Just Between Friends

This past weekend we went to Spokane for their JBF Sale. Think . . . . ginormous garage sale. These sales are held in many locations all over the US, and we are so excited that there was one near us. Let me show you what I mean  . . .

We have BOOKS and PUZZLES

TOYS

CLOTHES GALORE (imagine 10 more racks)

SHOES

And SOOOOO much more!!

The deals that you get are so good, you'll never want to shop in a store again. I recommend seeing if you can find one in your area. You wont be sorry!! (JBF Sale)

Meow...

Our neighbors have two cats that love coming into our yard. And since Lyla has a small obsession with cats, we don't mind at all.

And here she is trying to give the cat a kiss.

Random Photo's

While cleaning out my craft/sewing draws, I found an envelope of old photo's. I showed them to Lyla, and she sat and looked at them for almost an hour. She was so excited. This girl LOVES pictures, especially if she knows the people in them.

I Pray When . . .

Each night, I pray that I can be a good mother to Lyla. I pray that I can be patient, and understanding to her needs. I pray that I can know how to best help her to learn and grow to be a good person to others. 

Yesterday, on our way back from the gym, Lyla started to get a little whiny. My plan was, once we got home, we would go on a 2 mile walk then have lunch and take a nap. But once we got home, she just seemed really upset. Lyla absolutely loves to go on walks, and loves being outside, so I figured, as soon as we started our walk she would calm down. But instead of telling her to calm down and then distract her by going outside (like I sometimes do), I decided to ask her to show me what was wrong. 

Lyla walked into her room and pointed to her bed. I picked her up and asked if she wanted to go night night. She then reached for her crib, and again I asked her if she wanted to go night night. It was an hour and a half earlier then she normally takes a nap, so I was a little surprised. But I put her in, gave her her monkey and blanket, and she rolled over and went straight to sleep. 

It' seems small, but I'm so grateful that I was blessed at that moment to listen to Lyla's needs. She was completely exhausted and desperately needed to sleep. I'm glad I asked her what she needed instead of going on that walk. I feel blessed that I have the Lord on my side to help me raise my little girl, because I could sure use the help. 

18 Months

It's amazing how much this little girl has changed our lives. She brings us so much incredible joy. I love seeing her little personality come out, the older she gets. 

She understands so much. . . probably more then we realize. 

She LOVES:

~ Being outside. Whenever the weather is nice outside, we try to go out. And when it's time to come back in, she cries. 

~ Stuffed animals. We purposely don't have very many, because I don't want to have to wash 20 of them every week. But when we are in the store and we pass them, she just starts squealing with excitement. 

~ Coloring and painting.

~ Eating. She is a great eater, and I love how she is willing to try new things.

~ Her favorite animal sound is ' Quack, Quack'. 

~ Dancing. If music is playing, this little girl is dancing. Even during sacrament meeting while singing the hymns.

~ Bath time. When she hears the water running, she gets excited. She loves to splash, and thinks it's really funny to get us totally soaked.

~ Books. She has always loved them, but loves them even more now that she understands a little more. We probably read her 15-20 books every day. 

It's sad she's getting so big, but also exciting. I'm looking forward to seeing what the next 6 months will bring!

Lyla wanted to dress up, and this is how it turned out.

We recently got Lyla a new car seat. She loves it, and so do we. Yay for safety!

I am LOVED

Last night Daniel brought these home for me. No reason at all.........just because. 

Art Project

Every now and then I want to do something creative with Lyla, but my mind goes completely blank. That's when the internet comes in handy. Yay for Google! Anyway, I came across this super easy art project, and since I already had everything I needed, we jumped right in. 

You'll need:

It took only a second for me to show Lyla how to stick the paper pieces on the Contact Paper, and then she was in her own little world. She had so much fun, and was very proud of the art she created. 

Then we stuck it on the window for all to see.