HALLOWEEN

Minnie Mouse

Cute little monkey

This year for Halloween we were in St. George with the Geisler family. We had a great time going to the Sand Dunes, golfing, shopping at the outlets, hiking at Zion National Park, and of course trick or treating.

Sweet Boy

Happy Birthday!

Our sweet little Avery turned 3 a few weeks ago. This year she wanted a lady bug birthday cake. I couldn't quite figure out how to make black frosting, so we settled for a pink and brown lady bug! She had a birthday party at a nearby park with a few friends where we had pizza, cake and ice cream, and went on a bug hunt (the kids captured little plastic bugs that Dustin hid in the grass).

The following weekend we were in Utah, so we were able to celebrate her birthday with both of our families.

Some of Avery's favorites from this year:

Playing tickle tackle with Dad

Having parties with her stuffed animals

Playing with her cars

Talking to Grandmas and Grandpas on the webcam

Jumping on the trampoline

Nola bars (granola bars)

Being a big sister

Dum Dums

Preschool

Listening to "her" music in the car

Dates from the granola cereal

Playing catch

Reading Curious George

Happy Birthday Sweetie! We love you!

Meet Dane Dustin Dial

Dane joined our family on August 10th. He came one week early by c-section and was 6 lbs 3 oz and 19 inches long. It has been so much fun cuddling with a little newborn again!

Avery is taking the role of big sister very seriously! She has done a great job and loves to help take care of baby brother.

Staying Cool

We've been spending a lot of time at the pool this summer. Avery loves it and to be honest, so do I. It's keeping this pregnant lady cool during the summer and it wears Avery out!

A Girl and Her Trucks

Some of Avery's favorite things to play with; her cars and trucks and the buttons!

Life in Colorado

I can't believe how fast this summer is flying past us. We've been enjoying every minute of it, I just haven't been blogging about it. Here's a little update on what we've been up to.

Avery is potty trained!!!! The beginning of May, Avery and I went shopping and she got to pick out a potty seat cover and some princess underwear. May was going to be such a busy month for us so I was planning on waiting until June to get started. When we got back from the store she wanted to sit on her little potty and for the next couple of days asked to wear her princess underwear and sit on her little potty. How could I say no to that! We put the diapers away and got started. For the first 2 days I was wondering what I had gotten myself into, but after that, something clicked and it was a whole new ballgame. (The fact that she hates, hates, to be wet also was a huge motivator for her to make it to the potty). She has been out of diapers now for about 2 months and is doing great. We still have the occasional accident and she is wearing pull-ups at night, but man, it's been so nice NOT having diapers to change.

The middle of May my parents came out and stayed with us for a week. We loved having them here, especially Avery who had Grandma and Grandpa all to herself. We went hiking, sightseeing, to the zoo, swimming, to a sky sox baseball game, and the boys got a few golf games in.

On May 24th, Dustin turned 30! For his birthday, I booked us a night at a condo in Estes Park. A good friend watched Avery so we had a couple of days to spend some time together and get away from the every day distractions. Estes Park was beautiful and is right at the mouth of Rocky Mountain National Forest. We had a great time driving through the park, fishing, hiking, sleeping in, and walking through the shops on Main Street.

Rocky Mountain National Forest

There was still a ton of snow on the sides of the roads at the top of the mountains.

We had a little miscommunication getting stuff packed up in the car, so my tennis shoes were left home. We had planned on doing this little hike to Alberta Falls, and since it was less than a mile long up to the water, I figured I would be just fine doing it in flip flops. As we continued to climb the trail we ran into snow. It actually felt good since it was pretty warm outside, but I'm sure that the other hikers we met on the trail were thinking that I was crazy. Here I am pregnant, hiking in flip flops, and trudging through the snow. We had a blast and it was a much needed little getaway!

The beginning of June, we flew up to Idaho to spend a few days with family. My mom and two sisters, Grandma, a few aunts, and a cousin, all went to Time Out For Women in Pocatello while the guys played with the kids. Here are some pictures of their trip to Bear World.

We have about 4 more weeks until the little guy will join our family. The rest of our summer will be spent relaxing at the pool and getting ready for his arrival! We love summer.