Life, as we live it

Fall 09 update

2009-10-30T12:26:00.003-04:00

Well it has been a LONG time since we gave an update. We are very well. Having a cold, gloomy fall here in Michigan but staying fairly healthy all things considered. I have taken the girlies to the Orchard/ farm/ pumpkin patch many times this fall. They absolutely LOVE the goats and all the fun "fall" activities. Grace is quite the apple picker this year :) Liv just loves to play with all the big kids and squeals with delight when the goats lick her hand to eat the food that she practicially throws at them. Ha ha ha. These girls of ours are absolutely joy in our lives. We have had a few fun kidless nights out in October too. Fun to get out and about a bit. We attended the GVSU sports Hall of Fame dinner to support our dear family friend Scott Vandyken and also Dan's football coach Brian Kelly (Cincinnati now). We also attended my 10 year highschool reunion at the University club in GR. What a blast it was to see old friends and catch up on their lives now. I can't believe so much time has past and yet I don't remember what life was like without the blessing of my sweet hubby and babies. How blessed to be a child of God. Hope your fall is blessed. Wishes for health and happy Holidays ahead. Hoping to update more often. Loves!

Wow, it's been a while.

2009-07-10T11:18:00.002-04:00

Sorry the pics are so small. I can't beleive it has been so long since I blogged. I am now addicted to facebook and forgot about the dear ole blog. We have had SO much going on around here. Busy little bees. On family news we have now welcomed our sweet new nephew Kane Charles Bibler. He is darling. Hop on over to Kate and Austins blog to check out some fab pics of the little man. Cru Thomas is growing up super fast. He is adorable and the cutest little chunky monkey. Love me those chubby babes. Our girls are growing like light speed I feel. They are so much fun and bring immeasurable joy to our lives.

Gracelyn is 2 and a half now. She is a crazy kiddo who LOVES life and is on the go always. She is quite athletic and is always trying news things with balls and climbing and such. She is a true beauty and has a heart of gold, but sometimes thinks she is the boss and gets a little lippy. Miss independent always thinks she can everything on her own and is pretty good I must say. She still snuggles great when she's sleepy though.

Olivia is almost 1! Where did the time go? I can't believe she has blessed us for so long already and yet I can't remember a time without her either. She is on the move all the time (usually in the opposite direction from Gracie). She loves walking, running at times, climbing on everything and eating. She is so stinkin cute and really the happiest girl ever. She has a smile to melt your heart for sure. She is finally feeling a bit better after and eye/ ear infection and is back to her old shenanigans. Her 7th tooth is making it's way through and she chomps hard- watch out!

Dan is doing the same ole thing at work and LOVING golf season in MI. He wishes he could find more time for it but with all these cute ladies at home why would he?

I, Tracy am finally changing my work schedule off weekend option. I will be working in the week more and then have most weekends off. I am looking forward to more family time and a few getaways here and there. Still loving my work though.

Update- sorry it's been a while:)

2009-04-24T09:03:00.002-04:00

We had a fantastic time on vacation. We loved having Gramma Wendy with us BUT missed daddy WAY TO MUCH! Next time he's coming with no matter what. The girls had some colds and were a little under the weather but being outside and sunshine and swimming seemed to make it quite a bit better. Yay Gulf Shores- see you next year.

Next BIG news in our life is our big girl Gracie. She has officially been deemed a big girl at home. She threw her "pat" (pacifier) into the rogue river off the bridge downtown, she is potty trained and wears big girl undies all the time now, and she has her big girl bed which she slept in for the first time last night. She is really enjoying being so big and shows us more and more independence daily. Scary since she isn't even 2 1/2 yet. Some days being big gets a little out of hand and she likes to play "mommy" to mommy. That gets nixed right away:) We are so proud of what a transition she has made in the last two weeks. What a star!

Livvy is the HAPPIEST baby in the world. She has some lungs and can let you know when she's not but there is usually a darn good reason and then she's smiling again minutes later. She LOVES to have her picture taken. Her smile is super contagious too, so beware if you are around her. You WILL be smiling too. She is so big now. Cruising around all over the house. Standing up everywhere, eating "real" food all the time. She is growing up way too fast. We are truly enjoying her to the fullest. What a spunky, tough little girl she is. And note the cute little bow in her hair. It is just long enough for a sprout.

Our beautiful girls are the light of our life. We love to be with them and spend time together as a family. What a blessed life we lead.

A little pre-vacay update:)

2009-03-30T14:58:00.002-04:00

Look how big Mr Cruiser the Bruiser is getting these days. He is such a handsome little man. A snuggle bug for Auntie Trace too. I LOVE that!

Livvy is just a movin these days. She decided to crawl, then three days later she wanted to pull herslef up. Now she "cruises" around the ottoman and her stand-up toys. She is such a happy girl. She adores her big sister beyond measure and loves to play. She would cruise around and play all day if we let her. Life is good for Olivia Jean at 8 months old.

Gracie is such a big girl. She saw her first musical last week. Beauty and the Beast, and she lasted pretty much the whole show. Her and Maddie were true princesses that night. We are SO proud. Grace is really getting independent these days. She has decided that she can do pretty much anything on her own:) We think shes pretty good too, but it doesn't hurt to have Mommy and Daddy around for a hand here and there;)

Livvy showing off her moves on the laundry basket. She is such a smiley baby. I can't believe how fast time has gone.

Dan and I are great. We are loving our girls immensely and enjoying being parents together. We make a pretty great team. Dan is so great with his girls on the weekends so mommy can still work a few days, I do so love my job:) I am driving to AL with my mom and the girls for a ten day vacay in Gulf Shores. We are looking forward to the beach for sure. Mostly just excited to be outside every day:) Hope your March was great, we'll catch up in April!

Cru Thomas Hosford

2009-03-04T09:25:00.003-05:00

Welcome Cru Thomas Hosford! He was born March 3, 2009 at 6:35 am. He weighed in at 6 lbs 5 oz and was 18 1/2 inches long. A perfect little peanut:) He is healthy and is showing no signs of the difficulties Maddie wa born with. Yay!!!! Thank God for this miracle of life. We are just thrilled to be an Aunt and Uncle again and to enjoy all that Cru little life will bring. Congrats Tom, Lauren, and Madilyn on your new addition. We love you Cru baby!
The proud Auntie Tracy

Cru was staring at his momma here- only 2 hrs old:)

Snuggled into mommas arms. The most perfect place in the world:)

SO mad about the first bath

Finally that bath is over and I can cuddle in this warm blankie

Happy March

2009-03-01T21:05:00.003-05:00

Such a happy girl. Our 7 month old "baby" is almost always happy. She will let you know when she is not BUT that is rarely compared to how content she is just to be a part of this world. She loves to be around the main attraction though. She gets bored when her sissy isn't around to entertain her:)

And entertain she does. What a trip this 2 year old is. She is getting so much more creative and figures things out so quickly. Gracie keeps us on our toes but loves life so much. She lives it to the FULLEST possible and takes us along for the ride. She is so wonderful, we love her to the ends of the earth.

Cutie pie cousins. They had so much fun at the museum together, and so did Livvy and I(Tracy). We are SO excited to welcome Maddies baby brother Cru into the world this week. We can't wait to have a little man around to balance out these girlies too:) Yay for baby boys!

Does this little peanut look like her daddy or what? SO stinkin cute and smiley. Too bad you can't see her new tooth. Yay for teeth!

This pic was when she was chewing on everyhting in sight waiting for that tooth to pop through. We are SO greatful that our girls are good teethers. A whole lot of chewing, drooling and sucking BUT not much fussing. And next thing you know- Teeth:)

We hope your March brings lots of joy and adventures. And certainly HEALTH- a shortage of this the past few months:) We will keep you updated on the joys of our March, starting with Cru's arrival in the next few days. Prayers for Lauren as she preps to bring this little man out to meet us all:)

February 09 (already?)

2009-02-13T10:23:00.003-05:00

Gracie is such a sweet 2 year old. She is a great big sister, always helping Livvy with her toys and sharing everything. Even the stuff she shouldn't:) She has an incredible vocabulary and amazes us daily with the things she says. We love our "big girl" bunches. She is looking forward to her big Spring Break trip to Gulf Shores. She asks daily if we get to leave yet:)

Livvy is growing so crazy fast I can't keep up. She sits on her own very well, rolls like a maniac, and scoots backward on her belly. She does a mean carpet swim but no crawling yet:) She still eats well- daddy calls her the disposal. She really enjoys teething toasts too now. What a joyous mess she makes with those:) We can't wait to show her the ocean in a few months and let her experience "the shores" outside of the womb.

Please pray!!!

2009-01-18T01:37:00.000-05:00

Please pray for one of my co-workers here in the Burn unit. Mary just lost her home of 25 years in a fire tonight in Ionia. It is very early but she told me that she has lost EVERYTHING and that her home is a TOTAL loss. She is the sweetest lady and has endured many hardships in her life already. 2 days ago she was blessed with her first grand daughter. She is devastated about this and I know she needs LOTS of prayer. There are few details to give at this point but her, her husband, and their two dogs were not harmed. I covet your prayers for her and her family as they deal with this traumatic event. I will update with any news as I can. Thanks for prayers!!!!!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-14T13:56:00.003-05:00

Should anyone REALLY be allowed to wake up with hair this gorgeous???? Gracie Rae is one lucky lady- one day she will realize this blessing I am sure.

