The Vandiford Family

Taking the blog private

2011-05-30T20:15:00.000-07:00

Yes, I know, I haven't been blogging lately. I have been taking a little vacation from blogging and allowing myself to read at night instead of mindlessly surfing the internet and spending hours editing pictures. That being said, I'm ready to start blogging again, but I'm going to make my blog private. Invitation only. If you are not currently on the email list, a family member, or on the blog roll, then please email me your email address or leave it in the comments section so I can send you an invite. I blog for my family and friends who don't see Gracie everyday and I think it's silly to post my pictures without me knowing who's looking at them. I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day! We had a wonderful weekend......but I'll post more about that later. :) Here's a picture from our weekend.

My two favorite people at the beach. It doesn't get much better than that!

Daffodil Field

2011-04-12T12:15:00.000-07:00

Where have I been? Taking a break. :)

Here are some pictures of Gracie in the daffodil field. In Winterville, we have a gorgeous field of daffodils that bloom for about 3 weeks in the spring. When you visit, there are tons of people taking pictures with their children. It makes me laugh to myself when I go because like most of the parents, we are busy trying to get her to smile, bribing her with suckers and making sure she doesn't pick the flowers!

Gracie's 2nd Birthday

2011-03-29T07:56:00.001-07:00

Finally! The long awaited 2nd birthday post is here! :) Instead of doing a long post I decided to make a slideshow of her birthday pictures. Gracie had a mermaid theme for her party. She is in love with Disney princesses! At the time her favorite was Ariel. Snow White is now number one with Ariel coming in a close second. We had her party on the Saturday before her birthday with close friends and family. Gracie's Meme and Grandaddy were there too! :) We had a few snacks and yummy cupcakes made by the fabulous Mindy Evans. Gracie had a great time at her party. After everyone left, we were talking in the kitchen. I noticed that Gracie was very quiet. I went to look for her and found her stretching across the table eating icing off her cake! She loves icing. :) We had a great party and really enjoyed spending time with friends and family to celebrate Gracie's birthday!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Show Us Your Life- Family

2011-03-08T20:08:00.000-08:00

This was the SUYL post from Kelly's Korner last week. I'm a blogging it a tiny bit later. :) I have only done a few of the SUYL posts, but my sister, Allison, did her SUYL Family post this week. Let's just say she really talked me up in her post. haha! It's my turn, sista! :)

This SUYL was about your immediate family that you grew up in. So here they are..............

My Daddy

My Dad is a great dad and grandaddy. He'll be the first one to get in the floor and play with Gracie and he's the first one I call when I have a question. He has taught me a lot about hard work. He is an estimator for a construction company and is a great one! One of my favorite memories is my dad rubbing my feet when I was little. I called it "petting" my feet. Maybe I thought it was like petting a dog. ? haha! This is a picture of me and dad hanging out watching TV. It's one of my favorite pictures. :)

My Momma
She is the best Meme ever! On Sunday Gracie and I skyped with Meme and Grandaddy. Monday morning Gracie looked upstairs and called, "Meeeee-Meeeee." I had to tell her that Meme wasn't upstairs but that we would go see her soon. Gracie loves her Meme!
I could write a book about my mom. She's often said that she should just write a book about her life! She should! She grew up not having much and that started her sewing career. She learned to sew at 13 and has been sewing for 40 years! Wow. Not only is she the most amazing seamstress but she can do anything. Seriously. One of the things I learned from her is not to be afraid to try something new. That's how I started taking pictures. My mom is very creative. She designs most of Gracie's clothes. She picks out the fabric and then combines patterns to come up with her outfits. Amazing. Then I take the pictures! haha! She has also worked very hard to become a school counselor. When she was in her early 30's she decided to go back to school. Anyone who has any kind of degree knows how hard that is to get with out a family. My mom managed to get a 4 year degree in psycology and then get her masters and EDS in counseling with a family. Nuff said. I don't have a lot of pictures of me and my mom when I was little because she was always the one taking the pictures. My Goal- everytime I'm at a party/holiday ask someone to take my picture with Gracie. :)

My Little Sister
When I was 4 years old I begged for a little sister. Then, I got the cutest baby sister ever! She was my real life baby doll. I even pushed her around in my doll stroller until she fell out one day. Oops. :) Some of the things I remember playing with her are:
Real Estatel agent- I pulled her around our yard in the little red wagon and showed her the property! ha!
Barbies- I could probably do a whole post on our "Barbie land." We had a whole room (for a few months) that we made into a Barbie village. We even had a junk yard that we sorted through when we needed new outfits and parts! ha!
Little People- I think I played these with Allison until I was 12. Allison would have been 7 so that makes it ok. :)
Skip-bo- The best card game EVER!
Gymnastics- Allison never wanted to play this or hairstylist. Maybe it was because I was bossing her around or pulling her hair out? :) haha!
These are just a few things that we played together! Some of our interests are similar but some of them are not. Allison is very artistic. I'm just creative. There's a difference. Allison is awesome at painting and drawing! That was one of her favorite things to do when she was little (besides cutting things). hehe. In high school after she graduated in the top 10, She decided to use her artistic talents and become an Architect! Allison is very smart and, well, on top of things. I am not. I could have never survived architecture school. Students practically LIVE in that building for 5 years. When I was an undergrad at UT, there were rumors that there were cots and showers in the building! ha! Allison has graduated and is now working on her 4-years-worth of intership hours to be eligible to take the boards. That's right folks- After 5 years of college you have to work for 4 years as an intern before you can become board certified. So, if you think your architect is over-paid, they're not! ha!
Besides having the brains, she got the beauty too. Just as my sister, people often ask if we are sisters. I tell them, "Yes" we are. They then say, "Oh, Allison is so beautiful! You really don't look that much a like....." hahaha - It happens to me too little sister.
:)
This is a picture of Allison and Gracie last fall. I can't tell you how many times I call Gracie, Allison.

Little sister, I will always have your back. Even if have to threaten them with my ugly broken fingers! :)

Adventures in photography with Gracie!

2011-03-01T20:34:00.000-08:00

Auntie Allie got Gracie a super cute UT Vol outfit for her birthday. We decided to take a few pictures before Meme and Grandaddy left.

This is just a little behind the scenes look at photog sessions with Gracie. Gracie is the most beautiful little girl in the whole wide world (I can say that because I'm her mom.) But, I will usually take at least 100 pictures to get a really good one. :)

Good one!

I asked Gracie to put her hands under her chin. Well, she did, kinda. :)

I asked Gracie to cross her legs and show me her teeth (smile). Haha! Um, well, she did that too!

Sitting still is overrated.

My beautiful baby and Auntie Allie's lil VOL!

Gracie's First Haircut

2011-03-01T18:49:00.000-08:00

Gracie got her first haircut a few weeks ago. She was such a big girl!

She didn't like the cape, but mommy doesn't either! :)

At first, she wasn't too sure about the situation. Then Amanda offered her a sucker! Ooo! She was very happy after that! :)

Amanda did a great job with my little wiggle worm!

Gracie's before and after.

Birthday Pics coming soon!

2011-02-24T20:51:00.000-08:00

Gracie is a little upset I haven't edited her pictures for her birthday yet. I will do a post very soon! Happy 2nd Birthday to my precious baby girl, Gracie!

Oh-My-Goodness!

My Valentines

2011-02-16T18:45:00.000-08:00

Valentine's Day appropriately falls right in between my two valentines' birthdays, Matt and Gracie. Gracie has been so sweet this week. She is so loving and motherly and will make a great big sister someday. She reminds me of my sister, Allison. When Allison was younger we called her "Little Mama" because she would make sure we had everything we needed and that we made all of our games/practices! During the day while I'm at work, I wish I could spend more time with my little mama! These are a couple of pictures of Gracie in her Valentine's outfit.

PS- Someday is not anytime soon! :)

Happy 30th Birthday, Matthew!

2011-02-12T08:18:00.000-08:00

Guess who else has a big birthday this year? That's right, Matthew! He likes to joke that he is married to an older woman, but he isn't too far behind me. I think 30 looks good on you, baby! Happy 30th Birthday to the best husband and daddy ever! Love you!

