The Big One!

We can't hardly believe it, but this little guy celebrated his 1st birthday today! In some ways it feels like he's been in our lives for years, but at the same time, I can remember the day he was born like it was yesterday. Happy 1st Birthday, Riley Whitlow Bramlett!

Our good friend, Ryan Bush, took these pictures a few weeks ago at Daniel's college reunion in Mt. Pleasant. Thank you so much, Ryan! To see the rest of them, go here.

Gettin' Down

This past week we had VBS at our church. This is the first time in at least 13 years that I've been able to help out. I worked at camp for 8 summers, lived in Africa for 2, and worked full-time at the Seminary for 2. I was pretty excited that I was going to be able to help this year. Not only did I get to help, but I taught the missions rotation! Definitely right up my alley! We started out Monday with 69 children, and by Friday we had 93. God is good!! They were such great listeners, and they really seemed to enjoy learning about the different missionaries. I was VERY impressed with the LifeWay material, I might add. Like I said, I haven't done VBS in a long time, so I didn't really have anything to compare it to, but this years theme, songs, stories, crafts, etc were great! Anyway, the last day, we invited all of the parents to come during their lunch breaks for a closing ceremony. Each class sang a different song, and during one of the more upbeat songs, Riley decided it was time to bust a move! I was sitting right beside him, so I got it on video as best I could. Hopefully you'll be able to get a good glimpse of our little man's dance skills! :) Enjoy!

Why Buy Toys?

Here sit many of Riley's nice toys

but, where is Riley?????

That's right, playing with the kitchen chair! Why do we even buy toys for children?? :)

Meltdown

This is what I like to call "The Sunday Morning Meltdown." I have no clue why, but for the past month, every Sunday morning about 15 minutes before leaving for church, the little man feels the need to throw a screaming fit. He's been fed, diaper changed, teeth brushed, etc...so, I really have no clue what the issue is. All I know is that I'm in big trouble if he already realizes that he's a PK (pastor's kid) and the church is his second home! :) We have many more years of meltdowns if that is the case!

OBU reunion 2010

For those of you who don't know, my husband graduated from Ouachita Baptist University (pronounced wash-i-taw) in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. While at OBU, he made some very close and life-long friends. It is the groups goal to get together once a year for a reunion, so this year, we all (well, almost all...we missed y'all, Branscum's!) met in Mt. Pleasant, TX, which happens to be just 25 miles northwest of Hughes Springs. Most everyone in the group is married and has children now, so there were 12 adults and 8 children under the age of 4 (yes, you read that right!). We had a great time introducing everyone to Riley and meeting all of the other children we hadn't met in previous years. Here's some pics from our 3-day reunion...

The OBU grads and their kiddos...the couple on the far left weren't there the whole time. They live in Germany now and were just passing through Mt. Pleasant on their way to visit family.

The guys

A little blurry, but the ladies and kiddos

And there they are - the 8 kiddos under 4 :) As you can imagine, it was impossible to get them all to look at the same time. We were just thankful Riley didn't crawl off the couch...and no, that doesn't mean he didn't try! :)

Riley found this flag on the floor (there were ALL TYPES of toys there!) and just started waving it one day, as if he'd been shown that was what he was supposed to do! Such a smartie!

The big boy playing with some of the little boys

The older boys teaching Riley everything he needs to know about growing up :)

Sweet Sophia - she will be 4 at the end of this month, and she is one of the most articulate little girls I've ever met.

Some of the guys playing horseshoes (or sitting and watching others play horseshoes)

10 inches of happiness

I have been wanting and needing a new laptop for a while now. I bought mine from my brother when I returned from South Africa in 2004, and I'm pretty sure he bought it new in 2001 or 2002. So, it was time! The poor thing sounded like a plane taking off...the fan was SO loud and the computer was SO slow! I've been saving since we moved to Hughes Springs, and my desire was fulfilled this past Monday! You're looking at my new 10" laptop...and yes, it's purple. Purple was not my first choice, but it was the only color in stock and since Daniel and I don't exactly live down the street from major stores, I got over the color and bought the laptop. :) It is wonderful! Now, if only I could help my almost-one-year-old realize it is not his new toy!