Eight

So, I am a little early...but better than late. This little bug will be eight months on the 10th...but we have a busy weekend so I am getting this out early! Brynlee, Bryn, Bryna or Bryna B...she has so many nicknames around this house is such a joy and she is growing up so much! Brynlee is sitting by herself all the time now...still with the occasional push to tumble by her loving sisters! She rolls around...but really still does not love being on her stomach. She does not sleep on her stomach which blows my mind since Reese and Hadley started that so early and have never changed!

Bryn's favorite entertainment is still that of watching her sisters all day long. I will say that the dogs (Ellie and Bailey) have started to come a close second...when we are outside she LOVES watching them. She laughs when they jump around and she loves to pull on their ears (they are sweet puppies). She still just has her two bottom teeth and she is getting more hair...red hair of course!
Bryn is very ticklish like her sisters. She laughs a lot and is "trying" to talk. When I try to get her to say "da da" she says "di di" and when I say "ma ma" she says "ga ga" so we are getting there! I am trying to get her talking soon...if not I am afraid she might be mute forever because her sisters won't let her get a word in!
Brynlee loves being outside and she has really started enjoying the swing in the backyard! She cracks me up because she holds onto the ropes when I swing her! She loves going for walks and she is still so great in the car! I am so grateful that each of my girls have really loved being in their car seats...especially Hadley and Brynlee...because those poor 2nd and 3rd children...they just have to go.go. go.! We are starting to see little Bryn's personality develop and it is so fun! Reese and Hadley are so different and I am sure Bryn will be as well! Everywhere we go people love to talk about her cheeks...I think they are so darn cute and kissable! We are so blessed to have this little princess and of course I can't believe she is almost 8 months!

Pumpkin Time

It is that time of year again! We headed out to the Pumpkin Patch again this year to get some pumpkins and have some fun with our little pumpkins here!!

A little bit of sisterly love Riding some tractors...good ole Fun!

This little peanut was hanging out in the stroller for the first part!
Hadley getting really excited about going to see some animals!
Getting to see a baby duck..Reese loved it so much..a little too much I think! The girls loved the little ducks and rabbits...and pig...and goats...and sheep...and cows...ect...they love animals!
Cotton! Who says you can't have a grand old time in a trailer full of cotton...the loved it...Reese kept saying it was like snow...just not wet!

One of my many attempts a picture with the three little ones...we did not do well. And, yes, I feel like a bad mommy that Bryn does not have a matching shirt...but honestly they are the girls shirts from last year...Hadley's is a little too small now! Oh well!

LOve...seeing the calves...they wanted to feed them like they did last year...but it was not feeding time!

Somehow I got this one out of order...but we headed over to Dan and Katherine's to see James and Luke after the Pumpkin Patch! Reese and Hadley love these boys...and Katherine had cupcakes for them so they were super excited!

On the hay ride out to the pumpkin patch...Hadley was starting to slow down here...right in the middle of nap time...and she needs a nap!

The race is on...find your pumpkin...you can see who got a head start!

Trying to find their favorite pumpkin...they were so cute...I love that you get to actually walk around and pull your pumpkin from the vine! They have all kinds...the white ones are my favs!

Another try...

One more...got Bryn..but can't get Hads to smile...soo tired! I thought for sure she would sleep on the ride home...but she and Reese were laughing too much...but not 5 minutes after we were home, I was making dinner and looked on the couch to find my little baby!

I will leave you with that picture and not one of what happened when I woke her up to eat. Let's just say it was a full blown meltdown...like something out of a weird sci fi movie...I am not kidding! Lesson learned...don't skip Hadley's nap!

Jason's Trip

As promised, here are just a few pictures from Jason's trip. He did not take a whole lot...but there are some good ones! The organization they worked with over there was Refilwe...pretty cool site if you want to check it out.

Here is the mural that is on one of the walls of the place where the community center was. In some of the preschool classrooms
Hanging out with the kids
She is so darn cute...Jason gave her a hug and then she grabbed his sunglasses from his shirt!Hanging out and singing

I loved seeing these pictures and hearing all about the trip. It truly made me want to be there with him. Our hearts desire and dream is that in the very near future Jason and I will be able to do some mission work together and then be able to bring the girls as well.

Lots of love and laughter
Letting balloons go for one of the churches there.

