Catching Up

 We have been busy...with what exactly I can't completely remember!  Here is a quick look at a few things we have been up to.

We purchased Dakota her first car!  A shiny blue Playskool Walker/Rider that is sure to get a few hundred laps around the house!

 

 We ventured out and cut down a Christmas tree the week of Thanksgiving.  This was a great idea to get it early as I was able to get it all decorated while my parents were here to offer an extra hand with Dakota.  Dakota did sleep during the tree scouting but she woke up just as Drew was dragging the tree down to the road. 

 

 I did a horrible job of taking pictures when my parents were in town.  I did get Dakota sitting down for her first turkey dinner though.

"Am I not supposed to play with this?"

 "To bad! It looks like something I can get!"

 10 months old and her first tooth broke through!  She is also finally crawling on her hands and knees and she is FAST.  Pulls herself up on EVERYTHING she can and is even standing on her tip toes to reach stuff she isn't supposed to get.

 A little bit of dress up and fun.

Bonding Over Camo

Our first "real" snow of the season was timed to hit the valley last night.  The cold temps and snow flurries were a good sign that elk and deer would be feeding before the storm moved in.  Being the hunter that he is, Drew packed up his girls, posed for a photo op with his baby and threw us in Big Rig for a quick drive into the mountains.  This was Dakota's first time hunting with her Dad.  She dressed the part well but was no help in the scouting department as she napped for at least an hour!  As we approached a popular parking area for hunters, we saw a dad and his little girl waiting to cross the road.  With a hunting rifle in one hand and his little girl's hand firmly clasped in the other, they stopped and waited for us to pass by.  I just smiled...one day that is going to be Drew and Dakota out for a walk before dusk.  I know that my two favorites are going to spend a lot of time in the mountains and share some wonderful memories together. And really, being that the last 9 months have flown by more quickly then any other time in our lives, it wont be long till the dad and daughter walking across the road together are Drew and Dakota.

Halloween just got a whole lot sweeter

Our third annual pumpkin carving party was a true testament to how our group of friends have evolved over the last year.  Long gone are the days of excessive beer drinking and staying up past our bedtimes.  This year we sat around in a circle, watched our kids play with each other and were home by 7:30!  To be completely honest though, I really enjoyed the change and I think the low key get together was what all the tired parents needed.  Of course this year will probably be the quietest of them all being that next year our little ones will really be moving around.

Peyton, Lonyn & Dakota start the party playing nicely in a circle.

 Dakota thought it was appropriate to start displaying her WWE moves.

We obviously need to learn appropriate playtime activities!

A monster, pumpkin, panda & tootsie roll unite.

My little tootsie roll.

Daddy carved baby's first pumpkin for her.

Halloween night was spent at home hanging out.

 

Our beautiful fall weather is fading fast so I decided to get some outside pics of Dakota before the snow really starts to stick.  Our first day of snow flurries in the Bitterroot was October 24!

Soaking up some sunshine.

 Cheese!

 What you looking at?

 These are some nice flowers...

 Yes, I'm going to put them in my mouth!

 Leaves are a great distraction.

 Beautiful smile

 Happy

 Pondering something great I'm sure!

And She Sleeps

After 2.5 weeks of waking up at least 7 times a night and taking ridiculously short naps, Dakota has had 4 fantastic nights of sleep.  So what am I doing up at 4:15 am when I should be catching up on my sleep? Well, let me get back to you on that because she just woke up!!

Cuddling with your baby and closing your eyes while gently rocking could put anyone to sleep and I am glad to say I got a few more hours of down time.  It has never bothered me to get up 1 or 2 times during the night to nurse and rock Dakota back to sleep.  The house is quiet, she isn't squirming around and we get some quality snuggle time.  These days she is all over the place and snuggle time is becoming rare.  And I am not exaggerating on her being all over the place!  On August 20th Dakota started "army crawling".  Since she found her new form of transportation she has made so many fun discoveries.  Door stops, rugs, the sliding glass door, the dog's water bowl, the bathroom, end tables and floor registers to name a few.   It has been so much fun watching her facial expressions as she finds new rooms filled with things to destroy.

Along with her crawling we think that Dakota was probably teething during those 2.5 weeks of limited sleep.  She just wasn't the happy baby she typically is and the littlest things got her worked up.  I think she is feeling better now and she is back to smiling and having fun.  Here is what else we have been up to.

Stephanie came for a visit and we had lots of fun relaxing and playing with Dakota.

 Sporting leg warmers and camo hat since it is hunting season.

 She can sit up on her own really well but still gets wobbly at times.  I think she tipped over and hit her head on the crib right after this!  Poor girl!

