A Veggie?

As we were getting ready for bed tonight, Gracie kept saying "I have a veggie!" Of course, I was in mission mode, so I just smiled and went along with my business. As the volume increased and her tone became more stearn, I finally noticed that she was tugging on her princess pull-up. Then it struck me. . .She had a WEGGIE!

Gratitude. . .

Christmas night often finds me exhausted and slightly confused. . .How did this most anticipated day slip by again without even noticing? I am not sure what was different this year, but I am sitting in front of the warm fire and twinkling Christmas tree with an unusual sense of ease. Yes, this year did rush by in a blur, but I think my focus was different. Having a two year old in the house at Christmas has been a wonderful gift, all alone. We have so enjoyed watching Gracie's excitement. She is consumed with Christmas. Not the presents, but the preparation. She sings Christmas carols non-stop. Several times, I have caught her standing in front of the tree admiring the ornaments or even wrapping up her cherished possessions to give to those she loves. I think it is amazing how a young child can grasp the true meaning of Christmas. Yes, we have read numerous books describing the birth of Jesus, but it goes much deeper. It is the reverent look she gets on her face when she sings Joy to the World or Away in the Manger. It is the loving way she asks to cuddle up with Brey and I while we watch Christmas movies. It is the desire to help with the little tasks. It is the willingness to give herself to make others happy. Basically, it is the unconscious gratitude for the blessings in our life. I pray that I might learn from this precious child and live in a state of unconscious gratitude. . .all year long. Now that's a gift!

A Christmas Version of I Corinthians 13

If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights and shiny balls, but do not show love to my family, I'm just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not share the true meaning of Christmas, I'm just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home and give all that I have to charity, but do not demonstrate kindness to strangers, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties and sing in the choir but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child. Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband. Love is kind, though harried and tired. Love doesn't envy another's home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens. Love doesn't yell at the kids to get out of the way, but is thankful they are there to be in the way. Love doesn't give only to those who are able to give in return but rejoices in giving to those who can't. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things. Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust, but giving the gift of love will endure. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

-Author Unknown

Christmas Carolling. . .

What a great experience. . .Today a few of my friends and I took the kids Christmas Carolling at a nearby nursing home. First off, the kids did great. As you can imagine, this was not their normal environment, but each one "sang" and then interacted so sweetly with the residents. Please join me in praying for those individuals that are alone this year; that they will know the love of Jesus and feel the peace and joy that only He can provide. I sincerely hope each person was blessed by our time together ~ I know I was!

A Christmas Miracle!

The boppy is gone!

Gracie has always called a soothie pacifier her boppy. We have been talking about the fact that she only had one left, and when it was gone ~ it was gone. Well, three nights ago we lost the lone survivor. I am sure it is still in the house (along with several others that we will find during our next move:)), but we have searched this place upside and down with no results. Thankfully, each "sleep" is getting a little easier. Funny how these milestones are as difficult for us. . .Brey just said "Who would of thought I would have been the last to hear that little 'squish, squish, squish'" It instantly made my eyes well up. So, we were supposed to take down the crib this weekend. . .maybe not.

Carcass, smarcass. . .

I feel so domestic ~ I have "picked", chopped and boiled my first CARCASS! I will admit that I was a bit overwhelmed by the thought, but it is actually really easy. . .and oh, the smells! I expect this will be the best bowl of soup I ever serve! For those of you that know me really well, you know I do not like to get dirty. I also do not care for leftovers. I think this will be my one exception. . .I'll keep you posted.

While I am typing this, Gracie is reading a children's Bible. She is in Revelation 20, where Satan is bound for 1000 years. She looked at the picture and asked "Do you like this one?" I told her that everything in the Bible is important, but some of it is not fun to read. She looked at the picture again (which IS really scary for toddler book) and replied "I don't like him, he's in a BAAAAD way. . ." Yes, my love, Satan is in a bad way. Praise God we're not going with him!

