Random Blogging

I'm back to blogging...for now. I love reading all the blogs that are updated everyday or almost everyday and think it is so great that you all post recipes and do your photo a day and other things like that. You guys inspire me. So, after Jon finishes his online classes and I have access to a computer during the day, I am going to be better about posting. For now, weekends will have to do. I don't know that our lives are exciting enough to really post more often than that anyways. I try to think of the little things that I could write about but I feel like our days are just the same every day. But that's okay. It's a good simple life and I enjoy it while I can.
It has been really rainy this week so we haven't gotten outside much and I have run out of ideas of things to do with Emma. What fun (free) games or activities, etc. do you guys do with your kids? Please please please share your ideas! I would love suggestions.
Here are a couple random pictures from this week...

It's hard to see, but we painted Emma's fingernails. It's the cutest thing!

This is what we call stiffs. Emma stands on grandpa's knees and balances as long as she can.We love that Emma is able to get to know at least one set of grandparents. She has so much fun with them.

Below is a video of the trick.

Rock City

Yesterday was a beautiful, sunny Saturday so we went to a park called Rock City that's near here. It's in the mountains and there are all sorts of rock formations and caves. It's a really cool place.

Melinda, Jon, Emma, and Jenny in the opening to one of the bigger caves.

Jon, Melinda, Debbie, and Jenny climbed this really high rock. I wasn't feeling that adventurous.

Emma taking a break by a little pool of water.

Walking with Grandma and Grandpa.

Happy Day

Emma has several phrases that she loves to say and sing. She'll say them at the most random times and we usually don't know where she came up with them. Some of her recent ones are "I sing, I sing, I sing", "ABCDE", and "Teach me, teach me" (from the Primary song Teach Me to Walk in the Light" among others. Our favorite though is Happy Day. She started saying it a couple weeks ago while she was coloring and now she will walk around the house singing happy day over and over. It's so cute. I think it's my favorite because it really does make me happy. If I'm feeling blah or just not having a great day, it somehow just puts things into perspective for me and makes me happy. So, here are some of our happy day moments from the last week.

Emma and Aunt Jenny sporting their sunglasses.

We love goldfish!

And we LOVE swinging.

Jon volunteered to get up with Emma yesterday morning. He is not a morning person at all, so when I came downstairs later I wasn't surprised to find this. He was fast asleep and she was watching Animal Planet. TV's are great babysitters. :)

Does anyone else wonder how a kid can move around so much AFTER they fall asleep?

Our Budding Little Artist

Emma LOVES to draw, as I'm sure most kids her age do. She has to sit down and color several times a day. If we don't get the crayons fast enough she will find a pen or pencil and start drawing on walls, doors, herself...it's great. These were some pictures Jon got the other day that we just thought were cute.

The other day Emma came running up to me. With a huge smile she pulled up her shirt and yelled baby (she calls her tummy her baby). She had colored all over her belly with pen and was so excited.

A Day at the Park

The weather was a beautiful, sunny 60 degrees today. So, we went to the park. It was a lot of fun. Emma loves watching older kids so that's what she's doing in all the pictures. She doesn't look like she's having fun, but she really was.

Swings are her favorite playground toy.

Riding the teeter totter

                                             

A Little Bit From Christmas

I know this is a little late, but it's here. Jon has been working so diligently on his classes and looking for jobs that I rarely get a turn on the computer. It's good to be back to blogging again.
So here is a little rundown of our Christmas. We started it the week before Christmas when we went to visit my parents in Idaho. We had a great time visiting with them.

Emma got this gloworm from them that was by far her favorite present. Glowie goes everywhere with her. This is the first thing that she's ever been attached to. It is so cute. I am so glad he is machine washable. :)

Every Christmas Eve Jon's family gets together with a family in their ward and makes pizza and does a little Christmas program. We had a lot of fun with them.

The Farrell girls on Christmas morning

Emma got this chair from Jon's parents that she loves. It is just her size and plays all sorts of fun songs for her to dance to. Below is her "I know you're taking a picture of me so I'm going to give you my cheesy smile" look.

I can't believe I'm putting this picture on, but I figured there are never pictures of Jon or I. Jon gave me this Willow Tree Statue. I love it!

Rain Rain Go Away

The rain started yesterday afternoon and hasn't stopped since then. Overnight we have gotten a new swimming pool and a river going all the way from the backyard to the street. With at least 2 more days of rain ahead, it looks like they'll be here to stay for awhile. Jon and his mom have been outside all day trying to shovel water and redirect it to the street. It is a mess!

The new swimming pool. Last time we measured it was about 6 inches deep.

This is the beginning of the river. The water is almost to the top of the first step. The water goes out the gate...

and all the way across the front lawn to the street.

Emma REALLY wanted to come outside. It didn't last long.

As nasty as the rain is, I would still much rather have it than the snow!