The Herberts

my happy place...

2012-01-15T16:14:00.000-08:00

We headed down to Mexico to spend the week after Christmas with Eric's family. Each time we go, I realize more and more that Rocky Point is seriously my paradise. Good food, great company, perfect weather, and a happy sand covered baby who could spend all day at the beach and pool. I sat on the beach while Eric and Harlow were running around chasing the waves and caught myself smiling. It really doesn't get any better than seeing my sweet family having the time of their lives being together.

The below picture pretty much sums up my attitude while we're there and apparently Harlow has turned into a mini me. Pina colada by her side, soaking up some rays:)

Ellie the Elf

2012-01-13T18:20:00.001-08:00

This year marked our first annual Elf on the Shelf tradition. Our Elf's name is Ellie. She wears a skirt. She's messy and very mischievous when she choses her hiding spots. Harlow totally got into it and loved looking for Ellie the first thing in the morning when she woke up.

On the first day of Elf on the Shelf, Ellie was kind enough to make Harlow some mini chocolate chip pancakes. (She left quite the mess and didn't even clean up after herself!) Everything was mini: the plates, untensils, cups, cookware, etc. She also brought Harlow a present of Christmas p.j.s to start the Holidays off right. Harlow had me read the book to her multiple times:) It was adorable.

I'm sure I'll put more effort into it as Harlow gets older and understands it better, but for now, this was such a fun way for us to welcome the Christmas season! We all loved it!

1st Annual Beach Trip

2011-12-09T19:40:00.001-08:00

Harlow and I were lucky enough to be invited to go to the beach with our best friends for a few days and had the time of our lives! Britt and Court and the kids came down to California for Harlow's birthday party and FYI, Britt and Harlow have the same birthday...which is the day after mine, so it was the perfect time to celebrate! It was the first time with just us girls and the kids, so needless to say it was crazy...but I wouldn't change a thing! I love each of these kiddos and the little personalities they individually have. Harlow was in heaven playing all day long.

For awhile now, Harlow has not been a fan of the sand. I don't blame her...it gets all over! Pierce was so cute with her and lead her down to the water. After that...she couldn't get enough of the beach and still loves it! Thank you Pierce!!!

What a stud!

Sweet Tinley and Quinn! Loves those girlies!

The babes just so happen to all own the same swimsuits, so we attempted a photoshoot. Didn't work out too well but they're adorable!

Harlow and I at Cafe Rio for my birthday dinner. The girls had Eric meet up with us and surprise me...best present ever!

Harlow had so much fun that at the end of the day she was exhausted, but was impossible to put to sleep! She hates missing out on any fun.

Our daily walks to the pier. Poor Tinley got put in our makeshift "double stroller" and didn't complain a bit! It worked out perfectly so Pierce didn't have to walk.

Banana Pancakes for the birthday girl's breakfast!

Here is a little snapshot of our crazy kiddos and poor Britt and Court trying to keep them from running directly into the freezing ocean.

Britt and Court: How did we not get any pics together?!?!? So sad!

We had so much fun with you guys and can't wait until our 2nd annual girls (and kiddos) trip!

Happy Birthday Harlow!

2011-11-14T15:38:00.000-08:00

Harlow's "Tutus and Ties" 2nd birthday party was just about 2 months ago, but I figured it's better late than never to show some pics from the parties:)

We had one party here in California and one in Tucson. My mother in law is a saint and helped out with so much for the party, she's the BEST! I could've never done it without her and all of her cute ideas and hard work!

I can't believe my sweet babe is getting so old! Although, I do feel like she went from being 1 to 5 years old:) She is hysterical and getting pretty dramatic nowadays:) We just love her to death and can't get over the fact that she is developing such an amazing personality. Just the other day while I was playing with her, out of the blue, she hugged me and said, "best friends mommy!!!"

Ummm...I just about passed out from her cuteness at that moment!

We love being Harlow's parents and couldn't have asked for a more sweet, hilarious, obedient, determined, happy little girl in our lives.

Happy birthday doll! We love you to the moon and back.

Mom and Dad

our summer through the lens of an iphone...

2011-07-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been HORRIBLE at taking pictures. I don't know what my problem is, but it KILLS me to think that I'm not capturing a lot of our life on camera. At least I have my handy dandy iphone by my side to take spur of moment (in junky quality) pictures.

Harlow is getting so big and has such an adorable personality forming. She is quite the comedian and I try so hard to keep a straight face when she is doing something she shouldn't be but I can't help it! She reminds me a lot of myself...always trying to get a laugh out of someone. We've been all over the place this summer. Down to mexico, to Arizona. Over to Lake Powell. Home in California for a bit then back to Arizona for a long weekend. Needless to say we are lucky that she is such a good sport in those LONG car trips. Here are a few pics to sum up our summer thus far:

Cracking up as she watches herself on the phone:

She has been fighting naps so much lately...or in other words...I have been fighting the fact that she is most likely done with naps. I just haven't come to terms with it. This is a day that the lack of sleep finally caught up to her.

She is obsessed with these glasses lately! I don't know what it is! They seem like they would hurt or be uncomfortable because everytime the glasses come off, she has a enormous red mark on the bridge of her nose.

Just cooking in the kitchen with her accessories. And those boots! She makes me put them on her every. single. day. It's so hot outside but she is extremely insistent.

Speaking of the heat, Harlow is currently obsessed with "jackets" and makes me put them on her all of the time. It's so hot!!! I don't get it! She prefers her warm fleece winter jackets, which I had to hide so we've met in the middle with sweaters:)

Bringing strawberries to friends!

Dancing in the front yard!

Having a fun outing with dad...and making him wear her minnie mouse hat out in public.

Insisting on dressing herself. accessories and all. I thought that didn't happen until kids were at least 4 or 5!!!

Movies with the cousins! They were so cute sitting on their own chairs like big kids.

Getting a hold of my phone yet again! I swear that girl probably knows how to use my phone better than I do!

Riding a horse with uncle Jer...she is enamored with Jer! I think because she knows he will do whatever she wants him to:)

Riding pretend horses too! She like to pretend like she's my sister, Julie with her riding helmet. It's so cute!

Long car rides. She usually never falls asleep on our car trips. Even when they take 9 hours!!! She rarely takes a nap so I had to document the 30 minute peace and quiet in the car:) This just shows how hard she fights it, she didn't even let go of the book she was holding to fall asleep!

Sleeping on mommy and Lake Powell. She was so exhausted but wouldn't take a nap unless I was laying with her, so I got a few books read while we were there:)

At the park, we haven't been going as often as I'd like, but it's just too hot! I am definitely looking forward to fall.

I left Harlow in her room for a few minutes and when I came to check on her this is what I saw. She went in my closet, got my soccer cleats, put a headband on and was kicking around a ball in her room. She's hysterical.

Harlow's new teddy! My brother, Jer got it for her. Like I said, he will get ANYTHING for her. I'm surprised we don't have a puppy yet! She has lovingly named this giant beast "Jer" which he LOVES!!!

Another rare car napping moment.

This pic cracks me up. She looks like a bored teenager!! Hahaha!!!

Trips to the zoo!

We have been having a blast this summer and we can't believe Harlow babe will be 2 in just 2 short months! I can't handle it! Some of her latest phrases and obsessions are:

-If someone sneezes she stops what she's doing to say, "beesh you!"
-If I am in her way and she needs to pass me she says, "que me!!!"
-As the pictures have shown, she is obsessed with her purse, jewelry, sunglasses, jackets and shoes. I have learned to let her pick out her shoes first, so that I can match her outfit to them:)
-There are a few people that we know that are pregnant, and she has recently figured out that their bellies are so big because there is a baby inside. She can't get over it, it's hysterical! She will just stare at their cute bellies, then talk about it all day!

Right now I am working on her 2nd birthday, so get ready for some birthday fun coming soon!!!

quick post...

2011-06-01T08:24:00.000-07:00

Harlow has been doing the cutest things lately that I wanted to quickly document before I forgot.

The last week or so, I have been rocking and singing songs to her before bedtime. She now sings along with me and it is the cutest thing. After each song, she sits there for a second and really takes time to decide her next song request. "Tinkle" (Twinkle Twinkle Little Star), "May Yay" (Mary Had a Little Lamb), and "A" (ABC's) are some of her favorites. I could do it all night! I think she knows that if she acts cute and adorable, it prolongs her having to go to bed, so she turns on the charm:) It totally works.

