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!

HOME {San Diego}

We had such a fun trip filled with lots of quality time with family and friends. We came in for our good friends' wedding {the Kurns!} and then spent the rest of the week just enjoying being home. Since we don't have family or a group of friends in Atlanta, it was great to be able to spend so much time in relationship with the people we missed so much. Every day was packed to the brim with visitors, lunches, dinners, etc and I wouldn't have it any other way. We spent a lot of time out by Gamy and Jefe's pool when it was sunny out. Cruz loved splashing in his little tube and didn't mind being dunked a few times. We ate a ton, didn't work out at all, and actually got to go out at night which was so much fun! The one negative about visiting home is it's hard to fit everyone in, especially with a kid whose nap and bed times are very important {!}, so I'm sorry if we didn't see you!

Here are a few pictures from our trip home:)

Farmlinks {Sylacauga, Alabama}

Why on earth did you go to Sylacauga, Alabama?

{farmlinks.org}

The funny thing is I have been asking Chase to have a little getaway weekend road trip for the past couple months and we've kept putting it off. Last week a buddy of his at work said he had a hook up to a great golf course/retreat center in Alabama. Chase can't say no to golf, so we packed up the Q and headed to the absolute middle of nowhere. On the way in, we stopped at a Piggly Wiggly to get some groceries-A PIGGLY WIGGLY PEOPLE! I honestly didn't know those things existed! When we walked in, it seemed like every person in the store stopped what they were doing to look our way. It's like we were aliens or something! I have never felt so out of place and I lived in Hong Kong for 7 months, so that should give you a little idea:)

When we arrived, I was completely surprised at how beautiful it was. Lush green trees, rolling hills, 3,500 acres of farmland with an 18-hole golf course, and incredible lodging {4 bedroom individual cottages}. The place is family owned by the Purcell's, who we got to meet. Their house was probably on 50+ acres and exactly what you'd think a southern farmhouse would be like--big, cozy, and lots of sweet tea on the counter for their guests:). They have 6 kids, horses, dogs, a pond, long horned cattle, and were some of the most hospitable people I've ever met. It was my first taste of real southern hospitality and I loved it!

Unfortunately, we didn't take that many pictures since there was no one around to take any:) Here are a few {mostly of Cruz, obviously:)}"

Loving This Stuff-8 Months

Cruz has changed a ton this past month and is into everything under the sun. He beelines to electrical sockets, cords, the oven, the floor vents, and pretty much everything else he isn't supposed to touch for safety reasons. Chase and I have decided to somewhat baby-proof the house for safety, but more importantly we are trying to "house-proof "Cruz so when he goes out into the world (non-baby-proofed places) he isn't destroying other people's stuff:). Here are some things that I am LOVING for this stage--the stage of constant curiosity and movement!

Electrical Outlet Covers (obvious, but essential!)

Baby Gates- We have a playroom that we have blocked off with baby gates. We also have 2 flights of stairs in our house so this is pretty important, especially since he has a walker.

Padded Mat-We have had this for a while but it has just started to become important. We have wood floors throughout the entire main level and the kid bonks his head at least 10 times a day. When he is playing on his mat it doesn't seem to hurt his as bad:).

Push Toy- I think this is going to really help him with walking. He can't quite do it on his own yet but he's getting there. He can pull himself up and I just have to hold the toy to make sure he doesn't face plant if it slides forward too quickly. I think it has helped him develop more coordination, stability, and confidence (he LOVES when he is getting praise for taking steps!).

Blocks- He likes to bang these together, throw them across the room, bite them, and he likes when I stack them up and he gets to knock them over. Typical boy!

Tom's Toothpaste with Gum Brush- Ok, I know a lot of people don't brush their babies teeth with toothpaste but I have to. He has 5 (almost 6) teeth and is eating a lot of solids and I think it's important to get him used to the idea of brushing twice a day. I don't put a ton of toothpaste on but this particular one is safe for babies as young as 6 months old so I'm going for it! He loves the gum brush that comes with it better than his baby toothbrush so we've been using that. I got mine at Whole Foods.

Finger Foods- He is getting so good at eating finger foods and I LOVE it. I am almost done with feeding him purees because it's just too messy and he likes to feed himself anyway. I am lucky because he is a great eater, so I don't have to worry about him not eating enough if I give him food to eat on his own. Here are some of the finger foods he's been eating (all in very small pieces of course): watermelon, honeydew melon, banana, mango, ground turkey, ground chicken, apple, pears, puffs, sweet potato, broccoli, and cauliflower. He has tried pretty much everything in puree form but these are the finger foods we've introduced him to recently.

Zeke- Cruz absolutely loves his "doggy". He climbs all over him, pulls his hair, gives him kisses, and laughs hysterically at Zeke when he's in the back of our car panting right over Cruz's carseat. The feeling is definitely mutual despite Zeke getting attacked with Cruz's death grip and drool:).

Curiosity-Everyone said once they go mobile your life gets a lot harder. For some reason, I like this stage. I like seeing the curiosity and I'm just really glad he isn't frustrated that he can't move anymore (he was REALLY fussy for a while right before he started crawling). He loves to discover new things, figure out how things work, and he still likes to look at things from ALL angles before deciding if he likes it or not. Cruz is very very inquisitive and is getting more so the older he gets. He is also loving to climb and stand every chance he gets. If we are on the floor with him we are human jungle gyms. If we are standing up he is pulling himself up to stand on our legs. He is moving a ton and loving this new freedom!

Talking/Understanding- Unfortunately, I haven't really taught him signs. I wanted to in the beginning but I just wasn't consistent enough. Although, he can't sign or talk, he is much more vocal at this stage than any other. He understands a lot of what we say to him {i.e. "are you hungry?", "would you like some juice?", "would you like some more?", "could you hold this for me, please?" "are you ready for night nights?"}. He still says da-da and mama and plays peek-a-boo. He likes to hide under a blanket or shirt and then we say, "where's Cruz?". When he lifts the blanket off we yell, "peek-a-boo", and he goes crazy for it! The game would last all day if we let it:)

Loving This Stuff- For Mama

the microdelivery exfoliating wash by philosophy:

{I am LOVING this because it's gentle enough to use every day and gets rid of all my dead skin. I am left with really soft skin that feels clean and isn't dried out. Yes please.}

DDF {doctors dermatologic formula} Benzoyl Peroxide Gel:

{Perfect for monthly breakouts and isn't too drying. Pimples are gone after 1 day. Promise.}

Bare Escentuals Mineral Powder in Summer Bisque:

{LOVE the dewy look I get from this stuff!}

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