Memorial Day Weekend

This weekend the weather was absolutely beautiful! 85 degrees and breezy, it was like heaven. It was a MUST that we got out and enjoyed the weather.
We started out our day at a small lake fishing and feeding the ducks with Grammy, Aunt Jessica and Uncle Eric. The day was topped off with swimming at Bop Bop and Grandmas. Needless to say Vander was absolutely exhausted by the end of the day- but he had an absolute blast and we enjoyed the time out of the house together as a family.

 Feeding the duckies

 Watching daddy try to fish ;)

 Hanging out with his buddies!

Check out the bubble bum.... oh yes ladies...

Bumbo!

Vander loved his Bumbo- It appears Presley will be the same! WAHOO!

 Hanging out with Daddy- First Bumbo experience

 Lovin it!

 Teachin sis all about horses... 

He thinks he is the funniest person alive ;)

18 Months- The Monkey

THE MONKEY aka- Vander

We signed Vander up for tumbling classes about 4 weeks ago... The classes are AMAZING. They have worked wonders on his social skills and confidence, but one thing that it has also done is turned him into a climbing, exploring, daring MONKEY. His favorite thing to do these days is hang on the bar of the oven and pull his legs up.. Which then results in the oven door opening and him landing flat on his head. (An oven lock is on the shopping list today)....
Aside from him being a monkey, this has been the most fun and entertaining month of his developement yet. He learns new words everyday and can talk your ear off. Most of what he says you cannot understand, but he certainly knows exactly what hes saying..

Heres what hes up to at 18 months..
-His current obsession is Horses- He is almost always carrying a horse around the house with him. (Or shoving them in toilets)
-He loves his sister and checks on her first thing every morning
-He is a tornado. He literally just walks around the house destroying it.
-He LOVES when anyone comes to the door. But usually the first word he screams when he hears a knock at the door is "KAKA" which is Vander language for his Aunt Jessica. She is the light of his life right now ;)
-His new favorite word is "NO!" and while it hasn't yet been directed towards mom and dad.. I'm sure that is VERY soon to follow. He tells the doggies no, sissy no, the door no, his horseys no...
-He loves to count the stairs going up and down, but his favorite number is 9... which is the last step and he loves to shout it
-He could sit and listen to animal sounds on the iphone, ipad, or anything for that matter ALL DAY LONG. He loves animal sounds and knows every common animal now
-When we go anywhere hes constantly making the sounds of the animals he sees, in logos, signs, anything.
-He likes to help do anything- If you ask him to help he gets giddy with excitement and will help the best way he knows how
-He adores songs. Mainly Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, and Old MacDonald. We sing Twinkle Twinkle every night at bedtime and he just grins from ear to ear
-He has a wicked baseball swing already. Daddy is proud.
-He gets SO excited at the site of a ball (of any shape/size) and bubbles
-He has become very independant and usually will play by himself for hours
-He likes to line up his bin of animals in a PERFECT row
-He still eats just about anything you put in front of him
-Sleeps from 8pm-8:30

An overall AMAZING, cute, happy, helpful little boy!!!

Father Son Campout

This past weekend Joel and Vander when on their first Father Son Campout with the ward. I threatened Joels life and made him swear to take a TON of pictures of Vanders first real campout....
Instead, he came home with about 30 pictures of the back of Vanders head. From what I hear, all Vander did the entire time was run around exploring, so I guess that explains the pictures... Even so, the pictures ended up as a total bust- but heres what Joel DID snap...

 Checkin out the fish at the fish hatchery in Payson

"Sissy"

I am pretty sure that my sweet little Presley is going to grow up thinking her name is Sissy. Thats how she is referred to by me, Joel and Vander, and it has just stuck. Vander adores his sissy and she adores him equally as much.

She had a few fussy weeks where she would cry from about 7pm-10pm, but it seems over the last few days that the phase is starting to pass.

This little girl sleeps like a CHAMP. She has "slept through the night" two nights now. Going to bed at 11:30 and not waking up until about 7:30 to eat again.

She is all smiles in the morning. If you talk to her she just grins from ear to ear and kicks.

Shes super strong and loves to sit up straight and talk to you. Shes still a little peanut and is still rockin the Newborn clothes. Maybe sometime soon we will graduate to 0-3 months!

 Doing what she does best- Sleepin like a champ!

 Afternoon nap with her very favorite person :)

 Bath time!

 Big brother givin sissy a kiss and being a great helper

 Happy little girl

I love this sweetheart!

Springtime Fun

I feel like I haven't taken as many photos lately- Its tough when you go from 1 kid to 2... Suddenly one of you has a kid at any given time and your hands are rarely empty. Makes it a little more difficult to take photos. I'm sure in time I will grow more acustomed to it and it will be no biggie- but until then... less photos...

Here are the last 2 weeks in a nutshell...

 Presley and Grandma- Chillin at Reese's birthday party

 Vander and Grandma- Drinkin milk at Reese's party

 Bop Bop and Presley having a very deep conversation. She was listening VERY closely

 Playing "Animal sounds" on Joel's iphone- Van's new obsession

 Syrup is the new hair gel... It has AMAZING hold

 Being a great big brother. He loves to give her her passy when she cries.. Or more accurately, SHOVE her binky in her mouth

 Sissy sleeping.. What she does best ;)

 Pool time in the backyard! Oh the joy...

 Playin in his mini pool. Taking his animals for a swim on my lunch break :)

Blessing Presley

This morning we had the opportunity to bless our sweet little Presley. She was a good little girl all day and was very greatful to all her friends and family for showing up! Those in attendance for her special day...
Grandma and Bop Bop Craig, Grammy and Jessica Ingram, Eric Richman, Tarah and Drew Ingram with Reese and Maddux, Jon and Heather Devries, Becca and Bryce Henderson with Blake, Ryan Riddel, Jake and Lauren Kay with Ava, Rich and Brittani Hamilton with Ryan and Cara and of course the entire Cooley Station Ward Family :)
Those preisthood holders who participated in the blessing; Daddy, Kevin Craig, Drew Ingram, Bryce Henderson, Jake Kay, Jon Devries, Rich Hamilton and Joel Betz (1st Counseler of the bishopric).

Thank you for everyone who attended to celebrate baby Presley's special day... To Presley- when you see this in the future... Your Daddy did a wonderful job and loves you VERY much. What a sweet blessing you are in our lives!