Harlow LOVES books. She doesn't discriminate:) She likes everything from simple peek-a-boo books to long Dr. Seuss books. We've had "The Giving Tree" ever since she was born, but she has never been interested in it.

It's not entertaining for a toddler, so I don't blame her. But lately she has chosen it. I've only read it to her maybe 3 times in the last few weeks. After I read it last night, instead of putting it back to pick out another one, she opened it up again and read each and every page to me. 3 times!!! It was hysterical.

She mixed A LOT of jibberish with random words that I could understand. It was funny that she got the basic concept:) If you have read the book, you will understand that her 20 month-year-old version is pretty accurate!

This is basically how the story goes (besides the long spurts of baby talk that is impossible to understand):

Tree, Apple, Shoes, Leaves, Money, Sorry, Boat, Happy, Money, Sorry, Hat.

Haha!!! I was dying! I wish I had my phone nearby to record it! She is hilarious.

C+P...

2011-05-02T09:05:00.001-07:00

Harlow absolutely LOVES her cousins Colin and Parker! She had so much fun at Disneyland and just couldn't get enough of them. We were so glad that they decided to come stay with us in Mexico too! (those pictures will be posted soon!) I'm so happy that baby H has a lot of cousins around her age, it's so fun to watch them grow up together and see how much they love each other. Cutest. Thing. Ever.

Disneyland...

2011-04-28T19:18:00.000-07:00

This was Harlow's first trip to Disneyland and she LOVED it!!! The Edmonson/Eggman clan had planned a trip so Rod and Diane decided to come as well. We stayed with them at their hotel and we had so much fun! Harlow didn't know Minnie Mouse existed until this trip, but was instantly smitten. Here are a few pics to document our 2 day excursion...
(Sorry, I'm too lazy to try and put these in any sort of order.)

The group...minus Rod who is taking the picture:

Grandma and Harlow on the carousel:

These 2 are hysterical:

Harlow and Eric on Dumbo. I think he enjoyed it more than she did:

This girl loved that there was music constantly playing:

Day 2:

Her faces kills me in this pic. She LOVED the jungle cruise:

Poor little Parker was so exhausted:

Eric thinks he's hysterical and was trying to make it seem like he wasn't having any fun once he noticed the camera pointed on him:

Those 3D glasses were so funny! quick mental note: The Bug's Life show is way too scary for a toddler... we found that out a little too late.

Harlow loved her minnie hat, she wore it all day:

Thank you soooo much Grandma and Grandpa!!! We had so much fun and loved being able to spend time with you! We love you!

burnt out...

2011-04-27T13:04:00.000-07:00

We have been all over the place these past few weeks. We've been to Disneyland, Utah, Mexico AND Arizona with little breaks in between.
This is what an exhausted, teething, hasn't had any sort of schedule, 19 month old looks like...

She will not let me put her down, she has been so whiny and cranky.
I just gave up and figured I should capture my little crazy girl on camera in hopes that this is JUST A PHASE and will be VERY short lived.
We had a blast and have a TON of pics to share, but for now...we need some peace and quiet with lots of snuggles and kisses.

adventure...

2011-03-30T19:40:00.001-07:00

i LOVE that this sweet girl makes me feel like a kid again. At least once a day we head out to the front yard for an exciting adventure. We manage to find golf balls, kitty cats, disgusting lizards that make me want to vomit, grass, airplanes...the list goes on and on. I just love to just sit and watch. Observe this intrigued little darling get so ecstatic over the simplest of things. She helps me to pause, breathe in the fresh...well fresh for California standards...air and get back to basics. Just what I need to help me remember to be grateful for the simple things in life....especially baby fedoras:)

thank you...

2011-03-30T19:37:00.000-07:00

I was overwhelmed by the love and encouragement I received from my previous post. Thank you all so very much for your kind comments, emails, texts and phone calls. It means the world to know of all of the love and support I have. I am one lucky girl, that's for sure! So thank you all so much.

one year...

2011-03-26T09:23:00.000-07:00

This year has by far been THE HARDEST year of my life. Hands down. Today has been a lot more difficult that I thought it would be. I think about my mom multiple times a day, so I thought, although today marks a year since my mom passed away, I would be ok. I would be strong. I have to be. People depend on me to be. I've gotten real good at putting on a brave face.
I woke up this morning with my mom on my mind, as I lay in bed with my eyes closed, I felt tears streaming down my face, I didn't even realize I was crying. Oh great, I cannot start my day this way.
I am not the type of person to wallow in self pity...what's the point? I'm my biggest critic. I'm not getting any sympathy out of myself. --But there are days when I find myself jealous. Jealous of those girls that call their moms daily. Call to get advice, ask about a recipe, to vent, just to catch up. I miss that. I could spend hours talking to my mom. She was THE BEST listener. She always had words of encouragement. She knew the perfect thing to say. She laughed so hard at any story I told. She made me feel like I could do anything.

I have a terrific mother in law and other great women in my life that I know would do anything for me. For that I am grateful. But there's just something about a mom, that you just can't find anywhere else.

This is my absolute favorite picture of my mom. She stayed with me for a week when I had Harlow. She LOVED our little babe right from the beginning...I am confident to say she loved her as much as I do. Which is virtually impossible. My mom was in between chemo treatments when Harlow was born, she was so sick, had no energy and started loosing her hair. She didn't complain once. Instead, she cleaned and cooked, made sure I was ok. Held our sweet little baby and loved her unconditionally. She was concerned about me and Harlow, not herself.
This picture is in Harlow's room, I don't think I'll ever take it down. You can clearly see the love and adoration on my mom's face. So sweet. I clearly remembering taking this picture. It was such a tender moment and I am so grateful I was able to capture it.

Every night, before I go to sleep I think about her. About the amazing woman she was. Did I do everything right today? How would she have handled things? I am being the type of mother that she was to me? That's a lot of pressure, she was the best mom in my eyes. I can only hope to be a small percentage of the wife, mother and friend that she was. What an amazing legacy she left.

This last year I have learned to live life to it's fullest. To really be in the moment. When Harlow comes up to me, I need to get down to her level, look her in the eyes and listen. (Even if she is just babbling or telling me that she has her shoes on.) I need to be enthusiastic about even the smallest things. My happiness is reflected onto those around me. I need to encourage my husband and constantly let him know of my love and appreciation. I need to be a better friend. My sweet Sue was the best example to me and I can only hope to be anything like her.

I know I'll have tough days. Maybe even tough weeks. But I always tell myself, someone else has it worse. I am so blessed with wonderful family and friends. I have the gospel in my life. I have everything I can ever need. I am blessed. That was my mom's attitude and now it is mine.

Bijou Market

2011-03-24T19:42:00.000-07:00

Attention all Utah friends!!!

Clemmie Sue has been chosen to be a vendor for Bijou Market in Provo, UT! It's our second time participating and let me tell you...it is well worth your time. They have everything from adorable pillows to creative kids toys. Not to mention AMAZING headbands:) Make sure to stop by, you won't regret it. Check out Bijou's website for an official list of vendors and more information: bijoumarket.com

lately...

2011-03-23T19:34:00.000-07:00

Ever since Harlow was about 7 months old, she has been the best sleeper. She loves taking naps and we never have a problem putting her down at night. Notice that I said "7 months old"...before then, she was waking up every 2 hours at night and I had to "bounce" her to sleep for naps...it was miserable. Anyways, ever once in awhile she decides to be a stinker and won't take a nap when I put her in her bed. I know she's exhausted and needs a nap, she just won't take one. I blame it on teething. One Sunday...the day we would appreciate her taking a nap them most!! :)...she didn't nap but was so cranky. So around 4pm we took her for a walk in her wagon. As Eric and I were talking we kept looking back at her and it just looked like she was looking down at the doll she was holding. She CANNOT fall asleep anywhere besides her crib and occasionally a car ride so we were so surprised when we found out that she was sleeping! She is so out of it, it's hilarious!

18 months!!!

2011-03-22T19:58:00.000-07:00

Today my sweet baby turns a year and a half! I seriously cannot believe how fast time is flying. It makes me so sad when I come to the realization that Harlow isn't a baby anymore, she's a kid! I LOVE the adorable little girl that she is becoming. She has the BEST sense of humor and KNOWS that she's funny. She is always trying so hard not to smile when she does something silly, I can't stop cracking up! She is constantly happy and just walks around the house talking and laughing. She is the best at giving hugs and kisses. I just love when she'll grab my cheeks and give me a huge kiss out of nowhere. Whenever Eric or I walk into the room she stops what she's doing and makes sure to wave and say "hi!!!". She is such a doll and we can't imagine our lives without her. I know I've said this before, but Eric and I are constantly saying how cute she is, we just can't get enough of her. Well, only 6 more months until she's 2! I guess I need to start planning her birthday party!!! :)

can I please have her wardrobe?...

