The Living Planet Aquarium

Lizzy loves fish! She gets excited when we go to Aunt Marian's house, or when we go to her pediatrician's office, because she loves to see the fish tanks. On Friday, February 11th, my sister-in-law, Marilyn called and asked if she and her husband could take Lizzy to see The Living Planet Aquarium in Sandy. I knew Lizzy would LOVE that! I told her Brad and I would love to go, too, so we arranged to go on Saturday.

Lizzy had a wonderful time viewing all the displays and exhibits of fish and other animals. I was surprised by her attention span. She never seemed to get tired of looking at the "fishies." It wasn't until we were at the very end of the exhibits that she began to show some signs of sleepiness (and grouchiness). Overall, she had a wonderful time, and I know she'll want to go again soon.

Lizzy loved seeing the fish with her Aunt Marilyn and Uncle James. Uncle James is a fish-nerd. He knows a lot about fish.

We had a wonderful time! We'll have to go again soon!

Puppy Love

We have spent so much time with Aunt Marian's adorable foster puppies this past month. It's amazing how fast puppies grow. Every time we went to visit they'd look a little older and acted a little more playful. Scott, Emma, and Lizzy loved playing with them, especially little Woody, who became our family favorite. A few days ago they all found loving homes and new families. We'll miss seeing them, but we enjoyed the time we spent with them while they were little, and we'll always have the memories. They are going to make their new families so happy!

1. Black Female with the pink collar: Raven
2. Black Female with the red collar: Ebony
3. Black Male with the yellow collar: Midnight
4. Light Brown Male with the blue collar: Moose
5. Light Brown Male with the green collar: Woody
6. Black Male with the green collar: Jet
7. Dark Brown Female with the yellow collar: Mocha

Emma's Science Fair Project

Emma won first place at her school's Science Fair tonight! YAY!!! All the hard work paid off!

Emma wanted to do a food project this year, so I suggested we do sugar verses sugar substitutes. She had a great time making lemonade and having her cousins and father try the different sweeteners to see which one was the sweetest. Here are some snapshots of her project:

Our whole family went to the Science Fair last night. Emma came home thrilled and excited that she was one of the finalists for her grade. I was thrilled beyond thrilled when the principal announced Emma won first place. Here are some snapshots of Emma at the Science Fair:




Today I'm grateful to be a significant part of Emma's life. I'm grateful that I can be there to help her when she needs help with school work and projects. I'm grateful that even though I am not her biological mother, Emma loves me and appreciates me for who I am in her life. I love her dearly.

Valentine Dates

Last night was our annual Valentine's Date Night with the kids. Brad took the girls out for a special night on the town, while Scott and I enjoyed Jamba Juice, pizza, and video games at home.

Here are a few snapshots of the girls having fun on their date to Iceberg:






Scott and I didn't take any pictures of our date, but we had fun, too. :) Scott always tries to get me to play video games, which I normally decline, so it was fun finally giving in and playing with him. He loves watching me play Tomb Raider more than playing it himself, so I did most of the playing. It was his idea to go to Jamba Juice, too. FUN! Looking forward to doing this again next year.

Horses and Ponies

I have always been an equestrian lover. Even at a young age, I loved horses and ponies. In fact, my very first childhood memory is of me sitting on a pony. I was only about two or three years old at the time. I remember the exact spot where my grandpa stuck me on a pony and put a vest, hat, and bandanna on me. It was in the parking lot at the Bixby Knolls Shopping Center in Long Beach, CA. I remember holding onto the saddle horn, expecting the pony to give me a ride at any moment. I was excited and thrilled to be on the back of a "horsey."

I would have loved to have taken riding lessons as a child. My best friend took riding lessons, and I always envied her and wished I could learn to ride, too. Instead I devoured horse books and watched horse movies by the dozens. I had my own stable of imaginary horses in my backyard, complete with names and personalities for each horse, and I would take them out for daily rides. My grandpa treated me to the real deal on a few occasions, and I thoroughly enjoyed those rare moments when I got to ride on the back of a real flesh and blood horse. My grandpa knew how much I loved horses and how much I wished I could have more exposure to them.

I love that my daughter, Lizzy shares my joy and enthusiasm for animals. She loves doggies, kitties, and horsies. We went to see the farm animals at Thanksgiving point a few days ago. Lizzy loved seeing all the animals, although I believe her favorite animals were the horses and ponies. She rode on her very first pony while we were there. She smiled, and pointed at the pony's ears, calling the pony,"Hissy." I couldn't help but think she looked a lot like me.

She rode on two ponies while were there. I'm sure she would have gone on again if we had let her. I'm thankful that my daughter will be raised in a more rural environment than I was, and she'll have more opportunities to ride horses and ponies, if that's what she wants. I love living in Utah.

The Highlight of My Day: January 2011

Something good happens each day. Here's what happened in January:

Sat 1/1/11: Today was our annual New Years Day party with the Harmans. We bowled, played Nerts and Uno, and Scott and Emma enjoyed playing on the Wii with Uncle Gordon. Aunt Marian is currently fostering a mother dog and a litter of puppies. I enjoyed holding the little pups. So cute!

