Tub Time

No, No sissy! Notice Cora's expression

I think you need some water!

holding sissy

Cora 11 months

I realized the other day that I haven't posted anything on Cora at 11 months, so here goes.
Cora, (I believe is in an all fire hurry to grow up!) has 6 teeth, is walking more and more each day, she doesn't want to eat baby puree anymore, just big people food thank you! She has a smile that can brighten any room (especially when she crinkles her nose). She loves to do anything with her big sister(even get into trouble). She loves giving loves to daddy and mommy. She dances with any music we have playing and she loves to be outside. Her favorite sound to make is growling like a bear. It's adorable to watch her pet the bear and wolf hide. While she's petting them she'll bury her face into the soft fur and coos. I just love my little Cora.

Birthday Camping Trip

On Monday after our trip with the family, Lucas and I went on our own little camping trip. Mom and Dad Swanson watched the girlies so we could have a little time together.

Lucas took me up to the 500 road which is part of the Historic Lolo Trail that the Nez Perce Indians used. Lewis and Clark traveled the road as well. The pictures above was where we rode the ATV to, which was 10.5 miles from where we camped and the lakes below Indian Post Office. We watched a Mule Deer Buck for a while and just enjoyed God's amazing creation and thanking God for the opportunity to enjoy and live here (we were 21 miles from home, but it takes around an hour to get to where we were camping at Cayuse Creek). one of the mountains that we rode past on the ATV

Idaho camping at it's finest! ~ truck, ATV, tent, beer, hot dogs on a stick and fire (which we forgot our axe or paper to start it with so we used a bunch of twigs and died pine needles and the cardboard carrier from our beer) and boy did we have a blaze!

Cayuse Creek was running right beside us

We just sat here for a while listening to the creek and looking at the flowers and throwing rocks. But most of all enjoying each other.

here are the flowers we were looking at

Isn't God Awesome?!

We had 6 Mule does and 1 White Tail doe and a Mule buck walking, eating, grunting, kicking at each other and just hanging around us.

This buck was crazy! He loved our coconut marshmallows (which he ate a couple of)!

He kept licking our cooler and water jug and plates, it was crazy!

Something that doesn't happen at most birthday parties!!

Today (my actual birthday) I woke up thinking, man, I'm 31 and it kind-of bothered me about how old I am getting, but then my wonderful husband wrote me such a kind letter and said, "that it is another year that we have been together and a year closer to a full reunion and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ", which put everything into prospective. It's not the age, it's living my life in light of eternity! And all the wonderful blessings in my life, my husband who loves me and takes care of me, my adorable daughters, family and church that loves and worships God. I'm praying this next year and throughout the rest of my life, that I'll live in light of eternity and what Christ did on the cross for His bride.

I also want to say,

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOM AND DAD, I LOVE YOU BOTH SO MUCH!

Swanson Camping Trip

This past week we went camping with the Swanson Family. We had a lot of fun. It was the first time our girls have been camping and they really had a blast. We were camped about 9 miles from our house which was a big blessing and the whole family was here, all except Nola who's still in Louisiana.

Here Audrey and Zach are having fun throwing rocks.

Cora fell asleep on the way back from the warm springs. Audrey wasn't to sure about it at first, but then she started throwing rocks in the water and watched the little fish swimming in the pool and had a blast. Cora on the other hand, is definitely our water baby. She had so much fun! She wore herself out.

waking up from a nap and feeling much better and happier.

the mountain ridge above Walton Lakes, which the brothers as well as Owen ( a neighbor friend of mom and dad who came camping with us) hiked up.

the bros

boys and their guns.

fishing in the creek right behind our tent, with a stick

pointing that she threw her fishing rod

They all surprised me with a little birthday party, with gifts and cheesecake with Chukar Cherries. Everyone was so thoughtful! What a surprise!

the last morning and Audrey is very dirty, but she was having a blast.

Gama, Cora and Klara

Cora really enjoy her pancake

All in all we had a great time, swimming in the Lochsa river, enjoying the warm springs, the guys did a lot of fishing, good times around the campfire roasting marshmallows and making S'mores, laughing, raining and hailing on us (no really. it really did hail on us the size of large marbles and they hurt!) We didn't get a lot of sleep, but it was worth it.

Daddy Time

Playing with Daddy's wolf hide which the girls really enjoy petting.

Look at that smile!

The girls' favorite time of day is when Lucas comes home from work and they all play together.

loving on Daddy

dancing with Daddy, by way of the shorts

It was so funny watching Audrey hanging on to Lucas' shorts, while he was holding Cora.

Favorite Summer Dinner

Last night we had one of my favorite summer dinners. Strawberries with sour cream and brown sugar (so yummy!!!)

Corn on the cob
Audrey loves to eat corn on the cob. I love to watch her eat it!

Elk steaks with a garlic marinade

A favorite with everyone in the family.

Audrey is so cute when we're eating one of the animals that Lucas has shot, she'll keep on say daddy elk or daddy oose (moose) or daddy dee (deer). She will then go through the whole family asking if, mommy, daddy, sissy and ban doggy (Bandit) has killed it.

Today she was looking at Lucas' bear on the wall and she started growling like a bear, I then asked her if she was going to shot a bear when she gets older, "YEP" was what she told me, there was no hesitation with her. A girl after daddy's heart.

Family Outing

Today the four of us took a hike into the Walton Lakes. We had such a great time fishing (I actually caught one on the fly rod), we ate lunch, then hiked back out. It's about 1.5 miles down to the lake and about 8 miles from our house. We had such a wonderful family day away from the house.

Lucas fly fishing

Throwing rocks, lots of fun

helping daddy fish

Cora enjoying playing in the dirt

some of the beautiful flowers we saw

Audrey running around on the giant rocks

Audrey, Daddy and Bandit

cheesy smile from Cora

I just love the hat

Our little mountain girl! She had so much fun climbing the rocks

Daddy and Audrey eating lunch

Our hike out

what we saw on our way in and out

when we got to the top of the mountain Audrey walked the last few hundred yards and this is how she walked a lot of the way! What a goof!

right at the top Cora kept trying to grab the fishing pole, look at that smile on her face.

Cora as kept taking my hair out of a ponytail and trying to grab my earrings. Silly, Silly girl.