Swensonology

2 Years + 1

2011-01-11T10:39:00.000-07:00

The last month has been full of fun!

Playing in the snow and your first snow man (with daddy's help.)

Christmas festivities and fun with a pretty Christmas dress!

You just keep getting older and it is going so fast! You are an absolute doll! You love playing in your kitchen, you love your babies, and still love all things Disney! You love Belle, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Princess Rella, the Mermaids, Peter Pan, Tink & Cars. We never have a shortage of entertainment! You love Mickey & Minnie, and still love Elmo! Your words are so dang cute and you are still picking up a ton. You repeat so much! You love to say "Whatcha doin silly?" and you love to smile! Now you read your bed time books to us, which I absolutely love! I am constantly amazed with how much you know and can tell us. You love chocolate milk, chicken, fries and juice. You still love fruit and bread too. You are so stinking cute!

We love you!

Happy Birthday London!!

2010-12-11T09:53:00.006-07:00

Those were the quickest 2 years of our lives!

We can't believe our baby girl is 2!

2 years old and so independent and have such spunk. You love fairies and princesses and mickey and minnie and donald duck. You adore all things Disney! You are so much fun and love everyone! You can say so many things and learn a new word every day still. You are in the 80's for height, the 50's for weight and are absolutely perfect in every way. You giggle so much and love to have fun. You still love chicken and all fruit, and of course, Happy Cake!

You are our very favorite and you have stolen our whole hearts.

Happy Birthday, Lolo!

Month 23

2010-11-11T09:39:00.002-07:00

The last month brought big changes! Out went your crib and toddler bed and in came the big girl bed with Tinkerbell sheets! Yay! You are in love!

You had a nasty stye for a while.

You are convinced that pumpkins may be the coolest things ever. You especially love the pumpkins that came from our garden.

After our Disneyland trip, you have become obsessed with all things Peter Pan--including Tinkerbell. We have watched Peter Pan so many times! You can't get enough!

Your vocabulary is expanding at a rapid pace. You learn a new word every day. You love having mama home with you more now. You are excited and enthusiastic. Your eyes and facial expressions can tell a whole story. You are so much fun and have so much energy! You are girly and love to dress up and twirl, but you don't mind getting dirty and being adventurous either. You love to color and will draw pictures for people and will remember it is theirs and tell them the whole story behind it. We love you so much! You are growing up so fast!

22 Months

2010-10-11T09:28:00.000-06:00

always curious...

love your babies...

your favorite combination--outside and drawing!

you are talking up a storm, are so excited about life and are just too cute. we love you so, so much. you are our little lolo and have all of our love.

21 Months

2010-09-11T14:53:00.000-06:00

so brave.

willing to try anything.

loves adventure. (especially 4wheeling)

so cute in sunglasses.

loving the ride.

even when it hurts

and leaves a mark.

and you have those eyes.

i love them.

we love you so, so much!

20 Months

2010-08-11T14:37:00.004-06:00

Our always happy girl.

You are loving summer. You would live outside if we let you.

You love the water, the grass, the flowers...everything.

You find a toy in everything and are so good at playing pretend.

You went 4 wheeling, which you absolutely adore, and got a sunburn on a little triangle of your face. It actually blistered and scabbed over. Even with a bandaid on your face, you are a happy girl.

We love you like crazy.

We can't believe you are almost 2!

19 already?

2010-07-11T17:44:00.001-06:00

19 months?

Amazing.

You are so much fun every day. You love to laugh and to make all of us laugh.

You love to talk. About anything and everything.

You love to be outside.

You love to pick your own clothes.

You love to say "stuck." It makes me laugh.

You love to lead us around and show us things.

We still love you more everyday.

You are so happy and make us so happy.

XOXO.

Happy Father's Day!

2010-06-20T21:32:00.002-06:00

Father's Day is so much fun!

We have the best people to celebrate in our family.

Gavin, you are the best dad. Lolo loves you so much! Thank you for all you do for our little family!

Greg, thank you for teaching all you know to Gavin. You are so good to us. And Lolo loves you! You are so good to her.

Dad, you know how much I love you. Thank you for being the perfect dad to me.

London loves you like crazy. Need I say more?

18 Months

2010-06-11T21:19:00.001-06:00

A full year and a half. Where did it go?

We love you. So much.

We love your little voice, how much you love nursery, that you giggle like crazy when tickled or chased.

We love everything about you.

Stop growing so quickly please.

(But, every phase is our new favorite...just so you know.)

17 Months

2010-05-11T19:17:00.001-06:00

17 months. So fast.

We love you more than words can say.

Flowers From Lolo...

2010-05-10T22:00:00.002-06:00

...well, sort of.

She thought the dandelion was pretty cool.

Love that Face!

2010-05-05T21:51:00.003-06:00

L is ready to try camping. She told me so.

This makes me happy. (The picture below...not the camping part...just to clarify.)

Love

2010-05-03T21:58:00.001-06:00

Lolo really loves her blanket. As in favorites.

Cabelas Adventure

2010-04-29T21:41:00.001-06:00

We wanted to go on an adventure, so we headed to Cabela's to see the fish.

London loved all the animals. She was so intrigued.

Nana and Grampy came, and she always loves that.

She was in awe and talking up a storm. It was so much fun!

She just gets so excited!

It was such a fun adventure. I'm so glad we went!

Morning Jog

2010-04-27T23:05:00.002-06:00

Early and chilly, but so worth it. L loves it outside anytime.

Cute Girl

2010-04-24T20:58:00.002-06:00

Behind the bike with Cannon. It may be her favorite thing ever.

Or bath time may be. She loves bath time.

I really, really love her.

City Creek Hike

2010-04-17T12:30:00.002-06:00

We went and hiked City Creek with some of our favorite people. 6 miles round trip. I think I was most proud of Katie Skillin and her kids. Shaelie and Brandt hiked the whole thing. Impressive!

City Creek is {luckily} paved, so I could push Lolo in the stroller since Gavin was working.

She loves being outside, but not cooped up, but she did pretty well.

She loves playing in the dirt and leaves.

We ate lunch at the top.

In the stroller, ready to go.

We have been doing a Saturday hike group. It has been so much fun!

