Family Functions

Collier Family BreakfastWhile the grown ups visited, ate second helpings of breakfast, and played cards, Lizzie and Trey jumped on the trampoline.

Following picture: Aunt Diana, Mom, Grandma, Grandpa, Uncle Gary.

Nielson Family Photo Shoot & Dinner

After dinner and pictures Lizzie's enjoyed playing with her cousins.

While the kids played, the grownups lingered around the table to talk.

Alaina cried and screamed the whole way home, but Liz was quick to fall asleep. Now we know they can share a room.

A pretty great day . . . .

Dave & Emily's Wedding

Dave and Emily were married at the Bountiful Temple. In the above picture Lizzie and Iris keep warm under Drew's coat while we wait for the next round of pictures. My brothers: Scott, Mike, Dave, & Rob. Wedding cake: chocolate with raspberry filling. The wedding colors were purple and charcoal gray. Dave did not smash the cake in Emily's face because she had warned him not to. I did the same with Drew (threatened was more like it). The luncheon was at Log Haven, up Millcreek Canyon. Above picture: Scott and his daughter, Willa

My brother Michael. The little girls loved playing with him and teasing him about his long hair.Rob and Lisa. Next week they are moving with their baby, Logan, to New Mexico.

Lizzie and Iris eating wedding cake at the vacated head table. Lizzie was really sad when she realized she would not be allowed to sit next to the bride during the luncheon.Dave, the groom, is trying to sneak a bit of Lizzie's cake. She kept laughing and telling him to get his own.

The cute couple. We are so happy to have Emily in our family.I love this picture of Julie. I think she looks super cute and she's totally rockin the matching shirt all the sisters and sister-in-laws wore. The guys all got a gray tie and all the little kids wore gray as well, except for Alaina who wore purple (already a diva like her sister I guess).

Mom and baby Logan. I love his little hat. He's not smiling in this picture, but he and Smith are really super smiling babies. Alaina's getting there. So far she's just as likely to stare at us as smile at us.Michael with his hair down. Unfortunately his girlfriend Cat couldn't make it. She is in Texas helping a sister that recently had her third baby.Nate, Julie, and the back of Trey's head. The food at the luncheon was delicious and it was so nice to visit with family I otherwise wouldn't see during a brief visit to Utah. In the picture below Emily is in her "get away" suit. She and Dave jetted off to California for a cruise moments later.

Alaina's baby blessing

Alaina wore the same silk blessing dress Liz wore five years ago. I love that I was able to use this dress again.

First we started with a prayer and hymn to set the tone (the guys had been watching the BYU vs. U of U football game moments before). I picked "Count Your Many Blessings" for us to sing because I feel like we have been very blessed these last couple years--blessed during our highs and our lows.

Andrew said a few words about the importance of giving a name and the significance of the names we chose for our daughters. I think he did an absolutely fabulous job. Then, he also gave a beautiful blessing. Lainey flashed Drew a huge smile right as he began and looked at him, and cooed, throughout the whole blessing. It was such a great moment for our little family.

Before & After

Sorry to leave people in suspense.

My haircut ended up being pretty basic.

I just got four inches cut off, so it's not a very noticeable change.

BEFORE (again)AFTER

We're in Utah!

We flew into Utah yesterday. We left our home at 4:30 a.m. and 10 hours later we arrived in SLC. The kids did great on the flight--Lainey slept and Liz pretty much entertained herself. If I remember correctly it was Lizzie's fifteenth flight and the first time she was scared. During take off she kept asking if we were going to fly over water (she thought we might crash into it).Julie hosted an Open House for Dave and Emily last night. We really enjoyed visiting with old friends and family. And the food was delicious. Lizzie enjoyed running around with her cousin Trey.

Today Lizzie and I got our hair cut. Below is my "before" picture. I also went the temple with my family. Drew went to Dave's bachelor party which consisted of sushi and laser tag.

Holding the Baby

The other day while I was checking out and Alaina was screaming, the cashier said, "Looks like she's done shopping."

I said, "More like she's done not being held." (Poorly worded, I know.)

The cashier said knowingly, "Oh, mommy holds you too much."

I was like really? It seriously bothers me when people say things like this. How can you possibly hold an infant too much?

Sometimes it feels like I hold Alaina every second I can. Much like when Lizzie was a baby, I keep reminding myself that years from now I will not think, I shouldn't have held her so much. If anything I'll wish I held her more.

Also, with Lainey I feel even more compelled to hold her because I was barely able to hold her brother.

I'm Tired

I am such a housewife. Today I:

1 - Went on a walk with a friend.

2 - Ran errands at: Target, Buy Buy Baby, Trader Joe's, Michaels, and the Dollar Store.

3 - Did 1 load of dishes and 3 loads of laundry.

4 - Made a simple holiday wreath for our door and set up our nativity sets.

5 - Spent a freezing hour at the local park with the girls.

6 - Changed about eight diapers.

7 - Had Alaina spit up down my shirt three times.

8 - And other miscellaneous things.

I feel like my days are pretty boring and basic, but also pretty tiring.

TAGGED

I have been tagged by a few people and have been pretty lazy about responding. So, here are my responses to three different tags. Coincidentally they are all about Andrew:

4th FILE, 4th PICTURE:

Drew's 28th birthday. Andrew had just completed a triumphant year: finished grad school, started a new job, and BECAME A FATHER! The cake was chocolate of course and as per his request I did not have any waiters sing to him when we went out to eat.

6th FILE, 6th PICTURE:

This picture is one of a series and I absolutely love it. Drew is in the process of doing a belly flop on a trampoline, in his suit, right before we left for my brother Robbie's wedding at the Bountiful temple. Lizzie had said something cute like "Daddy, will you jump on the trampoline with me?" and wonderful father that he is he went right out. She was absolutely delighted.

HUBBIE TAG:

1. What's his name? Andrew

2. How long have you been married? 9 years, 7 months

3. How long did you date? I knew him for about two years when we married, dating and engagement was about 19 months. I think.

4. How old is he? 32 (but not for long)

5. Who eats more? He does

6. Who said "I love you" first? Him, I think.

7. Who is taller? Drew is, though there was a moment when we were dating that I thought I was (not sure why).

8. Who sings better? Definitely Andrew. He's really good. Lizzie almost always picked him over me for lullabies--even as a toddler she knew what was what.

9. Who is smarter? I think we're pretty evenly matched IQ-wise, though he seems to retain more information. I totally have mommy brain.

10. Whose temper is worse? Hmmm, I think his is, though I'd love to hear what he says.

11. Who does the laundry? That's my exclusive domain (unless I'm on bed rest or out of town). Garbage disposal and air filters are special Drew jobs.

12. Who does the dishes? Both of us, but mostly me.

13. Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? Um, right side when facing the bed? Him.

14. Who pays the bills? He pays the ongoing ones. Thanks Babe! I send in checks for one time payments (hospital, dance class, & such).

15. Who mows the lawn? If we had a lawn I'm pretty sure it would be Drew. I've yet to mow something.

16. Who cooks dinner? Both of us, but weekdays usually me, weekends usually Drew.

17. Who drives when you are together? Definitely Drew. He says he feels "safer" that way.

18. Who is more stubborn? Tough call . . . Andrew.

19. Who proposed? He did the official proposal, but I started the conversation that led to our unofficial engagement (though to be fair I had banned him from talking about it).

20 .Who has more friends? Hmmm, not sure.

21. Who has more siblings? Me (5 to his 4).

22. Who wears the pants in the family? Depends on the day . . . .