Picture Perfect. . .

The Rockwell is complete! Daddy arrived home safely last night with a bag full of Slovenian goodies:) Today, a beautiful Colorado day, was spent shopping with Amma on the Southlands Main Street (which was decorated with Norman Rockwell Christmas scenes). Tonight. . .the icing on the cake! For our 13th anniversary, we all cuddled up on the couch to watch the Denver Symphony Orchestra's performance with the Children's Choir! It was perfect~ beautiful tree sparkling next to the "roaring" fire, my precious family and songs about Jesus. . .what more could I ask for? I will say, one of our favorite moments was the reading of Twas The Night Before Christmas. There were bells and drums and Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies all capped off with CAPTAIN STUBING (yes, from the Love Boat) reading the story from a beautifully illustrated copy of the children's book. O.k., I will admit, it was a bit odd in the beginning, but once he got going, it was amazing! I hope you all find a Rockwell moment with your families this year. May your homes be full of thanksgiving and love for one another. . .What a perfect way to honor Christ!

MERRY CHRISTMAS???

Well, according to the Advent Calender. . .It's Christmas!

I was on the phone this morning when Gracie came in holding up the calender. She proudly said "I ate them all!" I guess she could read the look on my face ~ so, with a huge smile and a little rub of her belly, she followed it up with "There's a party in my tummy!" I think she has realized a comic relief helps avoids punishment. . .I hope her future teachers think she is as cute as I do!

The Christmas Spirit. . .

We have clay-mation movies, cookie exchange snacks and a fully decorated house. I would say this is a pretty great way to spend an evening with my precious baby. We will watch Rudolph, read a few Christmas books, "untie the bow", "open the door" and enjoy this blessed season ~ all we are missing is Daddy. Not long now. . .I can't wait for him to get home so we can enjoy this together. Saturday night we will continue the ornament exchange tradition (it is the anniversary of when we met), and then have a Christmas gathering with our small group on Sunday. I am so excited to get the presents wrapped and put under the tree; I think it will take the excitement to a new level! She is completely enamored with the "village". She just stands in front of it as she carefully examines each piece. We are still singing Christmas Carols 24/7. She evens makes up some of her own:) I love that she loves what we love! May you have a peaceful, loving night, too.

A passing grade. . .

PLOWING 101: COMPLETED!

NEXT CLASS: SHOVELING. . .

Obviously, I could not find anyone to dig me out today. It took just over 2 hours to plow. Poor baby Gracie ~ she sat strapped in her car seat and watched movies in my car the entire time. She is a champion! I loathe the thought of shoveling the deck and front walk. We got at least 6 inches of actual snow, but the drifting makes certain spots over a foot deep! I guess I will tackle that during nap time. . .Boy, do I appreciate my husband right now:)

Army wife moment. . .

Every Army wife knows that when the guys are away ~ havoc will play! We are expecting about a foot of snow tonight:) so, I while I made a quick phone call to find someone to plow our driveway (since I have not taken Plow 101) Gracie worked diligently on her latest art project. As I hung up the phone, she said "Look at my bruises, Momma!" Of course it instantly got my attention. . .then there was the "you've got to be kidding me" rise in pressure, followed by the smile that you can't hold back no matter how hard you try. We both started laughing while I was trying to discipline her, so I just gave up and decided to take some photos ~ enjoy! Thank goodness this is a really short trip! And now, we are off to the tub. . .

Hmmm?

Any guesses?

Obviously, little one was a bit wound up tonight. . .First thing she did after we came home this evening was head upstairs. I asked her what she was doing and she said she needed to get some things for Frosty to go ice-skating. Knowing my child, I should have asked a follow-up question. A few minutes later I found her in the kitchen with the dancing Frosty. They were both wearing diapers on their heads and "skating" around on the hard woods. I am so sorry my video port is broken ~ it was classic! In the picture she has tucked herself in to "bed" next to Frosty (he is on the blue base in the background). Yes, her covers are an oriental rug, and yes, she is wearing a second pull up ~ on the outside! I guess this is what you get after an afternoon with grandparents!

