Normal Saturday

We had our ward Easter party on Saturday. A good breakfast and of course an egg hunt. Scarlett LOVED it. She would get so excited whenever she saw an egg and run to get it with such enthusiasm. Alice just had fun stealing every body else's eggs and baskets and candy and anything else she could get her hands on. 

After we went on a walk and let Scarlett ride her bike. We got her a "strider bike", a toddler bike without pedals, for her birthday and she is getting really good at it. She can pick up her feet and glide for a long time, all while steering and keeping her balance. It is fun to go on walks with her and have zoom past us. We have had numerous discussions about being safe and not going too fast. She doesn't listen!

 

The weather has turned warm and it has become the most beautiful time of year in Vegas. The blossoms were so gorgeous this year and have already come and gone. It seems we are outside all day and go on walks as a family every night. The whole family loves it. The kids are entertained and Nick and I have time to talk about our day. Soon the summer heat will take over but for now we are enjoying every minute!

Some cute pics of Alice I found on my camera. She loves to play with phones and put it up against her ear. What a copy-cat. My favorite thing she does these days is walk up to me, stretch her arms up, and open/close her hands real fast. It is her way of "grabbing" for me. I pick her up and she snuggles up on my shoulder. I love watching her grow and develop yet I want my baby forever. She is such a special and lovable child. 

6th Anniversary

Sunday March 10th Nick and I celebrated our 6th anniversary. It has gone by so fast yet when I think back to our wedding day it seems so long ago. Funny how time is. I try to remember back to when we had no kids and could be footloose and free and go to movies whenever we wanted and... it is a blur. We were so busy going to school and work full time that we really didn't see each other much. Then we had Scarlett and life became more simple and I got to see Nick all the time (we had both graduated and I was not working). In the three years we have had kids we have become a team and grown so much closer. Our kids have only made our marriage stronger. Thank you babies! To celebrate we went on a walk as a family and enjoyed being together with our kiddos. 

Some old pictures

At my bridal shower

Trying on my wedding dress

My favorite part about our reception... all our beautiful flowers, we had a ton!

Honeymoon in Maui

Just married and off to our lucheon

Engagement picture

Best of all... the product of 6 amazing years! This was taken at the exact spot Nick proposed

The Funnies

Scarlett is quite the character these days. I can just see the wheels in her head turning as she is trying to understand the world around her. Here are some funny, little stories

 1. Nick spent last week in Indiana for school (getting his MBA). He had a long talk with Scarlett about how he was going to go on an airplane and fly across the country. Today while we were on a walk she pointed up in the sky to an airplan and said " oh my daddy is on that airplane. Bye, Bye daddy see you soon". She was so sad and hung her little head and walked away. It was adorable.

2. She is into saying "oh gosh" and "sure". She says "sure" to everything. Want some apple juice "oh, sure mom". Then she drops the sippy cup and says "oh gosh, I'm sorry". She shakes her head with a smile on her face, like she is saying "silly me". It is pretty cute.

3. Alice is becoming her little buddy and throughout the days excitedly exclaims "I liked that baby of mine!" 

4. With Nick out of town I have been taking the girls to the gym daycare instead of going before they wake up. Scarlett calls it the "gym nursery" and says before I leave "don't worry mom I'll watch baby Ali." What a great big sister!

5. She adores two things these days ... tinkerbell and hello kitty. Loves them to death. Today while I was doing her hair she said "I am just like tinkerbell except I have not wings and can not fly." She was so sad about it. It broke my heart but I guess she would have figured it out sooner or later. 

one word... creepy!

We have been having pretty simple days this past couple of weeks.  Eat, play, sleep is pretty much our routine.

Alice will walk up to Scarlett and just hug her. These two girls really love each other. 

Something old and something new

Her birthday breakfast of oatmeal... her favorite

Why did I never put it together that my dad and Alice have close birthdays? I don't know how I missed that. Little Alice turned 1 on the 17th and my dad turned 60 on the 19th. Two of my favorite people. We celebrated up at the cabin since it was a long President's Day weekend. Kim/Abe and their family came up on Sunday for dinner and cake. I always love getting together with my family.

The day before we got up to the cabin my parents went through my grandma's house with all my dad's siblings. They hauled many memories home with them and we so enjoyed going through it all together as a family. My grandma kept a handful of old diaper pins, the big kind that held together cloth diapers. I am sure she would hold those in her hands and remember her seven babies. All the years of caring for them, holding them, and guiding them into adult hood. They grew up and she was left with old diaper pins and sweet memories.  These precious moments I have with my babies will be the joy of my life.

The party pics

My dad is a tender man. He works endlessly for his family, not just for our temporal well being but our spiritual as well. He tries hard to be an example of righteous and faithful duty. He goes above and beyond in every calling. I notice. I take note. I strive to be like that. My favorite memory of my dad is one I think of daily. It is the early morning hours, the sun is not yet up and won't be for many hours. I walk down stairs for breakfast before I get ready for seminary. My dad is sitting at the kitchen table with a medical journal, his scriptures or possibly a talk from the latest General Conference, and the floor heater going full blast. There he sat every morning, talking to me while I ate cereal. Building a relationship without his teenage daughter even knowing it. Smart man. I asked him a couple weeks ago to compile his favorite talks. I have loved reading them in the morning after I go to the gym. I sit at my kitchen table, read, and eat oatmeal. I am just getting ready for when my teenage daughter walks downstairs and grabs a bowl of cereal. 

Alice 12 months

She is a year and I want to cry and shout with joy. This year flew by, most likely because she was so,
so easy. She is a delight and always brings a smile to my face. About a month ago she started walking and it melts my heart to see her wobble around. I will say that I am paying the price for "babying" her these past months. She knows I will give in to just about any of her irrational demands. Like putting her hands in her food and rubbing it everywhere. I change her clothes after most meals. I even started nursing her again because she put up such a fuss. She completely stopped taking any form of bottle and went days without liquid. It freaked me out and I gave in. Darn girl will still not take a sippy cup or bottle or normal cup. She does not want anything to do with them. Oh well:) She is only a baby once and am going to enjoy it.

Cute things she is doing
1. She points to things she wants. It is usually food, she is always hungry.  When she wants to nurse she goes up stairs and points to the rocking chair. Adorable but this is trouble for sure.
2. Cuddles her baby doll when I rock her to sleep and insists on taking it to bed
3. Loves my dad and says "papa" when she see him.
4. Wants to play with whatever Scarlett is playing with. This is not such a cute thing

5. When I rock her to sleep she occasionally lifts her head up and puts her cheek to my lips wanting me to kiss her.

6. Is still so snuggly and adores me. I love it!

7. She has a crooked little smile that melts my heart

8. When I sit on the ground she walks over and always sits on my lap. 

Picture overload. I had a great time experimenting and shooting this pics.

My mom helped keep the kids entertained, hats on, and noses wipped. My girls adore her! Scarlett just said the lunch blessing and said "thank you for noma's house and all her toys"