Daddy-Daughter Duo & Successfully Failing

There are few things that make my heart melt more than seeing Todd interact with Reese.  His love for her makes me weak in the knees.  Fo real.  This semester has been a crazy one for Todd.  He has so much to juggle.  Responsibilities comin' out the yin-yang.  He has balanced it all like a champ.  And always has put his girls first.  He makes time to be with us.  To really be with us.  And that means the world to me.  When I asked him to come with us to the park last week, I had to bring the camera to snap some daddy-daughter shots that like I said, make me weak in the knees.  Moments I never want to forget!  Love me some Buns.

For the first 5 minutes she was obsessed with the wood chips obviously.  Once she got over that though, she was on a roll, walking around like a mad women.  She loves any kind of step downs or "stair-ish" surfaces, so she kept climbing over the edge of where the wood chips became grass.  Over and over again.  She's still figuring out how to balance her weight when she climbs things, and it's so freaking hysterical.  One minute she's as cautious as can be, and the next thing I know she's ready to cascade off down the stairs with no help at all.  Yikes.

She likes when we eat her hand.  Must be a toddler thing.

If you're wondering how Todd fit down that slide, he didn't.  And then the trip came to a screeching halt as you can see below.  Usually she loves the swing, but not that day!  Haha, she was totally petrified, poor thing!  Can we say nap time?

Hope y'all are having a great week!

♥, Ashton Tilton

If you're needing a little encouragement on the topic of failure, please oh please watch this clip below.  It's geared towards college students, but it is oh so applicable to eeeerybody.  My father-in-law shared it with his kids, and it was just what Buns and I needed to hear!

"How we respond when we fail will ultimately determine how well we will succeed...We should not be so fearful of failing that we avoid trying new and hard things."

Simplicity

"Minimalism is a tool used 

to rid yourself of life’s excess 

in favor of focusing on 

what’s important 

so you can find 

happiness, fulfillment, and freedom."

{quote via here}

Oh Oprah, You've Gone Done It Again

Just a little Oprah to kick start your Friday.  "Only you have the power to take responsibility to move your life forward." Amen sista!

Post by Emeka Mbadiwe.

TGIF y'all!
♥, Ashton Tilton

Reese's Winter "One"derland

We celebrated Reese's first birthday a week before her actual birthday, so we could have friends and Reese's little buddies be a part of it too before they left for Christmas break.  I promise not to make this too sappy of a post, but we just love our friends and family.  We feel so blessed to have each of you in our lives.  The way you love Reese makes us love you that much more!  Thank you for all your love and support!  Youda, youda best!  A special thanks to my talented sister-in-law Katie Riley with Katie Riley Photography (click here for link to her page) who took most of these birthday pics, so I didn't have to worry about it during the party:).

Reese's cousin Dyl Pickle.  They're only a few months apart which I was so stoked about ever since we found out we were pregnant with Roni.

Reese's newest cousin, Tegan.  Isn't she the most darling lil' thing?!  

Checking out the Christmas ornaments with Grandpa Bill

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Haha, she was a litte shy with everyone singing Happy Birthday and staring her down to see what her next move would be.  She didn't quite smash it, as I had hoped haha, but she definitely took some bites and seemed to like it!

After we washed her up from the cake "smashing," she was partied out hahaha.  Her cousin Rio's faces while she cries just kill me (laughing-so-hard-I'm-crying emoji here).

Thanks again to everyone who was able to come and made it such a beautiful, fun evening.  We missed all our family and friends in different states that couldn't be there!  Love you all tremendously!

♥, Ashton Tilton

Jakers Pumpkin Patch

This past week we went with the Barretts to the Jakers Pumpkin Patch and had such a blast.  It was a much needed activity for me on that day in particular.  I was feeling a little cooped up in the house because Todd had the car all day, and when Todd got home from school, I was ready to go!  When we got there, there were these huge slides that were made out of large tubing.  Todd and I each took Reese down them, and she loved them (we think!).  Right after we came out of the slide, her face was turrified (as you'll see in the picture below), but then as soon as we were standing up, she was all smiles.

All of her cousins, Macy, Avery, and Jade were the cutest with Reese.  They like to pat her bald head and stick their faces right up in hers.  Jade says, "Baybee."  Macy says, "Reese, Reese, Reese, Reese, Reese, and so on.  And Avery says, "Reese-a-roni, Reese-a-roni, Reese-a-roni, Reese-a-roni, and so on." (Laughing-so-hard-you're-crying emojicon).  It is so freaking hilarious to me the way they interact with Reese, and it makes me excited for Reese to have siblings some day! 

After the slide, we walked over to the animals, and there was a HUGE pig.  We're talking monstrous people.  And it smelled montrous too.  Jade was all about getting as close as possible to all the animals.  No fear that girl.  She kept wanting to stick her hands through the mesh fence and pet the goats, haha.  Reese on the other hand looked terrified and totally confused when I brought her close to the animals.  She was kind of staring at Jade like, "Girl...you be crazy."  Then we spotted some of those things where you get to stick your head on top of the animals.  Photo op! Duh.  Aren't they the cutest little cousins?

I said it before, but I'll say it again...MUCH needed night out.  The fresh air.  The pumpkins.  The festivities.  Family.  Buns and Roni time.  It was great.  We didn't get to go on the hayride or through the corn maze because Todd had to get back to study for a test the next day, but he promised we could go again before Halloween.  You betta believe I'm holding him to it!

❤, Ashton Tilton