Family News

The past week and a half has been a trying one for our family. Grandpa Manwill passed away last Monday - December 1st. I actually had the priviledge of being at his bedside along with many other family members at the time of his passing. What an incredible experience that was. All week I've wondered what Grandpa has been doing and how he has been. He was an amazing person and I am a better person for knowing him.

Friday I was substituting when I got a text from my dad telling me my brother Tyler had broken his leg skiing. That night he had surgery to put a rod in his leg. He's doing well but will be on crutches for awhile.

Saturday was Grandpa's funeral. It was nice but sad. And to top it off I had a nasty cold, lost my voice, and now Spencer has it! We are blessed however. Lucy is still feeling well. And Saturday at the funeral I couldn't help but feel how much love my extended family has for each other. Life is so fragile and we are all we have for each other. Thanks for being a part of my family! Oh, this picture is of Lucy and her two second cousins, Kaylee and Peyton. Peyton is just one day older than her and Kaylee was born the first part of July. This was last Sunday at Peyton's blessing. I thought it was cute.

6 Months Old Already!!!

It is absolutely insane that our little girl is already 6 months old! It may be a cliche but it really is true that they grow so fast. She has developed nicely - weighing in at her last appointment at 18 lbs. 3 oz. She's slowed down the growing a bit - she's in the 89% for weight now - down from 98%. She's also 26 1/2 inches long. She developing just right - she can now sit up on her own completely unassisted and she reaches for and grabs things. We can tell she really wants to crawl. She will lean forward and get her hands and one foot in position to crawl but is not sure what to do from there. She's learned to be mobile anyway though - she'll roll around and scoot to get to where she wants to go. She also loves to grab everything she sees and loves to see how it all tastes. We have her eating solids twice a day and so far she prefers sweet potatoes and squash to peas and carrots. She loves the Christmas tree we put up - she will stare at the lights and grab for the branches and ornaments. We also just got a cat and she loves petting him. We love watching her grow and develop. It's such an amazing experience!

Going Private

We will be taking our blog private in the next couple of days.  If you would like to be invited (and I would love to invite you:) please drop me a note with your email address.  Thanks!

Halloween Pics

For her very first Halloween, Lucy was a cute little Moo Cow and her Mommy and Daddy were farmers. We went to the ward Halloween party and did a little trick or treating (like 3 pieces of candy 'cause let's be honest - she's not going to eat it). Lucy and Mommy also went to Daddy's school and walked in the parade. Then on Halloween we handed out candy. It was a lot of fun!

5 Months Already! WOW!

Yes, I understand she's almost 6 months old already and I'm just getting this posted. Sorry! Here are the new skills Lucy acquired by 5 months old: She learned to turn from her back to her belly and then, just a week later, from her belly to her back (she realized that she didn't like being on her belly and hated being stuck until someone decided to turn her back over). She could sit on her own for about a minute before tumbling over on her side. And she had her first meal of something besides breast milk or formula - the ever appetizing baby rice cereal which she absolutely loved. She's been eyeing us as we eat for awhile. Unfortunately she has also quit sleeping through the night - waking up at least once a night to eat. Hopefully as we get more solids in her she will go back to sleeping through the night. We love her so much and it's so much fun to watch her grow and learn.

I am an American

I was so proud to be an American last night as I watched the election coverage.  McCain was gracious and Obama was every bit the man I voted for.  I loved hearing him talk about his plan for the future - how "we can" not how he can.  I think it is amazing how many people have backed him up and how many people have made a difference in his campaign.  It gives me hope for our country - hope that things can turn around and that it's not just the government that's going to do it - it's the people.  I am excited to have him and his family represent us.

What we've been up to:

Moving - Here's our last picture at our old place. :(

Painting - We are doing Lucy's room as a jungle so green it is!

Enjoying nature - Outside we have some flowers Lucy loved to examine.

Visiting with family - Here is Lucy with her Great-Grandpa & Great-Grandma Manwill.

Bathing - Lucy having lots of fun in the tub... er... sink!

Picnicking - There is a park a 5 minute walk from our house. We had lunch and enjoyed the nice weather this afternoon.

4 months old!...two weeks ago!

So our little dinosaur turned 4 months old on September 29th - 2 days after moving. Needless to say, it's taken awhile to get these posted. They were her first photos in our new house which was exciting. Also - her new skills. She loves to grab her feet now, especially when you change her diaper. She also can roll to her side (but not all the way over yet). She loves to jabber and most of all to stand up (with your help of course). She also loves to look out the window and to grab at everything - especially my hair! She likes to take her binki out of her mouth but then gets upset that she can't get it back in - that is a hoot. At her four month appointment she weighed in at 16 lbs. 13 oz. and was 26 in. long - putting her in the 97% and 95% - so she is growing at about the same rate - chunky!!

Moved!

