Just me and my grandpa

Stella has had fun with her grandpa this week. Although she hasn't taken a single nap in her bed and at this writing she is still awake after repeatedly putting her to bed for the last 2:30 hours. I'm feeling very frustrated 😬

Fall Fun

Stella has so many kids to play w/ in our neighborhood, she loves it! The other night after dinner she heard children laughing and playing and ran over to the window. I went over also to check out the situation. The kids in the neighborhood had built a huge pile of leaves and we're jumping in them. I couldn't resist so we went and joined the fun. 

Stellas friends

These girls have been Stella's friends since birth and it was so fun to catch up w/ them today. The girls had a blast stamping and playing mom to all sorts of things, including baby Sidney, whose 2 months old.

Meet the Mormons

Stella went to see her first movie in the theaters and it didn't go very well. First off the movie was way above her level of understanding and second I don't think she can sit for that long yet. My mom and I took turns holding her and letting her run around in the exit area. The movie though was awesome!!! I totally recommend for anyone older than 2 ;) The photo below was of us during previews. 

Cousin time

We had such a fun weekend w/ my nephews. We started the day off on Saturday at an amazing trampoline fun activity center. The photo below is of Cameron and I jousting. We started w/ the idea of best of 3 rounds and he knocked me off all rounds. He's just as tall as me now, weighs more than me, and Is stronger than me so I didn't stand a chance ;) he is so nice though he went easy on me and didn't knock me off immediately. 

Who doesn't love In N Out? An employee was walking around handing out hats and stickers and insisted we all have one.

Pool party except that Stella spent all her time in the jacuzzi.

Reno is pretty country, outdoorsy so the boys took us to one of their favorite stores to show us around. 

Road Trip

Boredom

My mom and I 

Visiting my nephews, it's been so great!

Over the River and through the woods to grandmothers house....

Hangin w/ grandpa 

Playing w/ grandpa 

My mom making a pillowcase for Stella. It so great to see my moms shoulder is so much better. 

Witchfest

The other day we attended an event where they have a little scavenger hunt for the kids.  The kids have to find all the witches throughout this whole village and fill out a paper along the way and at the end they turn it into the bakery and get a cookie. We all had fun!!

Breast cancer awareness witch

Stella and her cousin Garrett, I have no idea how he even reached that high. 

Me and my niece Chloe, she's the only one that seems to fit perfectly. 

Pumpkin patch part 2

Love these white pumpkins and the little pumpkin on the tail gate.

They had a few small animals, including a kangaroo, that you could look at and attempt to feed. Poor Stella tried to feed that ear of corn to just about every animal in the zoo and nobody wanted it.

So instead of a sand box they had a corn box. A huge box filled w/ kernels of corn. It was the coolest thing and Stella loved it. She was crawling around and then laid down and a little girl came up to her and started to burry her and she let her, Jorge and I were dying because we were so surprised that she went for it. 

The pumpkin patch

Last weekend we went to the pumpkin patch w/ our friends and had a blast. Stella was so adventurous and wanted to do everything, she is getting so mature ;) first she climbed big bales of hay and went down a ginormous covered slide all by herself.

At the end of the slide and sporting her cute new winter boots.

Family selfie on a tractor ride

She went through a kiddie maze all by herself (w/ a little coaching from the sidelines by Jorge) the best part was that she never got frustrated she was calm and enjoying the experience. 

Stella's last parent & me class

Jorge was able to attend her last class and get in w/ her. He loved it!! Its so fun to see your child progressing, growing and learning. 

We stayed and played after the lesson

Lexi's 1st Birthday

Ok so Jorge and I formed a new rule for ourselves, no cell phones in bed when the other person is there and awake and I always used to blog in bed  so hence my blogging has been a bit sporadic. Right now I'm sitting in the car while it's running in the parking lot at our apt because Stella is asleep and is so over tired and doesn't transfer well. This is the perfect time to blog. These are pictures from Stella's cousin Lexis birthday, she turned one this week.

Loving her strawberry/ chocolate cake

Stella and Garrett (other cousin) Stella really enjoyed the cake too ;)

We had the best weekend. I want to post every picture and tell you every detail but It probably wouldn't all fit. We started a new tradition though on Saturday where we all work in the morning to clean the house. It was AMAZING! It was nice to have help and we were to accomplish a lot. We cranked up our favorite music and had fun working together.

BYU Safety Fair

Jorge and Stella took an interesting ;) tour of a police car. The back seat of that police car is actually split almost down the middle with a glass separator and the seat itself is plastic, a really hard plastic. I learned something new at the safety fair.

Smokey the Bear... I felt like I was a kid again. Only you can prevent forest fires! (Can't you just hear him saying that) 

Inside the smoke house, the fireman talk to the kiddos about how fires start, what to do if one starts in your home and the importance of having a plan as a family.... Good reminders!

Cousin time

Chloe is tracing around me w/ chalk.

Family Scripture Study

In Ecuador we were challenged by our church leaders to read the scriptures as a family for 15minutes each day. We had been reading roughly a verse or two a day w/ Stella as our family study prior to this challenge. But because Stella is so young and there is no way we could keep her focused on scriptures for 15 minutes a day Jorge and I decided we would keep reading to Stella a couple verses of scripture a day and that we would read as a couple for 15minutes. Tonight at the end of our study I snapped this picture because I just felt so much love in my heart for Jorge and this 15 minutes we spend together a day. This little snippit of time I have come to cherish (I need to say that not every time is perfect, sometimes we are so tired) Jorge's time is SO limited these days that this is time where we are able to reconnect and is almost as if because we are being obedient and reading the word of God that as our hearts turn to Him they are also knit together in love for each other. I know it might sound cheesy but it happens night after night. There is so much power in reading the scriptures as a couple.