balloon launch.

This story begins at Truett's Grill, one of my two favorite places, the other being Target. P absolutely loves the train at Truett's. And I absolutely love being able to sit down to eat with an entertained and complacent child. So, we are frequent guests at our local Truett's. For the train. And their sweet tea. I should mention, because you need the entire story, that P busted it big time on the concrete outside while we were waiting on our table. He tripped, smacked his forehead on the concrete, and quickly developed a bright purplish-blue knot on the middle of his forehead. Nice. Why does it seem that my child is the only nineteen month old that consistently has a fresh scrape or bruise somewhere on his body that is never easy to conceal with clothing? I wonder what runs through people's minds when they see my banged up child. Anyway, the nice waitress brought P a bright red balloon, which also provided some entertainment for my busy son. And so it began. Rather quickly, P developed a connection with his bright red Truett's balloon. We tied it on his wrist. While he ate lunch, we tied it to the high chair. He held his bright red balloon in the car for the entire ride home. He begged me to let him sleep with his balloon, but I drew the line there. After his nap, he immediately looked for his bright red balloon and insisted I tie it on his wrist again. And there it remained. I quickly realized that my son was not going to be able to handle the death of this balloon. Neither deflation or popping would go over well. And try as I may, there was no way this balloon would make it to day's end. To avoid a meltdown, I decided we must release this coveted balloon. And I talked it up to P. He was convinced that his bright red balloon would be launched into the sky, where it would spend the rest of its life with the sun and the moon, the birds and the planes. P was thrilled with our plan. And I patted myself on the back for my quick thinking and creativity.

So, we headed down to the reservoir, just before sunset, for our official balloon launch. And the hat? Once I realized there were other people at the park, I frantically searched my car for something to cover up that nice purplish-blue knot on P's forehead. The one from Treutt's. Remember? The hat worked out great concealing the knot, and it made for some pretty cute pictures of my sweet boy.


P played and played, balloon in tow.


And just before sunset, we prepared for our big launch. He was ready to set his bright red balloon free. He wanted his balloon to have a better life. A life much better than he could offer, couped up in this tiny house. His balloon needed room to fly.



"And on the count of three, P, let the balloon go, so it can float high on the air. And float away to the sun and the moon, the birds and the planes. Are you ready? One, two, three!" And on the count of maybe five or six, P released his bright red balloon. He had a moment of regret, then quickly remembered it was for the best. We watched the balloon float higher and higher....


....until it floated off into the sunset.

life.

“What is life? It is the flash of a firefly in the night. It is the breath of a buffalo in the wintertime. It is the little shadow which runs across the grass and loses itself in the sunset.”

wonderful wedding.

I've said it before and I'll say it again....I love weddings. Maybe it's the glitz and the glamour. Or maybe the pretty dress. Or the party that follows the ceremony. But most of all, I love weddings for the story. The couple's story. Their love story. This is the part that makes a wedding absolutely magical. And this most recent wedding that I attended surpassed all others (besides my own, of course) in wonderfulness. The couple was incredibly in love. And it showed. And it was a magical, happily ever after kind of night.

The bride was my friend Katie from pharmacy school. We were the greatest friends in pharmacy school. We have lost touch since graduation, but she will forever remain one of my few true friends. I would not miss her wedding for the world. She picked an incredible location to say her vows, in Carillon Beach, in the panhandle of Florida. The weather was perfect. Warm, sunny days. Cool, crisp nights. I was in love with the Meeting House in which the ceremony was to be held. Taylor and I rode our bikes there the morning of the wedding to scope out the quaint community and shops. I snapped some pictures of the church and surroundings.



The wedding coordinator was even nice enough to let me snap some pictures of the inside of the Meeting House. Aren't the ceilings beautiful?


The ceremony was beautiful, lighthearted and unique. The ring bearer was especially adorable; Katie and Andy's 150+ pound black and white great dane.

I got a few pictures of the reception details. A few pictures before the person behind the camera froze up due to the rapidly increasing darkness that accompanies sunset. The same photographer somehow forgot how to switch the camera to auto. (Gosh, I need a bounce flash.)

The place cards were uniquely placed on this bundle of branches. I love it.


And the tables were aptly named after roads in Macon, the town in which the couple attended college. And the same town in which the couple met and fell in love. So sweet.


A sweet friend was very kind to snap a photo of me and my love.


The newlywed couple dancing their first dance.


And sharing a sweet kiss while posing for their photographer.


