Winter Update

Hi!

It's about that time again when I throw a whole bunch of iphone photos up about the things we've been up to lately. Aren't you excited?!

My dear, dear Carrie moved away a week ago to Colorado. We've done it all though from living as neighbors in high school, roommates in college, and 45 minutes from each other in Utah. But we've also separated many times- me in Arizona and her in Alaska, Me in Hawaii and her in Idaho, Us on missions in Canada and Armenia, Utah to Idaho. Our friendship has seen all kinds of distances and you know what? It never seems to matter or change much. We still talk nearly everyday and with all the years we have left in this life, I'm sure we'll end up as neighbors again too. 

Regardless, it's still sad and so to have one last outing we lucked out and got to go to a viewing of "The Bachelor" here at Thanksgiving point. I don't even know where to begin to explain the why's of this but just know it was perfect for us. We got to mock the show while viewing it on a three story screen and meet the local "stars."  Oh, and we got glow sticks and roses. And I won a shirt. AND the whole thing was FREE. 

So ridiculous.

That same week June and I went to the Dinosaur museum twice. And June spanned three dates in those times with handsome young lads.

Heart Breaker

 June likes to dress up. She found part of her old hula outfit and wore that coconut bra half the day, proclaiming she was Ariel. 

9 months June                       ////             2 1/2 years old June

I've had to start getting non stress tests every week     ////        Any outing is exciting these days.
due to low amniotic fluid and my mystery fever.        ////     Especially when you can stand in buckets

June likes to belly dance. She also likes to pull her shirt up for photos. She's really been learning some great habits to take into adulthood.

One day we went exploring at the Jump house. The whole place is insane to me but the kids had fun.

June loved to climb up things!

But... then she did NOT like to slide down them on her own... my poor friend Tanya had to keep going up and saving June, since I am too pregnant to do so.

Of course the week of Carrie moving, her daughter Georgia and my June realized that they were the perfect match to be best friends. They played for three hours straight on their own without anyone crying or anything. Um, that's a HUGE record in the toddler world. 

June loves going to the doctor now. Whether it's for her or the dog or for myself. Of course she's mostly only had to go with me and she relishes the time between the nurse leaving and the doctor coming. And I totally let her play with all their equipment. What? Her monkey was sick!

I've been trying with all my might to get off the couch and take June outside on the "warm" days. (35 degrees! Woohoo!) The fresh air does us good though. (well, fresh as in the inversion isn't as bad here as it is in Salt Lake...) These photos are from a few of these times.

We went to a fun library play group with some friends and then after wards June made best friends with Elliot's little brother, baby Henry. We seriously came in to find her being all tender like this on her own. I'm hoping this is a good sign for her baby sister.

I also got brave and donned my maternity suit and June and I went indoor swimming with some friends. The place was nearly empty but the water was pretty warm! It was a good idea.

And lastly, we had a little family outing to get some treats. This was also a good idea.

"Do you like my nails?"

Last week as my doctor sat down in the room for my appointment, June went over to her and leaned on her lap and then causally said "Do you like my nails?" as she held the chipped purple fingernails up for the doctor to see. Dismayed at the fading polish she added, "I need more nails." and walked away.

June is a very grown up two year old (says June.) She is taking this I-need-to-be-independent stage of life to its fullest. She cooks her own eggs and pancakes (or so she thinks,) she has a chore chart and gets pennies for her efforts, and she is an expert nail painter. And clearly it was time to update her nails so that she can show them off at my next doctors visit.

As you can see, she's practically a teenager.

Doll House

Ever since June got her doll house when she turned two she has been obsessed. She plays so delicately with the family members, acting out scenarios from our everyday life. She will stay in her room for an hour sometimes just playing with the doll house. She sticks with the mommy, daddy, baby, June, and grandma for the most part but there are friends who come to visit like two fairies, aunt Jade, and two dinosaurs.

One of my favorite things is coming in to her room and finding the different set ups she has laid out. Sometimes it's pure chaos and then other times there are careful scenes laid out. I have been taking photos of some of these as time goes so that we can always remember how our tender two year old plays.

Family vacation on the piano

Then the piano turns into a hotel

It's common to find the family all in the car. Sometimes the mom is lounging in the back seat. I wish! One time the grandma was standing up on the roof of the van. haha

Another common one is the dinner scene. Sometimes there are some tears shed as people fall off their chairs while she gets it all set up but in the end she gets them all settled. And in this case, the mom and dad got a marble on their laps. Lucky day.

I love finding them all set up in a row, watching a show or movie.

This one gave me a good laugh.

 I guess in June's ideal world, we would all sleep together in the attic.

And my personal favorite .

 

Celebrate a Country Day- Paraguay

As some of you may remember, I invented a few holidays a few years ago and have since consistently marked the calendar each time with the "Celebrate a Country Day." There is no set day other than it needs to be during January.

The first year I remembered last minute and so we celebrated Italy, because pasta is easy to make...
The next year we did LAOS and last year we did BOTSWANA.

This year we did:

Paraguay

I chose Paraguay because we needed to get a country in South America and I have a good friend who served her mission there, so she obviously knows all about it. She ended up having some native friends come and make all the food,

which was all very yellow and tasted great,

and sing us the songs of their country.

My friend did a short presentation of the history and gave us a language thought and then showed us some photos of the country side. I'm telling you, these parties just keep getting more legitimate as the years go. I even got to have some intense local tea.

So a big THANK YOU is in order to my friend and her friends from Paraguay. In the end I didn't have to do anything but show up and bring paper plates and cups... which was awesome since I'm so pregnant. But I felt a like I asked her to throw me a party and then invited my friends to her house. hahah but I think everything went well and the Paraguayans seemed to enjoy teaching us about their home.

I am really happy that I decided to do this, it's been awesome so far. Each time we learn about a country and normally when I run the party I do a lot of research and cooking and I never forget the things I learn. I might not be able to travel right now but this is a way to stay feeling somewhat connected to the family we all share around the world.

Can you even wait to know what country we are doing next year? ;)

Live and Learn

Sometimes there are certain activities that seem like a good idea.

 

 Until, that is, they become a BAD idea.

I mean, I turn my back for 30 seconds to peel a potato and BOOM- turn back around and suddenly June has decided her skin is better than paper and that it was time to pour the disgusting paint filled water cup all over the paint tray and table.

Live and learn people. 

Live. And. Learn.