Moab

We went to Moab for a weekend. And we had a blast. Driving home we even saw a shooting star, so of course, I had to say "A perfect ending to a perfect weekend".

Chris bought a nee jeep and built for rock crawling he wanted to test it out. We brought our jeep, and tested it to it's limits. Sure footed as a mountain goat, that jeep is.

Some parts of jeeping were terrifying, and I felt like... well the video below expresses my feelings precisely:

On those parts the girls and I got out and watched.

And some Christmas Card Preview:

Some beautiful scenery. 

I Know Her!

I am not sure how I stumbled upon this youtube video, but I did and I am sure glad!
It started and I said (aloud), "I know her!".

Because I do, but I knew her before she was a reporter, I knew her in college, and I love this lady.


She is now reporting for NBC 5 in Chicago, so Nanny when you go out there watch that news channel for me :)

Here is proof we are friends:

We even follow each other on Instagram.


Here is the story behind the last photo:

"8 years ago (almost exact) I met a girl named Emily on a hour long ride on trax. The next few years we would randomly run into each other. Then 8 years later after our first meeting, at the grand opening of a new mall I run into a Channel 2 News reporter, Emily."

She is my claim to fame, I guess. 

I wasn't kidding

Those are Christmas lights.

That's my deck. 

I took my Halloween spooky decor down and just kept up my harvest decor. 

It required self-control that I had to muster from my most inner self.

I am so ready for Christmas.

 Broccoli is so excited this year

(she can't even say "Christmas lights" without shouting it with excitement).

I am actually prepared.

My shopping is almost done.

I can really enjoy the season. 

Good thing the Christmas tree farm isn't open yet, 

or that picture would not have been my deck with lights,

but a Christmas tree... fully decorated.

Hey! I've seen this baby before!

I recently took a picture of my little Califlower in her car seat.

 I instantly recognized it as another picture I had taken about 2 years priors. 

same car seat

same eyes

same smile

same dimples

different babies

i've been told my babies have a look.

i never had a sister. 

so i think it's pretty cool they get a sister, and they get to look like sisters.

Halloween 2013

 We had a little witch and a little cat this year. (Remember the cat costume from 2 years ago?) 

Maybe a witch wasn't the best for a 2 year old because when the pediatrician asked what she was going to be for Halloween she said, "a bitch". 

 

We had a great day. 

We met my friend for breakfast and a visit to the office

(former office but I will always call it my office), so we got to see Grandma.

Afterwards we headed to the Aviary for the Halloween festivities.
We even got to meet ducks up close to which B thought was the coolest thing in the world.

 

 Prior to the Halloween day, we visited a local farm for hayrides and pony rides.

Also prior, we did our tradition of pumpkin carving and "The Nightmare before Christmas" watching, however, we substituted the movie for "Monsters University" this year.

 And back to Halloween (sorry the pictures are out of order and it's late)

we finished the night with pizza and trick-or-treating.

 This was the first time we went trick-or-treating in our neighborhood, 

and I have to say our neighborhood is a happening place to be on Halloween night. 

It is so alive. 

One neighbor makes fresh donuts. Another had "Charlie Brown and the great Pumpkin" playing. Then further down the street I heard Thriller.

 Awesome Halloween. 

Now it's time for Christmas! (Yes, I am one of those).

Helper

Or... Daddy's Shadow.

We "winterized" this weekend.

I wish I had more photos, it wasn't just this.

He had his dirt bike out draining the fuel, she got her little trike out and did the same thing (minus the fuel part).

He was changing the oil on the pressure washer and she grabbed tools and started tinkering. 

Names... nicknames

Nicknames... we all have at least one. 

Some we love, others we hope would be forgotten.

Above is our B and her best friend Soy Bean. 

Soy started calling her Broccoli and well, it stuck. 

I even caught Brad calling her Broccoli. it might be official. 

So to stay consistent with the vegetables, I have nicknamed her little sister...

