Brooklynn Cutter

Mmmm...homemade breakfast!

2008-11-01T14:24:00.000-04:00

We all love the weekends because everybody can stay in their pajamas and move at a slower pace all morning...well, maybe not Brooklynn. :) Joy can make a mean breakfast, and Brooklynn usually devours everything that's in front of her.

Trick or treat...I'll bite your feet.

2008-10-31T22:18:00.000-04:00

Not sure many people have had a shark show up at their door asking for candy, but that's just what happened this Halloween. Brooklynn's cousins Anna Kate, Lauren, and little Marlee all showed up to race around our subdivision collecting all sorts of goodies. Blake even got into it quite a bit this year. Afterwards, we all went to Mimi and Papa's for some smores around the campfire.

The 2008 EP Picnic

2008-10-26T23:20:00.000-04:00

My company Erwin-Penland held their annual picnic at Paris Mountain State Park this year and it was a fun time for all. Brooklynn had a great time playing with the other kids that were there, especially her new friends Skylar and Brecken Ford. She also didn't seem too thrilled to watch her daddy shove his face into a pie again. She's not quite at the "Dad, you're embarrassing me" phase, but I think we're getting close.

The Annual "Boo in the Zoo"

2008-10-20T22:23:00.000-04:00

Every Halloween the Greenville Zoo has their "Boo in the Zoo" event, which is a time where all the kids can dress up, walk through the zoo, and receive some treats from different vendor along the way. We took Brooklynn and Blake this year and they just had a ball. Of course, Brooklynn had to be a shark this year, and Joy took it a step furthur turning her into a ballerina shark. I honestly have never heard so many comments about one costume in my entire life. Hers was definitely a huge hit!

Half a funny face

2008-10-19T12:47:00.000-04:00

Brooklynn's "funny face" always involves a finger pulling on either side of her mouth. In this instance, she seems to have given it half the effort.

Down on the bug's level

2008-09-22T12:39:00.000-04:00

It's so nice to have a backyard when the weather is warm. It's a great place for Brooklynn to go out and play.

Fly Trap

2008-09-21T01:16:00.000-04:00

Will somebody please tell me how she keeps catching these things?

Best Buds...Sometimes...

2008-09-20T01:13:00.000-04:00

Brooklynn loves her little brother...when told to for a picture.

Our Creative Little Monster

2008-09-20T01:10:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I turn around and see something that just makes me laugh. Brooklynn got her hands on some felt stickers and turned what was supposed to be "wavy grass" into some monster-like teeth.

More Grasshoppers!

2008-08-22T01:05:00.000-04:00

I'm not too sure about this kid! You give her a grassy field and she'll give you some grasshoppers.

Brooklynn's Half-Birthday

2008-08-09T23:59:00.000-04:00

Joy made a little cake for Brooklynn's half-birthday and we all had a mini-celebration. I can't believe our daughter is half-way through her third year already!

Our Beautiful Princess

2008-08-08T12:55:00.000-04:00

We're not quite sure how we actually got Brooklynn to sit still for a couple seconds to take these pictures. It's a rare circumstance that you have to take advantage of when it happens.

Let's Catch Grasshoppers!

2008-08-08T02:33:00.001-04:00

I'm not sure it's such a normal thing for a three-year-old girl, but Brooklynn is absolutely obsessed with catching grasshoppers. She's constantly asking me to help her find them in the grass, and when one goes hopping, Brooklynn is there to grab it without fail.

Brooklynn's Funny Face

2008-08-03T02:30:00.000-04:00

Even though there are a countless number of ways to make a funny face, this is the one that Brooklynn always resorts to.

The ear piercing

2008-07-25T16:15:00.001-04:00

Brooklynn announced she wanted to get her ears pierced so she could wear sharks in her ears. There were no shark earrings but we found some dolphins and she was super brave and excited. She loves showing them off.

Uncle Micah

2008-07-08T16:03:00.001-04:00

Uncle Micah came for a vist and we all went to Shane and Bek's house. I think they love their crazy uncle.

