At Home

These days we are spending most of our time playing in the snow and hanging at home. It's just too much work to jump in the car and venture too far from home. You never know when another storm will hit, and we don't want to be stranded! The last day and a half has brought us a foot of fresh snow. It's gorgeous, and I love it! The only way it could get any better is if we could ski more. 

I just wanted to mention a couple things we want to remember about Peter at 16 months. He cracks us up! He has definitely crossed over from baby to toddler. It is so much fun, but also really sad! I can't believe how independent he has become. He loves to play cars and trains, be outside, build lego towers (and knock them down), and be chased and tickled by his dad. He can't get enough of the pool (or tub) and is already an expert bike-rider, thanks to the awesome bike he got from Grandpa Dave and Grandma Teri. Now that Scott is finished with school, we have been able to spend so much time all together. It's kind of unbelievable. It's as though we gained another thirty hours a week!

Peter's favorite foods are still black beans (Cafe Rio in general. That's our boy!), yogurt, and wheat noodles with red sauce. He was downing broccoli last night like it was candy, and we feel very lucky to have gotten a pretty good eater. He sleeps and naps like a champ. We have a great bedtime routine that ends with our favorite river song, Peter saying some of the words of our favorite story along with us as we read, folding his arms for a prayer, and snuggling up for bed. "Snug as a bug in a rug. Goodnight, sleep tight." And he's down. It is wonderful.

Peter is goofy and knows when he's doing something silly. He loves to make us laugh. He is so happy and playful! He loves hide-and-seek, can't even stand the joy of being chased or tickled (by his dad, "Da"), and loves loves loves his cousins ("Dew," "Ben," and "Jay") and his Grandpa Dave ("Pa"). He loves to stand on a little stool and look out the window at the snow, pointing and saying, "No! No!" Which is what he calls snow. His bink is his "kink." Cup is "Puck." When I say it's time for lunch he says, "Chair!" When he wants his milk he says, "Mok," and does the sign for milk at the same time. We have a beautiful painting of Christ that my parents gave us for Christmas. Peter likes me to lift him up to the painting so he can point to it and say, "Jesus." Sometimes it comes out as "Sesus." Then he blows Him a kiss. Oh this boy! He is so sweet. I can't get enough of his cute little voice, and I hear a few new words every day. I can't believe how quickly he learns!

My very favorite thing is when Peter needs or wants something. He walks up to me, tugs at my pant leg until I bend down, puts his face on level with my face (practically touching noses), makes his hand into a little point like a bird's beak, and taps me right on the forehead, "Mom. Mom. Mom. Mo-om." I love that, "Mo-om!" It's this cute little desperation that makes me smile every time! If I can't figure out what he's asking after he has used his words and sign language, I offer him my finger, he holds it and leads me to whatever it is he wants (he usually wants to stand up on the counter and look in the cupboard). I love when he brings me a book and says, "Peas." He has a few books he can read out loud on his own. If it is an animal book, he will turn the pages and say the animal sound out loud. He was very excited yesterday to read a book to his daddy at work over the phone.

We are staying busy at home. Lots of projects, busyness, family, and fun. We are waiting for Peter's new cousin Baby Emmy to come any day!

Master

This should have been announced a long time ago, and we have yet to go out and celebrate (that and our 4th wedding anniversary), but I am SO PROUD of Scott for working SO HARD over the last two and a half years to complete his MBA program at Carnegie Mellon Tepper School of Business. Scott is such a hard worker. He managed to be extremely successful in his degree while working overtime hours at a demanding investment bank, becoming a first-time father, dealing with a major family trauma in which he almost lost his wife, supporting and caring for me throughout my recovery, learning how to be a first-time home owner, and still managing to be an active and involved member of his regular life, church, and family. He is truly amazing, and I am so blessed to call him mine (and call him Master?).

After a laborious week in Pittsburgh, Scott came home to his "Master Suite (aka our house)" and the privilege of me calling him "Master" for about ten minutes. I think a greater celebration is in order, and we finally have the time!!!

The above picture is of the FlexMode Fast Week participants who finished their degree early during fast week in Pittsburgh. 

That is a very bright, orange coat Scott is sporting. 

