Sunday, January 29, 2012

More than two months...

It has officially been forever since I've posted.  Not sure why, but I think it's mostly because I have even less time to myself than ever!  So much has happened since Ashley walked...her amazing birthday party, her baptism, her second Christmas, her first trip to Crested Butte...she's found a new favorite thing (swimming!)
Dada's awesome cake

Enjoying her whipped cream filled cupcake

With Big Mama and Bobby

Sideways shot with Gramma and Granpa
This is only a small sampling from her party...she had so many friends there!  Gramma and Granpa White, Big Mama and Bobby, Uncle Matthew, the Raymonds, the Wick-Diaz's, the Krist's, the Stevenson's, The Enrooth's, Great Aunt Kay and Great Uncle Jerry...I don't know if I can even remember them all! 
We worked so hard on her cake! Aunt Desi helped me bake the cookies (thank goodness or they wouldn't have been all the same thickness!), and we were so proud of her very own Christmas tree!

The following day we went to Holy Spirit Catholic Church in Butte and celebrated Ashley's baptism.  Lori Stevenson and Aunt Emily are her godmothers, and Uncle Matthew is her godfather.  It was a really neat service, especially when he anointed her with the holy water and I had to hold on for the life of me when she tried to dive into the bowl.  Then she did her best to grab the flame on her candle...it was a workout just hanging on!




 Ok, now on to Christmas. 
Ashley got her very first 4-wheeler from Santa, and it's been amazing watching her progress with it as a measuring stick...when we first sat her on it, she couldn't touch the ground.  Now, she can climb onto it on her own, push it around with her feet, and steer it.  It was by far her best present!  She, of course, received many other gifts from her grandparents and aunts and uncles!  She's so blessed...next year I'm thinking of adopting a family with the rest of our friends in town...

This was the best Christmas present of them all...the arrival of Kooper Lillian Stevenson to Ashley's godmama Lori and our good friend Jimmer...we couldn't be happier for them!


Kooper with her Mama and her Aunt Mandi and Aunt Katey...1 day old!


On the 28th Jonathan and I flew down to Crested Butte with Ashley to see her Big Mama and Bobby and Mommy's "home"...(I've always thought of Crested Butte as my home, even though I was mostly in Houston!).  Jonathan and I got some skiing in and a couple of nights out on the town, it was really sweet of my folks to let us do so!  (ahem...they kicked us out of the house so they could hang out with Ashley alone).  Jonathan flew back on the 3rd, and Ashley and I stayed for a few more days.  Ashley's favorite was the Discovery Center, where she got to go "grocery shopping", play with other kids, be a pirate, dig in the construction pit...it was such a neat place.  My question is...why do people say that kids get spoiled by their grandparents?  I always feel like it's me that gets spoiled when we're with her grandparents.  They love to feed her, bathe her, put her to bed...I'm never really sure what to do with myself!
We got some skiing in with Bobby too!

Lots of walks in the Bob!

Mommy and Daddy out and about

There was so little snow that Ashley didn't get to sled, she got to ride in the wagon!


Big Mama was all dressed up for a theme party with her friends...Ashley wasn't too sure who she was!
 Since we've been home it's just been a whirlwind.  I've been busy with work, and Jonathan's been working long days to save up some time for our trip to Vegas next week.  I've been working on my ankle quite a bit, I feel lucky to have access to the exercise equipment at the Forest service.  It's still weak, but it's getting there!  We've also been spending lots of time with Aunt Lori and Kooper, which has been so nice.  I'm going to be so sad when Lori goes back to work!  Next week will be my first extended trip away from Ashley, and we are so lucky that she gets to spend time with the Raymond family.  She loves Tate and Cole, and of course Desi and Jason, too! 

Ok, I think that's it for now!  I'll let you know how my trip away goes soon!