she's 8 months!

I LOVE YOU MALAYA LYN




These are the years, the gentle years,
The soft and sentimental years
When wee little fingers
Reach and touch
And little eyes gaze
With wonder and trust,
When you love so tenderly
And so so much,
These are the gentle years.
These are the years, the rainbow years,
The quiet, walk-on-tiptoes years,
And smiles and sighs
When both of you watch
With misty eyes
The tiny bed
Where a cherub lies,
These are the rainbow years.
These are the years, the tender years,
The blissful, sweet-surrender years,
When your little treasure
From above
Is the soul and purpose
And center of
Your plans and dreams
And dearest love,
These are the tender years.

- Barbara Burrow


Happy 8 months TOOTS!!

Leap of Faith

A LEAP OF FAITH is the act of BELIEVING in something that is not tangible.


That is MARRIAGE, it is the act of BELIEVING. BELIEVING in each other and the promises you have made to one another. There is no certainty in marriage. Just because the exchanging of the ring has happen it doesn't mean all your problems before suddenly disappears, you aren't guranteed a HAPPILY EVER AFTER.


THE RING IS JUST A SYMBOL OF YOUR LOVE AND DECLARATION TO EACH OTHER!


When you walk down that isle you take a LEAP OF FAITH... FAITH that each other will keep their promises. BELIEVING that your love is so strong it will stand in any storm.


I love Charlie. I am so happy I made that jump with him 4 years ago.


Here is to the youthful LOVE we still have for one another and to many more adventures together... HAPPY 4 year anniversary!

Customize a digital slideshow

Through the YEARS of NEW YEARS

Usually bringing in the New Years consist of...
1) Charlie and I getting into our "DRESS TO IMPRESS" outfit
2) a FABALOUS dinner with great friends
3) SHAKIN the night away at the hottest party in town


Case in point ...

BRINGING IN 2006- TAKING IT BACK TO PROM hotel party!





Bringing in 2008- LAST STOP land party!




Bringing in 2010- Dublin Ireland




Which brings me to BRINGING in 2011...


Just like every other holiday this past year, New Years Eve you can say was VERY DIFFERNT! Charlie and I of course wanted to spend this New Years Eve with our little TOOTS. Knowing we may easily be in our PJs passed out before the count down began, we decided to do something exciting with Malaya during the day to celebrate bring in 2011. So who else would understand sitting on the couch, in your PJ and being in bed once midnight struck...
AMAZING FRIENDS THAT ARE IN THE SAME BOAT AS YOU!!





The Johnson Family! Our history together has been incredible, we were engaged only a month from each other, married with in only two weeks from one another and now our bundle of joys are only 3 weeks apart.. you can easily say our families will be growing together.


We spent a beautiful day at the ZOO. Anthony and Malaya had a wonderful time together and we were "ewwwwing and awwwwing" at just how adorable they are together.




~ Oh how the events in your LIFE
changes as you grow up...
I LOVE IT and AM GRATEFUL FOR IT!

This free picture slideshow customized with Smilebox

Happy New Years Everyone~ Love THE BATES!

a brand NEW CHRISTMAS!

Christmas has and will always be my favorite holiday. I love looking at Christmas lights, I love turning on the radio and hearing the Jingles, I love the rush of finding good presents for the ones I love. However this year Christmas has brought a brand new FEELING for Charlie and I. It was not about the presents we wanted to give one another, honestly we could have cared less about what we got. We were just excited to be spending this special day with Malaya. We were so excited to get her dressed up in her Christmas outfit, parade her around our families and watch her expressions as WE opened up her gifts :)





"I don't know what's going on BUT I sure do like it"





"A purple and pink laptop so I can be just like daddy"




"Alright I'm strapped in LET'S GOOOOOO!!!"





"weeeeee I love my new wagon"





~THE GREATEST PRESENT WE HAVE EVER RECEIVED~

Ms. Mason

In mid December my beautiful little sister graduated from Sam Houston State University with a Bachelor degree in Early Childhood Education. I was the definition of A PROUD BIG SISTER that day! As she walked across that podium and recieved her diploma, I had flash backs of her, crying, struggling, trying to figure out the path that was made for her...



My lil sis is going to be an elementary teacher and a FABALOUS teacher she will be. She is here, she is taking the next step in life as a grown up and I AM SO PROUD OF HER!! I LOVE YOU MELISSA MARIE.

7th Heaven

DEFINITION of Seventh Heaven (n.)
1.a state of extreme happiness

SYNONYM of Seventh heaven (n.)
bliss, blissfulness, cloud nine, walking on air


That is exactly where Charlie and I have been since Malaya arrived into our lives. We have been living in SEVENTH HEAVEN!




We are simply memorized by her. When those beautiful almond shape eyes stares back at us it melts our hearts and her chubby rosey cheeks are so kissable that you just can't get enough of them... SHE IS PRICELESS AND SHE IS ALL OURS!!


This past month we have felt the amazing feeling a parent feels when they witness their child finally accomplishing an important developmental skill. This Thanksgiving Malaya began showing signs of crawling. A toy aka "DADDY's CELL PHONE" will catch her eye and she is off, army crawling her way to it. Just these past few days the army crawl has developed to a full fledge crawl.
YES, CHARLIE AND I ARE "THOSE" PROUD PARENTS....
The embrassing ones that starts screaming, jumping up and down and parading their child around the house when their child does something AMAZING and BREATH TAKING!!! I can only imagine what Malaya was thinking as we stand there watching her make these monumental steps in her life..."OH GOSH! MY PARENTS ARE CRAZY!"


Happy 7th Month Birthday Malaya Lyn Bates!








*** a very special thank you to my incredible bestfriend who allowed us to come to her gorgeous house and use her amazing christmas decor to capture her 7 months picture :)

It's a NEW holiday~ it's a "CHICKoliday"

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION~ HERE COMES "THE CHICKS" ...We "WERE" the late night, hair flipping, booty shaken dancing queens. No matter what we were doing as long as we were doing it TOGETHER, it was a party...


Fastforward 7 years later... well it's still the same JUST with an additional ADDED FEW....







Some say in college you find your life long friends. This is not far from the truth for myself. Who knew a weekend job would lead to forming a circle of friendship that will last a lifetime. These 5 ladies are more than just my friends, these ladies have guided and shaped the woman I am today. We have traded in the late night parties for late night feedings, our sparkly party dresses for our "ALL DAY PJs" - WE ARE MOTHERS NOW and WE HAVE NEVER LOOKED BETTER... no matter what path GOD is leading us in, no matter how far we have moved from one another our BOND with each another REMAINS THE SAME... STRONG AND ENDLESS!


My Dear Chicks,


I know we have all come to the realization that our days together are numbered. As our families continue to grow and as life takes us to different cities we are no longer a quick drive away but a phone call. However it is comforting to know that the bond we share is so special we have made it a priority in our lives to spend A DAY WITH ALL OF US TOGETHER~ our "CHICKoliday". I can only hope we continue this new tradition and teach our kids how rare and unique our friendship is and set an example of what it means to be a great friend through the years.

Customize your own digital slideshow

Side by side
or miles apart
good friends
always stay close to the heart

no matter what
life brings our way
together we always manage
to make it through another day


~ Rae