Let it snow!

Sunday morning we woke up to a little bit of snow.  We went right outside so that Elna could experience her first snow fall.  She had just woken up, so she looks pretty tired still, but she was definitely interested in what was going on.

End of December picture dump.

Columbia Ward’s Christmas Party with the Harris family.

Playing on the counter while I made bread or pizza dough (thus the floury face).

The next four pictures are of Elna drinking her prune juice.  There were a few days she was pretty backed up.  This worked like a charm and she loved it, obviously.

Sunsweet should sponsor this girl!

Elna with Chelsea Roberts at Mission Impossible III the day after Christmas.

At a basketball game (Portland Trailblazers vs. Sacramento Kings) with Daren, Heather, and Jared.  We mostly rooted for the Trailblazers, but we also got quite excited when Jimmer scored.  People around us might have been confused, but the people right next to us were also Trailblazer/Jimmer fans.  It was a very fun game—Portland won!

Brian, Elna, Jared, Chris, Daren, Heather, & Grandma Harris playing Mexican Train.  Grandma Harris is a girl after my own heart.  If she lived closer I think we might waste our days away playing Rook and Backgammon together.  I love a gamer!

This picture reminds me of the next picture (which was taken when she was only a few days old)

Such a sweet little blessing this Elna Fae is!

2012 goals.

Last year I made one New Year’s resolution: to floss my teeth every day.  I did it every. single. day.  Amazing, right?  Well, this year I was inspired by my ability to keep one resolution last year, so I made 12 this year.  Yeah, I realize that’s 11 more than last year…over-ambitious?  Maybe.  But, I’m hopeful.  And so is Brian.  We both made 12 goals for 2012.  We are writing them down and publishing them so we feel some accountability to them. 

Lucy’s goals:

1. Drink 8 glasses water/day

2. Take my vitamins.

3. Do something active 5 days/week.

4. Green drink every day.

5. Do a little dance every day.

6. Scriptures/ensign daily.

7. FHE every Monday.

8. No spider solitaire for a whole year.

9. Do a craft project every month. (actually DO something from pinterest!)

10. Get outside every day.

11. Write grandparents each month.

12. Make a friend.  This will be the hardest for me.  But I really need friends!  So, I’m going to go to play groups, RS enrichment, and anything else I can think of.  My mom will be happy if I keep this goal—we do a LOT of skype right now because it’s kind of like having friends over if you’re talking to someone online, right?  :) 

I was going to make a chocolate goal, but with drinking 64 oz of water every day who has time for chocolate?

Brian’s goals:

1. Operation Apache Freedom—this sounds complicated, I know.  I don’t really know what it is, but Brian does, and that’s all that matters.  He explained it to me.  The part I caught on to was the freedom part.  Specifically freedom from animal products.  For 6 months—then we will reevaluate.  This may be the sexiest thing he has ever done for me.

2.  More regular journal writing.

3. Win the Blue Lake Triathlon; Sprint Distance; Clydesdale Division.

4. Win the Hagg Lake Triathlon; Sprint Distance; Clydesdale Division.

5. Lose 50 lbs. or be less than 10% body fat.

6. Build Lucy her garden boxes.

7. Project X: Celebrate independence on Independence Day (this is cryptic for a reason.  If he meets this goal there will be another post to come with more details) 

8. Finish the front yard.

9. Fix the foundation on the house. (yikes, I know!)

10. Surprise Lucy with something very special.

11. Go golfing more than once this year. (last year he only went golfing once, but I count it as more than once since it was the day after we got home from the hospital with Elna)

12. Begin the process of becoming King of Troutdale (he thinks since he was born here and will probably die here, it would also be appropriate that he rule Troutdale at some point…aka maybe become mayor?)

Now, I better get off this computer and get outside to do something active!

7 months.

Despite my pleas to stop growing, Elna continues to age.  She passed 6 months and is now 7 months, which is well on the way to a year old, which is much too close to 16 if you ask me.

At 7 months, Elna:

-scoots and spins herself around in circles to get what she wants, but will not crawl.

-rocks back and forth on her hands and knees.

-finally sleeps mostly through the night.  For most of this past month she did not though.  She was a horrible sleeper until about a week ago when I started wearing earplugs every night.  Now I don’t wake up with each little whimper and Brian only wakes up if she’s really crying.  He helps her if it’s before 4 a.m. and I feed her if it’s after 4 a.m.  For the past week neither of us have had to go in until 4 or 5 a.m. each morning.  She goes right back to sleep until sometimes 8:30 or 9 a.m. (and she goes to sleep every night at 7 p.m.)  Yay yay yay!

-loves when we make smacking and clucking noises—and other funny sounds.

-has started getting lot’s of diaper rashes and a face rash that won’t go away.  (any ideas for getting rid of the face rash?)

-loves computers and phones.  When I’m talking on the phone she just smiles at it.  I think she thinks that we are skyping and that her Grandma Elna can see her smiling pretty.  We do a lot of gmail chat around here so Elna can know her Fairfield grandparents too!

-loves eating computer cords.  When she really starts crawling we will have to be extra diligent about keeping those hidden.

-loves the bath!

-can pull herself up into standing position if she has something or someone to grab on.

-has just barely started waving.  It’s very endearing! 

Christmas 2011.

Christmas Eve we went caroling for several hours with the Harris’ and Roberts families.  It was pretty chilly outside, so we bundled up Elna well.  She didn’t seem to appreciate it:

Back row: Brian, DeWin, Daren, Chris Roberts, Laurin Roberts, Chris, Missionaries, Allan Roberts, Brandon Roberts

Front row: Lucy, Elna, Heather, Jared, Barbara, Chelsea Roberts, Linda Roberts

Elna woke up around 7 a.m. Christmas morning, so we opened gifts before getting ready for church. 

With our new kicks.  I was very excited to get these boots.  We plan on living in Troutdale for a very long time, so I felt like I deserved them.  Apparently Brian did too.  Yay!

After church we headed to Brian’s parents for round two of Christmas.  We had a great time with family!

Wearing her Santa pajamas that she got from Santa.  Yes, we’re doing Santa at our house.  I’m sure someone will be surprised to hear this from me, but the Harris’ have taught me it’s a good thing to believe in Santa.  I know there’s a chance my kids will have to go to therapy later because they’ll think their parents are liars—we’re taking the risk.

In front of Brian’s Santa gift (which ended up being a ladder, which he was very excited about!)

Elna did a lot of this to her gifts.

Brian reading a new Christmas book to Elna.

Our good friend, Stacy, dropped by to exchange gifts—she gave this Minnie Mouse shirt to Elna.

With Grandma & Grandpa Harris (aka a very generous Santa & Mrs. Claus)

Merry Christmas from the Harris’

& a Happy New Year!