Happy New Year!

This has been a blessed year for the Ward family. God has been so good and our hearts are overcome with JOY! We hope you will reflect on all the Lord has done for you this past year and look forward to all He will do this year!!

Happy New Year from the Ward's!!

A baby. A Savior. My King.

This has been one of the best Christmas's since Matt and I have been married. It wasn't because of the lavish gifts, or the delicious food. It was because it was spent with Matt and the girls. At home. All day. No where to go! Before we had kids Matt and I ran from Christmas to Christmas. It was fun but oh so tiring. We decided when we had kids we were going to have or won traditions and be home on Christmas day. For the first time since I can remember, we have always done Christmas with my mom's family at 5:00 on Christmas night. This year due the weather, that was cancelled so we have been home all day. Matt and I have never had a relaxing Christmas like we have had this year. We played out in the snow, and stayed in our jammies all day long. ALL DAY! It was sooo great. We ended the night at IHOP. just the 4 of us. It was perfect! We have fulfilled some much needed time at home with our girls. Just our sweet little girls.

We spent Christmas eve night with my dad. It was a great time. We have a tradition on Christmas Eve to eat the worlds best gumbo made by my dad and then we have boiled shrimp and lots of yummy desserts! It was just a relaxing night with no plans and lots of laughs. It was a perfect evening! We left just as the blizzard started and drove home in the beautiful snow!

We got the girls home, and read the Christmas story out of the Bible. Alyssa had lots of questions that we got to answer for her! It was a special time sitting by the fire and talking about Christ's birth, death, and resurrection. They opened their Christmas jammies and they were in the bed!

I just got through tucking in Alyssa when Bella started crying. I asked Matt what was wrong with her and he said she probably just needs her mommy. As I was rocking Bella, I couldn't help but think about this special day. How it must of felt for Mary to rock sweet baby Jesus. How she must have been overwhelmed at His birth and that she was chosen to carry Him.

I also couldn't help but think as I was rocking Bella, and she fell fast asleep, how Jesus desires nothing more than for us to crawl up in his lap when we are crying and let him rock and comfort us.

I love how it feels to know that Bella "needs" me and wants me to hold her and love her. Oh how Jesus must feel when we show him love and that we are in need of being held, comforted, and just rocked to sleep.

I love how the Lord shows up when we least expect it. Tonight, he used my sweet baby girl to relate to his sweet baby Jesus!

Merry Christmas!

For those with hurting hearts...

Christmas in Heaven

I see the countless Christmas trees around the world below, with tiny lights like Heaven's stars reflecting on the snow.

The sight is so spectacular please wipe away that tear,

for I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear,

but the sound of music can't compare with the Christmas choir up here.

I have no words to tell you of the joy their voices bring

for it is beyond description to hear the angels sing.

I know how much you miss me, I see the pain inside your heart

But I am not so far away, we really aren't apart.

I can't tell you of the splendor or the peace here in this place

Can you just imagine Christmas with our Savior face to face?

I'll ask Him to lift your spirit as I tell Him of your love

so then pray for one another as you lift your eyes above.

Please let your hearts be joyful and let your spirit sing

for I am spending Christmas in Heaven, and I’m walking with the King

ONE!!! Really?

I feel overwhelmed that my baby girl. Our last baby. Our sweet Bella Grace is already ONE! Can someone please tell me how and when that happened cause I am pretty sure i just brought her home from the hospital in that oversized car seat just yesterday! Well, apparently not. Time has gone so fast this past year. it has been a great year. A blessed year. A year we will never forget!

I went to the Dr. today for her year checkup and he said she is the best toddler I have seen in a long time. I was like...um excuse me? Toddler? He said yep!! Once they hit a year old they are considered a toddler. I I pretty much cringed when he said those words! She is my baby and will always be my baby. Toddler or not! She is my baby girl.

Bella Grace you are such a blessing! A joy to be around! You have a smile that lights up a room. You bring such happiness to others and you have taught your daddy and I another aspect of love! You are a great sister to Alyssa. You are a great sleeper. (thank you) You are content. Happy. Lovable. You love to Snuggle. You are quite the little eater! YOu love just about everything. You love your whole milk and your sippy cup! You are an over achiever and the busiest little "toddler" I know! You were walking at 10 1/2 months. You have not stopped since. We love you and a praise God that he allowed us to be your parents. We give God the Glory for you and thank him daily for your precious little life! We pray you grow into a young lady that fears the Lord and loves him with all your might! God has great plans for you Bella Grace and we can't wait to see his plans fulfilled in you!

Oh Alyssa...