And here's a picture of the p-school gals. (Left to right; Jennifer G, Katie, Jennifer R., and me)


It was a beautiful wedding. And a wonderful weekend. Congratulations, Katie and Andy. Many blessings to both of you. Your wedding was a beautiful love story. Your love is reminiscent of the precious bond I share with my own spouse. It only gets better from here. Thank you for including us in your celebration.

trick-or-treat.

Boy, was it a soggy Halloween. We attempted trick-or-treating in between rain showers. P was super psyched about dressing up us Elmo. We talked about it all week. He was certain he had "chosen" the right Sesame Street character. But when it came down to actually putting the costume on, "Momo" was no longer cool. He was fine with knocking on doors. He was actually a champ at it. But carrying the "Momo" bucket or putting on the "Momo" hat was absolutely out of the question. He got the "trick-or-treat" part down pat by about the fourth house or so. But the "Momo" hat and bucket were not cool. So we rolled with it. And I took pictures of his back. And that is just fine. Because there will be other Halloweens. And other trick-or-treatings. But at nineteen months old, Phoenix is too cool for Elmo. But "num-um-nums" are worth the effort. And he got "num-um-nums" at the first house. I consider this second Halloween a success. A bucket full of num-um-nums. A kid on a sugar high. And some pictures of my son wearing Elmo on his backside. Good times.

apple farm.

So, I'm about three weeks behind in posting pictures. And, for once, I have a ton of pictures that are postable. These last three weeks have been crazy. Crazy hectic. And crazy fun. Three weeks ago we headed up to Ellijay for the apple festival with my parents, cousins and their kids, and my aunt and uncle. Two weeks ago we went to the beach for a wedding. And last night we had our Halloween party. Trick-or-treating tonight, then two birthday parties tomorrow. Phew. I'm getting tired just typing about it. But I'm not complaining. I love staying busy. So, I'm going to attempt to get all of these pictures posted, maybe in chronological order, or maybe in the random order in which I feel necessary. Either way, get ready for picture overload. Because I'm feeling behind. And I'm feeling guilty. And I'm feeling you need to see some pictures.

In Ellijay, we took all of the kiddos to BJ Reece's Apple Farm. We went there last year, too. The farm has a ton of kid friendly activities and also has some pretty incredible mountain views amidst the orchards. We chose the coldest day of the year to head to the farm, but the kids stayed active enough to keep warm.

Something was keeping P entertained....


Wow. He is so mesmerized. What could possibly be so fascinating, P?


Oh. Something loud. Something shiny. Some kind of gun that shoots its ammunition hundreds of yards. I get it now. That apple cannon is pretty cool, huh? He is all boy.


And here is the ammunition. Unripe, immature, miniature apples. What else do you do with a bunch of sour apples? They have a purpose in this life, too. To be shot from a cannon by a bunch of overeager boys.


We also picked apples, despite my husband voicing that this was a bad idea. I guess I must admit that he was right, for one of many reasons. First, there were few apples left on the trees due to an early harvest this year. Why the farm employee failed to tell us this is beyond me. I guess they still have to make money. But to send us up into the orchards with a bushel-sized basket knowing good and darn well that we would come back empty-handed? That's just wrong. And, of course, there was a sign behind the cash register that said "no refunds". Also, P wanted nothing to do with apple picking. He was cold and cranky. And apple-picking was not half as thrilling as shooting an apple from a cannon. And those apples that I just had to have? Well, they are currently rotting in our fridge. So, I'll admit it. My husband was right. Yeah, I said it.

The farm also had a great petting zoo. Out of all of the cute animals at the petting zoo, for some reason, P was intrigued by the goats. Goats, of all animals. Yuck. I strongly dislike goats. But they are P's favorite. So, I guess they deserve a picture.


He petted the bunnies. Then hopped like the bunnies.


And he stayed clear of the rooster. Can you pet a rooster? I've never seen it done.


And here's my favorite picture of my two boys. Taylor was warming P's hands throughout the morning, since he refused to wear gloves. They're such good boys. And I love them so much.


We had a blast despite the FREEZING temperatures. Stay tuned for more Ellijay pictures. Happy Halloween, everyone!

nineteen months.

Oh, I love this age. He is non-stop fun. He wakes up talking. Goes to sleep talking. He loves to jump and run. He's busy. And he keeps us busy. He's sweet. He's funny. He repeats every word we say. He blows great kisses and gives strong hugs. He's so grown up, yet very much still my baby. We are loving every minute of watching him grow, change, and evolve into the person he will become. I don't want to miss a thing.

carousel.

