Live, Laugh, Love,

Cookie Monster

2011-11-04T23:21:00.002-06:00

My babies are getting big! Cort has become quite the talker lately. He is starting to use more short sentences and he has the sweetest little voice and the funniest inflections. He likes to shorten words.

Monst = Monster
Cook = Cookie

The other day he told his first complete story that I understood. He found a cookie on the counter and then proceeded to tell me ...

"Where cookie go?"
"All gone!"
(both of those said in a very concerned voice)
"I eat"
(And then he laughed and ran away)

I love my little man!

Craft Hope Project

2011-05-10T08:49:00.001-06:00

I discovered this A-MAY-ZING craft blog a few months ago - Craft Hope - through my cute friend Angela. Angela was also one of my roommates in college and you can see from her blog that she can make darling things!

Anyway, I am not the crafty type, but I am always trying to find ways to incorporate more charity and giving into my and my kiddo's lives. Do I succeed a lot - oh no - but occassionally I happen upon a project that is perfect for us.

Craft Hope shares handmade crafts with those who need them most. They've sent newborn kits to Africa, scarves to Haiti, and now they are collecting handmade bracelets to send to orphans in Russia.

The statistics they shared were staggering:

Every day 5,760 more children become orphans.
Approximately 250,000 children are adopted annually, but…
Every year 14,050,000 children still grow up as orphans and AGE OUT of the system.
More than 1 million orphans are waiting for a home in Russia.
In Russia, 60% of girl orphans become prostitutes and 70% of male orphans become hardened criminals.

Broke my heart. After college I had planned to serve in orphanages in Russia or China, but life had other plans and I met my honey instead. These little ones still hold a place in my heart. Of course, they need donations for money, food, clothing, etc. But what I love about this project is that it is something that is just for each little girl to call their very own. That is special!

This project was so incredibly fast and easy! Just a quick trip to the store for the beads my little girl picked out and then half an hour out of our family get together on Mother's Day. Many hands make light work, right? I love that this is a project that everyone from the preschoolers to the grandparents can do and enjoy. Even the men got involved! In fact, they were the best at tying the knots onto the beads so the bracelets didn't fall apart. It was a good feeling to be serving together as a family - definitely something we want to do more of.

I 100 perecent recommend doing this with your family! It's a great project for little ones! I plan on making some friendship bracelets on our car trips over the next month (that totally take me back to junior high - love it!). Whether you can do a few or a lot, you will definitely have fun with your family! My daughter was so excited to do it for the little girls who had no mommies or daddies. In fact, she was quite sad when we had to drop them off at the post office instead of taking a trip to Russia to see the little girls.

So head on over to Craft Hope and check out the details! The project goes until June 15th. They are also now collecting hand made blankets for tornado victims in the South.

Third Times the Charm!

2011-03-22T18:00:00.001-06:00

Yes, I disappeared from the blogging world for a few months, but I have a FANTASTIC reason! We are expecting Baby #3 in September! Very, very, very excited! Lily is 100 percent convinced that the baby is a girl and she has already named her Isabella (still in negotiations on that one ....). Cort is indifferent and was just happy the Dr.'s office had books.

This is how Lily feels about a new baby :)

I am now 13 weeks and looking forward to the second trimester energy. We've been in survival mode since January. Since I have been pregnant, the kids and I have had the 24 hour flu, RSV, colds, sore throats, coughs, etc. We come out of quarantine just often enough to pick up the next bug going around. You can bet that we are ready for sunshine and the sickie season to be over!

Now I need advice from all you mommies! This is my third time around, but I feel like there are so many things that I want to improve about my pregnancy and labor and delivery. So I would love any helpful tips! I do have to give birth at the hospital because of the preeclampsia problems I have had with both pregnancies. But I know that a lot of the natural ideas work because I was able to stay off the preeclampsia meds with Cortland. The Hypnobirthing tracks and getting massages during the third trimester helped immensely!

So here are my questions:
1. How do you prepare for having three kiddos ages 4,2, and newborn? lots of freezer meals in advance? fun activities for the kids?

2. Nursing advice? I would love for the first six weeks of nursing not to be absolutely stressful and a pain. What resources helped you?

3. Is a doula worth if even if you plan to get an epidural?

4. How do you find more energy?

5. Any other advice you have!

Kids Christmas Camp

2011-01-03T19:53:00.003-07:00

This year I decided to start a Kid's Christmas Camp for all the Trost grandchildren. We got together at noon on Christmas Eve day and read Christmas stories, played Santa/Santa/Elf aka Duck/Duck/Goose, made star ornaments, and made our own reindeer food. Cami has all the pictures from the camp itself, but here are a few from Christmas Eve when they put out the food for the reindeer.

Lily decided to dump all of her's in one place. From the picture below, it looks like Daddy or someone tried to move it!

California Vacation Day 1

2010-11-30T12:19:00.005-07:00

Time to play catch up! In October we took a 10 day vacation through my brother Conner's mission in California. I've been planning this vacay since Conner got his call and I am happy to say that we had a blast! I've never planned a vacation for a large group of people, but everything came together pretty well.

The first day we left bright and early at 4 am. We stopped in Elko for a McDonald's breakfast and time to get the wiggles out in the playland for Aaron and the kiddos. The drive went by much faster than I had anticipated and we made it to Reno in good time. Johnny filled us in with native highlights such as how the Elko-ites use speed limit signs as target practice on the freeway.

In Reno we spent the afternoon at Scheel's, a Cabela-like store that was perfect for us after our long drive. The kiddos enjoyed the giant acquarium, rode the ferris wheel, and played in the miniature play ground. The adults liked the free fudge!

Scheel's even had a hall of presidents.

Lily choose Ada to go on the Ferris Wheel with her.

We had dinner at Beach Hut Deli, another recommendation by Lacey. It was so yummy! Took me 10 minutes to decide which sandwich to get and it definitely didn't disappoint!

Not bad for a travel day on vacation!

Kick the stuffing out of cancer!

2010-11-09T16:26:00.002-07:00

I hate cancer.

I really do.

I hate how it strikes when you least expect it.

I hate that my cousin's four year little boy has to have shots three times a week to keep it at bay.

I hate that my good friend's Dad left us much to soon.

I hate that it took my Grandma Kimball from us this year.

I hate that I randomly cry every few days because I miss her so much.

Cancer is an ugly disease and I hate it.

So I am going to do something about it.

I am joining with runner's all across Utah to Kick the Stuffing Out of Cancer on Thanksgiving Day.

The Huntsman Cancer Institute is sponsoring 5Ks across Utah to raise money for cancer research. My dear friend Melissa told me about it and is also running with her own family.

I signed up the same day and can't wait to run in honor of my Grandma Kimball. My entire immediate family is joining me and we are making it a new Thanksgiving tradition.

This is big for me. I am NOT a runner. Neither are most of my family. But my Grandma Kimball was passionate about being active and serving others. It is the least we can do in her honor.

I feel like it is a privilege to give back to the Huntsman Cancer Institute. My Grandma Kimball was diagnosed with cancer two years ago and, at most doctor's appointments, her time left was measured in months. To have her with us for two more years was a blessing.

Because of modern medicine, and the grace of God, she was able to hold my little boy and see him take his first steps.

She was able to spend a precious few weeks with my brother when he returned home from his mission.

She was able to see several grandchildren married.

She was able to whisper words of advice and encouragement into my ear as we sat side by side so many nights.

And so I am going to fight. I am going to fight for myself and those who have lost loved ones to cancer. I am going to run for those still fighting and those who love them and care for them.

If you would like to donate money to this amazing cause and support me as I run to Kick the Stuffing out of Cancer - you can do so at this link.

God saw you getting tired,
When a cure was not to be.
So He wrapped his arms around you,
and whispered, “come to me.”

You didn’t deserve what you went through,
So He gave you rest.
God’s garden must be beautiful,
He only takes the best

And when I saw you sleeping,
So peaceful and free from pain
I could not wish you back
To suffer that again.

(Anonymous)

Changes

2010-09-27T07:38:00.004-06:00

Change. Change. Change. We've had lots of that these 7 weeks. I can pinpoint it all back to the Sunday I decided not to be stressed about getting everyone ready on time. Well, this past month and a half has definitely lead to a shift in perspective for me and Sundays morning are perhaps a bit less stressful.

I actually laughed when I saw that one of my Sunday School lessons was on Job in August - because I sure needed it! We had a week, though definitely not as bad as Jobs, that felt like one thing was going wrong after another.

Remember the meal, where Job is eating with his family and one messenger after another comes telling him about a different hardship that has befallen his family (Job 1)?

... and then there was a water leak that caused hidden mold and lead to the retiling and carpeting of our basement apartment ...

... and then Johnny broke a toe in his bone that requires him to be in a boot with limited activity until Halloween ...

... and then my sister got in a car accident (no injuries) ...

... and then my missionary brother got kidney stones ...

... and then one of the fridges went out ...

... followed by a toilet ...

See where this is going? Literally that kind of a month. But it really made me look at all that I am grateful for. We've had a place to stay while the basement is being renovated, I still have a husband, my sister didn't get injured, my brother received an honorable release to come home and be with us before our grandmother passed away. As my grandmother would say, so many silver linings!

My favorite silver lining was being able to go up to Park City with my grandmother, sister, and mom. My Grandma Kimball fought off cancer for a year and a half, but then was diagnosed with a childhood form of leukemia. I am working on a post about her, but for now I wanted to blog about the fantastic time we had in Park City.

We've been talking of a girl's weekend since January. The timing was dependent on all of our different schedules and, most importantly, how Grandma was feeling. Life happens and suddenly it was the end of July with no girl's weekend in sight. I revisited my notes on places to stay in Park City and we set a flexible date in August. As luck would have it, Grandma was cleared for traveling on the Wednesday before the date we were thinking of. We were excited and booked the hotel room just in time. Because of the last minute nature of the trip, we missed Cami, but Aileen was able to come up for one of the nights.

And what a grand weekend it was! We stayed at the Westgate Resort in a spacious luxury sweet with a granite counter topped kitchen, fire place, jetted tub, and programmable steam shower. We loved it! In fact, I think it will be a new tradition! The best part was just sitting and talking with Grandma Kimball. She is the easiest person to talk to and the best listener. I always feel calmer and happier after talking with her.

We let Grandma Kimball set the pace and pick out our activities. She picked the Olympic Park and we enjoyed a Ski Show that was pretty awesome! We also ate at some yummy restaurants, too.
I feel so blessed for getting this weekend with my grandmother. After we returned from our girl's weekend, she went into the doctor and her leukemia numbers were back up. I feel so blessed that we were given that brief weekend to make one last happy memory with her.

And this is the yummy breakfast that my mom made our last morning there!

So that is a brief reacap of the last 7 weeks. Lots of craziness, but lots of blessings, too. I miss my Grandma Kimball terribly, but I am so grateful for the gospel plan. Hopefully I will have lots more fun posts up soon! Look forward to pictures of our new basement, birthday concerts, family gatherings, and other good stuff!

Battle Creek Falls Hike and the Power of Dirt

2010-08-03T10:50:00.003-06:00

This post by Simple Mom and this post by Amy at Super Healthy Kids really got me thinking about the importance of outside time for my little ones. For us it has been way too easy to be sucked inside with our air conditioning and electronic traps. The other day, I opened the back door to take the garbage out and these two little adventurers followed me.

My daughter wanted to pour her leftover water in the dirt. After she decided to shovel some dirt onto the concrete, my son decided to join her as well. I think it was his first time in the dirt -as you can see THEY LOVED IT. Besides the shovel - they only played with dirt, water, and rocks.

Lily found several rocks and decided to make a "rock museum."

Amy recommended a book that I am excited to try: Last Child in the Woods, Saving our children from Nature Deficit Disorder, by Richard Louv.

I recall reading about this book as well from another blog in the last month. It is sad how far removed even my children are from nature sometime. Too scheduled. Too electronically entertained. Too confined. The joy they felt as they basked in the sunshine, squished in the dirt, discovered rolly pollys, etc. was highly apparent. And they didn't need me to tell them what to do (except I did try to keep as much as possible from Cortland's mouth!)

