Gracelee turns out the lights!!!

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I am so in love with her!

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Every day a new adventure! She doesn't give me time to get used to one new thing at a time... she just keeps showing me that she learns every second of every day!

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What amazes me is that she retains the information and understands how to use it at such a young age!

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How?!?!?!?

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December 26th 2009 Gracelee can effectively turn out the lights

Gracelee's First Christmas 2009

Make an on-line slideshow at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Gracelee's First Christmas Video

The squeals of excitement warm my heart!

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She is a joy every day!

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Thank you Santa for Gracelee's wagon, and you are so clever putting the GIANT Mickey Mouse from Mommy and Daddy in the seat to ride with her!

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She is a very blessed little girl!

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The quality of this video stinks! Sorry to my readers, as I did try to upload a proper, high tech video!

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Gracelee,

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On your first Christmas you are almost 9 months old. You crawl and pull up, wave bye bye while saying the words, "Bye- Bye," you dance with your legs and shake your head to the music. You love your Momma and Daddy, and you can say both words and know who you are talking to! You AMAZE us more and more, and I cannot tell you enough how much we love you and adore you, and think you are the smartest baby in the world!

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I ask myself everyday how you know the things you know! You take it all in and you mimic so well! We will have to be careful around you because we don't want to teach you bad habits!!! = )

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Please remember the true reason for the season is Jesus, baby girl! It is not about the presents or the things we get... it is about receiving the Holy Spirit through Jesus. Christmas is a time for giving, yes, but it should be giving in a way that Jesus would give! There is plenty of time for gifts and presents and things, and in this season we should be grateful for having those things and that we have the opportunity to get them ALL year! Christmas should be a time of special family gatherings... not shopping or fighting with the crowds!

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I love you, baby girl! And I promise that we will make our own family traditions, and I promise that if there is something that you want, as long as you are well behaved and it is within reason, I will get it for you ANY time during the year. Just know that Christmas is going to be something different for our family! It is going to be the most special because we are going to give rather than receive.

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Now, while you are young, Santa will continue to bring you a special gift, and Mommy and Daddy will probably get you one or two things... however, we will never, EVER get you more than 3 presents... Jesus only got three, and it is HIS BIRTHDAY.

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I cannot believe that you are going to be 9 months old! This time last year I was big and pregnant and worried about a silly ultrasound that showed you had some cysts on your brain... turns out you are 150% perfect! We have your birthday party planned and are in the works to make it spectacular! Now, on your birthday... Mommy and Daddy are going to go WILD!!!! That day has so much meaning and depth for our family! You are more precious than words can say, angel! We love you!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy

Gracelee's First Christmas Dress

Christmas eve was filled with a LOT of excitement! First and foremost, my precious, sweet angel did NOT take a nap the whole day... which even made her Aunt Amanda nervous! Luckily, on the way to the church service, Little Miss I-Am-Going-To-Throw-A-Fit-Like-I-Am-Two fell asleep...

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She was on very good behavior after her nice little nap! More pictures to come of Christmas Eve and Christmas Day... probably tomorrow! I need time to get every picture looking its best!

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Hope everyone had a blessed and wonderful Christmas! We are thinking about making Christmas for the kiddos next year and adults getting Charity certificates... meaning the money that people were going to spend on us getting us things will go to a charity instead... I feel like birthdays should be about presents and Christmas should be about Jesus... Silly or not, I think it will bring real joy and the Christmas spirit back into our lives!

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Good Idea??

Merry Christmas 2009!!!

The Christmas Tutu

I love the teeth!

8 1/2 months old is an awesome age!

An OVER DUE Thank you!

I feel terrible! My intentions are pure and thoughtful though! I promise!

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We have a surprise for 2 of the Greatest Aunts EVER... But it had to be perfect... that is my downfall! I try to make everything perfect instead of just doing it!

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Gracelee received 2 of the cutest things in the whole world LAST MONTH... please forgive me!

This ADORABLE TUTU was custom made by my Auntie! It has glitter accents and bows to match! Gracelee cannot stop staring at it or touching it, and it will make a public debut this Sunday at a special Church service... she likes to be the Blinging one!