Livvy Jean is such a happy baby. She really spends most of her time smiling, playing, eating or sleeping. We are really loving watching her personality emerge. She can sit up on her own pretty well, tips every now and then. She is tall and solid and almost 6 months old. Our BABY is getting too big:)

Gracie with her beloved poppa, reading a story and eating her favorite- POPCORN. ( and no I didn't take our Christmas stuff down until a few days ago;)

Gracie and Laney bug at the Childrens musuem. We are members so if anyone wants a playdate, the invites open.

So far 2009 has proven to be a great year. We are all happy, mostly healthy but for the occasional sniffles, and looking forward to some fun plans this year. We look back on 2008 with many smiles and a few tears. A great year to welcome our second child and realize our blessings as parents. We are truly amazed by His grace and mercy in our lives. We hope your 2009 is blessed beyond all earthly measure.

Happy Holiday

2008-12-28T20:38:00.003-05:00

We truly hope that your holiday was fantastic. We had an amazing week spent with lots of family and friends. Christmas week was a celebration from start to finish. Dan was home with us all week and we were truly spoiled to have him around helping mommy and palying with Gracie and Livvy.

We celebrated the true reason for the season- Christ- as well as our sweet Gracie turning 2 years old. What a fantastic gift she was 2 years ago and more so as we love her each day we are blessed with her. Christmas was blessed as usual and left us humbled by the Grace God has bestowed upon us all and His mercy. There will be more updates to follow and TONS of pics but for now we say. Goodnight and we hope your holiday was extra special.

Update on Livvy Jean

2008-12-12T23:23:00.003-05:00

Livvy Jean has grown so much and hit some major Milestones lately. You should see this girl chow her cereal, she sure does love to eat:) She has even had applesauce a few times this past week (hey that cereal can bind a girl up, the bowels needed as little help) and LOVED every bite. She can sit up if propped and she loves to play in her exersaucer. She grabs for things and pulls toys closer, she rolls over like a champ and then gets stuck on her belly and screams until someone helps her:) Everything near her gets put into her mouth and slimed until unrecognizable. She "talks" and Gracie thinks its funny to impersonate her. Gracie really loves being a big sister and helping feed her, making her smile, giving her pacifier when she is screaming and saying, "Livvy no, no. That's terrible!" "Shush now!" We are relishing the joys of her "babyhood" which is coming to an end quickly. She sleeps like her daddy and sister too. 12 hours without a peep. We are SO blessed:)

Milestones Christmas Program

2008-12-12T10:53:00.003-05:00

Sitting on poppas lap to enjoy the show.

Clapping for her friends who are singing their songs:)

Candy!!! What a great treat after her performance:)

Hooray! She was such a ham up on stage, we should have known:) She did all the motions and sang the words to her two songs. Her class sang one little, two little, three little reindeer and ring, ring, ring the bells :)

When she got onto the stage she yelled " Thats MY grandma!" and pointed to my mom, then she proceeded to tell the whole audience that her Poppas and her Meemaw where there also. How cute! No stage fright for this peanut:)

Gracie and her best friend Kate. These little girls bring lots of fun to Milestones older toddler room. According to their teacher they are always together- having fun or causing trouble:) If one of them is missing then the teachers can ask the other and they always have the answer as to where she is. What a fun memory as they get older:)

Silly Goose

2008-12-12T10:47:00.003-05:00

These pics are in the wrong order but you can see this little sassafrass in her first try at using mommas makeup by herself. Eyeliner in a nice chocolate brown shade. What a little cheese ball, she thought she looked kinda funny with makeup on:) Oh the many joys of girls!

Precious!

2008-12-04T11:07:00.002-05:00

Sisters!

A miracle :) (and they are both looking!)

Watching Dora together. Gracie proceeded to tell Olivia ALL about the whole show. It was very sweet.

Family times

2008-11-05T14:50:00.002-05:00

So sweet and growing up WAY to fast. Livvy is getting to be so much fun with bunches of smiles for everyone and sometimes even a laugh or two.

Silly Gracie wanted to shave like daddy. What's wrong with that?? She loves her daddy and always wants to do exactly what he does.

Livvy starting to figure things out. She will reach for things sometimes and even gets a hold on things every once and awhile.

She found her thumb. Lately she has been wiggling around for awhile and then she finds her thumb, settle right down, and usually falls asleep. We shall see if this sticks or not??

Gracie still loves being a big sister. She always asks where "her" Livvy is and wants to kiss her and give her toys. She has been such a big helper to mom and dad also. What a blessing to see these sisters grow together. We just love them beyond words!

Halloween 08

2008-11-05T14:42:00.002-05:00

Our cute little monkey, she loved her costume. It was so cozy and comfy.

Livvy was our little butterfly. She did a great job tolerating the festivities. A trooper for sure:)

Gracie had a party at school that day and they had a riot. Tons of snacks, games, and all the kids got to parade their costumes around the whole school. Gracie had to lead her class of course:)

Gracie getting the hang of this trick-or-treat idea. She had practiced at home but we didn't give her any candy so she liked this MUCH better.

She went with Maddie and Jonah, or Princess Aurora and Spiderman rather. Laney was a lion and not up for pictures and Jackson- or Buzz Lightyear- was so speedy I didn't catch him:)

Happy Halloween week!!

2008-10-27T15:44:00.003-04:00

Well last weekend we had an absolute blast in Gaylord with the Catts, Sean+Kelli, Aaron+Michelle, Drew+Jill, Mike+Amy and new this year joining us were Ryan+Amber Cox. We really got to relax and have some time away to relax and spend QT with great friends. We were the yahoos who brought the newborn but she was pretty well behaved most of the weekend. She was a bit under the weather on Sat (note the sad face Kristi is making for Livvy) but the rest of the time we enjoyed just getting to spoil her rotten with all of our attention. We had LOTS of great food, great conversation, fun times just being together, and fantastic accomadations- Thanks again Trav and Kristi- oh and baby boy Catt too:)

Michelle, Kelli, and Kristi hanging with Livvy who was under the weather:(

Amber getting some major snuggle time with the Livster. That vest was seriously snuggle worthy:)

Delish spaghetti dinner- and old tradition that NEVER gets old. Best recipe ever

Gracie playing with play-do. She barely found time to even look at me never mind smile- oh well, we take what we get at this stage:)

Livvy is rocking out the Bumbo chair. I can't believe how old she is getting. 3 months old already and she is growing like a weed. She has LOTS of smiles for every one and most days she is pretty content with life and those around her. SHe has a day here and there when she doesn't know which way is up, not to mention what to do with her own mood. But the rest of the time she is sweet as pie. Watch out though- her baby blues will get you hooked:) She is still looking lots like daddy and he is loving that. Her chubs are serious and not to be missed. We also love that her sleeping habits are pretty consistant now. She sleeps most of the night 10-7ish, but she still wakes up once for a quick 20 min snack in the night sometime. This mommy is feeling quite rested and doesn't mind it a bit:)

Tree Climber

2008-10-13T22:05:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the poor quality pics BUT I had to get what I could while not risking my childs life longer than needed :)
How high is she???
She had to do it " by my self preese daddy"
While out in the yard enjoying this warm fall weather, Dan thought it might be fun to climb our HUGE maple in the front yard. He barely escaped with his life and then of course his little girl had to try it too. She LOVES to copy her daddy:) She pulled herself right up on the branch by holding onto the branch above it. Smarty pants. Needless to say I was worried but daddy said she was fine and stood right below her the whole time:)

Sisters:)

2008-10-13T21:55:00.003-04:00

Bath time- every once and awhile Livvy joins Gracie in her big girl tub:)
Then of course our big helper has to wash her sissy- only on her tummy Grace :)
Cheesy grin, ready for a Laker football game. Gracie loves to go to football games. She is a super fan. G-V-S-U, GO LAKERS!!!!!
Gracie feeding her baby like mommy does:) With her "boobies", in my chair, with the pillow- and then came the search for the burp rag so she could burp :) What a good little mommy.
Livvy is ready for a laker football game also. Getting so big now:) Don't you just want to pinch those cheeks?

Braidy Lady

2008-10-10T11:16:00.002-04:00

Gracie Rae will FINALLY sit still and let mommy braid her hair. She likes it because she is "pretty" and then her hair doesn't fall into her eyes constantly. I think it makes her look SOOOOOOOOO old now though. I can't beleive my baby is almost two :(

Children's Museum

2008-10-10T11:05:00.002-04:00

The girls and I have really enjoyed being blessed with family to spend our days with. Kelli, Laney and Jonah are always willing to include us in fun activites- like an outing to the GR Children's Museum. The kiddos have an absolute blast together- even when they forget about "gentle touch", and us moms can catch up on life and just enjoy some adult conversation :) God has blessed us immensely and we are not taking it for granted. We thank Him often!

RUN!!!!
Fishin- Laney Rose is in on the fun now:)
Jonah caught the big one!!!
Gracie racing the car down the track!
AND whats new? Livvy slept through all the fun. Oh well, better than a screaming baby:)

Thanks to Kelli and the kiddos for such fun days that we get to spend together- even if they are mostly CRAZY!!!!

Pumpkins!!!

2008-10-10T10:58:00.002-04:00

Last night Maddie and Gracie had fun carving pupmkins with poppa Hosford. They were not fond of the ooey gooey mess though. Happy to let poppa do the dirty work and enjoy the Jack-O-Lanterns in the end.

