Happy Anniversary!

Five years ago today, my mommy and my daddy got married! They started off on this wonderful adventure that allowed me to become part of this family. What a great decision. Aren't they sweet? Luckily it's only been five years so they don't look much younger than they do now.

Since it was August and they got married in the St. George temple, if you look closely you can tell that everyone is red in the face from the heat even though it was only 11 am!

Daddy even did the worm at their wedding reception. They call it more of a party than a reception. They had a buffet and dancing. Mommy says she danced the night away. So much fun.

They are also lucky enough to share their anniversary with Oma and Apa! Today is number 45 for them!

And she's gone!

Our sweet Aunt Becca is a college gal now. Grandma helped her drive out to Iowa yesterday. She's going to be playing college soccer at Iowa Western Community College and live far away from us. We've had so much fun with her and we are going to miss her so much. But we are so EXCITED for her. Mommy keeps saying that she's going to have a blast living on her own. Personally, I think Grandma's house is where it's at, but Aunt Becca seemed pretty enthused about her own place. We've loved her being our nanny and hope she finds someone else who will cry and rub snotty nose on her. LOVE YOU AUNT "BECECCA"!

We combined Cara's birthday party with her going away party but Cara had much cuter pictures so here is the photo overload of this post.
Of course, I helped actually open the presents since Cara seemed much more interested in what came out of the boxes. (Such a strange child.)
She even read her cards.
Then we finally got to the good stuff. (I had to go to a time out briefly and then refused to eat my cupcake because I was much more interested in the toys that I insisted were mine not Cara's.) Of course, Cara knew how to fully enjoy her cupcake.
Would you believe my sister is starting to drop off her growth curve? She had an appt on Tuesday and she's only 18 lb 5 oz which dropped her to the 9th%!! Dr. Clark says she needs to eat more. Mommy didn't think that was possible. However she is now 28 1/2 inches which is the 30th%. Either way she's still tiny compared to me!
Aren't we a cute little family?

One year old!

Cara Post:

That's right, people. I have been around for one whole year. It's been a lot of hard work for me. I have changed so much and learned A LOT.

Some pretty cool things about me as of today:

-I'm finally doing the walking thing. It's been about three weeks of practicing and I definitely prefer it as a mode of transportation, but my confidence is way on the weak side. I only take five steps maximum. I'm starting to give up crawling. For now, I force any adult around me to hold one hand and walk everywhere with me. If you let go, I promise a tantrum. I flail on the floor and act like my legs don't work. I won't even crawl.

-I'm starting to show off my signing skills. I'm good at more (although I'm more likely to pick up your hands and make you do the sign), eat, and drink.

-I say "Mommy, Dadda, Whas that?, yeah, ouch, Angie (but only when I want to), Beanie, Me, Baby"

-I have a temper and do a lot of yelling to get what I want.

-I love to play chase or tag. Anything that involves running around and giggling.

-I decided that I like water that I can stand in. I'm still not a fan of deep water but neither is Siena so I think I'm doing just fine.

-Grandpa is still one of my very favorite people.

-Although Grandma is right up there.

-I'm still a thumb sucker

-I like to lie on bare skin. Yes that means I try and pull up Mommy's shirts to expose her belly button even at the most public of places. I prefer she just walk around in two piece bathing suits. Although, Aunt Becca's legs are just as soothing.

-I am still a terrific eater. In fact, I eat more than Siena and by more I mean variety AND quantity. Anything you plunk down on my tray is worthy of being eaten.

So there you have it folks. I'd go in to a more detailed list of everything I've accomplished in this year, but I'm assuming since you're reading the blog that you've read the monthly updates already. Besides, I know you just want pictures of this cute mug.

The Doggie Visitor

Only one post last week. Daddy has been spending a lot of time working and when he's done, Mommy and I don't want to go hide in the room that he just came out of. We'd rather play with him!

We've had a a visitor at our house for a little while...at least a week. Uncle Eric's dog Roxie is living with us while Grandma gets a new backyard. (The end of a long sad pool saga.) Gabbie loves the company (except for now she is almost strictly an outdoor dog) and Roxie seems to enjoy having another dog around who actually enjoys her presence. Grandma's other dog Beanie is kind of a grouch. Roxie and Gabbie just play all day. It's great. Only both dogs are probably a little more neglected since it's too hot to go outside and play catch for very long. Plus Mommy has a terrible arm and keeps throwing the balls over the fence in to the neighbor's yard.

