May & June

Lots of random pictures and then I'll try to catch up on our lives a little...

Just a little Daddy-Harper time

I wanted some cute Mother's Day photos.  This is what I ended up with.  She doesn't like to cooperate very well.

But she sure is cute and I love being her mom!

Chase spoiled me on Mother's Day.  I didn't lift a finger...loved it!  He got Harper ready for church, made us lunch, put her down for her nap, let me take a nap, made us dinner, cleaned it up, put her to bed.  It was swell!  What a great hub I have.

And I just gotta put a plug in for motherhood.  Some days it's hard, other days it can be isolating/boringish, but most of the time I laugh and snuggle and play with my favorite girl.  I love Harper so much and am so lucky to be her mom everyday.

We threw Karli a baby shower to get her ready for her baby boy.  (She's due the day before I am!)  We had it in her mother-in-law's gorgeous backyard.  It was a hot day, but as long as we huddled in the shade, we were okay.  Karli got lots of fun and useful things and I think she's pretty well set up for this baby boy!!

Jenn (Karli's mother-in-law), Karli, Debbie (my mama!)

So fun to have some girl time!

Who's bigger?  (Don't answer that!)

Father's Day weekend Chase also had his 10 year high school reunion.  It was a 2-day event and was actually a lot of fun.  He had fun seeing classmates.

We also had a Father's Day BBQ on Saturday with his family.  Always fun to get together with them.  Harper is now old enough that she can play well with her cousins, Bennett & Madelyn.  She actually plays with them as opposed to just following them around.  It's fun to watch and I'm happy she has cousins close to her age.

And here I will put a plug in for fatherhood.  ha ha  I just have to sing Chase's praises as a dad.  I never wondered if he would be a good dad.  I always knew.  But to see it in action is a whole different ball game.  He loves Harper so much and Harper adores her daddy.  He's so sweet and playful with her and is a wonderful example of a loving and caring and happy dad.

Here are the cousins enjoying yummy otter pops.

At the end of June Chase was itching to go camping but we just hadn't been able to make it out.  So on a Friday night, just on a whim, he decided to sleep with Harper in the backyard.  Maybe sleep isn't the right word.  They played in their sleeping bags and Chase kinda dozed while Harper ran around in the yard.  I could hear her until about 11:30 pm when Chase finally put the smack down and made her lie down.  Needless to say, neither of them got much sleep that night.  But Harper talked about it and her "sleeping pillow" (sleeping bag) for days.  What a great dad she's got!

April-mid May

I guess I'm still only up for updating every month.

So here goes...

We began our Easter festivities with an Easter Egg Hunt here in Jerome.

People had told me about the crazy parents that fight for eggs for their kids, but I just didn't understand until we participated ourselves.  I couldn't believe some of the parents in the "2 years and under" category!  Geez Louise!  Let the 2 year olds do it themselves.

Anyway, Harper had fun, despite the cold!

 Later that afternoon we got together with Chase's family and had an Easter Egg hunt there.  So cute to see the 3 little girl cousins running around, looking for eggs.

Huck was there, too.

Cousins with their cute Aunt Meg

We stayed at Chase's parents for Easter and had a nice time at church and a good meal with them.  I LOVED Harper's Easter dress.  Too bad she wouldn't stay still long enough for a cute picture.  Gpa Fly put in some new rocks in the backyard and she was so excited for her very own rock pit!

Back to real life, where princesses take their bears grocery shopping...

...and hang out in the dryer (this was the first time she had done this.)

Eating breakfast can really take it out of you, sometimes!

I'm sorry, but CUTE!

I told Harper it was time to go to the library for storytime (the highlight of her week) and told her to get some clothes.  She came out with that skirt and her all-important (new) cowboy boots.  I had to help her pick out a shirt that "mats" (matched), but otherwise she is quite the dresser!

In other news, Chase has been a busy man building me some furniture.  He built that headboard (made out of an old door) and that bench at the end of our bed.  He designed, constructed, painted, antiqued, and upholstered everything.  I LOVE having a handy man husband!

**For those who may not have heard, I am pregnant with our second child.  Baby Girl Fly #2 is due August 26th.  Harper can't wait for her baby sister!**

March

Well I have a hard time believing that March is already over!  But here are a few happenings from the month.

 We started out the month with a bridal shower for my baby sister Karli.  She got married March 30th!  Here is my mom, sisters, and me. (The baby bump is clearly visible in this picture.  Looks more like flubber, though.)