Jason got to see a lot of incredible things are one was this enormous elephant crossing the road right in front of their car.

We are truly so grateful that Jason had this opportunity. You can truly never come away from something like that the same. It changes the way you view your "problems" big or small and the way you think you "need" things. We are so blessed...or maybe overindulged in this country!

"I...I will SURVIVE!"

I love that song...I have for a long time...but this past week...well, it has been my theme song! Seriously...it was in my head all day...every day. You see...this guy down here...he was in South Africa for a week!

It was for a good reason. He went on a mission trip and he had an incredible time (pictures of his trip to come...I promise). And, honestly, when we talked about him going a few months ago...I was like, "Babe, seriously, go we will be fine...I can do this with my eyes closed"...really...really! I mean Jason travels a couple times a month...normally for 2-4 days...so no big deal...right? Well, let's just say that by day 4...I was wishing I could take back the "eyes closed" statement...and that my eyes could really close...sleep...I need sleep! Truth be told, we had a great time...wild...but a great time...we missed our daddy!

We had lots of dance parties...sorry the pictures look blurred but I wanted you to know what my vision was like after a week by myself!

Two crazy dancing little ones...loud dancing little ones.

Ahh...but there were moments of peace...had by her that is...it is like she was born with earplugs!
If I could just bottle up some of her energy...the things I could do!Hadley developed a little more independence when Daddy was gone...wanted to dress herself...so there you have it!

Oh...and then this...yes I spent the morning getting everyone ready to head out the door...only to walk outside to this...I had to laugh...seriously...are you kidding me...my husband is in SOUTH AFRICA! I know, I know...some of you are thinking "can't you change a tire"...well the answer is No...and I don't want to learn how either!

Then there was this moment...when I came out from putting Bryn down for her nap...a slightly larger "baby" in the exersaucer!

Bryn may be sweet...but when I told her what Hadley had been playing in...well they say a picture says it all!

Disclaimer "no children were hurt in the following pictures...but a lot of fun was had by all involved...ie..mommy and Reese"

Yes...she is dancing on the washing machine...better than on the ceiling!

I am not going to say where she may have seen these moves!

And...finally, our daddy is home! We all SURVIVED...and we are all so grateful that our family is back together! Things just aren't the same without our daddy!

How have I not blogged about this...

Or about Them I should say!

YES...these two! My brother and his FIANCE, Caitlin! This weekend we had a few wedding showers for these two...and I realized that I have not talked about this! I mean, my brother is getting married...to an amazing girl...and we are SOOO excited!So, we headed over to Atlanta...to just hang around for a few days...

Well, we really did not hang around...we really ran crazily all over the Atlanta area! We started at my dad's house to have a celebration lunch for Jonathan and Caitlin with my family, my Aunts and Uncles from South Carolina and Caitlin's mom (we had the best time meeting her)!That night we headed over to a Tool Shower for Jonathan...where you can see he got a really big tool box! (he is going to kill me for that picture...but what are sisters for?)
Here is the whole group from the shower. It was an incredible night....lots of laughter and a few tears as we shared about the amazing man my brother is and how his journey has brought him through so much! I truely do think he and Caitlin are an incredible match!

We stayed with my grandmother, Myrl, and the girls loved it! I say this all the time but I can not even describe how incredibly beautiful I think she is. We headed over there for a bit on Saturday afternoon...and then Aunt Bethany and Uncle Steve graciously agreed to take care of Reese and Hadley while we went to the tool shower...we did not get any pictures...but the girls had a great time!
Then, Sunday afternoon we headed out for a shower for these two again...it was really a shower for Caitlin...but we let the "soon to be groom" come along!

OOOOOHHHH...this is serious business! Seriously, some of the hostesses had to let Jonathan know that it might not be time efficient to give everyone a hug after each gift....he is just really nice like that...and you can't blame him...this was his first time at one of these! (ok, truth be told I may have told him first to put a stop on the hugs...bossy sister...I know)

The gift opening was fun...although Jonathan looks like he might be sleeping...I am confused...why is he not excited about new towels and dishes!

But, in case you were worried...this little one thought the shower was sooo much fun!

Giving a little thank you speech...they are so darn cute together!

The whole Hansard crew

So...in just a few short weeks...these two will be Mr. and Mrs. Jonathan Woodlief!

We are so excited!

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