Happy 1st Birthday Lainey Drew!

Today, our niece and Mills' cousin Lainey, is one year old! Time has flown and I can't believe that our babies have reached their 1st birthdays.

Tonight, we celebrated with Lainey's family and friends at her very 1st party. Hamburgers, hot dogs, and all of the goods. Happy Birthday Lainey!!! We sure enjoyed your awesome party!

Heritage Day Children's Parade 2010

Every September, our town celebrates "Heritage Day," a festival of arts and crafts, food, a Civil War encampment, and entertainment...fun for all! There is even a bank robbery reenactment.

Each year, the day begins with a children's parade around 9:00am. There is always a theme, and the kids have a wonderful time dressing up and riding on their very own floats, trikes, or walking.

This years theme was "Follow the Yellow Brick Road" from the Wizard of Oz, of course. It was such a fun theme. I have been looking forward to the day when we would eventually have our very own participant. Mills does not own a Wizard of Oz costume, but thanks to Emily and Jonah, who graciously let us borrow one, Mills instantly became the Tin Man. We are VERY appreciative!!!

I got a late start on our float, but began whipping up ideas about a week and a half ago. I am famous for cooking up ideas that are way far beyond possible. My mind tends to over cook at times. I knew what I wanted to do, so I began searching our closets, the attic, and my HUGE box of scrap booking and craft supplies in the attic. I found more things than I ever thought we had up there, which was great, because it meant for a very uncostly project. It is amazing what you can do with a little bit of foam board, construction paper, glitter, Christmas tree cotton, and paint that we at one time used on a wall somewhere or another. The only thing that I really invested in was a small tin man heart, an axe and these...

our wicked witch legs. I intended on making them, but as I looked at the price, there was no way that I could have made them as cheap as I bought them. They just arrived yesterday, and I was sweating bullets waiting on Mr. UPS to arrive. Nothing could be placed on the wagon until those legs made their showing! So this afternoon, I began putting the project together. Thank you inventor of "Gorilla glue" and duct tape! HA!

Mills' simple "over the rainbow" made of foam board, tempera paint, and glitter and a touch of shimmery cotton.

I used a rectangle sponge and yellow paint outlined with gold highlights for Mills' yellow brick road. You can't see the detail in this picture, but the one below, shows it much better...

What's the Wizard of Oz without a tornado? So, I made a tornado. Again, foam board and paint attached by a spring on the roof of Auntie Em's house.

Sweet Jonah in his awesome Cowardly Lion costume

Mary Claire & Faith as Dorothy and Sam Harris the Cowardly Lion

The Lollipop Guild

The Lullaby League

Ding-Dong the Witch is Dead!

Imagination Library

We ♥ Dolly Parton's Imagination Library. I look forward to each month, when Mills gets a new book. They're not just any old book. In fact they're awesome hard back books! Some of them that he has received, have actually been on my book wish list for him, and so I hesitate to buy books just in case he should receive a duplicate. Reading is very important to me. I try to read to him every night. We usually do a Bible story, and a regular book, before singing a few songs and saying our night prayers. We already need to build book shelves!

Today, Mills received book #12. He has been getting the books for a year, and will continue to get a book every month until he is 5...for FREE, but this one has to be one of my favorites....


All of Baby Nose to Toes, has got to be one of the cutest ways for Mills to learn his eyes, ears, etc. Tonight we read it and he actually paid attention to me. If you don't own this book, I highly recommend it. Love, love, love it!

Mills, You are 13 Months Old Today!

I can't believe how much you've changed in the past month. You are becoming quite the "little boy." You will still be our baby, even until you are old and married. Here's what you've been up to the past month!

1.Walking? No, you're running....everywhere!

2. You are talking ALOT more, but we still have no idea what you're saying unless it's "Daddy," "Mama" (which I never hear unless you want something), and just a few weeks ago, you said "Ohjee" when Joey walked into the room. You love to talk with your hands!!

3. You have learned you're shape sorter like a pro, and clap for yourself, and raise your hands and say "yay!"

4. Your favorite word: "HEY!" You say it to everyone in Walmart and every time our phone rings, you put your hand to your ear and say, "Hey!" You LOVE a telephone.

5. Today, I pointed to my nose and said, "Mommy's nose." You pointed to your nose and said....something, but I don't know what it was. You are starting to mimick us more and more each day. It's so fun!

6. Your favorite food: ANYTHING that doesn't eat you first. Just this weekend, you ate a whole kids cheeseburger and green beans at Marlo's and will eat 3 pieces of pizza if I would let you. We stop at two!

7. You love your milk and we are so thankful!

8. You love to have your teeth brushed, but I think it's more of a love for the toothpaste than anything.

9. Sleeping: You love a nap. You are a wonderful sleeper and are extremely easy to put down. No fussing at all. THANK YOU!

10. Teeth: 6 teeth...as far as we know. You don't like us to look.

I'm sure that next month, we'll have a lot to add to this list. Keep growing precious boy...but not too fast!

Grandparent's Day!

