The Horses

Richard, Mary and I went up to our friends house to see his family's horses. It was an early birthday present to me to go horse back riding around the mountains with Richard and our friend, Matt!! Mary and Aunt TT explored the property where it was discovered that Mary LOVES to walk up and down hills! After we got back from our ride, Daddy helped Mary sit on the family's miniture horse, Susie! Mary did so good riding Susie! She even tried to share her apple with her!!! (Mary got to eat an apple picked fresh off the tree! She figured out how to bite into it!) It was such a pretty day!! We had such a nice visit with Aunt TT!! And Mary had so much fun with the horses- she's really looking foward to meeting Dandie- Gran and Grandaddy's horse!!!

Aunt TT and Mary walking up and down the hills!!

Mary's first time sitting on a horse!!

Mary and her new friend, Shania!

Mary getting to ride Susie! (She had a death grip on her apple!!)

Mary and Daddy enjoying their fresh picked apples!!

I just love this picture of her....

She looks like a little cowgirl!!!

Mary and Richard enjoying the hammock!!


After a long day of playing with the horses...Mary fell asleep on Aunt TT. (You can't see it, but she's clutching her apple!!)

Aunt TT's Visit

Aunt Terie came to Oregon to see us on September 21st. Even though Richard and I had to work both Friday and Saturday, Mary had such a fun time with Aunt TT! They went for walks, and went shopping, and they went to the museum here in town!!! It was such a nice visit and Terie got to be here for my birthday!!

Mary posing outside of the Discovery Center


Climbing into the canoe at the Lewis and Clark exhibit







Mary and Aunt TT were playing chase while Mary was trying to drag Mommy's birthday balloons around the house!!

Mary and Daddy

This is a video of Mary's and her daddy's favorite game! They take turns chasing each other and when one catches the other, they TICKLE!!! It's so cute to watch her run from and then run after Daddy!

The Cake and Presents!!

This is the dress that both Karen and I wore on our first birthdays!

Mary's cake that Chris Velasco made for Mary!!

She wasn't sure what to think about the icing...

The finished product!

Mommy helping Mary open her presents!

Mary got distracted with her new "My Little Pony"

Her Party!

On Saturday, we had a birthday party for Mary at our friends house! All of Mary's friends showed up!! She had a great time (in the beginning, towards the end she was getting a little tired...) She helped open up her presents and took a big fist full of cake- she tried it, but she's not big into sweets! She was such a big girl playing in the yard with the other kids!! We also got her 1 year pictures done at Olan Mills!! So except to see those soon!!

Mary with her "Pablo" balloon. We had a "Backyardigans" theme!! (You can see the "Uniqua" balloon in the background!)








Mary had so much fun playing in the yard and in the grass!!

Gran and Grandaddy's Trip to Oregon

My mom and dad came to Oregon for a few days to celebrate Mary's birthday!! It was such a nice visit even though it was short!! When we met them at the airport, Mary just walked right over to them (They haven't gotten to see her walk yet!)

Mary helping Grandaddy make breakfast...she just woke up!

MARY'S BIRTHDAY!!

We all went out to a Mexican restuarant called Xtapa for Mary's birthday!! It was really a nice time- she was very well behaved while eating her brocoli and cheese and her cheerios and the waiter brought her some apple juice to go with dinner!! Afterwards, they brought out some fried icecream with strawberry sauce! Mary wasn't too sure about it, but she did get some on her finger and eat that...I think she just enjoyed feeling the cool-whip on her fingers.... (She's a VERY picky eater!) Here are the pictures from Xtapa!

She was trying to make faces at her Aunt Vandie!

This is the sombrero they gave her while they sang to her. She got to keep it!

She's playing around with the cool whip... She didn't really care for it...

Mommy and Daddy let her try to feed herself!!! She's such a big girl!!

BIRTHDAY!!

These are pictures of Mary's new toy that Daddy picked out for her! It was an early birthday present (we gave it to her on Sunday so Daddy could watch her play with it!) She's really figured out how to make the different parts make noise (Like the light switch will say "Lights on" when turned on and "lights off" when turned off!) She just looks so grown up playing with her Laugh and Learn Kitchen.....

Today, we went to the river with some friends of ours to ride on their new sea- doos. Richard and I had a blast (even though I thought it was FREEZING!) And Mary had so much fun playing in the grass!! She was walking all around our picnic table and just kept picking up leaves and sticks and bringing them to me... It was so cute!! We took her down to the water, but she agreed with Mommy- it was to cold! I got some cute pictures of her though!!

She gave me this smile after I caught her trying to eat a leave. She's smiling as if to say "I wasn't doing anything wrong!"

She made a game of walking under the table and playing "peek-a- boo" on the other side!!

We finally figured out how to send a video of Mary walking!!! This is her walking down the hallway to Daddy!!

Adventures of Bunny!

Mary sleeping with Bunny

A slight miracle happened that I just have to write about. On Sunday, we lost "Bunny", Mary's much loved bunny rabit/ blanket. We had a cook out at our friends moms house and somehow "Bunny" didn't make it into the truck! We were so upset!! Even though we had bought a back up bunny, it was still sad!! Our friends looked EVERYWHERE for "Bunny" but couldn't find it!! On Wednesday, Mary and I were watching old home videos of when she was younger and "Bunny" just kept popping up everywhere. So, I thought I would utter a quick prayer to St. Anthony. I asked him if he got some time could he possibly help find "Bunny" and not two minutes later, Ginnie called to tell me they found "Bunny"! She was out in the corn field and her husband just happened to glance that way as he was taking a load out to the compost!!! I couldn't believe it! Anyway, we have "Bunny" back and Mary is happy again!! (I don't think she actually realized it was lost....)

Daddy and Mary enjoying the hammock at the cook out

She's WALKING!

I haven't been able to find a way to get a video of her walking on here...but this is a picture of her while she's walking. She walks all the time now!! Not far distances, but she's getting there! She walks farther and farther every day!!!

Mary is almost a year old! I can't believe how fast this year has gone! And how much she has changed!! She's officially a toddler seeing as she WALKS everywhere!! And she has gotten very vocal- though her words aren't distinguishable yet. She loves her cheerios and will share with mommy and daddy by putting them in our mouth! She's so sweet!! She also loves her apple juice and drinks it "from a big girls cup"!