For my Papa

This one's for you Papa, we love you so much!!

We can't wait to see you in a few weeks!!

10 Months 3 Aug 2011

What a fun time it is in this house! We  are go. go. go! 10 months brought about full speed crawling, and we are pretty sure it close to the speed of sound.  It's amazing how fast that girl can move.  No more running to the next room to do something and knowing she will be fine for 4 seconds.  I am even more greatful now that our living room, kitchen, dining room are all open.  It makes it a bit easier to get dinner going, make her food, clean or whatever it is that needs to be done while she plays in the living room area.  She does so well at playing/entertaining herself, an we are SO greatful for that.  She is also now pulling up on absoutly everything and starting to stand all on her own.  She will pull herself up and sometimes let go, that is until she realizes that she isn't holding on to anything and then plops down on her fluffy little bum.  It is so darn cute!  We were back home for rodeo over her 10 month birthday so these pictures were taken when we got back to Chanute.  (only a few days late,  not the almost 3 weeks late I am with posting them)  Her weight this month was 17 lbs 12 ozs.  She continues to be a skinny thing, but she is in the 75% for her height, trust me this girl eats like a horse, and loves everything.

Just Precious if I do say so.  I can look at her pictures all day everyday and melt each time.  She is such a joy. Her expressions are endless, her giggles plentiful, her love already abounding, we are so beyond lucky to have this little girl baby in our lives!

Ok, I give!

Make that this water IS fun!

Thankfully the water dish had just been washed....

note, it was cute the 1st time...now it is on the "not for little girls" list.   So far she really hasn't paid that much attention to it since that day.  Also, we tend to get a lot of questions about her "necklace."  Though we do love looking cute, this necklace actually serves a purpose I will get a post up on why we are huge fans of Baltic Amber necklaces and the purpose they serve.

Thirsty?

I don't think so, but man this water looks fun!

I wonder if I can get away with this?

I don't know...maybe if I look away I can forget how much fun it would be...

OK, I can do this...on to something else...

like my toys!

I can pull EVERY toy out of here and not get in trouble, much better choice than the water bowl!

How do ya like our "Pebbles" look?

We have been spending a lot of time, while at home, on these really hot days in just our diaper.  They are so darn cute though, who needs anything else! Not only that, but she has a much easier time crawling in that versus her dresses...though adorable and we pretty much live in them. Daddy loves the ease of a diaper change with a dress, and I would agree that it makes things pretty simple! We are not all that excited about all the layers that come with cold weather, but it will only take a few more 100+ days to change that.  The biggest challenge will be the fact that last winter she just laid on her changing pad so sweetly, with out a wiggle.....those days, well they are LONG GONE!!

Because I am Cute

Just a day with me and my girl, that begged for some photos to be taken (and still playing catch up, these are from a few weeks ago)

blurry, yes. grainy, yes. but those eyes...melt!

Really, Momma?

oh the concentration

I am beyond blessed for this little girl to call me Mama!

Chickens, Ducks, & Horses Too!!

For more excitement for Tenley while we were home, Aunt Megan wanted to introduce Tenley to her chickens and ducks.  She had already showed her the ones at the county fair (not hers, but exhibitors,) so now we got to go see hers.  This Mama is not so fond of anything feathery so I am glad Megan could show her.  We headed to the chicken coop to check them out, I do have to say they were some pretty cool looking chickens, and we found their first egg when we got there.  Megan said that their eggs are not good for eating as these chickens are a novelty and not really good for much else.  She has 2 hens, 1 rooster, and a few Mallard ducks. Tenley got to check them all out. I got to keep my distance and snap photos.

We're going to see the chickens mom!

She is braver than me

Daddy time

She loved the ducks

1st egg

Not your average chickens

The ducks

visiting the horses

feeding them

Thanks, Aunt Megan for showing us your animals! We loved it!!

Meeting Cousin Alex | Phillipsburg Park

When we left Chanute it was during the seemingly endless stretch of 100+ degree days, when we got home it was still hot (but seemed only warm when compared to what we left,) however, once the heat lifted some rain rolled in.  We took our window of opportunity to go meet Tenley's (2nd) cousin Alex at the park.  This was the 1st meeting for the two of them.  I can't wait until they get to hang out again, because I am guessing Tenley will be walking by then and I am sure they will have a blast!

My cousin Jodie and her son, Alex, meeting Tenley

Alex with his Grandma Cheri testing out the monkey bars

I don't think this needs an explanation...

one of our most favorite spots!

checking out the slide

Phillipsburg has a wonderful park for the kids that they did a lot of work to raise funds and build.  I am sure as she gets older we will spend a lot of time there when we are back home.

Tim showing Alex the ropes & Great Grandma Chester too!

We LOVE swinging!

Tenley and Alex in jail...

Cowboy Up!!

Momma, the parks fun but I am so sleepy!

Kansas Biggest Rodeo 2011

The 1st week in August always means it is time to make a trip back to Phillipsburg for Kansas Biggest Rodeo.  Our small town of roughly 2,000 people swells to many more, and the atmosphere around town is contagious.  People are everywhere, a parade, family reunions, class reunions, it all abounds throughout the week.  The rodeo runs from Thursday through Saturday night, with 2 nights of slack on Tuesday and Wednesday.  Saturday night is always sold out with thousands of people packing the stands.  When I was younger our county fair also took place during that week.  Now the fair is the week prior so it brings close to two weeks of fun (and exhaustion) to many parents and kids in the area. 

This year we decided to take some extra time and enjoy some time back home before the craziness of rodeo hit.  We got to be home from July 30- August 8.  It was great, we had so much for just enjoying being home, relaxing, seeing everyone love on Tenley, and the Grandparents and Aunts and Uncles loved having some time with the little lady! Tenley joined us at rodeo on Thursday night, but then Friday and Saturday she spent the evening with Grandpa Dennis so Mommy and Daddy could have a few nights out.  We had so much fun taking her and she LOVED it!  Rodeo kicks off at 8:00 p.m. (IE bedtime) but like always she did fantastic!  She of course stayed awake through it all, but was out before we got out of the parking lot. 

Before the rodeo started we were going strong!

This is great! Clapping for the Cowboys & Cowgirls!!

Our little Family all decked out for Pink night!

And don't ya love my dress?  We got it from Sam and Addie last year over the same weekend when we celebrated our Phillipsburg baby shower!  They knew we would need appropriate rodeo attire!! And wow, how a year changes things.

Chillin' with Aunt Megan...not sure why the face...

Explaining the action!

Still clapping away!

Future Rodeo Queen?

I love seeing these 2 together

I am so sleepy....

but if I sleep I will definitely miss something!

Had to say Hi to Uncle Alan & Aunt Connie before we left

Why all the pink?  Thursday night is always "Pink Night"  at the rodeo.  For each person wearing pink $1.00 is donated to the local Relay for Life, this year the ethanol plant matched the money raised.  This is an even that goes on at many PRCA rodeos throughout the country.