More pics from the our summer adventures

(Nayeli's first swimming pool experience was at Prescott Valley's community pool. It cost us $5 for us to swim in a really nice salt water pool. She wasn't quite sure if she liked it or not at first, but after getting accustomed to the water she loved it. Here she's with her tia Claudia at the shallow end.)

(Total daddy's girl if you can't tell by the picture!)

(Also a little diva....)

(Some more climbing shots.)

(Joe insisted that I put this one on the blog--wanted everyone to see his belaying skills!)

Claudia Does Prescott

This past July my sister, Claudia, came to visit us in Prescott for 2 weeks! It was awesome to have her here and have her go through many of Nayeli's 1st experiences with us: Nayeli's 1st camping trip, Nayeli's 1st climbing excursion, Nayeli's 1st mountain lion sighting, Nayeli's 1st visit to a shooting range, Nayeli's 1st swim in a pool....do you like how I stuck the scary stuff in the middle of the list and ended with something relatively safe to distract you from it?:) Her 2 weeks here flew past, but it was great while it lasted. Here are just some pictures of our adventures:
(We took Claudia climbing at Boulderlands near Granite Mtn. and she was able to complete a pretty tough climb--also losing some skin in the process! Gotta love climbing!)

(This was Nayeli's first camping trip at Mingus Mountain campground. She did awesome! We had a pretty big animal visit our campsite in the evening while we were sleeping {it even sniffed our tents...we heard it's breathe} and Joe had to run out of our tent in his undies wielding his firearm in the dark...our hero!)

(Going anywhere with a child is no easy task! Just look at all the stuff we brought for one night of camping! We almost lost the baby amongst our pile of stuff...)

(Nayeli hanging out in the pack n' play at her first climbing excursion at the Promised Lands! As soon as we set up our spot, we heard and saw the shadow of a mountain lion above us! After giving Joe warning {he was setting up the climbs} he spotted the crazy cougar who then charged at Joe who had to use his trusty firearm to scare it off! We quickly repacked our things and high tailed it outta there looking over our shoulders every 30 seconds...)

(Nayeli is the picture of coolness even after hearing a mountain lion screech! She's just happy to be in the shade and out of that crazy backpack we always stuff her into!)

Father's Day Pictures

So, here we are again playing catch up:) Wanted to share some cool Father's Day pictures with y'all! For Father's Day we traveled up to Flagstaff and took a ride on the Sky Ride, a chair lift normally for skiing Snow Bowl, the ski resort. During the summer, they allow people to ride up to the summit of Mt. Humphreys and it is SPECTACULAR! The pictures really don't do it justice. On that day we had the honor of being the very last people allowed on the lift and we were the only ones on the summit taking pictures. Afterwards, we strolled around downtown Flagstaff and ate an amazing dinner at a restaurant whose name escapes me, even though we eat there everytime we visit the area! All in all it was a fabulous day and we thoroughly enjoyed introducing Nayeli to magnificent vistas of Arizona and to Flagstaff!(The Devine-Benitez Family at the top of Arizona! We're the King & Queens of the Mountain!)

(It was 34 degrees at the top of the Mtn. so Nayeli had to be bundled like a snowbaby.)

(Trying to let my hair down and look casual, but really I'm cold & I have to pee.)

(The summit is over 12,000 ft. above sea level--this was the last sign on the lift before getting off.)

(Baby Nayeli takes almost everything in stride. She was totally mellow on the ride up--it was mom that was freaking out that we'd get stuck on the lift, or a bee would sting Joe who would accidentally let go off Nayeli, or we'd get hit by lightening, or....any other impossible scenario that could occur!)

Our life revolves around...

Nayeli! I think we should just rename this blog to Nayeli's World because that's all I can seem to write about! We really do do other things besides take pictures of our child, I swear! I'm currently back in real estate helping my good friends buy their first home in the Prescott area. There are so many new financing programs for first time home buyers and so many foreclosures that, if you have the savings, good credit, and steady job, it really is a terrific time to buy a home in this area.

Ok, back to what's really interesting...here are some more cute pictures of Nayeli! :)

(Just lounging around in my PJs.)

(Mom & Gypsy tag team kissing me!)

(Look! I can stick out my tongue!)

(I love my exersaucer!)

(Looking like a duck after my bath.)

Random Pictures...

We just love this little human being so much...sometimes we feel like just hugging and kissing her to pieces!(I get love from my daddy all the time! I'm definitely a daddy's girl!)

(I get love from my momma too! I love it when she kisses my ears and cheeks!)

(I can sit up almost all by myself! Sometimes I need a little help though...)

(Look at my baby push-up! The yoga mat's sticky mat sure helps me get a grip. Now all I need is to get my legs under me so that I can start to crawl and raise some havoc!)

(The family all dressed up at Kestrel's graduation! This picture of us all dressed up is as rare as the endangered snow leopard!)

School's Out for Summer! School's Out Forever! (Well, almost...)

