9 Months of Lil: Steppin' it up!

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LilliAnn McKenzie is 9 MONTHS OLD!

Yes, that's right! Our baby girl turned 9 months old on the 6th of this month and she sure is growing fast! These past few weeks she has really hit some major developmental milestones...the most exciting being WALKING! LilliAnn started taking a few steps when she was 8 months, so we knew she would probably be an early walker. I thought it was crazy because she could just stand up right in the middle of the floor without pulling up on anything. The day before she turned 9 months old she took four steps and then clapped for herself! As of today, she's been walking more than she's been crawling. It's so funny to see her short little self just walking around the house. Reid started taking steps around 9 months, but didn't start officially walking until the day after his first birthday. I think Lil's walking a littler earlier because she has a big brother that she has to keep up with!

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We took these pictures a couple of weeks ago and I was a little worried with how they were going to turn out. LilliAnn is usually very smiley and we can make her grin really big for pictures when we talk to her, but on picture day she was Miss Serious. She just cut her top two teeth so I think her teeth were bothering her this day because she kept making this expression in all of her pictures...pursing her lips together with this little "up to something" grin! She was still recovering from being so sick the week of Christmas, and although she was more serious than usual, I LOVE these pictures. Especially the one below...I just can't get enough of this precious little face!

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We had her 9 month check-up last week and her growth is right on track. She weighs 18.5 pounds and is  on the 50 percentile for her weight and is 28.5 inches tall and is on the 75 percentile for her height! However, she is anemic, probably because she is still breastfeeding and my iron tends to run low and she's not crazy about her iron-fortified baby cereal anymore. We've started some iron drops, so hopefully when we get her hemoglobin up she'll have even more energy! 

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Her little personality is really starting to show. I would describe LilliAnn's personality like this: sweet as honey, full of joy, with a dash of spunk, and a pinch of ornery! She follows Reid around all over the house and gets so excited when he talks to her or plays with her. She'll just squeal with excitement. In the mornings she can't wait to wake him up. After she nurses she talks to him to try and wake him, then tries so hard grab his face or hair! She's really starting to show-off this month too...especially with her dance moves. She stands up in the middle of the floor whenever she hears music and bounces up and down. And now she claps, then waves her arms and tries to sing along! Every time Dora the Explorer coms on, LilliAnn heads to the living room as fast as she can, stands right in front of the T.V., and dances to the entire theme song. Then she'll turn around, look at Reid and I, and smile really big. My Papa Glenn has always played patty cake with her, so now whenever she sees him she starts patty caking. She can even "roll 'em up, roll 'em up" with her little hands. She tries to "sing" and has added several words to her vocabulary. She knows what the word "kiss" means now and loves to give kisses! For Christmas we got her a Barney stuffed animal that plays "I Love You" when you squeeze his tummy. When the song says, "and a kiss from me to you." she'll put Barney up to her mouth and give him a kiss. It's super sweet!

LilliAnn's Vocabulary

-mama

-dada

-bubba

-nana

-papa

-drink

-bite

-that

-milk

And my mom thinks that she repeated backpack and Diego while watching Dora the Explorer and Go Diego Go the other day, but I think that might be a stretch! You know those Nanas...they think their grandchildren are SO smart :)

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She's starting to eat more table foods and not breastfeed as much, except at night. She's been sleeping in her bed, but still wakes about twice a night. She'll usually fuss for a second then fall back asleep the first time and the second time is usually around 5-6 in the morning and Jeb brings her to our bed so she can nurse. She'll fall back asleep after she eats and sleep until about 8:30-9 a.m. Favorite foods include blueberries, apples, bananas, chicken & dumplings, turkey, and any kind of pasta. Lil loves to feed herself and always makes a HUGE mess. She'll hardly let you put a bite in her mouth because she wants to do it herself! She's even started giving me bites now. She'll say, "bite" then put whatever it is she's holding in my mouth. 

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To sum it all up...She is wonderful. She's my little angel baby. 

