A Little Bit of Grace...

TA-DAH!!!!!

2012-01-24T06:30:00.000-08:00

Ta-dah! I told you we'd be back......just took over a year to get here. Everytime I went to post something I would think, "Nah....that was like 3 weeks a ago. I don't want to post something that's 3 weeks old!!!!" Well, folks-you're in for it now. I'm going to do a post for every month that I missed-I know you're excited! SO WATCH OUT! The Graces are back!!!

We're......

2011-06-28T18:28:00.000-07:00

....coming back!

.......and it's gonna be big...... ;)

Kohl's Ranch 2010

2010-10-21T16:20:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had a wonderful 3 day stay at Kohl's Ranch in Payson. It was-of course-absolutely beautiful. It's always so nice just to go somewhere beautiful and only worry about what is for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Enjoy the picture overload!

-the whole Grace clan-

-just packing up with aunt Steffy-

-just the 3 of us-

-hey what?!-

-Ella sportin' Uncle Donny's hat-

-time fur some washers!-

-Avery and Layla (Layla is a beetle in that box)-

-Tata and B. just hangin'-

-the 3 amigos-

-just wanting to be silly-

-discovering grass.....-

-still........checking out what's going on with this grass stuff-

-all the kids with Tata-

-You can stroll on the putting green, right?-

-Just watching all the men and kids play-

-mmm....squash at Kohl's Ranch is so much better-

-Mommy and B. ~yeah!-

-Did you know that wands taste amazing???!!!!-

-Miss Avery celebrating her birthday-

-Donny with one of his fish-

-Donny and Jeff catchin' dinner-

-Can we say "Heathcliff" the hungry cat?-

-Grandma and Branson-

-Oops! Someone got arrested!-

-Just enjoying the morning before we left-

-Whoa!-

-Oooo! Baby fishies, just like Baby Branson-

Oh Cabela's How We Love You, So....

2010-10-11T17:39:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon we took ourselves to Cabela's. Usually we bide our weekend time by going to Bass Pro, so this was quite a treat. It was Branson's 1st time there (mine too), and I'm sure it won't be his last. It was like going to a mini theme park with a GIANT gift shop. We, of course, dressed the little man up in his Cabela's camo overalls so he would look "hard core" as DG would put it. Branson really enjoyed looking at the fish tanks and sitting in anything that had a steering wheel.

Bonfire

2010-10-11T17:26:00.000-07:00

Friday night our nephew Jackson spent the night. We-as always-had a ton of fun. Jackson always tries to make Branson giggle, and usually does. We "shot" marshmallows (with the marshmallow gun), watched Cars, and had a little bonfire out in the backyard. We had so much fun, both of the boys were plenty tuckered out. Hopefully there were be many more fun sleepovers to come!

6 months of PURE Happiness

2010-10-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

Branson officially turned 6 months on September 21....so here is an update (finally). He is doing very well. He warms up to people real quick and will usually give out a million dollar smile within the first minute or so-he's a huge flirt. He's eating his solids real well, sleeping like a champ, and rolling all over the place as well as doing a back-bend every chance he can get. He has yet to sit up on his own, but has accomplished sitting up with adult assistance, then falls over. Good thing he has a helmet! Here are his 6 month stats:

Height: 26 3/4 (90%)

Weight: 16lbs 6oz ( approx. 35%)

Maroon, Gold, and Olives of Green!

2010-10-10T22:09:00.000-07:00

This particular weekend we had some great fun! It was the first ASU game of the season so we dressed Branson up in his very first ASU gear and watched the game. We also tried solids with him for the first time as well.

Things started off real well......

Then Branson realized his food wasn't quite the same....

And then his unhappiness-shall we say, escalated?

The following day we headed out to the Olive Mill in Queen Creek for some lunch. It was delicious. There's really no story.....I just snapped a few pics-'cuz that's how I do!

The Coolest Hat EVER!

2010-10-04T07:33:00.000-07:00

When Branson was about 2.5 months old I continually asked anyone within earshot if they thought his head looked a little flat on one side. The usual response was, "His head is still forming. It will correct itself in time." When we went to his 4 month appointment I asked the doctor about it and she immediately sent us to a specialist. We found out that not only was his head a little "flat" on one side, but he has has torticollis-a condition in which the neck is twisted and the head is inclined to one side. Good news! They are both easily fixed....one more expensive than the other, though ;). Just two weeks after the initial appointment with the specialists, Branson was wearing his brand new, customized-and do we dare say "sa-weet", helmet. It's real name is a D.O.C. band which stands for Dynamic Orthotic Cranioplasty. The band helps to maintain the areas that are growing as they should while coaxing other areas to grow appropriately. Think of it as growing in the path of least resistance-easy cheesy, right?! Do not worry about the little man, though. He hardly realizes that it is there. His band weighs about 6 ounces and is a hard shell with a soft foam-like lining. Branson has been in his helmet for 5 weeks now and his head is coming along so beautifully! He lost all his dark hair when he first got it, and is NOW growing lovely blond hair-who knew?! If you want to know anything else about D.O.C bands and the company we went to click here, they are absolutely wonderful. Branson enjoys his appointment every week with Miss Kelly. :) Here are the pictures from the day he got his band and was getting used to it.

The 4 Month-er

2010-08-27T18:09:00.000-07:00

Now that Branson has officially turned 5 months I thought I would post his 4 month information...

weight: 15lbs. 14oz. (50th %)

height:

So, our once worried health providers are worried no more. The kid is growing like a champ. In fact, he's probably going to have giant hands and feet (thanks to me), and he seems to be taking on major gringo qualities (also thanks to me). His hair gets lighter and lighter and he is far more fair than I that it's almost ridiculous!! But, he's too darn cute stand. He has really come a long way developmentally and by 4 months already responded to his name and had learned to roll over. So yay! He is also a HUGE smiley-face. He will smile if you just speak to him, and if you speak to him as if you are really having a conversation (the non-baby talk kind) he will "talk" back.

I was having trouble choosing which pictures to post, so instead I posted nearly all the ones I liked-but, I made them smaller so you wouldn't develop carpel tunnel scrolling down the page so much. So, once again enjoy our gorgeous son! ;)

(These are from our photoshoot at Babies R Us)

Reading...Sort of, and Chompie's Too!

2010-08-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

WEEKS ago we took ourselves down to the Tempe area. It was solely to have dinner at Chompie's which had just been featured on Man vs. Food. We, of course, began at Tempe Marketplace's Barnes & Noble where we spent most of the time in the kids section reading to Branson. We were surprised in his interest in the books because he wasn't quite 4 months old yet. Nonetheless , we had a good time and got some adorable pics.

-Branson and A. -

-the amazing sliders-
(erin: 1 bite....donny: the rest)

-DG and B in their matchie-match outfits-

-reading the pop-ups-

-reading the Wizard of Oz pop-up-

-"Oh!...Hey Mom!"-

-getting to read the serious stuff-

This Morning

2010-08-12T08:17:00.001-07:00

So this morning was one of the first mornings I did not jump on the computer to job hunt and submit my resume. (Yes, as I type this it is 8:18 a.m.-I should have at least responded to 4 job postings by now!!!!)

NO. NO I HAVE NOT.

Instead I fed Branson, put him down to play with his Baby Einstein turtle and I logged onto the computer and decided to check out what was going on with on my fellow buddies who blog. I read my friend Ashley's posting For I Know the Plans I Have For You.

Enough Said.

I have been frustrated trying to find a job and have yet to find it. Sometimes it makes me so upset that I'm suddenly brought to tears. Ashley, herself, is currently in the same sort of situation. Of course the dream for most mothers would be to stay home and contribute monetarily, and still be able to raise the children. For me, my last job came to an end with a sort-of forced resignation. I told myself that after Branson was born I would find something other than retail for a job because the schedule can be quite grueling. You can try to make a consistent schedule, but it usually doesn't work out that way. It's all hours.....7 days a week-yuck! Not ideal if you want to spend time with your family. I keep thinking to apply at all these amazing opportunities to take on a new store. I have all the qualifications, but I know how I get. I have to be the best and get completely consumed in it. That's not very conducive to giving my all as a mother. When I read Ashley's post it once again reminded me that there are plans that God has for me that I know nothing about. It scares me, it worries me, it excites me. All I can do is try these different paths that are set forth before me and maybe I'll figure out where I'm supposed to be going. Hopefully it will lead to a great opportunity that supports a healthy family lifestyle.

It's Here....

2010-07-11T15:06:00.000-07:00

The monsoon that is.....
......she's a comin'.......

....and she's bringing these giant guys again........uhhhh......no thanks.

Excitin' News!!!!

2010-07-10T23:27:00.000-07:00

So.....hopefully you will be as excited about this as I am, but I (Erin) have started a new blog!!! It is not in replace of this blog, but an extension. It is a place to share things that I feel are share-worthy(that's a whole lotta stuff), a place for me to be a nut, and a place for me to just vent. It is quite open and honest and all around GOOD! I don't want to give the address away quite yet-it's still a work in progress. Be looking for the official launch in the next month!!!!!

