Visit from Great Grandma Golloday

This past weekend Thomas' grandma, Brooklyn's great-grandma, came to visit! We were so glad to have her get to know Brooklyn more.  At first Brooklyn was a little scared, like she always is around someone she doesn't recognize.  But after a day she would just chatter away with her Great-Grandma.

Great Grandma Golloday playing with Brooklyn.

Grandma came with Brooklyn and I to baby signing time class and she was a pro! She picked up the signs so quick and signed with Brooklyn throughout the weekend.
After signing class Grandma wanted to get Brooklyn some late birthday presents.  We went to a baby consignment store and she got her a like new Radio Flyer tricycle.  Brooklyn LOVES it!! I have a feeling we will be pushing her around on that every day for the rest of the summer and fall! I love it too cause it has a little handle that you can push with so I don't kill my back leaning over.  Once she can reach the pedals we can take the handle off.  She also got her the cutest little purse with a stuffed puppy that goes inside it.  Brooklyn and I had gone to Barnes and Noble the day before and Brooklyn had found it and been carrying it around while we were there and putting things in the purse.  The consignment store was right next to Barnes and Noble so it worked out perfectly. That little lady loves dogs.

Cousin Kayden pushing Brooklyn around on her new trike at the splash park.

After nap time on Friday we headed to the splash park where my sister in law and her kids were volunteering at a charity baseball tournament.  Brooklyn loved playing with her cousin Kayden who is eight years old.  He pushed her on her trike and played on the playground and in the splash pad with her.

Saturday Brooklyn and I went to a birthday party that was an under the sea theme.  It was so adorable! It was the daughter of Sara the teacher I did my student teaching under.  Molly turned two and Brooklyn loved playing with all of her big girl toys.  I now have a million ideas of new toys I want to buy my daughter! She especially loved feeding the little doll her bottle so we will be purchasing her one of those ASAP.  Sara was nice enough to even get some dairy free ice cream so that Brooklyn wasn't left out! I am continuously telling Thomas how blessed I was to do my student teaching with such a great cooperating teacher and team of third grade teachers.  We are all still in touch and friends and I love that.

Saturday night we dropped off Grandma at my MIL's apartment to visit and we headed to Roaring Springs to meet Andrew (Thomas' brother) and his family. It was SO much fun!! Going at night from 6-10pm got us reduced admission and it made for shorter lines so we got to go on more slides. It was so fun to go with my niece and nephews and see their excitement. Us adults were pretty excited too. Thomas and I would take turns going on slides while the other watched Brooklyn.  Lexi enjoyed playing with her in the kiddie area  and my sister in law helped watch her too. We will definitely need to make this a yearly activity.

This almost makes me think I should have another baby ;)

Waving to the people in the lazy river.

Cousins.  Earlier in the night both Thomas and I went on a slide while my SIL Wendy held Brooklyn who was crying.  Wendy handed her over to Dylan and she stopped crying.  I'm telling you the girl loves boys.

This slide starts you off standing and then the floor drops from beneath you and you go down.  It was the last ride of the night for Dylan, Kayden, and Andrew.  Thomas and I watched and took video.

My long legged girl.

Woohoo!

Lazy river

Brooklyn saying goodbye to cousin Lexi

4th of July 2013

Ready to run.

We started out our Fourth of July with a morning run by the greenbelt. After our run we headed downtown for the parade.  It was kind of a random parade and I think our favorite parts were the two dogs Brooklyn got to pet while waiting for it to start and seeing her wave around her little American flag.

Watching the parade go by.

Waving her little American Flag.

After a morning nap for little girl we headed over to Ann Morrison park where all the festivities where going on.  Earlier in the day they had artists come and compete in a sidewalk chalk competition. We walked around viewing the art, spent some time at the playground and next to the huge fountain to cool of,f and then headed over to the stage to listen to a local band with our italian ice.

Statue of Liberty and fireworks

What's more American than processed white bread with jelly on top?

Happy Birthday Boise!

Ariel and Dory.

Isn't it crazy this is drawn from chalk?!

This picture is precious.  Brooklyn holding on to her Grandpa Harold's arm.

Cooling off from the heat with an italian ice.

That night we grilled dinner and watched the fireworks in New York City live on t.v.  I was an old bum and went to sleep before dark so missed the fireworks here.
We loved having Thomas off work for the day in the middle of the week and celebrating our freedom.

27th Birthday

Twenty-seven sounds so old! I know I think that every year about the age I'm turning.
My birthday was on a Monday this year and Thomas ususally isn't home at all that day so we planned to celebrate my birthday the Saturday before.  We got a babysitter and went floating the Boise river for a few hours.  Very relaxing and will definitely try to do another river float before the summer is over.

Sunny day, prefect to float the river.

That evening we went as a family to get Coldstone icecream (a fruit smoothie for miss dairy-free) and then stopped by some shoe stores to pick out a pair of nude flats I had been wanting.

Silly baby playing with Mama's sunglasses at Coldstone.

I was preparing myself on Sunday to just pretend that Monday wasn't my birthday because I didn't want to be dissappointed. Thomas made me feel so special though even when he had school and work.  He got up with Brooklyn in the morning so I could sleep in and made me breakfast.

New running shoes from my man.

Love the variety.

Then when he normally has his hour break in between school and work when he studies, he rode his bike home to bring me flowers.  Between his efforts and all the Facebook messages I felt loved and thought of on my birthday.
Brooklyn and I met up with my good friend and old roommate Tess at the nearby city pool later that day as well. A day by the pool with my baby and good friend, I'll take it!

Tess and I's pretty little ladies.

They are toddlers now!

Spur of the Moment

One Saturday this past month we decided to call up some friends last minute to see if they wanted to roast marshmallows and make s'mores by the river.
The Sunday before we had gone on a walk as a family to this nice little spot and thought it would be perfect for roasting marshmallows.

Cooling off in the cold water.

Apparently Brooklyn wanted to cool of by putting more than just her feet in the water.

Our transportation.

On the weekends there is a steady flow of people floating down the river as you can see in the background.

"Awww!! That feels good!"

Some of us met up beforehand to bike together.  We loaded one baby bike trailer with camping chairs and roasting gear and biked down the greenbelt a bit and found our sandy spot by the river.
The babes liked putting their feet in the water, picking up rocks, and playing in the sand/dirt.  The adults enjoyed the perfect summer evening weather and chatting.
I always think that spur of the moment activities turn out the best, don't you?

Brooklyn's new friend Hallie.  These two play really well together.  Brooklyn acts like the little mom and will help her with her headbands and pacifiers.

Good friends.

The girls came up with a fun game of picking up dirt and putting it on the chair.  It entertained them for awhile.

The daddy's and their girls.

I go to yoga in the park on Saturday mornings and one particular Saturday I convinced Thomas to ride bikes with me. While I did yoga him and Brooklyn browsed the Saturday market. Afterwards we got some Saturday market treats and then all biked home. Brooklyn fell asleep about five minutes into the ride home which she has never done in her bike trailer! She had her Daddy's phone in one hand playing a Pandora station, and her mama's phone in the other and she was out!

Can't beat the view.

Downtown farmer's market.

Dancer's pose on the capitol building's steps.

Thomas took Brooklyn to this statue downtown and she liked trying to play marbles with the statue kids.