Cock-a-doodle-do morning

4am - alarm goes off, carrie gets in shower

4:15 - carrie wakes clay up to get in shower

4:30 - finish last minute packing & prep

4:42 - suitcases by door ready to go, get parker up & head out the door

5am - head to airport

5:20 - park at humphrey terminal, walk & take tram to Lindberg terminal

5:50 - security checkpoint ...this is always the fun one...strip down to practically nothing so that the airport security people can make sure you're not planning an attack...what cracks me up is when we have to take off Parker's shoes & part of his outfit...check all bottles, medicines, breathing equipment, etc. Break down stroller, place all 6 bags on conveyor belt & hope that you didn't forget to take something off/out while the people who do not have kids stand there tapping their foot impatiently. Clay in uniform....thank you Lord for easy access through security this morning! And thank you Clay for wearing your uniform so that I could bring more things! :)

6:05 - head to McD's for a sausage biscuit & juice

6:20 - arrive at gate...we're on the flight! Yes! (that's because most smart people were in the bed at this time of the morning!)

6:30 - Board flight

6:55 - take off for Memphis!

7:05 - Parker is asleep..time for a snooze for mama & daddy

7:20 - paranoid girl who is afraid of flying taps Clay on the shoulder to wake him up & inquire about turbulance

7:55 - paranoid girl is still afraid...wanted to know what keeps the plane from falling apart in the air...clay is talking her through all of her questions

8:15 - gave up on sleep but girl is starting to settle a little bit

8:35 - starting descent...we're almost to memphis!

8:56 - Land in memphis tired but excited to be here (and to have some peace & quiet from the paranoid girl)

9:05 - gate change, delayed on plane for 15 minutes

9:25 - meet Anne Pender at pick-up point at airport!

9:30am-Yea! Headed to grenada...time for some fun!!!


First, Anne drives through & treats us to Chic-fil-a biscuits...yum!





Don't we look perky at the cock-a-doodle-do hours of the morning! :)
Parker was asleep before we had even finished taking off for Memphis!

packing & leaving things in order

Tonight...I have been packing to leave for MS tomorrow (at 4:30am to be exact!)

Making sure laundry is done before leaving; I love it when my basket is totally empty before I head out on a trip! :)

Cleaning kitchen, doing dishes, taking out trash...these are the things that I HAVE to do before I leave on every trip. It makes me feel like everything is complete & in order!

Clay, Parker & I are headed down to MS for the weekend; my brother is graduating from college. Whoohoo! I am so proud of him & can't wait to see everybody! I'll try to update with pictures while we're down there!

summer you

Friends & family have been asking me to post some of the scrapbook pages I have done recently (since I talk about scrapbooking all the time! ha ha!) Let's just say that I talk & dream about it a lot more than I actually get to do it! But, lately I have been able to do a bit more so I thought I would post one of the ones I finished today. It's simple & fun! It was cool to do a page from Parker's first summer even though we're not quite here yet this year...lovin' the sunshine that's out today though! :)

fun details

Smart boy: So on Sunday when we were coming back to the apartment Clay said, "Why don't we see if Parker knows how to get home from here?" (we had just gotten out of our car & were headed from the parking garage to the elevator to our apt). Parker led us to the right door and then to the elevator (after trying to take the stairs first). Finally we got off the elevator, he made a left turn to go down the hall & walked straight up to our door! He can even reach the doorknob now so he tried to open it! We were some proud parents! :)

The whole weekend he discovered he could open doors at Ashley & Jason's so now he's doing it at home!

Not so fun...in 3 day Parker has had 3 accidents:
Saturday - fell down face first on concrete, bit inside of lip, lots of blood, no fun
Sunday - shut finger in door (was a minor incident, but still hurt)
Monday - fell off of couch & bumped head on corner of coffee table

This boy is all over the place; we're REALLY having to watch him carefully because over the last several weeks it's like he has no fear!

Funny: A friend of mine made the comment to me today that her daughter had taken a 4 hr nap yesterday (this is not the first time she has done this in the last couple of weeks.) I asked, "Can kids really sleep that long during the daytime?" We're lucky to get a half hr nap during the day with this little fellow! We are sooo thankful that he is such a good sleeper through the night though!

