The Denbow Family

Firsts in the Denbow house

2012-02-02T16:11:00.000-08:00

William has had a couple weeks of firsts.....

First taste of pineapple.....

First time with Daddy while Mommy spent the night away....

First time rolling over.....

and first time in the bouncy seat.....William sure has been busy!

Singing...

2012-01-27T07:19:00.000-08:00

Sorry its so dark........I hadn't turned on the lamp yet and it was kinna bleak outside :)

Going to the grocery...

2012-01-26T13:15:00.000-08:00

Love this boy!

2012-01-20T10:53:00.000-08:00

Weekend at Serenbe

2012-01-16T12:34:00.001-08:00

Our friends the Hautts offered us a weekend away at their parents place in Serenbe.....we of course immediately jumped at the offer. Even though it is hard to travel with kids it is nice to get out of town every now and then!!! Serenbe is an amazing community south of Atlanta (only about 45 minutes). There are tons of fun "outdoorsy" things to do! Here are some pictures of our adventures!

Picture re-creation

2012-01-12T07:36:00.001-08:00

I often times see William doing something and remember a picture of Elsie doing the same thing! It is fun to compare what they look like and see if William is keeping up with his big sister's milestones.....as of now he is right on track!! Here is Elise at 3 months and William at 3 months. Do you see any resemblance? The hair makes it hard for me to tell......

My babies are all looking.....yes Charlie is still my baby!

Those eyes......

Excited about PEE PEE

2012-01-08T06:06:00.000-08:00

We have had this potty for a few months....Elsie thinks of it more as a seat than a potty! Well....yesterday was the big day! She decided she wanted to go potty....and she did! We got so excited I think we scared her. She got a "treat" and then she got excited too! This was taken right after the potty had been cleaned. Didn't figure you wanted to see everything!!! And this hat cracks me up. It is kinna small but she loves to use it for dress up!

This just makes me laugh....and may show up on her wedding video. She is still cute even with a giant booger on her face!

3 months

2012-01-06T18:37:00.000-08:00

This little boy is the sweetest thing in the world! He is so happy, sleeps well and puts up with a few bumps and shoves from his big sister......who in the last few weeks has decided she would like to "send him back"! Sorry sister.....he is here to stay :)

These boots were made for walkin'

2011-12-29T06:01:00.000-08:00

So these boots have quite a story. I have been eyeing these for over a year....waiting till she was big enough to love them! Well I thought it would be perfect for her birthday and Aunt Cadie said she would LOVE to give them to her. Well these puppies must be popular cause they were on backorder and finally arrived two days after Christmas! Aunt Cadie was so excited to give them to Elsie.....so cute! She opened the box and said "BOOTS"! Our little cowgirl is just too precious!

Thank you Aunt Cadie....WE ALL love them!!!

Extended holiday....

2011-12-29T05:44:00.000-08:00

Uncle Thom (Scott's Uncle) was in town for the holidays with his sweet girlfriend Annie so we got together for a dinner out at Nana and Pops! We weren't able to see Ry and Kristy for Christmas so we decided to let the girls exchange gifts last night. We missed Aunt Kristy....she was not feeling too well and stayed home to rest up! Here is Isabelle modeling her new Patagonia vest.....not nearly as exciting as new toys but we hope she will enjoy it. I think I have forced my love of "fashion shows" on Elsie as I make her try clothes on as soon as they arrive. As a result she loves clothes and will usually try things on right away. This will be bad news for daddy's pocketbook very soon! I think I have created a monster!!!

Isabelle sure is cute :)

Elsie opening her new purse and accessories from Isabelle! She loves it :)

Calling her peeps!

Giving Isabelle and "thank you" hug!

Avery modeling her new vest too!!

Celebrating our Savior's birth!

2011-12-26T06:25:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

So sweet.....

2011-12-22T11:29:00.001-08:00

Semi-controlled CHAOS

2011-12-17T17:13:00.000-08:00

Elsie had her Christmas program at school on Friday. It was hilarious!!! I couldnt even get a clear shot of Elsie because of all the other "paparazzi". The kids were herded on stage to "sing" Jingle Bells. They were supposed to be shaking the bells as they sang. As you can see there was not much singing or shaking going on.....with the exception of our friend Will B. He was shaking his groove thing with the biggest smile on his face!

This picture is hilarious.....that is Cousin Avery next to Elsie and she is looking at Drew (friend in Elsie's class) with puzzlement. I think she is wondering where his beard is......

Will B dancing

The whole time they were supposed to be singing, Elsie was staring at me with this stone-cold look as if to say "how dare you make me do this". Never-cracked-a-smile!

But she sure is cute!