2011-02-16T13:09:00.000-08:00

Looking at the title of this post makes it seem like I am going to be posting pictures of super fashionable celebrities like Nicole Richie and Sienna Miller...nope! Although I would DIE if I could get my hands on either of their closets, I'm talking about none other than Harlow Sue. I literally spend twice as long picking out her darling outfits than my own. She is dressed to impress while I on the other hand have my unbrushed hair thrown in a high bun with the same 4 items of clothing on rotation. It makes sense. I enthusiastically spend my time and energy picking through the most trendy items you can think of for her...while my unfortunate image is put to the wayside. But hey...my diva of a one year old looks MUCH better in skinny jeans anyways.

clemmie sue...

2011-01-26T11:50:00.001-08:00

I can't believe that I have NEVER mentioned Clemmis Sue on my blog! My sister and I started our headband company, Clemmie Sue last summer and have absolutely LOVED the creative process that goes into making adorable hair accessories. We started out by making headbands for adults and have naturally gone into baby headbands as well. We have an etsy shop: clemmiesue.etsy.com.
Please feel free to take a look! Here is a sneak peak of some of our newest pieces for all of the Baby Sue's out there: (they will be updated in the shop throughout the next few days)

nothin...

2011-01-26T09:58:00.001-08:00

Well nothing too exciting has been going on here.
Eric broke his foot last week. I'll spare you from seeing the disgusting pictures.
A boat on a trailer smashed 3 bones.
Pretty gross.
Harlow is just as cute as ever. She LOVES having daddy home!
We feel like she gets older and smarter each day! I can't handle it!
Eric and I were talking about a family that owns the drugstore that we go to. I love it there. They know everyone by name. It feels like we're in a tiny town in the 1950's.
Anyways, Eric was telling me that one of the sons has SIX daughters!!! I quickly told Eric how awesome I thought that would be...just imagine! 6 Harlows running around! I would be in heaven.
Eric quickly cut me off by saying, if that ever did happen, his biggest concern would be having a house full of females "on the same schedule". I almost choked on my food from laughing so hard.
I think his medication makes him funnier. He doesn't seem to edit his thoughts before he speaks...hilarious.

a little DIY project...

2011-01-11T12:36:00.000-08:00

My little sis, Julie's birthday is just before Christmas and so I was racking my brain trying to think of a cute do-it-yourself project for her special day, especially since her main gift was for Christmas. I woke up in the middle of the night with the perfect idea!! My mom's temple bag was cute and simple AND has a lot of sentimental meaning, so I decided to update it a little bit for Jules... I love it! She loves it! It turned out great! I really hope she holds onto it for awhile and one day...MANY MANY years from now, she can use it when she goes to the temple:)

This is the bag before:

And after...

The 3 T's...

2011-01-07T09:48:00.001-08:00

Things have been a tad bit on the whiny side over in toddler land.
Poor Harlow babe is Teething.
Blasted molars!
The only items of comfort that we have around here (besides a paci and doggie of course) to make things a little bit better at the end of the day are:
Tutus and Toy story

I'm sorry my little munchkin, I wish I could go through the teething process for you.

Harlow's 1st trip to the ZOO!

2011-01-06T15:48:00.001-08:00

I have been dying to take Harlow to the zoo because she is obsessed with animals! Eric didn't have to work on New Year's Eve so we decided it would be a perfect day to go. Well guess what...she LOVED it! It was so fun to watch her get so excited when she saw animals that she recognized. The LA zoo is huge and of course right as we were getting ready to head down hill, she decides to be miss independent and refused to do anything but walk on her own. She is so funny!! She is very opinionated and knows what she wants. We tried our best to get her to allow us to hold her hand so she wouldn't have too many face plants on the cement:) By the end, she was exhausted and fell asleep within seconds of putting her in her stroller. We are planning on getting annual passes because it was such a fun, easy day trip and totally worth it to see her get so excited:)

What we've been up to...

2010-12-11T09:38:00.000-08:00

I feel like life has been so busy, and just when things start to relax, Christmas is right around the corner! I can't believe how fast time flies when you have a kid! I hate it:(
Well, like usual, Harlow has us wrapped around her cute little fingers. She is such a doll, we can't get enough of her! She is the sweetest little girl with such a darling personality, she has such a good sense of humor...which is a must in our little family:) At the end of the day, when I put her to bed, I am so tired and ready to relax, but after about 5 minutes I'm tempted to get her out of her crib! Ok, maybe I wouldn't go that far, but I seriously miss her when she sleeps!
I feel like she is such a smart little girl, she understands everything that we say and she is very good at communicating with us. She talks sooo much, I love it! She is still obsessed with hats, which is great because she is always taking her bows off and her hair is at the awkward "mullet" stage, so hats are ok by me. She is such a great sleeper and goes right to bed at nighttime and for her naps. She LOVES her little white doggie, her blankie and having 2 pacis in her crib with her. I only let her have them when she sleeps, but I dread the day when we will take the pacifier away, I feel like it makes her sleep so much better, and she is able to put herself back to sleep if she wakes up in the middle of the night because of them.
She LOVES to eat! I feel like she should be so much bigger because of all the food she consumes! She loves to be outside and loves animals. She is obsessed with music and dances any time she hears anything similar to a beat or rhythm. She is still a big cuddle bug, which I hope she never grows out of! I just love when she lays on my shoulder and starts humming, it melts my heart every single time. She had her first big accident yesterday. She was walking on the driveway with her sippy cup and fell. I could tell she hurt herself by the way she was crying and right when I picked her up, all I could see was blood covering her mouth. I couldn't tell where it was coming from! My stomach dropped, but it's funny how motherly instincts suddenly take over, you calm down...a little...and go into mom-mode. Her sippy cup cut her top gums and her lower lip, it was so sad. She took it like a champ though, she calmed down fairly fast and just wanted to cuddle for a good 15 minutes. I know only 1 accident for a 14 month old is a real good record, but I am NOT looking forward to anymore!
Well, that just about sums up our life lately...our little baby is not so little anymore! It's so sad that she's growing so fast, but at the same time, I just love her age right now, she is so fun and entertaining. We love you Harlow babe!!! You mean the world to us!!!

say "cheese!"...

2010-10-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

Lately our little stinker has decided it's a good idea to put her messy, dirty hands in her hair EVERY time she eats. I'm talking...bits of pb&j, tofu, milk, eggs...anything you can think of. It's hard to get that stuff out!!!

While we were eating dinner last night, Sammie decided to take a few pics of Harlow and her avocado masterpiece. While taking pictures, we said, "Harlow...smile! Say cheese!! Show Sammie your teeth!" All of the sudden it just clicked for her and she was posing with the CHEESIEST fake smiles! We were dying! She is such a ham, and every single smile was different from the last. She is such a crack up!

Harlow's 1st Birthday Party!

2010-10-12T16:23:00.000-07:00

It has been a month since Harlow's big birthday bash! (I am so behind!) I LOVE the fact that Eric's family gets even more excited about themed parties than I do:) I saw a few sushi party ideas online when I was pregnant with Harlow and fell in love with the idea! So needless to say, I've been planning baby H's party for quite some time:) We had the party on my mother in law, Diane's actual birthday, and like usual, she was ready and willing to host it at her house and help prepare the entire thing, even though she should have been resting with her feet up all day! I am so grateful for our wonderful family and ALL of the help that we had with this big event...I could've NEVER done it by myself! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Until next year:) (To tell you the truth...I am already thinking of ideas for birthday #2! hahaha!...seriously though.)

The Decor:

The Food: (I realized that I didn't get a single picture of the actual food we ate for dinner:( We had real sushi and chicken, rice and eggrolls.)

