One Word: MAMA!

After 15 short/long months... this girl finally decided to say "MAMA, MAMA, MAMA!"  Woohoo!

I am putty in her hands... at least for today :)

10 Reasons I Love Summer: Day 2

COOKING/BAKING.  And I don't mean, Hamburger Helper or Stouffer's Lasagna, both I really, truly love, however.  I mean good ole cooking that you just don't have time for when you are working and you have a one year old.

Yesterday, I made my first homemade Key Lime Pie.  It is Trey's favorite and I wanted him to have something special to snack on during this hard, hot week before the 4th of July.  I'm really not a fan of key lime, but he said it was good.  Who knows... we will see if he continues to eat it or if it sits in a fridge until it's runny.

I also tried fried green tomatoes for the first time last night.  They were good, but I still prefer a red, ripe, acidic tomato the best.

10 Reasons I Love Summer: Day 1

Being able to spend the mornings with this cute, crazy munchkin (and Mickey Mouse, of course) is THE #1 reason I love summer break!  There is something about the morning... cuddles, smiles, play... it's just the best time of the day.

Dauphin Island- June 2012

Last week was our much awaited/anticipated family vacation.  We went to Dauphin Island, AL along with my parents and my grandmother.  It was wonderful!  We stayed in an awesome house right on the beach that was thankfully well child-proofed.

We ate, played, laid, swam and had a few cocktails and we repeated it for 6 days.  Claire loved, loved, loved the ocean!  The more waves the better.  They would hit her in the face and she would just squeal and laugh... she's just like her mama... I still squeal and laugh.

Dauphin Island was a cool, retro type little town.  It was VERY "uncommercialized" which we loved.  There were less than a handful of places to eat, none of which were fancy (more like bar/grill).  At the end of a long day on the beach, we would take showers and put on pajamas, play on the deck and cook dinner.  What a treat it was to not have to get ready, dry hair and put on a bra to go out to dinner.  

We had fantastic weather, minus the last day of the trip.  One morning, a storm front moved in and out quickly and with it we got to see a water spout/tornado.  None of us had ever seen either one so it was pretty cool.

Overall, it was a fun, relaxing vacation.  Thanks Mom and Dad!

More pictures:

Memorial Day Weekend Wrap-Up

We had a fun, relaxed, family filled Memorial Day Weekend.  We stayed in town Friday and Saturday and then went to the river on Sunday and Monday.

Claire experienced getting in the river for the first time and she loved it!  I really think she will love the ocean next week... we shall see.

Here are a few photos off my phone from the weekend.

(Uncle Kurt visiting from Murfreesboro...watching Mickey, of course.)

(Saturday morning breakfast at Lib and T's.)

(Cool chick)

(Cute chick in her bathing suit at the river.)

(I read and looked at this view while Claire napped.)

How blessed we are to live in a country where we are free.  Thank you to the service men and women who put their lives on the line to help keep our freedom!

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was very different this year from the last.  Last year I was a brand new mommy and I was tired and plump and Claire was just a little over a month old.  This year, we were more rested and C was a busy girl, putting on a show for all to see.  My mom calls her a "party girl."  She loves to entertain a crowd and of course, all we do is stare at her, laugh and clap. 

Summary of our day:
-Picked C up from Lib's and T's that morning
-Church
-Lunch at Caca's
-We all 3 napped- rare
-Visited Nonnie and Grandaddy

(Grace, Claire, Lib, Caca, Aunt Suzanne, JoJo- strong, beautiful women Claire and I are blessed to have as role models)

(My Mother's Day gift frpm C along with some sweet new Toms- LOVE... How precious are those little feet?)

It was a fun, relaxing, family filled day... just the way I like it.

Claire, I am beyond blessed to be your momma.  From the second I saw you, I loved you deeper than I could have ever imagined and that love keeps growing and growing.  You are so smart, strong, sassy, and loving.  Your cuddles are the sweetest and your laugh brings me more joy than I have ever known.  My prayer is that you will always be healthy, happy and carefree.  I pray that with the Lord's guidance I can be the best mommy, role model and friend for you just as my momma is for me. I love you sweet girl!  Thank you for changing my life!

Sidenote- Claire has gotten 3 top teeth in the last week and a half and boy has she been a trooper! 9 total now. We worry about her pain tolerance a little... she rarely cries.  She has scrapes, bruises and bumps all over and we have no clue how they got there.  Mom read an article that said red heads have a higher pain tolerance than others.  Interesting.  I would say it to be true as of now. She is one tough cookie.

One Year Pictures

Last Saturday Claire had a fun photo session with my friend, Suzanne Enochs at Environmental Portraits. She did an AMAZING job at capturing Claire and her fun personality.  I honestly don't know how I'll ever decide between the over 200 pictures.  

Half her pictures she is naked in because of her drooling issue.  Her clothes would be soaking wet within minutes of having them on.  We like to call her Hooch- you know from the movie, "Turner and Hooch."  She seems to always have a shoe string of drool hanging out of her mouth.  For the love of bibs.

(I looooove those sweet teeth that you can see.  It melts my heart.)

(This chair is in her playroom.  I found it at an antique store in Jackson.  She climbs in and out of it 50 times a day.)