The Ballard Family

Christmas 2011

2012-01-15T22:35:00.001-07:00

Happy Christmas morning! We woke up, ate some breakfast, and went to church.

It was so nice to start the day off with church and be reminded of all that our Savior has done for us.

Then it was off to the Naylor house to see what Santa brought and he spoiled us as always

We could really use some snow so we could try out our new sled from Uncle Kyle....until then, the carpet works

Grandma and her haul

Abby would open one gift then run around and see what everyone else had, then go back to playing with her gift. We had to coax her into opening up some of her presents because she was so excited she didn't want to sit still.

Blake with our gift from Grandma and his new hat from Abby. She really did pick it out while we were in the store one day and would not put it down. I guess she knew her Dad needed a new hat :)

Abby with her mitt from Aunt Kelsey

Abby with her new purse that had some books and other things inside that we can take to church with us

Looking at Uncle Brent in her photo book

She stole Aunt Kelsey's new hat

Then found another hat and decided to ride her bike

Blake and Grandma with a box full of clothes, toys, and blankets for Baby Boy Ballard

Abby with Grandma and Grandpa Naylor

Then it was off to the Ballards for lunch and to talk to Brent. I feel bad I didn't take more pictures while we were here, but Abby was taking her nap and the Ballard clan doesn't really love having their picture taken...I'm still trying to break them in :)

Brent is doing great in Oregon and he sounded happy on the phone. He'll be home in September so only a few more months! After our delicious lunch, it was back to the Naylors for Grandma Naylor's 90th birthday party.

We were all pretty tired by the end of the day and Dad started acting a little goofy...

And then Abby just wanted to cuddle with Aunt Kelsey...

So we put on our PJ's and headed home.

So much fun is exhausting

What a great Christmas!!!

Happy 90th Grandma!

2012-01-13T13:06:00.000-07:00

On Christmas, Grandma Naylor turned the big 9-0! We were so happy that she spent her special day with us and of course we had to celebrate. We love you Grandma Naylor and look forward to spending many more birthdays with you.

Family Parties

2012-01-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

We had our King Christmas party on the 23rd this year and it turned out great. My cousin Tyler and his family are living in my grandparents old house up in Weston and they were gracious enough to let all of us come over and keep this family tradition alive. We ate amazing food, sang songs, played games, and Santa even stopped by. What a fun night!

On Christmas Eve we went over to my parents house and played some card games and laughed a lot. Abby was really happy that Adeline came over to play, by the end of the night they were the best of friends.

Ady was sweet enough to let Abby wear her coat, shoes, and necklace for most of the night

Leading Up to Christmas

2012-01-02T22:51:00.000-07:00

This summer we moved into a new house, still in Benson, just across the river. We love our new place and enjoy having a bigger living room and nice yard to play in. It was especially fun to have a fireplace to decorate and more room for a decent tree. Blake was a good sport and put up the Christmas lights on the outside of the house like he has done every year...and I have to brag that ours was the only house on our street with lights up...go Blake! Our landlords were especially happy about it, and said they loved how festive it made the house look.Since my camera isn't anything special, these are the best I could do, here's our house as you drive down our lane.

Yup, it's blurry, but you get the idea

The prettiest Christmas tree we've ever had, so great!

We even have a place to hang our stockings...woot!

December definitely lacked a lot of snow, but with the little skiffs we did get, Abby and Kelsey made sure to enjoy them. Getting ready to sled with Aunt Kelsey

Abby is lucky to have such a nice aunt that takes her sledding

Here are some photos of their last sledding adventure...we sure wish we could have some more snow

And here are some random pictures of Abby with the Naylor fam...Playing with Grandma

Reading with Grandpa

Listening to music

Trying to wake up Uncle Kyle

During the week leading up to Christmas we had a lot of fun being with family and especially loved seeing Grandma Naylor. She even came out to our house one day to check things out. Abby just woke up from a nap and she was so excited to have company over and show them her bedroom and new bed.

18 Months

2012-01-02T22:35:00.000-07:00

Abby is a year and a half old...so fun! She is such a character and it's hard to remember what we did without her. She's a great helper and always finds a way to make each day special.

Getting ready for church the day after Abby turned 18 months old. This was supposed to be her first day in Nursery...yup, she still hasn't gone to Nursery yet :)

Putting on her coat, she is getting really good at dressing herself

Lately Abby has enjoyed digging through the diaper bag, finding the camera and taking pictures all by herself. Here's some interesting shots she managed to get

And here's what happens when I take the camera away...

We love this kiddo

Benson 1st Ward Party

2011-12-09T22:43:00.001-07:00

Tonight we celebrated Christmas by attending the Ward Party. And since I am trying to get some pictures ready to send to Brent, it was a great excuse to make all of the Ballards pose for some pictures. And we almost got everyone, but couldn't track down Taybree or Zane. Anyways, the party was good, and we really enjoyed seeing Todd and the rest of the Bishopric dressed up as the 3 Wise Men. The primary did a great job with the Nativity story and there was a lot of work put into it. Thanks for the food and entertainment Benson. And Happy Birthday Norene!

The Wise Men and their camels making their entrance

Clint and Kimberli

Janessa, Ty, and Jace

Abby giving Grandma a big hug for her birthday

Stealing random people's hats...

Todd and his camel...he's eyes were closed in all of the pictures like this, whoops

Trying on Grandpa's hat

Abby did a good job of balancing it on her head

The Latest

2011-12-06T22:12:00.001-07:00

Well, nothing too new for us to report. But here's a run down of some of the things that have happened lately:We celebrated cousin Ady's 2nd birthday. It was a fun night and she loved her cupcakes....mostly the frosting. Blake was planning on coming, but was called out last minute to fix a power line so he ended up dropping us off and while we partied he worked.

Janessa had a choir concert at Sky View High so we made a night of it and went. She did great and Abby really enjoyed listening, dancing, and sometimes singing along with the music.

Thanksgiving was spent with the Ballards/Rounds families at the Benson church house. As always we enjoyed good food and great company.

We have been getting ready for Christmas and enjoying this time of year. Abby loves to touch the ornaments, help water our tree, and look for the lights on or in houses. Christmas is so much more fun with little kids and we can't wait to spend even more time with friends and family this holiday season.After Abby woke up one morning she went and found her new winter hat and walked around in it for most of the day, she cracks me up

Helping decorate our tree

And finally, Blake has been working a lot lately and was called down to help Bountiful City following the bad wind storm they had. He was gone for four days, such a long time (I have an even greater respect for single parents and parents whose spouse has to travel a lot) and we missed him...a ton. He said that the city had trees everywhere and nobody in the city had power after the storm hit. They worked long hours, but managed to get everyone's power restored again. This also made me realize that our family needs to work on getting more prepared in case something like that happens here...no heat for four days, can you imagine?

