Silly Sisters!

I love to watch my girls playing with each other!

Makes my heart smile!!

Julianne--6 months!

I can't believe my sweet baby girl is already 6 months old!! She is growing so fast and her little (big) personality is really starting to show! She is such a stinker, and I can tell she's gonna give Big Sister a run for her money!!

Hard to believe this:

is now THIS:

My sweet little piggy now weighs over 17 pounds and is over 2 feet long!! She barely fit on the baby scale yesterday for her checkup! You wouldn't know to look at her that she's got reflux, she's just fat and happy as can be! She loves to play with her big sister and her feet and laughs and giggles all the time! It won't be long til she's a whole year old!

Happy New Year!

Well, better late than never, right?! So far, 2012 has been, well...yucky. We haven't exactly rung in the new year with celebrations and fireworks around here. More like Tylenol and Kleenex! We've had a pretty sick big girl and Daddy, and a kinda sick little girl the past several days, so there hasn't been a lot of partying (or sleeping--what's new?) at this house! I'm hoping that chicken pot pie and soup can substitute for cabbage and black eyed peas, because that's as good as it got around here! (We had plans for lunch on New Year's, to include family, football, and the traditional meal, but our girl wasn't up to it.)

I guess, like everybody, I've been reflecting on the past year and pondering what the new one will hold. I must say, 2011 was a pretty wonderful year for the Slaydons!! God has blessed us at every turn, even when we may not have seen it. We've been fortunate to be able to have everything we need and most of the things that we want. Of course, the biggest blessing of 2011 has been our sweet Julianne Kaye! I can't begin to tell you what a blessing she has been in our lives! She makes me smile every day with her sweet personality and her little dimples. She's growing and changing every day, and it's so amazing to watch! She looks so much like her Daddy, but lately her looks are starting to change a little, and she and Abigail are starting to favor more. She is a lovey girl who thinks her big sister is the best thing EVER. Those two love each other so much, and it is such a joy for me to watch them as they begin to interact more and more! :) They love to be around one another and give hugs and kisses. (I know this won't always be the case, so I'm enjoying it while it lasts!) Abigail thinks it's her job to entertain Julianne, and Julianne thinks Abigail is the funniest thing!! I love to hear them laughing together!! Makes this old tired Momma feel like a million bucks!! And Abigail has grown so much this past year! We had our lovely "Terrible Twos" phase, but lately it seems that she's settled down a bit and has been really acting like a big girl! Potty training was, well, a challenge, but my girl's had it down pat for awhile now! I know I say this all the time, but she is SO SMART!! I realize I'm a tad biased, but y'all--she really is!! She talks like a grownup (sometimes too much!), and she comes up with things that are just unbelievable! It's amazing how much and how fast she learns. For example, she was building something the other day, and she told her MyMy that it needed to be symmetrical. And it was. She's also using the word "ridiculous" a lot lately, which is hilarious!! It's so funny the things that she finds "ridiculous"!!

Like I said, 2011 was a blessed year! It also brought with it some sadness, but even that was tempered with joy. I (and so many others) lost a dear friend/wife/Momma/sister in the sweet and beautiful Jenifer Taylor. She was an amazing woman, and I've been blessed to call her my friend. Even in the midst of the heartache of her passing, it was a beautiful sight to watch our community come together and support her and her precious family, surrounding them with love. What a testimony to a person's life when a church is overflowing at their memorial service. I miss my friend and think of her every day, but I know she is lighting up Heaven with her beautiful smile and contagious laughter!

I'm looking forward to 2012 and all that it will hold for my little family! I'm looking forward to gaining a brother-in-law and a new niece or nephew! I'm looking forward to watching my girls continue to grow and learn! I'm looking forward to loving my husband and spending more time with him! I'm praying for grace to be a better wife, mother, daughter, sister, and friend. I'm praying for wounds to be healed and relationships to be restored. I'm praying for direction, for doors to be opened or closed as God sees fit. and I'm praying for blessings for all of my friends and family! May you all have a wonderful 2012!!

Christmas Blessings!

