April brought us a fun trip to Palo Alto, my home town. I followed Rob and the BYU men's volleyball team to battle it out with the stanford...trees? Anyway, it was a very fun quick weekend get away! We started things off by visiting our new cousin from Korea, Ethan. My aunt has now adopted her second child from Korea and he's adorable, I wish I had a picture! They took us to a local park and Elizabeth of coarse had fun sticking things in her mouth and watching other kids.

That night we went to see the volleyball game. My brother, who lives in Gilroy came up with his kids who are adorable. This is Etta's second cousin Ethan. Meaning second first cousin named Ethan. Although, scratch that...the first Ethan is my cousin. So the first Ethan is her second cousin with this second Ethan being her only first cousin named Ethan. Check. Let's move on.

Brace yourselves for the cuteness. Haha!

The next day we drove out to Gilroy and went to a theme park geared towards kids called Gilroy gardens. Follow the leader!

My cute niece Mikaela lovin it on the Merry-go-round.

Elizabeth was lovin it too! Twinkling lights, sparkly everything, animals, bright colors, mirrors, no wonder kids love these things.

She was also lovin her first official theme park ride alone! Well, at least for the first 10 times it went around! I can't believe they make these rides so long for tiny kids! The first few times around she was loving it. Then slowly but surely her and every other baby started to get an unsure expression on their faces that quickly turned to sickness and then anger. :) I think she still enjoyed it on a whole though.

So cute little Aaron and Mikaela!

Here's the whole fam! Aaron, Ethan, Andrew, Angela, Alyse, and Mikaela!

Elizabeth was so tired on the way home I didn't want to wake her so I decided to take a trip down memory lane and track down my old houses. This is the first house we lived in after we moved from newark when I was just a babe. So this is the first house I remember. Our best friends across the street, this is where I had so many memories of birthdays and learning how to ride my bike as I ran into parked cars.

This is the next house we lived in. It is so beautiful I wish I had pictures of the inside! I had many a fun time sneaking around the forest that was our backyard and our neighbors playing by myself having the time of my life! Love this house!!

This is my first school from the old house, Palo Verde.

This is the park we grew up playing at. All my days of chasing butterflies instead of soccer balls with the blue bombers and searching to find four leaf clovers out at ramos park.

Here's my tuckered little girl that slept the hour back from Gilroy, the two hour tour, and was still down for the count when I brought her in from the car. She was so wasted!

But so cute!

Supporting her team!

We had so much fun seeing my cousins, babies cousins, and the beautiful scenery that was my childhood! Thanks BYU!

Little Monkey

Just a random yet very typical picture of our little monkey. Shirtless, check. Hat, check. Somethin in my mouth, check. Complete mess, check.

I am a princess. All girls are.

So at the end of March my little niece Lexi had a princess party to celebrate her birthday. I didn't have a princess costume but I did have a tutu and a few pink things. So here's my little princess.

There were lots a streamers an balloons which Elizabeth was loving! She'd grab them all in a bunch, shake them like mad around her head, and giggle like there's no tomorrow.

Obviously there were also lots of other kids around. I always thought she did really well with other kids because I never saw her get upset. While we were all enjoying ourselves on the floor playing I witnessed something hilarious. She was playing with this phone. She then picked up another toy. At that point a 3 year old came her way and yanked one out of her hands. She looked at the kid like are you serious? Then she thought whatever, I've still got this phone and continued playing. The 3 year old then attempted to take the phone as well. Oh no, that was not happening. If you know Elizabeth you know she has a death grip and that phone wasn't going anywhere. The kid would pull it her way and then Etta would pull it back and smile. She was having more and more fun playing this "game" as this other kid was getting more and more frustrated. Finally the 3 year old started crying and ran away. Mostly this was funny and a good sign that Etta is easy going, level headed, determined, and strong. Hopefully it just doesn't turn into her being a bully. So I guess now I'll have to listen to see if other kids are crying, not her.

All in all we had such a great time with little friends, cousins, and papa. Thanks Christy!

