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husband/daddy home, check; into a routine, check; making Knoxville feel like home, check; meeting new friends, check; back to a normal life and family....priceless!!

I think we can finally say we're getting into the swing of things and enjoying life! We are pretty much settled into our house, exploring the area, making new friends and keeping our calendar full.

While Chris is really enjoying his job, Claire and I are venturing out and staying busy. We are going to story hour, play gyms, play dates and love the park.

The weather makes it great for afternoons outside and we wait on the front steps every evening for daddy to come down the street. Then they go for a walk so she can tell him about our day while I sneak inside to fix dinner.

We are still busy with our church search as we are 'church shopping' every week. We have visited several and are enjoying meeting new people.

We still miss our friends in Charlotte but as the weeks pass it gets a little easier. We have some wonderful neighbors and are making some close friendships here in Knoxville that we look forward to building even more.

Can't believe we are flying into October but we are anxious for a busy month, visits with grandparents and celebrating Halloween!

Ahhhh Fall.....

at last!

Finally for the last 3 days the weather has been perfect! Lots of sunshine, cool breezes and cooler temps....B-eautiful! This morning for story hour we had to pull out some fall clothes and she looked so stinkin cute I had to take a few pics (probably about 40 to be honest)! So here she is looking all grown up in her first fall outfit!

Showing off her "jump"
Just posing

Saw her own picture & was telling Baby Claire hi

Her favorite picture to carry around, "gam ma and gg"

Loves her "pony, momma, pease"

Apparently playing dress up??

Repeating EVERY word that toy says

Dancing with Baby (she starts the music from the orange monkey behind her and dances with her friends)

Twirling (love the apron still hanging on)

Wearing her "gasses" and attempting to say "Hollywood"

18 Months

One and a half today.

How ever impossible it might seem, we have a full fledged little girl on our hands! As you can see from the pictures, she is sporting her first pony tail and proud of it! She is talking up a storm and is very good at saying what she wants; up, down, in, out, yes, no, please, thank you, etc. She said "sorry" yesterday (repeating it after she heard me say it) and by today, knew how to use it correctly....her daddy says we're really in trouble now!

We have noticed more and more over the last 2-3 weeks that her mind is in overdrive. She is processing all the time and quick to be creative and use her imagination. She is more "busy" than she ever has been; constantly moving, working and in full motion.

She likes to help pick out clothes some days, for example, she wore bright green alligator crocs (that we think GiGi intended for play) for 2 straight days last week. She wouldn't take them off her feet, so she was the talk wherever we went (more so than normal)!

She still loves the park, swinging, going for walks, however, these days, forget the stroller or wagon, she wants to "walk" with us holding hands. Which is fine, but our walks turn into marathons and we hardly make it around the block in 20 minutes!

She has turned into quite the little artist! Enjoys her coloring, painting and play dough.

She eats everything in sight, isn't scared to try anything and don't think about sitting down to eat if she doesn't have the same thing on her tray. She can negotiate like there's no tomorrow and is willing to beg, borrow and plea for want she wants when it comes to food (or anything for that matter). Her new thing are apples, not cut up, but whole apples to "bite" as she says when I hand her one. So she carries it around and eats it, sometimes handing me the peal and sometimes just spitting it out and leaving it where she pleases.

We had a play date yesterday and are trying to get out more and more to meet new friends. We're hoping in a few months, we'll be set in a weekly routine and continue the "social life" she had in Charlotte...haha!

Enjoy the pics of our "grown up" little girl....how does it happen so fast??!!

Loves the dough

Playdough that is! We got creative and used our cookie cutters to make some fun shapes; hearts, stars, pumpkins and yes, even the Pillsbury dough boy.

Sunday with Daddy

Doing a little water coloring

Doing a little assisting

Doing a little chillin waiting on mom to go to lunch (yes it was raining, she isn't just wearing it for fun)

Hola Festival

Notice the hysterical screaming taking place....she was saying "pease, pease" the whole time in line and then as soon as they stepped up to her, she was saying "no, no." Needless to say, Dora was much more fascinating from a distance where waving was plenty for Claire!

Cheesing with momma

Dora at least gave out bubbles!

Munching on some chips and salsa

Oh Mermaids!

Thanks GiGi!
Working so hard

Ooohhh

Rainy day of play

Finger painting for the first time....
You want me to do what??

Ok, this is fun

Got it down now!

Playdough time! (yes, that's paint in her hair...it's washable!)

Playing away in my playroom

One Remarkable Woman

A month ago today we celebrated the life of one special and remarkable woman. My grandma touched the lives of so many, had lots of wonderful friends, and left behind a family who loved her dearly.

It's taken me a while to write anything about the events of last month, but Chris & I were looking at some pictures on the computer last night and randomly it switched over to another folder from Thanksgiving 2007. I thought that was my sign to sit down and get some thoughts and feelings out. We also went to church yesterday (we're starting to "church shop" in Knoxville) and it made me realize how many pent up emotions are still swirling around inside.

There are truly no words to use to describe the relationship my grandma and I had and the feelings that I had for her. She was someone who has always been a part of my story; she was there through the happiest times and there during some of the worst days of my life. She was there through every holiday, birthday, school event, school dances, graduations, college, my wedding and the even on the best day of my life, when Claire was born. I have so many memories that have been overwhelming me for the last month that it's unbelievable. I am trying so hard to hang on to each one, laugh or cry about it and remember it forever.

I am so thankful that she was able to meet Claire and be a part of her life for almost a year and a half. She always wanted to see her, hug her, talk to her and know how she was doing. She said every time I talked to her (and I believe it beyond a shadow of a doubt) that Claire was her "joy" and that I will NEVER forget. I have vowed to myself to teach and help Claire know all the wonderful things about her great grandma Pete and for her to help me keep her memory alive.

I apologize for all the tears, but this special woman deserved a blog entry all of her own! Hope you enjoyed some of my favorite pictures from the last few years.