1 Year!

I can't let today pass without taking a minute to mention Emma turning 1!! I can't believe how much she has changed and grown in just a year. Here are a few things she is doing now:
-Sleeps with her bum in the air
-Waving- she also says "Bye" while she waves
-Her growl is back! And funnier than ever.
-Her favorite toys are balls, blocks and cars. Her first word was "ball" and she gets SO excited when she sees a ball. She also rolls balls back and forth to us.
-She has 8 teeth- 4 on top and 4 on bottom. It makes her look so grown up.
-She loves other kids, especially Brady and Olivia.
-She stands independently for up to 30 seconds, but won't take steps without a firm grasp on something solid.
-Climbs up stairs
-When she gives us her cheesy smile, her eyes and nose crinkle up- absolutely adorable!
-She understands being chased, and will crawl away as fast as possible, giggling like crazy. Once we catch her, she will take a turn chasing us.

We love this little girl SO much!! She keeps us laughing and brings so much joy to our lives. I feel so lucky to be her mom.

Jared's Birthday

On Superbowl Sunday, we drove the Pocatello for the afternoon so Jared could watch the Superbowl with his Dad and brothers(way more fun than watching it with me). It was the day before his birthday, so he jokingly asked his mom to make him a cool cake like she used to when they were kids. When she asked what kind, he told her he wanted a cake of Patrick off of Sponge-Bob. His sister Mandee and his mom spent a lot of time decorating this cake just for him. They are really sweet and Jared was impressed with Mandee's skills. Oh, and guess who didn't have to make a cake? Yep, I was pretty happy, too! Thanks, Mandee and Kendra!!

Today we pretended it was spring...

it did get up to 48 degrees, after all. And the sun was shining. Perfect!

Triple Birthday Wishes

Three of the most important men in my life have birthdays today! Jared, my dad, and my brother Eric. I can't even express how much these men mean to me and how much they teach me by their examples. Happy Birthday, guys!!

Jared, you are my best friend. Thanks for ALWAYS being there for me and inspiring me to be a better person. Thanks for loving Emma and I so unconditionally. My life wouldn't be the same without you!

Worth Quoting

"A home should be clean enough to be healthy, and dirty enough to be happy."

I remember when...

...naptime used to be a simple matter of laying Emma down with her blanket and her pacifier. Sometimes it is still like that, but now that she can stand she makes it clear when she doesn't feel like taking a nap.
Her look of defiance-

Is often followed by despair-

And then I find her asleep in some kind of attempted escape position-


I can't WAIT until she learns to crawl OUT of her crib.

Today at Our House

A couple of my friends are due to have their babies any day, and this morning they both had Dr.'s appointments so we got to have a full house for a couple of hours. Their favorite toy was a large cardboard box that they all piled into... too much fun!