Modern Dweller

sisters.

2012-01-13T16:51:00.000-07:00

The girls are becoming great little friends.

It's so fun to see them play and laugh with each other.

snow fun.

2012-01-07T17:57:00.000-07:00

Daddy helped these ladies have some fun in the snow today.

Cute snowmen. Cute girls.

christmas.

2011-12-28T16:52:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful Christmas spent with lots of family and friends.

Christmas Eve day was spent with the Hales family.

We meet at Grandma and Grandpa's house for some friendly Wii tournaments,

lots of delicious food, caroling, the nativity story, white elephants and gifts!

It's a fun day that we look forward to every year.

Gracie and Grandpa are checking out all the commotion from the games going on downstairs.

Mother and Daughter!

Some cute girly cousins.

Our gracious hosts.

Sophia loved being "Mary" - she took her role very seriously!

Tim told the story of the song "Silent Night" and sang it in German.

We sang some jolly holiday tunes.

After another delicious dinner with the Whitchurch and Goodwin clan,

we headed home to find Jingle Bella had left us cute Christmas jammies.

Christmas morning. Santa was here!

By the looks of things I think Christmas morning was a hit!

fancy.

2011-12-27T13:31:00.001-07:00

The girls all dressed up and ready for our traditional fancy dinner.
It is so exciting to dress up, use the nice dishes, candles and our best manners!

gingerbread houses.

2011-12-27T13:19:00.000-07:00

Gingerbread houses were fun and messy(!!!) this time around.

Sophia wanted a pink house.

Her roof was so heavy Grandma had to hold it in place for a very long time.

Momma got carried away with the powdered sugar!

Pretty pink house!

santa.

2011-12-23T15:10:00.000-07:00

Sophia had a few chances to talk to Santa this year - at the mall, preschool and the ward party.

She asked Santa for a "big Rapunzel."

We decided the ward Santa was good for Grace's first Santa sitting.

She did great! She kept a suspicious eye on him but there was no fear or tears.

Christmas magic has been so fun with the girls this year!

rock n roll christmas.

2011-12-23T14:53:00.000-07:00

Sophia's preschool program "Rock 'n Roll Christmas" was a hit!

Soph had so much fun learning the songs and moves. She practiced all the time and still gives us

spontaneous tidbits of the performance.

She had to memorize a little part "When the presents are ready, Santa packs his sleigh!"

She nailed it!

temple square.

2011-12-22T11:42:00.000-07:00

Temple Square Lights were as beautiful as always. Sophia showed a particular interest in seeing all of the nativity scenes. We all got a little laugh when Grace fell fast asleep. I guess she was warm and cozy!

she's at it again.

2011-12-22T11:34:00.001-07:00

Jingle Bella has been up to her old tricks...

She started a paper chain and hung around while we finished it up.

She toilet papered Sophia's bedroom. What a silly mess!

She got crafty and left us some snowmen to build.

Decorated our window with Santa!

Did a little online shopping.

Had a lovely picnic with her girly friends.

Painted our noses red!

We found Jingle Bella sitting with a used paintbrush and red paint.

Imagine our surprise when we looked in the mirror to see our noses had been painted red!

Took a sick day to recover from an accidental touch from Grandma!

Oh, Jingle Bella. We love you!

twelve months.

2011-12-12T12:36:00.001-07:00

Look who finally decided to start walking! Such a cutie.

Height: 30 1/4 inches, 80%

Weight: 21 lb. 14 oz. 65%

Head: 18 3/8 inches 90%

jingle bella.

2011-12-12T12:21:00.000-07:00

Jingle Bella is our elf. She showed up all wrapped up on our front porch late Thanksgiving night. It is her job to report to Santa Claus how we are all doing. Sometimes she gets bored and causes trouble overnight. Jingle Bella is our favorite thing. Finding her in the morning is so fun! It's like Christmas everyday! Sophia is always sure to report to Jingle Bella where we are going, what we are doing and when we will be home. Afterall, Jingle Bella hears everything we say and sees everything we do! I must admit we are all enjoying the fun spirit of Jingle Bella, although she is wearing me out. Where does she get all her energy?!

Here are just a few of the tricks she has played on us so far:

Jingle Bella hid in this snow...she dumped snow all over Sophia's bed and floor!

Jingle Bella made friends with Santa and Snowman.

Jingle Bella decorated our Square Temple Picture.

We decided she wanted us to see Temple Square to see the lights!

Our family spent a night cutting out snowflakes and decorating them with beautiful sparkles.

We woke up and couldn't find Jingle Bella. The phone rang. It was Grandma Hales.

Turns out, Jingle Bella took our snowflakes and decorated Grandma and Grandpa's house!

She was sad they still hadn't put up their Christmas decorations!

