Flower Girl Boogie

So this video is mostly for Mallory's Auntie's but, of course, all are welcome to watch! Mallory just got her flower girl dress in the mail and loved putting it on and prancing around in it It was cracking me up cause I've never seen her dance so silly! She truly is my joy and my sunshine!

Twick O Tweet

So, I'm only about a week late on this one!! Just wanted to post some fun pics from our Halloween! This year Mallory really understood what was going on which made it all that more fun for us. We started out our halloween by carving the little pumpkins we got the week prior. And it's a good thing we have the "safety" carving knifes cause Mallory went a little crazy with the carving. She kept waving the knife around and saying "I do it!" And then she grabbed the sharpie and decided her pumpkin needed some "hair" colored on! It was a gorgeous day out which made it such a great morning. Oh yeah, and Aunt "Haydy" (Hayley) joined us too! Great start to Mallory's 3rd halloween!

She was not too fond of touching the "yuckies" inside the pumpkin and resorted to using a spoon! That's our girlie girl!

Our finished products!

Then it was DRESS UP TIME! It was supposed to be fun but Mallory decided to not have a nap that day which royally messed up the evening. At one point I asked myself, "why am I doing this??" Anyway, she got to wear some glittery make-up (which cost as much as the stinkin' outfit!!) to complete her cheerleader costume. She LOVED putting it on and couldn't stop staring at herself in the mirror. Once again... that's her girlie girl side comin' out again.

Give me and "M", Give me an "A"... she's so cute!

And what would a halloween be with out our favorite cousin ASHLEY (AKA Tinkerbell)!?

After tripping over pumpkins and getting ran over by older kids, we decided to accompany her to the door! Boy, did she love getting candy! (Then again who doesn't??)

I know, I know... we didn't dress up! Hey I was lucky to make it around the block with my growin' belly!

My sweet girl... I can't believe I'll have to worry about TWO girls' costumes next year! Crazy!

HAPPY BELATED HALLOWEEN!

RECAP

I know, I know... what a lazy and boring blogger I've been. I swear I have good reasons!! =P Well, I know you you were all very concerned and all BUT we are still here and doing well! These past couple months have been a whirlwind of activities and celebrations. And I know the next couple months will be the same. And then before you know it, I'll be popping out kid number two! So, below is a picture taken about a month ago. My belly has popped out even more since then but I haven't gotten a chance to take a good pic! (This was taken right before Bryce and I went out for dessert at the Melting Pot for our Anni). As far as the pregnancy goes, this one doesn't seem to be as easy as the last. Although, I feel bad for complaining because I know it could be much worse! I've gained a total of about 10 pounds, my wedding ring still fits, no stretch marks, and other than a tired back and feet, I guess it hasn't been too bad. My doc said I was anemic, so I've been on iron. And she said that my "fundus" is measuring large so I have an another ultrasound this week to make sure all is well. And, man, this baby can kick!! Sometimes I feel like she's gonna burst through my belly! Anyway, I'm 28 weeks and counting! I know it's gonna go by so quickly from here on out!

And then there's my other child... my drama queen! She had a horrible month of terrible twos last month and I was ready to start looking up child psychologists! But (knock on wood) she has been doing much better lately. Her biggest fight with us right now is going to bed. Whether it's nap time or bed time, she's wants to let us know she can make her OWN decisions. The following pictures are of Mallory sleeping in various places. She would rather sleep on the floor than in her bed like we tell her too. Mind you, we didn't even know she'd gotten out of bed when we took these pics. She's become quite the master at tip-toeing around. I guess that's her way of getting her way. Whatever... at least she's asleep! As much of a pain as she can be I love her to pieces and wouldn't trade her for the most well-behaved child. She is the sweetest little girl!

Then it was well-deserved US time! We both have felt like we've been neglecting "US" because of all the chaos. We've made it a point to spend more one-on-one time together. We celebrated our FOUR year anni last month. I can't believe it! And guess what?? Bryce has stuck around!! =P We used to always go to the beach when we were dating so that's just what we did for our anni. We had a quiet (and foggy) dinner on the beach! It was FABULOUS!! I was just bummed we couldn't see the sunset. I sure do love my hubby!

