Crackers

What is this? A cracker? Do I bite it, like this?Hm. Tastes a litte funny. It's kinda cwunchy.

But I think...Yes, I'm sure of it..

I LIKE IT!

More please, Mama.

Love & New Toddler Foods,

Dirt Road Mama

Showers of Love!

It's been a little while since we heard about my little bridey! Here's a few snapshots from her bridal shower. It was beautiful and warm and filled with love, just like she is.

Here she is arriving with her handsome groom! Hi E!

The groomy and his mama. Too sweet.

This is what the Mama of the Bride and MOH's car looked like upon arrival for set-up! Mama and I thought it was quite a gorgeous and joyful trunk. Bonus: Bed Bath & Beyond wraps their gifts in purple - the same as her wedding color! It brought everything together so nicely.

Our theme was "wine" (remember the Bach Party?), and our centerpieces were my favorite. We (along with a lot of help from our wino friends!) saved wine bottles, and took the labels off. Then we put beautiful flowers inside, and made table number labels as well.

Instead of a Wishing Well, we had a Wine Well! We asked our guests to bring an under-$10 bottle of wine of their choice. Good wine does not have to be expensive, and now they have delicious new wines to try! I made a "Wine Tasting" sign for their home, which you can see hiding behind the bottles.

Our bridey and all her purple presents! Pretty, right?

The bride and the Mamas!


Pretty and delicious cake!

There's me, proud MOH!

Busy bride greeting her guests, and a pretty shot of the room.


There's the wedding party! Love these girls.

Present opening was fast and efficient, thanks to our bridesmaid help! She got so many gorgeous things.


Ha. This one makes me laugh.

All her worky friends!

It was quite the busy day, and so so much fun. We played a really fun "Newlywed" game, where Melissa had to match Eric's answer. It was really cute, and everyone got to learn a lot about both of them, and their relationship.

And at the end of the shower, girlfriend passed OUT. It was so fricken adorable. She was a little angel the whole time, eating her spinach and grilled salmon off mama's plate. She giggles and clapped and was a perfect flower baby. And then she took a nap on her mama.


It was such a beautiful day with ladies that love and care for our bride. I'm so glad we got to spoil her and let her know how special she is!

Love & Wedding Bells,

DR Mama

Busy Girls

Reilly and I are such busy girls this week! Not much time for writing today. But here is a sweet picture I took the other day of Daddy and Reilly watching some Sports Center together.


They are good snuggle buddies!

Eh-Oh!

Reilly has been drawn to Elmo since the moment she saw him. It kind of freaks me out, actually. What is it about that little guy that is so funny to the little ones? It's not even like we watch Sesame Street every day, either, which is why it's crazy how captivated she is by him! It was instant. Love at first sight.

And then my mom said to me, "We got a little Elmo to put on top of her birthday present! I wonder what she'll do when she sees it."

I immediately got SO excited. Well, here is what she did.



Look at her face!! I just love it. I love how she was able to make the connection between the little monster on TV, the Elmo in all our books, and her little doll.

HA. She is in LOVE with him. She takes him to bed, and her face lights up every time she sees him. But my favorite part, is that when we say "Reilly, where's Elmo?" She will look around, try to find him, and then go and pick him up. She hold him up to us and say, "Eh-oh!!"

The fact that she is able to make that connection and repeat what we're saying is still so new and amazing to me.

The morning after she first got him, I went in to get her from her crib. She was standing up, holding on the crib with one hand, and holding Elmo under her arm in the other. I died laughing.

Needless to say, Reilly now has two Eh-ohs. One is hiding in her closet for the off chance that we lose our little guy! Thank you Elmo, for helping Reilly learn so much!

Notice Anything?

Hello, Reilly here!

Do I look extra special pwetty to you today?

Something is a little different about me...can you tell what it is?

Okay, I'll tell you!

I let Mama blow dwy my hair today!

It was so much fun. I felt like a big girl!

Love,
Reilly

A Party Fit for a Fairy Princess!

Reilly's birthday party was tons and tons of fun. We planned for months for our beautiful Fairy Woodland Party in the sunshine, and then of course God had his own plans for us all to have an indoor Fairy Princess party. But we had just as much fun! Rain did not get in the way of our day!

And luckily, our boys set up a tarp/overhang contraption that Poppy and Uncle E picked up that morning, for some of our guests to be outside even when it was drizzling.

But this little Fairy Princess did not get her pretty little tutu wet at all!

Here are the highlights of her day:

There were 3 outfit changes. Two were planned, one was a lucky coincidence tutu pajama set that we just HAD to try on for our guests. :)

Yes, we had wings. And that little Elmo doll (also known as "Eh-oh") is getting a post of his own. Reilly grew a third, red, furry hand since her birthday party. And we're heading to Target to buy 5 more.

I made a versatile Reilly bunting, that can easily be changed for every birthday!

Our menu was simple, summery, and Reilly-themed:

Mozza-Reilly Salad
Emerald Baby Spinach Salad

Rei-gatoni Pasta Salad
Our Little Chickie Cutlets [not pictured]
Sausage and Reilly Belle Peppers [not pictured]

Mai Tai Rei Punch
Rei-sling Sangria

Pink decorations were abundant!

Signs making sure nobody lost their way!

The outfit Reilly wore home from the hospital was on display. Complete with hospital snap-shirt. I could cry. Okay, I did cry.

Reilly woke up from her nap just in time! Uncle Matt showed her around her "Princess Fairy Angel Room" (his quote, not mine - precious).


Rei and Adeena dressed as fairies!!

Families surrounding our cutie girl!


This is in her Tinkerbelle costume, right before she ate her cupcake! As you can tell by her face, exhaustion of the day began to set in.

Happy Baby.
Look at her shining eyes.

Make a wish!

Our dessert menu! (Hi Tara! Thank you for sharing these fruit kabobs and giving me a great idea!)
I took my time and made and froze the cupcakes ahead, then iced them the night before. I actually had SO much fun making them! Pound cake, with marshmallow cream frosting.

Fit for a fairy princess. :)
Oh! I found one!
Not quite sure what to think of her first taste of cake!

I couldn't help myself.
She liked the icing best. That's my girl!

Despite having so many people in our house, and being so out of her normal, our girl was a little angel all day! She had a great day, and was smiling the whole time.

It was a perfect day, celebrating our girl. Even with the rain. Thank you to everyone who came and celebrated with us, and brought their love and good wishes into our home. Thank you God for you abundant blessings, always.

Love & Angel Face,

DRM