Deck the Halls with Boughs of Shutterfly Christmas Cards!

OK, so yesterday, I found a link that said that if you have a blog and blog about Shutterfly Christmas cards, you can get 50 FREE! Ok, I am game! With Rory’s Birthday right before Christmas, not having to pay for Christmas cards, sounds great!

Soo…I log on and start browsing through them. Holy cow! These aren’t ya’ Mama’s photo Christmas cards! I LOVE this one. I really like that they are not just the rectangle photo card, but an actual folded card. I have one picked out for our Christmas card, but I am not showing you…yet!  Now, I just have to get a good picture.  Yeah...OK, so not so easy.

They also have Christmas Party invites and, this is super cool, GIFT TAGS. How sad is that? I get pumped about not having to fill out all those stupid tags…From: The Humphreys, From: Lauren Kevin and Rory, From: Kevin Lauren and Rory, From: Rory and her financial backers. Seriously, I think I might order some of these!

OK, so if you want to get your OWN free 50 Christmas cards click HERE and follow the directions. I did!  That was the easy part...now picking the card and getting just the right photo...Oh, good grief...well, maybe by Valentine's Day I will have it all done.

Lions and Tigers and Pumpkins...Oh My!

Get ready...there are a lot of pictures in this one!  Kevin and I took Rory to the pumpkin patch and then when we were in Decatur the other weekend, Mom and I took her to Tate Farms.  These are all Tate Farms pictures, I forgot that I had not put the other ones on the blog, I will have to do that later.

The Corn Crib...a BIG hit. "Mommy make-a-mess" she thought it was a lot of fun!

Last Monday, Kev's Mom and Dad (BeBe and PoP if you ask Rory) wanted to take Rory to the Birmingham Zoo.  We all met at Cheesecake Factory for lunch and then went over to check it out. 

"Mommy, did you see that Sea Lion?"

Rory and Kev checking out the monkeys.

I felt bad for this guy.  He just sat there like this for a long time, looking around.  His friend was in the cave, sleeping.

Difficult to see, but 2 bald eagles with their nest.

Kevin says "War Eagle"

Sea Otters.  They are my favorite...they are so cute!

This is Rory, sacked out at the Birmingham Southern Football game.  She was wiped out by the time that we got to the game.  We walked around campus for a while and then went to the game.  After walking around campus and then playing in the bounce house, before the game started, she was exhausted.  She was asleep before the 1st quarter was even half over.  (These are out of order, obviously!)

 

 

These are our pumpkins this year.  I decorated ours, and then gave Rory the paint pens, and let her decorate hers.  She had fun and they look so cute sitting outside!

Rory's Pumpkin

Our Pumpkin.

When we were in Decatur (the same weekend that we took Rory to Tate Farms), Mom pulled out the scarecrow metal thingies to put in their pumpkin so that Rory could help put it together.  Clearly, she was more interested in climbing on the table.  I forgot to upload a pic of the finished product.  Sorry!

Well, that is it for now...Happy Halloween week!

10 On Tuesday - A day early

1. Rory, Mom, Tim and I all went to the Birmingham-Southern homecoming game on Saturday.  We had a good time and it was SO good to be back on the Hilltop again. 
2. I just turned Rory's car seat from Rear to Forward facing.  We are extended rear facing folks.  We waited until the last possible minute to turn her, but considering when I weighed her yesterday and she was at the rear facing maximum, I figured the time had come.
3. I admit that I feel a bit guilty that I had to turn her around.  I wish that we could have rear faced for another year or so.  I know that she is SO much safer rear facing...am I a bad parent by turning her? UPDATE: I just realized that I turned her early...the weight limit is 33lbs, not 30...now the question is, do I turn her back rear facing or just leave her forward?
4. Halloween is this weekend and I can't WAIT to dress Miss Priss up.  She is going to be SO CUTE!
5. It is almost November, CRAZY!  Where has this year gone?
6. I really want to do some rearranging in my living room.  Kevin is resistant...we will see how long it takes me to convince him.
7. Santa delivered Rory's kitchen for us to hold for him until Christmas.  Santa, if you are reading this, I am having trouble not putting it together and bringing it into the house...just for the record.
8. Brock's birthday party is Saturday morning.  He is turning 5 tomorrow.  I can hardly believe it. 
9. I am really missing my Dad these days.  Being at 'Southern this past weekend made me miss him even more.  As we would walk parts of the campus, I would have memories of being in that spot with him.  I just miss him.
10. I made Rory a shirt that she wore this past weekend to the game.  It said "BSC class of 2031."  I got A LOT of complements on it.  It was really cute.  I will try to get pics up soon!

