Sneak Peek

I promise to have more pictures from our wonderful White Christmas up soon, until then here is a little preview of what our Christmas looked like!

my how much difference a year makes....

The video above is just a little snippet of the longer video of Molly Grace's Santa experience this year. I couldn't email all of it, but basically she wanted nothing to do with Santa, his chair, or his penguin! She did however thoroughly enjoy the peppermint I bribed her to no avail with!

From Last Year to this Year!

2009, MG meets Santa for the first time and is obviously ecstatic!

2010, MG visits Santa and clearly she does not feel the same way. From ecstatic to fearful, all in one year!

It still made for a good pictures, and no tears were shed, which I consider successful! There's always next year!

Only 8 Days Away!

I can't believe Christmas is only 8 day away! MG is slowing learning about Santa and Christmas. If you ask her what Santa says, she repeats proudly "Ho Ho Ho" and if she asks her if she wants to go see Santa she promptly shakes her head "yes". I'm most looking forward to seeing her face on Christmas morning!

I'm excited to be able to teach her what Christmas is all about. I'm hoping that we all remember the real reason for the season instead of focusing on buying all the presents and stressing over everything.

Megan, my younger sister, graduated from KSU on Wednesday and I am so proud of her!

I caught this picture of me and my girl!

She is the sweetest!

We wish you and yours a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Card 2010

Oh Holy Night Religious Christmas Card

Make a statement with personalized Christmas cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

17 months

Really? Has it been that long already? When did my baby transform from an infant to a toddler?? To be honest, yesterday, the 6th of December, was actually the day she officially became 17 months, and up until yesterday I would celebrate the 6th of every month in some way. Yesterday came and went and I really didn't think about it. Does that mean I love her any less? Not hardly, in fact I love her more and more each day and I think part of me forgetting temporarily can be attributed to the fact that as much as I want her to remain my baby, she is becoming quite a little young lady.

She is learning what seems to be a new word everyday. I wrote out a list of all the words she can say today, and I'm sure there are more to be added that I can't recall, but here's a little preview of what I get the pleasure of hearing every day!

baby

bye bye

uh oh

mama

please

thank you

hey

ba ba

cup

ball

bubble

duck

cow

Papa

Pawpaw

GG

Mia

Me

tree

book

car

train

cookie

bow

cheese

bag

Moo

Choo Choo

nose

eye

teeth

and last but definitely not the least, no (which I wish I could have left off this list!)

She is repeating things like crazy and mimicking me all the time, in a good way. She is so funny. I just love watching her grow up.

She's doing so much more these days. She loves to read and read aloud to us. She says "Moooooo" anytime she sees a cow. I know there is so much more to update, but I just can't think of what else right now!

I have pictures that I need to post tomorrow.

Hopefully she won't be 18 months before I blog again!

Tis the Season....

To be jolly...

I say "tis the season"... to send Christmas cards!

And what better way to do it than by choosing Shutterfly to make them for you!

I love most everything about Shutterfly. In fact, just this past Friday I was able to get 101 free prints from them and the quality of the pictures that I got yesterday (so fast!) is unbelievable!

I will definitely be using Shutterfly to make my cards this year, and it would be even better if I could get them for free, but I need help choosing which design! Last year I made my own on Picasa, and they were ok, but let's be honest, not Shutterfly quality!

So, here are my front runners!

I'm also thinking I know someone who loves coffee and Molly Grace, wouldn't this be perfect??

Check out these and other designs here. One of my favorites parts of Christmas over the past years has been watching my fridge fill up with cards and pictures of the people I love the most. It is a daily reminder to me of how many people I am so blessed and thankful to know! Time to go take some pictures so I can get my cards out, only 24 days til Christmas!

Could it be true Shutterfly?

So I have read a couple of blogs that say that Shutterfly is giving away 50 free Christmas cards to bloggers! They have the cutest designs and even if it isn't true, I will probably be getting mine through Shutterfly anyway! Check them out!

my dream

One of my favorite TV shows is "Friday Night Lights". My friend Bret discovered his love for FNL and then decided it was something I need to love as well. It took several months, but I finally watched my first episode and fell in love instantly.

It's just one of those shows that makes you feel good. It can make you like a once "bad" character that at first you hated. It's just plain good and if you haven't watched it, you definitely should.

I was re-watching season 4 the other day and there was this one scene where Tammy Taylor (the wife of head football coach, Eric Taylor) was talking to her daughter Julie about deciding which college she should go to because Julie was trying to make her mom's dream come true and this is what she told her:

"You're my dream, baby. I got what I wanted. I got it all, and now it's your job to dream up whatever you want and I will support you to the ends of the earth to do that."

