Round 2

The day after Christmas we headed over to Pop's house (my dad) to celebrate and then from there we all loaded up to drive to Greenville, SC where all of my dad's family met up! Reese had a wondeful time with all of her aunts, uncles and counsins (really second counsins but close enough).

All of the kiddos and Aunt Sabra and Uncle Jonathan (the biggest kid of all)

Hadley (giving Pop the look) and Pop...Hadley was so great in all of the traveling and being passed from arm to arm. She loved Christmas and everyone loved her...how can you not!

Reese loving on her cousin Virginia...a little too much.

Oops, a little out of order but this was the girls with Santa before we left Birmingham...Hadley did great her first time!(never mind the fact that she looks like she is in shock)

I have to leave this...it is too funny...why is this picture so small...I can not figure it out...but it is making me laugh. This is the whole Wyatt/Woodlief clan in South Carolina.

My cousin Julie and Hadley having a little bit of quality time.

My godmother Joan with Hadley for the first time! Check out Hadley sassy shoe shocks!

The kids and grandkids with Pop! Hadley was leading the group in "O Holy Night".
Words are not needed here.
Having fun with Daddy and Ashley

Round 1

Here goes part of round 1 of Christmas for the Beckners! We headed to Atlanta to celebrate with my mom and her family for the first round of Christmas...more to come. We had our yearly traditions which I love. We always do fondu with my mom on Christmas Eve and Reese loved it, and we also always see a movie on Christmas day! This year Jason and Jonathan offered to stay home and watch the girls so mom, Ashely and I could go see It's Complicated. (which by the way we all laughed harder than we have in a long time...I loved it). And we always spend Christmas afternoon at Myrl's house (my grandmother) with all of my aunts/uncles and cousins...this year was just as much fun as the others and so special since it was Hadley's first Christmas.

Reese waiting for Santa to come at Bebe's house

All dressed up for a Christmas dinner
Jumping high on Christmas Eve
Santa Came! Reese looking in her stocking and checking out what Santa left...all I can say is that our house has a lot more pink and alot more princess!
And come on...Christmas at Bebe's house means one thing...an UGA backpack!
We headed over to Myrl's house to celebrate with all of my mom's family...here is Bebe with the girls.
Cousin Samantha chasing Reese at Myrl's house
Reese and Ashley in matching jackets!
The whole clan...all of my mom's family!

Songs for the Season

This title might be little misleading as the "songs" I am referring really have nothing to do with the Christmas season...more about a season in Reese's life. That season would be her fascination with the word NO! Oh, she has been saying the word for about a year now (she is a two year old) but recently she really has started to use it more that we would like. Now, with all of that said, for the past few weeks this is a song she has started singing...as recently as tonight I heard this loud and clear on the monitor!

"Mommy said no and I said yes...Mommy said no again and I said yes...(then my favorite part)...mommy said no and I said yes again...mommy said no no and I said yes yes!" If only you could hear it! Regardless it is funny...she really makes up songs about everything. And of course for you viewing pleasure of few pictures from this week!

Here is the singing queen and her favorite sister!

We headed over to the Zoo for Zoo Lights Safari on Chick Fil A night and Reese was in love with all of the Santa cows! Hadley was buddled up in the stroller...not a time for pictures with the cows!

Wii've been having some fun!

We decided to do part of our family Christmas a little early this year so that we could enjoy playing this...

I surprised Jason with a Wii and he jumped right in can you tell?

Hadley was a little unsure of what was going on!

Reese got in on the action

Since all of Jason's family lives in Missouri and Washington...Reese has gotten a lot of presents in the mail and we have been having a little Christmas every day!

Cooking with some play-doh

Reese showing Hadley one of her presents

Reese helped me make the cookies for her class party...she did great

Reese eating her cookie at the party

I helped out with Reese's "snack time" party...it was really fun to see her with her friends

Sadly this little peanut was sad during the party...I had taken her to the doctor early that morning to find out she has a double ear infection! Reese and I are both getting over sinus infections and my little bit's ears are a mess! SAD!

But before you get too sad...look how happy she can be with an ear infection!

A Growing Tradition

It's that time of year again...Christmas parties galore! This year was the 5th year of the annual Ornament party! I absolutely love doing this every year and this year was no exception! It was great to see everyone and to try and catch up! A few things I have noted this year: first of all...from now on I will be hiring a babysitter to watch the girls so I can actually get things done; second I realize that when we are "stealing" ornaments I now go for the bright colored and less breakable ones than I used to; and finally never think that your 4 month old will acutally go to sleep like she normally does during the party! Thanks girls for making this year's party fun...and for putting up with some extra noise (compliments of Hadley).

The whole group, including Hadley (passed out in Aunt B's arms)

Reese trying to help Memi get Hadley to go to sleep.

