Still here!!

I can't believe it's been so long since I last blogged.  Life has been really busy with LOTS of changes.
I can't wait to share what those changes are in my next post but for now here are a few pictures of one sweet little girl!!

Can't believe she starts preschool next week.  We are so thankful for her!!

~Melissa

Like Mother like Daughter

When we found out Briley was a girl my mind immediately started dreaming of the day I would take my little girl to her first dance class.  A lot of my childhood revolved around dance and I wouldn't trade one single moment of it.  I started at 5 and didn't quit until I was 19.  I was on competitive teams for my dance studio, I was captain of the drill team my senior year, I was an assistant teacher at the studio, I was on the dance team my freshman year of college, can you tell how much I loved it??
Well...my wish came true and I took Briley to her 1st dance class last Thursday.  These pictures make me smile every time I look at them!!

~Melissa

Beautiful...

 

Thank you to my best friend Tracy for having this done for Hadley...I even have a jar of sand from where her name was written :)

So beautiful...just like my Hadley!!

~Melissa

Calm My Anxious Heart...

This excerpt comes from Linda Dillow's book, Calm My Anxious Heart.  

I really needed this today and I'm thankful God showed it to me...

The Lord is my peace.  I shall not live in anxiety,  He puts me under his wing of comfort and calms my spirit within me.  He takes all my anxieties on Himself and helps me to focus on Him.  Yes, though I walk through a time of grace uncertainties and fierce anxieties. I will not fret--for You are my peace.  Your word and Your presence calm me now.  You hold my uncertainties in the palm of your hand.  You soothe my anxious mind--You smooth my wrinkled brow.  Surely serenity and trust in You shall fill me all the days of my life.  And I shall keep my mind stayed on you forever.

-A paraphrase of of Psalm 23: written by Judy Booth

~Melissa

Bye Bye Ba

Ba is Briley's pacifier.  She came up with the term somewhere around 8 months and of course it stuck.  So is my daughter 3 and still has her "Ba"?  Yes, but only at nap and bedtime.  We have been talking about getting rid of "Ba" for awhile now but honestly it was ME that wasn't making the move.  Briley has done everything early; crawling, walking, talking, potty trained in 3 days, etc. so I felt like it was my last baby thing I could hold onto with her.  We have talked about sending the "Ba" to Hadley in Heaven tied to a balloon and that was the plan until Monday...

 She woke up, walked in the living room and this is what happened...
Briley: "Mommy, I'm not a baby I don't need my Ba anymore.  I'm going to put it in the trash!"
Me: (shocked face) "Ok, go put it in the trash."
Briley: "Yea!!!!!!!!"
Here is the proof...

She was so excited to officially be a big girl so we celebrated with a cookie for breakfast ;)
It has been 2 days and she has asked for it a couple times and I simply say, "You threw it in the trash, remember?"  We have also talked about how when she feels sad about "ba" we can hug our blankie real tight and that will make us feel better, that seems to be working for now :)
So this Momma is happy and sad.  I am proud of her for making the decision on her own and not having to force her.  But man will I miss this sweetness...

(yep...even made it in one of her newborn pictures!!)

(Morning of her 3rd Birthday)So..."Bye Bye Ba it's been nice but now I'm taking good advice!!" So proud of our officially big girl!!

~Melissa

Pics from Daddy's Phone

These pictures make me smile...

She LOVES going to the pond with her Daddy to throw rocks...don't you love what she is dressed in??  She has one special Daddy who loves her very much!!

 

~Melissa

Chick-fil-A

 Seriously this is hilarious and so true.  We had good friends show us this video the other day and I couldn't stop laughing!!  This guy is a Christian comic and we plan to see him the next time he is in our area.   Chick-fil-A you are deeply loved by the Bufe family...particularly by a little girl who could eat your nuggets and ranch dip everyday!!

~Melissa