Perfect Saturday

We live in an absolutely beautiful place. If we ever have to leave, I will be sad to leave the chilly but gorgeous forest-meets-beach. Since we have moved here, it is Jason's favorite place to go. I never really realized how beautiful it was here growing up. I guess it takes an outsider's perspective to help you recognize the unique beauty of the pacific northwest. I think any place is beautiful though, as long as it is a backdrop to my sweet family.

Sissy Goo turns 1

The Party

The Birth

(Some of these pictures are a little trippy to me, because Ember looks so much like Reagan did then.)

Ember's first birthday totally snuck up on me this year. Despite a busy weekend and lack of much time to plan, we still managed to celebrate accordingly last Sunday on her actual birthday. If subsequent children's birthday parties keep following suit, by the 9th or 10th child, I'll probably just throw a cupcake to them in the back seat of the car and call it good. Just kidding, we are not having 10 kids. I still might throw a cupcake at them though, just because it sounds kind of fun. Ember (we'll call her Sissy, I never call her Ember) is just the sweetest little baby I could have ever asked for. She and Reagan could not be more different, but they each play such a dynamic role in the way that our family "is." Sissy is such a quiet and sensitive little girl, and she makes me feel so loved. If there is one word that embodies what this girl is all about, it is "love." Love and tenderness just permeate from her. She looks at me and I melt. She is an observer and a deep thinker. Now, her deep thinking may be about food, but when she looks at or watches something, you can almost see the wheels turning in her round little bulb-head. Yes, she inherited the big ol' Pratt forehead, and I just love it (although, it almost certainly means a lifetime of the age-old question and one that I have struggled with myself, "bangs or no bangs?") She looks so much like my dad to me, only a much prettier version - no offense, dad, you're still pretty. She's got the squinty Pratt eyes to go along with it. My most favorite thing about my Sissy Goo is that she is such a good cuddler. Reagan stopped wanting to cuddle with me much when she became mobile (although she wants to now, which I like), but Ember gives me hugs and kisses about every five minutes, complete with her own sound effects - "aaaaaaw." This also means that she MUST be in the same room as me at all times, which has its own problems, but we won't get into that. =) I love her so much - she is the kind of child that really makes me realize on a day-to-day basis why I have kids and why I want more. I look at her and there is no doubt that this beautiful little girl came to me for a reason. She has helped me to learn to slow down, and reminds me constantly how much Heavenly Father must love me. I am so grateful for this little soul in our home. We all love her so much - I love that she needs me and thinks that I am just about the greatest thing that ever existed. Jason loves that she will grab his face and give him kisses and cuddles. Reagan loves having a little friend that just adores her and laughs at everything she does. She came into this world peacefully and continues to create a safe, peaceful feeling in our home. Happy Birthday, Sis.

Maurice the Beast

If you know my Reagan, you know of her immense love for the Disney Princesses. It was never my intention to introduce these perfectly skinny, big busted, and big-haired cartoon characters to my daughter before she was, say, five or six, but she has gotten a few gifts here and there of princess books and dresses, and now she is hooked. Have you ever noticed that all of the princesses come from single parent homes? In most, there is not even mention what happened to the other parent. I am forced to believe that all of these mysterious and estranged Disney mothers and fathers all live somewhere in a big castle in the sky, probably bitter that they didn't get their fifteen minutes of fame when their daughters and spouses/baby's daddy's or mommy's did. Reagan has only seen Beauty and the Beast and Sleeping Beauty and now she is thoroughly convinced that she is Belle. So, when the opportunity came along to see a Beauty and the Beast play put on by a local high school, as well as a meet-and-greet tea party with Belle, we could not pass it up. Belle happened to be played by a darling girl that is a friend of my brother's from our Stake. We knew many of the other cast members, and I was so impressed with the talent. Reagan was in absolute awe. I was so impressed with the talent - at least I think I was - I was probably watching Reagan 90% of the time. It was so much fun seeing her reaction, especially when Belle would sing and dance. That's my girly girl. It has been weeks, and she has not stopped talking about it. The play was 2.5 hours long, and Reagan sat through the entire thing, absolutely mesmerized. That is no small feat. My favorite things about all of this is that, for some reason she thinks the Beast's name is Maurice, which is actually Belle's father's name, and that when he finally turns into a prince at the end, his name is "Handsome." True story. I love that girl. A funny side note - there is a huge billboard down the street from our house with Belle and "Maurice" dancing on it, with Lumiere in the corner holding a platter of fruits and veggies. I think it's supposed to encourage healthy eating and active lifestyles, but I think it's funny because Beauty and the Beast is so 1991 and it seems like there are more recent Disney characters that kids would recognize more? Anyways, Reagan loves that sign and every day when we drive by it she screams "Looks! It's Belle and Maurice!" Being the clever person that I am, I always tell her "Yeah! I put that up there just for you!" to which she replies, "Thank you, momma, you're the best!" Yes, Reagan, I am.