The Griggs Family

World's Worst Blogger

2010-04-05T20:48:00.008-05:00

It's late and I'm tired, but I am going to get this posted before I go to bed....I'm determined! Why is it so hard for me to blog? I cannot answer that. I'm not THAT busy. Okay so this post officially brings us all the way up to March. I did not include March because I want to try to post Tate's 2nd birthday party pics separately (that means they will probably finally get posted a year from now ;) ). You get one single shot from each month with the exception of September and January '08 because nothing particularly cool happened in those months :).

Had foot surgery in June

Pins and all....not fun but I'm glad I did it!

Tate has official first Sonic drink in July

In Port Aransas with a FABULOUS group of friends in August

(looking forward to Port A '10)

**September wasn't all that exciting ;)**

Tate was a Hamburger in October for Halloween

Tate's first hair cut in November

(he did so good, didn't even cry--he loved the spaceship he sat in)

Watching for Santa Clause to come down the chimney in December

**Nothing notable in January :)**

First time to actually play in the snow in February

(Tate is funny--he doesn't tolerate really cold or really windy days. He gets upset and wants to go inside. So we made it for maybe like 15 minutes in the snowy weather)

And that's that! I have filled you in on everything from June '08 to February '10. I hope that in the next few days or so I can post some other things because we've had a lot going on lately. I'm not making promises though!

Sincerely,

World's Worst Blogger

Fond Memories of May

2009-11-13T15:44:00.026-06:00

Memorial Day at the Beal's house.

so very patriotic!

Lots of swimming at Pops' and Gigi's house.

A fun family trip to Marble Falls, Horseshoe Bay Resort! Much needed relaxation, more swimming, and way too much put put golf.

Dad, which one is my ball?

Some Current Events

2009-11-04T19:49:00.029-06:00

This post is going to be HUGE, so get ready!

Toward the end of October we were southbound on 35, headed for Waco! A group of us took our kiddos to visit Baylor for the homecoming parade and football game. Tate LOVED the parade. He yelled "hosh" at the horses as they went by! Despite the fact that we got absolutely creamed by OSU (no surprise here), we enjoyed the game. Tate cheered on the Bears with Brookelynn's pom pom while she fed him animal crackers! Pretty cute stuff :)

Baylor Homecoming Parade and Game

This next slideshow is from our visit to the Arboretum. Mom, Tate, and I headed out to see the pumpkins and all the pretty fall flowers! Wow, sometimes I miss the days when Tate was not quite so mobile. He just wants to go go go which makes it kinda hard to get really good shots of him, but we did the best we could!

Fall at the Arboretum

Jonas and I have talked for a while about getting a small, non-shedding(or close to it), inside dog. I looked around for a long time and finally decided on a West Highland White Terrier. We found Rosie in Arkansas. She was born on Aug. 15 and we met the breeders in Texarkana on Oct. 17 to pick her up!! She is very spunky, but very laid back at the same time if that's possible. Rosie has been great for Tate! We are learning how to respect animals. There are still numerous time outs each day for various pet-related violations such as kicking, hitting, or pulling fur, but I know Tate will get the hang of it eventually ;)

Rosie, our newest little addition

AND NOW.....

HaLlOwEeN!!

This holiday is close to our heart because as you all know, Jonas and I love scary movies. We love all the classic horror flicks that come on t.v. during the month of October! The decorations, the candles, the pumpkin carving, and the gorgeous fall days are what help October top our list of favorite months of the year.

Halloween was so much fun this year simply because Tate can walk now! We had some great friends over to trick or treat and cook out. And, of course, much needed grown-up time after the kiddos went to bed!! Yes, Tate was a hamburger. Isn't he the cutest?!

.....what better to top off a hamburger than with a yummy strawberry? Miss Macie was a precious strawberry for halloween. Don't they just make your mouth water? ;)

Trick or treat?!

Bedtime! Macie and Tate got comfy in their p.j.'s.

Had to throw this in there. Shout out to Billy and Katie for their great costumes!

I'll pick back up with the months May through September and hopefully fill in the blanks I've left!!

April Highlights

2009-10-30T10:49:00.010-05:00

We had lots of fun in April. The bluebonnets were out and gorgeous! This month also marked Tate's second Easter, and this year he actually got to hunt Easter eggs!

Checking out the bluebonnets. There were so many bees flying around. I was nervous Tate would get stung, but we made it without any catasrophes!

Easter at the ranch.

Tate all dressed up for Easter Sunday. Cutie patootie ;)

Tate's Progression... Pulling up, Crawling, Walking

2009-10-29T10:02:00.015-05:00

Just a post to show Tate's development all the way to walking!

