Chrysa's Birthday Spa

I can't believe our little girl has been 3 years old for a while now.  This next Feb. she will turn 4.  Crazy.  She's my only girl and she's growing up too fast.  Once again, I'm doing a blog post catch-up because I wanted to capture our Sweetie's third birthday.

 

Here are the banners I probably spent three hours putting together.  I know that my silly decorations probably take too much time.  But it's paper and stickers.  Inexpensive little things I know my little girl will look back on and cherish because she will realize all the time her Mommy put into making her birthday look and feel special.  Right?  A mother can only hope.  

When I was strolling through Party City to figure out what to do for Chrysa's party, I asked her, "What kind of party do you want?"  She said she wanted "A Mermaid Party."  I'm not much for the typical Dora or Princess party even though she is a princess.  And since I wasn't sure I knew how to do a mermaid party, I allowed it to be my guide for a color theme.  So I picked a few colors that looked mermaidish to me.  And yes, that's a word now.  And I stole the idea of a spa from a friend which I thought was clever and figured I could do that and make it easy.  I already had many of the things to do it with.  A foot spa.   Lotion.  Oils.  Cucumbers.  What mermaid doesn't want to be pampered right?

Here's her spread and yummy cake.  Apples to munch on with OnGuard essential oils and the little plate in the lower left corner had the sliced cucumbers, either for eating or placing on your eyes.

I really thought I was being creative here by using these little stones that I use for Christmas decorating. A few branches from the trees outside.  And some cheap tissue paper made into poms for a rough coral and under-the-sea type feel.

 Here's Daddy being himself.

Sadly, no one showed up for a good half hour and we thought the party was going to be just our family.  Boo!  I was probably more sad than my daughter.  She was so excited for everything, she could care less if no one came.  She knew this was all for her.

So we made the most of it and had my sister snap some candid shots of us at the Day Spa.

I prayed that this little darling would have some friends to play with that day.  We'd even made homemade handscrubs to play and get all mucky with.  What kid wouldn't love to come to a kid's spa?  Seriously, those who didn't show up missed out.

We had foot spas going. . .

. . . And nail polish and lotions scented with your choice of essential oils to take home as party favors.  Any girls that came were to mix their lotions and then I would throw some cookies in the bag and tie them up for them to take home.  

Eventually, her little cousins showed up.  And some neighbor friends.  Even though most of them were boys, they had fun getting wet and messy.  Isn't that what you're supposed to let kids do on their birthdays? And at birthday parties?  Little Lilly sure seemed fascinated by the foot spa.

Probably her first pedicure.  Nothing like a grown manly-man like Uncle Elliot to show his daughter how it's done.

I love that face.

I think Aunt Tiffy is contemplating getting her feet in the foot spa.    

Big brother Tate wanted in on the foot spa action too.  In fact, I think the boys enjoyed the foot spa more than the girls did.  

And I love how he joined in on the cucumber eye game as well.  

This little guy didn't know what to make of anything at first.

Until Daddy started giving him the tickles.

Our good neighbor Ernestina came by with her baby girl Emma and painted her toes for the first time too.  She even coordinated their clothes to match our party theme colors.  Just kidding.  Not really. But I guess it was meant to be.

Isn't that the sweetest little pedi?

And here's our sweet friend Sandy with her youngest boy Roman.

Gabey, her oldest, brings Chrysa a gift.  I think this photo is rather funny.  Girl gets a present from an older boy and for whatever reason, Cousin Tate doesn't look to happy about this.

I was soon to be surrounded by babies.  Really sweet ones.

Meanwhile, Mr. Sneaky Pants II is taking advantage of the fact that Mommy isn't paying much attention to what he's doing.  At least Uncle Elliot caught him on camera as he snuck away as many cookies as possible.

And here of course if Mr. Sneaky Pants I.  Guess the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Pretty soon, Mr. Gabey had joined in on the stealing of cookies.  I only say that because these were the whole wheat vegan cookies I had prepared to go into the goodie bag party favors that they were all getting into, you see.  So the favors just didn't get as many take home cookies.  I guess not everything will go as originally planned.  At least they were thoroughly enjoyed.  

And where was Mr. Hinckley while this scandal took place?  Serving a time-out for pushing other kids.

And then it was singing/cake time.  

I think this year, she finally blew out her own candle and made a wish.  No big-brother help needed this time.

Roman enjoying some cake it seems.

