Rose Garden and Other Activities

Mama and Gracie getting ready for a big day of shopping and fun

After 2 days of trying, I finally got an 11 mo. old picture of both babies
(Lola's face is a little red as her tears just turned into laughing)

Gracie at the Tulsa Rose Garden

Keeping her H2O bottle close by

Lola trying to touch the roses

Having a snack in the beautiful weather

Watching for tadpoles

I love my swing

This is the picture I get 9 times out of 10 when

trying to shoot both babies, Lola crawling and pulling

up to get me

Lily Bean, sleepy headed

Another typical picture these days, everyone is too

busy to sit still for pictures

We had a great time at the Rose Garden, it was just beautiful and the weather has been perfect for being outside after such a long rainy period.

Yesterday was a big day here-Lily started crawling a little bit and Lola pulled all the way into standing. It is just amazing to watch these little babies grow.

Gracie has had a great week showing her sisters how to roll a ball, working on her shapes and colors, getting some new books, going shopping, swinging, and of course the baila show aka Dancing with the Stars. She is really a very good dancer for her age and loves to watch the dancers on Dancing with the Stars-so we TIVO it.

Hope all is well with you and have a great day!

Love, Mel

Mother's Day, Pulling Up, Hanging On and Other Parts of Life

Gracie on Mother's Day Saturday

Gracie and Papa after Papa helped Gracie get dressed post bath

Gracie trying to hang on to her two crazy sisters

This is why you hire a professional to photograph your girls (Jenny White!)

Look carefully at the legs...

Lola frequently finds a way to connect with Lily during play :)

Gracie on Mother's Day Sunday, pretty in yellow, clapping and dancing

Let's try a photo of all girls again...

Again, this is why we hire Jenny White!

Pretty baby girl Lily Bean on Mother's Day Sunday

Papa and a teething Lily

Lola pulling up to see what is on Sesame Street

Hello! Look what I can do now!

Lily with her favorite toy, a wooden spoon

Yup, I love this spoon

Gracie giving a helping hand to a new friend

This coche has two driver seats! Beyond cool!

I haven't had much chance to blog lately. Busy, busy, busy.

We had a fabulous Mother's Day and I felt totally pampered by my great husband and my girls. Don took some great pics of us all on a blanket in the backyard, but for some reason I cannot find them. I will try to post them later.

Gracie is doing great, meeting new friends and loving playing with them. She continues to talk and understand more daily. She recently got a new swingset and is at this moment enjoying it to its fullest capabilities.

Lola is Little Miss Go-Go-Go. She is pulling up, crawling and generally speaking, investigating her world as she should.

Lily is talking baby talk like crazy at a volume level of 10. She continues to get new hair daily and I am sad to say that I think she will have enough to need a haircut shortly.

I cannot believe my babies are 11 months old today and that this time last year I was very near to delivering them. Crazy year for this family in so many ways.

We hope all of you are enjoying May and your special loved ones.

Love, Mel

Baptisms and Birthday

Lily, Gracie and Lola with the grandmothers

just before baptism

Proud grandmothers

Don getting baptized

Gracie being baptized

Lily's turn

Last, but not least, Lola being baptized

Lola with Pastor Bill

Papa and Gracie listening

Mama with Lily and Lola and some of the godparent crew

Gracie wondering where the cake is?

Lola with godfather Tom and godmother Bobbie

Lily with godmother Karen and godfather Kevin

(Karen very masterfully handling a crabapple Lily who

wanted her Mama and a bottle.)

Gracie with godparents Pastor Bill and Cindy

Gracie with big smiles for Pastor Bill

The fam

Proud Mama with little socialite Lola

Lily, thankful for cousin Alyson's loving arms and lap to sleep in

The proud parents and Lola

The proud parents and Gracie

Gracie having such fun with cousin Taylor and friend Sydney, cousin

Jaxson stands by for support

And they all fall down, the best part!

Lola, content with her skirt over her head and bare feet, and

of course godfather Tom!

Papa celebrating his birthday with his girls

and a special cake decorated by Gracie

Pretty girl Gracie and those sparkly shoes

Our little Elton John

This past Sunday was a very special day for our family. Don, Gracie, Lily and Lola all were baptized. We have been planning this day since the babies birth in June. We just couldn't do it the way we wanted until RSV season was over. But, waiting was just fine in the end because Gracie is now home of course and the whole day was great fun for us.

Lola was content and happy watching all the people. Gracie loved playing with her cousins and friend Sydney. Lily spent a good portion of her baptism crying and the rest sleeping peacefully with cousin Alyson. My personal favorite moment was when Pastor Sam moved the baptism water close enough for Lily and Lola to splash in and fully participate in their baptism. Although watching Gracie's face as Pastor Bill anointed Don with baptism water was pretty priceless too. You could tell she thought "What is going on here?"

We very much appreciate everyone who was able to participate in the baptisms, especially our family and the godparents of all of the girls.

Yesterday, we celebrated Don's birthday and Gracie especially had fun preparing for the big day. She helped me make the cake, wrap the present and made several special cards for Papa. We hadn't really intended on Don being anything but "Daddy", however, Papa makes the most sense to Gracie and that is just fine with us.

Anyway, we continue on, adjusting to our new lives as a family of five. Some ups, some downs, but you know what- that is life, and we are just simply glad to have each other to share it all with.

Love, Mel