Wednesday, April 29, 2009

41 is the number of the day


To celebrate the birthday of my most favorite guy....in no specific order, here are 41 reasons why I love him so...


1. He IS the smartest person I know. It is amazing what knowledge is inside that brain.

2. On our 2nd date, he came to get me carrying a single red rose and sporting some snazzy red-striped tube socks...pulled up OVER his knees. A fashion icon he was....and still is!

3. Continuing with the theme in #2, he mows the lawn in khaki cut-offs, tennis shoes and navy blue work socks...and the best part....could care LESS what anyone thinks about it.

4. He just doesn't sweat the small stuff...and helps me everyday to put life and priorities into clearer perspective.


5. Every afternoon, he comes home and literally and figuratively leaves work at the door and is available and present...100% for his family.



6. He latches on to random commercial jingles and sings them ALL THE TIME...he has had a particular attachment to "LA LA LA LA LA LA TJ MAXX" and "Five....Five....Five Dollar Foot- long"

7. When he tells a story, you can BET it will have a few sound effects in it...and the best part, Winston got this trait too. The Grant boys are sound effect KINGS!!

8. He knows all my crap....every single bit of it....and loves me anyway!

9. He rips off his shirt and slams it to the ground for dramatic effect at the beginning of all family wrestling matches...and now the children do it too!!


10. He nicknamed Lilly "Crazy Hair" when her hair is wet after a bath.

11. He lets the kids pick out the family pumpkin every year...no matter how heavy....no matter how imperfect...their choice...end of story.
12. He loves The Office, Old School, Wedding Crashers and Curb Your Enthusiasm.

13. He loves my homemade tomato sauce.

14. He does things like this.....



15. When I hear any song by The Outfield, I think of him....windows down, music blasting in that gray 2-door citation!!

16. He assures me every single day that Winston is a normal little boy.....I do wonder most days!

17. From the moment Winston took his first breath, he stepped into the role of Daddy and has been an amazing one ever since
18. He loves his Mama's fried chicken and mashed potatoes and she, in turn, loves his interest in red wine!


19. He is super duper handy....plant a seed for a project and you'll have yourself a blueprint within 24 hours! (For proof, come visit my new laundry room in about 6 more weeks)

20. He is very responsible and practical in matters of money....he keeps us on track and holds me accountable (sometimes this part isn't so fun!).
21. He took off the "family banker" hat when we went to Disney...he let me plan a 7-day trip to Disney that wasn't cheap and if spending that kind of money stressed him out, he didn't let me see it a single moment. It was without a doubt the best 7 days of our life as a family.



22. He researches as much as possible before large purchases. He is NOT an impulse kind of guy.

23. He can fix practically ANYTHING...see #1.

24. He loves football.....and lets us watch it during dinner on Saturday, Sunday and Monday nights during football season.

25. Referring to 24, he set the family rule when Winston was born and hasn't deviated from it...NO TV during family meals.

26. He gets up with the children most Saturday mornings and cooks their favorite breakfasts.

27. Did I mention he is the smartest person I know?? I think this warrants making the list 2 times because he really is that smart!

28. He has entered and trained for 2 mountain biking races.

29. He looks so cute in his biking gear....sort of like Lance Armstrong....long and lean and cute as a button in those tight shorts!!

30. He takes pride in what we have....takes excellent care of our cars, our house and most of all, US.

31. He loves to spend long days at the beach.



32. He kills snakes DEAD and always hides the grin he's fighting when I INSIST that we have to move every single time we have snake sighting!

33. He is the perfect balance to my irrational, impulsive, emotional personality.

34. He coached Winston's flag football team last season. I love that Winston will always have that memory.




35. He learned how to make gravy like his Mama. On Thanksgiving day, this is his project.

36. He's not the most social person ever, but he puts a smile on his face and goes with me to whatever I have planned for our family.

