About Me

We are a family of five (yes we count our dog) who are loving every minute that the Lord has blessed us with!

Thursday, June 24, 2010

Happy Birthday Grammy

Gampy & Grammy
Grammy meeting Baby Tripp
Proud Grammy with Lucy McLean (who in fact is a WHITE baby)
Today is a very special day. On this day just a few short years ago ;), my mom was born. She is an amazing woman. Just a few things about her (in no particular order)...
1. Her signature phrase is "Oh my Gosh"
2. She is MADLY in love with her grand kids.
3. She is very sarcastic.
4. She loves the Lord and is devoted to spending time with Him daily.
5. She raised me alone from the time I was three, until she married my dad when I was 14.
6. She is very athletic...I know I know...how am I her offspring?
7. She is EXTREMELY scared of snakes.
8. She is a little insane about dogs...LOVES 'EM!
9. We talk on the phone AT LEAST one time a day.
10. She talks to her best friend Martha EVERY morning by 8.
11. She snorts when she laughs.
12. She is a middle child.
13. She graduated from the same high school that I graduated from (and will be working in the Fall).
14. She broke her leg while playing airplane with her neighbors growing up.
15. Her first car was a mustang.
16. She loves shopping just a little!
17. She loves my dad.
18. She drives up to Brevard at the drop of a hat when she finds out one of the kids are sick.
19. She can make a mad poundcake. My dad calls her "Poundcake Pam"!
20. Her favorite color is green.
21. She can peel potatoes, something she never taught her daughter how to do ;)...inside joke!
22. She loves Coach bags.
23. She loves Chicos.
24. She loves to read.
25. She loves to watch HGTV.
26. She doesn't write in cursive...ever. Not even to sign her name.
27. She lights up when she sees Lucy McLean and/or Tripp.
28. I have only seen her cry a few times in my entire life.
29. She tans very easily.
30. She is a great mother-in-law...I promise. Ryan says so. "Favorite one he has ever had"
31. She hates flying.
32. She gets car sick VERY easily..especially if someone wears perfume, has aussie hair products in, or is chewing juicy fruit gum.
33. She has never had a ticket (to my knowledge)
34. She is real... 100% of the time.
35. She is willing to fight tooth and nail for what is best for someone.
36. Her favorite movie is the Wizard of Ozz.
37. The last time she picked out a movie with my dad was Waiting to Exhale...she has been banned from doing so since then!
38. She promised me when I was devastated about not getting the scholarship I wanted and not being able to go to Meredith, that UNCA would be perfect...and she was right.
39. 99% of the time... SHE IS RIGHT!
40. She is EXTREMELY ORGANIZED and never loses ANYTHING!
41. She has an impaccable way of telling people the truth (no matter how nasty it is) in a very tasteful way.
42. Most of my friends want her as a second mom!
43. She doesn't dance!
44. She used to wear horid clothes from that "Multiples" line of clothing...that did home shows. My dad still makes fun of her fish outfit. I think they might have been in style at the time...haha!
45. She has great taste in clothing now!
46. She sings about as well as her daughter!
47. She is really good at math and typing.
48. She eats way more healthy than her daughter!
49. She asked the secretary if she really needed to come to the school and if she had time to take a shower when I broke my arm in 5th grade. It was the first Memorial Day she had off, that I was in school and she had been gardening. My fingers were touching my elbow! She came on!!
50. She cries when she laughs.
51. She is one of the McLean girls...Tripp is the first born male in a long time!!!
52. SHE IS THE BEST GRAMMY AND MOM IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE WOULD DO WITHOUT HER!!!
We love you Grammy!
:)-Erin, Ryan, Lucy McLean & Tripp



Tuesday, June 22, 2010


I am not sure where to even begin with this post. Four years ago this month, Ryan and I bought our first house together in a small town where we knew very few people. The only person I could actually claim to really know was Erin Michelle (Erin Creasman), my college roomate from UNCA. I had also begun to know Megan. We met our first day of grad school at WCU.

