Snickers and Diet Coke...Lunch of Champions?

Unfortunately, this often seems to be the case in my life:) Over the past few weeks I have been so busy, stopping to eat a decent lunch is more of a luxury than a necessity. This week, however, I am finally done with my summer class so things are slowing down and we are getting back into a slower routine.

This weekend we went down south to an impromptu family reunion. Four of my mom's five brothers and sisters were there, as well as many of my cousins and their kids. Many of them had not met A yet, and it was really nice to see everyone. It was a crazy houseful of Gettingers!

Picking cherries and apricots

Gathering around the grill for some of Derek's yummy burgers and corn on the cob....and grilled apricots for dessert!

This was my horsey when I was little!

Then last night we had the guys over for a poker game, while Beth, Yonda and I visited and watched the kids. It was funny to watch Joel and A together. A was definately very interested to see what Joel was playing with, while Joel got frustrated with her taking his toys away from him!

Last of all, here are some random pics I've taken of A over the last couple weeks. Some turned out okay, I think:)

An Attitude of Gratitude
Thank you, Lisa, for reminding me that there is so much to be thankful for. A few things that I take for granted:

• A beautiful house that we are not over our heads in debt for
• gooseneck faucets, white subway tile, and new carpet! (just a few of my favorite things...)
• a beautiful daughter that is healthy and smart (did I mention she can clap her hands??)
• just enough money left over to get the dog groomed
• a husband that helps
• food in my belly every day
• my own health and the health of my family
• health insurance for when things do go wrong
• two running vehicles
• 4 loving grandparents
• 9 loving grandparents for my daughter!
• my education and the opportunity to go as far as I want
• a good job and a flexible schedule
• a God that loves, protects, listens, provides, blesses generously, disciplines and did I say....LOVES

Party at Shades
After a busy week, we deserved a nice, relaxing weekend, and we got it:) The week has been crazy because of my school schedule right now, putting me home around 7 or 7:30 most nights. I hate that, because I don't get much time at all during the week with Annabel anymore. It should slow down after this week though, because I will be done with my class.

Saturday we went to a going-away party for Melanie and Wes at Shades State Park, so that was fun. We got to hang out with Chris and Geneva, which was nice since we hadn't seen them since Annabel was 2 wks old, as well as everyone else! It was just really nice getting together with everyone and enjoying some summer weather. Annabel loved hanging out with Shannon, playing Barbies (eating Barbie's shoes) and pulling her hair.

As you can see from the pictures, our daughter is super-tan already, which is just not fair. I put sunscreen on her everytime we go out, and yet she already looks like a blond Mexican. Don't know where she gets that beautiful olive complexion...(guessing either from grandma Jeani or grandpa Fred).

Now for the pictures...

Why is my baby naked? (pulling Shannon's hair)

I just love the colours in this one. Holly's camera takes such nice pictures!

Enjoying some time with grandma and grandpa

And then we took some posey ones:

With pics like these, who needs Jen Sherrick?:)

And just a few more random photos:

I just thought this was cute....my little thinkercousins!

daddy time!

Morganne is so pretty (Mel's not bad either!)

Well, after last week staying home with her grandma, and and then a busy weekend getting ready for carpet and Monday with the carpet guys here making all kinds of noise, Annabel finally seems to be back in her routine. It is just amazing how thrown off they can get by these things. Monday night her room was in disarray from the carpet, and she cried forever before getting to sleep. Last night I put the bumper back on her crib, put her little pillow and stuffed zebra back in there with her, and put the furniture back were it goes, and wouldn't you know it - she fell asleep in 2 minutes flat!
Last night I did another "photo shoot" with her around the house, practicing using natural lighting and props from around the house. I will work on getting the pictures up soon, after I can figure out how to crop them.
I do love the new carpet. I was kind of sad when they pulled up the old carpet in our bedroom to see the pretty old hardwood underneath, but there was a huge section from where they had added on in the past that was just subfloor, so we couldn't have kept it like that anyway. The wood looked really pretty with the purple paint, though. We have a few finishing touches to do, but it already looks like a whole new bedroom. I love having a room that I feel like I can relax in:)
Pictures to come, I promise!

