10 Months of Lil: A Walkin' and A Talkin'

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Our precious LilliAnn is now 10 months old! She's actually been 10 months old for a couple of weeks now, so I decided that I better do this post before she hits 11 months! I can't say enough about what a joy she has been in my life. She definitely has her daddy's personality! Everyone loves her. She makes friends with everyone she meets. She's easy to please. And most of the time there's always a smile on her face. LilliAnn loves to give kisses! All you have to do is say, "Can I have a kiss?" And she'll give you one...right on the mouth! Sometimes you don't even have to ask for one. She'll just plant one right on your lips! In the mornings when she wakes up she usually gives me a kiss to try and wake me up. She's so sweet! This past week she sure has been a mama's girl. She'll walk around the house looking for me, saying, "mama? mama?" It just melts me heart to hear her call me name. And yes, I said walk around the house...she is quite the walker these days. It's not even a challenge for her anymore. I feel like I don't even remember her crawling. That time in her life passed all too quickly for a mommy trying to hold on to the baby stages. This month is the first month that I've really noticed her actually playing with Reid. She follows him everywhere and he loves it...most of the time. They wake each other up in the morning with kisses and giggles and go to sleep at night with snuggles and hugs. He definitely watches over her and I frequently hear, "no no sis," "sissy put that in her mouth," or "sissy's trying to get that!" Reid is such a great big brother and he's learned that if she has one of his toys then he needs to give her something different to play with before taking the toy away from her. This little trick used to work, but now she's gotten old enough to know what she wants. Now when he takes the toy she had away, this is usually followed by a little temper tantrum until I make Reid share. 

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I never thought Jeb would be this crazy about a little girl, but he absolutely ADORES his little sweetheart. He brushes her hair and she flirts with him. She already has her daddy wrapped around her little finger. Jeb's not a big spender, especially on clothes, but when it comes to LilliAnn he does not mind me buying her cute little outfits and tutus. I went in the Tulip Tree in Norman the other day to just get a headband and came out with an outfit and some shoes. I got in the car and said to Jeb, "I should not have gone in there! I always want to buy everything in the store!" He said, "You should've bought her a few more outfits. Doll my baby up!!!" I started cracking up laughing. I never thought he would want her to be such a girlie girl! And man do I love shopping for her! I can't imagine not having a little girl to shop for! We went to the cutest children's clothing store in Vegas and I got a little carried away buying things for LilliAnn. It's not that Reid is not fun to shop for, it's just that there's so much more of a variety for girls...especially baby girls! This is one reason why I think that we're done having children. I love just having one boy to give all of my "boy attention" to and one girl to give all of my "girl attention" to. I would be completely overwhelmed if I had two girls to shop for! Especially since my personality is to always overdo! 

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LilliAnn's 10 Month Vocabulary

-mama

-dada

-nana

-papa

-bubba

-hat

-hot

-drink

-ba ba

-ball

-backpack and map (from watching Dora)

-that

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LilliAnn takes naps in her crib and sleep in her crib, unlike her big brother. About halfway through the night, however, she ends up in bed with us. I'm still breastfeeding and she usually wakes up once or twice to eat (or use me as a pacifier), especially since she's been teething. Speaking of teething...LilliAnn seems to have a lot more pain with her teething than Reid. As a matter of fact, I don't even remember much about Reid teething because it never seemed to bother him that much. Poor LilliAnn's little cheeks turn red and she just wants to nurse or to be held. She'll chew on her fingers and grab at her mouth and just cry. It's terrible! If they're really giving her fits, she doesn't even want to eat, but only wants to breastfeed. And sissy will NOT eat her baby food! It's like she went straight from rice cereal to eating off of the table! I've tried and tried to get her to eat the jars of organic baby food that I've stocked up on. A couple of months ago I was able to distract her and give her bites until she ate the whole jar, but not anymore! I'm lucky if I can get her to eat even one bite of her baby food! She thinks she has to eat everything that big brother is eating. She loves all kinds of fruit, especially blueberries, strawberries, and oranges, and loves chicken & dumplings, any kind of bread, sausage, turkey, macaroni & cheese, broccoli, and green beans. I haven't given her juice yet...other than the drinks of it that she gets from Reid's sippy cups. She still loves drinking water, and I'm very thankful for that!