Then it was my B-day last week! I'm the big 2-8. Ugh... it seem so old to me. I feel like I was just 21 the other day! We had a great meal with the fam and Bryce made me my mom's famous 3-layer chocolate cake... MMMmm! Delicious!! Then the next day, once again, Bryce and I wanted a whole day to ourselves so I chose to go to Universal Studios for my gift! I think it was the most time we'd spent just the two of us since out last Anniversary. We had tons of fun. My favorite part was that I got to hold Bryce's hand ALL day... instead of a stroller, or a diaper bag or a 2 year old trying to run off. It was wonderful!!

What a handsome hubby!

Then Lastly, was the pumpkin patch this week. Bryce and I have always gone. In fact, that was one of the first things we ever did when we started dating. I'm determined to keep the tradition. Plus, Mallory loves it!! As I was organizing my pics, I found Mallory's first pumpkin patch visit. I seem like just yesterday she was being held up by ginomormous pumpkins... and now, she can pick them up herself! So, I guess that's all I've got to say about the pumpkin patch. I think the pics speak for themselves!

This is her goofy "cheese" smile. We need to work on that before we take family pics!

My family is truly my greatest blessing...

Happy Birthday Daddy!!

Well, Bryce is the big 2-7 now!! It was his birthday yesterday... although we celebrated on Monday. Happy Birthday Honey! We love you!! This little video clip was something I was trying to since before Bryce's birthday but Mallory doesn't perform on command, I couldn't help but record Mallory singing Happy Birthday to her Daddy... so darn cute! Mallory had been obssessed with "Happy Birthday Time" so, anything that has to do with a birthday, is her new favorite thing. After singing Happy Birthday a few times, Mallory easily caught on. I had to show this to everyone. The fact that she even let me record it is a miracle in itself! Enjoy!

HALF-BAKED

So, today is my half-way point for being pregnant!! In some ways I can't believe that I'm already 20 weeks and in other ways I can! Preganancy-wise I'm actually feeling pretty good right now. Every now and then I get uncomfortable cause the baby likes to hang out on one side of my abdomen. She's been kickin' away and Bryce has been able to feel her move and kick a ton... Mostly when it's time to go to bed. Her real active time seems to be between 830 and 10pm. Right after our other little munchkin goes to bed! We still don't have a name for daughter #2 or even a nickname... which is driving me crazy. But my dear calm hubby is not concerned at all! Mallory somehow ended up with the nickname "Monkey". And, sadly, she actually answers to it! So we are open to any suggestions on names and nicknames. My belly is certainly growing... it seems like it's getting bigger everyday. Although, I'm so glad that I've only gained ONE pound over the last five months. It was my goal to not gain any weight until AT LEAST 5 months... but I think that's pretty darn close! And poor Mallory doesn't understand why she can't jump on mommy any more. I try to tell her that she can't jump on my tummy cause sister is in there but I think that just makes her want to do it even more! Sooo... yep... there ya go. I'm half done growing a baby and here's my latest preggo pic! Enjoy and I'll update again when I get a chance!

A BIT OF RELAXATION

Finally, things have slowed just a little bit! We have been going so crazy that we haven't had much to blog about other than that we are crazy busy with "life"! So I thought I'd give you a very brief update, so as to not bore you! So we have finally settled in our new house and thankfully we are still in the same ward! We've all adjusted well except for the night that a previous tenant walked into out house at 3am... let's just say he was a smart kid to run out once he realized he was in the wrong house. We were already cocked and ready go... if you know what I mean! And other than living under the flight path to the airport, we are enjoying our new place! Bryce is still hard at work and unfortunately his shop is kinda slow these days. So, we are glad with any work he gets these days. Mallory is in her terrible-twos but she makes up for it when she smiles and showers me with kisses. I swear she had a sixth sense that she's not going to be the only child for much longer. She's been more of a mama's girl that ever! (But I think I do secretly enjoy it!). As for myself, I'm just taking things day by day. I'm now nearly 5 months preggo with our 2nd daughter!! (Half-way!!) And my thoughts are now consumed with what are we gonna name her?? And I also freaked out a little last night to Bryce because I just now realized how quickly the 2nd half of the pregnancy is going to go. Our second half of the year is always busy. Between our birthdays, our anniversary, holidays (halloween, thanksgiving, christmas and new years) and we were hoping for one more vacation this year... it'll fly by! I'm also still working as much as I can to save a bunch a money to take off as much time as I can when the baby arrives. Man, I do miss those lazy, single, and no responsibility days! So, that's about it for now. I'm loving the quiet we've had the past couple weeks. It's the calm before the storm I'm guessing! And just cause I love posting picture of Mallory... here are some pics that I took the other day. Bryce complained that he didn't have any updated pics of Mallory in his toolbox so I put my amateur photography to work! Enjoy!

