Summer ...please let me see your face!

This is how I get through each and everyday:



Life is tough, hard, full of challenges, and tiring..... but these two make it all worth it...

We are so ready for summer around these neck of the woods! Anyway, not too much new going on here. Brody, Braylee, and I got to travel up to Salmon last weekend to see their new cousin and my new baby niece... She is darling!

Braylee babe turned 5 months old about a week ago and is so alert and alive since then! I cannot believe how much she has changed in the last week or so.

Some fun little stats about her at 5 months: (p.s.) I wish I would kept track of these things for Brody like I am for her :( )

~ Braylee babe is ALMOST sitting up by herself!
~ The day after she turned 5 months I gave her some rice cereal for the first time and she LOVED it! It made me so sad that she was growing up and I haven't wanted to give her much!
~She is squealing and has found her voice lately :)
~ Also, the day after she turned 5 months I was feeding her and then needed to go and do something so I set her down on the floor. I set her on her belly hoping that she would burp herself, and I came in and she was on her back! Just like that, she had rolled over! I was so sad that I missed it, but she did it right after that for me :)
~ She chews on her hands like crazy, so I am going to back off on the finger nail polish for a bit ;)
~ And as usual, she LOVES Brody! She laughs, giggles and follows him with her eyes wherever he goes !!

Brody is almost 3 YEARS old!! AHHHH! Where does the time go. They only reason I notice him growing is I seem to put his pants on everyday and wonder: Why are these too short already??? I just bought them???? And then I realized it was longer ago than I thought, and they are 24 months, silly, he is almost 3!!! Also, whenever I am shopping for him I always pick up the 2T and think, "that looks so small, what the heck, Why are they making clothes so small?" Then I realize that he is almost 3!!!

Brody has been watching alot of this:
And he quite possibly is picking up on some of the naughty words.....So if you are around him and he suddenly blurts out the word, "Jerks!", you'll know where it came from, right??? Or if he says, "Those little SH#@S!"....Ok, so maybe that phrase isn't in there, but the word is :), and he could of quite possibly heard the phrase from me.......

He says the funniest stuff. It is so craZy...I wish I would document it more... Let me think...

We love to watch Brody and to see the habits and things he likes to do.... For example: Everytime Brody lays down for a nap or to go to bed, he has a routine. First, he takes his pants off, it doesn't matter if they are pj's or jeans, they are coming off. Then his socks. After that he lays down on the pillow
for a few seconds, sits all the way up, and turns his pillow over. Every time. Without fail. I always thought it was weird but thought nothing of it. Then yesterday before nap time he let me know why. As he was flipping his pillow over he said to me, "Mom, I like a cold pillow." LOL... I thought it was hilarious.

This is when I caught Braylee rolling over.......

She is the happiest little thing I know... She is constantly smiling and I am so grateful for her little spirit!











This is a snap shot of the first time this little munchkin eating her first rice cereal....

Here is a super cute snap shot of Braylee sitting up :) My dad got this shot :) Thanks pops!


Darling huh?

The Ultimate Sacrifice

No one can truly appreciate the sacrifice soldiers make for this country until they are one. I am overwhelmed with gratitude for my twin brother, Jeff, and his sweet wife Kara. After 7 years of trying to conceive a blessing from heaven, Leila Jade Gritton, was born on Monday April 4, 2011 weighing 6lbs 12oz and was 19 1/2 inches long.



Kara spent most of her pregnancy without the presence of her loving husband, as Jeff spent most of her pregnancy serving us and our country. That in it self is enough sacrifice for me. What a strong woman Kara was to support her husband in every way, while enduring the unknowns of pregnancy on her own. She is a hero in my eyes. What a sacrifice for Jeff to miss out on the mood swings ;), changes, and glowing presence of his sweet wife during her pregnancy. Thank you American soldiers.

Jeff is in the military and is currently serving in Iraq. He was able to get a Red Cross message and jump on a flight within a few hours of notification that Kara was going to have their sweet baby girl... Unfortunately, Kara had to go in for a c-section and Jeff missed it by about 10-12 hours. (Thankfully Kara has a wonderful mommy and family who took great care of her during labor when Jeff couldn't be there.) But the very most important part is that they are together now. Jeff is wrapped around that little girl's finger and Kara is wondering how she could love something so much :)

Jeff seeing his sweet wife for the first time.... (Leila was in NICU at the time)



I feel like I have under appreciated the service that has been given to me. An example is here. I will be forever grateful for the service that our soldiers do to defend our freedom, at the expense of their own family and lives. I hope that we can all reach out to someone we know serving in the military and help them in anyway.

Jeff will return to Iraq for several months, in a couple weeks. Kara will continue to nurture and raise their little girl, while Jeff will serve you and I. Leila will see her Daddy often, I'm sure, but not the way that most daddy's get to. Skype and modern technology will allow for constant contact, but we all need to be grateful for the sacrifice families make while serving in the military. I hope during these trying months while Jeff is away from his precious little girl, he feels the support of many, as does Kara while Jeff is away.


Leila Jade with mommy......





Leila meeting Daddy for the first time....




Together forever.....