The Trustys

Daddy Gets MA to Dance

2012-01-29T17:50:00.000-08:00

Morgan Finally Strikes a Pose

2012-01-29T17:38:00.000-08:00

Morgan finally decided to strike some poses for me yesterday. She's never been keen on cameras, so I was pretty shocked. She kept saying "Mom, cheese me!".

Mary Alice is getting stronger pulling up on EVERYthing, but she's still timid about taking any actual steps. Morgan's trying to encourage her, and she will not give up!

Lazy Sunday afternoon in bed with my girls!

The Many Faces of Mo and Ma

2012-01-16T19:11:00.000-08:00

Here Comes Trouble!

2012-01-10T17:52:00.000-08:00

Mary Alice's mobility has risen to a new level. She's quick as can be crawling around the floor. She can zip across the room in the time it takes to turn your head. This weekend, she also started pulling up and crawling up steps. We have a lot of step-downs in our house, so I've been so worried about this with her. She can crawl up, but I dread the day she tries to crawl down when I'm not looking!!

Happy New Year

2012-01-02T14:47:00.000-08:00

We rang in the New Year with our friends the McCarras. Morgan and Hayes had a blast playing dress up and running all over the house. Mary Alice just sat back and enjoyed the action. Baby Reese slept through the whole party. We got our greens and black eye peas in, so we are wishing for a fantastic 2012!

This is the new scene in my house. We got an iPad in November, and Morgan is obsessed. If we let her, she would play on it all day and all night. Now Mary Alice is starting to get interested. Sometimes Morgan tries to show her a few tricks.

2011-12-27T12:00:00.000-08:00

We've had a whirlwind Christmas this year. And let me tell you, these girls are so lucky to have parents, grandparents, and a generous Santa in their lives. We had our own family Christmas first, then went to Nana and Pap's for our second Christmas, then to Cee and Fodder's for a THIRD Christmas. We'll start with ours...

Cee and Fodder's

2011-12-27T07:42:00.000-08:00

Cee and Fodder's house was as lively as ever. Morgan and Rhodes played chase, tickle tackle, and sang us some Christmas carols. Mary Alice had more fun playing with the wrapping paper and ribbons than anything. My one Christmas wish this year was to get a decent picture of my girls in front of a Christmas tree. I tried so hard, but never got "the one". I don't know why I put myself through it. Morgan hates taking pictures, and the minute she does decide to cooperate, Mary Alice gets upset about something. It's maddening! The first pic below was my last attempt, and Morgan sprang out of the picture at the last second. Oh well!!!

Cousin Rhodes is soooo cool.
Love that wrapping paper and ribbon.
This is Morgan's mermaid village that Cee created for her. It was pretty awesome, and Morgan loves it!

Nana and Pap's

2011-12-27T07:33:00.000-08:00

We had a blast at Nana and Pap's. Morgan thinks the world of John Reed, and they play so well together. Mary Alice and Lauren also look so cute together. We are so lucky to have cousins so close in age!
Mary Alice is digging Morgan's dress up trunk.
Mary Alice plays with string, while Morgan shows her how to use a jack in the box.
Lauren teaching Mary Alice to pull up.
Uncle Matt holding the precious baby girls.
Our matching cuties - Morgan is not really choking Lauren, but helping her sit up :)

Santa brought Morgan a cute vanity table for Christmas. Mary Alice is jealous she can't get on the stool to see what's going on.

School Christmas Program

2011-12-23T12:28:00.000-08:00

The girls had their school Christmas program this week. Morgan was a shepherd and Mary Alice was a cherub. The program was entertaining as always, and it's so fun to see these kiddos trying out their acting skills. We are pumped about some Santa in this house. Stay tuned for some Christmas pics!

Mary Alice Starts to Crawl

2011-12-09T16:54:00.000-08:00

Mary Alice took off crawling today for the first time. We were able to capture it on video, which will serve as entertainment on two fronts. One is of course our sweet baby on the move for the first time, and the second is Morgan's new accent. Morgan turned country in the span of a week. Check out the way she pronounces iPad...

Disney On Ice

2011-12-07T13:45:00.000-08:00

Morgan and some friends went to Disney on Ice a couple of weeks ago. They were mesmerized by the skating characters and completely captivated by the stories. We tried to snap a quick pic on our way out. Hayes was a little disappointed to be leaving all the fun behind :) Love these girls!!!

Thanksgiving 2011

2011-11-25T14:19:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving this year at Cee's house with Uncle Russ, Aunt Mandi, Jackson and Annabelle. We made some awesome memories and the kiddos became super fast friends! We are so blessed to have such a big happy family!

This is probably our best family photo to date.

My sweet girls - love some matchy matchy!

Cee had a tee-pee for the kiddos, but the adults had fun in it too.

Annabelle got lots of good time with her girl cousins!

Mary Alice (left) and cousin Annabelle (right) looking like matching candy canes.

Me and Uncle Russ with our childrens.

Mary Alice says "I'll leave that marshmellow roasting for the big kids and just sit here and eat my chips ahoy".

Daddy and Mo roasting marshmellows for the first time.

Fun times!

Feeding Little Sis

2011-11-13T17:49:00.000-08:00

Morgan helped mama out the other day and fed Mary Alice her breakfast. Such a good big sis!

Morgan's first princess party

2011-11-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

Morgan went to her first princess party this weekend for one of her school friends. The kids all looked so darn cute! It was so much fun, and all the girls had a BLAST!

All dressed and ready to go. Dressed as Ariel and carrying Barbie Ariel.

Some of the girls in their cute costumes!!

Halloween Night

2011-11-02T16:34:00.000-07:00

The girls had a grand ole time Trick or Treating this year. Mary Alice was such a trooper hanging out in the wagon while big sis hit up the neighbors for candy.

My sweet strawberry posing with the pumpkins.

Morgan giving me some small sort of a pose.

And a trick or treating we go!

Crisis Averted (nearly)

2011-11-02T16:28:00.000-07:00

Morgan wanted to "hold" Mary Alice. So we made her sit in the chair and put Mary Alice in her lap. Here's what happens...

