Merry Christmas...

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

We finally got a pic with Santa...

Yay! We got a GREAT pic with Santa! Greg worked really hard on this one! Good job G!

It is amazing to see how much she has grown since last year. She looks like a little girl in this years pic, not a baby anymore. Sob, sob...

And here is last years pic, after five or so attempts...

Santa had to sneak in behind her, too funny! You can tell she is thrilled to be there!

So, did you guys wake up with lots of snow? We were supposed to get 3-6 inches and got barely an inch! So disappointed! My family in Eastern Kentucky got a ton! They have no power and may not have any until Christmas! Please pray that the area gets power on, and fast!

Sophie's Fabulous Frosty party...

Yesterday my baby girl turned 2! I can't believe how fast she is growing up! We celebrated with a fabulous Frosty party!

She started the day with a yummy snowman donut...

Eating it while wearing her snowman pajamas...

I love how the table turned out! So cute!

Snowman tree...

Birthday girl opening some cards...

Kitchen...

Snowman birthday hat, so cute!

Treat bags...

Getting ready to blow out the candles...

A very happy girl after a fabulous birthday!

I really tried to post yesterday, but Blogger was down...

I really did! Many times, in fact!

Here are a few more pics from last week...

Sophie and Madelyn getting ready to go to the UK game with their Dads, while Lindsey and I did a little, well, a lot, of shopping! Sophie refused to smile! We took over 30 pics, and this is the best we got!

More decorations...

I love the snowman tree!

We have snowmen everywhere!

This is Sophie before our first picture with Santa attempt of the season.

Attempt #1 = Failure

It only took five last year to get one. And Santa hid in the background!

The only thing she dislikes more than Santa is the Easter Bunny!

Any suggestions???

OK, I'm finally back and have lots of things to post about...

I know, I know! It has been forever, as my friends and family keep reminding me! I have been busy decorating my house for the past few weeks, preparing for the arrival of our friends from Arkansas! We were trilled to have the Wilkinson's visit, and we had just a wonderful time while they were here!

One of the many fun things we did during their visit was have a baby shower for them! They are expecting a baby girl in April! She may be born on my birthday! And therefore, I feel that she should be named after me! Ha!

Our theme was, "A little pumpkin is on the way...," because we didn't know if she was having a boy or a girl until a few days before the shower. It turned out so cute!

Another beautiful centerpiece by Mr. Ulshafer...

Cutest ever pumpkin cake...

The happy couple and big sister! Oh, how I miss them already!

All the girls back together! It had been way too long! Lots of babies on the way! Half of these girls are expecting! I can't wait for our next reunion!

I have so much more to post, and I promise to be back tomorrow! In fact, I think I received something very special from Short Southern Momma, so stay tuned!

Go Cats!...

Sorry, took a little break from blogging! We have been a bit busy lately, as usual!

We took Sophie to her first UK basketball game tonight. She loved it and was a complete angel there!

Cheering in the yard before the game...

I love this little smile!

Go big blue!

Having lots of fun! She loved it and can't wait to go again!

Sophie was so tired one day this week. I put her in the high chair, turned around to fill up her plate, and this is what I found when I turned back around...

She fell asleep in the high chair!

Sleepy little girl! It's hard playing all day!

Trick-or-treat...

Sophie had so much fun trick-or-treating last night! She loved getting candy, but her favorite was giving candy out at our house!

Getting ready to go...

Don't you love Red Riding Hood's coat??? I love it! It was so cold! Luckily, Papa Joe got her this beautiful coat! It was perfect with her outfit! She looks like a little model in this pic!

Her first house...

Posing with Marielle...

They love playing together!

OK, too cold! Time to go home!

Running up to our house! Ready to go in and have some candy!

We had over 100 little ones last night! How many did you have?

Rhinestone cowboy...

Happy Halloween!!!

We went to a Halloween party last night and dressed as cowboys!

Greg's costume was very authentic... even down to the Wrangler jeans!

Sophie loved wearing the hat...

And it was finally the perfect excuse to get the boots I have been wanting forever! I absolutely love them! They are very comfortable, but so hard to get on and off! I can't wait to wear them with cute dresses!

