~ It's a cinch! ~

You can never go wrong with a belt- it doesn't matter how big it is. Sofia brought Steven's belt to me and so I wrapped it around her and she was on her way (around the house).

{I am looking to having her hair trimmed ;O) }

{She also has Steven's ring in her left hand}

~ See you later, alligator ~

On Monday, we said "see you later" to a very very good friend - Paula. Paula has been such a blessing in my life and I treasure her friendship. We have known eachother for 10 years and have so many fun memories AND I give her ALL the credit in the world for introducing me to LOVE LOVE LOVE Barry Manilow. Because of Paula, we have enjoyed every concert that he has performed in DFW.

We wish Paula all of God's blessings as she begins her new adventure in life. I don't like to say "goodbye"s so I will say "See you later, alligator" :o)

(By the way- Paula is in the red shirt) (AND I didn't get a chance to take many more pictures because our little native was getting restless since it was past her bedtime - but she was a trooper till the end!)

~ aunt mari ~

Aunt Mari (my youngest sister) came to visit for a whole week. Mari and Sofia had a good time entertaining eachother (well, more like Sofia entertaining Mari). Here are a few snaps of the week....

They did eachother's hair...

laughed laughed laughed

(I don't remember what this was about)

Ate cupcakes from The Cupcake Cottage {twice ;D}

And..................enjoyed outside

Thanks Aunt Mari for visiting us! See you again soon....

~ Garden Goods ~

"Steven, Steven, quite contrary, how does your garden grow?" :o)

Steven has a LOVE for gardening. This year he planted tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, hot peppers and pinto beans. The tomatoes have come in full force and we are still waiting on the others - or maybe they will not do anything for us this year. In the meantime, salsa is in the very near future.

~ Weekend Party ~

This past weekend, we celebrated Zachary's 1st birthday party {Zachary is Steven's youngest sister's son}. The party was at a park and although it was insanely h*o*t* and h*u*m*i*d, everyone had a great time and loved being a part of an important day for Zachary.

This is the birthday boy gearing up his energy for the big bash...

(I love this pic!)

The excitement was more than Jude could stand! :o)

Do not let the calmness of this next photo fool you. Earlier, Sofia was placed in the swing backwards and almost kissed the ground but Steven scooped her up ever so fast before that occurred - YIKES! I am surprised of how well she is sitting.

Happy Birthday Sweet Zachary!

~ What a Difference a Day Makes ~

Sofia woke up feeling so much better! We were able to enjoy ourselves at one of our favorite hot spots - Barnes and Noble.

~ What a day!~

This morning, Sofia woke up at 5:45 am CRYING - which is usually an indication that she was still tired and needed more sleep. Steven brought her to our bed where she slept for a little over an hour. Shortly after, more crying but this time it was paired with screaming - and I could not console her!!! Mari (my sister) walked into the kitchen to find of us both crying. It was crushing that I could not help Sofia and her obvious pain. My first instinct was an ear infection, so I called the doctor and gratefully took the appointment opening at 10:15am. After a great visit - no ear infection, no fever - it was concluded that her bicuspids were coming. She has tried to be a trooper all day and be herself, but then she would crumble to her painful cries. :o( She was so tired after fighting her pain all day she fell asleep in Steven's arms as he walked her around outside. We are also grateful for ibuprofen.

Once these teeth come in, we will celebrate with great beef jerky! ;o)

After the doctor's visit

~ Happy Early Anniversary! ~

For a while, Steven and I have been talking about getting a new vehicle - and after moooonnnths of going back and forth of what I wanted, we decided to get a Toyota Highlander (aka - anniversary gift)!! So much fun!!!

Although the excitement of getting a new car was more than I could stand, I found myself so sad to turn over the PT Cruiser. The more I thought about the sentiments the vehicle held, the sadder I became. Sweetly, Steven would say that we didn't have to trade it in and we could keep it - but that would of been a crazy decision. It served great purposes in our lives and it was time to move on. In the meantime, here are pics of two important events we shared together.........

Leaving our wedding.....

Home from the hospital....

Great memories!

~ Sofia and Chloe ~

Last week, Grammie, Poppy and Chloe came in for a quick visit. Sofia and Chloe had a little time to cool off and have some fun in the pool :o)

~ July 4th ~

We enjoyed a relaxing 4th of July at home - friends came over and we swam, ate and enjoyed eachother's company.

I LOVE our flag!!

Sweet Sofia paying tribute for our freedom...

Jordan and Sofia

Getting dunked (up to her waist)

Wearing Jeremy's shoes...

Giving eachother a High-5

Great Day! (and only 6 more months till Christmas!!!!!! :o)