zoo, lakehouse and Jenny +Kelly= a Jelly Wedding at Moon River Ranch

Blake took an afternoon off and we took emery kate to the zoo! It was a lot of fun b/c she actually found the animals and was pointing at them! She loved it!

It was very hot!

Her new favorite activity...Blake filled her pool with balls. She loves to play in it or push it around!

Blake's stepsister Jenny Martin (now Terrell) got married to Kelly this weekend at Moon River Ranch. We had so much fun spending the whole weekend out there. Here are some pics from the Rehearsal dinner. This dress was a gift from my sweet friend Julie and it was made by my amazingly talented friend Magen (www.evangelinegifts.blogspot.com). She looked SO cute in it!

EK loved all the animals, especially the horses!

They got married in front of this chapel, isn't it adorable!

Carey (blake's sister) was in charge of the decorations for the rehearsal dinner. She had them pull this old truck up and decorated it. This is where you got your plates and serving utensils, it was so clever and so cute!

Two of my sweet sister in laws...Carrie and Carey! Confusing, huh?

Wedding day....Bebe got Emery Kate this purple dress for the wedding b/c the wedding colors were purple. She looked like a little princess. It was so cute on her. She pranced around in this all night!

Just catching up with her cousins while she's away :)

The cake was gorgeous and yummy!

The reception was decorated so beautifully, here is one of the tables. I love the purple hydrangeas. Our hydrangea bush is blooming right now at home and I love it, I was so excited to find out we had one at our new house!

PawPaw (Blake's dad) and his kiddos...they are a handsome bunch!

The party favor was Jelly b/c Jenny + Kelly= Jelly...cute, huh?

Emery Kate's first dance with a boy. How cute is that? Matthew took her from outside onto the dance floor and they twirled around a few times. She acted like she knew what she was doing!

EK missed hank while we were away, so she came over and petted the dogs on the ranch a lot.

On sunday, we headed to the lakehouse and met Jason & Alex, and Mary Beth. It was fun and relaxing. How cute is EK's swimsuit? Bebe got it for her at roundtop last year.

We got this new float for the lakehouse and it is so fun! It holds a ton of people and you can all stay together and visit and anchor it so it won't float away. It even has two coolers, cupholders and a slide!

Thanks for enduring all the pics!

I love you, Mom!

happy mother's day sweet mom! I wanted to write this on the blog to publically honor you and the mother/woman that you are. You know that I could never have asked for a more wonderful mother than you. Now, after having a solid year of mothering under my belt I am beginning to get even more of an idea of the sacrifices and love that you showered upon me and all your children. Christy, Jason, Mary Beth and I can truly say that we have a mother who loved us unconditionally. I still see the sacrifices you make when you drive up from Waco just to watch Emery kate for a day or Jayden and Duncan. Only a mother would do that for her children....and not even all mom's would do that. Thank you, Mom. Thank you for your love for us and for your grandchildren.

One thing I want to tell you this mother's day is that you are beautiful. I know that when you were in your early thirities you lost your mother. You lost the woman who would say to you what you say to us....that we are beautiful inside and out and that we are perfect. I can't even imagine life without you mom...I don't know how you did it. Today I want to say it to you, Mom, you are beautiful inside and out. I know people say that a lot but I wish people could see into your heart b/c I know that all they would find would be love, mercy, kindness, grace, joy, selflessness, tenderness, compassion. Thank you for showing me what a beautiful heart looks like, mom. I hope my heart is as beautiful as your when I am older.

A couple of weeks ago at church Jordan asked us to look at our families and see what we want to be passed down for generations and generations. I asked you to pray for me to have the mercy and selflessness that you have...thank you and please continue to pray for this in my life. Thank you that because of you and Dad thousands of generations will be blessed. What a heritage. I love you more than you could ever know...

Thank you for some of the qualities I got from you over the years....

Your love to help the sick...hence I am a nurse practitioner!
Your love to shop....or maybe it is just your love of being together...I got both!

Your love of family and of the Lord

Your ability to take a nap whenever and wherever...a PRICELESS gift....thank you!

Lastly...your love of diet coke...notice it in the background.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!

"She opens her mouth with wisdom, and on her tongue is the law of kindness. She watches over the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed; Her husband also and he praises her. 'Many daughters have done well, but you excel them all.' Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised." Proverbs 31:26-30

Happy 1st Birthday Emery Kate!

