It's a good day!

It's a good day for so very many reasons! First and foremost it's my hubby's and my 10 year wedding anniversary! Crazy how fast that flies past! And it's funny how the things that are so perfect for me about him are things I never looked for and never knew I wanted or needed are the most priceless attributes! I definitely was so very blessed the day he walked into my life! It's been an amazing 10 years! This will be a big year for us! We celebrate 10 years. We will be having our 5th (and final) baby. And we'll be buying our 3rd (and hopefully final) house. Pretty momentous events on the agenda for the coming months!

Phew- I've taken such a long break from regular blogging that I don't even know where to start. And knowing myself this will be far from a regular occurrence... But well I've loved in the past being able to print my blog books and have them to use as photo albums and memory books...

So I guess I'll start with today. I feel like I'm slowly coming out of a fog. I'm slowly turning back into myself. You know how some people get horrible postpartum depression. The kind where they go kinda crazy and don't think clearly and don't act like themselves? Well I get that but it's during my first 14-18 weeks of pregnancy. I go crazy. I'm mean. I'm irrational. I'm super lazy and exhausted. I'm sick. I'm also crazy. With my past 3 pregnancies I've craved miscarriage. To the point I'm jealous of people who miscarry. I sometimes even have super crazy thoughts of how if I fell just right down a set of stairs I could make myself lose the baby. YES! I acknowledge it's completely unhealthy and so very wrong. But there ya go- on the table, black and white. I go crazy! Thankfully I'm almost clear of that stage of this pregnancy. And it feels so wonderful to start feeling like myself again. I want to listen to music again and get stuff done and snuggle my sweet wonderful kiddos! I want to go on dates with my husband and actually be nice to him again. (I think that's why dan could have been done having kids at 3. I think my pregnancies are so much harder on him then I realize. He's such an amazing man to put up with it and to let me have 5 of these crazy first trimesters! I sure love that man!!!!)

Anyways- I'm feeling like me again and life is good. I've got a good routine going, I go to the gym a few times a week right after I drop the boys off at school and the girls LOVE the kids club/daycare at the Y. And I have a few friends from the ward that also go at the same time so it's workout/social hour most days. It's been really good for me to have a regular routine and to get that kind of regular exercise. I think it's made me be a little less crazy with this pregnancy then with some of my others. It's amazing what endorphins can do. :)

So as for Dan- he's really liking his new position at work here in vegas. He works for and with some really great people! He keeps plenty busy but gets to keep regular hours. He leaves at 7:30 and is home by 5:30 every day which is wonderful for me. :) We are very blessed to have him have such a great job! He's still got some car projects he works on. Nothing hard core right now. You should see the Thing though. She's gorgeous!!! He put new seats and a new top on her and it's crazy what a difference it made! I just LOVE that car! He's also got a vw Ghia out back that he tells me he will fix up for me someday! I say if it can have an a/c it'll be my dream car!!! I think it'll be so good for him when we have a 3 car garage so he can keep a car project in there that's more accessible for him to tinker on.

Scott is in 3rd grade this year and was so proud when he made the A-B honor roll this last semester! We were really proud of him too! He's such a smart sweet guy! He's grown up a ton since we moved to Vegas. He's an amazing helper for me and a great big brother. We went through a rough patch a few months back with him and found a great therapist that really helped us learn some coping strategies and better ways to process and deal with emotions. I think all this moving we've done in the past 7 years has been really hard on him. More so then we thought. But we're working through it and hopefully once we get into our house we won't have to move possibly ever again! He's just coming up to that awkward place where he's slowly starting to realize he's not a little kid anymore but he still likes to be a little kid but is starting to like more big kid things... It's been so neat to see him hitting all these new stages. Wanting to watch more adult type movies and less cartoons. Wanting to hang out with the adults more than playing out with the kids sometimes. He's got such a neat spirit in him. I can't wait to see what he becomes as he gets older!

