New Pink Boots

How many posts in this blog have been dedicated to Abby's shoes? I don't really want to count. I love shoes, and though we are still at a stage in life where I really can't go buy myself as many new pairs as I would like, growing babies constantly need new shoes. For now, I can live vicariously through Abby. Anyhow, this post probably should have had something about snow in the title. We had a huge storm last weekend; this required that I get Abby some boots so she could fully appreciate it.

During the storm...

I just threw this picture in because I love the red/white contrast. Rich took this picture, I take no credit!
She didn't quite know what to do with all of the snow at first, so she just marched right out into the middle of it and then stood there.
The next day we had to do a little more maintenance work on the sidewalks, Abby is helping by kicking the icicles off the railing. And, finally we get a view of the pink boots.

Christmas Tree Huntin'

A few weeks ago, Rich and Kevin got up at 5 am and drove over an hour to stand in a freezing cold line in order to obtain permits to cut our own Christmas trees. This last weekend we went up to the Uintahs to get them.

Henry gives Abby a hand up the hill.

Abby decided to try a handful of snow, and then promptly spit it out.

The perfect tree!

Decorating...

...the finished product!

Tagged!

I've been tagged, thank you for thinking of me, Deya and Amelia. Just so everyone knows, I am terrible at coming up with things like this.

The Rules

1. List the link to your tagger and also post these following rules.
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird, etc.
3. Tag 7 people at the the end of your blog also leaving the links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are "TAGGED" by leaving a comment on their blog.

Here goes...

1-When I was a baby I had a huge head, big blue eyes and a tiny, skinny body...this earned me the nickname "Tweety Bird".

2-I LOVE Switzerland. I am pretty sure I was supposed to have been born Swiss, but there was a mix-up somewhere.

3-When I was a teenager, my friend accidentally hit me in the mouth with a golf club. The tooth managed to stick around for many, many years. Last year, it bit the dust and I had to have a screw attached to my skull in order to support a pretty, new fake tooth.

4-In my life, I have been to few concerts. Included in that list are Neil Diamond and N'Sync- and I loved them both!

5-When I was 20 I went backpacking in Europe with a good friend. One night in Italy, we arrived very late in a small city way out in the middle of nowhere. There were no rooms left in town, so we jumped back on the last train to Florence. When we arrived in Florence, we were unable to find any rooms there. So, as a last resort, we decided to sleep on the floor of the train station with a bunch of other stranded backpackers. Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep that night.

6-This is a little humiliating, but what the heck...for Halloween 1997 or 1998 (I can't remember for sure) 4 friends and I dressed up as the Spice Girls. I was Ginger Spice. Those were the days when I actually had a body that could pull off a slinky red dress. To top it off, we did a lip-sync to one of their songs, sweet dance moves and all.

7?
Now, I tag: Amber, The Dishmans (even though you have already been tagged by Deya), Mom, Kim, and Rich!

Winter Wear

As I was dressing Abby the other day, she noticed her swimsuit sitting on top of her dresser and began frantically pointing and saying something I couldn't understand. Finally I figured out what she was asking for and I asked if she wanted to wear it, she enthusiastically replied "yes". So, this was her outfit for the day.

Chicken Little

Abby discovers the joy of knocking on a stranger's door and getting candy; this can't be a good thing.
Monkey, Chicken and Ladybug



At first, Abby seems to think she's a monkey, then she comes around.

Rich teaching Abby to be a chicken... I'm not sure which video is funnier.

Sea of Leaves

Last week we decided we should stop being the embarassment of the neighborhood and get our leaves bagged. Abby was in heaven as we made piles and threw her in.

For Amelia...

Carving "Bop-gins"

Will and Abby get pumped for carving.

Abby is very particular about textures, so I was pleasantly surprised when she actually "helped" clean the inside of the pumpkin and didn't freak out.

Our finished products!

The bop-gins at home.

This little pie pumpkin is almost bigger than Abby!

SNOW!!

Abby was asleep for the first snow of the season (and everyone knows you don't mess up a perfectly good naptime just to see a little snow), so last weeks storm brought her first snow experience of the year. Actually, it's kind of her first snow ever, before now she wasn't old enough to fully appreciate it.

Later that day, there was still a little snow left.

Also, Abby has discovered that she loves to put her hands in her pockets.

The Dylan Challenge

Our good friends, Kevin and Megan, felt it was high time we began our black and white photo collection. So knowing our love for one of music's greatest artists, they gave Rich this awesome Bob Dylan poster for his birthday. One night I decided that Bob had to be mentioned on our blog and that to properly do it, we should each write some type of poem as an ode. I am still working on mine, but Rich came up with a haiku and a limerick.

We would like to extend a challenge to the many creative friends we have to come up with a poem in honor of Bob. It doesn't have to be a haiku or limerick.

Rich's Haiku

Like a Rolling Stone

All Along the Watchtower

Good songwriter, no?

Rich's Limerick

Some say his voice is too whiny.

Those people can kiss my hiney.

His voice has mystique.

The songs are unique.

My favorite is "Most of the Time"-y.

Lucky Photography

Every once in a while forces combine and I get lucky enough to get a few pictures of Abby that capture exactly what I want.

September Surprise

That's it, I am moving back to Virginia. Snow in September! It snowed for about 90 minutes where we are, but it was only at the end that it started sticking a little.

