Life's a party when you have a big elephant to sit on! #dontyouwishyouhadone

Have a good holiday weekend!

Juliette has started to get the swing of it!  She is figuring out how to eat solids....slowly, but surely.  She doesn't seem to mind sweet potatoes, but she seems to have an aversion to organic rice cereal (she's already watching her carbs?)  Most that went in, came back out. (Notice the paper towels in the background)

Over it Ma, over it.

She's a fish...actually, she'd rather just gnaw on her hands.  We took Cheekie to the pool for the first time today!  She spent her hour at the pool with her hands in her mouth the entire time!  She was rather uninterested in the pool and water.  At least she looked good!

Juliette has been the best baby!  She sleeps at least 8 hours a night (now on her stomach!) and rarely cries.  

We spent a lovely HOT and sticky humid day at Blue Springs State Park with Josh's close friend Jason and his wife Nina and her son Stephen.  

Here's Josh & Juliette with Stephen.  Usually in the summer you do not see many (if any) manatees in the springs.  We were lucky enough to see a few!

Here's everyone swimming in the spring. (Juliette is still too little to get in the water so I stayed with her. Only a couple weeks left until she can though!)

On a completely different note, I saw this on someone's Facebook page...it's so true.  SOOOOO...Juliette, when you are old enough and read this...this is for you!

The 20 things I wish someone told me at 20:

1. Hold tight to your real friends and don't forget the closeness that you feel now.
It is real, and over time, life will try to tease those connections away. They will mean everything.

2. Although you're smart ... your brain isn't done maturing. Listen to your parents more than you want. REALLY. 
Your brain doesn't fully connect all of the dots until you're about 23. Trust me. Trust THEM.

3. Keep the joy of being 'in the moment.'
You will have to focus on the future so much as you get older -- being mindful to the moment becomes a lost gift (you do this better than we do).

4. You will miss your youthful body one day -- love it and take care of it. 
There will come a day when you become nostalgic for all of those body parts that you don't like now. Take care of them, exercise and enjoy the freedom of your abilities.

5. If someone has cut you down, that is about THEM, not YOU. 
Unkind words are often used to cut a strong person down to make the insecure one feel better. Don't let them stick.

6. Apologize: mean it & make it better. 
Say "I'm sorry," drop your ego and fix things humbly, without excuses.

7. Education is THAT important. 
With 100% certainty, you will be proud of your degrees ... and you will regret it if you don't complete them.

8. You can say NO to sexual contact. 
You own your body. Walking away is tough in the moment, but your spirit will thank you. And, trust me, in later years, those decisions will fill you and your partner with pride.

9. Whatever you POST is PERMANENT. 
Envision that picture, video or comment being pushed across the desk to you as you interview for your first job.

10. Trust the calling on your heart. 
Don't quiet the voice inside your spirit. DO the work to get where you are called to go ... even if it is not where someone else thinks you should be going.

11. Spirituality/Religion will be what saves you when the world goes out. 
Always keep a personal spiritual relationship with God - this will guide you, strengthen you & bring you peace. Pray. Meditate. Listen. Every day.

12. Travel.
Seize any (safe) opportunity to journey to a new place, immerse in a new culture, or experience new landscape. Your mind will open in immeasurable ways.

13. Don't poison yourself. Don't smoke. Don't take drugs. Don't drink soda. 
Toxins affect your outward beauty, the way you radiate, and the way that people experience you. Treat your body as purely as possible. It will show.

14. Consider the other side of the story. 
Listen to someone that you don't agree with - ask them where they came from and why they feel the way they do, without judgment. Be OPEN.

15. Talk yourself out of the need to compare yourself. 
Strive to be the best YOU, not a copy of the person next to you. Know your strengths. Don't belittle your weaknesses.

16. Talk to your educators. Ask for help. Be known and be memorable. 
By being known, teachers will be more invested in you and your success. You might also gain a mentor.

17. Love your parents. Love your grandparents. 
Look them in the eye and listen to their stories. Honor their lives and the legacies of those before you. You never know when it is going to be too late.

18. People will treat you the way that you allow them to.
You have half the power to determine how every relationship goes as a whole. Be empowered to keep positive people close and negative people at bay. You do have a choice.

19. Pay attention to how people treat their parents ... and their waiters. 
The way a potential partner treats his/her parents is a good predictor of how they will be in a marriage. The way they treat a waiter (or any service person) shows you their character.

20. Listen to your still, small voice. 
God gave you a spirit that speaks to you from that spot deep in your core. You can feel it give you a stinging "bzzzz" when you should not be somewhere, and a feel-good "lalalala!"when you are in a very good place. Trust those GUT feelings. Your intuition is your superpower -- use it and you will diminish your chance for regret ... and increase your chance for wonderfulness.



p.s. Mommy loves you.  So does your Dad ;)

She just may be the world's cutest baby if I do say so myself.  Happy Wednesday!

We enjoyed a family outing this past Sunday to Orlando.  We went to two of my favorite places...Hash House A Go Go and Ikea.  Juliette was obviously very excited to be at Hash House!

(Looks like she's keeping her baby blues!  Just like her momma!)

After a delish brunch at Hash House, we headed to Ikea!

I found Juliette the cutest "food"!  We also got a new entertainment center and a bunch of other stuff!

In other news, I found this on-line.  We are headed into the "Rabid Chipmunk" stage!  We are pateiently awaiting the arrival of Juliette's first teeth!  So far, none have broken through!

We've been trying different solids...bananas, apples, sweet potatoes and rice cereal.  All of which she doesn't seem to like.  We are starting to think maybe she just isn't quite ready for solids.  We'll try again in a few weeks.  Until then, I will keep on stocking up on yummy healthy homemade meals for