TNArmyWife

Global Planting Initiative (GPI)

2012-02-13T08:03:00.000-08:00

One of the things that took up a lot of our time while Jesse was home was the non-profit he is starting as of July 1, 2012. After lots of prayer and counsel, we decided to move forward with this idea of Jesse starting a religious non-profit that contracts services out to churches part-time to be their missions pastor or consultant with the primary intent to plant churches internationally. It was a need that came about in many conversations Jesse had with local pastors when he worked for One Vision International and with the help of Providence Church, we are moving forward and really doing it! So, while he was home, he met with several churches, pitching the idea and getting some feedback. He also spoke to our chuch on the day he was returning to the deployment for exposure and information on what he will be doing. I'm really proud of him for diving in to this and following through. Please pray for us as we are working through the business end of things right now and preparing for this job once he returns from Afghanistan.

And then it's over....

2012-02-13T07:53:00.001-08:00

15 days....15 WONDERFUL days of Jesse being home, being my husband, being a daddy, being a son, being a brother, and then he's gone. That was the hardest part of R&R. He had to return to this deployment after experiencing normal life. Going back to the "normal deployment routine" with Ellie wasn't a problem. It was dealing with her separation anxiety after he left and her asking more often about him. Her wanting to be "tickle tickle" by Daddy and hearing a sound and watching for him to come through the garage door. That was tough. BUT, she has adjusted well and had a great time with her Daddy. I had a great time with my husband. Lots of memories were made and we all had quality time with him. We miss him dearly and are ready to kick this deployment in the butt and be done with it! Be safe, Soldier! We love you!

R&R Cabin Escape

2012-02-08T13:59:00.001-08:00

We decided to book a cabin for a night in the Smokies so we could escape email, phones, and family/friends (no offense) and just be a family shortly before Jesse left to go back to Afghanistan. Oddly enough, we booked a night in Gatlinburg the one night we had a snow storm, so it was insanely pretty where we were! Once I finished teaching my first day back for the Spring 2012 semester, we picked up Ellie, finished packing up and headed out on our trip to Gatlinburg. First stop, Jesse dropped me off at the Stride Rite Outlet so I could pick Ellie up some winter boots (haven't had any need for them up until now). Next, we checked in to our cabin and got unpacked before heading back to Gatlinburg to get some take-out for dinner (thanks to Jesse's parents via gift card to TGI Fridays).

Our family rule was once we returned with our dinner, we would turn off all communication with the outside world and we would hole up in our cabin and spend some quality time as a family. We played downstairs most of the time with all the games that the cabin had. Ellie played pool with her Daddy and I hit up the machine games. Jesse and I also played a rematch game of air hockey and we tied by the end of it. Ellie was our little cheerleader.

Once she went to bed, we watched a movie and then got some sleep. The next morning, we showered and cleaned up our mess before checking out and heading to the amazing breakfast restaurant - Pancake Pantry! Oh man, was it good. AND, kid friendly. I had pecan pancakes, Jesse had wildberry pancakes and Ellie had some "bear" pancakes. We walked around the shops in "The Village" behind the restaurant before heading out to go by a few outlet stores before heading home. It was an awesome family trip that gave us some fun memories!

R&R Fun with Daddy

2012-02-06T14:01:00.000-08:00

Daddy flipping Ellie

Ellie showing Daddy how she can climb her "playground" now

We joined Jesse's sisters at a gymnastics place for kids and Ellie had a blast!
Playing Chase with Daddy

Date Night with Daddy for some frozen yogurt Tickle session with Daddy

A Nashville Christmas

2012-02-06T13:38:00.001-08:00

After a week of appointments for Jesse and errands, we (including Jesse's family) travelled to Nashville for a quick trip to see his extended family. After a stop at the Lebanon Outlets, our first stop was StoneyRiver for a steak and presents with Bill & Cindy Mason (Poppi & Pippa to Ellie). They treated us to a nice dinner and Jesse was able to catch up with them while I chased Ellie around and ultimately ended up in the car before dinner was over. I got to visit with them more once we got to Maggie Moos for some ice cream and late Christmas presents. Ellie LOVED going there! Plus, getting new toys was an added bonus for her! She really enjoys seeing them. After a great visit, we headed to Franklin to stay with Jason & Lena Cox. Ellie loves listening to their new cd (check it out http://www.ragdollcountry.com/) and was thrilled to see them at their home. We got to visit with them and a good night's sleep before going to breakfast with them at Cracker Barrel in the morning.

Ellie discovered Jason & Lena's piano and got busy playing her tryout for their band

After breakfast, Jesse and I ran a few errands before going to his Aunt's house to meet up with the entire Cragwall crew. Despite the rainy day, we had a yummy brunch prepared by Jana and we did presents late for them as well. It's fun to get all the cousin's together (6 in all) and have them play. To Ellie, the Fuller boys are "the boys" and of course she always loves to see Parker and Taylor! It's always great to see that side of the family.

Ellie found the Fuller's piano very quickly and started singing away...

We all left the Fullers and headed to Nana's house to see Jesse's mom's side of the family for a late Christmas as well. Nana had some snacks out to munch on and we were able to have some time with just her before everyone got there. As soon as Grandmommy arrived, Ellie roped her in to playing and they "found" Nana's make-up. Here's what happens when Ellie finds lipstick:

We exchanged some presents and visited with Jesse's uncle and his family before heading back to Knoxville in the rain. We always have a good time visiting the Nashville clan!

A Cragwall Christmas

2012-02-03T08:27:00.000-08:00

We waited to do the Cragwall Family Christmas until after Jesse got home. The morning after his return, we did our own little family Christmas morning with a pancake breakfast and presents! The biggest hit by far was Ellie's new Elmo book, "Together at Heart" from Daddy that he recorded for her. It is an AWESOME book for kids, especially for military kids with a parent deployed. She kept reading through it over and over again.

We all went over to Jesse's parent's house to do a big Christmas meal later that day. This was Jesse's special request - a big holiday meal. After eating, we opened presents. Everyone did great for each other this year. Lots of thought put in to everyone's gifts.

The grand finale present for Ellie from her Grandparents was a new electric car! Man, was she pumped! She got in and wanted to drive it around so we took it outside to their backyard and let her take a spin. The only problem we had was getting her out of the car!

Jesse's Homecoming for R&R

2012-02-01T13:01:00.000-08:00

Jesse's return was such a high for our little family over the holidays. It was hard not having him around for Ellie's 2nd birthday and Christmas, but we had planned for him to be home when it would be most relaxing for him - bowl games! Jesse's family met Ellie and I at the airport to greet Jesse when he got off the plane. He had caught an earlier flight that had been delayed, but we were able to get to the airport in time. Unfortunately, I didn't get the text from him telling me he had landed b/c I was having to keep an eye on Ellie so she didn't fall over the ledge trying to touch the water so we had no idea he was there until he walked right up to Ellie and said hello to her. UGH! But, at that point, we didn't care and just wanted to hug him. So much for the sign I had ordered and the crowd that was there to cheer!

Ellie giving me a heart attack - she wanted to touch the water so badly!
Jesse's Dad waiting for the flight to arrive and ready with a camera...
Ellie was THRILLED to see him! I think it was great that he was in his uniform and she was able to connect that Daddy was home from "work". She didn't want him to leave her sight. Then, I got my HUG and KISS! Man, it had been a while and I was so happy to be able to embrace him and know he was safe. Enjoy the reunion pics!

The sign we didn't have ready when he came down the terminal...UGH!
Ellie finally got to touch the water...mission complete!
What better way to celebrate a homecoming than with a Publix Cake?!

Hardwick Christmas

2012-01-29T13:15:00.000-08:00

First up of the holiday celebrations - the Hardwick Christmas. My parents ended up staying with Ellie and I the week leading up to Christmas, so they were able to celebrate with us while Jesse was away. On Christmas Eve, we went to Providence for their 5pm service. As expected, it was an adventure to have a toddler in their for too long. Ellie made it about half way through and then I ended up taking her out into the foyer to run around with some of the other kids and their parents that had the same problem. The service was great - really put the holiday into perspective, especially after our church had finished a study on the 7 churches of Revelation.

We came back home and had Italian Beef sandwiches for our dinner. After bath time, we all went into the bonus room and my Dad read the Christmas story (a tradition we did when I was a kid) and I showed Ellie the story with her Little People Nativity. That was a great activity for her to put names with the story. Once Ellie was in bed, I, I mean Santa put out the treats for the morning. :)

Christmas morning, we had Ellie wake up and come see her treats. Jesse and I decided to wait on her presents from us for when he got home, but we went ahead and did Santa with her. She was very excited about her new toys and treats!

We had our birthday breakfast for Jesus and then went upstairs to the bonus room and did presents with my parents.

Afterwards, we showered and got ready to head up to Cincinnati to get their in time for Christmas dinner at my brother's house. It was fun to celebrate with Jonathan, Jennifer, Baby Langston and Jennifer's dad. We ate a yummy dinner and then opened presents. It was fun to see Langston surrounded in gifts and in total observation mode! We had a great time together, even though it was short. My parents, Ellie and I headed back to Knoxville the next morning so my parents could start their trip back to FL the following day. Merry Christmas, Hardwicks!

Baking with Ellie

2012-01-25T12:52:00.000-08:00

Each year, one of the gifts I give to family members is a tin of cookies. I also tend to do a lot of baking for the holidays in general, including for Ellie's birthday. It was a tradition my mom did with me that I have always wanted to pass down to my kids. Well, this year, I incorporated Ellie into the baking, teaching her how to do a few things to help Mommy. My mom made her an adorable apron that she loved to put on when we would make something new. She got to where as soon as she saw me start taking out a few items, she would go get a chair from the table and push it over so she could stand next to me and help. She helped me make her birthday cake, several batches of cookies and some of the dishes we brought for Christmas dinner. Here are some pics from our baking adventures this year, some even including Mimi!

Making Ellie's Cupcake Birthday Cake

Making Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
3 Generations Making Iced Sugar Cookies

Dancing while we wait for cookies to bake

Ellie is 2 Years Old!

2012-01-23T14:03:00.001-08:00

Because of Jesse's deployment causing him to not be home for the holidays, we decided to go ahead with Ellie's 2nd Birthday party and make it as special as we could for her with friends and family. We started off her day with a birthday skype with Daddy where he was the first to sing her Happy Birthday. I had found an outfit at a consignment event that inspired the theme for this party - cupcakes! It was a house full of people who love Ellie and it really made my day to see how happy she was with so many people around. After all the kids made their own cupcake, Ellie was showered with TONS of great presents, many of them showing how well they know Ellie. We missed her Daddy being there, but my baby girl was shown so much LOVE on that day, making it a special time with family and friends. Thanks to everyone who made it!

