10 Months (and all those pictures I mentioned)

Our Macbook is back! For now at least. While it's up and running, I am hoping to upload all of these fun pictures of Reese onto the blog, and it just so happens to be her 10 month birthday today.

10 Month Update:

*Reese LOVES books. She just sits and lets anyone read to her, over and over again. She also turns the pages to her board books while I'm reading to her (she waits for me to flip up the next page just a bit and then goes for it), and I've noticed her doing it by herself a few times, too. I'm trying to work on the "please" sign for when she wants someone to read to her again.

*RRW is in love with her Aden & Anais lovies, and she gets the biggest kick out of putting it over her face while I'm getting her in pajamas. She wails her arms and legs, giggles, and then pulls it off with a big smile. She loves this so much that when she is playing in her crib, she sits up, puts the lovey over her head and just bounces. And Leah and I watched her crawl around the living room with it over her head the other day. Pretty cute and hilarious.

*Reese Peese loves to crawl behind the couch and then when I say, "Where's Reese?," she sneaks back out into view and just smiles.

*Her schedule is like this: wake between 7-7:30, nurse, breakfast (stonyfield yotoddler yogurt), play, napTIME from 8:45-10:30oish, nurse a little after 11, lunch (LOVES bread and turkey, and then usually 1 or 2 tubs of baby food), play/errands/gym, nap from 1ish to 3ish, nurse a little after 3, play, independent play time/errands, dinner (some of whatever we are having plus baby food) at 6, bath, nurse, bed by 7.

*Reese seems to not sleep well at naptime for a few days and then make up for it really well the next few days. Repeat.

*RRW is crawling at a rapid pace and pulls up to her knees on most things. She pulls to stand only at her play table and toy baskets and in her pack n play at this point.

*Peese babbles all. the. time. Ma ma, da da, ba ba, and then every vowel sound possible. She has occasionally strung two consonant sounds in the same line and has thrown in a pa and maybe another one or two but not often.

*Sweetheart loves her pacifier, but I'm determined to limit it to the crib and car. After our California trip that is.

*Reese crawls up on me after she receives a little "that's a no" training. It's pretty sweet.

I think that's it for the update.

Get ready for LOTS of pictures.

Four of Reese's cousins and her Aunt JB and Uncle Benton came up last weekend for lunch after church, and here's Whit showing two of the younger gals how her twirling Barbie works. We have been so blessed to spend lots of time with these fun cousins lately.

Reese showing off her sweet smocked dress. A lady in our church made it just for her.

Crawling over daddy.

Reese's friend Campbell and her momma Leah came over to play. Leah and I quickly decided this needs to be a routine thing.

I just liked these next few pictures.

Reese's first Naturals game.

The moms look happy, but I'm not so sure about the kids.

Oh, Owen. He was happy.

And the 10 Month photo shoot.

Happy July 18th!

Get Ready

Get ready for some really great posts. Just not today. We have been having technical difficulties with my dear old Macbook this week, and we are currently trying to copy everything onto our external hard drive before we wipe the slate clean on my trusty friend. I guess I can't call her that trusty anymore, huh? Anyways, Wes has been bringing his work laptop home in the evenings, but I don't want to upload all of my pictures on to this computer. Plus, I am a little rusty on how to use a PC. The only time I've ever used one was on campus. So you will have to wait on the pictures. Just trust me that they are cute. Reese watching her older cousins show her how to play with a Barbie who has a twirly skirt, Reese playing with her friend Campbell, Reese just being cute standing up next to the old coffee table, Reese wearing a smocked dress that a sweet lady from church made from her, and maybe I'll throw in a few that don't start with Reese. But why would I do that? She is clearly the cutest thing in my life.

Until then, you can enjoy this iPhone picture of Reese and Emmett. I sent it to my email, so hopefully Wes won't mind me downloading one picture on his work computer. Actually, it appears you already have enjoyed it. I can't even figure out how to get the picture below the text. Oh, and I just realized that the picture somewhat resembles a centaur. Reese is leaning on Emmett's head. Maybe it was cuter on the small phone screen. Dear me.

Happy weekend, everyone. I read someone's tweet today (yeah, I tweeted for the first time in 640 days today) that mentioned first world problems. So true. My biggest issue right now is my frozen computer, and several countries in Africa are in some major food crises with an unbelievable drought. And to think we serve a God who cares about all of these things is rather incredible. I do believe though I should be in prayer a bit more for Africa than my computer.