The "Ladies"- three generations, how blessed are we??

Gracie update

2008-09-25T08:49:00.002-04:00

Gracie is such a big girl now. She is learning so much and developing her sense of self more and more each day. She is a strong willed little girl who is always wanting to do it all on her own. She is such a loving, sweet girl as well. She is potty trained pretty well now and wears her big girl undies all the time. Occasional accidents here and there and sometimes she pees in her undies on purpose when she is mad at mommy and daddy. Who knew kids could manipulate parents so well at such an early age? She is 21 months old now and about 33 lbs. A big girl and tough as nails to boot. She loves playing with her cousins and spending time with her family. She likes to talk your ear off- for real! She talks like a champ, full sentences and about EVERYTHING know to man. She breaks out words that I can't believe sometimes and I don't even know where she learns it all. A genius for sure- do you think I am biased? We adore her and love watching her love on her little sis who she truly seems to enjoy at this point. We are so blessed with our girls!!

Livvy update

2008-09-25T08:45:00.003-04:00

I can't believe she is already two months old. Where does the time go? We are truly enjoying our little Livster. She is a great baby, sleeps like her daddy and eats VERY well. What more can you ask for? She is growing fast 12lbs 2oz already (75th percentile) and 23.5 inches long (75th percentile also). She is perfect in all aspects of her health and development. Praise God for her and the joy she brings to our family.

Water Park

2008-09-01T16:39:00.009-04:00

Laney & Kelli
sleepy Gracie
Stud diving team

Sean practicing for 2012 Olympic games
Jonah jumping off the diving board- then he swam to the edge without swimmies! What a champ!
graceful swan dive from Dan- look out chinese divers, you may have competition at the next olympics :)
Gracie & Dan
Jonah & Kelli

giddy Gracie
cousins
Poppa leads the way
Livvy's first water park experience
Laney going for it

FMG

2008-09-01T16:39:00.003-04:00

What a great time we had on Saturday when we took the kiddos to Frederick Meijer Gardens. It was a hot one but the kids rallied and had so much fun by the giant horse sculpture, playing in the fountain, and driving the boats through the great lakes exhibit in the childrens park. They also had fun in the tree house but we missed out on pics :)

Summer fun!

2008-08-26T13:19:00.002-04:00

Livvy and Uncle Sean chilling on the patio
Snuggle time with Auntie Kelli, well she was pretty chilled out at this point:)
Spit happens!!!!!!!
Sweet Gracie being the best big sister in the world. She is such a huge helper and adores her little "shisher". She is growing into such a girl now- she has gone potty on the big girl potty over a dozen times and frequently asks us to go. So we decided that next week is go time. Full on potty training begins. Next week will also be her first week in the older toddler class at school. She is making such huge strides in her language and social development and so it's time to move on up!
Daddy with his two little sweeties. We are so blessed to have the greatest, most loving, patient, fun, and super helpful daddy. He is so involved and spends such quality time with his girls. We love you Daddy and think you are the best in the whole world!!!!!

Three weeks old

2008-08-14T08:37:00.002-04:00

Well time sure does fly by. Livvy is already three weeks old. She is still a rockstar baby and we are loving it up for sure. She is gaining weight slowly but surely and filling in some of her skin wrinkles daily. She eats great and poops more than I deserve. Gracie is truly the best big sister we could have hoped for. She is really loving her little sis and helping a lot for a toddler. Her language skills continue to amaze us and she is learning SO fast. She really is incredible and God has blessed us beyond our wildest dreams with these two girls. Hope life is grand with you all and everyone is enjoying the gorgeous weather lately, we have!

Bye-bye Marley

2008-08-08T12:10:00.005-04:00

We are sad to have to say adios to another member of our family. Marley will be leaving us on Saturday morning to go live a long and fabulous life with a young couple in Muskegon. They are going to give him tons of love and ALL the exercise and play time that we are not able to. We have felt that it is not fair to our excitable little puppers that we don't have enough time to devote to him daily. Praise the Lord for our neighbor who has been loving on him and walking him daily. She has allowed us more time to have him but we realize that he needs a home where he will be the center of attention and this new home will be just that. In our home we love him bunches but the girls are the center of our world and Marley suffers from that. Please pray the he transitions well and that we learn to live without a pet for now.

Another great week!

2008-08-08T12:10:00.002-04:00

Check it out! Her eyes are open. Yes, she is awake some of the time. We are still waiting for the inevitable doom of the second baby but for now these two weeks have been a joy. Livvy is truly an angel and allows momma about 6-7 hrs of sleep every night, 5 in a row at least. What a blessed angel. We are really enjoying having her in our fam.
Playing with Poppa. Dan and I are SOOO amazingly blessed to have such incredible families. The love and support are endless for us as well as our beautiful girls. When you love a child as much as we do it is hard to imagine others could too. And yet our families and friends do. We have had so many visits, offers to watch Gracie, meals and gifts given, and just plain and simple love shown for our family. We cannot even begin to express our extreme gratitude and appreciation. We honestly love you all and wish we could tell you how much you are loved by us but words would never suffice. God bless you for blessing us and we pray that someday we can show you all how much you are loved.
Here is a pic of Gracie showing off her new do. She is now able to sport a full on pony tail. Her fluff still needs a barrett to hold it back but the hair is in a pony. Who would have guessed before she was two?? I love it!

Livvy Jean

2008-08-04T11:40:00.006-04:00

Hanging with Uncle Tom and Auntie Lolo. What a lot of lovin this little angel is getting, she has such a fun filled, full of love life ahead of her.
Stretching out on the fuzzy blanket. She is such an easy going baby so far- no drama at all. Just eat, sleep (a LOT), and poop. What a life!
Snug as a bug- she is a little snuggler for sure. She loves to spend time in my little peanut shell sling. She is so cozy and warm that it puts her to sleep almost instantly.
Livvy just loves all the smooches and loving she gets from her big sister. Gracie is intrugued by her and the little noises she makes. She doesn't cry much but Gracie is always very concerned when she does. She checks on her right away and pats her belly and says "it's ok Livvy, it's ok." I hope this concern keeps going as they grow up together.
Livvy poolside at Silver Lake CC. We spent a gorgeous weekend of fabulus weather by the pool and Livvy enjoyed all the fresh air, she slept the days away and had a few moments of being awake and checking out the poolside activity- watching Gracie swimming with daddy, gamma and poppa. We will contnue to enjoy the warm weather and sunny summer days with our girls. Bless you the rest of your summer- ENJOY!!!!

Livin the life of the Big Sister

2008-08-04T11:40:00.003-04:00

Here is Gracie helping dad with some of the chores around the house after Livvy and mommy came home from the hospital. She has been such a great helper and really seems to enjoy the Big girl role.
Gracie and gamma checking out baby Livvy in one of her rare awake moments. They are few and far between right now but we know that will change all too quickly.
Having some alone time on the kitchen floor with her magnets.
Showing off what a big girl she is becoming. She has grown up so fast and I am trying to figure out how to slow it all down and enjoy the time that I have my "babies" around. Life is flying by but we are thoroughly enjoying the ride with our little loves!
Poolside at Silver Lake. We enjoyed a lot of the weekend poolside at the club, Gracie has learned how to swim on her own with just her floaties on her arms. What a big girl- she has no fear and will try most anything. She loves floating on her back with her head in the water. How cute is she?

Meet Olivia Jean

2008-07-16T17:37:00.004-04:00

She has arrived. Fast and furious as I thought she might. Labor started at around 1000 on Wed morning with very mild contractions that were not really regular at all. Then I had a check up with the doc at 1130. She found I was still only dilated to 4 and so she stripped my membranes- NOT fun at all, don't do this if you don't have to. After that the contractions were stronger and about 7-10 min apart. I went home to catch some lunch and she told me to go to the hospital when they were 5 min a part. Mom made me lunch and hung out with me for about 2 hours and at 2pm we decided we should head the way of the hosp but my water had not yet broken. I was afraid if it did we wouldn't get to the hosp in time. We got to the unit at 3pm, they broke my water at 4:30pm, the contractions were non-stop and I got my epidural at 5:15, they checked me and I was ready to push at 5:45, along came the doc who rushed over form her office and I began to push at 6:00pm and out came Livvy 5 pushes later at 6:08pm on Wed July 23rd, 2008.

Gracelyn meeting her little "shisher" Livvy. Livvy was letting her know how she felt about getting pounded on in my belly for nine months :) Gracie said to her "I Love you Livvy" totally unprompted- talk about heartwarming for this mommy.
Checking out the world in her pretty pink outfit. She is very a;ert and strong- and she has got some lungs when she needs them :)
Snuggled up in her daddy's arms- no safer place on earth. She has a very sweet, mellow temperment when she is warm and well fed. Other wise, she sounds a bit like a teridactyl :)
Precious new member of our family. We welcome her to this world with more love than we knew was possible. We are absolutely in awe of the miracle of her life and couldn't be happier with how she completes our family. Dan and I are SO blessed to be entrusted with these beautiful girls He has given us and we are so excited to continue this journey with Olivia in the fold. God bless you Olivia Jean- born July 23rd, 2008 at 6:08pm. 7lbs 1oz. and 19 inches long. We love you more than we could ever have known and thank God for your precious little life.

