Sweetest Spring & Summer

WOW! Just a *few* months have passed since last posting, but that's okay. We're wrapping up the best summer of my life with my girl, that followed a beautiful spring of watching her learn and grow each day too. The monthly (and lengthy) updates I did throughout my pregnancy and Ellie's first year were , are, and will continue to be important to me, but they did become kind of like another item on my to do list. Letting them go and focusing on time with Eloise, and time for me, has been more important. I'd still like to keep up-to-date, and share what's going on with friends and family near and far, but I hope to do so in a less stressful manner (for me). Right now, I think I'll try sharing my favorite pictures from each month, and then writing about other things from time to time that I've learned or I want to say. I am so grateful for any of you who reads this, and for those who have continued to follow us along our life's adventures.

The beginning of April was busy busy busy with Ellie's birthday and party, and it felt like I needed to rest of the month to "recover". Speaking of, I still hope to write a post about her first birthday and her party...just another item on the list! Oh well... But here are my favorites from April:

I love these pictures! There were SO many to choose from, but these have to be my favorites...Sharlee Rother Photography is the best!

Lots of sleepy-heads after our family/Ellie's first birthday pictures....

Ellie's last first holiday...Easter! 

Wow! Three little cousins all smiling together!

NHS English friends and babies...All in order!
Love sharing the adventure of motherhood with these mommas!

Her faces crack me up... What a ham!

Ellie loving on Dexter and him loving her back.

Mimi and three of her grandbabies!

Cheesin' Girl

One of my very favorite pictures of her to date!

Oh how I love her!

Hanging with Grampa Larry in the chairs he built

The last month of school and watching the kiddos, Chris's graduation, Mother's Day, birthdays, and many other ups and downs happened in the the month of May. I love these pictures... 

The Henry Women! It doesn't happen very often anymore,
but any chance I get to be with these wonderful ladies, I will always jump at it. 

Myriad Gardens' Splash Pad fun for Ian's birthday

Dadda graduated with his Masters! Hallelujah!

Mother's Day celebrations with some of the best moms!

These two...My afternoon companions, especially if there's food involved.

My four "kiddos"...So blessed to be part of their lives!

Full Moon Bike Ride with one of my oldest and closest friends, Joellen.
We're on a "be healthy" journey together, and I am so glad it's with her!

The Secret Garden presented by the Myriad Gardens! 

It was such a beautiful day!

Our old Dexter-Man celebrated his 13th birthday in May.
 Little did we know that we would only have a few weeks left with him.
We still miss his tiny meow and sweet disposition!

Ellie learned of her love of swings this month!

Picnics are my favorite.
Picnics at the Myriad Gardens with my family are even better.

This girl. She's hilarious!

Last day with all for kiddos! Happy Summer!

Saying goodbye to friends is never easy, but good food, wine, and lots of last laughs sure did help.
Enjoy your NYC adventure Jessica and Brent! We love you!

June was the first half of our summer and flew by! We did a lot of relaxing and had a lot of fun. The Valentas Family even got to go on our first family vacation! What a great month...

First Tiger Cub Club event...A day at the zoo!

First visit to the pool! YAY!

Full Moon Bike Ride with many friends, and Loan's last one for awhile!

One final "class picture" before Loan begins her new adventure...Moving to NYC!

Summertime food is the best, and this is one of my favorite meals! Ellie loves it too. 

Happy birthday Uncle Scott!

Father's Day with the best Dad I know

This summer included many trips to the zoo...And she loves it!

Completed our first swimming lessons! Way to go Cash & Ellie!

At the airport, headed to California for our first family vacation!

She likes planes almost as much as Daddy

We made it! 

Eloise's first visit to the ocean! She wasn't too sure about it... 

Ellie got to meet her cousin Marie too!

Meeting Mickey for the very first time brought this 

Momma AND Dadda to tears...She loved him!

And Eloise loved Minnie too!

The trip was all about watching Ellie experience everything for the first time.
Seeing the wonder in her eyes made it all worth it. 

Silly girl!

We got to meet Dug too! She loved that doggie.

Dancing girl at the World of Color show. At the end, she grabbed both of our necks at the same time and squeezed us together for a family hug. It was like she was telling us thank you. Sweet girl!

We also got to meet some cousins for the first time! While Dad had to work, we spent the day with the Lowes, Kelly, Lainy, and Russell, playing at the beach!

Summer always doesn't feel like it has begun until July 4th, but then it's already half over. Why do I always think it will last forever? We soaked up the sun in July and savored our pajama clad mornings. We spent LOTS of time just having fun with our family and our friends. These are my July favorites.

On our way to Nebraska...These two are the cutest!

The week of our trip home from California and to Nebraska, Ellie really started seeing what fun walking could be.
It was good for her to practice on soft carpet and grass!