4th of July

2008-07-04T16:01:00.001-04:00

Aunt Sara and Uncle Tim came over for dinner and we set off fireworks. Our neighborhood gets into and Rich and Tim definetly competed with the rest of the neighbors. The kids loved the fireworks!

The Georgia Aquarium

2008-07-01T02:24:00.000-04:00

During Mimi and Papa's visit to Greenville, Aunt Sara watched Blake and the rest of us took off to Georgia to the Aquarium. The girls had so much fun in the very interactive and huge aquarium. The best park for Brooklynn was the whale shark. Her screams of delight echoed through the whole place.

Another visit to the Greenville Zoo

2008-06-21T02:17:00.000-04:00

Having a little girl that is so passionate about animals is so much fun. We can never go to the zoo enough. She now knows how to spell and read the word Zoo so there is no more driving by the sign.

Downtown Greer

2008-06-20T02:11:00.000-04:00

We went to our little downtown Greer for a night of fun with Bek, Shane, Anna Kate, and Lauren. The girls enjoyed meeting the Chick-fil-A cows, face painting, ice cream and live music.

An afternoon at the sprinkler park

2008-06-15T14:05:00.000-04:00

We took Brooklynn and Blake to the sprinkler park downtown. Brooklynn loved running and splashing. I think her face says it all.

Backyard Fun

2008-06-03T23:23:00.000-04:00

Now that summer has hit us, Brooklynn and Blake love to play in the backyard together. Just recently the sandbox has proven to be a big hit...although the sand in the hair isn't that fun.

Happy 60th Papa!

2008-05-24T14:49:00.000-04:00

Papa and Mimi came down for a few days and it just happened to fall right after Papa's 60th birthday. We all met at the airport and greeted him as he arrived. Brooklynn loved holding the huge sign with Anna Kate and Lauren, and Papa was definitely shocked to see the huge surprise as he walked through the terminal. Brooklynn greeted him by almost running him over, sign and all.

Trip to the "Big Zoo"

2008-05-19T00:12:00.000-04:00

This past weekend we took Brooklynn and Blake to the Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, South Carolina. This was our first trip to the "big zoo" as Brooklynn calls it. Brooklynn was totally in her element as she literally ran from animal to animal, and she about lost it when she got to the Aquarium which we had to go through twice. A couple other highlights of the day was when Brooklynn got to feed a giraffe and when she had some birds eating nectar from a cup in her hand.

Bubbles, bubbles, and more bubbles!

2008-04-25T00:22:00.003-04:00

Brooklynn absolutely loves "playing bubbles" in the backyard. We recently bought her an automated bubble blower and she simply can't stop asking to blow bubbles. The only hard part is that you have to continually add soap, and after a few fillings you're looking for the good ol' plastic wand again. Sometimes the old school was works best.

Enjoying the nice weather at Furman

2008-04-06T01:28:00.001-04:00

Today we took Blake and Brooklynn to Furman for a walk around the lake in their new wagon. We didn't quite make it all the way around the lake with both of them still in the wagon, but almost. Let's just say they get in each other's ways quite often...which leads to some grabbing and pulling of some sort. It was a beautiful day and it felt good to get out and enjoy it for once.

Easter at Mimi and Papa's

2008-03-23T13:24:00.002-04:00

We got to celebrate Easter at Mimi and Papa's house as they were still here in town. Brooklynn had a blast hanging out with her cousins Anna Kate and Lauren. We had an Easter egg hunt out in the yard and the girls exchanged gifts. It was such a special time with family.

Down on the bugs' level.

2008-03-20T12:35:00.000-04:00

It's so nice having a backyard when the weather is warm. It's such a great place for Brooklynn to play.

Fun at the Park!

2008-03-05T23:05:00.001-05:00

I got off work at a decent time today so we decided to run up to the park since it was such a nice evening. I got a few good shots out of the many that I took.

