Year one Birthday

*WARNING: PICTURE OVERLOAD! NO REALLY!

My little lady is officially a one year old. We wanted to make sure that her first birthday was a great one!  I obviously know she isn't going to remember her first birthday, but still, I wanted to make the day special. I will remember how fun of a day it was with friends and celebrating all day. 

     We were a little concerned that the party might not actually happen. The day before, June woke up with a pretty good fever and it stayed steady at 102.6 for the day. I was a mess the whole day, just wanting her to feel better. So we did all that we could and she woke up the next morning with a new little tooth, and a much happier face. She still had a little bit of a fever but not nearly as high. So we celebrated her birthday as planned. We started the day off with her favorite breakfast waffles and eggs and then spent the morning getting ready for her birthday party.  

BIRTHDAY GIRL

June's Party 2:00pm

The Decorations

  A lot of time was spent planning her birthday party. Her First Birthday theme was "Oh the Place's She'll Go" It's based off of where she will travel throughout the world over the years of her life. 

I wrapped her gifts in maps and curly string. We got her a Zony Zoo play set, which she loves, a new outfit and a sterling silver bracelet that hopefully she will wear for a long time.

Dan Gave June flowers just from him. 

June's Birthday Cake, Dan made it all by himself! Frosting and all! 

 June sat under a globe with "Oh the Place's She'll go" on it 

Treats for our guests were Sugar Queen Cupcakes. They are such amazing cupcakes! And they had edible glitter on some of them! On top of the cupcakes we placed little globes on each one. Except for the cherry topped ones.  

 Each Drink was wrapped with a part of the map. All Texas of course. The table was also wrapped in a map of Texas

 The world map on the wall was really fun. We had everyone write their names on all the places that they decided to go. It was really fun to see who has been where and what they were doing there. It's a great little keepsake for June's Birthday and to remember who was all there.

Little treats along with the cupcakes. Salt water taffy, animal cookies and cheese popcorn. 

  Gift Opening
          Everyone was so generous and we had so much fun seeing all the fun girly things for the little lady.

Cake and Happy Birthday Singing

  This was my favorite part. No one knows, well I guess you do now, but at this moment I was fighting back tears. It was just such an overwhelming feeling of love and celebrating this little girl with loved ones around singing to her was so great. It really meant a lot. 

She was hesitant about her cake. She loved the frosting and the sprinkles, and liked playing in her cake, but as far as eating it, only a few bites were taken.

The end result 

June's Guests
We have some great friends, who really have become our family away from home. We really are so grateful for them and all they do for us.

Krista and her little man Dean, and Mary! 

June's little zoo was a hit with the kids! 

Sean and Mckenna and their little girl Henacy 

Phil the Geologist... along with Dan the Geologist

 Balloons are such a huge hit with children. The U.S. is like on a Helium ban right now, so I was worried there wouldn't be balloons, but thankfully we found a store that still had helium. 

Mary with her son Liam, Me and June, and Krista with Dean. These girls are the greatest. We met in college back in Waco when we were all childless and now we all have kids and Mary has baby #2 on the way! We are so fortunate to have life long friends like them! 

 

Adam, yet another Geologist! But first and fore most a Baylor Grad with Dan. It's been really fun seeing lots of our friends from waco start moving up to Dallas. It's so great! 

You can tell that June has just about had it. She was so good through her party but at this point she was exhausted and her fever was starting to come back. 

Birthday Dinner
                 After we said goodbye to everyone and June went down for a much needed nap, June was feeling better and so we took her for a birthday dinner to The Rainforest Cafe. June Loved it. She couldn't take her eyes off of all the animals! It definitely was the right place to take her.

 Birthday Bath
To end the night we bought June special bubble bath. She has never had a bubble bath before and we thought this would be the perfect time to do it. She had lots of fun with her new bath toys and popping the bubbles. It was the longest bath she has ever taken without crying to get out!

At the end of the day, we were all exhausted. June didn't hesitate falling asleep and slept for 13 hours. She was exhausted. We had such an amazing day and loved celebrating our daughter's birthday. It still blows me away that she is already one, but I am so excited for the next year to come!

One Year

Dear June,
      Happy First Birthday!!!

