A few more Colorado pics...

I've split up the photos, some here and some on my photography blog :)

The Naked Chef

"More food! More food!"

You betcha, Ben did army crawl through that whole tube with Myles! He is the best uncle!

Aubrey started eating banana's this week. We can't believe how much she loves them! I was really low on milk one evening, so I thought I would give her a taste of banana to take her mind off of nursing and see how she liked it. With her on my hip, I peeled a banana and got a tiny little piece on the tip of my finger for her...before I knew it she had reached over, grabbed half the banana and was already sucking away on it with vigor. For the past two days, Aubrey has eaten a whole organic banana..in chunks (which are way too slippery for her little hands) and also mashed into yummy organic brown rice cereal . She eats like she nurses...very spirited! She cannot wait until the next spoonful (right now as long as there is bananas in it).



The other photos are images of the Gilberts ... more of those to come :)

When we passed through Ohio....

Aubrey and I got to meet Morgan Rose when she was just 5 days old!! We stopped in to see a good friend of mine - Lucinda - and her husband, Ryan, and little boy Isaiah. Ben and I met Lucinda in Australia on our first trip there with YWAM back in 2003. I have been so blessed that God keeps crossing our paths in small ways...but at cool times!! We both made it to eachother's weddings, and then I saw her on our way to NC when she was pregnant with Isaiah!

To see more photos of sweet Morgan, check out my photography blog .....

Colorado to Canada

Our traveling family made it to Red Deer yesterday after a couple long days of driving through cowboy country from Denver, Colorado. I think we are all relieved to be done with the long road trips for a while! Just in time for spring in Canada! :)

We had a great time seeing our nephew - Myles - and of course the rest of Ben's family. The weather was fantastic too!! I was also blessed to go out for vegan cake and milkshakes with my girlfriend Emma (Little Mrs Mason blog).

Here are a few pics I snagged from Jane's facebook :) I will be working on some new photos to get up as soon as I get my "office" arranged ;)

Easter Bunnies [6 Months Old]

Trip update : Our little family arrived safely in Denver, Colorado on Monday morning after a long drive from Cedar Falls, Iowa.

It's hard for us to believe that Ben signed out of his unit at Fort Bragg only 1 1/2 weeks ago. It feels like it has been a lot longer than that. Although we are missing out on some good beach weather in North Carolina, we did get some great spring weather in Iowa. Our time in Iowa was wonderful. It was so nice to spend a full week with Ben's grandparents. By the time we left Aubrey definitely knew her great-grandparents and of course her grandma Jane who was also visiting from CO.

Aubrey is 6 months old!!! On our drive from NC, we spent a day in Ohio to visit a few close friends. This is where she sat up for the first time (with me balancing her, she was pretty wobbly). We made it to Iowa the next day and she had a few days of practice before her 6 month photos in her Easter/Spring outfit in the images above. She is doing so good! I cannot believe how quickly children learn new skills. She is on a roll!! She also perfected her rolling over (tummy to back) in our stop in Ohio. It must have been all that time constrained in her carseat.

We are now in Denver, Colorado visiting Aubrey's Grandma Jane and Grandpa Dick...as well as her Aunties, Uncles, and cousin on Ben's side. Today we woke up to snow!! She had rice cereal for the first time this morning...you can tell by her expressions in the photos how she felt about that :)

I am slowly but surely getting photos done to get on the blog....but for now, Happy Spring!

Last Days of NC

Chelsa and I had wanted to go to Savannah for such a long time that we couldn't allow ourselves to leave without a quick visit. While the weather wasn't perfect the company we were in was; us out to eat with our good friends Dave and Elizabeth.
The Crab Shack was the place to be on Tybee Island. Below was a delicious dish known as the Shack specialty.

Above : On our way from Savannah to Fort Rucker, AL....Aubrey is so excited to meet
her friend Joella!

Top Left : Saying good-bye to good friends...Sage and Aubrey were born on the same day in the same hospital! Her mommy - Becca - and Chelsa had a fun time during their pregnancy waiting for the girls to arrive.

