Neighbor love

It was ladies night at our East Beach house tonight! haha Our house has 4 units in it... 3 are occupied full time and we all have young kids ranging from almost 3 yrs old to 6 months. To make it easier for me, both of my neighbors named their sons Gabe. Wasn't that nice of them. And one neighbor even named her daughter Lucy which makes things easy for me too. Although that does get complicated when we all go for a walk together and I have MY Lucy dog with me. She is the one that is almost 3 so she still gets confused when all of a sudden I yell, "Lucy, come here!" and she is standing right next to me. Its kind of funny. Anyway, all of us gals got together after we got the kids to sleep to decorate the exterior of our house. I have felt a little scrooge-ish even though the inside of our place is very festive. From the outside we looked like party poopers! NO LONGER!!! We didn't do much, just some white lights along the porches. That's really all it needed. We drank a glass of wine and decorated and just visited afterwards for a little adult interaction. It was nice and we need to do it more.
Anyway... here is a picture of our "hard work." Before anyone makes a joke.... no the minivan parked in front is not mine... but maybe when we have the next kid! :) haha

Stacie and Leah on the porch.

Daddy's boat shipped out today!

Ike left today for about 3 weeks on the boat. It definitely stinks that he is gone but I'm just glad he will actually be home for all of the holidays this year. He did all of his Christmas shopping online before he left since he gets back just a week before Christmas. Unfortunately that leaves me to do all of my shopping with Julianna which generally doesn't go all that smoothly. We went to Walmart yesterday for about 30 mins and I was over it. She wanted to climb out of the cart, she wanted to walk, she wanted to chew on my car keys... I was exhausted! haha I am actually going to do a lot of online shopping as well! Much easier, wait til she goes to sleep then start shoppin'. Plus that way she won't see her presents! :)

NeeNee and Pop Pop (usually pronounced BaBop) were here today to babysit while I went to work. Yes, I actually do have a job... for another 2 weeks. I just quit. I am currently working about once a week at a hospital in Norfolk but it really isn't working out. They are trying to get me to stay and today I actually thought about it. I know.... it sounds ridiculous that I couldn't just suck it up for a job where I only work once a week.... but my parents drive 3 hrs down here to babysit because I dont really know anyone in the area and most day care providers make you pay full time even if your child only goes part time, so... it just got complicated and lets just say I'm not in love with the hospital. I have 2 weeks to decide if I am going to give in to their plea to stay. Probably not. We'll see....

Anyway, so back to the point. Mom and Dad were here with Julianna today and they had a fun time. Ike's boat passed by our house this afternoon so they took her down to the beach to see it go by. Dad got some really neat pics. She has her Navy hat on. GO DADDY! He was looking with binoculars and saw them on the beach. Pretty neat. After the beach they went to the playground and played on the slide. Big fun.

Happy Birthday, Mom!!

Julianna loves her Nee Nee. (by the way, if anyone was wondering... it is pronounced NayNay, her name is Renee.)

The whole family... except for Caffrey the cat. He accidently got shut in the coat closet! oops!

So, it was a stretch, but that is 5 and a 9 in candles for her 59th birthday. Think dominoes or dice. Wait, dice only go up to 6. haha Get it.. yeah, I had to explain it to them too. :(


Today was my Mom's birthday. She and my Dad came down to our house and Chad and Sara drove over as well. We had an awesome dinner made my Chef Ike Stutts. He's pretty talented! My only contribution was cutting the brussel sprouts (we love them, is that weird), and cutting the potatoes after they were peeled. I did actually bake a cake but I don't want to talk about it...


actually, I wish I had taken pictures of the kitchen when I was done. What a disaster. I usually brag about how I don't cook... but I am pretty good at desserts. Not today. Catastrophe! I ended up decorating it kindof funny to make up for what it was lacking. It tasted fine and hey, it's the thought that counts, right?!


Here are some pics of Mom with Julianna... and my cake (booooo)

Some randomness for today!

Julianna pretending to be the doggy


Just couldn't decide between Juice or Milk... so she had both!


