Aaron Turned 30

July 24th Aaron turned 30 and to him it was, "The surrendering of his youth".  I noticed some very negative thinking about this event in his life and I thought about the fact that I've had those moments that seem a little silly to others but on a personal level they shook me so I decided to help him remember he has many more youthful years ahead of him.  I want to add that one of the contributing factors to this feeling for him has been his knee injury.  If his body were 20 it's very likely he wouldn't be having trouble, but ironically we didn't have time for marathon training in our 20s.  I'm pleased to share that for the last 3 weeks Aaron has completed double digit runs without any knee pain. He's not going for any PRs this summer, but he will likely be running his marathons without a problem in a few weeks.

For a month I planned, lied, deceived and was sneaky in an attempt to surprise Aaron with a trip to Las Vegas on his birthday.  The trickiest part for me was leaving less than 48 hours after getting home from girls camp.  As I tried to secretly pack and keep up the regular day-to-day I had to decide between being inexplicably rude to Aaron or surprising him a little earlier than I planned.  I decided that the latter was a the better choice.

In a card that had a joke about ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS, LIZARD, SPOCK (a game we play often) he found this
We're leaving for here tomorrow

 

 and seeing this: 

 His reaction:

 

 The surprise stressed Aaron out a bit... not really, he was just sincerely surprised.  After he was filled in he was more than happy to work with me to get everything prepared for the trip.

 A 7 hour road trip without the kids was still long but so nice.  We kept the conversation light and just joked around the whole time.  At one point I said to Aaron, "Should we be taking advantage of this time to talk about serious things?" our decision... NOPE!

 We took a lunch break at Dairy Queen in St. George.  Aaron's first job was working at this restaurant.

 Creepy confession:  I was just staring and admiring this super cute older couple who were having lunch the same time as us.  I watched them and thought, "That's going to be us one day.  Awesome!"  While I don't want to rush through anything in our marriage it will be pretty fun to retire with Aaron. 

Back on the road. 

 

We checked in a started looking for a restaurant Bellagio-lake-side for dinner.

 We stepped out for just a few minutes and came back with our room set up for a more cozy enviroment...nice!

 Dinner before the show at a scrumptious Italian restaurant. 

 Dancing fountains while we waited for our food.

 Aaron's birthday truffles

 After dinner we headed down the strip to the show.

 We got this picture before being scolded because they charge for pictures that have to be taken by a professional... haha we win!  If you look close you can see the massive chandelier behind us.

The one thing I just couldn't pass up was the Monet exhibit.  Aaron was a great sport and agreed to go with me.  Once we got in he was listening to every segment about each piece.  When I told him we could rush he told me, "When I do something I do it."  I love this man, he ended up enjoying it.  Maybe I'll have a new art gallery buddy for life.  I discovered a favorite Monet painting I'll need a print of in our home one day.  

 Largest Chocolate Fountain in the World... I just want to stand in there!

 

Gardens at the Bellagio. The frame I'm in from of is a plant representation of one of Monet's pieces...amazing! 

 Mesmerising

 We had a nice swim in this pool :)  The hotel had lots of little pools so we had it to ourselves for an hour. 

 Yes one of the most important things in my mind for a good vacation is the food!  Pizza Factory on the way back in St. George.

 We were in a storm for an hour of the trip, but it was worth it for the double bow rainbow! 

We had an amazing time, but coming home was great as well! 

 Aaron's sister Karli made this little 30th celebration possible.  She also captured the moment I haven't been able to: an unprompted hug from our children.  So grateful for loving family who care for our children in our absence.

Thanks for a great time Aaron ;) 

Girls Camp 2012

 I got to go to girls camp for 4 days in Star Valley, WY.  I was with some of the most incredible women and perfect young women.  It was an incredible and fun experience.  I got to teach and share in those amazing spiritual experiences like only the youth of the church can facilitate.  Who makes a 4 hour car ride bearable?  These cute girls!  And Teresa :)

 One of my responsibilities for camp was crafts so I learned how to make paracord survival bracelets.  They we're very popular with the girls and way fun to make. 

 The rest of the photos are from a little hike we did.  This area is beautiful and I'm looking forward to taking our little family back to do some camping with friends (if we can find the time, crazy busy over here).

 One annoying thing about the car ride: singing in the walkie talkies...yeah.

When I got home exhausted and started working on the mountain of laundry all I could think was... yes my callings in life are a lot of work, but I am so glad it's MY work!  I like it that way!  

*It should be noted that with my new washer and dryer I was able to do all of that laundry completely in ONE DAY!!!  I didn't know such a thing was possible.  I still think it's amazing every time I do it.  LOVE!*

Our Little Girl

This post has caused so much guilt for me but I've written it a thousand times in my head so if it gets a little lengthy you know why.  Ready or not lets go, go, go (as Porter would say)!

