Reese's Solo Debut

Before there was Wags, there were terms of endearment like Queen Karaoke... The Jukebox... both nicknames I earned in college for always singing something and my ability to name most any song in 5 notes or less. With names like these you can understand why my heart leaps at the sound of my own girls voice following in her Mama's footsteps.

So pardon the video quality y'all... these were taken with my phone. But, I am proud to present my precious Reese Cup and her solo debut of "Mamma Mia". Please enjoy...

She's also gearing up for background vocals, as she shows here doing the "Ba-Ba-Ba"'s after the chorus of "Sweet Caroline".

Feel free to contact me via email or my phone to schedule this wonder kid for your next big event. :)

Willy Wonka's Lickable Wallpaper

Anyone who ever wondered if the snozberries really tasted like snozberries, could probably ask Michelle Obama since I think that's what her dress was made out of tonight...

Cindy may've been ready for the catwalk again my dear, but I'd give Oscar de la Renta my vote over the Chocolate factory any day. :)

Deep

"And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. "

The night before last, I had the privilege along with many of you, to take part in the homecoming of the much anticipated daughter of some friends from church. Her story can be read here. And yes it was full of emotion, and yes I cried big croccodile tears and held Reese Cup as close as I could seeing how she was on her Daddy's hip, but the one thing rolling over and over through my mind was that scripture passage in Ephesians 3... especially the part in bold. I mean, what a picture of our salvation! The lengths that they had to go through to be able to call her by their name, and they did it all gladly... nothing was going to keep her from them any longer.

Amidst all the applause and excitement and tears, the Lord spoke to my heart in that moment and said "This is just a small picture of how excited I get over you, Heather. As much as you know that they've loved this precious girl for months before they ever got to hold her or see her with their own eyes, I love you even more. The love that you see being expressed before you is just a fraction of the way I celebrate over you. And not just you, but this driveway full of my children that you rejoice with tonight."

My favorite photographic subject...

I know it's not Fav Foto Friday yet... but what else does a shutterbug Mama with a fun new camera do with the cutest kid in the world???

How Long Have I Been Married People?!?

OK, probably not as long as any of you that are reading... a measley 4 1/2 years though, should be enough to fix this problem shouldn't it?This is the second time this week I've received JUNK mail addressed to my maiden name to my current address... and here's the thing- I've never even LIVED here under my maiden name, so how are they doing this?!?

Birthday Weekend #3: The Finale

As if having a 1st birthday party on your actual birthday and then having a second 1st birthday party a week later with all your friends at home was not enough... 1st birthday parties #3 and #4 were celebrated last weekend. These were extra special parties, 'cause they got to be celebrated along with Daddy's 27th birthday. Daddy's birthday wish this year was to celebrate it with most of his family in Oklahoma, and oh what a trip it was.

Jump back a week and a half ago with me to the very wee hours of September 11th, around 3:30am. What I thought was gut wrenching heartburn due to the spaghetti dinner I'd wolfed down before church, turned into much more of a nightmare. Let's just say this is not a stomach bug you want to even think about having 12 hours before you're supposed to be on an airplane ride alone (thank you WorldPerks miles for that little bit of inconvenience) for the first time with your 12 month old. It's not a stomach bug you want to have period. There are no amount of details that you even want to know about this... only to say that it. was. straight. up. horrible. With every ache, chill, fever, and pain that come along with a bug like this, I somehow managed to get Reese and myself packed. Reagan came home a little early to bathe and dress our little booger, then he packed the car and away we went.

The first plane ride was great. I even had an empty seat next to me, so Reese got to wiggle and squirm and look out the window to her little heart's desire. As soon as we landed in Memphis and I retrieved her stroller, she was sawing logs which allowed me some much needed rest during our layover. Little did I know our next filled-to-capacity-flight would be taken on one of those little puddle jumpers, and anyone reading this that has had a child knows what a near impossibility it was to get her to sit still in a small confined space for over an hour. (My thanks again to the WorldPerks people for the absence of my husband during this flu stricken flight.) Just when my flu ached body thought it could stand no more crawling and squirming, the plane landed. The end was in sight. I could hand her off to daddy again and resume my recuperation.

Not so fast, Mama.

I mean, for hours you've had this little girl in your arms. What makes you think that the little flu-bug germies decided to skip over your girl as you traveled together for the past 6 hours? Oh no Mama... this is not the end. It's only the beginning.