Today is the official Grandparent's Day. My calender has been reminding me all year long. We are so very thankful for our grandparents, and especially Mill's grandparents. We are so lucky to have such wonderful parent's that make the BEST grandparents for Mills. We do our best, even with our oh-so-busy lives to make sure that he gets to see them as much as possible, even though it's still not enough for us or them, I'm sure. Grandparents are very important, because without them, we would not have the guidance that we have had for raising our son. We believe that it is of utmost importance for Mills to know them and be around them as much as possible and our time here with family is very limited and all in God's timing. So, to our parents, our Mills' grandparents, we LOVE YOU TONS! Thank you for being there for us during all of the hustle and bustle of busy lives, and for loving us and our Mills. Today, we made 3 very quick, but special deliveries to Mills' grandparents.

Grandparents are everything nice

Like presents and candy and raspberry ice.

And chocolate fudge sundaes, with cherries on top,

and popcorn and peanuts, and grape soda pop.

In winter or summer, in rain or in sun,

Grandparents are wonderful fun!

Calling Geese

He's practicing! Now, if I can just get him to actually blow! I guess it's okay as long as he thinks he's doing right. Right? I'm not sure his "calling" will bring any geese in, but he sure is trying!

It Should Have Been a Monday

I get up at the crack of dawn during the week. It's good to be up and ready before Mills wakes. Knowing that he is all that I have to tend to makes things easier. So, I get as much done as possible before bed each night and before he wakes each morning. Some days I have to wake him up.

Knowing that I have only a two and a half day work week made it much easier to "rise and shine" this morning. So, up at my usual 4;30-5:00 (no making fun!), I headed straight to my coffee pot to pour my first cup of coffee, only to realize that I had forgotten to set it last night. Go figure. It should have been a Monday. Trying to wake up, I grabbed my clean pot out of the dishwasher, a filter, and my coffee, making my usual 4-5 cups, and as I walked off, couldn't figure out why in the world there was more coffee going down the sides of the pot and onto the counter, than into the pot itself. Oh wait! I forgot to put the basket in the maker before putting in the filter. That would explain why the filter was sagging through the top. Go figure! It should have been a Monday.

Keep in mind, it is 4:40 in the morning. Who is up at 4:40am? Seriously! This morning, I was quick to find out that I was not the only person up at 4:40 in the morning. My house phone rang. Erik is at work, and so I'm thinking, "What is this? What is wrong?" Answering the phone, my lovely hubby on the other end says, "Hey." I said, "What is wrong?" He replied with, "I got hurt in a fire, and am at Baptist East." My heart sank, along with my stomach. "What do you mean you got hurt in a fire?" I said. He quickly assured me that he was okay, and that he had hurt his arm. Apparently at this morning's apartment fire, a beam fell, hit him in the head, and when he fell, it landed on his arm, pinning him down. His helmet did it's job, but still "rang his bell." He was then waiting on an x-ray and CT scan to make sure all was okay, and told me that he would call me back as soon as he heard something. "I'm fine! You don't need to come down." So, I hung up, turned on the TV, and what do you know...Channel 5 had "breaking news."Apartment fire injures two firefighters sending one to the hospital in non-critical condition." If they said it once, and showed the clip, they said it 1000 times this morning and at lunch. I sent a text message to "E" and said, "Congratulations! You have just given my my first heart attack and made the news all in one morning."

A few minutes later, Erik called to let me know that his x-ray and CT scan came back clear and that he was being released with no limitations. Now, THAT'S what I wanted to hear! He also let me know that Channel 3 said that he was going to be okay. I'm sure he was glad to hear that! I am thankful that he is at home with us tonight and am counting my blessings that he is suffering only from a severely bruised arm. It could have been much worse. I think he is more worried about his battered leather prized possession helmet! It is a little bit "crooked" on his head. ha! We'll just call it a war mark! Like I said, it should have been a Monday.

What's the Deal?

Mills wakes up every morning anywhere from 6:30-7:00. I know it is probably because I have to get him up and take him to Mimi's house before work. So, his little internal alarm must be set to those times. On the weekends, he will wake up, have his milk and breakfast and play for about an hour or so and then, he starts getting cranky and rubbing his eyes. So, I put him back in his crib, and he will sleep for at least 2 hours. Is this normal? It's like he wakes up, but is not really "done" with his nigh time sleep, but wakes up anyway. He never wakes up and goes back to sleep. So, I always end up going upstairs to get him, change his diaper, and bring him back downstairs for the start of the day; only to find myself putting him back down around 9:30ish. He takes an afternoon nap (most of the time) too. Usually around 1:30 or 2:00. How many of your kids still took 2 naps at age 1? I guess his little body just gets worn out with a little bit of stimulation?

Just a little bit o' Enthusiasm!

One of my favorite times of the year is finally here and I am hoping for no disappointing Saturdays this year....ahem....NO comments from the peanut gallery please!
The hardest thing for me today is figuring out which orange outfit I am going to select from my orange wardrobe.