A simple story to remember

If only I had my camera with me at the gym today, I could have captured one of the cutest, funniest, most adorable things Libby has ever done.

First of all, when I drop Libby off at the nursery each morning, there are usually several other kids there for her to play with. But by the time I finish my swim and shower, the other kids are long gone and Libby is left to entertain herself. It's always interesting to see what she's doing in there.

Today, I walked into the nursery and did not immediately spot her. I looked around for a second while the nursery worked said, "she crawled under there and went to sleep." I had to look around for a few more seconds before I finally realized where she was - underneath the table, cuddling a baby doll and a play fork - fast asleep. It was so cute, I didn't want to wake her up.

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In other news, I cut Libby's bangs today. They turned out a little short, since she kept looking down while I was trimming, but at least she let me cut them at all, right?!

Elegant beauties of everyday life

I was reminded recently of  a beautiful and poignant piece of encouragement from President Uchtdorf: 

"Never stop striving for the best that is within you. Never stop hoping for all of the righteous desires of your heart. But don’t close your eyes and hearts to the simple and elegant beauties of each day’s ordinary moments that make up a rich, well-lived life."


As a stay at home mom, my days are pretty much all alike, and they certainly don't seem elegant. We have the same routine most days of the week and after awhile, one day sort of blends into the next. I often tell Jared that on the weekends, I want to do something different. I don't care what it is or how long it takes or when I do it, but I just need something to break up the routine of everyday life, so that it actually feels like a weekend. 


But, monotonous as the days and weeks may be, I am so glad to be able to spend all day with Libby. It is a miracle to witness her learn new skills, speak new words, and just be her adorable self. I do find myself vainly wishing for more hours in the day, so I could tackle one more project or read one more book or try one more recipe or swim one more mile. But I feel renewed and motivated now to open my eyes to the joy of every day. 

kissing dad goodnight

President Uchtdorf's words came to my mind the other night as I was curled up in the dark rocking Libby to sleep. She was totally out, but I just kept rocking her, thinking to myself, "if this isn't a 'simple and elegant beauty,' I don't know what is.

14 months

I love this sequence because it exemplifies so well Libby's current nature - fickle as can be. She is on a steep learning curve right now and gets frustrated and/or bored really easily. She'll go from smiles to tears in a matter of seconds...and repeat a hundred times a day. But she is so much fun to play with! She will copy nearly anything Jared or I do (within her capabilities, of course). She loves dancing, running laps around the house, clapping her hands, and stomping her feet. She makes great faces, cheesy smiles, and laughs easily. She says mama, da (dad), dah (dog), uh-oh, and hi. She can wave hello and goodbye. 

Looking under the cupboard for a lost fridge magnet

My little praying mantis

Cleaning up her mess of oats

Enjoys climbing/sitting on Mom and Dad

Cowgirl Halloween costume

Typical results when I try to take a pic of me and Libby together

Finally looking at the camera...I love this little stinker