Spring Break with Daddy

While Mommy's away we try on her shoes...
we sit on top of Daddy's car and jump off...
we blow bubbles inside the house...
and we play outside ALOT!

Easter Sunday

Reese's first Easter egg hunt. Uncle Chris throwing the eggs back into the yard when she wasn't looking prolonged the ordeal. But hey... Reese had a blast! She also got an Easter basket with Elmo eggs from "GiGi"(Kate's mom) which she loves! Since Mommy forgot to do a basket, it's a good thing Reese has 2 awesome grandmothers! :)

Weekend Update starring Reese

...collecting acorns. A favorite weekend activity.

...modeling her sweet new 'do

...now from the front, blue steel :)

(Zoolander reference for those who don't know)

....all tuckered out

...she's a big girl in the grown-up rocking chair

...what happens when we take her out of the rocking chair

...awwwwww!!

...got our elmo backback and we're off!

More random thoughts...

Yea it’s Friday!
Ok so, I want to write a post about LOST-we are avid watchers, but there are so many questions swirling in my head right now…
-Who the heck is Ben?
-Who is in the coffin?
-Did Claire die, is that why Kate has Aaron?
-Michael and Walt?? Where are they? I know they are coming back…
-Who are these people Sayid is killing off?
I could go on and on. We have many theories about the whole thing. But there is something more important on my mind this morning…

Orange Tic Tacs.
Why are they classified as mints when they are not minty at all? Don’t get me wrong. I love them. My grandmother used to send them to me all the time.
I ate a whole little box of them last night. And thought, they taste like Orange Fanta in solid form. They are in no way “minty”, not even the aftertaste.
And why are they called Tic Tac’s anyway?? Hearing “Tic-Tac” just makes me think of something small. But who thought that up in the beginning? Anyway,

No more showings this week on the house. Please keep praying that God provides just the right buyer soon! Although I am enjoying my awesome “newish” kitchen and laundry room! (Pics coming, I promise)
Oh and on another prayer note, our dear friends the O’Steens are like 9 months pregnant with twin girls! I’m so excited and can’t wait for them to get here. Sometime soon I hope…we just need them to stay in there for like another week or so, so pray that they arrive safely and healthy, cuz it will be any day now! Check them out here!
Sorry for all the randomness in the last few posts! I just enjoy the "randomness" of life and truth be told, we have not much going on right now other than work! :)

Inspiration and Yams...

So inspiration comes from many places. People, heroic acts, places, nature, a beautiful song…

So that brings me to a little guy I like to call…John Mayer. And yes, I know he may have some assistance from “LSD”, but still, he’s amazing!! I was listening to him in the car on the way home yesterday and you know how when you’re driving in traffic, you don’t really pay attention to the words of songs, you are just kind of driving mindlessly…ok, at least I’ll speak for myself. Well, a song from Continuum came on called The Heart of Life. Here’s my favorite part of the song…

You know it's nothing new

Bad news never had good timing

Then the circle of your friends

Will defend the silver lining

Pain throws your heart to the ground

Love turns the whole thing around

No it won't all go the way it should

But i know the heart of life is good

I love that. Your friends (and family) defend the silver lining of life. Cool.

On a different note, Our camera batteries have been dead for the last week, this is why there is lots of text, not many pics on the blog right now…How hard is it to change out batteries you ask. Not very, unless you are also having problems remembering if you took a shower this morning or not. And, unless you also have a fetish with the Energizer Lithium batteries and will not use anything else. But, that being said, I’ve got batteries in hand, and am determined to post some pictures tonight! I know you are all on the edge of your seats.

Afterthought of the day...as Skip and I ate dinner last night, I was enjoying one of my favorite things, sweet potatoes. Yummm! Here’s a question…And yes I know I can google this…Are sweet potatoes and yams the same thing?? A very burning question for many I'm sure :)

Prayer Request

Hello everyone!
Just a quick post this morning to ask for your prayers. As you probably know, Skip and I had our house on the market last year for like 10 months!! We took it off for a while, did some work on it, and it is going back on TODAY! Please, if you have a second, even if it's just right while you read this blog, please say a prayer over our little house. We know and trust in our God's faithfullness and perfect will and timing in our lives! But we would love to sell it sooner than later! So a prayer for the right buyer and a quick and smooth sell would be awesome!
Thanks so much...and thanks to our beyond amzing friends who came over Saturday and worked their tails off cleaning, working on our yard, painting, fixing....more on that to come, but THANKS to you all!!!
Happy Monday :)

Tagged by Avery

I was tagged by sweet Avery :) , so here ya go!!
My favs, in random order...