The Lord blessed Fayetteville with some beautiful weather before our trip West. We busted out our "off road" stroller and took Aubrey out on some trail rides. You can see below that she had a blast! Aubrey was our inspiration for packing, how could we not enjoy packing a table full of dishes when you have such a pretty smile to enjoy?

Aubrey, just shy of 6 mos, endured the trek with Chelsa from Fayetteville, NC to Dayton, OH, to Cedar Falls, IA, and when she arrived she needed a little naked time after all those long hours in the car seat. Here she is showing everyone how she sits up and plays with her blocks. Still a bit wobbly, but getting stronger each day!

Below Great Grandma poses with Aubrey shortly after their first meeting.

Aubrey couldn't resist playing olden days with Grandma Jane as she showed off her fashionable bonnet.

Tybee Island, GA

Above : notice the blur around Aubrey's feet....she bicycles her legs super fast...for some
reason she was SUPER happy at Matt and Johnni's...probably because
we were finally there and she got to meet her sweet friend Joella!

Last week we took a big long road trip first to Savannah, GA with our friends - Dave and Lily...unfortunately it rained for the better part of our 2 days there. But we did have a major feast of seafood at the Crab Shack on Tybee Island our first night there!

After Savannah we made the long drive down to Fort Rucker, AL where our friends - Matt and Johnni (you may have seen their blog linked to ours) - have been stationed for flight school . Matt graduates as a helicopter pilot this week and they are moving the same day that we are next week!! Anyway, we couldn't resist driving to see them and meet Joella...even if it was only for one night!! (The trip home was at least 10-12 hours....we are building up to our drive cross country next week).

I haven't had much time lately to get the photos blog ready...but here are a few to enjoy..there are more, maybe even better ones...but this is all I have time for now!!

We can't wait to see a few of you along our move West!

5 Months Old {Baby Dedication}

Scrub-a-dub-dub I love my baths!!!

"Yes? Can I help you?"

This weekend Aubrey's Nan came for a visit! It was so much fun and it was so nice to have a member of our family at Aubrey's Baby Dedication this weekend. We are happy that we were able to have Aubrey prayed over by a church that we have grown to appreciate and love. It is the first church that Ben and I have been members of together as a family. We are going to miss it and all of the wonderful friends we have made there!

Aubrey is now 5 months old! My how time flies...and yet she still seems like a 3 or 4 month old to me...maybe because today she is still wearing a 3 mos sleeper! Although she typically wears 3-6 mos now. In response to a comment from the last post....i really might weigh her at the grocery store! I swear she filled out over night!

Oh how we LOVE our little girl!!

Me and my Baby

This is how happy Aubrey is after her ten o'clock dream feed. Luckily she goes right back to sleep! She is making some great progress with her singing as well as sucking on her fingers. I don't think it has to do with her 4 month weight of a petite 12 pounds or height of 25 inches but who knows?

Not only does she stick her fingers efficiently in her own mouth but she'll find yours as well. She is really coming into her own when she grabs your nose, lips, and jewelry (for Chelsa not me!). Now that she is almost 5 months I'm very tempted to weigh her at the grocery store the next time we go - I'm convinced she has put the weight on in the last two weeks. Our little baby is beginning to fill out.

Back to the singing, she is catching some pretty high notes for her age and is daily getting more confident singing around others. She sings the most when she thinks we aren't around and used to immediately stop once the cameras came into view, but now she is able to hold out for longer...I'll get a video of her up here soon.

26 & Avatar & Lemon Yogurt Cake

Aubrey and me at our special friend's Special Forces graduation! Yay friend!

Finally here are the few pics we took the evening of my 26th birthday! While my girlfriends - Emily and Rachael (thank you girls SOOO much!!) did the bedtime routine with Aubrey, Ben took me out to see Avatar in 3D. This was my first 3D movie.....and it was SO GOOD! I loved it!! Hence all the awards eh :)

We then went home to have a piece - or two - of the most delicious birthday cake... each year I pick out the recipe and Ben bakes it for me :) This year it was the Barefoot Contessa "Lemon Yogurt Cake" with Blueberry Sauce. Delicious!