Blake is almost done with school for the semester and will take his final soon. He has done such a good job and is on track to take his practical test in March. Then it's one year down, 3 to go. Anyways, here are some photos of my hot, hard working hubby doing his thing

The Babe Is A...

2011-11-12T21:15:00.001-07:00

BOY! Wow! We are so excited! And more than anything happy that everything looked okay with our little guy during the ultrasound. It's amazing all of the things that they can look at and check to make sure that he's as healthy as possible. During the ultrasound, he had his legs and arms up by his face so the tech had a hard time getting a good picture of his face. Anywho, here his is :o)

Yup...that's his foot by his mouth

4

2011-11-12T10:56:00.001-07:00

Happy 4th Anniversary to us! November 10th marked the special occasion and to celebrate we went out to The Bluebird followed by some crepes at The Crepery. So basically we ate...a lot and it was great! My parents/Kyle and Kels watched Abby for us so thanks to them. And thanks to my hubby, I sure was lucky that you were brave enough to ask your friend for my number five years ago, crazy how things work out!

This is how hard it is to do Abby's hair, and the reason why in most of her pictures she looks like a homeless girl

St. George Trip

2011-11-07T21:09:00.002-07:00

Last week, Blake had "Hotline School" down in St. George. It's 5 days of mostly hands on training for all of the apprentice lineman in the state of Utah so they can practice and learn new things. Abby and I tagged along and made the trip down. While Blake was busy climbing power poles and learning, Abby and I were busy shopping, exploring, and swimming. Each morning was a little interesting as Blake would try to sneak out before Abby could see him leave (pretty much impossible in a hotel room) and she would end up crying when the door shut and Dad was gone. She is definitely a daddy's girl; but on the upside Blake would get done around 5 and so we were able to see him more than usual each day and spend time together. It was a nice little getaway

We made a much needed lunch break/pit stop at Grandma Naylor Great's

Happy Halloween! Us after dinner on Halloween night. Abby was a cowgirl and because we were away from home we didn't do any trick or treating or visiting family...kind of sad. But Abby loved her hat and boots so it ended up working out

Riding her horse

She'll wear hats, but won't keep her hair elastic in...

Brushing her teeth before we went swimming

Trying to put her water in the cup

More swimming..stop taking pictures

I love this kiddo

And here's Blake doing his thing by practicing the "hurt man rescue"

Enjoying Fall

2011-11-07T20:38:00.001-07:00

Abby loved playing outside this fall. The weather was gorgeous until recently and running around in the leaves was a daily routine

She's getting so big!

Every time a car would drive by she would wave...she's definitely a country kid :)

Pumpkin Walk

2011-10-25T15:22:00.000-06:00

We attended the annual Pumpkin Walk on Saturday and as always it was fun to see all of the scenes that all of the volunteers had made with pumpkins and other vegetables. Abby wasn't to keen on holding on hands for longer than a minute and would try to run off and explore each of the sites. So most of her time was spent on Dad's shoulders which is about as good as things can get. The weather was so nice and it was fun to get out and spend an afternoon together.

Look at all of those people!

Gilligan's Island

Winnie the Pooh-my favorite scen

Hey look we helped! Okay, not really...

Snow White

Mad Hatter

Harry Potter

Do you see the fish at the bottom?

Thanks Pumpkin Walk, we'll see ya next year!

First Photos...

2011-10-18T21:15:00.001-06:00

...of child #2 due to arrive around March 21 :o)

16 Months

2011-10-16T21:43:00.002-06:00

Abby has hit the 16 month mark and is doing great. She has been so happy because the nice weather has stuck around and playing outside is ten times better than anything else. She has been gabbing like crazy lately and loves to try and say new words. Abby is a social gal and today at church we pretty much took part in nursery out in the hall with two of the boys close to her age. She was so sweet and even when one of the boys took away her toy, she reached down, picked up another car and gave it to him so he had two. We'll see how long this sharing thing lasts, but so far so good. She loves to help put things away or back in their spot and really likes to look under couches, and into things while using a flashlight. She still waves to everyone that drives by, walks by, or happens to look at her and makes friends everywhere we go. Lately she has been working on blowing kisses...which right now is getting close to someone and clicking her tongue. Today one of those boys in the hall gave her a hug and she "kissed" him in return (I guess at least it wasn't a real kiss where she opens her mouth as wide as possible and sticks out her tongue), looks like she already has a boyfriend waiting for her in nursery. Happy 16 months!

Grandma wanted to curl Abby's hair and she actually left the curlers in

She loves to play with Penny and watch her fetch

Starting to like to wear jewelry

Taking out the curlers...her hair looked so cute, I just couldn't get her to hold still for a picture when it was all done

Abby and her hats

First tractor ride with Uncle Jace. He was planting in the field right next to our house and saw Abby looking out the window at him so he called and offered to take her for a ride. What a great guy! She loved it and spent about half an hour with him. Don't worry, she had her own little seat and was buckled in. Thanks again Jace :)

Getting buckled in

Wearing the dress Aunt Kelsey brought back from Costa Rica and Kels sporting her poncho

Such a character...while I was playing volleyball, Blake was bathing Abby when she saw this hat and insisted on wearing it. Silly kid

Behind

2011-10-10T15:05:00.000-06:00

I definitely fell behind on my blogging, so here are a bunch of random pictures all in one post....

Last time in the swimming pool for the year

We made a trip to see Grandma Naylor's for a couple nights and one of the days, Darcie came over with her cute boy Shane

No clothes, hat, socks on her hands, cell phone, purse, gum (which she really does chew and not swallow), cookie, and ladybug chair...a winning combination

Abby playing with her stacking cups...then she decided to be a piggy

Little cowgirl

This flower was as big as Abby's head

Grandpa tried to get Abby to take a nap with him...it didn't work. Instead she piled all her toys on him while he was sleeping

She overcame her fear of the grass finally, now she loves to go barefoot

Playing with Penny

A long day of running errands

Getting home from our morning walk

Family outing at first dam trying to enjoy the last of the good weather

The kid just loves hats!

24

2011-10-10T14:22:00.000-06:00

Back on August 28 I turned 24...wahoo! The day started off by Blake and I speaking in Sacrament...welcome to the ward I guess. After church we went over to my parents for the usual delicious Sunday dinner and my mom's amazing cake. All in all it was a good day and 24 isn't so bad :)

Isn't Abby cute?!? I also put this on here so you can see the necklace that Blake and Abby gave me...I love it!