Brooklynn turns 3!

2008-02-11T00:32:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, February 9th, we had family over and celebrated Brooklynn's 3rd birthday. She had been asking for a shark birthday party for quite some time, and Joy totally came through. After scouring the internet, she finally found plans to build a perfect shark cake, and also found shark balloons, napkins, and plates. The cake turned out to be an incredible work of art, and Brooklynn got her special shark party. She's also gone on the record and said that she wants a crocodile cake for her next birthday. Good luck with that one, Joy.

It's Circus Time!

2008-02-03T01:03:00.000-05:00

We took Brooklynn to her first real circus at the BI-LO Center this past weekend. She talked about it all week, and when she finally got there, I don't think she was let down at all. It was so awesome to watch her take everything in. Of course the best parts for her were when there were animals out on the floor, and when there weren't, she was asking where they were. The elephants were definitely her favorite. The only thing that disappointed her was that I quote, "the tigers didn't come out of the cage and up the stairs to see me, I wanted to pet them." She's already talking about going next year...I'm really glad it only comes to town once a year. You can see even more pictures here.

Snow in Greenville?

2008-01-17T02:10:00.000-05:00

We got our first snow of the year this past Wednesday and Brooklynn woke up ready to go out and play in it. She loved it and was especially fascinated with her footprints. It stuck around for about a day. Now it's all gone.

Christmas at home!

2007-12-25T02:25:00.000-05:00

We really enjoyed being able to wake up on Christmas morning and celebrate with our family. Joy made a really awesome Christmas breakfast, and watching our kids open up their presents was a really special moment. Brooklynn asked for a big shark for weeks, so you can imagine the level of excitement that rang through our house when she opened it up.

Christmas at Mimi and Papa's

2007-12-24T13:54:00.000-05:00

Being able to stay in Greenville this year for Christmas was really awesome, and we had such a great time over at Mimi and Papa's apartment on Christmas Eve.

It's time for that Christmas card again.

2007-12-15T15:31:00.000-05:00

Instead of braving the eventful trip to the photography place this year, we decided to try and take our Christmas card picture ourselves. Out of many shots, we finally got a decent one.

Downtown Carriage Ride

2007-12-08T13:35:00.000-05:00

This Christmas we started a new tradition of taking a carriage ride through our downtown. Mimi and Papa joined us and Brooklynn waved and said hello to everyone passing by. It was a perfect night!

Yes, they play together sometimes...

2007-12-03T10:42:00.000-05:00

For the most part, Brooklynn sees Blake as quite a little nuisance as he's always getting into her business and grabbing and throwing her toys. So, when they actually do play nicely together for a couple minutes, you have to capture that moment quickly and save it forever. They are few and far between.

Decorating for Christmas

2007-11-25T10:38:00.000-05:00

As Thanksgiving came to a close, we jumped right into getting our Christmas tree and putting up all the lights. Brooklynn thought it was so neat that we had a real tree inside our house, and she really got into helping put up all the ornaments. It was pretty hilarious to watch her hang the ornaments onto the actual Christmas light bulbs. She finally got the hang of it.

A Cutter Thanksgiving

2007-11-23T10:29:00.000-05:00

With my parents now living in Greenville, we were able to celebrate Thanksgiving with them this year at their apartment. Brooklynn loves going to Mimi and Papa's house as they have a huge toy room where she spends most of her time. That toy room gets expecially crazy when all the kids are together...let's just say that tornados make less of a mess.

Pilgrim and Indian Day

2007-11-19T10:09:00.000-05:00

Brooklynn had a special day at her school where everyone got to dress up as either a pilgrim or an indian. Anna Kate let her borrow her Pocahontas costume and it was great. What a cute little indian!

Cooking with Mommy!

2007-11-03T01:29:00.000-04:00

Whenever Joy cooks in the kitchen, Brooklynn is quick to pull up a chair and lend a helping hand. Of course, all the hard work also brings great reward and a chocolate mess!

Trick or Treat!

