'Round Here

Last weekend was full of friends and family - the best kind of weekend, really. There have been lots of happenin's 'round here. Our best friends are moving to Little Rock this week. (sniff, sniff, tear!) Father's Day was delightful. Sweet Grandma Betty had major back surgery. We are praying for her.

Let me tell you a little story. Once upon a time, three girls who did not know each other went to college in the land of Jayhawks. Unbeknownst to each of them, they joined the same wise sorority. In the short four years they shared together, they became dear dear friends and through date parties and sharing makeup and drinking beer and weddings and babies and long distance, are still to this day. We shared dinner together on Saturday night. Boge drove down all by her little self from Lawrence leaving her two babies and hubby behind to surprise Pinky. In her words, "Reunited and it feels so good!" My goodness it had been months and months since the three of us were together! It was particularly good being together, albeit too short, since Pinky is headed down South for a year. My heart is heavy with her impending move, but I am so thankful we are a) friends b) will forever be friends c) have had sugar & egg time in the same city d) only having to endure this separation 12 months.

We celebrated Father's Day on Sunday with a delicious meal on Sunday at my folks' house. If I tell you what we had you might drool on your keyboard, so just be prepared that that might happen. Raspberry salsa dip with blue chips, veggies and dip, bloody marys, mashed potatoes, Pennsylvania cheese grits, barbeque brisket, baked squash & zucchini, sweet corn, fresh fruit, strawberry pretzel salad, three been salad, bread & butter, Texas sheet cake, vanilla custard, and lemon cheesecake topped with fresh fruit. Oh my, I guess we sound like gluttons! It was magnificent. It was good to be with so many fathers whom I love, especially my own. Melts my heart to see my own daughter spend time with her Grampy. And of course to see her with her own daddy!

Grandma Betty had back surgery Tuesday and is recovering well. We visited her today at the hospital. This precious picture was taken on Sunday:

Susan is Sweet Sixty

We threw a swingin' surprise 60th birthday party for Carl's mom at the beginning of June. It was a theme party so there were some groovy threads there for sure. Most notable being Carl's stepdad Don, who donned his very own psychedelic shirt from the era! The party was all his idea and sweet Susan was blown away. Such fun memories.

Being a kid...

There is something magical about being a kid. Why do we clutter our lives with so much "stuff," when really it's the simple things that truly matter? For example:

The look on Gracie's face as she floats in the cold pool water for the first time, realizing that she's floating on her own, with mommy right there, scared to death, and yet extremely excited at the same time!

Going through a tunnel becomes a party! Windows down, daddy honking the S-O-U-T-H-E-A-S-T! high school chant, and the passing from darkness into light. As soon as we were through it, Gracie goes, "Mah, mah, mah!" (more, more more.)

Driving up to a frozen yogurt place, "Ice seem, ice seem!" She screams, we all scream, it's such a simple pleasure and favorite pastime.

Eating breakfast on a Saturday: scrambled eggs, sausage patties, crispy waffles - Grace looks at her plate and happily stabs a bite of syrupy drizzled waffle, "I do, waffie!" and promptly gobbles it up.

Any time we pass any kind of body of water, "guckie, guckie!" This girl is obsessed with ducks! We've had a fun spring and summer searching for ducks whenever we're out on walks or bike rides.

The joy of slides and swings. "Phing, phing, slide, slide!" With a new playset as one of her second birthday gifts, Gracie loves the wind in her hair via high flying swing or speedy slide.

"Goggie, goggie!" Dogs excite her so much - she would like everyone she meets to be her friend.

Walk or bike ride? "Biiike!" Thankfully the spill she took hasn't deterred her from loving bikes!

Coloring! It is such a joy for me as a mom to post her latest artworks on display.

Our little hoot turns 2!

Gracie turned two on May 26th! It's been a whirlwind - we celebrated four birthdays within a week's time. So so fun, but so busy!

Here are a few pictures to capture her special day. On her actual birthday, we had a low key dinner at our house with Nana & Grampy. Grace had been sick that week and wasn't quite feeling herself. But the Elmo potty book we gave her got a smile!

On Saturday the 28th we hosted a little gathering for friends and family. We are certainly blessed!

One of her favorite gifts was from her Uncle Steve, Aunt Sarah, and cousin Evy: her very own camera. She goes around with it everywhere shouting, "Cammy! Cheese!!"

We had her two year check up last week, and aside from being very very timid at the doctor's office, she is growing very well and the doc says she's perfectly healthy! She is in the 80 percentile for her weight, and 55 percentile for her height.

She loves to scribble, play, dote on her baby dolls, entertain and be entertained by our dogs, try keys in doors, smear on chapstick ("kick"), tote a purse everywhere, and we are just getting our feet wet now that it's summer. The pool looks to be a fun pastime! When we drive past Great Grandma & Grandpa's house, she always says "Gamma" and same goes for Mimi & Papa's or Nana & Grampy's. She also knows when we are about five houses from home.

Her little mind never ceases to amaze us. Just over the weekend we were in the middle of fixing breakfast and she surprised me with her first unprompted "I love you." Melt my heart! I need to remember that moment any time the terrible twos creep in! She's figured out the birthday song and birthday cake, and her famous line is "Happy to you." Happy two, to you, Gracie!