Eli's 24th Birthday

My sweet husband turned a whoppin' 24 this year!

While he was at work, Remi and I decided to paint him some birthday cards with her new watercolors.

She had so much fun and was so proud of the end result! 

She ran up to him when he got home and couldn't wait for him to grab it!!

We hung out at home and relaxed until the evening. My sister Livvy watched Remington while we went to the movie Frankenstein!

Eli got new running shoes, running tops, batman duck tape, and $20 for his birthday!

I made hime his favorite, strawberry shortcake, and we sang happy birthday to him!

Here is a picture of Remi singing. It was so cute.

Happy Birthday my love!

New Years

Wow! I cannot believe it is already a new year!

This year has been quite a big one for us. 

Remington turned one year old

We bought out first house together

Eli has been at his job for 1 year

New truck

Baby #2 on the way

And even more love and memories than we can count!

We had a fun New Year's Eve together as a family.

We ate dinner, and then played with poppers and confetti before going over to Eli's parents house.

Daddy and Remi

She is getting so big

Me and my love.
It has been exactly 9 years since we met at Blast Off and had our first kiss!
(It was at a sweeto New years eve party put on by the church!)

She thought it was pretty weird!

Scared her a little when we popped it, but she kept saying "more, more!"

Don't look so happy there Remi :)

We played some really fun games and ate tons of yummy finger food at Eli's parents house with Bonnie, Beau, Jerry, and Patsy! Remi stayed up until the ball dropped. Lucky us, she won't sleep anywhere but her own bed! ;)

It was a great night and I am so excited to see what this year has in store for our family!!

The Little Things...

Remington is just hit her 20 month mark. I look back at pictures and videos from just 6 months ago and I can hardly believe how much she has changed. You don't notice how huge the difference is in your little ones day by day, but when you finally look back, you can't believe they were ever that small. 

Every night we ask if she would like to say family prayer. She always replies, "No, mama." or "No, dada."

Tonight she finally said yes.

I never thought it would hit me so hard hearing her pray for the first time. 

She folds her little arms and when she "kneels," she really lays on her stomach (because she hasn't figured out quite how to do it yet. )

We had to help her of course, but I never felt so proud than hearing her little voice say "Tank ooo, Dejus" (Thank you for Jesus) and other things about mom and dad and baby, blankie, food. 

That little prayer warmed my heart more than words can express. I know that is just the beginning of many more prayers and experiences, but I am so thankful for tonight. It boosted my spirits and made me want to rededicate myself so that Remi has good role models to look up to. So that she sees what the gospel means to me by how I live it and love it.

I don't get on here enough and express little stories and things that happen day today as I often as I should. I find myself upset and regretting all the things I :"miss out on."

 I feel like I am missing sweet little moments that I swear I will remember and write down later, but they fade away and I don't write them down!

 I used to keep a journal EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT while Eli was on his mission. I never missed a day (When I did though, I went back and wrote about each day, in detail, that I had missed.)

When we got married I stopped writing, and I regret it so much that I don't want to start again because I linger on all I missed out on. I am thankful though that I have had this blog to document all the major things we have done since we were married.

Anyways I am just rambling, but I am rededicating myself to writing down these small, sweet mercies that happen in my daily life.

 I really feel like it is time to just SIMPLIFY. To not be so rushed and always trying to make everything perfect, but to just enjoy the little things. Like the quote says...the little things really will be the big things someday.

One of my many goals this year is to put down the phone, get off of the computer. Be in the moment with my sweet girl and husband. Serve friends, neighbors and family. Enjoy the little moments, learn, grow, do things that challenge me and do things that I enjoy.

To just BE IN THE MOMENT.

I am so thankful for the atonement and for being able to feel my Savior's love, even when I am not doing all of the little things that I should. He knows me and he knows that I am trying. That is what matters. After this life, our testimonies and our families will be all that we have. We need to build and strengthen them each and every day!

Happy New Year everyone! It's going to be a great one!