February

February was a VERY busy month! I feel like I say that every month but February truly was jam packed. Every single weekend we had something to do or somewhere to be. It made the month go by so quickly that it all kind of feels like a big blur.

Every February the school's PTO hosts the annual Daddy/Daughter Dance and we start preparing for the big night a few weeks ahead by choosing the perfect dress, shoes and of course practicing the hair.

Since I'm on the PTO board I have a lot of responsibility when it comes to the dance. I was in charge of the center pieces for the dance, among other things. Our theme this year was "Boots and Beauties" and I thought these simple mason jar centerpieces were the perfect touch.

I was also in charge of making these slap bracelet wrist corsages for all of the girls, which I thought turned out super cute!

The day before the dance we celebrated Matthew's 38th birthday....

Matthew's parents flew in from Georgia for the weekend 

He's a proud VSU grad so he loved the gifts his parents gave him....

Money from my parents is always a nice treat!

Kyndall used oil pastels to create this gorgeous drawing of a deer which she wanted to frame and give her Daddy for his birthday. He actually teared up when he opened it, something I've rarely seen him do in the 13 years that I've known him. It was truly a special gift!

He ended up taking it to work and hanging it in his office so that he can see it everyday

He requested a homemade cake this year, so that's what he got! It didn't win any beauty contests but it tasted pretty good so I guess that's all that matters!

In the midst of celebrating Matthew's birthday and getting ready for the big dance, Kyndall was struck down with the flu. Ugh! The timing couldn't have been more terrible. Not only would she possibly miss the dance, but we also had a house full of family in town for the weekend and we feared everyone getting sick. As soon as her doctor confirmed that it was flu he gave me a stack of prescriptions for tamiflu and told me to fill one for every person in our household and to begin taking them immediately as a precaution. 

Smiling through her 104* temperature!

By some miracle on the afternoon of the dance she was completely fever free and feeling good! I have never seen a fever drop so rapidly and symptoms disappear so quickly as they did with her that weekend. Lots of answered prayers because we would've had one very heartbroken little girl on our hands if she hadn't been able to attend the dance.

From 104* to 97.7* in less than 24 hours...

Saturday February 9th was dance day! We woke up early to wash and curl her hair and then we were off to the school to decorate and set up for the big night.

A few dance prep details....

Each year Matthew gets her a pretty corsage but she isn't allowed to see it until he gives it to her so it's always a fun surprise.

As we were shopping for a dress several weeks earlier Kyndall declared that the perfect dress would need to meet two specific requirements...It had to twirl and it couldn't be itchy. We tried on dozens of dresses and this is the one that made her the happiest. It's simple and sweet, just like Kyndall.

It was a rainy day so we crossed our fingers that these curls would hold through the night

2018 vs. 2019

Since Poppie was in town, he joined them for the dance 

A few of us Moms decided to treat our girls to something special by going in and splitting a limo for the night. These girls couldn't have been more excited about it!

So many buttons to push

What a good looking group of Dads and Daughters...Plus one very special Poppie!

Kyndall, Bailee, Ashlyn, Malani, Audrina and Nadia....The sweetest girls!

It killed me that I couldn't be there to take pictures the rest of the night but Matthew did a good job, sending me these along the way....

The limo drove them to dinner before taking them on to the dance

And since the Mamas were kid and husband free, we had our own girls night out!

Cute video of the girls getting out of the limo once the arrived at the dance...

Photo booth fun at the dance

Sweet friends!

I was able to sneak in at the very end of the dance and I took a few videos myself....

My sweet friend Monica volunteers each year to use her time and talent to take professional pictures of all the Dads and Daughters at the dance. I love how these turned out!

These girls had a BLAST and made some priceless memories!

Between dealing with sickness, Matthew's birthday celebrations, having company in town and helping with the Daddy/Daughter Dance, I was completely exhausted by the time that weekend was over!

Kyndall and her classmates celebrated the 100th day of school by pretending they were 100 years old. Her teacher used an app to make the kids look old and then asked them what they will be like in 100 years.....

When I was in first grade in 1989 I was fortunate enough to be one of the first classes of students to attend a brand new school on the up and coming east side of Tallahassee, Florida. Buck Lake Elementary School holds so many special memories for me, as it was my "home" from first through fifth grade. They recently had a 30th anniversary celebration and although I wasn't able to attend, a friend sent me these very special pictures. When I was about Kyndall's age I was chosen along with a handful of other BLES students to create this tile mural depicting scenes from around Tallahassee. I specifically remember being in charge of creating the hot air balloons at the top. I had no idea that after all these years the mural still hangs at the entrance to the school! It's been a very long time since I had a part in this but as soon as I saw it my mind was flooded with so many wonderful childhood memories and immediately I was transported back to that art room in the early 90's and my eyes filled with tears as I realized that things have certainly come full circle. 