Yes, I know it seems kinda early for the potty chair but she LOVES it. She signs potty when she wants to go and is just so proud of herself afterwards. Maybe this will really take off and make potty training go smoothly. So far she is pretty pleased with herself and I am too.
They don't make potty chairs like they used to. Check out this oldie... it was my brother's and mine so it is 30 years old. It's great with the tray for toys or cheerios, etc. Keeps her occupied on there if things are taking a little time (if you know what I mean. wink-wink) When my Mom sent it home with me she still had the original box that it came in. She would...


Just some diaper fun around the house. She is walking like a crazy woman. She loves it.. it has given her a freedom that she is really enjoying.

More tomorrow...

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

We got our decorating done this week. Ike leaves on Thursday until just before Christmas so we had to hurry up and get it all done. We don't have a fireplace in our condo so we had to create a make-shift mantle to hang our stockings from. Each of the big stockings were made my Nana (Ike's Mom). That is a lot of work hanging up there, lots of hours spent making them for us. We love how great they look together. Julianna's is so beautiful, I LOVE the colors. Anyway, more pics to come of our holiday decorations. We still have to do the exterior!! :) I am already starting to hum Christmas carols!

Play date with Thomas

Everyone else was doing it...

So, I just couldn't resist. Everyone else was doing it. I had to try again after the first one... I think it's BS when they say they look equally alike! Anyway, I changed the pics and I got an extra 3% on the 2nd one so I definitely had to post that. haha

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Treeeeee

I like this one, Daddy!


Mommy, this one smells good!


We should get a little one.... nahhh


After practicing saying "tree" everything was a "tree!" Even these flowers.


The big winner. Here is our tree for 2007. It is the perfect tree for our space this year. It is still pretty tall, probably about 9 feet, but it is much skinnier than I usually choose. I usually go for the big HUGE fat ones. I get it from my Mom! She buys the biggest trees I have ever seen. This one is much more managable for our condo this Christmas. I will post updates of our decorating progress.

This is such a fun time of year!

Caught ya!!!

Well, I guess it happens to the best of us. You get so wrapped up in "baby things" that eventually you don't even know the difference between "the baby's things" and "grown up things!" I looked out on the porch and Ike was out there talking on the phone to someone from work. Then I thought, why did he carry Julianna's sippy cup out there with him. Must have had it in his hand when he got the phone call. Then, I see... what, nuh-uh. Ok for real... he is drinking juice out of the sippy cup. I think my eyes are playing tricks on me.... nope, again.. another sip. OK, seriously... WHERE IS MY CAMERA!!! "Julianna, have you seen Mommy's camera??" "Help Mommy find her camera!" Oh, there it is... please don't let the battery be dead. Please!!!! Oh it's dying, but I may be able to get a pic or 2 out of this. Come on Ike, take another sip from your manly sippy cup. YES!! He take's another sip, KODAK MOMENT CAPTURED! I love it. He is totally clueless that I have caught him in action... and probably even more oblivious that he was actually DRINKING of of her sippy cup. I dont care... I LOVE IT!

GOTCHA BABY!!! ;)

Happy Thanksgiving

Sara, Me, Ike with Julianna and Garrett, Melanie and Wendy


Swinging with Aunt Sara and Uncle Chad


Cameron teaching Julianna patty-cake


The girls with the babies


Julianna and Nee Nee (the chef of the day)


We hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving. Even though we should constantly be reminded how thankful we are, it is so great to have a day dedicated to being thankful and remembering just how blessed we truly are.
We had a great day of visiting with family and friends. We spent the holiday at my parent's house and so did my brother and his wife. We haven't had a holiday where we were ALL together in quite a while. Chad and Sara had been living in California which made for more difficult travel and Ike and I try to spend some holiday time in Alabama with his family as well. Sometimes it is difficult to coordinate it all. However, we got to visit with the Stutts family just a few weeks ago, then spend Thanksgiving with my family in Maryland. Chad and Sara moved back to the east coast this year so they were able to be here as well. It was a great visit with all of our cousins from Delaware, lots of young ones. Cameron and Kaley (5 yrs. old) enjoyed playing with Julianna as well as Garrett (11 mos. old). Hunter (10 yrs. old) played football with the guys! haha Mom cooked for 18 people, something I know she probably dreads, but does an awesome job. She is one of those people who always says she isn't a good cook but she really is. Chad and Ike helped Dad work on the newest home project they have going on. They basically gutted the back porch and are updating it and making it new. It is going to be really nice when they get it done.
Anyway, back to being thankful...
As always I am truly blessed by family. It has always been such an important piece of me and I enjoy it all even more having Julianna with us. I hope she enjoys being with her family the way I always have.
My parents have a little saying framed that is so simple but I love it. It says:
Having a place to live is a home
Having someone to love is a family
Having both is a blessing
I love that... Be blessed! Happy Thanksgiving!

