Walking!

Rhett is (finally) walking! As evidenced by this very short video! Previous to this week, Rhett really hadn't ever taken an intentional step. Ever. I was starting to get just the teensiest bit nervous, but he surprised us by beginning to walk to us when we called. He currently thinks of walking as a really fun game. He's aware that we get excited when he does, so he'll go back and forth between us. He's pretty slow though, so when he needs to get somewhere, he's fully aware of the best way to do it (CRAWL!!!). So it's not a mode of transportation yet, but I think he'll get there soon. He's getting heavy to cary around, so I certainly hope so!

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!