so this is love...

I think I may have blinked too long, because this year has disappeared before my eyes.  Why must time move so quickly?  Look at that face.  She was only a couple of hours old.  My heart aches for that sweet face again. Time...ugh. However this is not a sad post, it is a happy one.  My beautiful queen is a year old.  ONE YEAR!  I can't believe it.  It seems only a short time ago I was holding her 8lb 6ounce body next to mine as she opened her eyes for her daddy for the first time.  We are so in love with her.  Sometimes Beau and I will get out of bed and go watch her sleep...we still can't believe she is ours.  She makes us laugh constantly. I really didn't think I was capable of this kind of love. To read her birth story click here

Gracie today you are one.  You are so precious to us.  Who knew the love you would bring to our home.  Here are a few things you love to do.

*Dance- doesn't matter where or when you will get your right arm swinging
*walk/run- especially in church you love to run up the isle during sacrament
*eat- you eat your food and then mommas food
*talk- you jabber all day long and love to say hi to everyone at the store
*play alone- you really like to do your own thing
* read stories- you bring me books and I read them to you constantly
*go on walks
*look for daddy- you will go to the back door and knock on it saying "da da"
*play with cousins
*climb on anything
*sing
*take a bath- daddy has taught you how to blow bubbles in the water and you think you are so cool- you are so cool
*make noise
*did I mention eat??

We love you so much and we are so glad you are ours.  Our lives wouldn't be complete without you here.  Happy birthday my sweet.  I hope you have a hundred more just like this one.

Christmas Day

When we finally got home from our week long trek across the state we were both terribly sick.  Between staying up all night and eating lots of sugar/unhealthy food we were done.  I couldn't wait to sleep in my own bed!
Christmas morning we got out of bed around 8:30 and went out to help Gracie open her gifts.  We decided not to get gifts for each other this year though we did have a few things from my family to open up.  She was so funny when she saw her toys under the tree.  I didn't wrap many things and so when she walked out there she had the biggest grin on her face and she ran over to the tree. 

We spent the morning opening presents and drinking lots of fluids.  It was a wonderful Christmas.  Gracie loved everything she got but, her very favorite was from My mom and Shel- The princess walker/bike.  OH MAN.  That toy is her pride and joy.  She will walk around pushing her bike, find wherever we are, and then just sit on it and wait for us to push her around.  She cracks me up. 

Since Christmas Gracie has been talking more and more and walking all the time now.  She is trying to run but can't quite get it yet...give her a couple of days :) I can't believe my baby is almost a year old!  Merry Christmas everyone.

It's Christmas Eve!

 For Christmas Eve this year we were with Beau's family.  It was so much fun!  The entire day ended up being such a wonderful time.We started off the day with a trip to the ice skating rink.  It was a blast.  I hadn't been ice skating in years.  Sadly, they wouldn't let us skate and hold the baby so luckily Aunt Stacie was there and she played with the baby so we could skate.  Thanks again Stacie!!  We had so much fun skating around together. 

When we got back home we put the baby down for a nap and started to play a game of tripoly.  While playing we also watched Christmas movies, munched on veggies and got dinner ready.  We had a very yummy dinner of Steak, potatoes, salad, beans, rolls, and a pear cobbler for dessert.  It was so good. 

After dinner we all settled down to hear dad read the Christmas Story and to talk about the miracle of Jesus.  It was such a special moment to hear him read Luke 2 and then discuss the choir of Angles that were there when that happened.  I hope I was one of those angels singing at the top of my lungs Glory to God! 

When that was over we went to the more commercial side of Christmas and opened the gifts.  We had Jens and Tiffany this year and they had us.  The boys got Gracie the most DARLING purple batman shirt and a little duck that has a string and it walks with you.  So much fun. They also got us a cocoa maker, cups, cocoa, and some yummy goodies, all wrapped up so beautifully.  Mom and Dad got us a cast iron pot, blanket, a majhong set, etc.  It was a wonderful Christmas.  Gracie wore her red Christmas dress that Grandma got her and boy did she look so beautiful.  We had an amazing Christmas eve and we are so grateful for the love that we felt while we were with everyone. 

Swim Time!

Beau used to swim in high school.  He swam competitively for three years and he loved it!  The Ben Lomond swim team holds an alumni swim meet every year in December where the alumni swim team compete against the current high school swim team.  It is always so much fun to participate in for all of us. 

Beau is the one in the middle.

Christmas time is here...

Beau's amazing artwork for Christmas

Our little home all lit up for Christmas

 As we prepared for the Christmas holiday we realized that we had packed our schedules super full.  We were going to go to Moab for the beginning of the week to help my mom move out of her house and then we would be back in Ogden for Christmas Eve, and finally back to Logan for Christmas Day.The night before we left we had a house full of people over to eat turkey and celebrate the holidays.  It was so wonderful.  We love our friend here in Logan and are blessed to have them all in our lives. 

We headed down to Moab after spending two days battling a stomach bug, and arrived on Sunday night.  We were blessed enough to stay with my best friends mom and let me tell you, going there is like going to my second home.  I love her parents so much and I love their home.  I honestly consider her a second mother to me and being at her house always makes me happy.  I also get to see my best friend who lives in Moab so it's definitely a win win situation.  Our time in Moab was a whirlwind but, a wonderful one.  It was very bittersweet helping pack up my childhood home.  I stood in the kitchen imagining all the times I had friends over to cook with me.  I looked in my bedroom and remembered summer nights when I would leave my window wide open to let in the desert breeze.  Dates, parties, girl night out's, family dinners, etc...it was hard to let go. But, change in inevitable right?  I guess you can't hold on forever.  We had the opportunity to see my friend Cassie and her wonderful family and that was such a blessing.  I miss her and her listening ear soooo much.  I can't wait to go back and see her again. It was also great to spend quality time with my wonderful family.  We miss them.  Gracie had a wonderful time with her girl cousins.  Emily was thrilled to have Beau there, in fact, she made him play barbies with her stating "but you have to be a girl because I don't have any boy barbies" heheh.  Eventually though, we had to say goodbye and return back to Ogden.  It was hard to leave and we are already planning when we can go back.

rockin around the Christmas tree

Finally I caught her walking escapades on video!  It's kind of dark but, you get the jist.  Isn't she the most beautiful, darling, fun baby in the world?