Camping Adventure

Now I'm remembering why I just didn't have time to write my next blog post... because it is of this amazing last minute camping trip to Wyoming that I took with my kiddos, my brother, my niece Liz, & a gaggle of nephews.  Super fun!  I still don't have time to caption it all, but here it is for you "vacation slide show" enjoyment.  :)

 First real stop was at my brother Doug's house in Fort Collins.  Teresa especially enjoyed her time with cousin Lily.

 A stop on the road at St. Walberga's Abbey.  So beautiful!

 Our first hike on Corner Mountain

 North Fork Campground... awesomeness.

 The big kids on the BIG hike

 We little kids were a little more low key.

 Mass at the campsite

 She actually napped in the tent!

SO MUCH FUN!  When are we going again, Fr. Jon???

13 months

Sarah is 13 months old.  Crazy.

 She's walking pretty well, though really dislikes wearing shoes.  She'll almost always go back to crawling if I put shoes on her!

 

She is drinking well from a sippy cup *finally* & loves milk, yogurt, cheese, sweet potatoes, chicken, & anything crunchy.  She no longer nurses.  She constantly throws her cup on the floor, so we've seriously appreciated this new little "sippy strap" which ties the cup to her high chair / stroller / car seat... where was this for the last 3 kids?  Simple & smart. 

 

She also likes to climb out of her high chair regardless of how tight we make the strap; notice the extra belt under her arms?  Well, that at least slows her down a little bit.  Houdini baby.

 

She still babbles but not a lot.  She's moved on from her "gung gung" word when she likes something to "Yes" or "Yeah" & nodding her head profusely.  Mama, Dada, Bubba, Bu (for bye) with a wave, Guhguh (for grandpa) & a random squeal are her most common sounds.

 

She likes her bath but only in her little tub... freaks out if I put her in the big tub with the girls!  Ironically she likes the pool.  ???  She crawls up stairs but doesn't understand down yet.  She climbs on EVERYTHING & usually does a little dance when she gets to the top.  We find her on the coffee table, ottoman, kitchen chairs, beds, piano bench, etc.  The world is her stepstool so she can really get anywhere she wants.  She's starting to understand backing down feet first, but it is still seriously nerve-wracking.  I want to put a sippy strap on that girl!

 

She's cute, happy, & not nearly as attached to mommy as she used to be.  She crawls/walks to the door as soon as she hears the garage go up to be the first to give Daddy a hug.  If anyone else is crying or hurt, she immediately toddles over to give them a hug.  It's adorable! 

 

Love you, Ladybug!

Guess who's walking?

13 months & she's on the move!

Fun with cousins

Andrew the Builder

 We have 3 fun scooters that are always falling over in the garage.  Andrew set out to fix that problem.

Scooter rack works!  Great job, Bubba.

Green cousins

 Not too long after Sarah turned one, we got to celebrate again for cousin Alivia's 1st birthday.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a good picture of her... she's so adorable!... but here are all the "green" cousins minus Andrew.  Our crew is sure growing!

Independence Day

 

 This was the first year that Teresa really lit any fireworks off & Rebecca did WAY more than ever before.  They were lovin' it!

 Ready for the neighborhood parade!

 

 Andrew was celebrating with his cousins for the week in Minnesota & Iowa.  He had a blast!

 They stopped at Adventureland on the way home, too, which was seriously awesome.

We missed our big boy, but he certainly enjoyed himself.

 We had fun just being girly at home. 

 There was time for patriotic pedicures, several tea parties, & lots more.

We ventured over to a neighbor's house who also has a girl in Rebecca's class for the evening celebration.  The slip 'n slide was a big hit & we had a nice time.

Happy 4th of July!

So thankful for the freedom that we enjoy.

Waterbugs

 Our dear friend Kim agreed to give the kids swimming lessons this summer.  They loved it!  I think they learned the most they ever have in one set of lessons as well.  So awesome.  Rebecca can *finally* swim for real; even if it's only a few feet.  She's thought that she was swimming for the past two years, where in reality she was really just walking across the pool moving her arms with her face in the water.  Serious progress!

 Teresa didn't quite catch on yet, much to my surprise, but this was her first time.  Maybe next year!

Andrew is off like a waterbug.  He needs to build some endurance & work on his form, but I can finally let him just go swim at the pool with his friends & feel comfortable.  Hallelujah!

Thank you so much, Kim!!!