Preskitt (Prescott)

2010-07-09T15:30:00.000-07:00

To celebrate Donny having an extra day off from work we headed up to Prescott for the day. I absolutely lllllooooovvvvveeeee it up there! So where better to spend the day, right? My parents and the Lehmans joined us for the afternoon which made it quite special. The weather was-of course-fantastic and the rodeo days arts and crafts festival was going on-which means lots of dips to sample and interesting arty-like-stuff to look at. Yes...... we bought 4 different dips to make at home and a cute magnetic frame to put up in the house. It was either those items or the 7 foot sculpture of dolphins.......I just hope we made the right choice, hmmmmm..........Anyway! Here are the pics from the day:

Branson's Baptism

2010-07-09T15:27:00.002-07:00

Branson was baptized on the 4th of July. We were so excited and very proud because:

"In Holy Baptism our gracious heavenly Father liberates us from sin and death by
joining us to the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are born
children of a fallen humanity; in the waters of Baptism we are reborn children
of God and inheritors of eternal life. By the water and the Holy Spirit we are
made members of the Church which is the body of Christ. As we live with him and
with his people, we grow in faith, love, and obedience to the will of God."

Father/Son Moments.....Huh??????

2010-07-09T15:27:00.001-07:00

As a mother watching......I cherished the first sight of this:

Then I realized they were playing video games.......

....And then I realized it was a very "adult" video game.....

......and Branson was so captivated.

Gumbo

2010-07-09T15:26:00.001-07:00

I made Gumbo.
It was my first time doing so.
It was easy.
It was delicious.
And, yes....it was this beautiful.

Commence drooling, now!

Father's Day 2010

2010-07-09T15:24:00.001-07:00

This was Donny's first Father's Day and it was absolutely "wonderful" (a direct quote). We started by celebrating on Saturday with the Schumacher side and having a fantastic meal at good 'ol Garcia's. On Sunday we went to church, then onto Joe's BBQ for lunch, and ended it with a whole lot of napping and relaxing for the rest of the day. Happy Father's Day!!!!

Sa-weet Pool

2010-07-09T14:15:00.000-07:00

As soon as I found out I was pregnant last year I thought, "Great! We can buy one of those kiddie pools for the baby to splash around in for next year!!!" So I had the whole picture laid out in mind: the awesome hard plastic pool(in green), DG and I sitting by the side of the pool splashing with the baby as he/she giggles, and all of us in our super fashionable suits for the season. Well, we were strolling through Sports Authority one fine afternoon and came upon this beauty; a large-ish blow-up pool with a race track on the bottom and cars to play with on the track! Seriously?! This puppy was only $9.97, the same price as those hard plastic pools sold elsewhere. The next day we couldn't wait to try it out. Branson had so much fun lying in the water (with us inside the pool with him), until he began screaming 15 minutes later because it was nap time. We cannot wait until next year when he can really appreciate how sa-weet his pool is. For now, DG and I are enjoying it. ;)

Visiting Daddy/ Turning 3 Months

2010-07-09T14:14:00.000-07:00

The Friday before Branson's 3 month birthday I took him down to Donny's clinic so we could get his stats since we do not have a 3 month doc appointment......

-Good pic of DG with B-slice-

- Good pic of B-slice with DG-

......So the "big guy" came in as 13 lbs. (on the dot) AND 22 inches long. With the growth spurt he had from one month to two months I was nearly expecting a Christmas ham!!!!!

Don't Judge Me...I Know It's Gross!

2010-06-11T22:38:00.001-07:00

This evening I came home to find this lovely sight. That's right-that would be fly larvae in a cup on my office desk. Now, I will take the blame for this cup sitting here. It is my fill-with-water-every-time-I-get-on-the-computer-go-to-cup. I don't think it's gross at all that I do that. It's like the person who reuses their coffee cup daily. So.......what? What you cannot see in the picture is the mama who laid these eggs-she's 'a floatin' in the middle-gone up to fly heaven I suppose.....Well, let me get back on topic. Anyway, I immediately looked up house flies and their gestational lifespan/how it's all done, and I came upon this site. I read all the info and I just don't see why this happened. I know flies like a warm, moist place to lay their lil' darlings. So.....moist-check! (it's a cup of water, duh!), and warm-not so much a check. Even this room she chose to procreate in is super cold. Hmmm......why does the gross bug stuff always happen to me? Dunno, I'm not a gross person. Why?! WHY?????!!!!!!!!!

Who Needs A Gym?

2010-06-10T20:22:00.000-07:00

Honestly, who really needs a gym membership when you can work out in the comfort of your own home? Just remember the basics:

You can do push-ups......

You can do curls......

You can do lunges......

Or, you can just giggle your way to rock hard abs ;)

Chillin' at the Grill

2010-06-10T20:19:00.001-07:00

Saturday morning we celebrated Aunt Stephie's birthday at Joe's Farm Grill (yum...). The kids had a ton of fun running around enjoying the beautiful grounds and climbing on Uncle Donny. We were almost off to a bad start when someone forgot Branson' s pacifier. No worries, though. Lil' miss Ella had a spare and saved the morning. ;)

Turning a New Leaf

2010-06-05T13:49:00.000-07:00

So, I'm sure that I am not the only one to ever do this. In fact, I know that I'm not-but over the past few months I've finally started to clip coupons and grocery shop with a little more thought. I only buy breakfast and lunch basics, then purchase main ingredients for dinners. I shop weekly for my produce because we snack on only fruits and veggies in our house (well, chips and salsa too). The crazy thing is I never new how fun it would be. Don't know why, but I love when I can find the cheapest deal on something I need. Ahhhh.....it's almost like that feeling you get when you first pop a mint in your mouth-so refreshing!!

Cousins!

2010-06-03T18:54:00.001-07:00

Today my nieces came over and "played" with their newest cousin. They were so adorable. They wanted to help with everything that had to do with Branson. Both the girls got to help feed him his bottle, change his diaper, hold him, and put him to bed for a nap. Afterwards, we watched Daddy Day Care, colored, and played outside with Vista. Such a fun afternoon!

Overload

2010-06-02T09:37:00.000-07:00

Goodness gracious! Where does the time go?! I'm sure I'll be saying this to myself with every milestone I have with my wonderful family.

Well, Branson turned 2 months on the 21st of May. I wanted to post the day he had his 2 month appointment, but as you know-I did not. He has changed so much. A lot of good has come with that, and of course, with every little new thing I think of the day he'll leave us or no longer need us. Whether it be going off to college or moving out of the house when he's 30 (I hope that really doesn't happen), it gets me emotional.

His 2 month check up went quite well. Branson received his many shots and-like any mom out there-was a little scared. When he received his newborn shots he never even woke up, and when they had to prick him for jaundice a week later (and they pricked him 4 times) he acted like nothing bothered him. Still, the kid has changed......so I was not sure how he would react. Ha! He screamed because the nurse had to straighten out his legs (he hates to be manipulated). Nope, not from the shot, until one of them began to sting. He was completely fine within minutes when I let him have his best friend back (his pacifier).

His Stats:

11lbs. 12oz. (55th %)

22.5 inches long (% unknown....aka- I wasn't paying attention to the doc)

Here are the breakthroughs:
*Very scheduled...sleeps 10pm to 5/6am....sleeps again 'til 9am then eats every 3 hours w/ hour naps in between
*Pacifier addict (I know, not a breakthrough)
*Major booger nose-I already envision him as the kid w/ green snot as a mustache
*Obsessed with lights and all movement around him
*Hair is growing toward his forehead
*Has several nicknames: Bubba, Bubbas, Bubbers, Buddy, Branson Baby, Baby Branson, Branssie Boy, Buddies, Honey Bun, Sweeties, Chubbers, Chicken Wing, 'Lil Man, Monkey

-seriously just found it there one day-

-chillaxin' in the dipe-

-hi momma! I see your hand waving at me over there!!-

-can I just lay here forever?-

-i think i just pooped-

-ahhhh....I did!-

-I'm tired...-

-nope! I'm awake!!-

-do you see my owie?-

-just trying to melt mom's heart-

-and again....-

-no girls allowed, mom!-

-just catching up on the latest issue-

Pin a Rose

2010-05-12T19:20:00.001-07:00

Okay, I am doing an advertisement for a girl I went to school with because I love her stuff so much. Her company is Handmade Parade and she sells (shocker) handmade crafts. Her products consist of hair clips, bobby pins, headbands, necklaces, tutus, and........ I think that's it. Anyway, these are her felt rosette bobby pins that she sent as a little gift when I ordered her silk rosette hair clips. I thought I'd show these ones off because I'm really liking yellow these days ;) her prices are great, and she always has little sales. So check her out for yourself, or for the little ladies in your life. Her stuff really accommodates all ages.

Morning Angel

2010-05-11T11:22:00.001-07:00

Happy, without a care in the world.......

Because All the Colors Matched!!!

2010-05-11T11:21:00.001-07:00

So today was really a rough day with the little guy. He screamed nearly all day long and I was really at my wits end with it by 2pm. At 2:30 he passed out. He woke up for his next feeding at 5pm a whole new baby...thank goodness! Right then I realized his onesie, blanket, and pacifier all matched!!! So I scooped him up and grabbed that brass ring for a chance to catch this suddenly happy guy with all his "matchies" on.

