Goals 2013

Wes and I spent an evening last week at Bonefish Grill with papers and pens in hand. We discussed last year's goals, laughed at what we had missed, high-fived at all we had accomplished, and planned and brainstormed for what we would like to see in 2013. Maybe laughing at what we had missed wasn't the best motivator to accomplish 2013's goals, but we are pretty committed this year. Wes had created about ten categories for us to discuss including marriage, finance, kids, health, personal, home, etc. I am super into planning, organizing, and daydreaming about what a routine-led, disciplined life would be like...and I'm super good at letting good intentions fall to the wayside. I know the daily goals won't be attained every day, and I know that some of the long term ones won't get completed. However, I do love the fresh start the Lord gives us in a new year and in every morning for that matter.

Here are some of the things I'm looking forward to in 2013:

*Creating a daily schedule for our days at home...check. Day one was yesterday, and it was fabulous. The schedule basically includes less TV, more intentional time with Reese, scripture memory time, reading together, quiet time, iPad game time, craft/activity time, free/independent play time that allows me time to clean or cook, and the trusty old nap time. Day two is sailing as well. Nap time means down time for momma, too.

*Be hands-on way more often and in new ways. We experimented with several different sensory activities yesterday, and Reese loved every minute of them. Definitely a motivator to keep going with this one. This afternoon will be a rehearsal for tomorrow's craft with a few friends.

*Create a house cleaning schedule. I think I'm becoming more and more like my mom. I need the house de-cluttered and straightened up all the time. This is good and bad at this stage of my life. Reese needs to be able to play with all of her toys and make a mess, and I need to learn to be okay with that. Regardless, at the end of our days, the house is typically pretty straightened up but not CLEAN. So, I made a list of things to clean each week of the month. We will see how that goes. I'm a mean picker-upper, but I'm not a good cleaner. This week...base boards, floors, and de-cluttering/cleaning out laundry room.

*Evolve our eating habits into much healthier ones. This has been so fun to explore, research, and it should be even more fun to experiment with in the coming weeks and months. I don't cling to one "diet" and instead tend to look at the components and benefits of each food. I really like the idea of eating "real food" which means to cut out processed foods, eating "clean", and simplifying our meals at the same time. Right now, I'm not going to be a girl who tries new and exciting recipes every night. I'm on the hunt to find a good repertoire of meals that my family loves that I can make over and over and meals that are good for us. I have a list of recipes/ideas going for each meal: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack. This is fun. And it's also scary finding out about the JUNK we have put into our bodies. Here's to a healthier 2013!

*The budget is exciting, too. I'm certain it's only exciting because it's January and we haven't gotten very far into it, but I do love getting to look at where our money goes. I am hoping to find lots of freedom through this budget. We rejoined Mint.com. Here goes nothing!

We have lots of other smaller goals and more personal ones, but Reese is deciding against falling asleep at her nap today, and Graham is ready to eat again. He's just about the easiest baby ever right now, and after spending all day Saturday trying to get him to take a bottle only to fall asleep and nap just as well as always, I can still make that claim. He's taken two full bottles, but he doesn't take any if he's not starving. He doesn't really fuss about it, and I realized how much I love breastfeeding. Seriously. I felt so detached from him this weekend, and it certainly is a great bonding method for me. I do hope and pray that the bottle gets easier, but I'm so enjoying where we are right now because I know he will be a year old and onto milk so soon. And I'm counting my blessings because so many can't nurse, and who knows if my little guy decides to revolt before I'm really ready. Okay, I better go wake him up from his second 2+ hour nap and feed him. These are the things I will want to read about in the future. I read about Reese's first year on a daily basis. Love it. Oh, and we started rice cereal last night. More on that and more on how both kids have their first colds and more on everything later.

FOUR Months Old

Our little guy is four months old today, and that's one-third of a year. I don't remember life before he arrived very well at all. Graham has joined this family and is a perfect fit. We are so very blessed.

Here is what he is up to these days. 

*Smiles if you look at him

*Laughs when you tickle him

*Squeals just for fun

*Cries only if he's tired

*Totally beats his sister in the good sleeper category

*Likes his belly but has no interest in rolling over yet

*If he gets something in his hand, he brings it to his mouth. Not really reaching for things yet.

*Only one arm is swaddled at each bed time.

*Loves the jumperoo

*Adores watching his sister

*A total Momma's boy at this point. We had our first pouty face when I dropped him off at the church nursery last week.

