Happy Mother's Day (late, as usual)

After the chaos of Mother's Day last year - you know, the one where I was in labor, then welcomed in my little Sunshine? - I was glad to celebrate one a little less chaotic this year :)

But only a little. After all, it is me and my family!

We all packed up and headed to Kentucky for the weekend to help celebrate my sister's grand accomplishment of her bachelor's degree. It was a fun time :) Shaune, Grace, and I took our own car, where we met up with my mom, dad, little brother, and sister (obviously), PLUS my mom's parents who we're blessed to still have with us, and one aunt. So, 4 generations! But of course, the focus was on my sister, who I'm ridiculously pleased with and possibly living vicariously through as her life is about as different from mine as you can get :) (Next stop, grad school out west).

But dear, darling Shaune didn't want me to be overlooked on my first (not-in-pain) Mother's Day. He and Gracie painted me this lovely butterfly with the help of his mom a few weeks ago. Stuffed it in the car, somehow managed to keep me from seeing it while packing and unpacking, then presented it to me along with a fresh hot cup of hotel lobby coffee (lol). Isn't it darling?

And now, knowingly or not, my husband has started a tradition. Next year, I want a duck.

And then, she was one [Photobomb!]

My goodness. What a difference a year makes! It's Miss Gracie Abigail's very first birthday today and I couldn't be happier.

Minutes old

 It's hard to believe she was ever this tiny. But not this angry - lol, that part is VERY easy to believe. We've become very familiar with the crinkled cranky face over the past 366 days (it's leap year, remember?!)



One of the few times she actually liked the swing; right after our first outting at 4 days old

She's been full of spirit since the minute she was born. Always curious. Always engaged. Always inspiring SOME kind of reaction from me: delighted, frustrated, sad, heart-warmed... anything but apathy. 


Still working on that lazy eye...

  She didn't stay little long...



Trying to sit quietly for a wedding in November



 She got big, and got even more of an opinion. She was crawling in early November and firmly refused anything but table foods around Thanksgiving. Then came babbling, and screaming at Daddy :)

Thanks for the great pix, Joanna!

 And now, my big 1 year old can hardly be called a baby. She's not quite a toddler yet... but look how grown up she's looking. She can have a conversation with me (without words, of course). We can play games - real games - together every day. As much as I fell in love with my precious newborn, I'm even more head over heels for this little person in my life who grabs my face and calls me "mama" (But then licks my nose. I think she thinks it's kissing.)

Happy Birthday, Gracie Abigail!