Thanksgiving 2010

This year on Thanksgiving, we did the same thing I have done EVERY year on Thanksgiving and that is travel to my Great-Grandmother's house. I absolutely love this tradition simply because I love the fact that I still have a GREAT grandmother! Most people barely even have their grandparents much less their great grandparents. Well my Great-Grandmother is amazing and still going strong at 89 years old. I am just hoping and praying I have her genes because I swear she is gonna out live us all!! Here are a few pictures from Thanksgiving:

There she is!! My good looking GREAT grandmother! I just love her!

On Friday morning we were up bright at early at 3 something in the morning. "Why?" you ask. To go get some great deals on Black Friday at the local WalMart or Target?? NOOOO...to leave to head to Pennsylvania for the rest of the weekend. My mom, Chas, and myself managed to take 2 little girls on an 8 hour drive up to Greencastle, PA to stay with my aunt and uncle. Yes 8 HOURS with TWO girls that are 2 and younger! No really, we couldn't have asked for a better trip. They were absolutely perfect! They slept and watched movies the whole time. It was so nice seeing my aunt and uncle and cousins and little Miss Emily! She is so cute, I could eat her up...

We had a great time and I'm ready to go back again!

As of this week, I have finished up with 2/4 of my classes. I ended both with A's and I'm very proud of myself. Next week, I will finish up with the other 2 classes and I couldn't be more excited about Christmas break! However, Christmas is sneaking up on us wayyyy too fast!! I need some suggestions for Mady for Christmas..funny I know!

Well everyone enjoy your weekend and more importantly...

GO GAMECOCKS!!!

I can't wait to see our boys whoop up on some Auburn/Cam Newton tail!! Watch out ATL, a SANDSTORM is coming through!!!

Also...

I failed to mention in the previous post but today, our "baby" girl is 20 MONTHS! I mean can someone please tell me where all the time is going?!? At every stage I think its the best stage yet but it really does get better and better every single day! She is so smart and amazing and utterly beautiful that I thank my God above every day for giving me the opportunity to be the mommy to this sweet girl! I'm so in love with her its unbelievable! For 20 months, here is 20 of her favorite words:
1. Bell-Bell
2. "Money" (mommy)
3. Daddy
4. "Ri-eee" (riley)
5. "Buh-eee" (buddy)
6. Bite
7. Milk
8. More
9. Nite-Nite
10.Papa
11. Poppa
(and YES she does know the difference between these 2...Papa - my daddy and Poppa - Chuck)
12. Mimi
13. "Peees" (please)
14. "Guh Gir" (good girl)
15. Juice
16. Cookie
17. Heeeeeyyyyy
18. Paci
19. Bye Bye
And our favorite of all....
20. "Ra oli oli ol" (ravioli)

She does say lots more words than this but these are probably the ones she uses most often! She is learning more and more every day and it's really hard to keep up with everything she can say!

Just Because...

She is the cutest thing in the WHOLE WIDE WORLD!

(By the way, this is pudding that her Aunt "Car-ree" let her eat all by herself! I couldn't help but laugh though because she was seriously loving it!)

It's a "Money"/Mady weekend this coming up weekend as Chas is going to stay with some friends and go hunting all weekend! And Nana and Papa will be in Florida for the BIG GAME! We do have plans to go to Jackson's 2nd birthday party but other than that, I have no clue what we are gonna do! I guess we will just fly by the seat of our pants :)

Wow...I haven't written in a while once again! I'm getting slacker and slacker by the day! BUT, in my defense, I have been CRAZY busy with school and work and Mady and everything else in between! But hey I did choose to go to school so I have learned to deal with all the craziness and this first semester is almost over! I can't believe I have made it!

So anyways, to catch everyone up on what we have been up to. And of course, first things first, MADY :) Mady is growing like a weed. I think I say this every post but she really is. It is absolutely crazy how fast time flies when you have your own child! She is amazing though! She will 20 months in 4 days on the 10th, which I think I am more emotional about than ever. She will be out of the "teen" months and pushing ever so close to age 2! She is really not a BABY anymore but she will ALWAYS be my little baby girl! She is talking all the time now. She can say so many things that I can't even keep up with her including: Mama, Mommy ("money"), Daddy, Mimi, Poppa, Pa Pa (yes she knows the difference between these 2!), Nana, Gigi, Tea, Juice, Milk, Cheese, Please, Thank you, Hey, Bye, Carly, Kota, Buddy, Riley, and tons tons more. But her personal favorite is "Bell-Bell" and my personal favorite is "Ra-oli-oli-ol" (ravioli)...LOL! Like I said, she can say tons more than just that but I'm just still tired and don't feel like thinking about the rest of them! haha...Anyways, she still has the bluest eyes ever just like her Daddy and Mimi and she has blonde hair. Her hair is finally starting to grow longer and I can't wait for it to get long so I can play with it :) She is still tiny for her age and barely wears 18 month clothes. I am just absolutely in love with her short little self!

As for the past couple weeks, like I said, we have been busy. Hunting season is back in full swing so that's where Chas stays FULL TIME! I, myself, am staying busy with school, however, I think it's paying off because I have all A's!

We have been doing several things including watching football games with my BFF and her family, attending Bell-Bell's 2nd birthday party, Mady went to Boo at the Zoo, we did Halloween with Carly and her family, and then a car wreck.

Ok Let me explain, Chas and Mady were leaving Winnsboro to come to Lexington when 2 deer jumped out in front of him causing him to run off the road, thru a ditch, and into a barbed wire fence and some wooden posts. The car was completely totalled but my 2 babies walked away from the accident with not even a scratch or a bruise. I am so thankful to God to keeping his hands on them and keeping them safe. Because if you saw the car, you would wonder also how the heck they are ok. Much less, how the car didn't flip when it hit the ditch is beyond me. All I know is God was looking out for them. I was extremely emotional about it when it happened and I still do get pretty upset just thinking about it but I am trying to remember that everything is in God's plan and we are all gonna make it. I mean He wouldn't have kept my babies safe had He not had a greater plan in mind. I'm still wondering what that plan is but I feel God is trying to show it to me. I am trying to get better and better with listening to Him. But again, pray to God for the thanks for keeping my family safe but most of all say a prayer that everything in God's plan be shown to us from here.

Anyways, Sorry this is a long post with no pictures...because I'm a slacker like I told ya and haven't taken many pictures at all lately of Mady. I have got to do better! Today is gameday and Carolina is playing Arkansas and we are hoping for a big win! We plan to go to Carly's house tonight and have chili and watch the game. As for now, I need to quit procrastinating and get back to my homework.......

Thats Right...

USC BEATS #1 ALABAMA!!!!!

GOOO COCKS!!!!

We are proud gamecocks tonight!!!

Its the year of the GAMECOCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

we bleed garnet...

We still love our Gamecocks even though they blew a good game against Auburn tonight! So my main reason for posting these pics was for comparison. When did my baby grow up so much?? She is just growing like crazy! I'm so emotional about it lately. Tonight when I put her to bed, I didn't wanna lay her down. I just wanted to sit and rock her forever even though she doesn't need to be rocked to sleep. Oh well, I'm her mommy and I can do whatever I want, right? LoL...anyways... Good Game Gamecocks! Kenny is still smiling down on ya'll!

