A Few of Mallorie's Favorite Things

• Time in the tub with sister
• Poking Cleo, jumping back, and laughing
• Listening to the song "I See the Moon"
• She gets right up in my face and watches my mouth while I sing, a big grin on her face
• Her blankie
• Doing anything that Morgan is doing
• Coloring
• Listening to and looking at books
• Playing mommy to her dolls, wrapping them in blankets and carting them around the house, gently patting their backs/heads
• Daddy
• Bananas, eggs, bread, cheese, yogurt, milk, chicken nuggets, fries, fruit in general
• My cell phone
• Singing
• Eating on her own with a fork
• Watching movies, especially the "My Little Pony" video
• Playing outside
• Cuddling

Peanut butter and jelly...messy combo

A Few of My Favorite Things

• Snuggles in my bed first thing in the morning with Mallorie while she drinks milk from her sippy cup. While she drinks, she will often reach a little hand up, find my face or shoulder in the semi-dark of the room, and gently pat pat pat.
• Listening to Morgan repeat words from the scriptures each night before bed. She has such a sweet voice. The words she creates if she doesn't understand is hilarious!
• Mallorie has a very contagious smile and belly laugh. Her grin lights up her whole face and those big blue eyes. I adore watching her learn about her environment.
• Hearing both of my girls singing.
• Feeling the spirit in the evenings as Chadwick and Morgan (with Mallorie singing back up) sing all four verses of "How Great Thou Art."
• Holding hands with Chadwick.
• Watching Mallorie's face light up in a grin while I sing "I See the Moon."
• Cuddle time with the cat while I lay on the couch.
• Giggling as Darwin runs like a cartoon character on our slick laminate flooring in the evenings when we get him all riled up.
• Having Morgan pull my ear to her mouth while she whispers gibberish, telling me a secret.
• Squish hugs from Morgan.
• Laughing with my husband.

Love these guys!!

Merry Christmas!

I remember Christmas as a child, with everything seeming so magical, exciting, and new. I loved the traditions we established with my family - driving to Northern New Mexico for the day to cut down a tree, decorating it with everyone, wondering if Mark was going to fall on his head while trying to place the star atop our 10 foot tree, baking with mom, watching the number of presents under the tree grow daily, Smorgasbord and church on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day playing at my dad's house....the smells and sounds. Having more than one or two gifts to open because they weren't so expensive. =) Christmas has not lost its luster for me, but it was getting more dull for a few years. Then we had children, and this year Morgan is old enough to "get it." She loved baking cookies (though was usually disappointed when I told her they weren't for us), was excited to tell Santa what she wanted this year (Barbies, roller skates, and My Little Ponies), and we started Elf on the Shelf.

She was given the name of Abbie and graced our house during the pre-Christmas season. It was a hit! From hiding in the girls' room to hinting at painting fingernails and making cookies, she was all over the house. And fun for me, I might add. Morgan had a blast opening presents, squealed at her toys, and has had a hard time sharing them with an ever-intrusive little sister. It was the year of horse toys for us! And a Calico Critter house, which I am excited to play with as soon as possible.

For her part, Mallorie was content to play with the first toy she unwrapped and had no interest in pursuing the other gifts. She continues to make us laugh each day with her antics and sparkling smile. And no, she has not quite grown into her many teeth. In addition to a few horses, she received a stuffed animal and shopping cart among other things.

Each Christmas Eve for as long as I've been alive, my family makes and eats the same, Swedish inspired foods - ham, meatballs, potato sausage, baked beans, deviled eggs, rolls, hardtack, cheese, lignonberries, pickled or creamy herring, and potatoes. YUM! Chadwick and I invited friends over to share in this tradition (minus the herring, as no one was going to partake) and we finished the evening at their house to watch some really bad BSU Bronco football. Christmas morning was all wrapping paper and a good breakfast with the remainder of the day spent at Nancy and Steve's house with James, Jolynn, and their two children.

Overall, a lovely time together with friends and family.

 

One of our first snowfalls of the year. This picture looks remarkably like one I took of Morgan when she was just a few months younger. The next shot is of my two girls with Max, Deagan, and Presley who live in the duplex next door.

 

Mallorie was not impressed with Santa...

 

New Mexico Sun

From the time I was born, the days surrounding my birthday have been filled with hot air balloons. Each year, for two weeks in October, Albuquerque hosts the International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. Thousands of people and balloons come from all over the country (and world) to participate in the events. This year, some 500 balloons were present. They take off each morning at 7:00, weather permitting, and have some events in the evenings as well. The fiesta grounds are lined with tents, offering everything from food to souvenirs. It's like the fair at 6:30 in the freezing cold! Chadwick hasn't had the opportunity to experience any of this, so the four of us flew home for a visit with my family and friends in the Southwest.