Brace Yourselves People

Here come a slew of posts the likes of which you've never seen before. Be careful because they may be everyday and contain levels of adorability that you're not prepared for. Here we go...

We'll start with a small dose. Etta's only marginally cute in these pics compared to her full capacity to wow you. This is her first sippie cup experience. She's can totally do it, but chooses not to. Typically she plays with it and pinches the spout therefor taking away any anitspill technology and rendering it useless. As a result we don't do as much sippie time as we should.

By the way these are from March...March people, I know.

Bush league Blogger

I am a pitiful excuse for a blogger. Please accept my apology. Currently ameliorating.

Burn 'em up, Move 'em out, Rawhide!

So as some of you may know I've had a difficult time losing my baby weight. Ive tried a few things and finally happened upon something that's been working for me. My friend Aubrey suggested a diet she had done some years ago. It's called The New Beverly Hills Diet, haha! And guess what, it works. Aside from my canker sores and raw mouth from all the pineapple I've been eating there's not a single down side. :) I've lost 12lbs so far and feel great although I'd like to lose about double that.

Now, what's strange is that as I've been on this diet I've actually renewed my love for cooking. This is strange because I can't even eat or try most of the stuff I've been cooking! For some reason I've been obsessed and pouring myself over recipes, trying and tweaking to Rob's delight. I plan for days all of the fun concoctions I want to create. Soy Glazed Salmon, Chicken Madiera, Sarah's amazing burgers, cookies, spicy Moo Goo Gai Pan, muffins, breads, Submarine pasta, etc. So I thought I post one of Rob's favorites up to now.

I made him a glazed salmon with soy sauce, fresh ginger, garlic, and brown sugar. Then I made a mango salsa. Topping it off with sesame rice, asparagus, and wonton strips. It was interesting and Rob said it was the best thing I've ever made him.

Me trying to get a good pic of it...this makes it look messy, I'm really not a photographer. :)

The patronizing "mmmmmm" Rob gave me when I asked him to show me how much he liked it.

To Grandmother's House We Go...

So a couple weeks ago we got the chance to go see my family in Colorado while Rob was away. It was soooo fun and we were so excited. I had never taken Etta on a plane before so I wasn't sure what to expect.

At first it appeared to be a total plus, I was escorted to the front of every line! Everyone was so eager to help. If you know SLC airport well you'll understand what went wrong. They told me my gate was E64. Let's call E "Alaska". So I double checked on the TV screens after security and I was indeed suppose to go to "Alaska." This seemed odd for Delta but I trucked all my stuff up there. Being the frugal woman I am I'd decided to carry on. So I had my small duffel, large diaper bag, and Elizabeth in her car seat in tow (they charge $15 bucks each way for one bag now!).

I stopped to get a snack because I was famished after a full morning of skiing then straight to the airport sans lunch. I get to my crowded gate and plant so I can eat my delicious parfait. After 10 minutes or so I realize I haven't heard anything about my flight which should be boarding soon. So I figure it's going to be late and lug all my stuff up to the counter to inquire what's going on. He proceeds to tell me my flight moved to B12. Let's call B "Brazil." "How am I suppose to get from "Alaska" to "Brazil" in time with all this stuff I ask him! It's impossible, will you call and tell them I'm coming?" He proceeds to tell me that they won't wait for anyone. Comforting, thank you. "Will you just tell them?"

I grab everything and start on my way down towards "Brazil" in a frenzy. Every corner I turned that revealed yet another walking (running at this point) escalator and not my concourse was painful. I felt like my arms were going to break. Where were all those golf carts you ask? I have no idea! Suddenly not one was any where to be seen.

Needless to say after much ado I finally arrived in "Brazil" to find a very sweet man waiting for me. He informed me that I wouldn't have to check my car seat because they got me my own row and he apologized for the confusion. Thank you! We got to Colorado all in one happy piece to an airport with trains to get you where you need to go, thank goodness.

We waited for my parents in this fun all glass waiting area where baby had a blast talking to her friend who looked mysteriously like her twin.