Alyssa, Big Will and Will B (AKA:Dancing Machine)

Blowing kisses to Elsie down the pew.....a sign of things to come? We will see.....

Sweet Avery

Uncle Ryan is quite an artist....he is giving Elsie a few pointers!

And Nana made it to the show too!

"no way....not doing that" face

2011-12-16T05:22:00.000-08:00

Tea and Crumpets

2011-12-15T15:50:00.001-08:00

Elsie and Daddy decided to have a tea party after dinner tonight!! Well, since 2 year olds don't like tea or crumpets we went with milk and cookies! So precious......

Elsie's Christmas Party

2011-12-14T12:01:00.000-08:00

I am not sure this can really be called a party....the kids ate food from a Christmas plate and that about sums it up! At least there were a few things Elsie would eat off the plate :)

Elsie's school boyfriend....Drew (she has other boyfriends and they dont know about each other!) This precious boy is one of Scott's high school friend's little one!

Elsie wanted to play with the boys....

Elsie is TWO!!!

2011-12-12T14:21:00.000-08:00

We had a great time for Elsie's birthday this year! We had doughnuts, fruit and milk.....here are a few pictures from the day!!

recycled banner that I made for her last year :)

Blowing out her candles

ONE

TWO.....such a big girl!

Family of 3 on her 1st birthday

Family of 4 on her 2nd birthday

All the Denbows

Nana and Pops with the grandkids

Mean Mommy

2011-12-07T13:38:00.001-08:00

Every little girl needs a cupcake smashed in her face on her birthday.....right??? Elise did not think so......

Today was our appointment to see the "real Santa".......and we all love Santa, right??? Not Elsie.........

William on the other hand is in shock!

Happy Birthday Elsie

2011-12-06T07:08:00.000-08:00

Today Elsie is TWO.....I cannot believe it!!! What a precious little girl we have :) I cannot remember what life was like before this little blessing arrived! She has our hearts .......we love you Elise girl!!!

Pictures from her "donut" party coming soon!!!

2 months

2011-12-05T06:33:00.000-08:00

Our little man is 2 months old!!! He really is precious and so so easy.....let's hope he stays that way :)

Elsie at 2 months

Sweet sleeping baby

2011-12-01T06:51:00.000-08:00

My sweet boy slept 12 hours last night.....from 7 till 7:30 (with a sleepy dream feed at 10pm)

Love him!

cuties.....

2011-11-30T13:06:00.000-08:00

kristy took this on thanksgiving day......so cute!!!

Pretend Play

2011-11-21T13:26:00.000-08:00

Elsie and Mommy made a fort today! She loved it :)

Reading in her fort

Hi Mommy!!!

Our little Indian....

2011-11-18T12:46:00.000-08:00

Elsie had her first Thanksgiving Feast at school today! They were all dressed as Indians....so precious! I left my camera at home so here are a few of her when she got home!

Best Buds!!!

First bath with baby brother

2011-11-09T16:15:00.000-08:00

I heart consignment :)

2011-11-08T12:13:00.001-08:00

So cute....and its reversible :)

William is 1 month!

2011-11-07T14:19:00.000-08:00

William's newborn shot

Elsie's newborn shot

William 1 month

Elsie 1 month

Zoo Atlanta and the Varsity

2011-11-06T06:20:00.000-08:00

We decided to enjoy one of the last few nice days and head to the zoo. Elsie has been reading books about animals lately so we thought she would love it. I think she was in shock that these animals she has seen in books were real :) It was fun to see her recognize some of the animals and here are a few of her favorites! What a great family day!!!

She LOVED the "flaminkgos"

William slept THE ENTIRE TIME!!!

Elsie thought the pig behind her was a tiger....it was striped like a tiger and most pigs she sees in books are pink! Too funny.....

First carousel ride.....she loved it and smiled the whole time!

And what trip downtown would be complete without a trip to the Varsity.....a first for both Elsie and William!!!

Still sleeping.....

Newborn Photos

2011-11-05T06:55:00.000-07:00

Proud Big Sis :)

William 5 days

Elsie 7 days

William and Charlie

Elsie and Charlie

Cuties....

2011-11-01T10:20:00.000-07:00

We had a great time dressing up and spending time with friends last night! Elsie LOVED dressing up and had so much fun "socializing" with all the neighbors!!!

Elsie's boyfriend, Will B

Elsie's BFF Ally Grace...look at Elsie's "paw" wrapped around AG!

Elsie, Ally Grace and sweet Karcyn

Elsie and Pops

Elsie swinging with her friend Connor....look at those smiles :)

Playing at the park before heading off to get candy!

