Our First Family Vacation

We got back yesterday from our first family vacation (yes I did survive my killer cold). We went to Park City for 3 nights and stayed at the Westgate. It was wonderful--(except for the rock hard bed which my body is still recovering from.) Abi got to go swimming for the first time and she LOVED it. She's a water bug just like her mommy. We went swimming everyday. I loved it too because I just got a new bathing suit that I feel modest and attractive in all at the same time. Check out http://www.shadeclothing.com/ to see their suits--they are a bit more expensive but they are worth the investment. They have a store in the University Mall too.

Yeah! I actually had a good enough hair day to wear my hair down for once. It's been months since I have done it. I think our water softener relaxes my hair too much and all of my curls go away. I have no idea how to fix it though. Here is Abi and I getting ready to go to the zoo.
We gave Abi a piece of toast when we got to the zoo and she loved it! She just munched on it until she was covered in a nasty bread filled slime. Yum!

Abi and Daddy watched the gorrillas for a while. She loved the zoo. A giraffe kept staring at her and she stared back. She also got to see a tiny little monkey (about the size of your hand) within inches of the glass. It got right up to where her face was and they just looked at each other. We were there for 3 hours and she was so wonderful the whole time. If you haven't been to the zoo for a while, I'd highly recommend it.

While I was in the shower, Daddy gave Abi some toast in bed. I love her expression in the picture below, "What do you want? I'm eating my toast."

The Mess:

Sick...Sick...Sick...

So i am feeling well enough to post this but just barely. I've had the worst cold ever this week--and I mean EVER. I felt so bad last night I wanted to go to the hospital but what would I say, "Uh, hi. I'm here for my head cold." ? This cold rivaled labor pains and I'm not joking. The absolute worst part about it is not being able to take care of Abi and kiss and play with her. She has grown up so much this week and I feel like I've missed it all. She started to army crawl on Thursday I think--I can't even remember and I didn't feel well enough to get the camcorder.
I'm so grateful for Richard. He has taken such good care of us the last few days! Abi has such an amazing Daddy.

What Color?

What color should we paint the siding on our house? Any ideas? We might paint in June and we are trying to ditch the "70's" look. We would love any and all suggestions.

Forgetful Me

I forgot to post these adorable pictures, and mention that in our post about our 5 year anniversary, I am wearing my anniversary present from Richard. He picked out a gorgeous white gold necklace/earring set, which I love and I love that he picked it out!

Well....you just had to be there.

Abi just needed to dress up today. She had a lot of fun "dancing" with Grandma.

Crazy things happen when you have pregnant women, props, and a camera in the room. These are Richard's Sisters Michelle and Kristen sporting Abi's dress-up clothes. He may not claim them when they act like this but I will. Does anyone think David in regards to the picture of Kristen on the right? Below is Miss Jane, also joining in the dress-ups.

5 Years

Can you believe 5 years has gone by since Richard and I were married? Some days I can believe it and other days I can't. Well, this is what we have to show for our 5 years--we're happy, in love, and we have a most amazing little girl. I LOVE YOU RICHARD. Here's to the next five years and a million more after that.

Thanks Jenna for the adorable outfit

AMAZING!

Abigail, like all other babies, is amazing. I can't believe how much she has grown and developed in the last 2 weeks. Here are some of her amazing facts:

• She's pushed through 3 new teeth in the last 2 weeks.
• She learned to clap on her own a few days ago and is soooo proud of herself.
• She now takes steps (when she is in the mood) when you hold her hands.
• She's an eating machine and will eat all of the different first foods with peaches, prunes, carrots & sweet potatoes as her favorites and beans & peas as her least favorite but she will eat the later two when they are combined with other veggies.
• She drinks really well (when she wants to) from a cup.
• She can roll from one side of the room to the other in just a few seconds.
• She can sit on her own.
• She loves saying "Da" and she seems to understand that it means something but can't quite figure it out yet.
• In addition to her favorite toy--her toes--she also now loves the carpet. And of course she loves anything that isn't really a toy like the plastic spaghetti measurer, Daddy's watch, and sour cream lids.
• She wears sunglasses and a hat when we go outside without taking them off.
• She learned to splash in the tub last week.
• She loves other kids and just people in general. When we walk the halls at church she always greets the other ward's members as they walk by.
• This morning as I was about to feed Abi her banana rice cereal, I tried to help her fold her arms for prayer like I usually do when she eats. She, like usual, refused. So I put my hands together on her tray and said a prayer. When I opened my eyes, she had folded her hands right by me. It was so sweet.