August Snip-its

2011-08-25T11:42:00.002-06:00

At the beginning of August, we finally went on our first camping trip of the summer. We went to a new spot called Temple Flats and it was gorgeous. Mom and Dad came up too and with good food, no makeup, and fabulous company, we had a lot of fun for the 2 nights we were there.

Abby loved going for rides, we're glad we were able to take the 4-wheelers

Hanging out in Grandma and Grandpa's trailer the first morning

Getting ready for breakfast

The chefs

Hanging out while Abby and Blake take a nap

More rides

Giving Uncle Kyle a kiss

Good lookin fellas

So big

It was so dark, so considering that, this picture turned out pretty darn good

All ready to leave

The week after camping we had two weddings to go to. The first was for Blake's cousin Lucas and Tara. Everything went great and the luncheon was beautiful with delicious food. Then that night we went up to Richmond for a casual BBQ for my cousin Shane Housley and his new wife Amber. They were married a week before in Texas so this way all of the Utah family and friends could get together to celebrate. So many friends and family came, it was great to catch up. The not so good news is that the next week while 4-wheeling, Shane, Buddy, and Aunt JoAnn were in a really bad 4-wheeler accident. Shane got the worst of it; hit his head really hard, and had to be flown by Life Flight to Pocatello. He's doing well considering all that he has been through and was just put into his own room instead of being in the ICU. We're just hoping that his recovery is fast and everything turns out for the best. We love you guys!

Erica, Amber, Shane, and Buddy

And here's our little hill billy with her hat on sideways, posing of course

She's one, in case you're wondering :)

July Roundup

2011-08-02T11:30:00.003-06:00

Sheesh! It's August already and we have yet to go camping. Summer is always crazy busy but we wouldn't have it any other way.

We celebrated another birthday with Dad on the 22nd...well kind of. He had to work so we partied after the fact with some cheesecake.

Missing Kelsey who was in Costa Rica for two weeks

Then to celebrate Pioneer Day we went to the North Logan Parade. The weather was perfect and it was fun to see lots of familiar faces.
Our primo spot under the trees

The highlight of the parade...the whole Stephens family playing music while dressed as pioneers

Abby loved the music

Then on the 28th it was Mom's 50th birthday! But Dad had to work, Kyle was working at Kennecott, Kelsey was still gone, and we had to drive down to St. George. So that morning we ran over and wished her a happy birthday and put a sign in the lawn that said "Honk! Connie is 50!" Here are the pictures we took of the celebration on Sunday when we were all home (minus Kyle)

The fake cake the Aunt JoAnn made to accommodate all of the necessary candles

It only took a couple tries

So after we went over and wished Mom a happy day on the 28th, we made the long trip down to St. George. Thank goodness Grandma Naylor is on the way down so we could stop and have lunch and let Abby play for a little bit. It's always nice to see her.

We made it to our hotel around 5 that night and it was still 102 degrees outside. So we ran a couple errands and after dinner we decided to go swimming. Abby loved it! It was her first time in a big pool and she did great other than getting mad because she couldn't crawl.

As soon as we got to the hotel we unpacked and Abby enjoyed standing on the bed

Natalie and Jesse stayed in the same place as us, so it was nice to have friends close by

Friday was the big day, so we drove over to the St. George Temple and dropped Abby off in the Visitor's Center with Ty, Janessa, Taybree, and Zane. Clint and Kimberli had an all white wedding (which we've never been to before but because the sealing room was just off the celestial room we all needed to wear white). The ceremony was great and we're so happy for Clint and Kimberli...wahoo! A new sister in law; finally!
They were married at noon, so when they came out of the Temple it was pretty darn warm...good thing we only had to stay for a few family photos ;)

The only picture of just the 3 of us at the Temple...thanks Ty ;) you can kind of see us

The luncheon and reception were both held at an older building that was decorated with all of Kimberli's family antiques. It was really pretty and nice to be inside with AC

Abby's changing pad and car kept her entertained during most of the luncheon

Cooling off at the hotel before the reception

At the reception

This is the best picture out of the 4 we took...sorry Blake

Despite the long trip and heat, it was a great weekend and everything looked and turned out lovely. Congrats Clint and Kim, we love ya!

1 Year Pics

2011-07-31T18:45:00.001-06:00

Back in June, we had my cousin Melanie Gunnell take Abby's 1 year old pictures so here are a few new photos of our favorite gal...

King Reunion

2011-07-19T10:47:00.000-06:00

Last weekend was the King Reunion up at Grandma and Grandpa's farm in Weston. It's always fun to see everyone and catch up on what's new and see how much the little ones have changed. We had delicious food, fun games, a raffle, and lots of visiting with everyone. Thanks Mom, and JoAnn for making it all happen.

Intense game of volleyball, adults only

Kelsey did it!

Our Abby the rock star

The Big 2-0

2011-07-19T10:13:00.000-06:00

Well Kelsey is no longer a teenager and to celebrate for her special day on the 9th, we all went to Wingers. It was a hectic day as Blake and I were trying to get moved into our new place and everyone was helping us (which we are very thankful for) so it was fun to take a break and go party. Happy birthday Kelsey! We love you lots and lots!

Happy 4th

2011-07-19T10:09:00.001-06:00

For the 4th of July we stuck with tradition and went up to Lewiston for the parade. It's so nice that our cousins' house is write on the parade route so we always have somewhere to go and Jason and Mandy are so sweet to invite us all.

After the parade, it was off to Big J's in Richmond for a burger and fries and then home for a much needed nap. Later that day we had a bbq dinner with Kevin and Sara and then once again went up to Lewiston for the fireworks. We sat on the softball field right by the fair grounds and Abby loved playing on the blanket and watching and waving to everyone. She especially loved the fireworks and would clap for each one.

Kevin and Sara; thanks for hanging out with us

This is how much fun Abby was having...no time to hold still

It was a great day and fun to celebrate how blessed we are to live in this amazing country.

July!

2011-07-03T09:35:00.002-06:00

Isn't this month great? July is our favorite time of year (next to Christmas) and we love the holidays, family fun, bbq's with friends, and camping adventures.

On Friday, Logan had their annual fireworks show and Blake's work bought us tickets. The Ballard family was nice enough to watch Abby while we had a date night (we didn't think she would like the noise). It ended up being a really good show with Diamond Rio performing and the fireworks were the best that I remember Logan having. I enjoyed meeting all the guys that Blake works with and we had a lot of fun (except when it came time to try and get home which took over an hour). Oh well, it was nice to be together and remember that 4 years ago during the last fireworks show at the farm was the night we got engaged. Good times. And when we finally did make it to the Ballards to pick up Abby, she was asleep with Uncle Ty holding her. He's such a good Uncle! And of course I don't have pictures because my camera was in the diaper bag and I spaced it...woops!

