The livin' is easy

I love being busy, and lately our calendar has been full of some fun events. First, my sister Haley came home for the summer from BYU-Hawaii. What a lucky girl! I'm sure she misses living in paradise, but it's so nice having one of my best friends back. It makes me feel normal and like I have friends! Sometimes I pretend that she doesn't HAVE to like me because she's my sister and that she really does just like spending time with me (which hopefully is the case). I look up to her in a lot of ways. Sometimes I think we are both envious of each other's lives in one way or another. NOT that I would ever choose anything different - but who wouldn't love going to college on Oahu? Case closed. Haley is such a giving person. She has had some really great experiences at college and I love to see how she's grown. When she was at the airport in Hawaii, she was with some friends who happened to be flying to Seattle too. A cambodian girl came up with her sweet little grandma and told her that her grandma was flying back home but didn't speak any English and wondered if they could help her through security and to her gate. All of the boys Haley was with said no (oh, pre-mission boys, haha) and Haley politely agreed, even though she had no idea of how to communicate with her, and had two huge suitcases that she was already struggling with. After a lot of pointing, "sign language," and confusion because Haley thought she was flying home to Cambodia and she was actually flying to San Fransisco =)they made it to the correct gate, and Haley motioned to her that she could "ask" (pointed to her mouth) about her "flight" (held out her arms like the wings of an airplane) and someone at the gate should be able to help her. How sweet huh? I thought this was a sweet story. Haley's always willing to help anyone even when it's easy to just say no. She eventually got to her own gate where those boys were all just sitting and waiting. Nice of them to help, huh?!
Next, my cousin Meagan and her fiance Greg got married on Saturday. They have been together since 7th grade, so we were all very happy to see them tie the knot. I love Meagan so much. She is just a couple years older than me, and I have always looked up to her. When I was younger, I wanted to be just like her. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body, and is one of the most easy-going people I know. She is also extremely smart, and teaches at WSU. Her and Greg seem to be very happy and we all can't wait for them to have some little mini Meagans and Gregs! Oh, and Meagan also made her own dress and did all of the flower arrangements on her own. She looked beautiful. How much more talented can you get?! I love weddings, and this one was beautiful. (This might be a no-no posting a picture by her photographer but I couldn't resist. I wanted to show her dress!)

Reagan, as usual, was being her crazy self. This girl's mood can change within moments. Uh oh, we're in for it.





On Sunday we had a little belated birthday party for Penny. We wanted to wait until Haley got home so she could be there for her niece's first birthday party! After all, you only turn one once! It was a sweet day. We had a delicious pasta dinner (Reagan's favorite) with all of the fixin's and then cupcakes for dessert. Haley helped me make the cupcakes perfect, and they turned out pretty cute. Reagan, on the other hand, didn't appreciate their aesthetic quality nor their deliciousness! We gave her a couple and allowed her to "dive in" but, like a true girly girl, she didn't like her hands getting frosting all over them and immediately wiped them all over my dad's pants. After a couple of tries, we let my parent's rat...I mean dog...take over and he loved them! I guess I shouldn't be disappointed that my daughter doesn't like sweets. I've never been one to keep sweets from her. We always give her bites of dessert when we have it, but she just doesn't seem to be a huge fan. I got an email the other day from Baby Center saying that the way they eat their cake on their first birthday is very telling of their personality. Well, we've always known Reagan to be very cautious and calculated in her decisions so I guess that theory rings true with her being suspicious about her cupcake?! Who knows. We had so much fun though, and she loved hammin' it up for the camera, dancing and rockin' out and playing with all of her presents. Our house now sounds like a carnival due to all of the "interactive" toys. Luckily most of them have an off switch!

Good job blowing out the candles, Emily!

The Birthday Girl's very own cupcake. These flowers were NOT edible, however I failed to mention that little fact to most of the guests. Oops! Oh well, good ruffage.

Don't make me eat this cupcake, dad!!

Loving all the attention!

Some of the fun cupcakes. My sister called them "Dr. Suess" cupcakes.

My pastry partner!

Penny and Auntie Tia. She loves mini guitar hero!

So funny. If she doesn't blow out the candle, one of us will!

More interested in the "boons" of course.

"It's my birthday, I can cry if I want to"... I remember various family members singing this to me when I was younger and it would make me so furious that I would start to cry, haha.

The real party animal.

So happy. She clapped for herself after opening every gift!

"What is this stuff on my hands?" I guess that's what I get for being so diligent at wiping her hands off.

A princess on her throne.

We had a perfect day, and are so happy to have this little girl. She means everything to us! Thanks for sticking with us through this myriad of pictures. A first birthday is a big day in a girl's (and a mom's) life, alright? =)

Happy Birthday, Sweet Penny Babe.