Grandpa has also been taking us to the lake without Mommy. Very brave. We're not always the best behaved and Cara tends to become unmanageable when she is too hot. I am a perfect angel of course. We did get to discover the beach at the lake this time and I was content to throw wet sand around for hours but Cara didn't want to get her feet dirty in the sand so people had to hold her mostly. Oh well we all had fun and added a nice golden tone to our complexion.

250 Posts...holy cow!

This is our 250th post. That's a lot of posting. And a more accurate statement has got to be...that's a LOT of pictures. It's true. And to celebrate our 250th post let's talk about ME, oh and we can talk about Cara. But we'll be talking about her in just two short weeks when she turns ONE. So let's talk mostly about me.

People always talk about how babies change so much week by week and do so much growth and development in a month. Well guess what, I think I can compete. Sometimes I wake up and Mommy thinks a whole other part of my brain has begun to work. Just like that. Overnight. It feels like I went from talking in mostly two or three word sentences to telling Mommy plots of movies and playing pretend out loud by myself.

I love playing with Cara. I make sure she gets her turn when it's time to wash our hair and also that she gets a popsicle too. Which is a good thing because Cara is all about equity in the present moment. It doesn't matter that she's almost two years younger than me, I have something, she has to have it too. And she'll scream for it. Definitely the louder temper that one. Unfortunately, much to Mommy's dismay, the fighting has begun. Really it started almost four months ago but Cara is getting more and more strong willed. In fact, you know the double stroller cart monstrosity that Target has? (Mommy's posted pictures of us in it before.) Well, Mommy won't use it anymore because it puts us within arms length of each other and sets off a war of slapping,screaming, whining, and crying. (Really any shopping cart will do this, but this one feels especially confrontational like you're putting us in opposite corners of a boxing ring and saying "Fight!")

Some other silly facts about me.
When Mommy brought home a Cinderella purse and gloves from Disney World, I exclaimed "Oh Mommy! It's my favorite!" which is what I also said about the big Sully and Mike stuffed animal, the Cinderella pez dispenser and Daddy's silly t-shirt. Favorite phrase anyone?
I am learning to ride a tricycle. I get the concept at least a little bit, but somehow steering is not coming naturally. It's too hot outside for Mommy to sit and work with me very much because you can't ride bikes in a pool, but in the fall...we'll get it down!
I love to play pretend bird show. Mommy's potato masher is even the perch they bring out the parrots on. Clever girl.
Whenever Cara is crying and I want her to stop. I just tell her what Mommy says to me. "Cawm down. Deep brefs". (Breaths.) It doesn't work for her, but it sure works for me.
I am coming up with signs for my aunts and uncles and constantly correcting Mommy's signing form whether I am right or not.
Also Daddy is my favorite. I picked him for all the rides in Lagoon and any sort of adventure, I want to be on Daddy's lap. Not Mommy's. Ah well. It all works out because Cara picks Mommy.
Oh and I am MOSTLY potty trained. I have been dry at night ....well always. The occasional accident when I am having way too much fun which is why I request Pull Ups. The big thing is number two. I need to have privacy to do it but I won't let Mommy leave me alone in a public place or at unfamiliar houses. This presents a lot clenching problems and little bits getting a way at a time. Sometimes this leaves Mommy and I very cross with one another. Other days not an issue but it happens often enough that we can't claim potty trained success yet. (This is apparently hereditary from my Daddy's side as we have a cousin with a similar issue. Everything bad seems to come from Daddy according to Mommy.)

