Roll Tide!!! What a great game today!and she'll be cheering for AU tonight, too.Jason taught her how to wash/rinse her hair under the faucet.
She's taking our order...this is one of her favorite things to do. She'll ask "What do you want?" over and over and over again...

Gracie in her cute new monkey pj's from Gran.
This is what happens when Daddy and Gracie have too much fun with the yogurt!I can't remember what she was doing here, but I think it looks funny.

It's been a while

Gracie playing with her doll house.

Gracie sitting on the potty imitating her Daddy (hand on chin). Gracie is almost totally potty trained. She's done really well with it and enjoys wearing big girl panties!

My high school 10 year reunion was at the beginning of August. We went to the picnic at Homewood park Saturday and then went to an evening event at Iz the Place (I think that's what the new name is). We had fun getting dressed up and going out for a bit. Thanks, Mom for taking our picture and staying with Gracie while we went out!

Ok, so after the crib recall Gracie slept in the pack and play for a couple of weeks. We finally got our voucher in the mail, but we weren't able to find anything in stock that we liked. So, we just put her mattress on the floor. She didn't mind at all. The only problem was that she would roll off of the bed, onto the body pillow and then onto the floor. Most mornings I would find her half on and half off. She really seemed to enjoy sleeping out of the crib and developed a new love of reading in bed. She had to have at least one book (most nights two) in bed with her and she would read for a while and then just go to sleep. For a couple of weeks she wanted her Bible in bed with her.
Then, at a consignment sale I went to last weekend I found this great toddler bed for Gracie for $15!!! I was so excited! I didn't want to pay much for a toddler bed because I didn't think she would be in it that long, so I was thrilled to find one in great condition for such a great deal. Again, she has done great in it. We do put the little gate at her door, but she doesn't get out of bed much at all (I'm more concerned about her walking to the stairs than anything). She will call me if she's ready to get up or if she needs to go the the potty. She loves her "big girl bed" and I couldn't be happier with the transition!

Gracie just being cute.

We went to Wald Park one Sunday afternoon after naps and an open house. Suzanne came and took some pictures for us (Thanks, Suzanne!!!). We had a great time playing and eating ice cream. The picture below is of Gracie "serving" ice cream.

Our FamilyVisit with Julie, Ryan and Noah

one more beach picture

I'm not sure why I didn't post this picture before. I guess I was only looking at Gracie pictures. I love this picture of us with Julie and Ryan.

Be sure to check out the new post below.

Props to Dr. Cook

Who knew that glass could hide under skin for almost four years??!! Ever since our wreck in NC almost four years ago Jason has had a little bump on the top of his head. A few weeks ago the tip of a piece of glass finally worked its way through the surface. Jason noticed it and picked at it a bit and asked me to look at it. Long story short, I couldn't get the glass out. There was only a tiny point sticking out and I couldn't get a grip on it. Earlier this week when we were at Bill and Suzanne's house, Bill took a look at it. With a little help from tweezers and a needle, he got the glass out! Thanks Bill! The glass looks tiny in Jason's hand, but it was much bigger than the little point sticking out of his head. We think Jason's head is finally glass free! He still has a habit of running his hand through his hair and feeling for the bump that is no longer there (he just did it again as I wrote that). He said he had done it for so long that it feels weird to no longer have the bump on his head. Here are a few pictures of the glass and Jason's healing head. I wanted to post a picture of Jason's head after the wreck, but I think it's a little gross, so I'll just post a picture of him with his bandage on. I've also posted a picture of the car-Jason was driving. For those of you that don't know our wreck story, my Mom was visiting us and she was in the backseat and I was in the front passenger seat (and the wreck wasn't our fault). I think it is a gift from God that we walked away with as few injuries as we did.

