merry christmas...

...and a happy new year!

we're sure glad the world didn't end,

we still have a lot of living to do. 

 (and we totally aren't prepared for any kind of disaster so it looks 

like my 2013 resolution list needs to include some emergency preparedness. yay.)

 

 

 

 xo,

nate, jess, mabel, charlie & fritz

(and ralphie...our new white elephant gift betta fish)

eighteen month musings

My cute sous chef testing out new recipes involving 

whole avocados and marbles.

She is obsessed with her strawberry hat and insists on wearing it around the house.

Sometimes like this:

One afternoon I came into the kitchen after I had put Mabel down for a nap and saw this:

All she needs now is a can opener.

One of her favorite places to play: the pantry.

Which is why it is constantly a mess!

She really likes climbing up and down this step stool.  

At first I was nervous but she is really good at it and has never fallen.  (yet)

She still loves bathtime each night and always wants some soap on her hands
so she can wash all by herself.
I love seeing her face light up when she can do things all by herself.
It also makes me want to cry. My baby is getting big.

She is a clever little thing.

Figured out how to open the stool and she uses it 

to get into drawers that are off limits.

Mabel is constantly pointing out snowmen and santa.

The way she says those two words is so adorable.

Christmas really is a magical time for kids.  

The first thing she does when she wakes up is runs 

out to the living room to look at the Christmas tree's sparkling lights.
Here she is in awe of the snowman at Target.

The other day we were pulling into a parking spot at the store and she kept saying, "Santa! Santa!"  I was looking all around and couldn't see a Santa anywhere.  I started getting her out of her car seat and she pointed out the window and said, "Santa!" Then I saw his tiny little face.

See it?

 

My book reading audience:

Mabel, Santa, and a Snow Globe

She thinks it's fun to try and walk in daddy's slippers.

Turtle is still her main squeeze.

We went to check out the new Trader Joes in Salt Lake and they had little carts for kids.  Mabel was NOT happy when she had to stop pushing her cart to wait in line. 

(and there were sooooo many people in the store
there was no room for her to push it anyway)

Mabel thinks snow is pretty cool.  

Especially to eat. (I guess that wasn't the best thing to show her, oops.)

• She is talking more and more each day and the past few months she has really started trying to imitate EVERYTHING I say.  She tried to say pomegranate at Harmon's yesterday and it sounded NOTHING like pomegranate but it sure was cute. E for effort!

• She loves to say hi and bye to people wherever we go and she blows them kisses as well.   She also hugs and kisses pretty much everything she sees.  The grunt when she gives a hug is the best.

• Her favorite songs are Wheels on the Bus, Popcorn Popping, Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, and If You're Happy and You Know It.  She doesn't really try to sing much but loves dancing and doing all the actions.

•  She knows all her animal sounds and I think hearing her make a monkey sound is my favorite.  

• She likes to go up and down our front steps without holding my hand.

• She loves pointing to her body parts when asked and this week she learned eyelashes and eyebrows.

• I think she will be ready to potty train pretty soon.  She has gone pee on the potty 4 or 5 times already and she always comes to me and points to her diaper when she goes poo.
 

• She takes one nap in the afternoon around 12:30 and if we are lucky it lasts about an hour and a half.

• We got some Baby Einstein DVDs from the library last week and she in is LOVE with them.  I say a prayer of gratitude every night for Baby Einstein.  They are 20 minute videos and she will sit and watch one in the morning so I can shower or one in the evening so I can get dinner started. I know I know....TV before age two is discouraged but those 20 minutes are a lifesaver. So I'm not going to feel guilty about it. 

• When she gets really excited about something she says, "Ooooooooooo aaahda".  We have no idea what that means but it's pretty cute.
   
•  One of her first words was "UP!" and it's definitely still her favorite.  I hear that word about 50,000000000000000000000 times a day.  

The recent tragedy in Connecticut has been so upsetting.  I have hugged Mabel extra tight these past few days thinking about the mommas whose arms long to hold their babies again.  I keep praying for those families, that somehow they will find peace.

I think every dish in my house was dirty.

