Lizzy looks like...

I have been told a couple of times that Lizzy looks like me. More often I hear that she is a mini Dave. Which is for sure! It's uncanny how much she looks like her daddy! I thought I'd put it to a vote, who thinks Lizzy looks more like Dave or like myself? I'm voting for Dave.

Me. About a 1 year.

Dave about 1 year.

Lizzy at a year

We must have been very good this year

Christmas was great! Lizzy and I went and stayed at the inlaws on Christmas Eve. It was so much fun staying up late with the girls and playing Phase 10. Those girls are great! Lizzy absolutly adores her aunts. Christmas morning came. The girls woke us up and we went out and opened all of our gifts. We got some great stuff! Lizzy and I, both, love everything we got.





Lizzy was so cute! She is very good at opening presents. She doesn't waste any time! I wish I had gotten video of it, but I couldn't since I can't find the charger for my camera. (DAVE!) Still, we got some cute pics and some after clips on Carries new camera.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHELLE!

I can't believe that Michelle is now the big 27! She is all grown up now. There are a million and one memories I could share about her. I think I am going to narrow it down to my favorites.

1- being roomies. We had graduated high school in the spring of 2000. Michelle and I would write to each other many times throughout the year to keep in touch. She called me one day and said "You should move out here and live with me!" I said, "OK." Just like that! I moved out to Utah a little bit later. We'd stay up so late playing Phase 10. It was so much fun! Job hunting together, going swimming in the condo pool late at night. Michelle would watch our weird neighbor through his window! Hehehe... Staying out WAY too late (5-6 am) when we'd have to get up for work at 7:00am. Playing hockey and then going to Denny's after. Also done late at night, 1-2am-ish. The list goes on and on.

2- going to Bear Lake. One summer our families went to Bear Lake to vacation together. It was the summer that Ace Ventura : Pet Detective was released. There were 2 boys that we met in the pool that would always quote the movie, act like Jim Carey and flirt mercilessly with us. It was so funny! They'd always plan to meet us in the pool. Weird. We were at a lake, a very nice lake I thought, and we'd go to the pool. It wasn't until last week that I was told why we did that. (HA! If you want the story you will have to ask Michelle, it's her story to tell. ) Oh, and we would sing "You gotta be" By Desiree, over and over and over while in the car. It must have driven our parents crazy!

3- Michelle's engagement. Steve called when the ring arrived and I wanted to go over to his house to see it. So, I made up some lame story that his little sister needed to interview me for a school project. It was an awful lie and Michelle saw right thru it. Then while at the concert at Temple square, the night he was going to ask her, I couldn't stop smiling at her and looking at him, again, she knew exactly what was going on. She's always been able to see right thru me.



4- Our most recent trip to Vegas. I'm going to leave it at that. :)

5- The bike trip heard round the world. It was the summer before 7Th grade, my sister was dating some guy that had a younger brother who was a year older than we were. He was cute. He invited us to go on a bike ride up Provo Canyon on a paved bike path. PAVED! I was trying to show off for him and I hit a rock and went flying! I think I even blacked out for a second. My elbow was the size of a grapefruit and looked like hamburger. I was pretty scratched, bloody and bruised. Michelle, without hesitation, offered her very stylish denim vest as a bandage so I wouldn't leave a trail of blood behind. She and I both loved that vest! Only a true friend would make such a sacrifice.


Michelle is such a great friend. She is always ready and willing to help out at a moments notice, no matter what crazy thing I need or ask her to do. (i.e. Vegas again :) I am so glad that our parents met 30+ years ago and kept in contact. My life would be dramatically different without her. I can't even imagine where I'd be. If she hadn't asked me to move out here, I'm sure I wouldn't have. I wouldn't know any of my good friends out here and I wouldn't have married Dave, by extension, have Lizzy!


For those other than Michelle reading this, I know, I'm very scatter brained and all over the place with this post, but Chelle will get it.




I love you Michelle! Happy 27Th Birthday! (yesterday :)

Chistmas Party

Last Saturday was the family Christmas party. It was so much fun! Great food, great company, great conversation and an OK football game on TV. (It would have been better had BYU won the game.) Lizzy and I have been very blessed this year. We got lots of gifts that we wanted and needed. Thanks again to you all. We are grateful to have such wonderful family so near by.

