mini camp gigi

A few weeks ago {sorry that every blog I write starts this way... some day i'll catch up.} Reese and I took a road trip to Branson while Mark was working nights and spent a long weekend at Camp Gigi :) It was just a mini camp this summer since it was totally last minute due to our moving, me feeling terrible most of the summer, my parents two week trip to Africa... the list could go on... but one day I just decided I wanted to go play at Kamp and in Branson for at least a few days before the summer was over and that weekend was pretty much our only option... so we made it work. and we had a total blast - of course! 

Does anyone else remember this toy from their childhood?? We call it the 'people house' and i'm not kidding when I say reese could play with this FOR DAYS at a time {she pretty much did most of the time we were there} too cute. 

Probably the highlight was my mom taking Reeser to build-a-bear. I tagged along to take pictures and it was pretty much the cutest thing ever! I have never done it before {well besides when kristen and I made one for katie when we were in high school for some reason haha remember that katie??} but it was so fun! the whole thing was just so cute going from station to station and picking out each thing. and the best part is that my mom recorded a little voice thing that is inside the puppy and when R presses her hand it says "hi reese! gigi loves you!" She still presses it about a billion times a day as if she's never heard it before and every time says "mommy!! you hear that? thats gigi. gigi in there!!" 

It's always fun to get to go to FBC and see my dad in action on sunday mornings :) Reese wore a dress my mom made for me when I was her age so we had to have a little photo shoot after church.

That afternoon FBC had their annual "back to school bash" where they hand out backpacks to thousands of kids and it was so awesome!!!! seriously, such a cool ministry. We got to swim while my parents worked. R is such a little fish. She was crawling on her knees but using her arms like she was swimming like a big kid. and of course she made me do it the whole time next to her too. 

We were so excited to play at kamp with kristen and emerson one day too! It's always just so refreshing to get to be with them. I'm pretty sure these girls are already BFFs!! :) 

so sweet!!!

{gymnastics time. this happened to be during the gymnastics at the olympics and you better believe we watched every second so R was so excited when we got to the gym :) it was hilarious watching her "vault" on the floor and walk on the beam!}

popsicles with pajoe

we visited my moms little preschool gymnastics class before we had to leave town and R was sooooo shy and wouldn't do anything but just watch- until we got to the block pit. and then she kept saying "this is so fun mommy!!!"

Thanks for everything mom and dad!! We had so much fun and can't wait to do it again next summer :)  

xoxo

visit from sam

A few weeks ago our dear friends came to visit for a few days. Reese was just beside herself with excitement that her best friend was in her new house!! They were holding hands pretty much 24-7 while they were here. It was just too cute. SO thankful for Kara and Sam (and Charles for letting them come). It was so refreshing to see them! 

they learned how to drink out of the hose ha.

played at the park

fed the ducks

ate tcby

I dont think I wrote this down and just don't want to forget... Reese woke up one morning last week screaming crying like she had had a bad dream and then stopped pretty quick so I just listened on the monitor. I then heard her saying, "Sam ate my ice cream. I wanted another bite." and she was sniffling and sort of whining and kept saying it over and over. When I went in to get her I asked if she had a bad dream and she said yes and started crying and again told me sam ate her ice cream :( haha poor thing. It was so hard for me not to laugh. I'm sort of glad to know that her "bad" dreams only consist of this though. What a sweet and tender heart she has. I pray that God will use that quality in her in an awesome way as she grows up.

anyway... we had a blast with kara and sam and can't wait to play again soon. also, will someone please tell me how to teach reese that des moines and columbia are in separate states and we cannot drive around the block to see sam or addy anymore :( It's so sad when she asks for him and Addy everyday! 

