SNOW SHOEING

We took nolie bug snow shoeing on her first birthday, and I loved it....hope she did too. She was such a cute little puff in all her warm snow gear. It was a perfect day for it, sun was out, and the beautiful mountains covered in snowy white. 

 I found this retro one piece snow suite at Second Track sports and the moment I saw it, I knew I had to have it! Best 20$ I've ever spent. 

 Zach said I had to include the photo of me jumping off the stump so joyfully, because it reminds him of the first time he took me snow shoeing. Back in our dating days, he wanted to take me snow shoeing with a bunch of his friends. I wasn't feeling it, hiking in the freezing cold didn't sound super appealing to me. So I maybe faked that my ankle was bothering me (according to zach) but I'm pretty sure it really was. Anyways we ended up going, and I ended up LOVING it! Running down the fluffy snowy hills, can't be beat. Its like floating on clouds I was laughing out loud, I was enjoying it so much. This is apparently called extreme snow shoeing, which unfortunately I havent been able to experience since, but I'm looking forward to the day when I get to be light as a feather and run on marshmellows.

EASTER 2016

       Easter with this little bunny was so much fun. We were in Sunny St George the Saturday before Easter and we knew we would be in California on Easter Sunday so the Easter bunny came and we did our egg hunting Saturday morning. We started with Breakfast and the neighborhood egg hunt up the street. Baylie said she was too old to do the hunt, but its a good thing she had Nola to take around haha. What are nieces for, anyways? Nola was lazy with the actual picking up the egg part, she liked everyone else to do that for her, it was funny she would point and wait for us to pick them up and drop them in the basket. Once she figured out the eggs doubled as maracas though, she was all in.  

Nola's easter basket was full of fun goodies! Play dough, a GIANT coloring book, crayons, a sunhat, her new Jellycat- Esther Bonnie the Easter bunny, which I wasn't sure she would like, but turns out she loves her almost as much as Harold the hippo... almost. She got a book, called Someday (it makes me cry every time I  read it) yogurt puffs, Saltwater sandals and her cute NorthFace wind breaker. She was definately spoiled! Zach surprised me with some leggings from the NorthFace too cause he's super cute like that and I love them. Nola saw her basket and went straight for the yogurt puffs, pulled them out and exclaimed "O YAY!" haha she wasn't as thrilled about the other items, but I think they've grown on her.

This is her "say CHEESE face"

 meeting Esther, she wasn't so sure at first...

but turns out she loves her.

 I filled 126 eggs for our family egg hunt, which was probably going a little overboard, but i was on a roll!  The neighborhood kids went at it, as soon as mom and dad were done hiding them.haha we went outside and they were stealing the candy out of our eggs. Smart kids, right there.I can't get over Nola toting around her basket, that is half her size, and Kasen with his tiny basket!  

 Overall it was a really fun morning! We missed Brayden, I miss him a lot these days. Its just not the same without him, we all wish he'd come around more. But we had a blast holding our little baskets and walking around searching for easter eggs. Zach and I reaped the benefits of extra candy, from Nola's eggs too which wasn't too shabby. Perks of having a kid, right there. I was glad we got to do some of these fun easter traditions, but it did feel odd that we spent Easter Sunday on the Beach, and not at Church. I tried to remember Our Savior Jesus Christ and his atonement, and Nola and I had a chat about this special day, about our big brother Jesus and all he's done for us. I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have, I know I can be forgiven of my sins, and return to live with my father in Heaven one day. I hope my children grow up knowing their savior and developing a love for him, and I want them to know that I have a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the only way for everlasting, true happiness. 

NOLA'S FIRST BIRTHDAY

       ONE year old is a big deal for a little one, but i think its even a bigger deal for the parents! ONE year keeping a tiny human alive!! Sometimes I think this day is almost more of a celebration for us mom's and dad's than it is for the baby themselves. It makes sense though, parenting is hard stuff, we should definitely celebrate this little person that we created and nurtured for the past 12 months. Nola's first birthday was a good one. I tried to keep it low key, but at the same time make it special. Just a few decorations, a cake, and a little adventure.

       

       The night before her big day, I held Nola and told her all about the day she was born, how she was almost named ruby, how I was happier than i'd been in months when the nurse said, "its go time!" I told her about how anxious I was to meet her, and that unbelievable moment when they finally laid her on my chest. She didn't seem to care much about what I was saying, but telling her made me remember what a wonderful day it was. The best day of my life. I tucked her in and tried to accept that it would be my last time kissing my 11 month old baby goodnight.

      My mom makes the best cakes. She doesn't make them from scratch or anything, but she's got these secrets, that make those cakes fluff up to absolute perfection! Unfortunately, I didn't get her talent...  For Nola's b-day cake I choose a simple betty crocker, white cake mix.  "What could go wrong i thought?" apparently everything. I threw it in the oven and then Zach and I proceeded to watch our movie. At the buzzer I got it out of the oven and resumed the show. I headed over to turn out the lights and lock up and I caught a glimpse of the cake.... or (giant doughnut)i'd created. The entire middle was gone. It had sunk and was all goopy and gross. I even did the tooth pick trick?!  I wish I had a picture to show you the lovely thing! I frantically searched the kitchen over for something round that could work to replace the hole. I ended up using the lid of my parmesan cheese shaker, rinsed it out and it worked perfectly! I may have not gotten the cake making gene, but I sure can improvise! (thanks modern dance)

       We filled Nolie's room with balloons and woke her up a bit earlier than usual that morning. We had a snow shoeing adventure planned for that morning. I had this great idea that we would hike up to the top of some awesome peak and let Nola release ONE single balloon into the sky. It felt so symbolic and like a fun tradition, plus it would make for an epic photo! We drove all the way up big cottonwood, and it was windy and stormy, but we decided to give it a try anyways. The second we opened the door, out flew the balloon. It was such an anti climatic moment...  I was pretty bummed, but what can you do?  We found a nice spot halfway down the mountain and enjoyed the nicer weather traipsing around in the snow. Nola is always so happy in her hiking backpack, so I felt like it was a perfect activity for her birthday!

     

     When it came time to try some cake, she really wanted nothing to do with it. In fact she wanted as far away from the cake as possible. She loved when we sang to her, and when i went to blow out the candle she leaned in and made a tiny little blowing noise. Where did she learn that from!? It was the cutest thing ever. Once we finally convinced her to sit down by the cake again we had to trick her to touch the frosting by placing one of the yarn balls on top so she would grab it off and hopefully touch the cake. Wow talk about crazy parents!  I don't know why I was so persistent on her touching it? It just seemed like something that needed to happen. It ended up that we were the ones eating, and poking at the cake. When she did end up getting frosting on her hands, she waved them in the air so fast and wiped them on the table about 100 times. I think its safe to say she didn't enjoy the experience all that much.. The cake ended up tasting pretty nasty too so I don't blame her. Hopefully she'll enjoy her second birthday cake a little better. 

its my birthday i can cry if i want to.

       As you can see there were a lot of mixed emotions, and a lot of convincing on our part.  Zach was snapping some pictures towards the end, and would count down from 3, then she would give us the cheesiest smile/yelling face ever. It happened every time. We were cracking up! 

                  

               

         

             

Im dying over those two front teeth and that gap, well and everything about that face. hahaha

yumm.... yarn cake.

I wouldn't have changed our special little celebration with this girl. We had such fun just the three of us. We sure do love her. Our lives were forever changed on January 6, 2015. We are the luckiest that she's ours!