Some of the benefits Simple Mom cited for children playing the dirt are:
1. Dirt can actually make you feel happy - apparently there are types of bacteria that are naturally found in soil which activate the neurons that produce serotonin – a key chemical in many bodily functions, as well as a natural anti-depressant.
2. Dirt is great for kiddos' immune systems.
3. More playtime outside = less childhood obesity.

Check out her post for more benefits and ideas for what to do with your children outside!

As part of more outside time, we've hiked to Battle Creek Falls in Pleasant Grove twice - it's easy even for Lily and very pretty!

Lily saw the boys fishing and asked me if she could fish, too. I told her that she needed a fishing rod like they did. No problem for her - she spent a few minutes searching the trail for the perfect long stick and went and stood right next to them to fish. When they lifted up their rods and tapped the water, she did, too. Toddlers are so observant!

I am loving our Sherpana Rumbi Lightweight. It was perfect for us. Cort loves just chilling in it.

We spent about 45 minutes just sitting and enjoying the two falls and playing in the shallow water.We packed simple snacks for the kids as well.

Lily decided to pretend she was a bird. Cort also mimicked the water fall and kept raising his hands in the air and pushing them down.

They both loved getting wet, muddy, and dirty. This was a hands on hike!

About halfway through the hike, you come to a smaller waterfall and a stream. There was a nice section that we stopped at and played for awhile.

Here are the details of the hike if anyone else is interested in doing it :)

1.8 miles round trip

Description: There is a scenic waterfall on Battle Creek, a short distance up a canyon on the east side of the town of Pleasant Grove. The water falls in two ribbons.

It is easy to hike to the top of the waterfall. Some people rappel down the waterfall, enjoying the cool spray on a hot summer day. We saw a youth group doing this the first time we went and it looked like lots of fun!

Trailhead
The trailhead is easy to find. From the town of Pleasant Grove, just follow 200 S to the east side of town. The street is also known as Battle Creek Drive and it dead-ends at the trailhead.

Battle Creek Falls
From the trailhead, just follow the obvious hiker trail into the canyon. The trail stays in the bottom of the canyon, along the stream, for most of the way, but it climbs up onto the bench as you approach the waterfall. You can easily hike down to the base of the waterfall, or continue up the canyon for several more miles. You return the way you came in.

What are some of your favorite hikes in Utah and Salt Lake County?

Happy Birthday to the Parker Toddlers!

2010-07-26T13:18:00.003-06:00

It is so strange to me to think that I have two toddlers now! Cort started taking his first steps about a week before his birthday. He looks so tiny next to Lily, but he is catching up fast. Lily turned 3 on June 16th and Cortland turned 1 on July 21st we did two combined birthday parties - one with the Trosts and one with the Parkers. Both were so much fun and we are thankful to have so many family members nearby to celebrate.

For the Parker side, we went to Scera Pool and had a BBQ at the house. The cousins have been wanting to go to the pool for awhile so we thought it would be a good fit!

Lily with Kennedy and Macie. You can tell she'd rather be in the water! We are so glad that Macie has moved to Utah from Madagascar so that Lily has a girl cousin her age to play with. Kennedy is always so sweet with her younger cousins, too!

We had Lily's first birthday party at the Scera Pool, too.
Here is what she looked like two years ago!

So tiny! I think she looks a lot like Cort.

Our camera was being weird so we weren't able to get many more pictures of the Parker Party. But here is one of Cort getting ready for his cupcake!

Tired boy after all the party fun.

Get ready for the next post and the Trostie party! For a preview, you can check out my sister's blog post about it

Lily the Photographer

2010-06-24T07:15:00.002-06:00

Lily is obsessed with cameras and they have to be REAL cameras. She wants to see the pictures on the screen after she is done taking it. The Disney princess camera was fun for our vacation, but now it is back to the real deal for her. Once we explained to her how to keep her finger away from the lense, she has actually done pretty good. Poor Cort is typically her subject. Here are a few she has taken lately.

One of the happier pictures of Cort before he gets tired of the flash.

Cort the crib monster. Lily is Cort's interpreter. She often comes and gets me when he is done with his nap. She says, "Cort told me he wants to get up." Why of course he did. Before or after you poked him?

Self toe portrait. Makes it easy to figure out it wasn't Johnny taking the pictures.

Father's Day Date

2010-06-24T07:04:00.001-06:00

I decided that Johnny and I needed to try something new for our date nights ... and maybe even actually take a date night. Typically we get stuck in the dinner and a movie rut. Father's Day provided the perfect opportunity to surprise him. I arranged for a babysitter from 3:30-8:30 pm (a big things for me. I hate leaving my little people more than a few hours).

Clas Ropes Course in Provo had a Father's Day special complete with four hours on the course, a BBQ with smores, and an optional canoe ride down the Provo River. I sprung for it all. Keep in mind - I had just run my first 5K earlier that day. I must have been feeling adventurous!

We arrived just a teensy bit late and they put us in a group with another couple and a Dad with his two preteen kids. The first few activities were typical leadership/bonding/problem solving activities. You know, the one where you both have a rope tied around your wrists and you have to figure out how to get untangled from each other without taking them off? I swear I have done it a dozen times at Girls Camp, but we still couldn't figure it out. No worries, it was much more fun doing it with my husband!

For the next activity, we had to swing from one platform to the next. All of us. Without touching the ground. But first we had to figure out how to get the rope over to us. Johnny saved the day by sacrificing his shoes and using the laces/shoes to lasso the rope over to us. This is where the real fun began. I danced A LOT growing up, but typical sports were not my thing. I am missing whatever type of coordination I needed to be successful. Like the coordination needed to swing across an open space holding onto a rope.

I figured that I was an adult now, how hard could it be? So I grasped the rope, took a running leap, and landed right on my thigh not too far from the first platform. For my second attempt, I stood on Johnny's back (lucky man), and got a higher grip before I leapt across. I almost made it. In fact, the other guy in our group tried to pull me in, but I ended up pulling HIM in instead. Oops. Sorry random man. Our boy scoutish leader took pity on me and allowed me to stay on the platform. Whew!

Next, we had to figure out how to get our team members across a series of boards and stumps without touching the ground. It involved moving the boards around and was quite tricky!

My hubby is on the far right helping the little boy to safety.

And then came our favorite part! The part I was worried we would never get to because it took us so long to finish the bonding activities.

First we took a ride on this giant swing. You held on to a rope and your team mates hoisted you to the top. The hardest part was holding on until the very top. It was such a rush when you let go.

Next we went rock climbing. I am still attempting to figure out how people balance their feet on the itty bitty rocks.

And here we are are sitting and waiting for our turn to go down the zip line. Lucky for us, you get to climb to the top of the zip line pole. I saw lots of kiddos doing it and even a cute Grandma named Earlene doing it. It took Earlene awhile to get up there, but I figured if she could do it, so could I. So I scaled a wooden pole balancing my self on these much too small metal staples. But it was worth it because the zipline was lots of fun!

To conclude the evening, we canoed down the Provo River to Utah Lake. BEAUTIFUL! It was so relaxing and our arms definitely got a work out!

My honey on the dock.

All in all - a fantastic evening. What did I learn?
1. My kiddos will survive for an evening without me.
2. It's good to try new things and step out of your comfort zone.
3. Anything is fun with my Johnny.
4. My body can do hard things.
5. It's worth it to plan date nights!

Lily's Birthday

2010-06-18T07:47:00.000-06:00

Lily is three! She has been awaiting her birthday for a very, very long time. Every day she would ask me, "Is today my birthday? Will I blow out my birthday candles? Will I open my pink present and get a puppy inside?" (that's a no on the last one!).

So she was very happy when her big day finally arrived. Lucky for Lily, the celebrating actually began a little early this year. Saturday night we went to the Mayan to see my Dad. The kids love going because he always takes them to see the divers and other fun things. At the end of the meal, my dad brought out a piece of chocolate cake with a huge sparkler - Lily was thrilled! She said, "Papa Scotty just knew it was my birthday this week. I get to blow out my candle!"

The day of her birthday, she didn't wake up very happy so Cort and I went in her room singing Happy Birthday. She perked up pretty fast! I made her Mickey Mouse pancakes which she ate while watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. We spent the day doing all her favorite things - bubbles, playing in the water, reading books and all that fun stuff. She loved getting phone calls from Aunt Ada, Mom Mom, Papa Scotty, and most especially - her cousin Kyrie.

Lily LOVED talking to Kyrie. I think most of the conversation consisted of both of the little girls trying to get the other to come over to their house. They can't wait to see each other!

When Johnny got home from work we were off to Pirate Island - Lily's favorite restaurant.

The pirate behind us is much to exciting to look at I guess!

More ice cream and candles to blow out.

Isn't it fun to have two kids that want to do things all by themselves? Cort is Lily's little shadow.

He thought ski-ball was pretty exciting.

Only in Utah

2010-05-25T14:09:00.002-06:00

This was yesterday morning ...

... and this was yesterday evening.

From snow pants and hats to sun dresses and picnic blankets. My babies loved them both.

Where Fun Is!

2010-05-24T09:16:00.004-06:00

This picture describes our Saturday PERFECTLY! After the week we had (I rear ended another car last Friday ... no injuries no damage to the other car totaled our car because it's old and it dented the frame), we were ready for some FUN. We headed up to Lagoon in our new to us Swagger Wagon (can I say how much I love the storage?). So glad we found a car before the weekend. We're a one car family so we definitely need something fast!

Anyways, back to the picture. I remember some fun Lagoon day trips. The senior year trip, many clogging competitions, the Scrollie day, etc., and, don't get me wrong - those were fabulous, but this day took the cake. And we didn't even make it to any of the new, big rides. We spent about six hours in kiddie land and loved every second of it. My girl Lily LOVES LOVES LOVES rides.

She's our little thrill seeker. This ride (above) is a smaller version of the one that shoots you straight up and then drops you. Lily saw the larger one and wanted to go on it. Johny said told her that she was too little, but she had no fear. She responded, "I WANT FEAR! I NEED FEAR!" I think she thought that was the name of the ride or a requirement to go on the ride.

Lily's day to drive a car finally came. The ride attendant had a fine time trying to get her out of it. She told him that it wasn't her stop. She is going to be tearing up the Autopia track at Disneyland soon.

Rides where she was in control were definitely her favorite. Her eyes lit up when she discovered that she controlled the going up and down. Bytheway - when did she get big enough to go on a ride by herself?

This little man had some fun, too. He made it on the ferris wheel (or Pharisee wheel as Lily calls it), the animal train, the carousel, and a lovely squirting water ride that his not so smart mommy put him on.

Doesn't he look ADORABLE? This is the one that I didn't notice you got wet on until it was too late and I had to steer our fish through crazy squirting sea animals. But he did look pretty adorable in his little seat belt and he liked it.

A ride where you get to drive a boat and ring a bell - now that is exciting!

The little boy behind me was crying and didn't like the ride. Notice how he is at least five years older than Lily. Lily was shouting "HIGHER! FASTER!"

One content little girl. Definitely the best Lagoon trip yet. It was too much fun to see her so happy. I couldn't stop grinning all day.

Discovery Gateway

2010-04-28T08:01:00.002-06:00

This momma loves a deal! I was able to get discount tickets to Discovery Gateway, a delightful children's musuem downtown. It was a bit too crowded for my taste at first, but later in the afternoon it calmed down. My Lily loved learning about air and wind at the above exhibit. She would place a colorful ball in the tube and then shut it and watch in awe as it shot up the tube and across the way. Each time she would shout, "where are you going?" She did this for at least a half hour. I love the air blowing through her hair.

My little man knows just what to do with flowers. For him it is all about texture.
Often it is the softer the better!

