Motherhood: An Eternal Partnership with God

Happy 4th of July!

Bella's 1st Birthday!

My sweetest Bella,

You turned 1 yesterday, and it was such a fun and memorable day. I kept thinking all day long about how only one year ago I was laying in a hospital bed, anticipating your arrival and wondering what you would be like. That was such a sweet day for me, brimming with tender, loving emotions. I felt such peace as I lay there waiting for you. Everything went so smoothly, your arrival almost perfect in every way, so reflective of your character and who you are. You came out tight fisted and crying, angry at being yanked from your comfortable home. I remember seeing your dark curly hair, your pink chubby body and being giddy with happiness. It always surprises me how much love a mother can feel for her child at that first moment of meeting. I cradled you close to my breast and sang to you and just stared at your perfect face probably for hours. How can someone so imperfect create such a perfect miracle? You are mine, and always will be.

I look at you now, a whole year old, and I can't help but smile in adoration. My love grows for you every day. You are my little love bug! You love smooching me, and I mean smoooooching, and I can't get enough of it. Your hugs fill me with warm bubbles of joy. I love it when I pick you up after you wake up from a nap and you lay your head down on my shoulder and pat my back, like "thanks mom. I knew I could count on you. I missed you too." Or when you think you did something funny, you open your mouth wide and crinkle your nose and give the cutest little laugh. You love to sing and dance, to play with your brother, to cuddle and hug, and you love hugging and laying all over Marley and Loui. I don't think they mind too much, either. You are already trying to talk, saying "momma" and "daddy," and even though I can't understand too many other of your words yet, you are excellent at communicating your wants through your body language and facial expressions and your ever famous pointing finger. You are my girly girl, through and through! You love trying on shoes already, playing with momma's brushes as you comb your hair, and its so funny to watch you try and dress yourself! You make us all so happy, and we are truly blessed to have such a beautiful and wonderful daughter and sister in our lives. I look forward to every day with you and can't wait to see what you have in store for us tomorrow.

I love you my Bella Rose! Happy Birthday!

The beautiful Birthday Girl

Some of the Friends and Family

If you can't get the face, ya gotta get the toes!

My

The cake!

The presents!

It was a wonderful day! Thank you to all who made it such!

Camping on the Beach - June 2010

We took our annual trip a couple a weeks ago and went camping on the beach again. It was wonderful! We normally go up above Santa Barbara, but decided to try a place lower this year near San Diego, and I am so glad we did! Not only was it a shorter drive (thank goodness! 6 hours of screaming Bella was just about all we all could handle!) but it was warmer. We loved it and had so much fun. We got there Monday night, set up camp and ate dinner, then went to bed. Tuesday through Thursday we just relaxed and spent most of every day on the beach. Braxton and Bella were both afraid of the waves (might have had something to do with the fact that B-rax was knocked over by a big one Tuesday morn when we went down before breakfast to take a look - fully clothed and all) so they spent most of their time in the sand. It was heaven to them. Bella ate a healthy dose of it as well, but a little sand never hurt anyone, right? Thats what I had to keep telling myself... Here are some pics of the first few days.

Nathan and Becca came with us, along with Landon, our cousin, and Robert, Becca's younger bro. It was so nice having family to spend time with and to enjoy the fun. Above is Nathan and a very buried Robert. It took some time to get him out of that one!

B-rax couldn't be left out, of course. This kid was so fun to watch. He made friends with every child on the beach and would have spent all day every day playing in the sand.

Daddy and son, enjoying the waves.

Little Miss Princess

I love this picture. I think it captures his personality, as well as his spirit. He is throwing sand into the ocean, or trying to. He is such an adventurer and loves playing and exploring and being apart of everything.

His favorite sand tool - his cousin Audin's shovel. Audin was a good sport about it and let him play with it alot.

Wednesday we took a trip down to the pier and walked along it, then played on the swings on the public beach for awhile. The kids loved that! It was so beautiful there.

At the campsite at night. The kids all love aunt Becca!!

Awwwww....kissing cousins!!

I love this picture of Bella!! She is growing up so fast... My little lady.

By the third day we got B-rax to go into the waves, as long as daddy or mommy was holding him or his hand. He loved it after that!

Friday morning we took a stroll to the look out to see our beach one more time and say goodbye. We have some wonderful memories there!

Then, off to Sea World!! We were there from about 11:00 to 5:00, spent most of the time in the children's play land, Sesame Street Bay of Play, then packed up and headed home. It was a long week and a long day, but we had so much fun and made lots of good memories.

Until next year!!

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