Actually, I am glad, our poor dry state needs all the moisture it can get.

Happy Hippie

Gone are the days of sweet summer dresses and little sandals. Last week the temperature took a big dip, so we had to break out the "hippie" dress (I bought it because I knew it would be a hit with Rich). I know I am such a nerd, but I get a little emotional everytime I have to put away a set of Abby's clothes, I just can't believe she is getting so big.

Progress Update

In May we posted some pictures of Abby practically bathing in her spaghetti dinner. After four months, I am not sure we have made much progress and may have even regressed.

This is Abby licking (yes, licking) a noodle off her foot...

...and finding it quite funny.

We should buy stock in baby wipes.

Sound Sleeper

The other day, I went to wake Abby from her nap and found her sound asleep with her left ankle propped up on her right knee. How on earth she got like this, I have no idea, but it was pretty funny.

When I moved the blanket for a better shot, she didn't even budge.

Oral Hygiene

One of Abby's favorite things to do these days is brush her teeth (who wouldn't love to brush their teeth with a cute pink toothbrush?). However, like most toddlers, she isn't terribly thorough and she's VERY resistant to any help. Good thing we get two pair of teeth!

Top Three Reasons Why I Love My Friends this Week

1-They make you feel good about yourself, even if you can't cut hair.
2-They teach you cool new "international" words: wonky.
3-They give you brilliant suggestions that had never crossed your mind: thick headbands! Thank you, Deya.

Beauty School Dropout

Okay, so I never went to beauty school, though I am confident if I had, there would have been a forced early retirement for me. After years of unsuccessful attempts at cutting my own bangs, I don't know what possessed me to try to cut Abby's, but I did. Though I would like to blame it on Abby's general squirmyness or dull scissors, I think I have to suck it up and take the blame for a really bad haircut, luckily it was just her bangs. I am pretty sure that Abby's pet monkey could have done a better job than I did. And, you would think this may scare me into going to a professional hairdresser for her next haircut...we'll see.

A Night in the Life...

Dancing Queen

No explanation needed!

This video is dedicated to Amelia and Naomi, two of the best dancing queens I know!

Camping

This last weekend Rich, Abby and I went camping with our friends, the Rogers. Kevin and Megan own some property just 30 miles north of Price (for those of you not familiar with Utah geography, Price is where the current mining tragedy is taking place - also Price is the armpit of Utah. I apologize to anyone who is offended at my -1 calling Price an armpit and/or 2- putting "mining tragedy" and "armpit" in the same sentence.) To clarify, Price may not be the most desirable place, but "The Property" was beautiful (what a difference 30 miles makes).

Our adventure began around 6:30 Friday night when we left Salt Lake and went south. We made a quick stop in Spanish Fork at Carl's Jr. (oh, how lovely to be back in a state that mass produces fry sauce), and we were back on the road. By the time we reached the property around 9:30, it was pitch black and quite chilly. We were all excited to crack open the tent trailer and get settled in for the night. Needless to say, it came as a bit of a shock when Kevin, in his not kidding voice told us that the keys to the trailer were sitting on the counter back in Salt Lake. We decided instead of driving 2 hours to SL and 2 hours back in one night, that maybe we could find a room in Price. We called a couple of hotels and finally found a honeymoon suite (okay, maybe not a honeymoon suite of the "heart-shaped tub and vibrating bed" variety, but by Price's standards this sounded pretty luxurious), however we didn't feel that $150 was a reasonable amount of money for four adults and one king bed. After exploring a couple more options, Kevin decided to give breaking into their trailer the old MacGyver try. Thankfully it worked. We finally got to sleep around midnight and thinking that the babies must surely be exhausted from staying up way past their bedtimes, we figured that we would be able to sleep in the next morning. Not so. Abby was up at 6:15 and Henry shortly followed. We did a little wandering around the area and then decided to take a drive in to Price to visit the local Walmart for some essentials, and to see what else the town might have to offer. I must say that the highlights of the trip included the following: seeing some guy riding a bicycle down main street barefoot, carrying an electric guitar (see photographic documentation below), and stopping at the CEU natural history museum and seeing one of the most hilarious statues, ever (also documented below). Generally I don't condone violence, but hey, it's nature. Upon returning from our trip, Kevin and Rich proceeded to set up an outside shower. Although it was enclosed, I wasn't immediately convinced that this was a good idea, something about being out in nature au natural seemed a little sketchy. However I had a change of heart, and it felt good to be clean even if for a few moments. I laugh (or shudder) to think though that our showers may have been caught by some Russian satellite and are now being broadcast on a website entitled "Things crazy Americans do when they think no one is looking". Oh well. The remainder of the trip included the obligatory gluttony that you should only really do when you are camping, Rich learning to make "beatles" (I believe they did get names- John and Paul) for fly-fishing, then going fly-fishing, a rousing couple games of Sequence in which the ladies confirmed their superiority. Most of all the trip was a wonderful opportunity for us to enjoy the company of good friends who we have sorely missed these last five years.

Out in the cold, in front of the locked trailer.

Abby and Henry getting cozy.

Abby trying to undress herself.

Kevin and Henry settling in for a nap after only 6 hours of sleep the previous night.

Crazy guitar guy.

Violent Statue

Abby in the kid cabin.

Henry chasing chipmunks.

And, last of all, Henry and Abby enjoying the sand.