Keeping up with Cora

She always wants to "Dwink Toffee wif Mommyyyy" on the weekends :)

Mackenzie is OBSESSED with Sock Monkey... if you couldn't tell! My cousin, Kali, ordered this sock monkey for Mackenzie's very first Christmas, and M cannot sleep without it! In fact, a few weeks ago when we were in OKC for Kali's birthday, we had to make a target run because I forgot Sock Monkey at home. The new one is the original sock monkey colors, and she plays with it in the living room now.

I know this looks funny, but this is what Mackenzie has always done when she is sleepy. She takes the tag and rubs her nose until she falls asleep... Its so sweet when she is laying in bed.

I finished M's swim top on Saturday during nap time.... I'm obsessed with this. I just think it screams Southern! I plan on making a pale blue one with a big red anchor embroidered on it! Oh and she will have bottoms, but I ran out of Seersucker material!

After church and a short nap, we went to a Dunkin Doughnuts party. They opened the following Tuesday, and my parents had gotten an invite to the party so we went to try it out. It was really good.

After the party, we ran a few errands with mom and kaci... and we came home to find the new pool Pop had picked up for M on his way home.

I attached the handle bar that is for the slide all by myself and we filled it up with water.

It was sooo cold! But this girl went down the slide dress and all!

I have been stalking the internet trying to find some options for Mackenzie's dress for the wedding, and these are about the only ones I found that I completely love. My dress and my sisters dresses are all chiffon, and I want Mackenzie's dress to be chiffon too if we can. I just love how flowy the material is.... So here are my selections so far..

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And I pretty much LOVE every single thing about this dress. I love how innocent it is. Can't you just see it on the beach? Or IN the beach, since I can't help but picture the way we are going to keep M out of the water for the ceremony... Oh well!

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This is the dress that Taelan and Kelsey wore for Jennifer's wedding a few weeks ago in Florida. This dress is so much fun! I might borrow Tae's to try on Mackenzie to see how it looks on her!

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And finally, this dress is precious BUT it only comes in pink and white on this website. BUMMER!! I am going to see if I can find it online anywhere else in white.

So there you have it! My choices so far for a dress for Mackenzie!

I'm going to jump way out of my comfort zone today, but I really want to remember all of these times...

I have never felt comfortable talking about marriage. Ever. But, I did know that when I was comfortable with it, then I would know for sure that it was time for me to take that step.

Dustin proposed to me on Valentines Day of 2011 and a Red Barn Steak House which was super romantic. It sounds super country, I know, but everyone eats in their own area, and nobody really bothers you. If you want service, you simply flip your light on and they come to the half wood/half screen door. After he proposed, I was very exstatic. I love Dustin, and I really love that he didn't propose to me right after we found out we were having Mackenzie. To each their own, I was just happy with knowing that when Dustin propsed, it would be because he was ready and wanted to.. Not because he was pressured to.

So, in all honesty, as excited I was to be engaged to Dustin, there was a huge part of me that simply just wasn't ready. It wasn't Dustin. It was all me. At first, I felt super guilty about it. I just asked myself all the time what was wrong with me? I mean I love this guy and he is dying to marry me, and I'm not even comfotable saying the "Marriage" word? And since Dustin holds me accountable for every.single.move I make, we sat down one night and I'm sure we talked all night long.

I was so scared that he was going to blame himself, which at first he did, but after lots, and I mean lots of talking, he did realize that it was all me. I wasn't in the wrong, I just needed more time. He was also glad that I was very honest, and didn't just go through the motions of having a wedidng when I mentally was not there.

When Dustin decided to take his new job at the end of last year, we were both at breaking points. We both had jobs we absolutely hated, and I wouldn't even say we lived paycheck to paycheck. We barely got by. The stress on him was unbelievable because he felt like he wasn't providing for his family. We both took new jobs within a week of each other, and made a complete turn around. As bad as I hated for Dustin to take a job that entailed deployement, it was so good to see that smile back on his face.

After Dustin left for his very first deployement, I had a lot of time to myself. The same thought kept coming into my mind over and over.... If Dustin and I were to die tomorrow, would we get to live together in heaven? Would we see each other every day? Would I even see him at all?

I started talking Dustin's ear off via Skype on when we were going to get married, because I was ready to do this, oh lets say... Yesterday!

We started the planning ever since...

Big or Small Wedding?      Small

Hometown or Destination Wedding?      Destination

Lots of friends invited or family only?      Family only

Beach close to where we live or far away?      Far away

When we started talking weddings, Dustin started talking to a buddy while he was overseas... His buddy gave him the name of a lady he used when he bought his wifes wedding rings. Dustin picked this beauty out by himself (along with the wedding band, because he is on top of things!) and he had it shipped from Lake Tahoe to Florida where we were vacationing. He gave it to me on Sanibel Island one of our last days on vacation. I still sit and stare at this thing! He did so good!

Mackenzie and her cousin Landen are 18 months a part and they had a lot of fun playing this weekend.

And Mackenzie played with Landens puppy, Angus, all day long

Ahh... Life is tough with you are 2!

Mackenzie pushing Landen in his swing.. Look at his sweet face!

My big girl in Landens ride

She wanted to help Landen with everything since she is such a big girl! Notice the death grip on his sippy cup...

Even though it was Kali's 30th Birthday, she made these Elmo cupcakes for M. Aren't they precious?

And here are just a few pictures from our photo shoot! 

Kaci and Erik stayed with me on Saturday night, because Kaci came to church with me on Sunday. We had our services at the PAC at the High School, and I am so glad Kaci went with me.. I don't mind going by myself to our regular service, but since we were out of the norm, I am glad I had some company.

We made Erik do a photoshoot for us :)

And my mom found Mackenzie's dress off of Zulily

I have ordered so many clothes for Mackenzie on that website! Can't beat the cheap prices!

Kaci and Erik

Mackenzie LOOVVEESS her Aunts!!

We saw Hannah and Kaci quite a bit this weekend for Easter, and M has been begging for them ever since... Erik played with Mackenzie quite a bit on Friday night, and he watched her while we had a girls day on Saturday... to say she is in love with him would be an understatement....

Hannah and Kaci and Erik went back home on Sunday, and Mackenzie has asked to talk to them at least a thousand times... I won't even go into the temper tantrums thrown when I wouldn't call them.

Here are some pictures from Mackenzie talking on the phone with "My Kaci" last night at dinner...