Rhett Photos--16 Months

I wish I were a better photographer. My brother and sister have quite an eye for composing photos. I don't quite have it, though I've done a lot of reading on the subject. My sister has been advising me to try shooting on manuel for some time, but I've been a bit intimidated. I finally bit the bullet today though and decided to give it a shot. I was surprised to find out how much I liked it.  It doesn't help with the fact that Rhett (like most toddlers) is a very difficult subject to shoot. I've also been playing around on photoshop, which I'm also strictly in the 'beginner' stages of.  But here's some of my favorite shots from today--my first day shooting on M! There will be more to come!

I give you....

Rhett's reaction to bubbles

Photo Dump...with stories!

Rhett got to go swimming for the very first time recently! Josh's family came out to visit, and we went for a dip in the hotel pool. Rhett liked it less than I thought he would, though that was probably at least partly because he was exhausted from the busy day! He didn't cry or seem terribly upset, but he didn't exactly have fun either. He had a death grip on us the entire time we were in the water, and was really only playful when he could put his feet down on something. 

Also, we recently went to a friend's wedding in Nebraska! We had a lot of fun over the weekend, and the drive wasn't half bad either. But the morning of the wedding, we had a hell of a time finding something open for breakfast in small-town Nebraska. We ended up in a combination diner/gas station/bar at about 9:30 in the morning. There were taxidermied animals all over the place, and plenty of fisherman drinking at the bar! I thought it was all pretty hilarious so I snapped this photo of Rhett eating french toast in a bar. (Also how cool is his shirt?)

We went to the park last Monday and Josh and Rhett sat and watched cars go by on the highway for some time. It was such a pretty day and Rhett had so much fun. He loves observing and watching things

Rhett and Josh continue to be adorable together. They love to wrestle and cuddle. Rhett has become a big fan of crawling all over us and he thinks it's HILARIOUS when we do it back. 

What can I say?

I've really been failing at blogging lately. I've been failing at taking pictures, which is really sad, because Rhett grows and changes every day and i need to remember these things. I've been reflecting a bit lately on how exciting his first year was. I used to take pictures all the time and text people when he did something new. I don't do that anymore. He's less...new. Than he was a year ago. It makes me sad, but it's also a sign of how much he's grown into our family. He's a true member of the family now with his own desires and he certainly makes them known.

We're doing really well. We're very happy with our little family of three. Very comfortable. We love each other and life has been good. The summer already feels like it's flying by! Josh finally received all his grades back. He's gotten all A's and B's in seminary so far and I couldn't be prouder. He's truly excelled this year in his schoolwork, and in his vocation as a husband and father.

I promise I'll post photos and videos soon. Rhett is very special and I WILL document more of his life. Promise!!!

He laughs when I laugh

Cardinals Game!

Josh and I took some time off from work and school and parenting to go to a recent Cardinals game! My first one. A lovely couple from our field work church bought us tickets. The weather could not have been more perfect for a baseball game. It was a balmy 80 degrees after the sun set.

We took the metro down to the Ballpark. It was filled with Cards fans heading out to the game. The metro was really cheap and convenient. It dropped us off right in front of the park.

The stadium gave great views of the downtown area, including the Arch. It was nice to just be able to be out in the city. 

It was a pretty short game--and we won! We were home by 10:30. Rhett didn't miss us much--it was way past his bedtime and he slept like a baby the whole time!

Shoot

I haven't written in awhile! I promise I'll make some time to sit and write out full posts soon. Exciting things are happening all around us and I can't wait to share them with all our loved ones. Here's a brief list of things that have been going on around here lately:

• We have been accepted into on campus housing for the next school year. We don't have our specific assignment or move-in day yet, but we will be moving some time this summer. Living on campus is going to be quite a change for us. We are excited to settle into our new home soon!
• Josh's first year at the seminary has flown by! He has just one more full week of classes left and then he'll be spending the summer with Rhett! We're excited to save money  on childcare and Josh and Rhett are thrilled to be getting more quality time with one another. 
• Josh has accepted a position with campus security. He will be working a few night shifts each week. This will be a great supplement to my income. We are very grateful that Josh did not have to get a job during his first year at the seminary. 
• Rhett is (already!) exhibiting signs of toddlerhood. His eating has been pickier, his temper shorter and he has been demanding a lot more entertainment lately. He hasn't been overly thrilled with giving up his bottle habit, but the strawberries are making up for it. 
• Rhett is stubbornly refusing to walk. He seems to like crawling just fine thankyouverymuch. He'll pull up to furniture, but he's wised up to us trying to get him to stand on his own. Any time we try to lift him up to a standing position, his legs turn to jello. Ah well, it'll happen when it happens. 

That's a pretty brief update, but more is coming soon, I promise! 

Everyone remember that next weekend is Mother's Day! If you haven't already gotten your mom the perfect gift, hit up Amazon ASAP.