Back In the Saddle Again...

Wow! It has been WAAAY too long since my last post. In fact, too long to even mention (cough, over a year, cough) It really is true after all, time really does fly when you are having fun! So many events have happened and not enough blog space to tell it all! So I will summarize the best I can! We had not only a first birthday but a 2nd birthday for Miss Charlotte! Her 2nd year birthday party was a Minnie Mouse theme complete with a Mickey Clubhouse jumper and a oversized stuffed Minnie Mouse! We had a graduation for Chris, a move to a new neighborhood (just down the street from our old place but we LOVE our new place and neighbors) and a new career adventure for Chris in Pharmaceutical Sales. Our little miracle Charlotte keeps us laughing non-stop all day and night! She is so smart! She knows her entire alphabet and counts to 10, she loves colors and likes to tell us the color of our eyes and her eyes all the time. She loves playing at the park, going to the zoo to see the hippos, playing at the beach, and seeing Minnie and Pluto (we invested in Disneyland Season passes for this year, best decision we ever made) We go at least twice a month. Life has been an absolute blessing, even through the rough patches, it is still absolutely perfect to me. I have come to see that my trials and short comings are nothing but blessings being poured upon me. I am a stronger person because of them and the support I have surrounding me! It doesn't hurt that I am reminded everyday of what a miracle life is and that our Father in Heaven knows and loves each and every one of us. I see it in the beautiful big brown eyes of our sweet Charlotte when she tells me she loves me, when I feel her wrap her little arms around my neck to hug me, and when she plays with my hair as she falls asleep. I feel completely blessed!

 Naked and Free with Oma and Opa

 Helping her Daddy submit his very last College Paper!

 Happy Day! Graduation!

 Cheering Mommy on at the finish line of the marathon

 Camping in the local mountains

 Captured those beautiful brown eyes

 Camping in the Sequoias

 Petting Zoo with Dad

 Pumpkin Patch

 Opening her BEST birthday present!

2nd Birthday Party

Girl After My Own Heart!

I have ALWAYS been a huge fan of October. The leaves changing, (we do not have many but what we do have we just love here in San Diego), the cooler weather, pumpkin patches, and Halloween...I LOVE it all! Charlotte is also a huge fan of these things! When we are out on our mommy/daughter jogs she loves to stare at all the trees with the colorful leaves falling and ooo's at them all! We just took her to the pumpkin patch and she literally gasped when she caught a glimpse of the hundreds of pumpkins in the patch. She could not get to them fast enough! In fact she insisted on walking the entire time. By the time we got to the car her little legs were so shaky! When she is over at her Grandma's house (my mom's) She will talk to the fake Owls, Crows, (decoration for Halloween) and Pumpkins for hours! I can already tell that October is a magical time for her as well! I am so thankful for the opportunity to be able to share these moments with her!!! We just love our little pumpkin!!

Here are some fun October pictures of Charlotte!

 She loves that black Cat!!

 Grandpa and Charlotte reading together

 Reading with my baby, My most favorite past time with her! 

 Stopping to smell the flowers...

 and then picking them!

 At the Pumpkin Patch! 

Happy 11 Months!

I have been reminiscing about what I was doing a year ago today. I was anticipating the arrival of my sweet Charlotte, counting down the days anxiously, and checking my emails every other minute to see if there was any new news about our little one. I would toss and turn all night long thinking about what it would be like to hold her for the first time. Here we are almost one year later and it is better than I ever could have imagined!!! Yes, even the long nights, messy diapers and constant destruction and chaos of an almost walking child. I LOVE IT ALL!!!! No a second of the day goes by that I do not thank our Father in Heaven for this perfect blessing in our life! She has brought so much life and joy into not only our home but our families and friends as well. She is only 11 months old and already has touched so many lives. She keeps us constantly laughing! Just a few of our favorite things:

- She LOVES music, she will hear a song whether on the radio or TV and she will stop everything she is doing to dance to it. 

- She loves books! We read her books over and over and over again. She never gets sick of them

- She loves her Moses (Grandma's Jack Russell) I am convinced that she thinks she is a dog too sometimes! She is his little shadow

- She is almost walking! (She can take a few steps but is very particular about falling on her bottom) 

- She loves to climb the stairs at Grandma's house 

- She love to wave to everyone everywhere!

- Bath is still her favorite time of day. If you could let her stay in there for hours she would

- She loves the outdoors and looking at all the birds

- She is a talker!! She loves to talk to herself and anyone who will listen. I love her baby language!

We love our sweet Charlotte!!!!

 Charlotte and Grandpa at the beach 

 Climbing the stairs

 Love this smile!!!

 Dinner with Uncle Adam and Aunt Evi

 I caught her scaling my harp! 

 She loves to play with Grandmas decorations 

 We found her sitting there hanging out with her pumpkins. She loves Halloween already!!!

Sleeping beauty!