Memorial Day 2013

Happy Memorial Day! This morning Reed and I let David try and sleep in on his day off.  We quickly got ready and left the house.  Breakfast at Dunkin Donuts was followed by a trip to West TN Veterans Cemetery.  I didn't want to broach the subject of death with Reed, so I approached it from what he had been learning in Children's church this month.  This month's memory verse was Eph 4:32: "Be kind and loving to each other".  Bottom line was when someone needs our help, we can raise our hand and say, "Woo hoo! I can help you!"  I explained to him that our country needed help and lots of people said, "I can help!" and joined the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, or Coast Guard.  Then on days like today we remember these people and one of the ways we do this is that we put their names on headstones so we can remember them since stone is hard and doesn't wear away fast.  (With Reed, I have to have ALL my bases covered- the questions never stop!) 

So we pulled into the cemetery and with the help of the local Boy Scouts, parked our car and started walking among the seemingly endless field of white headstones.  Reed had his paper from church yesterday that had a star and the words "Thank You" on it.  His assignment from his teacher was to color the page and then give it to someone who helped them.  So we took his paper with us and I prayed that we could find the right person to bless with it.  

We walked hand in hand reading the names and branch of service off the stones.  This lasted for about 15 names before Reed wanted to walk on ahead up to the top of the hill.  On our way back down the hill, we saw 2 women about 50 yards ahead, each standing alone.  I asked Reed if he wanted to pick one to give his paper to.  The one he picked started walking away before we were halfway toward her, so we changed course and walked toward a woman in her mid to late 50's who was kneeling down before a grave and appeared to be pouring something on it.

As we approached, I realized she was pouring ashes out of a medicine bottle.  These are always slightly/very awkward situations, since I never know why a person has come to the cemetery or what they are feeling.  Again with a prayer, we approached her.  I explained that we didn't have anyone we were visiting here since my Granddad, who was a Colonel in the Air Force, was buried in Florida. She said the headstone was her dad, at her feet was a small box that contained her mother and the medicine bottle held her brother.  I explained to her that Reed and I had been talking about how all these people had helped our country and we were so thankful.  Reed handed her his paper.  She took it, said thank you, then asked if Reed wanted his paper back.  Reed said "no" and I told him that he could give her a hug if he wanted.  She gladly accepted the big hug that he bestowed and with a tear in her eye, she said, "Thank you, Reed.  This has made my day. I'm going to date this paper and keep it forever."  With my eyes overflowing we wished a good Memorial Day and walked back to our car talking about all the four-wheelers, golf carts, motorcycles and American Flags that we saw.

On the way home, we got on the topic of Heaven and Reed said, "When we get to Heaven it will never be dark and we will never have to go to sleep! We will just get to play and to dance crazy!"  AMEN! Thank you Lord for our hope and for men, women and their families who sacrificed for our country's freedom. 

Try to see the moon

February began with the Super Bowl.  David, Vance and Reed smoked ribs and I made chocolate covered strawberries.  We had a great time.  Reed and his friends played "Super Bowl" in the hallway.  A parent (we switched out occasionally - Colin gets the MVP award for Dad playing most with kids) would be on each end of the hall and the kids would just run back and forth and dog pile the parent in hugs.  Reed really got into this game and would tackle pretty hard, the girls would approach gently and give hugs.

Granny and Grandad came for almost a week in February.  We went to the zoo one day.  Grandad found these chairs that vibrate your feet (and really your whole body).  This picture was taken before they put the quarters in.

When the chairs started vibrating, Granny was very startled and let out a few whoops and hollers of laughter.  Reed became concerned and said, "Oh, Granny, get off on it!"  The mixing of prepositions had us in stiches!
In the petting zoo, Reed really enjoyed the free ranging chickens and rooster.  This picture was taken after he ran at the rooster with his arms in the air yelling, "Cock-a-doodle-doo!"  Can you see the revenge in the rooster's eyes?  A few seconds after this picture, Reed turned his back on the rooster and it ran and pecked his leg.  There were a few tears, but no real damage.

Watching the Elk with Grandad

The hippos aren't out very much when we go to the zoo, so today was a real treat.  Hippopotomus is Reed's favorite song.  This really showed us that "God made a hippo that weighs a TON!"

Eating lunch with the monkeys is always a great way to end our visit.  Reed likes to try to copy the monkey's antics.

Potty training is in full swing.  Treats are handed out on big occasions.  You think this boy likes ice cream?

Reed has been staying with Lesli and Miles on the days that I work.  Lesli has a bike trailer that she likes to take the boys in, so we bought Reed a bike helmet.  Lesli had her second child, Quin, so Reed brought his helmet home.  He wore it home in his carseat and wanted to wear it all around all the time.  After a day or two of this, we had to hide it.