16 Months

2010-04-11T21:02:00.006-06:00

This month was full of fun. L fed herself...

did lots of playing,

pushed the stroller {and grocery cart},

and gave lots of loves (especially to GG).

L spent time modeling, hanging with Papa,

eating yummy food from Sam's club with an injured face,

enjoying Easter, and looking out the window.

There were sleepovers at Nana's and Grampy's,

airplane rides with Dada and Mama,

fun bath time,

really long sparklers,

and hiking fun.

London has grown so much. Her vocabulary is growing so quickly. She loves making animal sounds and pointing out Sesame Street characters. We all enjoy reading and singing songs. She is so much fun and we love her so more every day. We can't believe how big she is getting!

Easter

2010-04-04T21:51:00.001-06:00

Easter was a fun day for us this year. We tried to explain to the 1 year old why Easter is so important. There was even a book involved. At the end, I'm pretty sure she was just pretty stoked about her Elmo shirt. We'll keep trying.

Easter was extra special this year because Parker's birthday fell on the same day. We love him so much and miss him like crazy. He is doing so well though.

The Easter Bunny may have gone a little overboard this year.

London was so excited. Mostly for her Elmo shirt.

She liked her truck too. She loves playing in the back yard dirt.

She has become a pro at the art of hunting Easter eggs.

She didn't really like her chocolate bunny. {relief} She mostly just played with it.

At the Swenson family dinner, the extended fam had an Easter egg hunt. She pretty much was distracted by all of Val's preschool toys.

Easter was great this year. We loved listening to Conference and we missed Parker. We are so grateful for the knowledge we have. We hope you had a Happy Easter as well.

Vegas!

2010-04-03T23:45:00.000-06:00

Gavin and I headed on a last minute trip to Vegas to celebrate our anniversary. We had so much fun. L had so much fun at Nana and Grampy's house too.

This is pretty much how the trip went when I said "We should take a picture!"

We had so much fun! It was good to get out and just have fun. We went shopping, ate yummy food, saw Jay Leno, attempted to sleep in and talked a lot. It was much needed. We had a blast.

Piano Fun

2010-04-03T23:30:00.000-06:00

We love cousins!

Easter Egg Hunting

2010-04-03T23:01:00.003-06:00

We had lots of fun Easter Hunting this year. L was old enough to get it. We may have practiced at home to get her ready... We had 2 hunts the week before Easter that were so much fun!

The first was the Egg Hunt at our ward party. L was distracted by all the nursery toys. She then picked up an egg and dropped it in her basket. Much to her delight, it cracked open and out fell jelly beans. Hunt over. That was all she needed!

Then we went to the candy hunt at Grandma Johnson's retirement home.

L was ready to go, even though it was freezing!

She was a pro at picking candy up, as long as we pointed it out first.

It was so much fun!

She loves doing anything with Cannon. They are too cute.

This is our only picture with the Easter bunny this year. Gavin and I may have gone to Vegas and missed the bunny at the mall.

Papa and Grandma held an Easter Egg Hunt the day before Easter for all the grandkids. London made out! She was so excited.

She decided that hunting eggs and candy is a pretty good way to spend a day! Thanks for all the fun!

Face, meet the driveway...

2010-03-26T20:48:00.004-06:00

London was walking on the driveway and fell. She put her hands down, but put them down too close to the middle of her body and fell over them. Ouch!

The first day was sore,

but when it scabbed over today, day 2, it looked even more painful!

She was a trooper. She got over crying fairly quickly - until her grampy asked her how she was doing and she burst into tears again. She is definitely all girl!

2010-03-24T22:16:00.002-06:00

Have I mentioned how much I love this one lately?

*not the one in the hat...I love her tons, and she is stinkin cute, but she gets her own posts all the time...*

Well, I do. (love him, that is.)

More and more each day.

Thanks for working so hard for our little family.

We notice & we appreciate it so much.

You are the very best.

We are very lucky girls.

Fashion Show

2010-03-23T22:52:00.002-06:00

Gavin's sister Julie made darling matching skirts for all the girl grandkids. They are so cute!

It was a project for school, so London and all her cute girl cousins were able to go model the skirts for the class fashion show. It was so cute!

Lolo loves her cousins!

Her cute friend Ella was in the show too.

Practicing her walk.

They are such cute skirts!

Thanks Julie! It was a fun day!

Sun, Finally

2010-03-16T22:49:00.000-06:00

1st sunburn.

We loved playing outside.

Happy March!

15 Months!

2010-03-11T21:50:00.000-07:00

This last month was a lot of fun at the Swenson home. We still can't believe our little girl is 15 months already!

This month brought Valentine's Day. Cupid brought L an Elmo DVD. Need I mention London's intense love for all things Elmo?

This month also brought a new, relaxed style of eating. Unfortunately, it didn't last.

It brought climbing on the car seat...even in the house...

train rides with Cannon...

Carousel rides. L loves the carousel.

Fun (and funny) times with the fam...

Graduating to a toddler bed...

practicing the piano...

seeing the fish with Nana and GG...

sitting on the big frog.

This month flew by and was so much fun.

We love our little London Ciel.

She is still our favorite thing.

5 Years!

2010-03-10T17:45:00.004-07:00

Best friend. Partner in crime. One who makes me laugh.

Love of my life.

Thank you for the best 5 years. They have been even better than I could have imagined.

I love you!

*And tomorrow, we finally are able to get the cd of our wedding photos. I am so excited!*

Spring...

2010-03-08T21:33:00.004-07:00

is in the air.

I can feel it. I actually wore flip flops this weekend and open toe heels today. Squee!!

I love, love Spring!

In other news, L has decided that Elmo needs to eat too.

*I am aware that it will storm tomorrow. I am choosing to ignore that fact.*

The Eagles

2010-03-01T19:06:00.004-07:00

For President's Day, we took an adventure to go see the eagles in Farmington.

I love traditions!

They were flying around and were so cool! It didn't smell so hot though...

We went with Nana and Grampy, so the three of us were able to ride together in the back seat.

We have to see the details!

So cool!

Wrong way!

It was a fun, fun day!

After the eagles, Gavin and I were able to celebrate Valentine's Day. We saw the movie Valentine's Day, and ate a yummy steak dinner at Little America. It was the perfect holiday!