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Last night as I was nursing her to sleep, rocking her and patting her chubby little thigh, I looked at her sweet face and couldn't imagine what my life would be like without her. I almost started crying because I felt so overwhelmingly blessed by God. I thanked my Lord and Savior for giving me such wonderful children to love and to share His love with. Since the moment they put her in my arms, as they wheeled me to the recovery room, I've felt like all was right in the world. Reid is the handsome, first born son that I have always wanted and LilliAnn is the beautiful little girl of my dreams. I've been getting very emotional at the thought of her turning one in just a few short months. Before long there will be no more breastfeeding, no more bottles, no more jars of baby food, no more Baby Einstein. Then not long after that, there will be no more diapers and no more goos and gahs. But for now, I have it all...my soul mate, a gorgeous, healthy BABY girl and an adorable toddler boy! And then there will be new things. Purses will replace bows, designer jeans will replace tutus, and make-up will replace baby drool. There will be Proms and dance recitals, homework and hissy fits. I'll have new things to be crazy about. I'll have to find out where to buy the best prom dress instead of where to buy the best tutus. And I'll still love her...as much as I loved her on April 6, 2010....and probably even more.

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Laundry: Part 2

After I read my laundry post, I thought that it probably sounded like Jeb makes me his laundry slave. Just to clarify...Jeb does 50% of the laundry at our house and is a great partner when it comes to house work. It just makes him really happy if I have all the laundry done and put up and he has fresh underwear and clean, unwrinkled jeans. I just really don't like doing it...but who does?

Laundry's not my thing.

That's right. Laundry's NOT my thing! I know what you're thinking. Laundry isn't anyone's thing. And I know, it's probably not. I'm sure most people do not like doing laundry. There probably is somebody out there, however, who just loves doing laundry, but laundry REALLY is not. my. thing. I'm sure it's the type A personality in me that cannot stand for there to be no completion. EVER. I like to see the end result. I like accomplishment, completion, things that stay in order. This doesn't happen so much with laundry. You finally think you've done that last load, but then on your way to the bathroom you find a random sock, or a dirty shirt, hiding in the corner somewhere. And if you do happen to find all the strays hidden around the house, it's not long before the laundry basket is filled to the top once again. Then, when I finally stick to the task and get it all folded, I get extremely stressed out when I put it all away. Why? You say. Because when I start hanging laundry in the closets it makes me feel like I need to organize the closets, straighten all the shoes, etc. I know, it's ridiculous! 

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Jeb is always on me about doing the laundry. Not that I let my laundry pile up...I would never let it get out of hand. There is never more than my laundry room drawers or my bathroom laundry basket can handle, but it's just that I'll start doing it and not finish. I'll put a load in, switch it to the dryer, and then not fold it for a day or two....then it's wrinkled and I have to start all over or toss it for a while on de-wrinkle. Such a waste of time, I know. I avoid laundry like the plague. And it's gotten so much worse since Jeb started working in the oilfield. He has huge piles of filthy dirty oilfield clothes that make my washer and dryer smell like black gold! Don't get me wrong, the smell of oil is not a bad thing. It reminds me of the smell of my daddy's truck when I used to ride around and check wells with him as a child, but I do not like for Reid and LilliAnn's clothes to smell of oil. Doing Jeb's laundry means lots of oxi, lots of spray & wash, and lots of cleaning the washing machine. It's even worse during the winter or when he works on the pulling unit because there's jackets, sweatshirts, long johns and coveralls to wash as well! But, having clean work clothes every morning and his favorite jeans hanging in his closet and ready to wear are really important things to Jeb. And because of this, it doesn't bother me to stay up late and get all the clothes put away. That's what marriage is about...doing those extra little things that you know are important to the other person, even if it's not your favorite thing to do. Love, is why you do it.

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It's kind of weird to blog about laundry, but as everyone else is in bed and I'm staying up to fight the pile of clothes on my couch I thought to myself, laundry is NOT my thing! I'm really good at a lot of things, but laundry is just not one of them!

Viva Las Vegas!

Vegas...wow! What a trip! 

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Last weekend we flew to Vegas to celebrate my dad's 50th birthday! My dad has never been to Vegas and he doesn't fly, so my mom decided to take him on a road trip to the Grand Canyon and to Las Vegas for his 50th birthday. Jeb, Kassidy, and I had big plans to surprise him by flying out and meeting them at The Beatles LOVE show at the Mirage on Friday night.  Unfortunately, dad had looked at my mom's credit card bill a few weeks ago and started to pick up on the whole "surprise" thing. Then, while at a Thunder game, he tricked my brother into basically telling him that we were flying out to meet them in Vegas...so much for the surprise! We did, however, still surprise him by having my grandma and grandpa fly out to meet us for the big celebration. He had no clue they were going to show up for the big birthday weekend! My best friend Kari flew out on Friday afternoon with Jeb and I, and then Kassidy and my grandparents flew out that night and met us at the show. 