In March, Reed and I drove to Springfield to visit Mark, Stacie and Tate Watson.  It was such a great trip.  Reed and I were spoiled rotten while we were there.

Mark & Reed

Storytime with Stacie

Reed had fun sitting at their counter on the bar stools

Playing at the park with Stacie & Tate

Snuggle time with Savannah

Snuggle time with Stacie - looks like he is telling her something pretty serious

Playing with all the fun toys they have at their house

Having so much fun he can't sleep even though he is overtired!

Reed loves to play his guitar.  He will play it anytime he can.

Learning from Dad

St. Patricks Day.  A fun time was had by all. Contrary to how this picture looks, Reed was not leading everyone in song.

Our parties have started having bath time.  Here are the 4 oldest. Reed, Juliette, Kate and Preston.  We are going to have to start getting a bigger bathtub as the younger siblings grow!

"Aunt" Emily reading to Juliette and Reed after the party bathtime

Mark enjoyed playing Reed's guitar...

But then he had the bright idea to climb into Reed's car.  Reed was really concerned when Mark couldn't easily remove himself.

Reed continues to love and play baseball.  He has even begun playing imaginary baseball in the house since we can't throw or hit in the house. (He's gotten too good and can break too many things!)

One of Reed's favorite bedtime activites is to try to see the moon.  For nearly the whole month of February, it was too cloudy or the moon was not out for us to see.  Every night he would say, "I want to see the moon."  Many nights we would say, "It is too cloudy, you won't be able to see it."  His response?  "But I want to try!"  What a great attitude for us to try to have.  So many times we have things we want to do, but others tell us it can't be done.  I hope he continues to have that spirit that doesn't take "no" for an answer (in a positive way). Please pray for us as we continue to discipline him.  I hope we can raise him as God wants us too without squelching that resilient attitude.

Rock Stars, Airplanes, & Forgiveness

Ok, so maybe I should change my resolution to blogging 1-2 times a month!

 

Reed grew almost an inch from Jan 2 - Jan 21!  We THOUGHT he had been eating more!  All of a sudden his 18mo pants fit him in length (although they still won't stay up) and he looks so much older! 

 

He has been learning so much!  We have started on his letters.  He likes the letter "O" because he makes his mouth into an "O".  The letter "R" he calls the "Pirate Letter" (because it is "ARRR").  He tries to brush his hair with the letter "E" and touch his nose with the letter "N".  Not sure how much he's getting of it, but we are having fun.

 

He learned that he doesn't have to straddle his 4 wheeler, but can almost stand on it while he rides it. 

He loves being a "rockstar" and daily employs anyone who is standing around to play the drums or the harmonica to accompany him on the "datard".  When it is his turn to play the drums he will beat one drumstick against the other and yell, "2, 3, 4, 5!"  Sometimes he gets carried away and makes it to "6" or "7" before starting to play!

Baseball is still an everyday activity.  Here's the windup - and the pitch!

We have had a fun January. The weather has been in the 50's and 60's and we have enjoyed more time outside than expected in the winter time.

Reed loves to have Bentley as an outside companion, although they don't always agree on which way they should be going!



I never knew our backyard could be so full of adventure!  He loves finding rocks... 

Big sticks...

And watching airplanes go by while eating popcorn.

He LOVES airplanes!  Emily was watching him one afternoon and they were in the backyard.  He kept running around the yard after the airplanes shouting, "Come back airplane! Come back!"

Like all toddlers, Reed has been trying to find his independence and "the line".  We tend to go through ups and downs where we can go days without much discipline and then some days with LOTS of discipline.  One night, after a "LOT" day, Reed was ready for bed and he and I were rocking in the dark waiting for David to come in to pray with Reed and put him to bed.  Reed said, "Pray?" and I said, "Ok", and started a prayer of Thanksgiving which is the kind of prayer  he normally prays. "Dear God," Reed repeated and then said, "Sorry".  I asked, "are you sorry because you disobeyed?"  "Yes," he said.  All I could do was hug him, hold back my tears and pray that his sweet heart would stay with him forever.

On a totally "non-Reed" note - surprised? - David's parent's sold their house in Indiana!  David's mom is coming down next week to find and buy a house.  Reed (oops! back to him!) is excited to have Baboo come visit and we are excited that they will be living closer to us!

A new year

I can't believe my last post on this blog was nearly 2 years ago. How our lives have changed! Reed is walking and talking and enriching our lives as his wit and personality are becoming more apparent. Everyone keeps saying I need to be writing these things down, but I'm one who misplaces my cell phone on a regular basis, so keeping up with a notebook to write Reed's little sayings in is out of the question. My resolution is to keep this blog up to date with pictures and updates of our lives.