Oh! And I can't forget about this because I am so proud!!!! Clay did his first ever aerobics class with me today! And he did great! He admitted it wore him out (totally different than the workouts he's used to) but he impressed quite a few ladies!!! :) He even stayed & did CORE with me afterwards! You had the best punches in there, baby! Now we just have to get you to the FIT class... :) I'm sure you'll be excited about that!

This entry is short & sweet; just wanted to record some details of the past couple of days I didn't want to forget!

pics from our weekend in Memphis!

Walking with Ashley to see the ducks at the neighborhood pond.

Enjoying some ice cream at Baskin Robbins...notice the boo-boo on the chin & under the nose...Parker fell on the concrete earlier in the day & bit his lip hard...he has the battle scars to prove it!

Will, Clay, Dan, Jason & Justin hanging out at Benihana's

Eating out at Benihana's...yum! It was way past Parker's bedtime but he did sooo good at the restaurant!
Clay taking Parker to a nearby park for a few minutes!

Big Bubbles!

Ashley showing Parker how to use the bubble blower!

Samson & Parker....They followed each other around everywhere throughout the weekend. I think by the end of the weekend though Parker was chasing Samson more...poor cat! :)

Jason grilling out...yum!

Delicious chicken & pineapple dinner! Thanks Jason!

We had another fun weekend in Memphis getting to see some friends! And it was beautiful warm weather the whole time we were there! Thanks for letting us stay with you Jason & Ashley! We had a great time!

check list

Carrie's A.M. Check off list:
Try to take quick shower before Parker wakes up. Check.
Finish last minute packing for Memphis. Check.
Freshen bathrooms, fold remaining laundry, wash dishes & unload dishwasher. Check.
Get Parker dressed, fed & ready to go to airport. Check.
Keep Parker happy until time to walk out door while I try & finish up my last minute details. Until the last 45 minutes...check.
Forget that the travel car seat cover is down in the storage room on the complete opposite end of the apt building. Check. Go get it. Check.
Have a slight minor breakdown over not being able to get the new travel car seat to stay up to get it to the car. Check.
Make 3 trips down to the car with only a weekend's worth of luggage & one "it's time to go...I'm getting tired of no one paying attention to me" baby. Check.
Miss 6 phone calls from Clay wondering where we are. Check.
Leave for the airport 45 minutes late feeling a little frazzled. Check.

P.M.
Meet Clay at airport & get on first attempted flight. Check.
Arrive safely in Memphis. Check.
Eat at Chick-fil-a. Check.
Visit with friends Ashley & Jason. Check.

Parker's Check list:
A.M.
Wake up in a super cute & happy mood. Check.
Have my morning poop. Check.
Walk to the coat closet to try & get my stroller out to let mama know it's time to go. Check.
Be patient as mama run's around in a tizzy for the last 45 min of being at home...well, we could have worked on that one a little bit!
Waved at everyone at the airport. Check.
Eat part of Daddy's McD' sausage biscuit. Check.
Play on airplane. Check. Sleep on airplane. Check.

P.M.
Play with Samson the kitty. Check.
Make mama & daddy so proud by being so good in the car with friends. Check.
Play in mud, dirt & garden. Check.
Burp & throw up enough milk out of the blue in the local pizza restaurant to make 1 customer leave & several people almost turn away at the entrance. Check. (he's ok...I promise...)
Go to bed like a pro on my pallet. Check.

prayers for Stellan

I don't personally know this family...I have read about Stellan through several other "blogger friends'" sites & my heart goes out to this family. Normally, I wouldn't put things like this up necessarily, but if I was his mother I would hope that others would spread the word as well and pray intensely for my son. What an amazing family & story they have to share.

Every time I read the updates I cry, I pray, I give thanks to God...how sad it is for anyone (especially one as tiny as Stellan) to have to go through this. I am so very thankful that Parker is healthy & living the life he is. I never understand why any families have to go through this; I can't imagine as a mother having to endure this....

I may not understand life's ups & downs, but here is what I do know:
I know that God IS Love & does Love
I know that God is faithful
I know that God gives & that God takes away
I know that prayer matters even when we may not always get the answers that we want
I also know that our God is a big & mighty God & He knows the ultimate plan for each of our lives... knowing all of that puts my heart at rest when I read stories like this.