And yes, the mermaid princess did get spoiled with presents from Aunt April (home-made pizza) and Aunt Tiffany (clothes and a doll), our neighbors and friends, and Mom & Dad, and Grandma, who couldn't make it, but sent her gift with Tiff (another lovely church dress).

 The "Tangled" doll was probably her favorite thing ever.

But she also loves this crown now and insists on wearing it wherever she goes.

We sure love our little Chrysalis Rae.  She is a ray of sunshine wherever she goes and we can't imagine our lives without her.  Happy 3rd Birthday Sweetie!  Hope you enjoyed your Mermaid/Spa Party.  Love, Mom and Dad.

Initial Impressions Performance night and Cancun Cafe

I'm sure a lot of you know I've been working on some recreational dance projects lately.  It feels good to dance again.  Even at 4 months along, back in April roughly which was when I think this took place.  I was privileged to participate in a dance performance again for the group I've been working with: The Nap Time Dancers - a group of dancing Moms, created by and for moms and those who support that a woman should continue her artistic endeavors long after she has made it a priority to put her family responsibilities first.  So on this night, my whole family came out to support my sister Gio and I who were in this small performance Entitled Initial Impressions.  It was a collective work of mini-pieces where each dancer was inspired by a letter of the Alphabet for their choreography.  It could be a literal or abstract idea.  There were 26 dancers total from all over the nation.  Some had done video pieces from as far away as Scotland and others were there doing live performances that night.  I chose the letter F and my mini-piece was entitled "Flowering."  Gio and I were there live.  Please don't judge my poor technique too harshly.  I've had babies.  Three of them.  And I was dancing four months along with our fourth.   

After it was over, we went out to Cancun Cafe in SLC to eat ginormous burritos.

Some pics of the night.

Sure wish we'd had this high chair at the performance because this little guy kept wandering on stage to perform.  I guess that's the nice thing about a group of performing artists who have little ones.  Everyone understands the situation and no one cares.  Some moms even performed with infants in carriers.  Or in their bellies.  One way or the other, it was fun to see what moms did.  We finally got him to stay put for the night.  He was one happy guy with so much food.

Me and my supportive hubby who still struggles to understand why we dancers NEED to dance but was there for both shows regardless.  Thanks Hunny for making the effort.

All these two understand is food.  They practically ate 3/4 of this burrito on their own.  Didn't I say they were ginormous?

Training Wheels Finally Come Off

I guess this video pretty much speaks for itself.  The training wheels finally came off for this little guy.  I know some kids get this sooner, but this little guy has always been a more cautious dude.  Good quality to have.  Either way, this will show Mo.  Mauricio (Mo - my brother) didn't learn how to ride a bike until he was on a mission.  He had a 12-year-old kid from his mission show him how to do it.  So he finally learned to ride a bike at 19 years old.  Still love him.  But his nephew did it at 5.  Pretty dang good if you ask me.

First Snow of 2012

The mild winter we had this past year was well accepted by myself.  I'm not a fan of lots of snow.  Though I was kind of sad that my kids and their Dad never went sledding this year.  There just wasn't enough snow and it wouldn't stick when it did.  It would be melting by the next morning.  I know these pictures aren't the greatest but it's all I could manage the night it finally snowed enough to build a snowman.  

Fuzzy shot, I know.

Rolling up the bottom of the snowman.

Hinckley discovering what snow is for the first time.  "What's all this?"

Kids making foot prints.

Eating snow.

It looked as though he was carving out a huge pawn chess piece at first.

And here, is the finished snowman, complete with carrot nose and crepe paper scarf, eyes, and smile.  Oh, and the branching arms.

Sleeping in Strange Places

This girl, for some reason, doesn't like sleeping in her bed.  She always seems to roll out of bed onto the floor and that's where she is most comfortable.  Never mind that Mommy spent hours trying to paint and set up her little toddler bed with cute handmade bedding.  I thought she would love it.  On this occasion, she decided she would sleep walk into the kitchen and fall asleep on the floor using the kitchen mat as her pillow.  I don't get it.  I guess that's more comfy than her cute little toddler bed.  Go figure.  

The Christmas Surprise

 I'm sure we've announced we're having a baby.  But I'm not certain we ever took account of how we came to discover him.  Before I begin, I just want any one of my friends who are sensitive to the topic to realize that I'm in no way ungrateful for this new little blessing that has been sent our way.  But I want to be open and honest about my feelings all the time.  I know many out there have struggled with fertility and miscarriages which I hope never to have to encounter myself but sometimes being really fertile is not as desirable as thought to be.