Photos of summertime

2008-07-16T17:37:00.003-04:00

Sometimes the joy of summer is also the pain of summer. Gracie is not the most gentle child and therefore, some of her "adventures" go awry and cause the bangs and bruises she is now notorious for. We love you even with big goose eggs on your head honey pie!
Shenanigans- no other word for it. Sometimes she just happens to find the one thing we didn't get to before her. In this case it was a pink highliter marker and a green gel roller pen. No permanent damage, just a few laughs and a bit more kid proofing around the house:)
Here's me and Olivia prepping for our first kayak trip out in the West Bay in Elk Rapids. Yes I was that confused to start, but it was easier than I expected and we did really well. I was just glad that we both fit:)
Dan joining the adventure out into the West Bay. We had fun out in the open water and even got a little exercise. Check out Dan's superior golfers tan- only the neck and the forearms (oh and the "V" in the front of his chest where his top golf shirt button is usually undone). Any other golf widows sure know this look :)
The ladies on yet another gorgeous sunny afternoon that we were blessed with in Elk Rapids over the fourth. We had such a blast at the Lake House and could not have had any better company. You ladies rock my world- oh, and the men aren't so bad either. (Leanne DeYoung, Me, Kristi Catt, Linsey Wohlin, and Kelli Carlson) Can't wait for next year!!!

Update

2008-07-12T14:39:00.002-04:00

Well I will try to post some more pics later. My comp. is not being very cooperative at this time. A little update on our crazy hectic life: We have been going, going, going- non stop lately and that has been FUN as we know that in a few short weeks we will be home a LOT more with a new little sweetie to care for. Dan is SUPER daddy and as usual the best hubby in the world. Taking care of his ladies is a full time job I'm sure and he is SO great at it. He has been trying to get in a little more golf as that will also slow down soon. He has a Pro-Am in Harbor Springs next weekend that will hopefully be a last hurrah for us all. We will be spending the weekend at Boyne with the Hosford fam and enjoying the water park with the kiddos. Mommy is doing really great. This pregnancy is getting slightly more uncomfortable as the room to grow is rapidly diminishing. But nothing like last time for sure. I am enjoying all the last moments of it as we are getting closer to meeting our sweetie and I don't think I was meant to mother more than two chitlins. We shall see:) We have been beating the heat and enjoying summer with Gracie Rae. She is such a darling- We are loving on her like its all we have. Enjoying our last weeks with her as an only child. She is really getting more and more interested in other babies and kisses my belly and talks to Livvy every day. She is so sweet and has no idea that this little child will be born and than rock her little world:) Gracie is learning so fast these days. She has now started to count to ten. She loves to show off for people. She repeats her entire alphabet and often beats you to the next letter, show-off:) She speaks in full sentences most of the time and her vocabulary has exceeded 150 words by now. We are amazed at the abilities of our "baby". She has a crazy obsession with airplanes and can spot them LONG before any capable adult. Maybe she will be a pilot??? Loves to you all and we will keep you updated on the Olivia Jean situation.

Please pray!

2008-06-27T14:48:00.002-04:00

Please take a moment to pray for the family of a woman that works with Dan. Her name is Meredith Riley Soddy and their family has just found out that thier 2 year old daughter has liver cancer that has also spread to her lungs. They aren't sure which type of cancer they are dealing with currently but were told that there are treatment options and that the situation is not hopeless. The little girls name is Amanda and she has had quite a tough go of life already. She was born prematurely at 24 weeks and so had to remain hospitalized for months after birth. She then has had heart problems and other health issues related to being a premie. Please pray for them as they struggle through the daily grind of chemo and more hospitalization, as well as the questions of why? Why would this happen to their miracle baby? Only God knows and we pray He grants them the peace and comfort they need as well as the fortitude to get through the struggles.

Summer beauty

2008-06-15T13:59:00.002-04:00

OK so we definitely need a new picture on this blog than a hot, sweaty preggo for sure. Here is a recent pic of our summer beauty. Gracie Rae is almost 18 months old already. Growing like a weed and even starting to loose her buddah belly and sprout up taller. She is still a solid girl but as she grows she is less chubby and more athletic looking. Oh how fast this childhood thing goes. We are absolutely loving all the new things she is learning and teaching us daily. She is quite the little talker. Dan and I cracked up this past week as we were reading that "18 month olds should be using around ten words and that their favorite word is usually NO" We realized that Gracie uses over 80 words that we can count and more often than not she uses them in full- or almost full- sentences. Scholorship child :) However, she is right on traget with her favortie one being NO. as long as she is the one using it and not Mom and dad :)We can't wait to see how she will be as a "Big Shisher" to Olivia in less than eight weeks :)Enjoy the sun!

Holy Moly- over thirty weeks already?!!

2008-06-07T13:18:00.003-04:00

Sorry about the sweaty face- pregnant in summer is totally HOT!!! Check out the fabulous pic of baby Olivia Jean at 30 weeks along. I can't beieve how fast this pregnancy is flying by. We are now to the every 2 week check-ups and she is measuring great and should make her grand entrance into this world in about 9 weeks. We are frantically trying to get some stuff done around the house to prepare for her. Last week we moved the office downstairs so we could start getting her ocean/beach/ sun/fun room ready for her. Of course nothing about the project went smoothely- the computer power supply got fried and it cost and arm and a leg to get it fixed over the past week. BUT- now we are up and running online again and life may resume again as normal. Next up- a little paint, possibly a new bathroom?, a little mulch and some flowers outside, and a LOT of organizing. Any takers who want to watch Gracie Rae for an afternoon so mommy can get some projects done are welcome!!:) God bless and enjoy the HEAT!!!

Cheese!

2008-05-28T20:13:00.003-04:00

Who me?? You want me to say cheese?? Holy moly- check out those baby blues!
Our baby is more and more a BIG girl these days. She is feeling much better and the sass is back in full force. Time out is a wonderous thing however, and since the initiation of that we have had a little girl that listens much better now- for the most part ;)
She just doesn't even look like a baby anymore. Where has the time gone? She will be a sister in just 10 weeks or less. WOW!!!! We love you bunches Gracie Rae- you bring us more joy than we can comprehend and we are SO blessed to be your parents.

Zoo fun

2008-05-21T11:26:00.004-04:00

So we had a great time at the John Ball Park zoo yesterday. Kelli, Jonah and Laney, Lauren and Madilyn, and Gracie, meemaw Carlson, and I all went while the dads are on a golf getaway in Traverse City. Our kids were totally wonderful and we couldn't have had more fun. They enjoyed all the different animals, riding the camel, brushing the baby goats, petting the goats and cow in the petting zoo, eating push pops and slushies, and just watching ALL the other poeple that were packed in to the zoo. What a gorgeous day to be outside and enjoy the sunshine too. Sorry for no pics but Lauren has some great ones on her blog- check them out!! Happy Memorial Day!

Rough days

2008-05-21T11:26:00.003-04:00

How tough to be a toddler. Poor little Gracie Rae has had a bit of a rough go of it for the past week or so. She has just not been herself and so Mommy tried eevrything and then buckled and took her to the doctor. She has had a sinus infection that has probably been giving her quite a headache, it has been draining into her throat and causing her upper airway congestion also. She has a hacky cough, intermittent fevers, and on top of it all- she is teething a couple of rotten little teeth. What a wreck we have on our hands. I must say that she is a trooper though. Now with a heavy dose of antibiotics to take for the next two weeks, she has to eat yogurt every day (which thankfully she likes) and she has diarrhea that has made her bottom raw even with the prescription magic butt cream and screams ever time she poops or pees in her diaper. Oh the joys of toddler hood- and she tried so hard to get here as quickly as possible. We love our little peach and are looking forward to her feeling top notch again soon. She is still as sweet as sugar and we know it will be even better when she is on top of her game. Loves from us and enjoy your holiday weekend- Let the SUN shine on!!!!!!!

Bye Bye Grandpa

2008-05-12T19:46:00.004-04:00

Well Grandpa Hosford has finally gone to be with his heavenly family this morning in the wee hours. He has been very weak and ill for quite some time now and we are greatful that his suffering is over. He has had such a huge impact on this family and will be dearly missed. So many qualities Dan has are from Grandpa and they truly enjoyed many of the same things in life. There are moments when Gracie will even do something and Dan says, "that was just like grandpa!" So please be in prayer for the Hosford family as we grieve and say goodbye to another dearly beloved family member. God speed grandpa, enjoy your new heavenly home!!!

School fun!

2008-05-12T19:46:00.003-04:00

Gracie just absolutely loves being at school on Mondays and Fridays. She spends half days twice a week at Milestones child development center so mommy can work. It has been the best thing for our family. Reasonable rates, the BEST teachers in town who love Gracie with all their hearts, fun kids, small class sizes, and a great curriculum that keeps Gracie interested and learning something new everytime she goes. It was a hard decision initially, but by Gods blessing we have come to decide that this is the best thing for us.

Last week Gracie's class was learning about different sensory experiences. They got to strip down to their diapers and play with shaving cream at the table. She was so overjoyed at the mess she was allowed to make.
They also had sno cone day the previous week when the weather was unseasonably warm. She enjoyed the taste, texture, and temperature experience this provided. Thank you Milestones for being such a caring, loving, and fun environment for our sweetie to learn in.