My First Mother's Day

2010-05-09T22:48:00.000-07:00

My very first Mother's Day was absolutely wonderful. I was presented gifts in the morning, we honored the "Schumacher" moms in the afternoon, then in the evening we honored the "Grace" moms at our house. It was a double whammy for my mother-in-law because it was also her birthday. Hope all the moms out there had a super-duper-fantabulous Mom's Day!!!

Here are all the wonderful pics from the day:

(excuse the first photo-it WAS rotated in my albums, but downloaded wrong...urg! so just turn your head to the side in an uncomfortable fashion )

My gift from Branson....Donny helped a bit

My gift from Donny...yes, I really did want this hat :)

(just in case you couldn't read my hat in the first picture)

The "Bransonator"

Not twins...just him again ;)

Family photo...exhausted, but glad we got it in

End of the night photo shoot....yes,

Branson was ready to punch someone's lights out.

.......just kiddin' ;)

All Milked Out

2010-05-06T23:00:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when a you can't handle the strong stuff.....ya get all milked out!!!

Daddy Time

2010-05-06T22:56:00.001-07:00

Couldn't you just eat these two up?.......Love them ;)

Today

2010-05-01T22:18:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day.

It was a gorgeous day.

We went to the driving range and hit some balls-with Branson in tow.

We had lunch together at good 'ol Rubio's.

We looked at all the "man stuff" at Bass Pro Shop and took some funny pictures.

We shopped at Tempe Marketplace and found some "sweet" deals.

We had dinner with family.

We came home and snuggled.

Today was a great day.

It was a gorgeous day.

Branson Turns One Month

2010-04-23T16:53:00.000-07:00

Branson officially turned one month old on Wednesday. We celebrated the day by visiting the doctor for his check up and visiting my friend Ashley, and her new baby boy Noah.

His Stats:

8 lbs 13oz (25%)

21.5 inches long (50%)

It's been quite a month! adjusting to life as a family unit has been interesting. I have/had my ideas of how things would be, but God likes to throw curve balls to keep us all on our toes. Any way you slice it, we're loving our little boy and loving our new life.

A "Branson" Story

2010-04-12T19:46:00.000-07:00

On March 21, 2010 at 5:50 pm Branson Edward Grace entered into our lives weighing 6lbs 7oz and measuring 19 inches long. Here is the story of how it all happened:

At 7am we checked into Banner Desert for my scheduled induction. I was already dilated to 4cm. The ball got rolling around 9am with my first dose of meds, which was to soften my cervix. My L&D nurse said she would check on me in 2 hours to see if anything had changed, then would give me another dose, which would take another 2 hours after that-putting me around 2pm before I would be given any patosin. By 11am I was a "ripe avocado" as the nurse put it- I was dilated to 5cm and 90% effaced. Meaning that I would NOT have to have the second dose of meds (yay!) and was planned to begin the patosin around 2pm anyway. I was feeling good for quite a while; eating lunch, visiting with all of our family members, watching some tv- until my doctor came in after 2pm to brake my water, and at that point I began to feel everything. My contractions intensified within 15 minutes, and shortly thereafter I received my epidural. I continued to progress in labor and by 5pm I was fully dilated and began pushing. The hardest part was waiting 10 minutes for my doctor to come and finish "the job." I pushed a few more times and out he came!! Donny of course, got to cut the cord, and then we shared the first moments of our lives as a family. We spent the next day and a half becoming acquainted with each other and having several family members visit with us and meet our little guy.

Just a few interesting facts about little Branson:

-looks alot like his father...only 3 votes for looking like me

-has my long fingers and long toes

-first 2nd and third toes are "webbed", a Grace family trait ;)

-sucked on the same fingers as his dad did when he was a baby

-has dimples on both cheeks

-sighs when he's "happy", or just sneezed ;)

-smiles a TON, but only when he's sleeping

-tried to rollover in the doctor's office when he was 5 days old

-is a Great sleeper at night...only gets up once!!

-scrunches his nose and opens his mouth if you kiss near his mouth

Here are some pictures from the day he was born through his first week.

Branson's Room

2010-03-17T16:27:00.000-07:00

So here it is!!! Branson's finished room. I finally decided to use one of our other two cameras to take pictures....not my favorite, but it will have to do. Now, we're just waiting on the baby!!!

-The crib-

-Wall next to crib (obviously)-

-The rockin' corner-

-Wonderful canvas paintings April concocted-

A Wish List

2010-03-15T21:05:00.000-07:00

I really wanted to post pictures of the completed nursery, but I cannot find the camera in order to take the pictures that I would post, so......I made a wish list instead!!!! These are some of my favorite items that I have been denying myself since I went on bed rest and became a "non-money maker". I am sharing them with all of you.......because maybe you'll feel really, really, really bad for me and ask yourself, "What?! How in the world is Erin WITHOUT these items??? I must treat her." Or, maybe you won't say that.....maybe you'll just go to the websites and order one for yourself, because everything is just that AWESOME!!!

Awww...bare minerals bronzing kit. So that I can glow in the "proper" manner.

Go here.

L'Occitane's body cream=sweet lovin' for my dry skin
Go here.

New favourite shampoo .....
and below is the shampoo's buddy!
Go here.

Not this exact necklace....just the entire site, so you must......
Go here.

I actually L-O-V-E this necklace, but despise it's price
Go here.

My Bun

2010-03-10T20:37:00.000-08:00

So...............I went to the doctor today.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing has changed.

No dilating-none!!!!!

I guess my little bun doesn't want to come out of the oven too quickly like the doctors thought.

Tomorrow I have an ultrasound to check his size-last check up he weighed in right @ 5lbs. which seems to be pretty much where he should be, right? (that was 2 weeks ago)

Apparently not. I suppose we are now going to wait until he is the ultimate cherub before he is allowed to come.

Think chubby!!!!

Oh, so you don't think I just posted a random picture: that is a pic of my lower extremities. Not sure why, but I only have swelling in my right ankle. I think that is really odd-why not both??? At this point......whatevs :/

37 weeks and a-kickin'

2010-03-09T20:52:00.000-08:00

As of the 7th I reached the end of my 37th week. Boy am I thrilled! When I went to the doctor for 36 week appointment she said I was in the clear to do whatever I wanted and that was even more exciting. Then, I realized that if I wanted to actually wanted to go outside the house I needed some real maternity clothing-not my normal clothing that I have been squeezing myself into. So I hopped onto Old Navy's Website and took care of that situation ;) More importantly we are getting very excited for our son to get here. His room is almost done-with just a few minor details to complete it. I have a doctors appointment tomorrow, so let's hope that there is some biological process going on inside.....stay tuned!!!!

-37 weeks!!-

-Donny and the "yarmulke"

Jeff + Michelle = THE RAMSEYS!

2010-03-08T11:45:00.000-08:00

-Presenting the Newlyweds-

-Pretty red shoes and bag-

-Michelle and Donny (the proud brother)-

Jeff and Michelle were married on February 6th and we couldn't be happier for the two. This post really should have been up on February 8th at the latest, but every time I sign onto Blogger I get sucked in by all the craft blogs....so I'm quite sorry.

Any poo.....the wedding was absolutely beautiful as you can see from the pics-very simple and classy. I cried-of course-it is so weird for me to see my "boyfriend's little sister" who was 13 and is now 23-get married. Thinking back that far I remember her wearing her favorite pair of capris (the cheetah print GUESS ones, 'member Shell????), never admitting she really liked a boy, and only eating Applebee's boneless buffalo wings.

Some things have definitely changed: the admitting to liking a boy is a huge one that's out the window and she now switches up what pants she wears ;). Anyway you slice it this girl is now a woman and married to a wonderful and respectable man who is the utmost perfect match for her. We love you both and are so very proud of the people you are!!!

Not In Arizona

2010-02-10T19:28:00.000-08:00

Meet Henry.

He is my friend Sarah's Great Dane puppy.

This is him playing in the snow.

I'm jealous because I'm so HOT these days and I wish I could play in the snow.

Thanks Sarah, this actually cooled me down just by looking at them.

Enjoy Henry!! You're a lucky dog ;)

*FYI-Sarah lives in New Jersey.....obviously not in AZ.

The Amazing Cucumber

2010-02-10T11:32:00.000-08:00

My dad sent this to me via email and I thought it had a lot of good info that could benefit, well....anyone-in several different situations. Who knew cucumbers were so amazing?!

This information was in The New York Times several weeks ago as part of their "Spotlight on the Home" series that highlighted creative and fanciful ways to solve common problems.

1. Cucumbers contain most of the vitamins you need every day, just one cucumber contains Vitamin B1, Vitamin B2, Vitamin B3, Vitamin B5, Vitamin B6, Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Zinc.

2. Feeling tired in the afternoon, put down the caffeinated soda and pick up a cucumber. Cucumbers are a good source of B Vitamins and Carbohydrates that can provide that quick pick-me-up that can last for hours.

3. Tired of your bathroom mirror fogging up after a shower? Try rubbing a cucumber slice along the mirror, it will eliminate the fog and provide a soothing, spa-like fragrance.

