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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Christmas 2010

So a couple of weeks before christmas, Sean and Tara flew to Idaho to see his side of the family. They had an early christmas, and it was nice for the girls to be able to share that together. I was sad not to be able to go, but they had a great time. Unfortunately, we only have one photo from that trip; and it's of Tara with her cousin Rylee. They're in the matching christmas dresses that Sean's mom bought for them. SO adorable!



Once they returned, we spent christmas morning at my moms. Here are a few select photos, including ones of my little brother proposing to his then girlfriend (now fiance) Cheyenne. It brought tears to our eyes!









Tara with her uncle Josh :)

Tara with the Elmo airplane from mommy and daddy. She loves that thing...


There's grandma Laurie, Aunt Cheyenne, and Tara :)


And there's my little brother in action!






The newly engaged couple!



Later on that day, our friend Rachel got baptized. What an amazing way to spend christmas day...

Thursday, November 25, 2010

SNOW DAY!!!


So as all of you know, Eugene woke up to some snow on tuesday morning. Before Sean even left for work, we were enjoying the beautiful view from our back patio. Seeing the church building covered in snow was extraordinary... It was exciting for me, because I knew how much Tara would love it. The last (and only) time she saw snow was when she was 5 months old, and we spent christmas in Idaho with Sean's family. She was too young to remember, so I began planning a snow day for her. As soon as Tara woke up, I took her to a window to show her the snow. She actually said "wow" when she saw it! She couldn't get enough of it, and kept wanting to look out the window the rest of the day. I left her bedroom door open the rest of the day, because she kept running into her room, climbing up on her chair near the window, and just staring outside :) It was the cutest thing ever! She'd come out momentarily, just to run back into her room. I was dying to take her out in it, but I was busy making and frosting some brownies that I was going to be running over to both Brittany, and Heidi's homes. They both live just around the corner, and I was going to make it a quick trip. So once I was done making the brownies, I bundled Tara up; and we headed out. All morning long, I had been trying to teach her what the white stuff coming from the sky was called. I kept saying the word snow, and she must have caught on quicker than I realized! As we were heading down towards Brittany's, Tara kept pointing at the snow-covered cars and bushes, and saying "Snow!" Given, half the time it came out sounding like "Shnow". It was still adorable. She would get SO excited about it, and kept pointing to whatever was covered in it and exclaim "snow!!!" every time...Cute girl :) What a wonderful experience for her to have, and I'm looking forward to when we have maybe a few more inches for her to play in...Can anyone say snow angel?

Baby In The Oven

Nope, it's not what you think-I'm not pregnant. What I'm referring to is the fact that Tara thinks that there's a baby that lives in our oven...Let me explain:

Starting about a month or so ago, we noticed she would walk up to the glass window of the oven, and start jabbering away. She'd tell her little stories like she does, and then start laughing really hard. She acted as if she was telling the story to mommy or daddy! Then we noticed she would start making these little faces at "the baby in the oven", and then bust up laughing because the baby was copying her :) Then she would start trying to share her binky with the baby, which I thought was sweet. She's always tried to share her binky with her friends, and people she loves. So I thought it was adorable when I'd see her little outstretched hand, offering the binky to this very entertaining baby :)

What a goof...

Oh, another cute little thing I wanted to add-now whenever we go somewhere, whether it's an action packed trip to Wal Mart, or just a stroll down the street; upon returning home, she zooms straight over to the oven to tell her friend (in the oven) all about it! It's the first place she goes, and Sean and I will stand and watch her while she tells her little stories, narrating the day, complete with hand gestures and everything! I love that little girl...

Thursday, November 18, 2010

LET'S HEAR IT FOR THE REAL GIRLS...

I was checking my email this afternoon, and came across an update about a blog I read. The author was incredibly candid about her frailties as a human, and was saying she felt like a fraud. As I read, I thought to myself "if this is considered fraud, every human should be arrested!" She's just a real mom, a professional, business owner, and NORMAL. Then I started to wonder how many women feel like frauds. I began to think to myself of how I feel like one every day, I started to question if my struggles are really so unique-or if they're the struggles of lots of women?

I'm not a business owner-but I think I want to be. Truth is, I'm 27 and still don't know what I want to do when I grow up. I have a lot of talents, but I also have a lot of fears about going back to school, because I don't think I'm smart enough to be successful at it. Most days I struggle with some dark thoughts because of it. I sometimes wonder if my husband would be happier with someone who also happens to have the same love of history, or something like that...