We woke up to the car horn honking! Jingle Bella stole the keys and drove us to IHOP.

She got the message to Adam, Grandma W and Grandpa Hales who all showed up too!

Sophia chose a hamburger and fries for breakfast. Yum.

Luckily, Jingle Bella has a quiet night of reading Christmas stories.

Back into the swing of things, Jingle Bella started baking cookies and got a little carried away with the flour!

We are excited to see what else Jingle Bella has in store for us!

one year old.

2011-11-24T22:29:00.000-07:00

Baby Gracie is now ONE!

Grace is such a blessing to our home. She is quick to give loves and a friendly "hi" to anyone who comes her way. Her easy going personality and outgoing smile keeps us all in love with her.
Happy Birthday, Grace!

We had a pretty sweet party where Gracie was introduced to some pretty sweet treats!

She wasn't so sure about her cake at first but warmed up to it quickly! Mmm, good!

Thanks to all who helped us celebrate our girl on her special day!

first snow.

2011-11-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

The first snow this year was pretty exciting at our house.

Sophia kept saying, "It's Christmas!" Well, not quite, but it was pretty fun nonetheless.

We suited up in all of our warm clothes, piled on the sled and

rode around the corner to the sledding hill.

Woo hoo! Let's do it again!

We even had a snowball fight with our favorite neighbors.

The snow was perfect for building a snowman. I think ours turned out pretty cute!

happy halloween.

2011-10-31T14:59:00.001-06:00

Happy Halloween, Ya'll!

moo.

2011-10-31T13:35:00.000-06:00

Gracie is our baby Blue Ribbon Cow. Pretty cute, huh! She's lovin all the attention she get's in this getup!

Our Cowboy Family on the Hay Ride at the neighborhood Halloween Carnival.

pumpkins.

2011-10-31T13:29:00.000-06:00

We had the Whitchurch gang come over for some pumpkin carving, treats and cider.

Sophia's kitty jack-o lantern!

Our scary little family.

Tim's eyeball monster, Soph's kitty, Adam's big-mouth head, Suz's night sky & Em's spooky tree.

costume party.

2011-10-31T13:18:00.000-06:00

Sophia has been so excited for Halloween this year.
She decided long ago that she wanted to be a Rodeo Queen - just like her cousins and the queen at the fair.

She had a great time at her preschool costume party.

They met the Good Witch, trick-or-treated the neighborhood with their own painted buckets
and sang spooky songs at the doors.

Sophia's teacher was Big Bird!

Cute girls ready for fun! Needless to say, they had the time of their lives!

field trip.

2011-10-18T16:14:00.000-06:00

Sophia's second field trip of the year was to Black Island Farms.

Sophia loves it when her friends get to carpool in our car!

Our group was Cayden, Cooper, Lauren & Soph.

We heard the line backed up fast for the train so we got to it very first.

We were lucky enough to ride it twice.

Miss Kari and the kids loved the slides!

We cheered on the little pigs as they raced to get an Oreo cookie. So cute!

Riding in the wagon out to the pumpkin patch. Soph and Izee are the best of friends!

Finding our pumpkins. They were all perfect!

Racing with Tim to the bounce house. Everything is more fun when Dad comes!

The weather was perfect and sunny. We even got a little sunburned! The kids had a wonderful time and were so worn out they couldn't even carry their own pumpkins to the car.

fall crafts.

2011-10-03T13:49:00.000-06:00

Sophia and I have been making pumpkins and fall leaves. She is a big fan of "chopping" the paper and gluing things together. She and her jack-o-lantern are pretty darn cute!

kitchen.

2011-10-03T13:45:00.000-06:00

Gracie loves climbing up to the kitchen to play. I think it is so darn adorable. Of course it is. Until Mom starts taking pictures, making distractions, and the adorable baby falls face first on the tile floor.

Oops. Lesson learned. Still cute.

trouble with monsters.

2011-09-26T13:11:00.000-06:00

Fall has brought this house some trouble with monsters. They keep seeming to pop up in Sophia's room, under her bed, at around three in the morning. Luckily we have the special formula for Monster Spray. It gets rid of those dang monsters on the spot! You too can fight off the monsters. It seems to do the trick!

jail.

2011-09-24T13:22:00.002-06:00

Somebody learned how to crawl!!!....and open the cupboards and drawers and dump out the entire contents! Needless to say, Grace is thrilled with her new found freedom. Mommy has found it necessary to jail her occasionally which has led to Gracie pulling herself up - can't keep a girl down! It's so fun to watch her crawl behind Sophia or Mommy all around the house making discoveries and keeping involved in everything that goes on. Can't believe she is ten months old. Along with crawling and pulling herself up she is trying to blow kisses, playing peek-a-boo, clapping, feeding herself (messy!), loving bath time and showers, singing and dancing on beat, playing with big sister, and keeping us smiling. Love this girl!

favorites of the fair.

