Trick or Treat

We had such a fun night on Halloween. Our new friends Seth and Mandy brought their little girl Lilly over to hit the neighborhood up for some candy. Josh, Jamie, Corbin, Mom, and Pop met up at our house and we all planned our assault. The wagon I got at a yard sale for only $5 was a hit as the girls rode around in style. Following the trick-or-treating, we went back home for some cider, pizza, and caramel apples. I am pretty sure more than one of us gorged ourselves on candy too. It's amazing how children put the magic back into holidays and really make us feel like children all over again.

Front Door Fun

Grace's Room

Can I just say I LOVE this room? It has been an absolute joy creating Grace's nursery. When Jeff and I found out we would be welcoming a little girl into our family I couldn't wait to start decorating. (It was a good thing since I had less than 2 months to get it put together!) So here we are, a year and a half later, and most of my little projects are done. I wouldn't call it a finished product though. I am always finding new "treasures" at yard sales and thrift shops, so therefore it is in a constant state of change. I know Grace may not fully appreciate the time and effort put into her room, but until then, I will just continue to enjoying it for her.

Golly, has it been forever since my last post or what? SLACKER!!!! Here is my short and sweet recap on what I have been up to:

Grace has had a fun summer and her favorite play place has been in Nana & Papa's pool. She is quite the little dare devil. She has no fear when it comes to jumping in the water. See exhibits A, B, and C.




When taking it easy, she enjoys watching her "show." (Baby Einstein DVDs) See exhibits D & E.



My little sister, Alexis, (or "Secsis" as Grace calls her) moved in with us. I am totally lovin' it! Now that she is all grown up we are the BEST of friends. It doesn't hurt that we can share closets now. She is enjoying being a part of our crazy family and having older brothers. (As evident by exhibit F.)


The MOST exciting news is the arrival of my nephew, Corbin Douglas. Doctor Grace was at the hospital for his big debut. In true Josh and Jamie style, Corbin took his sweet time. He was worth the wait! Grace wasn't about to have her "thunder stolen," so she stepped right up to the loving cousin role. See exhibits G through I.




One night I had the fun idea of playing dress up with Grace. My mom bought the cutest fairy stuff right after Grace was born and I have waited SO long for her to be big enough for it. The trick for getting her to put the stuff on was to call it "pretty." I would say, "Oh, wow Grace! Look how PRETTY!" She got all excited and was eager to wear everything except for the boa and crown. (Enough with the exhibit stuff...here's the pictures!)



I have really been getting my craft on lately. My FAVORITE project has been making this puppet theater as a Christmas present for Grace. Seriously, I had more fun making this than she will have playing with it. I want to make one for every little kid I know. Any birthdays coming up? Thank goodness the boxes are from low fat goodies, or I might gain a million pounds just for materials! Everything I used was lying around the house. (Okay, in my craft area...I'm not THAT messy!)





Finally, this last picture is pretty priceless. Grace hasn't fallen asleep in our arms in FOREVER! Jeff, you lucky dog! I can't believe the flash didn't wake her up.

Happy Pioneer Day

July 24th takes on a whole new meaning when you are in Utah. We started the day off by devouring Mom's biscuits and gravy while watching the parade. Yum! The middle of the day went much the same as they have been - nap, shop, eat, play...that sort of thing. When it became dark enough we went outside to set off some fireworks. As you can see, we had a BLAST!

My Little Monkey Visits the Zoo

This weekend Grace and I embarked on yet another Grand Adventure - a girls trip to SLC. So far my favorite experience has been our trip to the Hogle Zoo. We were lucky enough to have an overcast day that kept the temp in the 70's, a far cry from the weather we left in AZ. Grace had so much fun discovering the animals from around the world. I was thrilled by the look of wonder that lit up her small, beautiful face. And so, as it turns out, an $8 ticket blessed me with priceless memories.

The 4th of July has to be one of my favorite holidays. First, it represents all that is summer - family, barbecue, warm weather, fun and games, the works! (Fireworks that is.) Secondly, the 4th of July doesn't just signify independence, it also means my birthday is just 2 days away. Let's face it, I am a fan of birthdays! (Independence too!) This weekend was filled with fun and laughter, so what better gift could I ask for?

We kicked things off at Nana & Grandpa's with a little barbecue. Grace was thoroughly entertaining as always. Here she is making faces as she enjoyed "bababerries."

Next, we headed to the bowling alley to hopefully knock down a few pins. Jeff found his game and Josh perfected the "huck fin" method. Kara kicked all of our butts in the second game with a start of 4 strikes, also called a "4 bagger." I bowled a personal best breaking 100 all 3 games and finishing with 149 on the last one. Grace was the princess of the alley, roaming where she pleased. We had such a blast that we missed the fireworks without really missing them. The night ended with a refreshing dip in the pool.




Saturday, we all went to my favorite greek place on Mill Ave. to celebrate my birthday. After church Sunday, we went to the Visitor's Center by the temple to check out the photography exhibit. I was able to snap a few pics of Jeff and Grace, and that wrapped up our fun filled weekend.

Hip, hip, hurray! I have finally gotten my act together and started this blog. (Thanks to my lovely helper Onehm. ) With that being said, Grace is demanding my attention and I must make this...my very first post...short and sweet. (Always keep them begging for more!)

Here I Am

Check me out...

Blogroll

Blogroll Please....

About Me

(My "Suzie Homemaker" shot)

Get to Know Me Quiz

What's your first thought when you wake up? I wake to the sound of my 2 year old calling out, "MOMMY!" Some days I wish she'd fall back to sleep so I can get a little more rest, but mostly I am happy to wish her, "Good Morning!"

What's your favorite color? A tie between Yellow and Green

If you could have any superpower, what would it be? Teleportation, easy!

What phobias do you have? To be so tall, it is strange that I don't really like heights.

What color best describes your personality and why? Green. I can be lively at times and funky (as in grouchy) at others.

What's your favorite junk food? Candy...I don't discriminate. If it's sweet, chances are I will like it.

Name 1 thing you miss about being a kid: Making play houses out of BIG cardboard boxes. Name 1 thing you love about being an adult: Being married to my Best Friend, Jeff.

If you could have any pet in the imaginable world, what would it be? A phoenix.

What's your favorite song of all time? Brown Eyed Girl - Van Morrison

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go? Paris

Would you rather be a hero or an antagonist? A SUPER hero...That SUPER part is important.

Do you own a pair of "fat" pants? I threw them away.

Approx. how many pairs of shoes do you own? 30?

Salty or sweet? Sweet, but I like to pair the two.

If you HAD to change your name, what would you change it to? Princess Consuela Banana Hammock (10 pts if you know where that's from)

Have any celebrity crushes? Brad Pitt (and I have a rob the cradle thing for Zack Effron)

Are you a collector of anything? Vintage stuff.

If you could meet anyone, dead or alive, who would it be? Jesus

If you could go to any time period, what would it be? The Renaissance.

Do you follow politics? Occasionally on the radio.

Do you read the paper daily? No,but I check the headlines on the web.

Do you consider yourself successful? Yes. I feel I do a fairly good job at almost everything I do.

What is your guilty pleasure? Magazines

Can you swim? I was a lifeguard, so yeah.