What a Difference a Year Makes...

Chris and I celebrated our 2nd anniversary yesterday! Yay for us:) Chris took a half day to hang out with me and Lila. It was a nice, relaxing day. Then Chris and I got dressed up and went out for dinner. It's so refreshing to spend time together, just the two of us. We can hold hands, talk without interruptions, and we don't feel like we're on someone else's schedule. Love it!

It's crazy to think we have only been married two years! It feels like so much more than that with all the life changes in the last two years. We have lived in three different states and are expecting our second baby! Our life is amazing and I wouldn't change a thing:) We have been and continue to be so blessed. I love my husband! He is perfect for me and I love sharing our life together.

Some pics from the night:

Happy Anniversary to Us:)

Reading is Interesting and Yummy

Lila loves her books! She is constantly coming up to me or Chris with a book. We pull her up on our lap and she sits so still as we read to her. She always looks so interested and stares at each picture carefully.

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Aren't they cute?

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After we finish reading she grabs the book out of our hands and puts it in her mouth to chew on.

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Captured the habit in the act:)

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We're working on breaking that habit but it hasn't stopped yet. Hopefully her love of books is more than eating them. I guess only time will tell.

33 Weeks

I am 33 weeks today! I had an ultrasound yesterday and Calvin is gonna be a big boy. He is measuring 2 weeks ahead. I definitely feel like I'm carrying a bigger baby this time but that's not hard considering how small Lila was. I realized after we left they didn't give us a single picture from the ultrasound. Bummer:(

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So, all I have is this belly shot of me.

We are getting more and more excited:) These next 7 weeks are gonna fly by!

See you soon Calvin:)

Love,

Mom, Dad, and Lila

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious

Mary Poppins, the Broadway musical, came to Omaha and I got tickets for Christmas. It was my favorite Disney movie growing up. I think there is a family story about the VCR breaking from me wanting to watch it so much. Well, at least wanting to watch it more than my brother, Scott, wanted to watch Peter Pan. Anyway, we went to the show last night. It couldn't have been a worse night to venture out but 'the show must go on'. That's what the theater agent said when I called to see if the show would be cancelled due to inclement weather.

The roads were so bad, it took a few tries to get up the hill to our friends house who watched Lila for us. The major roads didn't look like they had been plowed either. I have decided snow is pretty to look at and fun to occasionally play in but nothing more.

Here are a few pics from the evening:
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I love going to shows but this one wasn't the best. They added a few weird scenes and songs but I really enjoyed the familiar scenes from the movie.

It's just fun to have a date night, even if it's freezing cold outside!

There was more snow on the car when we came out, but the roads were much better. It still took us a few tries to get back up that hill to pick up Lila, but we made it. Man, I wish our car had 4 wheel drive. Actually, I wish we lived in a placed where we don't need 4 wheel drive.

This picture describes how I now feel about snow. No words needed.

And here's a picture of our adorable Lila. Just cause I wanted to:)

Christmas in Florida

I counted down the days until we left for Florida. I miss being around my family and loved that we got to spend my favorite time of year with them. Chris, Lila and I flew in on the 23rd. On Christmas Eve, my family has a tradition of caroling and we must wear santa hats or reindeer headbands. It's one of those traditions that I'm hesitant to do but I always end up loving it. This year was no exception! Christmas day was relaxing starting with reading the birth of Christ in Luke, trying to sing part of the Messiah, opening stockings and presents, then ending the day with a great meal. I LOVE CHRISTMAS!

Throughout the week we got to spend time with more of my family during Lila's 1st birthday celebration, Gaylord Palms ICE exhibit, Pope family ping pong tournament/bbq, and at the Manatee Viewing Center.

We celebrated Lila's 1st birthday at Medard Park with pizza, cake and presents. I think Lila had a lot of fun running around. She didn't dive into the cake like I thought she would have but maybe we didn't wait long enough. It was fun to have all of my family there to celebrate her special day.

The Gaylord Palm ICE exhibit was amazing. You walk through the convention center in 9 degree temperature and everything is sculpted in ice. They lend you a parka to wear during the tour. It's funny to me that we left that kind of weather in NE and paid to be in it in FL:) Chris even won a bet with my brother, Jeremy, about how long he could go without wearing the parka. This year's theme was 'Twas the Night Before Christmas'. It really was a sight to see. There was a slide that Chris and my niece and nephews went down. It ended with an awe inspiring Nativity scene. Amazing!

We also had a bbq with a double elimination ping pong tournament as well. My family loves playing games and they were played non-stop. Chris and I taught everyone a new game, Citadels, that quickly became a favorite. We also made a visit to the Manatee Viewing Center. The center is right next to a power plant which kind of takes away from the nature feel but the warm water from the plant is why the manatees tend to migrate there. I couldn't get a good picture of the manatees in the water but there were also sting rays and a pelican to look at. Oh, and for the non Floridians, they have a hurricane similator. Chris tried it out for a small fee.
We ended our trip with one last get together at my brother Barry's house for home-made pizza, blizzards, and playing Kinect Sports. Oh, and finding out that my other brother, Ben, eloped on New Year's Eve!!! Another story for another time.
So, all and all it was a very eventful trip. I'm so grateful we got to spend the time with my family. I only wish we could see everyone more often. I love the Christmas season and wish it didn't go so fast.

Below is a slide show of the pics taken during our visit.

Santa Baby

Lila met Santa for the first time at our ward Christmas party. She wasn't overly excited by the big man in red but she definitely loves the Eeyore doll he gave her:)

A Thanksgiving Miracle

We decided to drive to UT for Thanksgiving to spend it with Chris' fam. Anxious to see them, we seriously underestimated the weather report, forcasting snow, and headed out anyway. The trip started out fine but quickly became scary. We had just entered Wyoming when the snow started falling and you could barely see the road. I was driving and slid off the road a little. We were able to make it to a rest area/wilderness center to wait out the storm. It was around 3am and we spent the next 3 hrs snacking, resting, and taking pics to remember the experience.



Lila can have fun anywhere at any time:)



We finally made it to Chris's parents house after being in the car for 20 hrs! The rest of our trip was a blast:) We ate great food, chatted, shopped, and relaxed. The time went by too fast. 

After the ordeal getting there, Chris was hesitant to have Lila and I drive back with him. So, Lila and I flew back while Chris and his dad drove. It was a Thanksgiving Miracle we made it there and back safely:)