Year 2

A few days after arriving to Louisville, our Walter turned 2!

We had very little time to prepare for his party, but did manage to pull together some fun things of his favorite monkey!

Due to us just arriving home, we decided to keep his party small and intimate this year.  It was a nice evening with our family.  

Walt,

I know a second birthday post should consist of milestones met, and your favorite things, and how tall you are.  But I'll save that for another post.  Because it's not what I'll remember when I think of year 2.  I will always remember your second year of life as the year when it was just the two of us.  I was pregnant with your sister....  Daddy was working hard in his fellowship....  and we were many miles away from family and friends.

Most days, it was just you and I....

and I loved every minute of it.

I tried so hard to soak up each second with you....  as I knew that this year was a special one.  I knew that our lives would never again look the way they did for your second year.  Soon, our family would grow and we would return home.

But for year two...  I had you all to myself.  

In year two I learned that you weren't only my child...  my baby...  my cute, fun toddler...  but as strange as it may sound, also my very best friend.  You are who I laughed with, cried with, went for walks with ....and talked with (even if it was about elephants and Elmo).  You're who I shopped with, had lunch dates with....and conquered a new city with.  You sat at my feet during ultrasounds, and on my lap during eye brow waxes.....  and in a stroller next to me during dental exams.  You never left my side.  And without ever knowing it...  you made my homesick, hormonal, heavy heart... feel so much joy.  

I know that eventually, the years will run together.  The time between birthdays will be a blur.

But year 2 won't. 

 I'll never forget year 2.  

Because year 2 will always be our year.

This one..   belongs to you and me.

I love you more than you'll ever know.

-Momma 

("Baba")

Finishing Houston

If you've sent me a message asking for a blog post....  thank you!  I appreciate you wanting to keep up with us.  I'm so behind, that I don't even know what to post!?  My camera and phone are full of pictures that are now months old : (

But I have a good excuse....

In the last three months, we've moved from Houston to Louisville... Troy kicked off his career with a private pathology group....we introduced everyone to our new Juliet....Walt turned two......we searched and searched and finally bought a home! ..... we hugged our friends, visited our favorite and missed Louisville spots, did all of the fun summer things, and enjoyed every familiar sight that is home.  But most of all... we spent a wonderful summer with my family.  We've been busy...  but are loving every minute of being here.

It seems silly to post pictures from a few months ago...  but I know I'll want to look back on them.  So here are some of our last few images from Houston!

I think I'll always remember the end of Houston as a time when we discovered what being a family of four was all about.

Walt learned about being a big brother...

and about having to share his Momma. 

I quickly learned how to do lunch dates with two babies instead of one.... navigate the double stroller in and out of stores, how to push a riding toy while carrying an infant....

....and how to make trips to the pool with two.

I  loved everything about having two under two.  Two in strollers, two in car seats, two in diapers, two baby monitors, two cribs.... they make me want a dozen more.

And introducing Juliet to all of the fun things we do during the day, was memorable.  Trips to the zoo.....

....and to the museums...

....the park, the bay, and for ice cream...

I already can't remember what it was like to take only one.

And have you ever seen anything so sweet?

Our last part in Houston also included a visit from Grandmom and Aunt Kandice...

...an attempted Memorial Day weekend trip to Louisville to house hunt .......

which never happened.  

We spent 8 hours in the airport, and never made it out of Houston.

Lots of packing....

(and trying to prepare a toddler)...

....and so much crazy sickness.

We made it 11 months in Houston on our own okay, but in that last month, we desperately needed family.  Bronchitis, sinus infections, two rounds of the stomach bug... all in 3 weeks.... (while trying to pack)..

it was terrible.  

Trying to care for two babies while vomiting non stop was my least favorite Houston memory.  If you are raising babies without a family support system (or even worse....  as a single parent).... my heart aches for you.  I thought of you so many times during these few weeks.

Only I would take photos of such things...  but I wanted to remember the craziness of this last month in Houston.  Though I don't think I could ever really forget driving to meet Troy at his graduation, when Walt covered my back seat in vomit.

What a memorable way to end the year!

A few images from our last day in Houston and the trip home..

As I uploaded my last few Houston photos and memories, I couldn't help but to think of the huge impact that this last year has left on us.  One itty bitty short year.....  but a lifetime of lessons, that we'll keep forever.

We learned what the word home truly means for us.  And of how much it defines who we are, and what we want to be.

We learned that home is a feeling of belonging...  being needed, wanted, loved and missed...

And we learned that even though it wasn't our favorite place to be....Houston will always be a part of us.  A very special part of us.  

Houston gave us a sense of pride for our hometown.  A feeling of belonging, a feeling of having roots.... strong roots.... roots that we're now extremely proud of.  We now have something to compare our home to....  and compare we will always do.  Houston may have more opportunities, more experiences, more to do, more to see.... it may be warmer, and more integrated and maybe even a little more advanced...  okay a lot more advanced.  But Louisville sure wins when it comes to heart.  The next time a cashier wishes you a good day.... or a stranger holds a door open for you....or someone just smiles in passing... know that it doesn't happen in every city.  Louisville's small(er) town ways are such a treasure to me now.  We may have a slower pace here, but with that comes a warmer spirit, a since of belonging and a bit more compassion.  And the next time you drive across I-265 and see miles of green trees...  or as you watch autumn colors explode and hear the leaves crunch under your boots, remind yourself of what a treat this is.  Our city isn't perfect, but I quickly learned last year, that our city is exceptionally beautiful.  It's lush and green in the summer, and chilly and colorful in the fall, and our winters give us just enough snow to enjoy.  

Maybe it is perfect.

It will always be perfect to me.

But that doesn't mean that we will not always claim to be a smidge Houstonian...

.....after all....  we did bring home the SWEETEST souvenir... and the Magnolia City will always be a part of her story.

A short video clip for Troy and I.  So we can always remember the "home" in which Walt took his first steps...   and where we brought our daughter....where our marriage grew stronger, our dependence on the Lord even deeper and our need to be with family took number one priority. 

It will always be a special place to us.

  Houston, TX from Kristin Davis on Vimeo.