Saturday, May 30, 2009

A Day in the Canyon

We went up Mueller Park canyon the other night and had tinfoil dinners (thanks to my parents' canyon pass and firewood). It was absolutely gorgeous and Emmie had the time of her life exploring every piece of grass, twig and beetle. We took some family pics and thought they would be fun for you to see.




























































She was loving every minute of this adventure!




















Such a sweet girl
























A drastic change in moods after another head "bonk" from falling.











































I love this smile!! She gives it when she is truly excited about whatever she is doing. I didn't know a field of grass and dandelions would bring it out. I would see something in the distance (the sand volleyball court) and want to show it to her. We would start walking there (in my mind, thinking only of getting to the sand). She would take two steps, lean down and pick a piece of grass or a piece of dirt on the path. She was so fascinated by every little thing in between our starting point and our destination. I was only focused on the destination. I thought it was neat that she would help me remember that we can enjoy everything "in between" in our daily living rather than only focusing on finishing something or getting somewhere.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Our Second Baby!

Emmie is going to be a BIG SISTER!! Jon and I announced on Sunday for Mother's Day that we are expecting our second baby in December! We are so grateful and excited. I am almost 3 months along and finally getting over the saltine cracker/ramon noodle stage (luckily this pregnancy it wasn't mac n cheese and pork n beans...yuck!) I felt much better during morning sickness than with Em. That is why I could keep it a secret until now. I guess according to some people in our families, it wasn't a secret at all because of the noticed drop in my energy level and the little "belly bump" that has showed up way earlier this time around. I was also proud of Em for keeping the secret too. She learned to pat my belly and say "baby" but she never did this around other people.








I wrapped up a Christmas stocking for my mom to open on Mother's Day. It is special to me that my baby is due in December (however, the 3rd of December is VERY close to November and I will probably have my baby early). But for now, I can be excited that my baby might share my own birthday month. My mom brought me home from the hospital in a Christmas stocking when I was born. And yes, Jon, I do mention this "unique fact" about myself pretty much every time I get the chance!! I love it. I was so happy to tell my mom and my sweet mother-in-law. They are both my greatest mentors as mothers and I seriously couldn't be blessed with greater examples and also greater friends who offer so much comfort, support, and babysitting. We love you Moms!!









The note that went along with the stocking:





















YEAH for the new baby!!

Mother's Day

Isn't my husband the sweetest? He bought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers for Mother's Day. My favorite: Calla lilies

























Emmie, Me, the flowers, and our monkey friend! Oh wow, yes this picture is a bit random with the giant monkey. Let me explain with the next picture.


















Our neighbor Jake came down one morning and surprised Em with this giant stuffed monkey. She immediately began attacking it and wrestling with it. She was the happiest I'd ever seen her at 6:45 AM! Thanks Jake!






















Now Jon and I just have to be careful because wherever we set the monkey, he always startles us. We are still searching for a place in the house to keep him without making us jump thinking some stranger is sitting on our couch, etc. Pretty funny.






















This pictures seriously cracks me up. Em wanted to try on Dada's "pants" (shorts). Oh wow. I was dying.





















Cute pic of Em on her truck (we stock up on quarters now so she can enjoy our grocery trips)





















Our little Emmie. We love this girl sooo much, beautiful morning hair and all!!!

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Emmie's loves

This is one of Emmie's latest games---hiding in Dad's carry on suitcase. He never put it away from his last business trip (okay, we are sort of running into the dilemma of our first apt where there isn't really anywhere to put it "away." But those of you who saw our last apt, know that we have come a LONG ways! Anyway, it is way cute when she hides. Half her body is hanging out but she surprises us with a huge smile anyway. I love when she says "Momma Come" and wants me to come in with her....my nose and forehead manage to squeeze in there!















We sometimes go to my old Junior High to play at the new park they built there. The old one that was there when I was little (the dangerous one) with the horse swings and merry go round was way better. However, the new slide is killer and it even gets my tummy! You can tell I am more excited than Em to experience the thrill!



























You already knew this love---the "WING!"






















She is my brave girl these days and walks all over the playground and runs across the wobbly bridges which always makes my heart drop thinking she'll trip and fly head first to the ground. We have found ourselves at the park more and more with the good weather. It doesn't help that it is also on the way to Jon's work and Em can see it out the window. She yells "wings!" with such excitement that we have to stop for the 3rd time that day.

























Em loves the rocks in our yard (yes, the parking lot has become our makeshift yard! Terrible I know, but I limit her to the far curb with all the rocks and sticks and I stand between her and the cars--only a mom's kind of sacrifice!) This was a rainy/sleety day but we both needed to get out of the house so I decided to make an event out of it by bundling her up in the snowsuit she's only worn a couple times this year. Isn't she darling?






















This pictures explains why she has only worn the suit a couple of times this year!






















Yes, Emmie is sitting in the passenger seat and no, you do not need to call child services on us! Well, maybe. Here's the deal. Em gets bored waiting for Dad when we pick him up for work. I would pull her out of her carseat and let her play around up front with me. One time I took her for a ride like this around Jon's parking lot. After experiencing the position in the car that people fight over-- "shotgun" --it was all over. Now it has become routine that when we pick up Dad for work, she gets to "rive" or "drive" in the front with daddy. He comes out and takes her a few yards around the back of the building and she has this perma grin the entire time! It is the cutest thing so Jon and I haven't spoiled the fun yet--however we have received weird looks from his coworkers who see us backing out with Em chilling in the front seat.






















