As you know, I've been absent for awhile from the blogging world. Here are just a few pictures to catch you up. I wish I had time to put full stories on everything and put more but this gives the overview of the last few months of my life...These are in no particular order, just the way they were uploaded!
A few weekends ago we were down in Houston for my sisters wedding and Zoey decided she didn't want to take her nap on the drive home. So when we finally got home we put her in her PJ's and fed her dinner. It was the cutest thing, she totally fell asleep while eating, then she'd wake up and take a few bites and fall asleep again. I got the best video of it and will cherish is forever!
We moved into a new house and this was moving day, Zoey had to get her favorite toys and her stools and put them in the middle of the living room and watch Diego on my phone. It was too cute!
We got a WII for Christmas, this is actually at Jacob and LeeAnnas house. We went to have a fun night and Zoey of course had to play just like her daddy. She doesn't get how to use the WII controllers yet but she loves to pretend.
One of her Christmas toys was this pop up Princess castle. Zoey calls it her temple. She enjoys hanging out in it.
Clay turned 31!!! I was out of town at my sisters bridal shower and endowment but his sister Candice came over and got him a birthday cake. Thank you Candice for taking care of him while I was gone!
We spent Christmas at my parents house. Christmas Eve we had the kids to The Nativity. Of course, since Zoey was the only granddaughter there she was Mary.
Zoey LOVES babies. We saw my newest nephew at Christmas and she loved to help feed and take care of him. I can't wait till I can give her a new baby brother or sister, someday!
Clay took Zoey to her first movie! I asked him to take her out so I could finish packing the house and they went to breakfast and a movie. They went to the dollar movie in case she didn't sit through it but he says she did great!
I made the Prince Peanut Butter Fudge all by myself for the first time! This is a family recipe from my mothers side and I've made it a few times with help but this time it was all on my own! I didn't even have to call my mommy on the phone for help (I do that a lot when I'm cooking because I usually don't know what I'm doing). Oh and it was yummy!
My work had a Christmas party, I was having so much fun I didn't get any pictures but Clay took a few of the tables (it's his artistic talent).
Zoey and I went to Jacob and LeeAnna's ward christmas party because we didn't have anything going on that night. When they asked the primary children to come and sing Zoey had to go up with her cousins. She loved it and though she didn't know the words she sure tried! I can't wait till she graduates nursery next year and starts going to primary.
Zoey absolutely loves her dad. They regularly have fun photo shoots together. We absolutely love our I4's. I think every picture from this blog is from our phones.
Alison is married! For that matter, so is Amy (I just don't have pictures of that yet). Alison and Byron got married at the end of November and 3 days after their wedding Amy's boyfriend Brian proposed and they got married the end of January. I had fun going down for each of their showers and the weddings. I cannot believe my two little sisters are married!
Zoey and Daddy love to go and get donuts on Saturday mornings while I sleep in. Zoey LOVES her chocolate donuts with sprinkles. Man this kid is spoiled!
Thanksgiving was spent at Clay's parents house. We had a wonderful weekend with lots of great food and fun. Grandma and Grandpa even took the little kids for a day and went to the aquarium while the parents and everyone else went to the movies. Boy are grandma and grandpa brave!
We enjoyed putting up our $3.00 christmas tree I got a few years ago on clearance at wal-mart. Zoey enjoyed helping put up the lights and also putting on the ornaments.
This is just a fun/long day we had! She decided to dump everything out and refused to wear clothes. I was so glad when she went to bed this night.
This is our new house. I don't have any inside pictures yet but we really enjoy it here. We didn't buy it, we're just renting but I am so glad to have the extra space and also the backyard. Now I just need to finish unpacking and decorating so I can fully enjoy it. We're getting there!
Yeah, the Monday after Alison's wedding I totaled our new car. We had only made one payment on it and I totaled it! Luckily no one was hurt. It happened on my way to work and I still made it to work by 9:00 am and worked all day! It was the only way I could get it off my mind. We then had a few months of fun getting a new car and car repairs and figuring things out, but all is well now!
Mickey Racer came to Alison's wedding. She was my piano teacher growing up but she was more then that. She is an amazing woman and will always have a place in my heart! I was so excited to see her and spend some time with her and hear about all the stories of her life. Her and her husband retired 10 years ago and have since been traveling the country in their RV working at different places and having a blast.
Well, there you go, you're just about caught up! I'm not promising I'll be better but I will try. Oh, I guess the other new thing is I started a new job. I now work at Smile Magic and am the HR Director, it is so awesome and I absolutely enjoy it! I'll give you more details later, maybe!
A few weekends ago we were down in Houston for my sisters wedding and Zoey decided she didn't want to take her nap on the drive home. So when we finally got home we put her in her PJ's and fed her dinner. It was the cutest thing, she totally fell asleep while eating, then she'd wake up and take a few bites and fall asleep again. I got the best video of it and will cherish is forever!
We moved into a new house and this was moving day, Zoey had to get her favorite toys and her stools and put them in the middle of the living room and watch Diego on my phone. It was too cute!
We got a WII for Christmas, this is actually at Jacob and LeeAnnas house. We went to have a fun night and Zoey of course had to play just like her daddy. She doesn't get how to use the WII controllers yet but she loves to pretend.
One of her Christmas toys was this pop up Princess castle. Zoey calls it her temple. She enjoys hanging out in it. 
Clay turned 31!!! I was out of town at my sisters bridal shower and endowment but his sister Candice came over and got him a birthday cake. Thank you Candice for taking care of him while I was gone!
We spent Christmas at my parents house. Christmas Eve we had the kids to The Nativity. Of course, since Zoey was the only granddaughter there she was Mary.
