TRIBUTE to Great Grandma!

Yesterday was one year since Grandma Cole went Home to be with the Lord! She has truly been missed over the year. The years we did have with her will be cherished forever in all our hearts!! I had never met a sweeter lady and always had a smile upon her face!! I never heard her say anything bad about anything the 9 years I knew her. One of my favorite memories of grandma was minutes after we were married and she said to me as she gave me a hug ---I now have another granddaughter!! I am so thankful we spent and evening with grandma less than a week before--Gretchie loved her great grandma and I will remember that evening for a long time!! Grandma was always present for family functions--just to remember a few when we brought Gretchen home, her one year birthday and dedication at church and her READOPTION day--Grandma was always there with a smile and hug!!! Gretchen is so cute and when she sees a photo of Grandma she says thats Grandma--and her stuffed green bear she got from Grandma's house she carries and hugs and calls Grandma! I can't seem to find the photo I want to post of "G" and her but these photos will show how sweet our Grandma Cole was to each one of us!

Saturday SKATING!!!

I GOT TO GO ROLLERSKATING!!! Oh boy was I excited when mom said there was a skate party in Pendleton for church! I woke up Saturday morning at 4:30 am-- (mom thinks I had a nightmare--Daddy had to finally calm me down and then I kept waking up every ten minutes) ! At 6:15 am -I was WIDE AWAKE and in an excellent mood! (Its Saturday --and I was excited about skating!!) Mommy and daddy had been up since 4:30 am! I took a nap on the way to Pendleton half hour--(mommy really thought about turning back and going home at 9:30 am after I fell asleep ---but knew she had told me I was going skating--so she pressed on) When we got to the rollerskating rink--I woke up!! She sat me up on the wall to watch the kids skate--I was quiet and taking it all in! Mommy then paid the lady $4 person and we went to get our skates at another counter!

She sat me up on a table and showed me my skates--I started talking nonstop and could not wait to try them out!! Mommy skated with me!! I actually was brave and went out on the floor right away----I held her hand and the wall---half way around mommy had to sit down and take a break--ha! Guess she was tired!! Almost 3/4 of the way around--the lights went out completely and the strobe light went on---I said "I WANT MY DADDY!! Mommy said it was fine and we would still go around---I wanted to go home by this time--mommy was not listening to me and made me skate on the carpet---she took me to the floor where little kids my age skated and I was NO WAY doing that!! Janika (4 yrs) from church was there. I then found some arcade games and we spent the remaining time skating between arcade games----I really had a fun time and when we returned the skates I told mommy that was so fun!!! We went and got gas at Safeway and then I say Mommy I have to go potty!! Great my mommy had fogotten to ask me at all while we were skating--she took me to Taco Bell and I then said I am hungary!! It was 12:30 so us girls had lunch---I was sooo good!! I fell asleep five minutes before we got home and only slept a total of 45 min!! Mommy was sooo tired and had a migrane that when I woke up daddy took me on a walk so she could sleep. We then all went shopping at three stores --had BQ hamburgers bath, & bed!

Friday Night Fun!!!

Gretchen took a Friday nap from 11:40 am to 2 pm!!! YES~~~ we were then ready for our busy Friday afternoon. Hailey and Mommy's Hailey as G calls her (meaning Hailey's mommy) met us at the park at 3 pm--we stayed all of 20 min--Hailey was not listening and they had to leave the park---They came over to our house as we were gong to a Dr. Seuss party at the library at 4 pm!! Gretchie and Hailey played ---and they decided Hailey was too tired and naughty to go to the party! G asked all the way to the library if Hailey was coming!! Mommy got to hold the new baby (2 months) Gretchie loves babies!!! We went to the party and made a Dr. Seuss foam cake--and then they had face painting balloons and a game. G refused the face paint (this child does not like messes)

We then sat down for cake and punch---she needed to use the bathroom--and then refused when we went into the bathroom and threw a fit when I tried to get her out of the stall---
Would not even be coaxed back in to have CAKE!! Wanted to go home---
walked upstairs and to the van fine and when we got to the van started screaming I have to go poopie--(most of the time this is an excuse-so I said we can wait when we get home) I did buckle her in but she was mad!! Cried the whole way home(ok screamed----and I put her on the potty when we got home--NOTHING!! I figured out .... She did not like the person dressed up as the cat and the hat or the two THINGS (people) dressed with blue hair --they both came in the bathroom and thats why she freaked out in the stall and would not use the toliet!!! Why did I not think of this before!! Never did have to poopie----So when we got home at 5:15 pm NO WAY we were going to the carnival at my old school with 600 or more kids-----The three of us had a fun dinner at DQueen with blizzards!! She ended up getting her own because when they handed me the two blizzards one did not have the mint colr in it so we got that one free!! We brought the rest of it home for the next day!!

