Oh yeah... we bought a house.

Front view.  Obviously.   (The minty-green color of the house is temporary.)  

Driveway to the garage AND Jes's studio (that second garage behind the house).  Photos of studio below. 

Entry way.  Furniture forthcoming.  

View into entertainment room.  

Front room.  

Kitchen.  The plan is to remove the half-wall/counter and set an island/bar in the middle.  

More kitchen.

Office.  

Master Turtle's room.  

Bean's room.  

Master.  Clearly, the previous owners loved green.  Note curtains.   

Back deck. 

Side deck.  

View from the backyard.  Just beyond the trees is Hole 5 of the Country Club Golf Course.

Jes's dance studio.  A shout out to Craig Brown (aka The General Contractor aka Master Carpenter) for his help putting this together.  

Another view of the studio.  For more info on Jes's growing business go to dancevolutionflagstaff.blogspot.com.  

Of course, it wouldn't be Flagstaff without a beautiful mountain view.  That's Mount Elden through the pines.  

4 years

Happy 4th Birthday, Miss Emma-bean!

So excited that we survived those "terrible twos" and "worse-than-terrible threes".  Emma is actually much happier, a much better listener, and has a super fun personality!

Stats:

39 lb. 10 oz. (81st)  44.2 inches tall (97th...off the charts)  BMI - 14.3 (17th...we're doing our part to fight childhood obesity haha)

Nicknames:
Emma-bean

And...that's about it :)

Facts:

*Emma has a mind of her own and it is REALLY hard to change it!  She refuses to let me pick her outfits. Period.

*Emma has to match Adele almost daily.  If Emma gets dressed before Adele and Adele doesn't have an outfit that matches with Emma's, Emma changes.  Makes for a long morning.

*Emma also gets tired of outfits.  She'll change AT LEAST 3 times a day.  Makes for lots of laundry, which I've now taught her how to sort before washing and put away after washing.

*Emma is very social.  She loves hanging out with friends, and she has LOTS of friends (so not me).

*Emma asks deep questions!  Instead of just asking "why" to things, she'll ask, "Mom, how come that man is driving a cart?"  "What happened to his leg?"  "When can he walk again?" etc.

*Lately Emma has been really into relationships.  When I get off the phone with my mom, she'll say, "Who was that?"  "Your mom or dad's mom?"

Miss Steffanie: Emma's Preschool teacher that we will miss dearly!

Emma's new bike for her birthday.  Complete with a seat in the back for Adele...or her doll.

The new bike gang is in town

On Emma's real birthday, we invited her friend Alora to Peter Piper Pizza.  Emma won the jackpot--literally--at one game.  Here are her 200 tickets that she won from just one token.

With 20 tokens, Emma and Alora won 602 tickets.  Half of their tokens just went to rides, so I have NO IDEA how they won so many!!

Emma's first soccer game with friends--Kaybree and Bethanie. 

Emma's Spring Dance Recital to a 50's mix.  The picture pretty much captures everyone's personalities. 

Lollipop...lollipop....

Workin' it.  

Emma's birthday party--Pop Star themed.  

Little Divas:  Alora, Maren, Emma, Bethanie, Sabrina.  Special thanks to Madi for lending her dance costumes. 

*

6 Months

Adele my belle is nearly 7 months, so now would be perfect timing for our 6-month post, right?  :)

Stats:
13 lb. 13 oz.  (10th)  25.8 in long (38th)  at 42.8 cm circumference (61st)

Nicknames:
Adeli
Deli
Deli-cate
Delicatessen
Deli-two-testine (Emma's version of Delicatessen)
Del
Coronado (del)
Belle
Deli Belly
Deli Belly Jelly Bean
Jelly Bean (because we call her sister Emma-bean)
Turtle
Yes, it appears that her nicknames list is bigger than she is.  That's what happens when you've got an older sister.  :)

Facts:
*Aside from a 2-week lapse of waking up every 20 minutes during the night, Adele sleeps 8-10 hours at night before eating and going back to sleep.
*Adele is a very happy baby who smiles and everyone and everything.
*Adele LOVES the guitar.  She's Ammon's very best audience in the house by FAR!  She smiles, squeals, and stares at him at all the proper moments.
*Although we've heard Adele say a few consonants, she mostly squeals to make noise.  She's quite the loud squawker!
*Adele STILL does not take a bottle!!  NOT KIDDING!  The only time she's done it is for 2 oz of pedialite when the three girls all had the tummy flu at the same time.  SUPER fun!
*Adele does not take a pacifier, her thumb, or anything else that can help her self-soothe.  Instead, she uses me as a pacifier.  Awesome.
*Deli finally likes some solids, which helps babysitters since she doesn't take bottles.  She only likes fruit.  She'll take some oatmeal, and attempts at sweet potatoes.  And...that's about it.  It explains her weight, huh? Couldn't be more opposite than Emma!!
*Speaking of Emma, they are SUCH great friends...it's adorable!  I love it!
*Adele has no muscle whatsoever.  She rolls both ways, but is definitely a Weeble when it comes to sitting up.  We're hoping she walks by kindergarten.  :)

Here are some recent pics...

Einstein turtle

Love my Deli-two-testine!

4 Months

Where has the time gone?  I seriously cannot believe that Adele is already 4 months.  However, she is still way more of a baby than Emma was at 4 months, which I love, so I guess it's okay.  :)

Adele's Top 10 Update:
1)  She's itty bitty still.  10th percentile for weight (don't worry...doctors say she's growing/developing perfectly), 50th percentile for height, and 50th percentile for head size.  According to her doctor, "she's going to be a string bean like her mom".  Gotta love genes.
2)  She's absolutely content doing anything and everything...as long as she's near her mom.  Adele is a total mommy's girl.  She will freak out if anyone tries holding her unless she can see me.  She's happy playing with toys by herself or with Emma, she's happy during tummy time, she's happy in the Bumbo, she's happy in her car seat, she's just one happy girl!  The only downside is that she really doesn't try to roll over at all because she's perfectly content on her tummy or back.  The only time she cries is if she's hungry, wet, or poopy.
3)  She sometimes take a binkie...woohoo!  It gives me a break if we are in the car and she suddenly decides that she is hungry.
4)  She will not take a bottle.  Will not.  We've tried the whole leave-the-room (or house)-and-have-someone-else-give-it-to-her thing.  We've tried breast milk and formula.  She will starve until I finally decide that it's not worth the suffering for either of us.  :)
5)  She hates rice cereal.  Our first experience was beyond frustrating.  She not only gagged and spit up most of it, but what little she did eat, she spent throwing up all night long until she dry-heaved.  Probably not going to try that again until 6 months!
6)  She absolutely adores Emma.  Adele will squirm when she hears Emma's voice, and arch around to see where she is.  She totally lights up...it's so stinky cute!  :)
7)  Adele giggles the most girly giggle ever.  The only problem is that she will only giggle for me, and sometimes Emma.  See post below.
8)  She is quite the talker!  Adele jabbers all day long...unless you are trying to video it, naturally.  :)
9)  Adele is still our swaddle queen!  It sounds ridiculous, but whenever she is overly tired, the only way she will sleep is by being swaddled.  It is so adorable!
10)  Adele constantly has her tongue out.  This is how she earned her nickname "Turtle Tongue".  Other nicknames include: button nose, sister friend, delly bells, and peanut.

"Ohhh"

I'm cute and I know it.

Turtle Tongue

Bumbo Time!

Happy Easter!

Emma loves her Madi Mads!