Summer Update * Numero Uno

Summer started out a little differently this year. We didn't make it to Lakeside, but we did get to enjoy being in our new home for a few weeks before heading to the beach with Mama and Papa O. I loved the ocean and can't wait to go back. This trip was the end of June, so we've done a LOT since then, but here's a sampling of our start to summer 2010.


I had lots and lots of fun on Sandbridge Beach with my Mama and Papa O, cousins Luke and Kyle, Aunt Kurt, Uncle Sara, and Mommy and Daddy!

Luke went into the water and I wanted to follow too! I settled for always getting my feet wet!

I learned to scoop up lots of water and carry it in my bucket. It was fun!

Mama O threw us a half birthday party at the beach.
She and Papa picked out a cake and let us blow out the candles and everything!

A snuggle before bedtime with Mama O and Kyle

I was exhausted, but mommy didn't have to get on an airplane and leave so she and daddy wanted to try to get one last evening walk and photo on the beach.

Since mommy didn't have to fly home we took ALL day to get back to Ohio. We drove through the battlefields at Yorktown to humor daddy's Revolutionary War fetish, then we stopped off at Thomas Jefferson's home Monticello. I didn't quite make it through the house tour, but daddy did. Mommy and I took advantage of a walk in the gardens. It was hot, but we had some good girl time.

Smelling the flowers at Monticello


One of only a few family pics from the trip. It was SO HOT that day,
but thankfully there was some shade :0)

I am such a big girl - I loved riding the bus at Monticello!

For more summer pics you can visit our Shutterfly site: http://olingers23.shutterfly.com/ Mommy said it takes TOO long to load all of them on here, so enjoy whatever you have time to look at!

Five months really?!

Well, I have to admit my mommy has had her hands full with me and until about a week ago, her school work. Not to mention Daddy's track schedule this past spring made things a little crazy. She spent a whole day uploading photos onto our computer and helping Daddy hang pictures in our house, so she keeps promising that she's going to get to the blog soon. I sure hope she does, because there are so many adventures you've missed in our life these past few months. I'll keep reminding mommy and maybe by Monday you'll have a long overdue update!

xoxo,
Gracie Reneee

Future Buckeye?!

This past Wednesday night Mommy and Daddy took me to my first Ohio State Basketball game. I had no idea what they were talking about, but after a few minutes in the arena taking in the sights and sounds, I realized I LOVE BASKETBALL GAMES! I don't really like to sit still, but I love the band, the cheerleaders, the boys on the court, and the sound of the sneakers and the bBall on the floor. Daddy was just as excited as I was to be at the game with his girls! He even taught me to do O-H-I-O . . . but I still need his help to get it just right! I LOVE listening to Cie Grant sing "Carmen Ohio" on YouTube and I loved listening to the marching band on iTunes, so I was definitely in love with all the music and noise at the game. At halftime Daddy and Mommy took me for a walk and showed me the hall of fame and the rest of the Schottenstein Center. We even found a football field where I could march with the band. I was so proud of myself, I marched all over that field and clapped my hands and squealed with delight! I think it was my favorite part of the night!

Until next time . . . O-H . . .

xoxo, Gracie

It's been too long . . . but I'm back!

Hey friends! I am so sorry that I haven't made time to post anything since August! It was a crazy fall and once mommy and daddy went back to school, I just couldn't seem to find the time to get on the computer AND play with them at night. I had a very busy fall and hopefully I can catch you up on the past few months, but for now I'm just going to focus on December . . . my BIRTHDAY MONTH!

I celebrated my first birthday and my dedication at Heritage Christian Church the first weekend in December with LOTS of family and friends. It was so fun to have everyone visit my new house. It was packed, but we had fun. I loved eating birthday cake and opening presents and playing with all my friends. Marley Grace, my new cousin, was a pretty special guest, I can't wait until we can

celebrate her first birthday next year!

A few weeks later we celebrated Christmas with all my grandparents, great-grands, aunties and uncles, cousins and a few friends. I got lots of great presents, I am so blessed, and then I got to the beach . . . my first, of hopefully many, beach parties!

It was rough driving there all night long in Uncle Jerry's Escalade, especially

through the mountains. It really hurt my ears and mouth when we came out of them, Mommy said it was because I was teething. Whatever, it HURT! I felt pretty yucky the first few days at the beach, but by day three I was feeling better and I was able to play a little in the sand. By the end of the week, though, I was loving the ocean, the seagulls, the sand, and just being able to hang out with my family. Here are a few of my favorite photos, there will be more posted to mommy and daddy's shutterfly page once mommy gets a few extra minutes . . . ha ha!

I felt yucky my first moment on the beach . . .

but by day three, I liked it a lot!