Perhaps it was because I was just weaning Hinckley and because my hormones were and still are a little wacky that it wasn't quite the most exciting surprise to receive - at first.  I'll be honest.  After Hinckley, I really wanted a break.  A long break.  Like 5 years.  Before even thinking about having another infant around.  To spare you all of too many details, I just wanted to have and feel a sense of normal in my cycles for a while.  In the past 6 years of marriage, I have either been pregnant or nursing and so it's been a rough ride on me hormonally and I'll admit I was starting to feel it.  I felt somewhat depleted and just exhausted at first.  And then I began experiencing symptoms of mild anemia.  So you see, this combination just may not have been what my brain wanted to hear when I noticed some regularity in my cycles again that were abruptly cut short.  I began to worry.  It wasn't like my cycles to return and suddenly disappear.  I'd had about two of them that were pretty regular before I noticed it wasn't coming again.  As someone who has always had a pretty healthy fertility, and never been on any birth control or anything to alter my cycles, I knew all too well what it meant.  But I was in serious denial for the longest time.

I was already having a rough day and Alex was just jumping into the shower.  It must have been one of his days off because he was at home and I was just going about the monotonous routine of finishing up lunch and washing dishes.  I believe I was moody about something but I can't recall what now.  I know we had been talking, and he decided he was going to go shower to change the scene up because I was in such a grumpy mood.  After I'd finished the dishes, I went to sit on the bed and then this surge of tears came out of nowhere.  I know I cry for things at times, but I just got extremely moody this day.  I just wanted to cry.  For no real good reason.  Why on earth did I feel this way?

And then it dawned on me.  I had one extra pregnancy test tucked away in a make-up box under my bathroom sink.  It was from when I was testing to see if I was pregnant with Hinckley yet.  My previous three babies were all very much desired and well planned.  Well . . . I don't know if we really plan WELL but let's just say we knew what we were doing and what we wanted the outcome to be.  This baby's conception came about a little different.  As I took this test, I anxiously waited and then I froze.  I couldn't look at the results.  I knew.  But I didn't want to face it for whatever reason.  Like I said, I was grumpy and moody that day.  So I waited for Alex to get out of the shower and told him what I'd just done and told him to go look for me.  He was like, "What?!  You really think it's possible?"

For not wanting to disturb any young readers out there, basically there was only one occasion that could possibly be credited for being the one night in which conception took place.  Alex knew this as well as I did.  We had been careless but in no way thought it was possible for it to be SO easy.  Our first three were not hard to conceive either, so I'm not sure why we were so surprised.  But it probably had something to do with the fact that we really were not anxious to have another little infant in our lives just yet.

I'll admit, though Alex's jobs have been good to us, we always seem to be barely making it by.  And there are rare occasions in which we've had to bite the bullet and ask for help, be it from family or our bishops in wards past.  We've been reading so much about becoming self-sufficient without being on any kind of government assistance because we don't feel it right to take advantage of such programs.  We were ready for a break from having babies to be able to get ahead in life financially and really grow up and become the responsible parents we know we can be if we are more diligent and disciplined.  So our finances were definitely not in a place we would have liked them to be when we finally opened our eyes to see the two little lines on the pregnancy test.    

And that wasn't enough for me.  Alex was a little shocked, but just as in the past, he got excited quickly.  I had to run to the store and get another test to make sure because I told him, "That can't be right.  It's an old pregnancy test.  It must be expired."  I was in denial.  Big time.  Not quite ready to embrace the idea of another little infant.  Pregnancy hardships.  Labor.  Nursing again.  Sleepless nights.  Even though Hinckley was a great sleeper compared to my other two.  It's still hard.  Having an infant is demanding.  As much as I love them, I don't always feel like I deserve them.  Why would Heavenly Father think I was fit to be the mother of yet another baby at this time?  I guess those are questions I will one day have the full answer to.

