Charity Cleaning

Charity loves to help clean up the salon. she doesn't quite have the reach for a broom yet.

Helping at the Salon

Charity is a good helper

Charity at PF Changs

she loves these horses

A Little Time With Dad

Some times you feel so busy it's nice just to get to stop and hold your little one.

A Great Blog About Great Friends

I have known Amber since she came to work at Bill Good Marketing a few years ago. She and her family are fun, vivacious and amazing people.

in reference to: http://jeffandambergray.blogspot.com/ (view on Google Sidewiki)

Getting Lost

This morning Camille was dressing Charity for the day. As she was doing this she struggled getting Charity's head through the hole in her shirt. Once Charity finally emerged she looked up at Camille and said "la lost mommy?"

The saying goes "kid's say the darnd'est things" but it is amazing the insight they have!

Charity's 18 Months

Charity just turned 18 months on the 4th. She is such a happy little girl and is constantly laughing and playing. She loves her mommy and daddy and loves her bampa (interchangeable for both Grandpa and Grandma as of yet) and she adores her "Zizzies".

Here are a few pictures of her we had done for her 18 months.

She has been a little sick as of late. It seems that just as she is getting better from one thing another one gets her. The day we had the pictures done she was sick and in the beginnings of an ear infection. Sadly the infection got so bad the poor kid had her ear drum rupture some time on Friday. She has been taking antibiotics and is doing really well now.

We love our little Charity and are having more and more fun with her each day.

My Trip to Philadelphia

Bill Good Marketing sent me to Philadelphia to meet with one of my clients. It is going to be a whirlwhind visit so I had to squeeze in everything I could.

Albeit short, I got to spend a small amount of time near where it all happened. I didn't get to see everything but I did get a glimpse of some of the classics and here are my pictures of that.

I wish I could have seen more but I think I will enjoy it even more when I come back with Camille and Charity some day.

Charity's First Day at the Zoo

We got to see a lot of really cool things at the zoo. As soon as we got there we made our way to the first "Meet the Keepers". We learned about Chacoan Peccaries which Charity loved. She clapped and called at them and giggled every time they grunted or ate the yams their keeper was feeding them.

Next we checked out the bears, cougars, and zebras. She laughed at the silly bears. Then we saw the penguins and a Red Panda sleeping in a tree. She kept calling the Red Panda saying "Zizzie.... Zizzie..."

We also went the "Meet the Keepers" for the Pelicans and, later, the tigers. Charity loved seeing these animals get fed and talked to by their trainers and Camille and I loved learning about these animals.

Her favorite animal had to be the Giraffes. She was so amazed at how tall they were. She just sat there and stared at them for quite some time. Then we took her upstairs to see them from above and she was glued to the fencing just clapping and chattering excitedly.

We really loved getting to take her to the zoo and will probably take her back another couple of times this year. We hope you enjoy the pics of her visit.

So Much to be Thankful For

I know this is a short post but I intended it to be such for a lot of reasons that I may or may not actually get into here. All in all I wanted to just express how thankful I really am. The truth is that I, like most of us out there, have taken a lot for granted in my life. I do not mean to do it, I don't think anyone does, but I am thankful for a great many things.

First and foremost I am thankful for my family in all its varieties and combinations. I am blessed with a loving wife who puts up with me through all of my silly insane moments. She loves me unconditionally and is always patient with me and I cannot tell her enough how thankful I am for that.

I am thankful for my sweet Charity. She really is the light of our lives. We are blessed to have such a happy loving little girl and I want her to know how much her daddy loves her.

I am thankful for my puppies Harley and Lizzie. They have been so good to Charity and so good to us. They help bring a peace and comfort to us even in our hardest times and I do not know where we would be without them.

I am thankful for my parents, my brothers and sisters, Camille's parents and brothers and sisters. Camille and I really are blessed to have families that have been so supportive of us through all that we do.

I am especially thankful for my brother Marcus right now. Long story short we are glad he is with us after such a scare. He has been one of the best parts of my life and I really could not imagine my life without him. He is a brother, a friend, someone I trust and an immense example to me in my life. Our recent experiences with him have reminded me how much and all of my siblings and siblings in law really mean to us.

I love and appreciate our friends far and wide. Mark and Michelle and their family always helping us out and just being there for all of the little things as well as the big ones. Matt and Cathy Hicken and their long-lasting and far-reaching friendship and support. The girls at the salon. The wonderful people at BGM. All of our various friends and family who care enough to genuinely ask us how we are doing.

In this season of thankfulness, love and giving I want everyone that reads this to know that I am eternally thankful for all of my many blessings, especially the blessing of having such wonderful people around me to support me, guide me, and love me in spite of my failing and imperfections.

Thank you all so much and I love you.

....ok so maybe this did not end up as short as I thought it would be.