Weekend and Father's Day

Friday night we went to eat at Pizza Chef with our group of friends from church- Girls got to choose the restaurant. . .that's right Amy and Dustin are having a GIRL!? Stratton is really going to have some hard choices to make when he gets to the "dating" age (around 30, right?) there are only two or three boys in that age group and all the rest are girls! Dustin even sat Stratton down and had a "talk" with him. . .haha. Like they will even want to date, our kiddos will probably be like brothers and sisters! Jarrod had to meet us at the restaurant since he worked late and came straight from work in his work truck, so after we ate Stratton and I ventured out to get Father's day gifts. We went to Lowes first and that was a bust, then I had some things I needed to pick up at Office Depot where he threw a HUGE fit. I was soooo embarrassed! Luckily the guy helping me had kids and was super nice. After that we went home!

Saturday Jarrod had to work, so Stratton and I didn't do a whole lot, we did get out about 1pm and went to LifeWay to finish our Father's Day shopping. I just carried him in and boy was that a mistake! I ended up getting 2 bibles and wanted them engraved, well that was going to be a 20 minute wait! The guy said "If you have some other errands you want to run we will call you when they are finished and you can come back and get them." I was like uh, I think I will just wait! It would have taken 20 minutes just to get back to the car get S buckled in and out on the road! So we went back to the children's section where Stratton pulled all the books off the shelf while I went behind him and put them all back. ugh. I was wore out by the time we got home!!

We went to Hickory Ridge when Jarrod got off work to have Father's Day dinner with the Gibson's. We got to visit with the fam and Stratton had a good time getting to play with Cooper. They don't get to see each other very often anymore since Miss Laney came along and Stratton started Daycare. They were really funny together. At one point Cooper started to straddle Stratton while he crawled - like he was going to try and ride him- lol! Boys!?!

Sunday we woke up early- Stratton is still getting up early, not at 3 am anymore but about 4-5am, still way too early. I fed him and put him back to bed and he slept till about 7:15. I got him up and he was in a great mood so we climbed back in bed with Jarrod and gave him the rest of his father's day presents and cards. (He got a new leaf blower earlier in the week, I had to give it to him b/c where am I going to hide that?!) Stratton got him a book and a new bible. Then we all got up and got ready for church. After morning services  (where I might add my Uncle Brian was appointed a Deacon! We are so proud of him!) we headed back to HR for Father's Day with the Wilson's. We had a good lunch and a long visit at my grandma and grandpa's house. My cousin Josh and his wife, LeAnn and their kids came and so Stratton got to play with them, even though they are quite a bit older. We also were entertained my Stratton's infatuation with the glass door.

Father's day is a special day to me. I am so blessed to have been surrounded with Godly men my whole life. My Grandpa and Dad are the best men in the world, and I'm not just saying that because they are family. I think you could ask anyone that knows them and they would tell you the same thing. I am so very grateful that Stratton will get to grow up knowing and loving and being influenced by these great men, I can't imagine my life without them.

Sunday night was the start of our VBS so we didn't have church until 6:30. It was a long time from 6:30-8:15! After church we ran to Walmart, S was by then of course pretty cranky so it was a quick trip

[helping Pops open his card]

[fascinated going in and out]

[licking the glass door]

[only a face a mother could love- lol!]

[funny smushed face]

Happy First Father's Day Jarrod!

It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons.  ~Johann Schiller

On your very first Father's day I want to thank you for being such an awesome father. Stratton adores you and it's no wonder. You are his hero, I can already see that even though he is only 11 months old. I am so thankful that he has such a good role model for a father, by living your life in a way that is pleasing to God you are teaching our son to do likewise. He really is the luckiest little boy I know. And I am the luckiest girl I know, by loving our son so completely and earnestly I feel loved too. I can't explain the feeling that I have when I see the way he looks at you or to see the way you look at him, it's in those heartwarming moments that I get to see just a glimpse of the special bond you share. Thank you for working so hard to provide for us, thank you for being committed to me and our marriage and and thank you for being my partner in raising our son to hopefully be the kind of man his father is.                   ~I love you.

Then . . .and Now. . .

{May 2005}

{June 2010}

My goodness, have things changed!

More Pictures from Saturday

He is DONE getting his picture made!

