Just a little bit of Lately:

So the last couple of weeks have just flown by! I'm not sure if its the nice weather, the fact that we're going out of town on Saturday, or that Chris is back, but I can't believe we're almost in the middle of AUGUST!!!! We've defiantly stayed busy, and Charli is just as cute as ever, learning new things everyday. Her favorite thing to do now, is stick her arm out, tilt her head sideways, and spin around in a circle.... kinda strange, but very cute! She still shakes her head no, when ever you ask her any question, and is walking and climbing on everything! Anyways this is just a little peak of what we've been up to lately:

I've been dying to take Charli to a little spray park, and let her splash around in the water and I finally did!! I was worried the water was way to cold, and she wouldn't like it, but she did, and had a blast!

Just taking a little break



when ever she would get close to the water that was taller than her, she would slowly inch her way over to it, then stick her foot out and try to block the water.




This is where we spent most of the time there, right next to this little tiny fountain that wasn't quite as scary, as the other ones



Shes really been loving just walking around outside





Swimming with her Dad



OK, this was a HUGE HIT! She LOVES this Elmo chair! every morning the first thing she does, is run and sit in it, while I'm making her breakfast. As you can see she's not the only one who loves it! It's so funny when the dogs get on her chair, she walks over to them and tells them "no no no!" then looks at me to make them move.

Breaking Dawn!

So, I haven't really mentioned it before, because I hate being all caught up in something that everyone goes crazy over, but after last night there's really no denying it any longer. Of course I'm referring to the Twilight series! I'm sure many of you out there understand, and were having a very similar night to us. We started out the night at the always amazing Cheesecake Factory! It was my sister-in-law Lindsay's sixteenth birthday (actual b-day, remember the Joe Bros concert....her.) so we defiantly took advantage of that, left the kids at home, and made a night of it. After some great food, and amazing desert, we casually decided to swing by a Breaking Dawn release party ...... hahaha Here's one side of the table: Bri, Lindsay, and JessicaAnd the other side of the table: Kristi, Me, and Tiffany
Here's some really obsessed girls that we're by far the oldest ones there, (that weren't there as chaperones.... getting Jonas Brothers flashbacks) in some really sweet T-shirts! OK lets be real, Lindsay and I made all the shirts.
The party wasn't quite the rager we thought it might be, but it did have a pretty sweet countdown to midnight! I can't Deny that it was really fun, and I'm already reading and fully addicted to Breaking Dawn!

Chuck E. Cheese!!

Last week, we had some bad weather, and had to try and find some fun things to do inside. Someone threw out the idea of Chuck-E-Cheese, and we figured Charli might just be old enough to have a little bit of fun there! I have to admit, I know kids love places like this, and they have loads of fun, but I can't help but think of how filthy these places are, with all the bare feet, slimy hands, runny noses, slobber, and just overall grossness that my baby will be surrounded by! But I have to remember I was once one of the kids that loved these places, and I survived, so whatever, that's what washing your hands is for right! So of course we went and lots of fun. I think pizza might be Charli's favorite food already! Every time we eat it (I especially noticed when we were here), she can eat nearly two whole pieces herself! Not counting all the bites she decides to throw on the floor of course. Anyways after pizza, we put her on a few of the little rides that barley move, and after finally getting her to sit, without crawling down, she seemed to really enjoy herself.

Charli and Ava, checkin this one out together!

Charli really seems to prefer to go up the slide, rather then go down.

The only other little ride I could get her to stay on, a little trolley! They really liked turning the steering wheel, and trying to climb over the back of the seat!

It was really fun watching her run around this place, and I can't wait until she's old enough to enjoy real rides, and we can finally go to Disney Land! Seriously, let me know if you want to go, because I'm really going to plan a trip!

Polka-Dot Party!