On a surprising note, Mommy and Daddy took us for an impromptu trip to St. George City Pool. Grandpa worked there when Mommy was born and it was where she went swimming as a little baby. Mommy also worked there all through high school. It had been a LONG time since she had been back. They have a big water slide called the "Hydro Tube." It is an enclosed slide. Mommy and Daddy bought the unlimited passes but were really unsure of whether or not I would like them let alone Cara liking them. Previous trips to the lake this summer have been filled with moments of screaming and panic and Lagoon-a-Beach wasn't a huge success so they were not hopeful. Um boy did we prove them wrong. Uh we LOVED the Hydro Tube. And the baby pool was the awesomest. Cara was even trying to run around and walk by herself. She went under quite a few times and still wanted to play. She also learned how to sit on the edge and scooch/jump in at the count of three. SO MUCH FUN.

And of course, what would a post be without gratuitous pictures.





(You know what Mommy should learn how to do before she uses up all her free picture space...those neat little photo collages! )

Guess what Mommy did?!

She ran in a 5K. That's right. You read the words correctly. SHE RAN IN A 5K. I think I remember hearing her say that running in any type of race was never going to be on her list of things to do. Well too bad because she could have crossed something off!

You see, back in the summer of 2008 family friends suffered the tragic loss of their eldest daughter, Chelsi. Chelsi was special. She used to do gymnastics with Aunt Angie and lived across the street. Her mom and grandpa went to high school together. Chelsi was a gifted athlete and extremely driven. As a freshman at BYU, she was one of their top performing track stars in the decathlon. In fact, I think she wanted to go to the Olympics. Unfortunately, she was killed in a car wreck just before her 21st birthday. To honor her, family and friends organized a 5k memory run/walk on her birthday, July 15. And every summer since then (okay so this is just the THIRD race) they hold it. What makes it neat is that it's around Grandma's neighborhood. Two loops is exactly a 5k. It was meant to be. This year Mommy had agreed to do the run, but was really sidetracked by vacations and wasn't really focusing on running so much as doing strength training routines at the gym. Needless to say, she almost didn't do the run, but she came through.

Her time wasn't great. 31 minutes exactly.
It was still 100 degrees outside at 10:00 p.m. (Oddly, even Daddy didn't realize it. It just didn't FEEL that hot.)
And Daddy left her in the dust even though he promised to run with her. (He was even pushing the stroller!)
But it was fun.
Grandma, Uncle Eric, and Aunt Becca did it with us.

Three hot mamas (okay two hot mamas and a babe) before the race.

Mommy holding me at the end of the race as I told her "Mommy I so proud of you!"

The family portrait. (Not pictured: Cara...asleep in the stroller.)

And some silly fun after rehydrating.

Siena's Sayings

Mommy at the helm. I think it's time we added a bit to the blog entitled Siena's Sayings. Seeing as how she is coming up on three years of age and her verbal skills improve by the hour, I think it most appropriate to share the funnyness that now persists out of her mouth.

First off, Siena is still signing. She is now coming up with her own signs for things sometimes maintaining consistency. We now have to do the proper sign for drink with Cara because Siena is specific about drink vs. water. Crack up.

She actually just came up to me and told me to dance and when I started shaking back forth in the chair she told me "No not shake your bum dancing". Yes I have taught her to booty shake.

Anyway, this section of Siena's Sayings is entitled Cousins.

-When trying to teach her that her name is Siena Romney, she would respond "Yeah, I Siena Romney" and then we would point to Cara and say "Cara Romney" which always engenders this response:
"No Cara Chase!"
Who knew that having a cousin with your last name as her first name would cause so much confusion. She understands Aunt Becca's last name is "Larsen" but still not moving forward with Romney. I guess I should also note "Romney" is said much more like "Rawmey" but hey it's kind of a hard sound.

-While at Target (which is where Siena insisted upon going that day), I showed her two new pajamas set. One was this cute butterfly ensemble and the other was a dinosaur/monkey ensemble. She picked the dino and said "Like Chase." Upon putting them on at 3 pm that afternoon, she also proclaimed loudly "I like Chase, Mommy!" I think she has a crush on her cousin.

-One of Siena's favorite shows on the TV is Super Why, today while watching it she proclaimed that Smith was just like Whyatt. And you know what? I would agree except for the almost football shaped head. This is mostly exciting because I have never really heard her talk about Smith before.

And here we have Siena and Romney pretending to sleep together in their pretty dress up dresses.


I also got adventurous with Siena's hair since she has been so willing to "make her hair pretty". I think this turned out quite well!