1. Started pulling up around December '08, but first able to get it on video in January.

2. Crawling in February.

3. Walking like a champ by April (at 13 mos.).

TA-DA!!

Still playing catch up so check back and hopefully I can bring us up to now!

Starting from where we left off.....March '09

2009-10-21T09:51:00.013-05:00

Tate turned one on, March 27th, and we had his first birthday on the 28th! It was an emotional day full of drama, no doubt. That morning while I was making last minute preparations, Tate lost his grip on a chair he was holding on to and fell flat on his forehead! He was not quite walking yet, but was very good at pulling up on everything, and just totally lost his balance. The left side of his forehead immediately got huge and turned sooo blue! Being the paranoid new mother that I was (still am), I rushed him to the ER just to be sure everything was okay and of course it was, but Tate was extremely drained of most energy for his party. And I was a basket case because I just felt horrible that it happened!! The party was very fun, but I think we are definitely looking forward to #2 and praying for no injuries ;)

Tate's radio flyer themed 1st birthay

Our last session :(

2009-10-18T13:51:00.003-05:00

We had our last session with our photographer back in April right after Tate turned one. He was not quite walking yet in these pictures. Downtown Denton was quite a drive, but I think they turned out really cute!

Tate at 12 1/2 months.

Okay, okay....

2009-10-15T08:50:00.003-05:00

So I'm a mediocre blogger at best! I have no idea why it has been so long, but I really want to try to get back to it and catch everyone up on everything from.....ummmm.......FEBRUARY! Yes, my last post was in February. AND YES, I'm embarassed! So much has happened since I last posted. We have had our first crawl, first birthday, first HUGE goose egg(with a trip to the hospital), first steps, first words, first sonic drink.......SO MANY FIRSTS!! I am going to do my very best to summarize the last 8 months in the next few days, so by all means do check back. ;)

More Tate Talk

2009-02-20T10:09:00.003-06:00

Tate said his first word on Wednesday! It was precious. He just blurted it out and was so proud of himself! And he loved how crazy I went when he said it. Can you tell what he's saying? I'll give you a hint.....it's not "gog" anymore ; )

**BE SURE TO SCROLL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE BOTTOM AND PRESS PAUSE ON MY PLAYLIST, SO YOU CAN HEAR MY SWEET LITTLE GUY!**

Yep, it's DOG! He was watching Jake play with the next door neighbor's dog and he just yelled it out all of a sudden. I didn't think he would do it again when I got out my flip video, but he did! He repeated it quite a bit for me.

Tate definitely says Dada, but he's not intentional with it quite yet. And I'm still waiting on Mama. I hope that one comes soon!! Guess we'll just have to wait and see.

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

My Fun V-day!

2009-02-15T10:55:00.008-06:00

I felt very loved on Valentine's Day. Tate had 6 pink roses delivered to the door with a card that said, "Happy Valentine's Day Mom! I love you, Tate". How thoughtful was that!? And of course I got him a little something....a new stuffed puppy and a shiny heart box that he really enjoyed playing with (I mainly got it so that I could eat all of the chocolates ; ) )

Then Tate went to stay with his Pops and Gigi so that Jonas and I could go do our V-day dinner and movie! Now I'm a little embarrassed to say what we went to see, but any of you who know us know that we share a common interest in SCARY movies. So what did we go see, you ask?? None other than the re-make of "Friday the 13th" at the Studio Movie Grill ; )

It was a very good re-make of the original! I think I almost jumped out of my seat a couple of times, so it didn't disappoint : ) Jonas and I really thought we would have the theatre to ourselves because honestly, it's kind of weird to go see a horror flick on Valentine's Day (not very romantic--it's our thing though), but surprisingly the theatre was packed! Lots of screaming....very exciting!! All in all a very fun night!

Hope you all had a very sweet Valentine's Day!

In the Spirit of Valentine's Day!

2009-02-13T15:47:00.002-06:00

Since Valentine's Day is tomorrow, I thought it would be fun to let Tate tell everyone a few of the things he loves now that he is just 2 weeks shy of becoming a big time 11 month old!

Hi! I'm Tate, and here are 11 things I L-O-V-E....

As of January 10th, my momma turned my carseat around and she lets me face forward. I LOVE to look at the big trucks as they go by!

I also LOVE to ride my rocking puppy in my room!

I LOVE to look out the window to the back yard and watch Jake (my chocolate lab) run back and forth. AND I'm starting to try to say dog on my own (I say "gog")! My momma thinks it's very smart!!

Sleeping is something I have perfected over the last several months. I sleep 12 hours every night, and I LOVE to always sleep with my right hand behind my head and my left tucked under my bottom!

