TRANSFORMATION TUESDAY

TRANSFORMATION TUESDAY

•  Newborn
• Infant
• Four-Years Old
• 8 Years Old

Happy 8th Birthday today, Natalie!

Happy Birthday to Mimi's Little Sweetheart!



FLASHBACK Friday

These images have never been worked up, edited or anything. I just found them in my files. This FLASHBACK is from about a year ago. That's a dear friend of mine, Tanya, who loves my little sweetheart too and Viking football. Natalie is sporting her custom made cheerleader suit that I had designed to mimic Cari's last year.

Today a friend of mine had a photo of her son wearing his football jersey with jeans. It was apparently of photo of him before school. And I also saw a photo of a cheerleader on fb too. Since it is Friday this is the day that the kids wear to school what they wear to the games. It is kind of sad to me that my cheerleader isn't still in high school wearing her cheer uniform to school today. And that Natalie isn't wearing her precious little cheer suit to the game! But life never stays the same. It's always changing. That's how God planned it and I am at peace with that!

~~Natalie's Mimi~~

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY (the birthday girl)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, NATALIE!

Six years ago today is the day that the author of this blog became Mimi to the most loving little girl she has ever known. She is loved and adored by her whole family. Anyone who meets her can't help but fall in love with her too. She captures your heart! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MY LITTLE SWEET!

LOVE--MIMI

Then and Now THURSDAY

(above and below)

SUMMER 2011 Summer 2007

• 
  
  She's gotten very picky with her clothes.


• 
  
  She rarely likes to wear what Mimi or Mommy picks out for her to wear.


• 
  
  She loves Justin Beiber and when I say love, I mean love...she's loved this teen idol since before Christmas. You can just bring up his name and she gets giddy.


• 
  
  She likes little "teen" shows on Disney or Nickelodeon verses Dora on Nick Jr. or Elmo or Curious George on PBS.


• 
  
  Wants to wear flip flops with everything and I mean everything. I had to let her know that they would not be allowed to be worn with a few certain dresses that she picked out recently when they were purchased.


• 
  
  She wants to dance like a teenager too (not good)!


• 
  
  She often very headstrong and opinionated and sometimes just wants to do it "her" way because it's nothing more than "her" way!

My, my...a lot of difference in four short years. This little sweetheart of mine has gone from cute-as-a-button toddler to an almost-6-year old. She's like 6 going on 16. Let me see if I can describe the similarity of that:

BUT IN MANY WAYS SHE IS STILL A LITTLE GIRL AND I LOVE THAT SO MUCH! SOME LITTLE GIRL TRAITS:

• 
  
  She knows that the Smurf Movie comes out on her birthday (tomorrow) and wants to go see it.


• 
  
  She recently giggled herself silly when Mimi took her to see the new Winnie-the-Pooh Movie at the theater.


• 
  
  She still loves playing at Chuck E. Cheese!


• 
  
  She still loves to be read to. I enjoyed reading many of her Fancy Nancy Books recently. And my almost-6-year old read the easy reader Fancy Nancy Books with me. We both just love the Fancy words in the books. Like Extraordinary....because after all, her Mimi thinks she is pretty extraordinary!


• 
  
  She loves to swim. I mean love it like a mermaid in training. She can swim up to 3 hours without taking a real break.


• 
  
  She loved her Beginning Tables Manners Class with Mignon. She didn't even complain about her dresses. Although I finally let her wear flip flops on the 4th day with a dress that would have looked nicer with sandals, but she had been so cooperative all week.


• 
  
  She picked out some really cute dresses recently at Kelly's Kids. Some nice little girl dresses!


• 
  
  She loves playing dress up and has loved that for about 2 years now!

NOTE: If I can think of additional things to add to these list I may do so since this is a little birthday documentary, since tomorrow is her 6th birthday!

~Natalie's Mimi~

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY....

Tea Party Photo and Contest Entry

It has been another busy summer here in Natalie's World and hopefully before summer is completely over we can do some backtracking and catch-up a bit. But today I am pleading that you vote for Natalie at the Kelly's Kid Photo Contest.

