Grand Canyon

So we have been in Arizona 2 + years and we finally made it up to the Grand Canyon!  Bob and Vickie came for a visit and we made the trip up to Flagstaff so escape the heat and take in some of the Arizona sites.  It's amazing up there!!!  I don't know why we don't go up there more often; it's cooler, there are PINE TREES and I'm sure there are lots of other cool things there, we just didn't have the chance to see them.

 

Our little road tripper!

On the way up to Flagstaff we stopped in Sedona for some photos and then stopped at Montezumas Castle.  It's a cliff dwelling that was actually really cool.  Crazy to think people actually lived there and had to climb alllllllll the way up there several times a day. 

She really liked checking out the castle and riding in her new stroller

Checking out leaves with Grandma

I love this!!!

Still holding onto her leaf

This is so much cooler than I thought it would be and pictures don't do it justice!

King of the mountain!!! 

Family photos

We had a great trip, it was so nice to get out of the heat for a few days and I know we will definitely be going back to Flagstaff (to see SNOW) and the Grand Canyon many times!  Thanks for such an enjoyable trip Bob and Vickie, we loved having you here!

 

10 months old!!!

Love that smile!!!

Rylee's First Trip to Red Lodge

Well, our trip to Red Lodge was horrible!  I had it all planned out that Rylee would be ready to take her nap on the plane.  However, being an Allegiant flight we were delayed 2 hours!  She did great while we waited, there was a little girl in the terminal that kept her occupied.  Then right before we boarded I get her to go to sleep and we got on the plane and an old woman grabbed her leg and woke her up...UGH!!!!  So needless to say she was wide awake and screaming/squealing the whole trip.  Old grumpy men kept giving me dirty looks.  Then when we landed in Billings there was a "medical emergency" so we ended up sitting on the tarmac for 45 minuted.  Needless to say Rylee had had enough when we finally got off the plane!  Whew!  

Red Lodge was great though!  We had a great time, meeting up with old friends, meeting new ones (Rylee met the Lysinger kiddos, Reid Hauge, Anna Kate O'Shay, Elspeth Morton and Brooke Donohoe...she was a busy girl).  One of the days it was super cold (62° haha) so we got all bundled up and went to the park.  Rylee had a blast!

Rylee got to go to her first rodeo!  She much rather liked to walk around and check stuff out rather than actually watch the rodeo.  But she did get her party on above the "Jim Noe" buckin' chute!  

Hanging out on the deck in her cowgirl boots

Rylee went to three parades!  By the time the 4th of July parade was about half way over, she had had enough and fell asleep in my arms! 

This is a picture that someone else took of the parade on the 4th...there were sooooo many people there!

Rylee and Grandpa in their 4th of July outfits

We weren't allowed to have fireworks because of the fire danger, but we had a BBQ at the house which was delicious.

Having some of Hunter Bell's home-made peach ice cream...yummy

Rylee also got to hang out with Great Grandma Etta for a couple days and she got to meet her cousin Dea and Dea's boyfriend Nate.  She loved getting all the attention :)

Giving Grandma some loves...

I was so lucky to meet miss Brooks Lee, one of my oldest friends (known her since before preschool!!!) did a good job of having her before we left town so I got to meet her!  She has literally been home from the hospital like an hour and Rylee and I went to meet her.  She was too precious.  Reminded me of when Rylee was that small...seems like so long ago!  I wish I would have taken a picture of the 4 of us, but there was too much going on :)

Rylee was checking out Brooke's horsey...it worked really well

On the way out to Nye Rylee and I stopped by to see Great Grandma and Grandpa Noe.  It had been several years since I stopped by and I felt guilty for not having flowers, but we improvised and got these.  At least it was something, sorry for the weeds guys :)

We had a wonderful trip, it was nice to see everyone and I am so glad that Rylee got to meet a bunch of people who have been waiting.  I can't wait for her to get a little older so we can do more with her.  We did a lot and I know we could have done a lot more if we had more time.  Ryan will have to go with us next time!   

My view driving home from Anna's house.  So beautiful!  Makes me miss Montana more and more, especially when we landed in AZ and it was brown and 112!!!

Having lunch with Grandma and Grandpa on the way to the airport.

Thanks for a great week guys, love ya!!!

9 months old!

Holy heck!!!  Our daughter is 9 months old!!!  So hard to believe.  She is the light of our life and definitely making her presence known in our house.

