this is MY life....

Beyond Blessed

2012-01-13T15:31:00.005-06:00

So I have done my catch up posts (with lots of adoreable kiddo pics) and now I wanna dedicate a post to the man I love. I was blown away in Vegas when he proposed because looking back at this time last year I would never have believed that the Lord would bless me in so many ways. I have grown so much since my divorce and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we have to go through trials and tribulations so that we can appreciate the good things when they finally come (and they DO come) I couldnt imagine that I would be so blessed to have someone like Derek in my life much less someone who I get to spend the rest of my life with. He has given me so much joy and I NOW know what it means to be LOVED (by someone other than your parents obviously) He is kind, smart, loyal, loving, funny (not at someone elses expense which is important), respectful but most of all he loves me AND Daley with his whole heart. He told me from the beginning that he had a lot of love to give and I believe him. He has shown me more respect, grace and love than any other man I have known in my life and I know that it was no mistake that he showed up in my life when I least expected it. You know how they say "the Lord works in mysterious ways" well Amen to that. I could bore you with lots of details about things in our lives that have come to be at just the right time but I wont.....just know he is the one for me and I know he is a blessing from God!!!

Kim

Its the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2012-01-13T15:31:00.004-06:00

Santa House - Dec 2011

Fantasy of Lights MSU - Dec 2011

OKC Christmas w/ Dereks Family

Probably my fave picture of Daley EVER!!!!

baking cookies

Christmas Eve @ Aunt Kathy & Uncle Dereks

Christmas Morning Dec 25 2011

Christmas Morning Dec 25 2011 @ The Wyricks

Kim

A Trip to Remember

2012-01-13T15:31:00.003-06:00

Ok so in late November Derek and I went to Vegas for a friends 30th birthday! I had never been to Vegas before and was soooooo excited. Needless to say this was a trip I will NEVER forget. We arrived early morning and for some reason the stress of the trip was taking its toll on Derek ;) We went and checked into our super chic hotel (I highly reccommend the Cosmopolitan.....it was awesome) and when we stepped into our suite I was shocked!!! Not only did we have a really awesome contemporary suite this was our VIEW!!!

So after we unloaded our bags we headed back to the airport to pick up the birthday boy and his wife. We went to eat at the Hard Rock for lunch....dropped at little money into some slot machines and drove around so I could see the strip! It was a great first afternoon. After a trip to the liquor store for some champagne we went back to the hotel and got ready for the evening. We had dinner reservations at Sinatra @ Encore. After I peeled myself out of the GINORMOUS Japanese soaking tub (seriously our tub had seats yall) we went outside (yes with wet hair in my robe) to watch the Bellagio fountain show at night!

Well the next thing that I knew Derek was down on his knee proposing......I had only had a glass or two of champage BUT everything got a little fuzzy from there. I am not exactly sure what he said because I was in complete and total shock. I remember saying "Shut the front door....this is not happening!!!" and then of course through lots of tears I said YES!!!!! I made him promise me we would take anymore pictures til I was out of my robe and looked presentable. I was very proud of the make-up job I pulled off seeing as how my hands were shaking!!!

Needless to say the ring was the focus of most pictures for the rest of the trip. We were (and still are) over the moon happy!

MORE PICTURES TO COME

Kim

Happy Birthday Atlee

2012-01-13T15:31:00.002-06:00

I cant believe this girl is already 4yrs old and like always she had the girliest birthday party you could imagine!!!

I am not a fan

2012-01-13T15:31:00.001-06:00

Of Halloween.....like at ALL! I think it is just a excuse for cable networks to show scary movies (which I also despise BTW) and also a lame excuse for grown women to go to parties and dress like sluts. Sorry middle aged mom but the last time I was in the hospital or at the drs office my nurse didnt look like this:

Dontcha think that would be a health hazard? but I digress

Ok so I am not totally into the Halloween thing but I will admit that CHILDREN dressed up at Halloween is pretty darn cute. I mean Exhibit A:

cutest baby deer and strawberry shortcake I have ever seen!!!

AND thanks to my I-Am-Pretty-Much-Up-For-Anything better half we also had a pretty rockin pumpkin to boot :)

Kim

WCS Fall Family Fun Night

2012-01-13T15:31:00.000-06:00

Kim

OK Here Goes!!!

2012-01-13T15:30:00.000-06:00

Warning if you havent been to my blog in a while.....its catch up time :)

Kim

Presh!!!!

2011-10-14T15:12:00.000-05:00

OK so what is cuter than a girly girl with a Texas accent? A girly girl with a British accent. You have to take a few mins to watch this.....All I have to say is I hope the confidence this little girl has at the age of 8 carries her all the way through life. She is a riot!!! This will make you smile :)

Kim

Much Awaited Splash Session

2011-10-14T15:09:00.000-05:00

I bought Daley some rainboots in March....thats right March (as in 7 months ago) and she has yet to use them for puddle splashing, that is until last Saturday. We went over to Kelli and Erics for the OU/TX game and while we were there it started pouring. She was dying to jump in the puddles with her rainboots and I told her as soon as we got home she could. Well lets just say it was a Kodak moment considering she has been waitin forever to get to break those babies in!

Kim

Field Trip

2011-10-11T14:31:00.000-05:00

Daley went on a field trip with her class to the pumpkin patch. Since Atlee was staying the night with Nana and Nana was taking Daley guess who got to go too :)

Fall 2011

Kim

PARTY

2011-10-11T14:29:00.000-05:00

While Atlee's mommy (my lil sis) was recovering from her CSection I took the girls to an awesome birthday party. Miss Savannah turned 3 and boy does that girl have some great birthday parties! Here are a few pics I snapped of the girls.

Daley w/ a baby chick from the petting zoo!

checkin out the ducks

Pony rides

Atlee and Daley really enjoyed the pony ride :)

Daley & Atlee wearing their Olivia ears!

Kim

Finally A Boy - New Pictures Added :)

2011-10-11T14:20:00.001-05:00

Well we finally have a boy in our family and we couldnt be happier. My sister had her second kiddo on Sept 21, 2011.

Welcome Gunner Keith Wyrick

Family of Four

He is so precious and we are all madly in LOVE. Especially his sister and cousin :)

Kim

Pioneer Reunion Parade 2011

2011-09-20T13:10:00.000-05:00

This saturday we headed to Henrietta Texas for the Pioneer Reunion Parade. Daley was so good this year!!! She sat in her Dora lawn chair and watched the entire thing from start to finish. She really loved all of the floats, horses and fire trucks. I know she looks less than impressed in this picture but she really did have a blast!

Finlee, Atlee & Daley - Sept 17 2011

Kim

BAD - - BAD - - BAD

2011-09-16T11:34:00.000-05:00

Ok so i admit I have been a really really bad blogger. I havent updated since March.....thats 6 months!!!! Crazy huh?!?!? I dont have much of an excuse other than to say that I have been a very busy girl. A LOT has happened in the last 6 months and I am excited to report that I have never happier in all of my life than I am RIGHT NOW!!!! My family is doing well, all are healthy and happy (sister is about to have Baby # 2 Wahooo) Daley is growing more and more every minute and is admittedly one of the funniest people I know....I can say people cause she is 3!! She isnt a baby anymore and I have caught myself looking at her a lot lately in amazement at just how fast she is growing up! As for me I am doing really really well! Work is going really good, I am completely adjusted to my new life of single mom and I am in wonderful relationship with a fantastic guy. I seriously have to pinch myself somedays cause I feel like I am dreaming. Life seriously couldnt be going better. Sooooo how bout some pics to get you all caught up! WARNING - Six months of catching up to do = lots of pictures :)

My cousin Katy got married in March and these two cuties were flower girls.....Here they are in matching tutus and boots at the rehearsal! Daley & Atlee March 2011

The precious flower girls.

Kelli, Mom & I @ the wedding reception

Daley @ Nanas dying Easter eggs - April 2011

Happy Easter

Saturday morning Donut Breakfast :) - May 2011

The BF & I took Daley to Chuck E Cheese one weekend when he was in town (BTW I forgot to mention....he lives in OKC BUMMER) and she had so much fun. I am not quite sure what she was doing in this photo but it cracks me up! - June 2011

We also took Daley to the Ft Worth zoo one abnormally cool day in June. We all had an amazing time. The BF snapped this photo of us on the carousel. - June 2011

Two of the best friends a girl could have. Me, Katie & Lauren - Frickers wedding June 2011

For her 3rd birthday Daley wanted to get her ears pierced. Daddy met us at Claires on his lunch break so he could expierence the pandamonium that would ensue after she realized she had to get "2 ouchies" She survived and LOVES her big girl earrings! June 6 2011

Happy 3rd Birthday Monkey

In July a large group of friends got together for a trip to New Branfels/Gruene Tx to eat, drink and float the river. We all had so much fun....it was great for us moms to get away and enjoy a grown up weekend!!! Looking forward to going again next year!!! July 2011

Daley started school in August....this is her first day of school pic. See what I mean about growing up too fast?!?!? Mrs Wades 3yr old class Wichita Christian School August 2011

Labor Day weekend was the first OU homegame of the season (The BF is a HUGE fan) so I got to experience my first OU football game!!! HOT HOT HOT are the words I would use to describe this day. It was lots of fun though!!!

Great Friends & Football :)

Daley posing before school in her cute outfit :) Sept 2011

Her fave thing about going to Chuck E Cheese is winning enough tickets to get Cotton Candy!

Whew!!!! that was a lot!!! I am gonna promise to try and be a better blogger. I know I have said that in the past but i really am gonna try. Lots of fun things coming up in the future. This weekend is the Pioneer Reunion parade in Henrietta Tx. We have gone every year since the girls were born and we are looking forward to our last "girls"saturday for a while. My sister is having her little boy next week so I am sure there will be plenty of pictures posted of that handsome little devil. Of course Halloween is coming up and then in November the BF and I are going to VEGAS! I have never been so I am super excited about that!

Talk to yall soon!

Kim

Random Ramblings

2011-03-17T13:50:00.000-05:00

Ok so this post is about nothing in particular other than the crazy rambling thoughts rolling around in my head!

1. BUY THIS

like NOW!!!!! It is the scent of heaven on earth! YUMMY

2. I hate when i set a reminder on my phone to do something and dont follow through! Case in point.....last week I ran out of my fave MAC lipgloss and of course they dont sell MAC cosmetics in Wichita Falls which mean that I had to order it from Nordstroms. Well I tracked my package yesterday and saw that it was to be delivered today. So I set a reminder on my phone to leave the UPS guy a not to leave it in my secret hiding spot. Well did I remember to put the note on the door? NO!!!! What happened? they tried to deliver it today and of course I wasnt there so they will make one more attempt. When? tomorrow!!!!

Dangit i want that lipgloss :( *sorry i couldnt resist this pic

3. LOVE THIS:

4. I bought Daley her first pair of cowboy boots and I cant wait for her to get to wear them!

5. Do your ears a favor. Buy this:

ok so i know i have given you two things to buy but really she is awesome!!!! I love all kinds of music but Adele is amazing!!! I mean really if you need some new springtime tunes.....this would be my suggestion.

I am giddy today....it could be a combonation of the fact that I smell amazing thanks to D&G light blue, i have been listening to this amazing cd thanks to my friend Sean, the weather is perfect, i get to spend the weekend with family at a wedding for my gorgeous cousin. I mean seriously?!?!? Life Is Good!
Kim

What I Love About This Years American Idol

2011-03-10T11:13:00.000-06:00

American Idol has always been on my top ten list of Reality TV Shows....but I have to admit I was a little skeptical as a viewer this season due to the fact that Simon was gone. Call me crazy but I loved Simon!!! I mean he could be brutal (dont get me wrong) AND aside from Donal Trump he has the worst hair of anyone on TV, but I loved that he had the confidence to say exactly what was on his mind and he didnt care who agreed with him. So when they announced that the new judges would be Jennifer Lopez and Steve Tyler I was like.....Eh?!?! BUT I can honestly say that they bring something fresh to the show. So lets get to it then: "The Top 10 Things I Love About This Years American Idol"

1. JLo's fashion.....I mean really?!?!? It is a relief to see someone who is dressed better than Ryan Seacrest! I dont know who her stylist is but DANG she is fierce!!!! She can pull off just about anything and even if it isnt something I wouldnt be caught dead in she finds a way to work it!

2. StevenTyler.....he seems so genuine, kind and caring without losing his whole "I am a bad-ass-rocker status" LOVE HIM :)

3. Casey Abrams he is crazy good.....My prediction?!?!? He will win it all! MY FAVE :)

4. Lauren Alaina...she is sixteen years old people!!! She is so good and I kinda love that she has Steven Tyler wrapped around her little finger

5. Paul McDonald....what a cutie pie! He has a beautiful smile AND there is something about his voice that gets me going. I also love the fact that he picked a Ryan Adams (not to be confused with Bryan Adams) song last night. Most people have no clue who Ryan Adams is (btw he is married to Mandy Moore)....if you dont, do yourself a favor & look him up on youtube!!! "Ryan Adams Come Pick Me Up" if you want the "clean family friendly version" click on the live performance from the Letterman show otherwise the cut from his Heartbreaker album is worth listening to. You can thank me later!

6. The Diva a.k.a. Ashton Jones.....ok so she is def not a fave but she needs mentioning if nothing but for her hair. Hey Ashton, Diana Ross called.....she wants her hair back!!!!

7. Pia Toscano....she wasnt a fave of mine until last week. She has crazy vocals and I think she will go far. If not, she will not be short on offers in the entertainment business!!! She is BEA-utiful!

8. Thia Megia......again not a fave but she needs a spot on the hollywood walk of fame just for her name alone. Say it a few times out loud....Thia Megia....just rolls of the tongue right?!?!?!

9. James Durbin....um yeah another crazy good voice!!! And talk about overcoming adversity! When he was only 9 yrs old his father died of a drug overdose. Soon after his fathers death he was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome and Asburger's. Seriously?!?!?! He has passion and a love for music and it shows in his performances. I love him too!

10. Scotty McCreery....17 years old with a voice that was made for country music and if you know me you know I love me some country music. Seriously he could sing the phone book and it would sound amazing!

Did I mention that I love Steven Tyler?!?!? I did? Ok just making sure!

