20 Months

Tyler Kate- you are 20 months old today!

You are talking so much and keep us on our toes. You are a very active toddler.  It is so much fun to watch you learn- you sure are smart!  You are able to learn new things so quickly, we all think you are above average!  We just found out that you were accepted to attend PEEP for preschool this fall.

You just said "I love you" for the first time this weekend and now you are telling everyone you love them.  I'm glad that you told me and your daddy first.. it melted our hearts! You are very loving and have started giving us kisses more and more.  It is so sweet and I could just eat you up!  You make sure that we have group hugs, you call it "mommy and daddy love".

Every day we are amazed by the things you do and say.  You love to wash dishes and when you don't want to go to bed at night you say "go downstairs, I wash dishes".  It cracks me up!  I wish we could record everything that you say, you are so funny!

You still love your paci.  If you lose it you don't even look for it, you just ask me or your daddy where it is.  You call all other children "babies" even if they are bigger than you. You weigh about 25 pounds but you seem so skinny. You are an EXCELLENT eater.  You love any foods that we give you but popsicles and raisins are your favorite treats right now. If we pass McDonald's you automatically think that we are supposed to stop for french fries. Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is still your favorite cartoon.  I'm sure that we have seen every episode at least 20 times but you don't seem to mind.

You are such a pleasure and I am glad to call you mine!

The Brown Beasts

Check this post out at the handmade home.  I couldn't have said it better myself.  She couldn't have captured how I feel about our leather sofas any better:  “[they] sit in the heart of the home like two ominous, deadweight anchors. They mock me and my living room’s potential with their dead boring generic bachelor pad existence every day.”  Even though I like our sofas, I think they are better suited for another room.  I feel like our room is already a little wonky (is that a real word?) and that they are heavy and bulky and just weigh it down.  Eric brought this set to the marriage so of course it's kinda like a bachelor pad set.  This is similar to what we have plus an ottoman:

Source

She also goes on to talk about vintage tufted back sofas and having one covered in velvet.... ammmm thats EXACTLY what I have been dreaming about!  And you know what I just realized?  I HAVE a vintage tuft back sofa in storage.  It belonged to my grandmother and she generously gifted it to me when I was in college. (Thanks Grandma!) It would be gorgeous with blue velvet on it, or maybe green.  Am I crazy for wanting a velvet sofa with a toddler??  Maybe so, but I still think it would be great.  Anyone know of a kid-friendly fabric that resembles velvet?  My sofa resembles this (except it isn't this long, only 3 cushions I think):

Source

In other living room news, I have decided to put up some sort of wainscoting. There is a ridiculously ugly return vent on the wall under the stairs that I can't stand.  Hideous I tell you. My grand plan is to put up the wainscoting around the room and it will all be white so, fingers crossed, it will help conceal the ugly vent some.  I *think* I have come up with a budget friendly version of wainscoting.  I will share some before and afters with you guys.  My brother is going to help me with it this summer while he's job hunting.  Here are a few inspiration photos:

Source

Source

Source

  What do you think?
  

Mother's Day

I hope everyone had a Happy Mother's Day!  My 2nd Mother's Day started off with a great present!  We slept in until 9:30!  WOOOOHOOO!  On the other hand that left us rushing around to get ready for church.  Do you know what it's like to try and get out of the house with a toddler in a hurry... OMG. It will be the death of you.  Anyhow, in all the rush I just decided to throw my hair in a pony tail and hope for the best.   

I've decided my child has something against a.) taking pictures with me and b.) taking pictures before church on special holidays.  She would NOT put down the tooth brush and would NOT look at the camera.  These are the only pictures we have of the two of us from Mother's Day 2011.  I am sure that one day these pictures will serve as a reminder to me of how it was to raise such a strong willed child.  It's a wonderful but challenging job to be a mom. I wouldn't change it for the world! Again I thought that we might could snap a few after church.  FORGET ABOUT IT!

 Eric and Tyler Kate also surprised me with a mani/pedi gift certificate and a window planter basket for some flowers.  I think E is tired of my rubbing rough feet on him at night!  At least this was a nice way of telling me :)

  
We didn't get any pictures other than these of Tyler Kate, but we went to Eric's Uncle George's house after church to have lunch with his family.  He was wearing big black grilling gloves and they TERRIFIED Tyler Kate.  I have never seen her act like that before.  We didn't really know what was going on with her and thought we might end up at the ER (she acted liker her ears hurt) but luckily her fears subsided when she found these shades and silly bands in her Grammie Patti's Navigator (and Uncle George took off the gloves).

When we came home I got another NICE gift, a nap!  So glad my girlie wanted to sleep.... her mama has been worn out.  

Sunday night went to visit with my mom and played with the new kitties.  Tyler Kate enjoys seeing the "baby cats".  

She has so much to say these days and is sooo sweet.  She told her daddy Saturday night that she wanted the moon.  She said, "moon...I want it, daddy get it!".  If we could give it to her we would, no doubt about it.  I am amazed every day at what she does and says.  It's such a wonderful blessing to be her mommy.  We hope you all enjoyed your Mother's Day as much as we did!

Graduation Cook-out

Mom and I decided that we would host a family cook-out to celebrate PJ and Candice's graduation.  It was a small family affair but we had a good time.  It was perfect weather for an evening outside. 

