Mother’s Day…My favorite holiday!

I think Mother’s Day has most definitely become one of my top favorite holidays!! Motherhood should most definitely be celebrated because it truly is a gift!! To have a whole day devoted to celebrating MOTHERS…it is just freaking awesome!!!




As this special day comes to a close I am almost in tears at what a happy and incredible day it has been!! Not because we did anything fancy, or because my kids made me something awesome because they can’t…but because it was FILLED with SO much LOVE and HAPPINESS from my amazing husband and two beautiful kids!!!

Zach let me sleep in after I nursed Navy (which is ALWAYS amazing and a great way to start a day since it rarely happens). Then after I woke up I walked right into Dakota’s room where he was lying in bed and snuggled up next to him and was showered with smile after smile and giggle after giggle for it seemed like FOREVER!!! He has had the happiest last few days and today was one for the books!! He was SOOO happy and every time I would tell him, “Thank you SO much Dakota for all your smiles!! That is the best gift you could EVER give me for Mother’s Day!” he would just light up and giggle more!! I truly believe it was his special way to tell me Happy Mother’s Day and I will NEVER forget it!!! He brings SO much sunshine to my soul!!

On top of all of Dakota’s happiness…for the first Mother's Day since Dakota’s accident I got to hear “Mama” repeated all day today and fill Navy’s tiny little arms wrap around my neck!! Those simple gestures mean SO much to me and fill my heart with SO much joy!! It is the simple things like these that make being a mother SOOO rewarding!!!

Motherhood is not a glamorous job. Every night when I look in the mirror it is always a little scary! I have Dakota’s spit on my shoulder or in my hair. Navy’s food somewhere on my clothes. My makeup (if I even did it for the day) is smeared and scary. My messy bun is a little bit messier or if I actually did my hair then you can’t tell anymore BUT the best part about it all…I don’t even care!!! The mess, the craziness, the tiredness and exhaustion is ALL worth it!! It means I am a MOM and have one of the coolest jobs EVER!! Before Dakota’s accident I took motherhood for granted. It never occurred in my mind that it could end in an instant until that tragic day!! That dark feeling of realizing that I might not be a “mom” anymore was one of the worst feelings I have EVER felt and I can NEVER forget!! It is sad to say that something so tragic is what made me learn how sacred being a mom really was!! For the first time I realized that our children are a literal gift from God. We don’t get to choose how long they get to stay with us on this mortal journey or what their path will look like…so we MUST cherish EVERY day like it could be our last!! Don’t be the one like me who thought…that won’t happen to ME!

Dakota has taught me and many other mother’s out there to LOVE, APPRECIATE, ENJOY, and CHERISH each new day of motherhood and all that comes with it…the good and the bad days!! I can NEVER repay him for that!!! My heart always bursts when I get a comment or hear from someone I know or a stranger I bump into in the store who has read my blog or followed Dakota’s story and tells me that he has made them appreciate their kids or appreciate being a mom more. It makes all the heartache and pain worth it ALL and gives purpose to our trials!! So thank you to all who have shared that with us!!

Happy Mother’s Day to EVERY mother out there!! May you where your spit up stained, food covered clothes and messy bun spit covered hair with pride!! And if you are out of “that” stage…enjoy those emotional rollercoaster teenage years for they will be gone in an instant!! And if your kids are grown with families of their own…remember…motherhood NEVER ends!! As I look at all mine and Zach’s mom has had to endure watching and helping us and other siblings through trials..I kind of don’t want my kids to ever grow up!! I think I will take “these” sleepless nights over those! ;) Motherhood NEVER ends!! Enjoy each new stage, and each new challenge it will bring…because as we ALL know…our children teach us more then we teach them!!

FIGHT TO THE FINISH!

