happy belated birthday, my gracie girl

only a month late here, but it is a friday the thirteenth, just like the day when you were born.   oh, what a day.  i know i probably write the same stuff every year, but what a day.  i had it all planned out.  a 5 page document for the grandmas & poppy to care for ben while we would be in the hospital for a short time when you were born.  your birth didn't go quite as planned & you ended up in the nicu for a few weeks.

 thank goodness for family to care for benjo so i could stay by your side.  i kept saying to myself that this would only be short term, but at the time, i was a mess.  i wish i could have just "let go & let god" be in control. 



gracie was going to be ben's name had he been a gal.  once we had heard gracie girl
by ben folds, my mind was set i was having a gracie.   that entire song just gets me.  here's the end of the lyrics:
"one day you’re gonna wanna go

i hope we taught you everything
you need to know
gracie girl
there will always be a part of me
nobody else is ever gonna see
but you and me
a little girl
my Gracie girl"

you are the perfect little gracie.  just like in that song. 


 momma & daddio loove ben folds.  our wedding song was the luckiest by him.  which some might think is kinda strange, but it was us. 


my dear justin, "where was i before the day that i first saw your lovely face? now I see it everyday. and i know that i am the luckiest"  (lyrics from the song.  but you do make me feel pretty durn lucky. 


now back to you miss grace, gracie by ben folds & good old amazing grace just bring tears to my eyes thinking about you & how precious your little life is.

how you've grown in 3 years!  some pics from the past. (i realized going through all of our pictures, i sure do take a lot of you kids)

easter time

working on "craps" (crafts) with benj.  you are always hands on & not afraid to get dirty!

(your 1 year old birthday at namaw & poppy's)

lovin with bub

there's some hair on ya!

so pretty!

(your 2 year old birthday shot at the beach)

playing in the fall leaves while ben was at preschool

you are growing up to be quite independent (i think you get that from auntie jen, even though she's a few hundred miles away).  i am so proud of all you can do.  you are a big gurl, you let me know all the time & you can do it yourself.  sometimes your dress might be on backwards or your swim bottoms are in one leg, but you do it.  all by yourself. 

we spent your actual birthday this year on vacation with namaw & poppy at the beach.  can't beat that!  we all made your horsey cake,

we made princess crowns 

& had a pony pinata (only 1 place in the area sold pinatas, but we got ya one). 

& got to play on the beach & in the ocean.  

  i think you had a fun day. 

you don't look too much like your momma, but i can still dress you up in my old clothes (at least for now) & you are cute as a button.

here you are telling the world you are 3.  i love this shot of you!

preschool starts for you soon.  you are super duper excited & momma is too for you.  but i will miss our little time together.  you are my little helper & my super duper sweetie pie.  you tell me "momma, i wuv you" about a bazillion times a day & i can't get enough of that.  thank you. 

we love you, our little cowgirl with all our hearts!

(in this picture you have your tounge stuck out, like you always do when you are workin real hard!)

modeling some of your birthday presents!!  yee haw!

happy belated 3rd birthday gracie faye!!   

our grumble box

2 weeks ago, our pastor gave a sermon on Phillipians 2:14:   Do all things without complaining. 

so, our goal for that week was for a complaint free week.  the kiddos didn't get the message..  monday was whine, whine, whine.  about everything & anything.  it was wearing me down. 

that night, when we went to read from our Little Visits With God book (damaw & siblings' old book),

the story we turned to was the grumble box.  amazing how things work out that way.  i'm sure you can guess the story.  a family of complainers... the mom (i like that) suggests they ought not grrumble all the time.  God says "Do all things without mummering."  she talked about how God wanted them to be cheerful people & to do what is right & good.  she suggested they make a box with a slot in the top & whoever grumbled had to put a penny in the box at that time. 

perfect story for us.  the kiddos couldn't wait to make a box. 

we finally did. 

& here it is. 

