Celebrating Marlee

This past Sunday we celebrated Marlee's 1st birthday. Grandma Claudia and Papa Ron came over in the evening to watch Marlee open gifts and have some birthday cake. Marlee liked taking the tissue paper out of the gift bags. She also REALLY liked the frosting on her birthday cake! Thanks for celebrating with us, Grandma and Papa!

Marlee is 1!

Our baby girl is 1 year old today! I know it sounds cliché, but that year just flew by! It has been such a joy to experience this first year of life with you, Marlee. We know that even more incredible moments with you lie ahead! Happy birthday to our curious, happy, and sweet baby girl! We love you!

Daddy and his "dears"

I was looking back over our blog and at some of the very first posts that I made, and I found this one of Blake and Randy during deer hunting season. It reminded me of a picture I took not too long ago of Randy and Marlee after Randy came in from hunting. I really am seeing how much Marlee and Blake resemble each other as I look back at these pictures. No buck to report yet, but hopefully this weekend! />
Randy and Blake 2008 Randy and Marlee 2013

Halloween 2013

After everyone in our house came down with the stomach flu this last week, we were fortunate to all be healthy by the time Halloween came around. Blake had two costumes this year. For school he dressed up as a stickman, and for trick-or-treating he went as a hunter. Bennett dressed up as a fire chief, while Marlee and I dressed as cowgirls. We had a great time trick-or-treating in a friend's neighborhood, as it makes it extra "tricky" when you live out in the country. This week while Blake was still recovering from the flu, we found some time to carve our pumpkins also! Both boys did not want anything to do with scooping out the insides of the pumpkins. I guess you can't blame them after having been sick earlier in the week. Yuck!

Marlee is 11 Months Old!

It is hard to believe that in one short month we will be celebrating another first birthday in our house! Where has the time gone? Seriously? Marlee is starting to walk along furniture a little now. She loves to go for stroller rides, play in the grass/leaves, and smile at her brothers. She has also become somewhat of a daddy's girl. Whenever Randy is holding her she does not want to come to me. (Tear) We can't wait to celebrate your first birthday, Marlee!

What I'm Loving This Week

As I look back over this week, here are some of the things I am especially thankful for:(in order of the pictures below) 1. A curious Marlee as she is thinking-- "What is that? What is it doing? Can I do that?" 2. Seeing Randy playing with the kids 3. Clean and happy kiddos 4. My 1-on-1 time with Bennett during the day--this week we made playdough! 5. Access to fresh garden tomatoes for making salsa and pasta sauce, and for apples from our land!

Marlee is 10 Months Old!

Is Marlee really old enough to be in the double digits now? We have a busy little crawler this month. Marlee loves to zoom around on the floor crawling to anything in sight. Her favorite things to get her hands on are socks-- dirty or clean-- it doesn't matter. She also likes to pull herself up to standing. She is seeming more and more like a toddler than the little baby I once knew-- sniff, sniff. She has more teeth this month too. One popped through on the top with another popping through on the bottom for a total of 4 teeth. The other top big tooth is almost through as well. At her check-up a few weeks ago she weighed 17 pounds ( 25% for weight and 90% for height)-- she is going to be long and lean. By next month we might be starting to walk! YIKES! Love you Marlee! Also, a bonus picture of Marlee and her BFF Janie (almost 1 year) this past weekend!