Cupcakes and Puddles {January 2012}

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Happy summer {June 2011}

We love summer,

and my little water baby has started "simmin" all by her self! (with a floatie.) She wants to do everything herself, and will try anything at least once. We have dressed up in her princess costumes everyday this summer, raised butterflies and ladybugs (awesome), unexpectidly love eggrolls and tilapia, and her love for books and reading is crazy. We either sit to read or "pell new words" with her foam letters for at least 2 hours a day.
Her cousins Leddie and Aubie are in town for the next few weeks, which I'll be watching some while Nana's at work. She had fun last summer with them, but this year we'll have a surprise visitor in our house for a few days, Mason.

We'll see if I can keep my sanity!

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Hope you're having a good summer!

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Reagan Baking {February 10, 2011}

One of Reagan's favorite places to be- standing in a chair right up at the counter.  She watches me cook everything, and she eats half her meals right a long side me at the stove.  She was looking at pictures the other day of herself making Christmas cookies, and now has started asking to make cookies.  She's never had to ask more than once : )  This was our sugar cookie day, which I carried batch after batch down to the ladies fresh out of the oven.  Oh my gosh... these cookies taste incredible, especially barely cool enough to touch. 

Too funny... I was working on this post this afternoon, and Reagan spotted it.  I have since been to the store for butter, and we just made half a batch.  So the ladies will have some in the morning! : )


Reagan's No-Roll Sugar Cookies:

2 cups sugar
3 sticks butter, softened
1 cup flaked coconut
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Heat oven to 350.

Beat 2 cups sugar, the butter, coconut and vanilla in large bowl with mixer.  Stir in flour, baking soda and salt. 

Place about 3 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet and flatten slightly.  Bake 8 minutes.

If you decorate with sprinkles like ours, you can find the longest one and use it to scoop dough and eat it like Reagan!  She's showing her Daddy her 'scooper' in this picture... he he he!











Reagan always hugs and kisses her Daddy when he leaves for work, and then again through the glass. 
Like so : )



Junior took these the other day for me- I realized I hadn't taken but a handful (or the last 2 posts worth) of pictures for the whole month of January!  I should be in time out.









Tah dah!  My fresh and clean baby.  I still bathe her in the sink, she loves it and still fits surprisingly.  When I wrap her up in her towel, she pretends to sleep... "ha-sue, ha-sue, ha-suey" so quiet you can barely hear.  After I get her jammies on, she runs to Cirs, and says in the cutest high pitch cutsie voice "Tummon Sissy, wanna pay wif you Sissy!  No sweepy time now, pay wif me Sissy!"  I will trust you got that... So after she has Sissy move to the center of the floor she dances circles around her, then we dry hair and brush teeth.  She flosses while I dry her hair (or just bites it because it tastes good) and then she gets to brush my teeth.  We hop in bed and read two stories, her choice, and say night-night.  What better way to spend your evening?!  Makes me happy...

 xoxo

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First "PONY" ride! {Christmas Eve, 2010}

A couple months ago, Mom and I were at the zoo and she wanted to take Reagan for her first pony ride SO bad.  For my Mom growing up, horses were her life.  She rode every single day all through high school, no matter the weather, even bareback through the desert back in Arizona.  I know a tiny part of my Mom really wants her to love riding, to enjoy that part of her life again.  She always wished I had the opportunity growing up.   

I told her I had something better than "some pony at the zoo" in mind for Reagan's first ride.

Her first ride will be with my Step-Mom Tracy and her horse Dewey.  

Mom IMMEDIATELY agreed how awesome that would be, and MUCH more memorable.

: )

Tracy had offered once before, which floored me- given that it's Dewey the Champ.  Tracy is the most laid back person I think I've ever met, and the fact that MY CHILD would get to ride the
 TOP ARAB in the COUNTRY
.
long pause...

: o

was something in my opinion to be excited about.

I had to turn her down that day, since Junior wasn't there (or my camera.)
Well. We went by to say hi on Christmas Eve a couple months later, and the stars were all aligned perfectly. 
I have never asked her if she could ride, NEVER wanting to impose, but Dewey and Tracy were up for it and asked us if Reagan wanted to....!!!
Reagan was in a good mood and thankfully interested in ponies instead of rocks that day. 

Junior, check. 

Camera, check. 

Sunshine, always a plus ; ) 

I cannot express how excited we all were.