Your Prayers Needed - A Family in Need!

An excerpt from their website:

"On Tuesday, October 12, 2010, Wynter and Maddox were involved in a horrible automobile crash on Highway 280 in Chelsea, AL.  The event stalled traffic in both directions for hours on Highway 280. Wynter was airlifted to the E.R. at U.A.B., while Maddux was rushed to Children’s Hospital in Birmingham. 

Wynter suffered several fractured cervical vertebrae at the base of the skull, a broken clavicle and other severe trauma. She was placed into NICU with a halo brace screwed into skull and remains there as a patient. She underwent surgery to fuse the vertebrae of her neck in order to prevent spinal cord injury.

Maddox turned 1 year old just a few days before the accident and remains as a patient in Children’s Hospital in Birmingham with broken legs, broken wrists and difficulty breathing.  He has been placed in a full body cast and is expected to begin his long period of recovery soon."

This is a family here in the Birmingham area.  Wynter (the Mother) and Maddux (who turned 1 on 10/09) are still in pretty bad shape.  HERE is the website, go and look at the pictures of this family, and the horrible wreck.  It is clear that God's hand was on them. 

"And the LORD shall help them, and deliver them: he shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in him. -Psalms 37:4"

22 Months - 10 on Tuesday

I am apologizing in advance, these pics are going to be terrible quality.  I forgot to email them to myself here at work, so I copied and pasted them from the W@lgreens photo site and put the (c) on in paint here at work...it will have to do.

22 Months...as in almost 2 years old.   I can't believe it!  What a joy she has been, especially recently.

We took her to the pumpkin patch this weekend and she had a blast (except for the horse, NOT a fan).  We really enjoyed watching her too! I will try to get some of those pics up this week.

At 22 Months:

1.  Knows her ABCs, and recognizes a lot of the letters

2.  Will spell her name for you, even if you don't ask her too. ("R-O-R-Y dat spwels Rory")

3.  Will count things up to 20.  If there are more than 20, she just starts back over at 1.

4.  Is obsessed with Belle from Beauty and the Beast, 'My Zowski' aka (Mike Wasowski) from Monsters, Inc.

5.  Knows her right from her left

6.  Is carrying on little mini conversations, like this one we had on Saturday (while I changed her diaper):

• R: I need my pacie
• L: You don't need a pacie, Rory
• R:  I don needa pacie, Ima big girl
• L: Yes, you are a big girl
• R: I need my brush and cone
• (I had put them behind the wipes box when I laid her down, to attempt to hide them from her since I don't let her play with her sterling silver brush and comb)
• L: I don't know where your brush and comb are.
• R: I know day are, Mommy.
• L: You do?
• R: Day right in hind my wipees (sits up, moves the wipes, gets the brush and comb)
• R: I foun um Mommy
• L: Yes, Rory, you found them...how exciting.
• R: It Uh-mazin (Amazing)

7.  Refers to herself, and other people, as her nicknames.  "Hey Shugga Pwume" (Hey Sugar Plum), "Rory a Tiny-Guurl" (I still call her Tiny Girl), "I a Doll-Baby" (what Mom and Tim call her), "Hey Punkin Bwef" (Pumpkin Breath...don't ask me, ask Kevin) 

8.  Still takes her blanket, whom she calls 'Sweet Pea', and at least one other object to bed.  Sometimes, she takes a book to bed, and will open it up to one of the pages and lay her head on it and go to sleep.  When I go in to turn off her lamp before I go to bed, I have to sneak it out from under her.  Lately, it has been her Belle doll, and Goofy.

9.  Sings Ring around the Roses and wants you to get in the floor and "Fall down" so that she can laugh at you.

10.  Says her whole name, and it is too cute, "Rory Meh-dif Humfee."  Good thing her first name is not that hard, Meredith and Humphrey are going to take some practice!

Well, that is it for the 22 month post. 

Rory,

Today, you are 22 months.  It is so strange, 22 months seems, in some respects, like such a long time and at the same time, not that long at all.  Daddy and I were talking last night, about what a big girl you are and what a funny little personality you have.  It doesn't seem that long ago, that you were still a tiny, tiny baby. At night, when I get you out of the tub and wrap you up in your towel and sing 'Buntin,' I try to sing as slow as possible, since I know that this is the ONLY time of the day, that you will let me cuddle you up like a little baby.  You are growing so fast, and are such a clever girl.  Daddy and I couldn't me more proud of you if we tried. 