I hope everyone has a safe and fun night!

Mexican birthday, pumpkins and cookies...

I forgot to post pics of Greg's birthday dinner! Every year we go to the same Mexican restaurant to celebrate his birthday. He loves it!

I think he likes to go just so he can wear the hat!

Sharing a yummy treat...

And last night we decided to make Halloween cookies and carve pumpkins...

Mommy's little helper...

Making homemade cookies is really hard! You have to make the dough in advance so it can refrigerate, roll it out, shape it, decorate it, and you know, they never look or taste as good as the pre-made Pillsbury sugar cookie dough does!

But we had lots of fun trying!

Time to carve the pumpkins...

The look on her face is priceless!

The finished product...

This jack-o-lantern looks more like a skeleton! Ha!

Two of Greg's masterpieces...

And the other two...

Sophie likes this one the best...

Three little pumpkins...

Action shot, she loves her furry boots...

All hail the pumpkin carving king!

Great job G!!!

We have a busy weekend ahead! A Halloween party tomorrow night and trick-or-treat and UK football on Saturday! I can't wait to show you pics of our costumes! They are too funny!

Stay tuned...

Go horsies, go...

It's October and that means lots of wonderful things are happening in Lexington! Halloween, pumpkin patches, orchards, pumpkin spice lattes, and Keeneland fall meet! We went there to celebrate Greg's birthday on Sunday.

Getting ready to enjoy some delish lunch...

Looking at the horses with Daddy before the race...

She found her pick!

Looks like a good one to me!

Go horsies, go!!!

She loves to watch the race!

Happy Birthday to my handsome hubby!

Sophie made lots of friends at the track...

Rolling down the hill in her cute dress!

Hanging track side with another little friend...

Greg with all of his winnings!

He won big here, and then lost it all!

Ha! But what fun!

Boyd's Orchard...

Isn't fall just the best?

We had a play group at Boyd's Orchard today! It was so much fun!

Listening to stories about apples...

Going for a slide...

Peek a boo!

I nearly had a heart attack when she wanted to go down that slide!

No parents allowed!

Up, up, up to the very top!

She was not scared at all!

I, however, was terrified!

Almost there...

Hi Mom! I made it!

Here she goes!

Having a blast!

She did it!

My big girl!

On to the pumpkin patch...

She found a great one!

Riding back with Carter...

Her favorite, the animals!

Having a delicious apple cider donut on the hayride!

All the babies and mommies had a fabulous time today!

So much fun with all of our friends!

Is it Monday already?...

Hey everyone! Wow, the past week went by in a blur. The Leadership Awards Banquet and all the festivities for Kara's wedding have worn me out! Details of all to come soon, but here is a pic until I have time and energy for a long post...

Pumpkin patch...

We had a fabulous fall weekend! We love going to the pumpkin patch and we had a great time!

Posing with a silly scarecrow...

Walking in with Mimi and Papaw...

Seeing the animals - her favorite part!

Baby ducks...

Feeding the goats...

Hay ride...

Finally, the pumpkin patch!

Here is the pumpkin that we wanted Sophie to pick. Isn't it perfect?

This is the one she picked! It is perfect, too!

Greg doing his best farmer impression...

Getting big!

We were literally holding her down to take this pic!

She loves pumpkins!

And Greg with all of our picks! Ha! We have pumpkins everywhere!

We also had the HMA Children's Halloween Party this weekend...

Sophie decorating pumpkins with a friend...

Beautiful Red Riding Hood...

We tried for a group shot! Nearly impossible with 20 kiddos!

Sophie and her friend Elizabeth...

Such a fun weekend!

Down and out...

Hey everyone! I'm finally back! I have been sick now for over a week. Not a little bit sick, felling awful, can't hardly function sick! I tested negative for the flu, but it was horrible none the less. I am still not 100%, but at least I was able to function in a normal manner today!

Since I haven't posted in forever, here are some pics from the past week...

Cheering on the Cats against Florida...

By the way, I am demonstrating what a good wife I am here...

This was the day I started getting sick, but I went to the game anyway!