We celebrated Thanksgiving this year at our house with my grandparents from Kamas, my Aunt Koreen and Uncle Kim from California, my Aunt Kristy who lives in Salt Lake, and lots and lots of cousins.

This was my FIRST time cooking a turkey! 

We got it from the Wight Family Fresh Turkey Farm in West Haven.

No hormones, no additives, never been frozen, 

allowed to roam free, happy turkeys.

(Mabel is digging for some serious gold in the backgound)

Prior to cooking the turkey Nate put on a latex glove and got out the neck (so gross and sad to think about...yes, I have meat issues.) and he couldn't find the bag with the other stuff.

We just assumed they didn't give it to us.

Fine with me!

So the turkey has been cooking for about an hour and a half when I heard my grandmother and my cousin's girlfriend in the living room laughing about a Thanksgiving commercial they saw where the girl cooks the turkey with the bag of giblets still inside it.  

Uh-oh. 

I confessed right then that I thought I might be cooking my turkey like the girl in the commercial!

I told them we took out the neck but couldn't find any of the other stuff.

I took out the turkey and my grandma lifted up the skin towards the front and lo and behold there was a bulging bag of grossness!  She pulled it out (thanks Grandma!) and man I wish I had a picture of my face at that moment.

 How was I supposed to know there is a secret neck flap where they put the bag of organs?

Needless to say this didn't help my meat eating situation.  

I tried a few bites but was very content with all the other dishes.

 Moving on.

Everyone decorates for Thanksgiving with pool balls right?

Done to Perfection!

thankyouverymuch.

 We had a faulty pop up timer so we tested it 

with our meat thermometer and it was just right.

Plus, read here about pop up timers drying out your bird.

Maybe that is why our turkey was so moist!

Peeps patiently waiting. 

(and napping)

Getting ready to stuff our faces.

All my serving spoons were being used, 

hence the lovely measuring cup.

Grandpa didn't mind.

Full and exhausted.

Nate got right up and started doing dishes...

he is a good soul.

I am so thankful for the chance I get to spend every holiday with wonderful family and friends.

We always have an abundance of food and good conversation.

I truly have a lot to be grateful for.

A few days later we feasted again at my in-laws house.  

Sitting with Great Grandma Gayle:

 Eating. Again!

 We also celebrated November birthdays: 

Our niece Brenna

  and Nate.

 Happy 31st birthday babe!

Over the freeway and past Lagoon...

...to grandmother's house we go!

Last week Mabel and I spent a few night in Kaysville with Nate's parents.  It was fun to have a little getaway and enjoy some time with them.  Grandpa Rick cooked us tasty breakfasts each morning, Mabel played with all Grandma Georgia's preschool toys, and I got to shower and get ready ALONE each day. 

On Wednesday my sister-in-law Lindsey came over with her little girl Myah.

Myah is only two month younger than Mabel and these two are pretty cute together.

Two Little Bunny Foo Foos

 All we wanted was a picture of Mabel and Myah together and SMILING. 

Is that to much to ask?

Apparently so!

  Would you smile on a toy?

 

  Does sailing in a boat bring you joy?

Would being in a bin make you grin?

 

Finally, sitting on the couch for the WIN!

 

It only took about 50 photos to get that couch shot. 

And they both aren't even looking at me.

And Mabel kind of looks loopy.

A few of my favorite outtakes:

Myah hamming it up!

"Don't you have enough pictures of us already?"

Kiss for a cousin:

Trying to Escape

 Done.

So done.

I told Mabel to hug Myah right as 

Myah went crawling away.

 

 ...

Mabel loves to point at the faces while you say the names.

 Nate came over for dinner one night after work.

He was in charge of the bbq and had to wear a head lamp 

since it gets dark so early!

I thought it was pretty sexy.

 

 Mabel got to help Grandpa make some carrot apple juice.

It was really tasty.

The girls. 

 Swinging with Grandma Georgia.

This girl was in slide heaven.

I counted SIX slides total.

(I got pictures of 5)

 

 Mabel was pretty confident jumping on this little trampoline.

Just her size.

 

She like to sit on this window sill...

 just like her daddy.

 

                                               (Nate and Mabel 17 months)

 Dessert

and a bath in the fun green tub!

 Can't wait to plan our next sleepover!