{love day}

2010-02-14T00:00:00.001-07:00

Love, L (and her parents...)

photo credit goes to the lovely Caitlin. perfect, as always!

14 Months

2010-02-11T08:00:00.005-07:00

In her current 14 month state, London...

Loves strawberries, bananas, chicken, crackers {especially those of the graham variety...}, apple juice boxes, bottles with soy milk and tolerates *some other foods. Loves to drink with a straw and try to feed herself with her spoon. Has 6 teeth (total).

Loves her playhouse, anytime of the day.

Loves Cannon and Cousins anytime. Loves strollers and babies. Adores books. Loves playtime with stuffed animals, puzzles, blocks, tupperware, kitchen towels, and more books.

Loves to laugh, giggle, smile, cheese, and chew on her fingers when teething. Loves being thrown up, or to and fro, loves spinning and playing "ring around the rosies." Will dance on demand. Sings Popcorn, If You're Happy, Pat-a-cake, 5 Little Monkeys, and other favorites on demand, with actions.

Loves to be "shy" or outgoing, depending on her mood and goal. Has crazy hair. Won't leave hair bows/headbands in/on. Has lovely eyes and darling looks. Is into raising her shoulders to her ears.

Loves tutus and shiny shoes. Loves all things girly.

Loves her family and lights up a room as soon as she enters. Makes friends everywhere.

Is our world.

How has it been 14 months already?

Bottom 2 photos courtesy of Caity.

We love her.

And her photos.

13 Months

2010-01-11T20:47:00.000-07:00

Our little Lolo is 13 months old. I still have a hard time believing it!

London...

is energetic,

fun,

loving,

full of giggles,

our greatest joy,

a talking machine,

adventurous,

darling,

always reading a book,

funny,

all girl.

She makes the cutest faces and loves to have conversations with us. She loves pictures, having her back tickled, playing with kids (especially her cousins), her grandparents, aunts & uncles, crayons, her playhouse, frilly skirts, bananas, her quilt.

She is, in a word, delightful.

We love her so, so much.

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Our best wishes for you and yours.

Happy 2010!

Traveling Christmas

2009-12-26T23:59:00.003-07:00

Gavin's siblings all traveled around after Christmas to see what Santa brought all of the grandkids. It was a fun filled day! I don't have any pictures from the other houses, but London loves any excuse to play with her cousins. This is what the fun looked like at our house:

Thanks for playing guys!

Christmas Day

2009-12-25T23:59:00.000-07:00

Christmas was so much fun at our house! It was London's first Christmas where she was aware of everything, which was really fun for us. The biggest problem we had on Christmas was that we were unable to get London out of bed! She just wanted to keep sleeping! Nana and Grampy came over at 7:30, which already gave her an extra half hour from her usual schedule, but she wouldn't wake up, so we went in and got her just before 8:00.

So tired...

She was tired and cuddly--just trying to wake up for a little while, but she loved her Cabbage Patch doll right away and wouldn't let it go.

She loves opening presents!

Playing in her new house with Nana.

Grandma, Papa, Corie and Julie came over too, but we didn't get any pictures. We were picture slackers on Christmas!

Our juice toast.

We didn't turn London's car seat around on her first birthday, so we waited until Christmas and made it one of her presents. It may have been her favorite one. She loved it and still loves getting in now that she can see everything.

At Grandma and Papa's playing with Cannon and getting into presents.

Riding Ally's new ride with Aaron's help. She loved it!

After the Swenson celebration, we headed to the Caywood's for a nap and games. Later that night the extended Swenson's had another party with more fun, food and good times. It was a busy day, and was so much fun! We love Christmas!

Christmas Eve

2009-12-24T23:13:00.001-07:00

Christmas Eve was pretty chill this year since the Caywood Christmas had already been done. We hung out at home all day, then went to the Swenson's for a yummy dinner. And apparently I didn't take any pictures! London got her book from Papa and her cute jammies from Grandma. Spoiled and it's not even Christmas!

Parker called on Christmas Eve also. We we headed over to the Caywood's to talk to the missionary for a few minutes. While there, London got some more cute jammies and her Christmas Eve present from Nana and Grampy.

The 30 minute phone call wasn't long enough. It was so good to talk to Parker! After we were done, we packed up and headed home so that Santa could come!

Merry Christmas!

Merry {Caywood} Christmas

2009-12-20T23:01:00.003-07:00

In keeping with the recent Caywood tradition, we didn't celebrate Christmas on Christmas. Garret was called in to work, so we celebrated on the 20th.

It was a very unusual Christmas. It was the first Christmas that wasn't at my Grandma's. We missed having it there! It was at our house this year, which was an adventure. It was a fun day!

London loves presents, and London loves having people come to her house. She thought it was the best day ever!

Garret and Tricy gave Grandma a neck massager. To thank them, she sat on Tricy's lap for the picture. :) Classic!

London wouldn't take her tutu skirt off. Tricy and Garret have good taste!

London was spoiled like crazy and loved every minute!

Santa and the Symphony

2009-12-19T12:00:00.003-07:00

My dad's company sponsors the symphony every year, and so we get amazing tickets for the Christmas sing along. They serve a yummy breakfast and we get to visit Santa (with no line.) It's a gift to all.

London loved our seats. She thought the sing along was awesome!

My cousin, Nicole, came with her kids. London also loves Jackson. She wouldn't let him go!

London did not love Santa, however. Her little legs would start kicking and she would start grabbing and crying as soon as we started walking towards the {little} big guy. So, no picture on his lap. (We do have one with me holding her, and a second with Gavin holding her.) She's usually so brave!

It is such a fun morning! Thanks, Dad!

Oh Christmas Tree...

2009-12-18T10:00:00.000-07:00

We had fun decorating our Christmas tree. It was London's first year paying attention and she was hilarious and such a big help. So, in reverse order:

Finished tree...

London admiring said tree. She woke up from her nap and it was complete and lit and her little mouth just formed an 'O' and stayed that way for about 10 minutes. She loves it!

Helping dad with the lights...

Putting an ornament on the tree...

So excited about our new tree the night we found it.

Telling us all the stories...

Driving home from the tree lot...