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I was super nervous about leaving the kids, even if it was for just two nights. Neither of them had ever stayed overnight with anyone besides my parents, so I was a little apprehensive about the trip. My Granny Carol and my Aunt Johnna were coming to stay the weekend at our house and I knew that Reid would be fine as long as he had Grayson around to keep him occupied while we were away. My stomach was in knots as we said our goodbyes to the kids. Reid was so busy playing Mario on the Wii that he barely had time to give his mama a goodbye kiss! As we walked out the door, neither one of them seemed to even notice! So, with a smooth send off from the kids and the reassurance from Jeb that they were in good hands my mind was put to ease and we headed for the airport. Jeb and I really aren't gamblers, but I was so excited to have a relaxing "adult" weekend with my family and see some great Vegas shows!  

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Jeb decided he needed his boots shined at the airport.

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Ready for take-off! I am NOT a good flier! I get extremely nervous every time that I fly and it only gets worse as I get older. The entire way to the airport Jeb and Kari kept talking about cemeteries and dying and it was really freaking me out. As we passed the cemetery in front of Will Rogers Airport, Kari says, "It's really weird that there's a cemetery right when you pull into the airport." Then Jeb starts talking about where he wants to be buried and Kari says, "well I already have a plot." Jeb replies, "Let's hear it!" He thought she meant plan. He had no idea what a plot was, lol! All of this talk wasn't helping the mini panic attack that was brewing up inside of me, but after a glass of wine I was completely relaxed and ready for some Vegas! Bring on the turbulence! 

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Thankfully, both the flight to Dallas and to Vegas were very smooth. And it helped that we had free Facebook on Wifi to distract me on the plane, as well as an episode of Toddlers and Tiaras to watch on the iPad! I'm glad Kari was with us to help keep me busy while in the air because Jeb's never been a good flying partner for me. He falls asleep during take-off and sleeps the entire time!

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 I've been to Vegas once before the summer that we were married, but this was Jeb's first trip. He really didn't know what to expect so he wasn't all that excited, but I knew he was going to LOVE it!

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My little brother loves to stay at Caesar's Palace. Probably because that's where they staying in the movie, The Hangover, but it does have a really good location right in the middle of the strip. We stayed in the Augusta Tower that was near the front of the hotel that had just been remodeled. We had a beautiful suite with a great view of the strip!

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 Chocolate gold coins on our pillow! We couldn't wait to take these back home to Reid because he's been watching a new pirate show on the Disney Channel where they put all the gold coins they've collected in a treasure chest at the end of the show. I knew he'd totally dig these "gold doubloons."

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 So, not a good picture at all - but a view of the strip from our room

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 Vegas, baby...yeah!

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 After we got up to our room on Friday evening we changed and headed to dinner. We had reservations at a steakhouse in Caesar's called Nero's. It was AMAZING!

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It was so nice to actually be able to fix my hair and get all dressed up. I'm always worried about getting the kids bathed, dressed, and ready that I hardly ever have time anymore to fix up myself!

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Dinner at Nero's 

If you've never been to Vegas then you need to go! You could make a trip just out of eating at all the amazing restaurants!!! I watch Food Network all the time, so I'm familiar with a lot of the famous chefs that have restaurants in Vegas and I was so excited to eat at some of them. We definitely don't have places like this to eat in Shawnee! I order a aged filet mignon with potato au gratin and it was absolutely delicious. These steaks were very fancy...dry aged, wet aged...I had no idea what to order! The restaurants in Vegas are over-the-top...the food, the drinks, the lighting, the service, the atmosphere...SUPERB!

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How cute are my parents? He doesn't even look 50!!!

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 We had a little time before we had to walk over to the Mirage for the show, so we walked around Caesar's checking out all the sites. Caesar's has a mall called The Forum Shops that has some of the best shopping ever!

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Pussycat Dolls at Caesar's - when it gets later in the evening they have girls come and dance in this area while you gamble at the tables. I LOVE the leopard chairs!

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 PURE nightclub...This night they were having a private birthday party for Ashely Green, actress from the Twilight movies. Kari and I were trying really hard to get on the list ;)

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Next, it was time for The Beatles LOVE cirque du soleil at the Mirage. We saw this show about 3 years ago and fell in love with it. My mom even flew my brother out for the weekend that same summer just so he could see this show. Yes, it is that good...we think so, anyway. You don't even have to be a Beatles fan to love this show. The music, costumes, and choreography is, yep, you guessed it...AMAZING! 

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Vegas - Summer 2007

Here's Kari and I at the same show almost 3 years ago!

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 The Rollins LOVE :)

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Kassidy's plane was running a little late, so dad kept worrying about Kass and how he was going to get to the show on time. We knew that he was fine and no of us were worried because we knew grandma and papa were with him. As the show started, here came Kassidy, grandma, and papa, walking down our row to get in their seats. Dad was completely surprised! He had no idea my grandparents were coming! He asked, "What are you guys doing here?"

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 I'm crazy about this guy!!! He would be a great Beatle!

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 After the show Friday night, we got a little something to eat, walked around the casinos a little more, then headed back to the room to hang out.