MLK Weekend (St. George)

We had a lot of fun in St. George last weekend with my mom, dad, Johnny, and Alyssa! We went on a lot of fun hikes, hung out at home, went swimming, enjoyed non-sub-zero temperatures for a short while, and Peter rode his new bike (thank you for the fun surprise Grandpa Dave and Grandma Teri!). It was so relaxing and fun to have a little getaway. Most of all, it felt good to get our bodies moving again! We are getting excited for spring. Now that I'm feeling better and Peter's getting bigger, our list of fun outdoor adventures has just tripled! 

Peter did so great on this trip. He slept the whole way down (7pm-10:30pm) and did great on the way up (he read books, laughed at us dancing to the music, and slept for an hour and a half). We are so so blessed to have this boy! Peter hiked the crack all by himself, and did most of our other hikes on his own. He insists on walking instead of riding in the stroller. He LOVES to pool and is a total fish. He was jumping off the side of the pool into our arms and saying "Kack kack kack," as he kicked his legs around the pool. This summer is going to be the best! I have a feeling we will be spending a lot of time at Grandma Teri's and Grandma Joan's. 

Peter is getting so to be pretty chattery. In addition to all the animal sounds and body parts he knows, he is also starting to transition out of signing and into talking for his day to day communication. He is saying "Mom, Dad, Pa (Grandpa), Mmm-Ma (Grandma), Ball, Ma (More), Psss (Please), Danks (Thanks), Dankoo (Thank you), Eyyo (Hello), Hi, Bye (so cute! It's like a southern belle Bye), Jesus, Meyok (Milk), Yeah!, Oh Yeah (or some variety of that expression), Boop (book), and a handful of others. It is so much fun to see him start to get more and more confident with using his words, and more confident in general! He is getting to be so big! I have the hardest time accepting his toddlerdom! I want to him stay small and snuggly forever. 

Little Bonus: How about that awesome shot of Johnny jumping in the background in the middle picture?

Missing from this photo dump: the picture of Alyssa and me in matching red Patagonia fleece with gray sweat pants and glasses alongside Scott and Johnny in matching blue Nike shells, khakis for golf, and baseball caps... all completely by chance. 

Pumpernickle Pickle

I remember when Andrew was little, we went to the Dinosaur Museum at Thanksgiving Point. We used to go all the time when I was at BYU because Kirsten would come down and we'd meet halfway at the museum. One time we were eating lunch and Andrew asked for the pickle that came with my sandwich. I absolutely love my nephew, but I have got to be honest... giving him my pickle was about the saddest thing ever! 

I love pickles (certain kinds). Scott also loves pickles and has since he was little. His mom called him "Pickle" growing up. 

I guess it's in our genes because our little boy absolutely loves pickles! I need to start hiding them in the back of the fridge so he doesn't find them as easily. He is always opening the fridge, pointing to the pickles and saying "Please," or "Eat?" It is adorable. I can't even stand it. 

Pickles with your breakfast, again? Okay...

The G's

Moments like this impromptu reading time with Peter's Great-Grandma are so special. 

We love when grandma and grandpa visit. We are so grateful they visit so often!

Side note: Can you tell it's cold? We are walking around our house in down coats and blankets. I am dangerously close to actually using my snuggie. 

Cousins

 So happy when cousins come over! 

We love when Aunt Kirsten goes to the doctor and we get to hang out with the cousins while she's gone. 

If you want to see Peter express pure joy, tell him the cousins are at the door. 

We always have so much fun! Thanks for coming Ben and SJ!

 And we can't wait to meet baby Emmy in just two weeks!!!

Snow Cowboy

 I have already posted about the big storm (although as we speak Salt Lake's International Airport is shutting down due to freezing rain. This winter is nuts!), but I wanted to include a few non-camera-phone pictures of the storm. Peter has loved the snow! He loves watching it from the window or front door, he loves playing in it, he loves putting a snowball in a cup and holding it in his carseat. He loves anything having to do with the snow, and that makes me so happy because I'm the same way!