I'm also a mom, and I spend the majority of each day beating myself up because I don't think I'm a good one. I lose my patience more often than I want to, and never get over it when I do. There's sticky handprints all over our patio door because we have a toddler. Truth be told, I hate cleaning them up, and would rather leave them there because my daughter's hands won't be that tiny forever...

I love to cook, and enjoy it when it's a choice; but hate the pressure of knowing I have to cook because my family needs to eat. Most days I don't have the energy for meal planning, but do it anyway. I want to be one of those mom's who puts their heart and soul into lovingly preparing meals for their family, but I'm just not there yet.

I love the beauty of the outdoors, and have always felt renewed by spending some real time in the beauty that God has created for us. Yet most days it's harder than I thought it would be to take my daughter for a walk around the neighborhood. The times I do, we love it so much and are sad when it's over.

I'm approaching 30, have a little girl of my own; and so often miss Girl's Camp so much I could cry. I think it's because I felt SO incredibly close to my Heavenly Father at that time...I've become so lost in the day to day, that most days I forget who I am. I feel like just a wife. Just a mom. Just a dishwasher. I feel like I blend into the day to day activities, and my spirit gets washed down the drain along with the scraps of peanut butter sandwich and banana from lunch that my daughter never finished.





Most evenings after the baby goes to sleep, and the kitchen's cleaned; I wonder how much longer I can go before the scream gets loud enough for everyone else to hear.





I feel like who I used to be is still inside me, and she's screaming to get out and see daylight again.

She's the one who knew who she was, and where she belonged.

She's the one who had no fear, and went for what she wanted.

She's the one who had battled her entire life to be heard, and finally
won.

She's the one who had accepted her body, and loved what it could do.

She's the one who wanted to be in the spotlight, and had too many dreams
to count; and not enough time to accomplish them.

She's the one who thought she could change the world.

She's the one who never once doubted that she was a daughter of God, and
felt the power of that every moment of the day.

She's the one who never forgot how amazing a bubble bath could feel.

She's the one who thought she would compile her life experiences, and
publish at least a dozen books; and that those books would be sitting
on the shelves of everyone who's anyone.

She's the one who lived, and laughed without holding back.

She's the one who had more faith and conviction, than doubts and fears.

She's the one I liked more, and she's still in there. I just need to allow the dishes to wait sometimes, so that I can stop and make time for her. My daughter deserves to know her...My husband has been longing for her. And quite frankly-she was always better at dealing with days like today...

So I suppose I want to just admit something-I'm a real girl. I'm not perfect, nor do I want to be. Being perfect takes too much time away from the important things in life, like remembering who you really are. So right now, I begin my mission for being truly authentic. Sticky fingerprints included :)


I think they're worth it.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Mmm...


So this morning was, well...quite nice. Got to sleep in until around 7:40 (ish), which was nice. Then at 8:00 while Sean was off playing football with some of the guys from the ward, I got to take a shower while Tara watched a cartoon. Then I promptly got to work on the second loaf of banana bread for Brittany's baby shower today. I baked the first one at 1:00 this morning, but got too tired to bake the second. So the delicious smell of banana bread was wafting through the house this morning, and it smelled AMAZING. I love the smell of banana bread in the fall, it seems that the colors outside demand the smell of banana bread in every home...is it just me? They go hand in hand...Along with a mug of apple cider :) Mmm. Our house is so homey on mornings like this!

Thursday, November 11, 2010

What a heavenly day...