I love the tenderness of little mommy Lily. She adores baby dolls. She feeds them, rocks them to sleep, takes them on walks, and loves them all over. Here is she putting five babies to bed while her daddy watches. It's lovely how the ability to mother is so innate and present in the littlest of ladies.

Fish for dinner anyone?

What a cute little mommy!

Yep, Cort loves textures. He was in heaven with in this cork sandbox with mommy making sure none made it to his mouth. Scooping, dropping, feeling.

And we cannot forget the balls. Every little boy loves balls and must have one for each hand.

Cortie also spent some time in the area just for the littlest people. He thought this rocking dog was pretty fun and a little too tasty ...

Spontaniety was a good lesson for this week as well. We were out looking at homes and drove by a dinosaur museum. Lily shrieked with joy and asked if we could go? Why not!

This was a good opportunity for me to practice letting her know the rules of the museum and then letting her explore and have fun within those parameters. Sometimes I think I am too quick to tell her what she should be playing or how she should do something. It was fun to watch what she was interested in and make it a fun experience for her.

And have I mentioned that my almost three year old is a budding artist! She loves anything to do with creating so I am try to provide her with more opportunities. I recently bought these fun bingo daubers which she is loving.

Happy Players

2010-04-26T15:36:00.002-06:00

It is a happy talent to know how to play.

Ralph Waldo Emerson
American writer
1803-1882

And play we did! We spent many hours outside in the rain and sunshine this week. Lily helped me plant squash, zucchini, and daisy seeds. She loves to dig. As I work, she skips, runs, jumps, twirls from one side of the yard to the other. And this darling little boy just peacefully sits and drinks it all in.

I've always loved being outside, but I guess in years past I've found myself more of an inside girl. But this year I can't give enough of the sunny skies and fresh air. Maybe it is because my little one likes to remind me so often ... and I am glad that she does!

As you can see our yard is far from perfect .... but I don't think that Lily cares. She'd explore for hours if I let her. Some days I spend lots of time trying to tame our wilderness, and other days we probably play a little more.

Long time, no blog!

2010-04-12T09:52:00.002-06:00

Has it really been that long? Sigh, where did March go! Get ready for a lot of catch up posts .... Easter .... St. George .... Johnny's Man Weekend .... lots of fun!

In the meantime, I've started another new blog. It's to help me keep track of all my goals and fun projects for the year. You can check it out if you'd like here

Chocolate Bash 2010

2010-02-22T13:54:00.003-07:00

I stumbled across an advertisement for Gardner Village's Chocolate Bash as part of their Queen of Hearts Event. Chocolate Fountain. Fashion Show. Diet Coke (for Cami). Shopping. Sounds perfect for a Girl's Night Out. So I called my mom, sister, and sister in law .... the rest is a new tradition for the ladies of our family!

I was expecting more of a vendor type event and was pleasantly surprised! The Gathering Place at Gardner Village was beautifully decorated. Each of the tables had gorgeous centerpieces from the Village's businesses.

But best of all - the chocolate fountain! It was surrounded by a myriad of yummy morsels - fresh strawberries, cantelope, pineapple, bananas, wafers, rice krispie treats, so many delicious things! They also had a hot chocolate bar complete with every topping you could thing of. Added to that their were cookies and cupcakes. Chocolate lovers heaven! Talk about a three course meal in chocolate! We will definitely be returning next year!

Afterward, we browsed the shops and I bought this cute hat. I also won the cute bracelet.

Loved my girl's night out!

The dentist, the double chin, and the sleeping beauties

2010-02-05T07:47:00.002-07:00

Lily survived her first trip to the dentist. She actually really liked it, to say the least. What's not to like: a chair ride where they let you go up and down as much as you like, getting to try out the little scrubber tools on your fingers, and winning a balloon. She did fabulous and, best of all, no cavities! The dentist did not give her the sucker. She got that at the bank in Smith's. Apparently, she ran into a pillar because she was looking back at her balloon which "was chasing her." So the friendly cashier gave her a sucker. Later that day, Lily told me that she wanted to go back for another balloon.

This picture is proof I feed my children. See that double chin! Cort likes his new found mobility in the walker. Lily brings him an assortment of toys to try out.

And again, my favorite part of the day. The rare moment when they fall asleep at the exact same time. And I didn't even have to do anything. Now that is magic.

6 months old!

2010-01-30T14:32:00.003-07:00

Time goes too quickly between this .....

and this!

As of January 21st, Cortland is six months old. Here are his official stats:

Weight: 16.25 lbs (22.83 percentile)
Height: 26.25 inches (38.21 percentile)
Head: 17 inches (29.73 percentile)

People have commented on how big he is getting! We think it is because he went from the 78th percentile in height to the 38th percentile, but still gained three pounds in the process. He is working on those cute little rolls.

He is still my sweet little binkie baby. Loves to be swaddled with the binkie in his mouth.

Seriously! These two are getting too big!

At six months, here are some of his favorite things and his milestones:

He can hold his bottle up on his own now - Daddy loves this.
Finally outgrew all of his 0-3 month clothes.
Great at rolling from his back to his tummy, but isn't a big fan of rolling the other way yet.
Enjoys tummy time more and holds himself up on his hands.
Not much crawling going on, but lots of scootching. He lays on his back, arches as high as he can, and then pushes off with his feet. He can get pretty far this way.
Very vocal. He has lots to say. Favorite word is "unga." Dad says he is a BYU fan.
LOVES bath time. Splashes like a little fish.
Plays pretty well with his sister. Lily makes him laugh the hardest. These two will be good buds!

Personal Assistant

2010-01-20T09:26:00.002-07:00

Cort is lucky enough to have his own personal assistant. I should say lucky, or cursed, depending on the day. Today it was sunglasses. Last week he was Cinderella. A lady from our ward regularly comments what a beautiful little girl he is. Maybe that is why he requested the glasses.

Sickies

2010-01-18T23:29:00.004-07:00

When I was single, or even when I was a newlywed, being sick was a hassle and never really a lot of fun. After surviving two weeks (and counting) of bronchitis with a 2.5 year old and .5 year old, those days are looking a bit rose colored right now! This week I am grateful for kids who are getting better and for feeling a little bit better myself! Here are some of the highlights from the week

1. The Snarfer

In our home we do not use technical words like nasal aspirator. In fact, it took me several minutes to think the real name so that I could find an actual picture of it. Instead, we call it the Snarfer. Lily even asks to be "snarfed." Truth be told, I was terrified of doing it (right up there with clipping babies itty bitty nails) and always made Johnny do it. This round of illness has helped me to conquer that fear and now I am a pro-Snarfer. Definitely a resume builder right?

2. Sleep

Before I discuss our sleep habits, I would like to point out that my two handsome boys are wrapped up tight in Disney princess and frog princess blankets. Desperate times, desperate measures.
I think sleep is what I miss most about being sick on my own. During my pre-kiddo years, I could cuddle up on the couch with a book and hot chocolate or catch up on my favorite shows. This time around, it was the Disney channel for many, many, many hours. You do not change a channel on a sick 2.5 year old.
Even when the little ones did fall asleep, my mommy senses would prickle and I would jump at the slightest cough.

3. Best part of being sick is pajamas all day long - woohoo! And no one cares about bed head. Even if I didn't get to snuggle up with my favorite books and shows, I must admit that nothing is better than snuggling up with these two. Wouldn't trade them for the world.

New Year's Resolutions!

2010-01-13T12:14:00.003-07:00

I'm running behind a bit on blog posts. Just got Christmas up! On to Anniversary and New Year's Resolutions. I came down with a cold right before New Years. Luckily I was well enough for a weekend with family and friends to start the New Year. The following Monday, Lily and I were hit with bronchitis (we think) and now Cort and Johnny have it, too. So we've moved into survival mode and haven't quite gotten the start on New Year's goals, but it has given me more time to think about them!

1. Spend more time with this guy! We celebrated our 4th anniversary December 27th. Can't believe it has gone by so fast! We ate dinner at the Harvest Restaurant at Thanksgiving Pointe. The filet mignon was so yummy! Our goal is to have one temple date a month and one fun date a month.

2. The classic New Years resolution: Lose weight. Loving my new glasses, but not so much loving my double chin. We are fully stocked with P90, Wii Fit, Wii Active, Biggest Loser, Weight Watchers .... it's going to happen this year ... as soon as we get over our colds! At least we are starting the year off eating healthy.

3. Enjoy the fun moments a little more! I love being a mom and know what a blessing it is. So this year I want to be a better mom. A happier mom who is a better teacher and a better playmate! I

4. Focus on the Savior more. Have more quiet moments where I can be still. Cort played the Baby Jesus in the nativity this year. His cousins - ages 2 through 10 - sat so reverently around him. They were so still and quiet.

Christmas!

2010-01-09T10:56:00.005-07:00

My favorite Christmas present - sleeping babies!

I've spent every Christmas that I can remember upstairs at my Grandma and Grandpa Kimball's with all my brothers and sisters. It's fun now to continue the tradition with our little ones. This year was the first year we've had five under the age of 3. Too much fun!

Cortland (five months) and Titan (1) checking out the music table. These two will be giving us a run for our money next year I bet!

Lily playing with one of her own toys!

Johnny and Cort with Christmas morning snuggles.

Ally liked Titan's toys, too. Titan is showing her how to bounce correctly.

Lily with Ally's baby dolls. She has told me a few times, "I want to go to Mom Mom's so that Santa can bring me Ally's dollies again."

This is one of my favorites! Lily is wearing Kyrie's dress and playing with Ally's baby set. Titan is playing with Cort's music table. And Kyrie is playing with Lily's Little People House. I think Ally was just out of the shot sitting on Titan's rocking horse. So many toddler toys, so little time.

Ally so graciously sharing.

Papa Scotty and Cort taking a Christmas morning snooze.

Cami had a set of zebra print pajamas from a few years back. Ada tracked down matching sets for the rest of us. We did a special dance/musical present for Cami in our matching zebra jammies. Broc said that he doesn't need any more presents for the rest of his life.

King Cort

Ally had Oreo's as a pre-breakfast snack. I think she wants some more!

Lazy Days in December

2009-12-23T08:53:00.004-07:00

In December I had lots of days at home with the kiddos. Cort made an important discovery - his toes! Hours of fun have come from that discovery.

When he is not playing with his toys, Lily makes sure that he has other things to occupy his attention - even when he is sleeping. What a kind sister.

Lily loved "dockerating the tree" and Cort loved undecorating it. He mastered some scooting and rolls this month in order to make it over to this vantage point under the tree. He even managed to get a few balls off.

These two are playing better and better together every day.

Little Gym Show Week

2009-12-23T08:42:00.003-07:00

Lily does a semester at Little Gym every year. It is perfect for her to run, jump, and climb of lots of her energy! She enjoys it and has learned many new things. This semester she was in the Big Beasts class with Ms. Cheryl.

Parachute time was a definite favorite. She was typically the first one underneath it every time.

She also loved exploring anything that helped her to jump!

And she loved making lots of new friends!

I could spend all day .....

2009-11-11T16:17:00.003-07:00

Taking picture of these two. I'll let you in on a secret .... most days I do :). Time is going by much too fast this second time around so I am trying to enjoy Cort's sweet babyness while it lasts. And Lily's cute toddler phase as well!

This little man smiles almost all day long. He is such a happy little guy. So sweet and full of love! He is also getting much more playful. He loves rolling around with stuffed animals and trying to grab at his toys. He is also rolling over occasionally now.

He rolled over and was happy to find some friends :)

Poor Cort. So loved!

Love this cheesey little girl!

Halloween and Sunday Best!

2009-11-06T06:31:00.002-07:00

For Halloween we went Trick or Treating with the cousins up at my mom's house. Cortland even came along for the ride in the Baby Bjorn. He was awake for the first few houses and then slept the rest of the way.

Lily the Skunk loved Trick or Treating with Kyrie and Ally!

Johnny dressed up as a mobster. Some of the elderly ladies in the neighborhood thought he looked quite dapper :).