Last Saturday we had quite the birthday party! Charli, Ava, and Kaho were all turning one, with-in a month of each other, so Kristi, Amy, and I decided to have a triple birthday bash, and celebrate all together! It was a pretty big project, complete with a BBQ, water balloon toss, and a doughnut eating contest, but well worth it in the end! Our goal was to get as much taken care of before hand as possible so we could actually enjoy the party, and not have it turn into a stressful event! A big thank you to all of our family and friends for coming, and especially to everyone who helped us make it happen! It was great to get everyone together, and watch all the kids play! I had a blast, and I think Charli, Kaho and Ava did too!

Me, Amy and Kristi, the sweet party planners. This is the only picture I had of us, and when I showed Chris he started laughing and said that I look like someone photo shopped my head onto a different body. I looked at it, and its true! I have no idea why I look so "off" but whatever, I think its funny.


Here's some of the kids bobbing for apples! We tried to convince all the adults to join the fun, but for some reason they weren't to excited! Its pretty gross when you think about it.

Our little One-year-olds waiting with shirts off for their birthday cake! (and yes, those are doughnuts dangling from a tree in the back round)

I was lucky enough to have my Dad come up from Portland to come to our party! It was really great to see him, and I'm pretty sure he had a good time! Thank you Dad!

Lucky for us, Chris FINALLY made it home from Alaska. He actually got back the night before, after having been gone for 5 weeks! Its amazing to have him back, and I defiantly need to give him credit for all he does for me and Charli! I wouldn't last up there for a single day, living on a boat, surrounded by fish! Thank you Chris for everything!!!



OK, I could not resist posting this picture. This is NOT Charli's birthday cake, this is a couple weeks ago, and her uncle Keni's birthday! I've never seen her go to town like this! It was everywhere!! From her hair to down in her diaper she was covered! On her birthday she was slightly more dainty, but I'm glad I at least have these pictures to look back on!

Disney Princess

OK, so everyone has been doing these princess quizzes, and I wasn't going to post this, but it was pretty fun, and actually pretty interesting because it was sort of like me:) Anyways I decided oh well. By the way, I SERIOUSLY want to go to Disney Land, so if anyone wants to plan a trip let me know k!

You Are Esmerelda!

Mysterious and passionate. You are a survivor. Even though life has swung you some difficult situations you have a strong intuition that gets you through. Also, you have the capacity to sympathize and relate to a variety of different people.

Which Disney Princess Are You?

JO-NAS JO-NAS JO-NAS!!!!!!!

What a crazy last couple of days it has been! Every time I go to a concert, I'm never prepared for how loud the crazy screaming fans can be! I'm pretty sure I'm still partically deaf, and my ears are still ringing. Anyways, My sister-in-law Lindsay's sixteenth birthday is coming up, and all she wanted for her birthday was to go to a Live Jonas Brothers concert. Her and I looked on-line only to be disappointed that they weren't coming anywhere near here on their summer tour (Burnin Up). Thankfully for me, she is someone who puts her mind to something, and makes it happen! That very next morning she comes running over to see what I think about going to the next show in Anaheim California! How could I refuse??? (lets just forget how old I am for the remainder of this post) So on Sunday Me, Lindsay, and my other sister in law Kristi flew down to Cali for one night to go to the Jo Bro's show!! Aside from the fact that I was missing my baby (it was the first time Ive left her overnight), it was seriously fun!

We got to Anaheim with a few hours to spare, so we just decided to relax by the pool. Here's Lindsay, and Kristi looking her best!

They had a crazy tour bus, that all the fans sign and write messages on.

Here we are in our "New Seats". So listen to this. After hours of waiting in line to get in, then another forever, in a t-shirt line (do i sound like 13 yet haha) we go inside to get our "Amazing seats" we were excited for only to see that everything on the floor looked all rearranged, and our seats no longer existed! A usher tells us this big story about how the Jonas Brothers are using both Anaheim concerts to shoot there upcoming movie JB in 3D (coming in January), and to make room for the cameras, and a pre-selected mosh-pit of little girls, our $300 seats were gone. Welp back to the ticket line we go, sot wait with the hundreds of other angry people who's seats have been eliminated! Finally after yelling and arguing with with ticket people about trying to be compensated in some way, we ended up just taking the new seats they gave us,because the show was starting and we didn't want Lindsay to miss any of it. They ended up not being to bad, but nothing compared to what they would have been (11th row on the floor).

