Birthday Boy!

Today is Josh's big day.  He is 29 years old, where did time go.  I married him when he was just 22 :)  Over the last 7 years we have had so many crazy experiences together.  We have moved 4 times, survived 3 step exams, lived in 2 states, and have one rambunctious toddler.  He is my best friend, my advocate, my sounding board, and holds all my happiness.  He is the only one I can be 100% me with.  I have grown to love this man more then I ever thought possible.  He is my everything!  Happy birthday Joshua :)

Evie-isms

1) She has wigged every time I put her in her crib this week.  She goes through these spurts of going to bed easy and then not. 

2) Her dad can always make her laugh.  However, when she is sad or upset she only wants mom.

3) She pooped in the bathtub.  I had drained the water and was waiting for her to pick up her toys.  She was reluctant and just wanted out.  Me, being a stubborn parent, said no.  She needed to pick up her toys.  Well I learned my lesson.  I guess she couldn't hold it anymore :)  My bad...mom fail.

4) She goes crazy for anything Christmas, especially Christmas trees and Santa. 

5) She will finally let me sit and read her a book.  Nothing makes me happier then reading a story to her.  

6) She wants to take the ornaments off the tree...not surprising.

7) She can walk down most small stairs without using the rail.  She is so proud of herself.

8) Her favorite food this week are the little Halo Oranges.  

9) I let her break asparagus for this weeks "Friends-giving" It kept her entertained for the longest time.  She kept breaking each stem into smaller and smaller pieces.  

10) She is into anything art these days.  We paint, color and play with stickers everyday. 

11) When she says stars, stairs and Josh they all sound the exact same.

12) She will now give me a kiss for no reason :) 

13) When she is thirsty she says "juice" I don't know why she says this.  She never gets juice and I never refer to water as juice.  Go figure!!

14) She can get herself into the car and then into her carseat.  

15) She loves statues.  It is hilarious to watch her hold a mannequins hand or give a bronze child a hug.  

Halloween Festivities

This Halloween wast ill of so many fun activities.  It is one of my favorite holidays.  I don't love the gore, intact I really hate it.  It is the crispness in the air, the start to the fall season, pumpkins (and all the pumpkin treats, and the general excitement in the air that I really love.  This year was especially exciting for me since it was going to be shared with so many friends and family.  We kicked off our festivities with a chili dinner and pumpkin carving and Aaron and Tina's house.  I love Reber activities and this one was one of the best.  Evelyn had a great time playing in a "kid friendly" back yard with cousins.  Seriously I loved this yard and the ease of knowing Evelyn was safe.  The Chili was amazing and the company was even better.  At the end of the night the kiddos carved pumpkins.  Evelyn didn't get to carve a pumpkin but that didn't stop her from playing with all the seeds and watching with pure joy while the other kids did.  The extent of her pumpkin carving consisted of putting stickers on one :)  Maybe next year.  

Tina was so prepared for these little kiddos.  She had candy corn and pumpkin balloons waiting for their arrival.  Let's just say she was Evelyns BFF by the end of the night.  

The older cousins loved to bounce Evelyn and Jude on the tramp.  The sounds of their little laughs made my heart sing.  

Her BFF

My mom made Evelyn the most fantastic and perfect Tinker Bell costume this year.  I won't get to have much say in her costume choices as she gets older so this year I got to take full creative reigns.  Tinker Bell is her favorite movie right now so of course that is who she had to be :)  On the 28th the Murray Public Library was holding their Halloween party.  It was full of singing, stories and cute kiddos in costume.  It was fun to see how many Elsa and Annas there were.  Evelyn and Jude ended the day by walking in the library parade and eating a donut.  It was a perfect afternoon with my Tink and Elephant.  

I could just die over her lips.  Where did they come from?

It is just so hard to be this cute.

This year we had the opportunity to celebrate Halloween in St. George.  Unoftuantely Josh was not with us...hospital.  The festivities started off with a fun cousin get together at Grandma Reber's.  This is probably one of my favorite parties of the year.  Grandma always gets pizza and makes delciousous popcorn balls and the fridge is always stocked with Diet Coke.  It is so fun to see all the cousins together in their costumes and for all the adults to catch up.  After the party we headed to my home ward for some hotdogs, chili and trick or treating.  It was so fun to watch Evelyns face all evening.  She really understood trick or treating and with NO stranger danger at all she walked with grandma from car to car collecting candy.  She was all over the getting free candy thing.  She carefully put each piece in her bucket and didn't ask to eat any.  At the end she went up to anyone and everyone who would cave to her cuteness and have them open another piece of candy for her.  Im still shocked she didn't throw up.  It was such a fun Halloween.  I can't wait until next year.  

Jazella and Evelyn 

I seriously love this cute family.  I grew up with Jenny and I love that our daughters are the same age and get to play together. 

The saying of the evening was, "Just one piece Evelyn"  

The Niederhausers

Can I have your food Grandma?

