MONDAY MEMORY (06.01.09): [weekend memory highlights]

These photos represent some of my weekend highlights that included Natalie. All day Saturday was yard sale day. I specifically asked that Natalie NOT be here for event...she would never let me sell anything. She would think everything that she liked that she had not seen before must be a "prize" for her.

Okay for these particular images...

FIRST IMAGE [FOUR BEAUTIFUL GIRLS]: Today was our ribbon cutting ceremony for newly remodeled church. Natalie doesn't have a clue as to what a ribbon cutting ceremony is...so I include the highlight of Natalie with her Aunt Cari, Alexa and Lauren that I snapped before the ribbon cutting. I did get some photos inside our church. I intended to do so last Sunday (our first Sunday in the building), but I didn't get my camera out of the car. Randy was grouchy by the time we got to church. (Dealing with three girls (me, Cari and Natalie) seems to stress him out for "some reason"!) So I wanted to make sure to get some today. But I will do that in another post. I only did a few with us. I didn't document this occasion as well as Nicki did. Click HERE to see the before and after images as recorded by Nicki (Jonah's mom).

SECOND IMAGE [JONAH'S POTTY TRAINING GIFT]: I bought this pack of gymboree "big boy" underpants a while back that I was going to include with Jonah's Christmas gift that has been riding around in my car since January. Nicki and I had made plans to meet for lunch, but something came up and the opportunity has not risen again. So I thought since big event in Jonah life this past week was potty training...HE NEEDED "I AM BIG BOY GIFT". As you can see in this photo, Jonah love his new "big boy" underwear and Natalie seemed to love them just as much.

THIRD IMAGE [NATALIE "newest" prize--her new Swimsuit]: Natalie showing off her new zebra print swimsuit that I bought before Christmas from gymboree. Yes, along with all the winter zebra print line called Wild One they had a swimsuit. So I bought and saved it. In fact, I lost it--I mean misplaced it, but found it last week.

FOURTH IMAGE [NATALIE'S HANNAH MONTANA POSE?": I wanted some kind of pose with her zebra boots and her swimsuit. And Brittany suggested something along this line from Hannah Montana and this was Natalie's interpretation of it! At this point Natalie was getting really impatient with us. She was ready TO JUMP IN! I do plan to do some kind of mini session like I did in January with the zebra tutu, the boots and this swimsuit. Often my intentions are not followed through thus I wanted to make sure to get this one now. (Just in case I dont' get around to it...imagine that! LOL)

I am putting this up tonight. I can't seem to catch up, but at least I can do this little highlight/sneakpeak for now. Tomorrow will be a busy day for me: getting up early, following the bus taking the cheerleaders to camp, helping Cari unpack and get settled for the next few days ahead of them, and then coming back to see a performance that night at 6:15 and then driving back home alone (which I dread).

Time to get back to straightening up and getting some things ready for tomorrow.

~~Natalie's Mimi~~

10.06.08: SUNDAY MORNING BEFORE CHURCH

Natalie wanted to take her baby and her computer (her Leap Frog ABC toy).I hate that I didn't get another photo. One that shows her with the baby doll. She has really shown interest in this baby doll lately. This is the one she named Sally a while back. It is really so sweet seeing little ones imitate their parents and grandparents taking care of babies. Maybe I will get a chance to photograph her today with this baby doll. Last night I showed her how to swaddle a baby. She loved it. It all so sweet it almost make me cry.

Okay, on to the images...Randy and Natalie on our new porch swing (new as in this summer). We have all enjoyed this swing especially Natlaie. I am so loving having a porch and of course, a porch swing...what good is porch without a porch swing?

Natalie and I I actually like myself in the above image. I used to be rather photogenic, but twenty years and more than 20 pounds later...not so much. I wished Natalie had a more pleasant expression, but over all I think this is my new favorite image with her because after all, she is beautiful with or without a smile.

It's funny I make sure I get more photos with her now that I am with her less. But I guess I can use another one of those cliche's...better late than never. I phycially took care of her 3 days a week (or more depending on what was going on with school, ball and other activites) when she was younger (actually her first 3 years). One day when she was about close to a year old, I thought about how few photos that I had of the two us. Now I already had a hard drive full of images of her alone, many with Poppa and even many more with her parents. And being the overthinker that I am, I thought to myself..."what if something happened to me? Would she have any idea of how special she was to me? How much she really meant to me? How special she makes feel being her Mimi feel or felt (in that case). Would others remember to tell her that I was the one that took all those photographs? After expressing this to Randy, he would offer to take my photo with her, but it would always be when I needed my hair washed or just looked plain yucky...not to mention it was more overweight then. So now if I don't feel like it is really bad hair day or whatever, I ask to be photographed with her every chance I get. As evidenced by more recent posts. [If I have shared this little story before, I apologize for the repeat.]

The next two are of Natalie alone. I only did these a just a few more (only 10 altogether...not my typical mini session like normally everytime that I pick up the camera...probably why my family isn't that fond of being photographed), but we were already beginning to run a little late for church and we still needed to stop by Mary's house to pick Cari up from church.