37. He has stopped trying to solve the "puzzle" that I can be and just embraces the ebb and flow of my emotions.

38. He loves pretzel chips and hummus for his after-work snack.

39. He doesn't have a sweet tooth....and I always get to pick the dessert at restaurants.

40. He makes coffee for me every morning.

41. He asked...I said YES and I get to have him for (at least) the next 41 years!!


So, happy happy birthday Joseph E...I love you more than I can explain and am grateful that God made you....just for me!!





Happy 41st Birthday Daddy!!


Your family loves you like crazy!


Sunday, April 26, 2009

A great start to another Lowcountry summer


Going into it, the weekend appeared to have a "low-key" vibe ....and I guess in many ways, it still was....but in a much more FUN way than I would have predicted. And don't get me wrong - I do love a "low-key" kind of weekend....especially considering our laundry room is in the middle of a major overhaul and well, let's just say the weekend could have included some carpentry work by the man of the house and some -re-organizing on my part and I would have been happy with that too.

Joe and Winston were a bit pouty over Saturday's mid-day dance recital photo session for our little blonde prima ballerina....Lilly's pictures were scheduled for 11:45 which ruled out the "Be At Kiawah by 9am" plan that is quite typical for us in the spring and summer months. Once Joe saw the extended forecast mid-week last week, he had already started packing the umbrella and wagon for a marathon Kiawah day. When I broke the news, there were some sad faces here....we could still head for the beach but getting started after the lunchtime hour was not quite as tempting.

We decided to at least enjoy the beautiful blue skies and postpone the continuation of the Laundry Room Project....and believe it or not, after 5 years as Lowcountry residents, we have never been to Folly Beach so we decided an afternoon walk on the pier might be in order.

First, Lilly's pics seemed to go just great - although I wouldn't know for sure as the parents were not allowed in the room. Interesting but understandable I guess...they are 3 and 4 year olds and perhaps a bunch of doting Mothers was not what the photographer wanted to be dealing with.



After the pics, we hit the road for Folly....and after a 90 minute crawl in major traffic, we arrived at Folly to ZERO parking places near the pier. Bummer.....as we were driving down a side street searching for a space, we ended up at the gates of the County Park and public beach access....so....we were in fact going to have a beach day after all.

The day ended up being great fun. We went very low-key...didn't have the first snack ....only a few towels to share....NOT EVEN A BOTTLE OF WATER PEOPLE....but you know what - we loved the time together. Lilly even got to test drive her shiny new boogie board but ocean temps kept her surf time short. Winston and Joe braved the MUCH TOO COLD water and headed out for some serious wave running.




We were a stone's throw from the snack bar which proved very helpful. My favorite part of the day....sitting in the beach chair snuggling with my girl, telling stories and singing songs. She had gotten so cold in the water that she wanted to head for home. The only idea that seemed to hold any interest for her was snuggling under a beach towel in my lap...and I have to say, it was the best idea we had all day. I know those moments will not last forever and I so enjoyed those moments with her.









Late afternoon, we packed up for our trip back to Summerville which appeared to be everyone else's idea too....traffic once again....NOT FUN. We decided to turn left into Andolini's for dinner and yes, again, after 5 years here...we've never tried Andolini's pizza (It got 8 thumbs up from the Grant Family). We sat outside enjoying the last few hours of sunshine and decided that yes, our Saturday was the perfect way to usher in the warm temps of the Lowcountry.

And next time.....we will be beach bound by 8am!!

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Thank Heavens for Little Girls

Yesterday was one of those days that I felt such gratitude....gratitude for the gift of having a precious little girl. And at the risk of sounding melodramatic...it really was one of those days that I think I have dreamed about having ever since I heard those words from that ultrasound tech when she announced "You are having a girl"over 4 years ago.

It was just a girlie kind of day and I feel so lucky to have spent it with my Lilly and her sweet friend, Sarah, and her sweet Mama, my friend, Kathy.




