A budding photographer

Lily got her own camera for Christmas, but since it doesn't really take pictures, she still likes to use Mommy and Daddy's (with strict supervision, of course, following the demise of two, TWO, former cameras).

Lily taking a picture with her camera.


Here are some real pictures taken one day by Lily that I thought were her best:

A picture of me taken by Lily from the backseat. I tried to get her to lift the camera up, but seeing it was futile, I ducked down as far as I could to try to get in the frame.


A couple of pictures of Mandy. I think they are kind of arty. Mandy wouldn't let me save the pictures of her rear that Lily took.





A picture of Mom. "Oh, another picture? Great!"


And finally, a picture taken by me of the artist.

Snowy Day Fun

On the Saturday after Christmas, we went to the school where Matt's dad taught to go sledding. It was a bit of an impromptu activity, so we had to frantically find Lily some boots and gloves, but luckily we had her coat and Matt's sister, Jennie, had an extra snow suit, and she was good to go.

Here she is (in the middle) with her cousin Brynlee, contemplating the hill:


Getting strapped into the sled. Jennie had this awesome sled that was made for toddlers, with a seat belt and a tow rope.


Grandma, pulling Lily up in the hill in the sled. Brynnie was helping.


Daddy pulling Lily up just a little higher.


Lily headed toward the end of the run. I think there's a smile in there.


Lily at the bottom. There's definitely a smile. I can also see what appears to be a double thumbs-up, but really, they are just really big gloves (mine). I think she had her hands balled up in fists inside the gloves.


This is Grandma after she went down the hill. She said that she thought someone at the bottom was going to catch her, but she ended up hitting a bump and doing a somersault. This was the aftermath. I think she was okay after a few days.


"Wow, that was fun, but I am tired!"

The water monkey

Lily loves swimming and the water. She is crazy for it. She has taken a shower or bath almost every single day of her life, which I think helps her to love the water, and not be afraid of it. We don't really have a bathtub she can use right now to "swim" in, but she will sit in the middle of the shower floor to stop the water from going down the drain, to make a pool for her and her dolly. So, imagine her excitement when she learned that the hotel Grandpa was staying at had a real pool! See the joy for yourself:

"Yeah, the pool! I am going to get in!"


"Now I am REALLY excited!"


"Can we play with this ball?"

Lily and her aunt Mandy. ***Note the lack of smile. This is not an indication of her enjoyment level. It is merely because Mommy is taking the picture.


Post-swimming towel off.
"Yes, I am a ham. (But only when Mandy is taking the picture.)"


"Mmmm, this tastes like chlorine!"


"Aren't I cute?"

A New Camera, or Christmas Day

An explanation--for some reason, right after the New Kids concert, our camera stopped working. Maybe too much awesomeness after capturing the likes of Jon, Joey, Jordan, et all? Or, more likely, as Matt suggests, Lily once again got hold of a camera, with disastrous results. Unfortunately, I missed out on several photo ops during the Christmas season (we'll have to get pictures of the reindeer next year). Needless to say, I was very happy to receive a new camera for Christmas (thanks, Matt!). We went to Matt's mom's house on Christmas Eve, where we had a nice extended family party, which Matt missed sadly because of work, and then slept over at her house, where we had a nice leisurely Christmas morning (waking at 8:30, breakfast at 11:45, relaxed with family). Here are a few pictures from the morning:

I opened the camera very first thing Christmas morning, so this was one of the first pictures we got. Lily was excited to receive a Wonder Pets backpack, but in this photo she is still trying to wake up, and would not look at me, no matter how much I pleaded.


Lily got a camera of her own! She loves it (no it doesn't take real pictures, but she doesn't know.)


I had heard good things about this DVD helping kids learn their letters and the sounds, but boy, is it annoying. She likes it though.


Lily's grandma Judy gave Lily a doggy condo with 6 puppies in it. Lily thought that they should take a nap in the real doggy's house.


Lily and her Grandma Judy. We love being with her!


The happy family looking oh, so great, in our jammies. Lily is smiling so big because Matt is tickling her. When your kid won't smile for the camera, sometimes drastic measures are called for. It almost looks natural.


Lily drinking a juice box (bag?) on the way to Great-grandma's house to spend time with my side of the family. She had to build up some energy to survive a second round of present opening.


Unfortunately, the camera only came with a 32 MB card (are you kidding?) so this is all we had room for on the camera, but we had a great time with my dad and Nancy, Mandy and her friend, Eddie, Tommy, and my grandma Betty. They made a great meal and we had fun playing games, opening presents, and spending time together. Mandy took some pictures, though, so if I can get her to share them, I will have to post them later.