I've had several contests this summer...so it sure would be nice to win one. Here what you do: First go to this page KELLY'S KIDS; Click LIKE, of course, you have to have your own facebook page to play in this contest. NEXT: CLICK HERE (the photo on the KK page), then click LIKE under the photo to vote for Natalie. We are a bit behind. It sure would be fun to win this. Natalie will win $100 gift certificate for more Kelly's Kids clothes and free monogramming. Thanks so much!

~~Natalie's Mimi~~

P.S. I have Birthday photos that need to be posted...oooh to win would be a great late birthday present. AND THE DEADLINE TO VOTE (LIKE) IS TOMORROW, FRIDAY, AT 9:00 A.M.

HAPPY EASTER from NATALIE...

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

SPECIAL PROJECT FOR NATALIE AND POPPA

GARDENING

Poppa likes to include Natalie on special little projects.

This one involves a project of planting a little garden this spring/summer. We are wanting to this for several reasons: save at the grocery store, to eat healthier food, and of course, to eat tastier food. Everyone knows food grown in ones own garden tastes better than any purchased at the grocery store.

Some of the seed packages. (above)

Natalie looks a little rough in these images. She stayed the night with me when she and Brittany came in for the Mardis Gras break. (These were photographed on Wed. a.m on Feb. 17th.) She is still wearing her jammies and has not had her hair brushed, but that's okay because we weren't going anywhere, huh? We were just spending quality time at Mimi's house.

Stopping to pose for Mimi...

We left this in the sun room (aka Natalie's room) over the next week or so. This is a photo of the progress 10 days later (after our trip to Memphis).

Poppa wanted Natalie to see the progress so I posted this photo that I took with my iphone on facebook. And this was her reaction...

BRITTANY: I just showed her.

NATALIE: They're growing?!

BRITTANY: Yep!

NATALIE: "Good! Yay Yay Yay! Me and Poppa planted them!

Yes, I think we just made another memory with our little sweetheart!

~~Natalie's Mimi~~

Flashback Friday (12.05.09)

SNOW DAY: 12.05.09

If you haven't figured out my mistake yet, go to see the post that was intended for this BLOG POST by click HERE. It was a little lengthy so I was not about to delete it and start over. So just follow the links. Sorry! :-(

~~Natalie's Mimi~~

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY (a day late)

Oh what's that phrase...oh yeah, "Better late than never."

I don't think its just a phrase anymore, it seems to a MOTTO. The motto that I live by...

These were the Valentine's that I designed for Natalie for Valentine's Day. I mailed a few to my family. I was late mailing them...remember what I said. I had them in time....and it looks like Natalie will be late giving them to her friends at school too. I also mailed them to her in time, but I put their old mailing address rather than their current address on the Priority Mail box. She did NOT get them in time. They came back here. And I don't guess it even matters because her school Valentine's Day Party was cancelled.

If I only I would have known, I would have saved money on shipping, but I would have spent gas money going to BR to pick her up before the snow came because her school party was postponed. Her school let out early! You know that other phrase: "Hindsight is 20/20." I tend to use that one a lot too. I wanted to go to BR Thurday to pick Natalie up so that she could be here the next day for the snow, but I did NOT want her to miss her school party. Because of the snow (which had already melted) and low attendance, her school let out at noon. This inconvenienced her mommy tremendously. My sweet little Natalie missed all the snowman building and snowball fighing that Frogmore had to offer Friday.

I wished now I would have had the attitude that she'll have other Valentine Parties, but you never know if and when we'll have another snow like the one that was coming and just went to pick her up!

Oh well....I hope you enjoy the greeting even if it is a day late. I had intended to do a mini valentine's portrait session with her, but time just didn't allow it so I made this from one of her Christmas Portraits that could have easily been a Valentine's Portrait too because she was just wearing red and white. I chose to do it in black and white because often reds tend to clash with other reds just as they did in the case of the digital scrapbook paper that I chose.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

(a day late)

~~Natalie's Mimi~~

"Why is my daddy crying?"

...because his beloved football team, the New Orleans Saints, just won the Super Bowl!