Gracie knows that she is a lucky girl to have a daddy that plays with her,

teaches her,

acts silly,

loves her,

lets her have the last cashew,

and is the best lookin' daddy on the block! (Well, mommy is the luck one there!)

Happy 30th Birthday, Stinky!

Happy Birthday Meme!

2011-02-08T19:02:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to the Best Meme Ever! Meme we love you and miss you! We can't wait to see you in couple of weeks!

PS: Mommy hopes she gets Meme's genes when it comes to aging gracefully!

Stylish Blogger Award

2011-02-07T18:42:00.000-08:00

Thank you so much to Randi at Customizing Kiddos for giving me the Stylish Blogger Award. She makes super cute kid's accessories so head on over there to find something cute for your kiddo! Sorry it has taken a few days (um week) to post. Here are the rules for acceptance of the award:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you the award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Award other bloggers.
4. Contact bloggers and tell them about the award.

So, here are the 7 things about myself:
1. I'm very blessed to have a wonderful husband, adorable, smart, and healthy almost-two-year-old daughter and a wonderful family.

2. I LOVE photography. I'm not a professional, but it is my favorite hobby and I have the best little model. :)

3. I am backing up my photos online and have discovered that I have 18,739 pictures in iPhoto. I think this solidifies #1.

4. I am really excited about my new bible study (even thought I may be missing tomorrow because Gracie had a fever tonight- I'm praying it will be gone tomorrow!). We are doing Beth Moore's "David: A Heart Like His." I learned so much last semester when we did The Truth Project. It is AWESOME. If you haven't done the study you should!

5. I LOVE a bargain. I sometimes post my great deals because I am so excited about them.

6. I called several people this morning to tell them that while Gracie was riding with me this morning said, "Whoa, Hang on!" and "Be Careful!" hahaha I hope she's not too scared of my driving!

7. I've learned this week that blogging is the best way to document your child's life. I don't post everyday, but I'm glad for the things I did post so I will have a record of all the best memories!

I am passing on the awards to the girls that post my favorite blogs.......

1. Most Creative Blog- Allison Moore No bias at ALL! :)

2. Favorite Family Blog Angie Harrison

3. Most Updated and Entertaining Blog Carrie Nicholson

4. Favorite Picture Blog- Mandy Taylor

5. Favorite Newbie Blog- Cindy Schmidt

And because I always post a picture...... This is a picture that I took last week of one of my other super cute models. This is one of Novella's 6 month pictures. Her mommy and I are great friends and I had such a great time taking these pictures!

Doesn't this picture just make you smile? :)

Sick Day

2011-01-28T20:18:00.000-08:00

On Thursday, I kept Gracie home from school because she had a slight fever. To me, she seemed to have a simple cold with a runny nose and cough. But, I've learned that little colds can be deceiving. I took Gracie to the doctor this morning and she had an ear infection. Poor thing had a high fever all day, but by the time I got home she was playing and, besides her inability to breathe, seemed to be feeling good. These are some pictures from our day on Thursday. Gracie loves to color and play with play dough. She always asks me to draw a kitty cat, puppy dog, or trace her hand. She amazes me everyday with things she says. It was like she started talking overnight and can say anything! Today in the doctor's office, we were looking at an animal book and I was asking her what sound each animal made. Before I asked her, she pointed to the peacock and said, "Peacock." I think it's time fo a trip to the zoo! :) She did great at the doctor's office. We talked and talked to Gracie about what they were going to do, practiced putting the themometer under our arm and Gigi promised her a special treat if she acted like a big girl. She did so good! For her treat she picked out a tootsie pop at Realo.

Gracie's Dog

Aren't Gracie's PJs cute? They're a MeMe special. :)

Gracie said, "Oh My Goodness!"

Sweet Girl

A little help for my new year's resolutions

2011-01-17T20:52:00.000-08:00

A couple of my new year's resolutions are to get in better shape (and maybe lose a few pounds in the process) and learn to cook different meals. I'm an o.k. cook. No bad, but not great. The things I do cook are good. I just don't venture out much. I'm not a big meat eater and therefore don't cook a lot of read meat. But, Matt loves red meat, so I'm trying out new recipes. A couple of weeks ago I decided to try this recipe by Paula Dean. I didn't even know what short ribs were, but it was on the EASY level, it only took a couple of hours to cook AND she used the Paula Dean cast iron dutch oven (which I had conveniently bought on sale at Ollie's.) :) They turned out great! To see if Matt REALLY likes the new recipes, I always ask if he would like for me to fix them again. He told me that this was one of his favorite meals! :) YAY! I also fixed Not Yo' Mama's Banana Pudding. It was awesome.

So, in my quest to be healthier and to learn new recipes, I got a great deal on two magazines- Weight Watchers and Taste of Home. #1- Y'all know I love to save a dolla. I can't help it. I have been raised to hunt for a deal AND #2- I love magazines! I not a big reader, but I could look at magazines ALL day. One of my favorite websites, Faithful Provisions, listed this deal for Weight Watchers magazine subscription for $3.76 and Taste of Home subscription for $5.76. I couldn't help but to pass this deal along!

And, because I always post a picture, this is Matt and I right before we got married in 2006. This picture is my motivation! :)

I hope everyone is keeping their new year's resolutions!

The Farm

2011-01-17T20:08:00.000-08:00

Gracie loves to visit her cousins Cody and Logan on the farm. Or, as Gracie calls them, "Cudy" and "Nogan." :) Logan got a very special gift from Santa this year.....a horse! On Sunday, we went to see the newest addition to the farm. Gracie loved petting the horse but was a little hesitant about sitting on him.

I think Matt's Uncle Cleavie is having as much fun as the boys! An afternoon at the farm wouldn't be complete without playing in the hay loft. Gracie thought she was sooo grownie up there! And yes, Gracie had on her little cowgirl outfit designed by Meme. What else would she have worn? :)

I scream! You scream! We all scream for ....Ketchup?

2011-01-12T18:25:00.000-08:00

To say that Gracie loves ketchup would be an understatement. Gracie's perfect lunch includes watching The Little Mermaid while she has fries with her ketchup! :) haha! Gracie's current obsessions include chocolate milk, ketchup and The Little Mermaid. She asks to watch "Ariel" as soon as she wakes up in the morning and as soon as the movie ends she wants to watch it again! She also asks for "milka", aka chocolate milk, several times a day. I think she would drink it all day long if I let her!

2010 in Pictures

2011-01-11T20:05:00.000-08:00

One of my blog friends does a post at the end of every year of pictures month-to-month. I love the idea! I love seeing how much Gracie has grown over a year. We are blessed to have a healthy, active little girl and I hope 2011 is a good as 2010!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-11T13:09:00.000-08:00

My Christmas post will be short and sweet because it would take me month to put all the pictures in one post! :) We had a wonderful Christmas.On the Thursday before Christmas we had dinner with Matt's dad, sister and grandmother. On Christmas Eve we went to Matt's Grandma Dorothy's for a family Christmas party. Christmas Day we opened presents from Santa, then Matt's mom, dad, and sister came over to exchange gifts. For lunch we headed to Matt's Grandaddy Gene and Grandma Grace's. The next day my parents, Allison and Michael drove in the snow to visit us! Also, Gracie got the stomach flu that day. By Tuesday, me, Allison and Matt all had the stomach flu. Fun stuff. By the time my dad got home he had it too. Even though we made the best of it, hopefully the next visit will be virus/infection free. :)

Our cute little Santa Baby

Our visit with Santa

Pops, Matt, Gracie and Grandma Dorothy and Elizabeth, Katie and Gracie

Christmas Morning

Christmas Day - Matt, Elizabeth, Gigi, Gracie, me and Grandaddy Earl

Christmas with my family (in our matching PJs) :)

Christmas Card 2010

2011-01-03T20:03:00.000-08:00

I love our Christmas card this year! The talented Hailey Lafone took our family pictures this fall and I knew I wanted to incorporate them into our card. I also wanted some upclose shots of Gracie. Meme made Gracie the cutest snowman knot dress! So, we took her out one day in her super cute snowman dress and did a little photo shoot. Then, with a little photoshop and a professional printer..... this is how they turned out! :)

I love Christmas cards. It's one of my favorite parts of Christmas because it combines pictures and lots of mail in my mail box. :) I was really excited this year because a lot of the cards I received were made with pictures I took. I love taking pictures for my friends and family!