Lately, I have been holding Parker a lot tighter. The other day during the afternoon I rocked him for a few minutes before he fell asleep (which I hardly ever do anymore to keep him going down so well!)...I couldn't put him down. All I wanted to do was stare at that soft, gentle face & smell his sweet baby breath. Those forever long lashes...His little hand grasping on to my shirt...I wouldn't have moved for a million dollars. That moment was so special & I am so thankful for moments like those. I have been cherishing every day with my family & thanking God for the blessings He has given us.

Please pray for little Stellan & his family with me.

Happiness at the park & other randomness

22 minutes at the park was all it took...Whenever we drive up to the park now, Parker will start kicking & lifting his legs & feet & pumping his arms up & down with this excited babble/squeal! It's so cute that he recognizes it so fast! Today, not only did he do that as usual, but as soon as we walked around to get him out of his carseat he started blowing us kisses over & over & over...how precious can one get?! :) We could only stay 22 minutes, but that was all he needed. Parker had a blast!

Clay asked Parker to "show daddy where the plane is!" Clay had been looking to his left & seen a plane so when Parker pointed quickly up to his right babbling, Clay thought he was going to have to show Parker where the actual plane was. We looked to where Parker was pointing & sure enough it was another plane!

Another cute moment...Parker saw a lady with her dog & he started pointing & saying, "Woof! Woof!" It made him so happy!

3 fruits that Parker eats like candy: grapes, tomatoes & mandarin oranges

Clay took me shopping for new summer clothes the other day! I am so spoiled; he is so good to me! I literally had 5 short sleeve shirts & 1 pair of shorts in my closet...now I have more! Yeah! Thank you baby! Now I just have to get this body tanned & a little more toned! :)

Projects I'm currently working on (for Parker's scrapbook that is!)...I hope to finish them in the next couple of weeks so that I can show them! I just need a little bit of spare time.... :)

Simple, yummy salad I had for lunch today! It made me smile!

favorite fruit recipes

"Fruit Pizza" - this was always a frequent request to my mom from my friends whenever mama was bringing a dish to a particular party/gathering. A huge favorite of mine that my mom did when I was growing up! I have now baked this for Bridal showers, 4th of July gatherings & just for fun! It's yummy & hey!...it's healthy because it has fruit! :)

You will need:

1 lg roll Pillsbury Sugar Cookie Dough

Filling:

1 cup confectioners sugar

8 oz cream cheese

1 sm cool whip

Mash cookie doug onto pizza pan & bake 12 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool.

Mix & spread the filling on crust.

Top with sliced fresh fruit - strawberries, peaches, blueberries & kiwi

"Chicken pesto sandwiches"

You will need:
Hamburger buns
Chicken breasts (as many as you want to fix)
Gala apples (1-2)
Pesto
Cheese (whichever kind you prefer)

Grill your chicken breasts. While they're grilling, spread your pesto on the top side of the bun. Place your grilled chicken breast on bottom layer of bun. Top with cheese & thin slices of Gala apple.

Enjoy! Super easy & fun!

Random today things & lawn party sandwiches!

I ironed 10 things today...it took me almost an hour & a half...I told Clay I was now done for the year! :)

A couple of bananas were too ripe to eat, so I pulled out the mixer & whipped up some yummy banana nut bread...which I can't wait to dig into tomorrow a.m.

Kitchen cabinets, tv stand & mama's closet...Parker's 3 favorite places today :)

Clay & I went & worked out today...we both have to get in bathing suit form...yikes!!! We need like 12 more weeks to work with here!

It was cloudy & rainy all day here today...oh mr. sunshine, please come out to play tomorrow!

Yesterday, Clay, Parker & I enjoyed a fun afternoon out at the park. We packed a picnic lunch (I was thrilled to get to pull out my picnic basket for the first time this year!), went to a nearby park & soaked up the warm sunshine & all of nature's goodness! Beautiful skies, birds chirping, kids fishing in the lake, children playing on the playground, families strolling on the sidewalks...you know God was smiling down at this picture!

Parker enjoying his "Lawn Party Sandwich."

PICNIC (PIK 'NIK), N. 1. A pleasant or amusing exursion, typically one in which food is eaten in the open air. 2. (Informal) An enjoyable experience, time, task, etc., a time free of ordinary cares or responsibilities...

Parker showing off his pinecone.

For the picnic, I decided to make "Lawn Party Sandwiches." You can find this recipe in other cookbooks I know, but I got mine from this cookbook below that can be found here. This is not a cookbook I use regularly during the week, but it's one I pull out every so often just for fun times like these or when we have guests come to stay. There are some great recipes & I love the pretty pictures in the book as well!