Yeah, well...how do you explain that one to a 4-year old. That's how! Did she understand? I don't think so, but I think she'll remember the day that we all got dressed in our Saints clothes, went to New Orleans to eat and watch the game (in her case...color Saints pictures) ...and the day that her daddy and many other adults cried and screamed! At least, I hope she remembers the day that history was made! After all that's why I am blogging about it...I want her to remember she was just a little girl the first time that a team who had never even won the championship of their league won the Super Bowl!

Natalie has worn Saints clothes and accessories since since before she could talk. I am certain she doesn't truly understand who or what the Saints are, but I am sure that she will remember this day or something about it!

We chose to celebrate the Super Bowl in New Orleans (not downtown, but in Metarie) at Deanies Seafood...at Bucktown. Randy called Monday (to make reservations) after they won the NFC championship (defeating the Vikings) because that was where he wanted to go. He listens to the Saints on the New Orleans radio stations all the time. He listens to Bobby Hebert give the Point After Show from WWL. Randy was certain that this was the Deanie's Seafood where Bobby did the show. Come to find out, the show is actually at the downtown location not this one...OH WeLL. We weren't wanting to go downtown...just to the NOLA area. It all ended up being a great family adventure/family party with lots of new family--people with kindred spirits...aka other Saints fans. It was a nice family atmosphere.

So we had this super bowl party location booked at one flat-rate (per person). It was a little steep for our budget (even though we found out the one downtown was more than double the price we paid and sold out). We were concerned if the food would be good, would it be crowded, would it be a family environment...in general: would it be worth it!

I think YES it was! It was great that we did this as a family and made precious memories with our children, granddaughter, and daughter-in-law.

Before our food started coming out.

Can you just see the excitement (before the game started)?

I love that Cari and her daddy watch the Saints together. It is "there thing"!

Natalie, always happy to smile for the camera...

Me and my girls...

I love that watching the Saints with her daddy is one of her favorite things to do.

Cameron, Brittany and Natalie...

Everyone stood up for the National Anthem.

You can't tell for this photo and if you happened to miss this...that's Carrie Underwood singing it.

Natalie found a little friend. Her name was Paris!

This is one of Natalie coloring before Paris got there. I was her playmate (missing most of the game) coloring and entertaining Natalie as much as possible. I found and printed her these Saints and NFL photos online. She loves coloring with makers.

My family and many others in the background....seriously watching this. I think maybe this is when we were behind...at the beginning of the game. Those are some serious expressions!

See what I mean...

A posed photo of my hunny, sweetheart and me before the food came or the game started.

And this was how Natalie and Paris reacted to the screaming excitement as the game progressed...

Finally, it going our way...the SAINTS way!

After eating awhile, Natalie was very tired of being here. Her mommy wasn't feeling well. So they went to the car to watch a movie. After I got them set up, I came back in with intentions of going back to hang out with them. The game was just too good to leave. Once it became evident that the Saints were about to become Super Bowl Champions, Cameron asked me to get Brittany and Natalie. He wanted them in there as history was being unfolded right before our eyes! I am so glad he did. What compelling moments...

And yes, that is Tracy Porter right after he made that last breakout touchdown! It was awesome. It gave me chills!

My family could not have been happier if they had been there in person!

And yes, I know this is out of focus...we were caught up in the moment and I am not deleting the out-of-focus image because it make me cry with pride and joy. I love that those two shared this moment and I KNOW I WANT TO REMEMBER IT FOREVER.

People everywhere were laughing and crying...

SO WHAT WILL MAKE GROWN MEN CRY? OBVIOUSLY, IT'S THERE TEAM WINNING THE SUPER BOWL!

It really was a great game and I am not even "real" sports fan.
Sorry, Peyton...it was our time!

I love how this quarterback got up there and gave God the credit!

Our family loves you, Drew!

Later that night when we were trying to wind down and I was thinking about the significance of the history that we had all witnessed I tried teaching this line to Natalie...she asked me to repeat it several times so she could learn it: "On February 7, 2010, I was four years old and the Saints won the Super Bowl for the first time and I was in New Orleans at the time."

~~Natalie's Mimi~~