Our sweet Alyssa is one funny girl! She had her daddy and I, and several others laughing on Sunday night at the 3 year old Christmas program. She decided she was going to hug the girl nex to her during all 3 songs. She would clap when the song was over and then put her arm back around her when the next song started! It was so cute and so funny. I was laughing so hard I was crying!

I can't even believe Alyssa is old enough to be singing in the preschool choir but she is so I am just trying to take in every sweet moment with her.

We love you Alyssa Lauren and are so very proud of you! You bring us much joy and we thank God he chose us to be your mommy and daddy!

My little love bugs...

I just love these sweet girls.

We thought it would be fun to let Alyssa decorate her first gingerbread house! It was fun, messy, funny, and we created lots of memories with our sweet Alyssa. We waited till Bella was in the bed and then let big sis take over! Oh she had a blast. I must say, mommy and daddy had just as much fun...maybe more!!:)

Bella is a stinker and into EVERYTHING!! This is how I found her at one point this week. But seeing that smile makes it real hard to get mad!!

Matt's hunt, Branson, and the girls!

This has been an eventful past month! Bella is now 11 months old and just saying that brings tears to my eyes and joy to my heart! She has blessed us more than we could have ever imagined these past 11 months. She is so loving and tender hearted. She loves us and is the happiest baby I know! The Lord has truly blessed us with Bella Grace. She is growing so fast and we are just trying to take in every second of her! She discovered walking the past few months and has been working hard at it! She mastered walking at about 10 1/2 months. She is all over the place and into absolutely EVERYTHING!!

Alyssa is just getting more beautiful by the day. She is so smart. So funny! Her mind is going at all times! She has quite the personality! Her daddy thinks she acts a little like her momma!! Maybe, but I'm ok with that! I want to be a good mom for her. I want her to see Christ in me daily. In everything that I do. I know I fail miserably at times, but I am striving daily to be a Godly example that she can look at in years to come! She has a smile that can light up a room. I pray she is always a light. A light that shines Christ all over the world. She talks about the Lord a lot. Asks a lot of questions. I know even at her age the Lord is already working on her. We can see it! It's the best feeling in the world as parents.

Matt went to Kansas this past week to deer hunt. He and his dad put in for the Kansas draw last year and were drawn. Matt was pretty excited then, but nothing like after his kill! Matt got a huge buck! He has had several companies wanting pictures of his deer. For those of you that care, it was 15 points and scored 196 5/8. Apparently that is massive! This is a 1 in 4 million buck and the fact that the Lord chose him to kill this deer amazes me!! I am so proud of my deer hunter! I told Matt it kind of makes me want to get out there and kill one of my own! We will see! He said I have to climb a tree first! yeah right!!:)

While Matt was in Kansas I was in Branson!! My sweet mom kept the girls for a few days while Matt's mom and I went and did a little Christmas shopping! Well, a lot! I am almost done!! 2 more gifts and I am finished!! It was a fun time. We ate lots of good food and the girls were spoiled rotten with nana!!

Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

quick update...

Ok so once again I am lacking in the blog world! Bella Grace has done so much and I have yet to inform everyone!! She is now walking. I mean walking all over the place. She has been taking steps for a while, but now she no longer crawls. ANYWHERE. Not that this has really changed anything on my part, because she got anywhere she wanted to go by crawling. Now she just walks. Its real cute. She falls a lot, but she gets right back up and keeps on going. She's a fighter. I can't help but think that's what Christ wants us to be like. When we get knocked down, get right back up and continue for His Glory. It amazes me the amount of life lessons that the Lord teaches me in the small things that my girls do!

Today Alyssa told me that she loved me soooooo much and I was the best mommy in the whole wide world. She continued with saying she had a great little sister and a wonderful daddy and the best family she could ask for! WOW. That did me in for the day. I was so proud of her at that moment. So proud to be her mommy. So proud that she gets it. Not always. But today!

A weekend getaway...

We decided a few weeks ago that we were going to take the girls to Branson for the weekend. We really wanted Alyssa to have a great time and just get to do anything and everything she wanted to do!!:) We also knew that taking Bella might make it a little more difficult for us to go and do as we would if it were just Alyssa, but we also knew the reward with totally outweigh the reward. We were so right! The girls had a blast and little miss sweet Bella did great! We started the weekend off in Rogers at P.F. Changs for my dad's birthday, then we headed to Branson. Alyssa had never been to Branson so she was super excited. I must say I was just as excited to see her little face light up when she saw all the lights!! She was thrilled. We stayed at Chateau on the Lake and had a perfect room overlooking the lake. It was so gorgeous. Alyssa got to go to Build a Bear. This was her first time and she loved it! We ate lots of yummy food and desserts!! She road tons of rides, swam in the pool, played outside, and we shopped a little!! It was a perfect weekend with the perfect family!