Brock is still so very Brock. Just so full of silly quirkiness it's thoroughly entertaining. He's so sweet and tender too. He's a total peacemaker 90% of the time. But he kinda likes to be in charge when it comes to games and he loves to tell people what to do. I think he has a touch of ocd or something that makes him want to be in control of odd things and have them just so... But man is he fun! He's doing great in kindergarten. I really need to buckle down with him and really give him an academic push- I've just been kind of mia. Anyways. He's awesome. He still loves to play with friends and loves animals. He really wants some pets. Like maybe some lizards. He has a SERIOUS serious phobia of bees. He thinks that the lizards will eat any flying bugs that come in our house so that he won't have to be scared of them. He's a problem solver that one. He talks the most about missing utah and his friends and things we did there. But he loves vegas and swimming and family so it evens out. :)

Kara is all girl! She loves to play girl things and be dressed up and wear necklaces. She is such a sweet fun thing. She loves to be silly and funny. She loves to laugh and twirl and perform for people. She has been doing speech therapy this year and it's been fun for her. She has this lisp/ tongue thrust thing that we're trying to remedy. She is a little bit more drama then the boys. It's a girl thing I guess from what I hear. She can go from fine to dissolving into tears at the drop of a hat! Over the silliest things too! I'm in for it between her and molly! Yikes! It's so much fun to have girls though. To do their hair and put them in froufy skirts and stuff. It's pretty awesome. Boys have their own super fun things but there's just something special about little girls! ;)

Molly is a character. She is so smart! She talks so well for a 2 year old. So clear and so so many words. It's probably from all the tv she watches. I swear she would watch tv all day every day if I would let her. But she loves to play too. She's been playing better and better with kara lately. They get out the mermaids or the ponies or the stuffed animals and make them a house and pretend they are sleeping or playing and it's awesome. She's so snuggly and sweet! I just love this age. Where she can communicate better and can do some things herself but she is still teeny and still loves me all the time. She loves nursery and loves her friends. She gets separation anxiety still randomly like when she doesn't' want to get babysat or when shes really tired but most of the time she does great. Her cousin Maddy is the same age as her and those two are either bff's or mortal enemies and most of the time lately it's enemies. They steal each others' toys and push and hit and can just be awful to each other. But then the next minute they will love and hug and kiss each other and share like champs. It's a hoot. Molly sure can be fiesty. But most of the time she is just mellow and silly and sweet. She has the sweetest giggle ever!!! I just wish I could bottle it up and keep it forever!

Baby #5 is growing fine as far as I know. I'm coming up on 16 weeks which means we'll be able to find out boy or girl in a month!! We didn't find out the sex with molly and it was so fun to not find out until she came out. But I just need to feel more connected and excited for this baby. I think it'll feel so much more real to me if I know the gender. So yeah we'll know soon enough! And I'm so excited! I still can't regularly feel the baby move. I thought I've felt it a few times but I'm just so much more padded this time around I'm sure it'll be another few weeks before it's a regular occurrence.

As for the house= we just got price approval from the bank so we should get an approval letter in the next couple weeks and then we hit the 30 day financing till close period! It's insane to finally be this close to ending this process!!!! It's crazy how it's all falling into place so neatly all of the sudden. We had been shopping for houses more in the 225-275 range and it just kept not working out. But then we stumbled upon this one that was listed at 180 and still basically fit all our criteria and it's all just clicked since then. We're getting the house for 195 and it's a 3000 sq foot house on a 7500 sq foot lot. so the lot is def not as big as we thought we wanted but it's all just right for us. Enough space and set up perfect for everything we wanted just on a smaller scale! It's like having a blank canvas to do everything we want and at this price we have the money to do it! It's gonna be so good for us!!! So in proabably less than 2 months we will be home owners once again! :)

Well there's a little update on us for now. Maybe I'll pop in again and keep up the updates. And maybe I won't. I guess we'll just have to wait in suspense! hee hee....

What's new with us?

