VAVAVOOM! yay for big hair!

THE OTHER SUNDAY I DECIDED TO TRY AND GET ALL READY AND CURL MY HAIR...WELL RYLEE BEING MY LITTLE SHADOW CAME INTO THE BATHROOM AND SAID OOH MOM PRINTHESS HAIR. I SAID DO YOU WANT YOUR HAIR LIKE A PRINCESS TOO AND OF COURSE SHE DID SO HERE YA HAVE IT...PRETTY PRINCESS BIG CURLY HAIR! I HAD TO THROW IN MY 2 YR OLD PICTURE TOO, TO SHOW OFF MY MOMS ATTEMPT AT BIG HAIR FOR ME! ITS SO FUN TO HAVE SUCH A PRETTY LITTLE GIRL! SOMEDAY I KNOW I'M NOT GOING TO BE HER FAVORITE PERSON, AND SHE WON'T WANT TO BE MY SHADOW SO I BETTER ENJOY MY LITTLE GIRL WANTING TO HAVE BIG CURLY PRINCESS HAIR WITH ME WHILE IT LASTS!

TREASURES FOR 50 CENTS AND BEING A PRETTY PRINCESS!

THE OTHER DAY RYLEE SAW THESE LITTLE DOGS AND RING IN ONE OF THOSE LITTLE QUARTER MACHINES AND SENSE I HAD A FEW QUARTERS IN MY PURSE I GOT THEM FOR HER...LITTLE DID I KNOW THEY'D END UP BEING HER MOST PRIZED POSSESIONS! I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH FUN IT IS TO REACH BACK IN THE CAR AND TRY TO FIND ONE OF THESE TINY THINGS WHEN SHE DROPS THEM WHILE WE'RE DRIVING. I LOVE THAT 50 CENTS CAN BUY SUCH A TREASURE FOR A LITTLE GIRL! I WISH EVERYTHING COULD BE SO SIMPLE!

i LOVE THOSE TEETH!



HA I'M A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT THIS HAIR! RY CAME OUT OF HER ROOM ALL EXCITED WITH THIS CROWN ON ALL CROOKED AND SAID "LOOK MOM I PRINTHESS!" I GOT TO PLAY PRETTY PRINCESSES WITH HER AND MAN WAS IT FUN! I LOVE THIS LITTLE GIRL!

GOTTA LOVE THAT BOTH OUR NOSES CRINKLE WHEN WE SMILE!

to my dad:

"I am indebted to my father for living, but more so for living well." -- Alexander the Great


"I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection." -- Sigmund Freud

"Any man can be a Father but it takes someone special to be a dad." -- Anne Geddes


"One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters." -- George Herbert



"My father didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it."
-- Clarence Budington Kelland


To her the name of father was another name for love.~ Fanny Fern

My dad has been a great example of forgivness, exceptance, and unconditional love.
I'm glad we didn't miss the dance


"I talk and talk and talk, and could never teach people in 50 years what my father taught by example in one week." -- Mario Cuomo


Grandpas hold our tiny hands for just a little while, but our hearts forever. ~Author Unknown




Thanks for the nose dad :)


My dad...My hero...My friend


The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother.
~ Henry Ward Beecher



"A man's children and his garden both reflect the amount of weeding done during the growing season". -- Unknown

"Blessed is the man who hears many voices call him Father."

SO THE OTHER DAY I CAME ACROSS THE SONG PLAYING, "FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND," AND IT REALLY MADE ME THINK OF MY DAD. I REALLY DON'T THINK I COULD HAVE ASKED FOR A BETTER MAN TO CALL MY DAD. ITS BEEN A LONG, SAD LAST COUPLE YEARS WATCHING HIS HEALTH FAIL AND HIS MIND SLIP AWAY. IT WAS SO NICE TO LOOK BACK AT THESE PICTURES AND REMEMBER HIM THE WAY I ALWAYS WANT TO, AS A SMART, FUNNY, CHRISTLIKE MAN. I'VE ALWAYS ADMIRED HIM AND THE LIFE HE HAS LIVED. I'M SO THANKFUL TO HIM FOR BEING MY FRIEND AND SOMEONE I COULD LOOK UP TO. EVEN WHEN I FELL SHORT AND KNEW I HAD DISSAPOINTED HIM, I KNEW HIS LOVE FOR ME WAS UNCONDITIONAL AND I KNEW THAT HE WAS THERE FOR ME. HE'S DEFINATLY LEFT AN AMAZING SET OF FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND FOR ME TO FOLLOW I HOPE I CAN DO A BETTER JOB FOLLOWING THEM. I KNOW HE REALLY WILL ALWAYS BE HERE FOR ME EVEN WHEN HE PASSES ON AND I CAN'T IMAGINE HAVING TO LET HIM GO IF I DIDN'T HAVE THAT REASURANCE. I'VE BEEN SO BLESSED TO HAVE HIM AS MY DAD