Reagan was a perfect angel, smiling and petting Dewey the whole time. Tracy was pretty impressed she rode for so long, we thought 1 minute maybe, but she was up there long enough for a few laps around the ring. I was just beaming with pride, and SO excited and privileged that she got to do this with Tracy and Dewey. All Dad could say was "Oh crap... now she won't want to ride anything but he best. Her first pony will be expensive!"  ; )

Yeah, I know of a few places for Reagan to have a summer job one day. She could always start cleaning stalls for an eternity to earn a horse! Trust me, I want her to have a taste of different things growing up to know what her interests are, but we want her to earn things she wants.   My first "want" like most kids was a car, so I started working in the kennel after school when I was 14. My Mom told me she would match what I saved to put towards a car and would handle my own payments and insurance. I saved $1500 myself and bought my Firebird a few months before my birthday. I would never change the lesson I learned, the responsibility and pride knowing that I made it happen.

I hope Reagan will try out different sports, music lessons, HORSE RIDING, and maybe even gymnastics. She will at least have the opportunity to try, and oh how I would love it if she were a little gymnast like I was. Soccer was also one of my fav's, and Junior as well. I can just image my parents smiling- watching her in little competitions... a flash back to when I was little.

It's so exciting to think of the little person she will become. : )

 

She has already been on her 2nd ride since then.  We went by on New Years Eve, and Reagan watched Tracy ride while she played with rocks, of course.  Every time Tracy came around the ring, she would ask Reagan if she wanted to ride, and she would scrunch up her face and say "no, no tay-too" (no thank you.) 
I just laughed. 
I thought it was hysterical that she would be turning down THIS OFFER.  Hello!?
Tracy would just lap around again, ask with the same response, and so we told her we shouldn't hurt Dewey's feelings, "poor Dewey!"  She eventually rode,  it just took a little coaxing- I guess she forgot how much fun she had before.  : )   Oh it was fun all over again.

Good day.

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Birthday Girl!!! {October 21, 2010}

I have had quite enough of this. I am officially the most behind blogger, and I can't make the time to do it. Every time I'm at the computer, there is something else higher on the list. I only made myself start this post because my other computer is running a batch on the wedding I just completed. There were the fall weddings, and all their editing and album designing, then Christmas cards and orders, get the new site up and running someday, and think about advertising... That's the most important one! I love staying busy, and I would like it to stay that way! A facebook page for Viva is on the list to do now- for business promotion. Referrals have been wonderful, and I would like to take it a step further with advertising once I decide what route to take.

So, I was thinking how pitiful it would be to post pumpkin pictures after Christmas. Wow.

So here goes Reagan's birthday- trying to catch up.  I just can't skip them!  : )

THE BIG 2!!!

This was taken right after my new 2 year old woke up on her birthday. 

She slept with her number 2 from the bathtub the night before.

All the ladies had a birthday cake for the Muffin first thing in the morning : ) 
We sang and she had Christy blow out her candles.  (Her arm is around Christy's neck, 'directing')











She loves going out to pick berries off the tree in the play-yard. 
All the dogs run around like crazy and she loves it.

Next up was Reagan's favorite place.  The Elmo store (aka BuyBuyBaby) 

We decided to spend the day going to all her favorite places, so this was a must.

Then lunch at her favorite (mine too) Firehouse subs.

THEN... THE PUMPKIN PATCH! 

We took her last year for her birthday and thought we would keep up the tradition.  SO much fun this year.  We left with 4 pumpkins- a Mommy, Daddy, Baby and a big family one.  I let the big one sit outside too long to use it for cooking, but next year I will plan on it for my pumpkin cake.   Makes me hungry just thinking about it.

Oh wow.  She's so cute I can't stand it- love her little round pot in this picture.  : )

I just melt when I see this picture.  We were trying to get her picture here and Junior was getting her situated.  The look on her face... ahhhh... she loves her Daddy, listening so intently.

This is how she says "2" now with her little fingers. 

When we ask her how old she is or how many graham crackers she wants... always "two!"

"Liddah wuh, BIH wuh!"

After her nap we headed for the Dairy farm down the road, and met up with Uncle Alden and Aunt Ashton.  This was the first year the farm was open to the public with the corn maze, petting zoo and lots of fun kids stuff.  Reagan loved it.

THIS was fun.  She sat in here for maybe a half hour, and loved being buried.  Boy was she dirty though.

Whew.  All in a day.  I think she had a pretty good birthday. 

We had her birthday party at the park that weekend with family and a few friends.  Her favorite place to play with her favorite food on the menu... PIZZA! 

Here's her invites : )

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