Not much.

We moved to Vegas in June. And have been house hunting since then and still have yet to find our perfect house... The kids are in school and loving it. We live with Dan's grandpa which is awesome. He's such an amazing man to let us live with him while we're in limbo. The kids have made some amazing friends in this ward and we're really hoping to stay in this ward if possible. Dan's job is great. He's really happy with what he's doing. (Still pic-a-part type stuff but on a more management type level. He wears nicer clothes to work (polo's and jeans) but he comes home clean now which is a nice change. :)

I'm just trying to keep sane and not get frustrated over this house hunt. It's so nice to be saving money and having a place to live but since I know it's temporary it's just making me itchy to get into a house and start settling and working on that house... The kids think it's great though. I got an Elf On The Shelf to help it feel more Christmasy. Jingle (our elf) made his first appearance this morning and the kids think it's great... He just got into the alphabet crackers and wrote "Jingle" and "Santa Rules". He also had a half eaten cookie in his hands and left crumbs all over. What a dirty little elf. And the kids thought it was awesome.

Anyways- that's what new with us. Not much. :) But we're happy and we're healthy and life is good. :)

more things kids say

So this poor neglected blog may get a few more posts in the coming weeks since the kids start school on monday! :)

It's a little bittersweet for me. Sweet because I will have a little more ability to get stuff done with only the girls at home. But bitter because I really do love hanging out with the kiddos and seeing their interactions and stuff.

But ok really I'm more excited then not. Because I haven't been able to get so much stuff done that I need to get done. Like blogging pictures from the last oh 2 years!

But I'm not going to get to that today- sorry.

I just wanted to jot down a quick story about brock...

Brock is sweet and a little too outgoing and socially unaware for las vegas. A good example is a quick trip to payless the other day. We came out of the store and there were these two guys sitting on a bench bent over, one looking at the ground and one doing something on his phone. (kinda gangster looking, tattoo's, sideways hats, matching colors. I'll be honest I was kinda nervous since my car was parked behind them and I hoped they wouldn't break into it once we walked away.) I walked past, scott walked past, but Brock looked over and stopped and said, "Nice tattoo man." The guy totally ignored him. But Brock kept complimenting him. "Hey- I like your tattoo." Still no response. "You have really really cool tattoos." Neither guy even acknowledged his presence. So I said, "Come on Brock- we gotta hurry." Brock started coming and said "That guy had cool tattoos huh mom." "yup" I replied. and the subject was dropped.

Really though- how rude is that to not even glance up and smile at a nice little kid complementing your body art. I am way way way too used to Utah. Welcome to Las Vegas. I guess I'm lucky they didn't steal my purse and run away. ;)

Then as we were in Target, Brock got poked in the eye by my purse. I looked at him a few min later and his eye was kinda red, I asked him if it hurt. He said yes. So I told him to blink his eye alot and it would clean it out.

Brock closed his eye and said to me. "Mom- when I close my eye it's feels like an earthquake in my eye and it makes everything in my eye move up here and jumps out. " That's weird....

Anyways- there ya go- a few brock quotes for the day.

Oh Utah....

Oh Utah how you've been good to me over the years!

I first came up as a teensy kiddo to Brianhead and visiting Great Grandma Maxwell and cutting the yearly Christmas Tree and visiting relatives in Bear Lake and Brigham City and other grand adventures.

I first lived in Utah in Cedar City and then in Lindon and then in Provo and then in Orem. And leaned a lot of random stuff at UVSC and SUU. Then I bailed back to Vegas, got a mission call, met the hubs, got married and 3 years later... came back to Utah. Now with a husband, one kid in tow and one in the oven.

3 of my 4 babies birth certificates say Utah on them.

In the last almost 6 years as a resident of Utah our family has lived in one apartment for 6 months and owned 2 different houses. One in Saratoga Springs and one in Springville. We've been seriously blessed to sell two houses in an insanely decent amount of time. (well one is under contract but if all goes well it'll be sold soon enough)

As a family we've had our ups and downs and have taken our hit from the economy.