Our little girl who holds our hearts!

All About Our Priya Lynn

• On the day Priya turned one there was a little baby left in her, well it's all gone now.  She started walking full time a few days after her birthday and with that came great independence.  
• She no longer cries for no reason at all but if she's got a reason she gives it 110% effort. 

"I'm innocent"

• She's got the evil younger sibling role down.  She does everything she can to get Porter in trouble and has even been known to try to convince me that his entrance into a room is grounds for punishment. 
• She is OH SO charming and delightfully the darling of our hearts.  

• She talks non-stop.  She tries to say anything you ask her to.  She picks a favorite word of the week and uses it constantly.  She's currently going through a phase where she loves words that start with 'B'. 

• Priya knows she's my Baby and announces it with loud authority daily.  The first time we heard the sentence, "I'm the baby!"  we were just sitting down at Maddox to dinner with my brother Couper and his wife Kaleena.  We happened to be talking about another baby when Priya instantly got all of our attention with this sentence and very commanding body language.  We all burst into laughter.  I find Priya's communication skills are impressive.  I would estimate 50-75 words, but I don't keep track like I did with P.  When a new word escapes it just makes me smile and I leave it at that. 

• I thought for sure that Porter's poor sleep habits were all my fault and that I had done everything wrong with him.  I read several baby sleep books while expecting Priya but when it came down to it I just couldn't stick to the strict schedules.  I went back to what felt right for me.  I let her eat on demand, cuddled her before bed, etc., and she is the greatest sleeper ever!  I make no exaggeration when I say she sleeps for 12-14 hours a night.  While I'm glad she sleeps I miss her being a part of our family during that time.  She is, however, super mean and physically exhausting when she's ready to go to sleep.  If we're home she prefers 2 naps a day, but does really well cutting one out if we're away which is the more common scenario during summer. 

• She has zillions of facial expressions and loves to sit face to face with you taking turns making silly faces. 

• She is a social little lady who loves to play and talk with most anyone. 
• She is finally showing interest in books and it was like an overnight change.  She now will run across the room for a book pointing and yelling, "BOO, BOO, BOOK!"
• She gives the.best.hugs.EVER!  She wraps her arms around you, holds on tight and cuddles close.  Her Grandma Judy once commented to me about what good loves Priya gives. 

• She loves her clothes and when we shop she's very opinionated about what she wants.  She always seems to pick what I wasn't leaning towards but she has very specific and stylish taste.

right at home in this trendy little shop

• Purple is her favorite color.  

• She's a playful little goof ball.  Any type of play she jumps right into, she will not be left out of anything and adds such joy to experiences. 
• Her hair has finally started to grow and we can finally confirm a hair color.  She is blond, blond, blond, but not a "toe head".  She has soft curls that get tighter in the back.  I LOVE IT!  Although having to brush those beautiful locks... not a favorite chore of either of ours. 

she's a continual wiggle so it's hard to get a pic, but it's all curly

• Priya is fairly demanding and if she and Porter are together, they both are.  They have a strong sibling rivalry.  When he's napping she is the most independent and content kid, it's such a relief to know this is part of her personality.  We're getting better every day at helping them work through their needs and it's becoming more common for our kids to play nicely togehter. 

• She's a messy toddler.  She's into everything and curious about anything she can reach (which means I'm exhausted).  That little brain of hers is constantly working.

• She loves to EAT (anything and everything) and enjoys using utensils.  She's currently obsessed with blowing on her food and dipping things into sauces.

•  She uses the potty and it seems like she's going to be that kid who potty trains herself.  I'll keep you posted on that one.  

• She really loves to dance.  It's the cutest thing you've ever seen and it will make you laugh out loud.  I keep trying to get it on video, but can't take my eyes off her long enough to get the camera.  She bends her knees until her bum is almost touching the ground and bounces back up.  She does this to the beat and her strength is impressive! 
• She's afraid of very little and warms up with a little exposure to the things she is frightened of.

• When she doesn't get her way she scrunches up her face and 3 little folds show up on the right side of her nose bridge. 
• She doesn't seem to have a parental favorite anymore.  She loves us both a lot. 

 

• She is a (capital M) Mooch.  I say capital because I consider her a professional in this department. 
• She has perfected the whiny demand, pointing and yelling included when necessary.
• She's my daughter and as such she has me figured out.  She knows how to push my buttons and I hers.  We feed off of each other's negative energy, especially when we're both tired.  Can't wait for her to be a teenager *sarcasm*. 
• My little sister Baylee is one of Priya's favorite people and she says her name, "bay-eee".

We bought her this "Princess Cupcake" which is fitting.  Princess Priya truly has added royalty to our lives and we're so grateful for Her Highness's presence in our lives.

 

Lynnie Lou we can not imagine life without you and we love you more than you'll ever know our sassy little sweetheart! ~Mommy & Daddy