Kim

This Is My Life

2011-03-09T16:54:00.000-06:00

Ok so as some of you already know I have had a lot of personal changes in my life over the last few months....my family dynamic has changed!!! Although my future is unknown (and therefore a little scary) I am looking forward to what life has to bring. I havent posted in a long time because frankly I didnt know what the heck to write but I am back. Before this blog was dedicated mostly to my daughter I have found over the course of this change in my life that I am more than a mom. I am a woman, sister, daughter and friend (as well as a mom) I will use this blog going forward to document MY life....which of course will include lots of pics of that precious little girl who keeps me on my toes and makes me smile like no one else can. There is nothing like the division of family to truly help you understand what is really important in life as well as help you find inner strength (that I honestly didnt know I had).
So what have I been up to??? Well I am now a single mom to a sweet 2.5 year old little girl. We have carved out a little life for ourselves and though it has its tough moments I can honestly say I am happier than I have been in a long time. I try to make a concious effort EVERYDAY to make the most of what I have and not to look back. I have no regrets about my decision and feel that I made the best choice with what I had. I look forward to being a great role model to my daughter and to teach her the value of loving God, having a kind heart and standing up for what you know is right. I want to teach her that we all make mistakes but as long as we use those mistakes as lessons it is ok to fall every now and again. I have no idea what tomorrow holds but I know with the continued support of my friends and family anything is possible. I look to my faith and relationship with the Lord to guide me in the right direction and I know through HIM all things are possible.

So expect lots of posts in the future!!!!
Here are a few cutie pie since I know that is what you all want to see

Please note: the site address for this blog has changed to www.thisismylifeksmythe@blogspot.com

LOVE

2010-09-10T13:36:00.000-05:00

This Sunday is Grandparents day and to celebrate this morning they had donuts and juice with Grandparents at Wichita Christian School. Since Nana wasnt able to be there she and Daley celebrated last Friday (with a trip to Braums). I snapped this pic of Daley with her Nanny and Grandad this morning. We are so blessed for everything you do for our family and we could never thank you enough for being the most amazing great-grandparents our little girl could ever ask for.

Celebrate

2010-08-30T15:30:00.000-05:00

Stylin in her baby DoRag!!!

Where's my pizza?

Uncle Eric, Aunt Kelli and Daley

Ok so this is a terrible picture of me but she never ever smiles so I had to post it!

Daddy resting his legs after a long 50mile bike ride
Good Job Daddy :) We are proud of you!

Ok so my mom asked Daley what kind of birthday cake she wanted to get mommy.....
Her response: "A Blue Popsicle Cake"

Yummy cake and Ice Cream

My Birthday Goodies

2010-08-24T16:47:00.000-05:00

On their way!!! Classic Toms in Olive

Amazon Kindle...early gift from Hubby, Aunt & Uncle. LOVE IT :)

Prescription Ray Bans

Randy Rogers Band - Burning the Day

Highly Recommended....bought it today and have listened to it 3 times already!!

This is good stuff!!!!

Ok so these arent really a birthday present per say but a recent splurge/purchase

CJ by Cookie Johnson Denim

If you are built like a woman and not a teenage boy....these jeans are for you!!!

LOVE THEM!!!

My birthday was this past Sunday and I feel so very very blessed. Saturday evening was a great dinner with my Dads side of the family. Sunday was a great church svc and relaxing day with my little girl. Sunday evening....awesome steak dinner courtesy of Jabin Smythe a.k.a. the grill master. Looking forward to my last celebration this saturday at the pool with the rest of my family. Bring on the weekend!!! More pics to come :)

Happy 30th Birthday Amanda

2010-08-24T16:30:00.000-05:00

Good Times with Great Girls :) Love Yall!!!

WCS

2010-08-24T16:28:00.000-05:00

1st day

Wichita Christian School

Ms. Ivy's class

First Big Girl Haircut

2010-08-03T17:00:00.000-05:00

Courtesy of Kid's Hair Safari

NOLA

2010-08-03T16:55:00.000-05:00

Cafe Du Monde - Best Coffee and Beignets (french donuts)

St. Louis Cathedral, New Orleans LA

How cool would it be if this was your balcony?!?!?

Ft Worth Zoo

2010-08-03T16:40:00.000-05:00

Hottest Place in Texas on July 16th 2010

Beach Fun

2010-08-03T16:36:00.000-05:00

Fun at The Island at Lake Cherokee a.k.a. The Beach

Praying

2010-08-03T16:21:00.000-05:00

that God has blessed her with the gift of music!

Crazy Hair Day

2010-06-08T13:37:00.001-05:00

Today was crazy hair day in Miss Kim & Miss Karmon's class at The Learning Tree

I'm a big girl now!

2010-06-08T13:37:00.000-05:00

Look who is sleeping in a toddler bed! On Sunday afternoon (2nd birthday) she took her first nap in her big girl bed. Daddy took the front off of her crib and we put the safety rail up. No issues thus far!!!!! She is staying in her bed, sleeping through the night and (cross your fingers) no roaming. Pssst....take a look at the cute owl bedding from Tarjay!

forgive the poor pic quality (camera phone)

PARTY PARTY PARTY!!!

2010-06-08T13:36:00.000-05:00

U R 2!!!

2010-06-08T10:58:00.004-05:00

Two years has gone by since you came into our world and I cannot believe how much joy you bring into our lives. We are so blessed to have such a sweet, fun-loving little girl. You are growing up so fast and (aside from all of the diaper changes) I wish I could just freeze time and keep you little for a while. You are so smart and such an excellent talker. I almost always am able to understand what you are telling me which I think eliminates the amount of temper tantrums you are having. NOW dont get me wrong....you still have your daddy's temper but I think the fact that you can tell me what you want and I can understand you helps a bit. You are such a funny little girl. You love to make me laugh!!! Here are some of the awesome things you are doing right now!!!
1. You can sing "Twinkle Twinkle" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" all by yourself.
2. You can say your ABC's all the way to L
3. You can count to 10 in English and Spanish (Thanks Dora)
4. Your fave song is "The Wheels on the Bus"
5. You LOVE to watch TV....your faves are Dora the Explorer, Ni Hao Kai Lan, & Yo Gabba Gabba
6. You are a really good eater...your faves; Strawberries, Mac N Cheese, Bananas, Carrots, anything dipped in Ranch, Cheese, Cheetos, Gummy Fruit Snacks, Pizza, Breakfast Burritos, Pimento Cheese, Ice Cream & Pineapples
7. You are really weird about shoes....you will not wear sandals (of any kind) ESPECIALLY if they go between your toes. You love tennis shoes and Crocs.....Mommy is gonna have to work on that.
8. You love to be in the water....swimming is your fave.
9. You are a lover of books. Your fave is called "Raindrop Plop" everynight after we dry your hair you always say "Mommy read Raindrops"
10. You love for Nana to paint your toenails and fingernails. AND you love to show them off!!!
11. Atlee is your best buddy!!!!
12. You have finally figured out how to give closed mouth kisses (THANK GOODNESS) but everytime I ask you for a kiss you do something really funny!!!! One day I asked you to give me a kiss and you said "No" so I told you if you didnt kiss me I might cry. So now everytime I ask you for a kiss you say "I might cry" and then you plant one on me!!
13. You are going to school at The Learning Tree and you just moved into the Two Year Old class with Miss Kim and Miss Karmon. You still cry everytime we drop you off but you always get better and end up having fun.
14. We go to church every Sunday and you dont cry when I take you to the nursery anymore.
15. And last but not least you are now sleeping in a big girl toddler bed!!!!! No more crib. I am so proud of you!!!

Happy 30something

2010-06-01T16:42:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to that tall, dark and handsome man with a great smile. Happy Birthday to the Daddy who can make his daughter squeal with excitement. Happy Birthday to the man who works so hard to provide for his family. Happy Birthday to someone who can make me laugh even when I am in a mad mood! Happy Birthday Jabin :) We love you!

Happy Memorial Day

2010-06-01T16:33:00.001-05:00

This memorial day weekend was spent with lots and lots of friends and family. The weather was very very warm and what better way to cool off than a dip (or two) in the pool. Here are a few pics of my two fave girls over the weekend!

Who needs swimsuits?

Splashin on Nana's raft

Smile Daley LOL

See she does grin ever so often!!! Just put her in the water and she is happy!

Hope everyone had a safe and Happy Memorial Day!

BUSTED!!!

2010-06-01T16:26:00.001-05:00

The other day I was sitting on the couch watching Daley and how focused she was on her meal!!! I just had to snap a few pics while she wasnt looking...cuz in case you didnt know she isnt too fond of the camera. Well lets just say mommy got caught!~

Round Here

2010-05-28T10:13:00.008-05:00

I have been told by a few of my followers that my posts need to increase in quantity!!! Now does that mean they will increase in quality???? I doubt it.....but lets be honest people most of you come for the pictures of the cute little girl. Well let me warn you if you wanna see a picture of her....skip this post.

So here goes:

Can I talk about how excited I was for this:

Ok now dont get me wrong I loved Crystal. As a matter of fact I think she had one of the best voices of the season.....but he is so dang loveable (and cute). My thoughts on the finale:
1. Alice Cooper is scary. I thought this was a family show....seriously I was scared of him I cant imagine if there were children watching what they thought of him.
2. Michael McDonald + Michael Lynche = utitlization of the fast foward button
3. Carrie Underwood is A-mazing
4. Alanis Morissette is really pretty
5. Janet Miss Jackson looks awesome without a weave and I love to see a curvy girl owning her figure!
6. Poor Casey James.....he truly looked like he was in pain performing the group numbers
7. BUT....he totally rocked out with Bret Michaels. My fave moment of the night!!!! I mean really....that dude can play guitar and not to restate the obvious but he is soooooo pretty!

I did think it was a total bummer when I found out yesterday that Crystal and her weird, american flag pant wearin boyfriend Tony broke up. She claims that he is a small town guy and he totally cant get into the whole musical spotlight, live in L.A. gig so he decided to go home. I mean come on Tony....couldnt you have waited two more days to break up with her???? I mean dont get me wrong the girl is gonna be fine BUT I did feel for her a little bit.

The new season of The Bachelorette started this week:

I got together with some great girls to kickoff the season.....I do have to say that the casting department of this show must have taken a vacation when it came to this season. Seriously this show is usually crawling with HAWTTIES.....not this season. I mean dont get me wrong they dont make you want to turn your head BUT they arent drop dead gorgeous like in seasons past. I think this season is gonna be chock full of drama and you know I love the drama (as long as it isnt happening to me)!

I am planning my little girls 2nd birthday. I really cant believe that she is about to be two. I mean REALLY cant believe it. She is growing up so fast!!! Kinda makes me sad....Not sad enough to want another one yet but sad just the same. Her birthday party is planned for next Sunday so I am sure we will have lots of pictures up for that.

I am excited for a three day weekend. Who doesnt love those right??? No big plans but I am hoping to get some sun!!!

I really need to see this movie:

I am really excited that summer is here and I cant wait to take Daley to the pool....not to mention I really need a tan. I also need some new summer clothes....I am hoping to find some cute sundresses!!!! I totally love this one:

Old Navy

Thats about all I have!!!! See I told ya nothing interesting :)

Oh yeah one more thing: You can be jealous if you want. Yesterday afternoon my mom, sister and I got our tickets to see these guys August 9th at American Airline Center in Dallas.

Soooooo excited. I dont remember the last time we had a girls night just the three of us but we have never had one like this. Cant wait :)

This one is for you Crystal

2010-05-25T16:26:00.000-05:00

OK so you said I was slackin on my posts...so here ya go. Whaddya think??? Would Jabin go for a swagger wagon??? Nah....I doubt it. Totally cracked me up though!!

Workin at the Carwash....Woa Woa Woa Woa.....Workin at the Carwash Yeah!!

2010-05-17T11:32:00.000-05:00

Yesterday after Daley and I got home from church Daddy was washing his car and Daley wanted to help. So we went inside and changed into some play clothes.....here are a few pics I snapped of Daddys wet & soapy little helper!!!!

Hot Mess

2010-05-17T11:03:00.000-05:00

I dont even think this pic needs a caption!!!

Bungee Jumping Toddler

2010-05-17T11:01:00.000-05:00

On Saturday afternoon after a yummy lunch in Denton we decided to go to the mall to do a little spring shopping. After stopping to buy the girls a cookie something caught my little girls attention. In the middle of the mall was a bungee jumping activity. We sat down and watched some big kids get strapped into a harness and jump up and down on a trampoline and do flips in the air!!! Daley was intrigued from the very beginning. After watching for about 5-10mins she loudly proclaimed!!! "Nana, I wanna jump!!!!" and of course Nana said "Ok" I told my mom that I was not ok with her doing it and I thought she was too little. We read over the instructions and found out that the minimum weight requirement was 20lbs and that they had a small harness for "little dare devils" Against my better judgement I spoke with the owner of this death trap and she informed me that it was totally safe and that if we strapped her in the harness and she got scared we could take her out and we wouldnt have to pay. Of course I knew once she was strapped in it would freak her out and then we would be done. I have a feeling this is the first on many things in which my daughter will prove me wrong. She loved it!!! She kept yelling "Nana...Look at me", "Kelli, Look I jumpin" It was so cute....not to mention the longest 5 mins of my life!!!!

She didnt weigh enough to launch herself into the air so mommy had to pull on the straps to make her bounce

Where should I put my hands mommy?

Seriously....look how high she is!

Is it over already?!?!?

#2

2010-05-11T20:21:00.003-05:00

a fun picture to document my second mothers day. I hope all you moms out there enjoyed your day as much as I did!

Happy 30th Birthday Kelli

2010-04-15T10:51:00.006-05:00

This weekend was my sisters 30th birthday and after weeks of trying to figure out how we were going to celebrate this big day we decided to make a road trip to Ancient Ovens in Saint Jo Texas.....and BOY and I am glad we did! If you havent heard of this place do yourself a favor and google it. Talk about a fun evening with great food!!!! It is a BYOB establishment that is outdoors. They make the most amazing pizzas in an old fashioned brick oven! Not to mention the most amazing homemade Spinach & Artichoke Dip. Even my brother in law (the pickiest eater in the world) liked it....so you know it had to be good. The atmosphere (and weather) was amazing. What I really liked about it was how great it was for our large group. Normally when you go to eat with a large group you are kinda stuck talking to just the people at your end of the table. Well at Ancient Ovens we were all under one big pavillion and we could walk around and mingle. The background music, scenery and laid back feel made it a great place for a 30th birthday celebration. I hope you check it out. I was worth the drive for sure!!! Here are a few pics from the fun night!!!

Kelli and her friends who made the trip from Decatur!

Tracy, Amber and Mom

Amber and I

Amanda, Angela, Me, Kelli (aka the birthday girl) and Tara

Happy Birthday to You!!!