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We also received this AWESOME onesie from Justin's Aunt! We had to get the right ensemble together so the picture would come out just right... Well here it is! And like I said before... we have a special surprise that will be in the mail shortly... It may not get there before Christmas, but know that it is coming and it is JUST FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!

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Thank you so much to the women who love us! To 2 of the ladies I know love us as much as they love their own babies! You mean the world to us, and we appreciate your thoughtfulness more than words could ever express!

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So without further ado... Gracelee and her new onesie and blinging tutu:

She is saying "I Love YOU!"

All Tangled Up!

"I will get this knot out if its the last thing I do!"

Santa Rocks!

And so does Gracelee!

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I envision her singing, "Hallelujah, Praise the LORD!" With her hands held high and the Spirit in her soul!

New Dress with her tights!!

I think, and I may be wrong, but every girl dreams of having a daughter and dreams of the day they get to put her in the little white tights and black shiny shoes!

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Last Sunday was my day! She was so precious and so well behaved at church. Then we took her to Grammy's to decorate the tree (her second tree of 3 to decorate!), and then BACK to church for the bell concert! She was all smiles and on good behavior ALL day!

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She is very musical, so church seems to be her thing! we sing so much in the service and then the bells add that extra "BLING" to get us into the Christmas spirit!

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It was a great day!

Santa who???

With 2, yes 2, bottom teeth, this little one makes a snack out of any fruit or veggie we give her. Of course it scares the heck outta me when she actually gets a piece. But she is so good, and gums it up to those teeth with which she uses to chomp it to pieces!

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We will try to stick with the fruits and veggie snacks FOREVER!

A Family that bakes together..

Yum yum! Gracelee enjoyed her first experience cutting out Gingerbread cookies wth mom and dad... even though she did not get to eat them!!! ; )

Gracelee's first SNOW Day!!!!!!!

There is something so magical about snow!!

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Everyone is in a good mood, there is yummy comfort food, and everything looks beautiful!!

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It rarely snows in Houston, Texas... 33 times in recorded history... that isn't very many, however, I think I can count 4 times that I remember snow in Houston. Weird?!?!?!!

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Houston drivers don't know how to drive in the snow, but we really REALLY appreciate it when it decides to visit our homes! We even had a snow man make an appearance on our street (there wasn't any snow left in their yard, but it is the amazing sculpture they made that counts! ; )

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We take a ridiculous amount of pictures when it is snow day because we don't really know when the next time will be... it keeps it exciting!

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With some drinking chocolate in hand, the fire crackling, and Christmas music playing, here are our pictures of Gracelee's FIRST SNOW DAY!!!!

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Our backyard

Gracelee, you are such a lucky and blessed little girl! I cannot believe that you are 8 months old, and you get to see SNOW your first year here!

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God gave us snow so we could see how beautiful winter is. Winter is important for the world because in this season we celebrate Jesus' birthday! Winter is white... white is the color of innocence. Jesus was the most innocent human that ever lived! Innocence is something that is taken for granted these days. If we could all just remember to make our lives as white as the snow, maybe, just maybe, we could be closer to the life Jesus wanted us to live. The snow serves as a Blessed reminder that Jesus is here and now, and we should accept Him into our hearts every minute of every day!

You are a beautiful, sweet Angel! And Mommy and Daddy love you so much!

We hope all of you are safe and warm... enjoying the holiday season... remembering that it is NOT about the presents under the tree... it is about the season of the greatest gift we could ever receive... that is the chance to be washed of our sins and become as white as the GLORIOUS wonderful snow!

Thank you God for our gift in Jesus, who reminds us to stay innocent and enjoy each other during this time of year!

Totally 80s...

Working the headband, the leggings, and the socks that look like leg warmers

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And rockin' it hard core!

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I know she is mine, but isn't she totally delicious????

Yes! There is snow in Houston, Texas!!!

The view of the playground this afternoon!!!

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The kids are going CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!

My First Thanksgiving!!

Wow!

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We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving 2009!

We were blessed with a healthy child, who amazes us everyday with what she can learn and understand...

