While Mommy's away...

Last weekend I was offered an amazing opportunity to get away for a few days and I accepted! Two nights at the beach and one might in Charlotte for the Kenny Chesney concert! Although I wasn't looking for a reason to get away I was looking forward to some fun girl time!

The weekend started out in Carolina Beach! We had the best time relaxing on the beach, hearing some fun bands, staying in, and catching up on girl talk!

After squeezing in a couple hours with Ella Ruth I was off again but this time we headed west to Charlotte! My amazing friend and I go every summer! We had promised ourselves that if we went again we would get great seats! We did! We were on the 8th row! We had a ball and enjoyed our stay!

It was a fun trip but I have to admit.... I was excited and happy to be back he with my loves! I think they missed me too!

New beginnings!

We have almost been in our house for one month!  I cannot believe it!  Things are starting to come together.  I am ready to start sharing our before and after pics.  We just have a few more things to work on and they will start coming.  This week we finally started putting up pictures so it is starting to feel more and more like our home each day!

Before I forget I wanted to share these pictures with you from the day we moved.  Our first home will always be super special to us!

Of course our new home is really special to us too!  We could not be more thrilled to be back in the country... were we belong!  Don't get me wrong... we loved living in the city but it never really ever felt like home.  Now that we are back, I wonder why we ever left!

Landscaping Before and After

As a teenager, Preston's job was to mow the grass at his family home. Once we decided to buy the home he decided to tackle this task once more. To begin he sprayed the yard for weeds. This made the biggest improvement! He then trimmed back bushes which were a bit out of control! After those things were under control he added in mulch. He worked really hard and it paid off. I have to say... it looks great! We have also added shutters to the front and plan to paint our door but I will save those pictures for another post!

 Before 

 

After

Big Things are Happening for the Parks

God never ceases to amazes us. First he blessed us with an amazing miracle (we named her Ella Ruth) last year. Then I began praying for a job opportunity. I was given one and took the job. Then we began praying for a home, our dream home and again things worked out. It is truly humbling to watch what can happen when you trust God and put your worries in his hands (something I certainly need to do more often)! This past month we are celebrating not one, but two huge milestones in our family! Ella Ruth is now 18 months old! She is such a "big girl" and is quickly becoming her very own version of Miss Independent. She enjoys doing everything for her self and is even starting to show her more stubborn side (Bless her heart...she sure gets it honest!). Her newest trick is sitting in the chair at the dinner table without a booster seat. This has certainly caused lots of "more difficult" dining experiences when we go out! Although she can hardly see over the table she loves it! Her vocabulary is really growing too. It seems like each day she is learning a new word. The other night she said "help me down." Preston and I both looked at each other thinking "did she really say that?" She repeated it so we were sure to know she did! One of our favorite new things she does is "read" to herself. She chooses a book, sits down with it, and begins "reading." In her own secret language she tells a story. She even points to the pictures as she goes. Needless to say, it makes this reading teacher SUPER happy to see her enjoying books the way she does. I hope she will continue to love them! Aside from living with an official toddler we also have had some major changes in our family! We have MOVED! As I said, we prayed for a new house and well...GOD is GOOD! About a year ago Preston and I decided that although we loved living in the city, our hearts were really somewhere else. I think we always knew we would come back home at some point, we just weren't sure when. Preston has always had his eye on his childhood home, which happened to still be "on the market" so once I got my new job we started the process of making a deal! This Sunday we made the move back to the country and we couldn't be happier! I have to say as much as we enjoyed our last home, it was amazing how "peaceful" we felt after we were moved in. Preston says we are on "permanent vacation" now and I honestly feel as if a weight was lifted. Sometimes living in a city made me feel as if I always needed to be on the go to be happy. Needless to say a new chapter of our lives has started and we are especially excited to share it! I recently updated this blog because I hope to begin documenting the adventures we have "down the dirt road." We are really excited to see what lives ahead because we know we have so much to look forward to! Mother's Day on the Farm "Put me in coach..." Such a happy girl!

April Showers bring... LOTS OF FUN!