4. Are grubs and slugs ruining your planting beds? Place a few slices in a small pie tin and your garden will be free of pests all season long. The chemicals in the cucumber react with the aluminum to give off a scent undetectable to humans but drive garden pests crazy and make them flee the area.

5. Looking for a fast and easy way to remove cellulite before going out or to the pool? Try rubbing a slice or two of cucumbers along your problem area for a few minutes, the phytochemicals in the cucumber cause the collagen in your skin to tighten, firming up the outer layer and reducing the visibility of cellulite. Works great on wrinkles too!!!

6. Want to avoid a hangover or terrible headache? Eat a few cucumber slices before going to bed and wake up refreshed and headache free. Cucumbers contain enough sugar, B vitamins and electrolytes to replenish essential nutrients the body lost, keeping everything in equilibrium, avoiding both a hangover and headache!!

7. Looking to fight off that afternoon or evening snacking binge? Cucumbers have been used for centuries and often used by European trappers, traders and explores for quick meals to thwart off starvation.

8. Have an important meeting or job interview and you realize that you don't have enough time to polish your shoes? Rub a freshly cut cucumber over the shoe, its chemicals will provide a quick and durable shine that not only looks great but also repels water.

9. Out of WD 40 and need to fix a squeaky hinge? Take a cucumber slice and rub it along the problematic hinge, and voila, the squeak is gone!

10. Stressed out and don't have time for massage, facial or visit to the spa? Cut up an entire cucumber and place it in a boiling pot of water, the chemicals and nutrients from the cucumber with react with the boiling water and be released in the steam, creating a soothing, relaxing aroma that has been shown the reduce stress in new mothers and college students during final exams.

11. Just finish a business lunch and realize you don't have gum or mints? Take a slice of cucumber and press it to the roof of your mouth with your tongue for 30 seconds to eliminate bad breath, the phytochemcials will kill the bacteria in your mouth responsible for causing bad breath.

12. Looking for a 'green' way to clean your faucets, sinks or stainless steel? Take a slice of cucumber and rub it on the surface you want to clean, not only will it remove years of tarnish and bring back the shine, but is won't leave streaks and won't harm you fingers or fingernails while you clean.

13. Using a pen and made a mistake? Take the outside of the cucumber and slowly use it to erase the pen writing, also works great on crayons and markers that the kids have used to decorate the walls!!

32 Weeks Today

2010-01-31T19:41:00.000-08:00

Yes, today marks the end of my 32nd week of pregnancy. Woo hoo!!! Things are pretty much staying stable. Meaning that my cervix is still short (but was the longest measurement I've had as of yet), it remains closed, my FFN was again negative (aka-a good thing), and Branson is still measuring on the small side for weight. The good news there, is that he has gone from the 6th percentile to the 8th.

It is personally hard for me to understand why he is so small because I'm a good eater and I've gained sooooo much weight. My doctor says that because of Donny and I, we should typically have a small baby anyway-accounting for our adult size. Again, hard to believe because we were both over 8 lbs!!!! Who knows, though maybe he'll come out chubby and tiny-like a cherub!!!

The picture below is especially posted for Donny. He took SO many pics of me standing there, just for my 32 week shot. I went to scratch my nose and he kept on shootin'. He thought I was picking. He said he was going to post it to embarrass me, but I do not find it embarrassing because it was not a pick:) Thanks;) And just it's just because I love you, babe.

The Donald Has Been Busy

2010-01-31T19:07:00.000-08:00

Donny has been so amazing taking over nearly every chore in the house as well as the actions of my "nesting" phase. I request, and he follows through. Ahhh....wonderful.......Here is what he did for me yesterday.

He hung the finishing touches on our Grace/Schumacher family wall, as well as updating the pictures inside of a few of the frames.

**Not pictured: the fact that he nearly gutted our guest room by himself; moved the bed, went through all the dresser drawers (there's a ton), hung all the baby clothes, organized the majority of my scrapbook material, loaded up the car with all of our many donations, and......drove them all down to the thrift shop.

When I woke up this morning, this is what I found on Branson's door....

We had a crib!

More importantly, he put it together by himself. A very nice surprise indeed.

No, he never gained the sympathy weight that many husbands do during pregnancy-he's just taken on it all. Thanks honey! I obviously could not have done all this on my own.

Celebrating the Soon-to-Be MRS. RAMSEY

2010-01-31T10:37:00.000-08:00

These are two events rolled into one: my sis-in-law's bridal shower & her bachelorette party. Both were a lot of fun-of course. So now it's just 5 more days until she is officially Mrs. Jeffrey Ramsey....so exciting!!!!!!

The bride-to-be and her cool cake (take that Cake Boss)

The awesome (non-alcoholic) drink that was pretty much just for me :)

The bach. party (to Michelle: notice there are NO visible embarrassing items)

The bach. party gang @ Beni Hana's

After dinner I headed home (due to the whole modified bed rest gig I have going on). The rest of the crew headed out for an amazing night on the town...they have all the evidentiary pictures ;) Tune in at the end of the week for pictures from the wedding. Yay!!!!!!

Lil' Ella's 2nd Birthday

2010-01-31T09:55:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we celebrated the yougnest lil' chitlin's 2nd birthday at the forever awesome Peter Piper Pizza. This munchkin is so much fun. She is in love with Donny, Tata, and Uncle Jeff-I swear she would marry all 3 if she could. ;)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELLA GRACE DAY!!!!

Now What?!

2010-01-29T10:53:00.000-08:00

Okay. I still maintain that this has been a very pleasant pregnancy-nothing to really complain about. And yes-this is the whole bed rest thing aside ;) The only true annoyances that I have had are:

1. The weird squiggly lines/slight blindness I had with my left eye.

2. The wonderful tear inducing pain I had with my back. (which may/may not have been kidney stones). (also, sorry this pic is SO big! I didn't feel like changing the size)

3. And for the grand finale these babies:

For the past 2 weeks now my hands won't stop falling asleep when I fall asleep. They ache so badly that it wakes me up and I cannot fall back into a peaceful slumber. The only time they do not not hurt is when I lay on my back with my hands straight to my side, but that hurts my back. Then the rest of the day my hands hurt as if I was doing an intense "hand work-out". It is really weird and I hope it does not continue through the next 8 weeks. Anyone else ever had this problem???

*all pictures are courtesy of photobucket

Schumacher Family Pics

2010-01-13T11:52:00.000-08:00

Just recently we had a mini photo shoot with the Schu-side of the family and had a blast. The photography was done by my friend Heather Nuttall who runs Plainly Taken Photography. A big thanks to her-we had so much fun and it was just what we needed to update our walls, albums, and scrapbooks.

For your viewing pleasure:

-My bro, Adam-

-My parents-

-Cuteness: Wyatt-

-Wyatt: Laughing in the leaves-

-The Lehmans: Cameron, April, and Wyatt-

Oh the Reading

2010-01-08T14:51:00.000-08:00

These are my newest slew of books to read. I'm very excited to get started on them because amongst the seven books you see there, there are actually eight. Just to put my sis-in-law at ease....I will begin with The Lovely Bones for two reasons:
1) it was a gift from her and Jeff back in September for my b-day
2) I need to read it before the movie comes out on the 15th-January 15th!

Michelle, I hope you are pleased. I have a week to get it done and you may question me daily on how it is coming along. After that, probably onto Belly Laughs-I'll definitely need some good humor after such an intense read.

Adorable Baby Nostalgia

2010-01-07T16:25:00.000-08:00

This past week Donny and I have been given some adorable baby items for Branson. They include: a crochet knit blanket, 2 receiving blankets, some adorable/fancy burp cloths, and Donny's christening outfit and other christening items. We have received so much from family and friends and want to thank all of you for everything you have given us in support and love. It means so much that everyone is as excited about his arrival as we are. Here are some pictures of the cute items....sorry there isn't pictures of everything he has received thus far-there's just too much!

Refelecting on Christmas

2010-01-07T16:22:00.000-08:00

Ahhh....the vision of Christmas! Yes, that is Santa in a cowboy hat and holding a lasso. We weren't good about taking ANY pics this year, so this will have to do.

Now that the season is truly over and we're still avoiding taking down any Christmas decor, I thought I would reflect on what a great Christmas it really was.

As most of you know I have worked for Anchor Blue since I was 19 (now 26), and have always taken on multiple tasks besides working there: full time school, teaching dance for 3 separate locations, and sharing in household duties. It's more than enough to drive a person crazy. It was always the worst time of year because I would more than over work myself, causing something to be neglected or forgotten.

Not being able to work has truly made me enjoy the season/holiday so much more. I do not feel as though I left the season disappointing any family or friends, even though I was quite limited by my pregnancy, and loved every minute of it. I appreciate everyone who made accommodations for me or helped me out whether it was making me a little bed on the couch for me to lay on, coming over to do my laundry because I should not be walking, or filling up a glass of water for me-even though I was four feet away from the sink. So thanks to everyone who has helped and continues to help!!! I love you so much!

Enough mushy stuff.....you all go have a great day!