I titled this post Fight to the Finish for MANY reasons!! 1. Because I feel like EVERY day right now is a fight to the finish just to get through it!! Not the same kind of fight I used to have after Dakota’s accident (fight of physical, emotional, and spiritual survival) but more a fight to FOCUS and accomplish EVERYTHING that needs done and EVERYONE that needs me for SOMETHING!!! Some days I feel like my brain might EXPLODE!! To all you working mom’s out there, my hat is off to you!! Working for Zach, helping him do this Kickstarter campaign about threw me over the edge!! I have a hard enough time keeping my house clean(and it’s a tiny basement right now), making dinner, keeping up with the bills, helping Zach with just the normal things he needs help with, and being a mom to 2 fully dependant kids…Throw a full time job of marketing, advertising, and maintaining this Kickstarter thing while trying to focus on building a house…let’s just say I did NOTHING well!! I feel like these last few months my house has been insanely dirtier and unorganized then ever, we have eaten A LOT of pizza, my one on one with my kids (which is my most prized and valued thing) was fewer and far between, I wasn’t filling all of Zach’s needs as a wife, I haven’t even had time to pick out and enjoy house ideas, I rarely do something I WANT to do (like blog, run, even shower some days ;)), and let’s be honest, I was only a semi-good marketer for the Germavoid! There were literally days where I felt like throwing in the towel to EVERYTHING and just laying in bed! Not that that could EVER happen but I WANTED to!! And the bummer part about it…in the end we didn’t even hit our Kickstarter goal!!! :(


We are trying to stay positive around here…take what we have learned from our experience, learn from it, and hope to make something from it!! I know Heavenly Father is mindful of us and there is a reason behind all of this madness right now…there always is!! As we try and sort out what direction to go next, what decisions we make for our families future…I know Heavenly Father will guide us! As always…it just takes longer and requires more patience and work then I sometimes like! But obviously we have been through A LOT worse….so in comparison this is nothing!! I am grateful that Dakota has taught me to put things in proper perspective! As bummed as we were, we both looked at each other and thought…...at least we are all healthy! (Our version of healthy! ;))


For now…Zach is back at his landscaping full time. My heart breaks for him as he was hoping this would take him in a new direction and landscaping could start to take a back seat! Being a blind landscaper was never what he planned for his future but he has done AMAZING at learning to take what you have been given and make the best of it! He sure is my hero!!! And literally every day for him is truly a FIGHT to the FINISH! He is a fighter for sure!!


So what’s next for the Germavoid?? Well, Zach had two products ready to launch for the Germavoid and the Clean Touch was the first. The second product he designed is for use at gas pumps and costs A LOT less to make and manufacture. So, he is contemplating launching that in the near future but now with landscaping in full tow it might have to wait a bit. It is still up in the air though as he fears wasting more money on this if it is not going to do well. We realize you have to risk money to make money but there is that fine line between knowing when you have risked enough and need to move on or keep going. So…we will keep thinking, praying, and pondering on it and go from there! In the meantime if anyone hears of any great job opportunities in sales, product design/development, or whatever let us know! He is still keeping his eyes wide open for a new career! ;)


The kids are still growing and changing as fast as ever!!! Navy will be 1 this month!!! I can’t believe it!!! (I realize I have missed posting about 10 and 11 months...I hope she will forgive me ;)) so her 1 year post will catch you up on her soon! ;) Let’s just say she is still full of life and joy!! She is busy and crazy but we love it!! She continues to bring SOOO much life to our home!



Dakota man is for sure still Fighting to the Finish EVERY day!! I would say physically we haven’t seen much change and progress except for the fact he is growing taller and getting stronger every day!! Luckily he is still my skinny little boy so lifting him is still manageable. He stiffens up (literally straight as a board) when he is excited, happy, mad, or just randomly…so that’s a lot! When he does that it makes him 100 times heavier and harder to carry but we make it work!

We were SO blessed to get some help from insurance to get a new car that allowed us to put a special seat in it just for Dakota. We just got the seat in this week and it is seriously a LIFESAVER!! It makes getting him in and out of the car 100 times easier!!

It rotates all the way out of the car like this to easily get him in and out. It is a little slow which is the only downfall but it is SO worth the wait. Dakota thinks he is pretty cool to have a chair that COMES to him! ;) And Navy LOVES a turn to ride in it when she can! Who needs Disneyland when you have a moving chair!?