 This is when she found the rug in the kitchen.

 It feels so different...

 Interesting...

 Cooking with mom.

 Drew left for 2 days to archery hunt and this is what walked into the yard around 2 pm.  I know they aren't big but who needs to leave home to hunt!

 Yum! Banana!

 A little bit of work on the exercise ball and a quick read to start the day.

 I built a fort and this is her first time crawling in.

 On her way.

 Almost there.

 I'm here mom!

 This rocks!

 Forts are fun!

 She has pulled herself up onto this table and into my lap.

 Trying to get Pete but that dang door got in her way.

We have some great home video to share and as soon as I can get them loaded I will get them on here.  Hope you are all doing well! xoxo Jill, Drew & Dakota

In a Pickle: Spicy Pickled Green Beans

When growing green beans you must have a plan!  Of course, we have been miracle growing our plants for months so we have far too many to simply enjoy over dinner.  What to do then?  With a pickling recipe in hand and a box full of jars, Drew and I embarked on an afternoon of canning.  My contribution consisted of cleaning beans and getting pots of water on the stove before our little miss decided that someone needed to give her some attention!  So Drew embarked on this food project on his own and did a great job!  Green beans to be enjoyed into fall and winter!!

 

On the road again, A house full of Shearers, If at first you don't succeed try again

Can you believe that August is almost over?  I feel like summer just began and I'm not looking forward to fall.  This has been the best summer I have had in YEARS!  Drew, Dakota, and I have had the chance to travel more then we ever have and we had some great visits with family and friends.  In the beginning of August we traveled to Conconully, WA to hang out with the Hoyt and Paysse families.  A big thank you to Jannae and Steve for letting us crash in their cabin.  This trip was so much fun, but it was exhausting!  We all slept in one big room...two babies sharing a sleeping space took a large dose of patience and flexibility among all four adults.  I am thankful that it all worked out though as I will always remember this trip!  On our drive over to Conconully we stopped and stayed the night with Kyle's grandparents outside of Moses Lake.  Don and Betty are great and always make us feel so welcome in their home.  Don and Betty own a huge farm and we took a few minutes when Dakota woke up at 6 am to go walk through some apple trees. 

We chased a bunny rabbit.

The early morning stroll was good for everyone.

When we left the farm in the morning we followed a motor home, three camp trailers, and a truck towing a boat.  Talk about a caravan!  

Dakota and I during a pit stop.

We stayed at Shady Pines Resort for 4 nights.  Here is Waylon keeping himself busy.

 Dakota getting cuddles from Uncle Steve.

 Music appreciation hour.

 Walked through town and hit up a bunch of garage sales.

 Dakota fell asleep!

 Waylon & Steve taking a dip in the lake.

 Carter Paysse ready for some fun!

 She didn't enjoy getting her toes wet as much as I thought she would.

 She likes hanging out in dad's arms better!

 He loved this!

 Boating with Aunt Nay.

 Good morning Waylon!

 Brown bagging the beer.

 Sisters and babies = great memories!

 Cruising on the tube.

A pic before we hit the road.

 When we returned home from our trip we geared up and got ready for Kevin, Kelly & the kids to visit.  It has been a LONG time since Kevin & Kelly were here so we were really excited to get some quality time with them. 

Drew and Baylee picked goodies from the garden together.

 Carrots, beans, and few raspberries.

 We found an AMAZING park right by our house that had the BEST playground setup and a water feature that the kids LOVED!

Only a little longer till she can enjoy the park!

 Ready, set, go!

 Good looking family!

 Three Shearer cousins!

 I had so much fun watching Baylee run around this place.

 Dylen & Kelly playing around.

 Water!

 Run, run, run!

Hanging out in the train. 

 Dakota's first time eating rice cereal.  She took it like a champ but after two feedings her arms broke out in dry patches.  We decided to quit the cereal and are going to pick some green beans and try those this week.

 What, there is cereal on my face?

 If at first you don't succeed try again! After our memorable first camping experience, we decided to head out once again for a one night stay at what is probably our most favorite place to camp.  Skalkaho Pass is beautiful, quiet, and not too far from home. 

Dakota enjoying her afternoon.

 We went fishing and look what I caught!

 Drew did pretty good too, but I think mine was bigger!

 A little playtime before bedtime.

 A few more hours of sunshine, fishing, gold panning, and letting the dogs swim before heading home.

Our second camping trip went MUCH better then the first.  No rain or throwing up occurred so I can't complain.  Dakota still didn't sleep most of the night but it was worth it to relax, spend time together, and enjoy the last few weeks of summer.