Happy Halloween/Merry Christmas

Grace started talking about Christmas about a month ago. She has had not time for Halloween. Didn't care to talk about it, about costumes, and didn't care to say trick or treat. She is all Christmas, all the time. She wants to listen to Christmas music all the time. And the mail man better watch out. She devours ANY magazine or catalog that has anything to do with Christmas. It doesn't matter if she is looking at monogrammed guest towels. She doesn't care as long as it's Christmas. This week she has started asking about a tree. So I got a Christmas tree costume. I really worried that she wouldn't keep it on because because it's bulky and she had to stick her face out a hole. I had to make her take it off. As you can see in the photo, she even rode Trigger in costume. We went to see some friends and she still didn't say trick or treat. She came out with "Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock."

Referral Anniversary at the Pumpkin Patch

Yesterday was the third anniversary of Grace's referral. Last year we started a family tradition. We celebrate the day with a trip to the pumpkin patch. There is a great pumpkin patch near my house. They have lots of great places to take pictures and who wouldn't love running around the rows and rows of pumpkins?

Gracie's smiling with her referral picture. Is that a gorgeous smile or what?

She loved the ones that looked like they have warts. I think those are interesting too.

She ran and jumped in Pumpkinman's lap. Then she started going through his pockets.

She is such a nosy girl.

She was tired of having her picture taken.

A Day with Friends

My sister Terri, Grace, and I traveled to see friends and their beautiful girls. We got to visit with Susan and Petunia and Justin, Kelly, Lucy, and Annie. All of the girls are from Que Son, Vietnam. Grace, Lucy, and Petunia were all roomies. We also got the added treat of visiting with Kelly's mother, sisters, and the two most adorable, curly headed, little boys. Despite the rainy and chilly weather today was a fantastic day. Kelly is an amazing photographer and took pictues of Petunia and Grace. I can't wait to see them.

Petunia had fun collecting leaves.


Grace standing still for a moment.


Lucy, Justin, Annie and Gracie found a butterfly on the ground.

Looking through my pictures I noticed that Grace was watching Annie in lots of them. She would be a good big sister.

Ready to Go

Yesterday morning I was sitting in Gracie's bedroom floor trying to figure our what I wanted her to wear for her pictures next weekend. She was running around the room in her panties. I told her that we were going to see Justin, Kelly and the girls and that Kelly was going to take her picture. She heard nothing after Justin. She grabbed the dress I had laid across the end of the bed and threw it on and grabbed a flower get her hair out of her face. She already had on mismatched black shoes that I had been trying on her. She then ran to the door and said, "I want to go see Justin please." She looked so funny I grabbed my camera. Justin you should probably be prepared to get your groove on, I think she is expecting you to entertain her.

Since she looked so pitiful, I took a picture of her this morning before church. This dress is my favorite. I had good intentions of taking her down the street to the wildflower garden and getting taking her picture, barefoot in the flowers, in this dress. This will just have to suffice.

For some reason she thought it was hilarious that I was taking her picture before church. She giggled and giggled. I think it is a cute picture with Ellie lounging on the chair in the background.

Update

I am so ashamed that it has been so long since my last post. I post pics and stuff to Facebook and forget to blog. Here is a little about what's been happening.

Grace weights 30 lbs and is 36 1/2 inches tall and is in excellent health.

She would eat rice for every meal.

People warn you about the terrible twos, but no one says anything about the threes. Age three came with a big dose of attitude. My mild mannered daughter now shows her temper and is at times unreasonable. Imagine that.

School is going well this semester. I absolutely love my classes. It blew me away when I realized that I would begin teacher at the same time Grace goes to Pre K!

Grace waiting for the Wiggles to come on stage. She was hilarious. For the first part of the show she sat their mesmerized. She could not believe that they were really there! The second part of the show she spent dancing and clapping. It was so hot that day, I thought we were going to melt.

Grace and her cousin Brody play well together. They are so fun to watch. He adores her and follows her everywhere and he thinks everything she does is awesome. She spends a lot of time ignoring him.
My mother got this card for her birthday six weeks ago. It plays the Chicken Dance and Grace loves to carry it around with her. I wonder what will happen when it quits playing?

Gracie Turns Three

I can't believe that Grace is three years old. She is such a big girl now. It amazes me to watch her, I often have trouble remembering a baby!! Her birthday was on Friday and we had her party on Saturday. This year she was all about birthday. She started singing Happy Birthday to Me a couple of weeks before her birthday. And she always put great emphasis on the "me" when she sang. I tried spacing out her gifts. I gave her the first one in the morning. It turned out to be a favorite. It was a bobblehead UT football player that sings Rocky Top. It is particulary annoying but was a replacement for one she loved but it no longer played music after being dropped. After she opened it she played for a few minutes and came into the kitchen and said "I'd like another present please." I was so glad that she loved her piano! She is such a musical girl. It was hilarious how she tore the paper a little and when she saw the keys she began playing with the paper still on. Doesn't she look professional in the third photo?

Saturday morning we had a play date with Reilly. The two girls always have so much fun together and Reilly is a real sweetheart. It is always nice for me to catch up with her mom too!

Don't you love that face!?!

She looks like a power walker!


Here's Grace the night of her party.

She loves her Gator but still wants to ride on the Mule with Pappy.

Missing Child, Please Help

I have hugged Grace so tight today. My 10 year old cousin Lindsey is missing. It is like she just vanished. They have had two different sets of hounds track her and they all lose her scent in the same spot. I heard from them a few minutes ago and they have found nothing.

Lindsey's mom and I grew up together. I cannot imagine what Melissa is going through, not knowing where her daughter is...my heart is breaking for her. They live in a very small town in Washington state. We are from a very small town and when we were in elementary school a girl at my school was kidnapped, raped and murdered. I know that must be on her mind. Please pray that Lindsey is found safe. Here's a link to the story. If you'd like to post it on your facebook or send it out to your friends I'd appreciate it. You never know where she could be spotted.

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/49383897.html