Lucky

It seems that, so many times, when you talk to people about kids, you hear the same old broken-record responses about how naughty they are, or how they are difficult and how much your life changes after you have them.

Has it been a change? Yes. Is it hard? Sometimes.

But, I would definitely say it is more fun than it is hard, and I wouldn't change it for the world.

I have felt so blessed and lucky that I get to have this sweet girl call me "Mommy."

I get to spend every day with her, screaming at bugs, playing with baby dolls, dressing up in silly hats and shoes, and inventing new ways to go down her slide.

I have watched "Where's Spot" so many times that I can quote it, backwards.

I have become an expert at getting ketchup out of her clothes. I am trying to become an expert at getting anything BUT ketchup in her mouth (hints are appreciated)!

I have been thrown up on, spit up on, and yes, pooped on.

And yet, it is the best job in the world. And, the most rewarding thing I have ever done.

She keeps life wonderful, like when she grabs my hand and pulls me to the window to see the garbage truck or the snow outside, and we press our noses against the glass together.

Or when she sits up in her bed after I have tucked her in, smiling, blowing kisses, and waving at me. Then, falls asleep with all of her "friends" that she loves so much. I love you, Priya girl!

Lora's 1st Birthday

Lora turned one this month! Happy birthday sweet girl!

She loved her very own smash cake! Don't you just love those big blue eyes?

Just about everyone showed up to wish her a Happy Birthday. Here are a few of the pictures I was able to snap:

Natalie

Jillian

Daniel

Conneur

Lexi

Priya and Andrew

They love their Uncle Andrew

Little Miss Priya at 18 Months

It is hard to believe that our sweet girl is already a year and a half old! Time goes by so fast, and it has been so fun to be able to enjoy every part of her life with her. This post is about a month late, which is another testament to how fast time goes!

Toddlers are so exciting, and so exhausting. Everything in the world is new and exciting for her, and her love of life is intoxicating! She is what I affectionately call, "spirited," and has been throwing tantrums since about 10 months. She isn't easily distracted, and when she knows what she wants, she is determined to get it. She is very busy, and is always on the go. Her nursery teacher informed us that, "she sure likes to try everything and get in everything." Ya, we know.

Taking her baby for a walk

Although she can be a little busy, she definitely has a good heart and wants to please. She gets very upset if she knows she has disappointed us.

When we took Priya to the doctor for her 18 month check up, he told us that she is developmentally at about 2 years. Her stats (I'm not going to lie, I doubt these are accurate. She did NOT want them taken) were:

Height: 2 feet, 6.75 inches (20.26%)

Weight: 24 lbs (42.94%)

Head Circumference: 46.8 cm (55.64%)

She is perfectly short and stalky with the cutest thighs I have ever seen!

Here is some more of Priya at 18 months:

Visiting Great Grandpa Asay

Taking her to nursery was definitely harder for mommy and daddy than it was for Priya. I had expected it to be much worse. I am not sure why I thought that, because she has never once cried when I have had to leave her with a babysitter (she usually just waves and blows a kiss), and has never had "stranger anxiety." She has a natural curiosity and love for people. When we took her into nursery, she immediately started playing and didn't even look up when we said goodbye.

Priya's first day of nursery

Favorite foods: she is a picky eater (which is hard for parents who will eat just about anything). She loves carbs (especially cereal and oatmeal), milk, some fruits (applesauce and grapes are her favorites), and sweets, of course. "Candy," which she pronounces as "Nanny" is the only word that she automatically puts a pronoun in front of. So, if I am talking to Andrew and I mention the word "candy," Priya will pipe up and say, "My Nanny?"

She also loves Cottage Cheese, yogurt, raw broccoli, sausage, any cheese (even the stinky stuff), and most spicy foods (go figure!). Sometimes she loves berries.

She hates eggs, most meats (including chicken and bacon), most veggies, and anything that looks a little suspicious (even if it is something that she would love).

Favorite activities: She loves bath time (she gets so excited that she tries to get in with her clothes still on), bubbles, and swimming. She is definitely a fish. She also loves to play with her stuffed animals and babies, take them for walks, feed them, read books to them, etc.