Dear Mady,

Madyson Taylor,

I have so much I want to tell you and never enough time. You are now 18 months old and pushing 19 months. You have grown up way too fast and it only gets faster and faster every day. You are truly an amazing little girl. From the moment you were born, you took my breath away. I love you more than words could ever describe and it's love you will never know until you have your own children (which better be in a LONG LONG time!). It blows my mind how much you have grown and how much you have learned over the past year and half. You now say several words, walk, run, understand basic commands, and give kisses. You are extremely confident in yourself and completely steal people's hearts. Everyone you come in contact with, comments on how beautiful you are. You are well behaved most of the time but you do have your moments when you like to test us. It's ok though, because even though I'm not supposed to laugh, it's still cute. You are such a ham and love to have your picture taken. I guess it was inevitable seeing as how you had your very own paparazzi when you were born. We'll show you pictures of that one day! As of right now, I think you are momma's girl but I am completely prepared for that change before I know it and I'm ok with that. Your daddy and I strive to be the best parents we can be for you. We want you to grow up and know the Lord and know he loves you even more than your mommy and daddy could ever think of loving you and that's ALOT! I am so completely in love with you still to this day and it only gets stronger and stronger every day. There are times I lie awake at night wondering why God chose ME as YOUR mommy but I am sooo grateful for the opportunity. I will do everything in my power to love you, protect you, and guide you through your years. Always remember that Mommy is here for you when you want your paci, need something to eat, go to school on your first day, have your first date, then your first heartbreak, and as you leave for college. I will forever be your mommy and I will forever love you. But for now, at 18 months, I will continue to watch you grow and learn everyday.

I LOVE YOU MADYSON,

Mommy

18 Months...

18 months...18 months...I keep saying it over and over and still can't believe our "baby" girl really isn't a "baby" anymore and she's a t...tod...toddler! ((ok let me be for a minute))



Ok....so now that I've gained myself back, yes our sweet girl is now pushing towards 2. I can't believe it. She is getting so big it absolutely amazes me. I guess I don't notice how much she grows because I see her everyday but today we went to the doctor for her 18 month well check up. She was exactly 25 lbs (50%) and 32 in (80%). I think the nurse was little off on her height because she did try to measure her twice and got 2 different numbers each time. Either way, it's a huge jump in the height because she has never been more than 50% in height. She's a petite little princess.



So anyway...guess what...for 18 months, here's 18 facts about Miss Priss herself:

1. She walks everywhere and is now running.

2. She is obsessed with shoes. She loves her crocs the most because she can actually put those on all by herself.

3. She has pee-peed in the potty a few times already. She likes the walk into the bathroom, take her diaper off, and wait for someone to put her on the potty. lol

4. She now says MaMa, DaDa, NaNa, PaPa, MiMi, Poppa, Ball, Baby, Cheese, Tree, Mady, Hey, Bye, Nite Nite, No No, and several more than I'm sure I'm forgetting.

5. She is extremely smart and listens to simple commands like "Go get your cup" or "Where's your paci?"

6. She is in a size 4 diaper still and I think will be until she IS 4...ok not really b/c she will be potty trained soon.

7. She loves to ride in the car...now-a-days she doesn't wanna get OUT of her car seat when we arrive home.

8. She still loves to be outside and it's a throwdown to get her inside.

9. She is a mama's girl right now but she definitely has her "dada" moments.

10. She is a camera ham. She loves to have her picture taken and says cheese usually before you can even turn the camera on.

11. She is still sleeping from about 8:30 at night until 9 or so in the morning. (yesssss) :)

12. She loves her baby dolls and will rock them, pat them, feed them, etc.

13. She will go and get a diaper when she needs to be changed and generally lay down on the floor. (I say "generally" b/c at times she likes to just play with her diaper)

14. She still wears alot of 12 month clothes but is now starting to push more towards actually wearing 18 months.

15. She wears probably a 4 in shoes and that's ONLY because her feet are fat...not long. lol

16. She is still obsessed with her MiMi and probably always be. MiMi is #1 in her book if she's around. She will throw out when MiMi leaves.

17. She likes to hum twinkle twinkle little star before she goes to sleep at night.

18. She is still a diva and a complete princess and she knows she is the CUTEST thing to ever walk this earth!! :)



Yea, I'm a completely proud mama and the doctor said she is doing absolutely wonderful. She still stays home with Chas most days. We might start thinking about finding a "school" for her to go to a couple days a week but we will see.



And just because this was too long to not have pictures...




Miss Priss? I think so...




By the way, the previous 2 dresses were made by a long time friend of mine, Jordin Clamp (E-squared Creations). She does amazing work. She makes things for little girls AND little boys. You should totally check her out on Facebook. ((I was trying to post the link to her page but my computer isn't allowing me to right now...oh well!))

Anyway, I hope you all have a great week and say a prayer for us and our car situation.

The Sleeper

Ok...so Mady is a sleeper. I swear the Lord knew what he was doing by giving me a child that loves to sleep b/c neither me nor Mady are morning people. She has been sleeping through the night since she was about 2 months old. I've had several people asking me lately if I had any secrets and I really don't but I thought I would share our night time routine. Maybe this will provide some of you with some ideas you had not thought of yet.





1. Bath time! - Mady gets a bath EVERY single night with lavender shampoo and baby wash. We don't like to skip this step.





2. Lotion - I immediately take Mady into her room and rub her down in lavender lotion. She is almost like a little greased piglet when I get done but she smells so good and I swear it helps her sleep.





3. Milk - She drinks a sippy cup of milk right before bed. Usually she does this while sitting in my lap with her "bankie". which leads me to....





4. The "Bankie" - this is a God-send. She loves her bankie. No matter if it's 105 degrees outside, she always has her "bankie". One piece of advice: always have more than 1. We have just recently found a second one for Mady, thank the Lord. It's a security thing for her.





5. Paci - Mady loves her paci and she pretty much only needs it at night or when she isn't feeling good. The other trick we have here is that we have lots of extra pacis in her crib. The reason for this is that if she wakes up in the middle of the night, she can easily reach out and grab one and fall right back asleep. I would hate walking in there every couple of hours just to put a paci back in her mouth.





6. Lullaby Baby - We also rock Mady for a couple minutes while singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Jesus Loves Me. After singing these, we lay her down and usually she will hum the songs until she falls asleep.





Mady goes to bed every night between 8 and 8:30 and sleeps til about 9 or so the following morning. She hates to be woken up and she is definitely not a morning person. These techniques are what we have evolved over the months and it proves to be effective for us. I personally believe that babies operate best on routine but as any parent knows, you have to adjust things to suit your own child b/c they are all so different.





Happy Sleeping!

Lately...

We are learning to pee on the potty...

...learning to climb stairs alone...

...and enjoying Summer!

Going to school so I'm not a fool...

Hahaha...yes I finally started back to school this past week and I've made it through one whole week. This has been one crazy week and now I have lots more to go until the semester is over. I take 4 classes, 1 of which has a lab. I love ALL of my teachers this semester and couldn't be happier with them. I think it's going to be a great semester! My Basic Patient Care class just might be my favorite though b/c it is very hands on. The teacher is really cool and we will learn how to do all kinds of interesting things this semester including (but not limited to) hand washing, feeding a patient, bathing a patient, transferring a patient, etc etc. The only bad thing about the semester is not seeing Mady as much. I've noticed I miss her more and more with every class but I'm doing all of this so I can give her the life she deserves. I know I just have to keep pushing until December. Also, come December, I will be graduated with a PreHealth Certificate which is exciting but then I will start Radiology. I hope to specialize in Ultrasounds. I would love to work with pregnant women to show them their growing child inside and be able to tell them the sex and all. Anyways, enough about me and school...I know it's boring...