The BIG 3-0

2010-12-14T20:26:00.000-08:00

In November I turned the BIG 3-0! I really didn't mind turing 30. 31 may be a different story though! haha! The friday before my birthday, my co-workers decorated my desk and had a big "30" cake for me! :)

For my birthday, Matt invited a few of our friends to eat at Starlight Cafe. I had a great time!

My hubby is sooo cool. :)

My fabulous birthday cake and it's fab creator, Mindy.

I love this picture of Me, Angie and Leslie! We all have our mouth open! Ha!

The Guys

Awww. Doesn't Matt look cute with sweet little Novella. :) Me and the girls!

Just a swangin'

2010-12-10T19:21:00.000-08:00

Gracie loves her new swing set! I have to admit that LOVE a deal. I get so much satisfaction out of saving money. I got a great deal on Gracie's swing set. I had been looking at different swing sets and pricing them throughout the summer. I really wanted a cedar set because I knew it would last for a long as we had it. But, cedar is just more expensive and I didn't want to pay $1000! One of my favorite stores is Ollie's. One was recently opened in Greenville and I go in there all the time! They had a cedar set on sale for $799. It was originally a $2500 swing set. I waited them out. hehehe. They marked them down 25, then 40, then 50% off.

Then I had a coupon. :) Now, Gracie has an awesome swing set and mommy is super happy because she got a great deal!

Happy deal hunting!

I almost forgot......

2010-12-04T17:32:00.001-08:00

Every year at the pharmacy, we have a costume contest. Competition is stiff. The first prize is a day off with pay. So I brought my A game. hehehehe I was Micheal Jackson. I won second place. I also placed second last year as Richard Simmons. Any suggestions on what I can be next year to win first place?

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Halloween

2010-12-04T10:00:00.000-08:00

Gracie was the cutest little piggy for Halloween! We pulled her from house to house in her pink wagon. Daddy would walk her up to the houses and help her up the stairs. She was barley big enough to make it up! Everyone said that she was the cutest little trick-or-treater in the neighborhood! :) I think Mommy and Daddy had just as much fun as Gracie did!

The farmer and her little pig.

In the end Gracie just wanted the Cheetos. :)

Pumpkin Carving

2010-12-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

I've been sick this week, but starting to feel a little better so I thought I'd blog! We carved a pumpkin before Halloween and Gracie had sooo much fun!

Gracie said "Whoa!" when she saw all the pumpkin goo!

Gracie had fun carving the pumpkin with her daddy!

We love skype! Meme got to watch us carve the pumpkins 500 miles away!

Gracie and the pumpkin became best buds. He even let her sit on him. :)

I love my two punkins!

Happy Fall Y'all!

2010-11-12T21:07:00.000-08:00

Fall Decorations and Crafts

These are Gracie's pumpkins that she helped pick out!

My cute little baby Gracie when she was 3 months old in her little orange hat. :) And- my glittery pumpkins I got from Hobby Lobby. One of my favorite stores! Too bad I have to drive 2 hours to get to one!

Sadly, I didn't get a good picture of the pumpkins I painted but it was fun!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-11-12T20:14:00.000-08:00

In early October, Gracie and I took a little trip to the pumpkin patch. Gracie loved it! She kept saying, "Whoa!" She loved all the pumpkins and even gave them kisses! Her favorite were the little pumpkins that she could carry around. She was fascinated by the "bumpy" pumpkins. And yes, Meme made Gracie's super cute Halloween dress. :)

-------"What's this?"-----------"Eewwww! A bug!"----- "Awww, He's kinda cute!"

"I think I'll take this one, Mommy!"

Trip to Tennessee

2010-11-10T20:03:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've blogged! Hopefully I will be able to do some catch up posts this week. The second week in September, we visited my family in Tennessee. While we were there Gracie got to go to the fair. She loved it! Her favorite part was the petting zoo. They had lots of different animals. The most impressive was the huge camel! He was ginormas! Gracie learned to say the "sound" the camel made, "Hock-tuey!" Hahaha! It is super cute! She also got the donkey and rooster down that day! After that she rode the Carrousel, the train and picked up ducks. Here are some pictures from our trip.
Gracie's photo shoot in her gorgeous outfits that Meme made!

Gracie and Grandaddy

Gracie and Meme

Gracie and Auntie Allie

Behind on Blogging

2010-10-07T10:40:00.000-07:00

Why am I so behind on blogging?

Because I've been working on these.......... Enjoy!
Curtis and Kyndal's engagement session

Kyndal's Bridal portraits

Alaina's newborn session

Novella's newborn session

I love photography and am just happy I can share it with my friends. My friend Angie even wrote a little blog entry about me. :) How sweet!

First Day of School

2010-09-21T10:37:00.000-07:00

These are pictures from Gracie's first day of school. Gracie loves her school and her teacher! Today they had music class and they said that Gracie LOVED it. She danced too!

The last picture is Gracie's "George look." It's an inherited trait! haha!

Gracie at 18 months old

2010-08-27T20:22:00.000-07:00

Has it really been a month since I've posted? :)

Gracie is so precious! I love my beautiful baby. I try to treasure every moment because I know it won't be long before she's not my baby anymore!

This is just Gracie. She loves to wear her pink converse shoes with everything and I love it!
She already acts so grownie! She has the sweetest personality. Gracie is very loving. She loves to give hugs (especially if you are telling her she can't do something.) Gracie plays with her babies and animals all the time, feeding them and taking them for rides in her train. She is wearing 18-24 months clothes. She weighs about 24 pounds and she is finally in a size 4 diaper (even though it is a still a tad big).

Gracie has started eating with her utensils! Yay! One of her favorite foods is "wice" and it is hilarious to hear her say it! She also loves to eat cereal every night with daddy before she goes to bed. They both love Reece Puffs.
She is teething her molars. I really thought she had all her teeth. She has a whole mouthful! I think they are her 12 year old molars! hahaha!

Gracie loves to brush her teeth and her baby doll's!
We are working on learning our numbers. Gracie loves to count "1-2" and then laugh. She is so smart. Gracie loves to read and will sit and listen as long as you will read to her! A couple of her favorite books are "Dimity Duck" and "Princess Baby." My favorite authors for toddlers are Karen Katz and Sandra Boynten. Some of Gracie's favorite toys are the fisher price little people and small plastic animals (like the ones you get at craft stores.) She carries them everywhere! Her favorite song is a kids song about Noah's ark. They sing, "Who built the ark?, Noah, Noah...." Almost every time she will yell, "Noah, Noah!"
Gracie is fascinated with big trucks and planes that make loud noises when they go by. She is also enjoys playing with her blocks. Gracie's favorite show is Barney. It's not on TV much, so we watch the same 4 videos over and over. She gets soooo excited when I put a DVD in and squeals, "Boby!" She will ask to watch "Boby" as soon as she gets up in the morning. She also likes Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Handy Many. Gracie also loves to dance and draw. See her artwork on my wall below. :)

One night I gave Gracie and pencil and paper (because I couln't find her crayons). It would turn out to be a good thing. I ran upstairs to get my phone and when I came down she had drawn this lovely little piece of artwork on my wall. Just because you put a baby in a highchair doesn't mean they can't reach the wall! It was bound to happen at some point and I'm sure it won't be the last!

Gracie will be starting a two-day-a-week program at a local church this fall and I can't wait to see how she does!

We bought a house!

2010-07-21T09:31:00.000-07:00

We closed on the house today! Thanks to our wonderful realtor - Kevin O'Sullivan! We are moving to the Cedar Ridge subdivision in Winterville, NC. We will start the big move on Saturday. My parents are making a special trip to help with the move. We are very excited that we will have a big yard for Gracie to play in and room for all of our stuff! I will post more pictures soon!

