4th of July

Our flags were waving and our spirits were high as we celebrated in Luckenbach for the 4^th of July!

Our vacation started in Llano where we spent Monday night and Tuesday morning at Uncle Ray and Aunt P’s house. Luke and Corbin were in town for the week and it was so much fun to see them interact with Addison. Some of my fondest childhood memories are times spent with my cousins and I am so happy we are making new ones with our kids!

Swimming with Luke and Corbin

Honey met is un Llano and then joined us as we continued onto Fredericksburg where we met up with Zack, Jen, Ethan, Pops, and Mary. We had a fun night under the trees at the Tonkaway Bed and Breakfast for the Luckenbach 4^th of July sponsor party. The kids had so much fun running around and playing in the "cowboy hot tub" (aka horse trough). The night ended with music on the porch of the Tonkaway cabins and a wiffle ball game under the lights.

The next morning, we walked up the street from our hotel to take in the 4^th of July parade. Growing up, I always loved a parade. I guess some things never change! Afterward, Honey, Addison, and I strolled the streets of Fredericksburg together before meeting up with the rest of our family at Luckenbach.

This was the 7^th year the Wilkins Family has hosted the Live, Free & Fly concert at Luckenbach. We love this concert! There’s no better atmosphere to celebrate our nation’s freedom than under the shade trees behind the post office! The day was filled with great music from The Drakes, the Tejas Brothers (who doesn’t love an accordion?!) and ending with The Mystiqueros!

Ethan riding in the lawn mower parade!  He was a hit!

The Erwin Family Nation

That night, we raised the population of Luckenbach from 3 to 9 when Zack, Jen, Clay, the 2 kids and I camped out. It was defiantly an adventure that I’m sure we’ll be saying for years to come, can you believe we camped with a 14 month and 3 year old!

I don’t think there is a better way we could have spent the 4^th of July - filled with laughter, good music, and surrounded by our family.

Amen and Pass the Butter,

Marcy

Whirl Wind of a Month!

 Life is moving so fast around our house.

Maybe it’s because we now have a fully mobile toddler. Addison started walking two weeks after her first birthday.

Maybe it’s because we’ve had 2 moves in the last month. We have closed on our old house and are happily settling into our new one.

Maybe it’s because we traveled to Comanche over Memorial Day weekend to celebrate Megan’s graduation. She graduated Valedictorian and we are so proud of her accomplishments. She will be attending Texas A&M in the fall...WHOOP!

Maybe it’s because Ethan turned 3 and we had big birthday fun over Memorial Day weekend. What fun our nephew is!

The Daddle Saddle...Happy Birthday Ethan (and you're welcome Zack)!

Maybe it’s because Honey came up for a visit. While she was here, she created a new hairdo for Addison...doesn’t she look mischievous?!



Mommy/Honey and me

Maybe it's because we have been spending fun times with friends at church, at the pool, and just hanging out.  We love watching Addison interact with HER friends!

Maybe it's because Honey, Aunt P, and Uncle Ray made a visit to decorate the new house.  Aunt P made like a tornado through the house turning it into our home and we love it!  We are now ready for visitors (yes, that means YOU)!

We now find ourselves in the last week of June (how did that happen?!). Life doesn’t seem to be slowing down but we are enjoying every minute of it!
Amen and Pass the Butter,

Marcy

Addison is BEAR-ly One!

Addison’s birthday was a sweet celebration indeed!  Growing up, my mom was THE party planner! Our parties were themed from the invitation to the take home gift. Keep in mind that this was before the days of Pintrest!   Addison's party would be no different!

Naturally, we started planning Addison’s birthday in January. My mom, Melody and I had so much fun preparing for Addison’s birthday, from making paper flowers, to sewing table runners, to tying bows around the necks of bears, to icing a bear cake!

Take home gifts for Addison's friends

Addison had so much fun and seemed to know that the gifts were for her and she was the center of attention! Her friends (and ours) came over to celebrate and everyone had a really good time.

Coloring on the picnic table



Hugs for good girlfriends!  Addison and Ella

Cousin Ethan pushing Addison in "Sally" the car

　

My sister moonlights as a cake decorator. She spent hours piping icing on the bear smash cake. I think Addison appreciated her hard work so much that she didn’t want to destroy it!

She was in this position for HOURS...but the finished product was worth it!

Not a fan of cake but a big fan of the Happy Birthday singing!

I know Addison won’t have a single recollection of her birthday, but having loved ones come together to celebrate this special milestone will never be forgotten by us!

Look how much she has changed and grown in such a short year! I feel like just yesterday we were in the hospital together!

We had some much fun celebrating Addison’s birthday! It was a special day filled with people who love her so much!

Amen and Pass the Butter,
Marcy

Our baby girl is ONE!

Addison is now ONE! Of course she has changed tremendously over the course of the year, but that is to be expected. She grew, she developed, and she got cuter with every waking day.

Addison loves to play and she thinks it’s fun to feed Snoop (and so does he)! She likes to share her toys and likes to put her toys in bags, buckets, and containers...and then dump them out again! She also discovered the (loud) sound pots make when you bang them on the floor.

This month we battled a couple of weeks of sickness. After an ear infection and case of croup, we are happy to have our girl healthy and back to her normal happy self. She now weighs 17.6 pounds and is growing like a weed.

This month we enjoyed Easter festivites. 

The Easter bunny is not so bad...as long as mom and dad are close by!

Growing up, I remember Easter as one of my favorite times of the year. We loved preparing for Easter by waving our palms at church. This meant (1) a cute new outfit, (2) waving of palms down the aisle, and (3) palm "window shades" for the car ride home. This year not only did the excitement from my childhood come back - Addison had a cute new dress and we waved palms during the processional - but more importantly I reflected on the amazing sacrifice we were celebrating - the start of a week in the life of Jesus that would change our eternal lives forever. Praise the Lord! Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!

Ready to wave my palm!

Growing up, I remember waking up Easter morning to find our special baskets filled with gifts from the Easter bunny. Last year, Addison fit in her special basket. This year, she was excited for her gifts.

Addison Easter 2011, Easter 2012 

Growing up, we celebrated Easter with a huge egg hunt at my Memaw and Papaw’s with my sister and 6 cousins. Every year we would hunt eggs, empty our loot - cheerios when we were little and coins for laundry while we were in college - and re-hide/hunt the empty eggs all afternoon. Addison enjoyed a hunt at school. She really cornered the market on the rubber duckies!

Easter morning was bright, sunny and warm. We were happy to have Honey in town. There’s nothing like our church on a Sunday morning with such a vivid reminder of just how important Jesus’ death and resurrection was for our salvation. He lives!

I have enjoyed sharing our monthly adventures over the last year with you, our friends, family, and followers. While blog posts may no longer come on a monthly basis, we will continue to post and keep you updated on the goings on of our life.

This last year has definitely proven that parenthood is absolutely the best adventure ever! Happy birthday to our sweet girl! Stay tuned for birthday party pictures!

Amen and Pass the Butter!
Marcy