SAY HEY to Kristi

It's only right that I introduce you to a woman who is a huge blessing to me, and Avery!

Kristi Anderson is truly one of the most amazing women I've ever met, and I've only known her since the end of January! She is such a caring, tender, thoughtful, beautiful, funny, and trustworthy woman- and I feel so lucky to call her a friend!

She kind of just fell into my lap! I was getting ready to go back to work part time, and was looking for someone to watch Avery for about 12 hrs a week. I had sent an e-mail out to some girlfriends from church, and two people gave me her name. I immediately contacted her regarding watching Avery (whom she had never met) a few days a week, and luckily she was interested, and our schedules worked perfectly together!

(Looking back I probably should have sat with her or had dinner with or something to get to know her, but she came so highly recommended, I didn't really feel like I needed to!)

I was sort of nervous having someone other than myself watch Avery, give her feedings, and put her down for naps, but Kristi put my mind at rest and did an awesome job the first day! I had prepared myself to be a wreck the first day back at work, but I wasn't! I'd say 99% was because Kristi was so amazing!

Over the last four months of knowing Kristi, I have come to respect, look up to, and enjoy her and I so value our friendship! She loves my daughter, cares for her so carefully, and responds to her needs like those of her own children.

So...SAY HEY to Kristi Anderson! One amazing woman with a heart for God, her husband, her two sons, chocolate, nail polish, and keeping things clean :)

Introducing 'Say Hey'

So this morning, when I was in the shower, I felt overcome by my amazing friends and family! It was a pretty cool emotion. I try really hard to communicate to my friends and family that I love them, that I'm thankful for them, and what a big part they play in my life, but I know there are people I leave out. I thought that it may be cool to do my own version of a shout out, called 'Say Hey' on my blog every week (realistically more like every two weeks) and people can 'say hey'/meet different people in my life I'm thankful for.

I'm really excited for this new addition to my blog, and I hope it's a blessing to the people I'm writing about, and the people who read it as well :)

Fresh air

Campfire snuggles

John and Avery on our walk after Easter dinner

My sexy yard boy :)

Hanging out by the campfire a few weeks ago

Playing with the hose

Hoping he'll turn into Prince Charming

Avery and I, and Claire and Kai at Hampton Town Center

I'm so thankful to live in a place where I can get out, walk around, and breath some 'fresh' air! After reading post, after post, after post on FB about the bad weather NY always has, I'm constantly reminded we are blessed to live in a state with good weather. Now, it may not always be perfect weather, but it's often sunny...and that's all a girl can ask for! I'm so glad its...walk outside, campfire at night, play in the sprinkler, create flower pots, walk around the yard with Avery weather!

Rewind 10 years

My high school reunion is in the works, and my class is planning on doing something this August. I'm not sure yet whether I'll make the trip up to NY for it, but it's been making me think back to this time 10 years ago and what I was like, what my life was like, things I was into, how I spent my time, and so on. I feel like certain things haven't changed at all, and other aspects of my life are clearly completely different!

There are some obvious ways my life is different: I'm married, have a daughter, own a house, and have a career. But the things that remain the same are: I love Jesus, I love spending time with friends, music is still one of my biggest passions, I still love taking pictures, I'm still narotic about my eyebrows (haha!), I still hate excercising, I still use the same hair products, I still use the same brand make-up, and I still only type with my two index fingers.

10 years ago...

* I was friends with John

* I was dating a guy named Mike

* I lived in Clifton Park, NY

* I worked two jobs

* I had been on three mission trips

* I had never had sushi

* I wanted to be a teacher

Almost Triplets

Check out the photographers site for a few pictures (scroll down a bit) she posted of the 'almost triplets'! She's mailing me a cd this week, and I'll be able to upload them, but for now here are some pictures. I LOVE the outtakes...they are so funny!

5 Random Facts

My friend's blog inspired me to write 5 random facts about myself. Here we go. Ahem...

1. I love avocados, but hate guacamole.

2. I have an extremely addictive personality. When I learn that I like something, it quickly turns to love.

3. I had a pallet expander (a devise the orthodontist puts in your mouth to widen your jaw so when new teeth grow in, it doesn't crown your mouth and they grown in straight) for two years in middle school, and have a scar on my tongue from it. No lie...I have a straight up hole in my tongue.

4. I know every word to Shoop, by Salt 'N Peppa.

5. I birthed a 9 lb 6 oz baby with no pain meds. Enough said.

October babies...friends forever

Kai, Avery, and Piper were all born in October, crazy, huh?! What are the chances three best friends all have babies within the same month? (Totally unplanned, by the way...!) I asked Katey and Claire a few months back if they'd be interested in having Terresa (the same woman who took our maternity and newborn pictures) take 6 month(ish) pictures of the three kiddos. They loved the idea, so we planned for the first weekend in May. We figured it wouldn't be too cold, or too warm, the kids would be able to sit up, they'd be full of expression and personality...and boy were we right!

The session lasted about an hour, and all three did SO well! We all prepared ourselves for the worst considering it's three 6 month old babies, and the pictures were taken in the evening during all of their 'fussy period'. We fed, changed, and prepped all three babies so that right before their pictures they'd be as happy as possible! The pictures above are from my camera that I took on the sidelines. The professional ones will be up in a week or so, and I cannot wait to see how great they turned out! It took some effort to get them to all look in the same place, at the same time...but Avery, Kai, and Piper had as us as cheerleaders on the sidelines. It was so fun! Can't wait for these three beautiful children to grow up, and experience life together!