I can't believe Emery kate is a year old today! I am so happy, but so sad that she is no longer a baby. She is officially a toddler now. What a joy this past year has been. I can honestly say that Emery Kate has brought Blake and I more joy than we could ever imagined. God blessed us with such a sweet, precious girl. I couldn't be more thankful for her.
My heart is so full of praise to God for healing her from the infantile spasms/seizures...the year could have been very different. Thank you, God! Thank you for your healing hand. I now that when you heal you are just returning things to the natural order, because if sin hadn't entered the world there would be no diseases or death or hard times on this earth. Thank you for bringing your healing touch to us to remind us of your love and power!
Blake and I were able to dedicate her at church this sunday. Our prayer for her is first and foremost that she would know Jesus as her Lord and Savior, but also that she would bear his image in this dark world. That she would have a pure heart and be set apart. Please pray with us as we need wisdom to raise her in this way. Matthew 5:8 says "Blesssed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." I want that for Emery Kate so bad.
We also had her first birthday party sunday. It was so fun!

Carey displayed the cupcakes...so cute!

yummy!

after the 1st cupcake :)

party favors

enjoying her presents

EK after the dedication at Cafe Express

MB's art exhibition...her stuff is AMAZING!

easter pics!

Sorry I have been so bad at posting pictures lately...Here are some from Easter with the Marable's at the Funny Farm! This pic is with all her cousin's on Blake's side.Trying to get a family pic is hard...

She liked putting the eggs in the basket...cute thing!

I love her!

EK and her buddy Anna at the mom's group Easter Egg Hunt.

She is taking steps now so I will try and post a video soon! It's really cute!

happy easter!

goodbye Woodcrest!

It is with bittersweet emotions that I am writing about our move. We are moving this weekend and I am very excited about the new house but I am really sad to leave our home on Woodcrest. I actually cried after we closed b/c we drove back home and it really hit me that we were leaving this house. It was our first home to buy, first yard to keep up, first yard to let the dogs destroy, first time dealing with a mortgage and the joys of homeownership, but most importantly it was the home we brought emery kate to from the hospital. Such special memories. It has been such a charming, peaceful home for our family. It is teeny tiny inside, but I don't think you could get much cuter.

I think what makes it even harder to move is that we sold the house to a builder so it is going to get torn down. I know, I know...what were we thinking! Don't judge us!! We found the new house and had to sell this one quick and knew builders would be interested b/c we have this large, beautiful lot with great trees. Sure enough we were able to sell it very easily. We thought it might be easier knowing that we were the last people to live in the house, but now I am having second thoughts. It will be sad to not be able to show emery kate her first house. Oh well...I know it's just a house!

We also have the BEST neighbors and are going to miss them so much and I will definitely miss being a 3 minute walk from Christy. But our new house is only a mile and a half away so we can still walk to see them :)

Here is the house from those crazy snow days.
A pic of us at the closing.

EK and daddy in the snow.

EK and mommy

She is loving it :)

Here is the NEW house! Isn't it cute? I love it and am pumped to move in! And one of the best parts is that there is a back house and Jason and Alex are going to be living back there! Can we ask for better neighbors than that???
Pray for me as this weekend we are moving and I start my new job on Monday. Lots of changes for me and I am feeling slightly overwhelmed...

sorry this was so long!

I'm official!

Well, I just got on the state board of nursing's website (I have done this daily for the past few weeks) to check and see if they had verified my license yet. Usually nothing pops up, but when I opened it today it was there! I am now an official certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner authorized by the state of Texas! Woo Hoo!!!! It has been such a long journey and I am SO thankful to be done and start my new job! I am going to be working at Children's still but in Pre-Surgical Assessment. I will work Mondays and Thursdays for 10 hour shifts...a pretty nice schedule giving me plenty of time to hang out with the cutest girl in the world! I will miss my friends in the ICU at Children's because I worked with the most amazing people, but I am definitely thankful to be around healthier children! We are going to continue our work Bible study that meets at my house each week so I will get to stay in touch with all my work friends! God is so good. I am so thankful for my job as I know so many people are having such a hard time finding work. I can't imagine what they are feeling, but I know God is faithful and will provide. At Lifegroup tonight we were singing "Come Fall on us" and I love the part where it says "A thankful heart prepares the way for you my God." I am one thankful (and official) girl right now! Bless you, Lord!