I AM ONE!!!

As of last Thursday, Dec. 13th, 9:33pm, I am officially 1 year old!! Wow!! What a fun year this has been - my mommy and daddy agree!! But they also said to tell you what a blessed year this has been for them!! I got a few cards on my birthday and I really enjoyed opening them - one from Grandma Thompson, Danane & Tom Lynch, Nana, the Graves(Uncle D, Aunt Cara, Delaney & Drew), and Mimi & Granddaddy - I carried them around with me all day!! Oh, I also got a fun animal DVD from Uncle Todd, Aunt Janna & Chloe ...and my new Christmas PJ's. Oh, and fun texts messages from my Aunt AK, Uncle Jay, Uncle Kenneth and Uncle Daniel..and birthday calls from Yana and others. Thank you all for thinking of me on my special day!! Mommy & Daddy also sang, "Happy Birthday" to me and I just looked at them and clapped. A new song!! Daddy also tried to get my hand print in a mold...I liked digging my fingers into it. :) Maybe we'll try finger paint this week.

We celebrated with mommy's side of the family in Tupelo,MS on Sunday, Dec. 16. Mommy helped me open the gifts. I was a little confused why she wanted me to tear the paper on the boxes;however, I did enjoy playing with my new toys once we got them out. I really liked the first gift I opened, a dump truck!!! - so much so that I played with it the whole day!! We opened up so many fun gifts - a moose, a Vtech computer, a fun alligator & new football outfit, a sweet spring outfit (blue w/ bonnet!!), elmo binnaculars, fun shape blocks w/ containers, a ball, money and so much more!!! Thank you everyone for thinking of me and for your generosity!!! I love you and love spending time with you.

Then, everyone sang that new song again to me. I was a little bashful as they all stared at me while they sang. Mimi helped me read, "Happy Birthday Garrett & Mimi" and blow out my candle as her birthday was Dec. 6. Thanks, Yana, for my cake!! Check out my reaction to the icky frosting!! Mommy was so thankful that I didn't like it on my fingers. :) Just one taste and that was enough....although my AK said she saw me dipping my thumb in it repeatedly!! I didn't really like touching it...icky!1`

Here are a few of my guests who came to celebrate my special day:


Mimi & G'daddy



Yana


AK, Jay & Caitlyn









Cousin Katie, Trey & baby on the way!!
Danane - mommy's nanny!!

And the Senters - Uncle Tom & Aunt Linda

Mrs. Sue Lindsey and Danane's mom also came by!!

A Week of "FIRSTS"

This past week I decided that I would show mommy and daddy....and Yana just how big I am. I turned 11 months old on Tues, Nov. 13. Mommy gave me some brown rice cereal to try. Hmm. It tastes really different than the milk I'm used to drinking for every meal. Yes, I haven't been sleeping as well lately b/c I have 4 new teeth coming in - my top and bottom front teeth!!! I think this is why mommy wants me to eat "big people food" now. Hmm. I also decided to start WALKING this week! Sat. evening while mommy and Yana were cooking for Thanksgiving , I thought that I should stay up and participate. We all had fun playing in the kitchen. Mommy was practicing her solo, "Gratitude" by Nicole Nordeman, for church and I was dancing to the music, while standing. Then , suddenly, I took 4 steps . Yana was so excited to see me....mom saw me out of the corner of her eye while reading sheet music. That was all I walked until Sunday when daddy returned home from his trip to Little Rock to watch the MSU/ Arkansas football game. As soon as he got home, daddy laid on the floor to play with me. I stood up and took 6 beautiful steps all the way to him!!! Wow!!! From then on, I have been practicing taking steps!!

Just a pumpkin....with 4 teeth!!!

Today was a beautiful day with warm sunshine, colorful fall leaves, and lots of playing outside!!

Mommy decided to takes some pics of me on the porch with the pumpkins. Enjoy!

A.K. & JAY ARE MARRIED!!!!