Evie -isms

1) Evelyn loves to color.  I have saved a Costco box that she will sit in and decorate.  It has become a staple in our everyday routine.
2) She is a HUGE fan of jewelry.  She begs to wear mine all the time.
3) She loves dolls.  She acts like their mother by feeding them, holding them, scolding them and even talking soft and comforting.  She is so sweet with them and we must take one everywhere we go.
4) She has been on a yogurt kick lately.  My mom bought some Go-Gurts last week and they were a huge hit!
5) She still doesn't say much, but has used the word please so many times that her cousin Cole (12 months) has started saying it.
6) She loves to buy/get/put on clothes, but she doesn't like fancy dresses.  It is the strangest thing, one day she will have to explain this to me.
7) She now is at the stage where a threat of a time out will whip her into shape.  She doesn't like time out at all.
8) She has learned really fast the need to wear a coat.  At the beginning of this cold weather she refused to wear one, but one night without one she quickly changed her mind.

The girl with 1000 faces

Evie-isms

1) Her favorite movie is Beauty and the Beast.  She constantly asks to watch it "Belle" on her little princess DVD player.  Im particularly happy about this movie since it is my favorite Disney movie.

2) She loves loves loves Jude.  She gets so excited to see him and screams when we walk pick him up in the morning.  She doesn't like it when I put him down for a nap because that means they will be separated.  I don't know what we are going to do when we move.

3) She loves to play with older girls.  It is fun to watch her mimic their every move and want to be/act bigger then she is.

4) Her word for drink is juice.  I don't understand why she uses this word because she never gets juice.  I never refer to drinks as juice...go figure.

5) When she REALLY doesn't like something, or something someone is doing she will let out a string of no's.

6) She loves to hold anyones hand, especially Madelynn's.

7) She has a weird "friendship" with mannequins and statues.  She must think they are friends and in need of care.  She will go up to mannequins in the store and hold their hand.  Today at the park she went up to a bronze statue and gave it a hug.  Maybe I should find more real friends for her.

8) Her favorite food lately are fruit snacks.  I feel like my purse is weighed down with the massive amount I carry with me.

9) She is the BEST traveller.  We have been up and back between St. George and SLC 3 times this week.  She sits, snacks and enjoys the ride.

10) She spent a night with my Dad last week while I went to pick up Ceri from the airport.  She had so much fun.  My dad let her play in the dirt for probably an hour, then let her take a 45 minute bath.  When we came home she became very jealous that Grandpa had to be shared.  She sure loves him.

11) She is talking a little more, but still can't string any words together.  She probably says please 100 times a day :)  She is so polite.  Infact she has said it so many times since being in St. George that Cole, Ceri's baby, has started saying it.

12) I got to take care of Cole and Evelyn for 2 days while Ceri and the rest of the fam went out of town.  Let's just say it was an exhausting couple of days.  Evelyn was a great helper, makes me feel that someday we can have another one...someday.

13) Evelyn loves her daddy.  Since we don't see much of him lately Evelyn will point and say "dada" to every picture that has him in it.

14) When she gets excited to see someone she runs towards them but gets to excited to hug them.  Instead she gets 3/4 of the way there then spins in excitement.

Thanksgiving Point and Brianhead

Evelyn and I were heading down to Brianhead to meet up with the rest of the clan for conference weekend.  Before we headed out we had the opportunity to spend some time with Josh at Thanksgiving Point.  I really cherish these moments that the three of us get to be together.  It doesn't happen very often anymore and it really makes me appreciate my hubby and how hard he is working. I wish he got to spend more time with us, but the little he does we make memorable :)  This particular trip we took a stroll through the AMAZING gardens.  We also wanted to check out where Ashlin and Skyler's luncheon will be.  It was with out a doubt one of the most beautiful gardens I have ever seen.   

Josh found a golfball in one of the planters and Evelyn had to have it.  She played the oh so fun game of fetch.  Sometimes I feel like I have a dog instead of a l8 month old.

She was thrilled to be on top of the waterfall looking down.

Please Please let me back here.

My beautiful daughter full of energy.  

Kisses for dad

One of my favorite traditions, that we haven't been able to do since moving to TX, was watching conference at the cabin.  It is the most relaxing and spiritually feeding weekend.  Unfortuanetly, Josh was at the hospital that weekend so it was Just E and I.  

Jenna dog sleeping in the back of the car.  She stayed there for at least 2 hours. 

Evelyn's BFF is Ashlin.  She drug poor Ashlin all over the place.

Saturday night Todd and Julie Gerth came up to join in the festivities. 

Of course we had to pick up several rocks on our walks.

The Ott, Almquist and Gerth gang

Dad and Jim Ott.  

 I love these 2 and they are like a second set of parents to  me. 

Evelyn was thrilled to watch the cows move and graze across the valley.  She is at such a fun age and has such a love for animals.

Evelyn is definitely Grandpas girl

She loved this rock and at one point had someone at each corner trying to lure her down.

The soon to be Mr. and Mrs. Almquist

Evelyn even warmed up to Uncle Skyler on our last day there :)

My little geology girl.  She has to pick up every rock, stick and leaf she finds.

Seriously check out those colors!  Fall is by far my most favorite time of the year.  The leaves change color, the air becomes cool and crisp it is just magical!