From her words.....

**Just as I was crawling into bed last night at 12:36 am---I know late but I posted three entries! Gretchie yells from her room I need dominos and was faintly crying! I went into her room and she was standing and had just opened the door and said again I need dominos---I sat down on the floor to hold her and repeated you want dominos--yes she said and then I said tomorrow you can play with them!! She was asleep within seconds--ha! Have you ever had a dream about dominos?? Oh this child---

**Just this morning....she woke up at 6:40 am---to see her daddy! Lee was in the shower---she had the blanket over her head and sits up and says Mommy look at my hair-it is so dizzy----meaning stactic but made me laugh!

**Wed. night after dinner I went to run the bath water and she took it up on herself to go downstairs and ask (TELL) daddy he had to watch her in the tub while mommy took a shower---NOW--I usually take a shower every night and last Friday night daddy gave her a bath (she obviously liked it-to Tell him again) while I took a shower-that was not tonights plan but ended up the plan---which worked out great for me!! Always watching out for me!! (I would like to hope)

** Sunday after church we had a new baby reception with cake and punch. As Gretchie was not good and had a meltdown in the bathroom during the service and would not go potty or Children's Church so my angel was taken to the van yelling and kicking and there we sat for 30 min!! After the crying stopped----I explained to her what was to be expected and said Are you ready to go back in to children's church --she says NO THANK-YOU!! OK--I should not have given her a choice but she loves her friends!! That was not the answer I expected---she laid down and looked like she was going to fall asleep (she had enough sleep the night before I thought) Daddy came out to the van after church and we went back in to have cake---I forgot to turn the key off as we were listening to her KING OF KING tape and when we came back out the battey was DEAD!! Ugh---can't win! Just one of those mornings!! As we were eating cake--across the table G's friend Cooper (turned two in JAN.) was really into eating his cake and had a huge mess--he was so cute I was sitting next to him--Gretchie says to daddy His mommy needs to wash his face and hands! Oh---nothing gets past her (even a messy friend)

**I have a bug in my eye she exclaimed one day--I said what kind of bug G --she says it is an ant!!! I think it was a sleepy bug!!!

** Can't remember if I typed this one yet or not! As we were at Funland Park last week two grade schoolers said to me Do they have school on Fridays here in Hermiston?? I said I think so but I am not sure---the one little girl said that little girl is in preschool (meaning Gretchie) I said she is only two ...............She doesn't go to school at all the one said!! Gretchie says Yes I go to Sunday School!!! What a doll!!! I love her personality----

** I am posting all my cat and Gretchie photos I take--the two of them are sooo cute!!! And I never thought my cat would go for it--the ones on this post were taken this morning as I hear G run down the stairs WAIT WAIT--Meow wants to hold me----then I hear them both running up the stairs---(I was upstairs-getting dressed in the closet) I can't catch her. I let the running and chasing continue---the cat dashes under the bed ---Meow I want you to come here---maybe the other side will work she says as G runs to the other side of my bed and is on the floor--mommy please help Meow hold me---Where is the stick Gretchie says----(I used it yesterday to poke the cat out from under our king bed!!!) By this time I had not said a word--just laughing to myself---I found the stick mommy--by the time I got to the bed to rescue G from poking the cat---she had already tried it!! She was jumping up and down yelling YEAH I GOT THE CAT!!!! Little did she know poor Tashja had just crawled farther in the middle not to be reached!!! By this time she was getting frustrated and started to panic she was not going to hold her!! I got Tashja and they sat and watched a movie on the couch--we wrapped her in G blanket and the cat actually fell asleep in G arms!! Ten minutes the cat laid there!! Until G started patting the cat and then the growling started!!

