Happy Birthday Chelsea

My little girl turned 2 last Friday. We had TONS of family in town to celebrate. We went on the Hayride at the Pumpkin Farm and fed donkeys and cows. Then over to Gramma Daines' house for soup, salad, and cake

the "soft" wrapped presents apparently meant pillows for Chels

not sure about the hayride yet

feeding the cows

uncle love

trying on her new clothes

What to say about my daughter. She is super adorable. She has so much personality. She is spunky, stubborn, goofy, independent, smart, etc. Sometime I want to rip my hair out because she is throwing such a fit or will not cooperate. But all that fire and gumption comes from somewhere and I'm pretty sure that most everyone can guess where she got it.

She sleeps great. She goes down around 8:30pm and wakes up around 9am. She still naps for 2 hours in the later afternoon. She has all her teeth but her 2 year molars. She wears 24month/2T clothes and size 7 shoe. Not sure what her exact weight and height stats are but she's about 28 lbs. and 32 inches.

We love her so much!

Women's Conference 2012

Loved everything about this trip!

-Conference
-Girl Time
-No kids :-)
-Family Time
-Games
-NEWBORN!! (my little nephew Holden)
-babies
-best friends

There and Back Again...part 2

See, I'd get to it someday....

Back to our Summer:
Week 3

City #5, Brigham City, UT

Monday morning, after we had loaded the boats, trailers, and tons of food---we headed up to Brigham City for the Facer Family Reunion. We have this every 2 years at the same spot. Its a camp ground with a nice little lake.

We wakeboard, wake-surf, tube, sunbathe, and have an awesome time!

 Chelsea,who had recently learned to crawl, got FILTHY! What was I going to do? Not let her down--yeah right. I went thru an entire Costco baby wipe package.

These 3 are 2 months apart. Hank and Jeffrey are born on the same day

 We taught each other lots of cool, new tricks

 The WORST part of vacation was the sickness. While in Provo, the kids and I all got a cold. Achy, runny noses, sore throat, the works. It wasn't fun. Then on the 4th morning of our camping trip I woke up around 5am and went into the bathroom (yes they do have a disgusting bathroom). I walked right past Angie and threw up in the toilet. Soon after, my mom came in from "getting some air" and told me she wasn't feeling well. Angie then piped up and said she'd thrown up twice already. As I was moaning in the stall, Andelyn came in to tell me that Carson had just thrown up all over the tent trailer. Great.

Throughout the next 24 hours, out of my parents and siblings, everyone got it except Chelsea and my dad. It was awful! I couldn't decide if it was awful because I was sick camping or wonderful because I had help with kids because my dad was there to help.

We packed up on Saturday morning..with James and Canon throwing up. I was finally better since my 24 hours were up. The flu continued to make its way around the entire Facer clan...all 105 of us!  We drove straight to the airport so that the kids and I could get on a plane and fly to Seattle. From there we would fly to S______ for the Daines reunion!

Waiting

Today (and for the last several days) I have been waiting for....

*The weather to get cooler. I really am ready for 50-60 degrees. I want to wear jeans and longsleeves and not get hot playing outside. I am ready for jackets & fuzzy crocs, hot chocolate & spiced cider.

*The holidays. With cooler weather comes decorations, fall baking, holiday shopping, birthdays, & family time. I already told David that the Christmas decor is going up after Halloween this year. I love pies, caramel apples, all the food of the season. I love family football, late night games, caroling, and wrapping presents. I love warm fall colors and bright Christmas colors. I love the nativity story and think maybe this year it will make more sense to my children. I love smiling neighbors, door bell suprises, & people bustling about as they conquer their own holiday agenda. I really love this time of year.

*David to finish school. I know, I know, he is not even halfway thru. I miss my husband. I miss Saturdays. It is no longer a family day. Just another day without Dad. We don't have the whole family cuddle time in Mom and Dad's bed because he is always absent. I am grateful for the opportunity that he has to go to school and the sacrafice is worth it. But I'm waiting.

*My brother to come home. Elder Facer will be home from Norway Janurary 12. Just today he wrote in his email of his relief that he was once again reassured of that departure date and not the sooner possibility. I have to feel a little guilty for in his joy, is my dissapointment. I wish he was going to be home for Christmas. I am stoked that Seth, Hansen, and Angie will be there. I can't wait to see them!!! It would be perfect if Garrett was going to be there too. Guess he's a better person than I am. Who can blame him? He wants to serve the Lord in that capacity for as long as he can.