PAM. . .

I love having a live Christmas tree. I wait for this day all year! I love to see it standing there in all of its majesty with that amazing smell filling the house. I love (watching Brey) put the lights on the tree while we listen to Christmas music and drink eggnog. And then, then final, crowning moment. . .the angel is placed on the top and the lights go on! I will never outgrow this event! Obviously, Gracie can feel my excitement, which makes her anticipation palpable:) When Brey brought the tree home earlier this week, she could hardly contain herself. She came running out of the garage shouting "MY VERY FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE!" True, this is her third Christmas, but we were in Alabama last year and did not really decorate. So, technically, this is the first big tree she has known. I hope "that moment" is as special for her as it is for me ~ I will certainly be ready, with camera in hand! The real reason for this post is not to show a photo or tell a cute story, but to share a miracle. . .Pine sap drives me nuts. I don't know why, but I am the only one it attacks in our family. So tonight I was ready to fight back. The trusty Internet taught me that PAM cooking spray removes sap in seconds! No scrubbing or burning. No sticky mess for days. 10 seconds and voila! Hope this tip can help you, too!

Prayer 101

This morning I asked Gracie to say the blessing for our breakfast. After three attempts (due to television interference) I finally told her that we need to pay attention and not watch t.v. when we talk to Jesus. She started again with the standard "Lord Jesus, thank you for my food, please keep my Daddy safe." When she was finished, I told her how nice that was and she replied, "But I am REALLY thankful for my t.v.!" I guess we need to review Prayer 101 ~ I think we missed something. . .

Translation. . .

When I say "boo-la-la-laaaa", you say "ah"! O.k., it has taken a few days, but I have finally figured it out. . .Last week Daddy jumped out and scared Gracie and she thought it was the funniest thing ever. They continued doing the routine throughout the evening, but it that was it. Early this week she started saying "boo-la-la-laaaa" all of the time. I assumed it was something she picked up from a friend, until she added the "you say, AH!" (with a really funny, fake scared look:)). So, come to find out, she is actually saying is "Boogie, Boogie, Boogie" and then responding to herself with a loud "AHHHH!" I should have to pay for entertainment this good ~ oh, let's be honest, I do pay. . .(and pay and pay)!

The Big Girl Bed. . .

So, the big girl bed is actually going really well. She has enjoyed the extra space, and more so the independence. Brey and I have found ourselves laughing a lot lately:) The first morning we heard a knock on our door followed by "I awake!" That little ritual has continued, however, last night it came at 4:00a.m. So now we have a new "first" to add to the list ~ she crawled into our bed, snuggled up tight and slept soundly until 6:30a.m. When Daddy came to tell us good-bye she was sprawled out across my stomach ~ oh how it reminded me of her first days when she would only sleep if I was holding her:) Last night Brey and I had a late dinner. After she was tucked into bed, we sat down to eat. Even before we could pray she shouted "Are you eating steak?" (She is definitely our child:)) After several questions I finally told her we were trying to pray so we could eat. A moment later we heard her shouting the dinner prayer from her bedroom. I know this blog will never do that moment justice, but it was absolutely priceless. Another funny thing she has started to do is to get up a few minutes after I leave the room, turn on the light, pile a huge stack of books into her bed and read to her "guys". It is classic listening to her make up stories (quite similar to the originals) and explain what is going on to different stuffed animals. Last night this went on for over 20 minutes and only came to an end because of an intervention. She understands the freedom, but fortunately not taking advantage of it. We have both just stood over her bed in amazement ~ it is really surreal to look at her and see a big girl, not a baby. Seriously. . .when did this happen?

So far so good. . .