PRETTY TRADITION

WHEN MY SISTERS AND I WERE GROWING UP SOME HOW MY MOM MANAGED TO MAKE US ALL A NEW DRESS FOR SPRING AND FOR CHRISTMAS. THOSE WERE THE ONLY 2 DRESSES I REMEMBER GETTING EACH YEAR, BUT I REMEMBER IT BEING SO EXCITING TO GET OUR NEW DRESSES. EVENTUALLY SHE STOPPED MAKING THEM AND JUST BOUGHT US A NEW CHURCH OUTFIT...DARN :) CAUSE MAN THE ONES SHE MADE SURE WERE SNAZZY AS SHE'D PUT IT. WELL I DECIDED I'D START THE TRADITION WITH RYLEE EVEN THOUGH I DIDN'T GO OUT ON A LIMB AND MAKE HER A BIG FLUFFY AND RUFFLY DRESS I FOUND THIS ONE ON EBAY AND LOVED IT. GOTTA LOVE THE LITTLE TRADITIONS, ITS FUNNY HOW SENTIMENTAL THEY END UP BEING WHEN YA GET KIDS OF YOUR OWN.

for the love of POLKA-DOTS!!!

SO I DECIDED I NEEDED TO POST A BLOG ALL DEDICATED TO POLKA-DOTS...OR POLKAS AS RY CALLS THEM. OVER THE LAST COUPLE WEEKS RYLEE HAS BECOME OBSESSED WITH POLKA-DOTS! I BOUGHT HER THIS LITTLE PUMA SWEAT SUIT AND GOT THE SHIRT SHE'S WEARING IN THE PICTURES TO GO UNDERNEATH IT...WELL PRETTY SOON RYLEE FELL IN LOVE WITH THE STUPID SHIRT AND WOULD PULL IT OUT OF HER DIRTY CLOTHES BASKET AND BRING IT TO ME TO WEAR. I FINALLY STARTED HAVING TO HIDE IT. THEN AFTER I DID WASH ONE NIGHT SHE CAME TO ME WITH THE RED PANTS AND THE SHIRT ALL EXCITED SAYING "MOM LOOK MY POLKAS!" SO I DECIDED WHAT THE HECK AND LET HER WEAR IT. WELL NOW I HAVE TO HIDE ANYTHING WITH POLKA-DOTS ON IT, IN THE TOP OF HER CLOSET SO THAT I CAN GET HER TO WEAR HER OTHER CLOTHES. SHE GOES AROUND THE HOUSE AND SHOWS ME ALL THE THINGS SHE SEES WITH "POLKAS" ON THEM. SO CRAZY TO ME THAT A LITTLE GIRL WHO ISN'T EVEN 2 YET CAN CARE SO MUCH ABOUT HER "STYLE"...OR LACK OF IN THIS CASE! WELL RYLEE KATE..HERES TO YOU AND YOUR LOVELY POLKAS!

Rylee where are your polkas?

This is her all time favorite shirt even her other polka-dot shirts don't compair!

This is the outfit she always manages to find!

And yes this is what happens when we put a jacket over her favorite polka shirt...even if the jacket has polka-dots on it...SERIOUSLY!?!

Random polkas she finds through the day.

DECEMBER FUN!

WE SPENT CHRISTMAS WITH MY FAMILY THIS YEAR AND DID THE ANUAL PINATA WHICH I MADE. I ENDED UP MAKING IT PRETTY DANG STRONG AND IT TOOK FOREVER FOR ALL THE GRANDKIDS TO BREAK. THEY ACTUALLY BROKE 2 STICKS ON IT BUT MAN IT WAS FUN! RY THOUGHT IT WAS THE COOLEST THING THAT SHE COULD ACTUALLY HIT SOMETHING WITHOUT GETTING IN TROUBLE. I LOVE THE BOTTOM PICTURE OF HER WITH HER PRIZES, LOOKING THROUGH THE SLINKY. WE HAD LOTS OF FUN WITH ALL THE COUSINS!