Although physically we aren’t seeing a lot of changes, mentally Dakota is still improving the most!! He is seriously so smart even though he still can’t talk. He knows what he wants and he knows how to get what he wants! ;) At school they finally got the new Toby device that is an eye gaze communicator and they are working on teaching him to use it right now with fun games. He is getting faster and faster and looking and choosing things and I hope soon he will realize how much this device can help him to really communicate!! Technology is AMAZING!!!

We still obviously have our moments of frustrations not understanding what in the world is going on! His days are still sporatic and random…some days so happy you can’t stop him from smiling and laughing. Other days so ornery you can’t sneak in a smile. Some days are a roller coaster…the nurses call it bipolar ;) laughing and smiling and then the next second crying. These moments by far are still the hardest. Trying to understand what causes the changes and what he is feeling. But for the most this kid shares his smile and light and that is what we LOVE!! Heaven is SO near when he smiles that huge smile and his eyes sparkle like no other!! He knows more then I will ever understand…I can see it in his eyes!! He is still our guiding light back home to our Heavenly Father and we love him more then EVER!!

Lastly…I put FIGHT TO THE FINISH because the 3rd annual Fight to the Finish 5k for the Giving Trees is already around the corner and of course we are planning another Team Dakota!! It is AUGUST 1ST!!

 
My favorite sight! ;)



Our AMAZING team last year!! Thank you to ALL that came!!! Means the world to us!!


We need 25 people to make a team…and I”m already behind in getting the word out. We would LOVE to have ANY and EVERYONE come join us in this neatest event!!
It truly is more of an event then a race! For those that have joined us you know what I am talking about!! It is seriously such a fun, special, inspiring morning where so many come together for a great cause!! I never posted about last years so here is my summary!!

There are all of these teams…each in honor of someone who is a shining example of Fighting to the Finish.

Just a few of my favorite teams!! (Missing Team Lincoln…also a fav!!) Although I love them ALL!!!


There is inspiring messages at the beginning and end. The balloon release in honor of each team.


And thousands of people ALL joined together to help my dear friend and hero Ann raise enough money to continue the tradition of the Giving Trees in honor of her son Tyler who fought a hard fight and passed away at the age of 15. Ann is truly a saint!! I wish EVERYONE could know her!!



She gives of her own time to plan this huge event with Becky from Anything for a Friend. Then all year, she selflessly gathers and organized these trees and finds these families who are facing tragedy and brings them a tiny source of peace and light during their difficult time with a tree filled with money, gift cards, and inspiring quotes…all with nothing in return!

This is why I am SOOO passionate about this race and always doing a Team Dakota. It touches my heart to watch Ann do SO much and this is my TINY way of helping her!! And of course having a team in honor of my fighter Dakota makes my heart so happy!!

So please join us!! Whether we know you or not!! We LOVE to see as many people that can come, wearing their Team Dakota shirt and helping support this AMAZING cause!!


First time his sister got to be on TEAM DAKOTA!!  I can’t believe how tiny she was!

Little does she know she is on Team Dakota for life! ;)


 
Me and my people!

My 2 favorite parts about last years race was 1. Meeting one of my biggest heroes FINALLY in person! ;) I have blogged several times in the past about Ashley Sullenger. She lost her daughter to a drowning several months before Dakota’s accident. She was one of the few people in my dark time that gave me hope and strength to keep going! She will never know how much she did for me!! It was her first year coming and doing a Team for her sweet Preslee! It was so fun to meet her in person and see her darling boys! I loved it!!



Meeting her cute boys!


Alicia and Ashley..TWO of my heroes! ;)

My second favorite part about last years race is that they challenged each team to find someone to do a Giving Tree for. Ann would match $500 to go towards the tree and provide you with the tree and all the fixings but as a team you were supposed to find someone and come up with more money and gift cards. This made it even more meaningful.

So Team Dakota did a tree for my 16 year old hero Mckindree who has been a true example of Fighting to the Finish through her bone marrow transplant!

Mckindree and her mom.

Seriously, this girl has endured more pain then probably anyone I know! Her fight has definitely not been easy but she continues to fight with a beautiful smile on her face! Her and her mom are quite literally superhuman!!  Her mom is probably one of the most inspiring and beautiful writers I have ever read from. To follow along their journey and to be more then inspired go here. Together with donations from Team Dakota and Ann we were able to give her around $1,500 in gift cards and cash. Team Dakota you rock!! Because she lives in AZ we had to have my family (Team Dakota AZ) put the tree together for us and deliver. The pictures my mom sent me of my nieces and nephews helping get it all together touched my heart!!
 