The day Tara and I had today might seem like any ordinary day to a lot of you moms out there...but to me, it's felt perfect. I had spent the better part of last evening cleaning, so waking up to a freshly scrubbed house was SO nice :) First thing this morning after seeing Sean off to work, I was able to get my shower before the baby woke up. Yay for mommy! Then, I got to work finishing what I had grown too sleepy to finish last night. Namely, vacuuming and cleaning baseboards. Yay, checked off the list. Then, Tara woke up and "helped" me finish cleaning in her own way. That pretty much meant getting into everything she could because mom was too busy vacuuming :) Then I felt like it was an oatmeal morning, so Tara helped me cook some. She helped pour in the oats, and felt like such a big girl while she helped stir the pot. While mom finished cooking, she kept running up behind me and grabbing my leg for kisses. I swear, there's nothing better than looking down at her beautiful upturned face with a big grin ready for mommy to plant a kiss on those sweet lips...After breakfast, we watched an episode of Calliou, and then read almost every book she could get her little hands on! I pulled out a new book we had picked up for her, and she just loved reading it! So many pretty colors, and pictures, such a sensory experience for her :) Then we got a call from my cousin Heidi, who wanted us to meet her at the playground down the street. So Tara played while mommy did her makeup, and we took off for the park. We got to meet Heidi's new baby Carter for the first time (boy, is he a cute one!) Tara spent the next hour or so playing with cousins Jack and Logan, and she actually climbed all over the play structure for the first time! This was a big deal for me, because up until now, she would only want to eat woodchips and watch the big kids. Today though, she was watching her cousins climbing past her; and going down the slide. She got upset, because she couldn't climb the structure the same way they could! lol So with some help from mom, she made it to the top. She went down that slide over and over and over again! Amidst all the playing, she called out to Logan by name!!! Heidi and I both heard her call out "Logan!", and I started smiling. Big mommy moment...Then we walked home for lunch, and along the way she wanted to stop and pick every single flower growing in the field between Heidi's house and ours. So we had quite the bouquet by the time we walked through the door! After half a peanut butter sandwich and half a banana, she was ready for her nap. So we read a few more books, and off to lala land went baby girl. Mom then had a break to have lunch herself, and just relax before starting in on three loads of laundry, and dishes. But what a beautiful morning it was...

Fast forward to right now, she's just spent the last couple minutes scooping up my favorite (and baby's favorite) plum-colored chenille throw blanket, and pulled it; along with herself onto the couch next to me. She promptly arranged the blanket over her legs "just so" and then pulled it over her head and laughed in delight...Her laugh is the most beautiful sound in the world. I get to hear it all the time! I can't believe how lucky I am...

Life is amazing.

Friday, October 29, 2010

"Good Girl"

So we live up on the second floor of our apartment building, and whenever we help Tara walk down the stairs, she'll grab our hand and hop down to the next step with both feet! It's cute, and we always figured that eventually she'd get the hang of it. Well earlier this week Tara and I were heading out to go for a walk, and instead of hopping with both feet to the next step, she actually took real steps down this time! She very gingerly reached out for my hand with one of hers, and carefully held onto the railing with her other hand (she's always been good about holding the railing). She took great care in making sure she took each step one at a time, and she was doing so great! As if that wasn't exciting enough, she was doing something that had me laughing the ENTIRE way down the stairs. With each step she took, I heard her little voice telling herself "Good Girl!!!" It was SO precious! I love that girl...

"All Done!"

So our little Tara is SUCH a smart girl! She's always surprising us with her intelligence, and her sense of humor. Her latest acquired skill is folding her arms when we pray, and it never fails to make mommy and daddy smile! However~when we say "Amen", she never says that. Instead, she always says "All Done!". It's hilarious...Just to hear her little voice say "ALLLL Done.....". And she looks so proud of herself too! Such a sweetheart :)

Friday, October 22, 2010

I'm so in love with this project!!!

So I've fallen in love with the designer Bryn Alexandra (and not just because we share a middle name). She has amazing taste, and her style reflects my taste in design; and what choices I would make if I was an interior designer. Anyway, today I found a BEAUTIFUL bathroom that I totally want in my house :) I adore the cabinetry and the choice of lighting! When I see those type of lamps, I think home office-right? But it works in this bathroom! Oh, and I could go on and on raving about those gorgeous mirrors...My goodness-it's been a while since I was head over heels in love with a project, but this one really grabbed me. Go on, fall in love yourselves...




Monday, October 18, 2010

Good times at Detering Orchards...

Over the weekend we took a trip out to Harrisburg to visit Detering Orchards.







Growing up, my mom took my brothers and I every year to get a pumpkin, sample their fresh squeezed apple cider, perch on their GIANT pumpkin for a photo op, and maybe take a hayride. All growing up, I looked forward to the day I could take my own children out to the orchard to share in all those experiences. So on saturday, we joined up with my mom, my brother Josh, and his oh so wonderful girlfriend Cheyenne; and we headed out to the farm. When we first arrived, we grabbed a little wagon to set our pumpkins and fresh produce on, and Tara thought it was a great time!






After that, we went off to see all of their pumpkins...and they had a lot of them!






