Miscellany Monday

one. And then there was 1---Now Gillian Grace is the only munchkin on the block; school started today! In 3 short years, I'll be that nervous momma walking her sweet girl to school for the first day of prekindergarten. And yes, we are those parents and have had our daughter on the admissions' wait list since she was just days old.


I took GG to visit her future school and my old workplace. I visited with my teacher friends and Gillian Grace found a familiar face, our neighbor, to keep her company.

two. No, Tebow is not auditioning for the role of Friar Tuck in the newest Disney on Turf production of Robin Hood, but sadly is just sporting his newest do, courtesy of the Denver Broncos veterans. I heart Timmy, I really do! But, I just can't get on board with this new look. Thank goodness in a few weeks he'll be as purty as ever!


three. Gillian Grace is cutting 4 teeth! Oh how I wish all 20 of her pearly whites would make their debut at the same time. This every other week teething thing is wearing us thin---

four. I'm a little late in the game, but I've recently become addicted to Etsy. I've got a few items hanging out in my cart just waiting to be purchased. Among the items, are a few handpainted signs from Mama's Messages. My new bloggy friend Anna has recently opened a shop. Be sure to check out this week's awesome giveaway to win one of Anna's signs for yourself.



five. And whatdoyaknow? It must me Anna's day! She was the correct guesser (um, if that's even word) for Friday's impromptu giveaway. Congratulations, girl! Hope Baby W enjoys his pool as much as Gillian Grace has!



We call this GG's stinky face! She scrunches up her nose, shows her teeth, and snorts! It's a guaranteed riot every time she does it; she just looks so silly!

six. Thank you for all of your kind words and prayers for my grandmother. After a weekend in the hospital, doctors have been able to rule out any cardiac complications and instead have determined that it is her gallbladder. She is scheduled for surgery this morning, so please keep her in your thoughts.



seven. It wasn't me! Finally I'm not the only one around her in need of visiting the Wizard for a brain---Saturday evening, Bret sat my dinner leftovers on top of the tonneau cover over the bed of his truck while he got GG situated in her carseat. Said leftovers were discovered about 15 minutes and 5 miles later when we stopped for ice cream, sitting precariously near the edge. Now while I know that we're not the first goofs to drive with a forgotten something atop our car, we should certainly earn high marks for making it clear across town without a spill!



eight. I'm feeling crafty! Since receiving so many compliments on the wreath I made for Gillybean's birthday party, I've been busy making a few more. I've had several requests for Fall, football, and Halloween wreaths, so it looks like I'll be busy! (Want a custom wreath of your own? Email me and we'll chat!)


I took a wreath I'd made with me up to my old school this past week. I was so delighted when I heard it was hanging on the office door for Parent Preview.


Of course I had to make a Florida Gator wreath for the upcoming football season! My favorite part of all my wreaths has to be my handmade bows! I may not know how to sew, but I can sure make a decent bow!

I painted helmets and footballs to accent the wreath! Go Gators!

Have a great Monday, y'all!

Senior Bowl Saturday

Last Saturday was the Senior Bowl. Bret and Dad had tickets thanks to Jim, a friend and fellow Gator. Ask either Dad or Bret to describe their first Senior Bowl and they can sum up their experience in one word, C-O-L-D! With temps so chilly, Dad didn't hesitate to accept Bret's offer to share his hat. With overcast skies and a brisk Northern wind, temps didn't reach the 40s as predicted earlier in the week. Even though we didn't get to meet former Gators Tim Tebow and Riley Cooper at the Gator Club party last Thursday, Bret did get the opportunity to see them in action during the game. Even with big names like Tebow and Alabama's own Terrance Cody on the South's roster, they still didn't have what it takes to pull of a victory. The South lost 13-31 to the North.

Riley Cooper during warm-ups.

Tebow and former West Virginia quarterback, Jarrett Brown, get in a little pre-game practice.

Does this even need a caption?

POPsicle (Get it? It's my dad and it's cold...hehehe)

Orange and Boo

Long overdue, a week ago Thursday was our first "date night." Having only left the Little Misses for brief snippets, this was to be our first time out without her for an extended period of time. Gammie and Grandad came over to babysit while Bret and I headed downtown to our local Gator Club's party honoring UF players Tim Tebow and Riley Cooper. Tebow and Cooper were in town for the Senior Bowl, a traditional football game played here in Mobile featuring NFL bound college seniors. Amid the rampant rumors of a Tebow illness, we'd heard through the grapevine earlier in the week that Tim was a lock for the party Thursday. Then an email arrived informing us that Tebow had a conflict (a NFL interview) and would not be able to attend. Sniff, sniff! Disappointed, we decided to continue with our plans. After all, Riley Cooper would still be at the party, right?! WRONG! Shortly after arriving to the party Thursday evening, we were informed that Cooper's agent called and backed out for reasons unknown. Humph!

With the night on the verge of becoming a complete disaster, Bret and I said our goodbyes and hit the road. With implicit instructions from Grandad not to return before three hours, Bret and I tossed around a few ideas and decided to grab a bite to eat. We ended up at our favorite pizza joint, The Mellow Mushroom. Over dinner Bret and I laughed about our luck, or should I say lack there of? Let's see---we've been rained out of more outdoor events than I can count, evacuated from a Bon Jovi concert due to a bomb threat, run a half marathon during record breaking freezing temperatures in Orlando (17 degrees), and vacationed in the British Virgin Islands during the islands' worst mosquito infestation in nearly 50 years! As they say, if it weren't for bad luck, we wouldn't have any luck at all. But with a loving supportive family, a beautiful healthy baby girl, and a comfortable place to lay our heads at night, we began to think that maybe, just maybe, we weren't so unlucky after all. We're not rushing out to buy lotto tickets or book a room in Vegas just yet, but we just may be some of the luckiest, if not blessed, people in the world!


The sky over downtown Mobile was a beautiful Orange and Blue (Go Gators!) on our way to the Gator Club party. Evidence once again that God really does has a sense of humor.