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I actually have two wonderful children and I feel extremely blessed that God chose me to be their mother. They are everything I always wanted. They fill my days with laughter and my heart with joy. No, it's not always easy...and no, it's not always fun, but I LOVE being a mommy more than anything else. As a mother...I try to overdo, I try to do everything, I try to do too much, I try to do whatever needs to be done to give my children the best life possible. And yes, I get stressed out...I get tired...and I get frustrated, just like any other mother, but I also get unconditional love, hundreds of kisses, tons of "thank you mommy" and "I love you mommy," enormous amounts of snuggles, and a satisfaction deep inside myself that words cannot describe. God is good! Thank you, Lord, for giving me Reid and LilliAnn. 

2010: A Look Back

What a wonderful year, two thousand and ten! You brought us three years of marriage, a potty-trained two-year-old, and the beautiful baby girl that I have always wanted. You'll always hold a special place in my heart, just like your friend two thousand and eight, because it was during your time that we celebrated bringing our second bundle of joy into this world. And just like all the others, once again you have passed by too quickly! 

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Jeb is still working in the oilfield for my father, learning what all it takes to keep an oil well going. I'm so proud of him for delving into the family business. He's enjoying the challenge of learning something new...except on the days he has to fill in on the pulling unit! He comes home covered in grease and my laundry room smells of oil, but I have to say I'm fond of that old, familiar scent. Reid's already wanting to "go to work with dada and check oil wells," just like I did at that age. Some of my earliest and best memories consist of picking blackberries off the bush, eating persimmons while standing in the front seat of my daddy's truck, fishing in farm ponds, opening gates, and having to sit on a stack of gage books so I could see to drive down old lease roads. Hopefully Reid will have some of these same childhood memories. Jeb spends most of his evenings with two children all over him...which he absolutely loves! From the second he walks in the door Reid has him flying helicopters, playing Wii, riding stick horses, setting up choo choo train tracks, or building with Lincoln Logs. He traded his green Harley Davidson Heritage Soft Tail Springer to my dad in exchange for a black, custom Harley Davidson Street Glide. He loves to ride, but doesn't go as often as he'd like. He is a very hands on daddy and when we're at home he does most of diaper changing and usually puts both the kids to sleep...I'm extremely blessed! 

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I'm still a Family Nurse Practitioner and work two days a week at Seminole Medical Clinic. I love working in my hometown and enjoy the twenty minute drive to work by myself where I can listen to Highway 16 (a country station on my XM radio) and enjoy some "me" time. I recently changed my schedule to working on Mondays instead of Tuesdays, so I would be able to do Mommy & Me dance class with LilliAnn. I feel very blessed to work for someone that gives me the opportunity to adjust my work schedule in order to put my family first. I usually work Mondays and Thursdays, and until noon on Thursdays and Fridays every other week. My amazing mother comes to the house and stays with the kids on the days that I work and this schedule has been working out really well. In my free time (late at night after the kids are FINALLY asleep) I'm busy straightening up the house, doing laundry, blogging, or organizing pictures. I absolutely LOVE taking pictures, especially of the kids, and hopefully will be able to take a few photography classes soon. After uploading all of the Christmas pictures I've realized that I take WAY too many! I still enjoy working-out, although I don't get to do it as often as I'd like these days. Jeb bought a treadmill a few days ago, so we've decided that we'll start getting up early in the mornings while the kids are still asleep and work-out together. We're trying to keep each other on track for those bathing suit bodies for the lake this summer! I'm also going to start working out again with my personal trainer one evening a week until summer gets here. 

