Happier Milestones

Our little Hallie is sitting up all by herself! I know, mom's think that the simplest things are so much cooler than they really are.

But doesn't she look happy to be sitting up?!...

Ok, the grass was kind of throwing her for a loop. I couldn't get a smile out of her. That face you see there, well that's how she feels about sitting on grass (and don't worry, the cement in the background is way further back than it looks, if she had fallen she would have only grazed her head, not split it open ;])

And still not a smile, but slightly more pleasant...

Congrats to Hallie!

Milestones...

Can be pretty traumatic...

Yep. No more binkies. It's been pretty rough on this little girl...

And every once in a while I'll find her huddled in some corner of the house with Hallie's pacifier in her mouth, clenching it with her hands, and sucking the life out of it. I refrain from taking pictures, however comical (no need to encourage such actions).

It has been a week and a half now. Withdrawals are easing up, and on occasion she will even sing the binky song we wrote for the occasion:

No more binkies

No more binkies

Taylor Rae

Taylor Rae

I am such a big girl

I am such a big girl

Yeah hooray

Yeah hooray

And, yes, once while singing she began softly crying afterward. Poor girl. She's a champ.

cute things...

... is finally updated. here :)

The Holidays... For Real This Time

Here is my much more detailed (or rather picture overloaded) post of our Holidays. Well, December. I was a dork and didn't take any pictures of our awesome New Year's goings-on.

Half of December we spent with the fam up in Grantsville. We got our White Christmas fill and enjoyed the sunny "jacket weather" of Saint George on Christmas day.

So here's the Phelps Family Christmas Party that started off our December (It's kind of like Where's Waldo... only Where's the Harringtons... you have to love huge family get-togethers)...

And our Anniversary was somewhere in December. Celebrated by a stay at the Anniversary Inn (we could have done the Romeo and Juliet Room or something Romantic like that... but Swiss Family Robinson was sooo much cooler-oh yes. our bed was in a tree)...

And, oh yes. Our shower was a waterfall. We will one day have this in our home :)...

Mostly what kept the Holiday Season busy was spending a little family time...

This was a stay up til 4 shot. and she's still gorgeous...

Not everyone is cut out for 4. but they tried. actually they didn't...

This one is in here because, well, I just love the look on Hallie's face...

The Christmas tree (ahhhh... sipping hot chocolate by the tree... mmm...)...

The view from my window (in g ville of course)...

A stroll down our lane...

sheep. yep. not much to say about em. Other than it's kinda fun having them live down the lane...

Friends (that, dummy me, didn't take enough pictures with)...

And of course our Allen Family Christmas party, which is never complete without a talent show (I will let you use your imaginations as to what insane skills were being shown off)...

And our own Harrington family Christmas Eve was so wonderful!

(sometimes, a no-smile shot is even cuter to me than a smile shot... especially on chubby babies)...

The Harrington Christmas tree...

Which is much cuter with little girlies in front of it. So I thought you'd like to see a few of the attempted photos that went along with trying to get a picture of all three. I'm sure you can guess who the trouble maker was...

She's leaning...

Now blurring...

Ope. She's gone...

There we go (after a bribe or two and 20 pictures later)!...

And Christmas dinner was so wonderful! Which I, again, shamefully forgot to take any pictures of people (yes, I'm a dork)...

But the surroundings were great ;)...

And Christmas morning...

Merry Christmas Everyone (again)!!!

*** as a side note, the friday thing isn't working like I thought it would. obviously. I'm thinking December was just an off month because of the crazy business, but still. I think I'll switch over to a once a week thing, and not pin myself down to a specific day. just so you don't all think I'm slacking on my promises... more than I already have anyway :)***

Merry Christmas

Yes, a much longer and detailed post was planned, but time slipped away from me. So to all I say...

Merry Christmas!

And yes, to all a good night!

Thanksgiving

I didn't blog last friday. The internet didn't work. And now it does. The problem now is deciding if this is gonna kill two birds with one stone and count for this coming friday as well. We'll see :)

Since this is my Thanksgiving post I thought it only right to list a few things I am thankful for. So here goes in no particular order of importance:

I am grateful my family has never known hunger (despite my girls constant use of the phrase "I'm starving").

I am grateful that I have never wondered if I would have a home to go to. It may not always be clean, but that is of my own neglect.

