One Year Ago Today....

Dear Sweet Baby Boy,

One year ago today was the day that you were "supposed" to arrive. Although we tried everything you were too comfortable in mommy's tummy and didn't want to come out. Since it was my due date Dr. Gigi thought that I should have an ultrasound just to see if everything was ok. I went with Neenie to the dr's office (your daddy was at work) and we nervously awaited the ultrasound. When we got in there we found that you were fine but you had actually stop growing at 31 weeks. Mommy was so scared but they assured me that we (you and I) were going to be fine but they wanted to go on and admit me to the hospital because you needed to come out soon!! I called your daddy and he did everything but stumble over his feet in a hurry to get to the hospital, little did we know it would be almost 24 hours from the time that I was submitted unitl you were born!

I love the above pictures because although I knew life was going to be different I had no idea that you would change everything in my life. I never knew I could love someone so much. I can't wait till your birthday tomorrow and to just lay in bed with you before the day starts and thank God for a healthy, beautiful, baby boy. Every year I want to remember what it was like the day you were born and it scares me that with each year those memories will fade more and more but if I am anything like my mom she describes my birth like it was yesterday! I love you with all of my heart and I will write you tomorrow on the big DAY!!!

I LOVE THE WEEKENDS!!!!

Who made up the rule that weekdays were 5 days and weekends were only 2 days? I am constantly living for the weekends, even on Monday my mind is churning away as to what awaits me at 3:30 Friday afternoon!!! I truly love my job but is also my job, I think my mom is the only person that TRULY doesn't dislike Sundays! She thinks everyone LOVES their job as much as she does. I have actually heard her say she misses work when she is on vacation! Should we all be so lucky!!!

So.... what awaits me in 2 hours and 17 minutes!!! First off I will pick up Palmer. (Who by the way now as an obstructed ear tube that we are treating with ear drops and anti-biotics..if those don't work off to get new tubes. Why they can't just suck the junk out of there who knows, it is a conspiracy among drs to make me spend more money!) ANYWHO... I will pick up Palmer and give him lots of hugs and kisses before I run off for.....

GIRLS NIGHT!!! Do you know how pumped I am about this? I haven't had a true weekend night Girls Night in Forever! Us girls are headed to Norton Commons to eat and hang out outside on the patio (hopefully if the weather cooperates) I am just so excited to have some womanly conversations with no interruptions of babies or testosterone! :) A meal where I am not picking puffs off the ground or feeding anyone else but myself. A meal where I do not have to scoot a highchair away from the table in fear of plates and drink cups flying! A meal where I don't have to worry about anyone but ME :) TRUE BLISS!!

Tomorrow morning though it is back to mommy mode when Palmer and I walk with Kimmie and Katie in the Waggin Trails 5k, that should be fun and interesting to say the least! And then our weekend is plan free!!! We can do whatever our little hearts desire that is after I run errands, wrap presents, change sheets, and desperately scrub the house to get ready for my mom's arrival and Palmer's b-day. After that though we can do whatever we want :)

I just checked the weather for P's b-day pary and it is "supposed" to be 74 and partly cloudy! Partly cloudy I can deal with, 80% chance of thunderstorms I can't! Keep your fingers crossed. I am just so excited to see all of my friends and family not just because of P's b-day but because I want and need them close to me! My family and friends mean the world to me and now that so many of my friends are having babies and are pregnant their kids automatically mean the world to me too and my heart grows even bigger each time a new life is born into our circle. I miss their kids and watching them grow everyday so Palmer's birthday will be a celebration of good family and good friends and how we have evolved and have grown so much over the years!

So... to everyone TGIF!!!!

A weekend of honoring....

I know I have been a horrible Blogger! I don't know what has gotten into me. It seems has if life is going full speed right now and I don't know how to slow it down! This is a busy, busy month for the Templeton's and I am trying to do everything but it seems like I am doing nothing :) Ever have one of those days?

Just a catch up....