So Mady is doing GREAT! She is growing like crazy and looking more and more like a toddler instead of a baby everyday. She is sooooo smart that sometimes it really amazes me the things she knows and understands. She still talks 24/7 and putting some words together. She loves her baby dolls and recently taken up Dress-Up. I think she gets this from her friend Isabella who is 3 and loves dress-up. Mady looks so darn cute trying to put on clothes and shoes and jewelry and anything else she can get her hands on. Mady is really a good baby and God couldn't have blessed us more. She sleeps every night from about 8pm til anywhere from 8:30-9:30am....yes we have a sleeper on our hands and I LOVE it! She hates (and I mean HATES) to get up early. She still takes atleast one 2-3 hour nap during the day and sometimes takes another shorter one. She is very laid back and while she may get mad or frustrated with something, it only lasts a second and she is over it and on to something else. She loves dogs and cats and isn't afraid of much of anything. She will be 18 months on the 10th of September and we will go to the doctor then for a well child visit :) and shots :( I will update you all then on how big (well "little" should I say) she is then....

Sorry I have no pictures for this blog but I forgot my camera and I'm on my new laptop my Daddy got for me which doesn't have any pictures loaded yet! I'll get them soon!

Have a great weekend everyone! :)

Almost time for School!

Yep you got that right, I am going back to school this year and I am sooooo excited! School officially starts on Monday August 23rd....a little over a week away!! I am going to get books next week! Amidst all this excitement though is a little bit of sadness and alot of nervousness! I am nervous about going back and doing homework and taking tests and all those things that come with school b/c this time I have a family. Also I'm really sad to be cutting my time with Mady. I will be attending school in the morning and in the evening FULL time plus continuing to work. So basically I'm not gonna get to see Mady much during the week but she is still young that she won't remember it years from now. Plus I'm doing this for her so that I can make sure I can give her the best possible life. This is all going to be worth it in the end.

Anyways, the past month has been pretty uneventful. Mady is growing like crazy and this week she turned 17 months! The time is flying by and my baby girl is turning into a little lady right before my eyes. She never ceases to amaze me with how me she knows and is learning. Being a mommy is definitely the greatest reward in life. Well gotta cut this blog short b/c it's almost time to head home.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Fun In The Sun

Tell me these aren't the 2 cutest things ever?! Just wanted to brighten ya'lls day!

Just Some Randomness...

So I don't really have much to update ya'll on but I did want to mention the fact that I go on Tuesday for advisement for school and I am soooo EXCITED! I never thought I would be this excited to go back to school but I am! I'm a little nervous just because the future is uncertain right now as far as money and work and classes and blah blah blah! However, I'm up for this challenge and we will make it. I know that if we continue to put things in God's hands, He will guide us through this.

As far as Chas goes, he is doing well. He did have a seizure the other night but we think it's just because his meds had gotten screwed up 2 days before that. It's just another reality check for him that he has to be religious about taking his meds everyday at the exact times he is supposed to. He does go at the end of this month to see his doctor at Wake Forest so we will see how that goes. Everyone just say a little prayer for him :)

Now, The Princess. She's a mess. Such a spoiled rotten mess! But that's ok because I wouldn't change her for anything! I love her more and more every single day and I'm constantly amazed by how smart she is. Along with being smart, she is very full of herself. She knows she's cute and she uses that to her advantage. Sometimes it drives me crazy, but I can't help but laugh! Her new thing is growling. She knows what different animals say but growling is her favorite. She is still attached to her "woof-woof" but loves babydolls now.

Anyways, I gotta get better about taking pictures and posting them but I just never seem to find time. Oh well.......unfortunantly I gotta go back to work tomorrow after being off for over a week and a half...BOOOOO! Good news is my BFF isn't leaving me at work until the 27th now instead of this Monday so I won't be having my cry-fest this Friday! lol Also found out today that my best friend Tiffany is going to be induced on Tuesday if she doesn't have baby Landon before then! I'm so excited and can't believe we are about to have another baby around! Well guess I better get to bed but I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend! :)

Teeny-Tiny!

Today, we had Mady's 15 month appointment finally. Mady does so great during these appointments even though she had to get 3 shots. We are discovering more and more though that we are just gonna have a teeny little girl. She only weighed 23lbs 3oz (50%) and she was 29 3/4 in (25%). It's ok thought because she isn't lacking in any areas so I'm A-OK with her being "petite" :) So in honor of her 15 month appointment, I figured I'd give ya'll 15 facts about The Princess:

1. She has the prettiest blue eyes you will EVER see!
2. She has blonde hair and we just put some in a ponytail on top for the first time today.
3. She walks everywhere now. No more crawling.
4. She "talks" 24/7....literally.
5. She stays home with Chas during the day but when Ma-Ma comes home she is completely turns into Mommy's girl.
6. Her new thing is baby dolls...she carries them everywhere, rocks them, pats them on the back, etc...
7. She LOVES dogs...especially Riley and Bella....they are her favorites.
8. Her favorite food is spaghetti. I think she'd eat it for every meal. She takes after her Uncle Drew.
9. She loves to give kisses....open mouthed and all. lol
10. She pretty much never watches tv anymore.
11. She loves to swing.
12. Her MiMi is her favorite person in the world I think....no matter who else is around.
13. She has more clothes than me and Chas put together but that's ok b/c she's cute :)
14. She loves to talk on the phone.
15. Mady is a complete PRINCESS :)

We had a good day at the doctor and visiting my work. We are looking forward to this weekend going to the Peach Fastival and doing some cooking out with friends and family. I'm also still off until Thursday so I'm gonna hopefully get some stuff done around our house next week.
Also, I need to ask everyone to say a little prayer for Chas and for our family. Chas had another seizure tonight so we just spent several hours in the ER. I won't go into all the details but if you could throw us in your prayers that would be great! I hope everyone has a great weekend and HAPPY JULY 4TH!!!

VACATION!...

...well sort of. haha. So I'm off work til the end of next week and since we are broke and can't afford to go anywhere, we were just gonna stay home and get stuff done around the house. Yea, well we haven't been home in a week! LoL We have been staying at my parents' house all week since we got back from Charleston. It's kinda nice b/c we have nothing we have to do except watch baseball earlier in the week (GO COCKS!!! 2010 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!!!!!!!!) and Daddy has been home so he's been cooking. Anyone who knows us, knows my daddy can COOK! We've had fish and shrimp and spaghetti and corn and squash and zucchini and soooo much more but tonight, we had RIBS! They were fantastic (even though mine are made with no bbq sauce b/c I don't like it and my daddy spoils me) but this little one right here LOVED the ribs:


(and yes, it was the ribs with bbq sauce on them)




What can I say...She gets to do whatever she wants at NaNa & PaPa's house! Because Lord knows, this mess would have drove me crazy at my own house! haha! Anyways, Mady goes for her 15 month appointment tomorrow finally even though she is know almost 16 months but I'll try to post some current stats on her tomorrow! Hope everyone has a great night!!

The Past Couple of Weeks

The last couple of weeks have actually been rather busy. Between work, we have had Father's Day, Tiffany's baby shower, and a weekend in Charleston with family. We have enjoyed all of it so much. Mady has actually been pretty cranky the past couple of days because she has eye teeth coming in and she's in alot of pain. This is worst teething pain she has experienced thus far and it really breaks my heart. She was a trooper though over the weekend in Charleston. Here are some pictures I wanted to share:

Me and My Bella...she loves her Aunt Deana :)


Me and Tiffany and baby Landon


Always a ham...

Mady and her Da-Da

Beach Babies

My heart :)

Slackest Blogger EVER!

