A day in the life...

A day in the life of Maggie Ruth...Maggie Ruth is FULL TIME as I'm sure most of our little ones are. I just thought I'd share a few pictures I mangaged to snap while Maggie was being "Maggie"!

This is Maggie in her carseat on the way to Destin not too long ago. While driving and trying to quiet her I just handed her a mini chocolate chip cookie. I'm not sure how much of it she actually ate because it looks like most of it was still in her hair and on her face. I didn't turn around after I gave it to her until Riley said, "...um, Mama... Look at Maggie!" Man can she make a monster mess out of anything!!!


















Crack... this is Maggie in her prefered attire... nothing!!! When we're at home for the day she fusses and pulls at her clothes until I give in and take them off. On this particular day she had tried nonstop to get her diaper off as well. That's the claw marks you might can see just above her diaper...her own fingernails!





















Talk about having to break a bad habit! Maggie isn't attached to "a" paci...she attached to as many as she can possibly find at one time! This is her with 2 in her mouth and one in her hand! Shonna, if you do figure out how to get rid of the paci...I'll take any suggestions! I'm not looking forward to that day!

Last but not least...

Russell was looking over our blog this morning an jokingly said, "you didn't put me in it anywhere." So of course, I'm going to make sure he's included. I know all of you know him, but for those of you that may not know him very well... here he is.

Russell and I met almost 5 years ago and will have our 3rd anniversary April 23rd. I cannot understand why God saw fit to send me such a wonderful, hardworking, God-fearing man. He is truly an answered prayer. When Russell and I first met and were getting to know one another, I ask him if he had any hobbies and his reply was, "I love farming, I don't need a hobby." Little did I know how true this statement was. Russell LOVES farming, and thank goodness he does. It is the hardest work I can imagine any man doing. He is so driven and determined, no matter how grim the harvest "forecast" may look or how bad the cattle industry is doing... he's going to keep on keeping on! I love his work ethic, his super smart business sense, his desire to provide the best for our family and most especially... his FAITH. What could a farmer be without faith. Thank you Lord for such a Godly, strong, intellegent, loving man!!! I will always be grateful for him!

And lastly, Russell is an UNBELIEVABLE daddy. He loves his girls like nothing else in this world. He's always treated Riley Grace like she was his own and now that Maggie Ruth is here... there's even more love to go around! The girls love to laugh and play with him everynight in the den floor after supper. He's also a big cookies and milk with the girls in the recliner fan!!! I love to watch them all love on each other... it makes me smile really big (inside and out)!

Riley Grace

Riley Grace is my sweet 8 year old. I often find it really hard to believe she is mine. She's sweet, caring, good hearted, a tad sassy, and really smart! She is my very best little friend in the whole world. Its like having a little "mini me" around. She does so many things just exactly like I used to and even now when she's helping me with Maggie Ruth, I hear myself again and again.

Riley Grace loves to read. She is a very good reader (unlike her mama). She breezes through her homework and never has to study her spelling or vocabulary words... she just knows them so well already! WOW!!! She surprises me regularly. Her grades are excellent. This last nine weeks her lowest grade was a 97! Man, if I could only take credit for her smarts!

Riles (as we also like to call her) is a horse lover. Her bedroom has horses from wall to wall. Maybe one day she'll have one of her own. She's a big time "farm girl" too. She loves to go farming with Russell when he's going to be out and about... busy. She's not yet found the love of riding in a tractor. She just falls asleep on those trips.

Now that Riley Grace has a little sister I can see what a great mother she's going to be one day. She is always helping me with Maggie Ruth. There is not much she can't do. She has always loved to rock her, give her a bottle and read her a book (although this only lasts a few short seconds because Maggie won't sit still long enough for even a page of a book).

I know most of you don't have children this old yet, but I hope that one day you will know the awesome feeling of having a friend in your daughter (or son). I look forward to "growing up" with her!!

aka.Ruthie-beggar

Well, I'm going to flatter a few of my friends by copying their blog ideas. First I'll fill you all in on Maggie Ruth otherwise known as Maggie-Ruth-a-beggar (get it... like the vegetable) or Maggie-rooter tater or Smiley Ruth... just a few of her knick names.

Maggie had her 1st birthday just about 6 weeks ago (which makes her 13 mo. old). She is as busy as a little bee ---CONSTANTLY!!! She is so very curious and determined! I wonder where she could've possibly gotten the hard headed gene? She has been walking since she was about 9 1/2 mo. old. She's now running, climbing, jumping, and doing her own stunts (as the t-shirt reads). She has 12 very sharp teeth. If you don't believe me just stick your finger in her mouth.

She has a small vocabulary made of mama , dada, gog (dog), a low grunt (for a cow noise), she babbles something when she sees her sister but we're not really sure what she's saying.

Ruthie is 33'' long (above the 100% mark for her age) and weighs 21 lbs (about the 40% for her age). She will eat absolutely anything she or we can manage to put in her mouth and I do mean ANYTHING! i.e.-Cascade 3 in 1 pack... Turnips, onions, salsa, steak... you get the point.

Anytime life gets dull or there's not enough action at your house... call us!!! We'll bring Maggie Ruth over!

Here comes the bride!

Earlier today we added a new member to our extended family...Uncle Pete is now our new "Grandfather" too! Russell's Nannie (Mrs. Sharon's mother) and Uncle Pete (MeMama/Jane Wiggins...Russell's other grandmother's brother) got married!!!! Its confusing- I know! How awesome it is that God has brought the two of them together at this point in their lives. They were both as excited as they could be!

My First Blog

I've finally done it! I actually found my own blog spot while looking at a friends blog! I created it back in Dec. and couldn't remeber how to get back to it! Thanks Lyndsay Elliot!

Well, as most of you already know, I'm not exactly "on the ball" with stuff so I'll keep up with it as best I can. Here a few recent pictures of the girls for you all to enjoy until I really get the hang of it.

Riley Grace had her 8th birthday last Tuesday and we went to Build-A-Bear in Destin with some of her friends on Saturday. What a blast!!! Everyone needs to experience 4 little girls in Build-A-Bear atleast once in their life. We built dolls instead of bears. Whoa!! Who knew there could be anything more overwhelming than... What color hair she should have, the ice skates or the black high heels, an ipod or a purse, sunglasses... no maybe not. It was hilarious watching them try to choose what their dolls would look like. We left there and roamed around Destin commons for a little while. Her friends in the picture to the left are Tessa, Riley Grace (of course), Julia, and Sarah...and Maggie Ruth trying to get away with the loot! If I could I would do this way more often!

After lunch at Johnny Rockets, my mama and daddy surprised RG with an AWESOME birthday cake from Cold Stone Creamery. It was too cool! She loved it. She told me when we got home it was the best day of her life! That makes it all worth it!!

So that Maggie Ruth isn't left out of this post... this is where I found her this morning. I was talking on the phone with Ashley Williams and I turned around to find her plundering through a box on top of the kitchen table! She's something like Wonder Woman when she sees something she needs to check out. Monday she was on top of the counter where my desk is, with scissors held above her head like the Statue of Liberty. Monday night she ate a Cascade 3 in 1 packet! I don't recomend it! It makes for a mighty gassy baby!!! If y'all are wondering where her mama was all of this time... so am I!