Dad says "use your hands to hold on to her Morgan".

Morgan says forget that and starts to let go...

And Dad is there to save baby girl from a tumble to the hard wood floor! Neither girl stopped laughing the whole time.

Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2011-11-02T16:18:00.000-07:00

Morgan and I took our annual trip to the pumpking patch this year at the last minute. As usual, the animals were a bigger hit than the actual pumpkins. We are starting to love some Halloween around here!

Halloween Preview (more pics to come)

2011-11-01T11:52:00.000-07:00

Meet Strawberry Shortcake and her strawberry sidekick

Getting Ready

2011-10-23T19:05:00.001-07:00

Morgan started getting ready for Halloween today by painting some pumpkins at church. She had loads of fun and has developed quite the fondness for paint. When we got home, Mary Alice and I hung on a blanket while Morgan burned off some energy on the swing. Not a bad afternoon!

Fair 2011

2011-10-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

Morgan made her annual trip to the state fair and the festivities did not disappoint. While she was more fearful of the rides this year, she did brave the big slide for the first time. Matt went with her and said the bumps were a bit rough on the caboose, but they were both all smiles on the way down. The petting zoo was also another big hit, and Morgan does not shy away from sticking food directly into strange animals mouths. We also rode the ferris wheel as a family this year for the first time. Don't worry, Mary Alice stayed at school for this trip. She will be up for her first fair next year!

Birthday Fun

2011-10-09T18:47:00.000-07:00

Morgan's zoo birthday party was a hit. The birthday girl and all her friends had a blast. We are so thankful to everyone that came! It's 9:00 on Sunday night, and neither of the girls have any interest in going to bed. They are still riding high from all the birthday fun!

Morgan racked up on some awesome birthday presents. Mary Alice even had fun helping her open all of them by eating the tissue paper.

Big props to Dad who built a swing set almost entirely by himself. Morgan LOVES it and we can't stop smiling watching her play on it.

We went on a family picnic today for lunch. The girls loved being outside in the nice weather and had fun running around the park. Love the fall weather!

Happy Birthday Morgan!

2011-10-07T18:50:00.001-07:00

Make a video - it's fun, easy and free!
www.onetruemedia.com

This and That

2011-10-02T12:10:00.000-07:00

Morgan has a BIG birthday coming up next week - 4 years old! I can hardly believe it. The poor girl woke up with a fever this morning, so I sure hope she gets better in time for her big party. Since big sis wasn't feeling well, just Mary Alice and I went to church this morning. She charmed all the old ladies big time this Sunday. One lady came up to me and said "can I just rub her back please". They are all so sweet and love them some MA.

Morgan and Dad's new game is to have relay races in the back yard from fence to fence. I'm glad Morgan chose Dad for this new activity because it looks tiresome.

Even Mo tires out and requests a back ride from dad every other race.

Don't you wish you could just pass out randomly like this and it be considered cute instead of unacceptable?

Morgan reads to Mary Alice

2011-09-28T13:02:00.000-07:00

Such a sweet big sister! Morgan is reading Mary Alice a book after bathtime.

Frustrating Photography

2011-09-21T14:54:00.000-07:00

So we had a family friend take some pictures of the girls recently. Morgan absolutely does NOT like posing and having her picture taken. I've been debating for a while whether to shell out the money for a fancy formal photo session. I'm glad I decided to test the waters with a good family friend. Morgan tested all my patience, but we came through it smiling. My goal was to capture my girls at these stages in their lives. Morgan and all her fun, quirky, silliness and Mary Alice still in her beautiful baby sweetness. The first picture below actually captures that perfectly. Not exactly hanging above the mantel material, but super cute and super appropriate.

Can you see the pitiful look in her face at having her picture made???? So pretty, but so sad...

Poor Mary Alice, we had to wake her up from a nap because it was raining that day and there was finally a break in the weather so we wanted to dash outside while we could. She didn't know what was going on and maintained a very serious face the entire time. She's still precious as ever though!

And this is what Morgan does when you say "Morgan, don't pick your nose!" She responds with a two finger nose pickin'! What can you do but laugh and love 'em to pieces.
It seems Mary Alice is applauding her disobedience. Let's hope I don't have two trouble makers on my hands!!!

Lovely Girls

2011-09-05T12:44:00.000-07:00

Morgan and Mary Alice continue to grow closer with every passing day. Mary Alice stays in entertainment watching her busy sister. And Morgan continuely wants to help with Mary Alice and love on her. They are on the road to being besties, I just know it.
Morgan was a little bored the other day and tried to see if Mary Alice could balance flash cards on her head.

Morgan took nearly 4 years, but she has finally discovered the peaceful joy of swinging. She used to get bored with swinging after about 15 seconds, but at Cee's she could swing all day.

And like her big sister, Mary Alice has grown a fondness for our four legged friends. She was fascinated with Cee's big dog Buddy this weekend and giggled in delight every time he gave her a kiss. She kept trying to put his head in her mouth...

Blue Eyes

2011-08-22T16:15:00.000-07:00

2011-08-21T14:37:00.000-07:00

The girls and I went to visit some family and friends this weekend for Cee's big birthday. We had a blast hanging out at Aunt Linda's pool and having a big ole spend the night party at Aunt Cham's. Morgan and Bentley, as well as Mary Alice and Hollice, are on the road to BFF's like their mom's and grandmom's. Thanks everyone for the fun times!

Morgan helps Cee blow out her candles.

The girls gather round for a video at the table. Hollice giggles when she gets dried off from the pool. Morgan decides to have her refreshments in a champagne flute. Uncle Andy takes Morgan for ride in the wagon. Mary Alice loved kicking in the baby boat. Bentley zipped all over the pool with the motor boat. No fear! Mary Alice takes her bottle pool side. The girls get dirty at Hottie's.

Mary Alice is 6 Months Old!