      What can I say that can express how much I truly love you? You my dear, are a one year old. I look back over the past 12 months and realize at how much you have already taught me about being a mother, You have changed my world for the better. I literally just can't get enough of you.
      Over the past month you have grown to love more solid foods, and less of a bottle. I am happy to announce little one that you are free of nursing and bottles. I honestly think your dad had a harder time having you give up a bottle than you did. He just wants you to stay his little baby forever. He is just so adorable with you and he loves you with more than he can express. He tells me every night how much he loves you. June as you grow up you will understand how sensitive you dad actually is when it comes to you. Remember that and give him that love in return. You are so excited every day when he comes home, and when you see him you reach so hard for him to pick you up. Yes, you do love me, but you just adore your dad. There is something about him that makes you so giddy and just non stop laughs when he's around. Oh how much he loves you. He would do anything for you. Oh June, I love your dad with my whole heart, but over the past year, knowing that he is your father has made me love him all that much more. We are his everything June and we owe him so much!
       Starting out on your second year of life, you are sleeping like a champ still, and even sleeping in longer. For the past little while you have been sleeping in until 8:30. It's weird getting up and getting things done before you even wake up in the morning.... It's kinda nice, not going to lie. Naps... Well they are a different story, your morning nap is great, but that afternoon nap has gotten the best of us, so I think we will be working on that over the next few weeks.
       You are getting braver with taking steps by just holding one of our hands. We aren't quite sure when you will be ready to walk, but it's progress and you are doing a mighty fine job. You are speedy fast with crawling, so I don't know when walking will take it's place. You walk along things all the time, but on your own is a different story.
     You love eating banana bread and eggs. Of course your favorite is still waffles. I'm pretty sure you would eat those for every meal if I would let you, but you are still young, trying to figure out your pallet, so we need to be a little adventures instead of just eating waffles.
      Range has become your best little chase around buddy. The poor puppy just can't catch a break with you. You are now stealing his toys, dumping his dog food in his water dish, and pulling his tail whenever you get the chance. He takes it well and I think he likes the attention that he gets from you.
     You are becoming so independent and playful! You play by yourself and you can play on the playground with obviously some supervision. You love to climb. You climb all over the dishwasher (Your new favorite hangout spot) and you have mastered stairs... Climbing couches is still a little tough, but don't worry you will get there.
      Than there is what you have done to me over this past year.... I just love you. I'm really at a loss for words....
    You bring so much joy into my life, and you have made me a more patient person, a more caring person and you have made me want to be a better version of myself. You have made me feel closer to my Heavenly Father because, how can I not see that you are a great blessing from him. You really have made us a family June and I'm so grateful it's for eternity.
     I'm really not sure what else to say, or what I can say to express how much you mean to me. You and your dad are my world. You are what makes my life so exceptionally good, even with rainy days and bad moods, I still love you.

       You're my daughter.

                    With tears in my eyes and a very full heart, I love you.
                              Happy Birthday sweet heart.
                                       Love,
                                             your mom.

It's a note to me

Dear yourself,
(Lesli or Mom)

     She turns one tomorrow. I am writing to myself in hopes that this keeps some of  the memories as a mother from the past year closer to mind and even closer to heart. The first year of her life has been one of the most amazing things. I survived the first year. I'm sure it only gets better and harder as we start in the toddler stages and as the idea of more children come into play, but I want to remember this past year as one of the best in my life. I mean how can it possibly get better?
     It's amazing how fast she has grown this year. It feels like yesterday we were heading to the hospital knowing that this would be the last time it would be just me and Dan.

One year ago today!


The greatest thing though, is that now its me, him and her. Life is so simple but yet so good.
Bringing her home and realizing that this is it. I am now a mom. I thought how can I do this?How can I be responsible for keeping her alive? But I really have become a mother. I don't want to forget moments that seem so small now, but wanting them back. I love when she follows me around,  and when she climbs on my legs while cooking or cleaning, or how sometimes, the thought of putting her down from my arms, feels unbearable. I try my best to play with her everyday. I watch her grow and learn new things, literally everyday. Lesli,  Don't forget to keep watching her. Even with other kids, don't let them blend all together and forget that they are each individuals who you want to watch grow up.  I feel like through this first year I have tried my hardest and done my best to raise my little girl.
     I don't think I have ever been challenged more in my life than I have with a child. I question myself probably every single day if I am doing things right, and how I am measuring up being a mother, and so many aspects of  life change and from an outside point of view I can see why people may choose to never have kids, because it is more work, it's giving up yourself to help raise another person. It's choosing to be selfless and sacrificing a lot from your life, but at the end of the day, I get to see a happy, healthy little girl, who is mine, and I ask again, how could things get any better?
      This first year of her life, I can look back and be proud of how she is developing, how really I am a good mother, how I have a husband who didn't miss a beat at becoming a great dad. We struggle, we have our moments of questions and concerns, but it's working out. We aren't by any means perfect parents, but man, we are so in love with our little girl. I love her with every fiber of my being. I'm still a little in awe at this tiny little person, and that she is mine. So remember that. Remember on bad days that they will pass and in the end you love this little girl, and you are her mother.

Good work this first year Les, You should be proud!

Love yourself.
 

Some black and white

I've been really feelin the blog lately. I go through spurts and right now I'm in a spurt where I have decided that I really miss my blog. I miss documenting and just writing random things. So here I am yet another blog post.
June and I have really been enjoying the Texas weather. It's low 80's and staying outside for more than 10 minutes isn't so unbearable. I LOVE this time of year.  It's been fun going out and taking pics of Ju Ju doing her daily things. I'm just so in love.

Black and White

Texas Fair 2012

Ah the State Fair. You think your lame county fairs can compete? Think again! TEXAS RULES!

