Christmas Cards!

Confession: We still have all of last year's Christmas cards hanging on a photo board in our kitchen. Every once in awhile, I move them around so different faces smile at us as we open the fridge. Although most of the cards read "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holidays," this isn't the first year I have left them up year round; they just make me too happy. I love seeing the beautiful photos of our dear friends and family, and I love the different designs of the creative cards. Going to the mailbox every afternoon during the month of December is like a mini-Christmas: each card is like a little gift. And this year, Shutterfly is rocking my world by helping us send some of ours out for free! If you are a blogger out there, you need to check out this deal. I have always used Shutterfly for our holiday cards, but this year I am extra grateful for their generosity.

Shutterfly has some great cards this year. Clay and I have narrowed it down to our following favorites, and we would love for you to vote on your favorite!

Go here if you want to check out all of Shutterfly's 2010 designs.

Hooray for Christmas Card season!

My New Favorite Picture

Pure joy. That is what I am feeling here. Pure joy.

Half Marathon Success!

On Saturday, I ran the Chickamauga Half Marathon. I signed up for the race right after Will was born: I needed a running goal. I ran the same race two years ago, right after the end of my first XC coaching season, and finished 1:52. I secretly wanted to beat this time...but mainly I wanted to finish strong.

I trained every morning, and then on Saturdays my dear friend Gina and I would go for long run at a local park with a 4.5 mile loop. Saturday mornings were glorious. I loved feeling back in shape, loved the solitude and peace of running in the woods, loved feeling a bit like myself again.
Saturday was the perfect culmination of that training and my eagerness to get back into shape. I finished in 1:50, a PR. I think what motivated me, especially in those last few miles, was the thought of seeing Clay and Will at the finish line. I couldn't wait to lay my eyes on my babe.

Here we are with Nick and Ashley at the finish line. Ashley has always been my favorite running partner--loyal and fun and dedicated. She and I have been running every Tuesday and Thursday morning from 6-7. Unfortunately the race closed before she could register, but how thoughtful were she and Nick for coming to cheer us on anyways? Looooove them!

Will just isn't sure about the whole camera thing...either he stares at it or he avoids it altogether :-)

I can't believe I ran this race two years ago and Will was just a dream of ours...and now he is here! What a difference a couple of years make.

Our baby turns 5 months...

Every day at 2:36, the bell rings and I fly out of my classroom. If students or colleagues need to talk to me, they have to walk me to my car. I love my job, but I have a standing date with my little man starting at 3 every day, and you better believe I am not going to be late.

It's his smile that first gets me. I walk in the door and he hears my voice, turns to look at me, and slowly his sweet grin spreads across his soft cheeks. He kicks, he waves his arms, and his eyes glow. And I melt. Every day I melt. And I scoop him up in my arms and don't let him go for five more hours. He is my love, and he has made everything in my life richer and deeper and happier and better.

We come home, and for the first time that day, I really breathe. I slow down and focus on him: his eyes, his little hands, his smile, his smell, his sweet head nuzzling in my neck, his cooing sounds. We cuddle and we play, we take Camden for long walks around campus, and if we are lucky, we take a short nap with Daddy. And without fail, Clay and I look at each other at some point and say, "We are so lucky. Our life is so good." And it was so good before Will. But now...now, our lives are full of this love we can't contain.

Our baby is 5 months old today. He continues to grow into his loving, happy, fun personality. He is our buddy in everything. He makes us laugh, he makes us better people, he makes every day special. He is the gift I receive every day when I come home from school. He is my heart living outside my chest. He is already our best friend.

And I get to be his mama.

I know there are many children out there, many mamas, many families. And I hope they all feel exactly the way I do. Because when I look at Will, when I hold Will, when I rock Will to sleep and we smile at each other and the world is quiet and good, there is no doubt in my mind:

I AM THE LUCKIEST.

William Bradley with his namesake.

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for visiting us this past weekend. We love you.

Happy 5 months, buddy.

You are the greatest gift I will ever know.

Our Little Tiger

Happy Halloween Everybody!

McC does a great job with holidays. For Halloween, two entire dorms of boys threw a festival for all of the kids on campus. It was ADORABLE.

In honor of his Poppy and Aunt B, Will dressed as a tiger this year.

You can tell from the picture above that Will LOVES Halloween.

Here we are with my dear friend Mel and her 2 month old son, Jude.

Ah, I LOVE these two pictures of Will and his Daddy!

Sweet Cy. Isn't his dinosaur costume adorable?

Here we are with Cy's mom (and our friend and pediatrician), Dodd.

Dodd is holding son Wylie, born almost exactly one month after Will.

We have already decided they are going to be best friends.

Ellie (Statue of Liberty), William (The American Flag), Chloe (Annie from Adventures in the Magical Treehouse?), and Nathan (Jack from same book)

Baby Ryan (2 months old)

Here is Will with dear, dear Carla! Carla takes SUCH good care of him while Clay and I are working. We love her.

We went to a Halloween party--and Will was tuckered out from all of the excitement.

Notice the tongue. Always out. Hilarious.

We had so much fun!

Clay and I continue to marvel at how in love we are with Will. He makes us so, so happy. He smiles and "talks" all the time, and he loves to bounce on our laps. We tried the Johnny Jump-up yesterday, but for now, it is just the Will Hang-there. No jumping for Will yet. But he is starting to roll over (both ways). And as I said, he loves that tongue :-)