Fathers Be Good to Your Daughters

Father's Day

We started the weekend right with some frozen yogurt and live music 

Friday night at Jordan Landing.

By some miracle (waking up at dark thirty) I managed to get 

myself ready for church, get Mabel ready, have the diaper bag packed, 

I read over my Relief Society lesson,

AND whipped up this delicious breakfast for Nate. 

All of this took place before 8:00am.

Mabel was really excited to help daddy open his big present

A Hedge Trimmer! So exciting.

A few weeks ago Nate got a rare Sunday afternoon nap.

We counted that as his Father's Day nap.

After church we drove to Fruit Heights to have a BBQ
with some of the Tew Fam.

Cousins eating cupcakes:

Aunt Kristy took the girls flying.

It has been such a joy to watch Nate as a father.

I knew he would be great, but he exceeds my expectations daily.

Mabel adores him and I love hearing the giggles of those two playing

and wrestling when he gets home from work.

I went downstairs the other day because Mabel was laughing so hard I had to 

see what they were doing. It involved a lot of silly faces and sounds.

 

Nate always tells me that Mabel loves to comb his hair at night

when he is getting her ready for bed.  I have watched this so many times.

I love these two.

I am also thankful for the fathers in my life.

It's been interesting having two dads...

but they have both taught me different things.

Me and my dad Rick, 1993ish)

My step-dad Kraig and Mabel, 2012

Ready, Set, PLAY!

.we've been playing.

{Neighbors}

{The Berry Family}

 

 Jessica & Jessica

Jess was my roommate for two years up at BYU-Idaho

and I was so excited to meet her sweet baby Jack!

 

(PS: Remember these days Jess?

{Brio Buds}

Two new additions to the group!

Signe and Grayson

Trying to get a picture of these toddlers sitting together 

and looking at the camera is like herding cats.

I did get a cute picture of Miss Noa:

Snuggle time with Baby Jesse

{Meeting Baby Reagan)

kisses and hugs

3 weeks old

Grandpa Tew set up a cool ramp for these big cars...

the girls laughed and laughed when he would make the cars go up and down.

Thanks G & G Tew for letting us come and play!

These two were great sports about us constantly wanting to take their pictures.

They are just so cute together - who can resist a picture?!

Cookie Cutters

 A few weeks ago I took Mabel to get her  
first official haircut.  

As you can tell she was a bit overdue:

Business in the front:

Serious party going on in the back.

We went to Cookie Cutters, a cute hair cut place just for kids.

I thought for sure she wouldn't have any issues with getting her haircut.

I trim her bangs all the time and it never bothers her.

She made herself right at home and was sliding and pointing out all the colors.

The second I tried to put her in the little pink car seat she started crying.
Hysterically.
I think it was the little car she was afraid of.  I think she thought it was going to start moving.

The stylist was really sweet and patient...she gave her a sucker, tried blowing some bubbles,
gave her toys, even turned on a TV show.  Bless her soul.

She calmed down after a few minutes but was still pretty uneasy.

She wouldn't sit down and I was kneeling there hugging/holding her the whole time.
The stylist just kept telling her she was so brave and was doing a great job. 

Poor thing, I thought she would have a great time.

Looks like I will be cutting her hair at home from now on!

All trimmed and probably scarred for life.

This is going to come up in therapy when she is in her 30s!

Birthday fun continued....and THE QUIET BOOK!

About a week before Mabel's birthday we got a package in the mail from Nana.

My mom said Mabel could open a few presents early. 

(Nana spoils this little girl and I love it!)

Here we are opening a present and Skyping with Nana:

A musical jewelry box with a twirling fiary!

She was mesmerized.

Putting on her rings:

ALL the rings on her finger.

 Her jewelry box holds her her jewelry of course,

and a C battery.

She played with it for hours. She needed a little bit of help winding it up 

each time but eventually got the hang of it. She would wind it up,

set it on the bookshelf, and just sit and watch the fairy spin around.

On her actual birthday we did all the things that Mabel loves to do.
We went to the library, went to see the wiggle guy, read books, played with play-doh,
colored, and she even got a cupcake with breakfast, lunch, and dinner!
You only turn two one right?
 She ran around with her balloons all day.

Grandma and Grandpa Tew called and sang Happy Birthday to her.

She pretended to blow out candles when they were done singing. :)

That night Nate and I sang to her and we let her blow out some more candles.
(Can you tell blowing out candles is her favorite thing right now?)

She got to open the rest of her little presents from Nana and a present from us.

Love that face.

A growing turtle - wow!

...The Quiet Book...

This was a project I started with my DIY group while I was pregnant.

We all decided we wanted to make a Quiet Book 

and decided to split the work amongst the group.

Each person chose a design, and they made that same page 20 times.

One page for each person in the group...

so we ended up with 10 pages (front and back) for the book.

My page was ZIPPERS.

My mom brought her sewing machine out when we first moved in

(October 2011) and we set up a zipper assembly line.

Once everyone had their pages finished (December 2011) we met up for the exchange.

  All the pages turned out so DARLING!

THEN we were on our own to organize the pages however we wanted and

make a case or cover.

I borrowed my nieghbor's sewing machine and sewed the pages toghether.

 

Then when I was out visiting my mom months and months ago 

(this project has taken FOREVER!)

we bought colorful bias tape to sew around each page.
Well, it was really hard to sew the bias tape and have it look good.

Beyond our skill level.

So we had to call in reinforcements.

My Grandmother Susan.

She is the original Martha Stewart.

She sewed the bias tape around all the pages AND 

made this darling case!

 She also made additional pages to add to the book which I am so happy about

because several ended up being Mabel's favorites! 

(she adores the piggy bank page!)

The finished zipper page:

So finally, after about two years, 

Mabel got to see this labor of love.

Flip Flop/Beach pages & Toothbrush/Piggy Bank pages that Susan made.

 She loved it just like I hoped she would. 

Each page reminds me of the person who made it,

and they are all incredible, talented women.

We have taken the book to church the past few Sundays and it 

really does keep her busy (and quiet!).

Thank you 

 so much to all my DIY gals, my mom, and my grandmother Susan.

This is a treasure we will have for a long time!