Yea so I just decided to give myself this title all on my own because I pulled up our blog and realized that I haven't written a post in FOREVER! (It's also because they won't let us blog at work anymore...boo!) So here I am, back to update all ya'll on the life of the Dixon family.

Mady has decided that she finally wants to start taking this walking thing seriously. Last Sunday, while preparing lunch at Chas' grandparents' house, we look over to find Miss Priss strutting her stuff all the way thru the kitchen. It was like a mad dash to pull out cameras and cell phones so we could all capture the moment but she was so dang cute! We have been staying at my parents' house this week while they are on vacation and she has been walking a good bit around the house, but she 3 4-legged friends that are constantly in her way. So I think that this week when we go home, she will really take off. I am so proud of her! She really is the best baby we could have ever asked for! ((PS - the picture at the top is of her walking on Sunday...it's blurry b/c I was trying to take it super fast before she decided to sit down))

As for me and Chas, we haven't been up to much of anything. I have been working and Chas is still staying home with Mady. I know he loves staying with his princess but I think he is ready to go to work. Last night, PCFCU got Jenny Martin with SouthernSavers.com to come and do a coupon workshop and it was AWESOME! I loved it! I had been trying to coupon before but I got very burnt out on it and finally just kinda gave up. I now feel confident that I can start again and make this fun. Also, saving some money would be nice too! If you have never heard of any of this, you definitely need to check out SOUTHERNSAVERS.COM!

Well I guess I should get off here and work on cleaning my parents' house but I will try to do better about blogging more often!

Oh yea, if it's not too much to ask, I would really appreciate everyone's prayers right now as Chas and I have alot going on right now and alot of decisions to make. I would write more about this but I would be stuck here all night. Just please remember us when you are praying next. Thanks!!! Love you all!!

Busy as a Bee

I'm once again super slack about posting on the blog. I know. I need to do better. I will try my best to post a little more often. We have just been so busy it seems like.

This past weekend I felt like I was on the go non-stop but it was seriously a GREAT weekend. Saturday morning, Mady and I went to my parents house for a while b/c my daddy was going to get me new tires. That afternoon, we went to Dakota's birthday party at Saluda Shoals. It was a blast and all the kids had a ton of fun! I can't believe that Kota-bug is 5 years old already! Today is her actual birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY KOTA! Such a sweet girl <3 That night, we ate dinner at my parent's house and Mady went with her MiMi and Poppa. She was such a good baby all day even though she had only one 20 minute nap all day and it was in the car. I really have the best baby ever! :)

On Sunday after church, we took naps and then went back to my parent's house to play and eat dinner. My niece Bella was there so her Mady played out in the yard for a while. So far this week has proven to be fairly busy also. Last night, I had a meeting and tonight we are going to GiGi's house for dinner since Aunt Sandy is cooking! Love my family :)

So, this coming up weekend is Memorial Day and I'm off on Monday so I don't know what all we will have planned but I'm sure it will be fun. Update on Mady: She is now standing up all by herself from the sitting position and taking steps here and there. She is so close but I seriously think she is just so spoiled she doesn't need to walk. She knows everyone will carry her everywhere because everyone is always holding her. Rotten little booger! That's ok though...she's supposed to be that way!

I hope everyone has a fabulous day and remember to put God first (this is also a reminder for myself!)

Happy Birthday GiGi!

Today is my grandma's birthday who we now lovingly refer to as GiGi (short for great-grandma to the babies!). She is such a special person in my life and is definitely a role model. She raised 4 kids, helped raise 6 grandkids, and now has 3 great granddaughters! She is definitely the back-bone of our whole family. We love her dearly and I hope she has a wonderful birthday today!! :)

I know ya missed me

Man I gotta get better about this blogging thing! I haven't posted in like 10 days!! And I know all ya'll just missed me terribly so I'm here to update.

Well there isn't much to update on really. MadyLou is still as wild as ever but oh so happy! She is such an awesome baby. She MELTED my heart this weekend though. I was asking here where things/people were and I asked her "Where's Da-Da?" and she started looking around and then stared and pointed at the front door b/c she knew he wasn't home. Then I asked her "Where's Ma-Ma?" and she looked at me, leaned over and gave me a BIG hug and started giggling. She is so dang cute...and SMART! I just love her to pieces!

Anyways, so nothing else new is gong on. This weekend my BFF Carly's husband graduated from USC with a double major in Clinical Psychology and Religious Studies so we went to a couple (yes more than 1!) graduation parties for him. It was alot of fun and he is such an inspiration to so many people including myself! Yesterday was Mother's Day and we had the nursery at church. We only had like 5 kids which was odd but it was alot of fun. After church, we picked up Mady from her MiMi and Poppa's house and headed to the lake. We spent the afternoon with my mom, aunt & uncle, and my grandparents. I truly have a great family and can't God enough for them! ~~Happy Mother's Day again ya'll! Love you!~~

Also, last week, I "celebrated" my 5 year anniversary at my job. I use the word "celebrated" very lightly here b/c it's kinda bittersweet. For one, I'm thankful for my job and the job security in this economy when so many people don't have jobs however, I am TIRED of this job. It is not what I wanna do forever and I can't wait for school to start so I get busy on doing something I love! In the mean time, I come to work, do my job, and LOVE the people I work with (for the most part!).

As I go, I will leave you with a little bit of the devotional I did today. It really stood out to me.
"My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer." - Psalm 45:1
.....What is it that makes you live? What is it that motivates you? Everyone has a grand vision with a story to tell so we must find our "noble theme" for life.

HaPpY bIrThDaY eRiC!!

Happy Birthday to one of my oldest friends...my cousin Eric. Eric is 26 today. We are only 11 months apart and have always been great friends. He is there for me whenever I need him as I will always be there for him. He now dates one of my "sisters" I never had, Ashley and I am so proud of both of them for the people they have become! They were truly meant to be together. Anyways, Eric I hope you have a wonderful birthday today and I'm sure I will see you soon so we can celebrate! I LOVE YOU! :)

On another note, it's FRIDAY and it's going to be a great weekend. Tonight we are doing dinner with my family and my "other family" :) They are leaving to go on vacation tomorrow and of course they can't go that long without seeing their Mady-girl! Tomorrow and Sunday we have no definite plans but I think Chas wants to take Mady to see his sister since he hasn't seen her in forever and me and Mady have never met her. I don't know if this will involve meeting Chas' biological father also which is the only thing I am nervous about. Anyone who knows us, knows the situation with this. Well we shall see I guess. I'm praying to God to make the best of this.

"For the ear tests words as the tongue tastes food. Let us discern for our ourselves what is right; let us learn together what is good." - Job 34:3-4

Great Weekend

This past weekend, my BFF Carly Bain and I drove to Charleston. When we got there on Saturday, we drove straight to the Market and shopped. We walked all over Market St. and King St. We got some neet things including letters that are actually pictures taken of various architectural designs that are shaped like the letters. I got the letters to spell out Dixon and she got the ones for her last name. They are really neat and aren't the typical junk you find in the Market. Now I just need to find a frame(s) for it! Anyways, after the Market, we went to Target for a little while and then decided to go find the house we were staying at (which is Carly's sister -in-law's grandmother's old house...if you understand all that). The house sat on the marsh and had an absolutely amazing view. If I could post pictures on here while at work I would. I really need to do that sometime. Well we decided to shower up and go out for dinner and such. We used our handy-dandy cell phones complete with Facebook to get suggestions from people. We ended up going to Southend Brewery and it was delicious. Afterwards, we just walked down East Bay Street and even went into a couple of bars. We were having alot of fun but our tired, party-pooping selves were ready to go to bed! haha :)

On Sunday, it was storming when we got up so we took our time getting ready and then ventured out to Folly Beach. This beach excursion lasted all of about 3 minutes b/c it was so windy we thought we were gonna blow away! We stayed out long enough to get a couple pictures and then back to the car we went! We headed back to the Market for some lunch and ended up deciding on Henry's. It was soooo good! We had bourbon pimento cheese for an appetizer and then buffalo chicken caesar wraps for lunch. They were sooo delicious! After lunch, we decided to walk our lunch off all the way to the Pottery Barn to see Mary Ann (Chas' cousin)! She was super busy at work but we did get to chat for a second. It was so nice to see her b/c it doesn't happen often enough!