Six days old

You started out as a hope and a prayer in your mommy and daddy's hearts. You soon became our "Bupley" (our nickname for you before you were born) - a wiggly little thing, punching and kicking mommy from the inside. Ouch! You got hiccups all day, every day it seemed, while still in the womb. They seemed to give us a glimpse of your personality - who we'd be dealing with for a significant part of the rest of our lives. You became Reagan Penelope Wilson the day you were born, lovingly called "Penny" by your mama, "Goon" or "Goonzy" by your dad. For the better part of the first few weeks of your life, you punched and kicked like you still thought you were in the womb. We took lots of video of you, making karate noises and sound effects, because that's exactly what it looked like you were doing. Soon, you gained more control of your body - more importantly, you smiled. That was the smile that melted our hearts and continues to every day. The dimple on your right cheek makes us feel like we could never be mad at you. Let's hope it stays there! Before long, you were giggling til your heart was content at anything and everything, especially when daddy did his silly dances. Rolling over, sitting up, crawling, walking... you have been into everything the moment you realized you didn't have to just stay a "blob" in the middle of the floor. You have given us a run for our money! (Don't worry, we didn't pay for you. No amount of money could do that.) You have always been the sweetest little girl. So easy-going, so laid-back. You got that from your dada. You have the goofiest personality too (probably from both your mama and your dada), although you are the spitting image of your dad. Good thing he's handsome! It just makes us fall even more in love with you. When you were still in mama's tummy, dada would sing "Hey, Jude" to you every night before we all cuddled up to sleep. "Don't carry the world upon your shoulders" he would sing. You are such a sensitive and caring girl, I already feel like we are going to have to remind you not to "carry the world upon your shoulders" often. But that's okay. The world needs people like you. Always concerned for others, always filling the hearts of those around you with love. Daddy promised mommy that even before you could talk, you would be able to tell me how much you love me. He was right. I see it in your eyes, I feel it in your hugs. You've even surprised us at being able to say it when we needed to hear it the most. Being your mother has given me access to more joy than I ever thought possible. I now have no doubts as to who I am or who I am supposed to be. I owe a lot of that to you, sweet girl. Life is so much better with you around. We laugh harder, love deeper, and live more meaningfully. Thank you for letting us be your parents. We aren't perfect but if you stick with us we'll all make it together. Happy Birthday, Penny! Here's to one full year of learning and growing and playing and loving. We love you so much.

To My Beautiful Girls

I just wanted the girls in my life to know how much I love them!

Memorial Day 2009

After our Memorial Day, my family and I all decided that it is our favorite holiday. Sure, we may say that after Christmas or Thanksgiving, but Memorial Day really does hold a very special place in our hearts. (If you know the Pratts, however, you know that everyone and everything is our "favorite.") Like I mentioned before, I grew up with a cemetery in my backyard, which could be considered strange to some but it is truly a beautiful and peaceful place. We have taken many a walk and run there. In fact, many of our family pictures have been taken there. The Festival of Flags is absolutely amazing and when they go up every year, I am so touched at what they represent and how many of them there are. My dad's side of the family also grew up with a cemetery right across the street from them, and just down the street from where my parents live now. We have loved ones that have passed on at each of these places.
It is such a happy time to visit the gravesites of loved ones and remember. Remembering is what Memorial Day is all about. No one remembers all of the stories there are to tell about each one of them better than my Grandpa Pratt. This year, all of this was to take place during Reagan's nap time. Nap time is precious these days, but we decided that Reagan had to suck it up because I would not miss this time for the world. These traditions have been a big part of my life, and I want Reagan to have the same opportunities that I did feeling connected to loved ones that have passed, even though we didn't have the opportunity to meet most of them in this life. I have some amazing relatives. Their lives and actions inspire me. Each of them deserves their own blog post. I will have to do that sometime.
After visiting all of our relatives' gravesites, we attended the program held at Greenacres. It was full of stories and music from past wartimes, and inspirational words concerning the status of our country now. Jerry Stewart, a big time radio host that has a syndicated show on KGMI spoke and I was moved to tears, as was Jason, and the rest of the crowd there, which must have been thousands of people. He spoke of returning to the way the Constitution was meant to be interpreted, as well as giving due credit to God, who gave us this country that we are so blessed to live in. He also spoke at length about those who have spilled precious blood for our freedom and those who continue to. I don't have the words to express my gratitude for these people. I am saddened when I see so many people taking advantage of their freedom and the sacrifice so many have made to keep us safe and free. We need more "memorial days" so that we don't forget what has gone into shaping this country.
Just a side note, this weekend I was reminded of the mini-series "Band of Brothers," which is about the Easy Company of the US Army 101st Airborne division and their mission in WWII. It is narrated by some of the survivors of the mission. A couple summers ago, Jason and I watched this every night for about two weeks until we finished it. (Just thinking about that makes me realize how different life is now with a child!) Anyways, it is one of the best "movies" I have ever seen and gave me a whole new level of understanding and respect for what these people went through. I highly highly highly recommend it! It will not disappoint.
Warning: Lots o' pictures

This little girl makes awesome "I'm tired but don't want anyone to know so I'll act drunk and happy" faces. Or, she just looks at all of our squinty Pratt eyes and tries to copy.