At the tree lot. The nice guy gave London his Santa hat.

We love shopping for a fresh tree every year, finding the perfect tree and taking it home. It is so much fun! We loved having London participate this year! She loved it too.

Birthday Fun!

2009-12-17T22:15:00.005-07:00

We had so much fun on London's birthday! It was a day full of adventure.

Gavin, London and I spent the day together. We rode the carousel at the mall, which she loves, and ate some yummy lunch.

We went to the petting zoo and saw the animals, rode a pony and weighed London.

We had a fun party that night. We had a pinata.

Yummy cake...

Opened presents...

and watched London play in her cake, but not really eat it.

Silly girl had to have a fork. Don't mind Gavin's drunk look here!

We had such a fun day! Thank you to everyone who helped us celebrate. (And to Anne, Kelly and Caity for spending their evening behind the cameral.) It was the perfect first birthday! Caity took some fabulous photos of London and her cake eating. Since I have posted so many here already, check out her post for some more party coverage. She is amazing!

12 months has brought a whole new sense of adventure into our home. London is so much fun and is learning so much every day. She loves the Christmas decorations, tells us all kinds of stories, loves to feed herself, laughs contagiously and loves life. My favorite new thing she does is hug us and pat our backs like she does to her babies. She loves to give kisses, wave bye bye and be with her whole family. She lights up our lives every day and we are so grateful for her!

Here's to year 1!

1 Year

2009-12-11T10:00:00.000-07:00

1 Year ago today...

On our way to the hospital to be induced.

Our perfect little London.

Our big 1 year old, this morning.

1 year goes by too quickly...

Thanksgiving!

2009-12-06T21:11:00.005-07:00

On Thanksgiving, we ran the Human Race in Draper. It was a blast! Thanks Bonnie, Jon, Ella, Jace and Julie. We had so much fun!

London thought her first Thanksgiving was pretty cool.

Now on to birthdays and Christmas. We love December!

Content

2009-11-20T23:48:00.005-07:00

One little, red-cheeked girl sleeping by my side (on tummy with cute bum in air, naturally)? Check.

Holiday shopping started? Check.

Birthday shopping completed? Check.

Christmas music gathered and ready to play in one week? Check.

Thanksgiving decorations up? Check.

Christmas decorations ready? (But, not up, of course. It's against the rules until after Thanksgiving.) Check.

Birthday theme ready? Check.

Party decorations purchased? Check.

New Thanksgiving and Christmas traditions to start? Check.

Ready to run my first 5k? Sort of Check.

In the holiday spirit? Check.

Christmas movies picked and ready to watch, starting Thanksgiving night? Check. (Favorites: The Holiday, Elf, The Family Stone, The Polar Express, A Christmas Story, The Santa Claus, How the Grinch Stole Christmas. So, so many. Yes, I'm a geek. And no, Scrooged is NOT on the list.)

Checking magazines/blogs for present/decorating ideas? *And can't wait to try them out on our house? Check.

Getting excited? Check.

Can you tell I love this time of year? It is magical.

What are your plans/traditions/favorites?

11 Months...

2009-11-11T21:08:00.001-07:00

say it isn't so.

She is our favorite part of every day.

Happy (belated) Halloween!

2009-11-08T22:16:00.002-07:00

We're a week late, but Happy Halloween from the Swenson home.

Gav and I did dress up, but prefer not to have our costumes on the internet... We'll just say that one of us was Hannah Montana and leave it at that.

L loved being a ladybug. She was so much fun!

We hope you had a fun Halloween too.

Welcome, November. We're happy you're here.

Happy Fall!

2009-10-19T21:47:00.002-06:00

We love fall and we have been having so much fun...

We took a lovely drive up the canyon and saw the colors. The drive was beautiful and the company was hilarious.

London has decided that she likes pumpkins.

A lot.

She really enjoyed the witches too.

She loves her fish at Nana's house. Thank you Mercedie!

(Although she hated her stye. We are so glad her eye is better now...)

Pumpkins, pumpkins and more pumpkins. We can't get enough!

We hope your fall is just as delightful!

End of Summer

2009-09-29T22:08:00.005-06:00

We spent the last weekend in St. George. It was fantastic. We saw Aida, spent time with the Webster's, went swimming, shopping, golfing...all the good things. It was the perfect end to summer.

We ate at Entrada and enjoyed the fantastic view. Hi Tricy!

London likes the sunroof...

and LOVES the pool. Tricy was a good sport to pull her around!

The view from the Webster's backyard. Amazing.

London loves to drive!

We had so much fun! It was a great trip {quick but fantastic.}

Thanks mom and dad & Lorrie and Wade!

*And this makes the cold weather coming in tomorrow a little easier to take!*

2009-09-18T23:33:00.001-06:00

We're really excited for fall at our house. We love sweaters and comfy pants.

But, we're really going to miss summer, too.

Loving this so, so much...

2009-09-04T22:47:00.004-06:00

Loving and missing and praying for his safety, success and happiness.

Cousin Fun

2009-08-21T22:44:00.003-06:00

We love it!

Bear Lake=Heaven.

2009-08-20T23:09:00.003-06:00

Great company, good food, raspberry shakes, perfect water.

And Lolo loved it.

It is the perfect vacation and we can't wait for next year!

8 Months

2009-08-11T22:44:00.006-06:00

8 months old.

The love of our lives.

Time is going too fast. We are loving every minute.

2009-08-09T00:15:00.002-06:00

I love it when this little girl is sleeping by me and has to reach out and touch my arm or face.

It melts my heart.

Happy Birthday Gavin!

2009-07-27T00:01:00.001-06:00

To my best friend, the very best dad and the love of my life.

Happy, happy birthday.

27 on the 27th.

We love you.

xoxoxo

Jess & Lolo

7 Months

2009-07-11T08:00:00.000-06:00

A few months skipped, but picking it back up.

Our happy, happy girl is 7 months old today. It amazes me, thrills me and makes me so sad that she is growing so fast!

We love her to pieces and can't believe it has been 7 months!

L is so happy, most all of the time! She has the cutest little looks.

She is so brave and fun. She loved the fireworks and sparklers on the 4th of July.