Some of Abi's oddities are:

• You know the story of the Princess and the Pea? Well, Abi is such a princess and can't go poo without first having a clean diaper. It doesn't matter what time of day, she will not poo without having a dry diaper. It's really odd.
• Does anyone else's child make weird noises after they poo? I can always tell when she poos because she starts making weird noises by sucking air in. She's done it since she was born. Its odd and really cute at the same time.
• She has to see everything that is going on and will only tolerate a forward-facing position when you hold her for any length of time longer than about 3 seconds.
• She has a super-long hair on the top of her head that is like 3 inches long where all the other hairs are only about a 1/4 inch long.
• In the morning, Abi talks a ton but she usually only whispers. I don't know if it is because I whisper to her. It is really cute!

We love your little Abi!

Don't Smell the Daisies

We opened our Easter Baskets yesterday. We decided to start a tradition of having a "Spring Holiday" on a day other than Easter so we can focus on the Savior more on Easter but still enjoy delectible Easter candy such as Cadbury Creme Eggs and Peeps. :)
Abi delivered the baskets this year in her "Don't Smell the Daises" outfit. If you can't read it, that is what it says on the bum.

More Cuteness

Thanks Aunt Kristen for the cute robe! She had so much fun playing in it.

Abi loves her sunglasses. She knows she looks so cute in them. I think she is grateful that she can now see when we go outside for walks.

Abi loves playing with her Daddy. She gets so excited when he comes home.

She has now found a food she doesn't like--peas. She is a pretty good sport about it though. She now enjoys rolling over--just not to get toys. Her favorite "toys" right now are the diaper wipes box (the green one), the Cetaphil lotion bottle (don't ask us why she loves it--who knows with this little one), and of course her toes. I don't know if she'll ever get tired of them. She's sitting up better and better every day. She loves looking in the mirror and she LOVES other little kids. She has a new friend at church named Molly. She jabbered to her on Sunday and they both took a couple of swings at each other.

I was at Enrichment last night and Abi was NOT happy. I didn't put it all together until I got home but she was mad that the other babies weren't playing with her. There was one baby that is several months younger and wouldn't look at Abi so Abi started to scream at her (yes, she can be a drama queen). :) Another little girl came up and handed Abi one of her toys and Abigail was SOOOO excited but then she was really sad to see the little girl walk away. We need a play group. I think a bunch of us will start one in April. She just loves other kids though and isn't afraid to grab or touch or talk to them--which is both a blessing and a curse. :) We love our Abi!

Happy Birthday Amy!

So tomorrow is my Sister-in-law Amy's birthday and I figured she would love it if I shared some pictures of her childhood :)

Too bad there wasn't any bath pictures or something embarrassing of that nature in Richard's photo Album.

5 of my favorite things about Amy are:

• She's extremely creative and artistic


• She is really fun to talk to and it is almost impossible to stop


• She does little things that really show how much she cares about others


• She really is the life of any party


• She is really intelligent and loves to learn new things and share what she's learned with others.

Anyway, the list could go on and on (everyone please feel free to add to it). Happy Birthday Sis! We all wish you were here but are happy that you are enjoying Missouri.

Thanks Cousin Nora!

I got some way fun pictures of Abi in her dress that Cousin Nora gave us at our baby shower. The pictures don't do the dress justice but I just love these pictures of Abi!

Richard's a Smore

If you think this is an accurate description of Richard, please say so on the right!

You Are Smores

Unusual and unconventional, you make your strange ways work for you. You've got personality - no one's denying that!

