RV to San Diego

We had planned a trip to San Diego to spend some quality family time together.  Brylie was still a little sick from her Daddy daughter weekend, but we figured we would go and if need be come home early. It was a lot of fun.  We took long walks, swam in the bay, played games, relaxed and BBQ'd.  I never thought I would be one to own a motorhome, but I must say I am loving it.  There is something different about the family time away from home and in a small environment.  I really enjoy getting to see different places and the ability take everything (including Bella) with us. I think that this will be something that the kids will grow up really cherishing.  I am excited to see what other adventures we will make in our "Memory Maker"

 Brylie sitting like a big girl in her booster seat.

 Mommy and Gracie enjoying the drive.

 Spending some time at the bay.  Playing in the sand and the water.

 Brylie didn't want to put her bathing suit on, but wanted to dip her feet in the water with Daddy.

 Bean bag toss

 A walk along the bay

 Love these girls

 Daddy with Brylie and Bella

 Daddy and Gracie

Such a fun trip 

Uncle Pete and Aunt Laura Meet Gracie

Uncle Pete and Aunt Laura came to visit. They went with Nick to the Cheesecake Factory golf tournament and auction while I stayed home with the girls. Gracie let Aunt Laura hold her for quite a bit, so they are now buddies.  Graceyn doesn't do too well in other peoples arms for too long so this was a great improvement. It was nice to spend time with them.

Daddy Daughter Camping Weekend

One of the father's from our Church small group suggested doing a Daddy Daughter camping weekend.  Nick was excited for the opportunity to have some quality time with Brylie, and I really admire his enthusiasm and interest to make special time with her.  The camping trip was in Big Bear.  Nick did a warm up by tent camping in the backyard prior to make sure that Brylie was ok sleeping in a tent. The weekend was full of fun activities.  They rode bikes, roasted marshmallows, went to the Nature Discovery Center, went fishing, and exploring.  From what I hear and the pictures that I have seen it is apparent that they had a great time.  It got rather cold at night and Brylie was not interested in keeping the covers, so they came home a day early.  Brylie was also the youngest child in attendance by several years.  Gracie and I had fun spending some quality time together, but I must say with half my family gone the house feels empty and I felt rather lost.  I was so happy to have them home.  I couldn't believe how much dirt they brought home as a souvenir.

Check out those Pj's.  This can give you an idea of what the clothes looked like when they came home. 

Riding bikes with her friend Addison.

The campsite and our massive 2 bedroom tent to the left.

The girls making s'mores.

A happy girl and her s'more.

The girls

Brylie and Lauren counting for hide and go seek

The Daddy's and Daughters getting ready for their boat trip and fishing

Brylie and Daddy

Trying to catch a fish

Helping Daddy drive the boat

At the Nature discovery center

Outdoor exploring and popsicles

Group picture with all the girls

Fun weekend making Daddy daughter memories

Horse Race

We went to Hollywood Park to watch one of the horses race.  Unfortunately it was the horse's first race and it got claimed, but it was a fun trip with Grandma and Grandpa.  It was an exciting day because it was one of the last races at Hollywood Park.  They are getting rid of that race track, so it was neat to watch one of the horses race before it was gone.  Brylie loved seeing all the horses, and Grace was pretty content in the front pack.  After the race we all went to Rock Sugar for dinner. It was a great day!!

 Brylie, Daddy and Bitty Baby at the Hollywood Park

Gracie's 1st time at the horse races

 Family photo with the horses

 Brylie checking out the horses with grandma and grandpa

Getting ready for the race 

Adventures at the Dry Cleaners

We have been going to the same dry cleaners since we moved here several years ago.  The owners are so very sweet and just love Brylie and Gracie.  Whenever Nick goes in they ask about them and always ask us to bring the girls in.  They have watched me through both pregnancies and have a genuine interest in how we are all doing. Brylie loves going in and seeing Eunice and John.  Eunice always picks her up when she sees her and let's her turn the lever to make all the clothes rotate.  Brylie watches with eyes wide and gets excited as the clothes pass by.  She waits until it is our clothes in front of her and then turns the lever again to stop it.  It is one of the highlights of our errands for Brylie.  I love that such an ordinary event turns into something so special for her because of the kindness of these people.  It is times like this that really make me appreciate being a mom and getting to share in moments big and small with our children.  It goes to show that it doesn't take much to evoke curiosity, interest, excitement, and learning in young children.  The feelings and fun can be found in so many activities throughout the day and I love that Brylie reminds me of this daily.  She turns the mundane into an adventure and smiles her way through it all.  Thank you Brylie for showing me that you can find joy in all things.  May we all be able to look at life with the same kind of wonder and thrill that kids do and not take any of it for granted.  Life is a blessing!

Krispy Kreme Donut Tour

Brylie, Gracie and I got to take a tour of a local Krispy Kreme Donut shop with one of my Mom's groups.  It was so much fun watching the donuts come down the conveyor belt.  The kids got hats, learned about how to make donuts and the glaze, and even got to sample a fresh donut.  It was a great day!

Austin's Wedding Shower

It was so much fun to celebrate the upcoming wedding of Jeff and Austin at Austin's wedding shower at my mom's house.  It was a beautiful event that captured the love that her family and friends have for her as well as Jeff and Austin as a couple.  I am excited for their life together and I am honored to be the one who gets the privilege to marry them.  Such fun times ahead.

 As per usual now these days I was unable to take any pictures, but Shelden was able to capture this sweet shot of Mommy and her 2 girls.  I love the look that Brylie is giving her little sister.

3 Months Old

      She has changed so much in just a few short months                           3 Months Old

3 Months with this beautiful girl and feeling very blessed.  With each passing day I am learning more about who Graceyn is and her little personality.  She is a happy baby that is full of smiles and lights up when her sister is around.  She is such a joy for our family.

Likes: Gracie likes being close to mommy.  She would prefer to be in my arms or in a carrier, but if that is not possible she enjoys to be within my immediate vicinity.  She is certainly a mommy's girl these days and to say that I am liking it would be an understatement.  I realize how quickly they grow up so I am savoring these precious moments.  I can only imagine that it won't be long before she will be little miss independent and not as needing of my love and attention.

Dislikes: It was already established that Gracie has a strong dislike towards pacifiers, but that same feeling of distaste also has to do with bottles.  She is not too fond of bottles of any kind.  We have tried multiple bottles, different feeding positions, timing, and different people offering it to her all to no avail.  This may have something to do with the like listed above.  She a great nurser and the bottles just don't seem to cut it for her.  I love nursing however it makes me feel guilty to leave her for more than a few hours.  It is all part of the learning process and I know that she will get it in time.

Tender Moments: Watching the interactions between Gracie and Brylie is something that I truly cherish.  Gracie is absolutely enamored by Brylie and smiles and is so happy in her presence.  Brylie is so sweet with her.  She encourages her when she does tummy time, sings to her when she is upset, gives her plenty of kisses and is genuinely interested in what she is doing.   I love their bond.

1st Time Rolling Over

The day before Gracie's 3 month birthday she decided it was time to roll over.  While Gracie was working on tummy time Brylie was treating me to hair styling complete with comb, brush, curl cream, detangling spray, water bottle, and a towel to keep my shoulders dry.  We were laughing and enjoying the moment when we looked right next to us and noticed that Gracie was no longer on her tummy, but had moved to her back.  Gracie gave us a look as if she had done it before and we had her show us her cool trick again.  Very fun to be able to watch one of Graceyn's milestones with Brylie present. Love these precious girls!!

 Brylie working on doing Mommy's hair.

 The proud look of a girl who has just rolled over.

Had to catch her trick on video.