2007-11-01T01:24:00.000-04:00

Brooklynn dressed up as her favorite animal this year for Halloween (a leopard) and participated in her first real trick or treat experience. He cousins Anna Kate and Lauren came over and they all hit our neighborhood pretty good. It took Brooklynn a couple houses to learn that you should stay by the door until you get a piece of candy, but once she got it she had a ball.

More picnic fun.

2007-10-30T02:22:00.000-04:00

At my company's annual fall picnic, Brooklynn got to roast marshmallows for the first time. I had to teach her to wait until they were "toasty brown" before she ate them. At the end of the night we got to take a little hay ride, which Brooklynn had remembered from last time. It was all she could talk about the entire morning and on the way to the picnic.

One brave little girl!

2007-10-30T02:17:00.000-04:00

While we were at my company's fall picnic, they were giving horse rides to the little kids that were there. I took Brooklynn over to see the horse and the guy with the horse asked if Brooklynn wanted to ride. To my amazement she said she did, and she hopped right up on the saddle and took off. I have to admit. I was a little nervous since she was so high up. She did awesome and absolutely loved it.

She sure does love her little brother!

2007-10-02T17:00:00.000-04:00

Brooklynn really loves that little brother of hers, even if at times it's at Blake's expense.

The RedS...ox?!?!

2007-09-30T23:08:00.000-04:00

Our good friends Bill and Sabina thought it would be a great thing to get Brooklynn her first Boston Red Sox shirt to honor their favorite team. For those that don't know, this does not sit well in our house. Brooklynn knows that her daddy's favorite team is the Cincinnati Reds and shouts their name anytime she sees me wear their logo. You can imagine her confusion when we let her wear this blue shirt with an odd looking logo made up of a couple of ratty, old socks. So there ya go, Bill, proof that she's wearing your gear. Now can we throw it in the trash?

ZOO TOTS!

2007-09-14T15:21:00.000-04:00

Because we're members of the Greenville Zoo, Brooklynn gets to attend "Zoo Tots" once a month where she gets to learn about and even touch some real live animals. Of course we have to go see the rest of the zoo after her class, especially the two elephants which are her favorites!

It's football season again!

2007-09-11T00:07:00.000-04:00

We had to break out all of our jerseys and cheer on the Carolina Panthers to their first win this past Sunday. Brooklynn's getting really good at yelling out "Go Panthers!" whenever she sees football on TV. It's good to make sure that our children are raised the right way! :)

It's cousin time!

2007-09-03T18:47:00.000-04:00

It's always a scene when all the girls get together. Brooklynn's cousins Anna Kate and Lauren just love to get together with her and have a bunch of fun.

Brooklynn's favorite place!

2007-08-25T23:26:00.000-04:00

Today I took Brooklynn to her absolute favorite place in all the world, the Greenville Zoo. She had to take HER leopard everywhere throughout the zoo to show him all the animals, especially the BIG leopard. I can't wait to take her to a "real" zoo.

An end to a great beach trip

2007-08-09T18:17:00.000-04:00

Our last night at the beach we decided to get dressed up a bit and attempt to get a family shot down on the beach. The camera was fogging up because of the heat, but we managed to finally get some good shots.

A beach photo session

2007-08-08T18:08:00.000-04:00

I took Brooklynn down by herself one evening to take a bunch of pictures. I got so many good ones as she looked for shells and ran away from the waves.

Look, it's the beach!

2007-08-07T17:34:00.000-04:00

Joy's parents joined us at Pawley's today and we had a nice walk on the beach in the evening. (The 100+ temperature each day has made the sand quite unbearable during the day.) Brooklynn really enjoys the ocean and would stay down there all day if she could. She's obsessed with finding shells and fills her little blue bucket every day.

Our first day at the beach!

