Running in Circles

Just wanted to wish a Happy Birthday to my mom! 

 You are so wonderful and so talented and so kind. 

Thank you for always being willing to listen to me and usually helping me to calm down and see the light at the end of the tunnel. Thank you for supporting me through years of soccer and piano (even if I really hated lessons), and coming to endless assemblies and elementary school performances. Thank you for showing me how to be compassionate, how to throw a party, how to balance so many responsibilities at once, and how to parallel park. Thank you for motivating me to finish my personal progress, to save my money instead of spend it, and for teaching me a meatball recipe that EVERYONE always wants seconds of. Thank you for teaching me to be a wife and how to run a household. Thank you for being a wonderful grandmother and friend to all- especially me! I could go on a lot longer but i just want you to feel loved and appreciated.

We love you so much and we hope you have a wonderful day! We wish we could spend it with you but we can't wait to see you in Costa Rica!

Hazel and I spent a few hours exploring the Museum of Ancient Life and enjoying a yummy lunch at Thanksgiving Point yesterday. It sure is nice to have a sister on maternity leave who wants to meet up all the time! 

Hazel seemed to really like walking around and touching things and seeing animals that she recognized.

Before we leave Utah and cozy little Provo we have a few "bucket-list" items to get crossed off. 

This weekend we watched the BYU Womens soccer team scrimmage against Utah and it was so nice to be out in the sun. Brice and I enjoyed watching the game and Hazel was thrilled to have so many stairs to climb up and down. That little girl has now mastered going up stairs on her own two feet without holding onto anything and going down like such a lady holding a railing. #itsthelittlethings

After the game I finally sucked it up  was forced and went to this little Chilean restaurant in Provo that Brice has been asking over and over for us to try. It wasn't scary- it was good and the couple that owned the restaurant were so sweet and watching them do their thing made me happy. I ordered my own food and shared it with Hazelbug and we all survived! 

 I don't ever mean to be a big stinker about food but i have likes and dislikes and on the weekends after I've cooked for Brice all week sometimes I just want to pick a place to eat at and not be all adventurous. Does that make me the worst? I really don't think so...

After dinner we had a few couples over for games and chatting and it was so fun! I have loved the friends we have made here and really hope we all keep up on each others lives. We are really going to miss so many people but we are so excited to start a life in Dallas!

1. This last week has been a busy one. 

We're so glad its Brice's last week of college classes! 

He's doing great in his classes and on all of his projects but he is so ready to be done and you know what-I I don't blame him at all.

2. We really enjoyed General Conference and I especially loved THIS talk by President Uchtdorf. 

Hazel napped entirely through the second session on Sunday so Brice and I accidentally did some napping too. We'll have to start re-watching that session for FHE .

3. I am starting to get a little nostalgic about moving (don't worry we're all excited too) and feeling a little left out here in Provo so emotionally this week has been kinda hard. I quickly started re-reading my FAVORITE memoir by Stephanie Nielsen. This is like the 4th time I've read her book but it really reminds me of the joys I feel and strive for each day.

“Happiness was my choice, and though it is hard-won, I am the only person who can stand in the way of it.” 
― Stephanie Nielson, Heaven Is Here: An Incredible Story of Hope, Triumph, and Everyday Joy

4. Last night, Brice bit the bullet and posted his motorcycle for sale and within an hour we had cash in our hands. We did not expect it to sell so quickly but now it's another thing I can cross of my list of to-dos. 

5. The sun has been shining the last few days and it is amazing what it does for my soul to feel the warmth on my skin. I am glad we're moving to Texas and not Seattle.

6. The last little while with Hazel has been wonderful. We enjoy one another's company and rely on each other so much throughout the day. She is so chatty and silly and loving. I love being a mom-her mom! There are times when I lose my patience or am tired of reading the same books to her- but I feel blessed to have her and blessed to have given birth to her.

Our baby girl is a toddler! 

Most of the time I still look at her as our little baby but other people apparently don't because the "when are you going to have another?" and the "are you pregnant yet?" questions are being asked constantly.

Hazel at 18 months:
Height: 31 inches (22%)
Weight: 21.43 lbs (32%)
Head Circumference: 17.75 inches (19%)

- Sleeps from 7:30 to 7:00 most days. She will practically put herself to bed some nights.

-Naps from 12:00 to 2:30-3:00 every day.

-Loves nursery at church!

- After we've said prayers at night she just runs to her crib.

-Loves bananas, Ham & Cheese sandwiches, cheese, apples, applesauce, oatmeal, beans, quesidillas, sour cream, yogurt, pasta, sausage, chicken, and treats.

-Working hard to get her to eat more veggies. Sometimes she'll eat purees still but has really not been interested in broccoli, green beans, or peas.

-Continues to surprise us with her vocabulary.

-Loves DOGS! The obsessions is getting out of hand. If we see a dog for 2 seconds she notices and gets so excited.

-Loves babies, especailly baby Savvy! She insists on holding her and giving her her binki.

- Spent her first weekend away from mom & dad. We know she loved being with her grandparents!

-Loves to feed the ducks at the duck pond.

-Loves saying animal noises and names.

-Loves cuddling with stuffed animals and playing with her letters that I made.

-Favorite book currently is "Brown-Bear, Brown-Bear" of course, because of all the animals :)

- Still wont drink any kind of milk or juice but we're actually kind of happy about that. Girl loves her water and that is the best thing right!?

- Loves to climb, jump, jump on the bed, dance, jump on pillows, go up and down stairs ALL BY HERSELF, and tickle people and things. We often catch her tickling her car seat when we're in the car.

- Has a bad habit of whining instead of talking when shes hungry.

-She can get so caught up in her crying that she can't stop even when she's gotten what she wants/needs.

-Still signs: please, thank you, more, all done, drink.

-Wakes up starving and yelling "ma-ma" until we get her a banana. 

- Loves playing outside with her little friends but doesn't quite understand the dangers of the street/driveway.

- 

Monday: 21 miles in 2:20 all on a treadmill

Tuesday: 6 miles + insanity

Wednesday: easy 7 miles

Thursday: 15 miles

Friday: 8 miles

Saturday: 3.5 miles in 24 minutes

Sunday: rest day

Miles this Week: 61.5

Miles this year: 713.5