PUPPIES

Papa's bird dog, Blue, had seven precious puppies yesterday, five girls and two boys.  Marlee Grace had seen Blue a few days ago and I let her feel the puppies moving around in Blue's belly.  Papa called us last night to tell us the big news of their arrival so today we went out to visit them.  Marlee Grace was so excited to see them and Blue was so sweet to let us hold them and snuggle.  Marlee Grace got a hold of one of the little boy puppies and loved carrying him around in her arms.  She carried him so sweetly and did not let go or drop him but at the same time did not squeeze him.  She did perfect!  It was a heart melting moment when she started singing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to him.  She was very sad when we had to leave and figured out that we couldn't bring the puppy home with us.  I see lots of puppy visits in our future! :)  I don't mind cuddling with them either, not much sweeter than puppy breath! :)

Smart Girl

Marlee Grace is such a smart girl!  She knows all of her UPPERCASE LETTERS in the alphabet!!!  She loves to be quizzed on them and points them out anytime she sees them written on shirts, signs, books, packages, etc...  We are so proud of her!  She can also count all by herself to 15!!!  And she is working hard on learning all the lowercase letters!  It won't be long until she knows them all because she has mastered quite a few of them already!  She has also mastered the shapes (circle, square, rectangle, triangle, diamond, octagon, oval, pentagon).  

Exercising in January

On January 1, I made a resolution to run at least 1 mile everyday in the year 2013!  My sweet running buddy helped me achieve my goal in January and today on January 31, we are proud to say that we did run at least 1 mile every day this month and most days 2-2.5 miles and have logged 60 miles together this month!  I am so proud of us, Marlee Grace!!!

Just another January day

Today was just another January day playing in the water hose to cool off!!! :)

A visit with Nene and Pepa, Outback, and Bowling

Bear always works on Saturdays these days but today he decided to take the day off and just spend time with me and Marlee Grace.  We played out in the yard for the longest time because it was just so pretty outside.  The weather was perfect!  We enjoyed lunch together and then decided to take Marlee out to see the cows.  On our way out to the pasture, she fell asleep...something about riding in her Daddy's truck just puts her right to sleep, so Bear and I decided to go by the RedBox in town and pick up a movie to watch together at home while Marlee napped.  We watched Pitch Perfect together...this was the first movie we have watched together in a long time because we are just so busy with our sweet girl or Bear is working, that we don't take the time to sit and watch a movie.  It was a good movie and funny in parts.  After the movie, Marlee Grace woke up and we played for a bit and then decided we wanted to go and visit Nene and Pepa in Sebring.  We got dressed and surprised them when we showed up.  Marlee Grace loved playing with their statue dogs and loved walking out on their dock.  Nene gave Marlee a bib for her baby doll that said Bear on it and Marlee thought that was pretty special!  After visiting with our dear grandparents, we decided to go to dinner at Outback.  After Outback, we decided to take Marlee Grace bowling.  Marlee had been bowling before with me but not with her Daddy who is VERY good at bowling.  She loved carrying her HEAVY ball up to the ramp they gave her and pushing it down and watching it roll SUPER FAST!  She enjoyed bowling so much that she bowled my turn and her turn!  We played one game and then she was over bowling and just wanted to run around.  It was a fun one game though for sure!  We had such a fun family day together and can't wait for more of those!

 

 

"Surprise" Brooker Girls Night Out

For Christmas the younger Brooker girls were given a card by the older Brooker girls that told us that we would all be joining together for a surprise night of fun.  They would not tell us what we would be doing, just that we would all be together and that it would be fun.  No husbands or children allowed.  So, Marlee Grace stayed with Grandma Peggy and Grandpa until Daddy got off of work and picked her up while I met all the Brooker girls to go on our surprise night out.  We were told to wear something comfortable and that we would be provided an apron.  The younger girls all rode with their Mother or Mother-In-Law to the destinations which turned out to be the Highlands Art League building where we found out that we would all be painting a picture at the Art Uncorked class.  We were all excited because this was a new and popular activity that a lot of us have seen people do but had not done it ourselves.  When we arrived, they had wine and other beverages provided as well as some snacks and we all put on our aprons and took our places in front of our easels and paints.  The painting we were all going to paint was one of palm trees.  We all painted, laughed, snacked, and had a great time!  We ere all pretty impressed with our final products!  After we finished painting, we all enjoyed some dessert at Dairy Queen and had fun sitting around the table just talking and catching up.  The Brooker Girls are such a fun group to be around and I am so blessed to be one of them!

 

 

Oranges

Grandma Peggy is the best orange peeler ever and she is so sweet to always peel Marlee Grace a bag full and bring them by to her.  Marlee Grace loves to sit out in the yard and squeeze and suck all the juice out of them that she can.  I love seeing her drink all of that good ole Vitamin C! :)

Stamps!

Marlee Grace loves to play with stamps as much as I did when I was a little girl.  And the precious part about this is that she is playing with my stamps and stamp pads that I played with as a little girl!  Her favorite stamp is the cow wearing sunglasses. :)  We have lots of fun stamping away together everyday and making lots of masterpieces! 

 

 

Bird Feeding and Bird Watching in the Perfect Bird Outfit

Birds, Birds, Calling All Birds!

Marlee Grace, wearing her adorable bird outfit decided that her bird feeder needed more feed in it, so she filled it up this morning.  After filling it, handful by handful, we hung it back up and she sat in her chair for the longest time waiting and watching precious birds.  Her favorite was the red cardinal that loves to come and visit the bird feeder.  She is a bird watcher indeed!