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Reid Jackson is two years and nine months. I can't believe that he'll be a big three-year-old in a couple of months! He loves loves loves baseball, dancing, his remote control helicopter, his guitar, choo choo trains (especially Thomas the Train), his cowboy boots, the Wii (A.K.A. my tentendo), his iPod Touch, any iPhone or iPad, and building things. His favorite shows are Dora the Explorer, Go Diego, Curious George, Little Bill, and Barney and his favorite foods are sausage, pancakes, scrambled eggs, chips & queso, steak, strawberries, oranges, blueberries, and goldfish.  He loves to "draw R.D." in the bathtub and recently despises washing his hair, which, by the way, we are trying to grow out for the summer. He's excellent at saying "please" and "thank you" and is an angel most of the time. We do, however, on occasion have issues with temper tantrums and have been getting in trouble lately for throwing things. He's very sweet to his sister for the most part, but occasionally gives her a push or a hit when she takes his things. We call her "Swiper" off of Dora the Explorer because she's always trying to "swipe" his things. This morning he put his hand out and said, "sissy no swiping! sissy no swiping!" He's growing like a weed and now weighs about 28 pounds...my tall, skinny boy! He's got my high-maintanence, type-A personality and Jeb's temper, which makes for quite the combination. He always keeps me entertained and on my toes, that's for sure! My favorite moments are the sweet kisses and getting to hold his hand before he goes to bed each night. We're signing up for "Wee Ball" next week so keep an eye out for some interesting posts about three-year-olds attempting to play baseball games!

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LilliAnn McKenzie is 9 months old and is currently trying to conquer the feat of walking. She took nine steps yesterday! She'll crawl for a second, then stand up and walk a few steps, crawl, then walk a few steps. She's still breastfeeding, but hasn't been taking a bottle very well lately. She sleeps in her bed way more than Reid did, and and even sleeps all night long some nights. My children just don't require that much sleep, which makes for a very tired mommy! She weights 18 1/2 pounds and LOVES to eat! She's not into baby foods anymore, but loves oranges, blueberries, blackberries, chicken & dumplings, carrots, green beans, turkey, and any kind of soup. She spends her days following Reid around and smiling at everyone that looks at her. She loves her baby dolls and her Barney that sings "I love you," but her favorite thing is dancing! She stands up and bounces up and down, waving her arms, anytime she hears music. We started dance class this week and she had so much fun. I have a feeling she's going to be a show stopper!!! Wow, I'm already that mom! Stay tuned for more about Lil in her 9 month post coming soon.

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2010: A Look Back - Pictures are Worth a Thousand Words

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January

Being Silly - That's how we started out 2010!

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We had some extreme Oklahoma weather!

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 We went sledding at the lake!

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My little snow baby - 7 months pregnant with LilliAnn

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And I just kept getting bigger...

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February

We celebrated birthdays - Kari's 26th Birthday Party at our house

8 Moths Pregnant with LilliAnn

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My Valentine

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Valentine's Day at the Melting Pot

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Reid went to his first Thunder game!

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March

We took a trip to Texas to watch Kassidy play ball.

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Reid has A Day Out with Thomas the Train in Grapevine, Texas!

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Reid's second trip to the OKC zoo!

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LilliAnn's Baby Shower

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Baby Shower at work - 12 days before LilliAnn was born!

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April

Easter Sunday - just two days before LilliAnn was born!

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We hunted Easter eggs at the lake.

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April 6, 2010

Our family gets bigger by one!

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Reid becomes a BIG BROTHER!!!

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 We welcomed LilliAnn McKenzie Rollins into this world!

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We savored the moments.

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LilliAnn went to her very first birthday party at Incredible Inflatables!

2 Weeks Old

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 Reid turns 2!

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April 25, 2010 - Reid's 2nd Birthday

 I'm in heaven as a MOMMY OF 2!

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Kassidy goes to his Senior Prom - LilliAnn dresses up for the occasion!

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 May

Reid gets ready for summer!

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LilliAnn takes a picture with the doctor who delivered her and her brother! 

Dr. Robert Ryan - Center for Integrative Women's Health

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 KASSAPALOOZA! We went to Kassidy's high school graduation party.

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Our first non-professional picture as a family of four. LilliAnn's 1 month old!

Reid never would get in a picture with us at the hospital after LillIAnn was born so this was the first one we got!

