The Entirety of Summer

Here is the the recap of the summer. I have been pretty horrible about keeping up with this but hopefully this picture overload will help. 

Hiking up to Twin Lakes
(hiking friends playing out of frame)

Our attempt to hike to Green Basin but we missed
our turn :)

Lofty Lakes Loop with some of our best friends
(we weren't talented enough to get us all in one shot)

Evening hike up to Cecrete Lake with life-long friends

We have done a lot of outdoor activities this summer. Some of these outings have photos to prove it but some don't. It's been a hot and sunny summer so we have tried to get out into the cooler mountains. Eden is a pretty good little hiker companion.

Eden sitting in an Audrey sandwich  

Neighbor and bestie, Harper, cooling off

Eden spends a fair amount of time with little ones around her own age. It is such a joy to watch her grow up!

Orlando cousins

These two have my heart 

Make-shift swimming hole with cousin Levi

All the little grandchildren with Opa

In July, we went to Orlando to visit Davis' family. We spent a little time at the beach and a few days glamping. It was hot but enjoyable. Eden loved the ocean and her time with cousins. We loved seeing everyone. 

Feero family vacation

Isabel and Eden, sweet cousins

Emerald Isle, NC 

Happy Beach girl

We just returned from my family's trip to North Carolina.  It was a lovely week and very relaxing. We are so thankful for the time with family and friends this summer. 

Since her birthday, Eden has four teeth, walks like a champ, says  many words such as "shoes", "thank you", "hat", "hi", "Audrey", and many other words. She is such a fun and spunky girl.  We love her so!

The Birthday Girl

shaking the maracas from heidi ann

she brings so much  joy to our lives

Our sweet, energetic, and smiley girl turned one this month on May 8, Mother's Day. We celebrated with a little Moab Adventure with my sister, a cookout with our Utah family, and a visit from Griz and Grammie. Of course this didn't all happen at once, we spread out the fun over the month of May. Davis and I also squeezed in a 6th anniversary date too!

hiking with poppa

just some nice scenery with auntie say-say

enjoying arches national park together

backyard birthday for eden

the day turned out to be sunny but a tad chilly

fire and friends

enjoying the persian feast

sharing the swing with audrey

we are so grateful for our utah family

happy birthday eden! you are so loved!

sourdough carrot cake with edible flowers

don't be fooled, these three had a great weekend together!

We can't believe Eden is already one. What a whirlwind year! Yet it seems she's always been with us and we are so thankful for her life. God is good!

one year ago

we love her so much

happy birthday eden genevieve!

A bit late but Eden is ELEVEN months

I say this every time. Nearly every parent says this every time. But children grow up so fast. Sure, the time between naps, the sick weeks, and the late night feedings and comfort sessions seem endless but they grow up so incredibly fast. As they grow, your heart and love for them, at least in our experience, grows with them. Of course you love deeply at first sight and you think how could you love someone so deeply you just met? But as your bond and days become more intertwined, that love just keeps getting deeper and wider. I honestly believe God gives us the gift children in part to taste more fully  His love for us. My meager understanding of self-giving love has been nourished in the sweetest and most challenging way through Eden. He also gifts us spouses to walk through life together. I don't cherish these two like I should but I am learning to do so with gratitude. Thanks be to God.

And here we are, about to pass Go! Eden has finished up her tenth month with sicknesses, travel, and a deep love for grass and dirt. Our little smiley girl still hasn't produced any teeth but she eats well regardless. But she does loves to throw her food on the floor. She plays hard and is extremely pleasant. We love that she makes a quick crawling bee line for the garden. Soon she will be putting those little fingers to work pulling weeds :) She babbles almost non-stop and loves to point and wave at all the things without discrimination.

Enjoying the sunshine while fighting off a nasty cold

playing around at her first SLC Bees baseball game with
Zoe.

Our first Bees baseball game.
We don't understand anything about baseball but it was fun!

Singing a love song to cheese. Girl after my own heart.

Acquired a little bed head from napping

Ten Months!

It seems these monthly milestones may be the only times I manage to write on here. I'm working on becoming increasingly more physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually present in my actual life. It seems so often I live partially with my mind elsewhere, distracted mostly by the internet. It's so easy for me to get caught up in seeing other people's more polished lives. Or maybe more funny lives. Or maybe even more adventurous lives that I  forget to enjoy and live in my own life. So, I am working on in general being more present and grateful. It's my big personal improvement project.

I will try to have pictures of Eden on here still. I know there are at least a few folks who don't live nearby that would like to see her as she grows up. Everyday she becomes more enjoyable and more independent. We love her to the moon times infinity and beyond. And this precious and challenging gift just turned ten months on Tuesday. Holy Moly.

ten months and cottage cheese is my jam!

little snack time on the floor

first time in the tunnel and all the joys of static electricity!

family adventure to Antelope Island... should be called Bison Island or
torture by horrible biting flies island, depending on when you go.
BUT it's GORGEOUS there.

sort-of-happy hiker babe

Little Beanie girl (eden) loves her poopop (dad)

These two and this landscape. good golly miss molly.
(eden's cheeks are also epic)

thank you other hiking family for this photo. i love these creatures.

We also managed to paint our bedroom. We went dark and we love it!
Davis' macbook, which I am using right now, is almost 10 years old.

The sun has been out a lot lately. It's warm and so lovely. Many days include one or two walks, park dates, trips to the local farm, and garden planning! I know winter isn't fully gone. It usually does a few surprise attacks until nearly June, but we are enjoying each day. Eden is up from her nap and it's time to get outside!

Nine months

On February 8, Eden officially hit nine months. She has now been out of the womb as long as she was in the womb. That seem like a pretty big deal! The time waiting for her seemed to move a lot more slowly than the time watching her grow up.

Lately, she had her first sickness or just a phantom fever with no other symptoms that went away after a few days.  We have had a wonderful visit from Grammie. Eden can now pull up easily on objects and stand. She officially has tasted Ingrid's food and liked it. And she does funny little things like what appears to be lapping her tongue like a dog. We suppose she learned this from watching Ingrid lick us. We love this little girl so much it hurts.

Grammie and Eden

Playing in my toy basket

Excited Grammie took us out to one of our favorite places,
Eva's Bakery

These two both prefer to play with the trash over anything

Morning tongue tricks

I found her in a pile of books and my heart exploded

So excited to be a big girl!

Overalls, because they are cute and she will be helping
in the garden :)

 The past couple of days have been really nice compared to really cold and horrible air quality. We managed to get some park time in with our friends. Eden hasn't sat in the grass since she was very little and then she was lying on a blanket. Today she got to explore around in the grass but kept grabbing fistfuls to put in her mouth. I moved to the side walk and she ate mulch and pine needles instead. We will work on exploring nature in other ways another day.

tasting nature