A Month or so of Highlights

Ok so I am finally taking the time to blog after who knows how long. I decided that too much has happened to put in everything, but here are the highlights:

• Max had his first taste of solid food at 6 months, rice cereal, and now he eats solids on a regular basis, I've included a picture of him having his first bowl, spoon, and high chair experience.


• Max got his first tooth the last Friday in July (bottom middle left), then another within a week on the top left and within another week he had 2 more to balance out the first 2. So he looked sorta like a vampire or a hippo until just last week when another one started to come in. It broke in on Saturday but is too small to really see in a picture. Eric took some just tonight before I put him down to bed of his toothy smile.


• Max also learned to crawl sometime before all the teeth, and now he is pulling himself up to furniture like a pro, flat walls and everything. He has taken many a tumble too and he had the bruises to prove it.


• Alex is still loving video games and he loves it when I read to him. He has been doing better about going to the potty, but still can't go a full week without an accident.


• Haley started 1st grade on the 10th of August and so far is enjoying it. She likes her teacher and the homework load is less than in Kindergarten somehow. I have also been volunteering in the classroom to help out the teacher, Mrs. Schmidt, since they have no budget for teachers assistants or aides. (A sarcastic Hooray for the economy in CA )


• We took a trip the week before Haley started school to go to Vernal for my Aunt Diane's funeral. She has touched so many lives and it was a bittersweet 4 day trip (2 days of it literally spent in the car). I was so grateful that we could be there and we still pray for the Morton family every night. She will truly be missed, but thank goodness for the knowledge of the gospel that puts it all in perspective and makes it easier to cope. I posted some pictures from our trip as well. The sweet part of the trip was seeing family especially my nephew Grady whom I met in person for the first time, and some of my extended family that I hadn't seen in years.


• Also on that trip Haley had her first taste of a bee sting actually it was a wasp that got her in the back of the leg/knee 3 times. My mom and dad didn't know there was a nest underneath their porch swing, so unfortunately Haley discovered it and was lucky to only have the one wasp attack her. It was a learning experience, I know now that she isn't allergic and I learned how to treat stings.


• Alex lost his hat at the Mad Greek in Baker, and had his first experience with peeing on the side of the road, so he learned something from the trip too. I can't speak for Eric who did all the driving, but I think we built some lasting memories from the whole experience. It also made me really miss Provo since we spent 2 out of 3 nights there, for me it will always be home.


• Eric started his second year of law school one week after Haley started and it has been tons easier than the first year, minus the whole expense of school and living off of loans thing which remains the same.


• Eric came home a few weeks ago to say that he found out that he had received some awards for highest grades in 2 of his classes last year and I was very proud of him he worked really hard and beat himself up over whether or not he did well after the finals were over. Then within a few days of this news we received a letter stating that he had made the Dean's List! Whoo Hoo! Way to go Eric! I am really not trying to brag, but I am so proud of his achievements.
  

Anyway those are the highlights, I hope I didn't miss anything since my last post, but if I did then I blame Mom-nesia (memory loss after having a child which they say can last up to 9 months). Recently we had a fun Labor Day at Eric's parents house barbecue and visiting. We actually visited for 2 days in a row since we go up there every Sunday and it was nice. And we have been swimming a few times since the school year started which has been nice since it has been so hot lately. I never thought I would say it, but I actually miss winter in Utah, snow and all. I think it is still going to take a while for me to like living in California, but its starting to grow on me.

Lots of Pictures!

Max's First SolidsA Toothy SmileFrom Crawling to StandingHaley's First Day of First Grade Pictures from our Bittersweet Trip: Me and Grady Payson
Cami, Haley after her stinging incident, and my mom
Kemish
My dad holding MaxAll of us minus Yvonia and Spencer and their families. Posing after the funeral luncheon. Grandpa and seven of his children (6 of my aunts and 1 of my uncles) Vicky, Grandpa, Kaylynn, Michelle, Duane, Kathy (my mom), Carma, and ShellyGrandpa and Grandma PowellKami Mayer (my cousin) in front, with a pregnant Aunt Nikell talking in the background A picture of the Casket at the Gravesite just after the funeral. Malinda holding Grady and Cami holding MaxCousins!
Haley holding Max, Alex, and Payson holding Grady
Nathan, Yvonia, and Rya (Catia didn't want to be in the picture)
Rya
Catia finally let me take her picture.Just some fun pictures:

Max asleep on the floor one random day still in his jammies.My 3 Kids wanted their picture taken together (Alex, Max, and Haley)A really random picture of a happy face in a can of OJ that Eric opened one morning.