We made the journey back to Lexington and I went straight to my grandma's b/c my uncle from PA was in town. It was nice to see him and just hang out with my family. I really have the best family ever and I am so sooo blessed! Well there's the recap of the weekend that you were all waiting so patiently for! Have a good Tuesday and remember:

"Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all you ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn away from evil." - Proverbs 3:5-7

T minus 24 hours...

...until some much needed Girl Time takes place. My BFF Carly and I are going to Charleston tomorrow and coming back on Sunday and boy am I ready! We are both in desperate need of some girl time. We have no definite plans but we have a free place to stay so we are hitting the road! We plan to do some shopping, eat some sushi, relax and who knows what else!! Ahhh I'm so excited :) :) :)

Tonight, we are going over to eat dinner with my parents which will be good b/c there is nothing (and I mean NOTHING) that my dad cooks that isn't good. I think he is making baked fish tonight but we shall see! Apparently my Uncle Danny that lives in PA is coming to town this weekend so hopefully I will get to spend some time with him on Sunday when we get back from Charleston!

I hope everyone has a blessed weekend!

Best Life Ever :)

Super, Super funny. I find it so funny that people like to do the same things as me, Chas, and especially Mady. Mady is such a diva and princess that all the other babies wanna be just like her! They like to write about the same things, use the same photographers, get the same things, and even TRY to have the same friends. Some people really need to get their own life and quit trying to be like us. But in the mean time, we will just revel in the fact that we are made of just plain awesomeness. LoL...I really do have the best life ever :)

Sorry for offending anyone but I just thought I'd speak my mind...

On another note, It is a beautiful day annnddd it's one day closer to the weekend!! I'm so excited about having some girl time this weekend. I will miss my husband but it is definitely some much needed relaxation away from Columbia!

Baby Steps

Mady took her first REAL step all on her OWN last night!!! I was so excited but didn't wanna scream or clap or anything b/c I didn't want to scare her. She was playing in the kitchen while I was cleaning up dinner and pushed in the drawer that she was playing in. Well once she pushed it in, she stood there for about 15 seconds by herself and then took one step forward to grab onto the drawer again. Maybe this means she's getting closer to walking on her own. Who knows?! She seems to be taking forever to walk but that's ok b/c she has beyond excelled in other areas. She is sooo incredibly smart!

Other good news is that I have finished and submitted my application to go back to school and filled out my FAFSA form. I am so excited about this and hopefully I will be in school full-time come August! This time I have decided to go with Radiology and probably a minor in Physical Therapy Assistant. The main physical therapy assistant program has a wait of probably 2 years and I am at the point that I don't have the time to wait. I do plan to quit my job and just go to school and live off financial aide and grants. We will be living very sparingly but we can do it.

Other than that, not much else is going on. This weekend coming weekend, me and my BFF Carly are getting outta town for a night to have some girl time and relax. We both needed a break. Mady-Lou is still growing like crazy and learning new things every single minute it seems like. I hope everyone has a great day and God Bless!

I've Been SLACK!

I noticed I have been really slack about posting on here. I need to get better because I know all of you are DYING to know what's going on in our lives everyday! It's ok I'd wanna know too if I was ya'll! ;)

The past week has been pretty uneventful in our household besides just watching Mady grow. We are truly so blessed to have such an awesome child as her. She is sooo smart and funny and full of herself. She knows she is cute and she uses it to her advantage...already! She still hasn't fully started walking yet but she is alot like my brother and Chas who both didn't walk until 15 months. Besides, I am not rushing it because she is already into everything now and I know it will get worse when she can walk! I think her other reason for not walking is that she is spoiled and just gets held and carried everywhere that she has no need to walk! She's such a good baby though. She really never cries and she sleeps ALL the time. She is such a ham and LOVES to have her picture taken. She also talks 24/7 which I think she gets from her MiMi ;)

Other than that, we are all doing good. Chas is still staying home with Mady. They have so much fun together and she LOVES her "DaDa". She is also doing Your Baby Can Read and is learning alot I think. Chas seems to be doing alright, he hasn't had anymore seizures that I'm aware of so let's hope this keeps up. Your prayers are still needed though! As for myself, I'm doing well however I have decided that I need to finish my school (only 2 semesters left) ASAP and I am probably going to quit my job to do this full time. I love alot of the people I work with (not all of them though) and I would be sad to leave them, however I know I will still be friends with the important ones like my BFF Carly Bain. I am just tired of the repetition of the job. It's not me and it's not what I wanna do forever.

Anyways, this past weekend Mady stayed with her MiMi and Poppa like always and they took her to a car show and they said she was soooo good. We missed church Sunday morning b/c I'm a slacker and forgot to set my alarm so we didn't get Mady back until Sunday afternoon. Chas and I had our date night Saturday night and went and saw the movie Date Night. It was funny but definitely not the best movie I've ever seen. We then went and hung out with a bunch of friends afterwards and just chilled. It was alot of fun. We have the best friends ever! All in all it was a great weekend.

So yea this post wasn't about anything important...except Mady of course! But I just had to fill in everyone on our lives. I'll try to do better about posting but no promises! lol

Have a good day! :)

It's been a week...

...since the last time I posted. For many reasons actually. This past week has been super super busy! I also have had ALOT going on. Some are things I couldn't really write or talk about without crying. There seems to be alot of things being thrown at me right now and it is truly showing me that I HAVE GOT to fully rely on God.

As I posted before, my grandma has dimensia which is weighing very heavily on me right now. We got to spend the day at the lake Saturday with them and had a blast having a fish fry, hunting easter eggs, and celebrating my Aunt's birthday. It was such a beautiful day outside.

Also, I need everyone and anyone that reads this to keep Chas in your prayers. He had 2 seizures this weekend, one of which was really bad. It was probably one of the scariest things I have ever experienced but in the end was a reality check for both of us. We have to get better about praying together and spending time with God also instead of just ourselves. Chas is fine right now but is definitely going to have to talk to the doctor. I love him so much and I would HATE if anything ever happened to him!

As always, I still can't stand my job. I am so tired of this place and the people here that it's not even funny. I need a new job so if anyone knows of anything at all, let me know!

I also have some other things bothering me that I can't really talk about on here because of who reads these things but I do have some people in my prayers...especially a certain someone. I think they are far from God and need to really find him. Forgiveness is the key to life and I am learning this the hard way but I really do pray for this person.

Anyways, we had a great Easter and Mady made LOTS of money in Easter eggs this year! It's good though because all her money goes to a special savings account for her college education one day! We spent the day Sunday watching the kids at church, sitting thru service, eating lunch with Chas' family, hunting Easter eggs with my family, and just hanging out. It was a busy day but we had blast spending so much time with our families...especially my cousin Shannon and her family. Her little girl Emily is so adorable and sweet! We are gonna try to travel up to Pennsylvania sometime in the near future to visit with them. Mady was such a good sport about everything this weekend...then again, she's always so good! I need to post pictures sometime soon!