*My friends to come see me. Doesn't any one want to come see me? I come back to visit them...and I look forward to it SO much. Maybe its not recipricol. Or maybe its not as easy I think it is.

*A car. We knew that a new car was enevitable in the next few years. David's just doesn't have the life capacity to hold out for long. It seems like it may have served its time. To fix its most recent repair might not be worth the cost of the vehicle. David won't drive it to work since we aren't sure how reliable it is--and I absolutely HATE driving the thing. Let's just say I wasn't there when he bought it. That was pre-Malerie era. That leaves us with the next decision. What do we do...and what do we get...and how much do we spend?

*That right feeling that we're ready for another baby. I can't believe I was already 8 weeks pregnant with Chelsea when Carson was her age now. He seemed so much older than she is. So much less baby like. Did I mentally make him older because I was expecting another? Maybe, but Chels is still my baby for now. I do miss the little newborn/infant stages. I think I'll always love that. I'm just not ready for another human being in the family. Babies do grow up! For now my two are perfect. But that third will come, sometime.

*The exercise bug to bite me. Maybe I will NEVER have that push, that desire to have a consistant roustine. I know what I don't like, but there are things that I DO like. Why can't that be enough? Why do I have to make it happen? Why do I have to have a lengthy conversation with myself titled, "To work out now or not", only to have it fizzle and die with "NOT". Anyone have tips?

*My kids to wake up. They are both down for a nap (yay!) but---I'm ready to see them again. To hug and kiss their cheeks. I LOVE my kids! I miss them when they're right here, in the house, sleeping! Isn't that funny? They're just great kids like that. You always want them around.

I guess I'll just keep playing the waiting game. Its one I don't particularly mind.

There and Back Again

a novel (because it will take FOREVER to finish) by: Malerie


Ok so this summer we left our house for a month long vacation involving 7 cities, 30 hours of driving, 10 hours of flying, and a TON of stuff in between.

IT WAS CRAZY! I'll do my best to recap our adventures.

We left our house on Sunday to drive 5 hours down to my parents house in Sa_____. We hung out there for a few days playing with siblings, gparents, uncles, an aunt...blah blah blah. The best part was riding in the wagon. Here are those pics.

On Wednesday around 7pm we had my parents suburban loaded with 15+ bags, a pack 'n play, SUV stroller, probably 15 pillows (for 8 people) dvds, food, and the tent trailer hitched in back. We drove through the night 14 hours to AZ. The kids sorta slept. They woke up several times and I'd nurse Chels back to sleep and then try to get some shut-eye myself. Lets just say I won't be driving through the night again.

Cities Vail & Tucson, AZ

 My Grandparents (mom's side) and my mom's sister Tracy & family live in AZ. I'm really glad I got to visit them. I think it had been 6 years since I'd been to my gparents house!      We went to the zoo...

 Carson would not leave this tractor alone. It was his favorite "attraction" at the zoo or "bee-youm" as he calls it. Not that it sounds at all like zoo.

it was SO hot I had to keep getting the kids' hair wet to cool them off

 The zoo was actually really fun...and it was one of the quickest trips to the zoo I've ever experienced!

 While in AZ we also played in my aunt's pool, went to In n out several times, and had a really fun time visiting with my cousins there. (they are closer in age to my sibling and my own children so they all had a blast playing with one another). Carson still to this day tells me he want to go to Aunt Tracy's house.

We ate good food, played with toys that I used to play with as a kid, played Shanghai, talked, and really had a great time!

Really not sure how this happened....poor Goo

 City # 4, Provo UT

After 4 full days of fun, we left Monday around noon to make the 13 or so hour drive up to UT. We got in around 1:30am and that was SO much better than all night long. Aw Utah. Home.

Provo House,                
                              Family,

Such a great depiction of their relationship

 Memories,  
                

                                    BBQs,




             
                                                 Games,

             




                                   



                          Best Friends,

really unsure of what I'm doing

 Learning, 

Bonding,                     

              Cousins, 




Aunts & Uncles,

Food,                
                Siblings,

LOVE

Do I even dare say that this was my favorite part of my vacation....? It was just peaceful and warm, comforting, and familiar. I love coming back home.

I loved seeing old friends, meeting new ones, and remembering why I LOVE being me.   Thanks to the Gill's for letting us stay with you! It was so great to be in your home again.

To be continued......