Harlow -Month 12

2010-10-08T21:31:00.000-07:00

I am so late on this post...Harlow is ONE YEAR OLD!!! I seriously cannot believe that it has been a year since we went to the hospital anxiously awaiting our little doll's arrival. Harlow has changed our lives in so many ways and we just can't imagine life without her. She brightens our day and Eric and I laugh at how many times we say, "she is seriously so cute!" to each other each and every day. We miss her when she sleeps and can't get enough of her when she's awake. She is our joy and obsession. It's sad to think that this will be the last slideshow, for awhile at least, but I have made it a priority to make sure that I continue to take tons of pictures of our little babe. I have to! Time just goes by so quickly, it makes me sick! Well, baby H has the most adorable personality and the best word to describe her is, "Sweet". She is just so loving, affectionate and caring. We love you Harlow babe!!! Happy First Year!!!

Harlow-Month 11

2010-09-08T08:45:00.001-07:00

Things have been so hectic around here lately so this video is a few weeks late...oops:) Just a few more weeks until our little babe is a year!!! I can't believe it! Harlow has such a cute personality, I feel like she just gets more adorable each day. She is doing so much so I wanted to write a few things down so I can remember:

-She can say: "mamma", "dadda", "out", "hat", "hi", "dog", "up", and my new favorite..."what's that?!?!" (she always says that one in a whisper...cutest thing ever!)
-She understands the difference between yes and no and if you ask her a question, she will nod yes or no to answer you.
-She FINALLY crawls!!! Well, puts her right leg in front of her and uses it to drag the rest of her body...but hey...we take what we can get around here:)
-Is great about giving kisses when you ask for one.
-Has become more cuddly lately. Everytime I put her to sleep, she likes to lay on my shoulder and she hums while I hum to her.
-She has become quite the copy cat...she mimics everything that we do, it's so cute!
-Decided that she HATES baby food and only wants food that she can pick up and feed herself.
-Some of her favorite food includes: mac'n'cheese, pb and j, cheese, tofu, bread, and more cheese. This girl loves cheese!
-LOVES music and starts dancing whenever she hears any sort of music.
-She has become such a girly girl, she loves to try on all of her bows and flowers...all of them have to be on her head at once:), she loves playing with mommy's makeup and pretends to put it on, and loves putting on necklaces and mommy's headbands.

We just love Harlow to death and can't imagine life without her! She seriously keeps us entertained all day long and we still can't get enough of her. We love you Harlow babe!!!

Harlow vs. the outrageously obnoxious flower

2010-08-04T17:23:00.000-07:00

The time has come...Harlow has finally realized that those huge things that I put on top of her head are NOT attached. What a sad day that was for me! Until just a few weeks ago, she had no idea that taking a bow or flower off was even an exception. This black flower is absolutely humongous and clearly Harlow did NOT find it amusing. At this point she was just fed up with me and my crazy idea that this was going to last longer than a few seconds on her head. Luckily I had my camera handy to capture the epic battle.

Baby H was clearly the victor.

Harlow- Month 10

2010-07-23T11:38:00.001-07:00

Harlow is almost a year old!!! I can't stand it! She is just as cute as ever and we LOVE her to death. She is getting so big and has the cutest personality. We love our little Harlow babe and just can't get enough of her:)

baby+fedora=amazing

2010-07-21T15:20:00.001-07:00

Eric's little sister, Sammie got this adorable hat for Harlow and I cannot get over how cute it is! A baby fedora?!?!? Come on! All I have to say is thank you, Sammie. She wears this hat almost every. single. day.

please, do come in...

2010-06-30T12:23:00.000-07:00

We FINALLY got Harlow's room finished and I couldn't be happier! It was mostly done a few months ago but I was waiting on a few more things to be painted. I love that Harlow's room is big because it sure wasn't hard filling it up! It's crazy how much space toys and furniture take up! As you can see...when I think of a theme...I go overboard and take the color scheme very literally:) I initially wanted the color of the walls to be light pink...but it turned out a whole lot darker...and to be honest, I love it! But I am glad the white furniture tones it down a bit. Enjoy!

My dad made this bookshelf/toy box and it matches her other furniture perfectly. He's quite the carpenter:)

I saw a pillow similar to this and so I decided to re-create it. My sister and I found this adorable feather brooch and I just LOVE how it all turned out!

This is my favorite thing in the room. Harlow has such a unique profile and I love how the silhouette shows that! (And I just LOVE the frame:))

Well, there you go. Sorry it took so long to do, but that's life with a baby I guess:) Thinking back on how I originally wanted the nursery to look...the only thing that is the same is the black/white/pink scheme. It's funny how that works! I had so much fun putting this room together and I'm glad I did because it's the room we use the most in the house:)

Harlow-Months 8&9

2010-06-27T22:10:00.000-07:00

I have been SO horrible at taking pictures lately. We've been so busy and I am so mad that I've barely captured any of it! Harlow turned 9 months the other day and like usual...we fall more in love with her by the minute. She has such a cute personality already and LOVES attention. It kills me that in just a few months, it'll be a year since she came into our lives and took our hearts Time goes by faster and faster each day...I want to cry. We love our little Baby Sue and can't imagine life without her.

As of now Harlow:

-Says, "Mama", "Dada", "Baba", and "Hi!"
-Loves to : wave, give kisses, eat bread, stand, be held, go for walks, laugh and dance to music
-Hates to: be on her stomach...still!!!, be left alone, be in the car for too long, and sit in one place for too long

I love:
-How much her gums show when she smiles, laughs and cries
-That she wakes up so happy
-She FINALLY sleeps 10 hours at night
-She has started to fake laugh ALL. THE. TIME.
-She loves music and immediately starts dancing and singing
-That she decides to be super loud at the most inappropriate times: i.e. during sunday school at church
-That she is so social and loves to be around people
-When she gives me kisses and snuggles into my shoulder
-Knowing that she is ours forever

love...

2010-05-13T10:08:00.000-07:00

My favorite times of the day are when I rock Harlow to sleep- I love that she just snuggles and I could sit there for hours, and when I go see her when she wakes up from sleeping- she is always so happy! I can already see such a cute personality in this doll of mine. I can't get enough!

she LOVES to take off her socks and chew on them. weird, but cute.

p.s. She's standing now!!! ok...maybe just for 5 seconds at a time, maybe we would stand her up and quickly snap a photo before she fell, maybe we're totally trying to make it look like she's just standing there like a toddler.

p.p.s. She is starting to clap and wave. I need to try to get it on film...CUTEST. THING. EVER.

impromptu...

2010-05-12T16:44:00.000-07:00

As we were in Harlow's room playing with the babies, Jenn and I decided to do a quick photo shoot with the cranky baby H...we loved it, she hated it.

Harlow-Month 7

2010-04-25T16:46:00.000-07:00

Harlow is now 7 months old!!! We can't believe how big she's getting. I feel like these past 2 months she has really grown and changed a ton. A few days before turning 7 months, she all of the sudden decided that she LOVES bottles and that's all that she drinks now...so prepare to see her get chunkier:) Because of the new bottle phase, she now takes longer naps and sleeps for longer periods during the night...she even went for 8 1/2 hours the other night!!! (Finally! I don't know how much longer I could've lasted on the lack of sleep from getting up every 2-3 hours!) Another thing she is constantly doing is moving her hands and wrists, it's hysterical, you'll see it in the video, she does it when she gets excited:)
We just can't get enough of this sweet little baby and love being her parents. She is just too adorable for words!!! Enjoy!

hola...

2010-04-18T19:24:00.000-07:00

My family and I decided to take a much needed vacation so we headed down to good 'ol mexico with Eric's parents and sister. We had a week full of lots of sun and sand and most importantly...food. Get ready for photo overload:) Enjoy!

Pool Time!

Sisters in our "mitchy matchy" swimsuits as Julie would say
Lots of food...

Capturing some of the babe's adorable swim suits...the leopard bikini...need I say more?

Trying to get creative with made-up games...you can't go wrong when Jer is there...he's hysterical!

Sand time with the babes...

Some quality time with g-ma and g-pa...LOVE this pic

Harlow was having a hard time deciding whether or not she wanted to buy this sombrero...decisions...
Dying Easter eggs...well, everyone dyed a few eggs, then gave up, so Sammie and I were the only committed ones:)

Julie and Harlow having some quality balcony time during sunset
We had such a great time spending a few days together as a family and had a VERY hard time coming back to reality. Thank you Rod and Diane!!! You're the best! P.S. If you ever need company in that boring old condo...I guess Harlow and I can come and give you some entertainment:)

Sue...