Meeting Wyatt

2010-01-04T14:32:00.001-08:00

So here he is: Mr. Wyatt Adam Lehman. Our newest addition to the Schumacher side of the family to my sister and brother-in-law. He truly is an easy baby. Most of our time spent with little Wyatt was either holding him and making him smile, or gathered around his play mat while he "talked" to all of the toys that dangled above his face. So much fun!! Now, not that I don't know how to deal with babies-I'm the second oldest cousin in the family AND have other nieces and nephews-but it really made me feel less scared to take care of our little one when he arrives. I can't wait for Branson to get here now!

So Sad...

2009-12-31T15:46:00.000-08:00

Head hanging in shame, voluntarily sitting in her kennel (her safe spot/ time-out spot) Vista waits for me to say it's alright for her to come out. I was trying to sit peacefully and work on the computer, yet with every little noise from outside came a "terror" bark as if Vista was scared of something. I continually scolded her and told her to lay down, but it wasn't working until I yelled, "Vista! Hush up!" and gave her the look. She ran into her kennel and stayed their for 45 minutes. Is this how parenting is going to be??? Wait....don't answer that ;)

Momma and the Baby

2009-12-28T07:44:00.000-08:00

As of yesterday I am officially 27 weeks along and feeling good. This has been a fantastic pregnancy as far as I am feeling (that's the operative word). It wasn't until mid-November did any worries arise. It all started because I went to the hospital with excruciating back pain. I was checked over in the maternity ward, then sent to the ER because nothing was wrong with me baby-wise. Thank goodness! After a long day in the ER the doctor said I might have kidney stones and I would hopefully pass them...super.....I left the hospital with no defining answers.

When I went back in for my next OB appointment my doctor said she was concerned with the ultrasound done on me as far as the length of my cervix was and the estimated weight of the baby-as well as an in-office test she had performed where my cervix was feeling soft. All three things were not good. So she prescribed weekly ultrasounds to monitor my cervix and the baby and to begin visiting her every 2 weeks, along with taking more breaks at work so I'm not on my feet for eight hours.

I followed up with my first official ultrasound appointment and was told I needed to go to the hospital and get checked over. I, of course, began sobbing thinking the absolute worst. I wasn't given any info except I needed to wait 24 hours because I was going to have an FFN done. I called my doctor from the ultrasound clinic to explain what was going on and she said that my cervix was short enough to possibly go into labor and the FFN would help determine if I was. I did as I was told and went to the hospital. By the next day my cervix had already improved and the FFN came out negative (a good thing), but I was ordered to go on modified bed rest for the next two weeks. What????!!!!

After those two weeks were up I went back to be examined by my doctor, have another ultrasound, and another FFN. The stats: my cervix had not changed and was still soft and the FFN was once again negative. On the plus side the baby is still small, but gaining weight at a faster rate. My doctor concluded by saying that I would need to stay on modified bed rest for the rest of my pregnancy.

So that's where we are at this point. I went from working like crazy to not working at all. My mom says it's God's way of telling me there are things more precious in life than trying to make an extra buck, and that the rewards in the end will be much greater than I have ever expected. I do believe this is true. Anything I can do to make a perfect home for our baby is what I will do-it's a sacrifice that is definitely worth making. Just another 13 weeks of hanging in there is what we have to do. Keep us in your prayers and hope that he comes out healthy and chubby.

Me at 25 weeks

Baby at 24 weeks

Donny's Elk Hunt

2009-12-28T07:24:00.001-08:00

Over Thanksgiving Donny and Mike had a chance to go elk hunting. It started off a rough expedition, then.....bam! They got one. If you want a story you'll definitely have to ask them, because I don't re-tell it well at all. It was a joint effort in taking this guy down and they had almost given up. They might tell you it was pure luck they even encountered this buck, but they're thrilled to say they got him.

Facebook

2009-11-11T11:11:00.001-08:00

I did it.....I fell into all your requests and made a facebook page. I've probably already requested most of you, but if I didn't do not be offended I did it in 20 minutes because I have to go to work. We'll see how this goes because I did not enjoy the whole myspace thing. See you all around on the internet!!!!!

It's A Boy!!!

2009-11-02T19:47:00.000-08:00

Last Tuesday we found out baby Grace is officially a boy! So far everything is going well with the pregnancy. Little baby Grace is becoming quite the kicker/flicker. My baby bump is starting to grow- pictures coming soon:)

What we've been up to....

2009-10-30T22:03:00.000-07:00

D-Backs Game/Donny's B-Day: Donny's work rented the dugout suites for the last game of the season, which also happened to be Donny's 26th B-day. We were right next to the D-Backs players, it was pretty awesome!

My 26th Birthday: My wonderful husband took me for a long weekend to the Princess Resort in Scottsdale. We had a great time eating out, hanging by the pool, and walking around the beautiful grounds.

Donny's Scuba Trip: Back in August Donny went on his official certification dive at Catalina Island. He had a ton of fun using all his "skills" and "making it back to the top" (a little joke).

What I'm thinking RIGHT now ;)

2009-10-23T12:35:00.000-07:00

Inventory last night...it was supposed to go until midnight-that did not happen. It went until 1:30 am-and my store was a mess......of course, no one could come in to clean.....so I did with only having 4 hours of sleep. I was there this morning until 11 am-then I had to go to Target and pick up some essentials (no deoderant is not a good thing). Got back home about noon and there is much more in my home that needs to be done: dishes, loads of laundry, scrubbing bathrooms. cleaning floors, and vacuuming....maybe more. So now I'm just angry that inventory people are dumb and messy-they have made me tired and angry, and my house is sill dirty. I have 45 minutes to clean up and get into work so that I can babysit the "Friday Night" kids whose parents dropped them off at the mall so they wouldn't have to spend family time together (told you I was angry >:( ) So if you happen to run into to me while you are there, sorry if I'm in a bad mood. Promise you'll have a better Friday than me. Happy Saturday! (because I will have had sleep by then).

Oh Baby? Yeah Baby!!

2009-10-02T12:37:00.000-07:00

About 2 months ago I began to have tons of strange dreams. They involved Donny holding a baby, me changing a baby's diaper, a baby crying about something and I had to help it, etc. The following week I was due to get my "monthly". Of course, it did not arrive on the expected day-no shocker there-that's just how my system has always worked. Not really thinking anything of the dreams, or the fact that I was "late"-went on with my day-to-day. My next day off from work happened to be a weekday, so I put myself into cleaning mode: floors, laundry, dishes, the works! I had the TV on all day while I was hustling and bustling about. Low and behold every single show had to do with a baby in some way: Charmed-Piper was going into labor....Full House-Becky tries to tell Jesse that she's pregnant....The Today Show-Nancy Grace talking about going back to work with her twins....Friends-The one where Phoebe finds out she's pregnant. The light bulb clicked: am I pregnant? I really had to go the bathroom so I told myself to hold it-we're going to Target-I've got to buy some pregnancy tests!!!!! I made that trip, came home, and did my thing. 3 short minutes later I found out that I was going to be a mommy. I couldn't be happier! I began sobbing and smiling and didn't know what to do......should I immediately call Donny? Should I call the doctor? Do I need to go buy some prenatal vitamins? Too many thoughts at once. So what do I do when I get worried-call April. We chatted and came up with a game plan, also known as, April calming me down :) I decided that I would come up with a cute way to tell Donny the following night. I was far too nervous and giddy over the next day that no cuteness came to mind. So later that night I simply told him that I took a pregnancy test (3 at this point) and unless First Response was untrustworthy, we were going to have a baby!

So surprise, surprise! We're having a baby :) Now that I'm feeling real well and officially into my second trimester I thought I should blog about it. This little bundle of joy is set to join us March 28, 2010-so probably early April.

There is so much more that has happened in our lives I need to update everyone on and I will get to that quite soon! Until then......thanks for reading

A Wabbit

2009-07-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

THE SCENE:

It's 12:15am and I step out of my car........what the heck! There's a cute little rabbit in my front yard!.....I stalk it.....and stalk it.....then, chase it down the road.......and stalk it some more.....then feed it some grass.......then a little more stalking......then BAM!!!! I got him!!!

This cute little guy escaped out of our neighbor's backyard. For two-and-a-half days I had a precious little bunny living in my bathtub. He was so sweet that I almost wanted to keep him-until he escaped out of the tub and chewed a GIANT hole in the side of the towel basket as well as poop and pee all over the towels.

Until we meet again my sweet Snowball......

Bath Time

2009-07-18T18:26:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I feel bad when we have to give her a bath......but then she does something bad, and I don' t feel that way anymore.

The Grown Up Backyard

2009-07-14T23:57:00.000-07:00

As of July 11, 2009 our backyard was considered finished. I'm so stoked! (I'm channelling Keanu Reeves for this one) The sod was laid on Saturday thanks to Donny, my bro-Adam, and my bro-in-law-Mike. So thanks to the 3 of you for doing it. :) It's been a long process-seeing as how it all began in February. So last night Donny and I decided to eat our dinner in our new beautiful backyard-a Grown Up Backyard!

