My funny Valentines...

Valentine's day was extra fun and extra special this year because it was Reese's first one!

Valentine's day was spent having fun at home.  Valentine's with kids is completely different!  We just did our normal Tuesday stuff and grabbed dinner at a local mexican place on the way home.  It was good but not very romantic!  ha!  We did put on some V-day outfits to take Ryne to gymnastics though!  :) 

 Jeremy and I don't really do Valentine's day gifts.  We normally just exchange cards...which is honestly my favorite part!  This year I decided to make a frame that I had been wanting to do.  We have been having fun leaving sweet little notes to each other.  I also bought him some of his favorite candy - hot tamales!  Jeremy surprised me with some very yummy hazelnut truffles!  MMMM!

We bought the girls some fun Valentine's stuff and Ryne was so excited!  Jeremy got her some pink roses...so sweet and will be a V-day tradition from now on!

 We also had special meals all day long!  Ryne was pretty excited about all the hearts!

This little cutie had fun chewing on a new toy!  :)

Ryne had her class party on Thursday and she had so much fun with her Valentine cards!  We took a picture of her with a pole...

and turned it into this!

 We also made some gifts for her teachers.  I did the "I love you because" frame and asked Ryne why she loved each of them. 

 Can't forget the marker!

 added some sweets...

 put it all in a basket for delivery!

Ryne LOVES giving presents to her teachers.  She is always so excited to show them what she's done.  She really does love Mrs. Sara and Mrs. Tiffany!

It's a snow day!!

Well, not really but I think it is the best we will get this year!  I let Ryne stay home from KDO because I was hoping we would get enough to really play in.  Sadly, we didn't get much at all, but we still had fun playing in what we did get!  We went out during Reese's first nap because I was worried it was all going to melt away quickly...which it did!

happy girl to see some white stuff!

 Reese woke up so we bundled her up so she could experience her first snow.  I held her the whole time though...so no pictures!

 We were only outside a few minutes with Reese...then we came inside and the girls took a warm bath!  After that I made Ryne a milk shake...she was in heaven!  :)

Reese just hung out looking so sweet!

 We spent the rest of the day cuddling, working puzzles, and painting a chair. 

It's a time out chair!  The first day we used it Ryne loved it so much that she was TRYING to get in time out!  She would do something, look at me, and say "I better go sit in my time out chair and think about what I did"! ha!  Crazy girl!

Grandma Martin

My Grandma Martin passed away February 4th.  My parents actually got the call that she had passed right before Ava's party.  My dad told me about it after the party.  Grandma Martin was the absolute sweetest lady.  I can never remember her talking bad about somebody or complaining about anything.  She had a sweet spirit.  She had been having a rough time since her surgery this past summer, but she honestly seemed to be doing good.  She was always so happy to see family and we loved getting to visit.  She was so proud of Ryne and Reese too.  She always had pictures of them up all around her room.  She will be greatly missed!  Ryne has been such a blessing during this.  She told me that we shouldn't be sad because Great Grandma was in heaven and we would see her again.  Sweet girl full of wisdom.

This was taken in June of last year.  Just a few weeks before Reese arrived!

This was at Thanksgiving this year.  Grandma was not feeling well but was still so happy to see everyone!  This was her first time to meet Reese.

This was the last day we saw her.  We ate at her favorite place - IHOP.  Her and Reese are having a good conversation. :)

After lunch we went back to let her open Christmas...Ryne helped.  :)

The funeral was on Wednesday.  I was nervous about going because Jeremy was out of town so I had both girls with me...alone!  My parents rode there with us and were such a big help.  Ryne wanted to sit with my mom and dad during the graveside service and she did great.  She never moved or made a sound.  The funeral was more a celebration of her life and that is how she would have wanted it.  She is no longer hurting so that helps comfort the pain we are feeling.  And as Ryne said...we will see her again we we get to heaven!

Lots of phone pics...

This is just a hodge podge of pictures over the past few weeks.  Some were too cute to not share on the blog!  :)

I wanted to take Ryne on a little mommy/daughter date.  I haven't been alone with her (besides at home when Reese is napping) that much since Reese was born.  I let her pick what we did and she wanted to go skating.  It was her first time and she loved it!  She was a little too fast and jumpy to get it down, but she had fun trying!

They had several of these neat little walker things but they were hard to come by.  The place was PACKED!

taking a break to watch limbo!

Reese playing with Ryne's dog...

Reese has always gone with us to small groups and has just been happy as can be.  Well the last time we were there she kinda flipped out!  ha!  As soon as I took her to the car she was all smiles though!  Little stinker!

Oh, I am missing our pretty weather now that it is FREEZING!  Ryne did have fun playing in our "snow" today, but more on that later.  So crazy that we haven't even needed jackets much and then you have a day like today!

Ryne LOVES playing with my phone.  She loves to take pictures and has just recently started loving videoing herself!

We all went to Fun City Pizza so Ryne could play games AND do putt-putt.  Ryne and I played games and won 500+ tickets(!), then her and daddy played some putt-putt. 

Riding on the shuttle to church...looking nervous!

first time at Rick's Bakery!

First time for avacados!

First time swinging for Reese!

She's a pro!

We went to the mall to meet some friends at gymnastic's joe.  The girls had a blast running around.  We grabbed lunch after and then Ryne and I had a little shopping to do.  On our way back to the car Ryne wanted to try out this lawn mower for daddy!  :)

We play hide and seek alot around here.  Daddy and Ryne were hiding from Reese and I.  This is what we found in the girls' bathroom!

Silly monkey!

We made a day trip to Benton for Ava's 3rd birthday party.  Reese was not happy in the car...so I climbed back there.  We did have a little fun inbetween the tears and screaming!  :)

wishing she was big enough to run around!

Reese and Cameron!

Brad showing off!

Jonathan, Rebecca, and Reese!

Oh, this was a pinterest idea that Ryne loved!  You put uncooked noodles through a hotdog and then boil the noodles like normal.  She helped and thought it was really cool.