Tuesday, May 31, 2011

a whole new family...

what a life changing experience for me...

it all started with these 6 siblings...
my dad is the oldest of 6 kids and i met them all for the first time this weekend!!
what an amazing experience!!
left to right: front row: evelyn, michele and sue. back row: roland, don and my dad, rick.

i just have to say that i was extremely nervous going into this weekend... but each one of my aunts and uncles made me feel so welcome and loved. they were incredibly kind to abbi and i! they were each amazing!!


this was everyone!! in our cool reunion shirts!!

lori was amazing to help with abbi so much!!
we loved riding on the hellgate speed boat excursion! even though the first half of the trip was raining and cold...

aunt michele with all of her nieces and nephews that were at the reunion... loved her!!

proud papa with abbi!
we went golfing!! i even golfed one hole!! :)



the whole group at the hellgate brunch!!

it begins and ends with family! i am so honored to call these 3 men family!
my youngest brother, marcus. my dad, rick. me and my older brother, rick jr. and little miss abbs.... voted miss congeniality of the whole weekend!! :)

my older brother...

this is rick jr... my older brother!!
i met him for the first time last weekend! what a wonderful experience!! he is an incredible man and i am so excited to met him face to face!!


this is his beautiful wife lori! she is awesome!! so kind and sweet!
and this... is my dad and my 2 brothers...
first time we have all been together!!
this was a life changing weekend!!
loved loved loved it!!

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

farewell oprah...

i have always loved oprah! she is a true example of humilty, honor and honestly. i will miss her show very much! but i am excited for her next journey on OWN.
let me share a fun story about the oprah show...
when i started college, my mom moved away. so i moved in with my best friend and her family. it was amazing! loved it! well, my bf has 3 younger sisters and i found myself with them alot in the afternoons watching oprah!
i thought they weren't really paying attention to what i was watching... just playing with their toys and stuff... well, i was wrong!
one day after turning on oprah, kristine, the middle girl, asked me ...

"do we have to watch that black lady again?!"

ha! i have laughed many times over that comment over the years!


let me just say... that i cried during the 2 surprise shows ...
and during the final show... i felt her "love letter" for us, her viewers, was amazing! i plan on watching it again and making notes of her message. it touched me that much!

here is an article i found online that highlighted a few pieces of her show...

(CBS/AP) CHICAGO - After 25 years on the air, Oprah Winfrey ended her famous talk show on Wednesday by sharing memories, reflecting on life lessons and thanking fans for coming along on the journey with her.

The episode featured no guests - just Winfrey herself, standing alone on stage. It opened with a clip from her first show, and she then spent the hour showing favorite clips from throughout the years and recounting what she's learned during the show's quarter-century run.

She told viewers that sometimes she was a teacher - calling her show "the world's biggest classroom" - but more often her viewers instructed her. She called Wednesday's episode her "last class."

Among the life lessons she shared was, "You are responsible for the energy you create for yourself, and the energy you bring to others. Don't wait for somebody else to save you, to complete you, to fix you."

"Each one of you has your own platform. You can help somebody, you can listen, you can forgive," she said. "My greatest wish for all of you ... is that you carry whatever you are supposed to be doing and don't waste any more time."

She also thanked viewers for watching throughout the show's 25 years.

"Twenty-five years and I'm still saying, 'Thank you America,'" Winfrey said. "Thank you so much. There are no words to match this moment."

The taping came a week after Hollywood A-listers and 13,000 fans bid Winfrey farewell in a double-episode extravaganza at Chicago's United Center. The shows that aired Monday and Tuesday included Aretha Franklin, Tom Cruise, Stevie Wonder, Michael Jordan and Madonna, among other stars of television, music and movies. They were just a few of the approximately 30,000 guests who have appeared on the show over 25 years.

On Wednesday, Winfrey called the event "a love intervention on steroids."

Winfrey ended Wednesday's show by saying she felt "all sweet, no bitter."

"I won't say goodbye," she told fans. "I'll just say until we meet again."

Winfrey then stepped off the stage and through the audience and hugged and kissed longtime partner Stedman Graham before walking through the halls of Harpo Studios in Chicago, hugging, crying and high-fiving members of her staff.

She shouted "We did it!" The last shot of the finale showed Winfrey walking away with her cocker spaniel, Sadie




until we meet again, my friend, until we meet again...

Saturday, May 21, 2011

a royal comparison...

i love this!!!

Monday, May 16, 2011

10 months...

Abbi Little is 10 months old!!
wow...
here are some of her wonderful highlights of her 9-10 month!!
* abbi loves to go barefoot! ...just like her momma!
* she has combined her bahbahbahbah (bouncing her hand onto her mouth) with rolling her arms! it is so cute!! she bumps her mouth to make the sound as she rolls her little arms!!
* she kicks/rubs her little feet around like a lightning bug! so cute...
* her little feet are always crossed!! such a lady!

