Gracie Girl

My sunshine.  

Seriously, a ray of sunshine.

She has the most infectious smile!

I love this girl to pieces!  Literally, to pieces!

Joy!

She is full of joy!

and love!

Love!

Love her!

She snuggles almost underneath of me at night.

She's my cuddle bug.

So snugly!

She reminds me, "Mommy, I not your baby."

Nope, she's a big girl.

Independent.
My big girl.

But yet, such a Mommy's girl!

"Hold you, Mommy!"

"Come here, Sweetness."

To pieces.

I love her literally to pieces.

I really could squeeze her forever.

And kiss those cheeks off.

Most days, she lets me.

I told you, she's cuddly.

My happy princess.

Spunky.

Full of life.

Lives life out loud.

And does so loudly.
Sings just as loud!
"Mommy, don't sing! I sing myself."
"You sing beautifully, Princess."

but such a little Momma!

So caring, nurturing.

She reminds me, "It's okay, Mommy.  I right here, okay?"
As she gently rubs my back and plays with my hair.

"Okay, Love."

Tough.

"Mommy, I tough!"

"Yes, you are so tough, Baby."

Sweetness.
Simple sweetness.
Perfection.
So perfect.

Gracie Girl.

And THIS, is Baby Jesus...

I'm being realistic these days in my attempt to reenter the blogging world.

In doing so, I know chances are I will not do a throw back post about Christmas.

However, I can absolutely not allow this picture to never see the lights of The Blog.

Excuse the clarity, it was captured via the trusty iPhone. 

I caught a very precious moment between my two babies that made my heart literally over flow.

Tucker was using the play nativity to tell Gracie the story of Jesus's birth.

She was all ears.

Tea Time

Invitations compliments of Big Brother.

Hand delivered to all the big names in town.

Only the fanciest dress and accessories will do!

Of course Daddy was invited.

It really was quite a social affair.

Here, T-Rex, let me help you get a sip of that lovely tea.  After all, according to my dinosaur book, your arms are so short you can't even scratch your nose, let alone sip from a tea cup.

Yes, two cubes of sugar and just a little cream, please.

Daddy....

Tucker & Gracie are blessed beyond measure with an amazing Daddy.

He works hard. 

He plays with us hard. 

He reads the BEST bedtime stories.  

He's the best fort-builder.

He gives "scratchy kisses" (according to Gracie).

He makes the best eggs (according to Tucker).

He plays one awesome meat-eating dinosaur.

He can carry the most baby dolls.

He might not be good at putting a pony tail in, but he sure tries.

He paints little fingernails better than Mommy does.

If he is within 10 feet of a Nerf gun, you better run.

  He is the best hider at Hide-n-Seek.

He sings the loudest.

He dances with his princess AND his prince.

He's a committed coach.

He cheers almost as hard as Tucker for the Wildcats.

He makes a mean truck noise.

He always wins at memory.

He's the most creative sand castle builder.

He doesn't mind being completely buried in sand.

Or wearing pretend jewelry.

He is the best teeth-checker when it's time for brushing teeth before bed.

He loves unconditionally.

And I am even more blessed with an amazing best-friend that I am lucky enough to also call my husband

:)

More than Words....

Tucker is a 'words of affirmation' love language kiddo.  He LOVES to hear about how proud we are of him, what a great job he's doing, what an amazing big brother he is, how lucky he is, how smart he is, how caring he is, how much his baby sister loves him, how much daddy and mommy love him...

And he uses his words to confess such sweet things as well.  Seriously, his words can be the sweetest thing I have ever heard come out of a child's mouth (of course I'm just a tad bias ;)).  He must tell me a zillion times a day that he loves me.   Most recently, he has been saying something like this, "Mommy!  I love you more than ten forty eighty-nine million 500 thousand 13 BILLION {he will emphasize 'billion'} twenty-seven and nine semi-trucks stacked up on top of each other!  I love you BIGGER than that!"   Yes, melt me heart :).