HUGE MILESTONE ~ Gracie is actually asleep in her Big Girl Bed! Last night she asked if she could sleep in her twin size bed, so today we bought a "fence" for the edge and got it all set up after Daddy arrived home from drill. She lined up her "guys" along the edge and tucked snow lepy and "the LaLas" under the covers. She read them books and sang songs and then we practiced turning out the lights (which did not go well). Then Daddy asked if SHE wanted to sleep there tonight. . .So, we did the usual routine (except with the light on:)) and then I left the room ~ no crying, no fighting, no fear! We bantered back and forth with "I love you" 's and a few questions about what I was doing, followed by a "thank you for my new bed" and "thank you for leaving the light on" (yes, I feel like a Motel 6) and then silence. . .I am so proud of her for making this transition. She actually asked me to take these pictures. . .what have I done to this poor child? Doesn't she looks like such a big girl ?

Final thought ~ the crib stays, for now. I can barely stomach the thought of taking it down, at least without tears welling up. I loved planning the nursery. Every detail was a labor of love which allowed us to bond before her arrival. I remember bringing her home from the hospital and sitting in the the rocking chair while Brey got us settled in. I slept in the nursery with her for months to "make things easier for Daddy" (yeah, right!) and now it is the place WE go for "private time". I guess my fear is that it will soon be the place SHE goes for private time. I am painfully aware the clock is ticking, so I pray that I will cherish each minute of this season and not take one moment of being her "best friend" for granted. I love you dearly, Amazing Grace!

Baby Ballerina. . .

How thankful I am for a day of rest! This has been a really busy week. . .

Gracie's best friends, Amber and Trinity, were with us this week. The girls have had a ball (and I am still standing:)). The first thing Gracie says each morning is "when are MY girls getting here?" It is so sweet to see her forming relationships at such a young age. She has learned a ton from them, too. Interestingly enough, I have seen a totally different side of my child. I think she has a bit of "Class Clown" in her. She loves to make the girls laugh. I will admit a few of her tricks have made me worry about how she will be in school, but hopefully pulling her pants down won't be funny then!!!

Saturday brought more excitement, as she spent the day with Amma and Poppy. Amma took her to her first Craft Sale. Of course, she came home with a stack of loot, but one thing has really captured her heart. Amma got her a hot pink tutu! If it were me, we would have worn it with a tee-shirt, but because it was Amma, they also got a leotard, pair of tights and "ballet" slippers. She has only taken them off to sleep and go to church! It is really amazing to watch her dance. She only knows the first three positions, how to do a pirouette, plié, and an arabesque, but hey, she is only two! So here is the first of many photos of my baby ballerina. . .



Gracie and her new best friend (Poppy's Bear). . .


By the way, great news ~ the doctor called early last week to let us know all of her test results came back totally normal! Brey told her the doctor said she was all better and guess what? No more complaints!!! It has been 5 peaceful nights! Praise God! I hate to think it was just manipulation, but on the other hand, I am so glad it was JUST manipulation! Thanks for your prayers. . .

China?

We were all playing store tonight before bath and bedtime. Gracie was being very silly and animated when Daddy asked her "Where do you get your facial expressions?" In the most serious way, she replied "From China." We both fell out laughing which made her want to re-inact the scene at least 20 more times. She would say "now you say from China" and then have a fake laughing fit while she threw her head back and covered her mouth with her hands. Ofcourse this would make Brey and I start laughing all over again! Oh, the simple joy of this precious child. . .thanks for some much needed laughter, little one!

My little princess. . .

What a day! We started with a 9:30am doctor visit to re-check her back and then proceeded to the hospital for x-rays and blood work. . .all I can say is that she did WAY better than Momma! We met dad for lunch on his way home from the airport and she was so happy to see him ~ she jumped out of our booth and ran to him and then sat in his lap the entire lunch! We finally made it back to the house for a short nap and "princess prep" only to run out the door again to the Fall Festival. What a great time! On the way home we stopped by the neighbor's house for Trick-or-Treating and now we are burning off the "sugar high" while trying to convince her it's bedtime. . .thank goodness Halloween only comes around once a year!

