Memorial Day

Mom n' Me Monday!

We are currently enjoying the long weekend out of town, but I wanted to share a few pictures from our beach trip yesterday! Gracie enjoyed jumping waves and digging her tiny toes in the sand. I enjoyed holding my towel wrapped sweetie. :)

It's been a weekend full of family and fun. We planned this little get-away a while back, thinking it would be the perfect way to spend Gracie's birthday weekend, especially since Sean is off today!

I also want to take a moment to mention Gracie's great-great Nana, who passed away last week. She was an incredible woman and she will be missed. She lived a long, beautiful life and has many, many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great grandchildren remembering just how special she was, along with her own children and so many others! We will be celebrating her life tomorrow afternoon. Prayers for the family are appreciated!

Turning Two...

It's kind of a big deal... :)

Sean and I woke Gracie up this morning and presented her with this while singing Happy Birthday.

She was still very asleep when this picture was taken, but Sean and I were both excited to watch her wake up to her birthday breakfast surprise! At first, we thought we had made a mistake...she was apparently still in a deep sleep when we waltzed in, glowing muffin in hand, but after a few dazed and confused moments, she perked up and we started singing to our birthday girl!

Later that morning...

My sister and I took our sweet babies to the Natural Science Center this morning. It was already surprisingly hot when we arrived, so we walked the outside paths first, stopping to watch playful lemurs leap from tree limbs and hungry tigers pace in front of the employees' entrance gate, waiting for their breakfast. Of course, we took time for taking pictures before heading back inside to let Gracie and Austin enjoy a little freedom and playtime. After our visit, we met Nana (my mom) for lunch. I returned home this afternoon with an exhausted two year old...

Tonight, we're taking Gracie out for her birthday dinner to our favorite Mexican restaurant. This little girl loves rice, beans, and cheese quesadillas! :)

To my birthday girl...

Grace Ashlyn,

I remember this day. I remember it as the most beautiful of all days. I can almost feel now the same emotions I felt then. I remember how the day moved forward, unfolding moment by moment, each one bringing me closer to the one that brought me face to face with you. I can see you still, as you were held up in front of me for the first time, and I can hear your first cry, the one that pushed my tears over the edge and left me crying pure joy, relief, and love...

I held your tiny, newborn body in my arms. There were voices somewhere in the distance, you were being celebrated with happy tears and laughter, warm embraces and gentle touches, but I was temporarily lost. Your deep blue eyes captured every part of me and as I kissed your brand new cheeks, everything that I once was, the woman that walked into the hospital on that Tuesday morning in May, disappeared. I became witness to a miracle, and as my heart became overwhelmed with love for you, my soul evolved into something as new as the fragile bundle I held. Your arrival to my world left me forever changed.

And now, after two years of trying to be the mother that you deserve, I am in awe of the little person you are becoming. I'm not quite sure how I feel, knowing that you are yet another year older. On one hand, I am overjoyed that I am celebrating this special day with you, and smiling back on all that you have accomplished in just a short time. On the other hand, it hurts a little, realizing that you really are no longer a “baby”, but are turning into the little girl of my dreams. Of course, you will always be my baby, no matter how many years pass us by. I can find comfort in that.

You should know that your daddy and I are so very proud of you. You are like a little light in a dull world, so full of life. You have taught us to fall back into the arms of this wonderful life, too. We look at everything through your eyes, and we are better for it. You take the time to stop at every flower, notice every butterfly, find pure joy in the spinning of a pinwheel, and run like you could never fall. You find wonder in the simple things and show us what life is all about. Your presence is eye opening, and the way you’ve touched our lives is a gift. It’s amazing what can be learned by watching a baby grow. I have learned more about life, and more about love, than I ever thought possible since your birth. You are my little love, my heart, my greatest blessing.

This day stands above the rest. On May 27, 2008, at 2:31pm, you were born and life got a whole lot sweeter. Happy 2nd Birthday to You!

Day 297...

Day 296...

Day 295...

Rain Drops :)

Mom n' Me Monday!