Make A Wish :)

Sisters

Kelli and Dad (check out those killer boots)

Awwww how sweet (Kelli and Eric)

The Whole Gang

Make-A-Wish Styleshow & Brunch

2010-04-15T09:23:00.004-05:00

This past weekend we had the opportunity to take part in a great fundraiser for the Make A Wish Foundation. The Chi Omega sorority put on a styleshow and brunch at the Wichita Falls Country Club. Daley and Atlee we a few of the adoreable models that showcased clothes from Stork Land. Here are a few pics that my mom snapped of the girls!!!

Daley spending some lap time with Nanny!

Atlee and her mommy

Love that cheesy grin!

Dont I look pretty in my tutu???

Daley and mommy!

Daley on stage modeling her cute dress!!!

Hoppy Easter

2010-04-06T11:33:00.009-05:00

Easter weekend couldnt have been more picture perfect!!!! The weather was gorgeous and we took advantage of each and every moment with friends and family.

On Good Friday (after a long trip to Wal Mart to buy groceries) we headed over to The Whatleys house for dinner. They made the most amazing fajitas!!!! Daley had so much fun playing outside and staying up wayyyyy past her bedtime.

On saturday morning we went over to Nanas so that we could meet up with the girls for our Saturday lunch. We went to Olive Garden and it was delicious. I was shocked to find out that my daughter LOVES salad. Now I have to admit that I dont think she is actually in love with the lettuce so much as the dressing on the lettuce but she ate a ton of salad and breadsticks!!!

After lunch we went to pick up my grandmother (Booah) so that she could join us at our house so that the girls could dye easter eggs. We dressed them in some grubby clothes and headed outside to the patio. Like I had expected Daley wasnt all that impressed with dyeing the eggs....she preferred to play in dirt and stomp around in the grass.

Nana helping Atlee with the eggs

Aunt Kelli helping Daley

Daley taking a break

Mmmmmmm....popsicles :)

Easter Sunday we got up and gave Daley the easter basket that Mr Bunny had left for her and then got ready for church. The service was great and Daley did really really well in the nursery. After church we went to my moms for a great dinner with family and the traditional easter egg hunt. After the grandfathers and daddies hid the eggs the little ones were ready to hunt!! Here are a few pics from that afternoon!!!

Ready for church!!!

Playin with "Dora Bubbles"

Classic "Finger in the nose" Picture

Atlee patiently waiting for the easter egg hunt to start

look Daddy I found one!!!
oooohhhhh that was so much fun! Can you tell by all of the chocolate on my face :)

A Walk In The Park

2010-03-10T09:55:00.006-06:00

This past saturday we went to Decatur to visit the Wyricks and decided it would be a perfect day to take the girls to the park. They had so much fun!!! Here are a few pics from out fun filled day :)

Saving for the future

2010-02-23T12:18:00.003-06:00

Potties & Panties

2010-02-23T12:06:00.002-06:00

So last week we ventured to WalMart on the hunt for a big girl potty AND big girl panties. Nana let Daley pick out the panties that she wanted. Of course we picked Dora!!!! Mommy got her a new pink potty chair. I still think it might be a little too soon to force potty training on her but she was showing interest in sitting on the real toilet so I thought "Why Not?!?!". Before the purchase she has successfully pee peed in the real toilet two times. Ask me how many times we have gone in the new potty? NONE...oh well such is life I guess!!! Here are a few pictures of my big girl!

Can you tell she is excited and loves her new panties. The first time I put them on her we did the panty dance!! Saturday when I put them on her she said "Oh comfy" yeah I bet they are compared to the diaper!!!

Ummmm Yeah

2010-02-23T12:02:00.001-06:00

She is her fathers daughter!!!!

First Day

2010-02-03T14:22:00.005-06:00

Yesterday Feb 2ND was my lil girls first day of school/daycare. Mommy and Daddy decided about a month ago that it was time to get Daley enrolled in daycare so that she can get a little more exposure to other kiddos her age. We decided on the Learning Tree and we couldnt be more pleased with our choice so far. On Monday I went up to the school for my second visit with her teacher. I wanted to let her know what to expect from Miss Daley. I explained to her that this environment was very new to her and there would be a lot of tears!!! She assured me that they were excited to have her joining the class and that they were prepared and used to the drama that comes along with lil ones missing their mommies. After work on Monday Daley and Mommy went to Target in preparation for the big day to get her a lunch box (Dora of course) a new sippy cup, diapers and wipes. On Monday night I had a lot of anxiousness about the next day and even shed a few tears thinking about how sad she would be when she realized she was alone and in a strange environment. We also decided (for my sanity and to possibly make things easier on her first day) that Daddy would take her and I would pick her up. Jabin dropped her off at 9am and called me with the report. He said she of course cried but that it wasn't as bad as he had expected. I called to check on her at 10:30am and they said that she had been crying off and on since drop off but that she did manage to calm down long enough to play in the house center for a little while and have a snack. When I picked her up at noon she had just finished lunch and was sitting in Miss Alma's lap for story time. She was so excited to see me and when I picked her up she held on to me sooooo tight. I told her that everything was OK and that we were going home. I could tell in her eyes that she had a rough morning and that she was exhausted BUT that she was OK!!!! The teacher said that it was hard on her but it wasn't as bad as it could have been. She said she cried off and on but that she did see a few smiles and did have a little bit of fun. She told me that the transition period may take a while but that it will gradually get better. The plan going forward is to take her half days for the next two weeks. She is only going on Tues and Thurs and we want to ease her into the process. Then on week three she will be going from 8-5 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We are taking it one day at a time!!! I know once she gets used to her teachers and the kids in the class she will have so much fun. I know this exposure is just what she needs and I am looking forward to the day when she brings home neat projects we can display on the refrigerator and she walks into school with a smile.

Of course a post wouldn't be complete without a first day picture!!!

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T14:35:00.002-06:00

Wishing you a safe and happy 2010. Hope it's full of smiles :)

Christmas Day 2009

2009-12-28T15:46:00.006-06:00

Christmas morning is always one of my fondest moments of the whole year and this year was no different. Daley woke up about 5am (which is really odd for her) and after arguing with her father that NO WAY were we getting up that early. She laid in bed with us and finally fell back asleep. Jabin got up at 6:30am and started a fire, made coffee and turned on the Christmas music. Finally about 7am we decided to wake Daley up from her slumber. We were kissing her sweet face telling her to get up. Jabin said "Beansie (thats her nickname) you need to get up and see what Santa brought you" She barely opened her eyes and her sweet little voice she said "Presents???" I said "Yea baby Santa brought you presents" She said "For Day-Day???(that is what she calls herself). It was sooooo sweet. She popped right up after that and took off into the living room. She saw her "Big Chair" and was so excited! Here are a few pics.

Daley's BIG CHAIR & Violet

Sooooo Sleepy

Look at all these toys!!!!!

After Jabin, Daley and I did our family Christmas we got ready for Christmas breakfast. Everyone comes to our house for Jabins famous crepes. Our PLAN was to have breakfast at 9:30.....well Mother Nature had a different plan!!! Jabin had to go pick up my mom and Bubba. Then on their way home they stopped to help a lady who was stranded and Jabin fell on the ice and busted his hand open. Then after he got home and cleaned himself up he and Bubba went an picked up my grandparents. By the time we started eating it was closer to 11am and turned into Christmas Brunch. It was oh soooooo yummy though. Finally Kelli, Eric & Atlee made it to town in time to scarf down some food and open gifts. After all that we were really really tired. Everyone left about 1:30 and at 2:00 we laid down for a nap. Christmas night plans got changed a bit but we decided to get together anyways. We went to mom and Bubbas (after we picked up Amanda and Angela) and played Dominos. It was fun but a busy busy busy few days!!!

Atlee & Papa Bubba playing with DoraDaley's new "sickle"
More Toys!!!!
Princess Atlee

Daley's Slide (her fave toy BTW)

Christmas Eve 2009

2009-12-28T15:11:00.005-06:00

Well like most of you our Christmas plans were a little weird this year but we made the most of it. We were supposed to go to church for Candlelight services but it was cancelled due to the "blizzard" so we headed over to the Drakes for a yummy mexican dinner with family. We crawled through the snow to get there but a great time was had by all. Unfortunately Kelli. Atlee & Eric were snowed in at the lake so they couldnt make it. We missed them a lot but we were glad they stayed put just to be on the safe side. Here are a few pics of the entertainment (Daley) for the evening.

Trying to get Daley to sit still for a picture

Daley & Grandad
Daley & Mommy reading the traditional Christmas Story
Daley opening Christmas Gifts with Aunt Coffee (aka Aunt Kathy)
Reading books with Katy & Nanny
Our tree on Christmas Eve (with an obscene amount of gifts)

We Survived.......

2009-12-28T15:04:00.004-06:00

The Blizzard of Christmas 2009
I wasnt very good about taking pictures.

When I woke up on Christmas Eve morning to the snowflakes falling I had no idea of what was in store for this Christmas Eve. Daley and I had to make a quick run to the grocery store and she made it clear to me that she was only a fan of the snow from a distance. As soon as I got her out of the car and the wind and the snow hit her face she started squealling "Snow....FACE" We got back home and did a little baking and a lot of playing. We read books, colored with "craynons" and did puzzles. That afternoon Daddy came home early and was eager to take Daley outside in the snow I warned him that she wasnt a big fan but he wanted to try anyways!!!

Daley & Daddy about to go play in the snow!!!

Daley & Daddy outside (Daley lasted about 30sec)

Thanks for letting me back in Mommy!!!My nose was getting cold ;)

Day 1 - Merry Christmas

2009-12-25T08:00:00.000-06:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!! We Hope For A Magical Day!

Love ,

The Smythe Family

Day 2 - My Christmas Wishes

2009-12-24T08:00:00.000-06:00

My Christmas wishes for this year are that my family, friends and loved ones have a magical Christmas. That you make the most of each and every moment of the next 24hours. That you take the time and say a prayer for the special gift that is our Lord Jesus Christ and the celebration of his birth really is the most magical day of the year. My wish is also that you have a peaceful and happy day. That you enjoy the smiles on the faces of those you give gifts to. That all of YOUR wishes come true and that 2010 finds you healthy and happy. I wish for peace and happiness to come into your homes and hearts and fill you with warmth and joy. I wish for laughter and full bellies, for lots of presents under the tree, for hot chocolate by the fire and christmas songs filling the air, for stories of Christmas pasts and a long winter nap. May this be the best Christmas on record!!!!!

Day 3 - Our Christmas Day Plans

2009-12-23T08:00:00.000-06:00

Christmas Morning is my fave moment all year. I love sitting by the fire with hot coffee listening to Christmas Music and opening presents. This year I am so excited to see Daleys reaction to Christmas morning when she wakes up and sees her toys!!! I also cant wait to see how she will handle unwrapping ALL of her gifts. Christmas with children is so much fun. So this Christmas after we have our family Christmas my mom, stepdad, sister and her family, and my booah and papaw will come over for christmas breakfast (Jabins famous crepes). We will devour our yummy food and then open more gifts. I am excited to see Daley and Atlee play with all of their toys and I am also curious as to how many fights will ensue over said toys?!?! LOL We usually spend all of Christmas Day in our pjs and just spend lots of time eating, relaxing and hanging out with family. Then Christmas night we get dressed and go to The Whatley Christmas celebration. Each year we have lots of yummy yummy food and then partake in the Chinese Christmas which is always lots of fun. Wow this year is going to be amazing :) I cant wait!!!

Day 4 - Our Christmas Eve Plans

2009-12-22T08:00:00.000-06:00

The Smythe family is looking forward to Christmas this year for many many reasons but the first would be our annual Christmas Eve celebration. Each year as previously mentioned we go the the amazing Candlelight Service at First Baptist Church of Wichita Falls. The after the service we head over to my aunt and uncles house for dinner and gifts. This is one of the only times during the year that all of my dads side of the family is all together and I am soooo looking forward to it. The candlelight church service this year in particular I am looking forward to because a very talented artist named Josh Widener will be painting a portrait during this celebratory service. I saw a few of his paintings during this past Sunday service and I have to say they are amazing. From what I heard he paints the entire picture with a rag!!! Sounds soooo cool! Also like last year there is a guaranteed snow so that sounds like lots of fun! As for Christmas Eve during the day I am planning on doing a tad bit of baking and then relaxing in my pj's and playing with my little girl.

Day 5 - What Christmas Means To Me

2009-12-21T08:00:00.001-06:00

To me Christmas means:

The birth of our lord Jesus Christ. It means knowing that I will have everlasting life because he gave his life for mine. Christmas means taking the time to be thankful for the best gift of all. The gift you wont find under the tree but the one you find in your heart. Christmas means celebrating with loved ones during this wonderful season. Celebrating the real reason for the season!!!! Celebrating and knowing that if it wasnt for this one brave man there would be no Christmas Carols, no prayers over Christmas Dinner, No Christmas story to read and most of all NO Christmas. So this year I am thankful that he gave all of us the best gift of all.....the gift of life. So I will rejoice this holiday season for I am blessed.

Day 6 - Favorite Christmas Item

2009-12-20T08:00:00.002-06:00

Well my Favorite Christmas Item without a doubt would have to be my Christmas tree. Last year was Daley first Christmas and we got a brand new tree. It is was bigger than the tree we had previously so I knew that we would need more ornaments. In late November of last year I started working to convince my husband that we needed a new theme for our new tree and it worked. So last year we took to Hobby Lobby to create our new tree. Because our house is decorated very simple and understated I wanted our tree to fit into our decor. So our tree is decorated with cranberries, pinecones, apples and wooden ornaments. It is soooo cute and cozy and I love it. We also found some really cool stuff from the floral department that is dispursed throughout our tree. They are little twisty branch type things that add a really cool dimension to the tree. I love sitting in the dark and looking at it each night. I think it is sooooo fun. Too bad I cant keep it up year round :)

Day 7 - Fave Christmas Recipe

2009-12-19T08:00:00.001-06:00

So my fave Christmas Recipe come from my Nanny. For as long as I can remember ny Nanny has been making her famous "Chewey Bars". About 3 or 4 years ago she gave me the recipe and I had been warned by my mom that they were really hard to make....but I was going to attempt them anyways. Well mom was right.....the making of Chewey Bars is an art. I have never successfully made them as good as hers but they have been close. I will tell you there is a thin line in the cooking process between over-cooked (they come out dry) and under cooked (they come out gooey and gross) So without further a due.....here goes

Nanny's Famous Chewey Bars
Ingredients:
1 one lb box of light brown sugar
2 cups of Bisquick
1 cup of chopped pecans
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 beaten eggs
Powdered Sugar (for sprinkling on top)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 13x9 Pyrex dish. Mix brown sugar, Bisquick & chopped pecans until they are well mixed in and no sugar lumps. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until well blended. Pour in Pyrex and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

*Please note I have NEVER cooked this for the entire 45 mins. I find that 35 mins is about the right cooking time but I have a gas stove and I know that sometime gas cooks quicker than electric. Sooooo just keep an eye on it. The key is to not let it cook too long. The toothpick trick doesnt work so dont mess with that. The consistency you are going for is a cross between a cookie and a brownie.