P absolutely loved the carousel at the fair. Maybe because it was the most thrilling ride of the few that he was big enough for. Or maybe because it goes around and around. (Which is, by the way, his favorite phrase as of lately. He uses this phrase often. To describe the oatmeal cooking in the microwave. The wheels on the bus. Himself spinning in circles until he dizzily falls down laughing hysterically. Or to describe the carousel.) Or maybe P loved the carousel because we rode it with him. As a family. And we rode it six times.


When we saw this booth, we just had to stop. What is better than getting a bag of cotton candy with your daddy's name on it?



My P is not much of a food adventurist, so cotton candy was really not his thing. I think the texture may have frightened him a little. And maybe the fact that it turned his fingers and everything else bright blue.

And for the record, Taylor hates fairs. Well, actually, he despises them. Everything about them. He thinks they are dirty. He dislikes the "carnies" that run them. He believes that they are a huge rip-off. And, he is deathly afraid of heights. Yet, he must love me very much because he took us to the fair. And didn't complain even once. He had a good time. And he bit his tongue, even when he noticed the ferris wheel car in which we rode had duct tape holding some part or another together. And the ferris wheel operator had marijuana stickers on his boom box. Nope. Taylor didn't say a single word. He just held on for dear life and smiled a fake smile. He must really, really love us. Thanks, Taylor. The rain held out just long enough for us to get in some good quality family fair time. Let's just wait and see if Taylor takes us back next year.

reveal.

We just got unpacked from our fabulous, freezing, family frolic in the North Georgia mountains. I am way too exhausted to download the pictures from my camera. But I promised to tell you where we went last week for our day of family fun.


These pictures from last week were taken on the ferris wheel at the State Fair in Perry. Once I decompress from our weekend, I'll post more pics from the fair and some from our Ellijay trip. Have a great week everyone!

faces.

I captured several of P's expressions today.





"What in the world was keeping P so entertained?", you may ask. Stay tuned for the reveal and more pictures from our super fun family day. We're off to the mountains for a weekend full of family, fun, and Fuji apples.

we be little.

Just one of the hundreds of varieties of pumpkins at the State Farmer's Market today. My mom went with us to help me pick out a trunk load of pumpkins for my Fall decorating. Thank goodness I had a helper. There were way too many pumpkins to choose from.


We Be Little. Their name doesn't lie. These junior-sized jack o'lanterns quickly became my favorites. We left with a twenty pound box of 'em.


You name it, we found it.

White pumpkins and pie pumpkins.


Gourds galore.


And we brought home some warty ones.


Even with a helper, the decisions were still overwhelming.....I think we just picked some of each.


And don't forget the corn stalks.


After all of this rain passes through and I get all of the pumpkins unloaded, I'll post more. And I promise to post more of P and the pumpkins. He just wasn't feelin' the camera today. Cutting molars makes for a miserable little boy. Bless his heart. Happy Fall!

baptism.

My cousin Amy's baby was baptized on Saturday. We had a great time watching the ceremony from the "cry room" in the back of the church and then, afterwards, we noshed on some yummy Italian food with our extended family. I just love family days. Their church is exquisitely landscaped, complete with a cobblestone bridge, a koi pond stocked with goldfish, and a waterfall. It provided the perfect entertainment for my busy eighteen month old while the others snapped pictures of the baptized baby and his family.


I practically had to restrain P while my sister snapped this shot of us. But it's definitely postable, since it's one of maybe three pictures in existence of me and my little man.


The cousins: my sister Jennifer, me, cousins Rachel and Amy. Our moms are twins. Can't you tell we're related? I've always thought we could all pass as sisters. I love these girls!


I got a couple of cute pictures of P while he caught his breath on the bridge. Doesn't he look so handsome and grown up?



Granny and P checking out the goldfish. "Fish" is a favorite word in P's rapidly expanding vocabulary. It comes out more like "sssh". Close enough, buddy.


Taylor and I also attended my friend Jami's wedding. She looked stunning and was beaming with joy the entire evening. I am a sucker for sappy love stories.

Here's me and the pharmacy school gang. It was great to catch up with these girls!


I just love weddings. That's a good thing because we are headed to Florida for another wedding in a couple of weeks. Can't wait! Have a great week everyone!

family pictures.

We finally had our family picture session. I've been procrastinating. Many of you know that I am much more comfortable behind the camera. I could not have asked for better shots of my family. Jenn is such an incredible photographer! (And a sweet friend.) I can't wait to get these hanging on my walls! Thanks, Jenn!