Our Search for Fall

We all have to admit that one of the best parts of fall is the colors. When the leaves start to change and the air gets a little chill in the evenings, I just love it. Usually the fall season doesn't last long in Rexburg, we normally jump from summer to winter in a couple of weeks. This year has been a little different and I have greatly enjoyed the change.

Thankfully, our fall days have been lingering. So the other day we went out in search of some fall colors and we only found a few but it was still beautiful.

We'll have to go back in another week and I'm sure there will be lots more.

We did get some exercise and some fun pictures and Mitch was happy because we stopped at Big Judd's on the way home but we had to run down the trail in order to have time :)

I wish I could get a good picture of her crazy run. Maybe I'll just have to get a video because it really is quite silly.

Birthday Toys

I think that I have loved Addy's birthday toys just as much as she has. It has been so nice to have her occupied while I clean the bathroom, fold laundry, check blogs, do my hair, cut out halloween costumes, cook dinner etc. I know it won't last forever because new toys are only new and exciting for so long but still it has been nice.

Looking Back

Isn't it just amazing how much a baby changes in such a short amount of time. I was just looking back at Addy's two years of life and thought I would share.

At the hospital:

Two weeks:
Blessing Day:
2 1/2 months:
3 1/2 months:
5 months/sitting on my own:
Almost 6 months:
7 months:
8 months/DC trip:

9 months:
10 months:
cruising on her knees
standing on her own:
11 months/teeth:
Almost One:
I'm ONE:


18 months:

TWO:

And that is just a glimpse of her cuteness. Maybe another day I'll post the not so happy cheesy photos, you know the sad screaming kind. For today, I will leave you thinking my child is the cutest thing ever because really she is!

She's Two

For Addy's 2nd birthday, we had a ladybug party! It was great fun (thanks to all the great ideas off the internet!)

We played a few games including: Put the Spot on the Ladybug.


Addy was really cute and would run and give the blind fold and spot to whoever was next and then stand next to the poster and point to where it was suppose to go.


And then if you didn't get the spot in the right place, she would fix it for you. She is just so kind like that!


Then we did a bean bag toss through the ladybug spots. Sadly, I don't have a picture of my amazing cardboard box, but here is Addy throwing the bean bags.
(Sorry- I couldn't get the video to work)

Thanks to everyone else who came. Hopefully you had some fun.


Our next game was what we called musical spots. Robbie and older Adi won.


Then we sent the kids downstairs to "spot" the bugs. I'd just cut out little paper bugs and bought some plastic bugs at the dollar store and hid them around and then they put them into these cute little bug bags I made.


Onto presents!!! Who doesn't love those :)

Inside this box was some much needed warm clothes.
A cute little baby Ariel. She played with this the entire way back up to Rexburg so a special thanks to the Clews family.

A BIKE!! Thanks Johnsons (she has gotten way better at pushing herself around)
We got her some doll stuff and her own pots and pans and a couple weeks ago she got an early present from Nana and Papa. I'll have to put pictures of those up later.

She is giving her thank you hugs!! Being a mom is just the best.
Back upstairs for cake and ice cream and yes, I made this amazing cake! We actually had two parties and this is the cake from the next day, it turned out much better.


She had a hard time blowing out the candles because every time she would get close, she would feel the heat from the flame and turn her head and say hot. So she got a little help.

And then stuffed her face!

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!! We are so glad you are a part of our family. You keep us smiling and laughing all day long. Love you!

I Can Do Hard Things

That is my new life motto. I can do hard things. One thing that is hard for me is running. I have never been a runner and yet over the weekend I ran my first 10K. I never would've done it by myself but my sister and mom convinced/motivated me as well as my brother to do a family run.

I'm so glad they did because I was so pleased with myself when I finished because I had done a hard thing. I'd only been running on and off for a few weeks so I really wasn't in 10K shape. In fact the first time I went out running to prepare, I only made it a quarter of a mile before I had to stop and walk. It was horrible but I stuck with it. By the next week I was able to run a mile and the week after I made it two miles without walking. I couldn't believe how much stronger I felt in just a couple of weeks. I knew that I wasn't going to be able to run all six miles of the race but I ran way more than I was expecting and I finished without dying!

The last mile of the race goes along the parade route and is slightly uphill. I really surprised myself when I ran the whole thing although as you can see in the picture I really had to push myself because I was exhausted.


Yeah, they had a little more energy at the end than me! My brother who hadn't even ran once prior to this, showed up in his skater shoes and finished in 51 minutes. He was so fast that we didn't even get pictures of him running :) We were all impressed.