Love this crazy bunch and they LOVED being a part of it
Giving to others is truly the best!!

So…please come out and support the Giving Trees so they can keep blessing the lives of so many people. Here is the link to sign up! You only have until July 11th to join our team! We hope to see you there!!!

March is a HUGE month for us!!!

March is probably the biggest month for our little family in a LONG time!! We are kind of on emotional and physical overload trying to take everything that is happening in our life in right now!!

FIRST THINGS FIRST…

Zach is FINALLY getting ready to launch his product he has been working on for a couple of years on Kickstarter TOMORROW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I wrote all about what Kickstarter is and a short description about his product on this post.

Preparing for this launch has been SOOOO much work!!! As we are getting close the emotions are pretty much on a rollercoaster ride right now. One second we are SOOO excited and pumped, the next second we are scared and stressed out of our minds!! When you put SOOO much time, thought, passion, money, work, and effort behind something it becomes VERY personal to you! Not only do you want it to be successful to recoop what you have put in…but you want it to be successful because you care SO much about it!!

 

Watching our preview of the video for the first time!!! Can't even tell you how many hours went into this!! Writing the script for this I thought Zach and I were going to kill each other! ;)

For Zach and our family this is more then just a fun idea/product that we hope people like and if not it’s no big deal! For Zach and our family this is EVERYTHING!!! He has made his landscaping company continue to work for us (as crazy as being a blind landscaper sounds and is) because he is a go getter, the HARDEST worker, and mostly because he had to to keep our family afloat and that is the only way he knew how at the time! When most people would have given up and said I can’t do it I’m blind…he didn’t! He got up bright and early, he humbly let his wife and kid (kids now) take him to bids, went out in the hot sun and dug those trenches as hard as it was and as humbling as it was because he is a good man who LOVES his family and wasn’t going to let us down!! His work was and still is PERFECTION!!

Waiting for daddy in the truck while he is at a bid! As hard as “living” in the truck is during the spring/summer…it does make for some pretty sweet memories!


The Lord has truly blessed him and has been VERY mindful of him and our family in helping him to continually have work and make things work out for him!! But for those of you who have followed my blog you know…this is not what he wants to keep doing forever! Although he is VERY good at what he does and will continue to do it until he has to…it is definitely not ideal and definitely not a lifetime career. Zach’s mind is naturally a thinker! Product development is in his blood!! This guy’s mind NEVER shuts off!! Getting his posthole digger licensed 10 months ago was a HUGE confidence booster for him…knowing that his own idea was validated by a big company game him the confidence to keep developing!

Zach at the hardware show in Vegas (March 2013) where he met the company that licensed his post-hole digger!


We are hoping this new product (The Germavoid Clean Touch) is hopefully the one that will take his product development ideas and turn them into a new career! He has more ideas after this but he can only spend so much time and money on them without getting anything back in return! We are launching this product on Kickstarter because the molds that he needs just to make this product are around $50,000. We have already put up a lot of our own money to get it this far but there is only so much we can put upfront on our own. Kickstarter helps take the huge risk out of things for entrepreneurs like him and helps you presale so you have the funding to keep going!! Zach has done his homework and is continually working to make this product a success but if this Kickstarter campaign doesn’t go well then his dreams will be crushed!! This is where the fear comes in!

But this quote about sums it up!!


