pumpkins and cookies

We carved pumpkins this week and Gracie loved helping Mommy. She kept taking the lid off and walking around with it. Even tonight when they were lit she wanted to take the lid off and look inside. She thought it was pretty neat that we were pulling weird stuff out of the pumpkin.

We were invited to a neighbor's house for dinner tonight. I was told that they didn't ask the new neighbors to bring anything, but I decided to take cookies. I bought cute halloween cookies that are already in shapes (ghost, cats, pumpkins and bones) and there was a lot of extra dough from in between the shapes. I decided to use the extra dough to make a treat for Gracie...and because apparently I have too much time on my hands =) Gracie got to eat the duck and heart after her nap this afternoon and ate the letter "r" tonight instead of candy.

I waited until it was too dark to take pictures of the pumpkins. I have a picture of Gracie and Jason sitting beside the pumpkins, but since I turned my flash off they are hidden in the night =) I think it's fun carving pumpkins...maybe one day Gracie will think it's fun stuff too!

We decided not to take Gracie out tonight after we got home from dinner. We thought it might be a little funny and obvious who the candy was for having two parents to walk around with a 21 month old who can't even say "trick-or-treat". She doesn't seem to understand or care at this point and we were ready to come in anyway. She just knows it's fun to put on her costume. Gracie had fun playing at the neighbor's house and even jumped on a big kid trampoline for a few minutes (I heard she had a tight grip on Jason's finger, who was standing right beside her but on the ground, the whole time she jumped). There were tons of Indians, two Spider Men and a Princess...and a Pink Poodle of course. We didn't get any pictures of Gracie tonight, but I think over the weekend we got plenty! Once we got home a few trick-or-treaters came by. Gracie got scared by a big kid and wouldn't stop crying. I think maybe that's when she got a cookie =) She stayed up until around 8:30 tonight and was so pooped. Hopefully the time change this weekend won't be too bad on any of us!

Sunday afternoon pics

Gracie is such a champ going up and down her slide by herself. She gets very proud when she gets to the top and sits for a few seconds before she slides down. She is totally obsessed with her lawn mower this week. This was Sunday after her nap and she walked around the yard for a long time just pushing the mower...it's out of bubbles, but she still enjoys it. She even pushed it later that afternoon when she had on the poodle costume!
She's just so cute! Gracie put her costume on when Bill and Suzanne were over Sunday afternoon. Bill didn't get to go to the Fall Festival, so Gracie turned into a poodle again to show off for Grandaddy. She had a blast and loved having it on.
Gracie loves her pumpkins and now wants them by the slide every time we go out.

Fall Festival

Gracie practicing being a poodle!Cinderella and "Fi Fi" on the carousel.

What a fun night we had! I'm glad Gracie gets to wear this costume again on Wednesday, because I didn't do a very good job getting a picture of her by herself. She had a blast playing with Claire Ellen and riding the carousel with her. Gracie walked around with us for a while and then she spent some time with Gran while mommy and daddy worked at the Titanic Slide (which by the way was the biggest inflatable thing there!!). I wish I had a picture, but I didn’t get one. Jason sat at the top and directed the kids down either side of the sinking ship. I stood at the bottom and told the kids when they could start the long, steep, dark climb up to the top. I think Jason got a little bored at the top, but we were glad to volunteer for a bit. Gracie enjoyed the blue grass music that was outside. She would start dancing every time she heard the band start up. Gracie ate lots of popcorn and cotton candy (she crashed once we finally got home and hopefully she’ll sleep in in the morning).