Lolo absolutely LOVES her kiddie pool. She would spend all day in there if we would let her.

She is such a good eater and loves her food. She is messy, that is for sure! She has to be involved in the actual eating process.

We are having so much fun watching her roll around and sort-of crawl. I just love to see her face when she tries a new food or feels a new texture. We are absolutely smitten with her. Those blue eyes get us every time. I can't get enough cuddle time and love introducing her to new things. She lights up our lives every day.

We are still completely, undeniably in love.

Even more than we first thought.

Happy 4th of July

2009-07-09T23:21:00.005-06:00

...A few days late.

We had so much fun with sparklers, L loved the parade and fireworks & spent too much time in the kiddie pool. We ate yummy food and celebrated our independence and this fantastic country. It was a great day!

So...

2009-06-28T22:46:00.004-06:00

So moving may not be my favorite thing.

Packed truck.

Old living room.

But, we had great helpers (thank you all!) and it went much more quickly than we anticipated.

And Lolo loves her new tub.

It's Official.

2009-06-17T18:07:00.003-06:00

We have taken the plunge!

Gavin and I just closed on our house and we are so excited!

We love our neighbors and are so sad to leave them, but we are excited to start this new chapter in our lives.

This last part has happened so quickly....and the best part is that we move this weekend!

So, if you don't have any plans on Saturday....

The dumpster is gone now...

And, we do have grass (in the front yard...) Thank you so much to all that helped!

I can't tell you how much we appreciate you!

Tuesday Thoughts...

2009-06-09T22:10:00.003-06:00

I'm way stressed out and not nearly as nice as I should be.

So, I am missing this one desperately because he would make me laugh today.

I am loving this one--

although he is getting the brunt of my ornery-ness

And this one delights me more than I ever thought possible.

Stressed and frustrated, but so, so blessed.

Happy Days

2009-05-25T08:06:00.000-06:00

Cali (Belated)

2009-05-20T19:11:00.004-06:00

We had so much fun in California back in April. It was a great send-off vacay for Park.

We rode lots of rides, visited the beach, some of us went swimming in the freezing ocean, ate good food, wore ourselves out and had an absolute blast!

Lolo went on her first plane ride and did so well!

We waited in lots of lines, and rode lots of fabulous rides. (And the train for L, although she slept through the whole thing!

She met characters...

We LOVE the water and the beach!

We had a great time in Cali and wish we could go back!

lolo

2009-05-11T23:20:00.005-06:00

5 months old today.

time is flying by.

we are having drama with our hard drive, so updates will come later.

i just can't believe she is already 5 months old.

i can't believe just how much i love that little girl.

Yes, she does the can-can...

2009-05-04T22:57:00.004-06:00

It might be my favorite outfit ever.

my little happy makers...

2009-04-29T01:40:00.002-06:00

Parker

2009-04-26T19:49:00.014-06:00

Parker left last Wednesday for his mission. We all went to the MTC to drop him off.

It was painful for us, and so exciting for him. He couldn't wait to get started!

We are going to miss him a ridiculous amount, but know he will be amazing and will love it!

This is him walking away to drop off his luggage.

Getting his tag...

The Fam

With mom and dad

How Garret felt about the whole day...

We definitely needed comfort food on the way home!

Cali and Growing Up

2009-04-13T23:17:00.006-06:00

We loved Cali! It was so much fun and I'll post with pictures soon.

L was spoiled for Easter and decided that she might really like the holiday. Being 4 months old, she doesn't have a clue why Easter is truly important, but she does know that she really likes her cool stuff!

In the growing up note, L decided that it was time to roll over where her mom and dad were actually able to see her! Even though she rolled for her Nana a month ago, we were stoked to see it for ourselves! Especially the repeat performances in the same night.

As a preview, L made a new friend in California. Garret won Big Bird for her and she thinks he is pretty awesome! She cuddles it with her arms and legs and just giggles and talks to him. Please don't mind my crazy bed hair in this picture!

We think Easter weekend is awesome at our house!

Girl's Day

2009-04-08T22:29:00.002-06:00

This last weekend was Girl's weekend and was so much fun! You can read about the yummy Friday dinner here. (And don't mind the horrible pictures of me if you do!)

Had a productive (on the shoe front, anyway) shopping day with Lis, Abi and Amy. So much fun! And I finally have some new shoes! (And can I just say that I have forgotten how to walk in heels--seriously forgotten. I couldn't wear heels for the majority of the pregnancy because my feet were soooo swollen. Now I am terrible at it! Practice much?)

And Saturday night the girls always get together during Priesthood conference. This year we had L to join my mom and I. Mercedie came too. We had great conversation and a fun time! (Not to mention the fabulous food at Little America...)

I loved General Conference this weekend.

We celebrated the bro's birthdays on Sunday--with 2 cakes. We celebrate the right way! It was fun to see everyone too.

That's the weekend run down.

Moments to Remember

2009-04-07T23:59:00.003-06:00

There's nothing I love more than rocking this lil bug to sleep while she rubs my hand with hers.

She has stolen my whole heart.

Sneak Peak: We may have visited the Easter Bunny. Pictures to come.

Merry Christmas!

2009-03-27T08:22:00.002-06:00

For Christmas my parents gave all of us a vacation to St. George & Vegas along with a day of rides and tickets to see The Phantom of the Opera.

We headed out and had so much fun!

We had a fantastic dinner at my favorite restaurant, The Cortez Room.

L was a trooper with all of the driving. Many thanks to Lorrie for watching her during our day in Vegas!

Mercedie had never been, so we hit the tourist sites. It was so fun!

Fun with Pop Rocks while driving...

We rode all the fun rides...

And Phantom was amazing! The theatre is specifically for Phantom and gave me chills! I loved it!

Lots of driving...lots of fun!

Our favorite rocking chair in Beaver.

Thanks for such a fun trip Mom & Dad! We had so much fun!!

Ouch!

2009-03-26T19:01:00.005-06:00

A double ear infection=2 hours of sleep=

a sad baby, which = mom consuming 44 ounces of Diet Coke.

Before 10:30 AM.

Don't judge.

100 Things

2009-03-26T06:00:00.002-06:00

Been tagged multiple times, multiple places, with multiple versions of this...finally decided to play.