The Fourth of July: One of my favorite holidays!

Look at her go!

Very curious about all the loud noises outside...She needed Grampa's help to investigate!

With Great-Grandma Ginnie

Having a little bit of fun with Grampa Larry before hitting the road home.

One wild-woman at lunch with Lola! Crazy girl!

Summertime fun with the Harris Family...
Playing at the splash pad, then watching Frozen at the Myriad Gardens!

The Hawaiian cousins finally arrived!
So happy to have them stay the night with us, despite the broken A/C!

All the kiddos...Ready to SHOP!

Big girl's 15-month appointment and shots...How can it be!?!

Fellow Tiger Cubs, in the form of a "Sam Sandwich"!

Backyard movie nights and s'mores in the fire pit are what summer is made of.

Swimming with LOTS of babies and their mommas! Love these three Tiger girls!

Eloise certainly learned how to have an appetite for watermelon this summer! YUM!

Celebrating Jennie and Baby Olive at Cuppies & Joe

Fun in the sun at Andy Alligator's with the Brockmans

Lunch with Aunt Janae and Uncle JD is always a perfect way to spend the day!

Garden-sitting = The best!

We learned this summer that this girl loves the water! Makes me so happy!

"See You Soon" dinner with the Daniels at Red Lobster

MAC N' CHEESE!!!

Now we're to August: my birthday month! Hooray! And boy do I love to celebrate. Thank you to those that still put up with me wanting to get together with you all around my birthday...I thought I'd eventually grow out of it, but having fun with people I love is my most favorite thing, and birthdays are for your favorites! Right!?! Thank you for your gifts of time most of all. Thank you thank you thank you!

This summer has been so mild, we've even been able to
enjoy our backyard with friends! This was a beautiful evening...

My goodness...Isn't she GORGEOUS!?!

A day at the Science Museum with friends and family is always a good idea. 

One of our last Valentas/Harris/Buller plus Mimi/Gia hoorahs!

Oh Mr. Michael Buble...I think that I've gotten over you, and then I hear you sing,
and you bring me right back to falling in love with my sweet husband again. 

Had our very first Harris cousin sleepover  

The beginnings of a fun friendship!

We celebrated the upcoming arrival of Miss Nataly Paige Basset 

with a star-filled "sprinkle" at Darin & Tai's house

Science Museum fun with Auntie Ashley on our last days of summer!

One final Tiger Cub Club event for Summer 2014: splash pad and picnic!

I'll admit it...We love White Water!

Twinkie Toes

To celebrate my birthday, we combined many of my favorite things with some of my favorite people: Thunder fountain playtime, picnic on the Great Lawn from the Ice House, a smores ice cream cake from Dairy Queen, and a setup comparable to those on "The Bachelor" :) to watch "Despicable Me".

It was so much fun!

And of course we had to celebrate with our family! Delicious food and great company!

Ellie helping me with all those candles!

The Valentas Family

With the Harris Family

Grandparents are the BEST!!!

A few family shots with our girl....

 On my actual birthday day, I got to spend time with my Momma, my girl, AND my sweet husband! 

Beautiful birthday flowers!

Did you know that I LOOOOVE picnics? Especially at the Myriad Gardens?
It's just so beautiful!

And these two got a little wet in the Ice House splash pad...
They had so much fun playing together though!

 It's back to school time, so it's back to work for me too, but hanging with these kiddos doesn't really feel like work! It gives Ellie fun friends to play with everyday. 

Just one day with our friend Cameron, who taught how to finally take good real naps last fall. 

Ian & Aspen missed us, but I think Lucy missed them more!

And these two opposite babies are learning how to be good buddies. 

This month we said goodbye to a the Jeep; a car that took us on many road trips and brought our Ellie home. But instead we got a better family car...a Ford Flex! YAY!

Lola's birthday is in August too, and we loved celebrating her!

Had company from Nebraska, Dick & Cheryl Hunt!
We showed them around OKC in our new car of course!

Eloise's first time out... #turdbaby

Lots of fun with one of my closest and oldest friends this summer, but a big part of our summer was keeping active and working toward being healthier together! She helped me FINALLY run an entire 5K!

Tiny, sweet Olive Margaret finally graced us with her presence...What a gorgeous Hazel Mini-Me!

Happy Harris Family!

First OU game day of the season...
Couldn't miss being a part of it in some small way!

Growing up, I wished time would go faster...that I could hurry up and grow up, have my first kiss, graduate from high school, go to college, get a "real" job, marry Chris, buy a house, and have a baby. But now that baby is here, time is slipping through my fingers. Where is it going? All I know is that I have to be here each day, and revel in the good, the bad, the easy, the hard, and the mundane of it. The truth is: I am loving it all! So grateful for this life!