It's a KITCHEN SET!!!

Over the weekend Mom and Dad got out my old kitchen set. I got it for Christmas in 1984. It was in pretty good condition considering!! I used to play with that thing pretty hard. (Don't tell Ike, he might get the idea that I know my way around a kitchen!)
Julianna had so much fun playing with it. We had a tea party and we invited her doll and her teddy bear. It was so cute. I love how she knew exactly what to do with the phone, even though it had an old rotary dial on it! haha I know Mom and Dad were glad they saved it. Who would have thought my little girl would be playing with it. It was neat. Oh, and how appropriate, there was a big turkey roasting in the oven already. Looked delicious!!!

Pink Eye has left the building!

Just an update... Julianna's eye is "all better!" haha After getting the antibiotics her eye looked much better by the next day. Now you can hardly tell it was even there. Luckily she never seemed bothered by it. She played as usual, same temper as usual (like her Daddy), and somehow wasn't tempted to rub her eye and spread it to all of us!

Weddings, Weddings, & More Weddings

I had another wedding this weekend. A good friend from high school, Tawney, was married this weekend and had a WONDERFUL wedding. It is so much fun to see friends that I don't get to see very often. It was basically a high school reunion for me. So much fun. Congrats Tawney and Justin!!


Mr. & Mrs. Justin Giles


Father Daughter Dance


Yummmmm, cake...


Me & Ash


High School friends (Kelly, Chessa, Me, Erin, Courtney and Amanda)

Don't panic, it looks worse than it is.....

Entrance to Emergency Services at Dorchester General Hospital


Don't we look pitiful


I've fallen and I can't get up!!!


This is ridiculous... I'm calling Daddy!


Good little patient


Look closely at the left eye!


Yuck! Look at that pretty blue eye.


Mommy had to hold me down while they put medicine in my eye!


I spilled all of my cheerios! Oh well, 7 second rule.

So, we had another first today!!! Not the kind of first that most people take pictures of but in our case it seemed ok. Julianna woke up this morning with a nice case of pink eye!! Every mother's dream. Only one of the most contagious things to have lingering around the house. Try telling a 1 year old not to touch their eye that has green gunk oozing out of it and probably itches like heck.
It was amazing how quickly it got here. She went to bed last night at 7pm, no signs of trouble. Woke up at 6am with her left eye glued together and the entire surrounding area swollen and red. Since we are at my parent's house in MD right now and not near our pediatrician, we were instructed to go to the local ER for treatment. So, that was was our first. Our first trip to the ER. She has still been in a great mood all day except when I have to wipe the crust off of her eye and put the antibiotic ointment in it. She gets pretty ticked when I do that.
Anyway, we survived out first visit to the Emergency Room. The story explains the smiles in the pictures we took... and the fact that we even took pictures. Her eye looks better already and hopefully tomorrow more improvement. We just hope that she doesn't share it with all of us.
WHAT A DAY!

Leavin' on a jet plane...

While she was still behaving on the plane


Sleep over with cousin


Look Mom, I can color. But I would rather eat the crayons.



Mom wants you to know this is not a REAL bow in my hair...


Bow from my presents.


Cousin's toys are fun to play with


Family pic after the batpism


I love playing with these spoons!


We arrived back in VA last night at 8pm. What a day!!!! Let's just say that Julianna wasn't the little angel we are used to. She did not want to sleep at all on the plane, or sit still, or cooperate in any such way. We usually get comments like "You have such a great baby" or "What a good traveler." However, yesterday for the first time we got "She really doesn't like to fly does she?" MAN!!! Sometimes YOU are the only one who thinks your child is misbehaving... well, we got proof that other people were thinking the same thing. There goes my theory that she's perfect.

The baptism on Sunday went really well and Emma Hensley was very cooperative. We had fun visiting with her. Here are a few pics from the baptism and some from our flight home. Enjoy!