Toddlers are MESSY!!!!

Here is a compilation of pictures I have taken of Malea making a variety of different messes. I've decided that my new motto as a mother is "you have to laugh or else you'll cry!" I'm coming to terms with the fact that my house will never be clean again!

Leaving a pile a crisp, folded newspaper and junk mail unattended is just asking for trouble!

A favorite of Malea's - pulling out all of the storage containers and measuring cups - probably the mess I see most frequently!

"Maybe if I put every toy I own over the gate, she will let me through!"

Of course you can't go without mentioning the many, MANY high chair messes that happen on a daily basis (here are just a few of my favorites!)

You know when you can't see your child and she gets quiet that something is up.....I gave her a piece of bread and when it got quiet I came in to find the piece of bread crumbled all of the chair and carpet.....the poor bread didn't stand a chance!

Usually the way I find out that she can reach something up high is when she actually gets it....


Malea loves to help mommy with laundry!

I LOVE her face in this picture! She was so proud of herself!

Oh, the joys of parenthood!! I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Fresh Air, Beautiful Scenery, & Various Woodland Creatures....

Malea's first camping trip!
Granite Flats Campground, American Fork Canyon

One of my favorite pictures of all time!

Malea showing off the tent

Mmmmm......tin foil dinners.....

Beautiful scenery!

Warming up next to the fire

Mommy's first time cooking on a gas stove.....not too shabby!

Malea loves her daddy!

Mommy & Malea :)

The first night was a little rough due to what will forever be known as "The Raccoon Incident".....a raccoon came in to our camp in the middle of the night and tried to get in to one of our coolers, and scared us all awake. Malea wouldn't go back to sleep until about 6:00 am, so needless to say, naps were in order!

Malea relaxin' with some Cheez-its

Malea and Daddy going on a little hike

After Malea went to bed, Keith & I played a mean game of Uno & enjoyed some s'mores

We had a great time camping, and can't wait to go again next year!!

We Love Summer

We have had such a fun summer so far! I'm not ready for it to be over yet!! Here are some highlights of what we've done so far:

To start out the summer, we took a trip to Washington to visit Keith's family. We spent a day in Seattle, and it was so much fun!

We spent lots of time going to the park, and just getting out of the house. Malea loves to be outdoors, so we tried to spend as much time outside as possible!

This year for the 4th of July, we started out the day by going to the parade. We had lots of fun! Then we had a BBQ with Keith's family (they were in town for a family reunion that was taking place the week after). We were planning on going to the fireworks, but we were all so pooped we just ended up going home and going to bed! Oh well, maybe next year!

My pretty girl!

My 4th of July cake.....yum yum!!

The week after the 4th of July, we had a really fun family reunion with Keith's side of the family (his mom's side - the Asay's). There were lots of fun activities each day, and we had a great time catching up with everyone! One of our favorite activities of the week was going boating down at Yuba Lake. We rented wave runners and Keith's parents brought down their boat. What a blast!

We have spent LOTS of time this summer in the pool and basically doing anything involving water. Malea has practically lived in her swimming suit this summer!

One night we decided to take a drive through the Alpine Loop. I've lived here my whole life and never done it! It was so beautiful, and it inspired us to go camping next week!

Malea was going crazy being cooped up in the car while there was so much to see outside of the car, so we got out and let her run around a little bit.

For the 24th of July, my Dad had a BBQ and fireworks at his house. Malea had so much fun playing with her cousins! This was Malea's first encounter with fireworks, and she did surprisingly well. She usually gets spooked by stuff like that, but she really enjoyed it!

More fun to come! We are going camping this weekend, and then there is the annual family swimming party on the 8th of August. I'm not ready for summer to be over!

Mommy's Little Helper

So Malea has hit a phase where she wants to do whatever Mommy & Daddy do. She has become our little "helper." She watches what we do, and then tries to imitate us. It is SO cute! She helps us with the laundry, dishes, and sweeping. I hope that she continues to be this helpful!