Noah's visit

The Bratcher's were in Birmingham a few weeks ago and we all had a great visit. I've posted a slide show with pictures of Noah and Gracie from the weekend. We went to the pumpkin patch with them, but Gracie was tired and hungry, so she didn't get any good pics (well, funny ones, but nothing I would print =)). We said we would go back with Gracie, but time has flown by once again and I'm not sure we'll make it back out there. Tonight is the Fall Festival at Dawson and Gracie is going as a pink poodle (thank you Old Navy for last minute sales) and I'm sure we'll get some great pictures there. If she's up for it after her nap we might have a little photo shoot on the front porch with our two pumpkins. So, check back later in the weekend for new pics. Back to Noah's visit...Gracie did well with Noah overall, but she had her moments of "this kid is staying? and now he's playing with all of MY toys!". She has settled down with the word "mine" and I'm thankful for that. Gracie did a lot of petting Noah's head, hugging him, sticking his pacifier in his mouth, and even trying to feed him goldfish! I can't wait to see these two at Christmas!



In other news...Jason has made the switch over to ERA Oxford and we're really excited about the new opportunities that will bring for him. Jason and his parents are working on their first "flip" and that is going well. If anyone wants to buy an updated, cute house in Homewood let us know =)

Gracie days

Gracie loves coloring these days! Big Thanks to Publix for coloring books and crayons when we go shopping. We've let out the hem from last year's dress and are sending it to Grandmother's to get a new hem, but Gracie just can't wait! She tries on the dress at least once a day and this morning it was with a pair of my shoes (and her pj's)!!

This is a cute video of Gracie from yesterday. She had just finished having a fit and composed herself nicely, but she didn't seem to want to talk...I finally got a couple of words out of her. Her vocabulary is really growing and it amazes me! Now, if we can just get that thing out of her mouth!

ROLL TIDE!!!!

Gracie loves wearing Mommy's shoes! She's very talented walking in them as well.
This was at the end of Gracie's play date today. Most of the kids had gone home already, but we were still chatting with John Michael and Claire Ellen.
We LOVE this weather! She loves being a big girl and pushing her bike around!

fall shoes

Gracie got two new pair of Fall shoes yesterday (Thanks Gran and Grandaddy!) and was eager to try them on today. Gracie is sporting a very cute dress that Leslie Ellis made her earlier this year. We went to the Hoover library with some friends (Melissa, Allie and Kyle Sanderson) this morning for story time and then to the mall for lunch and a carousel ride. Gracie and Allie had a great time together. They even held hands for a bit while walking through the mall.

more new pics

Gran teaching Gracie how to ride a bike (Gran's bike). They had a blast!
Gracie just being cute!
Gracie and Grandaddy. Bill is doing much better and has even gone back to work a little. Gracie loves sitting with Bill in the chair. Continue to pray for Bill as he recovers. He's doing physical therapy now, but is still not able to put weight on his right leg.
Gracie's favorite meal is breakfast by far. She loves eating mini pancakes (anywhere from 9-13 of them!!) and likes to finish off the meal with yogurt or fruit. She's getting so good at eating with her fork and spoon. She would rather feed herself than us feed her. It takes a little longer that way, but I'm glad she's learning (and it's easier to eat with her if I don't have to spoon feed her everything).

We had another accident in the family this week. My mom was in a car accident on Tuesday morning. She was taken to the ER, but is ok. She has some bruising and soreness in her chest and right arm, but all the x-rays came back fine. She has an appointment this afternoon for a check up to make sure everything is still ok and hopefully she'll be back to herself and able to go to work on Monday. She said that if she compares this wreck to the wreck she was in with us in NC, this one wasn't too bad =) Please pray for healing for her body.

Last update: check out www.thebratcherbunch.blogspot.com. Julie posted new pictures of Noah and he is getting so big and is adorable! They will be in town next weekend and I can't wait to see Gracie and Noah together!!

new pics

Mommy, Gracie and Big Al
This picture and the first 2 were taken at my cousin's house in Aliceville. We went for her daughter's first birthday party. Not only did she have pony rides, but she also got a pony for her birthday present! Gracie loved the ponies!! My mom's younger sister Rhonda is sitting in the front with the owner of the ponies. Gracie sporting her new shoes that we got at the beach. I think this picture looks like what her "first day of school" picture will look like (kind of sad!!).