Our 3 Year-old sweet girl!

Today is Amaya's 3rd Birthday and I couldn't be more proud of how much she is learning and coming into her own.  This last 3 years has been a learning experience for all 3 of us but we are glad we are doing it together.  We become stronger and stronger, together, each day.  

Raising children, by no means, is easy but my daughter makes it enjoyable (most of the time lol) and both Eric and I are so grateful to have her in our lives.  She, truly, is both of us put into one.  

A note to Amaya:

We love you and will always be there for you.  We will continue to be the best role models so that you can have the best opportunity in life.  And we will always have your back no matter what. 

For your 3rd birthday we went to grandma and grandpa's lake house at Bad Medicine Lake in Minnesota and celebrated your birthday with: grandma, grandpa, auntie tara and uncle rick, your cousins Kendall and Jaxon (and we cant forget maggie and pacey).  We had balloons, ice cream cake, and presents.  The weather wasn't the best but Saturday was decent enough to play outside.  Auntie Tara brought stuff to make bird feeders and both you and Kendall loved every minute of it.  Although it wasn't anything extravagant you had a blast.  You just love being with family and having people to get attention from (lol).  

Here are some pictures from the Birthday Weekend:

Amaya and JJ speak the same language when it comes to toys :)

Trying to get this girl to look at the camera AND smile is, sometimes, too much to ask for. lol

"For the Birdies"  

Grandpa and Uncle Rick were blowing up the Inflatable ball and it was too too loud for them to bear.   They crack me up.  :))

Im pretty sure she was trying to pedal, steer, and smile for the camera so yeah that is what we ended up with.  haha

Yay!  A successful Picture with Auntie Tara!!!   Love this

Present time: i got my Turtles Coloring Book.  My Fav!

Upside Down but Who Cares???  Not I

Me and Grandpa checking out my new clothes.

My big cousin, Kendall, and I opening up my presents.  What can I say?  She loves to help me and show me the ropes

Me and JJ again

Auntie Tara helping me make the perfect Heart bird feeder

2 hour ride in the cooler and I would say it made it alright!

The inflatable ball was definitely the funnest!  

  

May 2013 pt.1 (late post)

Whooo!  what a first 4 months it has been in 2013!  Lots of activity, lots of changes but still more changes to come.  To begin I will write about my weight loss activity.  So far I have lost 21 pounds and I currently weigh 156.  And although I am loving it and am proud that I have taken a liking to working out and I am working out CONSISTENTLY! which was definitely a major goal for me...I am not where I want to be.  This past week I have gotten back to my eating 1200 calories and working out like crazy so that i can reach my goal weight of: 137 by august 2nd (graduation).

Besides getting back on my grind of losing weight, we took family pictures last weekend and I am very pleased with how they came out.  Of course it could have been better (what else is new) but we got a lot of great shots of Amaya, some of Amaya & me, and only a few good ones of all three of us :((.  But overall, we got some great shots.  Amaya was nervous in the beginning, as usual, but she came into her own soon after we got started.  When it comes to pictures, i've learned, you just never know and just do the best you can with helping your child feel comfortable.  I was very nervous about the weather considering two of her three outfits were skirts, but the weather cooperated with us just at the perfect time!  We had a lot of fun!!!  I will post a couple pictures but I will be sending pictures/picture books/photo gifts to close family and friends.

Enjoy

  my favorite of me and mimi

  such a Big Girl!

  She just adores him

  

making me laugh (saying something silly)

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Easter 2013

So Easter was good to us this year. We had a nice, long 4 day weekend together and once again we took Amaya to the Easter Egg Scramble that the Alerus Center puts on every year. And Amaya had a blast. She was not as aggressive as she was last year when it came to scrambling for eggs, but she definitely got plenty of candy. The less eggs the better (in the long run).

On Easter Sunday we hid eggs and her Easter basket and recorded that via our camcorder. I can't wait until she can watch herself 10 years from now! She is going to laugh her butt off. She is so crazy these days!!!

We also made an Easter bunny cake which you see in the pictures. Not sure what I was doing with the decorations but I just did what I could with what I had and I figure I will get better with time! :).

Overall, Easter weekend was good. Amaya was a terrible picture taker as usual but she had fun. No meltdowns when we left the scramble nor when we left grandma and grandpas place so that was a major plus!

Mall of America!!!!

Woooh! What a roller coaster this vacation has been. 2 days at the Mall of America was a lot to digest but boy was it fun. Amaya had a blast but not without a few tantrums to help us out. She is like any other kid in the fact that she just loves to play and has not learned how to say bye-bye. And I think it will be a while before she does. She's just a girl that knows what she wants to do.

So on Monday after we checked in at our hotel that was super close to the MOA, we went right over to the MOA and slightly enjoyed Sea Life. We enjoyed it as much as Amaya allowed us too. She just zoomed through most of Sea Life besides the Shark area. And she was scared of the Octopus and never wanted to get too close to the sharks and sea turtles. I have to admit that the octopus was a little freaky looking, so I can sympathize with her, but still cool. Lol. Amaya also found the Easter Bunny and couldn't wait to say Hi and take a picture with the Bunny. of course she wasn't as bold when she went up to the bunny but we'll work on that. Then we just walked around the MOA and came back to the hotel to go swimming. Of course Amaya just wanted to sit in the jacuzzi but she definitely enjoyed herself in the water...calm waters of course.

On our second day we went back to the MOA and sang & dance at the Toddler Tuesdays event they have every Tuesday at the MOA. It was very cool, lots of people and I was just proud that Amaya wasn't scared to dance in front of people. It solidified to me just how much she is going to LOVE Dance! And that she can follow directions and will definitely be ready by the time she is 3.
Once Nickelodeon Universe opened (@11) we went straight over there and began enjoying the rides and arcade areas. And by the time we called it quits and grabbed a bite to eat Amaya was wiped and ready to go.

All in all the trip was a success and the Mall of America definitely lives up to the hype! It is one hell of a mall! Fun for everyone! (Literally)

                                                 Just checked into our hotel...seconds away from the MOA

(A father and daughter's relationship can never be replaced!)

The 3 of Us!

@ SeaLife looking at stingrays :)

My favorite: spotted stingray (I think)

My future hubby's future aquarium...He fell in love at first sight.

Amaya found Nemo!!!

The infamous struggle to get a good picture with Amaya when she is having fun!  She did not want anyone to ruin her time.  lol

Amaya:  let's go Mommmy!  Now!  

"Follow Me"

so thankful we didn't go into LegoLand or else that would have been terrible.  But she loved the play area they had for kids.  Great idea!  

Love this place!  Nickelodeon Universe is pretty amazing.  well use of space.  but too much walking.

@ Toddler Tuesdays (at the MOA) dancing away.  Mall of America is such a kid friendly place.

On one of the many coasters we rode on!  So much fun with her.  She was such a big girl and had so much fun.

She was clearly unhappy having to wait to get into the 'bikini bottom' jumper but she didn't cry so that was a plus.  

I was so proud of her that she got on this ride and not only once but 2X.

She was waving hi to all her peeps!

And she was out like a light as soon as she got into the car.  She was wiped.

And out of all of the shopping we did for her and practically only for her, the IKEA Easel for $14.99 was theee best buy!  She is already going to town on this easel and we've only been home for an hour!  Great buy.  But we forgot to get a smock so no painting until then.