So corny

2008-04-25T16:42:00.006-04:00

Our sassy frass LOVES her veggies. It cracks us up when she would prefer the veggies we are eating than her own food. Her faves are green beans- cooked and raw, Peas- even the smushed ones:), cut up cherry tomatoes, cooked carrots and the newest is grilled corn on the cob. The Perfect teether. She is getting her 15th and 16th teeth currently and she loved the way the cob felt rubbing on her gums :)

Mega 80's

2008-04-25T16:42:00.003-04:00

What a riot!!! If you get the chance you MUST go see Mega 80's, an 80's music band that absolutely rocks. We had the privilege of a late night out without the kiddo last Saturday (thanks Meema and Poppa!) and we saw them at the Intersection. FUN FUN FUN. Loud also, but the ringing in the ears was worth it. Olivia even enjoyed her first taste of REAL music. Rock On!

Crazy Gracie Rae

2008-04-17T08:57:00.005-04:00

I just LOVE this pic from Auntie Lolo- I had to steal it for our blog too :) Anywho- to the point of this post. My crazy little Gracester, she can sleep like a Hosford and it baffles this momma every day. Tuesday I had to wake her up at 10:45 am- and then on Wed she slept until 9:30- and now here I am at 9:30 again and she's still snoozin away. She goes to bed between 7:30 and 8 pm so I haven't a clue as to why she sleeps so late. I am NOT complaining though moms- don't get me wrong. I laugh though because when she doesn't get this much sleep she is not nearly as well behaved as she has been the last three days. We went to the doctors on Mon for her 16 month check up and she weighs 28lbs 12oz. She is 33 1/2 inches tall and that puts her in the 95th percentile for ALL categories. Perfectly proportioned and BIG! She is old enough to start time-out when she is naughty. So dad and I were prepared to begin Monday afternoon. Now it's Thursday and Gracie has yet to do something worthy of time-out. I know it will come soon but I am a proud momma to saymy baby is so sweet- Just make sure she gets her sleep. Even the three hour afternoon nap she usually blesses me with. I love you sassy Gracester. Oh- on a side note- Tha absolute cutest birthday present a mommy could ever recieve was when Gracie woke up yesterday morning and told me ALL about her night and then proceeded to ask about her family, name by name, and lastly said to me- unprompted- "I lubbed chew mama!" I melted right away and spent the next few hours in mommy bliss.

Back from the shores!

2008-04-17T08:57:00.002-04:00

Fun at Lulu's!
Doodleboppin can really wear a girl out
Peek-a-boo Uncle Tom, I love you!
Check out the hops on Madster, good squat Gracie Rae.
Family pic on the beach. Olivia's even taking apeek :)

More shores pics

2008-04-17T07:30:00.002-04:00

Cutest little beach babes ever!
So much fun in the sun
Olivia's first beach pic at the Ocean :)
These girls are absolutely the best of friends ,and cousins to boot, could we be any more blessed?
Come on dad, it's not THAT cold!

Happy Birthday to me!!!

2008-04-16T08:57:00.002-04:00

Thanks so much to all for the fabulous calls, sweetest messages and all the love and well wishes sent my way as I enter- as gracefully as possible- into my LATE twenties. What? I know, I can't believe it either. 27 years I have inhabitied this earth and been blessed a million times over through them all. I am very content at this point in my life, extremely happy with the place I am in and the people who surround me in all forms. I am LOVIN being a momma to our Gracie poo,

she brings me the utmost joy every day. I am even loving growing Livvy and housing her for the time being- although I am excited to meet her in august. God is great and I am SUPER blessed by him. Thanks especially to my darling hubby who took me out to the most fabulous dinner at Chop House to celebrate ME on my special day. I love you more than you will ever know, thanks for loving me so well!

Adios Amigos!

2008-04-02T06:06:00.002-04:00

We are off to the beach!!!! See you in 10 days. Have a fantastic spring break and even though I will be at the beach, I do pray for warmer weather for all of those stuck here in MI :) Loves!!!

Big Sister Gracie Rae

2008-03-24T16:39:00.004-04:00

Mommy's little cherub
CHEESE!!!!!!!
Sassy pants!!!
Look at that innocent little face... a face that says I am and angel! Most of the time anyway!
Easter Princess

Guess who????????

2008-03-24T16:39:00.003-04:00

Now only a few more hours till we can divulge our little secret........... you didn't really think I would tell early did you??? Praise the Lord for a healthy baby with all its pieces and parts!!!! Will be back later:)

It's a GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!! Baby Olivia Jean Hosford, healthy and still expected to arrive the beginning of August. She was a bit stubborn during her video because she didn't want to show off her spine so we will see her again in four weeks to get some more pics. All the limbs are present and well formed and she has all the major organs thus far. Her heart is perfect and we couldn't be happier. Daddy is pretty excited about having another daddy's little girl. Nothing quite like being the first love in a little girls life and having her unconditional adoration. Mommy always wanted a sister so I am just thrilled for Gracie to get to know her little sis Livvy. What a blessing for sure. Bring on the pink!!!!!! Again!!

Stay Tuned!

2008-03-22T03:28:00.002-04:00

So no pics this time but just a note to say check back Monday night. We have our 20 week ultrasound on Monday afternoon and will hopefully find out what gender this bundle of joy is. Somersaults say that no matter what he/she is, it is VERY active. So quickly I forgot what somersaults and jumping jacks in the uterus feel like. CRAZY! Have a fabulous Easter to all and enjoy the beautiful spring weather :) Oh well, it WILL get warm eventually right? Less than two weeks till sunny beach time for us. Can't wait!!!!! Will write Monday night:)

Crazy Climber

2008-03-12T12:56:00.002-04:00

So our crazy little nut is on the move ALL the time, and now she is obsessed with climbing. She is pretty good I must say but sometimes she bites foo more than she can chew. Oh well! That's waht growing up is all about. The above pic is her climbing on daddy while he was "taking a nap" and she is sitting on his head. What a silly goose. She keeps us on our toes for sure.
You give them an inche and they take a mile! Here is Gracie "playing" in the tupperware cupboard. She is allowed to play witht he tupperware. Little did mom know her plans were to empty the cupboard and climb into her new play house. She did get stuck at one point and scream "Help!"
Does that look like the face of a naughty little thing? Our crazy monkey is SO much fun these days and we are truly having a blast with all the new adventures. She has become quite the chatterbox, I have NO IDEA where she gets that from. She has taken to speaking in two and three word phrases already which blows my mind. But, I guess she's trying to keep up with momma. My favorite new phrase is when I give her something and she smiles at me and says "Thanks you, Momma". How sweet it is.
This was on a Saturday morning while momma was sleeping and Gracie had to show daddy her new trick. We are enjoying Gracie and looking forward to expanding our journey in August. Two weeks until we find out what this new peanut is!! And only three weeks till we are sunning ourselves on the beach in the Gulf. Alabama here we come!!!

Great Wolf Lodge

2008-02-26T13:23:00.002-05:00

What a blast we had this past weekend up at the Great Wolf Lodge. We went with Sean, Kelli, Jonah, Mom and Dad Carlson. The kids had the time of thier lives and us adults didn't do so bad either. What a great place to get rid of the winter blues for a few days.
Ready for the water?
I love Aunt Kelli and crazy Uncle Sean
This place is so cool!
Show mommy the way Gracie.

2008-02-25T13:23:00.000-05:00

WEEEEEEEEE! Gracie loved the slide and went down about 100 times. "Mo Peees!"
Wow, this expression was used frequently.

Hot tub with Dada
Sweet, this was entertainment for a long time!

2008-02-25T01:23:00.000-05:00

I love my Gramma. I am SO sleepy!
Sacked out after playing for hours.
Refreshed and ready for more.
Grandpa, lets check that out.
Lovin from my cousin Jonah.

The big day!

2008-02-21T13:03:00.002-05:00

Well just a quickie update. We are all healthy in our household now!!! Woohoo!! We thought it would never happen. We had an appt. with our OB/GYN yesterday afternoon. Baby Hos is doing great, still as active as ever. I have felt movement a few times now but only when I am very still and focused. It should be soon that I am feeling it all the time, this is one of my favorite parts of pregnancy. So we set up our 20 week appt and Ultrasound- you know- the one when we find out the sex of this baby child. The big day will be Monday March 24th. Only a little over a month away, I can't believe that. But I am glad its before we head off for vacay in Gulf Shores. Loves to all and heres to hoping your winter is fabulous!

Silly Goose

2008-02-15T09:24:00.002-05:00

Happy belated Valentines to all. We hope your day was full of love. Our day was hilarious as Gracie was fullof beans yesterday. She had this desire to "wash" everything in the house. Her whole kitchen, the entire living room and so on. Her little wash cloth was her best buddy for over an hour- a long time for her normal attention span. What a trip she was, wiping everything she could get her little hands on, including mommy and Marley the dog.
When I felt that the cloth was sufficiently dirty I tried to take it away and at least clean it before giving it back but man did I get an ear full from her at that attempt.
You can't see it in this pic but the wash cloth was in the basket of her other new favorite toy- the bike she received as a gift for her first brithday. She rides it up and down the hallway, occasionally running into the wall and taking a dive off the seat. But she loves every minute of it. I also have an inkling that it is her weapon against the curious Mr Marley. She tries to run him over at times, but he thinks shes just palying :)

Happy Valentines from all of us to all of you!

