Happy Halloween!

Bella was a butterfly this year and she enjoyed trick or treating around our neighborhood. She has been practicing saying "trick or treat" for quite a while and she was perfect tonight! Here are a few shots to show her first Halloween out and about.

She is the cutest bug in the world!

Bella has started going to a pre-school two days a week. We are getting her ready for when I return to work......which should be this month! I have accepted a position at the local hospital so i will be starting there and working PRN (as needed) for their PT staff. I am really looking forward to the change and I think Bella is happy about her time at school. These are some shots of the first week, seems happy to me! Thanks Grandma for the backpack.........it is the cutest in the school!!!

John is finally back with us after about four and a half months of being apart. We are all excited to make up for lost time! We have been spending a lot of time up in Cloudcroft for the fall colors and cooler weather (we are still in the 80s daily). These are a few of the pictures we were lucky to have Bella sitting for! Cannot stop this girl when she is on a hike!!

Bella and I were fortunate enough to have some time up in Albuquerque with family the weekend before John came home. The annual Balloon Fiesta was taking place as well as some celebrating for Bella and Yohannes' Birthdays! Bella and Yohannes are beyond awesome together and it is so rewarding to see them growing and changing together. Yohannes is a train man, so the cake was a special treat from Grandma! HUGE HIT with both of them!!!

Bella never misses an opportunity to say "cheeseeeeee"!

Bella's first ice cream cone...just what summer should be.

We were lucky enough to spend a couple of weeks in Montana this summer. Bella had her first official trip to Glacier National Park, one of the greatest places in America!

Bella thought that the Mr. Potato Head glasses were a perfect fit, I did not have the heart to correct her.
What good is being a toddler if you cannot get dirty!?

Bella is starting to learn that you say "cheese" when you have your picture taken, this is the resulting image.......I love it!

We, the ladies of the house, decided to go for a hike the other day to pass the morning. Koda continues to be outstanding with Bella and will not let her out of her sight. Koda is protective, even out in the woods.........but I do not mind one bit. Bella has started to enjoy "hiking" even though we do not really cover any ground before she is tired and ready for a change of scenery. Still, it is nice to escape the ordinary and the heat with a trip to Cloudcroft.

I do not even know what to say about this one. Too cute!

We went to DC for a wedding of some great friends. Bella was out on the dance floor looking for everyone to join her. Of course she had to show off her twirling ability to all............what else is a girl to do?

I told her this could be her future house if she wanted it to be (which only made her want to see it more and really get a good feel for it).......hard to imagine what your children will do.

HAPPY EASTER

Bella and Cole, he was also in the blog earlier and has changed quite a bit since then, enjoyed a "couples" wagon ride while we were at the Squadron Easter Party. Bella is in love with any wagon she sees so this was the perfect way to pass the afternoon. She did not really get into the "hunting" for eggs. She found that the first egg she picked up had candy and the rest was all about getting the candy out of the wrapper and into her mouth as quickly as possible. Needless to say she did not have the highest egg count at the end of the "hunt". I was telling people she was "smelling the roses" and we should all follow her lead........right!?

Relaxing on the swing at the end of the day, by far her favorite place on any playground!

We were invited to dye Easter Eggs at the Luczynski's house this past weekend. Bella loved every minute of it and learned from the Masters, Anna and Sara. She was also rewarded with a cookie while she waited for her eggs. Can't get better than that!

After taking her first eggs out Bella immediately dropped it back into the dye.........this of course got big laughs from all of us and she thought it was a good idea, oops!

She was very good about not touching the eggs while they were in the dye, waiting until I said she could "help mom take the egg out", it was a miracle.

Anna and Sara showed Bella how different color combinations made the possibilities endless!

We were lucky enough to have a visit from Sara, Brian and Yohanes (our favorite little man!). We were able to celebrate Yohanes' adoption day, too exciting!, and make a couple of trips to White Sands National Monument. The kids enjoyed the sand and practicing their running, as it is, up and down hills. Koda loved it too but we were not able to get pictures of that one, next time!