This is my first time participating in Mom n' Me Monday! It all began as a way to ensure that we picture-taking moms end up in photos with our children. Since I am almost always behind the camera, I thought this would give me a great reason to pass the picture-taking task off to my husband every now and then! :)

This picture was taken yesterday. It was a very typical Sunday for us. We went to church, came home for lunch and nap time, then headed over to my mom's house for a visit that evening. I wish that Gracie were smiling, but I still love this photo of us. We were in our coordinating green tops! :)

(Gracie with Nana, Grandpa J, and Austin)

Happy Monday! I hope it's a great week for all!

Day 294...

Party People...

That's us! :) And we're going to keep on partying straight through next weekend, too. Tomorrow, Gracie's birthday week begins! She'll officially turn two on Thursday...I guess I can believe it, she's clearly turning into such a big girl, but then again, I really just can't.

My dad and step-mom joined us for dinner Saturday evening. They weren't able to be at Gracie's party, so we made sure to keep the party spirit going for their visit. They even brought Gracie her own special ice cream cake, and it was both adorable and delicious!

Gracie ate her piece with her hands, so you can imagine how that eventually went... :)

Your love is better than ice cream...

I'm sitting outside, in what's quickly becoming complete darkness, enjoying the sweet smell left behind after a sudden rain shower and the music provided by a chorus of birds overhead, singing a peaceful lullaby...

I'm thinking fondly of friends that I love, family that I adore, and of moments that made today its own special day.

The morning was overcast, I was a little nervous. We had a photo session scheduled today with our photographer and I didn't want the rain to dampen those plans. We ended up with plenty of time to capture shots of Gracie following an army of ants along an uneven stone pathway, admiring a garden of beautiful flowers, and twirling in place beside a fountain in her tutu. Then, there was the rain. It began as a light sprinkle, and since Gracie didn't mind, our photographer kept right on shooting. It quickly turned into a brief downpour, but it didn't take away from our photo shoot, it added to it. Gracie sat snuggled up in her daddy's arms, under the overhang of a charming house, turned museum, in our area. The photographer and I chatted, but the image of Gracie and her daddy was not lost on me. They shared the same content expression. Even the photographer snapped a few photos during our "rain break". There was nowhere to go, nothing to do, and so we waited for the rain to lighten. When it did, we grabbed our belongings and walked quickly to a new location. The rain still fell, and our photographer still photographed. I appreciated the rain. It was relaxing and forced me to literally go with the flow.

We ended on a walkway surrounded by a lovely set of shops (that I must return to). Gracie stopped at random benches along the path, disturbing tiny puddles with the gentle pat of her fingers. She was wearing a lime green dress with pink ice cream cones on it. The photographer suggested that we buy Gracie an ice cream cone and let her enjoy it while she photographed her. I could only imagine the delight that would spread across Gracie's face while indulging in such a treat. We agreed it was a great idea.

Her eyes did light up when a rainbow swirl ice cream cone was placed in her hands. :) A few licks here and a few nibbles of the cone there, however, quickly sent the scoop of ice cream rolling from the cone to the ground...

To my surprise, Gracie barely noticed. She still had the cone... She did peer over the side of her chair to see just where the ice cream went, but as far as she was concerned, she was still a winner. It was, after all, lunch time. :) We watched as she munched away at the empty cone until all that was left was the very bottom, the part that her little fingers had been clinging to. Satisfied with this tasty snack, she jumped down from her chair, and we headed home. It was a lovely morning and I am certain that we will have some beautiful photographs from this day to cherish.

New Friend Friday!

I'm joining in with The Girl Creative today, linking up, and hoping to "meet" a new friend or two...

I'm so thankful it's finally Friday! Gracie is asleep, I'm uploading pictures and anxiously awaiting 5:30. We're doing a little shopping for our birthday girl this evening. Her big day is less than a week away now! We also have some exciting things planned for this weekend! Well, exciting to me. Tomorrow is picture day for our family and I just love getting new pictures of Gracie, and as long as Sean and I look okay, the three of us, too. :)

And now I will leave you with Gracie's picture of the day. She got comfortable during her Kindermusik class this morning. Shortly after I snapped this shot, one of the little boys in class plopped down right beside her in the same little pose. Too cute. :)

Day 292...

Day 291...

