Monday, July 23, 2012

three!

your birthday breakfast: "stars breakfast" aka lucky charms 
dear logan,
you turned three years old just over a week ago and i can hardly believe it. i'm not sure how my chubby little baby has grown into a little boy that proudly tells anyone who asks that he is 3 and holds up 3 fingers to reinforce the point. sometimes i can't believe you are only three because you seem so grown up. i was so proud of you last week at your well check appointment as you answered all of dr. lisa's questions with no problem (even some "4 year old questions"). i often can't believe the things that come out of your mouth and your dad and i look at each other and wonder where you learned so much! as i look back at your baby pictures it hurts my heart that my little baby boy is gone, never to return again. growing up is sure a bittersweet thing for your mama to watch. but i couldn't be happier with the boy you have grown to be. sure, you know how to push our buttons and are daily testing your boundaries and it often leaves me feeling exasperated. you are definitely a toddler and sometimes i just don't know what to do with you! but more often than not you are a sweet, thoughtful, fun loving, silly, smart, courageous, independent, funny boy. and i'm grateful for all those good qualities because it makes the hard moments worth it (and bearable). 
all i ever wanted to be when i grew up was a mother. and i waited patiently (well, sometimes not so patiently) to meet the right man that would be your daddy. and i waited anxiously for the time when our family would grow and i would finally be a mother. all the waiting was worth it and i can honestly say motherhood has been everything i had hoped it would be. it has been tiring and challenging (especially as you grow and exercise your independence), but mostly it has been sweet, special and wonderful. i am grateful for your patience with me as i have learned through trial and error about motherhood and i am grateful for your forgiveness as i mess up or lose my temper (more than i wish i did). even after we've had a rough moment, you're always willing to give me a hug and kiss and another chance to be better and love you more. 
here are some of the things you've been doing/saying lately that i don't want to forget: the way you say certain words with a little accent, like "mom-may" or "bay-bay;" how you are always calling for emma to come and play with you; how i hear you explaining things you are doing or see to emma; you are such a good big brother! how you love to sing "i belong to the church of jesus christ of latter-day saints" at the top of your lungs and how you sing it to emma before she goes down for a nap; the funny positions that you sleep in; how sometimes when i tell you "i love you" you will say, "no you don't!" you think you're so funny; how you prayed everyday for months for uncle mark to get a job and when we told you he got one you said, "i got mark a job! now it's daddy's turn." and now you pray for daddy to get an interview and you pray for you and emma to get jobs! (i'm glad you want to pull your own weight around here); i love how every night when we sit down for dinner you immediately launch into telling us about some crazy adventure you've had. it often includes fighting troops and the dinosaur museum; or how you're always asking for your nails to be trimmed because you know it means you'll get to watch youtube videos on my phone; or how your song request every night before bed is "families can be together forever"; you love primary songs and request them every time we get into the car (and throw a fit if i ever try and listen to my own music); how you love to help me with whatever i am doing; how you can undress and dress yourself and put on your flip flops all by yourself (it is awesome), but sometimes when you don't want to you just say, "i don't know how to do that;" how you love to play soccer and basketball; how you recognize any 24 hour fitness that we drive by because of the logo and call it "kid's club"; how you have a little "bromance" going on with ryder at kid's club! you 2 seriously love each other; how you have an amazing memory for song lyrics and names; how one of the first thing you ask for when you wake up is to watch a show (this actually is not one of my favorite things); you have a wide variety of shows you love to watch: caillou, dora, diego, super why and your favorite at the moment is yo gabba gabba! you can sing the intro songs for most of the shows and you can navigate netflix like a pro; when you don't want to go to bed at night you'll say, "i don't know how to go to sleep" and your favorite stall tactic is going to the bathroom multiple times; and how even after 8 months of being in a big boy bed you still call out for me to come get you in the morning. there are so many more things i know i am forgetting, but this list is good enough.
sharing your "stars breakfast" with emma. you share your cereal with her every morning while she waits for her toast.
birthday pool time with friends sascha and adelle
i love you so much my baby boy! thank you for making me a mama. it's my dream come true. my heart has grown in unexpected ways since you have joined our family and i feel so lucky you are ours! happy third birthday!

love, your mama
birthday bubble bath!
three year stats
29.8 pounds - 50%
38 inches - 75%

Sunday, July 22, 2012

celebrate!

my sweet, incredible friend mindy celebrated her 30th birthday a couple of weeks ago and i couldn't resist throwing together a little breakfast in celebration of her 30 years! we met up for a yummy breakfast at syrup in cherry creek. and really, what could be better than yummy food and the morning spent chatting with friends?! thanks for being bron mindy! you are the best!

