TEETH!

This is a short blog to note that Madison who turned 7 months old yesterday has 2 teeth! They have been working their way up and out for about a month and broke thru this week! They are feel-able to the touch and don't seem to be bugging her too much. I did give her some teething stuff tonight because she was having a hard time falling asleep. I cannot believe how big she has gotten! yay for your teeth baby girl!

On the big kid front...Bethany is very close to loosing her 7th tooth!! Our kids are growing up sooooo fast!

Bridesmaid bootcamp!

1 year from now I will be finishing up the biggest wedding season ever! 3 of my bridesmaids are getting hitched...what's that mean for me you ask??? Oh that means I get to stand up with 3 of the most amazing women in my life as they marry the men of their dreams!

Sounds awesome right? It is!! What's the catch??? I am not ready for those photos....so I have started my very own bridesmaid bootcamp with myself.

I have a plan to lose the extra 20 lbs I somehow found after getting married. I have until June of next year when the first one ties the knot. I am working out every week day with a different workout scheduled for each day. I am loving it so far! This morning was the first day of week 2! I love the hour and a half to myself each morning, and that Madi is well taken care of in the nursery at the gym. The girl that works in there goes to Lifepoint, so I know she will care for Madison properly! I am so excited to get into a routine, and it seems to work well for Madison as she plays and gets to socialize with other babies in the morning and takes a good nap when we get home allowing me to get some housework done!

The 2 on my left in this photo and the one on the far right are the lovely brides to be! Congrats Ashley, Rachel, and Janell!!



What I'm For

I was listening to Pandora last night, which is how I stay up on my red dirt music out here on the east coast, and this song came on. While I haven't always been the biggest fan of Pat Green, I do really love this song. It reminds me of my dad, and of my husband. I love the lyrics, and they just really make me appreciate the amazing people in my life who are for things that are real, things that matter. And any song that references Texas Margaritas is just fine by me.

As a mom of 2 little girls, I am looking forward to many more years of wildflowers in my window, and stray dogs. I love the part about dusty pawn shop guitars, and boxers passed their prime. Getting out of debt, and havin faith in something that hasn't happened yet. The part about the inner city teacher reminds me of my amazing friend, Karen who teaches in the ghetto and shows those kids Christ love every day. The title of the song reminds me of Karen and I's old roomie, Cyndi because she always said Im for it!

I am so blessed to have so many amazing people in my life, and even though they are far away modern technology allows for us to maintain our relationships and thrive. I love y'all in Texas, someone go to Cheatham Street for me and have a shiner!

http://youtu.be/7bsj_mwQrpA

I'm for wildflowers in the window
Mechanics you can trust
I'm for crackers in my chili
And leavin' grudges in the dust

I'm for drive thru order takers
Who can muster up a smile
I'm for takin' in that stray dog
That's been hangin' 'round for awhile

I'm for turning off the TV
Gettin' off the internet
I'm for learning all the words
To the Gettysburg Address

I'm for dusty pawn shop guitars
And boxers passed their prime
I'm for soakin' up the wisdom
When an old man speaks his mind.

I'm for laid off factory workers
When the wolf is at the door
You don't have to guess what I'm against
If you know what I'm for

I'm for Texas Margaritas
Gettin' outta debt
I'm for havin' faith in something
That hasn't happened yet

For the shy kid in the corner
Afraid to ask the girl to dance
For the ex-con outta prison
Who just wants a second chance

For the inner city teacher
With her heart stuck in her throat
Can still see God in every child
And never gives up hope

I'm for dusty pawn shop guitars
And boxers passed their prime
I'm for soakin' up the wisdom
When and old man speaks his mind

I'm for Detroit factory workers
When the wolf is at the door
You don't have to guess what I'm against
If you know what I'm for

I'm counting all my blessings
When the wolf is at my door
You don't have to ask what I'm against
You don't have to guess what I'm against
You know what I'm for

Major Motivation!

There has been a new energy surging thru our little family, and this has all of us working towards goals. I feel so inspired and excited about bettering our family, physically, mentally, and spiritually. Justin and I joined a new gym this week, and I had my first training session with a personal trainer today. I felt so amazing afterwards! It felt great to have someone show me what I needed to be working on vs. the way I usually do it. Which is to snag an eliptical in the back row, run for about 1.5-2 miles, and head on my way because I have no idea what to do with the 7000 machines that line the weight floor. Anyway I will probably be bedridden tomorrow due to muscle pain but for today I am loving it!
We are back on Dave Ramsey and getting our financial fittness in gear. I am proud to say we have a great afternoon routine that requires all homework and piano practices done before play time. And Justin and Bethany are learning Russian. Yep...Russian. We are all working hard to better ourselves and I have to say as a parent that makes me so happy. Our girls are getting to see us work hard for things we want to achieve and isnt that the best motivateor there is? We have to follow thru so they learn to be honorable and finish what they start. So fantastic. I also started an online bible study that requires you to anwser questions and take a test at the end of each lesson. Which is great because since I am not the best at sitting down and doing my study each day. This will make me commit to it like it is a class! So much good stuff! Also my good friend Becky came over to take our fall family photos at the new house...here is a sneak peak!