We're free! Yipee! Well, Joe is at least, and I'm only free for one week until I have to go back to teach summer school. Our last official day of school was this past Thursday and I don't think I've ever seen the teachers as excited! Now that there's extra time I don't have to play catch up on the blog, at least until June 1.
Here's what's happened thus far:
Nayeli started eating solids! She's a big fan of eating rice cereal. Pretty soon here we'll be feeding her fruits & vegetables and we'll be sure to have a camera on hand for those reactions!
(Yummy! I'm a slave to the spoon! I go into a trance when it is near my mouth....!)

(I'm certainly my daddy's daughter because I finish all my food and then I yell for some more!)

Last week, Joe took his Wilderness class out camping & hiking and Nayeli and I were left to fend for ourselves. Our neighbor, Betty, came to tell me not to go into my carport because she saw a snake slither into it and she wasn't sure if it was a rattle snake or a bull snake. I went down a couple of times with a flashlight to see if I could see it, but no luck. I could hear it though--the snake was big enough to move Joe's 19 foot fiberglass sea kayak around, which was enough to send me and Nayeli running back up our stairs. A professional snake wrangler came to remove the snake and he said that it was the biggest snake he's seen thus far in the season. He guestimated that it was around 6'6'' long when it wasn't constricted. Here are some cool shots of it:

Easter!

Easter was pretty mellow for us. We hung out at home and grilled out for dinner. Even though we didn't do anything super special I couldn't help but dress up Nayeli for Easter--it was a perfect excuse and a perfect day to put her in a cute little dress and take some adorable pictures.(Me and Nayeli doing up-side down Eskimo kisses--those Eskimos sure know how to kiss!)

(Since we didn't go to church for Easter, I had Nayeli say a little prayer anyway! Actually, she was just looking at the butterfly mobile above her head--but I bet you wouldn't have known the difference if I didn't tell ya!)

(Since we already Eskimo kissed, Gypsy wanted to remind Nayeli how to French kiss! For an English breed, Iowa born dog she sure likes this French custom a lot!)

(This is my favorite! In this picture she really looks like me when I was her age!)

Pictures to make you smile :)

(Gypsy also got in on the fun at the park. Believe it or not she went down the slide all by herself and loved it!)
(Check out that perfect sliding technique & form!)

(Nayeli going for the Guiness Book of World Records by trying to fit her whole fist in her mouth.)

(Nayeli looking very cherub-like after a bath. Oh yeah--this one's going to be trouble when she gets older!)

Ceasr Chavez Day

This was the day that we went to Granite Creek Park to celebrate Cesar Chavez Day--a Mexican-American activist that formed the Migrant Farmer's Union and fought to improve the quality of life and working conditions of migrant farmers. We met our friends, the Arias family at the park, and had a little fun ourselves on the playset!(Nayeli's first ride down the slide--well, actually it would be her first scootch because Joe got stuck at the top of the slide and did the butt scootch all the way down!)

(The Arias Family: Jose, Marta, Martita, & baby Victoria)

(Brrrrrr....it was cold for us Arizonans! It was a whole 50 degrees out!)

(What a sassy little baby with her pink patent fuzzy boots and mini skirt!) (A different day a different outfit to show off, but still that same smile!)

Long Time No Post

Howdy Everyone!

It's been a loooooong time since I've been able to get online and update the blog. We were out of interent access at our house for over one month--I was going through serious withdrawl too including the shivers and crabbiness!

So here are some pictures from the past couple of weeks in no particular order (mainly because I no longer have any short term memory and can't remember which pictures come first chronologically.) (Baby Push-ups! Already she can do more than I can!)

(Trying to save $$$. Which includes haircuts at home for Gypsy....Joe giving her a "Brazilian" trim on our patio (she wouldn't come near him the rest of the day after this.)

(Nayeli can be very suspicious of the camera at times....this is one of her more serious faces!)

(Gypsy teaching Nayeli how to French kiss!)

(Doing the Hokie Pokie at story hour at the library.)

The Many Faces of Nayeli

Yesterday was another magnificent day in Arizona. We took great advantage of the day and went for a very long walk through a local trail in town. These pictures were taken on the trail when Nayeli woke up from her nap due to how bumpy it was. Joe and I are so very lucky to have not only a healthy daughter, but a sweet one at that who's disposition is very much like her father's--mellow and good-natured. She's laughing and giggling more and more each day and we spend our days trying to figure out what will make her laugh. It's become almost a competition between Joe and I: who can make Nayeli laugh the most? Joe discovered that she loves it when he kisses her belly all the way up to her neck and this makes her giggle. I discovered that when I hide out of sight and "spring" back into her line of sight while making a "spring" noise like "BOING" this makes her laugh hysterically. She also loves it when you pretend to eat her feet! The thing she enjoys the most, where I have a good advantage over Joe, is when someone sings to her. She likes anything and everything. I got her to smile in these pictures just by singing "Vacation," by the Go-Gos. Go figure....maybe babys need a vacation too?