Hello 2019!

We said goodbye to 2018 back home in Tallahassee and spent our entire first day of 2019 making the long drive back to Forney. They say that whatever you do on January 1st is what you'll find yourself doing all year long. We do spend a LOT of time making that long trip between Texas and Florida so I suppose it's true!

Kyndall still had almost a full week before she had to return to school so we spent the next few days unpacking, catching up on laundry, sleeping late and playing with her new toys. Matthew got the dreaded job of putting together her dollhouse, which ended up requiring a YouTube tutorial video!

All of the accessories for the doll house came in this moving truck and within the truck were tiny boxes labeled by room, just like a real moving company. It was really cute!

Success! Yay Daddy!

We had a few gorgeous days where it wasn't so cold so we took advantage by spending some time at the park

Santa brought Kyndall some Shrinky-Dinks which were one of my favorite activities when I was her age. She loves making her creation and then watching it shrink in the oven!

Saturday evenings are perfect for a back porch fire and s'mores

Even though all of my Christmas decorations were long gone, I couldn't stand to take down all of these beautiful pictures....So I didn't! It's now almost February and they're still up. I smile every time I walk by them so I think they'll stay a little longer.

Cam is so smart--He knows our routines so well that each night around 6:00 he sits close to the front door in anticipation of Matthew getting home. I don't know how he knows what time it is but he does this without fail every single night at the very same time!

She loves buying these LOL surprise dolls and the thrill of not knowing which one you're going to get. But check out all that trash! Yikes!

Toothless Huckabee doesn't even know when his tongue is hanging out

We spent an entire Saturday shopping for the perfect dress for the Daddy/Daughter dance. After many hours and countless dresses we finally found the one. Her requirements were simple--It couldn't be itchy and it needed to twirl. 

Taking a break after a full day of shopping

It's soft and simple, just like Kyndall. She's SO excited to wear it in a couple of weeks!

My friend Kelli has an amazing talent for decorating cookies. When she practices new designs she is always very thoughtful to share her "less than perfect" cookies with us. But if you ask me, these are pretty perfect!

We don't have many trees in Texas and I miss that but it does make for some great sunrises

My birthday gift finally arrived! I've been wanting a Silhouette vinyl machine for years and I finally have one. Let the monogramming madness begin!

We had a day off from school for MLK day so we turned it into a girls day out, beginning with lunch where we celebrated Ashlyn's belated birthday and followed it up with a movie. I love spending time with these sweet girls and their Moms. I hope they stay friends forever...And I also hope they think it's fun to have their moms tag along forever! Ha!

Each year or neighborhood hosts a Buid-A-Bear event up at the clubhouse and Kyndall looks forward to it very much.

Later that same day our family of three joined forces with our Sunday school class to serve at Buckner Shoes for Orphan Souls. We unpacked and sorted hundreds of pairs of new shoes which will be sent around the world to children in desperate need not only of the shoes themselves but also the good news of Jesus Christ. We included a handwritten note with each pair which made it extra special. It was a wonderful experience for all three of us, but especially for Kyndall as she realized first hand just how very blessed she is!

Saturday night movie night complete with ice cream 

We stayed up late to watch the lunar eclipse blood moon

Myself and the rest of the PTO put on our annual "Donuts with Dad" which is always a fun event that the kids look forward to. 

She wore her donut bow just for the occasion!

Kyndall and Karli

We had another girls day to celebrate Ryann's 8th birthday. She and Kyndall became fast friends in kindergarten but last year she moved an hour away and they really miss each other. It was sweet to see them reunited and we enjoyed celebrating Ryann's big day.

Ready to jump the morning away at Urban Air

Lunch was their choice and we ended up at McDonald's

I found this in Kyndall's school folder. I assume this was a MLK day assignment and not surprisingly, our little animal lover wrote about her true passion. If this kid doesn't grow up to be a vet or some kind of animal rights activist, I'll be very surprised!

On January 23rd, just ELEVEN days after being listed for a double lung transplant at Vanderbilt my sweet friend Kelly received her gift of life. It was such a happy day and brought back so many memories for me. I had my cookie making friend create these custom cookies especially for her. They turned out great!

Another day, another picture of Cam waiting for Matthew to arrive home

Front porch views that never get old

Another view that never gets old. She may be 8 years old now but she still loves for me to lay with her at night and rub her back as she falls asleep. When she was younger I used to dread this because it felt more like a chore than a privilege. But with each passing year I realize more and more how fleeting these years are and how I need to soak up every single day because before I know it they'll be gone. I wish she could stay 8 years old forever!

January felt like such a long month but alas, it has finally come to a close and we're looking forward to all that exciting things February will bring--Matthew's birthday, a visit from Nonie and Poppie, the Daddy/Daughter dance, Valentine's Day and a trip to Nashville!