Pa, Mimi, Pippa, Poppi, Grandmommy & Grandaddy
BFF Kinsley, Cousins Taylor & Parker, The Denny Boys, Ace and Cousin Langston
Ellie & Cousin Langston having a Birthday Tea PartyHAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY GIRL!

Ellie's 1st Classroom Birthday Party

2012-01-23T13:30:00.000-08:00

Crazy as this may sound, but one of the aspects of motherhood that I have looked forward to is taking birthday treats to my daughter's "class" so she can celebrate with her "friends". Yes, I know she is only 2 years old, but the people she goes to her Mother's Day Out Program are kids that she plays with 2 times a week, every week. So, I decided to send some Cake Pops with her and some goodie bags for her school friends. If you have never made the Funfetti Cake Pops for your kids, you should definitely look into them - they are GREAT for toddlers and they tasted amazing. Happy early Birthday, Ellie!

Ellie's 2 favorite friends in her class - Kennedy & Sonny (Kenelly & Nonny in Ellie language)

Home Improvements Part 2

2011-12-19T13:12:00.000-08:00

Landscaping! When we bought our house, it definitely was not for the lot that it came on. We have a huge hill in the back, drainage for many of the houses around us that comes down the side of the hill, and steep parts of the yard all over. So, we wanted to add more planting areas for me and less grass on steep parts for Jesse, so we decided to put in a retaining wall bed and mulch beds on the side of the house. We are leaving the back alone until we can get a porch screened in off the house. We waited until December to do this with the company we use so we could get the winter price. Thankfully, we were able to pick out our stone back in the spring before Jesse left town so that made it a lot easier when they needed to start. We wanted to establish the mulch beds before planting new shrubs and flowers this spring. They also regraded a few areas and reseeded to make the yard more even. Here are some pictures of our new retaining wall and mulch beds:

This last picture shows where they did the mulch bed on the side of the house and some regrading right below it. Also, we will be putting in 2 red crape myrtles where the beds come out to add color and heighth to our side of the house visible to the street. We are just doing what we can, as we can afford it! :)

Coloring For Daddy

2011-12-16T07:43:00.000-08:00

Home Improvements Part 1

2011-12-13T14:06:00.001-08:00

Over the past few months, we have done some upgrades on our house that we have saved up to do for a while. They are things that we hope will bring more value to our home, but also make it look a lot better. First, we got rid of the laminate flooring in the bathrooms and tiled the floors. Next, we added an accent piece around the master bath tub and tiled out our shower to replace the cheap one that came with the house. We added some custom choices to make it more funtional for us, but I'm sure many other people will think the same. The project took a little longer than we expected, but we wanted it done right. Here are some pictures of the master bath before:

Here is the master bath after:

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-12-13T13:30:00.000-08:00

This year, Thanksgiving was the holiday we had to spend with my brother and his little family. So, we all decided to spend our holiday in Macon, GA with my dad's extended family. Mom flew up to help me with Ellie while I taught before the break and then we headed out (in HORRIBLE weather) down to Macon to meet up with Dad, Jonathan, Jennifer and Baby Langston for dinner. We ended up at a mexican place across from the hotel. We then headed back to the hotel and got settled for the night.

On Tuesday, we had a lazy morning at the hotel and then I took Ellie over to my Grandparent's old house with Dad and Jonathan. After touring the house, Ellie found a few prize possessions - my Mama's wig and the tea set we played with as kids. It was probably the last time I will ever go there. Afterwards, we met up at Fresh Air BBQ for lunch with everyone. This is a place that we have eaten at for many years. Ellie was happy to see Baby Langston! We went by one of the outdoor malls in the area and then returned to the hotels for nap times. We capped the day off with a not suprisingly amazing meal at S&S Cafeteria - family favorite! We used to eat there every time we came to visit Mama and Papa Hardwick and I'm pretty sure they went every week. Jonathan's room was the only one with a tub in it, so we ended up bathing the girls together in it and got some great "cousin" pictures!

On Thanksgiving day, we spent the morning hanging out in the hotel and playing together. I even got Ellie a short nap before heading over to Hugh & Bobbie Jo's house (Dad's 2nd cousin and our caterer from our wedding). The house was packed with extended family! One guest we were thrilled to see was Great Aunt Barbara (she was married to my Papa's brother and is Bobbie Jo's mom). She was like a 2nd grandmother to us. This was her first time meeting Langston and 2nd time seeing Ellie. Always great to see her. Our cousin, Ashley, was there with her husband and 2 boys, one of them being Ellie's age so she had a little friend to run around with. We got some great family pictures that day and some quality time with family we don't see very often. The food was AMAZING (of course) and we were so happy to have gone. Once we returned to the hotel, we spent time together in one of the rooms and had a great time visiting.

On Friday morning, we met up at Cracker Barrell for breakfast and then all got on the road to return home. Jonathan, Jennifer and Langston stopped by our house for a break from the drive so Baby Langston could stretch out and play some. What made me so happy from this trip was that Ellie really learned the names of my family. She doesn't see them very often so when we do get together, it's usually for bulk amounts of time. It was great just hearing her want to go see "Baby", "Yar", "DenDen", "Mimi" or "Pa" and just hang out around them. She is still asking about them! Overall, it was a great visit and a nice break from the normal week for me and my baby girl. Happy Thanksgiving!

23 Months Old

2011-11-19T18:56:00.001-08:00

Wow - it seems crazy that this will be my last monthly post since Ellie turns 2 next month. I can't believe it. I think for this one I'm going to mainly post pictures since I have so many videos of her up in previous posts. Here she is!

Videos for Daddy

2011-11-01T13:56:00.000-07:00

Ellie showing off her "tap" skills to "Tea for Two"

Playing on her new table and chairs

Trick-Or-Treat 2011

2011-11-01T12:45:00.000-07:00

This was the first year that Ellie could actually walk around the neighborhood and do some trick-or-treating so we invited Ellie's best friend, Kinsley, and her parents (Chris & Julie) over for an early dinner and then trick-or-treating. The girls have so much fun together when they play, plus it was motivation for them to walk around together and do the same thing. Our subdivision attracts a lot of people each year so it was quite busy!

Taking a short candy break with Kinsley

Video for Daddy to see Ellie Trick-or-Treating

Trick-or-Treating at the Mulligan's (Small Group Neighbors)

Waiting for more kids to come by

Handing out treats to other kids (she loved this part)

Ellie's Happy Halloween to Daddy

SR Cragwall Annual Halloween Party

2011-10-29T20:07:00.000-07:00

Every year, Jesse's parents throw a family Halloween party so they can see the kids dressed up and give them little treats. Plus, it's a great excuse to get us all together. Karen (Jesse's mom) does a great job finding things for the kids that excite them. Ellie was able to enjoy it a little more this year since she's older and can eat more of the stuff. One of the hits that Karen got was a bubble kit that makes HUGE bubbles...they all 3 enjoyed that one. For dinner, we had a pot of chili with the fixin's and for dessert, brownies and ice cream. Karen also had some cider going for everyone which was yummy. Here are some pictures from the fun evening and a message for Jesse from his family at the end.

A Halloween Message for Jesse:

Carving Halloween Pumpkin 2011

2011-10-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

This year, we carved our pumpkin with Aunt Jamie! :) She had some cool patterns for us to use and of course we had to do a kitty cat. Ellie and I cleaned out the pumpkin before she arrived (the main part she could help with) and she had a blast spooning out the seeds.

While I got Ellie ready for bed, Jamie finished up carving out the pattern and Ellie loved the final product. Team effort, my friends. Happy Halloween!

Videos for Daddy

2011-10-29T12:14:00.000-07:00

Being a Silly Billy

Showing Daddy my Window Stash 1

Showing Daddy my Window Stash 2

Showing off my Purse

Cruze Dairy Farm

2011-10-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

One of my student's last semester did her career project on running an organic farm and she worked for a day out at Cruze Farm. I decided to try it this year for our annual trip to a pumpkin patch after seeing someone on Facebook going there and raving about it. The cool thing about this place is that it's a dairy farm so that means fresh ice cream. They also had LOTS for toddlers to do there so it was a hit with Ellie! We went with most of the Cragwall's (Grandmommy, Aunt April, Uncle Jimmy, Cousins Parker & Taylor, and Aunt Jamie) to do something together. The farm is only a few minutes away from Jesse's parent's house so it worked out great. Once we got there, the kids got to see the dairy cows and then Ellie got to ride on a toy tractor and play in the hay bales. Then, we got to go on a hayride out to the pumpkin patch to pick out our pumpkins. Ellie found "the one" for her and I found one for me! Carving will take place this week. Then, we came back and enjoyed some of the farm's famous ice cream - YUMMY! It was a good day out in the Fall weather I love.

Boo at the Zoo

2011-10-22T13:22:00.001-07:00

My friend Julie and I decided that it would be really fun taking Kinsley and Ellie together for their first Boo at the Zoo. This is an annual event at the Knoxville Zoo where they have lots of volunteers dress up in costumes of all kinds and hand out candy for some "trick-or-treat"ing while seeing the animals of the Zoo. They have lots of stuff for kids to do...so much that we didn't even get to some of the activities in the Kids Cove due to starvation and cold weather. It was completely stimulating for a toddler to walk around, seeing characters they like come to life or different expo's going on. I tested out my loose cannon of a daugher and let her walk around with Kinsley. Keeping her moving was the challenge! She wanted to stop and stare at each volunteer or eat her treats. Kinsley was great at holding her bag for candy, but Ellie just wanted to eat all of hers. The weather was pretty cold (notice the extra layering on the girls for the evening) but overall we had fun. This will definitely be an annual event, hopefully with the Schaefer's!

Ellie & I attempting to say "Boo at the Zoo" together!

