Love is in Bloom!

Leah had such a fun shower yesterday! The hostesses did such a fabulous job, and they made it so special! I wish my daughter had been in a better mood, and I probably would've enjoyed myself a little more. She wasn't interested in anyone talking to her, and she pretty much cried the whole time (a shortened nap is never good for anyone!). But it was so fun getting to see how many people absolutely love Leah! Here are a few pictures I was able to take... unfortunately Harper made the picture-taking process a little difficult!

Love is in Bloom was the theme!

Treats for everyone...small flower pots to pray for their growth

The food table

The love flower pots on the table

The delicious strawberry cake and cupcakes

The fruit bowl

Beautiful gerbera daisies every where!

Lemonade and water, with personalized cups

The fabulous hostesses

Leah opening her gifts

Thank you to everyone for making this day so special!!!

A Day at the Zoo!

The weather on Saturday couldn't have been better, so we headed out to the zoo. It is currently under construction, so some of Harper's favorite animals weren't there... but they will be back soon. She loved seeing all of the animals up close! My camera died half way into the trip, so I don't have too many pictures.

Checking out the penguins!

A fun outing with Dadda!

She loved seeing Patrick the gorilla!

She was fascinated by this flower person

This is for Eliana... she loves Elmo!

And finally the giraffes!

A weekend full of celebration!

First of all, can I just say that I couldn't be more proud than I am for Leah?!?! She graduated on Saturday from college... and what a journey this has been! I feel like there was a point a few years ago when I wasn't sure if this day would come. She is extremely bright, so it wasn't that I didn't think she would pass... I just didn't know if she had the drive to continue. Her Freshman and Sophomore years were just as they should be- making new friends, becoming a part of a sorority, sleeping until late afternoon, skipping class, and becoming even closer with those friends that had always been a part of her life. The summer before her Junior year, everything changed. Her best friend since kindergarten (also her roommate those first two years in college) passed away from a tragic car accident. Leah's world was absolutely rocked. For her, that was the last straw after dealing with some other family situations. So when I say that I couldn't be more proud, I just don't think those words are enough! The loneliness she has dealt with over the years thankfully brought her closer to the Lord. She has persevered and allowed the Lord to lead her life, and it is because of Him that she is where she is today. Leah... you amaze me and I love you more than words could ever express!!!

I know everyone else says it, but I'm the one with the greatest mom in the entire world. If you know her, you're agreeing right now... and if you don't know her, then you probably should! I seriously hope that I can be at least half as great of a mom as she has been! I know I haven't gone into details about my family, and I'll continue to keep it that way. However, you must know that my mom has been such an amazing example of strength, grace, and love. The Lord has been her priority, regardless of what is going on in her world. She makes me want to know Jesus more each and every day. I certainly pray Harper can say that one day about me. I wish she lived right next door so I could hug her right now! Thankfully I just have a few more days until I get to see her again!!!! Happy Mother's Day, Momma! I love you so very much!!!

Pool Party!!!

Our Spring has been wonderful this year... better than I can ever remember it being. However, today was just plain hot. So I pumped up the pool, and we went redneck style in the front yard (our backyard is in horrible condition... and the water would've just made it completely muddy!). Harper had a great time, even though the water was a little chilly. We will probably be doing this every day until it's 115 degrees, and then I might have to take a break! Feel free to join us... Harper loves a good pool party!

Please notice her chunky thighs!

I couldn't resist this swimsuit when it was on sale...

I just wish I had gotten a bigger size!

A Walkin' Girl!

Last night Harper had so much fun walking back and forth in the kitchen! And today she has walked more than she has crawled!!! I have a feeling in the next few days, she will completely kick crawling to the curb!

Harper and Peter Rabbit

The Spring set-up at the Arboretum is all about Peter Rabbit. So yesterday, we went to an event where Harper got to meet Peter Rabbit and have her book signed by him. She thought he was hilarious... which was a pleasant surprise! We had a lot of fun walking around afterwards. In the Pecan Grove, they had several flower houses and some live animals. She was most interested in the ducks, since the rabbit was in it's house, the mouse was really tiny, and the hedgehog was fully hidden. The Peter Rabbit display is really neat though... I definitely recommend spending an afternoon out there!

The anticipation was killing her...

These precious kids sang to her when

she got a little impatient in the line.

It instantly calmed her down! It was precious!

The joy on her face is almost priceless!

And she sure thought his hand was hilarious!

Peter Rabbit had a difficult time handling that sharpie...

So he only wrote "Peter".

There were storybooks at every house.

This is at the entrance

The flowers are absolutely beautiful!

She could've stood there all day,

saying, "Tack Tack" (how she says quack)

Such a precious little face!

Miss Independent

First of all, if you were a Pi Phi at Arkansas, then you will agree that anytime you hear the words "Miss Independent", you instantly have visions of the rush skit in which the studious dancers ripped the scarves right off of their necks to then swing them around their head. Who choreographed that?!?! And more importantly, who told them that was a good idea?!?! But seriously, anytime I hear Kelly Clarkson singing that on the radio, that's all I can think of!

Today I decided to let Harper try to feed herself at lunch. She was more interested in putting her fingers into the applesauce container.... so this will obviously take time. But it was a big step in her becoming a "big girl" in my opinion. She also has a love for opening cabinets and pulling every single thing out of it. I'm sure this is something all kids are obsessed with. So I decided to clean out some random cabinets we have in our den and fill them with her toys. This has given her hours of entertainment!!! Her toys finally have a real home! It has also given us the opportunity to work on cleaning up. I sing a silly clean up song, and she has a blast putting everything back in the containers.

She is definitely doing more each day... taking more unassisted steps, saying more words, and not crying when I drop her off at the gym. That last item may not be a big deal to you, but it certainly is for us!!! In the past I could barely get through my workout before they were coming to get me. Today she waved bye to me and went about her business. We had a nice long run with stranger anxiety (I think mostly because she couldn't see), so I am certainly glad she seems to be moving on!

Checking out her utensil

She did this only twice

Pulling out all of her books!

And for some really fun news (that you may or may not care about)... I'll be teaching preschool at a program called Jubilee Junction starting in September. It is at Trinity Fellowship and is only 2 days a week. Harper will also be going, but she will be in the Mother's Day Out program! It is one of the few programs that has both preschool and MDO at the same time. I will be teaching the 3 year old class, so I am really excited to use my major again! I think this change will be great for everyone in the Pardue household!