Lizzy acting as her favorite princess, Cinderella. See, she's even singing!

Isn't she so pretty!

The kids playing a game of chess.

Rach and Carrie, my sis's in law.

Lizzy and I at the end of the night. She was ready to go home.

I am...tagged again.

i am...happy.
i live...in a cute little apartment with Lizzy
i have...gone bungee jumping. (It took me forever to jump, the guy almost pushed me! but I did it!)
i need...to take a nap
i wish...I could play my violin right now. (I need to get it repaired and re-strung)
i try...to cook new/different things
i could...stand to lose a few pounds
i couldn't...go to Europe tomorrow, even though I want to
i fear...spiders. (ARGH CORA! I still can't believe you made me get that one! it was HUGE!)
i want...Dave to be home for Christmas
i hear...a show about hot air balloons and my fridge
i will...go to Greece with Dave. (Hopefully when he gets home.)
i read...lots of things. kids books, mags, fiction, non-fiction, sci-fi, newspapers...etc...
i like...having no credit card debt
i admire...those who work hard. (be at home, office, BK, wherever...)I think it's important to have a good work ethic.
i admit...that I can have a bad temper, sometimes.
i search...for a matching pair of socks everyday
i think...far too much.
i do...drive a Saturn Vue
i don't...have much to complain about
i regret...things I have said to a few people.
i love...my life
i ache...for those who are lonely
i work...at home everyday
i help...when and where I can
i pray...with Lizzy everyday
i cry...when I'm prego. Once, I cried during an episode of Futurama! I started balling! Dave thought it was really funny.
i am not...in peak physical condition
i never...watch Matthew Cuthbert die without getting choked up
i always...brush my teeth
i rarely...go to the movies anymore
i miss...my nub
i don't miss...living in AZ
i get nervous...when I ride in a car with a bad driver.
i watch...Friends. I love that show.
i hate...egg nog
i am confused...at how America has gotten to this point. (It reminds me of scripture stories, can you think of which one(s) I'm talking about?)
i need...to go back to school and finish my degree
i should...get ready for the day
i can't...wait to see where we will be in a year
i will...go to the gym
i won't...worry about things I can't change as often as I do
i feel...grateful

Yeah, I think that's the best I can do right now.

Oh Canada...take 2

Lizzy and I made it to Canada! Finally. We flew up last Tuesday and stayed with my sister for a week. It was so much fun! I got to meet Abigail for the first time. She is just as smiley as Cora says she is. She is so cute! Lizzy loved playing with her cousins. The weather was AWESOME!!!! It was so cold! For example, on Sunday it was -41*F! Can you believe it? It was so snowy and windy. I really did love it. I wish we'd get some more snow down here. I can live without the seriously below freezing temps though.

Lizzy and her cousin Amelia

Lizzy's cousin Isaac

Mom and dad came up for the weekend to see Abigail get blesses. That was great fun! Cora and I did some crafting and painting. We painted 2 pictures for the girls room. They turned out great! And mom and I stitched up some quilts for the girls beds, also, very cute. We cooked, ate Canadian candy, played, visited and watched the new Anne of Green Gables. Eh, not that great.

Grandpa and Abigail

The family after Abigail's blessing

On the way home, Lizzy and I were waiting in the Calgary airport for our flight (which was quite delayed) and Lizzy met a boy. She fell in love with him! And he feel in love with her! It was so sweet! She kept hugging him and sharing her fruit snacks with him. It was so cute.

The "boy" Lizzy fell in love with :)

It was a great trip and I can't wait to go back up there and visit.

My thoughts

I've been thinking about this. I think Lizzy is having some separation problems. No, not problems, issues. Dave came for 2 weeks then left her, g-ma and g-pa came for a week then left her...She's been really clingy with her 2 bears and her bink. She only became a "closet binker" (love it Carolyn! So funny!) after everyone came and left. Before she never wanted it during the day, now she asks for it when she's in the car!

I think they are her comfort in a house of people coming and going around her.

Addictions

First let me say, Lizzy is only allowed her bink when it's bed time or nap time.