December 16th, David started his new job at Fed Ex. Reed usually asks to "pray for Daddy job" at least once during the days I'm home with him. And mutliple times a day Reed gets in his toy car to go to "edEx"

We spent a wonderful, but short Christmas in Ft. Wayne. "Turtle Sauce" came on Christmas and brought Reed a drum and a baseball pitching machine. Now when he says, "Baseball time!" (which he declares multiple times a day) we can say - "Ok, go play baseball!"

("Turtle Sauce" also brought me a Cannon Rebel DSLR camera which I have throughly enjoyed and plan to document our lives with it to the nth degree!)

On January 2nd Reed and David drove to pickup Vance (Pa) from the airport (he travels from Ft. Wayne to work in Savannah, TN until they can sell their house. He spends 3 out of 4 weekends a month with us and we are so blessed by it!). On Jan 3rd, David flew to Dallas for 3 days. Reed spent the entire week saying, "Pa go on airplane. Daddy go on airlplane. Reed and Mama go on airplane?" He really wants to ride an airplane again.

On Wednesday, Dec 28, my maternal Grandmother passed away after 95 years on this earth. She joined The Lord and her husband of 74 years. We drove to Florida on Jan 6 to join the family in celebrating her life. It was a great time of laughter and tears and being together with family from all around the country (AR, MA, RI, MD, SC, GA, WA, & TX - just to name a few). There was ultimate frisbee, fishing, and picking grapefruit, lemons, and komquats. Some of the fruit was really stuck to the tree! Reed's favorite activity was riding with Grandad in the "dolf park". They would go all around the property. When they would return from their loops, Reed would declare - "I'm Back!" and repeat it until someone recongnized that he was back!

One of my cousins "got Reed's sugar" which Reed had never experienced before. Now Reed will open the collar of his shirt and say, "Sugar's right here, Mama!"

After so many hours in the car (44 driving hours) in 2 weeks, it has taken Reed a while to get use to our normal home routine. Coming home from work the day after Florida, Reed said, "eat in car? sleep in car?" I said, "No, we are done living in the car!" Luckily he is a fantastic traveller and as long as we have enough food and enough DVDs he is content.

David received Zelda for the Wii for Christmas and has enjoyed playing it. I have started exercising again with Wii fit. Reed has really gotten into both of them. He wants to watch "Daddy's game" and he wants to play "Mommy's game" so he can have a "REmote" and run around the house! Reed has learned the importance of batteries in our everyday life! One day we were trying to Skype with David's mom and the computer kept erroring on us. We told Reed it wasn't going to work and he said, "Need new battery!"

All boy, Reed is as vested in the football season as he was the baseball season. He loves to "Hike! Down! Set!" and then run and tackle someone.

My resolution is to post something at least once a week. They probably all won't be this lengthy. They may only be a cute story or a cute line. I hope you enjoy this small window into our lives (and I hope I can keep it up!).

4 months old!

I can't believe we are at 4 months already! Reed is growing and changing so much that sometimes it seems he is a different baby overnight! Let me catch you up on what you've missed since I have been delinquent in posting:

Christmas and New Years were wonderful. The festivities began early when Tante Gika came to visit the 21st through the 23rd and even though her luggage never caught up with her until she was home, we had a lovely visit and were able to capture Reed's smile for the first time on "film".

My whole family was able to be together on Christmas (although it took some doing). Mom and Dad were suppose to arrive on the 23rd, but due to weather and absent flight crews they arrived Christmas afternoon). Even with the travel delays, we had a great time together. Reed (of course) was the center of attention and the joy of the party.

It was especially sweet that we were altogether since my youngest brother, Scott is leaving this spring to serve another year in the war against terror. He will be stationed in Afghanistan this time and I know that he will serve his country and Lord well while he is over there. Please keep him in your prayers.

We entered 2010 without much fanfare (I think I woke up in time for the East Coast ball drop and then just went to bed). David and Reed spent the afternoon on New Years Day with one of our new traditions - the Winter Classic Hockey Game. Father and son had a great time watching the game until Reed decided it was better to fall asleep on Grandpa.

We had our 4 month checkup today and Dr. Newman said he is looking good and catching up! He is 11 pounds 4 ounces and 23.5 inches long (and just in case you care - his head is 40cm around). He is in the 25th percentile for height, 5th percentile for weight, and 10 percentile for his head! He wasn't a fan of his shots today and started to fuss even before she touched him! But he is doing well and we are having so much fun!!