You can tell from Greg's face that the game didn't go our way...

Sophie has actually started to smile for pictures now...

Picking flowers for Mommy...

An actual real smile!

Posing before MDO today...

After I take her picture, she runs over and says, "Let me see Mommy's baby on the back."

All cuddled up watching Barney...

That's all for now! I hope to be back blogging again soon!

The weekend is over already?...

Why is it that Saturday flies by and Monday seems to last forever??? This weekend seemed to go by so fast! We had lots to do...

Kevin and Julie came in for a visit and we had so much fun!

Can't wait to visit them soon!

Julie lives in Hilton Head and Kevin in Malibu!

And Saturday was football day in the Bluegrass...

UK v. Florida

This one didn't go our way, but we had fun anyway!

Britt and DT

Hope you had a great weekend!

Smile for Mommy...

No, I'll give you a silly face...

Another silly face...

OK, a little one...

Tea time...

Good morning! I hope you all had a great weekend!

Don't you love finding little surprises? I found a great one yesterday.

Greg and I were in the kitchen chatting as I was making hot tea. Sophie runs over and asks for a tea bag. No, Sophie, you don't need a tea bag. "Mommy, I NEED a tea!" I tried giving her a treat instead, but she persisted. "OK, here you go." I gave in, of course, and she trotted off. I didn't think anything else about it.

Last night, after she went to sleep, I went downstairs to clean up her toys. I opened the refrigerator of her little kitchen and this is what I found...

I was speechless! Of course she needed that tea bag. Silly Mommy, she wanted to make some tea! She actually opened it and placed the bag inside the pot with the paper hanging out! And notice how she placed the tea pot on a napkin! She left out no detail! Oh, how I love that sweet baby girl! She is such a joy every minute of every day. My precious little gift...

I love her bunches!

Chillin' on her Dora couch before MDO...

C-A-T-S Cats, Cats, Cats...

Yesterday was UK's first home game against Louisville. The weather was perfect, so we thought we would try to take Sophie. The game began at noon, but we left much earlier to tailgate. We were hoping to make it to half time before leaving, but Sophie did great and we got to stay for the whole game! And we won, of course! Go Cats!

Future UK cheerleader! She was practicing - Go Cats!

She looked so cute, and we took literally a few hundred pics, but most of them look like this! She was on the go the whole time!

One of the better family pics! She wanted down to cheer!

Cheering for the Cats!

And she cheered so hard...

She fell asleep! I couldn't believe it! It was so loud!

She slept through the entire fourth quarter!

And we won! Go UK!

And that made her smile!

I hope your SEC team won yesterday!

Birthday girl...

Happy Birthday Shelby Grace!

This little prissy pants is seven years old today! She is a little diva that wants everything to revolve around her! I love her little attitude. She is the best pup anyone could ask for! Love you Shel!

In other news, we all went to get flu shots yesterday. If you haven't had one yet, get one now! The flu is going to be bad this year. (Just a little advice from Dr. Reynolds!) And if you have had one, you know that it hurts! My arm was so sore I couldn't sleep last night. It was even hard to pick Sophie up! Sophie's shot was in her leg. She did a great job! She did so well that her Dad promised to get her a Dora balloon.

She picked out a BIG Dora balloon! Ha! It was bigger than her! She loved it so much. Last night when she said her prayers, she was thanking God for our blessings, and then she said, "and thank you for my Dora balloon." So sweet!

I love this little cheesy smile!

Clothes, shoes and Nashville...

What a beautiful Monday! It is simply perfect in Lexington today!

I know I have been behind on posts the past two weeks, but we have been crazy busy! We are finishing our basement and have been working non-stop on it. I would love to show you some before shots, but Greg said it was too bad to show! Ha! Every inch was completely filled with stuff! It took a moving crew to get the big furniture pieces we were storing out and then my whole family to move out all of my china, crystal, and decorations! I have a lot of seasonal decorations, I mean a LOT! It is finally all out, part being in storage and the rest in our garage. Needless to say we won't be parking in our garage for several months!

Last week I hosted a Matilda Jane trunk show. It was so much fun! I love the fall line - for Sophie and me! Here are a few of the pieces...