Now

Then

The Honda

cheese

This picture was taken May 14, but I never posted it. Notice the cheese squares in between the buttons on the cd player. Funny girl. Gracie is still just as silly. She has developed a new love for singing and dancing. Her friend Claire Ellen gave her a little purple tu-tu and she has loved dancing around in it (I'll try to get some pictures soon). She loves to sing and does so all the time. The other day I was in the kitchen and I heard Gracie singing. I peeked into her room and she was sitting on the floor looking at her books and singing. I guess she was singing about the pictures, but I couldn't understand her. She loves to sing "Jesus Loves Me", "ABCs", "Twinkle, Twinkle", and a few others. In the car last night after church Gracie was talking about how her baby doll was crying. I told her to sing the baby a goodnight song, thinking she might sing "Jesus Loves Me", but instead she started singing "goodnight, goodnight song..." over and over and even a little to the "ABC" tune. It was pretty cute.

Crib recall

One day I will update the links area on the blog with blogs that I visit (I frequently visit great money saving/frugal living websites). One blog that I love is http://www.freebies4mom.blogspot.com/. While reading through the last few entries tonight I saw her entry on her crib being recalled. I thought it was the same brand as Gracie's crib and quickly went to her room to check the model number. Sure enough, Gracie's crib is being recalled. Here are the links for the Jardine recall info and press release. http://www.jardinecribrecall.com/ and www.jardinecribrecall.com/press_release.php. There are clear directions and phone numbers on both sites. There is a link to fill out a recall form and then they will mail you a kit and directions on how to get the voucher to BRU for a new crib.

Gracie is 2 1/2 and still in a crib and I love it! She hasn't tried to climb out yet and we didn't want to move her until she did. Part of the deal with getting the voucher is sending back a part of the crib. Here is step two from the directions after you receive your packet: Remove mattress support hardware and identification label using the enclosed instructions and Allen key that is provided. Some of the readers posted comments on the freebies4mom website about what to do with your child while you are waiting for your new crib and one reader wrote in and suggested that the child sleep in a pack and play. Since we are not ready for Gracie to move to a big girl bed yet she'll be sleeping in a pack and play until we get a new crib!

The final beach pics.

This white dress has been Gracie's beach dress for the last three years. I think the armholes are getting a little small, but maybe next year it can be a cute shirt...we'll see. I can't believe it still fits her! The Strasburg dress must have been sized wrong because it is sized at 6 months! Gracie got the dress from our friends the Holley's in NC. What a great gift!

video of my Dad and Gracie

I think these are my favorite videos of my Dad. The quality is not very good because I had to shrink them to get them to fit, but you can still see my precious Dad. He was a wonderful man. He was so gentle with Gracie and loved her so much. His laugh was so contagious and I'm so glad we have it on tape. I am so thankful that we have some video of Gracie with my Dad. Jason and I talk to Gracie often about my Dad. She recognizes his pictures and now says his name "Papa Hayes" instead of the shortened version she used to say. I don't know when these videos were taken, late spring early summer, maybe. Gracie loves tomatoes. My Dad grew them and always brought them over for Gracie. It was fun letting her pick them and eat them off the vine that afternoon with her Papa Hayes.

Beach Pictures!!!

Roll over the picture to see the caption. More to come...

Beach pictures are coming...but for now here's my newest project!

During our last visit to NC, my friend Beth mentioned how cute one of my pillowcases would look as a dress. I had never made a pillowcase dress before, but decided to try. A few weeks ago I did a little search online to find an easy pattern and printed one out. Last week I finally decided to make one. The first one I made was from a pillowcase that was my childhood bedding. The second one was just a beautfiul one with a little detailing on it that I took from my Mom's house before she moved. I tried the first one I made on Gracie this morning before church hoping she could wear it, but the armholes are too small. I tried changing where I tied the ribbon, but it just kept falling off of her arm. I have another pillowcase in that pattern, so I'll try it again this week. She wore the white one Friday night to dinner and she was adorable in it.

On Friday we had playgroup at the Cook's house and enjoyed a morning of swimming and eating by the pool. I'll get those pictures from Suzanne's camera and post those later this week.

My cousin Kristi has set up a website for her husband Zach on Caring Bridge. I have mentioned Kristi and Zach to some of you and appreciate your prayers for them. I know they would continue to ask for prayers for Zach's healing and recovery. Please visit the website for more information and updates. You can read about the initial incident under "My Story" and then click on "read story" for the rest. Kristi is updating the site on a regular basis as things change with Zach. The site is www.caringbridge.org/visit/zacharynoland.