Priya taking care of her Wocket

She loves to dance (usually by turning in a circle until she is dizzy, which she also loves), She loves being naked, and loves trying on shoes (especially mommy's and daddy's). She loves being outside and turning light switches on and off. She loves climbing, and a curb could keep her happy for hours. She enjoys trying to fit in tight spaces, using the blow dryer, jumping, accessorizing with mommy's hats and jewelry, and *sigh* hitting Mom (she doesn't really hit anyone else). She also loves to sing along to the radio, and is the ultimate worst at "singing without knowing the words or the tune," but it is so cute!

Priya loves to climb in cupboards or other small places and shut the door. Under my sink is her current favorite place because it is home to the blow dryer and some lotion bottles, which are 2 of her current favorite "toys."

Favorite toys: Her baby has to go everywhere with her. It eats with her, bathes with her, sleeps with her (she even tucks it in), etc. She almost always wants it to be naked (I think she is living vicariously through it). She loves her "Where's Spot" DVD. She also loves anything that stacks (nesting boxes, stacking cups, Tupperware). She still loves balls and her slide. She loves books, and enjoys taking them off the shelf more than reading them (except for Where's Spot).

Wearing her toys as shoes

Other favorite toys include the TV remotes, Riley (Katie's dog), paper, stickers, and chairs.

She also loves binkies (which we are going to have to start weaning her from), sneezing, and "foofing."

Other notes about Priya:

Priya loves playing with her Daddy, and can't wait for him to get home from work. She loves airplanes and cars, and loves to make engine noises when she sees a car. She also loves making animal noises (especially when she sees a bear).



Fashion is Priya's middle name!

Here she is sporting her morning do...

And this is her "shorts hat."

Her ideal outfit would include a diaper, socks, her cowboy boots, a bracelet, and a hat. Nothing else. For some reason, she feels that being only in a diaper and running around from room to room while squealing inherently go together.

She is very independent and wants to do everything herself. She is fascinated with her toes and loves to show them to people. She also loves to wave and blow kissed randomly at people in the grocery store. She loves people.

She is also very opinionated, and she will let you know what she thinks about things. Just this morning, I started singing, and she said, "No Mommy. No." Guess I need to tune up on my singing skills.

Sometimes she doesn't like Andrew's choice of music, and she will plug her ears to make her point.

Anytime she feels anything cold, she says, "Cold, Brrr." I wouldn't be surprised if she thinks it is one word.

Priya probably says about 200 words now. There are too many to keep track of. She is combining 2 word phrases, like "Daddy work" or "My shoes" or "Mommy chair." Some of my favorite words that she says are:

Cookie- she always says it like it is a question

Lotion- "Teeton"

Oh, Dear- This phrase is usually repeated more than once, like "oh dear, oh dear, oh dear."
More- "Mo." She really means "I want some" since she says this about something when she hasn't even had any yet.

Surprise- "pize?" (always said like a question)

Amen- "Mien"

Lacrosse stick- All I can say is that she will be really embarrassed someday...We can't post what she says it here, due to the G-rating of this website...

Baltimore!

At the end of January, Andrew and I went on a much-needed trip to Baltimore for the U.S. Lacrosse Convention. We try to go every year, and it is so much fun. My brain always hurts after it, though, because of all the information that gets crammed in over a 2 day period. It definitely didn't disappoint this year!

Jackie Joyner Kersee was the highlight speaker. What a remarkable woman!

We really didn't have a lot of time for sight-seeing (we flew in Thursday night and flew out Sunday night).

We did, of course, have time for the Jazz game in Philadelphia on Saturday night! It was still worth the money, even though it was a blow out. *sigh*

In front of the Wells Fargo Arena

We went to Washington DC a few years ago, so we just headed back into town to see the few sites that we missed last time. Ford's Theater (where Lincoln was assassinated) was closed the last time we were in town, so that was definitely on our list.

Inside Ford's Theater


The National Archives were closed to, so we hit that before we went home!

Andrew in front of the Archives (no cameras allowed inside!)

There was something so amazing about seeing our founding documents in person. I really feel that our founding fathers were truly ispired when they wrote the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

The last place we went to before heading home was Mount Vernon (George Washington's home).

It was the dead of winter and STILL absolutely gorgeous. I really think that if I have the opportunity to build my own home someday, I would want to pattern it after Mount Vernon.

George and Martha Washington's Tomb.