But we've had some GOOD times! From going tubing and wakeboarding on Utah lake, to snowboarding and skiing in a few different resorts, to hanging out up the different gorgeous canyons, to Seven Peaks, and Lagoon, and so so much more.

The summers have been heaven, the winters bearable. ;)

The kids have had AMAZING friends.

And Dan and I have had even more AMAZING friends!

We've had rock band parties, cinco de mayo fiestas, grey's nights, BBQ's, karaoke parties, girls nights out, book clubs, hunting get aways (dan). and much more.

The girlfriends I have "collected" over the years here have been invaluable!!! You know who you are. One I've had for years and years and years. One I've shared a fence with and so much more. One has been my little island of friendship in a rough time for me. One has shared an obsessive hobby with me. And so many others that have meant oh so much more to me then they will ever know! They are the ones that bring out the best in me. And the crazy in me. The ones that probably know way too many of my secrets. ;) The ones that make me feel like I can hang onto my 20's just a little bit longer! And the ones that make me love that I'm not actually in my 20's anymore! :) Oh my Utah friends- I think I will die a little inside when I can't see you all as often as I know I will like to.....

Oh Utah you've been good to us! I don't know your state song, your state flower or much about you as a state. I know the capital is Salt Lake. I know the state flag has a beehive on it I think... But even though I haven't learned much about the state, it's been an amazing past 6 years!!!! And in one week I will once again, no longer be a resident of this fine state. And that's just a little bit sad. OK it's a lot bit sad.... But adventure is out there and we're off to grab some! Yee haw!

It really helps that we're moving home. It may not be nearly as pretty and the summers aren't nearly as nice, and it may not be nearly as clean or safe, but it's "home". While I have lived in Utah for around 8 1/2 years, that means I've lived in sunny Las Vegas for 21 1/2 years... so going back is really going home. And I'm actually kinda looking forward to it... :)

Grateful!

I'm feeling really grateful this morning and thought I'd share...

-I'm grateful for all the armed forces who are regular guys, most of them really young, who give of their life and time to protect my family's freedom. There is someone out there risking their lives every single second of every single day so that I can feel safe in my city and let my kids play in the streets and not have to be terrified of having my house bombed by terrorists. That's big! I have a brother in law in the armed forces and some grandpa's who have served our country and I'm so proud of their sacrifice!

-I'm grateful for my religion. I am so grateful for the comfort I get from knowing that there is a loving Heavenly Father watching out for me and being acutely aware of my trials and my ability to handle those trials. I KNOW that the fact that there are horrible things happening in the world doesn't mean that there is no god or that he doesn't care. He cares. He helps us through our darkest hours to get through to the other side. And when we reach the other side we are so much stronger. I know that my family is eternal and that takes a huge edge of the fear of kissing my husband and child goodbye each day to send them out into the world that if something we're to happen to them I will see them again and we will be a forever family. And I love that!

-I'm grateful for friendships. I think the human race is so built to thrive off relationships. We are hardwired to fall in love with a loving spouse and spend the rest of our lives with them and reproduce little people to continue on the species and all that. We are drawn to people and friendships and such. I know I have been "changed for the better" by oh so very many amazing people who have come in and out of my life throughout the years. I am so grateful for all the relationships I've had. Friends that have been a smile when we pass. Friends that make sweet comments when I am having a rough day. Friends that are deep true and meaningful friends that I will keep close my entire life. And then there's my dear sweet husband who is my most prized "possession". Best darn decision I EVER made. All these people have changed me maybe very subtly or very dramatically. And I am so glad for every experience because it truly has made me who I am today.

-I'm grateful for my kids. While they can put me inches from going over the edge they also are the most amazing blessing to me. I am so grateful to have been blessed to be able to easily have 4 gorgeous healthy children. They are my world right now and I wouldn't have it any other way.