She is such a little person now-a-days and has become demanding and talkative and naughty and curious and thoughtful and loving.   She will let you know when she wants something and she is like her mamma and wants it done NOW (her dad is in for it).  She likes to take her toy box and dump everything out (this is what I mean when I say making her presence known...her stuff is everywhere) and she will pull it out as fast as I put it back in.  Before nap time and bed time we make her sit there and watch us put her stuff away...hoping that she will learn to clean up after herself if we keep doing this :)

The other night while we were talking to Grandma and Grandpa she was putting on a show with this laugh!

She is becoming a little dare devil and tries to climb all over furniture, in her crib, on us and she's starting to pull herself up on furniture as well as in the bath tub.  She is starting to take more steps one-handed and her balance is continuing to improve.  Hard to believe we almost have a "toddler" and before we know it she will be walking!

She is completely mobile...she officially crawled for the first time the other day but has kind of refused to do it again since...

She will get it and figure out that it is a lot easier than the Army crawl she is doing most of the time.  She will motor across the living room and into the kitchen to see what I am doing and then will move on into the front room and likes to check out the wine rack (it's on the list to child proof).  I had to start sweeping/moping almost every day because no matter what it is or its size, she will find it and eat it!!!  Plus it's a horrible feeling when you pick your daughter up and she is covered in dust and hair from scooting across the floor haha yikes!


We had her 9-month check up today and her Doctor says she is perfect!  We already knew that though ;)  She weighs 18.06 pounds (55%) is 28 3/4 inches tall (90%) and has a head circumference of 18" (90%) Tall and skinny!!!  ...with a big head haha  She also had her Hep B shot and TB skin test.  With the TB test, in the arm, she didn't even flinch and with other shot, in the leg, got her pretty upset for a minute but she was quickly back to her squealing/screaming/talking/playing self.  So proud of her!  Dr. Saba did say it's time to baby proof the house...

 I have this gate and obviously it's doing a good job haha

Rylee is eating like a champ!  She is getting really good at feeding herself and we are starting to give her more and more finger foods...and items that we are having for dinner.  I have also started making her foods a little thicker and she is doing really well with it.  She eats anything I give her.  She loves fruit so we give it to her as "desert" so she continues to do well eating vegetables.  She loves pineapple!!!!  I wonder if it's because I ate so much of it while I was pregnant?

Eating a pancake with daddy

Rylee loves to play peek-a-boo and soooooo big!  She also likes to clap her hands and if I say "ta da" she raises her arms above her head and then claps.  She likes to clap her hands after she is done eating and will do "ta da" after I change her diaper.  She's such a character.  We love to listen to music...Radio Disney is on pretty much all day and we love to sing and dance.  She is also a fan of Reggae...

I can't believe how fast you are growing up baby girl!!!

Swimming

Now that it's getting super hot out we have been going to the pool a lot.  Rylee loves it and is starting to get really comfortable in the water and even kicks!

I bought her this little floaty tube at Target...best investment ever!!!  It's so nice that we can just put her in it and she will float along and hang out without swallowing a lot of water.  It even has a cover over it so she is in the shade the whole time--perfect!!!

Sitting on the edge of the pool kicking!

These two really have it rough!

Best buds 

Poor Landon.  Rylee is constantly messing with him.  She likes to grab his hat and tries to hold his hands and when we are out of the pool she tries to eat his feet haha he will get her back soon.

Miss blue eyes

Give me that camera...so I can eat it!!!

 

It's HOT

Since it's too hot to go to the park we have to swing inside.  I put her swing in the full upright and locked position and buckled her in (if she wasn't she would inevitibly bail out) and she loves it!  Not quite the same as going to the park but it will work while it's 114 out!

Books

As of late Rylee loves books, especially interactive ones.  We have several books that you can feel "fur" or different textures and even play peek-a-boo.  Our morning routine now includes me going in to find a sitting-up-and-ready-to-go-baby...

Then we change her diaper and get dressed and almost immediately she goes right to her book shelf and starts taking all the books within reach off and throws them on the floor.

Then we will read a few books together and then I will let her read some to herself.  She is starting to get really good at turning the pages and she likes to hold the book with her feet.  Gotta love it!

She has already ruined a couple books so I only let her handle the big cardboard books without real pages and most of the time she freaks out when I take a "regular" book away from her.  She gets over it pretty quickly though.  I love that she is starting to enjoy books.  We never watch TV during the day but we do however jam out to Radio Disney a lot :)  We have started reading a couple books at bed time in hopes that we will soon break the need a bottle to fall asleep habit that we have formed (ugh!)  I'm not too worried about it though and have decided that she is only a baby once and we (I) and going to enjoy it while we (I) can.