MmMm Fall!

I can't believe it's already the middle of November! We finally got the internet at our house, so I'll be able to keep up a little better on the blogging :)  I was going to try and back track and update on what's been going on since June, but that just seems way too time consuming, and I don't think I would ever catch up. So we're just going to start fresh! Can't wait for Thanksgiving next week, and of course Black Friday shopping!!! Iowa here we come!

Circus

This year the circus was in town over Mother's day weekend so we decided to take Gracen. She definitely enjoyed the lights and the music! I'm not sure she quite understood the rest, so we'll just have to take her back next year!




The tigers, they were pretty cool, but we were a little dissapointed there was no jumping through firey hoops.


Just enjoyin the circus with Daddy

My favorite part was the elephants!

The Princess visits the Crown!

Memorial day weekend Ms. Gracen and I headed down to KC to go play with Aunt Nanie while Daddy worked and finished (almost) the fence in our backyard. We had tons of fun. Gracen did not so much like Baxter (the dog), but did love going down to Crown Center. They had a family festival going on with live music, face painting, bouncy houses, train rides and much more. Gracen loved the dancing and music, but will probably enjoy the other festivities more next year. Most of the other kids were in their swimsuits running through the fountains, but I don't think Gracen is quite that bold yet. After an hour or so in the sweltering heat, we headed inside for some shopping. We took Gracen to the toy store where she proceeded to taste everything. We also stopped at the Crayola Cafe, for drinks that came in souvenir crayon cups. We used to have cups almost like that when were little, so of course we had to get her (and ourselves) one. She made it to the lego display, where everything was made entirely out of those teeny little legos. It was actually prettyu neat. Aunt Nanie liked the monopoly game the best. By the end of the day she was definitely done.

Sunday we went to Nebraska Furniture Mart (where it was a zoo) and out to eat at Famous Daves. Nothing too exciting. Sunday night and Monday were spent playing outside with Daddy and watching him work on our fence and grill yummy foods!

More photos of course!

Birthday photos

Happy 1st Birthday Gracen!!!

What a FaBuLoUs (and exhausting) weekend! We celebrated Gracen's first birthday (albeit a couple weeks late but better late then never!) and were extremely lucky that the weather decided to cooperate. We were very dissapointed by the Easter rain the weekend before.

Friday night Gracen and I headed to KC to get ready for the big event. We ordered her very special birthday cake from Dairy Queen (a long standing family tradition) and it turned out better then I could even imagine. Then it was off to the party store to get her decorations etc. She did a very good job of helping me and Aunt Jaime pick everything out. It was hard to get her out of the store! We then headed to Zio's for a delicious dinner, where Gracen gobbled up the bread (it is the best part of going there after all) and had a fun time with her Aunt's and Uncle (and Betty.).

Saturday morning brought rain much to my dismay. We spent the morning wearing Gracen out so she would take a good nap before all the festivities began. Woke up around lunch time, and of course we had to squeeze Fazoli's in this weekend. And Gracen loooves pizza. Luckily for her she's still trying to gain weight, so pizza is always an option.

Saturday afternoon Gracen went to get her one year pictures taken, and they turned out better then I could ever imgaine! (I am a creative genious after all). I brought in some balloons and a present for her to play with in the pictures, and my perfect little princess even wore her party hat without trying to take it off. We had a minor melt down in the middle, but the girl just wanted to take 5 and get some milk! Posing for pictures is hard work after all. After an exhausting photo shoot it was nap time again, after all a princess needs her beauty sleep before her party!

Her party started around 4:30, and we could not have picked a better day or time! By the time everyone started to arrive, the weather was ideal. Sun was shining but it wasn't hot! We had a wonderful turn out and are very lucky to have gotten to celebrate her big day with such wonderful family and friends. We opened her presents (she had a hard time deciding what to play with!), grilled out, and gobbled up some of the delicious ice cream cake, which of course Gracen loved (it was ice cream, and she is a Skultety after all!). I was a little weary of how she would react to all the people (most she had never met before and some she hadn't seen in quite some time). I worried for nothin! If this didn't prove she is the spitting image of her Mama then I don't know what will. She was just eating up all the attention, walking around the party in her tutu with that little grin that says "I know you're lookin at me! I know I'm cute!" It was so funny, and everyone just loved her tutu. No idea how to top her party next year! (Good thing I've got a year to plan!)

It was such a wonderful weekend, sad it's over already!

Here comes Peter Cottontail...

Hard to believe Easter has come and gone already! We headed back to Gabe's parents farm for the weekend and Gracen just loves being the center of attention. Gabe and I both took off work at noon and the 3 1/2 hour drive wouldn't have been so bad if it wasn't for the last hour. We took a short break so Gracen could get out of the car and run around. Didn't do much that night, just hung out and Gracen played with her cousins. Saturday was the big luncheon, and unfortunately Gracen was so excited to play with her cousins all morning she didn't take a nap. So as soon as it was time to go to the luncheon she was zonked out. We only got to stay for about an hour. Headed home for a good afternoon nap and played the rest of the evening. It was too bad it was so windy and cold out on Saturday, we had such beautiful weather on Friday!

Easter Sunday brought rain (boo), so Gracen did not participate in the Easter egg hunt, it was in the grass and there were not going to be any grass stains on her gorgeous dress! Plus she didn't really get what was goin on, so she didn't really miss out this year anyways. She was a little cautious of her Easter basket, but overall loved the goodies the Easter bunny brought her. Especially the solid chocolate bunny!