Good luck, Michael!

Michael is taking the Virginia Bar Exam today and tomorrow. I can't believe the journey we have been on for the last nearly four years is almost over! I am so proud of him for how hard he has worked these last few years and for all he has accomplished. He has been studying tirelessly for the last couple months for the Bar and I know he is going to "destroy that test", as he likes to say.

And, I guess it is finally time to make public on the blog that after the Bar exam, there will be about a week and a half for us to pack up and move to Alabama for Michael's new job! We have been so excited about this opportunity and new adventure, but I guess I have also been in denial about the actual leaving part. (We have known about this move for months, and with the move just two weeks away, I have packed exactly two boxes.) We are very sad to leave our friends and family in Virginia, despite our excitement about the next 18 months in Alabama.

Good luck, Michael! I know you are going to rock the Bar and Reese and I can't wait to go get pancakes on Thursday morning!!!!

conversation hearts

I was asked to do a baking demonstration for the Young Women in our ward at our weekly Tuesday night activity. I thought it would be really fun to teach the girls some tips about making and decorating sugar cookies. Since it was only a couple days after Valentine's Day, I thought these conversation heart cookies would be perfect! I was so pleased with the way they turned out.

I even got brave enough to finally work with fondant. I cut out a bunch of x's and o's for the girls, and when I got home, I made one with my name.

Reese turns 2!

Reese turned two on Monday and couldn't have asked for a better day! We sang to her at breakfast and put her candles in her chocolate doughnut, we sang to her at lunch and she blew out the candles on her princess cake, and we sang to her at dinner and she blew out her last two candles in her brownie sundae! What else could a two-year-old ask for?

Reese LOVES when you sing the birthday song to her!

Here is the little princess in her favorite "tutu dress". She loves this dress and wants to wear it every single day! (She thinks it is just like June's dress in the Little Einsteins.)

I was so glad that MommaCat could come to help us celebrate Reese's birthday, and to help me with her birthday treats! For six weeks Reese has been telling me that she wants a purple and pink cake, so I decided on a pink princess castle with some purple details.

I LOVE that Reese's birthday is so close to (but not on) Valentine's Day because of all the fun, colorful candies available and treats you can make. Since Reese still loves pink, it works out perfectly! I had my eye on these love-bug cookies since last year and was so excited to make them for Reese.
We had Reese's 2-year check up a couple days later and she passed all the tests with flying colors! Her doctor asked if she could jump (yes!) and kick a ball (yes!), and I said she has been working on catching and throwing a ball (she's not supposed to be good at that until she is 3!) Reese is in the 97th percentile for height and 60th percentile for weight. I'm so proud! And Reese was very brave during her shots. For being such a good patient, Reese got to pick out two rubber duckies...she chose a duck dressed as a doctor and a duck with a bucket and a shovel (she can't wait to go to the beach this summer!!).

I can't believe my baby is two years old! She really is such a sweetheart and so smart and funny. It has been such a joy to watch her grow up these last two years and I feel so blessed to be her mommy.

happy valentines day

practice party

During the snowstorm, we had a "practice birthday party" for Reese. Think she liked her cake?

shooting hoops

We had a little time on our hands during the Snowpokalypse of 2010, and Michael used one of his study breaks to practice playing catch with Reese. Now all she wants to do is play catch!

Snowmageddon 2010

With weather forecasts projecting two feet of snow, Michael and I decided to seek refuge at his parents' house. As the Bar exam fast approaches, Michael was worried that he would be unable to get any good studying done at our apartment with Reese and me around. (It only takes a couple of inches of snow on the ground for the public libraries and all schools in the area to shut down.)

...Friday night, just a couple hours after the driveway had been cleared...

...six more inches, and no signs of slowing...

Saturday morning, we woke up to another foot of snow and spent three hours that morning shoveling and snow blowing the driveway...three of us! While we were out clearing the walkways and driveway, I let Reese watch Sesame Street. (Before you judge, I will say that she spent a lot of time walking back and forth between Sesame Street and the window to watch us shovel, so I was somewhat keeping an eye on her. It was either that or have Michael watch her while he studied...not happening!) So, after about two hours of shoveling, I noticed that I hadn't seen Reese come to the window in a little while, so I went inside to check on her. I found her on the couch, surrounded by goodies from Grandma Gee Gee's treat drawer in the kitchen--a Fruit by the Foot, tootsie rolls, a couple Hershey's kisses, a Dove chocolate heart, and a couple bags of fruit snacks. Luckily, I caught her after just a couple chocolate candies...most of those items were still in their wrappers. And, needless to say, I removed all but a couple fruit snack baggies from the goodie drawer.
After nearly 48 hours of snow, it had slowed enough for us to go out and play. Reese loves to put on all her snow gear and play in the snow...oddly enough, one of her favorite things to do is just walk up and down the snowy driveway. She also found a really fun new game--sliding down the giant snowbank!