She is ready for a road trip with those shades!





















What could be better than enjoying the view out the front windshield with access to a box of wheat thins? Em looks so grown-up in this picture.





















Em got finger paints in her easter basket. She had fun and I loved seeing her wear my old night shirt as a painting dress. She can't believe I let her get all that sticky colorful mess on her hands (with markers and water paints I tell her she can't touch them so this was confusing for her at first)





















She was fascinated to see all those colors on her hand. But minutes later she wanted me to wash them.






















I thought it would be fun to show you how much Em has grown. This was about a year ago when she was 5 months old. She actually fit on the changing table from head to toe. I actually think she looks like her cousin Andrew in this picture.





















Same changing table, same happy girl, but somehow I can't quite seem to fit her whole body in the picture, let alone on the changing table! We love our sweet Emmeline!

Easter Girlies

GraMare gave Emmie the CUTEST dress for Easter. I absolutely love it and Emmie enjoyed dressing up too (yeah, okay, I can still speak for her sometimes, but not very often anymore!) Em loves her Grandma Featherstone.
















Easter Princess
























After a visit to the Featherstones, we headed up to the Marsden's for Easter dinner. Here is cute Charley and Emmie in their new dresses.



















The dresses totally matched (both Costco buys...wahoo!) Here they are rocking out on the organ--one of their favorite activities that everyone wishes was their least favorite thing to do (especially considering the organ has little volume control and the vibrato never seems to disappear!)


















So cute! I don't have words to describe how lucky Em and I feel to have Charley live so close. She is so great to have over and entertain us both with her jokes, creative activities and sweet temperment. We can't wait until Em gets to know her Texan cousins this well...come on guys it's either you move here or we move there and I don't know how to build any Texan pride in Jon! And who knows where cousin Andrew and family will move next.....we want to visit you Feathies wherever you go.

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Our New Niece Brittana Jyl

My sweet niece was born on April 6th, 2009. How fitting for this beautiful girl to enter the world on that day. Not only was it the Savior's birth, the restoration of the church---but also the 1 year anniversary of my sweet Grandmother Marsden's death. We miss her and felt comforted on this day by Britanna's birth. Her middle name is after my mom. How cool is that? My sister Rachael is the best mom to her two girls, Charley and now Brittana. I look up to her so much and I am so grateful that she is my mom mentor! I had the chance to meet Brittana a few days after she was born (Em had a fever the day she was born...just our luck!). I felt so happy holding such a precious tiny girl in my arms. I love being an aunt!








Aunt Shelbers and new "Baby B"




















Em meeting her cousin for the first time. This was a sweet moment. Em wasn't quite sure how to react as she is used to wrapping baby dolls in blankets and then flinging them across the room! She sensed that she needed to be very still with this baby doll!

Our baby is 18 months!

Here is a beautiful daughter, Emmeline. Tomorrow, on Easter Day, she will be 18 months old (and will go to nursery for the first time...wahhooo!). The time has flown by. I am loving this stage because she is learning so many things and making me laugh all the time. Her latest thing is saying "amen" during the entire prayer so we will end sooner! This little girl has brought us nothing but joy and we can't wait to see more of the fun moments we caught on camera:





















Sitting in a mechanical car at Smith's on a daddy daughter date. Such a beauty!



















Em likes to ride in the "car" grocery cart. It is usually a disaster for me because I can't maneuver the cart and end of knocking things off the shelves when I do U turns in the isles! On this particular day, Em noticed a well advertised stand of cheddar goldfish and talked me into getting one, opening it and handing the whole bag to her so she could "drive" and munch on fishes. Her trip to the grocery store was successful! However, all those fishies may have caused the man behind us on our way out of the grocery store to say "Looks like a diaper explosion." I looked at Emmie's back and sure enough, the Blow out queen did it again! Oh boy. Kids are full of surprises, aren't they! The guy was so serious when he said that and it made me laugh.





















Em on a slide at "Kangaroo Zoo" when we went for Grannie Day.





















Our future piano rocker. She is a music artist for sure---pulling faces and all!






















Em is a great eater (and still grunts while enjoying her food)




















Our latest entertainment is yes, you are seeing correctly---a RAT! And NO it is not ours!!! These baby rats belong to our 12 yr. old neighbor upstairs. He loves to come and show Em his rats. Surprisingly, Em really likes them (she must be more like her dad on this one). It is so funny to see how she doesn't even care when they crawl all over her! Pretty wild, huh.























Nonchalantly handing the rat back to our friend. She cracks me up!





















She even let the rat hang out on her head! Pretty funny. I think I would die if I found one of these loose in my house!





















The Bath Queen! Her hair is super long now. I love to comb and play with it. As a little girl, I would always love going over to my friends' houses and combing their dolls' hair. I just loved it. It is so fun to now comb and dote over my daughter's hair. She doesn't like it much and shakes her head so I'll stop!






Em has been learning the ABCs the past little while. This was about a month ago when she was singing along with a little animated spider named "Lulu." She cracks me up. Jon is also concentrating hard on LuLu and is quite the singer in this video, might I add.







This was about a week ago. She can now say some of the letters (although I really loved the Emmenese languange in the last video) It is so fun to watch her learn. She is such a ham and keeps me laughing. I love being a mom!