Saturday, July 2 after Abby and I did some cleaning and while Blake was over to the farm, we packed up our swimming suits and headed for my parents house to have a pool party. Abby has never been swimming before so we thought it best to put her in a kiddy pool before we venture out to anything larger. Kelsey was sweet enough to drive around town and find the perfect pool for Abby to play in, and Kyle helped fill it up with some warm water from the house so she wouldn't get too cold.
At first Abby was a little hesitant, but soon she loved it and did not want me to hold her at all. I think we spent almost an hour outside in the water and then she was exhausted and ready for a nap. Thanks Kyle, Kelsey, and Kenzie (Kelsey's friend) for partying with us...Abby is lucky to have so many people that love her.

First getting in

A little nervous

It's a redneck pool party!

Fun stuff

I love my siblings

Maximum occupancy...3 1/2 people

Playing with some grass

I love this munchkin

Giving kisses to Aunt Kelsey

Time to dry off

Then that night it was off to the Cruise In. Of course Blake wanted to take his truck and so he had to wash it and make it look pretty. By the time we made it to the event, we were worried that it would be hard to find a spot, but lucky for us, we found the perfect parking place that gave us a great view of all the old cars as they cruised Main while at the same time enjoying the air conditioned truck.

Hangin out

Found the sunglasses

Trying to help Dad

Putting the sunglasses back in their spot

After the Cruise In we met up with some of Blake's married (or soon to be) cousins/family members at a park and had a BBQ and played volleyball. Even though we didn't play volleyball, it was fun to see everyone and visit with them so thanks for inviting us guys!

Just some pictures

2011-07-03T09:32:00.002-06:00

Here's some recent pictures of Abby

Abby loves to put anything and everything on her head

She is now a pro at putting on her own hats

Pretty blue eyes and long lashes like her dad's

Relaxing at Grandma Great's house after a baby shower in South Jordan

Rocking and reading with Grandma Naylor Great

What a good lookin guy

As soon as she woke up she wanted her cowgirl hat and purse (it's the video camera bag)

How many hats can she get on her head?

A New Post

2011-06-18T21:54:00.005-06:00

This weekend has been full of family functions, Abby's birthday, a wedding, an engagement party, and a farewell (taking place tomorrow). And today while we were with Blake's extended family I was told that it's time to update the blog. So here it goes:

We went on our first family 4-wheeler ride in Cache Valley this year. It has been so cold that we haven't been able to enjoy being outside until recently and we plan to take full advantage of it. Abby loved the little ride, especially since the farm dog Jerry ran next to us the whole time.

Exciting news... on Tuesday, Clint and Kimberli became officially engaged! We're thrilled to get a new family member and Clint loves Kim and so do we so it's a win for everyone. They are getting married July 29th in St. George where she is from and we're really happy for them. Tonight we had a little celebration in their honor at Willow Park with a lot of the aunts, uncles, and cousins. It was great to see everyone and congratulate these two. Here is a photo we took tonight...Kim and I were trying to get all of the Ballard clan rounded up, but were unsuccessful so here's Kim, Clint, Ty, and us

Yesterday on June 17th our little Abby girl turned 1! It is weird to think that we have a one year old now...and man is she fun! We had a little shin dig at my parents house to celebrate with some of the cousins and Kyle and Grandma Naylor surprised us by making a special trip up from South Jordan...it meant a lot for them to do that. Abby loved her many gifts...cute clothes, cards, sunglasses, a dog, toys, bubbles, and lots of books-her favorite things. But by far her favorite gift was two cowgirl hats from her aunt Kelsey. She loves them! Thanks to everyone who called, stopped by, and celebrated with us. We are grateful to have wonderful people in our lives who put family first.

Riding around

Little Poser

Opening gifts

Or at least trying to open gifts

Cupcake time

Abby wasn't a fan of getting dirty...trust me, we even tried putting her hands in it. Instead of digging in she would just put he hands in the air and try to get the frosting and cake off :o)

Ady just hanging out

Aunt Kelsey and Abby=buds

Us...we didn't get a very good picture that night

Surprise! Kyle and Grandma

Both Grandma Naylors

So tired! Abby cuddling with Grandma while eating a cracker and keeping her cowgirl hat on.

Abby's birthday sure was eventful and she was so tired that night. So while Blake and I went to a wedding today, my family watched her and of course took more pictures. Are you sick of them yet? Too bad, I'm not

Little Cowgirl

Hanging out with Grandpa

She loves hats!

The Fam

Plus the cake

Happy Birthday baby girl, you have made our year!

Goodbye Rock Springs

2011-05-21T13:09:00.007-06:00

Friday night, we made our final trip to Rock Springs, Wyoming (at least in the foreseeable future) to watch Kelsey graduate with an Associates degree in Psychology. We've had a great time watching her play basketball over there the last couple of years and have been able to hear about all of the fun memories and friendships she has made. So it was time to celebrate and look forward to having her closer to home as she attends Utah State this fall on an Ambassador scholarship. Way to go Kels!

The famAbby really wanted Kelsey's cap

Mom and Dad...they do so much for all of us
Kels and Kyle...both single...just sayin ;)
Abby was so excited she kept clapping and pumping her fists
Love ya sista!

11 Months

2011-05-21T12:53:00.004-06:00

Our little one is growing up. She is into everything these days and laughs at us when we say "no", shakes her head, and keeps on doing whatever it was that she wasn't supposed to...probably better work on that one. We love you Abby, happy 11 months!

Where's Abby?Oh just hiding under the bedspread
She loves hats, and anything else she can put on her head Aunt Kelsey is teaching her how to intimidate other players...she just might be a natural pitcher
Training her young. Can't wait till we can practice. Oh and Grandma, sorry about the cleats on the table, it was all Kelsey's doing :)
Scootin along in the kitchen

Messy...