After looking at all the awesome pumpkins, we went off to get some of Detering's fresh apple pie and ice cream. Tara loved it so much, and was sad when it was all gone...If you look closely, you can see that last of it there on her little face!



Right above us, in the trees above the area where we had our apple pie were some paper ghosts hanging from the branches. Tara discovered them, and couldn't take her eyes off of them :)




After pie and ice cream, we had to go off in search of the main reason you go to Detering>their amazing, fresh pressed apple cider! Mmmm!!! Tara had her first taste, and was hooked; just like mommy and grandma had been for years :)



I think daddy loved it too...hehe We bought some to take home, and daddy is looking forward to heating some up one of these evenings!

After that, we decided to go stand in line for the hayride. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get any good pictures of Tara on the actual hayride; except for one.




We sat in the back, facing the path through the orchard that we were tracing. It's such a beautiful orchard!

After the hayride, we went to pick out a small pumpkin for Tara; all children get a free pumpkin! Tara was so excited to hold it herself, she couldn't wait :)



Not long after picking out a pumpkin, we went off in search of some fresh produce. They have the most beautiful displays of fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts, jams, snacks, etc. And a whole lot of gourds! And everything's farm fresh! Everything from apples and peaches, to giant watermelons and squashes; along with filberts, blueberries, pears, tomatoes, peppers and many others. You can buy them two ways; they have already harvested produce, or you can go pick things yourself. We love all the home-made jams, preserves, salsa and apple cider. They also have locally produced nuts, honey, corn, melons and other items for sale at their produce stand.



As a child, I remember being most interested in their local honey, and the apple cider. This time around though, we got a little bit of everything. Amongst our purchases were peppers, watermelon, tomatoes, filberts, beets, peaches, asian pears, and a whole lot of farm fresh apples. They have over 36 varieties! We picked a varied assortment. And fresh apple cider of course...

On our way back to our car, we had to stop real quick and take some silly photos with their giant pumpkin displays~lot's of silly fun!









So all in all, it was a wonderful weekend!

Friday, October 8, 2010

Beautiful Morning

So today has been wonderful so far...I trimmed my hair again (it was more than a few weeks overdue for a touch up) and gave my locks an oh-so-thirst-quenching hair treatment with a deep conditioner. Then I took an extra long hot shower...because the baby was still sound asleep. Then I actually had time to read scriptures for a little while this morning, which was nice because Tara's usually up and ready for the day before I can even get a shower. Besides, I've always enjoyed reading my scriptures in the morning; it just sets a nice tone for the day. Anyway, Tara woke up; and is now playing with her breakfast and serenading me. She's been chatting it up, and "singing" different songs to mommy. She's currently sitting next to me on the couch, and she keeps emptying her dry cereal onto the couch in between her legs, and putting them back into the bowl one by one. Every so often she'll eat one, then drink some milk from her sippy; but she's mostly just singing and telling stories right now :)


I love mornings like these...

Friday, October 1, 2010

My secret obsession...

So for those of you who don't know, I love photos of interior design projects. I think in my past life I was an interior designer...Anyway, I love finding photos on the internet of different designer's latest projects; and this is one of the most recent ones I've fallen in love with. I have mixed feelings about the bearskin rug, but I love the way it pulls the whole look together. I love the simplicity of the arrangement, and the tasteful yet elegant stylings of the decorator makes me think I found my soulmate :) What do you guys think?



Thursday, September 30, 2010

Chasing Mommy

So Sean and I have been playing this game with Tara for these last few months where we start growling and chasing after her. She absolutely LOVES this game! She'll come up to us if we're busy doing something, and place her hands on our legs and make a growling sound and then run away. So we'll start growling, and then drop to our hands and knees, and begin chasing her around the room; and eventually into a corner where she'll start giggling so hard she's holding her stomach :) Today for the first time though, once I cornered her; she started coming after me! She growled her tiny little baby growl, and started toddling after me...so I ran to a corner, and acted scared. Once she got to me, I acted terrified that she was going to "eat" me. She just stood there, and started laughing uncontrollably. Then she got so proud of herself for scaring mommy back that she actually jumped up and down, and shivered with delight! She was SO happy...I love that girl!

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Is it ever going to end...?

So I mentioned the other day that Tara has now learned how to open doors, including the refrigerator door. I went into the kitchen a couple days ago, and this is what I found...












