Our new life

We are slowly but surely getting settled into our new life. I started back to work at a small orthopedic hospital in Phoenix called Oasis. And it is just that! It's such a gorgeous place to go to work. How fortunate I was to find this place. The people who I work with are my family and I love calling this place my second home. Fortunately after working full time for the last month I will be able to cut back and work only part-time as planned. I think working less will give our family the most optimal balance. The girls have started pre-school and after a less than enjoyable experience with our first school, we have started the girls in a community school that has brought so much happiness and joy to all of us. Leia has swim lessons at school and truly has the time of her life. James is busy working crazy hours. Unfortunately for him, the summers bring the most business and that means being outdoor for 10 plus hours in the unbelievable AZ heat. He takes it like a champ!

Grandpa Clunie recently had a stroke and a subsequent surgery to remove the clot in his artery. Grandpa, we are praying for you and sending you love, support, and good thoughts your way.

Happy Birthday Grandpa! We love you so much.

Leia and Nora enjoy eating dinner together at the very same table that Grandma Sandra and her sisters ate on when they were little. I love how life repeats itself!

Poor Nora always gets pushed out of the way!

Nora throwing rocks in the pool

Leia at the pool at her preschool

First day of school

This is how they sleep at night!



This is what they look like in the morning!

Funny quotes of the month from Leia:

• "Mommy since your Daddy died, I will share my Daddy with you"
• When Mommy asked her why she is not listening, she replied "Mommy, I have had my listening ears on all day at school. I wanted to take them off when I got home"
• Her daily saying "we eat babies" as she kisses her sister
• After pooping in the potty everyday, she makes sure no one flushes it so she can show it to her best friend Scarlett saying "I'm saving it for Scarlett. She loves to see my poop"

Iowa trip

We made a last minute trip to Iowa to visit my mother's family and to honor my Grandmother who passed away last week.  We truly enjoyed visiting all my Iowa relatives. I feel so close to all of them and it was wonderful to see Leia and Nora enjoying all of their cousins.

Happy Birthday Aunt Ruthie

Cousin Angie and me relaxing in the yard



Happy Birthday Grandpa

Cousin Lizzy and me with our 1 year old girls

Little David with Leia and cousin Nora

 

Happy 4th of July!!

We headed to San Diego to see our family and friends. We were able to spend time with my brother-in-law John and his new beautiful wife Bianca, as well as Uncle Mike's family, and my best friend Erin's family.

Nora loves car rides

We loved hanging out with Erin and her baby Oliver

Nora and baby Oliver

Nora's Buddha belly

We moved into our dream home!

We were able to close Escrow in 3 weeks and we feel like we were so lucky to own this home in Scottsdale. No doubt, there is a LOT of work to do, but that's one aspect we love about it--we can make it our own! The house sits on a 1.5 acre lot in a cul-de-sac in a gated community. We will be spending the next few years updating, remodeling, and expanding this home to make sure we have room for plenty of visitors.

We have truly been enjoying swimming in our pool every night. That's about the only time we can go outside during the 120 degree weather here in AZ. I never knew how much I would love the heat and the sunshine. 

 

 

Check out the You-tube video of our home:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUy3qzFFpBs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

 

 

Happy Father's Day James! We celebrated Father's Day at Home Depot where the girls used multiple tools to create a lawn mower pencil stand for their Daddy.  James went to Jesse's bachelor party and my Mom and I decided to surprise him for Father's Day and arranged for everything to be moved from our apartment to our new house. He was so happy to return home to his new home!

 

 

 

The month of May

Mom and I took the girls to Disneyland in May in honor of both of their birthdays and Mother's Day.

Celebrating the girls' birthday with our friends in D-land



       We celebrated Nora's birthday on May 18th with Grandma Sandra and Auntie Gina

Grandma Sandra and the girls

Leia had her first dance recital and she was so excited to show off her moves on stage

 



 

 

Scarlett and Leia celebrated their birthdays together with a girly girl make over and tea party

 

 

 

 

Soul mates

 

Happy 1st Birthday Nora

Notes to Nora

It’s 11pm on May 17^th 2013. I distinctly remember the painful labor contractions I was feeling on this same couch exactly 1 year ago today. I spent the entire night focusing on ignoring the pain and concentrating on counting the seconds in between each increasingly painful contraction. What a difference a year makes!! You turn 1 year old tomorrow and the sheer thought of it brings tears to my eyes. Did I know when I stayed up that night with those contractions that I would be blessed with such a beautiful and kind daughter? Did I have any idea that you would be is so easy-going and lovely? Did I anticipate how calm and soulfully happy you would be or that you would make everyone happy with your endless smiles? Was it on my radar that you and your sister would enjoy each other so much and having you in our world makes me love Leia even more? And did I realize that I was on the brink of discovering what it felt like have my heart expand instantaneously with so much love AGAIN?

 

You are one of the most powerful human beings in my world and you are merely 1 year old. Nora, I love your sweet mannerisms. I love that we can take you anywhere and you never complain. I love that your juicy roles invite everyone around us no matter where we are to request to squeeze you. I love your sweet ringlet curls and your big brown eyes. I love that you can’t stand when I leave the room and you follow me everywhere I go. I love that you still to this day hate being dressed but as soon as we put your arms in the outfit, you smile and laugh as if to say “that was no big deal”. I love that your laughter can be heard throughout the house at all times. I love that you are my Curious George and no matter how many times we child-proof our house; you find a way to undo the protective device. I love that cartoons can hypnotize you in an instant and you fall right to sleep in your Daddy’s arms. I love that you make sure to stay up past Leia’s bed-time so you can enjoy one-on-one time with Mommy and Daddy, I love that you never cry in the middle of the night from your crib if you are hungry but instead just stand up and in the sweetest voice holler “Baaahh” like a little sheep until we come get you. I love that you enjoy swimming and never get scared when we put you under the water. I love that you are my human vacuum and eat anything and everything (edible or not).  I love that music makes you dance and shake your booty as soon as you hear a tune. I love the way you look at your sister with such admiration and enjoyment. Nora Suzanne Robertson, I love you with every beat of my heart. You have completed our family and I am so grateful to have you in my life. You have made us so happy.

Happy 1^st Birthday my sweet angel!  

We love you so much.

 

11 months



11 months and nearly walking 

11 months at park with sister

11 months with Daddy doing pull-ups

10 months playing with Mommy's breast pump supplies

9 months in bath

9 months playing with Grandma

9 months enjoying books at library

First ice cream sundae at 8 months

crawling at 7 months
 

7 months enjoying stroller rides



6 months playing in your jumper

5 months

5 month Pumpkin for Halloween





4 months

3 months

10 days old



2 minutes old