Snow Day

Emery enjoyed her first real trip to the snow (we took a trip to Calvin Crest when she was 3 months old and it was snowing). We went with my Dad and the Nickells in two cars.

 She seemed to like it and even went on a couple short sled rides.

I ended up leaving earlier than everyone else with my dad and Emery because she had only taken a very short nap and was seeming to be coming down with a cold. The rest stayed and had a blast for a couple more hours. I left my camera in the car so if you want more pictures check out Heather's wonderful post here.

A Couple Hikes

Back in February we went on some hikes at the nearby preserves.

The Nickells came along with us at The Kaweah Oaks Preserve.

 

The boys.

Cousins

Emery is very brave and likes doing whatever she sees her cousins doing. Naturally she had to walk across this log because the Nickell kids were.

 

Sweet little girl cousins.

Our little hiker.



We also went to the Dry Creek Preserve as just our little family.

 
 

Emery spotted a lady bug. She is very observant and surprises us by the things she sees and notices.

It started sprinkling a bit so we ended our trip with lunch in the car.

18 and 19 Months

I missed posting about Emery's 18 months so this is combined 18 and 19 months. She loves coloring, cousins, Tulip the dog, hide and seek, puzzles, things with wheels (strollers, toy cars, etc.), snuggling, being silly, playing outside, trains, trying to dress herself, spinach quiche (made by Grandma), riding us like a horse, playing under blankets, babies, and many other things. Her attitude is still devoloping despite what most people think of her she's not always a sweet little girl who always does what she's supposed to! Emery's vocabulary is starting to explode! Ready for the list of her new words?... Zebra, go, toot, Sarah, push, milk, off, good girl, good, job, ribbit, water, meow, bowl, binki, blanket, pretty please, no, mine, grandma, butter, Tuli (the dog's name), Harlow, Evan, Micah, Natalie, banana, peach, shoe, sock, oh no, dirty, pizza, neigh, toy, out, green, pretty, love you, ride, knee, hot, rock, dirt, Jamie, eat, more, and stick.

Snuggling under blankets with best friend Harlow.

Coloring at Harlow's house.

Bath time!

Valentine's Day

Emery and I enjoyed some pink heart shaped pancakes for breakfast on Valentine's Day. Heather makes these for her kids every V-day so I figured I better start the tradition too! I'm glad I'll have a little practice before Emery becomes too much of a critic of my heart shapes.

We've wanted to get a dog for some time and Jonah thought a puppy would be a good Valentine's gift for me and Emery (we helped pick her out). So meet Tulip, she's an Australian Shepard and 5 months old. She's super sweet, smart, and very snuggly (a little too snuggly even!). 

 

For dinner we feasted on lasagna made by the Nickells, bread and salad.



Valentines Day Pictures

Emery gave me a hard time when I was taking pictures for her valentines.

The Kaweah Oak Preserve

This weekend we decided we were due for a little adventure, so we headed out to the Kaweah Oak Preserve. It is always neat to see the valley in, what may seem like, its natural state. The Yokut Tribes were once the largest tribe in North America. Tulare Lake was a large factor in that it made the surrounding area fertile. The lake once reached from as far east as Kettleman City, to as far west as Lemoore. This made it the largest freshwater lake in the United States. Eventually the damming and destruction of the lake and the Yokut people changed the landscapre dramatically. The Preserve we visited has attempted to recreate a similar landscape, and minus the abundance of water, have done a pretty fair job. In whatever season we visit the preserve, it is always beautiful.

Giving Emery a lesson about oak galls.

Emery loves cows and was very excited to discover these guys.

Not so sure about the oak galls.

Emery was a great little hiker and loved walking along the trails.

17 Months

Emery is 17 months now! She seems to think she is quite the big girl these days. Her new words that we wrote down (I feel like there are more but can't remember them) for this month are: Grandpa, yee-haw, ready, apple, hey-o, potty, ta-da, purple, and blue. She recognizes when we get to places she's familar with (Grandpa and Grandma's house, the cousin's house, etc) and she gets so excited in her carseat, kicking her legs, exclaiming, and pointing.

 

This pictures are from a couple afternoons at the Nickell cousin's house playing outside.

She and Natalie were so cute playing together in Natalie's little tent. I love that she's old enough now to do things like this without any prompting.

Emery decided she was big enough to try out one of their scooters. No one told her what to do she just watched the cousins and then did it herself.