She made an utter mess in there, and enjoyed every minute of it :)




*sigh*

Thursday, September 23, 2010

"When one door closes, another one opens..."

And it hasn't stopped! That is the motto for our household right now :) Yesterday Tara learned how to open the door for the first time. Yay. So mommy had a very difficult day in keeping Tara out of things she shouldn't be into. This includes the refrigerator door. Fun stuff people...She's so proud of herself too! She walks away with this smug look on her face like "I just did something HUGE...didn't I?" It's funny, but frustrating. The biggest frustration was her opening the fridge door constantly while she was in the kitchen "helping" mommy make banana bread. I've seen people who have those huge honkin locks and bolts for their refrigerators, but that seems a little ridiculous to me. There's got to be another way...To all the mommies out there-any suggestions?



Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Her smile...






I want to tell the story of Tara's smile. When I was pregnant with her, I went in for an ultrasound somewhere around 7(ish) months. The ultrasound tech was moving the device around, when we heard her gasp and then say "aww...". She pointed to the screen, and there was Tara; with a gigantic smile on her face. She said "She knows her mommy's voice!" It melted my heart, and made me fall in love with her even more! The tech said that she'd never seen such a happy fetus, and it blew her mind that a child could be that happy even before being born. She wanted to test her theory that Tara smiled every time she heard my voice; so she asked me to talk to Tara. When I was silent, she would just roll around and do her own thing. But every time I spoke, whether to her, or someone else in the room; this beautiful smile would come across her face. It was a big ear to ear grin, and it made me cry every time. When the ultrasound was over, I was led to the exam room to wait for my OB. She came in, and immediately said "You have one happy little girl!" It made me so proud, knowing that Tara was happy in there. She was already bringing so much joy to the world, just by a simple yet extraordinary smile. Each ultrasound throughout the rest of the pregnancy, the same thing occured. Giant smiles the whole way through. It made it all that much harder to wait until the birth, we wanted to meet her SO bad!


When Tara was born, that first time she fell asleep in my arms; we saw that gorgeous smile that had entered our dreams; and filled every waking moment with anticipation of meeting this amazing little girl. It surpassed everything we thought it would be in person, and made our hearts knit together in love for this little angel. During the first months she was with us, her daddy and I spent so much time just watching her sleep. Our hearts would burn with love for her, and we would wonder how we got so lucky. This went on for months, watching her smile in her sleep. When she was awake, and would give us that enrapturing grin; her eyes would sparkle with joy. We hoped it would never end...

This last April, we were finally able to move our little family into a two bedroom apartment (YAY!!!). Tara was nine months old, and finally had her own room. Watching our little one sleep became more rare. Around her first birthday, I happened to pass by her bedroom one afternoon while she was napping. I noticed I had left the door open a crack, so I snuck in and watched her for a moment. My heart almost exploded when I realized that she still smiles in her sleep the SAME way she did when she was a newborn! The tender mercies of the Lord...

This morning, about an hour ago; I laid her down for her first nap of the day. As I was rocking her, I realized it was no ordinary thing. It was one of those moments that take your breath away. She wasn't acting like our sassy little toddler this morning. For those moments that I was rocking her to sleep, she reminded me of how it was when she was a newborn. Her face was void of her normal funny expressions, she wasn't jabbering on as she's prone to do (she likes to tell stories), and she wasn't shaking her head "no" as I offered her her sippy. Instead, her eyes were filled with that wonder of a tiny babe; awestruck by the look of mommy's face. Her mouth was in the shape of an "O", with the corners slightly upturned forming a faint smile. She was gazing at me, in absolute silence; eyes locked on mine. She would break the gaze for a moment, just so she could turn into me and look away shyly. Then she'd come back, and start gazing at me again; and she couldn't stop smiling at me! It was so unbelievably adorable how she would go from a slight grin into a full fledged ear to ear smile, as if she couldn't contain her happiness. This went on for about fifteen minutes, eyelids getting increasingly more droopy; until she finally crashed with a big grin painted on her face. As I laid her down, I thanked Heavenly Father for such a beautiful child; and for loving us enough to allow her to come into our lives. It amazes me contstantly, how blessed we are. His love for us is apparent in moments like that...

Monday, September 20, 2010

What's my name?

