Just a little bit of everyday

We are again adjusting to a new life. We are now living in Timbuktu Dinuba and are trying to figure out our lives. :) With it being pretty hot here, and living a billion miles from everything, we have had a lot of 'home' days. Here are just a few pictures of our first few weeks in our new temporary home. :) 

Daddy/daughter snuggle time :) 

my sweet girl getting so big!! 

Ryan reading to Ally

he got a new firetruck...it was his favorite for a few days. :) 

We made a tent one day...Ryan claimed himself as 'king of the castle." 

I found a 'crown,' for him...he usually doesn't have a paci except for bed, but he was having a hard day, so I let him have it while we played. :) 

trying sweet potatoes...she is not a fan of any pureed foods so far. 

just taking pictures of my sweet girl

love her so much! 

Happy 6 months Ally girl!

Our sweet Ally girl is officially 6 months! And what a month it has been! We moved from San Diego to Dinuba, she started to sit, eat a bit of rice cereal, snort, went into the church nursery for the first time and sleep in her crib for both naps and night all this month. Now that she knows how to sit, she doesn't like to be on her back or tummy...I think its because she can see her brother a lot better now. :) She is still just so so fun! She is one of the most smiley babies I have ever known and hardly ever fusses. Even when I had to wake her up this morning to go to her appt, she just opened her beautiful eyes and gave me the biggest smile.

Six months is one of my favorite stages. I love how much they are becoming their little person. Ally is so observant and loves to be around people. Which is so different than Ryan, who would get a bit overwhelmed when we were around a lot of people at a time. She is so smiley, and is finally taking longer naps. Currently, she has been sleeping for over an hour, which is always a good nap for her! :) I also love carrying around a baby. She is becoming more of a 'hip baby.' She still enjoys walking around in the ergo, but now wants to see a bit more, so enjoys it when I carry her on my hip.

Here is our month in pictures:

taking brother/sister pictures at Sea Port village during our last week in San Diego

I LOVE it when she falls asleep on me! 

my cutest accessory! 

enjoying the San Diego sun! 

ummm...having a girl to dress up is so so much fun! 

Ally attended her first birthday party: Blake Miller turns 1!!! 

This is her in mid-snort....it's the funniest and cutest thing ever! 

My sweet Aunt Patrice came and helped while we moved...I LOVE this picture of them! 

We played with our cousin Rylan 

We celebrated Oma's 81st birthday! We had her over for a breakfast celebration. We are so lucky to live down the street from her now! 

went to the Sequoia's with our good friends for Labor Day (you slept in the Ergo;)  ) 

Ally tried solids for the first time....she wasn't very excited about them! :) 

And now for the 6 month pictures: 

LOVE this smile! 

already tickling her brother :) 

"Ale ya so funny"

love 

Getting so big! 

my little thumb sucker! 

she loves that thumbs! 

Ally's 6 month stats: 

-weight: 16 lbs 15 oz (70%)

-height: 27 inches (still 96%)

-eats: every 2-3 hours still and is starting solids (has tasted rice cereal, avocado and banana) 

-sleep: still takes 2  one hour naps in the morning, a longer nap in the afternoon, and sometimes an evening nap...but she seems to be dropping that one little by little. It depends on when her afternoon nap is. She is now sleeping in her crib instead of her pack n play in our room, and started waking up every 2 hours for the past 2 weeks...not sure why..could be the change to her crib and a different house, she's teething, 6 month growth spurt...who knows! Hoping that will improve soon...momma's tired! :) 

-still LOVES to watch her big brother and wants to play so bad! 

-she also went into the nursery this month at Neighborhood church and did great! :) 

Happy 1/2 year to my sweet baby! I will miss your newborn snuggles, and being able to know you will stay in one spot...but am so looking forward to your next 6 months and all the changes that those will bring. You are one LOVED little girl and we Praise God that he has given us you. I am one thankful momma to have such a sweet 'little.' :)

another 'snort' picture ;) 

This little boy

This little boy:

If I could freeze time, I would. If I could bottle up my little 2.5 year old and keep him like this forever, I would. He is so untainted by the world. He loves so deeply (especially his momma). He wants me to lay with him and scratch his back. He wants to sit in my lap and read books. He loves to just be with me. He wants momma to get his snacks. He wants mommy to play base ball. I won't lie: it makes me feel like a super hero. I love how much he loves; how he gives hugs to complete strangers, how he believes that people are good, and that he wants people to be happy. He went around for a few weeks just saying, "momma happy, dadda happy, Ry Ry happy, Ale-ya happy."

I don't want him to get older. I don't want him to realize that the world can be bad. I don't want him to get hurt. I don't want him to be let down. I don't want others to tell him bad things. But I know that I can't shelter him forever. All I can do is pray. I pray that He would know Christ. I pray that he would know that he was made PERFECT and that he was made for a purpose. I pray that he would continue to LOVE deeply...despite let downs. I pray that he would know the perfect love of Christ and that humans are not perfect. I pray that he would know that we will love him no matter what and that our love is forever and unchanging.

So...I know that this sweet, innocent little boy cannot stay 2 and a half forever. So, for now, I treasure him. I treasure his wondering eyes, his big heart, his compassionate spirit, his BIG hugs and sweet kisses. I treasure playing trains and tractors and base ball. I love watching him put together puzzles and pretending to make me pizza. I treasure him wanting to play with Ally and roll balls to her.

Oh, how I love this boy. Thank you Jesus for loaning him to me for a while. I pray that I can be the mom that He needs me to be. Thank you creating him perfect. Thank you for being good. And thank you for allowing me to be his mommy.

My sweet boy:

It doesn't get much better than this smile!

Labor Day Fun

Well, we have officially been out of San Diego for over a week now. We are definitely still in the 'adjustment' phase and a bit of culture shock. Living in Dinuba is nothing like I have experienced before. But, that will be saved for another post. As much as we are missing our friends in San Diego, it has been great to reconnect with our friends up here. Our good friends from college called us up and asked if we wanted to go to see the Big Trees with them on Monday morning. It is only a little over an hour from us, so we gladly said yes. It was super fun! It was a beautiful day out, we got there early and walked around to see the big sequoia's and then had a picnic lunch. Ryan had fun getting to know his new friend Maddex, and Ally enjoyed napping in the Ergo. :) It was great to be with old friends and enjoying God's beautiful creations. Here are a few pics from the day:

Ryan had so much fun playing in the little house in the woods :) 

Enjoying God's creation! 

Love our Zimmermans! 

The crew: Steph is 9 months prego...such a trooper! :)

Ally woke up and of course, was as happy as ever! 

this girl exudes joy!

The nose scrunch gets me every time

Ryan and Maddex were pretty entertained by the fire hydrant :) 

Ryan is starting more pretend play. :) I asked him what he was doing and he said, "making pizza." I then of course had to sample his cooking and it was exquisite! 

Fun at the campground!