2007-08-06T17:22:00.000-04:00

We were blessed once again to get the opportunity to go to Pawley's Island, South Carolina for a week at the beach. Thanks Gally! We are truly thankful. Our first night there we went to Litchfield Beach Fish House for dinner. It's been so long since we've been able to have fresh seafood. Brooklynn loved this place because there's a big shark coming out of the roof, and a big fish in the back of a truck in the parking lot.

Drawing Blake

2007-07-28T16:06:00.000-04:00

Brooklynn really seems to have a nack for drawing Blake. I am waiting for the day when she will ask him to pose.

Mmmmm Cherries

2007-07-27T16:04:00.000-04:00

Just in case you were wondering...she likes cherries!

Aunt Sara's Birthday

2007-07-22T16:00:00.000-04:00

Mimi came to visit on Aunt Sara's birthday and she brought Brooklynn her favorite...books! Brooklynn loves her Mimi and Aunt Sara so much and she was especially excited when Aunt Sara asked her to help her blow out the birthday candles.

Swimming

2007-07-14T15:55:00.000-04:00

This summer Brooklynn really loved the pool. She has just gotten braver and braver. We went to Shane's brothers house one evening and Brooklynn loved the inflatable animals so much. I think she would like to be a fish!

Lauren's Birthday

2007-07-13T15:50:00.000-04:00

Brooklynn had so much fun at her cousin Lauren's birthday party. It was a one of Brooklynn's favorite places. She ran and played and ate her years allotment of sugar. She was very excited about the cow!

A Successful Portrait Visit

2007-07-08T15:45:00.000-04:00

We had a great visit to Portrait Innovations. Here are a few of the highlights. We have finally found a place that can keep Brooklynn still for a minute!

Happy Fourth of July!

2007-07-05T00:30:00.000-04:00

Brooklynn and Blake both got their red, white and blue outfits on for the occasion. We went out and ate some Mexican, made a Coldstone ice cream run, and headed back to our house to watch fireworks from our driveway. Let's just say that people in our subdivision aren't afraid to spend a little of their hard-earned cash on some neighborhood entertainment. Good times!

Playing at Anna Kate's and Lauren's

2007-06-21T16:30:00.000-04:00

We went over to Anna Kate's and Lauren's to visit with everyone and Brooklynn loved playing on their slide. She also loves their inflatable animal pool toys, and drags them with her everywhere. I am not sure what has caused her obsession with animals, but she knows more animals than most adults. She now can tell you where her favorite animals live, what they eat, and what they do. Maybe she will be a veterinarian.

More Father's Day

2007-06-17T16:24:00.000-04:00

Before we went out to dinner to celebrate Father's Day we stopped by my parents to wish my dad a Happy Father's Day. Brooklynn and Blake love time with their Grampy and it is so wonderful to see our kids bonding with both of their Grandpas. We are blessed to have such wonderful Godly male influences in their lives. Thank you Grampy for loving them and taking care of them every day, and thank you Papa for loving them from a distance and making all the time that you do for them. We love you!

Happy Father's Day

2007-06-17T16:11:00.000-04:00

Rich is an amazing daddy! I could not be more thankful for the loving caring man that he is. Brooklynn and Blake love him so much. Every evening when he walks in the door you hear a scream of "daddy" and Brooklynn charges into his arms. I think that says it all. Thank you Rich for loving each of us and providing and caring for us. We love you very much!

Daddy's Birthday

2007-06-17T16:05:00.000-04:00

Rich's birthday fell on Father's day this year. We celebrated his birthday that afternoon. Brooklynn was very excited about her daddy's cake and presents. I think they could be twins!

Mimi and Papa come to visit

2007-06-03T15:59:00.000-04:00

Brooklynn loves when Mimi and Papa come to visit. They always plan fun things and of course they bring Izzie and Cimmon!

Ten in the Bed

2007-05-30T15:52:00.000-04:00

Brooklynn loved her new book from Mimi, "Ten in the Bed." A perfect book for Brooklynn as you can see she was very excited. Thank you Mimi!

An Artist in the Making?