Saturday, July 21, 2012

happy fourth!

i love the fourth of july! it's one of my favorite holidays. although this year it was a little disappointing since no fireworks were allowed. it was for good reason since a good part of the state of colorado was on fire, but still a bummer. we still made the most of it though.
in the morning we headed to "zach's toy toss." a family in dave's ward growing up (and the brother and sister were in our singles branch) had a little boy named zach who passed away years ago on the 4th of july. he used to throw his toys on the roof and so each fourth they invite their friends to throw new toys on the roof and they donate them to children's hospital. it's such a great thing. this year logan was big enough to throw the toy up on the roof (with pappy's help), although it did take multiple attempts (it kept bouncing off the gutter).
such a cute picture!
we spent the afternoon at a bbq with dave's family. soo much good food! i brought white chocolate cream cheese strawberries that were so yummy!
emma still wasn't feeling 100%, but she sure looked cute!
hello hot stuff!
and we tested out the new pool from gammy and pappy. despite their faces it was a hit.
i love the usa and feel so blessed to live here and for all those who have and still do sacrifice so much for freedom.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

happy

things that have made me happy over the last couple of days:

dave and i went to the temple on tuesday night. it was so wonderful to be there with him (the last couple of times we have gone separately). there is something incredible about sitting in the temple, discussing everyday life but having a little more of an eternal perspective. as we walked out of the temple a man walked up to us and said, "i saw the most wonderful thing tonight in the temple session. the two of you and the love you obviously have for one another." it made my day and i was so happy he shared with us. 


the way emma always finds necklaces (think mardi gras beads) and just layers them on! she looks so cute all accessorized!

talking to our stake relief society president about my calling and some of my concerns. she is so wise, inspired and made me feel like i am doing a good job. i am so grateful for those people who make you feel better about yourself and you leave their presence (or hang up the phone) walking a little taller. i want to be one of those people.

blue bell ice cream was on sale for $3.99. their strawberries and homemade vanilla ice cream is heavenly. 


the sounds of my kids laughing together in the other room. i love their belly laughs!



emma's "happy face." if you ask to see it she'll give you a big toothy smile (she has got so many teeth)!


the way logan's shorts and underwear are a little rolled/crazy and his shirt is usually tucked in in some weird spot after he's gone to the bathroom. it makes me laugh. and makes me so proud of my big boy!


talking about life with my oldest niece lexi as i drove her home the other night. she is such a beautiful and grounded girl with such a wonderful understanding about what is really important in life (please, please don't let that change as you grow). i am really trying to savor those moments since she and her family are moving to utah in about a month (it hurts my heart even to think about it, so i don't).

watching logan sleep. it never gets old and any frustration i might have felt with him melts away as i watch him peacefully sleep. 

watching emma do her side-step walk. she is a full on walker now (yea!) and i love watching her cruise around our house.

reading books that remind me of great women who do great things, even if to "the world" they seem simple and ordinary. i'm so grateful to be a member of the relief society and for the legacy of women who have gone before me and done remarkable things. i have been filled with such gratitude as i have been reading daughters in our kingdom (seriously, it's amazing). i have also been so uplifted by this sweet book (and i love that i can just read a little "secret" here and there when i have a moment)!

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

todd family reunion 2012: denver

a couple of days before and after breckenridge were spent hanging out at my parent's house, swimming and going to jumpstreet.  
a step on my parent's deck broke and so matt...with a lot of little helpers fixed it. 
 poor emma just wasn't feeling great. it was apparent when i found her just laying on my parent's living room floor. emma is a mover and never just lays there.
 myles' loves babies! he is more into babies than most 8 year old boys. he was constantly asking to hold baby lauren. so sweet!
 riding nana's exercise bike
 with goggles. more for style than safety!
"i wear my sunglasses at night..." 
i turned around one night on our drive home to find logan sportin' his shades
 the day before ryan and lynda headed back to nyc we packed in the fun. we started out at jumpstreet, went to chick-fil-a for lunch and playing at the play place and ended up at the pool for a few hours. it was non-stop fun (and led to a 6:15 beadtime)!
 emma was starting to feel better but still spent most of jumpstreet in her stroller
 
logan kept running away to "play" the video games. it was driving me crazy and i found myself saying a typical parent thing like, "we didn't pay money for you to sit at these video games. go jump!"
too funny not to post
 nana watched the sleeping babies at the pool
my kids love swimming (emma did swim even though the only picture is of her sleeping)! and add cousins into the mix and life couldn't be better!
 ava is so beautiful!