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We have a very supportive and loving family that enriches our lives and our hearts, and takes the BEST care of us... even though we are adults with a child of our own!

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Brian and Keila are ENGAGED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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TJ made FIRST CHAIR REGIONAL ORCHESTRA with his M-A-D viola skills~

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Brittany is in the Nutcracker on point and in increasingly more difficult roles each year!

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Scott, Amanda's husband, has been HOME now for a year, with no signs of traveling the way he did in sight!

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Uncle Tommy and his crew came for Thanksgiving... YaY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is so much fun when they come for Thanksgiving!

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We are all healthy, we all have jobs, and we all have our freedom!

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So here is yesterday... Turkey Day, which was started with the Macy's Day parade and seeing SANTA!!!! Always a favorite past time!

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Oh, and uh... GO COWBOYS!!!!!!!!

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Our Family picture: Thanksgiving 2009

Uncle B, Auntie Ke and little Cowboy fan

Hey look!!! No tears, Uncle B!!!! You actually got a smile! Don't worry! You will soon be her favorite!!!

However, no such luck for Uncle T!!! She cannot help it if she is a Momma's Girl!

Play time with Big Pawpaw, Aunt Clarice and Daddy

And play time with Pawpaw, Trey and Ashlee

Yum Yum! This carrot is delicious! I cannot wait to eat my special Sweet Taters that Grandma made JUST for ME!!!! She ate A LoT of fresh boiled sweet potatoes!

Standing up like a big girl playing with my blocks!

Hey, Look at that world out there...

Hey, Momma... let me outta here!

I see you out there! Maybe if I push REALLY hard I can get out there too!

And this is the water game with Grandma...

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First, stick your hands in the cup of water.

Then, you wiggle your fingers.

THen you clap, clap, clap

And THROW the water on Grandma!

Yay! And yum yum! It tastes great!

We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving oh- nine! What a wonderful year it has been! Friends and loved ones, we are so blessed to have each of you! Please know you are in our hearts and prayers each day and night, and we hope you feel us hugging you right now! In a perfect world we would ALL be together, and we hope to spread that love through our little blog here... We hope that through this, we can *sort of* be together nearly everyday!

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Here is to you and yours: Love and Gods many continual and abundant blessings to you!

An update of sorts

So these are pictures I have been meaning to put up for some time, but TIME has been a bit of a challenge...

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Of course, in order to keep my blog readers happy, I have posted from my phone in the interim.

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Without any further delay, and a 20 pound almost 8 month old sleeping soundly in my arms, I give you the photo update:

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Aunt Amanda's REAL birthday lunch at Grammy's house

Malt Shoppe with Grammy

Eating my Gerber Stars like a big girl

Brushing my teeth for the first time

And my "too cute" polka dot pants!!!

Love!

New Jammies

Forgive the quality... My phone in the dark... boo

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I love footiePJs

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

I know, I know... It is Thanksgiving!

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But if you saw our scheduled events for the next few weekends and thru December, it was either now or put it up and take it right back down!

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We are so in the Spirit already, and I am looking forward to the Advent season, which starts Sunday!!! I am hoping to read the Christmas story to Gracelee, and make it a tradition. She won't understand it this year or even next, but at least she will be hearing the Good News!!

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Justin, Bless his heart, was on the roof pretty much all afternoon! He was outside organizing the garage and cleaning and just being a great husband! It is certainly nice to have a place for everything and everything in it's place!

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We moved our refrigerator outside and got a PHENOMENAL deal on a new one... one that we have been eyeing for like 2 years!!! God is good because our finances have been such that when we need something substantial, we can always do it and be okay. It is a 25 cu. ft. Maytag, bottom freezer with French doors... and I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas to each other!

With that said... here are some pictures of our house decorated on the outside... complete with our 3 new little friends by Santa's feet! That is a little tradition that we started when we moved in... hard to believe this is our 3rd Christmas in our house! We get one new thing for our yard each year... Thank you Target!

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Enjoy!

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Justin blowing up my "Noel" flag... like I said, Husband of the Year~