Happy Thanksgiving from Maggie Valley!

We came to Maggie Valley this year for Thanksgiving and have been relaxing the whole time! Connor has had a blast spending time with her aunt and uncle and especially her cousin, Evans. I have been taking pictures like crazy because we don't see Evans too often. We hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We did and it leaves us with plenty of unforgettable memories. Here are some pictures of our day:

This is the entrance to Meme and Gangy's house:


Connor and Evans after Thanksgiving lunch:


Mommy and her precious little girl:


Justin, Connor and me posing for a family pic!


Evans and Connor waiting for everyone to get situated for a picture. Connor really loves E. It is sweet to see her around him:


Speak no evil, Hear no evil and See no evil... the Horton boys being silly:

Watch me SCHWIMMM Mommy!

Just look at her looking at E. It is so cute.

Connor was finger painting on Justin's toddler table. I can't wait until she is old enough to really start to use this. I don't want to take it home yet because I am just too afraid that she might accidentally do something to it:

50 Free Holiday Cards from Shutterfly!

Every year Justin and I use a local drug store's Christmas photo cards. The past three years the selection has been lacking so I was super excited to hear about Shutterfly's 50 Free holiday photo cards. The selection is awesome and they are soooo cute! Because Connor is getting bigger, we can get a little more creative with our pictures so having a better selection to choose from will only make the Christmas card look all that much better!

I am so happy that I have been introduced to shutterfly because the selections to photo gifts is awesome and seems like it doesn't end. I have numerous friends who use shutterfly so I know that this free offer will definitely be something that they are interested in as well. I think that using Shutterfly for your holiday gifts is so easy and I am actually having fun doing it. I was just telling Justin that I could not wait until a certain couple of people in our family open up their gift from us. Their faces are going to be priceless. And every time I work on the Christmas projects, I get excited!

Here are a couple of my favorite Christmas selections:




I love this one because it will give us the opportunity to capture the year, especially since so much has happened!

I can't say exactly what I am doing on shutterfly for Christmas because I don't want to ruin any surprises but I will share with you what I really enjoy and plan on using with Shutterfly:

Obviously, Christmas cards!

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery

I have never ordered return address labels but plan on it this year:

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-address-labels

and I just love the idea of gift tags that will match my return address labels and my Christmas cards:

http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards/ginger-kids-red-gift-tag?sortType=1&storeNode=60313


Thank you Shutterfly! I look forward to continuing partnership with you!

20 Months... Two Days Ago

Ah! It has been so crazy busy around here! This week, especially. Anyway, Connor is now 20 months old and even more fun than 19 months old. This blog post is going to be short and sweet because as crazy as the week has been, this weekend is even crazier.

She is so amazing. So much fun and with so much personality. We have started time out and even though she has only been in time out four times, it has made a lasting impression because she now puts Carol, her baby doll in timeout. So funny. She definitely understands that when we do say no, it is for a reason. She really likes turning the stove knobs when I am cooking. She will look at me, turn the knob all the way up, and then run to the living room. It is so hard because she is so darn cute that when I do have to put her in time out for turning the knobs, I spend half of the time reminding myself that this is a discipline tactic and I shouldn't take it so lightly. I guess I am learning...

STATS:

Shoe size: 5 1/2-6

Diaper: 3 but we will be moving to a 4 once this pack is done

Clothing: 18 months and then 24 months with sleeves rolled up and pants legs tucked in (only because I will not buy winter clothes that will need to be replaced with a bigger size next month.)

Bedtime: 7:15-7:45 and sleeps until about 6 MAYBE 6:15 with about a two hour nap during the day

Favorites: Pink blanky and pink teddy

Obsession: Carol, her baby doll. She has just taken an interest in rocking her, changing her diaper and feeding her. Good to know that the kitchen set she will be getting from Santa will come in handy :)

She loves painting, coloring, playing with playdoh and reading

She has peed on the potty 2 1/2 times (hehe) and loves to do her "naked dance" which involves her slapping her bottom and belly and shaking from side to side

When you give something to her that she has asked for she always says, "Thank you Mommy/Daddy"

I can't even tell you the number of words she says: it seems as if she shares a new word learned everyday.