What Dessert Are You Most Like?

I LOVE RICHARD!!!

Richard is so sweet and romantic. We had been walking at the mall occasionally and he saw this dress and told me he wanted to buy it for me. So he did. He is so sweet. I LOVE YOU RICHARD!!!

Our Silly Abi

We started feeding her squash on the 18th of of February and she really liked having flavor in her cereal. I don't think she'll like squash quite as much once she gets to try other things though. The other day while I was feeding her, I left her in her highchair while I got a rag to wipe off her face. I turned around and she was licking squash off her bib. The next day she started to lick it off her lips in between bites.

Little Miss Abi started sitting up by herself around the 21st of February. She really likes the independence and freedom it brings. This is her in her new dress from Grandma.

I should probably explain about her grandparents names. My mother is called "Gram " by all of her grandkids and Richard's dad has been called "Papa" by the other grandkids. Since both sets of grandparentas have last names that start with "T" we can't call one Grandma T. So, my parents are Gram and Grandpa and Richards' are Grandma and Papa--in case you are ever wondering who I am talking about.

Abi Loves her Daddy

Abi loves to play on the floor with her Daddy. We read the Book of Mormon Picture Book with her at night and she spends most of the time looking at and touching her Daddy's face.

Abi Loves to stand now. She thinks it is a lot of fun. We enjoy it too. Richard taught her how. She's always learning new stuff from her Daddy.

Quilting

So here is my first attempt at Machine Quilting.

Thank you so much to my Mother-In-Law for teaching me how and letting me borrow your supplies. Oh, and I guess this isn't really my first attempt. I am unpicking the first one I did. Machine Quilting is really fun. I'm excited to do it more.

$20 at Kid to Kid

Can I just say I LOVE Kid to Kid. Look

at all of these toys I got for $20.00 thanks to an unexpected check from one of my parent's good friends. I didn't realize how important toys were to a baby. Abi wasn't rolling over and we were trying to help her out. We finally got the idea to get her some more toys and she started rolling on February 15th--the day after getting her some new toys. She rolled 3 times that first day from her back to her front and has figured out how to roll from front to back more consistently since too. Go Abi!

VICTORY!!!!!

I have an amazingly wonderful story of victory that Michelle can attest to. :) Michelle and Jason wanted to go out to dinner tonight and invited us and Bruce & Nancy (my inlaws) to go with them. Bruce, or "Papa Bruce" as he is more commonly known these days, is a very, very generous man and always insists on buying dinner whenever we all go out. He always tells the waiter/waitress that if they want a tip, they had better bring him the bill.
Well, tonight we went to "Los" (Los Hermanos) and Bruce made the mistake of leaving for El Bano. So while he was away, we told the waiter we all were on seperate checks. Papa Bruce thought he was so sly in slipping the waiter his card halfway through the meal. I will never forget the look of suprise, astonishment, dumbfoundedness, and disbelief that crossed his face when the waiter brought out three seperate bills. Michelle and I cried out in glorious victory. Thanks for your generosity but it was so great to have stumped you. Sorry, we should have paid for your meal but we're making baby steps. We're suprised we've made it this far. :) Oh, and this picture is compliments to Kristen's Tacky Sweater Party in '06

Happy Valentines Day!

Abi wanted to wish everyone a Happy Valentines Day and she has some special valentines for a few people.

Happy Valentines Day Gram & Grampa

Happy Valentines Day Grandma and Papa

Happy Valentines Day Tawni, Scott, Garret, Baby, Bear, & Bo

Happy Valentines Day Michelle, Jason, Ben, Jane, Elizabeth, Liam, & Baby

Happy Valentines Day Kerri, Tony, Alex, Spencer, Keana, Emma, Julia, & Cameron

Happy Valentines Day Amy, David, Caleb, & Jacob

Happy Valentines Day Kyle, Jess, Baby, Moose & Jess' Dog (I forgot her name)

Happy Valentines Day Kristen, Ron, Nizmo, & Baby

Happy Valentines Day Jenna & Brett

Happy Valentines Day Daddy!