A random funny....We went to CVS one day after school and I purchased ONE thing. ONE! This was my receipt. It's almost as tall as my 8 year old!

Why, CVS....why??

The start of 2019 marked the 8th anniversary of me starting this blog. It began as a simple way to share and document pictures and memories when Kyndall was a baby and soon turned into our family's history book. I never imagined that I'd keep it up for 8 years but I'm so glad that I have. I have poured hundreds and hundreds of hours of work into documenting special moments and precious memories that I never want to lose or forget. So, the best way to turn this blog into something tangible is to have it printed and bound into books. Matthew had been printing them for me each year as a special gift, but when I got behind after we moved to Texas he too fell behind on printing them. He surprised me by having 2016, 2017 and 2018 all printed and bound so that my collection would be up to date. I cannot tell you how priceless these books are to me. Someday they will be my gift to Kyndall and I hope that she will appreciate them for what they are and treasure the memories captured within their pages.

2011 all the way through 2018

Matthew includes a thoughtful note and a scripture at the front of each book which makes them all the more special to me!

I spent my Valentine's Day chaperoning 100 second graders on their field trip to Spark in downtown Dallas. It was such a fun day and the kids loved Spark!

Mrs. Colquette's second grade class...Love these kiddos and I especially love this amazing teacher!!

Later that evening we celebrated Valentine's Day with a few gifts, dinner and dessert....

Pretty flowers from Matthew and Kyndall

Kyndall's BFF Ashlyn was here while we exchanged our gifts which is only fitting since she feels like my second child anyway!

A few weeks prior Kyndall and Matthew made this wooden heart shaped jewelry box during a workshop at Home Depot. Kyndall kept it hidden and then gave it to me for Valentine's Day. Handmade gifts are my favorite!

When you've been married for 11 years, you skip all the fluff and just get them a giant bag of their favorite candy!

And he does the same for me! I don't need perfume or fancy dinners, just give me my favorite kind of CHOCOLATE!

You're never too old to get Valentine's Day treats from your parents....Thanks, Mom and Daddy!

We had a super duper fancy dinner at the new pizza place in town (ha!) and then ended the night with dessert at Ice Scrapers.

Kyndall and I took advantage of a long weekend thanks to the President's Day holiday and made a quick road trip to Tennessee. Matthew didn't have the extra day off so he stayed behind but me and my little road warrior made the 9 hour drive from Dallas to Jackson TN on Friday and enjoyed a fun weekend together.

We love going back to Jackson and visiting our old friends but the main purpose of this trip was to visit my friend Kelly who just three weeks prior had undergone a double lung transplant at Vanderbilt. We arrived in Jackson late Friday night and on Saturday morning Kyndall and I made the two hour drive to Nashville to spend the day with Kelly. But first, she needed pancakes at McDonald's....

We made it to Nashville and enjoyed spending the day with Kelly and her family. Even her grad-dog Willie was visiting for the day and of course Kyndall loved that.  

We brought some goodies to Kelly, including this special drawing that Kyndall created the day after she had her transplant. She wanted to make something for her and came up with this idea all on her own. I love how she depicts healthy, strong, happy lungs and underneath she included Kelly's favorite line...."It's all good". 

Kelly and her family loved it so much that they have decided to print it onto t-shirts, along with a special scripture and the date of her life saving transplant. Kyndall was beyond excited and so honored when she saw this proof of the shirts!

We brought goodies too, including these amazing cookies that my other friend Kelli made.

Even though Kelly is doing very well, she cannot yet return home to Jackson but instead she must live locally in Nashville for three months post op so that she can be closely monitored by her transplant team. The cool thing is she's living in the very same apartment complex across from the hospital that I lived in following my own transplant in 2014. It was strange how going back brought up so many old memories (most of which I'd rather forget) from that very tough season of my life....Dare I say the toughest. 

125 Village at Vanderbilt was my home away from home in 2014. Inside that tiny apartment is where my new life began. There were struggles and triumphs, moments of defeat and days of despair...but by God's GRACE I was able to stand there four and a half years later fully healed and deeply thankful for how far I've come!

We made a trip over to the hospital so that I could get a glimpse of the new sculpture/statue that had just been dedicated the week prior, honoring Vanderbilt organ donors. It stands beautifully in the atrium of the critical care tower which is home to the transplant floor. I absolutely love what it represents and I'm so glad I was able to see it.

It was extra special being able to stand next to my dear friend in my very favorite spot in the entire hospital, knowing that the words on the sign ring true for BOTH of us now. I've taken countless photos in this same place over the last four years but this one just about made my heart explode with humility and gratitude. We are just two of MANY lives that have been saved thanks to the selfless gift of perfect strangers who looked beyond themselves and chose to donate LIFE. There is no greater gift that one human can give to another than the gift of life and on this day I was feeling more grateful than ever for mine. Things came full circle for me and I was so humbled as I reflected on God's goodness and His faithfulness. 

