Loving This Stuff-9-12 Months

Cruz has played with the same toys for a while now and his interest in new things is just starting to surface. Here are some things he's loving right now and some things I'm loving right now for him:

Balls- ANY and EVERY kind!

Chubbies- Weird name, I realize, but Cruz LOVES these. You can get a bucket of 15 or 30 (or more, I think) and they are completely indestructible and dishwasher safe! There are cars, trucks, planes, helicopters, tractors, etc.

Push Toy- Since Cruz still isn't walking, these make really good practice for him. He is getting more and more confident each day and I really think having this toy is helping with that.

Blocks- Instead of just destroying things all the time, Cruz is finally starting to "put things together". Well, it's not like he can build a castle with blocks, but he's starting to organize more and likes to put things where they go. This bag of blocks I found at target and they're finally being used for something other than just testing out his arm strength.

Leapfrog Talking Tad- We have had this toy for quite a while but he's finally starting to show interest in it. He now pushes the hands and feet and waits for the songs to come on. He LOVES the song, "if you're happy and you know it...".

Self-feed Pouches- Cruz has begun refusing the spoon, so when I'm in a hurry I need a quick go-to meal for the little guy since it takes a while for him to feed himself an entire meal. These are AMAZING! They come in a variety of fruit and vegetables and there are a few different brands with the same concept. Cruz can hold it and feed it to himself which makes him feel really cool:).

Pre-Toddler Wise- I am definitely one who likes to plan and be prepared. So, I have been reading up on what the coming months are going to bring {12-18 months to be exact}. I have lived off of Babywise and Babywise II for the last 11 months, so I figured I might as well keep the ball rolling. I love the principles behind Baby Wise and know that I will continue to love the principles they teach in all of their other -Wise books.

Dear Cruz,

I felt like this was too amazing not to share with you. It's a quote from Graham Cooke:

"Everything that God is doing in our lives is intentionally relational. To walk with Him, therefore, we must also be intentionally relational- with Him and with others. God, in His wisdom, allows what He could easily prevent by His power. In everything, He is constant and in charge: sometimes He leads us into situations that are brilliant, and other times, He leads us into things that are difficult. But God's commitment to us never wavers. Every situation in life is about God wanting to give Himself to us. Right now, our lives could be good, bad, or ugly, but we can be joyful knowing that God has designed our current circumstances to enable us to see a part of Him that we couldn't see at any other time.... We must see what Jesus wants to be for us in every situation."

We have all experienced and will experience difficult circumstances. God doesn't put us there to make us suffer. He is calling us higher to, instead of asking the "why me" question, turn to Jesus and see what He wants to be for us in that situation. He'll meet you right where you are and He'll lift you out, bring you joy, bring you peace, and deliver you from your hurt if you ask Him. My prayer for you is you wouldn't focus on your circumstances but you'd focus on your relationships, both with God and the people around you... that you wouldn't be defined by your circumstances but defined by your relationship with Christ and those around you. Focus on who Jesus wants to be for you right where you are and rejoice that He is constantly wanting to reveal more of Himself to you in every situation you encounter! Love you, Bubba!

11 Months!

My big boy is 11 months old! I can hardly believe how fast time is going {yes, I know I say this every month:)}. Although this month was tough {refusing naps, LOTS of crying/whining, and very clingy}, he has developed so much in such a short time. He is a HAM to the max. It's funny because around Chase and I, he isn't overly outgoing, but as soon as he gets an audience he is all about being the center of attention. He points at EVERYONE he sees, waves non-stop, loves when people laugh at him because it makes him laugh, he thinks he's hilarious {so much for being humble:)}, and is literally obsessed with "ba" {balls}. I count this as his first word since "da-da" and "ma-ma" are a given. I'm not exaggerating when I say he's obsessed. You give him a baby-safe room and a ball and he'll stay in there for hours completely entertained. He can now make cow, lion, dog, and gator noises when we ask him. He loves looking up at lights, looking outside at the "green trees" and the "blue sky", and looking at any kind of pictures on a wall. He said "bye bye da da" for the first time 2 weeks ago when Chase left for work in the morning. He loves taking drinks from big boy cups and water bottles, only with our help of course. He isn't walking yet and hardly stands on his own unless he has a ball in his hand {no joke}. I'm counting my blessings because this kid is going to start RUNNING not walking. I honestly haven't met a baby more busy than this kid. He never, and I mean never, stops. A 12 hour travel day will put that right into perspective:). I can't wait to celebrate this boy's 1st birthday next month! Can't believe it! Here are some pictures of the little booger:

Gozzer Ranch {favorite place on earth!}

I was so excited when I found out I would be spending my 26th birthday in C'oeur d'Alene, Idaho! I know, it doesn't sound that cool but this place is by far my favorite place in the world:). For those who don't know, C'oeur d'Alene is a lake in northern Idaho. Mike and Sharon own property at a development called Gozzer Ranch Golf and Lake Club. There's a really fun golf course on property, a big red barn with a ton of kids activities {they have day camps, paintball, field day, a softball field, bikes, video games, bball court, tennis court, ping pong, etc}, a pool, a marina, a bay where you can do paddle boarding, kayaking, hop on an outrigger {a 6-man if you dare}, go down a water slide, they have a wake boarding boat that you can rent, and a ton of families with little kids. It's a total family atmosphere 24/7 set in one of the most scenic places I've ever been and I think that's why I love it so much:). Cruz is still a little young for any of the activities, so his main outings were to the pool and he loved it! He also loved playing with any and every kind of ball out on the lawn by the pool. He had a blast! We had a family friend come with to do some babysitting so we actually had a break {AMAZING}. We went paddle boarding, laid by the pool, and played a lot of golf, which was really fun. Our friend/babysitter, Brittany, was incredible and Cruz really fell in love with her over our 10 day stay. He's sure gonna miss his "B". Here are some pictures from our trip:

Goodbye, Gozzer Ranch!