22 Months Old!

2011-10-22T12:41:00.000-07:00

Seriously....2 months away from Ellie's 2nd birthday! I can't believe it. While this really is more of a fun stage with her, there is always a catch - testing boundaries with me. Man, she loves to do that! This is when single-parenting really stinks. And when boundaries are crossed and punishment happens, tantrums are the result. Not every time, but the world sometimes ends for Ellie (at least that's what she sounds like). She has progressed even more in her words (saying more sentences or attempting to put words together), singing short songs (mainly about apple juice or minnie mouse), and naming ownership to everything and making sure I am paying attention to her (mommy's chair, daddy's chair, mommy's hot juice, mommy's car, daddy's car, ellie's seat, etc.). She is "helping mommy" out more, even with putting silverware away from the dishwasher or feeding Callie. She's also helping mommy clean up after her messes more. Even though Jesse is away, I still love spending time with my little girl. As crazy as it sounds, the deployment is a little easier to deal with when you have someone to take care of and take up the time. She's a pistol, but so full of joy and laughter. Now on to birthday party planning...

Fall Break in Cincinnati

2011-10-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

I decided to go back up to Cincinnati to see my brother and his little family during my time off on Fall Break to spend more time with them, since the last time was only about 24 hours. We left after work/Mother's Day Out on Thursday and drove on up in time for dinner together. Ellie's first adventure - saying hi to everyone. Second adventure - the piano!

After dinner, Aunt JenJen read Ellie a fun book and we ended the night with Ellie getting her first bath in a bubble tub. Boy, did she enjoy that!

The next morning, we played with Langston a little and then went to see Uncle Yar's airplane. I knew Ellie would totally love this. We checked out all of Jonathan's random toys in his hanger and then he took her up inside the airplane to play. She had so much fun! She got to press all the buttons and play with the steering wheel.

She was NOT happy to have to get out. BUT, she got to meet a cool dog that was at the airport with his owner named Rody and got to see him do tricks and she even fed him treats. She LOVED that part. My daughter has no fear when it comes to dogs unless they are hyper. Then, she got to RUN back to the car with Uncle Yar without holding ANYONE's hand...that's a treat for her.

We met Jennifer back at the house and skyped with Daddy real quick so he could see Baby Langston and then we left for a picnic at the park. The weather wasn't that great (a little sprinkle and some crazy wind), but we went ahead and found a shelter to eat under and by the time we were done, the rain was gone (but not the crazy wind). Ellie got to play in the leaves and run around for a bit. We attempted to get a picture of the 2 cousins and below is the best we got. Right after we took this, the cover flew over Langston and even Ellie got a little scared.

We came back to the house for the kid's naps and Jonathan and I headed out for an hour of baby-freeness (thanks to Aunt JenJen) at Graeter's for ice-cream. It was good to just hang out with him for a bit and catch up. I needed that. Before Ellie woke up, I got to spend a little one-on-one time with Langston. She's a CUTIE!!! It's so awesome seeing how she is growing and doing so well after all she has been through. Ellie woke up and we hung out and played with the kitties before dinner. Jennifer made a yummy dinner of grilled chicken and roasted vegetables and dessert was a smore pie.

Saturday morning, we ate cinnamon rolls and hung around the house a bit before walking down to a neighborhood park that was GREAT for Ellie's age. The weather was beautiful except for the wind again, but we managed. The park had a playset that was great for Ellie to climb and go down the slide (see video).

Then, Ellie found the swings (which we all played on at some point - even Langston!). She had a fun time having Uncle Yar push her. They even had a countdown that was really cute for him to let her go.

We had some more fun at the park and then headed back for lunch. Jennifer made some Chicken Burritos in the Crock Pot overnight and they were delicious (Weight Watchers recipe that I will be using). We skyped one more time with Jesse before we got on the road to head back. There was lots of traffic in Cincinnati, but we finally got back around dinner time. It was a great trip seeing a part of my family and getting some quality time with them. Langston is adorable and it's fun seeing the cousins together. I can't wait until Langston is bigger and more mobile to run around with Ellie. Plus, I loved having some male influence around for Ellie. Thanks for a great trip, Hardwicks! :)

Videos For Daddy

2011-09-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

Chasing Bubbles

Playing Chase with Boyfriend Dan and Kinsley

Walking in Mommy's Shoes

Playing with Baby Langston

Jumping with Kinsley's Dog

Ellie's 1st Sentence

Pre-Game "Rocky Top" and LOTS of ORANGE!

Cleaning Daddy's Office for Him

Playing with Grandmommy and Grandaddy

21 Months Old!

2011-09-18T11:50:00.000-07:00

Ellie is officially 21 months old today! It's amazing to see her development at this age - she's entertaining, silly and adorable MOST of the time! :) She said her first sentence yesterday - "All done me apple juice". Of course, it didn't sound like that. She's attempting to really try to communicate more. She names everything like "mommy's juice" or "daddy's shoes". She loves to dance, especially to Ring Around The Rosy. She has learned to say "Go Vols!" and she definitely asks to see "more Daddy" all the time. She has developed two special friends - one at church (Kinsley) and one at school (Kennedy). They both are special little girls that she loves to spend time with and are a great bargaining chip when I need her to get in the car and go to school or church! She definitely doesn't understand walking. She only runs everywhere she goes. She loves to read books, laugh and be tickled, and play outside. Her hair is long enough to put in a little ponytail and great for pigtails. She was moved up to the 2 year old room at school early because she was ready developmentally (proud mom statement). I can't brag enough on my adorable little girl. She has adjusted easily to Daddy being gone. She definitely asks for him and wants to see pictures or videos, but she has been resilient. There have been more epsides of testing her boundaries or throwing a little fit here and there when she doesn't get what she wants, but I definitely nip those in the bud as quickly as possible. We are in the phase of putting sign language to words now so that has been great teaching her new vocabulary. She still LOVES her kitty, hugging her and chasing her every day. This really is a fun stage with her! I look forward to spending this Fall with her. With Jesse being gone, it forces me to be more creative with how we spend our time and she is getting lots of love and attention from family and friends. I love my baby girl! :)

Ellie meets Baby Langston

2011-09-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

It's not very often that ALL of my immediate family get together, so we planned a short visit while my parents were up this way. We all went to my brother's house in Cincinnati so we could be together. I was only able to go up on Tuesday and come back on Wednesday due to work, but it was still well worth the visit. Ellie and I arrived around dinner time on Tuesday. Ellie was introduced to Baby Langston and all she could say at the time was "Hi baby" or "kitty" (Jonathan and Jennifer have 2 cats so Ellie was in kitty heaven). We ate dinner together and then visited out in the backyard for a bit. Ellie chased Piper the cat around a bit and then checked out the flowers and played with everyone. After bathtime, we all went out to the front porch to watch Uncle Yar and Pa do some Chinese Lanterns and swing on the porch. It was a nice evening.

The next day, Jonathan and Dad went on a day trip to D.C. with Honor Flight (a non-profit that takes WWII vets to the memorials for a day), so us girls spent the morning and early afternoon together. We played at the house and then Ellie got a chance to help feed Langston (she really liked helping). They got a little more used to each other. Then, we went for a yummy lunch at Cheesecake Factory. Afterwards, Ellie and I headed back to Knoxville, but she wanted Baby Langston to "come, come" with us. We really enjoyed being around everyone at one time. Langston is adorable - she's healthy, has huge yummy cheeks, and is super sweet. She's come a long way! So happy to be around the Hardwick Clan, even if only for a short time!

Grandparents Day Weekend

2011-09-17T18:48:00.000-07:00

My parents came in town for the weekend to celebrate Grandparents Day with us and to take me to a UT game! :) We started off the weekend with a yummy dinner at Famous Daves and then some UT apparel shopping for the game. The day ended with playing chase in the house, tickling Ellie and eating some yummy cake! :)

Saturday morning, Dad helpedme do some errands (oil change on the Highlander, picking up a part for a toilet at Lowes) so that was productive. Then, Jesse's parents graciously took Ellie for most of the day on Saturday so I could go to the UT/Cincinnati football game with my parents. One of my old jobs at UT was working for the Parents Association during graduate school. This year was the 10 year anniversary of the association and I was invited with my parents to the Family Weekend tailgate. We went down there and had a good ol' TN tailgate lunch and got to see a few old co-workers/bosses. We were able to see the Vol Walk (Mom was determined to see Derek Dooley in person) and catch the procession of the Pride of the Southland Band to the stadium. We went by the bookstore and then went on to the stadium to enoy all the pre-game festivities. We had gotten some AMAZING seats, due to the buyer from StubHub sending me the wrong tickets and getting a choice from them of seats to make up for it. We ended up in section T (around the 40 yd line, right under the overhang) and enjoyed every minute of it. The weather was perfect and the shade made it even better! We also ended up having decent people around us who were there to really watch the game. After the awesome win, we headed over to Jesse's parents house to meet up with Ellie and have some yummy homemade veggie pizza (thanks to Karen Cragwall). It was a great day.

On Sunday, my parents came to church with us and then we met up with Jesse's parents and sister for brunch to celebrate Grandparents Day. Ellie was entertaining as usual! She had made them each a craft at school that week so she gave them their presents there. Mom and I did some errands that afternoon while Ellie slept and then we ended the day with my small group coming over. It was a great weekend altogether. Happy Grandparents Day to Mimi, Pa, Grandmommy and Grandadddy! Oh and GO VOLS!

2 Short Visits From Daddy

2011-09-04T12:31:00.001-07:00

Yep, you read it right! The Ft. Dix pre-mobilization soldiers messed up Jesse's flight schedule (and 3 others from his unit) to where he was sitting around waiting to get a flight but they had put him on one and never told him! SO, the last 2 weeks, Jesse has come home on 4 day passes. CRAZY, huh?! Although it has been an emotional roller and a little pricey, we have had a great time having some extra days with him. On the first 4 day pass, I had lots of training for work, so Jesse had some quality time with Ellie, including a little Daddy/Daughter date. We also had some fun at the YMCA pool and were able to celebrate his Dad's birthday with his family.

This last 4 day pass was really fun. We were able to go to the YMCA pool again before it closes, a day trip to the Knoxville Zoo and Litton's for lunch, some errands and a good ol' football Saturday! Jesse was even able to go to church this morning to see everyone. Of course, we got lots of "I thought he already left - what's going on?" looks!

This deployment has been so weird, but I will take any extra days with him that I can get. I'm sure you other military wives know what I am talking about - the quality time outweighs the "goodbye mourning" we have to go through each time they leave. Jesse heads out this week on a flight to Afghanistan so he REALLY TRULY IS GONE this time. No more 4 day passes. No more medical leaves. The deployment really begins now. Definitely pray for him as he adjusts to the time change and environment. Also, he has been moved jobs and company's so he's going into a very unknown situation and work environment.