2011-09-08T12:52:00.002-06:00

Gotta start off the fair by painting your face. Sophia chose a beautiful butterfly over her eye.

Sophia and I went down the giant yellow slide. It was our first time. It was scary...but mostly fun.

We got to know the animals. This little goat was pretty friendly.

We posed for some pretty pictures.

Sophia chased down the rodeo queen. She signed a photo especially for Sophia.

Grace took in the view, looked cute and stayed happy.

We ate a lot of food and watched the cowboys in the rodeo.

Phew! Sophia keeps asking if we can go back. A day at the fair sure is fun!

first day.

2011-09-06T12:12:00.001-06:00

Sophia started pre-school and is in heaven! She has been asking to go to school for months. She loves her teacher Miss Kari, her new friends, and all of the things she gets to do and learn at school. The first day was no challenge for Sophia. She hung up her backpack and sat right down to start on her first project. She happily waved goodbye as I headed out the door for an unusual, but appreciated, few hours with Gracie. Here's to a great year of fun and learning!

family theme.

2011-09-05T22:11:00.000-06:00

As our families first school year is about to begin we have given ourselves a family theme of

"I am a Child of God." For our young family this basic understanding and principle that we are sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father will help us to make righteous choices, seek after good things and to treat each other kindly and with love. Our individual worth is infinite in the sight of the Lord. This knowledge gives us courage to do hard things and the strength to be the best we can be, every day.

"Thus says the Lord, ye are gods and children of the Most High." Psalm 82

final hurrah.

2011-09-03T11:44:00.001-06:00

Labor day weekend presented beautiful weather that cooled down just enough for a family hike up Ensign peak. Sophia thought the hike was "heavy" - her way of describing the challenge. She was so happy to reach the "castle" at the top of the mountain. Gracie, as usual, enjoyed the view and the free ride in Dad's backpack. We had fun running and jumping all the way down. It was a great lesson that we can do hard things and that our efforts are always worth it in the end!

We stopped to visit the Salt Lake Temple. Sophia knows that Tim and I were married there and calls it Mom & Dad's temple. She loved seeing the beautiful brides and the fountains. As we examined the temple more closely she quietly knocked on the temple doors. She told me that we couldn't leave until Jesus answered the door. Love her!

It was a nice day to reflect on all the beautiful things we have been blessed with - nature, family and the gospel.

beach day.

2011-08-20T13:17:00.000-06:00

The Hales had a mini-reunion at Bear Lake.

This was Sophia's first time behind the boat. Check out her smile. We think she likes it.

Grace was ticked off when we dipped her toes in the cold water. She was content lounging on the beach. Cutest beach bum, ever!

girls and horses.

2011-08-06T22:33:00.000-06:00

This lady thinks she is a Cowgirl and that this is her horse. While her cousin was racing barrels Sophia exclaimed, "Look what McKenna is doing with my horse! She is so fast!"

first tooth.

2011-08-01T22:23:00.005-06:00

Growing teeth is hard to do! Just ask Gracie.

She worked and worked on this one and is thrilled to finally have it!

happy fourth.

2011-07-04T09:15:00.000-06:00

lake tahoe.

2011-07-01T20:22:00.000-06:00

We spent a fun day on the beach of Lake Tahoe. It is so beautiful! We loved the view of the snow topped mountains while basking in the warm sun on the beach. Sophia played in the sand and water non-stop and had a ball chasing the geese and seagulls away! Daddy buried her legs in the sand and turned her into a mermaid. I thought that girl would never leave - we were all in Heaven! Little Grace listened to the waves and birds and played happily all day long. We are aching to get back as soon as we can!

We drove 1/3 around the lake to the California side. There were a few scary cliffs on the drive!

But the view was amazing!

We climbed down this waterfall. Sophia was a little afraid she was "going to die" so she stayed put up on the rocks above while the rest of us ventured down for a closer look.

growing up.

2011-06-14T11:15:00.000-06:00

Look who's sitting up!...And very happy about it!

big girl bike.

2011-06-14T11:00:00.000-06:00

Sophia is riding around on her new big girl bike. We've taken a few family rides around the neighborhood and she loves the freedom and adventure it brings.

It's so fun to see her learn the rules of the road - well, sidewalk. Woo hoo!

ballet.

2011-06-09T11:06:00.000-06:00

Sophia started taking ballet this summer. She has been very excited. We met her teacher at the ballet store and Sophia has been wearing her pink tights, black leotard and ballet shoes ever since. This was her first day. It made me happy to see her enjoy herself and find pride in the skills that she learned. We love to see her show off her new moves all around the house.

jumping.