After it has cooled sift powdered sugar on top and cut into squares.

Day 5 - What Christmas Means To Me

2009-12-18T12:01:00.000-06:00

Day 8 - Favorite Christmas Memory

2009-12-18T08:00:00.000-06:00

I really have two favorite Christmas memories. The first one was when I was a kid. Each Christmas Eve my mom, sister and I would stay up late watching White Christmas and then Kelli and I would go to bed. Each year we would sleep in the same bed. We would be so excited and stay up super late talking about Santa and what we thought we would find under the tree on Christmas morning. Then we would get up really really really early on Christmas morning. So early that my mom had to make a rule that we couldnt come wake her up until after the sun came up. Now keep in mind that you couldnt drag my sister out of bed early any other day of the year but on Christmas morning she would be up WAY before the sun. Of course as soon as the presents were open guess who went back to bed???? YEP!!!

Last year Christmas was especially special for Jabin and I because it was Daleys first Christmas. It was really really neat waking up on Christmas morning and opening presents with her. Of course she didnt know what was going on but it was so much fun. Christmas is so much more special when children are involved. She was so cute in her Christmas PJ's and playing with her walker that "Santa" brought her. I am really looking forward to this year and seeing how she tears into her gifts :)

Day 9 - Fave Gifts to Ever Receive OR Give

2009-12-17T08:00:00.000-06:00

So we all know that Christmas isnt all about gifts but come, on you know you totally love getting presents....So here is the list of fave gifts I ever recd.

1. Cabbage Patch Doll

2. Barbie Van

3. Barbie Hot Tub that 3 hours later was destroyed after my sister jumped off the bed and broke it in half. But thats ok Kell......I forgive ya :)

4. Atari (Yep I know I am old school)

5. Stereo....so when I was a teenager and I dont know how old I was maybe between 13-16 my mom bought me a new stereo for christmas. This was back in the day when the "IN" thing was to have a stereo in a glass cabinet with the cd player, tuner, tape deck.....all that jazz. Anyways that year my mom bought me one and it was a Sony. I know this gift had to have been very very very expensive and seeing as how my mom was a single mom I am sure she couldnt REALLY afford it but I got it anyways. Thats why my mom ROCKS!!!

6. A Pekingnese Puppy named Holly...she was our sweet family dog and lived a loooooonnnnnggg time.

7. Digital Camera - last year Jabin bought me an awesome digital camera for Christmas and I use it all the time. He also bought me a really awesome printer to go along with it :)

NOW I know this sounds strange but almost none of my presents are surprises. I always pick them out......BUT I love stockings for that reason. I love to dig in my stocking on Christmas morning to find lots and lots of surprises.

My Fave Gift to Give was last year.....my mom had been saying for a while that she wished she had a picture of all of her and my stepdads kids & grandkids all together. So Amber (Damons Wife) and I set out to make that happen. It took a lot of time scheduling to get everyone there at the same time (there were 13 of us) but we did it. Tara Morgan was so patient and sweet to tjae our picture (remember their were 13 of us...not an easy task I am sure)!!!! We planned to give them their gift when we were all together at Damon and Ambers yearly Christmas Party. Well as luck would have it Bubba got snowed in @ the airport and couldnt make it but we decided to go ahead and give it to my mom anyways. We all called her into Dylan and Camerons room and made her open her HUGE wall portrait. She loved it sooooo much. She even cried......my mom doesnt cry. It really warmed my heart to give her something that she wanted and something that she and Bubba could enjoy for a long time to come.

Day 10 - Favorite Christmas Tradition

2009-12-16T08:00:00.001-06:00

My family has lots and lots of christmas traditions but there are two that I can think of that are vary special to me. The first one happend on Christmas Eve everyone on my dads side of the family goes to Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at First Baptist Church. I love dressing up and meeting up with the family to celebrate the joy of Christmas. The service is pretty simple....we sing lots of Christmas Carols, take the lords supper and listen to the preacher read the christmas story to the children. At the end of the service all of the congregation lights their personal candle and we all sing Silent Night. It is one of the most beautiful things and I look forward to each and every year.

My next fave Christmas tradition happens on Christmas Day. Each Christmas morning my mom, sister (and her family) and grandparents (on my moms side) come to our house for Christmas breakfast. We have been doing it for the last 5 years and it is so much fun. It is a new tradition that we started with our family but we are planning on keeping it going. After a yummy breakfast of Jabins Christmas Crepes we open presents while we listen to Christmas Music, drink mimosas and enjoy each others company (in our pj's which makes it even better)

Day 11 - Favorite Christmas Song

2009-12-15T08:00:00.001-06:00

O Holy Night - This song IS the reason for the season. The song is about why we celebrate Christmas. I love the peacefulness of the song and it literally brings tears to my eyes when I hear it.

Day 12 - Favorite Christmas Movies & TV Specials

2009-12-14T08:00:00.012-06:00

A Christmas Story - I love that I get to watch this movie for 24 hrs straight (Thanks TBS) So funny :)Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer - I have been watching this Christmas cartoon since I was a kid and I was so excited to be able to share this cute tradition with my daughter. She actually loved it :)

Christmas in Rockefeller Center - this is the sign for me that is the holiday season has officially begun. This year was great like all the years in the past. One name - Michael Buble....love him :)

BUT my favorite of all time:

National Lampoons Christmas Vacation.....this is seriously one of the funniest movies EVER. The best one liners in the history of movies. To me the Christmas season isnt complete without this movie.

12 Days of Chrismas Posts

2009-12-13T08:00:00.001-06:00

Starting tomorrow (12 days until christmas) I am going to posting some of the things I love about christmas!!! So join in on the fun if you want to.
Day 12 - Favorite Christmas Movies & TV Specials
Day 11 - Favorite Christmas Songs
Day 10 - Favorite Christmas Tradition
Day 9 - Favorite Christmas Gift (Given and Received)
Day 8 - Favorite Christmas Memory
Day 7 - Favorite Christmas Recipe
Day 6 - Favorite Christmas Item
Day 5 - What Christmas Means to Me
Day 4 - Smythe Family Christmas Eve Plans
Day 3 - Smythe Family Christmas Day Plans
Day 2 - My Christmas Wishes
Day 1 - Merry Christmas My Favorite Things About Christmas

Where A Kid Can Be A Kid

2009-12-02T14:16:00.004-06:00

The day after Thanksgiving mom and I took the girls to Chuck E Cheese for lunch. I had tons and tons of tokens for them to spend and all they wanted to do was ride the FREE slide. They had so much fun going down that slide over and over and over!!! Here are a few pics I snapped that afternoon.

In the Spirit

2009-11-24T11:13:00.003-06:00

of Thanksgiving I am going to follow suit of some great bloggers out there and post what I am thankful for. NOW my list will comprise of LOTS of things I am thankful for. Some very very important some.....not so much :) So here goes

health (health of myself, my family and my friends)
my daughter
Jabin
the wonderful relationship I have with my mom
coffee (see I told you some not-so-important things)
the new boots that will be under my christmas tree this year
central heat and air
Arbys (sorry I have had an addiction lately)
the time I get to spend with family this holiday season
my nanny and grandad and their un-conditional love
the relationship that my niece and daughter have
dvr...seriously I dont know what I would do without it
my home
my job
the comfort I feel when I am with my booah and papaw
for the love that Bubba shows my mother
new friendships
pajamas
the internet
Daleys giggle
my husbands humor
the blogosphere
holiday traditions
Saturdays
New Moon eye candy (if you have seen it you know what I mean)
Christmas Music
roaring fires on a cold winter night
happiness

an awesome sister and best friend

and most of all I am thankful that God blessed me with life. And what a beautiful life it is :)

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone......I hope you have a safe and happy holiday!!!!

Atlee's Sweet Shoppe

2009-11-20T09:32:00.005-06:00

Last weekend was cousin Atlee's 2nd birthday! We headed to Decatur on Friday night after work to help Aunt Kelli bake lots of goodies and to help decorate for the party. After a yummy spaghetti dinner (thanks Uncle Eric) we gave the kiddos a bath and put them to bed. Mom, Kelli and I stayed up really late making yummy cupcakes and marshmallow pops. Daley woke up about 4:45am and was really really cranky. Well she has been teething but I also suspected that her ears were bothering her. After wrestling with her for about an hour she finally went back to sleep. That morning we got up and decorated the barn for the big party that afternoon. The weather was gorgeous and Atlee had lots and lots of guests. The kiddos sat at a table and had cupcakes but of course my little one decided it would be a good idea to smear cake in her hair. Oh well such is life I guess. So after a busy 24hours we headed home and on the way home Daley was really really fussy. I made the suggestion to Jabin that maybe we should stop at clinic care so that we could get her ears checked out. Well boy and I glad we did!!!! We were in and out in 20mins but we did find out that she had an ear infection. So on Saturday night we started a round of 10 day antibiotic. I cant believe my little girl is 17mos old and this is the first perscription medicene she has ever taken. I think that is something to brag about. Well Monday morning I started feeling pretty congested and on Tuesday I woke up with a full-blown-knock-you-off-your-feet head cold. I was out sick from work on Tues and Weds but I am feeling better each day. Of course it was hard but I tried to stay out of Daley's face those days so we are crossing our fingers that she doesnt get it. Well here are a few pictures from Atlee's party!

Happy Birthday pretty girl :)

Trick Or Treat

2009-11-02T14:40:00.003-06:00

Ok so I am gonna be really honest here! I dont like Halloween....Never Have, Never Will. Having said that I am sad to admit that I very well may have passed this gene on to my kiddo. Even though she may look cute and happy she really wasnt into the whole dress up, beg for candy, pile in and out of the car 20 times excursion that went down on Saturday evening.....BUT for the most part she was a trooper. I will admit that I did have (by far) the cutest Minnie Mouse on record and even though you cant tell in the pictures (bad lighting) the ears were the cutest thing about her costume. She threw a huge fit when I put her in the dress but nothing compared to the shear torture she appeared to be in when she saw what I was doing to her hair. I tried to tell her that females must go through a little pain and suffering to look fabulous but she didnt seem to care, much less understand. After 20 mins of cuddling and bribing her with her date (Minnie Mouse from the post below) we were out the door. We went to my work, Aunt Amanda & Aunt Angelas and all of the grandparents house. After that we headed to some friends house to eat lots of candy and pizza with more kiddos. Needless to say when the night was over all she was ready to do was get out of that ridiculous get-up and catch some zzzzz's. Heres to hoping next year we will have less tears!!! Trick or Treat Yall :)

Thanks Nanny!

2009-11-02T14:27:00.004-06:00

Daley's Nanny bought her a Mickey and Minnie Mouse and I took a few pics of her playing with her new fave toys! Thanks Nanny for takin such good care of me :) Your the best!!!!

Just A Swingin'

2009-11-02T14:23:00.001-06:00

We went to the park a few weeks ago with a very dear old friend of mine and her little girl. I snapped a few pics of Miss Daley on the swing. She loved it so much!!!! She could have sat in that bucket for hours!!

I'm a Scary Mommy

2009-10-22T13:28:00.004-05:00

Ok so one of the many things I love about being a mom is mommy blogs. If you are a mom you totally know what I am talking about. Well there is one blog that I ran across the other day and they are hosting a search for the scarriest mom! Obviously when we say scary we dont mean it in the literal sense of the word. But if you are confused head on over to http://www.scarymommy.com/ to find out exactly what I am talkin about. So here goes:

You wanna know what is scary?

Even though my daughter is 16mos old I still am trying to catch up on the sleep I missed out on when she was an infant (or at least that is my excuse)

I actually wore my nursing bra the other day because it was the only white one I could find. (Just fyi I only nursed for 6 weeks)

One of my daughters first words was "Coke"

I have figured out a way to sleep till 7 am, avoid feeding Daley breakfast and make her daddy do it.

There are nights when I am so tired that I put Daley to bed before her normal bedtime so that I can sit on the couch and be lazy.

It is extremely scary the amount of time that my daughter is exposed to television. Not just cartoons but television in general. The only time the tv isnt on @ our house is when we are asleep.

I dont think Daley knows there is another option for breakfast food other than microwave oatmeal. Why? because it is easy!!!

My daughter learned the word damnit from her father and can use it in the appropriate context. (i.e when she is irritated, drops a toy things of that nature)

It is even scarier that when she says damnit it sounds like dang it which in my mind isnt all that bad so I have given up on correcting her.

My daughter has squirted liquid diswashing soap in her mouth while un-supervised. Why was she un-supervised? Her nana and I were shopping online!

I have dug dirty pajamas out of her hamper for her to re-wear because I was to lazy to do her laundry. BUT in my defense I did pick the cleanest dirty ones!

My un-clothed post baby body is a little bit scary!

I recently cut my hair really short. Why? Because when you are the mother of a busy 16mo old you will cut corners where ever you can. I need all the extra time I can get.

My daughter is addicted to her pacifier...and when I say addicted I mean ADDICTED. I feed that addiction because anytime she is whiny and asks for it, I give it to her so I dont have to listen to the whining.

I hate halloween!

You wanna know what is REALLY scary?

I never knew that I could love someone as much as I love my daughter.

Before I lay her down to sleep at night I say the same exact thing to her that I have said since the day she was born.

It is scary how lucky her father and I are to have such a happy healthy little girl.

It is scary how smart she is.

I will make myself look like a complete and total idiot to see her to smile.

Sometimes just looking at her brings tears to my eyes.

It is scary how fast children grow up.

I never knew being called mommy would make me so happy.

It is scary how lucky she is to have such great grandparents.

She has the most amazing personality and she is only 16mos old.

Her voice is one of the sweetest sounds on earth.

I love to smell her hair.

Seeing her scared, hurt or sick makes me a complete and total wreck.

Imagining her as a teenager makes me a more than a little nervous.

and in my opinion the scarriest thing of all is thinking back on what life was like before she came along.

Ok moms your turn!!!!

More Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-21T10:27:00.003-05:00

Thanks Tara for the extra shots!

Pumpkin Patch

2009-10-17T16:48:00.006-05:00

Today we (my mom, Kelli & I) took the girls (Atlee and Daley) to the pumpkin patch @ Smith's Gardentown. BTW all you mommies and daddies out there....they have great pumpkins of all shapes and sizes so go check it out.

