Future Cosmetologist?

While I was making breakfast this morning, I noticed that Jocee was being pretty quiet -never a good thing! I found her sitting in the hallway with my make-up bag on her lap and eyeliner in hand. I had thought everything was organized and put away. However, now that she has figured out how to use her training potty as a makeshift stepping stool, the counter-top in the main bathroom is no longer safe.

At first I wanted to panic. But upon further inspection, I must admit, I was actually somewhat impressed. She had carefully placed all caps back on the appropriate containers after she had used what she needed. Nothing was empty, overused, or all over the walls! All of my make-up was perfectly intact. With a sigh of relief, I found a better place for my make-up bag, and went back to clean Jocee's face off.

When I actually looked at her, I was shocked by what I saw! All of the products she used had ended up in the correct general area of her face! She had been very deliberate about it all. There was bronzer near her cheeks, tinted moisturizer on her face (near her ears), black eyeliner dotted near her left eye, and mascara on her top left lashes (and eyelid),!! Pretty accurate for a girl without a mirror and amateur motor skills! After all of the times she has sat and watched me do my make-up, she was honestly just trying to apply it all correctly. I couldn't stop laughing! She was a little confused. I think she had been expecting a "time-out."

I'm just so proud of her!

1. She didn't make a mess!
2. Everything was capped and put away after usage!
3. What had been applied, was almost applied correctly!
4. Most importantly...She didn't go overboard!! At 2 years old she already understands that a little bit of make up goes a long way.
   

But with looks like hers, she won't need make-up anyway! Nothing can mimic natural beauty!

(Oh, and the brown eyeliner on her chin was partially my fault. I had gasped when I saw her in the hallway, causing her to jump. The pencil was headed straight for her eye...area, though!)

Quick Flight

Just flying over Utah County.

Diamond Fork Canyon 4.18.09

Only a 25 minute drive from home

good trail

Looks of rock formations

Recent Trips

Radar track from Provo to Pocatello

Radar Track from Pocatello to Logan

above it all at 20,000 feet

Scattered to Broken down below

Our Little Artist

The week started out sunny and warm, but on Tuesday and part of Wednesday it actually snowed! It started out as rain but just got worse and worse. I felt so bad for Jocee. She's too young to understand how erratic the weather can be during April in Utah.

For her birthday we had got her those Crayola washable finger paints. They were the perfect distraction! I especially love them because of how easy they are to clean up. I so wish we bought them sooner!

Jocee LOVES seeing her artwork on the fringe. Once she's done she always asks me to put it up. (Oh, and the one on the bottom is actually mine... Yes, I get in on the fun too sometimes!)

Anyway here are some cute pictures of the girls (mostly Jocee) playing outside.

On a side note... The two pictures above were all the push I needed to get back on that health wagon! I'll be honest... Somewhere around Valentine's Day, I lost my way... If I knew it would be as easy as seeing a full body shot, I wouldn't have let those holidays derail me! But I'm totally motivated now! I'm all about Yoga, Pilates, flax seed & ditching that oh so addictive sugar. I'm giving myself until our 5 yr anniversary to reach my goal (May 21). That's little more than a month, but it's all I need!

Ben has actually been somewhat supportive. He has cut down on his caffeine consumption (1 DP a day instead of like 5, yikes!). And even when he isn't, it has no effect. I've genuinely lost all desire for junk food. Yays!

A Trip to Logan

(Note: I know almost every post I've made this month has been about Jocee's birthday. This is my last one. Promise!)

We went to Logan yesterday to celebrate Jocee's birthday one last time. We think it's really important for her to spend time with her cousins as much as possible, so her birthday seemed like a good excuse to visit. Plus with Spencer studying for finals and Tina having three kids to pack up, it just made more sense for us to go to them.

We had so much fun! Grandpa, Nana & Terisa were able to come up, too. They made some really good pizza for lunch, and Nana (Elaine) did an amazing job on Jocee's cake! Elaine is s so talented and creative! She really put a lot of effort & love into the cake. It turned out perfectly!

I had planned on taking more pictures, but we got busy and I just kinda forgot. Jocee was so busy running around with James, Elli and Miley, it would have been dificult to get good shots anyway. We were so happy that she got to have fun and be with people who really love her.

Jocee loved the cake, but seemed more interested in the jelly bean border! She is loving all the pictures we took of the cake also.


(Her T-shirt says, "The 'twos' aren't terrible... I'm having a blast!!!" Ha! Perfect!)

Thank you to Elaine & Richard for lunch & Elaine for doing the cake!
Thank you to Tina and Spencer for opening their home and letting us come up and celebrate!

We are so grateful for family!! Although, we wish we could see everyone more often, we are glad that some live close enough to visit. It makes us so happy to see Jocee having fun with her cousins! (This morning she woke up asking for Elli!) We need to make more efforts to hang out more often!

Happy Easter! We love you all!

Jocee's Birthday

I wanted to do a separate post for all the pictures we took on Jocee's birthday...

For breakfast I made her chocolate chip pancakes (aka "chock-it can-cakes"). She only ate like half of one before she was done. She was so excited to wear her birthday tiara and kept it on all day.

We gave her the presents from us early in the morning. We got her Crayola washable finger paints and this princess couch. When she saw that it folded out into a little bed, she was ecstatic! I'm so happy I chose it for her. She LOVES it!!