We had so much fun with grandma in her big bath and were so excited to where new PJ's!

Elizabeth loved Bear. I can't say the same for him but he put on a brave face and let her climb all over him.

She actually really loved riding on the plane!
And loved exploring every nook and cranny of the airport.

Thanks Mom, Dad, and Julia for a very fun, relaxing weekend of shopping during the day and Mexican train into the wee hours of the morning! We love you guys!

Baby is 9 months and everywhere!

She's definitely gone up the stairs before but this time she started and never stopped. She was up both flights of stairs in a flash of light! She turned around just before finishing, crawling into her room and giving herself a good celebration clap!

9 month stats are:

Head: 17.75 inches (81.17th percentile)
Weight: 17.68 lbs (29.88th percentile)
Height: 27.75 inches (58.66th percentile)

She really is totally crazy. She's into absolutely everything and is on the brink of walking. She's such a blast to play with. She's so giggly and active. We couldn't love our little girl more!

Finally!

So this is what our living room has looked like for the past month or two and it's driving me crazy!!!

I was ecstatic when my sister called and offered her piano for a time until she is more stable. Unfortunately we hadn't finished our basement yet so our small living room was the only place to put it. The room already over crowded with two couches, an end table, a coffee table, a 6 ft lovesac and entertainment system (one for us and one for baby), has now become unbearably claustrophobic. This is what it looks like on a clean day with the excersaucer pushed up next to the TV, the couches in one long strange configuration, and the lovesac in the the walkway/kitchen. Yikes! So it's no surprise that I'm so happy to announce the commencement of our basement! No longer will it be an obstacle course to get from front door to back. We will move the TV and lovesac downstairs to make a suitable place for the beloved piano. So wish us luck as we embark on our huge headache...I'm sure we'll need it!

And the winner is...

Adam Lambert. Hmm. I hated it. I loved it. You're skills baffle me. "It left me confused...and sort of happy." I had to watch it 10 times to decide it was sick.

Sound Off, One Two...

What are you thinking? So I usually don't go as far as to blog about TV shows but have to sound off here for one moment....Judges I thought I could trust you but you are no better than America. There are many people in this years top 13 that I'm on the fence about, I suppose I'm not catching the vision. Uh, Kris whatever your name is for starters, and I know so many people LOVE Danny Gokey, but come on...for me at this point he is so mediocre and o-ver-ra-ted! Didn't he win last year? Oh wait, that was David Cook, a slightly better version of the same thing. Not buying the hype.

Maybe he can change my mind...but moving on to someone who can't. Jasmine, judges...really? So she can sing, I get it. It's not that she has a bad voice but can we just talk about Ricky Braddy for a minute? He is unreal. Maybe he's not a star yet Simon, but he has one of the best voices I've heard on American Idol and would've loved to see him grow in to the star he has potential to be. He has a sick voice and can make any song sound good with his ridiculous vocals!?

Now you America...I'm sorry but Scott MacIntyre? With Scott, I think it's amazing how far he's come with his disability but let's be honest, can you really tell me that's not the main reason you voted for him? And Michael Sarver? Once again, not bad...but was he better than say...Ju'Not Joyner or Von Smith? There were so many people for whom I had high hopes that came out and like busters, totally blew it! Enter Stephen Fowler.

Basically the new format this year is confounding, and unfair. The three highest vote getters each week made the Top 12. The top guy, the top girl, then the person with the next highest vote count, guy or girl. This disallows us to watch the development of each contestant, and doesn't really let us get to know who they are as ‘artists’ until the Top 12! (which of course axes someone every week anyway). Well, that's my little rant. I'm just glad Matt and Megan made it late in the game or I may have never watched again. Ricky, whatever you end up doing...I'm rootin for ya.

Such a big girl.

So Etta's been doing this for a while now but I just finally got a picture of it. It's super cute and she loves feeling like such a big girl. She climbs up on everything and then kind of jumps and rocks in excitement. The only downside to this new skill is that the only way she's figured out how to get down is to fall backwards...so usually she just holds strong and "calls" for one of us. :)

Rough life.

