blustery

Layla (like most other kids) is obsessed with playing outside. This day was rather windy, creating a whirlwind of fun for her crazy imagination.

Here, she kept saying, "just... keep... walking... hehehehe". Tanner and I were really laughing because it seriously looked as though she'd blow away.

I looks like she's running here, or trying to run, but she's not. She's actually posing. She found a little action figure toy, stopped and said, "Oh, hi there!"

Recently

We've had a few more gorgeous, sunny days lately and we've taken full advantage of each of them. Layla is once again OBSESSED with the park and talks about it all day long. Although, she still is quite scared of even the most simple playground activities. Such as walking up the stairs to get ON the jungle gym... she crawls. And there's no way you'll catch her walking across that insanely scary bridge. Absolutely not. It's quite hilarious actually to watch her get on the "toddler" jungle gym and have babies passing her up and doing things Layla wouldn't dare do... such as go down the slide. She's a scaredy cat for sure, but we sure love her.

Lately Layla has started speaking for Gwen. She'll inform me when she's happy and likes something or if she hates a certain show on t.v. She even told me that Gwen didn't like my hair-do the other day. Nice. And whatever Gwen has, Layla will usually let me know that Gwen told her she could have it. Like this Boppy.

Silly.

Gwen is at the stage where she is getting more and more interested in toys and actually showing some attachments to certain things. Such as this Elmo. This is the one of the first things (besides Layla) that she has shown such a strong liking to. She gets extremely excited when she sees it and instantly strikes up a converstation with the little monster.

I should get a video of it, it really is cute.

Here she is practicing her sitting.

Proof

(sorry Gwen)

Oh, and cookies.

I'm doing a Chocolate Chip Cookie Challenge.

Each weekend this summer I will be baking a different choc. chip cookie recipe in search of our (my) favorite! This was the first one I tried... good but not GREAT.

Birthdays Shmirthdays...

I am yet another year older... and feel no different. Sometimes it amazes me how quickly these last few years have flown by. My life before marriage and children was very different, so self centered and boring. Yuck.

I'm so grateful to be able to share these years of my life with people I love and that make me feel so special and worthy of happiness.

I made two fruit pizzas (my favorite treat) anticipating a big group to show. Almost everyone cancelled, so we gave one away.

DELICIOUS!

My beautiful first born and her cheesy smile

(literally, I think there's some left over mac n cheese on her face)

This picture is really blurry, but I love how sweet my baby looks.

She is an angel.

Overall, I had a great Birthday! Thanks to all of you who wished me one!

Love being their Momma

Nonna visits again!

This is funny.

If you look closely in the photo below, you'll see a little jealous girl in the background, trying to get a little attention.

Ta Da!

Flashing people to get attention may be cute now...

We love you Nonna! You can come stay with us anytime!

My child

Now that naps are a thing of the past... she tends to crash at the end of each day. Her and her "Fuzzy Blanket".

Where does she get these faces??

The other day, I told her she could help me make muffins and she shot me this look.

A wink, tounge out, and a pointed finger.

I asked her, "Did you just do this to me?" (I tried my best to duplicate her look)

She replied in a high pitched, yet serious tone, "Are you copying me or sumthin???"

I was cracking up.

Lets go fly a kite...

Layla and I bought a kite for Family Night a while back. An Ariel kite... although she told me later that she wished she had a Barbie kite. Sorry kid. Tanner took her out back and gave her her first lesson in kite flying. It went.... well.

She'd run as far as she could, then stop...

then turn around and run the other direction.

But mostly, she liked watching Daddy do it.