Progress

So this is our grand plan: I'm not a whiz with photoshop like Matthew but I can whip up a soft rendering whilst making a cake on a Sunday afternoon.

Of course, we can't afford to do all of this now {I didn't bother drawing in the splash pad} and it's much less expensive to add fruit trees in photoshop than it is in real life, but we are on our way! We actually found someone to not only give us a bid, but he has shown up 2 days in a row and we have progress! Plus, tomorrow- barring lack of rain -we are getting our first round of cement. We practically need miles and miles of it, but at least the front yard will get a boost. Look now or forever forget the horror of our lot of dirt in present state:

Annie says, "Grass please Mom."

Oh- and Nor had a birthday.

Big News/Buy Suzy

Some BIG news items:

• Megan is engaged to Taylor Nelson. His family owns the Pasta Factory. Sweet hook up Meg. We love Taylor but sheesh this happened fast and it is Meg after all- tiny little Meg! Crazy. It will be super fun to see everyone from our old ward at the wedding, which is June 2nd BTW. Yep, that fast. June 2nd. Exactly 1 week before our new baby arrives. What are the odds?!?! I'm going to be about 500million pounds in all the photos! Forget even trying to look cute at that point. 9.5 months is well after I should be consigned to the house rolling around in quadruple-X T-shirts... and now I've got to come up with some sort of dress/tent! UG.
  

• A great benefit about living in our neighborhood is that we are zoned for farm animals. Hence, all of our neighbors have chickens, horses, etc. So we took a little field trip a few houses up and visited some chickens and bunnies. It is fun to plan for our own little homestead. Annie loved petting the animals but mostly wanted to roam on her own all over our neighbor's yard, who offered us some of her baby chicks and bunnies. Too bad we aren't ready for them.
  

• The weather has been gorgeous lately and every day I don't work (which unfortunately hasn't been much) Annie and I have been hanging outside. Since our acre of land is basically an acre of dirt, there have been multiple-a-day baths.
  

• Another big news item is that we FINALLY found someone to help us start our yard... we think. We've called so many people/companies and they either drive by and laugh or never reply with a bid. Tomorrow Q has someone coming from Cedar. He answered our online ad so keep your fingers crossed that he stays until we have new valves and wiring for the sprinkler system. We are itching for a yard, at least in the front, and spent last Thursday outside trimming trees and eating lunch while we planned our landscape design.
  

• Q and I both worked the entire day and evening on Tuesday so we celebrated Valentines on Monday. He brought home take out from our favorite restaurant (SAKURA) and I bought him choco-covered strawberries. Annie insisted on wearing her chickie costume over her clothes all day and was seen en ensemble in several local stores as a little yellow puff ball while we ran errands.
  

• Our Suzy is for sale. She is a fantastic Honda and it pains us greatly to let her go but expand we must. We didn't even drive her for over a year when we lived in NYC. Q is sick over it because it means we will soon be owning a minivan. We've had epic battles over the minivan decision, but with an intense limited budget, I keep reminding him that pragmatism is nothing to shirk over. Anyway, here she is. Want to buy her?
  

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deep and inspiring visions- unrealized

I had deep and inspiring visions of taking a valentines picture of Annie in her favorite chair and sending cards out to everyone, but alas, now that Annie can walk, she absolutely will not hold still- especially when it comes to outside. No cards coming your way. So I got some photos of our car for sale instead and snapped our Annie who is now in constant motion. Squeak squeak squeak go her shoes as she takes off into the great outdoors. And you simply must be loving St. George weather right about now. Some 70 degree days this week and counting. We've had to bring out the sunscreen!

The chair stands alone. Annie-less no matter what I tried!

...and why would she sit for a photo when she could run instead?

I have to be pretty quick to get a shot of this little girl. It's been a good long time since I brought out my portrait lens and I'm sad I've been lax these past few months. I forgot how fun it is. Does all the work and takes the aperture to 1.8! Wish I knew what I was doing, but fun to try none-the-less. Renewed commitment to take more photos starting now.

February 9th, 2012
Annie, 18.5 months

In recent news: We brought home Annie's Christmas present from my parents. That painting needs to be hung and the rug moved, but Annie likes looking at both of them while she plays house so there they remain. She loves to have tea parties with her pinkie up and requires real snacks and water in her dishes or she will opt out of the event. Funny girl. Eventually this kitchen will go down in the playhouse we will build in the basement.

Love Annie

And so, in the 5 minutes Q and I have seen each other between work these last 2 days, our conversation has been Annie exclusively. We are hooked. She is the best.

Annie has been all about Q this week.

Normally bath time consists of 2 minutes of checking out the water
and then relentless shouting of "out Out OUT!" until it's over.

Also, we have about 10 pounds of 7-layer dip left over from the Super bowl. You coming over?