2011-08-17T17:56:00.000-07:00

Mary Alice is 6 months old today! She got another glowing report from the doctor. She weighs 19 pounds and is 26 inches long - that's 90th percentile folks. I don't think Morgan weighed 19 pounds until she was 18 months old. These two are so different but so fun. Morgan wanted to sing happy birthday to Mary Alice this afternoon and we treated her to a cupcake.

Morgan blows out the 6 month birthday candle...

Baby sister gets a small taste of hot pink icing...

And big sister devours the cupcake...

Tea Parties and More

2011-08-07T14:50:00.000-07:00

Morgan's new thing is tea parties. Mary Alice got invited this morning along with Dressy Bessy and Ariel.

Mary Alice needed a little help drinking her tea...

I was getting ready for church this morning, and I looked down to see Morgan feeding Mary Alice a bottle. I had left an empty bottle on the table from her previous feeding. Morgan decided MA needed some more. I kind of felt bad for Mary Alice, being tempted with an empty bottle. But both sisters seemed to enjoy it.

Morgan before church. Me: "Morgan let's go outside and take your picture". Morgan "OK". Me: "Will you smile for mommie?". Morgan "YEAH!". We get outside. Me: "Morgan, say cheese and smile!". This is what I got.

MA's First Bug and The Help

2011-07-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

Well, it happened. Our first illness as a family of four. Poor Mary Alice came down with a stomach bug early in the week and then wouldn't you know it Morgan got it too. Why do stomach bugs only hit in the middle of the night? When Morgan got it, she decided to get out of bed and proceed to Mary Alice's room to do her actual vomiting. So we had both kids up in the middle of the night... it was a long week. BUT I was treated this weekend to a private screening of The Help. Cee scored us some tickets and we got to go mingle with some celebrities. I played it about as cool as you would imagine - made a fool out of myself with Octavia Spencer in the bathroom. I'm such a dork! Anyway, we made it through so hopefully Matt and I will be spared!

Both my girls getting to hang in the big bed while they didn't feel good.

Another interesting reading position for Morgan, the baby doll bed.

Big Sis reading to little Sis - so sweet!!!

Cee and I at The Help!

Mary Alice - 5 Months!

2011-07-17T14:05:00.000-07:00

Mary Alice is 5 months old today. I've been a terrible picture taker lately, and I had a moment this morning realizing my baby is getting older every minute and I'm not recording it properly. I tell you, she gets prettier with age too :)

Morgan still remains against posing for pictures. So I just have to snap what I can get. Below is her reading position of choice - balancing between the glider and ottaman. Morgan absolutely loves her baby sister. She thinks holding her is the BIGGEST treat. She just squeezes and loves on her all the time. So sweet!

Mary Alice serioulsy smiles about 80% of the day. But my camera has a stupid delay and they are so hard to catch! Every where we go, she just smiles and charms the pants off everyone she meets. She has the best temperment!

Christening gowns - beautiful in person, difficult to photograph. We put the gown back on for a quick photo session this morning since MA was in a good mood. Well, the good mood didn't last long. It really is hard to take a picture of someone who can't sit/stand in a really long gown. But she looked so darn beautiful in it, I wanted to capture the moment! At least I can say we tried!

Mary Alice Christened

2011-07-04T15:09:00.000-07:00

We had Mary Alice's christening this weekend. She did great! We didn't get many pictures due to all the craziness, but I'm going to try to commit myself to getting some pics of her in the gown later on this week. We had a great time with all the fam, and we were so pumped to show off the new house. I will say that I'm glad Monday was a holiday b/c the rest was appreciated. Morgan and I hung out in the baby pool and sprinkler this afternoon. She finally warmed up to the water and had a ball running in and out of the water. Dad and Mary Alice came to watch all the excitement for a few minutes and sat in the shade. While we haven't done much celebration this Independence Day, I have to say it's been quite enjoyable!

As always, Morgan had a ball hanging out with her cuz John Reed. She must have gotten out every single toy she owned to show him. We are so glad they have fun together!

Visit from the Morgan's

2011-06-30T04:16:00.000-07:00

We moved into a new house in our same town last week, and we welcomed our first houseguests over the weekend. Cousin Rhodes had a baseball tournament and came to stay. Mary Alice welcomed everyone with open arms. Morgan was a little crabby, but she eventually warmed up! Mary Alice also tried out some of her baby gear that's been in storage over the last few weeks. She loves sitting in her little seat! My baby is growing up and I can hardly stand it!!!

Mary Alice nearly getting smothered with love from Mo and Rhodes.

Rhodes loves him a baby! And Mary Alice seems to love him!

Aunt Susan is such a good rocker - MA looks sooooo comfy!

Got Rolls?

2011-06-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

Mary Alice likes to show off her belly rolls. She loves to pick up the end of her shirt and chew on it. She just gets cuter by the minute!!

Morgan and John Reed

2011-06-06T06:06:00.000-07:00

Morgan and John Reed had a big time playing together this weekend. They were cracking us up big time with their banter. Morgan is a tad bossy towards John Reed, but he knows how to handle her! Every time Morgan would say "John Reed, come here!", he would respond "I can't, I'm busy". Funny kiddos.

2011-05-28T15:39:00.000-07:00

Our sweet Mary Alice is growing like a weed. I almost can't stand it! Here are a few pics of her lately.

Matt's new nickname for my sweet girl - "chubs".

3 Month Birthday!

2011-05-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

Mary Alice is 3 months old today. We have been getting a lot of entertainment these days watching the two sisters. Here is Morgan teaching Mary Alice her body parts. Mary Alice loves watching her big sister. Cheap entertainment.

We all went to support Dad this weekend in the Dragon Boat Regatta. Unfortunately, we missed his actual races due to Mary Alice's eating schedule, but we had fun watching the other teams!

Love a sleeping baby...

Happy Mom's Day

2011-05-08T06:15:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there. I sure had a great weekend. I finally got a decent pic of me with my girls, and they both behaved like angels all weekend. Plus daddy surprised me with some BEAUtiful earrings for mother's day. I am one lucky lady.

My chunky girl hardly ever stops grinning. Love it!

Morgan also does her fair share of smiling, it's just harder to catch on camera. Girl has never liked posing.

