10 Months!

Elle is 10 months old and as you can tell by her pictures very active. Since her 9th month she as learned how to climb and has become obsessed with standing! I have apparently become quite lazy on my photo taking as we are lacking  a lot of photos for this month. Here is the best of what I have.

She was much more interested in the pumpkins than me. 

Very happy to be climbing now. 

This is the only picture I have of our visit to Austin. This one perfectly captures how thrilled Elle is to be with W and Annie. 

Sam spent the month of September in San Angelo on a trauma rotation. Here is one of our many text photos we sent to Sam. Elle is holding her Dall Sheep given by Papa and Ah to think of Sam when he is away for a while. 

We were able to take a few days to go and visit him. These two are pleased as punch to be reunited. 

Elle really enjoyed exploring the apartment in San Angelo. As you can see her she is very proud of herself for climbing over the bars. 

If she could only figure out how she got in...

An active 10th month it was. We are SO glad to has Sam back home!

9 Months!

Elle has 9 months! This was a big month for Elle as she started crawling within the first week of her 9th month. She is so happy to be scuttling around the house at her own free will. The only problem is that if she happens to slip and fall to her tummy she cannot get back up. She is like a turtle flipped over on it's shell. She has to wine until one of us can assist her back to her knees. This really cracks us up. We have captured some of our favorite moments below. 

The happy crawler. 

One of her favorite places. One day she will be very helpful in the kitchen ;).

We were finally able to get all 6 cousins together. Aren't they hilarious? It was like herding cats to get these pictures taken. Charlie is obviously ready for the pics as he is in perfect pose, Ford is attentively taking posing cues from his big brother. Both Evie and Elle and wondering what in the world Annie could be so upset about, and Walter looks stunned, what in the world is one to do with a crying baby?!

Have you ever seen happier grandparents?

A great month indeed!

8 Months!

Since we were on the road we thought would would just chronicle Elle's 8th month with our vacation pictures. At this stage Elle is still not crawling however she does have a very effective pivot! She spins in cirlces in order to change her vantage point or scoot closer to her desired location inch by inch. She looks like a dog chasing it's tail or a beetle bug turning circles trying to get up right. This is one of our favorite "tricks" she does. We thought she cut a tooth on this trip but it must have been a mirage, she still has only gums. Just as every other month she has completely enhanced our lives!

Here we are in El Paso, Texas buying groceries for our camping trip. 

Elle and Sam at H & H Car Wash. Contrary to the name they serve  up some pretty mean mexican food. 

Elle on one of her many gondola rides in Telluride.

The Kirkendall's at the Pockrandt's in Red River, New Mexico. 

 A little more exposed than the gondola. Here is the pair on one of Red River's ski lifts. 

Elle and Sam at our second campsite on the way home. Although we gave it a good effort we did not make it through the night. We checked into a mountain lodge around midnight. It was too cold for little's and we just didn't have the proper gear to keep her warm. Worth the try nonetheless!

A great 8th month indeed!

Vacation - Telluride!

Not too long before sunset we arrived in Telluride. After a delicious home cooked dinner Ali, Sam, and I walked to see the super moon. We were very impressed, until we found out 2 days later that the super moon was actually the second night after our arrival. ;)

Papa and Elle were the early birds. I am not sure Elle got the worm but she sure enjoyed Papa's undivided  attention. 

Telluride had quite the public library. We enjoyed a late morning there with the family. 

The beloved gondolas!! As you can imagine the cousins LOVED riding the gondolas to town. 

We didn't want the kids to have all of the fun so Sam and I took off on an adventure of our own. We secretly bought helmets so not to worry Ah and researched the trail to lead us up our first "14er". We summated Wilson Peak, 14,016. This is one of my most favorite adventures. I started out the week doubting my ability but each step I took on the trail I gained ease of step and confidence. I am so grateful that I was able to complete this challenge mostly due to Sam's enthusiasm, smarts, and encouragement. 

Here is the monster. 

Back to the library... not really I just couldn't move the picture up with out distorting all my work - perfection is the enemy of done! Here Elle and I sit in a chair I found charming but others seemed to find creepy. ;)

A natural rock climber.

These two, they really love each other. 

Cuteness.

I really enjoyed taking Elle on our high altitude hikes! She did great. 

The beauty of the Telluride Valley is indescribable and of course this picture does not do it justice.

The early birds still after that worm.

Good food!!

It was so fun for Sam to get extended time with the Burri clan.

This was my first trip to Telluride and I was completely enchanted by it's beauty. What a priceless vacation we had, we are so grateful for our time with our family!

Vacation - New Mexico!

I recently read that "perfection is the enemy of done". That is my motivation to get this blog up to date. Not that I am really striving for perfection. Maybe in my case it is that distraction is the enemy of done. Either way this needs to get done!

We left Fort Davis en route for Red River to visit one of my very best friends Becca Pockrandt and her husband Ronnie. We planned an overnight camping trip in New Mexico near Alamogordo. 

Here are Sam and Elle at the Three Rivers Trailhead were we camped. Aren't I lucky to call these two my family?

We put Elle to bed at 7:30 and waited for the storm to hit. The perfect ending to the day. Elle did very well camping for her first time. 

Dinner ;)

This was the condition of the road leading OUT of the campsite. We were unsure our little Elantra could make and I was beginning to panic. Even though Elle did great camping I was ready to get back to civilization after one night! Luckily the car did great. Sam floored it with Elle in the back and me behind the care ready to push. Elle let out a hoop and holler as Sam took off. They are quite the duo. 

Just beyond the road crossing is one of New Mexicos riches collections of petroglyphs. Just as we began our hike through ancient drawings we saw this Lizzard warming. 

We were really amazed and grateful to see these works of art. Since there is so little accent artifacts in U.S. and the West that I become completely enchanted by very old things. 

This foot is so narrow, I think it could be a foreshowing of Ell's adult shoe size!

Somehow we magically arrived in Red River. Every morning we took Elle for a walk to see the ducks. As you can see she thought she was a very special guest. 

The only thing I asked Becca was that she bake cookies for us - she is an excellent cook and baker. Elle loved "helping" her. 

Everywhere Sam and I went people would dote over Elle UNLESS we had Becca and Ronnie's dog with us. Then everyone would beeline to him and begin to dote. Elle could care less but Sam and were dismayed!

Here is an action shot of one of our many hiking adventures. 

The all too important snack break. Where would we be without those pouches!

We were trying to get a nice portrait of Elle with her wildflower...

After many  great meals, games, hikes, and general fun times we hit the road again to meet Ah, Papa,  Aunt Katie, Uncle Clint, Charlie, Evie and Ford in Telluride!