Maleah's New Discovery

Last week Maleah started going in her closet while she was playing. I think initially she liked the hiding factor, but also she seems to like the hanging clothes brushing her head as she walks under them. Next she started saying, "Mom, come in here with me." I showed her how the doors worked and she explored standing in the partially closed space of the door. She is very cautious about her fingers and making sure she can still get out. Now, the closet is her playhouse. She can close 1 door or both or open them wide. She pretends with her toys in there, she asks me (on the outside) if there are any toys I would like and then hands them through the crack between the doors. She invites me in and we sit in the dark or peek through the cracks.
It just thrills me to see her pretend playing. I don't why I get a kick out of it, but I love it! I love to see her face when she discovers something that she thinks is absolutely, fantastic. And the closet is one of those somethings :)

I made you laugh!

So today on the way upstairs for a nap, I was kissing Maleah - she is so ticklish when you kiss her ears/neck/head, it is fun to get her giggling. Well, today, she was wiping off any kisses I gave her, because she knows I will give her 5 more kisses to make up for it :) I set her on the rocking chair in her room and kissed her one last time. She put on this serious face, looking at me through her eye brows and said, "You need to stop kissing, we need to read books now." I started laughing and so did she. Then she said, "I make you laugh". I love it when she makes me laugh!

Some pics for Brooke

No fun stories coming to mind, I am sure there are some, just not coming to mind. Here a few pictures to appease Brooke for a while ;)

Rex was testing our new camera and Maleah was being shy.

Here, she is saying "cheese" to appease Rex :)

Calling All Angels!

What a way to come back to blogging, I know. But of all the worthwhile things to talk/blog/pray/discuss, this is a good/bad one.
That is why I am asking all of my devoted followers (okay, so after 6 months of no new stories, I am sure everyone has given up, but if there is just one soul left, that might be just what I need) One of my heroes, an amazing lady from our "home ward" (4 years moved, I probably only know 1/8 of the current ward, but it is still home) has a biopsy scheduled this month for possible breast cancer. This woman is phenomenal. She is the most eloquent, well written, thoughtful, willing to do anything for anyone, person I know. She and her husband have been married for almost 20 years. They have not been able to have children (though they had endured numerous miscarriages), but continue to be optimistic. They run an "old-fashioned" printing press from their garage (absolutely gorgeous, by the way). (We have a print they did for our ward for Christmas one year. There is a picture of the nativity with the scriptures from Luke.) Anyway, I wish I could in some way endear her to you as she is to me.

So, if you have stuck this out with me so far, could I ask you to Fast for her this Sunday. Her requests would be for 1) Miracle :) 2) Benign or 3) Malignant, but contained and operable with complete recovery.

It is crazy how some Fast Sundays come and go without much thought or direction, and others that seem so important. Thanks for hearing me out, I promise to get back on the blogging wagon, no promises as to how often, but definitely without breaks as long as the last :)

Big Day!

So this morning started as most mornings start. Maleah happily talking to herself in her bed until I drag myself out of bed to get her. She was very happy this morning - hugging her sheep (from Aunt Meggie) and telling the sheep some terribly interesting story. Anyway, we went downstairs for breakfast and she ate a bowl of cream of wheat and an entire banana and some milky from her sippy. Time for a diaper change and getting dressed for the day. When I asked her to lay down, so I could change her diaper, she said a very sweet, "Nooo". Then in her sweet, shy, turn the head to her shoulder, face, she said, "potty, no diaper, potty Maeea (Maleah)". I said, "Okay, let's take your diaper off and you can run to the potty." (Note: She has asked to go potty plenty of times before - mostly to get a few extra minutes awake before nap or bedtime - but never actually produced anything in the potty.) So she ran, "naked baby" (thank you daddy for the term she loves) style to the potty. After a few standing ups and walkings around, adjusting the potty seat, showing daddy the potty, etc. She settled in. I thought I heard a little something, but didn't want to get my hopes up. She said, "Uh-oh!" then put her hand down there. Sure enough, she had gone pee pee in her potty!!!!!!! :0) She was excited that Rex and I were excited. What a big day!!! She is only 21 months old. I hope she keeps it up and wants to do it herself. She is such an angel!

ScrappingSimply.com

Hi everyone, this is just a shameless plug for Rex's scrapbook printing business. He has this amazing lady - Chari Pack - who is helping him make their site look awesome. Rex is great at the technical stuff, but not so worried about the frilling details. That is where the amazing Chari comes in, she is great at layouts and making things look trendy and scrappy. Anyway, the site is still in the process of getting updated, but I think it looks great thus far. Check it out if you get a chance! They print 12 X 12 prints for $1.99 everyday. And, you can have them shipped right to your house or you can pick them up at any Allen's Camera. If you don't digitally scrap yet (I must confess, I don't yet), they can also scan (or you can scan) your already done paper pages and then print them on photo paper (real photo paper - not ink jet printing) great for grannies and other family members and sibling's books. Check it out: Scrapbook Printing

Long Shot

Hello everybodee! (okay, a little too much 'monster at the end of this book') Well, last Saturday, Rex, me, Brett and Nikki went to the disappointing Real Salt Lake soccer game. The game was fun and intense, in a beautiful stadium, but we lost. Then, to top it all off, the big wigs presented the Western Conference Championship trophy to the New York Red Bulls on our field! Needless to say, there weren't too many fans who stuck around to see it.

Well, we took a couple of pictures of the group both in the stadium and then out of the stadium. I then put my camera in the pocket of my hoodie (along with some gloves, my camera case, my wallet, etc.) We then made the 10 mile, uphill both ways hike to our car - okay, so it was only about 5 blocks, and it was down hill, but it did take a bit of time. Anyway, then we drove to get dinner, which is when I realized my camera was gone. Well, Rex was in no mood to go back and Brett and Nikki needed to get back to their babysitter and kids, so we came home. I have been thinking and praying (not a significant loss, I know, but hey it was worth a shot), calling the lost and found at the stadium and posting KSL lost and found ads all week! At first I thought I might have lost it in the stadium parking lot as we were trying to walk with a mob of people. Then I had a thought that I had felt it in my pocket, just to make sure it was there, after we got past the mob. My next thought was, it had to have fallen out when I got into the car. I have tried to get to Salt Lake all week just to check, but naps and tutoring and such got in the way. Well, Megan came down today to watch the BYU vs. U of U football game, so I asked her to take a long shot for me. I told her exactly where the car was parked and drumroll please . . . she found it! And the best part - it still works, no worse for the wear! I am thrilled to say the least and Rex is dumbfounded (now he must think of a Christmas gift - a camera would have been easy).