Turkey Trot

hanksgiving morning we woke up bright and early to meet up with my parents for a 5k turkey trot in American Fork. I was super nervous having never participated in any type of running event before. We bundled up both kiddos and put them in the stroller so that Jarom could act as cheerleader/photographer. Me and my parents were the only runners but my three sisters came as well to cheer us on.

Runners & Cheer Squad:

It was freezing cold and my lungs were burning by the end but I felt awesome afterward. My dad finished in around 28 minutes and my mom and I finished at about 40. It was a fun way to start out our Thanksgiving. Hopefully there will be many more in our future.

My dad at halfway and my mom and I at the beginning:
My mom and I halfway:
The dude in front of us wearing jeans? Yeah, he walked the whole way and my mom and I were behind him almost the whole time. Dang short legs!

After most of the runners had finished they held a kids race. When they started Cannon was standing on the side eating a granola bar. We yelled at him to start running and he ran the wrong way. Then Jarom g0t him turned the right way and he ended up winning. It was absolutely hysterical and he got a little medal and turkey cookie. He pretty much schooled us all in running a race. I guess he'll do anything for a cookie...

Sharing

e are trying to teach Cannon the concept of sharing. He doesn't quite get it yet, but, I thought I'd give it a shot. Here are 3 of my favorite blogs. I'm sharing them because I enjoy them and I think others might also. So click these links and thank me later...

1. Sheye Rosemeyer Her story is painfully sad. Her photos are strikingly beautiful. She has a unique flair with words and always seems to find a beautiful way to express how she is feeling. One thing I love about her is that she started out in photography much the way I did and she gives me hope. She's from 'down under' and I love some of the expressions she uses. I have no idea how I happened upon her blog, but I'm glad I did. She is amazing.

2. Emily's Something
Unlike the other two, I know Emily personally. Kind of. Jarom met her during his Freshman year at BYU and they were friends. I'd like to think we would have been friends had I known her then. She's hilarious. She's lucky. She keeps it real. She has great taste. I always look forward to a new post from her. Oh, and her boys are adorable. Click here and here to read two of my favorites.

3. Marta Writes
This blog is a newer find. I've been reading Marta's posts for a month or two. I love her writing. She's got some great ideas and a fabulous eye for design. I LOVE that her photos are from a point-and-shoot. She does give-aways (who doesn't love those?). I'd love to jot my ideas in one of her fabulous mini diaries. She inspires me to bust out my craft supplies and do it the handmade way.

There you have it. Are there any that you LOVE that you feel like sharing? I'm always game for a blog well done.

A Tag {Fives}

Katy tagged me. I realize this blog has been awfully Cannon and Hazel-centered lately. So, here's a bit about me... well and still a bit about them...


5 Things I Don’t Leave The House Without

1. Phone
2. Purse
3. Wallet
4. Camera
5. Hazel's Binkie

5 Cartoons I Watched When I Was Younger

1. Rainbow Brite
2. My Little Pony
3. Jem
4. Strawberry Shortcake
5. Smurfs

5 Things That Terrify Me

1. Spiders
2. Public Speaking
3. Driving
4. Death or injury of family members
5. Germs

5 Things I Hate/Dislike That Everyone Else Seems To Like

1. Malted Milk Balls
2. Mushrooms
3. Black Friday
4. Gladiator Sandals
5. Halloween (I have to defend this by saying that I LOVE dressing up and trick-or-treating, but hate the gory/scary/gross decorations, movies, and haunted houses that come along with it.)

5 Things I Want To Do Before I Die

1. Go visit Jarom's mission (Montreal, Canada)
2. Take more pictures
3. Sing in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir
4. Train for and run some sort of race
5. Watch my kids grow up and be happy

5 Friends/Family I Tag

1. Emily (now you'll have something to post if you run out of ideas)
2. Jenny
3. Emity
4. Rashel
5. Kelly

One More

Hazel ~ 5 Months

here's that dang hat again. I need another one perhaps a white one that is as small as this tan one but I'm pretty sure that doesn't exist. So, she'll just keep her head warm with this one until then. The outfit is from my friend, Jamie. She sells them on her website With a Touch of Glitter. I'm in love with the tutu and darling onesie she custom made for Hazie-girl.

