place to keep people "in the know" about Avery and Stubblefield happenings. I want to tell the miraculous story of how God brought Avery to us, and I will in a later post. Our "little love" is 6 months old now, so I'm starting here and will back-track to bring us up-to-date.

So excited to finally be in the blogging world! .... I think. :)

Love & Blessings,
Andi

Mommy & Avery did a photo shoot in her new fun hat last night (see above). Avery turned 6 months old on April 2nd! Time is really flying....