December 2011

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at home.  Our friends Beth & Richard came visiting from Dallas and we hosted an open house for all their Memphis friends who miss them terribly.  Evelyn enjoys a party crowd, and in particular those who allow their beards to be stroked...(I almost died - it was hilarious to see Evey, fascinated by his white beard, tentatively reach out for Dr. Kevin Fowler's face and have him lean in to allow her to "pet" his cheek).
Keagan came home from college so we got to see quite a bit of him and Dylan - much to Evey's delight.  Man does she adore her brothers.  They joined us on the long road trip to Michigan to visit the Grahams and I'm certain it would have been a painful and torturous journey without them.  They entertained her and doted on her, holding her hand on request and putting up with endless Disney movies.  Evey felt like a traveling princess.








Aunt Claudia organized a big Family Gathering in Michigan so we got to meet some of the Cenkos and the growing troop of Uncle Scott's grandchildren.  Evey enjoyed the chance to follow the older girls around and jump in on their pretend play.  Nanny Ruthie and Poppa Graham reveled in the ruckus of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.












While Evey wasn't fully up on the excitement of Santa Claus and presents, she had a ball on Christmas morning.  She's pretty good at opening presents now, but her favorite part was selecting a gift from under the tree, looking to me to tell her who it was for, and delivering the gift to it's proper recipient. And she enjoyed helping them open it, of course.  Watching her fully immerse in the joy of giving was my favorite part of the holiday.

My lovely Evelyn

As I draw this first book to a close, I wanted to share my heart's message with you so that you might have a tiny clue as to how much I love you. 

I hope this chronicle will let you see the joy that you are, the magic that you've created in your family, the bottomless love that you've planted in us. 

When I think of you and feel you in my heart, I see a spirit of adventure, exploration, curiosity and daring.  I also see bubbling laughter, affectionate kisses and great big bear hugs.  Watching you play is one of my favorite things in the world; you're always busy filling little bags and boxes with trinkets and bits of this and that, maticulously organizing and re-organizing your eclectic treasures, wrestling large purses over your shoulders and hauling them across the room while pushing your filled-to-the-brim shopping cart.  I wish I could capture each hearty laugh in a jar to save for when my mood needs a turbo boost.  We have the best time giggling and laughing at the silliest things.  I don't know when I've had more fun at a playground, chasing you around and catching you at the bottom of each super-fast slide.  Strangers grin as they pass while we're shopping somewhere as they overhear our endless chattering and singing, and often comment about how much fun we're having.  I've never "met" as many strangers in my lifetime as I have these past two years with you.  You're magnetic!  They all want to say hello or join us in our "A-B-Cs."  My heart just swells and swells with joy the more I'm around you.

There have been moments that break my heart.  I'm not quite sure how I head out for work each day, sending you to day care until I can pick you up many hours later.  That's hard on me.  You have adjusted so well, though - it's what gets me through.  That and the fact that it provides a special routine for you and Poppa in the mornings; you share such a strong bond as a result of your daily morning choreography.  It's beautiful and fantastic.

I love you so much it makes me cry with happiness.  I thank God for you each day.  May He continue to bless you and may all your hopes and dreams come true.

Yours forever,
Mamma  xoxoxo

Two Years Fabulous

Well it happened.


I was really trying to keep it from coming so quickly.  We're loving this journey so much it's hard to let each precious moment slip away, but then we're gifted with another moment and we just keep slipping forward...and incredibly, it gets better and better.


Evelyn is now Two Years Old.  And of course, her adventures are only gettin' started.  She can reach things now, climb things, move things around in order to reach even further and higher.  The same playground now holds new thrills as she can move more confidently and tackle more challenging obstacles.  And she's not afraid to elbow past the rotten boy that won't get off the climbing platform.

Goofing around with her brothers, who can't resist her charms
 even when the requirement is to wear stickers on their forehead.

She's a true adventurer.  I can see that clearly.  She gets a bit gnarly after a day at home.  Needs to get out and explore a new place, even if it's just a trip to the grocery, but ideally it's a chance to touch things, see new faces, climb and run, some fresh air.  Not a home body.  No way.

Her birthday celebration was perfect. Good food, great friends, and a homemade pumpkin cake that launched the Happy Birthday song. Evelyn was lit up from the inside with the sudden realization that everyone was singing for her. Tag fell in love with her all over again when he saw the way her eyes sparkled - he said he could see magic in her eyes. I just cry when I think back on it. It really was magical. I'm so grateful for the friends we have. They indulged us by attending a 2-year-old birthday party but you would never know it - they were nothing but sweet and loving and it just meant everything to us and also to Evelyn.

A princess dress from Rachel

The Magical Birthday Serenade

Just wouldn't be a proper birthday party without Auntie Sandy

Lilly & Evey finishing off the birthday cake...