Let it snow!

We had a big snow storm during the second weekend of February.  It was beautiful and such a treat as it doesn’t snow very often in Portland.  Brian wasn’t able to go into work, and we loved having him home.  I’d take snow every day just to be able to have him home!   

I took this the first night it started snowing.  It was so beautiful outside!

Brian wasn’t able to drive into work Friday because of the snow, so instead he drove into Portland (ha!) to go to the car show with his brother, uncle, and Elna:

He took this picture of Elna in my dream car.

Elna loved being with Brian and had a great time sitting in so many cars.  She was a pretty good sport and asked for hot chocolate every 5 minutes, Brian said.  I’m pretty sure he finally caved.

Elna testing out the Ford Expedition.  This is the car Brian promised me once we are out of the cheerios-and-fruits-snacks-smashed-in-the-carpet phase.

I love everything about the picture above.  I told her to get ready to go out the snow and this is what she came up with.  My favorite parts are the sunglasses, mouse mittens, two different colored socks, the shovel, and that smile!  This girl is too funny!

After a few days of snow and being inside all day, we were starting to get a little stir crazy, so we put a Disney movie on for the girls.  We don’t do much T.V. or movie watching at our house, so Elna was pretty thrilled.

All cozy, watching Tangled.

We don’t have a T.V., so we play our shows on our laptop.  Hattie kept trying to touch the computer, so we had to put it higher and higher.  It started on the ottoman, then moved up onto the high chair, and then we added one book at a time until Harriet could no longer reach it.

But that didn’t mean she didn’t try.

I think she’s watching Brave in this picture.  Such a party for this girl!

One of these two liked the snow better than the other…

.Because of the snow and eventually freezing rain and very icy roads, church was canceled by 9:30 on Saturday morning.  (today, a few weeks later, as I am posting this, church was cancelled again due to icy roads.  We went to a later Sacrament meeting in a ward that meets later, but other than that we have been staying inside.  It has been a very icy winter!)

Brian and Elna went out to explore the icy yard and roads.  I took the following pictures through the front window and front door:

Sliding on the ice together.

Climbing up the small hill in front of our house so they can slide down on the ice.

Then they did this a few times.

Washed out, but too cute not to include.

Hattie lately. (up to 11 months)

I didn’t take any official pictures of Harriet at 11 months because she was miserable with a runny nose and I just couldn’t make her sit for pictures.  But, I had a bunch of pictures I was planning to post of her anyway, so I’ll just use this post as her 11 month post. 

Please excuse the blurry nature of this picture (and most of the following).  Hattie cracks me up when she does this—she climbs up on the couch and then just lounges and smiles at me, so proud that she made it up on the couch.

Poor Hattie is exhausted at church these days.  She completely misses her morning nap.  Brian took these pictures of her crashing at his feet during Priesthood.  He was trying to keep her awake so she could take a good nap when she got home, so he had her sit up from the position on the left, and she flopped back down into the position on the right.  She rarely sleeps outside of her crib, so this is kind of big.

Pre-nursery which usually takes place at the back of Sunday School, Relief Society, or in the small foyer outside that room.

She is a fearless climber.  This was the first time she climbed on the couch, and of course I’m taking a picture instead of taking her down.  She was obviously very pleased with herself.

This series of pictures on the stool crack me up—she was so proud of herself until the last picture where you can tell she’s gripping on tightly unsure what to do next.

Always climbing on something.

My happy Hattie in the morning.  I love our mornings together in her room before Elna wakes up.

Playing peek-a-boo.

Looking at her pretty self in the mirror.

More peek-a-boo playing with my pajama pants.

I’m so glad I caught this picture of her looking at her hands.  She would clap and then look at her hands like, “wow, I did that?”

More peek-a-boo.  Obviously a favorite game of hers.

Loving the fairy headband on her head in the picture on the right.

She spends a lot of her time lately in the baby doll cradle.

This is my very favorite thing that Harriet does.  In the pictures above she is blinking because I am blinking.  Brian discovered this trick a few months ago, and it still hasn’t gotten old.  Every time I blink hard in her face this is what she does.  We can’t get enough of it.  Below is a short little clip of her blinking back at me:

  

She loves Hattie-size chairs and will climb up on any chair her size.

At 11 months, Harriet:

--says “mama” “dada” “nana” (for Elna), and “uh-oh”.

--loves to smack her lips.

--often has her tongue partially out of her mouth, especially when she is concentrating extra hard on something.

--still loves the bathroom, especially the toilet.  We try hard to keep bathroom doors shut in our house.

--still loves taking baths more than almost anything!

--can be very social.  When strangers come up to her at the store she flirts and smiles at them.  She surprised me when we went to library hour and she crawled right off and played independently or approached other adults and smiled at them. 

--was going through a very frustrated, whiny stage and so we started using some basic sign language with her to see if communicating would help her not feel so cranky.  So far, I don’t feel like it’s helped very much, but I probably haven’t given it enough time.  She communicates by getting very excited when she hears something she wants (water, bread, more, bath, etc.). 

--is brave and will climb on anything she can. 

--is still as sweet and perfect as ever!  Such a blessing!!