How She Grows!!

So we haven't blogged for nearly two months...how time flies! She is so happy and active, we often (well, sometimes--it depends on how early it is!) race to get her up as she greet you with an infectious grin...


She's also getting all over the place...it's crazy! Crawling, pulling up, cruising, tackling stairs, walking Pooh, you can't stop her! She's practicing standing on her own too--she'll be walking soon!

Plumber?

Oregon

Well, many of you know we went to the Bend area in early February with Eric's grandma ElRae...sorry for the delay! It was such a bummer that Grandpa Ron couldn't make it too (he was tending to an ill kitty). We stayed at the Eagle Crest resort which was beautiful--I hadn't been there since high school, shortly after it opened. There were wonderful trails and we went walking along the Deschutes River--several days it was unseasonably warm in the 60s with beautiful bluebird skiies. There was also a heated kiddie pool and we took Keely swimming nearly every day. She did great and even learned to pull herself up and the couch and windowsills and enjoyed watching the squirrels. We got one day up at Bachelor...would've liked more but who knew childcare was more spendy than a lift ticket!! It was fantastic though, so great to be on the mountain again. And it was super fun skiing with ElRae...we're already looking forward to next year's trip when hopefully more can join us!

Water Baby

So we took a our first trip as a family to Arne Hanna Aquatic Center with Brian, Shannon, and in-utero baby Rush. It was super fun and we even ran into some friends from church too! Why didn't we do this sooner? Keely *loved* the pool, splashing and laughing like crazy. I guess it's no surprise...she's actually been in a variety of bodies of water. The first I believe was Lake Osoyoos, the "warmest lake in Canada," which is to say, still very cold. She loved Nonnie and Grandpa's pool in Phoenix and took the waves in Kauai like a champ. We also have swimming time with Mama in our soaking tub--she loves kicking and floating. Of course bathtime is a hit too. I can't wait to start swim lessons in February! We haven't been able to start b/c you have to wait till they're six months which was the middle of November, so we missed that session, then December was too busy, and I missed the January session by one day! Shoot! Anyhow, besides lessons, I hope we can make family time at the pool a new routine! If you're interested in a field trip, give us a call!

Here are some other pics of our water baby

First "Official" Family Photo

yep, a trio of red heads and blue eyes

Beautiful Keely

Our friend Aaron, who is a very talented professional photographer, came over yesterday to do a shoot of Keely (and a few of us too :). Here's a first look...isn't she adorable?

Keely's Dedication

Keely was dedicated at church this past Sunday. What is "dedication"? Rather than baptizing Keely, we opted to "dedicate" her, that is publicly commit to raising her in a Christ-centered home, teaching and modeling a relationship with Jesus, hoping and praying that as she grows, she too will choose to become a follower of Jesus and choose to publicly confess her faith with baptism. The dedication service also recognizes the part that our family and church community play in raising Keely and invites their support and encouragement. We were blessed to have many family and friends join us for the service and brunch reception after...thanks so much for your love and support!!