Dusting Off the Dancing Shoes

Our whirlwind weekend actually kick started on Wednesday when Jason's best friend, Zach, his wife, Liz, and their daughter and cutie pie, Stella Jane, came in for the weekend. As expected, she and John Thomas got along great! He's yet to meet a cute little girl he didn't like. We had the honor of attending the wedding of some of our close friends, Jeb and Cathy. It was a beautiful day, beautiful ceremony and she was a beautiful bride. Thanks guys for including us in your celebration.

Because it was such a hectic weekend, we called in reinforcements (i.e. Grandma Molly and Grandpa Danny) to help out with the babes. It was truly one of the first nights I've been able to really relax and have fun, sans baby, in a very long time. We even stayed out until after midnight, which is more than I can say for this past New Year's! I'm not kidding when I say I'm a little sore today from cutting a rug. It's always nice to get together with our college friends and catch up (Thanks Mary, Jen, and Nicole for such a fun afternoon and evening --I had a blast!)

Off the Grid

Starting at 4:15 on Friday afternoon, the Kirkpatrick family took ourselves off the grid for 24 hours. As part of my new small group study at church, one of the challenges/tasks of this week was to really tune in to your family and tune out all the interruptions. We had a really good time and I hope that it's something, to a less drastic extent, we continue on a regular basis. I also discovered that I'm slightly addicted to my phone and had to fight the habit to pick it up every time I walked by.

John Thomas has officially been assigned his first chore, opening and closing the garage door. We figured we better start early teaching him responsibility ;).

So anyone who's ever seen our boy eat, knows he can pack it away. I can already envision the swollen grocery bills when he hits those teenage years. I thought I'd let him try some pasta salad and , not surprisingly, he loved it. He especially liked the olives, but I just like watching him eat each olive slice by poking his finger through the whole. He can be so silly.

This was an impromptu shot between playing ball with Chester. It just might be my new favorite picture.

Last year I think I got a gift certificate to a day spa. And, while I remember enjoying the massage, it wasn't something I will cherish forever. But this year, I got one of my first handmade mommy gifts. I know several years from now I'm going to look back at those little palm and finger prints and ache to have more days with my little boy. But for now, I'm just going to continue to relish in all the adventures of the day to day. This Mother's Day weekend was perfect! In fact, we were so busy having fun that we didn't take any pictures. Friday we went to "First Friday" downtown. It's where local artists and art galleries have free shows. I'm not exaggerating when I say we were in bed and asleep by 9:30 Friday night and didn't wake up until 7:00 Saturday morning. Good thing we were well rested because we had a yard work extravaganza all day on Saturday. Tilling the garden, putting in flowers, trimming the bushes, mowing and watering. John Thomas ate up all the outdoor festivities. Sunday, after church, I put the garden in and then we had the whole afternoon to play in our beautiful yard under our favorite tree. We also went for a walk and grilled out some super juicy and delicious Mother's Day cheeseburgers. All around, it couldn't have been any better. Happy Mother's Day to you Mom and Molly and to all my other mommy friends. I hope your day was a special as you are.

It's Always With Love

I have never claimed to be Paula Dean, but everything I try to cook--I cook with love. I've got the burnt marks to prove it! I know lots of families around the Southeast are thankful to be alive and have a home after the crazy weather this week and our thoughts and prayers go out to all those who are coping with the destruction left by the storms. On a family note, last Sunday, John Thomas really started getting interested in walking. Mind you, he must have two of Momma's or Daddy's fingers to hang on, but he's really starting to move.

Saturday couldn't have been a more perfect day for a trip to Cades Cove with some of our best family friends. While all the girls were sweetly playing together with books and balls and dolls, John Thomas was all boy. He spent hours playing in the dirt, finding all sorts of rocks and twigs to put in his mouth and generally soaking up the great outdoors. I learned a valuable mommy lesson, make that two valuable mommy lessons. One, don't dress a baby boy in white when getting ready to spend hours in the dirt. Two, when playing in creeks with rocks, make sure that all baby appendages are accounted for at all times. He almost got his perfect little baby foot caught between two rocks, but thank goodness the crisis was averted.

All the daddy's got a chance to do some baby bonding, because the girls left on a mini hike for awhile. When we came back, all babies and children were accounted for and perfectly content. As we knew they would be.

When we were on our excursion, we each (illegally) took a stone from the creek bed. After putting some thought into it, I know that it took years to wear those stones so smooth. And, these ladies help make all my rough places smoother too. Thank you girls.

The Gift of Easter

Per a friend's suggestion, I read One Thousand Gifts. It has really changed my perspective on day to day life. One of the challenges of the book is to find one thousand gifts to be thankful for during the course of a year. It doesn't sound too hard, but some days are certainly easier than others. From the cozy bed to the warm shower that we normally don't even consider, God has filled our lives. On this Easter, I thought I'd share with you all just a few of the highlights over the past few months.

6. Baby Tylenol

22. Motherly instinct

37. Faithful friends

42. Healing

53. Finding something I thought I'd lost

64. John Thomas babbling to keep himself awake

77. Chunky baby legs

85. Amazing Grace

92. A husband who loves

102. Good news

113. Morning snuggle family time

128. Silence

139. Watching John Thomas sleep snuggled on his daddy

148. A glorious sunset

158. Knowing He is listening

168. The freedom of choice

177. Forgiveness

189. A clapping baby boy

195. Nibbling on baby toes

202. Long distance friends

211. Ticklish spots

228. Sleeping with the windows open

236. Choosing thankfulness over discontentment

247. Bleeding hearts in bloom

251. Knowing I can count on Him

265. Doing a favor

276. Personal mail

285. Infant wonderment

297. John Thomas kissing his daddy goodnight

302. Jason's patience

319. My first first birthday party

328. Child joy

335. Leap frog barn animals strewn across the kitchen floor

339-41. His life, His death, His resurrection

I know lots of people get Easter baskets and pictures taken with the Easter bunny, but I just couldn't do it this year. These two eggs are the extent of John Thomas' Easter loot. He was pretty entertained for about ten minutes.