Last week we finally all made it back to church! We've all gotten at least one of our flu vaccinations and no ones been sick for about a month. Here's my cuties in their Sunday best :)

Lily's first professional hair cut

2009-11-06T06:19:00.002-07:00

I've been cutting Lily's hair myself. Mainly trimming bangs and evening things up (like cutting her mullet back in Christmas '07). I finally decided it was time for a change and took her to Cookie Cutters. She loved that they had a playground INSIDE! As you can see from the picture, my little orphan definitely needed it!

Memo to self: Make sure she is in one with a seatbelt next time. She was jumping up and down a little too much - poor hair dresser!
Finished product! Although, her bangs are a little shorter so that they aren't in her eyes :). I love how it turned out!

The many faces of Cort

2009-10-26T15:47:00.003-06:00

An early morning photo shoot with my happy little man. At 6:00 am, he is wide awake and ready to talk, giggle, and move. His cute little hands are all over the place.

Perhaps a little too early :)

It's hard being so cute.

Witches and Skunks!

2009-10-26T15:19:00.002-06:00

I've been terrible at updating lately! I have been posting some of the activities I have been doing with Lily on my other blog, Savvy Divas and Dudes. She is such a smart little cookie that I try to do a learning activity with her every day. It's fun for me and her :)

We made it to Gardner Village for our third annual Witches Visit :). Love looking at the shops with my family.
Lily just loved being with her cousins Kyrie and Ally. They LOVE each other. "I wuv Kyrie-Ally" is a common phrase at our house.

Cortland and I also made it to Park City for the Swensen/Trost Girl's Getaway. This is the only picture I got sadly! Cortland and Ada snuggling on the MOST COMFORTABLE BED EVER! Loved it. Lots of fun shopping, girl time, and good food.

Last not not least, Lily and I went with Mom Mom to the zoo for her company party. Lily got to dress up in her skunk costume and ride the carousel. She was fascinated the entire ride.

She also loved riding the train with Mom Mom :)

Out numbered ....

2009-08-09T21:21:00.002-06:00

Cousins!

Trying to get five children under the age of 3 to pose together without injuring each other .... priceless!

Ally, Kyrie, Lily, Cortland, and Titan

Aunt Ada painted Lily's toe nails for her. She loved it!

Tummy Time, First Bath, and Bubbles!

2009-07-27T18:31:00.003-06:00

Tummy Time! Cortland decided he would rather push himself up and over the boppy instead.

First Bath! He looks so calm and peaceful .... which wasn't the case when he was in the bath. Poor little guy didn't like it much - except for when we washed his bath.

My two favorite men!

Lily and Johnny having fun with bubbles.

Cortland checking out his Little Einstein toys.

First Full Day at Home

2009-07-25T12:14:00.002-06:00

Lily in her element. She loves outside (an accessorizing with necklaces : ) ).

In his element. We are enjoying Cortland in his newborn sleepy stage.

Sorry about her eye on this picture. I was trying to fix the red eye and it did this instead. Lily loves holding Cortland. She watched her Saturday morning cartoons for almost half an hour just like this.

Being a big sister is tiring. Lily fell asleep before she even finished her bath.

Home

2009-07-24T11:21:00.002-06:00

I failed to mention in the last post that Johnny and I had planned to go to Park City this week. With both of our families on vacation at opposite ends of the United States, we thought we would take a little babymoon ourselves before Cortland made his arrival. Luckily, we decided we wanted to wait until after my doctor's appointment on Monday before we made any reservations.

Having a fairly fast labor with Cortland on Tuesday allowed me a nice little retreat at the hospital instead. I love the labor and delivery nurses! I always cherish that time of just being able to relax and snuggle with a newborn. Since my labor didn't have as many complications this time, I was able to enjoy that time even more. Johnny went home to spend the night with Lily both nights, but my Dad was nice and watched Lily for a few hours on Wednesday night so Johnny could have more time with the little guy.

I wondered if coming home would be a reality check, but so far we have been doing pretty well. Cortland fits so well into our family. I'd forgotten how fun and peaceful it was to have a new little one snuggled up to you. I love it!

All buckled in for the ride home! Don't worry - we tightened it again before we left. Cortland did great on the ride home. Lily was thrilled to have him riding next to her in the car.

Who wouldn't want to come home to this? My three favorite people!

First night at home. Cortland slept fairly well. It was me who needed the crash course on how not to fall asleep while you are nursing!

Lily is adjusting as well as any two year old. We thought she may be jealous of Cortland, but she is more jealous of us. She doesn't want us - she wants him! She does pretty well holding him nicely on the couch. So far she has only tried to feed him strawberries and granola bars. We'll have to watch these two closely!

Cortland John Parker

2009-07-22T18:10:00.003-06:00

38 weeks 5 days

Our big day finally arrived! I went to my 38 week doctor's appointment on Monday expecting a regular in and out check up. Unfortunately, my blood pressure was slightly elevated, and due to my previous experience with pre-eclampsia, my doctor told me I had the option of being induced on Tuesday or on Thursday. I had truly hoped to avoid being induced - especially since my mom is out of town this week. Also, my labor and delivery was less than ideal with Lily so I didn't want to have a repeat experience.

Johnny and I decided to have the baby on Tuesday and I am so glad that we did! It was a beautiful, perfect, amazing experience! I couldn't have asked for a better labor and delivery. We checked into the hospital at 7 am. I was already dilated to a 3+ and 70 percent effaced. Pitocin was started at 8 am and I was thrilled that the nurse was able to get the IV in on the first try - WOOHOO (my miracle #1)! My blood pressure was still high, but not as high as it was at the doctor's appointment so it was decided that I didn't have to have the magnesium drip unless it escalated (miracle #2).

I pulled out my IPOD and listened to all my Hypnobabies relaxation tracks as the contractions picked up. It must have relaxed me because my blood pressure never went too high and I was able to get in a great nap even while having some semi-intense contractions.

Around 10 am, the contractions were coming hard and more closely together. I was feeling a lot of back labor. Johnny was awesome and gave me a deep tissue foot massage to distract me. I had told the nurses that I would let them know when I wanted the epidural and that they didn't have to ask me how I was on the pain scale when they checked in on me. Johnny and I had to laugh because whenever they checked in on me they would smile and say, "Are you SURE there isn't anything else you would like us to get for you?"

By about 11:15 am we decided that we were SURE it was time for the epidural. I had progressed to a five and was starting to have a harder time relaxing during the contractions. I really wanted to save my energy for when I had to push. The anesthiologist arrived and our nurse kept accidently calling him Mike Meyers. Now that would be an interesting anesthiologist! He was fabulous and the epidural felt GREAT! Loved it. I was able to relax and take a little short nap while Johnny enjoyed the lunch that I wasn't able to have.

At 12:45, I felt several small pops and we discovered that my water had broke. I actually had two bags that broke one after the other. When the first one broke I was at a 7 and minute later when the second one broke I was at a 10. The nurse said we were ready to go and have the baby. I was shocked at how quickly we went from a 5 to a 10! It was awesome! Our doctor was called in and they topped off my epidural. I was glad they did because the pressure was pretty intense. I pushed for about 15 minutes. Pushing was so much nicer this time! I pushed for two hours with Lily. I didn't tear at all this time which was pretty nice.

Cortland John Parker arrived at 1:28 pm. He was born with quite the set of lungs!

All in all - it was the perfect day. We love our new little boy and we are enjoying every second with him. And, of course, Lily is THRILLED to have a baby brother.

The little girls were excited to see him! Thanks Aileen for watching Lily. She loved spending time with Kyrie and Ally.

Tot School - the Letter Z

2009-07-10T18:15:00.004-06:00

With Baby Boy only being 20 days a way, I am trying to focus more on getting Tot School underway with Lily and getting ourselves in a routine. Mainly so she isn't bored silly when the baby comes! This week is the first week where we almost did an activity every day that actually had to do with the same theme. Tot School was a little unorthodox - we started with the Letter Z instead of A, but that's because I knew I had all the supplies that I wanted for the week. Overall, we had lots of fun and I am excited to come up with activities for next week. Nesting has definitely kicked in! Now if only I can get it all done by the 30th!

Lily traced the letter Z with her fingers and put sticker animals in her letter Z Zoo.

We've already been to the Hogle Zoo this year so we decided to check out the Living Planet Aquarium instead. It was actually a lot better than I thought it was. Lily loved it! She was fascinated by the sharks and eels.

Lily became a bit possessive of the fish at this tank. When they swam near her, she would put her hands over the glass and shout "mine" at whoever was standing near her. She met her match because the little girl standing next to her did the same thing. And she just happened to be named Lily, too!

Lily and the sting ray. She did not want to touch them!

Lily found Nemo.

I also set up a mini-zoo in her bedroom. She had fun for a little while looking for all the animals and taking pictures of them. Her favorites were the mommy and baby animals that I put together.

We read books about Zebras and Lily put Zebra stripes on her letter Z's.

More from the aquarium - sorry they are out of order. She loved the stuffed snakes in the gift shop!

Lily driving the boat in the Utah section of the aquarium. She liked to use the handheld radio to give out orders.

Happy Fourth of July!

2009-07-06T10:54:00.003-06:00

We had a fantastic 4th of July with family this year! We started the day early and checked out the Hot Air Balloon Launch. It was awesome! Lily loved the hot air balloons and also got to see a helicopter take off at the hospital next door.

oWe spent the evening hanging out with my family. We had a yummy BBQ and then headed out to see the fireworks. As you can tell from this picture - Lily was most interested in running!

Luckily we had Aunt Ada the human jungle gym!

Happy Fourth of July! I can't believe we'll have an almost one year old by this time next year!

Lily and Baby Update

2009-06-25T18:10:00.002-06:00

Grandpa Scotty gave Lily sidewalk chalk for her birthday. Lily and Daddy created this cute masterpiece for me today. So sweet!

In other news, we had Lily's 2 year old appointment and my 35 week
doctor's appointment today. Lily is doing great and is a tall little girl! She is in the 87th percentile for height and 42nd percentile for weight. She must have inherited her Daddy's height!

We had an ultrasound at my appointment and got to see our little guy. You could already
see his hair! That was our favorite part. He is weighing in at about 5 lbs right now so they are estimating that he will be about 7 lbs when he is born. Sounds good to me! I've been having some Braxton Hicks so the doctor checked and I am dilated to 3 cm. I was dilated with Lily for awhile so I think we still have plenty of time left.

I am holding out anyway because I still have one more maternity massage left on July 13th. It is an hour and a half massage and I am not missing out on that!

Everything else looked good on the ultrasound. My blood pressure is starting to climb a little bit so we are hoping that it stays down in these last five weeks. We are getting excited for this little boy!

Lunch dates and Babies :)

2009-06-25T07:12:00.002-06:00

Tara Bonnie Jen Aubrey
Baby Boy Ella Sophie Kennady

I am very lucky to have life long friends from Ricks College! I worked/played/lived with these lovely ladies on the Scroll ten years ago .... can't believe it has been that long! This week we had a lunch date and I got to meet their darling little girls - all three under three months old. I am so ready to hold my own newborn now. It was fabulous to catch up and share in this fun time! Lily loved playing in the back yard with Bonnie's dog Jovi and Jen's older kids - Ally and Jonah. I wish I had got some pictures. After lunch we went to a Splash Park that was a lot of fun!

What We've Been Up To :)

2009-06-12T20:15:00.002-06:00

Getting ready for baby! That about sums it up. I've finally hit that nesting phase and, now that I know how hectic it can be after the baby arrives, I am getting as much done as possible before he arrives. Luckily, I have two fantastic helpers. Lily has become quite the good cleaner as you can see in the picture above. She actually vacuumed most of her own room pretty well. I was impressed. Now that bending over is not the most comfortable thing for me to do, it is great that Lily thinks helping me switch the laundry from the washer to the dryer is fun, too! We can only hope that she thinks cleaning is just as fun when she gets older!