Hangin' at the Pool

2009-07-14T23:48:00.000-07:00

On Saturday my sister-in-law and friend Carrie went to Firesky Resort in Scottsdale to lay by the pool and have some drinks. It was the perfect little getaway, for just a few hours. Thanks for the pic Stace! ;)

Greer `09

2009-07-14T23:14:00.000-07:00

We came home from Greer a week ago Wednesday and it's been crazy with everything that goes on day-to-day to be able to do this specific post in a timely manner. So, I apologize to those who read my blog. I realize that the events listed in July are not quite in chronological order.

This year was better than last year....and for Donny and I this is now our third time we have graced Greer with our presence-and guess what?!.....I didn't get sick this time! Woo Hoo!! We did a ton of fun/relaxin' STUFF! My favorite was playing a new game called Ladder Ball. Super Easy....well, it was for those of us who totally dominated their first try (that was me :p ) We also went on a fun little bike ride-which turned out to be so exhausting at the end. So, April and I decided to relax and give ourselves some quickie pedies. Oh, and the questionable pic of me is how bored I was when everyone came in all tired and noone would play with me. So sad.....

Drum Roll Please......

2009-07-14T22:49:00.000-07:00

Good News! Yesterday I had a conference call at work and they announced that we're coming out of Chapter 11 by the end of the month. YAY!!!!!! So I guess I'll still have a job, insurance, and a ton of stress. Can you feel the excitement?! It still has me thinking, though: Is there something else I was meant to do? I feel like I have a hidden talent or cause tucked inside of me-real deep- and I haven't found it yet.....maybe I have special powers (I've been watching ALOT of Charmed lately) :p

4th of July

2009-07-10T23:37:00.001-07:00

What did you do on 4th of July? As my brother put it, "I killed his dreams." So this is how the story goes.....My sister and bro-in-law were in town and staying with my parents. My parents were having a mini BBQ to celebrate and thought we should all go watch fireworks, naturally. So we piled into 3 cars and headed on out to Queen Creek to catch a good spot. It all started out quite lovely as we/I decide we should take pictures of how excited we were to see the fireworks (see pics below). Of course Donny resisted.....and everyone else was game. We searched.....and searched.....and searched-then we missed a ton of good ones because we were following my dad, and passed them all. Finally! We find a spot and park in the Queen Creek High School parking lot to catch a glimpse. Now, I don't know if it was the fact that I was frustrated with looking too long, or the fact that I was extremely hot from being wedged between 2 uncontrollably sweaty men in the backseat of Ape and Cam's car, but that's when it happened-I killed my brother's dreams. The mini conversation went something like this:

Adam: "I wonder how they make fireworks and how they get all those designs and colors..."
Erin: "It's SCIENCE." (I had seen a special on the Discovery Channel)

And with those 2 little words-my little brother's dreams died. He turned to me and said, "Well, aren't you a dream killer? Couldn't you have lied to me and said it's magic?! Or maybe it's Tinkerbell up there waving her wand around? Jeez.....some big sister you are."

Coming from my brother it wasn't that big of a deal-but the fact that he hasn't given up on the dream killing thing for a week IS a big deal. So, this is my formal apology: I'M SORRY :( I never meant to kill your dreams. In fact, I think that special I watched was a complete hoax. I personally believe that it's God throwing out giant sprinkles so that we all are smiling and happy ALL at the same time.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!!!

Circus, Circus, Circus!!!

2009-07-10T23:21:00.000-07:00

This post is defnitely 2 weeks late....but we all know the saying, right? We went to the Circus on some free tickets my father-in-law received, payed for some ridiculously priced popcorn, and had a ball. :) It was only the 2nd time I have ever been and I still think it's great! Elephants are truly amazing animals-and I kept thinking/wishing, "I hope we don't show up on that show: When Animals Attack." That is.....in regards to the elephants and their ability to squish me like a pancake.

Meet Herbie

2009-07-10T22:55:00.000-07:00

This.....is HERBIE. Herbie has been visiting our house for the past month, now. Though he is not dangerous to us-he's definitely caused quite a scare a time or two.....whether he was flying at our faces or trying to get into our house by way of Vista's mouth-he has certainly out-stayed his welcome. Since I wanted to know exactly what I was dealing with I decide to do some research on my good buddy. Herbie is known as a Paloverde Root Borer and is quite harmless, but the fact that he is quite LARGE does not sit well with me. I actually felt more in tune with nature when I landed on this site: http://fireflyforest.net/firefly/2005/07/09/paloverde-root-borer/ , I had the chance to learn a ton about Herbie and other types of beetles that are native to Arizona. Hopefully you will too!

The Before......

....And the After.......

This was before I had a chance to gain a little knowledge on the poore little guy. May he rest in peace.

Father's Day Montage

2009-07-08T23:20:00.000-07:00

So, this is a bit of 2 "manly outtings" Donny went on-2 Weekends in a row- and Father's Day.....a montage in the smallest sense.

Donny had the chance to go on a trip to the Black River as well as the White Mountains for an annual Father's Day trip. The guys had a ton of fun-especially Donny because he had the chance to use his new "Dutch Oven". The night before he left we both spent a good amount of time choosing the perfect recipes for him to WOW all the guys with (he chose a fabulous peach cobbler). When they got back it was onto 2 BBQ's where it was food, food, and Wii games!!!! Talk about some good ol' fashion man love! (not that kind..... :)

End of Year Dance Concert

2009-07-08T23:06:00.001-07:00

In late June I had my final dance concert of the year. It was a fantastic show consisting of 60 dances performed at the Mesa Center of Performing Arts. All the girls did really well in all the pieces (boys did good also.....just none of mine performed). It was so great to see them at a professional venue, and it really made me miss performing myself. Maybe one day I'll get back out there!!!

Funny Hats

2009-06-18T23:09:00.000-07:00

Tonight while Donny was packing his weekend clothes for his fishing trip he stumbled on 3 very BEAUTIFUL hats-all very special in their own little way ;) (The last one really emphasizes the fact that Donny really has a teeny head.) Breathtaking......aren't they?!

The Fashion Gods Would Be Proud

2009-06-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

My wrist has been hurting the past couple months and I-of course-have done nothing for it. So, while we were at my in-laws house I got this sassy little number to help ease my pain- AND IT'S STYLISH TOO!!!! Everyone at work was concerned (probably just because I'm the boss) and wanted to know what happened- so I gave them two stories:

1. I was at a bar and got in a huge "bar brawl"

with a woman twice my size

2. I was in a BMX racing accident and only

my wrist suffered

I'm letting them choose the story that seems more like me. What do you think? (As if either is believable...)

G and B's Wedding

2009-06-12T22:50:00.000-07:00

My cousin Greg was married a couple weeks ago on May 31st and there was a beautiful reception at Superstition Springs Golf Club.....well, you won't see any other pictures of the bride, groom or any of the fun that took place because my camera died after I took a picture of the center peice on the table. Nonetheless- it was a very, very beautiful reception-all pink and green. Congratulations to the couple and we welcome Brooke to the family.....good luck spelling your new last name!!! ;)

It's a Boy!!!

2009-06-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Ape and Cam...

IT'S A BOY!!!!!!

So April gave me permission to do this post because I'm so excited about it and she said she probably wouldn't do it until the baby was 5 months old........but, they found out yesterday that she will be having a boy!!!! I'm so excited for her and Cameron-I was totally having boy vibes and told her I was going to be shocked it they told me it was a girl. YAY!!!!! Now I can finally buy the little-one a cool "boy-esque" gift.

So Sad......

2009-06-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

Exactly 2 weeks ago today I found out-quite abruptly-that my company was filing Chapter 11. It started off on a random conference call that my boss had set up, but was not even sure of the content that she was to share with all her store managers until 9am-the precise moment the call was to begin. As she proceeded with the call she told us all to remain on the line and she would be calling a few of us to speak with us individually before we continued with the actual content of the call. Then BAM!!! One of my colleagues says, "Whoa!....uh guys?.....I just received an email titled: Stores Closing.".......all of our chatter instantly came to a halt. Before we could even proceed with a professional call with our boss about the impending store closures and as to why they were closing, a bone-head secretary had prematurely sent a fatal, and all-be-it, tacky email. When my boss resumed the call with us, we all began speaking at once telling her how upset we were and that we knew what the call was all about. My heart was in my stomach and I didn't know what to even think as my boss read the sad little script that corporate sent her to read. When she ended I was the first to blurt out and say, "So you're telling us to be hopeful during this Chapter 11 crisis-yet we've never heard of a company actually pulling out of a restructure successfully. Wouldn't it be wise for us all to update our resumes and start looking for jobs? I don't want to be on a sinking ship then all-of-a sudden find myself at the bottom of the ocean when I really should have jumped." Now, I was definitely way more heated than anyone else on the call, and my store is NOT one of the company closures, but who's to say mine won't be next?

So my question to all who care to answer is....you know of anyone who is hiring? Or possibly any other careers out there that seem like a good change for someone like me? I've got the teaching thing, but I'm off for the summer (in a few more weeks that is) and I've worked for other retailers.....I'm just so sick of working 12-15 hours days without a day off most weeks. I'm willing to take on plenty of suggestions.