ANOTHER DRAMA QUEEN?

As if we didn't have our hands full with ONE little girl running the house, we are about to gain another one! That's right, we are having another GIRL!! I was quite shocked and I didn't believe the tech at first! I coulda sworn this one would be a boy! Maybe it's because I wanted one so bad that I had convinced myself that's what it was. Anyway, we are pretty darn sure it's a girl. I have told Bryce since Mallory was born that as long as the second kid was much easier and less dramatic than her, we could survive... boy or girl. I think Bryce is beginning to feel outnumbered and is wondering if he'll ever have a son to build a car with. If you ask me, I think the Lord is smart one... he knew that if this baby was a boy we probably would've stopped at 2 kids. This is his way of telling us otherwise! So, now that I'm over the initial shock of being the mother of two little girls... I'm getting excited. Although I have a hard time with how sensitive little girls are, I love their sweetness and of course the dresses and hair bows. I've already done one girl... what's one more!? I also never had a sister so, hopefully, Mallory will be best friends with her new little sister! We're working on names... we had a boy name pretty much picked out but it looks like we will have put that one in a box for safe-keeping for now! And, pictured below is our latest picture of daughter #2. It cracks me up AND freaks me out. If you can see what I'm talking about, you can see her little face and her right hand over her forehead. You know the way actors but there hands over their forehead when they're about to faint. To me, that screams drama queen. Only time will tell!!

INTRODUCING...

So, I had my second ultrasound today at 13 weeks and 1 day. It's amazing what a difference 5 weeks makes! The baby went from a blob to a baby! I was quite impressed with what I could see today. He/she has 5 fingers on each hand, all the limbs, a bladder, two kidneys, a fabulous looking spine, a stomach... it was awesome. And I'm telling you, I can already feel the baby moving. I know it sounds crazy at 13 weeks but there's no other explanation for what I feel. And no... it's not gas! And after seeing the baby dancing around in my belly, I know it's the baby I feel! Anyway, I totally felt some bonding going on today! I walked out of that office with that pregnant glow for the first time this pregnancy! I was just bummed that Bryce couldn't be there to see it all. Somebody has to go to work and make some money right!? So, here are our ultrasound pictures from today. I love the one of the hand waving to us! The other one is kinda cool but kinda creeps me out cause the baby looks quite a bit like Skeletor from the He-Man cartoons. But, hey, it's only a face a mother could love right? Enjoy the pics and I sure hope to have more in four weeks with a great picture of a boy or a girl!

MY BABY IS TWO!!

In Just Two Years...

So, I realize I haven't been the best blogger these days but if you saw what we've been up to lately and how horribly tired I am from being preggo, you would know why. Anyway... so yep... Mallory is two years old!! What happened to the last two years of my life?? It just seems like yesterday that I was preggo and begging the doctor to "get this thing outta me!" I just can't seem to wrap my mind around it...

So I knew that I would be in the yucky first trimester of pregnancy when Mallory's birthday rolled around. So, we opted for something simple and relaxed. The only thing I really had to do was make the cake... which did not quite turn out how I had pictured it in my head. We had just a little family get together at our pool. I did my best to decorate in the Little Mermaid theme. I think my favorite was Mallory's swimsuit. She kept looking at her belly and saying "Aerial". And this year Mallory did great at blowing out her candles... over and over! =P Altogether it was a good day and we were glad we could share it with family!

