Everybody

Everybody, everybody, wants to love. . . .

I believe that was the song that Reesi was breaking it down too. This is her new favorite dress that she stole out of my closet. It has molded cups in it so it makes it look like she has a little too much on top. I don't know if that's why she loves it or if it's the long flowiness. Either way it's her new favorite dress and she loves to swish it around when she dances and sings. In hindsight, I wish I would have switched over to video instead of pictures. Hopefully, our summer will be full of music and songs so I will get another chance to film her solo dance party.

Baseball

Larry and most of his team at the grill out.

These are the girls after a game one afternoon. They would play on the playground the whole game and then as soon as it was over they went straight to the field to run around and hit some balls. One time we went to an away game and there was no playground or open area for running. As soon as we walked in Grace said, "Do we have to watch the game?" She was not expecting to actually have to sit in the bleachers!

Hannah, a senior, was wonderful all season. She would whisk Elye away and give me a few moments to enjoy the game. This picture is from the grill out where they walked all over the field while Larry was giving his speech.

The high school baseball season has officially been over for Larry for a few weeks. His team had their traditional grill out on the baseball field last Friday night. They grill out, talk about the season, and give out senior gifts. This year they had an awesome season! They had several big wins, two walk-off home runs (one for a championship game), and a team that had great relationships between the players. I think everyone hates to see the seniors leave and wish we could just start the next year with the same team.

This year I took way less pictures at the games. This had to do with a certain little mess known as Elye. She's a little high maintenance right now! These are just a few pictures from the season and from the grill out Friday night.

Already Gone?

Reesi's teacher has all the children dress up in adult's clothing and take a class picture. She has them hanging all over her room from all the years she has been teaching. I can't wait to pull that class picture out when Reesi and all her friends are graduating. They were so cute.

Last Day of Kindergarten

First Day of Kindergarten

I cannot believe that I officially am the mother of a first grader! This year has flown by and I feel like Reesi is such a big kid. When they enter kindergarten they are still in that preschool stage, but there is something about kindergarten that changes them into a big throughout the year. I could not have asked for a better kindergarten year. Reesi absolutely loved her teacher, school, and class. Friday night we were on our way home from Larry's baseball grill out. It was late and Reesi was tired. She cried the whole way home about how much she will miss her teacher and her friends. She said, "I just wish it was the first day of kindergarten again." She then went on to cry about her friend Caleb who is going to a different school next year. A school where they can't pray in their classroom with their teacher and friends. Nothing I said could make any of it better so she just cried real tears the whole way home. I think she got it all out because I haven't seen anymore tears or talk of missing school. I think the fun, staying up late, Memorial Weekend made it a little bit easier. I am so glad that she loves school and I hope she always feels that way and will one day graduate with the majority of her kindergarten friends.

13 Months

This is a picture of just how cuddly you are. I love it when you do this!!

Elye, at 13 months you . . .

-are a handful!! You want to walk everywhere, but can't walk on your own yet. That means I am bending over holding your hand while you explore. You do not like to be contained or sit still.

-are a lap baby. I know that's the opposite of what I said above, but when we are home and you are playing on the floor you like to have Mama on the floor with you. You crawl in and out of my lap playing with different toys. It is so sweet, but makes it quite difficult to get anything done.

-are throwing fits when you don't get what you want. If you can't go where you want to go or do what you want to do you throw your head back and scream and cry. Fun, Fun, Fun!

-are mimicking everything. You will blow kisses now, do patty cake, and you still clap all the time.

-are talking up a storm and some of that talking are actual English words. Some of the words you say are Mama, Dada, hi, bye, uh-oh, eye. You say eye, eye, eye, anytime you see an eye on one of your toys or in a book. It sounds just like those seagulls from Finding Nemo. There are lots of other words that you say, but they don't really sound like the actual word. You said Sissy today, but it sounded more like te-ta.

