.:Little Reece:.

I feel like Reece is all of the sudden making leaps and bounds developmentally. Sometimes I just want to tell her to slow down and take them one at a time! She is at a really fun age, and is really discovering her voice and her independence. Here are just a few pictures of our sweet girl in all of her cuteness.

Pretty girl
Smile!
If Reece disappears from the living room, she can be found in her room, reading books. It does this former teacher's heart good!
These bubbles don't taste so good.
Bubble beard
Check out that crazy curl!
Reece has started pulling up and standing. She LOVES to stand, and is always trying to do it to everything (or everyone) she can! Here is what we find when we get her out of her crib:
More standing!

.:Fourth of July:.

We had a pretty low key fourth of July. Josh worked all day long, so Reece and I just hung out at home. Once Josh got home from work, we loaded into the car and headed down to Sam and Nikki's place in Orem. When we got there, we decided to grab some dinner at Five Guys and a Burger (I think that's the name?) It was tasty, and Reece had her first taste of hamburger - she loved it of course. Is there any food she doesn't like?? :)

After eating, we went back to Sam and Nikki's and decided to do some fireworks. Reece was mesmerized! I don't think she moved the whole time they were going off! I was happy that it didn't scare her! It was pretty cute.

We went back inside and had some chocolate fondue, played Mario Kart (I'm sure they were all wishing that I was not on their team!) and just hung out. We headed home before the big fireworks started because we wanted to avoid traffic and get Reece home to bed.

It actually turned out pretty well because driving into Salt Lake County, we could see multiple fireworks shows going on. It was the perfect way to see them!

So, a nice day spent with family. It is wonderful to reflect on what a blessing it is to live in this country, where we have so many freedoms. I'm so grateful for those that have served and continue to serve to protect our rights. We are so blessed!

Watching the fireworks
Clapping for the fireworks
Pictures with Mommy (sorry for the extreme closeup!)

Of course, there are some way cute pictures of Josh and Reece, but as we all know, he won't let me post them! Bummer!

.:This Week:.

This week I am looking forward to:

- Seeing Britney and Luke today
- Sarah having baby Emerson!
- Natalie having baby Knox!
- Making girlie stuff with Amanda and Shanna
- Starting tutoring
- Working out
- Going to girl's camp
- Getting our car back (not looking forward to the cost, but it's been a week since I've had a car!)
- LEAVING FOR OREGON!!!!!!

Happy Monday!

.:Water Baby:.

Yesterday Josh and I decided to take Reece to the pool. She had never been to a big pool before - only her friend Dawson's little backyard pool. We weren't really sure how she was going to like it. She loves her baths, but this is cooler and different! I think the cold surprised her a little at first, but she seemed to get used to it quickly. She liked it when I would twirl around and her feet and body would drag in the water. Josh also taught her how to use her hand to splash the water. She had a great time doing that!

So here are a few pictures of us at the pool. (Yes, there are some of Reece and Josh together, but he won't let me post them!)

.:9 month pictures:.

We had some pictures taken this past weekend by Your Vantage Photo. (Also known as my awesome brother and sister in law!) It is kind of tricky to get good shots of Reece because she is just so BUSY all the time! Curious and all over the place. But, I really love these pictures and can't wait to get some printed. Here's a little sampling. You can view the rest here.

.:Learning Activity of the Day:.

So, I know this isn't for everyone, but I absolutely love this idea from Chronicles of a Babywise Mom. She is definitely my kind of parenting! It's probably not for everyone, but the teacher in me is dying to get started! I know a lot of learning happens naturally, through exposure and language. But I figure, ten minutes of a bit more structure certainly can't hurt!

.:Six in the a.m.:.

What was I doing at 6:00 this morning? Helping Josh push the Accord out of the driveway so that he could take the Pathfinder to work. Accord won't start.

Seriously....when does it end?!?!

We've been so happy not having car payments, but I guess the trade off is the upkeep for having older cars. It doesn't really make sense to buy a car when we're about to start living on loans, but that option is sure looking pretty nice right about now!