Friday's Letters

borrowed.

Dear Sushi, you are a fave between the husband and I. Tonight I am going to attempt at making you on my own and I ask that you be nice to me so that my rolls turn out pretty and don't look like one big hot mess. Dear Husband, I am so very thankful for all the hard work you do for your family! I am proud that you are moving on up at work and I love the fact that you now you have every Friday off, that's pretty awesome! Dear School, week one of six complete - hoorah! Let's keep the next five weeks easy sailing if you will, I am ready to get this nursing school show on the road. Dear Blaykleigh, Mommy is SO proud of you!!! You have been walking for a full week now, still a little unsteady on those tiny feet but you're catching on quickly and I love that you say "uh-oh" each time you fall down. Melt.My.Heart. Dear week of rain (or lack there of), your skies were cloudy and gray all week. I was really hoping to see more than a few sprinkles at our house, seems like the area(s) around us got tons of rain ... so I am going to ask for rain check please?! Dear thousands of pictures on my phone and camera from our Kansas trip, I p-r-o-m-i-s-e I will share the moments captured with friends and family in the next several days! 

Happy Friday everyone!!! 

Table Rock, how I adore thee ...

a long drive and windy roads 

a grand entrance over a bridge

a picture perfect house on a picture perfect lake

a book while relaxing beneath the trees

a spectacular view

and an even more spectacular sunset

a little time in the water with my baby bird

a boat ride ... everyday

followed by evening boat rides and night time swims

a 45ft cliff and jumping off

a daddy and his daughter

a firework show

a superb vacation with extended-family and friends

a very long drive home, everyone exhausted

...

what a wonderful trip it was

with so many great memories to cherish. 

A strawberry kind of gal!

Well, it's offical ... our little girl is walking.

 The things she will do for her most favorite fruit.

Bitter sweet moment for this mama!

13 months old

This post is several weeks past due but better now than never as they say! From here on out I am going to post Blaykleigh's milestones and whatever else might be of interest, so it will be a little different from how I did it in the past. Enjoy! 

At 13 months, Blaykleigh ...

• is on a perfect nap routine as of late; one 1hr nap in the AM and one 2hr nap in the PM - happy momma, especially with school starting back up for myself. 
• doesn't like for me to leave her, she will hang on to me with the tightest of grips and cries as we part ways - makes me so sad!
• took her first long distance road trip from Corpus all the way up to Wichita and did great!
• got to meet all her Kansas family finally!!! Everyone just loved her, she definitely stole the crowd.
• learned how to do the "fishy" face in no time flat thanks to her Nani. 
• hasn't really added any new words to her vocabulary. But she seems to like impersonating animal sounds. There is the cow, monkey, cat and dog. Lately, I hear her barking in her crib in the morning when she is ready to get up - it never fails to make me laugh!
• gives kisses and hugs pretty much on demand if not all on her own.
• drinks out of a straw like a pro and always wants whatever you are drinking.
• calls the cats by clicking her tongue and rubbing her fingers together - monkey see, monkey do! 
• has the tightest little curls all over the back of her head, they are so very pretty.
• is fascinated by the cats water bowl, always playing in it and getting water everywhere!!!

Friday's Letters

Saw this link-up on a blog I just recently started reading. It looked like fun, something different to do so I thought I might give it a try for a bit. So here we go! 

....

Friday's Letters 

borrowed.

Dear Vacation, you could not have come at a more perfect time - I welcome you with open arms! Dear Husband, 9 days of good old fashioned family fun are ahead of us!!! Let the good times roll. p.s. I love you! Dear Horrific Colorado Wildfires, I am heartbroken. Hasn't enough precious land and life been consumed by you? You are ruining a place so dear to my heart. Dear Chipotle, it's been a long time since I enjoyed your impeccable tastiness ... but tonight, that all ends. Dear Table Rock Lake, I have heard many great things about you and tomorrow will be graced by your presence for 5 wonderful days. Dear Blaykleigh, mommy is so thankful that we got good news back from your ultrasound. I was a bit worried there for a few days but you are a healthy little girl!!! "Everything looks normal" - best three words I heard all week.  

the fires.

... if this isn't sad, I don't know what is. A friend posted this picture on facebook, it made a lump in my throat. 

 I lived in Colorado for 16 years and I don't ever remember this many wild fires which are destroying so much all at the same time.

My heart is incredibly broken for all the people affected, all of the animals in danger, all of the beautiful land that has now become engulfed by flames.   

Prayers are needed. Lots and lots of prayers. 

summer days

I like summer, I really do but it's not my most favorite season of the year especially when it's so ridiculously hoooot out - 105 degrees of muggy, steaming heat to be exact! I do my best to avoid the outdoors at these temperatures because it's just not a pleasurable experience but when water is involved I am game! So when a friend invited us to go to the splash park and then walk around the aquarium I was all in. 

Up until today, I had yet to take Blaykleigh to the splash park because she isn't walking and I didn't think she would be able to do much; I was wrong to say the least. This little girl of ours l-o-v-e-s the water! She had such a fun time getting to play and I had a blast watching her explore - and the water cooling us both down was the icing on the cake. OH and what is a hot day without a little dippin' dots treat?! I love those tiny beads of cryogenically frozen ice cream; Blaykleigh now shares the same love of dippin' dots! Like mother, like daughter. 

After our little splash park escapade it was time to hit up the aquarium for a bit before heading home. Blaykleigh mastered the fish face (thanks to Nani for teaching her the essentials amongst the animal kingdom) and thought the dolphin show was just the funniest thing she had ever seen. I honestly haven't ever heard her laugh that hard at something without being tickled, it was really cute!  

So there you have it. Our fun summer day! Thank you Heidi for the invite.