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We had a Memorial Day blast at the lake!

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We rode the waverunner...

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and tubed!

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LilliAnn wears her first bathing suit...

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And her first bikini!

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June

 We lived all summer at Wewoka Lake.

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 We wakeboarded.

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I worked for Tricia a few days before I went back to my regular schedule from maternity leave. LilliAnn would go with me and sleep in the sample closet!

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Sweet Siblings - This picture was taken just hours before he flipped the stroller/bassinet forward and and LilliAnn went FLYING out! One of the scariest days of my life!

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Sissy sunbathes!

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 Reid steals sissy's pacifier!

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8 Weeks post-baby #2

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 LilliAnn goes to church for the first time.

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Reid crawls up into LilliAnn's crib!

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Look at that beautiful blonde, summer hair!

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Reid catches his first fish!

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Daddy turns 27!

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Father's Day

LilliAnn's Baby Dedication at church

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Jeb and Reid on Father's Day

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July

We dressed up for the 4th of July...

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and some of us cried a little bit.

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We popped firecrackers...

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and played with our cousins!

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 LilliAnn sleeps in her crib!

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 LilliAnn sunbathes...again!

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 Reid helps with laundry at the lake

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 Reid's 2 Year Pictures

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LilliAnn turns 3 months old!

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Reid learns how to be a big brother!

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It's Gator time all summer long!

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We played with trucks...

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and took swim lessons.

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 Reid jumps off the diving board for the first time!

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 LilliAnn poses for mommy!

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Reid starts to think that having someone to play with is kind of fun!

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 LilliAnn finds her toes...

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 and sunbathes once again!

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 August

We went to more birthday parties! 

Cash Rose's 3rd Birthday

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 Lacee's Baby Shower

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Reid attempts to go to "school."

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Reid LOVES to fish!

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Our First Family Vacation - Branson, Missouri

Branson Landing

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Branson Scenic Railway

Jeb, Reid, & LilliAnn's first train ride!

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Silver Dollar City 

Reid & LilliAnn's first amusement park!

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LilliAnn's very first ride!

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September

LilliAnn plays in the sandbox at the lake.

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September 13, 2010

We met cousin Josslynn!

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We went to a Seminole High School Football game...

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It was LilliAnn's first football game!

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And went to more birthday parties!

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We cheered for our Sooners!

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We went and visited Kassidy at college and saw his dorm room...

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And got season tickets to the OU games!

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Mommy & Daddy took a trip to the beautiful, Cozumel, Mexico with Chase & Stacey!

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October

A Day Out with Thomas at the Oklahoma Railway Museum

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We went to the pumpkin patch!

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Mommy turns 27!

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10-10-10 birthday party at Ryan and Angie Franklin's house

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 LilliAnn turns 6 months old!

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Mommy & Daddy ran the Sorghum Day 5k!

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HALLOWEEN!

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We carved pumpkins.

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And we did a good job!

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 The Flintstones

Rollins' Annual Halloween Party

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 Reid is a cowboy for Halloween.

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 LilliAnn was a poodle for her first Halloween.

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 Our Little Pumpkin!

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We even went to work with daddy!

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November

We played in the leaves.....

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and said, "CHEESE!"

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 And made cheese apples!

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We played at Josh & Lacee's...

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and did more fishing...

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and dressed up as a turkey!

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Thanksgiving

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Daddy shot his very first deer!

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 December

Barney Live in Concert at the Cox Convention Center

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 We read "Twas the Night Before Christmas."

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 We opened our very first present...

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and got tickled!

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And one of us sat on Santa's lap!

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 We went to Arbuckle Wilderness...

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 and fed donkeys, camels, & giraffes!

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 Annual Girls' Night Out Ornament Exchange

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 Reid got his very first big boy bike!

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Baby's 1st Christmas - 8 Months Old

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 We got a visit from Santa!

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wore striped red & green striped pajamas...

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 And had a blessed Christmas!

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2010...AND THAT'S A WRAP!