Something to Smile About

Here are some photos of Aurelia this past month that make me smile.

We took her to the Austin Botanical Garden last weekend. She wore her first true ponytail (with an added bow, of course)!

The hair she woke up with today - front view and in profile. Rockin'!

We Heart Odessa

Okay, so maybe it is a little strong to say that we heart Odessa. What we really heart is the people who live there, namely, Grumps, Grandma Becky, Becky's daughter Jamie, her husband Quade and their daughter (and Reli's cousin), Jalie. We were really longing to visit our Odessa kin and I know Grumps really (REALLY) wanted us to come stay a while, but something always prevented us from making the journey. Last week, Jonathan took off work early on Thursday and took off all day Friday so we would venture out west for some family fun.

We had such a fabulous time relaxing as a family. We went swimming, we napped, swam some more, ate copious amounts of West Texas fare, got in the hot tub, and just enjoyed each other's company. It was a vacation. Thank you to dad and Becky, who made us feel so welcome in their home and who cooked for us and let us just be ourselves. Spectacular way to spend a weekend, I must say!

Aurelia felt comfortable from the moment we arrived. She cooed, she giggled, she wore bows and a bikini. I think her favorite part of the trip was sitting poolside with her Grumps. In the mornings, Dad would take her outside and let her splash her hands and feet in the water. She even started trying to step up to the water for a dip.

Here are some photos of our trip.

Aurelia loved being in the water, showing off with her daddy in her bikini from Ella and her hat from Jake and Pam. (Grumps is blowing up a floatie in the background).

She had fun in the shaded floatie she borrowed from Koruna.

Reli got to meet her cousin Jalie for the first time, and man, does Reli have some things to learn from Jalie. She is so fast on her feet it is unbelievable that she is only 1 year old!

The girls, in Becky and Jamie's arms, meeting for the first time.

Here is Jalie riding her Rody horse.

Jamie with Reli and her bowed pigtails

All smiles and pretty in pink with Grumps and Momma

And, last but not least, Reli got to meet her great-grandmother, my Mimi, in Crane, Texas. Unfortunately, she slept through their first encounter.

Hopefully she will be awake next time!

Life - Using It Up, Wearing It Out

We spent this past weekend at Honey's house in Cooper, and it was just fabulous. Cooper (sounds like cooker, not ku-per) is one of those small towns where everybody knows your name. Whenever we visit and bump into people at Ronnie and Marylin's store, Red Door Antiques, or Miller's old fashioned soda fountain, the first question we get is "Who do you belong to?" I say, Leo and Dorothy Millard are my grandparents, and their daughter, Melissa, is my mom. This question might seem strange to people who have no connection to a small town, but Cooper is just one of those towns you are unlikely to visit if you aren't related to a resident. That fact bothers Poppa Leo. He has always wanted Cooper to attract more tourists.

Leo Millard knows everything there is to know about Cooper. He is the President of the Cooper Museum and he is devoted to his town. I got to tour the museum with him this weekend, just the two of us. He took me there in his golf cart, opened the museum on Sunday, when it is usually closed, and gave me the grand tour. He pointed out the things he thinks are the most interesting and told me the story behind them. I have written here before about the value of time and how we choose to spend it. Well, hearing my granddad's stories, learning a tiny fraction of what he knows and what is important to him, was probably the most precious thing I could have purchased with my time.

One little quote he passed on to me as we honored history together was something his Momma used to say to him when he was growing up - "Use it up. Wear it out. Make do, or do without." Turns out, that simple saying was something people of her, and then his, generations lived by. As I look for a full time job in a tough economy, I think it will serve me well to "make do" with what I have - which, I am very grateful, is A LOT.

Aurelia got to spend some priceless time this weekend with her Honey, her great-grandparents, Poppa Leo and Granny and my Aunt Marylin and Uncle Ronnie. She also got to see my cousins Amanda and her brother Brad and Brad's daughter Lily. We had so much fun. Let's do it again! (But not before we go to Odessa to visit Grumps and Grandma Becky. That is our next trip, I promise!) Here are some pictures from our visit to Cooper.

Four generations:

Reli with Poppa Leo and Granny:

"I just love being the center of attention!"

Here is Reli enjoying her teething "popsicle" and showing off her smacking skills for cousin Amanda and Aunt Marylin.

Hanging out with Momma and Dadda:

Trying on hats with Uncle Ronnie at the Red Door:

Looking up to her cousin Lily

Here is a video of Aurelia at home making her pterodactyl sounds in the "Day Spa". Music to my ears . . .

And last, but not least, to all of you Koruna fans out there who are in desperate need of a fix, here are the cousins and their daddies playing with the beloved birdies on the toy from Grandma Marcia.

Bye-Bye!

Wow

In the 10 days since my last post Aurelia has done so much. On Father's Day she cut her second tooth. Now she has two tiny teeth peeking out from her gorgeous grin.

A couple of days later she started to sit up on her own. Now she is sitting up like a big girl! Here is a video of her playing with her birdies on the toy she got from her Grandma Marcia. She loves those little birdies!

We went to visit Brant, Joanie and their little boy, Oliver, in Northern California over the weekend and Reli had her first swimming pool experience. She loved being in the water and we all enjoyed the respite from the already very hot days here in Texas. It was wonderful being with our friends and spending some much needed down time as a family. Here is a video of Aurelia swimming and some photos of our time in Cotati.

Poolside Family Time

Her most recent "accomplishment" started happening just last night. Several times throughout the night she turned over onto her stomach. As some of you know, Reli has not historically been a big fan of tummy time. As a result, she has ALWAYS slept on her back or her side. When she turned herself onto her tummy last night she strenuously objected and requested immediate assistance to rectify the unpleasant situation, to which I responded with swift action. Although she learned many weeks ago how to turn herself from her stomach to her back, with all of her recent developments, she seems to have forgotten that skill. Well, when she went down to sleep tonight she again turned herself to her stomach and after a few minutes of objection, she actually fell asleep. That was 2 and a half hours ago! (Yes, she is still breathing). I think that this is all part of her body telling her it is time to prepare to crawl. Wow. And Yikes! On that note here are some photos of our girl from the past 10 days.

Here she is playing in the ball pool her friend Elijah has at home, lucky boy!

And here she is "swimming in our backyard where we had a little fun with her hair. Her swim mohawk is awesome.

In addition, here is a video of Koruna on her first birthday, saying "Hi" to her cousin Reli - Melts my heart.

Love to you all,

Momma.