Apple Picking

We went apple picking this weekend with our favorite Hansen’s Family. Alana was SO excited to pick apples with Cade, Carter and Lexi. It was about to rain so the kids where picking as fast as they could. Uel climbed up the tree to throw apples down at us, the kids had a ball. By, the time we where done the rain was coming down super hard, which Alana loved. She kept telling us she was all wet and needed a towel. After, we got back in the car Alana was smiling from ear to ear telling us how Amber and Daddy had to help because the apples where too high. John told her that one day she would big and tall Alana said “first I have to have my water to get big daddy, like the trees”. So, we started talking again about how everything needs food and water to grow. Then she told us that Apple starts with an “A”, I tell her that all the time, I’m so glad she has been listening. At dinner later that night, apple picking is all she could talk about, to be two again life is so simple and prefect.

Alana and Carter
Alana having a blast!
The rain was really coming down


Cade hanging out the in the Tree
Uel picking the good ones for us!
Amber and Lexi

Alana all wet in the car! Carter looking so CUTE!!

SUMMER TIME FUN!!!

Summer time is coming to end very fast! We started the summer out in Omaha, NE where Alana did a painting class and went to swimming lessons. The weather in Omaha was weird, it rained almost everyday and had some mean storms but when the sun was shinning it was BEATIUFUL!! Alana and I went to the Zoo, Botanic Gardens and all the local parks. We even made it to the College World Series, which made John’s summer.

In July we came back home to THE HEAT!! OMG, the highs in Omaha had been in the low 80’s, but even with the 100 agree heat we where SO glad to have our house back!! After, being home for a short 10 days Alana and I headed to Dallas for Miss Emily Grace’s 6th Birthday! What a blast we had but again we where ready to be home in our beds, by then Alana and I had been gone for almost 4 long months!! The rest of the summer was spent in EL PASO, enjoying the friends we had missed so much. As I posted before Emily and Will came for a visit, which was a blast but exhausting. John made a trip out to Spain over the 4th of July for conference with work. So in all we had a great summer, it’s sad to see it end because my best friend (Amber) and her family will be moving next June. I have known since starting residency that she will leave me behind but I find myself sad at thought that she won’t be here next summer. The pool won’t be the same with out The Hansen’s! She keeps telling me it will go fast but it just won’t be the same. Alana is going to be so sad when Amber moves with “HER BABY LUKE”. Amber is pregnant and Alana tells everyone about it and then follows it with but there’s not a baby in my mommy’s tummy just in Ambers. It’s super cute, when I tell you she tells everyone I mean it, her teacher asked me who Amber was. Just tells you how much we are together. It’s going to be a lonely summer next year, but it will be our last here in El Paso, so there is good with the bad.

Alana starts School!!

On Thursday Alana had her first day of Pre-School. She was SO excited to go to school. She couldn’t wait to have lunch with her new friends. The whole way to the school she kept saying “I go to school and have lunch with my new friend’s mommy”.

It was bitter sweet for me, having a few hours a week to myself sounded wonderful but she is my baby. As we walked up to her classroom she was jumping out of excitement. I put her pack away and turn around, she was gone playing with her new friends. I watched her for a second and blow her a kiss (she was way too busy to kiss me goodbye), as I walked out the door sadness over came me for only a second, I knew we made the right decision! She was more than ready for Pre-School!



I had a great day, I went and spent the day with my girlfriends getting a pedicure and having a mommy only lunch but 2:30 couldn’t come fast enough. I was more than ready to see her. When I walked into her classroom she was sitting in her teacher’s lap reading a book, when I said her name she just looked up and smiled. She could have cared less that I walked in. Her teacher told me she couldn’t believe how well Alana talked, and knew so much. She also told me Alana was the most well adjusted kid in the class. My baby is growing way too fast, I wish so much she could stay 2 a little longer.

Yaya Papaya

Alana had her picture taken in the cutest TuTu EVER last month. When People walk in to my house it's the first thing they comment about. They are having a great giveaway. Check it out!!

http://www.yayapapayatutus.blogspot.com/

Alana can Spell her name!!