Saturday morning, we loaded the sleepy kids up into the truck, grabbed some snacks, and waited in line (in the truck, luckily) for an hour for our place to park at the balloon grounds. The wind was blowing, the air chilly, and there wasn't a cloud in sight. Unfortunately, the wind was too much for many of the balloons to launch, but we were able to see several of them up close. In addition, we ate green chili breakfast burritos washed down with hot chocolate. A note about these burritos - I've been bragging about them since moving away to attend college. Their warmth, the scrambled eggs, bacon, and flavor of the green chili....heavenly. Turns out, they were better in memory. =) The girls had a good time, though Mallorie was mad that I wouldn't put her down to walk in the grass. I hadn't bothered to bring her shoes and had bundled her around fuzzy pjs.

As is typical, the following morning was pristine and hundreds of balloons were able to launch. Maybe we'll have better luck another year!

Looking pretty good for waking up at 4:30!

Walking towards the launching grounds

There's a baby in there somewhere...



 

A quick note about this last picture - as the crowds were leaving, we noted a mounted patrol at one end of the grounds. Horse person that I still am, I had to go check them out. This particular horse was a Clydesdale, a draft breed normally found pulling carts rather than being ridden, and under his girth was a small gondola containing two dolls. A horse balloon!! I thought it was hilarious. His rider is part of a search and rescue team of horsemen, and while his height was an advantage in a crowd, it gets tricky when riding through the woods in search of someone.

 

Chadwick stayed for a long weekend, then left the girls and I for the remainder of the 14-day trip. We went to the zoo (twice), the Natural History Museum, took a train for lunch in Santa Fe, saw fish at the aquarium, visited four great-grandparents, and caught up with my high-school basketball coach and wife. We played in the park, read stories, and laughed with grandparents. And none of us slept much, as little Mallorie was not impressed with the sleeping arrangements for reasons known only to herself. She refused to take naps, go down for bed, stay sleeping for more than a few hours once down....she spent many nights in bed with me to order to preserve peace. We made a trip to the urgent care to ensure that she didn't have an underlying ear infection! She didn't. I think she started sleeping well the last 4 nights we were there. Ugh.

 

For me, one of the highlights of the trip was a much-anticipated visit from a college friend, Hayley. She left her husband and three oldest girls to their own devices at their Arizona ranch and made the drive with her six-month-old to stay with my parents for a few nights. It was a wonderful reunion! We made it to the zoo but spent most of the trip talking. And then a bit more talking. And laughing, all the while providing much-needed relief from the stresses of life. I cherish the friendship I have with several wonderful women who get me through this adventure called life.

Though I dreaded the flight home with two busy girls by myself, the flights went smoothly and we had no trouble. I am still considering making a drive the next visit rather than deal with the stress of airports, flying, and motion sickness during landings....

 

My grandpa has asked several times if Mallorie has grown into her mouth full of teeth yet. She's getting close! And as a random side note, Chadwick informed me that he is annoyed by the fact that Albuquerque traffic lights are strung horizontally across the street, rather than vertically like most other lights. I can't say that I've ever noticed the orientation of traffic lights....

The Wheels are Turning

I started a Word document of phrases, sayings, and thoughts from Morgan - kids really do say the darndest things! My memory is terrible and I wanted to preserve some of the sweet and funny things she has said since learning to talk. A similar document will be shortly created for Mallorie.

Mid-October, Chadwick, the girls, and I made a trip home to Albuquerque (post on that to come soon) for the annual hot air balloon fiesta and a visit with my family. Several weeks after our return while driving in the car, Morgan said, "Mom? Are there two suns?" Mind you, we had not been talking about the sun, Grandma Cindy or traveling. "No, why do you ask?" I replied. She proceeded to think out loud and wonder why the sun could be seen from Boise and from Grandma Cindy's house in New Mexico. And at the same time! After recovering from the shock of what I deemed to be a rather big thought from my little person, I explained to the best of my ability the fact that the sun is so large and so far away that it can be seen in both places at the same time. I don't think she quite grasped the concept but I could tell by her face that she continued to ponder the thought for a few minutes after our exchange.

Two weeks ago while sitting at lunch, she asked if I knew where our names lived. "Names? Like Morgan or Mom?" I clarified. Uh, I have no idea and told her so. "Where do you think they live?" I asked in return. With a sweet smile on her face, she gently placed her hand over her heart.

Times like this teach me that when I take a moment to ask what she thinks, I learn a lesson. A sweet moment for me.

My First 13.1

The summer before Chadwick and I were married, I decided to train for and run a half marathon. I made it to 10 miles before the wedding...and the running never quite continued during the time before, during, and after the wedding, honeymoon, and second reception. In addition, good friends of ours were having their wedding reception the day of my chosen race. Given the fact that I dislike running long distances, it was an easy choice to make. No race for me that year!

