8 Months

Zach's first year is flying by, this time last year I was dreading the whole summer knowing it would drag before Zach would arrive and here I am, a year later, thinking how fast the summer is going to fly by and he will be one! (And Rylee will start school!) He is 8 months old now and weighs 18 1/2 pounds and is 28 1/2 inches long. He has really mastered scooting and is starting to get into mischief. Random things get him to giggle and its the best sound in the world. He says Dada all the time but no Mama! I think he is even starting to connect the sound Dada with his Dada. Its ok, he is still a Mama's boy. He plays hide and seek with us, when he's in is walker he will find us! It's adorable. He also pulled up to standing once, completely on his own. It was very random and totally surprised me! He's getting to my favorite age, where he is becoming more aware and fun! I am just soaking it all in!

Zach in the BoxMy Oldest and Youngest This picture was taken moments before Zach stood up. I couldn't believe he even got up on his knees and I was thinking that he might just stand up, and he did. But he fell over so quickly that I was late getting a picture.

Playdate

The kids and I went on a playdate with Holly and her boys and a friend of ours (who was a huge help, she really helped rangle all 5 of our kids!) this week to the Mesa Museum of Natural History. My kids had never been to a museum before so Rylee was very curious what we were going to do. She liked it, Haylee did too, and Zach was a good baby! It's been nice getting out a lot lately during the week and having fun with the kids! It's hard work, but fun!

Here is Rylee and I swimming in the ocean. (Yes they have an ocean there and we swim fully clothed.) The girls panned for gold. Rylee found 8 pieces and Haylee, well she just got soaking wet.
The girls in jail. I told them it's like time out for bad people. Rylee was very curious what they had to do wrong to go to jail? She would ask, "Like if I bite someone, Mommy? Or pull their hair? Or don't listen?" Oh, if only that was the worst people could do...
They loved seeing the dinosaurs too! They have a flood that comes through the dinosaur display every half an hour or so and I told Rylee it was about to come. She freaked out, plugged her ears and ran off. I finally got out of her that she thought I said a real dinasaur was coming in 5 minutes. Wow. I would run too.

Peach Pickin'

My favorite fruit is ready for the picking, and I was there opening day! We went on a mission to buy a ton so I could make a bunch of cobblers (the best cobbler in the world might I add! Ok the best in Scott and mine's world but whatever) baby food, sorbet, and have enough leftover to eat. We accomplished this mission and we now have 4 cobblers in the freezer and Zach has plenty of peach baby food to eat!

Haylee bun ready to pick and eat peaches.

Rylee filled up her bag!
Zach munched on this peach most of the time we were there, he loved it.

Before the summer heat hits for good...

Last week the high was in the 70's so we took advantage of it! Our friends, Christine and Raul, have a Zoo membership so they invited us to go because they could get us all in for free!
{Thank you guys again for inviting us!!}
It was a beautiful, picture perfect day! We fed the giraffes! It was awesome!! Zach even did it! He held out the lettuce and the giraffe went for it. Zach immediatly pulled the lettuce back like "Hey, thats mine, Giraffe!" He tried it again and gave it to the giraffe that time. It was adorable!
Rylee feeding him
I loved being so close to them!
Haylee waited until it was our turn, after waiting in line, to announce she needed to go to the bathroom! Christine took one for the team and took her to the restroom since she had fed the giraffes before. When they got back, Haylee was very dissapointed that she missed out so Christine and I waited in line again with her so she could have a turn too! Christine took her to feed them because she missed out too and I couldn't go again without paying for myself again! She loved it! Once again, thank you Christine!!
They remembered this lizard from the last time we went and had to get a picture with it again.
Rylee and Brisa
We ended the day by letting the kids play in the splash pad. It was a tad chilly but worth it to them! I love what Rylee is doing in this picture (purple bathing suit).

Mother's Day

I felt very blessed this Mother's Day! I have to brag about Scott for a minute...he took all 3 kids to paint pottery for me! Haylee painted a jewlery box and Rylee painted a vase! He also made me breakfast that morning. We went to his parent's house for a bbq lunch that the boys made and then to my Mom's for yet another bbq! Scott cooked for us there too!

Our church takes a picture of each family on Mother's Day! I am so thankful for that because we get a beautiful family photo each year!

The kids, my Mom and I.
BBQ'ing at my Mom's

Twins

I watched Elijah and Elliott this week and I hauled all 5 kids outside to let them play and to get a few pictures. Here are the twin cousins sitting up all by themselves. What big boys! "It's like looking in a mirror."
All 5, They were cooperating so well....NOT

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I thought I'd throw in a few more pics of Zach's adventures lately too!
Scott joined our church's softball team so every Saturday night we try to go and watch him play! If the kids are in the right mood it works out really well and we all have fun. Wrong mood, and we leave before the game starts! That only happened once, so far...This is a bad cell phone picture that I believe Haylee took, but its all I have of us at the game!

We also took the kids to see the movie Rio. It was Zach's first movie! He did good, he fell asleep about halfway through! Haylee only lasts as long as the popcorn does. Once it's gone, she's bored.

Messy face enjoying sweat potatoes. I have been making all of his baby food and it's been fun! All 3 of my kids happily playing together. Zach needs some action figures though...
Look at that sweeet mohawk
His latest accomplishment...He went from the crawling position to almost siting up by himself. His one leg was stuck though. He is still so close to crawling, just waiting! He scoots a lot more now though! He's quick too, when he sees something he wants, he is after it in a blink of an eye.

Our Garden

We planted a garden a few weeks ago. I have been wanting to do it for awhile now because I knew the girls would love it! I don't have a green thumb (I can barely keep my house plants alive), so I was hoping that the girls would remind me to water it and take care of it. They have done a great job so far and with the addition of the drip line Scott added, this may just work out!
The girls painted signs for each plant.
We planted cilantro, basil, jalepenos, carrots, sweet onions, watermelon, and pumpkins.
The before picture.
A week later there was the first sign of life!
Haylee's pumpkin.
And 2 weeks later, everything is growing!! Yay!