All by myself

Well Chris conveniently went on a golf trip with his Dad and Brother's this weekend and left me and Lydia alone to fend for ourselves (not really I knew about it well in advance, but for dramatic purposes ha ha ha.) Well it just so happened that it was my month to host BUNCO which left me in a bit of a predicament considering I had originally planned on the regular baby sitter watching Lydia while I taught dance and then I planned on having Chris take Lydia during BUNCO. Anyways way too much information so I ended up taking Lydia to my parents while I taught dance and then my mother-in-law volunteered to keep Lydia over night so I wouldn't have to come back and pick her up late. It is really the first night I have had completely to myself with no kids or hubby and I won't lie the sound of it made me quite excited. I had all of these big plans. It was after all Thursday which meant I had a whole slew of my favorite shows waiting on the DVR fo me (community, parks and rec, the office, 30 Rock and Survivor) Anyways then I planned to continue on my journey watching "Lost" seson 5 (I am really lost already but it is so addicting!) Then I planned to sleep in as late as I possibly could, I thought 9:00 would be great.

Anyways I made it through One of my shows before I was zonked on the couch, lugged myself to bed. After I went to bed I woke up about 10 times to check on Lydia on the video monitor, I don't know if I usually do that and just don't realize how reassuring it is to see my little toad nestled in her big girl bed or if it was just because I was missing her. Then I woke up at 7:30 am and I couldn't fall back asleep. I won't lie I was missing my usual alarm clock of "Mom, get in here"...yes that is how Lydia wakes me up every morning and I didn't realize just how much I loved it until I didn't have that this morning!

Anyways is what I am really trying to say is that a night away sounded like heaven but it really made me realize that Heaven is every second I have with my little girl (and husband of course...ha ha ha!) Sometimes I take it for granted how much joy she really does bring to my life! So anyways I'm looking forward to some girl time before daddy get's home and I can't wait to hear my alarm in the morning!

A must read!

Ok so I am a total dork and a huge book worm. Chris makes fun of me all the time because I will wake up really early in the morning to read, that's right I sacrifice sleep for a good book. Anyways I have a lot of favorite books and a lot of books that I just can't put down and this has become both. My bf meg dropped it off at my house and said, you have to read this, when I asked her what it was about she said black maids in the 1860's at first I thought is that it? But honestly it is seriously so so so good! It made me laugh and cry and to be honest it is just a great book all around. Anyways I stayed up way too late the other night to finish it and I still haven't been able to stop thinking about it so if you are looking for a great book to read...here it is!

P.S. They have it at Costco right now (it would definitely be a great book to buy!)

Birthday Fun!

Well this year Lydia's birthday fell on a Wednesday so we did our own little family celebration that day and then Sunday we had both of our families over for BBQ and cake and ice cream! Lydia is obsessed with the movie "UP!" which I know I have mentioned a few times so we had an UP party, and by having an UP party I mean we bought two dozen balloons and Lydia has been in heaven ever since (I love how little it takes to make a 2 year old happy!) Anyways we always feel so lucky to both come from such amazing families, and we especially feel lucky that both of our families get a long so well! Anyways I came away from Lydia's party feeling like not only is she super spoiled but a lot of people love her, and we hope they know how much we appreciate that!

April 21st, 2010

Lydia Turns Two!!!

Lydia wanted pancakes for breakfast...her all time favorite!

I figured when your two you can use a little practice blowing out candles so we did it at breakfast, lunch and dinner!

Lydia was so cute, she loved it when we sang happy birthday to her

You can tell she has a lot of determination to blow those candles out...OOOHHH I love that girl!

My little girl is growing up...sad!

I let Lydia choose out what kind of a cake she wanted, I was pulling for a red velvet but she was very set on pink (it was really gross btw ha ha ha!)

April 25th Birthday Party day!

Lydia absolutely adores her Nana

Chris and his parents doing a little BBQ-ing!

Grandpa working hard to put Lydia's gift together...no instructions used of course!

Lydia and her "Fun Uncle" ha ha ha

Lydia has fake phone conversations with her Uncle Tyler all the time...ha ha ha!

BAOOONNNSSSS...as Lydia calls them! We have watched up even more times than usual because the balloons remind her of the movie!

Our amazing families!

My brother Derek and his darling Girlfriend Ashlie...we think she is a keeper (hint, hint!)