Cousin Isabelle....much like her cousin, she does not like to look at the camera

Headed to a house to get the "goods"

The cutest puppy in the neighborhood

We all had a great time getting out with the neighbors and enjoying dressing up!!!

Punkin' Patch

2011-10-22T12:31:00.000-07:00

A church up the road from us sells pumpkins and on the way to school this week Elsie spied them! She started yelling "punkins, punkins". We were already planning to drive up to the Kensey Family Farms where we went last year so I started telling her we were going on Saturday. Every day this week she has been asking about getting her "punkin"! She has been soooo excited! Here are a few pics from our morning :) William is a little too young to enjoy this outing....we just got him in our family picture and let Elsie enjoy her time!!

Elsie 2010

Elsie 2011

A few firsts....

2011-10-18T16:45:00.000-07:00

First time being held by big sister.....

First story time with Daddy and Elsie

First bath.....

First few days.....

2011-10-15T14:32:00.000-07:00

Car ride home

Greeting from Big Sister

William with Nana

William with Gigi

Big Brother protecting little brother

Just chillin......

William Joseph Denbow

2011-10-04T19:11:00.000-07:00

Almost 22 months.....

2011-09-24T15:15:00.000-07:00

So my camera is still in the shop so I took one from my iphone....I chose this one because she is soooo big these days and I think this pic shows just how "cool" she thinks she is!! Here is what Elsie is up to......

*Still a picky eater....eats mostly fruit, crackers, yogurt, water and milk. Loves popsicles, chips, cookies and drinking mommy's lemonade.

*Drinks from a big girl cup with no straw or sippy top and is getting better with the spoon!

*Is talking up a storm....starting to put 3 words together to form phrases. She will repeat most anything we say. When asked what her name is she yells "Elsie Denbow".

*Loves to sing. She can fill in the blanks when I stop singing for about 8 songs!

*She can count to 5 all by herself and is learning to p0int to things as she counts. She will also fill in the missing letters when saying ABC's.

*Can point to and name her body parts and plays "head, shoulders, knees and toes" with Daddy

*Loves to "nuggle"

*She is a helper and will throw her trash away and put her cup in the sink when she is finished.

*Loves Curious George, Veggie Tales and of course Elmo

*She is very "motherly" and takes her baby dolls everywhere!

*Asks to call people on the phone and pretends to call everyone she knows!

*She climbed up the climbing wall at the park today BY.HERSELF! Of course daddy was behind her ready to catch. She is a climber....climbs into her high chair when she is ready to eat! But thankfully has not attempted to climb out of her crib!

*Loves to drive the car....she will sit in the front seat and mimic how mommy and daddy drive....of course while the car is not moving :) Also loves the car shopping carts at Publix!

*Loves to be outside.....with Daddy! Mommy has not been very good about taking her outside due to heat and pregnancy!

*Will grab your face and kiss you on the lips....my favorite!!!

*Tantrums have started....when sent to her room she will sometimes SLAM the door!

*Talks about Jesus all the time.....and loves to read her Bible!

*Is a little shy when she first meets people

*Is a Daddy's girl....anytime she hears a noise outside she stops and says "Daddy home??"

*Copies everything I do!

*Is very independent!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*Loves to read books

*Gives high fives and says "horray"!

*Likes to watch football with Daddy

*Says "Go Dawgs" and when she sees the UGA "G" yells "Bulldogs"

*Still sleeping at least 12 hours a night and usually 2 hours in afternoon :)

*When I tell her "no" she usually just tries to do it faster until I stop her!

*LOVES HER BUBBA.....a.k.a Charlie

*Plays chase around the house with Daddy and giggles the entire time!

*She gets on her tummy and "swims" in the bathtub

*Has mastered her pouty/mad face

She really has a generous heart and seems to play well with others! What a special little girl God has blessed us with....we pray she will use her stubborn/independent side to stand up for what is right and serve others! We love you Elsie :)

I think we are ready.....

2011-09-19T11:24:00.000-07:00

The entry into the nursery/guest room is awkward so it is hard to get a good picture of everything, but here are a few! I really love the way it all came together. We kept the blue color that was already on the walls, the bedding on the guest bed and the rug. I kinna went from there trying to find neutral things! Love, Love, Love the baby bedding....my mom graciously made the bed skirt (and throw pillow on the bed) and I had the bumper made. I love the linen material and it was such a great price!! Got great white curtains at IKEA along with the book shelves on the wall and the frames that the numbers are in. I had the dresser/changing table made and love that it can be used somewhere else in the house someday! Wish the pictures were better......

I guess Elsie is ready too....hope she doesn't sit on the baby!!!!

"Big sis" is ready

2011-09-15T12:51:00.000-07:00

Elsie's "big sis" outfit arrived today.....it is official, this baby is welcome to come any day!!!

