Tahoe Time '08

We're back from a great trip to Tahoe! The weather was perfect (as usual), we were able to see so many friends and family and had a really wonderful time. Natalie loved exploring the cabin, the beach and even the lake! She wasn't really phased by the water temperature! What a brave girl. Thanks, everyone, for such a great visit!

 Natalie continues to be a great little traveler!

 Sweet Emma Doodle Bug

 Awesome that Aunt Ashley could join us for a few days!

 Owen and Natalie

Owen is the son of our good friends, Kelly and Micah, who we don't

see very often but love to hang out with when we do!

The all time cutest great grandparents!

We're Heading West!

A little Brooks family update for those of you who haven't heard. ....we are moving to Phoenix, Arizona! Corey will be transferring to his company's Phoenix office very soon and Natalie and I will follow shortly! The offer was a surprise to us and we are filled with mixed emotion. We are excited to explore a new city, live without winter and be closer to my side of the family (Grandma and Grandpa C are giddy...as is Aunt Ashley) but we are very sad to leave our wonderful friends here, the amazing town of Asheville and all these TREES!

As we pack up and prepare to move I'm a little anxious to start over in a new place. But then I remember that four years ago as we arrived in Asheville, after 5 days of travelling across the country in a Penske truck with a very stir crazy cat, I was just as anxious (probably much more so) and now I can't imagine daily life without our village of friends here. I know an equally wonderful life awaits us in Arizona, but we sure will miss everyone.

You now all have a place to escape the month of January! Oh, come to think of it...I think Grandma Betty and Grandpa Franc have dibs on all Januaries....so escape the month of February with us instead!

Silly Mommy

I was vacuuming Natalie's room yesterday afternoon and I put this little footstool up on her toy box so I could be really thorough (totally unlike me). Well, like an idiot I left it up on the toy box and kept vacuuming my way to the other side of the house. Well, when I checked on a very quiet Natalie a few minutes later this is how I found her. Perched up there on her little footstool tower reading "The Monster at the End of This Book". What a cute little climbing monster we have! Thank goodness she has better balance than her mother.

Litte Charmer

Natalie has developed quite the fan club. The little ladies at church can't get enough of her. They actually get mad at Corey when he takes Natalie to the nursery...they say they love hearing Natalie talk (loudly) during all the quiet moments. The ladies that work at Hallmark give her gold crown stickers to play with while we shop, the waitress at the restaurant where Corey takes her every Saturday morning puts in Natalie's favorite CD (Bob Marley)as soon as they sit down just to watch her boogie in her high chair, and today, the grocery store checker told me that seeing Natalie is the highlight of her week. What a special little girl we have!

Happy 4th!

Happy 4th of July to everyone!

OOOOOHHHHH!

I was recently amazed at how often I was saying "no" in a day with a toddler in the house. So, to switch things up a bit, and because all my "no" "no"-ing was not all that effective, I decided to change my universal sign of disapproval.

When Natalie started doing something she shouldn't, I started raising my eyebrows and putting my pursed lips in the shape of an "O" while breathing in quickly to create an ominous, startling and disapproving "ohhh" sound. Well, it was effective for about a month. Now when I do this, Natalie is not only not fazed nor threatened but she responds with this.....
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.


Yes, she's now started mimicking me when I do it and she just thinks it's the funniest thing! Great! Time for a new tactic.

Here are some other cute pics of this little naughty pants.