2011-05-25T11:27:00.000-06:00

We have been spending our sunny days jumping on our new trampoline.

This tiny tot tramp is perfect for our little girls. Sophia is a jumping queen. She loves it. And I love that big smile!

six months.

2011-05-25T10:50:00.000-06:00

Six months, already?!

Lovin' every minute!

five months.

2011-04-25T17:14:00.001-06:00

Gracie is the sweetest little girl and we all lover her so much! She loves any attention she gets. She laughs and giggles at our silly jokes and especially loves chatting and laughing with Sophia. They have a special connection already! Gracie is rolling and turning herself in circles with her constantly kicking feet. She loves to snuggle with her dolly and bunny when she goes to sleep at night (yes, the whole night!). We love to hear her high trills, songs, coos and giggles. She is happy all the time and keeps us smiling. Love ya Gracie girl!

bootalicious.

2011-04-19T13:26:00.000-06:00

This sassy girl loves her some boots. Give her a runway and she'll work it. Love her!

four months.

2011-03-23T22:48:00.000-06:00

Little Gracie is four months old. She has such a sweet personality. She's finding her voice and loves to talk and sing with anyone who will listen and talk back. She is content and happy most of the time, sleeping well through the night and growing like a weed. Love this little lady!

budding artist.

2011-03-23T21:45:00.000-06:00

Sophia has loved spending time exploring art lately. We've tried several mediums and she loves paint. It's fun to see her sit down, concentrate and create something new and interesting of her very own. Here she is with watercolors and fingerpaints using her hands as a tool to create shapes. Her art-major-mother couldn't be happier that Sophia is finding pleasure in creating her own art!

daddy daughter pool dates.

2011-03-11T16:00:00.000-07:00

Daddy & Sophia have teamed up and are prepping for a fun summer of kicking, dunking and blowing bubbles at the pool!

love day.

2011-02-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

Here's a little video wishing you Happy Valentine's Day.

Mostly it's just funny to watch Sophia interact with Gracie. Such cute sisters!

We've had a wonderful day of "heart attacks", dance parties, pink pancakes and are looking forward to a fancy shmancy dinner and delivering treats to our friends.

Happy Day of Love!

say cheese.

2011-02-11T13:17:00.000-07:00

A few cute shots from Sophia's recent photo shoot.

This lady loves the spotlight!

in the name of fashion.

2011-02-11T12:30:00.000-07:00

Sophia loves clothes and picking her own outfit has become a daily routine. Actually, she goes through several outfits in a day. Picking the right outfit is quite the process. Clothes are typically piled up all over her room, hanging on her nightstand, and dropped on the floor. Necklaces, purses, shoes, hats and bows are all included in the process. Is this normal for a three year old? Are we hitting teenage tendancies a little early? The bonus is she happily hangs her clothes neatly in the closet when she is done. Whether she choses a princess dress or jeans she is cute and happy and that makes me smile.

blessing.

2011-02-07T13:14:00.002-07:00

Tim blessed little Gracie this Sunday. He gave a very sweet blessing and testimony.
Gracie looked like a little princess in the dress that Grandma and Grandpa picked out for her.

Gracie is a lucky girl to be loved by so many people. We are very blessed to be supported by such a wonderful family and friends. Thanks to all for sharing this special day with us!

Gracie was loving the attention of this little photo shoot. Goo! Ahh! Smile!

She's a sweet little lady. Love her!

ten weeks.

2011-02-04T15:12:00.000-07:00

Don't tell me this girl is ten weeks old already. It's true! She is such a sweet little lady - gooing and smiling at anyone who will let her. She weighs in at 10 lbs 6 oz. Oh, those chubby cheeks are the cutest!

We're loving her to pieces!!

cupcake fondue.

2011-01-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

This is the best idea, ever!

Mini cupcakes dipped in warm frosting with sprinkles and candy to top it off.

My little lady would love, love, love this! Yum.

love one another.

2011-01-26T15:05:00.000-07:00

Loving this simple and sweet reminder...Just in time for Valentines Day. Get it free here.

2011.

2011-01-24T16:12:00.000-07:00

I heart this calendar. I would like it pinned up on my wall. Cute.

dreaming.

2011-01-21T17:33:00.000-07:00

We sure could use a good dose of this.

Oh sun, how I miss you and your warm rays.

three.

2011-01-18T15:11:00.000-07:00

Sophia turned three years old. As you can see, she was thrilled to have a birthday! We had a great day of celebrating our cute & spunky little girl. We got to go bowling for her first time ever. She loved it!...and she beat us all with the high score! We had a birthday dinner at Chilli's where the servers and patrons all sang Happy Birthday Dear Sophia. Fun! We finished off the day with presents and princess cupcakes.

We sure do love this little lady.

working out.