{For the record, Hazel does not sit on her own yet. This was a lucky shot I got right before she face-planted on the bed and consequently had a meltdown.}

I know I usually just gush and gush about her each month but it's the only way I can completely describe how much I love this baby girl. I might have my mommy-goggles on, but she's darling, precious, adorable, funny, smart, and cute. She's definitely my girl - attached to me at all times unless she's sleeping. But, just yesterday Jarom got to snuggle her during a nap and he just beamed that she finally let him hold her. I secretly like having a territorial infant but that may come back to bite me later. I love that Cannon realizes that he can make her laugh. She watches him all day and sometimes she catches his eye and she grins her crinkly grin. It makes me laugh every time.

5 Months brings these fun milestones:

• Rolling over both ways
• Grabbing toys and putting them in her mouth
• Sitting in her walker and exer-saucer
• Playing with her elusive toes
• Had her first road-trip to California and slept the whole time - no joke
• Taking 2 naps a day and mostly sleeps through the night
• Laughing at silly things
• Tolerating her crazy brother
• Giving huge slobbery kisses
• Surprising us with her ear-piercing banshee screams. She's definitely a soprano.
  

We pretty much kind of love our Hazie.

Halloween Rundown

annon is finally old enough to really enjoy trick-or-treating. We took both kids in the wagon and he would run up to each house and yell "trick-or-treat" with extreme enthusiasm. Then he darted back into the wagon with a huge grin as we headed to the next house for a repeat. We headed home after about an hour and a half but he showed no signs of slowing - just freezing. Hazel did what she does best. Slept the whole time. We also got to hang out with Jarom's little sister or "Auntie Welly" who did not have the best day. She's a trooper and is a fabulous, doting Auntie.
We had a scrumptious dinner of monster brains and witch eyeballs before we left. When we got back we were greeted with cinamon rolls and hot cocoa to warm our fingers and toes.
Cannon loved his football costume - except for the helmet. He even had shoulder pads and knee guards and all that stuff. Thanks to Grandma Sheri and Grandpa who gave us this costume last year. Jarom was proud of his little Raider. Hazel was a BYU cheerleader. We had to represent both of Jarom's teams. I don't know of a BYU cheerleader with chunkier legs, but she was adorable. I didn't get any pictures of her besides the ones with all of us (sorry mom!). I'll try again later. She was not impressed by any of our Halloween antics.

The whole crew
I hope you had a happy and safe Halloween!

Writer's Block

ometimes I think writer's block doesn't necessarily mean not having anything to write about. Maybe sometimes it means that we just don't know how to go about sharing it. That's the kind I have today. I have something to say that I just don't know how to fit between my ramblings about apple cake and football games. I even feel conflicted about sharing this. It's so personal. But, if I don't share it I'll be lying about an important event. An important person in my life. So, I will be brief. I'll share a glimpse.

Baby Anu was our niece. We met her for a moment before she was gone. She is beautiful. Her parents are strong. Her family misses her. She'll always be remembered. Families are forever.

My Mother-in-law shared this poem and I love it.

Parable of Immortality

I am standing upon the seashore.
A ship at my side spreads her white sails to the morning breeze
and starts for the blue ocean.
She is an object of beauty and strength,
and I stand and watch until at last she hangs
like a speck of white cloud
just where the sea and sky come down to mingle with each other.
Then someone at my side says,
" There she goes! "
Gone where?
Gone from my sight . . . that is all.
She is just as large in mast and hull and spar
as she was when she left my side
and just as able to bear her load of living freight
to the place of destination.
Her diminished size is in me, not in her.
And just at the moment
when someone at my side says,
" There she goes! "
there are other eyes watching her coming . . .
and other voices ready to take up the glad shout . . .
" Here she comes! "

-Henry Van Dyke

The Perfect Fall Meal

all is the best season for cooking. The bountiful harvest always lends itself to comforting soups, pies, and ciders. I wanted to take beautiful pictures of the meal we had on Sunday after Conference. I forgot. I stink. But, I'll make an exception to my 'every post has a photo' rule for this one. It was good. I want you to try it.

