Just a quick post to wish you and your family and friends a safe and Happy 4th of July!

Remington is 9 months, almost 10 months, and loves riding this little rocking horse that I rode as a little girl!  He’s had two bottom teeth for a couple of months, and just recently his two top teeth have been making their way in!  He’s been army crawling, and just a few weekends ago crawled on all fours and started pulling up on the same day!  He’s a little mover and shaker!  I just had to get some red, white, and blue photos to document this month!

Dear Patti,

We last spoke on Mother’s Day after Reggie and I had brunch with some friends at our church.  You sounded happy and wished me a beautiful Mother’s Day, as Remington sat in the backseat ready for a nap.  I told you that I loved you, and that we would chat again soon.  I didn’t know that would be the last time I would speak to you.  I don’t want for this to be a really sad letter, because neither of us would like that!  Instead, I would like to tell you how thankful I am to be your daughter-in-law.  I remember meeting you for the first time in the Spring of 2004.  You greeted me with a smile and a warm hug as we arrived at your door at 3am after driving straight through from Indiana.  You welcomed me and told me to make myself at home.  Your home was filled with art, collections of books and beautiful shells, and odds and ends that you found when “junking.”  I loved going through old family photos of you and Reggie – he was such an adorable baby boy!  Those photos of the two of you on the beach will always be some of my favorites!

I am so incredibly lucky to have found your son, Reggie.  I love him so very much, and I couldn’t have asked for a better man to be my husband and best friend.  He is loving, generous, creative, driven, hard-working.  He learned so much from you.  Because of your encouragement, he is achieving his dreams.  And he never stops dreaming.  I love that about him!  I hope that I can be that kind of example to my own son.

I promise to love our family with all my heart.
I will always love you and miss you.

Stephanie

P.S. Thank you for believing in me.  And for always having chocolates around for my sweet tooth.

My mother-in-law, Patti, was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer on her 74th birthday in November 2009.  After a courageous fight, she passed peacefully Tuesday morning with her two sons at her side.

Today is our pup Lucy’s 2nd birthday!  It’s hard to believe that she is already 2 years old!  This time last year, I was a couple of months away from having our baby boy, so I wanted to spoil Lucy a bit!  I recall being at one of my baby showers and telling my friends and family that I was going to throw Lucy a pretty pink party… and several people raised their eyebrows and said, “Really?!”  The part I had forgotten to mention was that I was going to photograph it all just for fun!  I made a few decorations, like flag banners and party hats, one for Lucy and one for Lola.  I bought some cute treats for the birthday pup from Three Dog Bakery, because you can’t have a party without some sort of cake or cookies!  I used our dining room in our small apartment for the fete.  Little did I know what I was getting myself into!  Decorating took a little longer than I had anticipated.  Perhaps it was the smell of the sweet treats that caused all the chaos, because chaos definitely ensued!  Lucy and Lola were antagonizing each other the entire time, it’s a wonder I have any photos to share at all!  Ha!  After this soiree, I was completely exhausted!  Most of my time was spent preparing and then cleaning up after the (very short!) party ended!  I’m chalking it up to a learning experience for future birthday parties! Somehow I think (and hope!) throwing a party for Remington will be much easier than it will be for a dog and a cat!  This year was much more low-key.  Remington and I did sing Happy Birthday this morning before taking her for a walk!  We celebrated by not celebrating!  Just a few photos of Lucy on her special day.  Here are some favorites from the day from last year and this year!

I’m officially celebrating my first Mother’s Day this weekend, and I’m so excited!  A year ago this weekend, we were getting ready host a dinner to announce our little one’s gender to our family and friends, when we had to adjust everything due to a house fire.  I’m happy to say that this May has been great so far!  I cannot believe it has been a year since first hearing that our little baby was going to be a boy!  And now he is almost 8 months old…which reminds me I need to take some photos and post some as well!  This week, my Mom came to watch Remington while I was on-location for a portrait session.  She brought me some lovely lilacs from my childhood home!  Their sweet fragrance filled the room.  Remington has been smiling at the blooms, and I just wonder what he thinks as we both smell them in their vase on the counter top.  He gently closes his eyes and smiles to himself, it is the sweetest thing!  Then he grabs for the petals with a wide-mouth grin and squeal!  Fleeting moments like this are what I always want to remember.  Becoming a mom has been such a gift, if only for moments just like this one.  I am truly blessed with a sweet son, an amazing hubby, and awesome family and friends.

To my Mom…Thank you so much for this life you (and Dad!) have given to me.  I am so blessed to have grown up in a warm home with such a sweet, generous, loving mother.  I hope I can be half as wonderful to Remington.  I love you so much!

And to my mother-in-law, Patti!  I continue to love your handsome son more and more each day.  Reggie is so great with Remington, a true reflection of your love for him.  Watching the two of them play and snuggle melts my heart.  I miss you so much and can’t wait to see you!

Dear Reggie,

It was a cool, misty April day.  I remember looking at the clock in the bridal room at our church, surrounded by my Mom and my best friends.  It was time!  Time to go see you, my hubby to be!

We hurried out the back door, outside, and around to the front of the church.  I had never jogged in 4-inch heels until that day…ok, maybe jog isn’t the right word.  Regardless, I had never moved so fast in 4-inch heels!

I remember hearing the music we had planned months before.  A few guests made their way in just moments before the ceremony began as the church bells rang.  I remember your brother giving me the thumbs up and saying, “Good luck, Steph!”  I remember being walked down the aisle by my Mom and Dad, and smiling while seeing our family and friends there to cheer us on. I remember you, standing, waiting, smiling at me.  I remember how handsome you looked in your pen-striped tux.  Gosh, you were (and still are) so very handsome!

I remember you holding my hand and looking at me – and with that look I knew to just relax.

And how we giggled at our shaking hands as we lit our unity candle.

I remember the tools that you mysteriously retrieved from under my gown at our reception.  And the way you held me tight as we danced to our song.  I remember not wanting our special day to end.

So many wonderful memories from the day that we promised forever to each other five years ago.  Here we are creating even more amazing memories each and every day with our sweet son who absolutely adores you…and I couldn’t be happier.  Five years ago today I married the love of my life, my best friend, my everything.  Happy Anniversary!  I love you!

xoxo,
Stephanie

Photo credits: Katie Collier