I dont know if it was all that orange or all the kids but Miss Daley was looking at everything BUT the camera. Oh well such is life I guess. Our good friend Tara was there and she is great with the camera. She snapped a few photos too. As soon as she sends me some of hers I will post them. Here are a few pics from this morning:

Mommy & Me

Daley & Atlee takin a ride in the pumpkin cart!

Kisses

Proof positive that she puts everything in her mouth!

Can you say cheese Atlee??? LOL

These are more my size mommy!!!

I just noticed after I posted the pictures....the quality looks really bad! Hmmmmm Daddy I think it is time for an SLR for Mommy. (or maybe mommy should get better acquainted with her settings)

Mommy's Little Book Worm

2009-10-16T14:57:00.004-05:00

Daley looooooves books!!!! Well today before lunch I ran to the JBF sale and found a great grab bag of hard back books for her. She plays with her books so much that books with flimsy pages dont last at our house. Well at least they wouldnt last if they were left laying around for her to play with. Those pretty story books stay on a shelf for night time reading. Anywho when I found this grab bag with 7 books for $3.00 I knew I had to take them home to my little bookworm. After disenfecting them (cause of course they will end up in her mouth) I let her go to town. She was so excited that she couldnt even peel herself away from them long enough to kiss her Nanny goodbye. I couldnt resist snapping a few cutie-pie pics for your viewing pleasure.

Checkin out her new Itsy-Bitsy Spider Book

I love my tiny Circus Book
So many books so little time :)

This is her fave book that was a gift from Lauren . She likes to look @ herself on the "Y" page!!!!

I'm Gonna Be Honest

2009-10-14T10:01:00.004-05:00

When I 1st heard (a couple of weeks ago) that come January we (and by we I mean Bachelor freaks like me) will have to look at this guy for 8 weeks I was a little disappointed.

Did I hope and pray that I was gonna get to ~~laugh~~ giggle at Reids neurotic personality and witty sense of humor? Yes!!! Did I also secretly hope that if Reid wasnt chosen I would at least get to stare at the masterpiece that is Kiptyn's abs? Uh-huh!!! But it doesnt look like that is gonna happen. Why???? Well to be quite honest I never get my way when it comes to this show!!!

Now dont get be wrong it isnt like I hate the guy....heck he is even cute in a goody-two-shoes-ken-doll kinda way BUT is his season really gonna hold my interest? That is yet to be determined. Ok so lets consider a few things....The women (aka contestants) were selected months ago. Obviously this selection process took place before Jake was selected as the ~~unlucky~~ lucky guy. What does that mean to me? Surely they found some slutty, caddy hookers to entertain me. Cause we all know Jake aka The Boy Next Door (TBND) can be a little boring. I also hope that Jake went back and watched himself from last season and realized the he needs to rev it up in the personality department!!! I mean come on we all like nice guys but we do need a little mystery. A little danger even!!! Also, how drunk were the producers when they voted on the tag line for next season. The Bachelor: On The Wings Of Love. REALLY?!?!?! I mean does it get anymore lame than that???? Come On People!!!! Of course come January I will be watching the show AND it will take up way too much of my time like all of the other crappy TV that I am addicted to SO Jake Pevelka......please I beg of you! Dont Disappoint :)

The Name Game

2009-10-13T13:30:00.008-05:00

Here is the Lowdown on this Name Game: Names are important. Your kids’ names were chosen for a particular reason and they mean a lot to you so this would be a great story to share! If you don’t share your kids’ names on your blog you can just tell us where you got the catchy nickname for your little ones or just go through 1-10 and amuse us with your naming antics! No problemo! Copy the image above to use on your blog.

1. Do you have any cultural or religious naming traditions?
No....thank goodness. I know there are people who are obligated because of family or religious ties to use a particular name. In our case we had none of those ties. We were at liberty to choose whatever name we wanted. And considering we didn't need any help conceiving a baby I figured naming one ought to be up to us as well :)

2. Did you or your partner come to the marriage with pre-selected names? No...most females have some name in their head that they always knew they wanted to name their daughter or son. I was not one of them. I had no clue whatsoever what my unborn child would be named before the name picking process began.

3. Did you consider the sound of the first and middle and last names together? Did this make any sad eliminations?
Luckily our last name goes with pretty much anything sooooo that was the least of my worries.

4. Do you have veto powers?
Well lets put it this way....if he suggested something heinous I wouldn't have allowed said name to be put on the birth certificate. It was just an unspoken understanding that we would both agree on what to name our child.

5. Did the baby naming cause arguments?
Arguments NO....heated discussions YES. Not because one wanted something the other didn't it was just that every time I came to him with a suggestion he would make fun of it. Especially boys names......he had a joke for every boys name I came up with.

7. Did you eliminate names because of people from your past or present who you don’t like or because a certain image comes to mind.
Well there was one name I really liked (and I cant even remember what it was now) and I was so excited to come home and tell him what I had found because I thought for sure he would like it. That night when we were talking over dinner and I told him the name he said "Sorry honey we cant use that name" I was like "Dangit...why not?" and he proceeded to tell me that was the name of an ex-girlfriends daughter.

8. Did you / would you survey your children to get their thoughts on the name?
Obviously she isn't old enough to care but I doubt I will ask her if she approves of her name. That is one of the glories of being a parent...you get to make the big choices not them. :)

9. Did you tell people the name or possibler names before the baby was born or were they “in the vault”? Yes we told everyone her name....and everyone seemed to love our choice.

10. Did you use baby name books?
No books. I did a lot of research online

Drumroll Please…What did you name your kids and why?
I named my little angel Daley Elise......Once we found out we were having a girl we had already nailed it down to two names. It was either Daley Elise or Jillian Janay. I really loved the name Jillian and Jabins sisters name is Janay and I thought those two names flowed so beautifully together. BUT Jabin and both of his sisters have "J" names and neither one of us wanted it to seem we were keeping with the "J" theme. I was doing some research one day and saw the name Daley online but they had it selected as a masculine name. I immediately liked the name but not for a boy. I had a feeling that Jabin would hate it so I didn't get my hopes up. When I sent him a text with the idea his response was "I Love It!" I was so excited...I thought it was such a sweet name and very very original. I had never heard of that name before...that was a big thing for me, I wanted something original and one of a kind. After mulling over it for a few days we decided to make the decision to that Daley would be her first name. Now onto the hard part...finding a middle name to flow with Daley. We considered still using Janay but for some reason it didn't roll off the tongue very easily. One day at work I was wracking my brain to find the right middle name and I walked into my bosses office and saw a picture of a blonde haired blued eyed little girl and it hit me. Elise!!!!! My boss and his wife have a little girl and her name is Elise and I always thought that was such a pretty name. AND it flowed perfectly with Daley. I am so glad we chose the name we did cause when I look @ her sweet face I cannot imagine calling her anything else.

3 Yrs

2009-10-08T08:51:00.006-05:00

Yesterday was mine and Jabins 3 year wedding anniversary. We decided we would opt for a quiet night at home. Of course Jabin aka "the grillmaster" cooked out steaks and they were delish. After dinner (and wine) we talked and listened to music. We both agreed that we would love ITunes gift cards for Christmas cause there is so much music we want that we dont have. I know a lot of you dont know a whole lot about my husband so I am going to steal from Amanda @ My Life As A Wife AGAIN and post a few things you may (or may not) know about my husband of 3 yrs. Happy Anniversary Babe :)

1. Jabin very rarely gets sleepy. Seriously......he can stay up til 1 am watching the most random crap on tv and then get up in the morning at 7am (with no coffee) and never bat an eye. He can go out and party til 2am and then get up and go to work the next day. Weird - O!!!

2. Jabin isnt a sports fan (which I love) The only sporting event he really cant miss is Formula One Racing. Now for all you ladies out there who have no idea what Formula One Racing is it is obviously a bunch of guys driving race cars around the tracks BUT 90% of those guys happen to be really easy on the eyes. So you dont hear a lot of arguing from me!!! So combine that with the few Cowboys games I am subject to and I can honestly say I feel for those of you out there whose husbands are TRUE sports fans!

3. My husband is really really funny! He makes me laugh A-lot and that is one thing about him that I treasure. I love to laugh som finding a man with a great sense of humor was like hitting the jackpot in my book.

4. I secretly dont mind that he plays shuffleboard every Tuesday. Shhhh...dont tell him I said that. Every tuesday night Jabin meets his buddies out for shuffleboard. He is really good at it but most of all I think he loves that time with the guys where he can let off some steam and have a good time. Of course that gives me time to catch up on my overloaded DVR.

5. He thinks blogging and Facebook are stupid! Yeah I know but he totally doesnt get it. My argument is that all 65 million active facebook users cant be stupid but he still argues with me. Also did you know there are approx 133 million blogs on the internet?? Yeah we are the strange ones?!?!?

6. Jabin was adopted.

7. Jabin loves shoes. Like seriously loves shoes like a girl loves shoes. Not really shoes as much as boots.

8. Jabin is OBSESSED with cars. Obsessed.......like to the point where everytime he gets on autotrader.com I start to getting really really nervous. In the 5 years that I have known Jabin he has had 5 cars. Yeah...now you know what I mean when I saw obsessed.

9. Jabin is a fantastic dad! He loves Daley so much and she is truly blessed to have him as a father.

10. Jabin is a busy body....He like to sit down and relax for very long. He loves to work outside in the yard or on some kind of project in the house.

Well there you go hope you learned something you didnt already know and again.....Happy Anniversary babe :) I love you!

All She Wants To Do Is Dance Dance Dance

2009-10-06T16:51:00.003-05:00

I took this about a week ago. She loves to dance!!!! Every evening we watch that days episode of Ellen (from the dvr) and everytime it comes on she starts yelling "DANCE" Too cute :)

In The Mood

2009-09-23T08:59:00.006-05:00

Ok so this morning when I walked outside I was so excited to feel the crisp cool air hit my face. Yesterday was the first "official" day of fall and I couldnt be more excited. So in the spirit of stealing from the great blogger Amanda @ My Life As A Wife I bring you my fave things about fall!

1. Fall Colors - I love the colors of fall. Deep hues of orange, red, yellow, purple. Anything that makes you feel warm inside and out. I love that feeling. Of course this fall purple is hot again as is Dark Teal and Deep Reds & Pinks.

2. The smell of spice - So in the cool weather months nothing says fall like the smells of spice. You know pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg. I love all those smells. I get so excited when Starbucks starts selling gingerbread & pumpkin lattes. Yummm-O :) I also love to burn spicy type candles in my house. In my opinion nothing is more inviting than walking into someones house and it smells like something yummy is baking it the oven.

3. Fall Clothes - Ok seriously I love me some fall clothes. Coats, Sweaters, boots, jeans, scarves, leggings....all those things make me smile. I cant wait to dig into all of my sweaters & scarves that I havent seen since last year. Of course I have a long long long list of things I want to add to my wardrobe this year. Less that half of which will actually end up in my closet I'm sure....but a girl can dream right?!?!

4. Flannel PJ's - Soooo in case you dont know already I am a bit of a couch potato. Not all the time but in the evenings for sure. My evening routine goes a little something like this: Walk in the door from work. Slip into my pj's. Play with Daley. Cook Dinner for the fam. Play with Daley. Give Daley a bath, Put Daley to bed. Clean up the kitchen. THEN park my hiney on the couch (in front of the tv) for the rest of the night. I do this almost every night M-F. You might call it boring but I call it relaxing. Well in the fall instead of putting on a pair of capri lounge pants and a tank top I get to slip into my soft, warm, cozy, ~~frumpy~~ pj's. I love my many pairs of pjs and I am of course adding another pair to this years christmas list. IMO opinion pj's are like shoes. You cant have too many pairs. My husband would beg to differ ;)

5. My Fireplace - Almost every night during the fall and winter there is a fire at the Smythe house. My husband and I both agree that it makes everything seem so warm and peaceful. Not to mention keeps the house warmer for less money. We are lucky enough to have a wood burning fireplace with a gas line so starting a fire is as easy as stacking the wood, turning a key and striking a match.

6. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches and Tomato Soup - This is by far my fave easy-quick-go-to meal on those cool fall nights. Hubs makes the best Grilled Cheese Sandwiches....I know you are thinkin How hard is it to make a grilled cheese? But until you have had one made by my man you will never look at them the same. He makes them perfectly and of course this is my way of getting him to help with the dinner. hehe!!!

7. Fall Decorations - I dont have very many fall decorations but I am hoping to add some more to my home this year. I want to be the kind of family that decorates for all different times of the year, not just Christmas. I love fairytale pumpkins, fall leaves, & scarecrows. I cant wait to go to Hobby Lobby and get some new cute things for this year.

8. Daylight savings time - I love it when we have the time change. Not only do we gain an hour of sleep (which I love) but it gets dark earlier. I know a lot of people dread this time change but I love long winter night. Call me crazy!!!! I know this is also a strange reason to love daylight savings time but it makes me feel bad that when I put Daley to be at 7:30 it is still light outside. It seems weird to make her go to bed during the daylight hours (even tho I know it is good for her) Well.....Now I know I wont have to worry about that in a few weeks.

9. Long Hot Bubble Baths - This is something I take part in a LOT in the cool months. The only time I leave the couch in the evenings is to take a long hot bath. This is my quiet "ME" time which I enjoy. This is my time of the day to have time with myself to unwind & relax. Of course when it is warm outside no one wants to sit in a hot tub BUT during those long cool evenings I try to make this a priority.

10. Oh yeah NEW TV - ok so how could I forget about the great fall line up on TV. As you all know I am a tv junkie. I love love love to watch tv. The beginning of fall marks the new seasons of some great tv shows. Here are some of my faves: The Biggest Loser, Melrose Place (if you havent watched this it is a must see), Intervention, Hoarders, Greys Anatomy, and of course I also set my DVR to record Oprah, Ellen and The View each day. Sooooo those are just a few of my faves. I also love watching the food network on saturday mornings during the fall season cause they are trying out all their yummy family recipes in preparation for Thanksgiving. Oh one more thing. Does anyone out there watch Mad Men? I have never seen a single episode but I am very intrigued by this show. Please let me know if you watch and also if you recommend it! I have no idea how I would catch up with what I have missed but I would love to know what all of the fuss is about.