Little sprout

2008-02-05T12:09:00.001-05:00

Our little bean is still growing at light speed. She is quite adorable I might add. All her new words and little actions are getting funnier by the day. She continues to crack us up all the time. She has had quite the winter of sickness and we are truly looking forward to a healthy spring and summer. She is finally finishing up with her cough/cold and her double pink eye is all cleared up now. Praise the Lord that those are over. Sick babies break my heart! As seen in this lovely picture, Gracie has finally let mom start putting her crazy hair up and out of her eyes. It took quite a bit of convincing but now she seems to be ok with it most of the time. She looks like such a little girl to me now. No more baby.

She has also started to point at mommy's tummy and say "Babeeeee". How cute is that. I don't think she knows the implications of what that means but hey, shes only one! We have had good blessings so far with baby Hos. He/She is growing well and mommy feels tons better. The belly bulge is in full effect and that is weird again. How quickly we forget the joys of pregnancy! We hpe this finds you all wel this snowy season, stay warm and healthy. Loves!

February Update

2008-02-05T12:09:00.000-05:00

Happy February to all. We truly hope this finds all of you well. Health has been an issue at our house this winter, we have all had colds, flu and all the snot that comes with it. We should hold stock in Kleenex for sure! Other than that, we have been doing very well. We have had a few OB/GYN appointments so far. Baby Hos is growing well and seems to have all the parts and pieces that a baby needs. We have a super cute ultrasound pic but I can't figure out how to put it on here, maybe someday. Dan is still working hard and looking forward to the snow melting so he can Golf again. I think that maybe my all day sickness is subsiding but it's hard to tell while I have all this snot and cruddy head stuff happening. I have been able to eat a bit more though, Hip Hip Hooray! Gracie has really been growing up FAST. SHe enjoys school where she is in the big kids class now. She is learning to eat on her own with a fork and spoon, she's pretty good but it can get VERY messy.

The pics show her sweet little self. Her favorite things to do are play, read, run, and CLIMB on everything possible. She still has her fearless nature so we have to watch her like a hawk. She has 9 teeth, four front teeth on top, four front teeth on bottom and her first big molar on the bottom right. The next molar is trying hard to pop through right now. DROOL is abundant. She loves to grab a book and back herself up onto her giant pink teddy's lap and sit and read her books. Thanks to Aunt KK for the fabulous Bear. Gracie is loving it bunches. She also loves to show off all her words. She says SO many things it is getting hard to count. She loves to sing- Itsy Bitsy Spider, Baa Baa Black sheep, Twinkle Twinkle Little star, and Patty cake. She will also teach you a dance move or two any time, any place. She is NOT a shy girl. Loves to all and hopes for a fabulous February.

Fabulous weekend!

2008-01-21T15:39:00.002-05:00

So no new pics...again. I know, i suck. But hey we had a fantastic weekend and I thought I would share. I worked like norm Fri night. Then Saturday returned home to find Gracie at the back door to greet me with a FIRM shaking of the gate and a smile that would melt any heart. Thats what I call a welcome home. I then spent a short time with Dan and her, getting plenty of slobbery smooches and snuggles. SLEEP comes next and then a BIG date night out to celebrate 5 fabulous years of marriage. First to the movies- Juno was the film and it was Superb! Definitely recommended and Dan really liked it also. Then check in at our FANCY suite at the JW Marriot in GR. We really got fabulous treatment and the facility was splendid. Dinner was one for the books. Leo's- also HIGHLY recommended if you have never had the pleasure. We did it up good and had a lovely anniversary gift waiting for us from the in-laws. SPOILED! King crab legs, buttery New York strip, Bavarian Cream chocolate torte, these can never be a worng choice. Three hours for dinner and then back to the lovely suite. We had a fabulous breakfast Sun morning and then went to my parents to get the babe. Thanks so much to them for the gift of loving and caring for our sweetie while we had some alone time. How blessed are we? Loves!

Happiest Five years of my life!

2008-01-21T15:39:00.001-05:00

Happy Fifth Anniversary to the greatest husband in the world! These have truly been the greatest years of my life thus far and they are only getting better. I knew early on that God had brought you into my life for special reasons and then that you were the Man he created for me. Now I know that you were born to be the man of my dreams and the father of our children. You are perfect to me, even when my silly human mind doesn't comprehend why or how. You are the love of my life and truly my knight in shining armor. I love you more and more deeply than words can say and can't wait to continue this journey with you FOREVER! Smooches- Wifey

I see the light!

2008-01-21T15:39:00.000-05:00

Well today we had our first doctors appointment to check on our pregnancy and hear the baby's heartbeat. 181 bpm and this little one was moving ALL over the place. Another mover and shaker I think! What an incredible blessing to hear that little sound. I didn't know how anxious I was until I heard it and then felt total and utter relief. I could have listened to it all day, but the baby moved and we lost it soon after :) It definitely makes me feel a lot better about how crappy I have been feeling. I will gladly feel however God wants me to if it maens a happy, healthy child. I do see the light though. We are almost past the first trimester and I have had a few days lately where I can actually eat a "real"amount of food and not heave all afternoon. The nurse in the lab at our office had been drawing ALL the blood they need for the first visit, which is about six or seven vials, and told Dan- "You must take your wife out for a fancy dinner now and she MUST order dessert to make up for all this lost blood! HA HA HA We got a chuckle from that.Praise the Lord! Please pray that this pregnancy goes well and that by the Grace of God we will welcome this little babe in August! Thanks for the love and support, we have truly greatful hearts!

Curly Que

2008-01-10T10:47:00.001-05:00

Gracie has curly hair! It's getting so long now and she has definite curls. How cute is she? She is thinning out a bit now that she is on the move CONSTANTLY :) We are really enjoying her personality but she has got quite a stubborn side. She really likes to get her way, I have NO IDEA where that comes from. She lives her little life 100 miles an hour and keeps mommy and daddy busy and guessing what comes next. How fun.She says so many words now. Doggee, Fshhh, No no, Juice, Cheese, Sock, Yup, Ball, and man can this girl dance. she loves to push her music on and then jive to the tunes, legs bouncing, arms waving and head bopping up and down. You have got to see this!

We are loving life also, mom is feeling quite rough these days but I know there is an end in sight. I try to keep a positive attitude but the Blech feeling gets really old and how tired can one person be? Baby Hos is now in its third month of growing and is a fetus now. Growing like wild and sucking the life out of mom! Dan is great- such a great hubby, doing anything he can to help me. And what a daddy! The best there is I am convinced. Gracie adores him and can't wait to see Daddeeeeeee every day after work. Loves from us!

Happy New Year!!

2008-01-04T10:14:00.001-05:00

Well what a year we have had. A wonderful and FULL year that seemed to fly by at warp speed. On to 2008 we go, looking forward to the new adventures it will bring to our family. Gracie has grown up SO much this past year. It is amazing what change one year can bring in the life of a child. She started the year a completely dependent infant who couldn't do much but eat and sleep. Now she is feeding herself, talking all the time, drinking from a sippy (no more bottle), running and climbing on Everything, and having her sassy drama queen moments also. We are truly loving our wild little girl, even with the attitude she trys at times. Dan and I have grown a lot as well. Being parents has changed us both immensely. We rely on God more than ever and also on each other more than before. We seem to have really gotten into a routine that works for our family and God bless that! We are thrilled to meet this next member of our little family, Lord willing, in August. Until then, we are loving on our big baby girl and our puupy too. Marley is a huge part of our family now too. Full of energy, he can be a bigger handful than Gracie at times. What a joy! We wish you the happiest and healthiest year ever in 2008, from our family to yours!

Christmas fun.....and not so fun!

2007-12-27T10:08:00.000-05:00

Christmas was a mixed bag for us this year. Last year was different with Gracie being born and all and then this year we had a run of the stomach flu in our household. Crappy is right, but for the record we did celebrate with the best of them anyway. Gracie was sick last weekend and then daddy was sick on Christmas eve, Gracie's birthday. Well, either way- Gracie amd mommy celebrated on Christmas eve at the Hosford's house and had a great dinner, great company, some presents and a little birthday cake. Daddy slept off the flu at home but was feeling better by the time we got home.

Chritmas morning everyone was feeling good and we had a blast with our munchkin and she was loving all the fun and presents. Then off to brunch at the Hosford's and TONS of presents. What a fantastic holiday- we were so incredibly blessed. We missed the Carlson's but had a greta celebration with them earlier in the month before the rents went off to Africa. They are doing well and enjoying the family over there this holiday season. We can't wait to have them back.

We are super excited about the New Year coming up. We are thrilled about the next member of the family joining us and all the fun new things Gracie will teach us. Lot's of love and wishes for God's richest blessings on you and your family throughout the New Year.

First Snow

2007-12-17T20:29:00.001-05:00

Gracie went out in the snow for the first time Sunday morning. We were waiting for her to cry because it was cold and then when she fell face first into the snow we thought she would scream. No, we had mellow baby on our hands and she was chilling out. She loved the sledding, yelled "WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" all the way. Then when she had snow on her face she kept trying to lick it off. What a crazy girl we have. Love you sweetie pie!

Happy 1st Birthday to Me!!!

2007-12-17T20:29:00.000-05:00

What a blast Gracie had celebrating her upcoming Big Day with all her favorite people. Just a few missing but tis the season. She wants to send a HUGE Thanks to everyone for spoiling her beyond measure. She truly enjoyed her party and celebrated to the fullest. She crashed within minutes of getting home. Her parents would also like to say a HUGE thanks to all of you who poured love and blessings onto our baby. We are truly blessed to have so many who care so much about our precious girl. Loves to all!

Oh Baby!!!!