Posting is getting a bit trickier now that we have officially moved. We are making sure our new budget (new house, staying home with Lucy) works out in the best possible way so we are doing without cable and internet for awhile. That means I need to get to the library (which is actually really close by:) in order to post. As soon as we get our computer set up, I'll download Lucy's 4 month photos.
Things are really working out for us. We've been busy, busy, busy lately with packing, moving, and unpacking (which takes soooo much longer!). We are also spending time with friends and family and cheering on the Angels as they play in the postseason. Life is good. Hope everything is well with all of you. :)

Family Photos

So almost a month ago we had family photos taken at Target. Here are the cutest of them. We are moving Saturday and won't have internet at our new place at least for awhile so I'll keep this up as best I can but you'll have to be patient with me!

Our cute little family!

Sold! Update

Just a quick update - we got the house!! Our offer was accepted and we should be closing next week and then moving next weekend. Our new place is in Taylorsville at about 2900 West and 4500 South - in the neighborhood behind Hires and Marie Calender's and the Drivers License Division. So if anyone is bored next weekend, you know what we'll be doing so you are more than welcome to come help (hint, hint :).

Sold!

So after nearly 6 months on the market, our condo finally sold!! We got the offer last weekend and accepted it. The past week has been insane as we've been house hunting for a place of our own. I swear I've looked at more than 50 houses in the past week. We finally found one we'd like and made an offer on it last night. It's in Taylorsville - 4 beds, 3 baths, super cute, and a good price. We'll let you all know how things turn out!!

3 Months Old!!

Time sure flies! Lucy's third monthday was Friday so of course we had to take photos. Though, unfortunately we didn't get to on her actual monthday. Thursday evening we had pictures taken as a family in a studio and Saturday morning Spencer took these cute nakey shots. Our little girl is growing like a weed still. I took her to the doctor's office last week because she had a slight fever and we found out just how much she is growing. She's made it all the way to 15 lbs. 6 oz. already!! She's also learned to laugh (our favorite thing to do is find new ways to get her to do this), and to put weight on her legs. She loves to "stand" on our legs and bounce up and down. She also jabbers a ton, sucks her thumb, and has learned how to grab onto things a lot better - especially cloth. It's funny how exciting little advances are to us - we must be new parents!!

Lucy's Blessing

We blessed Lucy last Sunday (Aug.4) in our ward. It was a lot of fun to have so many friends and family come to church with us and then to have lunch afterward. Lucy looked absolutely adorable in her outfit.

She wore the same blessing dress and bonnet that I wore when I was blessed 26 years ago! Her Grandma Manwill made them for me when I was a baby. She also made Lucy some cute little booties to go with it. Spencer gave her the blessing and both of her great-grandpas were there for it, which was really special for me. Her Great-Grandpa Mac lives 3 hours away and her Great-Grandpa Manwill is 92 and has a hard time getting places so I was really glad they both made it. Afterward we had lunch at our clubhouse and so many important people in our lives - family and friends - were there to help us celebrate and remember this special day!

Summer, Pioneer day, and Baseball

Nothing beats summer and baseball. Ab-so-lutely nothing. That being said, what could be better than a little holiday spent at the ballpark?

I've never been big on celebrating Pioneer day. Don't misunderstand- I'm very grateful for the pioneers and the sacrifices they made in crossing the plains and settiling the beautiful desert of Utah. But I have no pioneer ancestry, and I grew up in California (where almost everyone has never heard of pioneer day). So, when I poured my bowl of honey nut cheerios and sat down to watch The Price is Right, I was expecting to celebrate Pioneer day by lounging around the house. My wife had other plans, though. Namely, the Oklahoma RedHawks vs. the Salt Lake Bees. Needless to say, I gave the proposal my sustaining vote and looked forward to taking our little girl to her first game at the ballpark.


When she wasn't sleeping, Lucy was entirely focused on the game. I had already taught her the basic rules of baseball, so she was able to relax and take it all in. We got to see a little of everything: a few big home runs, some good defense, and a good 1-2-3 ninth inning to assure a Bee's victory. Lucy even tolerated the fireworks afterwards quite well. Our first (of many) family trips to the ballpark was a wild success.

In fact, this has been a great season to hook Lucy on baseball. The Angels are the major's best team and have been giving us plenty of wins to enjoy.

Lucy and I watching an Angels homerun vs. the Red Sox.

If you come to our house in the evening, chances are you'll find Lucy and I in front of the computer watching MLB.TV. We'll be getting Lucy an Angels onesie before October comes around. A two-month old already into baseball makes for one very proud daddy.

Guess what Wii did!?

Yep, you guessed it - we gave in and bought a Wii. We've both been eyeing one for awhile and on Tuesday we saw that Walmart had three. We both hemmed and hawed but didn't get it. So Spencer went to get it Wednesday and they were all gone!! We called a bunch of Walmarts but to no avail. Then Spencer's dad suggested GameStop. There's one at the mall by us so Spencer ran over and got it with 15 minutes left to spare until they closed. It is a truly addicting habit! I can't believe how much we've played already. It logs how much time you spend playing each day and it's amazing how fast the time goes. So we got a fun party game if anyone wants to come over for dinner and some Wii!!