1. I am a geek.

2. I love politics and business (see #1).

3. Being a mom is my favorite thing in the world.

4. I ate cereal almost every day when pregnant, but have only eaten it once or twice since.

5. I love sweets--especially chocolate.

6. The Cortez Room is my favorite restaurant.

7. I love prime rib and they have the best.

8. I consider blogging an outlet and part of my journal. Which is good, because I am a terrible at the whole journal thing.

9. I love being married.

10. Having said that, I loved being single and dating too.

11. I love to travel. I start planning the next vacay as soon as I get home.

12. They don't have to be big vacations...I'm a big fan of the weekend get-away. (And of anywhere with a beach--especially Hawaii!)

13. I can be a bit of a perfectionist.

14. I believe this helped foster my tendency to be a procrastinator. If I don't have time to make a project just how I want it, I wait and wait.

15. Then I get mad at myself because it isn't done when I want it to be.

16. I love reading.

17. I get too sucked in and usually finish a good book way too quickly. Gavin hates this because I can read for hours straight.

18. I am a sucker for chick flicks.

19. My imagination is way too active.

20. It doesn't take much to scare me.

21. When I was in high school, I wanted to name my first daughter Felicity June.

22. I still love the name Felicity, but L was definitely meant to be named London.

23. I love music--all kinds of music.

24. Nothing makes me happier than a Broadway Musical.

25. I have so many favorites. I can't wait to see Aida and the Scarlet Pimpernell this Fall.

26. I really want to see Miss Saigon when it comes as well. It haunts me, but I love it.

27. I get this geeky grin on my face when I am sitting at a musical. It is hard to describe the pure delight that I experience. It makes my heart soar.

28. I am a sucker for tradition.

29. I love to travel to Europe. I'm so glad that I married Gavin because he will always make this a priority.

30. I'm also glad that I love Paris so much.

31. Experiencing "Gavin's Paris" is one of my fondest memories and favorite experiences.

32. I compare myself to others too much.

33. Especially to other women. I usually fall short in my mind.

34. I am constantly working on this.

35. I have the best parents.

36. They taught me so many things that I am so grateful for.

37. They support me always and encourage me. (and feed me)

38. I hope I am as good a mom as my mom is.

39. I worry that I won't learn it all and L will have to go to her nana for help!

40. I still love to be at my parent's. I love my apartment and it is home, but my parent's house will always feel like home too.

41. I call L "sugar". It is my favorite non-name-based nickname for her.

42. I think it is because my dad calls me sugar. (and sugar bear.)

43. When I read, I get so sucked in that I will laugh and cry. Gavin always teases me.

44. I love to write, but need a lot of improvement and better ideas. (And a few classes.)

45. When I am walking around and there is music playing, I always walk to the beat.

46. I usually picture being in a movie when this happens. (see #1)

47. I wasn't always close to my cousins growing up. I was so grateful when I married Gavin and gained so many cousins that are close.

48. I hope L is close to her cousins. I know she will be.

49. I always wanted a sister. I am so glad that I can consider my Gav's sisters my sisters too.

50. I always worried about what my in-laws would be like. I think I really lucked out.

51. I love scuba diving and everything that has to do with the water.

52. I love movies. The whole experience. (movie theatre, popcorn smell, big soda.)

53. I also love eating out.

54. I think it is so much fun to try new restaurants.

55. I think the recession sucks.

56. I am amazed at how much it has changed my work. (although I shouldn't be, it makes sense.)

57. I never had a ton of close girl-friends when I was growing up.

58. Jana is one of my longest and very closest friends.

59. I miss her on her mission and admire her more than I have ever told her.

60. I am grateful for great girl friends that I have now.

61. In high school, my closest friends were guys. They were drama free, most of the time.

62. I didn't realize how much those relationships would have to change when we grew up and got married.

63. I never thought I would marry someone I went to high school with.

64. I can't imagine being married to anyone but Gavin.

65. As geeky as it sounds, he completes me.

66. I don't do drama anymore, and I try not to let myself be manipulated.

67. Sometimes it takes a lot of work...I'm a very trusting person.

68. Gavin says he has to be cynical because I am too trusting and he has to balance it out.

69. The gospel brings me so much comfort.

70. I hate goodbyes. And I fear someone close to me dying.

71. I have some really great friends.

72. I try and take lessons and hope that I will someday become as thoughtful.

73. I think thank you notes are going out of style.

74. It makes me sad, because I think they are so classy.

75. I will always try to write them, no matter what. (Thanks, mom.) (But, don't be offended if I miss you either--I'm not perfect!)

76. I need to learn to get them mailed more quickly.

77. I am terrible at sports--really terrible, I'm not just saying that!

78. It's a good thing London has Gavin's genes too.

79. I hate working out and have to force myself to do it.

80. Which is stupid, because I feel so much better when I do.

81. I hate baby weight. (And I hate comments about it from people who have either never had a baby, or have a body that drops the weight immediately.)

82. I would do it all over again though. She is more than worth it.

83. I think education is one of the most important things in the world.

84. I also think we should constantly be educating ourselves, even if we aren't in a formal program.

85. Because I am a politics geek, it drives me crazy when people don't research the issues.

86. I could debate and discuss politics and business all day long.

87. I need a lot of sleep--like 8 full hours a night.

88. I am so glad that I was able to take 12 weeks maternity leave.

89. Since I knew I might have to go back to work, I tried to enjoy every minute.

90. We did a lot of laying around and just cuddling. I will always treasure that time.

91. I think babies grow up too fast. I keep trying to remember every little thing.

92. I love each stage though and am so excited to see what she will be like.

93. Sometimes I call my bros just to chat because I don't see them enough.

94. I usually have to invent a reason because they don't particularly like to talk on the phone.

95. I am so proud of Parker and I am going to miss him so much. I still can't talk about it.

96. I worry about Garret way more than is healthy. His job is too dangerous. And I wish he was around more.

97. I love Sunday dinners. On both sides. I love getting together with everyone.

98. I wish I had better style. I think I need lessons.

99. I love that I sing London the same lullabies that my mom sang me.

100. I love lunch with my dad.

And that's me in a nutshell. (a large one...)

Back to Work...