2011-05-16T09:53:00.003-06:00

Our Abby girl is a butt scooter and it is so funny to watch her make her way around. The only time our house doesn't have things everywhere is when she is asleep and I really don't mind it most of the time. It's so fun to watch her discover new places, open drawers and find new "toys". She usually ends up with something stuck to her legs like this day when the diaper bag strap wrapped itself around her thigh...at least it slowed her down a bit

Farewell

2011-05-02T21:40:00.005-06:00

Remember this awesome hair?
Well, even though I loved it, we decided it was time to bid farewell to Abby's mullet and try a new do. Abby did so good during her first haircut with Blake holding her, and Janessa, Taybree, and a hair clip serving as entertainment. Thanks Grandma Ballard for helping us out!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-25T11:35:00.008-06:00

The day before Easter, Abby and I headed over to the Naylor's to dye Easter eggs

They turned out pretty fantastic as you can see
And Abby even helped out...well, kind ofAbby and Grandma
Then on Sunday we drove up to my grandma and grandpa King's farm to enjoy lunch, yummy desserts, and an Easter egg hunt. It was nice to visit Weston again and brought back so many memories of all the fun times we have had on the farm through the years

Ady and Abby quickly became friends again and liked to talk to each other in their own language

Hanging out with Dad and of course eating her shoes
Hunting for Eggs! Abby actually did great and as long as we found them for her she would pick them up all by herself, shake them, and then of course try to eat them
Kelsey giving Abby basketball lessons
Ady, Kam, and Cherie searching for eggs
Yeah Ady!
Darcie, Baby Shane, Linda, and Kyle...I feel bad I didn't get a better picture of Shane, he is the happiest little guy and Abby is smitten by him
The King Family...about 1/10 of us at least. Geraldine, John, and JoAnn were there too, but left before this picture. I've decided that we're all getting pretty good with the 10-second timer
The Ballards
Abby with her Easter basket
Her favorite new things ended up being the toy car and bottle brush, go figure :)
The ears didn't last long...
Just checking everything out
Nothing left in the basket
Lookin good Blake
We hope everyone had a great Easter!

10 Months

2011-04-18T09:27:00.007-06:00

Yes, it's true, Abby is nearing the one year mark. And it's a little crazy, but I just love this girly and am really enjoying watching her grow up and learn new things.

Here she is hanging out while I try and put laundry away...of course she had to play peekaboo
Books and dogs are two of Abby's favorite things...so this book is probably her favorite

At night we have to hide her books so that she can't find them and will go to bed, otherwise she finds them, gets mad, and wants to keep reading
Easter is fast approaching and our wonderful ward had an Easter egg hunt and activities for the primary kids on Saturday. Blake and the Young Men were in charge of it and did a great job! The Easter Bunny even showed up so of course we had to get a couple pictures
Abby did so good with the Easter Bunny and didn't cry at all. Maybe because he looks like a giant stuffed animal
On Sunday, Blake's cousin Jenna had her farewell before she heads of to Brazil. It was good to see all the Rounds family again and hang out with Blake's grandparents. We haven't been able to get a picture with Grandma and Grandpa Rounds yet so here are a couple attempts...they are two amazing folks.

April Showers

2011-04-13T22:44:00.001-06:00

Wow! Talk about some wet weather lately. Those May flowers better be worth it.

Last week we drove down to St. George for the Ballard's annual Spring Break getaway. We stayed for 4 days and it was nice to spend some time together...just too bad that it was cold almost the whole time, but that's our luck. Maybe next year will be better. Blake was able to go on a few rides with his dad and brothers and he has been working so hard lately, he definitely earned some time to play. We even went on a family ride and although it was pretty short lived, Abby did great. She was sandwiched in between us for most of the time, but really seemed to enjoy being up front with Dad and able to look at so many things. She was so tired though, that she eventually fell asleep just before we made it back to the truck.

Here we are before the ride. We went with everyone else but ended up leaving a little early because of how tired Abby was. It was a good thing we left because not long after it was so windy that we heard the rest of their time riding was miserable. Sure did time that one right
Hanging out at Fort Pierce...I think that's what it was

This is how Abby spent most of the time on the way back to the truck...sucking her thumb

We spent a lot of time inside our condo playingHanging out at the Temple

The Ballard Clan minus Brent (mission), Clint and Kimberli, who were nowhere to be found. Sorry guys

All in all, it was a good little getaway. Abby and I loved spending so much time with Blake and were not all that excited for his normal work routine to start back up again. We'll need to have another vacation soon...hopefully it will be a bit warmer

Happy Day Kyle!

2011-04-13T22:29:00.005-06:00

Kyle turned the big 22 and it was his first birthday home since serving his mission. To celebrate we went to Texas Roadhouse and enjoyed some yummy food.
Kyle had never been to the Roadhouse so he didn't know about riding the saddle. He was a good sport, but hurried and got off before I could get a decent picture...

Then it was back to the Naylor household for presents, cake, and ice cream.

Blake had to work overtime so he met up with us after dinner. Even though we missed Kelsey, who's still up at Western Wyoming, it's so nice to have our family close to home again. Happy Birthday Kyle!

To Grandmother's House We Go

2011-04-05T19:35:00.009-06:00

Blake has been crazy busy at the farm the last week or two so Abby and I decided to pay Grandma Naylor a visit for the weekend. We went down early Friday morning and came home late Saturday night in the snow...sure did time that one right. Anywho, it was a lot of fun and Abby loves her Grandma Great!

Rocking with GrandmaShe loves to listen to Grandma's voice
Taking a bath in the sink

Abby was our entertainment
She always manages to find phones wherever they might be hidingVisiting Jojo and Richard's house to see the baby horses
Traysen, Abby, Jojo, and Grandma
Next to Ryker (Jojo's dog), Traysen was Abby's favorite

Self timer attempt...Grandma wanted to have this picture taken in front of her stove (which I love) and so we had to get a little creative with some books and a formula can to kind of make it work...
We would have left sooner on Saturday, but it turned out that Kyle, my bro, needed a ride home so we hung out a little longer. Abby took another bath and played on the floor and we danced to some of the music on the Lawrence Welk Show. When she started to get a little fussy, Grandma started rocking her again and then she was a happy camper.
Eskimo kisses

Oh I just love these two!
Thanks for letting us spend the weekend with you Grandma, for cooking us yummy food, and for being so fun to spend time with. You are amazing and by the way you took care of us and made Abby so happy and kept us entertained, it's hard to believe that you're 89...you're the best!

And here's one last picture: Sunday morning, during Conference...Abby was so glad to see her dad and wanted to spend most of the day with him. I love my family

9 Months

2011-03-31T10:22:00.006-06:00

Well as usual, I am behind... Abby has reached the 9 month mark and I love this age. Other than teething, she has been so much fun. We wish the weather would get better soon because she loves spending time outside. Recently she loves animals, especially looking for birds, deer, and dogs. Every time we go over to Grandpa and Grandma Naylor's house, one of the first things we have to do is find Penny and pet her. If not, she keeps looking out the window saying "Da". As always, here are some picture:

St. Patrick's Day; AKA 9 month birthday. Yup, no green clothes that day...the only ones we have are too summery so she had to settle for a green clip in her hair. Woops
Just checkin out the deerAunt Kelsey loves putting things on her head
So happy when she first wakes up
Just reading the Sunday paper
Hanging out with Grandma, Grandpa, and Penny

We love our baby girl and are grateful for all the happiness she brings to us!

