Happy Halloween!

For Halloween this year, Darby is going to be a panda bear! She has been practicing wearing her costume (mainly the hat part) for the last few weeks and loves to wear it! Of course, we think she is the cutest panda bear ever! See for yourself!

Darby has also been practicing saying "trick or treat", although the only part that you can understand is the TREAT part. But then again, that's all that really matters anyway!

Hope everyone has a very HAPPY and SAFE Halloween!

Fall Family Tradition

Now that Darby is a little older, everything seems more exciting! She is constantly in "discovery" mode - into everything, walking everywhere and always learning new things. It's so much fun. We decided to indulge her need to discover by taking her to a pumpkin farm. What's even better is that the farm is called "Murray Family Farms". I found the farm by googling pumpkin farms in the area. Once I saw it online, I knew we had to go!

We made a weekend out of it and took the trailer and went camping in the area, even our dog Billie got to go (but not to the farm, of course!). The farm was so much fun - corn mazes, play areas, petting zoo, pick your own pumpkin and a hay ride! It would have only been made better if there was actually some FALL-LIKE weather to go with it.

Since we pretty much don't have ANY traditions that don't include other family or friends, this will be our first one! We plan on taking our little family back next year to Murray Farms for our pumpkin picking and lots of fun! Darby loved it, and so did we.

We already can't wait until next year!

The Gift of Gab!

Darby has definitely been given the gift of gab. Our little chatty cathy has already added quite a few words to her vocabulary. Here they are, in no particular order!


Mama, Mom, Ma, Mommy (she calls me all of them)
Papa, Poppie
Buh (Billie, our dog)
Book
Cup
Bowl
Juice
Sides (from a song at Gymboree were she goes side to side)
Baby
Ball
Shoes
Hi
Bye
Flower
Thank You
Mi Mi (sleep)
Num num (eat)
Jack
This
See
What's that
Cracker
Apple
Kick
Poo-poo (I'm trying to teach her to tell me when she goes!)
Phone
Clock
Meow (cat)


She has a book that I really think has helped teach her words like - kick - which she likes to point to and say, and actually kick her leg!

Speaking of books, Darby is a bookworm! She loves going into her room and opening the cabinet in her dresser and reading her books.

Darby is also a couch climber now. She would actually climb right over the top of it if we didn't stop her. She loves to climb up on the couch with her books and look at them. I find her this way multiple times throughout the day. It's adorable. Every time I see her sitting there on the couch with her books, I can't believe how much she has grown in 14 months.

The Murray Monster Mash!

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One Tired Darby ...

I decided to stop by Costco on our way home from Gymboree today:

I have to admit, while I did feel kind of bad for Darby sleeping in the shopping cart; the shopping trip itself was SO much easier! She woke up just in time for me to check out and leave for home!

Now I just hope she still takes a good nap for me this afternoon so I can get some laundry done!

A Few More ...

... from our San Diego trip!

Darby enjoying the great view we had at the Hilton downtown San Diego:

Trying to brush her hair with Mommy's brush:

... and being tortured by Mommy and Papa with the complementary hotel shower cap:

Sorry Darby, but it was just took cute and too funny not to take this picture!