This past weekend was filled with lots of Love, Memories, and Honoring. The weekend started off with us going to Lexington for an induction ceremony honoring my grandfather into Henry Clay High School's Hall of Fame. My grandfather passed away before I was born after a long battle with cancer. He was an amazing artist and from what I have heard an even more amazing art teacher. Five people were inducted that night ranging from a business man, a professional athlete, a NBA coach, and my grandfather. It was so touching to here what a legacy these men left. All were still living but my grandfather and another man. It was a great ceremony and I one that I will treasure for a long time. It was great seeing my uncle from Michigan, it isn't very often that we all get together so it was wonderful! Ashley had her camera so as soon as she downloads here photos I will share them!

As for Mothers Day it was such a great celebration!!! Tex and Palmer treated me like a queen :) They started it off Saturday night with dinner at PF Changs and then off to a Bats Game (SO much fun!!) Sunday we did nothing but be lazy and lay around in our pjs! Palmer gave me some new shoes, nail polish, a loofah, and some bubble bath so that I could have some "mommy time" he was a perfect angel that day to boot!

I am SO blessed and grateful to be a mother. It has changed my life forever, there is no greater gift than his love. Tex did such a good job on my very first mothers day! I am a lucky gal!!!

Well, Joe and Ash have been up most of the week because Joe is doing classes for his new job! It has been awesome having them here and I wish after they move they could come back to Louisville but I am not getting my hopes up :) They are moving So soon! I need to make arrangements to go to Minnesota at some point, I am going to miss them so much!!!

Mom gets in Monday and I couldn't be more excited! We have a WHOLE week with her! Palmer's b-day is fastly approaching and I can't wait for all of the chaos and to see all of our friends and families and all of the babies I have been missing! I am praying for good weather because we SO don't have a plan B!

Just started Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult for book club! Such a good book I definitely recommend it! This has been such a random post :)

Here is my angel in his birthday outfit! He melts my heart!

RANDOM CATCH UP ON PICTURES!!

It has been SO long since I have posted pictures!! We are one of the few households that does not have a computer or the internet so to find time to download pictures is tricky!! So, like I said here is a RANDOM arrangement of pictures over the last month or so of Palmer in all of his GLORY! Enjoy!!!

Oh and ONLY 15 Days, 0 Hours, 54 Minutes and 30 Seconds until Palmer is 1 :)

Well, this picture pretty much sums up Palmer and Molly! You can clearly see the look on Palmer's face (pure joy) and the look on Molly's face (pure annoyance). Palmer thinks Molly hung the moon and we wish one of these days Molly will return the feelings but for now we just try to keep everyone seperated and happy!

This next serious of pictures makes my stomach hurt I laugh so hard! This is Tex and Palmer at Churchill Downs. Tex put Palmer on his shoulders and Palmer decided to claw his face off in excitement! Totally Priceless......

SO HAPPY!

Greatest Picture Ever!


Still Wanting more Skin!

AWWWW! Trying to hug Daddy now!


Ok, back to clawing at him!

This is Palmers new favorite thing to do with his food and has earned him some time with Molly as well! I guess they both win in this situation!

I came home the other day and Tex was doing the laundry!! (Thank you!) but apparently Palmer thought the "hamper rides" were the coolest thing since sliced bread! He thinks this is SO fun to go up and down the stairs in the hamper! Good think Tex is in shape!

We don't take many pics but this is a picture of Tex and I when we went to Brown Co with the Prathers! It was our first true overnight trip since Palmer was born!

I LOVE YOU THIIIIIIIS MUCH!!! Here is Palmer just this morning being the sweet boy that I know he is (when he is not eating rocks, throwing things, and tipping over Molly's water bowl)

Isn't he SO sweet? He has gotten so big but he loves his Mama!

I don't think there could be a sweeter face to me! His smile lights up my heart!

Well, I feel better that I caught up a little bit! We have a jam packed month with Mothers Day, Birthday, Vacation, etc... so I am back on the picture taking band wagon!! More to come for sure!!

I GOT MY STIMULUS CHECK!!!!

Hooray for the the stimulus check! (My mom thinks it is so funny that I call it that for some reason!) Call it whatever you want but it is the green stuff that everyone can't get enough of and it was deposited into my account this morning! I wonder if anyone else called the bank first thing in the morning to see if their check was really, truly in there? Surely I couldn't have been the only one. I know there were other people out there that couldn't believe it until they actually saw it!