Yesterday

2011-03-10T13:59:00.002-07:00

Here are some pictures I took yesterday just before it was bed time

Abby loves playing basketball and she really likes to roll this ball back and forth

Eating some banana and showing of her two bottom teethBefore bath time I decided to have Abby try on her new swimsuit to make sure that it would fit. As soon as it was on she started flailing all over the place, I think she's excited for warm weather just as much as I am.
This one just made me laugh

Old Man

2011-03-09T13:45:00.003-07:00

Yesterday we celebrated Blake's 26th birthday. I'm sorry to say that it wasn't too eventful, but he was able to only work 11 hours instead of the usual 12. Blake was sweet enough to watch Abby while I went to Young Women's futsol practice....then he and Abby came over to the church at 7 for Young Men's and I took Abby home. Good times :) But when he made it home after Mutual we ate some Costa Vida, brownies, and opened presents and cards...quite the shindig.

Self-timer attempts....we were in a hurry and this is the best we could come up with, oh well

Happy Birthday Blake! We love you :o)

Bed Head

2011-02-25T11:47:00.004-07:00

Ha ha! I loved being greeted by Abby's awesome hair this morning. It looks like we invested in a Bump It...or moved to Preston...
And this is the smile we get when we bust out the camera and say cheese

8 Months

2011-02-17T20:03:00.006-07:00

8 months...really? As always, here are some pictures of our little one.

She loves seeing her grandparents

I'm pretty sure that Abby's favorite person is her dad. It's so nice when we actually get to see him before she goes to bed at night

Whenever we eat now, Abby thinks she needs something to nibble on too
We were lucky enough to spend some time with Shane again and Abby gets so excited when she sees him.
This is how Abby gives kisses, it's the best

Yesterday, I took Abby into the doctor because she has been having a nasty cough and I just wanted to make sure that all was well with so many things going around. Turns out it is just a cold so she has been enjoying her 8 month mark with running eyes, nose, and a cough. Poor thing, you can tell she doesn't feel that hot. She's still a cutie though
If you would have told me that one day I'd have a blue eyed baby...I don't think I would have believed you. She was definitely blessed with her daddy's pretty eyes and long eyelashes
Can you see it?
This smile is my favorite. She looks like a little jack-o-latern with her one tooth grin.
I sure love this girl

Baby Blessing

2011-02-06T20:24:00.004-07:00

Today we were lucky enough to attend Shane's baby blessing. Lee did a great job and Darcie is such a good little mama. It was fun to get together with everyone again...can't wait for the next family function

Abby and Shane are exactly 6 months apart. He is so cute! Oh and I promise that at one point Abby had on shoes and a bow, they never last long...
All of the King cousins that were there...Kyle needs to have a baby ;)

Happy Groundhog Day...Bring on the Spring

2011-02-02T14:42:00.008-07:00

Another week bites the dust and we have been hanging out trying to stay warm.

Last weekend we went to Rock Springs and watched Kelsey and her team win again. I think their record is 18-4 and after the game, the girl's team was honored for being the National Academic Team Champions last year for their high grade point averages. Pretty neato. Way to get good grades Kels!

It was Labor Night so the local Labor Unions sponsored the game and everyone was able to get in for free. We also were able to enjoy all the food, drinks, and candy we could handle. Kyle was pretty happy they had grape Laffy TaffysThere were a lot of people at the games and it was loud
But none the less Abby was happy to see her aunt again

Abby is starting to have quite the personality and is beginning to be more nervous around strangers or those she hasn't seen in awhile. It makes church even more difficult than usual, but I've come to terms that Sundays will be one of the most struggle-some days of the week for many more years to come. Oh well. A couple weeks ago we made a trip to the doctor and discovered that she had an ear infection in both ears. She just finished up her antibiotics and is doing much better these days...and sleeping soooo much better, until about 5. It's lovely. Oh and yesterday we were lucky enough to have my cousin Darcie and her little 6 week old baby boy Shane come out and spend most of the day with us. He is a cutie and I am a slacker so there are no pictures, but Abby loved him. I think we'll be having many more play dates in the future. I'm so glad that two of my close cousins whom I grew up with (Kamalla and Darcie) have kids close to her age so she can at least have second cousins...I don't see Blake and I having any nieces and nephews in the near future. ;o)

Just some random pics of Abby in her overalls and boots...every time she wears shoes, she tries to get them off. She was unsuccessful this time

2011 and 7 Months Old

2011-01-18T19:49:00.008-07:00

Well it's now 2011. To celebrate the New Year we honestly didn't do anything thrilling. We just went over to the Naylor residence for dinner and some card games, then off to bed. Gotta love it

Abby is now 7 months old. She is getting so big and it seems like each day we find clothes that no longer fit. In fact, we're going to have to find a new car seat soon because after checking the manual the other night I found out that ours will only accommodate her until she reaches 30 inches...and already she is 29. Yup yup. Oh and you might be wondering what present Abby received for her 7 month mark...bottom teeth trying to come in. I had no idea until a couple days ago when she was drinking out of my glass I heard a funny sound. Lo and behold a little tooth just breaking through.

Ady and Abby playin a few days after Christmas
Playing Rummy on New Year's Eve. Abby eventually fell asleep in this position

Rocking with Grandma Great
No matter what she's doing, one of her feet has to be in the air.
Saying goodbye to Grandma Great on New Years Day
Hanging out at the Ballard party
We went to Lewiston and visited the Halls. Dax thought it was so funny to have Abby wear his shoes and Abby loved spending time with Minnie
The sippy cup is becoming pretty popular...most of the time she just likes to chew on the spout and leave teeth marks
Abby's favorite game is peekaboo
She gets so excited when the blanket gets close to covering her up

Christmas 2010

2010-12-28T12:09:00.004-07:00

Christmas this year was great. On the 23rd we attended the Ballard family party

and for Christmas Eve we kept the tradition alive and went up to Grandma and Grandpa King's house in Weston for our annual shindig. Lots of great food and company at both events and Santa even stopped by for a visit...and let me tell you he was one good Santa! Abby was pretty happy sitting on his lap until she decided that he didn't look so familiar anymore.

Abby loves Alisha...she'll make a good mom someday :o)

Anywho, we love spending time with family.

Christmas day was great and after Abby got us up early we drove over to the Naylor house to see what Santa had brought. And he definitely brought too much. Abby even fell asleep midway through.

