Catching Up a Bit.

I guess I've become that person who only blogs every couple months now... Oh, well.

I've been busy getting used to being at home full time, creating a schedule, etc. I'm really loving it. I feel so much more balanced, like I'm able to finally give myself fully to being a mom and a wife and taking care of a house. Even though I was working part time, I never felt like I was able to be fully present wherever I was because I was thinking how I needed to be the other place. I don't know how full-time working moms do it.

Brindle is approaching 17 months and is changing so much! Although her weight hasn't... She is a petite little thing, only growing in height and head circumference. She is 19 pounds and still in her infant car seat. Facing backward. 

She is really exploring the world, loving being outside and into everything. She wants to be wherever I am and doing whatever with me. She is learning new words every day. Just this morning, she learned how to say "moon" to the one on her nightstand. I'm constantly amazed by every new thing she learns.

Kanyon has been really busy getting some new land that he took over this year ready for planting, working a Kairos, and is about to start team meetings for a Walk he is working later. He and Brindle are best buds. They have several minutes of funny faces that they make at each other and giggle over before bedtime every night.

Brindle is constantly jabbering these days. My favorite words are "oof!" (ouch), "cuck" (milk, drink, water?), and "pu-ppeee" (puppy, said like its two words). The first thing she says when she wakes up is "Pu-ppeeee?". She loves her Zeb. They have a strange relationship. They've only ever touched each other by force. They get so excited to see each other, run to the other, but as soon as they get to close, the excitement is too much and they run the other direction.

Okay, I'm going to go actually get something done while Brindle naps. Have a good day!

P.S. I just realized the post about Brindle's first birthday party never got published, its still labeled "draft"! Oops. I'll finish that one and publish it.

Fall is finally here!

I would update the blog with all the pictures and details of what all we did in August and September so far, but that just overwhelms me! So I'll just touch on the high points.

In early August, Brindle and I flew to Houston for a few days with my mom while Dad was in Denver visiting my brother. We had a great time visiting a lot of friends and Kanyon's sister, Kyla, and her family. We went to the beach and Brindle loved it!

She's only ten months old and she's already made two round trip plane rides! That's her momma's girl.

The week after that, we drove to Kerrville for the weekend for a little family reunion. And we did some more swimming in the river that Brindle loved! We've got a fish on our hands.

She is so ready for us to let her go in that water. She squealed and clapped the whole time. We had such a great time with the cousins!

A couple weeks after that, I had the pleasure of watching one of my best friends, Lauren, get engaged!

 It was so exciting and I'm so happy for you, Lauren!

Brindle had her 9 month well check later in the month and we found out that she is 17 lbs, 4 oz and 27.5 inches, which put her into about the 25th percentile. Still no teeth! She is a petite thing, still wearing only size 1 shoes! She is an active little girl, very alert and into everything. She's pulling up on everything and I'm sure its only a matter of days before she starts walking.

We are going through a rough phase right now where she is waking up in the middle of night again and we find her standing and talking and playing. I'm told that its normal when they go through a big developmental stage, like pulling up, but I'm ready for it to pass!

The cotton is looking good and Kanyon is ready to start turning off the irrigation systems. Harvest will be here before we know it!

Our little girl is so much fun and we love being her parents. She's become such a daddy's girl lately and I love seeing the two of them together. She hates to see him walk out the door anymore!

This last picture is hard for me to look at - she looks like such a little girl and not a baby in it! I keep telling myself its just a trick of the light or something.

We got some good rain this week and my parents are coming this weekend. Its a great week!

Bath Time!

(This blog has officially become all about Brindle... ha!)

Brindle loves bath time. Its getting out of the bath that she doesn't like so I have to speedily lotion her up and get clothes on her before she realizes she's cold! I started giving her baths to her in the big tub last week and it is so much easier than it was in the sink and she has room to kick now! Before she just stared at me like this...

Look at those rolls! And that was a couple of weeks ago so she's got even more now.