In baby news, it is fun to say that he will be here next month! (unless he is late and is a August baby ... ). Poor little guy does not have a name yet. We are anticipating another active and feisty little soul like Lily - this boy is quite the kicker! So far the names on our list are: Cortland, Kyler, Lincoln, Cohen, Tate, and Trace or Trey. Any favorites or others that anyone likes? We are open to suggestions!

Tot School

2009-05-08T14:30:00.002-06:00

Between Johnny finishing up school and me being 29 weeks pregnant, we have had a few mornings like the pictures above and below :).

So I decided to try something new and have found great ideas from Tot School and other preschool web-sites. Today Lily and I played lots of games with cheerios (when she wasn't eating them :) ). We put them in pairs on dots on the paper, we tossed them into a box, transferred them from place to place, and put them into small holes.

Overall it was a success and Lily had fun!

The latest and greatest UVU graduate!

2009-05-04T18:53:00.002-06:00

Johnny graduated on Friday from UVU with a bachelor's in Digital Media. HOORAY!

Where's Johnny? Can you find him?

Johnny getting his degree!

Good job, hon! Lily and I are so proud of you! You did awesome as a full-time student, full-time employee, and full-time dad/husband!

Day at the Zoo

2009-04-30T11:13:00.003-06:00

Lily did not like posing this picture. The sounds coming from the elephant terrified her!

Checking out the ground hogs.

Any place with water is sure to be a hit with Lily.

Hogle Zoo or the rain forest? Johnny and I took Lily to the zoo Wednesday. Now that Johnny is graduated (or will be tomorrow!), it will be nice to have more time for family outings! Lily loved the animals and we heard her say, "Get it! Get it!" more than a few times.

Lily was so excited when she saw the carousel. She and Johnny picked out this animal (cross between a zebra/giraffe/horse?) to ride on.

Lily was a little wary of the giraffes. Plus this picture is proof that I tried to do her hair on the zoo day :).

Happy Birthday Mom!

2009-04-10T11:38:00.002-06:00

This week we celebrated my mom's 50th birthday! It was fabulous because we were actually able to see her almost every day. On Monday I took my mom to the Loving for Eden concert at Cottonwood High School (Kurt Bestor, Colors, Ryan Shupe and the Rubber Band, Paul Cardall, Peter Breinholt, etc.). Very fun to visit my old high school and, of course, the company was excellent. I remember going to lots of LDS artists' concerts as a child so it was great to be able to take my mom to one, too!

On Wednesday, her birthday, we all got together to celebrate! We had fantastic hamburgers at Five Burgers and Fries and then went back to the house for cake, ice cream, and Aaron's fun board games.

Mom Mom (as Lily calls her) and the grand kiddies.
Lily, Ally, Titan, and Kyrie

Ally and Grandma. Little Miss Ally has really come out of her shell this week. I have never seen so many cute smiles!

Titan and Grandma

A rare moment of peaceful, cousin bonding.

Chili's Giveaway

2009-04-06T14:17:00.002-06:00

Okay friends - time for a giveaway! I have a coupon for a free Guiltless Grill entree from Chili's that I know someone will love. I got it from Bzzagent.com (a fabulous company that does word of mouth advertising ... just let me know if you want a referral or more info :).

I myself have tried and loved the Guiltless Grill menu items. My personal favorite is the Guiltless Carne Asada Steak. YUMMY! Very flavorful and lots less guilt involved than you get from your typical eat out meal. It's a great way to combine eating out and eating healthy.

So here is the deal. Just read about the new menu items below and tell me which ones you would like to try. Leave a comment by midnight April 8th and I will randomly choose a winner. Easy as that. I'll even slip it in the mail for you. Enjoy!

Fewer calories, same great flavor
Now you can eat out and still enjoy something that's better for you, with the Guiltless Grill^® menu items at Chili's^®. It's all the bold flavor you expect from Chili's – like a Guiltless Buffalo Chicken Sandwich – with less than 750 calories for each entrée. After all, what's the good of a healthier option if you don't actually want to eat it?

Tempting, with less guilt
Go ahead, get the Guiltless Honey-Mustard Glazed Salmon or the Guiltless Carne Asada Steak. No matter what you're in the mood for, the focus is on bold taste. Plus, you get just the right portion of flavorful food, so don't worry about your server bringing over a few lonely green beans on a big white plate.

Six tasty options with less than 750 calories.

New Guiltless Buffalo or Grilled Chicken Sandwich
New Guiltless Cedar Plank Tilapia
New Guiltless Carne Asada Steak
New Guiltless Honey-Mustard Glazed or Grilled Salmon
Guiltless Chicken Platter
Guiltless Black Bean Burger

St. George Trip

2009-04-01T12:55:00.002-06:00

Lily and I traveled down south with my mom and Ada to a dance competition in St. George. It was a last minute decision and we had a lot of fun! With Ada being the only one dancing we had lots of free time and we were able to have fun watching her at the competition, too. Unfortunately, I somehow missed getting pictures of the competition, but I did get some of the other things we did.

Menu Plan Monday

2009-03-29T19:35:00.003-06:00

I will be finishing this week's meal plan on Wednesday after I finish my shopping, but here is what I have for the beginning of the week:

Breakfast
Turkey Bacon Melt
Scrambled Eggs and Yogurt
Blueberry Cheese Cake Smoothie
Oatmeal

Lunch
Easy Mac and Cheese with Bacon and Peas
Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup
Asiago Cheese and Spinach Pasta Toss

Dinner
Creamed Onion Bake and Grilled Chicken
Salsa Rice and Steak (Balsamic Marinated)
Italian Zucchini Cresecent Pie
Salsa Chicken Tortillas
Blue Cheese Burger with Grilled Pineapples
Hamburger on Rice
Caldo Verde Soup with Salad

Menu Plan Monday

2009-03-22T18:41:00.002-06:00

Last week's menu was pretty basic since I did it mid-week. We didn't get a chance to try everything so some will be continuing on to this week.

We did LOVE the Honey Lime Enchiladas from the Good Things Utah show. They were delicious! Spicy and sweet at the same time. And, of course, steak is always nice - especially when you get an awesome deal at Buy Low.

So here is the agenda for this week :

Breakfast
Oatmeal and Scrambled Eggs with Veggies
Pancakes with home-made strawberry freezer jam :) (Tuesday is National Pancake Day!)
Turkey Bacon Quiche (Eating for Life)
Eggs, Toast, Oranges
Turkey Bacon Melt (Eating for Life)
Blueberry Cheesecake Smoothie
Yogurt and Waffles

Lunch
Tomato Bacon Tarts

Dinner
Chicken Fried Rice
Twice Baked Potatos with Green Salad
Albacore Tuna Cassrole (Eating for Life)

Snacks:
Hard boiled eggs and oranges

Half Baked!

2009-03-22T16:42:00.002-06:00

I am just past the half way mark with this pregnancy and suddenly it seems to be going way to fast! Here is my baby bump at 20 weeks.

Luckily I have a small increase in energy now which is good because there is a lot to get done before Baby Boy Parker arrives - for example - picking out his name! Any good ideas? Nothing is standing out to me so far, but we do have a couple names on our list - Cortland, Kyler, Broden (Brody), Grayson, Lincoln, and Aiden.

I've returned to my old Ebay surfing habits to find some outfits for the little guy (so sad to pack up all of Lily's ward robe. I didn't realize how big it was!). I am happy to say that there are DARLING clothes for little boys out there - just don't outbid me for them!

I'm also starting to stock our freezer with freezer meals for after he comes and that last month for when I probably won't feel like cooking. Any favorite freezer recipes that have worked out for anyone?

And one of my major goals is to get Lily and myself on a better routine together. I've been looking at different toddler activity blogs and found lots of good ideas. I like what I have found on letteroftheweek.com and the ideas from Tot School. And we will definitely be starting the flashcards from You Can Teach Your Baby to Read (as soon as I get my stock pile up). Anyone had fun or success with these? Lily LOVES learning new things and I know would enjoy these things.

Menu Planning Monday

2009-03-18T15:05:00.003-06:00

I am a little late this week. We got back from North Carolina Monday and are just getting settled in. Here is what is on the menu this week. My inspiration came from some of the recipes on Good Things Utah and Oprah.

Dinner
Twice Baked Potato Boats
Baked Nachos
Chicken Fried Rice
Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas
Zuchinni Casserole
Beef and Broccoli
Cheesy Chicken and Broccoli Bake

Lunch
Tomato Bacon Tarts

IT'S A .......!

2009-03-06T16:37:00.002-07:00

BOY!

For Baby #2, we are evening out our numbers and joining the blue team!

Although we truly wouldn't be surprised if we found out next month it was a girl. The boy parts looked like an umbilical cord to me and Johnny swears he saw three lines. We can't verify this because the technician forgot to record the gender part of the ultrasound. So we are pretty sure (and excited) about a little boy, but thinking there is a very slight chance for girl :).

I'll scan in the ultrasound pics so you can see for yourself.

Anyways,we are pretty excited about Baby Boy Parker. I already have a list of boy names at least a page long and I am only to the H's in the name database. I actually had more boy names that I liked this time so it will be fun to put one to use!

Here are a few tidbits about the pregnancy so far:

Everything looked perfect on the ultrasound! He is even measuring one day ahead of schedule.
I have more cravings this time around. They change every day. The list includes: mustard (which I have always hated), strawberries, and bacon.
I am 19 weeks and I have only gained 4 pounds. (very excited about this, but I didn't start at my ideal weight anyway so I am not supposed to gain as much)
This little guy is a mover! He likes to kick Lily. Hopefully he is just saying hello, and it isn't a sign of things to come.
My blood pressure is staying low! Woohoo!
Between my research study appointments and my regular appointments - they have gotten my blood on the first try at least half of the time - major miracle for me. (I have been drinking water and exercising like crazy to enlarge my nonexistent veins!)

Menu Plan Monday

2009-03-02T16:40:00.003-07:00

With a new baby on the way, I am making more efforts to become better organized. I realized that if I am this scatter brained with one - I am going to be in trouble with two! For about a month I have been doing weekly menu planning with the help of orgjunkie.com and savvyshoppdeals.com. I am happy to say that we are eating better and, surprisingly, for much cheaper! Planning our meals around the weekly sales has been pretty fun. For the first time I stuck to our food budget and we've actually started to build our food storage. I decided to put my weekly meal plan on line (if only for the easiness of having all the links in one place). Undoubtedly, we probably won't stick to it 100 percent, but I'll let you know what we like!

Breakfast
Honey Nut Cheerios and Strawberries
Oatmeal
Toast and scrambled eggs and yogurt
Tropical Banana Nut Parfait

Lunch
Egg Salad Sandwich
Zesty Corn Quesadilla
Rice and Lentils
Sante Fe BLT

Dinner
Stove Top Easy Brunch Casserole
Peach/Strawberry Fruit Pizza with Veggie Eggs and Bacon
Stawberry/Mozzarella Salad with Seasoned Chicken
Cheeseburger Pizza (we love this one and it is slightly healthier than it sounds)
Pasta and Vegetables with Cilantro Sauce

For more great recipes go to orgjunkie.com

At least one of us looks cute!

2009-03-02T09:35:00.002-07:00

I am almost 19 weeks and still haven't gotten my cute baby bump yet! However, Lily seems to have given herself a cute little bump of her own. We have been talking to her about the baby growing in my tummy and I guess she decided that she was going to have one of her own :). She likes to talk to my tummy and the baby. I asked her what we should name the baby and she has changed her mind from Bruce and moved on to Elmo, Goofy, or Minnie.

And this is how I found her sleeping the other day. She had fallen asleep on the couch and slipped partially off. She slept that way for another ten minutes!

Cousin Adventures, Activities and Valentines Day

2009-02-21T21:40:00.004-07:00

I haven't posted many real updates since the New Year. It seems we just get busier every day. But as you can see from the above pictures, we've managed to find some time to relax and have fun, too. Here are some of Lily's updates from the last few months.
1. We're starting the big girl process ... step #1 = sleeping in her big girl bed. We found a cute Tinkerbell toddler bed at Toys R Us on sale. Hopefully it will tempt her, right? If I weighed less than 50 lbs I would definitely want to sleep in it. Step #2 will be potty training wish us luck. She already loves to sit on it, we juts need to start!