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 Father-in-law/Son-in-law love :)

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 This is so my dad...always chillaxin'

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 GQ

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 Look at that hair!

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 And this is so my brother...always doing push-ups, hand stands, or something crazy in his underwear!

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 Getting his game face on - this guy is ready for some SERIOUS shopping! Now Kassidy, he is a shopper...more than any girl I know. This kid will SHOP! The Nike store, Burberry, Diesel...he was in heaven! 

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 Early Saturday morning...Papa was ready for some breakfast and some black jack!

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We had such a wonderful time with grandma and papa on this trip! They used to go out to Vegas several times a year, so they're ole' Vegas pros! Papa taught me how to win at the black jack table and showed Jeb a few tricks at Craps. Papa is always telling jokes and is full of laughter, so it's always such a joy to hang out with him!

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My gorgeous grandma!

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Saturday morning we did a little shopping (there was a great kids clothing store at the Forum shops in Caesars!) and then we went across the street to a smaller casino called Bill's. It was a saloon/old western themed casino and was much smaller than most of the casinos on the strip. My dad's not much for crowds of people and lots of noise, so this little laid-back casino was much more fun for him.

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One of my favorite men...yes, I'm still my daddy's girl!

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 Giving us the big 5-0!!!

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My Everything!

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 Kari had a great day on Saturday. She won on the black jack table!

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 Lunch at a little restaurant in the back of Bill's. It wasn't very good, by the way, but we sure had fun laughing at my dad making jokes about how terrible his ribs were!

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Looks like Papa Glenn and I make a pretty great team!

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The hotels and casinos in Vegas are unbelievable. All of the decor and architecture are just gorgeous. From the Italian inspired theme of the Venetian to the whimsical decor of the Wynn, these hotels are definitely a site to see! You could spend days in each of them just seeing all of the beautiful decorations! Most of them have malls inside of them, multiple gourmet restaurants, unique bars, and the Venetian even has a little river with gondola rides!

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 Saturday night was the 50th Birthday Celebration!

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 At the Venetian

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 I loved this huge rabbit at the Venetian!

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 Dinner at Emeril's steakhouse, Delmonico!

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 Happy 50th Birthday, dad!

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blowing out the candle!

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 Always laughing...

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 Love the new shirt, Kass!

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Quick pic after some shopping for the kiddos

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Walking the strip...

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The Bellagio

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 Love this ceiling...and this guy :)

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 The water show in front of the Bellagio is fantastic!

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 This...is where things get interesting! Saturday night we went and saw the show, Mystere, at Treasure Island. Mystere is the original, and longest running, cirque du soleil in Vegas. The show was incredible and had performers that had all sorts of crazy, unbelievable tricks and talents! There was one part in the show where one guy would stand on another guys hand doing a hand stand, as well as other types of crazy tricks with their bodies.  I mentioned something about Kass and Jeb not being able to do that, and of course, it was on! When we got back to the room we had our own little "cirque du soleil!"

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 Weird

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 Even weirder...

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 What the heck...even I joined it!!!

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Kari was their spotter, lol!

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 Look at those muscles! Ladies, he's available...

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They were actually pretty good!

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 notice the hair...

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the most weird of them all...

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 And after numerous attempts to do something cool...SUCCESS!

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 On our last day, we had brunch at Serendipity 3. I guess this is kind of like a well-known, fun little restaurant where celebrities are frequently spotted. There's also one in New York. Apparently, Tom Cruise recently took Suri to eat here and have their famous "frozen hot chocolate" and the Kardashian's love to eat here as well. The food is fantastic, but their portion sizes are outrageous! Look at grandma and papa's coffee cups!

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 Frozen Hot Chocolate!

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 Dad could not get over the portion sizes! His little rant included, "This is the most ridiculous thing in Vegas. This is more than ridiculous! There are people starving in Aftrica. We should package some of this stuff up and give it to the homeless guy across the street. It took a dinosaur egg to make that omelette! This is just crazy! No wonder Kim Kardashian's butt is so big!!!"

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 Kass - cracking up at all of dad's comments

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our spread

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 cutest parents ever!!!

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I'm so blessed to have this guy as my daddy! He's always been there for me, has done so much for me to make my life easier, and always keeps me laughing. His kind heart and generous spirit make him one pretty special guy!

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 Fratter - all decked out in his new attire!

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 Too cool for school!

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 The Birthday Boy!

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It was fabulous weekend, to say the least! Other than my babies not being with me, it was probably the best trip I've even taken! It was a relaxing, but exciting, fun, but not too crazy, short, but not too short weekend getaway! I think my dad really enjoyed himself, especially since all of his "people" came out to help him celebrate his "over-the-hill" milestone! Hopefully, a trip like that made turning the big 5-0 just a little bit easier on him ;)