Isn't this so cute?

I love it! It is even cuter in person, with shiny fabrics and gold flecks!

This is a cute dress for me!

It will be perfect with my new boots! (See below.)

Another cute Mommy outfit...

MJ is so smart to include matching pieces for Moms!

On Friday I left for a fun girls weekend in Nashville to celebrate Kara's bachelorette party! We had so much fun! And, of course we made time for a little shopping! Our first stop, Anthropologie, my favorite store! I finally got the boots I have been stalking online since they came out. Here they are...

I LOVE these boots! And they feel just like athletic shoes! They are the most comfortable shoes I have ever had! They are called the winding ruffle boots and I highly recommend them! They run TTS if you are considering ordering. I will wear these a ton!

I wore them all over Nashville and my feet never felt better!

Me and the Bachelorette!

This pic is so funny, but its the only one I have! One of the other girls is sending out more pics today so I will post them later. This is the first girls weekend I have had since Sophie was born. It was so fun, but I was ready to get home to Greg and Sophie!

Quick pics before my sister totally freaks out...

My sister is telling me I really need to put a post up...

So here you go Britt!

Sorry so short, more to come tomorrow!

Getting ready for MDO today...

I love this pic!

Fall is in the air...

Fall is here! Well, the weather is like fall, anyway! The weather has been glorious here in Lexington, topping out at 75 degrees this week. I already have my fall decorations out, I am ready for UK football, and especially FALL CLOTHES!

At the top of my fall wish list is a new pair of boots. I have lots of dressy boots from all of my years of working. Since those days are long behind me, I get to buy cute casual boots now! Here are some of my favorite new arrivals from Coach.

Suede and slouchy...

Western rugged...

Boots with a bow, that's all I need to say about this one...

A little something different...

What do you think?

Have you found a perfect pair of boots this season?

OK, next part is really out of order, but I didn't feel like cutting and pasting all the pics...

Greg and I took Sophie to the park to swing and see the quackie ducks earlier today...

She loves to play outside!

Back to fall...

One of my other favorite things about fall?

Starbucks fall favorites! Featuring...

This adorable fall tumbler...

And all of the yummy treats!

I can't wait for my first pumpkin spice latte and pumpkin scone!

Funny story...

Sophie and I stopped at Starbucks this morning on our way to MDO. The drive thru was so packed that I actually had to go inside to get my drink. It was equally crowded there. As we were waiting in line, Sophie proclaimed to everyone, "I want a mocha! Mommy, I want a mocha! I need a latte! Mommy, I need more latte!" Everyone was looking at me like I was crazy! It was so funny! No, I don't give her lattes or mochas - yet!

The greatest show on earth...

Happy Friday everyone! We had a great night tonight! It is late, but I had to share these pictures with you! Tonight was Sophie's first trip to the Circus!

One of my most vivid childhood memories was the first time I went to the Circus. I was around five, and it was during the height in popularity of jelly shoes. Yes, I know you guys know what I'm talking about! My Mom and I were walking in and we were met by a clown. A very, very big clown. He came up to me and said, "Do you know why your shoes have holes in them? Its to let all the stink out!!!" I was completely horrified and embarrassed. I will never forget that as long as I live! And its probably the reason I have a certain apprehension of clowns!

Anyway, Sophie's first time was much better! She absolutely loved it!

Getting ready to go...

Look how her hair bow and bracelet match exactly!

I love these little feet (and cute shoes)...

Little cutie...

Loving every minute...

There is nothing better than the true amazement of a child...

Silly Daddy...

A scary clown giving us our VIP passes...

We had front row tickets, but I didn't realize that we got to be part of the show!

It was great! They took us on the floor to watch a big portion of the show!

It was amazing! I felt like a kid again!

Watching the horses...

Sophie's VIP pass and cutest ever gold shoes...

OK, confession...

I thought I looked skinny in the picture so I posted it!

Maybe all the running is finally starting to pay off!

Sophie's favorite part...

The Elephants!

When it was all over, she kept saying, "Yay Circus" and clapping her hands!

It was priceless!

I love MDO...