2007-12-11T15:01:00.000-05:00

We are very very very excited to announce that we are expecting our second child in August! I can't believe that we have been so blessed again. God truly is amazing that He will entrust us to grow and care for another one of His precious children. We have had such an incredible time raising and loving Gracelyn and we can't wait for her to be a big sister. What a trip this will be to have 2 kids under 2 but we feel up to the challenge. God bless you all this Christmas season and into the New Year. Please pray that this pregnancy goes well and that we are able to prepare our hearts and lives for the next member of our family.

Climber

2007-11-27T12:21:00.001-05:00

Our crazy and fearless child decided to tip over the stool in the kitchen and then climb around and through it trying to figure out how to get on top. Eventually she did and here is the proof that she found her way. No Fear at all, she even made it down safe and didn't loose Pat (the pacifier) in the process. Talent!

Give thanks!

2007-11-27T12:21:00.000-05:00

We hope your Thanksgiving holiday was fantastic. We had a lovely time. Thursday was a quiet family day to start with and then we went to the Hosford family Thanksgiving meal. Yum,Yum,Yum! What a fabulous time we had and the food was to die for. Carlson family Thanksgiving was postponed to Sunday due to illness. But what a fanbulous time we had then too. The pics are of the cousins riding in Gracie's new wagon that she got as an early gift from G&G Carlson. Love you all!

This year a few things on the top of our list of Thanksgiving: A happy, healthy Gracie Rae. All the fabulous blessing we receive as a family. The gifts we have been given that we use to bless others. A beautiful home thats warm and dry. Yummy food on the table each and every day. A family that is loving, supportive and very nearby. A cute pet that brings us joy.

We pray that your holiday season is filled with blessing and joy. Know that you are loved by the One True God and He is our ultimate gift this Christmas. May you be happy and healthy all season long.

Fun times, Busy times!

2007-11-18T11:29:00.000-05:00

We haven't updated in a while. Sorry! We are doing fantastic but staying rather busy. Marley has fit into our family quite perfect and he and Gracie are truly best buds. He is a great puppy and we love him to pieces. He was groomed last week by our sister Kellie (amazing job she did) and he looks SUPER cute now. A ball of energy which fits our baby girl just fine.

Gracie is superb, she grows each day more than we can imagine and we are trying to catch each moment and enjoy it to the full. She has many new tricks up her sleeves and loves to entertain us with them. She is fully walking ALL over the place. Hard to keep up with her much of the time. She loves to ask for things with sign language and say "please", she tries to repeat words we say, she waves "hi" and "bye" , she gives kisses when asked, she also Chats up a storm. No real words yet but talking non stop- I have NO idea who she got that fabulous trait from:)

Dan and I are keeping busy with work, no big changes there. We spend lots of time together with family and friends and are really striving to live intentional lives and not miss all the blessings each day provides. We are spending as much time as possible loving on and enjoying the blessing of our little Gracie Rae- she brings such joy to our lives.

God bless you all as you enjoy your family and friends this week and Count your blessings this holiday season. Loves!

New best friend!

2007-11-04T14:32:00.001-05:00

Madison Ann Cooke came to visit this week. Her mommy is my mommy's best friend Jen. So we decided that even though we have an 8 month age difference that we will be best friends too. I (Gracie) will teach MAC to do all the naughty things I know. What a good deal. Sounds like fun. Thanks for coming to visit for a few days, mommy and I had a blast.

Our little pumpkin

2007-10-31T14:32:00.000-04:00

What a cute little pumpkin Gracie was on wednesday night. She did really well with the costume but couldn't have cared less about all the candy. Hey this will be the only year so we will take it. Thanks to Tom, Lauren and Maddie for having us all over to trick or treat and celebrate the holiday together. We had a blast with Cinderella.
My best friend Jen and I have this weird brain connection thing. Once again, without consulting each other at all we buy the same type of costume for both girls first Halloween. Who would have guessed it? Madison and Gracie sure were the cutest pumpkins in the patch though. This pic was taken right before Gracie leaned in to smooch Madison, not typical of our little brute but very welcomed.

Happy Halloween

2007-10-30T13:29:00.002-04:00

Hope your Halloween is spooktacular! Hahaha! Gracie had her doctors appt today. What a trip, she is off the charts for her weight and her height is 99th percentile. She may need baby slim fast sometime but for now she is very well proportioned and she will be a big girl. Tall and solid! She weighs 24 lbs 4oz and is 31 inches tall. Crazy!
On another happy note, Marley is officially a Hosford. He is full of beans and super sweet. He loves Gracie but sometimes thinks she is another puppy when she crawls and he wants to play. He obeys pretty well for a puppy but we are working on training him better. He is house trained, sleeps well and is also crate trained. Over all a very good dog and we love him to bits. Stay tuned for much more about him and Gracie both as they grow up together. Loves!

Fall Fun~ Part 1

2007-10-30T13:29:00.000-04:00

Gracie's first pumpkin carving. She was wondering what the heck the big orange thing was.
She was not sure this was going to be as fun as we said it was. Check her getting her pout on.
This part was much more exciting. Squishy seeds and slimy stuff. Look at dad go with that knife.
Yum!Yum!Yum! She loved the squish factor of all the middle stuff.
She even thought it tasted good. What a nut!

Fall Fun~ Part 2

2007-10-30T13:15:00.000-04:00

The final product. How cute is that?
Gracie was so proud of her G pumpkin, she really just wanted to touch the candle inside. Oh well, what do you do!

I love my mommy and daddy!

2007-10-24T12:54:00.003-04:00

Gracie took mommy and daddy to the park yesterday. What a blast we had. Went down the slide, played on the swings and crawled in the sand. Now that's a fun time had by all.
There were a few other kids at the park and Gracie was totally jealous that they could run and play. Don't worry girlie, you are not far behind them!

It's a boy!

2007-10-24T12:54:00.002-04:00

We will be welcoming this beautiful toddler boy into our family on Tuesday of next week. His name is Marley and he is a 15 month old Labradoodle. He is super sweet and full of energy. He LOVES people and being outside. We will be recueing him from a family in Lansing, MI. We are very excited to have another dog in our family. We have searched for over a year now.
Gracie and Marley will grow up together and we are just thrilled. He is very fond of Gracie and she gets super excited and giggly when he is here. We are sure that this will be lots of work to begin with because Marley is very smart so he will need training or else he will be naughty. We would love for you to meet him so stop on over and check him out in a few weeks.

10 months old!

2007-10-24T12:54:00.001-04:00

I can't beleive our baby girl isn't a baby anymore. She is totally a toddler now. She still prefers crawling because she has mastered that skill and it gets her hwere she needs to go. She does love to stand up now though and she also likes to CLIMB on everything possible.
We have our hands full but we are loving every minute of it. With that gorgeous smile how could you not?
We have her docotrs appt next Wed and we are curious to see how much she weighs and how tall she is. Her feet are huge, almost size 5!
Gracie loves to play outside. We often go to the park down the road so she can fell the sand and now the crunchy leaves are just too much fun.
Fall is by far our favorite season and we hope Gracie loves it too. So far so good. Looking forward to the Harvest party weekend in Gaylord! See you at the Catts!

Miss Independent 2007

2007-10-16T15:10:00.003-04:00

Our little sassy britches has decided to be even more independent these days.
Here she is in the full throws of a giggle fit while playing with mommy.
Her new position for watching her favorite show, Tigger and Pooh. She's like her mommy and Winnie the Pooh is her favorite cartoon character. It's the only thing on TV that will hold her attention for more than 2 minutes. Ha!
Here she shows off her moves on her feet. This is her push walker and Tuesday she pushed it around the house and ran into the bookshelf in the living room, she turned to find me so I could get it unstuck for her and I had a toy in my hand. I put the toy on the ottoman and stood up. She then decided she wanted the toy and took her first (5) steps to get it. I was so excited and she had no idea what she did. I clapped for her and she got excited and proceeded to dance. Oh the joys of parenting.
Gracie searches for her ball. "I swear it was here a minute ago"! I will keep you all posted on her new moves nd her walking skills as they improve. I really didn't think I'd have a walker on my hands at 9 months old... shows what I know huh.

Tub Diving

2007-10-16T15:10:00.002-04:00

Cute nekid baby cheeks as she plays in the tub, and then, suddenly.........
She decides to go overboard. Nice catch mom.. Our sweet pea has absolutely no fear. We will have to watch this girl like hawk.

It's Fall!

2007-10-06T12:37:00.002-04:00

Fun Fall saturday at Robinette's Orchard. Dan and Gracie in line for warm cinnamon/sugar donuts.
Gracie trying to push that darn apple over. Go Gracie go!
Our little climber playing with daddy.
Woah, all these apples and a fresh cold cider to go. We had warm cider there and nothing compares to Robinettes cider. you can't beat it.
She's getting SOOO big. I think she may be 6 foot tall by kindergarten, I don't know. She is growing so fast and we can't keep up, so please no teasing when she wears her highwater pants. Thanks! Loves to all and have a happy fall.

Welcome to the world Laney Rose

2007-10-06T12:37:00.001-04:00

October 8, 2007 Laney Rose Carlson. Born at 3:35pm. Weighing in at 7lbs 3oz and 20 in long. She is the sweetest little peanut. Cute as a button and has LOTS of beautiful dark blonde hair. She has a strong. loud cry and was quite awake for us crazy family to meet her. Kelli and Laney will be in the hospital until at least Thursday if you would like to visit. She has a big room with a great view on 5 center.
Look at those eyes, wide open to see what all the fuss is about.
Kisses from a proud big brother.
Safe and sound in mommy's arms.
Getting a check up and protesting loudly about it.

