Our Vacation to Colorado

We just got home from Colorado where we got to attend my dad's wedding in Estes Park in Rocky Mountain National Park. I lived in Colorado for a few years as a child, so it was a fun trip down memory lane for me. Eric enjoyed seeing my hometown, my schools, and where I lived, and we both agreed that Ft. Collins is definitely someplace where we could live if they ever get a Phoenix Fire Dept there :) We spent time with friends and explored new places and thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful weather and surrounding. We also fueled our desire to start camping again, so if anyone wants to join us in the mountains definitely give us a call! The wedding was beautiful and Congratulations to my dad & Brenda, best wishes to you!

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A Bike for my Birthday

If you sign up your child for the Toys R Us birthday program, they send your child a small gift certificate in the mail every year for their birthdays. We didn't have a chance to go before her birthday, so we went last week and found a really cute girls bike on clearance that Kylie instantly loved. It's hard to believe that she really knows how to ride a bike, but when we tell her to pedal, she moves her feet on the pedals! Daddy helped make a few tune-ups to the horn and seat, but it's perfect size for her. She always notices people bike-riding when we're driving and now she gets to be one of those people.

Playgroup Birthday Party

For the past year or so, a group of us have been gathering every other week to celebrate being moms and having adult conversations! This month, 3 of the girls all turned 2 years old: Kylie, Shay, & Ava. We decided to have a small party with our playgroup friends and we had so much fun. I decided to be adventurous and suggest finger painting with pudding - outside of course! Erin graciously volunteered her home and patio for this mess and it could not have been a more wonderful day. Again, I can't remember a June morning in Arizona that it's only been in the 80's! Thank you Lord for such a seasonably cool summer! Thank you dearly to everyone who came to celebrate with our girls and we cherish each of your friendships!

What I do these days!

I thought I would post a few things that Kylie is doing now that she is 2 years old. I wish I would have started doing this earlier as a reminder for the future, but better late than never! I can't imagine all the things that go thru her mind on a daily basis, but these are the things that she shares with us.

Some spanish words that she knows:
agua = water
leche = milk
ojos = eyes
frescas = strawberries
boca = mouth
narajanas = oranges

A funny story: For several days in a row last week, Kylie woke up in the morning yelling "agua, agua, agua" at the top of her lungs. I guess she must be dreaming bi-lingually!

Kylie can also sing her ABC's now and she loves to listen to "more Jesus." Our bedtime routine is to drink her milk, brush her teeth, and then we sit in the rocking chair to sing Jesus Loves Me and Jesus Loves the Little Children. She knows all the words now and will sing along with mommy or daddy. Then she says "pray" and we list off all her friends by name. It's so fun watching her grow her vocabulary and understand more and more each day.

We've just started learning our funny faces so here are a few that she is trying.



Along with turning 2, Kylie has definitely started to assert herself and what she wants. She will tell us "NO" whenever she wants to, she will throw tantrums when she doesn't get what she want, she hates having her picture taken and wants to immediately see herself after the flash goes off, she is delaying bedtime as long as possible with the endless "more Jesus song, more milk, more pray" etc, and everything else that comes along with this age. I can't wait to see what this next year holds for us. In the midst of so many tragedies in this day, I thank the Lord everyday for just one more day that I am able to be a mommy to this precious creation that He has given us. Being a parent puts it more and more into perspective how much God loves us and gave us His child as Jesus to be a sacrifice for our salvation. Praise God for His amazing loving-kindness.

Daddy's girl

Wow, check out these amazing pictures that our friend, Chris, took at our pool. I know that every parent thinks this way, but is it possible to ever not think that your own child is the cutest thing in the entire world!!! Thanks for capturing these amazing moments Chris!

Memorial Day Party

Every year, our friends' parents throw an amazing Memorial Day party that is anticipated for months to come! The hosts are true Italians and the food that they provide is exactly that. It's a full spread of cheese & bruschetta & grilled veggies & spicy sausage & more and more and more if you catch my drift! After being discharged from the hospital with direct instructions to eat as many calories and as much protein in your days as possible, I was in the right place :) Even though Eric was on shift this year, he was still there in spirit! Here are some fun pics of our growing kids, bursting prego bellies, and some of the best friends a family could ask for! The D's, the Riley's, The Price's, and Brit. We cherish you guys!