2010-04-12T12:25:00.000-07:00

My dear mom passed away on March 26th early in the morning after a long 3 year battle with cancer. We were all so happy that we were able to spend quality time with her these past few months, it was such a sacred time for our family. All of us kids considered it a great honor to be able to take care of her during her final days, especially because she took such good care of us throughout our whole lives. She was such an angel in our lives and we truly miss her. Thank you for being the best mom, grandma, wife and friend that any of us could ever ask for. We love you mom and miss you everyday!!!

Harlow-Month 6

2010-04-11T21:09:00.000-07:00

This post is a few weeks late, but...Harlow is 6 months old!!! We can't believe it! I feel like she has changed so much in the past few weeks and it is so fun to watch her learn and grow.

Her LIKES:
mom and dad...especially mom (she has learned to lean for me whenever anyone else is holding her...I secretly love it)
all other family members...or anyone that will give her attention and isn't too scary looking
baths and swimming in the pool
her books and toys
going on walks and being outside
being held
talking...which consists mainly of high pitch squeals and her notorious squawking
music and anything that lights up or moves
objects that shouldn't be played with, dropped or drooled on...i.e. cell phones and sunglasses
sitting up while playing as opposed to laying down
cereal and all baby food that we've tried so far

Her DISLIKES:
sleep...this girl HATES naps and sleeping in, she's usually up at 6:30 every morning,this has been the hardest adjustment for me:)
bottles
eating for long periods of time...she gets distracted so easily
sitting still for long periods of time
being on her stomach...I swear she is going to skip crawling and go straight to walking

Basically... Harlow babe is a little busy body and LOVES to look around and observe. We already love the cute personality that she's developing, she's constantly cracking us up. She has such a sweet disposition, and LOVES attention and LOVES hearing the sound of her loud voice:) We couldn't ask for a better baby and love her more and more everyday. Happy 6 Months angel baby!

Harlow-Month 5

2010-03-08T09:16:00.001-08:00

It seems like Harlow has grown so much in the past month. She is getting so much bigger and is learning a ton! She smiles and laughs all the time, loves to reach for things and is working on sitting up. She has such a cute personality; she is so sweet and loving already. We are so in love with our beautiful baby! Happy 5 months Harlow babe!!!

one happy girl...

2010-02-20T16:25:00.000-08:00

Eric's family came into town for a quick 2 day trip when Harlow was blessed and she was in HEAVEN! She absolutely loved all the of attention that she got from each family member and it took me over an hour to get her to take a nap after they left because she was still so excited from all of the fun she had. Thank you so much for coming to visit! We miss you guys!!!

Harlow-Months 3&4

2010-01-24T18:20:00.000-08:00

Life has just been so busy that I haven't been taking as many pictures of the babe as I would like, so I decided to combine her 3 and 4 months into one video. Harlow is just too cute! She smiles a ton and even laughs a bit, we just love her personality and are amazed at how big she is getting. We love you Harlow babe!

a long time coming...

2010-01-19T22:59:00.000-08:00

It has been WAY too long since I've updated this blog! Our lives have been pretty crazy this past few weeks with a big move to california, the holidays, construction in the house and our stuff packed up to the ceiling in boxes...so needless to say blogging has been the last thing on my mind, but I promise I will have pics up soon! And here is a little teaser of what we've been working so hard on and what I'm most excited for...

It's gunna be sooo cute! I promise:)

Harlow- Month 2

2009-11-23T08:20:00.000-08:00

We can't believe that our sweet baby has been with us for 2 months already! Time is seriously flying by! We can already see a personality in her and can tell that she is going to be quite the drama queen:) She rarely cries, most of the time, it's just a fake cry and she immediately stops when you pick her up or give her attention. We can't imagine our lives without this little doll and love spending every moment with her. We love you Harlow babe!

love her!!!

2009-11-10T13:57:00.001-08:00

Harlow has been smiling like crazy lately and I melt every time she does. Each time she makes eye contact with me, I die, because she immediately smiles. She is such a doll and I am so happy that I get to spend every day with her!

more family photos...

2009-10-28T20:54:00.001-07:00

My friend Heather was nice enough to take time out of her busy professional photog career to take us out to the desert and shoot some more Herbert family photos. We love them! Thanks Heather, you're the best!

Harlow- Month 1

2009-10-26T13:12:00.000-07:00

I can't believe that Harlow has been with us for over a month already! I feel like my little newborn is growing up so fast! We have had so much fun with our new addition and can't imagine our life without her. We feel so blessed to be her parents and are so excited to be able to experience life through her eyes. We love you Harlow!!! Happy One Month!

*Song-"Sweet Sweet Baby" by Michelle Featherstone

photo shoot 2009...

2009-10-19T14:28:00.000-07:00

We went to Tucson this last weekend and tortured poor little Harlow Sue. Sammie, Eric's little sister took AWESOME pics of the babe for a church project and I must say, she is quite the professional. Here are some from our 2 day shoot. Love them!!!

2009-10-19T14:20:00.000-07:00

2009-10-13T14:05:00.000-07:00

Dear Harlow,
We can't stop staring at you! You are such a sweet baby, it's almost impossible for us to ever lay you down...ever. We would be able to get a lot more done if we would stop holding you all day long, but figure you won't let us do it when you're 17, so we're getting as many cuddles as we possibly can from you while we still can. Hope you don't mind. Love you too much!
Love, M&D

*sorry for the poor quality of pics, they were all taken from my phone:)

Daddy's little girl...

2009-10-08T22:04:00.000-07:00

The moment we had Harlow, she has been the center of our universe. We have never been so obsessed with anyone or anything in our entire lives. Right when the nurse put her on my chest, I glanced up at Eric and saw the sweetest look on his face, and at that moment, I fell in love with him all over again. I can already see a bond between the two of them and I am so eager to be able to watch it increase over the years. I love these two more than anything and I am so happy to have them in my life.

Harlow's Birth...

2009-10-03T18:56:00.000-07:00

Harlow was due Sept. 25th, but we decided to induce so we could make sure that everyone would be able to be there. I went to the dr. on Monday the 21st to talk about inducing, and they said the hospital could do it the next day at 7:30 am! What a surprise! That was fast:) My parents and little sister drove over from California that night and Eric's parents and his little sister came up from Tucson. We were so excited and I was more than ready to get her out of me!

Eric and I on our way to the hospital! So excited!!!

This is how I was with contractions before I got the epidural (it even made me throw up every time the contraction would come)...

and this was me after that heavenly drug was stuck in my back...

The entire gang that was able to be in the room when Harlow came (Rod was there too, he took the picture)...

Sammie and Julie decided to bring the pam, just in case we needed to spray a little right before the baby came out:)...

I was so glad that everyone was able to be in the room during birth. After the epidural, I have to say that giving birth isn't too bad at all! I actually really enjoyed the experience and was able to keep a good attitude and stay calm the entire time. Now, if I wasn't able to get an epidural...I know that things would've been a lot different:)

Introducing...Harlow Sue Herbert

2009-09-25T15:28:00.000-07:00

Harlow was born on September 22nd at 7:34 pm. Our little chunker weighed in at 8 lbs. 15 oz., is 21 1/2 inches long and is as beautiful as ever. I will post more about the actual birth later, but here is a teaser of what our blog will be dedicated to now...this little gem. We LOVE her and cannot stop staring at her. She is our new obsession.

tucson baby shower...

2009-09-15T17:46:00.000-07:00

We were lucky enough to have a 2nd baby shower in Tucson a few weeks ago that was put together by Eric's sisters, with the help from his mom, aunts and grandma. I was definitely happy to find out early on in our relationship that Eric's fam LOVES themes as much, if not more than I do:) They decided to do a "birdcage" theme with the colors that I am going to decorate the baby's room in. Now let me tell you, these pics don't do the shower justice. EVERYTHING went along with the theme. Thanks for such a fun shower you guys!

The table settings...these cages are going in Harlow's room:)

The adorable banner that Meghan made, as you can see, even the presents matched the color theme.

The cute diaper cake that Meghan made...

Opening the cute letter that aunt Debbie got...

Eric and I with the sisters, thanks for a fun weekend girls!

baby bump... almost there!!!

2009-09-06T19:11:00.000-07:00

37 weeks, only a few more to go! This little girl is starting to make me so uncomfortable, I swear she loves to target my ribs when she moves around and I don't think my tummy can stretch out any more :) We are soooo excited for her arrival and can't wait to meet our adorable baby Harlow!!!

Cali baby shower...