Tyler Kate enjoyed herself as usual!  As you can imagine, she was the center of attention.

In an effort to keep it simple we grilled hot dogs and cheese burgers, yummy!

Tyler Kate had not seen her Grammie Patti since Wednesday and was super excited that she came! 

We were glad that Ms. Dale and Mr. Michael (Candice's parents) were able to join us, too.

There was stiff competition....

And pretty girls...

Tyler Kate enjoyed a game of corn hole... played by her own rules! 

Gifts for the graduates...

Such a good reason to get together!!  I jokingly told my parents that they only thought they were done putting kids through school.... Tyler Kate starts pre-school in the Fall!   Ha!

I just wanted to share this...

I found this article today via Edie at Lifeingrace.  Even though I'm not Lutheran (it's a Lutheran article), this pretty much sums up my feelings and beliefs about how we, as Christians, should respond to the death of Osama Bin Laden.  If you're interested go here:  One the one hand; on the otherhand.

Pomp and Circumstance

(Beware: your computer might blow up from the ridiculous amount of pictures in this post!)

Today my brother PJ graduated from my alma mater, East Carolina University. GO PIRATES!!!  

I went with my parents and one set of grandparents to the 9 am commencement ceremony that was for the entire university.  It was held at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.  Traffic was INSANE, even for Greenville.  I thought we were going to miss it!  

We sat in the upper deck which is really high but we could see close-ups on the jumbo-tron screen so I took some pictures of that, too.    

The undergrads were sitting in the stands and the doctoral and masters candidates, along with the med school graduates, were on the field with faculty.  In true ECU tradition the PURPLE/GOLD chant erupted between the two groups.

This afternoon we attended the department ceremony which was in Minges Coliseum.  Eric and Tyler Kate met us there along with the rest of the grandparents and Candice's family.  He walked across the stage at this ceremony and was recognized as graduating cum laude.  He got all the brains, what can I say?  I'm nothing but proud! 

Tyler Kate was so cute during the ceremony and she did soooo good!  People were yelling out for their graduate so when we saw PJ of course we had to do the same.  Tyler Kate loved it and called out for her uncle "J" the entire time.  It was precious.  Luckily the department ceremonies are not formal so this is acceptable behavior!   

She was so happy to see him afterward and she loved playing with his cords.  They are a little partial to one another if you can't tell.

He received a B.S. in Construction Management. {if you were wondering why he's wearing a hard hat, now you know:)}  He is a fourth generation construction man.  Our great-grandfather, grandfather and dad have all been in the industry along with many others in the Gardner clan.  It's in their blood people.  

PJ's girlfriend, Candice, also graduated today.  She has a degree in recreational therapy. Her department ceremony isn't until tomorrow and we will sadly miss it. Aren't they a cute couple?

Here is the graduate with our parents... 

 (quick shout out to mom and dad- THANK YOU!! Neither of us have student loans!!!!!! WOOOHOOOO!)


PJ and Grandma Vonnie:

PJ with Grandma & Grandaddy Barrow:

PJ with Papa & Majane:

This is one proud Gardner...

It was a great day to be a Pirate!  CONGRATULATIONS PJ and CANDICE!  

CINCO DE MAYO

Eric and I LOOOOOVE Mexican food so Cinco De Mayo is just another excuse to eat it!  After work I came home to this...

 margaritas...

 homemade pico de gallo (with fresh cilantro from my mom's garden)...

 and E's favorite: tacos al pastor with rice and refried beans.  Yummy! 

Tyler Kate trying out the lime

Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Easter

Better late that never, right?  I thought that I would share about some things we did for Easter.  On Good Friday my parents and Majane came over and helped us dye Easter eggs.  I was impressed that Tyler Kate did not make more of a mess and that my kitchen did not look like an Easter egg by the time we were finished.  

She really enjoyed helping her "mam-ma".  

 I thought our eggs turned out pretty good :)

 On Saturday our church had an egg hunt.  They were really smart and hid the real eggs for the big kids across the street at the manse and hid plastic eggs for the kids outside the playground.  Tyler really enjoyed herself and found all her eggs on her own.  

She also had a fan club.  This kid had her mom, dad, uncle, grandma, grandpa, great-grandpa and grandma and her mom's best friend there.  HA!  

The funniest part was when my mom tried to explain to our pastor that Tyler Kate isn't spoiled and he was looking around realizing that there were no less than 8 adults there to see one toddler hunt eggs!   

She also really enjoyed having lunch with her church buddies.  I got cracked up because she was the only child at the table who didn't have food yet (I know bad mom got in the back of the line) and I could hear her saying "mama, plate, mama, food" while I was in line.  Ha!

On Sunday we went to church.  I only have a few pictures of Tyler Kate in her Easter dress.  She was precious, however, she did NOT want to smile for any pictures before church.  

I thought she looked precious in her "lambie dress" as she called it.

Of course we had to take pictures with lambie.  

I intended on taking more pictures afterward but by that time she was sleepy and my dress had ripped.  So we went and had lunch with Papa and Majane and my parents.  It was delicious as always!  All in all we had a happy Easter. Hope you did, too!