He's Really Gone This Time

2011-08-10T13:49:00.000-07:00

Well, Jesse finally got orders and was mobilized Tuesday, reporting to Ft. Dix, NJ for the next little bit to finish all his pre-deployment training before catching a plane to Afghanistan. We have had 9 WONDERFUL weeks with him full of quality family time and I am so grateful that we had that. The only thing I hate is that we had to do our goodbyes all over again. I hate them with a passion. And the 24 hours leading up to it is awful...the last cuddle, the last meal together, the last outing, the last WHATEVER...it's just cruel. So, this time, he's really gone. He was medically cleared about 3 weeks ago, but we were just waiting around for Big Army to get their act together and write up his orders. Ellie and I took him to the airport and each had our time to say goodbye. Ellie needed to do that to understand a little bit that Daddy's gone bye bye. She is much more attached this time so it's going to be a little more of a transition the next few weeks, but she is resilient. Jesse is missed dearly already and I crave his presence in our daily lives already. BUT, God has a plan and right now it involves him being away for a long time. Lord, grant me patience and contentment as Ellie and I move forward and get through this time of separation. Help us honor you with this deployment. Please keep my husband safe and bring him home soon!

Thankful for this...

2011-08-10T13:41:00.001-07:00

It's so true how kids mimick everything you do. There is one thing that Ellie mimicks that I am so thankful for....saying her prayers.

2 Weeks in FL

2011-08-07T08:40:00.000-07:00

When Jesse had agreed to do this depoyment, I planned a 2 week trip to FL to have help from my parents and get a little vacation in during the break in my contract with Pellissippi. Lucky for us, Jesse was able to be here during that time to go with us! The only bad thing about the trip was that we were always in limbo on if he would hear anything from Big Army about him going so we had to plan our vacation day by day. She did as best as can be expected on our flights to and from FL, but I'll take a 90 minute flight over 10 hours of driving any day!

We were able to be in Bartow for July 4th this year and our family has always had a few traditions for that holiday. We always have people over, grill out and eat homemade vanilla ice cream. We end the holiday by setting up chairs on the driveway and watch the town's firework show, which is pretty good for a small town! Jesse and I ventured out to Bartow's Festival, but it ended up not being anything more than a walk around the festivities. Here are some pictures from our holiday with family and friends.

The rest of the first week was spent in my parents pool, we had a little date night full of seafood and baseball, and a family trip to the Florida Aquarium in Tampa. We celebrated my mom's 65th birthday and ended the week with a day at the beach with the Shaefer's, but only made it out on the actual beach for about 30 minutes due to weather. Here are some pictures from the rest of the week.

Our 2nd week was full of more time in the pool, some visits with friends, another (with better weather) day at the beach with the Shaefer's and a Friday night Ray's game. I was able to see my high school friends Ashley Valenti (Pup) and Hayley Hurd, people I didnt' get to see during my March visit. We ended up going over to Anna Maria Island for lunch to introduce the Shaefer's to one of our favorite places to eat and then headed back to Longboat Key for a few hours at the beach with them. Ellie had a blast playing with Kinsley and also experiencing the beach for the first time. We had planned to go to the Ray's game and it just so happened that the Shaefer's were going too, so we ended up going together for a fun evening while my parents babysat Ellie.

Overall, it was a great visit to FL and since we were there so long, we were able to space out our time with visiting people and relax more. Ellie was able to spend lots of quality time with "Mimi" and "Papa" (those are her chosen names as of yet for them) as well as quality time for our little family together. Plus, Ellie turned 19 months the day after we returned so enjoy our pics of our growing little girl!

A Quick Trip to Nashville

2011-07-19T13:40:00.000-07:00

While Jesse is home, we decided to take a quick trip over to Nashville so he could see some of his extended family and some friends. Our first stop was dinner with Bill (Poppi) and Cindy (Pippa) Mason. Ellie got spoiled with some new toys and had fun climbing in chairs and visiting with everyone around us. It was a fun dinner with the Mason's and Ellie loves the new toys she got from them. The next visit was with our friends, Jason & Lena Cox, who we stayed with that evening. It's always a guaranteed good time visiting with them. Ellie was able to play the piano for the first time, mainly wanting to touch the lowest and highest keys after some random pounding. The next morning, we drove over to Nana's (Jesse's grandmother) house for a few hours and Ellie had a ball playing there. It was great to catch up with Nana and let her have some time with Ellie without all the craziness of a packed house. Jesse was also able to visit his grandfather's grave (his dad's dad) since he was unable to make the funeral in April. We met Uncle Jeff (Jesse's dad's brother) for a lunch visit to catch up with him and then headed back to Knoxville afterwards. We were sad not to be able to see everyone, but it was a productive visit and Ellie was a trooper!

7th Wedding Anniversary

2011-07-19T13:09:00.000-07:00

Jesse and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary on June 26th. We were lucky enough to be able to be together for it as it was (lucky #7 I guess). We ended up having a little dinner date on our short Cincinnati trip to a restuarant close to my brother's house that we highly recommend to anyone visiting Cincinnati. It's a local Italian place called Betta's. My brother and his wife have spent some of their anniversary's going to this place and so it came highly recommended and didn't disappoint! I am so blessed to be married to my very best friend and I am more in love with him every day. I hate that we will spend most of the next year of our marriage apart, but God has blessed us so much and I know he will return to celebrate our 8th anniversary together! Thank you Lord for an amazing husband - I am blessed!

Meeting Langston Kate

2011-07-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

In late June, Jesse and I were able to schedule a quick trip up to Cincinnati to meet my new niece. Langston Kate Hardwick was born on March 22nd when she was only 30 weeks in the womb. Jennifer (the trooper Mom) had preeclampsia that developed quickly and caused her to have to deliver Langston early. She was a fighter and was in the NICU until May 10th. Now, she is a thriving, adorable little girl that has made it through such a hard ordeal with flying colors. Langston is a really good mixture of both Jonathan and Jennifer.

I was so happy to finally meet her after all the restrictions being lifted due to her immune system building up. It was also really neat to see my brother as a new dad. He's really patient and loving with this miracle baby. So happy to have this new addition to the Hardwick Family! :)

18 Months Old!

2011-06-20T12:54:00.000-07:00

What a milestone! After having Ellie's 18 month check-up and shots, she weights 25 lbs and is over 32 inches tall. Such a big girl! Lots has changed over the last month, including having her daddy home, and even Jesse commented on how much she has changed and grown in the last few weeks. Here are some of the changes:

1. Ellie will no longer sit in a high chair in a restaurant - it's either a booster seat or on the regular seat like a big girl. It was like a switch went off and she just couldn't be confined like that any longer.

2. She has added at least 4 more teeth to the mix (all 4 dagger teeth are about 1/2 way in).

3. Her vocabulary is growing weekly - Dada is now Daaayee, Memememe is now Mom, etc. Also, she is now saying words like kitty, bye bye, bear, all done, cheese and Boz. Of course, none of them sound the way you read it, but we at least are expanding the communication!

4. She ate something "bad" and had a throw-up weekend which was no fun for mommy and daddy. She also had an abscess that we had to take her in for recently and she was a total trooper with the doctor.

5. She drinks her milk by herself while she walks around instead of sitting in Mommy's lap (sigh).

6. She has had 3 swim lessons and is really starting to catch on to the pool.

7. She loves playing outside with her mini-pool and gardening tools.

8. She's back to eating lots of fruit and even has a "fruit dance" that she does when she eats it.

It has been so great having Daddy home to share all of these new things with us. Ellie is totally smitten with him and calls his name looking for him when he's not around. This next goodbye is going to be a tough one - she is very aware of his presence or lack thereof. We can't believe that she is this old already, but we are enjoying every minute of it! Praise God for a Daddy at home and a healthy, happy little girl!

He's Back! (Temporarily)

2011-06-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

For those of you that might read my blog and not my husbands, the reasons for Jesse being home can be found on his blog (realtnvolunteer.blogspot.com) so catch up! It has been a great time for Jesse to be home with us and we are cherishing EVERY moment. I wanted to post this video - proof of a little change since Daddy left in April!

Videos for Jesse

2011-05-25T09:03:00.000-07:00

The best way for Jesse to see videos of Ellie is through my blog, so I'm posting a few funny videos of her recently.

Grammie's game of chasing the ball with Ellie

Ellie walking in Mommy's shoes

Ellie & Kinsley hugging

Civil Affars Graduation - The Goodbye

2011-05-22T13:37:00.000-07:00

My last visit to Ft. Bragg, NC was with Jesse's parents (Ellie stayed back in Knoxville with my Mom who so graciously watched her for 2 full days). We went over for Jesse's graduation from the Civil Affairs qualification course that Jesse had to take to be in this new branch and to also be able to go on the deployment. Jesse was 2 points away from being in the top 20% of the class, but he was totally fine with it seeing how he finished writing 2 HUGE doctorate papers for UTK during this class. We came in the day before the ceremony and had the afternoon and evening with him. It was great to have a double dinner date with his parents of adult time and just be able to focus on Jesse. I was able to spend the evening with him so we could have some quality time together and get geared up for this next year apart. The next day, we went to Jesse's graduation ceremony and saw him get his certificate. They also had a really good speaker, a retired Army Civil Affairs officer who had a ton of experience in this branch.

We checked out of our hotel rooms and did a few errands before going to Schlotsky's for lunch (a Cragwall favorite)! We took Jesse home and said our goodbyes and got back on the road to Knoxville. I'm so thankful Glenn and Karen were there because it forced me to not grieve for too long and have some support to move on. Jesse and I have said goodbye a lot to each other the last 2 months and it was one of the hardest things I've had to do when I had to leave him, but I know God has a plan for this deployment and our time apart. We have really talked about wanting to glorify God in this time away from each other and not just put our lives on hold for a year. I have a great support system of friends and family here and I know we will be taken care of. I worry more for Jesse's safety, but I have confidence in him as a soldier and know he will make great decisions when needed. He's a great leader and really wants to take care of the guys he is around. So, pray for his safety and time over there, but also pray for our communication as a family and for our time apart to glorify God. I LOVE MY SOLDIER!!!