*Wears 3-6 month clothes and size 2 diapers. Stats to come next week after his 4 month well check.

*Sample Schedule:

If we are home all day, Graham is up for an hour and then naps for the next two. All day. Four naps. And I rarely have to re-insert the pacifier or go in at all. He's a champion napper. I have to wake him up many times. If we are out and about, he doesn't sleep long in the car seat or on me, but if we have time before the next feeding when we get home, he easily goes to bed. He loves his crib. He goes about 3 hours between feedings, but it's sometimes a little less or a bit more if I need to adjust the schedule to fit our day better. He goes to bed around 8 at night and then has a dream feed around 10:30. He wakes up somewhere between 4 and 6 most nights, and I can usually pacify him easily until somewhere in the 7:00 hour, but other nights, I just feed him and put him back in bed. Then he will sleep a bit later--closer to 8am. I do bring him in bed with us in the 6:00 hour in order to stretch him sometimes. I think we will really work on getting rid of the 4-6 wake/feed time in the next few weeks.

Graham,

You really melt my heart on a daily basis. Your daddy and I love to just sit and talk and sing with you at night after Reese goes to sleep. You love to watch us gush over you. 

You are one tough cookie. Sister adores you, and sometimes she expresses this by sitting extremely close to you and "tickling" your head. She loves to help put you down for naps and loves to help me wake you up to eat. You watch her, study her, and are completely entertained by her if she will sit still long enough.

One of my favorite times of the day is when I get to pick you up from your crib. You just smile as wide as possible and look around taking everything in when those eyes get adjusted to the light. I also cherish story time with you and Sister in your chair before bedtime. 

I pray for your relationship with Reese and hope that it is close, supportive, loving, caring, and encouraging. Daddy and I pray that you never know a day apart from Christ and that you have friends who are the same. We pray that you are confident, outgoing, strong, courageous, and love adventure. We pray that you are compassionate, kind, and tender-hearted. We pray that you have a longing to reach others and share the love that you know. We pray that joy fills our home so much that it can't help but overflow into our lives when we walk out the door and interact with others. We pray that on the tough days we remember to be thankful.

We love you and celebrate you today on your FOUR month birthday!

Momma

Sister wanted in on the photo shoot.

I call these the out-takes.

Top 10 of 2012

2012 was a big year for our family. The arrival of our second born was obviously huge, as well as our move across town, but what I immediately recall when reflecting on the entire year is how our family has grown stronger, closer, bigger, older and how we totally enjoyed our little piece of Northwest Arkansas as a family. It's the little things that I remember and cherish. The daily bits of grace, joy, mercy, love, and tears that fill our home.

Here is a list of our Top Ten {photographed} Memories of 2012. In a random order, but luckily the big one got uploaded first.

1. Graham's Arrival

September 10th was a beautiful day. Labor was not fun to say the least, but Graham arrived weighing 9 pounds 8 ounces and has completely changed our lives for the better. I can't stop staring at him, can't stop kissing him, can't stop smiling at his unbelievably sweet smile and laugh. The first few weeks were rough, but these days now are fabulous. I'm in love with the four month stage. Graham is a wonderful baby, and I had forgotten how wonderful this age can be. We are so very blessed.

I had to throw this one in. Back in February, Reese sent this message to everyone.

2. Spring Break Lake Trip

We kinda sorta last minute joined the annual Spring Break Lake Trip last March, and we were so glad we did. These friends really make life fun, and I'm so thankful for them.

3. Spring in Bentonville.

Wes and I decided that Spring is Bentonville's season. From walks on the Crystal Bridges Trails to strolls around the square and meals at fun local restaurants, we try to soak up this season in Bentonville. And it's really fun with a toddler.

4. It's a BOY

This was a fun day. I wore this to the ultrasound (pink shirt with blue necklace) thinking I would just take the necklace off because we were going to find out it was a girl. Wrong. I had to go home to change shirts before meeting lots of friends at Pressroom to share the big news. Finding out we were having a boy is such a great memory. One that I'll always remember as such a sweet, sweet moment. I had tried to suppress my desire for a son, and I was beyond grateful and excited when he revealed himself on that screen.

5. Walker Beach Trip

The entire Walker family spent a week in Seagrove, Florida in June, and it was a perfect week. Full of beach time, pool time, family dates, couple dates, and strolling around Seaside and 30-A. 

