Another year has gone by... (long post!)

It's ten days into the New Year and I'm just not getting to blogging! We have been pretty busy the passed couple weeks though. Between snow and traveling, it's pretty hard to get back into a routine around here!

Our Christmas was pretty quiet without having any family in from out of town. Christmas Eve after church service Mom and Dad came over for our dinner. The four of us were up at seven the next morning to open presents. It was a blast... Gabbi is really at a fun age where she gets excited about everything. And Catie is at the fun age where she's excited about paper! So everyone enjoyed themselves haha :) After presents we made breakfast, and Mom & Dad came over for breakfast and to open their gifts. Then at lunch time we headed to Dustin's grandparents for the afternoon.

Gabbi's big hit was her doll house (that she for some reason wants to call a tree house...?) from Nana and Poppy.

Although Minnie Mouse wasn't Catie's "favorite" gift, I just couldn't resist putting this picture up. She does love Minnie, but do you notice the little green & white toy in her right hand? That's her very own cell phone that she opened up first... she held it in her hand the rest of the morning, opening all her other gifts with her left hand.

New Year's weekend we traveled to Birmingham to visit my aunt, uncle, and 8-year old cousin. It was a fun, yet sleepless, weekend. My aunt and I took Gracie (my cousin) and Gabbi to see Tangled Friday afternoon. It was Gabbi's first movie at the theater. She loved it... even though I'm not sure it was the greatest idea I've ever had. There were definitely a couple scary/ intense scenes where she clung real tightly to me. That, coupled with the fact that it was a HUGE screen and much louder than what she's used to, are the reasons we think Gabbi ended up with a nightmare that night :( She really did enjoy the movie though. And I think we'll still end up getting the DVD... being able to fast forward the more intense parts is a bonus :)

On January 5th, Dustin and I celebrated 4 whole years of marriage! I can't believe it's been 4 years already. On one hand, we feel like we've reached some kind of milestone... yet compared to so many couples we know who have been married for 8, 9, 10 or more years, it still is such a small amount of time. This passed year though, seems like it's been the best so far.

We heard over and over again the first couple years are the hardest. We were definitely no exception to the rule. With the added fact that our sweet little "honeymoon surprise" came into our life 9 months and 4 days after our wedding, the first couple years of our marriage were spent not only adjusting to each other, but to being parents as well!

But 2010 was a good year. They were all "good" years, we would never undo anything the Lord has done in our lives... but as far as marriage- our relationship- is concerned, it was the best. The Lord is continuously showing us sin (selfishness mainly), molding us to His likeness, and all the while bringing us closer together. I'm so thankful for His grace in our lives. That He gave me a man who loves Him and desires His glory above all else in our lives. I never want to take that for granted... because I know not all women have that. Dustin read this passed week and shared with me, "Marriage is the union of two forgivers"... we will definitely testify to that!

As we enter into 2011 and our 5th year of marriage, there are going to be some changes in our life! Dustin is starting (back to) school... one of the things I couldn't yet mention a few posts ago, but am so excited to share now. He has about 2 1/2 years left to finish his bachelor's, then Lord willing, we'll follow that up with seminary. I'm so excited to see this desire we've had since before we were married (and that he's had since before we met!) starting to come into the works. He's *almost* gone back to school a handful of times these passed few years, just seems to never have been the Lord's timing.

Also 2011 will bring the addition of our 3rd baby girl! I praise the Lord our Charity Ruth has not made her entrance yet. I'm so thankful she's still healthy, and my contractions have really slowed down the passed couple weeks. I also took the fetal fibronectin test on Friday, which came back negative. Meaning, 99% chance I won't be going into labor in the next few weeks. I am very anxious to meet this newest blessing... to see what (and who) she is going to look like, to begin truly bonding with her, to count her little fingers and toes, to see what he big sisters are going to think of her... I just don't want to meet her before 36 weeks :)

In 2011 I will become an aunt! My brother and sister-in-law are expecting their first baby the beginning of June. Next week we'll all find out if Dustin and I will have a *niece* or *nephew*. I'll go ahead and share that I'm predicting *niece* because I'm okay with being wrong ;o)

I'm so excited about all the Lord is going to do in our lives this year. I pray that my excitement will not wish the year away, waiting for the next big "event"... but that I will continue to seek Him daily... as it is daily that I need His grace...

