Raspberry Picking

One of the best things about moving to Utah is getting to go raspberry picking.  We found a place in Spanish Fork where you can eat all the raspberries you want while picking.  Leona ate her own weight in raspberries.  She would pick them straight off the bush and pop them in her mouth and when she didn't see any suitable ones (she learned quickly which ones to pick) she would demand I put some of the ones I had picked into her little bucket so that she could continue munching.

Camping in the Mountains

In mid-September our ward had a ward campout, which since our ward has so many old people meant that 5 families went camping together.  Leona was not bothered by the small turnout as she just wanted to run untethered through the woods.  She had a great time.

You'll notice the pack'n'play in the background.  Don't be fooled, she did not sleep in it very much.  She kept crying during the night and spent about 30 minutes silently laying in my sleeping bag with me but still not sleeping.  Next camping trip we'll put her in her own tent and zip-tie the zipper closed so that she doesn't wander off into the woods.  Just kidding.  Sort of.

Even with little sleep she was still the life of the party.  She wanted to run around with the big kids all day.

Hiking the Y

Leona has no business at all having the stink face in these photos.  She was carried 3/4 of the way up the mountain by me in the carrier, which was ridiculously difficult and pushed the rest of the way up and then back down in her chariot (the jogging stroller) by her dad, who should be referred to going forward as Hercules.  We did it though, and now we don't have to ever do it again.  : )

First Couple of Weeks in Utah

When we first moved to Provo it was such beautiful weather that we spent as much time outside as possible.  One of the fun things we did was go to Bridal Veil Falls.  Leona kept trying to get into the water, although as soon as she actually felt how cold it was she was content to just splash her hands in it.

I love this photo because Leona looks so nerdy, but adorable.  A baby nerd, is there anything cuter?

We also paid a visit to the "Dead Zoo" aka the Bean Science Museum on campus.  It was a hit with everybody if a little confusing since at first the big girls were concerned about getting so close to ferocious animals since they are used to the Houston Zoo.  Leona however had to be kept from running under the ropes and touching everything.

Oops One Last Houston Hurrah July Photos

Sorry I thought I had gotten all of the last Houston Photos posted but I forgot that all of July's photos were on my phone.

We went to the 4th of July Celebration and fireworks at Miller Outdoor Theater in Houston.  We weren't sure how it would go since it's really late before the fireworks start and they are of course noisy not to mention the THOUSANDS of people who were there, but we shouldn't have worried.  Everyone had a great time.

We went with friends from the ward who were happy to let Leona poach snacks and share a lap.

We should not have worried.  All the girls and Leona especially LOVED the fireworks.  The Houston Symphony was playing along with the fireworks and the girls didn't even mind when they fired cannons along with the music.  It was a lot of fun.

We of course had to hit up the Children's museum one last time.  It was also a hit.

And the zoo... but not the carousel.  

We also went to Grandma and Grandpa Cole's house to get in a little more cousin time...

And Bonnie time.  When Bonnie ran away from her Leona could console herself by hanging out in her kennel.

And one last beach trip since we were moving to landlocked Utah it only seemed right.

Catch-Up August 2015 AKA the Big Move

These photos were taken the morning that we moved.  This is probably the best photo that we have of Leona's first house.  Leona was the only one who got any sleep the previous night.  Our moving truck broke AFTER we had already spent all day loading it and we were up until about 1:30 am waiting for the repair guy (who incidentally was unable to repair the truck and so we had to get a new one the next day but luckily a crew transferred the contents) and then we all slept in sleeping bags on the tile floor.  Leona meanwhile got the golden treatment because she got to spend the last night in her bedroom in the pack n play.

This is an action shot from the road trip/move to Utah.  This photo was taken right after I said, "That's it! I'm not stopping this car again no matter what until we get to Grandma's house." I pulled back onto the freeway and Clara piped up from the backseat with, "I need to poop." So everybody got one more pit stop.

Aunt Cambrie was Leona's special buddy on the way from Denver to Provo (Uncle Jaybob had been tasked with keeping the tiny tyrant happy from Dallas to Denver.). She kept Leona from screaming continuously the last two hours of the trip by feeding her a steady stream of fruit snacks.  So Leona, if later in life you have a weird association between Aunt Cambrie and fruit snacks, this is why.  Also that might be to blame if you get childhood diabetes. I'm just saying, it was a LOT of fruit snacks.  

Two, Dos, Deux, 2

This photo was taken on Leona's birthday but she really came into her own as a 2 year old this weekend. She mastered and embraced the word "No" and gave some good use to the word "Mine". Watch out, the terrible twos are here!

Here are a couple more photos from her birthday.

After Christmas Leona knows what to do with presents.  She tore into them and was really excited.  From her sisters she got a Mrs. Potato Head and from her parents she got a puzzle that makes the noises of the musical instrument shaped pieces when correctly placed in the base.  She liked both gifts quite a bit.  Not pictured is the belated birthday party that we had the Wednesday after her birthday with all the extended family who had come to town for Aunt Cambrie's wedding.

All joking aside about the terrible twos Leona is such a fun little buddy to have around.  She and Eliza love to wrestle, Clara pretends that Leona bugs her but really they are equally matched for pestering and love to play dress up together.  I love that no matter what I'm doing Leona will bring me a book and demand to be read to because clearly nothing I'm doing is more important than reading Goodnight Moon again.  I love this little monkey and how sweet and silly she is.  It's hard to believe that she's only been in our family for 2 years.