I had watched that same scene before but this time, it had me in tears. Years ago, my dream would not have been to be at mom at 23 but now, it is my dream. I love it and those words spoken from a fictional mom on TV describe what I feel for MG.

And that is one of the many reasons why I love Friday Night Lights.

Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't Lose.

Moving and Change

So....

I recently read a post from Sarah at To Him Belong about being SOOC or "straight out of the camera". She talked about how we sometimes edit our lives to make it look like everything is perfect when really there are hard things going on. You should definitely read it here.

Here's is my attempt at being real and SOOC.

My cousin/roomie, Kim, decided a couple of months ago to apply for a mission trip called The World Race, where she will travel to 11 different countries in 11 months. She was accepted and will be leaving July 1. Only 5 days shy of MG's 2nd birthday. While I am so so so happy for her and know this is all in God's plan, it leaves me without a roommate.

Right now, financially, I cannot afford to safely live by myself. I don't know many people that are single and able to be my roommate in the small town that I live in. With that being said, I am left with very few options.

I have decided that what is best for Molly Grace and I right now is to move in with my mother. While I know it will be good for me and my mom, but it is something that is very hard for me to do. I have been out from under my parent's home since I was 18 and I have supported MG on my own for the past year. It is hard for me to accept that I need the help. Honestly, I do though. Although I am a single mom, I have never lived alone with a baby. I truly do not know how people do it, live alone with a baby. I get overwhelmed at the thought of trying to get ready and take care of MG when someone else is not there to occupy her.

So, that's what going on. I am sure God is teaching me something about pride in all this. It has already helped me to see what really counts in life, and that is that MG and I will have a roof over our heads, beds to sleep in, food on the table, and a love between us that doesn't change no matter where we move.

Halloween 2010

Although this was Molly Grace's second Halloween, it was her 1st Halloween to be able to Trick or Treat! To celebrate this special event, I knew she had to have a super cute costume. Since I'm not all about the typical Halloween costumes for babies, and I don't have enough time or enough craftiness I enlisted April of Hair Flair Bowtique to make MG something wonderful. She made MG the CUTEST Dalmatian costume, complete with a tutu, shirt and leggings, collar and headband with ears and bows. It was adorable, one of a kind, and made especially for my Gracie girl!

Kim's coworker and friend, Tammy, invited us over to her neighborhood to trick or treat so we headed over Sunday night to get our candy on. I had worked with her on saying "trick or treat" but when it came to actually saying it for other people, she was too shy. She did say "thank you" and "bye bye". I was one proud mama. Her favorite candy seemed to be suckers and surprisingly I think she enjoyed giving out the candy to other trick or treaters better than getting it herself!

Here are some of the cute pictures I got of the little Dalmatian! She was a busy little puppy and it was hard to get to sit her to sit still for a picture so most of them are of my little on the go puppy!










It was so wonderful getting to experience Halloween with MG. She had so much fun. I had had the worst day Sunday and watching her and being with her while we were trick or treating turned my whole day around. I can't wait for next year!

Check out all of her pictures on my Facebook page!

back

We are still here! And doing good...I'm going to try to blog tonight! It's been crazy busy.

Just a short recap of all that we've done lately with more to come later!

1. MG turned 15 months old...where did the time go?
2. I took MG to see the Haunted Nights of Lights at Lake Lanier and to the festival at the end!
3. MG had her first trip to the fair, Coosa Valley Fair in Rome!
4. My fam and I took MG to Gold Rush in Dahlonega!
5. We got to hang out with Anna Bryant (aka BFF and one of her godmothers) and Marsha, MG's adopted grandparent, also known as Moon!
6. She is saying so many words now!
7. Thats all for now!

I promise to return soon with pictures!

Love to you all!

Fall is here...

so of course that meant we had to have some new pictures made!

My wonderfully talented cousin and roomie, Kim, took our Fall pictures this weekend at Berry and it was beautiful! I had a great time with my family and of course with MG, who would have rather played and played than take pictures, but we got some great shots!

Happy Fall Everyone!!

Teary Eyed and Overjoyed

I have found that it really is the simple things in life that make you the most happy.

Yesterday, Molly Grace and I spent the day with my sisters. We went shopping, of course. The Toles (Talbert for Meg now) are pros at shopping! While we were eating lunch, Molly Grace was behaving so well. It is typically hard to keep her contained in her high chair while eating out. My little one is quite the adventurous 14 month old, but today she was doing remarkably well. All of the sudden, she just looked up at me, grabbed my hand and kissed it. I can honestly say that has to be the best kiss I've ever received. It brought me to tears and I was overwhelmed with the love I have for this little girl who stole my heart all over again. I felt so overjoyed by that one simple kiss on the hand.