Happy Tuesday! :)

I Love My Husband!

"Therefore encourage one another and edify on another, just as you are doing....See that none of you repays another with evil for evil, but always aim to show kindness and seek to do good to one another and to everybody. Be happy and rejoice and be glad-hearted continually. Be unceasing in prayer. Thank God in everything, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus." - 1Thessalonians 5:11,15-18

I have a great husband. I mean I have a REALLY great husband. I am not sure what I'd do without. He came into my life at such a crucial time and even tho I told him "I'm not gonna sleep with you and I'm not gonna date you", he was persistent in his pursuing of me and it finally paid off. I knew from the get go that he was The One and he is still The One. I don't always tell him how much I love him and how thankful I am for him but he knows it. We have been through alot in the past couple of years but we are closer now than ever before. We strive everyday to put God first in our marriage and our raising of Mady. Today for some reason he has really been on my mind and I just wanted to write a post about how lucky I am to have him. I'm so glad we have such a great relationship/marriage.

Here's a song that reminds me of him:

Everybody keeps telling me I'm such a lucky man,
Lookin' at you standing there, I know I am.
Barefoot beauty with eyes that blue,
Sunshine sure looks good on you, I swear.

Oh I can't believe I finally found ya, baby.
Happy ever after, after all this time.
Oh there's gonna be some up and downs,
But with you to wrap my arms around, I'm fine.

So baby, hold on tight.
Don't let go!
Hold on to the love we're makin',
'Cause baby when the ground starts shakin'
you gotta know, when you got a good thing.

You know you keep bringin' out the best in me,
And I need you now, even more than the air I breathe.

You can make me laugh when I want to cry.
This will last forever, I just know.

I know!

So baby, Hold on tight.
Don't let go!
Hold on to the love we're makin',
'Cause baby when the ground starts shakin'
you gotta know, when you got a good thing.

We got a good thing, baby!
~Lady Antebellum

I LOVE YOU CHAS!!

Monday, Hard To Wake Up...

Well it wasn't exactly hard to "wake up" this morning considering I didn't sleep much at all last night. For one, it was storming like crazy and anyone that knows me, knows I HATE thunderstorms and I'm scared to death of them! I also have alot of stuff on my mind...some things I can talk about on here and others I can't. My main concern and struggle right now is my grandma. She has been diagnosed with Dimensia and it's progressing pretty quick. I'm taking this very hard even though I'm not showing it to most people. I have NEVER dealt with the sickness or death of a grandparent b/c I still have all of mine. I even have a great grandmother still alive. It's so hard because my grandma isn't sick-sick, she just can't remember anything. At times it's aggravating b/c you do have to repeat things to her but she can't help it. I know there is going to come a day when she doesn't remember my name and I dread it. It makes me cry just thinking about it, however I know the Lord knows what He is doing and He will take care of her...here and in heaven.

I did my daily devotional today which was in 1 Samuel

"Nothing can hinder the Lord from saving, whether by many or by few." - 1 Samuel 14:6

No matter what, God is always the majority and He always wins. Whether you have an army or it's you alone, if you have God on your side, you WILL win.

This was a great devotional, however I still needed some more comfort b/c I'm hurting alot on the inside today so I decided to read some more in the Bible. (You can never read too much!) A few of the verses of that got to me today are:

"For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my defense and my fortress, I shall not be greatly moved." - Psalm 62:1-2

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of sympathy and the God of every comfort, who comforts us in every trouble, so that we may also be able to comfort those who are in any kind of trouble or distress, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God..." - II Corinthians 1:3-4
This particular passage is really good and REALLY comforting. I encourage anyone to look it up and finish reading the whole section.

God is so amazing and I know He alone holds our futures. He has a plan for my life along with everyone elses. (Jeremiah 29:11) He makes things happen and even though we don't always know why, we know it's for his purpose. He comforts us in tough times. And He is cheering with us in happy times. We must fully place our lives in his hands and trust in him. He won't steer us wrong. There may be bumps and obstacles in the road but He will get us through it.

Anyways, I had a WONDERFUL weekend this past weekend!! We celebrated Chuck's 50th Birthday on Saturday at Pine Island. It was great to be surrounded by our families on such a beautiful day. Saturday evening, Me, Mom, Sherrie, Ashley, Tiffany & Jonathan all attended Brittany and Tripp's wedding. It was absolutely beautiful and I am soo happy for them! It's about dang time! haha. Then Saturday night, I had a girl's night with some of my favorite girls to celebrate my birthday and watch New Moon. We had a blast watching the movie, creating our own dance party, and staying up way too late. It was so much fun and I really love my friends especially my BFF :) Don't know what I'd do without her! Yesterday, we had dinner with the family for my birthday and it was great to spend a little time with my family...especially my grandparents.

Ok so enough for today, I think...hehe. I may decide to make another post later on b/c this is actually keeping me sane right now in this crazy place that I work. We are trying not to throw our keys at anyone ;)

HaPpY bIrThDaY tO mE!!

Yes that is correct...it IS my BIRTHDAY!!! I am the Birthday Princess today! :) I can't believe I'm 25 years old already! Where does time go? I mean for real... LOL I have had so many wonderful friends and family members call, text, and leave messages on Facebook today. I am so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life. I'm just glad that finally, at age 25, I have figured out the meaning of life. I know God has a wonderful plan for my life and He has truly blessed me! Anyways...thank you everyone for all the Happy Birthday wishes. It's gonna be a great day!! :)

It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood!

It's Wednesday...Hump Day!! Annnnddd.. MY BIRTHDAY IS TOMORROW!! I don't really have much to write about today except to basically remind everyone of my birthday. I can't believe I'll be 25...a quarter of a century! haha...even tho Chas said last night during the prayer that I'll be half of a century! Not quite yet babe!

It's a gorgeous day out here today so I think we are gonna take Mady for a walk when we get home. Hopefully it will wear her out even more b/c she didn't sleep well last night which is odd for her! It's too nice though to not enjoy the outdoors. Anyways, I'm hoping everyone has a good day and enjoys the rest of the week!!

Back To The Grind...

Blah, Blah, Blah...it's Monday again! We had one heck of a weekend. It was super busy but it was great spending time with my family. We got Mady's pictures made on Saturday afternoon and it was awesome! I think the pictures are gonna be super cute! I'm so excited! If anyone needs a photographer let me know and I'll get you her information!!!

So yesterday at church, we finished our God, Love, & Sex series and it definitely went out with a bang. I totally recommend everyone reading the book Song of Songs. It's rather tough to read b/c it has a lot of imagery but it's good. So if you don't understand something, ask someone or google it! hehe... I love my husband and am soo thankful for God bringing him into my life at just the right time. I love where I'm at with Chas, and how we really strive to put God first in everything. It's hard at times, but we wouldn't be human if we didn't struggle. BUT, it's AMAZING how much God loves us no matter what. We sang a song at church yesterday that I love and everytime I hear it I just wanna break down in tears b/c I feel like I don't deserve to have God love me so much!
Here are the lyrics:

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all

Yeah, He loves us,
Oh! how He loves us,
Oh! how He loves us,
Oh! how He loves.


We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
And Heaven meets earth like an unforseen kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…

Sad, Sad Day :(

I'm dying guys. Ok not really, but I am having major withdrawals b/c my Blackberry died last night. We rushed over to Verizon and they have to send me a new battery that I will not get until MONDAY! I mean, seriously, why do they not keep extra batteries in the Verizon stores?? Ugghhh...They were right when they said Blackberries are really "Crackberries". I'm so addicted to mine! Sad I know. Maybe the good Lord above is trying to teach me something...so for now I will be without my precious Blackberry until Monday! ((sigh))

Back to my bible studies...