Welcoming Spring!

Today was the first day the girls were medicine-free! No breathing treaments, no fevers, no tylenol... Of course, after the whole week of Gabbi going crazy during bedtime and staying up for two hours and realizing the albuterol makes her hyper we decided that was it. So we were all better just in time to head to Fountain City Park and welcome spring! The first time we've been out in a week! Here are a few pictures from our day:

**after publishing my post I realized that only half of some of the pictures show up. if you click on the picture it will bring the whole thing up in a new window. don't know why it's doing this? any tips?**

Gabbi's first request was to feed the ducks.

Sweet girl didn't even notice that the ducks really weren't hungry. Not a single duck swam up to us like the usually do. They probably were full since I'm sure every other two-year-old in Knoxville wanted to feed them today too.

I love this. Gabbi's interpretation of "tear it up" is "tear it in half" then throw it in the water.

It's funny how Gabbi has "friends" everywhere. As we were walking up to the playground she asked "am I going to play with my friends?" :) She met this sweet little girl on the tire swing.

I think she is absolutely gorgeous.

So big on the "big girl" swing!

"YOU wanna picture of ME?"

Catie's first time swinging!

My other gorgeous girl showing off her new teeth!

We're so creative.

The only way to end a day like today is with ice cream! We asked Gabbi where she wanted to get ice cream (just to see what she would say) and after thinking for a moment she said "the red house". Smart girl. She's talking about Bruster's, of course!

Don't worry, Catie-bug, you'll get ice cream soon.

THE END.

Great way to end our week and send our girls off to Nana & Poppy's this weekend in Louisville. I'm going to miss them in this empty house. But Dustin & I have some serious spring cleaning/ renovating to do to this place. If we're super productive, I may post some picture of our work.

Skating Adventures.

Yes. It's been almost a year...
A lot has happened within the year and to recap everything would mean our dinner would probably not get on the table tonight. Hopefully with every post over the next few weeks, I'll recall something that's happened this past year. That's my goal anyway.

So, right now, I'll begin with the obvious.
On September 1st of last year, we had a beautiful new addition to our family.

Caitlin Hope Haddock.

The adjustment was hard at first. Especially on sweet Gabbi girl, who wasn't so sweet on the "idea" of Catie. She loved Catie, but didn't love having to share Mommy & Daddy.
Catie is now 6 months old, and we can't imagine life without her. Neither can Gabbi. I love how close in age they are and pray they will grow so close as the years go by. I imagine them being the best of friends.

The Olympics were this year and I think I enjoyed them more this year than I ever have. Of course, my favorite event to watch was figuring skating. Gabbi enjoyed it too, and although she didn't hardly stay up to watch it, what she did catch she loved. My favorite part of Gabbi watching figure skating was being able to watch her mimic the skaters. She'd spin around in circles in the living room, run and jump and attempt to spin while jumping, and then go on to grab her foot, holding it in the air and yell "I'm skating, watch me!"
Of course, the only logical next step was to take her to the ice chalet off Kingston Pike. We could have a prodigy on our hands, right?? The next Michelle Kwan...



Well, maybe not. But it was a lot of fun. I couldn't help but laugh when I traded in Gabbi's boots for the rental skates. The girl handed me the next to the smallest size skates they had, and without a doubt the tiniest ice skates I could ever have imagined. They were so cute! (If you can imagine "cute" ice skates) My favorite part, though, was Gabbi calling the "zamboni" (for those who don't know, that zamboni is the large machine that cleans the ice) the "macaroni". When we were leaving she kept saying she wanted to "see the macaroni again". Silly girl.
After ice skating, we ventured to the one and only Chick-fil-a. What better way to end the evening? We've grown to love chick-fil-a... mainly because with Gabbi's allergy it's the cheapest place we can eat out. Our options are pretty limited.

Well. Nap time will soon be over, and I haven't done a thing I was planning on. My chores await :)