We honestly feel that we have done EVERYTHING that we could to the best of our ability to prepare for this Kickstarter campaign and are just praying that the Lord will continue to guide us and help us the rest of the way!! The hardest part once we launch is just SPREADING, SPREADING, and SPREADING the word!! In order to get enough backers to buy the product people have to KNOW about the product. In order to do that we need people to spread it like wildfire so that it can reach people across the globe! We have gotten AMAZING feedback from the people that have previewed our Kickstarter video and product! We KNOW it is a good product that SOOOO many people will love and want but it is a BRAND NEW product…nothing like it on the market! So we not only have the job to educate people about it by getting them to watch our short AND funny video…but we have to first get it into people’s hands so that they even have the chance to learn about it and then buy it!!! So I am not just asking right now, I am begging EVERYONE that reads this post to first check out our Kickstarter page (which I will post the link to in the morning…aaaaahhh!) and see what we have been so passionately working on…if you like it, back it! If not no sweat…we won’t hold it against you! ;) SECOND, PLEASE SHARE, SHARE, SHARE it with EVERYONE you know and ask them to share it too!! Use social media, email, snail mail, whatever you got…just share!!! ;) This is the ONLY way we can ensure that we have THE BEST and fairest shot possible to have a successful campaign. We only have 30 days to reach our $50,000 goal!! So this is HUGE!!! Set your alarms for Tuesday, March 17th 9 a.m when The GERMAVOID Clean Touch goes LIVE!!!!!! We need ALL the help we can get!!! My SINCEREST thank you’s to ANYONE in advance that helps us with this…TRULY!!!!


SECOND…


They broke ground on our house this week!!!!

I have never been so happy to look at dirt!!


We are FINALLY getting closer to having our ONE LEVEL home!!! For those of you not from Utah…one level homes are a rare thing around here! Most homes have stairs galore just to get into the front or garage door! When we sold our house we looked and looked for a home already built but there was nothing that looked accommodating enough in a spot we liked so we decided to take on the challenge of building. We had a lot of ideas of what we wanted to make life easiest with Dakota so we decided to draw up our own! Zach (the blind one) spent hours drawing them up just right. This is what took us the longest…just trying to get them to be the best possible layout for Dakota without making the house too big and unaffordable for us.

It has been such a long process leading up to this point, it started to feel like our house was just something we talked about but was NEVER going to happen! This little basement rental started to feel like our forever home!! So to finally see a hole in the ground makes it all real again and SOOOO exciting! I am already dreaming and envisioning wheeling Dakota right into the house instead of carrying his 40 awkward pounds down stairs in the dark. Wheeling him into his walk in shower instead of bending over our bathtub breaking our backs trying to lift his slippery, heavy body out!! It sounds MAGICAL!!! We know we have a LONG physically challenging life caring for Dakota so to make things as convenient and easy to do these things for him is worth EVERY penny!! He is worth it all!!!


THIRD…

On the exact same day we broke ground on our house we got our new car for Dakota!! It is a long story but through some insurance money we were able to get a brand new SUV that has a special seat that can literally come out of the car and onto the ground to put him in, instead of lifting him up and sideways trying to get him awkwardly into his carseat!! This is a HUGE tender mercy from the Lord that this BIGGEST and most SUPRISING blessing came to us!! We weren’t expecting it or planning on it but it testifies SO clearly that the Lord is aware of each one of us…He knows our needs…and at times we have NO idea how we are going to do things or make things work…and He steps in and makes it happen EVERY time!! I still honestly can’t believe it every time I get into drive it! We could NEVER have afforded a brand new SUV on our own!! Our hearts are FILLED to the max with gratitude!!

We are waiting for the seat to get done to get it installed but I will post a video of Dakota man in it when it comes!! ;)

Now you can see why March is so huge for us!! These are 3 huge life-changing events all wrapped up into one month! We are feeling SO very blessed right!! A few years ago, there were SOOOO many fears about the future, so many doubts that the Lord was even aware of us and what we were facing, so much despair at the losses we faced, so much insecurity about how we would manage and what we were going to do with a blind husband/father and a brain injured son! The future looked dark, lonely, and scary!!!

This quote sums it all up

Today I can tell you I KNOW with ALL of my heart the Lord was and IS with us EVERY step of this dark and difficult road!! He not only listened to our MILLIONS of pleas for help…he step by step guided, taught, and blessed us through each day!! Even when I couldn’t feel him near I KNOW he was there!! 4.5 years later…Zach is still blind and Dakota is still brain injured (despite the hundreds of prayers that we pleaded for miracles of healing) BUT the load on our shoulders is lighter and brighter then it has EVER been and the miracles came..not in the way we had wanted or hoped… but in a way that WE needed…in our hearts!!!