What does Mama say?

2010-07-13T17:58:00.000-07:00

One day we asked Gracie what Mama said..........this is what she said. Kids will say the darnedest things!

Sleep Eating

2010-07-12T05:31:00.000-07:00

On the way back from Charleston Gracie wanted a cracker. About that time she fell asleep. So, she eats her cracker while asleep! :)

Charleston Vacation

2010-07-10T07:02:00.000-07:00

Our family took a vacation to Charleston, SC the week of Memorial Day. We stayed in a beautiful condo on the Isle of Palms. Allison and Michael even got to come down for a few days! One of the things you MUST do while in Charleston is the carriage ride. They take you on 1 of 3 routes through the city and tell you a little history along the way. These are some pictures of Gracie with Uncle Michael, Grandaddy, and Daddy in the barn before the carriage ride.

Mom, Dad, Allison and Michael went to tour the Provost. Since Matt and I had already been there we sat outside with Gracie. We got her a red icie to pass the time and she loved it!

We didn't realize it at the time but this was the first day Gracie broke out with hand, foot and mouth. It was terrible! Gracie had little sores all in her mouth. She didn't eat hardly anything for 3 days! We had to take her to the urgent care on vacation. Not fun.

Family pictures on the beach........

Gracie on the beach.......

We didn't get many pictures of Gracie playing at the beach because I got sand in my camera and was too scared to take any more!

Matt and I went to Charleston one afternoon by ourselves. We ate at Poogan's Porch. It is said to be haunted by a ghost named Zoe who once lived there. We had joked about seeing her ghost that morning. After we placed our order Matt went to the restroom. We he got back he said, "You'll never believe what just happened. The old lady ask me for a courtesy flush!" I laughed so hard I almost spit out my sweet tea!

After an awesome lunch we walked down to the battery and toured the Calhoun Mansion. It is the largest residence in Charleston and it is also where parts of the movie, "The Notebook" were filmed. I love the old houses with the piazzas and the privacy doors.

Matt loves his binoculars and gave me a little pose. hehe

One night we went with Allison and Michael on a ghost tour. Out of all of them the haunted prison is the best! :)
There are some wonderful places to eat in Charleston. Between this trip and our trip last fall these are the places we loved....
Poogan's Porch- They are famous for their fried pimento cheese fritters. YUM!
AW Shucks- Matt got the Award Winning Stuffed Shrimp that was to die for!
Garibaldi Cafe- You HAVE to try the amazing crispy flounder if you go there!
The Charleston Grill at the Charleston Place Hotel- If you're feelin' a little fancy!
Coast- They have the best crab dip I've EVER tasted.
82 Queen- They had the neatest outside courtyard to dine in! And...the food was great!
Grill 225- We ask them to make us some Banana Foster (not on the menu) and they whipped it up at our table!
Slightly North of Broad (SNOB)-Another great restaurant!

Susan & Jason's Wedding

2010-07-04T14:37:00.000-07:00

Susan and Jason's Wedding was gorgeous! They were married May 15th. Theses are just a few pictures from the wedding. I can't wait until the professional pictures are ready because they will be great!

Getting Ready

The Wedding

Allison, Granny and Me, and Heather and I

The Kids Table and Favors

Gracie, Addison, and Lucy playing in the 10,000 petals

Decorating the Car

The Bride and Groom

Dancing Queens

2010-06-28T06:24:00.001-07:00

Auntie Allison loves to dance and Gracie does too!

Susan's Bridesmaid Luncheon

2010-06-26T05:46:00.000-07:00

Susan held the Bridesmaid Luncheon at Ms. Audrey's Tea Room in Manchester. They always do a great job of decorating and have great food! Thanks for the beautiful luncheon Susan!

Aunt Connie and Jason's Mom, Barbara, Aunt Shirley and Granny, and MacKenzie and Janet

Heather and Gracie, Carolina and Lucy, and Emily and Nicole

Tessa and Susan, Susan and Mandy, and Layla and Olivia

Me and Allison and Meme and Gracie

Susan's Lingerie Shower

2010-06-24T07:23:00.001-07:00

A few days before Susan's wedding we threw her a small lingerie shower. Allison did a great job decorating! Everything looked super cute and we had a great time!

The Bride, the mannequin, and the decorations

Funny Faces- We had to get some pictures with the mannequin :) and Allison loves her cow ice cream scoop

Allison framed the invitation and made the super cute sign and table decor.

The Gifts- Susan was super excited about her shoes!

The Cake- Allison did an awesome job on Susan's cake. Allison is getting pretty good at her cake decorating! :)

Mother's Day

2010-06-17T19:19:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to catch up on my blogging! It was my plan to do several posts while we were on vacation but Gracie got sick and was glued to my hip for a few days!

Mother's Day was great. Here are a few Mother's Day pictures and the Mother's Day picture from 1 year ago! Gracie has grown up so much!

Meme and Gracie

Gracie with Gigi, Grandma Grace and Mama

Gracie being a ham

Gracie and cousin Logan

Mother's Day one year ago....where does the time go...

Happy 4th Anniversary!

2010-05-19T21:17:00.000-07:00

I just want to say Happy Anniversary to the best husband ever! I never did a post about my wedding but since I'm in the wedding spirit I think I'll tell you all about the best day of my life! :)

My Husband
We met through Matt's cousin and my college roommate, Leslie. The first time we met a group of us went bowling and Matt gave me some "lessons." After that I was hooked! :) I knew he was the man I would marry 2 weeks after I met him. We dated for 3 years before we got married. I graduated May 14th and got married May 20th!

My Dress
I loved my dress! I wanted something BIG! I'm a true southern girl at heart. My mom actually had to politely tell me a couple of my selections were a little "too much." haha! But, I found this one by Alfred Sung and fell in love. My favorite part was the french bustle in the back. I also LOVE monograms (which is another southern fav). My mom had my monogram hand-stitched and she edged it in crystals on the back of my dress.

My favorite things
My isle runner and bouquet were a couple of my favorite things at the wedding. My Aunt Mary Ann and cousin Beth painted my isle runner. It was awesome! I saw it in a bridal magazine and had to have one. :) My bouquet was gorgeous! It was huge! I seriously think it weighed 5 lbs. I could barley get my hand around it!

Cake and Punch
We had our reception at the country club but the best part, in my opinion, was the cake and punch. :) I love punch. When I think about going to a shower or wedding I secrectly hope they have punch. That's the only time you get to drink it! :) We had a punch fountain at the wedding. :) Our cake was gorgeous! Each layer of the cake had a different flavor! It was great! I still have people tell me it was one of the best wedding cakes they've ever eaten! Our anniversary layer was italian cream. YUMMY! Southern Belles' Catering did a wonderful job! Matt LOVES coffee. So for the groom's cake we had a coffee flavored cake. I dare say it may have been even better than the wedding cake! It was awesome! :) Not every wedding has a groom's cake, but in TN every groom has to have their version of a "bleedin' armadillo cake!" :)

My Girls

The Guys

The Family

Perfect examples of true love

And they lived happily ever after..............

My wonderful photographer was Randall McDougal with Pro-Images Photography.

Goin' to the Chapel

2010-05-15T07:37:00.000-07:00

.....and Susan and Jason are getting married today! Yay! I will be posting LOTS of pictures soon from Susan and Jason's wedding weekend!

This picture as taken 1 year ago at Allison's wedding

Congratulations Susan and Jason!

No more bouncing!

2010-05-05T19:33:00.000-07:00

Yay!

Many of you know that I started "bouncing" Gracie to sleep when she had colic. It first started out with Matt and I bouncing her up and down while we walked. We both got great leg workouts for a while. Then one day I thought, "Why can't I bounce her on the exercise ball?" It was great at first. It was soooo much easier than the routine we were used to. After a while it just became habit to "bounce" her to sleep. I bounced her and bounced her until one day she didn't want to bounce anymore. She would for a minute or two then get down. Then we started putting her in her bed. She cried a few times but then she started going to sleep! My prayers were answered! :) As much as I love putting her to bed, I miss bouncing my baby!