Madi is on the move!

This kid is never still. Seriously her hands and feet are always going. She isn't quite crawling yet, but that doesn't stop her...she rolls and scoots everywhere! If there is something that she wants to discover she is on it, and will do anything to get to it. Today she was on the floor getting into the laundry, pulling Derby's ears, and somewhere along the way she found her new favorite toys...Daddy's hat and the stairs. Enjoy!

Take Me Out!

At bible study last night I was thinking about the road I have been on thus far in life. All of the things I have done and accomplished, and by the standards of the world I have been successful. But now here I am staying at home, changing poopy diapers and running from school to piano to play dates 1500 miles from 'home'. I left my job in sales and I no longer show horses.

I grew up showing horses, and doing very well at it. I was able to travel all over the place, win competitions and prizes, and gain notoriety. I have amazing friends and an extended family who would do anything for me, and I wouldn't know any of them without my family's involvement in the cutting horse industry. I have been very blessed.

I now find myself in a season of waiting. Waiting on the Lord and the opportunity to show horses again. I think that this is my time that the Lord is giving me to work on my faith, to study His word. I want so badly to be emersed in His word and I really cannot wait to see where he will take me once I am ready. In this season of waiting I want to be diligent in my study of Him, and learn to do and say the things I should, and reach people who are far from God.

I believe that He had to take me out of sales and take me out of the show ring so that I could get out of myself and focus on Him! There is a worship song by Mercy Me and it says

Sometimes I feel disappointed
By the way I spend my time
How can I further Your kingdom
When I'm so wrapped up in mine

This lyric really speaks volumes to me. How can we show people Christ's love if we are too busy being wrapped up in ourselves? I hope that when I am ready He will pull me out of this waiting time and give us the means and opportunity to show again. I know that it is my passion for horses that is a God birthed passion and that my talent wasn't given to me by accident, so for now I will wait. I will study and learn and do my best in this season. I will be the best mommy I can be, and the best teacher of children I can be! Just my thoughts for the day. Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend! <3

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Madi and Granpa June 2011

Madi and Granpa June 2011

Bethany and Granpa in Gonzales at a cutting 2010

College Graduation 2008

Wedding Day 2008

Today is my Dad's birthday! I am so lucky to have been raised by such a great man! I was raised to find a man who treated me as good as my daddy, 'no less than a princess' is the phrase we always said. And I believe I picked well, and we are now teaching our girls to find men who will treat them as good as daddy and granpa! Love you Daddy-o happy 51st!

Bethany and Madison Major!

Bethany at 6 Months. November 2005

Madison at 6 Months! September 2011

You can certainly tell they are sisters, but Madi has a personality all her own and more hair than she knows what to do with! I am glad they look similar, those Major genes are strong!

And just for fun... Me at 6 Months...McCarty/Madison genes are strong too!

What a visit!

I am such a lucky girl! I have the most amazing family ever. I had the amazing pleasure of having our first house guests for the last 10 days. My Mom and Nana flew in and stayed for a while. They were such an amazing help getting the house put together, helping with the girls, and helping me throw a Tupperware party. We had a blast! And we shopped until we literally dropped! I love watching my mom with the girls, she is such a fantastic grandma. And of course Nana is great with them, because she is the best Nana ever!

They flew out so Justin and I could go to our sweet friends' wedding in Ohio on the first, but Justin got sent out of town on business and didn't get back until around midnight on Friday. Since it was a 9 hour drive to Cleveland, and it was very late we decided to stay home. My mom and nana knew we needed a night away so we were told to go have a night away. We drove down to Richmond for our first night away from the girls since Madi was born. We stayed at the Hilton, we got to people watch in the hotel bar (one of our favorite things), I had to teach the bartender to make a Colorado bulldog (I am guessing they don't have the bar tending school they have in Austin with the catchy song on their commercial. "If there's a school to attend then I highly recommend you call 1800bartend!"), and we went to a very nice dinner at Maggiano's where our waiter gave us free dessert and we had a very nice bottle of Mondavi Cabernet.

On Sunday we woke up early and drove home for a Sunday at our favorite place, LifePoint church! We took Mom and Nana and they LOVED it! I was a little worried about what Nana would think, especially since they had a DJ scratching records when we walked in, and our new worship leader, Birch came running our saying get ya hands up...But she loved it! (although she was very glad she took the earplugs they offer as you walk in)

Also while they were here we painted the kitchen, redecorated the downstairs bathroom, hung wall art, picked out stuff for other rooms for 'someday', toured all around, and ate a lot of meals out! I always love having family come and stay but the day after they leave I always feel like doing NOTHING! So today I am catching up on my blog, doing laundry, and cleaning up.

Oh AND Madison turned 6 months old! She weighs 14.7 lbs and is 26 Inches long! Tall and lean! Love my little bug. She is getting close to crawling, eating everything I put on her spoon, and starting to love her toys!