So the plane taxi's in to our gate, and for the first time in two hours Reese is sitting still, facing the aisle, on my left leg. Listen with me now to the "ding-ding" as passengers are invited to unbuckle their seat belts and begin shuffling into the aisle to exit this tiny little sardine can.

Reese took the "ding" as her invitation to let loose... loose of the banana she'd just inhaled, and all down the aisle of the plane. Whew- she missed me, and any other passengers, thank God. So let me be a smart one now, and turn her to face me, so I can comfort and console my "just-vom'd" baby and apologize to those still in their seats, along with the flight attendant who will have to clean it all up.

So we're up, out of our seat, trying to exit the plane. Wait for it.... wait for it...

BLUH again... only this time, she got me. From shoulder to kneecap. More bananas. Yum. That sure helps my own gag reflex at this point in my day. There was a little comic relief in it all though... the flight attendant actually handed me a single wet paper towel, and asked if I knew I had it running down my leg.

Thanks for your help- you go ahead and keep that though. I think you'll need it worse than me once you see what she left for ya back there sweetheart.

This would be one of four times for the vomming Reese over the weekend... one time in which I actually caught it in my hands at a restaurant, and another in which we awoke to it crusted in her hair and all in her bed the next morning. That sweet girl passed it on to her Nana, too, who was sharing in the pukey love by Saturday herself. Bet she was grateful for that visit.

(Side note: Regardless of the amount of puke I was covered in, I think this story pales in comparison to this one... geesh!)

This next part is especially dedicated to my sister-in-law, of whom I went through serious withdrawals without this weekend. There was a certain degree of sanity missing from my brain without you there, sister!!! These pictures were taken all weekend with you in mind! Thought since you couldn't be there I could at least capture as much of it as possible in pictures! Getting excited to see you in a few weeks!

Stop one was a couple days with Nana... just long enough to make her sick!

Stop two... a couple days with Granddad and Kerry Ann!

Last stop... history in the making. Daddy's birthday present was for everyone to go to the last Monday Night Football game to ever be played in Texas Stadium as we know it. How 'bout them Cowboys!!! :) (Begins with a shot of Brother being a teacher!) lol :)

Lastly, I really just felt that this picture deserved a space all its own... hope you'll love it as much as we do. (saved a spot to photoshop you in next to your dad, there...) :)

Yea For a Good Day

First things first.... do you spell that "yay" or "yeah"? All opinions welcomed and encouraged...

(thanks for the spelling, sister) :)

OK- onto the important stuff.

I heart Beth Moore. I'm considering putting in a special request that our mansions be at least on the same block in heaven, that way we can get together for Starbucks at least once a week. (because we all know that even though I don't drink coffee, the taste of their hot chocolate and the aroma of everything else really is a little bit of heaven on earth, therefore there must be Starbucks in heaven...) This will all happen of course on the other side of this life, after my mind has been made perfect enough for me to really wrap my brain around all the stuff she passes on that God has taught her about His word. Why couldn't I have found such sheer joy in learning all of this when I was actually sitting through Bible college?

I also heart Beth Dunn. This'll be my second go-round with her as my Bible Study leader, and although my experience with Daniel last year would've been enough to bring me back to another LPM study, Beth Dunn sent that choice over the top for me. Even if she did get me for being late this morning because of my pre-Bible Study Starbucks run... which really wasn't why I was running late in the first place, but c'mon- isn't the fact that I didn't get to enjoy one drop of it enough because I dropped it in the parking lot?

