Our little supermodels...

What better way to celebrate 10 years of wedded bliss than by having our young'uns' pictures taken?!

I was very pleased with the results...even though Carter didn't want to let go of the little motorcycle they had in the studio. The ones of him in his red shirt were all taken with him on it...we just cropped it out. Hey -- whatever works!

After our photo shoot, we ate a quick lunch and went to the Build-A-Bear Workshop where Hannah got a Hello Kitty that she named "Hello Kitty," and Carter got a dog we named "Grover." Everybody thoroughly enjoyed themselves, and Carter was asleep before we were even out of the parking lot. :)

Girls -- eat your hearts out...look at those long lashes!

This is Hannah's beloved "Leafy." Hannah has decided Leafy is a girl, despite the blue nose, bow and heart. She got her from a sweet nurse at the hospital on the day she got her tubes (the week of Valentine's Day). I wish the nurse knew just how attached Hannah is to that sweet little bear!

10 things I love about you...

I'm feeling a little sentimental today. After all, it's Jason's and my 10th anniversary. So I thought I'd actually put into words a few of the things I love about my hubby and peas:

To Jason:

1. You can always make me laugh. Regardless of the situation.
2. Only you know how to make me feel like the most beautiful woman on earth. Even though I swat you away and tell you not to grab me in public, I secretly like the way you can't keep your hands off me. [But I'm still gonna pretend like I don't.]
3. I love the way your lips curl when you fib...and how you try to hide it by grinning a big cheesy grin.
4. I love your matter-of-fact, no BS way of dealing with people. That way folks always know where they stand with you. I wish I could be more like that.
5. You keep me young. Your horsing around and playing makes me feel like a kid again -- even when I'm trying to be serious. When you tackle me and throw me over your shoulder, I feel weightless and giddy just like when we were teenagers.
6. I love watching you play with our children.
7. You're good at everything! You're athletic. You're smart. You can beat those stupid video games. Man, you're amazing!
8. You can put me at ease and I know I can lean on your strength to get me through anything.
9. I love your intense, take-no-prisoners approach to sports. You take it so seriously, and I like to see you so involved in something you enjoy.
10. You're the only person in the world that knows how to "brush my feet."

To Hannah:

1. I love how you stare intently at me when I'm telling you something new. How you hang onto my every word and believe everything I say.
2. You make me laugh -- even when you don't try.
3. I love your great big imagination.
4. You see everything as BEAUTIFUL. You remind me to stop and take note of the small things I often overlook...a teeny flower hidden beside the doorstep, a caterpillar, a star or cloud.
5. Your laugh is the most beautiful music in the world.
6. I love the way you hug me and kiss me -- especially at bed time.
7. I love the way you squnch up your nose when you smile.
8. You bring out the best in me.
9. I love watching you play. Whether it's computer games, or "pets" or babies -- you are so intense when you're in your own little world.
10. I love the way you're starting to do more things on your own. Brushing your teeth, getting in the tub or bed by yourself, dressing yourself -- it's exciting and sad at once.

To Carter:

1. I love how you wave -- like Granddaddy waving from the porch. Arm straight up, fingers spread out.
2. I love to hear you babbling and pretending that we understand what you say. (Like Roll Tide, although I still say you're just saying "rah rah.")
3. Your hugs make my heart melt.
4. Your sweet little smile when you're doing something you shouldn't makes it SO HARD to get onto you!! (But you already knew that!)
5. I love the way you love your night-night.
6. I love your on-command smile. Everybody else does, too.
7. I love how strong and brave you've been since your accident -- even when you have every right to scream and try to run away.
8. I love how you've made our lives "interesting." There's never a dull moment when Carter is around!
9. I love how you hold my finger and lead me around.
10. I love how you cross your little feet when you sleep in your carseat.

God smiled on me the day you each came into my life, and I can't imagine my life without the three of you. Even though I don't always do a good job of showing it, I love you three more than life itself...always remember that.

First day of school

If she hadn't been so doggone excited, I probably would've spent Thursday crying myself into a puddle of mush over the fact that my BABY went to school. Even though K4 isn't technically "big" school, it's close enough for us!

Equipped with her Dora backpack (with wheels) and her pillow and blanket for naptime, Hannah was so ready for school. I talked her into a few pics before we left:

Once we got there, she went straight in and sat in her little chair and started coloring the picture her teachers had put out for her. She just waved at me. She wasn't even sad. *sniff sniff* I know that's technially a good thing, but she coulda missed me a little -- at least to help my feelings.

I teared up on my way out, but quickly got distracted by people asking about Carter. I was working my way up for a good cry on the way to work, but talked to Jason and he calmed my nerves. So no tears yet.

Hannah has several of her friends from Mrs. Bev's in her class, which makes it much easier for her. Mrs. Scott knows to keep an eye on Hannah and Eli since they're getting married and all. And especially since the "tent" incident at Mrs. Bev's a few weeks ago (they were caught kissing in the tent). From what Ginger has told me, Hannah does good in the cafeteria...she carries her own tray already! She's such a big girl.

I'm pretty confident she'll continue to love school. She's as much a nerd as her momma, which has it's good and not-so-good points (depending on who you ask). So now we're gearing up to start her first full week, and I hope we keep up the trend from last week. :)

Carter update

We've been home now for a week and a half, and by all outward appearances Carter is doing just fine. If it weren't for the big bandage on his left hand, you'd never guess his little body is working overtime to heal.

At his doctor's appointment in B'ham on Friday, Dr. Chaignaud (pronounced Shay-no) told us to come back Tuesday and be prepared to stay in case Dr. Ray wants to do the graft on Wednesday. Carter's fingers looked great, and they are all unwrapped this go-round, except for his middle finger. He could have some fun with that if he were a little older.

We are very pleased with his progress thus far, and we're counting our blessings every step of the way. We're especially thankful that he is not in pain except during his dressing changes. He virtually ignores the bandages and doesn't put up too much a fuss when we do his exercises and give him his little massage every day.

We have been blessed with the most caring and thoughtful (not to mention generous) network of friends and family, who have tended to our every need. It does my heart good to know that people care about us so much.

So please keep Carter in your prayers as we prepare for his surgery [possibly] this week. We trust that God will continue to hold our son in his merciful hands.