Gracie at Parents.com

Check out Gracie's winter fun picture at Parents.com. Enjoying the Tinley Park Winter Festival, Gracie couldn't resist a bite of fresh fallen snow captured in the tutu of this ballerina.

Register & vote this week for this tutu cute girl, ending February 2. Just in case her photo doesn't pop up in the link, plug in her

id# 2417100001 & there you go.

Have a good one, friends & happy winter!

Every Season

A heart song from one of my favorites~

Every Season by Nicole Nordeman

and everything in time, and under heaven finally falls asleep
wrapped in blankets white, all creation...shivers underneath

and still I notice you, when branches crack

and in my breath on frosted glass
even now in death, you open doors for life to enter
you are winter

and everything that's new, has bravely surfaced
teaching us to breathe

what was frozen through, is newly purposed
turning all things green,

so it is with you and how you make me new
with every season change

and so it will be, as you are recreating me
summer, autumn, winter, spring

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It's just a season & things will change, making me new again.

This has been a monumental week for Ms. Grace. She is yet away at her 1st sleepover...spontaneous sleepover. What did she pack 1st? All things regarding her hair: 3 headbands, barrettes, comb, brush & tangle spray. Cute~

I checked in this morning to see how she fared: a few tears at midnight - no, she didn't wake up at midnight but was going to sleep. Arrrrr~ Oh, yes that's right: sleepovers don't happen everyday. So tears at midnight but she fell asleep in the cuddling arms of the big sister of her little friend. Sweet. She's probably still sleeping~ Too cute

And how did I spend my first free night without Grace?? Not much to tell given the blizzard, short notice & must-stay-close-to-home-just-in-case situation. Grocery shopping - no one shops on Friday night - get in, get out. There was a blizzard, so needed some staples just in case. After putting in the last load of laundry, I popped some popcorn & settled in for a bit of mom TV ohne animation. :o) I fell asleep on the couch watching a Friends rerun, then rested comfortably in my Grace free bed until 5:50 AM this morning.

Next time, I'll be more prepared for sure. For sure, there will be a next time.

Happy snowy day~

Heartsmiles

One of Gracie's favorite books is this charmer by Charlotte Zolotow. It's about a little girl who details all the things she will let her little girl do: wear party dresses, pet any dog without asking if it's friendly, eat snow, have a sleepover whenever she wants, try on all mom's jewelry without asking first, order whatever she wants at a restaurant at least once a month, take a bath once a week, play in the ocean until she's blue, go without a coat the first warm day, etc.

It's a cutie book for sure! After reading it one night this weekend, I asked Grace if she wanted to have a little girl when she grows up. To which she replied, "I told you 'I want a PET!'" Hee, heeeeeeee....

Other heartsmiles, some from Grace; some from others~

• When I grow up, I want to be a mommy like you
• You're the bestest mom ever!
• I've got a real inkling/itch (or something like that) to play some Rumbicub! My response: BRING IT ON!
• Viel kussen für die kleine mausse
• We saved you some meatloaf
• We love you
• Gracie quoting her memory verse from Sunday "Love the Lord your God with all your heart."
• Pray for me, mama

Our 1st Sleepover & the Gingerbread Church

Thanks for your patience as I get back into the swing of things after the holiday season. It's been a slow go for numerous reasons, but we'll start with this cutie smilebox. Enjoy!

Gracie had her 1st sleepover just before Christmas with her sweet friend, Jayleeah. They had a blast playing dressup and riding horses (stick & rocking. After pancakes the next morning, the girls delighted us all in decorating a gingerbread house. Once a sucker, a star became the focal point of their creation and thus, we had a charming gingerbread church. We sent it home with Jayleeah for her family to enjoy. Oh what fun~~ AND forgive me, Phaedra, for misspelling your sweetcake's name.

Make a slideshow - it's easy!

BTW...your's truly was featured on Disney's parenting website with the Gracie quote, "I can do all things through Christ..." Disney sent along a little something for this sweet GraceFULL moment shared. I know you have your own stories to tell...let the world share your smile. :o)

Happy day, friends! Bis spater~

Quizzing

Is this me or what?!!

What my name means

You are very open. You communicate well, and you connect with other people easily. You are a naturally creative person. Ideas just flow from your mind. A true chameleon, you are many things at different points in your life. You are very adaptable. You are usually the best at everything .. you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are wild, crazy, and a huge rebel. You're always up to something. You have a ton of energy, and most people can't handle you. You're very intense. You definitely are a handful, and you're likely to get in trouble. But your kind of trouble is a lot of fun. You are confident, self assured, and capable. You are not easily intimidated. You master any and all skills easily. You don't have to work hard for what you want. You make your life out to be exactly how you want it. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are very intuitive and wise. You understand the world better than most people. You also have a very active imagination. You often get carried away with your thoughts. You are prone to a little paranoia and jealousy. You sometimes go overboard in interpreting signals. You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are a free spirit, and you resent anyone who tries to fence you in. You are unpredictable, adventurous, and always a little surprising. You may miss out by not settling down, but you're too busy having fun to care. You are a seeker. You often find yourself restless - and you have a lot of questions about life. You tend to travel often, to fairly random locations. You're most comfortable when you're far away from home. (Hello?!) You are quite passionate and easily tempted. Your impulses sometimes get you into trouble.

What's Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

I knew it!!

You Belong in Rome

You're a big city soul with a small town heart Which is why you're attracted to the romance of Rome Strolling down picture perfect streets, cappuccino in hand And gorgeous Italian people - could life get any better?

What City Do You Belong In?

Laughter does good like a medicine

Somedays are just like that~

Happy New Year! May it be full of delightful surprises, laughs and giggles worth sharing again & again.:o)