For those that don't like reading

The End

due date

Today marks the year anniversary of the day Reagan was supposed to grace the world with her presence. A year ago today I was feeling pretty good, despite being huge, and walking through the Festival of Flags with my family (rather briskly, in order to induce labor!) Little did I know that she would not arrive for 9 more days...the longest days of my life, but the present that I received at the end for enduring those long, grueling, not to mention swollen days, was absolutely worth it!

It's probably time

Our internet has been acting up the past few weeks, but I must say I have not missed it one bit. A break has been nice. I feel more productive and refreshed. With summer approaching, hopefully I will have some more interesting things (and pictures) to post. We have been keeping busy with work, school, and lots of playing outside (thank goodness for this weather!) Here is some of what we've been up to, for those that like to keep tabs on us!
ME: With Penny's impending first birthday, I have been going through lots of different emotions. I blame it on my hormones being all out of wack from nursing. Reagan will nurse once or twice one day and then about 30 times the next. She's crazy. I cherish any time I have holding her close, though. I don't know why I never thought the day would come that she would turn one, but honestly, until about a month ago, it never even crossed my mind. To keep myself busy, I have (somewhat) taken up running again. It feels so good! My sister in law Kristin is my inspiration. Because of her, Jason and I have decided to run a race at the end of the summer. What kind of race, you ask? It could be a 5k, could be a marathon (yeah, right). I'll keep everyone posted when we decide. =) Thanks Kristin for the inspiration! Other than that, I've just been working, spring cleaning, and spending as much time as possible with my "baby" girl and Jason.
JASON:
Although in a perfect world, I'd see him much more often, Jason is doing well and keeping busy with church, school, and work. It actually amazes me how much he is able to get done on so little sleep...I admire him, but wouldn't want to be in his place! When he can, he takes a break and takes us out on adventures to the beach and the park. I am so grateful when he is here, because he lets me sleep in, nap, and cooks dinner for me. What more could I ask for? As always, he keeps me up to date on the latest world news and politics and makes me feel normal, even if I do have no idea what he is talking about. =)
REAGAN:
Our Penny has been learning so much that it's probably hard to write about all in one post. I must say, though, that she is such a doll. I have never met a more loving little girl. Heavenly Father sent her to me for a reason. I am someone who needs a lot of "love" from the people I care about. She must sense this because some days, she is giving me hugs and kisses about every 30 seconds (this is no exagguration, spend a day with us and you'll know!). She is obsessed! And who knows, it might get old sometime (although I highly doubt it), but for now, I'll take it! She needs a "love" for just about every occasion. She falls down, she needs a love. She is done eating, she needs a love. I tell her "no" and she needs a love. We finish a book, she needs a love. She coughs, she needs a love. Like I said, she is such a loving girl! Out of everything that she does and says, her "I love yous" are my favorite. "I wuboo" sounds so pure and sweet coming from the mouth of a precious little girl! We took a temple trip with our friends Scott and Liz and their daughter Brooklin in April. While the boys were in a session, Liz and I were hanging out with the girls in the lobby. I had just got done telling Liz that I think Reagan could walk if she really put her mind to it. She just needed to watch other kids and realize that she could actually do it. Shortly after, she was standing against a chair, and I said something like, "Reagan, you can do it!" And she did! She took her first real steps in the temple. It was a precious moment to me, but there were so many people in there at the time that I didn't feel comfortable shouting and jumping for joy like I wanted to. It's an exciting moment in a mom's life! And I'm hoping that the fact that she did it in the temple is just a sign that she is always going to be righteous and obedient, even throughout her teen years! Yeah! Any time she is acting out, I'll have to remind her where she took her first steps. I can see the eye rolls now, but it's worth a try, haha. This whole new method of transportation means all kinds of new places and things to explore. Reagan turns one in a little over a week. This is an exciting time, but also a bittersweet one for me. But, I am excited for her to continue to learn and discover new things. I just hope that no matter how old she gets, she'll never be too old to give her mama loves.

So there's a little of what we've been up to. We are all excited for Memorial Day tomorrow. It's a pretty big holiday in my family, partly because we grew up with Greenacres in our backyard, and the Festival of Flags every year is absolutely breathtaking. For those that live close, I would definitely recommend going to see the flags. I think there is around 1500, and it is quite a sight to see. We're going to visit the gravesites of loved ones in the morning, then attend the program that the cemetery puts on, and end the day with a delicious barbecue at my parents house. It sounds like the perfect day. Hopefully I'll have some good pictures to post later.