2009-09-06T19:00:00.000-07:00

My cute mom, sisters and my good friend Court got together to throw me an adorable baby shower last month. They decorated in the same colors as the baby's room is going to be. I am so mad, my camera battery died right as the shower started so I didn't get very many pics:( Here are the few that were taken-
Jess and Jess...

The cute decor...

Jenn and Court very intently trying to figure out how big my belly is when we played the first game where everyone tries to cut a piece of string to the size on my belly. Most people guessed that I was way bigger than I really am...haha! But grandma Joyce took home the win with an almost exact guess! Way to go Joyce!

i am a horrible blogger...

2009-08-02T19:41:00.000-07:00

I have been slacking in the picture department lately, even though we have really been keeping busy. We're heading to Cali next weekend for my baby shower so hopefully I'll come back with a ton of new pics, but until then, these will have to do:)

Natalie's baby shower was last weekend...her, me and Dani are all due a month apart. I can't wait for family parties after these babes are born, it'll will be so fun! (Yes I am crouching down because I am about a foot taller than these cute girls)

Eric found a cd with OLD pics from before his mission and these two made me smile...

Sammie, Eric's little sis spent the night last week and her and I spent way too long going through photo booth and laughing our heads off. The best ones are of my little sis, Julie, but those deserve their own post. (See below)

julie and her love affair with photo booth...

2009-08-02T19:32:00.000-07:00

Sammie is almost as obsessed as I am with Julie, so we spent all night crying over how hysterical my cute little sis is:)

throwing up deuces, she's pretty thug for a 13 year old...

baby teeth...

she even brings props to some photo shoots...

this one is one of my favs, she seriously looks like a cartoon...

Julie is constantly making me laugh and I love her to death for her awesome personality. If you're ever feeling down, just let me know and I can send a "Julie photo booth" pic your way and I guarantee that it will brighten up your day immediately.

baby bump...

2009-06-27T14:13:00.000-07:00

My friend Heather has a cool photo blog and was kind enough to take some prego shots...I think we're going to try again when I get bigger, but it was fun to get some pics to remember my progress:) Thanks Heather, you're a doll!!!

baby girl's room...

2009-06-04T20:47:00.001-07:00

I know that I still have about 4 months until the babe arrives, but I really want to start getting her room put together. I think I have finally settled on doing black furniture and black and white bedding. Now I have to decide what pattern to use...damask, toile, etc.? Too many choices! Here are some of the ones I thought were cute, what do you think? I need your opinions please:) Also, around how much should furniture and bedding cost? I'm completely clueless!

1. Black, white and light pink damask with polka dots

2. Black and cream toile

3. Black, white and light pink damask

Below are the only 2 things I have for her room so far: I want to incorporate a few bird cages in the room so I got this cute thing the other day (thanks Meg!), and below is a frame that I'll probably end up putting the first letter of her name in. Your comments are truly appreciated! (I have no idea what I'm doing:))

creepster...

2009-05-31T12:59:00.000-07:00

Eric's facial hair grows in patches on his face, so needless to say, I'm not a big fan of facial hair on him...especially mustaches. Only very few people can pull them off, and my sweet husband is definitely NOT one of them:) The other day we were getting ready to go out to dinner and he tried to pull a fast one on me and sneak out of the house with a creepy mustache...um....nice try. I had to laugh though, he looks pretty hysterical!

Happy Birthday Eric!!!

2009-05-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

I wanted to wish my wonderful husband a very happy birthday...(even though I am a few weeks late on posting this). Eric is seriously such a terrific person and I am so lucky to be married to him. I fall more and more in love with him everyday. He is my best friend and I absolutely LOVE spending any moment that I can with him. Happy 25th Birthday honey!!! I love you and I am so excited to spend MANY MANY MANY more birthdays with you!!!

we're excited to announce...

2009-04-30T18:20:00.000-07:00

I can't wait to start shopping! I know she is going to have both Eric and I wrapped around her cute little finger:) We can't wait until we get to meet this precious little girl in person!!!

mexico...

2009-04-04T09:12:00.001-07:00

My sister and her husband planned a weekend to come down from Utah and visit, so we decided to go to Mexico for a few days. About 4 days before the trip I was talking to my dad on the phone and mentioned that he, my mom and little sister should join us, and surprisingly he agreed! I was so excited! They are never spontaneous, so this was HUGE for them. We met up with Eric's parents, Rod and Diane down there and had such a fun weekend. Thanks again for letting us spend time in Mexico with you guys!!!

Sue wanted to get a "baby bump" picture, which is pretty difficult considering that I'm not really showing yet and I had a sweatshirt on, so Eric cand I decided to be a little sarcastic:)

Sue and Preston...

Rod and Diane...

2009-04-04T08:58:00.001-07:00

Sue with her girls...

The cutest couple- Jenn and Thomas...

Thomas, Jenn and Preston...

Eric and I with Julie...

more mexico...

2009-04-04T08:44:00.001-07:00

we decided to have a sand castle building contest: girls vs. boys...

the boys made an actual sand castle, but ran out of time because the tide was coming up...

and the girls of course decided to make an awesome mermaid instead...much better than a boring sand castle:)

Rod, Eric's dad was taking pics of us on the balcony, he got really excited that birds were flying above us, so he wanted to try to get one in a shot...

Julie is so stinkin cute! She loves to entertain, so this is her dancing and singing for us while we were BBQing...

this is my life...

2009-03-16T12:48:00.000-07:00

I've been CRAVING watermelon lately... too bad it's not in season yet, but even though it doesn't taste delish, for some reason it works. I am such a pig, I just cut it in half, grab a spoon and dig in and I've gotten into the bad habit of eating in bed:( The good thing is that I feel like I am hopefully getting over morning "all day" sickness so hopefully my life (and eating habits) will start to get back to normal. I think I've easily gone through 20 boxes of cereal in the past 4 weeks...sickening...I know!

surprise!!!

2009-02-26T15:22:00.001-08:00

The two of us are expecting a little one of our own! We are absolutely ecstatic and September 25th seems like such a LONG time away, but we're trying to mentally prepare ourselves for the long and outrageously HOT months ahead. Right now, I am 9 weeks along, so according to the books, the baby is about the size of a green olive, but we both know that in the end, the babe is going to be huge! (I was almost 9 lbs. and Eric was a whopping 10 lbs.!!!) We are so excited and cannot wait for the arrival of the little one.
p.s. Isn't this pram awesome! I would love to take the babe on sunday strolls in it, but I'm pretty sure it's not the most practical thing...I doubt we'd be able to fold this sucker up and throw it in the car:) But who cares! I would feel like such a fancy lady pushing this thing along!

fashionista...

2009-02-25T17:37:00.000-08:00

Tatum, (the little girl that I watch) is hysterical! She LOVES my red sunglasses. Everytime we go outside, she needs to have them on. Her mom bought her 2 different pairs of little girl sunglasses but she refuses to wear them. I had to take this pic of her the other day, we were in the car on the way to the park and she was perfectly content watching Scooby-Doo with her milk in hand and of course, her stylish red shades on. I love that girl!

fitness...

2009-01-27T15:15:00.000-08:00

Eric and I were just hanging around the house the other day when I brought up the fact that I have never been able to do a pull-up, and I would love to do at least one. Eric has pretty good upper arm strength, so he was astounded that I couldn't do a single pull-up. I proceeded to tell him that I can't really even do a correct push-up, so I got on the ground...in a dress, mind you...to prove to him of my physical un-fitness. Then, we went even further to talk about how awesome it is when people do a hand stand against a wall and do an upside down push-up. Eric and I both were interested to see if he could do it and these are the unfortunate events that followed... (I am apologizing ahead of time...I wasn't thinking, so I put the camera on its side...but I promise you it is well worth tilting your head for a minute or so)

poladroid...

2009-01-24T22:37:00.001-08:00

i'm am now obsessed with www.poladroid.net...it allows you to download an application for free that turns your digital pictures into "polaroid-like" pictures. Polaroid pics are so fun and vintage-y looking...yay for poladroid!!!

viceroy...

2009-01-15T18:26:00.003-08:00

Eric and i stayed at the Viceroy hotel in Palm Springs for our anniversary...and LOVED it! It has a cool, contemporary, hip feel. I loved that it was small and hidden. We loved the service, the food and the decor!

We passed the hotel twice when we were trying to find it, because it was so hidden...