2011-01-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

We tried out the bumbo for a neck workout. We got tired fast. And we cried. Oh well.

happy christmas.

2010-12-26T21:24:00.000-07:00

We had a very happy Christmas. The annual Christmas eve with the Hales was a joy with yummy food and entertaining white elephants. We missed Tim - luckily he made it home for jammies and a Santa hunt! Christmas morning we devoured the gifts and Santa's surprises and enjoyed more family with a traditional strawberry waffle breakfast. We continued the day visiting with the Whitchurch family and friends and filled our bellies to the rim. Hope you all had a joyful holiday season!

zoo lights.

2010-12-18T21:50:00.031-07:00

We ventured to the Zoo Lights this year and loved it! Grandpa joined us which was a very special treat! The weather was good but super cold. Gracie stayed bundled and warm and happily snoozed away. It was great entertainment for Sophia. She loved pointing out all the lighted animals and riding on the carousel with Grandpa. Santa was visiting and his reindeer (not santa) were a huge hit. Sophia is still pointing out "Santa's rainbows" whenever we happen to see a deer run across the road. She has even claimed to see them in the sky...I have yet to see this myself, but Sophia seems quite sure of it. It was especially fun to see the tigers so active and close to the fence! We will definitely make this a yearly tradition.

you're invited.

2010-12-18T14:05:00.000-07:00

If you'd like to continue to read our blog please leave your name, email address & how you know me or found this blog! Don't be embarrassed - I blog stalk people too! :)

two weeks.

2010-12-07T21:27:00.002-07:00

Gracie at two weeks.

baby gracie.

2010-11-28T11:55:00.000-07:00

Grace Catherine Whitchurch

11.23.10

8 lbs. 1 oz. 20.5 in.

Came with lots of dark brown hair with golden highlights and long, skinny fingers and toes.

Cute, cuddly, and so much fun!

are you ready?

2010-11-20T17:38:00.003-07:00

Our favorite Black Friday commercial...pretty close to reality at our house!

P.S. Still no baby. Sigh.

ballerina.

2010-11-02T17:19:00.000-06:00

Sophia was a beautiful ballerina for Halloween this year. She loved dressing up, posing in the mirror and twirling for anyone she saw. We visited Daddy at work to kick of the trick-or-treating and despite the pouring rain, hit up the houses in our circle and had too much fun! Sophia's favorite part was handing out double handfuls of candy to each kid that stopped by our house. If she didn't like your costume you only got one piece of small candy. Let that be a lesson to you! Ha ha! Sophia has asked every morning since if we can have Halloween again. At our house princess and ballerina costumes equals a Happy Halloween everyday!

mini chef.

2010-11-02T16:59:00.000-06:00

Sophia loves helping in the kitchen.

Here she is making pumpkin chocolate chip cookies for our Halloween party.

What a great little chef we have!

the fair.

2010-09-28T00:06:00.000-06:00

We headed out to the State Fair and had us a pretty great time! After checking out all the prize winning animals we got ourselves some fair food - as you can see by Sophia's bucket of french fries the portions were gigantic...and delicious! One of our favorite activities was the Pig Races. Tim was chosen as the first pig's cheerleader and he actually won a race! Tim and Sophia were honored in the winning circle with a pig dance and snout. So funny! Sophia loved the FFA mini-farmers experience. She got to milk a cow, pick apples, plant seeds, drive a pink tractor, gather wool and eggs then sell all her produce to the local store! She even got wages for her hard days work. Clearly she was exhausted as she used her new cowboy hat to shade her from the harsh sun and fell asleep two seconds into the car ride home. Gotta love the fair!

cowgirls.

2010-09-27T23:37:00.002-06:00

My nieces are true cowgirls. They work so hard to train and maintain beautiful horses. Their hard work has certainly paid off at State this year - and will be headed to quarter horse competitions next year! We went to see the final competition and cheer for our girls! Sophia was in heaven around hundreds of horses, dirt and shimmery shirts! I think we might have a cowgirl on our hands!

boating.

2010-09-03T22:37:00.000-06:00

We finally made a boating trip this summer, thanks to Scott & his family. We're so sad the whole summer has gone by with only one boating day! So we made the most of it and spent the day on the beach playing, snacking, and soaking up the sun. This was Sophia's first time riding in the boat. We weren't sure she would like the loud engine but she warmed right up to it and had a blast! She even jumped out of the boat into the deep water. Such fun! Here's hoping that next summer will find us at the beach and behind a boat much more often!

the bump.

2010-08-25T16:16:00.000-06:00

The baby bump at 28 weeks.

Things are coming along nicely - we're "textbook" as the Doc likes to say. If only we could decide on a name for the babe and a paint color for her room. Any suggestions?

popsicle faces.