My attempt at Mallory's Mermaid cake. The picture in my head was so much more elaborate and neat... oh well... A for effort. I don't expect too much out of myself right now... I'm growing a kid ya know! =P

Hanging with Uncle Mark (and his blue cast!)

Thanks to Auntie Sarah for bringing the bubbles... even if Mallory did spill them all out!

I think this was only the FOURTH time she blew out her candles!

"Mmmm... Cake!!"

Interestingly, she wasn't all that enthused about opening her presents. I think she did it more for me than anyone. It's pretty sad when you have to count to three to get your two year old to open her presesnts!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY SWEET GIRL!!

MALLORY'S ANNOUNCMENT

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN...

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FAMILY AND FRIENDS...

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MALLORY WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW...

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SHE'S GOING TO BE A....

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WAIT FOR IT...

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BIG SISTER!!!!!

YEP THAT'S RIGHT WE ARE DUE MID-JANUARY

Lions, and Tigers, and Ducks???

We finally got to go on one of our family vacations this year! We were so excited to go San Diego for an extended weekend! I think the trip was more for Mallory to learn about all the animals she loves but we sure enjoyed it too! The weather was perfect. Not too hot, not too cold (minus the cool ocean breeze every once in awhile). As usual, the first night we go to the hotel Mallory was elated to adventure into everything in the hotel. Every drawer, every closet, every button. (The simple life of a toddler!) The morning was Sea World. I'd been wanting to go for quite some time since I can't even remember going as a child. Plus, Mallory is an animal/fish freak. I knew she would enjoy it. Her favorite, as well as ours, was the Shamu show. Mallory was mesmerized by the huge whale jumping in and out of the water. Then we met up with a friend and saw a couple other shows. Even venturing in the Shark encounter! That was pretty cool too. Although, it was a little exhausting we all had a fab time at sea world. Then we went to the Wild Animal Park. We saw all sorts of things... rhinos, giraffes, elephants, gorillas, baby cheetah... the list goes on. Mallory knows a lot of the animals names but, when she doesn't, the animal is all of a sudden a "horsie" or a "doggy". That Park had a lot of horsies and doggies! The one thing I just can't get over is how unafraid (if that's a word) Mallory was of the animals! She was upset with us because we wouldn't let her down to go play with the elephants! And I guess I shouldn't be too shocked but do you all want to know what Mallory's favorite animal was as the WILD animal park??? No, not the WILD lions, or the WILD giraffes... she loved the smelly, sooo not wild DUCKS!! Go figure. My child loves birds. Unfortunately, I'm not such a fan. So, just because I love to see Mallory happy, we spent a long time with the ducks and the lorikeets. I could've taken her a duck pond for free! =P Besides going to the parks, we did some swimming, hung out with Bryce's friends, and watched
"Horton" one too many times. Although, I was ready to sleep in my own bed by the end of the trip, I was sad to have to come back to reality. I guess that's why I want to start planning our next vacation already! So, here are a million pictures (this is only a small portion of them) of our family trip. Enjoy!

NO SHOES, NO SHIRT, NO PROBLEM! Is she on vacation or what??

The ONE animal Mallory was afraid to get to close to-- the sting ray. I touched it in hopes that she would try to touch it. Fat chance.

"Whaaaw (whale) where are you?"

Mallory, of course, had to take home a stuffed shamu of her own. And she hasn't let go of it since!

Just right after the show. Even though we sat in the soak zone, we didn't get wet! Which was a good thing cause Mallory would've freaked!

Feeding the Sea Lions some nasty stinky fish! That should've been daddy's job!

Taking a rest in the "Bay of Play", AKA "Bay of Germs" I'm sure. But she loved it nonetheless.

The Shark Encounters was pretty darn fascinating!

Unfortunately you can't see the Polar bear... he blends in with the spray-painted rock!

One of a few shots of all three of us.

Let me see, I think we rode the carousel 2 or 3 times. That was enough to make me feel nauseous but, hey, Mallory loved it! =P

Feeding the lorikeets. That was one of Mallory's favorites!!

She kicked and screamed when we made her leave. At one point, a bird landed on her head (wish we got a picture of that) and she LOVED it. It was so cute to see her freeze in one spot and watch her try to look up at it. I'm sure Mallory would grow feathers is she could!

