Thanksgiving time!!!!

 I was so happy when I found this cute little thanksgiving outfit for Quincey at the Goodwill. It had a turkey on it.  I have been waiting a couple months for her to wear it.  

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday and this year we were blessed with our friends coming over.  They left town and moved back to Canada the next day so it was also a farewell.  

Quincey has gotten to know their little son Nolan and their dog Blue quite well.  She still asks for them every couple days.

We had a wonderful evening together and, Quincey was cute as could be in her outfit!

Of course Joe made his apple pie which has become a fun tradition.  He seems to throw it together every year and every year, it turns out amazing!  Like he's been doing it forever.

And, Quincey even made some arts and crafts for the big dinner.  She painted this plate all by herself and I cut out her hand for the feathers.

Fun in the Fall

Well, it's fall time!  The cute coats have come out and the shorts have been packed away.  Quincey has been enjoying the falling leaves.  She has even helped mama rake the yard numerous times with her own special little rake.  But, then she promptly grabs arm fulls of leaves and spreads them all over the yard to be raked again.  She seems to think it's a game.  It's too cute to be upset about though.  

This was last year around this time.  My, how she has grown!

Alana Gallegos Open Space

 Papa had to work the other weekend so, Quincey and I decided to get out of the house.  We went to one of my favorite spots in the foothills of the Sandia's.  We just had such a good time.  It was a marvelous afternoon of special mommy/daughter time.  And... she wore the cutest little hat.

McCauley Hot Springs

 It has been quite some time since we have taken a day to go to the mountain and boy, was it worth it. We really wanted to see the fall colors. Little Quincey absolutely loves being outdoors and, this was the first time hiking with her that she did some of her own hiking.  In fact, if she has to be in the hiking pack for too long, she gets cranky.  She used to love it and see it as such a novelty but now, she wants to be independent and hike just like us.  The problem is that she stops for every pine cone and rock she sees so, we don't make much progress.

We have been to the McCauley Hot Springs site numerous times but never actually gotten to the hot springs.  We finally made it up there.  Quincey loved getting in the water.  It was only luke warm.  She just stood there though and didn't quite know what to do with all the weeds and mud under her feet.  

But, she did not like having to get out of the water and get in dry clothes.  There were lots of tears.

We had an amazing time.  Such a beautiful hike and wonderful mountains.  It was refreshing to all of our souls.

The Best Surprise Ever!

 A few weeks ago, there I was sitting in the living room reading books to Quincey and there was a knock at the door...

But, before I get to that, let me back up.  I have had a few surprises thrown for me.  All of them not AT ALL being an actual surprise.  I remember my mom throwing a surprise birthday party for me.  I think it was for my 16th birthday.  She held it at the Pizza Barn and I knew the whole day before that it was happening.  I remember acting surprised and never telling her that I had figured it out.

These sorts of surprises have happened a few times in my life.  The birthday party, my "surprise" baby shower at work that I knew all about, the proposal from my husband I knew was going to happen etc.  You get the point.  All these surprises, as great as they were, did not actually surprise me.  I knew that they were happening long before they happened.

But, there I was sitting there with Quincey in the living room reading books.  We had all not been feeling well for the last couple days.  First Quincey came down with a cold, the Joe started to feel icky and the next day, I was feeling a little under the weather.  So, when Joe told me that he had decided to give me the night off and order delivery from The Outback Steak House, I was so pleasantly surprised that I didn't think twice about it.  I also didn't give it much thought when minutes after that, he told me that he was going to go to the store and get some deli chicken that he could take to the field with him the next day for work.  This too came as a pleasant surprise because when Joe goes to the field for work, I always have to pack him a lunch.  But again, I chalked it up to him wanting me to take it easy.  Either way, I wasn't going to question it.  I was getting the good end of the stick! 

Before he left for the grocery store to "get his chicken" he made it clear that it was delivery he had ordered and I would need to answer the door when they showed up.  Although we have not once ordered delivery to our house, I gave it not a second thought.  

So, when there was a knock on the door, I jumped to get our steaks.  But what I found was not steaks or a delivery person.  I found my sister and my niece.  I could NOT believe it!  It was pure and utter shock for me.  There stood Grace and baby Afton!  Let me repeat, I could NOT believe it.  This was the first ever legit surprise for me.  I was absolutely so surprised and so over the moon and I kept saying, "what are you doing here!? What are you doing here!?"

I have said this before and I'll say it again, there is something super special about sharing the most amazing thing in your world with the most amazing people in your world.  I'll say it again, I have spent most the years of my life being the bona fide Auntie.  And, although I cherished my time throwing my life into that role, I sure do love getting to be the mommy now and seeing my sisters dote over Quincey.  For the first year of her life, I would lay in bed and day dream about my sisters visiting and how cool it would be.  So, legit, such an amazing surprise! I couldn't believe it.  I just couldn't believe it.  

Quincey immediately went to Grace.  She had absolutely no problem warming up to either of them.  I'm sure Quincey could feel the familiarity and comfort between all of us and followed the lead. 

I think for the whole visit, which ended up being three nights and two full days, I was in shock.  At least for the first 24 hours, I just could not wrap my head around them being here.  I was so full of happiness.  It was absolutely amazing.  And, we did a whole lot of nothing which was also perfect.  We cooked some good meals and ate well, we watched a lot of master chef, which Joe and I are STILL watching nightly, and Quincey got a lot of love.  

I had been telling Grace that I wished she could visit before December because she is coming in December and I hadn't seen her since May.  I was ever starting to try to figure out a way that I could possibly make it to Greeley for a couple days but each time I broached the subject, I stopped myself knowing that it would be grueling to try to drive 7 hours alone with Quincey at the age she is at.  So, I had settled with the fact that it wouldn't be until December to have family around.  

What a truly amazing way to spend a weekend.