Play Date Fun

Caroline Ferguson graciously hosted the girls and the kiddies over for a Saturday morning play date. Summer was REALLY grouchy at the beginning when I realized that she was teething a LARGE molar...MOTRIN to the rescue! It is such a delight to watch my girlfriends babies playing with my baby. So fun!

Woody Atwell

Woody left this world on January 26, 2010. Shocking is all I can say. He started showing signs of illness right after Christmas and left us just one month later. After many inconclusive tests, we made the heartbraking decision to put him to sleep after he refused to eat for the 6th day straight. He lost 20 lbs in one month was just suffering so much.

Sir Woodrow Valentine...aka Woody was our first born child. I surprised Steven for Valentine's Day 2003 and bought him a dog. I just couldn't choose from the litter, so Steven ended up going with me to choose. Woody ended up choosing us that day as he laid his head on Steven's feet and changed our lives forever. Steven trained him to be "his" dog who even fetched his boots. So many memories are shared with this sweet pup and we continually miss him on a daily basis.

Looking Back...

I have not been the best about keeping a "baby book" or scrapbooking daily on Summer's behalf. When I tried to remember what we did for Valentine's Day 2009 I just couldn't remember. I went back and looked in my planner and discovered that Summer had an ear infection that day. (6 by the age of 1). We spent the afternoon in Patient's First and ate Wendy's for dinner. I figured I would post pictures from a year ago, just so I can remember how much this little peanut is changing. (Especially her hair).

Caroline Conway

About a year ago CLC came to work for the Gabor Agency. What a hilarious combination we make at this very "interesting" place to work. We have shared many memories throughout our almost 15 years of friendship, but I think this past year will truly make us friends forever.


They call us the "doublemint twins." Why I am not sure. We look nothing alike, we think completely opposite, and our jobs are really quite different. I am a sales person thru and thru and she would rather die than be forced out on campus peddling door to door. So, I say all this as she really does make my life bearable on a daily basis. The laughter that she provokes is really like no other. These are the laughs that lead me to forgiveness for events such as last Friday...


She has been joining me at 5:30 in the morning for Morning MADNESS. Alexis our trainer decided to partner us up and do an exercise where we used exertubes. We faced opposite directions and were pumping our arms with our bands completely stretched and with full body weight momentum when WHAM, Carolines slipped out of her hand slapped me on the A$$ and bounced off and hit by back. Needless to say this would catch anyone off guard, but the best part is I squealed like a feral cat all the meanwhile Sara Britton and CLC are trying to contain laughter at my expense. Luckily I was facing the opposite direction and the tube didn't damage my pretty white pearly teeth!


I am fully recovered but the large bruise still lingers. What fun us "gym rats" have so early in the morning:)
The look I get if I enter cubicle too "happy" before 9am!



Torture device!

A Cow Says Moo!

A few weekends ago we headed to Orlando to have a Downat Family Vacation. Kim & Glenn open there homes to us as if we are family. Kaitlyn loves Summer as if she was a cousin or little sister. It is amazing to have best friends like them. Well, Summer was snuggling in Kaitlyn's bed with me and Steven when she pointed to the large picture on the wall that Kaitlyn had painted. She said "A cow says MOOO." Her first real sentence! We were so proud. Funny thing is the painting is of a horse. Go figure:)

The "COW"

The moments that melt my heart

My Granny aka Gran Gran, has been a HUGE part of my life. Not one holiday memory isn't filled with her and my Grandaddy. She and my Grandaddy established traditions from the time I can remember. We actually lived with them when I was in the 1st Grade and waiting for our house to be built. She showed me the true art of Butter Toast and serves me catfish on Fridays. I love this woman with all my heart...

I had the day off today and decided to surprise my Granny with a play date. Summer truly loves and enjoys her Gran Gran. I know this as she is so at ease that she laughs, sings, talks up a storm and best of all dances for her. After she wears herself out, she crawls up in her lap and asks her to "RE RE" (read) to her. My gosh, I love this life and I tell you these are the moments that melt my heart. GOD IS GOOD

A Valentine's Meal

Steven and I have really been focusing on saving money, living simple and eating at home. I must admit I would rather eat out ANY day of the week as opposed to eating at home. I hate the whole process of planning a meal, shopping for a meal, cooking a meal, and cleaning up after the meal. It is daunting to me. I just don't think my brain is wired to be this organized. It has been my goal to eat at home at least 4- 5 nights a week. I usually burn, rubberize (if that's a word), scorch or just screw up a meal at least 2 of those nights, but hey we are saving money if we eat the meal even if it terrible. (Cereal is always a backup).

So, for Valentine's Day I carefully chose a meal that seemed easy, practical and different than anything I have ever cooked before. I even invited Mom and Bubba over to enjoy in this SUCCESSFUL culinary experience.

The Menu:

Feta Stuffed Tomatoes (stolen idea from Nancy's blog)

Pork chops with beer, bacon gravy (thanks Rachel Rae)

Homemade mashed potatoes (a staple that I know I can cook and eat)

Collard Green Pot Pie (courtesy of the Jr. league cookbook)-DELICIOUS

White chocolate macadamia nut cookies (OK, so I cheated an used slice and bakes)

Champagne

The meal was a success, and I strategically used the leftover potatoes and collards with my Elk Pot Roast cooked in the crock pot all day on Sunday for the week. Look at me, so organized and thrifty:)

My little Valentine

Some pictures of My Little Valentine the day of her party. I actually left the camera for her teacher to snap some shots, and this is what I got...