17 Months Old

2011-05-22T13:14:00.000-07:00

Yep - another month has passed! Ellie is growing up so fast these days. This past month feels like it's gone by faster than the rest with all the trips we had, goodbyes and visitors. With Jesse out of town for training, starting a routine hasn't been as easy with the trips we have taken to see him. Ellie has done really well at adapting to new places - I can't complain! We've had a weird eating spell and some toddler tantrums have begun, but overall she's such a happy baby girl and pretty easy to take care of. I do think that she knows that Daddy is gone and things are a little different. Ellie has added some new words to her vocabulary like "eyes", "ice cream", "cookies", "my ball", "bow", and a few others. Of course, they don't exactly sound like the way we would say them, but they definitely get the point across. It's been fun to look back at previous posts to see what changes she has made -so glad I've kept track of it. Until next month...

New Summer Job

2011-05-10T17:59:00.000-07:00

During the school year, I teach College Success 1500 at Pellissippi State. BUT, I have gotten a summer job to fill the months I'm not teaching and keep me busy a few hours a week during Ellie's Mother's Day Out program. I have been contracted out to do academic advising for Pellissippi State! When I was job searching, my top job choice was to do academic advising at UTK, but that didn't pan out for me. That's when I started teaching part-time, but little did I know that I could also do advising! It's a job that I love to do, primarily because it is DETAILS, DETAILS and some more DETAILS! I have a lot to learn, but training started for me today and I am really looking forward to doing it. So, YAY for a summer job! :)

Visits to Daddy at Ft. Bragg

2011-05-10T13:02:00.000-07:00

Jesse left right before Easter to go to Ft. Bragg for a Civil Affairs Qualification Course that he has to pass before being deployed as a Civil Affairs Officer (check out his blog that he revived for this deployment - http://www.realtnvolunteer.blogspot.com/). He only has had Sunday each week as his day off, so we decided that ANY day that we could spend with him, Ellie and I would be there. SO, I packed up the car for the last 2 weekends and took Ellie for a nice 6 hours drive to Ft. Bragg, NC. Ellie did ok the first trip down, but adjusted much better this past weekend. Sleeping in the same hotel room with us was a first and she wanted to stay up as long as she could to see what all was going on. Naps were tough for her to take, but overall she did pretty well for the short trips we made. Best purchase ever - a DVD player for the car so she could watch Boz videos. So, here are some pictures of our quality time with Captain Cragwall!

Tickle Time with Daddy

Playground Time Visit #1

Playground Time Visit #2

Easter Sunday

2011-05-06T12:50:00.000-07:00

This year, we had to spend Easter without Jesse so my parents came up to celebrate! My parents dyed eggs with her on Saturday along with delivering some presents from the "Easter Bunny". Some of those gifts were some great books and a dvd of Boz, her favorite! Ellie wanted to put her hands in the dye so badly, but decorating them with stickers was even more fun!

Easter morning, mommy and daddy's "Easter Bunny" came to deliver some more Boz dvds and some books, but of course the bubbles were the biggest hit. We got Ellie ready for church in her adorable dress and got everyone to church on time. :)

My dad flew back to FL right after the service and mom stayed to help me host a luncheon for our small group families that don't have family close by. We even had a little egg hunt in the back yard and enjoyed visiting. Ellie & Kinsley Schaefer get along really well and had fun playing together.

What I enjoyed most about Easter this year is that the story was much more real in my mind from our year and half study of John at church and with our small group. The details of the story were so fresh in my mind of what happened to Christ and the appreciation of what He did for us was incredibly real and overwhelming. Thank you Lord for doing all you did to save someone like me. I am so grateful!

16 Months Old

2011-04-19T12:35:00.000-07:00

Another month has passed and I feel like I just did the update for 15 months! We have been having a blast with her and doing lots of new things so that Jesse is here to experience them. You've already seen our fun trip to the zoo, but we've been to the park a few times, visited with other families and enjoyed every minute together. Ellie is growing up so fast, looking more and more like a toddler girl than a baby, and sometimes it makes me sad because of the fun we have had with her, but it also excites me to see glimpses of what she is becoming. We are so proud of our little girl and we are treasuring every minute, especially Jesse. She won't be the little toddler when he sees her next.

Our Overnight Date

2011-04-10T13:08:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Bill & Cindy Mason and all of Jesse's family for watching Ellie in shifts, Jesse and I arranged to have an overnight baby-free (1st time since before we had Ellie). Since Jesse will be deploying soon, an evening and day away was much needed for quality time and fun together. We decided to go to Gatlinburg and live it up - just far way enough to have some separation, but close enough to not have a long drive. We headed down Friday afternoon and went by our favorite store (Eddie Bauer Outlet) because we had $20 of free clothes. Of course, it was a great shopping trip. Then, we drove on it to Gatlinburg and checked in to our hotel (Bearskin Lodge). We got an awesome King bed suite that was right on the river and had lots of perks. We were in walking distance to the "strip" so we walked to Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. for dinner. While waiting for our table, we went across the street and did a taste testing of moonshine - man, I did not like it! Once our table was ready, we enjoyed a yummy dinner. Afterwards, we randomly decided to go up the sky lift (something we've never done) to see all of Gatlinburg before it got too dark. It was a little nerve-wracking going up, but coming down was a lot easier. Once we got our feet back on the ground, we did another traditional thing that we always make fun of tourists for doing - old time photos! We laughed so hard while doing them - it was super tough to do a serious picture. We topped off our night with ice cream and relaxation back at our hotel. The next morning, we had a big breakfast out on our balcony over the river. Once we finished, we headed out to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park to hike up to Rainbow Falls. Thankfully, the government didn't shut down so we could get in to the park. It was a tough hike up, but well worth it. It was such beautiful scenery - we were so glad to do that hike together! This little trip was extremely refreshing and much needed and we are so thankful that we had so much help to be able to do it. This next year is going to be rough, but this quality time together only strengthened our marriage and love for each other.

Day at the Zoo

2011-04-04T18:28:00.000-07:00

Before Jesse left for his recent time of training, he got a day off so we decided to make it a family day and take Ellie to the Knoxville Zoo for the first time. I was so thankful to have family time like that and for him to be able to see her reactions to the animals she has seen in books all this time. It was amazing weather and Ellie had a blast! What I also loved about the Zoo is that it was FULL of other moms with their kids in strollers and it was a great place to just walk around and stimulate the kids without much work. Because of this, we are seriously thinking about getting a year's membership so that I can use it to get out of the house with her. PLUS, the membership is good in other cities at participating zoo's, aquariums and parks. Once Jesse is gone and the semester is over, I will be looking for lots of ways to make the days go by faster. I love that I can do that by showing and educating Ellie on all the many animals that God has created. PLUS, her Daddy was there for a great family day. Here are the pictures from our adventure:

15 Months Old

2011-03-17T13:35:00.000-07:00

Another milestone reached - 15 months! Ellie is still changing each month and it never ceases to amaze me how she develops. A few notable facts about our little girl:

She has 4 molars now = 12 teeth!
She is 23lbs, 9oz, 31 1/4 inches tall
She can turn in circles (a new dance move)
She loves to walk, especially outside
She is still napping for me 2x a day (Praise God!)
She loves to dance while her dad plays the guitar for her
She's starting to climb on the playground equipment at her school and LOVES slides
She isn't crying nearly as much when I take her to her program 2x a week
She is getting along well with Callie and they seem to have an understanding :)

I am loving her comprehension of things we say and how she catches on to new things quickly. Jesse has been spending lots of time with her, prepping for his time away and strengthening his bond with her. We cherish every moment we can spend together!

Spring Break Trip

2011-03-17T13:02:00.000-07:00

For my Spring Break with work, I decided to fly down to my parents and spend a good week down there for a break from K-town, good food, old friends and some sun. We thought Jesse couldn't come due to being in Haiti for his job with One Vision, but that trip ended up cancelling and deployment training started, allowing time for him to come down with us for 2 days. Jesse hasn't been to FL with me in almost 2 years so having him with me, even for a short time, was great. We flew down Friday morning and got there in time to drop Jesse off in Lakeland for the last few innings of a Detroit Tigers spring training game that my dad went to. Mom and I went on home and got Ellie down for a good long nap after all the travelling we did. We went out to dinner at a local restaurant called Mike's that our family has gone to for years - YUMMY! We ended the night with a stop at Dairy Queen for a sweet treat.

The next morning, we planned to meet up with some friends - Mark & Becky Wright (kids are Grace and Hope) and Jenny Doyen (who's hubby comes home from deployment any day now) and her daughter Macy - at Funtasia, an indoor playground for young kids. Ellie had a blast! She immediately started playing with Macy and loved going down the slide. Then, we took them over to a ball pit and Ellie loved it. She eventually learned how to climb up to get to the slide and then would crawl down face first. It was so neat to have our kids play together while we were able to visit.

Jesse and I did a little shopping and then returned to my parent's for a birthday steak dinner and Publix Cake!

Papa and Ellie grilling steaks outside by the RV

Just look at that cake....YUMMY!!!!

I took Jesse to the airport Sunday morning while my parents babysat so we could go on a Waffle House breakfast date and have some quality time together before he left (he had training at Ft. Jackson, SC all week). That afternoon, Mom and I went to Bealls (FL dept store) and also took Ellie outside to let her explore the yard. We ended the day with Pizza from ABC's and more Publix Cake.

Monday, Mom and I took Ellie to my Uncle Whit and Aunt Cathy's beach house at Anna Maria to visit and let Ellie swim in their heated pool. Definitely was a good day! We even were able to fit in a little outlet shopping on the way home and finished the day with Checker's for dinner.

Tuesday, I was supposed to go to lunch with my friend Hayley but she came down with the flu, so I stayed home and layed out in the sun while the weather was awesome. Mom made one of my favorite casseroles for dinner and of course we had Publix cake for dessert!

(above) Ellie playing on a toy that mom had for me as a kid
(below) Ellie LOVED playing with the oranges in the backyard

Wednesday, I took Ellie to see my dad and his co-workers and then met up with my friend Shari for a kid-free lunch at the Stanford Inn (the house in the movie "My Girl"). I had caviar for the first time ever (in Bartow - even more shocking) but the lunch was awesome. Our mom's were watching the kids and we met up with them afterwards for a visit. Mom and I went to Kohl's for a little more shopping and then we came home and had a pork chop dinner. Thursday, I treated myself to a pedicure and ran a few errands, but pretty much spent some time at the house due to the rain. We ended up getting Red Lobster take-out for dinner that was awesome. Mom and I flew back to Knoxville on Friday, but we had an hour delay before boarding our plane. That was quite interesting for a toddler! As soon as we got back, we had lunch at the country store down the road for some catfish and then we put Ellie down for a nap. Jesse got home shortly after and Mom and I headed out to the Jack & Jules consignment event to look for toys. Our week ended with a good dinner at Jason's Deli (mom had never eated there). I had a great week off and it was full of good food, help with Ellie, visits with friends and family and of course shopping! I was so pleased with how Ellie did in all the travel and how quickly she adapted to the crib my parents had. It made me more prone to visit there longer this summer, knowing how well she did.