Zoey LOVES babies. We saw my newest nephew at Christmas and she loved to help feed and take care of him. I can't wait till I can give her a new baby brother or sister, someday!
Clay took Zoey to her first movie! I asked him to take her out so I could finish packing the house and they went to breakfast and a movie. They went to the dollar movie in case she didn't sit through it but he says she did great! 
I made the Prince Peanut Butter Fudge all by myself for the first time! This is a family recipe from my mothers side and I've made it a few times with help but this time it was all on my own! I didn't even have to call my mommy on the phone for help (I do that a lot when I'm cooking because I usually don't know what I'm doing). Oh and it was yummy!
My work had a Christmas party, I was having so much fun I didn't get any pictures but Clay took a few of the tables (it's his artistic talent).
Zoey and I went to Jacob and LeeAnna's ward christmas party because we didn't have anything going on that night. When they asked the primary children to come and sing Zoey had to go up with her cousins. She loved it and though she didn't know the words she sure tried! I can't wait till she graduates nursery next year and starts going to primary.
Zoey absolutely loves her dad. They regularly have fun photo shoots together. We absolutely love our I4's. I think every picture from this blog is from our phones.
Alison is married! For that matter, so is Amy (I just don't have pictures of that yet). Alison and Byron got married at the end of November and 3 days after their wedding Amy's boyfriend Brian proposed and they got married the end of January. I had fun going down for each of their showers and the weddings. I cannot believe my two little sisters are married!
Zoey and Daddy love to go and get donuts on Saturday mornings while I sleep in. Zoey LOVES her chocolate donuts with sprinkles. Man this kid is spoiled!
Thanksgiving was spent at Clay's parents house. We had a wonderful weekend with lots of great food and fun. Grandma and Grandpa even took the little kids for a day and went to the aquarium while the parents and everyone else went to the movies. Boy are grandma and grandpa brave!
We enjoyed putting up our $3.00 christmas tree I got a few years ago on clearance at wal-mart. Zoey enjoyed helping put up the lights and also putting on the ornaments.
This is just a fun/long day we had! She decided to dump everything out and refused to wear clothes. I was so glad when she went to bed this night.
This is our new house. I don't have any inside pictures yet but we really enjoy it here. We didn't buy it, we're just renting but I am so glad to have the extra space and also the backyard. Now I just need to finish unpacking and decorating so I can fully enjoy it. We're getting there!
Yeah, the Monday after Alison's wedding I totaled our new car. We had only made one payment on it and I totaled it! Luckily no one was hurt. It happened on my way to work and I still made it to work by 9:00 am and worked all day! It was the only way I could get it off my mind. We then had a few months of fun getting a new car and car repairs and figuring things out, but all is well now!
Mickey Racer came to Alison's wedding. She was my piano teacher growing up but she was more then that. She is an amazing woman and will always have a place in my heart! I was so excited to see her and spend some time with her and hear about all the stories of her life. Her and her husband retired 10 years ago and have since been traveling the country in their RV working at different places and having a blast.
Yes, she was a very dirty girl by the end of this day! Enjoy -
Though Zoey was pretty good most of the time I did have to get down to her level a few times and remind her of some of the rules.
Ahhhh, nice grass! We sat in this grass all day and no bug bites especially no fire ants! It was so nice and soft I wish I could bring it home! I guess I'd need a house or yard to put it in first though hu?!
We did family pictures. We all got these shirts that say "Roots that Keep up Strong" on on the back is a tree and the outlining of the tree is everyones name (that's like 50ish people!). They were pretty cool.
Oh did I ever mention Zoey ate and ate and ate and had absolutely anything she wanted! She loved the Popsicles and would always go to grandpa and ask him for one since she new he'd get it for her every time! The white shirt was ruined by the end of the day but that's ok, she had fun!
Yes, it was beautiful out there. Nothing is more fun then being surrounded by so much of God's beautiful creations.
(Click on the picture to see the full action in full size)
Not sure what she's angry about here. I probably walked away or something and left daddy. She doesn't like it when I'm not right next to her.
I love the one above and two below. She is so into her jumping! She jumps all the time at home too. She'll jump down the halls at school, to and from the car, and all over the house. She likes to jump on me too but we're trying to put a stop to that! Some days I really feel like tenderized meat I've been so trampled on!
Well, there you go...another post down! I'm getting closer to the end of the Cortez reunion so I guess I better get Clay to start putting in pictures of the Meldrum reunion so I can post about those next hu?
Us three shared an air mattress. That wasn't the plan originally. We were going to have Zoey sleep on the ground with lots of blankets but of course, she refused to sleep anywhere except snuggled in between us two. In the above picture Clay is just pretending to be asleep for effect (obviously someone was) but I was totally passed out and about to fall off the air mattress. I swear, I slept on the edge and had about 3 inches to myself that I balanced on while half my body was off the air mattress.
Zoey absolutely LOVED the trampoline (I think Clay did a whole post just of trampoline pictures, to come later of course). She was on this thing always!
She also loved wandering away from us to go and see anything new and exciting.
Yes, I am on a horse. Growing up I LOVED horses but as an adult I try and stay away because they just scare me they're so big and powerful (as I've grown I seem to be more aware of dangers around then the potential fun). Don't worry though, my cousin Stephanie guided us and we only rode for about 3 minutes then Zoey was done.
There were like 7 four-wheelers or something crazy like that. The kids were always off running and riding them but we got a few turns. Zoey really enjoyed riding them. One day, when she refused to nap, we took her in between us and drove for around until she fell asleep. She was so cute then!
As you can see, we spent almost the entire time outside. Most of us camped in tents in the backyard and all the food and games were outside. We only went inside for bathrooms, to cook the food, and to put Zoey in front of the TV when she refused to take a nap!
