Peach Tree Moments

This was our peach tree about three weeks ago.

 

We've been enjoying variations of peachy-goodness ever since.

My favorite, of course, is peaches and vanilla ice cream.

Birthday Cake Moments

The Kid had a birthday, and I really don't know how that year went by so fast.

Although very happy for his birthday shoot and other moments throughout the day, he only had grumpy faces for his birthday cake.

We sure love this kid.

Birthday Shoot Moments

It was so fun to celebrate The Kid's birthday. That morning we went on our walk as usual, but I let him get out and play a bit so I could sneak in some pictures. He was so happy to walk around and try to eat wood chips.

On the Go Moments

June and July have been a little bit crazy around here.
In a good way.
But really, leisurely moments have been pretty rare.

First of all, we bought a house!

Then we started some projects in the house, like taking up this awesome purple carpet, 

and refinishing the hardwood that was hiding underneath all the carpet in the main part of the house.

(By the way, I just want to mention how grateful I am that Tyler is such a hard worker who is willing to solve problems and put in extra time and effort to do quality work. He is amazing!)

Then we packed and moved and unpacked. (Okay, we might still be unpacking a little bit.) And we have continued to work on projects, some planned and some unplanned, as we have been getting settled in our new home. It has been such an adventure, and we love that we have a place to make our own.

We also went on two trips this last month. 

First we spent a weekend camping in Colter Bay (by the Grand Tetons) with Tyler's family. It is such a beautiful place, and one of our favorites to go visit.

Then we headed back east to spend some time with my Dad and family. It was especially exciting to see my sisters who live on that side of the country. We spent time at a beach house in Delaware, and did some sight-seeing in Washington D.C.

 The Kid has been a trooper through all of this. Don't let the glaring stroller pictures fool you, he really is a generally happy, easy-going little guy. He is constantly on the go these days, no matter where we are, crawling, standing, climbing, and now walking around everywhere and getting into everything.

Like I said, it's been a little crazy.
But in good, good ways.

Accidental Selfie Moments

I try to keep my phone away from the kid, but he does manage to get it every once in awhile. He doesn't know how to work it (yet), but he has accidentally opened the camera a few times, and turned it to the front-view-mode as he's randomly touching the screen.  He LOVES it when that happens because he loves to see and "talk" to other kids, so the minute he sees himself he starts babbling and smiling and laughing...and taking selfies, apparently.

(I'll admit that after I watched him do it one time, I helped him do it again because it was just that cute.)

Changing Moments

To be honest, I have been feeling a little...bored, maybe?...with blogging, lately.
I'm not ready to give up on it quite yet, but I have been trying to find a healthier balance with the way I use technology in my life.

At any rate, life continues to move forward with its inevitable changes. I really like change (most of the time).  A book I read recently talks about how change and challenge are actually very important to happiness, and I believe that. Even changes that are hard or unwanted help us to grow, and bring new adventures and opportunities that we wouldn't have had otherwise.

We're looking forward to some bigger changes that are coming in the next few months, but for now we are enjoying every moment with this kid because he keeps changing so quickly. One week brought crawling, pulling up, and teething, while the next brought standing, climbing, and cruising. It has been so fun. :)

Have-A-Soup-Pie Moments

Last November, I had honestly never heard of a place called Havasupai, nor had I ever been backpacking. It came up because my aunt and uncle had been there, and were thinking of going again. Since then, it has been normal for both Havasupai and backpacking to be mentioned in our day-to-day conversations. Now, after months of planning and a week full of driving, backpacking, and camping, we can say we have been there and done that. 

It was an incredible adventure. This trip was simultaneously one of the most challenging and amazing things I have ever done. With a 10-12 mile hike in to the campground, day hikes to various waterfalls, and the final hike out, we've estimated that we hiked around 40 miles.
The destination was totally worth that.

Our fellow adventurers, two of my aunts & uncles and their kids. (Don't worry, our kid stayed home for this one.)

Havasupai is basically an oasis in the middle of the desert. You start off by hiking down into a hot, dry canyon and end up in a paradise of trees, rivers, and waterfalls.

Our tent by the river

Havasu Falls

50-Foot Falls

Navajo Falls

Beaver Falls

Mooney Falls

Besides a lot of hiking, the adventures of our group included swimming, cliff jumping, cliff-side climbing, river-walking, food-stealing squirrels, sheep frogs, and lots of quality family time.
It was truly a trip to remember.

My uncle- the only one brave enough to jump.

 

 

 And now this post is too long, and I apologize for getting carried away with pictures.
(If you only knew how many I didn't post...) 

We hiked Havasupai!