Confession

I have a confession.  I have been sort of  cheating a little bit.  I have been skipping the hard work and taking the easy way out.  Some may frown but when it comes to my life I need an easy button sometimes and on this I pushed it.  I am listening to books on CD!  Yeap that is right, no hard backs, no turning pages and no wishing I can finshed a book but I have no time.  Since September I have gone thru almost all the Harry Potter novels, those were exciting, gone thru a couple Francine Rivers books, and now going thru Joyce Meyer.  Thanks to the local Library, who spends about $75 per book on tape, I have had the time to listen to a number of books.  In the last couple of months I have enjoyed more then I proably read in the last 2 years.  Thanks:)

2 Year Stats

Alright, I have not had to do one of these in a long while and the next one won't come for another year.  How much Gracie has change showed in this visit.  Gracie stood on the big girl scale, stood against the wall for her height, which they took 3 times and none of them were the same. She did so well for Dr. Weber. Dr. Weber asked Gracie to jump, asked here where her: nose, ears, eyes, mouth, head, feet, hands, knees, and elbows were.  She got them all except her knees. We obvious have not mention her knees by the look on her face that said what in the world is that. Overall she did great.  Since Gracie is officially 2 she needed only 1 shot at the doctors this time and won't have another til she is three. And even though I have let her have all the necessary vaccinations, each time my stomach jumps at the mention of it and I pray, I pray so hard that I am making the right decision on this particular vaccine. Praying that if she should not get it I would know. They still scare me.  But she was a trooper she cried for a second and then when the nurse put on her band-Ade she said thank you. Very cute. We then took 3 stickers and went home to eat dinner.

Here are her 2 year Stats:
Weight: 26 3/4lbs - in the 50th percentile
Height: 33 3/4 inches - in the 52nd percentile - This height was taken 3 times, first 32 then 34 then 33
Head: 19 1/4 inches - the 85th percentile - not a surprise here - this too is a Schenk thing ;)

Here is what she has been up too:

• is a size 2T for the most part, some still 18 months depending on length and waist
• is a size 4 diapers
• has 8 teeth on top, & 8 on bottom
• talking all the time
• repeating pretty much anything we say
• she went 5 days of #2 in the PT, on her way to being PT, we are trying - meaning Troy, Kristen and myself and a couple of helpers who have also watch Gracie this month. Sorry!

Favorite:

• Food: she eats pretty much anything, her favorite thing is cheese
• Toy: she enjoys playing with play dough, she has fallen in love with Cabby, the Cabbage Patch My parents bought her.  Every night she puts Cabby to bed, this is hilarious.
• just started watch full movies: Angelina ballerina, Dora and Seasame Street, I rented these from the library for our last trip when showed all three she always picks Angelina

She Loves:

• animals: dog, cats, anything
• the sound of leaves crunching under her feet
• stroller rides
• being outside in general
• shoes
• helping: clean, pick up, cook, do laundry
• drink from a big girl cup
• bath time
• helping cook in anyway
• to wrestle with daddy
• reading the cow book, and the napping house
• she loves for me to wrap her in a blanket and cuddle her

She Still:

• does her excited face, some day this will change & I will miss it
• at 1 nap a day, from around 1 till about 3:30, sometimes 4:30 if she is really wiped
• loves for us to chase her for many laps around the center of our house

many more that I am sure I will remember later...

Terrible pictures but here are a couple I got for the Stats page

with the passy & yes no make up until thrusday

her first version of "cheese"

and her second

but look at those blue eyes, pure Schenk

Gracie's First Room

I love Gracie's room.  I love that it is small and quant.  I love it but as Gracie has gotten older the items she has to play with has grown.  She now has a kitchen, a little baby bed, a stroller and a grocery cart and then there is the highchair, that also use to be mine that my dad is trying to fix that will also be her's.  Between the living room dinning room and her bedroom it is getting to much for me.  Although I like her playing in the living room I would also like to have most of her stuff in one place.  Right now her peoples are all upstairs and she does not play with them much because they have been pushed in the corner.  Point of all this is I am moving Graice to the Bigger room.  I figured out what to do in her new room we just have to get her in there.  I am posting pictures to show her first room before it gets pulled apart.

You may look at these pictures and think it's not so bad but I did throw about 10 items into the hall to get these:)

The room from the door, the left side

from the right corner

the back left corner

from the closet

I love these pictures and verses

you may recognize this from Gracie's 1st Birthday

I worked so hard on this I did not have the heart to stuff it into a

box or throw it away so I hung it.  It may make it to her new room.

Gracie's book case.  Here furniture was $20 at a

garage sale down the street.  I love it.  Those boxes in the

corner I have had for years, I think it is time to redo the paper.

