Day 291 - Abby Cuddles

Abby has been awfully cuddly today. While we were at church, she spent some time with our friend Keith Hill... she actually fell asleep with him holding her. Tonight, Matthew Sadler was holding Abby, and she was being cuddle-some with him as well. So adorable.

Day 290 - Reno Sunrise

This morning, Abby and I hiked up the hill near our house so we could watch the sun come up over the eastern ridge line. It's only a 10 min walk from our house, which is really nice. We didn't actually get to see the sun since it was so cloudy this morning, but it was a nice start to our day.

Day 289 - Abby's First Pumpkin

Today we went with the Sadlers and our friend Nicole Anderson to the Andelin Family Farm. The girls had a great time feeding the goats, playing in a hay maze, and playing in a pin of feed (dried corn). We got to pick our pumpkins out of the pumpkin patch... this is the one that Abby chose. She was a bit frustrated that it was attached to something and wouldn't come willingly.

Day 288 - Super Star

Little miss Abigail found my MAC lipstick today. Not the first time this has happened. I usually keep it in my purse, and sometimes I forget to put it out of Abby's reach... like today. Today was the first time, however, that she actually started chewing on the lipstick. So, check out my little MAC model... what attitude, what flare, what boldness!

Day 287 - Big Girl Toothbrush

This week I bought Abby a toddler toothbrush. She has been using her banana brush for a long time and I figured it was time to get something to really clean her teeth with. She really enjoys brushing her teeth on her own.

Day 286 - Pinky

This little pink elephant is probably one of my most cherished worldly possessions. I've had it since I was one... so I have been told. Her name is Pinky and she is the reason why I have a special place in my heart for pink elephants. She is my most favorite stuffed animal in the world and I slept with her religiously until the day I left for boot camp a few weeks before turning 18. Apparently she was given to me by my biological father, Jack... at least, that's what I have been told.

Day 285 - Passing on the Pastime

What American kid doesn't love playing in a pile of leaves?! Today I took some time to rake the leaves in the front yard and made a proper pile for Abby to have her first leave pile experience in. She was a little skeptical at first. She even moved some of the leaves in the pile to her own personal pile. After a little while, I just pushed her in the leaves. She thought it was a lot of fun.

Day 284 - Have a Seat

Abby enjoys sitting in this chair over at the Anderson's house. I was trying to get her to stay in one spot while she ate her banana. She tends to spread her banana messiness all over the place. Containment is not an easy thing with a toddler.

Day 283 - London's 2nd Birthday

Today we went to a birthday party for a special little 2 year old (she is on the left holding the balloon). Abby had a great time playing with London's toys, chasing balloons, riding bikes, and a whole bunch of other stuff. There was a magician there who was absolutely amazing! It was a great time!

Day 282 - Day In the Life of...

I'm not really sure what to write about today. We went to Walmart to pick up a few things. We weren't in the store long. I thought that the light was hitting Abby in the back of the head just right and I follow an urge to take a picture of the moment.

Day 281 - Road Construction

All summer long, there has been road construction on the streets surrounding our house. It has been such a welcome change since our streets were really wretched. They even dug up the old road and completely replaced it... love that (I really hate it when they just lay asphalt on top of the old stuff). It's almost complete and I have to say that because it's such a welcome change, it hasn't been a burden at all!

Day 280 - Waiting Patiently

Allie Cat often tells me when it's time to go to bed every night. I've been staying up late a lot the past month, and so I've gotten a lot of flack from her lately. After harassing me by meowing, jumping in my lap, walking across my computer, and other distracting habits... she will resign herself to laying down on the table next to the computer until I'm ready to go upstairs.

Day 279 - Abby at 16 Months

I can't believe the next month is already here. There was a little break in the storms so we headed over to The Legends and did a little photo shoot. I didn't get a lot of good pictures today... maybe two of Abby looking right at me. It was cold today, but Abby enjoyed playing with the water in the fountains.

Day 278 - The Coming Storms

We have had a lot of rain today... pretty peculiar (it doesn't rain a lot here). But it's not just rain, it's thunder storms (which is very rare). It's been strange to have thunder storms all day today and apparently it will be going on for a few days (even stranger and rarer). I feel like I'm back in the Midwest where I grew up! I'm feeling a little homesick for Indiana.

Day 277 - Family Picture Day

This has got to be one of my most favorite families on the face of the planet... well, two families if you want to separate them out by marriage. Anyway... this is my Family Home Evening family I spend practically every Sunday with. Mary wanted to get some family pictures since all four of her children are living in the area again.

