Capri Dress and Anniversary #7

Cameron and I were married Jan. 7 2005. We celebrated our 7 years of marriage with a posh dinner out at NOBUO at TEETER HOUSE in downtown Phoenix. Thanks Gma for babysitting Liberty (sorry she wet her pants and made you do crafts all night). Cameron and I love to try new adventurous restaurants together - and this Japanese tapas place was awesome.

From 2012_1_8 - Zoolights

When we honeymooned in Italy a few months after our wedding, we bought a little white embroidered dress on the Island of Capri (near Positano). It has always been one of the most special souvenirs we ever bought - we knew one day our daughter would wear it. It has hung on the wall in Liberty's room and we took it down and put it on her and played outside.

From 2012_2_1 - New Years Day Photoshoot in CAPRI dress

From 2012_2_1 - New Years Day Photoshoot in CAPRI dress

From 2012_2_1 - New Years Day Photoshoot in CAPRI dress

From 2012_2_1 - New Years Day Photoshoot in CAPRI dress

(pre-haircuts for both of us)

and my favorite...(future blackmail)...peeing on the potty outside:)

From 2012_2_1 - New Years Day Photoshoot in CAPRI dress

Hi Yasmin!

We met up with our friends the Heppner's for lunch at Joe's FarmGrill. They brought sister Yasmin (Andy's giiiiiiiiiiirlfriend). It was fun to meet her!

LIBERTY AND SIENNA with YASMIN:

From 2012-1-8 - Lunch at Joe's with Heppners

CAMERON, BECKY, LIBS and SAMINEH, JOSH, SIENNA:

From 2012-1-8 - Lunch at Joe's with Heppners

First Haircut

I trimmed Liberty's hair for the first time. The mullet is transforming to a cute bob. I was sentimental over this milestone but I'm happy with the results.

BEFORE:

From 2012-1-3- First Haircut

DURING:

From 2012-1-3- First Haircut

AFTER:

From 2012-1-3- First Haircut

From 2012-1-10 - Miss Photogenic - ha!

New Year's Eve 2011 - HELLO 2012!!!

Had some friends over to ring in the New Year at our 2nd Annual "Kid Friendly, Early, and Short, New Year's Eve Potluck". The hubs played outside with RC CARS and the girls did chalk and water painting. Dinner was a FEAST as usual and the girls had a blast playing with the play kitchen, shopping cart, and other toys. We also went outside after dark for some firework fun with sparklers and glow sticks. There is something so special about 3 little toddler voices shouting HAPPY NEW YEAR as best they can! Thanks to the Martis for taking most of these great pictures:)

Play Kitchen

The Christmas that keeps on giving...
Since my Aunt Mimi has been in the hospital my parents have spent a lot time in Tucson - delaying their Christmas visit to our house to unveil the play kitchen. But thankfully on the 31st they stopped by for an hour on their way back home and got to see Liberty's reaction to her very own kitchen. She played and played and played and hasn't stopped since. Thanks Gma and Gpa! More pics were added to the Christmas Album in the post below.

Cute ones like this: ha!

From 2011-12-25 - Christmas 2011

YUMMY CARROTS!

Christmas 2011

This year we spent 4 nights with the Wyatt's and celebrated a great Christmas! Christmas Eve (brunch) was spent at my sister's house so we could exchange gifts with the Wheeler/Helsel side. We also went to 4pm Mass at Nativity of the Blessed Virgin together. Back at the Wyatt's for a to-die-for Pork Green Chilli meal. Andy was home too! So nice to have everyone together! Liberty absolutely ADORES her Uncle Andy, Grandma Jo and Grandpa Ted - and their black lab Murphy. Christmas day Liberty was up at 7am and Santa came through with an adorable baby doll (and a million other thoughtful gifts). We also looked forward to a visit with the Kris and Michael and Mary and Gus who we only seem to get to catch up with in person over Christmas each year. By 2pm, while Liberty napped, Ted's amazing Turkey dinner was ready and this meal was so memorable & awesome. We played together as a family and never even left the house on Christmas day! Monday we met up with Kelly, Doug and Charlie for a sledding adventure. Liberty grinned ear to ear - she's our daredevil. I was so thankful to be surrounded by my entire family (except Patrick boohoo) even if just for a few moments since we are trying to get in a rotation groove for all the holidays since my parents don't call Flagstaff home anymore. Especially with the loss and sickness of other family members this season, it was quite a reminder to cherish these joyful times together. Such a fun time - I miss everyone in Flagstaff but will see you all in January when my new niece is born 1/12/12!

First Movie - HAPPY FEET 2

We took Liberty to her first movie today! Disclaimer - I'm the one that is into penguins and actually wanted to see this movie. Liberty doesn't sit through movies or even a TV show - which is fine by us (healthier even). Anyway, she was excited to see singing and dancing penguins. This musical movie has been out for weeks and we went to the 9:30am showing Sunday morning. We were the only family in the theater besides 1 other couple with a baby. THANK GOD because Liberty wanted to get up and dance and sit on the stairs - which she did a lot. The previews were terribly long and we just stayed for 1 hour of the movie. Don't recommend the movie either - HAPPY FEET aint so happy. It should be called UNHAPPY FEET. We still had fun. There were Chipmunk figures in the lobby and a huge poster of Beauty and the Beast that caught Liberty's eye.

Gingerbread House

My mom got us a Gingerbread house this year (I've never done one before) and Liberty had the best time crafting this together. Her excitement and anticipation is hard to capture on camera but it warms my heart daily. And she was concentrating so much! She is quite artsy. My apologies for so many pictures but I couldn't bring myself to delete much - even her "smile for the camera" pictures where she shuts her eyes tight are SO ADORABLE!

MOO-ey Christmas at Superstition Farms

So here are the other pictures from the rest of the Christmas-tastic fun to be had at the farm besides sitting on Santa's Lap! We did the Hayride, petting zoo and then made some smores by the fire. We were feeling so festive that we drove around and looked at Christmas lights after our 2 hours of fun at the farm! One of the houses had another Santa's lap waiting for Liberty but she sensed an impostor and wouldn't sit on his lap. WOW Christmas overload.

Santa's Lap 2011

It was the last day of MOO-ey Christmas at our nearby Superstition Farms, and we had nothing else to do so we decided - heck- let's go see if Liberty will cry or smile at Santa. Liberty has been a little chatterbox about sitting on Santa's lap. I asked her what toy she wanted Santa to bring her and she has responded with "baby" and "penguin". It may have something to do with those are often the toys she selects when I tell her to pick a toy to bring in the car - don't really know where she got those ideas. Anyway, ladies and gentlemen, we have a smile-er!

For a walk down memory lane and her experience sitting on Santa's Lap LAST YEAR - click HERE. SO BALD!

From 2011-12-17 - Santa's Lap

From 2011-12-17 - Santa's Lap

Pre-Christmas Visit from the Wyatt's

Grandma Jo and Grandpa Ted came to visit! We fed the ducks at Freestone park and rode all the rides including the train, carousel and jet skis! Later we went out to dinner and then to see the Christmas lights at the Mormon Tempe in Mesa. The next morning we relaxed and took a stroll to our neighborhood park. Liberty has started to say Grandpa (papa) - especially when she sees a muffin. Ted makes his special muffins for her and she has associated all muffins with him. Liberty loves to do hair/makeup/lotion with Grandma Jo and to wear matching boots. It was such a nice, quality visit of playtime. Can't wait to travel up to snowy Flagstaff for Christmas at the Wyatt's!