Got any words for this?

What's the medical term for having "pumpkin on the brain..."
Whatever it is, that's my excuse!!

Keep Talking Gracie!

Dear Gracie,
This post is for you because I want you to know the first words you spoke not just signed. So here you go:
1st: DAD
2nd: MOM
3rd but gone now: BINKY! (right after she learned to say it like a week later we lost your last binky. Dang!)
4th: STINKY
5th: HOT! This is a picture of you saying it very dramatically. We are making a big batch of breakfast burritos for quick breakfasts for dad and sometimes you and I share one. I think this is the day you accidently burned your wrist on the pan. I felt so bad. I should not have let you stand so close and be cooking and have the camera at the same time. I went to put the camera down and I turned around to look at you crying with your hand in the pan. The worst part was that the burn was right inbetween your wrist roll where it constantly gets scabbed and reopened because of bending it. I can talk about it now a little bit because it healed very nicely and I can't see a scar. Thank goodness. I am glad you won't grow up with that scar constantly reminding you and me about my mistake. I hope there is not too many more to come. But that means you did learn your next word as a result of this.
6th: OUCH! sad :(
7th: HERE YOU GO! (I love this one. Gracie says it all the time for anything you want from me or if you have something you want me to have. You don't know the meaning of the 3 words separately right now so that is why it counts as 1 word.)
8th: YUM
9th: DOG (You love dogs but do get a little scared when they jump on you and lick you and get too close. I don't blame you. I still don't like dogs very much. I don't see what there is to like in getting covered in slobber and getting hair and dirty paws on you and getting awkwardly sniffed. YUCK! Hope you don't ever beg me for a dog.)
10th: BABY (You love your first baby doll we got from a garage sale. We didn't know till we brought it home that it if we turned it on it would laugh and cry. You adore this baby and love to make her feel better and tell her she's okay. You hold her on your shoulder right close to your cheek and pat her back and look very distressed about her crying. Then you give the doll to me to comfort her too. It is so sweet. You will be a good big sister someday.Then later when the doll laughs, you laugh, and I laugh and it is so fun to laugh together. Let's always remember to laugh together.)
Here's the rest of them you pretty much learned in the last week or so:
UH-OH (all the time)
YUM (only if something is really good)
OPEN (you want everything opened- oh and you can open doors now... GREAT!)
EYE
EAR
HAIR (It is hard to grab your hair but you can grab mine.)
UP (You always ask me to get you up on couches and chairs or in my arms.)
ON (You learned this and "off" while sitting on my lap in the bathroom turning the lightswitch on and off while you wait for me.)
OFF
HI (everything is a phone now and you say hi and then jabber cutely)
GO (only a couple times so far)
Yesterday you learned: NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO! (Today at church you just kept babbling it over and over with different intonation patterns. Can't wait until you start using it to talk back to us! Dad was saying it with you and thought it was cute so it is his fault.)

And if I ask you "What does a dog say?" You say: "WOO WOO WOO WOO!" (I can't believe how good your hearing is. Our walls are really thin here and we have lots of windows so we will just be sitting there eating and then you will bark out of the blue. Then I listen really carefully and you are right. There is a dog barking somewhere far away and you can hear it. Pretty cool!
WAY TO GO GRACIE JOY! You are a good talker. Keep up the hard work!
I love you!
Love,
Mom

The Vacuum Saga and goodbye to summer!

What is that sound? Aaah... RUN!Wait is it still coming after me? Better check...
It's still coming. FALL BACK! RETREAT RETREAT!
I'll hide in here and it won't get me...
Let me look, it sounds like we've lost it.
Oh it's not hurting dad. What is he doing with that thing? Still, I will keep my distance just to be safe.Ahh... mom's in here, she will keep me safe and sound. What? You have a smoothie for me you say? I love you mom!
This summer has been the best summer ever. Full of smoothies, swimming, swinging, walking, biking, soaking up the sun, and seeing lots of new things and new friends. Now we have to start wearing jackets and socks and shoes. Change is good too. Goodbye Summer!

Happy Halloween!

Do you know what you are going to be yet?
We do, but we aren't telling. Let me know if you need any suggestions.
I love Halloween!!
I always have to spin a spooky web...
This is what happened to our tree ghosts after the major windy day we had yesterday. I had the hand taped up over the doorbell so you had to be brave if you wanted to ring it cause it might just... GRAB YOU. Too bad the wind blew it off. It's awesome how the wind just blew them all into this nice spooky pile.

Pop Bottle Soccer

We had so much fun with this pop bottle that night that I still haven't thrown it away. Luke has tried! This is one of those nights that you wish you could just keep in your pocket to pull out and replay the night and how happy you were when you need a pick-me-up or to re-do when you have people together and you want to have lots of fun. Push play and you are all playing pop bottle soccer and laughing away. This memory is going down in history forever! We sure wore Gracie out too!


No Hands Soccer

Punch Drunk Soccer

Family: Together Forever

Eating at Bucca Di Beppo's: Our Favorite Family Restaurant
Gracie got done first: Tired
Roman: Happy as a clam and smiling
Roman's Smile: Can't get over it
Papa and Sofia: Friends forever
Forever Love: Rick and Lenna
Hailey and Mom: Always mom and daughter no matter what
Gracie and Grammy: Always choosing and finding each other
Roman: Smiling againAlways Lookin' Up: Gracie Joy
Gracie at the park: Pouty model face
Sofia: Lovin' life
Gracie and Sofia: Best cousins forever
On the Edge and Takin' Steps: Gracie
Sofia and Gracie: Sharing snacks
Luke, Rick, Todd: The best dads
Crackin' up: Father and Son
Ignoring her scab from her slide burn: Bored Car Riding Hollie
Gracie and Bear: Waitin' out the car ride

Other things: Impromptu yard sale,
Hailey made Orange Rolls- General Conference Tradition but 1 week early so we don't miss being together for it,
Fun at the park,
Eating dinner at Bucca's,
Church together,
Country Ribs with Bruschetta made from Rick's Garden Veggies with Jennie and Susan and Peach Cobbler for dessert.
Leave for home.
Miss being together, but will be together forever someday!

Breakfast on my head!

So I don't know what I was thinking today but I did something crazy! I was eating oatmeal this morning and when I got down to the dregs in the bottom of the bowl I picked it up and tried to drink it. My mom turned and smiled at me so I thought I was pretty clever. But then I secretly put the bowl on my head with oatmeal still in it and when mom turned back to look at me, she just burst out laughing. She wasn't even mad about my freshly shampooed hair. I am dissapointed that she didn't get a picture! The oatmeal felt silly and squishy on my head. Do you think I should do it again tomorrow? (It will be our secret but it will surely make mom laugh.)
Love, Gracie
PS> I fed myself a whole thing of applesauce yesterday and got very little on myself. I also like to say "hot" all the time, I got burned when I was trying to get some eggs, and I say "hereyougo" all the time. My newest words I am experimenting with are thankyou and yeah. I also just got a "Ba-by" that cries and laughs just like me from a garage sale. Yeah life is good.
Oh and last thing: I learned to spin in circle today while dancing with mom. I love it but now I konw the meaning of "dizzy." :) Have a good one!