We had dinner on the outdoor patio all to ourselves on the couch against the back wall. Of course I forgot my camara, but got this shot the next morning as we were leaving. It was so romantic and nice to be alone.

Our room...I LOVED the black and white with yellow...I might use that in a future house someday:)

game night...

2009-01-11T18:38:00.000-08:00

We had our friends, the Ballards over for a little night of hilarious games and some delish hot coco. We started off by playing a round of The Office (thanks for the game Sammie!). Now, the Ballards love The Office just as much as we do, so that was a pretty intense game filled with many "that's what she said"s being thrown around. Next we broke out the wii and played for a while. I almost peed my pants from laughing at "Knowshawn" and "Fifi" (Kevin and Lyndi's wii characters). I am very proud to say that both Lyndi and I completely DEMOLISHED our hubands in boxing:) I was extremely sore for the next few days, but the night was hysterical and we got some great action shots:) Thanks for coming over Ballards!

Now this pic is absolutely hilarious...I was so determined to beat Eric at boxing that I think I ripped my arm out of its socket...

one year down...a whole lot more to go!

2009-01-08T16:17:00.000-08:00

Eric and I had our anniversary on the 5th of this month. I can't believe the year has gone by so fast! We went to Palm Springs to celebrate (pictures to come) and had a blast reminiscing about this past year of marriage. I am so grateful to be married to such a wonderful, loving husband. He is the most selfless person that I know and he keeps me laughing daily. He allows me to be my goofy self and makes sure that I am always happy. I love him to death and wouldn't want to spend the rest of my life with anyone else! I love you Eric! Happy Anniversary!!!

sue...

2008-12-31T14:40:00.000-08:00

My mom's birthday was 2 days after christmas but I didn't get around to posting about her until now. Sue is such a gem and the best mom in the world. She is beautiful inside and out, and I think she pulls off the shaved Britney Spears 'do pretty well if I do say so myself! She's the toughest lady I know and taught us kids well. I always considered her to be a pretty cool mom, she choreographed ALL of our talent show performances in elementary school and all of my friends loved her in high school; anytime people were over, she'd run into the kitchen and bake us some goodies to eat. She has taught me so much over the years: it's never too early to have sweets (she sometimes let us eat ice cream in our Cream of Wheat for breakfast), how to use a sewing machine, how writing thank you cards is a MUST, always use moisturizer, make sure that your husband is your best friend, laughter is the best medicine; those are just to name a few. I could go on and on about what this lovely lady has taught me. She is a true hero in my life and I love her to death. I don't know what I would do without good ol' Sue:) I love you mom! Happy Birthday!!!

reay family christmas celebration...

2008-12-26T11:03:00.000-08:00

Every year on Christmas day Eric's fam goes over to Grandma and Grandpa Reay's house for amazing food and fun family time. This year we decided to do a "green gift exchange"...all gifts had to be homemade. I was pleasantly surprised to see that everyone did such a great job at getting creative and putting a lot of thought into the gifts they gave.

eating our DELISH mexican food...

this was the funniest thing, Sammie tye-dyed a shirt for Jeff that was supposed to be red and green but turned out blue and pink...oh well, pink is his favorite color, right?...

Andrew made me a dehydrated fruit basket, topped off with a cute peacock ornament...my favorite, if you can't tell from my wedding:) p.s. the homemade dried fruit was super good, we ate most of it on our way back to Phoenix that night! Thanks Andrew!

Sammie and Eric...Sam is wearing her homemade headband from Kelly...I was obsessed with it! Great job Kel!

christmas 2008...

2008-12-26T10:40:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas with Eric's family in Tucson this year and had a great time with the Herbert clan. On Christmas eve we decided at around 1 am to get in our matching pajamas and open all of the sibling presents and then woke up Christmas day to open the rest of our gifts. We always have so much fun with the fam and wished we could've stayed longer because we love being able to spend quality family time, especially during the holiday season.

christmas eve in our matching p.j.s...

christmas morning...Eric was trying to make me believe that they all recreate the manger scene with that thing on his head...didn't work but he wore it anyways...

Nick with his 2009 pocket pal...Meghan gets them from her work for free so she gave those to us first acting like that's all she got us...

Meghan, Sammie and I have an inside joke that involves a made up girl named Denise that wears big hoop earrings, LOTS of lip liner and of course an airbrushed shirt with her name on it...so I got the girls airbrushed Denise shirts as a joke...

our cute and generous parents, Rod and Diane...

in the moment...

2008-12-26T10:09:00.000-08:00

Anyone that knows Rod, knows that he is obsessed with taking pictures; which I love (even though we rarely ever see them again:)) Since I am so bad at remembering to take pictures, I am glad to have Rod there taking shots every second to capture the candid moments, so here are a few action pics that might help to re-create our fun family time.

matching p.j.s....Next years Christmas Card... What do you think Diane?

my first time hearing about the amazing art of Mod Podge...(my new favorite word by the way)

thanking Meg for the unique gift of the Lovitt and Touche monthly monitor...

this one is my favorite...Sammie just realized that those amazing bike streamers that we just opened were meant for Meghan, so this is an action shot of her jumping up and ripping them out of Eric's hands...

explaining our unique experience with the air brush guy at the ghetto mall...totally worth it for the shirts...

tis the season...

2008-12-26T09:58:00.001-08:00

Even though we didn't celebrate Christmas at our apartment, Eric and I both felt that it just wouldn't feel the same without the smell of a christmas tree throughout the month of December, so we went out and found the perfect one. Since it is our first christmas together, we didn't really have any decorations, but we jazzed up the apartment with what we had and it worked out great!

Our tree...we got the ornaments from Costco and LOVE them!

We decided that since we have a fireplace that we NEVER use, we might as well make it useful for for once and get stockings (even though we didn't even put anything in them)

I have come to realize over the years that I have OCD when it comes to wrapping presents...I will sit there for hours perfecting the wrap, and in the end I get overly excited to see the finished product...Eric thinks I am crazy...I can't blame him

An Ode To Court...

2008-12-10T16:36:00.001-08:00

My good friend Court's bday is today. Court and I met in our 9th grade p.e. class and have been great friends ever since. She is the most kind, loving and creative person. She always has a great attitude and I know if I ever need someone to laugh with, it's her. We always seem to laugh at the dumbest things, and continue laughing until most people don't find it funny anymore. Thanks for always being there for me Court. I hope that you have a fantastic birthday, you deserve it!!! I love you~ here are some old school pics, I think you might get a kick out of some of them. I didn't even know I had some of them:)

Court's hand got stuck in her pocket:)...

We were getting attacked by wild beasts!!! (Ok, they were harmless animals at a farm, but it was scary)...

lnkdup crew: Jess, Britt and Court...

Powell (in our handmade swimsuits)...

She's hot even 3 days before she gives birth...

mexico...

2008-12-02T13:01:00.001-08:00

We headed down to Mexico after we ate our thanksgiving feast. The weather was great and we all had a very relaxing time.
The fam...we went out to eat lunch at Lucas...super delish burritos:)

The sisters...

Eric and Jess...we tried to take a pic with the sunset, but were a little late:(

We had the missionaries over for dinner on Saturday, one of them is a really good family friend from my parent's ward, Trevor Hatch, it was good to see him and I think he was happy to speak english, because all of the missionaries are from Mexico:)
We greeted them at the door, Elder Hatch is obviously the tall white kid in the back:)

Elder Hatch with his companion...

thanksgiving...

2008-12-02T12:46:00.001-08:00

As usual, I forgot to take pics on Thanksgiving, but we managed to get 2 pics as we were leaving Eric's aunt and uncle's house.
Eric and Jess

Our little sisters...Sammie and Julie

I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving and you remembered all that you are thankful for...I am most thankful for this dollface who I LOVE more than anything in this world...

julie...

2008-12-02T12:38:00.001-08:00

My little sister Julie had a week off of school for thanksgiving so she decided that she wanted to come stay with us for the break. Anyone who knows Julie will agree that she is hysterical. We had a blast while she was here, we went to Twilight, she came a watched the kiddos with me, and she went down to mexico with us. The week flew by and before we knew it, she had to go back to California:( Here are some pics of Julie from the past couple of years. She is growing up so fast, I can't handle it! Ever since she was little, I've tried to make her into my mini-me, but ow that she's getting older, she has more of an opinion...dang it! :)

home project...