So...this last Saturday afternoon, we ran a few errands. At one point, we stopped home to grab a package of diapers that we had to return. We walk through the front door, I was first in the door. Sean follows behind with Tara, whom he sets on the floor so she can walk in all by herself. She runs up to me and as she's coming towards me, she says "Melissa" CLEAR AS A BELL! Sean starts laughing, and I'm speechless. We couldn't believe she had just called me that :) Fast-forward a few minutes later, when we're ready to head back down to the car again. Sean picks Tara up, and she points to the photos we have hanging on the wall off the kitchen, of the baby and I when she was ten months old. She points to the photos and says again, "Melissa!". We couldn't stop laughing! She's a smart one...

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Coast Trip Pictures...

So this last Saturday, we took a trip to Newport with my in-laws and had a blast. Sean's mom and brother had driven in Friday night from Idaho, and stayed until Monday morning. It wasn't long enough, but we had a great time with them. I wanted to get some of my favorite photos from the trip on here for you all to enjoy, so here they are!





After stopping at Nye beach, we stopped at a couple more spots along the coastline, and all in all just had a great time. On the way back to Eugene, we discovered that there is yet another food that Tara loved, that surprised us all. The boys (Sean and his brother Jake) had bought a bag of Lay's Jalapeno Potato Chips, and Tara ate most of them! This girl has never let anything spicy intimidate her :) Daddy's little girl in more ways than one! We had a great time though, and it was so nice to see Jake and Becky again. Wonderful weekend!

Simple Thoughts...


Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I blogged. Don't get me wrong-the desire is often there. The energy is not...So that's how it's been about 9 months since I last blogged :) Tara's turned a year old in July, and it's still sinking in for Sean and I that we have a one year old. She's a toddler now, in every single way. She'll always be my baby, but she's growing up so fast right before our eyes. She's free-spirited, incredibly intelligent, funny as ever, and the most loving little girl! She's always going around giving kisses...to mommy, daddy, her baby dolls, the babies in her books, her favorite blankies. And it's baby kisses, so it's the drooly open-mouthed kisses with this sweet little noise she makes that resembles someone saying "aww...". So when her daddy and I are in the other room and hear that noise, we know she's probably found a toy she wants to play with. It's incredibly endearing...

She also makes the cutest little face now, it started about a week ago. She furrows her brows (as if she's concentrating) and her sweet little mouth forms a little o as she makes this sound that resembles a puppy whining. You know the one that breaks your heart? That's what she's been doing, and of course it always makes mommy laugh. I have no idea how it started, what she means by it, but when I start laughing after she does it; she breaks out in a little smile. So I figure she can't feel TOO misunderstood...I've determined she's simply testing out noises and expressions, and reactions to those noises and expressions. Either way, it's quite entertaining.

She has over twenty words in her vocabulary now, and most of it is just so fun to hear. She loves to go around and say "Uh oh..." with her palms upturned. So precious! She also loves to say "All done" when she's finished in her high chair, or when she wants out of her crib. This girl cracks me up. She also recently started mimicking when we tell her no no to something. She'll wave her little pointer finger back and forth, and walk around saying "No,no,no,no,no..." The funniest part is it's usually an indication of what sort of trouble she's about to seek out. Most of the time, it's on her way into the kitchen while heading towards the cabinet that holds our mason jars. She knows it's a no no, and heads there anyway. Cracks us up every time...

I love my little Tara. She's just the sweetest little angel, and such a light in our lives. Every day is so precious with her, just spending time with this special little girl; and feeling her love. She's so inquisitive, and loves to explore. I love watching her experience new things, and I love realizing how smart she is when she's mastered old things just like a big girl. She gets so proud of herself, and it just makes me want to cry! She's our sassy, sweet little girl; and we couldn't be prouder of her.

Sunday, March 28, 2010

March (Our month in photos)





She's totally smiling underneath her binky there :)



So we keep finding Tara sitting in this EXACT position! Awake or falling asleep, she'll purposefully position herself like this-all the time :) It's way cute...


I can't ever get enough of this look on her face-it's so cute!



















We all had a picnic at the park with my mom-it was a gorgeous day :)




Our little golf enthusiast





Some more random adorable photos we took...



Our little girl is so lovey...


I love LOVE when she smiles like this-so blissful! She does this whenever she smells me :)







A saturday trip to Alton Baker as a family-we went for a really long walk, and just enjoyed the beautiful weather :)






Hangin out at home, watching a little tv before bed-she's so funny!