I love being a mother. Each day with Gracie brings new excitement into our lives. I love Gracie’s new eagerness to learn about the world she is living in. She is always asking “what’s that?” or “who’s that?”. Saturday night she kept asking “What’s his name?” after we passed a character at the Baron’s baseball game. I recognized the character, but was drawing a blank on his name. Neither Jason nor my Mom knew, so I was on my own to come up with his name. I made up a name to buy myself some time, but as if to say “I know that’s not it” she kept asking “What’s his name?”. I eventually pulled the name Arthur out of my hat. She seemed pleased with that and tried saying his name a few times.

Mother’s day started Friday night for me (thank you Dawson!). Dawson had a “Preschool play date with Dad” in honor of Mother’s day. Jason and Gracie went to the church for dinner, crafts and inflatables. Gracie loved the jumping! She has become a very good jumper (thanks to a trampoline she got for Christmas) and just loves to jump. Jason said she jumped for 45 minutes going back and forth between the two inflatables. He also said they were the last ones to leave! Gracie was so excited when she got home that night that she couldn’t wait to show me the Mother’s Day crafts she had made. I got teary eyed looking at her pictures she had colored and stickered. She and Jason even had a picture taken that was to be put in a little magnetic frame that says “World’s Best Mom”. We were both so excited and proud.

Saturday afternoon we went to our friends the Sandersons for their daughter’s (Allie) third birthday party, and Gracie got to jump some more! The Sandersons had a very cool inflatable with slides, jumping and a pool all combined. Gracie went down the slide a few times, but stayed in the jumping pit for most of the time. We had a great time at the birthday party!

At the Baron’s game Saturday night (Birmingham’s minor league baseball team), Gracie jumped again for the third time in just a little over 24 hours! She had such a good time. The lady working/guarding the jumping inflatable did a great job putting the toddlers in together instead of mixing big kids in with them. Jason was an adventurous Dad and climbed up the tall slide and slid down with Gracie. She wanted to do the obstacle course, but we told her she was just too small! She was fine with that as long as she could go jump again.

Sunday was not only Mother’s Day, but it was also Pentecost. I really enjoyed Dr. Fenton’s sermon Sunday. One of his points in the lesson was that the Holy Spirit changes our identity. I am a new creation. The Holy Spirit dwells in me and my body is a temple for the Holy Spirit. This means so much to me physically, spiritually and mentally. I am so thankful that God sent the Holy Spirit to His people. I am encouraged and comforted in knowing that because the Holy Spirit is in me I can be the wife, mother, daughter, friend…that God has called me to be. With the Holy Spirit I can seek God and find him. Dr. Fenton’s other two points were that the Holy Spirit changes our potential and our relationships. My response is worship and obedience. Because of my sinful nature I have to choose daily to be obedient and follow Christ. I know that I cannot be the mother to Gracie I want to be without God. I am again so thankful that He sent the Holy Spirit to help me, convict me and encourage me. It is a daily effort to be the woman God has called me to be (not that I am there yet), but I know it pleases God for me to follow Him and be obedient. And again I am thankful that God is still working in me, and He is not through with me yet.

Sunday afternoon, my Mom, Marland and Betsy all joined us for lunch at our house. I enjoyed cooking for the family and we had a special time visiting together. This weekend my Mom also got two offers on her house and it is now under contract! We are thrilled about this and just praying that things go smoothly over the next few weeks before closing. We are also praying that my Mom will find the place that she wants to move too. She and Jason will continue to look at condos and townhomes and hopefully be ready to put an offer on one soon.

Jason and Gracie watching the game.

Hugging Mommy!

Gracie and Ma

This was right after Gracie told me she needed a nap (It was close to 7:30 I think)!

Jumping queen!

Our Mother's Day picture (Gracie hasn't mastered smiling in direct sunlight yet).
Daddy and Gracie on Mother's Day.

Gracie got a hair cut Sunday night.