This is Morgan sliding down the elephant trunk at the zoo. Static hair gone wild.

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T12:15:00.000-07:00

A Different Kind of "Girls Weekend"

2011-04-10T17:15:00.000-07:00

Morgan, Mary Alice and I had a girls weekend, but not the adult kind. We went back to Cleveland to meet up with Aunt Holly, Brooke, Chamblee, Bentley and Hollice. I was lucky enough to grow up with best friends that not only were twins but also my next door neighbors. Our moms were best friends, so we were destined to be as well. And as the good Lord would have it, so far we have all had our own girls! Morgan and Bentley are about 7 months apart, and Mary Alice and Hollice are only 3 months apart. So we are already working on this generation's likely friendship. Our best attempt at a group shot comes out rather comical...

This is sweet Hollice at 5 months.

Bentley and Morgan playing hard on the swing. Bentley and Morgan giving Mary Alice some love. A rare shot of me with one of my children (I'm always the one holding the camera). And this is Morgan when we got back home today. She has NEVER done anything like this. She just crawled up into a ball on the floor and fell asleep. Morgan quit napping about 6 months ago, so this is really something to be seen. She played hard and just needed to catch up on some zz's I guess.

Afternoon fun

2011-04-06T06:57:00.000-07:00

Me and the girls had a fun play session yesterday after Morgan came home from school. Morgan wanted to put Mary Alice on the activity mat. The two girls just hung out for about 45 minutes straight. Morgan sang lots of songs to Mary Alice and showed her how to play all the gadgets. It was so cute. Ruben even got in on the fun.

Lauren's Christening

2011-04-04T08:46:00.000-07:00

Mary Alice went on her first trip to Nana and Pap's this weekend for cousin Lauren's christening. We had a great time visiting with everyone. Morgan especially had a big time getting to play at the park and running around in the country! I can't wait to watch these two baby cousins grow up together. They got up close and personal with each other yesterday and it was so sweet. They even reached out and touched each other, almost like a high five.

5 Weeks Old!

2011-03-24T10:45:00.000-07:00

So baby girl is 5 weeks old today. She's getting close to smiling and still being a joy. She is steady putting on the pounds and my arms are feeling it! Morgan is also still loving being a big sister. Her big task is giving sissy the pacifier. She's gotten quite good at it but doesn't understand that sissy doesn't want it ALL the time. I can't wait to see how their relationship grows!
Mary Alice's first bottle! Dad came home from lunch and got to do the honors!

We took a little trip to Cleveland this past weekend where Mary Alice got to spend quality time with her Cee, Granny, and of course cousin Rhodes. That boy sure does love a baby! He did so good holding her until she let one rip on him. He was hesitant to hold her again after that...

2011-03-15T12:24:00.000-07:00

Mary Alice is continuing to grow like a weed. It seems like she gets bigger every day! Here is a few photos of what we've been up to.

Photo Session Outtakes

2011-03-07T08:38:00.000-08:00

I tried desperately to have a photo session last night of the girls in matching Big Sis / Lil Sis shirts. Not very successful, but very entertaining!

Mary Alice - 2 Weeks Old

2011-03-03T10:36:00.000-08:00

Mary Alice is 2 weeks old today. We went to the doctor this morning where she got a glowing report. She's already up to 8 lbs 5 oz and considered very healthy! We have been so blessed with this one. She is really such a good baby. I never would have thought she would be the low maintenance daughter!

Happy Birthday Aunt Sissy!

2011-02-26T17:31:00.000-08:00

My Girls

2011-02-26T10:02:00.000-08:00

The second picture below has always been one of my favorite pictures of Morgan when she was a newborn. I love that it was taken next to a stuffed animal so you could tell how tiny she was. I tried to replicate the picture this morning with Mary Alice. Not the greatest picture of her but still a good comparision.

This is me trying to hold both girls in my lap this morning. I have always thought of Morgan as so tiny. But ever since Mary Alice has been here, I can't get over how BIG my little girl actually is! It's a little sad and makes me want to savor every second of Mary Alice while she is so little. But Morgan sure is fun to watch the older she gets. You can't help but laugh most of the time.

Mary Alice - one week old

2011-02-23T17:53:00.000-08:00

Mary Alice Pictures

2011-02-20T15:41:00.000-08:00

Here are some pictures of our new addition. Mary Alice is proving to be a great baby. She has been eating and sleeping so well. We really could not ask for more. Morgan came home from a long weekend at Nana and Pap's today. She has been very sweet to her little sister so far. She doesn't pay her a whole lot of attention, which is just fine by me. I would rather her be indifferent than jealous! But she has given her a few sweet kisses and seems geniunely concerned when she cries. Let's hope the love continues!

Welcome Mary Alice Trusty!

2011-02-17T17:05:00.000-08:00

Mary Alice Trusty was born at 1:45 this afternoon (Feb 17th). She weighed 7 lbs 8 oz and measured 20 1/2 inches long. She's absolutely perfect! Thank you for all your prayers!

Here We Go!

2011-02-13T13:50:00.000-08:00

We will welcome our second daughter some time this week. The doctor is going to induce me by Thursday, the 17th if she hasn't come by then. So keep us in your prayers! Morgan still has no clue what's coming. We talk about the baby and read "big sister" books every night, but I can tell she doesn't quite get it. I know she will be a great big sis though. Below are some pictures taken within 4 days of each other. One is in the snow when it was 20 degrees on Thursday, the other is today in the front yard when it was 65 degrees! She was not a fan of the snow by the way. It wasn't the good kind anyway - crunchy instead of powdery. Hope everyone has a good week!

Morgan Lately

2011-01-30T15:04:00.000-08:00

Morgan is enjoying her last few weeks as an only child. She and daddy were playing "wonder pets" the other morning. I guess some poor animal was stuck in the dryer and needed saving. Such a cutie. We also soaked up some amazing weather this weekend with a picnic in the park. It was in the 70's here folks! In January! Morgan loves the park and had a blast running around and petting everyone's puppies. The girl still loves an animal. It's rained non-stop today, so we've watched our new favorite "The Fox and the Hound" twice. Such a depressing movie, but Mo sure does love it!

