Five Months and Feeling Fabulous

 Baby girl is no longer itty bitty.  

Her cheeks are getting perfectly puffy...to the point where her little lips droop from the weight of it all.  So scrum-diddley-umptious.

 She also began her forays into the world of food this month.  I mean, of course she's had a wide variety of ice cream flavors over the months (how could I deny those cheeks???), but she just recently enjoyed her first taste of age appropriate fare.

 And enjoy rice cereal she does.

She's a gobbler this one.  A messy, adorable, gummy little gobbler.

 As if advancing into family-time feedings wasn't enough, she has decided she refuses to see the world on her back.  

This child was born eager to sit.   

No really. 

 She had a six-pack by day three of life. 

 Perfected the V-sit by one week.  

Her neck strength dumbfounded doctors. 

 And yet, I have refused to concede. 

This is all happening much too fast, and there is little more I enjoy in life than exercising my grand mommy powers.

 But the children. 

 The children regularly have contests to see who can get her to sit the longest.  

Oh rebellion!

 Evidence that my mommy powers are neither grand nor powerful.

At least I will always have bribing.

Then This Happened.

Again.

Six weeks before her third birthday, Tess chopped off her bangs.  And not in a cute recoverable way.

I was devastated but certain she had learned her lesson.

Fast forward to last Friday.  

When she progressed to mullet-hood.

Locking up my scissors simply isn't good enough when big sister (she's grounded for the rest of her life) is home and mom is nursing/preparing her Relief Society lesson.

I may have had a fully weak moment and told her she looked like an ugly boy.

And she may have cried for hours.

But again???  Seriously???

Luckily, this coif can be hidden in pigtails.

Here's to hoping I appropriately scarred her this time.

Eyes of an iPhone

Here is a little of what February has looked like via my phone:

Creepster Tessa sneaking into my room at 6am and snapping photos.  

Love this thumb-holding snuggler.

Valentine's Day celebrations.  

Not pictured: our awesome Family Fondue Feast.

Best. Valentine. Tradition.

Ooey gooey fancy feasting for all.  It really makes for one of my favorite nights of the year.

                                        Love this love day and love loving on my lovies.

The framing on the casa is complete!!

Date night with 3 other couples featuring a delicious dinner and babe-a-licious bowling.

Matching LBDs to church.

February is (mostly) flying by.  

Which is wonderful.  

One month closer to a season where smiles come naturally.

January is Junk

 Pretty sure every single January this blog adopts a most negative spin.  

Because, simply stated: January sucks.

 It's like, let's ring in the new year and get you all excited for what's to come and make goals and feel centered and confident that this is your year and you're going to rock it...

 ...then surely what was a full eternity later is actually only January 6th.  And it's cold.  And the only thing I am certain to rock is my sweats.

How does this occur?

 And yet it does, every. single. year.

 If only I was strong enough to not give into the social pressures to have my kids involved and active in life.  You know, like if I could drop them off at school, come home, watch movies, pick them up from school, then proceed to watch more movies.  And on days I am feeling extra motivated, get dressed and throw in a load of laundry.  Basketball and scouts and gymnastics and swimming and friends....that is all so overrated in the hole of a month that is January.

 Still, I do my darndest to hunker down and leave this dwelling as little as possible.

  For the baby's sake, of course.  

Like I mentioned, it's wretched cold out there. And diseased.  Small children and their uber responsible mother's need not be exposed.

 Speaking of small children, this one is 4 months old.  Someone explain to me how January moves slower than cold tar in, well, January, and yet she continues to grow faster than Obama can spend my money???  It's obscene (her growth and the leader of our free country).

In happier news, our house is humming along (Does humming infer speed because that's just not going to work???).  Our house is crawling along.  But progress is progress and progress in January feels extra progressive.  

And that baby.  Again.  Just look at that baby.  Life is perfect when I'm smooching on those lips and chomping on those cheeks.  

Take that January shmanuary.

The Whole Fam Damily

 This never happens.

Every. Single. One. of Us.

 Together.

It should happen again. 

 Real soon.

Happy Christmas!!

 Christmas morning began at 7:30am.
Such angelic little monkeys.

 Twinkling eyes and high-pitched squeals were rampant.  That Santa...he's so smart.

 Christmas day was my favorite.  From breakfast with Grandma and Grandpa to lunch with Erika and Brandon to dinner with entire Wallace clan, the day was jam packed with food and family.  And there truly is not a more perfect combination on the planet.

To top it off, Tracy made every single double x a most gorgeous scarf.  Isn't she a dear?

Another magical, memory-filled moment of merriness goes down in the books.  

It doesn't get much better than this.  

God is good.  So fantastically good. 

Christmas Eve

Christmas Eve was beautifully busy and busily beautiful.  

We began with the blessing of Eden Rose.  Allen and I were completely charmed by the outpouring of love and support that was flowing for our baby girl on her special day.  Every single member of my family was present as well as Allen's sister, her husband and their sweet little girl.  It was a monumental moment when Eden was held in her father's arms and encircled by the Priesthood as she was given a name and a blessing.  I could feel the power that united those men and I am certain at that precise instant Eden had never been more safe or protected.  Completely cherishable.

My parents have perfected the art of gifting memories; this year in the form of a humongous bounce house. It expertly entertained the cousins of all ages while allowing the adults to interact on a more human decibel.  Genius.  

Elation in it's purest form.

The night concluded with a hearty meal, matching jammies, spreading of reindeer food, a serene reading of the Christmas story, and slumbering sweetly so Santa could come perform his annual duties.

That's a whole lot to Love.

On the Twelfth day of Christmas...

 ...our happy family created a choo-choo candied confection that was a stunning site for the eye and a chocolate feast for the belly.

 The tradition of my childhood continued.  And it did my little heart good.

 What an adorable grandma that Deb is.

And what happy munchers those children be.