August

Thanks to my wonderful friend Amanda for the soft blog nudge I am finally posting August!

August was a busy and fun month. The first part of the month we...

Went to the grocery store on our bikes

Tested out the taste of dirt

Went on lots of walks

Clung to daddy on weekends

Put up the hammock in a nearby park

Explored lots of playgrounds

Played outside every minute possible

Learned how to drink water from the bathtub facet

And went to the aquarium with friends

Then we hopped on a plane to UT for a fabulous 2.5 week vacation and Morgan even got to be there for 2 weeks of it!

I'm pretty sure that I look like a nut case going through the airport when I fly alone. This picture didn't include the 2 suitcases that I somehow managed to get to luggage drop off :)

Morgan got his one wish- go to Wyoming. We had so much fun meeting up with the Thompsons for lunch and some playground time. Ethan loves his cousins and it really tugs at my heart to see my child play with his cousins!

Morgan and I finally got a night to ourselves while my parents watched Ethan. We went to Park City (I couldn't go any farther away from my baby! Whom by the way, couldn't have cared less where his parents were...ha)

We went hiking and it was so beautiful! I miss Utah in the summer!

Ethan had lots of fun with Grandpa flying kites,

smelling flowers, 

and lots of playing outside with the dog. 

We were able to spend time with each of my grandparents. This is a picture that I will always cherish! Ethan with his great-grandparents. I'm so lucky that I have had so much influence in my life from grandparents!

We went to the Ogden Temple open house! Ethan never smiles for the camera, little stinker!

But he sure loves his dad and you can always snap a quick photo with a big smile when the two are together!

 Ethan LOVES dogs and especially Obi my parents dog. Ethan's favorite thing to do at grandma's is walk the dog.  Morgan still wont budge though on getting a dog :)

Another beautiful picture! While we were in UT my grandpa had a stroke, it turned out to be a blessing as we were able to spend lots of time with him at the hospital in Ogden. 

After spending a week in UT. Morgan, Ethan and I set off on another week long trip to Seattle, Vancouver and Victoria, BC. 

Another post will follow on that lovely trip. Until then...

July

Here I am having to play catch up again...

 The big highlight of the month was Ethan's 1st birthday. My parents and siblings came into town and we met up with Rory, Mandi and Wade for a birthday full of animals at the petting zoo.

We came back and let Ethan try his cake....

 notice the foot that always has to be up on the tray.

We had lots of fun celebrating, Ethan just had fun with all the attention and the balloons. 

Ethan loved having grandma and grandpa around!

Our good friends the Blancos came to visit from California and we had a fun BBQ with them and the Ryans. The babies loved getting to know each other. 

More fun with friends at the Dallas Zoo.

Grocery Store adventures...

We had a crazy big rain storm which flooded our backyard but also created a big stream down the street so we make a boat and floated it down the river. I probably had more fun than Ethan :)

Ethan also learned how to walk right after his first birthday and walking just made dancing a bit easier!

Ethan!

This month I have been thinking back to my life one year ago, can you believe that an entire year has gone by!? WOW its incredible how fast it went. One year ago I had a week old baby and honestly wondering if I would ever make it through. Now looking back I realize how much I have learned in this last year. I have learned more about empathy, patience, unconditional love, long-suffering, and humility. I have glimpsed the love that Heavenly Father must feel for all of us as His children. I have experienced the joy of motherhood that some people never get to experience. As I hold my sweet baby boy at night, I thank Heavenly Father for all the hard times that I went through this past year, because they made me more able to appreciate the sweet moments.

Morgan and I couldn't have been given a more perfect baby. He is healthy and smart, cute and happy, and just an all around great boy. He has really started learning alot in the last couple months and its so fun to see him learn something and get excited about it. He says dada and ah-oh. He LOVES airplanes and is really into pointing at everything and examining it more closely. He took his first steps a few days ago and is really proud of himself when he walks. I am so grateful for this sweet boy who has brought so much joy and happiness into my life.