Dancing Lights

There's a guy in Murray that decorates his house and synchronizes the lights to the music. We have been twice now to see them because Lily loves it so much. She keeps talking about the dancing lights! It is fun, but be prepared to wait in line. If you are lucky, you can get a front row parking spot to see it. Click here to see his website. Merry Christmas!

Just a Little Update

Hi, all~ I have been getting requests for an update, so here it is:

First, the good news. After getting laid off in November, Matt had found another job, that actually pays better, has better hours, and better benefits. He had been thinking about switching jobs anyway, so the layoffs were just an extra push to find something better (which I can say now that he has found something else).

Lily is doing well. She is having a lot of fun with the Christmas season so far. We got out her Little People nativity that she got for Christmas last year, and she loves it. She has fun looking at Baby Jesus and his mommy and daddy. I tried to explain the whole Joseph caretaker thing, but I don't think she got the whole concept.

And the bad news. I am currently having my third miscarriage. We hadn't told many people yet that I was pregnant again, because of last time. I went in for an ultrasound on Matt's birthday, and unfortunately there was no heartbeat (again). It was extra hard because we had actually already heard the heartbeat twice on two previous ultrasounds, so we thought we were out of the woods. It should have been 10 weeks already, and were planning for a Christmas official announcement, but things probably stopped growing at 8 weeks. I think I am still in denial, and I have been keeping busy, so that helps, but I just can't believe it is happening again. Maybe we will be one of those odd Mormon families with an only child. Lily and my sister Mandy were with me at the ultrasound (Matt was at work), and when the tech told me there was no heartbeat, I started to cry. Lily put her hand on my arm and said, "I so sorry. Hurts real bad? I so sorry," and she gave me a little kiss. I looked at her and I realized that it would all be 10,000 times worse if I didn't have my little Lily. We are so grateful to have her. We are trying to stay hopeful, and hopefully will have success in the future.

Hope all is going well with your holiday preparations, and you are enjoying the Christmas spirit this season!

Happy Birthday Matt!

Tuesday was Matt's birthday. We had a nice day, with some not so nice news thrown in (more later), but it was fun to spend time together as a family and enjoy each other's company. Matt is a great dad and a great husband, and we are so happy to be together! Happy birthday honey, I love you!

Santa's Yap

Lily has been talking about Santa for a few weeks now, and she really has been wanting to sit on his lap after seeing some other kids doing so at the mall. We saw Santa at the Festival of Trees on Saturday, but the line was long and we were really tired, so we didn't wait. But, on Monday morning, I hear d on Good Things Utah that Santa was going to be at Thanksgiving Point, along with a few of his reindeer. We braved the cold and the snow to get there, and we had to wait in line for an hour, but seeing the happiness on Lily's face when she saw Santa was worth it. She didn't out and out smile, but she didn't cry either, and she couldn't stop talking about it afterwards. By the way, in case you are wondering, she told Santa that she wants candy for Christmas. Could it be any easier? Here is the picture they sent us:

Happy Thanksgiving!

One turkey dinner down, one to go! Seriously, the food was great, thanks, Dad, Nancy, and Grandma! We had a nice time, even if it was curtailed a bit by various illnesses. Hope all of you have a great Thanksgiving tomorrow.