Thursday Five :)

This week, I'm choosing 5 "Gracie Moments". These are all moments that brought a smile to my face and warmth to my heart. I want to make sure I write these precious things down so that she can one day see just how special she made each and every day.

1. Gracie thought she found a bug on our kitchen floor this week, and while I am sure there was probably a bug somewhere, I assured her that it was not a bug, but a "boo-boo". I stood back and watched as she ran to her room. She hurried back with something in her hand. It was the band-aid from her doctor kit. She put the band-aid on the floor's boo-boo. :)

2. One morning this week, I went into Gracie's room to find her sitting up in bed with all three of her cuddle bunnies laying around her. I leaned into the crib and placed each one on her pillow. She looked at them and then said, "I love that Cuddy so much", referring to "old" Cuddles, who she's had since birth. The way she said the words made me believe that she really does love him, so much.

3. During the same morning, I stepped into the kitchen to wash a few dishes while Gracie was playing in the living room. She was happily entertaining herself, so I dove into the task at hand. She got my attention, however, when I heard, "Ready, Set, Go!", and then watched Gracie run from our front door all the way to the other side of the room! She then turned around and said, "Ready, Set, Go!", and ran the other way! She seriously ran back and forth about 15 times! Needless to say, the child took a great nap that afternoon!

4. "Old" Cuddles needed a bath this week. Cuddles always needs a bath. Instead of trying to sneak him away from Gracie, like I usually do, I just asked her if we could give him a bath, since I was starting a load of her clothes at that moment. She surprised me when she told me we could. She then ran over to me, asked to be picked up, then dropped him into the washing machine! She ran back to her room and brought both of her "new" Cuddles' to me to be washed, too. :) She also tried to give me other random stuffed animals, but I explained that only the Cuddles' bunch needed a bath that morning.

5. Gracie has been singing her ABC's through "G" for a while now. "G" was kind of a good stopping point, since G is for Gracie. I've been working on the rest little by little. She surprised me this week by singing A-G, then Q-X, and Z! :) I love watching her learn and absorb information around her. I also love when she takes me off guard with what she's learned. It makes me feel like maybe I am doing something right!

Happy Thursday!

Day 290...

Catching Up...

Days 285 and 287...

Friday was spent preparing for Gracie's party! We also attended Kindermusik and met Sean for lunch since he was working close by! You know all about Saturday, but Sunday was a very relaxed day. I put off any real cleaning and enjoyed spending the day with Sean and Gracie. We took Gracie to Barnes and Noble to play at the train table while Sean looked for a book. I was very excited when I found two of the books from my "want to read" list on clearance! Instead of paying $26 for a hardcover book, I paid $7. It was great! :)

Day 288...

I don't think Gracie and I left the house at all on Monday. We (Mommy) needed to recover from our party weekend! We spent a lot of time playing in Gracie's room with some of her new toys. She especially enjoyed her new shape puzzle and her Dora the Explorer music book! She also grabbed her piano and played a little for me. :) As you can see, the ladybug tutu was also a hit!

Day 289...

Gracie woke up very early on Tuesday morning. It was somewhere around 5 o'clock when I heard her calling my name. She had not been sleeping well... Her allergies give her a nice cough at night, which makes it hard to rest well. We cuddled together on the couch for half an hour, then I scooped her up and she slept until 8:30. We went over to my mom's house for a yummy lunch of fresh fruit and quiche, followed by a homemade strawberry jello dessert! Ashley and Austin joined us, so Gracie was able to play with her little cousin while I chatted with my mom and sister. Later that afternoon, Gracie requested a "wagon ride", so she had her afternoon snack and juice while I pulled her around the neighborhood. It was a very nice day!

A Sweet Celebration...Part Three: Cutting the Cake and the After-Party

I wanted to add just a few more pictures from the party. Gracie was so cute when the crowd started singing Happy Birthday to her. She just kind of looked around like she was thinking, "Why are they all looking at me...", so sweet. Her daddy helped her blow out TWO candles and she really did give it all she had! I'm so proud of her. :)

Sean and I enjoyed helping Gracie open her presents. She received some adorable outfits, puzzles, some of our favorite books (and ones we've been checking out from the library for at least a year!), a few toys, and her first tricycle! I have to take a moment to tell you how much she loves this tricycle. She can just about push herself around, but Sean and I are still helping her get the hang of it. She's been taking some of her new stuffed animals for rides around the living room, too. :) This picture was taken yesterday.