Pictures and anacdotes from the week

There were at Pizza Hut earlier this week

Grandma Sue came to visit us this week. She got to take care of Annabel on Wed-Fri. I think they both had a great time - Annabel loved all the extra attention! We got to go swimming one afternoon at neighbor Frank's. Annabel has taken to the cold water pretty well, and even went under a couple of times!

Also this week, we got to visit with Uncle Justin and Aunt Holly, and cousin Morganne! Annabel really showed a lot of interest in her baby cousin, poking at her eyes and pulling her hair. :) Morganne is getting cuter every time we see her! She's got such beautiful blue eyes! And dimples! Aaaand....she sleeps through the night (hint, hint, dear daughter)!

Annabel got to spend some quality time with her daddy this week, which was nice since it is Father's day!

Hmmm, there seems to be a theme to these pictures...now that its summer, I apparently don't feel the need to dress my child! (she actually prefers it this way:)

Also this week, we have been getting ready for new carpet upstairs. I am very excited about it, as our current carpet/hardwood is very old and ugly. This, however, has brought new challenges, because we are having to move everything from the upstairs to the downstairs. Ugh. What a pain, especially with our little monster crawling around everywhere, putting whatever she can find in her mouth. In addition to carpet, we have been painting, replacing and painting trim, putting up a new ceiling fan, and redoing the siding on one wall....soooo, lots of fun things to find and eat (plaster, lead paint, screws, etc.) If we all make it through alive, I will have a very beautiful, sexy bedroom ;) (TMI?)

As I was packing up Annabel's room, it gave me a good opportunity to go through her stuff and make inventory of the things we no longer need. That made me kind of sad, especially going through her little clothes. As I was packing up the winter duds, I realized that she would never again be able to wear this stuff. (sniff sniff). I definately had some favorites. Like her little brown yoga pants, so cute...And all her little hand-knit cardigans...the adorable flannel pajamas... It was especially sad, because I don't even know if we will be having any more children, and even if we do (SOMEwhere down the road) who's to say it will be another little girl? Oh well, I guess I just shouldn't get so attached to material things. (Oooooh, I just remembered the leg warmers......) Why did I spend so much money on these things?!?

One last thing- Annabel has been seriously pulling herself up this week. Tonight she pulled herself up on the coffee table, and proceeded to walk herself around to get a pair of my shiny green earrings and eat them.

Happy Father's Day!
In honor of father's day tomorrow, this post is dedicated to Derek, my wonderful husband and Annabel's daddy. Here are just some of the reasons we love daddy so much:

• He's not just a "helper," he's just as much of a parent as I am!
• But he's a great helper!
• He changes diapers - even cloth
• He cooks us a yummy dinner every night
• He works hard to make our home a pretty place to live
• He humors me when I decide it's time to make changes in Annabel's schedule, eating habits, painting the bedroom purple, etc.
• He always remembers when its time to give Annabel her medicine and the directions for taking it.
• He lets me be the main caregiver- not because he doesn't want to, but because he knows I love it so much
• He made sacrifices so that I could stay home part time with the baby
• He changes his schedule around so that he can stay home when I have class
• He encourages me to finish school, even though it really isn't convenient for us right now.
• He always smiles when he sees us
• He came up with his own special nickname for our daughter- A.B.
• He is a good listener - when I have to vent about work, or even about things that nobody would want to hear about (child abuse, divorce, poverty, mental illness) just so I can get it off my chest and not have to carry it by myself.
• Sometimes he gets up early with the baby and lets me sleep in
• Even after 7 years together, we still have just as much fun and enjoy each other's company, if not even more now
• He encourages my "natural" parenting style, i.e. using cloth diapers, making homemade babyfood, breastfeeding, etc.
• He loves us both, just for who we are:)
• He's just an all-around great husband and dad! We love you Derek!

This weekend Annabel and I went to down south to visit my parents and go to the festival. It was certainly an adventure! On the way down to pick up Melanie, it started to storm very badly, so that we could hardly see in front of us. We had to pull over for a little bit and wait for it to let up. This was one of the sites that we saw:

Whoa! Glad I wasn't in that truck! I proceeded to pick up Melanie, who was waiting for me at a gas station where all the power was out! We continued to make our way south, very slowly. We finally made it about 11 pm. Saturday we had a good time at the festival, even though it was very HOT and hardly anyone was there due to the severe flooding in the area. In fact, we were placed in a state of emergency, and all roads leading out of the county were flooded closed. I wasn't sure we were going to get home!