I'm sitting here in the quiet of early Christmas morning, with the only lights on coming from the Christmas tree, waiting for Justin to get home from work so we can wake up the girls and see if Santa came. I'm reminded of so many Christmases before...most happy, a few sad (both my Momma and my PawPaw Brown passed away in December), one I don't remember (I had my wisdom teeth out one year), I know once again how blessed I am. Growing up, Christmas was always, for lack of a better word, Magical. My Momma always loved Christmas, and she always made sure it was special for us. It wasn't about the presents (though I'm sure I enjoyed them at the time!) but it was about being together, spending time with family, and celebrating Jesus' birthday. So many of my Christmas mornings were spent in DeQuincy, at Granny and PawPaw's house. We would go the night before to the candlelight service on Christmas Eve, then come home and have a slumber party while we waited for Santa. I remember one particular Christmas when we could hear the reindeer's bells right outside the window!! (Huh, MyMy?!) Somehow Santa always knew we were at Granny's, and you could barely get near her perfectly decorated tree for all the presents!! We girls would sort them out (when we got older) and watch as everybody opened their gifts. So many memories, too many to fit in one post(or two or three)!! Now that I have my girls, I want it to be the same for them--so special and blessed!! Some traditions we'll keep, and we'll start some of our own. I want them to know WHY we celebrate Christmas, that it's Jesus' birthday, and that He was born to save us from our sins. But I also believe in Santa, and I want them to feel that excitement and anticipation of his arrival as well. It's a big job for a Momma, trying to fit all that in, but I'm sure gonna give it a shot!! I had a great teacher, and I just hope I can do as good a job as she did!

Merry Christmas to all of you who take the time to read this little blog! I'm sure sometimes you may think I'm crazy, or long-winded, or both, but I hope what you get most from my posts is how much I love my girls, my family and friends, and my Lord. I am so ridiculously blessed!

I pray that God ridiculously blesses all of you this Christmas, and throughout the new year!! Lots of love from our little home to yours!!

Strong Women

So I know that the purpose of this little blog is to share pictures and stories of our beautiful girls as they grow, so that our family and friends who don't get to see them very often can keep up with what is going on in our little world! And 99% of the time, that's what I try to post. But every once in awhile, I feel like I need to post something that's more FOR them than ABOUT them. There are things that I want to tell them that they may not understand yet, but I want to put these thoughts and feelings down before time passes and I get too busy and forget.

So if you'll humor me, that's what I'd like to do today.

Girls, I want to tell you something. You are part of a legacy! You come from a long line of STRONG women, most of whom you'll never meet this side of Heaven, and I want to tell you a little about them, so you'll recognize them when you do see them.

Lula Cooper Hennigan--"Ma"

Girls, let me tell you, there is no one on this Earth like Ma. She is the person the expression "one of a kind" was invented for. Ma is one of your great-great-grandmothers. She is one of the toughest women I've ever known! She lived next door to us when MyMy and I were kids, and we saw her every day. Ma was old when I was born, but she didn't act old! She played baseball with me in the front yard in her housecoat. She never wore pants. (She didn't wear underwear much, unless she was going to town. But that's kind of irrelevant.) She taught me how to climb a tree. She lived through the Great Depression, the loss of her husband and a child, a tornado, and saw things she never thought would come to pass. She ate pork with every meal (Yes, that's where we get it from.) and never had high cholesterol. She always "just started to say..."

Bessie Rhodes Read--"Grandma Read"

Unfortunately, I didn't know your great-great Grandma Read as well as Ma, because she didn't live right next door. But I'll tell you what I do know about her. She was a quiet, gentle lady. She was a faithful member of Macedonia Primitive Baptist Church, where both her husband and one of her sons preached. (Your Uncle Gerald still preaches there.) She also lived through the Great Depression, the loss of her husband and a child, as well as many other trials and hardships. She raised 7 children, one of whom is your great-Grandma Ida Mae--we'll get to her in a minute. These are some of the best people I know. Every summer, we have the Read Reunion in honor and memory of Leon and Bessie Read. I know it makes her happy to know her children, grandchildren, greats, great-greats, etc. still get together to visit and eat, share old memories and make new ones.

Ida Mae Read Hennigan--"Grandma"

If you were to look up "Grandma" in the dictionary, I bet there'd be a picture of your great-Grandma Ida Mae. To me, she was everything a Grandma was supposed to be. She was soft and round and comfortable. She was one of the best cooks I've ever known. She somehow managed to get every bit of batter off the bowl and the spoon, so there was never anything to lick. She taught me how to crochet and quilt and pick peas. She was a hard worker. She kept everything I ever made or gave her. I would stay with her a week or two during the summer, and those are some of my favorite times growing up. She brought me to Singing School and "Sosashun". She even smelled like a Grandma should.

