This Year

Wow, I know it has been a while, a very long while, since I have said much of anything.  A lot of things have been going on around here, stuff that I am anxious to write about, but haven't made the time to do so.  This post will not be the one where that happens either, sorry to say.  All in good time my dears, all in good time.

What you should know is that our family is doing great.  Reid is growing like a weed, which has me finding myself wishing I could stop time most days.  I am still absolutely loving getting to stay home with this great little guy, I literally thank God daily for this blessing.  We have had many fun times with our families, including 42 games, easter, weddings, you name it we have done it!  I could not ask for a more flexible kiddo, he really goes with the flow well.  I am so enjoying sleeping through the night and having a toddler.

I know this is a just a jumbled mess, but that is how I am feeling at the moment.  Hopefully my next post will be a little more thought out.  Until then I will leave you with a few pictures and videos.  The videos are from our church wide easter egg hunt.  I wasn't there so Mark took them for me.  The pictures are of an Easter get together we had with friends and family.  The cute little red head girl is Genna, Reid's buddy and she is adorable!  The next are just some we took on Easter afternoon.

Read about Reid: 17 Months

Ok so it has been quite a while since we did one of these, but that is ok, because now you will see how much he has learned.

Just so y'all know, I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE the toddler stage!  I honestly didn't think I would at all, but it really has been a joy.  He is doing so much more, is able to understand most of what I am saying (though I cannot say the same for him, he is babbling stuff like crazy, but I have NO IDEA what any of it is), can follow simple commands, plays with toys, loves to read, the list goes on and on.  So without further ado, here is what Reid can do at the moment

1. The boy can throw and ball and throw it well.  He throws it hard and is pretty accurate.  Mark nor I taught him that, but he has a natural follow through, which I think is pretty legit.
2. He is GREAT at kicking a ball.  He kicks left footed always and once again kicks it HARD.  I think he takes after his daddy.  Mark never taught him how to kick, but says he "approaches it" (I think, he isn't here so I can't ask) which means he basically walks up and kicks through his stride (does that make sense), doesn't stop then swing his leg.  Apparently that is a pretty good skill.
3. He can shoot a ball too! He got one of those little Tyke basketball goals for Christmas from my grandparents, a gift that was supposed to go to their house as soon as it was opened, but alas, he received it and played with it for 3 SOLID HOURS!  People that is a record for anything to hold his attention, especially 3 hours worth!  Needless to say it came to our house and is still here.  We play with it everyday at least once, if not 5 times.  
4. He is getting MOLARS.  Oh they are the devil, seriously, I hate them SSSOOO much.  They hurt his little mouth and his gums get SSSOOO swollen it is ridiculous.  I feel bad for him because on those days he is just super cranky (though he sleeps great at nap which is a plus).
5. Speaking of naps, we have been down to just one afternoon nap for a while.  He usually goes down about 1 or so and gets up around 3ish.  Nap time is nice, always.
6. He loves books and definitely has his favorites.  His absolute favorite is "Where's Spot?" a lift the flap book.  He can read that over and over and begs for it (and we hide it. . . often. . . there is only so much finding of Spot we can take).   Another favorite is "I Love You Through and Through" which has a little boy with a teddy bear (bee-oor), but this one he likes to read with "Babby" otherwise known as Abby.  She is one of our youth that is over regularly and he adores her!  Adores her so much he said "Babby" before he said "Mama" or "Grammy".  Anyway, it is no big deal to go and find him sitting by his bookshelf pulling out countless books, and reading them to himself.  So cute!
7. He has recently started to like T.V. some.  To him the T.V. is called "Memo" because he watches "Elmo" aka Sesame Street while he eats breakfast in the morning. He doesn't ever make it the whole hour, just maybe the first 20 minutes (if that) but he likes it.  Another favorite is Barney.  We bought a portable DVD player that hooks to the back your headrest for the car and seriously that sucker is worth it's weight in GOLD.  Makes long drives so much easier.  Lydia, Jenni, Meagan, seriously you should invest, you will thank me later!
8. He likes to dance.  Seriously, he has some moves.
9. We started talking about colors today.  He can say "Blue" (bwoo) and "Green" (geen).  
10. He knows where is eye, ear, nose, mouth, chin, cheek, hair, tounge, knee, belly button, fingers, toes, and foot are on his body and can point to them accordingly.
11. He knows so many words and learns new ones everyday (hence the word "geen" today).  A few things he says new are: bear, rock-rock (ock, ock), Scott (cott), dog (da), bird (bawr, kinda sounds like ball, but it's bird), banana (na-na), Nina (Mark's mom), Gi (my mom), Papaw (my dad and grandfather), Pops, Poppy, Noni, and Ballou (ba-oo, my grandmother), juice (he somhow rolls his J and is sounds something like broosh, but in a weird way), bath (bah), shoe (kinda sounds like juice), and a few more I am sure I don't remember.
12. He can blow his nose when I ask him too (great skill to have!)
13. He can also blow hot food.
14. He can use a fork and spoon and will not let us feed him anymore for the most part. 
15. He loves to sing and makes up his own tunes and words.  

Well there you have it.  I know I haven't put everything on here, but I just wanted to commemorate where we were at this point in life.  It is a sweet precious time, one I wouldn't trade for the world!