I made this white chili. It's slightly spicy (just right if you ask me), creamy, and cheesy. The perfect compliment to the chili were these breadsticks. I let them rise and then form them into breadsticks. Let them rise again and then top with the butter, Parmesan and a sprinkle of salad supreme seasoning.

Then for dessert we had apple cake. I happen to have 2 bushels of apples from a generous teacher at Jarom's school. I posted a plea on facebook to help me use them up. This was one of the suggestions. I'm in love.

Apple Cake

Ingredients:
1 cup of sugar.
2 cups of diced apples
1 beaten egg.
1/2 cup of vegetable oil.
1 1/2 cups of flour.
1 teaspoon of baking soda.
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon.
1/2 teaspoon of salt.

Directions:
Mix in order. Pour into a greased 8*8 inch pan. Bake until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Bake at 350F for half an hour or so. *I baked it for 45 minutes.

It was heaven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream while it's still warm from the oven. Pure heaven. In my house, you can never go wrong with apples and cinnamon. I hope you try this meal sometime. It warmed us up and was the perfect combination of Fall.

A huge thanks to the friends who shared these recipes with me.

A Date Night

t's been a while. We needed one. I still can't leave Hazel so she came with. Dinner at the Purple Turtle + BYU game. We left Cannon with his Auntie Haley. He adores her. It was refreshing. And not nearly as cold as we thought it might be. She slept the WHOLE time. Cougars won. Jarom gave me a peck every time they scored. Awww, sweet. The guys behind us were obnoxious. The best part about BYU games? Frozen lemonade. The pink kind. So good. Worth the $4. Maybe we'll do again soon. Or not. It's always nice to be together. Even if Hazel tags along.

Hazel ~4 Months

azel is 4 months old today. I did these pictures of her yesterday. I have loved this hat and flower since she was born and they might be a little too big still but I just can't wait any longer to have her wear them. I was comparing her to Cannon's four month pictures and they are starting to look different. Cannon definitely looks like his daddy. Hazel looks a little more like me. There are a few things that I don't want to forget about her at this age. Feel free to skip over this part since it's mostly for me.

The other day, Jarom and I decided to go to the temple. I left her for the first time with my parents. We were gone about 2 hours when we arrived back at my parents to pick them both up. My sister, Haley, was holding Hazel and when she (Hazel, not Haley) saw me walk into the kitchen her little legs started kicking and she started hyperventilating. When I grabbed her she stopped and gave a quiet little squeal. I melted. Cannon has always been extremely independent. The few times we have left him with a sitter, he's been oblivious to the fact that we are gone. This little display from Hazel just made me feel happy that she seems to like me. It's nice to have one that appreciates me being around for a change. She's definitely my girl.

Here are some things she is doing:

• Grabs for objects (toys, shiny objects)
• Takes 2 naps during the day
• Coos at any interested companion
• Blows bubbles
• Loves baths
• Loves Cannon
• Laughs when she is tickled
• Wears size 3-6 month clothing
• Plays with Mommy's hair
• Sits propped against couch cushions
• Wants to be held constantly
• Likes to take walks
• Doesn't scream during tummy time

I just love this little girl. She is still struggling with eczema. It seems that dairy is not the culprit so we're still being extra careful with other allergens. Her face and head have been much more clear the past week. Other than that, she is thriving and has managed to wrap us all around her little finger. That's our Hazie girl.

It's Fall

Today is rainy and cloudy and gray. I love it. I absolutely love it. Yesterday we played in the sunshine for a bit. I knew it might be a while until we see the sun again so we played for a long time. My eyes were watery from allergies by the time we came in. I'm glad we did it. I have a feeling this might be a long Winter as far as Cannon is concerned. But for me it's bring on the blankets and cocoa, sweaters and rosy cheeks. I couldn't be more ready for this cozy, comfy, snuggly time of year.

Thursday

Most of my weekday mornings are spent busily getting ready for preschool. Tuesday is always errand and grocery day. But, oh, Thursday. Not only is is close to the weekend, but, it's my lazy day. I can sleep in (well, kind of). I don't usually have anything pressing that gives me reason to be anywhere but in my pajamas enjoying the morning with my two sweeties. Bliss.