"'Very well,' Deborah said, 'I will go with you. But because of the way you are going about this, the honpr will not be yours, for the Lord will hand Sisera over to a woman.'" - Judges 4:9

This devotional was rather interesting to me b/c I feel like it addressed 2 different topics. One being that Deborah was basically a woman living in a man's world. She was a judge and the Israelites came to her to be judged. Women are capable of doing whatever basically and she did. Also, this study refers to doing whatever job the Lord calls you to do. You have to fulfill your role under Him. The hard part about this is trust. It's very hard to put yourself into His hands and let Him guide you and lead but you have to trust. I'm struggling with that right now in my life b/c I just want so bad to know what it is the Lord wants me to do with my life. I'm so impatient though. I'm trying to get better and just know that in time He is going to make it obvious to me as to what His plan for my life is. Until then, I will continue to wait.

Today is Thursday and of course this weekend we have a very busy weekend! Tomorrow is Melody's last day so we are going out to dinner tomorrow night to "celebrate" so to speak. Of course we are sad that she is leaving but we are all so proud of her as she takes on this opportunity to go back to school.

Saturday we are going to get the New Moon dvd and then we have my Aunt Sandy's Pancake Breakfast to raise money for her kidney transplant she had a year ago. I'm super excited b/c I love my Aunt Sandy and I'm so glad that everything is going good for her! Not too mention, the Pancake Breakfast is a another great time for OUR family and friends to get together and eat and fellowship with one another! Also, Satuday we are getting Mady's pictures done! I am so excited b/c we haven't had pictures done in a while of her and of course she is the cutest little thing ever!! Jen's birthday is Saturday so we are going to dinner that night for her birthday!! YaY!! And of course Sunday is the usual stuff...church, lunch, etc...

Well now that you've all had a summary of my upcoming weekend, I'm gonna do some work...ok probably not the work part but its ok! Have a good day...it's beautiful outside!! :)

A New Generation

I got a new devotional book yesterday and this morning the devotional was about A New Generation.

"After that whole generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation grew up, who knew neither the Lord nore what he had done for Israel." - Judges 2:10

This is what will happen if we don't raise our kids to worship the Lord our God. There are so many parents out there raising kids to sing the same songs and play the same games that they played when they were growing up but they aren't taking there kids to church and teaching them about Jesus who died on a cross for our sins. There is so many scary things out there in this world and I guess many people feel it's not "polically correct" to pray in public or that they will offend someone or whatever the case may be. But do we really want our kids growing up fearing so many things and not feeling true love and fullfilment? I know I personally don't. I want Mady to grow up knowing there is a God that loves her so much that he gave his one son to die on a cross for her. I want her to fully love God and walk with Him everyday. I also feel it is my job as a parent to show this to her. I also want her to grow up knowing her body is a temple and she needs to keep it sacred. She will grow up knowing what a real marriage is b/c her daddy and I role model it for her. She is going to know how a man should treat a woman and how the woman is supposed to worshipfully sacrifice herself.

I decided to read some other scripture about this same topic including:

"That you may reverently fear the Lord your God, you and your son and your son's son, and keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged." - Deuteronomy 6:2

"Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their fathers." - Proverbs 17:6

All of this really hits home to me b/c it was when I gave birth to Mady that I realized that I needed to change my life and devote myself to God first so that I could raise my daughter in a healthy home. Chas and I have a wonderful relationship and just get closer and closer everyday. I am so glad that we got our lives right with God so that Mady could grow up in a worshipful house. I feel so sorry for kids who grow up in dysfunctional families. I even know some personally and it's just sad that their parents fight all the time and aren't married and don't live together. I just pray everyday for them and for the parents in hopes that they can learn more about God and learn what true love is.

Well Kellye and Carly say I'm writing a novel so I guess I will stop now. Remember to tell your kids today that you love them and God loves them

What A Weekend!

So, we went skiing this past weekend and had a BLAST! It was so much fun! We went with another couple (Chas' best friend and his girlfriend) and even though none of us had skied in a LONG time (Brandon has NEVER skied before), we all caught on pretty quick and managed to not break any bones!! I personally fell the first couple of times getting off the ski lift but after that I figured it out and did pretty well. Chas was like a professional skier out there! He did so well even though he hasn't skied in years! We stayed in a cute little cabin and it even snowed like crazy on us on Saturday night while we were skiing! We are definitely ready to take Mady skiing next winter.

On another note, the past 2 days have been rough for me. I realized just far off the path I was in my walk with God and decided that I gotta get back on. Good for me, God is still there waiting on me and doesn't give up on me. I was very angry this morning about something, or someone should I say, and before I reacted the way my mind wanted to react, I stopped, got a friend's bible, and decided to read. It was so calming. I couldn't believe how fast I calmed down and decided to not use any foul language and better yet, not respond to the immaturity at all. I realize that there are some people out there who are so far from God and His will and I will remember to stand firm in my faith and pray everyday for them and hope that they, too, can one day give themselves to the Lord. Some scriptures that really stood out to me this morning are:

"So then those who are living the life of the flesh cannot please or satisfy God, or be acceptable to Him. But you are not living the life of the flesh, you are living the life of the Spirit, if the Spirit of God dwells within you. But if anyone does not possess the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His." - Romans 8:8-9

"A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger appeases contention" - Proverbs 15:18

"Be not rash with your mouth, and let not your heart be hasty to utter a word before God. For God is in heaven, and you are on earth; therefore let your words be few." - Ecclesiastes 5:2

"Do not be quick in spirit to be angry or vexed, for anger and vexation lodge in the bosom of fools." - Ecclesiastes 7:9

I hope each of you have a wonderful day and remember how much God loves you no matter what!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRINCESS!!!

Today is Mady's 1st birthday and we couldn't be more excited! I took the day off work to spend time with Chas and our sweet little princess for her birthday. It's been such a great day despite the nasty rain! We took her for her 1 year check up at the doctor and apparently we have a "petite" princess on our hands. She was only 28in long and weighed 20lbs and 7oz which is only in like to 30-40%. I have no clue how she is so small because she eats ALL the time. Seriously, there is no stopping point with her eating. She would eat all day if she had food in front of her. LOL I guess she is just gonna be little but that's ok b/c I know she has a big heart. After the check up, we went and visited Aunt Carly and everyone else at the credit union. Of course she had shots so she wasn't in the greatest mood but she was good. We had lunch at Copper River and then took Mady to Toys R Us to get her something for her birthday. We ended up with a Barbie Blackberry and some books. She seriously LOVES books and since she's a diva we had to get the blackberry since she loves playing with ours. We are having dinner tonight at my parents' house since they want to spend time with Mady for her birthday!

I'm still having a hard time believing that it has been a whole year. At this time last year, I was trying my hardest to get her out! At about 4 something that day it was decided that I needed a c-section b/c Mady's heart rate was dropping too low with each contraction. So at 6:43pm Dr. Mullins delivered her and she was taken into the nursery with a slew of "paparazzi" waiting on her! We have been so blessed to have had a healthy pregnancy and now a healthy first year of life. Mady is growing everyday and learning new things by the second it seems. Thank you to all of our family and friends who have done so much for us and especially Mady during the past year.

Again, HAPPY BIRTHDAY PRINCESS!!! :)

PaRtY TiMe!!