These the top 10 things I love about fall. I could probably go on and on but I will stop here. So feel free to join in. What do you love about fall? Please share :)

The Spaghetti Incident

2009-09-16T11:30:00.004-05:00

ok so the other night I decided to give Daley spaghetti. Now.....I am one of those moms who doesnt like their kids to be dirty. Not because of what other people will think...my reason is totally selfish. I dont want her to get dirty cause that means I will have to clean her up. BUT the other night I gave in and just decided to go for it. This is the disaster that followed:

ahhhhh.....all clean again :)

New Mexico Vacation

2009-09-16T10:03:00.009-05:00

ok so as you already know a few weeks ago we went to Ruidoso New Mexico for a MUCH needed vacay. Just let me say....if you love the outdoors, cool weather and peace and quiet (which BTW I do) this is the place to go. We had a fab cabin, great friends and did I mention the weather. Now I wont go into detail what we did each night (and day) but we did a little bit of shopping, went to the casino, went to the horse races (in the rain) AND had a lot of great food & fellowship.Jabins best friend Brad from Houston and his friend Lori met us there on Friday and we all had a blast. Daley was such a trooper the entire time. I was fearing the car ride but the get-me-outta-this-damn-seat screaming only occured the last 45min of an 8 hour trip. She slept great at night while we were there but for some reason really fought off taking a nap. But considering the change in elevation AND schedule I would say she did really well. So without futher a do!!!! I present to you: The Smythe Family Vacation. Disclaimer: I didnt take a whole lot of pics.....I was too busy being lazy but Lori did get some good ones and once she emails them to me I will update this post.

The view from our balcony after a rainstorm!

Another gorgeous view! I got this on our morning walk :)

Seriously?!?! Does it get any more serene than this?

Daley on the patio of a cool little cafe/coffeehouse where we ate lunch.I love this pic. Morning #2 after a much needed night of rest :)
On our walk....bright and early.

a stop along the way :)

We spent most of our time on this balcony.

A day of shopping :)

Did I mention how cute this little town was?

Giving Daddy kisses!!!

Relaxing afternoon

We had so much fun and have talked about how we cant wait to go back!!!! I know Daley wont remember but we will always have great memories of our first family vacation :)

Random Thoughts

2009-09-15T13:14:00.008-05:00

Ok so before any of you ask....Yes I plan on blogging and posting pics from our recent family vacation. BUT I have to upload the photos first. Hopefully I will have that for you tomorrow. So today I am gonna give you my version of Truthfully Tuesday ;)

1. Ok so this morning as I was feeding my little girl her morning oatmeal I heard some really really sad news!!!! Patrick Swayze passed away. Ok so we all knew he was sick but if you were like me and saw the Barbara Walters interview with him from Dec 2008 you just knew in your heart this man was serious about beating this cancer. Well the outcome was tragic and obviously the stage 4 pancreatic cancer took its toll on his life. Obviously if you were a child of the 80's like I was you remember begging your parents to let you watch Dirty Dancing. When my mom finally gave in and let me watch I knew what all of the fuss was about. In my opinion (at the time) that was the greatest movie ever made. To me that movie will forever be part of pop icon history. Johnny Castle is one of the coolest characters out there. He was a bad boy BUT he was good to the girl. He was macho BUT boy could he dance. He was misunderstood by everyone else BUT Baby. I cannot imagine anyone else perfecting that character the way that he did. Of course there are other great movies he was a part of that he totally rocked. The Outsiders, Ghost (which is also a legendary movie), Point Break (totally made me want to date a bank robbing surfer) and last but not least Road House. I mean really does it get any cooler than his character in Road House. He made ass kicking an art form not to mention he had the best mullet to ever grace the silver screen. When I shared the news with hubs that he died he was pretty bummed out too cause I think secretly all men would love to be as badass as he was. As a matter of fact we have a saying in our house (kind of a little inside joke) when Jabin and I see something that is super rad we say "That's so Swayze". This phrase has taken on a life of itself and today it has a whole new meaning. Aside from his movie rolls on the silver screen the coolest thing about Patrick Swayze was his love for his wife. They were married for 34 years......Now that is true love. I cant imagine the pain his family is feeling right now. Rest in Peace Patrick Swayze....you will make heaven even cooler.

2.Ok now onto someone who is so NOT cool. Kanye West......Seriously is there anyone in the whole entire world who likes this guy? I mean aside from the model with terrible fashion sense who accompanied him to the VMA's!!! I mean honestly you have to know you are a complete ass clown when your attempt at freedom of speech is to steal the spotlight from a 19year old kid. I mean really?!?!?! Get a life LOSER!!! I will give props to Beyonce for allowing Taylor to have her moment. That was beyond generous and super classy. NOW here is the part that really ticks me off. Obviously we all know that this isnt Kanye West's first time to open his mouth and say (or do) something really really offensive or stupid BUT everytime he does he always plays the victim!!!!! Last night he was on the premier of the (primetime) Jay Leno show and when asked why he did what he did....he managed to mumble out some crap about not being able to properly grieve over the loss of his mother! WTF does that have to do with Taylor Swift?!?! Seriously who is buying that?? Of course my fave was when he said if there was anything he could do now or in the future to help Taylor he would love to do so. Ummmm Reality Check Mr West. This girl can sell out Madison Square Garden in under a minute....I doubt she needs help from the likes of you.

3. So tonight is gonna be a busy night for me. Like every tuesday (after I put my lil one to bed) I veg out in front of the tv and catch up on everything that is on my dvr. BUT today I am feeling a little overwhelmed!!!! I know this is super lame and would even border on pathetic but I am gonna reveal it anyways. Tonight is the finale of BB11 (Big Brother 11) - GO JORDAN- I have been obesessed (not Bachelorette obsessed BUT almost) with this show all summer and tonight is the live finale. So that comes on from 8-9. The newest season of the Biggest Loser begins tonight. I love love love this show....so inspirational and have been addicted for going on 4 seasons now. That comes on from 7-9. The new Melrose Place (episode 2) yeah if you were a fan of the OLD Melrose Place (or even if you werent) I highly recommend you check out this show. It is filled with backstabbing, cheating, rich, fabulous characters who had me intrigued the minute I saw the first preview. This season is gonna be filled with drama. Um yeah that also comes on from 8-9. So where is the problem you ask???? I have one DVR but it can only record two things at once. Ummmm yeah did you notice the time lapse??? So my plan is to watch Biggest Loser from 7-8, watch BB11 finale from 8-9 (flip back to Biggest Loser during commercials) & record Melrose Place for later. Whew!!!! You got all that. Not to mention after all of that is over. I will have to watch todays Oprah (part 2) interview with Ms Whitney Houston, The View with co-host Kate Gosselin who BTW is supposed to be rockin a new haircut (thank god) and also watch The Ellen DeGeneres show. Who wants to take bets that I wont get to it all by the end of the night?!?!

4. Ummmm so yeah I am a little annoyed that ABC has still not announced the new Bachelor. Obviously I am still pulling for my boy Reid but of course I wouldnt be disappointed if Kiptyn was the choice. Needless to say I am really looking forward to the season premier on Jan 4th 2009. And dont worry my BFF Lauren and I will for sure be planning a fab kickoff party;)

Thats all for now. Heres to hoping that I will have my vacay recap tomorrow!

Bad Blogger!!!

2009-09-01T09:19:00.002-05:00

Ok so I will admit it....I have been a really bad blogger. I have not blogged in over a week but mainly it is because things have been relatively quiet around my house :) (Which can be a good thing) I did have a birthday since I last blogged. I am another year older!!!! 32 years ~~old~~ young to be exact. For my birthday we had a great cookout at home with friends and family. It was a really really good time!!!! Of course Daley is doing great. She is getting bigger and bigger everyday. Some days I look at her and I cant believe how fast she is growing. She has such a cute little personality and she is very affectionate. Her fave place to be is in someones lap. She might not stay there long but she always wants to be picked up. It is so cute when she wants you to hold her too cause she will come up to you and look at you with those big brown eyes and in the sweetest voice she will say "Up Please" It is so dang cute and very hard to resist. She is also getting to be more and more inquisitive about the world around her. My mom and I laugh because she literally has to touch everything. No kidding....I think she just likes to discover how things feel. Of course she is still in the habit of putting everything in her mouth and we are trying really really hard to break her of that. She loves to be outside and we have been very thankful for the cool weather over the last few days cause she has spent a lot of time outside. Speaking of cooler weather...that brings me to my next topic. This thursday morning (and by morning I mean 4am) we are leaving on a family vacation. Thats right folks the Smythe family truckster will be making its way to Ruidoso New Mexico. We will be staying there Thurs-Mon. We are sooooo excited to see Brad and Lori (they are meeting us there) and we are also excited to enjoy some cool weather. We have rented a really neat cabin with an awesome view!!! Our plan is to relax, eat, play and just enjoy some much needed time away from work and the daily stresses of life. I am sooooo excited to get away and cant wait to see what this vacation has in store for us :) NOW onto the part that I am nervous about. 8 hours in the car with a 15mo old!!! Yeah it seems a little scary for me but we planned our departure time hoping to get maybe half of our trip out of the way while she sleeps. Cross your fingers and say a prayer for us. I have explained to Jabin that 8 hours is a long time in the car for anyone especially a toddler. Se we are prepared to be patient, not get in a big hurry and be plan for lots of stops to stretch our legs. I am sure we will have a blast and of course I will post pictures when we return. I have a lot to do between now and 4am thurs morning (including a much needed haircut)....heres to hoping I get it all done :)

Random Thoughts for Friday

2009-08-21T10:54:00.004-05:00

My sister sent me these and I thought they were too funny not to share!!! Happy Friday to all :)

1. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option..

2. More often than not, when someone is telling me a story all I can think about is that I can't wait for them to finish so that I can tell my own story that's not only better, but also more directly involves me.

3. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

4. I don't understand the purpose of the line, "I don't need to drink to have fun." Great, no one does. But why start a fire with flint and sticks when they've invented the lighter?

5. That's enough, Nickelback.

6. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

7. The letters T and G are very close to each other on a keyboard. This recently became all too apparent to me and consequently I will never be ending a work email with the phrase "Regards" again.

8. Do you remember when you were a kid, playing Nintendo and it wouldn't work? You take the cartridge out, blow in it and that would magically fix the problem. Every kid in America did that, but how did we all know how to fix the problem? There was no internet or message boards or FAQ's. We just figured it out. Today's kids are soft.

9. There is a great need for sarcasm font.

10. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the hell was going on when I first saw it.

11. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

12. I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

13. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

14. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text.

15. A recent study has shown that playing beer pong contributes to the spread of mono and the flu. Yeah, if you suck at it.

16. Was learning cursive really necessary?

17. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and hunger.

18. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear what they said?

19. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars teams up to prevent a d!ck from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers!

20. Every time I have to spell a word over the phone using 'as in' examples, I will undoubtedly draw a blank and sound like a complete idiot. Today I had to spell my boss's last name to an attorney and said "Yes that's G as in...(10 second lapse)..ummm...Goonies"

21. What would happen if I hired two private investigators to follow each other?

22. While driving yesterday I saw a banana peel in the road and instinctively swerved to avoid it...thanks Mario Kart.

23. MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. Pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

24. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

25. I find it hard to believe there are actually people who get in the shower first and THEN turn on the water.

26. I would like to officially coin the phrase 'catching the swine flu' to be used as a way to make fun of a friend for hooking up with an overweight woman. Example: "Dave caught the swine flu last night."

27. Bad decisions make good stories

28. Whenever I'm Facebook stalking someone and I find out that their profile is public I feel like a kid on Christmas morning who just got the Red Ryder BB gun that I always wanted. 546 pictures? Don't mind if I do!

29. Is it just me or do high school girls get sluttier & sluttier every year?

30. Why is it that during an ice-breaker, when the whole room has to go around and say their name and where they are from, I get so incredibly nervous? Like I know my name, I know where I'm from, this shouldn't be a problem....

31. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you've made up your mind that you just aren't doing anything productive for the rest of the day.

32. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after DVDs? I don't want to have to restart my collection.

33. I hate being the one with the remote in a room full of people watching TV. There's so much pressure. 'I love this show, but will they judge me if I keep it on? I bet everyone is wishing we weren't watching this. It's only a matter of time before they all get up and leave the room. Will we still be friends after this?'

34. While watching the Olympics, I find myself cheering equally for China and USA . No, I am not of Chinese descent, but I am fairly certain that when Chinese athletes don't win, they are executed.

35. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damnit!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What'd you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

36. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

37. When I meet a new girl, I'm terrified of mentioning something she hasn't already told me but that I have learned from some light internet stalking.

38. I like all of the music in my iTunes, except when it's on shuffle, then I like about one in every fifteen songs in my iTunes.

39. Why is a school zone 20 mph? That seems like the optimal cruising speed for pedophiles...

40. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers, but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

41. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still not know what time it is.

42. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

43. I think that if, years down the road when I'm trying to have a kid, I find out that I'm sterile, most of my disappointment will stem from the fact that I was not aware of my condition in college.

44. Even if I knew your social security number, I wouldn't know what do to with it.

45. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, hitting the G-spot, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my ass everyone can find and push the Snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time every time...

46. My 4-year old son asked me in the car the other day "Dad what would happen if you ran over a ninja?" How the hell do I respond to that?

47. I wonder if cops ever get pissed off at the fact that everyone they drive behind obeys the speed limit.

48. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

49. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lites than Kay.

50. The other night I ordered takeout, and when I looked in the bag, saw they had included four sets of plastic silverware. In other words, someone at the restaurant packed my order, took a second to think about it, and then estimate d that there must be at least four people eating to require such a large amount of food. Too bad I was eating by myself. There's nothing like being made to feel like a fat bastard before dinner.

So which ones were your fave??? Even though its really hard to pick.....I think that #5 is the funniest and #11 is the MOST true :)

Elephants & Tigers & Clowns....OH MY!!!!!

2009-08-17T09:57:00.006-05:00

So this was a fun filled, crazy weekend for sure! On Saturday morning Mom, Daley & I headed to Decatur. After we arrived and the girls played for a while we went to lunch at Yesterday's 50's Diner! It was yummy and they have awesome shakes in case you were wondering :) Then after lunch we went back to Kelli's so that the little girls (and big girls) could take a nap. After our nap and a snack at 4:15 we all loaded up into the car and headed to the Ft Worth Convention Center to see the Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus. Now I will admit I was a little worried. I knew that the circus was going to last past Daleys bedtime and after her short 1hr nap I was a little nervous going into this adventure. But nevertheless I planned for the worst and hoped for the best. We got in the doors and went to find our seats! I was sooooo happy when I saw where we were sitting. We had awesome seats!!! Good Job Kelli ;) Well the circus started soon after we sat down and the girls were mezmerized. They loved the music, the colors and Atlee especially loved the animals. I was soooooo impressed with how well behaved they were. Daley was dancing, and squealing and clapping. I have to admit the circus was a huge success. They had so much fun. After the first hr I went down to the concession stand and got some goodies and then we finished off the show. Nana bought Atlee and Daley a little tiger from the vendors on our way out. We had a great time and I hope to make this a yearly tradition. On our way home we decided to stop for a late dinner and we managed to find a Taco Cabana on the way home. I was a happy camper!!!! We dined alfresco and I knew that would be the best way to keep the kiddos happy. By the time we got home the girls were so tired that we put them in their jammies and we went straight to bed! Then the grown ups sat out on the back porched and relaxed. Yesterday after a late breakfast at IHOP we headed home. I had a lot of fun this weekend. Thanks to Nana for emptying your pocketbook at the concession stand and vendor stations to make sure everyone enjoyed the experience :) Cant wait to see yall again this weekend!