Memorial Weekend Mildness

2009-05-26T19:45:00.000-07:00

So as my last post explained, Donny had lasik surgery on Friday. I took Friday off to be with him as well as Saturday, Sunday, and Monday. Of course, the first day was not good because that was the actual day of the surgery, but Saturday and Sunday weren't so good either. Our entire 4 days off together consisted of him sleeping for anywhere from 2-6 hours at a time, while I did housework or skipped out of the house so I wasn't bored. We had dinner with Donny's mom, Michelle, and Jeff....then another night of dinner with my parents and bro...we went to Stephanie and Chad's house and watched some old 90210 and Max and Ruby shows....hit up Chick-Fila (Donny's favorite).....and went to Walmart a couple of times to get his prescriptions filled. And the whole time this is what Donny looked like (see below), even when it was pitch black in a room he wore shades and a baseball cap.

Donny's Surgery

2009-05-22T21:38:00.000-07:00

This afternoon Donny had Lasik surgery. It was a 2 hour process, even though the entire surgery takes about 15 minutes. This is his pre-op and post-op pictures. I had some funny opportunities, but Donny was NOT in the mood for the funny bug-eyed moments. He has been instructed to sleep, sleep, sleep so that his eyes can rest and do their healing. Hopefully he'll feel better tomorrow after his post-op check up.

Back From Baton Rouge

2009-05-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we came back from a whirlwind trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. We had a very mini vacation on Donny's company (Thanks to Dr. Boehle). Noone else really could go so D's boss asked if I wanted to go-and as you can see I gladly accepted. We had a chance to see down town Baton Rouge, eat some alligator sushi at a very high-in-the-sky restaurant, and just eat anything that wasn't Mexican food for a change. We had a great time seeing as much as we could in less than 3 days. And, of course, it wouldn't have been a complete trip of any kind if I didn't come home sick. (I guess good ol' creole food don't agree with me all too much). I'm really glad we got to go, I never imagined that it was going to be so beautiful. I would gladly go back and visit Baton Rouge again.

Donny Figuring out how to "shove in" the fun

Why don't we have these in AZ?
Donny on the steps of the Ol' State Capitol

The Ol' State Capitol building

a REALLY big tree

Sunset on the Mississippi

Focus on the wall...not my WHITE legs

The traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall

Casino on the Mississippi

Our dinner destination: Tsunami!! (at the very top)

Me on top of a "Tsunami"! (it's almost funny)

Did you notice the crazy date ? ^^^^^

I got a little bored so I jumped on the bed......

....it was fun so I kept on jumping :)

Gots to be prepared in case there are any random Mardi Gras parties

Dinner Destination#2

But...of course......hmmmm.....

There's a Stranger in My Closet!!!!

2009-05-19T19:34:00.000-07:00

No, not really....it was Vista. I was packing my suitcase for Louisiana and I heard a faint noise coming from the closet. Of course, it was Vista and she was just chillin' there. I really like the second one....it's very scary.....BOO!

Dryer Balls....Really?????

2009-05-14T08:01:00.001-07:00

I've seen it in her eyes, but I never thought she'd actually go for it-she took the leap and STOLE my dryer balls and right in front of me!! She knows they are not a toy because she's been scolded many times.....but this morning she was feeling sassy and thought my yelling at her and running after her was a game......fantastic! >:( Don't you just love those new bad habits?

Things I am Thankful For

2009-05-12T16:46:00.001-07:00

So I have been quite stressed lately, but dare not show it. I have to do a million interviews for work, I'm trying to finish choreographing some dances for my students, I'm diligenlty planning when I'm going to take just an hour of vacation, and trying to live my day-to-day life in between. So, I've decided to make myself feel better with things I am thankful for in my life:

(In ABSOLUTELY NO particular order)

1. Dishwashers-so that I don't have to spend hours out of my week doing this by hand
2. Skillet meals-so that I don't have to cut up all that food myself, and so dinner is served before 10:30pm
3. Family-because you get to love them and lean on them
4. Marriage-it's just good times....and some frustrating times
5. Dancing-because it's my passion and I can share it with whoever wants to know about it
6. "The Vista"-because she finds any scary bug in the house so Donny can kill it
7. A day off from work-so that I can drive myself crazy with other things in life ;)
8. God- He reminds me to stay grounded
9. Sleep-because it MAKES me stop being so crazy
10. Cameras-they can capture memories in an instant
11. Memories-so they can be replayed in my mind forever
12. Sunshine- it just makes me so darn happy
13. Children-they give me so much hope when I'm not sure about things
14. Working like a Crazy Person-it REALLY makes me appreciate my spare time and avoid a result from #7

The Wing-ed Creatures

2009-04-27T21:59:00.000-07:00

Has anyone else had there home invaded by these little guys? If you have please let me know. I'm not sure whether they're nats or some kind of fly, but they are tickin' me off! They started off with a few flying around our kitchen sink, then a few in our guest bath, now they're in our master bath. There are tons of them. Now I know what you're thinking-call the bug man-but I keep killing them, I'm pretty much a pro at it by now-but they keep coming back. I'm pretty sure for every 1 fly that I kill, 3 replace it. So I know they hang out around sinks and that seems to be the only place, but could they be spawning? The whole idea of it disgusts me, but I'm trying to be more frugal about getting rid of the little buggers. Any help would be much appreciated.

Forgot About Woods Canyon Lake...Sorry :(

2009-04-27T21:40:00.001-07:00

So.....I completely forgot to post pics of our excursion to Woods Canyon Lake last Sunday....my bad....it must have been the blood boiling fever I had later that night (which should be reason #1 to convince Donny that I never camp-I'm allergic to the wilderness!!!!). Anything that has to do with the outdoors the hubs is 100%-there's NO messin' around there. Our car was completely packed with fishing equipment!!!! Do you want to know what I packed? Glad you asked-a book! Which Donny dropped in the lake. Nevertheless we had a great time. Donny spent the entire day fishing while I spent the day reading in the sun.....so my book could dry, page by page. And ya know what? The dang thing still isn't all the way dry....so sad.

Needs no caption (......except this one)

Notice: The sign says "Vista"

She's got her camo on!!

I like this one: you can see her demon eyes

This was only 1/2 the stuff packed for our day trip

Ohhh.....Saturday Blues

2009-04-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

So I woke up this morning super irritated. It was 7a.m. and all I could think of was that i had to go into work at 1:30-crap! My whole day is wasted away. I feel that if I don't accomplish a task at home or run an errand that my day is shot to shit. Well, this gave me extra stamina apparently..... I did 3 loads of laundry, washed all the dishes in the sink and half of the dishwasher, scrubbed the kitchen counters, cleaned our master bath, got myself ready, then ran to Target to pick up a few essentials. I treated myself to a latte and a new book-Skinny Bitch (Cheryl said it will change my life). I was home by 12:15.....and now I hope to have a crummy-free day at work. My store better make some serious cash today or I'll be in an unpleasant mood this evening. Everyone else have fun enjoying your day off!

Four Peaks Brewery

2009-04-18T20:14:00.001-07:00

Last night we joined our friends Brit and Claudia out at Four Peaks Brewery in Tempe. Now, I'm probably the last person to hear of this place-and you already know of it-but it was amazing!!! They are a true hard core brewery-loved it!! I love those kind of places that have true hard work and nostalgia...anyway.....we had a great time. The boys had these hot wings that are so hot they make you cry...and indeed, that is exactly what happened!! Donny's eyes were totally crying, and dare I mention that about the boy who likes his wings real hot! They were so bad that Donny could only have one-good thing I didn't try them we would've had to call 911.

Brit trying his 1st hot wing

Donny and his hot wing

Not so sure if President Obama would approve of this flag pairing....

Brit and Claudia

Us :)

Ahhhh.....Easter!

2009-04-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

Don't let your eyes be immediately drawn to the picture below of the beautiful Easter bunny....there's a whole lotta good stuff here:

Easter was fantastic this year!!! We began the day with a 9 a.m. church service accompanied by my mom, dad, and brother. It was an absolutely gorgeous service with absolutely wonderful company. In the afternoon we had the annual Titcomb/Grace Easter gathering with lots of good food, a children's egg hunt, as well as an adult egg hunt (the adult's get fantastic gifts/prizes). All of mine and Donny's gifts revolved around toys for Vista.....possibly rigged....who knows. :) After that it was onto the Schumacher Easter gathering at my parents new house. There we ate a lot more and insued in lots of conversation and, of course, Wii games. All in all-we were overtiming it with some serious family fun.

The pictures of Vista are awful...that I know-but I bought these cute bunny ears for dogs @ Target and had to snap soem shots of her. The funniest thing was that I bought them at the end of February when all the spring stuff came out and immediately tried them on Vista-she rean around the house wagging her tail like she didn't evern know they were on her head....I should have taken pics then.....it was freakin' redunkulous to even get her to sit still. So these are probably the best shots I could get......so sad >:(

Bad Puppy

2009-04-08T22:38:00.001-07:00

Lately, everytime I brush my hair Vista goes nuts. I mean she starts barking like she's scared, does laps in the house, or hides. I tried to calm her down by showing her how "nice" the brush is and it's not a bad/mean thing. Apparently she got over her fear. While I was packing up our stuff for Country Thunder I found this:

You can see the guilt in her face in the 2nd picture......what a good puppy >:(
(She stole it right off the counter in the bathroom)

Country Thunder '09

2009-04-08T21:21:00.000-07:00

What a weekend we had! First the game, then going to Country Thunder. This is the story.......

