Summer nights...

For fun!

Reese - How come I get a piddly otter pop dad...

and you get one of these yummy ice-cream bars?

How do I get my hands on one of those?

Happy Birthday!

Last week was my 36th birthday...I know, I know...I don't look a day over 21, but that's besides the point. :)

For my birthday my sweet husband got me this new toy!



I don't have a clue how to use it...but I'm determined to learn :) So I've been doing just a little experimenting. Still very armature, but I'm having some fun.

Reese has been my number one subject.

Look at that dirty face...

She's not patient for very long...

But she's just too cute to resist!

Roughing it!

For the 24th of July weekend we loaded the car with everything but the kitchen sink, and headed to the lake with our good friends the Gardner's.

Our home away from home.

Don't let that little halo fool you...this little monkey isn't always an angel :)

We ventured into Heber on Saturday to see the Heber Creeper and eat lunch at the Dairy Keen.

We had so much fun playing in the lake, especially in daddy's raft.

Tyler and Gavin had some fun too.

Tyler and his dad built a pretty awesome sand castle...while Reese and Gavin were great observers.

These two little cuties knew when it was time to rest in the shade.

We had such a good time. We dutch oven cooked, spent lots of time in the water, climbed hills, collected rocks...and best of all...mom and dad got to relax. By Saturday night Reese was beyond exhausted. We can't wait to go camping again this summer.

No Work!

After a Doctors appointment this morning, Reese and I went over to Arnold's office to surprise him for lunch. After lunch when we were saying goodbye, Reese got really upset. She didn't want to leave daddy. As we were pulling away I told her, "It's ok sweety, daddy has to work right now, but he'll be home later to play."

For the rest of the ride Reese was upset and kept saying, "No work daddy, no work! daddy home!"

Amen Reese...I know your daddy would agree.

The little things...

"Remember the little things.

For one day you'll look back and

realize they were the big things."

This is the quote that's on Reese's nursery wall. I must have read this quote a thousand times since Reese was born. Most of those times in the first couple months, during middle-of-the-night feedings, when I was so tired I couldn't think straight. I look back now and realize how true these words are. Time passes so quickly and in a blink of an eye little things are gone and only then do you realize how big they really were.

Reese has always been a good sleeper. She started sleeping through the night between 8-10 weeks and by 5-6 months I no longer had to rock her to sleep. She would go into her crib awake and put herself to sleep. She has slept with no problems since, and at almost 2 years I can count on one hand the number of times I've had to get up with her in the night. This is a good thing and I realize I'm a lucky mom. But I often miss the days of snuggling with her, rocking her to sleep, and singing to her. Those were good days and wonderful little moments.

But last night Reese gave me a gift. A little reminiscing of those beginning days. We had been out playing in the neighborhood a little later than normal, so Reese didn't get to bed until about 9:30 p.m. She's usually in bed between 8:30 and 9 these days. Summer seems to be stretching her bedtime later and later. But 9:30 certainly isn't the latest she's gone, so we didn't think much of if. Fast forward to 11 p.m., Arnold and I are both drifting off but we can still hear Reese talking and playing in her room. Earlier that night, when we were outside, she had fallen and cut her lip pretty good. Her lip was swollen when we put her to bed, so I started to worry that maybe she was in pain and couldn't relax to get to sleep. We decided to go in and giver her some Ibuprofen and see if she was ok.

When we went into her room she was of course happy to see us. I gave her the medicine and Arnold got her a drink of water and a cracker. I sat in the rocking chair and snuggled with her a little. To my surprise she really wanted to be snuggled. I had my arms around her and every time I would relax them a little, she would reach around and pull them tighter around her. I asked her if she wanted me to sing to her and she excitedly said, "Ya Ya!" So I started to sing. Each time a song would end, she would say, "more song, more song mommy." So I kept singing, rocking, snuggling. There was the logical side of me that thought..."she just doesn't want to go to bed and she's using this as an excuse to stay awake". But then there was this little voice in my head that said, "This is one of those little moments. Cherish this time, just you and your daughter, snuggling, rocking, singing. This doesn't last long. She will be grown up before you know it, but she needs you right now. These are the little things that really are the big things."

So I kept singing and before long, Reese started singing with me. I was singing 'Jesus Once was a Little Child' and Reese was singing, "Tyler, Roro, Ucy, Claire, Tyler, Roro, Ucy, Claire..." (These are the names of her friends) over and over to the tune of the music. It was so incredibly cute, it made me want to cry.

After a while I told her it was time to go to bed, she didn't really want to go but I told her that I loved her and I explained that I would be right next door if she needed me and that I would be there when she woke up. I told her we would have a fun day tomorrow and that we could play and sing if she wanted to. She finally agreed and snuggled into bed. Her eye's were closed before I left the room. Maybe it was the Ibuprofen kicking in...or maybe she just needed her mommy to help her get to sleep...or maybe it was a little of both. Either way, I had my little baby back for a brief time and it was glorious!