Spring is here and our family is staying busy, enjoying every minute! It is hard to believe next week Ella Ruth will be 17 months old! Time flies when you are having fun! This spring our family has had some very exciting adventures. The first was putting our home on the market. We have always had faith in God's timing but were thrilled when we went under contract in just seven days! We plan to close on our home June 7th! Our dream of moving closer to home while living the "country life" is coming true! Aside from the house excitement we have also been having lots of fun as a family. A few weeks ago we traveled to Asheville to celebrate a special little girl's second birthday. While were were there I also got to visit my college friend Chelsea. We even got to meet her precious new twin girls which was so much fun! I am so blessed to have such sweet girlfriends in my life! It was a funs spending time with my mom as well! For Easter we went to the beach. ER loved the beach but was not so thrilled about the indoor pool. We were lucky to have gorgeous weather so we were able to hang on the beach every day! She liked digging, stepping in puddles, running form the waves, chasing dogs, dancing to music, and making friends. She had a great time and so did we! She even experienced her first Easter egg hunt right on the beach! During spring break we also visited the zoo for the first time. Ella Ruth enjoyed watching the animals. She enjoyed Africa but fell asleep after lunch before we made it to North America. She is going to stay with her Nana and "Pa" in a couple weeks while we go to a wedding adn they are planning to go back. Maybe this time she won't miss all the North American fun! It is hard to believe summer is right around the corner. I feel like every time I post on here I am saying that. I guess it is a good reminder that time passes quickly and that we sure truly enjoy every moment.

Holiday Wrap Up

It is hard to believe another holiday season has come and gone. Last year during Christmas we were still getting adjusted to life with a one month old baby. I felt as if I spent the majority of our time with family in a room nursing or pumping! Much has changed since last year! Instead of holding a sleeping baby most of the time we spent our days chasing (yes chasing) a one year old who was into everything! She loved "entertaining" our family by showing off her newest tricks. She mostly loved each of the new trees she got to "looook" at. She is a mess (in a sweet way of course) and becoming more of a real toddler each and every day. We have decided that parenting is starting for us. Let's just say we are using the word NO a lot more often these days!

Here is are some pictures from our celebrations. We enjoyed every minute. I go back to work tomorrow! I am sad to see this time come to an end but I know ER is ready to see her friend and favorite dog tomorrow at Mrs. Megan's house.

Our Baby is One!

It is hard to believe that a year ago we were celebrating Thanksgiving from a hospital room. I can still remember the day like it was yesterday although Preston says I have a skewed view of how long everything took (we were there all day but in mind mind it seems like a few hours). What I remember most from that day were the overwhelming emotions we experienced. In one single moment my life was forever changed. I felt a sense of love, pride, and joy that I had never felt before. It was a truly amazing day and weekend.

This weekend while celebrating I have experienced many more emotions. I find myself tearing up just thinking about how fast these past twelve months have gone. I wish I could snap my fingers and start back over again. I swear you never believe anyone when they say "it goes fast" but it does... a little too fast.

Tomorrow we will celebrate with our closest family and friends with a "back yard carnival." We are really excited about it. My mom and I joke that this is practice for her wedding because it has gotten a bit out of hand. Our philosophy is that you are only one once so we are going all out! Even though ER won't remember, I hope she will be able to look back on the memories we made and appreciate the effort we made!

Friday we celebrated her birthday all day! After her favorite breakfast and long morning nap we ventured out to a newly renovated park downtown. Needless to say with the holiday it was a bit hectic and crowded but we still had a great time. She loved walking around (yes - we have walker now!) and meeting new friends. She really enjoyed watching the train and boats too. After we got home and her afternoon nap was over we gave her her birthday present from us. We gave her a Smart Trike and she loves it! She keeps opening the blinds to look outside at it. She also points at it too. That is our hint that she is ready to go for a ride! To celebrate we invited the grandparents over for dinner and cupcakes. We had a yummy steak dinner with pumpkin cupcakes. ER loved her cupcake! She picked it right up and tried to put the whole thing in her mouth. I hope she will do the same with her cake at her big party! Everyone had a great time and enjoyed reminiscing about the past year. We are really lucky to have such supportive parents in our lives. I don't know what we would do without them! Ella Ruth sure does love them!

Here are some pictures from the big day!