In the works

 I've been trying to work on a post about my family's recent New York trip, and while I originally meant to split it up, the pictures ended up being downloaded all on one. I'm fleshing it out and hopefully I'll have something for you to look at soon .

In the meantime, I can't stop looking at these pictures- http://www.humansofnewyork.com/ they are so interesting and funny and often beautiful, especially with the captions and stories behind the simple pictures. There is something so interesting about strangers and their stories (as well as their outfits and hairstyles, no?)
[FB page: https://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyorkhttps://www.facebook.com/humansofnewyork ]


This is probably due to my recent visit, but I am fascinated with New York architecture, culture, and the like.  

This came to my attention courtesy of A Cup of Jo

 

Overdue

I'm long overdue for a post but I'm leaving town for a few days, and I thought I'd leave you with a few of the very important pictures from our Cow Appreciation Day. Carrie and the kids came to hang out with us (last year we went to SLC to see them).

Not terribly excited to be a cow at this point... (although she was mooing like crazy at home)

...and ears are gone!

See you all later!

Randomness and a black eye

While I'm working on Vegas post 2, I thought I'd post some random pictures of the last few months.

Abby went through a little phase where she would create what she calls a "book chair." I think it might be self-explanatory.

Charlie came over for a visit a few weeks ago, and we watched the Celtics game.

Several weeks ago while I was working, Abby was playing outside and thought she'd go after a Rapunzel bike a neighborhood girl was riding. It didn't end well. She took the handlebar in the eye!
She got a black eye and some scratches. It really blossomed over the days afterward and deepened in color, but these were taken the night of the accident and the following day.

 

Poor girl. There is no trace of the black eye anymore, but it must have been pretty traumatic because she still talks about the fact that a little girl hit her with a bike.
These are old pictures- it's difficult to catch this girl since she's always on the run.

Keepin it real

Hey people!

Just thought I'd say hi. Since I can't seem to actually write a real post...

That girl is proud of her belly button. Happy Superbowl Sunday! (I'll be nervously watching... the Patriots are playing!!)

For Keena

 Abby loves her dress from Aunt Keena.

Almost as much as she loves her Pooh.

It's kind of a big deal.

So maybe it's not a really big deal, but we took Abby to the zoo for the first time on Monday.

Now, as some of you know, Abby doesn't talk. She said a few words here and there several months ago, but not only is she just not interested in talking, she also refuses to repeat any of the words that we know she can say. She wants us to tell her what everything is instead and she has found that she can communicate fairly well by just pointing and whining. It kind of sucks, because she knows so much. Just say it, lady!
The point of all of that is while I knew we wouldn't be hearing any animal sounds out of her, she still had a good time looking and pointing at all of the animals.

We also went on her first carousel ride. She had a lot of fun, once the ride started. {She didn't want to stay on her animal at first.}

 

This is what she did when she saw the giraffes. I don't know why.

We had delicious burgers beforehand at Hires, and we saw some friends of mine the minute we got to the zoo (what's up, ladies!)

It was a good day.

Crash

Spencer took this video while I was at work one night. He said she was laughing so much more before he turned the camera on, but you get the idea. She likes the crash better than the car itself.

It's long, over 3 minutes, but I figure that those who care won't mind the length!

P.S. Happy October!

I'm a big girl now

I was thoroughly spoiled for my birthday this year. Wow. But before I get to that, here's some yogurt hair:

So yeah. It was my birthday last Friday. I turned 29, which feels weird. Really weird, but I can worry more about that next year! Thankyouverymuch.

Spencer isn't the biggest fan of cake (what a psycho, I know) so he bought me a pretty little individual cake that was SO good. Chocolate with fudge filling and chocolate frosting. Yes please. It actually was so tall that it fed both of us for a few days.

Abby and I had a delightful morning together. She was in an especially good mood and we played the whole morning. Spencer took a half day and came home at lunchtime to give me my presents.

Little miss woke up from her nap just in time to help me open.

He got me a sweet little necklace with a pearl and two silver discs, one with an "S" and one with an "A," for my two sweethearts.

Abby likes it. I would say he came up with idea that on his own, but I've been wanting one for a long time and told him where he could probably get one.

So I was all done opening presents. I had lots of clothes and my pretty necklace and a few other things, and it was a great haul. What a great day- we were about to go out to lunch (Noodles & Co.) and my visiting teacher dropped by a half dozen cupcakes (two kinds, homemade, yum) and a necklace (also homemade, awesome).
Then Spencer pulls a huge box from the storage closet outside and puts it in front of me. What the what?

Ah! (By the time I had posed with it, I'd gone through a few outfit changes.)

I (him too, ever since being married to me) have always wanted a Kitchen Aid and never received or bought one. We came close over the years to buying one, but were always too cheap to just do it, hoping to wait for a better deal to come along. Mine is a pretty cobalt blue.

I love that he just surprised me!

Later that day we had some family watch Abby while we went to see Harry Potter. Afterward was a Lythgoe family BBQ to celebrate me. Ha. Actually, it was supposed to be the last evening that Spencer's sister Kelly and family were in town. They were visiting from Virginia and were set to go back home the following day. (Thanks to Irene, they were actually in town for another 2 days.)

Uncle Dave. Every family has an Uncle Dave. He is one of the many baby whisperers the Lythgoe family has.
Marti made me a birthday cake- chocolate on chocolate- and it was great.

I opened some presents from the Lythgoes next. Dara surprised me with a present too!

She has discovered that she not only loves to craft, but she is very good at it. I love it, I just have to figure out where to put it. Currently it is leaning on our counter against the vase of flowers that Spencer got me. Should it hang on the wall, or have it be decoration?

Thank you to everyone who made my birthday sooo special. I really felt so loved and appreciated.