Happy Birthday Baby Girl

Happy Birthday Gracie Bear,
I cannot believe you are 2 and I cannot believe I have a toddler.  I am so blessed by you and I am so excited to watch how much more you will change in the next year.  By your next Birthday I am sure you will be tell full stories, in english.

It seemed that Gracie got 3 days of some sort of Birthday fun.  Starting Friday which was her actual Birthday, Gracie was picked up from her Aunt Kristen's by daddy and we all meet for lunch at Chick-fil-a.  On, Saturday, Gracie and I spent the day together playing and cooking and just really having a Gracie day.  Gracie's Birthday was then held on Sunday, I went very low key compared to last year.  In attendace, Uncle Cliff, Uncle Kyle, Aunt Kristen, Sawyer, and my friend Christina & Bobby and there son Matthew.  We decided this would be the best route so people did feel like they needed to bring gifts and I really did not have time to cook for more then who came, honestly my guest, well just the ladies and Troy helped me cook and set the food up.  It was fun!

The small amount of decorating I did

I went with the them of aqua and red for the day. 

We had chili dogs for lunch will all the toppings

you could have.  Carmel covered popcorn

with blue chocolate, & cupcakes.

just a side table

popcorn

yum

Gracie's terrible cheese face

the seriously look after being

asked to stop smile normal

Bad Picture # 1

I am pretty sure bad pictures must run in the family

I have no idea what Troy or Gracie were doing:)

Bad Picture #2

Although for Troy this is a much better picture

I am not sure it portrays Gracie the right way.

I am pretty sure the excitment is over the fire it self

I also made the #2 shirt for Gracie this year so she can wear it anytime

Blowing the candles out, she did a pretty good job

keep going, almost done

yum yum it was worth it

Shoving it in, not missing a single bit

Picture Help

Ok, so I need a little help.  This might sound silly but I know there are plenty of people that read this who can help.  I am redoing the pictures on my mantel, it was boring before but I cannot decide what I want to do.  Is if better with more or less.  If you are willing to help I would take any suggestions.  If you don't want to write anything you can fill out the poll to the left.  I would appreciate any help that is offered.

here is the over view of our mantel I am updating

Here are the Frame Set up Options:

Option #1: Just the 2 frames leaning

Option #2:    3 frames

Option #3: multi frames

 Here are the actual Picture Options:

Option #1: Family picture in the center 

and Gracie pictures on each side?

Option #2:  the center picture would be of trees 

incorporating the colors of our down

 stairs with family pictures on both sides?

Option #3: If I do hang the top two 

pictures I was going to do letter's, good idea?

Thanks for all the help:)
I know my drawings are lacking....a lot but you get the point, I hope.

Bubbles with Grandpa

A couple of weekends ago my dad had to do some work in Cleveland & on his way home he was able to stop thru and see Gracie.  The big event of the night were the bubbles in the sink they were playing with, she had lots of fun.

Trinity Weekend

Last weekend Troy, Gracie and I headed to Chicago for a long weekend.  We got in super late but the drive went well.  Friday, morning a took stroll thru my alma mater, Trinity (TIU), and that although most of the campus has changed significantly some of it was still the same.  I also did not feel so bad the about the years between my visits when I found that most people that are 45 minutes to an hour had been there for years either.  Life is busy no matter where you are.  Friday, had lunch with my friend Lisa, spent some time with the Long Family and then headed the the Hoesch's.  Saturday, I met up with my girls from the college days, Julie, Lily and there families for lunch & then headed to the game.  Although, I did not watch much of the game we had a great time letting the kids play and the girls got to catch up. Malone had a the victory over Trinity and I was glad to see Malone put another win on the board.

The Student Center aka The Lew, where 

Troy &  I met up for Dr. Pepper Dates;)

This is where Melton use to be the Cafeteria, this is 

now called the Waybright Center & it looks much better

My 2 teams praying together, what a cool sight

I love this

Play time!

Gracie playing mother hen & trying to 

put Marina's hat back on, over & over again

Stevie, Gracie, Marina, Eli

Gracie has a thing for babies or kids younger then her, 

she loves to help them & lead them around

and drag them around, jk

Gracie bear

This little peanut is Marina

The best shot of the 3 of them I could get

this was not safe but they were having fun

 for the short time they were playing in it

Me, Lily & Julie

While in Chicago we stayed with the Hoesch's, one of Troy very 

good friends from College.  It was very nice to be able to spend 

time with them.  Haley & Gracie seemed to have blast playing 

together.  Gracie took her first double bath Saturday night 

with Haley.  She loved.  I think she thought is was the best 

thing ever.  She really does need a sister.

Haley & Gracie

Gracie is such a ham I am not sure Haley knew what to think.