Our "big" girl

2011-09-07T12:28:00.000-07:00

Elsie started school today......well not school, but Parents Morning Out! She needed supplies and a bag so it felt like school to me! Here are a few pics....

Elsie wanted to use the camera and was "mad" because we took it away to take the picture!

Walking in with Daddy.....so big :)

In the hallway outside her classroom

She was glad to see me when I picked her up.....she seemed to have fun! The teacher said she didnt want to stay in her seat during snack time....she wanted to play! My sweet girl has ants in her pants....and she probably didnt like the snack :)

Seacrest Beach 2011

2011-08-28T15:12:00.000-07:00

We started out the trip by the pool on Tuesday!! Here is Elsie "all pooled up" and ready to swim :)

At dinner that night....George's in Aly's Beach!

Wednesday the rest of the family arrived!!

Thursday-Sunday were "unphotographed" by me....we had a camera mis-hap! Hopefully the smart people at Nikon can fix it. But Kristy saved the day and took pics for us and shared!! We are so thankful for her :)

Me and my mom

Sweet Elsie loving on the baby!

At the beach :)

Family photo shoot

We had such a great time and though HOT....the weather was perfect!

Busy Day

2011-08-11T13:48:00.000-07:00

Elsie has been a busy bee today.....or maybe I have been too busy sewing and not paying enough attention to what she is getting into. I walk in and she is trying to clean up the mess she made.....trying to get her own water! I have no idea how she got this off the counter....I never heard a crash....she just kept saying "oops, oops, oops"! Too funny :)

Tradition

2011-08-11T08:25:00.000-07:00

Elsie must have been going through her drawers...I walk in her room and she is "pretending" to drink water from this cup. It is my cup from when I was a little girl.....she has her own but I guess she likes mommy's cup better. She loved it when I put real water in it :)

Mini-daddy....

2011-07-26T08:17:00.000-07:00

I don't have a picture, but this morning I caught Elsie doing squats and now she has a workout headband on her head. Following in her daddy's footsteps......

This just makes me laugh....she was saying "cheese" but squinting because she knew the flash was about to shine in her eyes!!

Another nursery addition

2011-07-24T14:50:00.000-07:00

I found a book wall online in a "designer" nursery and thought it was amazing!

Here is my budget- friendly mini-version using floating shelves from Ikea :)

I can't get any farther away to take a picture for a better perspective because the hallway wall is in the way....but that is what you see when you first walk in the room!

Ahoy mate....

2011-07-24T13:32:00.000-07:00

Our little sailor ready for church.....so cute!!!

Nursery Wall Treatment

2011-07-23T16:45:00.000-07:00

So most of you know we are not finding out the sex of baby #2......and this baby will be living in our guest room. Elsie's room is more "nurseryish" than I want this room to be. So I am adding some elements that will add to our guest room. What do you think of the first addition. I found these "organic" looking number cards on zulily.com and then framed them individually with frames from Ikea. Inexpensive....but I think quite cute!!

Circa 1970's

2011-07-20T12:51:00.000-07:00

I have a cousin that is a few years older than me and I wore many of her outfits when I was little. My aunt saved a few of them and passed them along to me last summer. I love pulling one out every once in a while. We wore this cutie pants suit today......and got TONS of compliments! I love it :)

Cutie Patootie

2011-07-14T13:47:00.000-07:00

First time in "pigtails" Daddy prefers the curls :)

Oh no.....the paparazzi has spotted me! I was trying to "blend in"! ha ha

Aunt Dadie's (Cadie's) Birthday Dinner

2011-06-29T17:47:00.000-07:00

We couldn't work out our schedules to get all the family together at once so we had a quiet dinner with Aunt Cadie and Barb to celebrate Cadie's b-day!! We love our Aunt "Dadie"

Thought this was sweet......

Wish her shirt was tucked....but she had been running around having fun!!

Pics from the last couple weeks.....

2011-06-29T06:35:00.000-07:00

Pure cuteness....

My childhood friend Angel was in town and Elsie immediately fell in love with her daughter Kiersten! She followed her around and wanted to sit in he lap the whole time they were here :)

Walked in the room and saw Char like this....does not look comfortable!

Lost a tree in the front yard during a storm on Sunday....so glad it feel toward the street, but not sure it would have reached the house had it fallen toward us!!!

My brother was in town visiting friends, so he and his girlfriend stopped by to see Elsie and to have dinner with us!! Elsie loved her Uncle Matt :)

Lake Hartwell with the Denbows...