Stratton update

Like I mentioned in my previous post, Monday we took him to the dr and they said he had a virus, and it would just take a few days to kick it. Monday night he ran fever and got us up at 11:30pm and 4:00am. When Jarrod fed him at 4:00 he threw up, which is kinda common for him when he has a cold or congestion. The dr told us it's because babies can't blow their noses to get rid of mucus so when they are extremely congested it's like a reflex. Since it's happened before I didn't think too much about it. Tuesday morning Margie came and stayed with him. When I left to go to work he was still running a little fever, but acted like he felt much better. Well that went downhill fast I think he threw up again after she gave him breakfast and then did it again later that afternoon and then once more right after Jarrod and I got home. Poor baby. He was pretty funny though, just like you and I when we have the stomach virus, you know how great it feels right after you throw up. . .before the nausea  kicks back in? Yeah he would just smile for a few minutes, then back to crabby, cranky and fussy. Who could blame him?! I did call the Dr office back Tuesday afternoon to see if we should be doing anything else to help keep him from getting dehydrated, since he couldn't keep anything down, she said just try to give him a little water or juice and that she would call in a prescription to settle his stomach (it ended up being Zofran- who knew babies could take that, too?! Just cut them in half!) The medicine worked great just a few minutes after we gave it to him he was sound asleep! He didn't eat supper, but took a bottle of 4 oz twice before finally going to bed around 10pm. He woke up about 3am and Jarrod fed him and was up for about an hour. Then he slept until 6:15 or so. So his schedule is all messed up! I hope we can get back to it soon. My mom came today to stay with him and so far today he hasn't ran a fever or been sick! My mom however had her hands full today. He knocked over an end table in the living room and broke a glass hurricane candle holder, so she had a mess to clean up! She said he knew when he did it that he was in big trouble because he instantly started screaming, and it didn't even touch him! Then she got a little sick this afternoon, but thinks it was something she ate or some medicine she took- hopefully she isn't getting the virus, too! I hope he will sleep good tonight and he can go back to daycare tomorrow! Having a sick baby is no fun, and that is the understatement of the century!

Gigi's Cupcakes!

4709 Poplar Avenue, Memphis, TN 38117
Phone: (901) 888-CAKE (2253)
Hours: Mon-Sat: 10am - 7pm, Sun: CLOSED

The next time you go to Memphis you HAVE to try this place! It has the most amazing cupcakes I have ever seen! They are about the size of a coffee house muffin (you know the great big ones). The amount of icing they put on them is ridiculous-and delicious! It's so cute, too! It's a pretty small little shop. The inside is simply decorated with the colors hot pink, green and chocolate brown. The main focal point, however,  is the cupcake display which beckons you to it as you come in the door like a moth is drawn to a flame! I think I was actually drooling for a minute. It took me several minutes to decide which one I wanted! There were just so many to choose from and they all looked wonderful! Jarrod got the "Birthday Surpirse"  (Which their website describes as a "White cake with fluffy pink buttercream frosting & colorful sprinkles") He was in heaven and I stole a bite and I must admit it was pretty awesome. I had the "White Midnight Magic" (Devil's food cake with dark chocolate chips topped with a white cream cheese & chocolate chips) It was soooo gooood. Unfortunately, I couldn't eat all of mine, it was just too much! The other flavors we bought to take home to share were, "Wedding Cake", "Scarlett's Red Velvet", "Lemon Dream Surpreme", "Pink Lemondade", "Italian Cream Wedding Cake", and "Texas Milk Chocolate". We got lots of brownie points for sharing them with some family and friends!

 

so pretty!

LOVE the logo and the box!

See how big that cupcake is?

And . . . the close up- Yum!

Whew! All done! And yes, you most certainly need a plate and a fork to eat these!

There are several locations around the south, check out their website for a location near you! (go to www.gigiscupcakesusa.com, you can see all the different flavors) If I had my way there would be one opening in Jonesboro soon! I am actually looking into the franchising info. I even found the perfect location! I'm sure it's crazy expensive to start up, but I think it would be a great business for Jonesboro! Supposedly, in Memphis cupcakes are all the rage! And I think we could easily start a rage here! The two times we were at Gigi's on Saturday they were really busy. And they do custom and large orders, too. With all the showers and birthday parties and let's not forget all the drug reps. . . yep, I think it would be a very successful little business. So, if you have an extra $50,000 laying around and would like to donate (ha-ha) I would appreciate it! Lol! What do you think, could a cupcake business thrive in Jonesboro?

What a weekend!

