Christmas music and Gift exchange

Emrie is very much into trying to dress herself now. She will be consumed for like 15 minutes trying to put on her own socks. It's kinda funny. Well, this morning as I was sitting on the couch reading I hear Emrie shuffling over to the living room and when she gets there this is what she found. Walking around in my shoes with dad's hat on carrying that yellow basket, so I had to get a picture.

This week we had a Service Gift Exchange for a Relief Society activity so I made a set of hand warmers and one of those thick headbands (excuse my picture, i don't look very good in it :D). I was actually REALLY nervous that no one would want them but i think they liked them. Now I've just got to make myself something.

And one of my favorite parts of Christmas is the music! LOVE the music. And I think Emrie probably loves it just as much as I do, everytime it comes on she starts dancing and twirling. Sorry the video is kinda dark.

Winter Wonderland and Summer Suprises

Thanksgiving was great. We got to go to Gilbert, me for 1 1/2 weeks, and spend time with family! It was really a lot of fun. So, we drove home to snow and decided we'd better set up the tree....here's what a tree looks like with a 1 1/2 year old. Ornaments on the top half and bare on the bottom half :D Kinda dorky, but at least the ornaments aren't breaking :D Emrie has also decided she likes to Smell the tree (even though it's fake). She smells it and the needles tickle her nose and she runs away laughing, then does it again. It's pretty cute actually.


So today was beautiful, so we decided to put Emrie in her little snow suit and head out to the playground and play. She really liked the snow, just walked around and crawled in it a lot. Can't wait to do a little sledding :D
And last but not least....we will soon have another one of these cute faces around our house. Yep, we're expected #2 the first week of June! So I am 13 weeks along and we're pretty excited. It's a bit different with your second for sure. But can't wait to find out what we're having...hoping a girl since they'll be 2 years apart almost exactly and I have all the right sized clothes :D Silly reason huh? But we'll be happy with whatever. :D

Sedona, Family and Knitting

Yes, it's been a very long time... but here are a few things we've been up to. October we experienced a fall changing colors for the first time for me in 7 years!!! I know I can't believe I've been in Arizona for that long. But the colors were beautiful! We took a little drive to Sedona and it was gorgeous. A canopy of green trees the entire way. Below is Chad and Emrie at Sedona. It really was pretty. It was a little rainy, but it created a mist in the mountains that was pretty.

We also went down to Gilbert for Halloween but of course we didn't take any pictures...I know awful huh. Didn't even get one of Emrie in her costume :(

This last weekend Makenna, Jason and their two boys came to visit and stay with us. It was so much fun and Emrie LOVED having the boys (especially Graham) there. We'll say that Movie time for her is already Kissing and cuddling time! She wouldn't leave graham alone. It was pretty cute and Makenna got alot of really good pictures, again we were slackers with the camera.

It has turned cold here, and the other night to get out of the house we went on a walk and had to all bundle up. Here's Emrie in her winter getup. She's makes a pretty cute marshmellow!

Now, I have been trying to keep busy and it's come down to knitting knitting knitting. I decided to teach myself and picked it up. Might as well make some winter gear to save money if I'm just at home right? So here's a couple things I've made so far.

My hands aren't the most flattering thing, but oh well. I need to add buttons to the hand warmers or something and I really want to learn how to do those head wraps/bands for your ears that are cute and a rufflie scarf, but I'm having trouble finding a scarf pattern I like. If anyone knows of one let me know!

The Book Thief and Pigtails

So in an attempt to get more involved and meet more people here in Flagstaff I decided to read the book for the ward book club this month which was: The Book Thief.

I actually have never read for personal enjoyment a book like this. I had no idea what it was about before I started it, I thought it would be a small book (which it's not... 560 pages) and the authors style of writing is WAY different than anything I've read, but I actually really really liked it. There's not a whole lot of suspense in it I guess cause the narrorator pretty much up front introduces a character than says "too bad he doesn't make it in the end" or something to that effect, which I thought was funny, but it ended up having a different effect as you were reading cause the whole time you're thinking...hmmm when are they going to die, how sad. It's set in Nazi Germany. Anyways I really enjoyed it and am kind of interested to see what another one of his books are like. If anyone has read any of his (Markus Zusak) other books let me know :D

So yesterday when I finished it I decided to make Weinerschnitzel for dinner and German potatoe salad :D I know I'm a dork...but it was delicious!! I had my own little book club celebration :D

And in other news we gave side pigtails for the first time this last week. Pretty funny and cute :D

If anyone has any other book suggestions I'm up for it!!!

DOC??

So, we've always had a little joke that Emrie's hair reminds us of Docs from Back to the Future...But this night while eating dinner she really ruffled her hair making what little fuzz she has on top stick down and the long fine blond blond hair on bottom stick out and this is how it turned out:
DOC:


AND the Imitation:
She looks a little scary in the above so I had to throw a cute faced one in there :D

I've really been trying to make sure I'm brushing the top to stimulate some growth, but not much change yet, guess that's what happens with a very fair daddy and a mommy who didn't help out either :D Hopefully it comes soon, until then, she is very cute version of Doc I think.

