Wednesday, February 29, 2012

At Home Photoshoot/Lila Update


 Ever since getting my SLR camera, I have deemed myself a professional photographer. John's lights from his video production junk in the unfinished basement really make me legit. Here was our set up- (complete with helpers to design the next outfit and make silly faces to bring out smiles)
 After all the work and a close look at the pictures, I am ok with the fact that my nice camera and fancy lights (and highly trained personal assistants) really don't make me a great photographer, but when you have a subject like mine, you really can't go wrong. Sorry people! You can't afford me!

Enjoy my picture montage followed by an update of this babe.
                                                                               
                                     

                                      
I especially like the last pictures on the chair because that chair used to live in my beloved Grandma Marilynn's house. Now it's mine and my cute baby's bum can sit on it and suddenly these generations of women that I love so deeply are connected. Happy heart!

Now for the much needed update:

My Lila Eve is almost 8 months old. WHAT? HOW? I know! These last months have just flown by. At about 4 months I noticed the bottle just wasn't satisfying. I usually try to stretch the baby food thing until 6 months, but this chubber needed more! So I started her up on solids and she will down anything from plain rice cereal to whatever we are eating for dinner (blended up). Just this week I gave her bananas for the first time. She likes her veggies more! She also loves the puffed sweet potato treats.
She started sitting up on her own and army crawling at about 6 months. SO naughty! I like my babies immobile until 8 months. Now, she's not quite 8 months and she is trying to climb the stairs! 
She sleeps 10-12 hours at night and naps 2-3 times a day. She is very predicable and only fusses if she's tired, hungry or poopy. 
Her smiles are never ending! Really! And the novelty just hasn't worn off for any of us. Austin loves to hold her and spin and bounce around and she laughs and laughs. Adeline will cuddle her on her lap and include her in her playtime (like making Lila the class pet when they are playing school or the baby in house or the monster that destroys and eats people when playing doll house).  Bailey tries to ride her like a horse when she is crawling and play peek-a-boo, which also makes her laugh and laugh. 
This is the first baby we've had with John being home full time and having lots of freedom. He thinks it's about the best thing in the world. He literally does half for Lila. He changes half the diapers, does half the feedings and rockings to sleep. It's so great for me because I still get plenty of baby time, but I also get time with my other children AND a little Kim time (aka gym time). 
My house is usually cluttered with toys and school work and I don't always get my make-up on, but this is my favorite stage of life so far. I keep wanting to pause it, but I take my special moments, tuck them away safely in my memory and think that it's only gotten better so far, so I expect the best is yet to come!

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

The Happy Haps

 Here are the happenings in our happy lives as of late...

I helped put on our ward Valentine's dinner and dance. It was a hit!

The big 3 are doing so great in school! I'm a proud mama.

 We are still smitten by this baby

 Austin did a class project on an animal of his choice. Guess what he chose- COUGAR! (BYU's biggest fan here!)

We got away for a quick night (TOO QUICK!) to my uncle's cabin with the family. We did lots of laying around
 and a little sledding/snowshoeing/skiing
 and a little more laying around



One day I walked into the family room and was met by this- (Lila being Bailey's dress-up doll)
 She never stops smiling and we never tire of it!

To celebrate John's birthday, we skied to a yurt at Solitude for a nice, 5 course dinner. This man makes my heart pound...
Our lives continue to be full- Just how we like it!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

Marketer's Cruise 2012

 We just got home from a Western Caribbean cruise with about 400 other Internet marketers. Big HOLLA to my mom who watched my 4 children for 10 days. In those 10 days, Bailey, my mom and dad all got the pukes and Lila got her very first ear infection (tears on the cruise ship from this sad mom!) Luckily my mom is a better mom than me, so I knew everyone was well taken care of.
Our first stop was in Cozumel, where we went scuba diving. The real highlight of the day was lunch though; real Mexican food with a (virgin) pina colada.
 Top the day off with a little shopping before getting back on the ship and I am one happy gal.
Formal evening

Here we are in the back of a bus in Costa Rica (stop 2) on our way to white water raft. This was my fav!

We took the scenic route back and got a view of our ship
The lovely city of Limon, CR and our ship

Stop 3 was Panama. We visited the canal and had lunch. Not too exciting but a nice break from the boat.
 The brave men tried frog legs at dinner one night. The report was that they taste like chicken. I will take their word for it.


Chocolate melting cake was my dessert every single night!
Then ice cream, of course.
 The chocolate chip cookies were heaven too and I learned I could order them room service by the plateful!

(would you believe me if I told you that I actually lost 1/2 a pound on the trip? It's the truth! I did!)

I'd like you to meet Russell and Collette. They are our new BFFs. We stayed up way too late playing games nearly every night! 

 Not pictured is dancing at the club a couple times (I think we lasted about 4 songs), some really cheesy shows, laying out, sitting in the hot tub, working out, and too much karaoke for my taste.

It's always fun to get away and it's always fun to come home!

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Christmas 2011: In One Long Post

 So, I thought about setting a new years resolution to blog every single day of 2012, but that's just not realistic for me...but I really want to be better!
Let me sum up our December for you. After heading up our ward Christmas party AND ward Christmas service project (which were both a complete joy to do...really!), we held up a life-long tradition and went to see "Scrooge"
Dinner before at Pizza Factory
I guess we bored the big boys
Classic girl picture (where's Cara?)
Oh! I love Todd and Lexi
This is seriously the best family picture we got
Always good times when I get to sit next to this man

The week before Christmas, between the older 3, there was some kind performance every single day...from dance to school sings...It started with Bailey's dance recital. Then my camera died and I kept forgetting to charge it (like all great mom's do) and only got pics of this cutie

Christmas Eve was a HOOT! After dinner we had a "variety show" (not enough talent in this family to call it a "talent show"). My camera was up and running, but everything was videoed, so pictures are few.
Todd and Lexi did a Bollywood dance from the Wii
Cami, Cara, and I did a silly little lip sync to "Sisters" from White Christmas

 Not pictured (but maybe we will get a video montage up here one day) was a lip sync by CarAndrew, Feliz Navidad by Tim, Shel and the chocolate babies, a game by Gma Juju, reading by the Hansen boys, and the nativity by the Jonas children. Check out the youngest Jonas...
...Gah...this girl...
 Christmas morning was truly perfect. Since Christmas was on Sunday this year, we got up and went to church! Not only did it set the tone for the day, but we all looked so cute in our Christmas morning pictures. We came home, got back in jammies and dove into presents, with peanut butter cups from our stockings for breakfast- first breakfast, that is.
Angry Birds!
Harry Potter!
This lady made my Christmas season so special!
I decided since my girls were wearing swim robes from 2 years ago, this would be a great gift
with matching slippers!
Alrighy, I am counting this as being officially caught up! Stick around, we're going on a cruise next week and you won't want to miss pictures of me in a bathing suit. Plus I want to throw in a couple other update posts.

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Blessing Day

Although this happened on Oct. 8, it's too special to forget...

What a great day when a mother gets to watch her husband give her new baby a name and a blessing! It's always such a spiritual high for me (which is a good pick-me-up when you hit that 6 week mark and the sleepless nights are starting to pull you down)

What proud parents!
This is a few of the men that were in the circleAnd the whole group
How thankful I am for husband who is a worthy priesthood holder!