Mexico in March

Another whole week vacation in a place where God's glory is so evident! We had a wonderful time as always. It was our family, Richard, Doreen, & Bella (all week), and Uncle Lee and his dog Casey (Thurs-Mon).

Exploring the coral

Ember decided that she LOVED the hammock this trip. She loved sitting, laying, and swinging in it

She also loved pulling all the rocks out of the rock bed onto the path. But she was always really good about cleaning them up too :)

Daddy helping Ember over the sand ridges

Sandcastle time! 

She also LOVED running all over the sand!

Me and my baby girl!

Ember's 1st quad ride! She really seemed to enjoy it. We went nice and slow and she was just "singing" along as we went and making a "vroom vroom" sound

Panorama picture of a gorgeous sunset

I found this tiny sand dollar when I was cooling down from running on the beach. Ember found it later without our supervision and smashed it into a million pieces... but at least we got a picture first

Pig tails!

Bath time in the laundry room sink. She didn't seem to mind at all

While the boys were out picking up dinner to bring back one night, Doreen and I were watching the ocean bring this object in closer and closer. Once they got back, Richard went out and pulled it in. It was a turtle shell (with the flesh still inside of it) Doreen and I put it on a skim board and pulled it up by our stairs hoping an animal would eat out the insides so we could keep the shell. They didn't. But in the morning, the security guards came by and buried the turtle right by our stairs. I guess they didn't want us to have it :) Probably better that way because it was pretty stinky!

<3's

Little cutie!

Saying Goodbye :( 

There were some of the highlights of our trip! We cannot wait to Lord willing go back in MAY!! 

Music to Grow Music Class

Ember and I are doing a 7 week music class on Friday mornings with 10 other families! Ember has always LOVED music so she really enjoys this. We sing, dance, play instruments, and do finger plays. Here are a few pictures of last Friday's class!

Ember Update

Here are a few things Ember has been up to! 

This is what happens when Ember can't pull her Silkie Bear out of her crib

BIG GIRL CARSEAT!!

Ember's new favorite fashion accessory is her chain link necklace!

Ember now takes baths in the big tub without being in her little baby tub! She likes when the water is running a little.

Gotta remember these little things/changes because they are happening ALL TOO FAST!

Quiet Book Project

Since Ember is getting older and able to do more manipulative things, I wanted to get her a "quiet book" to have during church to help her stay busy and quiet instead of being fussy. But as I looked online and in stores - I had trouble finding what I wanted. Some I found for a decent price but they were not quite what I wanted. I found some that I really liked, but they were around $50-$100 on Etsy and similar sites. So.... I decided I would try to make one of my own. The only problem... I do not sew and do not have a desire to sew! So, I did this whole book with fusible webbing and fabric glue and very very little sewing! Ember likes it so far and since the pages are inside a 3-ring folder type binding - I can switch out pages as I am inspired to make more! It was actually really fun to make and I am happy with the final product. Of course there are some flaws that I have had to fix once she started playing with it but overall it was a positive experience and I am excited to make more pages! 

Here is the cover I made (Funny thing - the fabric on the cover looks very similar to the fabric that Baby Sorraya Brucks was sleeping on in the NICU)

Here are the pages with a brief description of what you do on each page:

Pull off the Velcro house pieces/shapes and match them back in the correct place

Un button the smaller flower heads and re-button them on

Open and close the zippers

Take the socks out of the laundry basket and match them to their correct match

Pull off the Velcro cookies and match them to the number under the cookie based on the number of sprinkles on top

Count the beads

Pull the finger puppet animals out of Noah's ark and put them on your fingers

Pretend to paint - and also pull the paint colors off and rearrange them

Write with chalk on the chalkboard and use the flannel to erase and redraw

Unzip the ladybugs back to find her spots and place them in the correct place. Then take them off and put them back in the storage pouch

Buckle and unbuckle the doggies collar

(Ember's favorite so far are the Velcro ones and the chalkboard and paintbrush pages)

Grandma Flin's Memorial Service

On Tuesday January 21, we remembered and celebrated the life of Grandma Flin at Fellowship Hall at 2:00 in the afternoon. It was a great time to remember and appreciate who she was and celebrate that she is now with her Savior. The Chaplin at Fellowship read some stories and memories, dad read her obituary, we sang a few songs that Grandma had wanted sung and read a poem she requested be read at her memorial service and then showed Grandpa our love and support. So many people came to show their love and appreciation that they had to get out more chairs! She truly was a very special and loved woman. Grandma Flin - you will be dearly missed! 

Little Girl, BIG Personality

It is so much FUN to see little Ember's personality come out more and more as she gets older. She doesn't just copy things we do anymore but she comes up with silly things to do on her own that just make us giggle and laugh! Here are just a few of the things she has been up to that we want to remember:

1) Ember loves to put this "r" puzzle piece in her mouth and bring it over to us to grab the other end (YES! In our mouths too).

2) She loves to carry the mail back after we walk to get it! 

3) She loves pulling her sunglasses out of her closet (in the middle of winter) and wearing them around the house! Stylin' ;)

4) She LOVES dancing! She has started doing something very similar to the moonwalk or lifting one of her legs up high in the air as she walks. She also LOVES stomping/dancing on the sewage covers on the sidewalks whenever we go for a walk. Some of them make noise when she steps on them so she tries each and every one! 

These are just some of the silly things this little girl is starting to do! It brings us so much joy and so many smiles to watch her learn and have fun!