-I'm grateful for the internet. For blogs and facebook and social networking. I feel like I "know" what's going on in so many of my friends lives that I don't have the chance to talk to all that much. It's so neat to be able to read people blogs or facebook and get a chance to glimpse what's going on in their lives and maintain friendships from great distances. It's kinda awesome.


And yes- another cheesy post from me. I think I'm getting all sappy since we're nearing the end in the Utah chapter of our lives. It's been a good one. And in 3 1/2 weeks we'll close this chapter and open a new one and it's pretty darn exciting to see where life take us!

Lost in translation...

I guess I kinda stink at writing blog posts to really match my feelings. :) A couple people have let me know that my last post on "me" came across as whiny and depressed. sorry... That's so not how it sounded in my head. Lol! I re-read it and totally get what I said that sounded like that. But instead of taking it down and not saying anything, I'll just try to clarify here. So just so ya know, that's not how I actually feel. I'm excited to meet new friends, and LOVE LOVE LOVE this ward and didn't mean to imply that this ward was intimidating or inhibiting. It's all on me. I've been off my game. 4 kids has been a whole new crazy fun world of new-ness. I Love love love it but it's new and not always easy. And I guess that all these things just change you little by little and you grow up and mature and then you notice one day how far you've come and it's new and scary and weird and different. But it's a good different and I wouldn't change a thing about my life because I'm good with who I am. (whoever that may be. just kidding ;)

Anyways- I asked Dan to proof read my blog posts so I know if they are coming across wrong. His answer was I should just write in a journal instead. Men just have all the answers don't they! Lol. :)

Glee-k!

I have re fallen in love with Glee! I haven't watched all season but recently have been trying to find new ways to get my mind off the fact that we are moving in 4 weeks but still haven't sold our house. I know I know- patience is a virtue, it's only been on the market for 3 weeks, just relax... blah, Blah, BLAH! Easier said than done. I'm kinda the queen of crazy town lately. Just ask Dan! :)

Anyways, so to try to distract myself, I've been watching alot of TV on Hulu and Netflix and consuming alarmingly large amounts of chocolate. So much for having a beach ready body by summer... lol. It sure is a yummy unhealthy distraction but ya know what, it works. While I'm absorbed in the trashy sordid drama of Finn and Quinn and Sam and Rachel and Santana and Kurt and Blaine, I barely have time to have anxiety attacks over our house still being on the market!

And I have become a HUGE Blaine fan. Not only does he have an amazingly amazing voice, he seems like so much fun! OK so he's a high school-boys school, gay teenager on the show. But when he sings he seems like he's having such a good time!! I wouldn't even say I had a crush on him or anything, he just seems like my kinda cool! I just downloaded Glee presents the Warblers and I'm loving it!!!!!

Me?

So this is gonna be a mushy deep philosophical post. 100% journal intended So please feel free to skip it.

I've been feeling very introspective lately since finding out about the move. Actually Jury Duty a few weeks ago made a huge impact on me in a strange way.

On the first day of Jury Duty I was surrounded by strangers. But within a few minutes we were cracking jokes with each other. I surprised myself a little by how outgoing I was so fast in a totally new environment. I quickly gained the "rep" of being the loud sarcastic girl whose constantly cracking dumb jokes and talking with everyone about anything. I was super outgoing and chatty with total strangers. (One of the highlights of jury duty was when one of the older ladies came back from lunch and told me she had told her husband all about me at lunch- this cute girl who made jury duty so much fun! He had asked her if she was totally bored and she had said no because there was this one cute girl who made it all super fun! How sweet right?!) I have always thought about myself as being fun and mildly outgoing but.. I dunno... I feel like lately I've kinda lost myself lately.

I mentioned it to Dan and he said it's because I let the ward we're in now intimidate me. I didn't know how I felt about that. I still don't. I have felt like there's so few people in my ward who know the real me. I don't want to not be me. But sometimes I wonder who I am. I feel like I'm many different people lately. The one trying to fit in at church, the one trying to raise responsible kids, the one who is trying to put on a brave face over being scared of moving, the one who wishes I had more close friends.