Her BFFs

Look at this child... not afraid one bit!! She had to feed all the animals and pet them all. Once again, she was in animal HEAVEN! If you look close enough, you can see her opening her mouth as if to tell the deer the open his. So cute!

Our animal lovin' girl!

This was on our safari ride when Mallory was totally being a momma's girl and wouldn't share me with daddy-- hence the upset face. She's been doing this more and more lately. She doesn't like Daddy to hug or kiss or hold HER mommy. I love being fought over! =P

Getting tired

Playing "throw the whale" with "Uncle" Errol. It was so good to see him and his son!

A rare moment of just mommy and daddy (it lasted long enough to take this picture). I've realize we have hardly any pictures of just me and Bryce anymore. I guess that's what happens when you have kids huh??

Once, again... the ducks. That was all she cared about!

Only a mother...

So, I have a quick motherly story for you. The other day I did something only a mother would do. Ask me 5 years ago if I would have done this and I would have said "no way!" So, we were at the AT&T store just before it closed talking to some over confident 20-something year old. Since we were the only people in the store, I let Mallory run around and climb up and down a chair. I could tell that the salesperson was watching her and didn't appreciate it but ask me if I cared. Nope, I didn't. So, as I watched Mallory get down from her chair, I notice a big puddle of something on the chair. Without making a big deal and letting the salesperson see, I investigated where it came from. Great...I determined that she overflowed her diaper and I now had a puddle of pee sitting in their chair. I assumed they wouldn't have towels to clean it up and the salesperson like any other young male would do would freak out about it. So, what did I do that was inconspicuous and easy??? Well, this mother sat in the puddle and let her jeans soak it up!!! Nasty, I know. But it was so much easier than to deal with anyone that worked there. Plus, It worked. On my way out, I just made sure that nobody saw my hind end. Then I told Bryce what I did and he said, "Gross! I wouldn't have done that! That's a difference between a mother and a father!" So, there ya go. I'm a mother and I'm doing things I never thought I'd be doing!

EGGS, CANDY, AND BUNNIES

Well, I know I'm a couple of days late but... HAPPY EASTER! Sorry, I'm not really on top of things right now cause I've been working so much lately! Anyway, we had such a fun Easter Saturday. (I, sadly, had to work on Easter Sunday). We headed out to the ward easter egg hunt first thing. I was super excited to see Mallory hunt for the easter eggs but I think she was only there for the food! She was eating everything in sight! (Growth spurt I assume!). So, the easter egg hunt began and Mallory wasn't too sure why we were asking her to pick up these colored "things". But when she found out they had surprises inside... whoa! She was so excited!

She has been such a goof ball lately... never a dull moment with this girl!

On our way home from the easter egg hunt, we needed to stop by the store and what do you know?? The Easter bunny was out running errands too! Mallory was more crazy about the balloons than the oversized goofy looking bunny sitting on the bench. I'm not one of those moms that wants to make my child sit with some stranger in an animal costume for the sake of a picture. BUT I thought I'd see what Mallory did. And the closest she would get on her own was just close enough to get a little toy from the Easter bunny. Pretty good I thought. So then we tried for a little closer, this time WITH mommy. As you can see by the look on her face, she wasn't all that thrilled.

And what would easter festivities be without coloring hard-boiled eggs? Although worried about the mess, we attempted it anyway. And it went much better than I thought it would. Mallory loved coloring on the eggs with crayons and then letting Bryce put them in the dye. She was quite impressed that the egg came out a completely different color than when she put it in. It was a great experience for all of us!

We colored the eggs "Gween", "Wed", and "Boo"

What a proud little girl! (And Daddy!)

And then last but not least... the oh so exciting... Easter Sunday dress! Thanks G'ma Jenny for picking it out for her! She looked gorgeous and the blue in the dress made her blue eyes pop out! Like I said earlier, I had to work on Sunday and i was so bummed that I wouldn't be there to put Mallory in her dress that I was so excited about. Bryce knew how bad I wanted to be with them that day and decided to take pictures for me! Thanks, hon! And to think Bryce got her dressed and even did her hair all on his own!! Bryce wins some major daddy brownie points! =P

Like Father, Like Daughter!