Kelli & I being silly :)

Atlee is ready for the circus

Daley showin her pearly whites :)

Eatin cookies and watchin the circus with Nana!

Daley stretching her legs

We love Taco Cabana!!!!

Whats in your wallet bag?

2009-08-11T10:10:00.007-05:00

I have been tagged!!!! So here goes....You are supposed to take a picture of your bag. Then take a picture of the contents! Is it against the rules that I cleaned out the trash before I took a picture of the contents??

My fave Coach bag!

Content of fave Coach bag!1. white piece of paper containing recipe for tonights dinner

2. snakeskin wallet

3. polka-dot makeup bag

4. free hand sanitizer from the hospital (must have for moms of toddlers)

5. half empty bottle of Tylenol (also must have for moms of toddlers)

6. Loreal's Mango Get Em nailpolish

7. Sally Hansen's top coat clear nailpolish

8. Betsy Johnson eyeglass case (for my rockin new spectacles)

9. Stride Gum

10. two black pens

11. Kate Spade sunglass case (for my shades purchased from Wal Mart....go figure??)

12. keys

Take a Look

2009-08-10T13:46:00.001-05:00

and see who got a blog signature!!! Arent I fancy?!?! Thanks to Jennifer for "schoolin me on eactly how this is done!!!

As A Child of the 80's

2009-08-07T16:14:00.007-05:00

I have to take a moment and talk about John Hughes (writer & movie director). He died last Thursday from a heart attack at the young age of 59. Without John Hughes we would have missed out on some of the greatest movies (and quotes) of all time.....

1. National Lampoon's Vacation

Guard: Rusty, may I call you Rusty? Has your dad ever killed anyone?

Rusty: Just a dog, Oh and my Aunt Edna

Clark: Hey Rusty, you cant prove that!

2. Ferris Bueller's Day Off

Grace (the secretary): Oh, he's very popular Ed. The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, waistoids, dweebies, dickheads - they all adore him. They think he's a righteous dude.

3. The Breakfast Club

Mr Vernon: Well, well. Here we are. You have exactly eight hours and fifty-four minutes to think about why you're here. You may not talk, you will not move from these seats. Any questions?

John Bender: Yeah. Does Barry Manilow know that you raid his wardrobe?

4. Planes Trains & Automobiles

OK So I cant really post my fave quote in this movie cause it has way to many curse words BUT if you are a fan of this movie you will know what I am referring to. You know!?!?! The scene where he goes off on the rental car lady :) Thats the best!!! 2nd best.......

Owen: Her first baby came out sideways, she didn't scream or nothin

5. Uncle Buck

Tia: Hey, Mom. Next time you take off in the middle of the night, why don't you hire a murderer to watch the house?

6. Sixteen Candles

Samantha: I can't believe I gave my panties to a geek.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST

7. National Lampoons Christmas Vacation.....seriously this is probably one of the funniest movies ever made!!

Clark: Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?

Eddie: Naw, I'm doing just fine, Clark

Eddie: I don't know if I oughta go sailin' down no hill with nothin' between the ground and my brains but a piece of government plastic.

Clark: Do you really think it matters, Eddie?

Eddie: You surprised to see us, Clark?

Clark: Oh, Eddie... If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised than I am now.

Eddie: Every time Catherine would turn on the microwave, I'd piss my pants and forget who I was for about half an hour.

Rusty: Dad, this tree won't fit in our back yard.

Clark: It's not going in the yard, Russ. It's going in the living room.

I could go on and on but I will stop!!!! Thanks John Jughes for makin the 80's that much cooler!!! :)

Lately

2009-08-05T10:23:00.006-05:00

So I am gonna blog about what has been going on in the Smythe house as of lately (as in the last few weeks)

Daley is walking a lot. She is still pretty unsteady on her feet but she is walking all the same. The transition from one type of flooring to the next still plays tricks on her but she is working through it. It is funny to watch the look on her face when we see her walking around in her bedroom and then she approaches the doorway. You can see the wheels turning in her head....I can tell she is asking herself "How can I get from this soft fuzzy stuff onto the hard cold stuff without falling?" It is sooooo cute to watch her grown and try new things. We are so proud of our lil girl.
As of lately our lil darlin has become a GROUCH in the morning. I dont know what it is?!?!? I cant quite put my finger on it but trust me it doesnt make for a great experience M-F. From what I can tell she just wants to be fed, held and/or played with!!! But obviously that is hard to do when I am trying to get ready for work. I hope this is a phase that she will soon outgrow!

I am also beginning to wonder if my child has the early signs of hyper activity. Seriously the girl never ever ever sits still. She is into everything!!!!! I wish I had a dollar for everytime I told her to stop, dont, no or put that down. Seriously I could probably pay for her college education by now. We are still in the phase where EVERYTHING goes into her mouth. She is for sure keeping me on my toes.

But with all of the hard work that comes along with parenting a toddler she still makes me smile and laugh all the time. She is sooooo much fun and really really smart. Almost too smart for her own good I think.

Last Friday after work we (my mom, Daley & myself) took a little roadtrip to Decatur to hang out with the Wyricks. I knew the girls were gonna be happy to see each other!!!! So on Friday night we went to dinner.....that was fiasco. The food was terrible, the wait was really long and the girls were cranky. Well needless to say we were ready to get the heck out of dodge. When we got back to Kelli's we were gonna let the girls play for a little while before we gave them a bath. Kelli had to run a quick errand so mom and I played with the girls. Well Atlee decided she wanted to take all of her clothes off. So mom stripped her down to her birthday suit. THEN Atlee decided she wanted Daley to be naked with her. It made for a really cute photo op but I kept telling my mom this was a bad idea. AND BOY WAS I RIGHT! Not 10 seconds after I snapped this pic
my daughter pooped in the floor. Of course I freaked out cause she had never done that before!!! My mom and I were laughing so hard that I thought I was gonna have an accident on the floor myself. Well we got the mess cleaned up only to find out that some of the poop got on one of Atlees toys. She started crying telling my mom "Nana, Day Day poo poo choo choo" We finally figured out that she was trying to tell us Daley pooped on her choo choo train. I finally told my mom "Thats it....these kids are takin a bath and going to bed. I need a drink." So after bath time mom, kelli & I sat on the back porch and had a few red draws. The weather was nice and cool and aside from Erics snake report we had a really relaxing time. On Saturday we took the girls to lunch& we did a little bit of shopping. It was a fun overnight trip and we are looking forward to seeing them again this weekend.

BTW It is officially time for Daley to move to a big girl (forward facing) carseat. We are hoping to get one this weekend. This is a big milestone for us.....I never thought we would get there. I will be sure to post some pics as soon as we get her new seat.
Here are a few more pics from this weekend:

Atlee & Daley playing....notice Atlee is wearing Big Girl Panties???

Look @ that lil brown hiney :)

Atlee & I played dress up on Saturday mornin....this is a pic I snapped of her bein silly

Atlee & Mommy

Until January

2009-07-29T10:17:00.005-05:00

Well as all of you Bachelorette fans know Jillian has made her choice! AND even though she didn't make the choice ~~I would have made~~ I wanted her to make I really and truly think she and Ed are a good match. I stand by the fact that I think Ed is a complete tool shed. I still despise the green manikin. I shutter at the thought of seeing him in another tank top. But if the leg crossing, Herman Munster look alike is what she desired then more power to her.

Monday night was spent with my BFF (Bachelorette Fanatic Friend) Lauren & Semi Fan/Wine Lover Katie. We met at Laurens for a Bachelorette Finale party.(Thanks Steven for putting up with us again) I really had a feeling prior to watching the show that it wasn't going to have the outcome that I was looking forward too. BUT I digress. We poured ourselves a few ~~too many~~ glasses of wine and settled in to watch the fiasco unfold. After watching the first hour of the show I knew the ending was going to be climactic!!! I mean they managed to fit 2 Meet the Parents & 2 Last Chance Dates into one hour. So that means we have one hour of "will she or wont she"! I do want to take this time to thank my good friends at ABC for making sure they dedicated as much air time as possible to showing Kiptyn sans shirt.....without it appearing desperate or tacky. I think women all across America will agree when I say "Thank You!!!! Thank you so so much". I enjoyed that time so much that I am considering forgiving you for showing Ed in his purple underpants! GA-ross!!!! OK back to the topic at hand. When Kiptyn was the first out of the limo the girls and I were sad BUT not surprised. He took it like a champ!!!! Classy guy no doubt.

Ahhhhhh Reid.....I was so glad to see you come back. I love the whole, I just got off the plane, flagged down the first minivan-taxi I could find, forgot my dress shoes, disheveled look. It made him believable. Until he said "I had to pull a million strings to get here" OK I know you were told to say that sweetie, but I am not buying it. Still love you tho!!!! Now here is the part where I turned into a bit of an embarrassment to myself. When I saw the two of them together on that platform (forehead to forehead) I truly believed she was gonna take him back and all would be right in the world. I was yelling at the TV "Kiss Her, Kiss Her" BUT my pleas weren't heard. I wont go on about how painful that was to watch because you were there!!!! You know what I mean!!!!! It was BAD!!! I do give him credit for putting himself out there and saying how he felt I just wish it would have turned out differently for him.

OK so by the time she picked Ed I was sooooooooo over it. I couldn't enjoy it for them cause well, I was in mourning for the relationship I fell in love with on TV & to be completely honest at this point I had had one too many glasses of wine.

Now last night the After the Final Rose party was at my house and of course my BFF Lauren came over and so did Crystal. I was only looking forward to watching THIS train wreck for two reasons #1 seeing Kiptyn & Reid and #2 more girl time. The interaction between Jillian and the rejects was just AWKWARD! I mean really really awkward. NOT to mention.....How cruel is it that they make the rejects (including Melissa) watch the dump session all over again & put their picture in the bottom corner of the screen. Seriously that is messed up!!!! Once again Kiptyn took it like a champ. I could tell the wound was still a little fresh but I am not worried about that one finding a mate. Reid on the other hand!!!! WOW!!!!! I sensed a little bit of bitterness but who can blame him?!?!?! I thought it hilarious when he brought up the Fantasy Suite and the look on Jillians face was priceless. Even in the face of pain & possibly a little bit of embarrassment Reid was still cute, lovable and funny. Watching her and Ed made me a little queasy but I do think ~~for the time being~~ they are happy!

I am sure my husband is thankful that at least until January (when the new Bachelor season starts) I will not be retreating to the bedroom for my private TV time! Of course I am secretly hoping Reid will be announced as the next Bachelor. BUT I am vowing not to let it consume me the way it did this yr ;) What can I say?!?!?! Everyone has a guilty pleasure right?

P.S. To Lauren & Crystal: I had a great time last night and thanks so much for catching me up on all the latest gossip. What can I say?!?! A picture IS worth a thousand words!

Baby Bedroom Makeover

2009-07-28T10:46:00.008-05:00

So this weekend I took full advantage of two people.....my mom and Jabin! I will admit it :) So Jabin was off work this past weekend so first thing Saturday morning we headed to Target (well not first thing......we went to Sevis first) and got the necessities for revamping Miss Daleys room. As you remember from my previous post her room was still decorated for a newborn/infant! We needed to transform it to be a little more toddler friendly!!!! She has been really into playing in her room and we wanted to take full advantage of that by moving her toys from the living room into her bedroom, lowering her matress & blocking all electrical outlets. Well onto the second person I took advantage of My mom (aka Nana). She offered to take Daley swimming on Saturday afternoon so Daddy and I could work on the bedroom. Boy am I glad she did. There would have been no way we could have transformed that room in 3hours if she would have been there. So without further a due:

BEFORE:

View from the door

Please ignore the pile of clothes in the corner!

AFTER:

View from the door! (We moved her bed under the window)

We converted her changing table into a dresser! (And YES Dad bought her a tv...not my idea)

Daley's new cubby/play area!!!!!

I know it doesnt look like a lot but she has been having so much fun playing in her room. AND mommy is having fun getting things done around the house!!!! Here are a few more pictures of her playing :)

Notice the detailing in the cubby's? Jabin & I put contact paper on the backing :)

All tuckered out from playing hard!!!!!

P.S. - for those of you who are wondering my thoughts on last night Bachelorette Finale. Well I think you know who I feel about the outcome. BUT I will post tomorrow after I watch tonight's After the Final Rose!!!!

Busted!

2009-07-23T13:55:00.003-05:00

Ok moms you know that feeling when your child is playing in their room and it is way too quiet? Well I have had that feeling a lot lately. Here is the scenerio - Daley is playing alone in her room and I am actually getting stuff done without a 13 month old attached to my leg! But then I think "Hey I havent heard her in a while!" Well in my house that means trouble! Part of me is scared to peek in on her for two reasons, #1 she might see me and be reminded that she is in there alone and needs her mommy's attention & #2 she might have literally torn the room pieces. So this morning she was playing in her room while I was getting ready and had been in there a total of about 5 mins. Well mommy decided to get the camera, as I rounded the corner this is what I saw:

Dont get me wrong I am not complaining. I am actually welcoming this independance but as of right now her room is not very functional for her age. Daley's room is still decorated and outfitted as a baby/infant room. So this weekend we are planning on revamping her room!!!! I found some really cool storage options at Target for her toys! I am planning on converting her changing table to a dresser equipped with baby locks so that what you see above isnt what I have to deal with each and every day!!! I am also planning on taking down the wobbly, glass top bedside table so that we can lower out percentage of going to the hospital in the near future. Also on the agenda is to lower her matress even more and block all outlets! No I dont mean cover outlets with plug covers, I mean block them all together. You see my daughter is craftier than the average toddler and given enough time can remove those measley covers!!!! I hope to post some before and after pictures so you can see what little progress we have made!

BTW Jabin is all for my revamping idea not because he likes to decorate but because he is tired of our living room looking like this......