Betty Jo Cockerham Brown--"Granny Brown"

I'm so glad that you know your Granny Brown! She loves you both so much! She and Aunt Mildred don't miss a thing that involves either of you. Granny can tell you exactly how many miles it is from her house in Dequincy to our house, and she will tell you--every time she comes. But, even at 82 years old, she still makes the trip. Even though Granny is a tiny little lady, she is way stronger than she looks. She took care of your PawPaw Brown after he got sick, and showed me what true love and devotion was. Even after he had to go to the nursing home, she was with him all day every day, tending to him and letting him know she loved him. She helped take care of your Memaw, too, when she was sick. Granny always used to have Thanksgiving at her house, and she makes the BEST cornbread dressing. She also makes giblet-less giblet gravy for me every year, because one time I told her that I didn't like the giblets. Granny has lived through the loss of her husband and one of her daughters. She has battled cancer and WON. I have known her for 32 years, and I've never seen a gray hair on her head. She is in better shape than most people half her age, and always gets compliments on how young she looks.

Elizabeth "Sissy" Brown Hennigan--"Memaw"

Girls, I don't know where to begin to tell you about your Memaw. I could go on for days, but since I've already rambled for awhile, I'll try to keep it short. Your Memaw was my Momma, and the best Momma I could ever have. She was kind and generous, patient and loving. She never met a stranger, and everyone that knew her loved her. She was the kind of person who made you feel better just by being around her. She always taught me to work hard and not rely on anyone else to do things for me. She wanted me to go to college, so that I could support myself and my family if need be. She supported me in everything I did, came to all of my games, and made me feel that I could do anything I set my mind to do. When I would come home from college, she always had my favorite meal cooked: fried chicken (hers is the best I've ever had, no contest), mashed potatoes and gravy, and corn. She would pick weeds out of people's yards or ditches and make beautiful arrangements for church. She brought your MyMy and I to 2 churches every Sunday, and called herself a "Hardshell Methodist". She was a faithful wife, loyal friend, and beautiful woman--inside and out. When I was just about to graduate from high school, we found out she had breast cancer. She never complained, never asked why, not even when the cancer came back after the first round of treatments. She worked when she probably shouldn't have, took care of her family, and managed her household, all with amazing grace and dignity. She rode out a tornado that destroyed our house and still managed to find her wig in time to talk to the TV reporters without embarrassing the family too much. She taught me what it means to be a good--Godly--wife and mother, and I only hope I can do half as good a job with you as she did with MyMy and I. Your MyMy is so much like her, and I can see her in each of you, too. My life is so much better because she was my Momma. I wish you could have known her here on Earth, because she would have been the best Memaw and loved you girls so much!

I'm going to stop for now, but this is by far not a complete list. You come from some pretty awesome stock on your Daddy's side, too! You are blessed to still have all of your great-grandmothers on your Daddy's side, as well as a host of other strong women. I'm going to get your Daddy to tell me some of his favorite memories of all of them and write them down for you, too. I want you to know who you come from, who is a part of you. These women, even the ones you've never met, helped to shape who you are and who you will become. You can hold your heads high and be proud, because these are some of the very best women I know. They have overcome trials and tragedies, all with grace and faith that is nothing short of inspiring. I am proud to call them my family, and I hope to raise you girls with the same grace and faith that was shown to me. I love you both forever.

Abigail's First Haircut!!

It's been awhile coming--like about 2 years--but Miss Abigail finally got her first haircut this past Saturday! Her hair is so gorgeous, I almost hated to cut it, but it was getting so long and was too hard to deal with. She doesn't like to wear it in a ponytail all the time, but Momma doesn't like constantly having it end up in her food!! Here are a few pics of the process:

BEFORE

You can tell she was a little nervous, but she did really well overall!

And Aunt Candice was very patient with her!!

Her new bangs!! We've all decided that they are just perfect for her!!

Don't know why I didn't think of that earlier!!

Just a little trim in the back!

I thought I wanted to cut it OFF, but I just couldn't do it when the time came!

And Daddy was NOT in favor of that, either!

AFTER

Isn't she beautiful?!

So Thankful...

I know that I have so much to be thankful for, every day day of the year, but given that today is a day especially set apart for remembering my many blessings, I thought I'd list just a few things here.

I am SO very thankful for my Savior, my Father, my Lord. I am so thankful that he saved a wretch like me. His grace is truly Amazing.

I am so thankful for my little family. I remember praying as a teenager that God would send me a man who fit all the little criteria in my mind of what a good husband and father should be. He far exceeded my silly little list when He sent me Justin. Our journey has not always been easy, but it was what got us to where we are now. Our marriage is not perfect, and we have our rough times, but I am so thankful to have him as my husband. He is my love, my friend, my helper, and the BEST Daddy my two girls could ever have. I'm so blessed to have his last name.

