Terrific T-W-O

Gracyn Avery is TWO!!!!

My sweet little ladybug celebrated her second birthday!

Time really does fly by when your having fun.

I made a banner to hang over our fireplace with one photo from each month of her life over the past year! You could really see just how much she has changed and grown into a toddler by following her progression through the months.

Come on,

Follow me through the past year.

December/January 2009

February/March

April/May


June/July

August/September

October/November

Gracyn,

You are a ray of sunshine in our lives. Your beautiful smile and hearty laugh bring happiness to the hearts of all your friends and family. No one can resist giving you a squeeze or stealing some sugars from those sweet cheeks!

You love your brother...he is quickly becoming your favorite toy! Both of you are at just the right age to really truly begin playing together and becoming the best of friends. I love to hear Cade whisper all his giant plans and schemes as the two of you entertain each other in the playroom.

You love to put on pajamas {or any random clothes you can find around the house, for that matter}. You love to wear your shirt over your head with your arms still in where your tummy shows.

You love to be read to, to be held and cuddled, and you absolutely could not survive without your soft "piwwow" at bedtime.

You love to carry around your sippy cup full of "pom-gwanit" juice, your purse, and your "chip-chap" --translation -- chap stick!

You love to eat raisins, applesauce, bananas, green beans, turkey roll-ups, mozzarella sticks, rice, popsicles, beans and almost anything else we put on your plate!

I LOVE to hear you say, "Hi Mommy" every morning when I walk into your room...

like you've been waiting for just that moment. I love to hear you call Cade "bubby." I love when you say "do it myself." I love to watch you splish-splash in the tub. I love when you prance around in your pretty dress up shoes that brother gave you at your party. And I love to hear you talk to you babies in such a gentle way.

My sweet 2 year old girl, I love you with all that I am.

Party Pics & Party Peeps

Chocolate covered strawberries on cookie sticks!







You wearing your "pwetty, pwetty" shoes from bubby!

Happy Birthday to you, Gracie girl!

I anticipate the next 12 months of your life will be filled with many more memorable moments.

THOUGHTS TO KEEP IN MIND

-The most useless thing to do…. ……..Worry
-The greatest Joy…………… ……Giving
-The greatest loss…………….Loss of self-respect
-The most satisfying work………Helping others
-The ugliest personality trait…………Selfishness
-The most endangered species………Dedicated leaders
-Our greatest natural resource……………Our youth
-The greatest “shot in the arm”……….Encouragement
-The greatest problem to overcome…………….Fear
-Most effective sleeping pill…. ….Peace of mind
-The most crippling failure disease…….Excuses
-The most powerful force in life………………Love
-The most dangerous pariah………………A gossiper
-The world’s most incredible computer… …..The brain!
-The worst thing to be without………………. Hope
-The deadliest weapon…………………..The tongue
-The two most power-filled words……………”I Can”
-The greatest asset………..Faith
-The most worthless emotion…..Self-pity
-The most prized possession…………….Integrity
-The most beautiful attire………………….SMILE!
-The most powerful channel of communication…. …Prayer
-The most contagious spirit…………. ….Enthusiasm

Fun Fridays...My Favorite Things

MOVIE CLIPS

I randomly came across this clip the other day and had to post it!

It's my absolute FAVORITE SCENE from the cute movie,

My Best Friend's Wedding.

Shining in spite of the scars

I read an incredible article the other day about this soldier.

Spc. Logan Burnette

He was sitting in the back row of 30 seats on Nov. 5, waiting to see a doctor for a final review. Hurry up and wait. Just another day in the Army.

Out of nowhere he overheard {who we now know was} Major Nidal Hasan shout

"Allahu Akbar"

before he began firing on a building of unarmed soldiers and civilians.

In an attempt to thwart Hasan, Spc. Burnette stood up and threw a folding table at the shooter. In response, Hasan aimed at him and a bullet tore through his left hip,

his abdomen and upper and lower intestines.

Burnette took another bullet to his right hip. Which is still there to this day.

The article stated that Burnette didn't know if or where he was shot and tried to stand up.

More bullets came and he got hit in the left elbow, knuckle and pinky finger.

Burnette fell again and crawled to a nearby cubicle.

He continued to drag himself across the floor and finally made it to the front door

and low-crawled five meters up a hill to another building.

Burnette made it to the front door, and a staff sergeant – he wishes he could remember his name – grabbed him by the collar and dragged him into an office.

The staff sergeant locked the door and performed first aid.

Burnette could still hear gunshots exploding in the nearby building.

There were a lot of heroes that day, Burnette said after tearfully recounting

his experience to the Killeen Daily Herald.

"By no means did my actions take precedence over anyone else's", he said.

He even added matter-of-factly:

"There are a lot of heroes still in Iraq and Afghanistan."

Here's what really struck me about this incredible story...

When asked what his goals were, Spc. Logan Burnette replied,

"Recover and return to duty as soon as possible."

I am so struck by the profound sense of loyalty and duty

our men & women in uniform show each and every day

of their lives.

Let's remember to smile at them.

Let's remember to thank them.

Let's remember to find ways to honor them as the holiday season approaches.

And most importantly, let's remember to pray for them and their families.

This event was a violent reminder that none of us

gets to choose how we die in this world,

but we do get to choose how we live.

Way Back Wednesday

My Precious Cowboy...

with a black eye!March 2006
Fayetteville, North Carolina

Tuesday TRUEism

{courtesy of the green light}

Menu Monday...a recipe for true friendship

Friendship

is the cooperative and supportive relationship between two or more people.

In this sense, the term connotes a relationship which involves mutual knowledge,

esteem, affection and respect along with a degree of rendering service to

friends in times of need or crisis.

Friends will welcome each other's company and exhibit loyalty

towards each other, often to the point of altruism.

Their tastes will usually be similar and may converge, and they will share

enjoyable activities.

They will also engage in mutually helping behavior, such as the exchange of

advice and the sharing of hardship.

source: wikipedia

"Friends are the sunshine of life."

John Hay (1871)

{Ginny & Addison Grace, holding Cade}

{December 31, 2004}

"A friend loves at all times."

Proverbs 17: 17

{Ginny, Me, Ashley: ALL PREGNANT -- December 2007}

"People are like stained glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within."

Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

{Addi + Gracyn = Cuddle Buds}

{January 2008}

"A friend is a present you give yourself."

Robert Louis Stevenson

{Sweeties}

"In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter,

and sharing of pleasures."

Kahil Gibran

{Sunday Afternoon Swing}

{November 2009}

In the words of the immortal Golden Girls theme song...

THANK YOU FOR BEING A FRIEND.

Wordless Wednesday...Momma's shoes are made for walkin'

Tuesday TRUEism

{image courtesy of diencastillon}

KNOCK, KNOCK...who is there?

We were richly blessed by a visit from Kay and Darrell (my second cousin and her husband) from California and also by my cousin Serena and her son Jayden from Carrollton. They graciously took a day out of their vacation to drive down and meet Cade and Gracyn!

We spent the day chatting, munching, playing, exploring,

taking a walk and reminiscing about old times.

What a beautiful day of family F-U-N!

{Mr. Jayden}

How handsome is he?

Thanks for taking the time and effort to drive down to our little 'ole casa for a visit.

Y'all come back soon now,

ya hear!!!