So I'm really kinda shook up over what first impression I'll make in my new ward. What niche I'll fill there. What friends I'll find. What kind of friends I'll attract (or repel) by trying to be more me this time around. It's really scary! I feel like I was alot more me in my old ward in Saratoga Springs. I was less appologetic over my bold me-ness. But in this ward I feel like I'm a strained calmed down even watered down version of the real me. So I'm trying to figure out how not to be intimidated the next time around. I'm trying to figure out what triggered me to not be me and why I let the real me stay inside the past 2 years. There's moments when I feel alive. When I feel like the real me peeps out... Like at Jury Duty I felt really alive. Maybe it was because I was the center of attention and I think I kinda liked having attention. Being a mom sometimes lends itself to putting yourself on the back burner. You try so hard to help your kids and your husband and be what they need but at the same time you find yourself losing yourself.

But I still find myself questioning who is the real me. Sometimes I think maybe the me I've been in this ward is the more mature, grown up version of my loud obnoxious immature self. But then other times I think that bold sarcastic me is when I really feel the most uninhibited... I have this friend that I've known for forever! We were in the same ward for like 10 years growing up. I ran into her at a bridal shower in Vegas a few weeks ago and she is still so very much her. And brazenly so. I LOVE IT! It was so refreshing to just be around someone who didn't appologize for being alive and real and themselves!

On a different note I struggle with fashion. In high school I was a jeans and t-shirts girl mostly. Lots of weird Savers shirts. And skater shirts. I was kinda tom-boyish I guess. But now I feel like I don't know how to dress to be me.... Ugh- trying to be me is kind of exhausting- can you tell.... I think I have issues... maybe I should see a therapist. Anyone know a good one?

So my new motto in life is going to be that I'm going to be me. take it or leave it.

Now if I could only figure out who that is..... that would be really nice!

My kids are weird!

Yes I haven't blogged since life got nuts and we found out we are moving to Vegas the end of May, yes that's one month away. Dan got a promotion of sorts and so we're headed back to Vegas! The house has been on the market for 2 weeks now (no offers) which is super fun by the way -(NOT)- but we're surviving. Actually that's what I call life lately- survival mode... 5 weeks from today and we will be moving to another state. Phew- life is full of surprises ain't it!

But in the meantime life has still been going full swing. And today some funny things happened I wanted to jot down.

Molly is a walker. Full 100% walking now. No crawling for this lil diva. And she LOVES to dance. It's the cutest dang thing. I am gonna try and get a video tonight. She also loves babies. Both alive and dolls. Still only 3 teeth on the bottom- weird.

Kara is growing up! She's loving to play with friends and right now brock has a friend over and Kara is playing with her way more than Brock. In fact Kara and the friend are playing house. Which is when the funny stuff started happening.

I walked into the kitchen to check on dinner and saw Kara and the friend playing and no brock. So I asked Brock why he wasn't playing. He shrugged and I turned around to do stuff in the kitchen when I over heard Brock say to the girls.

Brock- "Why can't I be the dragon?"
Girls- "Um- we're playing house there's no dragon."
Brock- "ya huh- there's a dragon in every house (he was dead serious)" (what?!?)
Scott- "There's not a dragon in every house brock." (as he's saying this he's doing a back bend off the couch.)
Brock- "Oh yeah.............."
Scott- "Look I'm gonna lick my arm pit- (as he proceeds to lick his armpits.)"

Yeah I can't make this stuff up people. My kids are actually THAT strange... But I love them anyways! ;)

do you hear that? Those crickets?

Yeah- my blog has been very much neglected. 4 kids has been rough. Well it's been awesome. But it's alot more time consuming. :) 3 kids at home everyday is a lot. And well, for those who know me, know I'm not the best housekeeper. I have issues. But I'm trying hard to deal with said issues. Which leaves a lot less time for blogging, photography, eating, and other time consuming side things.