31 Years Old

2011-03-14T13:30:00.000-07:00

Since Ellie gets all the updates on this blog each month, I thought I would take time for an update on me! March 5th was my 31st birthday. Once I turned 30 last year, this birthday just isn't that exciting. BUT, it was still MY DAY and I had a great one! Growing up, my parents always made a big deal of our birthdays by letting us have parties with friends (taking turn each year), making our favorite meals and finishing the day off with a glorious Publix Cake! They also went all all since my brother and I share the same birthday and we aren't twins (perfect timing). So, my parents delivered by flying our little family down to FL and having a yummy steak dinner with Publix cake for dessert (shared with Jesse since he'll be gone on his birthday)! Another year has passed, and I look at what I have become: a well-educated professional, a wife, a mother, a sister, a soon-to-be aunt, a daughter (in-law too), and a friend to many! That adds up to 31 productive years! I love my life and I wouldn't change a thing. God has blessed me with wonderful friends and family and I consider my little world to be my true happy place!

Valentine's Day

2011-02-27T08:31:00.000-08:00

Ellie's Valentine from her Daddy

My Valentine from my Hubby

Our Family

Ellie's Valentine's Cookie from her Grandmommy & Grandaddy

The Cragwall Cousins

Ellie reading her card from Grammie & Papa

Ellie reading her Valentine from her parents

14 Months Old!

2011-02-16T12:16:00.001-08:00

Ellie amazes me every day the things she learns and picks up on - you can teach her a new song or word and she will remember it an hour or day later. I am still loving being able to teach her new things and hang out with her during the day. My 2 days of breaks with her Mother's Day Out program have truly been a blessing, but I'm always excited to pick her up and be around her again. Some changes since the last update for Ellie have been:

1. She has some molars that have come in - no wonder she was a fuss bucket and waking up a TON at night in the last few weeks! I thought it was just some normal sized teeth coming in but low and behold, it was some HUGE molars! It all makes sense now.

2. She is walking up a storm! Her independent streak is coming out because she wants to walk wherever we go instead of being held.

3. She has added in a meal during the day - she now wants breakfast immediately after her milk instead of just a snack in a while. So, she eats 3 meals and 2 snacks a day now with some milk before bed.

4. She's still a great eater for me - not as many veggies as she used to when I made her baby food, but she still eats pretty much what I give her. I can always disguise the veggies mixed in with something else or with cheese.

5. We have finally turned her carseat around to face forward. We waited to do this until she was just too big the other way around because all the research shows that it's actually safer for them to be rear facing longer than just 1 year. Plus, Ellie was totally fine being faced that way. BUT NOW, she's a big girl and can see so much more in the car.

6. She still LOVES books. Every day at some point she brings me several to read to her and if there is anything unique about that book, she remembers to do it on her own (like feel the page or point to something I have pointed out to her).

7. I have introduced her to a few good kids videos recently and she really enjoys them (shocker). My favorite (and hers) by far is the Boz series (Christian series made by the creator of Barney and endorsed by MOPS). The other favorite has been Baby Einstein and I will be the first to admit that Boz and Baby Noah have helped me watch Ellie while I make dinner a few nights or two!

8. She is starting to grow out of some of her 12 month clothes but she's not quite ready for 18 month. Her "Ellie Belly" is still huge and adorable. She's now wearing shoes every day (thank you Lord for Robeez), but she's still wearing the 6-12 month size, on the verge of wearing her 12-18 month size.

9. Her recognition of people and places is getting better and better.

10. She loves to be around cats and dogs and loves watching other kids, especially ones bigger than her. She does well at her program with the other kids and is a good independent player.

11. She's been laughing more and interacting more with us, adding words to her vocabulary like "Buh Buh" (bubbles) and "Yeah" and "No" when we ask her questions. She also is picking up well with sign language words that have come in handy during meals and bedtime (see below - she is saying "bed" in sign language!)

It's amazing how she changes so much in a month! We sometimes stop and look at her and thank God for giving us such a cute, silly little girl. Until next month...

A Day at the Park

2011-01-31T13:36:00.000-08:00

We had a random weekend of great weather here in Knoxville with temperatures reaching 60 degrees, so us along with everyone else in the city decided to take advantage of this weather and go to the park! I had only taken Ellie one other time earlier in the week to walk around, but this time Jesse came with us. We both got to exercise and then we had time letting her explore and WALK!! Here are some pictures and a little video from our park trip.

She's Walkin'!!

2011-01-21T08:29:00.000-08:00

13 Months Old!

2011-01-20T12:30:00.000-08:00

She's still changing! Each and every day, my daughter does something new or starts figuring something out - it never gets old. So, I thought I would share some of the changes since her 1 year update.

Ellie learning to use the walker

1. She has started on her quest to be a walker. She loves using her walker from Grammie and Papa and she is getting much better at using it. We are still at the lots of steps before falling stage, but she is getting more and more confident! (1st and 2nd video taken at the end of December and the last two were taken yesterday)

2. She will wear shoes now! Thank God for Robeez - they were the only shoes she would wear for the last few weeks, but we have gotten her to wear some of her other shoes recently. Now, it's just a matter of keeping up with her size!

3. She has been basically weaned to whole milk. I still mix a little formula in because I don't have the heart to waste something so expensive, but I only have a little more to use.

4. She is a GREAT eater still and is eating more of our food as we break her stomach in gently. So far, no food allergies and with her having so many teeth, she can chew stuff really well.

5. She has started a 2 day a week program at Ridgedale Baptist Church and WE LOVE IT! They keep her from 9-2 in a room of 5 other kids her age (11 - 23 months) and it's already challenging her and helping her learn to walk. God definitely provided this program to us so I could still keep my teaching job and have her taken care of.

6. She is responding to questions a lot more like "do you want a snack?" or "do you want to walk?" and she will nod or say "yeah" (sort of). She definitely understands any words related to food, nap, bathtime, daddy, mommy, play, and some other phrases.

7. Ellie LOVES music and dancing to it. Recently, she has started doing a new dance move of shimmying her shoulders back and forth instead of just nodding her head or bouncing. Sometimes she even twists her arms around. We love her new move.

8. She is figuring out some of her new toys from Christmas and her birthday. We love watching her make sense of a new way to stack something or take something in and out of a "purse" or even pulling something apart and putting it back together.

A short clip of her taking her first steps

Changes keep happening and sometimes I miss her being that little baby that snuggled all the time with us, but I can't help but love the stage she is in where she lights up when we walk in a room and gives us a big hug and smile! Thank you God for our little Ellie Belly!

Ellie walking in some shoes other than Robeez

Ellie showing off on the walker now

Snow Day

2011-01-07T08:36:00.000-08:00

This winter, we've had more snow in Knoxville than we've had in a while. This week, we've had it twice and I took Ellie outside so she could experience a "snow" and step it in a little. It reminded me of when we did that back at Ft. Campbell a year ago. This time, she saw the snow, felt it on her, and even ate some! I thought I would put some pictures side-by-side so you could see how far she has come! :) Happy Winter!

UT Bowl Game

2011-01-07T08:19:00.000-08:00

Jesse and I received some "date" money from the Mason's again and we decided to use it to buy bowl tickets. We had not been able to go to a UT home game at all this season (Jesse had a ticket to go to one but ended up in the hospital that day) so we jumped on the opportunity. UT played in Nashville at the Music City Bowl so we made it an afternoon/evening date with Jesse's mom who graciously babysat for us at the house. We headed over early so we had time to eat at where else but Joe's Crab Shack! We definitely crabbed it up after about a 45 minute wait with other UT fans! They even played Rocky Top a few times while we were there. Once we finished, we walked over the pedestrian bridge to LP Field. I had never been there and it was an awesome stadium - we even had a chair back in the bleeds! It was windy and cold, but we enjoyed the game. Unfortunately, the game ended differently than we wanted, but it was overall a good game. We drove back afterwards in time to get a few hours of sleep before our baby girl woke up. Overall, a GREAT DATE! Thanks, Mason's, once again...

A Hardwick/Cragwall Christmas

2011-01-02T18:04:00.000-08:00

My brother and sis-in-law arrived on Tuesday night before Christmas to stay with us for the holidays. My parents arrived the next day. So, with a house full of Hardwick's, we were able to spend lost of quality time together. Ellie was excited to see everyone and get all the attention. She definitely wanted to show off her latest tricks! Before my parents arrived, Jonathan and Jennifer got a little time of their own with Ellie and she was very happy to see them. She has really taken a liking to my brother and would want to go to him if he was in the room or she would smile a cheesy smile at him. Once my parents arrived, we all went out to a yummy dinner at Rafferty's and then called it a night. The next day, we hung out and watched Christmas movies, did a grocery run and had BBQ for dinner. Dad spent lots of time playing with Ellie and her new kitchen.

On Friday, Christmas Eve, we treated that like our traditional Christmas Day since my brother had to leave that night to get back for work. So, the morning started out with Breakfast Casserole and Monkey Bread, followed by presents around the tree with Jonathan and Jennifer. Then, we all got ready and went out to a late lunch at Cracker Barrel for our "Christmas Meal" instead of cooking it twice. I had to go to the church for worship team practice that afternoon so the family met up with me at church for the 5pm Christmas Eve service. Jonathan and Jennifer headed out after church and then we went home with my parents and had Italian Beef sandwiches for dinner. Then, Santa came to our house for the first time...

Christmas morning, we woke Ellie up and gave her the morning "sippy cup" of milk and as soon as she finished, she noticed Santa's visit and what he left. The excitement began! She went through all of her toys and checked out each new book. Then, she couldn't wait to try out her new walker/rider. We all opened our stockings and then ate leftovers for breakfast, followed by the opening of presents between the 5 of us. Ellie stocked up (and mommy hid some of the new toys to bring out later for sanity). Naptime for Ellie rolled around and we all took the time to get ready for the rest of the day. Mom and I hit the kitchen and got the ham and casseroles going. The Cragwall Clan came over about 2pm for our meal and we feasted on lots of yummy food! We all went upstairs and exchanged presents between the Cragwall's and then finished our visit with desserts! After all that, we all CRASHED!! It was great to host everyone in our new home this year and to be able to celebrate with both sides of our family at one time was amazing. The snow started to fall that evening and ended up giving us a white "day after Christmas when you shop for after Christmas deals regardless if it snows at 7am".