2007-05-29T15:48:00.000-04:00

Brooklynn loves to draw and paint. When she is "creating" she blocks out the world. For those of you who have experienced Brooklynn you know that it is rare for her to sit for very long so it is exciting to see her enjoy something that doesn't require running! This is her picture of Blake-She said "Mommy I draw Blake, Here's his eyes, nose and mouth."

Bubbles...Bubbles...Bubbles

2007-05-28T21:19:00.000-04:00

Brooklynn loves bubbles. Almost every day we blow bubbles. To save our breath and hers we got her an automatic bubble blower this weekend. She loves it and loves the bubbles. Apparently, she thinks they taste good.

Our Little Lady

2007-05-26T21:18:00.000-04:00

Brooklynn is now starting to like to carry purses. Of course the ones that she likes best are animals and she usually only has animals in them. This time she had to carry her "chicky" purse and her cousin's.

Our blue-eyed babies.

2007-05-21T19:56:00.000-04:00

It's so hard to capture a good picture of both Brooklynn and Blake I thought I'd better make sure to share this one. Brooklynn finally held still enough to get a great shot and you can really see her and Blake's blue eyes.

Strawberry Picking

2007-05-13T17:33:00.000-04:00

This week Uncle Barry and I took Brooklynn strawberry picking. She loved it and was really quite good at picking the RED ones. She filled half of a basket, ate half of a basket, and sat on another basket.

Our morning ritual!

2007-05-13T17:06:00.000-04:00

Brooklynn and I have a morning ritual...Every morning she usually wakes up listing all of the things she wants to do! I ask her what she wants for breakfast and she yells OATMEAL! She just loves her oatmeal and fruit and I love getting the chance to eat it with her.

Somebody is growing up so fast

2007-04-24T08:17:00.000-04:00

Sometimes I'm just amazed at how fast Brooklynn is growing up. It seems like yesterday she was that roly-poly little baby without any hair. Pretty scary how fast time goes by.

Happy Easter!

2007-04-10T22:23:00.000-04:00

Brooklynn really enjoyed Easter this year and just thought she was really big stuff with her bunny ears on. She's really starting to "ham it up" around us, especially when Blake is watching. We also had a little Easter Egg hunt in our living room and Brooklynn found every egg. She continues to want to have egg hunts...we may be doing them for the rest of the year.

Please take my picture.

2007-04-07T00:14:00.000-04:00

Before there was Blake, Brooklynn didn't want to have anything to do with having her picture taken. Now that I'm taking photos of Blake all the time, someone feels left out. She's jealous for some camera time!

Those are my toys!

2007-04-06T00:07:00.000-04:00

Now that Blake is part of the family, we've been dragging out all of Brooklynn's old toys that she loved when she was a baby. In doing so, Brooklynn's found a bunch of new things to play with, and she doesn't quite understand that Blake needs to use these toys now. I just had to chuckle when she crawled under the Baby Einstein play mat with all of her animals. But I wasn't chuckling when she got pretty upset when I laid Blake on the mat. Oh the struggles!

Brooklynn's Buddies

2007-03-17T02:16:00.000-04:00

With Blake being born, we've had quite a few friends come by to meet him. They also bring their kids, which sometimes happen to be right around Brooklynn's age. She's enjoyed having the company! Above are Jordan Manning and Samantha Nixon.

I guess this little guy is sticking around!

2007-03-09T22:27:00.000-05:00

Brooklynn wasn't so sure of little Blake when she saw him at the hospital, but now that he's home she's really starting to warm right up to him. You can see her turning into such a sweet big sister as several times she wanted to read "Baby Blake" a story or show him one of her animals. This is going to be a fun ride watching them grow up together.

My little brother Blake is here!!

2007-03-08T08:45:00.000-05:00

William Blake Cutter was born yesterday! You can head on over to
Blake's blog for all the details.