I decided to document our Thursday morning this week. I'd like to hang on to this one in particular since it was free of tantrums and time-out.

First, there is a breakfast of toast and cheezits. What can I say? Cannon had half a banana and milk with his toast and cheezits. At least it wasn't cookies. That was yesterday.

Then we play with the leapfrog alphabet. I love this thing. We've had it for two days and already I'm an avid fan. Cannon has learned most of the alphabet and sounds. Awesome awesome product. He loves the songs it sings and pushing buttons, of course.
Then it was staring-out-the-window time. It's a beautiful morning. I love fall mornings.
Hazel excels at laying on the floor while being cute in her jammies. It's safe to assume that she was watching her brother during this photo. She does that a lot.
Now that this morning is well under way it's time to start laundry and edit 3 photo shoots from this last week. It's nice to enjoy my peaceful Thursday mornings when they come.

Just a note about Hazel. She had eczema so bad that her forehead was cracking and bleeding. I have cut dairy out of my diet and she cleared right up. It's amazing. There are a few dry spots here and there but nothing that can't be zapped with a little Aveeno cream. Any ideas for dairy-free dinners? Jarom loves cheese. I've done quite a few Asian inspired meals but I'm running out of ideas. Thanks!

Hazel ~ 3 Months

Hazel was 3 months old sometime last week. This illustrates the biggest difference between my first and second children. I was completely unaware that she had hit her 3 month milestone until the next day. I suppose I'm just busier this time around. In my defense, I started preschool that day and I was a bundle of nervous energy. I still love her. I just love her. I find myself sighing at various times throughout the day that I just absolutely love her to bits. She's happy and sweet. She is content to be my little dress up dolly. I could snuggle her all day. She makes me work hard for a grin, but, when she does it's the most beautiful sight. She allows me slow down, to relax and to feel gratitude. She makes me feel lucky to be a mom. Her mom. Here are some things she can do:

~smile
~sleep through the night
~grasp for toys
~roll from belly to back
~scoot while on her back
~hold her head at 90 degrees during tummy time
~blow bubbles
~coo
~lean forward while sitting against something
~stare at ceiling fans
~stare at bear-mobile
~giggle (once or twice)
~stare at tv screen

One Special Day

We blessed Hazel yesterday. It was short notice because we had planned on blessing her the first Sunday in September. That was changed when Jarom got a new calling on the High Council. He needed to be ordained a High Priest and really wanted his father to do it. Since his family came all the way from California, we figured we would just do both. It was a whirlwind of a day. I felt like I might just burst from all the joy I felt yesterday (and still feel this early morning). Joy. Pure joy.


All of these people came for Hazie girl.
She was beautiful. So beautiful. She wore the dress that I wore when I was blessed 26 years ago. My Grandma Stewart (on the right in the photo below) made it. With the coaching of my friend, Mandi, I made her flower headband and my flower to match it.
Love this:
And this:
Oh, and this:
I just can't express what a wonderful day it was. Jarom and I felt so blessed to have amazing friends and family there to support us. Thank you thank you to those who came and if I forgot anyone, I am sorry! Like I said, short notice whirlwind.

Jarom took these. I really like them:

Flow Rider

He's pretty good, no? I took these of Brady on the Flow Rider at the new Lindon City Aquatics Center. He's been life guarding there and has had ample practice time. I think his long boarding/snowboarding skills transferred to this new sport. It is a sport. There are competitions and everything. Look for Brady in the next X Games. or not. Or perhaps look for me. I've been promised some lessons from a pro. Or not. I tried to add a vintage-y effect which I'm not sure I love. It makes the water look dirty. But it works with these photos. Whatever, I had fun.

Tutu Fairies

My friend and former neighbor, Tiffanie, is making and selling tutus. She does a fabulous job and if you are in the market for a tutu, I highly recommend her. I'll post her website as soon as it's up and running. I got to take some photos of her products. So fun! Oh, man did I love this girly photo shoot! You might recognize Hazel as the infant in the pink and yellow. She's a highly requested tutu model getting an early start in the profession. Or not.

For some reason this last one reminds me of Cinderella. Oh, probably the cute running girl in blue with one shoe.