.....

in keeping with pictures of reese and sam, here are some cute pictures from Sam's 2nd birthday party the day before we moved in June. So glad we got to celebrate our sweet friend!! 

the three musketeers :) R still talks about sams bday party ALLLLLL the time. 

life in Iowa

mostly random iphone pictures to catch you up on what we've been up to on a daily basis in Iowa (from last month- July)

we have a new member of our family - Blue, the fish

discovered the little shopping carts at hy-vee. makes the grocery store trip take about 3x longer but this little girl is quite the shopper :) she LOVES to push her little cart around and pick out her own "snacks"

 4th of July playing in the backyard in a billion degree heat

 then we watched the symphony and the fireworks at the state capitol. 

got a new pool

spend lots of time giving the giraffe a "check up" and just mainly moving the water around from one bucket to the next

found this AWESOME splash pad/kiddie pool/park in our neighborhood! literally a few streets down from us. sooo fun!

someone has decided she doesnt want to take naps anymore. help us!

we love to have picnics on the back deck for most meals of the day but especially breakfast

made the mistake of getting R an icee at target ONE time and now its just about the end of the world if we don't get one every time we walk in. oops. 

we still love feeding the ducks

weekly lunch dates to chick fil a :)

still a texas girl at heart :)

she LOVES to water the flowers

one saturday afternoon we were crazy people and drove 3 hours to kansas city to see our dear friends Nat and Jessie (who live in Houston but were visiting her parents for the weekend). We got to play with them for the afternoon and eat dinner and then drive all the way back that night. it was crazy, but worth it :)

 we loved their puppy Sawyer! he was too cute!

Saying reese is OBSESSED with reading books is an understatement. it has become one of her favorite things!! She loves "big girl" books! Like not board books but ones that have an actual story. She will sit for 30 minutes and "read" to herself. She'll look at the pictures and tell the story and sometimes really say the phrases that are on the actual page! I've been very impressed and I love to see and hear her little voice reading to her animals :) so sweet. she loves to read in the car too.

We've gone to the library about a billion times already and she likes to pretend to be a big kid and play on the computer. so funny! she doesn't know how to use the mouse and the games hold her attention for about 10 seconds but she LOVES to sit at the computer and wear the headphones :) ha.

car wash.

lots of cheering for the USA happening in this house for the past few weeks. We've especially loved cheering for Gabby -who lives in Des Moines if you don't already know!! so EVERYONE here is totally obsessed with her. It's been really fun! and her host family here (and her) go to the church where we've been visiting. Her host "parents" spoke at church this past sunday about how they got connected with her two years ago, about being in London and how incredible it was to watch Gabby stand for the Lord in everything she does! so awesome! Reese was so cute when we would watch the gymnasts she would always ask, "is that gabby?" and then when she came on the tv she would cheer and cheer "go gabby go! you can do it! good job!" what an awesome role model! side note: i may or may not be signing reese up for the tots class at Chows gym here :) I mean why not?? 

yummy iowa corn!

I guess because daddy has been using his tools so much lately to fix things and hang things ect. reeser has become really into using tools too! and silly daddy came home from work the other day with a little kid tool box filled with tools and R thinks she is just the coolest kid around! too cute.

update on baby #2: I'm now 18 weeks along. Finally, sort of, starting to feel better. maybe getting a little more energy back. I went to my new doctor here last week and she seemed great and said everything was looking good and healthy and on track. praise the Lord for that. we scheduled my big ultrasound for 20 weeks (the end of the month) where we'll find out if it's a girl or a boy :) I really sort of thought we might not find out this time... but now I'm thinking that I really am ready to get our house somewhat put together and knowing boy/girl for the nursery and for putting away some of R's things would be so so helpful!! and I just dont think I can wait 5 more months!! I'm just too excited to add another member of our family! and I also think it would be easier to prepare Reese for a new baby if she could know if its a brother or sister and what it's name is, etc. anyway...  we'll know in a few weeks! yay. 

ok thats all for now. xoxo

oldie...

just found this video and i don't know how to download it to my computer so I thought I'd just put it on here so I am sure to always have it. i just can't get over how little she was!! what a punkin. time sure goes fast.

reesers first steps... (14 months old)
http://yfrog.com/jmhnjz