Joy's...er, Brooklynn's Calico Critters

2007-02-13T10:54:00.000-05:00

During Christmas and her birthday, Brooklynn has started collecting Calico Critters, which just so happened to be Joy's favorite toy growing up as well. She got a big house for them for her birthday and she's constantly acting out little Calico Critter moments inside it. If you're in our home at just the right time, you might even catch Joy sitting in the corner playing with the little critters herself.

Happy Birthday - Day 2!

2007-02-10T13:35:00.000-05:00

On the night of Brooklynn's birthday, we had a special little party for her with our good friends Bill and Sabina. Joy set the table like only she can, and she made a huge cupcake...a cake that was in the shape of a cupcake. Brooklynn couldn't quite blow out the two candles, but it was still fun watching her try. She got quite a few gifts and took her sweet time opening them. Each and every little bit of paper had to come off before she opened her next one. We'll definitely need to use a little less tape next year! It was such a big couple days for her and she really loved every bit of it. I think she'll be in birthday mode for a couple more weeks.

Brooklynn turns 2!

2007-02-09T01:40:00.000-05:00

I really can't believe Brooklynn turns 2 today. How quick she has grown up! Last night we threw a small party at Chuck-e-Cheeses with Anna Kate, Lauren, Aunt Becky, Uncle Shane, Uncle Tim and Aunt Sara. I've never seen Brooklynn so wound up in all my life. She really was in her element as she ran around the entire place checking out all the games and rides. One of the cutest moments was when Chuck-e actually made an appearance and Brooklynn didn't want to leave his side, insisting on dancing with and holding his hand until we literally had to drag her away to have our party. She really has no fear at all.

Snow!?! Are you kidding me?

2007-02-02T02:02:00.000-05:00

We woke up on February 1st with about 2 inches of snow on the ground. Of course, the city of Greenville shuts down when this happens, so Joy got to stay home with Brooklynn all day. We put her in her warm little bear suit and ran her outside to see her first snow. She was really timid at first, but she finally got enough courage to take a few steps in the new pretty white stuff.

Who says I can't read?

2007-01-29T00:37:00.000-05:00

I peeked into Brooklynn's room the other day and it was such a great sight! She was sitting in her chair with stuffed animals and a big blanket, and she was "reading" to her animals. It's so fun to listen to her create words on the fly as she shows her animals all the pictures.

"Peek-a-boo Backer!"

2007-01-16T02:39:00.000-05:00

Our good friends Traig and Megganne came to visit this past weekend, and this time they had a third with them...their 8-month-old son Baxter. Brooklynn played her shy game for the first couple days, but by the end of the weekend she was playing peek-a-boo with Baxter while scaring him to death as she screamed each time. We had a really good time, and even made it to the zoo as the weather was unusually warm! Brooklynn loves the zoo, you know.

Our little stinker!

2007-01-12T02:39:00.000-05:00

This past weekend Brooklynn wore her new pink dress that had quite the appropriate animal on it...three little skunks. She was also so excited about her new magic turtle that grows when you put it in water. She's showing her impatience though because she always wants to hold the turtle. It's never going to come out of its shell.

(Washable) watercolors.

2007-01-02T00:41:00.000-05:00

Brooklynn got some pretty cool art supplies for Christmas including a little easel that we haven't quite broke out yet. But we did get out some of her watercolor paints and she just had a ball! It's so cool to see her really concentrate as she creates her work of art.

Christmas in Gatlinburg - Day 3

2006-12-25T12:22:00.000-05:00

Our final day in Gatlinburg began with Mimi cooking a wonderful breakfast and then Brooklynn got to open up her gifts from Mimi and Papa. We also finally got that good family picture. It's so hard to do with three little girls, but the front of our cabin served as a great backdrop, even if Micah had barefeet!

Christmas in Gatlinburg - Day 2

2006-12-24T14:40:00.000-05:00

We spent the entire Christmas eve inside the cabin. Brooklynn got to swing some more, this time with Papa. She also hung out with Anna Kate quite a bit playing with toys, dancing around the front room, and coloring together. In the evening she got to open up quite a few gifts. She got some really cool animals from her uncle Tim that she still hasn't put down.

