Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Nature's Disneyland












One of our favorite aspects about where we live is the endless supply of parks, trails, and sanctuaries we can use to enjoy the outdoors. Since we have had such a warm winter, we have already started to take advantage of them. Hallie loves to be out in the fresh air. She delights in touching dirt, she finds joy in collecting sticks, and she thrills in finding lakes, rivers, or any source of water. Chris takes so many incredible photos while we are out, I don't even know where to begin posting them. What do you do if he takes 75 photos and they are all incredible? The paths we take are mild so I can take my pregnant time. And, you will notice that it is a necessity that I wear my gray Roxy hat every time. How did I survive before that hat? Sometimes I talk about how much I miss Disneyland, but when I am surrounded by this I am humbled. This is its very own Disneyland. It puts our entire family in a fantastic mood. And let me boast about the traveling time to get to such places-- 10 and 20 minutes respectively. And don't forget we have that incredible peak view all the time. Yes, nature is good. Hikes are grand.

more nature . . .

Some of our recent adventures . . .
This fellow was just hanging out in a near-by neighborhood.








And for those of you under the delusion that I don't look pregnant-- there you have it. Seven months!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

worth a million words








Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day was sweet!


We awoke to a beautiful frosted wonderland. For those of you who feel sorry for me for living in such cold weather-- don't. It has seriously snowed five times all winter. Most of the time we are in the high 50s and sometimes we hang in the 60s. I quite love Colorado weather as a matter of fact. And who could not love waking up to this? Especially on a Saturday where you don't have to drive anywhere?

To get ready for the day, I dressed Hallie in red and pink. I can't tell you how much I enjoy dressing up my little girl for holidays. I did her hair into little pigtail "ears" that made her look like my Valentine's bear. She was a ball of cuddly cuteness.


For breakfast I was going to make heart pancakes, but when I opened up my Betty Crocker book and saw crepes they just seemed that much more romantic. So, I made my first crepes! They weren't nearly as hard as I imagined they would be. I bet seasoned crepe pros think I am a baby-- but they honestly have intimidated me for years. But, I have joined the crepe club. Thankfully, I had Nutella on hand (love that stuff) so we could have "raspberry hazelnut chocolate crepes" which sounds way more romantic than just crepes. We also featured some with applesauce (Hallie's favorite)and others with blackberry jam (a close second to the nutella crepes).



Hallie helped me wield the blender so she could make her daddy an "I love you berry much" smoothie. She sure is a pro at pushing the buttons on the blender. She also contributed the lovely art on daddy's plastic cup.
This cheese ball (cheese heart) was made to snack on several nights before Valentine's but it deserves a spot in this post. I love how adaptable this appetizer is. It can be shaped to almost anything to match your festive menu. Remember the Thanksgiving pumpkin? I have done Christmas ball ornaments, snowmen, and Christmas trees as well.


I have to say Chris' mom was our special Valentine's sweetheart this year as she played with Hallie for hours so we could have a fun date. In the early afternoon Chris took us out on a drive, he pulled over the car after several minutes and parked. Then he pulled out two fancy wine glasses and sparkling apple cider. We toasted to us as he had me open my perfectly wrapped gift to reveal a new Taylor Swift CD. He bought the CD because we have built so many memories around music and he wanted me to think of this day when I listened to the CD-- so romantic. I love it! He also got me the BEST card in the world. Have you seen the Hallmark commercials this season? He got me the "I Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore" card. I was more than thrilled. Every time I saw the commercial I was giddy. I LOVE 80s music and REO Speedwagon totally fits the bill. I was touched that he observed how much I loved that card and went and bought it for me. Every time I open it I get a rush of happy.

We had an incredible meal at Carrabas, I gave Chris a handmade card and a Frank Sinatra CD, and then we went to the movies. We had planned to see an action movie but everything was sold out so we ended up at the ultimate chick flick-- Confessions of a Shopaholic. I was surprised when I totally loved the movie. I look forward to owning it on DVD.


It was truly a sweet day. And who cares if Valentine's is heavily marketed and commercialized. It is a great excuse to take time out to celebrate true love of all kinds.

This is just a cute photo of my little one. I like it because it isn't a photo shoot-- it is just everyday life.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Digital valentines from our family to yours

We hope you have a Happy Valentine's Day tomorrow! Here are our Valentine's this year.

