So Sweet

So those of you that know us, know that Little Miss Anna-Grace has kind of had a rough time since her little sister has been born. For 4 years it has been "All About Anna-Grace" and from the moment we found out it was a "little sister" and not a "little brother" we've been dealing with jealousy issues.

I've tried everything- books, special days out with mommy and daddy....you name it we've done it. However over the past few weeks as Reagan is getting a bit bigger and AG is noticing that Reagan watches her like a hawk- she's been doing things to get her attention. I just happened to be home last night with my phone handy to witness this little moment. I could have cried it made me so happy!

Reagan's 3 Month Pictures...

Ok- so the 3 month pictures were actually done at 4 months, but hey better late than never! As usual Michelle Coleman Photography captured our family and out little girls perfectly! If your in the Greenville area and need some professional pictures done, look her up here! I promise she wont disappoint!

GO WOLFPACK!

The picture says it all! Saturday was a GREAT day in the Williford household- when the Wolfpack beat the Tarheels for the 5th time in a row! Not only did they beat them, but they didn't even let them score a point!Looks like all the Tarheel fans are going to be ready for basketball season!

Our Pirates however lost to Southern Miss! However a streaker during the halftime performance added some life to an otherwise dismal game!

Ch-Ch-Ch...Changes

It's kind of funny how things come into your life when you least expect them. 4 months after the birth of Anna-Grace, I was offered my current position as Branch Manager of Mega Force in Washington, NC and almost 4 months after the birth of Reagan another wonderful job opportunity presented itself to me and I happened to land it! (makes me wonder if I want to further my career if I should have thought more about having my tubes tied and kept having children-LOL).

I am super excited about this new opportunity for several reasons.
1. It's a step up in my career, I have thoroughly enjoyed the Human Resources part of my work and am very excited about being able to focus on that "specific" part of my job. It's going to be a bit of a change of pace for me from managing 400-500 people to 75-100 but that may be a welcomed change!
2. it's closer to home- I currently drive 30-40 minutes to my current job and though the downtime to and from work is kind of nice the savings on time, gas and wear and tear on my car will be nice! Not to mention a sweet 4 year old that will be starting Kindergarten next year- might need to have her mommy close by!
3. being closer to home will provide me with more quality time with my family- I currently manage a branch that has a 24/7 operation which means sometimes my time at home is spent working, though don't get me wrong I take on that added responsibility because I want my clients to get the best service possible, but being able to come home and be home will be wonderful:-) 

If you read this and work for me or with me, know that I am going to miss each of you dearly. When I made this decision the hardest part of it was leaving the people that work for me and with me. I spend almost as much time with you as I do my family and am sad to leave you. This decision was in no way made because I don't like my job or the people I work with or for! I told our President the other day no matter where I go or what I do Mega Force will always be with me and no one will ever be able to convince me they are better!

Thankful

Last week was an eye opener for me. I happened to stumble across the blog of a special family from Greenville, NC. I had followed their blog a while ago but hadn't looked at it recently and after reading the most recent post found myself in tears. You can see that post here . There this family was clinging to the life of their precious 7 year old little girl. I was speechless and immediately thought of the 2 precious girls I had waiting for me at home. I said a quick prayer for the Byrd family, thanked god for my girls and went on with my day. 

The next morning I had to go back to see how things were and saw this . Again I was speechless. The pictures brought tears to my eyes again, especially the one with her parents caring for her and the ones with the dog. For those of you that know us our dogs are just as much our babies as our babies are so these especially hit home. In reading the words typed by her mother I at least found comfort in the fact that they knew their daughter was going to a better place and they seemed surprisingly ok with it. I again said another prayer for them and went on with my day. All day long however they kept popping into my thoughts.

Fast forward to the next day when I woke up and saw that precious Lydia made her way to heaven. You can see her mom's post about it here . I read this on my way into work......I could not get home to my girls fast enough that day. I got home gave them the biggest hugs I may have ever given them in their lives,made them what they wanted for dinner (with the exception of Reagan-formula is her only option right now!LOL) laid on the couch with both of them in my arms and let Anna-Grace watch whatever she wanted on TV. Instead of rushing around preparing things for the next day or taking time for me I sat there and watched it with her. She spilled a drink and I didn't fuss......I cleaned it up and told her it was no big deal. Why? Because it wasn't. Nothing in our lives right now seems like a big deal compared to what the Byrd family is going through. When my husband got home he hugged and kissed the girls the same as I had (he was witness to a couple of my crying sessions over the blog so he knew what was going on)  and he looked at me and said "I guess they're both sleeping with us tonight huh"? And they did!

I don't know if anyone from the Byrd family will ever read this blog, but if for some reason they happen across it I want them to know what an impact their family has had on mine. Not that I never appreciated my family and all that God has given me but like everyone else I get wrapped up in my own little world and my problems that I take for granted what I have that others don't. I have been more loving to my girls, more patient, and find myself appreciating more and more of the little things. All because of 1 little girl and her precious family. Her mother is inspiring. Her strength, her faith, and her outlook on Lydia's life is the kind I hope I would have if faced with that type of situation.

If you've read this today and you have children, go home tell them how much you love them and thank God for them. You never know how long you have!