Hansen Family Reunion 2013

Every summer my family attempts to get together. Last year we all met up in Joseph City Arizona for a week of fun with our extended family. This year we met up at my parents house here in Florida for a few days of family fun in the sun. We made all kinds of plans--snorkeling at Blue Springs, watching fireworks shows in  Tallahassee, building a giant bon fire and roasting things on it... 

But then, it rained and rained. And rained. But we set up some umbrellas over the hot tub and grill, ate picnics indoors, and made the best of it. We mostly wanted to snuggle babies anyway, so it worked out.

This is us, making it work:

Jackie's little Jefferson and Jane went crazy over having two little babies in the house to play with. Amelia and Nathaniel took their cousin loving well. I love Amelia's little face with Jefferson on the left. "Uhh...are you sure this is safe, mom? Mom??"

Holy personalities! Jane's manic smile, Nathaniel's "just take the picture lady so I can get this cool toy" look, Jefferson's sweet careful little snuggles, and Amelia's typical "well now I'm over here for a while" attitude. That is them. Can't wait to see what they're like in 10 years, give or take.

We spent a lot of time indoors playing board games, watching movies on the projector, snuggling cute babies and eating. And then eating some more. We ate a lot.

Left: Grandma with the girl cousins; Right: These two are going to be partners in crime.

On July 4th all the fireworks shows were cancelled due to, you guessed it, rain. Luckily we had lots of food to console ourselves with. We started with pancakes (garnished ever so patriotically), carried on with grilled corn and hot dogs, and ended with home made ice cream. It was delicious. I think the forefathers would have liked it.

We finally got a break in the rain one day, so we blew up the kiddie pool and let the kids go crazy. Amelia even suited up (in the teeniest swimming suit I have ever seen!) but I mean...she didn't go swimming or anything. She mostly offered moral support. She was all over that.

My dad fixed up one of our old rusty bikes that was just the perfect size for little Jane. When he told he had a bike for her outside she said, "Oh, a PINK bike??" And my dad was like, "Well...no." But Auntie Kourtney went up to her craft lair and pulled out a few things and tricked that bike right out. Little Jane was over. the. moon. I mean, the thing has pink, glittery, pom poms hanging off of every possible surface. Can life get any better?

Jane wasn't the only one zooming around out on the patio. Nathaniel loooved zipping around on his own set of wheels. That boy can move.

Kourtney, Jesse, Tanya and I stayed up late one night and set up a surprise baby shower for Jackie. It was nautical themed and we may have gotten a little carried away...I'm saving most of those pictures for their own post. 

Even Grandpa likes to start his day with a good ol' baby shower.

Amelia and I missed the beach day everyone else took. Amelia was getting her 2 month check up and vaccinations so she definitely got the short end of that stick. Apparently they took a boat ride and saw tons of dolphins and played in the sand and water, and everyone had the time of their life! Yay!

Anyways, it wouldn't have been a proper Hansen reunion without a fiesta. Kourtney brought some special ordered fajita meat from the ranch we grew up on back in Texas, and my Dad grilled it up for us. Jefferson, known for his picky eating habits, made my Dad's night when he requested only meat for his dinner. Please and thank you. We ended fiesta night with the traditional pinata (beaten with wooden spoons and lots of enthusiasm), and all was right with the world.

The little babies were not impressed with the pinata. Tough crowd.

A Name and a Blessing for Amelia

Amelia Kate's blessing day was July 7th. She wore the little blessing gown and bonnet I wore when my dad blessed me 23 years ago. And I gotta say, it was so very darling on her.

She wasn't too sure about this fancy dress stuff. She gave me the most concerned little face when I put it on her. I couldn't get a picture of her in the dress without that concerned little look on her face.

Cory blessed her to keep her sweet, sweet little spirit throughout her life and to be strong and healthy and to have a sharp mind. It was a beautiful blessing for our sweet little Amelia Kate. She really is a special girl.

I'm so glad we waited to bless her until July when all of my siblings, and even my grandparents and favorite auntie were in town. We were lucky she was born fairly close to our annual summer time reunion :).

Afterwards we all headed over to the Allen's house for some Cafe Rio sweet pork burritos and general merriment. I really think I could eat those for the rest of my life. So. Good.

Not pictured: Danny Rodriguez--one of Cory's best friends (all the way from high school days!)

Amelia's 2nd Month in Review

Amelia turned 2 months old on July 3rd. She is blowing my mind. Two months!?

While she spent month two still very much in her sleepy newborn phase, she did have a few wide awake moments that were basically amazing. She is so good at being a baby. Good job girlie.

Stats: 11 pounds (50th percentile) and 24 inches (90th percentile).

So. Many. Pictures. Enjoy!

I sat her in the boppy while I folded laundry and talked to her about it, and she propped up her little head on her arm and gave me the most serious little face. She loves to have her hands up on her chest and face. Such a little lady.

Her little face is so expressive. She smirks like there is no tomorrow. We captured her very first real smile (albeit with a very shaky camera phone, but still! It was her first legit smile! She loves the little birds on her swing) but since then she turns the smile off every time the camera comes out. 

Grandma Allen and all three of her Aunties came over and gave her bath before bedtime. All four of them squeezed into our teeny tiny closet of a bathroom, and Amelia didn't know what to think. These are the little faces she gave them (I think she was a little concerned). 

And everybody's favorite, tummy time:

And her sense of humor is developing quite well. She had a massive, epic, throw that onsie in the garbage because it just can't be saved blow out, and when I laid her down to change it she gave me the happiest little faces. I had to take some pictures, even though we were practically in  the dark and I knew they wouldn't really come out at all. (I'll spare you the picture of her poop...which I did take. And then I texted it to Cory. And so it has come to this.) I swear she is winking at me in the last one! She knows exactly what she's doing, little stinker.

And then we have Amelia before and during her 2 month check up and vaccinations. Poor little baby had no idea what was coming. When they stuck her little thighs she made the most shocked little face, eyes wide open and her mouth in a perfect little "o" shape. Then the crying started. It was pitiful. So glad thats over.

Happy 2 months baby girl. We love you so.

Uncle B comes home!

Cory's brother, Brendon came home from his mission this week! He served in the Tempe Arizona mission, which is the modern day version of where his Dad served his mission about 30 years ago (and also overlaps with the very same place my Dad family is from, and where we spent our vacation last year. So crazy to think we were right there close to where he was!). Anyway, his two years were up, and he came home.

And, although this post really is about how happy we are that Uncle Brendon is back, it would seem that a lot of the pictures are of Amelia...I promise it's really about Brendon...really. She's just the only one that can't run away from the camera yet.

After Brendon got released we came home for Christmas dinner (his requested homecoming meal, ham, potatoes, squash casserole, the whole deal).  The we hooked his camera up to the TV and he showed us videos and pictures from his mission.

 Brendon gave his homecoming talk this Sunday, so family drove in from Jacksonville to hear it. You could tell from his talk how much he loved his mission and the people there.  After lunch we met up to eat lunch and to pass Amelia around for kisses and loves.

We're so happy to have Brendon back for the summer. He'll go back down to Gainesville for school in August, so his vacation will be short lived, but I know he's ready to get back to work.

I remember when Brendon left, and I couldn't even comprehend how different life would be when he came home. I knew Cory would be done with school (that seemed totally impossible at the time...) and we would maybe even be lucky enough to have a little baby, but it all just seemed so distant. The future is now, people!