My Beautiful Cinderella!

Daddy's first glimpse. . .

Cinderella's "grand" arrival in the horse drawn carriage. . .(and NO, that is not Brey driving!)

Her favorite game of the night. . .

Shootin' hoops. . .

Toddler's and Darts????

Gracie and her best friends, Amber and Trinity!

Group hug. . .

Daddy and Gracie's masterpiece. . .

Can anyone say SUGAR HIGH?

Don't even think about taking my candy!

A visit to the North Pole!

What a perfect way to start the holiday season ~ a visit to Santa! Gracie has been so excited that she could not even sleep! She has been scouring the catalogs for the perfect gift and was ready to tell Santa. She bravely went in to talk to him (with Daddy right by her side) and actually began to speak! First she asked if he had a dog (which he does!) and finally she announced that she would like the dollhouse that comes with the car and puppy. He smiled, she stared and when we asked her to take a picture she lost it! I guess we should just focus on the progress. . .We did have a great time and she had a ball shopping in the Santa's Workshop and riding the "big kid" rides with Daddy. Mommy, on the other hand, stood on the side lines holding my breath :) Here are a ton of pictures for those of you that live to far away to visit Santa's Workshop.

Over the river and through the woods. . .

Houston, we have a problem. . ."I don't WANT to get out of my rocket!"

Flyin' high. . .

"THE" Reindeer!

Santa's House. . .

The mailbox where all of the children's letters are delivered!

Amma can hardly wait to pick out what she wants. . .

The "Little Girl's Workshop"!

Santa's Church

The explaination. . .

Can anyone say TIME OF YOUR LIFE?

Nothing beats the carosel ~ expect a ride on Rudolph!

What is that?

"Actual" North Pole ice!

What can I say. . .Fall has been very busy! What an amazing season in Colorado. The weather has been perfect (until this week ~ we got our first cold snap/snow) which made the changing leaves even more breath-taking! How blessed we are to live in a place where God is everywhere you look! We had a ball on our trip to the Colorado Wine Country with Papa, Grammy and Aunt Lindsey. Who knew a two year old could be so much fun? I will post pictures of our trip soon. Last weekend we celebrated a "major" accomplishment. . . After exactly 8 years from his original "below the board" promotion, Brey finally pinned on his oak leaf! With help from Jeff and Lisa, Gracie and I surprised Daddy at the promotion ceremony at Fort Carson. What an awesome event ~ we are so proud of him! The following day took us to Wyoming (almost:)) to a Pumpkin Patch with our Life Group. We had a great time with friends, but Gracie is still saying "Daddy won't jump out of the corn and scare ME." I think she just has to reassure herself from time to time:) It is fair to say, the big boys had more fun than the babes! Overall it was a great day, save the flies in our cotton candy! UGH! I am so thrilled to report, after 2 3/4 years, Gracie has experienced Cracker Barrel! I can't imagine what Disney will be like if she was that overwhelmed in "the country store". On the down side, we are still struggling with "back pain". The doctor has no idea what is causing it and said it is a very unusual complaint at this age. It only happens in her car seat and right after she has fallen asleep. So strange. Otherwise, she is going a mile a minute. I caught her reading books to her "guys" today. I thought I would fall over laughing. She knew all of the character's lines and where she was in the plot. Her facial expressions and inflection were priceless. I promise to try to get some video. . .but until then here are a few of the photos from the Pumpkin Patch.

Consequences. . .