2011-06-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

After getting back from Virginia there was one day at home and then we were off again! Scott's brother and his wife, Ryan and Kristy, invited us to her parents lake house for the weekend. What a beautiful home right on the lake!! Elsie had a great time and was not afraid of anything. She loved the boat, jet skis and just playing in the lake with Daddy!

Thank you Ryan and Kristy for having us......we had such a great time!!!

Visit with Mama Dot

2011-06-13T06:02:00.000-07:00

Elsie and I made a quick, last minute trip to see my grandmother Mama Dot! My mom was already headed there for a week so we hopped on the plane with her and stayed a few days! Mama Dot kept us busy showing Elsie to all her friends and visiting family. Here are a few pictures.

Swimming with Mama Dot (who will be 90 in a couple months!!)

We went to the Children's Museum in Portsmouth and Elsie was totally enthralled for 2 hours

Fishing :)

Intently driving a bus....

Grocery shopping

Working with the animals in the Vet's office

4 generations!!!!! (89, 60, 33, 18 months)

BFF's

2011-06-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

We have been missing our weekly visits with Ally Grace and Sherri! These two get the biggest smiles on their faces when they see each other....it is priceless!! This picture cracks me up.....AG is looking at me and Elsie is looking at Sherri--and the fingers in their mouths are hilarious! Elsie wanted to squeeze in next to AG and we thought it would make for a great photo! We are so thankful to have Sherri and AG as our friends :) Can't wait for sleepovers!!!

Charleston getaway with my hubby....

2011-05-23T15:24:00.000-07:00

We were able to get away for a few days last week for some quality husband wife time! Scott had a property to see for work so we made a trip out of it! I had never been to Charleston so I was thrilled for the opportunity! Since I hate to ask people to take pictures (and they are never good anyway)....we have NONE of us together and just a few of the sights :) We sure did miss Elsie and thanks to "face time" were able to chat with her each night before bed! We took a carriage ride showing us the historic parts of Charleston and giving us some information about the city! I loved this part :) We had drinks on the roof a hotel overlooking the water, we had great food and we enjoyed seeing the battery down near the water with beautiful homes along the way! Of course a little shopping was done.....but we only came home with things for Elsie :)

Our Inn....so nice and right in the middle of everything on King Street

We had someone take a picture of us together....actually we had two people give it a try. The first lady didn't even take the picture and the second was so bad I didn't even want to put it up on the blog!

Hottie hubs :)

The Weekend of Aunt Cadie....

2011-05-10T17:46:00.000-07:00

Our precious Cadie graduated from college this weekend!! Yipeeeee......that means that she will be right here in Atlanta with us from now on! Elsie (and Mommy and Daddy) are so excited that we get to see her whenever we want....and she is moving just down the road from us! Here are a few pictures from the weekend! We had such a wonderful time visiting with Scott's family....and celebrating our favorite Aunt Cadie :)

Aunt "Dadie" as Elsie calls her and Logan

Elsie and Scott's uncle, Phil

Everyone minus Scott (taking picture)

Scott's grandmother and her children Thom, Phil, Barb and Steve

All the ladies

Grammie, Aunt Cadie and Nana

All the fellas

Grandma Denbow, Nana, Avery, Isabelle and Aunt Cadie

Elsie with Gram and Gramp Denbow

Kitchen Update...WhooHoo!!!

2011-05-05T09:27:00.000-07:00

We decided our kitchen needed a little updating! The floors and new appliances had been added before we moved it, but the cabinets and countertops were sadly quite dated. This was definitely a budget reno, but we really think it looks great and will help with resale someday (in the not near future, ha). Any suggestions on paint color, as the yellow no longer matches the new cabinets!

Day 1 Hilton Head

2011-05-03T06:00:00.001-07:00

As soon as we arrived on Friday we headed out to the beach.....and Elsie loved every second of it. She was not afraid of the water at all....and she was definitely the "coolest" baby on the beach!!!

Day 2 Hilton Head

2011-05-03T05:51:00.000-07:00

Today we started on the beach.....no much wind so in the morning it wasn't too chilly....actually started to get hot pretty quickly!

The water hadn't had much time to warm up and Elsie wanted nothing to do with it!!!

But later in the day she was loving hanging out in the water with Daddy!

This picture makes me laugh....mouths wide open :)

Day 3 Hilton Head

2011-05-03T05:22:00.001-07:00

We started the morning with a bike ride down the beach! The sun still hiding behind the clouds so it make for perfect pictures :)

After a short nap....we headed back out to the beach to play! Today was sand castle building time! I think Daddy was more excited than Elsie :)

Smashing Daddy's castle.....and loving it!!

Family photo shoot

We had such a wonderful time together as a family! Elsie loved every second of it and was such a sweet big girl!!!