I am grateful that I have a husband that makes me feel he loves me more than he loves himself. To put it plainly, he takes care of my needs above his. I feel a little selfish.

I am grateful I have three beautiful, good, happy daughters here with me on earth. They truly make being a mother my greatest joy (and a very interesting joy).

I am grateful I have a daughter waiting for me in Heaven to remind me of everything pure and good.

I am grateful for my brothers and sisters (in-laws alike). I never feel like I am alone, some one is always just a conversation away. They are my best friends.

I am grateful for all of my extended family. I have been so blessed with people I love and care so much about, that love and care about me also.

I am grateful for my parents who are also my best friends. They do more for me than anyone could imagine. Well, you could imagine it, but you wouldn't believe it.

I am grateful for Russell's parents. Not only did they provide me with the spouse of my dreams by raising such a hard working lad, but their genetic combination was just so as to produce a very good-looking, hard working lad. And they, too, have become some of my closest friends.

And I am grateful for my actual friends. Not just the family kind :). There aren't many people outside of family that I have become very close with in my life, but those I have are as dear to me as family.

I am grateful for sunshine. I don't make it a secret that sunshine makes me happy. And I love being where the sunshine is. I am so blessed.

I am grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ. For His gospel. For the peace that He gives me always. It has been very seldom that I have faced trials in my life (of any real significance-I don't count Taylor drawing on walls :]) and when those times come Jesus Christ has been my comfort and my source of peace. He has carried me through times I would have expected to feel unrest and sadness and filled me with His love.

I am grateful that because of my Savior, and because of my Heavenly Father's plan for my family, we can be together forever. That all of those I love so well on earth I won't be parted from forever, and those who have already passed on I will get to see again, and not only see, but live with, and be sealed to. I am so grateful for this.

I have so many things to be grateful for!

But... I will skip to the picture portion. These are just some pictures of our day. It was filled with family and food. My two favorite things...

Happy Thanksgiving!

Memory Lane

Since nothing out of the ordinary happened this week [unless you count the 96 loads of laundry folded (ok, slight exaggeration)] I feel I have license to take a trip down memory lane instead.

Let's go back six or so years. Russ and I were newlyweds. He was in school. We both worked. We lived in a quaint little basement apartment. And we were just figuring out what each other were really like. This is when I was introduced to how Russ handles sickness.

It began as any other day, I don't remember the particulars, but in the evening we attended a play at the college for one of Russ's classes.

In the middle of the play Russ started coming down with a cold. He was in pain, and it was obvious. So what does any normal person do when cold symptoms set in (sore throat in particular), and it's after hours? A trip to the emergency room, of course! Russ was in pain and it needed remedied! Immediately! (for those of you wondering-he knows I'm in jest)

Of course, once the emergency room was brought up I began thinking it must be more serious than just your common cold (I mean, come on, the emergency room for a sore throat?). So I (being the devoted, loving wife I am ;]) began feeling anxious as to what could possibly be ailing my new groom. Enter nurse:

Nurse: On a scale of one to ten, how bad is your pain?

Russ: (very dramatically) Ten.

Nurse: (somewhat condescendingly) Ok, ten would be like they are sawing your arm off. (then looks to Russ to restate his obviously exaggerated response)

Russ: (in a tone that would suggest "I'm fully aware of how the rating system works" he acquiesced) Nine.

Oh yes. He said nine. And he would have kept with ten had he not felt obligated to restate. Now, curiosity more than anxiety for my spouse set in. What was this pain in his throat that was as bad as having his arm sawed off?? Was it a tumor? Of course a few tests were done, a few lights shown down the oral cavity, a few tongue depressers and cotton swabs.

In the end, they handed us two pieces of paper: the diagnosis, and a prescription for Lortab. What was the diagnosis worthy of such a pain killer? It read:

"Pharyngitis (sore throat)". No, it wasn't a tumor. It wasn't even strep.

Yes. This was a foreshadowing for how my husband handles sickness. Due to this being already too lengthy of a post I won't go into the moaning throughout the night, the relentless tossing and turning, or the days off work, etc. etc. I'll leave it to your imagination. But, I will say, he is worth every second of it. I love that boy, and I wouldn't change him for anything. I even love when he gets sick... it's rather endearing :)

And no post is complete without pictures, so even though it has nothing to do with anything, here is little Hallie grabbing her toes (don't worry mom-though sockless-she is still warm)...

Aw.