We left Friday afternoon, got to Memphis about 5:30 ran by the hotel to check in and drop off our stuff before meeting Meghan at Old Venice Pizza. We had an fun time at dinner, Stratton was so well behaved! Then Meg and I headed to the movies and Jarrod and Stratton went to do some shopping at Bass Pro.

Awwww. . . Stratton loves Meg!

The movie was really long, so it was around 11pm before I got back to the hotel. I had the best time with Meghan. It was nice to have some more girl time! She is 34 weeks pregnant and thinks she is going to make it to 41 weeks?! I don't think she will last that long, but she's convinced! Either way she is getting close to the end and this weekend might be the last time I see her before she has her baby! She is going to try to come to Stratton's bday party, but she will be 39 weeks then and I made her PROMISE me that she wouldn't drive herself here!! Knowing her she wouldn't think a thing about it!! It worries me!! I am so excited for him/her to get here, but I don't want it to be at Stratton's birthday party!!

Saturday morning Stratton wasn't feeling so great. I thought it was because he was getting another tooth, or something. You could tell he just didn't feel good at all. But he perked up when we went down to breakfast at the hotel, and I thought he might just be sleepy. It was a short distance from the hotel to Audubon Park, so Stratton didn't have a chance to get a cat nap, which I think might have helped some.

He didn't want to cooperate at all. We took his wagon, which he normally loves. He didn't want to sit in it. He didn't want to sit in the grass, he didn't want to smile and the few that she did get she really had to work for! The park was really pretty. It reminded me of my grandma and grandpa's yard just a bit bigger! The sunlight was coming through some of the trees and it was the perfect place to take pictures! Too bad it was sooo hot. It was so humid that the instant you stepped out of the car you started sweating. Ewww. . . so that didn't help Stratton's bad mood either. Daisha tried and tried to get him to work with her for about 30 minutes and then he just really got mad and so we decided that we should call it quits. It was so hot! She promised me she got some great shots, I am anxious to see them all. She has sent me a few and they are all good, so I am sure they all will be.

After we left the Park we decided to drive around a little while so that Stratton could get a little nap. We decided to go by this cupcake shop that Meghan had told us about called Gigi's on Poplar. By the time we got there Stratton was awake and seemed to be feeling better. So we went in and got a snack- or more like lunch. (Hey, we are adults we can eat cupcakes for lunch if we want to, right?!) This place is deserving of it's own blog posts, which I will write later today. . .it was AMAZING.  We did some shopping- Carriage Crossing where we also stopped to fed Stratton and shared a burger at Cheeburger-Cheeburger, then to Babies-R-Us then back to Wolfchase to the party supply store and then back to Gigi's. We had to get some cupcakes to take home to the Gibson's who were kind enough to go check on our dog in the heat and also got another dozen to take to our friends forever group from church Sunday night. We met my mom in Wynne and dropped Stratton off with her. Since she was off on Monday she wanted to keep him for the rest of the weekend. We got back to Jonesboro around 6:30pm, took cupcakes to the Gibson's and visited with them for a few minutes, went home and got things put away and played with Sadey. We bought her a little swimming pool to play and cool off in. And I haven't see her in it yet! She did really love the water hose and like getting sprayed with it!

 

Sunday morning after church we went to Lazzari and ate lunch then ran some errands. I came home and cooked my stuff for Sunday night and grabbed a quick nap. Sunday night after church we went to Amy and Dustin's house for dinner with the rest of our friends forever group. We had such a good time visiting it was almost 10pm before we left! Stratton ran a fever on and off all day Sunday while he was at mom and dad's so she brought him back to Jonesboro Monday morning and we took him to the Dr. He has a virus, that should pass within a few days. He was still running a little bit of fever this morning, even though he acts like he feels a little better, so Margie is staying home with him today. As long as he has a fever he is considered contagious and he can't go back to daycare till he hasn't had a fever for 24 hrs. I am hoping that he will begin to feel much better today and can go back tomorrow, but we will see!

There is lots to do this week! Jarrod had a softball game last night (which Stratton and I missed) and another one tonight, then we have church Wednesday night, On Thursday Dustin and Amy get to find out what they are having!! (So excited to hear if it's a boy or a girl!!) Then I am sure we will go out to celebrate the gender on Friday night- the guys get to pick if it's a boy and the gals get to pick if it's a girl, I think we have started a new tradition! I have lots of projects to work on and also getting ready for Stratton's party- which is a month away! Then this weekend is Father's day, which means lots of partying and lots of eating!