This movie is the first time we realized Gracie may be colicky. Whew! My favorite part is where Matt jokingly says, "Nothing but the best for my little girl!" while he is sweating it! :) I can't believe she used to be that itty bitty!

George eyes

2010-05-04T20:40:00.000-07:00

It's hard to carry a baby for 9 months and then have people tell you that your baby looks like your husband. haha! Can't she look like me a little? :) Matt and I had a "discussion" about Gracie a few nights ago. He said that HE thought Gracie has his eyes. I said, "She has your nose and your mouth but you can not have her eyes!" hahahahaha! You can see where this is going.......
My baby girl may look like her Daddy in many ways but this little girl has George eyes.
This is a picture of me when I was a baby- just to give perspective. :)

Even if Gracie looked exactly like her daddy I would still love that little stinker to pieces! But she does have my eyes...... hehehehehe! This blog was partly to poke fun at my husband and partly to say that Gracie has my eyes. Did I say that she has her momma's eyes? hahaha!

My photography class!

2010-04-22T19:30:00.000-07:00

I can't help but share what I've learned in my new photography class! :) When I first got my camera I never took the time to learn how to shoot in manual mode. Even though you can shoot great pictures in other modes, I wanted to learn how to have full control of my camera. I found a class online and I have learned so much. The goal of the class was to teach you how to shoot in manual mode in just a few weeks! The first week our homework was to shoot in shutter speed priority mode. The second week we shot in aperture priority mode. And the third week we shot in manual mode! :)

This is my first homework assignment shot in manual mode

The 4th week's assignment was the Focal Point Assignment. I needed someone who could sit still while I metered and moved my focus points! Needless to say Gracie wasn't my first choice as a model this week but my husband makes a pretty good lookin' good model! ha! :)

I also wanted to add this one in.......Matt and I can't be serious for too long...........

This is a picture of Gracie in her ruffle butt outfit. Isn't this too cute? :) There were some bunnies in the backyard and Gracie chased them all over the place!

Have a Happy Friday!

Gracie at 13-14 months old

2010-04-12T17:12:00.000-07:00

Instead of telling you what Gracie's been learning, I'll just show you!

Gracie LOVES to carry objects twice as heavy as she is. One of her favorite things to carry is this huge jug of b-b-q sauce!

She LOVES her babies!

And.......she LOVES to play with things she knows she shouldn't!

Easter

2010-04-10T05:33:00.000-07:00

We had a great Easter! The Easter bunny brought Gracie a big Easter basket Sunday morning then we headed off to church for a great service. We ate lunch at Aunt Robin's house and took pictures on her front porch. I love her porch because there is such great light there!

These are some pictures we took of Gracie in the daffodil field. Most of the daffodils had dried up when we went back but there were a small patch of white ones near the front. Mom made Gracie's gorgeous Easter dress! It was smocked with chocolate Easter bunnies! How cute!

Here comes Peter Cottontail......

2010-04-03T10:26:00.000-07:00

Here comes Peter Cottontail
hopping down the bunny trail
Hippity, Hoppity,
Easter's on it's way!

Spring is HERE!

2010-03-22T21:28:00.001-07:00

On the first day of spring we went to the daffodil field to take pictures. I love this dress on Gracie! My mom made it years ago and put it away for one of her future grandchildren. It looks so sweet on Gracie.

Spring is just around the corner......

2010-03-15T20:46:00.000-07:00

Spring is just around the corner and we can't wait to be outside! The first day of spring is this weekend!

Gracie's 9 month pictures

2010-03-07T19:41:00.001-08:00

Here are a few of Gracie's 9 month pictures. I LOVED them. Dawn Winton always does a fabulous job. We recently did our last session with Dawn in Gracie's first year series. So sad!

Click here to see Dawn's post on Gracie's pictures.

Walk to Create a World Free of MS!

2010-03-02T20:56:00.000-08:00

MS is a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central nervous system (the brain, optic nerves, and spinal cord). It is thought to be an autoimmune disorder. This means the immune system incorrectly attacks the person's healthy tissue. MS can effect vision, balance, coordination, speech, energy level, memory and concentration. These problems may be permanent or may come and go.

In 2007 my cousin Heather was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Since then she has been an inspiration to our whole family. She never complains. She works 12 hour shifts as an ICU nurse and loves it. She never whines about her treatments. She fights the good fight everyday.

That's why I want everyone to help her fight by donating or walking in the MS Walk. The money raised will be used to help raise awareness of MS, help those who have MS, and most importantly help to fund the research in hopes of one day finding a cure for this devastating disease. Go to Heather's homepage to make a difference!

This is a picture of Hedy's Heros 2009 Team. Hedy's Heros raised $4000 last year and I think it would be awesome if they could beat that number this year! In the last picture is Heather with news anchor, Demetria Kalodimos. For those of you who aren't from Middle TN, she is the best anchor woman ever. :)

I wanted add this song written by Jeromy Deibler. He wrote it after his MS diagnosis. He plays in the band FFH. It's just a little glimpse of what it is like to have MS.

Gracie's NC Birthday!

2010-02-27T13:47:00.000-08:00

Gracie was a little tired before the party but then we told her all her friends were coming!

Decorations

My friend, Mindy Evans, made Gracie's fabulous cupcakes and cupcake cake! I LOVED it!

Gracie wasn't much for digging her hands in the cake but she LOVED the cookie!

This is Gracie and Aunt Robin. The Averette's were gracious enough to let us have the party at their house.

Gracie and Gigi before the party

Gracie and Garrett. Too Cute!

Gracie with my friend Melissa and Racheal and Angie, Leslie and I with all the babies! (Angie and Leslie are both pregnant!)

Gracie with Gigi, Daddy, Grandma Grace, and Mama!

Thank you to all our friends and family who helped make Gracie's first birthday so special!

Gracie's 1 year old!

2010-02-20T06:39:00.000-08:00

Gracie is one year old today! WOW! They say time flies when you have children and it really does. Here are a few things about Gracie at one year old.......
-She has started talking more and more. My heart melts when she says "Mama"
-She says Mama, Dada, No-No-No, Hi, and babbles all the time!
-She also says "Hi-den." We aren't really sure what this means but it's soooo cute.
-She climbs EVERYTHING. If she can get a foot hold she is climbing it.
-She is into EVERYTHING. She ate a packet of Silica gel that says "Do Not Eat." Thankfully poison control told me that it was just plastic balls. Trip to the ER avoided.......
-She loves to read and look through her books.
-She is a little shy when she first meets you but warms up quickly.
-She can tell you where your mouth, nose, eye, ear are and where her belly button is.
-She's a Mama's girl!
-She wears 12-18 mo clothes and is STILL in a size 3 diaper!
-She goes to bed 8:30-9 and usually gets up around 3am but the past few days has been sleeping through the night!
-She is still getting about 2 bottles a day but we are working on cutting it down...............
-She has so much personality!
-Her hair is getting just long enough to put in pig tails!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRACIE!

We are so blessed to have such a sweet, healthy, happy little girl! We love you sooooo much Gracie! You have brought so much happiness to our little family!

Gracie's TN Birthday

2010-02-19T06:36:00.000-08:00

Gracie's birthday is this Saturday but we wanted to celebrate her birthday with family in TN also, so we had a birthday party for her last weekend in TN!

These are Gracie's beautiful birthday outfits MeMe made.

The cupcakes! Auntie Allie did a good job!

Gracie's friends Addison and Lawson came to wish her a happy birthday

The birthday girl with MeMe and Grandaddy

Gracie wants to thank our friends and family for sharing her first birthday and for all the beautiful and fun gifts!

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T07:43:00.000-08:00

Happy 1st Valentine's Day Gracie! And Happy Valentine's Day to Matt! Love you!

Happy Birthday Matthew!

2010-02-12T07:50:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to the best daddy and husband EVER!

Gracie wanted to share a few pictures of her daddy and tell about how special he is to us!

Daddy is mommy's partner in crime! They go on lots of adventures together!

