We're Back...(Part 1)

After several weeks with little in the way of new posts, I've finally found the time to sit down and blog. So what besides a teething 7 and 1/2 month old has been keeping me too busy to post?
Well, here's a hodgepodge of events from the last week (or two)...

Dining Out
Early in our marriage, Bret and I ate out a lot. We had a fairly impressive stack of take out menus in our kitchen catch all drawer and could've probably dialed the number to Big Lou's pizzeria blindfolded with one hand tied behind our back. Oh how things change! Not as footloose and fancy free as we once were, our dining out habit has been curtailed just a bit. Nowadays dining out takes far more preparation and for lack of a better word, "strategery". And let's just face it, sometimes it just isn't worth all the extra hassle. But at least once a week, we go through all the hoopla and hit a local restaurant for a great family meal. And, every so often, we're fortunate enough to have an extra friend or two tag along.

Blowing raspberries...

Seriously, more pictures? Enough already!

Mrs. Gatewood, Mom (Gammie), and Gillian Grace



Mrs. Gatewood came over for a visit and treated us all to lunch at a local fav, Big Time Diner.

I just love people watchin'!

A little pasta dinner with Gammie and Grandad.

Fridays are my favorite, especially the lunch with Gammie part!

Out of Town
Bret was out of town in Portland, Oregon on business, and as we often do when Daddy is away, Gillian Grace and I headed to my parents' for the week. After all, my man Bon Jovi said it best, "Who says you can't go home, there's only one place they call you one of their own..." Why is it that there are days when I'm home alone with GG that time seems to stand still, but a week spent at my parents' seems to fly by in the blink of an eye? Fortunately for me, Gillian Grace first started showing signs of teething while we were in Pensacola. It was a blessing to have my Mom there to lend a helping hand. While home, I even got to sneak away with the other man in my life, my own Dad, for a half day's trip to Fort Walton and Destin.

Okay Mom, I'm packed and ready!

Shop Til' You Drop
You can ask anyone from family members to former students to name my favorite store and they'll be able to tell you without a second's pause---TARGET! And, it seems that I've done well and successfully passed along my frugalista gene to my lil' one, as she appears to be drawn to the red bullseye as well.



And it was during one of our many weekly runs to Target that I decided to finally leave the stroller in the car and put GG in the buggy. Yes, I know... A real no-brainer for many took a great amount of deliberation on my part. Would she be okay? Was she big enough? Would she slide out? I know, silly right?! Well, needless to say GG loved being in the buggy and our snazzy cart cover allowed me to relax comfortable in knowing that she wouldn't be able to get her mouth near any of the germy cart parts. Ewwww!



More tomorrow...