2008-12-02T12:29:00.000-08:00

I inherited this mirror when my old company, PureOlogy was moving offices. It's pretty ugly, but I figured I might as well take it since it was free:) I've been meaning to paint it for the past year, but it was never a priority so I never got around to it...until a few weeks ago. I decided that since we have a lot of red accents in the house, we would paint the mirror red as well. It turned out a lot brighter than I intended, but hey, it's fun and looks a lot better:)

kristen wiig...

2008-11-21T14:49:00.001-08:00

This lovely lady brightens my life. You can catch her on SNL and every single character she plays is soooo hilarious! I watch this clip all of the time and I still laugh:) Enjoy!

the kiddos...

2008-11-21T14:43:00.001-08:00

So I don't have any new pics to post, but I was getting sick of seeing the halloween pics so I decided to show you the cute kids that I watch every day...
Justin...he says the funniest things, I love his fake smile in this pic, he's hysterical

Little Miss Tatum...she is sooo cute and has such an easy going personality

halloween 08!

2008-11-01T20:57:00.001-07:00

My friend Lyndi, her husband Kevin, Eric and I decided to throw a Halloween party this year. We invited a bunch of the younger couples in our ward, and I was very glad to see that most of them came! Our cousins Jeff and Natalie even made it up from Tucson for the festivities!!! It was a great way to get to know everyone and make new friends. Lyndi and I spent tons of time baking delish food and treats while the boys decorated the apartment... We dressed up as Dog the Bounty Hunter and his wife Beth:)

the food...

2008-11-01T20:49:00.000-07:00

This is just some of the "spooky" food we made:)
"witch fingers"...

"coffin brownies"...

"goblin eyeballs"...

"mummies in a blanket"...

Fear Factor!!!

2008-11-01T20:36:00.001-07:00

When we were planning the party we were trying to think of a game to spice up things up and eventually came up with the idea of doing a couple's fear factor challenge...it was the hit of the party! Nothing is better than watching people gag:) The food that we had lined up: anchovies, sardines that were in soybean sauce with green chilies, red peppers, clam juice and the big kicker...pickled pigs feet that were semi-boneless...I was gagging at the store when I was buying all of this stuff. I was really surprised to see so many couples willing to participate. I almost peed my pants a few times, I was laughing so hard!!! You really get to see a different side of people...it was quite the success and ended the party with a bang! Oh, there was a prize...a gift certificate to a restaurant:)

Lyndi almost lost it on the final challenge...2 couples were left and they had to eat a piece of pig's feet, then chase it down with a swig of clam juice with an anchovie in it...I was dying! But they took the gold in the end:)

Laughing til you cry...

2008-10-20T16:25:00.000-07:00

So I haven't posted anything forever, I literally forget to take pics every time we go out:( So, I'm posting this lil number until we have a legit event to post which hopefully will be later this week:)
The other night Eric and I were watching t.v. and I looked over to say something to him and he had this huge booger dangling on his nose...for some reason it was so funny to me (probably because he could have gone all night and wouldn't have known it was there). After I told him about it and we resolved the issue, I just could NOT stop laughing...and it wasn't a pretty laugh either, it was a full on old lady smoker, barely any sound coming out, can't breathe type of laugh. It went on for a good 5 minutes, so Eric decided to get the camera out and capture some of it. Now keep in mind that I have no makeup on and it is about 11pm...I usually start getting delirious around 9, so I was out of it, way past my bedtime...sad but true. Enjoy!

Lazy Weekend...

2008-10-05T18:58:00.001-07:00

2 days of relaxing and a lot of eating this...

Watching this...

And making this...

Overall, a fab weekend!

California...

2008-09-29T19:14:00.000-07:00

I went to California for a quick trip this past weekend because my sister had a bridal shower during the day and then I was throwing her another shower that night. It was so much fun, but I was bummed that it was such a busy two days that I didn't really get to relax with the fam. On the bright side, Jenn got some really cute stuff!!!

Black and White Party...

2008-09-29T18:56:00.001-07:00

I threw a lingerie party for Jenn on Saturday night and did a black and white theme. It actually turned out super cute! I even had all of the guests dress in black and white and Jenn of course wore all white:)
The 3 sisters...

The fam before the rest of the guests arrived...

The kitchen set up...

My latest creation:)

2008-09-29T18:49:00.001-07:00

My friend Kristan requested a "dress a la Jessica" so I decided to go out on a limb a make one without a pattern and without her measurements. It actually turned out really cute and surprisingly, it fit like a glove!!! I made her try it on in a parking lot, so she has her blue top on under it, but at least you can get the idea. It looks like a top and skirt but it is indeed a dress. I was very happy with the results, so maybe I'll be attempting to sell these as well:)

09.21.1984

2008-09-22T18:27:00.001-07:00

24 years ago I was welcomed by a great family who lovingly fed and nurtured me...then fed me some more:) And still, to this day, not a thing has changed... I woke up to breakfast in bed and was treated to Eric's amazing homemade lasagna for dinner and a cute and delicious oversized cupcake from Meghan for dessert. I had a terrific birthday and ate way too much, but I've come to realize that is one thing in my life that most likely won't change and so I have come to terms with it:)

the celebration...

2008-09-22T18:19:00.000-07:00

My birthday fell on a sunday this year so we had a "birthday celebration day" as Eric referred to it, on Saturday. Eric had a fun filled day planned...we started with delicious lunch at Cafe Rio and then Eric dropped me off at a spa for a fun filled relaxing massage, facial and body wrap. Then he picked me up and took me home where his family was waiting along with a few dozen roses he picked up:) I quickly got ready, then we opened presents and headed out to a nearby sushi restaurant for yummy dinner. We said our goodbyes and Eric took me to the Melting Pot for dessert. Eric is always so good at making birthdays and holidays so special. I am so lucky to have him as a husband! I had a great day and a fantastic relaxing weekend spent with some of the people I love:)

An Ode to Britt...

2008-09-21T20:52:00.000-07:00

My good friend, Brittny's birthday is the day after mine and I wanted to post a few pics from over the 9 years that we have known each other. As I was going through the pictures I couldn't stop laughing because we have had so many hilarious memories over the years. Britt is a friend that I know I can count on for anything. She has such a great personality and is always a great example to me. We have had so many laughs and tears...(and even more hair dye) throughout those years:) I love her to death and know that we will be life long friends.
We can sit and laugh for hours about the smallest things. I can never be around her without laughing until I cry. I love the fact that we can go out and have a blast, or just stay at home and talk for hours upon end and probably have even more fun. She is never afraid to act silly with me and I love that about her.
Thanks for being such a great friend over the years Britt! I hope you have a fantastic birthday and a fabulous year! I love you!

Happy BDay Diane!!!

2008-09-16T09:21:00.001-07:00

Eric's Mom, Diane's birthday was last week. Rod, Diane and Sammie came up to Phoenix over the weekend and Eric, Meghan and I met them for lunch, then came back to our place to open presents and eat DELISH Sprinkles cupcakes. Happy Birthday Diane! Thanks for being such a great Mom and friend! We love you!!!

And here is a pic of Eric and I before the fam came over, b/c I feel like I rarely post pics of us anymore! (Please excuse my fatty zit on my chin and Eric's creepy facial hair/mustache thing, it grows in weird on his face...he hates shaving and I hate facial hair...I don't think there is a way to find a happy medium with that one:))

The little model!

2008-09-10T10:14:00.000-07:00

I sent 2 dresses to my friend Katie for her daughter, Brighton a few weeks ago. Here are some pics of the adorable little model in her new dresses and bows. She is too cute!

"me? i want a hula hoop..."

2008-09-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

I was going through my photos and realized that I never posted these videos. These were taken a few months ago. We were at my aunt's house and the older kids decided to spice things up by having a hula hoop competition. Poor Julie had never really used a hula hoop so she couldn't get the hang of it. She was hysterical to watch cuz she was trying so hard, but just couldn't get it going...then finally, we caught it on film...she was successful! We were laughing so hard b/c she had a very unusual technique...but hey, it worked eventually! Then my mom decided to give it a whirl...not so successful...she was still pretty stiff from chemo (she's doing a lot better now), but you can see where Julie gets here tiny legs from:)

2008-09-02T11:15:00.000-07:00

Shane's Farewell

2008-08-25T10:04:00.000-07:00

Shane's farewell was on Sunday and this is the only picture that I took all day:( The whole family came over for Grandma's delicious and famous mexican food and friends came over for dessert. We took this pic of us siblings as we were leaving to go back to Phoenix.