4th of July Celebration!

I was so excited for this year's 4th because it was the first year in a long time that the whole Harris clan was back together. Our little family started out the day swimming at Nana and Papi's new pool with Aunt Stina for the first time. It is always fun to see Austin explore something new- he is a little daredevil in the pool, which makes me nervous.
That evening we had a a BBQ with the family and the food was great. Austin is getting so big- he doesn't need a high chair at the grandparents anymore, we just prop him up on a few phone books! He is at such a fun age trying to say words and talk. Word of the week is puppy! He will go through his books and find a picture of a puppy and then tell us over and over, "Puppy, puppy, puppy!" He also decided that he isn't saying daddy anymore, he just calls him "Nick." We try and correct him and say , "no, it's daddy" but he just really likes to run around Nick and yell his name.

Back to the 4th, that night we went to watch the fireworks at Oyster Creek park. I was worried Austin would be scared but he just sat in my lap the whole time (the longest he has sat still since 6 months) and kept saying 'whoa' and 'wow' while shoving caramel popcorn in his mouth! It was really fun. Here are a few pics!

Summertime

Our summer has been full of....



Haircuts



Some pics of Austin's hair long (..he may have had a little mullet too)






First haircut that I thought would go smoothly with a yummy sucker- I was wrong! He DID love the sucker but also loved smearing it all over his body and hair. It ended up being a HUGE mess!




Playing Outside




Austin loves his tricylce that Great Grandpa Jim sent him but he needs to grow a little to stay on! He pushes it up and down the driveway over and over again...




Here he is playing at the park




Playing INSIDE

I finally came to my sense and stopped going outside unless it involves water...



being sneaky at the computer!



Playing with his bf Peter! Peter's mom and I walk together 3 times a week and then let Austin and Peter play afterwards, they love it... but not as much as I love getting some girl talk!



Austin and Brayden being mischievous together




Yard Work




My mom and I planted flowers along our garage and pulled out all the ugly stuff. Our yard needs a make-over, so we are doing it a little bit at a time. In the meantime we just look ghetto! Our two front trees are also DEAD- I mean like rotten and hollow dead! So Nick and his Dad spent a day pulling them down with a chainsaw and his truck and then chopping them up. Nick then rented a stump grinder to get rid of the stumps and fill the holes with dirt and grass. Here are some pics of the day- it look like an explosion hit out yard. All day people kept driving by REALLY slow...





The stumps are successfully gone now and we need to fill them in still, so we just have 2 huge holes in the yard- like I said, we're ghetto these days. We are also planting 2 new trees. I'll let you know that that turns out!




Coolin' Off




Austin is enjoying his bath and posing for the camera. It is so hot here we spend lots of time in the sprinklers, pool or a nice cool bath!




Popsicles



Nick and Austin enjoying a grape popsicle together- so cute

Nick's 27 & the Pack's were here!

This week has been so crazy with all the things going on. We will start with Nick's birthday- he just turned 27, so OLD! I always remind him that he is closer to 30 than 20, which means his hairs might be turning gray soon. I felt really bad because it was on Saturday and there was NO time to celebrate with the 2 showers I had to go to for Kylie, one of which I was practically in charge of. So Halie and I decorated Friday night for him and made him a card. I also went to Dessert Gallery and bought him a slice of carrot cake (so good) and set that out for him. I figured I can either pay $7 bucks for a piece of cake, or make him a whole one, probably eat it all and pretty much see the after effects on my thighs until his next bday. I paid the 7 bucks. While I was at the showers all day, he played golf and then went to see a movie with Brodie and Rob that night. For his present he got- surprise, surprise- a new golf club! He always finds a new club he HAS to have right before his birthday and he usually gets it. But I am so happy we were able to celebrate his birthday- he means everything to me. Some days I wonder how I lucked out marrying an amazing, sweet husband that adores me and Austin. I love you Nick!!



This week Halie and Kylie Pack flew into on Tuesday to see old friends before Kylie's wedding and have a few showers. It was so much fun to have them around- just like old times. Halie just got back from her mission in Thailand about 2 weeks ago. It was so interesting to talk to her about the mission and the culture- I feel like I learned so much. I also loved hearing her speak Thai to me. I always just responded with "meow" just cause for some reason it sounded like the words she was saying. She is the same Halie I loved in high school but then I see her talk about the mission and speak at church and I just don't even recognize that girl. I am so proud of Halie because she is so amazing and sweet- what an example to me! Kylie's showers were really fun and we spent a few days shopping and having girl's nights. I miss them so much. I also got to meet the fiance, who is awesome- I am so excited for their new life! I already miss them so much and so does Austin, he LOVED them while they were here. He already knows a pretty girl when he sees one....that's trouble.