Lydia loves her uncle Justin and Aunt Lindsey

Aren't they darling?

Opening present time...finally!

We got Lydia a "Lady Buggy" tri-cycle! She loves it but we are going to have to work with her on how to use it!

Just and LInds got her some gum (which she ate all that night) and this cute Owl for her room, she loves it. She asked me last night to open the owl, I think she thinks it is a piggy bank (ha ha ha!)

Her new stick horse from Grandma and Grandpa Knudsen, she loved it so much she took off on it and didn't want to open any other presents. We literally had to pull her back to them after she slammed her room door shut and made it clear she found her toy!

Her new red Cowgirl boots, She is definitely going to the Oakley Rodeo this year in Style!

Blowing out the candles on her cake, she was a little tired from no nap before or after church you can tell by the look on her face!

Yummy cup-cake!

Playing with her new sand/water table from Nana and Grandpa Hardman...she loves it so much! She went through three outfits and two baths yesterday and it is all I can do to keep her from going outside right now and getting dirty right now (ha ha ha!)

Thanks again to all of our amazing families for Lydia's darling presents and love and support!

Hacky Birthday to Lydia

Ok I know you are probably all thinking that I misspelled the title but actually Since April Lydia has been singing her own version of "Happy Birthday" and that is how she says it. She will sing "Hacky Birthday" to everyone she knows, except herself...but guess what today it is Lydia's turn! Anyways I can't believe that my baby is growing up, and who are we kidding it has flown by. I am such a baby but I am crying right now as I am writing this maybe it is the hormones and maybe I am just sad that my baby is growing up so fast. She went from sleeping in my arms, to sleeping in a big girl bed in what feels like the blink of an eye. I feel so blessed to have this little girl, she makes me laugh and seriously brings so much joy to my life. So Lydia I hope you know that your mommy and daddy are so excited for you to turn two, but no matter how big you get you will always be our little girl!

Today you are 2...

Today you love pancakes and strawberries for breakfast

Today you are still obsessed with your milk, your binky and your two blankies

Today you love to open the screen door and go outside and play with Che' in your jammies

Today you LOVE the show "Olivia" and your favorite movie is "UP"

Today when mommy or daddy says "I love you", you say "I love you more"

Today you love to dump out the plant beads out at Grandma and Nana Hardman's and you love it when Uncle Tyler and Derek will dance with you to "Gaba, Gaba"

Today you love to sing "Jesus wants me for a sunbeam" in the tub, and you jump when we sing Beam every time

Today you love the book "Where the wild things Are" and make mommy or daddy read it every night to you

Today you love to use your little blue stool to turn the lights on and off in the house

Today you love your cousins Bode and Raini, and say their names atleast 10 times a day if not more

Today you love to jump on Grandma and Grandpa Knudsen's tramp and play with Jinger

Today you love to give loves, and you always say sorry, tank you and peese...like a good girl!

Today you love ice cream, sour, suckers, pancakes, and nothing healthy (mommy needs to work on that)

Today you like to say "I'm gonna get you" and tickle mommy and daddy

Today you like to sit on the big girl potty, but not really go yet.

Today you love to play at the park and point out every slide you see anywhere.

Today you like to talk on the phone and you always say "I miss you"

Today you make your mommy and daddy laugh every day with the darling things you do and say.

Today you are going to be a big sister and I know you are going to love her just like you do your friends and cousins.

Today you like to stand on the side of the cart and ride in the grocery store, not sit in the basket anymore

Today you love to give Che' treats and pull his ears, and give him loves

Today your mommy and daddy love you more than all the world...Happy Birthday Lydia we LOVE you MOST!

Odd man out!

Well I am actually excited to say that Chris is going to be the odd man out! We are going to be adding another little girlie to our family, and who are we kidding I couldn't possibly be more excited! We went last week to Fetal Foto's and that little baby wasn't about to cooperate when it wasn't crossing it's legs the umbilical chord was right in the sweet spot (ha ha ha!) So anyways I went back today to check again and "SHE" was a perfect angel! It was seriously such an amazing experience as it always is, when you get a little peek into your womb at your unborn child. She was wiggling all around and putting on quite the show! For those of you who have never been to Fetal Foto's I would totally recommend it, it is such a personal and amazing experience (we were even lucky enough to get our good friend Kimi as our tech one of the times!) Anyways we couldn't be more thrilled and all I have to say is bring on more PINK!!!