Christmas in Gatlinburg - Day 1

2006-12-23T13:26:00.000-05:00

Mimi and Papa rent a cabin in Gatlinburg each Christmas so the Cutter family can all be together during the holidays. We arrived Saturday afternoon and Brooklynn immediately noticed that there was a porch swing. Seeing that she loves to swing, this guaranteed us that she would constantly ask to swing for the rest of the weekend. Luckily, Mimi loves to swing too and spent many moments out there with Brooklynn and her cousins Anna Kate and Lauren. That night we all took a trolley ride in downtown Gatlinburg to see all the lights. A little long, too many bad jokes, and not enough lights...that was the consensus. You win some, you lose some. Still good times!

Cutter Kids 2006

2006-12-22T13:53:00.000-05:00

We wanted to get a photo taken of all the kids and grandkids to give to my parents for Christmas. A really great photographer in town squeezed us in at the last minute and we really captured a great shot. First row (L-R): Brooklynn Cutter, Anna Kate Highsmith, Lauren Highsmith. Middle row (L-R) Joy Cutter, Sara Cutter, Becky Highsmith. Back row (L-R): Rich Cutter, Tim Cutter, Micah Cutter, Shane Highsmith.

I like this opening presents thing.

2006-12-19T07:43:00.000-05:00

Brooklynn got to open her first gift of this Christmas Monday night as our friends Bill and Sabina came over to exchange gifts. She really got into opening up the present and as soon as she saw what was wrapped up, she squealed "Horsey!" She hasn't let the huge stuffed horse out of her sight ever since. Thank you very much "Bull and Bine" for the awesome gift!

Our little ladybug!

2006-12-17T02:10:00.000-05:00

Brooklynn loves ladybugs...in fact, she loves them so much she calls every bug she sees a ladybug. Well, now she can be a ladybug as well as we got her a new ladybug bath towel. She loves wrapping up in it after her bath and looking at herself in the mirror with a smile.

Wound up tight...her hair, that is!

2006-12-15T02:38:00.000-05:00

Joy put some little curlers in Brooklynn's hair for the first time and she really thought she was big stuff! She also had a huge time playing with all the extra curlers. We'll probably need a couple more attempts before we get the curls just right, but it was fun none the less.

Downtown Christmas

2006-12-09T02:50:00.000-05:00

Friday night we braved the 30 degree weather and took a trip downtown with Becky, Shane, Anna Kate and Lauren. Even though it was pretty cold, the trees and lights were awesome to see. There was even a merry-go-round that all the girls loved riding. Brooklynn had to ride the zebra. Cold night...but fun none the less.

O Christmas Tree

2006-12-04T02:32:00.000-05:00

For the last couple days I've been trying to get pictures of Brooklynn in front of our tree, but she just won't hold still. I must have taken over a hundred...here's a couple. I still hope to get better ones of our little wiggly worm.

Loving this warm weather!

2006-11-28T02:05:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we took advantage of the no-tax, post Thanksgiving shopping and finally got a new camera. With the weather being so nice as well, I just had to take Brooklynn outside and try out my new toy. Here's a couple shots.

Go to sleep!

2006-11-27T01:29:00.000-05:00

As we were watching the Panther game on Sunday, Brooklynn went down for her nap. She didn't sleep for long, and we started to hear her talking and playing up in her crib. We wanted her to go back to sleep and finish her nap but apparently she was just way too busy. When we went upstairs and opened her door, we just had to laugh. She was right in the middle of organizing all her stuffed animals, lining them all up between the wall and her crib.

Christmas already?

2006-11-26T13:05:00.000-05:00

Yes, it's Christmas time already and with that comes a big ol' tree. We went and picked out a tree over the weekend and Brooklynn really got excited about having a real live tree inside her house. She was really helpful in hanging the ornaments...and then taking them off. It's going to be really fun to watch her get into the Christmas thing this year!