I never could tell what she thought of it! But now that she can lay down and stretch out, she just kicks and kicks the water and stares at me like "what is this?!?" No laughs yet except reacting to me talking to her. I'm sure when she isn't so confused about what this weird substance is, she'll start cooing about it.

I sent this to Kanyon a couple weeks ago while I was giving her a bath and he was in the leather shop with the caption "save me daddy!"

She loves being wrapped up and warm right after while she talks to her daddy.

Deer Season

We had a quick deer season this year since we had a baby girl to get to know in the middle of it! But Kanyon still got a buck that we will get to enjoy for a while. We love finding and trying new venison recipes.

For New Years this year, Kanyon headed down to the deer lease and Brindle and I showed up about the time the sun went down to go and have dinner with the guys. My brother Cole had given Brindle a snow suit and it was perfect for that night since it was so cold. 

It was hysterical seeing her in it - she looked like the Michelin tire man... She couldn't move so she just stayed spread eagle and the legs and arms went about three inches past where her actual arms and legs ended. Ha!

But apparently she loved it because she snoozed the whole time. We took her into the camper at one point to take it off so she'd wake up and not be awake all night but even then she fought waking up. The girl loves to sleep like her mama.

We got on a new lease this year that is in Borden County and only an hour from our house. Its so nice being so close. We are on it with good friends and family too! Kanyon is showing pictures on the memory card from his game camera. High tech hunting.

That picture cracks me up cause all you can see of Brindle is her hat so it looks like he's cradling a cartoon deer baby.

Kanyon sure is looking forward to taking his little girl hunting as soon as she can walk!

Dawson Homecoming

Dawson's homecoming was a couple weeks ago and their parade goes right in front of our house! 

Kanyon was driving one of the fire trucks for the parade so I thought I was going to be standing by myself but thankfully some of our family showed up to keep me company! Mama Brown, Aunt Rhnea, and Sena and Addalie and Asher all came over.

I love our small community and that I can know most of the people on these floats. Such a difference between growing up at a large 5A in Houston!

Show me your candy, Asher!

Addalie and Asher went home with lots of loot. Sena said she found Asher one morning in the laundry room stuffing candy in his mouth with the door closed before she even woke up. Kanyon would probably do the same thing if I limited his candy intake. The man loves candy. More than homemade cookies or cake!!! I don't get it.

Kanyon is 26!

I cannot believe we are in our mid-20's. I feel like I was 18 just a couple years ago! 

Vaughn made Kanyon a very yummy red velvet cake yesterday, which we celebrated at church. We had a great weekend in Houston last weekend where we celebrated Kanyon's and my dad's birthday, too! And I think we are going out to eat in Lubbock this weekend for it so Kanyon is having more of a birthday week! 

Last Weekend

Zeb and I are watching a storm blow in at the moment. Kanyon's pretty sure we got about an inch on his land so far, so that is great! Hopefully the wind blowing doesn't cancel it out by blowing away the fragile cotton.

Last weekend (I guess two weekends ago really) was Dawson's graduation. I didn't get pictures of any of our graduating friends but all of babies! Ha.

Our friends Mason and Megan had their baby boy, Madden, in March while we were on our cruise. He was early by 4 weeks so we were very surprised to get a picture of him as soon as we were back in service range! He is doing great and both Kanyon and I always comment on how happy the two parents are.

 

And then there's Ainsley Grace who is already 5 months old but probably the size of a newborn. She is so petite like her mama, Kasha. And gorgeous!

And no one can make her laugh like her daddy!

That Sunday, Kanyon and I headed to our friends house for the end of the year Youth Group party for the church I work at, and where I lead a Jr High girl's small group. Becky and Kirk dug a pit with the tractor and filled it with water to make a mud pit! Then they set up a volleyball net but more wrestling than volleyball happened, of course. It was such a blast.

 

I am loving my new camera, by the way. Its a Canon Powershot Elph 300. Very small but takes great pictures, especially of moving kids and mud flying.