Well, today we learned about consequences. It was time to go upstairs for a nap but she did not want to oblige. I told her she had three seconds to start moving "or else" no book. This has worked EVERY time for the last 6 months. Several minutes later she finally made her way upstairs and I explained that there would be no story today. Instant tears, followed by at least 100 "I'm sorry Momma" 's. It completely broke my heart to not be able to read her a story. I told her she was forgiven and that Momma had to keep her promise so she knew she could always trust me. More "I'm sorry" 's followed by lots of hugs and kisses. So now she is upstairs sleeping peacefully and I am completely guilt-ridden. I know it had to be done, but man, this is way more difficult than I imagined. Go figure, it really does hurt the Momma more than the child. . .

Track star. . .

Gracie LOVES to run (still). . .right now they are outside doing "time trials". Of course she is wearing her Dora jammies, a pink down coat and her glass slippers, but she is fast! Daddy asked her if she was going to run with him and do races for her school when she got bigger. Her face lit up, so he added "I will teach you to be a good runner!" and she replied "Teach me now!" So, now they are practicing starting positions and trying to beat her best time. . .I think they have been outside almost all day ~ oh how I, I mean she, loves her time with Daddy!

Sappy?

Where does she come up with this stuff? This morning she came over to me and said in a sweet, soft voice "Momma, I care for you, forever. It makes my heart sappy!" I tried to respond with a straight face, but seriously. . .she is so precious!

On a sad note, the puppies are gone:( They have moved to their "forever" homes. . . We are so blessed to have Claire for a neighbor. What a wonderful experience to watch these babies grow. I don't know who misses them more ~ me or Gracie (definitely not Miss Claire!). I kept asking her if it would be hard to let them go and she kept saying "no". I now understand ~ they were certainly a full time job! So here are a few of the photos from this week. . .

(Ugh! for some reason they will not upload. . .stay tuned!)

Love languages. . .

Do you know what your love language is? Acts of service, words of affirmation, touch, gifts or quality time. . .I have decided that these are taught by our parents (and grandparents in Gracie's case. . .). Personally, I am words of affirmation; I believe this is because my family is very supportive (and verbal:)). Brey is Acts of Service; his mother was constantly doing things to show her love. . .cooking his favorite foods, washing/ironing/cleaning, reading or teaching him. They say a child needs all of the languages and does not develop a primary category until age five. I guess Gracie has developed here like she did with her vocabulary ~ way ahead of schedule! She is defiantly gifts! She loves to be surprised with a new little trinket. After coming home from a recent trip with her grandparents (she was loaded down with new "stuff" she convinced them she "needed") she commented they "really love me!" Of course I quickly explained that they really do love her, but not because of the "stuff". We are so grateful for the gifts, but more so the unconditional love. So what triggered this post? Gracie is blindfolding me and saying "Don't you peek!" and then saying "Surprise!". She is tickled when I open my eyes and see what she is holding. So amazing to watch her come in to her own. . .



Here is a link to the Love Languages quiz. So interresting. . .It really helped me understand Brey ~ even after many years of marriage! http://www.fivelovelanguages.com/

Cinderella gone bad. . .

Gracie is consumed with Sherella (Cinderella). We have everything Cinderella ~ shirts, jammies, towels, balls, colors, books, movies, and even the ballgown, glass slippers and crown that she will wear for Halloween. I think I've already posted about a Princess movie she watches with Daddy while I am at Bible Study. So, she just woke up from her nap and was very excited to try one of the bread pudding muffins we made and watch a little t.v. She asked to watch Cinderella and so I turned on "A Twist in Time: Cinderella 3". She watched few minutes close to the end and then it turned ugly! Her precious little face went blank and then her eyes got really big. I was trying not to laugh when she said "This is so bad, I can't stand it!" I wish I could tell you I said something comforting. . .I will say that I promptly changed the channel to something safe and then had to walk away. Her expression was priceless! Hopefully she won't be permanently scarred by this movie. . .

Well, we have both recovered and she is draped across my legs as I type, repeating "You make the best cupcakes ever!" I will say this new recipe is a very yummy way to use up bread that is about to go bad, and not to mention a much healthier alternative than its frosted counterpart! Here is the recipe if you want to give them a try. . .

