Aunty Chelsea comes to visit (Part I)

My little sister, Chelsea, arrived just this last Tuesday for a long 2 week visit! We have loved having her every second she's been here! Brooke has even taken a fond liking of her which we think is great! She's letting her hold her, play with her, feed her, pick her up, etc. etc.!! We can't believe it, but are so happy that Brooke came around real quick.

Here are some photos of our goings on for the last few days.


Chelsea and Gordon having fun grilling from our borrowed charcoal grill from John & Marilyn (THANK YOU!!--We've used it 3 days in a row!)

One day, we made these AMAZING grilled bbq chicken pizzas

Saturday, we headed to all the waterfalls that are around us. This is the biggest/most popular : Multnomah Falls. We hiked up to the bridge. Chelsea thought it was really cool.

Walking down from the bridge. Artsy candid shot Chelsea took. I like it.

Precious! Family shot by the bridge. We took one similar about a year ago and Brooke was so small compared to now! And, my hair looks red. I need to dye it.

Saturday night after turkey burgers, we roasted marshmallows and made s'mores to make sure they were good for our trip to the coast. So excited to have a fire on the beach with the waves in the background eating s'mores with my family. 

Chelsea approved!

Sunday night, we got together with some family and snacked on treats and played around. It was chilly but a lot of fun! 

Coming up this week: Gordon looking for work AND heading to the coast on Wednesday. It'll be a nice vacation for us with some family and friends! So glad Chelsea can come with us to stick her feet in the Pacific!

A super cute video!

Company BBQ

On Wednesday, there was a company wide BBQ at Gordon's work. They had bouncy houses, face painting, balloon animals, bubbles, prizes, paper airplane contests, and a live band! It was a lot of fun even though it was a little windy.

Out to lunch with Dad

We love 'going out' to lunch with Gordon in the middle of the week!

Brooke especially had a great time sitting and eating like a big girl and then playing with her Dad!

I love these memories that we are creating!

Giveaway!

There is a fun little giveaway going on over at my food blog so go check it out! www.golokitchen.com

What a HAM

This is what lunch time has become. Brooke not eating her food and then making these faces.

Brooke 18 month stats

Weight: 20 lbs. 8 oz.

Height: 30 1/2 inches

Head Circumference: 18 3/4 inches

Cuteness factor: off the charts

First Mac & Cheese

I usually never buy boxed processed foods-I try to make everything from scratch. However, this past week I thought about giving in and trying Brooke on some traditional Macaroni and Cheese (or Kraft Dinner).  After a few bites, she was done! Typical for her. I tried again today, but she didn't like it! Brooke likes to use the utensils more then she likes to eat the food. She is hard to please.

Brooke has been slowly building up her vocabulary. She now says:

Mama

Dada (a lot!)

yay

ball (sounds like baw)

dog (sounds like daw or og)

no (this one is pretty clear)

yes (sounds more like ess)

Of course they aren't perfect and we're still working on them. I didn't talk until I was 3, so I'm happy with anything she has to say. Also, she still babbles up a storm and looks at me like I should be understanding her. She's just so darn cute!

Body Slammin' Brooke!

This is what we did for a good portion of the day yesterday. Whatever keeps her happy!