Two Months Old - Our Chunky Monkey!!

So Lucy turned two months old on Tuesday. It's hard to believe how fast the time goes and how fast she changes and grows. Speaking of growing - Lucy is growing like a weed!! She weighed in at a whopping 13 lbs. 12 oz.! My sister-in-law EmilyAnn said my milk must be chocolate! It puts her in the 98% for weight. But she's healthy - she also grew to 24 inches long, putting her in the 96%. So basically she is a big healthy kid which we are happy and grateful for. She also got her first immunizations at her doctor's appointment. She was really tough about it - only crying for a few minutes. She's been more fussy than usual since then and running a bit of a fever but she's doing really well. Doctor said she looks great and we agree. These photos are her second monthday photos. We decided to dress her for some of them in a dress we got last summer on our honeymoon in Mexico. It's a good thing I remembered about the dress because she almost doesn't fit in it already!!

Family Reunion

Two weekends ago (July 17 -20), Lucy got to go on her first vacation. We loaded up the Van Hoose van and traveled to Reno, Nevada with her Grandma Van Hoose, Uncle Jeff, and Aunts Kristen and Tracie. It was a long ride but she did wonderfully, sleeping most of the way with hardly any fussing. While we were there we got to spend time with Spencer's extended family. Thursday night we went to dinner with some aunts and cousins - some of whom I had never met. The next day we battled stop and go traffic to make it to a picnic at Donner Lake just on the other side of the Nevada-California border. There we met even more cousins and extended family, including Jossalyn, Lucy's 2nd cousin who is only 3 weeks older than she is. We took a cute photo of the two of them (see below:). The reunion was all of Spencer's Great Grandpa's descendants, so there were a lot of Van Hooses around! The weather was great and it was beautiful up in the mountains. That afternoon his dad surprised us by joining us in Reno and that night we played a rousing game of Outburst with the more immediate cousins and aunts. The Van Hoose clan is quite the competitive one, so I fit right in! Saturday night was the concluding activity - a BBQ at a relative's in Reno. The heat let up and the night was beautiful. We had an awesome meal and afterward we got to hear stories about Spencer's grandpa and his nine brothers and sisters. It was really cool to hear some of the stories and Spencer was able to record them on our new video camera. I actually missed most of them because I was taking care of Lucy and chatting with cousins inside. After the memories the real fun started though - karaoke! Spencer and Jeff even treated us to a rockin' version of "Born to be Wild." Don't worry, we got it on video :)

Lucy's got skills!

So at the ripe age of 7 1/2 weeks, Lucy has gained quite a handful of new skills. She now can hold her head up for short periods of time (though it's still a bit like a bobblehead). She is cooing and making all sorts of new sounds. She has also discovered how to put her hands in her mouth. She loves to suck on her hands. We finally got her to take a binki - something we would like her to do to help soothe her but that we don't want her to get too attached to so we are actually glad it took her awhile. And finally... She smiles!! And I mean real, "I'm amused and happy" smiles!! I haven't gotten one on film just quite yet but here's one of her enjoying a meal of baby fist.

Back in the Game

So I got back in the game Friday night. I've been on the DL for our coed softball team this season because of Lucy but Friday night they needed me to be the designated hitter (they just needed me to bat) for the post season. In our third game of the night, I got a hit (if you can call it that - I should have been out but I got lucky). Then I went from first to third off someone else's hit. The next batter got out at first but the third base coach sent me home. It was a close play so I had to slide if I wanted to be safe. It was a textbook slide - absolutely perfect - and I was safe! But... I paid for it in the end. Check it out. This was that night but it actually looks worse now that it's starting to heal.

Housekeeping Tag

So my friend Manda tagged me. The photos were taken yesterday but I promise I followed the rules.

These are the "rules" for the tag:
Take pictures of the following things just as they are, with no stopping to clean, straighten, or to wipe a child's nose: the kitchen sink, the fridge, the toilet, the closet, the laundry room, your favorite shoes, your favorite room, and your kids.

It's suppossed to help you feel better if your house isn't exactly picture perfect.

Dinner Dishes waiting for the dishwasher to be emptied.

I don't know, looks pretty good to me. Plus, Spencer pulled everything out and cleaned it last week.

Once again, my wonderful husband, summer vacation, and the fact our place is on the market help keep things relatively clean.

I share with Spencer, but really, you can tell who takes up the majority of the space, especially when it comes to the shoes.

It's small but does the job.

My favorite shoes are actually MIA but these are probably my #2 pair right now.

My favorite room, or more accurately, my favorite piece of furniture - the BEDroom. Oh sleep, elusive sleep, how I miss thee!!

Isn't she the cutest!! I love my little girl!!

Oh, I'm suppossed to tag someone else now so I tag Michelle and Stacie if they feel like it!!

Cute Dress

I just couldn't help but to post a photo of Lucy in her dress today. I love how she's waving to the camera! She wore this to church today and was just so cute - alert and awake - and she and we managed to keep it clean through 2 diaper changes. That is quite a feat with Lucy!