**I hear this morning this chair is tooooo soft. She then goes over to another chair this chair is very soft.....(Focused as I was on the chores at hand I did not catch on to what she doing or imitating) THE THREE BEAR STORY OFF BARNEY!!! She then sits on my old school desk and says tooo soft...I started laughing and she smiles and I corrected her and said tooo hard!! She then had her two red chairs lined up earlier and had asked me to sit down and take a REST with her---must have been all that chasing the cat!!! I told her the red chairs were just RIGHT!!! She then says they are PERFECT!!!

MISS G!!!

IMITATING BABY ROO!!
JUMPING!
ROO---here mommy you can take a picture--but hurry !!
Kneepads and elbow pads on for safety as I sweep the garage!!
AGAIN CAUGHT!!!

Just being herself----these photos were taken Wed night as she jumps on our couch pillows and plays with her elephants!! She was imitating Roo off the Tigger movie and he winds up his tail and tries to fly--I was so busy snapping photos daddy figured out what she was doing--ha ha!!

The next one I hear MOMMY I GOT MEOW AGAIN!!! Oh---the poor cat is so heavy as G carries her from room to room and then chases her under my bed upstairs-- Gretchie can climb those stairs lickity split!!!

She has wanted to play with the knee pads and elbow pads on the last two days--today we went to Wal Mart in the morning and she had to wear her pads into the store--of course we saw two people we knew and then one guy in the checkout stand said you have some fancy pants on today----

Got to go with the two year old stuff---it made for good conversation--ha!

She had to sweep the garage before we left also--with protective gear-hee

Gretchie and mommy spent an hour at the park today and had the whole park to ourselves--she loved the tire swing and said oh I am so dizzy!!!

She was sliding down the side by side slide and I was sitting on one side she would say here I come and I would jump away--then we would switch sides--She was having a blast (I was too ) Gretchie had been at this park last Thursday so the graffati was worse today and when we arrived and were swinging---there were highschoolers (6 of them) sitting on the slide and stairs! Gretchie says to me--LOOK they wrote all over with marking pen!!! I said oh is that good or bad? She says good and smiles---I shook my head NO--and said its naughty!! They need paper mommy!!! SO SIMPLE YET SO TRUE!!!! It irritates me to pieces the graffati evrywhere--especially little kids playground equipment!!!!! Enough!!!

Canteloupe (Pie-Gretchie thought)

We had salmon and potatoes and cantelope for dinner!! Oh ya and I stuck four blueberries on top of each canteloupe wedge!! I unfortunately picked a not very ripe melon!! So Gretchie was very excited to get this wedge on her plate (because--I usually cut everything up so small) She started eating before we prayed and was still eating well after Lee and I were finished! She only ate the melon and blueberries but last summer would not touch fruit--- Gretchie called the canteloupe PIE!!! Lee chopped his wedge into pieces for her and she spent dinner in make believe world feeding the monkey on her plate the pieces! Oh it was cute to watch!!

As we were grocery shopping this afternoon---I had "G "in her stroller and she was holding the sale ad--I must have told her we were buying blueberries---so when I had the top of the stroller with what we needed I said Did I forget anything?? She said we need blueberries!! She was right!

Dough--Dolls--Diet--Drizzle (Rain)

These pictures are of her playng with play dough!! She is funny to listen to as she cuts the dough into hearts and stars and then made two moons and put them together and called them an egg!! Yeah--it did look like it!!

She had two cut out ducks and was playing with one the mom and one the dad then they ate the hearts and egg she had made----so creative!

I love watching G play with her dollies she rocked then gave them a bottle and then puts them to bed and coers them---what a great mommy!!

It did rain on Monday a bit--Gretchie says I need my shoes and coat!! First time she has ever asked to go outside--but I think she thought the rain was ice (from the icestorm in January) so she could go skating on the patio!! It does not rain here very much so her memory was from the ice rain! I handed her an umbrella--and it was very windy--she handed it back to me but had the prettiest smile!!!

The cow flashlight--which we used in the tent the night we went camping inside has been my centerpiece on my dining room table---I know--use a cow as my centerpiece silly uh!!!! But oh well it looked cute on the fabric I got for a tablecloth (with hippos, elephants ,monkeys) Gretchie decided to feed her green beans to Anabelle--which she named the cow after the movie Anabelle's Wish!!! She then ate the green beans out of Anabelle's mouth--ha ha!! The other night I loaded four plastic eggs with green beans for her to eat!!!