Happy Halloween!

Halloween is my favorite holiday. It seriously is, until I remember Christmas. And then Christmas is my favorite holiday. But for 11 months of the year, it is definitely Halloween. This year is extra special because we celebrated Lucy's 1-year birthday. And the 29th commemorates our engagement anniversary (yeah, we celebrate it, so what?)

This year I have done a good and not so good job at celebrating Halloween. We didn't get it all done (oops forgot to carve pumpkins), but we did do a lot. Some of which included, pumpkin patches, Gardner Village, Thanksgiving Point, home decorating, buying lots of pumpkins, homemade soup and cider, costumes, excessive candy eating, Haunted Symphony, throwing a Halloween party, and trick or treating.

Things that didn't happen,

carving pumpkins,
scary movies,
caramel apples, and
haunted houses

One of my favorite things about Halloween is going to the grocery store and seeing dracula pick out baby formula, and Edward buying gum. Halloween is such a whacky holiday. I love absolutely everything about it (except for really scary movies). And seriously, what could be cuter than trick or treating with a pumpkin fairy?

Happy Birthday Lucy

photos by Kim Orlandini

Dear Lucy,

Last year at this time I was freaking out because I was so scared to go into labor. I was working (what else is new), and your grandpa was fixing our oven. It was a sunny day, and dad just got home from work. Now here we are, 365 days later, and I can't even believe it. It's cliche, but seriously, where has the time gone?

I went from loving you, but hardly know you at all, to you being my entire world. This year has been the quietest most eventful year of my life.

It is hard to believe that you are all mine. And by mine, I mean you are all ours, daddy included. But really, you are all mine.

I have watched you lift your head up, roll over, crawl, and stand up. I have watched you discover your hands, your feet, your tummy, your toes. You are an observer. I constantly see your mind working; your face serious. Sometimes you are very serious, but right now you are kind of silly. Everything is funny, and you are ready to laugh all the time. I turn around fast, bam, that's hilarious. Looking upside down? the funniest thing ever.

You now have 3 teeth, and 2 new ones poking through. You love Ollie, and say his name all day. You also tell him to sit. And you say, Uh oh, mamma, daddy, hi and what's this. You jabber all day. It's one of my favorite things.

You are a beautiful baby. We are told everywhere we go. But we already know it. You have long dark eyelashes, olive skin (everyone wants to know where you got it from), big hazel eyes, and a contagious smile. And your laugh? It is ridiculous how cute it is.

You are also kind of sensitive. You cry when dad laughs, or when people look at you too long. But you love to snuggle, go to the grocery store, take baths, be tickled, climb over things (and people), crawl super fast, crawl up the stairs, play peek-a-boo, poke Oliver, grab Dad's glasses, and play with your cousins. You give kisses under duress.

I can't believe I have permanently said goodbye to nursing, you sleeping on my chest, you fitting in the crook of my arm, the baby car seat, staying still, sleeping next to me in the morning.

Your infanthood, early babyhood is forever gone.
And that makes me cry just thinking about it.

But every day is a new discovery, and right now I'm pretty much your favorite person. I hope that lasts for a really, really long time.

I love you more than I could ever express. You are the light in my every day.
Cheesy? I so don't care.

I love you sweet, silly girl.

Love, Mom

Greek Festival

Scott and I have been attending the Greek Festival for several years now. This year with baby in tow, though, we had a plan. We went right during the Utah Game, and we came only for the Loukoumathes. This plan was perfect. We came, we ate, we watched a little Greek dancing, and we beat the crowds.

Awesome.

and the Loukoumathes. Oh, the Loukoumathes.

I should be embarrassed that we ate all of these in one sitting, but they just don't taste as good heated up. Besides, eating obscene amounts of fried honey donuts was the whole point.

Yum, yum, eat 'em up.

The Drive-Inn

We are huge fans of the drive-inn. We get to go in our comfies, eat a picnic in our car, people watch, watch a movie under the stars, snuggled under blankets. It is pretty much perfect.