After Gracie's party came to an end, Sean's mother, his two younger brothers, and their girlfriends stayed behind to spend some time with us. Gracie loved the "big" girls! She warmed up to them so easily and seemed genuinely sad when they had to leave. We sat outside and enjoyed the cooler evening, watched the boys wrestle in the backyard, and then all went out for dinner, happily leaving the mess from the party behind.

Ryan and his girlfriend, Bekah.

She is an Irish dancer and showed us part of a dance! It was so neat! What a talented, sweet girl! She was also so great with Gracie. :) You've got to love a girl who brings a smile to you child's face!

Gracie loved her new blue tutu (thanks, Bonnie!) and decided she needed a wardrobe change after her party. :)

Gracie loves Marley. She's been watching him grow in pictures for about 12 weeks and finally got to meet him! She was leaning in for a kiss in the photo below. :)

My little party princess...

I had so much fun watching Gracie at her party. There were times when she was in on all the action, and other times where she would quietly sit back and observe her family and friends. I don't know that she realized they were all there for her, but I hope she felt special on this day. She'll officially turn two on May 27th. We're planning something special for her on that day, and then hope to keep on celebrating right through Memorial Day weekend! I want her to know just how much it means to me that she's here, and I imagine that I will always have so much fun making a BIG deal over the BEST day of my life, the day that my little Grace was born!

A Sweet Celebration...Part Two

I woke up on the morning of Gracie's party with a big smile on my face and a little bounce in my step. It reminded me of the way I used to feel on the mornings of my own special events. Sean and I went in together to whisk Gracie out of her crib and inform her that this was the day, her special day. I'd been building up the excitement for days, telling her there would be balloons and cake, family and friends. I should note that, up until this point, I've been able to really separate Gracie's party from Gracie's actual birthday. Gracie was born on May 27th, so there is more celebrating to do in a couple of weeks, but I now realize that having her party early has helped keep all of the emotions in check and is giving me more time to look at her as my one year old baby...even though the song has been sung and she's blown out two candles.

Anyway, there were still errands to run and cleaning to do, but we started our morning by going out for breakfast. It was originally going to be a Daddy/Daughter breakfast, giving me time to sit in the house alone and stress get a few things done. Thankfully, they convinced me to join them, knowing that an hour away from the things I needed to get done would do much more for me, and them, in the long run. Once Gracie laid down for her morning nap, I was able to switch out of mommy mode and into that of party hostess. Sean started mopping floors, I blew up balloons and began preparing food. We also had three surprise guests arrive that morning from Virginia, easily a 4.5 hour drive. Sean's 18 year old brother, his girlfriend, and his new puppy, Marley, drove straight from their prom after-party to ensure that they made it to Gracie's party on time! They were able to get settled in upstairs and rest while Sean and I continued to get things, and ourselves, ready.

Gracie woke up in a terrific mood (thank goodness for a full two hour nap!) and just in time to greet some of our first guests, her cousins, Taylor and Madison, and her Aunt Jennifer. It only took seconds for the three girls to start playing together! The had fun tossing a few balloons in the air and catching them. The house quickly filled with the laughter of little girls and so it seems fitting to say that this is when the party began. :)

I love this shot of my birthday girl! She was mid-jump, and collided right with her balloon as it floated down to her.

I can't even add all the pictures that I would like to...I have lots. Sean's brother, Will, was more than happy to hang my camera around his neck, along with his own, and take pictures for me. He would be the good looking guy in the blue shirt in one of the pictures above, and the pretty girl with him is Erika, his girlfriend and prom date. :)

Oh, and did I mention it was HOT?? We tried to provide some shade by putting up our tent thingy (I don't know what it's called at the moment...) with chairs underneath and we set up Gracie's water table for some cool relief. There were lots of outdoor activities, but we also made sure there were things for the kids to do inside, too. We dodged the rain and gained a perfectly hot, sun-baking-down-on-you day!

I have one more birthday party post...there was sort of an "after-party" and I have pictures to share from Saturday evening, too. :)