Last Saturday one of Rob's players parents were in town from Chicago. We've had the pleasure of spending time with them before and were delighted when they invited us to have lunch with them. It was a special treat seeing as it was at Foundry Grill, one of my favorite places.

To my surprise baby LOVED tomatoes. She finished all the extra tomato that wouldn't fit on my burger. She was so cute just smiling at everyone as usual and pounding on the table excitedly.
We had to park soooo far away, lucky it was such a gorgeous day outside.

This picture melts my heart.

A long sleep after a long day. Thanks Lavajes!

Foreign Lands

So more than a few people have asked me about some of my slide show pics, so I thought I would answer some of the questions.

Rob served his mission in Croatia. I was fortunate enough to meet some of the wonderful people he met while there.

Seeing as it is one of the most beautiful places on earth we went there on our honeymoon.

The site of most of my gorgeous pictures is Plitvice, and yes I took the pictures.

I have been heavily involved in Operation Smile since 2003.

Along with tons of fundraisers I also had the amazing opportunity to go on 2 major trips one of which was to Bolpur, India.

I was also invited to go to Davao City in The Philippines.

Lastly, we just went to Cabo on a fun family Vaca via Margaret...which was a blast.

As you can see I absolutely love to travel and hope to continue to...stay tuned, more detailed post on India/Philippines to follow.

Rob's Family+Long Weekend=Good Times

L

Lounging

all weekend with out of towners up in Park City enjoying lots of snow, good music, some scrabble, and as always great food.

O

Over

indulging in treats and realizing I L O V E the smell of coffee and wine...go figure?

V

Very

generous family who completely spoil us with sweet cabins, free skiing, and dinners out...you guys are way too good to us.

E

Ending

up with a little time to spend alone soaking up the last bits of an awesome weekend. Can't wait to see everyone again soon.

One Love, One Word

1. Where is your cell phone? Bed
2. Your significant other? Skiing
3. Your hair? Dirty
4. Your mother? Hanging
5. Your father? Working
6. Your favorite? Family
7. Your dream last night? Craaaaaazy
8. Your favorite drink? H20
9. Your dream/goal? Translation
10. What room you are in? Living
11. Your hobby? Music
12. Your fear? Dark
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Pregnant
14. Where were you last night? Home
15. Something that you aren't? Negative
16. Muffins? Tops
17. Wish list item? Basement
18. Where you grew up? Paradise
19. Last thing you did? Watched
20. What are you wearing? Scrubs
21. Your TV? Sad
22. Your pets? None
23. Friends? Wonderful
24. Your life? Perfect
25. Your mood? Motivated
26. Missing someone? Julia
27. Car? Niiiiice
28. Something you're not wearing? Nailpolish
29. Your favorite store? Web
30. Your favorite color? Verde
33. When is the last time you laughed? 9:00AM
34. Last time you cried? 10:00AM
35. Who will resend this? Nerds
36. One place that I go to over and over? Closet
37. One person who emails me regularly? Dictionary.com
38. My favorite place to eat? Sushi
39. Where are you right now? Couch
40. Where should you be right now? Reading

I tag Shannon, Andrea, and Stacey

I'm So Glad When Daddy Comes Home...

Baby gets so excited when Robbie comes home from being gone all weekend. Last time he came home we went up and played with her in her room and this is some of the footage we got.

Little Monkey...babies got skills.

Baby clapping congratulations to her newly acquired skill. Yay baby!

It was seriously cute. I've been trying to get her to clap for a while now, then suddenly while we were at the volleyball game something clicked and she figured it out! No there is no stopping her, she does it all day long. Monkey see, monkey do I suppose. Now if we can only work on her focus...her feet seem to be a distraction in almost all situations. :)

Baby Beluga

Baby was being so cute the other day. She kept looking up at us then just laying down like this. Arch her back up, then plop down looking at us like...I'm so tired, do something. She is getting to be so beautiful and I just thought I'd share. :)