We were very blessed to have my dad close-by to help us with our snow removal while Scott was in Pittsburgh. Thanks again, Dad! Peter was fascinated by his Grandpa and his magic snow-blower. My mom came down while my Dad worked outside, and we all ate some warm soup for dinner. When counting my blessings, living so close to my family is right up there at the top of the list.

Side note: I love how my dad always snow-blows in a cowboy hat.

Eight.

We haven't talked about much these days. And a lot has happened over the last month or so! In  no particular order, I'm going to try to catch up on some important and not-so-important moments for our family over the last little while. 

Starting with this important moment! We were so excited to be able to watch and participate in Andrew's baptism at the beginning of the month. It was such a wonderful day for all of us, and a very special day for Andrew. We are so proud of him for making the decision to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized. I loved listening to Johnny speak to Andrew about the gift of the Holy Spirit and how it could comfort him and guide him to make good decisions in his life. Johnny gave Andrew a small compass as an example of how the Holy Spirit can guide him towards the good goals he make in his life. I loved looking down at Andrew from the stand as I played my violin with his mom. He was just beaming, and all of a sudden he seemed like such a grown-up kid! I sure love all my nephews and nieces, but I have a special spot in my heart for my little buddy Andrew, and it was so fun to share this day with him and his family. I am so grateful to be such great friends with my sister and to be able to spend so much time together. Our kids love each other so much, and it makes me so happy to know that Peter has such wonderful cousins to look up to and have fun with as he grows. 

Family

Tonight I'm counting my blessings. Especially this one.

Thanks for the Doggie, Grandpa Dave!

Peter is more and more fun every day. I can't get over how fast he's growing, changing, and learning. It has been so fun to hear him talking more and more. He loves to say all the animal sounds in his books (we read about 20 books a day), he knows where all of his eyes/ears/hair/toes/nose/teeth, etc are, and he loves to play patty-cake, do spider's web, give high-fives, and kisses. It is so fun to play with him throughout the day. He makes me laugh constantly. His new favorite thing is pinching tickling me.

We love our silly boy!   

Peter loves to snuggle up with this doggie Grandpa Dave gave him for Christmas. He takes naps with his doggie, takes him in the car, and snuggles up with him during any movie or show. Thank you for the doggie Grandpa Dave!

Peter's First Cave Adventure

Like mother and father, like son.

Peter had his first cave adventure this weekend. Thank you Uncle Johnny and Aunt Alyssa for building and inviting us to your awesome snow cave (completely furnished with living room decor). Peter loved hanging out in the cave with his dad. 

Peter, you've got two of the coolest uncles and aunts around. 

Our Blizzard

This is why I absolutely LOVE living in Utah.

There is something so magical about seeing our immediate world covered in several feet of beautiful, white snow. 

Scott was pretty bummed. "I've lived in Utah for 8 years, waiting for a storm like this! And the one week I'm out of town it happens!"

But Scotty still came home to about 3.5 feet of snow in our yard. 

A big thank you to my neighbors and my dad for snow removal help while Scott was gone! 

Peter and I spent the days cozied up in our house, watching Cars (his new obsession), playing with every toy we own, building forts, and watching the snow fall from the front door. Peter LOVED the snow and was dying to play in it (sub zero temperatures? We wouldn't have lasted too long!) Every time I opened the door he'd squeal and say, "Ooooohhh ya!"

Because Scott was away last week (FINISHING HIS MBA!!!), I got a lot of pictures on my cell phone so we could send them to Scotty throughout the day. I have some awesome pictures and videos on our other camera, but I'm trying to clear off the phone pictures first. 

 This picture is just one of the reasons why I love where I live. It took two days to get our road plowed, and I must have seen about a dozen cross-country skiers outside my window! I wanted to strap Peter on my back and join them!

 I used to do this when I was younger and we used to have storms like this all the time. I loved watching trucks and snowmobiles pulling sleds throughout the neighborhood.

Grateful to live on such a beautiful street in a beautiful neighborhood. 

And grateful for four seasons! I'm loving this one!

Mini Me.

There are very few things that Peter gets more excited about than having his cousins over to play.

But having his cousins over to play, wearing matching coats and hats in the snow is pretty much the best thing ever. 