A week before the wedding we had some more gorgeous weather, so we did more exploring.  These were taken at Niagara Springs, about 25 minutes from  our house.  Harper and I rolled down the hills, Dada showed her some fish...

we checked out the springs (yes, that is water just gushing out of the side of the mountain),

we went for a walk along the river where Harper got nice and relaxed and took a little rest.  (I brought my book along, just in case of the perfect moment.  Never happened.  Yes, I re-read Hunger Games.)

This was...who knows when.  Just another Tuesday, probably.

Chase's mom and sister (Megan) came for a visit a couple weeks ago.  Harper notified us all she was ready to "go buh-bye" so she promptly got her shoes on, got her "purse" and she was out of there!

 (Please ignore the lazy eye)

Then came the weekend of the wedding.  (AKA General Conference weekend.)  I have no wedding pictures, hopefully we'll get them soon.  I have only 2 that I took that weekend.  Yes, I always carry my camera around my never go through the pain of taking it out.

Harper enjoying a swim with her dad

Harper pretending she's asleep so she doesn't have to get in her dress for the reception.  But once she was back in her dress she loved it.  She was a twirling girl all night long!

I think that gets me pretty well caught up.  I'll be editing posts as more pictures become available.  Oh...and I have about a bazillion on my phone that would be good to put on here.  And another zillion videos.  Oh my.  I must not get overwhelmed!

February

Real, boring life really begins in February.  Holidays are over.  Families are all back at home.  No holidays in sight.  So we must find ways to entertain ourselves.  

Enter: cowboy hat

I told you you might see this pop up more than once!

On Valentine's Day we decorated sugar cookies...and ate our weight in them.  Yummy!  Neither Chase nor I are huge romantics, and our anniversary is 4 days after Valentine's Day, so it's kind of a holiday that comes and goes without much fanfare.  Which is fine with me!  Give me a few sugar cookies (and maybe some flowers) and I'm good!

Harper appreciates this, too.

 My valentines

Harper has started getting excited about my shoes.  I thought this was quite the outfit she found one morning!

Boy is this girl fun!!  She's a busy 2-year-old, but is really quite well behaved (knock on wood) and she makes me laugh constantly!  Her speech has really taken off and I love that she can tell me what she wants, what she doesn't (quite loudly), and it's almost scary that she copies most of what we say.

It's a New Year

Happy New Year!

We rang in the New Year at G&G Fly's house in Caldwell, along with Spencer & Kylie, Drew & Megan, and Bridger & Bennett & Madelyn.  We had "healthy snacks" (the Fly family tradition of crackers with cheese and salami and veggies and dip), and all kinds of unhealthy snacks as well.  Lots of eating.  We also made adorable masks, thanks to Megan and her craftiness.  I'm waiting to get those photos, but hopefully I'll have them soon.  It was a great night.

Harper was pretty crabby by about 10pm so I went in the bedroom to put her to bed...ended up just laying down with her...and we were both out in about 10 minutes.  Chase had to ring in the new year without his ladies, but that's the life we lead these days!

 You may see several photos in the future of Harper in Dada's cowboy hat.  She loves it and if you ever say "cowboy" or "yeehaw" she will run in and get it.

Once things got back to normal and the holiday fun was over, we were on the hunt for fun things to do in the dead of winter here in Magic Valley.  One Saturday was particularly sunny so we decided to go to Malad River Gorge State Park, which is conveniently located just off the freeway about 20 minutes from us.  It was a cool but beautiful day and we all had a great time!  We'll have to go back in the spring (want to come?) when stuff is green!

Grammy & Papi Come for a Visit

On Harper's birthday, after the Fly Family celebration, we drove home and a couple hours later my parents arrived at our house!  We got to see all grandparents in one day!  Miracle!  We had a little Google+ Hangout party with my siblings (no pictures) and then the rest of that week we just hung out with my parents.  It was swell!  Once again, I took next to no pictures, so I'm getting some from my mom.  In the meantime, here's what I have...

 Harper and Papi watching Shirley Temple.  All snuggly.  So cute.

(That's it...more to come...)

Harper turns 2!

On Dec 26th our little baby Harper turned 2 years old!  Crazy!  She's quite the little girl, now.  We got to celebrate with the Flys and then we drove home, where my parents were meeting us as they drove in from California, and we got to celebrate with them that night.  I was busy doing cake and stuff that I didn't take very many pictures, but my sis-in-law Kylie did so I'll get more from her.  But here's what I've got.

*Update: photos from Kylie have arrived!  Hers are all the cute ones!*

 Her spoils

The cake I made for her.  I was nervous, but it turned out cute, I think

 My two best buds

Happy birthday, our sweet girl!  We love you so much and feel blessed everyday to have you in our family!

**P.S.  On Christmas Eve we found out we are expecting our 2nd child!  Hooray for babies!**