Sunset at Lely Barefoot Beach Preserve

Playing with Daddy

Playing on a boat with mommy

The whole Peddicord/Olinger gang!

We made lots of wonderful memories, which I'll write try to write more about later, but I am so thankful for all the Christmas love I experienced in 2009.

Mommy and daddy can't believe I'm one year old, but I am! I love getting into the tupperware drawer, giving mommy and daddy "advice" on everything, reading books, having dance parties in my new living room after school, and playing with anyone and everyone who comes to visit. I'll post more later, but I love and have missed many of you! Hope to see you soon!

xoxo,

Gracie

August Adventures * Volume 2

August is now more than half over and we have had so much fun! Two weekends ago I got to go on my first airplane ride! Aunt Ann, Uncle Larry, Logan and Landon flew me to Texas to visit them. Mommy and I said goodbye to Daddy on a Friday evening and spent the rest of the long weekend with my Texas family. We had SO MUCH FUN! Aunt Ann got me my own special bed, complete with homemade sheets and blankies. She even found me some toys to play with and books to read. Auntie Kelsey was there, my cousin Jennifer, and one of my new favorites, Auntie Lisa. We got to play, swim in the pool, eat some yummy food and spend time together. Auntie Kelsey, Lisa, and mommy took me for my first college visit to Texas Christian University. We had so much fun! It was so hot, but we survived the sunshine and took a few pictures. Mommy says she loves to visit Texas, and we're so blessed to have so many people who love us. I think so too! You can check out more of the pictures on our shutterfly page, but here's a sampling from our trip.

Not sure what to think about this airplane thing, but mommy said I did great!

Cousin Jennifer - a true Buckeye even though she's in Texas now!

I love my mommy!

Frog Fountain and the new quad at TCU with mommy and Auntie K

It was so hot, I was so tired.

Cousins Logan and Landon liked to read with me :0)

I got to meet Mimi and Papa - Uncle Larry's parents

I love Auntie Lisa . . .

I love Aunt Ann . . .

and I love Auntie K, but not saying Goodbye at DFW

August Adventures * Volume 1

On Sunday we went to play and have lunch at Tuscora Park in New Philadelphia. Mamaw, Papaw, Aunt Sara, Uncle Kurt, Luke, Kyle and Uncle Joe were all there with me. I rode the train with Luke and Mamaw and Daddy. Then Mommy and Daddy took me on the merry-go-round, I cried the whole time. I was so tired! Kyle and I decided to take naps while Luke finished riding. We had a great day in Dover/New Philadelphia :0) Check out our fun at http://olingers23.shutterfly.com/

This week mommy and daddy have been playing with me lots, I even went to visit daddy at cross country camp two different days this week. Yesterday Gma came to visit. We all loaded up in the car and headed to the State Fair. I still don't know exactly what a fair is, but I had fun. I got to take a long ride in my stroller, I got to hear the All Ohio State Fair Youth Choir and meet some of Mommy and Auntie K's high school choir friends, and I got to see some animals. We had so much fun even though it was very hot!

watching the choir at ODNR park

Singing with mommy at ODNR * I LOVED the end of "Battle Hymn"

This is mommy and daddy's friend Bladen. He played piano

at their wedding.I liked his beard :0)

Beth, Bladen, Mommy, and Chad * this one's for Auntie K

Exhausted . . .

Tomorrow Mommy says our adventures will continue. I get to go to Texas to see my family and some of Auntie K's friends. I can't wait!

xoxo, Gracie

A busy end to July and start of August

Last week and weekend were very fun, but very busy! Mommy says she can see me changing and growing SO MUCH! I've been climbing up on mommy and daddy whenever I can and I just don't like to sit and play as much by myself anymore. I also am starting to figure out this new thing called a sippy cup. Mommy and daddy gave me a few different ones to try over a month ago, but this past week mommy brought me home two new ones! I love them! One is pink and purple (my

favorite) and the other is green and pink (my Alpha Zeta Aunties' favorite) Even though I still get very wet, I love to drink water! I also tried

toast for the first time last week.

It is yummy! I had it everywhere!

On Friday we got together with Gma and Gpa, Nana and Papa, Aunt Ha and Uncle Ryan to celebrate Gma's birthday. She was trying to keep my toes out of the cake, she said that my birthday was in four more months, so I had to wait for cake. I didn't listen . . . I put my toes in twice! We had fun playing and eating cake . . . well everyone but me.

On Saturday we got all dressed up and went to my cousin Ashlee's wedding. Everyone looked so pretty and we had lots of fun with daddy, Mamaw O, , cousin Luke, uncle Kurt, and all the rest of the Olinger family. I even got to meet Grace Taylor, one of daddy's and gpa's teachers, for the first time. I loved her glasses!

Read the next page for the rest of my weekend adventures . . .