The toy I was most excited for
The wrapping paper was a big hit

After a nice breakfast, it was off to see the Ballards and open gifts, have lunch, and talk to Brent. He's out in Portland now and doing great. Still trying to adjust and learn Spanish but he sounded happy.

Then it was back over to my family's to celebrate Grandma Naylor's 89th birthday! She is one amazing woman and we are so lucky that she came up to spend this special day with us.

Abby and Grandma Christmas morning while she opened her birthday presents

Christmas aftermath

Have a happy New Year!

6 Months

2010-12-21T21:29:00.008-07:00

Abby is 6 months old! Sheesh...I took her to the doctor on the 17th and she is doing great, still growing like crazy and is a whopping 28.5 inches tall. We're excited for her first Christmas this year and I have a couple Christmas photos I still need to upload, but in the mean time, please enjoy the many faces of Abby:

I'm glad those shots are over with

Man my hair rocks
Not too sure about this thing
But I'll still sit here and let you take pictures
Really? More pictures?!?
My impression of a homeless old woman
So glad aunt Kelsey is home
Feelin good, I love it when I don't have to wear pants
Grrr...please sit me back up
Cheerleader
So tired
Look what I can do with my lips
Grandpa's whiskers are fascinating
Yummy fingers
So happy
Are we done yet?

Western Wyo

2010-12-06T11:59:00.005-07:00

The Saturday after Thanksgiving, we made the trek up to Wyoming to watch Kelsey play in a tournament. We met up with my parents and brother who went for the weekend to watch. Since Kels couldn't come home for Thanksgiving it was nice to see her again. And I'm glad we were able to cheer her on. The game was so close and then in the last couple of minutes, Western started to come back. With five seconds left and down by one point, Kelsey was fouled while boxing out for a rebound and so she went to the free throw line to shoot one and one. And of course she is clutch and made them both so her team won. Wahoo! Go Mustangs!

Thankful

2010-11-25T20:23:00.003-07:00

Every year when I was growing up, we would drive to Weston, Idaho to spend Thanksgiving with my mom's parents, my grandma and grandpa King. There in a small farm house we would all come together, aunts, uncles, great aunts and uncles, and 30+ cousins. It was a tight fit with the chain of tables snaking around the kitchen into the living room, but we made it work and the food was always amazing. I miss those days sometimes but one particular thing has stuck with me from those celebrations. Once everyone had finished eating their Thanksgiving feast, we would go around the tables and say one or two things we were especially thankful for that year. Grandpa and Grandma would kick things off and slowly it would be the kids' turn. This year I didn't get the chance to say what I am thankful for so I thought I would post it on our blog...this year more than any other I am thankful for parents. I am thankful for my parents and Blake's parents and the chance we have to be parents. Nuff said.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

5 months

2010-11-17T15:44:00.008-07:00

Wow! She just gets cuter each day. We are loving the laughs, the funny faces, and being entertained as Abby discovers new things. Happy 5 months to our little Squeaker!

After watching her first volleyball game. USU ended up winning and Joss played great!

Enjoying the last little bit of fall

It was chilly so we had to come inside and get warm
Eating rice cereal is pretty messy, especially since Abby loves to try and help get the food in her mouth with her handsIt's easy to tell when she's had enough
Oh just eating her feet Getting so big!

Time sure flies...

2010-11-10T10:53:00.005-07:00

Today marks 3 years of married bliss. I have been reminiscing and looking at my past posts (mostly here) and old pictures and it's crazy to think how much has changed since I've known Blake. Not only do we look different, but in such a short time I have gone from attending USU and working to now being a stay at home mama. Blake has gone from being a farmer to contemplating other options and finally deciding on being a lineman. So now he's working for Logan City and the family farm and we're still poor, but things are great and it's neat to look back and see where our decisions in life have taken us. The biggest, scariest, and most exciting thing that has happened in the past three years has to be Abby. She is such a blessing and it's been neat to watch Blake with her. It makes me love him even more. I'm so grateful for Blake and his patience with me as our plans change and I freak out. Looking back I know that things really do happen for a reason and I'm grateful for a Heavenly Father who knows more than us.
I love you Blake and Abby.

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T07:21:00.009-06:00

I'm not a huge fan of this particular holiday, but it was pretty fun to dress up Abby and show off our cute little lady bug to everyone.

First though, here are some pictures taken throughout the week

The old lady smile she does all the time when thinking about something

Sucking on her thumb and trying her best to hide it
She still loves her baths

The little bug trying to eat some leaves

She also tried to eat some candy

We went and visited the firestation...

Grandma and Grandpa Naylor
Then we went over to the Ballards for some Halloween fun...
Grandma and Grandpa Ballard
Trying to hide from the camera

It's that time of year...

2010-10-22T20:51:00.004-06:00

for Basketball! Today we were able to go down to Salt Lake Community College and watch Kelsey's team play in a few scrimmages. We picked up Grandma Naylor and it was fun to spend time together. Unfortunately, Kelsey hyper-extended her knee during Thursday's practice so she was in a brace and unable to play, but it was fun to meet the team and spend some time with her and Grandma.
Abby was pretty excited to see them too! She loves talking to her Grandma Great and there were times when Grandma was telling a story and she would just stare at Grandma in fascination. Then after the games while I was holding Abby and Kelsey was talking to her, she reached out her arms and leaned for Kelsey to hold her...not once but three times! It was so cute! She loves her Aunt Kelsey :)

Abby did great the whole time we were there (4 hours) and she really enjoyed watching the game. Most of the day we couldn't get her to look at anything else except the girls running up and down the court:o) And after we took these pictures she was exhausted and ready for a nap. Doesn't she look so cute in her Mustang gear?

Updates

2010-10-18T07:21:00.012-06:00

I am trying to do better at blogging so here is a recap of the recent events...

This last week, Janessa turned 14 and of course we had to celebrate.
That day, all of us Ballard kids (plus Clint's girl Kim and Ty's friend Kyler) went up Logan Canyon to Right Hand Fork for a ride to celebrate the special day and go with Brent one more time before the mission. It was great and we passed lots of hunters along the way as well as some interesting folks. The ride back down the mountain was pretty chilly and poor Zane just sat in the truck with his hands and face pressed up against the heater while we waited for the boys to load up the toys.

Here's the whole crew

And another for good measure

Brent left for the MTC on Wednesday and we already miss him. These pictures were taken at his farewell

Yesterday, October 17 was quite the special day.

First of all, Abby is now 4 months old and such a sweetheart! Here we are at the Ballard house after church.
And here's Miss Magoo exhausted after a long day We go into the doctor this week and I'm excited to see how much she's grown, just not too thrilled about more shots...