Easter Sunday

2011-04-27T14:35:00.001-07:00

We started the morning at church celebrating the resurrection of our Savior!! As much as we love the Easter Bunny and egg hunts.....we know this is not why we celebrate!! We pray that Elsie learns this truth from an early age!! After church we had lunch at our place with Scott's family. A little BBQ and some yummy summer sides made for a delicious meal :)

Here are a few pics from our day.....

Love these last two....

Easter present from Gigi

2011-04-19T09:58:00.001-07:00

Elsie got a package from Gigi today!! She was so excited :)

Fannie and Friends Annual Egg Hunt

2011-04-17T11:21:00.000-07:00

After attending the "First Annual" egg hunt last year, we have been counting down the days until this year's egg hunt! It it always so great to visit with all of Scott's high school friends and even more fun now that we have little ones running around! We had such a wonderful time and I think Elsie enjoyed it a little more this year :) She even made a new friend...the Easter Bunny!

Last year at the Egg Hunt

This year at the Egg Hunt.....

Elsie LOVED the Easter Bunny!!!

Elsie and Fannie....these two were all over the place and this was the best I could do of the two of them together!!

Thank you Fannie.....we had such a great time!!!

Smart Cookie

2011-04-14T07:14:00.001-07:00

Music Class with Elsie's BFF

2011-04-01T08:20:00.001-07:00

We are started our spring session of music and Elsie begged for her friend Ally Grace to join us! These two are so cute together....as soon as they see each other, huge smiles spread across their faces! AG can say Elsie's name and it is so cute.....Elsie is still working on saying AG's name! Here they are "gettin their grove on" at Music Class! I have a sneaking suspicion these two will be getting into trouble together before we can blink our eyes :)

Too cute!

A girl after my own heart....

2011-03-30T13:29:00.000-07:00

During Elsie's nap, Mommy got into her Dove chocolates and left them on the ottoman. When Elsie got up, I gave her a ziplock bag with Veggie Straws in it and off she went to sit in her chair while I cleaned up the kitchen. This is what I found when I brought her some water....

She is soooo happy with herself!!!

Holy Peppers

2011-03-28T13:07:00.001-07:00

So we have been struggling to get Elsie to eat her veggies.....a battle most parents are quite familiar with. At her last checkup, the doctor said to stop the mush and just give her veggies to try. Well....that didn't go so well. She was quite stubborn and refused to even try them. The other night Scott was grilling and had cut up some peppers and onions and thrown the tops and bottoms in the trash. All of a sudden I see Elsie with the bottom of a red pepper in her mouth chowing down! I gave her a slice and she gobbled it up! Success......of course it would have to be the MOST EXPENSIVE veggie in the store!

This face cracks me up!

Helping Daddy

2011-03-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

Gigi's visit

2011-03-16T13:11:00.001-07:00

Gigi was here for a visit this past weekend! Elsie thinks Gigi lives in the computer since we mostly see her on Skype. Elsie LOVED having Gigi here in person...and all the spoiling that comes along with it! Elsie knows she is Gigi and was pointing at the pics below and saying Gigi over and over! Of course, Mom always works too hard when she is here....taking care of us and helping cook and do laundry! We love her visits :)

First attempt with the spoon

2011-03-08T09:14:00.000-08:00

I can do it Mommy.... I am a BIG girl!!!

Look....I am doing a great job!!!

Spoon......what spoon??? Forget the spoon!!

Ahhhh.....now that is much better!!!

Kill the flash, mama!

2011-03-02T13:46:00.000-08:00

Family Fun Day

2011-02-26T15:32:00.001-08:00

We spent most of the day outside! We started off playing in the yard while daddy went to pick up lunch.

Daddy got Publix subs and Elsie snuck off with one of the lemonades!

Char's favorite activity.....

Elsie dumped the ice in the grass and started eating it.....she got a little grass mixed in with the ice :)

After naps, we headed over the PDK airport to play at the park and watch the planes. Elsie loved it!

Pointing to plane about to take off...

What a wonderful day with our sweet girl!!

Chatterbox

2011-02-16T14:05:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday Gigi

2011-02-16T13:54:00.000-08:00

We hope you have a wonderful birthday and we can't wait to celebrate with you in March!! Love you :)

Seriously??

2011-02-16T13:40:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you take your eyes off her for ONE second....and leave the bathroom door open! Gross....glad the maid was here on Monday and that I remembered to flush!!

Valentine's Day with Daddy

2011-02-14T17:27:00.001-08:00

A few weeks ago, Chick-fil-a hosted a daddy daughter date night. Well....we were out of town so Scott and Elsie missed it. Since Scott and I are going out tomorrow night for V-day, he decided that tonight he would hang with his favorite mini-Valentine. He scooped her up and wisked her away for dinner.

