With his mommy's permission, this here is Hot Lips (E'amon)
Bella got her first kiss on the lips at church yesterday! Oo laa laa! E'amon, who is one of her 5 boyfriends, walked right up to her, grabbed her shoulders, and planted one right on her! She attempted to push him away, but it was no use. There was no escaping those lips! For a year and a half, that E'amon knows what he is doing!! It was one of those moments you wished you had your camera. SO stinkin' cute.
Bella and I met some friends at the park today and had a blast! She's so fun to photograph, and thanks to Picasa's simple editing program, I was able to create this simple collage of our outing!
I laughed at her while she ate dirt and leaves, and she crawled around until her socks were no longer white! What a fun day at the park! I love watching her observe and explore the little things - things I usually think of as boring or ordinary. Like fallen leaves, airplanes, and trees. Bella finds something exciting about them all, and I love it. Happy day!
I went for a bike ride today with my friend Sienna, and holy cow - I'm feeling it.
I am guessing we went around 13 miles total, and the last time I biked that much was well, never. Did I mention I was pulling a 30lb trailer, 15lb car seat, 23lb baby, on fat mountain bike tires, on a windy day? I sound like I'm complaining. I really had a blast. I love a good challenge and I love that feeling after a good work out. I also love great friends! Thanks to Sienna for biking with me! :0)
Nap time never felt so good!!! And to finish the day, Bella and I read books, brushed teeth, then played a little. She decided to try eating my toes. It was so cute how she would grab my feet and laugh when I'd wiggle my toes in her face. She cracks me up!! And don't worry. We just finished a bath. To all those who are disgusted by feet, sorry. :0)
For family and friends far away, here are a few videos:
I went to Walmart the other day and did the family grocery shopping. Wow. My cart was a little bit full - okay, a lot bit full, and when I got home, my mom complained I didn't get enough stuff. Holy crap woman! So I think I'm bringing my mom next time I go.
Bella had a ball, and she was definitely the belle of the ball! She chilled in the cart like a big girl and with that giant flower on her head, she had people doing double takes like they'd never seen such a sight! I must not be in Utah anymore!
We recently battled the crowds at Universal Studios and despite the crowds, had a blast. Our dear friends from Alabama came down to visit, which made our weekend so much fun! We went to church together, painted our toenails, ate lots of food, and enjoyed their company! Thanks to the Fredericks and Westenhofers for stopping by!!
After a few rides, we were in the Mardi Gras parade and threw beads out to our adoring fans. My right bicep was really sore the next day. And the next day. And...Sad.
In other news, this computer's connection is really slow and that frustrates me.
Our craft club clothing swap last week was a success! 8 women chatting, 11 children running rampant, and 1 pile of clothes/house decor. Fabulous! I walked away with some really great free stuff!! Thanks to Lindsay for letting us use her house for craft club! :0)
Tax rebate - here we come! It's looking hopeful people. Where there's hope...there's a rebate check, right? Man, I can't wait to be out of debt. I'm a slave and I hate it. Don't ever get sucked into a timeshare without giving it some TIME. That's why it's called a timeshare. Or something.
Anyway. I taught my first official guitar lesson today! In exchange, I am getting piano lessons, and I love it. My 'student' is 12 years old and he's a fast learner!! I am taking on "One Man's Dream" by Yanni. Excellent. Music is so liberating. I have missed this friend I call Music.
My Aunt Tracy and her family are coming down from Chicago next week, and I am excited out of my mind!!! Then a week after that I'll be visiting my mom's family in Vegas, and I'm equally excited out of my mind!!! Something I have been thinking about a lot lately is the subject of judging. Any and all kinds. When is it okay to judge, or is there ever a time when it's okay? What about if I'm just 'warning' my friend that the person they are about to meet is kind of "chatty" or "shy". Why is it that we need to give people a heads up about others' imperfections? If I was the "chatty" one, I think I'd rather start with a clean slate when meeting someone new.
Or what about that person having a bad day? How about asking "How can I help this person?" instead of "Wow. What a grump." I want to do a better job of giving people the benefit of the doubt, and seeing each situation as if it were me in their shoes.
Through some thought and discussion, I have realized I am rather judgmental. I don't think I mean to be. I'm just lazy about noticing. Really, I have no one to blame, but myself. After watching my guilty pleasure show "The Bachelor", I realized I was encouraging and feeding that judgmental side of me. I am no better than a tabloid, really!
So off with being lazy. I'm aware of it now, and I feel this responsibility to share what I've learned. Any thoughts or experiences with this? Please share!
My butt is numb from sitting. So I think that's my cue. BED TIME. G'night to all.
That's my Bella! On March 11th, she'll be 10 months old! How did this happen so fast?? She just got here, I thought?
Her latest talents include dumping the dog's water bowl, mimicking the person in church who leads the music, initiating the game peek-a-boo using the wipe container, working out with me by swinging her arms side to side, climbing up the stairs, falling down the stairs (fear not. we catch her), singing to the hymns, and eating EVERYTHING. Except bananas. Just like her daddy. That's all for now.
With his mommy's permission, this here is Hot Lips (E'amon) 
