Toddler Messes

One evening shortly before dinner, I came out of the bedroom from nursing Nathan and found this mess:

Savannah proudly told me, "Baby wants a snack!" Quinoa (which I was ironically about to pull out for dinner) was everywhere! It was a huge mess, but really one of the first big messes Savannah has made. I love how she had the plate filled with quinoa and Baby in the bumbo ready to eat. She is very contentious about her Baby's needs.

Nathan's Blessing

Nathan was blessed in our church on September 7th. We were grateful to have so many family members there. We weren't able to get pictures afterwards because of responsibilities we both had, but we snapped these later that day at home. 

Nathan is a very sweet and special little boy. His smile lights up a room, and certainly has brought so much happiness to our home. We are so grateful to have him in our family!

Life

So this is what you do when you won't take a nap!

Savannah's favorite song is "I Am a Child of God." She often asks me to sing it to her throughout the day, and loves to sit at the piano with me while I sing it and other songs of her choosing.

Savannah loves this big green monkey. One day she found her swimsuit and wanted monkey to wear it. Then she wanted to take Monkey outside to swing and play in the grass. 

You always need a first day of school picture--even if it is your second year of medical school! Back to the grindstone!

Savannah loves to paint and do art projects. Since she has learned her colors, she enjoys choosing the colors to use. She seems to prefer blue, pink, and white.

I think this was the last picture we took before cutting his hair, which was starting to look somewhat ridiculous with its balding patterns.

Handsome little blondie! My dark hair has failed to come through again!

Savannah loves to play in soapy water with bowls, whisks, spoons, and measuring cups. This activity has been great for her.

Nathan looks unsure about the baby Savannah shared with him.

We enjoy going over to my Mom's house each week to play with cousins. On this day, we were having a birthday party for three of the cousins. These girls all loved the balloons Aunt Lisa brought!

Big boy in the bumbo!

By far her favorite thing to do--wing! It is used every day. Best birthday gift ever!

We sure love this smiley guy. It is rare that he is unhappy. I am so grateful for how easily he smiles and giggles.

The inaugural walk in the double stroller. Savannah loves having Nathan right next to her during walks now.

Dinner on the grass!

"I make this for Nathan!"

-Savannah

COT

I sure am proud of Justin for going through a tough month of training for the Air Force! He learned so much from his training and we are both glad he was able to gain that experience. I am so grateful for the selfless and wonderful man he is, and for all he does for our family. 

Three Weeks of Fun!!

After Justin returned from COT, we had three weeks together before school would start up again. We took a little trip that first week to Flagstaff and then to Leeds, UT to visit Justin's grandparents. 

Up in Flagstaff, Justin took Savannah fishing with him one morning. They didn't catch anything, but enjoyed a fun time together with a beautiful view of the lake. 

You can almost miss Savannah in this picture
if it weren't for the little pink hat!

We also went to our favorite Mexican food place in Flagstaff, Tacos los Altos, where Savannah thoroughly enjoyed some rice and beans. Before heading out of Flagstaff, we hiked in Walnut Canyon. It was a beautiful day and we had a nice hike with a picnic lunch at the end. Thanks for the recommendation, Dad!

Nathan is the first great-grandson carrying on the Dickson name, and this was his first time meeting his Dickson great-grandparents. We had to get a picture of Grandpa Lee, Justin, and Nathan all together. I somehow missed the picture with Grandma Nola.

Before Nathan quit taking his pacifier, Savannah was always on top of where it was and whether Nathan needed it. I started calling her the 'Pacifier Police.' If he started fussing even a little, she would say, "Nathan need his pacifier!" It was all rather humorous, considering she never ever took one. She is rather sad that he won't take it anymore.

For Savannah's second birthday, we got a swing to hang on our back patio. She has LOVED it! During one of the monsoons, she asked to go swinging, so we took her out. She enjoyed swinging in the rain, and was completely soaked when she was all done!

Justin found these cute pink shoes in his closet one day.

She thought getting swaddled looked like fun.

We enjoyed the Thomas Family Reunion, despite having rough nights with our kids. I only got a few pictures during the weekend. Justin took a some of kids on a berry hunt.

I was so grateful we had a few weeks to enjoy time together, work on some projects, and get geared up for another school year.

July

During the whole month of July, Justin attended Air Force Commissioned Officer Training. He is receiving a scholarship for medical school from the Air Force and became a Second Lieutenant in May. We are so very excited and grateful for this opportunity to be in the military! While we missed Justin so much during that month, we were grateful that my parents allowed us to stay with them. I appreciated the help and good company, and Savannah loved living at Grandpa and Grandma's house for the month.

This girl LOVES to swim and splash with Grandpa!

I found these little people gathered around the table in a different spot in the house nearly every day.

After a practice run through before Justin left, Savannah knew exactly what to do on her real birthday.

Cute boy--still lots of dark hair!

Savannah loved having daily access to the kitchen set and all the play food!

Random Pictures

Here are some random pictures ranging from last spring until when Justin left for Air Force Commissioned Officer Training.

Savannah and Averi playing with Grandma's necklaces.

Celebrating the semester's end by feeding the ducks!

Our sweet little Nathan.

Soaking up the fun with Daddy before his training in Alabama.

The early birthday party with Daddy and family.

She loves chocolate!

Family picture the night before Justin left.