2012 A Year In Review

January

Part of our Christmas from my stepdad and mom was a trip to Disney World! My stepdad ran the Disney Marathon so they took us all with them. It was a short trip-we flew out on Friday and came home Monday but it cured our winter blues and held us over until our beach trip in July. I seriously can't wait to take Georgia to Disney!

February

I will never forget the overwhelming joy I felt that Sunday morning when we saw two pink lines! We both just cried and cried! One of the happiest moments of my life.

 March

We told everyone the good news that we were having a baby! We told my mom and grandparents while we were all in New Orleans for the SEC tournament. We told the rest of the family and close friends when we got home from our trip. Everyone was surprised and beyond thrilled!

April

My birthday fell on Easter weekend this year which is always neat when I share my birthday with the resurrection of Christ. I was 12 weeks pregnant when I turned 25! (halfway to thirty-eww.)

May

We found out the gender of Georgia Grace on the day of our 2nd wedding anniversary and had a big gender reveal party that night. So. Much. Fun! I was so excited to see that pink!

 July

We took a family vacation to Hilton Head Island at the beginning of July. My brother works there during the summer so we were able to see him and visit a beach we had never been to. And Marcus turned 24 on the 30th!

August

Marcus started his 3rd year of teaching. He is also taking grad classes and will receive his Masters degree next May. I'm so proud of him.

September

Marcus gave his life to Christ! I am so thankful for his obedience and desire to please God in all aspects of his life. We also lost my papaw Denzel. Such a bittersweet time for us all. I miss papaw everyday but I know I will see him again in our heavenly home.<3

October
Georgia Grace Harrison arrives!!!
She was born on Tuesday October 30th, 2012 at 9:35am. She was 8 lbs 2 oz and 19 inches long. She was the most beautiful baby I had ever seen! Tons of dark hair and lots of fat rolls ha! She is a highlight of our year. I can't begin to explain how much happiness she has brought us!

November

We had a baby dedication for Georgia Grace at our church on Thanksgiving Sunday. We also celebrated our first Thanksgiving holiday as a family!

December

We got to hang one more stocking this year as we celebrated our first Christmas with our baby girl. The holidays were much more special having her to celebrate with!

I don't see how 2013 could possibly be better than 2012. It was definitely one if the best years of my life. Happy New Years everyone! See you next year ;)

Georgia is Two Months Old!

Georgia-you are two months old today!

Has it really already been two months? Time sure flies when you're having fun!

[This picture cracks me up! It's like she's saying, "So I'm the one that's two months old?" Ha!]

We will find out your stats when we go to the doctor this week but you are wearing a size 1 diaper and 0-3 month clothes and some 3-6 months. You are probably somewhere between 10-11 pounds.

You are a very easy and sweet baby. We have started taking you places and you do so good. You have been to church the last 4-5 weeks and you let everyone just pass you around. You love napping in your carseat.

You are sleeping great! Most nights you sleep between 6-8 hours. You are still sleeping in your pack n' play bassinet by our bed. You love your paci when you are ready to go to sleep.

You have really started being more expressive and responding to stimulation. You will smile and laugh when people talk to you! And you have started trying to talk back ha! You love your swing and you have the cutest little grin.

Mommy and daddy love you more and more everyday. I can't wait to see what the new year has in store for our little family. Happy 2 months, GGH!

Can't Get Enough Christmas

Just a few more special pictures to remember a very special Christmas for us.

Opening stockings Christmas morning at grandmomma and granddads. The grandkids and great-grandkid all have 3 foot stockings that are full of goodies!

Everyone got pictures of Georgia Grace as Christmas gifts this year. I think it was a big hit.

Mommy, Georgia Grace, and her new babydoll napping Christmas morning. I was so glad grandmomma found her a dark-haired doll! They are so hard to find. It seems most dolls are either bald or blonde.

Marcus was given two very special gifts this year. One of them was a boot jack made by his granddad. He even engraved it with his initials.

The other was one of my papaw's Case pocketknives. Marcus feels so honored to have it and I know my papaw would be proud that he is using it now.

We are concluding our Christmas festivities with a final gathering tonight with Marcus' family. What a wonderful season it has been!

Christmas 2012

Merry Christmas! Another Christmas has come and gone and what a wonderful Christmas it has been. We are blessed with large families that live close to us so we get the spend the holidays with a lot of loved ones. Here are some pictures to remember Georgia's first Christmas and our first Christmas as a mommy and daddy!

O-dog enjoying the Christmas festivities at grandma and grandpa Harrison's.

Since Georgia is just 8 weeks old and truly doesn't "need" anything, we asked our families to just buy her one gift each and to just give us money for her savings account for the remainder of what they would normally spend. They listened for the most part ha! Everyone is so eager to buy for a baby girl again so she got some sweet baby things.

Georgia Grace got a Radio Flyer wagon from Mamaw Carolyn! It's a little big for her now but it won't be long before she's riding around like a big girl. This was such a special first Christmas gift.

This picture cracks me up, Owen is totally grinning! He had to be right in the middle of the action as you can tell.

GGH relaxing at Poppa's house Christmas night. After a busy day of visiting everyone she was ready to stretch out and get her comfy Christmas pjs on.

We had an early family Christmas so we waited to do our own gifts later in the day. Georgia had a small Christmas this year with just one gift from mom and dad and one gift from Santa. She will appreciate this when she is 16 and wanting a car ha!