Our Newest Niece!

2011-01-24T10:07:00.000-08:00

We went to visit our new baby niece Lauren this weekend. She is totally precious, and Morgan couldn't have been more unimpressed. We were very eager to see her reaction to the baby, but she pretty much just gave her a little look, said the word "baby", and then went about her business. I held the sweet thing for about an hour, and Morgan could have cared less. Which is not a bad thing, but we'll see how it plays out when it's a baby inside our house and I don't put her down for several days in a row! Anyway, meet the beautiful Lauren Celeste Trusty. She was a complete angel the entire time we were there and it made me very ready to meet our sweet girl (less than 5 weeks to go)!

This is Morgan and John Reed receiving the tickle torture from Uncle Reed and Matt. They were pretty cute together even when just watching the tube. Sorry the other pic is sideways, can't figure out how to turn it :)

Morgan's Big Girl Bed

2011-01-08T05:44:00.000-08:00

I finally mustered up the courage to let Morgan sleep in her big girl bed last night. I've been putting it off for a while .... and for good reason. We had to move Morgan to a new room so the baby can have her old room. We fixed the big girl room up with old toys and all her new Christmas toys. She loves the room, just not so sure about sleeping in the bed. She kept crawling out and playing with all her toys in the dark. How she could see what she was doing is beyond me. She has amazing night vision. However, once she finally tired out and went to sleep, she stayed in the bed till 7:00 this morning. Matt was the first to hear her and ran to her room to find her opening her drawers and pulling out her baby dolls! So we just need to work on the going to sleep part. I can't believe my sweet girl is growing up!
For those of you who know Morgan, you know she hates an accessory. We don't wear hats, scarves, gloves, costumes, swim floats, nothing outside the normalcy of every day clothes. Well, this week, she has finally started showing interest in all her dress up clothes. I know Aunt Sissy will be proud! This is her playing "Princess and Frog" last night with her crown, boa, wand, and some heels you can't see. She's super cute!

Christmas 2010

2010-12-27T16:36:00.000-08:00

Morgan had a great Christmas, her last as an only child. She got to play with all her cousins and got lots of presents. The child has opened a present every day for about 5 consecutive days, I'm not sure she's going to be able to cope once they stop coming in.

This last picture is Morgan at her school play. She was a sheep. She kept the ears on for the beginning but naturally she took them off after her grand entrance. The girl can't stand an accessory.

Keeping Busy

2010-12-12T15:52:00.000-08:00

We've been getting creative with things to do in the house during all this cold weather. Cee came this weekend and built Morgan a tent. She likes to crawl inside and read her books. Morgan also assisted me with baking some cookies this afternoon. She actually made more of a mess than anything but we had fun! Once we made it to the chocolate chip step, she kind of forgot about helping me mix and just started eating the chips. That's my kind of girl!

Thanksgiving and Birthday!

2010-11-29T08:38:00.000-08:00

We had a great Thanksgiving in Greenwood this year and a lot of fun at John Reed's 2nd birthday party. My pictures didn't post in order, and I can't for the life of me move them around so I'm sorry. I used to be able to drag them to whatever order I want, but they won't drag anymore nor can I cut and paste. Does anyone know a way around this? It's driving me bananas! Anyway, we hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.

John Reed on his birthday present. He LOVES tractors. LOVES to drive :)

So cute opening his presents. His face was priceless!

Morgan taking a break from some Thanksgiving play in the yard.

The kids (Johnny included) playing with Baxter the dog.

Singing happy birthday to John Reed.

Morgan taking a quick cat nap on the couch in the midst of holiday decorating.

Morgan's favorite room at Nana and Pap's - the shower.

Tree hugger.

Sweet cousins holding hands.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T11:50:00.000-07:00

We had a fun Halloween this year. Morgan got into it more than I would have thought. She practiced saying "trick or treat" all day long. Her friend Lorin came over to go trick or treating with her. They had the BEST time ringing door bells and collecting candy. And I don't want to hear any snickering about her wearing an Ole Miss cheerleading uniform for Halloween. The Rebs needed more help than the Bulldogs last night anyway. I did make one last attempt to get her cute fairy costume on, but no dice. So cheerleader it was. Pretty cute though, right???

This is Morgan's "say cheese" face. I really wish she enjoyed posing for pictures more.

Trip to the Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-24T16:52:00.001-07:00

We took Morgan to the pumpkin patch this weekend for the hay ride and pumpkin hunt. She had a good time looking at all the animals and playing in the open fields. It was so dry out there I feel bad for the poor pumpkins! I'm nervous for Halloween to get here because we seem to have not lost our fear of costumes. I tried to slip Morgan's on her this morning while she was entranced in a video. She started screaming the second the thing got an inch from her head. Looks like we'll be a cheerleader again - no fun costumes in this house :(

Morgan's birthday

2010-10-10T13:28:00.000-07:00

Morgan had a great birthday weekend. Things got kicked off Saturday morning with a birthday muffin and her present from mom and dad. She then got her first "real" party with lots of her friends. We really appreciate the great turn out. I didn't get a lot of pictures because the kids were all over the place. Then we headed home for what we thought would be a good nap, but Morgan was so wired after all the excitement, she just played in the bed for 2 hours. So we gave up on her going to sleep and headed to the fair. She was hesitant about the rides but had a great time once they got going. Then we had a family lunch on Sunday where she got to open more presents and play. It was a great weekend, and we can hardly believe it's been 3 years since Morgan joined our family! Have a great week everyone!

Rhodes teaching Morgan how to ride her new tricycle from Nana and Pap.

Dad trying to teach Morgan how to ride the tricycle...

Wait a minute, Morgan already knows how to ride a tricycle!

Enjoying the free petting zoo at the fair.

Riding the balloon ride with mom.

Being shy about the happy birthday song.

Getting ready to blow out those candles!

Her party was at the Play Place - highly recommend it for younger kids. Great stuff to play with.