I am so blessed to be a mom, to be her mother. I write this post now to remind me when I'm stressed out or having a hard time with what seems to be early onset terrible twos, I can recall that moment and remember that it's all worth it.

I'm in T-R-O-U-B-L-E....part 2

Molly Grace Toles and Nash Bryant

Nash is the adorable son of Jordan and Tiffant Bryant. Jordan is the brother of my best friends, Anna and Sarah! We all got to hang out on Labor Day, which is a rare occassion because Anna lives in Chicago and Sarah lives in Virginia. We all met up at Barry and Marsha's (Jordan, Anna, and Sarah's parents) home in Cave Spring and porch sat and enjoyed the beautiful weather! It was so good to see them all. Clearly, the kiddos had fun! Now, I just have to make sure she doesn't grow up and try to kiss all the boys!

Story Time

{WARNING: This post makes me nervous to write, but I need an outlet, so here goes...}

Once upon a time there was a girl who dated a boy, they dated for a while but it was not a healthy relationship. One day the girl found out she was a expecting a baby, and at first the boy said he was going to be there, but then decided the responsibility that comes along with having a baby was too much for him to handle.

40 (ish) weeks later, the girl delivered a healthy, beautiful baby and the healthy, beautiful baby gave the girl all the joy in the world. Of course there were hard times, but the joy the healthy, beautiful baby gave the girl surpassed all of the late night feedings and long days, and the baby's cries. The girl instantly fell in love with the baby girl; and the boy, well he had nothing to do with the girl or the baby.


Flash Forward to Sept. 8, 2010.

One Wednesday night in September, the girl, who had moved on from the boy the moment he left, went out with a friend she had made to enjoy a nice night at a concert in Atlanta. This was a rare occassion for the girl, who spends most of her nights at home taking care of the healthy, beautiful baby girl becuase that is where she loves to be. The girl was looking forward to the sounds of John Mayer and the company of her new friend, and even some of her old friends.

As the girl was walking into the concert, she spotted a friend that had once been a friend of the girl and the boy, being polite the girl called out the friend's name and waved. Without realizing it, the boy from the past turned around. This boy, the biological father of the girl's healthy, beautiful baby was standing right in front of the girl. Shocked and surprised to see the boy since she hadn't seen or talked to him in two years, the girl waved and offered a sarcastic hello and good to see you. Without one word or advance from the boy, who obviously still has no desire of responsibility, the girl with her head held high walked away, just as she had done before.

The girl went on into the concert and enjoyed the music. Wondering what she was to learn from this random and unwanted experience, the girl decided that in the end, there is a happy ending. Instead of crying or being angry or dwelling on the scene of what had happened, the girl realized she knew that God has a beautiful and wondeful plan for her and the healthy, beautiful baby. The girl lived happily ever after with the healthy, beautiful baby girl and the guy, well, the girl hopes he one day realizes the joy he missed out on in the experiencing the life of the healthy, beautiful baby girl.

check this out...it could lead to a GIVEAWAY!

AND WHO DOESN'T LOVE A GIVEAWAY??

April Clayton, a cousin of mine, has a WONDERFUL online store called Hair Flair Bowtique. She makes the cutest bows, tutus and tutu dresses, boutique flip flops, personalized t-shirts, bow holders and much, much more!!

Friend her NOW on Facebook! When she reaches 100 "friends", she is going to giveaway a $25.00 gift certificate to her store!!

Here are a few of the things she has made for MG:

If all works out the way I hope it will, I will be doing a giveaway soon for something from Hair Flair Bowtique!!

What would you like to see as a giveaway??

Check April out now!

thanks! :)

oh you make me smile

This past weekend didn't start out too well. I picked MGT up from Jana (babysitter on MWF) Friday and she was running a fever of 102. I just knew for sure it was her ears. After a dose of infant tylenol and Mommy's loving, she perked right up and didn't run another fever the rest of the weekend.

So Saturday we headed out to Lake Lanier for some fun in the (late afternoon) sun with the family. Molly Grace wasn't allowed to play in the water because I didn't want to have to worry about whether it would have a negative effect on her ears, but that didn't stop her from being the life of the party. I took these pictures of her Saturday night and what a little ham she was being!! These pictures definitely show the bear's bubbly, fun, and loving personality!

cheesing with Mommy!

oh, she makes me smile!


just a silly, happy bear girl face brought you by Molly Grace!

loving our sunglasses!

already a jet(ski)setter! She loves it, she just leans back and enjoys the (slow) ride!

didn't you know it's courtesy to wave at other boats you see? she does!
hmmm...how can I get in?
high five!!
trying to touch the water!
me and my girl!

We always have such a fun time on the boat!!