It's Been A While

Here is a little update since I haven't blogged since Olivia's Birthday. Liv is getting really big and is starting to say a few things (well she says ALOT, just not in English). She says "Uh-Oh" when something falls or she throws something she's not supposed to. She will repeat "Thank You" if you say it to her (most of the time). We are working on what does a ducky say and what does a bear say, and she gets it about 25% of the time. I can't believe how big she is getting and how independent she is. When it's time to go I will tell her to get her shoes and she tries to put them on herself. Once shoes and coats are on, she grabs the diaper bag and starts grunting and dragging the bag to the door. The other day I walked into the bathroom and she had found a small set of fingernail clippers (they were closed) and she was putting them on her toes like she was clipping her nails. She is also facinated her with belly button and isn't afraid to show it to anyone. In February we made a trip up to Washington with our friends the Jenkins. We had a blast. We went skiing and snowboarding twice, went to downtown Seattle, the girls went to a free Gymboree class that they LOVED, we went swimming, and had alot of fun just visiting with the fam. It was a really fun trip.

Bathtime with Dad

Downtown Seattle

At the top of Alpental

Elena and Liv playing with "Betty White"
Look at those chompers! 4 teeth now

One Year

I can't believe my little girl is already one year old. It has gone by so fast! It has definitely been a new experience being a mom and having someone else besides Andrew and me. She has changed our lives so much. Here are some of my favorite moments from this year:
1. Seeing you for the first time
2. Your first real smile
3. Your blessing day
4. The first time you slept through the night without your Lamby Swing
5. When we were watching a sad movie and it looked like you were crying, so we laughed and said you were crying and you instantly made a noise that sounded exactly like "No I'm Not!"
6. Your first steps with Aunt Jessica in Minnesota
7. The first time I was away from you for a while and you were excited to see me, the same way you are always excited to see your dad when he gets home (I was always jealous of your dad for that)
8. Rockin’ out to Reggae Got Soul
9. All the times you snuggled with me
10. All the times you laughed with me

Happy Birthday Olivia! I love you!

Olivia's New Home

I am a big fan of homemade toys, so is Olivia. When a present for Andrews birthday came, it was a rectangular box, so I propped it up and it was Olivia's tunnel. When Andrew and I paid off our cars we celebrated by buying a Bar-B-Que Grill, and that box was huge. So I had an idea. I cut a square out and hooked Olivia's tunnel up to it. Then I cut out a couple of windows and Olivia had a new home...but it was still under construction. The local carpet company had those free carpet samples that they use in preschools, so we carpeted her floor. Then Andrew made a real roof so She would stop hitting her head on one of the flaps that hung down. And since it is the Christmas season, she of course had to decorate. She loves it in there. She will drag toys in and push other ones out to make room. She is alot like her dad and that house is her "garage time", where she can be alone but knows that mom is right there.

Fall's over, but it was fun.

First leaves (next year we expect this should be a picture of Olivia's first raking the entire yard all by herself)

Fort Snelling, Minnesota

Grandpa's House and secret hiding places.

Apple Orchard. Olivia wasn't much help with the pick your own apples.

The Smith clan

Smith clan at St. Paul temple

Minneapolis Airport (they made Olivia pick up her own bags)

Boat ride in Grandpa's backyard

Trunk or treat's best decorated car, you had to skee to see how many treats you get (thanks to the trash pile for supplying the materials to build it)

Ward winning costumes

A little of everything

Olivia and I got back from Lake Powell about a week ago. Andrew stayed home and worked and I ditched him as always. We had lots of fun and Liv loved the boat rides.

Olivia playing with Elmo

I think summer is finally over. It has stopped being in the 90's this week and has been raining off and on. Our chickens don't really like the rain. Mosher's "hair" cracked me up because it looked like a girl who spent alot of time on her hair and then went out in the rain haha. Poor Mosher. Our chickens have finally started being useful though. For about a month we only had one chicken laying an egg a day. But now I think 4 out of the 7 are laying because yesterday I found 4 eggs and today I found 3.

Olivia never fails to make us laugh. Today she has been slapping her head over and over again...I don't really know what she is doing, but whatever haha. Well that's some updates on what has been going on in the last little bit.

Why I love the Dump!

Andrew and I went to our favorite store in Winnemucca again...the DUMP! We go to the dump at least every other week, I guess that's what happens when you are pretty much flipping a house. We always find all sorts of treasures up there. I just used our Scott's spreader to Weed and Feed my yard this weekend. My chickens use a barrel we found there as their waterer. Our friends sat on our bench in the backyard today that we got at the dump. The list goes on and on. But we found the all time best dump find the other day...OUR DUMP COUCH! So we went to the dump as usual and when we got there we saw this couch that was upside down. So we unloaded our load and flipped the couch over, and it looked pretty good. We started looking for the cushions and found all but one. We decided to just leave and forget about it. So on our way back to town we saw the cushion on the side of the road! So we pulled into a construction site that was close by and pulled some debris out of their dumpster and loaded up our truck for our second load. We hurried back to the dump because it was almost closing time. Andrew told the lady that we lost part of our load (which wasn't a lie because a cardboard box fell out while driving back to the dump). As I unloaded the back of the truck, Andrew hurried and put the couch in the bed of the truck and we took off. We stopped on our way back to town and picked up the last cushion. We felt like such rednecks! We got the couch home and I pulled out the carpet cleaner and used the upholstery attachment and cleaned that baby up and look at it now! Just like new!



It doesn't have any legs, so we need to either make some, buy some, or find some at the dump haha! But it's super comfy! I took a nap on it today and let me tell ya, that was a pretty nice nap. Once our under construction family room is finished we are going to put it back there. Some people think we are ridiculous...but hey, I got a free couch and I am helping to save the earth! Just looking after our home, the good ol' earth : )

Alot of Work!

BEFORE

Our yard is finally starting to look nice! We bought the house in April 2009 as a foreclosure and the place was a dump. It may look like it had grass, but those are just all weeds. The picture makes it look better than it was, trust me. I have put up before and after pics of the inside in earlier posts, but after tons of shoveling, bringing in load after load of gravel, putting in a sprinkler system, seeding and waiting for grass, putting up a new fence, ripping out a chunk of the old driveway and pouring new concrete, and lots of plants here is the outcome (still needs more work, but thats ok).

AFTER

another before

and after




There is still alot of work to be done, but it's getting there : )