Thanksgiving 2010

Well, it is December, but I thought I should write about our Thanksgiving vacation! We drove all 17 hours to Texas and then spent Thanksgiving day in Arkansas and Oklahoma. We left on a Sunday night after church and made it to Forney at about six thirty the next evening. Reagan actually did very well in the car on the way there and back. We stopped at hotels each trip and of course Reagan went nuts! She has always loved hotels and was so excited to be getting to sleep in between mama and daddy.

On Tuesday night we we met all the family at Pasados for Uncle Johnny's birthday. We love Tex Mex and miss it soooo much. We always try to hit all of our favorite Tex Mex restaurants when we visit Texas! Reagan loved her cousins of course and had a great time playing with them. She loved Uncle Johnny (as do all the kids!) and Uncle Andy taught her to make a silly face. It was hilarious!

We left the next morning for Oklahoma. Tommy and I decided to ride with Andy, Jennifer and Johnny and we let all the grandkids ride with Nana and Papa! Great trip! We went to the farm for a little while then stayed at the famous Talihina motel. This town makes Union look gigantic! lol! The next morning we drove up the Talimena Scenic Drive to the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge and State Park. It's a beautiful drive up the Oklahoma/Arkansas mountains and at the very top is the lodge where we had our Thanksgiving lunch. It's so much easier for all the family to meet there! After lunch we all headed back to Mimi and Papaw's farm for some singing and football watching.

The rest of the vacation was spent shopping and playing with cousins and family. We had a great time and can't wait to go back!

Queen Wilhelmina Lodge

Uncle Johnny's birthday dinner

 Playing with her cousins

 Some of the great grandkids

 Mimmi and Papaw's farm

 Josh showing off his guitar skills

 Four generations

 Getting ready to drive to Oklahoma

 Petting the dog at the farm

 She loves dogs or "pup pups"!

Holding daddy's hand on the swing

Monkey Joes

On Saturday, 11/21, I took Reagan to Monkey Joes with Kaye and the three Murphey girls. Kaye had to watch the girls all day so we decided to take all the girls to Spartanburg to Monkey Joes. We had a blast and Reagan loved bouncing around in the toddler zone. However, I think she enjoyed her monkey cup more than the actual place itself!

After spending some time at Monkey Joes we took all the girls to McDonalds to eat and play. We stayed there forever while waiting for Kathleen to have her baby! She finally had Ryan so we went to the hospital to see him. He was so tiny and sooo cute! Oh, and Tommy met us at McDonalds after having a cd player put in the car for our trip to Texas.

Here's some pics...

She has her purse and is ready to go!

 Drinking from her monkey cup

Karissa "helping" Reagan down the slide

 Chillin' with her Cheetos

Dad trying to get Reagan to leave!

Bonfire Night

Last night we enjoyed an awesome concert from My Heart's Cry and sermon from Tommy in our God Squad service at church and then afterwards headed across the street to the house for a bonfire. The night was perfect! Reagan had a blast running around outside with all the big kids. Her favorite thing to do was get the nails from her playhouse and go put them in random places. Then she would go get them and put them back in the house. She did this over and over! I'm so thankful that she has some awesome teenagers to look up to who love her and take such good care of her. What a wonderful night!

Reagan concentrating on getting as many nails as possible

One of the many random places she put the nails

Pretty fire!

~Alicia

Reagan for President!

Maybe it's because she was partly named after former President Ronald Reagan, but Reagan seems to have a great interest in politics. She stared at the television in amazement as the election results were being announced on Tuesday night. Just like when she watches football, it seems she knew exactly what was going on! Check out the video by clicking the link!

Reagan Reacts to Elections

I'm personally very excited about the increase in republican representatives, but I can't help but think that a few politicians are not going to "save" this country. If we take a look in history, we can no doubt see that a country that serves the Lord and Him only is a country that flourishes economically and spirtualy. Every time Israel turned her back on God, He let them go. But, every time they recognized their sin, repented and turned back to God, He accepted them with open arms. May we do the same.

~Alicia

Fall Festival

Today was our fall festival at church and just like always it was a blast! Reagan dressed as Minnie Mouse and we enjoyed games, train rides, hot dogs, bounce houses and lots more! From the time we walked into the gym Reagan was just in awe of everything. She would look at people in their costumes like they were crazy though! Her daddy dressed up as Jar Jar Binks but somehow she knew it was him under the mask. She wouldn't let him hold her, but she would just stare at him and say "da da." But, she would let him hold her once he took the mask off.

Her favorite thing to do was dance to the music every time she passed by the radio (which eventually was playing the Carolina vs. Tennessee game). She also had to grab every ball in sight, but that ended when she kept interrupting all the games by stealing all the balls from the other kids. We had such a great time and I'm glad we can celebrate this awesome time of year with some fall fun!

Pretty little Minnie Mouse

 A little afraid of daddy at first

 Catching some fish with Ms. Nancy

 Playing with her buddy Levi (or "Bebi")

I had to show off her cute bloomers 

 With some of her church buddies

Not ready to go home and take a nap

~Alicia

Football Fanatic

So I had to post about Reagan's obsession with football. She will literally sit right next to her dad with her eyes glued to the t.v. if football is on. Not cartoons... football. She cheers when the crowd cheers and gives a funny look if dad is well, not so cheerful. Though her college team (Florida Gators) are not doing so well this season she still seems to be a big fan of her local high school team (Yellow Jackets). Not only does she love to watch football on t.v. but she goes crazy at the local Friday night football games. She is so into it that you would think she knows and understands every play! She also loves to watch the cheerleaders and listen to the band play as she dances along.  And her latest new word is... you guessed it... "football!" Well, it actually sounds more like "boo ball" but we know what she's talking about!


