2010 Christmas Photo Shoot

These were my favorite pictures of the boys this year. They are getting older now and can actually sit together - so cute for a pair of brothers, I think. These boys are men in the making. I couldn't be a prouder mama!

Third Trimester, we meet again!

Finished. With 10 days to spare.

I used to be a perfectionist.


There was a day when I could not sleep if there was unfinished business. Perhaps some may say this is a positive quality - like, for example, my husband who appreciates the fact that I can't go to bed angry or with a conversation "unresolved". Or, my old bosses, who always marveled at my ability to finish projects without cutting corners.

But you know what? I actually think for most of my life this might have been a borderline negative quality for me...and I'm just now admitting it. It is not until Mommyhood that I have been allowed to let go of my need to have things perfect. I now realize that it's not always possible to go to bed with all the dishes washed, all the laundry folded, and all the day's tasks completed. I understand that sometimes things get broken, messed up, and abandoned with parts undone. And, get ready, folks. I now understand that *gasp* sometimes the bread can't be made from scratch, frozen veggies will do in a pinch, and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich will do for my toddler's lunch.

I am thankful that with God's help, I am coming to grips with my insane addiction to perfection. I used to think my mom was exaggerating when she said I would NOT eat a piece of broken cheese on my sandwich as a child - even if my life depended on it. Now I believe she's probably not stretching the truth at all. =)

It is a really wonderful thing to have all other things in my life become secondary to being a good wife and mom. Could I have finished my Christmas tree a couple of days ago like I wanted to? Probably. But it would have involved a late night trip to the store to get replacement bulbs to finish out the lights, a late night finishing out the cranberry garland, careful placement of all the ornaments, and probably a cranky morning after it was all done. But instead I chose to go to the park with my boys, play blocks, snuggle in the mornings, and enjoy my evenings at home with my husband...

Oh, I'm sure it will all be finished by the time the week is done, but for now this tree is a good reminder of how I am being ever-molded into a woman with new priorities. How I love the changes that come with this stage of life. I hope I never resist opportunities in life to be changed and grow. I'm thankful for God, my husband, and the little people that surround me for helping me on the path to post-perfectionism!

The Season is Upon Us...


We are excited to really celebrate Advent this year as a family. After all, we are not moving to another state, having a baby (yet anyway), or traveling. We are home in Houston for this whole season - yay!

We are using this book by Henri Nouwen as our Advent guide. It is a great book complete with daily scripture reading, prayers, and daily advent activities for personal reflection and outward service. I highly recommend it.

Hope you are enjoying the beginning of this wonderful season!

Overachiever.

A Kid-Free Vacation

Oh, how I love vacationing with just my husband. Jason and I had the opportunity to go away this past weekend, thanks to Grandma who was willing to hold down the fort in Houston for us. We have made a yearly habit out of taking a husband/wife vacation each year and it has been some of the best money we've spent in our short married life. Having 48 hours of eating meals out with no highchairs, ordering milk & warm cookies from room service, sleeping late, and leisurely sightseeing together does us a world of good!

This year we went to San Antonio and stayed in a lovely hotel on the Riverwalk. We enjoyed the beautiful weather, to die for Mexican food, and overall time to relax together...We are already looking at the calendar for when we can book the next kid-free weekend!

The one photo we have together, thanks to the iphone and the hotel doorman. =)

The Riverwalk.

Good food and plenty of outdoor seating - perfect for the current Fall weather.

Lots of Old World looking charm on the Riverwalk.

A pair of cool bikes.

My dashing husband in his uber cool aviators.

Lots of tall buildings.

This Mexican food restaurant was already well lit for the holidays. Glad I'm not paying their electric bill.

Mexican breakfast complete with chips & salsa. Who could turn down chips at 7:00 a.m.? Yummy.

The panaderia was quite tempting - so many colors and flavors of Mexican sweets to choose from.

Baby Brother.

Looks like Baby #3 has the Reynolds profile. We are gonna have another handsome little boy running around here!

3 Years Today.

3 years, 3 babies. We are planning to be married a long, long time, so I guess at this rate we are on track for 48 babies.
(Ha ha. Just kidding, Mom!)

There's not much to say other than we have had a very happy 3 years...
Happy Anniversary to us!

A little more about the photo: At our wedding reception, we had a vintage photo booth for the guests. We asked everyone to take some pictures and paste one of them in a scrapbook for us with a message. It is seriously one of our best wedding mementos. We love seeing all the pictures and remembering who was there to join us on that special day. And, hey, photo booths provide a great excuse for the bride and groom to sit in an tiny enclosed space with the curtain closed - during the reception!

Housekeeping: Toddler Style

Since finding the whole roll of toilet paper in a crumpled mess on the bathroom floor is the new normal, I've decided to make the best of it.

I figure the hotel fold makes it a lot less obvious, don't you think?

Time is Flyin'.

Henry is 6 months old....already!

Little Sweet Cheeks.

...and our family continues to grow. =)

Me & the Boys.

An Important Blog

I want to introduce my blog readers to what I believe is a very important blog post. Our Army Life details the life of some of our family friends - one of the many military families in our country who are serving on the front lines in a post-9/11 world.

Our friend, Gabe, is leaving this week for the hills of Afghanistan to fight in a war he wholeheartedly believes in. Mostly he believes (which you'll discover if you read his recent blog post) that the world should remain free from the threat of terror. Whether you support this war or not, you should still take an honest look at the people who are fighting it. You simply cannot deny that they are brave, honorable, and willing to risk everything for our freedom and for their future.

Please join our family in praying for Gabe, Carolyn, and their children. May they be strengthened and encouraged in these days...

Galveston

Yesterday we set out for our second Saturday of Reynolds Family Vacation Training. We have been making a habit of road trips lately in preparation for our vacation this week to the mountains of New Mexico. We are flying most of the way, but we will spend a significant amount of time riding in the car. Since we haven't done it much with 2 kiddos, we thought it necessary to consider full fledged training - picnic lunches, extra diapers, toys, snacks, etc etc.

Saturday we ventured out to Galveston, which is about an hour drive from us. Did you know that I have grown up in Texas and I have never even seen a Texas beach? Some might snort and say I'm not missing much. And, let's be honest, it ain't Tahiti or anything. But it is a beach, and there is lots of sand and fun to be had for an active toddler. So, Saturday was a success. Let's hope this week is full of more successes! Enjoy the pics.

Yes, this photo is way overexposed. But I love it.

A colorful beach.

Happy toddler running in the sand. I think the beach is the perfect place to ensure a good afternoon naptime!

Daddy and Alex taking it all in.

Henry enjoying the beach from his stroller.

Mommy testing out the Texas waters for the first time.

The rescue squad - minus the actual rescuers.

Making a Wish.

Check out my big boy blowing out his birthday candle!

Cute little Henry.