Anyways- a real real quick update.... (ok maybe a kinda long update...)

I turned 30 last month. It was a mellow birthday. I talked of sky diving or getting a tattoo (just kidding about the tattoo) But the sky diving never worked out. Maybe next year. 30 really doesn't feel much different than 29. In fact I think I'll just claim 29 from now on. It's a good round number right. Just kidding- I'm 30 and proud. It made it easy to turn 30 since I'm the youngest girl in my ward. Except the YW and people who live in their parents basements. So I'm the baby in my ward so 30 was an easy leap for me. :) So yeah, photography is on the back burner. I'm on this weird self-searching journey. Trying to find me and get in gear with house keeping and raising my children. I still LOVE it but it's gonna have to wait till my babies don't need me anymore.... Time and a season right.....

Scott- almost 8- can you believe it!? I can't! He's awesome! He loved basketball season. He scored 3 baskets in one game!!!! Which is AWESOME! I think that was the only game he scored in but he was awesome! And he loved it! He's also done so good in school. Above average reading, and math skills. We're working on handwriting but that's progressing. :) We love him. He still loves all things star wars and wii and xbox. He plays soooo good with his siblings. He LOVES the family we have in Vegas and is constantly asking when we can move there. I think he'd move in with mine or dan's mom today if they offered. :)

Brock- 5 and full of spunk. His brain amazes me. It's just so creative and interesting. He says the most off the wall, intellegent things. Like yesterday he told the lady at story time that he could see in the dark. He just saw all black. :) He plays so good with Kara while Scott is at school. I think Kara will be so lonely next year when Brock starts Kindergarten. But he loves to build things. He's getting suprisingly good at building cup towers. Really creative and super tall ones! The boys got patience and skill. I love it!

Kara- silly. 3 and just silly. She giggles all day long. And really wants to be big like her siblings. Whenever they go play she runs out after them. She's gone over to friend houses a few times and just loves it. No shyness or inhibition there. She loves to dress up and play on the computer. She is in speech therapy for her tounge thrust/lisp. She's got some nasty excema that we're trying to get under control but other than that she is such a healthy happy child!

Molly- just turned one last month. My baby is growing up too fast! She went to TOWN on her birthday cake. Smeared it in her hair, up her nose, in her ears. She just loved it and chowed down and played! Soo so so cute! Then at 12 months and 2 weeks she finally got up the courage to walk. She has days where she walks all over the place and days when she's scared and mostly crawls. But she's just growing up! She LOVES reading books right now. Brown Bear Brown Bear is her VERY favorite! She'll wander into her room and crawl up on the bed and just sit and read it all the time. She's just such a sweet snuggly thing. And scared! It's kinda hilarious! She's terrified of swings and slides and going down stairs and seeing people swing. She HATES being tossed in the air. She was "able" to walk way before she did, she was just too scared of it. It's really cute! But something she'll have to get over cuz we love roller coasters and crazy rides at our house! Well at least me and the other kids do, she'll have to wait on the side with dad. :)

Dan's awesome- just still tinkering with car projects. Mostly VW's at the moment. Which I love since all the cars he's brought home are AWESOME! :) I kinda love him. Yesterday was our 9 year anniversary and I can't imagine how I ever enjoyed life without him. He's seriously become my other half. I'm a fan of this marriage thing. It's a pretty good gig! :)

Anyways- life is spectacular. We love our ward and our neighborhood and our friends. We are all Soooooo excited for spring and summer to come!!!! I think the Vegas in our blood refuses to let us really embrace and enjoy winter. We count down the days until the snow and cold is gone for good. Bring on the pool parties and BBQ's and bike rides. We're ready!!!!!!! There are hundreds and hundreds of pictures I need to post, but well, that probably won't happen. well maybe someday..........