Yesterday was Sarah's 4th birthday (and also our Grandma Billie's - shout out to Grandma!). Sarah's official party won't be for another few weeks but we couldn't let the day pass without something fun to honor Sarah's special day.

After our morning gym ritual, Lilly and I met Kathy and Sarah for a little day of beauty for the girls. Kathy had her kitchen set up for a mini spa visit. The girls got pedicures complete with a warm foot bath, bath salts and scrubs. They got their toes painted pinks and purples. It was so fun to watch their faces and hear their giggles...this was all so new to them.











After their pedicures, Kathy brought out the big guns....makeup, which is seriously like the holy grail to these 2 girls. They got the full makeover treatment.....powder, blush, eye shadow, sparkly finishing powder and lots AND LOTS of lip gloss. They decided they weren't finished and wanted some "unsupervised" time to themselves and with their makeup. It was SO fun to watch them chit chat and apply makeup to each other's faces....when they were done...2 words....

CLOWN SCHOOL.

It was PRECIOUS.











They were so enamored with the makeup, they didn't even want to get their hair done and Kathy had the electric curlers hot and ready to go....there will be a next time I'm sure and maybe, just maybe, we'll get to the hair styling at our next spa party.

They had lunch and enjoyed some birthday dessert before our fun came to an end. The bonus was that these 2 beauties behaved like little ladies...which was the icing on the proverbial cupcake! Both girls have big brothers to contend with at home and sometimes Kathy and I find ourselves a bit challenged to mediate their issues....nothing we can't handle with lots of prayer and a strong friendship but it was so wonderful to have a drama-free day of beauty!

It was just one of the days....a day to be grateful for sugar and spice and everything nice!!

Happy Birthday Sarah and thanks for letting us share your special day with you!!

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Honoring those who fought....and those who are still fighting

I am almost even afraid to say it....for I know how quickly life can change.....but



By and large, I have been fortunate enough to have not been affected in major ways by that dreaded disease, cancer. There is no doubt, our family knows friends who have battled...some have fought and survived and some have not.

I know just enough to be terrified of that reality...and for fear that I am somehow attracting that reality, I don't even want to put energy or focus on it even as I type this right now.

But the fact is....cancer affects countless families each and every day....a reality that smacked me right in the face last night during Summerville's Relay for Life, which I had the great opportunity to experience.





I wasn't sure what to expect but I wasn't expecting the intensity I felt and the tug at my heart as I walked the track with the kids and my good friends. We read the names and saw the pictures on the luminary bags that flickered as we walked past. Those bags were PEOPLE....lives forever changed by a prognosis....families altered....hearts broken....lives cut short....but also SURVIVORS....those who heard those dreaded words by a physician and still, for reasons only known to God, put on their game face, went into treatment, and came out of that illness to live healthy and happy lives.

The night was about honoring memories as well as those who proudly wore their purple t-shirts, giving hope to others who will walk that same road. And while I sometimes felt out of place, not sure I had "earned" my way onto that track, I was filled with joy to participate and to see my children walk that track and know that maybe in some small way, I was doing my part to honor those who have lost their battles and honor those who lived through theirs.





It was an experience I am grateful for....and one I hope to have again next year.












Some BERRY unexpected fun




Who doesn't love those days that start out ordinary and end up extraordinary.... which was the case on Thursday.

I should have sensed some kind of premonition as I look back earlier in the week, when at a completely random moment, Lilly looked at me and said "Mommy, can we make a strawberry pie?". I agreed to her request, promised we would do that this weekend and just assumed she had seen a recent episode of Strawberry Shortcake which prompted the question in the first place. I won't even know for sure where she got the idea but it was a good one for sure.





So Thursday started like most do...Winston to school, Lilly and I to the gym before she went to preschool and then for me, I was heading home for meal planning, grocery shopping and some afternoon cleaning that include a marathon catch-up phone call with a certain Florida resident.

