first birthday

Happy Birthday to my sweet Lillian!  The past year has been the best year of my life, for she has brought us more joy and happiness than we could ever have imagined.  And that calls for a celebration.

Her party would not have been complete without her own Lillian-sized cake, and a candle as big as she.

2 of Lillian's favorite things at once: grandma and cake.

That's my girl- getting her next bite of cake ready before the first one is even swallowed.  

And don't lose that tight grip when you've got something good.

The party was a huge success- pizza, cake, presents, and lots and lots of love.  This girl is our heart, our joy, our everything.

the hunt is on

everyone getting their loot... owen is about to take off running.

is Dave in the Hunger Games?  He is dead serious about this egg hunt.

Lillian is content with 2 eggs, and doesn't even know there might be something inside. If only she could stay this content and happy forever.  But I have a feeling she might figure it out one of these years.

jackpot!!

Josie's first Easter egg hunt, and her first gigantic Reese's.

getting a bit more serious about finding some eggs.

Yes, apparently we all dressed like easter eggs too.

Blessings

Lillian has brought wonderful blessings into our lives, more than she will ever know. So we felt grateful to have Dave give her a beautiful Priesthood blessing in church on Sunday. We know that Heavenly Father loves her beyond measure and we are so blessed to be her parents; oh how we love that sweet babe.

We accomplished our goal of having our basement and upstairs remodel finished by her blessing day! So proud of Dave for all of his hard work; more pictures to come. And yes, apparently we planned our outfits to fit in with our interior design color scheme.

our eternal family

I will never forget October 26, 2011. We had the wonderful opportunity of taking Lillian to the Salt Lake Temple to be sealed to us for time and all eternity. This is a dream come true for Dave and I, and our hearts couldn't be more full of love.

My eyes were overflowing with tears as I saw this sweet face in the temple, all dressed in white. We know all of our children were there with us, celebrating Lillian's official arrival into our forever family. Top two pictures: credit to Peg Watkins Photography

Lillian's birth parents, Heidi and Alejandro, love her so much and are so grateful she is sealed to our family forever. They are both wonderful people with hearts of gold, whom we love dearly.

I love the feeling of her hand in mine. I plan on holding her hand when she gets shots at the doctor, on her first day of school, when her heart breaks for the first time, on her wedding day as I help her into her beautiful dress, and as she gets ready to deliver her precious babies. I hope she will hold my hand as I watch her grow up, as I get old, and when I need some extra help getting around. And during all of these special times, I will always be reminded of when she was a baby and we held hands in the temple to become an eternal family.

finalization

Lillian's adoption is now legally finalized! We felt so official as we sat in the judge's chambers, got sworn in, and answered questions "on the record." Our lawyer Doug and our case worker Katrina couldn't have been more supportive and helpful during the whole adoption process. Our judge was so nice (and young!- I thought all judges looked like Perry Mason), and he was impressed with how well-behaved Lillian was. It was quite an eventful day, especially since I fainted in the courthouse right before our hearing, but that's another story...

Spudman

1/2 mile swim + 33 mile bike + 10K run + no training = Dave's amazing race! He did incredibly well!

The weekend was amazing, with a special thanks to Annie for the transportation and conversation and to Tiffany and her family for letting us stay with them and making all sorts of delicious food for us. If you think Idaho is boring, you haven't stayed with the Duncan's!

Romp to Stomp out breast cancer

On Saturday we participated in our first snowshoe race, with benefits going toward the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. I signed up thinking it would be a fun little activity on a winter morning. I had NO idea how hard it would be! I guess there are snowshoes made specifically for running, and that is not the kind we have. So while everyone else was trotting happily along, I was tripping over myself, panting for air, and feeling a bit embarrassed. Also keep in mind that it was a cold, windy, snowy day, so I had come prepared with all sorts of gear. Well, shortly into this "last chance workout" I was pulling everything off and handing it to Dave to carry. Quite a sight to behold. "Am I this out of shape?!!" I asked myself. Although I didn't run the whole time, at least I never stopped walking! And thank goodness for the Luna Bars and water at the finish line- I was in need of a little pick-me-up. Looks like next year I'll need to do some training for the event (and get a different pair of snowshoes!)

Look how big those suckers are!! YOU try running in those things! Other people had snowshoes half that size!

Sundancing with the stars

Dave's work hooked him up with film festival tickets all week- tough job, right? We were able to go together one night when our friends invited us to join them- lucky us! Dave did some star-searching throughout the week, but I just saw one: Ronald Reagan.....on film, that is. Either way, it was entertaining.

call backs

From Park City to Salt Lake, I guess I've been following the stars. Watching the SYTYCD auditions was even better in person! The tickets instructed us to dress "hip," which left me looking into my closet with a blank stare, but I guess I managed somehow because they let me inside! Yes, I saw Nigel and Mary. No, I wasn't trying out myself- I didn't want to make the others look bad...

Viva Las Vegas

Dave surprised me with a trip to Las Vegas!! Actually, his boss surprised both of us with flights, a hotel stay, and gift cards! 3 days full of spa visits, shopping, gourmet eating, and roller coasters- we felt like we were in the lap of luxury...

On their way to California, A&D remarked, "What do you Svay we stop in Las Vegas?" Yeah!

rockin' the suburbs

Ben Folds + Utah Symphony + Deer Valley + 2 days before my birthday= favorite concert. Ever. If only it would have lasted 12 hours instead of 2!

road trippin'

This was what was in view:

When this came into view:

That's right... 100,000 miles on the trusty wagon. In the past, I'd thought that this would be the point at which we parted ways. But nah, I think we'll stay together for a few more years.

pumpkin boogie

Our Annual Pumpkin Carving Party was a huge success- thank you to Chelsea and Mark for hosting the event this year. Lizzie introduced me to the trick of using a jar lid to scrape out the guts- brilliant! Dave's pumpkin took on a cartoon-ish complexion, and I'm not sure if mine is shreiking or yawning. Either way, these are the faces greeting our trick-or-treaters this Halloween.

Our friend Siqi carved this all too pretty jack-o-lantern... not too shabby for a first-timer, eh? I love the smiling eyes.

WHOO can resist pumpkin carving? not I!

who likes to party?

Dave and I just hiked in for the occasion, fresh from Camp Tomahawk. "On my honor..."

The guests ranged from an "Enchanting" Princess, Little Red Riding Hood, and a Skeleton to the Incredible Hulk, Spiderman, and a very scary Witch.


Who can resist Minnie Mouse?

This flower and bumblebee pair was as darling as ever. Now where is their Beekeeper counterpart?


I give them the prize for most clever- crossword puzzles! Now let me get my pencil...

Jeff never disappoints, always showing up in his non-PC skin color of choice. I'm sure Ronnie Price will forgive him.

Why didn't the skeleton come to the Halloween party?



Because he had no BODY to come with!!! hahaha



Thanks again to R&R for a frightfully fabulous party- it's one of our very favorite parts of Halloween. We missed Dad, but he needed his rest and we're glad he's feeling better. Congrats to Richard for winning the Best Costume Award as the Incredible Hulk!