Five Fav Movies:
1. Anne of Green Gables
2. old Alfred Hitchcock movies and old musicals
2b. Napolean Dynamite / Anchorman ( I love Will Ferrell!)
3. The Bourne Trilogy
4. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
5. Harry Potter Extravaganza
(I am more of a TV person....I love too many movies to narrow it down.)

Five Fav TV shows:
1. Hannah Montana
2. Lost
3.The Amazing Race
4. Grey’s Anatomy
5. The Office
(but I also love some “classics”-Alias, Felicity, OC)

Five places I would like to be:
1. NYC
2. at home with Reese
3. the Lake of the Ozarks cabin we always went to growing up
4. a European tour
5. Vegas, baby!...I mean, Nashville :)

Five Fav foods:
1. Mexican
2. Breakfast Food
3. Sour Patch Kids
4. Concession stand food (hot dogs, nachos…)
5. My grandmas pot roast and fixins

Five Fav Songs/artists:
1. Hannah Montana theme song
2. Coldplay-everything they sing
3. Justin Timberlake
4. John Mayer
5. Andy Davis/Dave Barnes (check them out)

Five Things I like to do:
1. hang out with friends and family
2. go to movies
3. play basketball
4. Cooking/Eating at fun places
5. organizing things and throwing things away

I'm tagging: Jenn, Andrea, Misty, and Rosey!! :)

Year 5

So today is our 5th wedding anniversary!---I can't believe it's been that long! Here are my Top 5 "married moments" thus far...in no particular order...

-our honeymoon in Vegas when skip let me walk down the strip to get us breakfast at mcdonalds, BY MYSELF, because he wanted to sleep in late :),

-the day skip figured out the top two situations in which to never bother me(you are taking your life into your own hands)...
*when I am taking a nap ("I hate 6:30!") :)
*when I am watching my favorite TV show,

-the day we energetically ripped out our bathroom vanity and a geyser erupted out of our wall,

-finding out we were going to have a baby / the birth of our precious, amazing daughter,

-the flower delivery guy delivering the tulips I get every year on this day!

There are so many more, and of course all the "major moments" qualify without saying...wedding, buying our house, surviving hurricane emily, all that. But truly, my favorite are the ones just hanging out with each other and friends/family, laughing, playing with reese...
I like that saying about how life is what happens in between all the big stuff...
Our past 5 years of "life" have been awesome and I can't wait for the next ones!

(Ave, I know you tagged me and I'll post it asap :)

Day by Day

I was reminded yesterday by a dear friend (who lives this out for me daily, by the way) to look at each day as a new day. Heard it before, I thought. But the more I really thought about it, I thought “wow!.” How easy to hear, but how hard to live out. As I’ve been struggling through some things recently, some bigger, some smaller, some not really anything at all except in my mind :) …this really hit me. I tend sometimes to carry things along with me day to day and let them get very heavy, when I need just to let them go. Each day is a new day. Every moment is a moment I can’t get back. Christ intends, I think, for us not to have necessarily a perfect life or easy life, but a joyful life! Joy in Christ, joy in my daughter, joy in my husband, joy in my family, joy in my friends, joy in work that God has provided me, on and on…..
Yesterday I was for sure having a little freakout about some things, getting bogged down in the mundane, in some self-pity, in the affects of things I have no control over and can’t change. But wow…today is new day, a different day, and I can be joyful today! I know this sounds a little trite and maybe kindof goofy, but how cool would it be live with this attitude, instead of: stress, worry, etc.?? So I am going to continue to struggle with myself daily. I know that joy is what Christ desires for me, and I want to strive, though I know I will never completely get there, every day to be more like the person I can be in Him.

Chit Chat

Wow! I have not written in so long! Sorry. Alot going on...Work, Reese, recovering from being sick for like a month, life. Nothing new or exciting though. I'm gonna be thinking of some clever, funny post(I really miss writing, so I need to get back on that), but for now...we are alive and well! Just FYI. :) A sweet blog to check out in the meantime...here!
Oh yeah! Did anyone watch the Grammy's last night?? I mean, really, Amy Winehouse?? Just because she actually really did have to go to rehab we have to give her the sympathy vote?? And Kanye...?!?!?!?!? I will, however, always love and adore my Justin Timberlake and John Mayer. Also, did I hear the glorious rumor today that the writer's strike is over??????????