IT WAS ABOUT TIME FOR SOME ONE ON ONE! DEREK AND I LEFT RYLEE FOR THE FIRST TIME SENSE OUR WEDDING NIGHT, OVERNIGHT AT MY MOMS AND WENT UP TO SALT LAKE TO TEMPLE SQUARE, OUT TO EAT AT MAC GRILL AND THEN STAYED AT A WAY COOL HOTEL WITH A KING SIZE BED...THAT WAS ALL I WANTED AND MAN WAS IT NICE TO HAVE SO MUCH ROOM FOR ME AND MY BELLY! IT WAS ABSOLUTE HEAVEN AND WE WERE SO THANKFUL TO MY MOM AND MY NIECES FOR WATCHING RYLEE!

THESE PICTURES WERE FROM OUR NIGHT TIME SNOW PLAYING BASH! WE LOOKED OUTSIDE AND NOTICED IT WAS SNOWING LIKE CRAZY AT 9:00 ONE NIGHT SO OF COURSE WHEN WE SHOWED RY SHE WENT CRAZY AND WENT AND FOUND HER COAT AND BOOTS. WE DECIDED WHAT THE HECK AND HAD SO MUCH FUN! RYLEE PLAYED ON THE SNOW COVERED PLAYGROUND AND JUST WONDERED AROUND EATING SNOW. SO FUN!

ISN'T IT SO FUN TO SEE A CHILD EXPERIENCE SOMETHING NEW. RYLEE SAW SNOW LAST YEAR BUT THIS YEAR HAS BEEN SO DIFFERENT. SHE IS SO AMAZED BY IT AND ITS ALWAYS A BATTLE TO GET HER AND HER ROSY CHEEKS TO COME INSIDE!

A late Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!!!

WELL WE'VE HAD A GREAT HOLLIDAY SEASON! IT WAS FULL OF LOTS OF RELAXING...LOTS OF KICKS FROM JERZI...LOTS OF PLAYING IN THE SNOWY AS RY PUTS IT...AND OVER ALL JUST LOTS & LOTS OF FUN! DEREK DID AWESOME IN HIS CLASSES FALL SEMESTER, BUT WE WERE BOTH EXCITED FOR HIS HOLIDAY BREAK! TOO BAD 3 WEEKS STILL DIDN'T FEEL LIKE ENOUGH, HE STARTS AGAIN ON THE 6TH. RYLEE HAS TURNED INTO THE BIGGEST TALKER! SHE WENT FROM LITTLE WORDS HERE AND THERE TO ALL OF A SUDDEN BEING ABLE TO TELL ME , "MOM I JUST WANTS ONE FRUIT SNACK...ONLY ONE!"HA. WE HAD LOTS OF FUN DRIVING AROUND LETTING RYLEE LOOK AT ALL THE LIGHTS. WE PULLED UP TO MY PARENTS AND WHEN WE GOT OUT OF THE CAR RYLEE POINTED TO THE LIGHTS ON MY MOMS HOUSE AND SAID, "SO MANY LIGHTS MOM OH MY GOODNESS!" I CAN'T BELIEVE HOW BIG SHE'S GETTING! I'LL PUT MORE PICTURES UP OF CHRISTMAS MORNING AND ALL OUR PLAYING IN THE SNOW SOON. AS FOR NEW YEARS...WELL IT CONSISTED OF ME AND DEREK IN OUR PJS WATCHING A STUPID MOVIE...(THE HOUSE BUNNY) AND THEN PAUSING THE MOVIE SWITCHING TO THE COUNTDOWN ON TV AND RUNNING OUTSIDE WITH OUR MINI SPARKLING CIDER BOTTLES TO TOAST, HAVE OUR NEW YEARS KISS AND WATCH A FEW RANDOM FIREWORKS. I WOULD HAVE TAKEN PICTURES BUT WE WEREN'T LOOKING TOO PRETTY :) ANYWAY HOPE ALL OF YOUR HOLIDAYS WERE GREAT, AND HOPE 2009 BRINGS PLENTY OF LOVES, LAUGH AND HAPPINESS!