2. Lily has started talking in short sentences. I need to post some of them. She like to tell me, "I know. I do," especially when we are doing something that she wants to do herself.

3. We've finally hit the hard core teething stage. We are at 13 and counting. It seems like they all came at once. Sometimes she wakes up in the middle of the night crying, "Ty en ol" (Tylenol). Poor little girl!

And here are some picture updates of our latest adventures!

Lily and I made sugar cookies for Valentines Day. It was our first cookie adventure together and she LOVED it. We were going to make them for her cousins, but as you can tell, Lily had a little too much fun with the dough. I am not sure how much drool ended up in it!

We also made our second trip to Discovery Gateway downtown. This is the first time we have been since she could walk so I was excited to see her explore. Much to my surprise, she spent the majority of time playing with the baby dolls. She carried the baby doll in the picture around for two and a half hours. She had several others that I convinced her to share. The baby went with us to the water feature (the worker let her give the baby a bath) and to Lily's other favorite activity -the balls!

Lily is a Trost girl through and through - she loves her chocolate!

Cousin Titan came to visit us while his parents had a Valentines getaway. We had too much fun! He is such a good baby. Lily thought he was there just for her. She was obsessed with his belly button. The next day we had to dress him in a buttoning onsie to keep her from getting to it. It definitely taught me a lot about preparing for number two!

We figured Lily was safe for the cousin picture since she was sleeping. Titan is not so sure.

Sugar and Spice or Snails and Puppy Dog Tails?

2009-02-15T16:40:00.003-07:00

Our big ultrasound is coming up on March 5th so I thought I'd take an informal poll on what the gender of Parker Baby #2 will be. A few details to help you with your vote ....

1. Myself and just about everybody else was convinced that Lily was going to be a boy. I remember telling Johnny the night before her ultrasound that I was 95 percent sure. And according to the Chinese calendar, heart beat theories, etc. .... she was supposed to be a boy, too.

2. I am almost as convinced that this baby will be a boy. For that reason I am voting girl because I do not trust my motherly instincts :).

3. There are more boys than girls in Johnny's family. No family has had two girls in a row. Will we break the trend?

4. The girls are winning out in my family. 3 girls to 1 boy.

5. And now for a little about the baby. This baby is a MOVER :). I felt the first movement at just over 15 weeks. Johnny and I had been hoping for a calm child to even out our exciting times with Lily (which we do love :) ). I have the feeling that we will have no such luck. The baby's heart rate has typically been in the 160s. The baby also loves Lily. Whenever Lily is leaning against my tummy is when I can feel the baby the most. Either the baby is saying hello or "move it. I am on my way!"

6. Lily's vote is for a baby boy named Bruce.

A Giveaway :)

2009-02-04T08:15:00.002-07:00

My First Give-a-way!

Lucky you!

I saw this on a friend's blog and thought that it was a fun idea! So here it goes:

The first five people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you.

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2- What I create will be just for you.
3- It'll be done this year. (might be a little while)
4- You have no clue what it's going to be.
It may be a story. It may be poetry or an article on properly cleaning your face before a masque. I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!
5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange. (this was written on the post I copied and pasted here...I'm not sure I'll be able to think of something extremely strange).

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog.The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!

99 Things

2009-01-16T20:19:00.000-07:00

Things I've done are in bold. It's fun to see what is left to do!

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6.Given more than you can afford to charity (what’s more than I can afford?)
7.Been to Disneyland
8.Climbed a mountain
9.Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14.Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20.Slept on an overnight train
21.Had a pillow fight
22.Hitch hiked
23.Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24.Built a snow fort
25.Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung Karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

If you haven't already been tagged - be BOLD - post your own list. :-)

So what should I do next?

Advice anyone?

2008-12-30T16:49:00.002-07:00

I spent part of Christmas morning cuddling with my too-cute-for words nephew Titan. He really is a doll and I think he even liked my penguin Christmas pajamas. Every time I hold him it is perfect reminder that all the lovely preggo side effets are completely worth it and it makes me so excited for our new little one next August.

I am now 9 weeks along and we have seen our little peanut's heart beat. It really was the best Christmas present I could have asked for.

Overall I am hanging in there and we are doing great. But I would love to solicit the advice of all you mommies and preggos out there.

Please bombard me with every piece of advice you have about having a fantastic pregnancy. I freely admit that there are times .... okay days .... okay weeks ..... that I am a nauseas insomniac zombie. My goal this pregnancy is to me more proactive with my health and to think more positively.

Just ask my sister. She had a great pregnancy and a fabulous delivery. At the end she said, "That's it? I thought that was going to be much harder." She is ready to have 10 children. Contrast that to my labor where I was vowing to everyone within earshot that Lily was going to be an only child. In fact, my younger brother arrived at the hospital a few hours before Lily was born and just as the fun was beginning. As he was going to enter the room, he passed the anesthesiologist. He asked if it was okay to go into the room, the anesthesiologist responded, "Not if you value your life or your ear drums." That pretty much sums it up. It also could have something to do with me having the smallest veins imaginable and being among the 2 percent of women who epidurals don't work for. Add preeclampsia meds, pitocin, and no sleep in 48 hours to the mix and it makes for an interesting labor.

I remember my mom telling me that I would feel differently later and me thinking that she was nuts. Yet, here I am 18 months later ecstatic to be pregnant. Once Lily turned 1 it was like a ticking maternal time bomb yet again. I love kids, I love babies .... it's just the ucky parts of pregnancy and labor that I could do without. That is where you come in. Everyone has preggo advice right?

What saved you during the first trimester morning sickness? (okay let's call it what it really is ... all day/all night/ when you least expect it sickness).

How did you get enough sleep? Especially if you have older midgets running about?

What was your favorite form of exercise while you were pregnant?

How did you prepare for labor and delivery?

And although I am going to cling to my lovely epidural for as long as it lasts, I am going to inevitably be going partially au naturale this time around. What techniques worked best for you if you went epiduraless?

Are prenatal massages worth it? And if so, where are the best places to go in Utah?

So those are my questions. Feel free to add any other tidbits of knowledge to it. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love being pregnant. I would go through all the worst parts of my other pregnancies a thousand more times to have another cutie patootie like Lily. I am so excited. I just need a little help convincing my body that it is fun to be pregnant, too.

An Exciting Announcement for our 100th Post

2008-12-25T18:57:00.002-07:00

Lily is sporting a brand new t-shirt as her Christmas jammies. The second part of her gift arrives on August 4, 2009.

Chill

2008-12-12T09:20:00.002-07:00

Our December has been pretty quiet so far. I tried not to plan too much since I knew Johnny would be busy with finals. We are looking forward to all the parties in a few weeks! Lily and I spend lots of days chilling with our favorite treat - Jamba Juice :). Did you know that you can get a Jamba Juice with a sleep vitamin? Apparently that is what Johnny got for Lily :).

November Happenings

2008-12-06T11:55:00.002-07:00

We went out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse to celebrate Johnny's and brother in law Broc's birthdays. Their birthdays were actually in October, but, due to the birth of Baby Titan, their birthday dinner was slightly delayed.

Unfortunately we didn't get many pictures from Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner at Johnny's brother's home. Afterward, we returned to my family's home for pie. Kyrie and Lily had fun playing together while we planned our Black Friday shopping. (which was very successful. Only took me four hours to get my precious GPS system).

Lily's first advent calendar. My dad bought the grand kiddies advent calendars. Lily loves hers. Whenever she sees it she shouts, "Num Nummy!"

We also had fun at Festival of Trees. We were able to see Ada dance and we had a great time looking at the trees. Lily, suprisingly, loved it and was a good girl in her stroller the entire time. She enjoyed waving to the other children. I think she thought people were there to see her and not the trees.

Austin and Aften's Wedding Reception

2008-11-22T14:05:00.002-07:00

Cousins and friends :)

Congrats to Austin and Aften! They were married in the Manti Temple. It was fun to meet up with family and celebrate at their reception. I couldn't help but think of when I babysat Austin when he was six and he would write and illustrate stories about ants for me to read. Going to his reception made me feel just a little bit older :).

Their first dance. I loved the back of her dress!

Grandma and Grandpa Kimball. Grandpa Kimball had his camera out most of the night so I thought that it was only fair that I got a picture of him, too. I love this photo of the two of them - don't they look great?

I tried to get a posed shot of the two girls, but they were too busy playing :). They loved the leaves.

Four generations! I have to apologize to my mom for posting the one where she is turned sideways. In the other two Lily was coughing out mints and it was a little gross :).

Little Gym with Lily

2008-11-22T13:53:00.003-07:00

Lily's favorite activity at the Little Gym

Lily has been going to Little Gym every Saturday since August. She is doing so great in her class!
From jumping, to rolling, to balancing - she has learned lots of new things and made lots of little friends. Lily loves the balls, the bubbles, and running as fast as she can. Her motor skills have improved greatly. She even has a little boyfriend who sometimes follows her around giving her hugs.

At first Lily could only get on the balance beam with my help, but now she does it all by herself.

Lily loves to jump from the top to the bottom of the mats.

More Cougar pictures to come :)

A little helper for the holidays

2008-11-20T12:43:00.003-07:00

Lily finishing off my rice bowl at Rumbi's :)

The closer that it gets to the holidays ... it seems the busier it gets!

We are only a month away from a long awaited event .... NURSERY! I really cannot wait. Sometimes I am sad when I think about my baby growing up so fast. But then I think of trying to contain my no longer baby in Sunday School and Relief Society ... not so sad anymore!

Still our little girl is growing up fast. This month I have been putting away a lot of our baby things ... the baby bath tub ... bouncer .... boppy .... all things things she has long outgrown.

One thing that I am quiet happy about is that Lily is quite the helper. She is very good at moving the laundry from the washer to the dry (sometimes a granola bar makes it in there, too, so I have to watch closely :). She also grabs a cleaning rag and wipes up her spills on the floor occasional ... she started doing this all by herself! She is also good at putting laundry in the hamper and garbage (and sometimes not garbage) in the garbage can. What a good helper!

Plus her vocab is expanding. She now says happy, IHOP, and moon.

Holiday Line Preview :)

2008-11-06T09:36:00.004-07:00

The holidays are on there way and I want to give you a head start with your holiday shopping ... plus a some well-deserved fun, free, and fabulous girl time. Here are the details for my Mary Kay holiday line preview. I would love to have you gals there!

When: November 18th at 7:00 p.m.
Where: My home (I will email you my address)
What: Holiday Line Preview and Girls Night Out
Who: Everyone!

Here is the low down on what we will be doing. I will have all the latest Holiday Cosmetics and Pampering Products. As well as our fabulous new Mineral Line along with some of the classic products at a fantastic discounted price. Get a head start on your Christmas shopping or help your husband out with a list of what you love. I will have something for every person on your list at a discounted price.

Besides previewing products, we will have drawings, kissology with our brand new lipsticks (what does your kiss print mean), Satin Hands, Satin Lips, and fun games where you will win free product. It’s a Girl’s Night Out!

I know your time is precious as you approach the holidays so I will make it worth your while! Just by attending you will receive a free full size Mineral Eye Shadow of the color of your choice. Bring a friend and receive another free full size Mineral Eye Shadow (up to three). RSVP by November 17th at noon and get 10 percent off your entire order.

See you there! Even if you can't come to the party - please feel free to browse my web-site for holiday gift ideas: www.marykay.com/taralyn. I have a special free gift for everyone who places an order by November 18th as well.

Happy Hallow-Bean!

2008-11-01T18:18:00.002-06:00

Our little Lily-Bean made Halloween much more fun for us this year. She loved her "guck" (duck/baby chick) costume and wore it happily most of the week. With the fabulous weather we have been having - it was perfect! Here are a few pictures of our Halloween festivities this month.

Lily taking the first swing at the Pinata at the Parker Halloween Party.