This was is a little softer with natural lighting. Often I prefer natural lighting over flash, and sometimes the other way around, but sometime I like them both. They are just different as in this case:

This pretty smocked dress was a gift from Jonah for Natalie's birthday. On Natalie's birthday, Jonah's mommy was almost here and she remembered she forgot Natalie's birthday gift. So she said thought oh well Natalie probably won't know the different at this age and that she would just give it to her later...not big deal, huh? I totally agree. Natalie received two (twins, huh?) Mermaid Dora dolls (also the same gift left at home). So Nicki decided to take it back and find Natalie something else. This is what she came up with. Great choice! Natalie loved it.

Jonah came her with his parents last week for his two portrait. However, we had to re-schedule them due to the accident that happened earlier that day (his eye was still swollent). Nicki mentioned that the dress has been riding around in her car she she bought it. The very next post that was made on their blog, I noticed it. After Brittany saw it, she too, noticed it and mentioned it to me yesterday.

Nicki, I wished you could have seen Natalie in the nursery yesterday. I didn't actually see you at all...I guess that's what happens when you arrive late and then leave quickly for quick seating for lunch. At first Natalie started of soooo good in church (the best ever). Then quickly she went downhill and said that she wanted to go see Jonah. Nicki, what I really wished you could have seen was Natalie talking to Jonah right after she got into the nursery room. She walked over to him...I didn't catch all of it, but I think she was telling Jonah thank you for her dress. I looked over the and she was up in his face...I heard her say Jonah and I heard her say dress while she was actually holding her dress. Jonah was unimpressed and probably had no clue as to what she was talking about...typical little guy (big one) not knowing a thing about clothes and such and just not really caring either. From being a parent of a little one of both a girl and boy, girls are so much more detailed-oriented from an early age about clothes. It is so cute! But the whole scene was about Natalie thanking Jonah too!

"JONAH SAYS THANK YOU"

Okay, I posted the first image twice because I wanted it to be the first one that appeared. This was the business-card-sized thank you card that was enclosed in Jonah's party favor bags. Natalie picked it up the other night and she was "reading it". I took the photos after the fact, but the moment was too cute. It needed to be documented with photos and the story behind it.

She was holding it and here's how it read to her.."jonah says...thank you for coming to my party--thank you for eating my cake". I wished I would have left her alone a little longer to see what else she "read" on this card. It was too cute. As I stated previously, I had to get my camera out and photograph her with this. She was sitting in my desk chair holding the card toward me in the first image. As you can see the ceiling fan light above her was casting a shadow over her face from the card.

Next image...a close-up of the card! It was very cute. Jonah had a very cute party with the most interesting party favors including these thank you cards.

Do you see her finger on the card where she is following the line of text as she "reads" it?

I wished that I had a camera (a good one) available and the time to capture all the little things in our lives like this memory that we won't forget now because I allowed to document it.

It's the little things like this that I know I will miss soooooo much when Natalie lives moves to Baton Rouge next week. I will just have to do my best to document as many of the moments like this when she is here to make up for less time.

I love this little girl so much!

~~Natalie's Mimi~~

NATALIE AT JONAH'S BIRTHDAY PARTY

THE ABOVE IMAGE: Natalie loves baby toys. I don't know why, but she does.

Jonah's Party theme was Mickey Clubhouse. So he had a clubhouse full of toys for the little ones to play with. It was a great success. I think the children loved it!.

THE ABOVE IMAGE: Natalie liked opening and closing the entrance to the jumping thing. I think she liked playing with the velcro.

The below image: Jonah and his parents blowing out his candles.

Notice Natalie...a fork, but no cake. She loves cake. So I took care of the no cake problem for her. Well, she normally loves cake. I ended up eating it for her since she was more interested in playing.

Natalie really didn't understand why Jonah and his mommy and daddy didn't need her to help him open all those presents. After all her mommy needed her help at the bridal showers.

I am not so sure what Natalie thought was so funny, so as I am posting this I asked Cari and she basicly said she was just acting silly. It was quite funny.

I did a few of Jonah with his parents for Nicki. I am sure she will be posting her favorite. But I love this one. I think Natalie was trying to make Jonah laugh.

Okay, for the Mimi who used to never be photographed with her little sweetheart, here are several of the two of us.

This is just before we left Marie and Natalie were playing with bubbles. Marlie's mommy is entertaining them with these bubbles. If you remember from previous posts, Natalie loves bubbles.

Okay, I am still out of order, but for now I am posting these from Jonah's party. I am going to to another special post all about Natalie at Jonah's party and then a few from Natalie's. Since this is our first year to be blogging and have a birthday, I plan to post more images from Natalie's previous birthday parties, but also this year too. I have so many to go through and I don't know when I will get thru all of them, but I have picked out a general variety from the party to post soon.

Later, I will post more. I have a crazy week ahead of me and it already almost over. I have a lot on my "to do" list to do before Saturday. I am leaving on another cruise Sat. I would have liked to take Natalie on this one, but I felt like Aunt Cari deserved a special treat. She has been a very special aunt to Natalie for 3 years now...she was only 12 years old when she was born. Never has she been jealous of this new little one who stole my heart. I am so proud of the young lady she has become and the special aunt that she is to Natalie.