Daddy always takes good care of me. Daddy's hugs and kisses are the best!

Daddy helps mommy a bunch. Daddy gives me a bath every night.

I love playing with Daddy! We like to play in the floor, go on wagon rides and ride piggy back!

Happy 29th Birthday Daddy!

Show Us Your Life- Beauty Tips and Fav Products

2010-02-06T16:25:00.000-08:00

This week's Show Us Your Life at Kelly's Corner is Beauty Tips and Favorite Products. These are a few of mine.........

Clarsonic Skin Cleansing System

I LOVE it! My wonderful mother-in-law got it for me for Christmas. I can really tell a difference in my skin. You can use any cleanser or scrub with it. I have the Clarsonic Mia. The Mia is smaller and perfect for traveling. Read about the benefits of using the Clarisonic System here.

Body Drench Sunless Tanner
Fake it, don't bake it! I love these self-tanners! They go on evenly and do not smell bad!

The Shu Uemura Eye Lash Curler
This is the perfect eye lash curler. Need I say more?

These are just a few of my favs. I wear Bare Minerals and Smashbox make up. Smash box makes a great photo finish primer that I love! Although I love Bare Minerals I am thinking about switching to a liquid foundation because of the potential risks with using a powder foundation. Dr. Oz has an article on it here.

Gracie's Twirl

2010-01-30T11:21:00.000-08:00

Whenever Gracie hears this song she does a little twirl.........

Wagon Ride

2010-01-24T20:39:00.000-08:00

Gracie took a ride in her new wagon yesterday. She loved it!

Gracie at 11 months old

2010-01-20T19:34:00.000-08:00

Gracie is 11 months old today! Wow! My little baby is growing up so fast! I am starting to plan her first birthday too! Here are some things Gracie is doing at 11 months......
She is cutting her molars. These little teeth have been the worst so far!
She is wearing size 12 month clothes
She weighed 21 pounds and 5 ounces at her MD visit last week
She loves ice cream and yogurt
She loves to be chased
She is starting to play with her baby dolls more and more
She loves playing with her house that Santa brought
She loves to play with the phone and say "Hello"
She babbles all the time! I can't wait until I know what she's talking about!
She loves to be read to! Her favorite book continues to be Dr. Seuss's "Mr. Brown can Moo"
She trys to sing whenever she is sung to
She loves bath time. When she hears the water running she gets so excited! I can't wait until this summer to go swimming.
She loves when people talk to her. I think she will definitely be a social butterfly.
She is so sweet and her mama and daddy love her so much!

Sick Baby

2010-01-20T05:25:00.001-08:00

Gracie ran a fever for a few days. We think it was due to teething. She is feeling much better now though! I gave Gracie some ibuprofen for her fever and teeth pain. She always has something in her little hand. I realized when I laid her down for her nap, she had the ibuprofen bottle in her hand. :)

Gigi and Ice Cream

2010-01-17T21:00:00.000-08:00

These are two of Gracie's favorite things.....her Gigi and ice cream. :)

Grandaddy and Meme's visit

2010-01-12T10:49:00.000-08:00

Mom and Dad came to visit the day after Christmas. Here are a few pictures from thier visit.

Gracie loved Meme's fried pies!

Meme and Gracie love to play pat-a-cake!

Gracie with Grandaddy and MeMe

I love to curl Gracie's hair up!

But, it doesn't look like Gracie does...........

Gracie got a zhu zhu pet from her Aunt Robin. Gracie is fascinated by this little hamster!

Christmas Time

2009-12-31T20:11:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas Eve with Gracie's Pop. This is when we got our 2009 family Christmas pic! Gracie was soooo excited when Pop brought out her John Deer wagon. It is sooo cute!

Gracie and Aunt Izzie
Christmas morning we opened the presents that Santa brought! Gracie was a good girl this year! :)

At lunch we headed to Papa Gene and Grandma Grace's house. We ate Christmas dinner and opened presents.

In the afternoon we headed to Grandaddy Earl and Gigi's house to open more presents!

The day after Christmas Grandaddy and Meme came to see us and brought more presents! Gracie loves her train!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-25T07:36:00.001-08:00

Visiting with Santa

2009-12-22T09:22:00.000-08:00

We had our picture made with Santa while we were in TN. Gracie was not a big fan of Santa. I knew she wouldn't sit with him by herself so I had my picture made too. Notice the grip she has on my hair! Maybe she will like Santa one day!

Gracie at 10 months old

2009-12-20T08:28:00.001-08:00

I love this picture of Gracie. She loves to make this face! It's her new thing. Also, she always has one sock on and one sock off. I put this pink tutu on her and let her play around the house. She is so cute! Here are a few things about Gracie at 10 months:

- Gracie is walking! She started taking a few steps at the beginning of November and by the middle of November was walking pretty good. She doesn't crawl at all anymore.
-Gracie also climbs! If she can get a foot hold she will climb anything. :)
- Gracie is starting to make more sounds like "da-da", "ba-ba","ooohhhh" and she still likes to say "Hi" or "Hey"
-She is learning how to feed herself. About two months ago she started holding her bottle and now she can feed herself small pieces of food.
-At her 9 mo well child visit, she weighed 20lb 7oz (75th percentile) and was 29 inches long (90th percentile).
-She is wearing 12 month size clothes.
- She has 8 teeth and she is starting to drool again.......I'm looking for some molars to pop through anyday!
-She knows the meaning of "No" but tries to test us. :)

She is the best Christmas gift we received this year and are blessed to have a busy, healthy little girl!

Christmas Card 2009

2009-12-19T10:32:00.000-08:00

I mailed our Christmas Cards out yesterday! I bought some card layouts/kits online and designed this one. I love the damask pattern and the "God bless and Merry Christmas" wordart. I used a picture that Dawn Winton took at Gracie's 9 month photo shoot. She is so cute in her little Christmas outfit! I originally wanted to use the picture below of Gracie in the Santa hat, but she has grown SO much since then! I am getting one framed to hang up every year at Christmas time though. It is such a cute picture! We call this her Snufflepagus face! hehe :)

Merry Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2009-12-14T20:31:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas trees are up and we are ready for Santa!

This is Gracie's cute little pink tree

The mantle

Our Christmas Tree

Learning to Climb

2009-12-11T18:52:00.000-08:00

When we put our tree up, Gracie decided that she wanted to help by climbing the step ladder! Ahhh! I grabbed the video camera and caught her climbing from step 2 to step 3! Whew! Needless to say we can't let her out of our sight. This little apple doesn't fall far from the tree though. She loves to climb just like her Mama did! The picture is of me standing on the side of my wagon trying to get to Mom's nick-nacks.

Christmas came early

2009-12-09T18:14:00.001-08:00

The week before Thanksgiving Gracie and I made a trip to TN. We had a great time. We ate an early Thanksgiving meal on Sunday. Christmas also came a little early for Gracie. Allison gave Gracie a shopping cart for Christmas and she LOVES it! This lil shopping cart is really neat. Gracie was only walking a few steps whenever she got the cart and she would push it all over the place and we would go on and on about what a big girl she was. Now, just a couple weeks later, she is walking all over the house and still loves to push her cart because she knows she is a "Big Girl!" :)

Gracie handing Allison the Fruit Loops

Auntie Allie and Gracie

Granny reading to Gracie just like she read to all her grandchildren

Allison and Gracie checking the mail

Gracie wanted to ride in the shopping cart

Whew what a long trip!

Thanksgiving

2009-12-09T13:20:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving at Robin's house this year. Of course, I took lots of pictures of Gracie's first Thanksgiving! I am thankful for for lots of things, but Gracie is what I am most thankful for this year. She has brought so much happiness to our whole family. She can brighten any ol' day with her little smile. Children are truly a blessing from the Lord!

Gigi and Gracie

Gracie and her turkey dinner on her turkey plate Susan got for her!

