Here they are!

Okay, so here's the pics I was promising that GeeGee made! (THANKS DALE for sending them) So here's me, Mary and Lori before we embark the Ice Slide! Notice that Mary is NOT amused... NOW, our little lab monkey/baby bumble is about to go down her first Ice Slide.....actually it was the first time any of us went down this Ice Slide (I think) BUT - the rest of us already knew our butts would be cold and slick going down it!

Momma & Aunt Nancy try to document as our baby bumble goes for the G-force....

HEY - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! She's all fired up!!!

Now, the group shot above is one of those..."what are they thinking? Who is Lori yelling at? Does Nancy see a vision?? Do they know where they are......WHO they are....just - what the......."?!?!? LOL!!!!!

Momma, Mary and the Reindeer!

Mary in awe of the lights and all the animal characters floating in the conservatory! Our little Miss Sassafras who not only dressed herself in the PJs, (I'm pretty sure DaDa showed her how) but was showin' us how Miss Mary works it!'

And then...........

There goes my baby.........she is literally off and running......my little determined explorer is taking it all in, trying to figure it all out and making the journey count! THAT'S MY GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Momma's lesson is that the only way you can freeze time is to keep the lens close by and grab the moments as you see them. I've been told they grow up fast.

A taste of Christmas!

A couple of weeks ago, my Mother (GeeGee), sister Lori and sister-in-law Nancy took Mary and we head out to Opryland to see this awesome exhibit, "ICE - How the Grinch Stole Christmas"!!!

It was absolutely fabulous and abso-freakin'-lutely COLD!!!!! My baby girl was wigged out, to say the least and WOULD NOT GET OUT OF MY ARMS! Her little legs were wrapped around me really tight! It also didn't help that it was nine degrees -so I just can't imagine what she was thinking!

Then, once we hit the ice slide, she started warming up, so to speak! Mary was SO bundled up, she could hardly walk, it was hilarious but she LOVED going down the slide and the last time she went down, she just tumbled and skidded at the bottom and couldn't get up! I have it on video but until I'm smooth on downloading such video, you'll just have to visualize it!

So we get through the exhibit, grab a bite to eat and go into the Opryland Hotel to check out the Christmas displays already up - GORGEOUS and man.....if you just could have SEEN the wonder and amazement on Mary's face, it was unlike anything I've ever experienced. What I would give to have been able to get inside her thoughts and know what she was thinking. My little curious George then turned into "Miss Independant" and just sashays ahead of us, checking everything out - it was truly precious!

We head back out to the van through the misting rain; It was incredibly cold and trying to maneuver a loaded stroller with a fired up little girl, dodging cars and traffic and bumbling over the medians as Nancy and I tripped and about toppled Mary - was just slapstick comedy! It was a really GREAT evening and I've been told there are more pictures on the way, but in the meantime, here are a few Aunt Nancy made. We all needed this jumpstart to the holidays and perhaps we'll make this another tradition for Mary!

Links of Love, Hope and Info!

Okay - so first of all, I have never met Jerrie King. BUT - thanks to my friend Jo Kelley, I am connected and supportive and by the time you find out more of her story, you will know her, love her and support her too! Her journey of overcoming breast cancer is documented on CARING BRIDGE which is a non-profit web service that connects family and friends during a critical illness, treatment or recovery. AWESOME. In support of Jerrie, I'm listing her link not only on this short post, but on the side bar under my links section.

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/4jerrieking

I believe in connecting people to know and love each other and also to support them in whatever endeavors, prayer requests or good information or support they need or desire. Knowledge is power, the most powerful being from God's Holy word in the Bible. Take some of that, check out the links, take what you will from it and let's all go out and use our power for good and not evil!!! LOVE YOU!

Mary's First Halloween!

Our little Mary just seems to fly into all things new with 'NO FEAR', laughter and more curiousity than our favorite monkey, Curious George! After a great report on her follow up chest x-ray that informed us of clear lungs (YEA - THANK YOU JESUS!) we began to establish what will become our family tradition of Halloween! By the way, that waaaayy cute outfit, her Aunt Nancy made........shweet!

First things first, after searching all over Wilson County for a freakin' pumpkin patch/corn maze or something - we DID find the PERFECT pumpkins at a United Methodist Church and the funds went to their youth....party on - good cause. THEN -

Baby girl and I are up and at it Halloween morning, carving our pumpkins!!!! Mary would have been more content to play with the knives but she did just fine stirring the pumpkin seeds and mush that Momma dug out and no, unfortunately, she was not amused at the 'squishy' stuff enough to play in it like Momma did....or does.

THEN EVENING COMES AND MARY TURNS INTO THE -
MISCHIEF MARY, THE HALLOWEEN FAIRY!!!!
After her transformation she visits her Grandpa and eats pizza with the family and goes on her first trick or treat excursion with her cousin Jacob aka "Mike Myers", Uncle Kenny, Aunt Diane, Uncle David and Momma & Dada!

The Fairy, Jacob and Grandpa

The Fairy getting a ride from Uncle David

Mischief Mary's Halloween War Cry....or maybe it was a whine...hmmmm

Mary getting another lift from Uncle Kenny and just having a ball!!!! (This must have been before she puked or coughed up.....Lord, we just don't KNOW what but thank God she seems to be back to sweet and ornery!)

Last stop on Mary's first Halloween tradition is to Aunt Nancy's to get some goodies, but most of all, lots of love! I'm sure that made her feel MUCH better!

One more picture of my sweet one! Robert and I just had a ball and I'm sooooo glad that these pictures reflect one of the many millions of good times ahead for both Mary AND the family!