6. Bentonville Square Fun

Most Saturday mornings between April and November you can find our little family on the Bentonville square. Live music, great shade trees, local artists and gardeners, good food. Emmett is one of the hits of the Farmers Market, and he loves the attention he gets there. 

7. Babymoon to Scottsdale

Wes and I spent a long weekend in Scottsdale in 100+ degree weather. It was hot but so so good for us. I got a fabulous massage, We ate royally, and Reese was entirely spoiled by Moppy and Poppy while we were away.

8. Turning Two. And turning into a little girl.

Oh, how I could write a book about her and this year with her. We went from taking two steps to running full speed, saying two words to speaking full sentences, a few strands of hair to a full head of curls. We now communicate with each other with a level of reasoning, and my baby girl is turning into a little girl. She has the greatest friends and really began to love spending time with them this year. She loves to read, sing, play, whine, scream, and laugh. It's a crazy age, but I love her. 

September 10th. A BIG day for her. Reese's first day of school and the arrival of baby brother. She had quite the transition period becoming a big sister, but I'm so happy to say she excels in her new role today.

9. Moving

We moved from one craftsman house to another, and we are so so blessed. We love our new home and are so thankful we got to move before September. 

Old house 2007-2012

New house 2012-??

One last stroll through the old house. 

My parents moved two weeks ago after being in their house since 1977. Their new home is fantastic, and I want to share pictures of it along with long overdue pictures of our new house. Some day, right?

10. Christmas/Snowmageddon

Our first Christmas as a family of four. And 11 inches of snow. I just wrote about this yesterday, so I'm going to leave it at that.

The Wonders of HIS Love

Christmas 2012 was wonderful. We spent five glorious days in Conway followed by a long weekend at home doing some seriously fun family stuff. And by seriously fun, I mean hanging around at the house, running a few errands, and enjoying each other's company. That's serious fun to me. Really. I want to do a "Best of 2012" post today, but it will probably wait until tomorrow. I'm not too good at doing two posts in a day.

Instead of giving lots of details, I'm just posting more than the average number of photos in this post. I don't have a ton of time here...Graham is in the jumperoo, and Reese is upstairs playing. This may not last long.

Our Christmas card. I apologize if you didn't get one. I got them in LATE, and if I didn't have your address handy, your card is still sitting in the stack with no address. It may get done, or you can send me you address, and it will be done pronto.

Christmas in Conway. 

Walker Christmas.

Gran reading a new book to her girls.

Uncle Wes Sandwich.

Mema and a few of her girls cuddling on the couch.

Reese ADORED being the "baby" to all of her big cousins. And I loved it, too. So sweet to watch them start playing together.

Watching ELF in the den.

Baby Reese with Molly. Molly is pretty much a superhero to Reese.

The real baby loving all of the beautiful chaos.

Mema (along with everyone else) was amazed by Ty's skills on the iPad.

What Santa and Buddy the Elf? Clifford is way cooler.

Christmas in Conway.

Frost Christmas.

"Adopted" brother Lovemore and Graham.

High school besties and their babies. Doesn't get much better.

Barrett, Wes, and their girls.

Moppy and her favorite grandkids.

Poppy and the Christmas Tree Train. Reese was enamored.

Not sure what this was, but I think it's cute.

Graham and Uncle Allen. 

We made a visit to meet Savannah Gaines on Christmas Eve.

Settlers of catan has replaced Trivial Pursuit.

Clark! Doctor Smith came for a visit, too!

Some sweet, sweet moments on Christmas Eve.

Ready for the candlelight Christmas Eve service.

Just a few of the gifts...

A Disney Viewfinder for Reese.

Altuzarra glasses for the boys. Yeah, we know him.

Paintings from San Francisco.

A guitar.

The moon.

Hey, cuties.

We LOVED our first holiday in the new house. 

Four generations.

Mom said she wouldn't have much of the new house decorated. She made Boiled Custard. If you know what that entails, you know she majorly underestimated what she would get done before we arrived.

"The Kids"

11:30pm on Christmas night. 

Morning of the 26th. Reese staring at the 10 inches of snow.

Let's go play!

We weren't prepared for this weather, so zip loc bags over Toms it was!

We made it home that evening, and Graham was happy to be back on his play mat.

And two nights later, the Paci Fairy visited. This deserves its own post, but it probably won't happen. Basically, this Momma is just extremely proud and impressed. She hardly missed a beat and is sleeping great.

My boys. Love them.