Mango Baby

These pictures were from January 2014 when Clara had just gotten teeth, and we were experimenting on solid foods.

Nom, nom, nom!

Here's to new experiences and happy babies!

Thirteen for 2013

Sometimes we get discouraged about all the things we didn't do- goals we failed to achieve, or just things we didn't make the time for. Instead of lamenting and feeling guilty about what we missed, let's focus on some of the positive, uplifting, and even hard things we've done this year- even if they were unplanned and not a "goal".

Here are Thirteen  Awesome Accomplishments for 2013:


1. Made a baby
Clara Rose Davis came in 2013 while I battled with gestational diabetes, sickness, and stress. I am so glad everything turned out well.



2. Had something removed from my arm
Might not seem like a big deal to most people, but I have been working on overcoming my anxiety about needles, shots, etc. for the past five or so years and have come a looooong way. I didn't have any tears, and I didn't even feel like I was having a panic attack afterwards!



3. Moved
A somewhat expected change, but with very little information until the last minute. Sad to leave all our friends, but excited to move to a bigger city with a Temple and big airport, which hopefully translates into seeing family more!



4. Lots of fun family visits!
Nana & Poppa, Scott & Christina, Dad & Gayle, Boyd



5. Another year as RS President
Thank goodness for my amazing presidency members who have helped me out so much this year as I was traveling, sick, with a new babe, etc. Thank you!



6. Garage Sale
Participated last minute in a friends garage sale and got to unload stuff that I would have just donated anyway. Downsized and made money doing it!



7. Zumba!
I do not like to sweat, but I love to dance! I made a point to attend free Zumba exercise classes and loved being able to work out and make friends at the same time.




8. Sold our house/bought a house
It took a long time to find the right house to buy, but thankfully only took two weeks to sell our old house. What a huge relief it was to not have that house to worry about as we moved forward.




9. Pink Tea Society Parties
Had a blast participating in mommy and me tea parties (pink lemonade) with some church friends. Only wish we could have hosted more before moving. It was so fun planning, dressing up, and creating cute treats and activities for the mini ladies and gentleman who attended. It is always fun getting to know other moms better and visiting with them too!



10. Followed through on inspiration
- Ladies Night: Cheese party
- Red lipstick
- Mother's Lounge friends



11. Made new friends
- Invited people over for dinner and games
- Accepted every invitation we could
- Showed up to everything
- Combined Family Nights
- Ladies luncheon salad bar
- Grilled cheese Ladies luncheon




12. Ate fresh new things
Mango, papaya, fresh coconut, kale, beets, parsnips




13. Joined a choir!
I loved being a part of a church choir again. Part of what I loved about Zach when we first started dating was that he was in the ward choir when we met. I love spending time together sharing our interests and talents.

Anyone else accomplish some unexpected or unplanned things this year? Let's celebrate all the victories, big or little!



See here for past accomplishments.

Children's Museum

We visited the local kid's museum and decided to get a year pass. Lucy had a great time and it was fun to explore a new museum!

Lucy's illustrations

Checking out the toddler area.

Clara enjoying her Family Night outing

Looking forward to a year of fun family outings!

Hotel Living Part Two: Craft Time

In an attempt to entertain Lucy while all her toys and books were in storage, I bought a few crafts from Walmart.

Backin' Up

These pictures are from the beginning of November when we were still living in the hotel.

Clara finally discovered mobility, unfortunately she only figured out how to go backwards. This lead to many instances where she was stuck under a chair, table, stroller, etc. squealing for help.

Look at that innocent little face. So happy, so unknowing that she has backed herself into a corner. Literally.

Getting ready to back it up. Nemesis #1 in the left corner: Chair.

Don't let this little face fool you, she was squealing for help. And I was laughing and taking pictures, like a good mom should. 

Huggin' Reboot

Zach and Clara were hugging up on each other and I had deja vu!

Exhibit #1: Clarabelle 

Echibit #2: Lullabelle

Clara.

Lucy.

Who wouldn't want to smooch up those faces!

I love seeing my loves loving up on each other.

New House

Here are some pictures of our house while it was under contract. We were just waiting to close before moving in.

Stats:
4 bedrooms
2.5 bathrooms
Built in 2002
2796 sq ft

I've noticed that several houses on our street only have one light on one side of the garage door instead of the usual two.

Front room that leads into dining room.

Welcome!

Front porch, ready and waiting for a glider bench. 

The formal dining room. Ready and waiting for all the game nights!

All new carpet leading upstairs to the bedrooms.

A sneak peek into the huge master bedroom from the upstairs landing/hall.

Our lovely realtor standing in front of Lucy's room.

The fifth bedroom. Jk! The enormous master closet.

The master bath.

Lots of storage space! New tile, wood laminate floors, appliances, sink/faucet, and granite counter tops.

Living room.

You can see a little bit of the overhang from the back patio in the widow along with the shed.

Large pantry in kitchen.

We love our new house!

All the boxes were emptied by the movers so we have been organizing and putting things away for the past two weeks trying to get things in order. It's been nice to go through everything and pull out things that we don't want, need, or use to donate and get rid of.

My new philosophy is that if I don't love it, then I am not buying it! This will help me eliminate clutter and unused/unwanted items in my home for the future.


Any tips on maintaining a minimalist home only filled with things that you love, and that make you happy every time you see/use them?

I love open spaces!