Happy Easter, ya'll

Ainsley with *her* pink dye


Ainsley, Carter, Ian, Sawyer and Holden

Easter is Texas is kind of a funny time. It's usually a million degrees outside, but you're supposed to get little girls dressed up in sweet frilly dresses and hunt for eggs. Well, Ainsley was all over the egg hunt and dyeing the eggs. But she didn't want to share her pink dye. Apparently it was *her* pink dye and nobody else's. She's normally better at sharing. Not today of all days. Nice.

Do you ever sleep?

I have never seen a baby this awake! Ainsley slept about 22 hours a day when she was a baby. It was great. Addison? Not so much. This baby never sleeps. She is always wide awake and looking around. She's always focused. It's like her blood is laced with coffee. She sure is cute, but Mom is a little exhausted.

More pictures of the family

My mom, her dad and brothers (Kirk, Mom, Pappaw, Don and Greg)


The cousins (Erin, Amanda, Sarah, Matt and Alex)


Erin, Amanda, Matt and Ainsley

These are more pictures taken while the family was together after my grandmother died. I love this last picture. They were so sweet to Ainsley. Amanda's family brought Ainsley some sidewalk chalk. Then they took her outside and drew all over the driveway. They even did body outlines...it was hilarious, and Ainsley loved it. And I loved it that my girls are getting to know their older cousins. We have such a great family, and although my girls will never know how amazing our grandmother was, they will see her memory live on through the rest of us.

The next generation of cousins

Alex and Addison


Amanda and Addison


My grandmother died on Tuesday. It absolutely broke my heart. I was so close to her. These pictures were taken over the course of our family gatherings for the burial and memorial. Alex is my mom's oldest brother's eldest daughter, and Amanda is the baby brother's eldest daughter.

These two girls are so special to me. I held Amanda in my arms when she was just hours old. I was 10 years old. Amanda and her family have always lived in Texas, so we've always been close. I "babysat" her at family gatherings and was always playing with her and her younger sisters.

Alex has always lived fairly far away, but she's one of the sweetest people I've ever met in my life...and I'm not just saying that because she's family. And they're both just so beautiful. I'm so very proud of my family.

My family got a little smaller today

Our family just got a little smaller today. My grandmother died today, and the gap she left will forever leave a hole in my heart.

Many of my early memories include my grandparents. My grandmother loved to be surrounded by her friends and family – something that was hard over the years with two sons in the military and her children and grandchildren spread literally across the country.

On their 50th wedding anniversary, as we were planning ways to celebrate their wonderful life together, my grandmother announced that all she wanted was to have her family all together. So, we all packed up and went to Florida for a week. Normally, having 20 people in a house together is a recipe for disaster, but we had a ball. My grandmother talked about that trip regularly as one of her favorite vacations.

I’ll always remember her smile. Even though she never said it, it’s like she lived the old mantra “You’re never fully dressed without a smile.” There isn’t a memory I have of her where she isn’t smiling or even laughing. She always believed she had much to smile about – that God had blessed her so fully that she had no room for complaint. As I look back on nearly 31 years of knowing her, I know I am actually the one who was blessed – to be able to call her not only my grandmother, but my friend.

I love you, Mimi.

Why does it take a million years to grow out bangs?

Ainsley's hair is curly. And thick. Really, really thick. These things aren't fun when you're trying to style the hair of a three year old. A rambunctious three year old. We cut it REALLY short last summer so she could run around and play without worrying about it getting in her face. Well, now she's in school with a lot of other little girls with ponytails and bows in their hair. So, we're growing out her hair. In the meantime, her bangs are constantly in her face. Today she came home from school, and the ladies in Extended Care at Saint Mary's Hall had put her bangs in this miniature ponytail. I know it'll grow out eventually, but why does it seem to take so long!?

I think we're going to have a thumb sucker

I never really had to worry about thumb sucking with Ainsley. She was all over her pacifier as a baby, but she never seemed to even try to suck her thumb. Addison, on the other hand, appeared to be sucking her thumb even on some of the ultrasound pictures. Here, even in her sleep, she appears to be trying.