Of course, we all dressed up for church today. I'm just so thankful for the gift of a new life and that I get to share my life with my Oh-so-adorable hubby and our precious babe. There's not an Easter bunny in the world that can top that!

Birthday Extravaganza!

Because of an unexpected illness, we had to postpone John Thomas' birthday party until Sunday afternoon. There has to be at least one good thing about getting strep throat the day before your party; extending the celebration. John Thomas has opened up at least one present everyday for the past four days! I'm already feeling a little sorry for the ladies at daycare, because they will be dealing with one spoiled boy on Monday. But hey, you only turn one once, right? I figured I should start with a picture of John Thomas a) wearing a new outfit his Gramma gave him and b) wearing something besides his birthday suit, which you'll notice is a common theme throughout the blog.

Thursday was his actual birthday. We let him open up the present from Momma and Daddy. As you can see, the bow was a total hit!

And the gift turned out to be a smashing success as well.

Friday, all the grandparents and the Bradley's came over. John Thomas hit the jackpot with some new, cute clothes, and a Radio Flyer wagon. He had Gramma trained and within minutes, he was riding in style around the house. Even though he wasn't feeling that well, he still had a good time.

Sunday was the official bash, and a what a bash it was. Eighteen of our closest friends and family crowded into our house for grilled burgers, mac n'cheese and all the trimmins. It also happened to be a beautiful day for a cookout. We even made the little ones pose for a pic outside. I have realized it is virtually impossible to get three infants to sit still and smile for more than a millisecond. John Thomas opened all sorts of awesome gifts, from racing cars and a fire truck to cute clothes and a storybook Bible. We are so thankful for the awesome gifts, but truly feel blessed to have our amazing friends and family to share this day with.

Jason was in charge of ordering the cake. My greatest fear was that I would make an ugly and less than tasty cake. He apparently has a connection in the cake biz and if you're ever in need of a delicious and cool cake, you should try Sugarbuzz.

It was a "smashingly" good cake. At first, John Thomas started out a little timid but within minutes, he was covered from eyebrow to kneecap and had to be whisked off to the tub for and emergent bath.

Even though John Thomas wasn't feeling one hundred percent, I know he had a blast all weekend long. Thank you to the grandparents and Nana Gay for helping set everything up, cleaning up and making sure that John Thomas had a flawless first birthday bash. Thank you to our friends for helping us celebrate our son's first year. Our hearts are full.

Happy First Birthday John Thomas!

It has to be a special occasion to break from our Sunday blogging routine, and indeed it is. Today our little baby boy turns one year old. This week has been a mixture of all sorts of emotions, from disbelief and sadness at how fast it has flown, to joy and amazement at how much he has grown and changed. All I know is that time really does fly when you're having fun! I wrote our baby bear a letter and thought I would share it with you.

Happy Birthday Snuggle Bear (I dread the day you won't let me call you that anymore),

One year ago today, your dad and I carefully yet hurriedly drove to the hospital around 8:30 p.m. and by 10:30, we were the proud parents of a beautiful 6 lb. 10 oz., 21.5 inches long baby boy. We had no idea how you would transform our lives forever for the better. In the first year of your life, you have been very busy growing and learning and teaching us everything we know about being a Momma and Daddy. You have also taught us a love we never knew existed and we pray thanks every night for the gift of you.

Over the past twelve months you have really started to show your personality. For instance, you are a very silly boy. You love to laugh, smile and snuggle. In fact, nothing warms my heart more than when we are just cracking each other up and can't stop laughing. You have also become quite the charmer. Seldom a lady walks by that doesn't get your coy "hey I know I'm cute, but I'll be sweet about it" grin. I pray that you always use your charm for good, just like your daddy.

You have adored Chester from day one and I'm so glad that you love him as much as we do. You have to say good morning to him everyday, you love to play with him and his toys, and you love to crawl all over him when you're wearing nothing but a diaper. To watch you two together fills my heart with joy.

We have also learned about your likes and dislikes. For instance, you love to be outside, but hate to have grass touching your bare feet. You have never culled a single food, but probably get the most excited about fruit, steak, pasta and anything that I'm eating. You enjoy being read to right before nap or bed time. You are a really cute dancer and are the most talkative when you're trying not to take a nap. And I always know when you're getting ready to be a stinker because you chuckle at the prospect of getting into something forbidden (especially Chester's water bowl, your nightlight and the house plants). I hope your telltale chuckle stays around for a while, so that we can have a warning signal before you do something wild.

John Thomas, you have brightened our lives, filled our hearts and helped us discover greater faith and love. You are our special boy and while we wish we could preserve these fleeting days and cherish them forever, we relish watching you learn and grow, with each new milestone bringing us excitement and pride. Lil bear, your birthday was one of the best days of our lives and although you will be getting presents and cake, please know that you are the real gift.

With all our heart,

Momma and Daddy

XOXO pat, pat, pat

If you have a few minutes, you should check out the video I made of John Thomas first year.

http://www.vimeo.com/22320540