Please excuse the non-valentine attire....I appliqued two dresses for her for V-day and they were both in the dirty clothes! Bad mommy....

Be Mine....

2011-02-13T14:49:00.001-08:00

Elsie got a Valentine from her sweet friend Fannie Bradley.......I think she liked it!!!

A few funnies...

2011-02-08T14:23:00.001-08:00

Elsie is playing peek a boo!

Her new favorite spot. She pushes and drags this chair all over the house then grabs a book to kick back and read!!

Weekend Getaway

2011-02-07T09:37:00.001-08:00

Scott had to see a property in Blowing Rock, NC for work.......so we thought we would make a weekend of it! This is our first time skiing together (it has been over 10 years since the last time I skiied.....about that long for Scott) so we were excited!! Poor Scott...he would ski a little way down and wait for me so make HUGE "s" patterns from one side of the slope to the other. It was not as easy as I remember it being! It was super crowded and that freaked me out a little too! By the end of the day my legs were killing me but it was still fun to be outside with my hubby for the day!

Spring in January

2011-01-30T11:13:00.000-08:00

We enjoyed a beautiful day outside! We were gone for almost 3 hours....walked to the park and played then walked to the yogurt shop on the other side of the neighborhood! We were all exhausted by the time we got home.....but LOVED being outside in January!!!

My little fashionista

2011-01-23T10:32:00.000-08:00

Snow Day #2

2011-01-12T12:14:00.000-08:00

We were going a little stir crazy yesterday.....so we went ventured out for a walk around the block and a fire in the backyard! Today, Scott went to work for a few hours and we went to our friends Ally Grace and Sherri's house for a play date. The roads were still icy, but we made it there and back safe and sound!!!

Elsie's first sled ride....

2011-01-10T10:31:00.000-08:00

Morning in the snow!!!

2011-01-10T08:08:00.001-08:00

Clark Griswold

2011-01-09T06:11:00.000-08:00

Scott asked Elsie if she had gotten into the trunk in the attic this morning......looks a little like Clark in the attic from Christmas Vacation!

The B-I-B-L-E

2011-01-08T13:22:00.001-08:00

A mess, a new friend and a snowbunny

2011-01-08T11:54:00.000-08:00

Elsie is enjoying pulling all the clothes out of her drawers these days!! Look at that guilty face..

A friend of mine told me about Rody....seems people on the west coast get word about cool toys before we do. Once Elsie is big enough, Rody comes off the rocking base and is a hopping horse! So cool :)

Did someone mention snow??? Well then I am ready!!

Biker Babe

2010-12-30T13:57:00.000-08:00

Holidays 2010

2010-12-30T11:48:00.001-08:00

There are so many pictures I could post.....we are so blessed!!!

This next picture pretty much sums up Elsie's Christmas......bow around her neck and sweater on her head!!! Priceless :) She was not nearly as interested in the toys as she was the "wrapping"

The reason we celebrate!

Elsie's Great-grandmother "Mama Dot"

Elsie and Gigi

We have had the best year with Elsie as a part of our family! We look forward to all God has in store for 2011!!

A few of my favs

2010-12-20T10:16:00.000-08:00

I do not go all out with decorations in my house....I prefer to keep it minimal but meaningful if you know what I mean! My favorite part about decorating the tree is taking out all the ornaments and remembering how each one came to be on our tree! Here are a few memories I had this year....

First ornament I gave to Scott when we were dating

Baby's first Christmas from Nana and Pops

Baby's first Christmas from Gigi (missing a pic but seriously who can find a pic that small)

I am looking Gigi!!!!

There is no such thing as a labradoodle ornament (at least there wasn't when I got these) so I settled for a poodle and a lab ornament right beside each other!

This crazy guy is from my childhood....I remember racing to see who could find this guy first!!

Our first Christmas as a married couple 2007

Another childhood fav.....we took skiing vacations around the holidays!

Teachers love apples

Our first family photo after we brought Elsie home

My favorite new ornament from last year

Love this rustic one....someday when we have an office for Scott I want a "woodsy" tree in there

My friend Joanna gave me this a few years back....love thinking about what a wonderful friend she is when I pull it out to put on the tree

These stockings are special too! My mom made these over 30 years ago and I love the tradition of having my childhood stocking and tree skirt in my holiday decorations!

What is Elsie up to these days???

2010-12-19T07:01:00.000-08:00

After all the "party" fuss I have not done her 12 month achievements post! So here we go.....

Elsie can:

Retrieve on request....Violet, Elmo, books, toy cell phone, and her pony toy! She will also hug and kiss all these things when you ask her to!

