In California!

We've been in Aptos a week and are loving it! Quiet beautiful beaches, a heated pool we swim in most days, a terrific farmers market...I could go on and on. The girls are in heaven and so are we. Aria started at St Andrews preschool and has her kindergarten evaluation tomorrow. Chis just left for his two week "hitch".

The big pack!

Less than 3 weeks left in Little Rock. We are pretty excited about the move to CA. In other news, Aspen's vocabulary has exploded lately. It is really wonderful to be able to communicate with her. Here are a couple of pictures of our little mermaids!

My Girls!

Aria has been so wonderfully helpful while Chris has been training. She helped her sister get dressed this morning (but forgot to take sisters PJs off first) Aspen is a little climbing monkey these days and keeps up a steady stream of chatter. Attached a few photos including on of Aria at the zoo with her friend Emma.

Move!

Our move to Aptos, California is less than a month away! Chris has been in training in Louisiana for the past 3 weeks so we have a fair amount to do to get our stuff packed and ready to move out of Arkansas. The girls are excited, it is an easy sell, blocks from the beach and an excellent elementary school...not to mention close to Aunt Jess! I have a lot of pictures of the girls for another post. In the meantime, here is a coastal shot of where we are going.

Post Christmas

Aria has been out of school a whopping 17 days! We have been having a great time with stomp rockets, bikes, Barbie castle and crafts though.

Christmas!

We had a wonderful time here in Arkansas though we missed our friends and family.

Getting ready for Christmas!

We are having a WONDERFUL time preparing for Christmas. We have a beautiful little tree and this is the first year Aria has helped so much with all the preparations. She and Aspen are both so excited every morning to discover where our elf, Browning, has chosen to land each morning. Aria loves Santa, Aspen, no so much.

Aria's Report Card...

...and her teacher, Miss Amanda tells me she doesn't like to give out "above-average" for 4 year olds. Only wish mine had been as good at her age. :)

Aspen Stats/Bridge Walk

Aspen had her one year well child visit last week. She is 30" and 21 lbs, 8 oz. (Aria was also 30" at her one year, but 25 lbs) I think the milk protein intolerance and the food strike for 2 weeks took their toll in October, but all seems to be well now and Aspen is eating up a storm! She'd have Chris' homemade pizza for breakfast, lunch and dinner if we let her. Now if I could only find some green veggies that she likes...

Fall foliage is at its peak here in Arkansas and keeping the yard up would be a full time job (if we cared that much) We are having a lot of fun with the girls at the local soccer fields, Aria loves to ride her bike and we play "soccer" and wheelbarrow race and play on the climbing wall several times a week.

Here is a photo I like from the Big Dam Bridge (over the Arkansas River) moonlight walk. Beautiful night 68 and windy.

Aspen Turns ONE!!

The year has flown by! Now that Aspen has mastered walking (in every direction at top speed) she seems to learn a new word every day! In her repertoire: bear, baby, mama, dada, fairy, fan, puppy. She whispers just about all of them which is so cute. Her are a few pictures of her at her first birthday...she inhaled the cake!

Halloween!

Aria was Tinkerbell and Aspen a spider. We had a wonderful time trick or treating!

Halloween and Soccer

We are having a wonderful Fall! Halloween was terrific, Aria had a school costume parade, we did a great trunk or treat at the Methodist church and went trick or treating with Emma. Aspen is walking, saying "mama, dada, Aieya (Aria) baby" and turning one tomorrow! Where has the year gone? Here are some pictures of my wonderful girls...

Our Church Community at First Presbyterian Argenta

Link to video of our church...

http://youtu.be/iLh9wLaty8Y

Halloween!

Only a few days away! I'm trying to get Aria to go for this "Southern Belle" costume instead of Tinkerbell, but I seriously doubt I'll have any luck, she is fairy crazy! Hoping for good weather. We LOVE Halloween!

Aspen's Baptism

Godmother Kirsten here for Aspen's baptism. We have had a wonderful weekend visiting the Clinton Presidential Library, visiting the pumpkin patch and hanging out with our "Arkie" friends. Helicopter ride slated for this afternoon.

Officially Fall!

Having a ball with Aria, Aspen and Chris in the cooler weather. We ended the summer as we began it, at Burns Park "Funland". Aspen is walking--clapping, babbling and Aria is loves her new school and her new friends. Had a great night out for my birthday last week although I missed celebrating the day of with Chris who was flying in MO. Here is one of my favorite pictures.

School!

Aria started school almost two weeks ago! They start early here in Arkansas. She is at a private school in Little Rock (pre-K 4's) and she loves her teachers, Miss Amanda and Miss Lynette.

We have made some friends here -- Aria has regular play dates with Emma and Kensley who live in Maumelle. Our pool closes Labor Day so we are trying to get a few more afternoon swims in before the end of summer. I have been going to a regular dinner out with friends followed by Bible Study at a wine bar (my kind of bible study) on Wednesday nights which I love. Chris is learning a lot about all aspects of the helicopter business and flying some. And Aspen? Aspen is eating up a storm (finger foods and jars), crawling super fast and starting to cruise and walk holding our hands.

Both girls are happy and healthy and so are we.

Date night!

Chris and I got out for a date night --and decided to go up in the helicopter. It was incredibly scenic and even cool! We flew over the Arkansas River and to Pinnacle Mountain. What a great ride!

Hot. Hot. Hot.

We can't stand the heat. It really is intolerable here in the summer, especially with a young baby. We've had very hot weather (and no rain) since the middle of May and we are very ready to move to fall, unfortunately August and so far record breaking heat (it is going to feel like 118 today, maybe 120) has only started. It is a shame that the weather makes it so difficult to enjoy the natural beauty of this state. To add insult to injury, many things don't open (pool, swimming spots at guarded lakes) until noon which means it is already close to 100 (actual or feels like, makes little difference both are) by then. People tell us it wasn't always this bad during the summers but that things are getting worse. We were warned but thought "How much worse than VA could the summers be?" The answer? Waaaay worse.

Cheerios, Crawling, Pulling Up...

Aspen is on the go! She has only been crawling for two weeks but apparently has already moved to pulling up on everything! Nap time is not so fun these days, she spends a lot of time sitting, crying, pulling up until she collapses in a heap.