(the bottom of it has happy people & a happy dinosaur  drawn by the kiddos)

the kiddos got into their piggy banks right away to make up for lost time.  i need to put quite a few pennies in it this week, i'm afraid too.   but, we've got it out & are working on it!

kate the great & mr. cool caleb's birthday parties

we headed back up to henryville over the weekend to help out aunt jane & uncle rocky with their big boy treehouse (i think it's a "deerstand", but it's huge & looks more like a fun treehouse to me...)
namaw, the kiddos & i get there  & check out the sisters in their shirts.  too cute!

& for a weekend full of fun kiddo birthday parties.  much different than the parties daddio used to have with his college buddies i'm sure, but no less fun. 

first, kate the great's first birthday party!!

& do they ever know how to throw a party.  ever since i've known daddio, luke's parties were something of a legend.  when we were dating at the parties around the campfire, carrie & i would always start yelling for watchtower shortly after the guys broke out the guitars (that was the grand finale that would drag on & on & on & on).  they ignored us of course.

but, no guitars out today.  today was for miss kate turning one.  lots of inflatable fun at the house.  a huge inflatable water slide. 

awesome!  my kiddos said about a bazillion times.

water guns.  watch out for aj, he's got good aim! & a great tan.  jealous here.

miss gracie loved the cake (of course) & so did i.  i told her to ask luke if we could take some home, but she didn't.  thanks a lot grace.

of course, the boys were up to there celebrating.

& yes, i had to bleep out a finger in this picture.  thanks luke.

miss gracie going down the big inflatable slide.   the kiddos loved this thing!!

she made it to the top!

sweet little kate.

mommy making it all better after an accidental jab in the head on the slide from ben.  sorry a.j.  i'm glad you are a tough fella!

ben & gracie & some of their new forever friends.  miss olivia now has a place in ben's heart with brenna. can you blame him?  what a beauty! 

mike v & his lovely family! 

some yummy corn on the cob!  i'm suprised gracie didn't take some home in her pockets!

next, we headed to bill & deb's.  we were worried we would be late, but they were all still up celebrating & partying like parental rock stars!

there's the big 5 year old caleb & my sleepy man. 

silly boys.

the kiddos inside hanging out & watching spongebob, having the thimes of their lives!

caleb & sarah striking a pose.  she was awesome with the kids.  move closer & come help me out!!

sweet chloe & mom

my sweetie & me.  (can you tell the gals were ready for bed?)

we got to hang out on the new deck & hear some great guitar playing & singing.  good times.  lovin it.

lovely lovebirds.  i just love watching them, they are so sweet together!!  ahh, newlyweds!

me & my sugar bear at the end of the night. 

it was such a fun weekend to see friends that we haven't seen in a looooong time & hang out, play guitar, & sing off tune. 

thank you rocky & jane, namaw & poppy, luke & carrie, and bill & deb for such a fun weekend!  it's gonna take me & the kiddos a while to recover from all that fun!  love you all!

pretty pictures

oh, my gurls, as beano & gracie refer to them.  they are almost all grown up now. 


such lovely young ladies.  i didn't take this picture, but love it of them. 

for my birthday, ash made me this.

we went to that concert together shortly after finding out i was pregnant with ben.  i love that song & the message it has.


& these were requests i made to miss allie, which i think are awesome.

the dance one is in grace's room.

this one, i'm still finding the right spot for it. hmm.

& no painting from aub.  she said she's not creative.  i think she's lying.

bend it like ben

beano had his first soccer practice monday & his coaches are gurls (a mom & her neice)!   & they rock.  she went to college on a soccer scholarship.  thank goodness daddy declined (we know nuttin bout the sport).

stretching before practice.

the boys had a blast out there & worked hard. 

cone head being the goal. 

little sis ready to play.  we'll find out more about her foot on friday...

on the way home, we talked about how much fun he had.  ben's comment was "man, she sure knows how to make ya sweat!"

i think it's gonna be a fun season.  now,  what shall miss gracie try???

if ya come home late..

daddio had a work golf outing yesterday.  & it took a bit longer than expected (but we aren't complaining :) ) .  we had a big surprise for him when he got home.

miss gracie would say "daddy hold still, let me get behind you."  (so she could squirt him) & he would everytime.  that's love. 

daddio tried to retaliate, but i think he lost.

thank you daddio for being such a good sport, we love ya.