2 MORE DAYS!! Mady's birthday is in less than 48 hours! I really can't believe it!

We had her birthday party on Saturday though and it was WONDERFUL! We are all so blessed to have such wonderful family and friends that all made the drive out to Camden for the festivities! The party went over without a hitch even though Mady had not had her nap that morning. She was still in a fairly good mood and managed to dig into her cake. She wasn't too messy with it which is actually probably a good thing b/c anyone that knows me knows I can be a neat freak. LoL. Mady got LOTS of good stuff for her birthday including a bookbag with goodies, a bunch of toys, and a TON of clothes (which is ok b/c she is a priss and we like clothes!).

Also, we were so blessed by the good Lord with a BEAUTIFUL weekend. We had such a good weekend. Chas and I had our normal date night on Saturday and since we haven't been doing anything we decided to go to dinner even though we were EXHAUSTED from all the birthday party stuff. We went to Miyo's in Sandhills and had sushi. It was AWESOME! Then we did our normal Sunday stuff...church, lunch, and then we had a funeral to attend. We then walked out at Sandhills and I got a new pair of RayBans for an early birthday present! I'm spoiled...lol :)

So yea Mady's birthday is Wednesday and I am off work Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Wednesday we have her 1 year check up so I can update all of you on how big she has gotten and how healthy she is! We are going snow skiing this weekend with some good friends and it outta be interesting. I haven't been skiing in YEARS! So needless to say, pray for us (well me) this weekend so that we all make it back in one piece with no broken bones! lol

Hope everyone has a good week and enjoy this beautiful weather on this Monday!! :)

"The Hardest Worker In The Credit Union"

So yesterday afternoon, we were given the news that Melody (a.k.a. "The Hardest Worker In The Credit Union") had put in her resignation and would no longer be working with us in a couple weeks. This sparked alot of emotion from alot of people. I know I personally wasn't here when they made the announcement (but was called shortly after) but I dreamed about Melody all night long. I have mixed feelings about all this because even though I'm sad to know that she's not going to be here anymore, I am sooo soooooo PROUD of her for taking a stand and going after a goal. She is quitting Palmetto Citizens to go back to school. Most people get "stuck" here and I know I am one of them. I'm so jealous of her b/c I wish it was me that was able to take that initiative. She has given me some inspiration and motivation to get back to school so I can get out of this repetitive job that I really don't like.

Melody is a wonderful person and anyone that knows her loves her. She is somebody that I completely look up to even though I have never told her that. She is a woman of God and I admire that. She takes our teasing so well...and we do tease her ALOT! I have never understood how she puts up with all of us everyday but she does, and with so much character. She really is like a backbone to this branch. She makes sure supplies are ordered and everything is neatly organized. She will do anything anyone asks her, even though she may give you a hard time about it at first. Melody is truly a great person and I'm gonna miss seeing her everyday but I know that we'll all still be friends for a long time.

Anyways, on another note, Mady's birthday is exactly 1 WEEK from today!!! And her party is on Saturday! I can't believe it's already here! Also, today is Lil T's HALF BIRTHDAY! He is 6 months old today! Where has the time gone?

Ok I should do some work now....

Solemn and Solomon

Ok the Solemn part...I've been kinda down lately and I think it's just a combination of stress (not liking my job), Mady being sick, and then guess what, I got that nasty stomach bug on Sunday night. It was awful. I don't think I have ever thrown up that much in my life...not even when I was pregnant. Carly says I was just detoxing my body for p90x...lol.

Mady seems to be doing better now. She still has a few little sores in her mouth but she is eating better and is in a much better mood. Which is a good thing since her birthday party is this Saturday! Ahh...still can't believe it.

So I, myself, have been very stressed lately. One reason, probably the main reason, is that I haven't been spending as much time with God as I should. I'm trying to pray more to him and listen to him most of all. I'm really tired of my job and I'm wanting to finish school but I am asking God to show me his will for my life b/c I know I can't figure that out on my own. At church right now, we are doing a series on God, Love, & Sex as we read through the book Song of Solomon (Song of Songs). This is a really great series and I encourage anyone and everyone to come join us. I wanted to share some verses that have particularly stood out to me:

"As the lily among thorns, so is my love among the daughters.
As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.
He brought me to the banqueting house, and his banner over me was love." (2:2-4)

I love my husband Chas with all my heart and I know that God put him in my life for a special purpose. I hope that I can be the type of woman that is happy and delighted to sit in his shadow. I can say that without a doubt his banner over me is love. Chas is such a loving person and he shows me everyday how much he loves me.

Anyways, I'm done for the day. I've got alot on my mind this week but I can get through it...only with God though.

Sick, Sick Baby

Ahh...I'm tired. I'm VERRRYYY tired. Mady is still fighting this virus/infection she has in her mouth. It's so sad because you can just look at her and tell she is hurting and there is nothing we can really do for her except continue to give her the medicine which she HATES! She won't stay asleep longer than like 20 or 30 minutes. We tried last night putting her in the bed with us (which we NEVER do) and she slept better but managed to push me out the bed. I don't know how someone who weighs all of 20 lbs takes up so much room but she is one WILD sleeper. Chas says she gets that from me but I think he's crazy...I sleep like a little angel :)

On another note, we are still in FULL Birthday Party Planning Mode! It's so exciting to be planning my daughter a birthday party but man I didn't realize just how much goes into these things! One thing I am glad about is that we chose NOT to have the party at our house! We have too many people coming and I would have a hay-day trying to get everything clean b/c I'm kinda OCD like that! I'm just really hoping Mady is back to normal and feeling better by the time her party gets here next weekend!

Today is just one of those days I didn't have anything imparticular to write about...just writing. We are dead slow at work again today. It's pay day which I look forward to but all that's gone to pay bills! Why can't life be easy again? I'm tired of paying bills. I wanna go back to being a kid with the only worries in life revolved around which barbie I was going to play with next! hehe. Oh well, such is life!

Guess I should get off here and do some work (to pay some bills!) but remember this today:
"I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me" Phil 4:13

GOD BLESS!

15 more days...YIKES!

It's so hard for me to believe that in 15 short more days, our sweet princess will be 1! This past year has been the most amazing experience in my life and I know it will do nothing but get better each day. Even though we weren't ready for a baby, God helped us get ready and gave us our "Love Child" at a time when we least expected it. Madyson Taylor Dixon was born and immediately our lives changed. I knew then that I had to get my life in order with God so that I could be a good mommy and role model to my angel. I thank God everyday for not giving up on me. I also can't thank Him enough for giving us such a happy and healthy baby girl. Mady has excelled so much since she was born and continues to learn new things everyday. She has always been a good baby and loves to sleep and EAT (we swear she has no stopping point!!)! She has grown like a weed and continues to be right on average at each of her doctor's visits. Mady loves to get into everything. She has a nitro-speed when it comes to crawling and she is so close to walking its unbelievable. She pulls up on everything and walks all over the place as long as she is holding on. She hasn't quite gotten the courage to let go and try for that first step! However we aren't totally rushing it either! HaHa!

Anyways, I just wanted to let everyone in on a brief glimpse of the past year of Mady's (and our) life! Please keep us in your prayers right now though because Mady has a virus called Herpetic Gingivostomatitis in her mouth and has her in alot of pain. So needless to say that pain means no sleep for her which means no sleep for us! She's a trooper though and I know she will fight through it!

Ok so I became obsessed...

Yea, Yea I did it. I started a blog.

The past couple of days/weeks, I have become obsessed with reading other people's blogs. I'll read anyone's, whether I know them or not. It's like this little glimpse into someone else's life. So I decided to break down and start a blog so ya'll can keep up with us and The Princess!