P.S. Side note it is pretty funny every time I would ask Lydia if she wanted a brother or a sister she would say "NO!" very loudly and very sure of herself... hopefully she warms up to the idea!

Little tots/big ideas

Well one of the mom's at the studio has put together this absolutely amazing blog it is called "Little Tots/Big Ideas" Anyways one of the spotlights that she does on her blog is called "Real Mommies, Real Challenges!" Tina was nice enough to consider me a mommy with some challenges (ha ha ha!) and she ran a really nice post about me and the studio. Anyways you should check it out, not just to read about me but also there are some really inspirational stories on there, and it keeps me laughing for sure! Anywas check it out here

www.littletotsbigideas.blogspot.com

Eggstatic about Easter!

Well we had an eggcelent Easter this year! It started with Lydia wearing her new Easter dress to Church the Sunday before Easter (due to conference!) She loved her "Bue" dress!

Being a little princess (ha ha ha!)

While I was getting ready Chris was watching Lydia and she took off on the hardwood floor and slipped and landed literally on her face. It was so sad, it instantly bruised up and looked like she had quite the shiner. This was later that night and the pictures really don't do it justice, it is barley starting to fade.

I didn't get pictures of all the easter egg hunts that Lydia participated in, but she got it this year and it was a blast. We had one at our neighbors then of course we had our own Easter Sunday morning.

She loved finding them in her "kitchen" it is her all time favorite toy so to see eggs in it was so eggciting!

Lydia could've cared less about the candy (it is still sitting in her basket in the pantry) but she was stoked about the "MONEY!!!" Here she is putting it directly into her piggy bank!

Every time she would find an egg she would yell "Mama or Dada look and egg!" then she would run over and throw it in her basket and jump up and down for joy! It was such a fun thing to see!

The Easter Bunny knew that Lydia has been a good girl this year so she got some fun toys that she has been wanting. Play-dough, bubbles, sidewalk chalk, coloring books and a new magna-doodle..for church!

Later that day we had another Easter egg hunt at Grandma and Grandpa Knudsen's...Lydia loved playing with her cousins.

I think they are going to be best of friends when they get older!

Lydia did love malt eggs, and she would stuff as many as she could in her mouth. We would make her spit them out and two seconds later she would have more in her mouth...sneaky little girl!

She also had an easter egg hunt at Nana and Grandpa Hardman's needless to say she got totally spoiled this Easter. It was so much fun seeing her get excited, but it was also a really nice time to just remember why it is we celebrate easter. I made Chris watch "The 10 Commandments" for the first time. If you haven't ever seen it and have like 4 hours to kill I would totally recommend it. Also we had the chance to see my mom perform in "Handel's Messiah" the week before Easter, it was a spiritual experience that truly set the mood for Easter! I feel so blessed to have the gospel in my life, and to know that death isn't the end! I hope ya'll had a great Easter as well!

The Good, the bad and the ugly!

It is funny I went to lunch with my best friend the other day and we hadn't seen each other in a long time so...we were catching each other up on the latest in our lives. Of course we read each other's blogs so we sort of have an idea of what is going on but I was telling her a story that happened and she said "isn't it funny how we don't tell the whole truth in our blogs." I had blogged about a day and it seemed like the perfect little day, when in all reality it was an absolute disaster.

I started to wonder why is it that we always feel like we can only post about the happy parts, and that we have to leave the real parts out. Is it because there is enough bad in the world and enough to worry about as it is. Is it because when we look back a petty little fight or a "prego-melt down" will seem like nothing. To be honest I really don't know but I am bound and determined to be more HONEST in my blog. Now I don't plan on "airing out my dirty laundry" so to speak but maybe if I have bad days every once in a while maybe someone else does too and we can relate about the "good, the bad and the ugly!"

Sometimes I come away from reading other peoples blogs and I feel bad about my life, I think how is it that they are so happy and so put together and so perfect and here I am sitting at my computer reading other people's blogs while I have laundry to do, and a shower to take, amongst other things. I think the point I am really trying to get at is that my conversation with Meg made me realize that it is ok to be real, it is ok to have a bad day so long as I don't only focus on those days and moments and remember the good as well. So Meg thanks for the reality check, and for the reminder that it is ok to have a bad day!

P.S. On a side note I think that there are other bad days that really only a best friend can truly understand...ha ha ha!