My Cousins! (said in an enthusiastic voice)

Our family was able to go out to Utah to visit family this August and we had so much fun!  It was great to break away from this suppressing heat here in Texas (the hottest summer on record).  We have had 29 of 30 days over 100 degrees this August.  Bleh!  

Anyway,  the girls and I headed out a week before our family reunion to play and then Mike joined us at Bear lake.  The girls did awesome on the flight over, due to MANY prayers said on my behalf ensuring that I could take them by myself on the flight.  No one cried the whole flight,  that doesn't even happen at home!  

We had so much fun playing at Grandma's and Grandpa's house, but I didn't take too many pictures of our playing and relaxing there.  Here are a few that I did manage to snap.

 This is Allie being "Tangled" and singing I've got a dream.  She has this song memorized and it starts with "I'm malicious mean and scary" which is too cute coming from a 2 year old.  We were at the mall and they had a kids table with toys at one of the stores with a viking character from Tangled.  She ran up and said, "It's a Malicious Mean and Scary!"

 "What are you doing to me mom?"

 You might think that Hadley has lost her hair, but my view is that her head grew faster than her hair.

 My Girls on my bed I slept in growing up.  Crazy how time flies!

 Allie got her first official hair cut from Aubrey and it looks so much better now in the back.   We just have to keep having the conversation that only Aubrey cuts hair, not Allie!

 Family night up the Canyon!  I knew that I needed to go at least once up the canyon while we were there, so we meet up with Kevin and his family at the park to have some dinner and play around.  Allie LOVED having cousins to play with and they all played so well together!  I don't think there was one fight while we were all together the whole week!

 The Hadster and Grandpa, she loved being held by her grandparents all the time!

 Cute Cousin Jordo posing by the water.  He always had a good smile for me when I took his picture, now if I could have him teach Allie, we would have a lot more pictures!

 Lucky for us, not so lucky for Estee, she went overdue and waited for us to come to Utah to have their baby :).  Baby Benson was 9 lbs 11 oz and has tons of black hair!  I don't know how little Estee could have such a big baby, he looked like he was 2 months old on day 2!  We were glad she waited so we could meet a fresh baby Benson.  

 The cute new family of 3, looking way too good for just going through labor the day before.

After dinner that night, Grandpa brought out the ice cream sandwiches, which all the cousins ate while sitting on their green chairs.  Can I just say how much we loved being outside all the time!  We thoroughly enjoyed the cooler weather and spent a lot of time out in the backyard in the shadow of Mt Timpanogos.

Take me out to the ballgame

Yesterday, Mike took us out to the Astros vs. Brewers game for a bit of family fun!  The game was at 6:00, the field is covered and air conditioned, and tickets were only $8 with kids free, so it sounded like a perfect thing to do on a Saturday night!

 With $8 tickets, this is the view, nice and high!

 Allie brought her Astros cap that almost fit her head (thanks to the big Shaw noggin)

 You've got to love the sparkle flip flops 

We had a lot of fun and Allie even got ice cream in a plastic hat cup WITH sprinkles, very important in her 2 year old mind.  Another favorite was the train that went across the back of the stands when we had a home run, and there were 3 during the 4 innings we were there.  

Twinner Jammies

Lately, Allie has only wanted to wear dresses, and that has included jammies.  We don't have any nightgowns for her right now, so we have been doing it old school and putting her in our old t-shirts.  Well, one afternoon Allie and I took apart one of Mike's shirts and revamped the sleeves and width to fit her a little better and now it is her "princess jammies", even if it does have an alligator on the front :)

What is one of the best things to do while wearing princess jammies?  Dance of course!  I think they were dancing to the bear necessities courtesy of Aunt Melanie's Disney CD she sent Allie.  Thanks Mel!

Little Miss Hadley-do

This little kiddo is not very little anymore!  I think 3 months is really the magic time when I get into the groove of things and we are finally on a schedule, she sleeps better, etc.  I just have to remember with each baby that if you just have to make it to 3 months and then life gets easier.

Hadley is doing much better with a change of medicine to Prevacid for her acid reflux.  It felt like we had a whole different baby, although I am still off all dairy and acids.  

She is sleeping better at night and goes from about 8-4 most nights and then back to sleep until 8.   

She is quick to smile and loves to talk with us.  She will coo back and forth for a while if she is in a good mood.  

It is amazing we have had her for 3 months already, and can't wait for the next while where she will continue to change so much!

Life is better with Grandma and Grandpa

This last week all the Meldrum clan came to Houston to celebrate Hadley's blessing and the 4th of July!  We had so much fun getting out of the house and spending time with family.  This was the first introduction of Hadley to the family, so she got some good lovin' time in while they were here.  She also got her first cold :(  I guess that is what happens when you have a 2 year old sister who likes to share everything!  

This is how Grandpa showed up straight from the airport.  You know you are smitten by a 2 year old if you are willing to wear an Elmo shirt!

Hadley meeting Grandma for the first time with a smile

This was a game of tickle grandma that they played while I took Hadley to her 2 month appointment

Hadley gots lots of lovin' and rarely took naps in her crib with so many loving arms looking to hold her.

Grandma and Grandpa also came with lots of presents for Allie.  Here is a new book that they brought about a circus ship

We of course had to take them to the zoo.  As soon as we got by the Carousal, Allie shouted "Grandma and Papa, ride merry go round!"  Whenever we pass by the carousal at the zoo, she always wants to go on it and my answer is always that we can only go with grandma or grandpa.  She remembered!

It was so helpful to have an extra 3 sets of hand around and Allie loved all of the extra attention.  

It was so blasted hot at the zoo, we decided to go inside the souvenir shop to cool off and Allie found this big ape!