Addie's BIRTHDAY coming up!

Here's a little video about Addie's birthday... Her volume isn't normally this loud, but she was very excited and had just eaten a lot of skittles because she went potty!

I told Adelynn the first week of September that her birthday was coming up, which in retrospect might have been a little too early! She remembered and since then we have had many conversations about her birthday and all of the details everyday. She brings it up at random times, but always with much excitement. Originally, she was the most excited about the birthday cake, but that switched when Aunt Cora asked her what she wanted for a present.

I can't believe that my little baby is turning two in one day!

Summer's not over yet!

Today was such a beautiful day in Colorado, so we decided to head to Chatfield Lake with our friends the McCabe's. We had a great day just hanging out on the boat in the 90 degree weather. Addie has been doing so great with potty training the last couple of days and I didn't want to lose the momentum today. Shelby suggested that I just bring her little potty on the boat - what a GREAT idea! Adelynn didn't miss a beat...she kept dry all day and used the potty when she needed to.
Here's two pictures of Addie and Emmy, they are best little buds!

I was reminded today of how much our lives have changed when we played the "Chicken Dance" song on the boat and all danced around acting like chickens with the kids. Fun times:) I'm sure it would have been quite the show for on looking boats.

"Addie's proud of Addie"

Tuesday night was a big night at the BaanHofman's. I was getting Adelynn ready for bed and she said she wanted to sit on the potty. As Adelynn was sitting on the potty, we were singing songs and then all of the sudden she said "Tinkle." Then we listened when she made tinkles in the potty. Her face lit up and she had a beaming smile. I was clapping and saying, "Yeah Addie!" We ran downstairs to tell Daddy and get her a skittle.
On the way back up the stairs she kept repeating something over and over and it wasn't until the top that I realized what it was. She was saying, "Addie's proud of Addie!" She was so proud of herself!
Adelynn speaks in third person quite frequently, but I think it is so cute that I haven't been able to teach her any different.

Addie sitting on the potty reading her book, "It's potty time!"

Yesterday and today she has been such a big girl, telling me when she needs to go potty. We have been talking about the potty for weeks now and her response up to this point has always been, "Maybe later." I guess now is later :)

Addie stays at Gammy & Gumby's for the weekend!

This weekend Cordell and I had the leadership retreat at our church for all of the elders, deacons, staff and their wives in Buena Vista, CO. It's hard to believe that this is our fourth one! It was a great weekend to just get to know everyone better and refocus and get excited about the mission and vision at our church - Inward, Outward, and Upward!


While we were away Adelynn stayed with Margaret, Roy, MiMi and Stephen Fitzwater. She had a blast and they said she was practically perfect! Adelynn calls Margaret and Roy "Gammy and Gumby." Roy's motto in life is be flexible, so he thought it would be fun to be called Gumby.
We got back from the retreat Saturday afternoon and stayed with the Fitzwater's through Sunday morning. They definitely spoil us at their house with incredible meals, awesome conversations and then to top it all off they got up with Adelynn this morning so we could sleep in. SO fun!

Tonight the fam came over - Justin, Cora, Grace and Amanda. We just had a fun night eating dinner and hanging out.



I am making the invites to Adelynn's 2nd Birthday party. This is the picture that I am using on them. I think I may have told her a little too early that her birthday is coming up because everyday, multiple times a day at random times she will blurt out with glee, "Addie's birthday coming up!" Then she will proceed to tell me about her birthday cake, her presents, whose coming, that she is one now, but turning two, and that it is on the 26th! So cute!!

Official Blogger

I can't believe I have started a blog. Well, I love to journal, so why not try writing online a little? I think this will be a fun way for family to see cute pictures of Adelynn and hear the latest stories. So, we just got back from the perfect family vacation. We spent a week at a family friend's cabin at a small lake in Northern California. It was so fun to just relax together just our little family. Every morning we would get up, go to the lake, come back to the cabin for nap time and then head to the lake again for more fun in the late afternoon. After five great days at the lake, we spent a day in Pleasanton at the Mantha's and then met up with my Mom and headed to Grammy and Papa's in San Luis Obispo.

Papa and Adelynn at Avila Farms.


The girls at Brothers Restaurant. Amazing Prime Rib!

Addie at Lake Madrone