Aunt Lizzie and Gracie

Daddy and Gracie

Star Wars in Concert

2009-12-03T19:49:00.000-08:00

On my birthday, Matt took me to see Star Wars in concert. :) I wasn't really excited about this Star Wars "thing" at first, but I had a blast! I promised Matt that on his birthday we will have a wonderful time at the spa! hahaha! The Royal Philharmonic played the soundtracks from the films as clips played on the enormous screen. The voice of C3PO, Anthony Daniels, narrated the concert. When the concert finished, we went to the exhibit to see all the "stuff" from the movies. These are a few pictures of the night.

Matt got dip-n-dots during the intermission. :)

Matt and Bobafett

The BIG 2-9

2009-11-28T21:56:00.000-08:00

At the beginning of the month I had a big birthday.....the big 2-9! It was a great birthday. I got lots of great gifts. My fav was the one my sister painted for me. See it here. Gracie had a lot of fun at the party. I can't wait for her birthday in February!

Gracie thought everyone was singing to her. You can tell by the arm raise se liked it! :)

My awesome handbag cake Elizabeth got for me!

Grandpa Gene's 75th Birthday Pictures

2009-11-23T10:50:00.000-08:00

Grandpa Gene's 75th birthday was in September........I'm a little behind on my posts. But, being behind is the story of my life! :)

Gigi and Gracie enjoying the nice weather

Sweet Baby

Momma and her baby girl

Matt and Cody

Grandpa Gene

Grandma Grace and Gracie

Michael and Logan

Robin, Gracie and Me

Gracie at 9 months old

2009-11-17T21:06:00.000-08:00

Gracie is 9 months old! She is getting to be such a big girl! Here are some things about Gracie at 9 months:
-She said her first word "Hey" :) It is really cute when you can get her to wave and say hey!
- She is ALMOST walking. She will take a 3-4 steps and then sit down. She loves to pull up and then let go and stand there for a few seconds take a couple steps then sit down. She is letting go more and more!
- She has 8 teeth! 4 on the top and 4 on the bottom. She also knows how to use them. We've been bit more than once!
- She LOVES the Dr. Suess book "Mr Brown can Moo." She loves to hear all the sounds you make while reading the book.
- She loves non-toys, like cell phones, cords, computer, pens, tupperware, and wooden spoons
- She takes a bath in the big tub now. She out grew her whale tub, bouncy, bumbo seat, and swing all at the same time!
-Her favorite song is still Itsy Bitsy Spider
-She loves potatoes!
She makes our little family complete!

Halloween

2009-11-16T20:47:00.000-08:00

Gracie was the cutest little black cat this year for Halloween! Gracie is almost walking so she loved pulling up and looking out the window in these pictures.

Gracie loved playing with the pumkins. Isn't that tail too cute?

Our little family dressed up for Halloween...........hhhmmm what to be next year........

Gracie's 6 month pictures with Dawn Winton

2009-11-11T07:35:00.000-08:00

I absolutely love Gracie's 6 month pictures! Dawn Winton is taking Graice's first year pictures. We are doing Gracie's 9 month session in November and I CAN NOT wait! Click here to visit Dawn's blog and see more pictures!
This is one of my favorite pictures.

I love the tutu and her little smile!

Gracie is just as cute in her slip as she is in the dress!

Our little family

Gracie loves to be outside

Pictures I didn't get to post..........

2009-11-07T05:32:00.000-08:00

These are a few pictures from August that I never posted. GASP! :) I went to TN for a few days to go to my 10 year high school reunion and see the fam.

Aunt Elizabeth and Gracie

Aunt Allison and Gracie

Uncle Ricky and Gracie

Candace and I at our 10 year reunion!

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T21:04:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite Halloween pics of Gracie. I will post more pictures soon!

Gracie at 8 months old

2009-10-22T19:38:00.000-07:00

I really can't believe that Gracie is 8 months old! I think I say that every month but she really is growing up fast! She is getting to be such a big girl! Here are a few things about Gracie at 8 months.

- She likes to follow Mommy all over the house.
- She can stand alone and loves to climb!
-When she eats, she makes the "Mmmmm" sound. If she really likes the food, she will mmmmm the whole time she eats.
-Gracie is starting to eat some "real food" like bananas, sweet potatoes, potatoes, and the occasional sweet. :)
-We have realized that Gracie does not like to be confined.....in a walker, high chair, jumper, ect. She wants to move!
-One of Gracie's top teeth has came through and the other front tooth and an incisor are about to pop through!
-I left Gracie with her Mimi (My mom) for 4 days! This was her first night away from us. I probably missed her more than she missed me!
-Gracie has moved up to a big girl car seat. She loves to look out the window.
-She is starting to learn what "No" means. :)
-Gracie is starting to eat puffs, teething cookies and drinking juice. Although, she will only hold her bottle/cup occasionally. She looks at me like, "You really want me to hold this?"
-She is wearing 9-12 month clothes
-She does not like socks or shoes. I will probably spend all winter trying to keep them on her!
-She is the sweetest baby girl and her Mommy and Daddy love her to pieces!

Show Us Your Life- Baby Gear

2009-10-02T20:15:00.000-07:00

I have never done the "Show us you life" tours but I've wanted to do this post for a while. Along with my likes and dislikes I will share a few tidbits I learned along the way.

You can find all the other "Show Us Your Life" posts HERE!

Mommy and Gracie's Must Haves!
#1) Play Gym (We had the Baby Einstien gym) - LOVE LOVE LOVE! This little gym was a life saver. We started using this when Gracie was just a few weeks old. As she got older, she laid on the mat and played with the toys above her.

#2) Snap-n-go stroller - This little stroller is wonderful. It folds up very small, is light weight and is perfect for taking into restaurants! Your carrier "snaps" into the stroller and off you go!
#3) Whale bath tub by Fisher Price- I love this little tub. It is as functional as it is cute! It has a "contoured baby stopper" that holds the baby in place. We are still using this tub. I think I will be a little sad when Gracie graduates to the big tub!

#4) Chico stroller system - It is a great system that folds down easily and has great car seat safety ratings. We bought two bases for the car seat so we would not have to take them in-and-out of the car.
#5) Dr. Brown's Bottles - Gracie had colic and I think these bottles were great!
#6) Bouncy Seat- Gracie had the Boppy bouncy seat. A bouncy seat is a definite must have. We used it until she started climbing out of it!
#7) Pack-N-Play - We used this as Gracie's bed/bassinet for at least 3 months until she slept in her bed. It is now being used as a play pen. We recently took it on vacation with use for Gracie to sleep in. Great buy!
#8) Fisher Price Play and Learn Table- This is my life saver of the moment! Gracie is pulling up on everything and love to play with this. You can remove the legs so that babies who are not standing can play with it.
#9) Monitor- We got the Graco monitor. It works great and you will have it on all the time.

Things we did not like........
#1) Wipe warmer- We got the Muchkin brand warmer and it just dried out the wipes, although I have heard the brand of wipes you use make a difference.
#2)Baby Sling- Gracie did not like the baby sling.
#3) Circo brand baby gowns- They were very short. :(

Things I liked but thought I would use more.......

-Boppy pillow- I think I would have used it more if I had breast fed longer. I did use it a lot when Gracie first started to sit up and for pictures. :)
- Bumbo seat- I didn't use it as much as I thought I would but I'm still glad I have one. We recently took this on vacation with us to use as Gracie's feeding seat. It worked great! We also used it for pictures. :)

-Swing- We got the Little Lamb Fisher Price swing. I love the swing! It can be adjusted to swing front-to-back or side-to-side. Gracie didn't love the swing, but we put her in it when we need a free hand.
-Pacifier- I really thought Gracie would take one. I bought every brand and make. She never cared for one.
-Einstien Baby Jumper- Gracie likes to play in this for a little while but I am wondering if she would have liked and exersaucer bertter.

Small must have items........
-Travel Formula dispenser
-Scented trash bag dispenser
-Tube socks- These are the only ones that will stay on for the first few months! I also used socks over Gracie's hands. The little mitts would not stay on her hands.
-Burp Clothes- You can never have too many!
-Dishwasher basket- LOVE LOVE LOVE!
- Drying rack
-Hospital nasal aspirator :)
-Large multi-use pads (great for putting under the crib sheet!)
-Take and Toss Spoons- Theses are my favorite. Needless to say, I don's toss many of these!