YEAH!!! We are soooo excited for Aunt Anna (A.K) & Uncle Jay who were married this past Sat., Nov. 10, 2007 in Tupelo, MS. The ceremony was beautiful with 12 bridesmaids in elegant purple, handsome groomsmen in tuxes and simple candles with one large curly willow ensemble in the middle. A.K. surprised Jay by singing to him just after they were greeted by Pastor Randy. It was soooo sweet...and might I add, she has such a professional voice!!! Who would have known A.K. could do this sooooo well????!!!! She's a pro!! The ceremony was so sweet and reverant. Stephen, Anna's singing buddy, concluded the service with a beautiful song, where Pastor Randy signed their marriage license for them. This was a nice touch to the ceremony. Afterwards, we all went to the BancorpSouth Center for a fun time complete with a Blues band and Aunt Shelia's yummy catering!! What a blast! I danced and danced...and gave lots of "strangers" kisses!!! Mommy and daddy had so much fun relaxing, dancing, and being proud of me!! A.K. sang her signature song, Bobby McGee, for us at the reception. WOW!! She should do this as a job!!
I also had so much fun with my Yana. She loves me so much! She taught me how to make my toy car go, "VRRRRMMMM" and I did it too!!! We had fun visiting her at school and seeing all her friends. Thanks to Angie, Becky (Weezer), and Kathy for helping mommy decorate Anna's reception! It turned out beautiful with all of your decorating expertise!! Daddy was A LOT OF HELP delivering plants, cutting bamboo, and taking care of me too. We only have a few pictures b/c we left our camera and video camera at Yana's. I know...what were we thinking??...Just ask mommy - we were trying to get all the wedding and reception things planned and situated! :)

I also had so much fun playing with my Uncle Kenneth and Jenny (spelling??). I LOVE JENNY....she gots lots and lots of my smiles and kisses!!! She danced with me and I wanted to stay with her at the reception! I think she likes me a little too. :)



DON'T THEY LOOK EXHAUSTED?????!!
Mommy and daddy, WHY are you so tired?
....p.s. mommy and I slept until 10 am on Monday!!

Community Service/ UU Homecoming

church participates in). He and two college students, Daniel & Michael, textured a ceiling for anWe've had a great weekend relaxing and helping others. Last Saturday, daddy was able to supervise a project at ShareFest (an annual community service project our elderly lady. It's a good thing he helped b/c I'm still a little too short to reach the ceiling...even with a ladder.

Today, Sat., Nov. 3, daddy facilitated a project in building a stand for the Dream Center's new sign. The Dream Center is a local ministry that aids homeless people in rebuilding their lives. Individuals and families are given a place to live while they receive the aid they need in getting back on solid ground. Mike Young, one of the board members of this ministry, is in our community group that mommy and daddy lead. Mommy and I slept in b/c I had a late evening....teething!!! Then we took a trip to see their progress!! Here's what we found: lots of legs under the sign: ....then daddy uses the saws-all, which made mommy a little nervous b/c it was at his chest level. Daddy says the skill saw is much more dangerous. Hmm. I decided that I would help, so I picked up the hammer and well, you see. I liked finding the rocks and playing with Adrian and Kary, whom I call KK. My socks and pants were filthy!! But we had lots of fun!









After my nap with daddy, we all went to Union University's Homecoming and watched the bulldogs win against the Tigers. We saw Katie Woodruff, the Boylan's, Sheika Brown & Chima, Stephanie Clark, and others. It was very hot in the gym!! We left the camera in the car :(
Then we went to a new restaurant in Jackson called Red Robin & we had some burgers....ok, mommy and daddy ate them and I had a Mum-Mum snack and milk. We saw some more friends from church while eating...and mommy's former Manager when she worked at Red Lobster in college. He admitted to being a mean manager then, but says he is now nice and likes working at Red Robin. Apparently he had arestaurant, Red life-changing experience when he was in a near fatal accident since that time that he manages Red Lobster. We liked this cool baseball flag art....cool,huh?!

Lobster fun!!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Mommy and I went to trick or treat at daddy's work today. And of course, everyone thought that I was the most adorable little lobster!!Thanks for the costume, Yana. I even got 2 suckers from Mrs. Matheney...but mommy had me give them to daddy. She said that he would like them better than me....hmmmm.

We ate dinner with Cade Coble and his mommy and daddy at his house. He is the bumble bee in the photo in the middle. We saw lots of more friends who came to treat or trick at the Cobles. Then we went to trick or treat the Mitchells and the James. Sorry, no pics....we forgot to take some with them.

Mommies & friends in the middle pic are:
(left to right) Ali & Avery North, Tricia & Cade Coble, Sarah & Harrison Shankle, Mommy & Me

Hope you all had a fun night.