Summer Vacation

Summer vacation is one of the best parts of being a teacher. I used to look forward to sleeping in until 10 and getting up to watch "trash" TV, but for obvious reasons my summer vacations have changed forever! Bel is usually awake sometime between 6:30 and 7:15 a harsh change from summers past. Though I miss those days of sleeping in there is something about waking up and starting the day with my little girl and watching her explore the world.

Her strong personality is growing by the day as she learns to ask for things she wants and needs (naps, food and to go outside) along with many others. She is making connections between pictures in her books to items in her everyday life like ball and dog. Her love for animals and play time are so much fun to be apart of that it makes me wonder constantly as to what she will do next. She is making her way to the walking world as she uses a push behind toy to walk and has learned to ride on a little "bike" at the cabin pictured below and has a little ride on "car" that our neighbors gave her here at home. So much learning and achieving in her little body and to think that she is only going to be 1 next month!

Our Little Artist

Really I can get dirty! So much fun!

I have finished my first work of art!

Zoophabet ABC

Daddy & Bel Pretty Girl
Nuzzle the Goat! Kiss for Big Cousin Sleeping Lauren

One of Bel's favorite books to read with her daddy is call Zoophabet ABC. Its a book from Auntie Pam that is about starting a zoo. Well Bell had her first trip to the MN Zoo this past weekend and loved it. For Christmas Auntie Jen and Uncle Nate gave us a family pass to the zoo and we couldn't wait to go and finally we had our first chance. This past Saturday we met Jen, Nate and the girls for a beautiful day at the zoo and Ella and Bel had a wonderful time (Lauren was sleepy and was snuggled in for most of the time we were there.

No longer "new".

When we moved to our house almost two years ago we were looking for a neighborhood that would provide us with neighbors that we could talk to and have fun with. Well we definitely have that! We have still fallen in the "new" category of the neighborhood since most of the homes around us are still owned by the people who built them. We have been told that the BBQ we attended has taken us from the "new" category and put us in a boat with them. Bel is sitting with her favorite neighbor Shantell and next to Hannah. Hannah is the little girl of the folks we bought the house from (she loves Bel) and Bel loves to chat with her!

Swimming fool!!

Sunday after church we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa's for a little swim. Between trying to drink the water and kicking her legs she also found a little time to eat the rubber ducky!

Long time no post...

It has been well over a month since the last time I have posted to our blog! Well as many of you know LO's tend to have lots of changes in very little time. Bel is now 10 and 1/2 months old and she is turning into such a big girl! As you can see from the last post on May 7th that moving is now in the cards, but in that video as her Uncle Doug said if you were to add the sounds of the dinosaurs from Jurassic Park to the video it would be fitting :-) Currently you would have to fast forward that sound for it to fit how quick that little baby moves. Bel also loves to pull herself up on the couch and walk along side it. She also likes to hold on to various items with one hand and bend to touch with the other.

Mama, dada, baba, nono, ball and yes woof are her current vocabulary. She is certainly part Jackson as when you tell her no she looks at you smiles and continues doing whatever it is that you have asked her not to do. As the last word of her vocabulary shows dogs/puppy's are at the top of her loves. She crawls up on Kara and lays down to snuggle on her, pets her and kisses her. She has two puppies at Mary's (daycare) who she also loves to see every morning and Grandma and Grandpa's dalmatians she is pretty fond of too.

She now has 4 teeth, two on top and two on bottom and she loves trying big people food, which Grandpa David loves to feed her (which includes chocolate milk). She also likes to use her new teeth to mark furniture with her own little two teeth mark.

As for DM and myself we have been keeping busy working hard on the outside of the house. We have made some major changes to the landscape which was much needed and continue to enjoy the yard that we so desperately wanted. Dm is still working hard at work and I thank the Lord I am on summer vacation and promise to update more often.

Below you will find a number of different photos that have taken place from the last month since I posted. Hope you enjoy!

Oh the sweet life at the cabin

Bel and Karamia

The art of bed time. ? . ? .