2010-10-08T08:26:00.000-07:00

First of all - BIG NEWS - it's a girl! Morgan is going to have a little sister come February. We are very excited, especially since we are going to have 2 little girl cousins on each side of the family all within 2 months of each other. I can't wait for all the fun! We took one last beach trip this past weekend with the all the Trustys. Morgan and John Reed absolutely loved the beach and had a ball. Here are some pics I managed to get. They weren't still for very long so it wasn't easy!

Beach hugs

She LOVED the water.
Quick break for snacks.
Mo and Dad enjoying a walk down the beach.

Morgan impersonating Uncle Russ then Ariel

2010-09-29T19:01:00.000-07:00

Toys R Us

2010-09-27T07:10:00.000-07:00

We took Morgan to Toys R Us today because we had no clue what to get her for her birthday. We decided to let her roam around and see what she latched on to. It worked. She carried this Ariel doll around the store all the way to check out. When you ask Morgan "what does Ariel say?", she responds with the Ahhh Ahhh Ahhh, like when Ariel is giving her voice to the sea witch. So cute. We'll try to get it on video :)

Where's Morgan?

2010-09-12T16:39:00.000-07:00

Labor Day Fun

2010-09-07T07:12:00.000-07:00

We got to squeeze in one more swim before the official end of summer at Aunt Linda's this weekend. Morgan and Bentley had a big time playing together. Cee bought them matching dresses, and I must say, they look super cute :) As always, our Arkansas family was incredibly hospitable with their homes and kitchens! Thanks and we will try to make the trip again soon!

More Beach Pics

2010-08-25T06:48:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Leslie's super picture taking abilities, we have some more precious pics of our girls at the beach.

Beach Trip

2010-08-22T16:22:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a great beach trip with the McCarras and Ezelles. Unfortunately, the Ezelles had to leave early due to an illness, so we missed hanging with them! But Morgan had a great time and took to the water and beach like a pro. She loved the kiddie pool, and I did too considering the child WILL NOT wear floaties to save her life. She had a blast the one evening we walked down to the beach. It was pretty funny, Hayes is fearless in the pool while Morgan stays close to the edge. Morgan is fearless when it comes to the beach and sand, while Hayes refused to let her feet touch anything - sand or ocean. Enjoy my random assortment of pics. Hope everyone is enjoying the last bit of summer!
Matt and the kiddos watching Nemo on the big bed.
Morgan taking in the ocean view sunset.
Matt and Mo chillaxin in the pool.
Morgan's favorite pool toys, which she made talk to each other over and over and over.
Hayes pushing Morgan in the luggage cart.
Fearless beach Morgan holding a crab.
Matt teaching Morgan to skip rocks and seashells.
Playing games on Mrs. Shebby's iphone during an afternoon storm.
The one picture I have of all three kids watching Nemo.
Taking it all in. She seriously had so much fun. This year was so much easier than last year. Hopefully things will continue to get easier and easier with this one now that we're adding #2!

Morgan's news

2010-08-08T11:52:00.000-07:00

Morgan has some good news to share. She and I sat down to color everyone a picture, but Morgan decided mommie should do the drawing while she counted the crayons over and over. If you can't read it, the paper (and t-shirt) say Morgan is going to be a BIG sister! Some time at the end of February our family will increase by one!

2010-07-19T06:01:00.000-07:00

Morgan recently decided that Ruben needs to be hand fed, one morsel at a time. Poor pup, he just stands there and lets her shove it in. When handing him a piece, she says "hee boy" (here boy) and then "goo dog" (good dog). When he gets tired of the game, she chases him all over the house until he relents and lets her feed him again. I think Morgan may have inherited some of her Uncle Russ' hazing genes...

driveway fun

2010-07-09T19:11:00.000-07:00

Trip to Cape Girardeau

2010-07-05T08:45:00.000-07:00

We took Morgan to visit her Aunt Sissy for the weekend in Cape Girardeau. Morgan had a big time playing with "Baxter" the family dog. I sure hope he has recovered from all the hazing Morgan put him through. Aunt Sissy was an amazing host, cooked LOTS of delicious food for us and showed us around town. Here are some unorganized pictures of Morgan at an exotic petting zoo, the playground, the duck pond and around the house. We will definitely be making a return trip. Hope everyone had a great 4th!

Morgan and Ruben

2010-06-28T17:55:00.000-07:00

This is a rare shot. I never get both of these guys in the same frame let alone both looking. Matt didn't want me to post this due to Ruben's position, but just pretend you can't see the jewels out there. Focus on my precious girl's face loving on her pup pup.

Father's Day Fun

2010-06-21T16:51:00.000-07:00

Even though the weekend was supposed to be about Dad's, Morgan had a blast in Greenwood. She got to take a dip in the pool for the first time all summer, and she got to get all wet again playing with Pap. Morgan was a big help to Pap watering the plants, then making sure she stamped all the water puddles out, then chasing Pap around the front yard drying out. She had such a big time, she didn't even take a nap and never fussed once! She even stayed up late watching a movie in bed with her Pap. Good times.

John Reed came over to play too. We seriously tried very hard to get a picture of the two of them just looking in the same direction. We couldn't do it, but I think this one is kind of cute :)

Cute Model

2010-06-13T11:26:00.000-07:00

I recently took sewing lessons and bought a sewing machine. I'm no Martha (or Jayme Yates), but I managed to pull off a cute simple jumper. I've finally found a hobby that actually produces something. She looked cute in it this morning for church :)Mosquitos are very attracted to Morgan, even her poor face. I guess playing with a water table doesn't help the matter. But that thing will keep that girl busy for a while - we highly recommend it for 2 year olds. Just remember to put Off on ALL over. The worst thing about Morgan and mosquito bites - they don't go away for days. Yes, days.

Fun in Cleveland

2010-06-06T15:44:00.000-07:00

Morgan had a fun but short trip to Cleveland this weekend. Morgan loves for someone to roll her over Cee's exercise ball, always good for a laugh. Cee also spoils Morgan by setting her up with her own table and chair to eat and watch TV at the same time. She also loves to play in the backyard with Buddy, the sweet dog. And this trip also included Morgan's first interaction with kitties. Loads of fun!