Despite the fact that I sacrificed my $3 hot chocolate to the facelift-receiving blacktop that was a preschool parking lot, I lay here tonight contented, happy, and grateful for a very fulfilling day. See... Wags here has a self-diagnosed case of a little something called o.c.d. Jaws are dropping all around blogville, I'm sure, but you must believe me, it's true... if ever something was instilled into me as a child, it was an obsessive, compulsive desire to be this perfectly domestic wife and mother, and when my house gets away from me or I have to go more than a few days without preparing a good, hearty, healthy, cooked-mostly-from-scratch meal for my family, something in my brain starts going a little haywire. (All people ever did was brag on my Mama and her Momming abilities... what else can I do but try to emulate all the stuff I saw in her? I don't know that I ever will, but Lord knows I'll die trying.) In all seriousness here- unless I am intentional about not letting those things control my mind... THEY DO! And when you're only home for 9 out of the past 21 days, and 5 of those 9 days are either spent sick or running around planning a party and having company, none of those things like keeping my house organized and making dinner happen in my book. Today though, boy oh boy, Bible study was attended, a list of chores I hoped to complete were actually completed, piano lessons were taught, and (drumroll please) dinner was served. I think I actually enjoyed some television tonight with my family, and watched and heard Reese REALLY crack up laughing for the first time as we played in the floor. (seriously... y'all have never seen a kid gasp for air and belly laugh like this before. ooh I love that girl.) Add to that the great deal I found on the comfy new bedding the Wagoner's are sleeping in tonight, and you've just summed up a great day.

Since my house is actually somewhat under control again, I think my brain will finally allow for some reminiscing of the past couple weeks. Unfortunately the plug still has not arrived from my parents' in order to pull pictures off of my external drive from Reese's first birthday party, but in order to appease Big T I have managed to get the Tennesse party pictures off of my new and improved camera.

Which brings me to this tiny little rabbit trail... for Reese's birthday, Mama decided that she needed a new toy as well. Mama got one of these, and I. am. loving. it.

Move over piano... a career in amateur photography may be in my very near future.

So, here is the birthday girl... one year and one week old as of when this picture was taken, sporting a bow that will surely get her inducted in the hair bow mafia soon... we're keeping our fingers crossed on that one.

Something clicked in this chick's brain when she hit the big one, and that rotten look you see on her face is just that... pure what-can-I-get-myself-into meanness. I could go on again on how I can't imagine or hardly remember what I did before God gifted us with such a precious child, but sappy 1 year old post got me nowhere before, so let's move onto some more pictures, shall we?

Up first, the ever popular Big Nanny. I can't imagine a party being complete without her, and we were oh so excited that she came! Seeing as how Reese refused to smile sweetly with her beloved Big Nanny, I figured we'd just choose the best out of the five pictures of the BN herself... she with her signature pink and her snazzy haircut sure is looking good isn't she? :)

Next in the party pictures are my six extra arms... Cathy (we like to refer to her as the third Nana), Molly (who has been working tirelessly to get Reese just to say Molly. Keep working, girl- it'll come soon, I'm sure!) and Hannah. (who Reese actually just calls... Hannah!)

And no party is complete without your girlfriends, right?


And of course the boyfriend, too!!!

Last but definitely not least, Papaw and Mia!
3rd cousin Emmah and Mia

Being prayed over by Papaw... (looking good in his plaid!!!) :)


And of course... Mama and Daddy with their big girl!


Let's not forget the CAKE!!!

Mind you the HAIRBOW is STILL in tact! I mean, let's not lose sight of what's important here!

So there you have it... the big ONE in all it's birthday glory. Hopefully Reese will forgive me for the time it took to post all the festivities. Tune in soon for some good puke stories... (Hear them here first before Reagan tries to use them as a sermon illustration somewhere!) :)

Expanding Your Horizons

For all of you that are merely living in Blogville and haven't expanded your horizons to the Facebook world, this is a little something we like to call "flair". You can pick your own or give it away to friends. I got this from Molly Curtis... think she's trying to tell me something?
Thanks girl... 'preciate that. :)

Hibernating

Not on purpose really... I know I'm a super bad Mama right now, seeing how it has been two whole weeks since Reese Cup's bday, and no blog with party pictures from either party. The problem is this... I uploaded all of the pictures to my external drive and then left the plug to the drive in Ohio. It should be here very soon thanks to the US Postal Service, so Big T... if you can hold on a little longer, I promise it's coming.

There are indeed a plethera of blogs brewing in this brain of mine, including blurbs on my sweet Reese's first bdays, my sweet husband's 27th bday, my newest piece of photographic equipment (eg my new toy) and the latest on my weekend full of puke, planerides, and other fun stuff in our lives.

Tune in shortly... I promise I haven't dropped off the face of the earth.

2nd and 3rd Grade Coolertalk

Tyler: "Know what happened to me today? I had 8 girls chasing me trying to kiss me on the cheek."

Stephen: "Yeah... I had 20 girls chasing me in 1st grade."

Bet they're gonna wish they had that problem in a few years, huh? :)