The person I am today is a MUCH better person then I was! My heart is FOREVER changed…it is FILLED with love and compassion for my fellow travelers like never before. My eyes and Zach’s (although still blind) see much clearer the things that matter and mean the most! My relationships with my family/friends and even more importantly with my Savior are stronger, closer, and more sincere then ever before!!

I testify with ALL my heart these trials, these unanswered prayers have been the GREATEST blessings in our life!!

These 3 mean the world to me!!!

9 Months

Yep, a whole other month has come and went! Navy Jo is OFFICIALLY or WAS officially 9 months on the 12th…



And I turned the big 3-1 on the 8th!! I’m OFFICIALLY in my thirties. Just 30 didn’t really count…now I’m IN my thirties! ;) I’m old news now! ;)

Just sporting my new lipstick and shirt sent all the way from AZ from my amazing sisters! They are the

When your 31 you don’t get candles anymore…your husband holds a flashlight! LOL!!!

This birthday was perfect for an old lady like myself. Now normally I am ALL about my birthday starting to celebrate Feb 1-28th! ;) (I got jipped that my birthday month only has 28 days!! ;)) This year my birthday totally crept up on me before I even had time to think about celebrating!! I think this 2 kid thing has got me crazier and busier then I even think I am!!!

Lucky for me Zach’s parents planned a family vacay to Bear Lake on my birthday weekend. So even though it wasn’t an official party JUST for my birthday…I just pretended it was!! LOL!! ;)



My special birthday breakfast! A pancake in the letter T…cooked to perfection by my amazing brother in law Ryan!! ;) My favorite treat right there!! If you haven’t tried those pretzel crisps you are TOTALLY missing out!!!


They booked this UH-MAZING cabin for us all! It was seriously HUGE!!! It had this killer play gym on the third floor that we spent the majority of our time in. (trampoline, basketball hoops, playset…heaven!) Not sure who had the most fun in there…the kids or us adults! ;)

Zach had some pretty killer moves on the scooter! My husband is cooler then yours! LOL!!!!



NO boys allowed!!!


  
Zach and Houston took turns pegging each other with balls! BOYS!!



I schooled these boys in some basketball! ;) Not really but we had a lot of fun! I shouldn’t be surprised since Zach is seriously good at EVERYTHING…even blind…but he was a REALLY good shooter!! I honestly don’t know how he does half the stuff he does blind (maybe he has been lying to me these past 5.5 years!!! LOL!!).

My favorite part about the cabin was it’s killer view of Bear Lake!! The weather was also SOOO nice while we were there! We sat outside and just enjoyed the view!
 
My people!!!

It had 2…yes 2 slides INSIDE! One to get you to each level! ;) It had a killer theatre room where we had a Little Mermaid movie night!

Not the greatest picture but a fun memory!! ;)

And of course we had enough treats to feed a country! ;)

We get together quite a bit with Zach’s family throughout the month but it is always in a couple hour spurts so this was SOOO fun to just be together for a whole weekend!! With 4 nursing babies we were all busy either nursing or putting babies to sleep at some point but it was LOADS of 
Navy was in heaven with all these cousins!!!

 
Zach’s parents had this GREAT idea for the babies!! Why not put them in a blow up pool so they will stay put?! Obviously Navy didn’t mind!


Unfortunately Dakota man was not feeling good from something so he had a REALLY rough weekend! He spent most of it crying which was especially hard on Zach and I. If this had been a couple of years ago I’m sure both Zach and I would have been in tears and super emotional about it but we have both come a long way and deal a lot better in these situations then we used to! So instead of letting it ruin our trip we still enjoyed ourselves!


I stole extra snuggle time when he let me! ;)



Grammy and Poppy were still so cute to try and help him be included in everything, even though he wasn’t having it most the time! ;)



Cute Mailee and Dakota!



