Tub Time!

Hylie has learned to really enjoy bath time.  She hasn't started splashing a ton yet, but it's fun to see her relax in the nice, warm water.

 

Believe it or not, here she is with her hair as sudsy as it gets...it looks like it will be a little while before we can get the Statue of Liberty spikes going on her.

Hylie LOVES having her hair rinsed.  She always gives a sweet little smile when that warm water is running down her head...so we usually do it a few times.

After her bath Hylie gets a kick out of checking out the cute baby in the mirror.  I tried to catch her initial big smile but missed it.

Drying off used to be a pretty traumatic experience, but she's learning to like this step and getting all lotioned up!

Finally, Hylie just chillin' in her little robe!

5 Months

 This little kiddo is officially 5 months old!  She continues to put smiles on our faces with her sweetness.  A few things we've noticed about Hylie is that she is starting to get really giddy at night and we love all the giggles that come our way.  Her legs are getting super strong and she'll stand on your lap for long periods of time when you hold her up.  Her toys continue to all be turned into chew toys and at night to comfort herself, she puts both her thumb and a corner of her blanket in her mouth and sucks away.  It will be a fun task baby-proofing our house when Hylie gets mobile!

Hylie loves her little hat made by Genevieve!

Hylie enjoying her super ruffly skirt!

Mer's Visit

Our dear friend from Denver, Meranda Peterson, came for a visit this past week.  We so enjoyed being with her and hope to get together again sooner than later!  The first day Mer and I sat on the couch and literally talked ALL day--we had a lot to catch up on!  We finally decided to get out of our PJ's around 5:00 PM and about an hour later wondered why we even bothered.

Since Mer is a Culinary Master, I had to take advantage of her being in our kitchen and she gave us tons of fantastic tips and tricks to make anything and everything taste yum-o!  I think my favorite meal was the Brined Rotisserie Chicken.  It was PHENOMENAL!  She also surprised me with "The Good Book" which is a compilation of all their favorite family recipes!  Sweet!

Mer has a passion for old cemeteries.  She looked up our options in the Chicago area and we visited the Graceland Cemetery.  Surprisingly (for me), it was a fascinating adventure.  Many graves were dated back in the 1800's, there were a great deal of mausoleums, and many unique tombstones.  It was an overcast day which really added to the mood of our adventure but the only time I felt uncomfortable was when we saw a man digging a grave...

You can't visit Chicago without trying some of the cuisine here!  We went to Portillo's to experience a Chicago 'Dawg' and also went to Giordano's for some Deep Dish Stuffed Pizza.  Yum!

The Chicago "Dawg" - Everything on it except ketchup!

We also ventured into Downtown Chicago for the first time.  Our only known destination was "The Bean".  We definitely experienced the wind (and chill) of the "Windy City" that day!

Mer also surprised Hylie with the CUTEST tutu skirt!  She wore it on Sunday and got lots and lots of compliments.  Geoff and I loved seeing her look so much like a girlie girl.

Thanks for such a wonderful time, Mer!  We miss you so, so much!

Craftin' for Christmas

For Christmas I tried to pull off a few crafts.  We made Pappy Woodhouse a T-Shirt inspired from "The Godfather".  I was so nervous the paint would bleed since the space between the letters was so narrow, but it turned out!

Geoff trying to pull off a model pout

Hylie was excited to get in on the action for some cards we made all the Grandmas.

The finished product!

Christmas Morning

Since we were in Arizona over Christmas, we had our Christmas 'morning' on New Year's Day.  It was nice to have a relaxing day and spend time together as a family.

Yes, the lighting is pretty bad in these photos, but Hylie looks cute in every single one, so that's all that matters, right?

We shared our gifts for one another and talked about how next year will be even more fun when Hylie will be more involved in the activities and gift unwrapping.  Later that afternoon we also were able to video chat with all the Nelsons visiting Mom and Dad in PA.

Christmas 2012

What a beautiful celebration Christmas is.  We are so blessed by our Savior, Jesus Christ.  It is through Him we can find true peace, love and light.  We have enjoyed a wonderful 2012 and look forward to all the blessings, opportunities and lessons that will come in 2013.

Hylie's Adventures

Geoff and Todd worked together to create a Christmas Gift about Hylie.  These pictures make me giggle every time I look at them!