Party

Ed and Joanna came out on Tuesday to visit Tracie and I, and coincidentally they were here for Brooke's birthday as well! :) We all enjoyed being spoiled to some degree during their visit, be it the extra pair of hands to take care of Brooke, the wondeful meals cooked for by Joanna, or the chance to eat Dim Sum and Cinzetti's in the same weekend. It was a fun and fast few days, and of course, it was Brooke who missed them most, since it was lonely in the back seat without them.

It took some coaxing, some advance ripping, and some placing of the paper right into her hands, but otherwise Brooke was a natural at opening her gifts.

The walker was a big hit.

Thanks for the book!

Wow, even more gifts, when will this all end!

Is this all for me?

All these gifts are great, but I think I'd really just like a nap!




The Birthday cupcake chronicles.

The pristine beginning.

So what do you do with this thing, poke holes in it and smash it to pieces?!?!?!

Oh, I see where you're going with this...


That's what I'm talking about!

These things aren't so bad after all!

Thanks Grandma and Grandpa for a great birthday!

It was great to see Brooke's face when she saw her new gifts, and we got to see that same face that afternoon after her nap, and again the next morning. I think she forgets about them every time she goes to sleep. Once again, Happy Birthday Brooke.

Happy Birthday Brooke!!

Thanks for a fun first year together. You've grown up so much. We love you lots and ots and ts and s!!! - Mom and Dad

Apple Pie....Mmmm....Delicious

This past Tuesday a guy from our ward at church taught the Relief Society how to make his awesome apple pie all from scratch. It turned out absolutely delicious although we had to wait until the next day until we could dive into the pie that I had made.

We also got to make our way to the park this last week. It was Brooke's first time going and I think she really enjoyed herself. She absolutely loved the swing which is surprising because she sometimes doesn't like to be thrown up in the air. She was a little iffy about the slide but still managed to have a smile on her face after going down.
Friday night Troy took me out on a date. We tried out a new place called Nono's Cafe. Think southern/New Orleans comfort food. It was delicious and we left there stuffed to the brim. Afterwards we went and saw Transformers on IMAX. I was a little worried that watching a movie on such a big screen would make me sick but it didn't and we both thoroughly enjoyed it. Troy would say that it was a good popcorn movie. Our friends, Justing and Kristin, came and watched Brooke. They found our camera and decided to take some snapshots of Brooke. The funny thing is I feel like all the pictures that are taken in the highchair Brooke has the same head tilt. Here are just a few to show.

Saturday Brooke and I finally got Troy to the pool. Troy and Brooke had a blast in the deep end. Troy even tried to teach Brooke how to blow bubbles but Brooke would just laugh at him. Lastly, we think Brooke shares the same affinity for boxes as Lexie does.

Will it ever be summer?

So, despite what the solar position, school kids, and people wearing white say, it does not feel like Summer here in Colorado. Is it nice outside, yes. Is it warm in the morning, yes. Is it hot at noontime, sometimes. Does it rain nearly every afternoon and sometimes in the evenings, nearly every day. I swear at sometime I will be able to go swimming with Brooke one of these weekends.

Instead, this is how we keep ourselves busy. We visit with neighbors. Here is Brooke with Louis, who lives behind us. When they are together, it is hard to tell who enjoys it more, Brooke or Louis.

Brooke is a lot sillier at night. I don't know if it is just being at the end of the day, or the fact that I am home from work. Either way, we both enjoy a lot of laughs together.

The other night I made a tunnel with the ottoman and with the couch pillows. She enjoyed running away from me and attacking/crawling over Tracie.

Here is what Brooke does during the day when she is "quietly playing by herself". I think she has learned a few things from Lexie!

Camera work is not the greatest. Don't hurt your neck.

This Little Piggy Went to the Market...

Call me desperate but I did it. I managed to get two little piggies in Brooke's hair. Funny thing is all her hair is on top with a little in the back but I managed to get the elastics on fairly tight.