However, within the past week he has started saying, "Mommy, I love you more than I can even put into words."  Yep, that sweet, loving, amazing boy loves his Momma (and his Daddy and little Sister).

And you better believe this Momma loves that boy right back.  

WAY more than I could ever put into words.

Making a Come Back!

Wow! It's been so long since I blogged that it *might* have taken me three attempts before I got my password correct... But, here's to a New Year (and to being inspired by a certain friend's recent blog-a-day-filled-with-way-sweet-pictures-of-her-kids-that-will-leave-you-wishing-you-had-better-photog-skills :)). 


There's no way I can fill in all the happenings that have been happening since last May (wow!), so let's just start with the present.

Okay, almost-present.... 

Here are my babies on Christmas Eve after the Christmas Eve service at church. 

Yeah, they've grown just a wee bit since May!

To catch you up a little, here are some things they are currently up to.

20 things Tucker (4 years, almost 3 months) is doing right now:

* writing his name and some other words independently

* playing dinosaurs all the time. He tells us which dinosaur we are and how we are to act out various scenerios.  He knows the names of about 12+ dinosaurs.  He is typically an Allosaurus and he will typically assign Daddy a Velociraptor, Gracie a Parasaurolophus, and me a Bronchiosaurus.  He wants him and Daddy to be the meat eaters and Gracie and I to be the plant eaters.

* He played on a t-ball team coached by Daddy this summer, soccer team this fall, and is now playing basketball (coached by Daddy). 

* Still LOVES his trucks.  Under his bed has become a huge parking lot for his collection.

* He enjoys adding and subtracting.  

* Loving KY Wildcats.  (And strongly disliking the "Dirty Birds" that are the Louisville Cardinals.)  He has recently asked us if we pray for Cardinal fans, and has even told Daddy he is "now a Louisville Cardinal fan" when he became upset with him.  

* Will negotiate like none other.....nothing's off limits.

* Plays really well with his sister, most of the time :).

* Has fallen in love with the movie Charlotte's Web.  He even reminds me every day to make sure I find someone who has a baby pig at their farm in the spring so he can visit.

* He loves to play games.  Some favs are Candy Land, Pop the Pig, Memory, and Uno Moo.

* His best friend right now is Josiah.  They are inseprateable at school.

* He asks some very deep questions about God and Heaven. 

* Says the sweetest prayers!

* Requests "Away in the Manger" be sang for his bedtime song.

* Has jammies on anytime he's home.

* Has recently gotten his long locks cut off.

* Sings the songs that Daddy plays on the box drum when he helps lead worship at church.  Some of his favorites are Ten Thousand Reasons, Cornerstone, and Whom Shall I Fear.

* Has spent the night at Memaw and Papa's without Mommy and Daddy.

* Will eat 1/2 dozen eggs in one setting.

* He tells me all the time, "I love you so much, I can't even tell you how much!"

20 things Gracie (2 years, 3 months) is doing right now:

*  Keeping us on our toes.  She is a busy girl!

* Talking up a storm. She's a fast talker and if you don't keep up, she'll just answer for you lol!

* Getting her last of 4 two-year old molars in.

* Keeping up with her big brother, and doing a dang good job!

* Enjoying her trampoline from Santa.

* Telling everyone what to do; she soooo enjoys being in charge!

* Keeping mama up several times a night nursing.

* Taking care of her babies - changing diapers all day long, rocking, nursing, feeding bottles, wearing them in her wrap and baby carrier...

* Cooking up a storm in her kitchen.

* Talking to everyone she meets.  She knows no stranger.

* Pushing trucks around with her big brother.  Have you met another 2 year old little girl that knows the name of every construction truck - excavator, dump truck, bulldozer, cement  mixer, back hoe...  She knows them all.

* Prays for all her friends, cousins, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and toys.  Ends every prayer with "in Jesus name, Amen!"

* Loves to watch Elmo Abc's on YouTube.

* Knows her ABC's and loves to sit and "write my letters" when her brother writes his letters.  