The Happy Valentine

The Sweetest Valentine

The Smoochiest Valentine

The Goofiest Valentine

Just call me Sassy...

I have now determined that I am not Martha, Betty, Nancy or Boo...I am Sassy Montgomery. Yes, I have an alias...I named myself Sassy Montgomery a few years ago after many, many karoake filled evenings in Melbourne. Well, Sassy Montgomery has totally revamped herself into a Suzie homemaker that stays in on Saturday nights rather than hitting the karoake bar.

I have really been trying to step up my "craft" and "cooking" to show my sweet little girl that if you practice and don't give up, that your weaknesses can be overcome. Though lots of practice may not have helped my singing, it really is helping my cooking. I must say I was really proud of the chocolate dipped strawberries that I prepared in the name of Valentine's day for Summer's class and teachers.

(Did I mention, that I whipped these up between work, workout, feeding child, taking shower and heading out to girls night in time to have a glass of wine).

1st...wash and dry strawberries


Melt 2 cups chocolate with 1 tablespoon crisco shortening

Dip strawberries and let cool on wax paper

NANA

Summer is getting to be a "big girl." One of her new tricks is to take the step stool, drag it to whatever she is trying to reach and catapult herself up to grab whatever it is that she has laid her eyes on.

Well, I was doing laundry and had one eye on her and the other in the soapy filled machine when I hear a squeal of delight and a loud "NANA!" I realized that she had grabbed the banana's off the counter and kind of laughed at her as she handed them to me. Upon further review it seems she wanted just a nibble. If you look closely she actually took a bite out of the bottom banana. Skin and all...

Needless to say, we have our hands full with this curious little girl!

Kissy Face

I could just eat her up! When you ask her to make a "fish" face she puckers up...this is the face I got at Liam Ferguson's party when I asked her for a "kissy" face.

Say "Cheese"

Playing with Emily

Cute pictures of the girls playing this holiday season...They love to go on the "paygrun" (playground). They just love each other so much, and I am really thankful that we got to spend the month of December with Amy, Dane and Emily.
Kissing :)



Playing on Memaws bed

Bubba and Summer

Keith's 21st Birthday

Keith is my "double first cousin." This sounds very weird, but really it just means that my mom's brother married my dad's sister. (Kind of like twins, marrying twins). Needless to say EVERY holiday celebration is celebrated with both Keith and his brother Sean as they are on both my mom and my dad's side. I am very lucky to be very close to all my cousins. I love them all and love their girlfriend's too!

We hosted Keith's 21st birthday celebration. We had a cooler full of beer, bottles of liquor, and plenty of oysters and food in honor of his big day. The most fun of all HAD to be us singing and dancing to Guitar Hero and Rock band.

Ivette, Amy, Me, Kirsten

Amy and Sean

Keith-the birthday boy!

Christmas 2009

Christmas. Where to begin. We are so blessed that we have so many family and friends to share this precious time of year. We did like 9 Christmas celebrations in 4 days. I will kind of layout our timeline. I get exhausted every time I think about all that we do throughout the holidays, but I also wouldn't trade or change a thing, as I realize what a true blessing it is to have all these special people in our lives.
Here is a run down of the week...
December 19th-Girls Annual Christmas Party with Necklace Exchange

December 23rd-Lunch at Granny's
Dinner at mom's to celebrate with her side of the family

December 24th-Lunch with my Dad, Brenda, Austin, Amy, Dane and Emily
Christmas Eve service, dinner at mom's (Steven went in nice clothes, and no complaints...see July post:)

Christmas Day-WHEW here we go
7am Up for Santa at our house
9am Celebrate with my mom, Gary, Amy, Dane & Emily
11 am Arrive at Gran Gran's (my granny) for the Blanton celebration
2:30 Home for nap, relaxation and finish opening our presents as we were so rushed to open them all in the morning.

26th-Drive to Destin to celebrate with the Atwell's -Stay till the 28th

29th-Keith's 21st Birthday shabang at hour house with all the cousins

30th-Zoinks with the younger 2nd cousins

Here are miscellaneous pictures from that week...Enjoy.(At some point I will learn how to do a slide show).

Let the present opening begin

Smile for Papa and Nana

Santa's been here (side note, she only cared about the new cups)

Meemaw got her a "car" to match mommies

Precursor to when she is 16, daddy will teach her to drive

My two favorite people

One happy family

Emily "EMMY" enjoying Zoinks

Summer figuring out if she likes Zoinks any better this time

Austin Pratt and Brett DeGloet

Emily hating the ride

The girls in the bouncy house (check out Summer's face)

You don't look sick...

So the stomach bug hit Summer on Friday morning, infected daddy on Saturday and gave mommy the plague on Sunday. It lasted till Tuesday and was terrible. We went thru 19 loads of laundry and 7 rolls of toilet paper. I love that Summer was so sick, but was still her charming, laughing and happy self.

Sweet sicky baby

Nope, I'm not going to eat the saltines

Snuggling sickies...Gosh I love these two!

Snuggling with daddy in the sleeping bag