The box

Boxes are fun.

Perfect Day

Arielle and Charlie and I had a perfect day at the park.

Favorite play spot

Who knew a drawer could be so fun? Arie called me into the room to show me how she could climb into the drawer. So proud.

Walking!

i

Memorial Day Weekend

Thank you to all who have served this country and made my little world a peaceful and safe place. I have two grandfathers that served in the military, one in the Air Force and the other in the Navy. I have cousins currently serving this country. I am grateful to their dedication and their sacrifices. Thank you.

Time

What is time? I blink and the day is here and gone. I blink again and a week has gone by. I double blink and my baby is a little toddler exploring her world. I savor time. Those precious moments where the world seems to pause and you take a deep breath and savor the time you reclaim. Last night was one of those moments. Arielle gardening with me. I looked over and she was so intent on using her small rake in the mud. The wind was blowing, the sun shining, and I was glad to be alive with my baby girl.

Happy Birthday Arielle River West

To Arielle River West.

I love you. You are an amazing little girl. So happy, so curious, so loving, so crazy, so intelligent. I love your smiles, your laughs, your little tantrums. I love how you love to play peek-a-boo. I love how when you wake up I can hear you babble to yourself. I love how you and Charlie stare out the window together. I love you sticky banana fingers. I love watching you eat blackberries and strawberries. I love your pointing finger, wanting to discover everything. I love how you play in the mud. I love watching you unpack everything out of a drawer. I love watching you unfurl the toilet paper. You are an amazing crawler. Very fast. You would win any crawling race. I love you pink cheeks, your sharp biting teeth. Your wisps of hair. And especially your chubby toes. Thank you for being my daughter. Happy Birthday my 1 year old.

Love Mommy.

Arielle River West's First Birthday

Arielle's First Birthday!

She loved the candle!

Oops burnt the vegetables for the party!

Great Grandma Wyrouck was there!

So was Great Grandpa Wyrouck. 

Excited to open all the presents!

Waiting anxiously for Grandma and Grandpa

 to put the princess car together!  

She loves it!

Lillie was at the party!

 

So was Liz!

Mycal made sure Arielle color coordinated.

Arielle is going to be walking soon!

And lets not forget Charlie Brown posing with Grandpa!

Hiking with the family

 Daddy giving Arie a few photo tips.

 Mr. Brown.

 Out with the whole gang!

 Learning to love the great outdoors.

Flying in Zion

Sleeping through the night

So we just recently moved Arie downstairs to the dungeon to sleep. She seems not to mind and actually has slept a few nights all the way through without crying. I tried to take a nap downstairs with her to show her it wasn't so bad sleeping downstairs... I couldn't do it, sorry Arie, Mommy is a bigger boob than you! Thank you thank you thank you for sleeping through the night!

Hiking to the Wave

On Valentine's Day 2011 we were able to go with friends to hike the WAVE.

 It was such a great day and Arielle had so much fun. 

Below is a picture of her asleep on the rock. 

Asleep.

 Lucky for me, David carried Arie most of the way. 

Good thing because she is 

getting to be a big girl!

Here is the whole hiking gang minus the photographer behind the lens (David).

A few milestones

 Arie likes to chill while enjoying her evening meal.

 Today is Daddy's Birthday! Hooray. Congrats David on your OLD AGE :-)

Two bottom teeth! Yeah!

January Blues

January is such a let down month after the building excitement of first Autumn, then my birthday, then Thanksgiving, the HOLIDAYS, and then... it's January. I need to create a holiday in my mind for January (besides MLK day)... The Organization Holiday! Yippee can't wait to clean out the closet, go through the accounting files, organize, organize, organize!

Arielle is almost 8 months old! List of accomplishments... scooting backwards - almost almost to the forward point, two bottom teeth, she likes to put her chew toys in my mouth, thinks daddy's drumming is the greatest, likes to walk with assistance around the house, likes to stand in her highchair (that's very safe), likes to wake up at 5am (I will get back and wake her up early when she is a teenager) I know there is more I just can't think of any right now...