Miss Ree

About 3 years ago, I started babysitting for a sweet little family in a nearby neighborhood with a 2 year old and a 6 week old. Their mom needed a few extra hands once or twice a week and I was happy to oblige! Keenie and Juju quickly came to know me as "Miss Ree" and loved it when I came over to play.

I LOVED watching these boys. And I was so honored that I was the first non-family member to do so!  They are slugs, snails, puppy dog tails, and everything else that little boys should be. We've been through developmental milestones,

a Handy Manny phase,

1 and 1/2 years of fireman obsession,

water fights,

and so much more! I can't believe the boys turn 3 and 5 this summer. Ross and I also came to really love and admire their parents. Their dad grew up Catholic and their mom grew up all over the place, but now they go to Christ Chapel like we did and they're raising their boys to be strong Christian men.

Cuddle time with Mr. Ross last year

They threw us a wonderful going-away dinner last October and Julie still sends us letters and pictures from time to time. She always tells me that whenever we need a bed in Ft. Worth, their house is open. I took her up on that offer Saturday night and spent the night in Juju's BIG BOY room! (It was a nursery with a crib when I left). He loves fishing now, so he had a bunch of stuffed fish in his bed.

And cool shark sheets and siderails because, as Keenie says, "Juju's a roly poly!"

Sunday morning, I went to church with them and then we went to a new Ft. Worth restaurant called Tillman's Roadhouse (the fancy pictures here are from the restaurant's website).

This place has monkey bread as an appetizer and good-old southern food with a modern twist and local ingredients.

Keenie loved the guns as door handles.

And Juju loved the homemade s'mores! They make the graham crackers, marshmallows, and chocolate bars from scratch.

What a sweet way to end a sweet morning.