The other night, before I went to bed, I went in to turn off your lamp, just like usual.  I stopped by your crib and brushed the hair from your eyes and laid my hand on your gently rising back and I thanked God for every little thing about you.  I stood there and prayed over you.  I prayed that Daddy and I will be good examples of Christ for you, I prayed that He will place a hedge of protection around you and keep you safe and healthy, I prayed that He will show your Daddy and I how to parent you so that you will be a strong, noble, child of God, I prayed that he will hold you in the palm of His hand.  I thanked him for the gift that you are.  We prayed many a night together that we would be given a chance to be parents.  Daddy and I both thank Him every night for the gift of you.

Rory, I want you to know something.  I have wanted to be a mother since even before I can remember.  I used to play with my dolls and would try with all my might to imagine what it would feel like to have a little girl of my very own.  Never, in my most persistent wishes, could I have imagined what you would be like.  You are the most splendid thing I have ever known, and I thank God for every second that we spend together.  I can't wait to see what God has in store for you my sweet girl. 

You will always be my Baby Rory, my sweet Tiny Girl.

All my Love,

Mommy

10 on Tuesday - of sorts

Our computer is broken, it won't stay on, just gives us the "blue screen of death."  I am taking it to my Bro-in-Law today so that he can, hopefully, fix it. Thank God that I backed all the important stuff up on the external hard drive about 3 weeks ago.  So...no pics today, just a little update on the House-O-Humphrey.

1. Mom and Tim came down this weekend and watched Rory so that Kevin and I could clean out the garage.  Whew...I am still sore!
2. Preparing for New Orleans in November for my Bestie Allison's wedding in November, Thanksgiving, Rory's 2nd birthday and Christmas in December.  This next weekend is our only free weekend for the next 6, then we have a 1 week break and don't have another break in weekend plans until after Christmas.  I am glad though, I wouldn't have it any other way!  We are loved so well, that is why we are so busy.
3. I had a bit of a health scare in September.  I was still having hives and so I went to a dermatologist at the Kirklin Clinic and he ran all sorts of scary tests (Lupus, C@ncer, Leukemi@, tumor markers, etc).  The Lupus test came back borderline, so I had more lab work done.  Praise God, those tests all came out fine. 
4. Rory has started to recognize both her emotions, and those of others, and feelings recently.  In the last few days we have heard the following phrases about 499 time
1. "I not skehd" (I'm not scared)
2. "Belle is sad" (Belle, as in  her Beauty and the Beast doll)
3. "Daddy/Mommy not sad" (We tell her we are sad when she acts up)
4. "I ky-ing" (I'm crying...you know, that no tears, fake cry)
5. "Rory isa happy gurl"
6. "Rory isa big gurl"
7. "Wanna take a nap" or more commonly, "Wanna go-da bed"
5. Rory has also gotten into coloring lately.  She calls it "Culla Culla."  To say that she is obsessed is an understatement.  Rory knows her basic shapes (circle, square, oval, triangle, heart) and her basic colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, black, white, pink) and she will drive you crazy with requests for you to "Culla Culla" a red square or a "geen" circle.  She tries so hard to draw them herself.
6. The Rory Bee is really starting to take off.  It is a lot of fun and I have enjoyed making stuff for other people, and of course Rory too!
7. Rory is getting a Kitchen and a TON of accessories for Christmas.  Santa is going a little crazy finding stuff to go in it.  Good thing Santa has all those elves...this stuff might be getting expensive...you know, if he actually had to PAY for it.
8. I am in the final stages of narrowing the party theme down for Rory's Birthday.  I can't believe that my tiny baby is almost 2.  It didn't think that it was possible, but the 2nd year went by faster than the first.
9. We started looking into preschool and Mother's Day Out programs.  Wow, a lot of choices and A LOT of good programs.  Rory is going to love it.  She LOVES Gymboree (to the point that she asks to "Go-da Gymbo-wee" and sings the songs constantly, so I know that she will just love being with other kiddos and doing fun stuff.
10. It has been beautiful out lately.  I think that I am going to take Rory to the park on Saturday and let her play.  She always enjoys being outside and I enjoy watching her explore and discover God's creation.  

Well, that is it for now, hopefully, I will be back with new pics soon!  Hope everyone has a great week and enjoys this wonderful, Fall weather!