Next on the list... 3 years ago, my family was able to be sealed together in the Logan Temple. It was such a memorable experience and has been a blessing that I will always be grateful for.

And finally on Sunday new ward boundaries were announced for the Benson area. There wasn't a drastic change and really only one street was affected. So we are no longer in the same ward as Blake's family and extended family and Todd is now the Bishop of Benson 1st ward. It will be weird to be the only Ballards in our ward.

Lucky

2010-10-05T17:58:00.006-06:00

Abby is one lucky gal to have so many people that love her! Here are just a few of those folks...

Abby with Uncle Jace who just returned from the Louisville, Kentucky Mission
He's such a good sport
Uncle Brent who is going to be serving in the Portland, Oregon Mission soon... we are definitely going to miss him!
Aunt Janessa who Abby sprawled out on during Conference
Grandma Naylor, we're so grateful to have her close by and really appreciate everything she does for us!
And here's miss Abby Magoo hanging out
She just loves the camera! :)

3 Months Already

2010-09-22T22:23:00.006-06:00

Well my blogging hasn't been the best and I apologize, but it's hard to find time to do it and usually when I do, it's past my bedtime. Anyways, we were able to get my camera fixed and also bought a handy dandy video camera so we have been having lots of fun filming our little one.

Abby is as cute as ever and pulls some of the greatest faces. It's been neat seeing her start to swat at her toys and figure out her surroundings. She puts everything in her mouth and especially loves to suck on two of her fingers. Last night she rolled over from her back to her belly, so it was quite the eventful evening ;). I don't know if she'll try it again...she hates being on her stomach.

Anywho, here's a little video of Abby and I chit chatting after church

And in this one my dad was playing with our new toy and you can see why Blake calls Abby his little Squeaker

In other news a new season of The Office starts this week...can't wait!

Laughing

2010-09-05T20:41:00.004-06:00

Well my camera broke and this sad loss has been the main reason for a lack of updates...

Anyways, Abby has been having some really rough days/nights due to a bad belly. So our Pediatrician now has her on formula that is soy based and I think it's really helping. In fact tonight was the first time she laughed. It honestly took us by surprise and we both did a double take. It was a great sound to hear and I loved watching her and Blake giggle as it was time to put her PJ's on. Here's a little clip that I hurried and took towards the end on a borrowed camera from my parents (thank you!) and please ignore the unmade bed...the sheets were still in the dryer :)

I just listened to this and I'm not sure what the clicking is...just glad we have this moment. It's off to Best Buy this week for an actual camcorder :)
Hopefully this formula is the trick and we can enjoy more fun nights!

Resourceful

2010-08-26T18:43:00.004-06:00

Last weekend, Abby and I made the trip down to see Grandma Naylor and Abby had her first sleepover at her Great Grandma's house. Blake had to stay home to work and when we made it back on Saturday, these very pretty flowers were on the table waiting for us. We love Blake so much and appreciate everything he does for us. He can fix anything, is a hard worker, and very resourceful (please notice what the flowers are in...I guess he couldn't find one of our vases) Love ya hon!

Photo Shoot

2010-08-15T19:19:00.005-06:00

On August 1st, we blessed Abby. It was a great day, Blake gave a wonderful blessing and we were so lucky to have so many family members make the long drive up. I still have a lot of catching up to do, and need to gather some more photos of the events but in the mean time please enjoy these pictures we took after the big day at my parent's house. Not too professional, but the bouncer and cute blanket Aunt Jojo made sure came in handy. And isn't Abby so adorable! Can you believe she is only 2 months old? Yes, I am already one of those parents that brags endlessly about their child...
deal with it ;o)

First picture of the day
She was pretty pumped

Then after awhile she was completely exhausted from posing and decided it was time to take a nap

My Mornings...

2010-08-13T16:33:00.004-06:00

...lately consist of waking up to find this cute girl. She is most definitely a morning person!

Abby's Announcement

2010-07-27T13:30:00.003-06:00

These pictures of Abby were taken by my good friend Krista way back when Abby was just 6 days old. It was definitely a memorable experience to say the least...but that's another story :) The pictures turned out great though and here's the announcement that I threw together using them. Thanks Krista!

He's Home!

2010-07-22T11:17:00.007-06:00

Kyle made it back from serving in the Mexico, Tijuana Mission on Tuesday, July 20 and it is so good to have him home!

Abby and Great Grandma Naylor patiently waiting
He finally came off the plane
Mom and Kyle

Dad and Kyle
Kelsey and Kyle
First time meeting Uncle Kyle..she was asleep, but they've had some good conversations since
Uncle Kyle

The whole crew
The Naylor FamAnd again
We went to Temple Square on the way home...you can kind of see usJust before getting released

4 Weeks

2010-07-16T14:37:00.004-06:00

Abby is 4 weeks old! Crazy huh? She is such a cutie and is starting to sleep better at night (let's just hope it lasts). Enjoy more pictures and I'm sure there will be more to follow, especially with her Uncle Kyle coming home on TUESDAY!!!

Aunt Kelsey is 19! Abby wore one of her favorite onesies for the occasion
All ready for her first outing to church
She did great and here she is when we made it home, pondering about the new things she learned

Not sure she wants to wake up
Abby likes to talk and smile in the mornings...it's great!

3 Weeks

2010-07-09T07:47:00.006-06:00

As of yesterday, Abby is 3 weeks old...sorry if you're getting sick of pictures

4th of July hanging out with Grandma NaylorShe was smiling and talking to us
The family had a bbq to celebrate our cousin Shane who was able to take some leave from serving in the army for a few days, it was great to see him again after such a long timeAbby was quite content with him holding her
And this is Abby's pop-eye look...

Grandma Ballard
Aunt Taybree
Aunt Janessa

Abby loves her bath time
But she especially loves looking in the mirror
I think her foot censors things enough...
Exhausted after her bath
Man she looks comfy
Time for bed

2 Weeks

2010-07-03T19:50:00.003-06:00

It's crazy to think that a little over two weeks ago Abby wasn't officially a member of our family yet...we sure are lucky to have her!

She's starting to smile
Abby wanted to be cool and have tall socks like aunt Kelsey
Getting ready for the day
Rockin the curler

Smitten

2010-06-29T16:45:00.009-06:00

We can't get enough of our little girl and as proud parents...please enjoy more pictures of Abby and some other folks too:)

1 week old

We like to chat
Aunt Kelsey
Abby likes to dance
Grandpa Naylor
Long hair...
She loves Grandma!
Just chillin
Grandpa Ballard on Father's Day
Uncle Brent stopped by after church
One of the ways she likes to sleep

Bath time

Abby and Dad enjoy their naps together