The past few weeks...

Rebecca and Lizette came to visit two weeks ago and it was so nice to visit with her and hold my sweetie-pie niece. We took some pumpking pictures of the cousins and a few turned out pretty cute. 

 I took the pumpkin outside in our backyard and tried to get some shots.  That little miss thing sure can have selective hearing.  She just played and walked around and didn't seem to hear me asking her to "look at mama and smile!"  Well, good thing she has cute "working" facial expressions while she is busy as well.

 more "I can't hear you mama" pics below

 collecting leaves and acorns

So, we have been having SO MUCH FUN with our happy, spunky, walking little 15 month old that has been cracking us up on a daily basis.  She has really started picking up more sign language and saying a few things that we can understand... but only when she wants to (she is not a big performer, and she tends to not "hear us" sometimes :) ). 

 She sorts everything, is a really good eater (most times),

loves her milk (but only in a certain cup) and brings us so much JOY.  She has been going to "school" 4 days a week from 9-1:30 and loves it.  She gets really excited when we start walking up to her school and she just goes and goes while she is there (no morning nap- but she is so tired in the afternoon when we pick her up).  She loves to read books and some of her faves right now are "the Very Hungry Caterpillar", "What do you Say?", Brown Bear Brown Bear what do you see?", "Pat the Bunny", The touch and feel books ("That's not my lion" and "That's Not my dolly").  She also loves bath time and brushing her teeth.  She is definitely absorbing everything like a little sponge and can locate her nose, eyes, belly button, ears, and teeth.  She can tell us what a duck and cow says, but only when she wants to and she is usually better about doing it for Ray.  It is really fun that Ray works from home and Claribel can go visit him during the day when she is here (she LOVES his calculator of all things).

We LOVE LOVE LOVE our sweet almost 15 month old and wouldn't change a thing about our life right now!

Trick or Treat!

 Our little Flower

 Looking at the doggies outside

 She didn't mind the costume and just played and explored like normal

 even flowers need a snack break... yummy!

 Ready for dinner

 Monie had such beautiful pumpkin arrangements on her porch

What I've been up to...

 FELT!  I have been busy busy cutting sewing and stuffing felt to make a felt card table playhouse for my favorite fifteen month old. Claribel played with it for a few minutes before nap time and I know she will have tons of fun in there...  So, here we go... picture time!

 Front Door(flap that lifts up) with an open close sign and mailbox that opens and has a pocket on the inside for mail to drop into

  Ice Cream Shop-  I still have novelties to finish that will stick to the velcro (banana split, ice cream sundae, ice cream cones, ice cream sandwiches, and popsicles)  There is also velcro on the table on either side of the flower for the ice cream to stick to.

 Mail Center- I am working on making letters (I have two each of the colors on the black pockets for sorting).  The brown package on the table is a peek-a-boo flap and under the table is a "doggie door" with a large mail pouch for unsorted mail.  I have a sorter that will be really excited once I am done with the mail.

The Garden- there are two corn in a husk that fit into pockets on the corn stalk (one is shown), 4 pockets in the "soil" for some beets, carrots, and maybe some onions that she can pick, strawberry bush with removable (velcro) flowers and strawberries, the other half of the tree that wraps around by the front door with two little red birdies that can come out of the nest.  I was going to add some fruit to the tree, but kind of forgot about that... I guess I could add it by hand later.

Inside of the house (view from the front door): fireplace, clear frame for a 5x7 photo, vase with flower, curtain over the window at the ice cream shop, table with tablecloth and goldfish bowl with removable stuffed goldfish.  The goldfish bowl ended up being one of my favorite things :)

Three pockets for whatever she wants to put in there and curtains for the window on the garden side

I definitely DID NOT come up with this idea on my own...  I really liked the house I found at http://homemadebyjill.blogspot.com/search/label/felt%20playhouse (for Christmas, Ray and I are going to make a DIY play kitchen- also a project on her blog)

I also got inspiration and ideas from MissPrettyPretty's shop on Etsy

New Mexico

After we left RMNP on Wednesday am, we dropped off the rental car at the airport and made the long trek in the RV down to the Lavin's Cabin in the mountains in NM.  I don't think there could have been a better last minute family vacation.  We were able to spend 3 nights hanging out and it was great!  Not to mention, of course, Ray, Claribel and I were able to finally kiss that little Lizette's head!  What a sweet, adorable little darling they have.  It is so hard to live so far away...  Hopefully one day we will live closer together again...

Ray, Tucker and Dad went fly-fishing one day and the rest we just hung out and enjoyed the wonderful mountain air on the awesome porch!

Rebecca said she was pretty sure Lizette had smiled at her,

all I have to say is that she smiled at her Aunt Melissa!

Claribel enjoyed wearing some warmer clothes and exploring a new place...

and of course meeting her new cousin! 

Although she wasn't quite sure about her mama holding another baby at first :)

Auntie Allison also squeezed in some snuggle time- good thing Lizette loves to be held...

Finally, the first of many Petty cousin photo shoots... very fun!

The visit went by really fast, and it was hard to kiss that sweet L's head and breathe in that new baby smell one last time before we see them at Thanksgiving.  WAY TOO LONG in baby time! 

Rocky Mountain National Park

All of the Pettys and Don and Monie were supposed to go to Destin, but with the unknown of the oil spill, that trip was delayed until next year.  Ray and I desperately needed a break from work and Texas heat so we headed to the Rockies!  We flew into Denver and rented a car to drive to Estes Park where we stayed in a pretty rustic cabin just outside of Rocky Mountain National Park.  My mom and dad bought an RV this summer and were staying at a campground in the park.  Sleeping was a bit of a challenge in our one room cabin, but we adjusted ok and Claribel was a champ as always! 

We had a great first vacation as a family of 3.

We went on a nice one walk one evening before we headed back to our cabin.  It was a rough ride for the Bob, but Claribel didn't seem to mind and took a nice little nap.

Ray was able to practice his fly-fishing skills with dad

our last afternoon we drove the long way out of the park to the north entry and took pictures at each pull off spot as Claribel napped in the back seat.  BEAUTIFUL... what a mighty Creator we have!

Double Happy!

Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday to you!
Happy Birthday dear Aunt Rachael and Popsi!
Happy Birthday to you!


We hope you both have FABULOUS days!
lovelove,
Ray, Melissa, and Claribel

Happy First Birthday Claribel!