A pic of the old gang- Halie, me, Sara, Mandy and Cristina

My B-day & Mother's Day Weekend

On Friday was my 22nd birthday..yeah I am getting old. I think I like 22 better than 21 cause it doesn't carry some age attachment to it. Like 21 is the age you can finally drink- not that it would apply to me, but it just sounds more of a young, party age. So all my inlaws (who are old farts by the way and are just jealous of my youth) make fun of my for my age. 22 just sounds better, especially since I have a 1 year old... right? Right.
My birthday this year was seriously awesome! I met all my bros, mom and Stina for lunch at Los Gallitos, which is a fav just because the chips are awesome (the food is just okay). We had fun with that and then my mom told me I had a pedicure appointment. So she took Austin away from me and sent me off to get my nails done. It was really sweet of her and I needed one bad. I am pretty sure the nail lady agreed I needed one bad because she made it PAINFUL. She was scrubbing my poor feet and toes raw! I also felt a little bad cause she kept trying to talk to me and I would try to be polite and give a little answer but then go back to my magazine cause I seriously have NO IDEA what she was saying half the time. I really don't mind talking with them but most of the time I feel dumb cause I just nod my head in totally confusion or say, "what?" over and over again. So I think she thought I was a snob cause she got me back... I thought the pedicure was done but then she comes walking up with these two bags full of red liquid that she wanted me to stick my feet into. I shouldn't have been so willing cause it felt like I stuck my foot into straight FIRE! I guess it was wax and man she def melted that wax, it was so hot I seriously yelped out in pain. After the torture was over, I have to admit, the toes looked great and the feet were really soft/had 1st degree burns.
That night my mom put together a cute little family get together and we had pizza and cake. It was fun to have all the family back here in Houston. Here are a few pics...

Austin enjoying his dinner



Jennika Simmons and Brayden

The cake my mom got

Fo & Sarah holding baby Rylan






New shirt from momma

Some cute shoes from my mom

Fo made this picture of the Houston Temple and it is so pretty. I love it and am so excited to finally have one- check out his website forrestharrisphoto.com

Here is the apron that I got from Stina. I had really wanted one and knew she was the girl to find a cute one. I LOVE it, with the attachable pearls and all!


All in all it was a great birthday but I did save the best present for last....




Nick bought me a new computer for my birthday and Mother's day gift. I was so excited cause it was desperatly needed- it is why I hadn't been blogging!!! So it means you can expect many more posts to come! I am still trying to figure out how to work everything but I will post some other pics of Easter and such when I do! Happy Mother's Day to all!

Big Boy!

Here are a few things that have been going on....

I took these pictures of Austin in his big boy car seat cause I just couldn't believe it. We got this for him about a month ago when he turned one and he is in love! Here he is so little on the way home from the hospital...



and now he cruises around and points at things out the window. It is so cute but I just can't believe how BIG he is!



...notice the bruise on his forehead- that would be his BF Brayden. They are beasts together.



Lately Austin has been teething- BAD! He had all eight of the front teeth and now is getting in the molars, which probably feel the worst. It also just so happened to be right in the middle of Nick's busy season!! So Nick was never home for like 3 weeks straight and Austin was being so fussy, crying and always pulling on me. Here is how I got through the weeks, I think the picture says it all....



That's right- I just drugged him up on Baby Oragel and then would give him the tube to chew on. It got to the point that when I pull it out of my purse he throws his whole body towards the tube with his mouth wide open. I'm not sure if that is an ideal response to drugs, but it got us through a rough patch!



In the last month or so he has also developed a "little" personality. I always hear people say, "oh I just love to see their little personality start to show, it's so cute." I would have to say I am not one of those people because his little personality hasn't been very cute. Nick and I have decided that he is just testing the waters and his independence and Nick finds it hilarious- I don't. He likes to throw things at me such as objects, food or his fist.
The food one is only after he is done eating and he just isn't responding to "No." When we say no he just stares you right in the eyes, picks up a handful of food, moves his hand over the end of the tray, pauses for a sec while still staring and then...drops it. And it's not even that he thinks it's funny, cause he doesn't laugh- I don't get it. We have started trying different techniques and have just decided to take away the food as soon as the games begin! He might have mommas stubborn personality, but he still can't win...I know, I know that won't last forever.
The fist in my face isn't too often and I have figured out that if I say no and then pretend to cry cause it hurt, he gets really confused and gives me a hug. The more frustrating one is the flying objects such as balls, cell phones or blocks that are always aimed for my head and the funny/annoying thing is he always hits it. Nick will laugh and when I tell him to not encourage bad behavior this is what I get, "Julie I am not encouraging him to throw things at your head, I am just congratulating him on hitting his target. If he is aiming for something and hits it, that's awesome." How do you respond to that?
Anyways, we are loving all the fun changes he has too. He is learning our names and names of objects in our house or phrases. I love seeing the communication barrier come down- it is so much fun to see him understand what I say! He also plays more with us now that he walks like a champ and he loves rides in his wagon and tricycle! My most recent favorite thing he does is DANCE! It is so funny, whenever a commercial comes on TV that has music, he will couch down real low and shake his booty up and down.. he loves it!
So that is our update and I will leave with a few fun pics I found from when we watch the 3D Super Bowl commercials...