So, a few days ago I posted that Alana couldn’t spell her name... I was so wrong (I thought she could and was pretending she couldn’t). Today, we where driving down the road and she was sitting in her car seat looking super cute with her sunglasses on and her juice box in hand. She said "A L A N A... ALANA" I started clapping yelling yea, you can spell your name and she did again "A L A N A". I get my phone saying let's call daddy and spell your name for him, Alana said "I not spell my name for my daddy, he at work". He was so excited when I told him she could spell her name. She catches on to things so fast, it was so hard for me to understand why she couldn’t spell her name. I think she had our number on this one, just waiting for the prefect moment to show me her new trick. The joys of mother hood, it’s moments like this that make life as a mother so wonderful.

Alana knows her letters!

OMG, I am so proud of Alana. I have been working with her all summer my goal was for her to know all her letters, birthday, and count to 20 and spell her name! I was never so socked, when John was getting her out the car yesterday at Lowe's, he had a RICE Baseball shirt on, Alana pointed to all the letters saying what there where. Then she did the word baseball. I smiled at John, he told me I couldn't teach her them all by the end of the summer… I guess once again mommy knows best! She can count to 15 but not 20 yet at least. She also knows most of her shapes; she knows her colors but likes to pretend that she can’t remember. Her name is a little harder, she gets confused with all the A’s in it. She can tell you all the letters in it but when you have 5 letters in your name 3 of them are A’s that is what happens! I will have to post a video of her saying her name the way she says Alana Horton is super cute. Not so cute when she calls John and I by our names. On Saturday night, I was walking home with her from our neighbors and she starting yelling “JOHN HORTON COME HERE” it was super cute. He of course came running. He is in so much trouble when she is 16!!

Owen and Alana

Well if you know us at all you know, Owen is Alana’s little friend who lives a few doors down. They love each other, over the last 5 months they haven’t seen each other much, with my surgery and then our two months in Omaha, NE once we got back The Brown’s left to go back home for a month. Well, he is back and they where so excited to see each other. Here are some pictures, of them on Saturday night, we love having them right there.

Emily and Will Visit!

Last week, Emily, Will and Nina came to visit for a week. Alana was so excited to have her cousins come out to see her. We spent the week shopping, going to the pool and hanging out with friends. Really, all the kids wanted to do was play together. They had a BLAST! I love seeing the cousins together. They get along so well. Since my mom came out with them, John and I went on our first date since my surgery. We celebrated being together 7 years a few weeks early. John loved seeing the kids, since his work schedule is so busy he can’t see them as much as I do. The time flew by before we knew it the week was over. The day they flew home Alana cried telling me “I go on a plane too mommy, big trip.” She is referring to our BIG Omaha trip a few months ago. Alana loves to go! Emily is getting so big she is starting Kindergarten in a few weeks. Super William is such a delight to be around, loves taking care of his sister. I wish so much they lived closer. Last year, Will was still too young to come out, we where all so worried that he would get home sick but he didn’t in fact he as already packed to come back next year! We can’t wait! I wish I could have my other three nephews come also.

Princess Alana and Princess Haley

We had dinner with some friends a few weeks ago and I had to post the pictures. Alana and Haley had so much FUN! Most of my girlfriends have boys so I don’t see Alana around other little girls very often. It was SO much fun to watch them. We had Princess Haley as Cinderella and Princess Alana as Bell. OMG, you should been there. Alana cried the whole way home and then slept until 10am the next morning. The first thing she said to me was “I go back to Haley’s house”. We plan to get the girls together more often.

Alana and Her Tea Parties!

Alana has really started to get into Tea Parties. I most of had a 100 a day with her in the beginning, now it’s just once or twice a day. She got a tea set for doing so well with her potty training. She is 100% potty trained now. It didn’t take much, she told me back in June “I NOT WEAR diapers, I wear panties". She is a very strong-willed child. She knows what she wants, just ask her she will tell you all about it.

Forgot that we had a blog spot!

Today, I sat down to start a blog spot for Alana and found that I already start one last November. I remember now starting it. Life got really crazy for us after that. Most of you know that a tumor was found in my spine in January and I under went surgery on March 14th! So, I guess I will use that as my excuse.