My 1st telephone conversation with Reese...

I had been gone for the afternoon. My neighbor Emily had been watching Reese until Arnold got home from work. I called Arnold to see if he was home yet and if he'd picked up Reese. He and Reese were at home. Reese was calling my name in the back ground and desperate to talk to me, so Arnold handed her the phone and this is how our conversation went...

Mom: Hi sweetheart did you have fun at Claire and Lucy's house?

Reese: Clar Ucy pway's a hous

Mom: Did you play at Claire and Lucy's house?

Reese: Ya (then a bunch of babble that I couldn't quite understand...but I'm imagining she was telling me what they played with.)

Mom: Do you want mommy to come home now?

Reese: ya...mommy home, tweet

Mom: Do you want mommy to come home and bring you a treat?

Reese: ya...mommy

Mom: Did you miss me today?

Reese: ya...home

Mom: I missed you too love bug, I'm almost home and I have a treat for you!

Reese: Yah! tweet

Mom: Ok, let me talk to daddy now, I'll see you in just a minute. I love you.

Reese: wuz ya (translation: love you)

This was Reese's very first, some what, legible telephone conversation. Usually we try to get her to talk on the phone, but she just stares at it. Sometimes she'll babble, not really at the phone, just in the vicinity. Just enough so family members can hear her. The funny thing is that she talks on her play phone all the time. She just talks and talks, but I think hearing someone talk back throws her off. I guess it's no surprise that hearing my voice wasn't as weird for her. I should practice talking on the phone with her more often.

Red Rock Vacation

On Wednesday we headed to red rock county...Moab, for the big Nordfelt family reunion. We got there a day early so we could spend some quality Thiebaud family time before the reunion started.

The one and only miss-step of our trip and probably not the smartest move made by Reese's parents...trying to hike to delicate arch at 1 in the afternoon, right at nap time in 100+ degree heat...big mistake. We turned around about a quarter of the way in and decided to find an easier, cooler hike... Reese was dripping sweat and pretty cranky about riding in her back pack. But she looked pretty darn cute with her bandanna head wrap.

The easier cooler hike of double arch.

Reese was bound and determined to hike the whole way, all by herself. She climbed every single one of the stairs and wouldn't even hold our hands for help.

This is her with the end in sight.

I have an explorer on my hands. Reese really wanted to climb all over these rocks. It was quite the fight to keep her by our sides. She wants to be grown up so bad.

Playing in the hotel with daddy...its sooo past her bed time. She was hysterically tired.

The view from our hotel room. We stayed at the Red Cliff's Lodge up Castle Valley.

The family reunion was held up at my families cabin in the La Sal Mountains. It was about 15 miles away from our hotel. One night as we were headed back to the hotel, we saw the most beautiful rainbow over Castle Valley.

Reese's favorite part of the week...4 wheeling. She was hooked the minute the wind hit her face. She would have been happy if we spent the entire time just driving around on the 4 wheelers. She kept asking, "Go fo wide, go fo wide". While we were riding she would say, "Weeee, weeee", and clap her hands. One night I took her on a long ride up to look out point. From there you can look out and see all of Castle Valley. She was amazed and kept saying, "awhhh". On the way back down the mountain, we saw a cow, deer, lots of flowers, birds, some squirrels...she was so excited. It was fun to have such a special little experience with her. I know she won't remember it, but I always will.

When we weren't taking Reese for a ride, she liked to just sit on the 4 wheeler and pretend to drive.

The pretty cactus flowers at the hotel.

On one of the days, everyone went and rafted the Colorado River. So Grandma, me and Reese hung out at the hotel. We went swimming and then had some fun play time.

Grandma N and Reese swinging.

After 3 days with no naps and late nights...Reese finally gets a little snooze before we head up to camp for dinner. She is so stinking cute when she sleeps.

Reese and some of her cousins went on a wild flower hunt. She brought back this cute little bouquet for us.

We had a little deer that kept visiting our camp. We saw him at least once a day.

One of the days Reese and Canyon (her 2nd cousin) were determined to get as close as they could. They got pretty darn close, until Reese screamed and scared the poor thing away. I tell ya, our little Reese has no fear.

Anyone who knows the Nordfelts, knows that they don't mess around cooking in the mountains. This is the kitchen set up, producing gourmet food for every meal. This particular night we were having a southern style shrimp, clam, & brat boil.

Reese's Grandpa N...one of the master chef's

Reese with some of her 2nd cousins...waiting for chow time.

We had a great time in Moab. It was such a fun vacation and break from every day life. Now it's back to reality!