She's been posing by this sign since she was four years old. She knows the significance of the progress that's been made with each new picture we take.

 It made me so happy to spend the day with Kelly, knowing that she is on her way to a healthy new life, free of sickness.

It wouldn't be a trip to Nashville without a trip to Kyndall's favorite place, Opry Mills Mall...and it wouldn't be a trip to Opry Mills without a trip to the Vera Bradley store, followed by dropping way too much money on an overpriced stuffed animal at Build-A-Bear, a quick ride on the carousel and dinner at Rainforest Cafe. We closed down the mall at 9:30 pm and still had to make the two hour drive back to Jackson, but it was such a fun day that we didn't mind the late night.

We treated ourselves!

Though we only lived in Jackson for three and a half years somehow it always feels like we're coming "home" when we're there. We have so many precious memories and so many special friends in the little town that will always hold a special place in our hearts. Kyndall and I loved being back at Englewood on Sunday morning and seeing so many familiar faces.

Lunch with my besties is always a treat!

Gavin and Kyndall...the future Mr. and Mrs. Hatley...Or so their Mamas hope!

We made our usual drive by our old house just for the sake of memories. I got brave and took a cue from my favorite TV show, 'This Is Us' and actually walked up and rang the doorbell. Much to our disappointment they did not answer but I'm not really sure what I was going to say if they had!

I don't care where we live or how many houses we buy and sell, this one will always be my favorite. Maybe because it's the first house we ever owned or maybe it's because it's where my healing took place or maybe it's just because I love and miss that big beautiful yard where tiny Kyndall played in the snow and ran through the sprinklers and jumped on her trampoline and rode her 4 wheeler for hours on end. Whatever it is, this house holds so many memories and I'll always have an attachment to it.

With just a few hours left in our trip, we met up with my prayer partners on Sunday night for dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant. It is always so good for my soul to spend time with these amazing ladies and I miss them oh so much!

February is National Childrens Dental Health month and I LOVE talking to Kyndall's classmates each year about the importance of dental health. This year I was able to teach 100 2nd graders all about their teeth and how to properly care for them. My favorite moment came at the end of my presentation when one little dude walked up and asked me if I had my own YouTube channel so that he could go home and watch me over and over again. Ha!

Kyndall helped me package up 100 toothbrushes and floss the night before my presentation. She always gets super excited when I give my talk each year. I'm sure it won't always been this way!

This lover of animals/insects/all living things was happy to find a lady bug in our yard after school. "Hurry, take a picture of it, Mommy!" If this kid doesn't grow up to do some kind of career involving animals I will be completely shocked. If it lives and breathes, she loves it. With the exception of bees. She loses her ever-loving mind around bees. But don't we all??

Another straight A progress report! Her straight A streak began in kindergarten and she's never broken it. We are very proud of her hard work!

Every Saturday morning these two have a Daddy/Daughter breakfast date to the Waffle House. Mom isn't allowed to go, but occasionally they surprise me and come back with something special. This was one of those days!

Kyndall has been learning a lot about the importance of kindness in the last couple of weeks. She was challenged to start doing random acts of kindness which she has followed through on and in turn it inspired me to do some of my own. So when one of my friends was having a rough week I decided to bring her a little joy. Jesus and chocolate fix everything, right?? And pretty flowers help too!

Kyndall has been having some issues at school which have required her to be seen by the nurse. Nothing serious, but just something that we're having to work through. I decided she too deserved a little pick-me-up so Kyndall and I picked up a few of her favorite things and took them to her as a way to say thank you for all she does.

In honor of Read Across America Week, the kids got to have some fun theme days at school. The first day was crazy sock day....

Followed by hat day....

Crazy hair day....

And finally, twin day.....

These four besties turned twin day into quadruplet day! Not only were they adorable but they also used the opportunity to send an important message to their peers with the words on their matching shirts. I wish ALL kids could love their classmates the way these four love each other. The world would surely be a better place for us all!

Second grade teachers on twin day

These three spend ALL day EVERY day in the same class at school together and on Fridays they also spend an hour together at gymnastics. But, it's never enough! Following gymnastics they arranged a Friday evening play date so they could spend even more time together. When they're not physically in each others' presence they are on a three way Facetime call with one another or chatting on a group text. I love seeing their friendship grow and I pray they stay sweet friends forever!

Random acts of kindness came full circle when one of my sweet friends gave me this special gift...Just because! It means so much that people are always thinking of me and "Grace" the liver.

A couple times a week we head to Sonic after school for a treat and recently Kyndall has discovered their warm, soft salted pretzels with cheese sauce. She's been a fan of soft pretzels her whole life, declaring that Sam's has the best but now she says Sonic is at the top of her list!

As you can see February was BUSY! March is now upon us and we're looking forward to an exciting spring break vacation next week, followed by a visit from my Mom, sister and nephews. Bring on Spring!!