This was the road to my parent's house:

Here are some pics of my mom and dad's house - it's really coming along!

Annabel got to enjoy a 4-wheeler ride with grandpa! She thought that was really fun!
Saturday night we got a call that the road that my grandparents live on (which is a dead-end) was washed out and impassible.
Check it out:

Great Grandpa Gettinger

We had to catch a ride into town and leave our car on the other side of the hole. When we got back, my dad was overseeing the repair. I thought these pictures would be really appropriate blown up into a poster: "Mr. McCammon for Commissioner"!

Needless to say, Melanie, Annabel and I got home safely Sunday afternoon after a very fun, relaxing, adventurous weekend! Annabel was glad to see her daddy, as was I.

Have a great week!

What a crazy week. Yesterday I found out that the class I am supposed to take this summer, which I thought was in July, actually started May 27! Totally my fault, but it still drives me crazy. I am so disorganized! I missed 3 classes, which is 12 hours of class. Since it is a summer class it meets twice a week, 4 hrs each time. I was able to talk to the professor and she is letting me make it up by writing a 15 page paper. Not excited about that, but I am so thankful that she is still letting me take the class! If I couldn't take it, it would have set me back a year graduating! So anyway, I spent all day rearranging my schedule so that I would be able to take the class, work, have daycare, meet with practicum clients, etc. What a crazy month this is going to be!
I have been thinking a lot about what it means to be a working, professional woman and still a mom. Like yesterday, I find myself making excuses for not being able to work a particular shift, because I don't have daycare for that day, and it is humbling for me. I know that I can't please everyone all the time, and it isn't my responsibility to drop everything to make someone else's life easier, but I still feel guilty and irresponsible. Is this normal?? Everything is more complicated when you have children.
Annabel continues to be such a source of amusement and joy for me. I love to see her smiling face in the crib first thing in the morning and I love to sneak in and peek at her while she is sleeping. She is so curious about everything, and smart! Everyone says how intently she watches everything and how seriously she studies an object or a face. The other day I was watching her as she was playing a game with herself- taking the pacifier out of her mouth and throwing it about 10 inches in front of her, then crawling after it. Repeat about 8 times, until she is to the other side of the room- so funny!
She is so sweet and loving, giving hugs and kisses and showing affection so freely. My mom asked me the other day if I ever imagined how much my baby would love me, and I can honestly say no. It definately stirs up some conflictual feelings inside me- like what have I done to deserve such love and adoration? What makes me worthy of this child's unconditional love and how do I continue to be "good enough" to deserve it? Will she still love me if I don't always measure up to what a mother should be? Perhaps it is a lesson in God's love for me as well- I have done nothing to deserve it, yet it is always unconditionally there. I will never be good enough to be in His presence, yet he still welcomes me with open arms. What an incredible thing.
Anyway, I will add some pictures later, when I get home.

Cookie monster
cutie pie!

Girls night out

Yesterday Melanie and Wes came up and spent the day with us. It was so fun. They are getting ready to move back to Knoxville in July so we have been pretty bummed about that. We are, however, excited for them and the new opportunities that will come thier way.

So yesterday, we got to hang out, cook some steaks on the grill, and end the evening with a poker tournament:)

So far we (Annabel and I) have been enjoying a lazy summer. I am only taking my practicum right now, no "real" classes, so I have much more free time. Derek is just starting his busy season at camp, but he also has a staff hired, so that helps him out a lot. Some of my goals for the summer are: finish the curtains in Annabel's room, make curtains for hallway, bathroom, and our bedroom, finish a painting that I started, maybe read one good book, and swim a lot! We would also like to plan a trip for our 5-year anniversary in August, probably either Vegas or a cruise, but we'll just have to wait and see. Other obscure goals: Replace the shot elastic in a bunch of diapers, make some toys out of felt and finish all the wool soakers I started. I have a lot of unfinished projects laying around here!

Annabel is crawling like crazy, pulling herself up to standing and generally getting into everything. Yesterday she learned how to open the tub of wipes and pull out all the wipes. Joy.