Swimming with Dora!

Today, Daddy and I took your to Riverchase to go swimming with our friends Mike and Stacey and their two kids, Jake and Maddie!

You are such a water baby! You literally have no fear. Me, on the other hand, I chase behind you non-stop, overwhelmed with anxiety! Your dad is much better at letting you learn "the hard way" than I am. I don't like to ever see you fall or struggle, especially not in the water, when I know that you will swallow it or get it up your nose! :) Your dad is much better at letting you experience things on your own. I wish I had his strength sometimes....but I just tell myself I'm so overprotective because I love you SO much!

The best part about swimming with you today was going down the slide with Dora. Dora is your little swimming buddy (You are obsessed with everything DORA!) We were cracking up laughing when you went down the slide because you would climb the stairs and once you got to the top, you would throw your arms out and say, "I did it Momma!" Then I would hand you Dora. As we all waited for you at the bottom of the slide, we couldn't really see you. The slide was oddly shaped. All of a sudden, we would see your Dora doll coming sailing down the slide (all by herself), then a few seconds later, you would come sailing on down, too! It was so funny to sit at the bottom and see Dora come rushing down (before you!) It was hysterical that you didn't keep her with you. It was like you were letting her have her own fun! Haha! It really was comical and everyone that would walk by and see it, would crack up laughing.

Sometimes, as a parent, you think it's the big things that you want to remember. And you do. But to me, it's the small things, like the funny memory of Dora and the slide at the pool that I never want to forget. I had a great day with you today.

Love,
Mommy

Your 1st St. Louis Cardinals Game!

Daddy and I have been looking forward to this day for a long time! The day we get to take our little mini me to her First Cardinals' game! We are big baseball fans, and couldn't wait to take our littlest fan with us to a game. 
You have been watching this show called "Dinosaurs" and there is this episode that you LOVE! In it, the little dinosaur says, "Take me out to the Ballllll gaammmmee!!" You repeat that every time you watch that episode, so we taught you to say it when you saw people playing baseball as well. 
We went to the game today, and the Cardinals' were playing the Phillies. It was a late afternoon game and it was so incredibly hot!! I thought you were going to be crabby because of the heat, but you were and are always such a little trooper! Nothing stops you from laughing and having fun. You enjoyed watching the game and would always ask, "Mommy, he okay?" every time a baseball player would hit the ball or make a catch. You brought your little Fredbird along with you, and were so excited because we kept telling you that you were going to meet the real Fredbird. Well, you loved watching Fredbird from a distance and spotting him around the stadium, but you were NOT happy when Fredbird got anywhere close to you! Haha! 

After the game, it was "Kids Run the Bases" Day, so we stood in line to do that. You had so much fun, and smiled and laughed with Daddy the entire time you two ran around the bases! It was so fun to watch. Pretty awesome that you got to go on the field AND run the bases at your very first Cardinal game ever! 


Daddy and I will always be YOUR biggest Fans,

Mommy

Dedicating You To Christ

"My lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying. For this child I prayed, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him. So I have also dedicated her to the LORD; as long as she lives, she is dedicated to the Lord." 

Today is your Baby Dedication! We are so excited for this day, and have been waiting for it for a long time. Right now, we attend "Faith Church." This church is non-denominational. The reason why we chose this route, rather than a traditional baptism is becuase we want you to be able to choose your religion for yourself later on in life. We did not want to choose that for you, before you had a say in what YOU believe. A dedication means that we, as your parents, dedicate ourselves to raising you in a home where God is loved and worshiped. It is our promise to raise you to know the Love of God and more importantly, how much God loves you. 

Your dad and I have been inspired by a man by the name of Jeff Bethke. He came out with a video called "Jesus vs. Religion" and I am currently reading his book which is titled the same. We love God, we believe in his son, Jesus, but we are not the biggest fan of "religion" and we do believe that there is a difference. We like to attend Faith church, because it seems like they are accepting of EVERYONE. We believe that God loves us all, equally, regardless of our background, how often we attend church, sins that we have committed, etc. Your dad and I don't believe in judging others and we sometimes feel that certain "religions" do just that. We don't believe that you have to pray to a preacher to have your voice heard by God, we believe that we are all loved and heard by our God the same, whether you are a sinner or a preacher. The church that we attend seems to hold these same beliefs. All different walks of life come to this church, all for the same reason, to praise God and to thank him for their abundant blessings; not to judge or criticize others. 

Dedicating you is a big deal to us. As your parents, we fear and worry about so many things, and one of the biggest of these fears is this world that we live in. There are so many bad things that happen on a day to day basis, and so many stresses in life that can really weigh you down as a person. Without your love for God and your Faith, we fear that living this life can sometimes be too difficult. We want you to always remember that you are NEVER alone. We believe whole heartily in God, in Heave, in an Afterlife, etc. We will all live together, eternally, after this life on Earth. 

We pray everyday that you become a God fearing woman, with a heart for others, and a strong faith to get you through the darkest times in your life. 

You were created, uniquely you, in his image. We thank him everyday for blessing us with the opportunity to be your mom and dad. 

You did so good today. You were scared of the pastor, but only when he would try to touch you! :) Your had lots of family who came to watch you be dedicated as well:

Grandma and Grandpa Jordan, Grandma and Grandpa Marks, Aunt Ashley, Aunt Lauren, Uncle Michael and Aunt Amy, Grandma Helen and Aunt Shelly, Your cousins Hailey and Ella, Your Great Aunt Donna, Your Great Uncle Neil and Aunt Marla, Your 2nd cousin, Ryan, and our best friends Mike and Stacey and their kids, Jake and Maddie! 

Payton, The moment you were born, I realized the most important thing I needed to do and the best job I would ever have in this life time is being your mom. You made me see that I was suddenly able to love harder than ever and loving someone else even more than myself, is my destiny. You have already brought so much joy into my life. I love you more than I ever thought possible, or than I could ever imagine. You are where my journey begins. 

You are my heart.

Mommy

"I Go Potty!"

Tonight you went on the "Big Girl" potty for the very first time! We were just trying it out for fun, and you actually went! You were so proud of yourself, and we were overwhelmed with pride! It's so fun and incredible watching you grow, and hit milestones/accomplishments like this. You are far from potty trained, but it was so much fun to watch as you beamed with pride, feeling like you did something so awesome! 

Afterwards, you kept telling us (and family over the phone): "I Go Potty!!"