Holy Cow, What a week!

2007-10-06T12:37:00.000-04:00

Well here we are two weeks later. Sorry so long since the last post but you know how it goes. Life just keeps moving. We have had a busy week. We left our baby girl for the first time and hopped a plane to vegas with the fam and came home five days later missing her like I never knew possible. We had such a great time with the family and seeing the sights and people watching. Dan, Tom and Jamie golfed all week with two other guys in a ProAm. Lauren, Gloria and I shopped, saw the sights and lounged by the pool. We had a great time and I will hopefully have some pics to post soon, but for now I am going to love on my daughter whom I will NEVER leave again! (or at least for now). Thanks to the Hosford rents for the fun trip and the Carlson rents for loving on their granddaughter all week, even in the wee hours :)

Super Ram Fan!

2007-09-22T17:23:00.000-04:00

Friday night fun in the Hosford home often includes Ram Football. Gracie and her daddy went to support the Rams last night. Mommy had to work but she thought that Gracie was the cutest little super fan and HAD to take some pics.
Our little sweet pea is growing so fast and she is SOOOOOOO fun. We just adore her sweet little soul. She is VERY happy and fun to be with all the time. She was Great at the game and enjoyed her late night out with daddy.

A must read!!!

2007-09-16T17:06:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the long post BUT I read this recently. It is from the author of a book that I am currently reading. His name is Mark Batterson. Anyway here is the excerpt

Quit living as if the purpose of life is to arrive safely at death. Set God-sized goals. Pursue God-ordained passions. Go after a dream that is destined to fail without divine intervention. Keep asking questions. Keep making mistakes. Keep seeking God. Stop pointing out problems and become part of the solution. Stop repeating the past and start creating the future. Stop playing it safe and start taking risks. Expand your horizons. Accumulate experiences. Consider the lilies. Enjoy the journey. Find every excuse you can to celebrate everything you can. Live like today is the first day and last day of your life. Don't let whats wrong with you keep you from worshipping what's right with God. Burn sinful bridges. Blaze a new trail. Criticize by creating. Worry less about what people think and more about what God thinks. Don't try to be who you're not. Be yourself. Laugh at yourself. Quit holding out. Quit holding back. Quit running away. Chase the Lion!

The book is called "In a pit with a lion on a snowy day." It is based on 2 Samuel 23:20-21

Congrats to Curt and Lindsey Anes

2007-09-16T17:06:00.001-04:00

Last night we were blessed to attend Curt and Lindsey Anes wedding. It was such a special night for the boys to see all the old GVSU football boys again. It is incredible to see these boys 5 years later and the bond that they share. They have all gone their own successful ways in life and yet they have this bond they will forever share as team mates. Very cool!
Curt and Lindsey with their adorable son Brenden, he is one day older than Gracie. What a gorgeous bride and handsome groom they were. Brenden in his tux was such a doll. Thanks for letting us be a part of your special day.
Dan and I had a great night out while Gracie partied with Gramma and Gramps Carlson. I was slightly tired being in the middle of three night shifts in a row. But nonetheless, we had a really great time.

Gracie's first day at the zoo

2007-09-10T17:06:00.000-04:00

2007-09-09T17:06:00.000-04:00

Cute baby bird in the budgie cage
Beautiful African parrot.
Gracie loved petting the goats and other animals in the petting zoo.
Yes, she did pull the cows hair out and put it in her mouth. Gross! Mom to the rescue so she didn't choke.

I love my cousins!!!!

2007-09-07T08:24:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I had such a fun playdate with my cousin Maddie and Auntie Lolo. We went for a walk, got caught in the rain, had lunch with Jojo and Thys at Arnies, shopped at the toy store- Aunt Candy's, and then she came over again at night time to hang out some more. What a lucky gal am I?
Before our walk we played in the grass together and I gave Maddie a big slobbery smooch while she hugged me. How cute! Then you won't believe it, my other cousin Jonah came over to play at night also. Gramma stopped by after her and Jonah went to dinner (Aunt Kelli and Uncle Sean had an anniversary). We had SOOOO much fun just the three of us. Jonah got Maddie giggling, which then made Gracie giggle. What a blast!

Go Lakers!

2007-08-31T11:51:00.002-04:00

So last night I experienced my first Lakers game at Lubbers stadium. What a blast! I just love Football games. I am not incredibly interested in the players or the rules of the game but all the people rock! There are bright ligts and loud music, lots of screaming and dancing and jumping. I will definitely be a Laker super fan for life.
Daddy was so proud of me and how good I was. I was very friendly and met lots of new people. SOOO many people told me how beautiful I was. I even hung out with President Haas for awhile and got smooches from him. I saw my gramma, Gigi, Poppa, Aunt KK, and uncle Aukin. I was spoiled!

Pretty sweater!

2007-08-31T11:51:00.001-04:00

Check out the awesome sweater my Gramma Wendy made me. Am I cute or what!
I just love this sweater, it is SOOOOOO super soft and snuggly.
Sassy little me is so spoiled by my grammy's. But do I look like I care? Loves

Welcome to the world little one!

2007-08-31T11:51:00.000-04:00

My best friend in the whole wide world and her husband Dan welcomed thier daughter on Sunday August 26. Madison Ann Cooke was born at 11:12 am, weighing in at 7lbs 14oz and 20 inches long. She is a peanut for sure. What a doll! Jen is such a rockstar, she was a week overdue and then endured 36 hours of labor and pushed for three hours. Holy Moley! Good thing you are worth it MAC.
Gracie and I ventured down to Pinkney, MI for a visit on Wednesday. We had so much fun playing with the whole clan (jens sis Lisa and her two cutie pies were also there), and getting some super snuggle time with baby MAC.
This is Madison ready for her first trip out of the house. Jen and I took the girls to the outlet mall for her first shopping trip, and so mom could get out of the house finally. We had a bit of a rain storm on the way to the mall but after dinner the sky cleared up and there was a rainbow. What a sign!

8 Months old

2007-08-21T17:02:00.002-04:00

Oh My!! I can't believe it, I am already 8 months old. Woah! I don't know where the time has gone. I must say being older and wiser that I am truly enjoying this journey called life. I pack as much fun into every day as I can and cherish all the time I have with the people I love. I love to Go Go Go, but then there is always time for a bit of a snuggle and snooze. As you can see in the picture(above my right eye), now that I am on the go those adults in my life can't always keep up and with me climbing up bookcases and all, sometimes I slip. Whoops! No problem though, I have learned to take the bumps and bruises because all the fun is worth it. I am looking forward to my first Rockford football game tonight. I will cheering on Ralph, Brogan Bibler and the rams to a victory. A note from my parents: We are truly trying to enjoy each moment of this time while Gracie is still small. She grows so fast we don't want to miss a thing. She is learning so quickly that she teaches us new things all the time. Life through the eyes of a child~There is truly nothing quite like it. Enjoy the Fall!!

Miss independent

2007-08-21T17:02:00.001-04:00

Growing up so fast and miss Gracie Rae is exerting her independence more and more. She has her opinions on how things should go and she has no fear in letting us know. What a hoot. Well maybe not at 4:30am. Hopefully she will compromise soon? This is her new pink "pat". It will probably be in many pictures to come.
I love this shot, she looks so old to me. Sitting so lady like with her skirt and her UGG boots.
She's not quite into reading much these days but she sure does like to eat the books. She has tons of them and they are infiltrating every shelf and bookcase that we have.

Silly daddy

2007-08-21T17:02:00.000-04:00

Gracie and daddy playing a game while he was outside grilling dinner. He would touch the slider and she would follow his hand around banging the window. What a riot!

New play place!

2007-08-17T12:05:00.002-04:00

Our house is now officially baby proofed. We turned one corner of the living room into Gracie's little play place. She loves having her own space where she can play and not hear "No, thank you Gracie Rae". She is such a love and her personality is delightful. She loves life so far and we hope her joyous spirit continues. Love you bunches Gracie Rae!

Party time!

2007-08-17T12:05:00.001-04:00

So I know I am belated but what can I say. Better late than never! Last weekend we had a party at my in-laws to celebrate Jamie's 52nd birthday and Katie's 25th birthday. What a blast we had. It was a late party for sure. Dan and I left around 1am and the party apparently continued till 3:30am. WOW! It was a definite success. A great group of people to spend an evening with. Super music also with our sort-of cousin Tim and his band Relapse. Fab-U-Loso!

Pre party Gracie was riding her favorite animal in the world, Landon- Aunt Kelkels doggie.
The girls getting ready for the party and just chatting together enjoying the company.
Gracie was quite tired and just turned and passed out on her Grampas tummy. What a great place for a nap!
Friends and family hanging around on the deck. We had a riot just chilling together and catching up.
A few snacks to start the evening and once again, just catching up with good friends. We really enjoyed the night. Thanks to all who were able to attend. Oh and one more note- this night was our first childless night in 7 1/2 months. Gracie had her first "spendie" with Gramma and gramps Carlson. She did great and loved all the fun and spoiling she got. We took advantage of the break and slept in till 10:30 and then went to brunch. Then we missed our pumpkin so much we had to go and get her. Thanks G&G Carlson.