Happy Birthday Sakora!

I haven't downloaded the pics for the Birthday bash, but here are some videos!  The party was a blast and she had tons of fun too!  A huge thanks to the grandparents for helping put it all together! 

Sakora absolutely loved all of her gifts and her cake.   After all that sugar, she was slap-happy for 2 days :).  Now that she is all grown-up as  one year old, she is onto all kinds of milestones.  She is improving her walking and dancing skills and is just about done breastfeeding (down to 2  times a day!).  At her 1 year appointment she was 29 1/4 inches long and 19lbs  6 oz.  That puts her right about average. 

THere are so many new things she is doing and understanding it is just amazing....definitely the best age yet!  It just gets better and better!!

Feels Like Fall

Ahhh....don't you just love the crisp, nostalgic feeling of fall??  Long sleeve t-shirts, pumpkins, football games, bonfires, apple cider...there are just so many things to love about this season!  God sure knew what He was doing when He arranged time.... He knew that winter could be so tough that we would need a beautiful precusor to make it all worthwhile.  Although winter also has its charm, it can get desperately long (especially if you're still stuck up in Illinois!).  Well now I have my daughter's birth to add to the long list of sweet memories associated with fall.  Absolutely cannot believe that she is going to be one year old in a few weeks!!  Yet at the same time, I can't hardly imagine life before her!  Anyways, here are some pics from the chillly mornings here in TN.

Yay!! Time for a bath!

Giving Scruffy the bear a kiss (or CPR?)

 

Porch Time

Sakora's favorite place is always outside. So, almost everyday after breakfast, we head to the porch for some playtime before the morning nap. She loves to bird watch, pick clumps of grass, and entertain herself with the decorative balls found our little table.

"Hmmmm, I wonder what this tastes like...."

Going in the mouth,....

"Yep, I think I'll eat this too..."

"What? A dog? Where??"

Where have all the birdies gone?

Baby going overboard!

"Can I go outside, please???"

Playing with Daddy's stethascope is so much fun!

Playtime with Dad...

She started to do this face when she hears the flash come up on the camera! :) Bracing herself for the bright light!

Here is the most recent photo of our house! Yup, still looks like it's under construction, (because it most definitely is!), but it sure has improved a lot since we first moved in! I will try to take some good pics of the master bedroom/bathroom/laundry room and post them soon so you can see the progress. Can't wait to show off the finished product!

It's Official....

1...... Kacey now a full-time student at University of Tennessee School of Veterinary Medicine! He had a Whit Coat Ceremony on Aug. 12th and started classes on Aug. 17th. He has already had one test (which went very well!!) and studies hard every night. I am sooooo thankful the time has finally come and although it can be stressful, he is very much enjoying things! Today he is out in the fields with some cows :)

2......Sakora is a moving machine! She's been crawling full speed since we returned from New Mexico for Kacey's cousin's wedding over the 4th of July. Some of the things she delights in most since developing her new ability include being chased, pulling herself up on things, standing on her own for a few seconds, and crawling super fast to get to something she knows she is not supposed to have. A lot of people told us that we would regret all our pining for her to start crawling, but I have to say that we have had so much fun and have laughed so hard that it makes me excited for when she starts walking (which probably won't be long!)


I have to wonder....Does every parent think their baby is a super-baby?? It is just incredible how fast Sakora learns things! It seems like she acquires a new skill everyday! She currently understands the following phrases and responds accordingly:

1. Do you want to brush your teeth/take a bath/go night night?

2. Do you want some water/milk?

3. Where's daddy/momma/Spanky/Mighty/Bear/the dogs/the birdies/the sheep?

4. Give Daddy/Mommy a kiss!

5. Patty Cake!

6. No touch!

7. Do you want to go outside?

8. Let's go!

9. Can I have some?

10. Give some to [insert name]!

11. All done!

12 Do you want some more?

She is now a proficient sippy cup user and talks a lot! Her vocabulary is still mostly jibber-jabber, but she does say Daddy, Da-da, Momma, and doggy pretty regularly. Outside is still her favorite place and she has just about gotten over her seperation anxiety. She now regularly reaches for other people (even those she's never met) and loves to be around other kids. Bubbles are very entertaining for her and she is enjoying her her new high chair! She finally grew out of the bumbo so we had to break down and purchase a high chair. That has been a wonderful buy and makes meal time much easier. I often do dishes or get my own meal in now while she feeds herself little chunks of food. We even read books and sing songs while she eats. I think she enjoys it too and ends of entertaining herself....she literallly laughs at herself frequently and we'll have no idea what was so amusing!

3...... I am a real personal trainer! I started working at a Fitness Center training clients, which I thuroughly enjoyed, but due to scheduling conflicts with Kacey's school schedule, I'm moving completely to independent training. I even get to train one of Kacey's classmates, which is a blast.

4....... We don't have to worry about roof leaks anymore! Kevin and Kody came down a few weeks ago to help Kacey strip the shingles, replace some boards, and lay the underlaying for a new metal roof. They tried to put up the metal pieces themselves, but after Kacey and Kody both almost fell off the roof, they called in a professional to finish the job. They worked SOOOO hard, putting in 15 hour days in the hottest, most humid weather we have had all summer! It was VERY humbling to see them putting so much into it. So a HUGE, HUGE thanks!!

5...... I am a terrible blogger! Iwish I could say I'm turning over a new leaf and will be updating the blog every week with undying faithfulness, but the truth is, it's just not going to happen! Sorry that it has been so long since I've posted, but to make up for it, I have a video (look at the end of the post)!!! Also, i tried once before to post and spent almost an hour writing and uploading pictures only to have it all erased when the computer froze! Grrr!


Here is a giant beetle Kacey found in our house. Yep, in our house! I have to say, I was not as thrilled as Kacey....

Some snapshots from the New Mexico trip, which was so much fun! Great to see family!

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