Lily and Kyrie were great Trick or Treat partners. Lily was good at knocking on the doors and Kyrie was good at saying Trick or Treat.

Lily and Kyrie are also becoming great sharers. This is Lily relaxing on Cami's couch while Kyrie feeds her skittlers. What a hard life!

Lily at the Little Gym Halloween Party

Gardner Village is a new family tradition. It is our second year going with my family and we love it. Very festive, fun, and inexpensive!

Lily found a witch that was just her size.

Lily and her new friend the kitty in the Christmas store.

Lily is so lady like.

Happy Halloween!

Austin and Aften's Wedding Shower

2008-10-29T14:13:00.002-06:00

My cousin Austin is getting married next month to a cute girl named Aften. We've met her a few times at family parties and we think she's great! My sister in law Aileen and I threw a family wedding shower for them at my house. It was great to meet more of her family and get together with all of my family as well. Here are some pics from the fun night!

No family gathering is complete without some fun interaction between Kyrie and Lily. Although it looks like Lily is poking Kyrie in the face with a fork, the girls were actually taking turns feeding each other spaghetti noodles off of each other's forks. It looks like Kyrie put hers down to get a drink of milk and Lily wasn't quite done yet. Despite the face poking, we are glad that the girls are getting better at working and playing together.

This cute little boy is Alex, my cousin Jessica's son. Isn't he a happy little guy?

The toilet paper brides. Christy (second from the left) won the toilet paper wedding dress design challenge. Her group included my Aunt Tanya who is an amazing seamstress. Although, an honorable mention goes to Shelby's team (far right). The rest of her team consisted of all men, but we thought her flower was a nice feminine touch.

Two beautiful brides :)

Happy Birthday Johnny!

2008-10-29T09:11:00.002-06:00

We celebrated Johnny's 29th birthday last week! Somehow we managed to not get very many pictures of the birthday boy himself, but we do have some pretty cute ones of my little helper. Happy Birthday Johnny!

Lily enjoyed helping with the birthday cake so much that she only licked the icing twice. She is quite the expert with sprinkles.

And this picture is just because. Can't pass up chocolate and pig tails.

One of those days!

2008-10-13T08:35:00.003-06:00

Last week was a busy, but incredible week! I saw a good friend from high school perform in Into the Woods - amazing. I hosted a baby shower and went to a bridal shower - good times! And my cousin in law/college room mate Shirsti got married on Saturday. I was able to be there for the sealing in the Salt Lake Temple. It was an ideal ending to my week. I will admit it - some days I am just tired. The dishes are piling up, my 16 month old is getting ready to leap off of the kitchen table, I can't exactly pinpoint where a funky smell is coming from .... you know how it goes. So on Saturday it was relaxing to be in the temple with a lot of people who I care about.

I enjoyed catching up with the Christensen family. We have all kinds of random connections besides now being family. Koseli's and Shirsti's aunt was a department secretary in the department I worked at at BYU-Idaho. It was great to see her again and talk to her about people we both know. It brought back a flood of memories from that fun time in my life. Some of my best friends come from my Ricks days.

One of Johnny's cousin's wife's sister (how is that for a mouthful?) was also my visiting teacher when I was first married. It was good to remember those days, too!

As I thought about all of these memories - it made me grateful for the different seasons in life. I can't say that I have a favorite. Every time has its own special significance and little excitements. This week brought back so much nostalgia from high school, college, newlywed days. It reminded me that the best isn't yet to come or in the past - it is here right now. So I am going to take care of those dishes, hug my little dare devil, and somehow find that funky smell .... and enjoy this season of life to the fullest.

Here is my little dare devil. We've been sick with colds this weekend. She woke up early today and then crashed mid play during Signing Time.

And here is my happy reminder that it is fall. Caramel apples anyone?

2008-10-10T15:47:00.000-06:00

Lily is obsessed with cell phones. Luckily we have some old ones that she can play with. Johnny was trying to put her down for her nap and she fell asleep talking to herself on the phone

We had Cami's baby shower on Wednesday. Baby Croc should be here in the next few weeks. Any name suggestions?

My niece Ally had fun at the baby shower, too. She has such cute eyes! I love their shape.

And ... we're back!

2008-10-07T20:39:00.000-06:00

Our camera from Costco arrived today! We were going to wait for the day after Thanksgiving sales, but with Lily growing so fast ... we couldn't help ourselves. I never knew how picture crazy I was until we didn't have a camera! Johnny and I were thrilled when the little package arrived. However, as you can see from the picture above, someone else was not so thrilled. She thought the package was for her!

We christened the new camera at Coldstone as you can see in the picture below.

Our camera from Costco arrived today! We were going to wait for the day after Thanksgiving sales, but with Lily growing so fast ... we couldn't help ourselves. I never knew how picture crazy I was until we didn't have a camera!

Here's the latest updates in our lives:

Lily's weekly trips to the Little Gym appear to be paying off. While she is playing around the house I occasionally see her doing little dance moves that she learned in class. Pictures to come! She also climbs ANYTHING. She would spend all day on top of the kitchen table if I let her.
Lily's vocabulary is also expanding. Her latest words are hat and hot. The best part is that she pronounces hat and hot with a British accent. Sometime long, long ago I recall watching Teletubbies and hoping that someday I would have British children or children with British accents. Dreams do come true.
My brother Conner is in the MTC and, in fact, only has a week left in the MTC before he is off to Califonia.
Johnny and I saw Into the Woods at Hale Center Theatre last night. Amazing. Loved it. Especially since a friend I knew from high school as in it. I always enjoy seeing people I know doing things they are passionate about. For example, every month when I open the Ensign I always look for my friend Melissa's name first. It reminds me that I need to be stretching myself and working toward my dreams. I remember talking to Hilary and Ashlee earlier this year about how it's important to keep doing things you enjoy and learning new things. I don't suppose Signing Time counts? Anyways - long story short. I am eager to take back up some old hobbies and start a few new ones. Thanks for the inspiration everyone!

Farewell Camera and Conner!

2008-09-20T15:03:00.000-06:00

Sad day ... our camera is now water logged ... or should I say milk logged from a sippy cup mishap. So while we save for a new camera ... pictures may be delayed as we mooch off of family members cameras :). These are the last of the pictures before the milk incident.

I had a fabulous 27th birthday. My birthday started with a long, overdue bubble bath - so relaxing! Johnny took Lily and I out to lunch at Kneaders - love their carrot cake. Later in the evening I went to Sandy to go through the temple with my little brother Conner who is going on a mission. It is coming up too fast! It was great to be in the temple with my family on my birthday.

All the siblings, but Ada. Cami only has a month or so until Baby Croc is going to make his arrival. The first male grandchild - we cannot wait! Cami is the one holding the zebra temple bag. My mom asked her if it was an appropriate print for the temple. Cami replied, "God loves zebras, too, doesn't He?"

A nice man took this group shot for us.

Missionary and his mom. We are going to miss Conner. He is our comic relief. A quick story about Conner. I told Marriage Prep at BYU a few semester ago. Although he is a preemie, he decided to take my class anyway and I am glad he did. He was a good sounding board for how the class was going. Every day after class we went to the food court in the Wilkinson Center to get breakfast. It was nice for me to have a quiet breakfast - I had a 3 month old waiting for me at home :). Anyways - we did not initially tell the class that we were siblings. We figured that they would figure it out for themselves - some people even think we are twins. This line of thinking seemed to be going well for us until one day a third of my class saw us having breakfast together and gave us funny looks. There were even certain class members that we would see every once and awhile in the Wilk after class. I started to see it in their faces, "Why does Sister Parker spend so much time with Conner?" We finally announced our sibling relationship to the class to avoid speculation on why the married with a baby marriage prep teacher was spending so much time with one of her students!

Long story short - those breakfasts were a fun way to get to know Conner even better and take a break with my fun sibling!

After the temple, we went to our favorite family restaurant - the Mayan! We picked up Ada and Lily Bean and had a fun evening out. In this picture Lily is trying to get Conner to take her to see the divers. We also discovered that Lily loves salsa! Must take after her dad!

In other news :

Lily had her 15 month doctor's appointment earlier this week. Here are her current stats:

Height: 31 inches 69.15 percentile
Weight: 19.38 lbs 5.89 percentile

I was thrilled that she did not fall off of the charts! She is our tall and skinny string bean! Apparently her head percentile jumped so now she has a rather large head for her body size. It's to store all those brains - this little girl is too smart!

The Little Sharers

2008-09-08T09:01:00.001-06:00

Lily eyes baby Ally. Baby Ally eyes the sippy cup (or something the distance :) ).

Lily wants to know if Ally is thirsty. Ally is intrigued. She may even be excited enough to drool on her dad who is holding her up :).

The moment of sharing! (that is as far as the sharing went ... Ally is not quite ready for whole milk!)

Let's Hug!

Now if only Lily would share all the time this easily!

Conner's Mission Shower

2008-09-08T08:45:00.000-06:00

Conner is headed off to the MTC in only 16 days! We had a family party to celebrate and get him some missionary essentials. This is Conner with his special Sponge Bob Squarepants Thermometer from Cami.

Our two attempts to get a picture with the missionary and Lily. Lily had other plans I guess.

Aunt Ada is always surrounded by little girls!

Our niece Kyrie decorated the wrapping paper just for Conner. She drew a fish and a gagungle (triangle).

Lily with my Grandma Kimball's dog Stockton. Lily inherited her love of animals from her dad. Unfortunately, she also inherited her caution of animals from me. This is how she likes Stockton best - with a screen door in between!

Cousin Ally looking cute!

Back to School

2008-09-06T21:05:00.000-06:00

Johnny is back to school at UVU for his second to last semester. Lily and I went with him to school to take advantage of the department luncheon. Lily's favorite were the fruit kabobs.

Labor Day Weekend Fun

2008-08-31T16:25:00.000-06:00

Not too many picture this week because we were too busy having fun! We spent the weekend at the Swensen Family Reunion at Cherry Hill. I've gone every year for as long as I can remember. It is fun to see Lily enjoying the place as much as I do! She spent the morning splashing and playing in Pirate's Cove. Our favorite activity of the day was the Lazy River. Lily even fell asleep in her tube after circling a few times.

Lily's cousin's Kyrie and Ally looking cute in their matching jammies.

August Update

2008-08-23T20:40:00.000-06:00

With all the fun of the Olympics and last few weeks of summer we haven't had as much time to post. We've been having too much fun! Here is an update for the last few weeks.

As luck would have it, I was living in Idaho during the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and I wasn't able to attend any of the events. Neither Johnny or I have been to the Olympic Park in Park City so we decided to make a day trip of it. We loved Main Street Pizza and the fantastic art galleries. Lily barked at every picture of a wolf, dog or fox - she must have enjoyed it, too.

A highlight of the day was riding the zipline! You can kind of see it in the background. Neither of our pictures from actually riding it turned out to well, but we had a blast!

And as for Lily's latest - she is a walking/talking/running/climbing one-year-old going on ten. Her latest passion is shoes. She might even do better in my high heels than me. She even manages to get them on the right feet!

She has also discovered the classic baby hideaway in the entertainment center cupboard. Notice the cupboard is completely empty of toys - I can't say as much for my living room floor!

Conner's Mission Call!

2008-08-11T11:50:00.000-06:00

My brother Conner was in Florida when his mission call came. We were out to dinner with Cami and Broc the night that they all flew in so we decided to see if he would open it that night. Really, who can wait? So Lily met him at the door with the call in her hands. Lucky for us, Conner opened it and he received his call to:
Santa Rosa, California!

We are very excited for him. He goes into the MTC on September 24th and his farewell is September 14th - coming up fast.

