all dressed up

We love getting all dressed up to go to church on Sunday mornings. we hardly ever have the time in the morning to get pictures & by the time church is over we are usually ready to get into sweat pants as fast as possible and eat! This morning we were a little ahead of schedule so I snapped a few pictures before heading over to meet for worship.

Dressing up is so much fun!

until next time,
Brit

the park

It was beautiful here today! Felt like a real spring day...until I remembered that it's still January. We decided to take advantage of the great weather and go to the park!

We all had a great time. Rylee loved swinging, teeter - tottering, and going down the slide! We are so ready for summer to be here!

until next time,
Brit

wildcat baby

This Tuesday (like most) we went to Grady's basketball game. and also that day we made a trip to hobby lobby which resulted in what is pictured below...

A super adorable baby Wildcat! we are still recovering from the massive amounts of excess tutu glitter. Go wildcats!

until next time,
Brit

amazing

I usually don't get very exciting emails...but today I got one from Jeremy's sister that had a link to this video! This 8 month old baby was born deaf, and this is him hearing his Mommy's voice for the very first time.

Amazing! I love how instantly the little boy is so happy to be hearing the love coming from his Mommy's voice. It doesn't take him any time at all to process what he is hearing, that's his mamma and he knows it!

Thanks Heather!

until next time,

Brit

sitting pretty

In the last couple days Rylee has totally figured out this sitting on your bottom with no support thing! It seems like just last week she was struggling to sit for a few seconds without toppling over and face planting...and now she's a pro. She learned how to do it overnight!

Aren't babies just amazing?! I love love love watching Rylee try and fail (I don't really enjoy watching her fail...I enjoy watching her learn.) and figure things out. It fascinates me to watch as her little brain works to problem solve and sort through all of the new and exciting information she is taking in and observing. Learning is the best!

until next time,
Brit

life savers

The teething process hasn't been too difficult on us, yet. The last few days though her teeth haven't been very nice to her. and her sleeping habits have not been very nice to me. We are all covered in slobber and she is chewing, more like gnawing on anything in her reach...toes included.

These two items have been my favorite and her preferred items of chewing:

(from here)

(from here)

I love the first one because it is made from maple, and that's it. Nothing else foreign or strange that I can't pronounce. The second one is great because instead of her grabbing at my shirt or my hair she has this super cute fabric necklace to grab onto and chomp away at.

We are 2 teeth down...and how many to go?!

until next time,
Brit

The Big 6!

Rylee is half of a year old! Ridiculous that she is halfway to her first birthday already. Our little 6 month old is pretty spectacular.

On Wednesday nights we cook dinner for the youth group and have them over to eat before Church. We have class in our living room and afterwards everyone comes over for dessert. So for dessert tonight I made strawberry birthday cake - We were planning on singing to Rylee, but she fell asleep. So we ate cake in honor of her birthday without her.

Rylee's new trick.

Our little dare devil!

It is so incredible to watch her play and learn and come into being this awesome little human being with such a wonderful and individual personality. As much as we are relishing each and every moment of having her it is just unbelievable how fast time seems to go...

During the day it seems that I am always anxious and looking forward to her next big accomplishment, and her next big milestone but once nighttime hits and as we stare at her sleeping so peacefully I wish for time to just slow down.

I can only imagine my thoughts 6 months from now. Happy Birthday Rylee Joyce!

until next time
Brit

two tiny teeth

no more toothless grins, this baby has teeth! two pretty teeth! The first one popped out a couple days after Christmas, and the other wasn't far behind coming through a few days ago. our little girl is growing up fast.

until next time,
Brit

rodeo

Last Saturday we went to the PRCA rodeo. I was unsure of how Rylee would react to everything, the loud noises, it being way past her bed time, sitting in one spot for a couple of hours, but she loved it all!

It was unbelievably fun to watch her get so excited to be there. She loved the horses, and every time they would go by she would watch intently then burst into laughter. She was talkative and cheerful the entire time. In the last event everything started to catch up with her, and she just laid her head down on Jeremy's chest and fell right to sleep. no fuss.

We had a great time at the rodeo,and it made it all the better to watch Rylee having such a good time there too. I have a feeling there will be a lot more of this in our future...someday maybe in our back yard.

until next time,
Brit

meal planning

Since moving out to a home 30 miles from the grocery store we have been incorporating meal planning into our weekly grocery shopping...it has had big time benefits for us (when I don't forget the grocery list on the counter)

I follow this blog which helps to keep me on track and also provide new ideas for meals and stay away from monotony. Last week she had an awesome giveaway from this awesome etsy shop for this amazing meal planning tool! I didn't win...but I think I may have to invest in one for our kitchen.

Just frame the print, then use dry erase markers to fill in your weekly meals! There's a spot for items you need from the grocery store + a spot to fill in the stuff you already have in your pantry, clever!

Happy meal planning!

until next time,
Brit

precious.

until next time,
Brit

New Year

Can you believe it is 2011?! I am looking forward to this year and all of the exciting adventures to come! It is hard to tell what amazing things God has planned for us, but I am looking forward to what is to come! and of course I am challenging myself to a few things....

1. Read a new book once a month
2. Run a road race once a month
3. Try a new recipe for dinner every week
4. have a weekly memory verse
5. Go on a date once a month
6. Hold myself accountable for my years goals

This year we will celebrate Rylee's first birthday, our 4th wedding anniversary, we will be turning 23 and 26 and will have been working with this church body for 4 years. What an exciting year it will be! I can't wait to share with you all our adventures of 2011! Happy New Year!

until next time,

Brit

a Christmas picture story

Rylee picked up on present opening real quick...with just a little bit of help from Dad.

Rylee was really excited about all of the new books she got for Christmas. She jumped into them right away.



Our family on our very first Christmas together.



The best gift of all.



Opening presents can wear a kid out.




She got all dressed up for Christmas... what better excuse to get to wear a tutu?!



She learned how to do many new things on Christmas...hanging upside down is exhibited here.

then she learned how to cook a turkey all the way.

After our dinner we went on a family walk, a perfect way to end the day.

Christmas is so much more fun with a baby. We had a great time getting to be with family and introducing Rylee to all sorts of new family Christmas traditions.

until next time,
Brit