Alese is TWO!!!

Alese one-week-old! It just seems like yesterday!

My baby is TWO, how did that happen?

I have been meaning to post for a couple of months, but one TWO year-old in a house can stand in ones way!!! She is talking more than the other girls at this age and a few of her favorite words are "no," "nope," and "hey!" Most of the things she says are full sentences, which still completely amazes me! We moved her to a big girl twin bed the week she turned TWO. She is so proud of herself that she is able to get out of her bed and open every door in the house, even with the door knob covers on them, which are supposed to keep her from opening them! Those things never worked with Hannah or Alese! She is a tiny tornado throughout the house, but even with all the disasters in her midst she still manages to melt my heart.

"Punkin" Picking

As Alese would say we went "punkin" picking. This was my first time EVER actually choosing my pumpkins in a pumpkin patch. LOVED IT!!! I loved watching my girls run through the rows trying to find the best pumpkin ever. I loved watching Alese's excitement and amazement at all the pumpkins and most of all I absolutely loved just spending a Saturday afternoon with the family. Between soccer, school, work, etc. it seems so difficult some times to actually take time to slow down and just be a family. At the end of our day we enjoyed warm pumpkin

donuts and the girls loved running through the hay maze.

This will be an annual event without a doubt!

Steph and Me

Words cannot express how blessed I feel to have so many amazing friends. The Lord knew this first year of our move would stretch me so He made a way for me to see many of my close friends. This year started with Pam in February for a birthday bash. June brought my Harris friends to a fun filled time in Seattle. Sarah and I were able to not only connect once but twice this summer! Steph came two weeks ago and then this past week Rene and her girls were able to hang out and spend almost a week with us! My prayer is even though there are many miles that separate us we will stay close and make time for connections together in person,
over skype, and oh the amazing invention of the telephone!!!

New School Year

Hannah is only two years away from middle school and Mayah is now in the 1st grade! The girls are loving their teachers and enjoying school. I am not the type of mom who is ever ready for her kids to go back to school, even though routine is always nice. A new school year always makes me a little sad because it is a reminder of how fast my girls are growing up!

Hannah's Handy Work & Fabulous Friendships

Thanks to a wonderful gift and lessons from the Lemays Hannah knitted her first hat. It was hard to say goodbye after a fabulous week of fun, food, and lots of laughter! Our time together was another reminder of how blessed we are with good friends!

Aunt Jacqueline and Uncle Nicholas

Nicholas and Jacqueline were able to take a few days off

and have fun with the girls and I.

Minnesota Zoo

Alese could not get enough of her

Uncle Nicholas and Aunt Jacqueline,

nice break for mom...thanks bunches!

Nicholas pile!

Not just sister-in-laws, but friends!

Paul and Tiffany

We were so blessed to be able to share in

Paul and Tiffany's special day!

Great Nana, Tiffany, Paul and Great Papa

or as Hannah would say Queen Nana and King Papa

John (Papa) and Tiffany

Mayah, Hannah, and Aunt Charity

Mayah and Nana

Flower Girl

BFF...Mayah and Abby

Fourth of July

I have never seen anything like the firework display we witnessed. My description won't even come close to how it actually was, but basically the entire town of Airway Heights turns up in smoke. The city shuts down some streets and people line up their firewords and start lighting away. On the streets that aren't actually shut down there is still massive fireworks within several feet of parked cars. It is a pyro's dream. Sprinklers are on the tops of houses and you will get some sort of fall out on you from the many fireworks falling. Fireworks don't usually freak me out, but this was insanity and lots of fun to be a part of.

Ocean Shores

We spent this past week at my moms and ventured to the sandy beaches of Ocean Shores. It was a little chilly, but the kids loved digging, laying, and playing in the warm sand.

There's No Place Like Home

Thank you Harris family for making this weekend possible!

You will always be our adopted family!

Darlene, Me and Rach

Isabel, Hannah and Mayah

Isabel and Alese

Isabel and Hannah

Mayah and Nana Darlene

Rob and Tim

There is no place like home, but when you are with such good friends like the Harris family it brings you a lot closer to the place you know of as home. We had a wonderful refreshing visit with our Alaskan friends in Seattle. The memories flood back when you reconnect with close friends. For example, the dark and very snowy night where my wonderful friend and neighbor, Darlene, drove me into Anchorage to have our precious little Alese with no husband in sight. I don't know if it just the people in Alaska or just the time we were there that developed these deep friendships and family bonds, but they are missed!

Mayah's Moosical

I really don't get teared up very often, but watching my kids grow and seeing their accomplishments can choke me up. Mayah's end of the year musical was super cute. The teachers did a wonderful job and of course I was a little bias to Mayah's musical debut!