I didn't get to many good shots during the show. Anyone who's been to a concert with me knows that my focus is to have as much fun as possible, go crazy, and take advantage of the whole experience!



So after the show ended, they had the whole audience stick around so they could film about 3 or 4 more songs, and in walks Taylor Swift, to sit and watch them film! I can only assume that she must be dating one of them, because why else would she be there. This picture is really bad and blurry, but she kept moving and I had to zoom in really far so it's the best I got.

This was us attempting to get a shot of us wearing our Jo-Bro's T-shirts, but it didn't work out so well. All the pictures we had other people take, came out terrible. Although I'm so happy to be back,and see my little Charli, it was an amazing time, and Lindsay Happy Birthday! Feel free to take me along next time you plan something crazy!

Charli's ONE!!!!!!!!

It seems pretty surreal to me, that today my little baby or I should say toddler now, is turning ONE!!! Its hard to think that last year at this time, I was at the hospital getting to meet my little Charli for the first time. I could go on and on about how happy she has made Chris and me, and I could not imagine for one second what our lives would be like without her. I've enjoyed every minute of her, and can't wait to see her grow, and watch her continue to amaze us with everything she learns! I'm so lucky, and couldn't have asked for a more perfect little girl.

Some of my friends have done similar things on their blogs, but I think it's a great idea (mostly for my own records) to write down a few things that will help everyone get to know Charli a little better.
What she loves: walking! bath time, or any shallow water she can play in, eating all finger foods, feeding our dogs when she eats, crawling up the stairs, getting into our dogs food, sticking her feet in their water, flushing the toilet, riding in her stroller, putting necklaces on, crinkling up paper, turning pages in books, remotes, cell phones, computer wires, (anything off limits),clapping her hands, shaking her head no, climbing on the dishwasher, waving bye-bye, the phone! She loves holding it up to her ear like she's talking


What she hates: being picked up, when she's determined to walk, looking at strangers, getting her clothes on, having bows in her hair, being blocked from the stairs, being licked by our dogs, and defiantly getting her face wiped when she's done eating

Favorite foods: Peanut butter and Jelly, grapes, green beans, mac and cheese, peaches, bananas, apples, pears, hot dogs, CAKE, chicken, noodles with basically any sauce, watermelon, french fries, goldfish, and marshmallows! Especially the marshmallows in lucky charms!

Foods she dislikes: Plain bread,

Fun Facts: She can say Mama and Dada, no, kitty cat (kind of), uh-oh, hi, and maybe a few others I'm forgetting. She is very attached to Mommy, but she's slowly branching out and getting comfortable with other people. She is, and has always been a great sleeper! She loves drinking from a cup or a straw. She still has one long piece of hair in the back, that's longer than all the rest! she's getting more personality with every single day! She will pretend to give you something, then pull it back right when you're about to grab it! She loves wearing her sunglasses! She hates it when I attempt do her hair, and she has a Mommy and Daddy who love her to pieces!

The first set of pictures was done by Holly Aprecio, and I LOVE THEM Check out her blog http://hollyapreciophotography.blogspot.com/ The rest here, are a quick look at the last year. Look how big she's gotten!

Strawberry Farm

We've been having some nice weather around here these days, and have been keeping busy doing outside things. Hopefully summer is here to stay. So the other day, a whole bunch of us, went to the Berringer Farm to pick strawberries! However, it was much more than I expected. There were goats to pet, a train ride, a playground, and a sweet old guy even read a story about strawberries to all the kids. Charli was a little trooper, and loved the whole thing. I had the worst allergies ever the entire time, but she had fun for the both of us! I think her favorite part had to be watching all the kids feed the goats. She just laughed and kept trying to climb the fence, and sticking her arms in to touch the little goats face!

Look at those blue eyes!

Kofi taking her for a tractor ride!

Eating strawberries with me! I was as bad as the kids, and ate half the strawberries I picked.

Lovin the goats!

I just love that sweet face!