Lily also has been perfecting her climbing skills. I got a call on my cell phone when I was unloading the dishes. By the time I had hung up, I turned around to find this:

Just Between Friends Sale

2008-08-08T18:20:00.000-06:00

Sadly, I am a walking advertisement for consignment sales I guess. They took this picture of my stash at the Just Between Friends Consignment Sale yesterday and posted it on KSL. I volunteered at it and sold a small number of things myself to subsidize what I was going to buy myself. I absolutely love these sales! As you can see, I found quite a lot! They take place twice a year and since I volunteer , I get first pick, with a few other volunteers, of everything there. Here are my steals:
Lily's entire fall/winter 2008,
spring/summer 2009,
and some of her fall/winter 2009 wardrobe.

(all practically new from Gymboree, Gap, Old Navy, Children's Place, Carter's, and Sprockets. And I am very picky!)
2 Wendy Bellisimo Storage Baskets Brand New
2 Pairs of Winter Boots/Shoes for Lily
Eddie Bauer Monkey Back Pack Leash
Knitted Hat
Matching Hat and Mittens
Several Boxes of Wet Wipes
Gap Maternity Jeans (Brand new for $4)
A maternity dress shirt
Brand new tub toys for Lily
Maybe a few other little things
For only $140.

I was thrilled! I bought about 20 complete outfits for Lily.

I love a good deal! And the best part is, I will get some of that money of the money I spent back if any of my own things sold!

My sister was able to get tons of clothes for her baby due in October, too. Her favorite deals were the brand new Bumbo for $15 and the excellent condition Boppy for $6. You can't beat that!

Beauty that Counts

2008-08-05T17:48:00.000-06:00

I wanted to let you know of a special promotion that Mary is doing for the Apple Berry Lipstick, which is an amazing fall and winter color that goes with all skin tones! (The color in the above lipstick)

100% of the proceeds will go to the Mary Kay Victims of Domestic Violence Foundation/
Women' s Cancer Foundation which helps women who have been abused seek refuge and safety and those who have or have had cancer (and their families). To see more information on the about the cause, please go to: http://www.marykay.com/taralyn/company/appleberry/default.aspx?ab=sm_appleberry

Please let me know if you would like to order one by emailing me at taralyn@marykay.com, leaving me a post, or calling me at 801-815-7650 directly! And you can always order 24/7 from my secure web-site: www.marykay.com/taralyn.

Not only does this color look phenomenal on all skin tones (which is why they made this color), they also make great stocking stuffers, grab bag gifts or birthday gifts as well, and they'll know they helped a great cause! Feel free to let any of your friends/family members who would like to help out a great cause know about this!Feel free to visit my website www.marykay.com/taralyn to do a virtual makeover with our brand new mineral cosmetics for free!

All she needs is the wind in her hair ....

2008-08-05T16:55:00.000-06:00

Lily has always loved the vacumn. Whenever she hears it start, she comes running! She likes to stand right in front of it and feel the wind. It makes vacumning a little difficult, but it is fun to watch. Lily is also quite good at helping me around the house. As you have seen in previous posts, she loves to clean the toilet with the scrub brush. Her newest trick is she is great at shutting the dishwasher for me. Prior to this week, she was climbing into it, so this is a big step for us!

Bloggy Giveaway Winner!

2008-08-02T09:11:00.001-06:00

The winner of the Mary Kay Mineral Cheek Color and Apple Berry Lipstick is ...... drum roll please ..... bunnybx!

Thank you to everyone who entered! Even though you may not have gotten the full size fabulous products ... feel free to check out my web-site ( www.marykay.com/taralyn ) and let me know what samples you would like to try .... COMPLETELY FREE :).

Also, stay tuned for how to get this fabulous new compact ABSOLUTELY FREE :)

Just to get your excited .... the compact is:
Magnetic - no more make up falling out
Purse Tested - will survive the messiest purse without scratches from keys
Refillable - Customize it in 1000s of combinations

Bloggy Giveaway

2008-07-29T13:38:00.000-06:00

Bloggy Giveaways is one of my favorite new sites! They are hosting a Carnival of Giveaways this week so I thought that I would join in!

My Giveaway is for one of Mary Kay's brand new Mineral Cheek Colors and an Apple Berry Mineral Lipstick. The winner of the drawing will pick their own Mineral Cheek Color from my web-site: www.marykay.com/taralyn. The winner will receive an Apple Berry Lipstick - currently popular because Mary Kay donates 100 percent of the proceeds to benefit women and children who have been affected by domestic violence.

Mineral based cosmetics is a hot trend right now. Why are they so hot, you ask? Because Mary Kay's mineral colors contain Vitamins A, C, E - age-fighting anti-oxidants that protect against wrinkle-causing free radicals. Plus mineral cosmetics are more vibrant and last longer on your skin.

Get an additional entry in the contest by having fun with my Virtual Makeover - upload your own picture or experiment with one of our models to find the perfect look for you. Email me at taralyn@marykay.com and I will send you samples so you can create your favorite look at home.
http://www.marykay.com/taralyn/whatsnew/virtualmakeover/default.aspx.

Just leave me a comment to enter and I will contact the winner on Saturday morning (August 2nd). The winner will be selected by a random number generator.

Good luck! And remember to pamper yourself!!!

More fun at the beach

2008-07-26T18:41:00.000-06:00

Lily playing peek-a-boo with her cousin Kennedy and her fabulous hat from Madagascar.

We took a morning walk to the point. The 30-minute walk from our beach house became a favorite with the kids. The point had picturesque rock formations and tons of star fish. We wheeled Lily down in her stroller. She seems happy to be there under her three layers of clothing!

Lily fell asleep on the walk back.

The famous star fish

Johnny and the point in the background.

Just for the Halibut

2008-07-24T19:48:00.000-06:00

Today we tore ourselves away from the beach and ventured out to our favorite fish and chips joint in Newport. It was worth the 45 minute drive. Lily tasted her first fried halibut and thought that it was quite tasty.

Lily and her cousin Macie from Madagascar. Macie and Lily have fun playing together. Although, they do like to tell each other, "don't!"

The pier at Newport Beach.

Lily's first look at wild Sea Lions.

You can tell she is quite impressed.

Lily is small but she still likes to super size it :) (on lemonade, of course)

Lily and Daddy rejoicing over fish and chips. More please!

Beach Baby!

2008-07-23T10:25:00.000-06:00

This week we are at a beach house in Oregon with Johnny's family. Lily is a beach baby! The first day we arrived we took her right down to the beach. Even though the wind was blowing like crazy, Lily laughed and loved the sand! The beach is the perfect. Because of the wind, it is very clean. So when the wind stops the sand is just right.

Lily's first steps in the sand. Later in the day, we took let her splash her feet in the ocean. We have to watch her carefully because she likes to make a run for it. She loves the water even though it is FREEZING!

Nana Shana and Aunt Nicole. Isn't the view beautiful? Johnny and I took a walk over to the point. The rocks there are full of star fish.

Our sister in law brought back sun hats from Madagascar for the girls to wear on the beach.

Lily seemed more interested in Hadley's ball than taking a picture or wearing a cute hat.

Johnny and Lily on the stairs down to the beach house.

Lily and I happy to finally be on the beach.

Sleeping Beauty

2008-07-16T12:20:00.000-06:00

This week we have been busy packing for Oregon and cleaning the house. Lily has had some pretty interesting naps :)

Today she fell asleep in her chair watching the Parker Family DVD. It is the first time she has spontaneously fallen asleep at home :). I cannot complain.

Memories Game

2008-07-15T18:57:00.000-06:00

1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

In Search of a Baby Hiking Carrier

2008-07-13T08:19:00.000-06:00

As we have posted, Johnny and I are taking lovely walks every Tuesday. We have decided to advance to hikes. However, our handy stroller will not be so handy heading up the mountain. We have a Baby Bjorn, but think that one of those baby hiking carriers that you put on your back would be better. Any suggestions of the best brands and best prices?

Good Hygiene

2008-07-09T09:42:00.000-06:00

Lily only has two teeth but she likes to take care of them as often as she can. She has her own toothbrush, but sometimes it is more fun to use Daddy's.

The Takeover :)

2008-07-09T09:37:00.000-06:00

Lily is eyeing the competition. She has them in her sights.

With a sneak dive ... the competition is successful!

The aftermath

We are working on sharing with Lily :)

More firework pics

2008-07-09T09:35:00.000-06:00

Kyrie and Grandma watching the fireworks.
Kyrie and Aunt Ada ... Kyrie is still a little unsure :)

But Ally is wide-eyed and having a good time with her mom, Aileen :)

Abraham Lincoln Relay and Fireworks

2008-07-09T09:28:00.000-06:00

I saw on Good Things Utah a fun way to spice up our 4th of July celebration and honor Abraham Lincoln. A relay race that involved giving everybody Cool Whip Lincoln beards! Sounds fun, right? Some party poopers didn't join in, but we still had our fun :)

Kyrie the brave

My mom was more than willing to help me with my beard.

My patriotic and tasty beard.

Johnny and I pre-fireworks.

The firework loot!

4th of July

2008-07-09T09:20:00.000-06:00

We had a fun 4th of July with family in Sandy. I love dressing Lily up in holiday outfits and the 4th was no exception. I got this cute little dress off of Ebay for $4. Got to love Ebay! The korker bows only lasted about two hours in her hair :)

Kyrie and Lily practicing sharing.

Johnny and our niece Ally matched :).

Lily and I at the First Family Volleyball Game in the backyard. I think our team won :)

Daddy and Lily :)

First Birthday Pictures

2008-07-03T19:57:00.000-06:00

Today was bittersweet :). Time goes by too fast! We went to get Lily's 1-year old pictures taken at Kiddie Kandids. They do such a good job! Lily survived three different outfits and even snuggled up to the photographer before she decided that she had had enough.

Apparently polar bears DO live on the beach. This was the last outfit and pose and Lily was not letting go of her new friend.

This first picture is actually the one we had taken of Lily when she was 5 days old. So tiny! Afther us, they took pictures of a little newborn. It brought back so many memories of my little Lily! I can't believe how much she has grown.

Outfit #1 and pretty happy. She is wearing darling shoes that my friend Bonnie custom made for her. (jonniebean.blogspot.com)
Pose #2. Still pretty happy in the misty meadows.
Outfit #2 in another cute pair of jonnybean.blogspot.com shoes.
Lily loved the little bear that the photographer was using to make her smile. This time Lily grabbed it and didn't give it back :) The photographer was trying to do a tummy pose and Lily wasn't really in the mood. Johnny is holding her feet in this picture. They are kicking wildly and almost a foot up in the air :).

Tuesday Trail Day

2008-06-25T15:09:00.000-06:00

This week we headed up the canyon for our family walk. When Johnny and I were dating we spent a lot of time going on hikes in Provo Canyon so we love spending time up there. In fact, Johnny proposed at Sundance.

We started at the first park, Canyon View Park and had a great hour long walk. We didn't leave until 7:00 p.m. so the weather was perfect and we were in the shade most of the time.

Lily liked to look back at me and smile. Maybe in hopes that I would get her out? Or maybe she wanted my Crystal Lite water.

Lily needs a chance to stretch her legs, too, of course. She couldn't walk without her favorite teddy bear.

The teddy bear didn't leave her arms the entire hike.

The beautiful scenery!

Pictures from Lily's Birthday Party

2008-06-24T15:49:00.000-06:00

Lots of Lily's Parker and Trost cousins came to help celebrate her birthday.

Ethan cruising down the slide.
Nicholas with his alligator

Parker and Stewart kidlets relaxing at their parents feet.

Merrick is so photogenic!

Andrew having fun in the water

Lily's First Birthday at the Pool

2008-06-24T15:42:00.000-06:00

Daddy's Girls
Parker is too fast for Uncle Matt

Can these girls get any cuter?

Matt looks a little tired from chasing the kids. In the background the Parker kidlets are playing in the fountain.

Marcus gets ready for another dive!

More Birthday Fun!

2008-06-24T15:35:00.000-06:00

Cami at 22 weeks along preggo with Baby Croc and Lily telling her where they need to go.

Sahara and Parker with their siblings being brave and jumping in the background.

Look at Coston go!

Merrick loves the dragon!

Kennedy being brave. That water was so cold!