Toddler antics

I've said it before and I'll say it again: my child reminds me of a dog sometimes.

In an attempt to distract Libby long enough to do the dishes this morning, I gave her a pastry brush and a small bowl of water and let her "paint" the fridge. This was all well and good for about 2 seconds, and then she just wanted to slurp the water out of the bowl.

Graduation Day

In my mind, the day a baby girl starts wearing a ponytail is the day she graduates to toddlerhood.

 Like most graduation days, it's filled with happiness and excitement for the future, with a healthy dose of nostalgia for the days you'll never get back. 

So true

"In these preparatory years, you young women spend much of your time in schools or jobs where you receive accolades, honors, awards, ribbons, or trophies. When you move from that stage to young motherhood, there is a dramatic drop-off in outside commendation. Yet in no other capacity is there more opportunity to serve selflessly as Christ would do by taking care of hundreds of daily physical, emotional, and spiritual needs."
-Susan W. Tanner, from here 


Does anyone else sometimes want a trophy just for making dinner?

Photo Tribute to Nae Nae Horsey

Today is my friend Renae's birthday. We met a little over 8 years ago when we were assigned as roommates in Heritage Halls at BYU. I didn't know any of my roommates when I headed off to BYU, but I seriously lucked out. Renae and I became fast friends and were roommates for 4 years until she got married.

Looking back, I'm afraid that I was probably a little obnoxious at times (like the time I got the urge to make split pea soup even though I hate peas, but was so disgusted by it that I left my dirty pot on the stove for...a week...or longer? Renae finally cleaned it for me.), but Renae was always patient and forgiving and FUN. She let me borrow her car (even calling it "our car"), she made me dinner, she invited me to spend holidays with her family, and she didn't get mad when I accidentally melted her snow pants on the campfire.

I'm certain I have more pictures of me and Renae than I do of me and my husband, so choosing just a handful was an impossible task. Instead, here are more pictures than you ever wanted to see of the two of us! I was hysterical going through all those years of photos. I left out some of the more embarrassing pictures (let's just say Thanksgiving weekend "makeover")...it is her birthday, after all. :) Hope you get a laugh out of these, Renae!

We shared everything

Microwave s'mores in our dorm freshman year

Strong bad face

Freshman roommies! LOVE these girls!

The Format concerts!

"Raiders of the Night" practical joke task force

Talking to our downstairs neighbors through the vent under our bed... "AAAADAM WAAAATSON!"

Renaeighties dance party

Eating with a giant spoon because all our dishes were dirty

Renae's birthday, 2004 - I guess she didn't like the cake I made for her! ;)

Playing Halo with the guys 

At the Joseph Smith Memorial Building over Thanksgiving weekend

Sumo!

Painting our house

Snow tubing at Soldier Hollow - so much fun!

I don't remember the significance of the hula hoop, but I have several pictures like this, so it must have been really fun at the time!

Renae taped me into our room one day

Picnics at Rock Canyon

Picnics at Rock Canyon - the best Sunday afternoon activity

Longboarding at the Colony (hey! that's Jared's car in the background!)

Roommate cuddle time

Hahaha...forcibly cutting a lock of Renae's hair...so we could tape it to someone's head. I don't remember why.

Graduation with the freshman roommates of 189 Fugal Hall

Renae's wedding, 2007

My wedding, 2009

Happy birthday, Renae! Thanks for being such a great friend all these years!

13 months

At 13 months, little miss Libby
likes to eat: clementines, raisins, fig newtons, yogurt, peaches, apples, berries, beans, rice, tomatoes, ice cream, eggs, cheese, animal crackers, and anything mom and dad are eating

says: mama, dada, dog (although dog is the only one that is actually directed at someone/something)

enjoys: climbing stairs, playing on slides at playgrounds, reading books, playing the keyboard, drawing, getting into baskets, boxes, etc.

 has learned how to: get dressed (helps puts her arms in sleeves, legs in pants, and feet in socks and shoes), eat with a fork occasionally, clap her hands, spin in circles until she's so dizzy she runs into the wall, and pick up things and hand them to mom/dad (this comes in handy when it's time to pick up her toys!)

She loves playing with my high heels!

We had a rough couple of weeks with sleeping (those 12 month shots are killer...she wound up with a fever and measles rash and was cranky to the max), but she's finally back to sleeping through the night. Poor little thing still cries every.single.time I put her down for a nap, though. 

Sleeping beauty