Here are a few pictures that sum up our weekend as a family!

First are pictures of some of the gorgeous trees that we saw. The colors were amazing!!
This is the view from our room! It was beautiful!

I love this one!!





Little Bella Boo! What a precious gift!

Daddy and his wonderful little girls!!




I love these two girls!!:)

Here are a few pictures that we were able to take around the Chateau.

She is a silly little girl!!

Those are our "Blue eyed beauties!!"


These were at the Track. She got an armband and road till her little heart was content!!

Check it out!!

Ok, so I have decided to separate my business blog from my personal blog! I have made a few different posts on my crafty blog so make sure you check out all my posts!! As always, if you ever have an idea of something you want just run it by me. If I can't do it, I will tell you!!:)

please visit my new site!!

www.laurengraceboutique.blogspot.com

The small things...

I just got through rocking my baby girl to sleep! My precious Bella Grace that has grown way too fast for me to handle. She is such a blessing. Both my girls are. I take them for granted so many times. I blink and Alyssa is 3 1/2 and Bella is almost 10 months. How did that happen? Not sure. But it did. It brings me to tears. Tears of joy and sadness that my little girls are growing up. As I rocked Bella to sleep, I thought about my love for her. I thought about how I would do anything for that sweet, smiling face. I thought about what it must have been like for Mary to hold baby Jesus. You know she thought the same things that you and I think when we hold our precious children Then I think of how it must have hurt her to the bone to see her baby die. On a cross. For the sins of the world. An ugly and mean world. I can't imagine! I am quickly reminded of How he loves us. And as much as I love Bella Grace and Alyssa Lauren, he loves me and both of them more!

Sometimes it just takes the little things in life for God to remind us of how blessed we are. Today it was rocking little Bella to sleep. I am so glad I took the time to rock her. So glad!

Bakerella Friday!

So, I love fall for many reasons, but I really love fall because it gives me a reason to bake up some real goodness! So, this week a friend of mine emailed me the link to Bakerella. Thanks you, Chrissy! So Bakerella is my new best friend. I saw this delicious dessert on her website and it looked fabulous from the first look! So I decided on this wonderful and sunny Friday I would make it. For some reason, Fall, and days like today remind me of living in Fayetteville. We know we are supposed to be here in Alma, but we sure do miss the fall and winters in Northwest Arkansas. there is just nothing like them! So, back to Bakerella....she makes all sorts of fun and yummy desserts. So if you get a chance check her out! www.bakerella.com

So here is the deliciousness that I made today! Haven't tasted it yet, but I will let you know the goodness when it hits my mouth!

Tutu's!!

So I have decided to venture out and make up some adorable tutu's! I have wanted to do this for a long time and figured why not while I am in the creative mindset! I LOVE these adorable things. They are great for just about anything!

Here are some great ideas:

These are super cute for Halloween. They can be done in just about any color or color combination to suit your needs!

Wonderful for Razorback attire!

They make super cute pictures! I mean ADORABLE!!!

They are perfect for Christmas!

Lastly, they make great gifts for precious little girls!

I can do them in just about any color imaginable. You can mix up to 3 colors, or just have it solid!

All I will need from you is the size of the child. (Ex. baby, toddler, or child)

Tutu's are 15.00 And sooo worth it!!
Tutu and matching embroidered onesie 25.00

Just email me and let me know if you are interested and we will get to creating!!



Here is an example of a onesie! I LOVE how this turned out!!





****Remember, these do not have to just be designed in Razorback! I can don any sports team, or any name or initials!!****

Hog Apparel

Are you ready to "Call Those Hogs?" I love football season and absolutely love the Hogs! I looked online and in stores searching for the perfect shirt for the games and was left slightly dissapointed. I wanted something different, yet simple and did not want to pay what they were asking for some of these shirts! I love my hogs, but come on! So, I decided to create my own. It was so much fun making this shirt... AND I LOVE IT!! I have had several people loving them too so I am offering them to everyone!!









Here is what I have to offer:

You choose the font that you like, the color of font, the saying (such as Go Hogs, Razorbacks, or just Hogs), bling or no bling, the color of shirt(white, black), and the length(short sleeve or long sleeve). If you have a shirt that you would like to use, you can mail me your shirt, or for those of you that live closer, you can just give me a shirt that you want to use!

I can do all sizes from babies to adults. For children and babies, I like to add a little more spunk to them. I usually will add a funky ribbon and bow to accent the shirt!