And here are some of our favorite shots from our annual photo shoot with Hallie. Remember, other than Easter, this is Hallie's last major photo shoot before we add another little girl to the mix. Thanks for the memories my superstar little girl!
The majority were confused looks . . .
or pensive looks . . .
or spacey looks . . .
until I introduced candy . . .
then it was all smiles.

Monday, February 9, 2009

2922

Today I am 31 weeks pregnant with my second child but I am also 2922 days into a relationship with a better match for me than I could have ever imagined. Eight years ago tonight, Chris and I went on our first date and we have never looked back since. I am not a believer in love-at-first sight. But, I do whole-heartedly believe that you can just "click" with someone right away. That was it for the two of us.


I love him so much. He still makes me so happy after eight years of romance. Here is to eight times eight more years and then on into the rest of eternity.

Weekend wrap-up

We had a great weekend! Chris has to work Saturday morning. After he came home from his class, we went out to eat as a family at our favorite burger joint around the corner. They messed up my order so I got it for half-off. Mom H. met use for a shake at the end-- which was totally fun. Then, we went home and put Hallie down for a nap. That night, we did our family tradition-- Target. On Sunday I got sooo much done. I made homemade blueberry muffins for breakfast and we watched a movie in our pajamas. Then, I got Hallie and myself ready and fed us all lunch before church. (I have been having a hard time remembering to get us fed while I get us ready for church-- sad, I know). Then, after our three hours at church we came home for a brief respite where I made pork roast with mushroom cream sauce, mashed potatoes, and green beans. I also made cookies and then left for another youth meeting that I had to speak at for an hour. The speaking engagement ("fireside" for those who know the lingo) was a success. When, I came home I was exhausted, but sooo proud! Seriously, this is NOT a typical day for me. I was like "Wow, how did I do that?" Trust me, it was Heavenly Father and a really super husband. And I can pretty much guarantee that today is going to be a very laid-back day as a result. :) Here's to pajamas and a low-key toddler.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Happy Sunday!


And for those of you who knew me as a child-- isn't it uncanny how much her teeth/smile match mine?

Saturday, February 7, 2009

A week gone by

I went a week without blogging because our poor computer crashed. Thankfully, my husband had everything stored on an external drive. So, all our pictures and documents were safe. (And trust me we are frightened into performing back-ups now). Chris spent hours this week reformatting our computer from scratch. And now, I can document our last week.

Hallie and I went back to baking! We had a blast making Valentine's sugar cookies. And I finally found a recipe that Chris enjoys. All of the others so far have been too crunchy or too sweet. But, my husband approves of these soft babies and will even eat more than one (as long as milk is included in the deal). Don't get me wrong. Chris loves when I make chocolate chip cookies or brownies; he just has never been a sugar cookie guy-- until now. Now I can unabashedly bake cut-out delights without feeling like it is an utter waste.


WARNING- Potty Talk Ahead

Hallie wore underwear all week. Diapers are only for nighttime. We are using a sticker chart and a small treat (M&Ms or Jelly-Belly's) for an incentive. She knows all the logistics of using the potty and tells me repeatedly "We don't go pee-pee in our underwear. We only go pee-pee in the potty!" Even though she knows the rules (so to speak) I really feel like she doesn't understand the feeling of her elimination. She has never notified me that she has to use the restroom and is always extremely shocked and upset when it comes out. She did earn stickers and treats this week but it was after hours (literally) of sitting on the potty reading books and singing songs. So, I am going to back off a little from my Drill Sargent approach. I am not giving up, just laying off a little until I am sure she actually understands the feeling of having to use the restroom.


That is our week in a nutshell. Chris has been busy with continuing education classes for teaching and I have been busier than usual with my church responsibilities. It is one of those times where everything piles up at once. The reality that we are only a little more than two months away from another child is starting to reach us. Thankfully, our house feels fairly much in order and we don't have much to purchase or organize. That isn't to say it won't be a change. But, it will be a good change. You are talking to the family who graduated, moved two states away, lived out of boxes at a friend's home until their apartment was ready, started new jobs, and grieved the loss of a grandparent-- ALL AT THE SAME TIME when the last baby was born. With all the pressure and stress we still came out happy and healthy. So, this will be a slice of cake in comparison-- or we could call it a sugar cookie.

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