palm desert sun

It was another fun trip to Palm Desert this year for our annual attendance to the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.  The weather was spectacular, the flowers, trees, and grass so well groomed and manicured.  An overall breath of fresh air and relaxation.  If there is sunshine and free time, I am all in.  

growing

 Dare hanging out with his cousins.  Caleb, Hyrum, and Zach.  It is so crazy to me to realize how much time has gone by, and how quickly it has happened!  I feel like it was not very long ago that ALL 3 of these boys were the same age as Dare, and I was loving on them and snuggling them, and just eating up their chubs.  I loved loved loved them all from the very start, and I remember not ever being able to get enough of them.  And, now Auntie CC gets that same feeling for "her" Dare.  Now, I get how good it feels as a mom to have so many other people genuinely love your child.  I never understood at the time when I was CONSTANTLY (like as in almost every day) at Carmen and Stan's so I could be with the kids, how important that relationship was that I was building with those boys.  At the time, I just wanted my auntie loves. 

 

Dare was standing at the back door the other day just watching the birds and the waterfall.  I wonder what he was thinking?  I would like to say that he was thinking "winter winter please go away, make room for sunshine and warm so I can play"

 He grabbed one of my chocolate twizzlers from my hand and had it in his mouth before I could reach down and take it back.  I didn't even try to pry it out and back. I know better.  He sure has an opinion about me taking yummy treats away from him, and he is not afraid at all to express it.  I was tired that day, so I just let him choke it down and figure it out.  I hope he didn't share with Bogey. 

 He was "organizing" his toys in his playroom.  He has a lot to learn in the interior design department.  I guess I'll throw him a bone...he is only 10 months. 

Eating daddy's homemade spaghetti was amazing fun.  It was actually like the amazing race.  He couldn't scarf it down fast enough.  It was like he thought those noodles had legs and just might run away if he didn't hurry and gobble them up by the fist fulls.  Bogey waited patiently underneath and consequently was COVERED with sticky pieces of noodles.  I thought I had cleaned them all out of his hair, and like 2 days later when I was giving him a bath, as I was scrubbing his coat I found more dried up noodles.  I know this is only the beginning... ;)

catch up

 Time to catch up a bit.  So, in no particular order, a brief capture to journal the most recent...

 Hanging out with mom at Dad's office.  Feeling pretty big on top a huge granite slab table in the lobby. 

 A weekend get away to Vegas with Chal and Ben.  We went and saw the Michael Jackson Cirque.  Pretty amazing.  Outstanding actually...

 

Dare's most recent funny.  Mr. Drama himself.  NO tears, just good acting.  Can we say PATHETIC!  I keep telling him to get some new material, cuz all this one does is make his mama laugh. Some days it is hard to count how often he pulls this face.  Oh my.   

 We helped Parker celebrate his first birthday last Saturday.  Mike and Lo went all out on the party.  An indoor bounce house, plastic balls galore, lots of kids to play with, little gym stairs and ramps, and good food, beer, and treats. 

 Dare LOVED it.  You can see in his eyes how tired he was... no afternoon nap for this brave soldier.  There was way too much fun to be had, and too many friends to play.  

(he made up for it on the ride home... out like a light switch even before I could back out of the driveway!)

 

And, finally.  A fresh new look for my laundry room.  I was feeling a little marmalade.  And, I am so pleased we did it.  Ryan helped me, and did it happily.   That, in and of itself made my heart smile! ;)   I think he knows this is not the end.  I am feeling my project mode and DIY coming on again.  I'm BACK!! It must be my need to kick my cabin fever to the curb.  Enough.  I am done feeling like a wintery slug. 

 

New overhead cabinets to come... I just need to find the perfect ones! 

miss annie

I finally remembered to get a photo of Dare with Andrea! 

This is his second mom.  She loves him so much, and we feel so very blessed to have her in our lives!  She takes such wonderful care of baby D every Monday-Thursday.  He loves it there at her home, and is as just in love with her as she is with him.  WIN-win! 

Dare at 9 months, is now wearing 18 month size jammies.  We just switched to a bigger size last night, and it is so much better and more comfy for him.  I had been stuffing him into his 12 month size, and decided that it was just silly.  They were busting at the seams!  Much better now! 

9 month visit

We went to visit Dr Paul yesterday for Dare's 9 month check up. 

He is doing just fine, and is as healthy as ever.  

I was having fun taking photos of him PRE shots.  He was so happy. 

"come get me off this table mom, the nurse lady is coming to poke me!"

a little blurry in my hurry to capture his "sorta cry/whimper" after the shots, right here he is regaining his composure...

He doesn't want to be sad.  

Nurse Emily didn't do a very good job at sticking on the bandaid.  

You can see both the injection sights on that chubby thigh...which, by the way, is my favorite part of this photo!  LOVE the CHUBS!! 

night out

While Dare played with Spud across the street...

 We had a much needed night out.  And, of course Miss Tara is always willing to come join the party!  (even though she wasn't feeling the best...such a trooper!) 

He is pretty fun. 

sweetness

My sweet bubbers. 

So grown up at 9 whole months!! 

Dad always lets him play with hats in the morning before going to Andrea's.  

(I think it is a distraction so that he can get ready to leave for the day.) 

Trying out something new isn't always what I have it cracked up to be!  I wanted him to try out the sippy cup, it has the same texture and type of material as his bottle nipple, but he was not having it, and got so frustrated! 

"Mom it's not working!!" 

Playing inside the box with all the toys seems to be much more fun for him lately!  He does this almost every time we get one of his toy boxes out.  

farmington bay

It has been a long time since Ryan and I have taken a drive out to Farmington Bay.  We decided after breakfast at Sunshine, to head up there to see if we could spot any bald eagles (and also lull Dare to sleep for a late morning nap!)

Even in the inversion, you could see the beauty.  

(I was bummed I didn't have my other camera, because there were 2 beautiful bald eagles perched up high on a tree branch.  The Samsung photos are a bit too grainy to even save.)  

We enjoyed the quiet of the snow packed preserve, and the shimmering ice on the weeds and branches. 

A nice little detour does the soul some good! 

six

Happy Anniversary to us!

Six years go by in a hurry.  

So much has happened and so much has changed.

Ultimately, all for good.

I am grateful for the love that has bound us together through it all.

Sickness and Health.

Rain and Shine.

Happy and Sad.

Thick and Thin.

I've got your back Ry, and I know you have mine.

Cheers to a lifetime together and to many more to celebrate. 

all in a day

Dare was just full of it yesterday. 

tearing apart his nursery

hamming it up, while mom was restraining him (so he wouldn't knock over the full length easel mirror)

"organizing" moms makeup

sneaking away

"helping" mom clean

reading about an attitude adjustment

yet again, stealing bogey's food

sneaking away again

vehemently vetoing nap time

stealing one of moms suckers

helping mom in the kitchen while she makes a bottle 

playing peek a boo while mom sits on the couch trying to catch her breath