PLEASE HELP

I need some advice/help/recommendations, PLEASE. Our babe is still in her rear facing infant seat, but she's big enough (and definitely old enough) to be in a forward facing seat. I just don't know which one to buy. I have a habit of second guessing my purchases so I would like to get this one right and be happy about it. ANY SUGGESTIONS?

tractor and trailer

Sunny afternoons are freqently spent playing at her cousins, in the street, with all their wheeled toys. This day happened to be grumpy baby day, but the green machine seemed to do the trick.

Easter Sunday

I was going to wait until tomorrow to post these, but I'm too excited to wait. Her Granddad got her ready for church (so I could go to choir practice). Notice the pink tights, he added them to her outfit. She couldn't keep her bloomers up so she looked like Little Bo Peep. We took the tights off and took a few more pictures.

Easter Saturday

She really did hunt for eggs! I thought she might be too young to care, but she had a great time. To her it wasn't about quantity but quality. She went for a plastic egg filled with money (I think she really went for the plastic egg because it was bright purple). Have I ever mentioned that I love living around family? Saturday morning was one big Easter party. It was so fun having all the kids hunting and the adults watching (two cameras and one video camera)

When it was over her cousin wanted to go down the hill so Granddad started walking with him. When she saw someone else was spending time with Granddad she had to go along. She's more possesive of Granddad than she is with her own parent.

Friday's Adventure

Friday morning my husband suggested we go hiking to these falls. We had heard the trail was paved and wheelchair accessible, (it was only a vicious rumor) so we decided to take our babe in her jogging stroller. Halfway in, the stroller got a flat tire, then the last part of the trail was too treacherous to push the stroller so I carried our babe while my husband carried the stroller a half mile. Other than that, the hike really wasn't too bad and the view was spectacular...she obviously wasn't too impressed with the falls and was just excited to play. Three minutes after we arrived took a fall herself and got this...
since she's a super tough cookie all we had to do was show her some stairs and she was off and playing again. This was her favorite part of the falls.
a little bright sun
On the way back to the car we bundled her up and she ended up falling asleep.
So, to anyone who lives in the area, it's worth the hike, but it's definitely a trip. Nine miles round trip and lots of uphill on the way out. We'll do it again, but NOT with a stroller and probably not with a kid (until they are older.)

grey hair and depends

I have a brother and he's pretty special to me. He can do anything, he even made my wedding cake and it was beautful. He's made an extra effort to come to most of the shows I've perfomed in. He gave me a birthstone ring on a special day just to spoil me. I'd have to say that I like him a lot. But.....
LOOK WHO'S 40
Sometimes I wonder how such an adorable little boy turned into this.....

a day at the park

Whoever invented the park was a genius, I wish I would have invented it so I could be a genius, too. I am sure there are some children that absolutely HATE playing at the park (because maybe they took Microbiology and it freaks them out), but I'd have to bet most kids ADORE the park. Adore it so much they throw small fits when they have to leave. I even love the park. I love having an exuse to slide down the slide and walk on the bouncy bridge, but I don't throw a fit when we leave, I grab an anti-bacterial wipe as clean off any skin that might have come in contact with germ infested park equipment (micro-biology did it to me too). Yesterday, we went to the park and it was perfect. Since it was a little overcast I knew it would be good for a few pictures and since it was early enough in the morning there weren't too many other kids there.
except for these four crazy kids. I don't even know who they are or how they got in the picture, obviously my little girl isn't quite sure about them either...
I freqently wonder how people get such good group shots. Taking a group picture of kids can be painful. I think that is why photoshop was invented, so you could take several pictures and piece them together to make at least one good picture. I love photoshop.
okay, so these are my neice and nephews.

welcome world

My BFF from college just welcomed this adorable thing into world. I'm so glad we live close enough so I could get a chance to hold her. I wasn't sure how our little girl would react when she saw me holding another baby, but she was just as interested in loving her as I was. (no, this has nothing to do with me getting pregnant again.)

ode to stinky cheese

I've been excited to post this picture ever since I posted the one of her stud muffin brother.
To the girl who gets water out of the bathroom toilet (we knew all along you weren't filling up the pitcher from the sink), who looks cute even in a Sonics uniform, and who will finish a plate of food piled high on a dare (that was you, wasn't it)...Happy Birthday! I can't remember the real date, but at least I can remember the month!

new link

I just added a new link to my side bar.
Confessions of a Pioneer Woman is a fabulous blog written by a woman who lives out in the middle of nowhere on a cattle ranch. I could never do her justice explaining her, so check her out. I know some of you will LOVE her writting (it's brilliant), her humor, her photography, and her recipes. Take some time to browse through her site and read "Black Heels to Tractor Wheels" I promise you will be hooked. Be careful though, it's an easy place to spent all your time and neglect your children and housework.

flowers and shoes

My little girls already loves them, flower and shoes. Well, she was really more interested in playing in the dirt than the flowers, but she really loves shoes. The bigger the shoes, the better! I think her dad's shoes are almost as big as she is. If you click on the top picture, you can see lots of snot and drool, two things everyone wants to see.

16 months

Action shot! This is what she looks like when she is talking, so serious and expressive with her hands.

our little one...

drools

still wears size 2 diapers

says mu when we say "what does a cow say"

can't wait to be outside

a piano hog

likes to open and shut doors

HATES loud noises

helps us get her dressed and undressed

can spy a pen from 100 miles away

wants everyones cell phone

I hope they call me on a misson

...and their off. Grandma and Grandpa are officially missionaries and as I type this they are driving to the state where they are serving. They are going to spend this week setting up their apartment and next Monday they report to the MTC. We've lost 2 terrific baby-sitters for the next 18 months, but we are happy they have a chance to fullfil one of their dreams. It's nice that we can still call them and visit them a couple of times while they are serving!

I looked out the window

I looked out the window and what did I see?

Popcorn popping on my apricot tree
Spring has brought me such a nice surprise
a runny nose and itchy eyes
I will take a Comtrex or Benedryll
every four hours another pill
the pollen, it should go
cause it makes me sneeze
but I LOVE my blossoms even with my allergies

These are really my walnut trees, but I REALLY do have an apricot tree.

underwear?

I've freqently thought "if men knew how funny our underwear, nylons, and slip looked under our clothes, they wouldn't think we were cute at all." Well, now I've done it to my babe. She has to wear a onsie when she wears tights so the tights don't pull off her diaper. For months I've hated seeing her white onsie peak out of the neck and arms of her dresses, so I came up with a solution. I cut off the sleeves and cut and large round neck in her onsie. Now this is what she looks like under her dress, but I still think she's cute.

sick baby

I was really hoping we were going to miss the bug going around, but she finally caught it. All she wanted to do was be held while she slept. I didn't get anything done around the house, but I really enjoyed cuddling with her.

Notice the bed. Interesting assortment of bedding. We were trying to find things that didn't match at all and put them together. It creates a really harmonious and peaceful environment.

For those of you who'd care to sympathize...I taught 2 1/2 hours of dance last night, after not dancing in almost a year. AAAhHHHH! I can barely move. Places I forgot I had muscles are sore. I resolve not to go another whole year without dancing again (maybe 7 months.)