Since late December I had decided that we were going to Country Thunder....Donny happily said it was okay with him and he wouldn't mind going since I really wanted to. I asked him to see if his dad was able to get us some free tickets. I was firm on at least going to Friday and Saturday for Tim McGraw and Alan Jackson-just in case I found someone who would go to all 4 days-I was prepared to take vacation time and not work. I was extremely serious about this. I kept bugging Donny to see if my father-in-law got the tickets so that I could buy our tickets if necessary. DG continued to reassure me that we were "in".
About 3 weeks ago Donny says he's been in charge of planning this outting to the D*Backs game for work-little did I know that it was to be on the Friday of Country Thunder a.k.a. Tim McGraw night. The only night we could attend was Saturday for Alan Jackosn. I was okay when he told me but I was baffled when I began to put time lines for the preceding actions together.
I know what you're thinking......it takes some time to plan that kind of social get-to-gether of that magnitude......YOU'RE CORRECT!!!! He had been planning this sucker since February. What DG didn't tell me was that he had never asked his father for tickets and we were S.O.L. Oh no! Not good with me! I had been awaiting this day for quite some time. I'm the girl who grew up on country music-it was the only thing my parents allowed us to listen to besides Christian Music.....I'm the girl who knows the words to every country song out there and all the songs sung by Celine Dion and Josh Grobin (small side note).....I needed to be able to tell everyone that I have been to any concert besides Hanson or N*SYNC......I NEEDED TO GO!
After enough guilt tripping Donny broke down and bought the dang tickets on Thursday of last week. Later that night Pappa Grace called DG and told him he had 2 more VIP tickets. Luckily, our friends Todd and Anissa wanted to go, so we sold our tickets to them. Our VIP tickets were for 9th row seats and were amazing!! It was real cold during the evening concerts, but it was nothing an ice cold margarita couldn't fix. We were able to spend the evening in my sister-in-law and brother-in-law's friend's 5th wheel. So needless to say, everything turned out wonderful!!!

"Suite" D*Backs Game

2009-04-08T21:05:00.000-07:00

Last Friday Donny's company treated all their employees and a guest to the last spring training game of the season, which was being held at the ball park. It turned out to be more of social event because we were in the Owner's suite!! This place was huge!!!!! I would say the entire set up was bigger than my old apartment (sad about the apartment). We had amazing food and an open bar with lots and lots of good company. Toward the end of the game Dr. Boehle (DG's boss) presented us all with new D*Backs hats to start the season. Now I'm real excited to see some more Baseball!

Vista Turns One!!!

2009-03-29T20:40:00.001-07:00

That's right folks!!! Today our littel 28lb. hairball turned one. We had planned on taking her to the dog park for the first time, but Donny was so tired from his hike this morning that he slept until 7pm. Poor Vista-she was really looking forward to it. No worries, she still had a great time because I played with her a ton!! All she wanted to do was play catch, so we did. I took some funny pics of her in her new purple bows and her favorite feathered boa. (Noticed the pics of her giving the death glare to the boa as it lays on the ground.) There is also a video of her doing her "new trick". We taught her how to put her toys in her basket-it's very helpful. As well, there is also a pic of her with her ASU football. She claimed it when she was 2 months old, and it's the only toy she has not destroyed to this day. Happy Birthday Pooch!

Yard Update

2009-03-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

So, the yard is being worked on-it's just going very slowly :( The guys can only work on Saturdays because it's the one day out of the week they both have off. So far they have done quite a bit for only working a total of 4 days on it. They've cleared all the rock out of the way, poured some concrete on the side of the house, layed pavers for a small sitting area and built a retaining wall for a planter. I just can't wait until it's all done.....so we'll update you then! And there will be beautiful pictures ;)

They're ENGAGED!!!!!

2009-03-17T10:38:00.000-07:00

Our friends Aaron and Casey are officially engaged!! We are so excited for them. We have known them since... FOREVER!! We can't wait for the planning to begin. Congrats you two, yay!yay!yay!

Renaissance Festival

2009-03-17T09:16:00.000-07:00

On Sunday we took our yearly trip to the Renaissance Festival. We went with all of the Grace side. It was the first time we've gone with all the kids together and it was fun to see how excited they were about little things like the Chinese bubble lady. Of course, we're always excited to share the famous giant Turkey legs-definitely worth the $20 to get in :)

Jackson staring at the bubble lady

Donny and Ella at the pig pens

Avery checking out the pig
Donny and Ella

Donny's head is small enough to fit in a kids helmet...

....Jackson's is too small....

...and Mike's is too big!!

Siphon Draw Hiking

2009-03-17T08:57:00.000-07:00

Last weekend Donny and I went hiking in the Superstitions with his sister and our brother-in-law. It's a pretty tough hike and we've done it before, but this time I got real dizzy, couldn't catch my breath and thought I was going to pass out and throw up at all at the same time. Besides the uncomfortable moment I had, we really did have a great time. The weather was absolutey perfect and it felt real nice to just go hiking like we used to do.

At the steepest area

Donny and his "Sr." yearbook picture :)

Donny's cool photo editing

After I nearly died....I needed a break

At it Again!!

2009-02-15T20:29:00.000-08:00

If you know me you know I love to decorate and re-decorate things. We have a very large master bedroom with vaulted ceilings and tons of wall space. It's been bugging me for the past year and I finally did something about one of the walls. While I was at it, I rewrapped my wedding bouqet and made an arrangement from some flowers my mom gave to me.

New ribbon on my wedding bouqet

Detail of the wrapping on 2nd flower arrangement

Here's the 2nd arrangement

Details of wall arrangement-I made the "G" in the frame

Full pic of the area

Valentines Day Fun

2009-02-15T19:40:00.000-08:00

This year Donny and I decided to keep it low key for V-Day. We usually do something quite spectacular, or very time consuming. We decided on a trip to the drive-in movies in Scottsdale. When I got home from work on Friday Donny suggested dinner that night at Ra. I got so excited......I asked him if he was sure and he said that he needed to take me out-too cute! It was very surprisng because it was not yet V-Day. It was really great because we got into the restaurant immediately. I think everyone was saving up their night out for Saturday, which helped us out a ton. We ate our yummy sushi, drank a few drinks, drank a few more drinks(we let the bartender-in-training use us for the drinks she was learning how to mix), then we went on our merry way home to watch some tv. I had a great time-it's definitley teh litttle things that count.

On Saturday we headed to the movies. We wrangled up a pizza from Papa John's and some sodas from the Mobile gas station down the road and went on down town for a good 'ol doubel feature. We took my car-a small SUV-and converted the back seat into a comfy bed area to enjoy. We saw Taken and Push. The first was goooooooood, the second-Donny fell asleep in-'Nuff said. Our gifts we gave to eachother were bookends for the Man room/Office/Hunting Themed Room (Idropped teh bookends and broke them the day I bought them and glued them back together-Ithink I did a pretty good job) and a box of chocolates for me.

I, of course, had to get Vista in on the festivities and dress her up. It was a lot of work to get the hearts to stay on her head and prevent her from tearing them up, but I was able to distract her for about 10 seconds to take a few pictures of her.

Just a love puppy.....

....who has had enough!!
My box of chocolates
The manly/hunting bookends
Dinner at Ra
View from the car
The comfy SUV/Bed
I'm so ch-ch-ch-chilly!!!

Bye, Bye to the Rock Garden and Smelly Tree

2009-02-15T19:20:00.000-08:00

On Friday I came home to find Donny shoveling away in the backyard. For a minute I thought that our beloved fish-Fishy-had passed on, and he was digging a grave for him. Much to my surprise he was "prepping" our yard for the beginning of it's makeover. As you can tell it is a VERY glamorous backyard that most millionaires would spend oodles of money on, but it just wasn't us. We've been wanting to design a new yard since the day we looked at the house and decided to buy it, but it hasn't been a priority. The part of the yard that bugs me the most is the only greenery we have-that stupid, smelly tree. Vista constantly plays with it and chews on it, which makes her smell too. It 's absolutely disgusting!
Our friend, Aaron, is a genius in landscaping. We, of course, snagged him to help us out. The design we thought of is quite beautiful and I can't wait for it to be finished!! Tune in soon for the finished project :)

Happy Birthday to Danielle!!!!

2009-02-08T20:26:00.000-08:00

Last night I took a good friend and co-worker out for her birthday. I've known her for 4 years and she is finally 21!! So I knew I had to take her out and celebrate. We spent our evening having appetizers and drinks at Kona Grill, then dinner at Blue Wasabi. Happy 21st Dan!!!

Me, Jenny, and Dan

I told a very funny joke
That's right...the D.D. drink-I knocked back about 4 of these

Vista and The Dust

2009-02-08T19:59:00.000-08:00

Vista loves to watch my every move and inspect everything around me after I've touched it, steppped on it...whatever! Lately, after I get out of the shower she has been jumping and snapping at the air. It took me a couple of days to figure out that she was jumping and trying to grab dust particles. So now, when the shower curtain is open, she sits and waits for...THE DUST!