It could just be my love of all things historical (I really am a history nerd- I have the shirt that says "I Love History" to prove it), but there really was something almost spiritual about Mount Vernon. I have had an almost scary obsession with it since we went (which includes looking longingly at the pictures for hours on end). I really think that Mount Vernon makes me think about moving back East. Thank goodness it isn't a person, or I just might stalk it. Obsessive and scary? Yes.

My parents were so nice to watch the munchkin while we were gone, and even though I missed her like crazy, it was nice to only have to worry about taking care of myself for a few days!

Baby Jayden

Welcome to the world, Baby Jayden!

Congrats to my sweet cousin, Carrie and her hubby, Jason.

At the hospital waiting for the kiddo. He sure wasn't in any rush.

Carrie, Jason, and Jayden

Priya loves him (as long as it isn't mommy holding him)! Man, that girl has a jealousy streak.

Jazz Autograph Party

Every season the Jazz throw an autograph party for their season ticket holders. This is one of the highlights of the season for Andrew. It is a win-win situation for us. Since I could care less about autographs, Andrew always has me come along and get things signed for him. This way, he gets twice the autographs. I, on the other hand, get a night out on the town.

This was a perfect opportunity to let Priya show off her Jazz cheerleader outfit (since she is too busy to take to games)!

Christian and Paul came with us this year.

Priya also showed off her awesome jumping skills. Look out, Tigger!

Festival of the Trees

This post seems almost outdated, since the Festival of the Trees was in November, and here it is February already, but I wanted to make sure I said something about our project before I forgot. This is more for my sake than anyone else's!

My family does a service project every year for Christmas. Years ago, my aunts and uncles decided that instead of buying each other Christmas gifts, they would pool the money together to do something nice for someone else. This has been such a blessing for my cousins and I because it has given us an opportunity to serve others as a family. Some of my favorite Christmas memories stem from this tradition.

For a long time, we did what we called our "homeless service project," where we would fill bags with items for the homeless (blankets, gloves, hand warmers, food, card games, hats, etc). We would then take the bags downtown and give them out as a family. Afterwards, we would go back to my Uncle's office for pizza.

This last year, we decided to do something a little different. With the passing of some of our family, the Homeless Project just wouldn't be the same. We decided to make some trees for the Festival of the Trees.

We donated 2 trees this year, one in my grandmother's name and one in my uncle's name. We were able to put their trees next to each other, which was really neat.

My sister spearheaded the project and got it rolling. We got together as a family and decided on themes. The project took a life of it's own. I was a little worried about how the trees would turn out, because we were all doing pieces of it, and I wasn't sure how it would all come together. I thought they turned out great!


My uncle's tree was titled "The Good Life" and was Harley-Davidson themed. It turned out spectacular, and we even got to meet the people who bought it. Their reasoning for purchasing the tree was such a neat story, and I am sure they are the exact people my uncle would have wanted to buy his tree.

My sweet uncle with his granddaughter

"The Good Life"

The "Lucas" dog we just had to add to his tree. Lucas was my uncle's best friend.

My amazing

grandma. She was such a remarkable woman.

My grandma's tree. It was titled "my favorite things" and was a Christmas sewing, cooking, quilting themed tree. Sewing, quilting, cooking, her family, and Christmas truly were her favorite things (along with gardening, but we would have struggled fitting that into the theme).

The pictures at the trees (my cousin Carrie drew these. She is so talented!).

There was something very emotionally difficult about making these trees, but it was also very healing for me. It was such a neat way to remember Grandma and Uncle David, and the money went to such a great cause.

On another note, we also went to the auction night. If you have never been on auction night, you should definitely go. You can buy tickets that are good for 2 people, and they last 3 years. You can then bid on trees and watch people bid on trees. I am ashamed to admit that some of my family stalked our trees and hovered a little bit as people bid on them. :) Hopefully we weren't too intimidating. Another plus of auction night- refreshments!

This was one of our favorite trees (besides ours, of course)!

You probably can't tell very well from the picture, but it was a half-BYU and half-U of U tree. It was perfect for Andrew and Jason (who are ALMOST twins, except in their local college preferences. A lady standing by the tree even asked if they were twins!). My favorite part of the tree was the box of tissues on the BYU side!

Uncle Jim, Aunt Lisa, and Jenn at the tree lighting ceremony