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Some of 2011 Christmas (I'm behind)

So I am SSSSOOOO sorry to have had such a LONG LONG LONG time in between posts.  I don't know what has gotten into me (actually I kinda do, but more about that later, and no I am not pregnant lol), but the important thing is that I am back now.  A lot has happened since the last post, namely Christmas and our boy getting older.  It is so crazy how much he has grown and how smart he is getting!  Seriously, this stage is so much fun, and he learns something new everyday. . .

Here are a few pics of Christmas Morning at our house.

Our Tree

Morning Sleepy Head! He wouldn't open his presents since he got these balls he had in his stocking!

Big Boy Cheesin!

These next few are of the annual "cookie party" we have at my mom's friend Lisa's house.  It used to be just me and my brother decorating cookies with Lisa before she had kids because she loved to do it and mom didn't.  It has since grown to include all of the "Princess" kids.  The "Redneck Princesses" is the term my mom's friends use to describe themselves.

Reid and his cousin Ty 

Reid and his Aunt Lori

Cutie Patootie!

My Hubby and Bro

All the Kids

The princesses

Throwing a ball.  All day, every day affair.

Hubby's Bomb

Bro's Tin Man

Our New Pastor

Our church has been without a pastor since May of this year.  Finally after 6 months of anxiously waiting and praying, God has sent us a man and his family to lead our church.  The funny thing is he was a youth minister here 16 years ago, and now has come back to serve once again.  Bro. Will Sherman and his family are here and are doing an excellent job.  He loves the church, the community, and has just fit right in.

To welcome him the church had a "Get to Know the Pastor" get together the Saturday night before he came in view of a call.  It was a nice fellowship and a wonderful time of just being together as a church family.

Little man hanging on Mama

Food table!

Sorry about the poor quality of pictures, I have misplaced the card to my SLR and so my small point and shoot was all I had at the time. . . Let's just say there is a reason I don't use it that often.

Mr. Man has been growing steadily and is now 14 months old!  I cannot believe that.  If I think about it too long it makes me sad.  He is getting smarter and more aware of his surroundings every single day.  We are still hanging on to two naps a day at times, but just by the skin of our teeth.  We have also learned how to throw fits, like screaming bloody murder fits, so if anyone knows how to combat those please leave me some love lol.  

I am enjoying being a stay at home mommy all the more now.  It really has been such a sweet time for myself as a woman, wife, mom, and daughter of the King.  I have learned so much and grown even more in my walk with the Lord, something I attribute to the time I do have to pursue the things I love.  

Photo Card

Monogram Damask Christmas

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I'm Going to Miss This

So it has been a pretty big gap in between posts lately.  I guess I just haven't been feeling the bloggin' vibe.  That and for the most part it seems as if our days kind of are all the same, so why would that be any fun for anyone to read.  However, I ALWAYS enjoy going back and reading old posts and seeing how God has worked everything out for good.  This made me realize that even if I don't feel like blogging or my life seems monotonous I am one day going to look back and miss this.  I want to remember this special time in our lives when Reid is so little and the only one, when we are trusting God with everything we have, when I am enjoying the youth kids, I am going to look back and say "These were some of the best years and I didn't even know it."

I haven't really been up to a lot besides just chasing around a toddler who is getting faster by the day!  It really is true, how once the babes learn how to walk, they just take off!  It is seriously like someone flips a switch and they decide "Hey this is a better way to get around!"  We have also been reading A LOT of books!  He actually has a clear favorite, I believe it is called "Where's Spot"  (I should know, I read it about 50 times a day!) and it is a classic "lift the flap" book!  He loves it and will thrust it in mine or Mark's face time and time again to read it to him.  He is also having tons of fun with all of his toys from his birthday, especially the ball pit ;).

Here are a few of the things I don't want to forget about Reid at 13 months

• His infectious giggle!  I have never been around a happier baby, one who laughs so easily.  
• All the words he can say!  Mama, Dada, Bite-bite, MMMmm, Ball, Yea, Please (sign language), Night night, car noises.  His vocabulary is slowly but surely getting bigger.
• The way he holds his hands out right above his waste to balance himself as he toddles back and forth from one room to the next
• How he licks (yes licks, don't ask why, I am not sure) every ball he plays with
• He loves to go on a walk with Mom or a run with Dad, we enjoy talking to him on these special outings,
• He is now forward facing and has 6 teeth, the front four and bottom two!  So cute!  I think he is cutting more as I type, he has been slightly cranky.  
• His precious squeal when you chase him.  It is his favorite game at the moment and he will play with ANYONE who is willing.
• He loves climbing up stairs!
• He eats a banana and eggs for breakfast, sandwich for lunch, and then whatever we are all having for dinner.  The boy loves goldfish crackers, mini club crackers, and anything sweet for a snack.
• I think we are now totally on whole milk, no more putting formula in there with it!  
• I love how he makes noises with his finger and his lip when we are changing him, daddy taught him that!  
• We are practicing blanket time and are up to three minutes! Woohoo.

These are just a few of the many things I do not want to ever forget about this precious guy.  He is so sweet, and SO MUCH FUN.  I know he was meant to be ours, and am so thankful for him every day!  I pray for him and for us that he will grow up to be a Godly man who loves and follows the Lord.  

Lastly I leave you with a few pictures my aunt took of my giant family!  She is great!  If you need a photographer in the East Texas area she is the one to get.  She recently opened her own studio as well! Check her out at www.loriiveyphotography.blogspot.com