Identify.... Charlie, Christmas tree, Dada, Mama, noses, milk (from a straw...no sippy cups for her)

Walk everywhere!!!

Elsie loves:

her doggie, the computer, the remote, the iphone, when daddy comes home, to be kissed on her neck, any button she can push, the toilet (gross), and anything else she is not supposed to get into!

Elsie is eating:

Breakfast: cup of milk (mix of whole milk and Almond milk), fruit and yogurt (tried eggs and bread but she refuses)

Lunch: fruit, water, cheese, deli meat, veggie mush (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, brown rice)

Snack: Keifer (protein yogurt drink), crackers, cheese, or fruit

Dinner: same as lunch

Cup of milk before bed

She is a picky eater.....seems not to like new things and textures freak her out! But what she does like she eats TONS of!!!

Elsie's Stats:

Weight: 19lbs 6oz (25%)

Height: 29.3 inches (50-75%)

Head: 18.4 inches (90%)

We think she is the smartest, most beautiful and perfect creation God has ever made!!! She has this twinkle in her eye that brings such joy to my heart!!! My love for her grows more and more everyday! She is so much fun, laid back and easily entertains herself (except when she has teeth coming in). I occasionally see signs of a "determined" little girl when she doesn't get her way and know this will happen more frequently as she approaches two!!!!

Our Christmas corner

2010-12-18T15:05:00.001-08:00

Where's Elmo??

2010-12-17T13:48:00.000-08:00

Elsie's 1st Birthday party!!!

2010-12-16T07:40:00.000-08:00

Here are the pics from Elsie's party....the one I have been planning and making things for for 6 months! I know she had no idea how much work went into this, but the picture with cake on her face made it all worth while! We love our little girl so much.....I cannot believe she is one!!!

Also a special thanks to Aunt Kristy for several of these photos!!!

All this for me......you shouldn't have!!!

Love this shot!

This one too!!!

Blocks from Gigi (per mommy's request...all natural wood with non toxic paints)

Elsie's first doll from Mommy and Daddy....it has her name sewn on the doll's belly with the scripture verse that starts with "Trust in the Lord with all of your heart.."

Pearl necklace from Nana and Pops that will be added to each year until she is 16!!!

What a wonderful day! Thanks to all who helped make it so special for all of us :)

The REAL Santa....

2010-12-13T16:45:00.000-08:00

When I was a little girl I remember driving to Richmond, VA from where we lived in Norfolk, VA to see the "REAL Santa" at one of the big department stores. We would have lunch with Santa, sit in his lap for our picture and shop with the elves for our parents in a junk store that cost a fortune. Only kids and elves could fit through the doors of this shop! Well... in keeping with tradition I thought Elsie should visit the real Santa too. Rumor has it that the real santa resides at Phipps Mall. For those of you that live in Atlanta....this is THE santa to visit. You have to make reservations way in advance to see him. Well...I tried to get reservations but there was some kind of computer glitch...I tried a few more time and then completely forgot. About a week later I realized I had missed the boat...or should I say "sleigh"! Someone mentioned that sometimes they will put you in a cancellation spot if you call up there the day of. So....that is just what I did! We were in and out of there in 20 minutes!!! That is my kind of Santa visit :)

Santa was not a big focus in my family growing up and he will not be in our house either. We want Elsie to know that CHRIST is the reason we celebrate the season.....we want her to learn to give to those less fortunate, serve people that need love and most importantly to be a shining light for Christ! He is the reason for the season...not Santa!

Birthday preview.......

2010-12-09T05:55:00.000-08:00

more to come!!!!

Thanksgiving

2010-12-09T05:45:00.001-08:00

Our internet has been acting up so I am a little behind on postings! We had a small Thanksgiving this year (Barb was in OH with her mom, Grammie, who has been ill) so it was just Steve, Cadie and us! We had a great time....I loved being with Scott's famly

The table

Aunt Cadie

More turkey please!!!

We are so thankful to our Savior for all the blessings in our life!!!!

Catching flies...

2010-11-24T16:14:00.000-08:00

This is Elsie's smile for the camera....everytime I pull it out, this is the face I get! We have a lot to work on in the picture department.....

PS: She took more steps today....first time she has attempted since the first time :)

Best friends

2010-11-24T09:51:00.000-08:00

Rainy day fun...

2010-11-15T09:47:00.000-08:00

Here is what we do around here on rainy days!!

Bath time.....

2010-11-11T16:43:00.000-08:00

Look at these sweet faces

the "Who...me?" face

the "Look at my baby blues" face

the "I know I'm funny" face

the "I want something" face.....please!!

Bad hair day...

2010-11-11T16:42:00.000-08:00

Seriously, Mom????