She can sing A,B,C and then will listen to you while you sing the rest until you get to W, that letter she chooses to pronounce.

She can count to 1. Ha! It is so funny but I guess you have to start somewhere!

She can take her shoes off but is still learning to put them on.

She absolutely loves to be outside, playing.

Connor,

Mommy and Daddy talk everyday about how much you are growing and changing and how much you continue to amaze us everyday. Your bright, happy and fun personality continues to warm up every room you occupy, even when you are throwing a "fit". And I put that in quotes because your Aunt Kerri does not constitute your tantrums as a true tantrum. She says that Kendall and Juliette have obviously not shown you how to really throw a tantrum. Hopefully, that is one thing that you do not pick up from those two precious girls.

We love you, little girl. Continue to amaze us. We look forward to it everyday.

Love,

Mommy, Daddy and Doodle

Peepee on the Potty! Peepee on the Potty!

I am doing the potty dance! Connor spent last weekend with my parents and nieces and they have rubbed off on her. Ever since she got back from their house, she has wanted to sit on the potty. We have been doing this with her for a week now. I never expected for her to actually do anything.

But she did! This morning, before I put her down for her nap (she is on one nap but two for the past couple of days because she is sick and is in need of extra sleep) I asked her if she wanted to go potty on her potty seat and as always, she said yes.

She was reading me a potty book and she started peeing in the toilet! It was hilarious because she looked around and had no idea what was going on. The pictures I captured were just before the big event.

Now, for all you moms that have older ones. I have NO IDEA what to do now. Like I stated earlier, I was not ready for this. We were just "going with the flow" so any help or suggestions as to what to do next would help so much. Do I start taking her potty every hour or do I continue to do what we were doing which was taking her once or twice a day? Help!


I was able to catch the moment. Way to go, Connor!

Halloween

We have had such an awesome October. It was so busy but we were able to enjoy everything, from thinking about the upcoming holidays, getting Connor's costume(s), going to fall festivals with her cousins and obviously, getting her ready and taking her trick-or-treating. She loved every bit of it. And we did too.

Elizabeth and Tuttle came by to trick-or-treat. Isn't he so cute? I see Jay in Tuttle. Do you?


Connor and Kayla, walking in stride...

Justin looks kind of famous, huh? That's my hubby and that cute little cowgirl is my daughter. So blessed. This was at the fall festival at the Avenues at Webb Gin.

I think that the greatest thing about the whole Halloween thing was that Connor was able to eat a "pop" the whole time we were celebrating, regardless of where we were or what we were doing.

Krystal was a nerd for her Halloween party this night and decided to dress up for the girls.

Look! This is the first time I have ever gotten my face painted! It matches my shirt!
This was the BEST prop and they even let you use your own camera. The only problem was that the sun's angle was right in their eyes so this is the best we got...


The Horton family, Fall Fest 2010:


We went to the Hills' house and did our trick-o-treating and OF COURSE I forgot my camera so I am waiting on a couple of pictures from them before I post about the girls enjoying their second Halloween together.

Wordless Wednesday

Yeah... I have nothing to report. There was not a moment that I could capture today where there was silence. That is what Wordless Wednesday is all about, right? I am trying to get a picture of "squirrel" all peaceful, content and not "exerting her rights" as a 19 month old. And this is why I am posting my thoughts of Wordless Wednesday and not an actual picture. It will happen; I will catch her at her sweetest moment, looking at the camera and showing that side of her that I yearn for everyday. I do get that from her. We both get that from her; it is just hard to catch in a picture.

But, I guess a picture does tell a thousand words, right? Maybe next Wednesday. :)