We had a busy week starting with Troy and I going to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert at Red Rocks. It was a bit of a hike to get to the amphitheater but the view was worth it. We even got to see nature's fireworks show in the distance.

Monday and Tuesday I babysat a friend's little 2 month old. I am so glad that pretty much all they do is eat and sleep. Heather, I don't know how you do it with twins! Thursday Troy and I got to celebrate his passing another exam. Do you know what that means? He only has one more left to take and then he is DONE!!!!!!! I am so proud of him and all that he has accomplished in these last almost 5 years. In total there are 10 exams and he's taken 2 a year for the past 5 years. We are excited for him to be done although I'll be sad that he no longer gets study days. I also got to go out that evening with some friends to see The Proposal. I enjoyed the movie and even found myself chuckling afterwards.Saturday was a fun day. We went out to dim sum with our neighbors. I even tried snails for the first time. It was too bad although I don't think I would ever order it on my own. Troy and I played the Wii in the afternoon then had some of our neighbors over in the evening. Originally we were going to have a cul-de-sac BBQ but starting around 5ish we got a torrential downpour that didn't stop until after 8. Luckily the rain stopped in time for us to catch the firework show that our development put on.

Now for a quick, funny story:

Brooke and I went to the library early in the week. I usually get a couple books for Troy and I and then some board books for Brooke. Well, I found this book that I thought would be fun for Troy and Brooke to read together. I showed it to Troy and he quickly starts skimming the book. I thought he had read it before as a kid but it was until I started looking at the pictures then the title that it all made sense. Needless to say, we returned the book immediately. I swear I thought the book was about a kid and his dad and his grandpa.

Bonus:

Splash and Crash

Monday was a first in Brooke's life. She want to the pool for the first time! According to Tracie she was a little timid at first, but soon realized that it was just like taking a bath. Pretty soon she was laughing and splashing.

With her friend Lizzie.

As you can tell, she hasn't moved spots at all, unlike her cousin Sierra, who likes to crawl into ever deeper water without hesitation!

She did take a few trips with Mommy into the big pool, gripping ever tighter to Mom the deeper they went! I think the purple lips means it is time to go home!!

On Friday I treated Tracie to a night in Beaver Creek. Sparked by a suggestion from Stacie that she watch Brooke for the night, I figured Tracie could do for a night away. Friday we checked in, ate dinner at a delicious Asian Fusion restaurant, and relaxed for the evening.

After a lazy morning and breakfast, we took the lift up to take a hike. Beautiful views the whole way up.

On the lift ride up we saw the 18 hole disc golf course. Too bad Will wasn't here.

After a short hike by the lift, we grabbed a bite to eat and the restaurant on top of the lift. Unsatisfied by the short hike, we decided to hike all the way back down the mountain. The hike as 4 miles, nearly all downhill (2000 vertical feet), and took us an hour and a half. Tracie and I were both feeling it this morning!

All in all it was a fun escape, but we sure did miss our little girl!

We got back home in time to head to the ward picnic. Brooke was happy to see us again, or maybe she was just happy to be outside and eating! It was a nice cap to a relaxing couple of days.

Where Has the Time Gone???

Today Brooke turned 11 months. I cannot believe that we're one month shy of her being a year. Crazy I tell ya. Can we please slow down the clock just a titch? Anywho, thought I'd fill all those that are interested in the goings-on of a 11 month old.

-As seen from the previous post, loves to make messes-Will beg for food.

-Wishes she could walk but scaling along furniture will have to do for now.

-Can empty a basket of toys, clothes, trash, etc. in 2.5 seconds flat

-Loves helping out with household chores. Especially the dishwasher.

-Loves to hunt for "treasures."

-Has great foresight. Will say uh-oh before she drops something. Haven't been able to catch this on video but believe me, it's super cute.

-Loves playing peek-a-boo with anyone. In this case, with any thing.

All in all, these have been a fantastic 11 months. Can't wait to see what 12 months will bring us.