The desire to remove the half marathon never quite made it off my bucket list, so I made a goal to run a half around the time Mallorie turned a year. Good excuse to run, good way to shed some of the post-baby weight and get myself out of the house. There were setbacks and colds, days of running when I didn't have the desire, days when running felt amazing. More days of foot and heel pain until I figured out that my running shoes were shot. The girls learned to spend large amounts of time without complaining in the stroller, Mallorie went from sleeping most of the run to squealing and talking alongside Morgan. Sweet Morgan would talk to me the whole run, then ask why I'd gone quiet during the last few miles. "Sweetie (panting), Mommy is tired and can't talk right now. Can you wait until we get to the car?"

February, starting to train

• Furthest distance run with the stroller - 7 miles
• Favorite training memory? -  Running with stroller and Darwin along the Greenbelt and having a woman walking the other direction give me mini-bows in an "I'm-not-worthy" style. =)
• Longest distance run by Darwin during training - 19 miles

Darwin was there through the entire process, often running two-a-days as Chadwick and I rotated running shifts in the morning before he went to work. Heaven forbid he should stay home while one of us went out. I did leave him home one morning (after he'd already been with Chadwick) and I could hear him barking and howling down for several blocks. 



On the bus!

We ran the Pocatello Half Marathon at the end of August. Nancy and Steve were kind enough to take the girls for a couple of days so we could have a little mini-vacation to ourselves. Dinner in Pocatello was with friends Friday night - pasta, of course - and the race started early Saturday morning outside town. A bus took us from the finish line to the starting point, where we met up with the marathon runners halfway through their course. The weather was perfect, chilly in the morning but warmer with the sunrise.

Finish time - 2:10 - exactly the time for which I had strived!!
Chadwick's finish time - 1:32 - slower than he wanted by two minutes, but he was able to win his age category anyway

We did it!

The rest of the day was spent resting, soaking in the hot tub, and eating a steak lunch. We went to Applebee's for dinner to watch part of the BSU game and wound up sitting at a table next to two men who'd started drinking as soon as their half marathon had finished. One was particularly drunk and inclined to argue, but we had a good time anyway. It was the first, and probably one of the last, times I've seen Chadwick sore from running!

People have said that once I ran a half, I'd have the itch for a full. Still waiting for that, and I think a 10K is my preferred distance....

12 Months and Counting

Twelve months ago, our sweet Mallorie came into our family. Baby snuggles have turned into quiet moments twice daily during bottles, the soft body is becoming firm with muscle tone, toothless smiles have been replaced by a smile filled with teeth (molars are almost in!), and her strong personality has continued to blossom. She has a huge amount of stranger danger but is happy to smile at friends unknown from a safe distance, I laugh watching her stuff her face with as many puffs as she can cram into her chubby hands, and her smile is contagious. A shrill "hiiiii!!" greets me after each nap or babysitting engagement. Darwin is tormented by her daily and Cleo remains in high places when possible to avoid having her whiskers grabbed. Morgan loves to hold her, bring her toys, and hold her hands while she learned to walk. On the other hand, Morgan does not love sharing her "favorite" toy of the day, having Mallorie try and play where she plays, and frequently covers her ears in the car, stating, "Mom, she's too loud!"

For several weeks, MJ (as we like to call her), has been cruising along the furniture, walking while holding to Morgan's hands, and taking a step or two before hitting her knees and crawling furiously toward her goal. That changed dramatically last Monday when, for whatever reason, she decided that walking would be the new mode of transportation. It's as if a switch was flipped and she went from mostly crawling to mostly walking in like 4 days. I LOVE to watch her diaper-shaped bottom waddle around the house, arms outstretched for balance, babbling softly to herself.

I think this is my favorite stage of development.

Local family plus my out-of-town dad (who decided two weeks prior to the big day that he wanted to be a part of the activities) came to our house for the celebration. We lucked out with the weather - it started raining after dessert - so the 20 of us we were able to eat outside on tables furnished by Nancy and Steve. Chadwick put on the chef hat and made steak rolls for the main dish, hot dogs for the little people, along with the usual, delicious sides. The décor theme? Ladybugs! With Chadwick's help, I was able to design and decorate a ladybug and flower cake. It turned out well, though wasn't quite as fancy as the "Tangled" castle cake a friend made her daughter..... =)

Unlike Morgan, Mallorie attached her chocolate cupcake with relish. She wasn't sure what to do initially, but once she figured out this was something to eat, it was all over. I have a great slideshow of the whole studying, eating, and smearing of chocolate. Nancy and I dunked her in the tub after to get her clean...she was not impressed. After a cuddle and time with a baseball bat and piñata, her good spirits were restored.




On your mark, get set, GO!

The final result

Meltdown in the tub

 

 



Nana watching the chaos

Presents were opened in parts - here is Morgan playing in the bag from Round 1 of opening.

 

Time has flown, yet not, this first year. It's certainly been a time of change for me! I love these sweet girls and the things they teach me each day.