Yesterday Gillian Grace turned 14 months old, and in the little over a year that GG's been a part of our family, our sweet lil' bean has taught us a great deal.
We've learned to enjoy each new day a little more than the one before, and to always remember the many ways in which God has blessed our lives.
And, in those times when life gets too heavy and we begin taking ourselves a little too seriously, she has a way of lightening our load, bringing everything into perspective and a smile to our faces.
GG fills our hearts with joy and the room with laughter daily.
In grandad's words, "She's a peach!"
And while we feel eternally grateful to call such an adorable child our own, I can't help but wonder if having us for parents sometimes makes Gillybean feel like going crazy!
What do you think?
{Enter the Love Stamped Jewelry giveaway. Click here!}
{one}split decision
Note to self (or hubs), next time you hear your adorable daughter babble,"Bup! Bup! (GG's way of saying up), remember to pull up both legs of your pants before bending down to pick her up. Now you see why I've got to learn to sew!
And yes, Bret gave his permission for the bum shoot!
{two} wild kingdom
What's the best way to capture a raccoon terrorizing your backyard? Why with oreos, of course! Allow me to introduce Trey, a raccoon with an obvious sweet tooth. Trey is the third raccoon Bret has trapped in our backyard and then relocated in the past two weeks.
{three} must-see-tv
Yay, for the new Fall season of all my favorite shows---Parenthood, Modern Family, The Middle, Castle, Amazing Race, and Survivor, just to name a few! Plus with so many new shows debuting in the next few weeks, my DVR will be working overtime. And speaking of Parenthood, the premiere this past week was hilarious and classic. The mother-daughter driving lesson was spot on, bringing tons of my teenage memories flooding back. When I found myself identifying with the Kristina Braverman (the mom) in the scene, it was the latest in the long list of reminders that I have officially become my mother!
{four} bye bye bubbly
This weekend I purchased my last pack of diet coke. Once this 12 pack is finished, that's it for the soda pop guzzling---I'm going cold turkey! Though I'll likely still indulge in a bit of the caffeinated crack when I'm out, I am no longer going to keep diet coke in the house, I'm simply too weak! Keep your fingers crossed that the caffeine withdrawal headaches from the first few days don't send me running to the 7 Eleven for an emergency fix.
{five} made in china
I was surprised and extremely troubled to discover that the apple juice (Mott's Medleys) I'd been purchasing off the shelves of my local supermarket contained apple concentrate produced in China. Yes, China! With all the news recently regarding China and its questionable manufacturing practices, I was horrified to learn that I'd been unknowingly allowing Gillian Grace to consume juice not produced domestically. And apparently, use of Chinese concentrate is not a new phenomenon and has been used for years in many brands of juice. One thing is for sure, GG will not be drinking Mott's Medleys any longer, and I will definitely be paying closer attention to the labels on the products I buy, especially those for my child.
{six} fancy feet
She may not have 2,700 pairs like Imelda Marcos, but one thing is for sure, Gillian Grace loves shoes! At Babies R' Us the other day, we couldn't resist trying on a pair of Elmo, or "Mo" as GG calls him, slippers. If I wasn't so worried that the adorable slippers would be a tripping hazard, we definitely would've purchased baby a new pair of shoes!
How much are these? Think they'll take Cheerios?
{seven}love stamped
Have you entered to win a necklace from Love Stamped jewelry? If not, click here to read all about my latest giveaway and your chance to win!
“The simplest toy, one which even the youngest child can operate, is called a grandparent."---Sam Levenson
HappybelatedGrandparents' Day!
With love,
Gillian Grace
"On the seventh day God rested. His grandchildren must have been out of town." ---Gene Perret
It's a funny quote that I just couldn't help but share, although I'm pretty sure that my mom would swear that it's true! I hope you all had a great weekend and that your Monday is off to a fantastic start!
And, if you haven't already, don't forget to give your grandparents (or your lil one's grandparents) a ring. I'm off to call mine now!
Is your car dirty? Well y'all, get out your tokens and platforms, it's time for a c a r w a s h!
This video was shot at a school fundraiser back in 2005. Each year all the teachers, on each grade level, were asked to perform a skit for the students and parents. Needless to say, though some of us dreaded the silly garb and goofy performances, year after year we put our egos aside for a night. After all, it was for the kids. {Forgive the cliche, I've just always wanted to say that and mean it!} Though it's not that old, this video has enough of a history to totally make me cringe with embarrassment every time I see it replayed. To keep a little of my dignity and self respect in tact, I'll only give you a hint as to my identity in the video---
If you only had glasses you'd see that I'm right in FROnt of you!
Did you see me?
Five Question Friday
Yay for 5QF fun hosted by Mama M.! If you'd like to participate head on over to My Little Life and link up.
1. Do you feel guilty spending money on yourself?
Yes!!! No matter how deserving I think I am, when it comes down to buying something for myself, the guilt usually gets the best of me before I have a chance to make it to the register. Funny thing is, I don't have any hesitation forking over the cash for anyone else, and it all comes from the same place. But then again, I guess we all have our weird hangups, now don't we?
2. How well do you know your neighbors?
We live in a relatively small neighborhood and out of the fifteen houses on our street, we are cordial with just about everyone, but really know only about two families really well. And for the majority of neighbors we don't know, Bret and I are perfectly content making up scenarios about their lives and comings and goings.
Together we've surmised that our across the street neighbors are in sales of some sort based on the high frequency of UPS deliveries and large volume of strangers constantly parading in and out of their home. Either that or the neighbors are running some sort of suburban bordello. And you thought Wisteria Lane was exciting!
3. What age are you looking forward to being?
I'm not looking forward to being any age in particular. I am just thankful to wake up each day no matter if it's now at 31, or twenty years down the road.
4. Do you get excited when the mail comes? Why?
I love getting mail of any kind, I'm not too picky. But there definitely is something extra exciting about heading out to the mailbox only to find that Darren, our mailman, has left something good in our box. And by good, I of course mean one of three things: an US Weekly magazine, catalogs from Pottery Barn, or a real letter form a family member or friend.
5. What is your earliest childhood memory?
It's hard to distinguish between early genuine memories and what I remember only because I've heard about it millions of times though the accounts of others. One thing is for certain, I vividly remember many early mornings before school spent having breakfast with my father at McDonald's or Hardee's. Those were special times with a very special man. Our breakfast tradition was one that continued on long after elementary school and through to high school until dad's chauffeur services were no longer required. And every once in a blue moon, dad even let me go into school a little late, with a proper excuse of course. {Sorry, mom!} This father daughter bonding is something that I hope Bret will continue with Gillybean. Well, minus the whole tardy for school part.
Daily Dose of Gillian Grace
Go Gators! Let's have a better weekend, huh fellas?
This and that...
{one} I'm working on making a few changes around here. Details coming soon!
{two} Don't forget to enter the fun Baby Britches Boutique giveaway! Football season is in full swing. Enter to win a twirl skirt for your lil' in your favorite team's colors!
What do y'all have planned this weekend? Make it a terrific one, y'all!
I've always referred to the season following Summer as Fall, even though Autumn sounds simply beautiful and sophisticated, I just never think to use it.
After reading so many posts about Fall on my favorite blogs lately, I'm more excited than ever to see summer and the, more uncomfortable than normal, heat come to an end. Though Fall is still officially a few weeks away (September 22nd), I couldn't wait any longer to share a few Fall favorites of my own.
So hard to believe that this is our same lil' Gillybean. She's grown and changed so much in the past year. I can't wait to repeat this photo shoot in a few months.