2009-03-25T10:13:00.000-06:00

I have been back to work for a couple of weeks now. On my first day back, Gav & L came to visit for lunch. It was so good to have them both there and made my day so much better. They brought me these beautiful flowers.

(And everyone knows I am a sucker for flowers!)

These flowers stuck around my whole first week and made me happy every time I looked at them!

I love this guy so much!

L's Blessing

2009-03-24T15:57:00.003-06:00

Gavin was able to bless London on March 1st. We had such a great day! Many thanks to all that supported us and helped us feed everyone! It was a beautiful blessing and we had a wonderful time visiting with everyone and eating yummy food.

(And yes, we were amazed that everyone fit in our little house!)

L was a good little baby!

Firsts...

2009-03-22T13:18:00.003-06:00

First time in cowboy boots... Oh how I love this girl!

Pics from the previously mentioned first vacay. Went to St. George & Vegas, spent time with the wonderful Webster's! L went swimming for the first time in their fantastic pool! She didn't cry at all and did really well. It was kind of windy, which made it a little chilly. Otherwise, I think she would have loved it!

Don't mind my horribly messy hair! It was super windy!

It was pretty bright too.

We had so much fun! So much fun in fact that we decided to go to St. George & Vegas with the fam a week and a half later...

Welcome to Sick Bay...

2009-03-19T19:59:00.002-06:00

Our little L is rather sick....

Yes, I know there are blankets in her crib. No judging.

Her little cough just breaks my heart.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

2009-03-17T12:00:00.000-06:00

3 Months Old!

2009-03-11T20:05:00.010-06:00

Our little one is already 3 months old! I can hardly believe it! She has grown so much and is so much fun.

She loves to laugh and smile and giggle. Really, she just loves to be happy.

L has become a lover of all things vacation. She took her first vacation this last month and was quite the trooper. (More on the vacay to come later..)

She loves to play!

After she plays hard, she sleeps hard.

She loves her big girl chair (thanks for letting us borrow it Cannon!) and thinks sitting in it is pretty much the coolest thing ever!

L loves to put her arms up and be "super baby." She is cooing and talking up a storm. Apparently she rolls from her tummy to her back, but neither of her parents have witnessed this. She always knew Nana's house was more fun than ours! I am back at work and miss my little girl tons! We can't believe how much she has changed in just 3 months. She has discovered her toes and how to grab her favorite toys. She loves to sit and kick her legs and talk in the grown up conversations. Visiting the grandparents is awesome for her. She loves to look around and see everything she doesn't see on a daily basis. She is growing too fast for me. I do love each new stage though. It is so fun to see her learn and have so much fun figuring out how everything works. We are more in love with our little L everyday.

L's Doctor Visit

2009-02-20T08:00:00.003-07:00

L headed to the doctor on Wednesday for her 2 month check up. She did really well. She had a nice chat with the doctor...she even smiled and coo'ed at him. Little did she know the pain he was about to bring her way... She was a trooper through her shots. She screamed a bit, but quieted down pretty quickly.

It seems that she finally learned how to grow. Her current stats are:

Weight: 12 pounds (70th percentile)

Height: 24 1/4 inches (95th percentile)

Head: 39 cm (52nd percentile)

According to the nurse, she is really tall and skinny. Everyone was thrilled that she was finally consistently putting on weight.

Here's to two months free of shots, but then its back to the doctor for the 4 month check up. It's a good thing she's so tough! I don't think that I could handle it!

Valentine's Celebrations

2009-02-19T12:05:00.004-07:00

Since Gav's family celebrates with a family dinner on Valentine's Day, we celebrate another day. So, on Tuesday, we headed out for "our" Valentine's Day. It was Gavin's year to plan and we had so much fun! We tried to eat at Brookside Broiler and Grill. When we pulled up, it looked closed and turns out it is. (Which did not make us happy since they sold me a gift cert at Christmas...) So, we headed to Outback and ate a very yummy dinner there! After dinner, we picked up L from Amy's (thanks so much for babysitting!) and headed home.

We had a little bubbly...

Don't mind the fact that we changed into comfy hoodies and look like trash...we were snowed on! We chilled on the couch and watched The Duchess.

Gavin made dessert--poached pears that were soooo yummy! It was a great night!

Little L did great at Amy's. She had so much fun! (She told us so...)

This is the outfit she wore home from the hospital. She is getting so big! It fits now, but was so baggy on the way home...(and we thought it fit pretty well then!)

Valentine's Day Adventure

2009-02-18T21:09:00.005-07:00

Once a year, bald eagles decide to work their way back North (we think...) and work their way through Utah. Farmington Bay serves as a bit of a bird hotel, and they stop for a week or two and chill out in the snow. This year, that time fell over Valentine's Day, so we headed up to the reserve for a little bird watching...

Some geese by the water.

Bald Eagles hanging out on a tree.

Gavin, my dad and Garret seeking out the birds.

Even L was able to see a few birds. This was her view.

More bald Eagles chilling.

We try and make it up every year, but missed them last year. It was good to see that the eagles didn't mind and still came back to visit this year. It was incredible, as usual!

President's Day Adventure

2009-02-18T12:03:00.001-07:00

We decided that President's Day was a day worthy of celebration, so we took another adventure. We ate lunch at the Union Grill. It was so good!

L had her first train experience...

And a few went flying... (Gav and I are saving that adventure for another day...)

But, Garret, Tricy, Parker and Mercedie went and had a blast!

We'll try it soon. It looks like so much fun! (Even if you have to wear the geeky goggles!) We had a fun day and think President's Day should be celebrated every year.

Valentine's Day

2009-02-17T20:00:00.002-07:00

Valentine's Day was super busy and fun at our house...

L received a couple of Valentines...

and gave a few of her own away.

We took a fun adventure...More on that to come later.

We finished the day with the traditional Valentine's Day dinner at Grandpa and Papa Swenson's house with all of the family. I failed to get any pictures from that night, but the dinner was yummy and we loved the company! We had a great 1st Valentine's Day with our little one.

Happy Birthday Caity!

2009-02-17T10:59:00.001-07:00

Caity got a year older, so we had a fun dinner to celebrate. We got dressed up and headed to Olio for a fun filled night.

