Long Overdue Update

So big changes...we've moved back to Utah for a year and have been crazy busy spending time with family and getting ready for the holidays. It has been so fun being close to family. Here are a few random photos for you....

Hailey LOVES the snow. I love this photo because it reminds me of the wonder I found in looking up at the snow when I was little. Unfortunately, she has also learned the consequences of playing in the snow without gloves and the crazy pain of fingers that cold. Oh yeah, and the coat? Kid to Kid for $9 - love that place!
My boy has grown up so much! Now fifteen months he walks all over - although he's still a little tippy and has all sorts of bruises and scratches on his head/face. He has 15 teeth with the 16th bulging under the surface. He's 24 lbs and 32" tall. Much better than his little man weight/height at the beginning. He adores Hailey and loves to wake her up after nap time. He says cute simple words like "mow" (more), "soc" (sock), "dat do" (thank you), "pee boo" (peek-a-boo), and a few others. He's so fun to have around.
Levi loves his beanie. He wears it around the house. The day this photo was taken he wore it for half an hour before taking it off.
Halloween was so fun. We went trick-or-treating in the pouring rain and had so much fun. Hailey was a little uncertain at the first few houses but as she saw the candy in her bucket she broke out of her shell and said everything herself. "Trick or treat. Thank you. Have a good night. See you later." It was cute. She was so annoyed that I made her wear anything under her dress and a raincoat over, but she got over it quickly once we got outside. Levi was so cute in his lion costume but didn't really understand the concept of walking around in the rain for an hour and a half.
I found Hailey in her underwear by Matt dresser pulling his clothes out. I asked her what she was doing and she replied, "I want to be Daddy." I laughed and told her I'd help her. I used to do this to my nieces and nephews all the time when I was a teenager. It was fun to do it to my own daughter. You can't see them, but she even has on Matt's white-tities and school name badge.
I bet you couldn't guess who designed our jack-o-lantern.
Hailey and Zoe. Her Santa present from last year - one of our best buys!

Levi had no interest in his birthday cake at first. He was just upset at me for taking away his watermelon. He sobbed through the song and even afterwards as I put chocolate into his mouth. He stopped instantly when I gave his watermelon back.
Hailey's 3rd birthday! We celebrated with lots of friends at the Collierville water park. We wouldn't usually go somewhere so extravagant for a third birthday, but we knew we wouldn't be seeing many of our friends for a long while so we decided to make it a big bash. We had so much fun!

Smiley Face Song

So trying to get my nearly-three-year-old to record a two versed song is nigh to impossible, so I didn't get a perfect take. However, these are some of my favorite:

Our Ghosts

So I was warming up lunch and I heard the Hailey's bedroom door close. I considered going to check immediately because often times a closed door precedes trouble, but they'd been playing with toys and having a good time so I didn't. Well, apparently I chose wrong.....

It wasn't her door, it was my door and now my bedroom is covered in baby powder. I decided this would be one vacuum mess that Hailey gets to help clean up. Silver lining? My bedroom smells extra fresh.

Independence Day

We celebrated the 4th on Saturday. We started out running a church 5k (Matt won and earned us $10 to a movie theater - we went this weekend to Toy Story 3 as a family). We went swimming at a friend's house and ended with an early dinner and fireworks/carnival with a group of friends. Hailey was entertained with flying with Matt, playing on blow-up toys, getting her cheek painted and playing with friends. She was SO excited for the fireworks to start, but once they started she got worried about them falling on us (I think she'd enjoy them from a little farther away next year). It was a great evening.

This is what Levi thought about staying up late. It wasn't much of a celebration for him. No, he was actually pretty sweet considering the fact that he didn't get to bed until 10:30pm.

Birthday Hugs

Matt's birthday was so much fun for Hailey. She thought it was great singing to him and giving him presents. This is her birthday hug for him.

Jumper Joy

Aunt Sondra loaned us this doorway jumper. Hailey loved it as a baby and Levi loves it just as well. The other day Levi crawled into his room and saw the jumper and started slapping it so I took it out to hang it up for him. He got so excited.

Glasses

Hailey loves to try on our glasses. She looks so old and grown up.

