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.

Happy Father's Day - Part 2

Aurelia's birth made Jonathan a father and the time he has spent with her has made him an incredible dad. They have such a beautiful, pure love for each other that has just blown Jonathan away from day one. Watching him with her, I know just how lucky Aurelia really is to have a dad who cares about her the way Jonathan does. One day, she will realize her good fortune as well.

The two of them have a morning ritual that involved Jonathan bending down into her crib for some face to face snuggling. She reaches out to him, touches his face and says words she saved all night just for him. Those moments are almost sacred. I captured some of that precious time this very special morning.

After their morning snuggle, Jonathan danced with his daughter. What a beautiful thing.

Reli sang a song earlier today, just for her Daddy. He wasn't here so I recorded it for him.

Happy Father's Day, Jonathan. You are a wonderful father.

Happy Father's Day - Part 1

There is nothing quite like a girl's relationship with her father. It is, I think, mutually reverential and awe-inspiring. Fathers and daughters take turns watching each other with wonder and admiration. They are equally amazed at the other's strength and probably equally befuddled at times at each other's way of thinking. I know that I have grown up watching my father become the man he is today. I have gone from looking up at him, to looking up to him. I have gone from just having his eyes, to seeing the world differently because he taught me what to look for. I cannot imagine who I would be today without my father.

My dad made me want to be stronger, tougher and braver than anyone else and he made me believe I am. He told me that you have to work hard, and then he showed me what hard work really means. Because of his lessons, I always thought working hard meant working as hard as you possibly can while making it seem like an absolute pleasure. Because of my dad I believe that challenges are something to meet with excitement and confidence. He taught me to enjoy work; that work is, and should be, a part of a balanced life. He also showed me that work isn't always something you get paid for. He spends countless hours toiling and tinkering on an endless list of "challenges" for me and my sisters and his mom and his sisters and his neighbors and his employees, etc. The man stays BUSY helping people. He gives and gives and gives of his time, his talents and his energy, which even after 58 years, still seems boundless.

My dad also showed me that you can fix almost anything. Because of my dad, I have little doubt about my ability to do anything I put my mind to. I don't think my dad has ever faced a problem that he couldn't tackle. All my life he has been a carpenter, a plumber, an hvac guru, an engineer, a manager and a mechanic. He has also been a pony, a shoulder to ride on or cry on, a basketball coach, a swimming and diving instructor, a willing audience for countless homespun productions, and one first class swing pusher. I do not know anyone busier or harder working than my dad and that makes me so proud. I want to be just like him.

Thank you Dad, for being YOU.

My dad is also an amazing grandfather. He came here this weekend and spent some pretty magical moments with Aurelia. I love that he takes so much joy in the little things. She is so lucky to have such an awesome grandfather! Here is a video of dad feeding Aurelia. Priceless. . .

Some Big Firsts

The last few days have brought about some exciting "firsts" in Aurelia's life. On Saturday, Aunt Whitney, Honey, Aurelia and I were sitting in a high school auditorium waiting to see our niece/granddaughter/cousin Simone dance in her first recital. Aurelia was chewing on my hand when I felt a little something sharp scraping my skin. I felt along her gums and just a few days shy of turning 5 months old, Aurelia cut her first tooth! It is her left front tooth on the bottom. I think she is proud of herself. Her smile seems a little bigger now that she has something to show off. Here she is grinning ear to ear with Poppa Jake and Gamma Pamma Lamma.

While Honey was here over the weekend, she and Aurelia had some fantastic time together. Honey brought her a new toy and a cute monogrammed toy keeper strap. She babysat for us one night and she spent every minute she could showering Aurelia with love and attention. What an awesome grandma! Here are the two of them making each other laugh and I think this might just count as Aurelia's first "No".

Here are Aurelia's first pigtails.

Koruna and Reli - first time at the barre together and first conga line.

Yesterday was another first for Aurelia. Her night sleep has been a lot less consistent lately which I have simply chalked up to teething. Jonathan convinced me to call the doctor's office and she suggested that maybe she is waking up because she is hungrier than before. Her next suggestion - start her on solids. So we did! Last night Aurelia had her first bites of rice cereal. I actually had to put her high chair together yesterday so she would have a place to eat her first meal. She took really well to being fed and she seemed to enjoy the cereal. And so begins a whole new world of "firsts" . . .