Well, we hope you all had a fabulous Easter and we hope you enjoyed a peek into ours! Take care!

spin, spin, dizzy

Mallory was being silly tonight and wanted to spin in the office chair. By the third or fourth time you could tell she was starting to feel dizzy/sick. Plus, WATCH HER EYES when she stops. her eyes track back and forth. Too Funny! (PS those are stickers on her face... that's where she likes to put them)

"A" FOR EFFORT

So, Bryce is a great hubby and a wonderful father... and you all know that cause I say it ALL the time. With that said... Bryce put Mallory to bed last night which I'm VERY grateful. She'd been QUITE the drama queen all day and I couldn't handle her anymore. But as I went in to check on her like I do every night before I go to bed this is what I found. Does anyone else see what's wrong with this picture?? Her pajamas crack me up!!! I don't know what Bryce was thinking when he dressed her. Ballerina print pants and a tie-dye (however you spell that) shirt. What the... ??? But like the title says... "A" for effort honey... good try! =P

I FINALLY DID IT!!

So, I've been wanting to run a 5K for years. I was going to do it when I got home from school but was distracted by Bryce. Then, I was gonna do it before we had kids but got preggo with Mallory. So, here I am 4 plus years later finally getting around to it!! And it was great!! I am beyond excited and so proud of myself for accomplishing that goal. (Thanks to the support of my fabulous hubby and great sis in law). I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into but I HAD to sign up for the 5k without giving it much thought otherwise I would have never have done it! I've been training (as much as you can with a part time job and a toddler) for about 2 months and knowing that I had a 5K coming up was a great motivator to really push myself.

It was Sarah, myself, and at the the last minute Tom Means (a long time friend of my brothers... who's basically like my brother from another mother). We were a little weary of what we had gotten ourselves into this morning especially as we stopped at a stop sign and realized a big black cat was crossing the street in front of us. Not a good sign! But we went on to Santa Barbara anyhow. Then, after we arrive, we find out the way in which we are running has a "Slight Incline" for half the run. Hmmm... didn't read that when I signed up. I was a little intimidated already but then to know it was slightly up hill, cold outside, and the other runners looked like iron men... I was about ready to turn right around and get back in my car. I decided a long time ago that if I wasn't at least the last one past the finish line I could live with myself. So we went ahead with it. And it was a FABULOUS experience!

We weren't the last ones and we finished with a 12 minute mile pace which means we ran 3.2 miles in 38 minutes and 28 seconds!! We rock!! In fact, Tom whooped us by about 7 minutes. He did great too! Well, once we were done we took some pics and head out to a yummy breakfast on the Santa Barbara Pier. I mean come on... you gotta replenish all those calories right? All in all, it was a GREAT day and I'm so glad that I could share it with some of the people I love most!

BEWARE... there's lots of pic and they are in no particular order

A Bowling Experience

So we've learned yet another thing that is difficult to do with a child... Bowling. I mean, I suck at bowling to begin with but, man... add a sensitive 20 month-old in the mix and it's 10 times harder. You can't keep your eye off her for one second for fear she'll run down the lane, get smacked in the head with the ball, try to pick a ball that's half her weight, and of course try to catch a bowling ball as it's coming back to the ball return thingy. BUT besides all those concerns, it was a fun night out! It was actually a celebration for Sarah's (sis-n-law) Birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY again... even though it was a week ago! =P I didn't even get close to scoring over 100. In fact, Mallory had bumpers and ball ramp thing so she was more competition to me than anyone else. Bryce did awesome! I don't remember the score but I think he beat everybody there! It was great fun and we're sure glad we got to celebrate Sarah's Birthday jubilee with her!

The BIRTHDAY GIRL... never seen anyone look so good while bowling

See, I told you she was sensitve all night. But she's still cute especially with cake on her face!

Happy Heart Day!

Happy Valentine's everyone!! Hope everyone had a great day with their loves. We did! Our Valentine's Day was Awesome! Although it's a lot harder to plan things and celebrate the day these days, we still managed to escape. So here's the top ten reasons why our Valentine's Day was so great! (In no particular order).