 

Tot Time, Twin Style

This morning, I took Marlee down to Sebring to the Childrens Museum for Tot Time.  Aunt Bonny was teaching class today and Marlee Grace was so excited to see Mary Kate!  When we walked in, we could not believe our eyes... Mary Kate was wearing the same outfit as Marlee Grace was and we didn't even plan it! The girls were twins and so precious and so well-behaved in tot-time.  They enjoyed singing songs, dancing, listening to the story, The Princess and The Pea, and making a fun craft.  :)

Adorable sayings by Marlee Grace these days...

Marlee Grace has really been saying lots of cute things lately and I just wanted to note them so I will always remember these precious moments :)

Mama talking: "What is your name?"  Marlee Grace talking: It's Marlee Grace, not Marlee, Mama, it's Marlee Grace

MG: "I am so hungry, Mama!", "Marlee Grace we just went out to dinner at the restaurant, why didn't you eat your dinner that we got you there?", MG: "Mama, I don't like to eat dinner at restaurants, I like to eat at my house!"

 "Marlee Grace, where does Daddy work?", MG: "Daddy works so hard in the trees."

MG: "Mama, Gracie is so hungry, she needs a bone, I give her a bone".  Then as she gets the bone to give Gracie, she says, "Speak, Sis" and makes Gracie bark before she will give her a bone.

MG: "Mama, I need a Reese kiss (what she calls a Reese cup)",  "Marlee Grace, we don't have any,"  MG: "Mama, lets go buy some at the Dolla Store"

Random person in the store to Marlee Grace: "Your boots are adorable, where did you get those?"  MG: "At the Dolla Store"

Right now in Marlee Grace's eyes...EVERYTHING comes from the Dolla Store (General Dollar that is)!

Marlee Grace woke up from her nap and I was busy cleaning the house, she looked at me and said "Mama, I so proud of you for cleaning my house"!

I opened a yogurt for Marlee Grace and she said, "Good Job Mama"!

"I so hungry, Mama...I need a vitamin"

An night while laying in bed watching Dora, she always says, "Mama lay with me and hold me".  I love my little snuggle bug. :)

"I so cold, I need a jacket!"

"Daddy is so hungry, he needs food and water"

"Mama, just ONE more book and then I will go to bed"

She is defintely a home body right now and always says, "No I don't want to, I just want to stay at My house!"

No More Diapers!!! YAY! Marlee Grace is potty-trained!

We are so excited and happy to announce that Marlee Grace is potty trained during the day and at night too!!!  We are so proud of her!  We started potty-training on Monday January 7th since I knew we would be home most the of the week and she would basically run around the house naked and we would go to the potty every fifteen minutes or so.  She would wear a pull-up if we did travel anywhere and at nap time and night time.  She had accidents but that was okay, it was a process of learning.  She wouldn't tell me when she had to go so we would just go and sit and hope for something to happen.  After the first week of getting lots of praise, many Reese's cups, and doing the potty dance many times,  we knew our girl was getting the hang of it.  We got brave and let her travel in panties and she was only wearing pull ups at nap and night time.  After a few more days, we decided no more pull ups and that she would only wear panties from now on.  She can now tell us when she has to go and holds it if we are out and about.  She has even learned to pee pee in the grass...but only on special occasions when we are outside playing and she just cant wait to get inside to use the potty.  She has always been one to not pee much while she sleeps so we are blessed there and make many trips to the potty before she goes to sleep and she is doing great about not wetting the bed.  Fingers crossed this wonderful progress continues!  Our girl is truly growing up!

 

I love this cute little bootee, especially in her panties! :)

Girls Game Night

My longtime, awesome and creative friend, Laura, hosted the BEST Girls Game Night tonight!  Marlee Grace stayed with Mammy and Pappy and had fun with them while I had girl time with my friends.  Laura told us all to wear our camo and that we would be going on a hunting adventure just like our hubbies do.  When we arrived, she had a hot pot of chili simmering on the stove and cold beverages iced down ready to drink.  We enjoyed drinks and dinner and shared many laughs around the table and then it was time for the hunt!  We split up in to two different teams and followed clues to our hunting adventures.  We threw the cast net in the pond (pool) to catch some fish (points), shot the bow and arrow (or attempted to at least) to score more points, and finished it up by shooting some deer with a BB Gun (fake deer that is).  I was so excited I shot the 30 point deer!  My hubby would have been proud...much prouder than if he had seen me with the bow and arrow!  Many, many laughs were shared while attempting these hunting adventures!  After our adventures  we enjoyed a s'more treat by the fire to end the night.  Great job hosting, Laura! 

We have a tricycle rider!

We are so proud of our sweet Marlee Grace...she can ride her tricycle all by herself!  She loves riding it in the driveway down the little hill and on the road. She can pedal forwards and backwards! The basket it has attached to the back is always occupied by a baby doll or an orange that she picks from the grove across the street (the owner said she could pick all she wanted to :).  We love that our girl loves being outside riding her tricycle as much as possible!

Happy Birthday Sidney and Connor

Marlee celebrated with her friends Sidney, who turned 3 and Connor, who turned 1 this morning.  They are brother and sister and have birthdays close together so their Mama, a childhood friend of mine, threw them a party together.  The theme was "Cat in the Hat" and it was precious.  Mar enjoyed the bounce house and wagon rides, but not nearly as much as she enjoyed the chocolate fountain!  She LOVED that and ate and wore her chocolate proudly! :)  We all had a great time celebrating these two special kids this morning!