My 1st Birthday

 

First we had lunch with family and some friends...

 

Then CAKE!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was soo good! My mom never lets me have any dessert...but today, I got my very own piece! It was glorious! But I think I am ready for a nap now....

 

After cake I got to open my presents :) I got so many fun and loud toys! Samantha and Rachel were helping me learn how to use them. They are such good friends!

Thank you everybody for making my birthday so special! I love you!!! Love, Riley Joanne

Happy Birthday Riley Joanne!

 

WOW! It's hard to believe it's been a year since she was born! Our little Peanut is becoming quite the young lady:) So full of energy, happiness, and love. She weighed in at 17 pounds 4 ounces and 26.5". Just barely has has a bit of hair and no teeth, but I am pretty sure some are coming soon...I hope! More pics from the party coming soon!

Butterfly Pavilion

 

What a great place to go! Riley is still a little young, but we had a great time! The Butterfly Pavilion is a place here in Colorado where they harbor and grow butterflies. As you can see there are many different butterfly species. I was only able to capture two, as they are very illusive. Much like our little "peanut"...gone are the days where I could sit her down, make a funny face and snap a picture! These days my shutter is just way too slow for this fast moving gal! She was more interested in the mesh bottom of the "maze of knowledge" than learning about butterflies. The ropes represent a spiders web which was their "special feature" this month. The very first room you walk into was chalk full of...yup...spiders. You could even hold "Rosie" the Tarantula!! YUCK!...needless to say Riley and I moved VERY quickly to the next display...In the middle of the building they have beautiful lush garden with butterflies flying all around. If you get there during certain times you can help with the daily butterfly release. Pretty awesome. It was here that Riley ate her first clump of dirt. Such proud moments...All in all we had a great time and will be sure to take Grandma Evans when she comes to visit again (soon?) so she can tell us the name of all the plants!

Happy Halloween!

Getting treats and Grandma Pam's and Pappa Russ' house

uh oh...is my mom watching???



Yoda, Darth Vader, and Miss Daisy. A.K.A. Rachel, Samantha, and baby Riley



Happy Halloween Everyone!

Snow Fun

Uncle Matt showing me the tractor with the snow blade to clear out our driveway.



Going for a ride! "Snow" much fun!!!

Happy Birthday ZACHARY!

The 27th was our nephew Zachary's 4th birthday. We are sooooo happy for you! You are such a wonderful, fun loving, burst of adventure! We can't wait to see you again soon!

Camera Phone

 

It's amazing what you can do with phones these days :) I was able to get a USB cord for my phone and now I can download the pictures I've taken. So here are some of Riley through the months you might have missed!

My First Carhartts

 

They finally fit! Dan has been trying them on Riley ever since she was born. Anxiously awaiting the day his baby girl could put on a pair of Carhartts like her dad. We all enjoyed playing outside in the beautifal fall weather. A few days after this pic was taken it snowed! She loves playing with Daddy. And Dan was beaming with pride at his little farm girl :)

Mommy needed a shower...

 

It was Saturday morning and I had been trying to get a shower for the last three days...and Miss Riley was just not in the mood for her morning nap. I was feeling pretty disgusting, so I put Riley in her high chair with some of her favorite puffs and to the shower I went. From the shower I could hear her jibber jabbering and pounding on her tray having a grand old time. Well a few moments later it was really quiet. Fearing the worst I quickly exited the shower to peek in the kitchen. There she was, fast asleep in her chair. She was so asleep she didn't even flinch when I took these photos. For a split second I thought about picking her up and taking her to her crib...then I got back in the shower and grabbed the opportunity to shave my legs! Ahhh motherhood...

Happy Grandparents Day!

 

Sunday was Grandparents day and Riley is super lucky to have so many that love and adore her:) Thank you for being so wonderful! We love you all very very much!

Ducks in a Row

 

The other day Heather and the girls were over to play. Heather and I could hear muffled sounds from the bathroom...fearing complete chaos we opened the door ever so...This is what we found. Rachel and Samantha had lined up all of Riley's ducks neatly in rows. The one in front is the teacher and she is teaching all the ducks how to swim. It was quite the fun commentary from both Samantha and Rachel...These are the moments that just make you smile:)

Rainy Day in Manzanita*

 

A couple of weeks ago Riley and I went to Manzanita to visit Grammy and the rest of my family. We always have so much fun:) It rained one day so we decided to head to Seaside for some games and bumber cars...Let the fun begin!

*thanks for the collage Ang! It was just too good to pass up:)

Happy (belated) Birthday XANDER!

 

Our nephew Xander turned 6 on the 16th of August. WOW! I remember calling mom and dad's house on Christmas Eve from Rapid City, SD and Jerry (my brother-in-law) said "Guess how many there are of us here!" Well, I knew Angela was pregnant so I guessed 1 number higher, but I still wasn't right. So I tried naming everyone that was there, and I had all the right people....and then that's when Jerry said no....there's 1 more, Lanny do you want--and that's all I heard for I was screaming on the other end with delight!!! And that is how I heard the news that Xander was soon to be born. Hard to believe it was 6 years ago. Only feels like a few months :) Well Xander, you are a true delight and we hope you had a super duper fun birthday and we can't wait to come and see you real soon!

Milestones...

Well, today was another milestone in the life and times of Riley Joanne...Within the last couple days she has figured out how to pull herself up to a standing position using the couch, ottoman, etc...
Since she is a bit more "mobile" these days I put a few toys in her crib and let her play so I could put some dishes away. I heard a different noise and she was a little "too" happy if you know what I mean...

...this is what I found :)

 

 

 

 

New "DO"

 

Well here it is! The new "do"! I have cut my hair before, but never this short! Yikes! I have had it for about a week now, and am getting pretty used to it. Maybe for winter I will grow it out :)
 

Bathing Beauties

 
Kelsey and Riley enjoying Riley's new pool...they really enjoyed splashing around with each other. Neither one were too keen on the slide...maybe next year :)

Out on the Farm

 
Exploring the farm and having some good time family fun :)

Denver Botanical Gardens

 

While Ang and Mom were here we took a trip out to see the Denver Botanical Gardens. Their theme was Jurrasic gardens this year and so there were a few "dinasoars" mixed in...too bad Thomas, Xander, Caden, and Zach-o weren't here! It was a very nice day. So many pretty flowers and plants...and my mom knew about 85% of them! If only I could remember all she told me!!! All in all we had a very good time and got some very pretty pictures :)

Cousin Time w/ Kelsey

 

A couple of weeks ago my cousin Kelsey got to come and visit me. We had so much fun! We played and laughed and giggled all day long. We also got a chance to tell each other about all the crazy stuff our mom's make us do...We had a blast together! Next up, we are planning a trip to go see our other cousin Hailey. She'll be back from Maine in just a few weeks! Yay!!!

Happy Birthday JORY!!!

 

The 27th of July is our Brother-in-law Jory's birthday...We wish him a super happy day and many more to come! We love you and can't wait to spend some more time with you!

Joker
Official family "fun" guy
Really really good scrabble player
Yoga guru (what?! you didn't know??)

Dedication BBQ

 

after Riley's dedication last Sunday we had a BBQ with a few friends and family...good food, good friends, good times!

Swim Lessons

 

Riley showed such a great love of the water when we were at the hotel for Jory's graduation I just had to sign us up!! We had a blast and she still loves the water! We floated on our tummy, our back and even went under water! I am not sure who had more fun....me or her!