Where does the time go?

I have been on a Facebook hiatus since November 2013 (5 months) and it has been interesting. I can't believe how quickly the time has flown by.  It's fun to say "i'm not on Facebook" it's like saying "i don't have a cell phone" which I do, but it gets the crazy look.  I'm on dailymile, I log my coke rewards, I'm on LinkedIn, Pinterest, this blog, I have two email addresses, I Skype and FaceTime, I have a work laptop, a iPad mini, a regular iPad, a new Mac,  a lenovo - do I really need more tech in my life?  oh and we have an old Kindle.  I say old but it's probably only a few years old and now considered "old."

For Lent I used to give up Facebook and soft drinks.  This year that wasn't an option, I did give up soft drinks and I can't wait to have a fountain coke...:)  I gave up playing games on the phone/iPad and it's been a wonderful opportunity to spend time with Claire who, for only being one, is the smartest little bundle of joy I've ever had the opportunity to teach and educate and LOVE.  She's such a blessing to us.

A healthy girl that one.  I missed her falling asleep tonight...how sad.  I went to tan, b/c this white body of mine needs a little help/prep before bathing suit season really gets started.  I hate that I miss anything with her b/c you never know what she'll do or when she'll start something new.  She's a little comedian and just so entertaining.

I wish I could go back.  I wish I could go back to when she was just a tiny baby, completely dependent on me.  She's so independent now, wanting to do everything we do and do it on her own.  I regret not staying home a few more weeks even without pay, to just "spend" with her.  I'll never get that time back and it actually makes me very sad.  Which is why when she falls asleep in my arms now, I don't rush to put her down for the night.  I just want to hold her and squeeze her.  I want to squeeze her guts out, I always say.  Here she is at her first birthday party.  Little ham she is.

I wish I was a cannibal, b/c I want to eat my child.  But doesn't everyone? Is that unusual?  I ask my mom all the time if all Mom's think that their child/children is/are the most beautiful EVER.  She says yes, all mom's says that about their children...just not as much as I do.

...and that is the point when I tell my mother that, I just can't help it, b/c she is.  She is beautiful.  The funny thing about it is that she looks just like her daddy.  The other love of my life.   Crazy thing about love, it doesn't ever go away, it just keeps multiplying and in the cases of Carey and Claire - I'm so full of LOVE that I can't even contain myself.  There is nothing that could change that and I love that I love two people equally and differently at the same time.

What an amazing God we have that he created that emotion and allows us to love like that.

Gabe and Katie Crawford, along with the kitties, Mia and Libby, came over on March 23rd to spend the day and evening.  It was very exciting to see them and have them meet Claire.  I wish we lived closer together.  Libby enjoyed playing with the "girl" toys that we had.

While Mia enjoyed giving me a make over.  

 Katie was more excited to meet Claire than anyone...she messaged me a few days later saying that she missed her.

Here we just decided to put the largest bow we could find in Claire's hair...she's a cutie even like this. 

Claire is turning 13 months in two days, she's running around and has been since 10 1/2 months and she is finally saying Momma, like a normal child.  I have to admit it's nice to not be called "Daddy."  :)

Here she is giving Aunt Kim (Price) a kiss during her baby shower brunch we held at our house this weekend...or making the stink face as we like to call it.  She's a little stinker.