Miller's Birthday Bash

Reese hanging out with her buds Owen and Miller during Miller's birthday party this past weekend. And yes, this was the best shot we could get of energetic toddlers.


Reese loved making her way through the maze of tubes and slides.







But even Reese gets tired. There's nothing like a nap in the car on the way home. :)

Music Education

Reese loves listening to tunes with Daddy. It's never too early to educate your daughter on what good music is. And no, Hannah Montana will never sing a note on Daddy's iPod.

Santa Claus really came to town...

Wow I've got to be a better updater(sp?)! Ok, so Christmas was great but quick this year. We spent the days with family, saw some old friends that were in town, had lots of food, movies, games and such. Skip got an iPod, which he has wanted for sooooo long, so that was fun.(We got the ProductRED one, so we are doing our part!) We got seasons of The Office on DVD which we love, cold hard cash, clothes, lots of good stuff. But Reese, dude, she racked up! It was, as you can see from the pic, an Elmo Christmas! :) It was so much fun seeing her get so excited!! God is good--and that is made even more evident at this time of year. His provision is amazing.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's off to work I go...

Well, as of tomorrow morning at 8am, I am re-entering the workforce! I have been fortunate enough this past year since having Reese to be able to work only part-time, and then the past two months to be able to be home with her full-time. What a blessing! We have been praying for God to provide us a way for some extra income this year...with Skip being a first year teacher. Anyway, a dear friend(thanks Matt!), was faithful to pray and hook me up with a friend of his at the Gaylord Texan Hotel in Grapevine. I emailed her and things went pretty fast from there! The HR people there have been amazing and as of tomorrow I am going to be the assistant to one of the sales directors. She is a really neat lady and I'm really excited to work at such a cool place! Check it out here!! I have committed to work full time for at least a year....I'm so sad to not be home with Reese everyday(but I have family and friends that are amazing beyond words that are helping make that easier by keeping her :)...so please pray that I,and Reese,adjust to this new schedule and that I truly enjoy my job.(I'm already enjoying my new Banana work clothes-I love me some "on clearance" Banana!) I am so thankful for God's provision and faithfulness and know he will continue to be faithful in this chapter of our lives!! I mean, hey, I get my own cube...what's cooler than that?? :)

It's about stinkin time...

Ok, so it's been too long since I've posted Reese pics! So here are some of our fall favs! Stay tuned for more bloggin to come soon on our newly "Christmafied" blog site :)!

...playing in the leaves with Papa
...with one of her many suitors, Miller!

...trying on winter hats! :)

...hangin outside, our favorite thing!

...pickin out her pumpkin with daddy-

I don't think this is "the one" based on her expression!

Something to read???

Daddy, you seriously need to post something for your faithful blog readers to read. Otherwise I'm going to have to post something from my ABC book and I don't think most people would find it all that exciting. Waiting for more than 4 months now on something new...

Click here to see my Daddy's blog.

Your daughter,
Reese

Car Conversations

So, I have recently been told by my college roommate, who lives in Colorado I might add, that Skip and I remind her of the couple on the Sonic commercials. Now, Im not sure if this is a compliment :)...and at first I was like "what??", but...given the conversations we have had in the car this week, Im beginning to think I agree with her.


Conversation #1-- "What makes the difference between a burrito and a taco?" (Skip)
"Obviously, the outer shell and how it's wrapped. If it is folded/in a hard shell, it's a taco. If it's wrapped in a soft tortilla, it's a burrito." (me)
"I disagree. What about soft tacos?" (Skip)
"Well, but soft tacos are folded, so it's still a taco."(me)
" I think it's the filling, that determines the taco/burritoness."(Skip)
"Well, but you can order a beef burrito. Hummm, agree to disagree. When in rome..."(me)


Conversation #2--"Where is that tanker taking all that milk?"(me)
"To the milk place"(Skip)
"What do you mean? Is it going from the farm to the place that pasteurizes it or to the dairy or Kroger or what??"(me)
"From the farm to the dairy."(Skip)
"So Mr. Milkman, do they just open the spout on the truck and empty it in to the jugs, cuz thats gross if thats where our milk comes from ."(me)
"Our milk comes from cows, honey."(Skip)