* abbi throws stuff behind her! stuff in the laundry basket, off of the bookshelf, out of the toy chest... she will then turn around, see the mess she made and then proceed to chuck that pile behind her!! funny!!
* she loves books! her favorites right now are: musical kisses, hugs, soft foam lady bug and the bubble bedtime book by seasame street.
* her favorite toys are: all of them!! :) we did tie some yarn to on of her rattles and she thought that was pretty fun too!
* abbi will sit very still on my lap when i trim her fingernails. she has for several months!! now her toes... not so much!! :)

*  abbi had her first hotel stay when we went down to mesquite for jeff and heidi's wedding.  she did really well!  she woke up only once a night, so i just tucked her in bed with me and she went right back to sleep.  i guess that is one of the priveledges of going on vacation... you get to sleep with momma... :) 

*  we are now ignoring the night time crying- trying to get her to sleep through the night.
* naps are crazy right now!! she either falls asleep #1- sitting up or slumped over from cying so much. #2- or when she is laying down i can keep my hand on her chest to help her calm down. i have noticed that singing to her helps calm her down too.

*  abbi started clapping her hands!!  we were out to dinner with the gang and she just did it!!  so cute!!
*  she just cruises around the room holding on to the couch, hope chest, bookshelf, tv cabinet or wall... whatever she is around!  yikes!!

* abbi loves to get into things!! boxes, laundry baskets...
* her new passion is what we call "paperwork"... she tears and shreds all of our junk mail and magazines!! anything paper!! rip rip rip!!

*  this little "magic" lotion works wonders!!  not only for her skin, but for her temperment!  :)  she can be super fussy when we lay her on the changing table... give her the tube of "magic lotion ... and wahla!  happy baby!!  :)  this pic was right after her bath, so she is a little wet still! 

*  her schedule right now is:  7am: breakfast- cerial and fruit plus 4 oz bottle.  9-9:30am:  snack and 4 oz bottle.  10-10:30am:  naptime.  11-11:30am:  lunch:  cereal with veggie and 4 oz bottle.  1-1:30pm:  snack and 4 oz bottle.  2-2:30pm:  naptime.  3:30-4pm:  7 oz bottle.  5:30-6pm:  dinner- baby food meal or jar veggies plus 4 oz bottle.  7:30-7:45pm:  bath/jammies.  7:45-8pm:  nurse or 4oz bottle and bed.

* we have added a 3rd "meal" at lunch time. more of the stage 3 food.
* she has started eating dairy!! yogurt and cheese are ok!
* abbi loves snack time!! she eats baby puffs, yogurt melts, cinnamon crunchies and some small pieces of arrowroot cookies.
* she is also eating off of momma's plate as much as possible. she loves that!!
* she is very independent! she wants to get her food herself! finger food from my hand or from her tray.
* abbi loves her daddy!! and his race car! they will sit on the floor at least 20-30 mins and play with the remote control car that was kevin's when he was little.

* she enjoys "walking" around! she will hold our hands or hold onto the walls!! cruising is her thing!
* abbi still loves to play peek-a-boo! she will cover her head with a blanket, shirt or toy so that she can play too!! darling!!

* when i came back from getting my hair cut short, abbi didn't recognize me!! :( she whimpered when nanny left her alone with me in the room!! made me sad! it did take a day or so until she was convinced it was me...
* abbi loves to be in her stroller!! anytime she is out and about, she is happy!
* she loves other little kids/babies!
* sometimes abbi is shy around other people, or when she first gets around someone. and she will duck her head into my shoulder.
*  abbi loves to "help" daddy put his sodas away when he comes home from work!!  it is so cute!!

*  she is starting to sit up a little at bathtime- she sits on her bath sponge.  getting so big!

*  abbi gets very very excited when momma or daddy comes home from work!! 

*  abbi attended her very first parade!!  the girls all went to the smithfield days parade!!  she loved it!!  didn't keep her hat or sunglasses on very long... but was sure cute while they lasted...!


*   i am pretty sure the days of the headbands are coming to an end... she won't keep them on.. at all!!


we love this little girl more and more everyday!!  she is such a wonderful kid!! 
 
love you abbi,
momma and daddy

Monday, May 09, 2011

a day in the life of abbi...

this little darling is such a big helper!!


see how she helps momma unload the dishwasher?


such a helper...

oh wait... were these clean?

not anymore...



oh well.

now is her perfect opportunity to learn how to play spoons!!

such talent!




she doesn't miss a thing!!

wants to see everything!!





i sure love her!!


and her crazy curiousity!

Sunday, May 08, 2011

happy mother's day...

my first mother's day was spent sitting in the back seat of our car driving back home from jeff's wedding...
but i was with my beautiful daughter and my fabulous husband...
so i wouldn't trade it for anything!
i love being abbi's mom!
she is the greatest gift i could ever be given.




love you abbi girl!!
thanks for choosing me to be your momma...

a roadtrip and a wedding!!

my really good friend, jeff, got married over mother's day weekend!
jeff and heidi are so great together! whirl wind courtship, but i am excited for them!!
the Little family took a roadtrip to Mesquite, NV for the wedding!!
we had a blast!!
abbi's first hotel stay...
which was free because jeff's new in laws have hotel connections!! wahoo!! abbi loved playing on the bed with daddy!!
sporting her new swimming suit, coverup and sandals!! sooooooo cute!! :)
abbi loved loved loved the water!!
first time swimming!!
splashing girl!!
family photo!
taking a rest in the shade after swimming!!
my goodness!! i love this little girl!! she is so fun!!
so worn out after swimming in the big pool!! she ended up falling asleep in the stroller on the way back to our room. we just kept the stroller tilted and let her sleep...
all dressed up for the wedding
abbi loves babies, kids... pretty much anyone small!! :)
jeff's little niece, megan, was so fun to "play" with!!
love this pic!!
jeff with his parents, russ and sharon
the beautiful and happy couple...
may they live happily ever after!!