Family Pictures

so cody had mentioned at one point that he thought we should get a good camera to take pictures.  i wasn't really thrilled about the idea.  it's one more thing to carry around, and i already have a three year old and a baby to worry about.  so i thought we were done with the camera talk.  while i was gone cody got a camera and all the fixins to go with it.  i was a little surprised, and if i'm being honest upset.  but i got over it real quick.  especially after i saw the awesome pictures that he took of our girls and of us!

i wanted a picture of the girls in their christmas dresses.  izzy's dress is the one that mae wore her second christmas, and i loved it so much i wanted izzy to wear it.  so, i went on a hunt to find a dress for mae that matched.  and my mom and i found the cutest dress for her!

this little girl.  my three toothed monster.  she's a smiley baby for the most part.  but she can get fussy real quick if she see's mama and mama doesn't hold her!  she's crawling and getting into everything.  she's starting to wave and clap.  she stands pretty well, but it's hard for her with those chicken legs and itty bitty feet!

i feel like she's been a baby for so much longer than mae was.  but maybe that's because mae was walking by 9 1/2 months.  she didn't want to be carried everywhere like izzy.

cody took thanksgiving week off, so we decided to attempt some family pictures while he was home.  we headed downtown to some of our favorite murals.  

the tripod worked out really well!  and we met some nice homeless people along the way, who all commented on mae's hair.

 next stop was south congress (one of our favorite spots) and cody snapped some great pictures of mae along our walk.

 this kid.  she's a happy girl...when she isn't sassy.  i feel like once she turned three she became this sass master.  and everything is so dramatic.  i didn't know people could produce tears as quickly as she does.  but, when she's happy she is my tender hearted little helper.  love her to pieces.

more fun in the va

since we had to get tickets so quickly, it was cheaper for us to stay longer.  and because i was traveling solo with my sidekicks, i wanted to make it worth my while.  so we had two whole weeks home which was wonderful.

we were able to spend some time with grandma and grandpa baldwin and grandma neely.  it's always so special when kids get to be with their grandparents.  mae used to be so shy around grandpa especially, and now she adores him.

the best part about going to grandma and grandpa's house is the bounce house in the living room!!

we also were able to spend time with more cousins.  jordan and mae are just about 2 months apart, and they were very sweet together. 

we went to my old office to see some special people while we were there.  my dad used to work there as well, so we dragged him along with us!  it's hard to believe that just a little over three years ago, my world revolved around my job there.  and now my world revolves around those sweet little people in that picture.  so crazy where three years has brought me!

gram and gramps have some hilarious hats that they have collected over the years (thanks to bom and pops annual christmas gift to the guys).  so we had fun trying all of them on.  my favorite on izzy.  i should have dressed her up as an acorn for halloween!

the viking lady hat was mae's favorite.  i'm pretty sure it was because of the braids...

we went to the mall one rainy day to take a ride on the 'carasot', as mae would call it.  she was in hog heaven on it.  she's always loved them.  

 aaannnddd she's down for the count.  she can go and go and go.  and then drop like a fly the minute the car starts.

mae's favorite tradition whenever we see gram is making sugar cookies.  my mom's sugar cookies are da boommbbb.  glad my daughter loves them just as much as i do.  she is fabulous at decorating them, and even more fabulous at sampling the cookie dough.

shopping and lunching with gram is hard work!  this was a regular occurrence while we were home.

 

we seriously crammed a lot into two weeks.  we also met up with some friends at frying pan park.  i didnt even know this place was still around, i used to go there when i was a kid!  it was a lot of fun. 

probably the one good picture that we got of mae and gram.  i think by the end mae was sick of having pictures taken. but, we got a good one!  so grateful for my wonderful parents and all that they do for my sweet girls and for me.  i am truly blessed.

halloween

this year mae was really excited about halloween. people in our neighborhood go all out, so every day we would go on a walk and look at the halloween decorations. (my personal favorite were the scary crows)
she got to pick out her costume, and izzy's.  she found a minnie mouse costume that she really loved, and she decided that she wanted izzy to be daisy duck. 

holidays are so much more fun with kids.  when i found out we were going to be in virginia for halloween i was excited.  my parents have some great neighborhoods near them for trick or treating. 

my little girlies in their matching halloween shirts.  

 i absolutely love this picture.  i love the way they are looking at each other.  izzy adores mae and lights up when she sees her, and mae is such a sweet big sister.

