Love At Home

We've started to create a bedtime routine for Harley. So far it's bath, bottle, book, bed. She loves to look at the pictures and reach for the pages while we read to her. I love that she's so animated and noticeably interested in things. I can't believe how big she's getting. I completely understand the saying, "Don't blink or you'll miss it", and that's exactly how I feel.








Lately we've been coming home to an open door and a dog on the couch. Our sweet, and too-smart for-her-own-good Daisy has learned to let herself in when no one's home to do it for her. The day I took this picture I yelled pretty good at her. She was crushed and very sad and sorry. She walked up to Bryant with her head down and tail between her legs and when I came back this is how I found them. She really is a good girl.

It's begining to look a lot like Christmas!

I'm really looking forward to Christmas this year. Having a family of my own definitely puts a new spin on the meaning of Christmas for me. Heavenly Father was completely aware long before Christ was born that one day his son, a humble babe in Bethlehem ,would be mocked and scorned. Bruised, beaten and finally suffer and die for His other children. How scared The Lord must have been. How proud and how sad to know He must watch and stand idly by when he could easily intervene. I can't fathom or even begin to wrap my head around it. I'm so grateful for this time to reflect and celebrate my Lord and his son, my brother my savior. Last Sunday we got to sing my favorite hymn, 'Abide with me.' Reading it definitely doesn't move me the way singing it does and it reaffirms to me the power the spirit has through song and the ability to give praise and celebrate this Holiday season through songs and carols.

Bryant, Harley and I had a lot of fun tree hunting. We had a hard time keeping track of the ones we liked so after at least a half an hour of finding and losing trees we thought were possibilities, we started pulling dead ferns and putting them on top! After our exhausting search we found a tree that was, as Mary Poppins would say, "practically perfect in every way." I told Bryant I really wanted to cut it down so got in the dirt and got busy. I'm pretty sure last years tree came down in less than two seconds so after sawing away in the freezing cold for about three minutes I didn't really want to cut it down any more! Bryant saved the day and after less than a minute (I'm sure because I got such a good start on it for him) TIIIMBERRRR!

Here are some random pictures since my last post. Harley's started laughing and giggling and squealing! She's becoming so animated. When Bryant plays with her she puts her hands all over his face. Sometimes she pushes him away but mostly she pulls him closer!

Thank you for Thanksgiving

I'm so excited for Thanksgiving this year, I have so many things to be thankful for. As a teenager I was a nice girl but definitely opinionated. My Mom would say much of that can be credited to my 3rd-6th grade teacher, Mr. Downey. He wore salmon pink polo shirts and jeans, with a short ponytail and glasses. He played Queen during reading time and threw starbursts at us when we answered questions correctly. When we had sore throats he let us suck on hard candy and he always let us decorate our room like a jungle or rain forest. I adopted a lot of his mannerisms being around him 7 hrs a day 5 days a week and to this day I write my eights using two circles instead of the traditional figure eight, like he did. I can only imagine how hard it was for my parents not to slap me silly for talking back so much. I'm thankful that growing up I was allowed to wear my jean skirt, hooded sweater and skater shoes to church. (I'm thankful that they curbed me but didn't completely shut me down.) I'm thankful for sisters that let me sleep in their beds, brought me home subway sandwiches to share after work, who on my birthday, away at a basketball tournament, bought me a stuffed animal so I new she didn't forget. I'm thankful to have been told to "go play outside" a time or to that developed my love for tree climbing and pine cone throwing and spear fern fighting. I'm thankful for brothers who let me ride their scooters, play legos and paint models. For tying my barbies to plastic garbage bags and throwing them off the sky bridge or balcony(convincing me the whole time it was a parachute and she'd be fine). I'm thankful for memories and laughter. For family, for fun. For Husband and daughters. For fast cars and the color brown. Mostly I'm thankful for a Heavenly Father who placed me in a family that I fit in perfectly. For a Savior who forgives me for all my imperfections and for the Spirit that helps me understand my feelings and untangles the questions in my mind. So mostly this post was a rambling of thoughts and thanks! And in the end I'm just Thankful for Thanksgiving !

All Hallows Eve

Harley's decided to throw trantrums, she arches her back, throws her hands in the air and SCREAMS so I've tried to let her be on the floor a more lately. I always told myself that my kids would be really nice and very well behaved and then my 3 almost 4 month old throws a tanrum. Now I see how easy it is to fall into bad habits, and realize how much control it takes to not hold her all the time and let her learn a little independence. Friday night we tried to let Harley cry herself to sleep. After 15 minutes of what felt like a lifetime of screaming, we gave in and picked her up. The minute she was in my arms she became dead weight, took a few ragged, sad breaths and was out like a light in less than 30 seconds. So my goal for this week is to try to teach our spoiled infant how to put herself to sleep, and to figure out how NOT to cry along with her.

Harley Jane was a ferocious tiger for Halloween. She got extremely mad the first time I tried to draw a black nose on her! The heart nose I drew on when she passed out in the car!

October activities

The weekend started with Chloe's 2nd birthday party. Everyone enjoyed Chloe's dress-up crown.

Saturday night our cousin Troy got married. Joel, Jenna and Sara were all a part of the wedding. The ceremony was really nice,the decorations were pretty and the food was awesome!

Jacey says and does the funniest things. I look forward to Harley being that age. She made friends with an older man at the wedding in his cowboy hat and boots. He asked her how old she was so she held up four fingers. She was about to answer and then drew a blank. She ran back over to Jennis and asked, "Mom, how many is this?" Jennis, "Four." She excitedly ran back to him and said "Four!". He picked her up and they spun around a few times. Its always nice to be around family and friends where you know your kids are safe.
This is Harley's first set of leathers! Grampa Howell bought this outfit at the fair in the build-a-bear tent! The back has a picture of a mortorcycle with the words "Easy Rider" over it.

Summer fun

Last weekend Jennis' friend Deanna and her son Braden came for a visit. Pony rides were the perfect activity for a sunny day.
Emily was showing Braden how to hold the hay so her horse Essence wouldn't get his fingers! Braden and Emily

Jennis, Lukey, Taylor and Story

Harley's
newest
thing is
blowing
spit bubbles!

She's very
smiley and
happy.

Life is good

I can't remember who I was talking to... i think it was my sister in law Jenna, but we were coming up with creative ways to save money. I've decided on paying my washing machine every time I use it. I've never been good at saving money and I do A LOT of laundry. I don't know how two and a half people wear so many cloths and use so many towels! Any way life's pretty good here in Rainier land. Sunday we celebrated my Mom and Dad in law's 50th wedding anniversary. We surprised them with a pretty cake and I ended up with a surprise birthday cake of my own! Yesterday was my actual birthday and I received cards, calls and my favorite; singing voice mails! Thanks to my family and friends who make me feel so loved! So, I'm twenty four and am enjoying all it has to offer. Life is good.