Clyde Reunion

The Clyde crew all came into town if you can believe it. We were a bunch of crazies towing around 7 kids three and under. We terrorized Heber, splash pads, Grandma's house, museums, restaurants, an more. I don't know who's idea it was but we were crazy enough to attempt a photo shoot with those 7 crazies....and to our wonderful surprise it worked, mostly! :) 

Summer Fun!

Johnson Family Reunion! Days filled with games, family, food, and fun! We were up in Logan with the crew, sadly there were few of us from the Brad Johnson crew but we made it count! 

Mallory got her first taste of ice skating and I think she enjoyed it. It's a very good thing her dad is a good skater because her mother is a total klutz! 

Grandpa came into town and the little kiddies piled on him. He was kind enough to take us to the Heber fair and parade. Mallory is very much like her mother- a thrill seeker on rides- much to her fathers dismay :) 

Happy Birthday!

Mallory is officially one! Part of me feels like it took forever and the other part feels like it flew by!
Grandma threw Mallory a pre-birthday party since we were ended out of town. The little turkeys had a blast playing the water and playing with the new toys.

We took Mallory to Seattle to celebrate her birthday...well Paul had a work conference there so we tagged along. We took her to all the wonderful hot spots in Enumclaw- you know, the Kettle, Oshios, old houses, toured Seattle, the sites! (Is it pathetic that our spots mostly revolve around food). 

The house we stayed in was a gorgeous little lake allowing us to swim and relax in the perfect Washington weather. 

Mallory felt about the same way as I feel about lake water; that it's generally too cold and it's more enjoyable to hang out on the dock :) 

Mallory was the dream vacationer....not. Despite the fact that we were two hours head of our usual schedule she thought it was good idea to start our days before the sun came up. So we went on 5 am walks, strolls on the lake front, serene paddles across the lake, and dress up. 

We teamed up with my dad and he showed us the ropes around his mountain, Mt. Rainier. It was absolutely beautiful; I can't believe that in the 18 years that I lived there I never went up there. We didn't bring our hiking backpack but luckily grandpa has a pack that is just the right size to shove a one year old into. 

We also took Mallory to the zoo, which turned out to be much larger than we remembered but she loved all of the animals. And of course we enjoyed more and more food! 

We came home from our exhausting trip and made Mallory a very tasty cake and had a very small party with the three of us celebrating our first year together. Needless to say, Mallory enjoyed the cake. 

Eleven Months!

Just one more month and we'll be celebrating Mallory's first birthday!

 I've been thinking a lot about last summer this week and how incredibly large and uncomfortable I was! I do not miss that at all (we'll have to time the next one a little better). Already I can say that we are having much more fun this summer than last. Poor Paul was freezing while sleeping underneath four blankets and I was so busy doing, well, what pregnant women do best--laying in our husbands basketball clothes while consuming an extra large and extra cold ice cream. This summer we've been going to Farm Country, the Gardens at Thanksgiving Point, splash pads, the park, the swimming pool, art festivals, and anywhere else Mallory will tag along to.

Mallory is beyond obsessed with being outside, especially when there is water to be played in. She accompanies me every morning to water our flower pots and then to the garden. We have a little kiddie pool that we splash around in the backyard. Paul is the best dad in the world for numerous reasons and one is that he is "always on the move" Our kids are never going to be bored with him around. He's packed our weekends with endless fun and in my head I'm cringing at the grumpy Mallory we will have by the end of the day-- but on the contrary, she is always extremely happy and easy by the end of the day. Bless her amazing dad! 

 Though she is rather challenged in the height department she has some great balance and all but runs around the house. Mallory still likes to push her walker around the house while screaming but her new favorite is to catch a ride on it, much like a segway. 

The really great thing about her being able to walk is that she now thinks she has to be a part of everything particularly kitchen affairs. If I am in the kitchen cleaning, preparing dinner, anything she is right at my feet, pushing my legs away from the cabinets with outstretched arms whining "Mama!" (the only time in which she says 'mama'" We have lowered the basketball hoop so she can shoot anything she can get to fit into the hoop, balls, blocks, books, phones, stuffed animals- literally anything. We are determined to make her an Olympic athlete--maybe we should try something more of a guarantee, curling? handball? trampoline? 