Thank You, Scott

Thank you for buying me dark chocolate covered powerberries from Trader Joes.

Thank you for dancing with me in the kitchen.

Thank you for making up nicknames for me like Lobster, Meep, and Tiny Titan.

Thank you for climbing mountains with me, running rivers with me, and hurling yourself down snowy slopes with me. 

Thank you for taking slow walks to end of the street when that was all I could do.

Thank you for sticking to what you start.

Thank you for breakfast in bed and foot rubs.

Thank you for writing me messages on the fridge with alphabet magnets.

Thank you for liking my curly hair.

Thank you for writing me notes and telling me you love me.

Thank you for teaching me about apps.

Thank you for working so hard all the time.

Thank you for getting up with Peter.

Thank you for making what's important to me important to you.

Thank you for picking up Cafe Rio on your way home from work. A lot.

Thank you for being so weird.

Thank you for being the most wonderful father.

Thank you for playing the guitar for me and liking folk songs.

Thank you for your repeated attempts to make the bed and fold towels, even though I always redo your work. 

Thank you for staying by my side. Always.

Thank you for getting me through the hardest moments of my life.

Thank you for sharing my excitement and faith in our future.

Thank you for coming to the ranch and loving it as much as I do.

Thank you for loving my family.

Thank you for all our adventures, joys, and surprises.

Thank you for being creative and spontaneous.

Thank you for owning my dream car (I promise that's not why I married you!).

Thank you for drawing pictures of flying machines at church.

Thank you for making good decisions in your life so you could be your best self for me.

Thank you for getting me new pajama pants for Christmas.

Thank you for giving me the gift of Peter. It's the best gift that keeps on giving.

Thank you for having just the right amount of hippy in you.

Thank you for understanding me.

Thank you for putting me first. 

Thank you for building forts.

Thank you for having good taste in music.

Thank you for camping trips, caving trips, and climbing trips.

Thank you for staying up late with me looking at pictures of Peter.

Thank you for being so handsome!

Thank you for having a grateful heart.

Thank you for making me feel safe.

Thank you for cheesy jokes that make me laugh.

Thank you for being my partner and best friend.

Thank you for making me miss you when you're away

Thank you for being excited for adoption.

Thank you for helping me remember at all times that everything will be okay.

Thank you for your faith.

Thank you for your love.

Thank you for making me feel special.

Thank you for helping me recover.

Thank you for holding my hand.

Thank you for being on my side.

Thank you for seeing the bigger picture.

Thank you for being so much fun without even trying.

Thank you for the last four years. 

Thank you for choosing me.

I love you. I love our life together.

You are my favorite.

The Blue Striped Band

It is no secret that Peter LOVES his dad. 

We were so happy that Scott was able to take a full week off work to spend some time as a family over the holidays! Peter and his dad were joined at the hip.

On Christmas Eve, I dressed Peter in his blue striped shirt, and Scott excitedly ran to his closet and came back dressed to match! They spent the day playing in the snow, watching it wonderfully fall outside our cozy, loving home, working on their lap tops (as Scott finished his final paper of his MBA), and they -of course- started a band. 

The Blue Striped Band.

(We got some awesome family videos of Peter's vocals)

These two boys fill my life with so much joy I can hardly stand it.

Dear 2013,

It's going to be tough for you to top 2012. It was pretty much the best year of all time.

Don't get me wrong. I would love to be pleasantly surprised.

Some highlights:

SCOTT

MBA graduation

A promotion at work.

Scott's new-found love of riding his bike to work (as long as it's not snowing).

Building forts with Peter and chasing him throughout the house whenever he's home.

FAMILY

Trader Joe's finally making its debut in Utah.

Spending time as a family in our beloved little home.

A trip to the Tetons.
A trip to the Beach House.

Trips to St. George.

Trips to the Cabin.
Lots of fun times spent with cousins.

Almost finished with all of our adoption approval requirements (stay posted)!

LINDSEY

No more heart failure.

No more respiratory failure.

No more medicine.

Plenty of energy to keep up with Peter (most of the time).

Being able to spend the day exploring and learning with Peter. 

PETER

Growing up WAY too quickly... in every single way.

Winter 2012 to Winter 2013