When I saw Kathy at preschool drop-off, I mentioned Lilly's strawberry pie request and after a few minutes of talking, our day included a trip to the strawberry patch with the Brabhams after school. We met them there along with Linda and Parker and it morphed into another unexpected, great time with our friends.





Growing up in VA means strawberries in LATE May....NOT mid-April so a strawberry patch wasn't even on my radar. But just walking down the rows, moving the leaves to discover these gorgeous, ruby red jewels took me back to my childhood. I spent many Memorial Day Mondays skipping school and going with my Mom, my Grandma and my Grandpa to pick berries (I know - hard to believe it but back then in my hometown Memorial Day was NOT a school holiday!)

Grandma (Lilly's namesake) was pretty serious about this task...always on a mission, she had berries to pick, wash, pat dry and put up in the freezer in all forms....jellies, jams, cut and mixed with sugar for dessert toppings, and all other sorts of variations. My Grandpa and I would get our bushel baskets and wander off together....and a while later we'd return to find Grandma with baskets filled to the brim with berries and well, me....I would return with a handful of berries and a VERY bad stomach ache. Grandpa would just let me sit next to him and eat as many as I could pack into my belly. This memory is seared into my brain and always has been.





So, for me strawberry patches mean spending time with those we love and testing out some berries along the way.....
and by that account, our day in the Strawberry patch with the Brabhams and Azevedos was definitely a big success!!!





Now we just have to get that pie....

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Now that's a Book Club I can join!

I do love to read; but I find that often times, I can get so caught up in a good book that my ability to manage the Grant Family suffers immensely so I don't often get wrapped up in those juicy page-turners. Much like another favorite hobby, scrapbooking, I pick and choose my moments to dive into a good book.

I have been reading quite a bit this year...with Winston. He has become quite the reader and both Joe and I love to sit down with him and let him read to us. On March 30th, he read his 100th book of the school year which earned him a place in the Shine 100 Book Club. He was so excited when we filled in the last book on the log sheet. Since last week was Spring Break, he didn't get his certificate (and picture taken for a bulletin board at school) until today. He was also given a new book as a reward and let me just say, what a reward it has been already!! (And yes, to any inquiring minds - you know that boy had dinner on the red plate tonight...let's not discuss the nutritional value of said dinner....what can I say, first day back from spring break)


So back to the reading....

During Lilly's ballet time each Tuesday afternoon, Winston and I spend an hour together having a snack of his choice and reading books. Today, in order to feed his latest obsession for their fruit/granola yogurt parfait, we spent our time at Atlanta Bread Company reading his new book. And can I just tell you that today I entered the world of Junie B Jones...and what a hilarious world it is!!

We began "Junie B Jones Has a Peep in her Pocket" and we took turns reading the pages. Clearly we aren't reading a literary classic by any stretch but both Winston and I found Junie B's antics so funny that we literally made a bit of a scene in Atlanta Bread. I was laughing so hard at one point that I just started crying....Winston was laughing hysterically too but did seem a bit alarmed when tears began pouring down my cheeks. I can't even explain how funny we thought the story was. We made it to Chapter 4 and can't wait to dive back in.

What a great moment for the both of us....and hopefully one that neither of us will forget anytime soon.

Congratulations to our reader, Winston and oh sweet mercy, thank you Lord for Junie B Jones!!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

A Special Day for my Special Friend

Her name is Linda....and she really is one of my most favorite people on the planet. She is celebrating a birthday today and I can't wait to celebrate with her...very soon.


Linda is sassy and sweet...strong and gentle...classy and thrifty...fun-loving and oh so very type A. She's a bit of a study in opposites and that makes her very interesting and very entertaining. We've known each other a relatively short time but I feel like I've known her all my life. Mostly, I just feel lucky beyond measure to call her my friend.




Happy Birthday Linda Loo .....I hope your birthday is as special as you are!




A Beautiful Easter Day


Praises to our gracious God for our blessings....simply too many to name.