Sun 1/2/11: My husband knows the right words to make me happy. I love him.

Mon 1/3/11: It was nice having a normal day again. Tonight for Family Home Evening we focused on The Family: A Proclamation To The World. Scott and Emma are smart kids. They gave lots of good comments.

Tue 1/4/11: Lizzy had her 18-month appointment today. She got her finger pricked and her leg shot, and she didn't cry once! What a tough girl!

Wed 1/5/11: I felt miserable and sick today, which was definitely NOT the highlight of my day. My highlight was being taken care of by my husband. He and Scott made dinner tonight. I love the men in my life!

Thu 1/6/11: The nice thing about Brad & I both being sick at the same time is that it equals to more cuddle time. I LOVE the extra cuddle time with him.

Fri 1/7/11: Friday = Pizza Night! Yum!

Sat 1/8/11: Marilyn and James brought over their keyboard to show Lizzy. We had a blast watching Lizzy push the keys and buttons. She's so cute when she dances to the music. Super cute!

Sun 1/9/11: We had a relaxing day! Scott and Emma were exhausted from the lack of sleep they got this weekend and slept for hours this afternoon. Brad and I rested, too. It was nice.

Mon 1/10/11: My baby girl loves her mama. It makes my heart so happy when she snuggles up with me, whether we're lying in bed, or sitting on the couch, or standing in the kitchen. She looks for me, calls me, and then snuggles when she finds me. So precious!

Tue 1/11/11: The four of us went to the library tonight. I brought home a bunch of new DVDs for Brad & I to watch.

Wed 1/12/11: Today I'm grateful for the wonderful relationship Brad has with his kids. He is such a good father.

Thu 1/13/11: Lizzy is pure joy to have around! Her favorite book currently is Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You by Dr. Suess. She had me read it over and over again today. She added two new words to her vocabulary, too: "foot" and "hot."

Fri 1/14/11: I think it's hilarious that Lizzy screams when Brad comes home from work. She cannot contain her excitement and joy when she sees him. She loves her papa.

Sat 1/15/11: Brad and I groomed the dog today. She looks so pretty and stylish now.

Sun 1/16/11: Lizzy got to play in Nursery for a few minutes today. She loved the balls and the baby dolls best. I think she's ready for it! She can't sit still in Relief Society any more.

Mon 1/17/11: I watched "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken" while crocheting a new hat. I loved that movie as a kid.

Tue 1/18/11: Our auto-mechanic fixed our van for a great price. I runs great now!

Wed 1/19/11: Lizzy is adding new words to her vocabulary every day. I can't keep track any more! She's getting to be a big girl.

Thu 1/20/11: We went over to see Aunt Marian's foster puppies tonight. Emma fell in love with Woody, the light chocolate lab. I fell in love with Mocha, the dark chocolate lab. They are so cute!

Fri 1/21/11: Emma enjoyed performing her science fair project on her cousins tonight. I helped her put it together. After the project, we took the girls over to play with Aunt Marian's puppies. Everyone had a fun time!

Sat 1/22/11: Spending time with Brad tonight was definitely the highlight of my day. I LOVE my husband. He is my favoritest person!

Sun 1/23/11: I stayed with Lizzy in Nursery today. She's the youngest child there, but she loves to talk the most. She also has soooo much energy! I love my baby.

Mon 1/24/11: Family Home Evening turned out perfect! Our lesson was on fortifying our family. Scott and Emma built a house out of blocks for the lesson.

Tue 1/25/11: Library night and puppies again! We had a blast!

Wed 1/26/11: Emma caught me by surprise by saying she loves Tuna Helper. Why do kids love the simplest, cheapest dinners?

Thu 1/27/11: Scott finished his sewing project tonight! He made an adorable kitty out of tan plaid fabric, using pink fabric for the nose, and beads for the eyes. So cute! Lizzy loves it.

Fri 1/28/11: A wonderful evening, just Brad, Lizzy, and me! We went over to visit Marian and the puppies. The puppies are getting so big and extremely rambunctious. I sat inside in the pen with them and they practically mauled me with their little sharp teeth and claws.

Sat 1/29/11: Brad and I took Lizzy to Thanksgiving Point today. Lizzy went on her first pony ride while we were there, which she LOVED! She called the ponies "hissy," her way of saying, "horsey." She had a great time!

Sun 1/30/11: Scott and Brad needed hair cuts bad! So I cut their hair tonight (much to the displeasure of Scott). The haircuts turned out alright! I may not be the perfect barber, but I am very pleased with my developing skills.

Mon 1/31/11: Brad got a promotion at work! YAY!

Hippopotamus

Lizzy totally made me crack up today while we were reading her animal book. We came across an elephant and hippopotamus. She pointed at the elephant and said, "Nose!" Then she pointed at the hippo and said, "uck," and began to make puking noises with her tongue sticking out. I guess she doesn't like hippos.