Weekend Pictures!

After church pictures!

Victoria at the Ashford Family Fun Day! Yes those are lizard tattoos on her arms! She just had to have them!

Fun at Cabela's before UConn Football Game!

UConn vs. Baylor

Richard is 31!

I just want to take a few minutes to wish Richard a Happy Birthday!  He is 31! WOW! 

I love him so much and I am so grateful for all that he does for me and our family.  He really is a wonderful husband and father.  I know that he would do anything for me and for the majority of you readers!  I don't think he has ever turned down an opportunity to serve and typically he is very thorough and efficient.   His Type A personality comes in handy frequently and compliments my not-so Type A personality.  We balance each other out very well.  He is an early riser which comes in handy on Saturdays.  He always lets me sleep in and feeds and plays with the kids.  I love to listen to the fun they have together.  Richard is fun! I remember the first summer I met him in Alaska was one of the funniest I remember.  However, most of the jokes were at my expense.  That hasn't changed much! I tell him all the time that he needs new material!!

I love Richard for numerous reasons and I feel very blessed that he loves me back!  

I hope you have a wonderful day and I am so lucky to have you as my husband!

Photos!

Grandpa Steven would be proud!

Mystic Seaport

Who knows what she is doing!

One of Reed's first feedings!

This never happens!

Usually Reed is sleeping and Victoria is wide awake.  Victoria rarely falls asleep anywhere but her bed and car seat.

Memorable Moments!

Victoria's smiling face as she exclaimed, "Reed thinks I'm funny!"  It doesn't matter how many times I have told her she is funny.  She only cares if Reed thinks she's funny.

While I was on the phone with Amanda, Victoria walked up to me and said, "excuse me, excuse me, will you dance with me?"  Mind you she had her Beauty and the Beast dress on and she kind of had her hand extended in a funny way!

Victoria gives the following responses to these questions:

Who is the boss? Mommy.

Who is the best driver? Daddy

And of course she gives the appropriate responses to:

Who is the Queen, King, Prince and, of course, Princess?

I need to add that the only reason Victoria thinks Richard is the better driver is because I got lost the other day and she started getting nervous.  We were looking for a Petting Zoo Farm and I had my friend giving me directions, but she just kept saying, "Mom, please, just call Daddy".

She has taken it upon herself to take care of Reed.  If he fusses at all she really does give the appropriate response.  Sometimes she gives him a toy, sometimes she says "no Reed" and sometimes she says, "Mom, just nurse him".  I have also seen her retrieve toys other babies have stolen from Reed and returned them to him.  If anyone gets to close to him she weasels her way in between them protectively.  Her first question in the morning is, "where's Reed". Followed quickly with, "where's Daddy".

I love these two!  I think they are going to be great friends!

Connecticut!

Well, I finally have a second to sit down and relax and add to this blessed blog. I actually don't have a second, but I really feel like this is kind of my journal and it needs severe updating. So here we go.
So, finally we are a little bit settled in Ashford, Connecticut. After a month and a half of transition we are finally here. We spent a few weeks in San Antonio with Richard's parents after we moved out of our place. Then we packed up a Uhaul trailer and headed out in separate directions. Victoria, Reed and I headed to Utah for Maren's wedding and Richard and his father headed northeast 2000 miles to Storrs, Connecticut, home of University of Connecticut.
After two very exhausting days of driving(800 miles one day and 1200 the next), Richard pulled into Storrs. He called me right away with doubts about our decsion to pursue his MBA at UConn. There really isn't much to Storrs on the initial glance.
He found a place and moved our stuff in that same day. He really is amazing! I on the other hand was enjoying myself in Utah with my family. We missed him very much and were so grateful that he was willing to make the trip without us. Let's face it though, who wants to drive 2000 miles with two kids in the back seat. I think they would have added a week!
Now that we are all back together we are enjoying the area very much. We are in such a great spot for day trips. We have already taken a trip to the coast of Connecticut visiting the Mystic Seaport and the next weekend we visited Providence, Rhode Island. I enjoyed the strong Portuguese area in Providence. We found a bakery and restaurant that were awesome. Both Providence and Mystic are less than an hour away. We may try to hit Boston this weekend.
Richard hasn't been too busy with his classes yet so we have taken advantage of all the fun activities near our home. We found Whispering Horse Farms and picked our own apples and peaches for cheap. Victoria just about took a bite out of each one she picked. Today I spent the morning at another farm with a petting zoo and hiking trails. We really are enjoying all of the fun small-town activities here!
Victoria and Reed are in the same room and have adjusted well. Victoria says Bneticut for Connecticut and each time she sees the UConn logo she says, "Go Huskies".
All in all I think we are going to enjoy this chapter of our lives! Cheesy, but true!

Sweet Reed!

I just want to write quickly about how sweet and smiley Reed is.  He is such a great baby.  He rewards all attention with a quick, easy smile.  You don't have to work hard to get him to smile.  I often look up at him and he is smiling at me as if to make me smile.  He laughs on a whim and it is just so sweet. Often Victoria gets a little too close or hugs him a little too tight, for my comfort, but he doesn't seem to mind.  Victoria often looks at me like Mom why are you messing with me, clearly Reed likes this.  She spins him in his gym thing and he just loves it.  After he is fed he just smiles sweetly up at me like I am the greatest!  I sure love this little Man.