The possiblitlies are endless so if there is something you are wanting I have a feeling I can create it!

The prices for short sleeve shirts are 15.00
Long sleeve shirts are 20.00
Infant onesies are 10.00-12.00 depending on detail
Childrens are 12.00

Thanks so much and if you are interested you can either message me on here or email me at sarahmichelleward@yahoo.com

Bath time fun!

The girls love bath time. Alyssa asks at random times throughout the day if she can take a bath. She loves taking bath's with her sister, but really loves it when Bella gets out so she can have bubbles! I was so excited when Bella was able to take a bath in the tub without that silly little bathtub. Yet very necessary while they are infants, so exciting when you can toss that bulky thing and take a "real" bath.

I love how sweet and innocent the girls look after their baths. There is nothing like the combination of the sweet smell of shampoo and baby lotion on the girls. And, there is nothing as sweet as this!!

I love these two girls sooo much! They are growing way too fast for me to handle, but we are enjoying every second of them!

Time's a tickin...

So Alyssa is 3 and started her first day of preschool today! She has been in a mother's day out and somewhat of a preschool last year, but she is officially in preschool now!! We started a new school this year and Alyssa loves it. She was so excited to go to her "New School" until we pulled in the parking lot! They have you drive through a line and they very nicely take your children out of their carseat and bring them to the gym for welcome time. To her benefit, she did not know the lady that came to the car nor did she want to know the lady that came to the car! She proceeded to scream and cry and throw a terrible fit until 2...yep...2 other sweet ladies had to come out and drag her off! So, in the pouring rain I left her this wonderful, first day of preschool!

I left feeling bad for her and feeling mad at her that she did that to me. I was so embarrassed. There was a long line of other moms dropping off their precious, and oh so excited children and the last thing I wanted to do was hold up the line cause "MY child" did not want to cooperate and act human like!! BUT, I forgave her shortly and missed her so much. I was soooo ready to pick her up today. She came to the car and immediately said, "Mom I need a lunch box!" "I need to stay and eat lunch with all my freinds and they eat their lunch in a lunch box!" I said, "did you have fun?" She said "Yes!" "Can I go back next time and always stay for lunch bunch?" I knew she would love it!! She also told me she DID NOT cry when I dropped her off and in fact she had no idea what I was talking about! Hmm....

So here is my little stinker on her frist day of school!! (I know it is not winter time! She wanted to wear the whole suit...jacket and all. Plus, it was raining!)

Right when she woke up. Getting ready for breakfast.

Such a stinker!! Loves to be silly:)

Terrible...

Yep...that's me! Terrible at blogging! Man I feel like I have missed out on so many good blogging opportunities lately. Usually I feel as if I have nothing interesting enough to blog about. No one really wants to know what we did today....I mean, do they? You know I have decided as boring as we may sound, I want to take note of everything we do as a family and everything, little or small, that the girls are doing or saying! Alyssa is one funny kid and I never want to forget her humor and the things she says that just make me belly laugh!! So, I have decided my new goal is to blog 2 times a week! I know that does not seem like much, but after realizing it has been over a month since my last post I think this is a GOAL for me!! I get so busy and too much time passes by and I know everyone misses hearing from me!! So..here's to blogging more!

Stay tuned! I think I am going to post again today!!! Let's see if that actually happens:)

Road Trip With The Girls!!

I am so proud of these 2!

We just got back from a wonderful family vacation. We went to Pensacola, Fl this past week and had a great time. We could not decide what time we wanted to leave with the girls and ended up leaving at 11:00 pm on Thursday night. We put the girls to bed at their normal time and got them out of their beds and put them in their car seats. This was by far the best way to travel with little ones. They slept all night and did not wake up till we had about 45 minutes left of the trip. It only took us 10 hours to get to Pensacola. There was no traffic driving through the night and you could push the limit just a tad!! :)

We went with a huge group. It was my mom, step-dad, his kids and their significant others, my brother and his wife and their little girl and her friend, and another family that are long time friends of my step-dad. It was a great group and we had a great, relaxing trip. Ate some great food and had a wonderful time!

While we were there, Alyssa started officially swimming all by herself. No floaties or anything. She is like a little fish. LOVES the water and always has. She jumps off the diving board, the side, wherever and just swims all over the place. Under water, on top of water...you name it! We are so proud of her! She is so proud of herself. You ask her what she learned on vacation and she gets so excited and says, "I swim with NOOOOOO floaties!" She is so dramatic!!
She is growing up way too fast but we could not be more excited for her that she can now swim by herself!!

Here are a few pictures from the week!






What a stinker!

Daddy and his little girl!

I love this man!


We ARE one goofy family!!!