From the pharmacist mommy: OTC must haves
-Tylenol
-Mylicon drops
-Little Noses Saline Nasal Spray
- Vick's Baby Rub
- Oragel
-Triple Paste Diaper Rash Cream
-Benadryl - just in case!
- Also- Aveeno Baby bath, gold bars and Eucerin are great for eczema!

Gracie at 7 months old

2009-09-20T16:24:00.000-07:00

Gracie is 7 months old! She gets sweeter everyday. Here are some of the things she is doing now
-Crawling EVERYWHERE!
-Pulling up on EVERYTHING!
-Waving bye-bye
-She loves sweets. Every once in a while, we give her ice cream and she LOVES IT!
-She is starting to cut her two top teeth.
-She loves to be on-the-go with mommy and daddy.
-She holds her head down and gives a shy look that is soooo cute.
-She likes to hold both hands in the air. She sometimes combines this with her shy look (which is just EXTRA cute!)

Here is a picture with her cousins Mattox and Michael......raising her hands

Aren't the boys so sweet? They were born 3 days after Gracie!

Who does Gracie look like?

2009-09-15T20:58:00.000-07:00

When Gracie was first born we went back and forth on who she looked like. Now we are starting to see more and more who she favors. We think she has mommy's eyes and round face, and daddy's lips! Some times I look at her and think that she looks so much like Matt and then sometimes I can see me. As Granny says, "She is just Gracie." I love that. She is definitely her own little person and it seems like she is doing something new everyday at this stage. Tonight when I put her to bed, I gave her a bottle and shut the door............not a peep! This has never happened before. We usually bounce and wrestle with her every night to go to bed. I blame all the bad habits on the colic! :) I guess we will see how this works out. Maybe I will try giving her a bottle at nap time tomorrow.......

2009-09-13T19:50:00.000-07:00

I did a little photo shoot with Gracie today. She is getting so big! She is pulling up on everything and crawling everywhere! Here are a few of my favorite pictures.

In the last picture Gracie is saying "The VOLs and ECU Pirates lost yesterday? Oh NO!"

Gracie's Laugh

2009-09-11T21:02:00.000-07:00

Gracie is growing more and more every day! She is the sweetest little baby girl. I could just eat her up! This is a video of her laughing. It makes me smile every time I see it. This is guaranteed to brighten your day!

Allison and Michael's Wedding

2009-09-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

Allison and Michael were married June 6th. It was a beautiful wedding! Allison was a GEORGEOUS bride. (The George girls say GEORGeous instead of gorgeous- hehe) Her wedding gown fit her perfectly- Simply elegant with a little bling. Make sure you check out her shoes in the slide show...........they were her "something blue." Allison planned every detail from the cake to isle runner. To give you a glimpse.......she designed the "M" logo and programs, painted her own isle runner and thank you sign, and the day before the wedding made a CAD drawing of the layout of the tables and decorations for the setup! Of course she did have a little help from Mom throughout the process! Allison and Michael are high school sweethearts. They both went to UT. When the said their goodbyes at the reception they left to cheering UT fans complete with orange and white pompoms and good ol' "Rocky Top" playing! Congratulations Allison and Michael!

Here is a slide shows of the awesome pictures Dawn Winton took!

Gracie at 6 months

2009-08-22T20:08:00.000-07:00

Gracie is 6 months old! Here are a few things about Gracie at 6 months
-She is starting to crawl, pull up, and can sit all by herself!
-She loves to stand up
-She loves Yo Baby Yogurt
-She loves ice cream too!
-She loves a crowd
-She is constantly looking around so she won't miss anything!
-She is sweet as pie

New Look

2009-08-20T06:26:00.000-07:00

I got a new look to my blog! I looked up how to design my own blog, then I found blog in a box! Easy greasy!

Beaufort

2009-08-12T17:19:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we drove down to Beaufort for the day. We visited the shops and ate along the waterfront. Then we went to Fort Macon. We had a great day. Here are a few pictures of out outing!

Almost Crawling

2009-08-06T11:36:00.000-07:00

This is a video of Gracie trying to crawl. We have already bought a baby gate because we knew she would be crawling soon. Gracie is growing up so fast! When she laughs, she likes to cackle out loud and when she smiles, she smiles with her whole face. Her personality is showing though more everyday. Here is the video of our sweet baby Gracie!

Gracie at 5 months

2009-07-26T19:56:00.001-07:00

Gracie is 5 months old! Here are a few things about Gracie at 5 months......
-She loves to blow bubbles and raz her tongue!
- She is sitting up! (Although we are right beside her when she does!)
-She seems to like most of the baby food she has tried, except green peas. :)
-She is constantly moving!
-When laying down she balances on her stomach and moves her arms and legs as fast as she can!
-She is such a good baby!

Mimi, Grandaddy, and Aunt Allison's Visit

2009-07-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

Mimi came and stayed with us last week. Gracie loved having her Mimi there all week. Grandaddy and Allison came over the weekend and as you can see by the pictures, Gracie did not want them to leave!

July 4th

2009-07-06T18:15:00.001-07:00

Here are some pictures of out little firecracker on July 4th! Isn't her little outfit sooo cute! Patty Boyd monogrammed the outfit and mom added a little blue polka dot ruffle.

Gracie at 4 months

2009-06-30T13:44:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Gracie is already 4 months old! Here are a few things about Gracie at 4 months.
-She is teething! She has two little teeth poking through. She drools and chews a lot now!
- She loves music. Her favorite song is the Itsy-Bitsy spider.
- She is very tall! 26 inches!
- She is very observant. She is constantly looking around taking it all in!
- She loves to be held, walked, and strolled.
-She loves to be outside.
Gracie is the light of our life!

Father's Day

2009-06-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

This was Matthew's first Father's Day! Gracie made it very special. She told me to put an add in the paper for him with her picture to surprise him. :) He loved it! Matthew is a wonderful daddy. He can always make Gracie laugh. They have a so much fun during bath time every night. Matthew never hesitates when I ask him to help and gets up with her EARLY in the morning on the days he is off.....and some when he is working. :) Happy Father's Day Honey!

Allison's Wedding

2009-06-10T05:12:00.000-07:00

My little sister, Allison, got married this weekend! It was a beautiful wedding and she was the most beautiful bride ever! We had a blast. Everyone was excited to see Gracie again too. This pic is one of the shots Dawn Winton took during her bridal portraits in Sewanee. I didn't take any pics of the wedding but I will post the link to Dawn's blog as soon as they're up!

One Hip Chick

2009-06-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

I love this picture of Gracie! She is one hip chick!

Dawn Winton Photography

2009-05-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

Dawn Winton recently took Gracie's picture. I LOVE them! Dawn is so sweet and so great with little ones. I can't wait until our next session! See http://www.dawnwinton.com for more of Dawn's work. I might be a tad bit bias, but I think Gracie is the most beautiful little baby girl! :)

3 months old and 3 years of marriage

2009-05-20T14:52:00.000-07:00

We're celebrating the number 3 today! Gracie is 3 months old and Matthew and I have been married 3 years. I have a wonderful husband. He is the best daddy to Gracie. I can't believe it's been 3 years already. It seems like yesterday we were just married. Now we have a little baby girl! Gracie is already so big! She has hit all of her milestones early. We like to call her "Ms. Grownie." Some of the things she is doing now is rolling over, talking and gooing, standing on her feet when you hold her up, sleeping through the night, grabbing objects and pulling them to her mouth, and she is no longer colicky. Thank goodness! I feel so blessed to have such a wonderful family. Here is the most recent picture of my Grace Elizabeth and our wedding day.

Mother's Day

2009-05-12T07:42:00.001-07:00

I had the most wonderful Mother's day! Before we left for church I got a beautiful David Yurman necklace from Matt and Gracie. :) Then I found Gracie with a card beside her. Matt and his mom took pictures of Gracie signing the card. They knew I would absolutely LOVE it. I'm so lucky to be mommy to my sweet little Gracie and to have a wonderful husband!