The only picture we got of all the kids! There is my proof of how Dakota felt about the weekend! ;)


Anyways…this post is about Navy not me! ;)

At 9 months this girl has MASTERED saying “MAMA!” This little simple phrase melts my heart EVERY time she says it…which is A LOT! My favorite is when I go get her in the morning she will look at me and say “Mama!” Like she is so surprised I am there to rescue her! I have not heard Mama or mom for 4.5 years!!!!! So to hear a little voice call me that again kind of makes my heart want to burst!!! It is like music to my soul!!! I have missed it more then you can imagine!!!
She also says “Mo” for more and Dada! Although for the record Mama was first! ;)
She is still a mama’s girl which breaks Zach’s heart…but he is making some HUGE strides lately! ;)
 


Don’t get me wrong she LOVES her dad but if she has her choice she will choose me every time! I know that won’t last forever…especially since Zach already says he will giver her whatever she wants and NEVER discipline her like MY dad! ;) (And my dad had 5 girls!! My poor mom!)
She is still such an energetic little mover. She army/regular crawls. She uses her legs and knees a lot but still crawls with her forearms instead of her hands. She is SUPER fast and efficient at it so I’m not sure if she will ever switch over to a regular crawl. She gets up on her hands and knees but will only crawl normal like 2 strides and then she drops down. She is pulling herself up on EVERYTHING.

Hmmm…what toy should I play with?!


Already picking out her own clothes! ;)


Oh man…I got caught!!

(I realize almost every picture I am posting is in her pajamas! I promise I do get her dressed every day!)


She will walk slowly along stuff. She has taken some steps with her walker and she LOVES for you to help walk her around. She will grab your hands and just stand up to go…you can’t really resist even though it is a back breaker! ;)


She is too tiny for this!! ;)

She LOVES to dance whenever she hears any kind of toon…whether it’s from a toy, T.V., or Zach and I singing…she just automatically starts to groove. I love it!!! We might have to talk her daddy in to letting her be a dancer!

She is SO playful and funny! She knows how to tease.

She will go to ANYONE and EVERYONE unless you have a beard (she is not a fan of facial hair…Uncle Ryan learned the hard way! ;)) She does have a tiny but of shy side though when a stranger talks to her when we hold her she will look at them but turn her cheek to our chest. I think it is ADORABLE and sometimes it’s the only snuggles I get so I take it! ;)

She is kind of a maniac with Dakota these days. Since she is SO busy she will just crawl right over top of him like he is not even there! She loves to pull his hair and claw his face (she does that to us to!) He is definitely not a fan of that! He has thrown a few punches to her face as well though. He will swing that stiff, straight arm around and down and if her little face is in his way there is no stopping it! Sometimes it surprises Navy but hey…I figure it will just make her tough! My older brother beat up on me so she needs to take it too…right?! I figure it’s Dakota’s way to get back at her for all of her roughness with him! ;)

 
He just closes his eyes and takes it like a champ! ;)


We thought of this brilliant idea one day to keep Dakota safe from her…he LOVED it so now it has become “his” swing (at least until the motor gives out from all his weight! ;))…but obviously it didn’t stop her from cramping his style! ;)


I do find him smiling at her more and more often though! Hopefully this is just their way of bonding for now! LOL!!



That sweet smile and look says it all! He REALLY does love being a big brother!!! (In case you are wondering…we forgot his stroller at home so we made do to go into Best Buy. This kid is WAY too heavy now to hold for LONG periods of time! Luckily his car seat fit like a glove in the cart! ;))


 


She is still a great sleeper and I LOVE that!! She has come to love eating, thankfully, but is still miss Independent! She things she needs to grab the spoon out of your hand every spoonful which makes for a complete mess every time but what can you do! She devours any finger foods you give her…especially yogurt melts!

She just barely is getting her first little tooth! That sweet, gummy smile will be filled with teeth in no time!

Everything about this girl is PERFECT to us!! She brings SOOOO much joy, brightness, and NORMALCY to our lives!! I know she was handpicked to come to our little family at this perfect time!! Every day with her is truly a gift and I thank my Heavenly Father for placing her in our family and allowing and trusting me to be her mom!! I’m not going to lie…every day I fear a tiny bit about something happening to her and can even feel how devastated I would be…BUT I have learned to trust in my Heavenly Father and in His plan for me! So I don’t allow that fear to linger long and instead I focus on each precious day I get!

I sure love you NAVY!!!!!!!