Sundance again.

We have been taking advantage of Chris being home with lots of fun day trips! Today was no exception--we made the quick trip to Sundance for chair lift rides, suckers, and playing in the river. I took the time to take more pictures with the nice camera (still trying to get used to it--I am thinking of finding a photography class somewhere, any suggestions?).


Mom and Presley on a bridge. She was a little nervous about being held up near the edge--she liked looking through the railings better.


This was Stella's view for most of the afternoon. Well shaded from the sun and happy with dad in the Bjorn.


Presley playing in the river. Dad helped her down to a rock where she loved being so close to the water--touching it and looking for things in the water.


Does anyone else remember when these suckers were only 25 cents??? Well, now they are $1! Presley thoroughly enjoyed her Lemon Meringue flavored sucker.

How they grow!

I just finished up with Stella's 3 months photos (well 3 1/2 months if you want to get technical). I still want to do something outside but this is what we have so far.


This is Stella in a basket, with a blanket on the rug. She is trying to eat her dress and talk at the same time.


Stella with a home-made purple tutu. The tutu got a little bigger than I expected. This picture reminds me so much of Presley's 2 month photos that Krista took.


On the bed--I was trying for a different/colorful background . . . I am not sure the green is right.

Next time we will try to get SMILES--she can do it but this time not a single shot had a smile. Next month it is time for the family photo shoot--Krista will be coming out to take them, yippy!

Eyes.

So, by this time we knew that Presley's were bright blue. With Stella I am so confused! Sometimes they are a dark grey blue, sometimes they are brownish with blue, and sometimes they have a hint of green.



Any guesses??? I would have thought Stella's eyes would be brown like mine but who knows? PS--Krista, try clicking on these pics, they should enlarge.

Lights out.

While I was "catching up" I forgot to mention that Presley is very into turning off the lights. She can finally reach the switches in our house but only to turn them off--to push them up and on is still too much of a stretch for her.


She also loves turning off the lights whenever we leave a room--particularly the bathroom and especially public restrooms. This is pretty funny if you are not the one sitting in a dark stall.


We have also been trying new hairdo's. Presley played with these piggy tails all day long!


I told her a few days ago that she looked like a rock star in those pink glasses--Bono came to mind. Now she runs around the house and looks in mirrors saying "I so look like Bono". This afternoon Chris showed Presley a picture of Bono in pink glasses and she laughed--she did look like a rock star!

Concert.

Chris isn't one for concerts--mostly he has issues with some of the venues here in Utah. But for our anniversary Chris bought tickets for us to see two concerts at Deer Valley. There is a small, but beautiful outdoor stage with reserved seats and grass seats. Stella loved the music and Presley had fun with aunt Millie and uncle Gregg (thanks).

Playing Tuesday night was a Spanish band from northern Spain/southern France--the Gipsy Kings. A band Chris was introduced to in the late eighties while he was living in Spain. I have used their music while I clean the house for years--love it!

We have another concert this Saturday--Dwight Yoakam (twangy country, but so much fun). Interesting note: the Deer Valley summer concert series is 100% underwritten. So, ALL of the proceeds go to the local arts--pretty neat, huh?

Catch-up again.

Stella

• Sleeping through the night--most nights.
• Cooing and almost laughing.
• Absolutely loves Presley--she constantly watches her, listens intently to her voice, and will always smile at her.
• Still hates being on her tummy.
• Nick name Presley gave her "Stella Bella Bella Bella".
• Has rubbed a bald spot on the back of her head!
• Has the chubbiest upper thighs.

Presley

• Tells us she is "Caitlyn" or a couple of other names (I am not remembering right now).
• Convinced there is a baby in her tummy.
• Started playing better with other kids (not just grown ups).
• Has a great imagination when playing by herself.
• Loves to "sleep over" at other people's houses.
• Still does not get out of her bed until we go downstairs and get her up (I am so lucky)!
• Has picked up a few Spanish words/phrases and actually uses them correctly.
• Loves to sing in the shower.

Two's.

We have been trying to keep very busy lately--it helps with Presley and her terrible twos. Presley is alternately the sweetest person and the most tearful, upset person right now. I hope it will pass and I hope we are handling the right way (meaning she is learning the correct way to act or handle life's situations).


My favorite part of the week is on Sunday after nursery when I go to pick Presley up. She runs toward me with a huge smile and hugs my legs so tight--I can really tell she missed me and is happy to see me. This week she learned that when someone says they are sorry you should say "I forgive you".

Yesterday afternoon, after a long day of ups and downs, Presley had a pretty cute moment:

Presley: "I'm sorry mom for crying. I'm happy now."

Mom: "Thank you honey. You can get off the mat and play now. I love it when you are happy."

Presley: "I forgive you mom. Thanks."

I should have forgiven her but I got a kick out of her forgiving me--maybe she was forgiving me for putting her on the mat until she was done crying. It was pretty cute and I tried hard not to laugh.

Improvements.

So, I continue to have that "nesting" urge you get during pregnancy . . . and that means I have been cleaning out closets and cupboards daily. Along with all the cleaning has come a few minor home improvements. Yes, Chris has been recruited and is slowly working on his list of things to do.

First, a couple of new fans. These have become a necessity with the hot weather and no air conditioning--we could have really used them about a month ago, but at least they are here and installed now. What a difference in the evening with the open windows!


Our first set of pendants had nasty habit of burning through $12 bulbs at a 3 month rate. So here are the new ones--pretty similar to the old but with a patterned glass and bronze hardware.

This is a picture of a picture (an OLD picture) so it is not great, but I love it! This is a picture of Chris and his little brother Paul when they were kids (there is a 5 year age difference so I am guessing Chris is about 8 and Paul is about 3). I can't get over Chris's teeth! I hung it in the office and I still have a few others to put up.

More improvements to come . . . new bedding in our bedroom and a LONG awaited full length mirror arrives on Friday--I haven't had a full length mirror since we moved up here! Pictures to come.

9 Years.

Look at all that has happened . . . time has flown by!


Left to right from the top. Presley's birth, Sundance, Baby Stella, Cadiz Spain, Wedding, Hiking in the Uintas, Pebble Beach, Backyard, Roxy dog. What an amazing 9 years! Too bad we didn't have a digital camera for some of our other highlights--Costa Rica, Puerto Rico. We hope to make it to Whistler, BC for our 10 year and Chris's 40th birthday next year. Though I would love Tahiti!

On the mountain.

A quick errand to Park City left us with an hour to kill so we headed to Deer Valley for a lift ride up the mountain. Presley is a pro at the lifts and is so excited to start skiing this winter--we have a teacher lined up for her, Wendy, and we need to start looking for all the gear. Good thing Sundance is free if you are under 5--I am sure we will be spending lots of time there this winter.

This is us on the mountain--or as P said, "We aren't on the mountain. We are on the chair and the lift towers are on the mountain.", so literal. Stella slept all the way up and most of the way down in her sling.

It was the perfect morning outing! Cool air, mountain breezes, and lots of sunshine!