2010-07-22T17:57:00.000-06:00

This picture sums up just about all evenings around our house. Playing outside with best friends, eating popsicles and being silly. These two are the cutest little girls - even with blue and green tongues! So glad for summer nights and happy people to share them with.

chopped.

2010-07-21T16:07:00.000-06:00

Sophia's hair grows like a weed and has had many, many home haircuts to keep it generally maintained. Saturday we decided to let a professional take on the job. Sophia loved going to a real, grown-up salon and sitting in the big chair in front of a mirror. She did awesome and loved every minute of attention she was getting. We said goodbye to her long hair and hello to her new short and sassy bob. Love it! Such a cutie!

the dog.

2010-07-18T19:08:00.000-06:00

Diesel is getting big - a whoppin' 27 pounds already. (I'm getting big too, as you can see.) He is learning to listen and obey. Notice how he is sitting so patiently and is without a leash! He loves going on adventures and jumping in the lake (even though he almost drowns himself). He is eating my tomatoes and pulling out my plants...But makes up for it in cuteness. He loves his family and we love him. Good boy, Diesel.

happy birthday tim.

2010-07-18T18:49:00.000-06:00

Happy Birthday to Tim! We had a fun day of celebration in honor of Tim this year - lunch at Rodizio's, Toy Story 3, birthday shopping and finally cake and ice cream! Tim picked a hamburger cake this year. Totally random but delicious!! It was a fun day spent with "his girls". We love you daddy!

the zoo.

2010-07-13T09:07:00.001-06:00

Grandma W treated us to a fun day at the zoo. All Sophia could talk about was those silly monkies, that is until we saw the bird show. She loved it! They had her full attention...oo-ing and aw-ing at all the tricks. She even got to give a bird a dollar! The baby elephant was adorable and the giraffes were another favorite. Of course we had to get a few rides on the Carousel and Train - so much fun we had to pry the girl away! She even got to take home a purse and kitty from the gift shop. Sophia could live a the zoo! Thanks for a fun day, Grandma!

local pond.

2010-07-09T13:23:00.003-06:00

We discovered a little local lake and have been taking advantage of how close it is. We're loving the extra fresh air and exercise. Sophia and Diesel venture through the tall grasses and chase the ducks and other birds. It's a nice little escape from our busy days.

utah arts festival.

2010-06-29T11:26:00.000-06:00

This summer is bringing lots of smiles! Tim was lucky enough to score some Target sponsor tickets to the Utah Arts Festival which meant free entrance, all you can eat food & drinks and lots of fun! We found ourselves splashing in the library square fountain to cool off - of course, this was Sophia's favorite part. We also loved the art, dancers, music and sitting in the shade watching the unique SLC crowd. Summer is off to a great start!

water fun.

2010-06-29T11:06:00.000-06:00

It's so nice to finally have hot, sunny summer here! Sophia has been having a blast cooling off in our backyard sprinklers and mini-pool. She loves having tea parties while she lounges in her pool under her umbrella. I will have to snag a picture of her little parties...So cute! Diesel (the puppy) loves the pool too and accidentally popped it! I quickly found a replacement pool so our fun has continued pretty much every day. We are lovin' summer!

baby number two.

2010-06-17T18:35:00.001-06:00

...is a GIRL!

Due November 19th. We're healthy and happy!

our new bestie.

2010-06-14T10:23:00.000-06:00

Meet our newest best friend. He is an almost 8 week old chocolate lab. We've had him one day and he and Sophia are already the best of friends! He's playful, super cuddly and lots of fun. We love him! Sophia's cousins got to take home his cute yellow brother - we're excited to have him in the family too! We still can't decide what to name him though...any ideas?

monkey business.

2010-06-11T13:50:00.001-06:00

Cold rainy days don't stop this girl from having fun. I turned around to find Sophia upside down and giggling in her closet. Her clothes ripped from the rod and thrown on the floor. Apparently hanging and swinging is a much more fun and appropriate use for closet rods than keeping clothes. I love my cute little monkey!

painting.

2010-06-11T12:47:00.001-06:00

We're finally getting back around to Sophia's bedroom makeover. We spent yesterday painting furniture and building a couple of small new accent pieces. The satin white paint is drying nicely and waiting for a clear topcoat to finish up. I decided to give the back panel of the bookcase an accent color - Martha Stewarts "ballet slippers". I do not recommend doing this unless you have serious patience - it is a perfectionists nightmare. And I'm not a fan of Martha's paint. The colors are beautiful but the paint itself is really thin. If you want to use her great colors just have it matched in Behr or Benjamin Moore paints - two higher quality paints and my personal favorites. But it's done and looks good enough for now, anyway. We're now in process of prepping her walls for "white saphire" aka light blue paint. Stay tuned!

riding bikes.