Day 276 - Hard at Work

One of Abby's jobs is to color. It's work she takes VERY seriously, as you can see. Today was General Conference and I printed out some related coloring pages for her to scribble on while I sat on the couch. She really enjoyed using this lap table and it was so fun to watch her get so intense about her drawing.

Day 275 - Belly Button

Isn't that a cute belly button my little girl has! I've been attempting to teach her about different body parts. One way I have been doing that is by singing "Head, Shoulders, Knee's and Toes." So far the only body part she has grasped is head. When I start the song, she will pat her head with one of her hands. It's pretty cute.

Day 274 - Getting Organized

Abby has a great drive to organize things. She often surprises me with the things she will do. Today I noticed that she was placing her colored pencils in a cup I had given her to play with. She was doing it one by one, picking them up off the floor. Towards the end, she gathered the rest from the rug and finished putting them in the cup... one by one.

Day 272 - Unwanted House Guest

Is that what I think it is? A Black Widow! I'm not real sure but it sure looks scary. I found this guy in Abby's sink. Needless to say, this little visitor needs to take a hike.

Day 271 - Lone Blossom

Today I discovered that one of my rose bushes has a single rose in bloom. This summer I did pretty good about keeping up with my yard work, but not so the latter part of the season. Since I had one blossom, I figured I'd prune the bushes to see if I could some late season bud growth.

270 - Colors

Abby has a box of crayons and a box of colored pencils. She has gotten so good at bringing them to me and asking me to open her boxes for her. Of course, she leaves a trail of crayons and/or pencils throughout the living room.

Day 269 - Snap Shot

It was getting pretty late tonight and I needed a quick pic, so I grabbed the cat and took some mug shots of the two of us together. I forgot that I was wearing makeup; sort of a new thing for me. Doesn't look half bad.

Day 268 - Office Space

I've been doing some rearranged and reorganizing lately. I've also been focusing a lot more on my fabulous storybook business, so I decided I needed an official office. I was able to sell my entertainment center and moved my computer desk into that position.

Day 267 - Spaghetti Mess

Tonight we had Abby's new sitter Gabe and her husband Greg over for dinner. We had spaghetti for dinner... one of Abby's favorites. Actually, she pretty much loves any kind of pasta. She shovels it in her mouth faster than anything else she eats.

Day 266 - Hiking Crystal Peak

Abby and I drove with our friend Jessica Gregory to Frenchmans Lake to do some hiking. One of the "Rangers" there suggested we hike up Crystal Peak. It was a relatively easy hike... but we didn't realize how long it would be. We hiked for 6 hours... almost 10 miles. Abby didn't complain once while in the backpack. This was a picture of her after the hiking was over. Love that big laughing smile!

Day 265 - Taking the Long Way

Sometimes we stay out a little late and I drive around some of the back roads so that Abby will fall asleep on the way home. I often think that during the day, I should take some time to get some pictures of some the gorgeous scenery. These are some reflective boards placed so people stop before smashing into the fence.

Day 264 - Abby's Lovey

Abby has chosen a lovey! Because she hasn't been fond of stuffed animals I thought this would never happen. It's been a little hard for me to take because I am VERY fond of stuffed animals and had lots of lovey's (and still have a few of them with me). Abby was cuddling with this fluffy white rabbit while we were in the car the other day and I've been encouraging her since then to sleep with it. She cuddles with it when I rock her to sleep.

Day 263 - The Other Mother

The only other person that Abby readily goes is Jenn. Abby will go to her to play and even to be held. Sometimes she won't even come to me even if I put my arms out. I like that Abby feels safe with Jenn. I have fond memories of trusting some of my friends mothers as I was growing up and am thankful for their good examples.

Day 262 - Visiting With Family

Steve's Uncle Don is in town this week visiting with his parents, the Kintners. He lives in Ireland, so he came a long way. We were able to meet with him at Grandma and Grandpa's house for dinner tonight so he could met Abby.

Day 261 - Our Sitter

I have chosen a sitter and I'm am so pleased with our choice. I have to say that there was a lot of inspiration from the Lord in making this decision. Today, Gabe came over to hang out with us and witness Abby's evening routine. Abby warmed up to Gabe instantly.

Day 260 - Play Group

We have a play group in our ward. We have not really gone because it's been right around Abby's nap time, but now that I have switched her to one nap we can go. Today we meet at a park with some of our friends. Abby's favorite thing is the slide. She especially likes to climb up the slide.

Day 259 - Pink Elephant Slippers

Abby has been having a lot of fun putting shoes on lately. I was digging around in some of her stuff trying to weed out things that don't fit her anymore and found these slippers she received from Nana before she was born. They just fit... may even be a little small. They are so cute and I have a soft spot for pink elephants (I'll explain in an upcoming photo post soon).

