Splash Park Fun!

On Tuesday, it hit just about 100 here in Manhattan, KS. To cool down, we decided, after Dan got home from work, to go to the local splash park. This has been our 2nd time going to the splash park in.... oh.. um 10 days. It's so cute and just the right size. In El Paso, at the outlet malls, they have a fountain type splash thing but it's not awesome like this little park. El Paso is to cheap to ever make something like this. Virginia loves it! When I pulled out her swimsuit she got really excited. She knows, with that outfit, she's going to have a good time. My little water bug! I also got a little snap happy. Sorry!

Blog Worthy Moments

I thought that I would share some blog worth moments that little miss virginia has graced us with. I want to remember them so that is why I am putting them up on the blog.

She has started to throw things away. Not random things that shouldn't be thrown away, crossing fingers that never happens, but throwing things we ask her to throw away and she knows is trash. At our place in El Paso,  the kitchen didn't really have a good place for our trash can to hide. So we got a bigger one with a lid. The first time she surprised us was right after she got her diaper changed. I was getting it ready to throw away and as I was she stood up took it from my hands and threw it in the trash. It was so so cute. I of course washed her hands and thank goodness it was not poopie.  Last week we still didn't have our kitchen completely unpacked and had a few boxes sitting about. She would take trash items.. gummy wrappers, diaper wipes (clean!! she just loves getting in to diaper wipes)... etc and put them into a box cause she thought all that was trash. Dan and I had to go and fish them out and put it in the real trash, which is now in a closet that we can close!! Woo Hoo!!!

She just loves little people. She hugs them all the time, and on our first Sunday in our new ward here in Manhattan she saw a small boy about her age and walked right up to him and gave him a giant hug. He didn't really know what to do so he pushed her away. That usually happens too when she give hugs.

In El Paso, Virginia had these wall mounted bookshelf's that I purchased at Ikea. I love them. I displayed a few pictures, trinkets, as well as some of her books on them. My baby girl loves books and anytime we got her up, whether it be from her naps or getting up in the morning, she wanted a book from her shelf. She'd stick out her arm, grunt, I'd take her over and she would pick her book.  ( I do plan on getting her room ready so that she can have her books on display again... eventually)

She is champ at walking now. She is teaching herself to run. It's super cute. She screams as she does it then biffs so hard but gets right back up and is at it again.

She's finally getting teeth. The first one broke through last week sometime. Its her upper right one. Now she has three that are visible.

That girl giggles and laughs so hard when she gets tickled. I love it and can not resist tickling her a few times throughout the day.

At Robert and Sally's place, in El Paso, they have a tramp. They also have put a small stepping ladder beside it to let the kids get up and down more easily. Well Virginia decide that she wanted to conquer that stepping ladder and she did. She loves loves that tramp and before Dan or I were the only ones that could get her up there. Sometimes we didn't want her going up there and she didn't like that, so she choose to conquer and show mom and dad who is boss. She climbs it crazy fast. I made sure that I was around her when she'd do it of course. I just love how fearless she is on some things.. but when it comes to crossing outside door thresholds or a small bump in a sidewalk she is so very slow and uses caution.

About three days ago Virginia learned a new word that she loves. "Uh Oh" She uses it now for everything.

And just today while she was occupied playing with her toys, I sat on the couch and started using the computer about 15 minutes passes and she climbed on the couch and sat on moms lap and decided to take a rest. It was so so cute. I quickly grabbed this shot from my computers camera.

I just love this girl.

Peace

Fourth Of July 2011

Here are a few images I shot of Virginia right before we took off to the Stadium of Fire, which she loved. Great Grandma Cannon got Virginia and Audrey matching outfits for the festivities. I love the pink Converses.

She just loved Katherine's water jug and wouldn't put it down for about an hour. Wherever she went in the house, it went too. Since this was also about that time that she was truly walking by herself, she was stumbling all over the place caring such a heavy thing. I believe in the last picture she was actually grunting while caring it. Right before we went to Utah, in El Paso, she would walk all the time at our house without holding our fingers (note, for short periods of time she would walk by herself) but if we went anywhere she would want to hold them or she would crawl. The minute, and I am not exaggerating this, we got to Utah, she started walking by herself... without falling every 30 sec. It was so cute. She would also do what my Mom called "The John Travolta" When she would walk she would stick out her arms like a disco dance move to keep her balance and it happened every 3 to 4 sec. She has now stopped doing it.  It was so cute.

