Andrew Carter

Dear baby Drew,


     You were just born yesterday.  I can't believe that I haven't gotten to see your beautiful face yet or hold you in my arms.  I live pretty far from you now, 21 hours away.  To you that is about 10 meals and 8 naps.  I wanted to write you this note to tell you how precious and special you are to me and all of us, the crazy people laughing and poking at you, they love you too!  You see, your mommy is one of my very best friends in the entire world.  She is also my sister and when I was as big as you are, she held me, just like your big sister Olivia holds you.  It is so hard for me to see pictures of you and watch videos of your perfect face and not get to hold you, just like your mommy held me, and my two boys when they were born.  


     I don't know if anybody has let you in on this secret but you were a great big surprise for all of us.  We knew that God must be creating a pretty special somebody and he wanted us to be surprised because God knows how awesome surprises are.  You are the best surprise anybody could ever receive.  We are all so happy to have you and in just 6 weeks I will tell you all of this again when I finally get to see you.  Don't forget though, that Bebbi loves you and even though I haven't officially met you, I miss you so much!


     Your cousins Parker and Elijah, and your Uncle Stephen send you lots of love and hugs too!

It's Fall Ya'll!

Oh, how I adore this time of year. In Wyoming it is no surprise that Fall comes a lot earlier than in Mississippi. I can't say that I hate it. We wake up to crisp 60 degree mornings and bright sunshine. I love every minute of it. I've already made one too many trips to hobby lobby looking at all the pumpkins and fall decorations. I made chili for dinner last night and threw in some veggies I got from the Farmer's Market yesterday, yep it is a good time of year!

I find myself dreaming of pumpkin pie and searching for apple orchards. I've even looked up fall festivals for our area. Needless to say, I'm excited! Pretty soon I will be dragging my kids to every pumpkin patch within a 60 mile radius! They love it but of course, it's all for me. The pictures you capture, the great outdoor fun without the sweat; what is not to like? This is one of those things that just get sweeter when you have children. I never sought out pumpkin patches and apple orchards when I was single. The kids have opened up a whole new world of wonder for me in the world of Fall festivities and I love every moment of it.

My family takes a vacation to the Smoky Mountains every year and it is the highlight of our lives at this point. We talk about it all year long, we dream about it, my mom sends us pictures of the house we are staying in; let's just say it is a big deal in our family and we look forward to it all summer. I have to say that this year, I feel like i'm cheating a little bit. We live very close to some pretty awesome mountains, although I still prefer the Smokies and the weather right now in Wyoming is very much like the weather we enjoy while on vacation! So, to all my Mississippi family and friends, eat your heart out! Just kidding! Come visit, is what I meant to say!

Until next time,

Debbi/Leigh