 

with how fast everything happened with the funeral and coming home, we didn't even have a chance to go to a pumpkin patch this year.  i was pretty bummed.  but, lucky for us my mom is one festive lady and already had some pumpkins.  so we were able to carve one this year!

 aaaannd the knife broke...

 

mae loved ever minute of it.

 

it was so much fun when we put the candle inside and lit it, she was thrilled.  i love moments like these.  to see the world through the eyes of a three year old, and enjoy the simple things.

mae was so excited to put on her dress, and for me to put some makeup on.  

 i forgot to get feathers for izzy's headband, but i think these two turned out to be pretty darn cute daisy and minnie.

 we had a great time trick or treating.  izzy sat in the stroller and people watched the whole time.  and mae did not want to stop.  we went three blocks of town houses.  after each house "i get more candy mom".  she was very polite, saying trick or treat and thank you.  there were a couple of houses that she did not even want to go near.  a family in my parents ward goes all out each year.  they did a haunted house in their garage, and screens with crazy images outside, and they were dressed like clowns.  the dad came out and mae went running.  then the wife came (she wasn't dressed as scary) and mae took candy from her. we scored some great candy...that's the real reason parents do this right?

trip to va

the girls and i were lucky to be able to have a trip to virginia this fall.  it was so great to see friends and family.  i definitely needed it.  and i think my mom needed us there as well.

to say i was anxious about flying by myself with two kids is an understatement.  i was terrified.  because we bought the tickets on such short notice, i had to make a stop on the way there.  it wasn't too bad.  the girls did pretty good.  the worst part was in the chicago airport.  mae needed to go to the bathroom, but the toilet seats there have a plastic covering that moves and replenishes.  and she was so scared of it.  she would not sit on it.  she was hitting and kicking the walls, and me.  throwing herself on the floor, screaming.  oh my gosh it was a nightmare! i even tried to hold her over the toilet...no dice. finally i walked out of the bathroom, and went to a different one, where i proceeded to pull the toilet seat up, so she sat on the nasty pee covered underside.  whatever...at least she went.

she looks like a seasoned traveler...

she was psyched to get some apple juice and watch a show on the plane.

 and izzy pretty much spent the entire time strapped to my chest.  she slept a little.  but she did well.

one of the best parts of the trip was seeing my cousins. i don't get to see them very often, and i love when i do.  they are all so wonderful.  and sweet little penny came too!  she and izzy are about 2 months apart.  so stinkin cute.

 they had fun together.  izzy loves babies and other little people like herself.  she squawks like a bird when she sees them.

 bom was staying with my parents when we got there, so we got some extra quality time with her.  it was so great for my girls.  and i think it was really great for bom as well.  as i'm posting this mae said "hey, it's bom.  she did my books with me."  so glad she can have a relationship with her great grandma.

 erich also came into town, and mae was loving him this trip.  he was great at playing with her.  he's going to be a great dad!! i'm glad we have these trips so my kids can have relationships with my brothers and their wives.  i have such good relationships with my aunts and uncles, i want that for my girls too!

 all tuckered out.  this girl was a champ as we went all over tar nation.  despite massive meltdowns in airports, she's a pretty good kid.

Pop's Funeral

i'm so glad that the girls and i were able to go back to virignia to attend pop's funeral.  it was a very small service, with only family.  he served in the air force, so he was buried in Quantico National Cemetery.  it was a lovely, peaceful service.

it was such an honor to be present for this ceremony.  beautiful things were said about a truly amazing man. 

 it was humbling to witness the flag being placed on pop's casket.  and was a reminder to me of the millions of men and women who have served and are serving to protect the freedoms that my family and i have.

the most moving part of the ceremony was when the flag was presented to my grandmother.  it was such a beautiful, honorable experience for me.

 we couldn't have asked for a more beautiful fall day.  pop's grave site is in a quiet spot, very close to the trees.  the colors while we were there were amazing, it was the kind of day that pop loved.

one of the songs pop requested be played was 'rock of ages'.  reid was able to record himself singing and email the recording to my mom, so we were able to listen to it as we placed roses on his grave.  tears blur my eyes as i write this.  i will never forget the spirit and peace that i felt in those moments.  the veil felt so thin to me as i held my baby girl, and listened to the beautiful music. 

 

i've seen death pull families apart, but i felt like the opposite was true in this case.  seeing the relationship between my mom and her siblings grow, the love and respect they have for their mother, and the time and effort taken by grandchildren and great grandchildren to attend is a testament to me that families are forever. 

we love you pop.