We said we were going to do it...

and we did!! Our PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS is open for... well... business!! After several months of putting together our website... we are up and running. We still have some more sessions to update to the blog... but other than that it's done!!! My husband is AMAZING... he did the entire website on his own and a lot of the research into the equipment we purchased! So... hop on over to our other site: www.2reevesphotography.com and check it out!! Be sure to let us know what you think!!

Not feeling so good...

So... last night Ty're spent part of his evening building an awesome lego garage for Carter to wake up to. It took me all day... but I finally realized Ty're built the garage specially to house the cars that his big brother Fred gave to Carter. Too sweet!

There's nothing like ending the evening...

with a little skate session!

More to come...

And... he's off!!

I can't believe it! Carter just started his first day of preschool! I love that his school is close enough to walk. Dan can actually see part of our walk from his 4th floor classroom window across the street. So fun! So... this morning we enjoyed a slow walk to his school (past the police and fire station... which is always exciting). When we got to his classroom he asked me to read one book to him and then after the book stood up and told me goodbye (I think every other kid still had at least one parent there)! So I left... I watched him through the window for a bit and he went and sat down on a pillow at a little table to build a tower. He didn't even look back! We are so excited for this amazing opportunity!

Our good friend, Julie, got him this backpack. It couldn't be more perfect!!

Behind the Minds News Story

Here it is!! The finished Joe's Place news piece that I uploaded the preview for a few weeks back. It's actually fitting that I'm posting this today. About 20 minutes before the reporter e-mailed me the link this afternoon... I got a call from Steven telling me about his first day of classes at college. He just sounded so happy... and it made me want to cry (I know I always say that!). He has changed so much since we first met him 2 and a half years ago... and I love that he took a few minutes out of his crazy first day to call me. Anyway... the JP story is the first piece after the intro... about 1 minute and 55 seconds into the program. We love how it turned out... and will probably end up showing it to incoming residents to give them a better picture of what happens here. Thanks, Angie and HEC-TV!!

Gearing up for tomorrow...

Tomorrow Carter starts preschool... I really can't believe it. Before I put him down for his nap today I told him that I was going to miss him so much when he's gone tomorrow. He responded by telling me that I can just go sit in his bed while he's at school. This kid makes me laugh and laugh.

I thought I'd put some pictures up of his school and classroom that we took at his open house last week. Pick up with him is going to be interesting... the two times we've been at the school in the last month he hasn't wanted to leave! :)

The school garden.

Part of the central area of the school.

Artwork on a wall of his classroom.

Part of the wall of windows in his classroom.

Fresh flowers on one of the wooden tables in his classroom.

A cubbyhole in his classroom looking out to the dress up area in the central part of the school.

What you walk into from the parking lot.

His "locker" happens to be right next to his friend Sadie's "locker."

The school chickens!! How awesome is that?!

Magnetic Mr. Potato Head meets Ty're

Carter and Huntleighs' prelunch Game

- from my G1

Arthur

Here's a picture of Carter walking with his good friend Arthur today. You're probably wondering where exactly Arthur is in this picture... but don't be worried... only Carter can see him. You can see Carter's fist holding Arthur's hand as he is looking back talking to him. He's been having conversations by himself for the last several months... and I didn't think much about it until I talked with a friend recently. This morning I finally asked him who he was talking to... and he said Arthur. I love that he pretends so much and has such an amazing imagination. I thought Dan captured his walk with Arthur perfectly this afternoon while we were back at the Citygarden.

Citygarden

Yet another reason why we love St. Louis. This place is so cool... and like so many other places in this city... it's FREE !! I can't believe I forgot my camera... thankfully my phone had just enough battery to snap a few pictures.

Carter sat and sang to this man off and on for about 20 minutes. So funny!!

Carter and Manna enjoying the view...

I've got to write these things down...

I have so many pictures to still update... but this week (really... since we've been home) has been CRAZY!! Among the many other things happening tomorrow... we will be moving Steven into the dorms at a University about 30 minutes from our house. It's been a little while since we've seen him... so it should be fun. He sent a text to Dan to let him know that we better be bringing Carter with us. So sweet!