1. I was with Bryce ALL day

2. We had a YUMMY filling breakfast without the munchkin

3. We painted pottery like we do every Valentines

4. We made our own chocolate-covered strawberries

5. Our pottery pieces turned out great! (And they'll look even better AFTER they've been fired)

6. We watched a movie and cuddled on the couch like good old times

7. We ate chocolate to our hearts content... ok so I ate most the chocolate

8. Mallory took a 4 1/2 hour nap (I think that was her present to us)

9. I couldn't have asked for two better Valentine's

10. I ran my best 3 mile run in history (hey... I had to run off the chocolate even if it was a holiday... PLUS my 5k is next week)

Although I know Bryce loves me and Vice-versa, I always love the days where we get to spend more uninterrupted time together and show a little more love then our daily schedules allow. Thanks Bryce for loving me and being a great Valentine! I love you more than you know!

Our Charger we (mostly Bryce) painted to match the vase we made on our first Valentines Day together. Unfortunately, the vase was knocked over and broken to pieces by the cats we used to have. So this one is sort of in "memory of" the other one! =P The colors will look way different when we got to pick it up. Can't wait!

And this is my Chocolate-Covered strawberry plate. I thought it was very appropraite for the day. It turn out much better than I'd anticipated. Once again, can't wait to see what it will look like after it's fired!!

Well... that's our day in a nutshell. Maybe boring to some of you but Bryce and I are a "kick-back" kind of couple. No stress, fairly cheap, no crowds kind of day. It was perfect. What did you all do with your spouses??

SO SO TRUE...

Well, what a horrible blogger I have been. It's been a month since I posted anything. But really it wouldn't have been all that exciting for you all to read anyway. We've been busy busy and very tired. But unfortunately it's not fun busy-- it's the same old stuff. And Mallory is sick again with that same thing that everyone seems be to getting right now. Her fevers are 103 plus and her cough sounds like a seal and had the ability to sneeze snot across the room. (I know it's gross... I Hate snot). I actually surprised that I even blogging right now. I was up from 2am on the other night, then worked twelve hours yesterday and then ended up in the ER til 330 am last night. It's amazing what will -power and strength the love and concern for your child will give you! I must say, too, that Bryce is the most awesome daddy. He stayed home from work yesterday so I could go to work instead. And he was such a trooper and spoiled out sick girl so well. He took her to the doctor, got her medications, bathed her in lukewarm baths, became a thermometer-using-pro, Gave more Tylenol and Motrin than ever before and even got her a smoothie for her throat. He was exhausted by the time I got home but he did such an AWESOME job and Mallory and Mommy couldn't be more grateful!! We love him and we'd like to keep around for awhile longer! =P Anyway, I should take a nap... I'll post something more interesting next time I hope!

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS

Wow... christmas and has gone and past already?? We had a great christmas this year. Well, we had three great christmases. Ours on Christmas Eve, Bryce's parent's in the morning, and My parents in the late morning. I think Mallory definitely made out the best out of all of us. I think I was more excited about her big present than she was. I got her an awesome play kitchen. It might have been a little overkill for our 1600 sq feet but I love it and so does Mallory. When she we revealed it to her, she said, "Whoaaa!!" And Bryce was actually laughing at me cause I was playing with all the knobs and utensils. Hey, every girls loves play kitchens don't they?? The other gift I was excited about this year was giving my mom a quilt that Sarah (my sis in law) and I worked on all month. My mom wasn't expecting it at all and kept asking us if we really made it or if we had it made. I do think it turned our better than expected especially since Sarah and I are far from experts. I was feeling a but like a domestic diva this year. Can't wait see what we can whip out next year! Anyway, we did have a great christmas and we are so grateful to have our families close by to share it with them too. So here's some of the pics! Enjoy and can't wait to hear all about your Christmases!

Mallory testing out the "food" she's made

My mom had the reaction we were looking for. So glad you liked it mom!!

The finished product.

Mallory's other gift... a little mommy set

She is in love with these mega bloks... she builds towers all on her own

Mallory in her hat from and made by Grandma Martha... she still likes to wear it around the house

And the cutest present I think... She got her own Horton from G'ma J