Sibs

Hailey and Levi LOVE each other. Hailey can make Levi laugh better than anyone. In the morning Levi and I go to get Hailey, and I say, "Good morning Sister." Levi gets all excited and starts flapping his arms and kicking his legs and saying "sisss" sounds over and over with his teeth. It's so cute. I don't know if we'd count it as his first word, but considering he doesn't seem to say "dadda" and "mamma" in reference to Matt and I, I'd say it probably is.

Hailey's hair is long enough now that I can do a crown braid and it is so pretty. It doesn't last long, but long enough for church. These were pre-church photos and I love this one of her looking like a little angel in the sunlight.
I don't know yet if his personality or physique will be cut out for football, but when I saw this photo I laughed because I could just hear a little football player's growl coming from that look.

Easter, etc.

Hailey LOVED hunting eggs this year. We had a dozen plastic and a dozen real and she was ready for more. She still asks to hunt eggs - again at dinner tonight, two weeks later!

Levi thought the basket was pretty cool.

A new teething toy. Little guy has five teeth now and no others on the surface (as of today).

Decorating eggs!

Levi is so happy. He is totally laid back and loves to watch Hailey. He's starting to get up on his knees a little, and even into push-up position. He rolls, turns in circles and scoots backwards, but hasn't figured out how to go forward.

Soaking in a bit of sun in our beautiful backyard. The weather has been gorgeous. Not too muggy yet, thank goodness.

Any takers for a pollen bath?

This is what our cars looked like on Easter morning - after we washed the cars on Friday. I guess you could say we've had a bit of pollen in the air. It hasn't been real pleasant for allergies. These photos don't even really capture how bad it was. I should have taken a photo of the windshield after we used the wipers. There was a perfect thick, green outline.

Our "Talent"

A couple of weeks ago our ward had a talent show. Another couple and we decided to show our talents of working together as husband and wife to cook. :)

If you've never seen this done before (unlikely though it may be), Matt is playing my hands.

My dream job

So I was chatting with my friend the other day about my "dream job" of working with LDS Social Services' adoptions. However, later in the day as I was playing with my sweet babes I realized that I have my dream job and I love it. What could be better than spending all day, everyday with my two adorable babies.

Man can this kid put some food down now! We have his six month check up next week (at 6.5 mo) and I'm curious to see how much weight he really has put on. He's chunked up and it's adorable!
This is what Levi looks like after being attacked by Hailey. Oops. He was eating the dirt and it was in his ear even. He didn't mind the excuse for another bath. Oh, and this is one of his favorite outdoor perches. Hailey loves to push him.
Levi's haircut #2 - at six months old! He HATES it! We decided to go extra short so we could wait longer before the next one.
Levi can really pull the heartstrings with his little lip. It's so pathetic. Whenever he hears loud noises, Hailey crying, or when a stranger holds him (lately), his little lip pops out and his eyes water up and he gives the most pathetic little wail.
My kiddos zoned out on Beauty and the Beast on the portable DVD player on my bed while I was organizing my clothes. I love that they finger/thumb suckers. I think it's so cute.

We went to the park today to fly a kite. The weather was perfect - warm and windy. I intended to keep Hailey clean - hence the khakis - but obviously I failed. After she wiped out and got soaked I gave up and let her enjoy time playing in puddles with Addie. Yeah for carefree times as a 2-year-old.
I laughed so hard at Hailey after we took the photo. The picture is cute, but what's hilarious is that we used the auto timer on the camera and ran to get set up before it went of - thus the not-quite-on and upside-down glasses. Afterward we went back to the kitchen to continue working on dinner. She grabbed a straw, put it on our chest freezer and stepped back a few steps, sat on a chair and said, "Smile. Say eeee." I laughed so hard.
Above is what Hailey looks like after I help her put the clothes on she has chosen - note that they really don't coordinate at all. Below is what she looked like before I helped her. She really usually does pretty well, that's why I had to laugh and take a photo this day.

Like Daddy

Hailey has gotten really dirty playing with friends a couple of times this past week. Although clean up isn't a favorite, and the mess wasn't sought out or intended, it's been fun to get some pictures of her after having so much fun. I thought she looked like Matt.