I have also started to pull up (started at about 9 1/2 mos) on everything. My mom and dad finally had to lower my crib because I LOVE to pull myself up and look down at all of my toys!

Yea for bathtime! I have been taking baths in my blow up tub since I was 7 mos old and started sitting up on my own. I LOVE to splash and play with my blue hippo!

Since I started pulling up, I am no longer happy sitting still. I LOVE to stand up at my activity table or just hang on to whatever is in my immediate reach.

I think I am a pretty cute guy, so I LOVE to look at my big, bright, blue eyes in the mirror!

EATING! I LOVE eating! And since I have 5, going on 6 teeth, I do not have to eat very much jarred food anymore!! Some table foods that I enjoy are my yobaby yogurt, cheerios, broccoli, peas, sweet potatoes, string cheese, bananas, blueberries, carrots, ravioli, chicken, turkey, and one of my absolute favorites....PICKLES!

MOST IMPORTANTLY THOUGH.....

I LOVE my momma and....

I LOVE my daddy!

I Heart Weirs!

2009-02-04T21:47:00.009-06:00

Most of you know that Jonas and I moved into a new house last March. Yes....the same month I gave birth to Tate. Needless to say, we have had a lot on our plate the past year! So our home has kind of been neglected due to a couple of things:

1. I had a baby (need I say more)

2. Hello! Building a house makes a pretty nice little dent in ones pocket book!!

Now I am ready to start really concentrating on new furniture, wall decor, etc., etc.(as finances permit, of course) The house is furnished for the most part, but I can't help wishing I could just hire a decorator and, POOF!, we're on the cover of Southern Living! But for now I'm on my own and I'll do the best I can(definitely not the most savvy interior decorator). So for Christmas I told Jonas I wanted some bar stools for the bar off of the kitchen. Where did we go you ask? WEIR'S! I l-o-v-e Weir's. I think they have beautiful, well-made furniture for great prices. The bar stools finally came in last week! We had to order them because they didn't have the bar height stools in stock. One more thing to check off my list!

My country french bar stools!

A Future Daughter-in-Law?

2009-01-30T11:39:00.013-06:00

At the beginning of the month I took Tate to see another one of his little girlfriends, Macie. She was born at the end of December so Tate looked like a GIANT when we put them next to eachother! I'm pretty sure he thought Macie was really cute!!

Okay so pipe dream....Macie's parents, Zack and Rachel are probably our closest friends, and we talk all the time about how Tate and Macie need to get married when they grow up! Time will tell I guess. No matter what happens we know they are going to be best buds!!

**FYI: I finally figured out how to make all of my pictures "clickable"! So feel free to click any of the pictures from here on out and you can view them larger.**

I'm pretty sure that Tate wanted to give Macie a head massage!

Looking forward to some fun play dates!

A Shout Out

2009-01-28T11:27:00.013-06:00

My love affair with the Twilight series has sadly come to an end. I have finally finished reading all of the books. There is very little enthusiasm in my tone because I don't want it to be over. I had never heard of the books until I started seeing previews for the movie on t.v. So after Christmas Jonas and I went to see it, and I really liked the movie! I immediately went and bought all the books in the series and even though I had already seen Twilight in the theatre, I went ahead and read it anyway just so I could say I started from the very beginning.

I absolutely loved reading each book even more than I enjoyed Twilight in the theatre!! If I had to pick a favorite it would absolutely have to be Breaking Dawn. I will not proceed to list all the reasons why for those of you who have not finished reading it yet. Don't want to spoil the book for you!

I am excited that they are making the next movie in the series!! New Moon was probably my least favorite book, but still definitely a good read. I can't wait to see it when it comes out in November!!

Sweet Friends

2009-01-24T14:42:00.009-06:00

Tate doesn't know how good he has it. He is one of 2 boys out of our group of friends to be born so far. Jaxson was just born this month so Tate is still on his own for a little while at least. I keep telling him he needs to enjoy being surrounded by all of these cute girls while he can!! Pretty soon he is going to have some competition!! Here are some pictures of just 2 of Tate's little girlfriends. Brookelynn is on the left and Brynn is on the right. Now I promise that we did not teach Tate that first little trick that he is trying in the first pic......he just figured that out all on his own! Do you think we should be worried?? =-) We really enjoyed getting together with our sweet friends and look forward to many more get togethers!

No, no Tate!

Let's hold hands!

Too much too soon!

Brynn was definitely curious about Tate, Brookelynn just played it cool, and I think Tate was just a little overwhelmed by all the attention! Such pretty little girls! AND one cute little guy if I do say so myself!!