One of our favorite games to play is "how can i terrorize mom most effectively: sitting on her and grabbing every part of her face or bouncing on her throat" It's incredible fun; I think I enjoy it most of all. 

 I have a bad habit when we go shopping-- which is too often-- I pick up some random toy to entertain Mallory throughout the store. Of course she's an absolute gem while were going through the store that by the time I get up to the check out line I realize I've forgotten to ditch the toy. So, the only reasonable thing to do is buy it, right? The latest "store entertainment" purchase was a toy phone. It's been two days and I already have all the songs memorized (who comes up with these things and why do they have to be so incredibly annoying?) but she can't put the thing down. Carters, you win again.

My amazing cousin Amanda took family pictures this month and we couldn't be more pleased with them! Thank you Amanda! 

 We love our little girl and we love the summertime; thank heaven for Utah warmth and outdoor activities!

10 Months and Walking!!!

It's been over a month now since I've updated which only means so much has happened! Mallory is now 10 months (well technically 10 1/2 months) old.

 We are coming up on a year here before we know it! Her most impressive skill these days is that she can walk! She's an independent little creature and she never fails to show just how much that is true. It took her all of a week to go from one little baby step to walking full lengths of the house. I have to say since she has discovered this new fledged freedom she is the happiest little girl I've ever met!

She is now very interested in her toys and books and seems to prefer to play by herself for the most part. Even when we get with a bunch of friends and cousins she'll sit down alone and play. She literally gets into anything that she can reach and figure out how to open. We've installed baby locks, gates, and covers to deter any efforts. 

May was an incredibly busy month for us! Paul has been playing softball and Mallory and I go and watch when we can. Though it is usually more of Mallory crawling around in the dirt trying to eat rocks and me watching her and every once in a while glancing up at the scoreboard to see if it's even close. 

We were blessed to enjoy a fantastic evening having dinner at Flemings followed by Andrew's final performance with the Utah Youth Symphony. It was the most  beautiful concert we'd heard and were so proud of Drew! 

Mallory and I have been having a ton of fun while Paul is at work....sorry Paul. She is beyond obsessed with all animals but particularly dogs. We went to the zoo where Mallory "Ooo, ooo"'s for the entire trip.

 We go to Farm Country at Thanksgiving Point where she also "Ooo, ooo"'s at every animal; it increasings to slight screams of joy while riding the ponies. 

We are so lucky to live near some very kind cousins. Jack and Ellie are always so sweet to Mallory making sure she has plenty of toys to play with and now that Mallory walks Ellie is always trying to hold her hand and walk around with her. They are the cutest.

We had the greatest privilege of having Brad and Rosie come to our home a few weeks ago and little miss had a ball with them. They were in town for an iPad training and we were so grateful that they had a few free hours to spend with us. So the whole gang from Logan came down and we made a weekend of it. 

We watched Andrew play in the state tennis tournament and he did so well. Mallory is obsessed with Andrew and therefore his hobbies. She watches him play the violin and tennis very intently. 

Paul's cousin Alisa passed away after years of battling cancer. Bless her little family. The funeral was one of the most inspirational and spiritual events I've attended. Paul and Jill both stood and spoke of their daughters life and the light that she was to all around her. Her husband Josh spoke with such love, admiration, and strength. She was a blessed soul and her memory will live with her family forever. 

We invaded Logan last weekend where I completed my second duathlon in Wellsville. I have to say it was a miserable two hours but I finished. It rained the entire race which made for very soggy shoes and hands I could hardly feel. I've never disliked biking before but I got pretty close that day. It was a 2.5 mile run followed by an 18 mile bike and then finished off with another 2.5 mile run. I placed first in my age group, 4th in all women, and 24th overall. The rain and cold were great motivators to go fast. 

Lindsey has come to Utah with cute little Reagan and all the cousins are having a blast. Thank goodness there is never a shortage of toys and attempts to share. So far we've just been running around playing at the park and grandmas and they seem to be having a ball! 

Paul also went up to Logan to see Drew graduate! Congratulation Andrew! 

And of course, when dad is all alone with you for a day of course he's going to take you to the salon for a hair cut. Good bye baby mullet. 

Before.......

And after......

The summer is here and we are loving the warm weather and can't wait for our summer adventures to begin!