Ok no, but really I love the fair. To me, it's the set of fall, and festivities. This year was even better because I wasn't 9 months pregnant and I was actually able to enjoy my time this year. With June it made it even more fun! 

Being Dan's week off we went on a week day, which made it so much less crowded! We had so much fun eating and eating, playing games, watching shows, and watching the crazy people that come out when it's fair time.

This being June's first fair, we made sure to do everything we possibly could with an 11 month old

The Weather was great! We went on an overcast day, so it wasn't to hot! 

This guys name is Big Tex. Super creepy. He talks, and his head is obviously way to small for his body, but yet we love him. Hicks, we are just a bunch of southern hicks who love their big Tex. So dashing don't you think? 

She's perfect. I'm sorry June stole all the perfectness, but really. Perfect..... to me. 

She loved big tex. She was clapping and laughing every time he was speaking. 

So neither June nor I know how to smile normal. I feel like in this picture I'm saying "Take it. did you take it? 

                    Ahahahah! Comical. I totally made Dan do this. People were standing around laughing at the fact that June was bustin moves with a pretzel in her mouth and I kept telling Dan just hold her, no you put your head higher, to the left...right.... so on and so forth. 

a Marching band randomly came through the park. It made us all very excited

Best part of the day. We wanted to win June a stuffed animal since it was her first fair. We saw the monkey and since June is obsessed with her little monkey, we had to win it. Dan decided to play the spray gun game... ya know where you shoot it at the target and race other players....

Ok so The game is a full game! 8 players! 3 adults and 5 kids. I told dan, screw the other kids, you are playing for your daughter. YOU WIN THAT MONKEY!!! I'm a good sport. So they start. Oh man Dan hits his target right off the bat. BOOM! Then the race gets close. I'm yellin, people are staring, and Dan is in the zone. Ding Ding Ding, I thought dan lost, It was SUCH A CLOSE RACE!! 

The old announcer man yells #8 wins! OH SMACK! It'S DAN! 

He was so proud that he won, and he felt like such a good dad for winning June a toy at the fair. It was a pretty heart warming moment. Until June realized she had to share her stroller with it and threw it on the ground wanting her other monkey. But still heart warming. We really were excited. Clearly we don't get out much. 

It was a great day. We were all tired, and June was so beat that she slept for 14 hours that night. I love these moments with my family and knowing that, well. I'm a Texan. Later Y'all! 

My simple Daily Pleasure's

This has been on my mind so much lately, that I just finally decided to write it down.

I truly love being a stay at home mom. I can honestly say that this is what my calling in life is. I never really had a huge career ambition, I just always wanted to be a mom. And no, not because I am lazy, or unintelligent. I just know what I wanted out of life. I am very respectful to women who do work and who are moms as well. Two of my sister's have career's and my mom does too. My whole life, both my parents worked, and well I feel like I grew up just great. But it's just not something I felt like I needed to have in my life. After the first year of trying and nothing.... and then the second year, still no baby, and then the third year came and still no progress, I became very frustrated and worried that, well, maybe children wasn't apart of this life's plan. It was such a hard time. Still to this day, it was the hardest trial I have been through.  It was hard emotionally and spiritually.
Now, I have an 11 month old, sound asleep in her crib, and a heart so full that it literally hurts sometimes. What a blessing she is to our lives. Dan and I now realize what we thought was such a horrible trial, was actually a magnificent blessing. If I had gotten pregnant when we originally planned, we would have moved to Texas with a brand new baby, Dan would have been in school, I would have still had to work, and well I think our marriage wouldn't be as strong as it is today. After 4 years of marriage and then having a child, made us really see each other and rely on each other before throwing a baby into the mix. When June joined our family, Dan had a career, we had insurance that led to no hospital bills, and a safety net for anything that were to come our way. Things fell into place exactly how they should. Heavenly Father knew, and even though I questioned and pushed, he knew that this would actually benefit our lives with just a little bit of patience.

Holy crap. I just went off on a rampage about the meaning of life.

My sole purpose of this post was basically to say that things have worked out very well. We KNOW that life has many curve balls ahead. Things that are going to be so hard, and horrible trials, but will lead to be magnificent blessings.

My life is simple. I am a stay at home mom, who is enjoying the daily pleasures of spending my time with my little girl.


 To name a few.

                              Eating lunch and watching her feed ranger and giggling over it

                             her quick little looks she gives me to make sure I'm still close by

                  Our many many trips to the park, with a playground she can now climb on by herself

 The help I get while emptying the dishwasher

Just these two together. No matter what they are doing

Her favorite thing of taking things in and out of baskets, bags, and boxes

 Not only the fact that she now climbs on the dishwasher, but that the top of the dishwasher is full of sippy's, bottles, cups and bowls for June

 The moments when I realize she's growing up way to fast

The innocent looks, when she KNOWS she's doing something wrong

 Her constant excitement of learning something new

 And simple discoveries 

When a 12month dress was bought for her before she was born, and now she wears it

And Ending the day with splashes in the bath and the smell of a clean baby

I'm just simply in love with life.