New Year's Eve Surprise

2009-01-14T08:49:00.006-06:00

**WARNING- I am having technical difficulties with my blog so please excuse the appearance!

It was 7:45 on New Year's Eve morning when my cell phone rang. I was in bed nursing Tate and just decided to let it ring because I thought is was probably Jonas letting me know that he was finishing up with his morning of hunting. When I finished feeding Tate I looked at my phone and saw that it was Rachel! I immediately knew what the call was about and called her back. Sure enough Rachel's water broke earlier that morning and she was in labor!!! Macie came at 2:30 that afternoon. What a wonderful New Year's Eve surprise!

A very special New Year's Eve with our dear friends and their new baby girl

Strike a Pose!

2009-01-11T21:00:00.004-06:00

I am really late posting this slide show, but then again I am really late posting anything period. This is our 2nd session with our wonderful photographer Julie! She does such a great job. Thanks Julie! Tate is 7 1/2 months in these pictures. We had such a time trying to get our stubborn little guy to smile. He is so discerning. Tate very carefully chooses who deserves to witness his precious smile. It is amazing to look back at our first photo session and see how much he has changed from 2 weeks old to this session!

2009-01-11T09:41:00.004-06:00

**Reminder**

click here to start from the "Quick Recap" post to catch up!

So many great memories from this Christmas! Tate opened all of his presents (with a little help from us) and loved playing in all of the wrapping paper. He wanted to ride around in his radio flyer wagon that Santa brought him all day! He got lots of fun gifts from his Pops and Gigi and Aunt Hayley too!! And the countdown begins to Christmas '09!

Until next Christmas......

2009-01-10T10:58:00.002-06:00

Twas the night before Christmas....

Of course, as is tradition, we read The Night Before Christmas by the fire right before bedtime and I think Tate really enjoyed it. Tate even set out cookies and milk for Santa before he went to bed! Then after he was fast asleep Jonas and I had fun setting out all the gifts. It's amazing how exciting Christmas becomes again when you have a little one.....so special to see it through their eyes!

2009-01-09T19:42:00.003-06:00

Christmas was so much fun this year with Tate around. Although he wasn't really aware of what was going on, he still enjoyed himself. The christmas tree was a huge hit! Tate loved to touch the lights. He could sit and look at it forever! So sweet. I cannot wait until next year when he really knows who santa claus is!!

Enjoying the Christmas tree

Helping Dad put up the christmas lights

2009-01-09T14:51:00.003-06:00

After Thanksgiving we headed out to the ranch to ride the John Deere tractor and see what the donkeys were up to. Tate loved being up on Pops' tractor. It was so high up!! We also got to feed the donkeys, but they kept trying to eat Tate's little fingers right up, so we did not try that for too long. Tate is definitely going to be a little outdoors man, and I know his daddy is super pumped about that!!

Quick recap!!

2009-01-09T10:43:00.007-06:00

Let's start from where I left off which was like 2 months ago. That's rediculous!! I have got to make a greater effort to keep up with my blog! So here comes a bunch of catching up...

Tate's first Thanksgiving was..... a blurr. He was very overwhelmed by the mass of family that loved on him most of the day. When I say overwhelmed I mean he cried, HARD, for about the first 10 minutes! Then he relaxed and we really did have a great time!

Good Times!

2008-11-19T14:35:00.029-06:00

Well the shower was a success! Big thank you's to those of you who helped because I could not have done it alone. The diaper cake was super cute! I was worried about ordering that over the internet, but it turned out to be perfect. And oh how I love any excuse to order Sprinkles cupcakes! My mom and I got Rachel this adorable Pig chair to match her chocolate/pink nursery colors, and I think it is going to be so fun to see Macie climb all over it one of these days. Rachel just looked so cute, and she seemed to have a wonderful time! Now all we have to do is wait.....Macie is on her way!!!

November 15, 2008

Flashback to March 2008

I am 36 weeks pregnant (Tate came 3 weeks after this) at this shower that Rachel and another friend threw for me. Hard to believe our bodies can do that and go back to normal!

Flashback to last Saturday

Rachel is 32 weeks pregnant in this picture that we took at her shower. Hopefully our next pregnancies will be together. That way we can take a picture while we BOTH have big tummies!

Tate Talk!

2008-11-13T20:22:00.007-06:00

Tate is really beginning to figure out how to make sounds. He started saying BaBa over and over for the first time at the end of October (he was about 7mos)!! I tried and tried to catch him on my flip video, but every time he saw me holding up the camera he stopped. Little stinker =). Yesterday I finally got him on tape. It is pretty cute (at least I think so)! Please excuse my ridiculous laughing, but it is so funny when he really gets going! Enjoy!