This reminds me that children observe everything we do from how we talk to our reactions to situations. If I'm sad, I can see it Reagan's face. If I'm happy, we'll she is certainly happy as well. If her father is excited about a Florida touchdown, she kicks her legs and claps her hands in excitement. 


Though our love for football has rubbed off on our little fan, I pray that my love for the Lord will rub off on her even more. I am reminded of Deuteronomy 6:7...
You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
(Deuteronomy 6:7 ESV)


In Deuteronomy 6, Moses is instructing Israel to obey the commands that the Lord has given them as they establish themselves in the Land of Canaan, or the Promise Land. He urges them to continue the religion that has been taught them by passing these commandments on to their children. Moses even goes on to warn what would ruin their religion. 


This has not changed in the realm of Christendom.  We are to diligently teach our children Scripture and what God expects out of His followers who have been saved by the grace of God through Christ. In a world where many claim to follow Jesus but have no regard for Scripture and God's commands, I pray that my child will learn for herself from my example the radical cost of following Jesus. 


"Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me." Mark 8:34

Getting ready to cheer on the Yellow Jackets

Cheering at the game with her nana when she came to town

~Alicia

Home Sweet Home

I don't think I've been away from my husband and Reagan since she was born. I've been away from one or the other, but not both at the same time.

I returned last night from a women's conference in Chattanooga, TN with ladies from our church. Although the weekend was awesome, I missed my family a lot. I needed the conference though and it really blessed me and made me remember how amazing and interesting God's Word is. The speaker was Kay Arthur and I was so impressed by her knowledge and wisdom of the Bible that I decided I want to be like her when I grow up ; )

When I got home last night and walked through the door Reagan yelled "Momma!" Needless to say, that made me happy and so glad to be back home! Even though the conference was so good and I learned a lot, the thing that I thought of most was how blessed I am to have such an amazing family to come home to. Unfortunately not everyone can say they want to be home. Some homes are filled with hate instead of love, abuse instead of kindness, and selfishness instead of selflessness. I am thanking God today for a husband who loves me as Jesus loves the church *(Ephesians 5:25-27). And I'm also thankful that one day I will be in my eternal home that has been prepared for me! **(John 14:1-6)

I can't finish without posting a picture of my baby! Tommy sent this to me while I was gone and I think it shows just how much fun daddy had with his girl.

Reagan wearing her cowgirl hat she got at the fair

*Ephesians 5:25-27

Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.

**John 14:1-6

“Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going.”Thomas said to him, “Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

~Alicia

Reagan Goes to the Fair

Well, we were going to go Thursday night, but at the last minute decided Tuesday would be better. I'm glad we changed our minds! The night was perfect and Reagan had a great time! I had to have my annual fair corn dog and lemonade and Tommy had his usual screamin' eagle and elephant ear. YUUUCKK! He's currently regretting that decision :) Reagan had a Ritz cracker, but that's another story!

I wanted to let Reagan ride a few rides (the ones where parents can go too) but she wouldn't have it. The only thing she wanted to do was walk around (on her own) and explore EVERYTHING and EVERYWHERE! So, I just let her go! I took her to an area where there weren't many people and let her loose. It was fortunately near the stage where they were singing. She loves music and dancing so that's exactly what she did. She put on a show for everyone that walked by! And about the cracker... Tommy asked if I gave her one, I said no, and then he quickly took it out of her mouth. I have no idea where it came from! Here's a look at our night...

Lover her daddy!

 Enjoying some of mommy's lemonade

Dancing away to the music

Checking out the animals

What an awesome time in our little town of Union! Tommy reminded me of something Pastor Brad said when hiring him. He told us whatever you do.. DON'T make fun of the town fair. People are crazy about the fair. Well, I guess I can officially fall into that category now : )  Can't wait to go again tonight for Church Night at the Fair!

~Alicia

Look Who's Talking!

Just in the past few days Reagan has begun saying so many more words! Of course, her daddy has taught her to say "Go Gators!" Her version is more like "Go Ga". She LOVES to watch football with her daddy. We were just saying the other day that a football game entertains her more than cartoons. Needless to say, he's a proud daddy! 

Also, just the other night she asked for her ba ba (bottle) and I told her to say please and SHE SAID IT! It took me by surprise because I wasn't expecting it. She said "peez" and so I told her she could have whatever she wanted! (just kidding) 

This age is so much fun and I know pretty soon she'll be talking up a storm and we just might long for the days when she couldn't talk! But, my favorite is hearing her wake up from her nap yelling maaaamaaa! Nothing like it!

*I also have to note that I was soooo proud of Reagan yesterday in Wal-Mart. She's not the most patient toddler when it comes to grocery shopping. Does a patient toddler even exist?  Anyway, yesterday she did not fuss or beg to get out of the cart the whole 1 1/2 hour trip! I actually got ALL my groceries and left in peace! Go Reagan!

Well, off to cleaning and preparing for the day! 

~Alicia