Califlower. 

I think it's cute. 

It's staying.

A Very Special Guest

My parents came to visit and as I mentioned in an earlier post, they brought a very special guest with them, my Nanny.

 

Nanny, meeting our fur babies. Dixie, loved her, and I mean LOVED her.

 

During the visit, we blessed our sweet babe. We were able to do it in a beautiful intimate setting; right in our own home, surrounded by family and our dearest friends.

My aunt once again made a dress for our littlest gal. It was beautiful.

The desserts.

Son and Mother. 

(Only she understands his anxiety he feels prior to an event such as this).

 A proud papa. He did great.

The next morning we took my grandmother to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Broadcast. 

 We celebrated my dad's birthday while he was here.

Getting ready to say good-bye.

And the moment before my tearful good-bye. Good-byes are the worst. 

 

But it was a wonderful visit. 

We took Nanny to see all the places we once lived. 

I showed her my university. 

We toured the mountains. 

I was able to share with her the life I lived and live here. 

Thank you for coming Nanny, we love you!

xoxo

(Just as I type B is over my shoulder saying "Nanny. Nanny and Pop Pop").

Poached Please

I love eggs. 

However, I am very specific about my eggs. 

For example:

my yokes can't be cooked

i can't eat them without toast

i need two pieces of toast for every 1 egg

i am not a fan of scrambled

or omelet form

 

eggs Benedict is my favorite breakfast dish

I used to order my eggs sunny side up. Until I realized what I loved so much about the eggs benedict was the poached egg. 

I now order them poached.

And I just learned how to poach them myself from here:

http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2008/08/how-to-poach-an-egg-smitten-kitchen-style/

And I am thinking, why didn't I learn this sooner???

Unbirthday

   

I am not one to celebrate half birthdays, especially since Pinterest has me now believing I need to make an all out celebration for every incy wincy holiday (St. Patrick's - really? I even have a fair amount of Irish blood- I am all for an authentic Irish meal and wearing green but that's my extent). 

But I digress.

I wasn't planning on celebrating a half birthday, but for this little gal, it actually seemed appropriate.

 These last 6 months she has grown and developed so much.  She has reached so many milestones in such a short period. She welcomed a new sister, she became potty trained (I say that loosely, because I still have to remind her to go), she changed beds, and she has taken these changes in stride.

Her vocabulary has expanded. She is recognizing letters. She is starting sentences. She fining tuning already developed skills. She is getting better at saying her 'please and thank yous" without being prompted. She has become such a great little helper with sister. If you need a diaper, or need to discard of a dirty diaper or trash she is your gal. She loves to feed the dogs and clean up spills. 

I needed to change laundry around so I ran upstairs leaving the littlest crying. I asked B to go sit by her so she didn't feel alone, this is what I returned to:

 Lil' C didn't have any thing on her or with her when I left, this was B's attempt to soothe her, and apparently it worked or she got lucky ;-) 

Our Sweet B is turning into a sweet and spunky girl

She loves candy and her Dixie

She never turns down grapes and cheese

She doesn't walk she dances, twirls and jumps

She gets thrilled when she sees other kids

She is sweet but a bit of an instigator 

She asks to color pretty much all day long

Her favorite thing is sitting on "mama's bed"

Her most common question is, "Where did _____ go?" (Usually it is Daddy, but it can be Sydney, Dixie, Uncle Chris, or her cousin Dakota)

She asks to wear "princess dresses" all.the.time 

She would watch Bo on the Go all day if I would let her

She idolizes Minnie Mouse 

I love the way she pronounces "hold" she says it likes this "hold-day" and usually it is in this phrase, "Mommy hold-day me." 

i love my girls. 

i love being a mom. 

i love the guts out of their dad.

 my life isn't perfect 

(awesome thing about a blog is I can pick and choose what I share)

 but if i had the choice to choose another i don't think i would.