So as any good citizen would do I have already accumulated many great ways to spend, spend, spend this money! I feel it is my duty to the economy to not put this money into my savings account where it should go but rather run as quickly as I can to the nearest Walmart, Target, Mall, etc.... and see how fast I can spend it and that is exactly what I intend to do starting tonight! :)

As everyone in the city of Louisville attends Derby parties and events my family has involuntarily chosen to boycott the festivities and instead go shopping! The first purchase of the night is going to be Palmer's swing set (Shhhh! It's a secret for his birthday!!!) We are so excited and all the reviews on Walmart.com say it only takes 7 hours to assemble! WOOHOO!

I think Palmer will love it! I can't wait to see his happy little face when he gets to swing everyday!! The second purchase we are going to make is Landscaping and some additional patio furniture. I wish someone would "makeover" our patio and yard but we are going to have our own DIY mini makeover. I want it to exude summer paradise when I walk out my back door that is until you notice the other 2 houses so close you can touch them and my neighbors not so finished above ground pool, but anyways off the subject. I want it to be a kid friendly mini oasis (is that an oxymoron?) So, i am thinking about 2 chaise lounges, that sounds nice right?

Well, anyways most of the money is going to go to the outdoor makeover so hopefully Tex and I will know what we are doing when making over our yard. The rest of the money will go toward P's b-day and our family trip to Destin!!! (By the way I can't wait to be on the beach) So I will rest easy tonight knowing that I am helping the economy by spending my money on frivolous things rather than saving it or investing it for the future. God Bless America :)

PS... Sorry I have posted for a while. Bad Blogger! I promise to be more diligent in my efforts. (Can you sense the sarcasm throughout this whole post?) I do have some hilarious pics of P and Tex that I must post soon!!!

In all the countries I've been to , everyone understands a smile Jennifer Age 10

You can't possibly look at this picture and be sad!!! I just love it!!! It makes me laugh out loud every time I look at it. Don't you wish we could go back to being children again? I would love to be amused so easily over life's simple pleasures. I would love to still get excited when I see a bubble float in the air, or when a dog wags his tail, or when something catches my eye on TV! It would be a wonderful world if we were all as happy and innocent as our children! Oh to know then what we know now, but would you really want to? That kind of takes the fun out of it, don't you think? :)

Today is Palmer's 11 month birthday!!! Happy Birthday my sweet, sweet baby boy! Only one more month left until your BIG First Birthday. I love everything about you and each day you become more clever, smart and funny!! Your timing is always impeccable and you can make mommy and daddy laugh at the drop of a hat! You have such a love for life and such a big personality you are going to make a lot of people happy in this world! We are so proud of you and the person you are. I worry about being a good parent and want to have the perfect balance of mother, friend, and disciplinarian... I am sure I will make a lot of mistakes but if I am consistent with one thing it will be my unconditional love for you, that will never waiver.

What A Difference A Year Makes!!

PALMER'S FIRST BIRTHDAY PHOTO SHOOT


THANK YOU Sara!!! I took Palmer to get his first birthday pictures taken this morning! It was a hit. I am going to use a picture for his invitations, I am SO excited.

He was so hilarious! He got pictures taken in his "birthday jumper" first and then we stripped him down, put on the party hat and placed the balloons and handed him his FIRST chocolate cupcake!!! While most children will study it and maybe put their finger in the icing for a second Palmer decided to turn the cupcake over and literally mash the whole thing on the chair in 2.5 seconds! After he did that we proceeded to ever so "gently" re-ice the cupcake with our fingers and off he went. We couldn't have painted the icing on him any better! He had it on his legs, diaper, arms, face, nose and hair! I can hardly wait for his birthday so that everyone can see what an "experienced" cupcake eater can do!

Again thank you to Sara Floyd for being a great friend and wonderful photographer! She is headed to Michigan right now for a weekend visit, so she will post more pictures when she gets back! Go visit her website to see the updates and more pictures! http://sarafloydphotography.blogspot.com/