More Sweet Corn Festival

The corn festival was a lot of fun but especially with little Emma. She took everything in so excitedly and with her big blue eyes! It is definitely going on our calendar for next year! Any of our friends and family are invited too!!

Since football season officially begins this next week and because the Cowboys are huge in Arizona, Emma and her daddy wore their Dallas Cowboys jerseys.

Emma actually loved the petting zoo. She didn't actually go inside the fences but loved to stand outside and watch the baby goats and bunnies and ducks! She also liked the puppies. This little guy sat in his food bowl!

We all enjoyed lunch but then couldn't resist buying some of the yummy corn on the cob. Who knew that little toothless Emma would love corn on the cob?!

The fair had five different inflatable jumping toys for the kids. Since Emma wasn't quite big enough to go by herself, we just sat her on the edge to see how she liked it. Apparently, she did!

The Ranch Rodeo was at 6pm and we thought Emma would be a little tired and hard to manage but she was really excited...probably just to be up past her 7pm bed time! It did start to rain a bit but we were prepared with blankets and umbrellas and of course Emma wanted to help hold the umbrella.

Sweet Corn Festival

The sweet corn festival is an annual even here in Snowflake/Taylor to kick-off the harvesting of the main crop: sweet corn! It is a 2 day event. Day 1 is mainly the craft show but ends with a salsa making contest where the tomatoes are donated and you make your salsa on sight. We went to day 2 which began with a 2mile/10K run, then a parade, BBQ lunch contest, fair events, and rodeos events.

These pics are of the parade. It starts with the usual fire trucks but then immediately followed by the sweet corn lady as Kara calls her!




















A travelling blug-grass band came up from Bisbee to play during the BBQ lunch. All different townspeoples come and cook lunch, for a small fee, and you can vote on who was the best.















While waiting for the rodeo events to begin we wandered the fair grounds looking at the Petting Zoo, jumping toys, etc. but eventually we got to see a Wild Cow Race and later that night, a Ranch Rodeo which is basically a spoof of a real rodeo. Events included Bronc riding, wild cow milking, wild cow relays, etc. All very fun and Emma stayed awake the whole time!

Working with Mom

This is how Emma use to help me work. She'd sit on the desk and play with a toy so nicely.

This is how Emma helps me work now...so helpful but if you look close you can see that she thinks she is hilarious!

All Moved In

I've had requests for pics of our new place so here they are. We enjoy the space but would love our own home!

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Allen Update!

Ok, so I know that I usually just post pics of Emma but can you blame me, she's so cute. I'd post more but I think you'd all get tired of it. However, now that we are far away from most family and friends, I thought an update on our little family might be in order. Cale is enjoying teaching 6th grade. He is starting an intern program reimbursed by the district to get his elementary degree. (For those of you who don't know, the whole reciprocity of his secondary certificate did not happen as we were told it would. Instead he needs a full blown elementary degree). He can do a lot online and get it done in a year or two and then will start his principal ship degree and NAU. He also just started coaching flag football for the school. They had their first game last night and won 8-0! He has one tiny little girl on the team and she scored the 2 point conversion! This was actually the first time the school has won in years!

I am staying at home with Emma which is great. We have lots of fun together even if our days are pretty laid back. I had the apartment unpacked in less than a week and actually have a place for everything! It's great. I need to start scrapbooking since I now have a place for it all. I also have lots of things on my to do list that I keep putting off but now have time to do.

Emma is as the pictures show a delight. She is getting over a cold and has become a little whiny but that's allowed when you are sick! She helps me do lots of stuff!

Trying to Crawl

I had to opportunity to go down for Craig's wedding (congrats again) and take Emma for a few extra days. Many people got to witness her attempts at crawling (she is so close) but I thought I'd post it anyway. She seems to think you go from knees to feet rather than from knees to moving hands!

Smiley!

Emma has thankfully stopped gaining so much weight. I don't know if I can't keep carrying her around everywhere! Just kidding but really 18 pounds is heavy! However, she has thankfully not stopped smiling! SHe is always so happy and cheerful and thinks she is so funny. SHe laughs at herself ...and me all the time!

Firsts

Ok, wow where to begin? So much time has passed. Emma has done so many new firsts! I thought I'd just share some pics of her first eating solids, first holding her own bottle, first time in her new crib, first shoes and painted toenails and first time sitting in a shopping cart! These pictures span from about 4 1/2 months to 5 1/2 months.

Back online!

Well, we have finally rejoined the internet world! We have felt so disconnected and I'm sure you all have missed the wonderful pics of the Allen family...ok, just pics of Emma! Well, get ready becasue they are soon to come but not tonight...I'm exhausted. We also finally have a home phone: 928-457-0200. I'm sure it will be very easy to remember with all those zeroes!

We just wanted to finally thank all those you helped us make this big move to Arizona. We are loving it down here and Cale and is enjoying his new job, albeit he is a little overwhelmed too. Emma is now sitting up, rolling front to back and back to front, sleeping in a crib, eating rice cereal and baby food (pears and sweet potatoes so far), teething, scooting backwards and working on crawling! Wow, she changes so much so fast! She can really cover a lot of ground now by rolling over and over and scooting. She goes backwards great but still snowplows her way forward with her head down!

We miss all our friends and family from Idaho and hope you'll come visit us soon!