Famous Dave's Grand Opening Hoopla

At long last, Famous Dave's BBQ has opened in Reno!  Uncle Rory, Grandpa O, and Daddy have put so much work into this restaurant and we are so proud of them.  The Grand Opening today went so well. 

Daddy and Uncle Rory got started at 5 AM this morning to do a mock opening for the local news.  Then, the real-deal hoopla was at 10 AM.  It started with fun group cheers (primarily about sauces and meat) by the employees.  Click here to see, "We Will Sauce You".  Then, Daddy drove in on a vintage fire truck with the Famous Dave's mascot, Wilbur the Pig, in tow.  In addition to the pics posted here, Mommy captured some video which you can see by clicking on this link: Daddy Driving Fire Truck

 Following that, there was a passing of the embers from the Kansas City store.  Then there were speeches given by the General Manager, Uncle Rory, and representatives from the Chamber of Commerce and the Boys and Girls Club of Truckee Meadows.  (Famous Dave's has already raised over $9,000 for Boys and Girls Club through fundraisers!  Their rep donated a nice piece of children's artwork to display in the restaurant).  There was also a rib-cutting ceremony, which Talley got to be part of since she was in Grandpa O's arms.   

Then finally, they opened the doors to the public!

Maybe there has never been such a big to-do about a restaurant opening, but then maybe there has never been such an awesome restaurant before!  The atmosphere is great and the crew is super friendly, fun, and spirited.  Most importantly, it's delicious barbeque!  When we had lunch there today, it was so exciting to see a steady inflow of people to the restaurant.  After we left, Daddy said that it stayed busy throughout the whole rest of the day!  We are so happy and grateful to be off to such a good start!  Nice work Daddy, Uncle Rory, and Grandpa O!

- Talley & Maverick

The Forts Roll Deep to Reno

 Last week, my beloved Godbrother, Dylan (formerly known as Dyn-Dyn), came to see me!  He and his family as well as one of his brother's friends (6 in total) drove all the way from Fontana, CA in a huge RV bus to visit with us for a couple days.  Dylan's parents didn't tell him where they were going until they actually got here, so it was a fun surprise when he came to our door.  The weather was a little crazy with a snow storm passing through, so we mostly hung out at our house.  We did get out once to go to Jump Man Jump, which was a blast.  Only downer was that I was sick afterwards with some sort of icky flu bug.  I didn't let it slow me down too much, though.  I still managed 300 laps around the kitchen island holding Dylan's hand and 200 ring-around-the-rosie dances with him. 

Dylan had also wanted to go snowboarding, but the resorts were closed due to the severity of the storm.  Mommy went with him and the rest of the Fort entourage to a nearby park to sled and snowboard the hills there as a consolation one night after I fell asleep.  They had a good time although it got cut a bit short by neighborhood security.  Cathy, Dylan's mommy, has a good photo of the whole crew that we'll post here once she shares it.

It was really fun to see everyone and I'm so glad they made the trip.  The Forts are good people and good company.  Hope to see them all again soon!

- Talley

Maverick is 3 Months Old

Smiling, laughing, blowing raspberries, discovering my hands, working on my neck muscles with tummy time, and just laying there looking cute - that's what being three months old is all about.
Things that made me smile and laugh most in my third month were being tickled, getting nakey for my bath, and seeing Daddy and Mommy smile and laugh.

I'm looking forward to getting even cuter in month four.  I've heard four-month old babies are the cutest and I'm not quite there yet, so there must be some reserved cuteness yet untapped.

Pics from March 2011 to be shared soon!

- Maverick

A Little Leprechaun Love

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!

- Maverick

Johnanna's Wedding Celebration

Last weekend, we celebrated my Aunt Joanna marrying my new Uncle John, forming the everlasting union - Johnanna.  It was a fun and joy-filled occasion.  The pre-party included a dinner to meet Uncle John's nice family and a bridal shower for Aunt Joanna, both held at Grandma and Grandpa O's house.  The ceremony and reception took place at the Hyatt in Tahoe.  It was a beautiful setting with the lake in the background and Aunt Joanna was a gorgeous bride.  A family friend, Mike, officiated the ceremony and Aunt Joanna and Uncle John came up with their own original vows, which were very heartfelt and moving.  

Oh, and did I mention, "I WAS A FLOWER GIRL!" 

A life-long dream fulfilled!  (Albeit, that's only two years for me.)  Everyone thought I might get stage fright, but au contraire, I thrive in the spotlight!  During my slow, but purposeful walk towards the alter, I stopped strategically in several spots to disperse the flowers from my basket.   Before each throw, I would hover the flowers over my head for a few moments to build suspense, and then whoosh! I threw the petals down in just the right spots.  

However, that was just the beginning of my talent show.  Once the reception started, I showed off some fancy footwork on the dance floor.  The other kids and I stayed there dancing tirelessly throughout most of the evening.  I only took a break to eat and warm up the microphone for karaoke.  That's right, little Talley trolled some tunes on the microphone.  My first number, Jesus Loves Me, brought the house down with cheers and thunderous applause.  I could have stopped with that, but like an addict, I had to have more.  The rest of my set list included, "Peter Peter Penguin," and "This Little Light of Mine."  Mommy was too slow on the draw to capture my leading performance on camera; however, she did catch some fragments of my other songs.  She also got some video of me dancing and singing to myself on the dance floor.  Click on the links to see:

Talley Singing at Wedding - Peter Peter Penguin

Talley Singing at Wedding - Let it Shine_1

Talley Singing at Wedding - Let it Shine_2

Talley on the Dance Floor

It was pretty much the funnest night of my whole life.  Thank you Aunt Joanna and Uncle John for having a rockin' wedding! 

To see more pics from the wedding celebration, please click here:

Pics from Johnanna's Wedding Celebration

- Talley

P.S.  Mommy wanted me to tell you she made the flower girl hairbows.  She's very proud of herself.

P.P.S. If anyone knows of another couple in need of a good flower girl at their wedding, please hit me up!  :)

Yay Jesus!

I've been really into gospel music lately.  Please click on the links to check out my renditions of Jesus Loves Me:

Talley Singing Jesus Loves Me While Playing Drum 

Talley Singing Jesus Loves Me While Playing Drum and Maraca


Lookout American Idol 2025!  Here I come!


- Talley

Jump Man Jump

For my friend's second birthday, we celebrated at a really cool party spot called Jump Man Jump.  It's Nevada's original indoor inflatable party and play zone.  It's an 8800 square foot facility with lots of bounce houses, slides, and other giant inflatable amusements.  In other words, it's AMAZING!  I had so much fun bouncing and sliding all over the place.  Daddy and Mommy could hardly keep up!  I think I already know where I want to celebrate my 3rd birthday.

- Talley