And speaking of our sweet Hadley, can you believe that she turned four months this past Monday! She is starting to show her little personality more and more. She smiles all the time and has started to "talk". She rolls her self all the way over and actually really enjoy being on her tummy! She has her moments when she shows off her lungs as well...but luckily those times are few! Surprisingly at her four month check up she was 26" long (exact same as Reese) and 13lbs. 12 oz (only four ounces more than Reese). Hadley was actually a week and a half older than Reese at this check up...but I was floored that they were so close in size...I actually made a bet with Jason that Hadley would be alot bigger, guess I lost!

Hadley doing her part to help trim the tree!

Hadley playing on her quilt that Grandma Shirla made.

Thank Goodness!

Well, I am just thankful that I am finally getting a moment to catch up from Thanksgiving! We had a great holiday...it was so much fun being a week full of firsts for Hadley. First Thanksgiving, first plane ride, first visit with all of Jason's extended family... We were able to spend about 6 days in Missouri seeing all of Jason's family, including his sister Tara, who lives in Seattle and her little girl (Reese's cousin) Skylar! That might have been one of the highlights of the trip for me...because I loved watching them play together! I have incredible memories of playing with my cousins at every holiday...and I hope Reese will have the same. My brother also gave us a
surprise visit before Thanksgiving...it was so great to spend time with him, and he and Reese became fast friends. Here are the pictures... a little out of order!

Had to start with this one...Hadley on the plane...wide eyed! I wish I had gotten a picture of the man who sat beside us on the way home...in the middle of Hadley crying he quickly ordered a Jack Daniels...straight up!

Uncle Jonathan playing...aw can you see the family resemblance?

And FYI...my wonderful husband painted the entire outside of our house...with a little helper...

Cousins hugging...so sweet

Reading a new book with Grandpa and Barb

Kneading dough with Grandma Shirla...she did really well

If only there was sound to this picture!

Grandma Shirla bought all the girls matching dresses....and look how great Jason is with all of them...I am telling you...we want to have a few more, and we may have a sorority!

Hadley bonding with Aunt Joyce

Reese's new smile!

If only I had my camera!

So, you remember this post here...well this is a follow up! My sweet Reese...what are the next few decades going to look like? Well...as you know from the earlier post Reese loves her little friend Hollis from preschool! He really is adorable...blonde little curles and a cute little smile, but all of that said...Reese really loves him!

Since my previous post, almost once a week there is some story about Hollis (i.e. - the other day she told me he was the "best tickeler eva...mommy" and then proceeded to ask me if he could come and play). She told her daddy that she wanted Hollis to come over and play doctor...and she said that she only likes him...no one else...and the teachers told me that when Hollis comes in Reese's face just lights up!

All of those things...while totally innocent for a 2 year old...still make me nervous...and I have these flash backs of me in the third grade...BOY CRAZY! Seriously I think I wrote (and received i will add) more of those notes with the check yes or no boxes that I care to remember! Anyway...I digress...today I picked Reese up from school, we were walking to the car and then she said..."I did not say bye to Hollis". She ran to the fence of the playground and yelled for Hollis...(this is where I wish I had had my camera with me). Hollis came running to the fence and reached his hand through the fence and grabbed Reese's hand. They both began to laugh and kind of tickle the others hand!

It was pure joy for both of them and I was grinning watching these two little people just love each other! Sorry for the long post, but come on...too cute!

Worth the time

The past few weeks at our church Andy Stanley has been giving a series called Balance. Basically it has been a challenge to look at how we live our lives mainly by looking at where our money goes! But beyond that Andy gives the challenge to live our lives with the thought process of: GIVE...SAVE...LIVE! Quite a different way that most of us do...I know my mindset most of the time is trying to make sure we have what we need to live...and what we want...then saving and giving!
So with that said...something that is close to my and Jason's heart is an organization called Compassion International! It is something that really is so small in the sense of what you give...but compared to what the give to that person...well watch this video and you will see. I promise it is worth your time! Let's be honest we all have a million things we need to do, but sometimes we need to take a moment and spend some time looking at something that might change our perspective! (from us to others) One thing for sure is that this is an organization we want our girls to grow up loving and being involved in and more than that...we want to start teaching them to have the mindset of giving first always! Here is the link again.

3 months!

Saturday was Hadley's 3 month birthday! I can't believe it...3 months have really flown by. She is such a joy around here. Hadley reminds me so much of Reese is scares me! She has begun to smile all the time when she is awake. She LOVES her big sister Reese...whenever Reese starts talking Hadley moves her head quickly trying to find her. She has started rolling on her side and is really trying to roll all of the way over. Here are a few pictures of our peanut!

Sleeping on my side, trying to get on my tummy!

Quality time with daddy!

Spending time with my friend Bryson.
My new friend little Maggie (almost 2 weeks old here).

A little fur for ya!

Finally, my best friend and big sister Reese reading to me, I love her.