(I can't even get through this without crying. Give me a second to wipe my eyes so I can see....Okay, back now.)

I am so thankful for my beautiful girls. I cannot believe I have been blessed to be their Momma. They are the most amazing gifts in this world. They make me smile bigger, hurt deeper, and laugh harder than anyone or anything in this world. Abigail is the smartest kid I know. (Don't anybody take offense. She's mine, I can say that. :)) She amazes me every day with the things she says and does. She's such a funny combination of Justin and I, plus her own little (big!) personality thrown in there, too! She is beautiful and confident. She loves her little sister and her Hopper. She can count and read and dance and spin. She eats deer jerky with her chocolate milk for breakfast. She thinks that everybody loves her and her chickens. She believes in accessorizing for any occasion. She can (and will) argue with a post, and she will always win. She is my big girl, my snuggle bunny, my princess. I love her with all my heart.

I believe that ALL children are a miracle, sent straight from God. But I believe that Julianne is our special miracle, given what we went through after having Abigail. I did not know if we would be able to have another child, and I hoped and prayed so hard for this little girl. It was one of those hopes that you don't dare speak out loud, because it's too sacred. It was just before Thanksgiving last year that I found out I was pregnant, and I could barely contain myself!! And now look at my big ol' Chunky Monkey!! She had a bit of a rough start, and I worried at first that she'd always be skinny and orange, but my, how things have changed!! She is the sweetest, happiest baby I know! She can kick her chubby legs like nobody's business. She loves her big sister and snuggling on Momma's shoulder. She can light up a room with her dimpled smile. She eats green beans and squash like they're going out of style. She gives me sugar even without me asking, and she loves playing peek-a-boo with her Daddy. She is my baby girl, my snuggle bug, my princess. I love her with my whole heart.

I am thankful for so many other things in my life. I have been blessed beyond measure. I am thankful for my family, who has raised me and stood by me through thick and thin. I am thankful for my Momma, who will forever be my role model and inspiration. She taught me what it means to be a good Momma and showed me how to love. I miss her everyday. I am thankful for my Daddy. We have come a long way, and nothing warms my heart more than to see him playing with his girls. He is such a wonderful PawPaw. I am thankful for my sister. She is one of the very best people I know on this earth. She is patient and kind, gives of herself constantly, and is so very smart. She makes me so proud. She is the best sister, friend, and MyMy that anyone could ask for. I don't know what I'd ever do without her. I am thankful for the family I inherited when I married Justin. I am thankful for in-laws who love me and treat me as their own. I am thankful for friends made at different times in my life who will always be my family. I am thankful for my church family, who lifts me up and cares for me, and misses me when I'm away. I'm thankful for our little house, cramped though it is, because it keeps us dry and warm. I am thankful that I live in a tiny little place called Cole Central, where it's quiet and peaceful and safe. I will choose (at least for today!) to be thankful for my job, as hard as things may be right now, and as rough as they're still gonna get, because it helps put food on the table and clothes on our backs. I am very fortunate to have a job that pays well enough to have everything I need and many things I want, and I am blessed to work with some good people who can make the tough days a little easier. I am thankful for vehicles that get us where we need to go. I am thankful for a freezer full of meat and a refrigerator full of fresh eggs! I am thankful for the job Justin has and the family that we have gained there. I am thankful for bacon, Ranch dressing, chicken and dumplings, and sweet tea. I am thankful for flat irons, baggy pants, and ponytail holders. (See, there's always something to be thankful for!) I'm thankful for the trials that I have been through, because without the dark days, the sun wouldn't shine as bright. I am thankful for my freedom, and for all of those who sacrifice so that I can have all of these things to be thankful for. I am thankful for each of you who took the time to read this novel of thankfulness. It's certainly not an all-encompassing list, but it's after 3am, and I'd like to get a little more sleep before I have to get up for real and cook! I'm thankful that I am going to be rushing around today, because it means that I have more than one Thanksgiving to go to, and lots of family to visit with! I don't like that Justin's working, but I'm thankful for the holiday pay on next week's check.

Okay, okay, enough. But it's really hard to stop once you start being thankful. Counting your blessings is always a good way to lift your spirits, and maybe someone else's. I pray that each of you have a blessed Thanksgiving, and get to enjoy a day of family, food, and friends.

Lots of love from our home to yours!