Happy Valentines Day to Everyone I know and Love!

Love, Little Miss Abigail

Teeth, Soap Box, and Ode to Feet.

So, everyone has been asking me about pictures of Abi's teeth. Yes--she is only 4 1/2 months old and she has 2 huge teeth--and she has had them for about a month now. Good thing she loves to stick her fingers in her mouth or we would never get any pictures of those teeth. Which leads me to mention my soap box. Can I say I love the ease of digital cameras but I hate how long it takes to take a picture. By the time the camera has flashed, my adorable sweetheart has her eyes half closed and the smile is gone or else she is looking away. I've tried to turn the flash off and then this camera can't seem to focus so I get tons of fuzzy--somewhat cute pictures. It frustrates me to no end. So you are just lucky you get to see a few pictures of her. (I now can understand Natalie's frustrations better and she isn't even crawling yet.)
ODE TO FEET: So, if you are like one of my good friends from high school and can't stand feet, don't look at the last picture. I love Abi's feet and I think they are so cute. I took about 50 pictures (no joke) trying to get one of her feet because they are just darn cute. Anyway, I hope you enjoy them as much as I do, which is doubtful unless you are one of her grandmas. As cute as kids are, they never seem to be as cute as your own.

Tag, you're it!

So I’ve been tagged. Here are 7 things you may not know about me:

I grew up watching mystery shows like Columbo, Murder She Wrote, Magnum PI, and CSI with my mom. In high school I started thinking about realistic career choices. I joined FBLA and decided I wanted to be a business woman, but part of me wanted to go into crime scene investigating. I started out at BYU exploring both. I preferred going into crime scene investigating but I figured I would never be emotionally able to have a family. So I stopped taking psych classes and focused on business. Who would have thought though that I would get my degree in Marriage, Family, and Human Development (the same degree I made fun of my freshman year because so many of the freshman girls took those classes because they wanted to get married—I however didn’t take any until after we were married).

You may not know that I have tendonitis in my wrists, arms, shoulders and neck. I worked as a seamstress for Beehive Clothing where I received my lovely lifelong pains. Will you all promise me that you will always wash your clothes—especially underclothing before wearing them. I don’t want to scare you but I saw some things that would make you cringe if you have ever worn new clothes without washing them first.

If I could have anything I wanted right now I would not be sick and I would be on a date with just Richard and I. That would be nice. 4 ½ months without any alone time has made me go crazy.

If I were to pick a decade to live in I would have to pick the 50’s. I would love to have a pastel retro kitchen and get my groceries delivered to my door. I would have a pink 1957 Chevy Bel Air Convertible and matching pink polka dot knee length short-sleeved dress with matching polka dot scarf.

If someone gave me a million dollars tomorrow, the only things I would buy would be a new wardrobe and probably a trip for the three of us to Taiwan and China. I would keep the same vehicles, the same house, and I think I would be totally content. Can you imagine how it would feel to be debt free? I think Richard would buy some new computer parts and probably a new microwave (he has hated ours since we got it after our wedding. He has every right to hate it—it is absolutely pathetic.) He would probably want to get an ‘08 F350 but it wouldn’t fit in the garage and neither one of us would want to give up our house and plus—who wants to move?

I think everyone has at least a little tiny bit of OCD. I’m OCD about drawers or cupboards ajar—I HAVE to close them.

Probably the most embarrassing thing about my growing up years was that I was a cheerleader in Junior High for basketball and football. The dancing and stunts were fun but I actually hated cheering. I wouldn’t ever yell unless my “coach” walked by because I was afraid I’d loose my singing voice. Our “team” was pretty good though—we did take first place in dance and cheer at some competition (I can’t remember the competition because it was that eventful).

I tag Jenna, April, Rebekah, Rachelle, my Mom, cousin Kim, and cousin Whitney. Write 7 things about yourself that you can stand to share with the world and then tag 7 others. (since 5 of you don’t have blogs yet, you can send it out over email.)