Day 258 - Fire in the Hills

Tonight, after putting Abby to sleep, I had taken the the trash out to put in the garbage bin and discovered a fire over in the Huffaker Hills area.... just a few miles from our house. I immediately starting thinking of all the things I wanted to pack up just in case we were evacuated. I thought the flames coming off the fire and the contrast of the hillside was quite beautiful.

Day 256 - Cup of Yogurt

I've been trying to let Abby practice with a spoon and yogurt to help her get a handle on feeding herself with utensils. This has been an extremely entertaining adventure for both of us. I love it especially when she builds up a nice size yogurt beard on her chin.

Day 255 - Great Grandma

Today we went to go visit with Great Grandma Sally and Great Grandpa Don. Abby had a really great time when Grandma let her feed the dog her cookies. In this picture, Abby is taking a cookie from Grandma's hand.

Day 254 - Cheap Shoes

Abby is fascinated with putting shoes on her feet. Today Abby found an empty checkbook box and was putting it on her foot and scooting around the kitchen. It was so funny. I showed her to put the other lid on her foot, but it was a little bit of a challenge

Day 253 - Finally Done

The shelves I had built back in June have been done for a little while, but I hadn't taken a moment to take a picture. Here they are with the shelves pretty full. I'm still messing around with them a little bit, and some of the shelves are messy. I'm feeling so happy with this addition to our home!

Day 252 - My Sweet Little Girl

Sort of been a busy day. Abby has been pretty clingy not to mention not sleeping well and waking up at 530 or so every morning. I had a Studio Demo and a Host Coaching session today. Abby is a pretty good sport while we are out and about, but when we get home, she gets pretty serious about wanting my attention and needed to be in my lap or be held. I love my clingy biscuit.

Day 251 - Play It Sister

Abby really enjoys sitting at the piano and playing. I've found that, as a Momma, I need to be creative in how to teach and entertain her throughout the day. She really prefers for me to sit and play with her, so she will play and I open the hymn book and sing. I love this type of play!

Day 250 - Caught in the Moment

This week we have been interviewing sitters so I can work my business in the evenings and still have Abby keep a regular routine. Today we interviewed 2. It's been interesting... all of them so far are great and qualified. We walked outside after the second sitter left and the light was hitting Abby just right. Thought this was a great shot.

Day 249 - Still Life

Yeah... one of those times where it was late and I was about to go to bed when I realized that I hadn't taken a photo. Taking some pictures of this fruit reminded me of how much I enjoy painting still lifes. I've been thinking that I would like to get back into painting again.

Day 248 - Abby at 15 months

Our Itsy Bitsy is 15 months old today. She is getting so big and doing so many new things every day! Today we drove down to Bowers Mansion to take some pictures. It's getting harder and harder to get some good pictures because she hardly stays still. this is my favorite photo of the group because it looks like she is looking right into your soul.

Day 247 - Momma... What Is This Thing?

I bought this cute apron at a booth at the Rib Cookoff yesterday for Abby. She wasn't really too fond of it at first, but then she forgot she had it on after a while. It's pretty big for her now, but I think she will like it when she gets bigger. Especially since it has some nifty front pockets!

Day 246 - Reno Rib Cookoff

I love ribs... but not just any ribs! Goooouuuuud ribs! And the best place to get ribs is the Reno Rib Cookoff! I usually go with my friend Katie Rossman, but she was out of town, so Abby and I went by ourselves. I picked a place I knew had good stuff and then we hunkered down and stuffed our faces with yumminess. Abby is a rib eating natural!

Day 245 - One Fabulous Husband

Steve new that we wouldn't be able to talk much during this part of his training. He's been calling about every 2 weeks on Saturday. My huzbin is so sweet... before he had to report for the next phase he bought a bunch of greeting cards, wrote a message in each, put them in addressed envelopes, and gave them to a friend. I get a card almost once a week. It has been really great!

Day 244 - There You Are

Abby was so cute today, she was hiding behind my rocking chair and playing peek-a-boo. I didn't get a very good picture of her actually playing around, but this one is still adorable!

Day 243 - Biscuits n Gravy

Today Abby and I drove up to Tahoe on a whim. I've been wanting to check out a Farmers Market up by the lake all summer so today we finally went. I'll tell it was not really great at all. There was a pretty tasty goody place that had some great chocolate chip cookies! We had lunch at The Log Cabin, a place that Rachel Ray had eaten at before. I normally don't order Biscuits and Gravy anywhere because it's never good... but this place has some of the best gravy I've ever tasted!

Day 242 - Invited

We had our friends the Rossmans over for dinner tonight! It's been a long time since I have made my chili... something I make for Steve often. I've been trying to have friends over for dinner a lot more often lately.