10 Ways to Find New Blog Topics

**I found this on the internet the other day, and I thought it would be helpful to some of you, but mostly to me.


Typepad Blog Topics

Fresh out of ideas on what to write about? Your blog muse taking a holiday? Don't sweat it. Ideas are everywhere; you just have to know where to look. We've rounded up ten suggestions to help you uncover a wealth of new topics and blog another day.
1. Check your comment section.
Some of the best ideas come from readers. Read through your comments and check for interesting questions, provoking thoughts, or anything that could become a good post topic. Focus particularly on any comment threads that contain a spirited discussion among readers. If it's hot, run with it.
2. Create a list.
Whatever you blog about, there is likely an exciting list that you can uncover. Write the “5 Secrets to...” or the “Top 10 Ways...” or “8 Reasons Why...” or “3 Ways to Find Out...” They're quick and painless, and even better: they're fun to read.
3. Review your greatest hits.
Read back through your old posts, particularly the ones that generated a good amount of feedback, and consider writing a fresh angle on the topic. If a subject was compelling once, it might be worthwhile to explore another variation on it.
4. Spend some time on social networking sites like Digg and StumbleUpon to find out what other people are blogging about.
Sometimes just browsing through headlines of buzz-worthy blog topics will be enough to jumpstart your creativity. Good ideas are contagious, so take time to read popular blogs and blogs that are generating lots of conversations, and you'll soon have a bunch of new ideas.
5. Explore blogs in an entirely different category than yours.
Stepping outside your own content area is a wonderful way to be inspired. Have a marketing blog? Read a few food blogs. Have a craft blog? Check out a few political blogs. Inspiration is just a few clicks away.
6. Do something different.
Create a post using only pictures. Hold a contest. Give something away to the “nth” person who comments. Invite your readers to ask you a question. Participate in a blog meme. Write a pros and cons list on a topic that is relevant for your audience. Write a post in your “alter ego” voice, contradicting a stance you would usually take. Create a poll. Write about a blog post that you had a strong reaction to.
7. Invite a guest author to write a blog post.
If you need a break on the writing front, why not ask another blogger to write a guest post? Another up-and-coming blogger will likely seize the chance to write for a new audience, and your regular readers will get a fresh perspective.
8. Step away from the computer.
Some of the best ideas come when you stop trying so hard. Spend an hour or two at the museum; catch the afternoon matinee; browse the magazine rack; or crack open a novel. Chances are good that you'll find yourself inspired when you do return to your desk.
9. Turn on the news.
We know: since you started blogging, you don't watch nearly as much television, but local and national news are a goldmine of topic ideas. Tune in and be inspired.
10. Keep an idea log.
Buy a cheap notebook and jot down ideas whenever they come to you. Carry it with you when you're riding the bus or sitting at the airport. Next time you can't think of anything to post about, all you'll have to do is turn to your own treasure trove of brilliance.

How To Make Cookies by Lily

1-Have a tall chair so you can reach the mixer. Hold back your hair so you can see.


2-Get a measuring spoon for the flour. Be sure not to spill while Mommy takes your picture.


3-Carefully pour the ingredients in.


4- (not pictured) Spank the dough's bottom while Mommy rolls the dough out.

5-Press the cookie cutter carefully into the dough. Let Mommy pick up the cutouts, or else we will have to keep rolling the dough again, and again, and again...



6-Bake the cookies in the oven and let them cool overnight in a big bowl.


7-Get some frosting and add some food coloring. Stir well.


8-If you accidentally spill some food coloring, use a napkin. Don't lick your finger to try to get it off.


9-Examine the cookie for any defects. If it looks broken, go ahead and eat it.


10-Make sure your Daddy helps.


11-Show Daddy how to lick frosting off your finger.


12-Share with Daddy. Check out his black tongue!


12-Have everyone help out. This is my Aunt Judy (or as I like to call her, Jewey!)


13-Help clean up by licking the knife clean. Make sure the knife isn't sharp!

14-Admire results. Share with friends and neighbors, but make sure to leave a few for yourself! The first two pictures are everyone else's cookies, but the last picture...




Shows all MY cookies!

Lily and Halloween

Cut me some slack, it's not Thanksgiving quite yet!
Here are some trick or treating pictures.

(I know it's bragging, but I made Lily's costume, and I think it turned out pretty darn cute!)

First up are a couple of shots from the zoo. We went the Saturday before Halloween, and it was really fun, if a bit crowded. In fact, the zoo broke an attendance record that had stood for 25 years! I am sure the great weather had something to do with that.

Here is Lily waiting for our friends, Valerie and Cailen, to arrive.



Here are Lily and Cailen. I took several shots, but this is the closest one to having them both look at the camera at the same time. Also, notice the mane in Lily's lap. It lasted about 15 minutes on her head.


Lily on the carousel, riding the elephant. She spotted him from the line, and insisted on riding it.


We went out to lunch afterwards, using some coupons we got at the zoo. Cailen was giving Lily a hug, which she wasn't so sure about. Cailen is being held by his mom, Valerie.


*************************
The next pictures are from Halloween night. Unfortunately, Daddy had to work. We really missed him!

Mommy and the Scary Lily Lion


Lily and the changing leaves


Lily and Grandma Trish (I had a request for a picture of mom to be put on the blog, plus I thought it was cute)


Lily at her first door. She wasn't quite sure what to do, but she learned quickly. We knew we were done though when she wanted to be pushed in her stroller to every door.


Lily (post Trick or Treating) with our friend Jalene. Jalene came with us for some trick or treating and some soup after. Thanks for coming with us!