We chose Brevard, well God chose Brevard for us. At the time, I think we would say that we moved to Brevard because Ryan was working in Cashiers and I applied to the school systems around and landed at job at Rosman Elementary. Little did we know, merely four years ago, that our lives would be this different now. Since that day, when we signed our lives away on this house, we have been blessed with two remarkable kids, a church family that we can't begin to describe, and countless friends that we now consider part of our extended family. Thru these huge transitions in our life, we have been blessed with gentle hands to guide us, words of encouragement, prayer, laughter, long phone conversations, walks, tears, playgroups, dinners, festivals, shopping trips, hikes, weddings, births of friend's children, showers, and countless other memories. I never could have imagined the friendships that we would be given here. The Lord knew exactly where he was plopping us! Brevard is certainly the best small town in the world and filled with the most incredible people ever.
It is hard for me to believe that we will soon be saying goodbye to the town and friends that we have grown to know as home. We will be moving back to my original "hometown" in August. This transition and this decision was probably the hardest decision we have had to make. As I type this, my heart is in my throat and tears are streaming down my face. There are so many mixed emotions that come with this move. You see, my hometown (Mt. Ulla) also has a very special place in my heart. It seems a little ironic that this Most School Spirited Senior, is now going back to her alma mater to hopefully instill a passion in the next generation. I feel enormously blessed for my kids to have amazing grandparents, that they will now get to see on a regular basis (my parents may feel it is a little "too regular" come August if our house hasn't sold!).

I can't begin to write how blessed I feel to have had the support that we have had over the last four years and the tremendous heartache I feel to leave some of you. We have prayed long and hard about this decision and know that it is truly what the Lord wants of us. We must answer His calling and know that He will not abandon our friendships.

Know that we love each of you "Townies" from Brevard more than you know and that you have touched our hearts in so many ways. We will forever remember the love you have shown us and the growth we have encountered thru knowing you. AND HOW COULD WE FORGET YOU....YOU WILL BE VISITING REGULARLY AND WE WILL BE ViSITING BREVARD AS WELL!!!
So goodbye to this beautiful town

And hello country again!

4 Months

I can hardly believe this little man is 4 months old. He is such a blessing to our family. He is really laughing these days and loves to be tickled. He is starting to squeal a lot and is definitely a morning baby. He is not fond of afternoons (specifically between 3-5). He loves his sister and spends much of his day staring at her as she entertains him. He started rolling over on June 11th and can roll all the way across the living room now. He is enjoying his johnny jumper and loves taking showers. I think that he is already teething (no fun)! Overall, he is a great little guy and we could eat him up!!!

Monday, June 21, 2010

Who is the baby?


My mom got this toy out for Tripp and Lucy McLean immediately got in it. She was hilarious (as always).
On another note...this little man turned 4 months old yesterday (pics to come). He is precious, rolling over and smiling tons. He will only sleep on his side now! He watches EVERYTHING his big sister does and is grabbing blankets and getting attached. I learned my lesson with Lucy McLean and her "B". I am going to make Tripp small security blankets out of the fabric in this picture. This will (hopefully) be easier to get more of than having to go to Wal-Mart and buy a $7 bunny that is now DISCONTINUED....agghhh!!!


Sunday, June 20, 2010

#1 Dayaad

In looking thru Father's Day quotes and trying to find the perfect one for Ryan... I think that Mary Mapes Dodge said it just right...

"What a dreadful thing it must be to have a dull father"
Ryan certainly isn't dull. He brings light in to our tired children's eyes, adventure, laughter, bear hugs, and much more. He has the energy to sustain an afternoon with a two year old and a crying screaming 4 month old! One of my greatest blessings in life is to see him with our children.
Ryan,
You certainly are amazing and we know the Lord has blessed us with the best "Dayaad" ever!!!
Love,
Erin, Lucy McLean, Tripp & Snoop!






Friday, June 11, 2010

Lucy McLean's First Fish

She wasn't super stoked about it. She was obsessed with going "sishin with Gampy". After her initial reaction, she warmed up to the idea and had a blast.