The Shower Planner

2008-11-13T20:12:00.017-06:00

I am super excited because this Saturday I am throwing a baby shower for my closest friend, Rachel! She is having a little girl, Macie Nicole! Rachel's nursery is chocolate and pink, so I decided to use those colors. It has been so much fun planning this shower because I am loving making everything super girly. Don't get a lot of that around my house since I am surrounded by guys! Love my boys though (shout out to Jonas and Tate) =)!

I think Rachel is really going to enjoy her shower. Doesn't it make the impending birth of your child so much more real when you finally get all of the gear you will actually be using to care for them?! So exciting!

Rachel's shower invitations turned out to be really pretty!

Fun with Family!

2008-11-08T10:39:00.004-06:00

Jonas' Mom and Grandparents came into town last weekend, so we got together with the family at Campisi's. Love Campisi's...yum! We had a wonderful time and Tate did an excellent job in his high chair for the first time at a restaurant!! It was a pretty fussy evening though, because Tate is teething and I think his little gums were really bothering him. I tried to distract him with puffs, but even that did not help too much. We enjoyed ourselves nonetheless and it was great to see everyone! Please excuse the pictures as I did not bring my "good" camera. =)

So grown-up in a "big boy" chair!

With G-bugs & with the whole family.

Our little SWEET PEA!

2008-11-01T15:06:00.017-05:00

We had such a fun Halloween! It was Tate's first, so this was a BIG one! My mom came over for the festivities. We began with the carving of the pumpkin! I leave that part to Jonas because he is the creative one. Tate loved watching his Daddy's master carving abilities. He was mesmerized by the gigantic orange sphere!! After grilling some hot dogs and feeding Tate his gourmet rice cereal (yuck), we got him into his costume. A little SWEET PEA! It was the cutest thing. I just wanted to eat him up! Sadly though, Tate tuckered out pretty quickly, and wanted out of his too cute costume. Oh well, a good 5 minutes of wear time for a $20 costume. That's worth it, right? =) Then it was off to bed. Tate didn't make a sound when I put him down. He didn't even wake up when the trick-or-treaters rang the doorbell! Poor little guy. We wore him out! Needless to say, we had a very happy Halloween. Much more special than any other Halloween because we got to enjoy it with our little SWEET PEA!!

HELLO WORLD!!

2008-10-31T21:41:00.008-05:00

Here is our little man at 2 weeks old. I know, I know, I'm a little slow, but I got on the blogging scene a little bit late! Again, just playing catch up!!
It is amazing to think Tate was ever this tiny! He was such a good sport for this photo shoot. So placid and peaceful. Totally different story at 7 months! We will see how our next photo shoot goes. YIKES! =)

Tate's birth announcement

Every mile a memory....

2008-10-31T09:58:00.017-05:00

I said I would catch you up to speed so here you go! The past 5 1/2 years have certainly flown by. Many, many memories in just 5 1/2 fabulous years! It has not been all cherry pie all the time (it never is), but looking back we have had some wonderful times! Jonas and I have really grown up a lot (sort of =) ). I wouldn't trade these memories for the world! So, enjoy a glimpse into our past!

Married June 7, 2003

Bought our first house! (a fixer upper in East Dallas)

Got 2 Labs. (Jake & Cooper)

Graduated. (2005)

Took a few trips.

Got pregnant in 2007! (yes on purpose =) )

Built a house and moved to Rockwall.

Had our sweet baby in March 2008! (TATE)

Of course, Tate has changed so much since March, so look forward to more updated pictures and posts coming soon! Have a wonderful HALLOWEEN!!

OUCH!

2008-10-18T21:25:00.005-05:00

My head hurts! It took me a few days to figure out how to edit my html template. Such a tedious process, UGH! In between Tate's naps, cleaning the house, and catching up on laundry this past week, I finally had a break through! It was totally through the process of trial and error. I had to put the computer down a few times because I thought I might throw it across the room!! BUUUUT, it was worth it. Now my blog is starting to look cute! I have more that I want to add to it, but for now I am thrilled that the header and background are in place. Next is experimenting with pictures. We will see how that goes. I'll let you know!!

2008-10-16T13:10:00.003-05:00

Okay so I fully intend on catching you all up to speed, but I am working first on perfecting my blog customization skills. I want to make my blog super cute and creative before I get started on anything else! This is a totally new challenge for me because many of you know that I am not the most creative person on earth and I do not know the first thing about blogging, html, graphic design, etc. It definitely looks difficult, but I am excited to try and expand my horizons to teach myself a new skill!! SO...bare with me because this might take a while =)....