* Always wants to hear "Be Careful Little Eyes" for her bedtime song.

* Favorite books are Brown Bear, Brown Bear and Polar Bear, Polar Bear.

* LOVES her tutus and gymnastic outfits (wears all 4 of her gymnastic outfits at the.same.time).

* Took gymnastics last session and I really need to go ahead and sign her up again.  She loves it!

* Loves ice cream and chocolate.

* Puzzles, puzzles, and more puzzles.

Hopefully I'll be back more regularly!  Happy New Year yall!

BFF's

Tucker and Gracie adore each other.

Seriously.  ADORE each other.

Tucker says a million and one times a day, 

"I LOVE GRACIE TO THE MOON AND BACK!"

Don't get me wrong, they also love to pick on each other. 

Okay, I'll just come out and say it, "Yes, my kids fight from time to time."  

Hey, we're definitely normal around these parts lol!  (I mean, that is normal, right?!)

Anyway, nothing makes my heart smile more than their love for each other.  

When I was pregnant with Gracie, I prayed that she and Tucker would be best friends.

I have no idea what I would do without my sisters and brothers.  

There's definitely something to be said about having a best friend who you've know your entire life, who loves you unconditionally, had the same experiences that you did growing up, and kinda knows you better than you know yourself :).  

I prayed that my children would have that.

For their entire lives.

Well, they still have a lot of growing up together to do, 

but I'm pretty confident they've got the BFF part down :).

Playing with Mommy and Daddy's phones

Something's funny at breakfast!



Could Tucker be teaching Gracie to climb out??



Silly Faces!

BFF's!

Ready for the Derby!

Video watching

Reading books

Tea Time!

A little back rub :)

Mommy and Daddy's sweet, sweet babies!

Jennifer's Prom

Wes's youngest sister, Jennifer, went to prom this past weekend.

Of course, we headed to SF to see her all dressed up!

She TOTALLY rocked the leopard print tennis shoes to go with the leopard print on her dress!

Jenn & her date, Swann, an exchange student from France.

 She's as beautiful on the inside as she is on the outside :).

And, she has a personality as colorful as her dress!

Potty Learning!

Guess who has been potty learning???

This girl!

 Yep, about a week ago (right before she turned 19 months), she decided she had it with diapers.

Once she made the decision, there was no going back.

She has spent her days at home in big girl "undies" and when we go out she's in a pull up.

However, she has not went in a pull up one single time.  

She has used the potty at the zoo, Qdoba, the port-a-potties at the Balloon Glow, church, friends' houses....and she stays dry in between.  

I'm thinking we're going to take the next step and move into big girl undies all the time!  

Yeah, she's just too fabulous for diapers :).

Daddy's shoes and big girl undies!

In other news, this little potty-goer's brother has been teaming up with the boy next door to build rockets.

All boy.

Balloon Glow 2013

We went to the Balloon Glow for the first time ever.

It was awesome!  

Very cool to watch the hot air balloons inflated, and even cooler to watch them do so in unison at night!

A few pics:

 Gracie LOVED watching the balloons get "fired up".  She clapped and cheered.

 Mesmerized! Tucker also loved it.  On the way home, he asked Wes and  I what we thought was more awesome, the Balloon Glow or garbage trucks.  Yep, he's ALL boy!

 Daddy & Gracie were pretty mesmerized as well!

 We ran into a few friends there as well.

The Lawyer's, Blake, Katelyn & Tinley

 The Wade's, Matt, Danielle, Harrison & Harper

 Gracie sharing with Tinley

 "US!"

 A happy girl popping bubbles :).

On the way home tonight, I couldn't help but smile and feel so incredibly blessed.  Gracie was fast asleep.  Tucker was watching The Lion King.  Wes was singing along with the radio.  We had had a great time doing something new together.  This is the stuff that I look forward to doing with our family.  Making memories.  Big memories, but also small memories.  Just having fun.  Enjoying life.  Enjoying each other.  

I absolutely LOVE my sweet family!  Blessed.