Look, Mom!

Says Morgan from the back seat of the Santa Fe as we are pulling into the driveway last week -

"Daffa-doodles!"

Such a lovely sight....the sign of an impending spring.

The Big Move

As of February 15, we are excited to call this place "home."

This was the first property we toured as our search began for "the house" - the one in which we want to raise our children, to live for longer than four years, and would allow us all some elbow room. I vetoed the place after the tour, thinking that for our price range, something better was bound to be out there. Turns out I was wrong. The search included hours of searching the realty website looking for places that would catch our interest, going back and forth over whether we wanted the perfect house or some property which would allow Chadwick the opportunity to fulfill his dream of playing landowner. How far are we okay commuting to work? Where are the decent school districts? Can we really afford the perfect place? It became the common joke that we had no idea what we did after the girls went to bed in the evening as it was now consumed by house hunting online.

Ten houses in three cities, a large spreadsheet designed to help us identify the houses that matched our needs and desires (4 bedrooms, larger than 0.5 acres, brownie points awarded for a jetted tub in the master bath), and hours thinking and dreaming and analyzing brought us back to this house. We closed the deal after an agonizing month of jumping hoops and worrying that our finances wouldn't allow the purchase of a new home at all. I didn't start packing until the deal was done.

My sweet dad flew up from Albuquerque to help paint the new walls with the assistance of Chadwick and Steve, I packed like a crazy woman and then Chadwick unpacked like a crazy man. Two weeks after unloading our 26-foot Uhaul, every box was unpacked and neatly broken down in a pile in the garage. The only ones left contain pictures which we aren't ready to hang just yet.

We love the space!! I can go for minutes at a time and not run into another member of my family (minus the dog, who is always underfoot). Darwin loves the freedom of the backyard acreage - 0.99 to be exact. We have raised garden boxes, strawberries, grapes, and a rhubarb plant. The landscaping is great and the fence good enough to contain our canine. The kitchen is the best part of the house with granite countertops, a French style fridge, and double oven. My mother informed me that I need to host Thanksgiving this year. Gladly!

View from the dining room window

Though the house is lacking my jetted tub and a den, we have the opportunity to create a den, to pasture the back half of the yard for sheep and chickens, and continue to expand our little family if we choose. The formal dining room will be our "cultural room" with books, the piano, stereo, and comfy chairs. It's a 10 minute commute with no traffic to work for Chadwick and has pretty easy access to the freeway. I love our new ward. The girls love the stairs in the house. And we love the country feel of the surrounding area.

We are home.

Something to Think About...

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....