Labor Day Weekend

Riding a pony that used to be Auntie Alice's

 Considering I'm unemployed I really have no excuse except for laziness in regards to my lack of blogging.  So let's hope I can step it up. 
Here's a recap of our trip to Kearney, NE over Labor Day.
Prior to finding out I would be unemployed at the beginning of the month we had discussed a Labor Day trip to Nebraska to visit Chris' parents and sister.  We didn't really make any plans and then once we found out I was getting laid off we completely dismissed the idea altogether.  Then the night before deciding to go I mentioned it.  And well we decided last minute that a change of scenery would do us some good.  So we called his parents at around 8 at night (9 there time) to let them know we would be showing up the next day. 
We packed up and hit the road around Helena's nap time.  She instantly fell asleep and stayed that way for about 3 hours!  We stopped with just 2 hours left and had some lunch, she really didn't want to get back in the car seat, and the last two hours were a little rough, but over all she did an awesome job!
I love the simplicity of going to visit my in-laws.  I know I've stated it before, but no TV, just hanging out and visiting, playing games etc...  They have a big beautiful backyard that the living room looks out onto, and it's just so peaceful.  Helena LOVED being outside and the friendliness of the pets.
Helena did really well with the new atmosphere!  She even slept in Alice's old crib.  She enjoyed going up and down (and up and down and up and down) the stairs in Grandma and Grandpa's house! 
She even had her very own ice cream cone (the end of one that Grandma had eaten) and she loved it!
I loved it because Helena was well taken care of and I was able to lay back and relax!  It truly was a vacation.

Helping Grandma water the plants

She's a good helper!

The highlight of the trip: Giving kisses!!!!

Mom got to relax!

She loves her Auntie Alice!

And of course ice cream!

Picking tomatos with Grandma.  (notice she has one in each hand, and one in her mouth!)

Grandpa got in on the kisses too!!!

Three beautiful ladies!: Great-Grandma, Grandma, and Helena

On our way back Chris gave me a tour of this childhood.  The first stop was in Lexington which was were Chris graduated High School.  Then to Gothenburg which was where Chris was born.  Lastly was Brady where Chris went to elementary school and lived on a ranch.  It was a fun little tour!

new milestones

her first ice cream cone over Labor Day weekend

Helena is growing up so fast.  She’s super tall and looks so kid-like to me!  She loves to give me cuddles and when she does I’ll hold her with her head in my arms and cradle her like a baby and say over and over again “Are you my itty bitty baby?!”  It’s rather annoying for Chris, but I love it.  She’s becoming more and more independent with her eating habits.  And majority of the time refuses to let us feed her.  So she feeds herself and sometimes food actually gets in her mouth.  She’s also officially off of the bottle.  Over the past couple of months or so she was still having a nighttime bottle, but we gradually decreased the milk and now she goes to bed without it!  Her nighttime routine now consists of bath, getting ready for bed-lotion and pajamas, bedtime reading, then she says good night to Chris, I take her in the rocking chair and cuddle with her for a little before putting her down.  She still sleeps through the night!  On occasion (maybe once a month?) she’ll wake up and not put herself back down, during those nights I’m not too sure what to do with her! 

She really truly loves to be outside.  And is so incredibly loving.  She signs “cookie” almost instantly once she is put in her highchair.  She’ll also signs “milk” when she wants milk.  I have no idea what to do with her hair.  If I leave her hair down it covers her entire face!  Part of me wants to cut it or at least trim bangs, but part of me doesn’t want to touch it because that’s her hair!  She loves, loves to give kisses to anything and everything!  

She's a really good listener when she wants to be, still loves peek-a-boo and dancing!  She always wakes up happy and that makes me so happy.  When she sees a little baby, she'll point and say "baby".  She loves to run and climb, and a couple of weeks ago went down a slide with no coaxing from either Chris or I.  She'll sometimes scream bloody murder when we try to change her diaper first thing in the morning.  Who knows what that is about, but it is no fun.  She loves to read.  

She's such a joy and I love her.