The birthday girl and el Bobbo

Blowing out the candles...

Gav & me chillin

The cake. We offered to do the cake, and this is what we came up with. Yes, we made it and it was super fun!

From the top...

Thanks Caity! We had a blast! (I wish I had a group picture...for better documentation, visit Caity's post here.)

Cowgirl

2009-02-16T22:48:00.003-07:00

Cannon turned 1 a little bit ago. I can't believe he is that old! Kim and Mike threw a great party. We had so much fun! It was a cowboy theme and everyone dressed up. Thanks for turning 1 so we could have a great party Cannon!

L's cousins (I wish I had a picture of all the cousins in their cowboy gear...Cannon had already had his bday cake, so he was in his pj's by this picture...)

London arrived as the cow...

but was also dressed like a cowgirl.

Gavin was sad he had to work. Thanks guys! We had so much fun!

2 Months!

2009-02-11T19:14:00.007-07:00

Our baby girl is 2 months old today! I can't believe how fast time goes! She is getting so big (we'll know exactly how big at her doctor's appointment next week...). She is so much fun and has brought so much joy into our lives.

At birth:

About 1 month

Just shy of 2 months

Our chunky newborn has gotten bigger, but a bit leaner. She weighs more, but is a little less chunky. She smiles and giggles and loves to be in the action. Her new favorite thing is to put as much weight on her legs as possible and "stand" on our laps. Her whole little body tenses up and she grunts. It is so cute! She is still so strong! She loves to try and push herself along on her face when she has tummy time. We have so much fun together. She is a great baby for the most part and is so happy and content. She is spoiled and loves to be held. We can't imagine life without her! She has figured out her voice and loves to tell us stories. She yells to let us know she needs something and works into a cry only as a last resort. I love her little sighs and coos. I can't believe she is 2 months old already! She is my little frog and I love her so much!

Stolen From Bonnie...

2009-02-08T10:38:00.005-07:00

Lucky you!

I saw this on a friend's blog and thought that it was a fun idea! So here it goes:

The first FIVE people to respond to this post will get something made by me! My choice. For you.

This offer does have some restrictions and limitations:
1- I make no guarantees that you will like what I make!
2- What I create will be just for you.
3- It'll be done this year. (might be a little while)
4- You have no clue what it's going to be.
It may be a story. It may be poetry, shoes, bags, or a little invention of my own! I may draw or paint something. I may bake you something and mail it to you. Who knows? Not you, that's for sure!
5- I reserve the right to do something extremely strange. Believe me... it may blow your mind!

The catch? Oh, the catch is that you must repost this on your blog and offer the same to the first 5 people who do the same on your blog. The first 5 people to do so and leave a comment telling me they did win a FAB-U-LOUS homemade gift by me! Oh, and be sure to post a picture of what you win when you get it!

Sounds like fun, right? So, let's play!

Found!

2009-02-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

And this baby girl couldn't be happier!

Missing!

2009-01-31T20:53:00.004-07:00

L is one lucky girl. She has many blankets that she loves so much! However, one of her favorites is missing. It's the blanket you see below... It's a pale pink on one side with large white polka dots, and white on the other side with large pink polka dots. We miss this particular blanket so much, so if you have seen it, will you let us know? It's just so warm and cozy!

Oh So Excited!

2009-01-23T14:54:00.007-07:00

My littlest brother (youngest really--he isn't so little anymore...) received his mission call this week. We are all stoked!

Here he is opening his call...

Here he is when he read the words Belgium, Brussels mission, French speaking!

And here is my mom reacting when she realizes that he is going somewhere safe...

We are going to miss him oh so much, but we are so excited for him! Parker, you are going to be such a great missionary! And we are so excited that he is speaking French (Gavin especially!)

He leaves pretty quickly, which is bitter-sweet for us, but he is so excited. Congratulations, Parker!

Lazy Day

2009-01-20T21:50:00.005-07:00

Gav, L and I camped out in our family room today and watched the events taking place in D.C. We watched the inauguration, all of the millions of people, the parade and the inaugural balls. We heard the speeches and all of the hope. Here's to hoping that President Obama can bring change, and that the change he brings is positive. It was definitely an historic day.

Photo: courant.com

We hung out, ate these amazing cookies and watched history be made. (Oh, and L took a few naps here and there.)

We had a great day!

Temple Trip

2009-01-18T13:42:00.005-07:00

Gavin, L and I headed up to the Draper Temple Open House this last week. The temple is beautiful and we had lots of fun together!

We rode the bus from the parking lot and L just chilled in her carrier.

She tried on Gavin's sunglasses.

She slept through most of the tour. We'll probably have to go back because she would have loved the lights!

A Shopping Trip

2009-01-15T22:35:00.003-07:00

L, Nana and I headed wedding dress shopping this last week. The friend we went with needs to remain un-named as the engagement is not yet official. However, this bride will be absolutely beautiful. The dress is amazing. (And to protect the surprise of the day...the posted picture is not the decided upon dress and does not show said bride's face.)

I love wedding dress shopping. L wasn't quite as interested. To be fair, however, it may have been dinner time for her. It was a lot of fun and we are very glad we were invited! Thanks bride!

1 Month--So big!

2009-01-12T14:43:00.006-07:00

London turned one month old yesterday. Where did that time go?? We can't believe she has already been with us that long! She is so much fun and we can't imagine life without her. She has accomplished a lot in her one month on Earth. She smiles now (although maybe not at us), she can win any staring contest, she grabs anything and everything she can, has an incredibly strong neck and looks around and lifts her head way more than she should. She yells when we aren't complying with her wishes and has figured out what she wants. She is a content and easy baby and is a joy to have in our home. We love the noises she makes, we absolutely treasure our cuddle time and we think she is the best thing ever! Her eyes have started to lighten up from the purpley slate color that they were and her hair has started to get a bit lighter as well. She has figured out how to suck her little thumb (so we are jumping to pull it out of her mouth!) We think she is so much fun and our only complaint is that she is growing up too fast already!

Chilling in the car seat.

Hanging out with Nana.

Talking to mom.

Taking a quick nap.

Posing quickly. She is in the tutu that Caity made her. It is so cute!

We are having lots of fun at our house!