Speaking of Carter (the point to the title of this post)... we spend some time each night before bed reading him a story out of his Bible and praying. After we finish reading he always wants to go back to the story about Daniel in the Lion's den. To try and help him remember names we mentioned on several occasions that the Daniel in the story has the same name as Daddy. So... a few nights ago I was pointing to Daniel as I asked Carter who saved him from the Lions. His response: Daniel Reeve.

The Last First Day of Middle School...

in skinny jeans!! I love it! I know someday our guys will look back and thank me for all the pictures I take of them. :) Here is last year's picture. This year I totally forgot to get Dan's first day back picture... although I don't think he minded!

Happy Birthday, Ty're!!

Today we celebrated the start of a new year at Joe's Place... and the 14th year of Ty're's life. We met Ty when he was in the 5th grade... and tomorrow he'll start his final year of middle school. We wanted to make sure today was extra special for him since it was the first year he would be celebrating his birthday without Fred... and living without him. The afternoon started with the Lindman's bringing him a cupcake tray and balloons. He was so excited when he saw the 14 cupcakes that spelled out his name. Later in the day we surprised him with a trip to the mall to pick out a new pair of shoes and then to Target for a first day of school outfit. We ended the day with the food of his choice... lobster! Happy Birthday, Ty're!!

I'll have to post some pictures of the guys rooms soon. We have been working like crazy to get them ready for the new year. We painted and did some rearranging. Carter helped by making signs with the guys names for the doors of their rooms (our 2nd student is moving in tomorrow night). Here's Ty putting away his clothes in his very own dresser!!

Carter picking Ty're's birthday lobster

From my phone

Enjoying a Skuut at Jr. High Park

From Dan's phone

Digital Painting on daddy's new phone

Sitting in a new Classroom

-Dan

Manna and Carter exploring the new water studio at the ECC

-Dan

Joe's Place Promo

Here's a promo for the news story that will air tomorrow night on HEC-TV. For St. Louis folks... it will air Wednesdays and Fridays at 7 p.m. on channel 26 on Charter Cable and channel 99 on AT&T's U-Verse for several weeks. I'll also post a link here after it airs tomorrow.

Carter received some ballons at the Middle School Open House.

-Dan

Bittersweet

If you couldn't tell what Dan's posts earlier today meant... I'll explain.

Today we dropped one of our 1st Joe's Place residents off at college (about 2 hours away). After getting him settled and driving back to St. Louis... we spent an hour (round trip) driving to drop Ty're off at a cousin's house North of St. Louis (Ty're has been staying with Fred this summer). We made it back to the Trader Joe's in our neighborhood 30 seconds (not kidding!!) before it closed (I won't mention how many stop signs I ran). We just needed to be able to end this day with a bottle of our favorite wine. Anyway, a woman who works as a checker at Trader Joe's knows who we are and all about Joe's Place (that's been happening more and more... pretty cool) and asked if we were ready for the new year to start. Dan told her that we had just returned from dropping Fred off at college and how great it is to be able to start the school year on that note. I hadn't thought about it that way. We know now that Joe's Place really works. It's been a long time coming... but it really works. The smile on Fred's face today is the perfect picture of what this place means... and we are so excited for him... even though for us... it is a bit bittersweet. Good luck, Fred!!! We can't wait to see what you do next!

Carter passing time...working on metering

-Dan

-Dan

-Dan

Ty're saving Cartere from taking a swin at Rend Lake College's Quad fountain

-Dan

Heading to Tortillaria for Dinner

-Dan

The Skuut

Carter has always had a thing about anything with wheels! It's amazing to me how young he was when he really started to develop an interest in that sort of thing. About 4 months after he started walking we got him his first "bike." That scooter went everywhere with us around town and out of town (to 14 different states!!). Around the time we got him the scooter Dan saw a kid riding a Skuut at a local playground. We knew immediately that that was the bike for Carter when he was ready for a 2-wheeler (we're hoping to avoid a bike with training wheels). Well... we gave it to him last Spring and he loved it... but since we've been home from California he has really picked it up! We hung out outside for a while this evening after everyone left. He looked so cute in his "big boy" school backpack. I really cannot get enough of this kid! He can ride with both feet off the ground (totally balancing) for about half a block!!! I couldn't pick just one picture... so here are 5! :)

One last one... relaxing after all his riding...