I love this child of mine!

Over A Month!!! WHAT?!!!

It's been over a month since I posted.. That is crazy!

Well let me fill you in on what has been going on.

May 2011

Mom and Grandma came out to celebrate Dan's graduation from UTEP with his Masters in Linguistics. While they were here we went to the Zoo and Old Mesilla. I also shot two wedding.

June 2011

Work was busy. Office Manager left for two weeks to New Orleans, her husband needed some intense back surgery and the surgeon out there is the best in the Country. Went to Dallas for four days for one of my most favorite people's wedding, Lisa Sabin. I was so happy that I got to see her get sealed for all time and eternity in the Dallas Temple. I was also able to got through her Endowment session.

Dan also defended his thesis and passed with flying colors. They want him to publish his work and go and get his PHD continuing his work. Exciting and very good to hear for how hard he has been working on his Masters Thesis. I am so very very proud. 

End of June and July 2011

Baby and I left for Utah to join the family and Grandma Cannon for the fourth of July celebrations. If you have never been to Utah for the fourth of July, you must go. You will love it and will cry. Seriously, the Freedom Festival makes you super proud to be an American. We went to Stadium of Fire, where Virginia was awesome the whole time, then right before the fireworks went off and while the "Stadium of Fire Dancers" were dancing to "Firework", by Katy Perry, which was very loud, Virginia fell asleep and slept through the whole firework show. It was so cute. We also went to the Freedom Festival Days, Audrey loved all the rides that she went on. She sure is one cute girl. I also helped my Mom with the Bands for the Parade. I got lots of hugs and hello from all the wonderful people and friends I worked with and competed with. I sure do miss working with a guard.

Before we flew to Utah Little sister decided to call off her engagement.

We flew from Salt Lake to Houston for my little brothers farewell weekend. (Which was also suppose to be little sister wedding weekend too.) He goes in to the MTC on Wed July 13, 2011 for the Ogden, Utah Spanish speaking Mission. Matt, I am so very very very proud of you for dedicating these next two years to serving your Heavenly Father. I love you and will miss you so so much, but i will always think about you when I'm playing your Wii.

We are now back in El Paso and got here two days ago. My body is still exhausted from the trip and Baby is very excited to be back home. She is not cranky and more.

Now for some exciting news..... We are moving to Manhattan Kansas. Dan got offered a position at Kansas State University.  We will have to be come wildcat fans.... but I will always bleed blue!!! We will be moving in just about four weeks. Crazy right?!!?! We are so excited to start a  new chapter in our lives.

Peace

Miss Virginia Update

I have been terrible at this. I missed her 12 month and 13 month update. So today I am combinding the two.

She is really the happiest, smiliest and friendliest baby you will ever meet. Anyone and everyone gets a wavy "hello" and a giant smile and I mean everyone.  If she knows the person or has seen them before, doesn't matter who, she will jump into their arms give them a quick hug then want either Dad or Mom again. I love it.

Everyone loves her. All my Activity Day girls love her and play with her. Dan's Teachers Quorum love her.  (It's crazy how much those boys love her.)  Our friends who only have little boys love her cause she will go into their arms so freely and play. She's just an extremely liked little girl.

She also is incredible fearless. She loves to climb on everything. Her newest accomplishment, which as been about two weeks now, is successfully being able to climb up and down the couch. She will even get down from our bed which is a good foot taller then her. She just slowly glides herself off the edge of the bed then *PLOP* she lands on her butt and then crawls away.
 

Fearless! I tell you. I took this on Memorial Day, with my phone, over at Robert and Sally's. They have a trampoline and she saw the kids having such a fun time on it, she wanted to join in on that fun. I got on it with her and she just laughed and screamed the whole time. She was just crawling around chasing everyone.

She loves to dance! Any song that comes on she starts to twist and wave her hands. Now that she is more comfortable with standing she will bounce up and down. Her favorite song. The "Hot Dog Dance" from Disney Channels "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse."

She also loves to crawl under things. Chair legs, Toys that stand up, through Mom and Dad's legs...etc anything that has an opening. She's always loved to do that, now she is getting to big to fit under things and cries cause she usually gets stuck. It's pretty funny.

