My sister's family came for a visit!

My sister's family came for a visit this week! We had a blast!! This was Chris, Bryan, Ben and their dog Miley's first time to our house in Cleveland. We went to the dog park, to the park and played tag, played at home in our little blow up pool, ate popscicles, ate in Little Italy and played in a park there, had a fashion show with the kid's first day of school outfits, went to the Science Center, Bry and Ben went with Jennifer to the U.S.S. Codd submarine, went to the beach in Mentor, had Uncle Chris's yummy spaghetti and had SO Much FUN!
Nataleigh had a blast! She really got to bond with her Aunt Jennifer. She learned a new word, "doggie"..she LOVES dogs and they brought their golden retreiver, Miley. It was so sad after they left because she would walk around saying "doggie" and looking for her :(
Here are some pics :)

Missions Week 2010

Where has the summer gone? I'm trying to enjoy every last bit of it. Leah, Nataleigh and I went to Missions Week last week while Daddy went to Nashville for his Aunt's wedding and then he went on to camp Illiana. I did the music for the little kids in the morning and enjoyed the rest of the time getting to know some missionaries and being surrounded by people that are so in love with God. I'm trying to get Chris to go next year to Missions Week. It's such a great week for spiritual encouragement!!
Here are some pics of our time there. Nataleigh is growing so fast. She LOVES the water and the dirt. Leah watched Nataleigh in the mornings for me and they had some great bonding time! ;)

13 months (just a little late)

I can't believe the summer is half-way over! We are enjoying our summer so much I haven't been on the computer that much. Nataleigh surprises us everyday with how much she is growing up! I can't believe she is 13 months old! She's walking like crazy and is super, super independent! We really have to watch her close because she's so quick. She ventured over to the stairs for a split second and was on the bottom step and fell backward, hitting her head. She was fine but it sure scared us :) She loves to be outside and loves to be in the water. She's talking ALOT some of her words are:
momma, dadda, baby, belly button, glasses, bird, ball, pretty (calls flowers pretties), what's that? boo, big bird, book, broccoli, nonna, papa, bye-bye, hi, duck, brush, strawberry, cheese, drink, please, all done, lala (Leah) sometimes will sound like she is saying Leah, balloon, dog (is duh, duh) Pooh (sometimes she repeats us and it's so clear it cracks us up! ("oh man", that's silly")
She's also making the sounds for sheep, boat, monkey and cow
We are enjoying her so much and so, so thankful that God gave her to us! Here are a few pictures and videos:

walking around with my purse...she loved it when i put it on her :) such a girl :)

after our trip to the West Side Market...the outcome of our labor :) Rainbow trout, asparagus and rice


our friend Leah is here for the month of July and we are enjoying her visit so much...and Nataleigh thinks she's the ticket! :) She will bring books to Leah and want to crawl into Leah's lap for story time :)
she was having fun yesterday with my purse...she was so tired though (we think she was recooperating from the weekend) she would just lay down on the floor :)

walking and saying "silly"!!

So this week just before her first Birthday she reached the milestone of walking! She had been getting there over the past few weeks but finally just took off! She's so cute how she falls on her little bum and picks herself right back up and takes off. She also started today carrying toys around with her! Too cute! :)
Here's a little video for your viewing pleasure :)

Also, she has said silly before and when I was trying to get her walking on video she repeated after her little toy and said "silly" Such a funny girl...

Happy 1st Birthday sweet Nataleigh!!!!!!!

AW...I wanted to post this on her actual Birthday-6/8/10...I'm a day late...well that's ok that's been the new change of pace since adding a little one to our lives :) Things don't really get done on time so much anymore :)
What a year! Where do I even begin? I guess to sum it all up...she's changed us! We will never be the same! God continues to teach us every day a new thing or two or three about Himself through her. We are SO blessed!
This first year has been a whirlwind of change as we go from learning to nurse, sleep in crib, sleep through the night, eat solids, roll, crawl, talk, walk, take better naps...etc, etc.
Our Nataleigh is a healthy, strong, sweet, funny, charming, curious, center of attention, silly, mischievious, smart, chatter box, on-the-go girl.
We love her to pieces and are grateful for the gift God has given to us!
We celebrated her Birthday on Sat. June 4 with family and a few friends (Gran Gran, PaPaw, Mimi, Grandpa Great, Nonna, Grandpa, BisNonna, The Jenkins and our neighbor) We were sad a few couldn't make it but we had a great time!
On the menu we had-
*Briar Hill, Pepperoni and White Pizza homemade with love by Nonna and BisNonna
*Veggie Pizza
*Veggie tray
*Ladybugs on a stick
*lady bug cake and cupcakes
*raspberry lemonade

Nataleigh loved the pizza (her first pizza) and was so cute with her cake. She's such a dainty girl. She would pick at it and then finally figured out she could get more if she got her face in there. She really just liked licking it :)
She enjoyed opening her gifts and taking a ride around the house with her little buddy, Kellen in her new wagon from PaPaw and GranGran.
I, Mommy teared up while we sang "Happy Birthday". Nataleigh loved all the attention and def. put on a show for her guests :)

On her actual Birthday we had Nonna, Grandpa, BisNonna, Uncle Shawn and Aunt Angela over for Nataleigh's first Birthday dinner....homemade sphagetti that her daddy made. She LOVED it! She wouldn't stop eating it- such a little piggy :) Then she had another cake (cupcake) and really enjoyed that again too! :)
Here are some pics of the day...

a wonderful visit!

So while Chris was in IL doing a wedding for one of our youth Nataleigh and I went to Angola! We had a great time! It really hit me while we were there that Nataleigh is becoming a little girl and is not so much a baby anymore! She had so much fun playing with her cousins, Aunts and Uncles PaPaw and Gran Gran, dipping her feet in the lake, crawling/walking everywhere and playing Gran Gran's piano! She is so dainty when she plays...I don't think she's ever pounded on the keys before...Maybe she is a natural! :) She is so much fun and has become quite my little buddy!
The view I enjoyed all week (sitting on the deck of the house I grew up in)...

Who Knew? :)

So the other day Nataleigh would not fall asleep for her afternoon nap...when I finally went up there to check on her I found this...

Yes, those are her pants that she took off! Never knew at almost 12 months she could figure this out! ;)