To end this post, I find it only appropriate to use my Mom's quote of the year that we all got on an ornament to remember: "It's not about the presents...it's about HIS presence!"

Ellie Meets Santa

2011-01-02T17:55:00.000-08:00

Jesse and I couldn't resist having Ellie meet Santa, more out of curiosity of how she would do in his lap. We took her to the West Town Mall and stood in line for a while. I met a girl who's husband was deployed with 4th Brigade from the 101st Airborne and she lived on post, but was just in town for the holidays to spend it with family. We finally made it to Santa and Ellie was excited! She did great in his lap and kept looking up at him. Enjoy the pics! :)

Ellie's 1st Birthday Party

2010-12-19T14:15:00.000-08:00

When Jesse and I finally started trying for a baby, there was one month we wanted to avoid having a baby - December! But, God laughed at our planning ways and BOOM - I'm pregnant and due December 26th! Luckily, I had her a week early, but I knew that we would need to make her birthday extra special and separate from Christmas. I've seen other people with birthdays around Christmas and their biggest complaint is always having their birthday lumped in with Christmas and not having their own special day. Some may think I did a lot for Ellie's 1st birthday, but I wanted to create a fun, themed party for her where her family and our close friends could come and celebrate her becoming a toddler. When planning her party, there was only one theme that I could think of that I knew she would love - KITTY CATS!! We had all the kids put on their kitty faces and eat Kitty Snacks (PB&J's), Meow (Chex) Mix, Fishies (goldfish), and Jello Kitties (Jigglers in cat shapes). We even used a kitten calendar from the dollar store to decorate the house with the pictures - Ellie loved those! Another detail was the most time consuming - the cake! A few years back, I took Wilton cake decorating classes so I could make my children's birthday cakes. After lots of planning, baking and making lots of icing, her cat cake was finished and turned out great - mission accomplished! Ellie got some great new toys that are age appropriate (finally!!) and she got to eat her first piece of true sugar - the ear of the cat! Some kids choose to play in it or smear it on their face and everywhere else, but my baby girl ate it like a finger food and took bites of it, making sure to get all the crumbs! HA! We sent all the kids home with their own "kitty treats" to thank them for coming. Overall, the party was a huge success and a good excuse to get everyone together under the same roof! She is so blessed to have so many people love and celebrate her!

1 Year Old

2010-12-19T13:53:00.000-08:00

Ellie is officially 1 year old now...man, I can't believe it! She is no longer considered an infant, but now a toddler. It's crazy how fast it seems that this year has flown, but at the same time, there were moments that dragged on FOREVER! She is starting to really develop her "look" and it's a guessing game each day on who she looks like more. Here's a list of a few things about her that are new:

1. Tooth #8 cut through this past week so she has the middle four top and bottom teeth now. She is able to chew/bite into her food well.

2. She is starting to eat more of the same food as us, which is great! I still chop or cut stuff up for her compared to how we eat it, but she loves picking food up and feeding herself (definitely some independence in her personality).

3. She is weaned from the bottle to a sippy cup for her formula (soon to be milk). She is also only drinking a "bottle" when she wakes up and before she goes to bed.

4. She has really started laughing (see earlier video post) and enjoys doing it the most with her Daddy (especially at bath time).

5. She isn't walking yet, but she can stand on her own for a while and we've seen her getting more confident to start trying soon when she goes from the couch to the table without falling or when she pops up with her butt in the air in a sort of push up position.

6. She has gotten ear infection #2 this past week, but is feeling much better.

7. She can crawl up the stairs all by herself (hence baby gates being put up in the past 2 weeks).

8. She is fully in 12 month clothing, but will still not tolerate shoes or socks on her feet (her Mommy has a plan up her sleeves for this one).

9. She is much better at communicating than before with pointing and noises for the things she wants. She is also better at back and forth "talking" with us.

10. She still cries if we leave the room, but it's never for long.

Motherhood has completely changed my life with good days and bad, but the one thing that remains constant is an undescribable love for this child. I look at her and can't believe that she is mine, she is healthy, and I am one of her favorite people! Thank you, Lord, for giving me this amazing and beautiful baby girl.

Early Nashville Christmas

2010-12-19T13:16:00.000-08:00

The Cragwall's decided to do an early Nashville Christmas with our extended family so we all packed up and headed over in shifts. Our first stop was on Friday evening at Nana's house. The Mullens' (Jesse's Uncle Spunky, Aunt Linda and Cousin Hannah) came over to visit with us as well and we exchanged presents. Nana gave Ellie a really neat book and the Mullens' gave Ellie some new bath toys she loves and a stuffed animal with a blanket. She had met Nana and Aunt Linda before, but had not met Spunky or Hannah. Suprisingly, she went right to Hannah the moment she met her! Ellie also loved Nana (and especially the necklace she was wearing)! It was a nice visit with that portion of the family. We left and met up with Jason and Lena Cox for dinner at Cracker Barrell and then we went to their house for the night and stayed with them (thank you!). Lena had to work in the morning, but Jason took us out to Waffle House for breakfast! :) We then did some errands and headed over to the Fuller's House (Uncle Cecil, Aunt Jana and Cousins Evan, Jansen and Spencer). Jesse's Uncle Jeff also joined us for a yummy brunch and then presents! Ellie got a new Winnie the Poo stacker toy that she loves to dance with when the music comes on and some fabric ornaments for the bottom of our Christmas tree from the Fuller's. She loved being around her cousins and getting all the attention she got! Despite the bad weather on the way back, it was a great day with family. We took this video of Ellie with her counsin Taylor as they were playing with this singing snowman and dog - Ellie really liked it and danced to the music!

The Best Sound on Earth

2010-12-12T18:32:00.000-08:00

There is nothing like the sound of a child laughing - it is the best thing in the world! Jesse was playing with her and she started play hitting Jesse on his stomach and he would act like she got him good. Oh boy did it make her laugh!

Ellie's 1st Parade

2010-12-12T18:20:00.001-08:00

We attempted to go to the Knoxville Christmas Parade so that Ellie could see all the lights and hear the music. We joined up with Aunt Jamie downtown for a yummy dinner at Tomato Head and then headed down to Gay Street to see all the festivities. It was definitely a cold night so we were all bundled up, especially Ellie! At first, she was really excited about the parade...she saw dogs and horses and lights and music! Then, she gradually went into her observation mode and it wasn't making the impact I was hoping on her anymore. So, time to head out and go home! We made it through over half the parade, but didn't make it to Santa. Next year!

Ellie Meets the Hardwick Clan

2010-12-04T18:32:00.001-08:00

For Thanksgiving this year, we traveled to Macon, GA to meet up with my parents for a visit with the Hardwick side of our family. We haven't seen them since I was pregnant with Ellie, so we were excited to introduce Ellie to them all. My brother hooked us up with a great hotel suite and my parents did the RV thing at a beautiful park on the lake. We met up for a yummy dinner at S&S Cafeteria and then called it a night on Wednesday. Thursday, we had a slow morning at the hotel and met up with my parents at the RV after Ellie's morning nap. She had fun crawling around the RV and then we headed over to Bobbie Jo & Hugh Carver's house (Bobbie Jo was the caterer for our wedding - amazing cook!). One of the people I most wanted Ellie to meet was my Great Aunt Barbara. She was one of my grandmother's best friends and once Mama passed away, Aunt Barbara was our honorary grandmother. She is also Bobbie Jo's mom (for family connection). Ellie immediately liked Aunt Barbara and had a good time with her. She also really liked Bobbie Jo's husband, Hugh, as well as Jeanne (Bobbie Jo's sister-in-law). It was great to hang out with that side of the family for a while and catch up with them. It was also an amazing meal (as expected). Friday morning, we had a good breakfast, packed up and spent a little time with my parents before we headed back to Knoxville. We spent the rest of Thanksgiving weekend decorating for Christmas and spending some time with Jesse's family watching football. It was a great Thanksgiving, full of family, good food and rest. We are so thankful to have such a large family (Cragwall's and Hardwick's) that care about us!

(The following video is Ellie playing in the hotel...the best is at the end! - sorry it's sideways)

All sick - at the same time!

2010-12-04T18:11:00.000-08:00

The last few weeks have been crazy for us - it started with Ellie getting sick from allergies and then Jesse got Bronchitis and gave some of his cold to me. First, Ellie started having allergy symptoms when the weather started changing - runny nose, sneezing, itchy eyes - and then it lead to bad congestion and eventually an ugly cough. This was the first time Ellie has been really sick. So, I took her to the Dr and he gave her the good stuff - bubble gum medicine (amoxicillian) along with some allergy meds for her ear infection I had no idea she had. Well, 8 days later, my baby girl breaks out in a rash and hives! So, no more bubble gum medicine, lots of benedryl, and a new antibiotic (z-pack for kids). The rash finally goes away, but the ear infection, congestion and cough did not so a 3rd antibiotic was in order along with meds for reflux to stop the coughing. 3rd times a charm! Now, my baby is ear infection free, congestion free, and cough free! FINALLY!

I was sick with the common cold. I went through 2 Z-packs to clear it up, but oddly enough, some over the counter medication finally did the trick for me.

Now, on to Jesse. So he gets a cold that leads to lovely bronchitis. Well, he goes through an antibiotic and cough meds and they didn't work. Unfortunately, due to the coughing, it triggered a recurring spell he has had since he was 11 that only happens every few years. He started coughing up blood. Well, the last time this had happened was the week before he deployed to Iraq. He was checked out but they didn't do enough to find out what the cause was and in the past it always stopped. Well, this time, it started happening more frequent and it got to the point on Friday night (11/13) that it wouldn't stop. Ellie was sick and up crying and so Jesse had to drive himself to the ER. He ends up being sent to the pulmonary wing and then sent to ICU so they could sedate him to do a bronchial scope. This didn't produce any answers due to the amount of blood so they kept him in an induced coma so they could figure it out through radiology. They found that it was coming from a cluster of blood vessels on the lower lobe of his right lung and they used chemicals to basically internally cauterize the vessels. Then, they had to keep him sedated to prevent any coughing for 24 hours, so he was on a respirator and still in a drug induced coma. That was one scene in my mind that I wish I could forget. They kept him for 2 more days for observation, but thankfully, the procedure worked! We are hoping this is a long-term fix but if it happens again, we know what the problem is.

