Giveaway!

Giveaway on the oh so beautiful Natalie's blog!

Exciting things going on... sort of :)

So, I'd like to start this post off with one of my proudest moments with Lyla this past week...

Do you see it???

NOW do you see it???

That's right!! My sweet girl got her FIRST FRECKLE!!! Strange how the smallest things can make a momma SO PROUD!!!! I guess since she has one already, she is bound to get PLENTY more. As most of you know, I am just covered in freckles. For a while, I hated them. I remember talking to my mom and her saying that she used to have freckles and that they just faded over time. I think she lied about that to make me feel better because she doesn't have any freckles on her face anymore and I still do. I remember also wanting all my freckles to just combine so I could just be TAN! I realized now that that would look really funny and even horrible. :) But now I LOVE my freckles, especially during the summer when they just stand out. I think it is just me and adds to my character. So, I hope I can help Lyla learn to LOVE her freckles and be confident with them and we can just be freckle faces together. That is my wish :)

Moving on... This is just us back from the grocery store. I don't know why but I like this picture of Nate.

And as most of you mom's know, kids just LOVE to "help" you put things away :)

Okay, so when did Lyla get red hair? Does it look red in this picture to anyone else? It really is actually pretty dark but there are those occasional pictures where it looks like this...

And to finish this post off...

Remember the last post about Lyla and her red chair? Well, I decided to go find her a little chair for herself to have at home and I found this beauty on Craigslist for $5!!

Please note the pure excitement on her face! :-D

The chair is made of foam and falls over easily. Thank goodness it is soft!!

Chillin' in mid-tip-over.

In the chair with her cute winter coat that we got for $7!

I guess that's all for now. We're moving in a week just to the next city over. I'm glad I'll have something to occupy my mind with until I get to go home to California on April 1st!!! The sun and I are in much need of a reunion. I look sickly.

Little Red Chair

The other day I went to the Museum of Science and Industry with some girlfriends and our kids (I'll probably post about that later). We let the kids play in a little "Kid Zone" and this is where Lyla found her favorite thing... a little red chair...

(I love that her right eye is squinted more than her left. She does this often)

Out of all the awesome things to see at the museum, she love this chair the most. If she wasn't playing in the water, she was sitting in it, experimenting positions, and treating the chair like it was her throne. She was happy. The chair was happy. And I was happy. It was a good day.

Some Randoms

• Today I saw a picture of myself from behind and I just realized that I look like a man from behind. When did that happen?

• I think I have horrible blood circulation because I frequently have one hand and/or foot that is warm while the other is cold. Or my extremities are always ice cold. Poor Lyla suffers from ice-cold hands and feet too.

• I can't seem but help being a night owl.

• This month was rough. Trying to find a place to live (searching searching searching, viewings viewings viewings), plan New Beginnings, everything else at home being neglected, and winter. Winter winter winter.

• My goal of being on time to things is getting better.

• I should fix my teeth. I've realized that my left front tooth is significantly longer than my right. It's true.

• Lyla loves to cuddle with me and not with her dad. She only cuddles with him if I am cuddling with him too. Then we do a family cuddle. I treasure those moments because I am pretty sure that would be pretty inappropriate later on in life, haha!!

• Lyla's new tricks are waving, blowing kisses, clapping, and dancing.

• Another thing... Tonight we knelt down to say family prayer and Lyla sat up to kneel just like us and then she folded her arms as she saw us fold ours. We praised her to no end and she loved that she was following what we were doing. We weren't sure if it was a fluke but then she unfolded her arms and then we asked her to do it again and she did it! NOT a fluke! So I ran and grabbed my camera and got these adorable shots...

Checking with dad to make sure she's doing it right...

So reverent. Now if we can only get her to stay that way, haha!

She sure knows how to make her mommy's rough month seem like life has been great all along!

• I have really been trying to figure out what to do with Lyla's hair lately. She throws off headbands but I just bought some stuff to make more cute ones (she only has one that fits her) and I'm going to try to get her to wear them. She hardly has any hair, it's very fine, and it's dark. And it's way longer in the back than in the front (pure mullet) and she has some serious culdesacs (sp?). And occasionally, she'll get a little flip or curl here or there but never really consistently. So, tonight before bath time, I thought I would experiment by putting moose in her hair and this was the result...

If she had more hair, it might look cute. But instead she just looks like a hobo kid.

• Lastly, Lyla has been getting teeth like crazy and she has been a champ about it. She has her front 7 (almost 8), and has a few molars coming in on both sides. If you click on this picture, you can blow it up and see her bottom left molar coming through.

That's all for now. Time for bed so I can exercise tomorrow morning and get rid of my man body. Goodnight.

How could you NOT love this face?

This morning when Lyla was eating breakfast, she was being SO cute and smiley (well more like screaming with joy... literally), I just had to grab my camera. I hardly ever get pictures of her smiling and when I do, it's usually some weird/awkward/goofy smile. There are still a few goofy ones below but I think they are cute too! Please excuse her snotty nose...

I love this one. Pure excitement...

I thought this one was so cute. She was trying to peek around my camera to see my face.

My beautiful girl with her huge Bambi eyes.

I am one lucky mom!!

Call me lazy but....

I still haven't taken my Christmas decorations down. I don't really know why... Maybe it's because we're moving and we've been so busy trying to find a place to live (not a big move, just a new apartment) and the thought of packing things up before we have to pack our apartment up just doesn't sound appealing. There will be plenty of that later. Or maybe it's because it snowed almost, if not a whole foot in the past day and I really don't feel like walking to my detached garage to haul all the boxes just so I can pack them up and haul them back again. Maybe it's because I secretly wish Christmas lasted all year long. So, I guess for now they are staying. I don't mind them, I think they're pretty.

Happy Extended Christmas Everyone!!!

Happy 3 Years to Us!!

December 29th was mine and Nate's 3rd anniversary. I can't believe it has already been 3 years! And come to think of it, I think we have spent all three of those anniversaries in Idaho while we are there for the Holiday! Anyway, here are some pics of us before we went to lunch to celebrate...

Nate dipping me with no warning. Most awkward picture ever.

Being goofy...

Finally a normal one.

I know most wives say this, but I really do feel like I am the luckiest girl in the world to be married to such a great man. Nate is perfect for me in every way. He knows me better than I know myself. He does everything he can to make me as happy as can be. He has seen me though my absolute worst and yet he still loves me more and more every day. He is a fantastic father and even does the dirty work like changing diapers, feeding, bathing, etc. He cleans and does laundry when I slack (which is far too often on my part). I can always count on him for a blessing when I need one. He is one of the smartest guys I know. He does all the manly jobs in the house. He tries to be understanding when I get irrationally emotional and start crying for no good reason. He is a really hard and efficient worker. He makes a mean grilled cheese sandwich. He's funny. He's friendly. He sings well. He cooks well. You get my point...

I love my man. Happy 3 years babe!