Little more than cousins???

Ha ha, just kidding. Emrie LOVES to give out hugs and kisses to every little kid that she walks by, but I do think that she has a special infatuation with Graham :D She used to all but maul him when we'd first walk in. They are so cute together (don't get me wrong they still stole each others toys and such) but we had such a fun summer doing things together with the kids. We are really going to miss getting together at least once a week. Here's a little playback.

Can't wait until we go visit!

Happy Birthday Chad!

I'm a slacker wife and didn't post a happy birthday yesterday for Chad, but that's okay cause now I have pictures :D So, HAPPY 26th BIRTHDAY CHAD!! At Chad's request I made this delicious cake, which we now have the whole thing (minus 2 pieces) in our fridge :D Guess it's going in the freezer for little chocolate fixes!

We have learned how to use our timer! YEAH :D

Oh, can't forget the brownie chunk ice cream, that's his favorite!

AND, on a side note, these are just a few pictures from the other morning at a park. Emrie LOVED this dinosaur thing. She was kicking her legs and gritting her teeth, going crazy on it. It was pretty cute and we got a couple funny pictures of her....She's kinda giving her version of the dinosaur face I guess :D

Flagstaff, here we come!

We are officially moved as of this last Friday, thanks to both our families and all their help with packing, loading and watching Emrie during the chaos. Goodbye #2102, we will miss you! Already miss El Dorado Ward. We were really spoiled living here.

Oh, and thank you Emrie for helping me with the last minute clean-up. I can tell she's going to be a good cleaner :)

We are now at NAU in Flagstaff, AZ for Chad to attend their nursing program where he will get his Bachelors in Nursing. So, we will be here for at least 2 1/2 years.

Emrie already loves having her own room. She sleeps way better....all the way through the night from 8:30-6-ish. And a couple times has actually come up to me and said "Ni Ni" for bedtime. The other day after nap when she woke up she didn't want out, just pointed to "Elbo" on the floor, which I gave her and she happily sat down with her dolly and read in bed. Her personality is really starting to come out, she's so sweet.

We went exploring and on a walk yesterday morning. I will say the temperature is AMAZING! Thinking we would find a park with grass and a playground, this park far exceeded our expectations:

With mountains, pines and fields of wild flowers. It was beautiful.

Oh, and you can't forget Rocks! That was one of Emrie's favorite parts.

Miss the family, but excited for our new adventure!

Thank you Thank you

Thanks Kenna and Jason for helping me save my blog :D It looks much much better! Pictures to come soon :D

Four Years Ago....

On a SWELTERING Arizona August morning I married this Handsome Stud!!! I can't believe it has really been FOUR years! But at the same time it feels like we've never been apart. Funny how that is. Grateful for my sweet family, and can't wait for everything else life will bring us. Love you Honey!!!

Not working

Soooo, I'm trying to fix and update my blog but it's not cooperating. I can't get the layout right or the picture to center. So, I'm taking a break :D Sorry, it looks kinda funny. Maybe I'll fix it tomorrow. I've decided I am not "blog literate" :D

A Pumpkin Juice Party

So, Chad calls Emrie his little Pumpkin Juice...I know, a little wierd sounding, but it fits her now. So, for her party he wanted there to be pumpkins. I had a hard time trying to put pumpkins into a summer birthday, but it worked out just fine.

Invitations:

Cake:

Chad told me how he wanted the cake to look....so that's what we did. Had to get some pumpkins in there.

We LOVE Books!

Can't wait to do pictures in this adorable Tutu!

Balloons always make the party funner!

She didn't eat very much cake or get very dirty. After a few bites she was done, but she loved some ice cream.

It was a fun day. She did get spoiled by Grandparents, aunts and uncles. I can't believe she's one....I have a feeling it's just going to get funner.

Happy Birthday Emrie Jane!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EMRIE JANE AND FATHER'S DAY HONEY!

Our sweet little girl is ONE today! It's gone so fast! She is such a joy to us. And Happy Father's Day to my honey! He is an amazing husband and father! I am very very blessed! (She looks like her daddy :D )

(Birthday party pictures soon to come)

Old clothes to good use

So...for my birthday my amazing husband with the help of my mom and in-laws got me a sewing machine! I am so excited! I have been asking for one for a long time and I was extremly suprised. So, a while ago I went through and was going to throw out a bunch of clothes, then I thought "why don't I try and make clothes for Emrie out of my old clothes?" That would give me FREE clothes for her! Being a poor college family. With the help of my mom and Makenna and we made a really cute outfit out of a pair of old pajama pants a while ago, but I decided to try something with my new sewing machine today. So....


Here's the bag of clothes that will hopefully be transformed:


And out of a stretchy black shirt today I made Emrie these little pants that turned out way cuter than I thought they would...they look and feel like little goucho pants.

And they fit her perfectly! I am so excited! It took me quite a bit of seem ripping with all my mistakes but I now have a new pair of pants for Emrie. Can't wait to get on to the next project.