Whew...that's a lot of medical junk. We are thankful to be healthy and together. Thanks to all the family and friends that were praying for us!

Quick Visit from Uncle Yar

2010-11-23T12:32:00.000-08:00

Some of you that know my family know that my brother and I call each other "Yar". This has been a name that we have used since we were really young. Well, I have taught Ellie that my brother is Uncle Yar. Jonathan has a fabulous job that sometimes warrants a visit through Knoxville, whether he is driving through or flying some big whig here. He was able to drive through Knoxville a few weeks ago and came by the house to have some dinner and see Ellie. She really likes Uncle Yar and wanted him to hold her the entire time he was here. I love that she is getting to know both sides of our family and really likes our siblings. Thanks for coming by, Uncle Yar!

11 Months Old!

2010-11-23T12:12:00.001-08:00

Ellie turning 11 months old has really hit me hard - only one more month until she is not an infant anymore...and I have a party to plan! This past month has been filled with some highs and some lows, but Ellie has been a trooper. We've dealt with the first ear infection, the first allergic reaction to the antibiotic (amoxicillian - bubble gum medicine) with a full body rash and hives, lots of Benedryl, more medicine and she is just now feeling better. She's had to stay out of her Parents Day Out program for the last 2 weeks (NOT COOL) but she is clear to go now. We've had to adjust to Daddy going back to work and lots of "Mommy & Ellie" time. Some new things that have happened this month:

1. She got her 5th tooth on her lower teeth and she is about to cut one on her upper gum.

2. She is no longer in the baby tub - we have graduated to the big girl tub but are trying to keep her from standing so much!

3. Her hair is so much thicker! I love it.

4. She walks on her walker and crawls very fast, but isn't quite in to the walking world.

5. She still loves cats (all animals in general but definitely likes cats the best) - thank you Lord!

6. She is wearing some 12 month clothes but is in the transition phase from 9 month to 12 month.

7. Her last weight check as of last week was 20 lbs 12 oz so we are GOLDEN on turning her car seat around next month!

8. She is much more responsive to things we say and likes to play "copy cat" when we do little things (i.e. shake our heads no and she will do the same)

9. She has entered into the I want mommy and daddy with me all the time phase recently and cries for a while if we leave her with someone.

10. She does great going to the grocery store and sitting in the cart!

11. She is eating a few of the things we eat but still getting a balanced diet of her fruits, veggies and meat.

We can't believe how much time has passed since those insanely tired, frustrating first few weeks of being a parent. We are really looking forward to introducing Thanksgiving and Christmas this year and hope that she really enjoys all the festivities and family time she will get!

Ellie's 1st Halloween

2010-11-02T11:33:00.001-07:00

Halloween took on a different meaning this year when I had a little girl to dress up and show off! By no means do I support ghosts and goblins, but I think it's a fun holiday for kids. They get to play dress-up and get free candy! This year, Jesse's parents hosted a Cragwall Halloween Party so they could see the kids dressed up and all of us could get together. We had a great dinner together and played a fun game with the kids. Ellie had a blast being around everyone, especially Parker, Taylor and the family dog, Jake. Grandmommy gave out lots of treats, including a new rubber ducky and a Halloween book for Ellie. Thanks, Grandmommy!

On the actual day of Halloween, we dressed up Ellie in her kitty costume again for all the trick-or-treaters in our neighborhood. She LOVED seeing all the kids at the door, so much that she reached for me each time she heard the doorbell. Everyone thought she was adorable in her outfit and all she could do was smile and grunt at all the kids. Jamie came over and donated her candy to all the kids that came out and we still ran out! I love the fact that we live in a neighborhood full of kids that participate in things like this - when you have a child of your own, it takes on a whole new meaning!

Jesse's New Job

2010-10-27T17:50:00.000-07:00

So, one of the many challenges we had from getting out of the Army was for Jesse to find a job while he's in school. After many frustrating attempts at various prospects, Jesse found an opportunity with One Vision International! Jesse called John Miller (founder, Exec Director) and asked if there were any opportunities to work with him back in June, primarily with the work his organization is doing in Haiti. Low and behold John had been wanting to create a position that would eventually take over the work in Haiti since it has become so much work in the last few years. Since John had wanted to add this position, he was elated to have the chance to hire Jesse and jumped right on it. After a long process of going through the board and creating the position, Jesse was hired and started last week. He just returned from a 4 day trip to Haiti to network and see what progress has been made and what needs are there. This is a job that will go hand in hand with his research in graduate school, so the opportunity is a win-win. I am so proud of my husband for seeking out this opportunity and finding a job PERFECT for him! If you want to check out this organization and the work they are doing, go to www.onevisionintl.org. We have supported this non-profit for a long time - John was in our small group at church before we even went into the Army. Check it out and if you are interested in getting involved, let us know!

10 Months Old!

2010-10-19T12:16:00.001-07:00

Well, another month has passed and Ellie has changed and grown even more! Our little girl is so stinkin' cute and makes us laugh all the time. Some of ther new accomplishments are:

1. She is down to 3 bottles a day and more on a normal eating time schedule with us. It's nice to eat meals together at the table now.

2. She was 19lbs 8 oz last week at the doctors office. Getting closed to that 20lb mark!

3. She has ANOTHER tooth! One of her bottom teeth next to the 2 middle ones have cut through. Everyone keeps telling us how crazy it is that she has so many teeth already!

4. She can walk with her walker a few steps on her own (scroll down to see past blog entry for video of this).

5. She converses with me back and forth with her sounds. I'm trying to teach her some sounds and words and she will "answer" me with one she knows.

6. She is pulling herself up and standing holding on to EVERYTHING!

7. She's been going through a phase of "I want Mommy" the last few weeks but it hasn't been too bad.

8. She is eating finger foods like cheese cubes, toast pieces, cheerios, and avacado. She also loves to drink ice cold water from a cup like a normal adult.

9. She is much more fun to take to the store now that she can sit up well in her seat cover!

10. She can crawl much better up on her knees and hands, especially when she is on carpet.

Ellie is a beautiful baby girl and we fall in love with her more and more each day. In my mother's words, "She is such a good baby!" I love watching her around our family and recognizing people. Hope you have enjoyed the update!

Why I LOVE Fall

2010-10-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

Here is the view from my driveway, at the front of our subdivision. This is why I LOVE Fall!

Date Day

2010-10-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our generous friends, The Mason's, we were able to plan a date day baby free. It was great timing for us. Jesse's mom watched Ellie all day (THANK YOU) to give us the time to devote to each other. We went on a hike to House Mountain (off Rutledge Pike) and had an amazing time. The view was awesome and the weather was perfect! Here is a little video from our view at the top of the ridge:

We went to lunch at Horn of Plenty (a little country store up the road from our house) and had the usual amazing catfish and southern sides. We showered and got ready for our evening. Then, we went to visit Becca and Steve to meet their new little boy, Thad (Ellie isn't allowed to go so it was perfect timing). We rented a movie and watched part of it before going to the Melting Pot for dinner. We had this French themed 4 course dinner with a cheese fondue, salad, lots of different meats and then an AWESOME white chocolate creme brulee fondue. It was an amazing treat to go there and to have a day to devote to each other. We had great discussion, lots of laughts, and we even did our usual strategizing of the future! I love my husband more and more and I am so happy to have had such great quality time with him. Thanks to the Sr Cragwall's for babysitting and the Mason's for the date $$!

Braggin' on My Baby Girl

2010-10-13T07:48:00.001-07:00

Check out what she can do now after only a few days of having this toy! :)

Duck Duck Goose Consignment Supporter

2010-10-10T12:59:00.000-07:00

It's all Becca's fault (my bff). She sent me to this twice a year consignment sale called Duck Duck Goose (www.dkdkgoose.com) and it was AWESOME! I got Ellie a few clothes and staples for the winter for super cheap, like a good winter coat and fleece and some pants and sleepers, but more importantly, I got her some big girl toys that she has needed. She is getting bored with the toys she has so it was time to get her some that encouraged standing and playing, since that's pretty much all she wants to do now. So, here are her 3 new toys that she is really enjoying! I will definitely be returning to this sale when it happens again in March!

TNArmyWife

Global Planting Initiative (GPI)

And then it's over....

R&R Cabin Escape

R&R Fun with Daddy

A Nashville Christmas

A Cragwall Christmas

Jesse's Homecoming for R&R

Hardwick Christmas

Baking with Ellie

Ellie is 2 Years Old!

Ellie's 1st Classroom Birthday Party

Home Improvements Part 2

Coloring For Daddy

Home Improvements Part 1

Thanksgiving 2011

23 Months Old

More Videos for Daddy

Videos for Daddy

Trick-Or-Treat 2011

SR Cragwall Annual Halloween Party

Carving Halloween Pumpkin 2011

Videos for Daddy

Cruze Dairy Farm

Boo at the Zoo

22 Months Old!

Fall Break in Cincinnati

More Videos for Daddy

Videos For Daddy

21 Months Old!

Ellie meets Baby Langston

Grandparents Day Weekend

2 Short Visits From Daddy

He's Really Gone This Time

Thankful for this...

2 Weeks in FL

A Quick Trip to Nashville

7th Wedding Anniversary

Meeting Langston Kate

18 Months Old!

He's Back! (Temporarily)

More Videos for Jesse

Videos for Jesse

Civil Affars Graduation - The Goodbye

17 Months Old

New Summer Job

Visits to Daddy at Ft. Bragg

Easter Sunday

16 Months Old

Our Overnight Date

Day at the Zoo

15 Months Old

Spring Break Trip

31 Years Old

Valentine's Day

14 Months Old!

A Day at the Park

She's Walkin'!!

13 Months Old!

Snow Day

UT Bowl Game

A Hardwick/Cragwall Christmas

Ellie Meets Santa

Ellie's 1st Birthday Party

1 Year Old

Early Nashville Christmas

The Best Sound on Earth

Ellie's 1st Parade

Ellie Meets the Hardwick Clan

All sick - at the same time!

Quick Visit from Uncle Yar

11 Months Old!

Ellie's 1st Halloween

Jesse's New Job

10 Months Old!

Why I LOVE Fall

Date Day

Braggin' on My Baby Girl

Duck Duck Goose Consignment Supporter