2010-06-03T12:21:00.002-06:00

Sophia loves taking a ride every morning in the new bike trailer. We've had lots of fun cruisin' the trails so close to home!

my latest love.

2010-06-01T15:04:00.000-06:00

Caldrea recently partnered with our favorite store Target! They have three new Target exclusive fragrances - Citron Ginger, Olive Oil, & Herbs of Provence and all at a very friendly, decent price. I have the Olive Oil trio. I love, love, love it! I plan on stocking up. Go out and get yourself some! You'll thank me, I promise.

home improvement.

2010-06-01T14:50:00.002-06:00

We've been busy making some changes and improvements around here. We've been painting and getting Sophia's room ready for a make-over. Everything is ready to go now....it just got put on hold when the sun (sort-of) came out and we made our yard the priority. Since then we've been building and repairing fences, ripping out loads of sod (which is the best way I've found to tone my arms! whew, it's hard work!), building rock pathways in our soon-to-be green and lush fruit/veggie/herb garden, hanging flower baskets to admire from my kitchen window, planting bushes and flowers galore, fixing sprinklers, and the list goes on! We've loved being able to spend so much time and energy in our own yard and look forward to seeing it grow and flourish! Happy Summer!

surprise.

2010-06-01T14:31:00.002-06:00

The W Sisters made a secret trip to Utah to throw a super great surprise party for Mary! It was lots of fun to spend some time with them and help with the planning and lies. Thanks for letting us help with the big surprise!

cousins.

2010-05-30T15:53:00.000-06:00

It's so fun to have our cousins visit us. Especially when they love to dress up, giggle and pose for pictures as much as we do! These girls are the most lovely princesses I've seen in a while and definitely the most fun!

baby animal days.

2010-05-30T15:41:00.002-06:00

We had a fun time seeing all the farm animals up in Wellsville at Baby Animal Days. We loved seeing the baby bears, pygmy goats, cows, bunnies, lambs, chicks, ducks and of course horses! Sophia loved being on the farm and made herself at home - climbing in and over fences, dirt, mud and hay to cuddle up to the animals. The food was a fun treat too. Tim tried a deep fried Twinkie (he at the whole thing and said it was pretty good!) and the rest of us ate some delicious BBQ pork sandwiches and sugared almonds, yum! Such a fun tradition!

tom boy.

2010-03-15T16:34:00.004-06:00

Our sweet little girl is a tom boy. She just got in from climbing on boulders, scaling the fence and diggin' in the dirt - helter skelter hair and dirt on her knees. Her girliness shines through too...as she takes the time to model her new pink hat. Love her.

split decision.

2010-03-13T18:17:00.003-07:00

Sophia is movin' her way up to a big girl bed! She is totally in love with the idea. New bed, new decor, the works! Such fun. The problem? We can't decide which of these two bedspreads to keep!! Both are darling. So...we're leaving the decision up to you, dear readers. Please vote / comment on the design of your liking. A or B? (Please keep in mind that the current hot pink walls will be painted a much more calm and lovely color.) Happy virtual decorating!

just dance.

2010-02-15T11:14:00.003-07:00

You know your husband loves you

when he surprises you with this for Valentines day.

And he dances with you well past your bedtime. Yes, that's true love!

i love.

2010-02-13T23:00:00.002-07:00

- My eternal boyfriend - Our sweet little girl - Staying up late - Sleeping in - Watching movies, eating popcorn and sipping carbonated drinks - Taking walks - Taking baths - Working hard to get a job done - Feeling warm - Sitting in the sun - Reading a well-written book - Planting flowers - Cleaning my house - Good design - Pretty shoes and the hunt to find them - Mom & Dad - Sunday drives - Listening to life stories and experiences - Getting teased and getting even - Laughing until I cry - Quilts - Cuddling - Old friends - Family dinner - Dancing in the kitchen -

So many things to love. Happy Valentines Day.

fearless.

2010-02-13T22:02:00.005-07:00

Daddy was working in the attic. Sophia wanted to help.

Mama left for three seconds and came back to a fearless,

barely two-year-old daughter, six feet taller.

She's definitely her father's daughter.

fishie.

2010-02-13T21:55:00.004-07:00

Sophia got a "fishie!...fishie!" yesterday.

She loves him. We named him Cupid.

Here they are getting to know one another.

coxinha.

2010-02-09T12:23:00.005-07:00

Tim baked up some delicious Coxinha's - deep fried chicken filled dough - for us last night. He used to pick these up along with refreshing passion fruit juice from street vendors for a quick lunch when he lived in Brazil. Sophia loved cutting out the dough and was a big fan of the finished product. Yum! So glad we can learn about and enjoy other cultures in our home!

reading stories.

2010-02-09T12:03:00.002-07:00

Sophia likes to read good books to Mama. We love story time!

dressing up.

