While The Men Are Away

A few things before we get to the good stuff...

1. My camera camera (that's what I call my nice camera) has been a little ill lately, so all you have been seeing are pictures from my phone. Not bad, but not as great as they could be. Luckily, camera camera is fixed just in time for my girls trip to NYC this coming weekend!!!

2. Reese has been adding several fun tricks to her repertoire lately, and now that I don't do a monthly update, i'm not doing a good job of recording things. So...Reese is now pointing to her mouth, feet, and ears when I ask her where they are, she babbles ALL the time, she signs please just as often, and she has taken a few steps when I stand her up and ask her to walk to me only to fall into my arms as soon as she's close enough, or she just sits down because she doesn't feel like standing up. We are getting over a not-so-fun trick of throwing her lovie or pacifiers out of the crib and screaming at the top of her lungs about it. She waves by clasping her fingers instead of the old whole arm wave, and it's really cute. She still crosses her ankles when she sits, and she's getting funnier by the day. Oh, and I think her first official word other than momma, dadda, uh-oh, and lots of consonant sounds was puppy. 

3. Yeah, I'm going to New York City with three girlfriends this Thursday morning, and I would appreciate prayers for safe travels and happy, healthy kids at home.

Okay, so Wes is on his way home from Omaha visiting our friend James who is recovering from Pancreatitis. Five guys from church loaded up early yesterday morning and headed up north to spend some time just playing games and catching up together. Wes was also gone Friday night volunteering at rEcess, and I've had several nights to myself lately. While my man has been away, Reese and I have gotten busy. And we have had a good time, too.  Here's proof...

A little Christmas decorating. 

Bentonville Christmas Parade with SJ and the Mooney kids.

Our friends Matt and Ginny are adopting sweet Lena from the Ukraine as we speak, so their other two little ones are spending the first few days with their grandparents who brought them to the parade. Read more about the Mooneys here and here.

Post-parade lunch date with Kari and SJ. Goodness knows Reese and Sarah are going to be great buddies. They were so cute flirting with everyone and mimicking each other.

We watched our girls compete in a nearby cheer competition last night...first place, baby!

And then once Reese was asleep, I wrapped the gifts that have come in so far.

And today, I had to finish the book I've been reading, so Reese got out WAAAY more toys than usual. She played so well by herself for close to an hour or more.

More decorating. Waiting on the other two stockings to get monogrammed.

 Three little rascals.