Conversation #3-- "If you had a super power, like one from Heroes, which one would you want?"(Skip)
"Obviously Parkman. Cuz I could read minds and control people."(me)
"What about Claire though. Then you could heal yourself."(Skip)
"Or what about the new girl that can do anything she sees? And I do love Mohinder." (me)
"Mohinder doesn't even have a super power." (Skip)
"So what? I still love him"(me)
"Well, then I would obviously kick your butt..."(Skip)
"Whatever...I would...kick your butt...too."(me)
"Good comeback." (Skip)

---Because of conversations like those and many many more involving trivia, useless knowledge, and what if's, I have to say...we laugh alot and my roommate is seeming more right as the days go by. Thanks Michelle! :)

That for which I am THANKFUL...

I just stepped outside and wow...so cool how the weather changes in an instant. Hot to cold, fall to winter...God is amazing! So as I wipe snot from my daughter's nose, get out winter sweaters and jackets, make myself the first mug of hot chocolate of the season, and tomorrow being Thanksgiving, I ponder all the things I truly am thankful for:

-A God who is full of grace, love, goodness, faithfullness, sovereignty, justice, forgivness, holiness, protects me daily, and who saved me from an eternity apart from Him!
-My family. A Godly father, mother, and brother who love me unconditionally, take care of me, taught me, and who I love to spend time with...as well as extended family--grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins...all who love the Lord!,
-A husband who loves me, works to provide for his family, makes me laugh, has integrity, and makes me a better person, and who has put with me for almost 5 years!,
-A beautiful daughter who is full of life and personality, and is happy and healthy!
-Friends that are so close, they are family as well. God has provided us with beyond amazing friends, who all bring something different to our lives, support and love us unconditionally, and who we have the time of our lives with!
-People and things that inspire me to be better and do more! (adopting from Ethiopia, fighting illness and dealing with grief, a beach at sunset, traveling to Europe, living on support, having twins :), trying out for American Idol :), living your dreams!),
-Living in a country where we have freedom, and the people who fight and die so I can have it...a country where you can live, work, get medical care, ect. however you want!,
-Jobs that provide for our family,
-That for today, we are experiencing the blessing of good health,
-A roof over our head, a car to get us places, and food to eat,

And of course, all the little things that make life, life :) :

-my DVR,
-Taco Bueno and Chick Fil A,
-Northpark mall,
-People magazine, Harry Potter :),
-trips to NYC,
-beautiful weather,
-a good margarita,
-VEGAS BABY!!,
-laundry detergent,
-heat and air conditioning,
-the ATM,
-shoes,
-Oh, this list could go on and on...so I'll stop now!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!!!

Tuesday Night Lights

Our first football season has come to a close so I thought you all might like to see "Coach T" in all his coaching glory! As you can imagine, Skip was the most hard-core of any of the coaching staff :)...no but seriously, the kids really responded to him, liked him and I think Skip enjoyed his experience too! Now on to basketball...Im sure he will be asking me many questions since my knowledge of the sport is pretty amazing...yesssss!....I can relive my b-ball days through 7th grade boys!! :)

Reese all bundled up to watch Daddy!

Coach T with his players...check out the awesome track suit!

White Settlement 7th grade football is quite the draw for the fans...as you can see!

Christmas Excitement

So, I walked into Target, my fav place, today and lo and behold....Christmas stuff was out!!! Yea!!! I know many of you are the "it's too early for Christmas" crowd...but I fully embrace the marketing strategy :) Don't get me wrong, I love Thanksgiving and think it deserves more attention, however, I have to admit my heart still skips a beat at the sight of garland, and trees and fake snowmen. I have even turned on 103.7 and whipped out my Christmas cd's already! I just love the galleria all decorated, the sound of Christmas songs, the holiday scents, Charlie Brown Christmas...I think the anticipation and "build-up" to Christmas is almost more fun than the day itself...Before you all get worried and think Im so so shallow, let me just say I do know the real "reason for the season"(so cliche I know) and it is Jesus! (and friends and family :)
But, there is nothing wrong with a little holiday cheer! So I dont want to hear any comlaining if you are in my car and Mariah Carey's Christmas album is blaring through the speakers! :) (one of the greatest Christmas albums of all time, by the way!)
Merry Christmas early, to each and every one!!! (and Happy Thanksgiving!)