Mavericks 1st Birthday Celebration

I'm one year old now!  To celebrate my big one, Daddy and Mommy made blueberry birthday pancakes for me on the morning of my birthday.  They were delicious and I devoured them.

Then a couple days later, we celebrated some more with a western themed party at our house.  Friends and family came to sing to me and shower me with presents.  Mommy made a birthday cake from scratch.  The cake may not have been a real looker, but it tasted just fine.  I wanted seconds and thirds and I got upset when I couldn't reach over my tray to bury my face in it.  However, other guests, who were deceived by appearances, were very grateful that Grandma Jennifer brought back up cakes. 

Below are some pics from my Western party:

                                                           The gorgeous cake

                                               Talley helped me blow out my candle and fed me my first bite.

Check out my cool "cow + boy = cowboy" shirt!  Courtesy of Aunt Missy's vintage inspired Oh Fiddlesticks shop. :)

The day after the big bash, we had a more intimate present opening party with Grandpa T, Grandma Linda, and Andy Pop.  I got to open all the presents I'd received at the party the previous day. 

I didn't care to wear my cowboy hat, but I was happy to don my stylish fedora.  Thank you, Uncle John and Aunt Joanna!

This singing and dancing sock monkey is so entertaining!  (Thanks Dylan!)  AMNT had to help me start him over and over again because I got upset each time he finished.

I was so excited about all of my gifts!  I'd been playing mostly with Talley's stuff before.  Her collection is decent, but a little heavy on the dolls and pink stuff.  Now we've got a better balance in the play room.  I've also got a significantly cooler wardrobe.

Altogether, it was a wonderful first birthday.  Thank you to all of my family and friends for helping make it so special and fun. 

- Maverick 

P.S.  For more pics from my first birthday celebration, please click here: Maverick's First Birthday Celebration Photos

Special Guest from the UK - AMNT!

This year we got a very special gift for Christmas - Aunt Miss Natasha Turner (AMNT) came to visit from London!  She stayed with us for 10 lively days from the 20th to the 30th of December.  It was so great having her here for Maverick's birthday party and Christmas!  (Posts on those events to follow.)  Hugs, dancing, and fun abound when AMNT is in town!

Thanks so much for coming to spend time with us.  We love you and miss you already!

- Talley & Mav

P.S.  We are loving the British and gospel songs on the playlist you left for us!
P.P.S.  What do cute girls say? Hey, hey!  What do cute girls do? Play, play!

Making a Splash

Bath time is still my favorite time of the day.  Now that I can crawl and stand up, I can really get crazy in the tub.  Daddy and Mommy say I'm a wildebeast in the water because I'm like a wild animal sloshing all around trying to escape whoever is trying to clean me.  I pound on the glass, throw all the toys and soaps, and squeal with delight.  I love trying to drink up all the water too.  I fill up my cup and then throw the water into my face trying to catch it in my mouth.  I also try to suck the water from washcloths or just drink the water straight from the tub like a dog lapping from its bowl.  It's endless fun!  I challenge anyone who bathes me to stay dry!

- Maverick

P.S.  If you look closely in the bottom photo, you can see my two bottom teeth are growing in!  Exciting stuff!

Christmas Tree Hunting

To kick off the holiday season, we got a tree cutting permit and went on a Christmas tree-hunting expedition in Las Plumas National Forest.  Maybe we were late and all the real lookers were taken or maybe we weren't in quite the right spot, but we weren't able to find the picture-perfect Christmas tree we were seeking.  We did, however, find a-little-less-than-perfect tree and we did our best to give it a makeover with ornaments and fixin's at home.  The best part of our trip wasn't the prize tree, though; it was the adventure of the hunt.  It was a gorgeous area to hike around and it was fun watching Daddy as a lumberjack.  It was also a nice treat to have hot cocoa to warm up after we completed our search in the cold. 

Here are some pics from our quest:

And here is a pic of our tree all gussied up at home:

Not too shabby!  Now all it needs is presents underneath :)

- Talley & Maverick

November 2011 Pics

Please click on the link to see an album of our pics from November 2011:
November 2011 Pics of Talley & Maverick
- Talley & Maverick

Peter Pan on the Stage

Early November, I went with Grandma and Grandpa O and Mommy and Daddy to see Peter Pan on the stage.  I brought my Tinkerbell doll and sat contentedly through the whole play, completely entertained.  I loved seeing Peter Pan soar over the stage and the sassy Miss Tinkerbell (who was on roller skates!).  I now ask to be retold the "Peter Pan on the Stage" story daily.  I also have a Tinkerbell costume now (thank you Uncle Chris and Aunt Kelsay!) and I'm hoping to add a pirate costume to my wardrobe eventually too.  Thanks for the fun show Grandma and Grandpa O!

- Talley

Thanksgiving 2011

This Thanksgiving, we went to Grandma and Grandpa O's to celebrate and feast.  All our Reno family was there, including Uncle Rory, Aunt Marcia, Uncle Chris, Aunt Kelsay, Cousin Harper, Rick (Aunt Marcia's brother), and Uncle Colin.  Uncle Nelson, Aunt Tereen, and Grandpa T came from California to join us too.

Grandma O did a great job hosting.  The table was really pretty and the food was delicious!  It was a wonderful time to appreciate blessings we are thankful for, like good family and good food!

Here are some pics from our celebration:

Gobble, gobble!

Hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving too!

- Talley & Maverick

P.S.  For more Thanksgiving pics, please click on these links:

Thanksgiving Pics from Daddy & Mommy's Camera

Thanksgiving Pics from Uncle Nelson's Camera