She's growing up!

Big girl in her new sparkle headband.



Matney is the funniest thing these days. She keeps us laughing most of the time. This week she told me "Mommy, no kiss me!". How do you like that?!?!? Surely she isn't old enough to tell me no more kisses!

Dads and Daughters

Oh my, there is so much love between these three cuties I could almost get jealous! These girls love their daddy and I know their daddy loves them more than he could begin to express.

WHAT is that???

Guess what a brown marker plus a lot of slobber does to a mom? It makes this mom think Matney had been eating dirt! Yuck! Look at this cute face covered by gross marker.

Hi Howie Cakes!

Over the course of Halle Kate's 10 month life Matney has changed her name from Halle Kate to Halle Cakes (because of Strawberry Shortcake) and now Howie Cakes because can't stay her "l's" very well. Ha! Here's Howie saying hello!

Paint with water

On one of our Matney trips to Target we got Matney a paint with water book. She loves it! However, she wants to drip about 5 drops of water per picture and then is ready for a new page. We went through the entire color book much faster than I anticpated!



On one of our Matney trips to Target we got Matney a paint with water book. She loves it! However, she wants to drip about 5 drops of water per picture and then is ready for a new page. We went through the entire color book much faster than I anticpated!

Spring Clothes

Spring is finally here! It is time to play outside and blow bubbles...but I'm not sure how to convice Matney to give up her boots!

_+_+_= ?

Question - What does a 2 year old girl + a her favorite color marker + a distracted mom equal?

Answer - A pink 2 year old girl with a frustrated mama!

Pajama Party

The Heald girls have had several days (ok, weeks really) recently that have been pajama party days. I can't wait for the days when it is cold out and they want to build a fort, drink hot chocolate and watch movies. How much fun will that be?!?! For now, I am working toward getting them contained!


Here we are in the morning, 1 out of 2 contained.



Oh boy, the one that isn't contained has stickers on her nose. I've got to get her reigned in!


HA! Now they are both stuck! I am a lucky mom. Wonder how long I can keep them like this.


In case you wondered, they only lasted about 3 minutes. No rest for this mom!

Back on the Blog Again

We're back on the blog again, just can't wait to get on the blog again...ok, who wants to name that song? Just kidding! I just got 100+ pictures off the camera and am going to start getting updates on here again.

Halle Kate's favorite place to be recently has been under the exasaucer. She squeals and gets so excited (until she bumps her head or can't get out). Every time we turn around now she's got something hanging out of her mouth. This week's favorite chew toy is the top of Matney's cup.

Sweet, Sweet Grandmama

Shew...I started this post last Thursday, March 18th and I just couldn't finish. Now it is Tuesday night the 23rd and I'm still not sure I can type this. Be glad that you have a computer screen and not me in front of you because I am a mess but I'll try again.

We lost my sweet, precious Grandmama today (the 18th). If you read the blog you know that she got sick really quickly just over two weeks ago. She has been on a ventilator and hasn't been awake that entire time. There was no chance to say goodbye and feel like she heard us. So sad. I've thought so much about our relationship in these past few weeks and am so blessed to have had her love me, and my family, so much. I am thankful that I really don't have regrets. We talked on the phone every couple days. If I ever went without a blog update or a phone call for more than 72 hours I knew I'd hear from her soon! About every 3 minutes of our phone calls she'd repeat "I sure wish you lived closer". Me too, Grandmama. Me too.

It is hard for me to comprehend that I'll never call again and hear her say "um, hello" like she always did. Or that I won't get to respond "hey, Grandmama" in my best southern drawl. And then she'd say "Oh, hi sweetheart!" sounding like my call was the highlight of her day. That has been our usual greeting for thousands of phone calls. And I am going to miss it so badly. I cannot tell you how many times I've already picked up the phone to call her only to realize she isn't there.

I grew up about 3 miles from my Grandmama and because of the store there were weeks, months, years that I saw her every day after school. There are so so many memories of my life that include her. What an awesome gift.

My Grandmama has been one of my biggest cheerleaders all my life but especially these past two years as a stay-at-home mom. She constantly told me how cute my girls are, how smart and how funny. She thought I was a great mom (I know, I know, she was slightly biased since I am her granddaughter). She loved Jared like crazy. If I called and said anything negative she would remind me how well I married, how much he loves me and how hard he works for us. She'd also encourage me to not wear my sweatpants every day when he comes home and to do my hair and put on make-up. That sometimes got on my nerves but she was right!



My Grandmother had 4 children, my dad and his 3 sisters. There are 10 grandkids, 6 older girls and 4 boys, we've so far had 6 great grandchildren. Except for a few of the little ones we were all able to be at her funeral yesterday. It makes me so sad to think about how much she would have loved to be in the middle of us but what an incredible legacy she's left behind.



I feel like there is no way to end this post because there is no way to fully explain just how special she was. Going to her funeral was so hard, leaving the cemetery was rough. Leaving her house last night, knowing that her smell probably won't be there next time I go back, was excruciating. So many sweet memories. Goodness, change is hard. Finality is much harder in this situation and hitting publish on this post is another step that means accepting she is gone. Sorry the blog hasn't been updated recently, I promise to keep it going. She was certainly the biggest reader so I'll do it for her. Loretta, you better be reading this!!!

Thanks to everyone for praying, calling, emailing, taking time to come to the funeral, send flowers, etc. My whole family appreciates how much you loved Grandmama and all of us.

Love this look

Check out Miss Matney. Don't you love this look she created with just a headband? She's going to be a fashion queen!

Coloring

Many times a day you will find Matney just like this on the floor with her color book and crayons. I bought her a new pack of crayons last week, a 16 pack and not the 8 packs she'd had before. When we got home and opened those up you would have thought inside held a giant pizza (Matney's favorite thing in the world). Oh my goodness, I didn't expect it but Matney was so so excited about a pink crayon. She quickly got her color books out and colored pink on every page. At the end of the day the other crayons were still sharp and new and the pink crayon was worn way down. Sweet girl! If I'd known it was that exciting I would have gotten you pink crayons months ago!

Tantrum Time!

I don't know if this is only the beginning of the "terrible twos" but Matney has been throwing some serious tantrums. Here's a step-by-step of Matney when she isn't happy with me.

Hi, Mom. Can I have a cookie, toy, cracker, jump off the roof? Pretty please?

What, no???

I am really mad at you, Mama!

WAAAAHHHHH!!!!