Another Obsession

For those of you that know and see Caroline on a regular basis, you may have noticed her matching bows with almost every outfit. Yes, it is because I am obsessed. I enjoy making bows for Caroline's outfits. I know that must sound out of control, and maybe I am. I just finished another pair to match a brown and green dress that Caroline will wear this summer. It may be the same style of bows on her head day after day, but at least they match... perfectly.

Obsession

When Caroline was born, my Mother gave me the first 3 books of the Twlight series. Everyone was reading them at the time. And sometimes I just hate doing what everyone else is doing. So I refused to read them for a while. Well a week before our trip last month, I decided to pick them up and read them so I could give a couple back to my Mom (I had heard they were a fast read). I just finished the fourth book on Friday. Thank goodness. Now I can move on with my life. I have never read a series where I was so engrossed mentally. I couldn't stop thinking about it. Even today I can't stop thinking about them. I decided if I wrote something on it then it would help slip my mind. I thought they were great books. Stephanie Myers did a great job. (Although, I did not like how, being an LDS author, she could have kept it a little more PG rated-especially if they were young adult books.) I can't watch the movies. At least not now. Maybe in a few years. It would ruin my entire mental picture of how things were in my head. I think that is so fascinating about reading books; the mental image in your mind of what is happening. No movie can ever do any justice. Although movies- you watch for 2-3 hours and think about it for sometime after-but nothing like this. Days after. Or days in between. As I said, I'm glad it is over. Now I can be a Mom and a wife again.

Nursery

We took Caroline to Nursery for the 5th time. We stayed with her the entire time again. I have decided that nursery is a lot harder than I imagined. I know Caroline is clingy. She is with me all day long; everyday. Of course she would have a hard time going into a class full of strangers that don't play with her for 2 hours. She loves it when I am in there and she has a place to sit (on my lap) and feel safe. It's too hard to stand outside the door, peer through the window and watch her bawl and scream MA. I can't do it.

My plan: Stay in nursery as long as she totally needs me. I'll try and fade out. But right now I'll let her get comfortable (that goes for me too). Whew.

The Bag Lady

So we've got a girly girl on our hands. Caroline loves bags. Anything she can put over her arm, she loves. Even plastic bracelets that Grandmama gave her-she is obsessed with. Here are just a few of the times that I have caught her on camera...

This one is a bit blurry-she was moving all around.

This day she would not let me take it off her arm. I had to fight to strap her in the car seat.

Grandma got Caroline a souvenir went she went to Salt Lake for a weekend. The purse is adorable and she loves it. I think she meant to pose for me in this shot. Guess what's inside her purse? Grandpa gave her a dollar! She keeps it inside.

Grandma Rudd and the Ball

As we pull into Aaron's Grandma's home, Caroline immediately says "G" and signs her version of Grandma. She loves to visit her and I think Grandma Rudd loves Caroline visiting her too. One day we again found the ball that was 'missing' and this is a video of the two of them playing with it. I can't tell who is having more fun.

Happy Easter!

Happy Day! We had a wonderful Easter Weekend.

I made these fun easter cupcakes.

I could never get a good shot of Caroline standing up. She loved finding eggs. This was at our neighborhood's egg hunt. And no, you will not see a picture of the Easter Bunny with Caroline. She was terrified of it. So scared that she stopped picking up the eggs entirely.
Of course.. on Sunday I got a 'before' picture of Caroline (of her not in her Easter dress) and... an 'after' (with it off), but I failed to get one while she was actually in it! :(

Recording her in the act of finding the Easter Candy. We decided to buy some that we would enjoy eating. But of course, she ONLY picked up the Candy.

Don't forget to Pause the Music!

Caroline and Avery, The Final Act of our Trip

After Vegas, we stayed in Mesquite at my Parent's home. They have a hideaway closet which Caroline and Avery loved! They were always playing in it. It was so cute to see them both have a play-mate. I think they just might be good friends one day. I just wish we lived closer.

Caro'lion' and Avery in the box of Peanuts

Sweet Avery (2 1/2)Eating Dinner together on the back patio.

Dad/Uncle Aaron scaring the girls. Caroline has now picked up Avery's scream and sounds just like her! We miss you Avery!

Loving Grandmama's wagon! We went on walks everyday. It was beautiful there.

Oh yeah.. and Uncle Mikey and Logan (6 months)

That's our trip!

The funniest part was on the way home-we had to stop to change Caroline's diaper. We were too late, it had leaked through all her clothes and car seat. Aaron put on the one sock that was dry and both her shoes. We stopped at a parking lot. Stripped her down to a naked Zulu bird and she ran around with one sock and two shoes thinking it was the most freedom she had ever had. It was too funny.

I think my favorite part of the whole trip was when Caroline was sleeping I had a chance to lay out by the pool, reading my favorite magazine (Fine Cooking), while a waitress brought me ice cold lime water (thanks Mom) in the beautiful 80 degree weather. Those 30 minutes was the best ever.. ahh.

The End

Part 3 of 4

I want to just finish out our trip that we took last month- more for me than anyone. So thanks for those who are still with me. We met my parents and Michael and his Family in Las Vegas. We ate at this fabulous Mexican restaurant in Mandalay Bay called Border Grille. I would go again today if I could. While we were in the hotel we spent sometime in the Aquarium. The kids loved it- and the adults did too. They have a "personal tour" that you can listen to with a push of a button.

Shark, fish, turtles, we saw it all- well almost.

Grandmama on the phone (like always) and Aaron and Caroline looking at a Lizard.


Grandmama singing "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" with Caroline and Avery.
Which is which?

The girls just so happened to be wearing the same colors that day. Don't they look like sisters?
(They were at the 'mouth' part of the song.)

Grandmama and her girls

We also came across a Grand Prix racing track! Caroline was watching from the sidelines.

Here I come! I am ahead. Yipee!

Down The Slide

I forgot to add this video from the Children's Museum. It is of Aaron and Caroline going down the slide; which is Clifford's tail.

A Taste of Vegas

After Zions, we spent a few days in Las Vegas. We stayed in the Signature Hotel, by MGM, and really enjoyed it. Aaron's favorite part was how he could watch ESPN in the bathroom, as he was getting ready. We saw the Lions at MGM, went to FAO Shwartz and HAD to buy a stuffed fish animal or we wouldn't have been able to leave the store (although she has nothing to do with it now), we went to the M&M factory and visited the circus (which Caroline loved). We just enjoyed be out and doing something out of the ordinary.

Here we are at the Rain Forest Cafe.

We visited the Bellagio at night-fun!

We also wanted to do something that we thought Caroline would want to do, so we went to the Children'a museum. Caroline had a great time. In this picture we were at the store buying groceries. She actually is eating an egg and didn't want to put it back.

Aaron and I loved the upstairs. Wow, look at his muscles!

Like Mother Like Daughter

I never thought it would be so much fun to dress alike, but it is. Here we are in our Giraffe print shirts and brown sweaters.