"Lawn Party Sandwiches"

can be found under the chapter A Tisket, A Tasket

1 cup margarine

1 medium onion, minced

1/4 c poppy seeds

1 Tbs prepared mustard

3 (24 count) packages party rolls

1 pound ham, shaved

12 oz swiss cheese, thinly sliced

Heat the margarine in microwave until melted. Stir in onion, poppy seeds & mustard. Cover & chill for 8-10 hrs. Remove poppy seed mixture from refrigerator 1 hr before needed to prepare recipe. Split each package of rolls horizontally with a serrated knife into 2 layers, leaving the bottom layer in the pan. Spread the cut sides of the rolls with poppy seed mixture. Layer ham & cheese on bottom layer of rolls. Top with the remaining roll layer.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 min.

Makes 6 dozen sandwiches.

*Note: obviously for this outing I didn't need 6 dozen sandwiches, so I cut everything by 1/6. One package of rolls, etc. One of my girlfriends asked what kind of rolls I used...they weren't the frozen kind...that's all I know now, but I'll check at Target & let you know the brand.

green favorites & fun!

Here are a few of my favorite things this month:

Cloisonne beads from China from the Nolen's
Delicious Butter cookie from my favorite bakery in mn
Southern Living polka dot bowl
Ceramic bunny from Pier 1
Green napkins & placemats from Aunt Christy's warehouse in Tupelo
Candle from Target
Napkin ring holders from Pier 1
Crystal Light Peach Tea...YUM!
cute shirt from Buckle
Southern Living Easy Entertaining book
picture frame

What are a few of your favorite things this month?

cheerios, rocks, uh-oh's & other random things!

Parker has discovered how he can get to his Cheerios when he needs a snack. The other morning he was so cute reaching his little hand in the bag & grabbing a big handful, stuffing it all in his mouth. Then when he was done he would fold up the bag & attempt to put it back in the Cheerios box for mama. What a little sweetheart!

Should've known this was coming....

What a stinker :)

Warning: Carrie got a little excited over the fact that it was warm enough outside for shorts & short sleeves so she took quite a few pictures of the beautiful outing at the park.

Our 37 minutes at the park...can you tell how much fun we had?! It was a gorgeous day, warm enough for short sleeve & shorts (yes!!!!), & Parker got to play in the grass & with ROCKS!!!! Believe it or not, this was his first experience with rocks. There must be some sort of in-born nature that all little boys have because he did exactly what I thought he would with them.

1. stared at them with this curious look on his face like it was the neatest thing next to his Cheerios.
2. picked them up, dropped them & watched them fall to the ground
3. spread them around all over his little space as fast as he could
4. started putting some in his mouth (to which I then screamed & brushed them out as fast as I could for fear of him swallowing one)

5. After he had played enough with the pebbles, it was time to move on to the bigger ones....











Parker funnies:
Yesterday, Parker started saying "Uh-oh" over & over & over just out of the blue. Not "Uh-Uh" but "UH-OH"; it is the cutest thing ever. Clay & I are cracking up over this!
So, today Parker is crawling around in the closet in his room...one side of which consists of mama's stuff...& he starts one by one taking things off of the shelf (mostly mama's things), dropping them on the floor & saying "uh-oh". I think he was making a game out of it because 6 minutes later I see a pile-up on the floor & he is still going strong. :)

Random things this week: (Sorry guys, I have to record this or I won't remember it when I finally have time to scrap about it!)
Parker LOVED taco night tonight!!!! He is walking everywhere & is quite a fast little thing! Still going out on the balcony all throughout the day...this whole week we've actually just been leaving the door open so he can go out when he pleases. Took a ONE HOUR nap on Monday! Praise the Lord, Hallelujah!!! That's the longest nap he has taken in I don't know how long! I laid him on the couch after rocking him just until he got drowsy & he conked out on that red sofa! He woke up happy too (just like at daycare) because he doesn't feel trapped in a crib when he wakes up I guess! I went through his closet/clothes, bibs & other baby things today & it made me sad. I have 2 garbage bags full of stuff to take down to storage that he has either outgrown & can't use anymore...it's most of the BABY stuff! I feel like we hardly have an BABY things left! Anyone want to console me with words of wisdom or random thoughts!! :)