BREAD PUDDING MUFFINS

Ingredients:
1-1/4 cups reduced-fat (2%) milk
1/2 cup cholesterol-free egg substitute
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)*
4 cups 1/2-inch cinnamon or cinnamon-raisin bread cubes (about 6 bread slices)*
1 tablespoon margarine or butter, melted

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 12 medium-size muffin cups with paper liners.
2. Combine milk, egg substitute, sugar, vanilla, salt and nutmeg, if desired, in medium bowl; mix well. Add bread; mix until well moistened. Let stand at room temperature 15 minutes.
3. Spoon bread mixture evenly into prepared cups; drizzle evenly with margarine.
4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until snacks are puffed and golden brown. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.
Note: Snacks will puff up in the oven and fall slightly upon cooling.

*I ACTUALLY USED 8 SLICES OF WHITE BREAD AND ADDED RAISINS AND DRIED CRANBERRIES AND CINNAMON. I ALSO LET THE FRUIT SOAK FOR 15-20 MINUTES IN THE LIQUID MIXTURE BEFORE COMBINING WITH THE BREAD. ENJOY!

Gracisms. . .

We have been extra busy this past month but that has not slowed Gracie down one bit. Here are a few of the funny things she has said. . .

1. "Mommy, are you going to pinch your hair?" This is what she calls it when I straighten my hair.

2. Gracie: "Amma, I had the hick-ups this morning." Amma: "Really? What did you do to get rid of them?" Gracie: "I just Hicked!"

3. "You PRECIATE coming to my house." What she told my friend when she was leaving our home. I think (hope) she meant "I appreciate you coming to my house."

4. Whenever she talks about something that has already happened, she begins with "Last morning. . ."

5. As I was getting ready for the house cleaning, I came across several coloring sheets from this week's Sunday School. Most only had one streak of color on the entire page ~ she is definitely a "less is more" kind of girl:) Anyway, these somehow "accidentally" ended up in the trash. She went over to throw away something and was devastated when she opened up the lid. . ."Oh no!" was the first response, which was followed by sulking. I told her that it must have been an accident. She kept apologizing and I continued to tell her that it was not her fault. A few minutes later she walks over to me and says " Momma, I so sorry. . .FOR YOU!" Obviously she was not buying the "accident" part. I guess it was a good lesson on accountability ~ for me!

6. She is so excited to start school. We have a fabulous Charter School across the street from our neighborhood that she will start in 2010! Every time we pass the school she says "Look Momma, it's my school. . .Academy A-LOG-A-SEE!" The reason we love this so much is because the school is actually called Legacy Academy! So cute:) even though I am already dreading the day she starts. . .

7. She loves ADVERBS! "Actually" has become one of her favorite words. It always makes me smile to hear her compose such complex thoughts and sentences. It must be in her genes. . .(Thanks be to Meme!).

8. She loves to be outside with Daddy (let's be honest, she just loves to be with Daddy, period) to help him work on whatever project he is doing. She helps him work on the ATV, water the garden, pick veggies or plums, feed the neighbors horse, or anything else he comes up with. Last week they were outside letting the dogs run when she yelled out "Beaux, get over here, your frustrating me!" Funny to you, not so funny to me ~ I know exactly where she learned this verbiage. I guess I need to go back and review some of the original posts when I promised to be a little less dramatic!

9. We were talking about Daddy coming home from work when she said "You have to go to your meeting." I said "I'm not going anywhere tonight" and she replied "But you have to!" Every Tuesday I have Bible Study so she gets to have special time with Daddy and obviously she loves every second of it! Sad part for me is it is only Thursday. . .

10. Gracie had an awesome time with Grammy, Papa and Lindsey during her recent spend the night. They let her sleep in a big girl bed that they made just for her (she made for about an hour), they went shopping and to the zoo. She had so much fun, so here are a few pictures from her vacation. . .