Georgia checking out her baby build-a-bear from Santa Claus!

Stocking time, or "socks" as my mamaw Carolyn likes to call them

Mommy and baby girl looking at the picture calendar we made for daddy.

Our little family at Embry Christmas at uncle David and aunt Virginias!

Cousin Isabella Faye and Georgia and Marcus with cousin Will Lincoln. We love these two very much!

Georgia Grace loves cousin Keagen. She just stretches out when he holds her. Funny story-GGH was wearing her little patent leather black shoes and Keagen said, "Her shoes don't have any scuffs on them!" Ha!

Marcus gave me a pandora mother of pearl ring to honor my first Christmas as a mommy. I absolutely love it and it will be an heirloom piece I'm sure. Maybe I'll give it to Georgia Grace on her first Christmas as a mommy!

But this sweet baby is my favorite present by far! I hope your Christmas was wonderful too!

Harrison Christmas Card 2012

Christmas cards are one of my favorite Christmas traditions! We combined her birth announcement and our Christmas card since we would have been sending them at about the same time. I saw the pink snowflake "Baby's First Christmas" card and I knew it was the perfect fit. I love them!

Thank you to everyone who sent us cards this year. I love seeing them displayed on our twine swags in the kitchen.

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Christmas in Nashville

Yesterday we took Georgia to Nashville for the first time. We love Nashville and we wanted her to experience it at Christmastime. I grew up making frequent trips to Nashville for shopping, Opryland (I'm still not over the fact it closed) and to eat at one of our favorite restaurants, Cock of the Walk. We want her to experiences those things too.

We caught Santa just in time before he headed back to the North Pole so Georgia Grace could get her picture made with him. A nap slipped up on her as we were waiting in line so she is snoozing away in her first Santa pictures ha! That's ok though, meeting Santa for the first time is tiring for a 7 week old.

Throw your hands up if you love Santa!

I was so impressed with Santa and his workshop at the Bass Pro Shop in Opry Mills. And it was FREE! I could definitely see this becoming a family tradition each Christmas along with seeing the beautiful lights at Opryland.

She was the best thing all day. This was also her first shopping trip so I wasn't sure how it would go but she was a trooper (an exhausted trooper)! So many people stopped to ohhh and ahhh over her. This mommy was so proud!

The beautiful Opryland hotel. We love to go look at the Christmas lights and decorations every year. We had had a full day of Santa and shopping so we skipped out this year but hopefully we can go back and see them in 2013 when she's a little older.

We ended the perfect day with baby girl sleeping from 11-7! I was tempted to pack up and head to Nashville again today ha! Just kidding. I am cherishing all of these Christmas memories that we are making with our baby. My heart is full!

It's All About A Baby

Today is a great day because it's the start of a two week span of daddy being home with us! I really appreciate his profession this time of year. We know he will be home for the holidays and yesterday he came home with a car load of presents from his students and teacher friends! I am so thankful for his job, colleagues, students and school!

As we reflect on the season, it's so easy to get caught up in the glitz and glamour. But when we keep it in simpler terms, it's all about a baby. I think about Mary and the conditions she faced being 9 months pregnant. Just 7 weeks ago I was like Mary giving birth to a child yet I had a nice warm hospital filled with medical professionals to take care of me and loved ones providing love and encouragement. Mary had none of that and she gave birth to the King of Kings! I am so thankful for Mary's story. I am thankful God chose her, just a child herself, to be Jesus' earthly mother and to give us the greatest story ever told! Her life defines one of faith, obedience, and courage.

I want to be more like Mary. I want to be a mother whose faith is unmeasurable, who is obedient in all circumstances and who has courage that overshadows my fears. My prayer for 2013 is that I will continue growing in my faith and answer to the call to further the kingdom in whatever capacity God sees fit. That may mean I have to step out of my comfort zone but I want to be willing to do that. God was uncomfortable for me as he hung on the cross and bore my sins. My discomfort seems pretty minuscule when I compare it to His.

Being the mommy to this little angel is the only Christmas gift I need! It's all about a baby...

Day of Silence for Newtown, Ct

I can't even let my mind go to how it would feel to be one of the parents of the precious innocent children whose lives were taken so tragically last Friday morning. I am praying for the folks of Newtown, Ct. There is hope in Jesus whose birth we celebrate next week. May His love surround the broken hearted at this time.

Paige's Graduation Day

Yesterday my sister graduated with her Bachelors Degree from WKU! She graduated Summa Cum Laude in 3 1/2 years with a major in Communications AND double minor in Religious Studies and Psychology.

Paige comes from a long line of WKU grads. Marcus and I both graduated from WKU along with my mom, dad, and aunt. Here I am graduating with my Bachelors in May of 2009. We are a Hilltopper family!

The graduate with her 6 week old niece. If Georgia is just like her Aunt Paige I won't mind :) Georgia was such a good girl! Slept most of the time and was so pleasant. She's such a good baby and easy to take places.

We celebrated Paige's graduation with a post commencement dinner at Federal Grove. We had a whole room reserved for all of her family and friends. Paige with a bunch of her beautiful friends that came to her graduation dinner. She has the most amazing friends that love her so much.

We are so proud of you sis! Can't wait to see what the future holds and how and where the Lord uses you! Oh, and Go Tops! :)