C.J. & P.J.

Today Clara and I went to the park for this cute little girl's birthday party...

Happy Birthday Sophia!

While we were there we got to meet Penelope Jane for the first time. If you remember, she is my cousin Monica's daughter, and Penelope and Clara are only two days apart. It was fun seeing them together, they are so cute! It is funny how babies have such similar expressions and movements. Monica, we have to get them together more often, they are going to be good friends/second cousins!

Two Months Old!

Clara is two months old today! She is getting more alert, active and fun every day. She started to smile a couple weeks ago and has been trying to talk to us with baby talk. We had her eight week appointment recently and she weighs 10lbs 5oz., and is 22.5 inches long. We love her so much and are so happy to have her in our lives!

The Professional Ones

Here are the pictures taken in Minnesota by my brother-in-law Taylor Abeel. I couldn't mix them in with the ones we took, because they put our photos to shame. I love these pictures so much, especially with all the beautiful fall colors. I don't think I have never seen such amazing fall landscapes!

These pictures were taken at the Seaver's house in Le Sueur, Minnesota.

The cousins playing some football.

Emma, Taylor, & Elle

These were taken hiking in the woods near the Seaver's family cabin in Northern Minnesota.


The whole group.





Uncle Curt &
Aunt Amber Seaver

Minnesota & Utah

Ready to hike!

We finally made it back home! Well, we made it back exactly a week ago, but it has taken this long to recuperate enough to make a post! The trip went really well, it is very tiring traveling with a 7 week old, but she did great for the most part. Thankfully she slept on all the plane rides and generally seemed to be happy. For the first part of the trip we were in Minnesota. First we had a family wedding, and then we drove five hours north to the family cabin in northern Minnesota. It was absolutely beautiful up there, and we had so much fun relaxing and exploring with family. Some of our activities included hikes, riding the four wheeler, and we went on a 15 mile canoe ride down the Big Fork River. We were in Minnesota for six days.

Canoe Ride

We stopped for a quick lunch.

The cutest little girls Elle and Emma!

The next phase of our trip was Salt Lake City. We flew in for our friends wedding. Matt and Jeannine were married in one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever seen! It was at an old historic house in a beautiful park. The wedding was absolutely perfect, and we are so happy to see the two of them married! We spent the rest of the time in Utah hanging with friends for a total of four days. It is so nice to be home now and getting back to normal.

Waiting for the wedding to start

The happy couple

The Dreaded 72

Jordan just had his first 72 hour shift since being back, and I survived! These shifts are not the norm, they occur when he picks up an extra shift in between two regularly scheduled shifts. Three whole days and nights alone is a lot of work, and I was so thankful when he finally made it home! Jordan also felt that three days away from Clara was too many, so we made the trip down to the station to visit him and have dinner. It was Clara's first visit to the fire station, and I think she enjoyed it!

Fall Days

Our Cozy Sleepyhead

Sometimes I realize that I haven't even stepped outside for days. I love being a mom and taking care of Clara, but it can be a bit seclusive sometimes. The other day Jordan and I decided to take her to the park. Obviously she couldn't run around and play, but it was an absolutely beautifully cold day, and I couldn't stand staying inside one minute longer. The funny thing about me is that I literally hibernate in the summer months, I can't stand the intense heat, and I pretty much just stay inside where it is cool for the whole summer (unless it involves going to the beach). But then when fall and winter roll around I am itching to get out and enjoy the cool weather. With me the colder the better. I just love sweaters, blankets, hot beverages, baking and all the other wonderful things that come along with cool weather. It is just so cozy!

In other news, we are getting ready for a big trip coming up next week. We are flying to Minnesota for a family wedding and reunion, and then immediately after we are flying to Salt Lake City for a friends wedding. I am definitely a little nervous about flying and traveling with a newborn. She is a great baby most of the time, but she has her moments, and when she cries it can be extremely loud and piercing. The trip should be fun and I am praying it all goes smoothly!

One Month Old

Clara is one month old today! She is growing so fast and has been very alert and playful lately. She is starting to interact with us through her facial expressions and sounds she makes.


I am also very excited that fall is here! The weather has been great and we took a trip to Julian to start the fall festivities! It is my favorite time of year, especially because it begins the holiday season.



It has been invaluable having Jordan home this whole month. He has gotten in some great bonding time with Clara; they are so cute together! He goes back to work tomorrow and I am a little nervous about being alone for the 24 hour shifts. I do feel a lot more confident now than in the beginning. Feel free to stop by and help out on those days, Gram and Grammy!


We also had some visitors in our backyard yesterday! Seven turkeys were hanging out for a good part of the day...Thanksgiving dinner anyone?