30 is the new 20

Last night was quite the party. One of Wes' closest friends turned 30. And his wife, who happens to be one of my closest friends, threw one heck of a surprise party. While pregnant with her second sweet girl who was born just 5 weeks ago, she planned all the details for a wine tasting party. Kari had six wines paired with specific foods, and each guest carried around a sheet explaining each wine. We had homemade pulled pork sandwiches and cupcakes as well. I was very impressed with all of the little details that had to be done in order to pull this surprise off successfully. Wes and I had a fabulous night with some of our dearest friends. Way to go, Kari, for hosting such a wonderful party! {I was assigned to be photographer, and I'm in the process of getting all of the shots uploaded for you, Kari. I am just posting the ones of our little crew on here.}

Speaking of fun times, remember our good friends who moved to Philly last summer? They are here for a week and got to celebrate last night, too. We've made lots of excuses to see them, and there will be more of these excuses made the next few days. Enjoy these pictures from the past few days!

Five little cuties. Blair, Emma, Reese, Sarah, and Sam.

Oh, how I wish Sam and his family still lived here.

The part-ay.

Wine info sheet. Thanks, Leslie, for the cute background.

The Birthday Boy and Kari.

Just some of the dudes.

The surprise. Not the best surprise face, but I think it was a surprise.

Some of my greatest friends.

My good lookin' guy posing for me. See? He has his wine and is eating the paired smoked sausage.

I love these ladies a lot.

TGC. What a great family.

Hot Dogs and Fireworks

Last night was a good time. 16 adults and 15 kids. We ate hot dogs with all the trimmings, deviled eggs, pasta salad, green bean casserole, chips, guacamole, and potato salad. For dessert, we stuffed our faces with cookies, homemade blackberry and peach cobblers, homemade butter pecan ice cream, homemade rice krispie treats, and a very festive and yummy trifle. Delish. Most of the crew made their way down the street to Orchards Park for the concert and fireworks, a few had to take little ones home early, and even fewer stayed back to watch from the house while cleaning up and keeping the babies. I stayed back, but I won't next year. The fireworks could be seen from our house, and a ton of neighborhood folks were all together watching from the street and backyards, but I want to be with the crowd and the music. Reese slept through the whole thing which is a different story than the night of July 3rd when the neighborhood fireworks display definitely woke up my sweet pea.

Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate the holiday with us. I think this may be an annual thing.

Getting ready for the party.

Come on in, folks.

A little festive decor for the mantel.

Notice the sweet little one playing with her toys.

Bunting, thanks to Susie.

Nothing festive about this, but I wanted to show some of you my newest pillows and cushions. Now onto painting the TV armoire.

Before the sides arrived.

Prior to the hot dog arrival.

Didn't mean to leave Reese's toys out, but I'm glad I did.

Oh, just two of my cutest nieces.

Amy loves Reese, and Reese loves Amy.

The young couple, Owen and Reese.

Aunt JB and sweet Marion.

Good lookin' Ty.

Sarah did NOT want to miss the fireworks show.

My kid at heart hubby.




As Annie and Morgan say, Happy America!

Happy 4th.

These are to tide Mopsy and Gran over until pictures from tonight are taken and shared. We have had two different rounds of house guests the past three nights, and it's been one fun weekend here. This morning after Barrett and Lindsey left, we got Reese in her firecracker gear and headed to the grocery store to stock up on all the goods for our party here tonight. More pictures and stories to come later...

Well, I actually have time to share a couple of small stories now while my pictures upload. {skip to pictures if you want} Wes' cousin Ben and his wife Claire came up from Little Rock to spend the night Friday night, and I always so enjoy visiting with them. Don't get me wrong, I was ecstatic they were coming, but when I found out little Lucy wasn't with them, I did get a little sad. They have an almost 17 month old who was with her grandparents while Ben and Claire did some furniture shopping. I've only gotten to see Lucy when she was little bitty, so we have decided we are all going to visit Ben and Wes' grandmother in Camden soon. That will be a trip and have it's own blog post for sure. Back to their visit with us...we stayed up talking for several hours Friday night and then did a little Farmers Market shopping on Saturday morning before they headed out on their quest for a dining table.

Another fun day was had on Sunday when all the Walker bros, wives, and little kids ate lunch after church together. We picked up Slim's and then headed over to Bret and Jayme's to eat. Barrett, one of Wes' (and mine, too) best friends from high school, and Lindsey came over early afternoon, and we grilled burgers and looked at old high school pictures last night. They are having their first little one in January, so we did a lot of ooing and ahhing over Reese. Okay, pictures are uploaded and you can finally see what you came here for. Ta da.

Our little firecracker on her first 4th of July. Yeah, she has her first crusty nose, too. You can kind of tell her eyes are a bit watery and her nose is stuffy. Sweet girl.

It's her last first holiday. After 4th of July, the next big holiday is Halloween, and it will be her second time to celebrate that one. So, today is her last first holiday.

Getting ready to go grocery shopping in the rain.

Not too bothered by the wet weather this morning.