She is addicted to her binky! I can't believe it! I have caught her like 4 times today sneaking around with it! The first time was when I was getting ready in my room and I saw her go into her room, after I was done, I couldn't find her anywhere. She was laying down on the floor next to her crib with her mask on sucking on her bink and cuddling with her "Daddy Bear!" It was so funny! And just now, she went into her dark room and just stood there sucking on it in the door way.

OH! Then last night she was playing in her room with her friends while Michelle and I were rocking out to Guitar Hero, she came out in the middle of a song with her bink in her mouth and pointed at it like she was getting away with something then ran off! She is so funny!

Whenever she wants it she asks to go to sleep. She says, "I go na night now mama, I go na night now." Little stinker.

Maybe it's time I take the bink away all together now.

Good Morning!

This is my princess in the morning. She's a rockstar!

Visitors

November was a busy month. Dave was home from the 1-17Th. Chrissy and Kimmie came from Portland to visit (I have no pics of them) and September, Benjamin and Eliza came from Virginia to visit! It was so much fun seeing everyone. Lizzy loved playing with her old and new friends.

Michelle, Myself and September recapturing out youth.

Lizzy, Benjamin and Jenni going down the big slide!

Lizzy and Benjamin. So sweet!

My mom and dad came out for Thanksgiving. Lizzy absolutely loved that! They went to Millie and Jed's for T-day and I went to the Hastings Thanksgiving. It was so much fun having the family together.

Joseph and Lizzy enjoying Thanksgiving.

All the cousins.

Millie and mom singing karaoke.

Kristen grooving and Grant wishing he could.

Grandpa and Lizzy's "daddy bear"

Pat. He's special.

Now on to December fun! Lizzy finally got her passport so maybe we will do some traveling.

Christmas Survey

Welcome to the Christmas edition of getting to know your friends. Fill out your answers then tag 5 people you want to learn more about!

1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Both

2.Real tree or artificial? Real. I love the smell, hate the vacuuming of fallen needles.

3.When do you put up the tree? sometime around Thanksgiving, this year i did it 2 days before.

4.When do you take the tree down? sometime after new years.

5.Do you like Eggnog? Nope, sicks me out.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? My civic paid off! (technically I was an adult, but it was awesome!)

7. Hardest person to buy for? Dave. He'll say that he's so easy to shop for because he's always telling me what he wants. I guess I don't listen to him very well. :)

8. Easiest person to buy for? Lizzy. She'll love to unwrap anything.

9. Do you have a nativity scene? Yup. Cute lil' snowmen.

10.Mail or email Christmas cards? Mail.

11.Worst Christmas gift you ever received? Christmas socks. And that's a good thing, because I LOVE Christmas socks. Ask my fam, they'll tell you.

12. Favorite Christmas movie? Possibly "Scrooged" with Bill Murray. SO FUNNY! (kinda sick too)

13.When do you start shopping for Christmas? December.

14.Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? I can't think of one.

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? Food of all shapes and sizes.

16. White or colored lights on the tree? I love seeing colored lights! I have white on mine though. Next year, for sure colored lights! White is so sterile. :)

17 .Favorite Christmas song? O Holy Night, almost any version.

18 .Travel at Christmas or stay home? Travel to see family or stay here to see family. Either way.

19.Can you name all Santa's reindeer? Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, but do you recall the most famous reindeer of all? Rudolph the Red nosed reindeer.

20. Angel on the tree top or Star? This year I have a star.

21.Open presents Christmas Eve or morning? Jammies on Eve and the rest on Christmas morning.

22.Most annoying thing about this time of year? Selfish people.

23. Favorite ornament? My Red Wings 2002 Stanley Cup Champions ornament. It's awesome!

24. Favorite Christmas dinner? anything and everything smothered in gravy.

25. Favorite Christmas cocktail? I make a mean white grape juice and sprite cocktail.

26.What do you want for Christmas this year? Dave to surprise me on Christmas morning by showing up on my doorstep.

27.What don't you want for Christmas this year? to get chubbier. Right now, I'm just festively plump.

28. What is something you have never done that you want to do for Christmas? I want to ride in a one horse, open sleigh bundled in a warm blanket and sip hot cocoa.

29.Who is the most likely to respond to this? Mom. (don't let me down!)

30.Who is least likely to respond? The ones that I don't tag.

Who do you tag:

Mom
Dan and Jen
Chrissy
Tina
Dave and Sharon