What The Men Tell All Told Me

2009-07-21T15:57:00.008-05:00

Ok so last night I got together with my BFF (Bachelorette Fanatic Friend) Lauren to watch the Men Tell All. I was excited to see this show for two reasons! The first reason is that I love drama as long as it has nothing to do with me. The second reason is Michael. I have been missin his little breakdancing behind and I couldn't wait to see him again. So here is what I have come up with after watching last nights show:

1. Chris Harrison is freakin hilarious!!! He is a native Texan which is probably the main reason I love him but seriously he is really really funny. I was so impressed with the way he called the dudes out last night (I will get to why I am calling them dudes and not men or even guys later).My fave things he said last night were: "on a scale from zero to Mesnick, how did he do? AND "Isn't being on the Bachelorette a violation of Man Code? Cause you're all fishin in the same pool" Brilliant Chris!!!

2. Matheu totally got the hookup!!!! He just scored a free-party-your-ass-off trip to LA. That's right. Matheu the dude who was eliminated in episode 2 (I believe). The one in the cowboy hat......Yeah he was there last night. He said NOTHING but won the best prize. Whats that you ask? A free trip to booze it up @ the after party and I am sure a wicked suite at some cool hotel in LA. I mean think about it. Who could ask for a better deal.

3. Juan may be a little metro but something has to be said for one of the few dudes this season who actually has manners. I loved the fact that he spoke up and asked what was so wrong with being respectful and courteous! Hats off to you Juan. I think your mama taught you right!

4. Oh my dear Jake! Where do I begin???? I totally commend him for doing what he did (if it was his decision and not the producers, which I am still not real sure of) I mean I really and truly think he cares for Jillian and was looking out for her best interest. That has to be applauded. I think there are tons of girls (and guys) out there who would kill to have a friend like Jake. Someone you know who always has your back! The confrontation with Sasha made me proud. Seriously did he drop the F-bomb? I was shocked. I didn't know that Jake even knew how to use that word in the correct content much less have the gonads to drop it on TV. But I was proud of him nonetheless. Now the woman in the audience that asked him about being the next Bachelor.....I would have bet my life savings (which isn't much mind you) that this topic was gonna come up somewhere in this two hour show. I know I might make a few enemies with what I am about to say but oh well. This is my blog right?!?!? OK here goes. If Jake is the next Bachelor how boring is that season really gonna be??? Now don't get me wrong I am a big Jake supporter. Cute Pilot from Texas who has an amazing body. Come on....I would be crazy not to be a fan. But in my opinion he is Jones'n way too hard for LOVE. And he isn't that interesting AT ALL. Now I do believe he will probably make some woman very very very happy but I just don't know that I could handle that mushy, gushy, gosh darn it, awww shucks persona for two months solid. If he did the whole season sans shirt.....now that might hold my attention.

5. Michael Stagliano! Now there is a Bachelor for ya :) I think he is A-dorable. I mean honestly does it get any cuter than that? And what he said about the fact that he was a better person for knowing Jillian. Can I get an AWWWWWWW?? That melted my heart! Seriously if I was Jill it would have been hard to stay on that couch and not jump up and plant a big wet one on his sweet face. Seriously he is a class act. Love Him!!! Here is my pitch - Pick him & his twin brother as the next Bachelor(s)! Now that would bring some kick ass ratings for Mike Fleiss (that's the producer for those who are lost right now). Come on you have to admit Michael would make for a memorable season.

6. OK I don't like Ed but Drunk Ed totally cracked me up! Drunk Ed on film made for some great laughs.

7. Reid is not a good hula dancer. Totally adorable but I think if his life depended on it he couldn't dance his way out of a paper bag!

8. The piece on Kiptyn's charity work made me like him ever more. He for sure won points in my book. Now that is the stuff they should have shown during the hometown date. That was way more heartwarming that his crazy mama!!!

9. OK we all know that Tanner P. loves feet a little too much but I cant help but like him.

10. OK two words for you "Man Code". Seriously had I known they were gonna talk about this topic for as long as they did I could have made a drinking game out of it. Imagine you take a shot for Juan every time someone says "Man Code".....you would have been as wasted as Jillian in the pepperoni clip. Does everyone not agree that Angry Trucker Dave is completely off the reservation? In my opinion "Man Code" is an just excuse to act like an asshat! I mean really dude?!?!?Are you that far removed from society? Seriously this ogre really didn't think he did anything wrong. Was he raised in a damn barn? I don't know...he just blew me away!?!? I loved when Juan put him in his place and said "To me man code is being a gentleman & being an adult. In my opinion getting drunk and belligerent, threatening people, and groping Jillian...that isn't being a man" Amen BROTHER!!!

On to why I call these guys dudes!!!! This isn't how I talk, this is the reference they deserve. These aren't men or guys...they are dudes. Aside from Jake, Michael Stag, Tanner P. & Juan I would like to have known the combined IQ for the losers on this stage. Seriously where did they come up with these guys. I don't know why I didn't notice it before tonight! Maybe I was too busy being pissed at Wes, falling in love with Reid and looking at Kiptyns abs to see these dudes are complete douche bags But boy oh boy did they show their true colors tonight!! Obviously it was slim pickins during this seasons selection process.

NOW lets get to the preview for next week. Um yeah did you watch??? Uh huh.....that's right. Reid is coming back and with a ring :0) I was so excited when I saw that!!!! I think I actually jumped up and down.

But what am I not excited about seeing next week???? Ed in those damn shorts again!!!!

BTW the bloopers last night were priceless....best ones I have seen yet :)

What did you think?????

Look At Me Go!!!!!

2009-07-20T14:19:00.001-05:00

I promised

2009-07-14T16:22:00.002-05:00

so here you go! Here is what this blog is really all about :)

This past weekend my sister and Atlee came to town for a visit. We are always so excited when we get the girls together to play. On Friday night we went out to the Whatleys land for the fireworks spectacular that got rained out. We had a lot of fun :) Thanks Damon for the show~

Aunt Kelli & Atlee having fun with some sparklers!!

Waiting for the fireworks to begin!

I love my Nana!!!!

On Saturday after lunch we went over to my grandmas house for a swim! Daley and Atlee both love the water!!! Amanda and Angela came over and played with us too. We had a lot of fun. Here are some pictures from the pool.

Can you tell its naptime?

Ten Things.....

2009-07-14T11:04:00.001-05:00

I want to say to Jillian & Ed! Thats right it is Tuesday and I am blogging AGAIN about this dumb obsession of mine. The Bachelorette! I promise to post some personal pics of my cutie in the next 24hrs!

Without further a due:
10 Things I want to say to Ed:

1. How hard is it for you to try to hide the fact that you are such a douchebag?
2. Please let Reid or Kiptyn explain to you what we mean when we say "eye contact".
3. It disturbs me that I was trying to figure out who was more dorky last night you, or your dad.
4. No one really believes that "you flew your parents to Hawaii" come on dude that has ABC written all over it.
5. You look like Herman Munster
6. You need to man up!!!! A sunburn really??? That was your excuse??!?!?!
7. Do you have a stylist? If not.....you need one badly.
8. Where can you buy a lavender suit coat?
9. How does a man hold a straight face while sitting on a wicker couch with his legs crossed sipping a glass of pinot grigio
10. The Class of 1984's cheerleading squad called and they want their shorts back!

10 Things I want to say to Jillian:

1. Really you picked a dude whose shorts were shorter than yours?
2. You didnt pick Reid??????
3. You picked a guy whose dad has more emotion about this situation than he does?
4. You didnt pick Reid??????
5. A sunburn really?
6. You didnt pick Reid??????
7. Did Ed borrow those shorts from you?
8. You didnt pick Reid??????
9. Can you tell how bothered I am by those shorts?
10. You didnt pick Reid??????

Ok I think everyone got my point. So here are some thoughts. I totally dont blame Jillian for keeping Kiptyn around. I would kiss his face off too if I had the chance. AND if he wins her heart I will be OK with that. Not happy but OK!!!! Did anyone catch Kiptyn say last night "This is crazy two days ago we were in Spain and now we are in Maui!" ok Riddle me this???? Why is it that in Spain (2 days ago) Jillian wasnt ready to take any of her relationship to the "Fantasy Suite" level. But in Hawaii she was chompin at the bits to get down with her boys??? Just a thought?
Now on to Reid. I know he wasnt ready to tell her he would propose nor was he ready to say he loved her but honestly what is wrong with that??? I mean step aside from the "show" for a minute and realize they have been dating for 8 weeks. 8 weeks people!!!!! What would you do if a guy you have been dating for 8 weeks said he loved you and was ready to propose to you? I would run like hell!!! Now I know Jilli is in a different spot seeing how she is on a semi-reality tv dating show and all, but have you forgotten when you leave her you will be dating in real life not jet setting all over the globe, cliff diving and taking heli rides with ordained ministers? My advice to her would be to think about who might be the best choice for real life!! I mean you gotta give the guy props for not just telling her what she obviously wants to hear. Do I think Reid loves Jilli??? YEP Do I think he could see himself married to her??? YEP Do I think he think he is scared that he has these feelings so soon??? Fo Sho!!! Do I think we have seen the last of Reid??? NOPE ;) Just sayin!!!

Word on the street (aka spoiler threads) is that Reid is coming back. He is the "confession" that is mentioned in the preview. Also remember in the previews of the past Jillian said "the guy who was the hardest to let go came back, got down on one knee and proposed"???? Well there you have it folks!!! My prediction goes something like this: Reid never really left Hawaii!!! So around the time of the final rose (day or two before or the day of) he goes and finds Jillian and tells her that he regrets not expressing his feelings and that he loves her. She tells him she needs time to think about what she should do. She decides that she really does love Reid and in the end she tells Ed and Kip she cant be with either one of them. Then she goes back to Reid and tells him she loves him and she wants to be with him. Now I may be way off base but I hope I'm not!!!! After all I know this show isnt 100%reality but I can hope there are real feelings and that for once (other than Trista and Ryan) there can be a true long lasting happy ending.

Now if my worst nighmares come true and she doesnt pick Kiptynite and Reid doesnt come back then that leaves one other choice ED! Seriously yall if she picks that asshat I will question her sanity. He is GA-ross....did I mention the shorts????

Mondays Never Looked So Good

2009-07-07T14:55:00.004-05:00

Ok so normally Mondays are my least favorite day of the week but lately I feel like they cant get here fast enough. That's right monday night = The Bachelorette!!!

So last nights episode was a looonnnnggg time coming. If you watch this show you totally know what I mean. So let me give you my opinions of the night!

Date#1 - Kiptyn:

So i still think he is really cute but for some reason it seems like each time I watch him he seems less and less into my girl Jill. Now dont get me wrong I think he likes her but not as much as she likes him. The flamenco dancing was just awkward!!! She couldnt clap to the beat and I felt really really bad for him in those nut huggers. Seriously ABC?!?!? As if spanish dancing wasnt humiliating enough you had to put him in that get up??? Come On!! Oh and this is the date where we all find out that she is turning down the fantasy date cards!!! BTW I was cracking up when he wrecked the "scooter"

Date #2 - Reid:

Oh Reid!!!! How do I love thee? Let me count the ways!!! He is so dang cute and I love them together. You arent going to get me to say anything bad about this neurotic cutie pie. I thought their date looked so fun and sweet. If she doesnt pick him in the end I might start an online petition to get her commited! Now I can totally tell that Jill is CA--razy about Reid (and why wouldnt she be) but unlike Kiptyn(ite) I think he is equally as smitten with her. When he said in spanish "she has my heart" ahhhhh I almost melted. Now I know this one has commitment issues (as does Kiptyn) and has a hard time expressing his feelings but I think he is coming around and I cant wait to see what happens next week! Team Reid all the way!

Date #3 - Ed:

Dear Ed,

I am so over you!!!! You have Jilli fooled but I dont believe for one second that you had to leave the show to go home for "work" I also dont believe for one second that you were so distrught during your absence that you worked 24/7 and then realized you just HAD to come back. You also cant fool me into believing a hell of a lot that you have to say considering when you pour your heart out you cant even manage to maintain eye contact!!!! Get a clue dude! Rule numero uno when you are professing your undying love to a girl you might want to look her in the eye. Just saying!!!! BTW if you are trying to convince someone how "Cool" Chi-town is, offer them more than hotdogs and kareoke!!! Heck you can get that in The Falls.

Sincerely,
Me

P.S.
She totally stayed the night with you cause she felt like you had to "catch up"

Date #4 - Wes

I have two words for you: TRAIN WRECK!!!! Can I say how glad I am that this ass clown is gone? He has taken up way to much screen time IMO!!! Now show me some shots of Kip's abs and more canoodling with Reid and we MIGHT call it even. Now edit or no edit this toolshed will do down in Bachelorette history as the guy with the classiest exit EVA!!!! I mean come on did you hear what he said before the rose ceremony???? Really!!!! And then in the limo???? Really!!!! I hope your fan base has a high percentage of men cause every woman who just saw that nightmare go down would opt for a gynelogical exam over buying one of your cd's!!!!

Ok so going into this rose cermony everyone knew who was going home!!! Heck even Wes knew he was going home!!! I am so glad Jillian finally came to her senses. Now Jill....just pick Reid and you will be on your way to redeeming yourself!!!

I cant wait til next week! Let me know what you think :)

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-06T09:27:00.007-05:00

This 4th of July weekend was lots and lots of fun. Busy......but fun. So here is a recap. On Friday after running a few errands I went to lunch with my mom. Our swimming plans for the day kinda fell through but we made up for it on Saturday. Then after a nap for Daley all of the family (and friends too) went to the WF Country Club for the 4th of July festivities!!! We had so much fun. We found a spot on the fairway in the shade and Daley had so much fun playing on the soft grass. When the fireworks came on she was quick to take a spot in mommys lap. I was very proud of our brave little girl. She jumped a little when the fireworks popped but she never cried. She was intrigued for sure. On Saturday mom and I took Daley swimming and my step-sister Amanda and her girlfriend Angela came over to swim with us. That evening we went to the Whatleys house for a cookout and then headed to their land at dusk to set off fireworks. Unfortunately it rained on our parade but we have decided to come back next weekend and try it again. I have to admit even though I was bummed about missing the "Damon Whatley Fireworks Spectacular" the rain was nice :) Sunday was a very lazy day......I loved every minute of it!!! Sunday night we all went to dinner for Amanda's birthday celebration at Cheddar's. I was sooooo tired this morning and I didnt want to get up and go to work. I love long weekends....until Monday morning. I will admit I was very lax in my picture taking this weekend but here are a few from Friday nite :)

Daley playing with Gavin's sword

Family Pic

Daddy making Mommy nervous

Still nervous!!!!