I took the second test.  I believe I was so upset by seeing that vertical line on the plus sign I said something along the lines of, "Why?  Why couldn't God give this baby to someone who's sincerely trying to get pregnant?"  I mean, seriously, look at how bold that line is.  There was no denying it at that point.  Very much unexcited, I snapped some quick photos to document the scene.  I had three friends cross my mind who all happened to be on fertility treatments of some kind at that very moment.  One of which has now recently been blessed with twins.  I hope she doesn't mind me saying so.  But she will remain nameless here.  I'm super happy for her now, but I know God blesses families in many different ways at different times of their lives.  Her trials may not have been my own, but I am a different and unique being with my own set of learning experiences.  It's funny and ironic that way.  Life is funny.  Someone who desperately wants to get pregnant and can't for the longest time, vs. someone who easily can but doesn't want to.  All I have to say is God works in mysterious ways.

On a brighter note, we've definitely grown to love this little guy.  He moves and kicks like none of my other three have.  I'm convinced he is going to be a Kung Fu Master and Alex likes that idea.  At night when we go to sleep and cuddle together, he can actually feel him kicking through my tummy without making too much effort to feel for his kicks.  One night it was so bad, he had to move away because he said this baby was keeping him from going to sleep.  Go figure.  How do you think I feel?

This baby is teaching us so much and he's not even here yet.  And even though he was a surprise to us all, I want him to know that we love him.  I want him to feel our love for him and to know his story.  He will be known as my Lucky Charm because of all the life lessons I have learned from his so far.  My Christmas Surprise.  Because we discovered him shortly after the hustle and bustle of Christmas this past year.  And I'm certain he will continue to teach me things once he enters this world.  I have learned so much from all of my babies.  They teach me more than they will ever know.  Even when I least want to learn them.  I would be lost without them.  Each and every one. I grow more anxious every day, not only because I am ready to not be pregnant anymore, but because I do want to see and know this little person that has been sent at this special time of my life when I felt least prepared.  I know my Heavenly Father is stretching me and that he wouldn't bless me with this opportunity if he didn't see me fit to fulfill my duty to him.  I guess I am more fit than I thought I was.

We love you baby.  Can't wait to meet you.  Thanks for being the surprise in our lives that you are.  

Christmas Eve Dinner

 So, I'm not sure where all these photos were, but they keep showing up and I've got a few dozen more trapped in my camera for now, so stay tuned for the upcoming birthdays that I should have posted on months ago.  Hopefully, I can find my camera cord soon so I can download them to blog about.  Since I'm bouncing around, here's our Christmas dinner photos.  Or some of them.

My Dad.  With all the Seasons Greetings from friends posted on our fridge in the background.  

My Mom and her Grandson.  

Tater playing house with Chrysa.  

And yes, we actually had Turkey.

Along with Tamales.  

Sweet potato Pudding.  

 A Russian salad my Dad made.

And Homemade Apple Pie!  Yummy.  

Digesting food.  

Lilly enjoying her meal.

Some of Hinckley's First Steps

Obviously, these aren't quite the first steps.  But they're pretty close.  I believe this short video was taken a couple days after he finally started taking steps on his own.  Don't ask me when this was exactly.  A few days before Christmas I'm sure.  I'm behind.  I know.  And bouncing around from one part of the timeline to another.

Scrapbook Gems

 I started a scrapbook a long time ago that I was going to put all these precious gems into.  Let's face it.  That scrapbook has not had a fair chance at life.  Since I recently decided I wasn't going to turn into a pack rat, I thought it would be wise to always capture photos of the kids crafts before tossing them out. Because clutter can definitely clutter my brain sometimes.  This is a great way to store these treasures without cluttering my house.  It's the memories we take with us anyways.  Not the papers.  Above are the Halloween crafts the kids made at the library.

The Library Reading Program passport that Orion carried all last summer as he breezed through books galore to gets his rewards.  

The program that was handed out on the Sunday that little cousin Lilly was blessed.  

A little hard to read but you can see where Grandpa and Grandma Huntington said the opening and closing prayers.  

Another random Library craft Orion And Chrysa made.  Can you tell who made which?

A Visit From Tom

Can you guess which two delinquents showed up right before Tom had to go and just in time to capture a photo of the moment?  

 Anyways, we only had a few hours to chat to this wonderful visitor of ours back in Feb. or March.  But it was fun to see him again.  In case you're wondering who this is, well, it's my cousin Ursula's husband Tom.  We sure wish we could hang out with these guys on a more regular basis.

When we get together, it seems as though they're always trying to convince us to move out to New Hampshire.  In return, we would like to see them out in Utah.  We have so much in common.  Too bad we practically live on opposite sides of the nation.