Kitchen Helper

Today was the Ogden Utah Temple dedication, so church was cancelled for members in Utah to attend the wonderful celebration.  As such, Emily and Lily would not have their usual Sunday church adventure.  When Daddy was all dressed up for the event, Emily insisted on putting her "church shoes" (sandals) on to go to church with him.  I tried to distract her with a new fun activity - making cookies.  Emily loved watching the beater spin and adding the ingredients to the bowl.  Most of all she liked taste-testing the cookie dough - YUMMY!  After making the cookies, Emily loved helping wash the dishes.  Wow!  What a great helper - I hope it sticks through the teenage years ;)!  Although this was a good hour or more distraction, Emily still insisted we go to church.  So we did - twice!  We played lots in the nursery.  Hopefully she will remember how much she loves church and nursery next week and will go by herself.  We'll see!

Lily's Blessing Note

Dear Lily, 

On Sunday, September 7, 2014 we blessed you in my Nana and Grandpa Handy's ward, Valley Park 6th Ward.  It was a beautiful day surrounded by family.  We had originally planned to bless you in are home ward in St. George, but wanted to accommodate for my Grandpa who was sick with a knee infection.

Daddy performed the ordinance with all your uncles and grandfathers standing in the circle. I know angels of dear loved ones were there too.  

Some of the blessings promised to you were:

• to carry a love of Heavenly Father in your heart
• a strong testimony that will grow
• to know you can come to Heavenly Father in prayer to receive guidance
• blessed with support from family, friends, and loved ones
• you will be a source for good to bless the lives of others
• Heavenly Father loves you and will protect you from harm and danger
• you will influence the lives of others
• Some day you will go to the temple and there grow close to Heavenly Father & gain a greater understanding of gospel and make covenants with him.

I cannot express how much I love you! I am so glad that you are my daughter. Your sweet personality brightens our home. Your sister, Emily adores you. I know you will be tremendous friends that will love to play, laugh, sing, and talk together. You will be the best of friends! As you journey through life I hope you will always remember how much I love you and your Heavenly Father loves you.

Always,

Mommy

Monkey Lovin'

Emily has a shadow - monkey.  She is Emily's best friend!  Emily loves to take care of monkey like mommy takes care of her and Lily.  She can be found changing monkey's diaper, getting her dressed, bathing, feeding, consoling, rocking, and playing with her.  Emily is going to be a great big sister and mom some day.

Lily - 1 Month

It is hard to believe a month has already past since the arrival of sweet Lily.  She has brought so much joy to our home.  We have loved learning more about her personality and spirit.  Lily is loved by all, especially her big sister, Emily.  The highlights of this month were:

• Arriving home to be with Daddy, Emily, and Mommy
• Spending time with Nana and Grandma Yates
• Going to church for the first time to meet so many ward friends.
• Loves to watch movements, especially those of her sister
• Eyes are shining more blue than anything and growing long eyelashes
• Sparkled a few smiles.

Dress up

The other day Emily insisted on wearing her coat.  As I was nursing Lily she left the room and was rummaging through her dresser.  Emily came back in the room looking like this:

I couldn't stop laughing at my silly dress up girl.  She is definitely a fashion model!

Later that week, Emily was watching Daddy get his tie on.  She then wanted to wear one too.  Repeatedly she tried to tie it herself by wrapping it around her neck.  It was cute to see Nelson help her put it on.

Day to Day

Lily, Emily, and I love spending time together everyday.  Our day to day routine looks similar.  It is filled with simple activities that can be done at home or nearby as Lily is still little and feeds often.  These are pictures that capture our day to day fun.

 Feeding and snuggling with Lily:

Jumping on the bed.  Emily loves to sing and watch herself in the mirror while standing on my bed.

Exploring outside.

Eating lunch together in the kitchen.  Emily loves to bring her rocking chair in the kitchen to sit next to Lily while eating lunch.  She uses a kitchen chair as a table.  Emily is quick to fold her arms to say a prayer as soon as her food is in front of her.  Today she was caught teaching Lily how to pray.

LOTS and LOTS of books and stories.  I read some, Emily reads some, and monkey reads some!

Bath time.  Dad gets one girl and I get the other.  Lily always wins the race to get dressed.  I am not sure if it will always be that way!

Coloring.  Emily loves to color her Curious George book.  She uses a crayon and pencil in the proper grip even.  WOW!  I love the way she lines up her crayons next to her.

Lots of giggles, snuggles, and fun with this smart, cute, adorable girl!

Park Adventure

One of our favorite adventure stops is the park up the street.  It is a great, close, free getaway for us all in the beautiful sunshine.  With the weather cooling down a little (into the 90's) and swimming not an option right now, the park is an almost daily occurrence.  To switch things up a little, Emily and I have explored a few new parks.  It is fun to see her explore new heights and places!