11 Months

Just 1 month shy of turning 1 years old, Lily is growing and changing each day.  It is delightful to see her learn new things and explore her world.  She is inquisitive, energetic, fun-loving, and sweet.  We can't imagine life without her.  Here are a few highlights of the month:

• Crawls - everywhere!  Lily crawls with a sit crawl.  She uses her right foot to pull herself forward.  This ability to move has given her freedom to explore and get into some trouble.
• Loves to play with her sister, especially chasing games & peek-a-boo
• Loves the water - swimming, bath time, and splash parks.  She isn't afraid to get her face in the water.
• Loves to eat fruit, especially berries, pasta, and cheese
• Waves and says, "Hello" or "Hiya"
• Loves to go for walks in the mornings and evenings
• Has been a great help with unpacking things - not so much packing

Packing with Helpers

 As the days of living in St. George come to an end, life seems to be quite busy with packing, cleaning, and more packing.  It is a problem solving game each day to know what we are able to pack more of and do without before moving.  Even Emily has joined in the game as I find her mimicking me staring at the closets and cupboards saying, "Um, what next?" Smart & silly girl!  The girls love to "help" me.  Emily is great to add lots of things to the boxes & Lily is great at unpacking.  It becomes a longer process with their help, but it is a fun game for them to play.  The other day Emily was smart to add her play dishes to the real dishes I was packing.  I was so impressed.  With each box we are packing away memories of fun of life here in St. George and holding onto hope for new adventures in Salt Lake.

Splash Park Fun

The girls love to play in the water!  As part of our "St. George bucket list" we wanted to visit the River Walk and Ivins Splash Park.  Splashing in the water was a great way to keep cool in the hot sunshine.  I loved watching Lily try to hold the water as it shot out.  She wasn't scared one bit of the water hitting her face!  It was fun to see her keep trying and laugh in the surprise water blasts.  

Yates' Family Pictures

During the Yates' Family Reunion here in St. George, we took some family pictures with everyone. The girls did pretty well considering the event.  Emily is camera shy, but at least we got some of her looking at the camera.  I love the beautiful red rock in the background - something we will miss living away from St. George.

Tuachan's "When You Wish"

Nana and Grandpa were sweet to treat Emily and I to Tuachan's play, "When You Wish."  It was a fantastic night full of fun and special memories.  The play is a compilation of Disney musical numbers, specifically those of Disney princesses.  Emily loves anything that has to do with Disney princesses, so this show was perfect to take her to.

We have never been to a movie theater or show of any kind, so the whole thing was a new experience.   Emily was fascinated by the princesses, animals, singing, and dancing.  With a late start of 9 pm, she fought to stay awake to see it all.  Finally at intermission around 10:15 pm, she couldn't fight the sleep bugs any more.  It was so much fun watching her eyes glow in delight, feet dance to the music, and surprise at the things she was seeing.  Emily has since often mentioned the night she saw the "Princess Castle" with Ariel & fish singing, Pocahontas' horses, and Dopey dancing.  What a special memory to have!

I was also treated by watching my parents see her experience it for the first time.  I loved every minute of it and the people I got to share it with.  Thanks mom and dad for making a wish upon a star come true.

Zion National Park

We enjoyed a fun drive, hike, and picnic in Zion National Park today.  As much as we would have liked to visit this beautiful place more while we were living here, we unfortunately didn't.  With small children, a pregnancy, and being 45 minutes away, it was hard to get there.  We were glad to be able to go before journeying to Salt Lake soon.  The weather was great - cloudy - making it not so hot.  We loved seeing the canyon, small Springdale town, and having a picnic.  The girls loved the walk, being outside, ice cream, and watching a movie in Grandpa's car.  A fun day for all!

Moving Boxes & Paper Fun

The other day Bishop Headlee dropped by some boxes and packing paper to help us on our move.  Emily loves throwing the paper all about, hiding in the boxes, and running to crash on the piles of paper.  It wasn't so much fun for mom to clean it up, but I was glad she had a fun activity for over an hour.

With Nelson's change in jobs, we are headed north at the end of June.  We are sad to leave our life and friends here, but excited for new opportunities and to be near family.