Have I mentioned how much I love MDO??? It is so great, for me and Sophie! She has so much fun and I actually get a few hours a week to do things I need to do. For example, on Tuesday I cleaned carpet, did laundry, and organized my closet. Today, I went to the mall - by myself! I got to take my time, look at everything I wanted to, and even try on clothes! Amazing! It was fabulous! I may even schedule the massage Amy gave me - a year ago - for next week!

Here are a few pics...

Sleepy Shelby...

Sophie likes to put Shelby in the crib when she wakes up from her nap...

First time on the carousel...

She wasn't much of a fan!

School girl...

My baby started moms-day-out today! She was so excited! All night she kept asking, "Mommy, when can I go play with the boys and girls? I want to see Miss Betty!" So cute! And I must admit, I am excited to have a few hours to myself a week!

Kara's shower...

Kara's shower turned out so cute! It was a beautiful - but so hot!

We had the shower at my mother-in-laws home...

She is fabulous at hosting parties!

No detail is left undone!

I was so in love with the cake!

So cute!

And it matched perfect!

Kara and her mom...

Kara and Molly...

BFFs!

We have known each other since birth - literally! Our grandparents were neighbors and friends, we went to the same church, same elementary and high school, roommates in college, and now we live about 4 miles apart!

She's a RUNNER...

I did it!

Mimi and Papaw brought Sophie to cheer us on...

Greg ran with me the whole time...

At at much slower pace than he usually goes!

Greg made this cute shirt for Sophie to wear..

Go Mommy!

Thanks so much to everyone for all the comments, emails, and calls of encouragement over the past week. It really helped me to make it through! It means a lot to have people cheering for you! A special thanks to Greg for all of his help. Love you G...

Oh, and Kara's shower went great! Pics to come tomorrow!

Finding fall clothes...

Happy Friday! The past two weeks have gone by so fast! Between getting everything ready for Kara's shower and training for the race, I am exhausted! Tomorrow is the big day for both. Wish me luck!

Have you started looking for fall clothes yet? I am so ready for fall clothes! It is my favorite time of year and the best season for clothes! I got so excited about it this week after seeing the new arrivals at Anthropologie that I did something I don't usually do - order clothes online! I typically have to try on clothes before I buy them, and after receiving my order yesterday, I remembered why! Clothes do not look the same on real people as they do on models in catalogs!

Here are the items I ordered:

I loved this shirt and the color typically is very flattering on me...

The rolling ruffles cardigan...

The back is cuter than the front...

The "it" item of the season...

You can see why I was so excited to get my order! These things are beautiful! So detailed, so dramatic! But not on me! Wow! It was bad! Not one of the items worked! I knew they looked bad as soon as I put them on - even before I looked in the mirror. I tried them on for Greg when he go home and you should have seen the look on his face! Ha! Too funny! We both just laughed as I tried on the pieces - each one looking worse than the next.

Now, I am sure there are many of you tall, modelesque girls that look great in these items. But they did nothing for my petite frame. Even in the smallest size they were way too big, completely overwhelming me.

One last item that I ordered that is currently on back order...

Oh, how I love this jacket! It is so me! I actually ordered it in this color and a purple color to see which one looks the best. I do hope this piece works! It is my favorite of all the things I ordered!

Have you had more luck than me in finding fall clothes? Anything that I should check out?

A bunch of cuteness...

Hey everyone! I must admit, I am a little disappointed at the response to my post on RUNNING 4 MILES! I thought you would be a little more encouraging! I don't usually toot my own horn, but I am very proud of myself! When I first started the program I could only run about three minutes. I can now run two miles easily! I never thought I could be a runner, but guess what? I AM A RUNNER!!! Thanks so much to my hubby for all the encouragement! He always knew I could do it! Love you G!

A little cuteness for you...

And this may be the cutest ever...

Who knew they made skinny jeans for little ones? Ha! These are too cute! I can't wait to put these on her with ballet flats or Ugg boots!

I just ran four miles...

Yay for me! I did it! The race is next Saturday and I am ready for it! I highly recommend the Couch to 5k program! If I can do it, anyone can!