Cereal!!!

We started cereal today! Our little Mads is growing up so fast. She did pretty well for never having a spoon or food stuck in her mouth.
We went to the doctor last week. Both girls are doing great. Maddie is off the charts for her length (or height - Dad says it's length if you are laying down and height if you are standing up - I'll let you use the term you like). She is the average length/height of a 7-8 month old. She's 4 months now.

NOLA

That's New Orleans, Louisiana, for those of you who don't know the cajun lingo. Dan and I were able to have a little vacation this week. My parents watched Maddie, my sister watched Abby; and we were off to South Louisiana! We had a great time. We spent some time at Cafe DuMond enjoying the beignets (which the dictionary describes as a donut with no hole). Yummy! How can you go wrong with something fried and COVERED in powdered sugar.
Apparently, a good way to make money in the French Quarter is to paint yourself a metallic color and pretend to be a statue. If someone gives you a donation, you pose for a picture with them. Hence, me with the golden man. (We also saw a siler man, but no donations or pictures for him!)










We also rode the trolley through the city. It actually was nice because we were on it during a rain shower - we weren't going to pay the $12 for an umbrella, so we just stretched out our ride on the trolley.

We were also attacked by an alligator wearing an explicit apron.

This is a picture of Dan and me in our hotel courtyard. The hotel was in the quarter, so everything was within walking distance. We had a great time!

We didn't see much damage left over from Katrina. Several stores were selling shirts/bumber stickers that read, "Make levees, not war" and "I drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was gone" (my personal favorite). Apparently where they are suffering the most is in tourism. We had 2 different people (one a shop owner and the other a resident of N.O.) thank us for visiting the town. They said they greatly appreciated any visitors.

Trip to Brady

We traveled to Brady, TX this past weekend to visit Nanna and the Florida Reinhards. Dan's brother, Steven, and family - Shan and Sinjin, live in Orlando. They were in town for Steven's high school reunion. We took a trip to the park for pictures, went to a parade, and celebrated Sinjin's 6th birthday.
Above is Dan, Nanna, Uncle Steven, and Sinjin. Abby had a blast with Sinjin. They became such fast friends. It was so cute!

Aunt Shan with Maddie.
This is Abby at her first parade. I think she's wondering how she can get more candy into her already full hands. She enjoyed it. (More the candy than the actual parade.) It was Mason, TX's 150th anniversary. I'm not sure how the spell the actual "centenial" that it was, so we'll leave it at 150. :)

The pictures below are ones that I thought were cute!

Happy 4th of July!

We spent 4th of July weekend with my parents in Bossier. We had a cook-out with family and friends. Did some shopping. It was a nice weekend. Here are some of the official holiday photos.

Abby loves to be in her pool at Pawpaw and GG's. You might be questioning the appropriateness of the bikini for a 3 year-old. Yes, I'll admit it's a little risque - but how cute it is!!!

Brad - this post is dedicated to you - our #1 fan!

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's Day, Daddy. We are so very blessed to have you as our daddy. We love how you get on the floor to play with us and sing us silly songs. Most importantly, you show us how a husband should love his wife. You are teaching us what to look for when we get married - someone who loves the Lord first, then his family, then himself. Someone who is self-sacrificing. He will love us with all of his heart, and we will know every day how much he loves us and our family. Also, you are giving us a glimpse of what our Heavenly Father's love is like. You are loving and patient, and you discipline with love. God picked you to be our daddy, and we are so very thankful. We love you, Daddy! Happy Father's Day.

Happy 3rd Birthday

Happy 3rd Birthday, Abby! (It's hard to believe she's 3 years old.) We had an "Under the Sea" birthday, complete with a HUGE mermaid cake, octopus hotdogs, and ocean punch. Abby had a blast and loved playing with all of her friends.

Abby - we pray that you have a wonderful year and that you continue to grow and learn more everyday. You are such a sweet and spunky girl! You make us laugh everyday. We love you so very much and can't wait to see what the next year brings.

First Smile

This is one of Maddie's first smiles! She started smiling at 8 weeks old.