So, I had this fabulous idea for her birthday cake. I got the idea from my friend, Alicia, but I wanted to make it a little different. So I made the butter cream frosting and dyed it with food coloring. While I was busy trying to blend the colors I wanted, Jocee was behind me being very quiet...

She totally got into the yellow dye! It was everywhere! That's what I get for not frosting the cake the night before. When will I learn?! Haha! Anyway, this is how it turned out...

It's not exactly what I had envisioned. But this is honestly my first attempt at a presentable cake. And in my defense, I had a two year old distracting me. I did learn a lot, so next time should turn out better! I have three different ideas for Ben's birthday cake. Maybe I'll do some practice cakes first though!

Jocee knew it was a flower right away! She was so excited!

When we sang to her and told her to blow out the candles, she actually did! It was so cute! But she was definitely more interested in eating the cake.

Warren and Terisa were able to come over for dinner and cake. Jocee loved having them over and loved being the center of attention.

Omie and Papa sent her a doll and Moses basket.

She really likes EVERYTHING she got for her birthday! Everyone got her things that she genuinely enjoys. She has been playing with all the new toys and even watching the puppy DVDs Richard and Elaine got her. We were both so happy that Jocee had so much fun on her birthday.

Anyway, we're looking forward to celebrating at Tina and Spencer's in Logan on Saturday! Jocee will love seeing some of her cousins. Elaine is doing the cake, so I can't wait to see that. It should be lots of fun! I'm sure I'll be posting about it.

Jocelyn is TWO!!

Today at 9:46 am, Jocee turned two years old! The realization is actually bittersweet, in a way. Bitter, because the last two years have passed much too quickly. Sweet, because watching her grow up is nothing short of a complete joy! We are loving every new phase as it comes. Jocee is talking so clearly. She is such a sassy little girl and likes to voice her opinions on things.

Jocee loves being Mommy's Helper. She always wants to help me while I'm cleaning. She likes to help unload and load the dishwasher, throwing things in the trash, getting fresh diapers for Sophie, putting her toys away & always wants to sweep & mop the floors. Whenever she sees me cleaning she yells, "HELPER!!" and comes running. Although she's usually underfoot, she always means well.

She is a little fashionista! Every morning she leads me to her closet and says, "Mommy, my outfit!" Seriously! I usually give her a choice between two different outfits. I have a pretty good idea of what her favorites are. I have also caught her in our closet trying to wear my clothes.

(Jocee wearing Mommy's VS PINK robe)

She is a total girly girl! She loves dolls, babies, princesses, tiaras, talking on the phone, playing dress up, jewelry, play make up, etc... She loves all things feminine. She often tells us that she is a princess. ("I a Pin-cess!!)

Jocee is very maternal. She is so loving towards her little sister. If Sophie is crying, Jocee rushes to comfort her. She gently pats Sophie's back during tummy time. She always offers to hold Sophie and gives little kisses. She is also very sweet with her dolls. Ben always says that our grand babies are going to be very lucky.


Jocee is very tech-savy. She has figured out how to use both of our cell phones and the DVD player. It's crazy! She is always turning on her favorite movie, "Lady & the Tramp."



Other Cute Facts

• Jocee calls herself Cee-cee or Oh-see, because she hasn't quite figured out the "J" sound. It's adorable!
• Jocee LOVES to sing!! She knows all the words to "Itsy Bitsy Spider." She is always asking me to sing different songs with her. She is one of the few people (if not only) who like my singing voice! haha Her favorites right now are, "The Cuppy Cake Song," "The ABCs," "Itsy Bitsy Spider," & "All the Single Ladies"...by Beyonce...
• She has a "Beyonce dance" whenever that music video comes on VH1!!
• Jocee LOVES books!! She loves to have someone read to her or to pretend to read on her own. Two books that I have to read at bedtime are, I'm a Big Sister, and You're All My Favorites. (Thank you, Grandpa & Nana!!)
  

• Jocee loves talking on the phone! She calls Omie & Papa in Boston at least once a day (sometimes more). She has also been known to call Auntie Laura (my sister) & Nana (Elaine). My apologies to anyone else in my contacts who may have been inadvertently called...
• She likes to name off different animals and tell us what the animals "say." (Sometimes I'll know she's on the phone with my mom because she'll be making different animal noises. haha!)
• Jocee's favorite color is PINK! Whenever she is given a choice she always chooses pink!
• Jocee has some artistic tendencies. If left to her own devices she'll always end up "decorating" something. Magic erasers have become one of my favorite things. But Jocee is always willing to help clean up...

• Her favorite animals are puppies! She gets so excited when she sees dogs outside or on TV. There's a little Springer Spaniel named "Lady" that lives nearby. Jocee LOVES her. I'm pretty sure Ben will end up getting her a dog eventually.
• Jocee LOVES to cuddle! Every morning she comes in our bedroom and cuddles with Mommy & Daddy. She loves being the center of attention.
  

When it comes to Jocee, I could go on and on indefinitely. We couldn't ask for a sweeter girl. It has been a joy to watch her grow and progress. She really is becoming her own little person with her own likes and dislikes. We love her so much and are so happy that she is part of our family!!

Happy Birthday to our Little Miss!