Weekend Update

2010-05-30T15:39:00.000-07:00

I typically devote this blog to Morgan only, but I have something selfish that cannot go without mention. My birthday was last Sunday, and I was lucky enough to share my birthday with a very special event in television history - the series finale of LOST. Call me what you may, but I am a Lostie and so is Cee. Cee came for my birthday and presented me with this incredible cake. It was devoted to Lost, our beloved series. She was able to incorporate my name (crossed out a la cave style), the smoke monster, John's casket, the numbers (with my birthday transposed in between), the polar bear, the plane crash, and much more. And yes, we are wearing matching Lost t-shirts. Only those loyal to the show will get it.

Lorin came over to play again this weekend and they had fun splashing each other in the pool. Lorin also proved to be helpful while Dad bathed Ruben. This has always been a fun game for Morgan, and they both had fun laughing at Ruben suffering through his weekly bath ritual.

Morgan has also taken to golf ever since she played with cousin Jackson's set last month. It never ceases to amaze me how a $5 toy will entertain this child for many an afternoon.

Weekend of Fun

2010-05-23T12:37:00.000-07:00

Morgan had a fun filled weekend with lots of friends. Friday night, Hayes and Lorin came over to play. Morgan showed out on her 4-wheeler, and they had fun destroying Morgan's room. You could tell they were having fun by the level of squeals ... Then Saturday, Elaina invited Morgan over to swim in her big amazing water slide/pool combo thing. She had a BALL. It was pretty hot, and I wasn't very good with the camera, but believe me she had some fun in that thing. Morgan is ready for many more swims over the summer!

Baby Petting Zoo

2010-05-07T17:38:00.000-07:00

We went to a local event last night that brought in a baby petting zoo. All the baby animals were so cute and completely captivated Morgan. She has no fear around any sort of animal. She desperately tried to feed the goats, pigs, chickens, cows, bunnies and ducks. But I think they were already full by the time Morgan got there.

Jackson's birthday

2010-04-25T14:24:00.001-07:00

We headed to West Texas this weekend to see cousin Jackson for his first birthday. Morgan went on her very first plane ride, and it went surprisingly well. The people sitting behind us may not agree, but I was very proud of her. Uncle Russ and Aunt Mandi were great hosts - taking us out to eat, to museums, and cooking for us. We definitely had a great time and will be making another trip out soon. Jackson is so darn cute and so easy. He just chilled all weekend taking in all the excitement. We miss him already!

Singing happy birthday to Jackson, he was more interested in the cupcake than the singing.
Riding on his Handy Manny 4-wheeler.

Mo and Jackson playing in their matching outfits.

Russ took us to visit some wineries one afternoon while Aunt Mandi babysat the kiddos. Texas wine ain't bad folks.

Good ole Uncle Russ sure is good at entertaining these two.

Company Fun

2010-04-18T13:29:00.000-07:00

My work had a family picnic on Saturday so everyone could show off their cute families. Morgan had a blast but she wore her parents out. She was really fascinated with the water, so we had to keep a close eye on her. She had fun hanging with Lorin, and we hope Lorin will hang out with Morgan again even though Mo stole all her grapes!

Lazy Girl

2010-04-16T15:40:00.000-07:00

Here are some of Morgan's lounging moments. I love the one of her just passed out on the couch. I think she technically fell asleep on Matt, then he had to get up but baby girl never moved. She loves to cuddle with us in the big bed on Saturday mornings. And mommie likes it too! Oh and by the way - just as I posted about our obsession with Mr. Sheepy ... he's fallen by the way side. Now we are obsessed with carrying the letter A from one of her alphabet puzzles everywhere.

Mr Sheepy

2010-04-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

Morgan's newest fascination is Mr. Sheepy. It's this little sheep character that is one of many shape pieces belonging to a toy she's had since she was 12 months. The fascination started about a month ago and gets stronger every day. I started noticing this week, as soon as we walk in the house from school, she makes a beeline for her room ... to get Mr. Sheepy (affectionate name given by dad). She can't go play in the backyard without him. You'll never know where you find Mr. Sheepy - on the fireplace, dining table, bathroom counter, or Morgan's booster seat.

Happy Easter

2010-04-04T15:48:00.000-07:00

Morgan has had a great Easter. To be honest, she's had a bit too much Easter candy because she has had no interest in a nap today whatsoever. And as long as we're being honest, I have another Easter confession. Morgan has made this an Easter to remember by giving herself the nastiest black eye I've ever seen. Poor girl hit her head on an end table, and it ain't pretty. It killed me to take her pictures in her pretty Easter dress this morning with that shiner staring at me. But it will go away, and we will laugh about it soon.

By the way, of all the things in Morgan's Easter basket, she was most fascinated by a plastic chicken that probably cost me $0.99. Kids - it doesn't take much to amuse them.

The Hunt Continues...

2010-03-31T15:43:00.000-07:00

Morgan's school had their Easter egg hunt this afternoon. She was fired up again. The weather was BEAUtiful today too - 78 degrees!!!! Oh please mother nature, let it last...

This was our attempt at a class picture. Yeah, it's not easy to get 15 2 year olds to sit still for long.

Easter Egg Hunt

2010-03-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

Morgan could seriously hunt Easter eggs all day every day. We started practicing Friday night for our church Easter egg hunt on Saturday. We hid eggs around the house, and she will continue to hunt long after the last egg has been dropped in the basket. So Dad and I have to keep sneaking eggs out of her basket when she's not looking and keep hiding them. She's so cute when she's on the hunt, we don't mind.

Another favorite past time of the Mo is giving Ruben a bath. Here she is cheering Daddy on as he cleans the puppy. It's the small things in life, folks.