This year we introduced Lucy to one of our favorite summer past times. And as you can see from the pictures, staying still was not one of her strong points. So, Scott and I switched off playing referee. One of us stayed in the back seat of the jeep, physically blocking her from leaving, while the other watched on the bean bag. This system actually worked pretty well, and we were able to make it through Toy Story 3. Which, by the way, was a pretty awesome movie. I even got a little teary.

So here's to chocolate, squirmy babies, Victorian Lemonade's, cartoons, Jeeps, husbands, movies, slippers, and many, many, many more summer nights spent together as a family.

Party Preparations

Pinata decorations

The Pinata

Gold pumpkin favors (this project was much trickier than expected)

Chalkboard pumpkin

Lucy's 1st birthday preparations have pretty much taken over my whole world.

Bath Time

Reason #83 why I love being Lucy's mom.

The Fortune Cookie Game

Do you ever play this? You all read your fortune cookies, but add in bed. Sure, it is a little racy, but hilarious.

This was mine tonight,

"Be prepared receive something special in a large package."

You're kidding me, right? I win forever and ever. I dare you to have a funnier fortune.

Triple dog dare you.

Happy Feet

Today was one of those days. It was filled with little disappointments, stresses, frustrations and sadness. Somehow that added up to, "enough already." So here I am at almost midnight, in a funk and sad. Maybe it is because Scott is out of town, and maybe it's because I'm so tired. Maybe I worry too much and take on too much and don't take care of myself enough. Maybe eating all of those dark chocolate peanut butter cups was really counter-productive.

Looking at happy photos help. My feet are happy here, can't you tell? Oliver's feet are just funny looking, which is almost the same as happy.

The Lucy Monster

GRRRRR! ROAR!

Almost 1

When we found out our due date was 11.4.09 last year, I secretly prayed that Lucy would be born before Halloween. Because Halloween is only the 2nd, almost tied to 1st, best Holiday ever.

Oh, the Halloween birthday parties we would have. Weren't we lucky that she came on 10.27? And now I'm planning her first birthday party and it is pretty exciting. And busy. I think I have photographed too many weddings. I keep reminding myself this is a one-year-old's birthday, not a wedding. But that hasn't stopped me from making a pinata (or at least buying the 36" balloon) to make the pinata.

I know it is kind of silly and she doesn't care and wont remember, but we have waited so very long for these firsts and want to enjoy them to the fullest. The theme, pumpkin patch. Doesn't Lucy make the cutest Pumpkin Fairy ever?

As a sidenote, I can't believe I bought her this girly, girly costume. I kind of love it, though.

Invitations were found at Rifle Paper Co. Cute, right?

Never Thought It Would Happen

I never thought I would see the day that we got rid of our ugly, ugly bathroom. I know I should have taken pictures of it, but it was just too depressing. Imagine a brown tub (not on purpose, but because the finish had worn off), moldy moldings around the window, and paint peeling off above the tile, cheap and hard-water stained faucets, and cheap, cheap furniture and you have a pretty good idea of what it looked like. In fact, in the 10 years we have been married, I have only had moldy bathtubs. and I love baths. It was so sad. I had to switch to showers.

This was our first time picking out tile and grout and overall, I think we did a pretty good job. And I will say it was totally worth it to pay someone some $$ to do this for us. Juan had this bathroom turned around in a week, and since we only have one shower/bath, this was the most crucial item in the remodel. I watched them working, and it truly was amazing. I know it would have taken Scott and I at least 6 months. We love Juan, even though he doesn't like our paint color choice :) Lucy loves him too, which is pretty funny. She is scared of most men, but loves Juan. She flirts with him, and crawls to the bathroom door and watches.

We still need to paint, change out our electrical boxes, find a vanity, mirror, medicine cabinets, lights, towel rack, etc. We also need to add a vent, to cut down on the humidity. I can't wait to take a bath in my fancy new cast-iron tub. Poor Juan. It was a heavy tub.

Considering this hardware

Bought this shower curtain

Love this vanity, but can't afford this vanity

I love this one too, but it doesn't have any drawers. I would put it with a white sink.

Our floor mat

Again, can't afford this vanity.