Soon after my trip Natalie will be moving to Baton Rouge with her parents. I am sure then I will find to the time to catch up on some blog stuff and maybe some work too.

~~Natalie's Mimi~~

Sunday (the after the flotilla)

THIS IS NEXT DAY AFTER THE FLOTILLA: 07.06.08

This is what Natalie was doing when I came to get her in the church nursery after the service.

Here we are the way to lunch.

I wanted a few of her at the new local mexican restaurant. We had went last week, but I did not have the camera. How do you like that cheese?

No one really wanted be photographed this day. I can't imagine why...

So again I asked to be photographed with my little sweet heart.

Natalie and Mimi
This was the first time we attended the church's annual picnic. I really wanted to attend, but I wasn't sure I would because of Natalie and her nap routine. Maybe she knew about this because she was having a difficult time falling asleep. So I told her to get on up and let's get ready to go. We had to stop my Wal-mart for a little food to take. I was so afraid that she would fall asleep before we got there, but she didn't and she had a ball.

Fair warning most these images are very incorrect technically because of the setting from the day before at the lake and by the time I really realized what the problem was my battery died. Before it did, I did manage to get some fun shots. I am not so good at inserting links, but as I finish this I will go to Jonah's blog and add the http address from Nicki's post. She is way ahead of me on posting...so it was a little while back by now.

Natalie playing ball with a "big" kid. Little ones always love big kids.

Jonah holding his box of trinkets.

Scott just being silly.
Jonah and Natalie was checking out Olivia Kate's walking. I guess they thought it was a new toy for them to play with.

Bro. Dan palying ball with Natalie. I didn't capture this, but he was throwing the ball to her and she was hitting it with the bat. It was really cute.

Natalie and Marlie...

http://theglenngang.blogspot.com/2008/07/annual-4th-of-july-picnic-at-church.html

The above link is to another blog. This Jonah's blog...well, actually it is called "THE GLENN GANG" now. If you would like to view more photos...even better photos from the indoor picnic part...check it out.

~~Natalie's Mimi~~

THE CIRCUS: "THE PRE-SHOW"

We're finally in there after waiting a while outside. We were about the 4th or 5th family to arrive to stand in line early to see the "pre-show": a close-up and hands-on view of the cirucs! Natalie sitting on the ring watching! I am sure she had no idea of what was in store for her at the circus!

If you look really close, you can see Jonah on the ring on the other side! I circled it!

This is Natalie, Jonah, Alexa, and Cari watching the girls jump. And of course, Jonah's mom taking a photograph of them watching the jump roping!

Another angle of them watching...

Jonah wouldn't go jump and Natalie really wasn't coordinated enough on her own, but she was with the help of this guy. WOW!
From Cari's camera...
After they would jump with each child, they would pose for a photograph with the child. I think this one is so sweet!
Cari demonstrating the hula hoop for Natalie and Jonah.
Natalie thinks she can do it!

By the look of Jonah's face... I think he was pretty sure he couldn't!



Okay, just pose for a photo!
They had a wardrobe for the kids to try on clothes and take photos.

Cari and Alexa in costume...

Natalie got her cotton candy!
Okay, I Poppa wears the hat too!
Okay, I was bored while wanting on the pre-show to end and for the Circus to begin. So I could see Nicki and Jonah at their seats from out seats. I took a few of them. I didnt' think any of them were clear, but I had a few that were. They were on like the 2nd row on the right side of the stage. I considered the floor seats, but I think, unless you had the first row, you might have problems seeing the show since they were all on a flat level.

Okay I somehow another small photo was checked when I posted these. I changed it when I did the next set of images, but it didn't change these...Oh well.

Let me give the little story behind Natalie and the cotton candy. Long story, but Natalie sleeps with us when she is here. In efforts of trying to get her to sleep in her toddler bed, the night before the circus, I tried one of the typical child bribes. I told her if she would sleep in her bed that she could get cotton candy and a toy at the circus the next day. After a long rough night of back and forth from her bed to ours, I wanted to give her some credit for sleeping some of the night in her bed. So I told her she could still have the cotton candy, but not a toy from the circus. I was very worried about the promise. I was worried about my ability to keep it. I had decided that if she really insisted on something that I would give Cari the money to get her something so that I wouldn't be rewarding her after I told her she couldn't have one. I guess it's the same, but maybe not. Well...I am very proud of Natalie in one sense. She did not even ask for a toy. I am proud that I have been consistant enough that she knew that I wouldn't get her a toy. She asked for the cotton candy right way and thoroughly enjoyed it. Consistancy is a problem that I have had through the years a as parent. Though Natalie is a grandchild that one should spoil...when she is here, since she is here so often I am actually parenting rather than "grand" parenting. So I am trying to be consistant and structured as much as possible (at least in the things that really matter). We do have a lot of fun time these days w/o structure especially in the pool. I know summer is short and before long my little one who has been such a wonderful part of my life the last three years will soon be living 2 hours away. I don't know how my heart will survive...so I find the need to fill it as much as possible with lots of sweet Natalie love as I can this summer!

~~Natalie's Mimi~~