She's starting to get a little bit of an attitude. If she gets upset with something she will throw herself on the ground. I have know idea where that came from. We ignore it. She will also throw things if she is done with it. I'm trying to teach her not to do that but it's hard.

She still refuses to really talk. She says "dadda" all the time but that is it. She as said other words but not on a regular basis. She mostly just gabs and a lot too. It's really cute. I will talk back to her of course. Don't think that I haven't tried to get her to talk. cause of her lack in interest in talking I've started to use sign language. Not a lot but enough to talk to her. She can do "all done" back to me.

She LOVES to walk holding our hands. She has fantastic balance and as fearless as she is on most things, I think it's funny that she refused/ is scared to take steps by herself.

Still NO teeth! What?!? I think it's crazy that my baby is 13 and a half months and still has no teeth. I believe that she is finally teething.. but.... i could be wrong cause i have said this before. She's drooling a ton and is a little bit more on the fussy side again.

She has chosen her blanket of choice. It's a small little yellow one with pink butterflies on it. She loves it and get so excited when I place it on her for bed and nap time. If I try and put another on her she will kick it right off. She will gather it up, hold it in one hand and place her other thumb in her mouth. Consequently, I've now been calling her my little butterfly.

Last one. If you say to her "Where's your belly button?" She will lift up her shirt point to it and say "there it is."

50 State Callenge

I'm working full time this week. The girl that usually works in the afternoon is out on vacation and since Dan is not in school nor does he start working at EPCC till next week, May 31, I can come in and fill in that time.

If you don't know my twin or I, we are very very competitive against each other. That slight info makes this an even better little story.

There is a site called addictinggames.com and when I was working full time before my baby came along, Lizzy and I would get on it all the time and challenge each other to do a game better then the other. Today's game and challenge, 50 States and you are to place the shape of the state where it's suppose to go on a map of the USA. Go till you are wrong where the state is suppose to go. *we gave each other a five mile leeway or if you got some random state and you failed on your first try then you got to start again.

So far... I am the winner and it's 16!... my dreaded states... Kansas and Kentucky.

http://www.addictinggames.com/puzzle-games/50states.jsp

I challenge all of you!! I know someone else can do better. If you do do it, I want to know what your number was so comment below.

{Disclaimer} the minute you are off by 5 miles on the state that is it. Count how many you did perfect to that point and that is your number... I got 16 perfect then was off by 50 miles on stupid Kentucky... my downfall!

Here is a screen shot lizzy did for me really fast to show you what we are talking about. She got six perfect then messed up on Nebraska.

Peace.

Crazy Crazy Crazy!

Our life is about to get a little crazy.

First and by far the most important...Dan Graduates from UTEP with his Masters in Linguistics this week. I am so very very proud of my husband. He as worked so hard for this. I love him so so very much. Thursday is pre-commencement, where it's his schools little thing. He will get his cap and gown presented to him, be able to walk across the stage... etc. I will be there in all glory with my camera!

Saturday is commencement where we will sit for a few hours listening to people go on and on and on and on about how life is amazing and this is a great accomplishment for the students of UTEP. I'm making him do this. We've spent how much for his degree. He needs to give me this. :)

Second, My mom and grandma come in on Wed afternoon to celebrate in the festivities of Dan's graduation. They will be here till Monday. I can't wait to show them some of the better parts of El Paso. When then came out for Virginia's birth we were a little unable to show them things see as how i had just had a major operation to get my little one out of me. I was not in the entertaining mood. Which they both understood.

Third, Dan has a interview tomorrow teaching or tutoring at EPCC for the summer.. or something like that. Then he fly up to Utah this coming Monday to interview at UVU. Cross your fingers we get one or the other. I just want a job.

Fourth, I have two!! that's right two weddings back to back. One this Saturday on the 14th and one on the 21st... I'm so excited to do them and nervous. It's going to be great and I will post a preview on this website then you can head over to my photoblog and check more out there.

Sixth, Dan's sister Lovey and her husband Andrew are coming in for the wedding that is on the 21st. Cousins of ours.

We also have some birthday so celebrate this month within the families.

May is looking to be the most exhausting of them all so far...

Peace