St Paddy's Day

2010-03-21T12:13:00.000-07:00

We took Morgan to the St Paddy's Day parade yesterday. Unfortunately, we didn't get too many pictures because we were so busy chasing Morgan, who is not fearful of crowds. There was a monkey riding a dog (complete with saddle) that fascinated us all for a while. Morgan and I went to take our picture with him, but she kept trying to reach out and pet Mr. Monkey. I wouldn't let her pet him b/c I saw that movie Outbreak and am still freaked out by these little guys. Morgan had a big time watching the pet parade and all the kiddos dressed up in green.

Where's the Egg?

2010-03-10T18:54:00.000-08:00

Staying up late on a Friday night, no school tomorrow

2010-03-05T20:11:00.001-08:00

So Pretty, So Happy

2010-02-28T12:10:00.000-08:00

Morgan has been in THE best mood all weekend, which has been so fun. She cut some of her molars last week, so we are glad to have the old Mo back. She's starting to understand pronouns, you and I, lately. I told her "you're so pretty" the other day, and she replied "I pretty". She also told me "thank you" the other day, to which I replied "you're welcome". She came back with "I welcome". It's so fun to watch their learning process. It never gets old. Here are some pictures of the pretty girl after church today.

Some wild ponytail hair yesterday morning -

Morgan's First Snow Day

2010-02-12T11:11:00.000-08:00

We woke up to a beautiful, deep blanket of snow this morning - and it hasn't quit yet! Morgan was very impressed with snow ... when looking at it through the window. Getting in it was a different story. Morgan already has a bit of a cold, so we've just been taking her outside in brief trips. It's funny, when you ask her what it's doing outside, she replies "snowman-d". She doesn't quite get the difference in snowing and a snowman...

I know it's a weak snowman, but I didn't have any decent materials to work with. We don't wear hats in this family, so all I had was this thing from my bachelorette party (compliments of Chase).

Poor dad had to go to work this morning while the rest of the metro city had the day off :(

Morgan does her hair

2010-02-10T17:59:00.000-08:00

Since it's been so cold, I've been trying to blow dry Morgan's hair before she goes to bed. She wiggles and fusses the entire time, so it's no easy task. But as soon as I turn the dryer off and put it down, she becomes interested in it. She'll pick it up and sort of slam it right on her head and leave it there for a second like she thinks it's about to turn on. Sort of funny to me...

This and That

2010-01-25T17:23:00.000-08:00

I'm sure you've all wondered endlessly what dinner time is like in our house. Sometimes it goes like this...
Despite my greatest hopes and greatest attempts, Morgan isn't what you would call a "good eater". She's rather picky even though her parents have done everything they could to expand her palette. I am diligently trying to get her to try new things, but in this instance gave up on trying but hid some veggies in her spaghetti. This is the outcome. I'm all ears for any suggestions from you moms who have had better success than me.

Below is a picture of Morgan talking on the phone and typing on the computer. Matt and I couldn't find her the other night, and we found her in the computer chair with the phone held up to her ear with her shoulder like she's taking orders and playing the market.And this is just a cute picture of Morgan attempting to help rake leaves the other day. I tried to explain it would be easier if she turned the rake over and used 2 hands, but she had her own way...

Swiper says "Oh, Man"

2010-01-14T17:01:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm starting to think we might be watching a little too much Dora. Here is a precious video of Morgan playing out an episode of Dora. You'll hear a lot of "Sbiper" and "Oh, man", which if you are not a regular Dora viewer, is what Swiper the Fox says every time he gets busted trying to swipe something from Dora or Boots.

Pals

2010-01-04T18:44:00.000-08:00

Christmas Pics

2009-12-27T09:21:00.000-08:00

Morgan had a great Christmas. She was full of holiday cheer and spread it wherever she went. She got lots of great gifts, but more importantly got to spend lots of time with family.

Morgan and John Reed posing in matching Christmas outfits (soooo cute).

Playing/Jamming with our new singing microphone.

Out of all the toys, counting cups with John Reed was one of Morgan's favorite Christmas activities.

Taking pictures with her new camera.

Tired of me taking her picture....

Posing with Rhodes in front of Cee's "tree".

Opening gifts with Mama.

Just a few gifts from mom and dad...

Finding what's in her stocking on Christmas morning (hadn't combed out the bed head yet).

Reindeer

2009-12-22T08:10:00.001-08:00

Morgan's school Christmas program was this morning. She was a reindeer. This is incredibly fitting because of all the ornaments on our tree, she is most obsessed with a stuffed reindeer from Aunt Kristen. From what we could see, she did very well. She seemed to sit and stand when she was supposed to, but maybe even sang a few words of "Jingle Bells". We didn't get any pictures with the antlers on, but she's the cutest reindeer we've ever seen!

Meet Lusenda

2009-12-19T09:48:00.000-08:00

Matt gave me the best Christmas present. I have been talking about sponsoring a child through Compassion International, a Christian based program that works with missionary projects throughout the world to help release children from poverty and introduce them to Jesus. I've been amazed by their story, and I really felt it could be a small way we could make a difference. Matt picked out Lusenda for our family. She's 5 years old, and she lives in Haiti. She is responsible for fetching the water for her family, and she loves singing and running. Haiti has a 93% unemployment rate, so you can imagine the living conditions there. Most families try to sustain themselves by farming, but with floods increasing over the recent years it has been difficult. We've written to Lusenda once, and plan to write her as many encouraging letters as possible. At night, we are teaching Morgan to pray for her. If you are interested in sponsoring a child, please check out their link. It's a trustworthy program that's been around a while. It only costs $38 per month. The money goes to healthcare, food, clean water, and educational programs. The money goes straight to the missionary project in that region, not directly to the family. $38 per month is providing Lusenda with nearly everything she needs to survive and thrive. Matt and I currently spend more than that on cable, fancy cell phone plans, a gym membership we rarely use, the list goes on. It's certainly something to think about.

Mo in the Snow

2009-12-06T14:49:00.000-08:00

This is Morgan watching the snow Friday night from the window.

This is Morgan playing in the snow on Saturday morning. Yes, she is in her pj's and not in appropriate snow playing attire, but I assure you that we were only out there about 5 minutes. She would dip her finger in the snow and then bring it to me to wipe off. The just repeat the process. Funny little girl.