Azure Turns Two

I decided last year that we would do parties for our kids every other year. So this year is our year off (sigh of relief). So it was pretty quiet. We spent a good chunk of the day singing Happy Birthday to Azure. She did most of the signing. It's actually her favorite song ever since she sang it to Uncle D for his birthday. Then after nap we headed over to Kangaroo Zoo. Azy was only so so on the place. Cormac was in heaven. He even made a new little friend named Brooklyn. I've never seen him play so well with someone. They really had a blast. Then it was home sweet home for chocolate chip pancakes with yummy homemade strawberry syrup, cake, and presents.

Ammon brought her roses. It was the sweetest thing every.

She blew out her own candle and rather enjoyed her cake.

Then the presents.

Cormac wanted to see, but he was really good about letting Azure open her own presents.

Then it was time to bring out the big gift. The next two are of the look on her face when I was bringing it out.

Ta-da. She struggles to get up on the horse by herself, so she says, "ride neigh," and I help her up. She loves it though.

I don't know why she does this every time she wears this sweater. It drives me crazy, but she was trying to show me her cupcake from Grammie.

We started a tradition a couple years back of getting a babysitter and taking the birthday kid out on a special date with just Mom and Dad. We took Azy to dinner the night after her birthday and then to Build-A-Bear where she built a little horse that she then dropped by the front door the second we got home. I guess she didn't love it like I thought she would. We still had fun.

February Happenings

February has been pretty quiet around here. We've found our centers by doing a lot of yoga though, so that's nice.

For Valentine's Day we decided to take a break from candy and we did these instead for Cormac's class.

It's been a nice month so far.

Lea and Az Dance Off

Super Heroes, Cousins, and Birds...oh my

Life just seems to keep clipping along at a quick pace. This week we will celebrate our little Azure and her 2nd birthday. Amazing she has only been with us that long. I feel like we've always had her, and Cormac. But amazing that she is already 2.

Anyway, January was quiet this year compared with our sicknesses and plumbing issues last year. It was nice. Ammon and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary (speaking of time flying past). We enjoyed a romantic dinner at The Melting Pot up in Salt Lake. I highly recommend it.

The kids have been busy being creative. Which always involves a lot of mess making. And lately a lot of super hero action as well.

Ninja Turtle Cormac. Cowabunga.

Azure striking her "to the rescue pose."

"To the rescue!"

As is customary for super heroes we've got the underwear on the outside. And I think she may start a 1 sock only trend.

Not sure which pose this is, but it's very super hero.

I love that they play together and that they do crazy things.

The beginning of February landed us with some lovely house guests. My awesome sister and her adorable baby girl came to stay. I didn't take as many pictures as I should have, but I did capture the tea party the kids had right before Lea had to say goodbye.

Two days after the much bemoaned departure of the Caldwells we were honored to host the Enoch Dahls for a night. Again, I failed to get any photographic evidence, but I will say that Isaiah, Luke, and Savannah are all getting so big. The boys loved playing together. And Savannah was so sweet with Azure. Again, that was a traumatic departure for young Cormac.

Cormac is always building these days. On the day of the following pictures he spent the entire day pretending to be a bird. So he built a nest complete with eggs. Then once the eggs hatched he gathered food for his babies. It was all very sweet. Just yesterday he was telling me he wants to be a dad just like his dad when he is a people. Cormac calls adults people and kids kids. I've tried to explain that we're all people, but I've sort of given up for the time being.

Life is good with these crazy kids. I'm very blessed to have the opportunity to stay home with them. Being a mom is like being the only audience to the most random comedy show. Glad these little comedians are mine.

Let's Catch Up

So I have realized that I'm a failure when it comes to taking pictures. I have very few to represent the last 2.5 months. Anyway, we had a lovely, but crazy busy holiday season. I must admit that I'm glad it's over.

First we spent Thanksgiving with Ammon's family. It was a lot of fun. So much so that I didn't take any pictures. But we always enjoy time spent with all those wonderful people.

Then it was my 30th birthday. I had thought Ammon had nothing planned, but to make a long story short, I was very wrong. We dropped the kids off with my sister and her hubby in Vegas for 3 days while we went on to Palm Desert. It was so fun. Thanks Sera and Darrin. You guys are awesome. And of course thanks to Ammon. He's so good at keeping a secret. I had no clue.

The view from our room. We could see 4 of the 7 pools.

The Hyatt Regency. So fun. I highly recommend it.

We left Palm Desert a nice wonderful 70 something degrees to drive home in a horrible horrible blizzard. We had over a foot of snow when we got home (there was none and it was rather fall like out when we left). Then it got really really cold. We were home only a couple days when we were scheduled to take a train ride to the North Pole. Our neighbors put it on every year. It's a lot of fun.

Cormac had to ride a car in front of the rest of us. But he still enjoyed it.

It was really freezing cold.

Cormac had been talking for days about how he was going to ask Santa for a new "Planes" bike. But when he got up there he froze. I was afraid he'd forget, but at the last minute he remembered and got his request in.

Azure wanted nothing to do with Santa.

Azure has taken to wearing Cormac's boots every opportunity she gets. Cormac actually takes every opportunity he can to get upside down. Funny kids.

Then my family came and we celebrated Christmas early. Then later the wedding of my cousin. It was nice to have a bunch of us together. We missed Darrin and Nick.

The snow was horrible for snow man building, but these two gave it their best shot. Our poor snowman face planted the next day because of all the heavy snowfall.

Ammon's specialty is snow forts. So naturally they made one of those as well.

Christmas Eve was upon us all too soon. The kids wrote a letter to Santa with Daddy's help, in their new Christmas jammies of course.

Azure got some fun new dishes for Christmas. She had her first tea party.

We've made huge progress on our closet. It's finally usable. The kids love climbing in there. All that's left is the paint.

I love her face in this one. Cormac stood right at the wrong time, but I had to include it anyway.

These 2 kids are really good friends. They always sit close when they watch movies and they love to play and dress up together.

Azure likes to wear her crown backward which cracks me up. It's how the cool princesses do it now.

And lastly, here is the hat I made for Az. And her gorgeous big brown eyes.

And you're caught up. I'm just glad we are finally slowing down and getting back into a routine. Christmas with kids is wonderful, but being the mom is a lot of work.

To have a brother

My wonderful Sister-in-law, Jennifer, took a few family pictures for us after Thanksgiving. I wanted some fall ones. She was kind enough to agree. The following series of pictures delights me more than I can express.

"Give kisses:"

Cormac gets it. Azure kisses the air. Close enough.

Here the adults swoon. So sweet.

Rather pleased with themselves. They know how to work us over. But wait...I think an idea is forming.

"CORMAC! Don't Lick Your Sister!"

I love Cormac's expression, but even more, I love Azure's.

A triumphant brother and a grossed out sister.

And that, my friends, sums up very nicely what it's like to have a brother.

Dance Party