-are still dairy-free. You refused to drink the soy milk, but I have finally got you to drink Hemp Milk. I was so excited to be free of formula. Until I realized the Hemp Milk was $3.99 for 32 ounces. I don't think I was saving much money.

-are still drinking two bottles a day. I broke down and bought more formula because you love your bottles. I cut Reesi off hard core, but the second time around it doesn't really seem like such a big deal anymore. I just keep your formula/milk consumption within the recommended ounces for the day. You just love your bottles to much. As soon as you see one you break down crying until it gets in your mouth. You also won't hold your bottle unless you are forced to. You like to sit back, relax, and let someone do all the work for you.

-are so close to walking. Over the past few days your 5 or 6 steps have turned into 10-12 steps. You are still so wobbly. Aunt Jenny says it looks like you have been drinking!

-are back to 2 naps a day. Yeah! Aunt Jenny kept you this week and figured out that if we lay you down early (9:00-9:30) you will take a afternoon nap as long as we get you back down by 2:00-2:30. This wasn't possible before with Reesi's car rider line at 3:00, but now that school is over I am hoping with can stick with 2 naps for a few more months because you are a much easier baby when you've had two naps.

-like to throw your food on the floor, which makes Mama a little mad.

-have the sweetest, most kissable head and your cheeks are pretty kissable too.

-are cuddly. You will lay your head on our chest to cuddle and even stop in the middle of a crawl to lay on the floor for me to scratch your back.

Still Not Normal

It is amazing how quickly life goes back to normal for everyone after a natural disaster. The biggest obstacle I am facing due to the flood is the fact that Sneed Road is still closed and I have to take Vaughn to get to Elye's daycare. That little detour takes me right by Warner Park and this view reminds me that life if far from normal for so many people. I still have so many friends and co-workers whose lives have been turned upside down. It's easy for the rest of us to forget and pick up where we left off. The pile is getting smaller as truck after truck hauls loads away to a landfill, but even when the pile is gone I know that the after effects of this flood will still linger with so many. So here's your reminder to keep praying and doing what you can for all those who are still struggling to survive the flood of 2010.

B. Burkey Photography

This is just a sneak peek of some of the pictures Brittany of B. Burkey Photography took for us on Saturday. Elye was supposed to have a smash cake session, but the cake only made her cry. Of course, today when Reesi was eating some of it she was suddenly ready to dig in. Sorry, Elye, you missed your shot, stinkpot!! However, Brittany still got some amazing shots and I can't wait to see the rest of the pics. Thanks Brittany.

Beady Eyes and Antennae

The beady eyes and the antennae. . . those were the things that I could not think about when I was cracking open these craw fish to eat. Oh, and the poop and eggs that were waiting inside the shell. If I just ignored all those factors, then these little things weren't half bad. And these little things were the life of the party that Phillip, Carmen, Jonathan, and Amy hosted, but not for long, because what better reason to come to White House than for a craw fish boil!!

The craw fish weren't a hit with most of the ladies. I ate a few. Reesi and Audie ate a bunch. The other ladies couldn't be convinced to dig in. Nick and Larry humored Phillip and ate a handful, but Casey, Phillip, and Jonathan were responsible for the majority of the craw fish consumption. I did hang around and pull all the meat out so that I could enjoy the amazing pasta dish that Phillip will make one day using the craw fish meat. It was a great party, except Lofton's pet craw fish went "missing." I have a feeling he will never be found. I guess Lofton will have to wait around to replace him until the next craw fish boil.

Two Big Pans!!

Just like the mailmen, rain nor sleet nor snow will stop this chef from doing his job.

Nick "trying" to enjoy his crawfish.

They liked them!

So did she. She had several rounds of craw fish.

But she only liked them peeled.

I captured just a small portion of the kids that were running around.

Time for Some Practice!

Elye isn't walking yet, but we have been doing plenty of practice sessions.

She is so proud of herself!