18 months-Gracie Girl

18 months old. Our sweet little, lovable and cuddly and soft-tempered and happy-go-lucky little baby has turned into a spit-fire, screechy, independent toddler. I'm not happy about it--because I want her to stay little forever! 

She is nonstop. Constantly opening and emptying and climbing and reaching and grabbing and running and making everyone realize how absolutely not baby proof a space can be. She LOVES animals-kissed the new baby pups right on their little noses. She has quite recently got fiercely independent and sooooo much screechier. She's still tiny and petite and soft and gives the best cuddles and kisses. She laughs and sings and plays hilarious peek a boo games. She can say mama, daddy, uh-oh, NO, bubbles, peekaboo, I love you, bye, hi, woof woof, and a few others. Recently she is most content playing in grandma and grandpa's gravel. Oh how we love this sweetest little girl of ours! She's everyone's baby and we all love her so!

Ana surprise visit! a lake. a hike around Mantua.

Ana surprised her parents by coming to visit for Father's Day! She came to Grandma's house first and then when we went over later for a hike (and then a book club afterwards which was SO much fun) she sat in the trunk while we walked into the house and told them we had a surprise. They came out, we opened the trunk and she was laying there like Vana White haha! Kayli said "this is a surprising surprise!" haha. 

Going out to weed. Grandma was paying them money that they were eager to go spend at Smith and Edwards.

While Ana was here a terrible thing happened. I was doing dishes and watching all the kids jump on the tramp/ride bikes around outside below me. The adults were getting gravel rocks out of the trailer hitch (which was my kids fault...oops) and they were right beside my kids. When I came out I didn't see Russ anymore. Someone said he had gone inside. I thought that was a little weird since I had just come out. But I put sunscreen on my kids because they were going to start weeding. Once I'd sunscreened all three kids I set out to find Russ. Only I couldn't find him. Once I'd made a sweep around the house and yard I enlisted the other adults. They checked the RV that had been open. No Russ. Got a little more panicked. Chad was in the barn, no Russ. I started to head down the road thinking he might of walked that way---and he was locked inside Ana's car sobbing and screaming and red-faced and sweat bullets streaming off his head. (it was about 75 degrees outside) I ran to find Ana, she unlocked him, I dunked him in a cold bath, gave him a full cup of juice which he drained, called Sterling who was really busy but IMMEDIATELY called me back. Told me to check his temp. All in all-Russ was totally fine. He got this blue popsicle when he got out of the tub. But MAN he scared me! (he's actually got into several cars--he's obsessed with driving--but we've been really good about making sure everyone locks them. He's just so dang persistent!)

This is gorgeous Mantua. We went on a hike up there. Which was kind of a series of unfortunate events. My sister Andrea was supposed to meet us--but she doesn't have a cell phone, and we never did find her. Then there was supposed to be this rope swing into the water, but it had been cut down. And we were supposed to do this hike, but there was a farmer haying and it was hot and we ended up just meandering a bit and going home haha.

HUGE SHOUT OUT and lots of gratitude to Chad and Ethne for carrying my babes!

Some of June