2010-02-02T13:18:00.008-07:00

Tim lucked out at Christmas this year with the best white elephant gift ever - a huge box full of princess dress-ups. He wasn't as excited as he should have been - I guess glitter and pink just aren't his colors. The dress-ups have been hanging nicely in Sophia's closet waiting to be discovered. The glitz finally caught her eye. Her final outfit - Cinderella's top, no skirt, polka-dot purse & pink sunglasses. Stylin'.

gallbladder.

2010-01-27T21:17:00.003-07:00

I had my gallbladder removed last week. Lots of love was sent my way. Happy to say that I am now looking and feeling much better than in the above pic. Thanks so much to my Hubby, Mom & Dad, Mom-in-law and pain killers for helping us get through the week. Here's looking to my new life without a gallbladder!

grams earned her wings.

2010-01-24T23:04:00.010-07:00

Norma Wright Snelson 1915 ~ 2010 A life of strength, beauty and hard work came to an end on January 19, 2010, when Norma W. Snelson died of causes incident to age.Born in Charleston, Utah, on April 17, 1915, to George and Phebe Wright, her early years in Charleston were a busy mix of hard work and fun. She had brothers and sisters and one niece, Ruby, whom she considered her sister. She is survived only by a younger sister Evon Webster. She married her long-life-love, Ronald Snelson, with whom she had four children: Barbara (Hugh), Dean (Annie), Marilyn (Jan) and Bette (David). Norma worked in retail sales in some of Utah's finest stores, Auerbachs, The Paris Company and ZCMI after Ronald's death in 1947. She was fiercely proud of her family, calling them the jewels of her life. She provided her posterity with a lasting example of strength, determination, happiness and a love of the gospel of Jesus Christ. She loved the Savior and exemplified His teachings in her Primary and Relief Society lessons in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 23, 2010 at 11 a.m. at Wheeler Mortuary, 211 E 200 S, Springville, UT. A viewing will be held one hour prior to the services. Interment will be at the Evergreen Cemetery in Springville, UT. Condolences may be sent at www.wheelermortuary.com

two.

2010-01-23T20:26:00.007-07:00

Sophia celebrated her second birthday in style. She helped me plan and prepare a great little party with her favorite things - pizza, root beer floats, and cupcakes. She loves to help Mom bake. She tasted everything to make sure it was perfect for our guests. Sophia was spoiled with a baby doll and all the accessories including a crib, high chair, clothes and backpack. She also got a vacuum that she hauls around the entire house - cleaning up, just like mommy! We love our sweet little Sophia. She finds such joy in happiness in this world and shares her love with everyone she knows. Happy Birthday, Baby Cakes!

jewels.

2010-01-15T11:39:00.002-07:00

I have been on the lookout for a good way to store, manage and contain all of my jewelry. I have tons of it but don't wear it often because it's unorganized and hard to find. I think something like this would be just the ticket. I just might attempt my own version to spruce up my walls and jewels. So lovely.

the lights.

2009-12-22T13:46:00.006-07:00

We bundled up and ventured out with our friends the Butlers to get a good dose of holiday cheer at Temple Square. It was very beautiful! The snow was falling and all the yucky smog gave the lights and temple an extra wintery, surreal look. Sophia absolutely loved the crowd and the pretty lights!

gingerbread houses.

2009-12-16T16:33:00.004-07:00

We had lots of fun building gingerbread houses this year. Sneaking tastes of candy and biting the head off a gingerbread man were highlights for little Sophia. Thanks for helping us Grandma!

famous flowers.

2009-12-13T21:49:00.004-07:00

Natalie Cole is my new best friend. She gave me these beautiful Christmas roses. She is so lovely. Actually...Tim was able to work with Natalie Cole and David McCullough at the annual Christmas concert with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. On her last performance, which I was lucky enough to see live, she was given these lovely flowers to thank her for a beautiful performance. Afterward she told Tim to give these beautiful flowers to his wife. That's me! Now I have beautiful flowers fit for a Diva! So, that's why we are best friends. Thanks Natalie! Oh, and thanks to Tim for rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous - it sure makes life fun for us!

meeting santa.

2009-12-12T11:58:00.002-07:00

We had to wait in a very long line to see Santa at the ward Christmas party. Sophia didn't think the wait was worth the prize. Maybe after he visits us and brings her toys she will be a bigger fan. Thanks anyway, Santa!

little baker.

2009-12-08T21:50:00.003-07:00

Sophia made some yummy cookies today. She loves helping Mommy cook. She also loves to snitch the cookie dough. In fact, I don't know why I even bother baking the cookies. We eat more dough than cookies. We did find room for the finished product though - and even shared with our friend Bear and baby Sammy. What fun it is to play house with little girls!